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City Light Church Las Vegas | Jabin Chavez
Grace | Jabin Chavez Leadership Podcast
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The 30 Rules For Preaching: https://medium.com/th…
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Did the Apostle Paul and Jesus disagree? I'm seeing this a lot online right now that it really doesn't matter what Paul said, it only matters what Jesus said. And I want to talk about that today because I think it has massive importance in your preaching because as your theology goes, so goes your preaching. And as your preaching goes, so goes your church. We're gonna jump into it in this week's podcast. Well, hey, Happy New Year and I'm so glad you're with us. I'm so glad to be beginning the year with you this year. And I'm so excited about all that as I'm filming this 2026 has in store for all of us, man, I love you guys so much. And I'm excited to be dropping brand new leadership podcast every Wednesday morning here on the City Light Vegas YouTube channel. Podcast channels, all that, make sure you're subscribed, make sure you're liking, make sure you're sharing all of that. And I've completely moved off of the Javen Chavez pages and I'm now only on the City Light Vegas page. And so make sure you're following along. We're live streaming on YouTube every Sunday morning, dropping new sermons every Sunday night, new leadership content every Wednesday, and then every Friday, drop in fresh worship on the YouTube channel. So hope you'll join us on this journey. All right, I want to. I'm really going to talk to preachers today. If you're not a preacher, I think this will still be a blessing to you. But I. But I really want to talk to preachers and I want to try to help you. Jesus said in the, in the sermon of the Upper room, by the way, John 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, you need to be well acquainted with that. I'm going to try to get through all this quick. You need to be real acquainted with that. There has been a major focus on the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, 6, 7. But the sermon in the Upper Room is the New Covenant sermon for the New Covenant believer. These are the things Jesus thought were most important to teach his disciples right before he left. So he talked about prayer, talked about the Holy Spirit. He talked about abiding. He talked about how the word of God was going to be the thing that prunes us and cleans us. He talked about unity, talked about being one. He talked about staying close. I mean, honestly, when you, when you compare the sermon in the Upper Room and the Sermon on the Mount, they're very different. Now we could get in all the reasons for that. And I'm going to try to not just freak everybody out, but I would just say this. We are. We are New Covenant people. And that New Covenant is what's really important. So Jesus taught on that. Then he dies, resurrects, and then for 40 days he teaches on the Kingdom of God. So he's teaching on New Covenant principles. This is super important where I'm about to go. And I'm trying not to be totally, you know, inflammatory. I'm not trying to. I'm not disagreeing with any of the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. I'm saying we are New Covenant people, and Jesus teaches us the New Covenant. And he says in that New Covenant message, that John 13:17 message, the Spirit of God's going to come and he's going to reveal all this truth to you. Well, all that truth was revealed in the epistles. That's where the truth got revealed through the. Through the teachings of the apostles, specifically the Apostle Paul, who is our apostle because he is the apostle to the Gentiles. So Kenneth Hagin would say it like this. Preach through the lens of the epistles. Read the Bible through the lens of the epistles. Approach God through the lens of the epistles. Start in the epistles, and then read the entirety of Scripture through that lens and make sure that that is how you are interpreting the Bible. And I agree with that 100%. I'm adding a link here of Brian Houston had the 30 rules for preaching at Hillsong Church. And one of the rules for preaching at Hillsong Church was this is what he would tell his team was keep it based in the New Testament, make sure it had a New Testament angle, and approach through the light of the New Covenant. Amen. This is so important. So let me just say a few things that I'm. I hope are not controversial, but you just need to think about when you're preaching. Jesus came as the Messiah to Israel and the Savior of the world, but he came first as the Messiah. Israel, okay, obviously to save the world. But it started in Israel. Israel rejected their Messiah and judgment came upon Israel in 70 AD because of the rejection of the Messiah. Remember in Matthew 21, Jesus said, I'm going to give these farmers this land and I'm going to see what they do with it. And what did they do? They killed the servants. So then the. The Master says, well, I'll send my son. They won't kill my son. And they kill the Son. And Jesus says to the Pharisees, to the Sadducees, to the religious System. You are those evil farmers. You killed the prophets and now you're going to kill the Messiah, you're going to kill the Son. And they did. And what was, what was the judgment for that? Well, destruction. And in 70 A.D. god brought destruction, some would argue the fulfillment of Matthew 24. I'm not here to get into that. But destruction came upon Israel for the rejection of the Messiah. So the Gospel went to the Jew first started right there in Jerusalem. Romans 1 to the Jew first started right there in Jerusalem and then to the Gentile. So remember that Paul went to the Jew first. His first ministry was to the Jews and then the Spirit of God. And by the way, that's why when he went to the Jews with Timothy, who is a Gentile, he actually circumcised. I did that. I didn't mean to do that. He actually circumcised Timothy because that was, that was, was going to be a big deal for them. So he went as a Jew preaching to the Jews, trying to win Jews to their Messiah, Jesus Christ, that once he left that ministry to the Jews and went to the Gentiles, you never see him putting the Jewish customs, traditions or laws on the Gentiles. You can read about this in Colossians and Galatians says, don't get circumcised. He says, you don't have to follow the feast days, you don't have to follow the holy days, you don't have to follow the dietary routes. All those things were just types and shadows of a new covenant. And so Paul never put that on the Gentiles. That, you know, it's, it's kind of interesting, right, when you, you know, you see New Covenant believers who, you know, well, they, they just get into all that stuff and they're Gentiles. Now again, if, if you're a Jewish person and you want to keep some of that, because I think Paul did, Paul didn't lose his Jewishness. He didn't lose that, that part of him. I think you should do that. I think it's funny when Gentiles want to, you know, kind of connect to, you know, what they call Jewish roots. It's like you, bro, you're a gentile. So, and Paul, a Jew and a Jewish scholar, never put that on the Gentiles. Very important to remember, you know, his famous Declaration in Philippians 3. I'm forgetting getting those things that are behind me. I'm pressing on. All that's about the law. All that's about. I, I, I used to, I used to do these things. And I've left all of, you know, it wasn't like, you know, I used to be in the clubs and I used to be a, you know, I used to be a drug addict, I used to be an alcoholic. But I've left all the. No, no. He's saying I'm putting all my self righteousness away. I'm forgetting all, all of that. I'm pressing on into the new covenant gospel. So even, even Paul was growing in that revelation of grace. Look what Hebrews 8:13 says. Let me, let me say something before I read this. The old covenant has been completely replaced by what the scripture calls a new and better covenant. Just let that settle for a second. When God. Look at this. Hebrews 8:13. When God speaks of a new covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date. And now watch how the Hebrew writer says this will soon disappear. See what was happening? I believe in that first generation of church. The first generation of the church is the old covenant was fading away and was disappearing and the new covenant was being established. This new covenant was established by the outpouring of the Spirit of God after the resurrection of Jesus and by the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. So you know, like you read Acts 2, the Holy Spirit is poured out and Peter says this that you're seeing, this, this is that that was spoken by the prophet Joel. Joel chapter two or Joel chapter three. Excuse me, Joel, Book of Joel. This that you're seeing, this outpouring of the Spirit, is that in the last days, God said, I will pour out my spirit. Okay, the last days meaning the last days of human history. No, the last days of the old covenant. Peter didn't say, this is not Joel's prophecy. That's for the last generation. That's, that's for the end time generation right before the return of the Lord. That's not what he said. He said, this is that this is the fulfillment of the last days. The last days of what? The last days of the Old covenant. So the old covenant was ending, was disappearing, was fading during that time. Now why was it still fading? Because the new covenant had begun. The Spirit of God had been poured out, but animal sacrifice in the temple was still in operation. So that's leaving. And then in 70 A.D. at the, @ the destruction of the temple, that ends. And we, and we haven't had them since. And we are now in the new covenant. This is important. I don't know if this is controversial to you. It, it shouldn't be. And I know I just said a lot in 10 minutes, but we're now in the New Covenant. So why does this matter? Because how do you preach? Do you preach like that or do you. Do you still preach like we're under Moses? Do you still preach like Elijah would preach? Do you still preach like the prophets of the Old Testament would preach? Or do you preach from. It is finished. So let's break this down in a few ways that need to be injected into your preaching. Number one, we're saved by grace. Ephesians 2:8. We have been saved by grace through faith. This is a gift from God. What's the gift of God? Grace and faith. They're both a gift from God. Not by works that anyone would be able to boast. So we are saved by grace through faith. These are both gifts from God. I'm not a Calvinist, by the way. Just let me just go ahead and say that for if. Because if you're a preacher, you think. Are you reformed? I'm not Reformed. I don't have a reformed bone in my body. I'm not a Calvinist and I'm not Reformed. I'm a free will Pentecostal. Hallelujah. But. But it's a. But the grace of God is a gift. And the faith that God gives us, he gives us the measure of faith. It's a gift. Okay? We were dead in our trespasses and sins. Jesus resurrects us the same way he resurrected Lazarus. He resurrects the sinner. So we're saved by grace. Never stop preaching that. I'm going to show you a scripture that I've. I literally never hear anybody preach. I preach it. Joseph Prince preaches it. Andrew Wommack preaches it. Very few people preach this. This is life changing. This includes you. This is Christians. Colossians 1:21 through 23. This includes you who are once far away from God. You were his enemy. Notice were. See, Old Testament is. It's coming. It's coming. It's come. It's on the way. It's on the way. It's on the way. New Covenant is past. Past. It's already done that right there, Will. Man. I feel. I feel like shouting right. I feel like preaching a little bit right there. The Old Covenant is. The Messiah is on the way. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. New Covenant is radically different. You were. You were. You were. You were. It's done. It's done. It's done. It's finished. I'm Just going to let that sit for a second. This includes you, who were once far away from God. You were his enemy, separated from. From him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in His physical body as a result. As a result of the cross, as a result of salvation. He's brought you into his own presence. Think about that. You're in his presence. Cheers. Not an endorsement. You're in his presence. I'm not being ugly, but this is not God chasers. This is not. I'm desperate for you. You're in his presence. You are holy. This is the Bible. You are blameless as you stand before him. You stand before God. Watch this. Without a single fault. That's in the Bible now. See, and you read that and you go, wait a minute. But, but the. But. The Old Testament prophet said but, but, but, but, but, but. They said but. Yeah, but. We now read that through the lens of the New Covenant. But. See, and preachers love a good but. Right? They like that. But right there. Because it. Because you got to be holy. No, you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. You are holy. You are blameless. You stand before him without a single fault. Here's what you must do. Continue to believe that. Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the good news. How do you drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the good news? Well, keep reading the rest of the book of Colossians. By trying to follow the law, you are not saved by works. And you've got to stop putting that on people. There's an over emphasis of the preaching of grace. Really? I think there's an over emphasis on like life principles and life hacks and seven ways to a better this and eight ways to a better this. And I think there's an overemphasis on practical stuff in church. I don't think there's an overemphasis on grace. There's not an overemphasis on doctrine. There's not an overemphasis on what Jesus did for us. You know, Paul was accused of preaching grace so that people could sin. Remember that in Romans. Are you saying we can sin so grace can abound? That's the accusation that was coming against him. So here's my question. Have you ever been accused of that? Has anyone ever accused you of an overemphasis on grace so that sin could abound? I mean, so that people could sin? Has anyone ever accused you of preaching grace to the point that it's a license to sin. If not, I don't. I mean, you're not. You're not preaching as hard as Paul was preaching on grace. Of course Paul said, of course not. Of course. That's not what I'm doing. That's not what grace does. Grace doesn't lead to sin. The message of the Gospel, the message of Jesus, does not lead to sin. But it's so radical that. That's the accusation. Oh, boy, let's keep going. So we're saved by grace. Number two, we produce good works by grace. So Ephesians 2. Eight, saved by grace. No one can boast. What does it go on to say at the end of that whole thought? And we are his masterpiece, created in Christ to do good works. So we're not saved by good works, we're saved into good works. Absolutely. But. But Paul would say it like this. Not I, but the grace of God. So there's the saving grace of God and there's the empowering grace of God. We need both. Okay? And here's. Here's where it happens. Colossians 2, verses 6 and 7. Okay, so you're perfect, you're holy. You stand before him without a single fault. Don't stop believing that. Right. Okay, now let's go to chapter two. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as a Lord, continue to live your lives in him. Okay? How you got saved is how you stay saved. How you started following Jesus is how you follow Jesus. How was that? Total grace, total mercy, total dependence on God. Total. I can't do this. I'm dead in my sin. I need resurrection power. I need a savior. I need mercy. You never lose that. I can't do this. The feeling I felt June 10, 1998, when I said, jesus, I give you my life, is the feeling I feel today as a pastor, 42 years old, going, jesus, I give you my life. I still need him. Not that I know a little Greek and a little Hebrew now. Not that I've got some Bible memorized. Not that I'm not dealing with any gross hidden sin. Not that now that I got a good faith, no, I still need God as I received him. What would Paul say? What did he say in Galatians? You started by faith. You started in grace. You received the spirit of God by faith. What? Now you're going to go do it by works. He said, you received all this by faith. You received all this by grace. Now you're going to go get circumcised. What are you Thinking. Seven rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness. This is what you see all through the epistles. The first part of the book is, this is who you are. This is what God has done. This is who you are in Christ. This is what Jesus did for you. It's. It's. First part of the epistles always starts like that. Second part of the epistles is always. And this is how you act. Because of this new identity, because of this new nation that you live in. You've left the kingdom of darkness. You're now in the kingdom of his dear son. You're now in the kingdom of light, in this kingdom. This is how we act. The other day, my wife, my daughter, she's nine years old, she goes, dad, what are, what are pounds? She was watching some show and it was £10. What are pounds? I said, well, in America, we have the USD, we have the dollar, but in the UK they have the pound. And then when we go to Italy, they have the euro. And I was walking her through different currency, different ways of exchange. Now that we are in this new kingdom, there is a new way to live, but it's by grace. All right, lastly, you got to get. You got to get this in your spirit. I'm telling you, grace will build your church. This is how you want to build a church. You don't want to build a church in the. In law and legalism. These good works are now defined in the Epistles. This is my last part. So. So there ought to be transformation, there ought to be good works. They're now defined in the epistles. 613 Mosaic laws in the Old Testament, Every command in the Old Covenant, every command from a prophet, every command from Moses, every command in the Old Covenant. All right, I'm going to go there. Every. Everything Jesus said has to now go through the filter of the resurrection in the New Covenant. I'll give you a quick example, really quick, just before I forget, because it's not in my notes now. I won't forget. So. So remember this. After the new Covenant, some things ended, some things changed, some things stayed the same, some things went even deeper. I'm just going to write a note so I don't. So I don't forget, okay? Some things ended dietary law. God told Peter, kill and eat. Don't call anything unclean. It doesn't mean that pork's healthy, you know, it doesn't mean that you should be eating shellfish and oysters. It just means you're not a sinner because of it. It's not what goes into the body, it's what comes out. Right? So some things have ended. Dietary ceremonial. Those things have ended. Following the Sabbath on Saturday. You don't have to do that. Paul talked about that in Romans 14. He says, for some people, that day is holy for them. Go for it. Some people can eat meat. Go for it. Some people can't. Go for it. Some people need to worship on Saturday. Go for it. Some people can worship on Tuesday. Go for it. Things have ended. It's not what it was. Some things have changed. Tithing. Tithing was an Old Testament tax. It was a taxation system to keep the temple going. It is. I still tithe because of Hebrews 7. But I tithe as a seed that I sow, not as a debt that I owe. I tithe now because I give to the lord. Here. Hebrews 7. Here, mortal men receive the tithe. There he receives it. That testify he lives forever. I tithe like my father Abraham tithe. Remember this. Moses is not our father. In the new covenant, Abraham is our father. Romans 4, Romans 5. Abraham is our daddy, not Moses. So we tithe like Abraham tithes, which was by faith. Remember when he tithed to Melchizedek? Melchizedek blessed him. Melchizedek gave him bread and wine. That's communion. And then what happened? Abraham tithed in response to salvation, in response to blessing, in response to the goodness of the high priest. Abraham tithed. We tithe the same way. Something you forgive. So let me say this about Jesus. Jesus said, forgive or you won't be forgiven. What did Paul say? Colossians 3. Forgive because you've been forgiven. It's different now. I still forgive. I'm still commanded to forgive. I still must forgive. Why? Because I have been forgiven. Forgive in order to be forgiven. Future. We're going back to that now. Old covenant, everything's on the way. New covenant. I do it because of what's already been done. Something stayed the same. Let's talk about one like homosexuality. We don't practice homosexuality and abstain from that. And call those with same sex attraction to be celibate and to be possibly freed from that. We don't call them to that. Because of Leviticus. Right? Because in Leviticus it's like, man, don't lay with man and don't eat shrimp. And you're like, what? And that's what a progressive theologian will tell you. Well, that's right next to a dietary lot. No, we don't do it because Romans 1 condemns it. New Covenant condemns it. Paul condemns it in First Corinthians 6. So it was a command in the Old Covenant. It made it through the cross, made it through the resurrection, and it's still a command in the New Covenant. Some things even went deeper. Old covenant, thou shall not kill. Jesus says, don't even call someone a fool. Don't even. Don't even carry hate in your heart. Well, now that gets carried on into what? The epistles. Paul's one of his massive messages in all of his epistles, and John and Peter and James. No gossip, no backbiting, no disunity, no discord, no slander. Yet, sure, of course, don't kill people. But don't talk bad about people and don't tear people down. And don't gossip about people. And don't. It went deeper. So it wasn't just don't express hate. It was get the hate out of your heart. I am talking about preaching with a New Covenant mentality. Here's what I would do if I was you. I would hang out in Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, and Galatians for the first quarter of the year. That's what I do. I'd read those four books over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. And I'd get that deep in your spirit and then see the Scripture through that lens. And it will change your life, it will change your preaching, and it will change your church. Joseph Prince, Pastor Joseph Prince will really help you. Pastor or Bible teacher? Andrew Wommack will really help you. I could think of a few others, but there's really not that many. That's what's so funny. You know, there's an overemphasis on grace. Who's preaching grace? I can think of two. It's. It's. There's not. You know, I was just watching a clip of a guy talking about all these pastors with their jets. I can think of, like, four guys that have a jet. All these pastors have jets? No, no, it's like a couple. You know, it's just. It's just ridiculous what we end up saying. Get that deep in your heart. I believe grace leads to holiness. I believe grace leads to freedom. I believe grace leads to maturity. I believe grace leads to sanctification. I know for a fact religion won't lead to freedom. Religion won't lead to sanctification. An Old Testament way of thinking will not lead to holiness. It won't. It won't. It won't. That's why all these guys who are hard preachers, and they preach so hard, and they yell and they spit and they sweat and they scream, and they all get exposed. It always happens. Always happens. The angrier the preacher man, I'm telling you, the more it's going on in their heart. And I'm just not into it. Grace is the way we are. New Covenant People. I'm a New Covenant man. I'm not Elijah, I'm not Moses. I'm not Malachi. I'm a part of a kingdom of priests unto my God. And that has set me free from the law of sin and death. And I'm now under the law of the Spirit of life, life in Christ. And I'm free. And I thank God for it. I love you. That went way too long. See you next.