Called and Regret | Arik Hayes | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Called and Regret

2819 Church • Apr 5, 2026 • 43 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this message, Elder Arik Hayes highlights how Jesus demonstrated His incredible goodness through miracles, yet wept over cities that refused to repent. True discipleship requires more than witnessing God's power; it demands a heart that turns to Him in repentance and produces lasting spiritual fruit. Believers and unbelievers alike are called to examine their hearts through the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, honoring the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

Themes

God's Kindness and RepentanceBearing Spiritual FruitJesus as the Chief CornerstoneThe Great CommandmentThe Great CommissionEternal Life as Present Fellowship

Pastor's Points

1.

Check Your Heart with The Great Commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.

2.

Check Your Heart with The Great Commission: Go and make disciples of all nations, actively participating in expanding God's kingdom.

Key Points

1.
Like a dysfunctional relationship where endless effort yields no healthy fruit, pouring out goodness without a response of repentance brings profound grief to the heart of Jesus.
2.
Jesus is deeply interested in fruit, expecting that receiving His grace and witnessing His works will naturally lead to genuine repentance.
3.
Miracles, healing, and provisions are good, but the ultimate goal of God's goodness is to lead individuals into right fellowship with God through repentance.
4.
Jesus is the chief cornerstone; trying to reach God through good works or religious effort while bypassing Christ will lead to spiritual collapse.
5.
Refusing God's extended kindness and rejecting the gospel message results in severe judgment and ultimate regret.
6.
Believers do not generate love through self-effort; we love God and others because He first loved us and demonstrated that love at the cross.
7.
Eternal life is not merely a future destination in heaven, but an ongoing, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ beginning right now on earth.
8.

Sermon Moments

“Pouring out everything you have into a relationship, yet healthiness never arrives, reflects the heart of a dysfunctional dynamic.”

“Jesus is extremely interested in fruit—there is an expectation on the backside of His goodness towards us.”

“The chief cornerstone is the stone in the building where all the weight rests; if you remove it, the whole structure falls.”

“Do you actually realize that God's kindness leads you to repentance, rather than your own self-righteousness?”

“Jesus, fully God and fully human, called humans to pray with Him in Gethsemane—that reveals the overwhelming weight of our sins.”

“Eternal life isn't just going to heaven when you die; it's living in intimate fellowship with Him right now.”

“If you have been saved for only a year, find one scripture verse you know and teach it to someone else.”

This Week

Set aside time this week to meditate on the cross and remember what Jesus bore to redeem you from your sins.

Evaluate your current spiritual life using the Great Commandment—ask yourself how intentionally you are loving God and loving those around you.

Identify one person in your workplace, family, or neighborhood with whom you can share a biblical truth or gospel message this week.

Examine your heart for any areas of unrepentance or callousness toward God's kindness and surrender them in prayer.

Check your prayer life by asking whether God's Word actively abides in your heart daily.

Engage actively with your local church community through serving, giving, or participating in disciple-making groups.

Live out your faith visibly on your job and at home as a reflective witness of God's glory.

Remember This

The unbeliever and the believer alike must recognize and honor the sacrifice of Jesus at all times or live to regret it.

A Challenge for You

Do not take the preaching of the gospel for granted or step over the cross of Christ; turn to Him today in repentance, honor His sacrifice, and actively fulfill His calling on your life.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.