Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: ASHF
Program Code: ASHF000111A
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00:22 Hello and welcome to A Sharper Focus.
00:24 We're coming to you live tonight 00:26 from the Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church. 00:29 And we are so excited that you've joined us. 00:31 Pastor John Lomacang won't be with us tonight. 00:34 He is celebrating his 32nd anniversary. 00:37 So he and Angie have gone away for a little romantic getaway. 00:43 I'm Shelley Quinn and tonight 00:45 we're going to be talking about something a little off topic. 00:49 I believe you all have been studying spiritual Babylon. 00:52 But tonight what we'll be talking about 00:54 is a remedy for renewing our relationship with God. 00:59 You know, let's start with prayer. 01:01 I just really feel a need for that. 01:03 Heavenly Father, we come in the name of Jesus. 01:06 And, Lord, we come to thank You. 01:09 We thank You for Your grace, 01:10 we thank You for the gift of salvation. 01:13 We thank You, Father, for the gift of Your Son, 01:17 through whom all of our blessings come. 01:20 We thank You that we've been blessed 01:21 with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. 01:25 And we thank You, Father, 01:26 for Your Holy Spirit and Your Word. 01:29 Tonight I pray, Father, 01:30 that Lord just help me to be surrendered to You, 01:34 I pray that You will speak through me. 01:37 I pray, Father, 01:38 that You will send Your Holy Spirit 01:40 to be our teacher. 01:41 And You will give us ears to hear 01:43 what the Holy Spirit has to say. 01:45 And, Father, 01:46 that You will work in us to do Your will. 01:50 We love You, and we thank You, 01:51 and we dedicate this time to You, Father, 01:54 in Jesus' name, amen. 01:57 It's interesting. 01:58 We've been doing a lot of traveling, JD and I, 02:00 and it's interesting to me 02:03 how many discouraged Christians there are in the church. 02:08 And it occurred to me that, 02:12 I mean, I suffer from discouragement 02:14 from time to time myself. 02:16 I feel like I am failing God. 02:20 And I don't always recognize it as a spiritual attack. 02:25 When we think about it, what is Satan's objective? 02:29 Satan wants to thwart God's purposes 02:32 in your life. 02:34 He wants to deny God, 02:36 the glory and the honor 02:38 that is due Him by our obedience. 02:41 What Satan wants to do is to draw us away from God. 02:46 He wants to destroy us. 02:49 And he does this by stealing the truth. 02:52 That's just the simple... 02:54 Bottom line is Satan is a truth stealer. 02:58 There are many Bible believing folk 03:00 who are struggling with sin, 03:03 many of them. 03:05 You know, when you're in that kind of struggle, 03:07 it is proof positive 03:10 that Satan is trying to trip you up. 03:13 Don't beat yourself up. 03:15 When you stumble and fall, get back up again. 03:19 And if you stumble and fall again, 03:21 get back up again. 03:23 But some people give up. 03:24 They don't think... 03:26 I've actually heard Christians say, 03:28 "I give up," and I did when I was younger, 03:31 because I didn't understand the gospel. 03:34 I thought it was up to me to save myself. 03:38 I didn't realize it was God's work. 03:42 Salvation is God's work. 03:44 And we may give up on ourselves, 03:49 but God doesn't. 03:50 When we make a mistake, 03:52 people may give up on us but God doesn't. 03:56 Micah knew this and I want to read 03:58 to you a scripture, 04:00 it's one of my favorite from Micah 7:8. 04:02 And the way I remember this, 04:04 seven is the number of perfection. 04:07 Eight is the number of new beginnings. 04:10 So Micah 7:8 is the perfect new beginning, 04:14 if you will. 04:16 Micah 7:8 and this is what he says, 04:19 "Do not rejoice over me, my enemy. 04:23 When I fall, I will arise. 04:25 When I sit in darkness, 04:27 the Lord will be a light to me." 04:32 God is the God of new beginnings. 04:34 And we need to have absolute confidence 04:38 that God is there for us, 04:41 that He is for us, 04:43 He's not against us. 04:45 God's not trying to trip us up. 04:47 He's not trying to catch us in some kind of problem. 04:50 God's there to bring us out of those problems. 04:54 So we need to have confidence 04:56 that God is always working for us. 04:59 And that He can give us the power for holy living. 05:04 One of the things that... 05:06 A favorite scripture of mine is Romans 8:32. 05:10 That if you think about Paul, what Paul is saying is, 05:15 if God who did not... 05:18 He did not spare His own Son for us. 05:23 He sent Him to die while we were yet sinners. 05:26 And Paul says, 05:27 "How much more will He do now that we're His children. 05:32 So this is something that we have to remember. 05:36 And if we remember this, 05:40 the remedy for renewing our relationship with God, 05:43 there's four R's 05:44 that we're gonna look at tonight. 05:46 Remember, repent, 05:49 return, and rejoice. 05:53 If you will turn to your Bibles in Deuteronomy Chapter 4, 05:58 Deuteronomy Chapter 4, 06:00 this is a time 06:03 when Moses is addressing the people of Israel 06:07 and he gives a prophetic utterance. 06:11 Deuteronomy Chapter 4, 06:14 and we're going to begin with verse 26. 06:17 Here's what Moses says, 06:19 "I call heaven and earth 06:21 to witness against you this day, 06:23 that you will soon utterly perish from the land 06:27 which you cross over the Jordan to possess. 06:30 You will not prolong your days in it, 06:32 but will be utterly destroyed." 06:34 Oh, boy, this sounds like a really good news, doesn't it? 06:37 "The Lord will scatter you among the peoples 06:39 and you will be left in number, 06:41 few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you." 06:46 You know the Assyrians 06:48 did take Israel 06:50 and Judah captive in 733 BC, 06:54 then the Babylonians took them captive in 586 BC, 06:59 then there was Greece and Rome, 07:02 and other nations that have 07:04 in one way or another uprooted Israel. 07:07 But Moses goes on in verse 28 and he says, 07:10 "And there you will serve gods..." 07:13 Little g, these are manmade gods. 07:18 "There you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, 07:22 wood and stone, which neither see, 07:25 nor hear, nor eat, nor smell." 07:29 But here's where the good news begins. 07:32 Verse 29, 07:34 "But from there you will seek the Lord your God, 07:39 and you will find Him if you seek Him 07:43 with all of your heart and with all of your soul. 07:47 When you are in distress, 07:49 and all these things come upon you 07:51 in the latter days, 07:53 when you turn to the Lord your God 07:56 and obey His voice." 07:58 Now, let me stop here and say this. 08:00 The benefit of affliction 08:02 is that it causes us to remember our sins. 08:06 And it causes us to remember God's goodness. 08:10 And then we are motivated to repent, 08:16 to return to God, 08:18 and rejoice in His new beginning. 08:22 So let me read that again. 08:23 "When you are in distress 08:24 and all these things come upon you 08:26 in the latter days, 08:27 when you turn to the Lord your God 08:30 and obey His voice, 08:32 for the Lord your God is a merciful God. 08:35 He will not forsake you, 08:38 nor destroy you, 08:40 nor forget the covenant of your fathers 08:42 which He swore to them." 08:44 Well, that's a reason to rejoice, isn't it? 08:47 So there's a pattern here. 08:49 Remember, repent, 08:53 return, and rejoice. 08:58 What Moses is really showing them here 09:01 is that God would forgive their sins 09:03 which would be the cause of their captivity. 09:06 Because they were destined for deliverance, 09:11 remember that, destined for deliverance. 09:14 Now turn to Isaiah 44, 09:17 Isaiah Chapter 44. 09:20 And as you turn there, I'm going to set up the story. 09:24 In Isaiah Chapter 44 09:26 it's speaking of making a god 09:29 an idol from wood. 09:32 From the same tree, 09:34 some branches were used for the fire, 09:37 and then by chance, 09:38 some were taken in by man's folly. 09:41 They created an idol out of them. 09:45 Man was making a god out of something 09:49 he could have thrown into the fire and destroyed. 09:51 He was worshipping a piece of wood 09:55 and looking to that piece of wood 09:58 to have the power to save him, 10:01 doesn't that just... 10:03 To me, it blows my mind to even think 10:07 that anyone could have ever practiced such a thing. 10:12 So He says in Isaiah 44:22, 23, 10:18 "Remember these, the folly of worshipping idols, 10:21 O Jacob, 10:23 and Israel, for you are my servant. 10:27 I have formed you. 10:29 You are my servant." 10:31 He's saying, "You belong to me. 10:33 And so since you belong to me, 10:37 follow my commands." 10:39 "O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me." 10:44 Why? 10:46 Because you are destined for deliverance. 10:50 He says in verse 22, 10:52 "I have blotted out, 10:55 like a thick cloud, 10:57 your transgressions, 10:58 and like a cloud your sins return to me, 11:03 for I have redeemed you." 11:05 You know, 11:07 just like a good strong wind can wipe away the clouds, 11:10 God wipes away the cloud of our sin 11:14 that separated us from Him, 11:15 that the cloud that obscured our vision of Him. 11:19 And then He says, "Sing, O heavens, 11:22 for the Lord has done it. 11:24 Shout, you lower parts of the earth, 11:27 break forth into singing, you mountains, 11:30 O forest, and every tree in it! 11:33 For the Lord has redeemed Jacob 11:36 and glorified him in Israel." 11:39 Remember, 11:41 He says, He starts off with verse 44. 11:45 "Remember your folly, 11:48 remember your sins, remember God's goodness. 11:52 Repent, return to me, God says, 11:56 for I have redeemed you." 11:59 You know, I don't know where this scripture is, 12:00 I can't think of it right now but there's one that says, 12:03 return to Me and I will return to you. 12:07 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 12:10 And then here we see the rejoicing, 12:13 as He's talking about singing, O heavens, 12:17 because God has forgiven their sins, 12:20 the sins that were the cause of their captivity. 12:23 Why? 12:24 Because they were destined for deliverance. 12:27 Now, the same thing applies to us. 12:32 You are destined for deliverance. 12:35 Isn't that exciting? 12:37 You who are at home watching with us tonight, 12:40 you are destined for deliverance. 12:43 God wants to save all men. 12:47 That is His heart. 12:49 But when we think about returning to Me, 12:52 it's not always 12:54 the prodigal son type story. 12:58 I want to talk about some sins 13:01 that cause captivity for Christians. 13:05 Christians that haven't walked away from the church, 13:09 but they've turned their face on God, 13:11 these sins, let's look at them. 13:14 Manic activity, 13:18 I can identify with this one. 13:20 Manic activity, 13:22 I believe that 13:23 this is one of Satan's 13:26 most subtle strategies today, 13:29 even for people who are working, 13:33 as many of us are in ministry, 13:36 we become so busy 13:40 doing good things 13:42 that we forget the great things and the great thing 13:46 is to stay connected with our Lord. 13:49 So if you think of it this way, busy, B-U-S-Y, 13:54 that's a perfect acronym 13:56 for bondage under Satan's yoke, 14:00 bondage under Satan's yoke. 14:03 And we become like the one, 14:07 when we're busy, 14:08 whatever the activity is that's keeping you 14:11 from spending quality time with the Lord. 14:14 We become like the one 14:17 in the Parable of the Sower of the Seed, 14:20 that the seed falls among the thorns 14:24 and they hear, 14:26 but the seed gets choked out because of cares, 14:32 there's so many cares. 14:33 We have been so busy at 3ABN recently, 14:39 it is so easy to stay busy doing God's work. 14:44 But when we are like that, 14:46 God's word gets choked out of our hearts. 14:51 So in the Parable of the Sower and the Seed, 14:55 it was choked out by cares, 14:58 by riches and pleasures of life, 15:00 and no fruit was ever brought to maturity. 15:04 So what we have to remember, and it's something that 15:08 this is a scripture that 15:09 I try to make an affirmation of on almost on a daily basis, 15:14 and that is to seek first the kingdom of God. 15:18 And all these things will be added to you. 15:22 You know, I've been really busy on a special project. 15:24 I've been project manager. 15:26 It's a huge multi departmental project. 15:30 It is so easy for me 15:33 because of all the stress 15:35 to get on a roll and JD will tell you, 15:38 I'm a roller. 15:40 I'm as he says his race horse. 15:42 I get going and going 15:44 and sometimes, even though I start off, 15:46 surrendering the project to the Lord, 15:49 halfway through the day, I forget who's in charge. 15:53 We can get so busy that we ignore the Lord. 15:57 Sometimes we're in search of our heavenly Father. 16:00 But we're busy going in a direction 16:03 that is away from His presence. 16:04 Let me tell you a story. 16:06 When I was four years old, 16:09 I woke up one morning, my daddy was gone. 16:12 My mother was still asleep. 16:15 I walked 20 blocks, a four year old. 16:19 I walked 20 blocks 16:22 to the place 16:23 where my father's business was. 16:26 Can you imagine a four year old doing that? 16:29 I had a lot of activity, didn't I? 16:32 for a little four year old's legs 16:33 walking 20 blocks? 16:35 Now, I didn't know it was his day off. 16:37 He wasn't there. 16:39 There was a lot of activity, a lot of good intentions. 16:43 But I was going in the wrong direction, 16:45 away from home. 16:47 And that's how it can be for us 16:48 when we get so busy doing work for the Lord 16:52 or just with the cares of life we can have a lot of activity, 16:57 but we're not really seeking God's face. 17:02 And if there's one thing that God wants... 17:06 He showed me this once, 17:08 when I was praying, it was like, 17:10 I was walking along this path 17:13 and it's the right path 17:16 but I'm looking back over my shoulder 17:19 and the Lord so clearly, 17:22 by the still small voice, 17:24 the Holy Spirit impressed upon my mind 17:27 turned to me, full faced. 17:31 God wants our attention. 17:34 He wants us to recognize our dependence upon Him. 17:38 He wants us to seek Him first. 17:42 And then that will help renew our relationship. 17:47 Another sin that will take us captive as Christians 17:50 is the sin of self satisfaction. 17:55 That's the Laodicean sin, isn't it? 17:57 The ones who think 17:58 they are rich and needed nothing. 18:01 It is a spiritual state of unconsciousness 18:05 and apathy if you will. 18:08 And we forget our great dependence upon God, 18:12 it puts us in a spiritual stupor. 18:15 It's... 18:17 Self satisfaction is like a mind 18:21 numbing narcotic of the devil. 18:24 And, you know, when you think of self satisfaction, 18:27 it's not just the people who become apathetic, 18:31 legalists, 18:32 that's self satisfaction. 18:34 If you really get into legalism, 18:36 if you're trying to earn your own salvation, 18:42 you think it's up to you. 18:43 You've missed the whole point of grace. 18:46 Paul told the Galatians, 18:48 if you're doing that you have fallen from grace, 18:53 you've estranged yourself from Christ. 18:56 So when people get off on this legalistic approach, 19:01 that is one of self satisfaction 19:04 and then there is that 19:07 all foundational sin of pride. 19:12 Boy, 19:13 that's self satisfaction, isn't it? 19:16 Pride, the one who is so judgmental. 19:19 And you know something that's interesting. 19:21 You can watch, 19:23 a prideful person will be quick 19:26 to show offence. 19:28 They are quickly and easily offended. 19:32 One time in the shower again, when I say the Lord said to me, 19:36 I'm talking about the still small voice of the Lord, 19:39 the Holy Spirit impressing a thought upon my mind. 19:42 And I had taken offense at something 19:46 and I was in the shower, 19:47 and I'm praying, 19:49 I mean, I pray wherever I am. 19:50 So I'm praying to the Lord and washing my hair, 19:53 you know, and I usually, it's funny sometimes 19:56 I'm going, Oh, Lord, wash me thoroughly and completely, 19:58 you know, praying the prayer of Psalm 41 20:01 as I'm taking a shower 20:03 but, here I am, and I'm praying, 20:05 and then I'm saying, "Lord, 20:07 You've got to put those people in their place." 20:09 Nah-nah, nah-nah, you know, 20:10 because I was offended at what someone had done to me. 20:13 And you know what the Holy Spirit impressed 20:16 upon my mind. 20:18 This being offended is the sin of pride. 20:23 The spirit of offense is the spirit of pride. 20:28 And you think about that for a minute. 20:30 It is your pride. 20:32 Its pride that rises up 20:34 when we think somebody has overlooked us, 20:37 or somebody said the wrong thing to us, 20:40 and we get offended. 20:41 That's nothing but pride. 20:43 And pride is the spirit of antichrist. 20:46 So we've got to forget about this stuff. 20:49 It reminds me in what Jesus said in Luke 18. 20:53 When He's talking about the two men 20:55 who went to the temple to pray, 20:56 there was the Pharisee and the tax collector 20:59 and the Pharisee practically beating on his chest, 21:02 is saying, 21:03 "Oh Lord, I thank You that I'm not like other men, 21:06 and I'm not like this tax collector. 21:08 Oh, Lord, I fast twice a week, 21:12 Lord, I give 10% of everything, 21:15 I tithe everything. 21:17 But then on the back, in the back 21:21 there is the tax collector, 21:24 and he won't even raise his eyes to heaven. 21:27 And he's beating his chest, not in pride, 21:31 but he's beating his chest because he is mourning. 21:36 He's upset with himself and he says, 21:39 "Oh, Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner." 21:44 And what did Jesus say? 21:46 He said this. 21:47 "I tell you, this man, 21:50 the tax collector, went down to his house 21:53 justified rather than the other one. 21:56 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled 22:00 and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 22:03 Pure devotion to God is not legalism. 22:08 Pure devotion to God is love. 22:11 That's what's important. 22:13 God wants our hearts more than anything. 22:17 And a heart that is animated by love for God 22:21 willingly walks in His ways. 22:25 There's also the sin of taking God for granted. 22:31 That's when we've lost our true passion for the Lord. 22:35 My college roommate married a rancher. 22:40 And she told me... 22:42 I think they'd been married about a year 22:44 so her husband rose very early in the morning, 22:48 he was out tending to the cattle, 22:50 and she said, 22:51 often he wouldn't even come in for lunch. 22:54 And she's home all alone, 22:56 this big ranch 22:57 and I mean when I say big ranch, 22:59 they were hundreds of miles from anyone, 23:03 hundreds of miles away from anything. 23:06 She used to drive several hours just to go shopping. 23:09 And so, 23:11 she said that he would come in at night, 23:15 and he would be tired. 23:17 And he didn't feel like talking to her. 23:20 And she said, he turned on the TV 23:22 and they'd sit there side by side, 23:25 he'd grunt occasionally 23:27 and she said, 23:29 "I never was lonelier in my life 23:33 than when he was in the room." 23:37 She said, "It was lonely enough during the day. 23:41 But when my husband came home, 23:44 and didn't even acknowledge my presence, 23:47 just grunted, was busy with other things." 23:50 She says, "I've never been lonelier in my life." 23:54 Let me ask you. 23:56 How do you think God feels 24:00 when we don't acknowledge His presence, 24:04 when we sit back, 24:06 turn on something to entertain our self, 24:09 don't spend time in His Word or in prayer. 24:11 This is a sin of taking God for granted. 24:17 He is always present with us. 24:20 And some of us don't speak to him 24:22 unless we've got an urgent need. 24:25 Jesus said in Revelation 2:1-7, 24:30 He's talking to the angel of the church of Ephesus, 24:34 write this, 24:36 He's talking about the lost passion 24:38 for His presence. 24:39 These things, it says, 24:41 "He who holds the seven stars in his right hand, 24:44 who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. 24:50 I know your works, your labor, your patience, 24:54 and that you cannot bear those who are evil. 24:57 And you have tested those 24:59 who say they are apostles and are not 25:01 and have found them liars. 25:03 And you have persevered and have patience, 25:07 and have labored for my namesake, 25:10 and have not become weary." 25:12 Wow. 25:14 That describes most of us in this room, doesn't it? 25:18 Then He says, "Nevertheless, I have this against you. 25:22 You have left your first love." 25:27 That is when we get so busy doing good things 25:31 and forget the greater thing. 25:35 Then He says in verse 5, 25:38 "Remember therefore 25:42 from where you have fallen, 25:44 repent and do the first works." 25:47 Do you remember your first works? 25:49 Do you remember 25:50 when you first fell in love with Jesus, 25:52 you couldn't get enough of His word. 25:55 You were excited to spend time in prayer with Him. 25:58 You were out talking about Him all of the time. 26:01 He's saying, "Repent and do the first works, 26:04 or else I will come to you quickly 26:06 and remove your lampstand from its place 26:08 unless you repent. 26:11 But this you have, 26:12 that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, 26:14 which I also hate. 26:16 He who has an ear, let him hear 26:18 what the Spirit says to the churches. 26:21 To him who overcomes, 26:23 I will give to eat from the tree of life 26:27 which is in the midst of paradise of God." 26:32 So, being taken captive by sin, 26:37 and being in need of returning to God 26:41 is not always like the prodigal son. 26:46 It can be the sin of apathy. 26:48 It can be the sin of legalism. 26:50 It can be the sin of taking God for granted, 26:55 or the sin of pride. 26:57 Any sin, 26:59 however slight it may seem to us 27:01 separates us from God. 27:02 You don't have to turn there but just listen to this. 27:05 Isaiah 59:2, 27:07 "Your iniquities have separated you 27:10 from your God, 27:11 and your sins have hidden his face from you, 27:15 so that He will not hear." 27:17 So what's the answer? 27:19 What are our four R's? 27:22 Remember, repent, 27:26 return, and rejoice. 27:30 Let me read this to you, please don't turn there, 27:32 'cause I want to read it to you 27:33 so that you can hear it with your ears. 27:36 I want to add a few things to this, 27:39 very familiar scripture. 27:43 Jeremiah 29:11-14. 27:46 God says, "For I know the thoughts 27:48 that I think toward you, says the Lord, 27:50 thoughts of peace and not of evil, 27:52 to give you a future and a hope." 27:56 Uh-huh. 27:58 When you remember this, 28:01 verse 12 now, 28:03 "Then you will call upon me 28:06 and go and pray to me." 28:08 He's saying, you will repent. 28:10 And you know, even repentance is a gift. 28:13 Repentance is up to us. 28:15 Repentance, Acts 5:31, 28:18 says that repentance is granted by God. 28:22 So what we need to do when we remember our sins 28:26 and remember how good God is, 28:28 we need to go to Him confess our sins and say, 28:31 "Oh, Lord, give me the power to repent. 28:35 Turn me around, Lord, 28:37 I want to return to you." 28:40 So He says, "Then you will call upon me 28:42 and go and pray to Me, 28:44 you'll repent and I will listen to you." 28:49 And the devil 28:53 is trying to get our thoughts off of this, 28:56 "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me. 28:59 You will repent and I will listen to you 29:02 and you will seek Me and find Me." 29:05 In other words, you're gonna return to Me. 29:07 When you search for Me with all of your heart." 29:12 When you have a passion for His presence, 29:15 He says, "I will be found by you says the Lord, 29:18 and I will bring you back from captivity." 29:24 That's a reason to rejoice, isn't it? 29:26 You are destined for deliverance. 29:30 There is a pattern. 29:31 Remember, repent, 29:34 return, and rejoice. 29:38 God will forgive your sins 29:40 that caused you to go into captivity. 29:43 Hallelujah. 29:45 God will level a path for our feet 29:48 because of His mercy, 29:49 and because He has destined you for deliverance. 29:53 So how do we put this pattern, 29:57 this four R pattern, 30:00 remember, repent, 30:03 return, and rejoice. 30:04 How do we put that into practice in our lives? 30:08 Hosea 10:12 says this, 30:10 "Sow for yourselves righteousness, 30:13 reap in mercy, 30:14 break up your fallow ground 30:16 for it is time to seek the Lord 30:21 until He comes 30:22 and reigns righteousness on you." 30:27 When we start seeking God, 30:30 as the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 63. 30:35 He says, "Oh God, you are my God, 30:37 earnestly while I seek you, 30:39 my inner self thirsts for you, 30:42 my flesh longs for you in a dry 30:46 and weary land where no water is. 30:49 So I've looked upon you in the sanctuary, 30:53 to see your power and your glory 30:56 because your love is better than life. 31:01 My lips shall praise you." 31:03 Do you realize that God's love is better than life? 31:08 God's love is better than life. 31:11 Boy, if we really remember that, 31:14 that's part of the remembering, isn't it? 31:16 If we would remember 31:18 that God's love is better than life, 31:21 we would want to spend that time with Him. 31:24 "Because your love is better than life, 31:26 my lips shall praise You. 31:28 So will I bless You while I live: 31:31 I will lift up my hands in your name." 31:35 God's cause, 31:38 His purpose for your life 31:40 is crippled in your life 31:45 because of lack 31:47 of personal passionate prayer. 31:52 Personal passionate prayer, 31:54 our lack of passionate prayer 31:57 is because of our lack of knowledge of His Word. 32:02 You know, how does faith come? 32:04 Faith comes by hearing 32:06 and hearing by the Word of God. 32:10 So, faith comes 32:13 as we have knowledge of what His Word says. 32:18 The more promises 32:20 that you are ingesting 32:24 the more promises of God, 32:26 the more knowledge you have of His Word. 32:29 The more faith, little word little faith, 32:32 lot of word, big faith. 32:35 And when we have big faith, 32:38 we will become passionate in our prayer time. 32:44 Prayer is the divine flame of faith. 32:48 But God's promises 32:50 are the fuel for that flame. 32:54 It takes a lot of discipline and energy 32:56 to pray as we should. 32:57 It's like exercising. 33:00 And we need to take this a little more serious. 33:04 A lot of us are good at sending up little prayers. 33:09 And I'll tell you that... 33:11 This thought once occurred to me, 33:13 little prayers are not much more than sap 33:16 for our conscience most of the time. 33:19 It makes us feel good about ourselves. 33:22 But passionate personal prayer will open once again to us 33:28 the treasure of divine grace. 33:30 Think about Jesus. 33:32 He prayed all night, 33:35 He prayed with strong crying tears. 33:38 And the men who reflected the character of Christ 33:41 were great prayer warriors. 33:43 There was Jacob, 33:45 he wrestled and he prevailed with God. 33:48 And let me tell you something, 33:49 Jacob's victory of faith could not have been gained 33:54 without that all night prevailing. 33:58 The reason he gained the victory 34:01 is because he spent the night wrestling with God. 34:05 Think about Elijah, 34:07 the effective fervent prayers of Elijah 34:11 caused the drought, relieved the drought. 34:14 Think about David and Daniel, 34:16 who prayed three times a day. 34:19 And it wasn't just thank you for breakfast. 34:23 Bless this food for lunch and bless this food for dinner. 34:27 These were passionate prayers. 34:30 Think about Paul 34:32 who prayed continuously without ceasing. 34:35 And it was just the earnest effort of his soul. 34:39 And Martin Luther, who said, 34:42 "If I should neglect prayer, 34:44 but a single day, 34:46 I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith." 34:52 I love that quote. 34:54 Public prayers generally should be short and condensed. 34:59 There's nothing worse than public prayer 35:02 that is going on and on and on because people began to, 35:05 you know, we had the attention span of hummingbirds 35:09 when we're all together, I think. 35:11 And if somebody is going in a lengthy public prayer, 35:15 it's easy for us to start thinking about something else, 35:18 because we're not really engaged. 35:20 And a lot of our private prayers 35:23 are often short, 35:24 just because we're constrained by circumstances, right? 35:28 I mean, Paul didn't go into a great long prayer 35:32 when he found himself sinking. 35:34 He basically said, "Save me Lord." 35:38 So, those are understandable. 35:43 But if we really want to renew our relationship with the Lord, 35:47 what we need to do is spend quality time 35:51 and the amount of time is essential 35:55 to what we're going to achieve and receive. 36:00 And the main thing we achieve is in knowing God. 36:04 You know, Jesus said, "This is eternal life 36:07 that you would know Him 36:10 and the one whom He has sent." 36:12 And we get to know God in our prayer time. 36:16 And I always make this word part of my prayer time. 36:19 I let God speak to me as well. 36:23 So He says... 36:25 Excuse me. 36:31 Much time spent with God 36:34 is the secret of all successful praying. 36:38 It's a secret of getting to know Him intimately, 36:41 and actually having some influence on Him. 36:46 When we think 36:48 or when we spend a lot of time with God, 36:51 our prayer becomes a mighty force, 36:55 a mighty force. 36:58 And as I said, 36:59 Jacob would not have gained the victory 37:02 if he hadn't prevailed all night with God. 37:04 But the efficacy of our shorter prayers, 37:08 how efficient are short 37:10 and effective our short prayers are depends on 37:14 if we've had a life, 37:17 a prayer life of those longer prayers. 37:19 Does that make sense? 37:21 If we are ones who have prevailed, 37:24 and the reason Paul could prevail with the Lord, 37:27 by saying "Save me, Lord" 37:29 is because he'd spent so much time with God. 37:31 We want to spend that time 37:34 and realize that casual, hasty prayers 37:38 don't release the manifold gifts of God. 37:41 He yields to the one who is persistent in faith, 37:46 and that's the one He declares 37:48 and bestows His blessings on. 37:52 Christ was our example in this as well as all things. 37:57 He spent many nights in prayer. 38:00 It was His custom to pray much. 38:02 He had long sessions of prayer. 38:05 Paul prayed day and night. 38:07 And it took Daniel 38:10 a lot of time for Daniel's prayers, 38:12 three times a day. 38:13 So while we know that 38:16 we don't have specific accounts of how long they prayed, 38:20 we do know that the indication in the scripture 38:23 is that they consumed much time in prayer. 38:26 And we need to do that ourselves. 38:29 God wants us to return to Him with our whole heart. 38:34 In Jeremiah 24:7, He says, 38:36 "I will give them a heart to know Me 38:39 that I am the Lord and they shall be My people, 38:42 and I will be their God, 38:44 for they shall return to Me 38:47 with their whole heart." 38:51 Turn to Joel Chapter 2. 38:52 I'll show you one more of these remembering, 38:54 repenting, returning, and rejoicing. 38:58 I was doing a word study the other day on 1 Peter 2:9, 39:02 where it talks about we are a chosen people, 39:05 a holy nation, a royal priesthood, 39:08 a peculiar people. 39:11 Did you know when we read that, 39:15 peculiar people, we think of... 39:18 What do you think of when you think of peculiar? 39:21 Weird, odd, 39:23 strange, 39:25 well, there are a lot of peculiar Christians out there 39:29 that might fit that definition. 39:31 But in the Greek, 39:33 the word that is translated 39:36 as peculiar means to make around. 39:41 In other words, 39:42 it indicates that God as our Creator 39:46 put a circle around us, 39:48 indicating His ownership of us. 39:51 It's a precious term. 39:53 It's precious, when you think about that. 39:57 And He wants us to remember that. 39:59 Look at Joel 2:12, 40:03 I mean, Joel 2:12. 40:06 He says, "Now therefore," 40:09 this is the Lord speaking. 40:11 "Now therefore," remembering your sin 40:14 is what He's been talking about, 40:16 "says the Lord, 40:17 'Turn to me with all your heart 40:19 with fasting, with weeping 40:21 and with mourning. 40:23 So rend your heart and not your garments.' 40:27 " Well, that was a Jewish tradition 40:32 was when they were mourning, 40:34 they would rip their garments 40:36 and God's saying, forget the show. 40:39 I'm not interested in your external things. 40:41 "Rend your heart and not your garments." 40:45 In other words, repent sincerely. 40:49 Then He says, "Return to the Lord your God, 40:53 return to Me, 40:55 for He is gracious and merciful, 40:57 slow to anger and of great kindness, 41:01 and He relents 41:03 from doing harm." 41:05 That's the reason to rejoice. 41:07 Isn't it amazing 41:09 how Satan can make us have so much condemnation? 41:14 As I said earlier, 41:16 we think when we have stumbled and fallen 41:18 or we're not living up to par, 41:21 whatever the standard is that we're trying to live up to, 41:24 we feel as if, "Oh, Lord, how can you bear me?" 41:29 And sometimes people get so overridden 41:32 with condemnation, 41:35 that it's just like Satan, 41:37 you know, and I've used this before, 41:39 and I can't help it. 41:41 This is just to me a good visual. 41:43 It's like Satan would hand you, Laura, a baton. 41:48 And he'd say, "Here, 41:49 here's my baton of condemnation." 41:52 And we take it and we go, 41:55 boing, boing, boing, 41:57 we're hitting ourselves over the head. 42:00 See, God, 42:02 the Holy Spirit brings us to godly sorrow. 42:06 He brings us to that point 42:08 of recognizing there's that emptiness, 42:11 that missing of God, 42:13 and we're sorry that we've hurt God. 42:16 But that condemnation 42:18 that would try to keep us away from God, 42:22 the only reason people get discouraged and give up 42:26 and we have people who leave the church even. 42:29 The reason they get discouraged and give up 42:31 is 'cause they aren't remembering 42:35 the goodness of God, the gospel. 42:38 The good news is 42:41 that salvation belongs to the Lord. 42:44 The good news is, 42:46 His plan is for you to be 100% 42:50 dependent upon Him. 42:53 He doesn't ask you to do this in your own strength. 42:56 He says, "My grace is sufficient for you. 42:59 My power is made perfect in your weakness. 43:03 I'm the one who's going to work in you to will 43:05 and to do my good pleasure. 43:07 I'm the one who will preserve you 43:09 and keep you blameless at My coming." 43:13 Hallelujah. 43:15 God's plan has... 43:18 The devil has stolen the truth 43:22 from the plan of salvation. 43:26 You know, for some people, it's like, 43:28 you say a sinner's prayer and once saved always saved. 43:31 That's a lie. 43:32 He's stolen the truth. 43:36 If any Christian can say that obedience is not important, 43:41 you're misinformed. 43:42 Satan has beguiled you. 43:46 Satan has deceived you. 43:49 Obedience is important. 43:51 Obedience is the pathway to God's blessings. 43:54 Hebrews 5:9, says that 43:56 Jesus Christ became the author of eternal salvation 44:00 for all those who obey. 44:03 But obedience isn't something we do to be saved, 44:07 obedience is something we do because we are saved. 44:11 And it is when our heart is filled with love, 44:17 then we can't help 44:19 but want to please our heavenly Father. 44:22 And we will walk in that obedience. 44:33 Let me read James 4, 44:35 and I'm going to James 4:5-8, 44:38 James 4:5-8, 44:42 James writes, "Do you think that the scripture says in vain 44:45 'The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously?' 44:50 But He gives more grace. 44:53 Therefore, He says 'God resists the proud 44:55 but gives grace to the humble.' 44:57 Therefore submit to God, 45:00 resist the devil.' 45:02 " What does the devil want to do? 45:03 He wants to thwart God's purpose in your life. 45:07 He wants to rob God of the glory 45:09 and the honor that is due Him through our obedience. 45:12 He wants to separate you from God. 45:17 He wants to destroy you. 45:19 Don't let him do that. 45:21 "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 45:25 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. 45:29 Cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts, 45:34 you double-minded." 45:37 You know, when he talks about, 45:41 "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." 45:45 Let me tell you another wandering story. 45:48 My mother must have had plenty of occasions 45:51 to nearly have a heart attack 45:52 over some of my escapades as a tiny child. 45:56 I was two years old 45:58 and I was playing across the street. 46:00 She thought the people across the street were watching me. 46:03 She went over to get me around lunchtime. 46:06 And she said, "Well, where's Shelley?" 46:10 "Well, I don't know, 46:12 I think she was here just a few minutes ago." 46:15 I was gone. 46:16 Well, my mother was frantic. 46:18 We live in California. 46:19 We lived near a very busy four lane divided highway. 46:23 So my mother is running for this highway. 46:28 I'm two years old. 46:30 I have made it across two lanes 46:35 of this divided highway. 46:37 I am standing in the median, 46:40 and my mother haulers 46:42 "Shelley" and I turn around to her 46:46 and I step out into the street. 46:49 I take one step to her 46:51 and I'll tell you my mother said 46:53 she flew across that highway. 46:58 That's the way God is. 47:01 When we're in danger, 47:04 if we will turn to Him 47:06 and take one step, 47:09 draw near to God, He will... 47:12 You take one step, 47:14 He will run to meet you 47:17 with open arms, 47:21 just like the prodigal son. 47:26 One of my favorite scriptures 47:29 is this. 47:32 Isaiah 30:15 says, 47:37 "For thus says the Lord God, 47:39 the Holy One of Israel, 47:42 in returning to God. 47:46 'In returning and rest, 47:48 you shall be saved, 47:51 in quietness and confidence 47:54 shall be your strength.'" 47:57 In returning and rest, 47:59 you shall be saved. 48:01 When we turn to God, 48:02 when we change our hearts and our lives, 48:05 and we rest in total dependence upon Him. 48:10 "You shall be saved 48:12 in quietness and confidence 48:15 shall be your strength." 48:18 So let's review what we've learned tonight. 48:22 What is Satan's objective? 48:25 To thwart God's plan for your life. 48:30 He wants to interrupt that. 48:32 He wants to deny God, 48:35 the glory 48:37 and the accolades the honor that's due to Him 48:41 by us showing obedience. 48:43 Satan doesn't like it when we obey. 48:45 He wants to draw us away from God. 48:48 And just like we learned when we were in Africa, 48:52 spoke over in Africa 48:53 a couple years ago for a camp meeting 48:57 and we learned that the lion, 49:00 you know, what is Satan, 49:02 like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. 49:05 You know, how they get their prey, 49:09 they separate one from the herd. 49:13 When they can get one separated from the herd, 49:16 that's when the lions can take them down. 49:20 So, you know, this is what Satan does. 49:24 He tries to separate you from church, 49:27 he tries to separate you from Christian fellowship. 49:30 He tries to get you out in the North 40 49:33 so he can take you down. 49:36 And the way he does this, 49:38 is that he steals the truth. 49:41 So it is so important for us 49:44 to understand that God's plan 49:47 is that we would remember 49:51 that He is the God of new beginnings, 49:53 that we would remember that He is the one who says, 49:57 "I have loved you with an everlasting love. 50:00 And with cords of love, I have drawn you." 50:05 We've got to remember who God is 50:08 and remember who we are. 50:10 What a privilege it is 50:12 to be a child of God. 50:15 And we have to remember if you turn to 1 Thessalonians, 50:19 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, 50:25 we have to remember that 50:29 all we need to do 50:31 in our Christian life 50:34 is when we remember is to say, 50:37 "Lord, please give me the power to repent," 50:41 confess your sins, 50:43 ask him for the power to repent, 50:46 and then take that step toward Him, 50:49 He'll come running to you as you return to Him, 50:53 He will return to you 50:55 and you can rejoice 50:58 in this wonderful precious promise. 51:01 Listen to this, 51:05 1 Thessalonians 5:23. 51:11 "Now may the God of peace himself 51:15 sanctify you..." 51:17 Who's doing the work here? 51:19 God is doing the work. 51:22 God is the one who sent... 51:23 What does it mean to sanctify us? 51:26 To sanctify us... 51:28 Did you know it's a synonym with holy, 51:30 sanctify and holiness are the same... 51:33 Sanctification and holiness are the same thing. 51:36 And that gets us all in a Twitter, doesn't it? 51:39 When we talk about, you know, 51:41 I just am so amazed at how some pastors can say, 51:45 quote the scripture, 51:47 "That God said, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'" 51:50 And they make it sound so scary. 51:53 See, God, holiness is the lack of sin. 51:58 God is separated from sin. 52:01 Holiness is wrapped up in love, 52:03 for God is love. 52:05 So what God is saying is, 52:07 I'm going to make you holy, for I am holy. 52:10 And when you are one with Me, 52:13 this is what's going to happen. 52:15 So He says, "I am the God 52:17 who will sanctify you completely. 52:22 And may your whole spirit, soul and body 52:26 be preserved blameless 52:29 at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 52:32 How many of you want to be blameless 52:34 at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ? 52:38 Well, that can make somebody scared 52:40 if you stop right there. 52:42 Oh, you mean I've got to be blameless 52:44 at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, 52:46 Lord, "I'm not blameless. 52:49 I'm remembering my sins, Lord, I'm not blameless." 52:53 Look at the next scripture. 52:55 "He who calls you is faithful, 52:59 who will also do it." 53:02 Hallelujah. 53:04 He will do it. 53:06 It's God who's going to keep us. 53:09 And let's look at Hebrews, 53:12 Hebrews Chapter 13. 53:16 Oops, going the wrong direction. 53:18 I'm always amazed. 53:21 I can tell you where something is, 53:23 till you get up and you're talking 53:24 and turning at the same time 53:25 and then you can surely end up going in the wrong direction. 53:32 Look at Hebrews 13:20, 53:41 Hebrews 13:20, 53:43 "Now may the God of peace," 53:46 Jehovah Shalom, 53:48 "May the God of peace who brought up 53:50 our Lord Jesus from the dead, 53:53 that great shepherd of the sheep, 53:55 through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 53:58 may this God make you complete 54:03 in every good work 54:05 to do His will, 54:06 working in you, 54:08 what is well pleasing in His sight, 54:10 through Jesus Christ, 54:12 to whom be the glory forever and ever." 54:16 So who's gonna make you complete? 54:18 God. 54:19 Well, this is a scripture to hold on to. 54:22 This is a scripture when you are feeling 54:25 that you are down and out, 54:28 down in the mouth, poor pitiful Christian. 54:33 Remember this scripture and pray it back to God, say, 54:37 "Lord, I thank You 54:39 that You are the one who's going to make me complete 54:42 in every good work to do Your will, 54:45 that You're the one who's working in me 54:48 what is well pleasing in Your sight." 54:50 All you have to do as a Christian, 54:54 what God calls you to do as His child 54:57 is to be totally dependent upon Him, 55:00 to surrender. 55:02 And don't get discouraged 55:05 when you fall, 55:06 remember Micah 7:8, 55:10 "Do not rejoice over Me, My enemy. 55:12 When I fall, I shall arise, 55:15 when I sit in darkness, 55:16 the Lord will be a light to me." 55:19 He wants to be a light to you at home as well. 55:23 And I hope that these words tonight, 55:25 the simple presentation have helped you 55:30 to recognize maybe a need 55:33 to renew your relationship, 55:35 or I hope that it has calmed you 55:37 if you already recognize that need, 55:40 but you didn't know what to do. 55:43 There's four R's. 55:45 This is the remedy four R's. 55:47 Remember, remember your sins, 55:50 but remember the goodness of God. 55:52 Remember His true plan 55:54 that He's the one that's gonna do the work in you. 55:57 Repent, the way to repent is simply to confess your sins 56:01 before the Lord 56:02 and ask Him to grant you the power. 56:05 Grant me repentance, Lord, 56:06 help me to turn around, return to Him, 56:09 you take that one step 56:12 and just like I did as a little two year old, 56:15 my mother said she felt like she had wings 56:17 flying across there to get me. 56:19 That's the way God is, He will run to you. 56:23 And then when you have returned to Him, 56:26 there's every reason in the world to rejoice. 56:31 I love 56:33 how the Lord treats each and every one of us 56:38 as if we were the only person on earth 56:44 as if we were His only child. 56:46 Let's pray. 56:47 Heavenly Father, we come in the name of Jesus, 56:50 thanking You for this short time 56:52 that we've had together. 56:54 Lord, I pray for someone at home who is, 56:58 has been hitting themselves over the head 57:00 with that baton of condemnation, 57:02 I pray in the name of Jesus 57:04 that You will help them to recognize 57:06 there's a way back to You 57:08 that You are anxious to receive them. 57:10 And, Father, I thank You 57:12 that You have said that You would blot out our sins, 57:15 and like a thick cloud, Lord, 57:18 You would blot them away 57:20 and make us whiter than snow. 57:22 We thank You, Father, for Your grace, 57:24 for Your Son, Jesus Christ, 57:26 for the gift of the Holy Spirit and for Your word, 57:30 in Jesus' name, amen. 57:32 Thank you so much for joining us 57:34 and next week, 57:35 Pastor John Lomacang will be returning 57:38 to continue the study on A Sharper Focus, 57:42 coming to you live from Thompsonville, Illinois. 57:46 We're so glad that you joined us tonight 57:48 and our prayer is that 57:50 our God will bless you abundantly 57:53 beyond what you could ever think or ask. 57:56 He is faithful and He will do it. 58:00 Goodbye. |
Revised 2019-05-10