Okay, guys, so being that we're in summer,
we're going through the rotations of having some
amazing guests.
Today, Shane Eidelman and his lovely family have
joined us to bring the word from this
pulpit today.
So we're so excited to have him.
Shane is currently the pastor and founder of
Westside Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California.
He's an author of eight books, written articles
that have been published by major Christian media
outlets, been interviewed on Fox News, received feedback
from his books by noted pastors and leaders,
and continues to be an active writer on
issues that Christians and the church face today.
You can join him, follow up on him
on ShaneEidelman.com.
So with a round of applause, loving from
Valley Bible Fellowship, welcome to our pulpit.
Thank you, thank you.
Good morning, Bakersfield.
Good morning.
I'm going to open in prayer if that's
okay.
It's always good to start with prayer.
Start the day and end the day with
prayer.
So just join me this morning.
Lord, as I come to you, I ask
that you would just use me as a
vessel, broken before you, humble.
Lord, to share what people need to hear
and not necessarily what they want to hear.
God, I need you.
I desperately need you this morning.
I pray that your spirit would move here
during the second service as it did at
the first, and again this evening.
God, in a powerful way, we are not
here to play church.
We're here to praise you.
So look to your word to be strengthened
and encouraged.
And we pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
All right, I feel much better.
I've got just a few quick announcements I
want to make before I get started.
They did mention that I wrote some books,
and it's just by God's grace.
I barely graduated high school.
So he has done just an incredible work
in my life.
And I'm going to actually share that tonight
at 6 p.m. So if you need
somebody to be encouraged or built up or
strengthened, you know anybody caught in an addiction
right now?
Get them here tonight at 6 p.m.
Because 20 years ago, I used to drive
by this church building off the 58 Freeway,
many times not remembering how I got home
from the country bars over on Rosedale Highway
and many things, and God's just redeemed and
restored my life.
And I'm going to share that tonight at
6 p.m. So I would do what
you can.
Maybe don't tell them they're coming to church.
Just kind of pop it on them when
they get in the driveway.
But get them here this evening.
Also, my beautiful wife, Morgan, is here, and
my daughter, Aubrey.
And I'm just so excited they're here with
me.
We have three more kids.
She's 13, and they're all under 13.
So pray for me as we have four
teenagers at some point.
That would be appreciated.
I didn't do the math there.
I might be off one year.
I also want to take just a quick
minute and welcome the congregation.
I have the privilege of pastoring in Leona
Valley.
It's close to Lancaster-Palmdale.
Most of you know where that's at.
That's where I live.
I live in Palmdale.
And they're actually watching both services live stream
as well as the other campuses, I know,
that are watching this live stream as well.
And I just want to brag on them
a minute.
It's just a privilege to pastor people who
are desperate for more of God, hungry for
more of God.
You don't come to church to play church.
You want to know God.
You want to meet God.
And talking to Pastor Ron here, believe it
or not, I've been following his ministry for
probably 18 years now.
I first heard him on the radio in
2000.
Little did I know that this would be
happening someday.
But they are desperate for more of God.
He shared with me that you guys are
desperate for more of God.
So I decided I'm going to title the
sermon this morning, Desperate for More of God.
It's actually in one of the books I
wrote, and everything I'm covering here is in
that as well.
And you can take those if you need
free copies as well.
My whole point is to get the message
out of redemption and salvation.
And I'm a big proponent.
I don't know about you, but I'm a
big proponent of the Spirit-filled life.
I want to be a Christian who's filled
with the Spirit of God.
Not weirdness, boldness.
Not chaos, but boldness and being filled with
God's Spirit.
So desperate for more of God.
And the verse that really is fitting for
this is Jeremiah 13.
You will seek me and you will find
me, God says.
He's writing.
Let me put this in context because I
love context in Scripture.
You need context.
The children of Israel have actually been led
astray and into captivity.
They're in captivity now.
They've rebelled against God.
They've rejected God.
But God, still in his love and his
mercy and his grace, he says, Jeremiah, you
tell the people when they seek me with
all of their heart, they will find me.
And that's a promise I want to encourage
all of you to take to God this
morning.
That's what I love about God's Word.
It's not like Social Security where it might
not be here.
It's not like the 401Ks or retirement.
God's Word will be here.
It stands the test of time.
It is absolute truth.
It's an absolute truth.
And we have to start contending for truth
in this postmodern culture.
It's truth.
And God says, if you seek me with
all of your heart, you will find me.
Now, I want to give you a word
of encouragement here because we read that and
we think, well, who in the world can
do that?
Amen?
I mean, I can't see God with all
of my heart.
I'll be honest with you.
Well, Shane, how can you say that?
Because there's something inside that's at war with
God called the flesh, and it's at war
with God.
The more you fill with the Spirit, the
less control that flesh has on you, the
less influence.
But here's what this word all can mean
as well.
All doesn't mean perfection.
If you follow me with a perfect heart,
it means God is a priority.
So if you seek me, if I become
the priority in your life, there's a lot
of kids in here this morning too, if
God becomes the priority in your life, you
will find him.
If you seek him with all of your
heart, he's the priority.
See, a lot of times we treat God
like broccoli.
We put him on the back burner.
And we might get to that sometime during
the course of the meal.
But if we don't, who cares?
We'll throw it out in the morning.
And God's on the back burner.
But to truly find him, he must be
forefront.
He must be the priority of your life.
Let me just tell you, this is coming
from somebody because sometimes we think, oh, pastors,
you have to say that.
No, God radically changed my life.
He radically changed my life.
And I've lived what I'm preaching.
And it often takes broken men to break
men.
See, first, he's got to break me before
I can spend time in the prayer closet.
And God humbles me, and he humbles me.
And then I come out of that prayer
closet wanting to preach the glorious gospel of
Jesus Christ.
And it's that process of the refiner's fire.
So desperate for more of God.
What do I mean by desperation?
Well, we know what that means.
Have you ever became desperate over something?
Because you change everything to find or to
receive what you're desperate for.
I'm desperate for this.
I'll change my behavior.
I'm desperate for my marriage to be restored.
I'll change my behavior.
I'm so desperate.
I'm tired of my fourth recovery home.
I'm so desperate.
I'm tired of financially not making it.
And it changes the way we live.
See, we have extremes in everything.
Extreme motocross.
Anybody motocross here?
Extreme mountain biking.
All right.
Bakersfield.
Let me back that up.
Extreme bull riding.
Okay.
Is there extreme bull riding?
Actually, I'm supposed to.
My daughter wants me to take her to
the bull riding finals or national some Wednesday.
But anyway, coming back on track.
There's an extreme for everything.
Extreme makeover.
Extreme motocross.
Everything.
Why then can't we have an intense and
extreme passion for God?
Answer me that question.
Why shouldn't Christians be the most passionate about
the things of God?
Loving God.
Following God with all of our heart.
With all of our soul.
With all of our mind.
With all of our strength.
He is an all-consuming fire.
He is the God who redeems and set
free.
He is the God of the Old Testament
and the New.
And they both say the same thing.
If you seek me, you will find me.
And it's not like God's doing this.
Come on, let's just play hide and seek.
He's just saying give me your heart.
Fully surrender your life.
Let me fill you with my Spirit and
you will find me.
So I'm going to just share five things
with you on this topic.
I'm talking to those who are desperate for
more of God.
And I often joke about this, but it's
really not a joke.
Because I truly feel that God has called
me to tell people what they need to
hear.
Not what they want to hear.
And it's often.
I don't know about you, but it's often
when you get the right hook and the
left hook from God.
Then you listen.
Right?
If all I'm doing is encouraged.
If all I'm doing is encouraged and built
up and strengthened.
I love encouragement.
Thank God.
But if that's all I'm ever encouraged, then
I stay in my sin.
Actually, one of the signs of a false
prophet, believe it or not, in the Old
Testament, was to tell people peace, peace, when
there's no peace.
Read Jeremiah 23 tonight.
God said, I have not sent these prophets,
yet they ran.
I've not spoken to them, yet they spoke.
But had they truly stood in my counsel.
Had they truly stood in my counsel, the
word of God, they would have turned the
whole nation back to me.
Is not my word like a hammer that
breaks a rock in pieces?
Is not my word like a fire that
devours?
But they have perverted the words of the
living God.
How, Jeremiah?
By not proclaiming the difficult truths as well
as the joyful ones.
How can I preach on heaven but not
hell?
How can I preach on the love of
God but not the holiness of God?
See, it's all of God, the attributes of
God in His totality.
We love to cherry pick, but it's the
hard truths and getting hit with the hammer
of God that we really change.
I haven't met too many people that do
not change unless they are lovingly confronted and
convicted.
Something often has to rattle our cage.
And I believe that we must bring back
the hidden truth of repentance.
And that actually leads me right to my
first point.
To be desperate for more of God, you
must examine self.
Have you heard the phrase self-examination?
Let me just sum it up for you.
Psalm 139.23, Search me, O God, and
know my heart.
Try me and know my thoughts.
So you're asking God, Lord, search me.
God, know my heart.
Show me my heart.
That's a dangerous prayer.
You better be ready.
Lord, show me.
Because here's what we like to do.
We like to blame shift.
You know what that is, right?
If I can blame my spouse, if I
can blame the devil, if I can blame
my children, I can just continue in this
destructive lifestyle.
God says, no.
Put yourself bare before me.
Repent.
Do you know it's interesting that Jesus didn't
send the disciples out going and preach love?
Now, please don't misunderstand.
I love God's love and grace and mercy.
But he said, you go and preach repentance.
Because that is the missing element that many
times we miss.
Because repentance is changing my mind about sin.
Changing my mind about the things of God.
And I've listened to Pastor Ron many times.
I know you're familiar with this, but many
churches, you can't talk about sin.
You can't talk about judgment.
Don't mention the blood of Christ.
I know a worship leader in our town
who said, told the worship leader, the pastor
said, take out all the songs about the
blood of Christ.
It's too controversial.
Are you kidding me?
That's the foundation of the gospel.
The blood of Christ, the strength of Christ.
See, but we start, let's take these things
out so we become more marketable.
The gospel is not marketable.
It doesn't taste good.
That's the problem.
It cuts, it divides, it hurts the heart.
Oswald Chambers, I'm sure many of you are
familiar with this book, Utmost for My Highest.
He said, the gospel hurt and it offends
until there's nothing left to hurt and to
offend.
One of the easiest things, not the easiest,
I shouldn't say that.
One of the most important things you could
say is this, and it's even hard for
me to say it.
I was wrong.
Just try getting that out sometime.
I was wrong.
Tell your spouse, I was wrong.
You know how many, we could stop half
the marriage counseling appointments right now.
In the church, right now.
Today, they're gone.
Honey, you know what?
I've been wrong.
No need for counselors.
I've been wrong.
I shouldn't have done that.
But see, even our media now, everything is
driven towards making excuses.
If we can shift the blame, if you
shift the blame, you won't change.
Because to be desperate for more of God,
you must examine self.
How bad do we want it?
Search me, oh God, and show me.
Show me my error.
Show me my sin.
And then number two, to be desperate for
more of God, you must divorce the world.
I don't promote divorce.
Very few cases, of course.
I promote restoration.
But I love this type of divorce.
When a Christian divorces himself from the world.
Here's why.
You cannot serve two masters.
You love the one, you'll hate the other.
But we like to do both, don't we?
Here, and then here, and then here.
And actually, James says a double-minded man
is unstable in all his ways.
You can't serve two masters.
1 John 2.15 Do not love the
world or the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of
the Father is not in him.
Listen, this is a deep truth.
If we love the things of the world,
which is, the world there is cosmos in
the Greek language.
It means a mindset, the way the world
thinks.
If we love the way the world thinks,
we do not have the love of the
Father in us.
Now this could be applicable to Christians, but
I believe it's also applicable to those who
have relationship, but not religion.
I'm sorry, they have religion, but not relationship.
They know about Christ, but they don't have
that relationship.
They love the world.
And I'm a big proponent of there is
fruit with genuine salvation.
And if a person just loves the world,
but doesn't love the things of God, you
have to wonder, where is your heart?
So if you want to be desperate for
more of God, if you want to be
filled with His Spirit, you must divorce the
world.
Shane, what does that look like?
I'm glad you asked.
Christianity is not cool.
Okay, where so many people, I put a
little sign of fish down here at the
corner, nobody will really recognize.
I can still do this and do this.
No, it's not cool.
You won't relate to the culture.
Actually, the church does the most for the
world when it looks least like the world.
Come out from among them and be separate,
thus saith the Lord.
To be filled with the Spirit of God,
you must be empty to self, empty of
the world.
Here's what happens.
You have two competing passions right now, the
compassions and desires of your flesh and what
the Holy Spirit of God wants.
The more you feed on the flesh, the
less you'll feel the power of the Spirit.
I believe that's why so many Christians are
walking around miserable, depressed, anxious, irritable.
They can't seem, Shane, I've lost my hunger
for God.
It's because often the things of the world
have crowded out, being filled with the Spirit.
And I will just give you a test
out there right now you can take later.
Are you truly hungry for the things of
God?
Because hunger is a sign of health.
Ask anyone who's sick.
More often than not, they're not hungry, right?
So if a person is not hungry for
the things of God, they're dying spiritually.
They need spiritual resuscitation.
That's what these types of messages do.
It's spiritual resuscitation to revive God's people, to
revive them and restore that aspect of holiness.
All the water in the world, no matter
how hard it tries, will never sink a
ship unless it gets inside.
All the evil influence of the world, no
matter how hard it tries, will never sink
your soul unless it gets inside.
See, in young adults, there's a lot of
you here too as well, when you allow,
when you watch, when you allow witchcraft, vampires,
the occult, and that's entertaining you, darkness should
never entertain the church.
It should repulse the Christian because they're a
spiritual warfare and the weapons of our warfare
are not carnal.
They are mighty through God for the pulling
down of strongholds and casting down arguments and
every high thing that exalts itself against the
knowledge of God.
Doing what?
Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience
of Christ.
You bring your thoughts captive.
Did you know that?
Don't let them bring you captive.
And here's a quick way to find out.
Is what you're allowing in building you up
spiritually or pulling you down?
Is it building you up or pulling you
down?
There's a song, I don't even know who
sings it, but one of the lyrics, I
just love to camp out at worship songs,
and it says, the more you seek Him,
the more you find Him, and the more
you find Him, the more you seek Him.
The more you seek Him, the more you
find Him.
And there's something that we've missed as well
in the church today, this word of holiness.
Holiness.
Holiness is not some weird term.
It's raising the standard.
The angels cried, Holy, holy, holy is our
God.
Of all the attributes of God, did you
know that love is not mentioned as a
top attribute?
In my opinion, the attributes of God are
all equal.
God is one.
All the attributes are equal.
He's not, well, more this and less this.
But the attribute most spoken of in the
Bible is this attribute of holiness.
And this prophet had a vision of the
temple.
Isaiah, he said, in the year King Uzziah
died, I saw the Lord.
He was high and lifted up the train
of His robe, filled the entire temple.
And the angels cried, Holy, holy, holy is
our God.
Holy, holy, holy is our God.
The temple actually shook.
Could you imagine if the power of God
shook a place and the holiness of God
was revived and the fear of the Lord?
What about that?
Why don't we talk about the fear of
the Lord anymore?
Well, Shane, that's not marketable.
No, but it's powerful.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom.
Is it not?
The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom, the beginning of knowledge, fear in
God.
And it's so interesting.
The church says, Shane, we want New Testament
power.
We're crying out for New Testament power, but
you don't want New Testament holiness.
They go together.
The early church was filled powerfully with the
spirit of God.
They wanted God more than anything.
They were filled with holiness.
So for a season, I would encourage you,
turn off Facebook, unhook Instagrams, and cancel Netflix
and get on your face before Almighty God
and cry out and say, God, humble me.
Think about this.
How bad do we want a relationship with
God?
I tell people all the time, if they're
praying for their prodigal son or their wayward
daughter, have you fasted?
Have you sought God in prayer?
Oh no, I'm too busy.
Well, you're too busy.
How bad do you want it?
You get the Lakers three hours and the
Dodgers four.
Get on your face before God and humble
yourself.
He who humbles himself, humble yourself under the
mighty hand of God in due time, he
will exalt you.
You exalt yourself and he will base you.
What is a base?
It means to bring down.
Don't fight God.
Oh my Lord.
Do not fight God.
You will not, you cannot win.
Too many people are confusing his patience with
his approval.
And guys, I love you enough to tell
you the truth that holiness is incredible.
It's a life set apart for God.
God often says, come out from among them
and be holy.
It's interesting.
I didn't talk about this at first, but
it keeps resonating with me on this point.
Many of you know Balak and Balaam.
You've heard of that if you've read the
Bible.
And King Balak hired Balaam to go and
curse the children of Israel.
Curse them.
Go and curse them.
And he kept coming back.
He said, I can't.
I can't curse them.
And he goes, I paid you to curse
them.
He said something very interesting.
He said, you cannot curse what God has
blessed.
You cannot curse what God has blessed.
However, here's what you can do.
Go in and entice them.
Lead them away by the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride
of life, and they will curse themselves.
So he couldn't curse them once they remained
under God's protection and shelter and His covering
of the fear of the Lord, the holiness
of the Lord.
But once they left that cover, left that
shelter, left that protection, like a bird that
wanders from its nest, so is a man
who wanders from his place, they were easy
prey.
So he said, you can't touch them.
And I truly believe this.
You cannot touch a child of God filled
with the Spirit of God on their face
before God, humbled in the sight of God.
There's nothing you can do.
But the enemy says, ah, but here's what
you can do.
Get them so busy they have no time
for personal study anymore.
So busy they have no time to seek
my face.
Get them so busy and turned around and
they will begin to withdraw themselves from my
power and my presence.
See, I want the power of God and
the presence of God, or I don't wanna
have anything to do with religion.
I don't know about you, but I want
that presence of God and it comes through
holiness.
And holiness is not weirdness.
It's a broken state that says, I don't
wanna watch movies where I commit spiritual adultery
in my mind.
I don't wanna lust after women other than
my wife and watch these things that take
me away from God.
God, help me, fill me with your Spirit.
God, I need revival.
I want you at all costs.
That's what it looks like.
Oh, Lord.
I'd love to put this on Christian TV
for a half hour.
Because what the nation needs to hear is
what we're not hearing.
The church was built on repentance and holiness
and prayer and fasting and a consecrated life,
a fully surrendered life.
Now we've drifted.
We've drifted.
I wrote a book One Nation Above God
because we've drifted from our moral compass.
We are now calling things good, evil, and
evil good.
We have drifted from God.
There are things that are abomination.
And God says, ah, there's hope.
Guess what?
Where's the hope?
Washington?
Hollywood?
Where's the hope?
If my people, if my people who are
called by my name will simply humble themselves
and pray and seek my face and turn
from their wicked ways, I will hear from
heaven.
And I will forgive their sins.
If my people, if my people, see, I'd
rather have a thousand, I don't know how
many are right here, versus 10,000 people
wanting to be entertained.
I just want men and women filled with
the Spirit of God to say, God, we're
going to lay hold of you.
See, I remember all night prayer meetings.
I remember when we came so hungry for
the power of God that we weren't going
to leave.
We weren't in a hurry.
We laid prostrate on the ground saying, God,
unless you save my child, they're destined for
destruction.
Unless you turn this nation around, unless you
turn the state of California around, we are
hopeless.
You are our only hope.
We are relying on you and you alone.
It's humility.
It's brokenness.
Oh, my Lord.
I just feel so strongly, guys.
See, the problem's never with God.
The problem's in our own heart.
Number three, if you want to be desperate
for more of God, you must persevere.
You must persevere.
It says, seek God with all your heart.
Seek Him.
That word in the Hebrew is bakash.
It means to search Him out with intense
motivation.
And I think we forget.
We hear this word seek.
Oh, yeah, that sounds good.
Maybe I'll start that tomorrow morning.
I'll open my five-minute devotional.
I love five-minute devotionals.
Don't get me wrong, but that's not going
to cut it in these dire times.
Five-minute prayers are not going to cut
it.
Microwave Christianity is not even biblical.
Keep it.
Love it.
I have one.
Buy my book.
I'm not saying that.
But in these dire times, do you know
the enemy's coming after your children and your
grandchildren?
He's coming after you.
Do you know I have a big 30
-6 scope right here and here?
Probably.
He's on me.
He wants to take us out.
So perseverance and getting back up.
If you fall, I don't care if you
fall.
I don't care if you're on your third
recovery home or your fifth marriage.
Get back up and fight the battle.
We have to persevere.
I love what A.W. Tozer said.
Life is a battleground, not a playground.
Here's a quick word of advice I didn't
give the first service.
Dig into books such as A.W. Tozer
or prayer by E.M. Bounds or books
by Leonard Ravenhill.
Men of God, women of God, they've come
before us and you hunger for more of
God.
It's about feeding the mind on the things
of God.
Hebrews 12, 1-2, for this part of
perseverance, the writer of Hebrews says, This
is key.
Here's what I believe many people need to
do.
Remove the weight that is holding you back.
What is that?
Are there relationships that are holding you back?
Are there habits that are holding back?
Remove the sin.
Remove the stuff that is holding us back
and fight the good fight.
Move forward.
Run with endurance.
Listen, somebody, we need to tell, we need
to remind each other, you need to fight
for your marriage.
You need to fight for your relationship with
the Lord.
You need to fight for your children.
How do we fight?
You fight on your knees.
This is how I go to battle.
I don't know about you, but I go
to battle with worship.
Get up.
Get me in the prayer closet for an
hour with Hillsong, and I'm coming out a
better husband, a better father, as I say,
God, break me.
Create in me a clean heart like David.
I can say like David, God, create in
me a clean heart.
Renew a right spirit within me.
God, that the bones you have broken may
rejoice.
That the joy of my salvation will return.
See, it's a crying out.
It's a humbling of self.
If you truly want to be filled with
the spirit of God, you need to humble
yourself and allow God to break the pride
and the arrogance that is in us, all
of us.
I love to read about revivals and awakenings,
in case you haven't noticed.
I was hesitant to say this, the first
service, but maybe God wants me to say
it.
I'm talking about all churches, even where I
pastor.
Most people have never witnessed a powerful move
of God.
They've heard about them.
They've heard about them, but they've never witnessed
a powerful move of God.
I read revival books, and I put the
book down, and I begin weeping.
When the spirit of God comes in so
thick, the people are left up front for
an hour or two praying.
Bars are closed down.
Marriages are restored.
People fall on their face before God, even
at home.
They don't know what it is.
It's the power of God moving.
That's our only hope.
I'll just tell you right now, America, the
Titanic has been hit.
We're taking on water.
The only hope is a powerful move of
God's spirit.
Lukewarm, comfortable Christianity is not going to get
us through in these dire times.
We have to be infused by the power
of God.
A few weeks, I don't know, maybe a
few months ago now, but I've shared this
story at West Side Christian Fellowship of a
man, decades after this revival had ended, I
believe it was the New Hebrides revival in
Welsh, off the islands of Welsh, or in
Welsh, Scotland, and they asked him, tell us
about that revival.
What happened when God was moving, when hundreds
were getting saved a day?
I mean, God's moving.
The bars are closed down.
The police aren't busy.
What happened?
And the old man sat up in his
chair.
His eyes were like flames of fire.
There was this blazing at the man.
He looked at him and he said, when
you lay hold of God, when you lay
hold of God, he said, never, never, never,
never let go.
When you lay hold of God, never let
go.
Jesus said, if you drink of this water,
you will never thirst again.
He who believes on me, as the scriptures
say, out of his belly will flow rivers
of living water.
John the Baptist said, I'm not even worthy
to unloose his sandal, but when he comes,
he's going to baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and with fire.
Now, I'm not going to get on doctrinal
things, on pneumatology.
Me and Pastor Ron agree completely on this
topic.
All I'm saying is this.
Can you truly say that his word is
in your heart like a burning fire?
Can you truly say that the scriptures are
flowing out like rivers of living water?
Because that's the Christian life.
That's the New Testament Christianity.
And my concern is that we bought into
the lie that Christianity can be comfortable and
we can come to church when we feel
like it and we'll get to God when
it fits our schedule.
To be desperate for more of God, he's
got to be on your calendar.
It's the priority.
Many years ago, 18 years ago, I structured
everything around God.
People kind of make fun of me still
today.
Oh, you go to bed pretty early.
Yeah, because I'm waking up hungry for God
at four in the morning.
You're absolutely right.
You can sit and watch the junk on
Netflix.
You can sit and watch sports teams do
God knows what.
You can idolize everything from travel ball to
whatever.
But I'm on fire for God.
And I know many of you are as
well.
That's why I'm telling you this, to pull
out of you what God has already placed
inside of you.
And then number four, I could spend the
whole rest of the morning here.
To be desperate for more of God, prayer
must be a priority.
Prayer must be a priority.
In 2013, I preached a sermon and the
national media twisted the title a little bit.
You know how they do that, right?
Are you aware that you can't trust everything
that's posted on Facebook or Twitter or YouTube?
Just telling you right now, be careful with
who you listen to.
So anyway, it came out, this new story
said, California pastor rebukes Christians for worshiping weapons
amid gun debate.
And I said, oh Lord, here come the
emails.
And for some reason, people thought I was
against guns and everything.
They don't know I own a 12 gauge.
I used to shoot trap and I'd grab
a 10 gauge for geese.
And I'm well aware of this.
But my whole point was this, in Bakersfield,
this might fit perfectly.
Our gun safes are full, but our prayer
closets are empty.
See, when was the last time, see we
stock up on ammunition, but not the power
of God.
When was the last time we spent more
time seeking God than building our arsenal up?
Listen, when all hell breaks loose, AR-15s
aren't gonna do much, but the power of
God pulling down heaven, that's the only source
of strength.
That's the only source of fortitude.
When God says, oh, when you call on
me, when you call on me, no weapon
formed against you will prosper.
Though the floods come, though the wind beat
upon your house, it will not fall because
it's founded upon the rock of Jesus Christ.
A man is who he is on his
knees before God and nothing more.
I find this so interesting, Christ said, my
house shall be called a house of preaching.
My house shall be called a house of
prayer, is what he said.
This house, God's house, prayer is the priority.
And I've noticed this, the things that are
most important, if you take away just a
couple things, take this away this morning, the
things that are the most important for your
walk with the Lord are often the hardest
to do.
As you're driving, it's real easy to click
on Christian radio, right?
See, it's not too bad to come to
church, but let me, how many could leave
for half a day and just bring their
Bible?
No phone?
Go sit in a cabin for six hours?
Right, because the flesh hates that communication with
God.
The things that are the most important are
the hardest to do.
And again, I don't want to minimize this
topic, it is so important.
Al Whittinghill said, without the heartbeat of prayer,
without the heartbeat of prayer, the body of
Christ will resemble a corpse.
The church is dying on her feet because
she is not living on her knees.
You know, gosh, I could take so many
rabbit trails, Lord help me.
But one of the hardest things, I've shared
this in Lancaster many times, but one of
the hardest things, you might be surprised about
this.
One of the hardest things about pastoring, I
would say it's probably up there as, for
me, it's the hardest thing.
And people might say, well, is it funerals?
Is it counseling?
Is it leading?
Is it, you know, because now we've got
a very large audience nationally with radio and
different things, and there's a lot goes into
that and a lot of negative emails, as
you can imagine.
I've debated, I debated atheists on Fox News.
I debated a pastor who believes that the
Bible teaches that homosexuality is right and encouraged
in gay marriage.
And so you get a lot of negative
press.
The hardest thing to me is I see
people dying spiritually with living water just steps
away.
I mean, sometimes I'll begin to weep and
say, guys, it's living water just steps away.
Come to me, all who are weak and
heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Hey, can you imagine?
I know you're hooked to Xanax.
You can't get off Vicodin.
You just had a 12-pack last night.
You're hungover.
Come to the fountain of living water.
Jesus told the woman at the well.
He said, woman, woman, I have water.
I have water that you know not of.
You drink of this water, you will never
thirst again.
I've got the answer for your disease and
your illness and your sickness.
Turn to the hope.
I've got the answer for your marriage.
Would you just wake up, dad, and come
back home?
Mom, would you give up that boyfriend and
go back to your marriage?
Living water just steps away.
Come and drink of it freely.
And it breaks my heart.
Families are deteriorating.
Marriages are breaking up.
The church is in a state of, do
we even know what God's word says?
Oh, my Lord.
Do we even know what his word says?
His word is truth.
Jesus said, I am the way, the truth,
the life.
Nobody comes to the Father except through me.
No other religion.
He is the only way.
Praise God.
You know, it's a wake up call many
years ago when I read that Jesus came
as a lamb.
Praise God, right?
He's a lamb that takes away the sins
of the world.
But then I read later, He's not coming
back as a lamb.
He's coming back as a lion.
The lamb becomes a lion.
John said, John said, I saw heaven open.
I saw heaven open and behold a white
horse and he who sat on it was
called faithful and true.
And out of his eyes, his eyes are
like flames of fire.
And no one knows his name except himself.
His name is written King of Kings and
Lord of Lords right here.
But it goes on to say that out
of his mouth, this is Jesus, right?
Whoever turned the cheek, out of his mouth
goes a sword that he will strike the
nation.
He will rule the nations with the rod
of iron and he will tread the winepress
and the fierceness and wrath of almighty God.
That's the king you serve.
That's the Jesus Christ.
So the next time the enemy wants to
come against you, you can bring the power
and the authority of Jesus Christ.
Victory has a name.
Holiness has a name.
Redemption has a name.
That name is Jesus.
And I have a few minutes left.
I wrote down some names of Jesus Christ
and I said, if I get a little
fired up, I might read these names.
So here we go.
This is Jesus Christ according to the Bible,
according to who we worship.
He is almighty one.
He is the advocate.
He is the author and perfecter of our
faith.
He is the final authority.
He is the bread of life.
He is the beloved son of God.
He is the deliverer of all people.
He is the faithful and true witness.
There is no deceit in him.
He is the good shepherd by which all
sheep come into the fold.
He is the great high priest.
Because of him, I rest from my labors.
He is my Sabbath rest.
He is the head of the church.
He is king of kings and Lord of
lords.
He is the light of the world.
He is the lion of the tribe of
Judah.
He is Lord of all.
He is mediator.
He is Messiah.
He is mighty one.
He is our hope.
He is our peace.
He is our prophet.
He is our rock.
He is our sacrifice for our sins.
He is our savior.
He is the resurrection and the life.
He is the door.
He is the way.
He is the word.
He is the true vine.
He is the truth.
He is wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father.
Do you understand that Jesus and the devil
aren't competing?
They aren't equal forces?
The devil has no authority over Christ.
Christ has all authority.
That's why Philippians says, Let this mind be
in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,
who did not consider robbery to be equal
with God.
He made himself of no reputation and he
took on the form of a man.
That would be like you hopping in a
septic tank and saying, Now let me do
ministry.
Sinful fallen flesh man.
And he endured the cross.
Let this mind be in you, which was
also in Christ Jesus, being in the form
of God, did not consider robbery to be
equal with God, but he made himself of
no reputation, became a man, and he died
on the cross.
Listen, we do talk about God and God's
fear.
We talk about God's justice.
We talk about God's holiness, but don't ever
forget about the grace of God, the love
of God, the mercy of God.
God loves you even while you're in your
sin.
I'm going to close with this.
I read a scripture that changed my life
many years ago.
I didn't write it down.
But it's where the writer says that even
in my sin, even in our sin, Christ
died for us.
And I thought, Wait a minute, as I
was cursing you, and I was cursing my
mom, don't pray for me.
I want to have fun tonight.
When I was hitting the streets of Bakersfield,
listening to Dwight Yoakum, Buck Owens, come on,
you guys know.
Don't play church now.
And just hating God.
I don't want anything to do with God.
Get God out of my life.
I was mocking him, yet he still said,
Son, I'm waiting for you.
Whenever you're ready to come home, I'm waiting
for you.
Just turn back to me.
I love you.
I will not forsake you.
But you have to make the choice.
It reminds me of a mom and dad
who were upset at their son because he
was ruining his life.
He was drunk all the time.
Or whatever situation, Oxy, opiates are skyrocketing.
I mean, look, the answer is Christ.
And they said, We're going to kick him
out of the house.
The dad said, You kick him out of
the house when he gets here.
And one in the morning, they heard him
come in and the mom went down there
and to the couch he was on.
He was passed out.
And the dad didn't hear anything for a
few minutes.
So he went down there.
He said, What are you doing?
Get this lazy bum out.
And the mom was holding her son, praying
for him as tears were coming, dripping down
her face.
She said, He would not let me love
him while he's awake, but I will love
him while he's asleep.
That's the same thing with God.
Guys, I would encourage you to bring friends
or family back at six.
We've got to start making God a priority.
We've got to start being hungry for more
of God.
Your flesh will hate it.
I'll tell you right now.
Your flesh will hate it.
But it eventually submits.
Here's a lesson we need to learn.
Your flesh submits to you.
You don't submit to the flesh.
Paul said, I discipline my body daily and
I bring it into subjection.
You discipline that body.
You say, We're going to church.
Come hell or high water.
You lead your family.
Men, you begin to lead your family.
You be that spiritual leader that God's called
you to be.