1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,620 Many of you know we have a worship 2 00:00:01,620 --> 00:00:03,400 and prayer conference coming up. 3 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:06,460 So those listening live or listening to this 4 00:00:06,460 --> 00:00:09,080 later, you're more than welcome to join us. 5 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:10,740 It's March 15th and 16th. 6 00:00:10,780 --> 00:00:12,020 It's a Friday, it's a Saturday. 7 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:15,560 And kind of preparing for that, I have 8 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,480 a few messages from the book of Zephaniah. 9 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:19,840 It's gonna be up on the screen. 10 00:00:20,500 --> 00:00:23,060 The title is The Road to Revival. 11 00:00:23,700 --> 00:00:25,440 The Road to Revival. 12 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:27,920 And tonight we're gonna talk about the messenger 13 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:32,720 and next week more on the message of 14 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:33,280 Zephaniah. 15 00:00:33,420 --> 00:00:35,240 And then what happens on the 13th here? 16 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:36,780 Worship night. 17 00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:39,080 So Chris and his band are gonna be 18 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,340 here for almost two hours and I hope 19 00:00:42,340 --> 00:00:44,320 you came to worship or are going to 20 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,620 come to worship because that's what we plan 21 00:00:46,620 --> 00:00:47,040 to do. 22 00:00:47,500 --> 00:00:49,520 But tonight I'm gonna talk about the messenger, 23 00:00:50,460 --> 00:00:51,240 Zephaniah. 24 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,240 It's important as we build this road to 25 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:54,700 revival. 26 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,440 And starting Monday, those of us who can 27 00:00:57,440 --> 00:00:58,740 make it are gonna be here at six 28 00:00:58,740 --> 00:01:00,880 in the morning for about an hour and 29 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:04,340 a half every single day for worship, for 30 00:01:04,340 --> 00:01:06,040 morning worship, for those who can make it. 31 00:01:06,100 --> 00:01:07,320 I know it's a drive for some of 32 00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:08,940 you and many people work, but for those 33 00:01:08,940 --> 00:01:12,020 of you who can, even on Saturday we'll 34 00:01:12,020 --> 00:01:13,540 be doing this, on Sunday we'll be doing 35 00:01:13,540 --> 00:01:14,220 this obviously. 36 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:18,760 And Zephaniah, what he did, he ministered in 37 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:19,820 the southern kingdom. 38 00:01:20,980 --> 00:01:22,720 Israel was broken up and he was in 39 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:23,560 the southern kingdom. 40 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:29,060 He was down below in the southern area 41 00:01:29,060 --> 00:01:33,020 of Israel with King Josiah and he can 42 00:01:33,020 --> 00:01:36,500 trace his lineage back to his great-grandfather 43 00:01:36,500 --> 00:01:37,180 Hezekiah. 44 00:01:37,320 --> 00:01:39,080 Many of you know Hezekiah, he was a 45 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:39,660 good king. 46 00:01:40,780 --> 00:01:43,700 And Zephaniah, the reason these prophets are so 47 00:01:43,700 --> 00:01:46,860 important, the minor prophets, smaller books, the major 48 00:01:46,860 --> 00:01:51,660 prophets, larger books like Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, is 49 00:01:51,660 --> 00:01:53,900 because they have a message for us today. 50 00:01:54,980 --> 00:01:56,600 You know the old saying, if it's new, 51 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:57,440 it's not true. 52 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:00,420 And if it's true, it's not new. 53 00:02:01,180 --> 00:02:03,800 And we can gleam a lot from these 54 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,000 Old Testament prophets because the message hasn't changed 55 00:02:07,900 --> 00:02:10,420 and the messenger hasn't really changed. 56 00:02:11,820 --> 00:02:13,380 We have to go back to these old 57 00:02:13,380 --> 00:02:13,780 paths. 58 00:02:13,860 --> 00:02:15,740 And I like what Checks Wendell said about 59 00:02:15,740 --> 00:02:16,380 Zephaniah. 60 00:02:16,990 --> 00:02:19,520 He grew up under the reign of the 61 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:24,440 evil, evil King Manasseh and underneath Manasseh's son, 62 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:26,260 Amnon, or Ammon. 63 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,460 As a young man, the prophet-to-be 64 00:02:29,460 --> 00:02:31,880 would have been surrounded by the trappings of 65 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:40,860 idolatry, child sacrifice, and unjust killings, strong influences 66 00:02:40,860 --> 00:02:42,100 on a young mind. 67 00:02:42,770 --> 00:02:45,180 And as a result, a prophet is born 68 00:02:45,180 --> 00:02:46,320 in Zephaniah. 69 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:51,160 And that's usually the furnace that a prophet 70 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:52,400 will go through. 71 00:02:52,540 --> 00:02:54,360 Somebody called by God, they'll be given a 72 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:55,940 tremendous burden. 73 00:02:56,700 --> 00:02:58,540 Without that burden, you don't have a lot 74 00:02:58,540 --> 00:02:59,760 of passionate preaching. 75 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:02,880 Through that pain, through that burden, God will 76 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,300 take his men, his women, and give them 77 00:03:05,300 --> 00:03:08,640 the strong message to deliver to his people. 78 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:11,760 So he was there in the trappings of 79 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,840 idolatry, child sacrifice, and unjust killings. 80 00:03:15,220 --> 00:03:15,720 Sound familiar? 81 00:03:18,020 --> 00:03:19,480 I don't know about you, but it's hard 82 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:21,080 for me to even watch the news lately. 83 00:03:23,700 --> 00:03:27,360 We have people, the next, running for the 84 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:31,040 President of the United States, running for the 85 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:35,480 President of the United States voted against helping 86 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,880 children born out of a botched abortion. 87 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:41,400 So if abortion doesn't work out and the 88 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:47,400 child is stillborn, living, vibrant, can live, they 89 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:51,120 can actually decide to kill that child. 90 00:03:52,220 --> 00:03:54,960 It's just amazing to see how far we've 91 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:55,360 drifted. 92 00:03:55,420 --> 00:03:59,160 And God will bring strong voices, strong messengers, 93 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,760 because what happens is conviction stirs the pot 94 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:03,540 of revival. 95 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:07,760 Without conviction, you're not going to see revival. 96 00:04:08,390 --> 00:04:11,140 So the messenger is vitally important. 97 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:13,900 And that's why I often joke sometimes about 98 00:04:13,900 --> 00:04:15,399 some of the people we watch on TV 99 00:04:15,399 --> 00:04:18,140 and they have a purpose, and maybe God 100 00:04:18,140 --> 00:04:19,240 has used them in different areas. 101 00:04:19,339 --> 00:04:22,420 But if you're going to spark revival, it's 102 00:04:22,420 --> 00:04:23,780 gonna have to be convicting. 103 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,060 It's gonna have to resonate deep within our 104 00:04:27,060 --> 00:04:29,300 hearts and what we're seeing in our nation 105 00:04:29,300 --> 00:04:31,640 today and even in the church today, drifting. 106 00:04:33,260 --> 00:04:35,800 Leonard Ravenhill, he said this in his book, 107 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:37,260 Why Revival Terry's. 108 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,260 God has always had his specialists like Zephaniah, 109 00:04:41,910 --> 00:04:45,040 whose chief concern has been the moral breakdown 110 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:46,900 of the nation and the church. 111 00:04:47,620 --> 00:04:51,040 Such men were Elisha, Jeremiah, Malachi, and others 112 00:04:51,990 --> 00:04:55,440 of their kind who appeared at critical moments 113 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:56,300 in history. 114 00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:58,080 Isn't that interesting? 115 00:04:58,280 --> 00:05:01,400 God would raise up his prophets at critical 116 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:02,760 times in history. 117 00:05:03,380 --> 00:05:04,980 He would raise them up, why? 118 00:05:04,980 --> 00:05:08,920 To rebuke, to exhort in the name of 119 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:09,780 God and righteousness. 120 00:05:10,100 --> 00:05:13,840 Such a man is likely to be drastic 121 00:05:13,840 --> 00:05:14,740 and radical. 122 00:05:15,280 --> 00:05:17,880 The curious crowd that gathers to watch him 123 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,500 will soon brand him as extreme, fanatical, and 124 00:05:21,500 --> 00:05:22,020 negative. 125 00:05:24,470 --> 00:05:25,970 And in a sense, they are right, for 126 00:05:25,970 --> 00:05:28,070 he cannot turn off the burden of the 127 00:05:28,070 --> 00:05:28,710 Holy Ghost. 128 00:05:31,140 --> 00:05:32,660 And I'm actually gonna quote a few more 129 00:05:32,660 --> 00:05:34,500 people here because what I'm trying to do, 130 00:05:34,500 --> 00:05:37,920 I'm trying to set the stage to tell 131 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:41,240 us and those watching how important it is 132 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:43,640 for more messengers to rise up. 133 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:46,800 More people with that burden of the Holy 134 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:50,060 Spirit to rise up and say something. 135 00:05:51,340 --> 00:05:53,080 And we have to be careful because we'll 136 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:54,920 start to think, well, I can't really make 137 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:55,520 a difference. 138 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:58,400 I mean, Shane, you have a platform. 139 00:05:59,820 --> 00:06:03,340 Well, there's people with larger platforms than me 140 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:05,920 reaching even many more people. 141 00:06:06,660 --> 00:06:09,120 And it's really not the platform or the 142 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:11,040 audience that God is looking at, he's looking 143 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:11,760 at the heart. 144 00:06:12,380 --> 00:06:13,840 He's looking at the messenger. 145 00:06:14,060 --> 00:06:16,960 If you give me your heart, I can 146 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:17,600 raise you up. 147 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:20,020 I can allow you to be that voice. 148 00:06:20,380 --> 00:06:22,040 What about that voice on Facebook? 149 00:06:23,980 --> 00:06:26,140 I mean, there's a good out of that. 150 00:06:26,660 --> 00:06:27,500 It's not just evil. 151 00:06:27,700 --> 00:06:30,300 And what about YouTube or in your own 152 00:06:30,300 --> 00:06:32,200 sphere of influence or at your work, being 153 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,680 that messenger or in your communities, being that 154 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:36,520 difference maker? 155 00:06:36,700 --> 00:06:38,340 God is not concerned about numbers. 156 00:06:39,180 --> 00:06:41,220 He doesn't care about your platform or my 157 00:06:41,220 --> 00:06:41,640 platform. 158 00:06:42,300 --> 00:06:45,220 He says, I'll use you in whatever sphere 159 00:06:45,220 --> 00:06:46,360 I've called you in. 160 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:49,960 And I used to just not get too 161 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:52,740 motivated myself because even starting out at church, 162 00:06:52,860 --> 00:06:53,980 we just started out. 163 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:55,980 We didn't have hardly anything going on. 164 00:06:56,100 --> 00:06:58,680 Like, oh Lord, I mean, I'm preaching to 165 00:06:58,680 --> 00:06:59,760 the choir every Sunday. 166 00:07:01,020 --> 00:07:02,480 And God says, just keep preaching to the 167 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,060 choir because they need to hear it. 168 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:07,240 And it'll spark revival. 169 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:09,820 Revival sparks in our own hearts. 170 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:12,380 And maybe I should clarify that word for 171 00:07:12,380 --> 00:07:12,820 some of you. 172 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:13,480 I have before. 173 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,760 But revival, what do you think of when 174 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:17,780 you hear the word revival? 175 00:07:18,540 --> 00:07:24,700 I think of awakening or renewal or resuscitation 176 00:07:24,700 --> 00:07:26,320 or restoring. 177 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,020 And it's actually, it comes from a word 178 00:07:30,020 --> 00:07:34,080 to revive something that was once alive but 179 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:35,120 now is dead. 180 00:07:36,540 --> 00:07:38,060 And that's why the prayer went out in 181 00:07:38,060 --> 00:07:38,680 the Old Testament. 182 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:42,260 Oh Lord, will thou not revive us again 183 00:07:42,260 --> 00:07:44,440 so that we can rejoice in you? 184 00:07:45,220 --> 00:07:47,280 So it's spiritual resuscitation. 185 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:49,860 You know, the person who's dying and you 186 00:07:49,860 --> 00:07:52,340 give them CPR and you're reviving. 187 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:54,620 They're flatlining, now they're back. 188 00:07:54,620 --> 00:07:56,240 They're flatlining, now they're back. 189 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:58,020 Folks, the church has flatlined. 190 00:07:59,140 --> 00:08:01,580 The nation, the moral compass of our nation 191 00:08:01,580 --> 00:08:02,720 has flatlined. 192 00:08:03,980 --> 00:08:06,900 Unless God brings revival, that is our only 193 00:08:06,900 --> 00:08:07,160 hope. 194 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:08,960 That's why I'm passionate about this, I think 195 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:09,620 for two reasons. 196 00:08:10,100 --> 00:08:12,640 Number one, he's called me in this area. 197 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,500 That's why not everybody has this type of 198 00:08:16,500 --> 00:08:18,280 calling that I feel this burden that God 199 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:19,420 has given me, number one. 200 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:23,220 Number two, I truly feel that this is 201 00:08:23,220 --> 00:08:24,280 our only hope. 202 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:27,320 The Titanic has hit the iceberg. 203 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:30,320 It's taking on water. 204 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:34,480 The only hope is God reviving his people. 205 00:08:35,059 --> 00:08:36,679 And I take great comfort in that because 206 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,400 God would raise up a Zephaniah. 207 00:08:39,659 --> 00:08:43,400 He would raise up a Elisha. 208 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:45,640 He would raise up Zachariah. 209 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:47,580 He would raise up a Jeremiah. 210 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,240 Before Jeremiah was even born, he said, I 211 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:53,020 formed you. 212 00:08:53,020 --> 00:08:55,720 Jeremiah, I formed you in your mother's womb. 213 00:08:55,980 --> 00:08:58,000 That's why we can't take life at conception. 214 00:08:58,760 --> 00:08:59,900 God formed that child. 215 00:08:59,920 --> 00:09:01,660 He said, I formed you in your mother's 216 00:09:01,660 --> 00:09:01,980 womb. 217 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:03,500 And what did I do? 218 00:09:03,620 --> 00:09:05,960 I called you to be a prophet to 219 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:06,940 the nations. 220 00:09:07,970 --> 00:09:08,660 To what? 221 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,960 To rise up, to pull up, to encourage, 222 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:17,240 but also to pluck out and remove the 223 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:19,320 evil of the people. 224 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:22,680 And he'll raise up these people to bring 225 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:23,840 convicting messages. 226 00:09:23,980 --> 00:09:25,740 The messenger is so important. 227 00:09:26,140 --> 00:09:28,260 So I'm hoping to rattle some cages this 228 00:09:28,260 --> 00:09:28,540 evening. 229 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:31,900 I'm hoping to have you say, you know 230 00:09:31,900 --> 00:09:32,160 what? 231 00:09:32,220 --> 00:09:33,140 I want that. 232 00:09:33,220 --> 00:09:34,440 God, I want to make a difference. 233 00:09:34,540 --> 00:09:35,640 I want to be that voice. 234 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:36,740 And that's all he needs. 235 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,900 I remember 1999, I can tell you the 236 00:09:39,900 --> 00:09:40,240 street. 237 00:09:40,380 --> 00:09:41,880 I can tell you I was hungover. 238 00:09:42,100 --> 00:09:43,540 I was watching television. 239 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:45,080 I was losing everything. 240 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:47,480 And there was a message on TV that 241 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:48,820 rattled my cages. 242 00:09:48,980 --> 00:09:49,740 It convicted me. 243 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:51,840 And I said, but God, I want that. 244 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:53,040 I want to do that. 245 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:55,160 I want the calling that that man has 246 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:57,200 to call men and the church back to 247 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:57,340 you. 248 00:09:57,380 --> 00:09:57,920 But who am I? 249 00:09:57,980 --> 00:09:58,900 I'm sitting here drunk. 250 00:10:08,910 --> 00:10:12,030 God will honor your heart to make a 251 00:10:12,030 --> 00:10:12,410 difference. 252 00:10:13,530 --> 00:10:14,890 Can you imagine if we all just went 253 00:10:14,890 --> 00:10:16,470 out and made a difference in our community? 254 00:10:17,930 --> 00:10:19,530 It catches like fire. 255 00:10:20,470 --> 00:10:25,950 Correctional officers, sheriffs, community organizers, politicians, aerospace. 256 00:10:25,950 --> 00:10:27,950 I see all kinds of people in this 257 00:10:27,950 --> 00:10:28,250 room. 258 00:10:29,130 --> 00:10:32,550 Can you imagine if we said, here's all 259 00:10:32,550 --> 00:10:33,090 you have to say. 260 00:10:33,230 --> 00:10:34,810 God, here I am. 261 00:10:35,530 --> 00:10:36,070 Use me. 262 00:10:38,030 --> 00:10:39,990 And that's, God's gonna spark because that's what 263 00:10:39,990 --> 00:10:40,550 revival is. 264 00:10:40,630 --> 00:10:42,370 It's reviving his church. 265 00:10:42,510 --> 00:10:43,650 It's reviving his people. 266 00:10:44,510 --> 00:10:47,810 And revival really isn't primarily about salvations. 267 00:10:48,570 --> 00:10:51,170 Those follow, those come, but the main thrust 268 00:10:51,170 --> 00:10:53,650 of revival is for God to revive his 269 00:10:53,650 --> 00:10:53,930 people. 270 00:10:54,270 --> 00:10:55,270 They are dead. 271 00:10:55,270 --> 00:10:57,870 They are going through the motions and God 272 00:10:57,870 --> 00:10:58,970 revives them. 273 00:10:59,150 --> 00:11:03,190 This, from being dead and barren to now 274 00:11:03,190 --> 00:11:06,070 this fire, this heavy, because I know, I 275 00:11:06,070 --> 00:11:08,450 lived 15 years not doing anything for God. 276 00:11:08,870 --> 00:11:11,050 I was a Christian, but I didn't talk 277 00:11:11,050 --> 00:11:12,230 to anybody about Jesus. 278 00:11:13,510 --> 00:11:15,470 Looking back, I'm like, I can't believe it. 279 00:11:16,650 --> 00:11:18,370 And then he revives you and you have 280 00:11:18,370 --> 00:11:21,030 all this passion now. 281 00:11:21,150 --> 00:11:21,750 That's what we need. 282 00:11:21,790 --> 00:11:23,970 We need revival to spread the message of 283 00:11:23,970 --> 00:11:25,270 the gospel and of hope. 284 00:11:26,590 --> 00:11:27,710 And it's okay to say this because I 285 00:11:27,710 --> 00:11:30,930 don't think they're watching, but there's somebody in 286 00:11:30,930 --> 00:11:32,430 church I haven't seen in here in a 287 00:11:32,430 --> 00:11:33,090 couple years. 288 00:11:36,190 --> 00:11:37,630 And I sent them a message, said, great 289 00:11:37,630 --> 00:11:38,090 to see you. 290 00:11:38,130 --> 00:11:38,710 Hope to see you again. 291 00:11:38,890 --> 00:11:40,350 And he said, we'll make it now and 292 00:11:40,350 --> 00:11:41,970 then, but we're so busy with travel while 293 00:11:41,970 --> 00:11:42,590 with sports. 294 00:11:47,070 --> 00:11:50,950 And you wonder why we're dying spiritually. 295 00:11:52,330 --> 00:11:56,230 You wonder why kids are walking away. 296 00:11:57,370 --> 00:11:58,910 Because that's idolatry. 297 00:12:00,030 --> 00:12:02,070 That is absolute idolatry. 298 00:12:02,270 --> 00:12:03,990 Now, of course, do sports, have fun. 299 00:12:04,310 --> 00:12:06,870 Please, coach, I did. 300 00:12:07,130 --> 00:12:07,950 I'm not talking about that. 301 00:12:08,150 --> 00:12:11,550 But anytime that begins to replace God and 302 00:12:11,550 --> 00:12:13,650 that becomes your God and you'll get to 303 00:12:13,650 --> 00:12:16,650 church when you can, we have to be 304 00:12:16,650 --> 00:12:16,990 careful. 305 00:12:18,370 --> 00:12:21,170 See, that's meant to be convicting because it 306 00:12:21,170 --> 00:12:22,610 stirs and it convicts us. 307 00:12:23,690 --> 00:12:25,470 I think we passed out an article I 308 00:12:25,470 --> 00:12:28,310 wrote this week, another kind of religious leader 309 00:12:28,310 --> 00:12:29,430 must arise. 310 00:12:30,790 --> 00:12:33,330 And it's out on the national media this 311 00:12:33,330 --> 00:12:33,670 week. 312 00:12:33,910 --> 00:12:35,470 I've got some emails about it. 313 00:12:37,090 --> 00:12:38,050 But I said a few things. 314 00:12:38,130 --> 00:12:39,170 Let me just quote a few things. 315 00:12:39,310 --> 00:12:41,390 Those who have been called to preach, much 316 00:12:41,390 --> 00:12:43,270 like the prophets in the Old Testament, will 317 00:12:43,270 --> 00:12:44,450 confront compromise. 318 00:12:45,230 --> 00:12:48,630 They will condemn moral digression and powerfully denounce 319 00:12:48,630 --> 00:12:51,770 sin in the hope of reconciling man to 320 00:12:51,770 --> 00:12:52,190 God. 321 00:12:52,590 --> 00:12:54,610 They speak the truth in love. 322 00:12:55,050 --> 00:12:58,390 And the world and carnal Christians despise them 323 00:12:58,390 --> 00:13:01,850 because they challenge the sin they enjoy. 324 00:13:03,990 --> 00:13:05,650 And I guess another title that might have 325 00:13:05,650 --> 00:13:08,210 been even better is prophets are popular. 326 00:13:11,100 --> 00:13:12,380 They never will be. 327 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:14,840 Anybody that speaks for God. 328 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:17,740 And that's, I guess I should clarify that 329 00:13:17,740 --> 00:13:18,480 term too. 330 00:13:18,620 --> 00:13:20,820 When we talk about now in the New 331 00:13:20,820 --> 00:13:23,440 Testament, we don't believe, I don't believe that 332 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:26,220 the office of a prophet, the Old Testament 333 00:13:26,220 --> 00:13:29,560 prophet, that office is still there, but the 334 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:32,840 calling, that God gives somebody a prophetic type 335 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:35,260 of calling where you have Greg Laurie, he's 336 00:13:35,260 --> 00:13:36,460 more evangelism. 337 00:13:36,780 --> 00:13:38,480 Billy Graham, more evangelism. 338 00:13:38,580 --> 00:13:40,700 You have Leonard Ravenhill or A.W. Tozer, 339 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:41,820 more prophetic. 340 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:44,760 You have those who have different giftings and 341 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:45,680 different callings. 342 00:13:46,140 --> 00:13:47,860 But God will raise up that person. 343 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,180 All pastors should ask this question though. 344 00:13:50,460 --> 00:13:53,080 I would love for these large churches to 345 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:53,840 ask this question. 346 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,820 Does the world love the way you do 347 00:13:56,820 --> 00:13:57,360 church? 348 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:02,200 Do they appreciate that your church never challenges 349 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:04,360 or calls things into question? 350 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:06,700 Do they like the fact that your church 351 00:14:06,700 --> 00:14:09,300 never makes them feel uncomfortable or offended? 352 00:14:10,420 --> 00:14:13,540 Are they grateful that you never discuss controversial 353 00:14:13,540 --> 00:14:14,300 issues? 354 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:16,120 That, my friends, is not a church. 355 00:14:19,020 --> 00:14:21,060 We have to remember that the church is 356 00:14:21,060 --> 00:14:24,260 for believers to come and be built up 357 00:14:24,260 --> 00:14:28,940 to worship God and to be strengthened and 358 00:14:28,940 --> 00:14:29,600 to go out. 359 00:14:29,900 --> 00:14:32,260 What happens is we start to change things 360 00:14:32,260 --> 00:14:33,720 around for the world. 361 00:14:34,420 --> 00:14:36,160 And what happens is you will dumb down 362 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:37,000 the gospel. 363 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:39,940 You lose that fire. 364 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:42,440 I remember there's a pastor, he stepped down. 365 00:14:42,540 --> 00:14:44,900 Now he started church again, I think in 366 00:14:44,900 --> 00:14:46,780 North or South Carolina. 367 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:50,680 But he always had secular music on. 368 00:14:52,380 --> 00:14:54,600 During church service, the first song or two 369 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:56,540 because of the people coming in. 370 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:00,100 He played Highway to Hell by ACDC on 371 00:15:00,100 --> 00:15:00,440 Easter. 372 00:15:02,700 --> 00:15:04,580 Can you imagine, Chris, can you come up 373 00:15:04,580 --> 00:15:05,520 and do Highway to Hell? 374 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:08,800 I'm on a high, and you just, I'm 375 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:10,840 sure you probably could, but is that healthy? 376 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:11,740 Is that beneficial? 377 00:15:12,060 --> 00:15:13,600 Is that gonna honor God? 378 00:15:15,700 --> 00:15:17,520 See, this is why we're in the predicament 379 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:20,200 we're in, catering to the world. 380 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:23,660 Instead of asking what does the world want 381 00:15:23,660 --> 00:15:26,000 to hear, we should be saying what do 382 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:26,980 they need to hear? 383 00:15:28,060 --> 00:15:29,580 What do they need to hear? 384 00:15:29,700 --> 00:15:31,580 That doesn't mean mean-spirited and angry, but 385 00:15:31,580 --> 00:15:32,680 to truly love them. 386 00:15:33,100 --> 00:15:34,860 That's how we've gotten in this condition that 387 00:15:34,860 --> 00:15:35,360 we're in. 388 00:15:36,100 --> 00:15:40,760 A.W. Tozer said if Christianity is to 389 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,800 receive a rejuvenation, does it need that today? 390 00:15:47,690 --> 00:15:48,210 Absolutely. 391 00:15:49,610 --> 00:15:52,830 It must be by other means than is 392 00:15:52,830 --> 00:15:53,650 now being used. 393 00:15:53,730 --> 00:15:55,630 If the church in the second half of 394 00:15:55,630 --> 00:15:58,610 this century is to recover from the injury 395 00:15:58,610 --> 00:16:01,070 she suffered in the first half, there must 396 00:16:01,070 --> 00:16:03,730 appear a new type of preacher. 397 00:16:04,370 --> 00:16:06,430 He's talking about the land of the 1900s 398 00:16:06,430 --> 00:16:07,970 now, but obviously we're fast-forwarding. 399 00:16:08,370 --> 00:16:11,630 He concludes, this person will stand in flat 400 00:16:11,630 --> 00:16:16,850 contradiction to everything our smirking, smooth civilization holds 401 00:16:16,850 --> 00:16:17,290 dear. 402 00:16:17,570 --> 00:16:20,730 He will contradict, denounce, and protest in the 403 00:16:20,730 --> 00:16:22,950 name of God, and he will earn the 404 00:16:22,950 --> 00:16:26,070 hatred and opposition of a large segment of 405 00:16:26,070 --> 00:16:26,610 Christianity. 406 00:16:27,470 --> 00:16:28,590 That is true. 407 00:16:30,980 --> 00:16:33,560 The church as a whole hates the voice 408 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:34,680 crying in the wilderness. 409 00:16:35,580 --> 00:16:39,340 The remnant loves it, but the church as 410 00:16:39,340 --> 00:16:42,180 a whole hates that voice crying in the 411 00:16:42,180 --> 00:16:42,540 wilderness. 412 00:16:43,260 --> 00:16:45,400 Such a man is likely to be lean 413 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:47,800 and rugged, blunt-spoken, and a little bit 414 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:49,080 angry with the world. 415 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:51,780 He will love Christ and the souls of 416 00:16:51,780 --> 00:16:53,580 men to the point of willing to die 417 00:16:53,580 --> 00:16:55,640 for the glory of the one and the 418 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:58,300 salvation of the other, but he will fear 419 00:16:58,300 --> 00:17:00,740 nothing that breathes with mortal breath. 420 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:04,520 And there was voices saying this for many 421 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:07,880 years, that the church needs to be revived 422 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:08,440 again. 423 00:17:10,060 --> 00:17:12,319 We need pastors to walk up to the 424 00:17:12,319 --> 00:17:15,000 pulpits with the burden of the Holy Spirit. 425 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:17,180 I don't know, many people don't know what 426 00:17:17,180 --> 00:17:19,180 that is, but the burden of the Lord 427 00:17:19,180 --> 00:17:21,980 is this burden, this weight, you've been spending 428 00:17:21,980 --> 00:17:24,740 time with God, you're pregnant with the word 429 00:17:24,740 --> 00:17:25,319 of God. 430 00:17:25,579 --> 00:17:27,620 You're actually pregnant with the word of God. 431 00:17:28,780 --> 00:17:30,340 My wife will say it's not even close, 432 00:17:30,360 --> 00:17:34,000 and I agree, but there's this burden, you 433 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:37,820 walk up, and you feel the intensity of 434 00:17:37,820 --> 00:17:40,200 God's Spirit on what's going on in the 435 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:42,380 culture, in the nation, in the church, and 436 00:17:42,380 --> 00:17:45,360 you must speak into the lives of others. 437 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:48,460 But many people come up and they wanna 438 00:17:48,460 --> 00:17:53,980 just be smooth and not offend, and things 439 00:17:53,980 --> 00:17:58,040 I've talked about before, but national revival begins 440 00:17:58,040 --> 00:17:59,780 with individual revival. 441 00:18:00,780 --> 00:18:03,680 National revival begins with individual revival. 442 00:18:03,860 --> 00:18:07,140 We need more messengers filled with the Spirit 443 00:18:07,140 --> 00:18:08,300 of God. 444 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,240 Not everybody agrees with this statement, and that's 445 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:16,180 okay, because we're allowed to disagree as pastors, 446 00:18:16,380 --> 00:18:20,540 I'm talking about pastors now, but I truly 447 00:18:20,540 --> 00:18:24,400 believe that a pastor, a preacher, a teacher, 448 00:18:25,220 --> 00:18:28,720 whatever you wanna call it, filled mightily with 449 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:33,380 the Spirit of God will inevitably convict people. 450 00:18:36,530 --> 00:18:38,190 There's no way around that. 451 00:18:40,870 --> 00:18:42,610 The Holy Spirit has been called the hound 452 00:18:42,610 --> 00:18:45,730 of heaven, and when that hound is let 453 00:18:45,730 --> 00:18:49,050 loose, he convicts, he draws people to God. 454 00:18:49,950 --> 00:18:52,490 It's impossible to come up and preach God's 455 00:18:52,490 --> 00:18:56,390 Word and not convict, and that's what you're 456 00:18:56,390 --> 00:18:58,130 seeing in the culture, they're trying to silence 457 00:18:58,130 --> 00:18:58,730 the church. 458 00:18:59,770 --> 00:19:01,850 They started with separation of church and state, 459 00:19:02,290 --> 00:19:04,330 and they begin to grow into other things 460 00:19:04,330 --> 00:19:06,050 where they don't want you to talk about 461 00:19:06,050 --> 00:19:07,310 controversial things. 462 00:19:07,690 --> 00:19:09,050 If you get the wrong people in office, 463 00:19:09,130 --> 00:19:11,750 you'll see soon enough where everything I'm saying 464 00:19:11,750 --> 00:19:13,750 tonight, it will be labeled hate speech. 465 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:17,280 As soon as you start to say that 466 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:19,960 lifestyle is a sin, you're a hater. 467 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:23,900 See, remove the voice of truth, remove the 468 00:19:23,900 --> 00:19:24,400 conviction. 469 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:30,420 Tell us soothing words, tender words that comfort 470 00:19:30,420 --> 00:19:31,380 us in our sin. 471 00:19:32,740 --> 00:19:35,060 So let's look at Zephaniah chapter one. 472 00:19:35,340 --> 00:19:36,480 They're gonna have it up on the screen. 473 00:19:36,940 --> 00:19:38,440 The first thing we wanna talk about is 474 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:39,200 the warnings. 475 00:19:39,860 --> 00:19:43,040 Now, it's interesting, prophets, and writing minor and 476 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:45,680 major prophets, I'm sure most of you are 477 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:49,220 aware they didn't have whiteout back then, or 478 00:19:49,220 --> 00:19:51,260 backspace, or delete. 479 00:19:52,100 --> 00:19:53,500 So not everything is in order. 480 00:19:53,980 --> 00:19:56,040 The Spirit of God would just flow from 481 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:56,880 their pen. 482 00:19:57,280 --> 00:19:58,020 They would write. 483 00:19:58,220 --> 00:19:59,860 I'm sure they have a couple chapters, and 484 00:19:59,860 --> 00:20:01,660 they're like, I'm not cleaning this up. 485 00:20:01,740 --> 00:20:02,800 This is the way it is. 486 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:04,460 Thus saith the Lord. 487 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,160 So sometimes, chapter one and chapter three, there's 488 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,480 some condemnations and then some encouragement in between, 489 00:20:10,980 --> 00:20:13,800 but overall, the warning is crystal clear. 490 00:20:15,910 --> 00:20:17,030 Think about this. 491 00:20:17,330 --> 00:20:18,790 This week, this amazed me. 492 00:20:18,910 --> 00:20:20,350 I went on a long walk and just 493 00:20:20,350 --> 00:20:21,150 thought about this. 494 00:20:23,950 --> 00:20:25,150 This is God's Word. 495 00:20:28,090 --> 00:20:29,230 God said it. 496 00:20:30,290 --> 00:20:32,110 He told them to write it down. 497 00:20:32,990 --> 00:20:35,490 The Bible's the number one best-selling book 498 00:20:35,490 --> 00:20:36,150 of all time. 499 00:20:36,270 --> 00:20:38,430 Nobody even comes, no book even comes close, 500 00:20:39,990 --> 00:20:42,130 but nobody wants to read these things. 501 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:48,260 You will not find many churches, and anytime 502 00:20:48,260 --> 00:20:49,600 I say that, I'm not trying to puff 503 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:50,760 up West Side whatsoever. 504 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:53,120 There are great churches out there. 505 00:20:53,180 --> 00:20:54,020 I'm not saying that. 506 00:20:54,540 --> 00:20:56,540 Even sometimes it's difficult for me to read, 507 00:20:57,380 --> 00:20:58,960 but this is God's Word. 508 00:20:59,060 --> 00:21:00,380 This is what He wants to say. 509 00:21:01,740 --> 00:21:05,120 I will utterly consume everything from the face 510 00:21:05,120 --> 00:21:06,280 of the land, says the Lord. 511 00:21:06,380 --> 00:21:07,540 Oh, it's a nice way to start the 512 00:21:07,540 --> 00:21:07,840 chapter. 513 00:21:09,660 --> 00:21:11,760 I will consume man and beast. 514 00:21:11,900 --> 00:21:13,780 I will consume the birds of the heavens 515 00:21:13,780 --> 00:21:15,340 and the fish of the sea and the 516 00:21:15,340 --> 00:21:17,220 stumbling blocks along with the wicked. 517 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:20,420 I will cut off man from the face 518 00:21:20,420 --> 00:21:23,000 of the land, thus saith the Lord. 519 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:25,240 See, I believe that if you had more 520 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:28,320 pulpits saying that, reading that, you hearing that, 521 00:21:28,660 --> 00:21:30,280 people might, what was that? 522 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:32,240 What did He say? 523 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:35,980 I don't have this, I have this view 524 00:21:35,980 --> 00:21:38,160 of God as a ball of love. 525 00:21:40,820 --> 00:21:42,640 Have you felt that before from others? 526 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:46,200 He's a cosmic ball of love, or a 527 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,800 big Santa Claus, or up in the sky, 528 00:21:49,900 --> 00:21:52,100 or a genie in a bottle of this 529 00:21:52,100 --> 00:21:54,620 just, but that's not God. 530 00:21:55,620 --> 00:21:58,040 And if people would understand this is the 531 00:21:58,040 --> 00:21:59,140 true and living God. 532 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:01,700 I will cut off man from the face 533 00:22:01,700 --> 00:22:02,960 of the land, says the Lord. 534 00:22:05,390 --> 00:22:05,990 Isn't it interesting? 535 00:22:06,130 --> 00:22:07,850 We understand human judges. 536 00:22:08,970 --> 00:22:10,490 If you go to the courthouse, if you 537 00:22:10,490 --> 00:22:15,330 see someone, you know someone who was guilty 538 00:22:15,330 --> 00:22:18,490 of something, let's say murder, and you know 539 00:22:18,490 --> 00:22:18,750 it. 540 00:22:19,310 --> 00:22:20,890 What about those serial killers? 541 00:22:22,710 --> 00:22:25,410 Just that have been in the news in 542 00:22:25,410 --> 00:22:27,350 the past, and obviously will in the future. 543 00:22:27,830 --> 00:22:29,750 We see them, we want justice. 544 00:22:31,730 --> 00:22:32,470 Don't we? 545 00:22:33,230 --> 00:22:38,260 We see a police officer killed, want justice. 546 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:41,640 So why, though, when it comes to God, 547 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:47,560 as the ultimate judge, we don't wanna view 548 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:48,500 Him as a judge? 549 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:51,520 The world doesn't, majority of the church doesn't. 550 00:22:51,700 --> 00:22:53,240 Remember under the banner of love? 551 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:55,640 But if you understand that the wages of 552 00:22:55,640 --> 00:23:00,640 sin is death, and what sin is and 553 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:04,140 what it does, there has to be justice 554 00:23:04,140 --> 00:23:04,800 served. 555 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:06,260 Isn't that interesting? 556 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:08,960 We have sinned, and unbelievers that don't know 557 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:12,020 Christ, they have sinned against God. 558 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:17,240 There's no way around that. 559 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:19,860 Justice has to be served. 560 00:23:20,180 --> 00:23:23,400 The gavel is going to fall, and execution 561 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:24,640 will take place. 562 00:23:25,100 --> 00:23:26,820 Now the cross makes sense. 563 00:23:27,940 --> 00:23:29,560 See, justice has been served. 564 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:33,920 And people get so mad, they say, oh, 565 00:23:34,060 --> 00:23:35,140 Shane, that's so negative. 566 00:23:35,220 --> 00:23:36,340 Nobody's gonna wanna hear you. 567 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:38,360 Yeah, I think they are gonna wanna hear, 568 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:41,200 because they understand, they feel the wrath and 569 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:42,540 condemnation of God. 570 00:23:42,740 --> 00:23:43,780 They don't know what it is. 571 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:45,660 They wanna release, so you point them to 572 00:23:45,660 --> 00:23:46,200 the cross. 573 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:48,840 See, justice has been paid. 574 00:23:49,740 --> 00:23:51,660 When you explain the price of sin, it 575 00:23:51,660 --> 00:23:52,660 isn't the cost of sin. 576 00:23:53,220 --> 00:23:54,660 Justice makes sense. 577 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:56,220 So that's what he's talking about here. 578 00:23:56,340 --> 00:23:58,660 It's saying justice will have to occur. 579 00:23:59,900 --> 00:24:01,060 And I've noticed this. 580 00:24:01,380 --> 00:24:02,320 Some of you, I'm sure. 581 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:06,380 Anytime we're in rebellion against God, resources are 582 00:24:06,380 --> 00:24:08,760 often dried up to get our attention. 583 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:11,440 Resources. 584 00:24:12,740 --> 00:24:14,660 I will consume this, God says. 585 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:15,840 I will consume that. 586 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:17,920 I will remove this. 587 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:23,020 Our resources begin to dwindle, and things are 588 00:24:23,020 --> 00:24:24,820 dried up, things that we used to count 589 00:24:24,820 --> 00:24:25,000 on. 590 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:26,160 Back then, it was the rain. 591 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:28,600 God says, I'll hold back the latter rain 592 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:29,620 and the former rain. 593 00:24:29,820 --> 00:24:31,400 I will devastate your crops. 594 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:35,700 I will lick up every vital nutrient that 595 00:24:35,700 --> 00:24:37,540 you could consume, and it'll be just parched 596 00:24:37,540 --> 00:24:38,040 ground. 597 00:24:38,580 --> 00:24:42,020 Why would you do that to get the 598 00:24:42,020 --> 00:24:43,000 people's attention? 599 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,480 Really, judgment often is purification. 600 00:24:50,740 --> 00:24:53,060 The irony is God is talking to his 601 00:24:53,060 --> 00:24:53,460 people. 602 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:58,340 He'll talk to the nations in a different 603 00:24:58,340 --> 00:25:00,340 chapter, but he's talking to his people. 604 00:25:02,140 --> 00:25:04,160 I've quoted that verse before where God, when 605 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:06,220 he finally judged Jerusalem, he said, I sent 606 00:25:06,220 --> 00:25:06,940 my messengers. 607 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:11,400 I sent my prophets, rising them up early 608 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:13,600 and sending them because I had compassion on 609 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:15,480 my people and on my dwelling place. 610 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:17,000 Did they listen? 611 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:21,100 No, they mocked my messengers, they despised my 612 00:25:21,100 --> 00:25:23,720 word, and they scoffed at my prophets until 613 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:26,780 the anger of the Lord arose against his 614 00:25:26,780 --> 00:25:27,560 own people. 615 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,240 So when God brings judgment, often it's for 616 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:36,020 purification. 617 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:40,880 It isn't God saying, oh, man, I'm just 618 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:42,620 gonna annihilate everyone. 619 00:25:43,540 --> 00:25:45,840 Scorched earth theory becomes true. 620 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:48,660 I'm gonna put the sun 20 million miles 621 00:25:48,660 --> 00:25:49,160 closer. 622 00:25:50,860 --> 00:25:52,460 I'm just gonna wipe you out. 623 00:25:53,380 --> 00:25:56,300 No, he brings judgment for purification. 624 00:25:57,260 --> 00:25:59,980 Because you know, when the heat's turned up, 625 00:26:01,950 --> 00:26:03,590 we often go back to God. 626 00:26:05,230 --> 00:26:09,420 When things are going great, don't ask to 627 00:26:09,420 --> 00:26:11,000 be tested in this area, but watch your 628 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:12,340 business start to plummet. 629 00:26:13,980 --> 00:26:16,600 Watch your finances start to have holes in 630 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:17,440 the money bag. 631 00:26:18,540 --> 00:26:20,820 Watch everything start to fall apart. 632 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:21,580 What's happening? 633 00:26:21,700 --> 00:26:23,040 Oh, then we turn to God. 634 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:26,340 So God knows us, and he'll use certain 635 00:26:26,340 --> 00:26:27,900 things to get our attention again. 636 00:26:28,540 --> 00:26:29,980 And he said, I will stretch out my 637 00:26:29,980 --> 00:26:34,580 hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants 638 00:26:34,580 --> 00:26:35,300 of Jerusalem. 639 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,880 I will cut off every trace of Baal 640 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:39,020 from this place. 641 00:26:39,340 --> 00:26:40,740 See, God defends himself. 642 00:26:41,340 --> 00:26:43,300 I will remove Baal, he says. 643 00:26:43,540 --> 00:26:45,780 You Baal worshipers, you kissed his image, you 644 00:26:45,780 --> 00:26:47,800 worship this little statue of Baal. 645 00:26:48,020 --> 00:26:49,400 I will remove Baal. 646 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:52,080 There's no God but me, he says. 647 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:56,040 The names of the idolatrous priests with the 648 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:56,980 pagan priests. 649 00:26:57,600 --> 00:26:59,960 So you have priests that were representing God, 650 00:27:00,060 --> 00:27:02,100 but they have become idolatrous. 651 00:27:03,340 --> 00:27:05,560 They are doing it for the money or 652 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:07,780 doing it for the recognition or they started 653 00:27:07,780 --> 00:27:09,260 to drift from God. 654 00:27:09,980 --> 00:27:12,140 Those who worship the host of heavens on 655 00:27:12,140 --> 00:27:16,160 the housetops, those who worship and swear oath 656 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:21,460 by the Lord, but who also swear by 657 00:27:21,460 --> 00:27:21,900 Milcom. 658 00:27:22,140 --> 00:27:23,200 Well, what does that mean, Shane? 659 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:24,880 Well, glad you asked. 660 00:27:25,780 --> 00:27:28,820 Host of heaven, obviously, is the stars and 661 00:27:28,820 --> 00:27:30,700 the moon and the sun, and they would 662 00:27:30,700 --> 00:27:33,180 go on the roofs and they would look 663 00:27:33,180 --> 00:27:35,300 at these and they would worship these things. 664 00:27:35,980 --> 00:27:36,940 And it's amazing. 665 00:27:37,260 --> 00:27:41,440 They're worshiping the creation, but not the creator 666 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:42,660 who created them. 667 00:27:43,780 --> 00:27:45,920 And Milcom is interesting. 668 00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:47,260 They were double-minded. 669 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:50,620 They would swear by God, but they would 670 00:27:50,620 --> 00:27:51,720 swear by Milcom. 671 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:53,300 What is Milcom? 672 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:54,820 Well, you might know it as Molech. 673 00:28:00,310 --> 00:28:05,150 These people, children of God, would put wood 674 00:28:05,150 --> 00:28:07,730 in this iron statue and get this fire 675 00:28:07,730 --> 00:28:09,390 blazing, it would be red hot, and they 676 00:28:09,390 --> 00:28:11,730 would sacrifice their children on the arms of 677 00:28:11,730 --> 00:28:12,210 Molech. 678 00:28:14,460 --> 00:28:16,160 And God says, you're doing things that haven't 679 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:17,660 even entered my mind. 680 00:28:22,500 --> 00:28:25,240 Severe decline is when we worship anything but 681 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:25,720 God. 682 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:30,000 You can tell people are declining when they 683 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:31,240 worship anything but God. 684 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:32,460 Are we not seeing that today? 685 00:28:35,510 --> 00:28:38,470 What is happening with abortion is much deeper 686 00:28:38,470 --> 00:28:39,470 than just abortion. 687 00:28:42,450 --> 00:28:43,490 It's idolatry. 688 00:28:45,630 --> 00:28:47,730 Sexual idolatry, plain and simple. 689 00:28:48,930 --> 00:28:50,990 Do what I want, when I want, how 690 00:28:50,990 --> 00:28:52,570 I want, without any ramifications. 691 00:28:53,550 --> 00:28:56,830 Not to mention the massive amounts of money 692 00:28:56,830 --> 00:28:59,010 behind this industry. 693 00:29:01,740 --> 00:29:04,580 If you just, I mean, sometimes I can't 694 00:29:04,580 --> 00:29:09,740 even process this, that this whole thing that 695 00:29:09,740 --> 00:29:11,760 came out with selling baby parts, that happens. 696 00:29:12,940 --> 00:29:15,040 They'll tell you how much, 15,000 for 697 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:18,000 this, or 25,000 for, they sell these 698 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,920 to different hospitals and organizations that run tests 699 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,060 and try to, you know, come up with 700 00:29:23,060 --> 00:29:24,440 different vaccines or different things. 701 00:29:24,820 --> 00:29:30,000 They need abortive tissue, and it's just unbelievable. 702 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:34,280 And you see that in a society that 703 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:37,080 they'll start to worship anything but God. 704 00:29:38,180 --> 00:29:40,220 Those who have turned back from following the 705 00:29:40,220 --> 00:29:42,100 Lord, I'm reading here still, and have not 706 00:29:42,100 --> 00:29:44,560 sought the Lord nor inquired of Him, be 707 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:46,660 silent in the presence of the Lord God, 708 00:29:46,980 --> 00:29:48,420 for the day of the Lord is at 709 00:29:48,420 --> 00:29:50,600 hand, for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice. 710 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:53,500 He has invited His guests. 711 00:29:55,820 --> 00:29:58,060 So it's interesting, anytime you turn away from 712 00:29:58,060 --> 00:30:00,100 God, He says, be silent and listen. 713 00:30:00,100 --> 00:30:04,800 And it doesn't necessarily mean just, which is 714 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:07,620 good, but remove all the distractions. 715 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:11,940 Quiet your mouth, quiet your heart, quiet your 716 00:30:11,940 --> 00:30:15,380 mind, remove all the distractions, be silent and 717 00:30:15,380 --> 00:30:17,320 listen to Me, your God, He says. 718 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:19,700 For the day of the Lord is at 719 00:30:19,700 --> 00:30:21,900 hand, the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, He 720 00:30:21,900 --> 00:30:23,280 has invited His guests. 721 00:30:23,580 --> 00:30:25,040 As soon as I read this, I thought 722 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:26,900 of Luke 14, 16. 723 00:30:27,260 --> 00:30:28,380 I think there's a parallel. 724 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:31,740 It's when Jesus said that there's a certain 725 00:30:31,740 --> 00:30:34,640 man preparing a great banquet and inviting many 726 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:36,120 guests, He's talking about God. 727 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,120 And at the time of the banquet, His 728 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:42,340 servant went out to all the people that 729 00:30:42,340 --> 00:30:44,300 were chosen, that God selected. 730 00:30:45,620 --> 00:30:48,840 But they all alike began to make excuses. 731 00:30:49,820 --> 00:30:51,500 The first said, I have just bought a 732 00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:53,220 field and I must go back and see 733 00:30:53,220 --> 00:30:54,360 it, please excuse me. 734 00:30:55,140 --> 00:30:57,140 So God is inviting them to this feast, 735 00:30:57,140 --> 00:31:00,120 God's saying come and partake, come and fellowship 736 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:04,140 with Me, but work and busyness sidetrack these 737 00:31:04,140 --> 00:31:04,500 people. 738 00:31:04,980 --> 00:31:06,720 No, no, no, no, no, I just bought 739 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:07,280 a field. 740 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:10,500 And when they would buy a field, they 741 00:31:10,500 --> 00:31:11,840 would go and they would move all those 742 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:14,260 big boulders and all the trees and the 743 00:31:14,260 --> 00:31:15,580 tree stumps, and it was a lot of 744 00:31:15,580 --> 00:31:15,960 work. 745 00:31:16,580 --> 00:31:18,760 Now we can just go rent a bulldozer, 746 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:21,460 a Cat 10 or D10, and just knock 747 00:31:21,460 --> 00:31:22,120 down everything. 748 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:25,540 I love driving a bulldozer and just annihilate 749 00:31:25,540 --> 00:31:28,580 the dirt in a day, what would take 750 00:31:28,580 --> 00:31:29,740 them months sometimes. 751 00:31:30,500 --> 00:31:32,080 So they'd have to go and prepare that 752 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:34,720 field to plant the crops and plant the 753 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:36,740 different wheat and barley and different things. 754 00:31:36,900 --> 00:31:40,160 So they'd say no, I can't go, they're 755 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:41,060 making excuses. 756 00:31:41,820 --> 00:31:43,600 So how much in our own lives is 757 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:47,040 work and busyness drawing us away from God? 758 00:31:47,700 --> 00:31:50,180 And another person said, I've just bought five 759 00:31:50,180 --> 00:31:52,020 yoke of oxen and I'm on my way 760 00:31:52,020 --> 00:31:54,160 to try them out, please excuse me. 761 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:55,700 Financial pursuit. 762 00:31:57,080 --> 00:32:00,440 See, people have all these excuses, all these 763 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:01,000 excuses. 764 00:32:02,140 --> 00:32:04,480 Why can't we fully surrender God and worship 765 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:04,900 him more? 766 00:32:05,020 --> 00:32:07,360 I'm busy, I've gotta do this, I've gotta 767 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:07,960 be here. 768 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:11,200 Still another said, I just got married, so 769 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:11,900 I can't come. 770 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:17,120 Relational distractions. 771 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:20,400 Like I said earlier about that person who 772 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:23,860 put that sports in front of God. 773 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:30,540 The servant came back and reported to his 774 00:32:30,540 --> 00:32:32,240 master, then the owner of the house became 775 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,080 angry and ordered his servant and said, go 776 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:37,520 out quickly into the street and alleys of 777 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:38,920 the town and bring in the poor, the 778 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:40,140 crippled, the blind, the lame. 779 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:42,620 I will tell you, not one of those 780 00:32:42,620 --> 00:32:44,360 who are invited will get a taste of 781 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:44,920 my banquet. 782 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:48,700 So the analogy really is Jesus coming, his 783 00:32:48,700 --> 00:32:51,360 own people not receiving him, and then God 784 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:52,880 says, go out and open up to the 785 00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:55,360 Gentiles, to all mankind, come to the banquet, 786 00:32:55,820 --> 00:32:56,860 the feast is ready. 787 00:32:57,140 --> 00:32:58,960 So there's a choice there, there's a choice 788 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:00,420 involved in pursuing God. 789 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:04,080 And then Zephaniah, verses 12 and 13. 790 00:33:06,330 --> 00:33:07,710 And it shall come to pass at that 791 00:33:07,710 --> 00:33:10,650 time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps 792 00:33:10,650 --> 00:33:13,150 and punish the men who are settled in 793 00:33:13,150 --> 00:33:14,150 complacency. 794 00:33:14,310 --> 00:33:15,970 Are you complacent tonight? 795 00:33:16,290 --> 00:33:18,810 I came to wake up your complacency. 796 00:33:19,550 --> 00:33:21,870 A complacent Christian, what is that? 797 00:33:23,710 --> 00:33:25,050 Did you know there's no such thing? 798 00:33:26,610 --> 00:33:29,670 Complacency, what does complacency mean? 799 00:33:29,670 --> 00:33:33,690 A feeling of smug with oneself or one's 800 00:33:33,690 --> 00:33:34,190 achievements. 801 00:33:35,950 --> 00:33:39,650 I'm comfortable, I'm complacent, I'm good. 802 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:43,120 And I know, I used to sit in 803 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:46,540 the pew, and I know it's easy to 804 00:33:46,540 --> 00:33:47,880 become complacent, isn't it? 805 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:51,120 Even up here, all of us, there's something 806 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:54,440 in us called the flesh that loves to 807 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:56,400 just be complacent. 808 00:34:00,490 --> 00:34:02,230 Who say in their heart, the Lord will 809 00:34:02,230 --> 00:34:04,190 not do good, nor will the Lord do 810 00:34:04,190 --> 00:34:04,530 evil. 811 00:34:05,270 --> 00:34:08,190 See, what happens is we become complacent, and 812 00:34:08,190 --> 00:34:10,449 that's why I've often said that we are 813 00:34:10,449 --> 00:34:13,110 confusing now God's patience with his approval. 814 00:34:14,030 --> 00:34:15,969 That's what we're seeing in our nation today, 815 00:34:16,010 --> 00:34:18,530 in the churches, we're confusing, ah, God is 816 00:34:18,530 --> 00:34:20,350 approving this, no, he's patient. 817 00:34:21,330 --> 00:34:22,850 And so they even said this back then, 818 00:34:22,929 --> 00:34:24,730 the Lord will not do good, nor will 819 00:34:24,730 --> 00:34:25,530 he do evil. 820 00:34:26,929 --> 00:34:28,590 We can do whatever we want. 821 00:34:29,370 --> 00:34:32,710 Therefore, their goods shall become booty, and their 822 00:34:32,710 --> 00:34:34,170 houses a desolation. 823 00:34:34,170 --> 00:34:36,489 In other words, they'll lose everything to an 824 00:34:36,489 --> 00:34:36,830 army. 825 00:34:37,389 --> 00:34:39,370 I believe it was Babylonians who came in 826 00:34:39,370 --> 00:34:43,010 and destroyed, Zephaniah doesn't talk about that, but 827 00:34:43,010 --> 00:34:45,750 other prophets mentioned that Babylonians came in and 828 00:34:45,750 --> 00:34:47,350 destroyed these people. 829 00:34:48,510 --> 00:34:51,270 They shall build houses, but not inhabit them. 830 00:34:51,310 --> 00:34:53,290 They shall plant vineyards, but not drink their 831 00:34:53,290 --> 00:34:53,710 wine. 832 00:34:54,429 --> 00:34:57,410 So this is Zephaniah speaking to the children 833 00:34:57,410 --> 00:34:57,950 of Israel. 834 00:34:58,610 --> 00:35:00,770 Can you imagine somebody telling you this? 835 00:35:01,490 --> 00:35:03,810 Guys, listen, you've drifted from God. 836 00:35:04,390 --> 00:35:06,030 Your house is that you built, you're not 837 00:35:06,030 --> 00:35:06,910 going to live in. 838 00:35:07,730 --> 00:35:10,730 You're complacent, you're worshiping all these other gods, 839 00:35:11,190 --> 00:35:12,510 except the true God. 840 00:35:13,290 --> 00:35:14,110 Wake up. 841 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:20,570 They think that God is neutral, and they 842 00:35:20,570 --> 00:35:21,810 will build, but not benefit. 843 00:35:21,950 --> 00:35:23,710 They will plant, but not harvest. 844 00:35:24,570 --> 00:35:26,390 And then I'm gonna skip to chapter three, 845 00:35:27,470 --> 00:35:28,610 verse one. 846 00:35:29,090 --> 00:35:30,990 Woe to her rebellious children. 847 00:35:32,710 --> 00:35:35,690 Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted. 848 00:35:36,250 --> 00:35:39,570 To the oppressing city, she has not obeyed 849 00:35:39,570 --> 00:35:40,450 His voice. 850 00:35:42,210 --> 00:35:44,950 This is so interesting to me, because the 851 00:35:44,950 --> 00:35:49,870 world, especially America, try airing this message in 852 00:35:49,870 --> 00:35:53,330 New York or Hollywood, or San Francisco. 853 00:35:53,490 --> 00:35:55,370 Just try it for a half hour and 854 00:35:55,370 --> 00:35:56,070 see what happens. 855 00:35:56,730 --> 00:35:59,030 Right, the Lord is saying, return to Me, 856 00:35:59,030 --> 00:36:02,010 give up your idols, but they will not 857 00:36:02,010 --> 00:36:04,670 obey His voice as if they can fight 858 00:36:04,670 --> 00:36:06,710 God, and they can't fight God. 859 00:36:07,790 --> 00:36:10,130 She has not received correction, she has not 860 00:36:10,130 --> 00:36:12,050 trusted in the Lord, she has not drawn 861 00:36:12,050 --> 00:36:13,730 near to her God. 862 00:36:15,110 --> 00:36:17,730 So the people became bitter and hard. 863 00:36:18,890 --> 00:36:20,450 Maybe that's for someone here tonight. 864 00:36:20,650 --> 00:36:22,290 Have you become bitter and hard? 865 00:36:23,590 --> 00:36:26,770 It can happen to Christians, or those professing 866 00:36:26,770 --> 00:36:27,550 to know Christ. 867 00:36:28,390 --> 00:36:31,570 Life can make us bitter and hard, amen? 868 00:36:35,190 --> 00:36:38,570 So what can prevent that tenderness and brokenness? 869 00:36:41,220 --> 00:36:43,480 Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted 870 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:45,980 to the oppressing city, he's talking about Jerusalem. 871 00:36:46,500 --> 00:36:48,380 She has not obeyed His voice, she has 872 00:36:48,380 --> 00:36:49,980 not received correction. 873 00:36:50,500 --> 00:36:52,160 She has not trusted in the Lord, she 874 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:53,960 has not drawn near to her God. 875 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:55,760 This is what I loved about God. 876 00:36:55,980 --> 00:36:58,440 He would tell the people, listen, you're not 877 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:00,980 going down a good path, judgment's not coming 878 00:37:00,980 --> 00:37:03,100 today, but it will come if you don't 879 00:37:03,100 --> 00:37:06,180 turn, don't redirect yourself. 880 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:08,780 He'll bring the prophets, He'll bring the Isaiah's 881 00:37:08,780 --> 00:37:11,940 and the Jeremiah's and the Ezekiel's and Joel 882 00:37:11,940 --> 00:37:14,640 and Amos and Obadiah, and He'll bring these 883 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:17,000 people, and God's saying, I'm warning, I'm warning, 884 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:18,620 I'm trying to wake you up, but they 885 00:37:18,620 --> 00:37:20,580 keep pushing away, and they do not hear 886 00:37:20,580 --> 00:37:21,240 His voice. 887 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,040 Her princesses in the midst are like roaring 888 00:37:25,040 --> 00:37:30,440 lions, her judges are evening wolves that leave 889 00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:32,040 not a bone till morning. 890 00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:35,400 Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people. 891 00:37:36,780 --> 00:37:39,620 So He's saying these princes, these rulers of 892 00:37:39,620 --> 00:37:42,100 your city, that are supposed to be good 893 00:37:42,100 --> 00:37:44,560 and God-honoring, they are treacherous. 894 00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:45,520 Sound familiar? 895 00:37:51,030 --> 00:37:52,450 Boy, if I had time, I could tell 896 00:37:52,450 --> 00:37:53,930 you about some of the leaders that are 897 00:37:53,930 --> 00:37:54,670 leading us. 898 00:37:59,420 --> 00:38:02,240 Her priests, people called of God have polluted 899 00:38:02,240 --> 00:38:03,020 the sanctuary. 900 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:07,880 So many churches around our nation are polluting 901 00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:10,360 the sanctuary, they're bringing things in that ought 902 00:38:10,360 --> 00:38:12,980 not be there, mocking God, they've done violence 903 00:38:12,980 --> 00:38:13,780 to the law. 904 00:38:14,580 --> 00:38:16,620 The Lord is righteous in her midst, He 905 00:38:16,620 --> 00:38:19,100 will do no unrighteousness. 906 00:38:19,260 --> 00:38:22,140 Every morning He brings His justice to light, 907 00:38:22,260 --> 00:38:25,580 never fails, but the unjust, they know no 908 00:38:25,580 --> 00:38:25,980 shame. 909 00:38:26,460 --> 00:38:28,300 So in a nutshell, the leaders are ruthless, 910 00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:30,700 judges are bought, and the prophets and priests 911 00:38:30,700 --> 00:38:32,340 are false prophets. 912 00:38:32,700 --> 00:38:34,400 That's how you damage the law. 913 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:37,400 I mean, technically, you can't damage God's law, 914 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:39,340 but what you do is you damage it 915 00:38:39,340 --> 00:38:40,320 in the laws of people. 916 00:38:40,900 --> 00:38:44,940 You say God doesn't care, God isn't concerned 917 00:38:44,940 --> 00:38:48,600 about what you're doing, but we know God 918 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:52,100 is not mocked, whatever a man sows, he 919 00:38:52,100 --> 00:38:53,200 will also reap. 920 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:58,680 So that's the messenger, and that was the 921 00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:00,640 message that he received from God. 922 00:39:01,620 --> 00:39:04,020 Zephaniah was a messenger, the message that he 923 00:39:04,020 --> 00:39:06,740 received from God was no different than it 924 00:39:06,740 --> 00:39:07,260 is today. 925 00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:13,380 Stop worshiping false idols, stop polluting your mind, 926 00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:16,620 stop becoming complacent in your sin, and return 927 00:39:16,620 --> 00:39:17,680 back to me. 928 00:39:18,100 --> 00:39:19,700 It's the same message. 929 00:39:20,220 --> 00:39:22,500 And I'm gonna get into this more next 930 00:39:22,500 --> 00:39:24,520 Wednesday, but I'm gonna talk about next Wednesday 931 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:25,420 the reflection. 932 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:28,540 What I mean by that is self-reflection. 933 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:31,340 So what we're supposed to do when we 934 00:39:31,340 --> 00:39:36,760 hear a message like this is reflect, and 935 00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:38,780 that's why if you do preach messages like 936 00:39:38,780 --> 00:39:41,180 this to the, this is an easy audience 937 00:39:41,180 --> 00:39:44,080 right here, but if you preach to a 938 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:47,500 difficult audience, like sometimes what you'll see Ray 939 00:39:47,500 --> 00:39:50,920 Comfort does on videos, or other people, and 940 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:53,200 you preach to a difficult audience, nine times 941 00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:55,200 out of 10, they will hate you, they 942 00:39:55,200 --> 00:39:56,880 will mock you, but God's looking for that 943 00:39:56,880 --> 00:39:58,780 one or two people who are listening who 944 00:39:58,780 --> 00:40:00,700 will pick this in and receive it. 945 00:40:01,640 --> 00:40:03,040 It's self-reflection. 946 00:40:03,160 --> 00:40:05,040 That's the whole point of the messages being 947 00:40:05,040 --> 00:40:05,560 difficult. 948 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:07,560 Think about it. 949 00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:10,140 If God's people were drifting from him, they're 950 00:40:10,140 --> 00:40:13,360 into sin, they love sin, how would he 951 00:40:13,360 --> 00:40:14,540 call them out of that? 952 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:20,180 Would he say, hey, good job, keep going. 953 00:40:21,860 --> 00:40:24,180 Nothing bad's gonna happen, just keep on with 954 00:40:24,180 --> 00:40:24,360 it. 955 00:40:24,500 --> 00:40:26,640 I'm winking, I'll wink at you up in 956 00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:26,940 heaven. 957 00:40:28,260 --> 00:40:30,020 But remember, that's a sign of a what? 958 00:40:30,020 --> 00:40:31,920 False prophet. 959 00:40:32,700 --> 00:40:36,360 The false proclaimers would say, don't worry about 960 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:36,640 it. 961 00:40:38,300 --> 00:40:40,820 That's why I cringe at all these pastors 962 00:40:40,820 --> 00:40:48,070 supporting gay marriage, and transgender, and homosexuality, and 963 00:40:48,070 --> 00:40:48,950 they're supporting it. 964 00:40:48,970 --> 00:40:50,450 I'm not talking about being there for them, 965 00:40:50,530 --> 00:40:52,030 loving them, pointing them to the truth. 966 00:40:52,290 --> 00:40:55,550 I'm talking about actually supporting, and validating it, 967 00:40:55,670 --> 00:40:56,910 and twisting scriptures. 968 00:40:57,110 --> 00:41:00,170 That is a false prophet according to God's 969 00:41:00,170 --> 00:41:00,430 word. 970 00:41:01,730 --> 00:41:03,610 Yeah, that statement might put me in jail 971 00:41:03,610 --> 00:41:05,190 in a decade from now, I'm well aware 972 00:41:05,190 --> 00:41:05,650 of that. 973 00:41:06,570 --> 00:41:10,110 There's YouTube, it's gonna live on forever. 974 00:41:10,990 --> 00:41:12,850 But see, we love people enough to tell 975 00:41:12,850 --> 00:41:16,390 them the truth, not mock them, but to 976 00:41:16,390 --> 00:41:18,550 say, hey, this is the truth according to 977 00:41:18,550 --> 00:41:19,050 God's word. 978 00:41:19,650 --> 00:41:22,410 You cannot escape that, you cannot redefine it, 979 00:41:22,450 --> 00:41:23,930 you can't remove it. 980 00:41:24,290 --> 00:41:26,670 So what happens is there's self-reflection. 981 00:41:27,430 --> 00:41:29,170 I believe that when people hear the truth, 982 00:41:29,170 --> 00:41:30,850 they're gonna reflect more than you think they 983 00:41:30,850 --> 00:41:31,090 are. 984 00:41:32,190 --> 00:41:33,850 They might not right then and there, but 985 00:41:33,850 --> 00:41:36,030 they will go home and they'll, you just 986 00:41:36,030 --> 00:41:37,870 planted the seed, and what happens when you 987 00:41:37,870 --> 00:41:38,550 plant the seed? 988 00:41:38,790 --> 00:41:39,970 Do you have to go and water it 989 00:41:39,970 --> 00:41:40,510 every time? 990 00:41:40,890 --> 00:41:43,150 No, somebody else may water it, and God 991 00:41:43,150 --> 00:41:44,010 may water it. 992 00:41:44,550 --> 00:41:46,570 So here's the practical application for tonight. 993 00:41:47,090 --> 00:41:49,790 Have you noticed how much praying, oh, actually, 994 00:41:49,850 --> 00:41:51,290 I'm gonna quote Tozer again, told you I 995 00:41:51,290 --> 00:41:51,890 quote a lot of people. 996 00:41:53,290 --> 00:41:54,770 I want you all to think about this 997 00:41:54,770 --> 00:41:55,130 statement. 998 00:41:56,230 --> 00:41:58,470 Not if you're hungry, don't look at your 999 00:41:58,470 --> 00:42:01,090 phone, what time is it, what are we 1000 00:42:01,090 --> 00:42:01,330 doing? 1001 00:42:01,810 --> 00:42:02,930 Listen to this. 1002 00:42:03,890 --> 00:42:06,030 Tozer said this, have you noticed how much 1003 00:42:06,030 --> 00:42:09,370 praying for revival has been going on lately 1004 00:42:09,370 --> 00:42:13,940 and how little revival has resulted? 1005 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:17,960 I think he's onto something. 1006 00:42:20,230 --> 00:42:22,410 Have you noticed how much praying for revival 1007 00:42:22,410 --> 00:42:25,570 has been going on lately and how little 1008 00:42:25,570 --> 00:42:27,410 revival has resulted? 1009 00:42:27,730 --> 00:42:28,650 Let's be honest. 1010 00:42:29,090 --> 00:42:32,970 There's revival conferences, there's revival messages, there's books 1011 00:42:32,970 --> 00:42:35,950 on revival, everybody's talking about revival, praying for 1012 00:42:35,950 --> 00:42:38,910 revival, and that's good, but I have to 1013 00:42:38,910 --> 00:42:39,590 agree with him. 1014 00:42:40,270 --> 00:42:41,950 He said, I believe the problem is that 1015 00:42:41,950 --> 00:42:44,470 we have been trying to substitute praying for 1016 00:42:44,470 --> 00:42:51,880 obeying, and it simply will not work. 1017 00:42:52,140 --> 00:42:55,820 To pray for revival while ignoring the plain 1018 00:42:55,820 --> 00:43:00,100 precepts laid down in Scripture is to waste 1019 00:43:00,100 --> 00:43:02,180 a lot of words and get nothing done 1020 00:43:02,180 --> 00:43:02,920 for our trouble. 1021 00:43:03,860 --> 00:43:06,660 Prayer will become effective when we stop using 1022 00:43:06,660 --> 00:43:09,140 it as a substitute for obedience. 1023 00:43:12,170 --> 00:43:15,370 Now, I've been around long enough to tell 1024 00:43:15,370 --> 00:43:17,750 you that he is absolutely spot on. 1025 00:43:18,690 --> 00:43:21,770 There are so many people that they'll pray, 1026 00:43:22,010 --> 00:43:22,950 but they will not obey. 1027 00:43:24,710 --> 00:43:25,730 Shane, can you be specific? 1028 00:43:25,930 --> 00:43:27,630 Yes, there are areas in our lives, I 1029 00:43:27,630 --> 00:43:30,830 believe in many lives of people, where God 1030 00:43:30,830 --> 00:43:33,430 is convicting, God is showing you areas where 1031 00:43:33,430 --> 00:43:36,410 repentance needs to take place, and until that 1032 00:43:36,410 --> 00:43:40,510 happens, until that repentance happens, and that obedience 1033 00:43:40,510 --> 00:43:42,590 happens in that area that God is convicting 1034 00:43:42,590 --> 00:43:45,450 you, you will not, you cannot see personal 1035 00:43:45,450 --> 00:43:45,970 revival. 1036 00:43:49,550 --> 00:43:50,330 That's just the truth. 1037 00:43:54,900 --> 00:43:57,240 We must heed the primary call of revival, 1038 00:43:57,400 --> 00:43:58,420 and that is repentance. 1039 00:43:59,500 --> 00:44:01,460 These calls are to God's people. 1040 00:44:02,020 --> 00:44:03,840 I'm gonna end with 1 Kings 8.28. 1041 00:44:03,840 --> 00:44:05,200 I don't think we have it up there. 1042 00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:07,700 Just take this in for a minute. 1043 00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:12,080 Yet regard the prayer of your servant and 1044 00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:13,100 his supplication. 1045 00:44:13,920 --> 00:44:16,000 Oh Lord, my God, and listen to the 1046 00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:18,220 cry and the prayer which your servant is 1047 00:44:18,220 --> 00:44:19,840 praying before you today. 1048 00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:21,920 That's the key. 1049 00:44:22,360 --> 00:44:24,380 Listen, oh God, listen to the prayer. 1050 00:44:24,880 --> 00:44:26,500 Listen to the prayer of your servant. 1051 00:44:27,080 --> 00:44:28,500 Can you say that tonight, or are you 1052 00:44:28,500 --> 00:44:28,820 bored? 1053 00:44:29,720 --> 00:44:31,260 Can you say that tonight, or are you 1054 00:44:31,260 --> 00:44:31,520 upset? 1055 00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:34,200 Can you say that tonight, or are you 1056 00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:37,580 so complacent that nothing is breaking in? 1057 00:44:37,940 --> 00:44:40,280 God says, no, cry out to me right 1058 00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:40,580 here. 1059 00:44:40,980 --> 00:44:42,260 I will hear your prayer. 1060 00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:44,580 Oh Lord, my God, listen to the cry 1061 00:44:44,580 --> 00:44:47,080 and the prayer which your servant is praying 1062 00:44:47,080 --> 00:44:47,900 for you today. 1063 00:44:48,340 --> 00:44:50,040 We need more people saying that. 1064 00:44:50,500 --> 00:44:53,180 Lord, hear our prayer this evening, or Sunday 1065 00:44:53,180 --> 00:44:54,080 mornings, whenever it is. 1066 00:44:54,140 --> 00:44:55,040 Lord, hear our prayer. 1067 00:44:55,760 --> 00:44:57,920 Save our churches, save our nation. 1068 00:44:58,700 --> 00:44:59,840 God, save the unborn. 1069 00:44:59,840 --> 00:45:00,900 Hear our prayer. 1070 00:45:02,760 --> 00:45:06,380 There must be a passionate burden for the 1071 00:45:06,380 --> 00:45:07,040 things of God. 1072 00:45:08,500 --> 00:45:10,020 But the good news is, if you don't 1073 00:45:10,020 --> 00:45:11,740 have that, pray for it. 1074 00:45:14,170 --> 00:45:15,510 Say, Lord, give me that burden. 1075 00:45:16,130 --> 00:45:17,190 Give me that passion. 1076 00:45:17,370 --> 00:45:20,330 Give me, I'm tired of complacency. 1077 00:45:22,230 --> 00:45:23,410 Listen, I remember those years. 1078 00:45:23,550 --> 00:45:28,650 Those years of terrible, boring Christianity, complacent Christianity 1079 00:45:28,650 --> 00:45:31,670 where we're not witnessing, we're not filled with 1080 00:45:31,670 --> 00:45:33,670 the spirit of God, we're not filled with 1081 00:45:33,670 --> 00:45:34,370 boldness. 1082 00:45:34,790 --> 00:45:36,790 We'll listen to a few Christian songs, and 1083 00:45:36,790 --> 00:45:37,990 we'll go to work, and we'll show up 1084 00:45:37,990 --> 00:45:39,990 for church, and that's the extent of our 1085 00:45:39,990 --> 00:45:40,530 Christianity. 1086 00:45:41,930 --> 00:45:43,650 But God wants to do so much more 1087 00:45:43,650 --> 00:45:45,550 in hearts that are willing and ready.