Should we marry someone?
Should we downsize?
You fill in the blank.
Hearing that voice of God, and I've noticed,
and I'm sure many of you have, is
the more time we spend pressing in, seeking
Him, repenting, getting our hearts right, prayer meetings,
worship mornings, the more His voice becomes clear.
It actually becomes louder.
You turn up the volume on hearing the
voice of God because you're pressing in.
And it's when we don't, most Christians that
are confused is because they're spending too much
time doing this, or this.
What's the news say?
Now there's monkey pox.
Did you know that?
Biden is worried about this new virus.
Monkey pox.
Is there an election coming up or something?
Those darn melon ballots.
Shane, don't get political.
I'm not, I'm getting biblical, it's the truth.
It's the truth.
We're in interesting times right now.
We are in very interesting times right now.
Elon Musk just switched political parties.
I emailed a few people, said this guy's
toast.
They're not going to allow that.
The woke culture is going to, and he
is being, his stock dropped 44%.
He's being attacked.
He's tweeted out things that, if I end
up dead, it's not me.
See, this is huge.
This is huge.
And pastors are silent.
I don't want to talk about that kind
of stuff.
That kind of stuff is what matters.
People are hungry for that kind of stuff.
You point them to the cross with relevant
things that are going on.
So that's my tirades over.
But I saw that come, didn't you?
As soon as he announced, boy, oh boy,
he's going to have everyone against him.
Hollywood, the president, the current administration on all
areas, just the woke culture, liberal churches.
I mean, pray for that guy.
I think he needs the Lord.
And I was reminded, again, studying, and I
told you last week, God's will isn't always
what we want.
Because as believers, we think God's will must
be this sweet spot where everything is flowing.
Everything is going good.
Man, if I can just get in the
center of God's will, it's challenging actually in
God's will.
Because your flesh is protesting.
The enemy is coming after you.
The world is influencing you.
And being in God's will is you're doing
things that God wants you to do.
And that always brings spiritual upheaval.
And that was a big wake-up call
for me when I first came back to
the Lord.
I'm like, oh, back in God's will.
Now I had tremendous peace, thank God, but
it was not what I thought.
It was not the beach in Cancun that
I thought would happen.
It was very challenging.
But thank God we are anchored to the
rock.
And though the waves beat against that boat,
we are anchored to Jesus Christ.
Last week also briefly, faith must be tested.
Your faith will be tested.
It will be tried.
It will be challenged.
And as a pastor, I've seen it many
times.
I mean, all of us can talk the
right talk.
Correct?
Say the right thing.
Things are going good.
But it's actually when things go haywire or
go the opposite direction.
I thought this, but now what's happening here?
This is not what I expected.
That's where real faith is tested.
And I wish I could report to you
that most people finish well.
Most people get upset at God.
This is not what I was praying for.
This is not what I was planning on.
And their faith falters because it was built
on this idea of God's going to work
everything out according to my will, the way
I want it done.
And I've seen it.
So many people, they get bitter, they get
upset at church because really God is showing
them what is in their heart.
And we were in Genesis 22, this incredible
chapter where Abraham, I think it's 22 verse
3, we left off.
So Abraham rose early in the morning and
saddled his donkey and took two of his
young men with him and Isaac his son.
And he split the wood for the burnt
offering and arose and went to the place
of which God had told him.
Now last week, again to get you caught
up, God told Abraham to sacrifice his son.
And of course that doesn't make sense.
We don't understand that.
But as in the case of Abraham and
the case of Job, thank God, God gave
us the hardest examples.
Then we can't say, well, they didn't have
it as hard as me in the Bible.
Well, Job had it pretty hard.
I haven't met anybody who comes close to
what Job experienced, or what David went through
with Saul, or that God gives us these
examples for us to follow and be encouraged.
And one of those is Abraham.
And God said, take your son, this son
of the promise, this impossible thing that happened
to give birth at 100 years old, and
his wife was 90.
Now give this up that I gave you.
It's incredible, this miracle.
Now give it up and put it on
the altar.
And a lot of sermons have been preached
on that topic.
There's wonderful principles in that as well, putting
that dream on the altar and giving it
back to God.
And I often tell couples who are thinking
about getting married, what do you think God's
will is?
We're a little confused, and we don't quite
understand what's going on.
And how do we know exactly, perfectly what
God's will is?
And often I tell them, you won't know
until the day you say, I do.
Because you're putting that relationship on the altar.
Lord, I'm giving this up to You.
And then once you say, I do, you're
locked and loaded.
Now you can't go back and change your
mind.
So that's why this idea of marriage is
so important.
It's the second most important decision you'll ever
make.
But putting those things on the altar, so
many people, they have godly ambition for something.
God has given us ambition to do things
for Him.
And that's why sometimes, you know, I don't
mind putting the messages on the radio and
promoting it, getting it out there, as long
as our hearts are right, and we want
God to get it out there, and God
gives us that desire for a reason.
If not, we just sit at home all
day and do nothing.
And having that godly ambition, that godly desire,
but also putting that on the altar.
Saying, Lord, if you just have me help
in children's ministry, or nursery, or special needs,
if you just have me be an usher
and clean the parking lot, I'll put all
these ideas on the altar and I'm sacrificing
it to you.
And God says, oh, that's faith I can
use.
I often think, even in my own life,
how much more could God use us if
we completely laid down our agendas and our
wants and our desires, and if we don't
get our way, we get in a bad
mood?
Anybody relate to that?
Or that's just me?
Every head should be shaking in this room.
And so that is important, understanding God's will.
But this last verse here, and arose and
went to the place of which God had
told him.
He didn't try to manipulate, or he didn't
try to circumvent, he went to exactly where
God told him.
And of course, the main thing that jumps
out is obedience is essential when you're trying
to determine God's will, or walking God's will.
The amazing thing about God's will is sometimes,
even in myself, we make it harder than
it actually is.
A lot of things are crystal clear in
God's word.
Do you know the Bible says, his will
is that you should worship him.
His will is that you should pray.
His will is that you should make disciples.
His will is that you should live a
holy life before him.
His will is that all come to salvation.
And there's clear things.
And you live in those principles.
But Shane, what about the things that are
gray area?
Well, again, God's word offers a lot of
principles.
It won't tell you the name of the
person you're supposed to marry, but it will
offer principles.
It doesn't tell you where you should work
exactly, but it will offer principles.
And I'm amazed, especially how many men compromise
this area.
And I believe unequally yoked applies to business
partnerships as well.
Absolutely.
The context of Paul is light and darkness,
and what fellowship has bell with God, and
what fellowship has light with darkness.
And so business relationships, marriage relationships, any type
of relationship where you're linked together, but you're
unequally yoked, it's preventing you from doing God's
work.
But His word gives us clarity on these
issues.
So we might not know the exact answer.
We know the direction in which to walk.
And then that's when we start to compromise
is when we run into trouble.
So obedience to God's word despite feelings.
Lord, I'm having a real challenging time right
now.
What am I supposed to do?
I know the Bible says forgive, but hmm.
Well, until you get past that first point,
until you obey that first point, it's hard
to get clear direction until you begin to
obey that first thing.
Because we often, we know God wants us
to do this, but then we're like, well,
not no, not right now.
Lord, show me something else.
And you can hang out there with massive
frustration if you don't obey the initial thing
He told you to do.
How many people have we seen at this
altar over the years who just crying because
God finally set them free and they feel
this breakthrough and they finally let something go?
Or they finally obeyed.
And that thing that's been, because God's not
like, okay, well, I guess they're not going
to do this.
I guess I better change course.
Remember last week, God doesn't say, let's make
a deal.
He says, this is the deal.
And I've seen people go their whole life,
disobeying what God has called them to do.
And it's very sad.
Most follow the wrong voice because they live
in deception.
Did you know, this is the pastor, I
realize this a lot.
Did you know that with all the people
here today, you can actually leave this service
and live in deception, even though you heard
what I'm saying?
You might say, how is that possible?
Because James said, be doers of the Word
and not just hearers.
Because if you're just a hearer of the
Word, you actually live your life.
You make choices, the wrong choices, and you
think they're the right choices and you live
in deception.
Know of any Christians living in deception?
Oh my, my, my.
All of us have maybe camped out there
for a little while.
We know it, but we're not going to
obey it.
And then we get prideful and we start
to make decisions that aren't God honoring, aren't
lining up with His Word.
We think, well, look, I'm getting away with
it.
God's patience.
No, His patience is not His approval.
And we begin to experience this deception.
And the interesting thing about deception is it's
hard to spot when you have it.
Others can spot it pretty easily.
But it's us, it's our hearts that really
can't see that deception.
And what's interesting, you can see this quite
frequently.
And when someone is lovingly confronted, are they
thankful?
Let that sink in.
Lovingly confronted, are they thankful?
Thank you for caring for me.
And I didn't realize that.
You're right.
Thank you for pointing that out.
Nope.
It's quite the opposite.
Living in deception.
And maybe this will apply to some of
you here or those listening.
If there's a constant attitude of criticism, if
there's a constant critical spirit in your heart,
it's a good sign often that we're living
in deception.
I've been there before many times.
When we're constantly nitpicking others.
When we're constantly saying, well, I don't know
about this.
And we have a critical spirit.
And a critical spirit, it's hard to hear
from God.
Because you know you need to change.
You know there's areas in your life, but
you're not open to those changes.
And you become critical and condescending to others.
That's a sure sign of not hearing from
God.
Because when we're hearing from God and doing
His will, don't we become more gentle and
loving and understanding?
Doesn't humility permeate from our hearts and our
lives?
Absolutely.
And spiritual maturity comes from humility and obedience.
They grow through difficulties rather than run from
them.
All these people we look at, especially if
you read Hebrews, the race of faith, and
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the
heroes of our faith.
The interesting thing is they became spiritually mature
by obeying God.
And I see this all the time as
well.
Those who are actually spiritually mature, you've heard
me say this before, are those who are
obeying God's Word.
Because we don't mature spiritually, here's this important,
chronologically by our age.
I know some people who have been a
believer for about three years, and they are
way more mature than those who have been
believers for 30 years.
How is that possible?
Because they stay stuck in that area of
disobedience.
Often, I want to be careful here, please
understand my heart, and this is not always
the case, but often, and I probably have
seen it more than, pastors have seen this
more than anybody, have you ever heard that
phrase, church hopping?
Let me try this church.
Often, often, those people are not very mature.
Now there's times and places to switch and
to move.
And the pandemic brought out a lot of
people out from different churches for good reasons.
And they are mature people.
They say, the truth is not here anymore,
there's cowardliness, Romans 13, all these kinds, and
that's not what I'm talking about.
But I've seen it, I mean, especially when
it first started, and people come and, oh,
I read your articles, and I hear, man,
you love the truth.
Man, you're just a truth guy.
I tell my wife, watch out, critical heart.
Six months, they're gone.
Come to find out, they're putting down the
other church, and then the other church before
that, and the other church before that.
And they're not the problem.
But see, those people from hopping to different
churches rarely grow in their faith.
Why?
Why is that?
Because they're running from the challenge rather than
confronting it.
I mean, just, I hate being so honest,
but I would have left this church a
hundred times if I wasn't the pastor.
Maybe you too, yeah, Morgan too.
Sheep bite.
We've had to have meetings, and things, and
problems, and you just, you know, as the
lead pastor, it's everything's your fault.
Everything's my fault.
I don't even know something happened, it's my
fault.
And this kind of stuff, and this kind
of stuff.
And so, man, I would have gotten out
of here.
I worked there, I can't leave.
Dang it.
But I'll tell you, it's grown us more
than anything else.
It's having those hard conversations, difficult conversations, and
then you grow stronger from it.
You have tighter relationships because you both went
to battle together.
I mean, if the person's willing, you know
what I mean, there's some people that are
just, you know, negative Nellies and Judge Mel
Gerry's, there's not much you can do about
that.
But for the most part, that's, I thank
God for allowing us to lead because that's
how we've grown a lot spiritually.
You have hard conversations, you grow from your
experiences, you become a better person.
I mean, if you listen to my preaching
10 years ago, man, a couple people have
been here a while said, well, you've changed
a lot.
Not in the, not in changing truth, but
just, you know, you kind of think you
know it all, and you're bolder and a
little bit more arrogant and until you get
hurt and broken and humbled.
And it's like, oh, man, so the message
hasn't changed.
But my heart is a lot more tender.
For example, who told me that somebody told
me used to say this, you remember like,
oh, you're going way back.
You know, if I'm preaching, I'm like, if
you don't like what I'm saying, there's the
door, don't let it kick you on the
way out.
Or hit you on the way out.
The difference is now I feel it, I
just don't say it.
Right, the filter, the filter of the heart,
the filter of the heart.
And just that, you know, just a more
and that you got to have that.
But it just it breaks.
I remember one girl, she's probably 18 and
struggle with same sex attraction said the way
you you preached about that makes me feel
so bad and there's no hope.
I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry.
How can I help in that?
What can I do better?
And so I've learned, okay, come out against
the agenda, but encourage the person struggling and
see finding that balance because we're man, you
look at the perversion going on in Hollywood
and the media and what they're trying to
pass in California.
There's a righteous indignation, there's a fire, a
fire that's brewing.
And so how do you, how do you,
how do you put out that fire?
But I'll put out the fire in others.
And it's a very challenging process.
But just be encouraged.
It does.
I would if I would, whether you're listening,
wherever you're at, I wouldn't run from fellow
believers, I would, I would embrace what God
is doing, let God if you're going somewhere
else, nationally, wherever it is, just make sure
God is leading.
And He does do that absolutely does that
often.
But for the most part, that's how we
grow is to go through those challenges and
have those difficult conversations.
And you know what else is good about
that is you don't have you no longer
have a root of bitterness, or you're no
longer holding in this hurt, because you've talked
about it.
It's over, it's done with.
And that's how mature believers handle different situations.
And then verse six and seven.
So Abraham took the wood of the burnt
offering and laid it on Isaac, his son.
Now they're not yet on the altar, Isaac
is helping him carry this burnt off this
wood for the offering.
And he took the fire in his hand,
they didn't have things that that could light
the fire easily, it was they would get
the fire started and then carry that with
them.
And he had a knife.
And the two of them went together.
And now I'm going to paraphrase the next
verse.
Dad, I see the fire.
And I see the wood, but where is
the lamb for the burnt offering?
And Abraham responded, my son, God will provide
the lamb for a burnt offering.
I mean, I can only imagine what Abraham
is going through.
I mean, we read this like, okay, next
verse, next chapter.
But can you imagine?
Like, I've got is, is God really calling
me to do this?
Would you question yourself?
I would.
Is God really?
I can't make I can't make a mistake
here, Lord, is that really your voice?
I can't I love my son.
And you can just that the sweat probably
coming down and just, but you can also
see Lord, what you'll provide, I'm trusting you,
what is all this about?
And all these emotions going through his mind.
And it's a good reminder that God's will
often involves divine intervention.
God's will often involves divine intervention, from finances
to open doors or closed doors, as you're
trusting God and seeking God, often, let Him
maneuver the chess.
Let Him open the door for that job
or that situation.
It's good to press in and do things
like I tell people, you're trying to get
a job, put out some applications.
Don't just sit at home watching Netflix, you
might not get a job.
And so we have to step out in
faith and trust God do these things.
But ultimately, how many of us have stories
that if God didn't do it, it was
absolutely impossible.
If God didn't do this, at this time
with this situation, with these set with this
circumstance, all this is impossible, because he's the
master chess player.
And often praying for his will doesn't happen
without that happening.
And Abraham ponder God's will in his heart,
ponder God's will in his heart.
He didn't go well, you know, you're the
sacrifice.
Right at the beginning, he pondered and that's
I think that's important.
Boy, have I learned this lesson the hard
way.
Do you know not everyone's excited about what
God puts on your heart?
Just try it sometime.
I've learned now to just many times just
just I'm just gonna pray through.
We also see this with Nehemiah.
He pondered what God put in his heart
about rebuilding the wall.
Mary pondered in her heart, having the Messiah,
Joseph probably should have pondered in his heart
that he was the favorite son.
Maybe not though, of course, God used all
that all.
If that story is amazing to you, your
brothers try to kill you.
Instead, they sell you into slavery, you end
up becoming second to Pharaoh, but first going
to prison, because Potter's wife accused you and
I mean, God, you see him in all
of that.
And so we have to remember that, that
it's not, it's not advantageous to tell people
what God's will is all the time.
Because they don't always agree with you.
Now I'm gonna get into in just a
little bit, seeking godly counsel is very important.
But when God gives you something, just ponder
it for a while.
Because what happens, you start to share it
with people.
And do they encourage you?
Some do.
My mom did a lot.
But not everyone said just well, you know,
I don't know.
I don't know about that.
Are you sure that was God?
I know that's pretty expensive.
I don't know, I don't see you doing
that.
I don't know that that's not really that
doesn't really line up with what I think.
And again, it's good to seek godly counsel,
but make sure to ponder something in your
heart, because people aren't going to see what
God is doing in your life.
God's doing something in your life.
So you can't say, oh, you can't say
you feel or see that exact same thing,
because God might be calling you to do
something different.
And most people sometimes have are biased.
They don't want to see others excel, or
they don't want them to step out in
ministry when they're feeling convicted.
Has that ever happened to you?
It's just interesting.
People, you have to do what God's called
you to do.
And I've kind of been putting this in
check for five minutes, so I just want
to make sure I word it correctly.
One of my biggest prayers is, Lord, did
you want me to say that or did
I say that on my own?
But something that discouraged me greatly when I
started the church, I met with a few
pastors.
And it's a well-known pastor in town.
I won't mention names.
But his exact words were, Shane, if you
do decide to pastor, I don't think you
should be writing books.
You can't do that in a pastor.
You have to do one or the other.
And so, man, I struggle.
But what if God told me to do
that?
How do you know that's not part of
what He's called me to do?
And it was a big struggle for quite
a while.
Not to mention this guy reads John MacArthur's
books, and John Piper, and pastors who write
books, but I guess that's a bigger calling.
But as long as it doesn't take away
from your main responsibility, and God makes that
happen.
But see, not everyone shared that joy.
Not everyone agreed with it.
So I'm like, oh, okay, well, thank you.
And then I didn't for a while.
I didn't pursue that.
Another area, that's why I just did this
Saturday, yesterday, and you can watch on YouTube.
I talked about health and our physical bodies
and how the physical parallels with the spiritual.
When I first began to be a pastor,
and that's actually before I became a pastor,
my first book was on that.
So I would travel to churches and different
places and talk about physical health and how
that relationship with God is so important.
And people would be discouraging me.
They would say, you know, you shouldn't talk
about that stuff.
Look, Paul said exercise isn't important.
Those things don't matter.
Why are you talking about that?
I'm like, gosh, yeah, maybe, boy, oh boy.
God, I feel You're wanting me to do
this.
And I just, how long was I quiet?
For years?
Five, six, seven years?
Didn't mention anything.
Because I let the influence of others get
to me.
And then I start realizing, you know, I
have to say something because how we take
care of this plays a big, the reason
people don't come to church, they don't feel
good.
The reason they're not, they're still sick is
they're not taking care of the body.
The reason they aren't productive fathers and having
energy is because they let their body go.
The reason pastors aren't doing hospital homes and
visiting people and they don't have a lot
of energy is because they're not taking, see,
the physical effects of spiritual.
And so if we can help both, we
can be more productive for God.
Correct?
So even on Facebook, the negative Nellies, you
shouldn't be talking about that stuff.
Who cares if you're fasting?
Holy smokes.
Let me bow down to this naysayer in
Nebraska or wherever they're at.
How do you know what God told me
to do?
As long as it lines up with His
word and helping people, we can have classes
on marriage and finances and stewardship, but don't
talk about this sacred cow.
And then I begin to see, oh, conviction.
Okay.
I got it.
Because what I would do, don't tell anybody,
okay?
Facebook will hear.
But like when they make these comments, you
know, I'm like, okay, who's this guy?
Go to his profile.
Oh, he's in fast food, McDonald's parking lot.
No wonder he doesn't like what I'm saying.
Or maybe they're very overweight and convicted.
So see, I begin to see the conviction
that I want to help.
I don't want to hurt.
But because their conviction was spewing hatred out
of their mouth, it was causing me to
back away.
And also, God will keep showing me and
confirming it.
I can tell you so many ways.
But Paul says, he doesn't say bodily exercise
is not important.
Don't even focus on it.
What's the whole context of the verse, theologians?
It does profit you.
You better discipline your body.
You better take care of it.
But it doesn't come above spiritual health and
spiritual exercises.
Why do we rarely see that?
Every time I would hear it, don't talk.
Don't you know the Bible says don't talk
about those things?
It doesn't even profit us.
Hold on, let's read Scripture in context.
Actually, if you want to get really convicting,
Paul is a big guy on self-discipline.
I discipline my body and I bring it
into subjection.
Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill
its lust.
Don't allow the flesh to control you.
You crucify the flesh.
You put to deeds the lust of the
flesh.
You tell it what to do.
It doesn't tell you what to do.
With fortitude and strength and perseverance and much
travailing and fasting, I pursue God.
That's Paul.
And what the church doesn't like, they call
legalism.
What the church doesn't like, they call legalism.
So anyway, another rant is over.
Back on track.
Believe.
Yeah, it might happen a couple more times.
So ponder God's will in your heart.
Believe God until the end.
This is a big, this is, this is,
if you, if you don't take much away
from this morning, take this.
Trust God and believe God all the way
till the end.
Can you imagine Abraham saying nope and turning
away from what God called him to do?
Many times we don't see, and I see
this, this makes me sad as a pastor.
So many people, they're up here, they're, they're
praying for, I mean, you fill in the
blank, this big prayer request, right?
You fill in the blank.
And oh, God, please.
And please, God.
And oh, would you, God, do this.
And then as soon as it's going the
other direction, I'm not coming back to church.
God didn't answer my prayer and my time.
Things are not getting better.
They're getting worse.
No, no, no, no, no.
That's the time to press in.
That, that's when real faith is being tested.
That's when real faith says like, Joe, though
you slay me, yet will I trust you?
Where can I go to flee the presence
of God?
I will serve him all the days of
my life.
Lord, even if you kill me, even if
I lose a child, even if this doesn't
work out, even if my marriage ends in
divorce, I will trust you.
I will follow you till the end.
I will finish strong.
God says, now that is a faith I
can be, I'm pleased by.
That's what Abraham did.
He took it all the way to the
end.
He took it all the way to the
end.
God will prepare a sacrifice.
God will answer.
Even he waited so much to the end
where you can see the dagger and you
can see probably Lord is it and he
gave Abraham, stay your hand, stay your hand.
God has seen your faith.
He has heard your cry.
Check out behind you.
That lamb is caught in the thicket.
God will always come on time.
Let me tell you, it's not on your
time.
It's on God's time.
But often it doesn't work out like we
think sometimes.
Because I want what's comfortable and convenient.
It doesn't hurt my ego too much.
It isn't humiliating.
God, don't keep humbling me.
Hurry up and answer my prayer.
And God often used the most extreme examples
of obedience again to give us hope and
trust in Him.
And then verse 9 and 10, then they
came to the place of which God had
told him.
You know, I don't think the Bible, I
don't think any word is by accident.
Last week, this week, God told him.
He went to the place God told him.
He did what God told him.
Are there areas that God is convicting you
and wants you to obey in this area?
Maybe it's getting wrong of a critical heart.
Maybe it's getting wrong getting rid of a
prideful heart.
Did you know that that can creep in
very easily?
In my heart too?
Those things can creep right in if we're
not on guard in this area.
And Abraham built an altar there.
So here he is.
Here's the place.
I'm building an altar.
This has got to be the most strenuous
ordeal ever recorded in the Bible, other than
the cross, I believe.
Or the man who prayed a stupid prayer
and told God whatever comes out of his
house, He'll give us a sacrifice if God
will let him win in battle.
And here comes his daughter walking out of
the house.
And so, you know, theologians are divided on
whether that was he actually sacrificed her or
she had to remain a virgin.
But anyway, let me get back here.
We'll get to that at some point when
I get to that chapter.
And so they went to where God told
him.
He built this this altar.
He placed the wood in order and he
bound Isaac, his son, and laid him on
the altar upon the wood.
Most speculate Isaac could have took out Abraham.
You're not going to put some 16, 17
year old kid on the altar.
I mean, and Abraham's 100?
What just a step of obedience.
And I don't want to speak into this.
I read some commentaries and you're like, I
don't know about that.
You're pulling there.
And that's what I always want to do
with God's Word.
I want to say here's possibility.
Here's what I think.
And we really don't know other than what
Scripture says that Isaac willingly gave his life.
Abraham stretched out his hand and took the
knife to slay his son.
But the angel of the Lord, what Abraham
had to do, he didn't have God's Word
like we do.
Thank God for God's Word.
Psalm 119.
Your Word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
So stop thinking that God's Word is always
a headlight to see the next valley.
Or those, remember those lights that they used
to have that shine?
Often it's for my next step, my next
step, my next step, my next step.
And it's a light to my path.
I can see I'm taking the right course.
And it's often day to day choices.
God's will is hard.
Like I said earlier, faith must be tested.
And then verse 11, but the angel of
the Lord called to him from heaven and
said, do not lay your hand on the
lad or do anything to him.
For now I know, now I know that
you fear God since you have not withheld
your son, your only son from me.
And I think in our own lives, what
is so important, what is so dear that
we will not lay down?
Do you know how many people do not
follow God because of comfort, convenience, finances?
They don't want to lay down certain things,
not realizing that God can multiply everything or
at least the peace of knowing His will.
Faith must be backed by action.
We see that here.
Faith must be backed by action.
True faith, discerning God's will.
There is action.
There's a, what's that old saying?
Pray as if it's all up to God,
but live as if it's all up to
me.
You might say, oh, I don't know about
that.
You know, that's, I've, I've thought about that
for many years.
That's, that's a really good, really good point.
Because if all we do is pray and
don't do anything, not much will happen.
Because prayer often is infused with action.
That's where you see the results.
I don't remember who it was exactly, but
one of the founders of America during the
Continental Congress, and he was saying, he was
pleading, yes, men, pray, pray, pray, but by
the love of God, would you act?
Also, Edmund Burke said, the only thing necessary
for evil to triumph is for good people
to do nothing.
So do you think what's going on in
our nation?
Just only prayer?
Is God ever going to tell you to
act?
Like I saw some of the negative stuff,
uh, when Sean Foyt, you know, he's been
protesting Disney and stuff.
I'm like, I wish more people would do
that.
You shouldn't be doing that.
You shouldn't be protesting.
Just be at home and stay in prayer.
Well, sometimes you got to get out of
your house and go to go be the
voice of truth.
Can you imagine if, if 10,000 Christians
showed up in Orlando at Disney's office or
headquarters?
That's sense.
It's like, because what action does, it's not
that the action is necessarily going to do
anything.
It's the prayer and the faith that's by
action.
And you're standing up for something worth fighting
for.
You're saying not on my watch.
Can you imagine if just this group of
people went to the next school board meeting?
Let's be honest.
Hey, why is this line of people I
can't get?
Cause you're not going to teach that perverted
garbage in our schools anymore.
You think, you think that might send a
signal?
Absolutely.
Well, who told you God to just to
pray and don't do anything?
You know what that really is?
It's cowardliness.
It's comfort.
I'll just sit at home and pray.
Now, sometimes we should do that.
Sometimes we don't know if protesting isn't going
to change things.
Prayer is, uh, what about all those people
say?
It doesn't matter.
I'm not going to vote.
Well, if a couple of million people say
that, yeah, but Shane doesn't matter anymore because
the things are rigged.
Well, I don't know.
We've got to take action.
Of course, we know that things are, there's
a lot of shenanigans, but there, there has
to be an action.
And that's what many of the churches did
after COVID became crystal clear on the agenda
is we said, Hey, we've, we've got to
take a stand.
We see, we see this.
We got to, we got to do something.
Faith backed by action.
Isn't it interesting?
I've talked to the four or five pastors
and we've got actually, I'm going to, um,
me and Morgan were invited to, or no,
it was just me.
That's a different one.
We're both, we're both invited.
She can't go to this one, but we're
going to go down to a thing in
San Diego with Charlie Kirk and, and pastors
are invited.
But one, I got a letter from this
group who they're going to honor pastors who
stayed open.
Francis Chan is going to speak.
It's down in San Diego and they just
want to honor that.
And without, almost without, without a variance at
all.
And those churches grew numbers, but finances too.
Could it be God was bringing hungry people
to hear his truth and the blessings of
God, other, other churches, budget cuts.
We got to get rid of this.
We got to get rid of staff.
We got to stop doing this.
Those are the churches that capitulated.
So to me, that does speak volumes.
As long as the heart is right.
What, what, what, what I think hurt the
most is so many people thought that the
churches who stayed open had a rent renegade
spirit of rebellion.
No, we have a broken heart of desperation.
Don't confuse the two.
Big difference.
I mean, I can't even tell you.
I can't even tell you how it felt
to come in here and, and be separated
six feet and wear masks.
And it's like, I told my wife, I
can't keep doing this.
I cannot keep doing this.
Now it's one thing to be cautious and
concerned and do what you can clean things.
Well, I, yeah, of course, but there's a
fine line there between fear and faith.
Faith doesn't mean you, you chuck all the
rules out the door.
You don't care.
We've always said six, stay home, wash your
hands, take clean general.
I mean, do what you can.
But when you start to realize that a
piece of cloth just barely hanging on and
that, that you're going to force that and
push that and manipulate because I mean, if
you want to at least do it right,
I've said before, where the N95 wear gloves
and don't touch anything and stay away from
things.
Don't go to events.
Am I just being honest?
If you really want to do it the
right way, I'm all for it.
If you want to do it the right
way, but don't be touching things.
I go to Walmart and a thousand people
came before me or Costco put on your
mask.
I just touched this thing with a thousand
people touched.
Well, help me understand the insanity here.
And that plexiglass isn't going to do a
lot.
And so, but see, I'm not being, listen,
I'm not poking fun.
I'm saying as a pastor, as a leader,
when do you call things out?
When do you discern the times?
When do you lead the people in the
right direction?
When do you say for the love of
God, we got to begin worshiping God again
and chasing Him with all of our heart,
with all of our soul, with all of
our strength.
And I've studied virology and germs and I
know how it works.
And there's some things you got to be
careful about for sure.
But why is everybody touting that stuff and
nothing about natural immunity?
DeSantis in Florida wants to bring antibodies.
No, no, no.
Biden says, no, no, no.
Only this Pfizer approved experimental thing is what
we're going to do.
Come on guys.
Pfizer stock is the highest.
Wake up.
God has given us a brain and wisdom
for a reason.
And I don't think it's over yet with
the election.
I don't know.
I'm just saying, I'm just saying there's agendas
at work.
There's ulterior motives at work.
So it's not just all these people, Bill
Gates with a great heart and World Health
Organization that we might actually vote our sovereignty
over to them.
I hope you know that.
I think it's in a week or two,
the Biden administration might vote and give them
the World Health Organization, give them the sovereignty
of America in the area of health and
crisis when they call it a global emergency.
If we surrender our sovereignty, we will have
to follow the World Health Organization guidelines.
This is not, this is not conspiracy theory.
Michelle Bachman came out and said it.
You can read it for yourself.
Why do we stay quiet on these things?
It reminds me of the quiet churches who
actually sang louder as the trains went by
taking people to the gas chambers in Germany.
Did you know that?
Here comes the train.
Let's sing Amazing Grace louder.
I agree, Hayden.
Faith must be backed by action.
But you know what?
It is hard.
I'll tell you.
Because we don't want to start a revolutionary
war.
We don't want to be, you know, all
about our AR-15 ammunition.
I'm going to show you a real revolution.
I mean, that's not the right heart.
There's got to be a grace and humility,
but there's got to be people hearing from
God.
See, when you're hearing from God, you'll know
what action to take.
You'll know what direction.
Can you imagine if a thousand people showed
up at Planned Parenthood in Palmdale?
Which many of you have never been?
Where they're killing innocent children.
Faith must be backed by action.
They had a rally in Sacramento.
The stuff they are voting on, it would
make your stomach turn.
The perversion that they're trying to teach into
schools.
Can you imagine?
I know it's far.
I got it.
It's difficult.
I can't be at everything too.
But the point is, when God calls us
to action, we need to respond.
And often, God's will involves giving up what
we love.
Boy, oh boy, we need to get this
one, don't we?
Give up what we love.
Sometimes God will give you that back.
Sometimes He won't.
Sometimes He'll give you more.
But what happens is if we don't give
up what we love, we begin to love
that more than we love God's will.
Of course, Luke, many of us know, if
anyone comes to me and does not hate
his father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters,
yes, even his own life, such a person
cannot be my disciple.
And so many people have a problem with
this.
But it's actually, if you look up in
the Greek and you do a word study
on hate, it means prefer less than.
So it's very true.
Unless you prefer Jesus over others, you cannot
follow Him.
Amen?
I thank God my wife loves Jesus more
than me.
I'm just telling you.
Can you imagine the other way?
Ooh, we'd be in trouble.
Because then Jesus is a person on the
back burner.
He's not Lord and Savior.
He's a good idea, a good concept.
We prefer Jesus Christ above all other things.
Yes, I will follow Him more than I
will follow my children.
I love my relationship with Him more than
I love my relationship with my family.
Because that is the foundation on which you
build a healthy family.
Because of my love for Christ, now I
love others.
So I'm not going to leave you hanging
there.
Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and
there behind him was a ram caught in
the thicket.
Here is this big knife.
He's like, I don't think he was going
to quick to do it.
He was probably like, Lord, is anything going
on here?
And so, hey, Abraham, stay your hand, hold
your hand.
And he looked, and there was a ram
caught in the thicket.
And I love what he called the name
of that place.
Sometimes you got to name something in your
home.
Sometimes you got to name your prayer closet.
This is where God met me one morning
when I was hopeless.
This is the hill I drove to where
I almost took my life.
That is the church where I received a
mighty baptism of the Holy Spirit.
There is a place, and you say, that
is where God will provide.
And God will provide.
How do you know Him as provider if
there is no need?
How do you know Him as healer if
there is no sickness?
How do you know Him as a comforter
if there is no pain?
How do you know Him as deliverer if
there is no bondage?
Sometimes you got to go through hell to
expect heaven.
Don't let the enemy of your heart change
you.
The enemy of your soul change you.
But of course, the question comes up, what
about when God doesn't provide?
Shane, I hear you, but I'm not experiencing
it.
Just remember, waiting time is not wasted time.
Joseph endured years of hardship.
David ran from his enemy.
At age 85, Caleb finally said, give me
this mountain that I asked for 45 years
ago.
And there are some things that God never
answers.
Some prayers He has to answer until I
daydive.
All my kids know Him.
We even prayed, we don't want children unless
they're going to know you and serve you.
Those things, they're worth fighting for.
But there might come some things I never
see what I've been praying for.
But I'm going to serve God until the
day I take my last breath.
There might be pain, there might be anguish,
but you hold on to the Savior.
And I don't want to brush through these,
but I think they're important because here's a
few keys you can take home.
I'm going to close with these, so I'm
going to go quickly.
This is really where I wanted to get,
but it's taking me an hour.
So those rabbit trails, I'm telling you, but
those rabbit trails where everybody seems to get
fed from.
It's like your notes are okay, but man,
that rabbit trail, that spoke to exactly where
I was at.
Keys to discerning the voice of God.
Again, we're going to go quickly.
Be immersed in the Word.
I'm amazed at how many people are not
immersed in the Word.
It's almost like jumping into a pool.
Now I'm wet.
Same thing with God's Word.
So you know the character and the nature
of God.
You can see the verses up there.
Surrender provides direction.
The next point, surrender provides direction.
Commit your works to the Lord and your
thoughts will be established.
Is it possible you're not having the right
thoughts?
You're not ensuring what to do because your
works aren't yet committed to the Lord?
And I believe as the enemy plants fiery
darts, can't God also plant darts as well?
Absolutely.
He guides the humble.
And that's one thing I should say.
Rabbit trail, here we go.
One of the things I've been praying about
for a while is sharing my fasting journey
and calling the nation to it as well.
More people jumped in than I thought, but
not everyone was happy with me doing that.
Like, you need to keep that private.
And I normally did.
Many of you never know when I'm fasting,
but I felt God committing this to Him
gave me a lot of peace.
Like, hey, it's time to call the nation
to some prayer and humility.
It's time to lead the way in this
area.
I would have never came up with that
on my own.
I said, hey, let me just tell everybody.
Because what I was worried about is failure.
How long are you going?
I don't know.
Don't ask me again.
I don't know how long I'm going.
But I want to tell you because I
might fail.
And so God was working in my heart
to make it public and to tell people.
And many have been blessed by it.
People in different states, even different countries that
finally broke their alcohol addiction, finally broke their
nicotine addiction, finally started feeling this freedom in
Christ, all because I shared what God was
doing in my own life.
See, commit your works to the Lord and
your thoughts.
Where do you think my books come from?
Not me.
He's already dealing with me writing a book,
and I said, I don't want to write
another book.
I'm not going to write another book.
I need to be motivated.
These thoughts that He keeps planting in my
heart, He'll do the same thing for you.
There's a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Did you know you can give God a
sacrifice today?
A sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Maybe some of you need to hear this
last one.
Did you know it's hard to direct a
rebellious child?
Even a three-year-old.
I told my wife last night, what is
wrong with that three-year-old?
Holy smokes.
You would think we were pulling her legs
off of her.
And we put her in her crib trying
to go, what?
What is going on?
She wants more string cheese.
I said, you go to bed.
You be quiet.
You're not getting more string cheese.
Or what about when you try to drag
them?
My, they feel like a hundred pounds.
And so is God dragging you?
Is God trying to drag you?
It's hard.
He might, but sometimes He doesn't.
He says, you want it, you got it,
rebellious child.
Go play.
Go fight.
But it's easy to direct a submitted child.
I can see it too when a child
wants to be picked up.
Daddy, here I am.
Or if they're fighting you, kicking you.
Some of you have to stop fighting God.
Humble yourself this morning for the love of
God.
You are not always right.
This critical spirit that is coming into the
church nationally, this critical, always right spirit, judgmental
spirit.
And then another point, don't discard godly counsel.
I could preach a whole sermon on this.
Without counsel, the plans aren't always, without counsel,
purposes are disappointed.
But in the multitude of counsel, there is
safety.
There's, see, I, I, and this, this has
always amazed me.
Me and Pastor Abraham, Abraham talk about often,
I'm running to godly counsel.
Like elders, what do you think we should
do about this?
Core team, what do you think about it?
What do we, what do we, a lot
of people are like, no, I'll tell you
after I make the decision.
I'll tell you after, but we don't want
to seek godly counsel anymore.
And you know, nine times out of ten,
it's because I don't want to hear what
they have to, I know what they're going
to say.
I've already made up my mind.
I don't need to hear what you're going
to say.
And that's why we don't seek godly counsel.
Correct?
There's some areas we don't because we've already
made up our mind.
We know.
But thank God for godly counsel.
It makes you, I haven't thought about that
before.
That's a good point.
And that's, it's actually God's will that we
seek godly counsel.
And then finally, wait and worship.
Wait and worship.
If you're having a hard time discerning God's
will, you need to hear his voice.
Wait and worship.
Waiting is the true test of both attitude
and action.
And to be honest with you, this is
exactly why we open the church early every
Sunday morning.
Come and wait and worship.
Come and get before God.
Oh, I don't feel like it.
No, you don't feel like it.
Your flesh will never feel like it.
I don't hear much.
No, you won't.
It might take a little time.
But there's pressing in.
They're seeking God with all of our heart,
all of our strength.
The verse, many of you know, those who
wait upon the Lord will waste their time.
What do they actually do?
Physical strength.
Is he talking about physical?
You're going to come out.
You're going to look like the rock.
Guys, those who wait upon the Lord shall
renew their internal spiritual strength.
They shall be encouraged in the Lord.
Why is waiting so important?
Because waiting tells a selfish person like me
to shut my mouth and listen to God.
Waiting.
Lord, I'm just going to wait.
Because we're self-assertive.
Doesn't our culture teach the opposite?
Self-made man.
Self-made millionaire.
Self-made.
Pushing self.
Selfies.
I should take one.
That's a good opportunity.
I missed my opportunity.
You got to love your wife because I
would have no pictures if it wasn't for.
Okay.
All right, church.
Okay.
Now, how am I going to end on
a serious note?
I can't believe I just took a selfie
in church.
Levi, we should edit that in to the
sermon.
Anyway, last closing point here.
A lady by the name of Kimberly Henderson
posted something on social media.
And man, this really.
I've seen it before, I think, but she
said this.
I would have pulled Joseph out.
I would have pulled Joseph out of that
pit, out of that prison, out of that
pain.
I would have pulled David out, out of
Saul's spear-throwing presence, out of the caves
that he hid in, out of the pain
of rejection.
I would have pulled Esther out, out of
being snatched from her only family, out of
being placed in a position she never asked
for.
And I would have pulled Jesus off that
cross, off the road that led to suffering
and pain.
And oh, my friend, I want to pull
you out as well.
I want to change your path.
I want to stop your pain.
But remember those who wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up like wings, like eagles.
They shall run and not faint.
They shall fly and not get weary.
Lord will lift them up.
Oh, I want to pull you out of
the hard situation.
If your pride is being challenged, humble yourself
this morning.
If there is pain of rejection, humble yourself
this morning.
Things are not going your way.
Humble yourself this morning.
Humble ourselves before Almighty God.
And then finally, I'm going to close with
something Kimberly Henderson said when it comes to
difficulties and challenges.
This is so true.
I would have pulled Joseph out of the
pit, out of that prison, out of that
pain.
I would have pulled David out, out of
Saul's spear-throwing presence, out of the caves
he was hidden in.
I would have pulled out Esther.
Get her away from that wicked king and
all these ulterior motives.
I would have pulled Jesus off the cross.
Jesus, get off the cross, off the road
that led to suffering and pain.
And oh my friend, I want to pull
you out as well, and I want to
change your path.
I want to stop your pain.
But those who wait upon the Lord shall
renew their strength.
If God is wanting you to go through
it, don't have someone pull you out of
it.
Sometimes that pain, it has a purpose.
Sometimes that waiting time is not wasted time,
and God will see you through as long
as we seek Him with all of our
heart and all of our strength.
I read this last week, and I want
to read it again.
C.H. Spurgeon said, men will allow God
to be everywhere except on His throne.
Men will allow God to be everywhere.
Isn't that true?
Oh, there's a God.
Hollywood, there's a God out there, and God's
here.
God's in the trees.
God's this God.
Unless you're an animal, but they'll allow Him
to be anywhere, everywhere except on His throne.
Because that requires obedience and repentance and removing
you from the throne and putting God up
on that throne.
And this can apply to two groups of
people this morning.
The first group, you haven't put God on
the throne.
You're too busy calling the shots.
You're the shot caller.
You're the decision maker.
And you'll squeeze God in a couple days,
a month.
But that has to change.
If you truly want to hear the voice
of God, be directed by God, persevere, be
filled with the Spirit, you've got to surrender
to God being on the throne.
Lord, what do you want from my life?
I might not live where I want to
live.
I might not do what I want to
do.
I might not experience what I have planned
for my life, but Lord, I want to
do what You want me to do.
And make that decision this morning to surrender
your life to God.
And then of course, the other group of
people, it has to do with unbelievers.
The reason a person is an unbeliever is
because they are in rebellion against God.
Correct?
The Bible says that the carnal mind is
enmity to God, at war with God.
They don't want there to be a God.
And so I want to just encourage you
this morning if you're listening, or even if
you're here this morning, being a good person
isn't good enough.
Going to church isn't good enough.
Nothing we can do is good enough except
put Christ on the throne.
Repent of our sin.
Lord, I'm a sinner.
I have no way I can stand before
You.
I have nothing to say, nothing to do.
I repent of my sin, I bow my
knee, and I put You on the throne.
And I want to be saved, God.
I need You.
And You humble Yourself.
Do you know what keeps people out of
heaven?
One powerful word that begins with P.
Pride.
I don't want there to be a God.
And something, I used to study some of
the atheists, like Voltaire, and these famous atheists.
Why are they so mad at God if
there's no God?
Or even now, right?
Hawkins, or Stephen Hawkins.
Or the other one, I don't remember what
the other famous one is.
Anyone throw a name out there?
Okay.
I know I can see him, but I
can't.
But anyway, they're so mad because it has
to do with this area of God on
the throne.
I don't want there to be a God
on the throne.
I am God.
My intellect is God.
And they're so mad.
There can't be a God.
And they shake their angry fists because they
know there's a God.
And they don't want to bow to that
God because of pride.
Pride is damning.
Pride is deadly.
Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God.
And do time.
He will exalt you.
You exalt yourself.
And He will base you.
God said, I will bring back what was
driven away to the prophet Ezekiel.
I will bind up the broken.
I will strengthen the sick.
But the proud, the fat, the arrogant, I
will feed in judgment.
Thus saith the Lord.
Pride and arrogance must die this morning.