We are endless without His power. We will pray. We will lift our hearts to heaven. We will fall before the throne of grace. You are listening to Bible Broadcast.net, a ministry of White Oak Independent Baptist Church located in Warrior, Alabama. Please visit us at www.biblebroadcast.net God bless America, my home sweet home. God bless America, land that I love. From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans wide with fog. of the land I love. And I'm not ashamed to say, I pledge allegiance till today, I still believe in America. Now the years have come, and the years have gone, Now the time has come to count the cost to reject Always looking on his smiling face, that is why I shout and sing, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know. Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go Though sometimes he leads through waters deep, trials fall across the way Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep Sees his footprints all the way Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Sweetest name I know Fills my every longing. Keeps me singing as I go. Soon he's coming back to welcome me. Far beyond the starry sky. I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown. I shall reign with him on high. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know, fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go. I'll go ahead and tell you page, in case you don't know it. Page number 39. Take my life and let it be. Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my ends and let them move. At the impulse of thy love, at the impulse of thy love, take my feet and let ♪ Let them be swift and beautiful for thee ♪ ♪ Take my voice and let me sing ♪ ♪ Always only for my king ♪ ♪ Always only for my king ♪ Take my lips and let them be filled with messages for thee. Take my silver and my gold. Not one mite would I withhold. Not one mite would I withhold. Take my love, my God, I pour. At thy feet is treasure stored. Take myself and I will be ever only all for thee. Ever only all for thee. Bye. Amen. You may be seated. It's good to see everyone this morning. As you've already heard, our pastor is not here this morning. He is preaching the missions conference at Brother Carter's church in Arkansas. We've missed this morning. We've been missing a few folks with us this morning. Folks out sick, not here. We do miss you. Encouragement, folks, you look out and you see and you, well, folks normally over there, where are they today? Over here, where are they? See there? Chairs are filled up where people are supposed to be. Encouragement to those of us. I thank you all. All right. limb crowd this morning for the BIBLE. Two young ladies, and I don't know whether they're going to come up here and sing or not. Brother Nelson's going to lead them. And BIBLE, if y'all want to come on up. And Brother Carl's going to have a song for us. All right, y'all ready? Here we go. ♪ The B-I-B-L-E ♪ ♪ Yes, that's the book for me ♪ ♪ I stand alone on the word of God ♪ ♪ The B-I-B-L-E Bible ♪ ♪ The B-I-B-L-E ♪ ♪ God's word for you and me ♪ ♪ I read and pray and then obey ♪ ♪ The B-I-B-L-E ♪ Bible! All right, adults, get your Bibles out. Let's show the children that's important to us, all right? The B-I-B-L-E, yes, that's the book for me. I stand alone on the word of God, the B-I-B-L-E, Bible! Bible, the B-I-B-L-E, God's word for you and me. I read and pray and then obey the B-I-B-L-E, Bible. All right, y'all go back and sit down with them. Spirit strong, but the flesh is always weak. Things I should do. Things I say I will, I won't. But my God's begun a work in me that will one day be complete. And I know I'm not the man that I ought to be. Many times I fall short. Of what you want of me And I'm surely not the man I really want to be But thank God I'm not the man I used to be Just like Paul of old, I keep pressing toward the goal, forgetting all the things that lay behind. But instead, I'll look ahead, and I'll go where I go. I'm led toward the mark for the prize that will be mine. And I know I'm not the man that I ought to be. Many times I fall short of what you want of me. And I'm surely not the man I really want to be but thank God I'm not the man I used to be and I'm surely not the man I really want to be but thank God I'm not the man sing praises to the lamb thank God I'm not the man I used to be If I could share my heart, this is where I would start and tell you what he's done for me. I'd take you back to the place where I first called on his name and tell you what he's done for me. I'm not the man I was, and it's all because Jesus gave his life for mine. And when he took my place, he took my sins away, gave me a peace that I was searching for and could not find. How can I explain a love so rich, a grace so free. All I can do is tell you what he's done for me. I sing of Calvary's hill and the blood that was shed when I tell you what he's done for me. I sing of mercy and grace and the heaven that waits when I tell you what he's done for me I'm not the man I was and it's all because Jesus gave his life for mine and when he took my place he took my sins away gave me a peace that I was searching for could not find. How can I explain a love so rich, a grace so free? All I can do is tell you what he's done for me. How could I explain a love so rich, a grace so free? All I can do is tell you how he took my broken heart and made it new. All I can do is tell you what he's done for me. I'm sure I'm glad I'm not the man I used to be. It's not because of anything that I've done. Brother Stephen was talking about in Sunday school this morning. It's not anything that we are. We know what we are. I know what I am. I know I'm a dirty, rotten, good-for-nothing sinner. I know I look nice. My wife ain't even here, amen that's more. We miss the pastor when he's not here. Pray for him while he's not here. Brother Stephen's gonna preach for us this morning. And I've never heard one time that he's preached The Lord hadn't used him. Speak to my heart and bless me. Please give him your attention, Brother Stephen. All right, turn to Psalms. We'll be in Psalm 78 for a little while. Psalm 78. All right, David said, the Lord is my helper. And I believe that's what God wants from you and I when it comes to doing anything. We don't want to presume that God's gonna just bless what you're doing. But if you're doing what God told you to do, God will bless it. That's the difference. You can say, hey, we're going to have a meeting and God's going to do it. Well, no, we're going to ask God. See, when you look at promises in the Bible, those promises are contingent on certain things happening. And why? Because ultimately He wants to accomplish His will. So you have all this stuff, people say, well, you can I can do all things through Christ. You can do all things, meaning all the things he wants you to do. I see that used a lot in sports and stuff like that. I'm going to do this touchdown for the glory of God. Well, okay. It's not going to give you extra ability to do that touchdown. That's not how it works. The Bible is not for the betterment of mankind. But let me tell you this, I'll put it this way. If you'll serve God, you will be better. You just got through talking about, or singing about, I'm not the man I used to be. Why? Because I'm a better human being than I used to be? No. You see, people when they get old and you can choose to grow in grace or you can choose to get sour and hate everything, hate life and hate everybody else. Ratchety old man, ratchety old woman. It just doesn't have to be that way. It doesn't have to be that way. And what you're going to be ten years from now is what you are today. It just is. I mean, it's not going to magically one day I'm going to be better than I used to be because of what? Just because you willed it into existence? Just believe in yourself. Well, the Bible has a lot to say about how awful and terrible and wicked your heart is. Now, I think Christians need to be careful about being self-depreciating, meaning you can say, well, I'm just a big old nobody. Oh man, that's who I was. I'm, in my current state, I'm saved, sanctified, justified, born again, I'm a child of the king, I'm a servant of the king, and when you do business for the king, you present yourself properly. You know why preachers stand behind a pulpit, or pastor pastors, because Christ is, he's not here, he died, buried rose again, okay? So, you know what he wants you and I to do? Listen, I'm not there to do it. I'm gonna use you. Do you want me to use you? Yes or no? Sure. Okay, well then you give me something to bless and you're there in my stead. That's what an ambassador is. Ambassador of the United States, representative to another country. Okay, well you represent the entirety of what America is, and vice versa. So, this idea, see, I'm not saying don't realize who you are, but I'm not going to get up here, and no one should. You know, listen, over in the Philippines, we got to see some of that stuff in action because they believe that the Catholic, because the Spanish ruled the Philippines for 400 years, so there's a very heavy Catholic presence. We watched a procession go down there through the main town square. They got actual whips and whipped themselves the entire way up a hill, blood running down the streets. I'm a nobody. I just, you know, I got a self, you know, I'm going to say the wrong word there, flagellation. I think that's the right word. Ripping their skin off their backs. One of them was literally crucified to a cross. Why? Where is that in the Bible? It's such a strange thing. And it doesn't have to be that way. To know God is to understand who I am before God. And somebody who says, well, I'm just a rotten old terrible dog. Well, then get out of the pulpit. Then don't do anything for God if that's who you are, man. You can understand that my heart is in the condition it's in. And most people's are. But when I go before the Bible and I go before the presence of God, you know what He says? He says, hey, get up off the ground. If you'll let me, I'll do something with you. That's different. It changes everything. So you can stand head and shoulders and stand up and say, I'm a child of the King. And I'm gonna behave like a child of the king. And Christ himself, do you know what he said? He said, I'm not here for me, I'm here for the father. You know what he said? As a very young boy, they lost Jesus. They lost him. Where'd he go? We misplaced him. And they found him down at the temple preaching. And as a young boy, he looked at his mother and father, he says, what? Know ye not that I must be about my father's business? and you and I are about the king's business. Okay? And so he's got something you specifically. It doesn't matter the magnitude or the volume of what you accomplish for Christ. It's the fact that one day you're going to have to give an account for what you've been given and to whom much is given, much is required. So there's a requirement for you to produce something. You're going to produce something That wood, hay, or stubble are something you can present to God. So what we want to look at here, and so much of preaching is just preaching. And what I want to accomplish, I hope for God, with the calling God's placed on my life, is to offer instruction in righteousness. Because there are many who preach to preach. There needs to be some instruction in righteousness. Here it is. You don't have to, I don't want to get in the hobby horse, but you don't have to browbeat people. Do you understand that the Holy Spirit can do a far better job of telling you what you are than any preacher could? I don't know you like God. All I know about everybody here is the best version of themselves. I think very well and highly of everybody in this building. I don't know any different. I don't want to know any different. That's the Holy Spirit's business. He looks down inside your heart and boy, you know what, it's kind of like, ooh, that's kind of rough. Let's see what we can do about this. See, I don't have to be embarrassed before God. Why? Because I got the Bible. And He knows who I am. So I can go before, this is what the Bible says, judge yourself and He won't have to judge you. Is there anything difficult about what I just got through saying? Go before God's Word. And so that way I don't have to come in church and my hand's in my pocket and just like this and sit on the pew till it's over and then I'll head down and all the way out. Okay, why? Because I'm confessed up. Okay, I've been before God. And I went to God and I said, God, this is who I am, can you do something with it? And I promise you this, you go before God and you lay it all out, okay? If you'll lay it all out and ask Him to use you, He will use you. The question is, do you want to be used? And the answer is, not everybody wants that. There's plenty of God's people who are content, okay, to reap the reward of heaven. Because listen, church attendance You're going to reap something from coming to this church. You will. You will. You'll have friends. And God is good. He's going to take care of you, even in all that kind of... Man, I'll tell you what though, the word for the person that seeks the king, the word is more. More. Why? Lord, I'm not happy with where I am. I want more. I want more. Spurgeon said this, I'm going to paraphrase this, he made a good comment, the first tablet of the Ten Commandments, the first four, I don't have them memorized, I'm going to read them to you. The first tablet, okay, thou shalt have no other gods before me, thou shalt not make any graven image, take the Lord thy name in vain, It says, remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. That's the first four. Now that's man to God. Okay? Now the rest of those, guess what? You can be an atheist. You can be a God-denying atheist and you should agree with the rest of them. Honor thy father and mother, thou shalt not kill. Don't kill, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't bear false witness, don't covet. And you know what we can do? We take the second tablet that has to do with mankind and the good of mankind and to further the cause of mankind in general, paganism, humanism. Take the second tablet and put it right on top of the first one. The first one is the most important. That's why the first four are toward God. We'll hide the first tablet behind the second and say we believe the commandments. You know what you and I have the ability to do? We have the ability to limit God. You know one of the biggest trespasses against an Almighty God is unbelief in who He is. Don't believe Him. You can be a church member, tithe giver, you can serve, you can be in the chow line helping, serving, doing all the cleaning and all that kind of stuff and don't believe God for what He said in His book. Whatever, and I'm gonna get to this verse here in just a moment, but the idea is that God, for who He is and who He said He is and what He's accomplished, and you say, well, I just don't believe that. And there are some things in your life and mine that we do that limits what He can do through you and I. We are the limiting factor. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine putting a limitation on a limitless God? That's what you and I do. Look at Psalm 78, verse 7. The Bible says that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments. And might not be as their father, stubborn rebellious, a stubborn rebellious generation, a generation that set not their heart aright, whose spirit was not steadfast with God. The children of Ephraim being armed and carrying bows turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God and refused to walk in his law and forgot his works and his wonders that he had showed them. Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers, my goodness, in the land of Egypt and the field of Zoan. He divided the sea, caused them to pass through. He made the waters to stand up as a heap. In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and at night a light of fire. He claimed the rocks in the wilderness, gave them to drink out of great depths. He brought streams out of the rock, and he caused waters to run down like rivers. Verse 17, and they sinned yet more against him, by what? Provoking the Most High in the wilderness. Verse 18, they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. 19, yet yea, they spake against God, and they said, can God furnish a table in the wilderness? The only father this morning. Lord, I pray that you'd help what's about to take place, Lord. God, I pray that I'm an empty vessel, Lord, to be filled with your spirit. Lord, to present these truths as it is the word of God. Lord, God, we don't want to be all over the place, God. We're looking for a balance, Lord. Lord, get these things and set them in our hearts, Lord, that they stay there. nor to be more pleasing to you, Lord, to your soon return. Lord, that's why we exist, and help us this morning. In Jesus' name, amen. Now we look up the word forget, and of course forget is, an easy one for forget is not remembering. But another definition of forget is simply putting it out of your mind. And you think about that, how could I ever forget God? How could somebody forget God? Well, again, you put it out of your mind, you cease to think of it, you cease to consider it, and there's that example there in the Bible of the disciples with the feeding of the 5,000, they put it out of their memory. They put it out of their memory. And so what is it about the Holy One of Israel? What is it about Creator God? It's the fact that, listen, He must remain the most paramount thing in our life. He's got to be tops. There's nothing else that could put itself, anything, up against God Almighty. We read verse 10, they kept not the covenant. Verse 11, they forgot his works. Verse 12 says they're marvelous works. You think about the things that God has done in your life. You know why it's so easy to forget God? Because we have set the standard for what you and I think we deserve. That's why. We pray like we're in Vegas. You pull that handle and I hope I get 777, buddy, and just get the prayer lottery. And I pray because I think I believe I deserve these things, and no one, who, where is the man or woman that goes to God and say, Lord, I want to bring this before you, and you give me just exactly what I need. You know, the worst thing that can happen to you and I is to get exactly what it is that we want. I want to take my wants and my desires, and I want to say, God, Does this thing please you? And we spoke in Sunday school about a sacrifice. You know what a sacrifice is? A sacrifice is putting yourself to the side and being to emulate Christ and say, Lord, not my will, but thy will be done. And we think that anything that goes contrary to our existence should not occur in our lives. And it's not true. God, what do you think about it? Look at verse 8. Verse 8 says, and might not be as their fault, a stubborn, rebellious generation, a generation that set not their heart aright, whose spirit was not steadfast with God. They refused to walk in His law. What we see in the lives of the children of Israel is a pattern of blessings. You know why you and I sit here today? A pattern of blessings. It's undeniable. The evidence is there. And you know what it is? Our flesh and the devil comes before us and he says, listen, he says, don't you think you deserve just a little bit more than what you have? Not content. We live in a generation that's not content with what they have. The Bible says contentment with godliness is what? Great gain. I have gained it all by what means? Contentment with godliness. That's what, as a Christian, that's what we should seek for. I'll tell you why. The end result is for His Majesty. That's what it is. Child of the King. God blesses, God provides, God takes care of them, then they turn, forget, rebel, and reject the Holy One of Israel. Then God judges them, corrects them, chastens them, brings them back to Himself, And I say that God is always good, but you and I are always the same. Look, you know what? Our sin comes up before God, but it doesn't have to be the end of the story. It just doesn't. But our lives are no different than them. He continually gives. You think about that, a pillar of cloud and kept the sun off of him during the day. And at night when they got cold, there was a pillar of fire that kept them warm by night. And he let them walk across that sea on dry land with the heaps of the water on either side. And he gave them manna. Now listen, there was 42 ways. I imagine they were preparing manna. Manna casserole, amen? I mean, manna for breakfast, manna burritos. I mean, I don't know how many ways you can make manna, but listen, did they have food? God fed them. God clothed them, He took care of them, He protected them, and what did they do? You and I don't have to make the same mistake that the children of Israel had to make. God wants to bless Israel, but there are things that hinder His blessings. Can I tell you that God wants to bless your life? Now, not in the sense of prosperity. Our lives are not about prosperity. Can I say that He that hath the Son, He got it all. You got it all at salvation. Anything extra, do you understand that? You know, I remember many, many years ago working for a company and everybody was grumbling and complaining because there was no bonus. And that, boy, our boss came out and he's like, you guys, y'all a bunch of so-and-sos. He said, the bonus is a privilege. You shouldn't expect it. I'm like, well he's kind of got a point. Now we expected it because he always gave it every year and the one year he didn't. I tell you what, this company and now he's getting rich and this and that and the other. Can I tell you that anything on top of food and raiment and protection, why would God protect you and I? Because He promised He would. And He promised He would clothe you and feed you and take care of you. And all the other things are what? A bonus. You don't deserve it. He granted us salvation, a home in heaven, and all that. And the rest of it is just the icing on top, man. We're drinking from my saucer because my cup's overflown. And anything additional to that, how dare we go to God and say, God you gave me more, and what I'm asking for is more on top of more. God forbid. Now listen, The Son of God, you think about Him on earth. I wonder if His feelings ever got hurt. He was still a man. The Bible doesn't indicate His feelings got hurt. Can you imagine? Can you imagine that? I mean, treating God that way? But that's what you and I do. That's how we treat Him. God wants to bless us, but you and I are the one that hinders God. Look at verse 32, 78 verse 32. for all this, for all this, all the things, all the benefits, all the things that He does for us daily, and all the things, we just expect God to come in and do what God does, and we expect more and more. And God's looking down and He said, man, I have done everything that I could do for you. And verse 32 says this, for all this they sin still and believe not for His wondrous works. I don't believe you, God. Verse 33, for their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. And when he slew them, then they sought him, and they returned and inquired early after God. Boy, when you're in trouble, that'll get you out of bed. When you're out of control, and there's nothing you can do, and you're in a stalemate, and you're stuck, Boy, I'll tell you what, it's a little bit easier. See, it doesn't require as much thought to go to God. Oh God, here I am again, I'm stuck God, and I got myself in this situation. Boy, we all of a sudden get real prayerful then. Boy, I'll tell you what, would to God that you and I could get ourselves in a situation to where we're thanking Him no matter what. And Daniel got up, and you know what he did? Despite all the dangers and the trials and the fact that he was going to be put in the lion's den, they knew one thing about Daniel, Daniel was going to be in that window praying. Every single day, three times a day. And that's where I aspire to be. How? By my own strength? No, I want to say, God, would you help me to get to that point? What is it, God, in my life that would please you? Where I could thank you no matter what. Remain neutral. Lord, if you give it to me, fine. If you don't, fine. Blessed be the name of the Lord. 78 verse 35, they remembered that God was their rock. Yeah, I bet they did. And the high God their Redeemer. Nevertheless, verse 36, now listen, what you see here is a heart condition in verse 36. Nevertheless, they did flatter him with their mouth. You know what, your actions speak far louder than your words do. And you say, I'm a Christian and I love the Lord and these are the things I'm going to do. That's not what your actions are saying. And so you're a contradiction. Well, I'm a churchgoer and I do good things. Did you run that by God? I'm telling you what you and I think we're doing and what God knows that we're doing and the one who knows our heart Different story. And listen, if you'll go to God with your heart and you'll get right, you can stand before men and say, hey, I've been with the king. Care what anybody thinks about me? Why? I love God. I'm serving God. Care about anything else? It's of no consequence to me. The way he treats me, why shouldn't I give him everything I have and everything that I am? Nevertheless, they did flatter him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their tongues. You know, it's Sunday to Sunday, depending on what song we sing, we're lying. All on the altar of sacrifice laid? I don't think so. Keep on singing. No, I'm not saying that. You need to understand who you are in God. But we're not, listen, I mean it's okay to put your face in the dirt, but then after that you get back up, and you stand head and shoulders tall, and you go on for God. Shall not fear what man shall do unto me. Verse 37, for their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant. A promise he gave, he said, I promise you. The creator of the world said, I promise I'll do this. And they said, well, whatever. They weren't steadfast in his covenant. But he, look at God, look at who he is. Verse 38, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, destroyed them not, Yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh. A wind that passeth away cometh not again. How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert. Verse 41, Yea, they turned back and tempted God. Now this is the verse I want you to see. Tempted God, playing games with God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. Can you imagine that? You know, there's a passage in the Bible that God shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes and you stand before God. Why are you crying before God? Now listen, I imagine, I understand we've got Woodhane and Stubble and he's going to show you all these things, but you know one of the reasons that tears need to be wiped away from your eyes and mine when we stand before God? Because God's going to reveal to you the things that He could have done with you and I had we been fully and totally committed to Him. These are the things that I wanted for you. These are the things that I would have done had you not limited me. What a statement. Is there anybody here today? Is there someone in your life and you've limited the Creator? Oh, but I'm having a good time. Oh, Lord. That's all you got left is a good time. Man, I'm going to tell you something. The best decision I ever made for God is to go for God. Wonderful. Wonderful. Never look back, man. There's nothing else the devil has to offer me. He has nothing to offer you and I. Go on for God. Are you limiting God this morning? Have you ever tried to help somebody? I'm sure that we've got a room full of people like that. You ever saw a need for someone, you say, listen, I know what's coming. I'm trying to help you. You ever try to help somebody? wouldn't listen to you. Can you imagine how frustrating? I know somebody like that. I got people, you know, several years ago call me, listen, I don't know what to do about this man. I'm saying, listen, I'm not saying I'm very smart. What I'm saying is I've got the answer to your problem, which includes going to God. But the most frustrating thing is to watch somebody and they're headed straight for a cliff and you try to help them out and they go over anyway. Can you imagine how frustrating that must be for God? I can't imagine. Willing, ready, able to help someone, yet somehow we limit a limitless God. I got four things here real quick. I want to give you these things and sit down. Number one, your unwillingness limits God. Your unwillingness limits God. Matthew 23, turn to Matthew 23, what you find out about some people is they just, listen, they'll offer you lip service but the fact is they just don't want to do it. I don't want to do that. There are some people, I remember years ago hearing a testimony of a guy, this man was in his late 40s, and the preacher was preaching, he came down the altar crying, bawling his eyes out, and the pastor got up afterwards and just talked to the guy, and the guy was just sorrowful, man, he was just broken. He said, man, what is going on? Do you feel comfortable telling me what's got you broken up? He said, because God called me to preach 20 years ago and I was unwilling to heed the call of God in my life. Unwillingness. I just don't want to do it. Now we would never tell perhaps somebody else, hey, I just don't want to do it. We come up with excuses. We want to come up with an answer and make it look nice and give a real good reason why we can't. Why limit and limit God. Matthew 23 verse 37. Bible says, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto me, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and look at the last part, and ye would not. You wouldn't do it! Lord, we'll sit here in despair and we'll sit here in our own filth Why? I'd rather do it on my own. I'll do it on my own. I don't need you, God. And you say, I would never say that. Your heart says it. Your heart says it. Isaiah chapter 1, 19 to 20, Bible says, If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. I believe everybody in this church can claim that verse. You may not be where you want to be, but you know, I find myself doing this, you're looking at things in the short term, or perhaps even the long term, and you're like, I've got to get myself, if I could just get myself in this situation, I would be better off. Meanwhile, what is it that you're doing for God? If I could just get myself financially here, and I had this house, and I need to get that project done, and the devil has consumed your heart and consumed your soul and your mind, and you've got no time for God, and you limit the Holy One of Israel. They say, you can't say that about me. Yeah, I can. You know why? Because I'm guilty of it too. If you be willing, if you're obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. I'm telling you, God time and time again, He says, if you'll do this, and He told them, He said, here's all the blessings that you're going to receive if you'll simply do this, but if you don't, the judgment's going to fall on your children and your children's children if you decide not to do it. And I don't know if you're in the daily Bible reading, Leviticus there, I believe it's chapter 26, and God told them, hey listen, I'm telling you, get rid of the idols, tear down the high places, get that stuff out of here. And when they didn't do it, God turned the judgment back on them and He tore them down. I'm going to put the same thing I told you to do, I'm going to put it right back on your head. And we wonder why our lives are in a mess. Listen, everybody here has got a reason why that our lives aren't exactly where we want them to be. But you aren't the standard. God's the standard. You go to God and you say, God, before you, I don't have much to offer. And God's like, I just want you for what you are, flaws and everything. Will you let me do something with you? Isaiah 1... verse 20 of Isaiah 1. But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured, devoured with the sword. For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken. Boy, I tell you, it's easy to get in front of God's people and say the good things, all the good things, but I'm going to tell you, sometimes the judgment of God is a good thing. It gets us back where we need to be. We may not like it, but boy, after, you know the Bible says, after the chastisement and the judgment and the wrath of God, it says, it yielded, it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Righteousness. His righteousness, not ours. The only righteousness you and I have is His Son, Jesus Christ. That's it. Exodus 35.5, take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord. The Bible says this, whosoever is of a willing heart, have you examined your heart? Are you willing? Have you gone to God and say, Lord, I don't know what it is that you'd have me to do, but God, I'm willing, whatever it is. You first need to be of a willing heart and a willing mind. That's the first step. Man, watch God work. Watch Him change your life. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. There's nothing like it. Why? I've been there. I aspire to be all He wants me to be. Well, who are you? I'm a nobody. But when I approach the throne, when I approach the Word of God, I claim, you know what I am? A spiritual Jew. Saved, born again, blood-bought, child of the King. I've got everything. I've got everything. What more could I want? The lust of my flesh? And I need you to help me with the lust of my flesh, dear God. A willing heart, willing mind. 2 Corinthians 4, 4, "...in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds." Okay, you say, well, I'll tell you what, the devil sure is powerful and he's blinding my... and that old devil, and that old devil, and that old devil, and he gets more credit than God ever does. We credit the devil far more than we credit God. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Go ahead and turn there. I want to show you a truth, something that popped out at me. Excuses, excuses. You know, go to God and ask God what he thinks about your excuses. I'm serious. Lord, here's an excuse. What do you think about that? You know what he told those disciples who follow me? He said, 2 Corinthians chapter 4, "...in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of..." Who? them which believe not." The unbelief, because of the unbelief, they're blinded. And because of our unbelief that God can't do it, you and I are blinded. And we've convinced ourselves and we've allowed the devil to convince us that God's not powerful. And you know all of a sudden, can I tell you, that God begins to become very unclear, opaque. Like, you're looking through a dirty window, you're like, I think He's there. And you know what the disciples, you know what they, somewhere in Deuteronomy, you know what they say? It says, we can't tell if God is among us. We don't know if He's here. How do you not know if God is there? And you're looking through those back windows and those doors right there, and I can't, I think He's there, I can't really tell, very clear to me, why you limit Him Because God is there and He wants to do something with you just because you can't see Him. Amen? Are you limiting God? Are you willing? It starts with our unwillingness limits God. Blindness because of unbelief. We become sidetracked, stagnant, stale before God. That's not what pleases Him. You know the thing about serving God is it's easy. It's easy. Well, that's not been my experience. It's life. All the other things, let's pay in bills. That's part of living. And man, we are here for such a short time. There's always going to be another bill. There's never not. Listen, if you were debt free this morning, you're still paying property tax. There's always a bill to pay. There's never not a bill to pay. So get that out of your mind. I don't have money to pay my bills. Well, guess what? I don't either right now, actually. But is that gonna, if I die, listen, had a young man come to the house the other day to buy something and we got to talking and I told him, I said, listen, next time you preach, preach like it's your last time. Time after that, preach like it's your last time. Time after that. And the next day when you live for God, live like it's your last day. I know that's a cliche statement, but you don't know. I don't know if I got bills to pay next week, I have no idea. And you let things come in. You know why? Again, reason 3,000. There's a thousand reasons and one of them is, you know, you drive your car after a certain time. You can drive it on good roads, it don't matter. After a while, you know what your car is going to need? An alignment. It's going to need an alignment. When you come to this Word, this Word of God, and you're like, Lord, search me and know my heart. God's like, hey, you need a little bit of an adjustment. Oh, thank God. Go ahead and do it. Why wait until it's a complete mess and everything is a wreck? And people come to the church with broken lives. Amen. Come to church with broken lives. Do all that kind of stuff. But what I'm here to tell you is it doesn't have to be that way. And you can be spiritual. Imagine somebody standing up. I'm a spiritual man. No, no. Of course, that's pride. But you can be... God expects you to be spiritual. Why? Because He's holy. I can be pleasing to God every single day. It doesn't mean I don't deal with sin, but I'm not allowing sin. And that's what Paul said the same thing. Don't let sin therefore reign in your mortal body. The power of God. Unwillingness limits God. Secondly, not only unwillingness, but unconcern. I'm not worried about it. Not worried about lost souls. I don't care what Brother so-and-so or Mrs. so-and-so, it doesn't bother me at all. It doesn't bother me at all. Can you imagine what God could have done with Samson? Samson did not care. You talk about, listen, I read the other day that there's three Nazirite prophets in the Bible. The first was Samuel, the second was Samson, the last Nazirite prophet was John the Baptist. Samson, a Nazirite. Being a Nazirite was a commitment. It was a lifestyle. Moses did not care. That, she looks good to me, get her. No, that's not, no. She don't believe like us. She's not living like us. I don't care mommy and daddy. I want her. Get her for me. He got what he wanted. He lost what he had. Stay away from the dead bodies. He ate the honey out of the carcass. Boy, he was a complete and total wreck. Imagine the strongest man in the Bible What God could have done with him, but his life was a complete total wreck. I don't care. Don't answer the question, but there's somebody here that just, I don't, I just don't care. I don't care. Going to church is better than not going to church. So I'm going to go to church, but I don't care. Be honest with God. He already knows. Imagine. What you find at the root is that people don't care and they don't care that they don't care. Unconcerned. I don't care. It's all about them. It's the most awful place to be. It seems like at one point in our history, people at least had some sense of decorum. People do not care. They don't cover themselves. They don't care what they say. There's more cursing and there's more swearing and there's more nudity than there ever has been in the history of our nation. People do not care. And church people don't care that our church has a standard. I'll do what I want. Well, my husband wants me to go to church, so I guess I've got to throw on a skirt. Don't care. Now listen, do it anyway. Do it anyway. Hold fast to the standard whether you like it or not. Maybe God will change your mind later. I don't know. But do you even care? Unconcerned. Unimpressed. I don't care what the things that God are doing. Doesn't impress me at all. Unimpressed with the things of God, except whatever thing comes down the way. You're just sitting there in a slop. I don't care. Who cares? out of the will of God and they do not care. No plans on changing and they just accept the fact. You know what the popular statement today is? People, they know better. Why? Their conscience. God gave lost people a conscience. They know better. But now they just say, listen, I'm horrible, terrible, no good, mean and nasty and you have to accept me for the way I am. Nonsense! No, I don't. And the Bible certainly, these idiots, they come out there and you know what they say? They say that no one can judge me but God. Well, He has judged you. I'm not passing judgment on you. The Bible's already passed judgment on you. Unconcerned, don't care. Revelation 3.20, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I'll come in to him. Do you know what that is? If Christ is knocking on the door, where does that place Him? On the outside. Christ is outside the church. And Christ is outside of our hearts. And he's knocking, he said, will you let me come in? Nope, I'm going to limit the Holy One of Israel. Unconcerned. Unwillingness, just don't want to do it. He wants to fellowship. He wants to mend our lives. He wants to walk with us and talk with us. God cares, but they don't. And sometimes you and I don't. unwillingness, unconcern. Number three, uncleanness limits God. Uncleanness limits God. My sin separates me from God. Not your sin, not anybody else's sin. Behold, Lord, it's not my brother, not my sister, not my father, not my mother. It's me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer. It's my sin that separates me from God. There's three instances in the Bible Reoccurrences where the word holy is three times. Holy, holy, holy. Reoccurrences. And can I tell you, you know what the Bible does not say? It doesn't say love, love, love, or grace, grace, grace, or mercy, mercy, mercy. It's holy, holy, holy. Well, I thought God is love. But you think His love is so great that He'll just overlook your sin? Uncleanness before God. Turn to Isaiah 59. Isaiah 59. See what God has to say about this. See, I tell you, He's so mighty and He's so great that He'll just look past all that. He'll look past my sin and just love me for who I am. No, He will not. That is a lie. Isaiah 59. Look at verse 1. Isaiah 59 verse 1, Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, hallelujah, that's right, that it cannot save, neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear. That's my God, He's limitless. But, what is the limiting factor? Look at verse 2. Isaiah 59 verse 2. your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid His face from you that He will not hear your prayer." You see, the limitless God, He's omniscient, He's omnipotent, He's everywhere and He can't hear my prayer. Yes, you know why? Because of the great divide of your sin and your iniquity. uncleanness before God. You say God is great. He sure is. But His greatness comes in in your life after you deal with sin. After the unwillingness is gone. After the unconcern is done away with. And you say, God, I do care. And I do want to serve you. And you know what? Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things. And then all those things will be added unto you. Only after that. God cannot, will not put up with unconfessed, unforgiven, unrepented sin. All sin is against God. You say, well I'm just going to do this little sin right here and it's going to be okay and I'll confess it later. No, your sin is against God. It's against Him. We rationalize our sin, make it seem smaller than what it is. Look at Psalms 78. Go back to Psalms. Psalm 78 verse 22. 78 verse 22 in Psalms, because they believe not in God. Isn't that something? I trust in God for the salvation of my soul and to keep me out of hell, but I will not... in other things I don't believe. I don't believe He can do it. I don't believe it. I'm done. I forgot Him. Meaning what? I have put Him out of my mind, the Bible says there, and trusted not in His salvation. Go down to verse 32, for all this they sinned still and believed not for his wondrous works. And we know who God is and we know what we can do, but we limit God. God brought them out, they went across in dry land, the very one, listen, Pharaoh himself who drowned all those poor little babies, God then turned around and drowned Pharaoh after they crossed in dry land, took care of them over and over and over again. He protected them, fed them, took care of them, protected them during the day with the cloud, over fire by night, all the things that he did. How could we ever, how could we ever doubt God? Matthew chapter 13, real quick. Matthew 13, and we'll be back over in Psalms. I'm about to wrap this up. Matthew 13. Matthew 13 and 58. Now we're going to apply this where it needs to be applied doctrinally, scripturally, historically. But boy, this is so true in your life and mine. We're going to read this for what it is. Matthew 13 and 58. The Bible says, and he did not many mighty works there, look at the last, because of their unbelief. You know what that tells me? There was a lot of things that he wanted to do, but they didn't believe him, so I'm not going to do it. I wonder, I wonder if I'm going to stand before God one day and God said, man, there's so many things I had for you. Why didn't you believe me? Why didn't you trust in me? Why didn't you go the extra step? Because of their unbelief. The last thing, unfaithfulness limits God. Back to Psalms. Psalm 78. Look at verse 56. Unfaithfulness to God. 78 verse 56. The Bible says, "...yet they tempted and provoked the Most High God and kept not His testimonies, but turned back and dealt unfaithfully, unfaithfully like their fathers. They were turned aside like a deceitful bow. They tempted him, turned back, dealt deceitfully. We, you and I, put restrictions on God. God, you can have this, but you can't have that. Lord, I'll give you some of it, but not all. You know how many Christians I've seen over the years, and I mean faithful people at some point, and talent, And I've seen people much greater than myself with talent and ability. And they go and something in their lives distract them and pull them out. And before the finish line is hit, they're gone. They're gone. Don't believe God, I'm done. I don't believe Him anymore, I don't trust Him anymore, I'm done. Restrictions on God, limiting the Holy One of Israel. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 12 to 15, Bible says, "...take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." I'll end with this, Mark chapter 9 verse 24 says this, and straightway the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord I believe, you say preacher, I believe what God has done, I'm just not sure. And do you know how many people I've seen that have come through these doors and doors of other churches I've been in and they just, they try just a little bit. And you see, and they're so conflicted. And they have a desire. But can I tell you this morning that you've got to have more than a desire when it comes to doing the things of the Lord. You say, look, I've got a desire in my heart and I do want to do something, I do, and I do believe, but like this man here says, he said, Lord I believe, but help thou my unbelief. You know what that is? That's going to God and saying, Lord I trust you and I believe in you, but Lord, and maybe you don't have, maybe you're not mature enough. I don't know what the reasons are. But I tell you, folks, listen, when it comes to God, the most important thing is your relationship with Him and what He desires to do through you in the local church. He desires to work in the lives of His people. Lord, I believe, would you help my unbelief? God, would you help me through your power and your strength to take the things out of my life that limit God? Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this time once again, Lord. God, sometimes we need instruction in righteousness. Lord, I pray this will be something to help us along the way. And God, Lord, it would pain me to know that, Lord, if there's something in my life, and, Lord, perhaps I've caused you pain and sorrow, Lord. I don't know. I'm sure, Lord, there's been times that you haven't been very happy with my situation, God, and help us to always seek the face of the Lord and seek to please God. And, Lord, I pray, Lord, that you'd find us faithful and that you'd approach us if the time comes. And if it needs to be, Lord, that you say, listen, there's something in your life that's limiting what I want to do in your life. Lord, help us to seek you. Bless the rest of this afternoon, dear heavens. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.