Lightly edited for readability while preserving the speaker’s meaning and substantive statements.
I come to you this morning, Lord, and I just pray for your grace to help me share this word that I feel you speaking this morning. Cuz Lord, I just I just know that we sing songs like that, Lord, and for the most part they're lip service. Most people that come to church would rather be somewhere else. And Lord, that's just the way it is. American church, even some of the even better churches, we're still so far away from really wanting you. We say we want you, but our actions prove differently. God help us. Jesus, you know, you can be seated this morning. I'm feeling that I don't have a real happy word to share for firing Grace Church this morning. Because frankly, to whom, you know, Jesus said this, to whom much is given, much is required. Now, I can say this about this church, one thing I do know, is that I've been in Christianity long enough now. I've been a pastor, I've been a minister, I've been in different parts of the world. I've studied the Bible intensely for 26 years. And I've tried to give you guys the whole counsel of God's word, like Paul said and he did to the church of Ephesus. He was 3 years at the church of Ephesus preaching and teaching in Acts chapter 20, and he said, "You know, I've been here these 3 years with you, and I have preached to you. I've given you the whole counsel of God's word. And you know, one thing I can say without not being a prideful issue and not being arrogant or anything that matter. I know I have given y'all the word of God. Everything from what it means to be saved, what it means to repent, what it means to live for God, what it means to seek God, what it means uh you know, to operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, um the fear of God, the judgment of God, the grace of God, the second coming of Jesus, the prophecies, all these things, but you know, last week the Holy Spirit completely changed my message to talk about the need for us to have revival, the need for us to see the glory of God come, and
and to see many people convicted of sin and saved and delivered and healed and and I and and truly I think as a church, we are still giving lip service to some of these things. Because frankly, we can miss church for minute reasons. Um we don't you know, we miss prayer meeting. We we can't even we can't even get a a prayer meeting that everybody will come to. And frankly, I just know that there's I know in my spirit. I just know there's not a lot of praying going on in this church. Now, and those that may be listening to us, I know that if you compared us to churches kind of on a broad sense all over America, we're probably doing a little better. But the problem is is that Paul said if we compare ourselves among ourselves, we are not wise because guess what? It doesn't matter if we think we're doing things a little better. Sometimes that becomes an enemy. Sometimes you think you got it all together, but God has required more of you. You know, we may be a church of five talent church. We may be required to make five more. Other churches may only be two. They may only be required to get two. Is what is what is God require of us? See, I know some things that are going my my heart's kind of heavy this morning because I've been seeking the Lord about this. And what y'all don't know is that in I'll I'll share this. You know, when Jesus there would be times that Jesus was teaching, preaching, ministering. Sometimes just to his disciples and sometimes to crowds of people and sometimes, you know, the Pharisees would be around. And it would say this in the in the Gospels. Jesus knew their thoughts. Sometimes I know your thoughts. You know what that's called? It's called a word of knowledge. It's a gift of the Holy Spirit. It's called I know your thoughts. I know I know sometimes what you're thinking. And I don't say anything, but it troubles me. Because we we we we got to uh we got to make up our mind what we want. We sing this song, Set a Fire. Do we want the fire of God? Do we want the glory of God? Do we want the power of God to come down? Do we want revival? If you want revival, you have to want it in your personal life first. You have to be revived. But I know there are those of you do not study your Bibles. You do not even read your Bibles regularly. You don't pray regularly. You don't come
to prayer meeting regularly. Some don't even come to church regularly. And I'm sitting here going we say we want God, we want the presence of God, we want the anointing of God, we want revival, we want the church to grow, we want people to be saved, but we don't do it. We don't do anything to really bring that about. You know, the saints of old, and this is what, you know, I've studied revival history, and you go back to the Charles Finney, you go back to John Wesley, you go back to the great revivals, the Moravians, and you know what what what characterized them was that they were willing, if need be, to pray for hours and hours and hours. They were willing to stay up all night in prayer. They were willing to have prayer meetings that lasted a week. Do you know that the Moravians started a prayer meeting I think it was in 1724. A prayer meeting with the children and all their their people in Germany, I think it was in Germany. Don't quote me on that. Count thinking about it. Count What was his name? Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf. But the Moravians started a prayer meeting that went 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, and lasted for They became the church of what we know as the the missionary church that reached the world. The Moravians were the ones who sent out missionaries that literally ran into John and Wesley and led him to the Lord. Their example, their witness. John Wesley thought he was saved, thought he was a Christian. Probably lived more holy than most Christians do today. And yet he was not born again. But through their example of the Moravians on a ship when he came over here, through the example of that of the way that they they didn't fear death, they sang in the midst of of facing death, they were willing to lay down their lives to go anywhere in the world. Some of the Moravians actually sold themselves into slavery so that they could win the slaves to Jesus. And it was I mean a life of suffering and hard labor and mistreatment, and they willingly sold themselves into slavery so that they could reach the American Christians. We have no concept of sacrifice for the gospel. No concept. And if pastor doesn't visit you or call you enough, you get your little feelings hurt.
I'm telling you, we was got to grow up. There was a man who was a missionary to India. John Hyde. He actually was a man of prayer. He prayed so much they called him John Praying Hyde. But this man would agonize. Sometimes he would be in prayer for entire month. Meaning he would just pray. They said he prayed so that when he finally died that the doctors examined him and said that his heart moved from this side of his chest to this side of his chest. Because he is would constantly intercede for the lost until he was in agony and groanings that the Bible talks about intercession and groanings that cannot be uttered. But you know, he didn't just pray. He would He would take that time, those seasons of prayer and fasting and groaning and intercession, and then he would go out on the street and he in in in Hindu India. And he would lead people to the Lord. See, let me just say something. If your prayers if your prayer life is not changing you and enabling you to win the lost, don't be criticizing anybody else. What are you doing? Don't worry even what pastor's doing. What are you doing? Oh, boy. Yeah. Feels like I'm getting scolded. Well, maybe so. Problem is we we we settle for so little. I want to show you something that the Lord This is what the Lord showed me last night. And it just kind of blew my mind, but we're going to start in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 to lay the foundation here. Just go to 1 Corinthians 10. Then we're going to back up to the book of Numbers. Cuz the people of God can blow your mind. I was just reading this again in Numbers and last night and just I was like, "Wow, really?" 1 Corinthians chapter 10, let's look at verse verse one. We're going to read a few verses here. He said, "Moreover the brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and were all baptized under Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ." He's talking about them when they were in the wilderness with Moses, the children of Israel. But with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the
wilderness. Now, look at verse six. This ought to be underlined in your Bible. You ought to remember this always. This is for the Old Testament haters. Okay? Now, these things were our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted, neither be ye idolaters as were some of them as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." Neither let us commit fornication, sexual immorality, as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and this murmuring was against the Lord and against Moses. And he says, "Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer." Look at verse 11. Now, all these things happened under them for examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. So, everything that happened in the Old Testament is an example of something spiritual, a spiritual reality, a spiritual truth that is for us today. So, anybody says the Old Testament's not for us today, they're deceived individual like Joseph Prince. And I don't mind naming names. I read last night Jeremiah's reading through Jeremiah and Jeremiah sure named some names. Even said some of those false prophets and teachers he named them by name said they're going to die. And they did. That's one funny part where he said that that Nebuchadnezzar was going to roast them in the fire because they had prophesied lies in the name of the Lord. Yeah. You can read that in Jeremiah. What 28, 29, 30 through that whole area there. So we see that now I want you to go with me go back to Numbers chapter 13. And as you're turning there just hold your spot on Numbers chapter 13. Let me say this. Now we just pointed out from 1 Corinthians 10 that those things that happened under them were examples for us. Um you take Old Testament survey course in seminary or Bible school, you know, you'll learn the term types and shadows, right? That the Old Testament were types and shadows of things of New Testament realities cuz God was he was giving examples all through the Old Testament of things to come in the New Testament. Let me just, you know, and I've shared this before but I'm going to share it again. You know, Israel coming out, the people of God being in Egypt, being in bondage,
in slavery, Egypt represented the world. Egypt represented their bondage, their slavery represented our bondage and slavery to sin. And God comes down, sends a deliverer, and through the blood of a lamb on the doorpost brings them out of that bondage into freedom, right? So, we know what that is. That was foreshadowing that Jesus would come, the lamb of God, and he would shed his blood, his blood would be shed, but that blood would have to be applied by repentance and faith in the life of the Just like Remember, the blood of the lamb that in in Egypt, if they didn't put it on the door post, that house was going to die. There was going to be death. It wasn't just going to be death for the wicked, for the Egyptians, but if that blood wasn't applied by obedience to God, then they were in trouble. So, the blood of the lamb was applied to the door post. Those people were spared when the death angel passed through Egypt, and then God brought them out of Egypt, and that is when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, believe what he did for you on the cross, when you repent of your sin through obedience, you put actions with faith, you put the blood on the door post, and you're forgiven of your sin, you're pardoned, and you come out of the world, you don't stay in Egypt, you come out of Egypt to follow God, to start a journey with God. Now, the purpose God brought them out of Egypt, out of slavery, out of that worldly, ungodly place that they were living in, the reason he brought them out was He said he was going to fulfill the promise to bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey, to bring them into the promised land where they could dwell and live in freedom and be their own people, and God would be their God, and they would obey God and worship God and know God and have God's power and presence, everything that they needed. Right? So, he brought them out of Egypt to take them somewhere. Now, God brought you out of the world, he brought you out of sin, he brought the truth of the gospel to you that you have to repent and start a journey become a disciple of Jesus, turn away from sin, turn away from your own lust, turn away from your idolatry, turn away from all those things and you began a journey walking after God. All right? But between the promised land and Egypt is a wilderness of testing. Okay? Now, the promised land, of course, a lot of people there was old hymns that talked about the promised land representing going to heaven. It does not. Right? If we stay true to the types and shadows,
we find out when they went to inherit the promised land, we're going to read this, when they went and sent the spies in, what did they see? Giants. The giants, the children of Anak, the giants, which means that these were half-breed human with angel half-breed, Nephilim, whatever you want to call them. Right? The giants were in the land. So, demonic strongmen, demonic powers were in the land. The Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hittites, all the ites and mites were in the land. All right? But remember, God said, "If you obey me, I want you to go in and I want you to fight these inhabitants of this land, these evil people and these evil half-breed angelic human beings that are now giants, I want you to go in and I'm going to fight for you because this is your land. I want you to go in and do the spiritual warfare and do the physical warfare. You I want you to go in and possess the land." Now, listen to me, what the promised land really represents to us is us fulfilling our destiny, our calling as the people of God. And it's going to take warfare to do it. You're not going to sit there and God hand it to you. Right? And God even told them, "I'm not going to drive them all out at once. I'm going to do it little by little." Why does God do that? Because he wants us to become faithful. Faithful and obedient, right? Okay, I'm going somewhere with this. Now, let's look at Numbers 13. Numbers 13 verse 1 says, "And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, 'Send out men that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel. Every tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, everyone a ruler among them.'" So, then it lists all the ones that they sent, right? And verse 16 says, "These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land, and Moses called Oshea, the son of Nun, Joshua." And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said unto them, "Get you up this way southward and go up into the mountain and see the land what it is and the people that dwell therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many. And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad, and what the cities they be, whether they dwell in, whether in tents or in strongholds. And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, and whether it be a wood therein or not. And be of good courage and bring the fruit of the land." Now, the time was the time of the first ripe grapes. So, they went up and they spied out the land. Now, let's skip on over. They came back, verse 25, and they returned from searching the land after 40 days. So, 40 days. Now, who sent them? Who The Lord told Moses to send them, right? So, this was the Lord's idea. All right? Now, he He them to go see the
land because God does that. He gives us revelation of things beforehand because he wants us to know so that we will know his will and we will know what we need to do. So, he he gives a little taste of it. That's what the prophetic is about. Prophetic revelation. When God speaks to you, when he shows you know the Holy Spirit Jesus said the Holy Spirit comes to show us things to come, to speak to us and show us things, right? So, he sends the the spies out there and this is the Lord. Now, the Lord had already told them, "I want you to go in and possess this land. I want you to go in and fight these inhabitants. I want you to become men and women of war. I want you to stand, believe what I say, and I will fight with you and I'll go with you and I as you obey me, I'll drive out the inhabitants of this land and I'll give it to you, right? And this is my will. This is my destiny. This is part of your your calling. This is what you're supposed to do." So, they sent these out there, these spies to go check it out and come back. Now, he didn't send them to come back and do what they did. Which was come and say, "We can't do this." Oh boy. Let's just Let's just read it. Verse 25, "And they returned from searching the land after 40 days and they went and came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the children of Israel unto the wilderness of Paran to Kadesh and brought back word unto them and unto all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. And they told them and said, "We came unto the land whither thou sent us and surely it flows with milk and honey and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless, the people be strong that dwell in the land and their cities are walled and very great and moreover, we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites, they dwell in the land of the south and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites dwell in the mountains and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, "Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it." But the men that went up with him said, "We be not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we." And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched into the children of Israel saying, "The land that through which we have gone to search it is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof, and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature, and we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants, and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, so we were in their sight." So, we know this story. We've heard this story. That 10 of the 12 spies brought back this negative report. All of them saw the same thing. All of them saw the fruit of the land. They saw it was a land, a good land of milk and honey. They saw the strongholds of the enemy, the cities of the enemy. They saw the strong men, the demonic beings of the giants. They saw this, but then there was Caleb and Joshua who said, "You know what? God's told us to go do this, and if God's told us to do
it, we can do it." But the other 10 said, "You know what? We can't do it." Boy, this is everything this has everything to do with your Christianity. The moment you say, "I can't do it." God says, "Be faithful. Read. Study your Bible. Be faithful to church. Be a man and woman of prayer. Be holy. Be obedient." The moment you say in your head, "I can't do it." you are defeated from that point on. And I'm going to tell you something else. It angers the Lord when you say in your heart that you cannot do what he's told you to do. Because here's the promise of God about everything. If you will obey him, even if it looks impossible, he's promised that if you're walking with him and obeying him, that he will help you in that impossible situation. Israel could not win those battles or win that fight or possess that land or drive out those giants. They couldn't do that in their own strength. And God knew that, but God said, "You obey me and I work with you. You obey me and I fight for you. You step out in faith and walk in faith and I will give you the moment you believe in your heart that you're defeated and you can't do what God tells you to do, you are defeated. You're defeated before THERE'S EVER A BATTLE. BECAUSE YOU DON'T BELIEVE IT. LISTEN, I believe that's why a lot of Christians can't ever overcome sin in their lives. Certain sins. Why? Because they believe they believe the lie of the devil, I can't. I can't pray every day. I'm too busy. I'm too tired. I know God wants me to spend time with him every day, but I can't. I know God wants me to read and study the Bible, but I don't read well. I don't know how to study. Or whatever. I mean, I can't tell you how many people have told me that. How many of you know that the King James Bible the King James is written on an 8th to 10th grade reading level. That's it. Ooh. Most of it an 8th grade reading level. There's parts of it that hits about 10th. So, even if you didn't graduate from high school, you only made it to 10th grade, you should be able to understand in King James. And if you don't, there's a Webster's dictionary, then there's the old Strong's Concordance, and you can look
up Greek and Hebrew words, and you don't even have to be a Greek and Hebrew scholar. There is no excuse. There is no excuse for not studying the Bible, there's no excuse for not knowing the Bible for yourself, there's no excuse for not praying, there's no excuse for missing church a lot. There's no excuse. The bottom line is Jesus said this, and he was quoting Isaiah when he said, "This people, they draw near to me with their mouth, but their heart's far from me." And I'm afraid that Fire and Grace Church is a little too lackadaisical in our knowledge, and we we trust in what we know. And you know, here's something that's dangerous about knowledge. First Corinthians, he says, "Knowledge puffs up." What's that mean? Sometimes knowing a lot of things, having a lot of information, just makes you prideful. It doesn't make you fruitful. Ew. Is it good to know things? Should we grow in knowledge of the word of God and grow in knowledge about what's going on in our world? Grow in knowledge and wisdom? Yes, but it's not just about knowledge, it's not just about information. Lord, if I could say this a million times, I'd say it a million times. There's a big difference between being full of information and having own having revelation and intimacy with God. Information is just a tool. But even in that, you have to have God's discernment of timing and direction and to know when and how to do things. You have to have the leading of the Holy Spirit, the wisdom and revelation of God constantly or your information is worthless. Now let me show you what happens and I'm going to address something very specific here. Let me show you what happens when you say in your heart, "I can't do this or I won't do this." See, I've been preaching this for years. Read your Bible, study your Bible, know your Bible. Don't miss church for frivolous reasons. You need to be in worship, you need to be in fellowship. You need to be in prayer meetings, the church needs to pray together, you need to have a prayer life. Basic, this is Christianity 101, y'all. Basics. And we talk about we want revival, but if we can't become disciplined, consistent, faithful people, is there any wonder why God hasn't moved? Now let me show you what happens and this this has happened in our church quite a bit. Chapter 14, look at verse one. The moment the people believed the bad report that they can't do this.
They can't do what God wants them to do. Look at what it says. And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried and the people wept that night. That wait a minute now. They cried and wept, why? See, God hadn't even spoke his judgment against them. They're crying and weeping now. They've gone from saying, "I can't obey." Here's what follows when you decide you can't obey God and you can't overcome sin and you can't beat the devil and you can't study your Bible, and you can't be a man or woman of prayer when you believe that in your heart, the next thing to follow when you believe you're defeated is depression. Oh boy. Depression, discouragement. What does discouragement mean anyway? It means you've lost your courage. Right? Oh. See, the devil knows. If he can just get you to believe you can't overcome. Now, here's here's here's the next thing that sets in. After depression and discouragement sets in, cuz guess what? If you can't believe if if you can't believe you can walk with God and overcome sin and know God and walk in the power of God and fulfill your destiny and your calling, okay, if you start believing that, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY OUT THERE'S NOTHING ELSE FOR YOU. AND as as the Christian, if you've been saved, you're supposed to move forward. You have no other place to go but backwards. That's why you will, if you don't believe God and press in the God and overcome, that's why you will fall away. There is no There is no status quo. There is no middle ground. You're either pushing forward and fighting and possessing your land, or you're losing ground and the enemy's defeating you because you're discouraged, you're in fear, you're in depression, you don't believe you can do it. And most of the time you don't believe you can do it is really cuz they didn't want to do it. Here here I see Christians all the time, listen to me. They say they want God. They say they want to hear God's voice and walk in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but they won't pray, they won't fast, they won't read the Bible, and they won't be faithful to church. And I sit there and I go If you're not willing to do what's necessary, you will never have it. But here's what happens after that. After you decide you won't do what God says to do, and depression sets in. Look at verse two. "And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against
Aaron. And the whole congregation said unto them, 'Would to God that we would die in the land of Egypt, or would to God that we had died in the wilderness?'" Wherefore, well, we'll stop right there. Hang on. So, immediately, oh, and I'm going to hurt you with this one. They go from depression to murmuring against God's leaders. Oh, boy. Murmuring, complaining. This is where it gets dangerous. Well, you know what? Something must be wrong with Pastor Dean and the church with you. Or Pastor Dean didn't visit me enough, or Pastor Dean didn't call me enough. That's why I can't do what God's called me to do. Or Pastor Dean hadn't taught me this, or hadn't taught me that. You hear what I'm saying? And I know at different times there's been these wrestling matches in your head. Let me tell you something. You think that the church growing is a good thing? If you won't If you won't press in to what you need, guess what? If this church were to double or triple right now, which is fine, God can do that and he might. All of you must be leaders. And frankly, you can barely lead yourselves, some of you. To be faithful. How you going to lead other people to be faithful? And the problem is, I'm going to be honest with you, is some of you think more highly of yourself than you ought to because you think you you you think you're all that spirit and you're not. And you got a hidden attitude against me. I mean, just this week, just this week, there's a brother that used to attend church here. And I'm not going to name his name, but I I appreciate his honesty. Because, you know, he he kind of had gone through He's gone through a period of struggle. He's basically quit going to church anywhere. He's gone through a little period of struggle in his own personal life. I understand that. And what's interesting is I felt led of the Lord to not hound him or pressure him. I'd text him every once in a while. I'd just tell him, "Hey, how you doing?" Whatever. But very little. All right? Because I felt like, you know, he needs to know I care about him. But it's not my job to try to pressure someone to follow God or pressure some a Christian to be faithful, to go to
church, to read their Bible, to get out of sin and compromise. You know, I shouldn't have to hound you to death to do it, right? Here's what's funny. I took a very hands-off approach with him. Very hands off. And do you know that the devils and he he admitted he said the devil started putting thoughts in my mind. Now, because he backed away from the Lord and he backed away from following God. The devil put it in his head that I was trying to control him. That I was had a controlling spirit. I was controlling him. And my And Nancy was the one that got to talk to him the other day. And she she goes She goes, "Dean's been exactly the opposite of that with you. He's barely even talked to you about this." He goes, "I know. It doesn't make any sense." But see, here's what happens. Whenever you begin to not to to back up or to not be faithful, the Ameri- the Well, the American, yes, the American true, but the the mentalities always blame somebody else for your own problem. And the devil will accommodate you. He will plant the seeds in your head. And here they start murmuring against Moses. FROM DAY ONE. YOU GO BACK TO EXODUS 3 when God spoke to Moses and sent him in there. When he went and spoke to him, he said, "I'm going to I'm going to set you free from Egyptian bondage. You're going to go possess the lands of the Hittites and the Canaanites and all that." They This was not new information. Right? That they were going to have to go to the through the wilderness, go to the promised land, fight these battles, and stand strong. This was not new. But no, they start murmuring against Moses and want to go back to Egypt. Oh boy, how many people? It's their own fault. Whether they're in pride, whether they you know, well, Pastor Dean hadn't let me do this. He hadn't let me do that. You know, I feel like I should be doing more. Well, why should you be doing more if you don't come to prayer meeting? Why should you be doing more if you miss church all the time? Right? A man must be found faithful in the small things and then he's ruler over much. Here's another thing. A lot of people want their own ministry. Well, in the same passage in Luke 16, Jesus said if you can't be faithful in that which is another man's, why would God give you your own? If you can't be faithful to help and serve a ministry faithfully, why should God give you a ministry?
Long before I ever pastored churches, I served churches. Amen. I wasn't a head pastor all the time. Even in 2008, I was an assistant pastor. You get what I'm saying? Faithfulness. Right? Let's keep reading. Of course, they fell on their faith face and of course, God decides to punish them. Now, God was just going to kill them all. God was going to kill them all and start over with Moses and Joshua. And Moses talked him out of it. But the punishment does come. Now, listen to me close. The punishment comes verse 20. And the Lord said, "I have pardoned according to your word." Basically, that pardon was I'm not going to kill them all. Oh, boy. See, we don't like to talk about that. He says, "But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord because of all those men which have seen my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness and have tempted me now these 10 times and have not hearkened to my voice, surely they shall not see the land that I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it. But my servant Caleb, because he has another spirit with him and has followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went and his seed shall possess it." So, the Lord tells them, "Nobody's going." He says in verse 27, "How long shall I bear this evil congregation which murmur against me? I've heard the murmurings of the children of Israel which they murmur against me." And so, God goes on to say that all these men, 20 years old and upwards who murmured, who wouldn't obey, who wouldn't go forth, that wanted to believe the the the the evil report. He said, "They Guess what? They said, 'Would to God that we died in the wilderness.' He said, 'Well, it's going to be according to your word. You're going to die in the wilderness.' Now, here's what's bad. They were supposed to go in and possess the land right then. But because the majority of people, the 10 of the 12 spies, because the people believed the negative side and became negative, everybody was held back. Oh, uh-oh. Even Moses. Think about this. Caleb was faithful. Caleb had a God said he has another spirit on him. He's followed me fully.
He was full OF FAITH. He believed we can go in and we can do this. He still had to wait for 40 years for all those unbelieving, lukewarm, half-hearted children of God had to wait for them to die in the wilderness. So, Joshua was held back. Caleb was held back. Moses was held back. from moving into the fullness of their destiny, their calling, their glory, their inheritance. Oh, boy. See, there's a lot of churches and and you of course, you know, our church is a little different cuz I since I started this church, you can't you didn't hire me, so you can't fire me. Right? That makes a little Some people nervous. Right? But there's churches out there of course that hire their pastors. And there are some good pastors that come along into these churches with these messed up governmental systems. And but they come in and they want the people to move on. They want the people to grow and to overcome and to become strong and they start preaching and teaching and they start pushing pushing the the church to It's time for us to take the land. It's time for us to fight, do the spiritual warfare. It's time for us to become people of prayer. It's time for us to get out there and win the lost. It's time for us to see revival and the glory of God. And they start pushing the church in that direction, but the church at some point they go, "Well, that's good preaching, pastor. Hm. But we don't want to do that." He starts wanting to have prayer meetings two or three times a week. No, we we got baseball games. Okay. What what many churches don't realize is God sent them a Moses. God sent them a Caleb. God sent them a Joshua, but they said no. And yet they blame the pastor. Well, he did this or he did that wrong. He didn't do this or he didn't do that. He didn't visit people enough. You know, he didn't go to hospital enough. He didn't do this. He didn't do that. And it's their fault. And finally they fire the poor guy. He moves his family again. And they get another one and they mistreat him the same way. See, sometimes it's not your leader. Sometimes it's the people that don't want to go. I remember there was a great church in uh Montgomery. I won't name the name. Back in the '80s. God was moving in that church. Moving. Holy Spirit was moving. Wonderful. I mean, this was in a time when the whole new understanding of what
it really meant to praise and worship and they had a great praise and worship leader. The pastor was, you know, he was he you know, he he there was a lot of things I think he didn't know, but he was he was genuine. He was after God. He loved God and and he was spirit-filled and he was trying to move that church into revival. That church could have been one of the most powerful church. Could have seen Could have been like Brownsville. That church could have been. Could have had a Brownsville revival in that church. But there was a bunch of people in that church and on the board who started going, you know, let's put the brakes on some of this stuff. Oh, boy. Put the brakes on praise and worship cuz sometimes praise and worship go for an hour, 2 hours. Sometimes the pastor wouldn't preach, he'd just give an altar call and people start to love and pray for people and people falling in the floor and demons start manifesting people slithering like snakes underneath the pews and have to take them and cast the demons out of them. Oh yeah, real church. Oh, but no. We got to put the brakes on this stuff. And this is in a Pentecostal church. We got to put the brakes on praise and worship. We got to put the brakes on the gifts of the spirit. We got to put the brakes on casting demons out of people. We got to put the brakes on that. That's what happens when you put the brakes on what God's doing. God pulls back. And I remember seeing that poor pastor after he continued to fight this fight with his own people finally say, got up in the pulpit to and resigned saying, "I've taken this church as far as I can take it." And he left. And guess what? They got a leader that would do what they wanted. And that just church became a seeker-friendly, seeker-sensitive, weak, watered-down, dead church. How do I know? Cuz I attended there. I saw it, the whole thing. I watched it happen. For several years. And all the strong people, all the godly, spiritual people left that church and a bunch of immature ones came in there and it's just not even the same place. I'm just saying, what what do we what do we want to be? Now, here's where it gets hilarious. Go to chapter 16. Now, this this happens not long after this, right? God's wanting to take them into the land. Then you have another uprising against Moses and Aaron, right? Let me find the verse I'm looking for.
Uh cuz I don't want to read the whole thing. Oh, yeah, here he goes. So, you know, this is the Korah's rebellion. This was some of the leaders within the congregation rise up against Moses and go over chapter 16 go over to verse 12. And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram and Eliab, which said and then they said, you know, he called them to come up and they wouldn't. They said it is a small thing that thou has brought us up out of the land that floweth with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness except that you make yourself altogether a prince over us. Moreover, you have not brought us into the land that flows with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? Well, we will not come up. And Moses was very wroth, or very angry. Here's what's so funny. They told Moses, here's leaders that just said the people in the lead we're not going to do it. We can't do it. And here they start blaming Moses, you didn't bring us into the land that floweth with milk and honey. It's bizarre, y'all. But there's nothing new under the sun. Okay? Now, I said all that to say this and maybe I sound mean and harsh this morning. I don't know. But I think everyone here, I think there's good intentions. For the most part. But I still don't think that y'all grasp if you want more that it's going to take all of us in agreement and go in the same direction. It's going to take casting down imaginations when you start having thoughts that negative thoughts about your leadership or about each other. You got to start recognizing these things and casting them down. Humility is always the way up. Right? There's a verse. Turn to um Ezekiel. And this is just in it won't leave my mind. And I'm thinking it's Ezekiel 30 or 33. Just go that direction. I'll find it. I'm having one of those moments. Yes, 33. Now, with me in Ezekiel 33.
You know, this is what's funny. They wouldn't do what Moses said to do to fulfill their destiny. And but they blame Moses. Ain't that funny? All right? But here's something God spoke to the prophet Ezekiel, and boy, have I seen this. And I've seen this. This was a lot of people that's that's come and gone from this church as well. But many has done this in their in in other good churches that they have pastors and ministers that preach the truth to them and try to direct the people in the right way. This is what happens. Oh, let's just read it. Ezekiel 33:30, "Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against you." Oh. Talking against you, right? "In the doors of the houses and speak one to another, everyone to his brother, and say, 'Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord.'" Right? "And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear your words, but they will not do them." "With their mouth, they show much love, but their heart is going after their own covetousness or their own desires." "And lo, you are unto them as a very lovely song, as one that has a pleasant voice that can play well on an instrument, for they hear your words, but they do them not." Oh, you know what this is right here, don't you? This is This is the confusion of a group of people that hadn't decided whether they're going to go into the promised land and fight together as a group. And what happens is, one minute they're talking against Ezekiel, the prophet of God, the next minute they say, "Let's go hear the word of the Lord that he's got. Let's go Let's go hear the message he's got." And then they say, "Oh, what a great sermon, preacher! What a great message!" But they never do what's contained in the messages. Boy, I'll tell you. Now, I know that's not everybody in here. And that's not everybody listening. I know there are people who actually hear and try to apply what they're hearing. I know that. I'm not I'm not This is one of those sermons if the boot fits. Right? But I can just share this with you. I I am somewhat personally convicted. Because I need to do more in my own prayer life. As I did years ago when I first came back to the Lord. Entire days
spent with the Lord. That was of course easier to do when I was single and didn't have a wife and children and all these responsibilities, but still I want to do more. So, what do we do? Where do we go from here? What I'm praying is that we can break off our American mentality that if I don't that when I'm not disciplined and faithful and consistent and doing what I need to do, that I start blaming other people for not getting there. Amen. I see too much of that. Can I just say this? You will not be a strong Christian if you will not spend time with God every day, if you will not read and study your Bible, if you will not go to prayer meetings, corporate prayer meetings, if you will not be faithful to church, you will not be strong. It's just you know, it's simple. Now, at times things get tough, there's warfare, there's all kind of things we have to fight. I mean, you know, I've shared about what I know we go through seasons of trial and testing and warfare that's are more difficult than other seasons. Right? But like I told I told somebody this past week, I said, you know, I said, if I hadn't have laid the foundation in my life that I laid in the first 5 years when I rededicated my life to the Lord and laid a foundation of, you know, fasting weeks at a time and studying the Bible thoroughly and getting the the doctrines of the Bible, the the doctrines of Christ solid down in me, in in understanding what it meant to pray and move in the gifts of the spirit, if I hadn't have done those things and laid that foundation of those years, I couldn't do anything that I'm doing now. My wife sometimes marvels because, you know, especially when I was doing uh in this past year doing two Bible studies, two different Bible studies, a Wednesday night prayer meeting, a Tuesday night Bible study, a Thursday night Bible study, and preaching on Sundays, and I didn't have to prepare for everything. She I didn't have to want you know, I didn't have to spend a lot of time in preparation, which I
couldn't have cuz I'm working full-time the same time. So, I'm I'm teaching Bible studies that are lasting two or three hours at a at a slot. But why? Why could I just do that? Why could I go work all day, not have any time before I had to run to a Bible study? How could I go teach a two or three hour Bible study? Because I already laid the foundation. Years ago. I'd already studied the book of Revelation 20 or 30 times. You see what I'm saying? I've already studied 2 Peter to a, you know, 20, 30, 40 times. Studied every word in it. You know what I'm saying? There's a foundation there. There's a well to draw from. And every Christian, listen, I did that. I laid that foundation in my life before I even knew I was called to be a minister. Before I ever had to be a pastor or a preacher or a teacher. You get what I'm saying? It is the responsibility of every Christian. I mean, I should be able to test you guys. I mean, I should be able to tell you, "Pull out a piece of paper, shut your Bibles, put them aside, pull out a piece of paper, give me three scriptures on the doctrine of repentance." Give me three scriptures that prove the deity that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. Give me three scriptures that talk about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And particularly one that mean that shows it's for today. I mean, think about this. There are some of you that want to preach and teach and want to want to fulfill a call to the ministry, and you don't even know, you couldn't even with even with the Bible, even if it's an open book test. You would have a hard time answering these questions. Inexcusable. We should know the fundamental the foundational doctrines of Christianity. Right? I'd love to test y'all. We might do it. I've I've talked about doing it one Sunday. Just close the Bibles, take out a piece of paper, we're going to have a test. You say, "Oh, I don't do well on tests." Well, what are you going to do if you don't have a Bible anymore? They take them all from us. What's hidden in your heart? I've watched little kids, I mean I've seen the the kids in here memorize verses and adults won't do it. Ooh. Right? We got to become disciplined.
Tell people all the time, you can know the techniques. I had a brother, he may even be listening. I had a brother not too long ago tell me this. He said, "Well, I'm I'm binding the devil. I'm resisting the devil in Jesus' name, but I'm I'm never overcoming. I'm never He's never fleeing from me." I said, "You know what your problem is?" I said, "Your problem is this, you know the techniques, but you don't have the strength." I said, "It's the same thing." I said, "You may know how to run uh uh through the six hole in the football game. You may know how to throw a football. You may know how to get in a three-point stance or a four-point stance in a football game." I said, "But if you're not in the weight room every every you know, three, four times a week and you're not running sprints and you go up against a guy who's maybe the same size as you, but he's been in the weight room and he's been running sprints and he's in shape. You may both know the techniques, but but but he's got the strength to carry out the techniques, and you don't have the same strength. And I said, "If you don't read your Bible, if you don't study your Bible, if you don't spend time in prayer, you can bind and resist the devil all you want to. You know techniques, but you don't have spiritual authority. You don't have spiritual strength. You don't have spiritual power. And you will never get it unless you're disciplined to spend time doing it. Listen, to be in shape, you know what, Paul? You know, you've got to go to the weight You got to GO TO THE WEIGHT ROOM. YOU GOT TO GET OUT AND EXERCISE. If you don't, you won't be in shape. It's simple as that. YOU WILL NOT BE A STRONG CHRISTIAN if you don't do these things. And I'm sitting here going, "How long shall I have to harp on these things?" Ah. Come on, y'all. If we do this, here's the good news. If we become disciplined, faithful, men and women who fast and pray, men and women who study their Bibles and know their Bible, we'll be able to resist the enemy a lot better. We'll be able to cast down the imaginations he plants in our heads to sow division among us, and we'll be we'll be in a place where we're all have the faith and the courage to do what God tells us to do. And then we'll be in unity, and God can say, "You know what? They're in unity. I can pour out my spirit on them." Amen. All right, let's pray. Thank you, Jesus. Heavenly Father, I pray that, Lord, even if this has been a bit of a scolding or a whipping today, that, Lord, you will also comfort your people and encourage them that you have a good thing for us. You do have a land flowing with milk and honey, a place where your presence flows and your power flows and your gifts flow and and the calling of God flows and the
anointing and power flows. And Lord, we so need a revival and a move of the Holy Spirit here and I know people listening, they need they need your presence and they need your anointing. Uh and and Lord, all the preaching and teaching has to be anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit and that comes from prayer and that comes from fasting and that comes from from discipline. And Lord, I just pray in the name of Jesus that you just instill in us that it's time to be doers of the work, not just hearers. It's time to humble ourselves and cast down imaginations and visions of grandeur and just be faithful in small things and faithful to do what what you're telling us to do. Lord, I ask you to bless this church, bless those listening today. Time to step up. Time to be the man of God. Time to be the woman of God. And you know, I don't know if he's listening today or not, but if he is, I just feel this, I'm supposed to say this to Steven Sweeney out there. I don't know if he's listening, but uh if he's not, I'll tell him on Facebook, but Steven, the Lord just laid you on my heart, just want me to tell you you can do it, brother. You can overcome this. You got to believe it. And step up and be the man of God God's called you to be and you and believe you can do it. Quit believing you can't do it. And if that's for anybody else, just take that. Quit believing you can't. Stop saying you can't. What did What did Paul say? I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. You may feel like you can't, but you need to say I can do it through Jesus Christ who will give me strength. I can do it. If God says, "I want you to read 10 chapters every day in the Bible." I can do it. You know what? I need to find a prayer time every day. I can do it. Amen. I can do it. Maybe not in my own strength, but I will try. I will do everything in my power and God will give me grace and help and strength to get it done. Amen. All right.