The Point of No Return
About this sermon
In “The Point of No Return,” Pastor Dean Odle presents a Scripture-centered message about prayer, repentance, the condition of the church. Drawing especially from Deuteronomy 11, Deuteronomy 32, Isaiah 13, Malachi 4, the teaching emphasizes that prayer expresses dependence on God and prepares believers to hear and obey Him. Odle connects that foundation with the conviction that repentance involves turning from known sin and bringing conduct into agreement with God’s word.
Chronological teaching outline
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Odle focuses on prayer while working through Deuteronomy 11, Deuteronomy 32. The message argues that prayer expresses dependence on God and prepares believers to hear and obey Him. It connects this with the conviction that the promise of eternal life directs believers toward hope, holiness, and perseverance in Christ. The practical emphasis is to seek God in prayer and act on what Scripture requires.
Odle focuses on faith. The message argues that biblical faith trusts God’s character and acts upon His promises. It connects this with the conviction that Scripture is presented as the standard for doctrine, discernment, and daily obedience. The practical emphasis is to trust God’s promises and refuse decisions governed by fear.
Odle focuses on divine judgment while working through Isaiah 13, Malachi 4, Isaiah 1. The message argues that God’s judgment is treated as righteous, certain, and a reason to repent while mercy is offered. It connects this with the conviction that the believer must answer fear with trust in God, sober judgment, and faithful action. The practical emphasis is to trust God’s promises and refuse decisions governed by fear.
Odle focuses on repentance. The message argues that repentance involves turning from known sin and bringing conduct into agreement with God’s word. It connects this with the conviction that the church is called to recover biblical faithfulness instead of accommodating compromise. The practical emphasis is to respond with honest repentance and concrete obedience.
Odle focuses on the authority of Scripture while working through Psalm 25, John 7:17. The message argues that Scripture is presented as the standard for doctrine, discernment, and daily obedience. It connects this with the conviction that God calls believers to reject compromise and pursue practical holiness. The practical emphasis is to test the teaching by Scripture and apply it through faithful obedience.
Odle focuses on freedom from fear while working through Acts 8. The message argues that the believer must answer fear with trust in God, sober judgment, and faithful action. It connects this with the conviction that material stewardship reveals priorities and should be governed by generosity, integrity, and obedience to God. The practical emphasis is to seek God in prayer and act on what Scripture requires.
Odle focuses on salvation while working through Hebrews 6, Proverbs 1, John 8. The message argues that salvation is presented as God’s work in Christ that produces a changed life and continuing faith. It connects this with the conviction that the promise of eternal life directs believers toward hope, holiness, and perseverance in Christ. The practical emphasis is to test the teaching by Scripture and apply it through faithful obedience.
Odle focuses on holiness while working through Isaiah 1. The message argues that God calls believers to reject compromise and pursue practical holiness. It connects this with the conviction that salvation is presented as God’s work in Christ that produces a changed life and continuing faith. The practical emphasis is to test the teaching by Scripture and apply it through faithful obedience.
Odle focuses on the condition of the church. The message argues that the church is called to recover biblical faithfulness instead of accommodating compromise. It connects this with the conviction that prayer expresses dependence on God and prepares believers to hear and obey Him. The practical emphasis is to seek God in prayer and act on what Scripture requires.
Odle focuses on prayer while working through Isaiah 55. The message argues that prayer expresses dependence on God and prepares believers to hear and obey Him. It connects this with the conviction that Scripture is presented as the standard for doctrine, discernment, and daily obedience. The practical emphasis is to seek God in prayer and act on what Scripture requires.
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- 0:00:00
in the name of Jesus today, Lord, that you will open the windows of heaven, Lord, that you will open up heaven over Opelika and Auburn and over this region that we love and that we're praying for, Lord, over this campus. God, over Auburn University this week, God, as we go out, Lord, to preach and share the word of God. Lord, we pray in the name of Jesus that you will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing. Lord, pour out your spirit, pour out your Holy Ghost conviction, draw people, open eyes. Lord, we pray, God, over all the people that we're witnessing to and sharing with, God, whether it be at work or whether it be at school or whether it be family members or friends. Lord, we are praying, Lord, for everyone listening today, Lord, for all the people they're praying for. Lord, we pray in agreement with them this morning that you would open the windows of heaven and pour out your Holy Spirit power and glory to save, to draw people from darkness, from deception, from demonic power, from sin, to draw people to to know Jesus as their Lord and savior, to to be willing to repent, to give up their sins, to embrace the savior, and to let the blood of Jesus wash every sin away, to embrace eternal life instead of eternal death. Father, we pray this morning in the name of Jesus that captives would be set free. Oh God, through our lives, through our preaching, through our witness, God, this week, God, and in the weeks to come, we're praying for an outpouring of the Holy Ghost, Lord, because we know it's not us, Lord, it's the power of the Holy Ghost, and we need that power, and we need your presence, and we need your glory. And we pray for it in the name of Jesus Christ, your son. Because it's by the blood of Jesus that we can have access to this grace, to this power. And Lord God, you hear the prayers of your people that stand in the gap for people who are lost, people who are blind, people who are still stubborn and rebelling and resisting. Lord God, we ask you to have mercy upon our sinful nation. Upon a church that's become like the world. America, Lord, we are in such deep trouble. And we ask you, Lord, for mercy. Not that you will not pour out your wrath cuz we know you're going to do it. But that in wrath, you will remember mercy. Like Habakkuk prayed. He knew it was coming. He couldn't stop it. But Lord, we pray in the name of Jesus for mercy. And that your promises that in the last days you would pour out your spirit. So Lord, we want that. We ask for that. Shoo. I feel his presence here today. I feel him just saying hunger and thirst
- 0:03:00
for my presence. Not for yourselves so that you can feel good, but so that people around you can be touched by the glory of my presence, says the Lord. Yes, Lord, that is that is our desire. That is our hunger. That is our thirst that we would God, be carriers of your presence so that when people get around us and hear us witness and hear us preach, that they would be convicted or melted or touched, whatever's necessary. Lord, the Apostle Jude said, "On some have compassion, making a difference. Others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire." So Lord, we pray in the name of Jesus. Like Moses prayed, Lord, send us out. But Lord, let your presence go with us. Or don't send us." Well, I pray this this morning in Jesus' name. In Jesus' mighty name. Hallelujah. Well, I sense a stirring of the Holy Spirit this morning for some reason. Anybody feel like they had something that from the Lord to share? Did you? Hang on. The Lord said, "I will pour out my spirit on you. The righteous will know my presence. I tell you the time is at hand. Seek me through my word and prayer and fasting. I will provide for you. You, my people, will know me when you search me." Amen. Do you have some? This is two scriptures that God laid on me while we were worshipping. And it's out of Deuteronomy 11, the first one, and it's verse 11. And this is uh I hadn't had a chance to do a little background on this, but it seems like this is God when he's telling the Israelites when they're going into the to the promised land. And uh this the the title over it is new life in a new land. And verse 11 says, "But the land whether you go to possess it is a land of hills and valleys and drinketh of the water of the rain of heaven. And that's just the water is God's spirit being poured out that we have to drink of it
- 0:06:02
intentionally. And then in Deuteronomy 32 verse two says my doctrine shall drop as the rain. My speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb and as the showers upon the grass. So it his doctrine makes us grow. His doctrine feeds us. His spirit, the rain from heaven poured out on us. I mean that song was just it's so on. Pour out your rain, God. And his doctrine pours out like rain. And it's just I I don't know those two scriptures just hit me hard while ago we were singing that song. Amen. Amen. Hallelujah. Amen. I get it. Praise God. You know, the Lord promised he'd pour out his spirit in the last days, but you know who does he fill? I mean, he made that real clear. Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they what? They will be filled. That's why you can be in a time of God pouring out his spirit and still miss it. Because if you're not hungry and thirsty for righteousness then you're going to miss the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And people can be around you receiving an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and receiving power from God and anointing from God and and um the boldness to do what they're called to do and you can be sitting over there with nothing because you want to still play with the sins of the world and the lust of the world and still love the world basically. Um and you know I'm telling you I think the Lord is getting us ready. I believe he's getting us ready for a fresh uh wave of his spirit to win the lost. To see the prodigals some prodigals come home. Amen. And I think I like what um you know what Kevin shared there about the doctrine there in in Deuteronomy because listen, a lot of people use these these catchphrases in the church world, you know, well I I you know, I'm not going to I'm not going to open my mouth. I'll just let them see my life. And you know something? Guess what? They ought to see your life. If you're not living the life of a Christian, it's time to get in or get out. Amen. But bottom line, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 that it is by the foolishness of preaching that God has chosen to save those that believe. And how will they hear without a preacher? Someone has to speak. It is the spoken preached word of God that brings life and truth and conviction and the word of salvation. I mean God even calls it in the Bible the word of salvation, right?
- 0:09:04
It has to be preached. It has to be shared. It has to be proclaimed. It's a given. As a Christian, you're supposed to live it. My Lord, why do we even have to put that out there? I don't even understand that. I mean the word Christian means to be like Jesus, right? That's what we're supposed to be like. Amen. Um well I believe that I believe there's some people hungry for that. You know? And here's the good thing. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness and longing for God to work that in your life and to work righteousness out in you so that you can live this Christian life. That is where the real joy comes from. See, that's why most of the church world now is running after entertainment and, you know, doing the Harlem Shake videos in the church in the sanctuary of the church and all this foolishness that's going on because that's what they got to have to have joy. You know why? Cuz they're in sin, they're in darkness, they're walking in darkness, they're walking in loving the world and loving the lust of the world, and entertainment is their god. And that's where they find their joy, that's where they find their peace. But true Christians find their peace as they walk in righteousness and truth and in the presence of almighty God. And you can't walk in righteousness and truth if you don't hunger and thirst for it. You have to desire it more than anything in your whole being. You have to desire to be like Jesus, to walk and live and breathe and think and operate like him. And you can't do that if you keep wanting to cling to the world and to the sins of the world and the lust of the world and the pride of the world and the entertainment of the world. You can't do it. That's why I say all the time, break up with the world. If you break up with the devil, you give him back his stuff. Amen? I don't understand saying I love Jesus when 99% of your time is spent loving the world. I don't understand that. Something changes when you become a Christian. Repentance doesn't mean, oh, I believe in Jesus and I keep living the same way I was living. Repentance means change. Means turning around. It means I was walking north, going to walk south. Means I was a drunkard, I'm not going to be a drunkard anymore. Means I was a fornicator, I'm not going to be a fornicator anymore. Means I an adulterer, I'm not going to be an adulterer anymore. Because the blood of Jesus has cleansed me and I want righteousness in my life. I want the presence of God in my life. I want truth in my life. That is Christianity, folks. Anything else is just a false It's a false doctrine. Amen. So, I want you to turn with me. This is going to be a one of those words this morning. Proverbs chapter 1.
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