Active or Passive Prayer Life WED 10-16-96

Turn to Matthew chapter 6 if you would.

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

Thank you, ladies.

Matthew chapter 6.

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

Let me show you about three scriptures here that uh kind of interrelate with each other.

Matthew chapter 6.

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

Thanks for being in church tonight.

And as we're coming up to our big day, I think you'll see the need for this message.

Matthew chapter 6.

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

And let's let's just look at some little familiar scriptures, but when we put them together, I think you'll understand where we're going with this tonight.

Matthew chapter 6.

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

Look if you would uh at verse number 8.

Verse number 8.

Be not ye therefore like unto them.

The them is the heathen in verse 7.

Verse 7 says, But when you pray, use not vain repetitions as the who?

As the heathen.

We don't have to uh uh do some type of uh over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

That doesn't move God.

Did you hear me?

It doesn't move God.

Let me say it one more.

A mantra, a chant.

That doesn't move God.

Something from the heart.

And you know, when you're when you're saying it from the heart, you may say it a couple of times in earnest, but it's not mechanical.

That's what they're talking about, this mechanical, you know, over and over and over like the heathen do.

For they think that they shall be heard for their what?

They're much speaking.

You know, God's got God can hear just fine.

Amen.

Verse 8.

Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your father knoweth what things ye have.

Would you underline the next little word?

What is it?

Need of, before ye ask him.

So he says, you know what?

Before we ever ask for something, God already knows, number one, if we need it or not, and if it is a need, he already knows about it.

Look if you would at verse 32.

Verse 32.

Uh for after all these things do the Gentiles seek.

What things?

Well, what you shall eat, verse 31, what we shall drink, and what we're going to be clothed with.

Hey, brother, may I say that something to you?

Uh, if we're if we're fretting over what we're going to eat and what we're going to drink, I can tell you this.

You can fast for 40 days and live.

And wherewith we shall be closed, you know, if you're if you're all stressed out over, I don't have a thing to wear.

Boy, I tell you what, you need to grow up a little bit, amen?

Amen.

Come on.

For after these things do the Gentiles seek.

For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have, say it, need of all these things.

Now look at Philippians chapter 4 and Hebrews chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention Hebrews 4 · chapter mention

So God knows what we need.

Look at Philippians chapter 4 and Hebrews chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention Hebrews 4 · chapter mention

Notice what God through the Bible says in Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

And you're holding your place in Hebrews 4.

Philippians 4 says this, verse 19.

But my God shall supply all your what?

All your need.

According to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus.

So here's what we've got so far.

He knows what I need before I ask for it.

I don't have to ask him in vain repetition.

And it says he'll supply all my need.

Now look up here just for a moment.

Well, if he knows what I need, and he'll supply all my need, then I guess it's all taken care of.

I just wake up in the morning and say, well, he knows what I need today, and he'll supply all my need, and uh, well, that's it, I guess.

Makes it simple.

But there's another little thing to this.

Hold your place in Philippians 4, and look at Hebrews chapter 4.

Hebrews 4 · chapter mention

Hebrews 4 and Philippians 4, holding your place there.

So he knows what I need before I ask it.

Amen.

Talk to me.

Amen.

And uh he's going to supply all my needs.

But there's another part to it.

Verse 15 of Hebrews 4.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore, because he's a high priest that can still be touched, that understands our infirmity, and that he was tempted in all points like we are, yet he didn't sin, because of all that, let us therefore come how?

Boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of what?

Need.

But he still wants me to come to the throne and request it.

Yes or no?

You see, let me ask you a question.

Have you all ever got kind of passive about going to the throne and telling him and asking him for your needs?

How many in here, honestly, look up here at me just for a moment.

How many in here have honestly said there's been periods of time in my life that I probably haven't spent enough time around the throne of God in prayer, uh, you know, making my requests known unto him for the needs that I have, because I just thought, you know what?

He knows what I need anyways, and he'll take care of it.

Come on, have you ever got that way?

Now, what about the rest of you?

You're that way right now, so you don't want to hold up your hand, huh?

The idea, brethren, is this sometimes we get complacent about spending time around his throne when it's just a basic need.

I mean, it's not a big thing.

It's not like, you know, the creditors are on it, it's not like we're in the hospital, it's not like there's some big thing going on.

Everything's just kind of going along, but you know, every once in a while it's just like, well, you know, God knows what I need.

I won't spend much time in prayer today about that stuff because ah, he's going to take care of it.

Anyways, and if we're not careful, we get a little passive about making our requests known to God, and we get a little less active around his throne.

Have you ever been there?

Look back at Philippians chapter 4, real quick.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

And look what he says in verse 6.

And I know these basic scriptures, but you know, we've been a some of us have been a Christian for a while, and if we're not careful, we we lose out on some things.

Philippians chapter 4, look at verse 6.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

Be careful for nothing.

But in what?

Everything, that includes my needs, is that right?

In everything by prayer.

Now that doesn't mean vain repetition, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your what?

Say it, request be known unto God.

I want to make a statement.

God created this earth and created us as human beings so we have needs.

He set this thing up so we would have to go to him.

Amen.

I don't know about you.

As we get older, it seems like we have to go to him more.

Amen.

Man, you're young and strong and everything like that.

Well, you know, well, may my prayer life.

But you get a little older and gravity starts taking effect.

It seems like you go to him more for little things.

Like, Lord, if you would uh take this little bit of pain away so I can function a little bit better today, yet the will of the Lord be done.

Amen.

And as responsibilities grow and you get married, maybe, you get some children, it seems like with each child, uh, you know what?

There's more to pray about.

You say, well, my children are older now, and they're grown, they're they're away from home.

Now you've got a lot to pray about.

The point is, God sets this world up and put us in it, and he put us in here in flesh.

Like the grass, it withereth away.

And he set it up in such a way that he knows that we're going to have needs along the way.

And he says, listen, let me just say this to you.

You're gonna have needs.

I know what they are.

I know what they are before you know what they are.

Let me say it again.

I know what they are before you know what they are.

You know what?

You don't know what you need this weekend.

Oh, yeah, yeah, I know.

No, you don't.

You may end up like this.

Amen.

You have no idea.

I don't have any idea what's going to happen this weekend, but my father knows.

And he says, now, with those needs, I can supply every one of them.

But you know what?

I want you to come boldly to my throne.

And I want you to spend time around my throne, and I want you to make your request known to me.

And when you do it, just just just talk to me about anything because I like you around.

And by the way, when you're around my throne and you see me answer prayer, you're gonna be thankful.

You know what happens when we get passive about going to God with our needs?

We appreciate Him less.

Amen?

Come on.

We get passive a little bit, and I mean, you know, things are going pretty well, the bills are halfway paid, we've got some food, the job's going okay, we're out witnessing, we're in everything, you know, just kind of going along.

And if we're not careful, we get a little passive about our prayer life.

We wake up in the morning, we do our little devotion, we say, God bless my day, and off we go.

That's called passive.

When we're passive, we're a little less active around the throne.

Now, would you agree when we get passive, if we get passive too long, he has ways of bringing us back?

To make us active around his throne again?

Now listen, I know you might be sitting here listening, going, how long is he going to talk about this?

Because I got things to do, and I got oh, problems from today, and I got, I wonder what's going on with, you know, this and everything.

Hey, may I say something to you?

He can get your attention.

He has ways.

And may I say this to you?

He wants to be needed.

He wants to be leaned upon, he wants to be dependent upon.

Hold your place there in Philippians and look at John, the Gospel of John.

And just just so you just so you understand what I'm getting at here, the Gospel of John.

And you say, I thought this had something to do with the big day.

It does.

John.

Uh look if you would, uh, at the last chapter there, John 21.

He's talking to Peter here.

And he goes through the feed my lambs, feed my sheep, feed my sheep.

Then he makes a statement in verse 18, John 21, verse 18.

John 21:18

Verily, verily I say unto thee, he's talking to Peter.

Remember Peter's personality?

Peter's personality was, if you remember Brother Farley's message, independent, uh, outgoing, didn't think sometimes before he talked.

Do you know I'm talking about that kind of personality?

Verily, very I say unto thee, when thou wast young, thou girdest thyself and walkest whither thou wouldest.

But when thou shalt be what?

Say it.

Come on, say it again.

Old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, another shall gird thee, and carry thee whether thou wouldest not.

Would you agree he's saying, hey, you know what, Peter, when you're young, you had a lot of decisions, you made a lot of them for yourself.

But let me tell you something, when you're old, you're gonna depend on me more.

I'm gonna tell you where to go.

I'm gonna, I'm gonna carry you where you things were places where you wouldn't go, and you're gonna have to rely on me more.

As I think of uh what Paul went through, a messenger of Satan to buffet him, you know, he had to trust God more and he had to lean on God more, and please, that's what God exactly wanted.

God wants we, his children, to lean on him and to spend time around his throne making our requests known to him.

But sometimes we get passive about that.

Um, I need some help, but I don't know where the chairs are.

Uh brother Mike, would you see if there's any chairs in there?

Bring out two chairs real quick.

And I want to just show you a couple of little things that deal with this idea of passive and active, if you would.

And and those uh aren't in the Bible per se.

Uh, Brother Mike, you can sit in one of those.

Eddie, come on up here.

You help me for a minute, too, okay?

Brother Eddie?

Great, all right.

Uh and I'll tell you what, Mike, move one over there a little bit farther left, and you can just sit in that one for a moment.

And Brother Eddie, uh, you get right there.

And I'll uh I'll kind of wheel over here for a minute.

And uh just sit down there, Brother Eddie.

You look like you had a long day.

Okay.

And uh for the sake of uh for the sake of illustration, uh Mike is going to be uh a guy, a Christian that's been at it for a while, but he's he's got a little passive with his uh with his uh prayer life.

And and uh would you agree with this?

When we get passive with our our prayer life, it's because we get a little high-minded.

Hello?

Look at Romans 12 real quick.

Look at Romans 12.

You don't mind studying your Bible just a little bit, do you?

Romans 12, good Mike, you need this, amen?

Okay, Romans 12.

And uh look what you would at verse 3.

Verse 3.

For I say through the grace, give it unto me to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more what?

More highly than he ought to think.

But to think how?

Would you agree with this?

If we're thinking soberly, we're thinking we need God.

Would you agree with that statement?

When we stop thinking soberly, we think we can kind of make it on our own.

Come on, amen.

Now, now let me stop right here.

How many of you ever got a little, yeah, you know, things are going along pretty good, and boy, it's all working out, and man, I I kind of got it together right now and everything.

And we uh we start thinking, and did you ever notice that your prayer life has a tendency to go, and we don't make our little requests known to God like we don't wake up in the morning saying, okay, Lord, here's another day, and I want you to know, I don't know what's going to happen to me today, but I need you starting right now.

I want to die to myself right now, and I want you to guide and control my thoughts today.

Whatever I run into, whether it be big or small, I want you to take care of it.

That's active around the throne.

You know what we get when we things are going along pretty well?

We wake up in the morning and do our little devotions and take off and say, now, God bless this day.

And I got it pretty well together.

I think I have your mind today, and everything ought to be just fine.

Careful.

When we get passive about our prayer life and our needs and just kind of presume a little bit upon God, let me show you what happens uh when an emergency comes up.

And brother Mike, you come over here for a moment and I'll be the emergency.

I I think I qualify, amen.

Just leave your chair.

And uh Mike goes from his state, and you just kneel down right here, Matt.

And I use this so you kind of remember.

Uh Mike goes from his state of passive, kind of complacent, uh little high-minded Christianity, you know, just kind of giving God a little five, ten-minute deal in the morning.

You know what I mean?

And not really intense in the prayer, and and you know, uh, you know, uh gets a little complacent in some other things, and he and he hits one of these things.

An emergency comes.

Now, let me tell you what happens.

Please look up here.

Here's what happens.

First thing Mike does is, I mean, he is just sorry to death.

Oh, God, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, God, I'm so sorry, I got away with you.

Oh, God, God, God, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Is that right?

Yes.

The first the sorries.

And then comes the negotiations.

Do you know what I'm talking about?

Oh, God, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.

If you'll just get me out of this one, I will commit to everything.

I make promises, I'll do it all, God.

You just, you can just trust me, I'm gonna do it.

Because he hasn't been coming to the throne for a while and he knows he's guilty.

So he makes all kinds of promises and negotiations.

And may I say this?

This is the way some Christians live their life.

Passive to emergency and back to passive.

Once it's over.

Amen.

Once the trial is passed, they go back in their passive state.

You know what I'm talking about?

Have you ever run any Christians like that?

And then the emergency comes, and come on back, Brother Mike.

First thing, first thing is what?

Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

What a repentant of spirit, amen.

Oh God, don't you have to do anymore?

You got my attention.

I'll make all these commitments and promises, and you know what?

Some of them for a while, they'll move over there to the active.

They'll get active around the throne for a while.

They'll even start tithing for two months.

Kind of right there in the middle for a minute, Mike.

And they get active for a while, just stay right there.

Yeah.

They get active for a while, like this guy.

And uh, man, they tithe, they start coming to church, you know.

They get all with it, man.

You even see them on Wednesday night.

You know what I'm talking about, don't you?

You've run into people like that.

They don't have discipline, it's just crisis management.

Come on, yes or no?

I got active around the throne, because man, I got in it, but boy, I'm in it now, and I'm just gonna stay in it for about two months, three months, and then they slip back over to their little passive state of mind.

Because everything's fine again.

Now, do you know what I'm talking about?

Have you ever run into anybody like that?

I doubt if any of you are here tonight.

Maybe one or two, but if you are, don't live your life that way.

Don't wake up and go, well, you know, if I need God today, He'll be there for me.

That is not the way to live it.

We don't we don't go to God and say, now, God, I know I haven't talked to you in a while, and I just got this thing going on, and now, boy, I really need you right now, and I know you said you'd supply my needs, and boy, do I have a need right now.

God says, Well, where have you been?

Didn't you have any other needs?

Why do you just call on me when the fire starts burning?

Can I get a little appreciation about basic needs?

Can I get a little thanksgiving about just the fact that you're still breathing?

Can I get a little appreciation that you still have a job and that you got a house?

You got that nice easy chair and you got some food.

Can I get a little appreciation that your belly is growing?

Amen.

Can I get a little appreciation that your children are protecting?

Can I get some thanks for some basic things that you don't know how many times I got you out of trouble?

Why does it have to be a crisis when you get all lovey-dubby with me?

Are you listening?

Come on, we've all been that way a little bit, haven't we?

It's kind of like now let me let me let me stop on that just for a moment.

Let me talk to you about active.

It is going before the throne.

And you know, uh, may I say this to you?

Christianity, if it's lived right, is a discipline.

Would you agree with that statement?

If we live our Christianity right, it is a discipline.

It is a schedule of Bible study daily and prayer.

You say, well, preacher, you don't have a job, so you got time for that.

Hey, listen, I've pastored and worked a full-time job and ran a family and the whole bit.

You still have time, you make time.

You just make time.

It's a discipline.

And I'm not trying to tell you I'm perfect, but it is a discipline.

We're supposed to be in our Bible, we're supposed to have some prayer, give them some thanks every day.

There's a few things we're supposed to do on a daily basis.

Would you agree with this?

Without crisis, we daily should come to the throne.

The veil has been rent.

We have access better than the Old Testament saints.

Through the blood of Christ, we can go right into the holiest of holies.

We got an intercessor up there for us.

I mean, we get we can get right before the throne, and he wants us there.

Just to make our requests known, even the little things.

Well, I don't want to bother God with this.

God is not bothered with the little things.

And so Eddie's kind of the active one in his Christianity.

He doesn't wait for crisis.

He's just gonna stay around the throne, and when they come, come here, Brother Eddie, he responds in a different way.

Over here, Brother Eddie.

He doesn't say, first of all, you can kneel down, Brother Eddie.

Look up here, please.

He he da he doesn't kneel down and go, Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

He's already said that.

He's already confessed that day.

Oh God, I'll do this, I'll do that, I'll do that.

He doesn't have to do all that.

He's already abiding.

He more kneels down and said, Okay, Lord, I I I'm I I think I'm in your will here.

And uh this is one of those trials you brought on, and uh help me to have the right spirit and the right attitude here.

And I want to thank you for it right off the bat because I know it must be something you want for me.

And uh I'll give you more whatever you want.

I mean, I'm I'm willing to give you more.

You already got all that I know, but it looks like you want more from him, so you can have just show me what it is and take it.

Your will, my will, and uh, and uh Lord, I'm gonna need a little extra here, though, because you said you won't tempt me above that which I'm able.

You see the difference in that?

When we're active around the throne, we don't panic.

Amen?

I mean, people who are passive, they they panic.

Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, because they don't know God as well as those who are proactive do.

Man, you get to know him.

You know he's not doing it just because he has nothing to do that day.

Amen.

And so you come to him with a whole different spirit and attitude, and you really come thanksgiving, knowing that he's gonna take care of you.

It's uh it's proactive.

Thank you, Eddie.

So uh Eddie goes back over and he's active.

Don't sit down quite yet, Eddie.

Just stay right there.

But you know, every once in a while, even those who are active can slip.

Move over there with Mr.

Passive.

Have you ever slipped?

Come on, have you ever slipped?

Have you ever gone from that active discipline?

I do it whether I I feel like I'm under pressure or not.

I do it because it's a commandment.

I do it because I want to.

I do it out of love.

I do it because I know I need it.

But after a while, if we're not careful, we slip in that passive.

Now, please look up here.

The key is don't stay over there very long.

The key is keep coming to church and let some preacher come in and step all over your toes.

And the Holy Spirit of God and get back to the active part quickly.

And by the way, that's why it's important to come Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night.

You never know when you walk in who's going to be preaching.

If a missionary calls and happens to be in town, he comes in, man, we've had missionaries in that come off with a message, and somebody says, Man, whoo, that's what I needed.

And what does it do?

It moves us back to being active again.

That's the whole idea.

Uh church is like not only learning and teaching, but it's maintenance on what we already know to do.

Is that right?

Yes or no?

Now, if you're in here tonight and you slipped off into that passive, you're in the right place tonight.

It doesn't matter who wins the ball game, you're in the right place.

Amen.

Because God's probably saying to you right now, son, daughter, that that's you right there.

You were active.

You have been active.

Remember, we've had some good times together, but now you've slipped a little bit over to that passive side.

Let's uh let's start again tonight or tomorrow or whenever it is, uh, morning devotions, midday devotions, evening devotions.

Let's get back into it again.

I miss you at my throne.

Oh, you say, God, how could you miss me?

There's there's there's an unnumbered multitude around your throne.

But God knows his sheep.

Amen.

He knows when one of the sheep's is not there.

Come on.

He misses our voice around that throne.

Now you say, man, you almost like we're already there.

Our standing is that we are already there.

Our state is that we're here, but our standing is we're already before the throne.

Amen.

In heavenly places, seated together with Christ Jesus, yes or no?

So I would suggest to you that uh he knows when we're not coming before his throne.

And it's not like, well, I hear the 90 and 9, that's enough.

He's looking for that one that's missing.

You may sit down, brother Eddie.

And he wants us to get back to a place where we're active again in what we're doing.

Look here at another verse of scripture with me.

And uh, notice if you would uh uh oh, you know I gave you that one already.

Well, look back again at Philippians 4.

Philippians 4.

You're doing well tonight.

Philippians 4.

I told you to hold your place and I didn't hold mine.

Philippians 4.

Now let's read that scripture again with with in mind what we've been talking about here just a little bit.

Look at Philippians 4, verse 6.

Philippians 4:6

Be careful for what?

Nothing.

But in what?

In everything by prayer and supplication with what?

Thanksgiving.

Let your requests be made known unto God.

I've been uh thinking about this big day.

And we've been, we passed around the prayer sheet on uh Sunday night, and many of you signed up.

Brethren, a big day does not happen without Christians who are active around the throne of God.

Now listen to me.

A big day is not just motion, it's momentum.

A big day is not just, okay, we got a bunch of people in.

And they come for the food, and that's it.

Are you listening to me?

A big day to us is God brought a bunch of people in.

Some of them your friends and your co-workers.

Amen.

Your neighbors, people you've never met before.

God brought a bunch of people in, and they were riveted to the speaker.

And he preached a message that was Holy Spirit anointed, and as he preached, they heard in their heart, and the Holy Spirit communicated to them and drew them in as Christ was lifted up.

And they responded from their heart and they were saved.

And then we fed them.

I don't think that's happens without us being active around God's throne.

What do you mean?

I thought we were talking about my needs.

Our need is to see people safe.

We have a need that way.

It provides momentum, it provides motivation.

It provides joy.

It provides substance to what we're doing here.

Man, why give all your money if nothing's happening?

Why come to church if nothing's happening?

It provides credibility to our faith.

We need to see people saved.

Come on, yes or no?

No wonder dead churches, I mean, they don't even fill the baptistry.

And when they do once a year, it's a big deal.

The idea is, even though he comes from, he wants to hide.

Because he's guilty.

Here's the point.

The shepherd will only go so far.

He's got a free will.

You want to keep following those strangers?

You wanna, you wanna you wanna keep going off?

They're just gonna destroy and kill you.

They don't really care for you.

They don't want anything like I want.

I want you to have life and life more abundantly.

He'll come so far.

He'll even go around and try to get him back.

Go.

Thanks, Bill.

Now please look up there.

But the sheep has a free will.

Yes or no?

He calls and finally he says, Alright, follow me.

Stay right where there, Marcella.

Go ahead, lead him out, Bill.

Lead him back, lead him back, lead him back, lead him back.

He stays right there.

He leads.

He does that a number of times.

Never follows.

Sooner or later, that sheep starts acting like a goat.

Come on.

Starts to get the attributes of a goat.

I don't have time to tell you what they are.

Just think.

Now you can't even tell him he's a sheep anymore.

He looks like a goat, he acts like a goat, he looks like a world, he acts like the world.

But ask him if he's a sheep, he'll say sure.

He's just not following.

He's not producing any wool.

He's not lambing.

He's not giving the shepherd pleasure.

He keeps running off.

He doesn't want to be a part of the flock.

Just any stranger that comes along, off he goes.

Now, don't you understand later at the judgment steep, he's still a sheep.

But it didn't make the shepherd happy.

Come on, amen.

Statement.

That could happen to a young Christian, but it could happen to an older Christian too.

Yes or no?

After a while, hey, you know what the shepherd does?

He leads that sheep to good pasture.

I mean, he feeds him.

To a sheep that follows.

He gets fed and he wants to do something.

He wants to be a part of the flock, and God wants to use that sheep.

But a sheep that doesn't follow spiritually gets sickly.

Come on, amen.

Good for what?

I don't know.

You'll say, well, what's the solution?

If the shepherds call on you today, better get back following.

Go on.

Shepherd, lead him out, and off we go again.

Glory.

Oh, it'd be so embarrassing.

What's embarrassing about following the voice of the shepherd?

Well, I've already raced it.

Stop just a minute, guys.

What'd you waste?

Just years that you've been away from the shepherd?

He's not done with you yet, or you wouldn't be in church today.

Come on, yes or no?

He's not done with some that are outside of church.

You know there are some outside of church right now listening to the voice of football?

I got nothing against football.

But not during church time.

Well, I may have something against football, but you understand what I'm saying.

The point of it is, I'm supposed to, as a sheep, get to know his voice.

And listen.

And hear.

And understand and act.

Follow.

If I follow his voice and get to know his voice real well, please look up here.

When a stranger comes along, you know what?

You're in that Baptist church over there.

You know they don't they don't teach right.

But but I don't want to really talk about that, but but I want to show you some doctrinal things here.

You know, Jesus Christ said it himself.

He said he was not equal with the Father.

Now, what do you just say to that?

If he's listening to the shepherd, you know what he does from this stranger?

He said, That's the voice of a stranger, and he follows on.

Amen?

Well, somebody says, you know, I heard that one time.

Jesus Christ said he was not equal with the Father.

How could that be?

See, he's a lesser God.

No, he was made a little lower than the angels.

A little lower than the angels.

Hebrews for the suffering of death.

He was in the flesh.

But he was God manifest in the flesh.

He was the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

He was, 1 John 5, 7, the Father, the Holy Ghost, and the Word are one.

The point of it is, if you know all that, you're not going to let some stranger get you.

And take you away from the fold.

Preacher, you know this is basic stuff.

You know how many Christians don't really know the voice of God?

You know how many Christians don't spend time hearing his voice every day?

You know how many Christians of those of us who've been saved for years, if we're not careful, we'll lay down our Bible for two and three and four days at a time and not seek His voice?

Come on.

Is it true or not?

Yes, sir.

Or you know how many of us will open our Bibles and just kind of carry on a conversation with ourselves?

I got a lot going on in my life right now.

Man.

Oh, it's getting tough.

Oh, I gotta go.

If that goes on too long.

Strangers are right there.

Thieves and robbers.

Principal Powers and powers are right there.

Wanting to pull the sheep away from following the shepherd.

Why?

Because if all the sheep follow the shepherd when it's lambing time, a lot of people get saved.

Lambing time?

You know, like sheep, bear, lambs?

And the flock increases?

Why would they want to do that?

To please the shepherd?

Like big day.

You know what a big day is for us?

It's a lambing time.

It's a time to please our shepherd.

In order to do so, we're gonna have to follow his voice and not turn away from it.

You guys can sit down.

If you're in here this morning, and honestly, you got saved, and nobody was there to teach you, or please look up here, I'm watching the time.

It's uh oh, it's already one o'clock.

Just kidding.

If you genuinely got saved, maybe young, maybe teenager, maybe as an adult, please look up here just for a moment.

And nobody was really there to spend time with you, that excuse only holds so long.

We'll spend time with you.

We'll help you to grow.

We want you to grow.

We want you to know the Father's voice.

I mean the shepherd's voice.

I mean the Holy Spirit's voice.

I mean all of that.

Because they're all the one.

We want you to be part of the flock.

In the flock, there's security, there's protection.

We don't go hungry.

The predators don't get in.

And then when our turn comes like Ruth's came, we're with the shepherd forever.

I gotta say this not to hurt someone.

If you've just decided not to, why do you say you?

Let's talk about the people outside of the church.

I mean, let's let's talk about the world or something.

Let's let's blast the world so I can say amen.

Let's look at ourselves.

If you and I decide not to follow the voice, even though we've got a Bible, even though we know how to study it, even though we have before, we're just as susceptible to strangers.

And please look up here, it may not be the simple stranger, it may be one more complicated.

Yeah, come on.

It may not be, I'm gonna be honest with you, there's no Jehovah's Witnesses gonna lead me away.

I've studied it.

I'll tell you what, the first two years, though, I I didn't know.

Man, I studied it out.

How about it?

You know what I'm talking about?

But I'm I'm I'm I'm sure, I'm positive, without a shadow of doubt, that they don't have the right gospel.

They're not gonna lead me away.

No Mormon is gonna lead me away.

I don't believe Joseph Smith's 3D glasses really saw what he should have seen.

You say, don't make fun of it.

Hey, listen, read about it.

I mean, it is it is bizarre.

It is it is a you talk oh man.

I'm not trying to, I don't want to be in, I don't want to be unkind.

But after you read about it, no way am I gonna follow that.

There's a lot of religions I'm not gonna follow.

But please look up here.

I'm sure there's something out there that principalities and powers would have for me.

That if I listen to the voice too much, it could lead me away from his voice.

What's yours?

Lord, I'd like to hide myself right now.

Where art thou, Doug?

Uh over here.

Why you over there?

Why didn't you come up to me when you heard me walking by?

Uh uh, well, uh, you know, that thing you gave me, you gave it to me.

Uh, it got me.

Uh Doug, didn't I tell you to leave that alone?

Yeah.

So Doug, uh, whose fault is it?

Uh I think it's my wife's.

No, Doug.

Doug.

Didn't you hear me walking by?

Yay, Lord.

Don't you normally come up to me, like good sheep does when he hears the shepherd's voice?

Yay, Lord.

Now, whose fault is it, Doug?

It's my fault, Lord.

Good.

Good.

Now, you ready to confess it?

Yay, Lord.

You ready to follow me again?

Yes, Lord.

Okay, let's go.

I got some pasture I want to take you to.

You think he's done with you, he's not.

He doesn't give up on his sheep.

We give up on ourselves, but he doesn't give up on his sheep.

You know, there's nothing like watching sheep when the fence opens and they get led into a new pastor.

Man, they'll jump around.

They'll get excited.

If your Christianity has lost a little bit of its zeal, I think if we'll just get back and stop following the voice of strangers and get back following the voice of God through his words, you just might kick up your heels again and somebody says something about the Lord, and you just might say, Amen.

I don't want to be too fanatical, but amen.

That was good.

Amen.

You get led into enough pasture and you're going to go, Amen.

Man, they get you in the deep clove, and you're saying, Amen, let's eat.

Start getting fat, wool, producing some lambs.

It's good to be part of the flock.

It's good to see a predator come along, and the sheep are just kind of all a little nervous about this thing, a little bit of stress, a little pressure, and the shepherd shows up and all of a sudden that predator runs away.

It's good to get at the end of life.

And be able to know that absent from the body and present with the Lord is true.

This morning, there may be some of us beginning to act like goats.

And God wants us to be the sheep that he meant us to be.

But in order to do that, we've got to know him and know his voice.

And by knowing his voice, we won't follow the voice of strangers.

And he'll lead us to life abundantly.

If you're a little bit away, don't do this.

I better hide.

I better hide myself.

Here he comes.

I better hide myself.

No better.

Here comes the Lord.

I better get back.

I better get back.

Here he comes.

There comes his voice.

I see it.

All right.

Hello, Lord.

I've been a bad little sheep.

I thought there were greener pastures elsewhere, but I know the clovers best right here.

I'm not gonna try to get out anymore, I hope.

Where you lead me, that's where I want to follow.

Let's all stand.

Don't leave, please.

Don't be a bad little sheep.

I'm just kidding.

If you must leave, we understand.

Please stay just for a moment.

With your heads bowed and your eyes closed.

I wonder if you'd say in here, you know, I've, with your heads bowed and eyes closed, I tried to come maybe through another door.

I tried to come through another way.

I thought you could do it by good works or being good or falling this or falling that.

I'd really like to know more about this way into the sheepfold through the door through Christ.

Please, before I leave, would you pray for me that I can understand that door, that one way in?

I'd like to become a true sheep of the Lord.

I'd like to be owned by Him.

With your heads bowed and your eyes closed, let me pray for you before you're not sure of your salvation.

Would you hold up your hand right now and say, pray for me?

I'm not sure.

God bless you.

Your honesty.

Yes, sir.

God bless you, ma'am.

Someone else.

You may put it down.

Yes, sir.

God bless your honesty.

I'd like to be a sheep, I'm not sure.

Hey, honestly, now before we pray, with your heads bowed and eyes closed, and you don't have to lift your hands.

I'm a sheep.

That's a little astray.

I haven't been listening like I should to the voice of the shepherd.

I haven't been seeking it out.

Don't raise your hand.

Seems like everything's fine, but you know what?

I understand what you're saying.

I need to be careful.

I need to get back to hearing his voice through his word and following his leadership.

Or I know someone, boy, I've been praying for them, a father, a mother, a brother, a sister, a son, a daughter, an aunt or uncle, a business associate, and I wish they'd get back in.

I know they're saved, but I just wish they would get back to following the shepherd.

They're about ready to ruin their life or hurt themselves or hurt their children in some way.

Then it wouldn't hurt not just to pray for ourselves, but to pray for them.

Father, with all my understanding, I asked you, if those who raised their hands are unsure yet of their salvation, God, I'd ask you to draw them to yourselves only in a way you can.

And maybe today they could cease to be goats and become sheep through entering through that blood that was shed for them.

And God, for those of us who are already Christians, Lord, some of us get aside and get away sometimes.

Would you help us not to hide ourselves from your voice?

God, help us to be willing to let you own us.

Help us to let you willing to be truly not just a good shepherd, but our master and our Lord and our owners.

And God, we know every day you want us to listen to our owners.

To get direction for what you would have us to do with our lives.

Help us not to hide ourselves, Lord, from that voice that's walking by right now.

And for those who aren't here that we know, help us to at least take some time and pray for them.