Dig Deeper Sun AM 9-11-96

Look at Matthew chapter 7, if you would.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

Matthew 7.

And look at verse 24.

It says this therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him to a what?

Talk to me.

A wise man.

Say it again, a what?

A wise man.

And here's what a wise man does he builds his house upon what?

A rock.

That's all right, yeah.

We may have to.

Yeah, that's okay.

Don't be embarrassed.

She's just kind of.

I got seven children.

And my 19-year-old was doing that this morning, amen.

She's not in here.

I can don't don't tell her I said that.

Amen.

Ooh, boom.

No, in fact, do tell her I said that, amen.

No, I'm just kidding.

All right.

No, no, no problem with that.

Matthew 7.

So it says this I will liken him unto a wise man.

And notice what a wise man does?

He builds his house upon a what?

Say it, talk to me.

Arah.

Now, hold your place right there.

And look at Matthew 16 so we get the idea, because the Bible begins to interpret itself if we'll let it.

Matthew chapter 16.

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

Study with me just a little bit now.

And look what happens over in verse 13.

Verse 13.

By the way, we have the air up, and uh, so you say, well, I don't feel it.

It's on, believe me.

Psychologically, I'm telling you, it's there.

Matthew chapter 16, and look at verse 13.

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea, Philippi, verse 13 of Matthew 16, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?

Now, he didn't call himself the Son of God because these were Jewish men, and they understood the term son of man better because the son of man term was used in the Old Testament over and over and over again, and they knew what he was talking about.

Verse 14.

And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, others, Jeremiah, so one of the prophets.

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the what?

Say it, the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Christ meant he was the Messiah, he was the promised one, he was the Savior of the world, he was the king that was coming to, if you would, restore the Israelites back to their rightful place.

Verse 17.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjonh, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

And I say unto thee, that thou art who?

Peter, and upon this, what?

Say it, rock.

Now, you know this, but I want those who may have not studied their Bible to understand that Peter is not the rock, but what Peter said is the rock.

That thou art Peter, and upon this rock, what was the rock?

That Peter had said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

That was the statement, that was the rock, that was the belief, that was the doctrine, that Jesus is the Christ.

That was the rock that everything was going to be built upon, and he says, This, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

So the rock is the fact that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Is that correct?

Look back at Matthew chapter Matthew chapter 7.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

Matthew chapter 7.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

Therefore, verse 24 Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a what?

A rock.

Now, one of the rocks we know about is that the rock would be the foundation, which be thou art the Christ.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

Verse 25.

And the rain descended.

And the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that what?

House.

Now, wait a minute.

Hold your place again, and let's find out what the house is.

Look, if you would at Ephesians chapter 2.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

Ephesians chapter 2.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

You don't mind studying your Bible, do you?

Come on, Ephesians chapter 2.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

The rock is the principle, if you would, that Jesus Christ is in fact Messiah.

And in fact, we're going to find out that Jesus Christ is that rock, that foundation.

Look at Ephesians chapter 2.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

And look what he says in verse number 19.

Ephesians 2, 19.

Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers, and the way they would say it down south is uh foreigners.

But fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.

Verse 20.

And are built upon the what?

Say it, foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief what?

Say it.

Cornerstone.

The cornerstone is what sets the foundation up.

Verse 21.

In whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth into an holy temple in the Lord.

In whom ye also are builded together for an what?

Habitation of God through the Spirit.

Please look up here.

The Bible says this ye are God's building.

What you're looking at right here standing before you is a house.

You say, according to what?

According to the book.

Amen?

Brother Roy, would you stand up?

This is another house.

I'm a house, he's a house.

He's a habitation of God.

I'm an habitation of God.

Amen?

Brother America, would you stand up?

Here's a bigger house.

Amen?

Houses come in all sizes, all shapes, all forms.

Brother America, you may sit down.

The idea is I'm a house.

He's a house.

Ma'am, you're a house.

You're in habitation of God if you're saved.

Is that correct?

And the house of God, and you say, now wait a minute, I thought the house of God was like this.

There is one scripture in the Old Testament or in the New Testament that speaks about the house of God and talking about the church.

But in this context of what I'm telling you this morning, when God came into me through his Holy Spirit, taking up his abode in me, I became a house of God.

I became an habitation of God.

Please look up here, and this house is supposed to be built on the right foundation.

Amen?

With that in mind, he says, In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple of the Lord, in whom you are also building together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Look back again if you would at Matthew chapter 7.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

Matthew chapter 7.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

We're not to the message yet.

This is just the foundation.

Matthew chapter 7.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

Now, with that in mind, look at verse 24.

Everybody says, hey, look to your left and look to your right, and make sure that house next to you is the light on.

Amen?

And I know the lights are on, and sometimes nobody's home, but that's okay.

Amen.

Matthew chapter 7.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

Look at verse 24.

Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock.

Now look up here.

Seventeen years ago, God persuaded me that this house was not built on a rock.

It was built on something that was constantly changing.

It was built maybe on some humanism and some intellectualism, and probably for me some Gnosticism, which I won't go into.

But the idea was I was not a wise man before I got saved.

That made me an ignorant man.

Is that right?

So as an ignorant man, I had built this house on shifting sand, which meant that it wasn't stable.

It it something new would come along and I'd go after that.

And then something new would go along and I'd go after that.

It was constantly shifting.

But he says, I want to talk to you about that wise man that builds his house upon, it says, look at it, a rock.

A rock.

That means the principle that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, he is the Christ, and he is the only way, and that's the only foundation you can build a wise house on.

Verse 25.

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that what?

House.

You mark it down, he's talking about a person.

Now you say, well, I think it might be talking about a church.

Read your Bible.

It could be construed to be that, but that house is not just a household, it's a person.

And it fell not.

Why?

Because it was, for it was founded upon a rock.

And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man.

That's an ignorant man.

Which built his house upon the what?

Say it.

Say.

And the rain descended, the floods came, as the winds blew, and beat upon that house.

And it what?

Say it fell.

Every year up the coast here, you know it, I know it, the storms come, and we read in the papers, as house have slipped off the sides of hills in a mudslide and fell off into the ocean.

Is that right?

Come on, you know about that?

They they weren't built on solid rock.

Now the idea then is this and the fall, and the great was the fall of it.

Look, if you would with me at John chapter 16.

John 16 · chapter mention

John chapter 16.

John 16 · chapter mention

And then also, would you pick up Luke 6?

And I want to introduce to you the message.

John 16 and Luke 6.

So the house is talking about a person, and that person, God says, would be wise if they would build their house upon the foundation, their belief system, with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone, the fact that he is the Christ, that he is the Messiah, that he is the Savior, and there is no one else.

John 16 and Luke chapter 6.

Luke 6 · chapter mention

Would you turn to Luke chapter 6 first?

Luke 6 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 6.

Luke 6 · chapter mention

Christian, you've been around for a while.

You've been saved for a while.

I want you to look very, very quickly with me at two words.

I want to challenge you this morning in an area.

Look at Luke 6 and notice what it says in verse 47.

Verse 47.

Whosoever cometh to me and heareth my sayings and doeth them, I will show ye to whom he is like.

He is like a man that built a house and dig deep and laid the foundation on a what?

A rock.

And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not what?

Shake it.

That's someone who couldn't be shaken from the belief that Jesus is the Christ, that he is the Savior, and that they are saved.

Is that right?

Stay with me.

For it was founded upon a rock.

But he that heareth and doeth not is like a man that without a foundation.

And by the way, brethren, there's a lot of people without foundation.

There's a lot of people that take their opinions from Time magazine.

Say amen.

There's a lot of people that take their opinions from Sesame Street.

They say, well, you got against Sesame Street.

Well, I'll leave that to your own prejudice.

But the idea is this people are influenced by whoever says what and whatever says, and whoever the new leader is, and whatever's going on, and they're like someone without a foundation.

They're constantly changing.

Have you ever met someone that they have an opinion and it seems like once in a while it changes, or they've been watching Star Trek too much?

And they've got this imagination going on about what's going on and what's out there and what's it going to be, and all this stuff, and there's really no set foundation for it.

So that man without a foundation built a house upon the earth.

Huh?

Against which the storm did beat vehemently and immediately it fell.

And the ruin of that house was great.

Now, the rock is likened to Christ.

When you think about the earth, you think about people.

What?

The Lord is heavenly, and then the people of the earth, they're earthy.

It's like this.

If we let people constantly affect our opinion and what we believe and how we believe to the place where there's no foundation, it's just constantly shifting, and whatever body that comes along, and whatever we see, and it changes and constantly changing, sooner or later something's going to come along that's going to get us and destroy us.

The idea is when you build upon a rock and your house is built upon that foundation, all kinds of things can come, and you stay steadfast and you don't fall apart.

Look what it says.

He that heareth and doeth not is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth, against which the stream did vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.

Christian.

Would you look at verse 48?

Verse 48.

He is like a man which built an house, and would you say the next two words with me?

Begin.

Dig deep.

Say it again.

Dig deep.

And laid the foundation on a rock.

When the flood came, the streams come, it couldn't be shook.

Because why?

It was dug deep.

Now, uh, how many of you ever been to uh the Golden Gate Bridge?

Anybody?

A couple of y'all?

How many of you ever been in a boat underneath the Golden Gate Bridge?

How many of you ever been in a boat underneath the Golden Gate Bridge when it's been windy and bolsterous and the waves were four to six feet high?

Absolutely.

Now, I've done a little ocean sailing in a little boat, and I've been out in great storms and hurricanes and all that.

And may I say, uh, some of the first times that I went under the Golden Gate Bridge in a small boat, it can get pretty bolsterous under there.

It's a narrow channel, the winds come in, the channel flows in and out, and there can be four to six foot waves in there.

And when you're a small craft, it gets pretty hairy under there.

When they built that Golden Gate Bridge, please look up here, they took those pillars and they went down deep into the rock.

Because they knew that that area up there could get mighty windy and bolsterous, and literally storms could come to the place where those pillars had to be sunk in deep into the rock, knowing what was coming.

Christian, I know you're saved, you're born again, you're a child of God, but let me ask you a question.

How deep are you into the rock?

How deep is your foundation borne down?

And say, now, now, you know what?

That's nice terminology, but what do you mean?

Alright?

Let me bear it out to you.

If we dig deep into the rock, that means when something comes along, the flood, the stream, the tragedy, uh the broken relationship, the the person next to us that up and turns against Christ, that turns against Christianity, some family member, or somebody out there that has an impact on us, or something comes up in our life, like a sickness or an illness or a disease or whatever it is comes up to shake us, if we're deep enough into that foundation, the house stands.

Now the question is, what are you talking about getting deep in the rock?

Look at Philippians chapter 2.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

Stay with me, and Galatians chapter 4.

Galatians 4 · chapter mention

Philippians 2 and Galatians chapter 4.

Galatians 4 · chapter mention

Are you with me so far?

Philippians 2 and Galatians 4.

Because as Christians, we already believe in the rock.

We already believe that Jesus Christ is in fact the Son of God, and that's the rock which Christ said, I'll build my church upon.

We are in habitation of God, and we're trying to build our house on strong foundation.

But let me show you about this idea about digging deep so we won't be shook.

Philippians chapter 2.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

Philippians chapter 2.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

Everybody there?

Philippians chapter 2.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

Statement.

One little verse of scripture.

Look if you would at verse 5.

Verse 5.

Let this what?

Mine be in you, which was also in who?

Christ Jesus.

What do you mean?

Well, we're supposed to, as Christians, be working to get the mind of Christ.

In fact, like I said earlier, what's supposed to be taking place in this transformation is literally the personality of Christ is supposed to enter in and take over my personality and begin to weed out all the things in my personality that's not like Christ.

And my personality is supposed to be taking more and more on the shape and the attitudes and the opinion of Christ.

Would you agree with that?

One of the ways I dig this house deep into the foundation, and I dig deeper and deeper, and by the way, there are places and times in construction I've talked to people that they said, hey, you know what?

Years ago they built these houses, you know, and they didn't know they were located near an earthquake, or they didn't know they were located near a mudslide area or something like that.

They can literally go deep into the foundational rock and reinforce the foundation of that house and drill deep into the rock and attach that foundation to it and make it stronger and stronger and stronger.

And sometimes we Christians just haven't digged deep enough and bore down enough and hit the rock enough and got his mind in us enough to when things come along, they don't shake us.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

And my point this morning is some of us Christians, we need to dig deeper and reinforce that foundation.

The way we do it is to understand who Christ is more, get his attitudes, get his opinions in us.

You say, I don't know if I agree with that.

Look at Galatians 4, hold your place in Philippians.

Look at Galatians 4, hold your place in Philippians.

Are we okay this morning?

Everybody okay?

We come to study our Bible, amen?

Come on now, I'm challenging in just a little bit this morning.

Galatians 4, holding your place in Philippians.

Now look at this little statement here.

Watch it.

Verse 19.

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until who?

Christ, that's the rock, be what?

Formed in you.

You know what's supposed to go on in our lives?

There's supposed to be a transformation.

My personality begins to die.

His personality begins to take my old personality's place.

Is that right?

I am crucified with Christ.

What's crucified?

My old personality.

Amen?

The way I used to think.

You're looking at a guy that 17 years ago, about every four words was a cuss word.

They say that's no big deal.

Well, it is if you're a preacher.

Amen?

I mean, uh, about every four or five words, out would come a word that you would just, if I said it this morning, you'd go.

That was my personality.

I grew up in that stuff.

It was terminology.

It was a cool way to speak.

It was a dumb way to speak.

But I remember it took, I'm gonna say, six to eight months for God to take that vocabulary and get rid of it.

And when I said it, it just was like a sharp sticking, my conscience.

Why'd I say that?

I remember talking to my preacher one day about five months into my salvation.

And I got excited about something, and I started just talking like I used to talk.

Now, fortunately, he used to be in the Navy, so it didn't floor him, amen.

But I said, I'm sorry.

He said, Listen, don't worry about it.

It happens once in a while.

He said, I said, how do I get rid of it?

He said, pray for God to take it out of you.

I said, okay.

Now tell me something, preacher.

What do you mean, take it out of you?

Pray for God to replace himself in you.

Take away the old and replace it with himself the new.

Amen?

Now, wait a minute.

We go back to this question.

How deep are you dug?

How deep have you been digging?

How much have we been trying to get the mind of Christ in us?

Please look up here.

How much have we been saturating ourselves with his mind and his opinion and his thoughts and his attitudes?

Make a statement.

If I'm spending more time in the TV than I am in this book, chances are the TV is forming and shaping my mind more than this Bible is.

Amen?

Whatever the input is, is what's shaping and forming what I think, what I say, what I do, and my attitude.

And the foundation of this thing is I'm as a spiritual house raised up in God.

I'm supposed to be letting Christ form in me.

And the way I let Christ form in me is to get in this book because in this book is his opinion and his attitude and his thoughts and his intellectualism and his ways.

Come on, talk to me.

Talk to me.

Come on, talk to me.

Because some of y'all are kind of going, well.

Hey, you're not going to answer to me.

We're going to all answer to God.

And so I don't know if I need this.

You haven't seen the flood that's coming.

You haven't seen the wind that's coming.

You haven't seen the earthquake that's coming into your life.

Man, I tell you what, once the earth starts shaking, it's too late to get the foundation deeper.

Once the flood comes, it's too late.

Best thing you can do is crawl up on the top of the house because it's moving.

Better now, brethren.

Better now.

To start getting prepared for disaster relief.

And getting our foundation deeper and deeper and deeper.

Now you say, what are you talking about?

Reading the Gospels?

Hey, you know what?

It's good to read the Gospels.

You get a lot about what Christ is and what he did and where he went and what he said.

And we ought to read the Gospels over and over again, but may I say to you, this whole book was written by God.

I'm talking about Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians.

All those have the attitudes of Christ.

Okay, let me just put it straight.

I'm not trying to put anybody down.

How deep are you dig in your foundation is directly proportional.

To how much time you're spending in this book.

And you can fool everybody, but you can't fool God.

And sooner or later you're not going to be able to fool principalities and powers either.

Amen?

Let me say it again.

How deep the foundation is dug.

Or you say, well, I've made it up to this point.

Well, yeah, but you don't know what's coming.

Christians have been shook.

Christians have been shaken away from their foundations.

They may say, well, I still believe in Christ, but please look up here.

The problem is they're not acting like it.

They're not living in it.

They don't want to be around it anymore.

The mind of Christ means I find his attitudes, his opinions, his thoughts, and then they shape and form our actions.

And what I'm supposed to be constantly doing is trying to deepen and dig deeper and deeper and deeper into the mind of Christ and let it permeate my mind and push that old opinion and that old personality out and push those old actions out.

Please look up here.

I used to be a guy that didn't have grace for anybody.

I mean, I remember in the Marine Corps saying thank you to somebody for doing a good job just didn't happen with me.

Why?

Because it was expected.

They were paid to do a good job.

Oh, they do a good job.

Hey, what do you want?

A medal?

You did a good job.

Get out of here.

What do you want?

Applause?

Now get out of here.

I mean, I when I was down at Paris Island, South Carolina, I had privates would stand up in front of me and try to tell me what a good job they were doing.

I'd say, shut up! You say, what'd they do?

They shut up.

You say, that's terrible.

I know it is.

Hey, it took me a while when I became saved and got married and had children.

Oh yeah.

My 19-year-old weathered some storms.

Because daddy didn't know how to say thank you.

Daddy didn't know how to appreciate him.

And daddy didn't know the little things that you said that came from daddy like you did a good job was important.

Okay, that's job done.

Let's do the next one.

You do you think daddy likes me?

My wife could tell you.

But I paid her not to.

I mean, grace and appreciation and giving thanks and all that.

Hey, you sign the papers, you and you, you, you're you're part of this group now, you're expected to do a good job.

Well, you need a pat on the back, just do a good job.

You know, sooner or later that won't work in church.

Won't work in a family.

I guarantee you it won't work in a marriage.

So uh God's been working on my my personality and exchanging it with his.

I don't want to be a self-made man.

I want to be a God-made man.

Somebody says, Well, why don't you answer for yourself?

Why don't you just be be yourself and I want to be myself?

I was myself for 24 years and I wasn't a good self.

Amen?

You know what I'm talking about?

I mean, have you ever stepped back, those of you were not saved when you were young, but it was a little bit later on, and looked back to who you used to be and said, No wonder people didn't like me.

I thought it was my no, it was my personality.

My attitude.

It's great to be able to start looking at yourself and seeing how Christ has been weeding out and purging out some of the former attitudes and former opinions and former, please look up here, actions.

And see the changes.

And see the Christ slowly being formed.

But I'm gonna tell you something.

It will not happen as quickly if it's just one hour on Sunday morning.

Because all the rest of those hours out there, what's being put in?

It needs to be to where we look at and say, you know what?

I need to get my foundation dug deeper.

I need to get stronger in this area of the mind of Christ.

Look back at Philippians real quick.

Are you with me still?

Philippians.

And look what it says here.

And this is kind of a tough one.

Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

You see, the idea is though God wants his house on solid foundation, and he wants that foundation dug deep.

And he wants it to be when the storm and the winds and the rains and the tragedies of this life comes.

He wants that house to stand.

And it has a lot to do with our attitudes and our opinions.

Have you ever had someone say to you, Well, what do you think about this?

And you say, Well, the Bible says.

And they say, Well, what do you think about this?

And you say, Well, the Bible says, and they say to you, Well, what do you say?

And you say, I say what the Bible says.

Well, what do you think?

I think what the Bible says is true.

Well, can't you have your own opinion?

No.

Amen.

In fact, I'm trying to get rid of my opinion.

I want God's opinion.

I want Christ's opinion.

Amen?

Look what he says in verse 8.

Finally, brethren.

Whatsoever things are what?

Say it.

Come on, everybody.

Whatsoever things are, whatsoever things are.

Whatsoever things are of if there be any what?

If there be any, then he says this.

Those ought to be your thoughts.

Now you know what?

Every once in a while, it's good to analyze our thought life and say, okay, what am I thinking about?

Am I thinking about things that are true and honest and just and pure and lovely?

Things that are of a good report.

Not, you know, just the constant negative stuff.

Do you hear what so-and-so did?

I'm thinking on things of a good report right now.

I don't have time for that.

Did you hear what so-and-so did?

You know what?

I'm cutting into the good report room today.

Is there anything I can do about it?

Well, no, but you should know.

Well, I mean, I'll I'll just think about, I'll think about a good report today.

There'd be any virtue if there'd be any praise.

You know what?

That'll get through you, get us through a lot of problems.

True, honest, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtue, praise.

Hey, have you ever listened to the conversation that what's going around your home?

Would this be the category that most of the conversation falls in?

I mean, I'm just talking about the general conversation around the home, what people are talking about.

You say, well, I'm single and and there's not much conversation in my home.

Well, you're in a good shape.

And then I would ask you this: what kind of conversation are you having with yourself in your mind?

But if you ever listen in the home, it's a good place to find out what kind of attitude and what kind of, if you would, personality does our home have?

Let me take it up another step.

Have you ever listened to what's going on in the ministry?

Or in the church?

You know the attitude and atmosphere of our church should be more conversation about things that are true and honest and just and pure and lovely and good report and virtue and praise.

That ought to be the things that predominate our conversation.

Now you say, well, don't you take care of problems?

Yeah, you have to.

But may I say to you, it seems like to me the negative ought to be the exception, not the rule.

Hey, if we were a church that's just constantly murmuring and complaining about this and that, and this is bad, and that's what and this is one of the bad.

Our house is built on shifting foundations.

Now, wait a minute.

We believe in Christ.

I understand that.

But our attitudes have not been dug deep enough to where some of those negative things are more the exception rather than the rule.

Hey, I'm a child out of here.

Someone got saved.

Amen.

Someone's getting baptized.

So-and-so got their heart right.

So-and-so's going to start working in this ministry.

What do you mean you shield them from some of that junk?

Amen.

Absolutely.

Hey, how many of you work in the military in a in a department or division or shop or something like that?

Come on.

Now, I don't have a lot of experience in a lot of different businesses, but I know in the military, you know what shop talks like a lot of times?

I mean, it it can tear away moral, morality.

The moral, the the moral welfare, the attitude.

I've been in business before.

Sometimes in business in the lunchroom.

Oh, really good for morale.

You hear about so-and-so and this and this.

It's one thing that stuff happened in the world.

It's another thing it happened in our homes.

Come on, talk to me.

It's another thing happening in our cars.

Come on, I'm for you.

I'm with you.

You're looking at me like, come on.

It's a good message.

Let me say it again.

You say, no, it's not.

Yes, it's a good message.

No, it's a bad message.

It's a good message.

Change your opinion.

How do I know it's a good message?

Because it's got a lot of Bible.

That's right.

Amen.

And I've not twisted anything out of the book.

It's something that says, no, it's not a good message.

Now, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.

Good messages don't always just make us feel good.

Sometimes good messages make us feel like, ooh.

And then we get right, then we feel better.

We change some things.

We go back and we say, God, would you change this in me?

Last week I was asking God to change an area of my personality.

What do you mean?

I mean, I've seen a weakness recently that I don't like.

That's not right.

It's not godly.

I didn't see it to the extent, but it's been there for a while.

And now it's become very, very clear to me.

And rather than doing this, I'm going to change.

I'm going to change.

I'm going to change.

I'm going to change.

I think I can.

I think I can.

I think I can.

I think I can.

That doesn't work.

Better to fall on your knees and say, God, you've changed so much in me.

Would you take care of this area too?

And work on me.

Now, my wife may say, let me add to the list.

But it's Christ reshaping our attitudes, our opinions, our thought process, and therefore then it changes our actions.

You thought I forgot, but I didn't.

Now I want you to see John 16.

Last scripture.

You're doing well.

I'm watching the time, so you don't have to.

I've got I've got about four minutes and I'm finished.

I'm supposed to be finished.

John 16.

And I know this one last scripture.

It may be, boy, you had me until you turn to that last one.

You need to see this.

You need to see this.

Now look to your left and look to your right and make sure those houses are still, the lights are on.

And you know by this time the doors should be open too.

Amen?

And look at John 16 and watch this.

And this is the key, I think, to the whole message.

Look at verse 33.

These things I have spoken to you, that in me ye might have what?

Peace.

Say it again.

Peace.

In the world ye shall have what?

Tribulation.

What does that mean?

Trouble.

Hey, God didn't say it was going to be a bed of roses.

He said, you brethren down there, you children, in that world there's going to be trouble.

Hey, why would he tell us to build our house on a firm foundation and dig it deep so it couldn't be shook?

He knows there's going to be the winds.

He knows there's going to be the earthquakes.

He knows there's going to be the rainstorms and the flood.

He knows there's going to be trials and trouble and tribulations.

Man's born under trouble.

The sparks fly.

In the world, ye shall have tribulation.

But look what it says.

But be of what?

Say it?

Good cheer.

Why?

Then he says this I have what?

Overcome the world.

You know what that statement says?

I overcame all those tribulations.

I overcame all those troubles.

I was tempted in all points like you, yet I was without sin.

I overcame it all.

I overcame rejection.

I overcame being lying about.

I overcame having someone that had a misperception about me and slandering me.

I overcame all the tragedies of this world.

I overcame the pain of what goes on in your body.

I overcame everything.

I overcame this world.

And why is that something that we should be of good cheer about?

Because the one that overcame this world is in us.

His attitude that overcame can be our attitude.

Oh, but I'm just, I'm just so torn up over this situation.

I'm telling you, with the attitude in the mind of Christ, you can overcome it.

Depends on how deep you've dug.

It won't work this way.

I'll put it under my pillow.

It won't work.

I mean, pick up your hands, cross your leg, look like a pretzel, it won't work.

It won't work.

The radio talk show host, Have humanism, will only put a temporary band-aid on the way you feel.

This book and the Holy Spirit of God and understanding and saturating ourselves will change our personality.

First has to be salvation.

First, the Spirit must come and take his abode through repentance.

Amen.

If you've never trusted Christ as Savior, you're not on the rock yet.

You're not on the right foundation yet.

If you have already, that doesn't mean, okay, now he's in me, that's it.

Let me say that again.

That doesn't mean now I got saved, now he's in me, that's it.

That means now he's going to encourage us to study about him and read about him and reshape us and reshape our opinions and our thoughts and our attitudes.

He wants to be formed in us.

Please look up here.

We don't have to be in bondage to depression.

Amen.

We don't have to be in bondage to fear.

Fear comes sometimes, but it can be the exception, not the rule.

Depression comes sometimes, but it can be the exception and not the rule.

And you'll say, you know what?

I don't like to be yelled at.

Okay, all right.

Sorry.

Fear may come sometime.

But we don't have to live in it under bondage.

It can be the exceptional time.

A couple days, a day, an hour.

And then gone.

The Bible says if we're born of God, that we've already got the victory through our faith.

1 John 5, 4.

We all get fearful sometimes.

We all get tense.

We all get stressed once in a while.

We all have maybe a little time of impatience or depression or whatever.

But please look up here.

The more we get the personality of Christ in us, the more we can walk over the top of it.

And walk on that water, literally, and walk over the storms.

But there's something on our part we have to do.

Dig deep.

Get in that book.

Christian adult education that we just passed out, you know what that's all about?

Digging a little deeper.

You say, well, what will it cost?

Some of your time.

Well, what will I learn?

Just strengthen your foundation.

Make you more like Christ.

Well, how do I know that?

You don't.

Give it a try.

See, every once in a while, brother, it's good for us to say, what am I doing with my time?

How much am I studying?

How much am I in preaching?

How much am I fellowshipping with his word?

Now I realize you have jobs, you have things, you have hobbies, you have all that.

But please look up here.

What God wants his house is to be built on a solid foundation and dig deep.

And his personality come in and transform.

Throw mine out, put his in.

Until Christ be formed in you.

And we can have that peace on a more steady basis.

We'll have tribulations.

But he said, verse 33, look at it.

Be of what?

Good cheer.

How cheery are you today?

I asked, I was asked three or four people as I was coming in today.

They said, How you feeling today, preacher?

How you doing today?

I said, It's Sunday.

I don't have a choice.

Let me say it again.

I had three people ask me.

How you doing today, preacher?

I said, it's Sunday.

What do you mean?

It's Sunday.

I don't have a choice.

See, how am I feeling today?

Ever feel that way?

Sure.

But it's Sunday.

And I'm supposed to be an overcomer.

And Monday.

And Tuesday.

And Wednesday.

Thursday.

Friday.

Saturday morning.

Sometimes we have to forget about how we feel.

And think, how am I supposed to feel?

And then let Christ put that in us.

And stop worried about how we're feeling.

Better yet, Lord, I'm feeling kind of down today.

Could you please help me?

Lord, I'm feeling a little fearful today.

Could you please put your personality in me?

Lord, I'm feeling a little weak today and discouraged.

Could you please put your personality in me?

Can I be partakers of your divine nature today?

And please look up here and I finish with this statement.

I have felt depressed before.

I have felt overwhelmed before.

I have been fearful and doubting before.

I've been discouraged before.

I've been proud before.

I've had all those just like you have.

But I find this out.

Given enough time and enough Bible, enough prayer, God can take care of them all.

All of it.

All of it.

Better than pills, better than drugs.

His personality is the greatest therapy I know.

His personality flooding into our souls can relieve us from so many things that the psychologists tell us we can never get over.

It's impossible.

Best thing to tell us.

Psychologists is listen, I might as well tell you right up front, I am a schizophrenic.

There's two of me in here.

One is after Christ and one isn't.

One is old, one is new.

One is carnal, one is spiritual.

One is Jekyll, one is Hyde.

Which one do you want to talk to?

He'll leave you alone.

It's great to be a Christian watching God change us on a solid foundation.

The winds may blow, the waves may overflow, we may feel overwhelmed, but the greatest thing about it is Christ is always where we are, ready and willing to help us.

Let's dig a little deeper and be what we're supposed to be for God.

If you can use some help in that area, we'd love to be able to try and help you.

Well, it sounds like you got it all together, preacher.

Oh no.

Oh no, I don't have it all together.

He's still working on forming himself in me also.

Would you bow your heads?

Close your eyes just for a moment.

How many would say, preacher, just point blank, I think I need to dig a little deeper and dig my foundations a little firmer.

And try to work harder to get his mind in me, or yield myself to him so he can put more of his mind in me and form himself more in me.

Probably I do need that.

Would you slip up your hand and say that's me good?

Brethren, let's all stand.

Let's all stand.

Don't leave, please, out of courtesy.

My apologies for getting a little intense at times.

But Jesus cried aloud.

And sometimes some of the things that being said from this word, it's hard to restrain without wanting to cry aloud so it's heard.

Now some of us need to do this and realize something.

I can't change myself in that area.

Whatever it is, patience or lust, maybe it's maybe it's depression or fear.

Lord, I want you to know I can't change myself in that area, but I believe you can change me.

Lord, would you put your personality in me?

Would you transform me and would you help me to dig deeper?

May your mind, what's in your opinion, what's in your thought, what's in your attitude, be more what I think.

I want to become more like Christ.

Lord, crucify me.

And the life I now live in the flesh, I don't want to live it my way anymore.

It's not I.

It's you.

I want your mind.

I want your opinions.

I want your attitudes.

I want the peace of God that you have.

I want to overcome my situation through your help.

I want to be a good cheer, Lord.

Please.

I give myself to you, I yield myself to you, and I trust that you will begin to work on me in that area.

I'm trying to dig deeper.