Sermon

30 November 2025: Positioning yourself to hear the Spirit of God

The Way Church Podcast

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  1. Welcome to the podcast of the White Church in Adelaide, South

  2. Australia. Father, we come before your

  3. throne. We thank you.

  4. It's a throne of grace, unmerited, undeserved, and we

  5. are unworthy. But you love us.

  6. You'll never stop loving us. You give us shepherds, people to

  7. care for us, people to preach the word of God to us.

  8. And we thank you for David and Hillary, for the leadership in

  9. this church, for all the people in this church.

  10. And we ask that our ears will be opened by the Spirit of God,

  11. that you'll help us to hear what you want to say.

  12. We think of those words. He that has ears to hear, let

  13. him hear what the Spirit is saying.

  14. So bless and anoint David with a special anointing, anointing

  15. that breaks yokes and teaches us, builds us up, strengthens us

  16. at every level, encourages our faith and causes us to want to

  17. do more for you. We ask it in Jesus name with

  18. Thanksgiving. Amen.

  19. Thank you, Dudley. He who?

  20. Has ears to. Hear, let him hear What the.

  21. Spirit says to the churches. I'm glad that you.

  22. Said that because that's. In this message today, I'm

  23. believing that like we're going to experience that today.

  24. I know that the Lord wants to speak.

  25. To us. Today I know that he's got

  26. things that he wants to deposit into our hearts and like.

  27. It's it's really up to us if we're.

  28. Open for him to do that and a lot of what this message is

  29. going to be sort of around these things today.

  30. You know, we want to. We want to know.

  31. The word of God. Like we want to, we believe.

  32. That this is the word of God, His Bible is is truth, we.

  33. Believe that we want to live by that.

  34. We want this church to be a church that holds to this.

  35. And lives by his words. In an uncompromising way in

  36. just. A way that goes.

  37. You know what, If it's in your word, then I would submit.

  38. To your word because. When we're submitting to His

  39. Word, we're not just submitting to the words on this page.

  40. We are submitting to Him as Lord.

  41. This is what it means to submit to the Word.

  42. Of God. And we want to be.

  43. A church that does. That we want to be.

  44. A people that do that, and I hope that for all.

  45. Of us in this room, we want to do that.

  46. We want to submit. To to the Lord as God and

  47. follow. His ways and do the things that

  48. he's calling us to do, you know? Israel had the scriptures.

  49. You know they didn't have the New Testament.

  50. Scriptures. But they had the scriptures.

  51. They had the old. Testament scriptures and they

  52. still. Follow.

  53. They still failed to follow. Him, which is interesting, isn't

  54. it? God made a people raised up a

  55. nation and gave them his word and they still weren't unable to

  56. follow him. They still.

  57. Fell short of that. And I just want you to keep that

  58. in mind as we go through the message today.

  59. Because we have the word of God today.

  60. But does that guarantee that we're going to?

  61. Follow it does that. Guarantee that we're going to

  62. walk in it and we're going to see the things.

  63. Of God outworked. In US and through US it doesn't.

  64. They had. It we have it.

  65. Just keep that in mind. You know the words of God, the

  66. the the scripture, the Bible. It's not just words on a page.

  67. We need those words to. Be.

  68. Living and active in our hearts. We need the Word to to be in our

  69. hearts that we would draw upon like a well that's in our hearts

  70. to be led by him, to hear him clearly.

  71. And that's what the New Covenant has done.

  72. As I said, Israel had the word of God, but it was.

  73. Outward the new covenant is is God putting the Word of God in

  74. your hearts? He's taking a.

  75. Flesh of a heart of. Stone and he's giving.

  76. You, a heart of flesh. Jeremiah, 3133.

  77. Says. I'll put my law in their minds.

  78. And I'll. Write it on their hearts.

  79. And I'll be their God. And they shall be my people.

  80. This was a promise given to believers, that a promise to

  81. come. I will put my Lord in their

  82. minds, but not only in their minds.

  83. I'll write it upon their hearts. And this is a promise fulfilled

  84. in Christ. He is, you know, our bodies.

  85. Are a. Temple for the Holy.

  86. Spirit. This is what the Word teaches.

  87. And so Christ dwelling in our hearts is the fulfillment of

  88. that. Scripture, it's your heart being

  89. filled with the Lord. Amen.

  90. Do we believe that today? Do we believe that you've.

  91. Come from having a heart of stone to having a heart.

  92. Of flesh that the spirit of the. Living God lives in you.

  93. Because that's what a believer. Is that's what it means.

  94. To be saved the. The language of salvation is is

  95. black and white. It's like you come from death to

  96. life. You come from darkness.

  97. To light. It's a huge.

  98. Transformation that takes place when you are born again.

  99. Think of that born again, the language of the.

  100. Scripture is clear. There's a.

  101. Huge transformation that takes place when you're saved, when

  102. you're born again, when you, when you take on the.

  103. Lord as your Lord and. Savior.

  104. And there's a That's what happens in your heart.

  105. Something changes in you. You are changed from the inside

  106. out. And that's the.

  107. Advantage that we have in Christ.

  108. Today over those that were. Living under the old covenant, I

  109. just want to look at Moses for a moment.

  110. Moses was the first leader of Israel of the nation of.

  111. Israel, the Lord. Used Moses to to bring them out

  112. of Egypt. And the Lord used Moses.

  113. To give them the word of God in the 10 commandments and so

  114. forth. Moses was a faithful guide.

  115. It says that he was. The most humble of all men.

  116. When I get into that, I don't know.

  117. It doesn't matter who wrote it. Moses was a humble man.

  118. That's the truth, right? But he failed.

  119. In his end, he fell. Why disobedience when you read?

  120. The story of Moses. In numbers 20 it.

  121. Says that the the Lord. Gives him instructions.

  122. This is what the Lord instructs Moses.

  123. He says speak to the rock before their eyes.

  124. And it will. Yield its water.

  125. Thus you shall bring water from them out of the rock.

  126. So that was the commandment that the Lord gave to Moses.

  127. Go and speak to the rock, and give them water.

  128. So Moses goes, and this is what he says to them.

  129. He says. Listen up, Rebels here.

  130. Rebels. Right, he's angry.

  131. And he says. Must we bring water for you out

  132. of? This rock, he's frustrated.

  133. Right. And Moses lifts his hand and

  134. strikes. The rock with his rod.

  135. Twice and outcomes the water abundantly and the congregation

  136. and the animals drink now. Moses was close to God.

  137. It says that Moses, you know he. Had the word of.

  138. God, it says that Moses spoke. Face to face with the Lord God.

  139. Actually makes a point of saying you know, I've spoken to.

  140. The prophets in a certain. Way, but not Moses.

  141. Moses I've spoken to face to face, and Moses has a special

  142. relationship with the Lord. But God's Word was still

  143. outside. Of Moses.

  144. You know Moses. What Moses lacked.

  145. Is the thing that Jesus brings for you and I and that's.

  146. The word of God. Living inside of us isn't that

  147. amazing. That is as amazing as it was for

  148. Moses. To.

  149. Go up the mountain. To see.

  150. God, in a way. You know to for the.

  151. Glory of Him to. For his face to.

  152. Shine, because he's been before the Lord.

  153. All these things. You look at that and you just

  154. go, wow, imagine being Moses. How cool would it be to be Moses

  155. and to know? The Lord like that.

  156. Well, you and I are in a better covenant.

  157. We can know the. Lord, in a better way.

  158. Than Moses did. Do we believe that?

  159. I don't. I don't know that we do.

  160. I think that when we read the Old Testament and see the signs

  161. and the wonders and see the amazing things that God did.

  162. I feel like we think that if we could just.

  163. See those things? Then we would know that.

  164. We were close to God. But this is not.

  165. What the scripture teaches. We are in a better covenant.

  166. It's better. For us to have.

  167. God living inside us. So Jesus.

  168. Let's just talk about Jesus for a moment.

  169. We should talk about Jesus more. Let's talk about Jesus for a

  170. moment. So Jesus exampled what?

  171. Moses. Lacked right.

  172. Yes, Jesus. Humbled himself?

  173. Yes, Jesus put aside his own will, John. 638 says.

  174. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will,

  175. but to do the will of Him who sent me.

  176. That's pretty amazing. Jesus is putting his own will.

  177. Aside to do the Father's will, yes, but.

  178. Jesus, it was more than that. Jesus had the word of God.

  179. In his heart, John 114 says, And the Word became flesh, and dwelt

  180. among us, and we beheld his. Glory, The glory as of the.

  181. Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, the Word become

  182. flesh. So I'm not saying that, you

  183. know, I'm not just saying that. Jesus had the word of God in his

  184. heart. Jesus was the word of God all

  185. right. Jesus had the word of God in his

  186. heart. Jesus was the word of God.

  187. He. The word was with him.

  188. Everywhere that he. Went Jesus was empowered.

  189. By the Spirit of the Lord, so the Spirit.

  190. Came upon him Jesus. Was actually born of the Spirit,

  191. right? Jesus was not born of the seed

  192. of men. Jesus was born of the Holy.

  193. Spirit. Jesus had the Spirit.

  194. Of God living inside him. Jesus was led by the Spirit of

  195. God, but the Spirit of God. Didn't do it all for him.

  196. We said, we read that Jesus was yielded to the God's will.

  197. That means that the Spirit didn't just take over Jesus body

  198. and make him. Do the will of the the Father

  199. Jesus still. Had to give himself over.

  200. To to God's will, it says that he was.

  201. Tempted in all the same ways that you and I attempted.

  202. I don't think we grasp that. I think that we think that.

  203. Just because. The temptation is really hard

  204. that God understands. That we've we'd get it.

  205. Wrong. Jesus was tempted in all the

  206. same way as you and I, but without sin.

  207. That says to me that it's possible to overcome sin.

  208. By the spirit of. God, not by your flesh.

  209. By the Spirit of God, that's. Living in US.

  210. Jesus held God's Spirit. In high regard he made much of

  211. God the Father. The Jesus knew the ultimate

  212. authority and. Then he lived by that Jesus knew

  213. that God. Was the ultimate authority

  214. always, no matter what, and he lived that way, and he heard

  215. from God, and he listened to God, and he.

  216. Followed the the Father's steps always do.

  217. You know that God not only commands us, you know it not

  218. only gives us 2 commands to follow.

  219. We know that God commands us right?

  220. We know that Jesus commands. We've got the word of.

  221. God, Jesus makes commandments in here, His word.

  222. When Jesus speaks, you know what it is.

  223. When Jesus tells you to do something, do you know what it

  224. is? It's a commandment because he's.

  225. God, right? It's like it's not optional when

  226. Jesus says you know when. Jesus said to his disciples.

  227. I want you just to go over there and you know there's going to be

  228. a donkey tied up and all these. He wasn't suggesting, hey, maybe

  229. just do that. He was giving them a command and

  230. they knew that they they were under.

  231. His authority, so they. Went and they did.

  232. But God has an expectation for obedience from us.

  233. Do we understand that? God expects his people.

  234. To be obedient to Him, to follow Him.

  235. If Jesus has called us to follow.

  236. Him. Do you think that Jesus has an

  237. expectation that we would follow him?

  238. He does. So there's I'm going to talk

  239. about this for a moment, Jesus. That that God.

  240. Has an expectation for obedience.

  241. Following God's word is not optional for us.

  242. It's not. If we feel like it, we are

  243. believers. We are.

  244. Sons and daughters of the King, we call him Lord.

  245. Why do you call me Lord if you don't do the things I say?

  246. It's not optional. For us to follow the.

  247. Lord and his commands. He expects us to be.

  248. Holy and set apart that that is a good thing that we to be holy

  249. and set apart is a wonderful thing.

  250. And we think that like, you know, oh God's, just, you know.

  251. I have to be holy. I have to be set apart like it's

  252. some. Burden on us.

  253. It's a good thing to be set. Apart to be holy.

  254. For him, and God expects that from us.

  255. And God has made every provision.

  256. For us to do that. There's every provision in.

  257. Place for us to hear the Spirit of God for us to be led.

  258. By him. For us to walk worthy.

  259. Of him, everything that needed to be given to you and I.

  260. To be able to walk. This thing out well God has done

  261. through his Son, through the Holy Spirit, which is an amazing

  262. thing. We can be led by him.

  263. We can work, walk worthy of Him. You know, like so.

  264. So the. Early church is established and.

  265. You know. Jesus goes, and he's seated on

  266. the right hand of the Father, and the Holy Spirit comes and

  267. the and the. Church the early church in.

  268. Acts like when you read. The early church.

  269. The early. Chapters in Acts.

  270. The church is doing really well. They're they're doing really

  271. well. They're following the Lord the

  272. the the power of God is. Moving powerfully in in the

  273. church, but you don't have to get far when you start to see

  274. things get a little. Shaky I.

  275. Want to just bring your attention?

  276. To the story Story of. Ananias and Sapphira we don't.

  277. Really like to talk about this story because it's it's the

  278. church. It's like believers.

  279. That you know, they they. Lie to to Peter, they lie to the

  280. apostles. And Peter calls them out and he

  281. says. You'll actually be.

  282. Lying to the Lord, right? They sell some land, they bring

  283. in the offering. And I think what's going on, I

  284. believe what's going on is, is that they're giving their

  285. offering and they're saying here we've sold our land.

  286. Here is all that that we've gotten from this land and that

  287. we're giving it to God. We're giving it to the apostles.

  288. Do what we rule. With it and Peter.

  289. Through the Holy. Spirit is going hang on a

  290. second. You're lying.

  291. You're not giving it all. You're making it seem like

  292. you're giving it all, but you're not.

  293. And so anyway, this story. Unfolds God kills these people.

  294. The Holy Spirit kills them. And they die, right?

  295. And it's for lying. And I think to myself, I just

  296. go, Lord, Oh my goodness. I've seen some pretty shady

  297. things going on in the church. We've heard some pretty horrific

  298. things going on in the church. Why isn't God striking it all

  299. down and and killing it? And I've been pondering that.

  300. I've been thinking about that because that seems harsh to me

  301. that someone could lie. Well, what didn't?

  302. Jesus, pay the price. For our sins.

  303. So anyway, I'm thinking about that and maybe there's an answer

  304. to this question because I've had this question when I, when I

  305. came to the church, when I started being involved in the

  306. church. I've got this question in my

  307. heart. It's why don't we see the same

  308. power and the same signs and wonders and and you know the.

  309. Spirit of God. Moving with power like I read in

  310. the scriptures in the early church and I wonder is the.

  311. Church really set apart. The same way.

  312. That the early church was. Are we completely given over?

  313. To this thing. Is she a holy and spotless

  314. bride? Are we in this world but not of?

  315. This world, could you truly say that?

  316. The Church, the body of believers.

  317. Are operating separate to the world in God's systems, not the

  318. world's systems. I don't know that we could.

  319. Maybe that's the answer to this question.

  320. Why don't we see? The power of God moving like we

  321. would read in these scriptures. And it's happening.

  322. Don't get me wrong. There's there's things going on

  323. around our world. God is moving, God is building,

  324. God is doing amazing things. But I want to see what I see in

  325. scripture. And so I wonder.

  326. Is it possible that? The church doesn't look the same

  327. today because we've become worldly because we're not no

  328. longer set apart for him. Completely.

  329. We're set apart. For him a bit.

  330. I don't know that you could. Be set apart a bit if I set

  331. aside. Some money for something and I

  332. go, I'm setting that fat 50 bucks, I'm setting that money

  333. aside, that's for this. And then I start spending it for

  334. something else. Was that money set apart for

  335. something or not? I don't think it was.

  336. So maybe God's not, you know, you know.

  337. As he did with Sapphira. And Ananias, you know, just

  338. wedding out the unrighteousness killing, you know the.

  339. Liar. Maybe there'd.

  340. Be no church left. If you did that today, right,

  341. that's a scary thought. We laugh like we like.

  342. And we, you know, it is funny. I don't know if it is, but

  343. anyway, it's not funny. Because like we serve a holy

  344. God, we're called to be a set apart bride.

  345. We're called to be spotless. He's you know Jesus is coming

  346. for a spotless bride, right? That means that we need to be

  347. set apart and holy and you'll just run into this if.

  348. You read the scripture, you'll read.

  349. That God has made this. Very clear that we need to be

  350. set apart. And God's not the one that's.

  351. Supposed to pull us over. And make.

  352. Us do all the right. Things like I said before, it

  353. wasn't the holy. Spirit that forced Jesus.

  354. To walk holy and righteous. It was Jesus's willingness to

  355. lay down his life and serve the Lord and be led.

  356. By the Holy Spirit that. Kept him holy and blameless.

  357. I want to turn our attention to the letters.

  358. That Paul writes to the. Corinthian Church, listen to

  359. this. I'm just.

  360. Talking about how the church. Just sort of gradually just gets

  361. further and further away from being set apart and holy listen

  362. to what, Paul? Has to write.

  363. One Corinthians 5, first five. It's actually reported that

  364. there is sexual. Immorality among you that Such

  365. immorality that is not even named among Gentiles.

  366. It's not even out in the world. Guys, the things that's going on

  367. in the church, you won't even find those things out there.

  368. Do you see what he's saying? It's like, guys, what are we

  369. doing? We're.

  370. Supposed to be set. Apart we've become worldly, so

  371. there's correction that that's been needed.

  372. What about 1 John? 1 John?

  373. 21 John is just like I can't read 1 John without, you know,

  374. wondering whether I'm actually in the church.

  375. Anyway, 1 John 2 verse 3 it says now by this we know that we know

    1 John 2:3

  376. him. This.

  377. By this we know. We know him.

  378. If we keep his. Commandments.

  379. He who says I know him and does not keep his commandments is a

  380. liar, and the truth is not in him.

  381. That's pretty. Jarring, isn't it?

  382. Isn't it? I'm just trying to.

  383. Highlight to. You the the seriousness.

  384. Of the. Scriptures when it comes to

  385. following him and being set apart.

  386. And then we come to. Perhaps the scariest of all for

  387. the scriptures written to the churches.

  388. You know where we find that revelation?

  389. Jesus writes letters. To the churches.

  390. And this is like the bookend of the.

  391. Bible this is like. The end revelation is.

  392. Last book of the Bible. You'll find these things in

  393. Genesis. You'll find the things that I'm

  394. saying in every book in between. When we get to.

  395. Revelation. Jesus.

  396. Writes letters specifically to the.

  397. Churches and Jesus draws a line right down the middle.

  398. Of the church, and he says those.

  399. That are on one side. That are my followers that are.

  400. Overcomers and those that are on the other side, and you'll see.

  401. I'm going to read some of this stuff.

  402. Revelation 2. I'm just going to pick some

  403. verses out and this is the. From the letter to the Church of

  404. Ephesus. Remember therefore where you

  405. have. Fallen repent and do the first

  406. works. Or else.

  407. I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its

  408. place unless you repent. He's talking to the churches and

  409. he's saying unless you repent, unless you turn from the way

  410. you're going, I'll remove the lampstand.

  411. That should be a scary. Thing the church is a lampstand

  412. that God plants I will remove. It he says.

  413. He who has an ear, let him hear what the.

  414. Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes?

  415. To him who overcomes. I will give to eat.

  416. From the tree of life which is in the midst.

  417. Of the paradise of God. To him who overcomes writing to

  418. the churches, Smyrna, be faithful unto death.

  419. I will give you the crown of life.

  420. He who has an ear, let him hear what the.

  421. Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be

  422. hurt by the second death. Do you know what the second

  423. death is? The second death is hell.

  424. It's like eternal damnation, right?

  425. We're all going to die. Those who?

  426. Are written in the book. Of life are saved forever those

  427. who are not. Second death.

  428. So Jesus is writing a letter. To the churches.

  429. And he's saying those who overcome will not be hurt by the

  430. second death. I don't need to keep reading

  431. these. Right, like there's there's so.

  432. Many things that Jesus says. To those who.

  433. Overcome. I'll give you a crown.

  434. I'll you'll eat from the tree. Of life you.

  435. You know you will be with me forever, all of these things to

  436. those who don't, the second death, you know, I'll remove my

  437. lamp stand. There's a lion that Jesus draws

  438. through the middle of the church, and he says.

  439. Those that are truly. Following me those who are

  440. overcoming, those who I have an ear to hear that are listening

  441. to what the. Spirit of God.

  442. Says they are being they are following him for their life.

  443. The way that Jesus did, those people, the other people, they

  444. have their place. Somewhere else?

  445. Why am I saying all? This just because you go to

  446. church? Just because.

  447. You've been in a church your whole life.

  448. Just because you tell your. Friends and you tell everyone

  449. that you are a. Follower of.

  450. Jesus does not mean that you are an overcomer according to

  451. Jesus's words, not according to me.

  452. I don't get to choose who's in and who's out.

  453. Jesus does right? And His word says those who

  454. overcome, those who listen to the Spirit.

  455. Of the Lord. Amen.

  456. That should be challenging. That's a challenging word.

  457. For us as a church, it should be.

  458. It should stir us. Into thinking.

  459. About the sort of lives that we live.

  460. And and being given over to His ways.

  461. Amen. So we.

  462. Want to be a church that hears the Spirit of God.

  463. We want to be a church that. Walks by the.

  464. Spirit of God, Who here would like to hear the Spirit of God

  465. more? Clearly, I want to hear from God

  466. more clearly for my life, for this church, for my family.

  467. I want to hear what God's saying clearer.

  468. I think we all do, right? Can I ask another?

  469. Question. What would you be?

  470. Willing to give up? To hear clearer.

  471. Would you be willing to give up your?

  472. Sleep. Would you be willing to give up

  473. your money? Would you be willing to give up

  474. your time? Would you be willing to set?

  475. Apart. Set aside.

  476. Some things to hear from. Would you be willing at all to

  477. give up anything to hear him clearer?

  478. Or would you just? Be not willing at all, because

  479. ultimately. Like the the choice is ours.

  480. To be willing or not willing. I said before that Moses spoke

  481. to God. Face to face, but.

  482. Then the problem with Moses is Moses had to turn his back on

  483. God and go back down the mountain, right?

  484. That was the problem because the.

  485. Spirit of God like. God was with him and he said he

  486. was with him. But Moses would sit before God

  487. and God would speak and he, Moses would listen, but then

  488. Moses would have to go away. You know when most when God said

  489. to Moses, go and speak? To the rock.

  490. Moses was like, all right. Cool, got it.

  491. Got it. And then, then, then he had to

  492. walk through the Israelites, right And.

  493. Then he had to see like these people that had just.

  494. Been so disobedient and just complain and whinge about.

  495. I wonder how many people grabbed at Moses.

  496. While he was on his. Way and complained and asked him

  497. to do something or whatever and by the time that Moses.

  498. Got there. He was so frustrated.

  499. That he just grabbed his stuff and he just hit the rock.

  500. But not us, not us. God in us.

  501. The hope of. Glory.

  502. That means something to us, John 617 says.

  503. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage

  504. that I go away for if I go. Away the.

  505. Helper will come the helper. Sorry.

  506. For if I do not. Go away the helper.

  507. Will not come to you. But if I depart.

  508. I will send him to you. If Jesus stayed.

  509. In Jerusalem, we would have to go to Jerusalem and line up.

  510. To hear what God's. Saying it'd be a pretty long

  511. line, right? So he's saying it's better.

  512. For for you that I go, because the Holy Spirit.

  513. Will come and then he will speak.

  514. Directly into your heart. That's the new covenant.

  515. It's a powerful. Covenant.

  516. It doesn't leave us alone, ever. The Holy Spirit is never not.

  517. With you to give you. Counsel to help you, to

  518. strengthen you in your temptations, all of these things

  519. he's never he will never leave you alone or forsake you.

  520. But we have to position. Ourselves to hear the Holy

  521. Spirit. Jesus positioned himself that's.

  522. Really. This is really the.

  523. Point of what I'm saying today, that Jesus positioned himself.

  524. To hear the Lord. And if Jesus being born of the.

  525. Holy Spirit full of the Holy Spirit.

  526. Never tainted by sin. Never.

  527. LED astray. If he had to position himself to

  528. hear how much more you and I and so I.

  529. Asked us what would be? What would be we?

  530. What would we be willing? To give up.

  531. I've read this to us before, but Mark one verse 32 says.

  532. This is of Jesus, it says at. Evening The sun had set and they

  533. brought to him so it's gotten dark.

  534. They brought to him all the sick, and the demon possessed,

  535. and the whole. City was gathered towards the

  536. door. Then he healed.

  537. Many who were. Sick in various diseases.

  538. And cast out many demons. And he did not allow the demons

  539. to speak, but they knew him now in the morning, having risen

  540. long. Before daylight, he.

  541. Went out and. Departed to a solitary place.

  542. And he? Prayed Jesus had a.

  543. Late night serving Jesus was up way before the sun was early to

  544. go and hear from the Lord. Jesus sacrificed his time.

  545. Jesus sacrificed his sleep. Jesus.

  546. Sacrificed everything to hear from the Lord.

  547. He knew how important it was. He knew that the.

  548. The call was so big that he had to be at God's.

  549. Feet listening to the Holy. Spirit.

  550. He had to be led by the Holy Spirit.

  551. I think that we. That the.

  552. Church has been deceived. I think that Satan has made us

  553. so worldly and distracted us and caught.

  554. Us up. In so many things that we we.

  555. Struggle to hear. The voice of God for ourselves.

  556. Now it's like maybe the only time you're ever going to hear

  557. from God is when you come into the meetings and you sit here

  558. and you're not thinking about anything else and the Word of

  559. God is being preached and you're attentive to the Lord.

  560. Maybe that's the only time we're hearing from Him.

  561. That's not enough, guys. The Lord wants us to have a

  562. genuine relationship with Him through His Holy Spirit every

  563. single. Day everywhere you go.

  564. He wants to be speaking and leading us.

  565. The Church is entertained by all of the same things that the

  566. world is. We have all.

  567. Of the same habits. We go to.

  568. Work with the same motivation. People go to work.

  569. To pay their bills and and like we do the same.

  570. It's just like I have. To go to work because I have to.

  571. Pay all my bills. You could look at work.

  572. Differently as a believer. You could go to work.

  573. To serve the king, you could make money.

  574. So that you could. Invest it in the Kingdom, you

  575. could make money. To to raise up a.

  576. Family to know him do you see what I'm saying you could switch

  577. the way that you think about everything your.

  578. Sleep pattern like our sleep. Patterns are the same as the

  579. world you got. To sleep your 8 hours.

  580. Like, do you see what I'm saying?

  581. Like we we anyway. We're just, we're so caught.

  582. Up in worldliness and I feel like what the Lord is saying to

  583. us as a. Church as a people, as the

  584. church. It's time for the church.

  585. To wake up and be set apart again and put aside worldliness

  586. and put aside the things of this world, and be attentive.

  587. To what the spirit of. God is saying Amen.

  588. So I want to I want to put out a bit of a challenge to.

  589. Us this week to sacrifice. Some of our time once, once this

  590. week. I know some of us.

  591. Do this already but. One time this week I'm going to

  592. challenge all of us. To set.

  593. Aside an hour, one whole. Hour.

  594. To turn off your phone to get away from people to.

  595. Isolate yourself. Somewhere and to just sit.

  596. With the Lord. And say, here I am, Lord, speak

  597. to me and let your mind settle, you know, because you will sit

  598. there and you will think of everything else.

  599. You will because this is what? We do you actually have to

  600. intensively say I'm just going to sit here until these.

  601. Voices are quiet. Lord help me seek.

  602. The Lord and say Lord, quiet the other voices.

  603. I want to hear. You.

  604. Your word says your word says that.

  605. We will know the shepherd's voice.

  606. Lord, I want to know your voice. So many voices in my head, so

  607. many voices in the world. I want to hear your voice.

  608. I want to set aside. One hour, you know I.

  609. Feel, I feel. Irreverent to God even saying

  610. that hey. Church we should set aside.

  611. One hour for God. I feel bad saying that.

  612. Because he's so worthy, he's. So much more worthy than one

  613. hour of my time being set apart for him.

  614. I feel bad saying it, but we've got to start somewhere, right?

  615. Because I don't think. I think if we're honest in our

  616. hearts, I think that putting aside one hour, turning your

  617. phone off, switching off the TV, turning off the radio, I think

  618. that that's going to be. Difficult because of the

  619. lifestyle that we live, because. Of the worldliness that we're

  620. caught up in. We've just we've framed our

  621. lives in a worldly. Way and.

  622. We're not being led. By the Spirit of God.

  623. For ourselves, we're relying on others to speak.

  624. To us, like what's God? Saying for my life, what's God

  625. saying for your? Life do.

  626. You know. Do you expect?

  627. Everyone else to know what the Lord's saying for your life.

  628. If you don't know the Lord wants to speak to us.

  629. So go and sit with him for one hour and ask him some questions.

  630. Here's a couple of questions you can ask.

  631. I would take a notepad and a pen.

  632. Why would you take a notepad and a pen?

  633. Because you're expecting that the Lord is going to speak.

  634. There's faith in that. You're saying I'm going to take

  635. a notepad and a pen and I'm going to.

  636. Expect for the Lord to. Tell me something and you can

  637. ask him, Lord, tell me something for me.

  638. Tell me something for my life, Lord, give me some guidance,

  639. something and you could say, Lord, give me a word for someone

  640. else. Speak to me for someone.

  641. Tell me that the people around me that have need.

  642. Give me something for someone, Lord, and you could say.

  643. Lord. Speak to me for the church, give

  644. me something for the church, Lord.

  645. And I'm expecting that when we come back together, we'll have

  646. something to share. I'm expecting that when we do

  647. this and when we. Realize that the Holy Spirit.

  648. Is with us and he. Does speak to us.

  649. Each and every one of us. And he does.

  650. Lead us. And he does.

  651. Want to have a real? Relationship with us.

  652. I believe that it will stir us. To want to do that more.

  653. That's the the the. Drawing of the.

  654. Holy Spirit to his. Church is saying come, come to

  655. me, come to to me who are heavy laden, come to me and I'll give

  656. you rest. And I feel like that.

  657. Now is the time for. This church, if the church.

  658. Isn't going to. Do it if the church, we are the

  659. church. If the church isn't going to.

  660. Seek God for what is. For his direction, for our city,

  661. for our community. For our world, for the lives of

  662. the lost. Around us, if the church isn't

  663. going to do that, who's going to do that?

  664. How's God going to make his will known if not through?

  665. The church. The church is God's will.

  666. It is his. Hands and feet here on the

  667. earth, and that means that there's.

  668. A job for us to do. Amen.

  669. Are we willing to do that? Would we be willing?

  670. If you are willing, let's stand together and let's just pray.

  671. Lord God. We thank you for your.

  672. Word. We thank you.

  673. That your word. Is not just words on a page.

  674. We thank you, Lord, that. Your spirit.

  675. Speaks to us in a. Real way and Lord, we pray that

  676. you. Would give us the strength, give

  677. us the leading, give us what we need to take that step of

  678. obedience. This week to set aside ourselves

  679. for. You for one hour, our Lord and

  680. Lord I. Pray, Lord God, I pray that you

  681. would speak, that you would direct us, Lord, that as we.

  682. Come back together next week. Lord, that we would have.

  683. Something to share with one another and that it would stir

  684. us up into the future. It would stir us up.

  685. Into this coming season for our lives and for the Church.

  686. For the Church of this. City.

  687. For the Church of Australia. And for the church around the

  688. globe. I pray you would stir us up

  689. Lord, to be led by you like. You led your son.

  690. Jesus, Lord, we, we, we see the way that he followed you.

  691. We see the way that he sacrificed.

  692. We see the way. That you made a way for.

  693. Us to follow you as you follow the Father.

  694. Lord, so empower us today, grip our hearts.

  695. Let us not forget, let us not be distracted.

  696. Away, I'll pray that you would quiet.

  697. Every voice of the enemy. That you would quiet every.

  698. Excuse that we want to lead us somewhere else in the name of

  699. Jesus. By the blood of Jesus, Lord.

  700. I speak health and life over every single person here.

  701. I pray that you would raise us up.

  702. I pray that you would. Heal us from our pains and and

  703. our sicknesses. Lord, I pray that you would.

  704. Empower us, Lord, for the work that we have.

  705. To be done this week in Jesus mighty name, Amen.

  706. Thank you for joining us for today's message.

  707. For more information about The Way Church, please visit

  708. Have a blessed day.