Your chance to avoid shallowness 23.07.23

Going amen. So the Bible says, let's go to the scripture, Mark

chapters four sixteen to seventeen March, Chapter four sixteen to seventeen, and likewise

are the ones sown on stony ground. So our focus and emphasis today is

the seeds that fell on stony grounds. And Jesus explained this parable that the

seed is the word of God. The seeds you saw that the farmer was

casting is the word of God. So in this case, I'm the farmer

and I'm speaking. So by speaking, I'm casting forth the seed, all

right. And the various types of soils that the seed fell on is your

heart, your heart's condition, you understand. Some people have stony hats,

some hats. They have hats where they are gravels. Some have hats that

look like pavements, very hard. Nothing enterests. It's only the things they

want to enter their heart that entests. Some have hats that are conducive,

like loamy soil that received the word and the word becomes fruitful to them.

Understand. There are some to that have hearts with soil conditions, that have

thorns in them. So they receive the word, all right, But the

thorns choke the Word out of their hearts. And so Jesus said, these

likewise are those ones sown on stony ground, who, when they hear the

word immediately receive it with gladness. So those with stony ground hats, they

receive the Word of God with gladness. They are usually the people who like

to shout in church, Amen, Hallelujah, Preacher on pastor tell them,

tell them, pastor tell them. But the Bible says they receive it with

gladness. Next verse, but seventeen, Now these are are we on eighteen?

No, seventeen yes, and says And they have no roots in themselves

because they fall on stony grounds. The seeds don't have roots in the ground

all right, and so they enjoy only for a short time. So like

you saw in the video, they grow very quickly. So those are the

people who you see them in church. They seem to be doing things,

you know, like how Christians should do things. They are like very zealous

for a season. Then all of a sudden you see that they stop sitting

in front. Then they will be moving to the back, and then they'll

start coming to church lates, and before you know it, they skip church

for like one month, then they'll be skipping. Why why year you've not

seeing the guy in church that start challenge is nine chge one year. Those

are their characteristics. I hope you understand. And so the Bible is saying

that they only enjoy are for a time. They only enjoy is when when

they come and we are doing dancing here they are Happydia the woman. We

start to teach them the word of God and the foolishness in their heart begins

to be exposed. Then they start moving to the back, and before we

know no, they disappear. So they enjoy only for a while. But

afterward, when persecution or tribulation arises for the sake of the word of God

in their hearts, immediately they stumble. What does it mean to stumble?

They fall down their backslide because of the shallowness of their hearts condition, Amen,

because of the shallowness of their heart condition. So today I'm going to

talk to you about shallowness and the reason why you need to avoid being shallow

as a Christian, because if you are shallow as a Christian, when persecution

and tribulation arises, you will fall. Amen. And so people with such

heart conditions they seem to be Christians, all right, But when they go

out with their friends to a worldly place and everybody is smoking, they will

also join them and smoke because of the shallowness of their heart condition. When

they go somewhere and they are dancing to worldly music they are doing, they

will do some and you wiven know that they are Christians. It's because of

the shallowness of their hearts condition. Can I hear an amen? Amen?

And so seven symptoms of shallowness in Christians. Number one a lack of the

knowledge of scripture. A lack of the knowledge of scripture, and so people

with the shallow heart condition because the word of God does not abide in them.

They don't have scripture. They know everything about everything, but they know

nothing about the scriptures. Amen. Because of the shallowness of their hearts,

they know nothing about the scriptures. And this is that number one true symptom

of a shallow Christian. They're always in church, they are shouting, they

are dancing, but they have no depths. They don't have roots because when

they hear the word of God, the word of God does not benefits them.

You can talk to them, they will seem to be receiving. So

now I'm very wary of people who are happy when I'm preaching. I don't

want to look at them again. I want to look at the people who

are sober, because maybe their hearts condition is better than those who are happy.

And they are cheerful because they are shallow. They're only showing us that

they are liking it. But when they leave, they're going to do the

thing you are saying they shouldn't do. I hope you understand. It's like

you go to the doctor and the doctor says, don't eat sugar you get

diabetes, and say, oh yes, oh yes, ow intuguar, intuguar.

But when you go home, you put your porridge down and you take

serving cubes of sugar and put it inside and eat and say, oh,

Charlie, this is nice. It's a sign and a symptom of shallowness.

Amen. And so please tell your neighbor for free, don't be a shallow

Christian. Amen. Shallow Christians are swayed by sensationalism. They are swayed by

trending things. They are swayed by where everybody is going, every new place

in town. They know every new song, worldly song they know. But

when you ask them about new Christian songs, they don't know. When you

ask them about scriptures that pertains to the issues of life, they don't know.

You understand. So the heart conta of shallowness is a stony ground.

They will receive the word with gladness, but when they leave and issues arise,

they will forget the word and the word will not benefits them again.

Amen. Number two symptoms of shallowness in Christians is inability to quote scriptures.

Since they were born up until now, they have not quoted one scripture in

their life before because they don't know the scriptures. When you ask them what

is written in John three sixteen, they will look at you because they don't

remember. Because when they go to school and everybody is saying John three sixteen,

they'll just use the amount of blah blah blah blah just passing through because

of shallowness. Amen. So Christians who are shallow do not have the habit

of quoting scripture. And the reason for that is that they lack a quiet

time with God. They lack time to study the Word of God. And

for anything you lack time to study, you will not remember. Can I

hear an Amen? And so shallow Christians, because they don't have their quiet

time, they don't have the ability to quote scripture. Amen. Quoting scripture

is different from knowing where things are in the Bible. Any Christian of depth

will be able to quote scriptures. Every Christian must have a version of the

Bible they quote from regularly. Do you understand you should have scriptures that you

quote to yourself regularly. You understand, so by having your quiet time every

day, you will write down one scripture that you remember all the time.

So when a situation comes about, you have a scripture that you can quote

regularly. Hope you understand. Yesterday I was wom a quiet time when reading

some three verse one to three, and then the verse three, David said,

Oh Lord, you are a shield about me. You are my glory

and the lifter up of my head. So I've committed it to my memory

that God is the only one who can lift up my head. And for

God to lift your head means that there will be no shame in your life.

Do you understand? People will walk with your head? Now are people

with shame. But if God lifts your head, there will be no shame

in your life. There will be no reproach in your life. I hope

you understand. So by committing that scripture to heart, I can quote it

when a situation arises, because I will not forget Amen. And so scripture

memorization is very important for you as a child of God. And if you

continuously and consistently have your quiet time, you will always remember a scripture.

How many of you remember that Satan came to tempt Jesus? How many of

you know that Satan is not afraid to come to church. Yes, devils

come to church. But how Jesus overcame Satan was by quoting the scripture.

He said, have you not head and have you not read that man shall

not live by bread alone? You understand? He said to Satan that shall

not tell the Lord that God he quoted scripture. So, as a child

of God, you need to quote scripture. You understand. I had a

friend of mine one where growing up. He used he's a pastor too.

He used to like fasting a lord. And those days at work will be

going for line to say, Gabby, you're not coming to eat. We

will be eating the foo foo and child he will just be sitting there in

one corner. They say oh, Charlika may eats concho. Then he say

man shall not live by bread alone. That was a scripture. Man shall

not live by bread alone, but by everywhere that proceeds out of the mouth

of the Lord Joannastan. And he's a powerful man of God. Now when

he preaches, the anointing flows because he understood that fasting and denying yourself will

bring you into great power. Because it's a scripture. The Bible says,

blessed that they who anger and test after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

So he has been failed because he has read the scriptures. He has

understood it. Shallow Christians are never filled with anything. Shallow Christians are not

filled with the word of God. They are not filled with the presence of

God. They are not filled with scripture. They don't have the anointing because

they don't have what it takes to receive the anointing. You understand, so,

as a child of God, God expects you to be far beyond shallowness.

And that is your heart's condition. God expects you to change your heart's

condition so that when you hear his word, his word will benefit you greatly.

Cannot hear an amen, Amen, number three symptoms of shallow Christians or

shallowness in Christians is the inability to pray for at least one hour. Shout

outs to all our brothers and sisters who pray for two minutes and the two

minutes looks like it's ten hours. It's a symptom of shallowness. You need

to be able to pray for long hours as a born again child of God

who has received the Holy Spirit. When you have the Holy Spirit, you'll

be able to pray for many hours. Amen. And so shallowness is caused

by a failure to interact with God. Because you don't have your quiet time.

Because you don't interact with God, your heart condition is shallow. And

guess what. Shallow people never hear the voice of God. How many of

you here have heard the voice of God before God has spoken to You've heard

this voice? Lift your hand, amen. It's not many people who have

heard the voice of God. Many Christians don't hear the voice of God because

of the heart condition they have. Amen. But if you want to ever

hear the voice of God, you want to hear God instruct you. You

want God to recommend you, You want God to speak to you. Then

You need to change your heart condition from being shallow, so that when the

word of God enters your heart, it doesn't just wither and die, but

then it has roots deep down and it comes forth as a tree that best

fruit in its season. Can I hear an Amen? And so anyone who

has depth with God spends at least one hour every day in the presence of

the Lord. Amen. And how many of you know that one hour is

just what sixty world sixty minutes, sixty minutes, sixty minutes is not long.

If you are doing your quiet time, you study the Bible for twenty

minutes, and then you finished, you write down your prayer points, and

then you write down ten things you are grateful to God for that you want

to say thank you to the Lord. Four and you give every one five

minutes, five minutes, five minutes, five minutes, and you finish that

one, and you are praying for your church, praying for the youth church.

The Lord, pour out your spirit in the youth church, let us

have encounterest with you, let us experience you one other ten minutes. And

then you pray for your parents that God should bless them so they always have

money to pay your schoofies, to always buy food for you, to always

buy your nine shoes. You see. Before you know it, you've reached

one hour. One hour is not long, Amen. If you can sit

down to watch a football match for nineteen minutes, praying for one hour should

not be an issue for you. If you can watch Netflix for two hours,

praying for one hour, spending one hour with God should not be hard

for you. If you can spend two hours on TikTok just watching funny videos

and laughing, spending one hour with God a day should not be a difficult

thing. Can I hear an Amen? Please tell your neighbors spend one hour

with God every day, Amen, because it will be a solution to your

shallowness. Amen. And So the fourth symptom of shallowness is the inability to

lead and to teach after being a Christian for two years. Your inability to

lead and to teach after being a Christian for two years. If you have

been born again for two years, and we tell you that come and shepherd

some people, two people, and teach them the word of God, if

you are not shallow, you will be able to do it. Shallow Christians

are those who run away from teaching and shepherding people because they don't have it

to give. They don't have it to give. But you see, if

you consistently study your Bible, you do quiet time for two years of your

life. When you go to university and there is nobody to come and lead

prayer, you go and stand their lead prayer. If you go and there's

nobody to play drums, you won't say them play drums. If there's nobody

to lead praise and worship, you go and stand there and lead praise and

worship. If the pastor desires that I won't come, hallelujah, you stand

there and you preach because you have messages from your quiet time that you can

share with somebody else. Amen. And so a lack of shallowness will also

give you the ability to speak to your friends about the word of God,

because you have the word of God in your heart. So if at this

time you are not sharing God's weather with your friends who are not born again,

then there is some shallowness. Can I hear an, Amen? There

is shallowness? Please say, there is shallowness. And we need to change

the heart condition. Amen. We need to change the heart condition. So

Hebrews chapter five, verse twelve. Hebrews chapter five, verse twelve, and

the Bible says that for although by this time you ought to be teachers,

you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.

You need milk, not solid food. You understand so many of the

things we are teaching here are the foundational things in Christianity. Two years from

now you should be eating meat and not drinking milk. Do you understand?

You should be able to eat the hard truths of God's word and not milk.

You should not be spoken to like babies. Two years from now,

everybody here should have the ability to stand and preach the word of God to

somebody else, because you have been doing your quiet time and the word of

God is richly dwelling in your heart. Do you understand? So the past

I was writing to the church and said that it's been too long. You

should be teachers by now, you should be shepherds by now, you should

be shepherding ten people, twenty people by now. But you yourself, when

you came, you come and sit down with your notebook. You are waiting

for someone to teach you again and again and again, which is an error.

It's a sign of shallowness. Amen. And so we need to move

away from shallowness so that God's word can dwell in us richly. Amen.

And so after some one has become a believer for some time, he's expected

to share the things he has received. Do you understand it is not just

enough to come to church every day and leave. And when we ask yourself

then a week after, Charlie, what did you learn? You have nothing

to say. You don't remember anything. Your mind is blank. When we

break into our smaller group, some of the shepherds come and tell me that

they ask questions that what did you learn? Somebody say, well, I

didn't hear anything from beginning to end like zero, So or they're talking,

I'm talking it's like zero, no impact in your life. And that is

a shock. Amen. It is a great sign of shallowness. Because you

hear the word, and the word passes here and it lives here. It

doesn't go into your heart. So the word of God will not benefit you

in any way. Do you understand. Let's look at Joshua chapter one,

verse eight. The reason why you need to move away from shallowness. Josh

chapter one, verse eight Josh Chapter one, verse eight. Yes, the

Bible says that Moses wrote this letter or this book to them, and say

that this book of the Law, which is the Bible or the Word of

God, shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it

day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all

that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and

you will have good success. The reason why you need to avoid shallowness is

for your own good, so that your way will be prosperous. Do you

understand, so that your way will lead to prosperity. But if you you

fort save the word of God because of a heart condition of shallowness, the

word of God will not benefit you in any way. And you see that

as Christians other believers are growing in the things of God, you are still

behaving like a Sunday school child. That when you come to church and we

don't do drama and dancing here, you're not happy. If we come at

your pastor doesn't tell you a joke, you are not happy. You don't

remember anything the pastor says because it wasn't funny. It is a symptom of

shallowness. Amen. And we need to grow from this shallowness. Amen.

And mind you, it is not my responsibility to entertain you. Amen.

I'm not here to entertain you. Can I hear an? Amen? I'm

not Bobbo Color. You don't know Bobo Color. I'm not Kevin Hart.

I'm here to tell you the mind of God, to teach you the word

of God, so that your way also will be prosperous. Can I hear

an? Amen? And so we are all avoiding the heart condition of word.

We are avoiding the heart condition of words. Those ye are speaking,

those year I can't hear you, and those here we are avoiding the heart

condition of word shallowness. So when you live today and someone asks you,

Charlie, what did you learn in check today? You should be able to

remember shallowness. And when they ask you what did your pastors, you should

be able to explain to them that shallowness is a heart condition. Amen.

Number five symptom of shallowness in Christians is a lack of interest in reading Christian

books, reading the Bible, listening to preachings, listening to podcasts is a

sign of shallowness in Christians because there is a lack of interest. There is

a lack of interest. So shallow Christians rarely read Christian books. They rarely

read their Bibles. They rarely listen to a message from their pastor or from

other pastors. They rarely listen to preaching. Shallow Christians are often very interested

in prayer, prayer, prayer, but they are not interested in listening to

preaching. They're not interested in reading a Christian book that will benefit them.

Amen. But let's avoid being shallow Christians and let's move deeper with God because

God wants to go deeper with us. Can I hear an Amen? What

number are we on now? Number six? Shallow Christians have the inability or

they have a lack of interest in worshiping God. This is a quick assignment

for us. Next week, when you come to church and we are worshiping

God, just turn your eyes, look to the left and look to the

right. You see all the shallow Christians. Yes, when you come to

church and we are doing worship or praises, look to the left and look

to the right. If you can't turn around and look behind you, you

will see the shallow Christians. Because the shallow Christians, they don't leave their

hands. Shallow Christians, they don't sing along. Shallow Christians will just fold

the arm and look at you. Shallow Christians. When we say I love

you Lord for your messies never failed me, they're like huh. Shallow Christians.

When you're preaching to them, they're looking at you. They are not

moved because of a lack of interest. When they come to church and woven

sing a song, you are subm in this place, so mad you God.

You are submit this place, so holy Word, you are subm in

this place. So well God, fast forward you. We exhaust you all.

Da da da da da da da. You see, deep Christians they

will live with a song. You understand because they have an understanding of what

the song means. Shallow Christians, on the other hand, no movement that

you see. They are like rock of ages. Nothing moves them. It's

because of the heart's condition. Please tell your neighbor you have to change your

heart's condition. If you want God to do something special with you, you

have to change your heart condition. Amen. And so next week when you

are when we are doing pressures, just look around and when you see them,

say oh, shallow, oh shallow, don't be a shallow Christian,

Amen, we have to move from being shallow. Amen. Deep. Christians

worship God even when they don't know the song. They would dance even when

they don't know the words. But we put the words on the screen.

We can all read, can't well read, or we can't read. Hey,

we can read, we see. The words will be on the screen

and they will just be looking at the words as those cartoon. Hey,

tell your neighbor, no more shallowness in your life in the name of Jesus.

Amen. And so many Christians do not even know songs. When you

are home safe, you don't even sing a prison to God. You only

want two out the week. It's only in church that you sing one Christian

song. Outside of church, you don't even sing one song to God.

It because that thing is not there. Amen. When others are waking up

in the morning and they are singing, we are singing Hoosa in the high

let our King, he lifted Oh. And when we are going to the

bathroom and we are singing, be lifted high, Yeah, be lifted higher,

Jesus, You be lifted higher. When we are eating and we take

two spoons and we stop and say Hallelujah, hallelujah, Oh, hallelujah,

Ah, Oh my God, and we are going, we are going to

the washroo say it's a sound of breakthrough. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Oh.

Then you stop, and he said, let or free choice and feel this

split Da da da dah dah dah dah. Now you play on keyboard.

Shallow Christians they don't have that one because their heart's condition is hard. The

word of God cannot penetrates, you understand. So because they lack the penetrating

effect of soil that receives good seed, the Holy Spirit does not remind them

of hearing the words of God because of the shallowness of their hearts. Amen.

But from today, purpose in your heart that I will not be a

shallow Christian. Amen, that I will be a deep Christian who is receiving

the word of God, who is pursuing the word of God, who has

interests in the Word of God, in the things of God. Can I

hear an amen? Amen? So, Charlotte Christians just mumble and stumble in

church. The reality of their life is that they don't really know God.

And so Charlotte Christians are pretenders. They are pretenders when they come to charge

they Britain to be Christians. But the moment they leave, we know them

that they are not Christians. They are only pretending to care about God.

Amen. And so let's look at the scripture from John chapter four twenty three

to twenty four. John chapter four, twenty three twenty four. Quickly,

and this is what God requires from us. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman.

The hour is coming, and now is here when the true worshippers will

worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father is seeking such

to worship him. So God is looking for true worshippers who worship him in

spirit and in truth. God is not looking for pretenders and shallow Christians.

God is looking for true worshippers. Amen. So please tell your neighbor for

free, make yourself a true worshiper of God. Or please say to them

one more time, make yourself a true worshipper of God. Amen. Number

seven symptom of shallowness in your Christian work is the inability to fellowship regularly.

First John one seven. The inability to fellowship regularly shallow Christians when they are

coming to church, it's a chore. It's just one thing they have to

do every Sunday. There is no joy. David said, I was glad

when they said to me, let us go, let us go, let

us go, let us go, let us go, let us go,

let us go. I was glad. He says. I was very happy

when they said to me, let's go to church. David said, I

was happy. I was glad. I started to dance. I'm going to

church. Amen. And so the Bible says that, But if we walk

in the light as Jesus is in the light, we have fellowship with one

another. So people who are in light, fellowship is important to them.

It's important to them. On Saturday, they'll pick out their dress and iron

it and hang it. I'm waiting for Sunday. Sunday should come quickly,

you understand me. I on my church clothes on Saturday because I don't want

it to that light off will be on Saturday. And the generator too is

not working. So you get ready because you are you like the fellowship of

the brethren. But I see those who have light off in your heart.

They don't care about no fellowship. It's only about themselves. Amen. But

if we walk in light as He is in light. We will fellowship with

one another. Amen. And guess what. There is an automatic cleansing and

forgiveness of sins that comes from that fellowship. So it doesn't matter what you

did the day before that you thought you have offended God. For being in

the fellowship of the brethren, God cleanses your sin and makes you white as

slow. Amen. So when you're walking a sinner, you walk out not

a sinner because of the power of fellowship. Can I hear an amen?

Amen? And so let's all start to change your heart conditions from being shallow.

All right, Let's change your heart conditions from being shallow to a hard

condition that receives the word of God, that we can meditate on the word

of God, that we don't forget the word of God. A heart condition

that will not make us pretenders that when we go where they are unbelievers,

we fit in. When we come to church and they are believers, to

be fit in somehow. But develop a heart condition that when you go somewhere

that they are unbelievers, they will call you papers off because you don't even

need to speak. They will see the glory of God all over you.

They call your mammals of a craft. They will call you crifet me.

They've called me crefacence as a young boy. They have to call you crife.

If you're a child over, you are not being called crefems some shallowness

in somewhere. You are conforming. You are being like them, so they

don't see the difference. Amen. So please tell your neighbor for free.

Light and darkness they have nothing in common. Can you say that again?

Light and darkness, they have nothing in common. Amen. And you are

a child of light. Amen.