this morning I'd like you to turn in your Bibles to first Kings chapter 22 and we're going to look together at verse 43 I'd like that backdrop what about you looks like some place I want to be right now although it has snow it just looks so inviting think are thank you Mike and whoever else might be responsible for that first Kings chapter 22 verse 43 and he walked in all the ways of his father ASA he did not turn aside from them doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord nevertheless the high places were not taken away for the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places bow your heads with me as I pray loving father in heaven take this message now Lord and plant it in the mind and heart of those fertile places that we may hear what the Spirit is saying to us today may we not only listen but may you empower us to walk that our worship to you may be in harmony with your will in Jesus name I pray amen nothing is as pointless as anticipating success while practicing failure if you want to be successful you have to practice deeds that lead to success nothing is as pointless as anticipating failure while practicing anticipating success while practicing failure you may not have heard of George Santayana he was a Spanish philosopher born in late 1800s but you may be familiar with his 1905 famous quote which reads as follows those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it that same quotation was paraphrased by the famous Winston Churchill one in 1948 during his speech at the House of Commons Winston Churchill said in a paraphrase those who fail to learn from the history are condemned to repeat it those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it the reality is the past is an ever present structure anxious to teach us its lessons the past is sitting there waiting for those of wisdom to learn from the lessons of the past if we learn from the lessons of the past two things would occur we won't repeat them and then we will not only anticipate success but we will experience success that's why the Apostle Paul speaking about the lessons of the past in 1st Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 11 he summarizes the journey of the children of Israel with this very profound passage first Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 11 and notice what he says now all these things happened to them as what's the next word as examples as history lessons and they were written for our admonition our instruction upon whom the ends of the ages have come now the good news is Jesus is soon to come can you say amen to that in preparation for the coming of the Lord as in preparation for the next game as in preparation for the next seminar as in preparation for the next challenge we must pause and take note of the lessons of the past understand the way things occurred and the failure connected to them understand the practices of the past and the successes connected to them and and as one person would say abandon the failures but embrace the successes walk in the path that God has laid out before us that will bring with it as he said I've come that you might have life and that you might have it how more abundantly but we can never have abundant life we can never have abundant worship we can never live our lives to the glory of God if we fail to learn the lessons from the past we can only appreciate where we are if we remember where we were Bob because when God free the children of Israel from Egypt he saw what was ahead of them he freed them from bondage of more than 400 years and he laid out before them the journey to the promised land which was not a drive was not a flight was not a run it was a walk the Christian journey is a walk step by step day by day moment by moment we are called to embrace the Christian journey and whenever God frees us he sees our destiny long before we get to it and although the promised land was ahead of them the promised land came with conditions every blessing that God extends to us comes with a condition if my people then I will hear and forgive their sin and heal their land the ifs and the then are always accompany god never blesses us without conditions but as God as God aimed the Israelites toward the land of Canaan he gave them this admonition if you have your Bibles go to numbers chapter 33 if you'd like to follow on the screen then the text will appear but numbers chapter 33 verse 51 and 52 when you think about what God gives to his people when he when the Lord put the land of Canaan before the Israelites the land of Canaan was not an empty land it was an inhabited land a land inhabited as they said by Giants people have renowned people of stature people of battle skill people have graded the ability but the Lord was giving them the land he was giving them the land on the condition that is outlined in verse 51 and verse 52 of Numbers chapter 33 speak to the children of Israel and say to them when you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan then you shall drive out how much of its inhabitants drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you in other words this is no longer their land this is your land what they didn't realize is God was going to do the driving out because they could not fight the inhabitants of the land of Canaan but he gave them another condition notice what he also says destroy how much all their engraved stones destroy all their molded images and destroy all their high places today we're going to visit high places high places in your life high places in your day to day walk high places in your dreams and your goals anything that will prevent you from experience what God knows is in his plan for your life today we're going to discover that in more cases than not you have established a high place in your life that's preventing God's vision and dream for you from becoming a reality high places when you study high places in the Bible and one of the verses that we are familiar with is when the Apostle Paul outlines the whole armour of God and he said for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places that's the only time in the New Testament the phrase high places exists so to understand what they mean you got to visit the Old Testament and in more than 40 instances the Bible gives examples it shows the construction of the high places high places by the way were constructed to prevent worship to the true God when high places were built they were not built by the people of God they were built by the heathen by the pagan and only when the people of God were in apostasy did they erect high places and but in every instance the high places were built constructed to prevent the people of God from worshipping God the way that God ordained worship to be the high places contained altars of incense that were for the place where they burned incense to false gods and in some cases they even offer their children they passed through the fire they even offer their children infants as offerings to gods that had eyes that could not see ears that could not hear hands that could not move made of brick and stone my wife and I when we were in Myanmar and recently in Thailand in Thailand alone there are 33,000 Buddhist temples and in Myanmar we saw them built on the high high hills high in the mountain the only way you can see them is a Sun glistening off of the golden domes we went to the groves where there were thousands of statues almost all were identical it was like little cubicles they were lined up like perfectly symmetrical cemetery stones on this angle on that angle along angles it's like they put them together almost by a plumb line in the groves and the groves were were they worship God they put their offerings on these idols they prayed to idols who couldn't hear couldn't talk couldn't speak could not answer their prayers but every one of those images every one of those high places were constructed to prevent worship to the true God they were also altars where animals were slain for dedication to the true God there were shrines where pagan priests offered sacrifices all day long to the true gods there were images that were designed to turn the minds of the people from God and when we were in Myanmar and we went to a large Buddhist temple and it took me back to when we went to India about five or six years ago we went to a Hindu temple when we were in India and upon entering the temple they said to us take off your shoes and we took off our shoes he said take off your socks we couldn't even walk with our socks in the Buddhist temple and I said well well what what about my feet they said it's okay if you want to go into the Buddhist temple you have to walk without your socks and without your shoes nothing to put on your feet just barefoot but we wanted to see so we walked around the ground where thousands of other people walked now those of you that germaphobic you might have thought twice we came out without anything without catching anything but one thing we noticed which was which is strange to me that they were worshipping idols of gold and silver stone wood concrete cement and they had such a they had such an admiration and such a reverence toward these idols that I pray that those who worship the true God should also have they reverence their gods so much that there was a law in Myanmar you could not even use a picture of their God as a tattoo on your arm it was against the law they made sure that you reverence their God in America I think I said it all in America we are so free that we don't even understand that our freedoms are not intended to offend God but to do what is right in his side also in those temples another thing that Christians can learn in America if you dressed immodestly you couldn't go into the temples they had a picture at the entrance of the temple all women no pants no plunging tops no revealing clothing nothing that they believed would be immodest was allowed in the temple and they took they took no thought of saying no you can't go in the temple that way but we have an outfit for you put this on and now you can go in if they need to cover you from the top down they gave you a wrap a brightly-coloured wrap that you wear top down or falls from the waist down going to the temple you cannot walk before our false gods dressed immodestly would to God that Christians in America would learn the same lesson you go to church you got to pray in America in Christian churches to keep your eyes on Jesus but the sad reality when these images and groves were set up not only were the Israelites affected but the leaders were also affected look what the Apostle Paul the Apostle Paul highlighted the impact to those who should have known better look at Romans chapter 1 verse 21 to 23 the Apostle Paul made it clear that the Israelites were affected because they did not follow God's command to rid the land of these high places and look at the impact Romans 1 verse 21 and 22 the Bible says because although they knew God they did not glorify Him as God nor were thankful but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened professing to be wise that's why you have to be very careful when you think you're wiser than God you are in most danger professing themselves to be wise they became fools and look what happened and they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four-footed beasts or animals and creeping things and they're in the airport in Myanmar they had about a 35 foot statue looks like the body of a man but the face of the most hideous looking dragon demon corruptible man bird same description Paul gives here in the book of Romans but not only were the Israelites affected but also the leaders were affected look at 1st Kings chapter 3 verse 1 2 3 first Kings chapter 3 verse 1 2 3 you see the point of the matter is whenever there are high places established in your life your family will be affected your business will be affected your worship of God will be affected any time anything that is established in your life does not have the approval of God does not have the stamp of God the support of God you will never experience the blessings that God has ordained to come to you notice how it affected the leaders 1st Kings chapter 3 verse 1 2 3 now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married Pharaoh's daughter then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house and what a house it was and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days and Solomon loved the Lord walking in the statutes of his father David except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places now I don't know if you got that even though the temple of God had not yet been fully built Solomon knew that God prohibited worship in the high places so he could not claim ignorance even though the people as Paul pointed out understood that God called them to worship Him a certain way they had no excuse but I'm gonna combine the two together because the Apostle Paul says they knew God this is powerful they knew God and then Paul said and then and then the writer of King says Solomon loved the Lord now get this they knew God but they worshiped God falsely Solomon loved the Lord but he still worshipped at the high places now this is powerful because people have said to me today and I've talked to a number of people about following the commandments of God following the Word of God and you know what they say I love God I love the Lord that's all that matters have you heard that before why you give me such a hard time I love the Lord I know God but the Bible is saying you cannot say you know God or love God and still participate in false worship because Solomon had the same excuse he loved the Lord and they had the same excuse they knew God but they participated in worship that distorted the image that God wanted to be revealed in the human race through their lives and Titus says in Titus 1 over 16 they profess to know God they profess to know God but in works they deny him being abominable disobedient and disqualified for how much for every good work which brings it brings me to a very important point how we worship God will confirm or deny our connection to God it's how we worship and by the way to put a bullet point worship doesn't begin at 11:00 and end at 12:30 it happens everyday in your life it happens every moment of your life how you worship God and your entertainment how you worship God in your life how you conduct your business it's all about worshiping God fear God and give glory to Him worship Him that made heaven and earth it doesn't continue an end it's not based on a clock it's based on a connection with God so therefore if we are connected our profession will affect our profession will be affected if we are connected our profession will be affected in a positive way people will see that we are connected to God by the way we worship but now go to first Kings chapter 12 verses 25 to 31 when the Lord called Israel to to worship notice what happened and this is happening today in Christian churches all over the world and I pray I often pray Lord please I hope it's not happening here I pray that it's not I don't want to be a pastor that leads you in the wrong direction and I know I have some church leaders that will make sure that doesn't happen things the Lord I haven't had to be scolded yet praise God I say that humbly first Kings chapter 12 verse 25 231 this is a sin that continued to be repeated it's called the sin of Jeroboam the sin of Jeroboam read first in 2nd kings and you'll see continually the sin of Jeroboam lasted for generations it was so hideous in the sight of God that have affected the church it affected the people of God from one generation to the other notice what Jeroboam did when God called Israel to true worship notice what the leader did verse 25 of first Kings chapter 12 then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim and dwelt there he went out from there and built Penuel and Jeroboam said in his heart notice God didn't give permission this is his own idea now the kingdom may return to the house of David if these people go up if these people go up to offer sacrifices the house of the Lord at Jerusalem then the heart of this people will turn back to their Lord this evil king Rhea Boehm that is he did not want them to go back to Rio Boehm the king of Judah this competition between Jeroboam and Rehoboam Jeroboam was determined to keep the Israelites from going back to Jerusalem to worship not a pastor someone has their members to come here and worship because they know that here God will be seen to be worshipped in spirit and in truth notice what he continued to say if these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem then the heart of this people will turn back to their Lord Rhea Boehm king of Judah and they will kill me and go back to Rio Boehm king of Judah he didn't want to lose his power base look at verse 28 therefore the king of asked advice made two calves of gold and said to the people it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem don't worry about going that's far too worship don't go there here are your God's o Israel which brought you up from the land of Egypt and he set up one in Bethel the house of God and the other he put in Dan now this thing became a what a sin for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan and look at what he did he made shrines on the high places and made priests from every class of people who were not of the sons of Levi the King James Version says he made priests of the lowest of the people his standards went down he was determined that the people were not to be allowed to go and worship in Jerusalem so he built false places of worship and he said this is the God that brought you out of Egypt don't worry about going all the way to Jerusalem it's gonna take too much it's too far and for generations that sin was impossible to reverse today they are religious leaders that are building false altars they want to keep God's people from worshipping at spiritual Jerusalem what's so different about Jerusalem from all the other altars in Jerusalem the truth of God was proclaimed in Jerusalem the true character of God was revealed in Jerusalem there was no compromise when it came to the Oracles of God but leaders that want to guide you to tradition don't want you to go to spiritual Jerusalem that's why today when you mentioned the Sabbath they say forget about it don't go there don't go that far you mentioned the commandments they say we love the Lord but not dad much they are pulling in the opposite direction of God and Jesus said it this way Luke 11 verse 23 he who is not with me is what against me he who does not gather with me that's what scatters abroad in everything we do we are either pulling together with Christ or we're scattering abroad and not participating with Christ and I tell you the fact I want to be gathering with Christ come on survive I don't want to be pulling in the wrong direction today we've got leaders all over the Christian world they are creating false gods in some circles music is a God my wife and I had a chance yesterday we've come through some of the channels and we saw some music that's termed Christian lord have mercy if it didn't take me back to the club I mean not just the beat but they just I mean I don't want to dance up here please Lord only help me do that I remember how to do it I don't think you need an example but it did nothing but activated every feeling in your body and not only that in these Christian videos not only is it activating every carnal feeling but it's accentuating everything about the female frame and the guys all look like they're gonna beat you up and knock you down it doesn't look like anything connected to God but you go to some churches and I'm not even kidding in the least you go to some churches and you have a hard time getting your mind on Christ because they're not focusing on God's Word they're focusing on the feeling that these false gods bring high places of Music Entertainment and social activity but listen to this the servant of the Lord addresses this significantly in the book desire of Ages prayed page 362 she compares the worship of the rabbi's with the worship of Christ listen to this in the estimation of the rabbis desire of Ages page 362 it was the sum of religion to be always in a bustle of activity they depended upon some outward performance to show their superior piety thus they separated their souls from God and built themselves up in self-sufficiency that means my work is good enough the same danger still exists as activity increases and men become successful in doing any work for God there is danger of trusting to human plans and methods there is a tendency to pray less to have faith less and like the disciples we are in danger of losing sight of our dependence on God and seeking to make a Savior out of our activity did you get that did you get that the more active you get in God's work the more on watch you need to be because if we get to the place where we are relying on our activity as our worship we are building high places god never intended for our activity to be a substitute of our worship towards God can you say Amen somebody but it gets even deeper than that that's why the Apostle John the Apostle John talks about how we must not substitute true worship John 4 verse 23 and 24 notice what he said and this was for looking this is looking to even our day John 4 verse 23 the Bible says but the hour is coming and now is today when the true worshipers will worship the father in spirit and what else in truth for the father is seeking such to worship Him God is spirit and those who worship Him should worship in spirit and truth what's the word that I said again Jim what does the word Bob must not optional that as bad as pushed out of so many circles today because when you talk about truth and I've had the experience people say what is truth your truth one pastor said to me you have your truth to back up Sabbath I have my truth to back up Sunday and I said hold a minute my brother hold a minute you don't have any truth and neither do I God's Word is truth come on survive and the Word of God never backs up two opposing views so if I had a substitute for the message if I had a subtitle I would call it the roadblocked to spiritual fulfillment I read an article this week it was written in January 2017 and the article was in charisma magazine it was entitled six roadblocks that will stop your spiritual growth the rider is a man by the name of Jay Lee Grady he made a very interesting comparison between worship and worship substitutes and he listed six reasons why we fail to experience spiritual fulfillment in our daily lives as Christians it was very it was a phenomenal article I couldn't help but decide it and so I'm gonna bring out right now six reasons how many did I say six reasons six roadblocks to spiritual fulfillment in our daily lives and I want you to listen carefully very very important and here's the reason why if Israel would not have settled for substitutes the Israelites would not have settled for substitutes if they had a hunger for the genuine did you get that I'll use this example so many people have tried to make my make meat loaf like my wife does she's given them the recipe so many people have said can I have your recipe but you know what nobody makes meat loaf like my wife does veggie meat loaf at that so whenever I tasted at various lunches and dinners I say you know what I still have a hunger for the genuine I won't accept the substitutes and so wherever there is false worship you have a passion you have to have a passion that you won't allow anything to roadblock you we watched on 3abn yesterday to see how the work of God is is exploding in Vietnam one young man who was one of four pastors in his family and their number one aim was to stop the Adventists from going throughout Vietnam that was their aim he said he was planning to write a book on false teachings in the Adventist Church so he said I need to read their material to find out what's false and then write an article against it he read the article and he ended up becoming an adventist Comus amens much he read the article to defeat it and he ended up becoming an adventist his family was frustrated because out of the four brothers he was one that was in charge of 13 church district he was a pastor so his family members said you've lost your mind and what happened was he was ostracized from his family but he said Lord what can I do to advance your truth that you revealed to me he decided I'm gonna share it in one year in one year in how many years he decided I'm gonna start with small groups I'm gonna go to the people of my former church and tell them why I left that church he his churches followed him in droves the first place he shared it 500 people followed him in one year he had 12,000 baptisms one year 12,000 the Vietnamese police got so angry they they they they followed him wherever he went he said when he was on his bicycle he would ride through the crowds to lose him when and so they were so upset they denied him citizenship his citizenship renewal card that's something you get in Vietnam you get a renewal card even though you're born there but he said that was perfectly fine because it did not prevent him from going from city to city he no longer needed permission since they denied him his citizenship he went from one city to the next from one city to the next and started raising up churches raising up churches raising up pastors raising up leaders and right now they have over 400,000 Adventists in Vietnam because that man began in a high place determined to tear down God's truth ended up raising up one to the glory of God amen somebody so you can't do anything against the truth he realized that the way he was worshiping was missing something and he was determined to tear down God's truth and ended up building it up instead because he refused to settle for a substitute he had a hunger for the genuine which takes me to the first roadblock up spiritual worship you may want to write this down if you don't want to write it down you might want to get a CD or a DVD to share this but the first roadblock to true worship is lack of spiritual hunger what is it lack of spiritual hunger and I'm gonna cite the article because it was so well done I appreciated deeply the content of this article listen to what he said the main reason many Christians get stuck in a rut is they are happy to be there but God is looking for people who refuse to be content with where they were last year that's why the Sermon fits looking for those who refuse to be content with where they were last year he is calling you higher he's calling you where higher you must ask the Holy Spirit to set your heart ablaze with a desire for more of his presence more of his power and more of his truth and here's the guarantee jesus said it himself in Matthew 5 and verse 6 blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be brethren my encouragement to you the issue is not your hunger the issue is that you are hungry for the wrong thing and it's time for us to pray and ask the Lord to tear down the high places of our distorted appetites and awakened within us an appetite for righteousness Amen somebody I don't know how you could sleep on this message but that's not everybody roadblock number two I don't know this might be apropos in might be timely roadblock number two now this is his sighting but I support it he said roadblock number two the spiritual fulfillment is plain old laziness listen to what he said he's as many of us become motivated at the beginning of the year to pray to study the Bible to go back to school all to lose weight but he said but nobody wins a race by sprinting the first 50 feet and then sitting down winners must stay in the game you must be determined to finish what you start instead of leaving a trail of aborted attempts amen how far did her sneaker prints go right there that's it she didn't run the rest of the race she quit it's time to tear down the high places of lazy Christianity I'll say men myself amen lights one of the roadblocks is the idea that Christianity does not require effort I mean think about it embrace that for a moment Christianity requires effort the Apostle Timothy said I have fought a good fight the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith 2nd Timothy 4 verse 7 he said I fought a good fight let me ask you a question does it take effort to fight have you ever had to fight against your natural tendencies have you ever had to fight to study your Bible sometimes we pick up our Bible the study and the moment we pick it up the phone rings and I said to my wife don't answer it or sometimes at the beginning of your Bible study and I know this to be true this was happening to me yesterday we were having our Family Worship last night and we were so tired we moved from Angel Lane back into our home on new lake road so many trips I had no idea we took so much junk from our house into that small apartment on angel Lane I thought lord have mercy what were we thinking but some of the trips we went on we just took the suitcases and left it right there instead of taking it back home that's what happened but after moving all that stuff exhausted I sat down for family worship last night and I was frankly I was honestly tired and I was struggling as we started reading together but I but I fought through my plane of laziness until the Word of God caught me and I got a second wind be careful when I get a second win in the Word of God so we read in the prophets and kings we read chapter 32 Manasseh we read about Manasseh and Josiah in prophets and Kings then we went to the time of trouble in the great controversy then I opened my Bible in first Kings and second Kings it God's so good my wife said you better finish your sermon I said don't worry I have enough steam to do that you know what I believe the devil makes some of us lazy and sleepy at the time where we should be sober and vigilant I saw a picture of a people sitting in Chicago in a stadium during a Chicago Bears football game 37 degrees there covered with snow and we here in the forecast rain we stay home covered with snow the whole row people packed up in their caucus and they got their glove in a football stadium 31,000 people covered with snow and here we are help us Holy Ghost all we have to get is a forecast football players don't care about no forecast in the vernacular of a Brooklynite football players don't care about no snow football players and fans don't care about snow so many people at that game one of the games they had I forgot where was in Dallas so many people went to that game that they ran out of food at the content the concession stands because they were excited about something that they breathed and lived we were coming back from Nashville last Monday early this week and I said honey we got to go back and get a picture that son a church sign says we are inviting you to our church for Super Bowl Sunday bring your favorite team jerseys and wear it for the church service that's showing you what the churches have become I guarantee you that Sunday's going to be packed because they ain't there for Jesus they're there to celebrate a football Super Bowl it's happening amongst us we are being inoculated and plain old laziness is going to claim some of our salvation and if you think that I am just blowing a horn for my own reason sleep on there brother sleep on that's why the gospel is called a trumpet as James Grady said there are no crowns for those that quit that's why Jesus said in Matthew 24 verse 13 he who endures to the end shall be saved what happened to the Israelites is happening to us the wise men went to Jerusalem looking asking about the birth of Jesus and they said huh and they had the Oracles for almost four thousand years at that point and they didn't even know that Jesus had been born the angel led wise men to Jerusalem to expose the ignorance of a people to whom the truth of the sabbath the state of the dead diet all these things they had all the doctrines in place but what they didn't have is a knowledge of Jesus roadblock number three unpacked baggage unpacked baggage listen to what he said the Israelites who left Egypt could have marched into the Promised Land in a matter of weeks but they ended up in a holding pattern for 40 years why they were dragging their sins with them they wanted to be free from Egypt but not the sins of Egypt they were dragging their sins with them and he pointed out in the article the more weight you drag behind you the less likely it is that you will reach your destination how many of us a dragon our sins with us drag in our sins getting heavier the sin of pornography the sin of illicit Affairs the sin of foolishness on Facebook the sin of entertainment that shouldn't be in your house how many of us desired the thirst for the Word of God dragging their sins but there's an answer for that Hebrews 12 verse 1 and 2 look at what the Bible says look at the Word of God look as God is calling his people to be a people of urgency time to tear down these high places he says in verse 1 therefore we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight how many weights every weight and you know what that way it is and the sin which so easily ensnares us we've set a date for men's ministries to begin the fourth sabbath of January February that's a right I think February third I'll publish the date and the first thing we're going to address is pornography in the pews recent article I read you know that compared to the world 64% of men in the world admitted to watching pornography on a continuous basis 64% of world you know what the percentages in the church 62 percent only a 2% difference between the world and the church killing the church pornography in the pews on the phones on the iPads sucking the life out of our men we're gonna begin and address that issue in our men's ministries by the way no women are allowed we're gonna talk Turkey we're gonna we're gonna we want we want to work on a healthy church this year we can bring folk into sickness if we're not healthy we cannot bring people into our into our waiting room in our emergency room everybody's gonna grow a certain basin but we gotta address the issues that are holding us down the weight that's bringing us down the sin that is so easily be setting us the sad reality is as it is in Laodicea the Lord is on the door he's knocking on the door and focus focus out they don't even hear the knock anymore cuz I can't imagine how Noah could preach for 120 years and only eight people end up in the ark I can't figure that out how can a lot warn the city and only his family gets out how can he even say Lord if they are 30 in the city would you spirit I'll do it for 30 what about 20 I'll do it for 20 what about 10 I'll do it for 10 in Sodom and Gomorrah couldn't even find 10 righteous people let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God so many of us are looking for the next best thing and they don't realize that God is asking us to demolish the places the high places of cherish sin you know why because here's a deception some of us think that we can manage our sin but we wake up to find out that our sin has managed us pray for God to demolish the high places of cherished sin in your life robot number 4 fear of change fear of change this brother was pumping on all six cylinders he said many people feel the tug in their hearts that says start that Bible study they feel the tug give your life to Jesus they feel a tug give up the world they feel a tug get baptized they feel the tug go on that mission trip write that book launch that business but they never get past the feeling because they are frozen in their tracks by fear fear of what's going to happen if they make that decision and he says nothing will keep you in spiritual limbo like fear it will paralyze you if you fail to act on the impulses of God fear see what's gonna happen if I give up that don't worry about it God can give you something better than you've ever had sometimes I had to learn that the hard way don't let fear become your prison guard if God is touching your heart time to get right with me time to get baptized time to start that study time to give Jesus your life time to get rid of the world go on that trip write that book launch that business my wife and I set some goals in our lives this week we got together you know couples need to do that more get together with your wife and say what what is there I talked to the young people in their classroom just a couple of days ago on worship I said I talked about a young man by the name of Terry Fox who had as an athlete determined he found that he had cancer in his knees Terry Fox had cancer in his knees and couldn't run any longer and in his hospital room he said something's got to change I refuse to be defined by my disability he said please give me a prosthesis and they said what for your cancer is a dangerous form of cancer says give me a prosthesis I will not be defined by my disability so Terry Fox decided I'm gonna run from East Canada to West Canada and that young man I'll show you the video later on one of these Festivus program he started running on those rainy days you see terry fox out there running with one leg on the side of the highway by himself cars passing by there's Terry Fox running all by himself until somebody got a wind of it there's a young man running on the highway so the police went to investigate found that it was Terry Fox they gave him an accompanying vehicle to keep him safe then the news team got a hold of it they started posting it people of Terry Fox's in Haran today he's on his way to Mary Ann Terry Fox's and Marian is on the way to Carbondale that will complete its 30-mile journey for this day every day people started gathering at the post where they know Terry Fox was gonna pass that post you should see the video it's heart stirring my wife and I watched the video brought us to tears could hardly move but he determined I will not be dissin I will not let my disability to find who I am I kind of changed something and when he got to Thornton Bay in Canada he had already run past stores people had pictures of Terry Fox on their walls people all of a sudden got this stimulated desire if Terry Fox can do that why am I sitting on my yes and not making a change in my own life when he got to Thornton Bay he got the news from his doctor the cancer has spread to your lungs and they are on the gurney on the news Terry Fox said as he was trying to wheeze and talk to the news report he says while I have to get off the road right now and handle this issue and I will continue if I could maybe after I get this issued I'll be back he never came back he died of his cancer in his lungs his aim was to raise money for the Cancer Society of all those children that were disadvantaged and so people took up the Terry Fox challenge they had telethon they raised 10 million 15 million 20 million then somebody else said wait a minute Terry didn't finish his journey but we can and every year in Canada in September it's called Terry Fox day the Terry Fox marathon but not just in Canada in Mexico in Europe in Dubai in Abu Dhabi every September they have a Terry Fox Run you know why because this young man with a disability with cancer ravaging his frame he determined I will not something's got to change Terry Fox resting but he has affected the entire world every year in September the Terry Fox Run is dedicated to a young man who said I cannot allow fear to be my prison warden I no longer fear change and everybody knows who Terry Fox is today my brother God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind but for 2019 you've got to refuse to allow fear to be your prison warden you got to break the change of the same old thing it's time to ask God to tear down the high places of fear in your life can somebody say Amen the Apostle Paul says in 2nd rinth Ian's chapter 10 verse 4 and 5 he said for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God why for the pulling down of strongholds casting down arguments the devil will argue with you when you want to make a change and every high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ can the church say men time to tear those high places of fear down I'll go quickly number 5 the next one he says the roadblock the true worship of shallow relationships shallow relationships listen to what he said he begins with a question who are you hanging around with what is your company he said Abraham had Abraham had to part ways with a lot because they had very different goals lot had a selfish motive and Abraham was fully surrendered to God's plans if you spent all your time with selfish people carnal people corrupt people sinful people worldly people people that don't worship God if you spent all your time but that kind of individual who are content to live spiritually fruitless lives you will end up just like them that's what he said shallow relationships and I say show me your company and I'll show you your destiny show me the people that thrill you and I'll show you where you're gonna end up show me the people that you have connected yourself with socially morally spiritually show me the people that you connect in your in your circles with and I will show you your destiny we often but the sad reality is this we often choose people that are just like us but Paul says in first Corinthians 15:33 and I'm moving quickly now do not be deceived evil corrupt evil company corrupts good habits when you choose people that don't serve God you will end up just like them be not deceived God is not mocked whatever you sow you will reap that's why Paul says 2nd Corinthians 6 verse 14 do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers come on somebody say Amen for what Fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness and what communion has light with darkness the deception of evil company is not just them but you your feet will never take you where your heart and your mind is not leading you that's why isaiah says it this way isaiah 55 and verse 7 let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts he see what's happening in the social media where i listen to me today listen look up look if you're not looking up look up this is what's happening in the social media world our brains are being sucked out our brains are being extracted like liquid the bot the social media world is sucking our brains out and spitting it in the curb in the gutter we don't have the ability to think pure thoughts any longer we're searching these these these cesspools these rooms for people that identify with us Oh only to realize in the coming of the Lord that we are in the wrong group we are in the second resurrection lord have mercy this if ever there was a time to tear these high places down it is now let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts let him return to the Lord and He will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon call on Jesus to tear down the high places of evil thoughts and shallow relationships because if he does not tear it down it will tear you down and the last one the road blocked a true worship number six a religious spirit I never thought he put that one on there but listen to what he said religious people build memorials to honor what God did in 1967 they don't have any present relationship with God their present relationship with God is on hold they only live on the past they sing songs from that era they read books from that era and their favorite song is the way we were memories I'll stop right there the way we were but here's what he said God never changes but he may be saying to you it's time to sing a new song come on somebody he might want to break you out of the slumber that you have become accustomed to by saying I want to do in your life a new thing isaiah 43 verse 19 but he said don't get offended don't insist that god must move exactly the same way he did 50 years ago i might appear to be excited for one particular reason this is right on line the high places in our lives will claim us if we don't tear them down God is looking for those willing to remove the high places that dishonor him the very thing and I want you to get this before my last scripture the very thing that you are searching for can only be found one way let's find the answer here's the last text second chronicles 14 verse two and five the very thing that we are looking for happiness joy fulfillment relationship satisfaction a partner in life somebody to fill my void financial and whatever whatever you're looking for can only be found one way one way here it is second Chronicles 14 verse 2 to 5 the Bible says ASA did what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God look at ASA 4 he removed what were what did I say he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places he removed them and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images my brother my sister do that in your own life he commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandments and look at this he also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah and look at what God blessed him with and the kingdom was quiet under him you know why your life is not quiet because you got high places that you loved places you built for your own personal satisfaction and you refused to tear them down even while we're sitting here some of you are planning your next high places move and the sermon has gone in one ear and out the X the sad reality is not everybody in here is going to be saved but if somebody is going to be saved it might as well be me come on somebody if somebody's gonna be saved say it it might as well be me do you really mean it if somebody's gonna be saved come on suddenly it might as well be me I'm not gonna be lost my wife and I sat at our table last night with tears in our eyes and we said Jesus is coming jesus is coming again Jesus is coming soon and I said honey she looked at me and she she she extended her hand she said John honey she said we're in it to win it come on somebody there's a crown with my name on it angels are putting in my grass right now in front of my house there's a city that I'm walking through the gates into not because of the battles that I've won but because of the battles that he has won and I'm telling you in 2019 inventory your life inventory your miserable life because we are wretched miserable poor blind and naked and we don't even know you know why because we are in a rut and we like being there but only those that get out of that rut can be on the new road that leads to eternal life so I'm gonna ask a question if your desire is to get out of that rut tear down that high place and put an awl to where God will be honored and Jesus will be seen in your life and you don't want to be the same all redundantly bored character of 2018 but you want to be on fire for Jesus can I make it any more appealing if you want to experience the abundant life of worship the abundant life of service the freedom of going to bed at night knowing that there's peace between you and God and if you don't open your eyes you will be in that first resurrection that's the kind of peace I have now I said to my wife I looked in her eyes and said honey I'm I'm alright if I don't make it I'm alright I don't live to see Jesus coming I'm not afraid any longer because I prayed father may there be nothing between me and you and God is cleaning my closet out cleaning my closet out but that's okay because I like the closet he's building for me so if there's somebody here today that doesn't want to be like they used to be the tide of that rut tide of that fear tie to all those high places that are corrupting your influence and corrupting your mind tied up titoo the grime and the in the in the sedation sin of the world you want to be different not for the sake of just different but you want to be ready for Jesus now if that's your desire why don't you stand with me and I want us to sing this song because the only way it's going to happen as summers playing softly is if Jesus lives out his life within us we can't do it ourselves only if we invite him in can he make the difference in our lives Kenneth sure say Amen so when you sing this song you're not singing the closing song you're singing the song of dedication father this is my song Terry Fox did it because he refused to be defined by his limitations we got to break all those limitations that the devil has placed on us break the chains tear down the altars stop the the vicious cycle of laziness in your spiritual life and get ready put the football fans to shame you could come out in the snow I could come out in any kind of weather let the world see what a Christian really is a person on fire for Christ another world no I'm not gonna be bought or sold I'm not gonna be on the shot the chopping block or the selling block of my adversary the devil I'm sold out to Christ he's already bought and paid for me and he's the only one I'm following all the way to the promised land so let's sing this song is our own personal dedication live out their life with their me [Music] live out my life within me oh Jesus king of kings this is the words be thou thyself be answer to all my questions live out a life with me in me he in all things have my way who are we I the transparent medium thy glow go to the last stanza Dan for me the last answer as we sing this last stanza I want you to sing this song you know it is the closing song but to me it's the opening song opening our hearts Eric we're opening in our hearts say Lord I want to open so you can come in we're saying live out your life within me but we're not opening the door I heard you knocking but now I know who it is and I'm opening the door this year is not gonna be the same cuz Jesus is at my table with me he's in my living room with me he's in my car with me if you don't like what kind of music I'm playing my car that's alright I like it came in I must serve Him unashamedly and imma let my light shine to the glory of God listen to this but restful calm and pliant from bendin bias-free what are we doing waiting by DC vision when thou hast meat of me the path I life within me oh Jesus King of Kings be thou thy glorious answer to all my questions this is a special request you have in your life and you say Lord I'm gonna raise my hand was this something that I'm praying for that's between you and me and I'm praying for that today I'm putting that in your hand there's something in my life Lord you know about that that I'm praying about today I'm gonna raise my hand and that you could see it from your throne you can see this hand this life Father in heaven you see the hands that are raised the hearts that are raised you see the lives that are raised there are some in here that are oblivious they are in the prison house of sin they can't even hear the appeal because they're busy doing their own thing father brings them to not break them that they may be saved shut the doors on their pursuits that they might find you crush their world before they are crushed in eternity do whatever you need to do father to save them for the devil he comes and he plants himself even among the time of the sermon are there those in the building but don't even hear a word that's coming from one high Oh Lord Jesus my heart is heavy and I know yours is too but there are hands that are raised here today asking you to come and tear down the high places in their lives come and tear down the place is built that the devil is so happy to abide with them at because one day we're gonna stand and our eyes are going to behold the only high place that will bring satisfaction to our soul but we don't want there to be lament and weep weeping and gnashing of teeth we want there to be rejoicing and the songs of victory ascending from our lips because we have dedicated ourselves and we have said father make the change within us Lord 2019 is staring us in the face who's our company what are we watching so what are we giving our time or strength or energy what are we afraid of what are we afraid of father what's keeping us from running that race that is set before us why are some of us so lazy spiritually break us precious Savior that we might experience that abundant blessing that you promised to give us and when it comes to us Lord may it be so contagious that people see the change in us and they want the very lord that has become our passion our desire of Ages so when we go from this place in our fellowship even as we fellowship this afternoon and the financial seminar may we attend that because we want changes even in our finances but keep us safe and may the sabbath continue to be a blessing to your names honor and glory in jesus name we pray and all of God's people said amen
