A Heart of Flesh | 9/12

[Music] okay check check one two three check check check check one two three check one two three check [Music] hello good morning [Music] [Music] [Music] um [Music] [Music] [Music] hey everyone welcome to our sunday service at sgt my name is travis and my name is madeline let's take a look at today's announcements women's fellowship resumes for the fall on monday september 27th at 7 pm this season we will be studying take courage by jennifer rothchild you can sign up in the lobby or by visiting our church's website discipleship classes are launching today and it's not too late to be a part of them if you want to grow in your knowledge of the lord and his word these classes are especially for you to learn more visit our church website grab a brochure or walk into one today we're excited to announce that the music and arts ministry will be hosting the glory of christmas this year actors of all ages with training and or experience are needed if you would like to audition join us in the auditorium after our second service on sunday september 26th men of sgt come on out to our annual men's breakfast this saturday at 8 30 a.m there will be a hearty meal great fellowship and a message from pastor stephen you won't want to miss it register online by visiting our church's website baptisms are happening on sunday october 3rd if you follow jesus but have never been water baptized we encourage you to take this next step please use our church's app or visit our website to sign up today we are so glad that you are here with us this morning for everything else happening as gt please visit our website or the app and check out our digital bulletin and if you're new to our church we also invite you to visit our welcome center located in the lobby good morning everybody how you all doing you're good awake alive fantasy football line upset good maybe not all of us mine are hopefully if anyone hears about austin eckler before the end of service someone tapped me on the shoulder okay they say that i won't do it but i do it every time i somehow manage to talk about football i'm sorry everyone's good if you're here in the sanctuary welcome the church we're so glad you've gathered here and if you're at home well welcome to church we're glad that you've gathered in your home that word ecclesia first century men gathering i meant assembling so we're glad you're in your home and you're gathered with believers yet far away we're glad that you're here with us i'm reminded this week i had this this quote on my mind so i wrote it on the board in my office just so i keep seeing it because it was it was resonating with me it was from dr martin luther king jr and he said so many christians are thermostats no thermometers there you go so many christians are thermometers that read the temperature of majority opinion read the temperature of the world around them and therefore reflect it but we weren't called to be thermometers we were called to be thermostats we were called to walk into a room and set the culture of society set the culture of the rooms we walk into of our homes of our workplaces and that's why we're here today right we're here because somehow throughout the week we can't make sense of it we somehow turn back into thermometers we begin on fire and by the time saturday night comes we can lose that fire is it just me so we return to this place and so i want to encourage you all in these moments we're about to press in and worship and when we worship what we do is we begin to reset we begin to refine that original purpose and that that original vision for our life that we can be the people that leave this place with the fire of the lord to change our cities to not just go along with what others are saying or believing but obey the word of god amen let's stand in worship this morning lord i thank you so much for these moments i pray in these moments lord would you restore us from yesterday's hurts from yesterday's troubles from yesterday's questions from all the things that we bring into this moment restore us i pray you to restore us from yesterday's victories from the moments that would make us get puffed up and prideful restore us and bring us back to the place that we are sons and daughters you've called us to be a body not just to be individualists so restore us into unity in a world that preaches division that preaches hate that preaches us and them i thank you that in your kingdom there's only in us there's only one body and so when anyone's heart is bleeding our hearts bleed too have your way in these moments restore us now o lord in jesus name amen let's worship [Music] all right good morning everyone [Music] how many know that the kingdom of god is righteousness peace what's that righteousness peace and good if you're standing next to somebody grumpy say you're missing a third brother [Music] all right let's go ahead and put our hands out and say holy spirit we welcome the joy of the lord in this place god we know that you said that that's going to be our strength in this season and so we're saying yes right now to the joy of the lord we asked father that you would make us not just a temperature i love what pastor jeff shared with us today lord let us not just just take the temperature but let us set the culture right now god let us choose joy in this moment father we just say yes to the joy of the lord in our lives that we are gonna lift our eyes and look at what you've done and what you are doing thank you father that when our head hits the pillow at night we're gonna feed our heart on the things you've said and the things you're doing and the victories you've won we thank you for that in jesus name thank you lord let's sing this together i cannot deny what i've seen got no choice but to believe my doubts are burning like ashes in the wind so long so long to my old friends burden and bitterness you can't just keep on moving know you're not welcome here sing from now from now till i walk the streets of gold i'll sing of how you've saved my soul this wayward son has found his way back you pick me up you turn me around you place my feet on solid ground i thank the master i thank the savior because you healed my heart you changed my name forever free i'm not the same i thank the master i thank this hater oh i thank god [Applause] [Music] let's sing that again i cannot deny what i've seen got no choice but to believe my doubts are burning [Applause] like ashes in the wind come on say so long so so long to my old friends [Music] burden and bitterness you can just keep on moving though you're not welcome here from now till from now till i walk the streets of gold i'll sing of how you save my soul this way [Applause] [Music] i thank the master i thank the savior because you healed my heart you changed my name forever free i'm not the same i thank the master i thank the savior oh i thank god [Music] yes god oh i thank god [Music] all right let's sing this right now in the face of our enemies hail lost another one oh i am free oh i am free yes i am free hail lost another one oh i am free [Applause] oh i am free [Applause] [Music] oh i thank the savior because you healed my heart you changed my name forever free i'm not the same i thank the master i thank the savior oh i thank god yes i thank god yeah oh i thank god yes i thank god [Music] it's jesus oh yes [Music] oh yes oh yes [Music] because you healed my heart forever [Music] oh i thank god [Applause] oh i thank god come on how many came to thank jesus today how many people came to enter into his courts with thanksgiving come on is he worthy come on now is he worthy is he worthy of just a little bit or is he worthy of everything you got this morning oh jesus we're here to celebrate your goodness we're here to celebrate who you are what you've done oh we're grateful come on let's lift this together again oh hell lost another one oh i am free oh i am free oh i am free [Music] [Applause] yes i am [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you place my feet on solid ground i thank the master oh i thank the savior because he healed my heart changed my name forever free i'm not the same i thank the master i thank the savior oh i thank god [Music] [Applause] oh i thank god [Music] yes i thank god [Music] come on let's give a shout of praise in this place [Applause] [Music] thank you god just let thanksgiving just rise from this place thank you lord thank you lord thank you [Music] thank you just take a moment and just set your heart on thanksgiving [Music] just said it today we live on an island that complains we live on an island that worries just take a moment that we might become the thermostat of this island and set a different culture just set right now your heart on thanksgiving recall what he's done for you come on recall it right now [Music] remember choose to remember in this morning let it begin to stir thankfulness in your heart again [Music] come on stir it up stir it up stir your thankfulness to the lord [Music] jesus [Music] anointed one jesus [Music] jesus [Music] jesus [Music] your name is [Music] jesus you your name is [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] your spirit like [Music] is [Music] i love you with jesus [Music] [Applause] [Music] lord i thank you that when the pathway gets dark lord that your word is a lamp unto our feet and i thank you jesus that when the world is swirling around us and all these worries and concerns are going through our heads lord i thank you that you're seated on the throne that you're high and lifted up and exalted that you are the one thing that matters lord that you're the one thing that's constant that's never gonna change you're our solid rock our firm foundation so holy spirit would you give us eyes to see jesus seated high on the throne seated high and lifted up [Music] jesus i love you i love you i love you jesus i love you i love you i love you jesus i love you i love you i love you jesus i love you i love you jesus i love you i love you i love you jesus [Music] jesus i love you i love you i love you jesus i love you i love you [Music] [Applause] we adore you jesus [Music] [Applause] [Music] i love you lord [Music] my voice [Music] you oh my soul [Music] let it [Music] r [Music] my voice [Music] worship [Music] you oh my soul [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] is let it be yours [Music] [Music] just make it your cry right now that your life would be a sweet sound in his ear just take on a spirit of intercession right now that you might lift up incense to that it might be a sweet smell in his nostril just right now begin to cry out that your whole life your whole life will be a sweet sound in his ear just begin to ask him in this moment just begin to ask him to transform you further begin to ask him to take those things that he wants to take from me to impart those things he wants to impart just give him the floor right now give him the room to say it's yours god my life is yours my thoughts are yours my heart posture my goals they're yours my presets they're yours god my preferences my plans my agenda my comfort i'm giving it to you right now i'm just putting it on the pile that you might have the fire of god rest on me i'm putting it as a sacrifice on the altar god come come increase in my life just begin to cry that out today increase in my life jesus increase in my life increase in my life take what you want take what you want give me a heart that longs for you above all else give me a heart that longs to give you preeminence that longs to give you the first place [Music] jesus [Music] there's just one chief and two man's purpose one main reason for existence and all man's vain and high ambitions [Music] will one day be brought alone [Music] will one day be brought along to treasure you above all others to love you like we love no one [Music] your greatness soon will be uncovered [Music] and all the earth [Music] for you alone will be exalted in that day and worthless goals will be exposed as idols [Music] we'll say that all is for your glory all is for your name [Music] is for your glory that in all things [Music] [Music] sing all is for you glory and all is for your glory soul lives for your declare that today that all is for your glory that in all things you would have the first place that in all things you would have preeminence that in all things you would have the first place that in all things oh god oh god [Applause] so catch me up in your story all my life for your glory caspian in your story all my life for your glory catch me up in your story all my life for your glory catch me out in your story all my life oh my god [Applause] [Music] my [Music] [Applause] worship in this place [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] for your glory [Music] all my life for your glory catch me in your story [Music] [Music] all my fountains are found in you all my pieces found in you all my joy is found in you all my safety's found in you all my safeties found in you all my safety's found in you all my safety's found in you oh god my joy my delight my delight the lover of my soul the one who brought me back the one who saw me the one who bought me [Music] [Music] because all [Music] is is [Music] oh god [Music] can we just say today here we are here we are before you you can just say that to the lord today here i am [Music] here i am set up your shop in me set up your kingdom in me rework what needs to be reworked remove what has to be removed impart what has to be imparted i'm yours today i'm yours today god give me ears to hear you today as the message comes forth give me ears to hear you today i don't just want to hear about you i want to have it spiritual ears to hear from you today holy spirit that i might walk out of this place transformed by an encounter with you almighty god anoint pastor ted as he comes forward and anoint our ears to hear you [Music] because god we want to see this island turned upside down and we know it's going to start with your people when they say god you can have it all you can have it all [Music] we pray this together as one family one team one army in jesus name amen amen [Music] [Applause] while we're still in an attitude of worship and prayer we need to pray i'm speaking today because pastor gary and diane both have coveted pretty serious so we wanted to pray for them others like terry sullivan also very serious and we want to make sure that we continue to bring those that are on your heart that you know before the lord that's so important but especially our pastor just to hear his voice and know that he needs that touch and to pray for those that are reflecting on this 9 11 weekend it's a weekend that i certainly remember where i was and many of you remember where you were but i remember sharing at a church for one of the firemen that was an extended member of our family and seeing a sea of blue that went through the church down the steps out into the street and for many that carry that wound that only jesus can heal no matter how many times we read the names and we should we need that place of healing that the lord can bring right amen so lord as we begin and continue to move towards you this morning we lift up pastor gary and diane that the anointing of healing would be upon their bodies beyond medicines beyond everything else the anointing of healing would be upon their bodies and you would restore our pastor and to restore his wife heart i pray for terry lord that you would continue to move him out of these critical places into a place of healing and strength as you've done with others lord and for those that we have on our hearts today and for many that walk through and continue to walk through the pain of 9 11 may they know that there is a savior who is christ the lord and that their strength can come from you as they heal so we're thankful that we can come together we thank you lord for the worship and praise that has opened our hearts and our minds to receive from you this morning and i pray this all in your name amen last week i had the opportunity to share on the glory of god and many of you have responded i so appreciate that the holy spirit was causing us to hear what god is doing i wasn't aware that i was going to be doing part two until pastor called me this week and said you've got he says do you have a part two in you i said you're asking the wrong person ask him if there's a part two and there is there is a part of this message that today last week we were we heard about the glory of god and began to understand the depth of that and how god wants to move into all of our lives but today it's roll up your sleeves day it's time for us to get serious about the what the glory of god does into our hearts and lives and see it transform through us into the lives that he has brought us in contact around us god's always desire his desire is for us to be cleansed and restored in our relationship from with him from genesis with where genesis where sin began all the way through revelation is that constant heart cry of god to restore his relationship with us but over that time there's stuff that gets in the way that we allow to get in a way that sin allows to get in our way now here's a question and i'm going to be poking at you this morning because i poked at me this week as well how many of you even remember the message from last week you have to show your hands you can point no just how and you may say oh that was about something it was good though i liked it i want to tell you that does not bless me at all how many of us walked back to our homes like i said stood in the middle of the living room and said i declare the glory of god in this place in our businesses in our communities in our church you see it's more we've got to get out of the listening mode and into the active mode if we want to see and experience the fullness of god in your life in my life in our church in our neighborhoods in our community and our nation that desperately needs to know jesus as lord and savior of their lives god wants you no you mean he loves me no no he wants you the fullness of he of who he has created you to be in psalm 139 he says i knew you in your mother's womb and you are fearfully and wonderfully made god wants you he wants you detached from the world around he wants you from wandering around doing whatever you think is good one day and good the next day he wants you in the fullness of who he's desired and designed you to be when he knew you in your mother's womb and he says think about this you're fearfully and wonderfully made no person on this earth can undo that when god declares i am fearfully and wonderfully made no one can undo that he's declared who i am through his word of truth as he declares it over my life before i even knew what was around me he's already made a statement of who i am there's that place where he wants to heal our heart he wants to change our lives and he sent his son for the fullness of that but from the beginning of time he is constantly moving to see our lives restored yours and mine and when his glory comes in everything else has to go out everything else has to go out and that's his desire it's like a washing that pushes everything out and too often we're holding on to pieces wash everything out god accept this this is a place of unforgiveness i can't let go this is a place of hurt i can't let go wash me accept this except this part our granddaughter uh our granddaughter adeline she would get okay adam it's time for your bath and you know kids they most kids love baths she goes okay now i forgot you know because you got to get the instructions from the parents so i forgot that adeline doesn't like to sit down in the tub so i'm like how are we doing this how am i going to wash you standing up so she goes i yeah i don't want to sit down i said phyllis this is a grandma thing grandpas don't do this now i only have one way of understanding but sometimes we say god wash us just just where i need to be washed and i'll decide i'll decide god has a love for his people israel and that love for his people israel translates into our life as his people that are born again believers in jesus christ if you're not a born again believer in jesus christ and you're not part of god's kingdom that's as simple as it is you can show up here every week but if you haven't accept jesus christ as lord and savior of your life then you're not part of the kingdom of god and if you want to get that figured out at the end of the service there'll be people here in the front they will lead you into a relationship with jesus christ in ezekiel 36 we read these words beginning of verse 24 for i will take you out of the nations i will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land and i will sprinkle clean water upon you and you will be clean and i will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols that's the heart of god when his glory comes in his desire is to cleanse us from all impurities from the idols we have allowed to become part of our life that we've established our life to serve when we don't even realize it but when god comes in he begins to make a revelation of these things and he said to the people i'm going to clean you and i'll cleanse you i'll cleanse you from your impurities but we can hold on to them it doesn't say i will force them out of you he says i'll cleanse you when we bring them we say i don't know what to do i'll cleanse you and then this is such a powerful statement i will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you i will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh and i will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws and i will live in the land and you will live in the land i gave your forefathers you will be my people and i will be your god that's his heart that's not something we make a decision about i'm not sure i'm not sure i'm not sure he says this is what i'm going to do i'm going to take that heart that can't receive anything that heart that is so hardened that it it's been hurt it's been damaged it has been filled with sin i'm gonna take that because i want to and i'm gonna make give you a heart of flesh that's open that's ready that can pump through your entire life the fullness of my presence in you that's the heart of god for you that's the heart of god for me god does not repair hearts he replaces hearts he doesn't say this is good enough we'll just you know we'll go down and get an extra part from the junkyard and stick it in he doesn't do that he says there's only one thing i'm going to do i'm going to give you a brand new heart nothing but new nothing but what i've breathed into you nothing but what i desire that is what god wants for you and for me a brand new heart a whole new way of living our lives he doesn't repair his purpose is to move us towards him now see here's where it gets here's where we get it all messed up we think it's his purpose for for uh for him to come to us god you need to show me no he doesn't god you need to give me understanding no he doesn't he wants us to move towards him so that all that matters is what matters to him that's all god i give you my life when i was back at virginia tech 1972 a million years ago for many of you for me too i had a guy come to the door from campus crusade for christ knocked on the door open the door i said filled up some form or something he goes hi he says i just have a question for you are you a christian i thought what do i look like i said yes and immediately in my mind i kept thinking who asked questions like that i'm in the bible belt so i knew it was a whole nother world down there everybody's brother and sister and all this stuff but and he began to share with me the plan of salvation which i'd never heard before and as that plan of salvation started getting into my heart into my life i began to there was something that i never heard that god wanted a relationship with me he wanted me with all the stuff that was in my life he wanted me and i remember as i closed the door and i thanked him very nicely but took his little book of the four spiritual laws and i began to read through it and i realized my goodness god loves me and he wants a relationship with me but there's stuff in the way and i prayed the sinner's prayer and i remember the skies didn't open lightning didn't come it just all of a sudden i was very aware that god wants me and for the rest of this time to this very day that has been my heart's desire to be ready for whatever god wants in my life he's created a pathway of restoration and transformation that ends at the cross and opens eternity for you and for me but but just grasp hold of this fact that if god wants me so much and then i look and i realize there's things in the way it's a we have a basement that has a life of its own it's just who put all this stuff down here it must be you know somebody must be coming in and putting stuff in we can't possibly have all this stuff and of course phyllis will be entertained will be entertaining she'll say could you get that blue ball the one with the little you know where that ball is way and it's like really coul couldn't you use another ball no that blue one is the because you know what don't even finish the sentence i know it's futile 41 years when she says the blue bowl it's the blue bowl just go get it and now i have to get through the stuff you're climbing you're falling things are toppling over you have no idea but you're just trying to get to that bowl that's exactly what it is as we try to move our heart towards god there's all kinds of stuff in the way and if there's any value to a relationship with the lord and we start pressing there are going to be things in the way they're going to be people in the way they're going to be hurts in the way there's going to be disappointment in the way there's going to be anger and unforgiveness in the way there's going to be things that have happened in your my life that are in the way and we can either say i can't i won't do something else god you've got to want more something else in my life instead oppressing pressing and pushing the stuff out of the way and when i start pushing the stuff out of the way spiritually god pushes it with us when i step in there and something hap he takes it and he moves it along as well and you feel like as you're moving ahead god's right in there dumping the stuff as fast as he can because he he's he's anticipating like the father when the prodigal son he's coming because he wants me and i want him but so often we're just so busy trying to keep everything in order second corinthians paul writes and we and we all with unveiled faces beholding the glory of god are being transformed into the same image from one degree to another for this comes from the lord who is in the spirit this there's a change that begins to result and you should be experiencing that every day every day not just every so often not just on sundays not just on certain prayer nights every day to wake up and say god today draw me closer to you i want you want me i want you and i don't know what that's going to mean it may be in your job it may be in your relationship it mean everything else but it's nothing that we can just put in a co in a box somewhere and pull out periodically when we feel a little blue or we feel a little disappointed no one called me to go to the prayer meeting i'm sad i feel left out god you love me you want me what's your heart cry what's your heart cry did it change this week did it change when you began to reflect on the glory of god did you did you hear god's heart for you did it matter did it matter at all i took my mom down to see um esther sight and sound cancelled great so i get up at six o'clock every day you've heard this a million times that's what i do i get up i have my time with the lord so at 91 years old you say whatever you want so my mother said i can't believe you get up at six in the morning i say i get up every every day at six months why i said it's my time with the lord oh that yeah that later on we talked about it because if i don't i won't if i don't move i it won't happen i'll just wait till later later never comes so if you say i want god wants me god wants i want to show up not driving on the expressway show up not doing something i want to show up and be with him well pastor that's what you do for a living oh no that's what i do for me that's not my job i don't sit in my office during my nine to whatever and say now it's my time with the lord oh no that's me that's ted and jesus that's ted and god that's my time where i hear his voice that's the time where i worship that's the time when i weep that's the time where i rejoice that's the time where i bring the things before god that i can't bring to anybody else because he wants me and he's changed my heart and i'm not hard to the things of god but soft and pliable and each time that happens is another level at another level at another level of what god wants to do in our hearts and lives david says in psalm 139 search me o lord know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting that has to be our cry it's we're done with god if you could come in and do a little straightening up here a little cleaning up i look at the horrible things that it came with this flood uh from the last hurricane that went through do you think people want to come in with a little duster and say can i help here could you dust off that furniture that's soaking in water that has fallen yeah could i come in and do a little polishing of that i don't know the cry of david is search me oh god and know my heart because guess what i don't even know my heart have you ever been in that situations where you're something's going on and you go whoa i just had that thought i i'm that angry i'm that disappointed and that hurt i don't know about you but i hear this it's not that far from here to hear i don't hear other stuff but i hear that and david is crying out leave nothing of me even my thoughts whatever it is lead me in a way that is not restricted by the world around me by my hurts my disappointments lead me in the everlasting way the way that keeps going and keeps going and keeps going until i'm in eternity at the foot of the at your feet worshiping and loving you paul says in romans 12 do not be conformed to this world to be but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that by testing you may discern what the will of god is that good and acceptable and perfect will the presence of the god points us in his direction in his direction and so we cry out like paul don't conform anymore i want to know the will of god there's a connection the more we're connected to the will of this world the less we will understand the will of god it's just that it's just that simple if i want to understand my finances according to the world then don't work don't think you're going to get an understanding of your finances according to god we have a class here that helps us to take biblical principles and apply them into finances and you know what they don't work in the world system but they work in god's system and there's so many places in our hearts in our lives where this reality of our we feel safe in the world because we're living in it but my eyes are in a world that's far bigger and far better than this world we're working we're walking in today far better far greater with an eternal view not just getting through the next day and you know i've done it and we've all done it as christians there's a point church where we have to say it's i'm not satisfied with just getting through today i'm not satisfied with that anymore i'm not satisfied with just going down my block and wondering if people are saved or not saved i'm not satisfied with just making it through in a marriage making it through in a relationship making it through as a parent i want the glory of god i want his presence i want his understanding to come into every situation so i can see him i can see my church my children my wife my family everything transformed that's the vision not just i made it through another day thank you jesus more paul says in second corinthians 5 therefore if anyone is in christ he's a new creation the old has passed away the new has come the old everything the new everything if i'm a born-again believer i mean i've experienced yet but it's true it's there god you can show me how to forgive i don't want to you can show me you see that's where this changes that's with when god comes into our hearts and lives and we step up and we say god i know that i have to forgive that person i know they hurt me and believe me i've done enough counseling here i know i know how hard it is i know our counseling center where we work with couples all the time i know there are some horrific things that have happened in marriages so i don't say it lightly like hey let's just get past it no no forgiveness is not just getting past it forgiveness in these kinds of situations when it's empowered by god is transformational we have people that are counseling in our counseling center whose marriages were completely destroyed god restored them and now they're helping other couples that's the hand of the lord that's not training that's not feeling good about something that's not wanting to get involved that's when god comes in and changes everything and so we hear these words and we say you know i'm a new creation in christ everything's different everything's different but but pastor you don't understand my situation you know what i don't but god does and we can come to that place where we say god here i am i'm a new creation show me how to see this as a new creation show me how i can move closer to you in the midst of this show me how this difficult place can be a venue in which i'm able to grow closer to you and see what you have for me you see as a new creation it's not just a wonderful truth or a state of mind it's a change in my life when i became born again it was a whole new world for me i didn't understand it but something happened in me and the things that didn't matter mattered there i was at virginia tech going through my my courses in architecture and i remember it just wasn't the same as when i got there because there were different things that god was doing and all i knew is i wanted every day to be pleasing to the lord that's all that mattered to me that's all that mattered paul says in colossians 1 10 so as to walk in a matter of the worthy of the lord fully pleasing pleasing to him bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of god that's that has to be our heart church we should just write that everywhere so we can remember every day every day i want to bear fruit in every good work so that it might increase in the knowledge of god now we're not talking about information we're talking about transformation we're talking about i need the knowledge of god in this situation in this situation in this situation in this situation i need the knowledge of god to bring healing i need the knowledge of god to bring understanding have we been hurt absolutely have there been horrific things that have happened in lives right here absolutely but that can't be our identity though it has hurt us it has made a challenge for us our identity has to be there's a new creation in christ it has to be that new person that steps into that old situation and say god show me show me show me what you would have for me in this place in that place of healing in that place of restoring me paul says in colossians 3 and i'm going to read this and there's kind of like little little inserts that i've made since then you have been raised with christ choose to set your hearts on the things above where christ is seated at the right hand of god you choose to set your minds on the things above not on earthly things for you died and your life is now hidden with christ in god when christ who is your life appears then you will appear with him in glory incredible you choose to put to death therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature that's your choice sexual immorality impurity lust evil desires and greed which is idolatry because of these the wrath of god is coming you used to walk in these ways in the life you once lived but now you are born again you must choose in his power and glory rid yourselves of all these things anger rage malice slander filthy language from your lips anything that god reveals to you do not lie to each other since you have chosen to take off your old self which is with its practices and have chosen to put the new self which is being renewed in the knowledge and the image of the creator the image of god his glory his action it's choice it's a choice it's a choice church it's a choice not so i can just be good because you know what all these things malice rage filthy language uh it's all in the way it's all in the way it's in the way of being a testimony and a witness it's a way it's in a way it's in the way of your marriage it's a new way of your marriage just forgiveness heals so many things just knowing god's power and his anointing heals so many things his glory cleans out everything in the way of his presence but are you ready for that cleaning or are we going to stand holding back clean but not this part change me but not this part the enemy has made many of us feel that this will never change this is who you are i never have ever believed that i believe when god changes me fully i am change there's not a part of me that god can't transform not one thing so i don't go back and say i'm this way because of that i'm healed are you ready to be healed are you ready to be set free are you ready to be that person that god wants you to be even if it really hurts and you got to climb through a bunch of stuff to get there is it that important is it that treasure that's been buried that you sell everything and say this is all i want i want every day to to know every day god wants me god loves me god will come after me because he wants me to be his he wants me to be his mouthpiece he wants me to be the person that he had called me to be as he looked into my mother's womb and he said you ted are fearfully and wonderfully made and i have plans for you and i have a purpose for you and i have a desire for you to do my will just stop let your emptiness be a place that god can pour in listen god receives us wherever we're at you may be hearing this for the first time you weren't even here last week and you say you know i don't know where to start [Music] i don't know where to start get alone get a loan at the altar here get alone with someone and just say here i am lord i don't know where i need to start do you honestly think god would say hey well you got to figure it out i'm all-knowing but you not so much do you really think that's what god would do when i come to him and say god whatever you want show me i want to be so close to you he begins to show me the things that are in the way it could be huge things it could be small things but as he does that i begin to realize he really wants me he loves me and somehow i understand but he wants me in the fullness of who he's created me to be let god burn up the chaff let him burn the fire in our hearts and our lives just a moment rule pastor matt is this incredible song we've sung it already that just kind of knits us all together but i want to pray with you i want to pray that god will you will be open to the stirring of the holy spirit father in this gathering we believe this has been your timing for us it's time lord and we want to see you we want to know deeply how much you want us and how much you love us and so father the things that are in the way we pray that you'll reveal them to all of us for those whose marriages are falling apart say lord show us show us that we will be obedient to whatever you say for those that are fearful for those that have taken on an identity of a hurt from all these years ago today lord thank you that you want us to cleanse us to take that hardened heart and make it flesh to make it alive again spiritually and no longer held back show us oh god the pathway of righteousness and healing and i'm just going to pray this and i've seen this be incredibly powerful we have a ministry here called ancient past that allows god just we just hear his voice in the midst of the needs but right now just say show me lord anything that's in the way of me knowing you deeper and being available for you anything anything [Music] anything some of you you have relatives that have hurt you so deeply that you don't see any place of that being healed god is healing you now let him heal you the number of you that you just said i have failed so miserably failed so miserably how could god ever restore what i have destroyed god is a god of restoration hope and a future let him restore let him heal [Music] and lord let us as a church show us anything that's in the way anything that we have to climb over to see your glory descend on this place and into this neighborhood and into this state and into this country and into this world lord here we are lord use us because we know you love us and you desire us so here we are lord we're your people we hunger after you [Music] the spirit of god grasp hold of your heart right now and if all this seems so hard because you don't know jesus as lord and savior your life then today's the day that you are going to begin that journey come after the service and we will pray that prayer of salvation but lord right now as we open our hearts in the place of worship let these words stir us cause us to know you thank you that you desire us we're overwhelmed by that truth take our hard heart and make them hearts of flesh that we might follow you in jesus name amen [Music] into amen purpose [Music] one main reason for existence [Music] and all man's vain in [Music] will one day be brought to treasure you above all others to love you like we love no other your greatness soon will be uncovered and all the earth will then know and all the earth will then know [Music] oh for you long will be exalted in that day as worthless goals will be exposed as idols that we've made for you long will be exalted and you'll be seen as rightful king and from our hearts we'll say [Music] that all is for [Music] is for that in all things that in all things all is for your glory and all is for your [Music] the first place [Music] that in all things he would have the first place in all things that all of our lives would be wrapped around this idea that it's for his glory church can you imagine what our work weeks would look like if everything we did we did for the glory of god come on what our homes would look like what our families would look like if we chose every moment god this is just to honor you [Music] so lord as we seal this moment we say once again with all of our heart the words that we just saw all is for your glory everything we do father would you have the first place in our homes would you have the first place in the car ride on the way home would you have the first place when no one is around and looking would you have the first place in our lives in jesus name amen church we've been called to to be the hands and feet of jesus this week yes so let's move in that this week let's move in what it looks like to invite the lord in listen as always we're just it's it's an honor to be a part of a community that's so generous and so faithful and giving you saw today as you walked in all the tvs in the lobby and sign ups all these ministries that take place are because of your faithfulness in giving and so if you're giving today you know how to do that online as well as in the offering containers in the lobby if during the service anything resonated with you whether it be at some point throughout the sermon or even as pastor ted mentioned uh what we're remembering this weekend that took place 20 years ago as we're remembering 911 whether you lost a loved one or you're still mourning some sense of security and safety and you just find yourself in that questioning and you need someone to stand with you we'll have church leaders here at the front that would love to just pray with you be here with you and just pray for your life and i love being a part of this church i love being a part of a true community thank you all for being here today let me just close and pray a blessing over you lord i thank you for each and every person in this room i thank you for everyone that chose to come to this service today that chose not to just go on in their own ways but say lord how can i put you first and i pray this week as we take those steps of faith as we take those steps saying saying god what does it mean in this moment god i have questions in this moment i pray in advance and i thank you in advance that you are going to meet us there you are going to meet us right there and give us vision you are going to meet us right there and give us steps because you've always been faithful to do it so we thank you today for your faithfulness bless each and every person in this church oh god keep them safe this week we love you and pray this all in jesus name amen we'll see you next week church bless you [Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Music] [Music] so [Music] you

Channel: Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle

Views: 681

Rating: 4.8400002 out of 5

Keywords: Smithtown (Location), Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle, SGTchurch, SGT Church, SGT, Church, Church (Type Of Place Of Worship), Sermon, Jesus Christ (Deity), God (Deity), Gary Zarlengo

Id: 0BxhdZsEOAY

Length: 80min 35sec (4835 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 12 2021