Levi Lusko Passion Update _ On the Spot _ Fresh Life ( Feb 01, 2018 ) TBN

it's being in my business being in how I have my thought life being in my entertainment being in some selfish preoccupation I want heaven to say that's the spot right there that's what's wicked that's what's worthless that's what needs to go in order to receive the implanted word you got to be planted yourself [Music] we are in a series of messages that we are calling keep the change and we're just absolutely loving it because that's what we want we want change you want to make progress we want to grow we want our lives to be dynamic we want to feel like we're moving forward on the journey of life that we're maturing that we're nearing the target that God has in mind when he looks at us and and I don't think it's really the problem think the problem is that we don't desire change I think all of us deep down want to grow no one's like you know what I really love to be stagnant that would be fun that would just be neat just to always feel like life is just going on but I'm not I don't think anybody wants that I think all of us want to change and I think I think the problem is also not that we don't ever try to change I think the real problem is that we don't often keep the change that we go for and that's why first week of January when I was driving to the gym I had to do I kid you know I counted four laps before I could get a spot at the gym in the main parking lot I could have broken down at any point and parked in the auxiliary parking lot but I have I have standards people I refuse to get any exercise on my way and to get exercise I I want a four isn't that just wrong is that's just the problem with our culture right I will but I will I will circle the gym to go and walk on the treadmill the gym part I will drive around it like three four times I don't care but but then I'll go in and get on it anyhow but that was the first week of January let me tell you this past week every single time I've gone in I've gotten a front row spot each time just pulling in the thing has changed because there's those who said I'm gonna do it I'm gonna go for it I'm gonna I'm really gonna get in shape this year we try to change we just often don't keep the change and that's why we're in this series talking about what we are week one first part we talked about how to select the right change because we don't pick the right thing to go for even if we get it we lose if we aim for the leaves instead of for the route we're not any better off than we are at the end of it even if we win this week we're getting a little help from Jesus's half-brother so if you have a Bible join me in James chapter 1 for a message I'm calling on the spot on the spot say turn your says this message is gonna be spot-on I believe it will be on the spot James 1 James is as I just mentioned Jesus's half-brother which can you just imagine the pressure I mean think about how often he felt his parents maybe they didn't say it because it probably would have gotten old but just how often he would have felt them when they looked at him doing something when they looked at him getting caught doing something and the the the the nonverbal communication was just screaming why can't you just be a little more like your brother damn it right he they did catch him like red-handed doing something and Mary would be like gee hey what would Jesus do and I just imagine that that would get old and but it says it speaks volumes that that James became a Christian and became a pastor and he did not do any of those things till after Jesus had risen from the dead but to be fair to James I mean I think it would take at least the resurrection from the dead for most of us to worship our brother the book of Jaime and that's what we're reading and in Chapter one of James verse eternity never said these are the jokes people it says in verse 21 therefore someone say therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness now if he says therefore that's usually pointing back to something he already said in this case that is indeed the case and that's because earlier in the chapter he was talking about how desires can get out of control desires can mess you up desires can can can lead you astray because desires draw you away they tempt you away and then once the desire conceives and you give into it it gives birth to sin so having the desire to do something bad isn't sin it's when you give in to it it is but when sin gets full-grown it always brings forth death so when we give in to our desires that are not good desires it'll lead to sin and when sin grows up it leads to death and that's what he was talking about and that's what he's connecting back to in verse 21 when it says therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted everyone say implanted word which is able to save your souls but be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves for if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror for he observes himself goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was but he who looks into the perfect law of Liberty and and I someone told me one time that God wants everyone stranded in sin to look into the perfect law and receive life and liberty through Jesus Christ he's talking about the gospel here looks into the perfect law of Liberty he says and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer every once a doer of the work this one will be blessed that's what we want blessing one translation of the Bible translates were blessed is oh how happy he will be oh how happy in what he does what God wants for you if anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle filed religion before God and the father is not talking big but rather to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world would you pray with me father we're grateful for the chance to sit under the reading of your word that's what just happened and scripture commands that that would be a thing that would happen in this house that would be a place not just a prayer not just a place where all nations could come anybody could come anybody however messed up anybody no matter where they are on the faith journey anybody even if they don't know who Jesus is or know that they like him or know that they don't like him it's a place you could come and hear that but it would also be a place that would be given over to the reading of God's Word and so as we've done that now we ask for your spirit to do what only you can do and to take your word and to drive it into our hearts in the way that we need to be hit by it to be to be impacted by it that we would have certain things revealed to us through it by your spirit that can't happen naturally but then we also pray for our side of things because after you've revealed it we must choose to respond to it and so we pray for both to happen that you would do what only your spirit can do breathe on these words into our hearts in our midst but we pray now also for us to have the strength and the grit and the fortitude and the obedience to respond to it like we should and above all things our requests would be that in our myths in our gathering if there's anybody without God without hope in this world anybody who's come in with a heavy heart with a burdened soul with a guilty conscience with fear without the peace and certainty of heaven that as your word goes out and we spend time talking on it your spirit would move in their hearts in such a way that they would be drawn to you they would almost just find it irresistible as your grace has held up and they look into the perfect law of Liberty and they would receive life in the name of Jesus and we ask this in your name and we all said together amen James here is talking about change he's talking about laying aside things that are filthy laying aside things that are wicked and isn't that our desire we're trying to look at our lives and go what's excessive what's unnecessary what's unhealthy what's holding me back we're trying to lay aside things that are filthy things that are wicked or things that are just irrelevant maybe they were useful at one point but they're no longer useful today we're trying to always just just knowing that our desires can lead us to sin this thing can bring us to death that we are capable of doing things that will make a mess of our lives we're trying to in this series make some changes we're trying to end this new year we're trying to end this new season in this brand new decade by the way welcome to a brand new era if you're not if you weren't here last weekend we saw God uh sure enough new decades it's a brand new church plant called fresh life dot church and we're excited to be at the beginning of something and as we are at the beginning we're assessing what from the old we don't want to hold on to anymore what we can lay aside this filthy and wicked I like how another translation puts that verse it's the TeV it puts it this way rid yourselves of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct basically it's the wicked and the worthless we don't want to be hanging on to the wicked and the worthless and James is telling us not just that we need a laid aside but how how that's that's a big thing that's the important thing and he gives us a list for different things and I hope if you brought something to write them down you'll jot them down maybe the worship guide that we gave you or if you're watching on the online broadcast you could right there in your note window right right these four things to number one write this now stay put say someone say that Allah say stay put that's what he says he talks about receiving the implanted word with meekness receiving the implanted word with weakness with meekness not not weakness I was an accident weakness and meekness are different they sound alike they're so different meekness can be mistaken for weakness but meekness is strength under control it's a strength but with humility it's a strength but but but under God's control okay so I like how the amplified gives us an insight into what he's saying when he says receive it with meekness the Word of God that's been implanted the amplified makes it so much simpler it just says welcome the word welcomed the word I hope that your heart has you come to church I hope you're welcoming the word I hope when I said let's open up to the book of James and started reading I hope your heart said I welcome the word the word is welcome here that should be our mentality that we would come to church saying god I welcome a word from heaven I want God to speak a word to my situation I'm begging God for revelation I hope that's your posture because the the text says we got to receive the implanted word everyone say implanted so something that's implanted is a seat and that's what Jesus said hearing God's Word preached is like it's like a sower that sow seed goes out to the ground it starts throwing seed on the ground our job our responsibility is to be good soil our responsibilities to not be rocky soil does not be crowded soil it's not to be soil with birds everywhere they're gonna eat it up that we would say I welcome the word the word is welcome here that we're getting the snow off the lights so that the airplane can land we're out that's word is able to be a part of the change that we need the start of the new year is the perfect time to think about the changes we want to make in life lose weight read more quit smoking stay in touch with family but how do we keep those changes whether it's in ourselves our relationships or with him God wants to give us lasting life change and keep the change series gives us practical tools on how to do that visit Levi less cocom or call the number on the screen and for a gift of $20 you can receive the entire series on DVD let's learn together how to keep the change what we believe about God's Word is very significant when it comes to what we can receive out of it let me tell you something about God's Word Psalm 19 which is all about God's Word it puts it this way it says the law of the Lord the synonym for the Bible is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple it says the statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes and I just picked a couple of them the whole chapter you could do very well for yourself to read Psalm 19 this week or read Psalm 19 before you come into church to read Psalm 19 before you open to the Bible just to know what you're finding out about what's gonna happen to you so what what what's so cool about this is the connection to the implanted word being received with eagerness in a spirit that's full of meekness that posture what it does is it sets you up to lay aside the wicked and the worthless why because it's God's Word that's gonna reveal to you what needs to go exactly because the world's confusing we're living in a world full of people with all sorts of different worldviews and we have different desires pulling us astray and there's enough magnetic fields and interference and Static but we come into God's house his word gets opened up as it begins to be preached and the sea begins to be sewn when we have welcome hearts we're saying God put your finger on anything you want to and say that's the spot that's the spot that's the spot that's the spot be it be my relationships being in my business being in how I have my thought life be it in my entertainment being in some selfish preoccupation I want heaven to say that's the spot right there that's what's wicked that's what's worthless that's what needs to go and when we have that kind of a heart that says with meekness I'm receiving the implanted word which is able to save my soul we're welcoming God's conviction we're welcoming God's encouragement we're welcoming God's guidance and the infusions of strength to go along with it but caution in order to receive the implanted word you got to be planted yourself Psalm 92 verse 13 says those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God I think sometimes it's the fact that we're so sporadic with church attendance and we're so sporadic with availing ourselves to the consistent and that's why you got to stay on the spot where God can say that's the spot you got to stay on the spot you got to stay on the spot you got to stay right there on the spot where God can say is there in your weak spots where you're saying there's a spot I'm staying on where God can say that's the spot if you're not then you're not receiving the implanted work because you're not letting you get planted your kit you keep uprooting uprooting uprooting you're not giving it opportunity to grow grow grow and that's why you should stay put in your small group you should stay put in your daily devotional plan you should stay put in your weekly gathering together with God's people as you should listen to me you gotta hear consistently you gotta hear consistently that's what it means to stay put but there's a second hearing is not enough you also got to put it into practice you got to put it in to practice the text told us explicitly do not just be hearers of the word but also be doers or how my boy JB Phillips put it he just straight-up said put it into practice so creative of me coming up with this second point I just ripped it from the pages of the Bible but stay put and then put it into practice so we come we can hear it but it does no good if we go out and don't do what we hear which is why here consistently is not the end of the story you also gotta act instantly that's how we put it into practice we act instantly here's here's what I'm saying to you I'm saying to you that we have to have the mentality that when he puts his finger on some part of your life on some part of your relationship on some part of how you conduct yourself on some part of how you spend on some part of how you do anything and he says that right there that's the spot that's the wicked that's the worthless that needs to go what you should say is yes sir here we go yes sir here we go right away you got to act instantly you can't put it off to tomorrow you can't say I'll eventually get around to that oh yeah I should be generous I should be giving I should be tithing it would be nice I shouldn't be living with this person we're not me you you don't you don't delay it you don't say well eventually I'll get right with that cuz there's always gonna be a reason not to obey there's always gonna be a reason not to live under God's blessing the devil will make sure that happens there's always gonna be something inconvenient about it or why today's not the right day for what God is speaking into your heart that you should do the dream that's brewing that you're meant to step out in faith on there's always gonna be somebody well you know what I really should do that I'll just do it in a week or I'll just do it a month but no no you gotta act instantly you gotta act right away the right time to do the right thing is right now today's the day for you to respond to God what I'm preaching to somebody on television you're watching fresh life on God speaking to your heart you need to respond to him not tomorrow right now pick up the phone and make that call and send that text and delete that app and maybe cancel that service on your television if God's saying that's wicked and that's worthless and I want that gone he's fighting for your future he's trying to bless you he doesn't mix in forbidden because it's forbidden sin is forbidden because it's not helpful and it's hurting you and it's gonna bring forth death in your life when he says it's wicked when he says it's worth it's when he says that's the spot as you're staying on the spot you gotta act right away I'm gonna say something provocative and tell me I didn't get fed I wasn't getting anything out of it because that's saying mirror mirror on the wall fix what's jacked-up in my soul this mirror can tell me I got something in my teeth this mirror can tell me that I got a little bit to lose in my midsection and it is saying that right now this mirror could tell me hmm this Mir could tell me yeah could have done a little bit better of a job getting the sleep out of your eyes this morning pal but you know what this mirror doesn't do good at fixing stuff get that get that sleep out of my eye losing weight feeling great oh yeah I got stuff in my teeth No and God's Word is like a mirror God's Word is there to say to you that's the spot here's the time now you got to respond I think sometimes we're expecting God's Word to give us ABS we're expecting God's Word to give us good marriage well I heard a sermon why am I not changed I heard a sermon why am I not blessed I heard a sermon why am I not happy or I heard a sermon why am I not because you got to do it it reveals it to you you got to respond to do it you got to get your back into it you got to rise up in obedience to it he says that's wicked he says that's worthless you can't just hear consistently you gotta act instantly you gotta put it into practice we were talking about Psalm 19 right and Psalm 19 basically says God's words amazing God's words phenomenal God's Word it can lead you to clarity God's Word it can do all this stuff I can convert to soul convert to Sobha listen here's how god's word eventually the whole passage it leads down to this verse 11 moreover by your servant is warrant and in keeping them there is great reward keeping them in responding to what god's word reveals the great reward is not in hearing god's word it's in doing god's work it's when you respond and you say okay and you immediately rise up to obey if it didn't work it's probably because you're not putting it to work you're not working it the same thing in Jesus's ministry he said the same thing there's that famous passage about if you take two different people whose lives are built on two different foundations one sandy and ones rocky and you expose them to the same crisis maybe a sudden grief or maybe it's being paralyzed or maybe it's being being super sick or maybe it's going through the loss no job whatever take two people exposed into the same storm okay one does fine and is robust through it and isn't beaten down by it and is prevailing and is steadfast and immovable and and that's that what's what we want to be like where Jesus says that's a person whose life spills on a rock this is the other guy's life spilt on a sand and sandy foundation it looks good the house looks great but the moment that storm comes the Mormon moment that crisis shows up they're just destroyed by it their their faith in God is destroyed by it their sweet spirit is destroyed by they don't suffer well and in the difference we've always been taught is the person who hears God's word right person who hears God's word it's the person who has the rock unto them and that's how I've heard it to explain maybe you gotta live your life hearing God's Word because a person who doesn't listen to what Jesus has to say they're not gonna have the rock under under their feet but that's not what the text says Jesus look here's the actual key to the story he says everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice [Music] it's an incredible thing really to think about the Bible as a mirror and just that visual of the mirror can't change what's wrong with us it can only tell us what's wrong even as you watch this program an hour hearing scripture communicated that's not enough to change your life it can make you aware of your need to change your life but I can't do that for you so it's so important that we all are taking the time to put into practice what God's speaking to our hearts that's so good I know one thing that helps me is first of all talking about it like on our ride home from church or when we're sitting around the table it's been so awesome for us to be like what did you learn from the message or what have you been learning lately and it's so helpful to talk about it one practical thing for me like when I when I listen to a message when I'm sitting in church is writing notes writing notes is huge and I'm just a writer anyway so it's helpful and sometimes it's better on your phone but one thing that I do that helps me when I read the Bible in my own like in the morning and it's just take one snip it like one word or one truth and I write it on my hand or I write it on my planner or my to-do list for that day on my phone and it's just there like constantly reminding me how am i showing grace today if that's my word how am i showing patience today if that's my word and that's something that's so small but helps me to live out what God's teaching and that's really what the Bible says it talks about taking god's word putting it on your hands wrapping it around it actually did that back in the day so what you're doing and writing that out is helping you to see it so you can remember it and you're putting it in places where you're gonna see it on the chalkboard in the kitchen I also think that there's power and telling someone else what you were describing of when I were driving home I we tell each other well here's what stood out to me and that gives you an accountability so I would encourage you next time God speaks something to your heart do one of those things maybe tie a string around your finger at every time you see it remember oh that's right I wanted to be more patient or I wanted to be more gentle or write that one word for the day down on your diary or on your the back of your hand or telling somebody posting to your Facebook feed I want to be more kind there's an accountability in that you can't fly off the handle and write something mean just after you've posted about your desire to be kind and I think when we tell people about our goals whether it's to run a 5k or to be a gentler spouse there's a built-in accountability in that well we hope and pray that even as this new year is still underway and everything is still so fresh and full of potential looking out over 2018 that you won't lose it but in fact that you will keep the change if you want to hear one of these messages again the information is on the screen where for a donation you can receive them on DVD to listen to them again and to make sure you're putting into practice what you're hearing well god bless you and we will see you soon into your heart you need to respond to him not tomorrow right now pick up the phone and make that call and send that text and delete that out and maybe cancel that service on your television if God's saying that's wicked and that's worthless and I want that gone he's fighting for your future [Music] receiving the implanted word with meekness receiving the implanted word with weakness with meatus not not weakness I was an accident weakness and meekness are different they sound alike they're so different meekness can be mistaken for weakness but meekness is strength under control it's a strength but with humility it's a strength but but but under God's control okay so I like how the amplified gives us an insight into what he's saying when he says receive it with meekness the Word of God that's been implanted the amplified makes it so much simpler it just says welcome the word welcome the word I hope that your heart as you come to church I hope you're welcoming the word I hope when I said let's open up to the book of James and started reading I hope your heart said I welcome the word the word is welcome here that should be our mentality that we would come to church saying god I welcome a word from heaven I want God to speak a word to my situation I'm begging God for revelation I hope that's your posture because the text says we got to receive the implanted word everyone say implanted so something that's implanted is a seat and that's what Jesus said hearing God's Word preached is like it's like a sower that sow seed goes out to the ground it starts throwing seed on the ground our job our responsibility is to be good soil our responsibility is to not be rocky soil does not be crowded soil it's not to be soil with birds everywhere they're gonna eat it up that we would say I welcome the word the word is welcome here that we're getting the snow off the lights so that the airplane can land we're out there with the with the glowsticks like go welcome here God your word is welcome here and enthusiasm welcomes the word an expectation welcomes the word in preparation welcomes the word it just it puts something fervent in your spirit when your heart says I welcome the word I love that so much and we would do so believing God's Word is able to be a part of the change that we need what we believe about God's Word is very significant when it comes to what we can receive out of it let me tell you something about God's Word Psalm 19 which is all about God's Word it puts it this way it says the law of the Lord is the synonym for the Bible is perf converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple it says the statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes and I just picked a couple of them the whole chapter you could do very well for yourself to read Psalm 19 this week or read Psalm 19 before you come into church to read Psalm 19 before you open to the Bible just to know what you're finding out about what's going to happen to you so what what what's so cool about this is the connection to the implanted word being received with eagerness in a spirit that's full of meekness that posture what it does is it sets you up to lay aside the wicked and the worthless why because it's God's word that's going to reveal to you what needs to go exactly because the world's confusing we're living in a world full of people with all sorts of different worldviews and we have different desires pulling us astray and there's a mr. magnetic fields and interference and Static but we come into God's house his word gets opened up as it begins to be preached and the sea begins to be sewn well we have welcome hearts we're saying God put your finger on anything you want to and say that's the spot that's the spot that's the spot that's the spot be it be it in my relationship house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God I think sometimes it's the fact that we're so sporadic with church attendance and we're so sporadic with availing ourselves to the consistent preaching of God's Word as we pray through a year we're praying through what topics we're going to hit we want a balance of things you want to just a full counsel of God's Word and so as we're doing that we're systematically doing it so if you only come here and there you're only intermittently exposing yourself to opportunities for God to recalibrate your soul to heaven and to put his finger on stuff and say that's the spot and that's why you got to stay on the spot where God can say that's the spot you got to stay on the spot you got to stay on the spot you got to stay right there on the spot where God can say is there in your weak spots where you're saying there's a spot I'm staying on where God can say that's the spot if you're not then you're not receiving the implanted word because you're not letting you get planted your kit you keep uprooting uprooting uprooting you're not giving it opportunity to grow grow grow and that's why you should stay put in you small-group you should stay put in your daily devotional plan you should stay put in your weekly gathering together with God's people as you should listen to me you gotta hear consistently you gotta hear consistently that's what it means to stay put but there's a second hearing is not enough you also got to put it into practice you got to put it in to practice the text told us explicitly do not just be hearers of the word but also be doers or how my boy JB Phillips put it he just straight-up said put it into practice so creative of me coming up with this second point I just ripped it from the pages of the Bible but stay put and then put it into practice so we come where we can hear it but it does no good if we go out and don't do what we hear which is why here consistently is not the end of the story you also gotta act instantly that's how we put it into practice we act instantly here's here's what I'm saying to you I'm saying to you that we have to have the mentality that when he puts his finger on some part of your life on some part of your relationships on some part of how you conduct yourself on some part of how you spend on some part of how you do anything and he says that right there that's the spot that's the wicked that's the worthless that needs to go what you should say is yes sir here we go yes sir here we go right away you got to act instantly you can't put it off to tomorrow you can't say I'll eventually get around to that oh yeah I should be generous I should be giving I should be tithing it would be nice I shouldn't be living with this person we're not me you you don't you don't delay it you don't say well eventually I'll get right with that because there's always gonna be a reason not to obey there's always gonna be a reason not to live under God's blessing the devil will make sure that happens there's always gonna be something inconvenient about it or why today's not the right day for what God is speaking into your heart that you should do the dream that's brewing that you're meant to step out in faith on there's always gonna be somebody well you know what I really should do that I'll just do it in a week or I'll just do it a month but no no you gotta act instantly you gotta act right away the right time to the right thing is right now today's the day for you to respond to God boy I'm preaching to somebody on television you're watching fresh live on God speaking to your heart you need to respond to him not tomorrow right now pick up the phone and make that call and send that text and delete that app and maybe cancel that service on your television if God's saying that's wicked and that's worthless and I want that gone he's fighting for your future he's trying to bless you he doesn't mix in forbidden because it's forbidden sin is forbidden because it's not helpful and it's hurting you and it's gonna bring forth death in your life when he says it's wicked when he says it's worth it's when he says that's the spot as you're staying on the spot you gotta act right away I'm gonna say something provocative and some of you gonna push back against it and that's okay cuz you're wrong the Bible can't change your life the Bible is a mirror the passage says and a mirror can do some things and can't do some things a mirror reveals stuff it doesn't fix stuff and I'm so afraid for maybe American Christianity and the cultural Christianity that that is just all about I received truth and I hear a podcast I'll leave that church if I didn't get fed and it wasn't getting anything out of it because that's saying mirror mirror on the wall fix what's jacked-up in my soul this mirror can tell me I got something in my teeth this mirror can tell me that I got a little bit to lose in my midsection and it is saying that right now this mirror could tell me hmm this mere could tell me yeah could have done a little bit better of a job getting the sleep out of your eyes this morning pal but you know what this mirror doesn't do good at fixing stuff get that that sleep out of my eye losing weight feeling great mm oh yeah I got stuff in my teeth no and God's Word is like a mirror God's Word is there to say to you that's the spot here's the time now you got to respond I think sometimes we're expecting God's Word to give us ABS we're expecting God's Word to give us good marriage well I heard a sermon why am I not changed I heard a sermon why am I not blessed I heard a sermon why am I not happier I heard a sermon why am I not well because you got to do it it reveals it to you you got to respond to do it you got to get your back into it you got to rise up in obedience to it he says that's wicked he says that's worthless you can't just hear consistently you gotta act instantly you gotta put it into practice [Applause] we were talking about Psalm 19 right and Psalm 19 basically says God's words amazing God's words phenomenal God's worry it can lead you to clarity God's Word it can do all this stuff it can convert to soul converts as oh but listen here's how God's word eventually the whole passage it leads down to this verse 11 moreover by your servant is warrant and in keeping them there is great reward keeping them in responding to what God's Word reveals the great reward is not in hearing god's word it's in doing god's word it's when you respond and you say okay and you immediately rise up to obey if it didn't work it's probably because you're not putting it to work you're not working it the same thing in jesus's ministry he said the same thing there's that famous passage about if you take two different people whose lives are built on two different foundations one sandy and ones rocky and you expose them to the same crisis maybe it's sudden grief or maybe it's being paralyzed or maybe it's being being super sick or maybe it's going through the loss of a job whatever take two people exposed into the same storm okay one does fine and is robust through it and isn't beaten down by it and it's prevailing and is steadfast and immovable and and and that's that what's what we want to be like where Jesus said that's a person whose life spills on a rock this is the other guy's life's built on a sand and Sandy foundation it looks good the house looks great but the moment that storm comes the Mormon moment that crisis shows up they're just destroyed by it their their faith in God is destroyed by it their sweet spirit it's destroyed by they don't suffer well the start of the new year is the perfect time to think about the changes we want to make in life lose weight read more quit smoking stay in touch with family but how do we keep those changes whether it's in ourselves our relationships or with him God wants to give us lasting life change and keep the change series gives us practical tools on how to do that visit Levi less cocom or call the number on the screen and for a gift of $20 you can receive the entire series on DVD let's learn together how to keep the change and the difference we've always been taught is the person who hears God's Word right person who hears God's word it's the person who has the rock unto them and that's how I've heard it explained I mean you gotta live your life hearing God's Word because a person who doesn't listen to what Jesus has to say they're not gonna have the rock under under their feet but that's not what the text says Jesus here's the actual key to the story he says everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice it's like a man who built his house on there hearing God's Word does not put rock under your feet it's when you put God's Word into practice and you walk it out on the soles of your feet and you walk it out in your marriage and you walk it out at the workplace and you walk it out with your money and you walk it out with your time it's putting into practice that's going to give you the stability in crisis information is meant to lead to application and when that happens the result will be transformation information application transformation that should be church receive with welcomed hearts the word he says that's the spot as we're staying on the spot and as we rise up to obey right away acting instantly what happened transfer mission change that we can keep but when you come week by week and God says that's the spot and you go nananana that's not my spot that's not my spot I came for this other problem because we're focusing on the wrong change we want better budgeting and God says you're greedy we want to be fit and God says you're too preoccupied by your body you know he's saying we can a wordless and we're trying to shift the blame we're trying to think of someone in our life who should be hearing that message instead of us all that happens is we've replaced application for something else so instead it's just information information information it can't get to application to the transformation and it sure as heck isn't going to skip over to the transformation so here's what happens instead it goes like this information information information with no application so what happens self-deception deception inoculation self-deception inoculation self-deception inoculation that's a person who just receives God's Word but doesn't respond to it I know so many verses yeah I know I know so much I'm not cracked you're mad I could tell you about stuff in the grief obesity in the spiritual life I'm just receiving I'm a big Bible Fathead I received so much but it's not doing anything for me because my in my mind my information is only leading to self-deception because now I know verses and I'm not living out I could tell you a verse about parenting but I'm a jerk to my kids I could tell you about generosity but I don't know anything about it in practice I could tell you about the right way to do put it into practice here's number three put a lid on it put a lid on it so many of the problems that we make that necessitate the change that we desperately need comes back to our mouths put a lid on it is what James says that's why he talks so much in his little book James's little book just as full of exhortations about speech exhortation 'he's about the tongue one of the most famous is when he talks about being slow to speak but being quick to listen and about being slow to wrath right or as Eugene Peterson put it lead with your ears follow up with your tongue and let anger straggle along in the rear I think that's a great way to live your life lead with your ears follow up with your tongue and let anger straggle along in the rear often we're just rushing in with our tongue and angers following in blazing afterwards and we listen last if at all and that's not what God wants for us and that's why we have to put a lid on it or in other words speak carefully speak carefully that's what God says about how we should use our tongues our tongues are powerful and if we would use them right we're gonna speak carefully you know the best thing about doing that a closed mouth gathers no feet right it's just amazing how easy it is to not say something you regret when you're choosing to not say something you're just listening first you're listening you're not just rushing in with something but you just you're just listening and and I love how proverbs 10:19 talks about how in the multitude of words sin is not lacking when there's just so many words coming out of your mouth instead of listening you're gonna at some point say something stupid and say something foolish and I know a lot about this I know so I could tell how long you got I could talk to you a whole lot about this and I've stayed up so many times late at night bummed out and and heartsick over the thing that I said that I wish I hadn't said and the thing that I texted that I wish I hadn't texted and the thing that I thought I emailed in the heat of the moment because I wasn't letting anger straggle long in the rear and instead of listening a lot and then talking I just talk with anger and then regret it later but I have never once in my life light up at night regretted how it was a really good listener that day have you ever lied man I wish I hadn't just heard that person how I wish I hadn't just letting them speak their piece and tell me their story I wish I hadn't asked more questions today there's not a single if our mouth is closed we won't be able to gather any feet I heard Pastor Chuck Smith one time talk about how his whole life his dad would tell him he said son if you if you keep your mouth closed people will just think you're a fool but if you open your mouth up it will dispel all doubt and I just think that there's some there for every single one of us and when we do open our mouths when we're not putting a lid on after we've had a good listen if we're not letting anger rush out if we're not just blazing with with just bullets spilling out of her mouth what then are we gonna say when we do choose to speak my recommendation would be that we choose to speak life that we would encourage those that we would who we've catch people doing things right that we would we would be we'd be quick to give a compliment out that we would praise people that we would choose to build each other up come on let no unwholesome words come out of your mouth but that which is good for necessary necessary edification that you may impart grace to the hearers speak life put a lid on it all right so we're gonna put a lid on it we're gonna we're gonna put things into practice when God convicts us we're gonna stay put what's the fourth jot this down put yourself out there come on just live a life where you put yourself out there you're like that's great dating advice I'm not talking about dating but maybe that - that was your word like that's my word put yourself out there for God to use is what James is saying James saying if you want to change if you want to see change happen in your life what you have to do is you have to live a life where you're putting yourself out there for God to use don't be like one who just walks around talking about how how great God is and the change just talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk is cheap he says you want to impress me he says what's impressive to God is when you're taking care of orphans and widows that's what you want to impress me go take care of an orphan you go take care of a widow another translation puts it this way take care of homeless and loveless take care of those who are homeless and take care of those who are loves now you wait a minute time out should I take care of orphans or widows or homeless and loveless here's an idea all of the above someone's homeless come on take care of that someone's love let's encourage them speak life over them be generous with them someone's an orphan encourage them someone's a widow speak life to them do something nice for them you want to change your life be a part of changing someone who's hurting the real way to change the world James is saying is to change the people in it who are hurting and the change you want in yourself will come from you being the change that you want to see in the world here's why because as love flows through groups going I wish I I would change here's what I want to do here's ten more verses that I don't I didn't apply the last nine didn't apply the last night after that but man I really want to change I really want to change that's like how about you go find someone who's worse off than you are and you encourage them and you help them how about you get together with your fresh life group and go to one of our outreach partners and do something to make a difference in this world how about you rise up with radical generosity how about you sponsor a child somewhere in the world that doesn't have someone taking care of their needs when you rise up to be the change you'll look down and see that you have changed because as God's love flows through you it always blesses you so what am I really trying to say what I'm trying to say is that as you hear consistently as you act instantly as you speak carefully and as you serve constantly you serve constantly any time you see a need you meet it with speed on the spot at the moment at that time you do what you can not what you can't you do what you can as you're willing to do those four things here's what you're gonna find you're gonna find you have power to keep yourself unspotted from the world if you just stay on the spot and you meet the need on the spot let me tell you what's gonna happen you're gonna be able to do what we're all trying to do you're gonna keep yourself unspotted from the world you look down and go where's the wicked where's the worthless it just sort of sorts itself as you're responding to the Holy Spirit and loving God and loving people and loving God and loving people you're just gonna kind of all of a sudden see your soul is healthy and in it God's will is the priority you're gonna all of a sudden look down and see that as you're celebrating God's power and you're participating in God's power that his power is doing the work that he wants to do inside you so come on let's live a life of worship let's live a live a praise and let's live it out in this world that desperately needs to know the name of Jesus goal is to keep ourselves unspotted from the world and what an amazing when he tells us to do it the easiest thing to think when you're reading the Bible they're listening to a sermon or watching a program like this on television and you hear God speaking through his word and all of a sudden he says something to you that's the spot right there it's think I'll get around to that later I'll change my life tomorrow I'll go on that diet next week you know and what we can do is we can deceive ourselves if we do that and especially this is important when it comes to the words we speak and how we listen ok it's so true I feel like there's such a need for good listeners in the world there's a such a lack of that and people are needing someone just to listen should I think so many times we want to get our word and we want to get what we have to say in but to be able to just listen well and ask questions and be actually hearing what someone saying is such a huge thing in relationships and in just someone you see you meet on the street or whatever just being that that listener with that sweet heart the challenge is that while we're listening sometimes we're so busy thinking about what we're going to say next so we're not actually listening to what they're communicating and how they're doing right but if you make yourself a good listener and you fight for that to be a trait that's true of you you just watch how many people want to be around you because they'll feel hurt when they're in your presence and like the old adage goes God gave us two ears and but only one mouth and so we should listen twice as much as we speak and I'm telling you that we will never lie awake at night with heartache just sick over something that we listened to someone say I'm doing their soul but we so often I lie there and agony go and I can't believe I said well that's all the time we have we're so grateful you would take the time to listen to these messages and if you'd like to hear one of these again on DVD we'd love to send them your way for a donation all the informations on the screen it would be a great resource for you to listen to these keep the change talks again or maybe share them with a friend or someone in your life until next time we'll see you soon

Channel: Levi Lusko Sermons

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Rating: 4.7647057 out of 5

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Id: MWnHtJepUNY

Length: 50min 9sec (3009 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 01 2018