October 30, 2016 - Carter Conlon - God Never Laughs At An Honest Heart

if you turn with me to the book of Proverbs please write after the Book of Psalms for those that are new to the Lord you'll find the book of Proverbs and if you have it on your iPad I don't know how to do that you look figure that out yourself or your phone but the book of Proverbs chapter one God never laughs at an honest heart God never laughs at an honest heart father I thank you for the anointing of your Holy Spirit I praise you God and I bless you with all my heart today Lord we feel in our hearts that you are drawing us to yourself Lord we feel in our hearts that there's no fear in being drawn towards you Lord you speak to us for good and not for evil help us to understand this help me Lord to convey your heart today speak through this vessel and yield my body to you Lord as a living sacrifice for your purpose in this pulpit but a great privilege Lord to stand and allow you to speak through me I ask you Lord to overshadow my frailty my weakness Lord I ask you to cover me and speak through me father bless every life every heart God give life where there's death give clear thinking with us confusion freedom where there's bondage god almighty god almighty give a sense of purpose that can only come from you Holy Spirit I thank you for what you will do this day I thank you that we are living in a season of the miraculous and you will never laugh at an honest heart no matter the depth of our struggle and I praise you for it in Jesus name Amen proverbs chapter 1 beginning at verse 22 the end of the chapter wisdom calls a loud outside she raises her voice in the open squares she cries out in the chief concourses at the openings of the gates in the city she speaks her words how long you simple ones will you love simplicity fourscore endures delight in the scorning and fools hate knowledge turn at my rebuke surely I will pour out my spirit on you I will make my words known to you because I have called and you refused I've stretched out my hand and no one regarded because you disdained all my counsel and would have none of my rebuke I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your terror comes when your terror comes like a storm and your destruction comes like a whirlwind when distress and anguish come upon you then they will call on me but I will not answer they will seek me diligently but they will not find me because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord they would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way and be filled to the full with their own fancies for the turning away of the simple will slay them and the complacency of fools will destroy them but whoever listens to me will dwell safely and will be secure without fear of evil now this week while I was at home I was watching a panel discussion in a local news network about our present day and right out of the blue one of the panelists put forward a question what's that which I felt emanated from an honest heart it was it wasn't part of the script it actually took people by surprise suddenly this one panelist just blurted out a question very similar to what I've written down what is it about our society that we will consider electing obvious corruption into public office simply because we perceive it to be to our advantage what has happened to truth why does it no longer matter and what are we collectively becoming as a people it was a profound question it was a profound moment really and it was it caught the panel who usually have no shortage of things to say if you're watching any of the news today there's no shortage of things to discuss but suddenly the whole panel drew back in shock and surprise and the hesitation was awkward it was an awkward moment and what showed me as I was watching it is that there was an initial thought which everyone on that panel had to subdue in their minds something came to the surface and it was like people's mouths open but it was if they couldn't speak it they couldn't say it maybe it was just to not in vogue or perhaps too simplistic and answer when they finally got around to answering the question of this one panelist the answer was vague with its usual list of suspects as a matter of fact it was so vague that I can't even tell you what they said because it didn't make sense the answer didn't make sense but it was amazing it's as if somebody asks you a question and says to you for example where were you last night you know where you were but you don't want to say it so you draw back just for a moment it should be obvious where you work and you try to think of all the places where you could have been and you begin to give that as an answer but the hesitation tells a huge story I believe it was a situation where wisdom once again was crying out for a response in our in our opening scripture we talked about wisdom his is God in society God's presence God's Spirit the knowledge of God is crying out for a response from this generation and the response was simple it's the one thing nobody could say we have turned away from God that is why truth doesn't matter that's why we will elect people who are corrupt into public office that is what we are collectively becoming as a people and as a nation we have turned away from God and the amazing thing is I could tell people knew that answer I could see it on their faces the hesitation the awkwardness that answer came immediately to the surface it's like a moment of conscience but nobody would dare speak it nobody wants to be laughed at considered soared Voogd in this generation it's too simplistic an answer for our complex society that we now have I believe that this generation still knows this initial response but we are at a crossroads now we are in danger of becoming so hardened against God that this initial thought will one day soon vanish from the collective consciousness of American society I want you to hear me on this we are at the edge of losing the awareness of God as a people with tip we tip several years ago into godlessness the majority of this society now are not godly the majority are godless the majority do not want the things of God the majority want the things of godlessness which is why that question in the first place even has to be asked it's a sad moment for this nation it's a sad moment for this society to even have to speak a message like this that we are in danger of following the course of history that other nations have followed before us of so pushing away truth out of our consciousness that eventually it's not even there anymore proverbs 21 29 says a wicked man hardens his face proverbs 28 19 says he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity proverbs chapter 29 verse 1 said he was often rebuked and hardens his neck will suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy the destruction will be swift it will come and there will be no way out there'll be no sudden turning just like with Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament the principle here is that the human heart has the capability of becoming so hardened against actual and real truth your heart has that capability you know so there's mine only the Holy Spirit and the truth of God can keep us from it but we have that capability of declaring evil to be good and good to be evil we are doing it now as a society at a rapid pace an alarming pace you should be alarmed every one of us should be alarmed we can become so hardened so corrupt in forming our own declaration of good and evil that our hearts become as set as concrete no longer able to recognize a return to truth no matter how clearly it is presented to them think about it for a moment two angels came into Sodom two angels representing pure truth and reflecting the glory and the Justice of God both were there murthy mercy and justice both walked with these two messengers of God so what was the response of that society how hard had it become the response was that people in that culture tried to forcibly attempt to make the messengers from God partakers of their sin if you want to be blunt about it they wanted to rape them that's a vile that had gotten that's how immoral society can become that's where when we take away the boundaries when we take away the ethic of law and write order as God prescribes it there is no limitation now to what humankind is capable of doing almost unthinkable but that's where humanity had gotten to that was the flashpoint of God's judgment when wickedness tries to make the messengers of God partakers of its sin that is the end of that society and if you don't think wickedness is knocking on the door of the Church of Jesus Christ today then you are not reading the news that I'm reading today we are very close to that point that came upon that society in the book of Revelation you don't have to turn there I'll just read it to you in chapter 14 it tells us in the last days of this world as we know it that this same scene that happened in Sodom and Gomorrah will repeat itself again verses 6 and 7 listen to what John says then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation tribe tongue and people saying with a loud voice in the last days folks of this world as as it's going to be known in the last days angels are going to preach that's what that's what John saw and saying with a loud voice fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come and worship Him who made heaven and earth and the sea and the springs of water so we ask ourselves what kind of a response what kind of a response do you think that society will give that's the side he yet to come will give to actual angels calling them to repentance just over in chapter 16 and verse 9 it says and men were scorched with great heat and they blaspheme the name of God who has power over these plagues and they did not repent to give him glory even though Peter the Apostle says the heavens will be on fire in the last days you know if you know anything about nuclear weaponry Carl Oppenheimer who was actually the inventor of the nuclear bomb that was used in world war two the first time he tested it was gravely afraid I remember reading his book he was gravely afraid that he was going to set the atmosphere on fire because he knew the capability of what he had created and he feared that even just the test of it would set the heavens on fire not fully understanding I'm sure the scriptures and that weapon was only a small portion of the capability that we have today and even though the heavens appear to be on fire according to the Apostle Peter even though angels are preaching in the skies in the last days of time they did not repent a give him glory the human heart will have become so hard that in other words they will not admit that God's ways are right and our ways are wrong that's what it means they will not repent and give Him glory they will not say Lord your ways are right ours are wrong we have created this calamity because of our rebellion against you they cannot they will not as I said their hearts are like cement they've become like stone they cannot be turned then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the Beast and his kingdom became full of darkness and they gnawed their tongues because of pain they blaspheme the God of heaven because of their pain and their sores and did not repent of their deeds no matter how difficult it gets and God's mercy is God's judgments is just because it will come in segments and give at every opportunity a chance for people to turn from their sin but they'll have become so hard in their hearts that all they can do is curse God they will not give him glory they will not declare his ways to be right and humankind's ways to be wrong and they will not repent of what they're doing they will not turn from it and turn to God no matter how he tries to bring them to a place of Mercy the human heart is so hard when it turns away from God that's why it's dangerous for anybody here today you're hearing a message from the Word of God you're going to hear about the opportunity to turn to Christ but every time you harden your heart against truth every time you put it off till tomorrow it puts another layer of hardness there another it makes it just easier every time to somehow just duck away from the Word of God and never have to deal with it you know there are people in the last days that will call out to a form of God they have crafted they're going to be Christ said there's going to be all kinds of false Christ's and false prophets leading them to these false Christ's and they will abound they're not going to be just a few it's as many are going to rise up and many are going to be deceived they're going to turn it toward Jesus but it's a Jesus created out of the human spirit not the Christ of the text of Scripture and they're going to call out to this Jesus that they have crafted but it's a god over whom they still retain in their own minds the right to dictate to and ultimately control they're creating of Jesus but it's in Jesus they can steer man put it that way it's not as Jesus who has the the right to their lives not a Christ who bought them with his blood it's not a Christ who declares that it's reasonable to give their lives for his purposes as the living sacrifice is not a Christ who says come follow me take up your cross no it's a whole other Jesus and you see they'll many people will call out to this Jesus but they will not get an answer because it isn't the real Christ it's a Christ out of the hardness of the human heart but remember at the end of what I read in the opening text he said but whoever listens to me will dwell safely and be secure without fear of evil whoever listens to me whoever opens his heart her heart whoever is willing to say God my ways are not your ways Lord just prove me as David the psalmist cried prove me reprove me I don't want to just read your Bible that your Bible read me search me God know if see if there's anything inside of me God that is wicked anything that's going to lead me astray God searched me you see that's the the cry of the honest heart that the cry of the one who will dwell in safety is not afraid of the Word of God not afraid of what God not trying to recraft God into their own image but they're willing to say God speak to my heart and folks you have to understand we're living in a dangerous moment in history right now a danger did you know that the President of Russia is telling is people to prepare for a nuclear war with the United States did you know that did you know that you you and I are not guaranteed tomorrow if they do to strike decide to strike the United States where do you think they're going to hit first you aren't guaranteed tomorrow you are guaranteed that's why the writer of Hebrews is writing in the context of people who are trying through the law to craft another way to redemption and trying to push away the the total redemption of the Cross but yet still in this you find a principle that applies to you and I today in the context of what I'm speaking the writer of Hebrews in chapter 3 and verse 7 he says therefore as the Holy Spirit says today if you will hear his voice do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion today today not tomorrow not next week don't put it off for next month oh oh I'll leave that I'll leave that adulterous relationship tomorrow you might not have a tomorrow sir or ma'am today today today today Sunday end of October New York City Times Square Church today if you can hear his voice do not harden your heart beware brethren verse 12 and 13 of Hebrews 3 lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the Living God but exhort one another daily what while it is called today lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin beware of being hardened through the deceptive power of sin when you let something into your life that God says is wrong and you tried to declare it to be right or you try to plea bargain or negotiate with God it has a deceptive power you can end up in a place that you don't want I could give you some examples from this congregation that would shock you of people who attend here raised their hands declare to love God and I've come to meet with some of the most preposterous situations would you pray that my boyfriend would leave his wife so he can marry me a prayer request hardened hardened hardened not novices in this congregation hardened through the deceptive power of sin getting to the point of not even understanding how wrong this is how captivating it can be how blinding it is Hebrews 3:15 again the writer says today if you'll hear his voice do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion in other words beware of thinking that you know a better way than that which God did in Christ Jesus has ordained for you beware of thinking that your ways are better than God's Hebrews chapter 4 verses 5 to 7 again the writer says and again in this place they shall not enter into my rest since since therefore it remains that some must enter it and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience and again he designates a certain day saying in David today after such a long time today if you'll hear his voice do not harden your hearts beware of willful and sustained disobedience to where his mercy is leading you you folks you have to understand something is as your pastor this I'm not against you I'm for you don't you understand that I feel sometime like like I'm standing on the other side of a fence you're standing some people are standing in the midst of a four-lane highway playing with a ball and you don't see what's coming your way you don't understand the danger of the moment and you set your judgment above those that God has the Word of God and those that God has set over you to watch for you you see if you do these things the rest that God promised through Jesus Christ will always be outside of your reach you see whoever listens to me will dwell safely and will it be secure without fear of evil safe and secure I'm not afraid for tomorrow folks that's not an idle boast that's the truth God knows it I'm not afraid I'm not afraid of what comes but I am afraid for you for some who just fall into these categories of knowing the answer and it comes to conscience but can't bring yourself to say it I'm living outside the will of God I I'm doing something I know that I shouldn't be doing on I'm involved in something I know is wrong and I'm justifying it constantly and that's why in proverbs chapter 1 verse 23 listen to this now he says turn at my rebuke and I will surely pour out my spirit on you I'll make my words known to turn at my rebuke and and this book will open to you like a flower and would explode inside your heart and you you begin to understand things you didn't know before and the power of God to become everything that God has destined you to be will suddenly be released inside your life God will never laugh you see the scripture says there's a certain generation that says when you're you just you hated my counsel you despised my reproof you wouldn't listen to what I said so that when your calamity comes then you'll start to call but I won't I won't answer you but God will never laugh at or mock the heart that is sincerely wanting him never it's really the mocker that he laughs at said person who who really knew but mocked him really new but disdained and really new but did not choose to walk with him but he'll never laugh it or mark the heart that sincerely want to give no matter how deep or how far from him your mistakes have led you you think of the book of Acts chapter 27 when the people on that ship decided to go on a journey and the Word of God was there warning them that this journey was going to incur loss not just a substance but lives were going to be lost but they ignored the Apostle Paul and they stuck him in the belly of the ship and they just pushed him away like this generation is somewhat done to the Church of Jesus Christ and the messengers of God but then suddenly the storm arose in those same people that had ignored the warnings that had ignored the Word of God suddenly had an awakening of conscience may I call it and they called for the Apostle Paul who stood on the deccan and he started to give them instruction he showed them the boundaries of where safety was don't don't look for an escape route apart from the Word of God don't listen to any of the voice but the voice of God I have a word from God for you listen to this word don't look for another round don't look for any other pathway don't seek out any other plan don't formulate any other escape route listen to the Word of God that's where your protection is cut off the lifeboats he says do this do that take some meat I love it pauses take some meat in other words listen you can't live the Christian life on snowflakes you have to get some meat out of the Word of God you have to go into this book take some meat and said it's gonna be for your health because it's going to be a long it's going to be a difficult journey you're going to be I know some of you can't swim but there's lots of wood to go around you grab hold of that cross and you're gonna make it to shore now those people weren't necessarily spiritually saved because of the Word of God that came at that time but they weren't physically saved so they could make a decision on their eternity and after they chose to listen to the Word of God and all 276 which is a miracle in itself in a storm of like that you've made it to shore after that they saw the miraculous power of God they saw that a snake that would kill anybody couldn't kill the Apostle Paul they saw the power of God flowing through the same hands the devil tried to influence and destroy they saw and they had an opportunity to receive Christ as their Savior you see if you can hear God will never laugh at you story in the Bible of his son of his father just took off went far away from his father's house and his father's heart and then one day he just he still had a conscience you see that's what I'm trying to get across if you can still hear he's still at a conscience and he said what am I doing here everyone's got a good in my father's house and I'm starving in this place I'm gonna get up and I'm gonna go back his father didn't laugh at him this is New Testament this is Christ talking about the heart of God he didn't mock him he saw him coming and he ran to him and when he ran to me covered him he covered his failure he covered he gave him power over his weakness he gave him shoes for a journey to tell others about who God is and let him become partakers of his joy brought him into the house the scripture says where there was music and dancing didn't we do that today didn't we hear I can dance I forget the name of the song but I can dance in the presence of God then we saw our elder Vicky danced before the Lord unashamedly because you do that when you're in right relationship with God that's that's the peace that's the security that's the lack of fear it's when evil comes and I guess that's the word that the Lord's given me for you today if you can hear I don't know why God is so impressing this on my heart but I don't know how many tomorrows we have folks I just don't know but I tell you one thing you shouldn't gamble with it if you can hear him today have the courage to say God my ways are not your ways have the courage to say my deeds are not your deeds Lord this is not your will for my life I know this is not your will for my life I know I'm not living thinking doing speaking acting in the way that glorifies you and forgive me for trying to come to church and make it right when it isn't today I hear you Lord I'm not gonna be like that news panel that draws back and knows the answer but won't speak it I'm not gonna do that I'm not gonna harden my heart I'm not gonna be part of this society that goes over a collective cliff of a dulled and burnt conscience I'm not going to do it I'm gonna stand for you O God and I'm gonna believe that in the coming storm you're gonna use my life to make a difference like you use the Apostle Paul I'm gonna stand for truth I'm gonna stand in truth I'm gonna stand with truth I don't care who marks me I don't care who laughs I don't care who says it's out of fashion or out of vogue I'm going to stand with Christ and I'm going to stand in the truth of God I'm gonna stand for the truth of God as much as I know it I'm gonna walk in the truth of God as much as it's revealed to me and I trust in my pursuit of Christ that if I falter if I fail if I fallen short that I am covered by the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus I thank God for that with all my heart but I here today and I'm not among those who are coming to church to play games with God and hope that my attendants just gives me a form of fire insurance I'm here because I want to live with God and for God I'm here because I want to walk with God you know I know there's a lot of young people here today that sail past your if I go all the way with God I'm thinking of all that I have to lose I want you to think about what you lose if you don't go all the way with God you'd regret this day for the rest of eternity you were here you heard you walked away today today you never thought I'd be standing in this public pleading with people I preached like this once before on a Tuesday night I kept repetitively saying you don't know if you're going to have tomorrow today is your day shortly after the service a man just in his forties dropped dead right on the sidewalk right out here I ran to him he was dead when I got to him I ran out I was sitting in the restaurant just around the corner and I ran out I'm first thing I was looking for is a Bible in his hand did he hear me did he just did he hear me tonight did he just put it off for one more day that he just say well maybe tomorrow maybe next week I'll get it right with God just in his 40s and just walking by right in front of word pastor Therese and I were sitting dropped dead right on the sidewalk you don't know you say pastor you're trying to scare me yes I am trying to scare and if you're not walking with God you have every reason to be scared you do you do you don't know the day of his return you don't know what tomorrow is going to bring none of us do today today today and that's my altar call this morning you know what to do you know what you need to do I don't have to start listing all the sins and behaviors and such like you already know you know what to do and I want to open this altar and between the screens in the annex and the same in North Jersey and those that are at home online you just can stand up in your living room your kitchen your bedroom wherever you happen to be right now but today you say god I hear you today thank God I still hear you Lord today I'm not going to harden my heart I'm not going to rebel I'm not going to try to declare my way better than your way God I am going to walk with you as best as I know how for the rest of my life and it's going to begin today I'm going to start trusting the Word of God to get out of my storm that I find myself in if I'm far from the house of God if I'm far from the heart of my father I'm getting up and I'm going home and I'm doing it today I'm not going to wait till tomorrow I'm going to get right with you Lord today I'm gonna start believing you today I'm gonna put my family in your hands in my future today I'm giving it all to You Lord and I'm asking you Oh God as according to your word that if I will do this you will keep me quiet your place of rest and quietness and I will not be afraid of evil that's your promise to me it's the Lord today today today oh please oh please today do it today come to him today put away what needs to be put away today don't put it off till tomorrow do it now the father I thank you Lord that I have delivered your heart and I'm asking you Lord to help these precious men and women young and old to make a good decision today sometimes we don't even know how we're going to do this but we do know that you're calling us to trust you for this trend you said if we would turn you would pour out your spirit upon us and make your words known so we take you at your word Lord we trust you for the direction in the power to do what we need to do god I thank you with all my heart I praise you the Lord spoken to your heart we're going to stand in a moment I'm gonna ask you to balcony go to either exit and the main sanctuary slip out and just come and join with me today just come and join with me here today and we're gonna pray for the strength that we all need to live a life that brings glory to God please would you stand the Lord speaking to your heart while we worship just come you know those of you those of you who are at the altar today you're the smartest people on the planet you really are you're putting yourself in a place of protection provision security and joy even in the midst of storms and trials you're making the smartest move that anyone in humanity could ever make I'm putting myself in the hands of God and what I'm just gonna do it your way whatever you say that is that's what it is I'm gonna live for you I'm gonna trust you and what you say is right I'll embrace it what you say is wrong I'll let it go and I'm gonna trust you for the power and you said if I would turn you would pour out your spirit upon me that means that you give me a power that can only come from God through the third person of God to become what God has called me to be and everything reading my hearts ever longed for God will make me and make me into I let go of relationships that are drowning me and I lay hold of one that will lift me the hand of God the Son of God and I trust you Lord to meet the loneliness in my heart I trust you God I put away the substance that I'm putting in my body to try to make me feel good which is really just causing me to spiral down into despair and I lay hold of that substance that you say will make me feel good will be my strength and will be my portion and for those who feel successful here this morning is the person who really is successful as the person who says god I I like ya let go of my life plans and I lay hold of your plan for my life what a phenomenal difference it is and the end result of walking with God is the absence of fear that's how you can know I'm not afraid of tomorrow I know who holds tomorrow I know where I'm going when - when tomorrow's finished when did I know it in my heart hallelujah I'm just gonna pray for you if you don't mind father I thank you for these men and women that have come to the soldiers today I thank you for those in their hearts that have responded today online and even in this sanctuary people just say I haven't gone forward but my heart is engaged with what I've heard I know it to be right I ask your Lord Jesus Christ - like you did with the Apostle Paul he wasn't afraid he had a word from God and he was living in obedience to God and so father you've given us examples throughout the course of history of of what it looks like when we are yielded to you Lord when we put away wrong and embraced what you say is right and so I pray for this congregation that we would be a people set apart for the Lord we would be salt and light in the city it would be true that you could bear witness to it Lord you could bear witness to us as a congregation as a people and father would thank you for this God with all my heart god I thank you for those who are making hard decisions now to give them the strength not to turn back give them the strength to do what they need to do and they know that they need to do it give them the strength to do it God father I thank you God all my heart Lord oh thank you there will be people at the throne one day just coming up and will embrace and we say thank God we made a right choice thank god we heard and we turned to the Word of God thank God we did

Channel: Times Square Church

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Id: LaKewuM5g3Y

Length: 38min 46sec (2326 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 01 2016