Starving - Pastor Henry Wright

good morning to our online viewers and to our Dulles campus who joins us today and to each one of you let's begin by reading two texts of Scripture Jeremiah 15:16 Jeremiah 15:16 our good elder Carlson Griffith tells me this is his favorite text in this Bible Jeremiah 15:16 I'm reading from the King James Version people keep asking me pastor why do you keep using the King James Version it's because I'm old that's why I'm old and I like the King James Version if you like the modern version that's fine but let the old guy read the key to KJV jeremiah 1560s that all right Darrell yeah leave the old folks alone sometime thy words were found and I did eat them you see that my my and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart for I am called by thy name o Lord God of hosts is not a wonderful text my words were found and I did eat them then Michelle brown played a song based on my next text psalm 42 psalm 42 and we'll look at verse 1 precious precious word and of course we will read verse 2 as well as the heart panteth after the water Brooks finish it with me so panteth my soul after the old God my my my my my my my and then verse 2 my soul thirsteth for God for the Living God when shall I come and appear before God my subject today starving starving let's pray Lord God we just thank you for the opportunity to reflect in Jesus name Amen as I share with both of our campuses today I'm reminded of the importance of separating what's important from that that is essential it's the hardest thing to do in life you have a lot of important things a lot of important things Richard Washington sitting over there in Dulles that we do but being able to take out of that important stuff that that is essential and the reason why I stressed that is because in these last days that's exactly what the Christian who lives through the time of trouble will have to do a lot of important things we'll have to do without can I get a witness maybe even things as important as a house but the essential thing that you cannot do without in the time of trouble is a relationship with Jesus Christ see that's essential important but also essential you can do Veronica Chalet you can do without the house but you can't do without Jesus please somebody say Amen and so Dulles in Alexandria this text we just read lifts the relationship with God to another level that's the heart it that's a deer having run and ripped through the force first for water so my soul starves for God huh in our earlier sermons under the theme to know Jesus to share Jesus we've established four important things first of all we've learned that man became separated from his knowledge of God when he became separated from God's Word we went back to Genesis 2:17 where the Lord said to Adam and Eve don't eat of the tree and when they ate of the tree they separated themselves they separated themselves from from from God's Word and therefore separated themselves from him and then that result did we found in Genesis 3:8 having separated themselves from God's Word they then became separated from his presence remember when God came they hid themselves is anybody listening separate from God's Word then you separate from God's presence and then third third in in Genesis 4 we saw the struggle of Cain once mankind became separated from God's Word and then separated from his presence then he became separated from worship of God I'm gonna hit you with it right now that's why the pastor continues to struggle with the irreverence that takes place in this church reverence is a sign that you're not aware of God's presence and I'm never gonna leave you alone on that one sin separates you from God's Word and then separate you from its presence and and and and then and then of course then then then then then separate you from being able to worship and then last but not least once they forsook God's Word and became separated from his presence and and unable to worship like they should the fourth thing then we find in Genesis 6 5 through 7 they became separated from God's destiny in other words they gave up on God's plans for them God has planned that the human race one day we fellowship with him are y'all pitiful I'm going to heaven gonna look in the face of God myself nothing between my soul and my Savior I want you to be excited about it so so so so this is the this is the mantra this is the this is the theme this is the golden chord we're dealing with as we've been preaching during this year and so we see that the race then the race then the human race not knowing their creator came to not even know Steve Hutchison that they had been created look at the religions around the world these religions do not do not teach the creation of God and of course man modern man's most popular religion is evolution evolution is not science it's a theory so it's a religion you got to have faith to believe in evolution but he sure came prove it religion so so so the the the separation has been has been almost complete and then and then God did something special to bridge the gap the gap between us and him he sent his son he sent Jesus turned to somebody right now and say he said Jesus yes he did yes he did y'all yes he did yes he did he sent Jesus and so because he said Christ we have some idea of who God is because John 1 in verse 18 says he came to declare him are you with me so far now in the sermons up to this point they've been 6 it's a sermon number 7 at least my sermon number 7 my sermons up to this point have stressed seeking God through prayer seek the Lord we've read the text why maybe found Isaiah 55 call upon Paul call upon him while he is near we we read those texts we we stressed prayer but now now in today's sermon I want to shift to seeking him through the word instace the subject starving seeking him through the word one of the one of the characteristics of modern man is boredom I need somebody in Delos to say man boredom I hear him I am they said Amen boredom boredom and the reason why we get bored so quickly Cicerone DG's because we are over entertained yeah yeah entertainment is a narcotic in the sense that the more you have of it the more you want and then for the entertainment junkie not only must there be more it must be even more entertaining or we get bored the need for a greater high has now become part of the religious world stay with me in fact the mega church with in some cases tens of thousands of members is an example of this need for more bigger building bigger choir orchestra instead of a band Darrell Orchestra mega church you ain't got nothing brother the band over here Orchestra get tied up of mega church you'll have an orchestra big stage and platform and then the top of off big name preacher and the pastor's of these churches can be seen in some ways as more entertainers than pastors think about what I'm saying you watch them up in on Sunday morning I know you do you got your favorite Sunday pastor I know I shouldn't have said that but I got it slipped out Karlsson somebody's folk have their favorite Sunday passenger sitting right here looking at me right now tomorrow morning the big chicken got to hearing and then this this this is augmented by a by a pastor lifestyle that is almost comparable to a rock star with mansions and private planes and so on now what I'm what I'm building here is that the church has become an entertainment center now don't get me wrong a wealthy passed it with a nice house even a private plane that's not a sin the Bible supports prosperity it doesn't just Lord poverty but I'm only speaking about the entertainment effect that has permeated the church we want to see a building it passed it was interesting to me when it was announced that I was leaving and we started looking for a new pastor one engine to me there one of the first things people ask me can he preach didn't ask me could he pray didn't ask me could he visit the nasty cookies milk Kenny preach i hope i'm stepping on your toes real hard right now what is our priority see see when we come to church what is our priority do we come starving Baker for the word no matter who dispenses it are we looking for the show the person the personality the setting what are we coming for and this is because we are looking for something watch me see we're see during the week we're over entertained now I want to be nice to you Rover entertained so we're spoiled so when we come to church we still we still need a high the music must have a certain rhythm the choir must sing a certain way the preacher must preach a certain style where we and we don't realize what we're saying we're saying to God you're not important enough to enjoy just by yourself we need some some trappings and I wonder how we gonna make it in the last days Daryl because I read my Bible and the Bible tells me some of us gonna be living engaged ain't gonna be no organ ain't gonna be no pews it'll be no great pit you gonna be glad to have a Bible will that be sufficient for you now so if you came up in small churches like I did we had no organ and no piano and and and and and but we could sing now the right time we could sing be some sure enough sang and going on in church yes but I pastored people in the south when I started off in Mississippi they had none of that but all them sinks whoa get the Patna feet rocking to them hymns Oh sister Boulder to get to chopping her hands yes sir but they came to spend time with Jesus and one another so so so we've got to be careful we've got to be careful that we're not starving for the wrong thing and we have to be careful that we're not demanding of the church what the church was never designed to supply how about doing so far this is a meaningful sermon it's a meaningful sermon now the Lord understands our need for sight sound oh you got oh oh you got to do it start at the sanctuary service it was it was full of pageantry wasn't it full of pageantry but notice what Isaiah complains about and Isaiah 1 go there see there's a danger in the sight and sound and in Isaiah 1 the Lord speaks through Isaiah starting in verse 11 and he says to what purpose is the multitude of art your sacrifices unto me saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts and I delight not in the blood of Bullock's or lambs or if he goes nobodies God is saying I'm getting tired of all this why when you come to appear before me who has required this at your hand to read my courts to tread my courts bring no more vain ah he's not really get to sacrifice this he's calling them vain why bring no more bring no more vain oblations incense is an abomination unto me the new moons and Sabbath's the calling of assemblies I cannot away with it it is iniquity even the solemn meeting your new moons and your appointed seats my soul hate if they are a trouble unto me I'm weary to bear them and then Jesus kicks in and Matthew 13 14 15 says the problem is having ears you hear not having eyes you see not of course you come you come you enjoy the music you enjoy the preaching you enjoy the prayer but because you did not come for the right reason God says I'm sick of it cut out the praying forget reading the scripture and just leave the sermon alone I'm tired of it because it's vain why you did not come for me you came for the show came for the show you're not starving for me in fact to go to Matthew let's constants we referred let's let's read that text Matthews Texas Jesus Jesus is pretty he's pretty rough he's pretty rough in Matthew 13 Matthew 13 and we'll look at 14 and and 15 and in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias he's referring back to Isaiah which saith by hearing he shall hear and shall not understand and seeing you shall see and shall not perceive for this people's heart is one look at the text what does it say and their ears are how dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed lest at any time Oh send us that with me less than any time they should see with their hear eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted he's saying he's saying the problem is they're here for entertainment and the purpose while they should have come has not been fulfilled because I brought them here to convert them and heal them that's why you're in church not for the show so I don't care who preaches I don't care what Bible they use I don't care how the music is God says I drew you out of your bed on Sabbath morning knowing your soul was broken and and I got to here not to hear a certain person but to be changed by me that's why you here that's why you here I hope some to come apart people are peeping in this morning because some of them are running around silly and stupid saying him your rights gonna change that church and ride ain't never changed nothing just not men its Christ when will we stop destroying ourselves and our pastors with foolishness we pastors are men women born in sin shapen in iniquity blessed to get into heaven ourselves and you turn a pastor into an icon it's an insult to the Holy Ghost Deborah Kerr will tell you no 20-some years almost any of she's worked for me when somebody calls this jerk during the week and ask who's preaching I tell it do not tell them which service was Henry right preaching in us don't answer if that's why you come and stay home stay home I like the way I like the way verse 14 of Matthew 13 appears and the amplified bible well this is something this is something you shall indeed here and here but never grasp and understand and you shall indeed look and look but never see and perceive simple sentence I'd love to put these in my sermon those simple sentence you can go to hell with a Bible in your hand you can go to hell in the 10 church every Sabbath religious mechanizations attractions and attachments to make me feel holy and Sabbath after Sabbath missing the point you know walking here on Sabbath morning because of your righteousness and religion you're walking on Sabbath morning because of your brokenness and sin and you cry under God as you walk in the door let something happen for me today I'm always reminded I'm always reminded Damon that my grandfathered 106 years old daddy more gonna be called him fought in the spanish-american war shook the hand of President McKinley Brown Paul Morgan we prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed for years for that old man that come into the church and then one Sabbath he joined on a Sabbath one the elder read from the review and Herald now he live with my mother and dad he heard Brooks he heard Bradford he heard he heard the great preachers and I don't put none of them down but he didn't get up behind none of them but an old elder got up sincere of heart read an article from the review and Herald and then made an appeal and the old man got up and walked down the aisle adjourned the church why he was there for Jesus he was there for Jesus he was there for Jesus and so God never intended that worship be a spectacle after the presentation of the word the entertainment I will say it again you will know you will know where you are spiritually the day you can come to church and worship the Lord no matter what's going on and no matter who's speaking and as long as you've got another criteria I guarantee you you'll never see the earth made new I'll be very frank with you you ain't going in because that's an insult to God he knows you've never come here for him and you will not spend eternity with him so my realtor today is do you have a hunger for the word hey starving for direction that would give you the word at home or at the church the Bible prophecies about the time when people will be ripping and running for knowledge in Daniel 12 for running to and fro and the context of that text is eschatological and in endtime last days text having having knowledge having access to knowledge is important to this modern world and the Internet has opened up the libraries of the planet and with my end your fingertips now I can instantly find knowledge helpful and destructive and we know that knowledge itself listen to this next sentence we know that knowledge itself is not bad but our priority in knowledge says a lot about us you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 see key finish it for me first come on the kingdom secret win she could win he saw my priority see what see what's the most important thing than you like to know and you know how we are we need to know something we go Google with Google and we just that in the oven so forth we get it type it out have it knowledge got it instant knowledge you got one of these laying at home when you're faced with a life situation how often do you think about going here first this is be honest folk starving are we really starving and and and and and the Bible is clear about the fact that it has the knowledge I mean let's let's go to that text we all love very famous text 2nd Timothy go to 2nd Timothy 3 15 through 17 and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures what you're able to make thee wise unto salvation he's writing to Timothy Paul this through faith in Christ Jesus all Scripture come on folk it's given by what the inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished to all good works that's what the Bible boro boro that's what it has for us it has everything we need here is your google source for every life situation known all week - and tell it we do modern for that in not starving that's starving and our approach to to the Bible must be like second Timothy 2:15 study to show thyself what a workman that needs not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth when one translation says be a good worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth all right here I come again all up in your stuff here I come again all up in your stuff you've been in the church for 50 five years well 15 maybe five what can you really explain from this book about what you believe let's just be honest for a minute how many cardinal doctrines of the church can you explain I'm not I'm not good with the Bible I'll I'll remember too well well of course you don't you can't be good at something you don't do - what your priority see there are people out there that you hobnob with hungry and thirsting for righteousness and the Lord for some reason chose to give you truth why you how come you know the seven days the Sabbath and five million people out there don't know her what's so special about you he thought maybe he could trust you with it hopefully if Wright gets it he'll tell somebody second Timothy 2:15 tells me that biblical truth must be sought after desired master-master value and the reason is because to know him is to share him the heart of the Bible John 5:39 you searched the scriptures so you think you have eternal life but they're they that testify of me so so even now watch this but you ready to go to the seminary Jameel watch this Jesus saying studying for studying sake ain't enough you have to find Jesus in the scriptures the sermon has to have Jesus in it I'm gonna come and hear you preach on your pastor I'll be old second or McDonald's but I'm gonna come here I want to hear the word no food is just a word I rise up on you where's the Bible I tell my students it all the time all my precursors know that one damn go coming here and preach now tell him I'm will rise up on you like old Ellen White rise up where's the word I didn't come here to hear how good you are give me the word got a hunger for it got a hunger for it Jesus himself set the example remember remember he's walking with those fellows from Emmaus Luke 24 27 and beginning at Moses and all the prophets he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning what himself he said I they had no New Testament they had no New Testament he said look at the Old Testament I'm all up in them scriptures part of the Bible core of the Bible strength of the my golden Court of the Bible is Jesus somebody say Amen yes sir Jesus Jesus so why is searching for the Bible when it's available important man I got a text for you I got a text for you we're going to Amos where are we going get on up in Amos Hosea Joel Amos yes sir mmm he's one of those Texas just you almost have to stand up when you read it Amos 8:11 11 and 12 can't wait on you whenever you see a prophetic test start off with the word behold I love this stuff saying behold behold the days come saith the Lord God who's talking who's talking that I will send a famine in the land read that text with me come on not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of what it shall not always be available this text just sends chills up through me gonna be a famine now he predicted he predicted in Matthew salmon's and pestilences didn't he you thought he was talking about them other famines he said no there's another famine bigger than the one for bread and water there's gonna be a family there's gonna be a day when you're gonna have a hard time finding a Bible read verse 12 read verse 12 come on and they shall wander from sea to sea and from the north look at that Dulles look at that too even to the east they shall run to and fro to see what will happen what will happen by then the churches will be locked up really that's why that's why that's why it's why why you ought to be memorized in Scripture see when they locked this preacher up they gonna take my Bible they ain't gonna take my Bible oh sorry I'm gonna sit there in their face quoting the quote in the word they just took from me ticket something I'll know the words every bebop song out there know all the words record comes on you just mouthing it have nothing up here about the words that's why I don't want some of you in my cave you can't contribute nothing when I run out of text I have a look at you you gonna say well you know I for God so loved the world that He gave His like every Tom Dick and Harry knows that the Atheist know that text sitting in my cave with an empty head I want the word yeah I want the word look at that text look at that text now I made four points out of that text how is this text being fulfilled here it is number one the Bible will become less and less available now I know right now it's the number one seller in the world but the devil is busy all number two this that this is the one distortions of the Bible will become more more available some of y'all got to watch some of these Bibles you buying out of these stores paraphrases of the word summaries of the word here's my test here's my test Baker when a new Bible comes out I go immediately to the key doctrinal Texas if they've watered-down the text on the sabbath and the state of the dead cuz i don't just want the word hey i want the pure word number three churches with preachers that really present the unadulterated bible will be harder to find so you don't get so Carraway about how does he preach what's he saying there's a lot of stylists out there s umbrellas out there that can preach them they can sure enough Throwdown ain't saying squat you ask them my preaching students they'll tell you coming they're kind of sound like this person that person waving the stuff around I sit there real quiet to this shut up I have one question what did you just say they sweat and think of it and what did you just say I don't care about who you sound like when your mentor I want to preach just like you that's a poor goal as I want you to preach just like you you preach like you and say something because grade was not good folk this stuff is serious stuff here do you know this is serious you have any idea the kind of praying I do before I stand before you amazing with God that nothing come out of my mouth that's not his will this is a serious moment here we're having the word is being presented dodge Spirit is working to the fuse this is not entertainment this is a soul changing possibly so converting moment a healing moment it has to take place it cannot be hindered by humaneness Ellen White writes the word is perishing for one of the gospel now this next thing is something there are a few who preach the word unmixed with human tradition this next thing is really something though men have the Bible in their hands they do not receive the blessing that God has placed in it for them you sitting there Bible in your hand in church don't get the blessing there for the wrong reason there for the wrong reason there for the wrong reason so Jeremiah said there's your text there's your Texas Carlson that words were found what did he do and what was the result joy and rejoicing Amara let job chime in job 23 verse 12 job has the word to say that's hearing job 23 and verse 12 neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than what y'all starving job said I'm starving I brother eat this then eat food and then first Peter 2:2 says desire the sincere milk of the word Jeremiah give me the Bible that old hymn Jeremiah 20 verse 9 Jeremiah is having a bad moment being a prophet Kim is not doing him a whole lot of good it's very discouraged and he basic says to the Lord I'm through with this I'm not gonna do any more prophesying Jeremiah 20 verse 9 I'll read the whole chapter he's upset with God so Jeremiah resides then he confesses he said the word was like fired my bones I could not keep silent see another proof that you star for the word is that you're always giving it you're always giving it oh my precious feet oh my precious precious people's CEP C CC PC Alexandria may the Lord planet he's one of us a hunger for the word are you starving is the word sufficient to hold you even if the preachers not that good or the music's not that great is the word sufficient to have you come to church well is that is that enough for you or does it need embellishment do we have to decorate it so you can enjoy it that's the question for you to answer I can treat I know this if that's the way you are you will not last through the time of trouble the word must be sufficient to sustain you and keep you then all right let's pray that's great enough preaching this pray father this pastor Dean's leads the congregation in Dulles now into their moment of commitment I lead this congregation here I'm not gonna make any kind of an appeal will you study the Bible more we've done that fifty five times and then some none of that just sit there and you're pew think about what you've heard applied to yourself I will though open the doors of the church that old-fashioned Christian phrase if there be a person sitting here who has never taken their stand in the seventh-day Adventist Church or you've been coming and you want to learn more like to take Bible studies or you've been coming you've never really transferred your membership here sitting on the fringes enjoying but not committed he's one of those three people want to come forward and accept this church the Christ who's the center of it when I come forward for Bible studies want to come forward for transfer if you hear and you want to respond to that I'll give you a moment to do so right now just come just get up walk down to see if you hear just pray folk just give them a minute let's see what happens [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] that couldn't hear my mom's little soprano voice singing that song leading us in that song and worship sure you want to want to come [Music] father we thank you so very much for trying to keep us on point we're moving into that final hour of Earth's history we have to be solid living on the essentials we've talked about it today we thank you for the straightness of the word in Jesus name and everybody said amen

Channel: Good Sermons

Views: 46,662

Rating: 4.8249998 out of 5

Keywords: Adventist (Religion), Sermon (Literature Subject), Henry Wright

Id: i6AXqLp_L_U

Length: 44min 53sec (2693 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 19 2014