We are kind of in a unique year this year, and what I mean by that is that
Pastor Vern is in a series that is our identity in Christ,
and I've been kind of walking through us of revival is.
And I want to make a connection because I was talking to the Lord about it, and I'm like,
Lord, show me how these two series are dovetailing one another.
How are they connecting? And maybe some of you already had the connection
of how these two series are connecting. And maybe some of you have not.
But I was inquiring of the Lord because when I come up here, I want to preach and speak
in a way that you guys are understanding and are following.
And when you're done on a Sunday service, you have an opportunity to love Jesus more.
That's kind of the standard that I, as a preacher, set myself to is
when I'm done preaching, am I causing people to love Jesus more?
That's just my personal, that's personally my standard. I've lived by that.
If I'm not preaching, and that's not causing you to fall more in love with Jesus,
then as a pastor, I think I'm doing something wrong.
So with all that being said, I was talking to the Lord about it, and I said,
Lord, I know this is you. I know that Pastor Vern is in a series,
Identity in Christ. I know that I'm in a series of revivalism.
I've been walking us through it.
Pastor has been walking us through his series that the Lord has him in.
But I'm like, how is there a connection between these two series?
And the Lord just very simply spoke to me, and he said this.
He said, son, because I've been really drilling, if you've been here the last few times,
I've been really drilling us on Isaiah 66 and creating a dwelling place for God,
creating a resting place for God.
And I even said this statement in one of the parts of the series.
I said that if we can create a dwelling place for God and a resting place for God in our church,
revival is inevitable. It's going to happen.
Because where God begins to dwell, things begin to happen.
Things begin to actually come alive.
Revival, and I'll get to this maybe towards the end.
I think I know where the Lord wants me to park today.
But revival in itself almost has layers in it.
And if we can create a place for God to rest both in us as this temple, as individuals,
and corporately as a house, things will begin to happen.
Whether it's things in our life that are just personal to us,
our everyday things that just occur and we're like, whoa, that was wild, Lord.
I prayed for somebody and they got healed or I was woken up by a dream or whatever the case may be.
When we create a dwelling place for God and a resting place for God within us,
things will actually begin to happen in our lives that are like, whoa, that was supernatural.
And in the same thing, if we can do that as a house, and when I say a house, it's a church,
hopefully you're picking up on my language when I use that type of language,
but a house as in a church, if we can do that corporately, if our hearts can be postured to,
Lord, when we gather, we want to gather with our brothers and sisters
and we want to make a greater space for you to come and rest that you would be pleased with what we're doing.
So with all of that being said, when I was talking to the Lord about it,
of how these two series, how they dovetail, how they compliment each other,
the Lord very simply, he told me, he said, son, he said,
for you to create a greater dwelling place for me, he said,
you have to know who you are in me. And I was like, whoa.
He said, you have to know who you are in me to then have the ability,
to see the knowledge, the revelation to actually now create a greater space
for me to come and rest and dwell in.
And if we actually read first John, the author John, he writes and he says,
now we are the children of God and we may not know fully who we are now,
but he says we will be like him in regards to Jesus.
He's saying we don't fully see who we are now, but when we see him,
when Jesus actually returns and we'll see him in his fullness,
the scriptures tell us that we will actually be like him, like Christ.
And when we're talking about identity in Christ,
when we're talking about revival and creating a dwelling place for God,
when we're talking about our identity in Christ and creating a dwelling place for God,
you cannot not, if that's even an English word, that's why I pause,
because I'm like, how do I say this right?
You cannot not look like Christ in regards to creating a space for Him.
Does that make sense? I feel like I did one of these.
Let me try that again, because it made sense in my head,
but I'm like, I don't know if you guys got it.
My identity in Christ, the more that I discover my...
Let me put it this way.
The more that I discover my identity in Christ,
the more I will find that I'm actually being conformed into His image.
Does that make sense now?
Yes.
And the more that I find myself being conformed into His image,
the more I realize, wow, that's how I actually create a space
for my Father and the Spirit of God to come and dwell and rest.
You following me?
Yes.
For us to make a greater place for God to dwell in us
and to rest in us, we have to know who we are in Him.
We actually have to come and not just a mental ascent thinking
or, yeah, yeah, yeah, but it has to hit us.
Friends, it has to cut us deep.
Listen.
It has to cut us deep that we are actually co-heirs with Christ.
It's not just, yeah, Pastor, I know that.
It's not just, yeah, Pastor, I know that Jesus' blood has paid for me
to now be a child, to now be a co-heir with Christ seated.
It has to cut us deep.
It has to cut us that Word of God has to cut us deep
that we would then come to that revelation knowledge
of, wow, that's actually my identity in Christ.
I am actually a co-heir with the Son of God.
I am just a little lower than Elohim, just a little lower than Him.
And when we can walk around and not just walk around,
when we can live a life that is rooted and we've been hit
and cut deep with the Word of God to that measure,
we then, listen to me, we then can actually create
a place of where God dwells.
It's only then that we can walk around with an attitude
that is not arrogance and pride, but actually full humility.
Because you can't have the identity of Christ
and be prideful and arrogant.
Actually vice versa, when you walk in the identity
of God and of Christ, humility is literally the anchor.
It is the pinnacle of who Jesus was.
So the way that these two series are dovetailing
and complimenting one another, it is, we have to know,
friends this is not, well maybe, should I, do I really?
We have to know who we are in Him.
I have to know who I am in Him.
If I actually want to create a greater place
for Him to come and rest in me,
and then to have Him come and rest corporately,
we have to know.
We actually don't have a choice if we want revival.
There is no other way.
There is not a plan B.
Well maybe pastor, what if we this, there is no other choice.
There is no other plan.
We have to know who we are in Him.
The Word of God has to cut us deep.
I feel this is something that God wants to settle
in some of us this morning.
And that is the very Scriptures
that we would come to a conclusion in ourselves
when it comes to the Scriptures
and the certain things that the Scriptures say.
I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself here in the notes,
but we have so often times,
we have so often times
began to water down the very Scriptures
when we don't see the effect or the results of it.
Can I tell you something this morning,
and before you just agree with me and say,
amen, I love that you do that.
I do, I love that you do that,
but before you do that,
just think before you just agree with me.
But we have watered down the Scriptures
when we don't see the effect of it,
but this morning I want to tell you something
that the Scriptures are still effective
and they still work.
The very Scriptures that were written
generations ago,
by over 40 authors
in completely different continents
talking about the same thing,
the very Scriptures
that were effective in the early church
are still effective today.
But because we have seen
the lack of
effectiveness of it
or the results of it,
we begin to water them down
and we begin to
make the Scriptures say what the Scriptures
actually are not even saying
for the sake of our comfort
and our justification.
That's a true statement.
And I am guilty of it
just as much as you're guilty of it.
But I'm telling you this morning
that the very Word of God
that proceeded from the mouth
of the great I am,
that every author that wrote the Scriptures
as the Scriptures say
they were inspired by the Holy Spirit
they did not write the Scriptures on their own
but they were inspired and led
by the Holy Spirit
as they wrote the Scriptures.
Those very Scriptures are still effective today.
This is not just an old
historical book
that scholars and scientists
and others will look for research.
This is a book
that is living.
And it is sharper
and it judges,
listen to me, it judges
the attitudes of the hearts
of men and women.
If you have not let the Scriptures
judge the posture of your heart lately
I recommend you and I encourage you
to do so.
It is the very Scriptures
that will judge our hearts
and they will realign our hearts
with truth
and the things of God.
It's not some great philosophical teaching
it's not some theology or doctrine
it is the very Scriptures
of God
that will judge our hearts.
And I oftentimes think
when we think of judgment
right away we're thinking of condemnation.
Friends, God is not condemning us.
When can we mature past that?
When can we as the people of God
mature past the fact
that God is not condemning us?
But when he judges our hearts
it's not a form of condemnation
but he is realigning
he is repositioning
to have us see truth.
That's the judgments of God
when it refers to the Scriptures.
The Scriptures are still
effective
and have results today.
If he says that by his stripes
we are healed
then friends it is as he says
if he says
that he has given us authority
to cast out devils
to heal the sick
to raise the dead
is as he says it is.
The problem is not that the Scriptures don't work
the problem is that we have forgotten
who we are in him
the problem is that the church
has lacked in creating a place
of where the Almighty can come and rest
the Scriptures are still effective today
and they still bring results
the dead are still raised
you're saying well pastor I don't hear about it
well maybe you should look what's happening
in other countries and not just in our western world
well I don't know if God still heals
don't let your pain
don't let your misunderstanding
I'm not demanding overrule what the scriptures actually say.
I'm not diminishing your pain or what you've experienced.
I'm not, but what I'm telling you is that there is someone who is greater than your pain,
and his name is Jesus.
The scriptures are still effective today.
And if we would know who we are in him,
we would find ourselves looking like him.
And when we find ourselves looking like him,
we can actually create a place of where the Father by his spirit can rest.
And things begin to happen.
Things begin to happen in our personal lives.
Things begin to happen when we gather corporately.
Isaiah 66, I'm going to read this and I'm going to go where we left off last time.
Isaiah 66, this is the foundational scripture to this series of revival is.
He says, heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool.
Where is the house that you will build me?
And where is the place of my rest?
You know, I've read this.
I've read this so many times and as I'm reading it now,
the Holy Spirit is downloading in me and I can't hold my tears back.
And I'm seeing this in a new light. I've never seen this before.
But it's like, he just showed me literally as I'm reading it to you.
He just showed me, this is the heart cry of God.
This is the heart cry of God.
For all those things my hand has made.
And all those things exist as the Lord.
But he says on this one, I will look on him who is poor.
And again, we've covered that last time.
It's not poor financially, but this was being poor in spirit.
And if I was to capsulate it or to share it with you in a nutshell
of what it means to be poor, it is to be completely dependent on him.
There's many more facets to it, but if I was to just...
if somebody was to ask me, Igor, what does it mean to be poor?
I tell you that's complete dependency on God. Complete dependency.
In every aspect of your life, complete dependency.
In your marriage, in the way you raise your kids, in the way you do your business,
in the way you build relationships, you name it.
He says on this one, I will look on him who is poor in spirit.
In other words, who's depending on him.
End of a contrite spirit.
Again, we covered that some of last time, and I'm going to cover some more of it today.
And then he says on him who trembles at my word.
So God makes a distinct explanation on whom he will look.
Some of you might be thinking this. I share this in one of the other parts,
but for those that maybe didn't hear this.
When we talk about God looking, specifically in this context,
what the prophet Isaiah is writing as he's being led by the spirit of God
to write the very words.
When he's saying on this one, I will look.
It's not that God doesn't see all things.
God sees all things at all times.
The scriptures tell us that everything lays bare.
It lays naked before the eyes of the Almighty.
That's what the scriptures tell us.
But specifically in this context, when the prophet Isaiah is writing on this one,
God will look on him who is poor, contrite, and trembles at my word.
He is talking about that God is caught up.
He is actually moved by the way an individual is living his life.
There is, you could say, a greater attention and emphasis
that God is giving to that individual or to those people groups.
And you will say, well, that's not fair. Friend, God is not fair.
If you can find in the scripture where it says that God is fair,
bring it to me.
Because I find that our God is just.
And you're saying, well, that's such a wrathful God.
A wrathful God?
A God that willingly took upon flesh to die, to restore, to redeem,
to pay a price, and you're telling me that's an angry God?
You have a twisted perspective of our God.
He is loving kindness.
He is salvation.
He is mercy.
And you're telling me, oh, God's angry. No friend.
God has been misrepresented to you.
He's either been misrepresented to you by your pastor.
He's either been misrepresented to you by your upbringing.
He's either been misrepresented to you by the devil.
But my God is a loving God.
And just because he's a just God does not make him an angry and wrathful God.
I am thankful that he's just.
If he was one of these wishy-washy, loosey-goosey politicians,
I would not want that.
I'm thankful that my God can take a stand on things
and not be wavered by the thought of man.
And we think he's wrathful and angry because he's just.
No, my friend.
His justice is for your benefit.
Did you know that his justice will actually be a vindication for you?
You're saying, what do you mean?
Do you remember when Stephen or Stefan, however you want to pronounce it, was being stoned?
Do you remember that story in Acts?
Here, Stefan is being stoned.
And in the midst of this, Stefan looks up to heaven and he says,
look, he says, I see the Son of God, the Son of Man standing.
Do you know why Stephen saw him standing?
Because the Lord stood up in his justification to vindicate his own Son.
That's why Jesus was standing.
I thank God for his justification.
I thank God that he is just because he can vindicate me in a time of trouble.
He can vindicate me in a time of terror.
He will stand for me in his justification and vindicate me.
So I thank him that he is just.
God is not fair, but he is just in his ways.
So on some, he will pay a greater attention to than others.
Why? Because they are choosing to conform themselves into the image of his Son.
Why was the Father so pleased with his Son?
We find that in the scriptures, the three times that the heavens tear open
and the Father spoke audibly about his Son.
We find these words.
This is my Son in whom I am well pleased.
Why did the Father make that statement?
It's because when Jesus made the statement,
I do nothing than what I see the Father do.
This wasn't just a statement.
This was a life that Jesus lived.
Friend, you can make statements all day long.
You can make all the statements all day long,
but you can't fool God with your statements.
You can fool me, you can fool other people with your statements,
but you can't fool God with your statements.
And saying, I'm being conformed into the image of Christ.
Really?
Because if you are being conformed into the image of Christ,
then that tells me that God is going to look at you.
That means that you're going to catch the attention of God.
You're telling me, you're telling me that you are living
and growing in being poor in spirit,
in being contrite in spirit,
and trembling at the word of God.
That's what you're telling me.
He says, on this one I will look and God is desiring.
I want you to hear the heart cry of God this morning.
He is desiring to dwell in the fullness of who he is in people.
I'm not telling you that God doesn't dwell in you.
I'm not telling you this morning
that you are not a temple of God because you're this.
No, you are a temple of God.
And I'm sure that the presence of God
and the spirit of God resides in you.
But what I'm actually telling you is I desire,
just as I do for myself,
I desire this for you,
that the fullness of him would dwell in us.
As it did in his son.
And guess what?
According to the scriptures, we have that ability.
That's the identity series.
We have that ability to have the fullness of God
dwell in us.
To be contrite, we left off on this last time.
To be contrite, I read the parable in Luke 18,
the parable of the tax collector in the Pharisee.
To walk or to have a contrite spirit,
we actually position ourselves to receive from God.
Because specifically in that parable,
we will find the way that the Lord started that parable.
It says, and he spoke to some who trusted in themselves.
So the reason why the Lord even gave that parable
is because the crowd that was listening
to him in that moment were a people
that trusted in themselves and in their own righteousness
than they did in the Lord.
Because remember, a contrite spirit
throws itself at the mercies of God.
To have a contrite spirit is for me
to never forget the mercies of God every morning.
I wake up and I remember, Lord,
your mercies are renewed this morning.
And I'm throwing myself,
I'm throwing myself at your mercy,
thanking you for your mercy,
that it covers me today as it did yesterday
and the days before.
I am throwing myself,
that's exactly what we find in the parable
of the tax collector and the Pharisee.
Tax collector makes all these statements.
I fast, I pray, I give,
I'm not like this tax collector, da, da, da.
And the tax collector, all he does is he beats his chest.
And he says, Lord God.
He says, Lord God.
He's throwing himself at the mercies of God.
I shared this last time.
This was just my opinion when I look at the scriptures.
To me, it's almost like the tax collector sinned
before he went to the temple.
But he didn't, he didn't put himself on probation
like a lot of us Christians do.
You ever notice that, that when we stumble
and when we sin, we put ourselves on probation?
Don't act like I'm the only one that's done it.
We put ourselves on probation.
I can't pray today.
I cussed yesterday. I can't pray today.
I gave into some lustful things.
God's probably super angry with me right now.
I did this or I did that.
You fill in the blank.
I'm not going to call your sins out.
You fill in the blank.
And then we put ourselves on probation.
People don't show up to church for a few Sundays
because they're afraid the pastor's going to have
some prophetic word that's going to call out their sin
and everybody's going to hear it
and they're going to be ashamed and this, that and the other.
God sure doesn't put us on probation.
But on the opposite, God is saying run to me
while you still have breath in your lungs
to address the transgression and the sin
that is in your life.
Does not the scripture say that a righteous man,
let me underline that, a righteous man,
how do you identify a righteous man?
I'll tell you here in a second.
A righteous man, though he falls seven times,
what does the scripture say?
He gets back up.
That right there is a righteous man.
That is the definition of a righteous man.
You're saying, well, how do I know that I'm righteous?
That you keep getting back up
and you throw yourself at the mercies of God.
I'm righteous, not because I've done A, B, C, D,
everything right.
I'm righteous because he's righteous.
I'm righteous because I have the ability today
to throw myself at the mercies of God
and thank him for his blood.
And as Joseph received the cloak,
so I can receive a cloak that is of many colors
from my Father.
Are you following me this morning?
These are the kind of people that God looks at.
And he is... I'll even make this statement.
He is desperately seeking.
I said this in the beginning of this series.
I believe that the Holy Spirit
is going to and fro on the earth.
And he is seeking
who will make a resting place,
a dwelling place
for the God Almighty to come and rest.
And that is the Genesis 1 God.
In other words, the triune God.
The Father, the Son, and the Spirit
where they can come and rest and find pleasure.
I believe there is an emphasis on the local church
in this day and age
that never before.
And I won't even be surprised
that as we get into open heavens,
we'll hear something that comes from our speakers
that is in this vein.
That God is making an emphasis on local churches
like never before.
Conferences are good.
Bible schools are good.
I have nothing against them.
Bible studies, all this stuff is good.
But there is something so beautiful
that God has intended
when he's created the church.
Because do you know what he calls the church?
He calls the church his bride.
And I don't know about you men,
but I love my wife.
I adore my wife.
I cherish my wife.
There is something about my wife
that surpasses any other woman
that I may meet.
There is something about my wife
that surpasses my children.
There is something about my wife
that surpasses any activity
that I may do.
And I believe the Father
and the Son and the Spirit
have the same attitude
when it comes to the church
because he calls us his bride.
And there is a certain attitude.
There is a certain posture.
There is something so unique
and special
that God has for the local body.
And I believe he's making an emphasis
today like never before.
And I believe it's only going to increase
as the days go ahead.
That's why the author writes in Hebrews.
Don't leave
the assembling of what?
The saints.
This whole doctrine
of this universal church
I don't need to go to a local body.
I can just watch it on TV at home.
Friend, you and I both know
you don't watch it at home.
You and I both know you don't do it.
So stop lying to yourself and stop lying to me.
I
tried watching it at
man it's
I
don't know how they do it when the screen comes down.
I'm not judging them. I'm just talking
for my own. I've gone to churches
where the screen comes down.
And there's no pastor here.
And everybody's, I'm not judging them
but I'm just sharing with you
my heart. I don't know how they do it.
I don't know how to do it. I might as well
stay home and do that.
Yes.
There is something about
the assembling of the saints
that is beautiful. So I want to
encourage you.
I want to encourage you
not for my sake. Listen.
If you don't show up on a Sunday
will I miss you? I probably will
because some of you I even text you
when I don't see you after a few Sundays.
I try to give you
space. I text you every Sunday you're not here
but I'm giving you space.
But not coming here is not
you're not hurting anybody
just to let you know.
If you're trying to make a statement
you're not hurting anybody.
But not coming
with other brothers and sisters
in Christ you're missing out
and I love what Pastor Brad said
I'm the corporate anointing.
Because the Scripture says
that when you gather
see I'm going down these different
rabbit holes I hope you're following me
but it's good for me I don't know
if it's good for you but I'm going to go
down it anyways.
The Scripture say
that when you gather let each of you
have. Have something
to give.
A Psalm
a hymn, a spiritual song
come with something.
Who are we giving it to?
Not just to each other
but to the Lord.
But to the Lord
first and foremost to the Lord.
So there is something about
the local body
that the Father
finds
very special.
Don't forget that.
A contrite spirit is one who throws himself
at the mercies of God. A contrite spirit
does not
take the forgiveness
of God for granted.
Let me open up. I have to
read Psalm 103 because it is beautiful.
Let me read Psalm 103.
Does anybody have
their physical Bibles this morning?
Can you
I miss hearing the ruffle
of pages. I do. I was just
talking to somebody this week while I'm opening it up
they're just following me here. I was talking
to somebody this week and they were telling me
there is this
company, if I'm remembering correctly
they are
they are buying out all the
physical copies
of books, of history
and different things. They're
buying all of them.
And they're destroying them
and they are literally and they are
rewriting.
They are rewriting because everything is
on such a fast track and on a fast
pace into the digital world
that if they can take
certain books and they can dispose of them
now we are teaching
the new generation and we're rewriting
history for the new generation.
And some of you are like well
I don't want to bring a physical copy. I'm not telling
you you have to
and I'm not trying to preach or
there's just something about a physical
book that I'm like
I miss hearing the ruffling
and I'm not judging anybody for not having it
just share with you my heart
that's all I'm doing. I'm an old
school preacher. I am, I really am
so call me old school. It's
not religious. Trust me it's not
religious. Alright, Psalm
103. A contrite
spirit does not
take the forgiveness of God
for granted. I already kind of
wove into that a little bit where you throw yourself at the mercies of God
but not taking
the forgiveness of God
for granted. Before I read
Psalm 103, let me say this
not taking the forgiveness of God
for granted is
is to stop, listen
to me, is to stop
putting yourself on probation
and running to him.
When you actually
put yourself on probation
when you've sinned or stumbled
you are actually
taking for granted what
he's paid for you.
When you've actually
committed a sin
or an iniquity or transgression
and you're putting yourself on a time out
or you get into this mindset
of I'm unworthy
yes, you are unworthy. We've already
crossed that bridge. We already know that
we're unworthy.
But when I choose
to put myself on a time out
and on a probation period
I am actually
taking for granted
what the blood of Christ
paid for.
When I am beating
myself up for the mistake
that I made and not running
to him
I am actually taking for granted
the forgiveness that he offers me.
Psalm 103 reads this
David writes
he says, bless the Lord
oh my soul
and all that is within me
bless his holy
every time I read this, by the way, Dean
every time I read Psalm 103
that first verse, I think of you brother
I think of you, it's like
this is like Dean
when you graduate and go to be with the Lord
can I read this at your funeral and say this spoke of Dean
thank you
and we're not telling you you have to die
I'm just asking you here publicly
that we still need you here man
your work here is not done by the way
trust me you got years ahead of you
we'll talk about it later
but
every time I read Psalm 103 and I read this
I just hear Dean up front
oh bless the Lord oh my soul
and all that I can't imitate you that well yet
but I'll get there
I'll get there
bless the Lord oh my soul
now all of you are going to, when you read that
now all of you are going to think about that
I got you all thinking of Dean now
well when you read that
remember and pray for him and Tracy
bless the Lord oh my soul
and all that is within me
bless his holy name
bless the Lord oh my soul
and forget not all his
benefits
forget not all his benefits
who forgives
all your iniquities
who heals all your diseases
who redeems
your life from
It's the same destruction who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies
your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. That's why you
always say that, Dean. That's why. It's so that you're renewed. Your youth is renewed
in you. Man, and I'm thinking, why you look 21 all over again? Wow! Revelation. Verse 6,
the Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his
ways to Moses, his action to the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious.
Let me read that again. You need to hear this. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to
anger and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will he keep his
anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according
to our iniquities. Are you hearing this? Are you hearing what the psalmist is writing?
For as the heavens are high above, and the earth so great, so great is his mercy towards those
who fear him. By the way, that's underlined in my Bible. Let me read that again. For as the
heavens are high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward those who fear him. So if
we fear the Lord, his mercies are far greater than we can even imagine. And I'll end with
verse 12. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions
from us. I got to read verse 13. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who
fear him. For he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust. You know, I got to go
somewhere here with it, because I'm speaking to some people. When we struggle with a certain
sin or iniquity in our life, and it's been years that we've been struggling with it,
we fall into a category that when I preach what I'm preaching right now, that you know,
run to him, don't put yourself on probation. People oftentimes get the thought process,
well, now I'm just using that as an excuse in my life. Because I've fought with this thing so
long, and what you're telling me is you're just telling me that I'm just making a bunch of excuses
for me to go sinning more and more. But that's not what I'm saying, and that's not what the
scriptures are saying at all. But because we've been wrestling with something for such a long
time, our mind goes there that this is an excuse. And I believe that is something that the devil
comes and he sows in our mind and in our thought process. But truly, if we have a contrite
spirit and we throw ourselves at the mercies of God here in my notes, it says that a contrite
spirit doesn't want to sin again. The flesh wants to, but the contrite spirit doesn't want to.
And it's not that you're making an excuse, it's the fact that, this is a fact and a truth statement,
is that if you're battling with the same thing over and over, it's not that you're making
an excuse, it's the fact that your flesh is still ruling and reigning that area.
So what arises out of that is we need to address that thing. It's not, I'm making an excuse,
pastor. It's, no, let's address it. What are you wrestling with? Let's address it.
Because that tells me your flesh is ruling and reigning in that area.
You're not making excuses for your spirit, you're simply wrestling in the flesh. Does
that make sense? A contrite spirit doesn't take the forgiveness of God for granted.
A contrite spirit does not intend of repeating a sin, but actually seeks the strength of God
to overcome the sin and mature in a live and live a holy life. According to 1 Peter, where
the Bible tells us, be holy for I am holy. How do you know that you have a contrite spirit?
How do you know that you don't have a contrite spirit? You're not intending to sin again.
You don't want to, you don't want to repeat the sin that so entices you.
And I don't care, I don't care what sin it is. We, again, I'm going down a rabbit hole.
We classify sin. We classify sin. Well, I'm not drinking, I'm not smoking,
I'm not sleeping around, I'm not cussing, I'm not swearing. But what about that lie you said?
What about stealing? You're saying, well, I don't steal. Really?
Because I know a lot of people that fool the government in their taxes,
and they'll circle one, but they won't circle the other. Oh, they'll never know.
Yeah, but God will. No, what's funny is that the culture that I come from and
some of the Slavic churches, there's a tax person, he's an accountant, and he's Jewish.
And he does a lot of, he does a lot of Russian people's taxes. And he's Jewish,
he's not a Christian, he's not a believer. And I heard this from a source.
A lot of pastors and leaders of churches will go and they'll do their taxes there.
And he laughs all the time. And he goes, you want me to serve your God?
Where he goes, your pastors come and they lie on their taxes?
And he says, you want me to go and serve your God?
See, and we think that's minuscule. We've classified sin. We've classified it.
A contrite spirit is a key factor to true repentance.
To have a contrite spirit is literally a key factor to true repentance in the fact
that when we have a contrite spirit, remember, we throw ourselves at the mercies of God,
we don't take his forgiveness for granted. And in the process of doing all this,
what we're actually doing is we're doing what the author in Hebrews writes.
We look on to him and we seek our strength from him.
The author in Hebrews writes, he says, we ought to look on to the Lord.
We ought to, let's read it. I'm quoting here. Let's read it. Hebrews chapter 12.
I feel like sometimes we try to quote it and the Lord's like, why don't you just read it?
It's right there. Let them hear my word. Don't try to quote it.
Hebrews chapter 12, verse one and two. Oh, no, sorry, it's not verse one and it's verse two
and three, not one and two. I apologize. Verse two and three, it says, looking on to Jesus,
let's start with verse one, actually. Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great
a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin,
which so easily, easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking on to Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith.
A contrite spirit is a key factor to produce true repentance in us. This is what I mean by
that, is that true repentance is not just changing the way that I think, though that's part of it,
but there's more than just the changing of my thought process. But according to the author in
Hebrew, what they're writing here is they're saying, let us put off the iniquity in the sin
that so easily entices us. In other words, let us stop looking at how much this sin has affected us
and how much the sin has held us down, how weighty it is, how troublesome, and we stop giving so
much attention to the sin. And now we turn and we look on to Jesus and what he's paid for us.
So a contrite spirit is a key factor. If I can have a contrite spirit, God is now looking at me
because true repentance is being produced in me. Because in the process of me throwing myself
at the mercy seat of God, I do so by stop giving so much attention to my sin.
And I'm giving more attention to the Lord because he is the author, he is the finisher of my faith.
That, by the way, is what true repentance is, if you did not know.
Why are people struggling with repentance is because they've stopped looking onto Jesus,
literally, period. You don't have to add anymore. That's it.
Why isn't true repentance produced in the church anymore? Because we have stopped looking onto Jesus.
And we're looking for somebody to pray for us. We're looking for somebody to this, that, and
look to him as the author writes. This is what I mean going back to how I started.
The scriptures are still effective today, and they still bring results.
If we would stop giving so much attention to the sin in our life, and we actually
give more attention to the Lord, we even forget that that sin has enticed us.
Trust me, the devil reminds you enough on a day in and day out basis of all the wrong
doings you're doing. He is the accuser of the brethren. He will be there yip yappin,
like your mother-in-law maybe. She'll be yip yappin all day long, and she's telling stories,
this, that, and the other. I'm sorry it's all the mother-in-laws. We love you. We do love
you, truly. We love you. But it's like a chatterbox. And he just goes on and on and on and on and on
and on and on. And I love what pastor said. He said, why are you running from the devil?
Stop. Turn and face him. And say, come here. Let me remind you of your future, devil.
Let me remind you what the word of God says about you, devil.
Still with me? I think I might be ending there.
So a contrite spirit is a key factor. It's a key factor to producing a contrite spirit or
or it's a key factor to true repentance within us. It's the turning away and the turning to.
You won't have true repentance unless you turn to him. You won't. I promise you, you won't.
You will be fighting the same thing. You will be enticed with the same thing, whether it's
mental illness, whether it's lustful sin, whether it's a drinking problem, a smoking problem,
whatever the case may be, until you turn to Jesus. And Jesus becomes more real to you
than that sin. I want you to hear me. Jesus has to become more real to us
than that thing that we are fighting with. Then, then, I said then, true repentance will settle in you.
Only then will true repentance be produced in you when you actually give more attention
to the Lord than you are to the sin in your life. I'm going to pray because we're
going to leave it here for today because what I'm about to get into next is going to open up a whole
another can of worms. So Father, we thank you. Can we just lift our hands to the Lord? Father, we thank you.
Father, we thank you that you desire, you desire God to find a resting place in a people.
You desire, my Lord, to be Lord and master in our life. It is a heart cry of heaven this morning,
of you are seeking a resting place in a people, both as individuals and as a corporate setting.
So Lord, we're asking you that you would do it in us. Father, I'm asking you that you would do it in me,
that you would do it in this house, that we would be a people that would have you rest in your fullness,
that everything that we do is pleasing onto you. Everything, I said, Father, that we do is pleasing
onto you. Holy Spirit, counsel us, lead us, guide us in this. I thank you, Father, for every individual,
those that are here, those that are online.
We thank you, Holy Spirit, for the word that washes over us. And I thank you
that even today, your word washed over us as we heard it. In Jesus, in Jesus, in Jesus mighty name.