The Anointing: Stewarding The Gift

The title this morning, the anointing part two. The anointing part two and last Sunday's message is turned into a three part series. And what happens is when I, you know, these aren't my opinions.

It's like, let me just sit down and what do I want? It's really when you spend that time with the Lord and you open his word and these things really resonate with you and they're biblical principles and they're scriptures and I know God doesn't want us to hurry through it. And the sermon can kind of get long. And so breaking it up into three different points.

Last Sunday was touched by God. Are you anointed? And I talked about the anointing. Part two is the anointing, stewarding the gift.

So God gives us this gift. It's a very powerful gift, a wonderful gift. I would say apart from salvation, it's the most important topic in the church today.

The anointing of God, the spirit of God upon you. Part three is gonna be next Sunday, God willing, the anointing, guarding the promise. Stewarding the gift, guarding the promise.

That was actually the title of this morning but it got too long. And that's gonna be all the practical application. Okay, practically speaking, how do I win this fight? How do I engage this spiritual warfare? And I wanted to throw it in there today but it just felt too rushed and too pushed together so that's next Sunday.

But again, one of the most important issues facing the church today is surviving the anointing. Surviving the anointing. I didn't choose that title because I have before but David Ravenhill wrote a book.

Order it today on Amazon, Surviving the Anointing by Leonard Ravenhill's son, David Ravenhill. And I actually talked to him this week trying to get him to come out and speak in the future. But such an important topic because popularity will push us away from Christ.

Complacency, compromise. There's so many things competing for our time that actually pull us away. And so when you're anointed, it doesn't mean life is easy.

And again, go listen to last Sunday if you want it. What do you mean by anointing? Basically, it's the touch of God upon your life. All believers have the anointing of God because they're believers.

But what do you do with that gift? How well do you steward it? Do you surrender to it? There's so many different things that happen. And when you have that, it doesn't mean, oh man, now I'm on God's side. You're also a target for the enemy.

So to help you guys understand, should I preach it like that to help you? Remember, this is you walking around with the anointing on. That's it. So you have to steward it, you have to survive it.

I don't wanna do that. Maybe here for a minute. So once you're anointed, as a believer, you're already anointed, but now as you surrender to God, this calling of God upon your life, now you're a target for the enemy, even more so.

I mean, how many of you recognize that? I look back on my life, and I'm like, man, he annoyed me in my 20s because I was more on his side than God's side. Why is he gonna mess that up? Your two toughest enemies are within and without. Your two toughest enemies are within you and without.

I often say the greatest enemy is me, within me. The old man. It's a constant, don't you wish he would just shut up for a week? But then without, 1 Peter, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

So guarding next Sunday, this Sunday, stewarding, guarding and stewarding the anointing that God, this wonderful gift that God gives you, they're not considerations, it's essential. I talk to people, I don't wanna be in a spiritual battle, I don't want, well, there's no choice. If you don't want to and you don't engage, you are definitely more on the enemy's side than God's side.

That I can assure you. Just say, you know what, I'm in a spiritual battle, here we go. And sometimes people, you know, I've seen posts and people have asked me, but shame.

God who began a good work in me will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. So it's kinda like I can just kinda, you know, watch some Netflix, go to church when I can, and man, I'm gonna finish strong. What's that, Ephesians chapter one? That God's gonna, and I believe that verse, I love that verse, but you gotta keep reading Ephesians.

Chapter two, on humility. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition, but lifting up others, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but he made himself of no reputation. So he's giving us instruction, humility, and then I press, chapter three, I press toward the mark of the high calling of God, which is in Christ Jesus, I press towards that mark.

What about Philippians four, that's pretty popular? Finally, brethren, whatever things are noble and pure and honest and good and upright, meditate. It's a must that you meditate on these things. It goes on to say, work out, not for, you don't work for your salvation, thank God.

Work out your salvation. So we can't just say, hey, he's gonna finish this work. Well, you've got some responsibility.

God does his part, but we also have to do our part, and I'd be happy to debate anybody who disagrees with that, because we could stay here the rest of the sermon on scriptures, make no provision for the flesh, flee sexual immorality, guard your heart, put a, I mean, it's, we have to steward this incredible gift that God has given us. And where we left off last Sunday is on this topic on Acts 10, 38, that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. And that same anointing, he went, that's how he went about doing good works.

Now, it's an interesting thing. No theologian has perfect theology on non-essentials, right, they disagree on these things, but, I mean, you can cut it up any way you want, but it's interesting that Jesus didn't do any miracles or begin his ministry until he was, the Holy Spirit came upon him, this anointing. And that's why he read in the temple that this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.

That God has anointed me to preach the gospel. He was baptized and the Spirit descended upon him as a dove. Holy Spirit was upon him, he was led in the wilderness and came out in the fullness of the Spirit.

Very interesting. We need that anointing, we need that upon us. The Holy Spirit coming upon us and filling us with that Spirit.

And then 1 John, again, I wanna recap some of this, says you have the anointing, you've received this anointing from God. He or she is anointed. Remember how we say that often.

You might leave here today and go, worship was so anointed. Ah, I wish the message was. Oh, trust me, this one has been bathed in a lot of prayer.

Lot of seeking God for this topic, this topic on the anointing. Who wants to misrepresent the anointing of God? But we say that often. He or she is anointed and worship was anointed and whatever, that church is so anointed.

And we do have to pray for a fresh anointing, fresh wind. Anybody remember that book? Jim Cimbala wrote that book. Fresh wind, fresh fire.

There's a renewed thing that takes place and that fill me again, Lord. I want that filling of the Spirit as we seek Him because if you're like me, you can get drained. And it's scary when you stay there, week after week, month after month.

And just to recap again, consecration. When you're consecrated by God, you're set apart, but anointing is set upon. So I've consecrated you for this service, but the anointing of God is the Holy Spirit in us.

And it's an interesting topic because we know, as believers, we have the Holy Spirit. That's why I always say, I'm not gonna say it again, you have all the Holy Spirit, but does He have all of you? I got it in there still. And so, I mean, many people taught, it's a second work of grace.

It happens later, D. Martin Lloyd-Jones wrote on the baptism of the Holy Spirit that can happen years after conversion. And pouring over dozens of, I mean, I've got a book, They Found the Secret. It's not about Oprah, I don't know what that secret.

But They Found the Secret is biographies of Adonai Jetson, Hudson Taylor, John Bunyan, John Wesley, all these people who received this empowerment of the Spirit sometimes years after conversion. Years. D.L. Moody, I talked about last Sunday.

And in every single situation, it was when they finally surrendered. Say, God, this is your ministry. This is your church, what do you want me to do? Here I am.

And as they pressed in, that fullness of the Spirit, that anointing of the Spirit just came upon them. And now, they go out in that, their words are like cut. Their hearts discerning the things of God, that Holy Spirit coming upon them.

And maybe God begins to exalt them and use them. And then now they think, I'll come speak on revival, my fee is 10 grand. You just lost it, don't even show up.

You quench and grieve. And see, that's what happens in the Spirit-filled life as well for believers. It's so important, guys.

Again, all are anointed, but there are different anointings and degrees of influence. The fruit of the Spirit is within us, but the anointing is upon us. And here's what I want you to know.

This anointing is not a safe covering unless you stay there. It's not safe. It's not safe.

What was that Narnia when they said about the lion? Oh, he's not a gentle lion. He's not safe. So this anointing, you're anointed by God, doesn't mean you can just go whatever you want because the enemy will take you out.

He's looking for you to step out underneath that covering and draw you back. And that's what I wanna get to next Sunday on practical application. And a reminder, oh, I wish I could remind the whole church this.

Elevation, especially the young kids and churches just starting out and Instagram and TikTok and all these things. Elevation and promotion is God's job. Not yours.

But we're so busy self-promoting. Self-promoting. Why? Because it's, oh, it's cool.

Man, I want this, I want this. Let me tell you, that without character will destroy you. And that's what happens to many ministries.

Why they don't finish well. Because God builds in that brokenness and that desperation. I mentioned before, one of the fastest growing on Instagram all over is a guy to Georgia, Phil Michael Anthony, I believe his name is.

And it's just like a million people on YouTube and stuff, but you don't know what he went through to get there. Suicidal thoughts, small ministry, and nobody, it wasn't really used. And then you hear a story and how God just broke, and I think some prison time.

That will do it. Break, and I want to tell the prisoners that are listening, look at that as your seminary. You'll thank God for that time alone with him someday.

That time alone, that time alone, the sanctuary of silence. The sanctuary of silence and seeking God. Be content.

Do I have the hashtag? Yeah. Hashtag be content, be content. Let God promote you.

Let God elevate you. When you get to the spot of being content, there's so much joy. Well, why doesn't God use me more? It's up to him.

It's actually not, it's not my job to promote anybody. It's our job to recognize who God is promoting and come alongside. As we choose elders, deacons, we're just watching.

Months, months, years, how they handle things, how they, watching. God annoys, God calls. And it breaks my heart.

We've had people, they've moved on. They've been going 15 years of ministry and they'll tell people, Pastor Shane won't let me sing on the worship team. That's not my call.

Could it be your attitude that's preventing it? Yes. Humble, not self-exaltation. Let me break, let me break, let me break it.

Let me just, whatever it's called, I don't know. Let me bring the roof down. God, if you get me up there, they'll see how anointed I am in that.

Could even just go boom, mic drop. God help us. God help us.

And then God will begin to exalt and begin to promote and we've gotta steward this. Often he'll humble you before he raises you up. He humbles you before he raises you up.

And guys, let me tell you, this will help too. Be content. Be content.

Maybe your gifting isn't to speak to thousands of people and worship with 15,000 people in a stadium. And you gotta be content with that. That's where the joy comes from.

Because God, wherever you wanna use me, wherever you wanna put me, contentment leads to tremendous thankfulness and a mighty filling of the Holy Spirit. When you're not thankful, you quench and grieve the Spirit of God. And so do I. And I went through that.

I wrote about it in the book. Me and my wife had talked about it. I shared with you back in March or something that it was a hard season for a few years of being discouraged and really unthankful.

And boy, the enemy knows how to plant those fiery darts, doesn't he? Many cannot enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise when they're focused on self. Self-promotion. Jealousy.

Jealousy. How many of you, don't raise your hand, but that's a dark, demonic, fiery dart, jealousy, isn't it? Because you want, it's envy. I want that.

I want that. God, why am I just doing this? And look at all my friends. Look at this.

Hey, thank God. Thank God for his grace upon your life. Maybe he's working on your heart.

Pride hinders worship and it quenches the anointing. Again, a person may be more anointed. I'm sorry, a person may not be more anointed, but they are more gifted.

So we see that a lot in sports and athletics and things like that. Singers, Ariana Grande, kids, what, four octave, that's gifting. Not the anointing of God there.

Be careful, gifting is not anointing. But when the two meet, oh, it's a beautiful thing. And as a church, one of the hardest things that we have to do is we have to help identify those who are anointed and gifted.

One of the worst things I could do, let's say somebody's graded, they got a guys at their Bible study, five of them at a home, great, and then I put him up here, and it's dead. It's lifeless. You're like, well, that was, wow, that was, hmm.

What happened, he's not anointed for that. This might seem funny to you guys, but ask my wife, I don't like little groups teaching five, six people, because they're asking questions. I'm like, I just wanna talk for 40 minutes.

Let me get all out. And it's like the group, it's like, it's hard, it's so good, though, I need it, right? But that's not my wheelhouse. That's why doing the young man, it's gonna be a challenge.

But see, that's not exactly where he has me. I can do it, but what's the primary, gifting and anointing? Same thing in our own lives. We have to identify, yes, okay, you're gifted, but are you anointed? How many people come in here, they can sing? We've seen this over the years, too.

Oh, my goodness. But, oh, a little too flashy. The anointing is being quenched and grieved.

You need to spend some time in the prayer closet. Who are you to tell me my gifting? No, no, no, I'm not telling you anything. Humble yourself.

Never once in 15 years that I can think of, never once have I had somebody speak who asked me if they could speak. Get these emails, hey, I'm gonna be in your area. I'm a famous evangelist.

It's only $5,000, or I'm this, and I'm in the deliverance ministry. I'll be passing through L.A. County. Never.

Not that people, hey, I wanna share. I feel, okay, I believe God's doing this in my heart. Absolutely, but be careful.

Let him promote you. Guys, the limelight is not something to desire. It will destroy you.

When you're a nobody, you don't have much of this. But if you wanna start a Bible study, you wanna do this for God, you wanna get involved in the homeless ministry, you wanna do pew, pew, be careful, be prepared. Again, the touch of God should humble us.

The touch of God upon our life should humble us, not exalt us. Important point, from harp to throne, David. Did you know God is strategic? He just doesn't go put David in the king's court, or go put this prophet here, or go put you.

There's a process of things. And so David, working with the sheep, shepherd, and now learned to play a harp. Okay, how'd that happen? I don't know.

And then word gets out. God promotes. Hey, this guy plays a harp.

King Saul invites him in to play the harp. David becomes close to him. He goes out on the battlefield, kills his, so now he's in command of the armies of Israel.

And that's just a natural progression to be king. Especially when he is anointed. That is, without that, forget it.

Forget it. And that anointing often involves time, timing. It involves God aligning you.

It involves humility. It involves placement. And there will be giants to fight.

There will be giants to fight. There's a constant theme throughout Scripture. The Lord preserved David wherever he went.

Why did he do that? If you walk in his ways, he will strengthen your days. Guys, David's no different. You can honestly say that this morning.

The Lord will preserve you wherever you go if you stay under that covering, under that shelter of protection. And guess what? Good news for the backslider. You might be out of that covering.

You can just run back to it. Lord, thank you. Get me back up.

Doesn't God take a wrong way and make it right? This is not about perfection or I wouldn't be up here. It's about getting back up and fighting that fight. Run back to the shepherd.

Run back to the shepherd. You're a lost sheep. Meh, meh, meh.

So I keep the kids up. Engage. Oh yeah, you got your fill in the blanks too, kids.

Have your parents give you a dollar if you get all the words right. That lost sheep just come home. Just come home.

I don't know why people have this issue with God. He's always described, yes, as holy and justice and a righteous judge, but also looking, waiting for the prodigal to come home. Waiting for that prodigal to come home.

It's absolutely amazing. And just to tie this all in, I'll probably be there next Sunday, but I'm gonna fast forward to Acts 10, 44 to 48. Again, this Sunday I'm not really going verse by verse.

I'm just finishing up on this topic of the anointing. And so while Peter was still speaking, now remember, Peter went to the Gentiles. He went to Cornelius.

He had a dream about that the carnivore diet was okay now and then. And we're like, what are you talking about? Go read the Bible. So anyway, and he went.

Peter went to Cornelius' house. Cornelius worshiped him. And Peter said, no, no, get up.

Be careful what you worship, guys. Be careful what you worship, kids. All these people blown up on social media.

They're fragile, they're broken people. Do not look up to them and worship them. Okay, so Peter's gonna say, here, Cornelius, let me tell you about the gospel.

And as he's sharing the message, the Holy Spirit fell upon all of those who heard the word. I pray for this often. It would be interesting.

Man, Lord, as I'm preaching, boom. You know, it wouldn't be weird. You can go acting like animals and barking.

No, you'd be like this reverence. Your head would just bow, oh my God. And there might be some tears.

You might be grabbing the tissues. And just a reverence or respect the Holy Spirit coming upon them. It's a wonderful thing.

And even everybody who heard it. And then those of the circumcision, meaning the Jews, they were astonished. Why are they astonished? Because God is just for the Jews.

God's for the Jews. We are the chosen people. No, God said, everybody.

Everybody. They were astonished because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. Remember, the Holy Spirit is a gift.

The anointing is a gift. You gotta steward it. It doesn't blop and now just live your life.

It's a stewarding of where God wants you, how he wants to use you. And no doubt, these people were open and teachable. They were ready to receive.

Guys, this is what prevents a deep work of the Spirit in many hearts. Many, I'm not naive, come here judging. What I say, judge your worship.

You know, every now and then. Maybe some, this is between you and God. But if you're not open to receive from God's Word and you came with a judgmental heart, man, I pray for you.

I really do. I feel for you. You have to be willing to receive.

Doesn't mean Christians throw caution to the wind and we're gullible sponges that. Whatever happens. No, we check like the brands.

We use wisdom, we use discernment. But our position should be, I don't know about you, but I come Sundays excited, like a spirit of expectation. Lord, is worship gonna go on for a while? Is the message gonna just, are you gonna have me preach this? And like just, are people gonna be healed and set free and like just can't wait to get there, the expectation of what God is going to do.

And when the Holy Spirit is poured out, He can be poured out the same way. Why is that any different today? It's not. So if there's a disconnection, it's not with God.

And it's often pride. It's often carnality, lukewarmness. I don't wanna fully surrender.

My goodness. I'm gonna get weird. Oh folks, if you only knew.

Wanting more of God isn't throwing caution to the wind. Wanting more of God, that deeper relationship, it's the pursuit of every believer. And I wanna show you these words.

Finally, I talk about them often, but I wanna show you in the Greek, these prepositions. The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as coming alongside us. The word para, para.

And then the Holy Spirit is in us, E-N. And you think, okay, I'm good. Oh no, no, no, no.

There's one more very important preposition that happened, they're actually used this word when it came upon Jesus. And when He came upon the disciples. This is, it can happen at conversion.

For sure, it should. But often, for many people, it happens later. This coming upon.

Because if you're like me, many of you, okay, I was saved, I remember it. You know, okay, I'm saved, thank God I'm going to heaven. Oh my goodness.

I still can't wait to grab that six-pack at Coors Banquet. Man, I'm saved, I'm set free. Boy, there's some movies though I still wanna watch.

I know they're soft porn, but it's no big deal. I mean, there's freedom, there's liberty in Christ. Be careful, liberty should never be a cloak to hide vice.

Man, I'm saved now, but I don't care. I'm still gonna be bitter and gossiping. Man, I'm gonna, I got some envy and jealousy.

I don't wanna repent of these attitudes. And so all of those things quench the anointing. And you don't receive the fullness of the Spirit.

Again, I really try to get this point across. It's not about perfection. Man, Shane, you've mastered this.

No, I'm repenting daily. Like Lord, get my heart right. I tell you guys all the time, if I leave at the wrong time and I got NASCAR people on my tail over the mountain, I turn into no more Pastor Shane.

I actually will slow down and I just might pump those red lights. I got a trailer hit, boom, that's on you. But see, where does that come from? That old man, if I keep feeding it, anything upset you in life? You don't like decisions people are making or where things are going? Here we go, what do I do with those fiery darts? It's a daily battle.

So here's keys to stewarding God's gift, discipline, pursuit, and perseverance. Guys, these things are so critical. Why does everybody else talk about these things? Military, discipline important? Hello, I don't know why, but some of my favorite podcasts, as long as they don't cuss and stuff, are Navy SEALs and Delta Force and all those, I mean, talk about, whoa, man, how important was discipline? Some of these athletes trained four years for 45 seconds at the Olympics? Guys, how much more for the Christian faith? The real battle that counts, the real warfare, and we can become easily spiritually lazy, myself included.

So the discipline is so important, and then pursuit, and then perseverance. Perseverance. If you don't focus on spiritual survival, it will lead to spiritual decline.

Once you realize, I need to survive spiritually, doesn't that change the way you do things? Some of the relationships maybe when you become apathetic, even believers, after 30 years, some of the most solid people I know here, you can become apathetic, and you have no more of the anointing than the 16-year-old in here who's on fire for God. They're actually being used of God more than you, and I've seen this. As I get older, it becomes harder, because I remember the first couple, like, Lord, where's that zeal at? Maybe the first couple years, man, I'm going to everybody now, I just want to get my errands done and get home.

Like, what happened? How does that apathy set in? I mean, can you imagine if we would be available, Lord, you know what, if I'm going to be in line today, or if I'm going to, well, how do you want to use me? Can you imagine? God might use you. See, the problem is rarely on His side. It's on our side.

Not a lot of amens this morning. It's heavy, but it's needed. Discipline and stewarding go hand in hand.

We have the tendency to feed the flesh and become spiritually lazy. You know where this book came from for the kids? It actually came from R. Kent Hughes' book that I try to get through. I try to get through that book every couple years, and Surviving the Anointing and Dangerous Calling by Paul Tripp, I think, or David Tripp, because just good reminders, and I'll never forget what he said.

Right at the beginning, you're going, he goes, "'Discipline is everything.'" I'm like, no, no, no, no. But you start to think about it. You start, boy, that's true.

Discipline, doing what I know to be right despite how I feel. I'll even get people sometimes, they don't mean it, but they'll pop off at me. You know, sometimes here, sometimes in my life, it's like, I know how to respond.

Lord, help me. Or, you know, you guys know. This is, I don't need to go here, deep here, do I? And God has been showing me so much about this aspect of discipline and how it plays a vital role in stewarding the anointing.

Guys, to steward this gift, discipline has to be engaged. That's what keeps everything together because the enemy's waiting. Isn't it interesting? He goes about as a roaring lion looking for who he can devour.

But then you flip to, I think, 2 Chronicles. The eyes of the Lord go to and fro throughout the whole earth. Wait a minute, they're both looking for me.

Isn't that a wake-up call? The enemy's looking for me. God's looking for me, but the enemy's looking for me. The eyes of the Lord go to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to him.

So as we pursue God with the spiritual disciplines, God finds us and he keeps it together. But when we walk outside of that, guys, I'm preaching to myself. Jesus says, don't say, oh, Shane got discipline mastered.

What? My flesh still screams. Feed me! Feed me! Feed me. And discipline said, shut your mouth.

And guys, there are times sometimes we fall. Amen? Amen? I shared before, it's no secret, but I've never fasted 100% perfectly. Asked my wife.

She laughs, she goes, you're not fasting. You say it, but give me a couple hours. Amen? Right.

But I'm bigger things, too. Like, man, kids, I did get upset. I'm sorry.

I have to apologize to people sometimes. Man, that text, that email, I'm sorry. Oh, Lord.

See, discipline isn't as much about perfection as it is about getting back up and going back in the right direction. That's really what it is. It's to get back up and go in the right direction.

Isn't it? I mean, getting back up is part of the process. When you realize as a believer, you're gonna fall down, but you get back up and you go in the right direction. How many of you know this? This is incredible.

I'd actually checked this morning. Michael Jordan got cut from his varsity basketball team. What? Did you know that? He wasn't tall enough or quite good enough.

Otani. Shohei Otani. Check out this statistic.

He had, and they said this is very high. It's actually not a good stat, but nobody knows about it. 187 strikeouts last year.

He struck out. He struck out way above the league average. Do you know that? Because you get back up to bat.

You get back up to bat. You get back up to bat. And that's how you finish well.

That's how you finish well. Tom Brady. Second string at Michigan.

Third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh string at Michigan. And he'll say, I was not the most athletic. I was not the best.

What was he? Discipline. Kobe. Steve Curry.

Have you ever talked? You throw 3,000 free throws in a day? Discipline. How much more for the Christian? How many, I'm dating myself, Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Known as the best female athlete of the 20th century.

Who knows that she actually lost the Olympics? You wouldn't even know her name in 1988. She said, but that propelled me to discipline myself and to get back up and keep fighting. Guys, how much more in the Christian faith? How much more? A reminder, feelings follow discipline.

They rarely precede it. Get that in your mind right now. I don't feel like, neither do I. But haven't we all become spiritually lazy where you let your feelings, kind of like, I don't feel like doing that.

How many times, okay, don't do this, but Morgan, like I would get up and say, I don't feel like going to church today, and we didn't go. I think we should have because the kids, I don't feel like it. I don't feel like it.

Calvary Chapel, Grace Chapel, Central Christian, Hope Chapel. I don't want to go today. How many of us do the same thing with our feelings? When feelings vacillate and they control us, it keeps us in a constant state of procrastination.

Doesn't it? I'm praying about sharing more later, maybe in a few weeks on this topic. But it does, it's like, ah, I don't feel like it. I'm not feeling it.

I just, now sometimes it's good. Hey, you ever say, I just want to stay at home, especially when it's raining that day, and just make some tea, and just, oh, put it on Hallmark Channel for the women, Navy Seal podcast for me, and I do, I really enjoy House of David. I mean, I could pick out the parts that weren't in the Bible, but overall, motivation starts the engine, but discipline pushes the gas pedal.

This is why we fail so many times, guys. I'm motivated, I'm motivated. About a month from today, you guys are gonna be so motivated, you're gonna go to Walmart and buy a $300 juicer.

I'm so motivated, and then you feel like garbage the next day, and you're like, forget that. I love, I hear, man, January 1st, I'm giving up all processed food, all this, I'm only eating God-given food. Try it.

It's hard, isn't it? We're not perfect in this area, at all. I just threw away some trash this morning. I'm like, oh, there's Chick-fil-A, that's nice.

Wonder who went to Chick-fil-A. And they don't know until now. I don't make it a point of contention, because we need freedoms, right? But motivation starts the, it's okay, I said that? It's okay.

Motivation starts the engine, but discipline pushes the gas pedal. What about if your breakthrough is waiting on your self-control? What about if your breakthrough is waiting on your self-control? Isn't that true? Here's why this is so important. Let's say, okay, you've got a goal, the exit sign, cameras, get ready.

Do you wanna stay on me, Michael? I don't know, sometimes I get mad, I walk out of frame, but I forget. So there's my goal, right? You know there's a goal with God, January 1st, juice only for a while, or whatever it is, and there's the exit, right? You're going, I'm so motivated, I'm so motivated, I'm so, hmm, had a bad day. Okay, that's 100 yards, keep going.

I'm going good, I'm going good, I'm going good, I'm going good, I'm going good, and then, stop, stop, stop, go, go, and you keep going, and you keep going, and you keep going. That's how you get to the end. Discipline is so important, guys.

That's the key. God's been showing me so much on this topic lately. Because like you, and like many of us, and I'm sure I'll be guilty in the future, feelings have been dictating my course of action.

Not all the time, you know, we do pretty good overall, and we're gonna fall, we're not, you know, there's grace, thank God for God's grace. But sometimes God says, you know, I've been waiting for five years. The grace spigot is running dry? Get up and finish this race.

It's biblical. And here's the thing, the more you discipline yourself, the more the feelings follow. Peace, and joy, and things like that.

This is why, for example, fasting is so important, because it's a spiritual and a physical discipline. One, two, punch. It not only disciplines you spiritually, it disciplines you physically.

Not too many things do that. One of the most important sermons ever given, can we all agree, Sermon on the Mount? Most of us agree? Jesus said, when you fast. Not if, I like the if part.

When you fast. Now, been praying all morning whether I should share this or not. And of course, it's easier for you to say.

That's Matt this time instead of Phil. So, I'm probably break it down in a couple weeks, maybe, you know, more, on something God's been doing in my heart for almost five years. Morgan knows.

It would take too long to explain everything. But during this course of teaching discipline, and I did something that's gonna be, you're gonna say it's really weird. Okay, so just, I know that, it's okay.

And it is weird to most people, I got it. But if you read the Bible, some people did some weird things. Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel.

And so, if God's calling you to do it, and it's not biblically off, you know, so you're in good company. And it's been on my heart for about five years. You ever get that gnawing from God? It won't go? Ah, I finally got to leave, praise God.

So, I don't know how much I should even tell. Maybe, Nick, maybe give it a couple weeks. So they'll keep coming back.

All right, all right, Lord, bless us somehow. Have this be applicable to somebody somehow, some way, balcony as well. Here, so, hope I don't cry too.

So, probably four and a half years ago, I did, many of you saw the documentary, I did a 40-day fast, kind of ate during some of it. And, mm-mm, just read in the journal the other day, about a month after, or two months, I just sensed, because it was, you know, the documentary, and it was all this, and we did a health and weight loss seminar. And it was like, God said, now you need to fast for me.

Just you and me. I said, that's not God, mm-mm. I'm not doing that again.

And so, for four and a half years, I've been, that's what I talk about, I try, and I go two days, three days, four days, I fall off, and I don't, forget this, my feelings, my feelings, my, you gotta get rid of excuses. My biggest one was, I'll lose too much weight. And your muscle is broken down, gluconeogenesis to produce ketones, or carbs, actually, it's a whole different thing, not gonna get into that.

But, so September, I was ready to go. And it's hard, because, it's just, you know, when you're not obeying God, and you're feeding the flesh, and I said, Lord, I gotta hear from you. And the reason I wanted to tie it in a few weeks from now is just with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

And like, this is ridiculous, this isn't God. This isn't God. And I shared with one of my friends, way back then, he goes, oh no, don't do that, you're already, you know, a lot of guys come to the church because you're big and strong, and I'm like, you're getting too skinny.

You know, so you always have that on your mind. So, September, Morgan, remember, I'm sitting there and I pray, but hour later, I get a text. And many of you know Joe Sweet, it's a kind of his son texting me, which is very rarely.

He goes, hey brother, just had a dream this morning about you, and you were fasting, you were really very thin, and it was lettuce and water. I'm like, that's not God, that's still not God. I need another confirmation, you ever done that? But you already know, he's so loving to give us confirmation.

And so did I, at my birthday, turning, whatever, I'm not gonna tell you how old I was turning. I said, all right, Lord, I'm starting today. Nope, nope, Mr. Defense Attorney came out.

And then October 1st, here I go, I'm gonna get ready for Ren the Heavens. Nope, Morgan's parents decided to move. So we're moving, right, loading them, Texas.

Very stressful, by the way. And hey, there's my out. All right, I'm starting, I'm gonna start mid-October.

Here we go, Lord! And then I get the text, Pastor Abrams says, can we talk today? So, finally, November 1st, it's been interesting. I knew that meant nothing. So the weird thing is, Thanksgiving, I just dry fasted.

That's no water, no fluid, nothing. Finally, crashed at 7.30, woke up amazing in the morning. The sleep is incredible, it just kept going.

So I'm still doing that. And I got a little ways to go. God's put some things on my heart.

And I wanted to share that at some point, because you guys are gonna think I'm sick or something. But it's not there yet, I'm still going to get out that deep, way less than I weighed in high school right now, 188 or something. Down from 210, just since November 1st.

And it's not about the weight, but it is when God puts it on your heart, because I don't wanna do that, because I'm gonna, the muscle and strength, right? You guys know, that's why most people don't fast. It actually only eats a very little amount, and when you actually reset autophagy, you actually get it all back, and begin to build even better. But it's a wrong focus, and so it's something God's doing in my own heart.

And so that was hard on Thanksgiving. What in God's green earth is going on here? I only walked through the kitchen once. That's it, I'm done.

But once you push through that, I don't wanna go back. I don't wanna go back. I wanna keep pressing in until God gives me that release.

God gives me that release. And as time goes on, I'm like, you know what, I did have a little extra energy I could've got rid of. Right, because God cares about the physical and the spiritual.

Our goal is not physical, it's spiritual. But God also uses the physical, because they affect each other. They influence each other.

Because when I'm disciplining my body, and doing what God wants me to do physically, I feel so much better. I haven't felt this good in a long time on Sundays. You guys wonder how I hopped up the other day, so quickly, that's how.

That's how. And God is just doing that, so I don't know when it's gonna end, I'm going for a while. And again, he's in control.

Morgan has been an incredible support. Without that, it would not have happened. So thank you for that.

Without that, it would not have happened. I thought she was gonna bring me a piece of steak or something to try to tempt me, but. My point is, spiritual disciplines are so important.

Because now the feelings that, now the feelings, I wouldn't trade for the world. The way I felt this morning during worship, the way I felt waking up on Friday. Because normally how I'd wake up on Friday for the last 56 years? Yeah, oh yeah, I did, thank you.

Okay, so let's say the last 50 years. Because I don't think as a six year old, my mom, but talk about gluttony, right? Just over, and you would think dry fasting, actually I wasn't even hungry. Because it's a much quicker process.

It breaks down not only for fat, but also for water. And you can go a lot longer with no water than people think. However, it's not medical advice.

I'm not encouraging anybody to do that. My point is, once you discipline yourself, especially when you know God is, and he gave me dreams, like four and a half years ago, that I wrote down in my journal. I said, no, no, no, that's not him.

I'm not doing that, no way. People are gonna think I'm out of my mind. But you feel so much better, the word comes alive.

I mean, you turn on worship, and you start weeping in the morning. The word opens, and you start just, because the flesh is starved. You shut your mouth.

And it takes time, though, doesn't it? Let me tell you, first couple days, you just take off of work, unless God gives you the grace. But he's also practical, and there's things you, your body's just, it's actually detoxing. Fasting's not hard.

Fasting's not hard. What's hard? Caffeine, withdraw. Processed food, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar.

Average person has, what, 56 teaspoons a day? And when we stop all this, it's a heroin addict. Going, you get mean, you get angry, you can't sleep. So wean off and get ready for January 1st.

Praise God, I won't be fasting in January, it's all you. And I had to shift my thinking, because I was getting more, I was getting, I can't believe I'm doing this in November. Thanksgiving, oh my, it started actually, I didn't have any candy, Halloween, nothing.

And then, Christmas, I'm like, you gotta be getting December, Lord, please. Like, Christmas dinner, all the cookies. And then a thankfulness, like, ah, I'd rather feel better.

I'd rather obey. I'd rather get the heavenly food from God. And then you change your thinking, so now I'm looking at it as a very positive.

Like, Lord, this is so important that I've never done before, and I want to do this to honor you. So maybe some of you can take that in some way to apply it to your own life in certain areas, but it's always good to listen to God. That gnawing feeling is gone now.

That would just gnaw at me and gnaw at me and gnaw at me. Something else I didn't share, and I can kind of sense it, is on that text he said, and I believe God wants to do a deeper work of the Spirit at this church. So talk about, talk about not only confirmation, but also now stewarding what God wants to do.

And being obedient. You can never go wrong obeying God. Well, how do you know, how do I know this? I know it's at least stepping out in faith.

Lord, it appears it's at you. It's confirmation. It's been on my heart.

I've read in my journal. I've read in the Word. I've got tons of, and Lord, I hope it's you.

Faith, faith, faith pleases God. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. Impossible to please God.

Couple downsides to bed by eight up at 2 a.m. This morning, 1.45, you're ready. I could go work out at 2 a.m. You're up, and you're, let's go. But then around 11, unfortunately I've been able to take, some of the naps were an hour after two hours yesterday.

Two hour nap. You just crash, and it's a huge reset. You wake up, guys, I'm just telling you, get your bodies ready for January 1st.

Begin weaning now. Get ready, it's an incredible gift that God has given us. When you fast, not if.

When, when, when. This discipline is so important. We don't accomplish things just because we are motivated.

We accomplish them because we are disciplined. We cannot be trusted with a strong anointing, nor can we maintain it until we have paved the way with discipline. I would say, wouldn't you say that's the major, one of the major things Christians in America need more of? Spiritual disciplines.

Why, because our abundance has led to apathy. Have you ever, I mean, in China or Africa, the underground church, and they're meeting on a dirt floor, and they're, I mean, there's so much, just, there's a whole different excitement about them. They're thankful, and they're not, they're not, they're disciplined, and they're spiritual disciplines, and they, because they're fighting for their faith, but we've become so complacent now.

We need to pick this back up. So, after everyone's convicted, I'll leave you with this closing question. If you have friends at the second service, tell them to listen to this one, because I don't know if I'm gonna share that again.

Why have most Christians never experienced a strong anointing or the Spirit coming upon them? I'm gonna, this is basically a recap of what I've been kind of echoing all of 2025 as we bring this year to an end. And there's no new truth. Like, I'm like, hey, guys, there's 10 new things you didn't know.

But it always comes back to this, and we have so many new people. It's, I wanna make sure you get this. If you don't have the Spirit coming upon you, if you've never experienced that, well, how do I know? Exactly.

There's, oh, here, no, you'll know. Why, because there's a joy. All the fruit of the Spirit is magnified.

It's magnified, because now it's the fullness of the Spirit. Love, and joy, and peace, and contentment, gentleness, and kindness, and oh. Oh.

Discipline, self-control. And if you've never had the Spirit come upon you, or if you don't like that word, how about filling? Are you mightily filled with the Spirit of God? Filled, overflowing? Well, number one, you could be, you're not saved. That's for certain.

There's not, there's unsaved people in the churches. You would have no, trust me, we're doing good here. I have no issues, really.

I mean, visitors and people. But a lot of churches, because the Gospel isn't truly being preached, and repentance of sin. Go turn on these guys, the most popular.

Go watch what they talk about. They'll jump on tampolines, and then they'll bring bench presses on the stage, and they'll have little roller coasters, and there's all this show and gong, you know. No wonder the church is a mile wide but an inch deep.

We've gotta get back to that preaching of repentance. So if that's you, you're void of the Spirit, actually. You're void of the Spirit.

You don't have the Spirit of God. You have to repent and believe in the Gospel. Not trust in religion, not trust in your parents' faith.

You have a Bible, you went to a Christian school. You've been a Baptist all your life. I've been such and such.

No, no, no, have you repented and believed? And then number two is the biggest one, the biggest reason for many in this room, it's been where I've hung out many times, not surrendered, not surrendered. Guys, this is the tipping point. This is the tipping point.

Until we say, Lord, however you want to use me. However you want to use me. I wanna get rid of this attitude.

I wanna get rid of this pride. If you don't like what I'm saying, it's probably because you need to hear what I'm saying. That's usually how it works.

In both cases, you're waiting on God, but is He waiting on you? Because did you know you can have Bible knowledge, you can attend church, you can even pray. All religions pray. But these things don't always equal surrender or salvation.

They're important, thank God for them. Would you agree? Thank God for them. But they do not always equate us surrendering to God or a person being saved.

So the best way to finish well, you ready for this closing point? Think we're out of slides, maybe. Oh no, that's a good one too. I'm getting there.

The best way to finish well is to focus well. The best way to finish well is to focus well. Get your focus back on the cross.

Get your focus back on Christ. That's what we've been talking about. Rent in the heavens, a glimpse of Him will save you.

But to gaze upon Him will forever change you. You glimpse at Him and you're saved, but to gaze upon Him, to pursue Him, to have that strong relationship, to bow your knee at the foot of the cross and say Jesus Christ set me free and fill me with that Spirit. Remember, look at what He's done for you.

Look at what He's done for you, how far He brought you. Guys, I should not be up here preaching this sermon. Ask my wife after 20 some years.

No man should ever be up here preaching a sermon. But it's God's grace and mercy to get back up and to repent, repentance, and to get back in God's arms. Now there's sins that disqualify people.

You know, I'm talking about even the things we think are little are actually big. They keep us away from our Savior. Look at what He's done.

Look at where He's brought you from. Look at what He's done. How many of you should be on your fourth marriage? How many of you should be in recovery homes if you're still alive? Come on, you remember that bottle was gonna take you down.

Those pain meds were gonna do you in. That addiction is such and such. But by the grace of God, there go I. Look at what He's done.

Look at what He's done on that cross. And we sing a song sometimes. We sing a song sometimes, and I love this song.

See, on the hill of Calvary, my Savior bled for me. My Jesus set me free, and look at the wounds that give me life. Grace flowing from His side.

No greater sacrifice. Look at what He's done. What He's done.

All the glory and the honor to the Son. My sins are forgiven. My future is heaven.

I praise God for what He's done. Guys, get focused on Him again. Say, Lord, renew that passion in me.

Won't that change how you worship? I'm telling you. I'm telling you. Listen, I love the Word.

I study the Word. I go through it yearly. New Testament, twice a year.

Like, I'm up to 26 times. New Testament, 50 times. You know, it's not, but there's something about worship.

There's something about worship. When I put the Word aside and say, Lord, thank you for that. Meditate on it.

I need to apply that. But now I'm gonna worship you. I'm gonna worship you.

Look at what you've done. Look at what you've done. How many of you, it's only God that's kept your marriage together? Come on, guys, let's be honest.

It's only God. It's only God that kept you from going insane. Then why do we come into worship and we're just like, let's get through this? Because we forget.

We don't remember our first love. Guys, remember that. Remember where you were.

My dad died at 54, and I was on that same course. I guarantee I'd be gone. There's gotta be desperation.

Lord, you provide the fire. I'll provide the sacrifice. Jesus already paid the sacrifice.

Yes, wrong context. The sacrifices of you and me is a broken and contrite heart. Listen, guys, I never wanna force this issue.

I've talked to the elders about it too before. I don't wanna like, you have to do this, but sometimes I'm just amazed that the altar isn't full. No, really.

Like, uh-oh, I gotta change. Here we go. Napoleon Dynamite.

All right, he said, no, no, no, no, stay there. It doesn't matter. But what he's done, what he's done, what he's done.

Oh, God, my marriage. My kids are walking with you. They haven't walked away.

Or maybe they have. Lord, bring that prodigal home. Lord, I should be dead.

God, I need you to move in my heart and in my life. Where is that heart of worship? You provide the fire, I'll provide the sacrifice. I find it interesting that when they would prepare the sacrifice in the Old Testament, they would cut, they would kill the animal and cut it in pieces and then put it on the burning altar.

And the fire would consume it. And so I thought this week, kill the old man, cut out the sin, and God, burn and consume me. Guys, you cannot defeat sin on your own.

Oh, I just gotta, anybody fall and fall and fall, I just gotta try harder next week. Good luck. I've tried that.

I told you, all of my 20s, all of my 20s, one reason I knew I was saved is because I would get up in the morning convicted. Oh, God, why did I have a six-pack and Mickey's Big Mouth? Where did I go? Oh, I went to the A.V. Fair, I don't even remember it. People are calling me, oh, dude, you were lit up.

Bong hits, crystal, for years and years. I'd wake up, Lord, I don't wanna do that anymore, help me. But then like a pig, I would choose to turn back to the mud, and I'd fall in the mud and say, God, help me, help me, and then I'd fall and keep this lifestyle, and then I'd go, it's like this, what's going on? Because I'm not strong enough to defeat sin.

Nobody is, nobody is. Sometimes I get this picture. If I could just grab his legs, just hold him, hold him while he's tight for me, hold on to me, Christ.

Hold on to me. God, don't let me go, don't let me go. Here's my heart, take and seal it, seal it in thy courts above, because I am prone to wander.

Lord, I feel it. The prodigal son came to himself. The prodigal son came to himself.

Some of you need to come to yourself. Let the enemy, let God take that target off of you. Come to yourself.

Do you know that's not the only part in the Bible that says that Solomon, when King Solomon prayed and dedicated, right before, if my people were called by my name, will humble themselves, God said, when my people drift from me, when my people drift from me, if they come to themselves and come back to me. God, here's the thing, we're always, we're mad at God. If God does, no, it's never his fault.

He's waiting, he's waiting. Well, if God, if he loved me, if he knows how to get my attention, guys, wake up, come to yourself. Come to yourself.

Come to yourself. Humble yourself before almighty God.