Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Our Father's Gift Pt.3

Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus! Amen. What if that "Amen" had been the trumpet? Are you ready? Are you packed and ready to go? Do you have everything packed that you need? Nothing, right? You brought nothing in, and you're taking nothing out. If you have anything packed, it's a weight, and it's a sin that does so easily beset. Anything that we're focusing on--that we're encumbered with, that's entering in and choking out our time and energy from the great treasures, that's keeping us from fulfilling the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives--we need to see them for what they are: the enemies of our souls, the weights, and the sins that are so easily besetting. I'm not talking about the necessary things of life. I'm talking about the things that are robbing us of what the Holy Spirit is wanting to do in our lives and the things that you know and I know are hindrances to our faith. You see, you're not ignorant of any of the things that are hindering you. You just haven't made the quality decision to die to them yet. They're the things that we have to deal with and face truthfully in our own lives--that ugliness of the love of self, the love of pleasure, and the love of things (as we've been talking about the Spirit of Truth Who has come to lead us into all truth).

The utterance that was given this evening is dead-on for the whole purpose that we're going into these few sessions of studying. And that's the whole aspect of being able to prepare ourselves for this day in which we're living. We must be able to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in the midst of all of this secular noise that's going on around us, whatever it might be. Some of the secular noise, as we've talked about before, comes through the rise in technology. We don't hear a lot said about this anymore, but there was one prophecy that the old teachers on eschatology used to really emphasize. It's humorous to me now as I look back. But when I was young in the faith, I'd hear the teachers on the coming of the Lord saying, "Look at where we are today! Look at the technology! Men are running to and fro, and the world is shrinking." That was 40 years ago! What's happened in 40 years? And where is this going, should the Lord tarry? Are you ready? Are your children ready for this inundation that's coming from the secret power of lawlessness? Now, this lawlessness is just the manifestation of that original sin of self-reliance--man becoming a god unto himself and man trusting in his own abilities.

We started the teaching off on the goodness of our heavenly Father and our acceptance in Him. There's no merit needed for God to love you. He loves you just like you are, but He's not going to leave you like you are. Can you say "Praise God!" for that? Many of us mistake the fact that God loves us like we are for an excuse to say, "Oh well, praise God!" No; you're going to change! He loves you so much that He will chasten you, and there will be a constant purging in your life. Your heavenly Father is not like your natural father. Though He pities us as a father does his son, and He knows that we're but dust, along with that pity is justice. He's going to see to it that you're brought into the image of Jesus and that you are the absolute best that you can be. That's an exciting thing! And it's a very painful process.

I was sharing with the men yesterday in staff meeting, talking a little bit about where we are as a fellowship. We were talking some about our basketball teams, and I was talking about the philosophy that we have as a fellowship here and the fact that perfection is the standard in everything. Any of the ministries that you may be involved in, anything that you do for the kingdom as you're working here in the fellowship--we only do it one way, and that's with perfection as the standard. Since we will never achieve it, the real issue is, "Am I absolutely extending myself--pressing toward the mark, the prize, and the high calling of God--to accomplish this task that I'm doing for the Lord?" Whatever you do, you're to do it with all your might. You're to do it as unto to the Lord, with all of your might. Yet, we're living in a "just get-by" society, a society of mediocrity and acceptance. They spoofed it in the skit here the other night. Little Johnny got a bad grade, and instead of telling him he was wrong, they were saying, "You were close, Little Muffin!" (or whatever they called him). We're living in that kind of a society. We just want to feel good about ourselves.

Let me ask you something. If you're going to be a champion for the kingdom of God, it's not about feeling good about yourself. It's coming to grips with the truth about yourself and what you need to change in order to achieve the goal that's at hand. You can't do it like you are; you need to change. The effort that's being demanded of us, with a standard of perfection, is a complete and total offering up of ourselves for this goal: the image of Jesus Christ and the likeness of our heavenly Father.

In the study, as we were talking about the goodness of Father, we said that every good and perfect gift comes down from Him, and it's His good pleasure to give us the kingdom. In the society that we're living in, when we say that it's His good pleasure to give us the kingdom, we're thinking welfare. We're thinking Christmas; we're thinking free, gratis; we're thinking free ride; we're thinking easy street. That's not what this kingdom is all about. It's a kingdom of death. It's a daily cross that you and I have been called to take up. It's not pleasant, any more than it's pleasant to go through basic training in the military, any more than it's pleasant to go through the two-a-days [term meaning two practices in one day], and all of these things that you have to endure in preparation for the task that's at hand. What is the goal? Perfection. What is the standard? The very image of Jesus Christ. What is the environment? Hostile. Iniquity is abounding. Those around us are growing cold and defecting, and the standard is constantly being compromised. Christendom is being amalgamated into society and the world's philosophy to the extent that you can't even tell the difference between them.

One of the latest surveys that I was just looking at yesterday showed that less than fifty percent of pastors believe the most basic fundamental beliefs that we as Christians have. I'm talking about Baptist and Pentecostal pastors. What condition are the flocks in? Where are we in this society? What is "accepted" Christianity, and what is biblical Christianity? Whether we like to believe it or not, we're being vexed constantly. We're being told, "This is sufficient. What you're being asked to do is too much. This is extreme. This is difficult." Then we think, "Yeah!" and we want to run to where we're accepted by men, judging ourselves by ourselves. Or we fall into the trap of self-righteousness. "Look at how good I'm doing! We're better than all other Christians. I'm special." The best you ever become in your life, should Jesus tarry, makes you an unprofitable servant. That's all. We're never heroes; we're never great Christians. There's only one kind of Christianity, and that's biblical Christianity, normative Christianity. Biblical Christianity is normative, and it's what's expected of every person in this room. There's not a greater standard for missionaries or for pastors. There's nothing more expected in the kingdom of those that are living in adverse circumstances in Third World countries. God has not lowered the standard because we live in prosperity. God does not "understand" that you've bought into the fact that, in our society, we're too busy and important for the eternal.

Basically, all I'm doing right now is pointing out some of the pitfalls, some of the things we're going to have to look at, as we begin to hear the Spirit of Truth about how we're relating to the King of our kingdom and how we are functioning as a member of this spiritual body.

So, we started off with the Fatherhood of God, the goodness of God, and our acceptance. We talked a little bit in the sessions on Sunday about being able to hear the truth and identifying it for what it is. What is the truth, really? We can all answer, and this is one of the things that puts you and me in real danger here in this fellowship. We mistake knowledge for experience. (Listen to me, especially some of you youth and young adults.) We mistake knowledge for maturity. We mistake knowledge for fruit. Don't listen to the knowledge that comes out of your head. Listen to the revelation of the fruit that comes out of your heart, because where your treasure is, that's where your heart is. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Many of us have head doctrine and heart doctrine, and they're different. The head doctrine's all right-on; it's sound doctrine. The heart doctrine is very difficult to distinguish from the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, and it's a mingled-seed doctrine. All the while, the Holy Spirit is speaking to us constantly.

We asked the question, then, on Sunday, "What voice is it that you're hearing?" Many of us are familiar with a voice. We know that voice when it goes off, and we say, "That's God!" The question that we're trying to answer is: Is that the God of the Bible, the God of the kingdom of light? Or is it the god that's been created in your own image, by your own preferences, by your own conscience, and by your own lusts? That's where we left off on Sunday night. Is it the god of your personal idol that you've erected?

We left off in Ezekiel. Let's turn back there again very quickly. We talked about the danger of being answered according to the idols of our heart and then saying, "That's God; this is God." Now, remember, one of the things that endangers each one of us is that ever-present battle with pride and self. "Your eyes will be opened, you will become as gods." Man's natural tendency is to believe that his perception is truth. Now, some of us to greater extremes than others, but most of us have that tendency. Some have matured enough to not only intellectually know that happens, but to also experientially be able to deal with it through maturity (by reason of use, the Scripture says). By reason of use, our senses are exercised that we could discern good from evil. It takes a mature person. It takes an experienced person. Do you want to know what it takes? It takes a person who's blown it a whole bunch of times! You're finally able to say, "Do you know what? That voice that I kept thinking was God kept producing this fruit." We're going to see, as we go on in this study, that it's really kind of simple. You say, "Okay; this voice is producing adultery, fornication, lasciviousness, bitterness, envy, strife, emulations, heresies, seditions," or whatever.

We just happened to relate it to relationships on Sunday night because that was something that we had just freshly dealt with as part of our fellowship. We could relate it to numerous things, but that was a perfect illustration. The question was asked by some of the young people, "What's wrong with the list?" I'll say it again. There's nothing wrong with the list if you have the right items at the top. It's just a shopping list anyway. It's no guarantee. It's a preference. How many of you have preferences? Okay; everybody. Now, you can look at God in one of two ways. You can see Him as this ogre who says, "What is it that you really want?" And He's asking you to make sure you don't get it, because He wants you spiritual! That's why we started this study off the way we did. God wants to bless you. Do you believe that? Then why are you trying to protect your idols from God? You don't believe God loves you. You don't believe God wants to bless you if you can't die to your own will.

So, what we're dealing with is that ability to come to grips with all of that carnality and all of that ugliness in our hearts and say, "Yeah, this is what I want. I really want those things." It's not as noble as Jesus' prayer, but if we could even just grab a hold of the spirit of it. "This is what I want if it is possible." But, beloved, that prayer needs to end with, "Nevertheless, Thy will be done." Can you pray that and mean it, or can you just in your head recite it?

Do you want to know one of the problems, especially with this generation? (We have to be careful, because we're getting to be old fuddy-duddies now! So, I'll speak for myself.) Most of you children who are in this room, the younger generation, and some of the young adults--the reason that so much of this has such a hold on you is that you've never done without. You've pretty much had things. And before you start feeling sorry for yourselves, just remember you're comparing yourselves by yourselves. Some of you got to go Africa, and you saw that there are different ways to live. I would encourage you--instead of feeling sorry that you have to wear the lousy $70 tennis shoes and not the $150 ones--begin to be thankful. Until you do, you're never going to hear the voice of God. You're always going to hear the voice of lust, of self, of more, of image. We want to be a people that can hear the voice of God.

Let me ask you a question. This is what I asked the pastors yesterday, because many of our pastors have sons. (You guys had better start sweating it, some of you boys!) "If God spoke to you and said, 'Offer your son up,' would you even know that voice?" I asked because, you see, it starts with the leadership. Now, I've got confidence that most of our pastors would. But do you know what I'm concerned with? I'm not sure that all of the sons have yet imbibed the spirit to have enough confidence in Dad's hearing that voice that they'd just follow him up on the mountain to die and not question what's going on. In the life of Abraham, it wasn't sufficient just for him to hear from God. It's a difficult thing to be able to hear that voice. How many of you know that when God tells you to do what He told Abraham to do with Isaac, you'd better know that's the voice of God! How many of you young people think you ought to start praying for your folks? "Lord, let them hear accurately!" But do you know what a lot of the praying would be? "Lord, let them hear accurately! Lord, let them hear that I'm right and that my needs are not wants! Lord!" If I can say it more succinctly, I'd like to say it this way: we're living in a time of ease.

As I was relating to the athletics somewhat and talking again with Jeff today, I said, "The key is that, many times, it's nothing that's even obvious. We're not talking about extremes, but in our day it's so easy to lose the edge." We were talking about how things in society are changing, and even here in our own fellowship, because ideal is the goal. "How can we get something done with the least effort, in the greatest comfort, and still have it be pleasing to God?" That, in and of itself, is not wrong if we're getting done what God wants done. I'll just give you example, and I'm addressing this just because it's something we were discussing recently. I said, "Okay, so what have we done?" We've altered the program here to where we now have our basketball teams, and we have them as ministry. We have them as vehicles of developing character, etc. We call it wisdom, and what we've done is, we've replaced PE [physical education] with basketball. Why? "Well, you know, the kids have homework. We have church, and we have prayer; and we have these things to do."

I'm thinking about convenience and things, and then I'm reading an e-mail today from Charles in Kakamega. Oh, we've been getting some great e-mails, man! I think I told you that I got home from vacation, I printed out my e-mails--about three-quarters of a ream! We were originally going to be able to get in early (around 10:30 p.m.), probably get home and get in bed at a normal time (around 12 or 1 o'clock), and we were going to be here at church on Sunday. We had a time change in our plane, and the way it all worked out, we finally got in bed a little after four. So, I got up Sunday morning and started reading all the e-mails. What a blessing! I set up a system when the pastors went back this time--we had a lot of motives as to why--but basically, what's happening now is that every e-mail is copied to everybody else, so everybody knows what everybody else is doing. It's working tremendously, and the community, and the instruction, and the oversight is greater than it's ever been! All of the churches are growing. They're growing in maturity; they're growing in numbers. There's just a lot of really great things going on. In fact, we want to share some of those e-mails with you in more detail in one of the sessions to come. As I was reading, I was just looking at where we are and where they are. We were able to move Charles into a nicer home closer to church. It's exciting! Now, they have this great convenience, man! Life's easy now, because when Charles is at the house, and he needs something, the boys just have to run fifteen minutes with a message. "Pant, pant, pant--Dad needs a pencil!"

I've gotten sidetracked, and I want to try to get back to the biblical principles. If we had PE and basketball, we'd be in twice as good a shape. Now, I know what some of you are thinking. "Man, we'd be twice as tired!" No. You can always push yourself to become tired, but the reason you're tired is that you're not in shape. Now, I know that because when we were on vacation, I played racquetball. I hadn't played racquetball for 14 years. I couldn't move my arm for two days, and I'd been working out! My cardio [cardio-vascular system] is in decent shape, and I'd been working out, but when you do something you're not used to... And you laugh, "Yeah, you're getting old!" No; Jeff and Greer couldn't move theirs, either!

Are we in shape for what's coming? We're in shape for what we're doing. But are we in shape to walk in the spirit, to walk in the supernatural, to walk in the miraculous, and to walk by faith? When I say "miraculous," I'm not just talking about the spectacular. I'm talking about walking in dependence on the supernatural, the provision of God. It's sufficient, and we don't have to supplement it with all of the technology and all of the abundance that we happen to have at our disposal at this particular time. Are we jealous again for the blessings of God and not the abundance of the natural? They are not the same thing, because God's rain falls on the just and the unjust. It happens that we live in a society, by the sovereignty of God, that is abundant. I'm thankful for it, and I'd rather be here than anywhere else. I like ease; I like comfort, but not at the cost of God's presence, not at the cost of God's voice, not at the cost of God's provision. I want God's daily bread, not my abundance of storehouse. Now, that abundance can be the acquisition of daily bread, and it can be appreciated, and it can be something you are thankful for. It can be something you're not trusting in if you're truthfully walking in the spirit. Are you? That's all we're looking at.

Ezekiel 14 says this. (And I want to go over to John 15 before we close tonight; we have a few minutes left.)

You remember the whole discussion that was going on back in Kings. We were talking about Michaiah and the prophecies, and who will deceive them, and "I'll go and I'll be a lying spirit." We see here two very prominent (not obscure) easy-to-apply principles, where God said to His children, "Do you want to believe a lie? Do you want to fulfill your lusts? Do you want to believe about yourself what you want to believe rather than what the prophets are telling you? I'll give it to you." That ought to frighten those of us who would trust in our perception alone as the ultimate truth.

God says to them in verse 5, "I will take the house of Israel in their own heart because they don't even know Who I am." Do you know the God of the Bible or the god that you've created, the God of the Bible or the god you want Him to be, hope Him to be? This immediately gets us into the two wisdoms, doesn't it? As you think about what we're saying here, it immediately causes you to think, "Now, what we're talking about here is that I'm going to hear this voice, and there's only one of two sources that it can come from." It's really kind of easy, isn't it? We have it narrowed down: one of two.

That voice that comes up within you that is not God is you. Don't think for a moment that it's the voice of the devil. He's put suggestions and implanted different thoughts, but the voice that says, "This is the way; this is what I'm going to do," is you. It's called will. It's called volition. It can be influenced by society and by the wisdom of the world. It can be influenced by the devil, but it's always you.

Then we realize there's another voice. That voice will always, always, work in conjunction with your soul. It will never override your volition. It illuminates your understanding (the intellect part of the soul). The Holy Spirit releases the gift of grace and faith that empowers you to believe and to choose contrary to the natural mind and to see the unseen.

What makes it so confusing many times for us is that self is always present in either of those voices. So, we have to look at the obvious differences between them, so that we can see the subtle differences when we're having to make these choices. Let me give you some practical examples.

Turn over to John 16 for just a second, and let me show you something. You'll want to spend some time here in the next couple of days reading John 14, 15, and 16. These chapters are 95 percent red ink; it's Jesus talking. He's saying, "Now, look; I'm going, and I'm sending you another Comforter." When He says "another," He's saying, "There's a distinct, different Person coming other than Myself, but He doesn't work exclusively. We are one. The Comforter's ministry is unique, and it is distinct, but its distinction is not in the message or the purpose; it's in the function. He will speak of Me. He will glorify Me. He will remind you of the words that I have spoken."

We have something practical here that we can do to answer the question, "Is this God speaking? Is this the Holy Spirit?" We can go back to Jesus' life and ministry and ask ourselves, "Is this voice I'm hearing in agreement with what Jesus did?" Now, remember, we're not talking about details. "Can I find this exact cell phone that Jesus bought?" We're not talking about that. When we say that the voice of the Holy Spirit always agrees with the life and the ministry of Jesus, we're talking about this. "The Holy Spirit shall come in My name." That doesn't mean you just say, "In the name of Jesus," and the Holy Spirit comes. What He's saying is, "The Holy Spirit will come, and He will be representative of why I came. He will represent Me. He will come in My name. He's here for Me to fulfill and finish the task that's at hand." Now, listen. When the Spirit of God speaks, then, it will always be in line with this: "I have not come to do My will, but the will of He who sent Me." The first thing we ask when that voice goes off inside of us is, "Is this my will, or the will of He who's sending me as an ambassador of Christ, as the salt and light of the world? I am no longer my own; I'm bought with a price. I am an ambassador of Christ. I'm a son of God. I'm an heir and joint-heir with Jesus Christ. I am here, not to speak my words, but the words of He who sent me." We are here continuing, by the Holy Spirit, the ministry of Jesus. We are not building our own kingdoms. We're not living for ourselves. Now, this doesn't sound profound, but it is if you understand the intricacies of this.

Now, that's one of the general principles. You're praying, "Father, I need You to speak. I want Your wisdom. I need Your guidance. I need to know what to do. Is this the job for me? Is this the life's mate for me? Should I buy this house?" Those are all things that we want to hear the voice of God on. And we get confused because we're hearing these voices, and sometimes they're conflicting, and we don't know what to do, and we ask, "Is this God? The moment there's that kind of confusion, do you know what you need to do? You need to back off. You're not ready to make a decision; because the decision, really, is not about that house. The decision is about who is the Lord of your life. The only reason you're not comfortable here is because you're not comfortable with who's Lord at the moment, who's making this decision. That's the real issue. "Peace I give, not as the world gives, give I unto you." Do you want to know when you get uncomfortable? When you start investing in your own kingdom. "Man, I really need to pray about this!" The moment you begin to pray about something like that, you're basically convincing yourself that your will is the will of God. Now, as we go on into the study, I'll show you fairly clearly what I'm talking about.

In Chapter 16 of John, look at verse 7. "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter [Paraclete] will not come unto you; [This term "Comforter" is really talking about One Who comes "to counsel, to assist, to shore up, to stand beside." There is also the aspect of "solace" in this because of the world we're living in; this is a rough, lousy place that we're involved in.] but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, [Now, watch; here's what He's going to do, and here's what that voice is going to do in your life.] he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."

Now, I'm going to go through those three verses (probably on Sunday), and we're going to share some on what these really mean and how they're practical to you and me. What are these three aspects of the Holy Spirit? How does this affect us? And it does. You say, "Well, it's to the world. He's just going to reprove the world of sin." No; you have to understand what that's talking about. You and I are in this world's system. The reproving of this system is the reproving of self-reliance, self-righteousness, and independence. The reproving that comes because of the rejection of this voice in the garden is the real issue.

The Lord goes on, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself..." That doesn't mean He won't say, "Hey, I'm the Holy Spirit! I'm great! I was one of the agents in creating the universe! I wrote a best seller!" It's saying that the words that He's bringing are the wisdom and the counsel of the triune God, and it's not going to be something that's brand new. It's something that's going to reaffirm the redemptive work of Jesus, the truths of Jesus' life and teachings. Because, "If you've seen Me," Jesus said, "you've seen the Father." And this is what we're trying to do. We're wanting to know the heart and the mind of God. We're not just wanting to see God. We're wanting to commune with Him; we're wanting to fellowship with Him. We need His heart. We need His empowering to fulfill this purpose. We're on a mission! We're not just here to put in 80 to 100 years, eat, drink, be merry, and die.

What are we doing to leave a greater generation than ourselves, should Jesus tarry? Many of you have been able to see (and I know the guys in Africa are catching a glimpse) that this is where my heart is. This is where my passion is. Are we going to leave a generation of warriors greater than ourselves? And it's not just so that we can say, "Well, praise God, look! We built this great team, and we built these warriors!" No; they have to be greater to survive, because iniquity is going to abound. Are we investing in this kingdom that cost Jesus His blood and Father His heart? Or are we consuming it upon our own ease and comfort? Are we convincing ourselves that not involving ourselves in immorality and too opulent of a lifestyle, and helping three or four old ladies across the street, means that we've done good? He will not speak of Himself. He is here to reaffirm your purpose, your call, and Jesus' reason for dying.

"...But whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." Everybody wants to know the future (many for the wrong reasons), so we have all the psychic networks. (What a gold mine and scam that is!) Now, watch what He says. He will show us things to come. "Praise God! So now, the Holy Spirit's going to show me who to marry and what...!" No. You see, beloved, very seldom does the Holy Spirit speak in specifics. This is the point that I want to really get across to us that I think is going to help us as we go on in this study.

I'm trying to say this like it was as I was hearing it from God this afternoon. It was good! I was praying and studying, and then I went "into the zone." You know--when you're just kind of half awake and half asleep? That's the best preaching I do. It's great, man! The message is just going through my mind. It's times like this when I wish I'd write stuff down.

When we're praying about the specifics, here's basically what's going to happen. We're caught up with, "Lord, is that the house? Is that the job? Lord, is that my life's mate?" The Holy Spirit is going to say, "Are you thinking of yourself more highly than you ought to think? Are you trusting in uncertain riches?" The Holy Spirit will always speak toward the motive and not the circumstances, not the specific issues.

God doesn't care what kind of house you live in. He really doesn't.

People get their noses all out of joint. You get the people that are discontent, and they think they ought to have better. "I deserve more than this." Then you get the covetous, and they say, "They don't deserve that. Look at them! They think they're so great. Why should they have that?" Basically, what they're saying is, "I should have that, and they should have what I have." God doesn't care what kind of house you're living in. Is there excess? Somebody told me just the other day that they were watching one of the biography programs on Shaquille O'Neal, and he has a house that's 68,000 square feet. (He's a big guy!) In case some of you have trouble identifying how much square footage that is, it's just about seven gymnasiums. Would it be sin for you to have a house like that? It might be in some man's eyes, but not in God's. God doesn't care what kind of house you live in. How did you get the house? Whose house is it?

Listen to what He goes on to say. We'll end with this, because this is the bottom line, and this is what I mean when I ask whose house it is. "He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father." "He will glorify Me." Is this voice, is this action, are these motives, for the sole purpose of glorifying Jesus? Can you truthfully say that? When you go to the job, is it about the prestige? Is it about the increase in salary? Is it about the work environment? Or is it about the opportunity to minister the gospel? You say, "Well, isn't that a little idealistic?" Isn't everything in your life that you're pursuing in the natural idealism? You buy these magazines, and you look at them. You have a car magazine, and you're looking at the new concept car, and you go, "Wow, man!" It's idealism; you're never going to have one of those things! You see one of the million-dollar exotics, and you go, "Yeah!" You're not over here looking at rent-a-wreck! You may look there when it comes time to buy, but we're talking about the way we think. You don't want to just settle. "I think I'll get married and just settle." You're not going to come up here and just go, "Okay, you're it." You have dreams; you have fantasies. You're looking for the ideal partner and the ideal house. And when you rise up in the morning, it's like that house you saw in the skit here the other day. Mom comes flitting in, and all of the pancakes are perfect, and they just appear magically!

We expect that in every area of our life except spiritually. It's time for us to set perfection and to look for the idealistic Christian life--one to where you can hear from God, "This is the way; walk in it." How do I know when that specific voice is God? When my life is in order in all the general biblical principles that I'm aware of. I'm a doer of the Word. I know I am doing the general principles of God. I can hear whether to buy that house because I'm loving my wife. I can hear whether or not to buy that house because I am a cheerful giver. I can hear whether or not to buy that house because I prefer others better than myself.

The Spirit does not speak of Himself. He is here to glorify Jesus. If you're going to hear that voice, your life is being lived habitually about the kingdom and not about all of these lies that other voice is bombarding you with on a daily basis. "If you had this, and if you had that, and if you were there, and if you lived there, and that grass is greener on the other side, and that person thinks you're great, and that person is the one who will really fulfill your life, and not your wife, and that house will make you happy." You can hear all those voices. Those things are loud and clear. How about, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"? How about, "Don't think of yourself more highly than you ought to think"? How about, "Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God"? How about, "Cast all your care upon Me; I do care for you"? We say, "Oh, yes; I know that, Lord," as we go about caring for ourselves.

What is the fruit in your life at this moment? I said this Sunday night, and I'm going to close with it for tonight. What is the fruit of the choices you've made? Can you say, "This is God I'm in the will of God. I know I'm right where God wants me. I am at peace. I know what He wants me to do. I know that everything that I have is of Him. I am content in the godliness that's working in my life. I have no idols that I'm serving, so there's none of this noise going on ("you need more; you deserve this; you're being cheated in life"). I am just absolutely content and at rest"? If you can say that, then keep listening to that voice that you've been hearing. But if all this other stuff is going off inside, and you've been thinking, "I know the voice of God. The Lord's telling me to quit this job and take that job." You go down there, and after a week, "God's telling me to quit this job and take that job. It's the voice of the Lord, and God's telling me to buy that house. Oh, I can't pay for it; it got repossessed. God told me to buy this car. God told me to marry that woman. God told me to marry that woman. God told me to marry that woman. God told me..." Wrong voice. And yet, that's the one you're defending because it's the idol of your heart. It tells you what you want to hear. It agrees with your lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life lifestyle. It agrees, and it says, "Yes, that's God."

Don't listen to the voice that's telling you to trust in horses, and chariots, and the broken reed of Egypt. But begin to look a little bit deeper and say, "I am absolutely at peace and content with God alone. I'm not being seduced by all of these other treasures and gods. I'm content right now where I am; I'm in the will of God. I am content." Now, you're ready to hear. And until then, there needs to be a pruning process. We'll talk about that a little bit in the next session.

Father, thank You for Your Word. We believe that, by Your Spirit, You will affect our lives and speak to hearts this evening. We just cast the care of it over on You, Father.

Can you really believe Father in the practical things, even in things that pertain to a situation like this: I stand here, and I've done tonight what Father sent me to do. And yet, my sense is that it wasn't very good. It sounded to me just like a bunch of dead ends. You're going to face that at times in your life. And this is a practical example of what you should do. You just say, "Father, my whole purpose was to bless Your people and glorify Your name. It didn't go like I thought. It didn't measure up to what I thought it would be. I believe, Lord, that when the motives are right, You can take anything and work it out for Your purposes. And I give You the praise for it, in Jesus' name." When you give it to God, He will turn it for His glory. That's the rest that He's trying to call you to. Do you have it tonight? If not, don't make any decisions. Don't make any decisions in that turmoil. Don't ever move without that absolute peace, or you'll most likely hear the wrong voice.

As Gary plays for us, let's just stand before the Lord and allow Him to minister to us by His Spirit. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." John 17 says, "Thy Word is truth." The Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit of Truth. He's not going to talk to you about houses; He's going to talk to you about character.

A young man just recently said to his father, "You know, I don't know if I'm old enough right now to get married." Do you want to know when you're old enough to get married, some of you young men? When you've matured enough to die. It's dangerous for adolescents to marry. "Well, how do I know when I'm coming out of that stage?" When you finally face the truth. You're not an adult until you stop thinking that adults are stupid, that they don't understand, and that they don't really care. Until you get over that, you're not an adult. That's a good practical guideline.

As we sing this, just allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you. Do you want the truth? He'll send you the Spirit of Truth. Let's just thank Him now as we sing this together. "In Your presence, fulness of joy..." Oh, thank you, Jesus! We bless you, Lord! Just sing it one more time, and thank Him for His presence. Oh, Hallelujah!

Father, we just thank You now that Your Spirit is ordering our steps. We thank You now that You're preparing hearts and minds to be free from the spirit of flattery and the lies that come from that spirit of lawlessness--that society that opposes God, that opposes absolute truth, that opposes death to self. We ask that we would embrace Your love, that we would embrace your cross, and that we would know that to live, we must die. And to gain anything that would remain, all must be given. We ask for that wisdom, and we ask for that power, Father, to accomplish it, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Before you go, turn to somebody and say, "The Spirit will lead you into truth." Amen. Go in peace; God's love go with you.

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