Worship - Seeker or Skeptic? — Shane Idleman

Jesus’ Authority in Matthew 7

The topic as you can see is healing seeker or skeptic and we were going to pick up in Matthew Chapter 7. I'm going to kind of bring this in hopefully with this title. But what we've been doing if you have your Bibles.

We've been in Matthew chapter 7 and we're ending chapter 7 and Jesus has been talking about the narrow road. He's been talking about false teachers. He's been talking about genuine fruit. He's been talking about solid foundations.

Do you have a solid foundation or don't you. Do you know what a false teacher looks like or don't you are you on? The broad road or you on the narrow road. So after all these teachings now, he's going to do some ministry and that's what Matthew 8 goes into detail about but before Matthew 7 Ends it's something very interesting here I want to bring to your attention.

The Bible records Matthew 7 verse 28 and so it was when Jesus had ended these sayings. That the people were absolutely astonished at his teaching. I threw the word absolutely in there to bring a little more significance.

The people were astonished at his teaching for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. So what these people notice is there's something different about that man. He doesn't speak like the normal the religious leaders of Jesus's day like the Pharisees the Sadducees.

The the legal the lawyers because what they would do is they would say well. Such and such says this and such and such says this and have you considered this and Gamaliel? You know that says this and you know.

It was just as pondering and this thinking about and reading a scripture kind of you know. Here's what Ezra and it was there was nothing really distinct or different, but then Jesus comes on the scene and they they won.

Account in the Gospels records that when Jesus came on the scene they said why didn't you arrest him? They said no man ever spoke like this man and after all these sayings that people were Spanish standing there astonished because he spoke with authority and Let's look at that word right there authority.

Spiritual Authority and the Power of the Word

Authority here's the definition of it. The unimpeded power to act or to control or to dispose of something or somebody. Exousia in the Greek exousia, it's an uninterrupted. He doesn't have to go and ask permission of anybody.

He's got this authority. It's uninterrupted. Nobody can control it. Nobody can stop him. He has that type of authority when he speaks the Word of God goes and it penetrates the heart. That's really what authority is in this context.

It's speaking the Word of God with authority. So the lies are changed. They are shattered. They are rattled. They are shaken to the core because of this authority no man ever spoke like this man and This is the difference between Holy Spirit living and carnal living.

Your life is marked by power and control. Or it's not. This is also the difference between spirit and power preaching and preaching the entertains there's a difference there's a distinction. There's a there's a mark.

Listen, that guy speaks with authority that woman speaks with authority. Because what are they doing? They have the Spirit of God in them speaking the counsel of God the Word of God that pierces the heart.

And then your bulletin there. I think this quote is is is marked in the notes by Samuel Chaddock he said the sign of Christianity is not a cross but a tongue of fire and of course We know that the sign of Christianity is a cross.

But his point is it's a tongue of fire of a man a woman filled the Spirit of God speaking boldly that fire in My bosom that the Prophet said his word is in my heart like a burning fire. Shut up in my bones.

You read the Bible you compare this with any other book of religion out there and I spoke on that last few weeks. Check out those messages if you want to see some of the distinctions, but the Bible has authority the other ones don't.

There's a distinction. There's a mark of something something that irritates something that upsets why because it's got the authority of God on it. So there's there's something about that authority and it's interesting on this issue of Preaching and authority and what Christ was doing.

If you look at Coast Guards, what do they see? They see a vessel going under they rush to the scene and they rescue those people. Or a fireman see somebody a bird Building that is burning. They're running grab the people.

We see this the emergency room those who work in the hospital somebody comes in needs attention. What do we do we jump right on it? Then? How can the pulpit sit at ease when the world around us is damned?

There's a burning building there's somebody sinking and The only way you can rescue them is with that Spiritual authority that God-given authority as a man or woman surrenders to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Then they're filled mightily with the with the Spirit many of you won't be doing what I'm doing. I'm not talking about that, but you need God's Spirit power in your life for daily living. Won't be the man or the woman who enters into life unarmed and untrained and unprepared for battle.

The sword of the Spirit is left at home the breastplate of righteousness is nowhere to be found. What's warfare. The man whose sermon is repent sets himself against the world and will be battered mercifully by those he challenges.

There's but one end for such a man off with his head. You'd better not try to preach repentance until you've pledged your heart or your head to heaven and. That's so true because of that authority that God-given authority when you upset people.

They don't like it and it really it's spiritual authority this word authority. It's not like we're thinking sometimes the police or the sheriff and although it is. This is spiritual authority that shakes the spiritual realm that's why when you worship and She was saying Jesus is that name.

Jesus is that name I guarantee you. Anybody Possessed or oppressed by demonic influence would run for cover at the sound of that name. They wouldn't enter this building. They wouldn't even get to the front door.

Why it's that spiritual authority of Christ you name the name of Christ. People get upset demons flee. So that's what that authority is and there's a great danger to preach about the Holy Spirit without the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Many people are talking about the fire of God as if they're sitting on an iceberg. And it's that authority that spiritual authority. Now. Here's where the sermon made a complete 180 and it's gonna step on some toes, but that's okay.

Healing Emotional Wounds Through Worship

I've been good at doing that lately and I'm on this topic of are you a seeker or are you? Skeptic and I do want to tie in healing because a lot of times we think of healing as physical and of course it is.

Right when we pray God heal me or heal this person or we think of physical. But I want to talk about something a little bit different tonight. I want to talk about healing of the heart. How many of us have emotional wounds?

Just me boy, that's embarrassing. I Know there's a lot more and if you read the Article in today's animal Valley Press if not go home and on your way home grab it in Saturday's edition. It's in Victorville.

It's on Facebook the Christian post. But I opened up about my own Confession of aborting a child 22 years ago, and it was it was the hardest article I've ever written. I spoke on it here before about a year and a half ago on a sermon I gave and to carry that emotional Baggage around, you know, you can't think how old would they be would it be a boy or a girl would they be?

You know, what would they look like and what would you and that emotional weight and then you go through it a difficult? God breaking me in my in the 1990s and experiencing all kinds of issues and this emotional baggage that we carry around God can heal us of that.

God can heal those emotional wounds those emotional scars the person who's been abused the person who's been Neglected the person who's been you fill in the blank. Anything shame anything. Molestation abortion rape all that his healing power can set you free.

And that's what I want to talk about tonight, and I want to ask for the ushers attention. I want to ask for the greeters attention. I want to ask for the worship teams attention and the media and the sound.

I want everybody check your phones. We're gonna focus in on this this important issue. About worship and how what that does to the heart and are you a seeker? Are you skeptic in other words say worship like this it's kind of emotional right.

Are you a seeker or are you skeptical? Well, my question is why don't you go to the one who has the answer? Well, I can't open myself up. I'll be deceived. No you won't if It's in your bulletin. You cannot be deceived if you're filled with the Spirit living in his word and making prayer and worship an important part of your day.

And you remain broken and humble before him you cannot be led astray. Actually the Lord is seeking those who will worship him who worship him in spirit and in truth. So if you came in a skeptic to God's healing power to heartfelt worship I want to challenge that skepticism tonight, and I'm gonna step on some toes.

He heals our emotions, but he also awakens our soul and a lot of that is done through worship. I believe that worship is one of the most Neglected areas of the Christian walk. This is where the disconnect is happening.

This is where a lot of times. We don't see healing. We don't see deliverance. We don't see prayers answered. We don't see this we don't because worship. There's a disconnect in our worship with God. And let me remind everybody in this room that worship heals worship sets us free worship releases.

It's the heart being released to worship God and that is the major disconnect. I believe people can have a somewhat of a prayer life you can read your Bible, but unless you have that heart of worship.

There's not going to feel that connection with God, so let's talk about that briefly. And what I what I like to what I want to do is parallel this with the drought that we're seeing in California. Right that nobody's really worried about yet.

But trust me if it keeps going like this you want to talk about water rationing and all kinds of things you see the parts Ground you see everything barren you see the drought up in the high Sierras, and what's going on well to me it parallels dead worship.

People are dying. Spiritually emotionally they're dying. They're just like that that parched ground their hearts are are getting hard like that. They need that living water, but because they're not worshiping because they have a dead formality a dead worship.

They're staying stagnant. They're not growing. They're not their hearts not reviving. Everyone Jesus said you've got all this, but you've left your first love. Return to me. Do you think that might have something to do with worship?

Just a little bit. Everything that's worship. You can have all this stuff, but return to your first love and worship me. Let humility and brokenness reign again. Stop judging and backbiting and bickering complain.

Worship me send to spend time at the foot of the cross. That's how you return to your first love. You don't return to your first love. I'm gonna upset some people, but you don't return to your first love starting here.

You return to your first love starting here as the heart breaks. And then the Word of God opens up and then the prayer life becomes dynamic and powerful everything flows from that broken heart. That's why Jesus said you draw nigh into me with your lips, but your hearts are far from me.

You know the scripture, but you don't know the author and Lord. Emotions are good and God-given. You realize that? Emotions are good and God-given. I think sometimes we're embarrassed by the emotions we see in the Bible.

Biblical Emotion and Heartfelt Worship

You read the Psalms. Seeking after God or or as a deer pants after living at the water. I'll pan after God consuming fire. I desire everything and it's embarrassing and the Paul so Paul offends us because they're too emotional.

No, they're drawing close to God. Everybody got excited last Sunday. Right, maybe not. Your team didn't win. Where's that? Where's that emotional? Why aren't the emotions being engaged? We're embarrassed by Paul.

We're embarrassed by the the depth of the psalm. Panting after God is a deer pants after water consuming. What is this? The reason is you've never experienced it because once you experience it you read and say amen.

My soul cries out for the one true and living God. One thing if I desired one thing that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. He's everything that's all I want. You can take my money.

You can take my reputation, but don't take God. So when we read those things we don't mock them because we've experienced them. Heartfelt worship desiring seeking God. Many people here's the problem. I'll list two problems many people worship the word and not the author.

Oh. It's stepping on toes, isn't it. Many people worship the word they've got the Bible down. They've got their pneumatology and eschatology and theology and soteriology they've got it down, but they forget the author worship him.

The next point could be this or you need a mighty filling of the Spirit. You need a mighty filling of the Holy Spirit. You might say oh Shane. I don't know about that. Well, let me tell you the Bible talks Repeatedly about being filled with the Spirit of God that the Spirit of God came upon such-and-such the Spirit of God came upon.

Such-and-such Peter being filled with the Spirit of God. Paul being filled with the Spirit of God. Jesus himself being filled with the Spirit of God after the temptation after the wilderness being filled with the Spirit of God because that's Worship heartfelt worship is a byproduct of somebody who's filled with the Spirit of God.

And what happens is the walls that we built to protect us heaven and have imprisoned us. Right the walls we built to protect us have imprisoned us. I'm not gonna get carried away like that Looney Tune.

I'm not gonna be that fanatical I'm not a Jesus freak that guy's out there. What the heck does this mean? What the heck does this mean? Why are they why are they so emotional about it? I don't know. We're worshiping God.

We're not lying at the DMV. Think about that. We're at a powerful worship service not a cemetery and it's really not funny. It's sad. Right, listen I gave you for a fair warning 20 minutes ago. Need to get up and leave.

I understand. But I told my wife a couple weeks ago. We joked I said anytime I have if I ever meet a heart surgeon, I'm gonna tell him. Hey, I do that, too. He does it physically. I do it spiritually.

See we said heart surgery doesn't is not fun. It hurts. But we need that and just think of that song. I've heard people Mock that song. The more I seek him the more I find him the more I find him the more I seek him the more I seek him.

The more I love him. They mock it. They make fun of it. Oh you Emotional this and that you emotional you could that you and they're Christians and they mock it. I must have heard that song seven times this morning rewind rewind.

Rewind because it takes 10 20 minutes to get the carnality and the sin out of my heart and to start Worshipping God hit the rewind button and worthy is the Lamb worthy is the Lamb the more I seek him the more I find him.

The more I find him the more I seek him Shane. That's brainwashing. No, it's brain repairing. It's not brainwashing. It's brain repairing and our brains need to be repaired. Sometimes. What do you think meditate on the Word of God means?

Meditate on this Word of God he who meditates on the Word of God will Be like a tree planted by living waters who will bear its fruit in season and whose leaves will not wither and everything he does will Prosper.

Why because he meditated on the Word of God. Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Do you think it's a five minute wait as if you put a dish in the microwave? You think that's what that word means?

Oh. One minute cycle. Okay, I'm waiting. No, no, no, no, no, sir. Waiting is travail as a soul. It's seeking God. The more I seek him the more I find that's why I can sing that song because I've experienced it.

I've experienced him him waking me up early in the morning and pouring his grace upon me so that everything Changes. I come out of the prayer closet a better husband a better father a better pastor a better leader a better person a better Man, if that's if that's bad, then bring it on.

We need more of that. We need more of that heartfelt worship breaking the heart. Emotions are good and God-given. They're not bad. So where is that emotional heartfelt worship? Show me one time in the scriptures where true worship was not emotional or heart gauging.

It's a test go through the whole scripture. Show me one time where true worship was not emotional and heartfelt. Well, you'll find many many times where it wasn't in every case. It was rebuked by God.

Jesus rebuked them because of their the fake and phony worship. Now, please don't misunderstand. I'm not talking about necessarily a posture. I'm talking about a heart. I've been around the block long enough.

I was a church sitter in those pews just three years ago. I know that many people are not worshiping God. They're worshiping the one true living God. But it seems like they're in line at the DMV. Is that not true?

Worship Beyond Americanized Christianity

Quick, can we get out of here? Another song. I wish I had two hours to show you underground footage from the from the house churches in China. Unbelievable. But what I wouldn't work in respectable Christianity when you see Chinese believers on their knees.

Worshiping as tears are falling down onto the ground worshiping God getting more of God. That's biblical historical Christianity. What we have today is not what we have today is American version of Christianity, let's get a man.

Let's get him out as quick as we can. Do you realize that I go to. I've been to conferences where they tell me to get my sermons down to 25 minutes because we Live now in an age where people's perception their depth and their their way to keep their attention.

You can't go past 25 minutes. We got to get our services down to an hour. I'll leave their sink and they know not that the Spirit of the Lord has departed from them. Because when you're truly worshiping God, you can't put a time limit on it.

I think that's the problem with many churches including this one from time time is we're in a hurry. Gosh, there's no wait. Wait on me. Granted I have the advantage. I'm in a three-hour worship service that started four o 'clock.

And I'll encourage you if you can make it at four o 'clock both services try to get here as we as we press in and worship God. Now when I talk about this thing about emotions, you have to understand that this this isn't coming from an emotional guy.

Some little loose cannon cry, baby. Oh. You guys didn't know my story, right? It was when I was younger as bench-pressing 400 pounds. I had a name around town as a steamroller and my family my dad's.

I came from the farms of Oklahoma. Not very emotional, you know, my dad would say boy, you don't cry. Six years old got hurt daddy. I'm hurt boy. You don't cry get up. Ten years old twelve years old arm surgery going to hospital daddy.

I want to cry. I'm a little boy. Boys don't cry men don't cry man up. They would rule their house with a rod of iron, but they knew nothing about the compassion of God and then what happens at 18 suppressing those emotions.

Can't be emotional can't cry can't do anything. Then you become a volcano and you erupt and it's not pretty most anger. You see in men are little boys inside. Needing to release the emotion that was never released when they were younger.

Fighting mad at their father for never telling them daddy. Who am I? Who am I? I Can remember my dad saying that probably more anything else. Boy you don't cry. Men don't cry. So this isn't it coming from some emotional loose cannon up here.

This is coming from somebody who has meant the risen Savior and he's radically changed my life and there are mornings. And there are mornings. I can't stop weeping. And I'm not gonna apologize for it.

I'm gonna praise him. Because then I come out of there holding my wife instead of hitting her you understand. Do you understand the significance here of what when God radically changes a life and we're not gonna get emotional.

Really you're just not emotional you express anger real. Well is anger not an emotion. I can keep stepping on some toes. You express less than passion real. Well, are those not emotions? I'm just not emotional is an excuse to hide our hard callous hearts.

Because we don't know how to worship. And it's okay. God says just come with the broken heart. I'll teach you how to worship. I have to worship him. Sometimes there's joy. Sometimes there's tears. Sometimes there's nothing sometimes just waiting on God to move and to break and to restore and to rebuild.

Because when I read the Bible comes alive, I'm not embarrassed by the Psalms. I want to embrace the Psalms. I'm not embarrassed by Paul because I can relate to Paul. Experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit in a person's life is powerful.

The Father Seeks Worshipers in Spirit and Truth

And it goes back to the whole point of the sermon. The father is looking for those who will worship him for God is spirit and those who worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth. Did you catch that the father is looking?

Looking for those who worship him. Jesus had the discourse with this woman. He said listen, you don't know what you worship God the father's spirit. He's spirit and he's looking for those to worship him in Spirit and in truth the Old Testament says 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. I guarantee those hearts that are loyal to him our hearts that are worshiping him. You don't see hearts that are loyal to God our passion and on fire for God.

They aren't worshiping. You don't see it. You know what? The Bible calls a passion is heart. That's not worshiping God lukewarm and Jesus said I wish you were caught hold. I'm sorry cold nor hot that because you are lukewarm.

I will spew you out of my mouth Jesus Christ. Yeah, the little mild meek lamb that says turn the other cheek that Jesus Christ. I will the literal translation is vomit. I Will vomit you out of my mouth because that lukewarm you have lukewarm tea lukewarm milk.

Oh I Can't stand this. So it's a loving father not it's rebuking so that our hearts will turn. Many people go through church year in and year out. Nothing changes. Nothing changes. They'll come one Saturday.

They'll miss three. They'll come another Saturday. They'll miss for they'll come. It's just nothing. There's a dead as a door now. They're just as frigid as a Frigidaire refrigerator. There's nothing.

There's no going. There's nothing in their heart. That's hard after God. They're searching they're looking they want it, but they're bound. It's it's the reason you don't worship is the enemy's got you bound.

He's got you just thinking that oh, that's just for women. That's just for emotional people. No, that's for you. And that's for me worship is the heart of God. Worship is how you connect with the father.

Actually, my prayer life is dead if I don't worship. Dead prayer life without worship, but you turn the worship gauge on and that's powerful. That's a heart on fire for God is when prayer and worship meet.

That's the spirit filled life. And I noticed that worship often preceded healing. Do you need healing? Not just physically. What about mentally? Depression. Anxiety fear all these things Shane. I'm about to lose it mentally.

I'm about to have a nervous breakdown. I'm not gonna. I'm about ready to. You fill in the blank. What do you need more than anything? You need God you need worship. I don't know I can't explain it fully but God restores the heart.

He restores the emotions as we worship him as we don't let fear and all this bondage take control of us. Fear often proceeds healing. Come on, there's plethora of examples in the New Testament. The leper he was he was a leper.

He came to Jesus and he fell down he worshipped him. He said Lord teacher good teacher. If you are willing, will you heal me? What about this the synagogue official who came in and said Jesus he fell down.

He worshipped him. He said my daughter is dead. Good teacher. Would you come just speak a word? My daughter is dead. Would you come but he fell down and worshipped him. What about the distraught mother who said Jesus she fell down and worshipped him.

My daughter severely vexed with the devil. That's not a good thing. Demonic watching the child being demonically possessed is heart-wrenching. She didn't come and give him a lecture. She came down and worshipped him.

She didn't come to say why does God do this and why does God do that? I can't worship a God who does this. She came and worshipped him. He said go woman for that very hour your daughter's healed. What about that the man who was bound by demonic.

Not oppression. This is demonic in he was he was possessed by a legion of demons. He said my name is Legion. They couldn't even chain him. He lived in the tombs. What's the Bible say? He came in worship Christ.

Worship is powerful. Worship often precedes the blessing worship. Worship often precedes the healing. That's why the enemy wants to get our worship. He wants to get us out of it the line of communication with God.

Don't worship like those fanaticals. Don't do this. Don't raise your hands. Everybody's gonna look at you. Don't be on your face weeping to God. Everybody's gonna look at you. You need to come in here as some good conservative Christian and then leave here no different than when you arrived.

The hearts not changing and I'm pretty sure I might lose about a half dozen people after this message. But I'm not concerned with that because God's bringing people from the east and west and north and south.

He's building his church when you proclaim his truth to help people. He'll add to the church. You don't have to worry about crowd appeal. That's one thing I love about Westside Christian Fellowship is everybody's here because they want to hear what's being said.

I don't have to come in and answer to a board of directors sit and listen to an elder boards. They don't say this and don't say that we might lose our big givers. We might lose this don't want to say that.

You're gonna lose half your national audience. Don't do this. You better not. We just come and we preach the Word of God if you want it come and be a part of this and worship God in Spirit and in truth.

Seeking God with the Whole Heart

I like what David said one thing if I desired one thing if I desired that why seek to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life and This type of message will feed The seeker but it's gonna upset the skeptic.

This type of message is meant to offend. Do you realize that? This message will offend and rightly, so. Because change will not take place until I offend you. According to the Word of God in a loving way.

This message offended me. I Had my sermon all. Three point, you know three the whole punch in this folder ready to go. For 30 this one's the Lord. You've got to be kidding me. So I told Morgan I'm gonna be in there for about till 10 o 'clock this morning.

I got it and everything's just pouring out just writing all these points down right just writing it down. I don't know. I could you know, I couldn't leave here and say well, I Don't know if God was in or not.

But he sure he sure was tugging on my heart this morning and based by the looks on some of your faces I can tell he's tugging on yours as well. Because this is a very good thing. This type of message is the type of message where you get a Tyson right hook and you just fall.

Oh That's what I needed Lord. I need that. I need you I need to worship you if you seek me, you will find me. If you find me you will seek Lord. That's what I need. I need to seek you. I need to find you with all of my heart with all of my soul with all of my strength.

And that's what we're trying to do. He's called me to revive hearts not put them to sleep you catch that I Know he's called me to revive hearts not put them to sleep and some people don't want their hearts revived.

I Told you before the majority of negative emails I get including this week are from.

Christians you say what in the world? That's what I asked myself, too.

But it basically comes down to any time. You call somebody to that holy life that devoted life that life for Christ the transformed life the Exchanged life the fully surrendered life. People don't want to hear it because they don't want.

They don't want it. Yeah, you don't want to change don't challenge my viewing habits. Don't challenge my dating habits. You better not challenge my drinking habits and when you challenge all the habits you get in trouble and rightly so.

Do you realize that the the Old Testament prophets were not popular people a lot of times with the Kings and the leaders. Elijah remember I told that story a few weeks ago came he told wicked King Ahab.

He killed all his prophets. He he prophesied against Jezebel. She's gonna die and he's all he's doing is proclaiming the truth of God's Word. He's calling the people back the same Elijah's that said how long will you waver between two opinions if God is God follow?

Him, you know, the same cry goes out today Church, how long will you falter between two opinions if God is God follow him? There's no middle ground. The middle ground is called the lukewarm ground. And then what do you think the King said, thank you Elijah for bringing the people back.

No, he said Oh troubler of Israel. My wife will kill you by tomorrow and he fled. And you know the rest of story God spoke to him he wasn't in the the wind he wasn't in the those fire. He wasn't in the earthquake.

He was in the still small voice that followed. Many of you never hear the still small voice of God because you're too busy. You're too busy doing everything but worshiping should take up all your day.

Of course not. I'm practical. But there should be a time where you're worshiping God where your heart's seeking after him and you're being edified. You're being built up. So, let me get to the point stop making excuses.

We need to stop making excuses for our lack of.

Passion. Did you catch that?

We need to stop making excuses for our lack of passion. Many people say I'm just not emotional. We've already covered that did we not. We express emotion real well in other areas. We have the Word of God now.

We don't need all those emotions. No, actually the Word of God Draws me even closer to Christ. The bottom line is man by nature has a prideful arrogant heart and you can't worship God when you're prideful.

I'm just shooting you straight. You cannot truly worship God when you're prideful. Many people come in here all churches and they're judging when they walk in. Well those lyrics wouldn't meet the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Why are the lights still why are they doing all this stuff? Why are they worshiping more than four songs? Isn't that brainwashing? What's Chelsea doing saying Jesus Jesus? What's what's wrong with her?

Nothing's wrong with her. Something's wrong with you. Something's wrong with you. You read this and you go. Something's wrong with you. Cuz fruit of the Spirit of love joy peace long-suffering gentleness kindness.

Self-control the fruit of the Spirit goodness. So these are very good things. Thousands will hear the Word of God this weekend. But they will not experience God. People will arrive hungry and they'll leave starving.

You realize that. Millions of people will go to church hungry and they'll come home starving to death. What happened the Spirit of God was not moving? This is a very important issue and The pastors will hear pastor.

That was a wonderful sermon. It was grammatically correct and historically correct. Your human udic and homiletic approach was second to none. You uncovered the Greek ambiances in the Hebrew verb tense is wonderful, but they leave starving.

Don't get me wrong. I love homiletics to study of how to prepare a sermon. I love those kind of books. Her minute. It's how to study your Bible. Yeah real popular on my reading list. But too many people are worried about a master's degree instead of a degree from the master.

They're just dying on the vine and this is why. Think about it you go and you teach theology students how to interpret the Greek language. But you never teach him to pray and to fast and to fully surrender their lives.