Your Faith Is Going Into the Fire — David Wilkerson

The Trial of Faith as a Refining Fire

This message is one of the Times Square Pulpit series. It was recorded in the Sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan, New York City. Other tapes are available by writing to World Challenge, P. O. Box 260, Lindale, Texas 75771 or calling 214 -963 -8626.

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First Peter, first chapter, here, first chapter, verses 5, beginning to read verse 5, first Peter, first chapter, verse 5, beginning to read, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time, when we greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if we be, we are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith, though much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

Now, keep first Peter open. I'll be taking a number of scriptures later, but I want you to keep your Bible open to that particular verse. Now, let's pray. Your faith is going into the fire. Shall we pray?

Heavenly Father, I ask you tonight for eternity in our hearts. Lord, I just can't see the purpose of meeting on a Sunday night or any night or any morning in the house of God unless there's eternity, unless something happens, unless the glory of the Lord is manifested, the presence of Jesus is made real.

Holy Spirit, I need you tonight. I need you to speak eternity through these words. We thank you for the messages that have come forth Tuesday and again this morning on faith and the trial of our faith and the working of God to bring us to the place he wants us to be.

Now, Lord, bring the church further into your heart. We have no other desire than to bring a people into the image of Jesus. No other plan, no other strategy, but to bring this body before the throne of Christ on judgment day and be able to say, Lord, we gave them the heart of God.

We brought a people in, Lord. We tried to bring a people in through the word. Wash us with the word. Cleanse us. Sanctify us. We claim absolute authority over every demonic spirit, every wild spirit, everything of Satan, that the word of the Lord would have free course.

In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. Your faith is going into the fire. I received a call this week from a very confused young pastor, a young man who was saved during the Hippie Revival in the late 60s, and he's been preaching for about 15, 18 years.

And he called me this week and said, Brother David, my faith is absolutely shattered. He said, I love the Lord, but I just don't know how I'm going to hold on. After he got saved and got into the ministry, he got enthralled with television evangelists and especially their methods of evangelism, and he tried to copy them.

And then when they began to fall, of course, he began to, his faith began to shake because he had built so much of his ministry around their methods. And really, he wasn't tied down with any denomination.

And usually when you leave one camp, if you don't go directly to the heart of Jesus, you join another camp. So he went right into another camp, a group of independents, pastors and churches, and they thought they were a part of what they called the new move of God in America.

Prophets. They were all prophets. All the pastors were prophets, led by a man who called himself a prophet. And for a while it worked because some of the prophecies came to pass. Some of them were about him, and they were major prophecies, and he said it must be of God because some of them were happening.

But then the prophecies began to fail, and the left and on the right, and it left his church in confusion. And he went to a conference last month because the church now is, that whole group, probably 30, 40 churches involved, he said they're all going into this new craze in America, the religious craze now of directional prophecy where you go to a prophet and you get the mind of God.

And he said, I went to a convention last month, and he said I had to walk out, Brother David, because my heart is so hungry for Jesus. And I saw them bring in choreographer ballet dancers, and he said I saw sensuality.

And what happened, they began to prophesy flatteries to one another, and the leaders got up, and everybody was prophesying good to each other. And it was almost like he said there was a spirit that said if you prophesy good about me, I'll prophesy good about you.

And he said that's all it was, it was just flesh. He said I got up and walked out. And he said I'm going to tell you where I'm at right now, Brother Wilkson. He said I don't want to join another camp.

He said my faith is shattered. He said my people have stood for hours with me in my city and thundered in tongues against the strongholds. We've prayed against the east, the west, the north, and the south.

He said we have prayed for hours and thundered against the strongholds of Satan to bring it down, and he said our city's just getting worse. There's no evidence anywhere that our praying in tongues for hours and hours and thundering and crying it out has done anything at all.

He said then furthermore, he said I used to move by inner voices. And he said they began to fail on the left and on the right. He said, for example, about six weeks ago I heard a voice say my son, it's always my son, my daughter.

God can speak that way very clearly. And all through the Bible he uses those terms, my son and my daughter. He said I heard this beautiful voice saying from now on, this day on, I release funds to you.

You're never brought in your ministry for funds again. I've released funds to you. You've cursed and answered. All the money is available that you need. And he said my finances got worse. He said now I tell you what, I'm doubting the validity of tongues.

I'm doubting all voices. I'm doubting prophecies. And he said I've come to a place where I wonder if it's just Jesus and me from now on, if there's anybody in America or in the world today that just wants the heart of Jesus without all of these other things.

And he said I don't want to join anything. I'm tired of voices. I'm tired of prophecies. I said good. You're at the point now where you can get to the place God wants you to be. Where you have your eyes off men and you're going to the heart of Jesus.

I said I'm sorry we don't have a camp that you can join. You know people say down at Transparent Church that's the repentance camp. No, repentance is not our message. Jesus is our message. It's always been that.

But you see this pastor's trial of faith is not an isolated experience. Multitudes of God's people right now are in the most severe test, folly test of their faith they've ever had since they've come to Jesus.

Their faith has been absolutely cast into the fire and they don't understand what's happening. And I'll tell you, I believe with all my heart Satan has mounted an assault against the faith of the beloved.

And I believe it's going to get harder and more tense the closer we get to the coming of the Lord. You and I are going to be tested by fire and we're going to see things in the way of testing we've never seen in all of our lives.

Fighting for Faith Without Shipwreck

Paul, writing to Timothy said, this command I entrust to you, Timothy my son, fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and they've suffered shipwreck regarding their faith.

They are in shipwreck. Their faith is absolutely shipwrecked. Now brother, sister, I'm telling you, you've got to fight for your faith. There's a fight, there's a battle. The children of Israel failed when they were tested in their faith.

They went into a trial of faith and miserably failed. Their faith folded up and they succumbed to a spirit of unbelief. Now I want you to go to Hebrews with me. Hebrews, the third chapter. And I want to begin reading at the seventh verse.

Hebrews, the third chapter. And don't forget to keep your markings in Hebrews. Hebrews, the third chapter, beginning to read at the seventh verse. Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness.

When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation and said, they do always err in their hearts, they do not know my ways. So I swear my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest.

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is still called today. Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. Now it is said, today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke.

How did that all they that came out of Egypt by Moses? But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom swore he that they shall not enter into his rest?

But to them that believed not. So we see, they could not enter in because of unbelief. Beloved, the faith of the children of Israel did not come forth more precious than gold. In fact, in the testing and in the trial, their hearts began to harden.

The Bible says, so we see, they could not enter in because of unbelief. Now, look at me please and listen closely. I want to unburden my heart to you, but I am feeling in my heart and sensing by the Holy Spirit, he is saying to me about my faith.

First of all, faith is not an absence of distress and sorrow. It's not the absence of heaviness of heart. Or what mind games we play when trials come upon us. When suddenly there is a crisis in our life.

We play every kind of mind game. We face this great trial and we begin to deny our feelings. We try to erase all thoughts of distress. We grit our teeth, we take a deep breath. And we smile, that silly smile.

And say, I am okay. I have got faith. We are afraid to cry. We are afraid to grieve. We are afraid to endure the heaviness or the panic of the moment. And all the while we are condemning ourselves because we don't want to be doubted in.

But in reality, we can't deny the truth that there is a heaviness in our heart. Now, Peter was speaking to Christians. He was speaking to a godly people who were kept by the power of God through faith.

He says it very clearly. They were greatly rejoicing in the Lord. Yet now for a season, they were in heaviness through manifold temptation. And that word heaviness in Greek is great distress, sorrow, and grief of heart.

Their hearts were grieved. There was sorrow. There was distress in them because of a sudden season of testing and trying that came upon them. Jesus, in Gethsemane, expressed sorrow and heaviness of heart.

The scripture says he began to be sorrowful and very heavy. The scripture says, then saith he unto them. In fact, some have called this a very negative confession. Then saith he unto them, speaking to the disciples, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful and heavy.

He said, there is a distress in me. You say, that's because you bear the sins of the world. But often it's our sins. Our sins and the sins of others that cause the heaviness. Whatever causes it, there is a heaviness of heart.

So I'm telling you now, distress and doubt are not the same thing. Listen closely. Doubt is the belief or the fear that this distress is going to tear you down, that it's going to get the victory and that you're going to lose.

The distress sets in, the trial comes, and this unbelief of it or this fear of it, this is taking me down. That is doubt. Not the distress, but the feeling that that distress will expand and get out of hand and finally destroy you.

But faith comes along and says, no, Jesus is in this boat, I'm in a storm, that he will not let me down. There is distress, there may be sudden panic, there's a season. Oh, distress can suddenly hit you, some unforeseen demonic attack.

The storm will stamp the waves and pound against your spiritual ship. But you've got to see Jesus in that boat with you and say, I am in no danger when he's with me. I am not in danger. Now listen closely.

God's Eternal Purpose Is Conformity to Christ

Use the heart of my message. Faith cannot be divorced from God's eternal purpose. I talked about God's eternal purpose last week, that we be confirmed to the image of Jesus. That's been from the foundation of the earth.

God's had no other plan for you and I, other than you and I come into the full image of Jesus, so that we can present us as a spotless bride to his Son. That's the eternal purpose of God. And the Bible said all things work together for good, who then will love the Lord and are called according to his purpose.

And what you see is eternal purpose, that you're here on this earth to be confirmed to Jesus and become man like him, totally devoted, totally dependent to him. Then all things begin to work together for good, because you are flowing with God's eternal purpose.

No clapping, please. But you see, from the beginning God has been looking for people he could bring in, to bring in to his Son, Jesus. If Jesus had given them rest, speaking of the children of Israel, if Jesus had given them rest, in other words, if Cain had been the rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day?

There remained therefore a rest of the people of God. In other words, that God promised is still unclaimed. He is still looking for people. Now, some have entered in. In fact, Paul the apostle, or the writer of Hebrews said, some must enter in.

There is a place that he's trying to bring us. God has a plan, he has a purpose. He's trying to bring us to a place. Canaan was just a type of that place. Canaan was not. If you think that God was interested in giving Israel only some real estate, a tract of land for every tribe, you've missed the point of the word of God entirely.

No, he was trying to bring the people into his own heart. He was preparing them for this eternal purpose from the very beginning. That rock was Jesus. They drove from that rock the scriptures says. He was trying to bring the people into his own heart, to bring them into a land, give them peace, so that they would be totally depended upon him, there would be no other arm of the flesh, they would be devoted and totally given to his heart.

He wanted the people on this earth that were totally theirs, that needed nothing else, they would find absolute fulfillment, every need supplied from him. That's always been his purpose. You see, God's purpose is not simply to deliver us from our sins.

Deliverance Must Lead to Spiritual Growth

Now get this in very good ways. God's purpose is not just to get us out of Egypt. They were out of Egypt, but not into God's eternal purpose. They were out of Egypt, but they still were not in the land.

They were still not into the heart of God. They were still not growing. They had been delivered, but they were not growing. They were not in the place of spiritual growth. Now, his eternal purpose is to bring us into the heart of Jesus.

Christ is the end of our faith. That's where God's heading with us. God is interested in much more than just getting you and I out of a present crisis. You see, faith is not special energy for special events.

And this is where we have always missed it. We try to build up our spiritual muscles, and we say, God, if you just get me out of this, and then we find ourselves in another, and another, and another, and we keep thinking, I'll just build upon that and build, and build, and build, until finally, I have faith these things will disappear.

I just think they won't go on. And we miss the point entirely. God is not interested in just giving you victory over what you're going through right now. God has allowed it. He allows these things in our lives, and God covered it so well, whether it's our fault, or the devil's fault, or God permits it, it doesn't matter.

God has an eternal purpose. If the devil does it, it's only because you let the walls down, and God has a purpose behind it. Now, if you're going to try to get out of that fire, that testing, that learning God's eternal purpose, what purpose has it been?

What good has it been? There's no value to it. There's no purpose to it. Again, folks, we might as well wrap it up. If there's no purpose to what you and I are going through, if we're going into the fire, just so we can prove our loyalty to Christ, or something or other, in our wilderness, so that we can say we're loyal.

It's more than loyalty. It's more than God just trying to prove His power to us. He's trying to bring us in. He's trying to bring us into the heart of Jesus, into Christ. Not God's greatest glory, to have people running around the earth saying, Oh, I've been set free.

I was in a hard place. You can't believe what God just did for me. I thought it was hopeless, and God brought me out. Now, that's a wonderful testimony. The Bible is full of it. But that is not God's end.

That's not the whole purpose of God. He delivered you for a reason. He delivered you for a purpose. That's just to give you a testimony of His power. We're to glorify Him in these deliverances. We're to testify to the world.

Folks, there's a reason for all of these testimonies. We've got to be brought into the land. We've got to get out of the wilderness. We've got to cross Jordan. In times, I tell you what, God is a loving Father.

He said, I'll not let you bear more than you're able to bear, but will with your child or temptation. I'll make a way of escape. He does that because He's a loving Father. But most people have been delivered time and time again.

How many times have you not been delivered? And yet we have not learned that God is trying to teach us through these great trials. Ten times Israel proved God faithful. You find that in Numbers. God said, ten times now you've tested me.

Ten times God said, I've proved myself faithful. And still acted. Ten times of being delivered miraculously. They were not in the land. They were still in the wilderness. They were still learning. Still complaining.

All of their testing had proved nothing to their hearts. And that's where many of us are now. We have not learned Jesus. We're not resting in Him. We've failed to see God's eternal purpose in all these trials.

Brothers and sisters, our trials are not accidents. You didn't stumble into that thing you're in right now. Not at all. God's gone somewhere with you. You see, we get into trouble. And then a trial hits us.

And we say to ourselves, whoops. What'd I do wrong? I did it again. And now I'm paying for it. Listen to me. The giants that were in the land of Canaan were not a result of the sins in Israel. Those walled cities had nothing to do with the fall of Israel.

Are you understanding what I'm saying right now? Israel didn't create those giants. Israel didn't build those walls. Those walls were in the land, and God had a purpose to them. God had a reason. I tell you what, it's a good thing God didn't tell them about the giants and the rares while they were still in Egypt.

They'd have never left. It's a good thing God hadn't told you all you were going to go through when you got saved. Some of you just stayed in the road. Do you know why we've been so vehemently opposed to what is called the faith doctrine in America today?

Because it's been totally divorced from the eternal purpose of God to confirm us to the image of Jesus. It's been divorced. And we've had shepherds telling people, still in the wilderness, you can have all the milk and honey of the land without bringing them in to the fullness of Jesus.

And that's why we've been so deeply opposed to it. Because the point has been missed entirely because the Lord has so much more. See, God's purpose is to bring us into the heart of Jesus, a place of total dependence on him, a place of no confidence in our flesh.

Israel's Unbelief at Kadesh-Barnea

Go to Numbers 14, Grace. We'll see this very thing we're talking about. Numbers, the 14th chapter. Now, in the 13th chapter, you don't have to turn there, but in the 13th chapter, I'm going to read to you, you go to Numbers 14 and I'll go to Numbers 13.

And I'm going to read just a few verses. This is the report of the spies. And they returned from searching of the land after 40 days. These are the 10 spies. And then went and came to Moses and to Aaron and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, under the wilderness of Pam, to Kadesh, and brought that word unto them, another congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.

And they told him and said, we came into the land where you sent us, and surely it does flow with milk and honey, and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless, the people be strong that dwell in the land.

The cities of Baal were very great. Moreover, we saw the children of Adam there. Now the Kites dwell in the land of Bashar. The Hittites, the Jebusites, the Amorites dwell in the mountain. The Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan.

And Caleb stood with people before Moses. The people were angry. They said, yeah, we were there, but there are giants up there. The cities are very high. They just brought this report. And unbelief was speaking.

In fact, in Numbers 14 you see both the language and the definition of unbelief and faith. It's all in this story. Both the definition and the language of unbelief and faith. Unbelief speaks. We're not able to cope this time.

The crisis that we're facing right now is different from all the other crises. This one's going to eat us up. Forget all the miracles we've seen. This is bigger. I mean, forget everything God ever did for you.

This is something else. I'm talking to you, saints. I'm talking about your battle right now. We're not talking about Israel right now. We're talking about the spirit of unbelief that comes and says, I know God set me free.

But those were smaller items. Those weren't as big. Deliver them. This is big. The Lamb's going to eat us up. This is a giant. This is too much. Here comes the voice of faith. Caleb says, let's go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.

That's the spirit of faith. Unbelief answers again in Numbers 14. And it says, in fact, we can read it, Numbers 14, 1 to 4. And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried. And the people wept that night.

And all the children of Israel moaned against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation said unto them, would God be a guide in the land of Egypt? Or would God be a guide in the wilderness? Bear what faith they had.

And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return unto Egypt? And they said, wonder not.

Let's make it, captain. Let us return unto Egypt. Then faith comes back. Verse 7. Look at the voice of faith again speaking. And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land which we pass through to search it, yes, it is an exceeding good land.

If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that floweth with milk and honey. O rebellion not against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bred for us.

Their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Fear them not. Please, look this way. Let me tell you what I believe God is saying to the church tonight, the church in our age, our time.

There still remains a place to be brought into. Their children finding that in, they never did fully possess the land. And the writer of Hebrews is saying now, if some people had entered in to the promise to the inheritance, God wouldn't be saying there still remains a rest.

So he said, it still remains that some must enter in. So God is still looking for that people. Hear me please. He's still looking for the people who will get out of the wilderness and come into the land.

And that land is the rest of Hebrews. It's the rest. And that is a place in Christ of total dependence, total devotion, ceasing from your own works, meaning you never have to manipulate again, you never have to work an angle, you don't have to pick up the telephone, you don't have to have somebody standing at your right side or your left side.

You have cast yourself completely on the care of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has become your very life. And you say, well Paul, never was I, and yet that other Christ liveth in me. Before Jesus comes, you've got to have a people that enter in.

Resting in Christ Rather Than Striving

Now I want you to follow me. This is what your battle of faith is all about. This is what the fire and the testing is all about. Satan does not want a people who cease from their own works. He does not want a people who are going to start coming into this place of confidence in the Lord, where they're no longer striving.

Do you know the priest, when he entered in, the only place was to wear linen so he wouldn't sweat. There was to be no sweat in the presence of God. I'll tell you what, I've been to church and I've seen nothing but sweat.

I mean everybody's sweating to get the Sunday school record up. Everybody's sweating to pack the pews. Everybody's sweating to build a big church. Everybody's sweating. Everybody running around is pale male.

God said, no, there's no sweat. There's no striving because you've entered into a rest. And that rest is nothing more than a place that God wants us to bring us in, in the heart of Jesus. That is his eternal purpose.

This is what the testing is all about. God wants to know what's in our hearts. When we're tested about going on with Jesus, we say, this is what it's all about. Are you going to go on with Jesus? That's what faith is all about.

It's not about your present crisis. Faith is all about Jesus and going all the way with him. You get in the heart of Jesus, you will have a settled peace. You won't have to pump something up every time a crisis comes.

You will have a settled peace. It will be settled. You won't have to go on your face for ten hours to try to get some spirit and muscle to face this battle. You will have a place. You will be in a position of rest.

God's not wanting this up and down, in and out, hot and cold.

The end of side one. You may now turn the tape over to side two.

Special energy for special events. You see, you've got to let the giants scare you. Or is there going to be a daring abandon? And that's what faith has to eventually be. A daring abandon to the absolute, ultimate power of Jesus Christ to keep you in this present age.

I believe Caleb understood God's eternal purpose. He knew the devil has no power to stop God's people from going in if they'll step out in faith. We bear not against the Lord. We just fear He's a people for the bread for us.

Their defense is departed from them and the Lord is with us. Fear them not. Think of that big giant that's facing you right now. That problem or that trial. You know what? That's not to get you down. It's to keep you out.

Let me say it again. That is not to get you down. The devil's not trying to get you down. He's trying to keep you out. He's trying to keep you out of that place in Jesus of absolute confidence. That you're resting in His faithfulness.

Hallelujah! He's trying to keep you out of God's eternal purpose for you. You see, what you're going through is not an isolated trial. It's all hell raging against you to keep you from going on to the fullness of Jesus.

I'll tell you, all of heaven and all of hell is watching you in a crisis. When the fire comes, boy, what a spectacle we become before heaven and hell. The devil's looking at you and you know if unbelief is going to harden your heart.

You're going to say, look, and brother Bob mentioned this this morning. Look, if going all the way with you, if going in means that I'm going to face one giant after another. If going in means that there's not one wall after another.

I'm not going in. And there are some of you, you say, why didn't somebody tell me that the Christian life was full of giants. And there are strongholds and walls everywhere you look. Why didn't somebody tell me now the report is that I'm facing all these giants ahead of me.

And all I see are giants. All I see are walled cities. All I see is the Jordan. I don't even know how to get across the Jordan. You're going to have to have a miracle for me to give you a start. You see, this is what the battle of faith is all about.

Are you going to go to the brink of Jordan and say, I'm going in. I don't care what it costs. I'm going on with Jesus. And that's the battle right there. That's what the devil is after. And that's why the test.

Are you going to give up and say, I might as well go back to Jordan. I might as well get stoned because I can't stand this pestilence anymore. And the battle of our faith is, are you going on? You want the fullness of Jesus.

I tell you what, this matter of going on with Jesus is very serious with God. If you look at verse 10, chapter 13, verse 10, it's very serious with God. But all the congregation bade stone them with stones.

The glory of the Lord appeared to the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. The Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? How long will it be ere they believe me?

For all the signs which I have shewed among them, I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them. And I'll make a greater nation and mightier than they. Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them.

And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land that they have heard that thou, Lord, art among this people, that thou, Lord, art seen face to face, and that thy cloud stands over them, and thou goest before them by daytime in a pillar of cloud and in a pillar of fire by night.

And thou shalt kill all the people as one man, then the nations will hear it. Verse 17, Now I beseech thee that the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken. And folks, he began to prefer before God.

He appealed to the loving kindness and the mercy of God. He said, Pardon therefore, O Lord, thy people. And the Lord said, Moses, I have heard your prayer and I pardon the people. But, and that's a big word.

Verse 19, Pardon I beseech thee iniquity of this people. According unto the greatness of thy mercy. Verse 20, The Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word. But, now listen to me, what a tragedy.

Here are people pardoned, but banned from going in. Now, you've heard the term eternal security, or once forgiven, always forgiven. And brothers and sisters, that's not even the issue. The issue is not of forgiveness, but growth.

Of going into the land, of going into the heart of Jesus. These people were pardoned. They were absolutely pardoned. God, Moses appealed to the tender mercy. We've got a merciful loving Father. But I want you to look at the charge of these people.

Absolutely pardoned by God. And they were forbidden to go on because they didn't want to go on. They didn't have a heart for God. They didn't have a heart to face the bandits. They didn't want the hardship.

They wanted the easy road. I believe there are all kinds of people like this in America today. And our churches are packed with them. They've had Caliph after Caliph come and call them to a deeper life.

They've heard the message to go on with Jesus. Lay away your shallowness. Brothers and sisters, we've got people in our churches today that are glad, that glib. There's a glibness. My Bible tells me in the second chapter of Acts that when Pentecost came down, they fell in love with the Word of God.

And they said they were devoted to the Word of God. And they followed Him with gladness and sincerity of heart. A lot of people have the gladness, but they don't have the sincerity for the Word of God.