SPEAKER_00: And this theme today, we're talking about varying godly character.
SPEAKER_00: And we're gonna go into Romans chapter 12, verse 2.
SPEAKER_00: A very familiar verse.
SPEAKER_00: And when you are there, say, praise the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: It says, and be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: You may be seated.
SPEAKER_00: As we have learned throughout this month, not only does the Spirit of God lead us in many different ways, not only does the Spirit of God enable us to have courage, but the Spirit of God also forms us.
SPEAKER_00: When we walk daily in the Spirit with Him, we will naturally grow in our relationship with Him, or we should be.
SPEAKER_00: When we are filled with His Spirit, we have power over the enemy, and that means the power to endure through the trials of life.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it seems like the situations we face as we walk in the Spirit can be overwhelming.
SPEAKER_00: Is there going to be an end to this?
SPEAKER_00: Is there an answer?
SPEAKER_00: But we have to learn to trust in the Spirit of God.
SPEAKER_00: If He is walking with us and He is faithful, then we have to trust in Him and trust that what He allows us to go through, God will develop our character and shape us into who He is calling us to be.
SPEAKER_00: I know who, as we have grown up, you know, we're in certain environments, we maybe play sports or we have certain talents and attributes that God will use to further expand His kingdom and use it for His glory.
SPEAKER_00: But we have to understand sometimes we get so good at something we think it's our own ability, it's within our own power that we can do these things.
SPEAKER_00: And it came from God, not within ourselves.
SPEAKER_00: So we may not like all the situations that we have to go through, but we know that God will grow us and use us and use that, our life, our situations to become stronger spiritually and our walk with Him.
SPEAKER_00: And through that, something grows from us, and that's our character.
SPEAKER_00: We have talked about character in many different ways, integrity.
SPEAKER_00: And there's uh quite a few different characters that exemplify these attributes.
SPEAKER_00: And the first, where we're going to talk about, is having character in temptation.
SPEAKER_00: Character in temptation.
SPEAKER_00: And now Joseph was one of these characters that really exemplifies this attribute.
SPEAKER_00: And one of Jacob's sons, Joseph, sold by his brothers into Potiphar's house.
SPEAKER_00: Uh I love my sisters, but I can imagine that my sisters didn't like me that much or are so overwhelmed by who I was, they just wanted to get rid of me out of the house.
SPEAKER_00: And although at times they probably did, but um Joseph didn't have that uh that kind of household.
SPEAKER_00: His brothers uh were threatened by Joseph, and so they sold him and wanted to do other things before that, but ultimately one of his brothers interceded and he was sold into Potiver's house.
SPEAKER_00: But God had favor upon him regardless of that.
SPEAKER_00: God had his hand on him, regardless of how his brothers felt about him.
SPEAKER_00: God had a plan.
SPEAKER_00: And that means, regardless of what we face or what we step into the middle of a situation, we have to know that if we're walking in the Spirit, God has his hand on us.
SPEAKER_00: And nothing is surprising to him.
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: So that means our expectation is God's got this, and he's gonna be with me through it.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: So, but he had God's favor because of his character and his relationship with God.
SPEAKER_00: And although he already had God had his hand on him, his character is about to go through many trials and develop through this moment.
SPEAKER_00: But he was greatly used by Potiphar.
SPEAKER_00: But because the enemy wants to destroy the good work of God, Potiphar's wife tempted Joseph.
SPEAKER_00: That's what the enemy is going to do.
SPEAKER_00: He's gonna put something in your life to tempt you to try to ruin the character and stop the work of God in your life.
SPEAKER_00: So, what God calls us to is purity.
SPEAKER_00: Purity.
SPEAKER_00: Genesis 39, 9 says, There is none greater in this house than I.
SPEAKER_00: This is Joseph.
SPEAKER_00: Joseph speaking on the situation with Potiphar's wife coming toward him or trying to uh tempt him.
SPEAKER_00: Neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, meaning Potiphar's wife.
SPEAKER_00: Because you art his wife, how then can I do this wickedness and sin against God?
SPEAKER_00: So Joseph was given everything because of how close he was to God and the character that he had.
SPEAKER_00: God blessed him in everything that he did because of his walk with God.
SPEAKER_00: He could have had anything that he wanted.
SPEAKER_00: But what can trip us is when sin comes creeping in, and because we've been given everything, does that mean we can do whatever we want?
SPEAKER_00: And Joseph recognized that this woman was the opposite of what he could have.
SPEAKER_00: It wasn't part of God's plan.
SPEAKER_00: It's not part of God's plan for us to sin and trip up, and just because we have the freedom to do something doesn't mean that it's right or if it's of God.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: It would have destroyed him and his reputation.
SPEAKER_00: And so we have to be careful in our flesh because we're used of God and we have favor of God and we have favor in our work and we maybe have favor in our ministry.
SPEAKER_00: We have to be careful that it doesn't get to our heads and become prideful and we have a weak moment and someone tempts us, whatever the temptation is, it doesn't have to be this kind of temptation that Potiphar's wife was getting trying to get him to sleep with him.
SPEAKER_00: But it could be anything.
SPEAKER_00: It could be a job, it could be uh money, it could be finances, it could be it could be anything in your life.
SPEAKER_00: So we have to be careful.
SPEAKER_00: We must be careful because we have this close relationship with God that we don't take advantage of what he has given to us.
SPEAKER_00: Because we may have his favor and his will, but it doesn't excuse us to sin.
SPEAKER_00: After all he has done, why would why would we feel like this would be justified to sin?
SPEAKER_00: Why would that be justified?
SPEAKER_00: Because what happens is in our flesh we we come up with all different kinds of reasons when we're angry, when we're upset, or someone did us wrong, or a situation didn't happen the way we wanted to, we try to force it into, well, this must be what God's will is because well, it's in that same direction.
SPEAKER_00: But if you're giving it to sin and you're being sinful in your action, is that God's will?
SPEAKER_00: I've known people that that feel like, well, this is the will of God, even though it's a ministry, but if God didn't make the way or the door for that, what's gonna happen is you're gonna force something to happen, and now you're out of God's will, and then you're gonna be upset, and then and then your life is in disarray.
SPEAKER_00: And what do you do?
SPEAKER_00: You start blaming God and other people when it was you who made the choice to act upon that temptation.
SPEAKER_00: Does that make sense?
SPEAKER_00: So purity is not just a sexual purity, but it's purity in your spirit, doing the will of God and hearing the voice of God.
SPEAKER_00: Does that make sense?
SPEAKER_00: So as he has continually being approached by her, he never gave into her.
SPEAKER_00: And as you read, it wasn't just the one time, it was over and over and over again.
SPEAKER_00: And there's been people that come in your life, and then that temptation just is constantly knocking on your door or that phone or that person or a situation or whatever the temptation is, it's just always like in your face, if you will.
SPEAKER_00: But he never gave in to it because the Bible says that God always opens a way out of temptation, he always offers a way out.
SPEAKER_00: So when you're walking in the Spirit, you will be able to see that.
SPEAKER_00: But if you don't, you're gonna feel like, well, this must be the direction I need to go because the enemy is gonna deceive you into doing something, and slowly you're gonna give in, and then you're gonna fall into temptation and sin, and disappointment happens, and you disconnect yourself.
SPEAKER_00: We'll talk about that here in a little bit.
SPEAKER_00: But it said that he fled her one last time, and when he fled, she kept the garment.
SPEAKER_00: She held onto his garment.
SPEAKER_00: He didn't go back for it.
SPEAKER_00: He's trying to get out of that situation as fast as possible.
SPEAKER_00: But because of that, she held on to it, waited for her husband to come home, and said, Look, look what he did.
SPEAKER_00: I still have his cloak.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know why the king assumed that something happened just because he has a cloak, but and then, of course, he believed her, and he was put into prison.
SPEAKER_00: Was put into prison by a false accusation of Potiphar's wife.
SPEAKER_00: How would we react after all the righteous acts that we have done to avoid a situation, but false accusation occurs, and you have to deal with the consequences of that?
SPEAKER_00: Now, obviously, in this situation, you won't be thrown in jail.
SPEAKER_00: Obviously, in this situation, um, this was the only way that the the king could separate or Potiphar could uh separate him from everybody else, assuming that he lay down with his wife.
SPEAKER_00: But in our own lives, there's been times where people have probably said things against us or spread false lies about us.
SPEAKER_00: But we have to stand strong in those moments when we are walking in his spirit.
SPEAKER_00: That way, when the situation does come, we're we are we are radiating with the Spirit of God that we're gonna be loved, we're gonna be patient, we're gonna be kind, and we'll talk about that here in a minute.
SPEAKER_00: But when those situations come, I I thrive in those moments because there's been situations, and I mentioned some before, where people have reacted towards me in a way that did I do something wrong, and I would approach them about it, and they're like, No, it's always been me.
SPEAKER_00: It was it was my fault.
SPEAKER_00: But it was my time to shine because I could go to them, I could ask, is there anything I did to offend you?
SPEAKER_00: Please forgive me if I've done anything.
SPEAKER_00: And it wasn't me, it was them, and they God revealed that to them, and then they made it right in that moment.
SPEAKER_00: And that's how God works when we are living righteously and when we are walking in his spirit.
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter what people say about us, that may not be true.
SPEAKER_00: As long as we're walking in his spirit, God's truth will come out of that situation, and we will have victory over that moment.
SPEAKER_00: And he gives us the opportunity to shine as his spirit shines through us because we're walking in his spirit, those are opportunities that we're able to build our character.
SPEAKER_00: We have to go through those situations in our lives, and that's the only way we can understand um uh his work in our lives and building that character, that pure, that pure, that pure character.
SPEAKER_00: The Bible says in 1 Peter uh chapter 2, verse 12, it says, Live your lives honorably among the Gentiles, so that though they speak against you as evildoers.
SPEAKER_00: This is Peter talking, they shall see your good works and thereby glorify God in the day of visitation.
SPEAKER_00: So people are gonna speak evil against you, but as long as you stay infirm and as long as you're walking in the spirit, there's nothing that they can say against you because you're living in the truth and you're living righteously.
SPEAKER_00: Even though we may have to deal with the consequence, in this sense, being some of these who may be being put in prison or they're in a public square preaching the gospel and people are falsely accusing them.
SPEAKER_00: Just because someone says something against you that is not truth doesn't mean that it is true, and it doesn't mean that God has left you, and it doesn't mean that the kingdom of God is failing.
SPEAKER_00: The enemy is gonna come against you because you are speaking the truth and you are living the truth and you are exemplifying the character of God.
SPEAKER_00: The enemy is gonna stop and destroy whatever God is trying to do in your life.
SPEAKER_00: The Bible says that He, the good work that He put in you, He will finish it.
SPEAKER_00: He will finish that good work that He has put in your life.
SPEAKER_00: And you are that good work that He is building on this earth.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Integrity.
SPEAKER_00: Joseph had integrity.
SPEAKER_00: Genesis 39, 23.
SPEAKER_00: He says, The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand, because the Lord was with him, that which he did, the Lord made it prosper.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe you are put in this sense because he was falsely accused and no one believed him when he was put into prison.
SPEAKER_00: That didn't change who he was because it was in a different place.
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter where you are, if if if if if Peter can be in prison and they can praise God and the shackles can break and the walls are shaken, it doesn't matter the circumstance that you are gonna face.
SPEAKER_00: God is gonna be with you.
SPEAKER_00: You will be victorious regardless of where you are positioned in your life.
SPEAKER_00: Despite being falsely accused, he did not fight against it.
SPEAKER_00: What was the example that Jesus said when he went to be uh tried, and the people would say the against him, when he went before Herod, he said that he did not say one word of the false accusations that were coming against him.
SPEAKER_00: And in this situation, he couldn't, because he knew that his path was the cross, the death on the cross.
SPEAKER_00: So he had to be crucified.
SPEAKER_00: But not once did he say anything against it.
SPEAKER_00: He accepted the place and the position that God put him in.
SPEAKER_00: So maybe let's just let's just think about this for the workplace, for example.
SPEAKER_00: Let's just say I'm I've been at my job for a certain amount of time, and there's somebody who is new, and for whatever reason, the boss is like, you know what, I want them to do this, even though you've probably done, let's say, uh you have a project that you've been working on, and you've been working so hard at it, and you've been planning it, and you've been working with their supervisor with it, but someone else comes in and thinks that they are a better fit for that position, and they take it.
SPEAKER_00: How would you feel about that?
SPEAKER_00: You've worked so hard on this project.
SPEAKER_00: You've been praying about it.
SPEAKER_00: God's been leading you on this project, but yet someone else comes in and they take it.
SPEAKER_00: How would you react?
SPEAKER_00: The first reaction would be like, I did all the work.
SPEAKER_00: I put my heart, soul, sweat, emotions, everything, meetings, development, studying, all this, and they come in and they take it from me.
SPEAKER_00: Why do they get this?
SPEAKER_00: Why do they get to take this project?
SPEAKER_00: Why do they get to take this promotion?
SPEAKER_00: We have to understand that things like that are going to come against us in our life, and we have to make that make sure that we have our integrity in check.
SPEAKER_00: That doesn't mean that you can't say anything about it or do it the right way or explain the situation, but you have to make sure that your flesh does not take control and give in and start being coming angry and bitter and hateful to those people.
SPEAKER_00: So being in this prison, you know what, he just took care of the prisoners.
SPEAKER_00: He didn't start screaming and yelling and acting crazy and rattling the jail cells.
SPEAKER_00: He was like, you know what, God, if you put me here, I'll take care of the prisoners.
SPEAKER_00: And because he had favor with God, the the the man who was over the foreman who was over the jails didn't worry about it.
SPEAKER_00: Because for whatever reason, God had favor upon him.
SPEAKER_00: He maintained who he was and did not allow his circumstance to change who he was.
SPEAKER_00: And that's what that's what we gotta work on.
SPEAKER_00: He embraced it.
SPEAKER_00: How many of you would love to embrace your hardship?
SPEAKER_00: But guess what?
SPEAKER_00: It didn't seem like it was much of a hardship to him.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because he was walking in the spirit.
SPEAKER_00: He was walking with him.
SPEAKER_00: God was with him, he didn't do anything wrong.
SPEAKER_00: So in his mind and his heart, he has peace, he has freedom.
SPEAKER_00: Because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
SPEAKER_00: It's not just about chains that are broken and addictions and things, but because you have lived right and made the right choice, regardless of the circumstances that are set against you, I can walk in peace and I can go on in peace, knowing that you know what I have no charge against me because of that.
SPEAKER_00: And I'll just, okay, if this is what you want me to do, if you want me to take care of the sheep, I'll take care of the sheep.
SPEAKER_00: If you want me to be a desk clerk now, I'll be a desk clerk.
SPEAKER_00: Whatever it is.
SPEAKER_00: I'm probably looking for a different job now since I've been demoted, but you see what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00: It's not going to change my attitude.
SPEAKER_00: Because if it changes my attitude and who I am as a Christian, how then can I be an ambassador?
SPEAKER_00: How can I be a witness?
SPEAKER_00: I'm acting like everybody else.
SPEAKER_00: I'll be acting like the world.
SPEAKER_00: They want you to be bitter.
SPEAKER_00: They want you to say things against them, they want you to try to fight against that situation.
SPEAKER_00: That's what the enemy wants.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: But we can't allow him to do that.
SPEAKER_00: I haven't even gotten to the second point yet.
SPEAKER_00: So his integrity remained intact and allowed him to have favor and be in charge of all in prison.
SPEAKER_00: When we decide not to react in our flesh, walk in the spirit, our attitude and character will show that we are not going to allow this circumstance to determine how we are going to react and how we should live.
SPEAKER_00: When we walk in the spirit, our integrity will remain intact despite what we go through.
SPEAKER_00: We will glorify God in our bodies.
SPEAKER_00: Blessed be the name of the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, you give it and you taketh away, God, but I will bless the Lord at all times, and his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
SPEAKER_00: If I have to go through this and I'm still gonna have my integrity intact, and I'm not gonna allow the enemy to crush my spirit, then so be it.
SPEAKER_00: Then so be it.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Because my salvation is greater than my pride and me winning against the situation.
SPEAKER_00: Because just because you may be wronged doesn't mean that you have the right to go and try to take it back.
SPEAKER_00: Because maybe that's not what God wants.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe eventually God will reveal something about it and they're gonna come and say, you know what, I made a mistake.
SPEAKER_00: I need you to be in charge.
SPEAKER_00: But God's trying to put you in that for a reason because He's trying to build something in your life.
SPEAKER_00: They're gonna remember that.
SPEAKER_00: They're gonna see how you react.
SPEAKER_00: They're gonna see how you handle a situation.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're not in charge of this, but maybe eventually you may be the lead or you may be the supervisor when they leave because they remember how you handled that situation.
SPEAKER_00: Does that make sense?
SPEAKER_00: Faithfulness.
SPEAKER_00: Luke 16, 10 says, He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.
SPEAKER_00: And he that is unjust in least is unjust also in much.
SPEAKER_00: So when we walk in his spirit, we are faithful despite the amount of work or temptation we face.
SPEAKER_00: Because we know that God will be with us no matter how big or small the mountain is before us, we will prevail and we will be victorious because he is faithful.
SPEAKER_00: And because he is faithful, we will be faithful no matter what is handed to us in our life.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Because if we have to go through this, that means he is able to get you through it.
SPEAKER_00: Whatever the end result may be, he will be with you through it all.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: If we choose to be unfaithful, how great will that unfaithfulness be in the result of that unfaithfulness?
SPEAKER_00: It will also be great, but at what cost?
SPEAKER_00: To our reputation, our character, our family.
SPEAKER_00: I went through it this weekend, folks.
SPEAKER_00: Personally, and let me tell you.
SPEAKER_00: My pride got broken down.
SPEAKER_00: But as a father and as a leader of my home, I have to listen to my family.
SPEAKER_00: I'm being transparent.
SPEAKER_00: And guess what?
SPEAKER_00: God's put me through it before because I have to preach about it.
SPEAKER_00: I have to go through it myself.
SPEAKER_00: And it's not always fun.
SPEAKER_00: But when you do submit to your character to God, yes, it'll rattle your pride.
SPEAKER_00: It'll make you feel so small and worthless at the moment because that's what the flesh tells you to think.
SPEAKER_00: That's what the enemy says.
SPEAKER_00: You're worthless.
SPEAKER_00: You're so worthless.
SPEAKER_00: As a husband, as a father, as a leader.
SPEAKER_00: But then when you step back and you pray and ask God, Lord, what are you trying to teach me?
SPEAKER_00: Guess what?
SPEAKER_00: Your family's not going to condemn you.
SPEAKER_00: They're not going to make fun of you.
SPEAKER_00: They're not going to look at you any less.
SPEAKER_00: You know what they look at?
SPEAKER_00: You're a leader, and now you're a father and you're a husband because now you're taking the change in the circumstance.
SPEAKER_00: You're molding yourself to what God needs you to be, and now you're leading us.
SPEAKER_00: And what we do, we we we cower and we give up, and I made a mistake, or oh, I failed.
SPEAKER_00: And okay, get back up, ask for forgiveness, move on, and God will help you again.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna talk about that here in a moment.
SPEAKER_00: But that is why it's so important.
SPEAKER_00: That is why it's so important that we walk in the spirit.
SPEAKER_00: But we will choose to be faithful to Christ because we walk in his spirit, because he has given us his spirit.
SPEAKER_00: It's gonna begin to change some things when we realize we want to be pure and he is faithful.
SPEAKER_00: He calls us to a character in repentance.
SPEAKER_00: And David is another character we see that exemplifies these things.
SPEAKER_00: But in order to have a character of repentance, we have to have a heart after God.
SPEAKER_00: Bless you.
SPEAKER_00: Acts 13, 22 says, and when he had removed him, when God had removed him, meaning Saul, he raised up unto them David to be their king, to whom also he gave their testimony and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, meaning Samuel, saying this, a man after my own heart, or I'm sorry, God, which shall fulfill all my will.
SPEAKER_00: So God told Samuel, Don't look on the outward appearance, look on the inside, and he found David, who had a heart after him.
SPEAKER_00: A young man being a shepherd boy, who eventually went to kill a giant and had already had some victories over a lion and a bear.
SPEAKER_00: But there was something about those quiet moments on the hillside and him leading the sheep and being obedient to his father and to God that he had a heart after him.
SPEAKER_00: In order for us to have a character to repent, we must have a heart after God and the things of God.
SPEAKER_00: Because if we don't have a heart after God, that means we don't understand who he is.
SPEAKER_00: And there's no reason for me to repent.
SPEAKER_00: Because we feel like he's just gonna beat us down, he's not gonna forgive us.
SPEAKER_00: And if we don't know him that he can't forgive us, if we don't know that he's all knowing and he's all he's loving and he will forgive us, why would there be any reason for me to repent?
SPEAKER_00: If I don't have a relationship with him, I don't know who he is, and if I don't know who he is, I have no reason to turn from what I did.
SPEAKER_00: I've maybe I did what was right.
SPEAKER_00: Because his word convicts us, and since his word is his word, written by the Spirit, and we take it in and we learn from it, because the Word of God refreshes us, that's what the Word of God says.
SPEAKER_00: It refreshes us and renews us, gives us understand understanding and clarity.
SPEAKER_00: It'll call us to repent if we have uh if we have acted against the word of God.
SPEAKER_00: But David, despite years of waiting to be king, he remained, his heart remained God's.
SPEAKER_00: Despite running and hiding in caves, fighting wars, almost being killed, almost killing Saul, but being obedient to the voice of God.
SPEAKER_00: His heart never wavered from God, not once.
SPEAKER_00: We know later on it did, and all that.
SPEAKER_00: But that's why his heart was after God because he eventually did repent before God.
SPEAKER_00: We all must find a place in our heart for the Spirit of God to move.
SPEAKER_00: And if he's not moving, that means your door, access to your life, your emotions, your feelings, what you've gone through, that door, that wall that some of us put up is blocked from God working in your life.
SPEAKER_00: Because maybe you don't believe, maybe you feel like it's not gonna work or it's not gonna happen, or maybe things that you're exposed to on a daily basis, or what other people say, you're that means your truth is not in the word of God.
SPEAKER_00: Your truth is of this world.
SPEAKER_00: And it's confusing you.
SPEAKER_00: So despite running, he always had a heart and never wavered from God.
SPEAKER_00: How often do we just open ourselves to God and let him move on us and work in our lives?
SPEAKER_00: How often do we do that in our own lives?
SPEAKER_00: Do we leave enough room for him to do his will despite some reservations that we may have about it?
SPEAKER_00: Whether we can allow him to move and work on our lives or deal with the situation.
SPEAKER_00: How much room do you give for God to do that?
SPEAKER_00: Do you completely let go and allow him to have complete freedom in your life?
SPEAKER_00: Or do you want him to have only control over certain things because you like being controlled.
SPEAKER_00: You like being in control of a situation in your life.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're not emotional.
SPEAKER_00: I don't want to do that because I'm gonna get all emotional.
SPEAKER_00: Well, he gave you emotions for a reason.
SPEAKER_00: You may handle it differently, but you gotta let him in.
SPEAKER_00: You have to have a heart after God, a heart after his word, a heart to repent.
SPEAKER_00: Or perhaps we, or perhaps he's gonna reveal things in our relationship with him that we need to grow in.
SPEAKER_00: And we've been hesitant and we don't want to grow because it's weird and uncomfortable, and I don't know if I want to go that deep.
SPEAKER_00: I get it when I remember when my my children were were first learned to swim, and they don't know that it's very unknown that the deep end, it's the deep end of the pool, and there's so many things over there.
SPEAKER_00: And there's people playing and having fun, but I don't know.
SPEAKER_00: You still have some reservations about it.
SPEAKER_00: That's them.
SPEAKER_00: They can stay down there, I'm gonna stay at the shallow end of the pool.
SPEAKER_00: But there's something about your parent coming along saying, I'm gonna be with you.
SPEAKER_00: And you walk with them, like, I don't want to go that way.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we're gonna go that way, and you're gonna walk with them, but you're gonna swim over with them.
SPEAKER_00: Or they come to the side and they jump in and you catch them in their arm, and in your arms.
SPEAKER_00: And they realize that even though it's deep, you're helping that we are supporting them in the deep end.
SPEAKER_00: And that's how God works.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes he may gradually take us to the deep end, or he wants you to jump in.
SPEAKER_00: But he's gonna be there to catch you to help you, because he's not gonna put you in a situation where it's gonna harm or hurt you or destroy you.
SPEAKER_00: If his will is to do something in your life, you've got to trust that he's gonna reveal things in your life that he needs to work on in your heart.
SPEAKER_00: Just like David, you have to have a I have to have a heart for God, I have to have a heart for the things of God, the things of of what his word reveals to us.
SPEAKER_00: And he desires for us not to just have portions of it, but all of it.
SPEAKER_00: Proverbs 3 5 says, Trust in the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: We we we hear this scripture a lot.
SPEAKER_00: Proverbs 3 5, trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto your own understanding.
SPEAKER_00: There it is.
SPEAKER_00: He needs to have all of it.
SPEAKER_00: Because if he doesn't have all of it, you're gonna make excuses, you're gonna make your own decisions and go based on your own thinking, and and we all know where that goes.
SPEAKER_00: It's not gonna work out, and you're gonna be disappointed, and you're gonna become angry.
SPEAKER_00: Be like, see, this was what God did.
SPEAKER_00: No, no, no.
SPEAKER_00: All things work together for good.
SPEAKER_00: For those who love him, those are called according to his purpose.
SPEAKER_00: If it's not working out to the good, and it's harming you spiritually, that's not God's purpose.
SPEAKER_00: You may be going through certain circumstances that it may harm you and hurt you physically, but spiritually, God's growing you.
SPEAKER_00: Or maybe it hurts you mentally, or whatever the situation is, but that doesn't mean that that pain and the suffering and what we go through is gonna take away your heart and and cause you pain.
SPEAKER_00: He's gonna heal you, he's gonna restore you, he's gonna strengthen you.
SPEAKER_00: It's all about building that character and that heart for God because since we're talking about repentance here, your heart has to be open and willing for God to work in order for you to really come to full repentance to Him.
SPEAKER_00: It's all about starting with your heart.
SPEAKER_00: He wants all of it.
SPEAKER_00: So, because He wants all of it, in order for us to truly repent, we have to have humility.
SPEAKER_00: Humility before Him.
SPEAKER_00: Psalms 51, 17 says, the sacrifices of God or a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, which, O God, thou wilt not despise.
SPEAKER_00: It's not just about being a broken person.
SPEAKER_00: So I kind of had to look at this up to kind of get some understanding of the context.
SPEAKER_00: But he's looking for us not to just be broken, but broken from our human pride.
SPEAKER_00: Our flesh, broken from our flesh.
SPEAKER_00: We must let go of our own self-reliance and put our trust in him.
SPEAKER_00: It's not within our own power, it's not within our own abilities.
SPEAKER_00: And so when God disciplines you or slaps your hand and you do something wrong, say, okay, God, instead of you getting mad and angry, upset, and and perhaps affecting others around you, like your family, your coworkers, your friends, or doing something to harm yourself, take a step back and say, God, okay, what are you doing?
SPEAKER_00: Don't become frightful and give into your flesh and start making all these excuses of what happened to me and why it happened, distress.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, God, what are you calling me to do?
SPEAKER_00: When we sin and we make a mistake, no matter the severity, we must know that he will accept us when we humble ourselves in him.
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes we feel embarrassed about it, and sometimes the sin may cause us to deal with circumstances because maybe it affected the rules of this world and the laws of this world, but because you are made right under him and you've repented and turned away from that, you are now made righteous and good with him.
SPEAKER_00: And ultimately, I'm trying to get to the kingdom of God, I'm trying to get to heaven.
SPEAKER_00: I want to be with him in eternal glory.
SPEAKER_00: And if I have a decision that I made on this earth and there's consequences because of it, but I ask for forgiveness, I'm still right, even though I have to deal with the circumstances of my choices.
SPEAKER_00: I have to have a heart that's humbled in humility before God.
SPEAKER_00: We have to know that He will accept us regardless of what we have done.
SPEAKER_00: We have to repent and we have to turn from our sinful, selfish ways.
SPEAKER_00: Because we want to hide.
SPEAKER_00: And just like what did Adam and Eve do?
SPEAKER_00: They went, they hid because they knew what they did was wrong.
SPEAKER_00: And they took them a step.
SPEAKER_00: And and and and Satan, the serpent, deceived them.
SPEAKER_00: Because they relied so much on what they could see and what potential that what they could feel and receive from that that fruit, despite of what God told them not to eat from it.
SPEAKER_00: He didn't say, Oh, this is really good fruit, but don't eat from it.
SPEAKER_00: He said, just don't even eat it.
SPEAKER_00: Don't even go buy it.
SPEAKER_00: Don't eat from it.
SPEAKER_00: There's gonna be a lot of things that we're exposed to, but God says, don't touch it, stay away from it, because it'll destroy your life.
SPEAKER_00: It's the same principle.
SPEAKER_00: And then we mess up and we sin, guess what?
SPEAKER_00: We hide.
SPEAKER_00: We try to we try to begin to cover it up, and sometimes what happens, you cover it up, and it makes it worse.
SPEAKER_00: They begin to tie fig leaves together.
SPEAKER_00: He's like, No, no, no, no, no, that's not right.
SPEAKER_00: You're not gonna do it within yourself.
SPEAKER_00: If we're gonna make this thing right, I'm gonna make the way for you to do that.
SPEAKER_00: And so we use animals, he shed the blood, which is also a foreshadowing to what Jesus would do.
SPEAKER_00: By with the straps we are healed.
SPEAKER_00: His blood was shed on Calvary for our sins.
SPEAKER_00: So his way of doing things is for us to come to him in humility, not do it within our own selves, and ask for forgiveness and repent.
SPEAKER_00: Does that make sense?
SPEAKER_00: We don't bring glory upon ourselves because it's not in our own strength that this work can be done, but by his spirit.
SPEAKER_00: We must ensure that we maintain a humble heart and let his work be done in us.
SPEAKER_00: I better move.
SPEAKER_00: So we have to be quick to repent.
SPEAKER_00: Psalms 51, 1 through 2 says, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according to thy multitude of thy tender mercies.
SPEAKER_00: Blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
SPEAKER_00: He said it himself.
SPEAKER_00: His love never stops, his forgiveness is never ending, and his mercy is faithful.
SPEAKER_00: With that understanding, we must not live in condemnation if sin has occurred, but allow his forgiveness to purify our heart and our mind.
SPEAKER_00: Because sometimes we feel like we have to live with it in our minds.
SPEAKER_00: No, you have to allow him to not only purify your repent in your heart, but you have to allow him to refresh you in your mind.
SPEAKER_00: Pray that God would help you in your mind, because that will torment you, and the enemy will use that as a splinter in your side.
SPEAKER_00: Something that's going to keep reminding you of what you have done.
SPEAKER_00: You need to pray and ask God, Lord, help me in this time of infirmity.
SPEAKER_00: Help me through this as I'm repenting and I'm turning away from this sin that I have committed.
SPEAKER_00: Help me so that it's not on my mind.
SPEAKER_00: Help me purify my mind so I think upon and dwell upon heavy things, heavenly things and not on earthly things.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: His blood cleanses us and his spirit renews us.
SPEAKER_00: Because of this truth, when we sin, our response should be quick repentance.
SPEAKER_00: The moment we delay our need for forgiveness, the enemy has a moment to deceive us, to deceive our hearts.
SPEAKER_00: We must not give in to complacency and we must be quick to repent.
SPEAKER_00: You stop walking, the enemy will cripple you and make you believe that you are not worthy to walk with him.
SPEAKER_00: The moment you delay in repentance, the enemy is beginning to chain you up and binding you to keep you right where you are.
SPEAKER_00: And that's not the work of God in your life, as we have learned.
SPEAKER_00: You are worthy.
SPEAKER_00: Even if you sin, when you repent, you are worthy.
SPEAKER_00: Because you're doing a work of righteousness that he said that you could have.
SPEAKER_00: You are worthy.
SPEAKER_00: And as long as you are living on this earth, you have every opportunity to make things right with God.
SPEAKER_00: This is important for someone who walks in the spirit because we will be placed in positions where our faith will be put under pressure.
SPEAKER_00: And Stephen was one of those people.
SPEAKER_00: He was full of the Spirit.
SPEAKER_00: In Acts 6 5, it says, And saying, please the whole multitude.
SPEAKER_00: And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip and Procrist and Nikonor and Timon and Parmenus and Nicholas, proselyte of Antioch.
SPEAKER_00: We must be all full of faith in the Holy Ghost.
SPEAKER_00: Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
SPEAKER_00: And through the power of the Holy Ghost, you have power over the enemy.
SPEAKER_00: The church chose Stephen and others to help in the business around the church, but they had these requirements as we should.
SPEAKER_00: Not only does it place us in a role for his kingdom, but God's grace helps us when we are standing for our faith.
SPEAKER_00: Because someday we will have to stand for our faith, and he will give us grace under that persecution.
SPEAKER_00: Acts 6.15 says, and all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face, Stephen's face, as if it had been the face of an angel.
SPEAKER_00: Stephen was preaching and sent to a council.
SPEAKER_00: Acts 6.10 before that says they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke.
SPEAKER_00: Even though he was before council and people were trying to falsely accuse him, God still had favor upon him because they were in awe of what he was saying.
SPEAKER_00: They were amazed at the wisdom of Stephen and God's grace shined through as if he had seen the face of an angel.
SPEAKER_00: When we are filled with his spirit and boldly live for God, his grace is sufficient.
SPEAKER_00: We don't have to be afraid of what others will say and do when we are when the Spirit is there to help us.
SPEAKER_00: Luke 12, 11 through 12 says, And when they bring you into the synagogues, so you can kind of reshape this in your own life.
SPEAKER_00: When they bring you into the synagogues, not to the magistrates and to the powers, take you no thought of how or what thing you will that what you will answer or what you shall say.
SPEAKER_00: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in that same hour what you ought to say.
SPEAKER_00: Grace, God's grace will help you.
SPEAKER_00: And not only do we need his grace, but we must also extend that same forgiveness to others.
SPEAKER_00: His Christ-like forgiveness is exemplified in this scripture, Acts 7.60.
SPEAKER_00: It says, And he kneeled down and cried.
SPEAKER_00: This is Stephen.
SPEAKER_00: When he was persecuted, he had preached a powerful sermon.
SPEAKER_00: And they brought him out and began to stone him, put him in a pit and stoned him.
SPEAKER_00: And it can be very difficult.
SPEAKER_00: And it says, I'm sorry, and he said this.
SPEAKER_00: He kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.
SPEAKER_00: And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
SPEAKER_00: In the middle of persecution, in the middle of this bombardment of what they thought was a right act against Stephen because they thought he was preaching false doctrine, to begin to stone him and kill him.
SPEAKER_00: And at times it may seem like that in our lives, where people will come against us and things against us.
SPEAKER_00: But it can be very difficult at times with others to extend that same grace and forgiveness to others who have done us wrong.
SPEAKER_00: But we must forgive.
SPEAKER_00: We must forgive others, and we must forgive our brothers and sisters in Christ.
SPEAKER_00: We must forgive our spouses, we must forgive our children.
SPEAKER_00: If we don't, God cannot also forgive us.
SPEAKER_00: Because Matthew 16, 14 through 15 says, For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you.
SPEAKER_00: But if you forgive not their trespasses, neither will your father forgive you your trespasses.
SPEAKER_00: That's why it says, before you come to the altar, you go make things right with your brother or sister.
SPEAKER_00: If you want things from God, there's some things you're dealing with, you better make things right with your brother or sister before you come to the altar.
SPEAKER_00: Because how can he answer you if you're not living in the right?
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes, how come God, and I'm not saying God answers everything at the right time, it's his will.
SPEAKER_00: But perhaps certain things aren't happening because you have not made things right before you come to the altar with your need.
SPEAKER_00: Something to think about personally.
SPEAKER_00: Stephen at the moment of his imminent death extended forgiveness and took this charge from them.
SPEAKER_00: He was gonna let them have it.
SPEAKER_00: Forgive them, Lord, for what they are doing.
SPEAKER_00: They don't know what they do, just like Jesus did upon that cross.
SPEAKER_00: Forgive them, they don't know what they're doing.
SPEAKER_00: They're the world, they don't know.
SPEAKER_00: But we must be careful and not hold on to those grudges and condemn the lost when they don't know any better.
SPEAKER_00: They don't know any better.
SPEAKER_00: We must extend that forgiveness even when others will tell us that they don't deserve it.
SPEAKER_00: His example calls us to action.
SPEAKER_00: And I'm closing here.
SPEAKER_00: We must pray that God will shape our character and develop that fruit that we need.
SPEAKER_00: That fruit of the spirit, which is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.
SPEAKER_00: Against such there is no law.
SPEAKER_00: The gifts of the spirit are good, but the spirit, but the fruit of the spirit must develop in our lives, and nothing come against that.
SPEAKER_00: The love of God cannot develop without the fruit of the spirit.
SPEAKER_00: God will develop all these fruits in our lives, and we must be ready not only to bear the fruit, but extend it to others.
SPEAKER_00: So my question is, what can you do to shine the light of the spirit on the darkness of temptation in your life?
SPEAKER_00: The Bible says, the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.
SPEAKER_00: These fruits cannot be destroyed by the darkness of the enemy.
SPEAKER_00: And as long as we are walking in the Spirit, we will shine.
SPEAKER_00: And because we're going to shine, we have to learn to repent and we have to learn to forgive.
SPEAKER_00: Mark 11, 25, 26 says, And when you stand praying, forgive if you have aught against any.
SPEAKER_00: That your father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
SPEAKER_00: But if you do not forgive, neither will your father which is in heaven forgive yours, just like I said in Matthew.
SPEAKER_00: Can we stand this morning?
SPEAKER_00: And how I took this personally, I've got to learn to humble myself before you.
SPEAKER_00: To exemplify the character of God in my life.
SPEAKER_00: Not only does it exemplify who God is and walking in the Spirit, but it's about reflecting who God is so that others can see the work of God in my life, so that they know that there is a God in heaven.
SPEAKER_00: And he is kind and he is loving and he is merciful.
SPEAKER_00: I've got to develop those fruit.
SPEAKER_00: And like we learned before that these examples calling us to repent and forgive, not only to save ourselves, but those who see and hear us.
SPEAKER_00: So my question to you some action, if you will, this week.
SPEAKER_00: What actions can you take to stand strong under pressure?
SPEAKER_00: And to live according to this word, not by my own knowledge and the things I know right now, but Lord, how much more do I need to know so I can be completely who you want me to be?
SPEAKER_00: Fully submitted to you by this word?
SPEAKER_00: Not what the world thinks or the way other churches do it, or whatever.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, speak to me through your word.
SPEAKER_00: What how do you want me to live?
SPEAKER_00: How do you want me to reflect you in your holiness and your goodness and your love?
SPEAKER_00: How do I bear the fruits?
SPEAKER_00: How do you want me to do that, God?
SPEAKER_00: But you've got to humble yourself before Him.
unknown: Amen.