Desperate for a Deeper Relationship with God

"good morning Bakersfield I'm gonna open in prayer if that's okay it's always good to start with prayer start the day and end the day with prayer so just join me this morning Lord as I come to I ask that you would just use me as a vessel broken before you humble Lord to share what people need to hear not necessarily what they want to hear God I need you I desperately need you this morning I pray that your spirit would move here during the second service as it did it the first and again this evening got in a powerful way we are not here to play Church we're here to praise you to look to your word to be strengthened and encouraged and we pray this in Jesus name Amen amen" [00:01:05]

"and talking to Pastor Ron here believe it or not I've been following his ministry for probably 18 years now I first heard him on the radio in 2000 little did I know that you know this would be happening someday but they are desperate for more of God he shared with me that you guys are desperate for more of God so I decided I'm going to title the sermon this morning desperate for more of God it's actually in one of the books I wrote and everything I'm covering here is in that as well and you can take those if you need free copies as well my whole point is to get the message out of Redemption and salvation and I'm a big proponent I don't know about you but I'm a big proponent of the spirit filled life I want to be a Christian who's filled with the Spirit of God not weirdness boldness not not chaos but boldness and being filled with God's Spirit so desperate for more of God in the verse that really is fitting for this is Jeremiah 13 you will seek me and you will find me God says he's writing let me put this in context because I love context in Scripture unique context the children of Israel have actually been led astray and and into captivity they're in captivity now they've rebelled against God they've rejected God but God still in his love and His mercy and His grace he says Jeremiah you tell the people when they find me and they re when they seek me with all of their heart they will find me and that's a promise I want to encourage all of you to take to God this morning that's what I love about God's word it's not like social security where it might not be here it's not like the 401ks or retirement God's Word will be here it stands the test of time it is absolute truth it's an absolute truth and we have to start contending for truth in this postmodern culture it's its truth and God says if you seek me with all of your heart you will find me" [00:03:29]

"and it often takes broken meant to break men see first he's got it he's got to break me before I can I can spend time in the prayer closet he got humbles me and he humbles me and then I come out of that prayer closet wanting to preach the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ and it's that process of the refiners fire so desperate for more of God what I mean by desperation well we know what that means have you ever became desperate over something because you you change everything to find or to receive what you're desperate for I'm desperate for this I'll change my behavior I'm desperate for my marriage to be restored I'll change my behavior I'm so desperate I'm tired of my fourth recovery home I'm so desperate I'm tired of financially not making it and it changes the way we live see we have extremes in everything extreme motocross and motorcross here extreme mountain biking alright Bakersfield let me back that up extreme bull riding okay is there extreme extreme bull riding actually I'm supposed to my daughter wants me take her the bull riding finals or national some Wednesday but anyway that's coming back on track there's an extreme for everything extreme makeover extreme it's motocross is everything why then can't we have an intense and extreme passion for God answer me that question why shouldn't Christians be the most passionate about the things of God loving God following God with all of our heart with all of our soul with all of our mind with all of our strength he is an all-consuming fire he is the God who redeems it set free he is the God of the Old Testament and they're doing then they're they both say the same thing if you seek me you will find me and it's not like God's doing this come on let's just play hide and seek he's just saying give me your heart fully surrender your life let me fill you with my spirit and you will find me" [00:07:07]

"and it's often when you get the right hook and the left hook from God then you listen right if all I'm doing is encouraged if all I'm doing is encouraged and built up and strengthened I love encouragement thank God but if that's all I'm ever encouraged and I stay in my sin actually one of the signs of a false prophet believe it or not in the Old Testament was to tell people peace peace when there's no peace read Jeremiah 23 tonight God said I have not sent these prophets yet they ran I've not spoken to them yet they spoke but have they truly stood in my counsel had they truly stood in my counsel the Word of God they would have turned the whole nation back to me is not my word like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces is not my word like a fire that devours but they have perverted the words of the Living God how Jeremiah by proclaiming the difficult truths as well as the joyful ones how can I preach on heaven but not hell how can I preach on the love of God but not the holiness of God see it's all of God the attributes of God in his totality we love to cherry-pick but it's the hard truths and hidden getting hit with the hammer of God that we really change I haven't met too many people that do not change unless they are lovingly confronted and convicted something often has to rattle our cage and I believe that we must bring back the hidden truth of repentance and that actually leads me right to my first point to be desperate for more of God you must examine self have you heard the phrase self-examination let me just sum it up for you Psalm 139 23 search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts so you're asking God Lord search for me God know my heart show me my heart that's a dangerous prayer you better be ready Lord show me because here's what we like to do we like to blame shift you know what that is right if I can blame my spouse if I can blame the devil if I can blame my children I can just continue in this destructive lifestyle God says no put yourself bare before me repent" [00:09:01]

"do you know it's interesting that God that Jesus didn't send the disciples out going and preach love now please don't misunderstand I love God's love and grace and mercy but he said you go and preach repentance because that is the missing element that were that many times we miss because repentance is changing my mind about sin changing my mind about the things of God and I've listened to pastor Ron many times I know he you get familiar with this but many churches you can't talk about sin you can't talk about judgment don't mention the blood of Christ I know a worship leader in our town who said we're told the worship leader the pastor said take out all the songs about the blood of Christ it's too controversial are you kidding me that's the foundation of the gospel the blood of Christ is strength the price see but we said let's let's take these things out so we become more marketable the gospel is not marketable it doesn't taste good that's the problem it cuts it divides it it hurts the heart Oswald Chambers I'm sure many of you familiar with this book utmost for my highest he said the gospel hurt and it offends until there's nothing left to hurt and to offend one of the easiest things not the easiest I shouldn't say one of the most important things you could say is this and it's even hard for me to say him I was wrong just try getting that out sometime I was wrong tell your spouse I was wrong you know how many we could stop marriage we could stop half the marriage counseling appointments right now in the church right now today they're going honey you know what I've been wrong no need for counselors I've been wrong I shouldn't have done that but see we even our media now everything is driven towards making excuses if we can shift the blame if you shift the blame you won't change because to be desperate for more of God you must examine self how bad do we want it search me O God and show me show me my air show me my sin and then number two to be desperate for for more of God you must divorce the world" [00:11:46]

"you cannot serve two masters you love the one you'll hate the other but we like to do both don't we here and then here and then here and and actually James says a double minded man is unstable in all his ways you can't serve two masters first John 2:15 do not love the world or the things in the world if anyone loves the world the love of the father is not in him listen this is a deep if we love the things of the world which is the world there's cosmos in the Greek language it means a mindset the way the world thinks if we love the way the world thinks we do not have the love of the Father in us now this could be applicable to Christians but I believe it's also applicable to those who have really read them sorry relationship but not religion I'm sorry they have religion but not relationship they have they know about Christ but they don't have that relationship they love the world and I'm a big proponent of there is fruit with genuine salvation and if person just loves the world but doesn't love the things of God you have to wonder where is your heart so if you want to be desperate for more of God if you want to be filled with his spirit you must divorce the world shame what does that look like I'm glad you asked Christianity is not cool okay we're so many people if I could just I put a little sign of fish it down here at the corner nobody will really recognize I can still take thing you'll do this and do this no it's not cool you won't relate to the culture actually the church does the most for the world when it looks least like the world come out from among them and be separate thus saith the Lord be fit to be filled with the Spirit of God you must be empty to self empty the world here's what happens you have two competing passions right now the Compassion's and desires of your flesh and what the Holy Spirit of God wants the more you feed on the flesh the less you'll fill the power of the Spirit I believe that's why so many Christians are walking around miserable depressed too depressed anxious irritable they can't seem that I had Shane have lost my hunger for God it's because often the things of the world have crowded out being filled of the spirit and I will just give you a test out there right now you can take later are you truly hungry for the things of God because hunger is a sign of health ask anyone who's sick more often than not they're not hungry right so if a person is not hungry for the things of God they're dying spiritually they need spiritual resuscitation that's what these types of messages do its spiritual resuscitation to revive God's people to revive them and restore that that that aspect of holiness all the water in the world no matter how hard it tries will never sink a ship unless it gets inside all the evil fluence all the evil influence of the world no matter how hard it tries will never sink your soul unless it gets inside seeing young adults there's a lot of you here too as well when you allow when you watch when you allow witchcraft vampires the occult and that's entertaining you darkness you never entertain the church it should repulse the Christian because there are spiritual warfare and the weapons of our warfare are not carnal they are mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds and casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God doing what bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ you bring your thoughts captive did you know that don't let them bring you captive oh yeah and if you here's a quick way to find out is what you're allowing in building you up spiritually or pulling you down is it building you up or pulling you down there's a song I don't even know who sings it but then one of the lyrics I just I just love to camp out at worship songs and it says the more you seek Him the more you find him and the more you find him the more you seek him and just the more you seek him the more you find him and there's something that we've missed as well in the church today this word of holiness holiness holiness is not some weird term it's raising the standard the angels cried holy holy holy is our God of all the attributes of God did you know that love is not mentioned as a top attribute in my opinion the attributes of God are all equal God is one there they're all the attributes are equal he's not well more this and less this but the mattre butte most spoken of in the bible is this attribute of holiness and this prophet had a vision of the temple isaiah he he said in the king then the year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord he was I and lifted up the Train of his robe filled the entire temple and the angels cried holy holy holy is our God holy holy holy is our God the temple actually shipped could you imagine if the power of God shook a place and the holiness of God was revived in the fear of the Lord where what about that why don't we talk about the fear of the Lord anymore with shame that's not marketable no but it's powerful the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom is it not the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom the beginning of inner of knowledge fearing God and it's so interesting the church a shame we want New Testament power we're crying out for New Testament power but you don't want New Testament holiness they go together the early church was filled powerfully with the Spirit of God they wanted God more than anything they were filled with holiness so first season I would encourage you turn off Facebook unhooking the instagrams and cancel Netflix and get on your face before Almighty God and cry out and say God humble me think about this how bad do we want a relationship with God I tell people all the time if they're praying for the prodigal son or the wayward daughter have you fasted have you sought God in prayer or not too busy well you're too busy how bad do you want it you get the Lakers three hours and the Dodgers four get on your face before God and humble yourself giggle humbles himself humble yourself under the mighty end of God and do time he will exalt you you exalt yourself and he will base you what is the base it means to bring down don't fight god o my Lord do not fight God you will not you cannot win too many people are confusing his patience with his approval and guys I love you enough to tell you the truth that holiness is incredible it's a life set apart for God it God often says come out from among them and be holy it's interest I didn't talk about this at first but it it keeps resonating with me on this point many of you know Balak and Balaam you've heard of that if you read the Bible and King Balak hired Balaam to go and curse the children of Israel curse them go and curse them and he kept coming back he said I can't I can't curse them and he goes I paid you to curse them he said something very interesting he said you cannot curse what God is blessed you cannot curse what God is bless however here's what you can do go in and Tice them lead them away by the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye the pride of life and they will curse themselves so he couldn't curse them once they remained under God's protection his shelter and this is covering of the fear of the Lord the holiness of Lord but once they left that cover left that shelter left that protection like a bird that wanders from its nest so it was a man who wanders from his place they were easy prey so he said you can't touch him you can I truly believe this you cannot touch a child of God fill with the Spirit of God on their face before God humbled in the sight of God there's nothing you can do but the enemy says ah but here's what you can do get them so busy they have no time for personal study anymore so busy they have no time to seek my face get them so busy and turned around and they will begin to withdraw themselves from my power in my presence see I want the power of God in the presence of God or I don't want to have anything to do with religion I don't know about you but I want that presence of God and it comes to a holiness and holiness is not weirdness it's a broken state that says I don't want to watch move me your movies where I commit spiritual adultery in my mind I don't want to lust after women other than my wife and watch these things that take me away from God God help me fill me with your spirit god I need revival I want you at all cost that's what it looks like oh I'd love to put this on Christian TV for half-hour because it's just what the nation needs to hear is what we're not hearing the church was built on repentance and holiness and prayer and fasting in the consecrated life a fully surrendered life now we've drifted we've drifted that's one of my Road a book one nation above God because we've drifted from our moral compass we are now calling things good evil and evil good we have drifted from God there are things that are abomination and God says huh there's hope guess what guess what where's the help Washington Hollywood where's the hope if my people if my people who are called by my name will simply humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sins if my people if my people see I'd rather have a thousand I don't know how many right here at verses ten thousand people wanting to be entertained I just want men and women filled with the Spirit of God to said God we're gonna lay hold of you see I remember all my prayer meetings I remember when we came so hungry for the power of God that we weren't gonna leave we weren't in a hurry we laid prostrate on the ground saying God and let you save my child there destined for destruction unless you turn this nation around like she's turned the state of California around we are hopeless you are our only hope we are relying on you and you alone it's humility it's brokenness oh my lord just feel so strongly guys see the problems never with God the problems in our own heart number three if you want to be desperate for more of God you must persevere you must persevere it's a seek God with all your heart seek him that word in the Hebrews Bokashi it means to search him out with intense motivation and I think we forget we hear this word seek well now that sounds good maybe I'll start that tomorrow morning I open my five minute devotional I love five men devotionals don't get me wrong but that's not gonna cut it in these dire times five minute prayers are not gonna cut it microwave Christianity is not even biblical keep it love it I have one I have one by my book I'm not I'm not saying that but in these dire times do you know the enemy is coming after your children and your grandchildren he's coming after you do you know I have a big thirty out six scope right here in here probably he's on me he wants to take us out so perseverance and getting back up if you fall I don't care if you fall I don't care if you're on your third recovery home or your fifth marriage get back up and fight the battle we have to persevere I love I love I love what aw Tozer said life is a battleground not a playground here's a quick word of advice I didn't give the first service dig into books such as aw Tozer or prayer by iam bounds or books by Leonard Ravenhill men of God women of God have come before us and they you hunger for more of God it's about feeding the mind on the things of God Hebrews 12:1 through 2 for this this part of perseverance the writer of Hebrews says since we are such since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us this is key here's what I believe many people need to do the weight that is holding you back what is that are their relationships that are holding you back are their habits that are holding back remove the sin remove the stuff that is holding us back and and fight the good fight move forward run with endurance listen somebody we need to tell we were didn't need to remind each other you need to fight for your marriage you need to fight for your relationship with the Lord you need to fight for your children how do we fight you you fight on your knees this is how I go to battle I don't know about you but I go to battle with worship get me in the prayer closet for an hour with Hillsong I'm coming out a better husband a better father as I say God break me that created me a clean heart like David I can say like David God created me a clean heart renew a right spirit within me God that the bonds you have broken may rejoice but the joy of my salvation will return see it's a crying out it's a humbling of self if you truly want to be filled with the Spirit of God you need to humble yourself and allow God to break the pride and the arrogance that is in us all of us I love to read about revivals and awakenings in case you haven't noticed I've been I was hesitant to say this the first service but all maybe God wants me to say it I'm talking about all churches even where I pastor most people have never witnessed a powerful move of God they've heard about them they've heard about them but they've never witnessed a powerful move of God I read revival books and I put the book down I began weeping when the Spirit of God comes in so thick the people are left up front for an hour to pray bars are closed down marriage is a restorer people fall on their face before God even at home they don't know what it is it's the power of God moving and we revival that's our only hope I'll just tell you right now America the Titanic has been hit we're taking on water the only hope is a powerful move of God's Spirit Luke warm comfortable Christianity is not going to get us through in these dire times we have to be infused by the power of God so a few weeks maybe a month month gonna have shared this story at Westside Christian Fellowship of a man he decades after this revival had ended I believe as a new he breeds revivals and Welsh off the islands of Welsh and Welsh Scotland and they asked him tell us about that revival what happened with God was moving when hundreds are getting saved today I mean God's moving the bars are closed down the police aren't busy what what happened and the old man set up in his chair his eyes were like flames of fire there is a blazing at the man he looked to him and he said when you lay hold of God when you lay hold of God he said never never never never let go when you lay hold of God never let go Jesus said if you drink of this water you will never thirst again he who believes on me as the scripture say out of his belly will flow rivers of living water John the Baptist said he I'm not even worthy to unloose his sandal but when he comes he's gonna baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire now I'm not gonna get on doctrinal things on pneumatology me and pastor run agreeing completely on this topic all I'm saying is this can you truly say that his word is in your heart like a burning fire can you truly say that the Scriptures are flowing out like rivers of living water because that's the Christian life that's that's the New Testament Christianity the my concern is that we bought into the lie the Christianity can be comfortable and we can come to church when we feel like it and we'll get to God when it fits our schedule to be desperate for more of God he's got to be on your calendar it's the priority many years ago 18 years ago I structured everything around God people kind of make fun of me still today you know you go to bed pretty early yet cuz I'm waking up hungry for God at 4:00 in the morning now you're absolutely right you can sit you can sit and watch the junk on Netflix you can sit and watch sports teams do God knows what you can I lies everything from travel ball to whatever but I'm on fire for God and I know many of you are as well that's why I'm telling you this to pull out of you what God has already placed inside of you and then number four I could spend the whole rest of the morning here to be desperate for more of God prayer must be a priority prayer must be a priority in 2013 I preached a sermon and the national media twisted the title a little bit you know they do that right are you aware that you can't trust everything that's posted on Facebook or Twitter or or YouTube just telling you right now be careful with what who you listen to so anyway it came out this new story said California pastor rebukes Christians for worshipping weapons amid gun debate nice Oh Lord here come the emails and for some reason people thought I was against guns everything they don't know I own a 12-gauge I used to shoot trap and I grabbed a 10 gauge for geese and I you know I'm well aware of this but my whole point was this and Bakersfield this might fit perfectly our gun safes are full but our prayer closets are empty see when was the last time see we we stock up on ammunition but not the power of God when was a time we spent more time seeking God than than building our arsenal up listen when all hell breaks loose ar-fifteens aren't gonna do much but the power of God pulling down heaven that's the only source of strength that's the only source of fortitude when God says oh when you call on me when you call on me no weapon formed against you will prosper though the floods come though the wind beat upon your house it will not fall because it's founded upon the rock of Jesus Christ a man who is on is a man is who he is on his knees before God and nothing more I find this so interesting Christ said my house shall be called a house of preaching my house shall be called a house of prayer is what he said this house God's house it says prayer is the priority and I've noticed this the things that are most important if you take away just a couple things take this away this morning the things are the things that are the most important for your walk with the Lord are often the hardest to do as you're driving it's real easy to click on Christian radio right see it's not you got to come to church but let me let me how many could leave for half a day and just bring their Bible no phone go sit in a cabin for six hours right because the flesh hates that communication with God the things that are the most important are the hardest to do and again I don't want to minimize this topic it is so important outwitting Hill said without the heartbeat of prayer without the heartbeat of prayer the body of Christ will resemble a corpse the church is dying on her feet because she is not living on her knees you know I'm gosh I could take so many rabbit trails lord help me but one of the hardest things I've shared this in Lancaster many times but one of the hardest things you might be surprised about this one of the hardest things about pastoring I would say it's probably up there as for me it's the hardest thing and people might say was that funerals is it counseling is it leading is it you know now because now we've got a very large audience nationally with radio and different things and there's a lot goes into that and and very a lot of negative emails as you can imagine I've debated I debated atheist on Fox News I debated a pastor who believes that the Bible teaches the homosexuality is right and encouraged and gay marriage and and so you get a lot of negative press the hardest thing to me as I see people dying spiritually with living water just steps away I mean I sometimes I'll begin to weep and say guys it's living waters just steps away come to me all who we can let it lay heavy-laden and I will give you rest hey can you imagine I know you're hooked is annex you can't get off vicodin you just had a 12-pack last night you're hungover come to the fountain of living water Jesus told the woman at the well he said woman woman I have water I have water that you know not of you drink of this water you will never thirst again I've got the answer for your diary your disease and your illness and your sickness turn to the hope I've got the answer for your marriage which is just wake up dad and come back home mom would you give up that boyfriend and go back to your marriage living waters just steps away come a drink of it freely and it breaks my heart families are deteriorating marriages are breaking up the church is in a state of would you even know what God's Word says oh my lord do we even know what His Word says His Word is truth Jesus said I am the way the truth the life nobody comes to the Father except through me no other religion he is the only way praise God praise God you know it's a wake-up call many years ago when I read that Jesus came as the lamb praise God right he's the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world but then I read later he's not coming back as a lamb he's coming back as a lion the lamb becomes a lion john said john said i saw heaven open I saw heaven open and behold a white horse and he who sat on it was called faithful and true and out of his eyes his eyes were like flames of fire and no one knows him his name except himself his name is written king of kings and Lord of lords right here but it goes on to say that out of his mouth this is Jesus right whoever turned the cheek out of his mouth was a sword that he will strike the nation he will rule the nations with the rod of iron and he will tread the winepress and the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God that's the king you serve that's the Jesus Christ so the next time the enemy wants to come and get you you can bring them and the power and the authority of Jesus Christ victory has a name holiness has a name Redemption has a name that name is Jesus and I have a few minutes left I wrote down some names of Jesus Christ and I said if I get a little fired up I'm I read these names so here we go this is Jesus Christ according to the Bible according to the to the one - to what - who we worship he is Almighty one he is the Advocate he is the author and perfecter of our faith he is the final authority he is the bread of life he is a beloved son of God he is the deliverer of all people he is a faithful and true witness there is no deceit in him he is the Good Shepherd by which all sheep come into the fold he is the great high priest because of him I rest from my labors he is my Sabbath rest he is the head of the church he is king Kings and Lord of lords he is the light of the world he is a lion of the tribe of Judah he is Lord of all he is mediator he is Messiah he is mighty one hears our hope he is our peace he is our prophet he is our Rock he is our sacrifice for our sins he is our savior he is the resurrection and the life he is the door he is the way he is the word he is the true vine years a truth he is wonderful counselor mighty God everlasting father" [00:13:29]