Deepening Commitment: Prayer, Sacrifice, and Spiritual Growth

In today's sermon, I explored the profound connection between prayer, sacrifice, and spiritual maturity, emphasizing the necessity for a deeper commitment to God amidst the challenges of modern Christianity. I began by reflecting on the example of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He extended His time in prayer to overcome temptation, illustrating the critical role of prayer in achieving spiritual depth and resisting sin.

I then shared my personal feelings of weariness with the predictable patterns of church life and my longing to focus more on reaching the lost rather than merely motivating the already saved. This led to a discussion on the nature of true spiritual desires, using Solomon’s request for wisdom as an example of a spiritually mature request when God offered him anything he wanted.

The sermon transitioned into a call for increased prayer time, drawing from both scriptural examples and personal experiences that underscore the transformative power of sustained, deep prayer. I challenged the congregation to extend their prayer times, not as a legalistic measure but as a necessary tool for spiritual growth and effective ministry, especially in challenging environments like Dallas.

I shared stories of missionaries who exemplified sacrificial living, including personal losses they endured for the sake of the Gospel. These examples were meant to illustrate the often severe but rewarding path of those deeply committed to God’s work.

Finally, I addressed the need for personal holiness and the dangers of compromising with secular entertainment and behaviors that contradict a life dedicated to Jesus. I emphasized that living a holy life requires not only the avoidance of sin but also proactive engagement in spiritual disciplines like prayer and fasting.

Throughout the sermon, I reiterated the theme that deeper commitment to God through prayer and sacrifice leads to greater spiritual authority and impact, urging the congregation to not settle for superficial Christianity but to strive for a profound, transformative relationship with God.

**Key Takeaways:**

1. **The Necessity of Extended Prayer:** Just as Jesus found strength in prolonged prayer during His greatest trials, we too must extend our times of communion with God beyond the minimal to truly tap into His strength and guidance. This is not about legalism but about longing to dwell in the presence of God, where we find the depth needed to face life's challenges. [01:19:01]

2. **Spiritual Desires Reflect Spiritual Maturity:** When God offered Solomon anything he desired, Solomon’s request for wisdom to lead God’s people effectively demonstrated his spiritual maturity. We should evaluate our desires in the light of God’s kingdom and seek those things that advance His purposes, not just our own. [01:22:02]

3. **The Impact of Sacrificial Living:** The lives of missionaries and apostles, marked by loss and suffering for the sake of the Gospel, challenge us to consider what we are willing to sacrifice for the cause of Christ. True commitment to God’s work often requires personal sacrifice, which though painful, leads to spiritual depth and kingdom impact. [01:42:54]

4. **Holiness in Modern Christianity:** In an age where cultural compromise is common, maintaining personal holiness is both counter-cultural and essential. Rejecting worldly entertainment and behaviors that conflict with biblical values is crucial for living a life that truly honors God. [01:27:50]

5. **Prayer as the Foundation for Spiritual Authority:** Regular, fervent prayer is the bedrock for spiritual authority and effectiveness in ministry. By increasing our prayer life, we prepare ourselves to face spiritual battles and to minister effectively, impacting our communities and beyond. [02:05:44]

**Youtube Chapters:**
- [0:00] - Welcome
- [01:04:55] - The Challenge of Modern Christianity
- [01:19:01] - The Power of Extended Prayer
- [01:22:02] - Solomon's Wise Request
- [01:27:08] - The Call to Holiness
- [01:42:54] - Sacrificial Living and Its Impact
- [02:05:44] - Strengthening Prayer Life

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. **Matthew 26:36-46** - Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
2. **1 Kings 3:5-14** - Solomon Asks for Wisdom
3. **Hebrews 11:33-38** - Heroes of Faith and Their Sacrifices

#### Observation Questions
1. What was Jesus' response to the temptation He faced in the Garden of Gethsemane? How did His extended time in prayer help Him? ([01:19:01])
2. What did Solomon request from God when given the opportunity to ask for anything? How did this reflect his spiritual maturity? ([01:22:02])
3. What are some examples of sacrificial living mentioned in the sermon? How did these sacrifices impact the spread of the Gospel? ([01:42:54])
4. According to the sermon, what are the dangers of compromising with secular entertainment and behaviors? ([01:27:50])

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does Jesus' example in Gethsemane illustrate the importance of extended prayer in overcoming temptation and achieving spiritual depth? ([01:19:01])
2. In what ways does Solomon's request for wisdom demonstrate a spiritually mature desire? How can we apply this principle to our own prayer lives? ([01:22:02])
3. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between personal sacrifice and spiritual authority? How can this understanding influence our commitment to God's work? ([01:42:54])
4. How does the call to personal holiness in the sermon challenge modern Christian practices? What specific behaviors or entertainments might need to be reconsidered? ([01:27:50])

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current prayer life. How can you extend your prayer time to deepen your relationship with God? What specific steps will you take this week to achieve this? ([01:19:01])
2. Consider your spiritual desires. Are they aligned with advancing God's kingdom, like Solomon's request for wisdom? What changes can you make to ensure your desires reflect spiritual maturity? ([01:22:02])
3. Think about the sacrifices you are willing to make for the sake of the Gospel. What personal comforts or conveniences might you need to give up to have a greater impact for God's kingdom? ([01:42:54])
4. Evaluate your entertainment choices and behaviors. Are there any that conflict with a life dedicated to Jesus? What specific actions will you take to maintain personal holiness? ([01:27:50])
5. How can you proactively engage in spiritual disciplines like prayer and fasting to strengthen your spiritual authority and effectiveness in ministry? What will you commit to doing differently this month? ([02:05:44])
6. Identify one area in your life where you feel spiritually weak or tempted. How can you use extended prayer to seek God's strength and guidance in overcoming this challenge? ([01:19:01])
7. Reflect on a time when you felt weary with the predictable patterns of church life. How can you shift your focus towards reaching the lost and making a meaningful impact in your community? ([01:19:50])

Day 1: Prayer Extends Beyond the Minimal
Prayer is not merely a ritual but a profound communion with God that strengthens and guides us through life's trials. Just as Jesus sought strength in prolonged prayer during His time of greatest need in the Garden of Gethsemane, we too are called to deepen our prayer life. Extending our prayer time is not about adhering to a set of rules; it's about a genuine desire to dwell in God's presence, where we find the depth and fortitude needed to face life's challenges. This extended communion is essential for tapping into God's strength and guidance, enabling us to overcome temptations and grow in spiritual maturity. [07:40]

Luke 6:12 - "In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God."

Reflection: How can you rearrange your daily schedule to allow for longer, more meaningful periods of prayer?

Day 2: Mature Desires Reflect a Deepened Faith
When God offered Solomon anything he desired, Solomon chose wisdom over riches or power, reflecting his understanding of what was truly valuable for leading God's people. Similarly, our desires can reflect our spiritual maturity. When we prioritize the kingdom of God in our prayers and wishes, seeking wisdom and guidance over personal gain, we demonstrate a maturity that aligns with God's purposes. This pursuit of spiritual desires over worldly ones not only pleases God but also positions us to lead and serve more effectively in His kingdom. [12:46]

1 Kings 3:9 - "Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?"

Reflection: What are you currently desiring most in life, and how does it align with God’s purposes for you and His kingdom?

Day 3: The Cost and Reward of Sacrificial Living
The lives of missionaries and apostles, marked by loss and suffering for the sake of the Gospel, exemplify the depth of commitment required for true spiritual impact. These stories of sacrificial living challenge us to consider what we are willing to endure for the cause of Christ. True commitment often involves personal sacrifice, which, though painful, leads to greater spiritual depth and kingdom impact. Embracing this path means being prepared to lose some earthly comforts for the sake of eternal rewards. [27:54]

Philippians 3:8 - "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ."

Reflection: What personal comforts might you need to sacrifice to live more fully for Christ and His Gospel?

Day 4: Holiness as a Counter-Cultural Witness
In an age where cultural compromise is common, maintaining personal holiness is both counter-cultural and essential. Rejecting worldly entertainment and behaviors that conflict with biblical values is crucial for living a life that truly honors God. This commitment to holiness involves not only avoiding sin but actively engaging in spiritual disciplines that foster purity and devotion. By living a holy life, we set ourselves apart as witnesses to the transformative power of a relationship with Jesus. [37:50]

1 Peter 1:15-16 - "But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'"

Reflection: What are some specific worldly entertainments or behaviors you need to reject to maintain personal holiness?

Day 5: Prayer as the Bedrock of Spiritual Authority
Regular, fervent prayer is foundational for spiritual authority and effectiveness in ministry. By committing to a disciplined prayer life, we prepare ourselves to face spiritual battles and to minister effectively, impacting our communities and beyond. This commitment to prayer equips us with the wisdom, strength, and authority needed to carry out God's work, transforming not only our lives but also those around us. [47:24]

Acts 4:31 - "And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."

Reflection: How can you make prayer a more central part of your daily life to strengthen your spiritual authority and effectiveness in ministry?

Does anyone love Jesus?

So with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, will you reach back out to the one who reached? Would you reach out to the one that reached out to you? Come on, with your hands and with your voice. Would you reach out to the one that reached out to you?

And I wonder if your voice can be lifted higher than your hands. We heard the music. We heard the singing. We heard the clapping. But let us hear the voices. More than one voice that is higher than any other in this room. Let it be accompanied with two or three. Let it be accompanied with five or ten. Let there be an accompaniment of 50 voices. Let there be voices in unison, elevated. Come on, above.

Let there be an effort in your gratitude to Jesus. Let there be an effort in your voice magnifying the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Lord, you are good and your mercy endures forever. There is none like you. There is none beside you. You are great. You are greatly to be praised. You are the Lord God most high. You are holy. You are worthy. Hallelujah, Jesus.

A picture or two of my family, I always just kind of like to let people see who it is that I am. There we go. So as you see, our bottom half's bigger than our top half. And so it's just the way we, the gravity up in South Dakota is different than up here. And so we are the bell-bottom people. And so that is my wife and my three children, Noah, Grace, and Eden. Noah's 13.

I'm thankful that God has partnered me with a powerful woman of God, a licensed...

The main entrance, where people come in and people exit. And these people that were demoralized for 400 years, that were abused for 400 years, they're going down Main Street of Egypt. And they're going down Main Street of Egypt. And they're going down Main Street of Egypt. And they're going down the atrocities that happened that are not even recorded in Scripture. One can only imagine when people are treated like property, what people do to them.

And for 400 years, these slaves were treated as such, but God miraculously sets them free. People that were downcast and their arms just hanging low, their knuckles dragging on the street everywhere they went. But on the day of their exit, the Bible says this, that Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.

That term "high hand" is significant when you study it out in the original language. There's a variety of words used for hand, but here it specifically means an open hand, a raised hand, one in authority and one in defiance. These people that were under the authority in the reign of a dictator named Pharaoh, named Ramsey, that would exercise his hand upon them and exercise his will upon them.

But God turned it. At the last moment, seemingly out of nowhere, God turned it. And the people's hands that were down were up. And they were open. And just an open public display of saying, "I defy you, Egypt. I am in the role of authority. I am a child of God."

When you are up against the spirit of Egypt, when you are up against the spirit of this area, you need to lift up holy hands without wrath, without doubting. You need to open those hands and say, "In the name of Jesus, I defy you, spirit of Dallas. I defy you, adversary. I defy you because greater is he that is in me than he that is in this world."

I wonder if someone wants to defy what you felt this week. Would you lift your hands and would you open them and would you defy the atmosphere that would try to intimidate the people of God? I refuse to be intimidated. And in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I come here as a child of the Most High with hands lifted, with hands open, in the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Jesus' name, let your kingdom come. In Jesus' name, let your will be done. Would you clap your hands to the Lord? He's worthy.

No, I am going to try to be sensitive to the Holy Ghost. I do feel direction from the Lord. It's not going to sound pretty. It's not going to sound all collected and together. But I believe if I can convey the will of the Lord, we can see something happen in the Holy Ghost.

And I just, I'll say from the out front, I know your defense mechanisms are up. You don't know me. I don't know you, stranger danger. I get it. I understand, but we have one brief moment and we're going to trust that God's going to speak.

And I want you to just understand my heart. I never intend to be controversial. I never intend to be adversarial. I simply, the way God's wired me is to try to identify some things that can be tweaked, that can be worked on to provoke people to good works. I would never abuse the family of God, but I do feel that I have something to challenge you with.

And the end result, I just want you to know that hatred is not coming from me. The condescending tone is not coming from me. I want you to try to the best of your ability to receive what I say in a spirit of love, because that is the spirit in which I give it.

Jesus said it like this, "Take heed how ye hear." Our ear has a filter and life's experiences can contaminate that filter and we can misinterpret and misconstrue things. But I believe there's a hunger for the Lord here that God is going to help us.

Acts chapter 21 and verse 18. I'm going to read a few verses down to verse 25. And the word of the Lord says this, "The day following Paul went with us unto James and all the elders that were present."

To give you context and understanding, Paul has done quite an exceeding task. Before him, hazarding his life for the Lord, turning the world upside down on a missionary journey, greatly impacting all of Asia. He reached so many people, he could say a statement that would be misunderstood as arrogant, that I am free from the blood of all men.

I could not imagine that labor of love that one would make, the sacrifice he would make, the amount of people he reached without transportation like we have, without internet, without the Wi-Fi. The amount of impact he made is immeasurable. And if we can accomplish a percent of that, we will have accomplished something significant.

And so he has fought, he has given his life, and now he's coming back to the mother church, the Vatican, if you want to say it like that. And as he's coming back to the home church, the mother church headquarters, he salutes them and he begins to shout the things that God has done among the Gentiles by his ministry.

Things that have never been done before. Things unimaginable. People thought it was impossible to reach these heathen pagan people. And yet this man of God was helping the pagans to convert and outnumber the Pentecostals, or the Jews, or the church that was known in Jerusalem.

And the Bible says as he's sharing his testimonies, they hear it in verse 20, they glorify the Lord. And after they're rejoicing with Paul, Paul has to feel pretty good because one would feel good when you are laboring and sacrificing and you come back home and they affirm you. They give you a pat on the back. They rejoice. It's an encouraging thing to feel.

And so imagine Paul after the sacrifice he went through, coming back home and all of a sudden they're nodding their head and they give him a thumbs up. But all of a sudden it changes. It shifts. And they say to this, "Why don't you see this brother how many thousands of Jews there are which believe. And they're all zealous of the law."

Now, Paul's ears are perking up because he's getting a sense of what's going on. And he's getting a sense of what's going on. And he's getting a sense of what's going on. What they're about to say perhaps. Because Paul's ministry reaching the Gentiles and trying to reach the Jews was to let them know that God has fulfilled the law and opened up a new door.

So there can be a new people and these things are no longer required. But God does have some requirements but it's not the ceremonial law. It is not the dietary law. It is not these observances of days and feasts. But they begin to say, "Well Paul, you're back home and there's thousands of Jews that believe and are passionate about the law."

And in verse 21, they know. They know about you. And they know what you teach about the Jews and the Gentiles. About not having to abide by the law of Moses. And that they don't even need to circumcise their children or walk after those customs in verse 21.

And so after they're saying all this, they're going to say, "Well Paul, you're back home and there's thousands of Jews that believe all of this." They make the point in verse 22. "So what is it to you, Paul, that, you know, don't you want unity? Don't you want as we come together that they're going to hear that you're here? They're going to know that you're on site. The word's going to get around really fast."

"So do therefore this that we say to thee. We have four men that have a vow on them. Them take, purify yourself of them. Be at charges with them. That they may shave their heads and all may know that those things whereof they were informed concerning thee are nothing. Everything you've been preaching, just let them know it's a big nothing burger. No big deal. You really didn't mean it. You were just trying to reach those people. And so you kind of tweak some things. But really, you love the law. You believe the law. You're abiding by the law."

This is how it's going to be. In the name of Jesus. I want us to lift our hands. There is something not happy in this room. And I can identify it. I can point it out. But I'm not going to. I want us to lift our hands.

And in the name of Jesus, I come against intimidation in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. God, you did not give us the spirit of fear. You have given us power. You have given us love. And the gates of hell will not prevail against the church of the living God.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, not by my might and not by my power, but by the spirit of the living God, the Lord rebuke thee, adversary. The Lord rebuke thee, adversary. It is not my battle. It is the Lord's battle. Into your hands I commit it, God. I will operate with the liberty and the freedom of the spirit of what you put on my heart.

In the name of Jesus. Would you lift your voice? I wonder if you would release your voice. I hear your pastor, but I wonder if I could hear some saints in the Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

There is, I'm not going to say yet. I feel it. Verse 24. "Take them, purify yourself with them. Be at charges with them. Shave their heads. They may know everything you say. It's nothing. That you walk orderly. That you keep the law."

So they are putting peer pressure upon Paul, who has done great sacrifice to reach the lost. As touching the Gentiles, which believe and have written and concluded, they observe no such thing. Save only they keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, strangled, from fornication.

And so Paul hears all of this. And I can only pretend to understand the feeling this man of God is feeling. All the sacrifice, all the labor, all the effort, all the prayer, all the fasting, all the rejection, all the persecution. All so he can reach the lost.

And he comes back to the comforts of God. And he comes back to the comforts of home. He comes back to the established work. And as he comes back to this land, to this region, to this territory, in hopes that it's all been done away with.

Because last time he was around there, they made the law, the decree. They said it was good to us and the Holy Ghost. We don't have to worry about all this lost stuff. Let's just go have revival. And so Paul went with that edict and that decree and that backing and that encouragement.

And so he's experiencing it. He's experiencing it. And he comes back only to find much hasn't changed. They're still upholding the law. They're still having animal sacrifice. They're still observing ceremonial laws and dietary laws and all these various customs.

And it just had to knock the wind out of his sails. And he's getting disheartened. And he's getting discouraged. And his shoulders begin to slump. And they say, "Paul, why don't you just, why don't you, for the sake of unity, do what we're doing?"

And so we have some men that are in covenant. They're in a consecration according to the law. "Why don't you partake with them? Go ahead and shave your head and go ahead and enter into the temple and offer that sacrifice."

What a disheartening moment to this man of God who already declared that Jesus Christ was the final sacrifice. And there is no need for any other sacrifice. In the place of Jesus Christ would be sacrilege. He said, "Jesus, it's one and done. That's it. We have forever settled this. It is finished."

And so now he hears all of this. And out of love, we read in verse 26, Paul takes the men, purifies himself with them, enters into the temple to signify that he's part of this Old Testament custom.

Until the offering should be offered for everyone. Paul was about to do the unthinkable in his theology. And that is to go back to the Old Testament temple and to bring a sacrifice and be a part of this ceremony.

When you keep reading the story, it is only the mercy of God that Paul is prevented from this sacrilege. Because all of a sudden, there's other things Jews that seek him. And they ensue. And it is a riot that interrupts. And they pull Paul out. And they begin to beat him and whip him and torment him until the jurisdiction of that region comes in and intervenes and pulls him out.

This is the kind of love that Paul had. I'll do anything possible just to reach a soul. I would to God that there be that kind of love in our hearts, by all things, I'll become all things to all men by some means that I might save some. I want to reach the lost.

But it is going to be a sacrifice for us to do so. Paul, so frustrated, so aggravated in this moment. But he just has, I believe what you might say, a broken spirit. Is there any way to break this that these religious Jews are on?

I want us to pray before I go further into the word of the Lord and ask God's will to be done right now. Would you lift your hands again? And I wonder if you lift your voice again. I pray that there would be free course in this room. I pray that there would be a liberty.

God, we need you. For without you, I can do nothing. God, I pray that your kingdom would come, that your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven, in Dallas, as it is in heaven. Church, as it is in heaven.

Lord, I love you. Lord, I worship you. Would you clap your hands to the Lord?

Hey, hey. I feel to ask you something. And again, try to receive it in the spirit which I'm giving. This is, what I'm about to ask is not a spiritual competition. It is not a holier than thou. It is not a better than thou.

But I feel just to take a vital sign in this room. And to assess something. Because you're going to be challenged for challenging times are coming to this church. I don't know the history of this church the past year, two years that you have been here. I don't know your journey.

I have interrogated pastor and asked him what everything has been like. Over the few phone calls that we've had, he has shared some things that have gone on and the transition of the season that you're in and finding a location. That really is the extent of our conversation.

I don't know. I don't know your full story. I don't know the genesis of this church. But I will tell you what is coming in the spirit. You are about to be tried and you are about to be challenged. I don't know if it's months out. I don't know if it's a year out. I don't have that accuracy in the spirit.

But I'm telling you, you're going to see what you're made of, not too far out. I don't know if this is a normal-sized crowd. I don't know if it's above, below. It makes no difference to me. But I want you to know this group that is in this room right now, I want you to know that right now, whatever you think you are and whatever you think you're made of, you are about to find out.

And I believe God has brought me here today to bring a very clear word that you have some decisions to make if you're going to make it through the trying times that are coming down the road. In Jesus' name. In Jesus' name.

So this is what I want to ask. It may seem to have nothing to do with what I'm about to say, but it is. And I want you to know that I'm not going to...

It has everything to do with everything. And that is this, as I walk into this room and I'm worshiping the Lord and observing the feel. I'm an observer. I'm a feeler. I try to be sensitive to atmosphere. That's just, again, the way that the Lord has kind of wired me and just helped my antenna to try to tap in.

And yes, there is hunger here. And yes, there is worship here. But the curiosity that spiked within my spirit is the question of the prayer here. And I'm just curious. I think I know. I think I have a sense. But I'm not going to say it. I'm just going to simply ask.

Because it's one thing in what we feel and what we sense and what we observe in multitude. And worship in multitude is essential. And worship and prayer in multitude is essential. But there's two types of worship and there's two types of prayer. And that is in multitude and that is in solitude.

And both are required of the Lord. Both are needed. We need to be in solitude. We need to be in solitude. We need to have a gathering of worship. And we need to have a gathering of prayer. And there is corporate prayer when you walk into this room. There is corporate worship when we walk into this room.

But just, again, the question prompted in me is what is the solitude worship? And what is the solitude prayer? And what I mean by that is closet prayer. Personal time on Monday. Personal time on Tuesday. Personal time on Wednesday.

And so I'm going to ask this question and, uh, Pastor and his wife, they don't have to partake of this survey because we know that they're praying 12 hours a day every day. So they are exempt from this survey. But I, I'm asking for everyone to be a part of the next couple questions I have. Would you participate?

Now if you don't, it's just going to be weird. But I'm weird so that's good. So here's the question. How many here pray daily? By daily I mean five days or more a week. Would you raise your hand and lift it high? And everyone look around. I want you, it's good for you to know your church. Look around. Everyone look around so you see the hands.

Okay. Now again, I'm just, you can put your hands down. This is not a competition. This is not to look down on others that hands are not up. We're not shaming. We're not condemning. We are just simply identifying things. You want to know where we're at. If you want to know where you're headed and where you're ultimately going to go.

And so the next question, and that was a good amount by the way, that was over 50% which statistically of the thousands of people I have surveyed for over a decade is that only barely over 50% of people in our movement pray daily. So this church is above average. So thank God for that.

Next question, and raise your hand high if this applies to you without shame. And this is again not boastful and it's not holier than thou. But how many pray here for one hour in a single setting? One hour. Would you raise your hand nice and high for everyone to see?

Now everyone look around. This is important. Everyone look. There's like heads that have not broke eye contact with me. Look around at all the hands that are lifted. That's good for you to know. It's good for you to know.

How many here you pray 45 minutes in a single setting? Would you raise your hand nice and high? Okay. Awesome. Don't, you don't have to be timid. I know you're humble, but you lift that up. So I think I saw four or five.

Okay. Raise your hand if you pray 30 minutes in a single setting. Nice and high. Nice and high. Okay. Everyone look around. This is good for you to know.

All right. How many pray 15 minutes in a single setting? Raise your hand. Nice and high. Nice and high. Okay. Now this is where y'all are close to statistics average with the rest of Pentecost. Because the average of those that pray five days or more a week, pray for an average of 15 to 17 minutes a day.

Now that, I'm not attacking. I'm not condemning. I'm not slamming anybody for that. One, I thank God for anyone that prays. I thank God for anyone that prays daily, and I'm thankful for consistency of 15 minutes a day. So do not misinterpret this.

It will be your flesh that would do so, and it will be the adversary to try to get you to do so. But my spirit is not to condemn you. It is to help you right now to understand the task that is set before you. You just got to be intellectually honest with yourself.

Do we really believe that only if 60 percent of this church is praying daily that that's going to take us to the finish line of what God has prophesied for this church? Now you could say yes, you could say no, but of that 60 percent and just nobody raised their hand for an hour that I saw. Correct me if I'm wrong, but nobody raised their hand for an hour.

Four people raised their hand for 45 minutes and then about 10 to 11 raised their hand for 30 minutes and then a whole bunch of you raised your hand for 15 minutes. You just got to be honest with yourself. An enemy that knows his time is short and is relentlessly round the clock just bombarding this society and the church with his agenda and his spirit.

In 40 days a week, if you're an average employee and if you're above average, you might be working 50, 60 hours a week, multiple jobs with the constant bombardment of everyday spiritual warfare. Just be honest. Do we really think that we will accomplish spiritual dominion in Dallas, which by the way you know better than I, I'm just passing through, is a stronghold?

There is a dark stronghold here. Agree? Disagree? So do you think 15 minutes is going to cut it? Again, I'm not going to cut it. I'm not saying that you're not going to go to heaven. That's not the point at all. The point is how many do you want to go to heaven with you?

How many do you want to create an opening in the heavens so light can shine freely in Dallas? There are levels to this here. I don't know how many churches are in Dallas. I just know there's some big ones around here.

I remember I've been through Dallas multiple times. I've ministered in this city, this area a number of churches and events, etc. But there's just mega church after mega church. There's house of worship after house of worship. And there's even multiple Pentecostal apostolic churches in this territory. Praise God.

But why another church? Why another church? And do you just want to be another church just so we can have another tally on the paper to say we have now this many churches in Dallas? I'm not interested in being in Dallas. I'm not interested in being in Dallas. I'm not interested in being in another church.

I'm not interested in just being another minister. I'm not interested in just being...

I could spend the rest of this time teaching and talking on prayer. I'm very passionate about it. I'll just say this is more than you just hitting a stopwatch. Because I know some of you are probably mad that I even brought this up and did this quick little brief survey.

And it doesn't seem like, you're like, "Oh, 15 minutes isn't good enough for you." It's not for me. It's for you and God. And Jesus, in the greatest temptation of his hour, he said to the disciples, "What could you not pray with me for an hour?"

Jesus, sinless flesh, was about to try to find another way to bypass the cross. And with sinless flesh, he was tempted. And the only way he overcame temptation with sinless flesh was prayer. So you've got to pray.

And he extended the time to over an hour. Multiple sessions in that garden of over an hour. Because the deeper things of God are found in extended time with God.

I feel just a discontentment in my spirit. I'm just, I'm tired. I am so weary. I am so worn out with just, this may sound cliché to you, and that's fine. Average church. Typical, predictable Pentecost.

I've said this multiple times in a variety of places and settings. I'm just, I'm not even that interested in traveling outside of South Dakota anymore. That is the love. And that is my call. That is my vocation. God has given me a zeal and a passion for a land.

And I count it an honor to come here. And I count it an honor to minister across this country. It's been that way for 10 years. But I'm at a place where I'm tired of trying to motivate the saved instead of reaching the lost.

I ask the question to you that God asked Solomon. What do you want? What do you want, church? If God wrote you a blank check and said fill the blank. It's yours. What would you write in there?

For some it would be money. For some it would be material. Some it would be vengeance upon their adversaries. Some more power. Solomon. God only gives blank checks to people that he can trust.

Can God trust you with a blank check from him? He says, "Solomon, I trust you with this. What do you want?" And Solomon asks a spiritually mature request. "God, these are not my people. They're your people. Give me the wisdom needed so I can lead."

This church, you're going to need wisdom. We're in an era and time the likes that we have never seen as this country and this nation. We need wisdom. And we need discernment. And we need spiritual depth.

I'm not attacking you. And look, if I make you mad, you go ahead preaching committee. You talk to pastor. You make sure this little hobbit never comes back again. You're not going to hurt my feelings.

And I don't say that in a condescending tone or ungrateful tone. I just want you to know I'm not here to be a hireling. I'm here to help you. I want to help this church that I do not know.

But I believe that God's will and desire is that none would perish but all to come to repentance. And there's got to be a vessel and a vehicle that God says I can trust this church with a blank check. What is it that you want?

And I pray that we can be at a spiritually mature. This may offend you and that's fine. But I'm not trying to. But look, fifteen minutes a day is not spiritual maturity. That's a good lifestyle.

I want to give more to you. It would not be a struggle for most people to sit in a coffee shop and talk for two hours about the feelings in their life and the trials and the tribulations and the traumas and what's happening and how to plan and what can we do to reach our city.

And how we can talk about God for two hours. We can talk about our lives for two hours. But how many people talk to God for two hours? You see the difference?

It's like we can talk about the lost or we can talk to the lost. We can talk about God or we can talk to God. I'll tell you the two that are greater. Talking to the lost and talking to God.

Paul. Paul, read his life and I'm just like God I've not arrived. I've not attained. He hadn't arrived. He hadn't attained. God I want more of you. I want to make impact.

When we went to South Dakota 18 years ago there were eight churches in the entire state that preached the truth. Then it went down to seven. Then it went down to six. In the entire state. What do you think about that?

That don't make me happy. And your nearest neighbor is over a hundred miles away. That's not the will of God. And God has called us to change that culture and atmosphere. And we're praying to reach into that call and that challenge from the Lord.

And God has a challenge for this church. But you're going to be tested. You're going to be tried. And if all we simply do is try to fit into the culture and fit into society and mimic the culture and reflect the culture and sound just like the culture, we're not going to change the culture.

We're not going to change the culture. Walking, talking, acting just like the culture. I want to walk into a room and not just feel darkness. That's a thermometer. I want to walk into the room and change the temperature.

I want to accurately read it. And I want to change it. And that's what God wants to rise up in this room. You can disagree with me. But again, I'm not here to be mean at all.

But I promise you this right now. You don't walk into a room on a 15-minute prayer life and change the temperature of Dallas. I'm thankful you can change it for your life. And you can leave clean. And you can live moral.

I feel in this room. Some of you all think I don't need to yell this much and move this much. That's fine. I'm telling you. The zeal of the Lord has consumed me. And the zeal of the Lord has to consume you.

You have to let God's zeal consume you. You don't have to be just like me. I don't have to be just like you. But we do have to be like Jesus. And Jesus was a man of prayer. And Jesus was a man that reached the sinners.

So we must be people of prayer and people that reach the lost. But it's going to require sacrifice. Thinking that they're willing to die a martyr but they won't even live a saint.

We have to be holy. Because he is holy. And holiness is going to be challenged. And we don't want to tweak anything with holiness. We want to be holy because he is holy.

And we've got to be willing to get to a place where I would die for this. And people say, "I'd die for this. I'd do anything for Jesus." But we won't give up anything for Jesus.

I'm telling you. A few years ago I named a TV show at NAYC and it made people ticked off. I said The Office. And people got mad because I said The Office. Because I said that show is evil and sinful and carnal.

And there's many people in this room that you're surprised and shocked and you're disagreeing with me. Again, I'm not trying to pick a fight. I'm just letting you know it's a show that embraces fornication, homosexual relationships. It has bad words and sexual innuendos.

So we're saying I love Jesus. I'll do anything for him. Except this ain't no big deal. This is okay. Get off that preacher. I don't like you anyways. We're not going to invite you. We'll go get this guy.

So you've got to just think about that. And we think we're going to have dominion. We think we're going to cast out devils. We think we're going to see miracles, signs, and wonders.

Look, I enjoy feeling what I feel in church. But more greater than that is what we do outside of this church. I want to reach the lost. I want to reach the lost.

But there are levels to this. And I do not have a developed idea at all. But I just feel something that God prompted in my spirit to preach. And it's not, I didn't even think I was going to say anything.

It's something I feel God has told me to preach at the end of this month at a certain place. But I just jotted these verses down. And I'm going to share them with you for some reason. I just feel God wants me to share this thought with you.

And I'm done. Are we okay? If you want to receive from the Lord, and you want to defy the atmosphere, would you lift your hands? And would you open them? Not with a closed fist of anger or animosity.

But would you open your hands right now in the name of Jesus? And say, "Devil, we defy this atmosphere. We are not going to allow it to govern us and control us. In the name of Jesus, the Lord rebuke thee. And God, I'm open to what you have right now. I want more. Jesus, I want more."

I thank you, God. I used to never pray. But now I pray daily. I thank you for that, Jesus. Lord, I used to barely be able to pray five minutes. Now I'm praying 15 minutes. I thank you for that, Jesus.

But today, God, I feel there's an invitation for more. And God, you said, "Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness. They shall be filled."

God, I pray that there would be an appetite like such to pursue you to a greater degree. Paul is a man that has strong words. But he always had to find himself making preface.

Saying, "Look, look. I'm nothing. I'm nobody. I've got to be honest with you." And so he would say direct things. He says, "This world is crucified to me and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus, neither is circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."

Paul's like, "Let's get to Jesus. Let's get to Jesus." And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them and mercy upon the Israel of God.

And he makes this statement as he's closing out his letter to the church. "From henceforth let no man trouble me." Paul was a man of much misunderstanding and much trouble. He got into a lot of trouble for voicing what the Lord put on his heart.

And he's coming to the latter years of his life and he's just like, "Man, I don't have time." So I just got to let you know. I'm going to speak direct. He even shares to this church that he withstood Peter, the apostle, to the face.

Paul was just like, "Man, we don't have time for trivial, petty differences. Let's have revival. Let's dismantle strongholds." And he makes this statement, "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus."

2 Corinthians 4:10, he says, "I'm always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus." And think about Paul after he was stoned. After he was beat with 40 stripes save one three times.

Imagine by demand him having to fast and him being left in the abyss of the ocean multiple nights. And he comes out and you see him. Or Lystra and Derby, when he comes out from that pile of rocks and they drug him out of the city and left him for dead.

I believe he died in that moment. And yet God miraculously brought him back. I believe that's where he saw the visions and things that he saw in the third heaven that he can't even utter.

He was departing from his body, but it was more needful for him to be back. And he gets up from there and then he sees the people. The people see him. Could you imagine what a man looks like after that?

You look like death. I bear in my body marks of the Lord Jesus Christ. He says in verse 11, "I'm always delivered unto death." Those that are alive. That's the difference between the living and the dead.

Those that are living in Christ are a living sacrifice. And they are continually allowing the death and the assault and the affront and the attack of the adversary be laid upon them.

He says, "Delivered unto death for Jesus' sake." He says, "Death worketh in us, but life in you." Hebrews 11:33, I'm just about done.

"Who through faith subdued kingdoms. They wrought righteousness. They obtained promises. They stopped the mouths of lions. They quenched the violence of fire. They escaped the edge of the sword. Out of weakness were made strong. They waxed valiant in fight. They turned to flight the armies of the enemy."

I love reading those verses about people that had insurmountable odds. And the power of the Holy Ghost came upon them. And they arose to that level and met the occasion. And they were victorious. They did not even smell a fire.

We like those stories. And we like to write songs and make statements like this. "I don't look like what I've been through." It sounds good. It preaches good.

But Paul said, "I look like what I've been through." But this church is going to be tested. And only ones that are going to survive are the ones that are not afraid to look like what you go through.

Are you listening to me, church? But those people don't go through it and endure to the end void of spiritual disciplines. You cannot go through the fire and survive without death.

God is calling you to a greater depth, church. He's calling you to greater prayer. If you're praying 15 minutes, you know what should be on your crosshairs? 30. If you're praying 30, you know what should be on your crosshairs? 45. An hour.

If you're 45, you need to extend your time in the presence of God. Because that, the presence of God can be absorbed. And you need that.

Verbal being, if you never read the book Prayer by Verbal Being, it is, I read it every year. It is a profound book. And his elders, this is a man teaching in the 60s. And his elders taught him that you can't make it to heaven on less than three hours of prayer a day.

And so he's kind of like, you know, the next generation, I don't know about three hours. But he said, definitely not less than an hour. This is the 60s.

But later, as you read through his book, and he's talking about the darkness of the day he's living in, he says, "You know, sometimes I wonder if my elders weren't right. Because an hour doesn't matter. An hour just doesn't seem to do what it used to do in this hour."

He says, "I used to be able to pray an hour in the morning and it would sustain me the rest of the day. But he says, the darkness and the perversion and the wickedness is so great it feels as if by lunchtime I've been tainted somehow. And I've been discouraged and I've been dismantled. And now I feel vulnerable."

We're talking about 60 years ago. Our elders said that. And we think we're smarter. We may not say that. But we live that way.

Because I'm telling you, I've lost track of how many people belittle the provoking to extending a greater time in their prayer life. And they find every justifiable reason to say 15 minutes is okay. 30 minutes is okay.

And again, I'm not saying you're going to hell. But there's a city that is. Do you think hell is going to roll over unless you have them? You're going to have to get deep.

And you're going to have to get all of a sudden a depth inside of you for the deeper things of God. And you are going to be. Are you willing to bear the marks of God in your body?

Because we go on reading Hebrews Hall of Faith, verse 35. "Women receive their dead raised to life again. Hallelujah." But look at this. It turns others.

"Others were tortured. And they did not accept deliverance. So they can obtain a better resurrection. And others at trial of cruel mockings and scourgings. Yea, moreover bonds of imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn asunder. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. Wandering about in sheepskins. Goat skins. Being destitute. Afflicted. Tormented."

Those are your brothers. Those are your sisters. And we have this American ideology that the church doesn't go through nothing. This is the church. And they have the marks in their body.

But verse 38 says the world was not worthy. Though they wandered in deserts and in mountains and dens and caves of the earth. The world was not worthy.

Will you stand with me? I've preached almost 50 minutes. I don't know what your custom is. There's an appetite to break ground and reach the lost. And preach the gospel where the gospel has not been preached.

I've been reading book after book after book. I'm pioneers of our appetite. Apostolic elders. I've been reading books about pioneers of missionaries from other faiths. It would blow your mind what people that didn't even have the full truth went through to preach the gospel and access challenging nations.

And there's a common thread that I find. It's not in every story of every person that I've read. These lives that made kingdom impact have marks in their body. Literal, physical marks in their body. Literal, physical death that happened in their family.

People love to talk about the crusades of Billy Cole in Ethiopia. I'm telling you, Billy Cole's probably the most listened to preacher I listen to on a frequent basis. The man inspires and challenges my life.

But you should read about those that paved the way before he got to the crusades to open that door. It will blow your mind. I was just talking to one of them, Bobby Wendell. 91-year-old woman.

And the life and the sacrifice that she lived just boggles the mind. Living on a leper colony. Laying on a floor with all these leprous. I don't get into the details. But she laid on the floor and went to intercession.

This is the type of lifestyle that they live in. And she lost a husband. And she lost a son. And I can go missionary after missionary. Benny the merchant losing his son. I can go missionary after missionary. The children that have been lost. The people that have died.

I'm not saying God is going to admit. You're going to have that in your life where you're going to lose a kid. Or you're going to lose a spouse. But I'm telling you something. The devil cannot stand somebody given to the kingdom of God.

And he will do everything he can. If you're going to find a thriving apostolic work that operates in apostolic dominion, you are going to read about a trail that you will follow. That's going to lead about a life of sacrifice. That has lost life. That has lost items. That has lost material.

I'm asking you. What do you want? Because a church plant is an amazing thing to have. Because you can from the beginning determine what kind of culture you're going to be.

And right now, the culture is 15 minutes. And no dominion in Dallas. You want to be just another church? Or do you want to change the economy of Dallas? That's the kind of revival that we read about in the Bible.

I'm not condemning you. I'm trying to provoke you. Because I can't imagine living here. As we're driving bumper to bumper traffic to get here. South Dakota doesn't even have a million people in the whole state.

And you guys probably have three South Dakotas in one city. You have tremendous responsibility. Does anyone want to look like what you've been through?

Is anyone willing to go the extra mile and say, "God, I'll give something up so I can pray a little more. God, I'll stop being addicted to social media. I'll stop being addicted, Lord, to movies. I want to open up some more time for my prayer life. I'll just give it up."

Because God, I want to pray more. I want to be around you more. And God, Lord, if I got to lose something, I'll lose something, God. I don't want my kids to die. I don't want my health to go.

But Jesus, you're just looking for a living sacrifice. And God, I will be the living sacrifice. Come on church, would you lift your voice? Would you lift your voice? Lay yourself on that altar right now. Open up your heart. Open up your spirit right now.

Jesus loves you. Jesus wants more of you. Jesus wants more of your time. That's it in the name of Jesus. That's it come on Dallas. Come on apostolic church. That's it dig, dig, dig, dig.

Come on in the name of Jesus. Come on let's tap into that underwater current right now. Tap into that aqueduct. But I believe that God is calling for that life before his return.

Because it is that life, a living sacrifice, that's required for there to be breakthrough. And where the city no longer has the devil's stronghold, the church is the stronghold.

It absolutely is possible. We're honest with ourselves and none of us want it. I don't. I feared the loss of a child. I fear the loss of my spouse.

And I'm not preaching doom and gloom and that's what is expected of somebody wholly given to God. But I read of these lives of pioneers that they suffered much. It's not a sadistic God that does that.

But it is a process in which we go through. Paul said it like this. "Death worketh in me, so life in you." An elder told me like this, because I was one time voicing him.

I mean, I've been through some, I can just tell you horrible stories of South Dakota. Some gut-wrenching, hard times. I mean, I just, I had a mental breakdown. Verge of losing marriage, walking away from everything. I mean, just hard, hard times digging something out.

I was telling an elder of mine, like, "I don't know why it is. But I just feel like I feel darkness more than I feel God." And he says, "It's easy. You feel the battle so they can feel the victory. Somebody has to be on the front lines. Someone has to be boots on ground. Somebody's got to take the arrows so they can taste victory."

Paul said, "Death worketh in me, so life in you." And I don't know how many it is in this room. I believe God allows anyone to step into that.

But percentage wise, how many in this room are actually going to pursue that? In fact, it's one of the reasons people stray from getting into the life of intercession, consecration, spiritual warfare, sacrifices. Because they fear that if I do this, then the devil's going to do that.

It is a real fear. And people pull away from going all in because of the fear of an attack from the enemy. But God did not give you a spirit of fear. He gave you power, love, and a sound mind.

What our job to do is to get closer to him. And that's where our confidence comes from. But if we would crucify our flesh, there's less access for the devil to leave a mark on us.

And what may seem painful to others, it's not going to be as bad to us because Paul went around saying, "I glory. I'm thankful. I receive it. I'm glad to suffer. I'm glad. I count it all joy. I'll suffer loss. I'll do anything because this, there's no life like this."

And I wonder, if you're here today, by show of hands, don't just raise your hands just because it's the moment. But if you want to start reaching for that hour of prayer, may not over get to it in a week. You may not get to it in two weeks, but you're striving to grow, to have an increase of time with the Lord.

I promise you this. It will change your marriage. It will change your life. You're looking at someone that was bound. God delivered me from alcohol. God delivered me from wrath. God delivered me from pornography.

I am set free. When I found myself in the presence of God, and I started cutting away the things of this world, I'm telling you there's no life like a life given to the Lord.

There's nothing like it. Are you here today and you're determined starting tomorrow, I'm going to start increasing my prayer time. Would you lift your hand if that's the case?

We pretty much got a consensus in this room. God can do something with unity, and God can do something with more people giving time to Him.

So I wonder if you just lift our hands and surrender to Jesus. Could you just surrender? Surrender your time. I know some of you think you don't have time, but I promise you if you watch TV, if you watch movies, if you play video games, if you're on social media, you have time.

You just, you got to trade it out. Come on. God will give you beauty for ashes, because that's all that is in our world right now. It's tough. It's tough that we give ourselves to. It's just trivial, petty things.

I wonder if you could just start laying some things down so you could pick up time with Jesus Christ. Church, you're going to make an impact. You'll make a difference if you could be more with Jesus.

In the name of Jesus, you could be a living sacrifice. And right now, you might be afraid of the battle. You might be afraid of the devil. But if you have more time with Jesus, that fear is going to melt.

That fear is going to dissipate. And God is giving you boldness. God is going to give you confidence. God is going to give you courage. God is going to give you authority.

That's his surrender right now. Lift your hands. Lift your voice.

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "That's a good lifestyle. I want to give more to you. It would not be a struggle for most people. To sit in a coffee shop. And talk for two hours about the feelings in their life. And the trials. And the tribulations. And the traumas. And what's happening. And how to plan. And what can we do to reach our city. And how we can talk about God for two hours. We can talk about our lives for two hours. But how many people talk to God for two hours? You see the difference?" [01:23:32](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



2. "Does anyone want to look like what you've been through? Is anyone willing to go the extra mile and say God. I'll give something up. So I can pray a little more. God I'll stop being addicted to social media. I'll stop being addicted Lord to movies. I want to open up some more time for my prayer life. I'll just give it up." [01:44:26](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



3. "I thank you for that, Jesus. Lord, I used to barely be able to pray five minutes. Now I'm praying 15 minutes. I thank you for that, Jesus. But today, God, I feel there's an invitation for more." [01:29:29](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



4. "Does anyone love Jesus? So with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, will you reach back out to the one who reached? Would you reach out to the one that reached out to you? Come on, with your hands and with your voice. Would you reach out to the one that reached out to you?" [46:48](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



### Quotes for Members

1. "And Jesus, in the greatest temptation of his hour, he said to the disciples, what could you not pray with me for an hour? Jesus, sinless flesh, was about to try to find another way to bypass the cross. And with sinless flesh, he was tempted. And the only way he overcame temptation with sinless flesh was prayer." [01:19:01](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



2. "ask the question to you that God asked Solomon. What do you want? What do you want? Think. What do you want church? If God wrote you a blank check and said fill the blank. It's yours. What would you write in there? For some it would be money. For some it would be material." [01:21:20](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



3. "And the zeal of the Lord has to consume you. You have to let God's zeal consume you. You don't have to be just like me. I don't have to be just like you. But we do have to be like Jesus. And Jesus was a man of prayer. And Jesus was a man that reached the sinners. So we must be people of prayer. And people that reach the lost." [01:27:08](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



4. "But those people don't go through it and endure to the end void of spiritual disciplines. You cannot go through the fire and survive without death. God is calling you to a greater depth, church. He's calling you to greater prayer." [01:35:24](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



5. "I'm telling you there's no life like a life given to the Lord. There's nothing like it. Are you here today and you're determined starting tomorrow, I'm going to start increasing my prayer time. Would you lift your hand if that's the case?" [02:05:44](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)