More Than Posture: Is Your Sermon Standing on the Gospel?

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
We worship the God who was.
[00:00:11] We worship the God who is.
[00:00:14] We worship the God who evermore will be.
[00:00:21] He opened the prison doors.

[00:00:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
He parted the raging sea.
[00:00:34] There's joy in the house of the Lord There's joy in the house of the Lord today And we won't be quiet We shout out your praise There's joy in the house of the Lord Our God is surely in this place And we won't be quiet We shout out your praise
[00:01:11] We sing to the God who heals We sing to the God who saves We sing to the God who always makes a way As He hung upon the cross As He rose up from the dead
[00:01:38] There's joy in the house of the Lord There's joy in the house of the Lord today And we won't be quiet We shout out your praise There's joy in the house of the Lord Our God is surely in this place And we won't be quiet
[00:02:15] We were the beggars, now we're royalty We were the prisoners, now we're running free We are forgiven, accepted, redeemed by His grace Let the house of the Lord
[00:02:45] We were the beggars, now we're royalty We were the prisoners, now we're running free We are forgiven, accepted, redeemed by His grace Let the house of the Lord
[00:03:15] There's joy in the house of the Lord There's joy in the house of the Lord today And we won't be quiet We shout out your praise We shout out your praise

[00:03:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Hallelujah.
[00:03:42] Hallelujah.
[00:03:42] Good morning to you, Morrisville Church of God.
[00:03:44] Hallelujah.
[00:03:46] If this is your first time visiting, we thank and praise you.
[00:03:49] Praise God for you being here on today.
[00:03:52] We pray and hope that you get a blessing from the service.
[00:03:55] And we pray that you will come back and visit us again.
[00:03:58] Hallelujah.
[00:03:59] Our pastor will be preaching on today on the posture of our heart.
[00:04:04] So as we gather to worship together, let us not come with words
[00:04:08] of our presence, but with our hearts aligned with God.
[00:04:14] Worship begins with the posture of your heart.
[00:04:18] It's humble, it's open, and it's a surrendering spirit.
[00:04:25] So, as Psalms 51 and 117 says, it says, My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit.
[00:04:35] a broken and contrite heart you God will not despise hallelujah he will not despise God is not impressed with our outward and how we look on the outward but God is so impressed with our heart hallelujah he looks on the heart of our of our man hallelujah so I pray today that your heart hallelujah will align according to the will of God hallelujah as before I get ready to pray I want us
[00:05:03] Call out a few announcements that we're having on here at Morrisville Church of God.
[00:05:08] Remember, tonight at 6.30, we're having our family night.
[00:05:13] It's family bingo, right?
[00:05:15] I'm sorry, 6 o'clock, it's family night.
[00:05:19] We're having bingo, and we actually bring a finger food that we'll be able to share with all people.
[00:05:25] But come, let's come with the expectation that we're going to have fun on today with the love of Christ Jesus.
[00:05:33] Also, me, and remember, we had a golf trip scheduled a couple of months ago.
[00:05:38] So this Saturday, coming up this Saturday, our tee time is at 8 o'clock.
[00:05:42] We have to be there by 7 o'clock maybe?
[00:05:46] Or 7.40?
[00:05:47] 7.40 for tea time.
[00:05:50] Guys, remember, hallelujah.
[00:05:51] Travis Hartz was saying he's the best golfer in Morrisville Church of God.
[00:05:56] So that's a challenge to all you men.
[00:05:58] Hallelujah.
[00:05:59] Hallelujah.
[00:06:00] Hallelujah.
[00:06:01] Hallelujah.
[00:06:02] Also remember, after worship service, children, we want you to go upstairs, hallelujah, and begin to worship God in your own way.
[00:06:09] Hallelujah as children.
[00:06:11] Hallelujah.
[00:06:12] Hallelujah.
[00:06:12] How many excited on what God is going to do today?
[00:06:15] Hallelujah!
[00:06:17] Who come with the expectation that God is going to do something mighty in our service on today?
[00:06:23] Hallelujah!
[00:06:24] Hallelujah!
[00:06:25] So let's bow our heads right now for a word of prayer.
[00:06:29] Lord, we come before you today, O God, not with perfect lives, but with open hearts.
[00:06:35] Help us to lay down pride, distractions,
[00:06:39] and Fear.
[00:06:41] Let our worship come from our heart that longs to know you and honor you.
[00:06:46] Align our hearts with yours.
[00:06:49] In Jesus' name we pray.
[00:06:51] Amen.

[00:06:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Come on, let's worship God with us.
[00:07:01] Lord, there is none like you In all of my days I want to praise The wonders of your mighty love My comfort

[00:07:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
My shelter, tower of refuge and strength Let every breath and all that I am Never cease to work
[00:07:56] Shout to the Lord all the earth let us sing Power and majesty praise to the King Mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound
[00:08:30] Let your posture this morning and sing that with us.

[00:08:58] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
My Jesus

[00:08:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Lord there is none like you in all of my days I want to praise the wonders of your might
[00:09:29] Tower of refuge and strength Let every breath And all that I am Never cease to worship You Shout to the Lord All the earth let us sing
[00:10:02] Recompense, Recompense, Recompense, Recompense, Recompense
[00:10:34] Nothing compares to the promise I have in You Nothing compares to the promise I have in You

[00:11:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Thousand generations falling down in worship to sing the song of ages to the Lamb
[00:11:41] And all who go before us And all who will believe Will sing the song of ages to the Lamb Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all

[00:12:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
and Dominions, all powers and positions.
[00:12:21] Your name stands above them all and the angels cry.
[00:12:34] Holy, all creation cries.
[00:12:41] Holy, you are lifted high.
[00:12:49] Holy forevermore

[00:12:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
And if you've been forgiven And if you've been redeemed Sing the song forever to the Lamb And if you want the freedom And if you bear His name Sing the song forever to the Lamb

[00:13:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
We'll sing this song forever and ever Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all
[00:13:50] Thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name stands above them all And the angels cry Holy all creation cries
[00:14:14] Holy, you are lifted high Holy, holy forever Hear your people, hear your people sing Holy to the King of Kings
[00:14:47] You will always be holy, holy forever And the angels, and the angels cry
[00:15:09] Holy, all creation cries Holy, you are lifted high Holy, holy forever

[00:15:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Christ is my firm foundation He's the rock on which I stand When everything around me is shaken I've never been more glad That I put my faith in Jesus
[00:16:14] He's never let me down He's faithful through generations So why would He fail?

[00:16:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
I've still got joy in chaos I've got peace that makes no sense So I won't be going under I'm not held by my own strength Cause I've built my life on Jesus
[00:17:06] He's never let me down He's faithful in every season So why would He fail now?
[00:17:35] He won't fail He won't He won't He won't fail He won't fail

[00:18:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
The blue of my house was built on you So I'm ashamed with you And I'm gonna make it through The rain came when The blue of my house was built on you

[00:18:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
I'm safe with you I'm gonna make it through Raised with blue My house was built on you I'm safe with you I'm gonna make it through
[00:19:10] I'm standing strong on you I'm gonna make it I'm gonna make it through Cause my house is built on you I'm gonna make it I'm gonna make it through Cause I'm standing strong on you I'm gonna make it
[00:19:39] As my house is built on you Christ is my firm foundation The rock on which I stand When everything around me is shaking
[00:20:08] He's never let me down He's faithful through generations So why would He fail now He won't He won't He won't fail He won't fail
[00:20:52] He won't fail.
[00:20:57] He won't fail.
[00:21:03] He won't.

[00:21:07] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Hallelujah!
[00:21:12] Hallelujah!

[00:21:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Giants come calling my name My God is so much bigger than troubles I face Why would I hunger for power or riches or fame
[00:21:56] Oh, cause my God is so much bigger than all of these things So I won't be shaken Oh, I won't be moved
[00:22:18] We believe all His promises true So I'll speak to the mountains Oh, it's time to move Cause my God is bigger, better, stronger, greater than you
[00:22:46] God is stronger, the victory's already won He died for my ransom and rose up on the third
[00:23:14] My God is greater than hell and the grave So I won't be shaken No, I won't be moved My God is faithful His promise is true
[00:23:41] So I'll speak to the mountains, oh it's time to move Cause my God is bigger, better, stronger, greater than you
[00:24:03] There's no mountain too high No valley too low There's no fear that I have He doesn't already know There's no problem too big There's no weapon too strong There is nothing for God that's impossible There's no mountain too high No valley too low There's no fear that I have
[00:24:29] He doesn't already know There's no problem to Him There's no weapon too strong There is nothing for God That's impossible No, I won't be shaken Oh, I won't be moved My God is faithful
[00:24:58] His promise is true So I speak to the mountains Oh, it's time to move Cause my God is bigger, better, stronger, greater Bigger, better, stronger, greater Bigger, better, stronger, greater
[00:25:32] I won't be shaken, no I won't be moved My God is faithful, His promise is true
[00:26:00] So I'll speak to the mountains.
[00:26:06] Oh, it's time to move.
[00:26:11] Because my God is bigger, better, stronger, greater, bigger, better, stronger, greater, bigger, better, stronger, greater, bigger,
[00:26:40] No, I won't be shaken No, I won't be moved My God is faithful His promise is true
[00:27:00] So I speak to the mountains Oh, it's time to move My God is bigger, better, stronger, greater than you

[00:27:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Amen.
[00:28:00] Praise the Lord.
[00:28:01] Praise the Lord.
[00:28:02] Praise the Lord.
[00:28:04] We'll work here in a second.
[00:28:05] Praise the Lord.
[00:28:06] It's good to be in the house of the Lord.
[00:28:08] Amen.
[00:28:09] Our God is bigger, greater, better.
[00:28:13] Amen.
[00:28:14] Amen.
[00:28:15] Amen.
[00:28:16] When you go around and shake your neighbor's hand and say, it's good to be in the Lord's house today.
[00:28:20] Amen.
[00:28:21] Let them know that you're glad that they're here today.
[00:28:23] Praise God.
[00:28:46] Amen.
[00:28:48] Praise the Lord.
[00:28:50] Hope you've had a good week this week.
[00:28:52] I have enjoyed a break from the heat.
[00:28:55] It's been nice, right?
[00:28:56] We've enjoyed it.
[00:28:57] All of y'all people that love the heat, God bless you.
[00:29:03] Forget it.
[00:29:04] Turn your heat on.
[00:29:05] My air condition is getting a break.
[00:29:08] Let's pray.
[00:29:26] God bless you.
[00:29:35] Amen.
[00:29:46] And I said, I'm listening.
[00:29:47] So then Wednesday we had a great time.
[00:29:50] Friday night, just the kids had a blast.
[00:29:57] Whitney did a great job help leading that.
[00:30:00] Of Laura and Callie and Bailey and those that helped out with our kids upstairs having a movie night.
[00:30:06] And what a great time.
[00:30:08] Sister Ivy and our seniors yesterday had a good time.
[00:30:13] Amen.
[00:30:15] Our ladies, Bible study is happening Thursday night, all of those, Friday, Saturday, I don't know.
[00:30:21] You're in the middle of it all, so I think there was something happened every day this week except Monday.
[00:30:28] God is good.
[00:30:29] He is so good to us, and I am thankful.
[00:30:31] This Tuesday, we want to just mind our men.
[00:30:35] Our Bible study will not be here.
[00:30:37] We take the first Tuesday of every month to try to connect with each other, so it'll be at Buffalo Wild Wings at 7.
[00:30:44] Right there in Mooresville.
[00:30:45] So if you come here, you're going to miss us.
[00:30:47] But if you meet us there, you'll be able to eat some chicken wings and have a good time.
[00:30:52] Remember, again, those who signed up are in playing golf.
[00:30:55] It's at the same place in Statesville.
[00:30:57] Looking forward to that.
[00:30:58] Looking forward to get out there and see Travis win, I guess.
[00:31:01] I don't know.
[00:31:02] He is the best.
[00:31:05] He's the best.
[00:31:07] The best at hitting it in the woods.
[00:31:13] What a great week.
[00:31:16] Our ladies are meeting Thursday, Wednesday night church.
[00:31:19] Still in the life of Abraham.
[00:31:20] A lot of great things happening.
[00:31:23] And I'm excited about it.
[00:31:25] I want to ask our ushers to come and help us receive an offering.
[00:31:27] You know, it is an opportunity to give.
[00:31:29] I thought about it this week as I was outside cutting the grass.
[00:31:33] And I was thinking about the blessings of the Lord upon my life.
[00:31:36] And I just want to be honest with you.
[00:31:38] I don't think that I'd have the blessings on my life if I was not faithful and giving and I'm not saying that to do my alms in front of people at all but I am saying this then I was going to ask but I didn't I was going to ask for some people to testify of how God has taken care of you now I'm going to ask you instead of coming up here and do it how many would say I've seen God's hand upon my life
[00:32:03] and here's my finances and my health and my family testimonies all around God's been faithful so if God's been faithful why do we why do we why are we not continuing in what God has let's keep giving let's keep being faithful I'm not saying that we're not I'm just saying let's always strive to teach our children to teach our family to be faithful to the Lord and to the giving to the kingdom of God
[00:32:26] Father, bless this offering.
[00:32:27] Use it for your glory.
[00:32:28] Meet every need that we have and we'll thank you that you have given seed to the sower.
[00:32:32] And I pray blessings, God, tonight.
[00:32:34] Pray blessings upon our time tonight at 6 with our friends and family from our church connecting, getting to know each other a little more, laughing.
[00:32:41] I thank you, God, for touching Brother Jeff tonight as they go to the prison and share and preach.
[00:32:46] Be with them, God, as they go up there and do the work that you've called them to do.
[00:32:50] Save souls up there, transform lives.
[00:32:52] This week, Lord, full of ministry, full of things that are happening.
[00:32:55] I pray that you bless it, Father.
[00:32:57] God, take the gift in the giver, Lord.
[00:32:58] We'll give you thanks for all that you've done.
[00:33:00] In Jesus' name.
[00:33:02] And everybody said amen and amen.
[00:33:04] God bless you as you give to the Lord this morning.
[00:33:07] Amen.
[00:33:09] So Brother Kevin was going to preach my message this morning.
[00:33:11] He even pulled my same scripture that I needed to preach from.
[00:33:14] So I said, Lord, just let him go on with it if you're giving it to him.
[00:33:18] But I do want you to grab your Bibles and turn with me to Psalms 51.
[00:33:22] I have prayed about this.
[00:33:24] I really have.
[00:33:24] It's been in my heart.
[00:33:27] And it was something that it was come from a word.
[00:33:33] It was somebody was saying something about somebody's posture.
[00:33:36] Anybody ever talked about posture before?
[00:33:39] How we sit, we do all those things?
[00:33:41] People's told me I need to go to the chiropractor to correct and realign myself because I got this vertebrae in the back messed up and sciatic nerve that runs down this leg.
[00:33:50] And I would go, but I'm kind of nervous about going, huh.
[00:33:53] We have had a member in this church that did go and they was in the ICU for 12 days because they pulled an artery from their neck.
[00:34:02] But I do understand that we have to realign ourselves.
[00:34:09] Realign ourselves.
[00:34:10] And I prayed about this this week and I've been asking God to help us to be realigned.
[00:34:15] Realign ourselves and our heart where He's at.
[00:34:19] I want you to stand.
[00:34:20] I'm going to read a little bit of Scripture this morning.
[00:34:22] Psalms 51.
[00:34:25] Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy love and kindness, according to Thy multitude of tender mercies.
[00:34:31] Blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity.
[00:34:36] Cleanse me from my sin, for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me.
[00:34:42] Against Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight, that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest and be clear when Thou judge.
[00:34:52] Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
[00:34:58] Behold, thou desirest truth, and the inward parts and the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
[00:35:06] Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean.
[00:35:09] Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
[00:35:13] Make me to hear joy and gladness, and the bones which they may be broken may rejoice.
[00:35:19] Hide thy face from my sins.
[00:35:22] Blood out all my iniquities.
[00:35:24] Create in me a clean heart, O God.
[00:35:29] Renew a right spirit within me.
[00:35:33] Cast me not away from Thy presence.
[00:35:36] Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
[00:35:40] Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.
[00:35:45] Uphold me with thy free spirit.
[00:35:48] Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
[00:35:56] Verse 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice, else I would give it.
[00:36:03] Thou delightest not in burnt offerings.
[00:36:08] The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou will not despise.
[00:36:22] The Lord wants our hearts.
[00:36:25] Father, help us to hear your word today.
[00:36:28] Help it to come alive inside of us that we may communicate effectively what you have done and what you are doing in our lives.
[00:36:39] I thank you for your spirit.
[00:36:40] I thank you for those whose lives today will be brought back into alignment.
[00:36:45] And we give you thanks in Jesus' name.
[00:36:47] And everybody said amen and amen.
[00:36:50] Give the Lord a hand of praise.
[00:36:52] Praise God.
[00:36:53] You may be seated.
[00:36:56] Why is our heart posture important in life?
[00:37:02] Anybody ever heard their mom say, straighten up, straighten up, sit up, right?
[00:37:07] If I was slouched as a teenager, I hear Natalie say it sometimes to the kids, mom would sometimes poke us, tell us to sit up straight.
[00:37:19] And meaning between our shoulder blades and our back and our neck,
[00:37:25] And if it wasn't words of a reminder that has echoed in my mind, yesterday in choir practice, my wife shared, sit up straight, stand up straight.
[00:37:38] Sing, you've got to have good posture when you sing.
[00:37:41] When you play instruments, you've got to have good posture.
[00:37:44] You know, when I play piano, you want to sit straight.
[00:37:47] You want to sit upright.
[00:37:48] When I played the trumpet in school, you had to sit up so you could get the full effect of your diaphragm and all of your lungs opening up.
[00:37:59] And the important part of life was creating good habits in us was stop slouching.
[00:38:07] Slouching seemed to be lazy.
[00:38:09] Slouching seemed to be, it wasn't proper.
[00:38:12] You had to sit up.
[00:38:13] You had to be straight.
[00:38:15] And we breathe better with good posture.
[00:38:17] Walk better with greater confidence.
[00:38:20] If we walk around with our head held down and our shoulders inward, it makes us look inferior and secure.
[00:38:26] It makes us look like a confidence in our life.
[00:38:29] I tell young men when they come up and shake my hand, I want to feel a strong grip when they shake my hand.
[00:38:35] I want them to put their shoulders square back.
[00:38:38] I want them to look me in the eye.
[00:38:40] I teach these young guys that when they come up to me, I tell them, you know, they put their hand in this week, and I'm like, nah, that's not happening.
[00:38:47] Squeeze it until I let them know we're going to have strong handshake.
[00:38:50] You're going to look at me in the eye.
[00:38:52] You're going to be a man.
[00:38:53] You're going to have that posture that you need to have.
[00:38:56] But you know, it's not as important as it is in physical life as it is in spiritual life.
[00:39:03] Our posture toward God.
[00:39:05] So my question is this morning, how is your posture?
[00:39:09] How is your heart?
[00:39:10] Believe it or not, posture does affect health.
[00:39:13] It can lead to neck problems, spine problems, back problems if it's not corrected.
[00:39:19] If you sit at a desk all day long or you look at a smartphone and you got your head bowed down all day long and you're looking on the couch, you know, you're going to have to, you'll have your neck will start hurting, your head will start hurting, your back will start hurting.
[00:39:34] And in those times, you gotta learn to listen up.
[00:39:37] We try to tell the kids, straighten up, put your shoulders back, lift your head back.
[00:39:42] And though I am convinced of healthy living is important, I believe that we must take care of our temples, right?
[00:39:48] I believe that if you don't take care of your temple, you can't do what God has for you to do.
[00:39:52] So you gotta take care of your temple.
[00:39:54] We are three part beings, right?
[00:39:56] We're not just spiritual, but we're physical and we're mental.
[00:40:00] So you've got to sow into your mental health.
[00:40:02] You've got to sow into your physical health and your spiritual health.
[00:40:06] God created us in all of those ways.
[00:40:08] And yet, we've got to understand that not just that we should take care of our physical life.
[00:40:14] Brother Scott, he pulled up in a bicycle a couple weeks ago.
[00:40:17] I said, your car break down?
[00:40:19] He said, no, I just wanted to ride my bike to church.
[00:40:21] I'm like, I would ride mine too if it had a motor on it or a...
[00:40:25] It was electric.
[00:40:28] His didn't have neither one of it.
[00:40:30] It was Scott powered.
[00:40:31] And in that, I said, hey, he said, I want to stay in shape.
[00:40:35] I want to stay healthy.
[00:40:37] God's given me a second chance at life.
[00:40:40] I need to take care of this body that God has given to me.
[00:40:44] And I think it's important to take care of yourself.
[00:40:47] I think it's important to do those things.
[00:40:49] But we've got to understand that we need spiritual health as well.
[00:40:54] And we need to take care of our life.
[00:40:56] The Bible says in Romans 8, verse 29, For whom He did foreknow, He did predestinate to be conformed into the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
[00:41:09] We often put a lot of physical pressure on our physical posture, but I want to ask you this morning, how is your heart?
[00:41:16] How is your heart?
[00:41:17] How is your heart's posture toward God?
[00:41:20] How do you feel toward God?
[00:41:22] Is it slouching?
[00:41:23] Is it apathetic?
[00:41:24] Is it coldness?
[00:41:26] Does it have purpose in your life?
[00:41:28] You know, loving matter.
[00:41:29] I want to just lovingly, tenderly tell you like your parents did, stop slouching and sit up straight toward God.
[00:41:36] That's what I want to ask you this morning.
[00:41:38] I want to nudge your heart and I want to make you understand that there's some things that you need to hear today in your heart.
[00:41:45] Number one, you need to keep short accounts with God.
[00:41:49] You don't need to run long accounts with God.
[00:41:51] You need to keep short debits in your life with God.
[00:41:55] Sin will make you a slouch.
[00:41:57] Sin will make you, there's no doubt about it, sin destroys our spiritual health.
[00:42:04] Can somebody say amen to that?
[00:42:06] If you believe that.
[00:42:07] Sin destroys your spiritual health.
[00:42:09] It contaminates any good thing that's in your life.
[00:42:13] And the thing about sin is, it don't take but a spark to burn the house down.
[00:42:19] Sin doesn't need all.
[00:42:20] You don't have to have dump trucks full of sin dumping into your life.
[00:42:24] It can be a small little place that you've opened your heart to that all of a sudden starts bringing more and more destruction in your life.
[00:42:33] And then it contaminates you.
[00:42:35] And one of the greatest lessons that I've learned, even at a young age, I was taught this as a kid.
[00:42:41] And I realized everybody didn't grow up in church.
[00:42:44] So I need to share these things.
[00:42:46] The number one, let me tell you, that I learned as a kid is that if you mess up with God, go make it right quickly.
[00:42:54] Amen.
[00:42:59] What does it mean?
[00:43:00] Keep short accounts with God.
[00:43:03] Go confess your sin.
[00:43:04] Don't go days and weeks and months and years of getting it right.
[00:43:10] The Bible says in 1 John 1-9, if we confess, He is faithful and just to forgive us of all our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[00:43:22] How soon you confess your sins to God?
[00:43:26] How quick do you do it?
[00:43:27] ASAP.
[00:43:28] As soon as possible, tell God, man, I missed the mark today.
[00:43:32] I failed.
[00:43:34] I let my attitude go.
[00:43:35] I let my anger control me.
[00:43:37] I let my mouth get beyond me.
[00:43:39] Help me, God.
[00:43:40] Make it right with my brother, my sister, my mother, my father, my son, my daughter, my nephew, my niece, my co-worker.
[00:43:47] I'm dealing with it, and I'm dealing with it, God, because I don't want this to fester.
[00:43:52] I don't want this to grow.
[00:43:53] I want to get rid of this unrighteousness, because the longer you wait, the more
[00:43:58] Your heart, let's just be honest, will get used to slouching with God.
[00:44:06] The longer you wait in making it right with God, the more you'll get used to living in sinful lifestyles.
[00:44:16] Amen.
[00:44:17] Now this ain't going to be none of them shouting, running around, Holy Ghost falling on the floor, roll up and down the floor to this morning.
[00:44:24] This is one deal and somebody hit you in the back so straighten up.
[00:44:28] Why?
[00:44:28] Let's get honest about it.
[00:44:30] Confront your sin.
[00:44:32] Get honest about what's going on in your life.
[00:44:35] Confess your sin.
[00:44:36] Call it what it is.
[00:44:38] God already knows what it is.
[00:44:42] Just be honest with yourself.
[00:44:45] Be honest because God already is honest.
[00:44:47] He knows what it is.
[00:44:48] You can say, Lord, you know, I've just been having a little bit of emotional problems lately.
[00:44:53] No, you need to be honest.
[00:44:56] and say I have full blown lost control of myself God.
[00:45:02] I have allowed the enemy to run havoc in my life.
[00:45:06] And I know that you know that God as much as anybody does because you see it all in my life.
[00:45:12] You need to call it to God as what it is.
[00:45:14] And you need to continue.
[00:45:15] Don't allow the guilt and the past to paralyze you from God's blessings.
[00:45:20] Let me just be honest with you.
[00:45:21] The Bible says if you confess it, He is faithful and just to forgive it.
[00:45:25] So what does that mean?
[00:45:27] If He forgave it, let it go.
[00:45:28] Hallelujah.
[00:45:33] Your friends may bring it up all the time, but God doesn't.
[00:45:37] And aren't you glad that the path to heaven ain't through nobody's front yard?
[00:45:43] Aren't you glad to get to the glory?
[00:45:45] You don't got to walk through anybody's opinion of you.
[00:45:47] All you got to do is stand before a holy God.
[00:45:50] And if you've made it right with God, guess what?
[00:45:52] He is faithful and just to forgive you of sin.
[00:45:58] Oh, but what does the devil do to us?
[00:46:00] Let's just be honest.
[00:46:01] Man, I had a bad week this week.
[00:46:03] I'm not going to church.
[00:46:04] They're going to think I'm a hypocrite.
[00:46:06] I'm just going to sit here and I'm going to sit at the house.
[00:46:08] And I'm going to watch live stream maybe for three minutes and eat Cheetos.
[00:46:15] And then I'm going to get caught up in Susie's drama.
[00:46:20] The reality is this.
[00:46:22] Confess it and keep confessing your sin before God.
[00:46:25] What does it mean?
[00:46:26] You've got a number two.
[00:46:27] How do we do it?
[00:46:28] We've got to consult every decision, big and small, in our life.
[00:46:31] It seems elementary, but it's vitally important.
[00:46:33] We often clock in at our jobs, and our schedules are so busy, and we don't go through this day without much thought of Christ.
[00:46:41] Sure, we stay all our day in His Word,
[00:46:43] But let's just be honest with you.
[00:46:44] When we put on that work hat, when we go in those places in that life, and we go in the secular lives, Jesus says, I want to keep the door still open to you.
[00:46:53] I want to keep working in your life.
[00:46:54] I want to be a part of you.
[00:46:56] The Bible says in Proverbs, one of my favorite scriptures, Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.
[00:47:04] Lean not to thine own understanding in all your ways.
[00:47:09] Acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
[00:47:12] Many times we don't acknowledge Him in our decisions because we don't trust that God can make the right one in our lives.
[00:47:20] Let Him direct your paths, the big ones, the small ones, on what you're deciding to wear today.
[00:47:25] And let Him lead your heart.
[00:47:27] And I'll be honest, we've got to start thanking God for the little things.
[00:47:32] We've got to start thanking God.
[00:47:33] Nothing accelerates a heart toward God like giving God praise.
[00:47:39] Nothing.
[00:47:40] It's an attitude that energizes your mind and it gives you support throughout the day.
[00:47:45] The Bible says, Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
[00:47:50] Serve the Lord with gladness.
[00:47:52] Come before His presence with singing.
[00:47:54] Know ye that the Lord, He is God, and it is He that has made us, and we not ourselves.
[00:47:59] We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
[00:48:02] Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, into His courts with praise.
[00:48:06] Be thankful unto Him, bless His name, for the Lord is good, and His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
[00:48:18] As soon as the blessing lands in your lap, guess what?
[00:48:21] It is your posture of your heart to start praising God of the praise that He deserves.
[00:48:29] Every good gift in your life, Bible says, every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
[00:48:47] You need to start thanking God for the good things in your life.
[00:48:50] Can I tell you something husbands?
[00:48:52] You need to roll over and you need to look at your wife and you need to tell her the treasure that she really is in your life.
[00:48:59] You need to let them know.
[00:49:00] You need to say, hey, these things are good.
[00:49:03] I'll be honest.
[00:49:04] We get in there and we curse our jobs and then we get upset when we're no longer at our jobs.
[00:49:08] We walk around and we curse this and we curse that and we say, this is no good, this is terrible, this is bad, this stinks, this sorry.
[00:49:16] And guess what happens?
[00:49:17] Our life is full of problems and pain and sorrow.
[00:49:20] We need to say, guess what?
[00:49:22] There's still money coming into my bank so I'm thankful that I can feed my children.
[00:49:26] I'm thankful that I can pay my bills.
[00:49:28] I'm thankful God for your love man this car is not what it needs to be thank God you're still rolling on four towers and you're able to get where you need to be man this house is no good let me tell you go down the road to Charlotte you gonna find people living under bridges and in tents that would thank God for the house that you do have every good and perfect gift comes from above hallelujah hey we might start rolling now praise God
[00:49:58] The enemy wants you to get so wrapped up in saying, this ain't good, this is bad.
[00:50:02] That's caused by the posture of your heart.
[00:50:07] I thank you, Lord, for my family.
[00:50:11] I thank you for my job, my health, and my life.
[00:50:14] I thank you for these things.
[00:50:16] And as soon as that blessing lands in your life, God, it is you that gave it to me.
[00:50:24] It is you, Lord.
[00:50:25] So, what does the Bible say?
[00:50:28] Keep your heart.
[00:50:31] Proverbs 4.23, another scripture.
[00:50:32] If you ain't got it, underline your Bible, write in your Bible.
[00:50:34] It's okay.
[00:50:34] I used to think our Bible was so sacred we couldn't do anything to it.
[00:50:38] Right?
[00:50:38] I really did.
[00:50:39] I grew up, my daddy, you know, we used to have coffee tables.
[00:50:42] I don't know if people have coffee tables no more.
[00:50:44] But we used to have coffee tables and we used to have entertainment systems that looked like caskets.
[00:50:48] And they had a...
[00:50:52] They were like six, eight feet long and they were like a thousand pounds long.
[00:50:59] and but you know what we were taught that you could not place anything on top of the Bible we were taught that we were taught you could you know we used to have newspapers back then in magazines y'all probably don't know what that is but we used to have those things they'd bring them to our house every day you couldn't place a newspaper on the Bible you couldn't place a magazine on the Bible you couldn't place something on the Bible the Bible was sacred and holy but you know what I learned in my life
[00:51:29] is that that Bible, people say, I want to hear God.
[00:51:33] Then read His Word.
[00:51:35] I want to hear God audibly.
[00:51:37] Then read His Word loud.
[00:51:41] Right?
[00:51:43] So I learned that as I'm reading the Word, I got to write some notes because God's speaking to me.
[00:51:48] So if this ain't in your Bible, I want you to write it in there.
[00:51:51] I want you to mark it, put a line in there, and underline it.
[00:51:54] Proverbs 4, verse 23, For keep, what does he tell us?
[00:51:57] This is your responsibility, not your wife's, not your husband's, not your pastor's, not your family's, but your responsibility.
[00:52:04] Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.
[00:52:13] He tells us that everything that lives comes from the inside of our heart.
[00:52:19] If our heart is wicked, it will be drawn toward wicked things.
[00:52:24] If our heart is pure, it will be drawn to pure things.
[00:52:29] If our heart is wicked, our mouth is wicked.
[00:52:33] Right?
[00:52:34] But the Bible says bitter waters and sweet waters can't come out of the same fountain.
[00:52:39] But He also tells us out of the abundance of the mouth
[00:52:45] Heart speaks.
[00:52:47] It talks.
[00:52:49] So let me give you a couple things.
[00:52:51] Number one, what is the essential heart posture?
[00:52:54] Number one, you need a needy heart.
[00:52:57] You need a needy heart.
[00:52:59] Go to the next slide.
[00:53:00] We're going to go through these pretty quick, Don.
[00:53:02] You need a needy heart.
[00:53:05] Scripture says this in Psalm 51, Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion.
[00:53:16] Blot out my transgressions, wash away all my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sins.
[00:53:21] David is the author of these words he recalls God's unfailing love and compassion and he realized the weight of his sin and his need for forgiveness sin means this to miss the mark he knew he missed the mark that's what he knew and so instead of to get right back in relationship with God he goes to God as a filthy beggar asking for cleansing
[00:53:50] The posture of our heart must be in humility.
[00:53:56] and Humbleness.
[00:53:58] That I am needy and I can't do it on my own.
[00:54:01] My wife can't cleanse me.
[00:54:03] My husband can't cleanse me.
[00:54:04] My parents can't cleanse me.
[00:54:05] The church can't cleanse me.
[00:54:07] Only God can cleanse my life.
[00:54:10] So our heart must be this.
[00:54:12] See, pride and arrogance, it creeps inside of us and it pushes our chest out as though we got it all figured out.
[00:54:19] But I want to be honest with you.
[00:54:20] We need to realize our place.
[00:54:22] And our place is the very best that we can do is a dirty
[00:54:26] Stinky, nasty, rag.
[00:54:28] It's never going to please God.
[00:54:30] It's never going to be good enough for God.
[00:54:31] But guess what happens?
[00:54:33] When I come to Him with my dirty and my filthy and my wretched and my miserable and I say, Cleanse me, God.
[00:54:40] Wash me.
[00:54:40] I can't change unless You change me.
[00:54:43] I want to tell you, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, parents, you are not going to change anybody in your life.
[00:54:49] You know what?
[00:54:50] We can't even change ourself.
[00:54:52] The only person that can change us is God.
[00:54:55] God, it is God that'll change your child.
[00:54:58] It is God that'll change your marriage.
[00:55:00] It is God that'll change your family.
[00:55:02] It is God that'll change your life.
[00:55:05] And you're getting sin in your heart because you think you can change people.
[00:55:11] You can't.
[00:55:13] You can't change nobody.
[00:55:16] My God, you're on a diet and passed the hot and ill sign.
[00:55:18] You can't even change yourself.
[00:55:22] Maybe you're all a little stronger than I am.
[00:55:23] I don't know.
[00:55:25] We all have our weaknesses.
[00:55:29] Not only does our posture, we must have a submissive heart.
[00:55:34] A submissive heart.
[00:55:36] For I know my transgression.
[00:55:39] Psalms 51, 3 and 4.
[00:55:41] My sin is always before me, against you.
[00:55:44] You only have I sinned.
[00:55:48] And done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right.
[00:55:53] When you speak and justified when you judge.
[00:55:57] David sought restoration from God knowing his sin was a barrier between him and the Lord.
[00:56:04] Pride doesn't, didn't justify the sin.
[00:56:08] Sin is against others.
[00:56:11] It's not just against others that he sinned against, but it's ultimately against God.
[00:56:16] David justified God, not himself.
[00:56:20] The posture of his heart, he said, I've got to humble myself.
[00:56:23] I've got to be submissive to the Lord.
[00:56:25] I've got to do that so the barrier in my life can be removed.
[00:56:29] He says, cleanse me.
[00:56:30] With hyssop, and I shall be clean.
[00:56:32] Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
[00:56:34] Through the confessing of sin, he put himself in a place of position for eternal cleansing.
[00:56:41] I want to be honest with you.
[00:56:43] I like watching these little videos of these little punk kids that walk into the courtroom and they sit there acting like they big and bad and they smart off and they say something to the judge.
[00:56:50] and the judge says guess what buddy I'm the final authority lock them up put them in the jail and I'm like hey they didn't learn that they come against somebody in life that says you can't play this mess no more I'm not going to allow it listen to me we've been in the church two minutes too long that we've made God our friend
[00:57:07] and I love that but you know what God's never called you his friend he called Abraham a friend we've we brought God down to our level and we think that God's not a judge and we think that God has somehow another left who he was in the old testament but we say he's the same yesterday and forever and he changed not we forgot that he's going to send fireballs and burn this place up in a few years and he's going to cast the wicked into hell but I want to tell you something
[00:57:30] We've got to go before God in a submissiveness and say I've got to humble myself before the Lord and not boast my chest out and point my finger at somebody else and say it is you Lord that I have sinned against.
[00:57:44] Hallelujah.
[00:57:45] You Lord.
[00:57:46] If our relationship cannot get vertically correct, it'll never be horizontally.
[00:57:54] Right.
[00:57:56] We've got to have it vertically.
[00:57:57] And can I tell you, when our heart's not right with God, it starts affecting everybody else in our life.
[00:58:04] It starts attacking everything where we need to be at.
[00:58:07] So what else do we have to have with our heart posture?
[00:58:10] We've got to have an expectant heart.
[00:58:13] So I just followed the Bible right on down.
[00:58:15] He said, I will... No, we've got to have an obedient heart.
[00:58:19] This is what he says, Do not cast me from your presence.
[00:58:24] Or take your Holy Spirit from me.
[00:58:28] God help us.
[00:58:30] Can I just be honest with you?
[00:58:33] I love that we are Pentecostal.
[00:58:35] But it is much more than the feeling that we feel in a service.
[00:58:42] We have relegated the Holy Ghost to just an emotional experience.
[00:58:48] And it's more than that.
[00:58:49] Because I sit and watch people dancing and shouting and doing their jig and they was far from God but they got their cute little praise on.
[00:58:57] God ain't pleased with any of that.
[00:58:59] God's not pleased with that kind of lifestyle or that kind of acting.
[00:59:03] He says, I want you to have an obedient heart.
[00:59:05] He says, restore to me the joy of your salvation.
[00:59:11] And grant me a willing spirit, He says, to sustain me.
[00:59:17] He says, I need joy.
[00:59:19] I need your salvation.
[00:59:21] I need your Holy Spirit.
[00:59:22] But I will not make it if my heart's not willing.
[00:59:28] You must have an obedient heart to follow God.
[00:59:32] Because there's going to come trials and tests and burdens and challenges that's going to come into your life that's going to overwhelm you.
[00:59:39] People that you love are going to hurt you.
[00:59:41] Things that you go through are going to cause you to become
[00:59:44] All of this, but David said, I desire restoration with God.
[00:59:47] He knew what he needed.
[00:59:48] I have to confess to God.
[00:59:50] I've got to long for that previous joy.
[00:59:52] Restore unto me somehow or another on this journey of life.
[00:59:56] I have lost the joy of serving you.
[00:59:58] I have lost the joy of worshiping you.
[01:00:00] I have lost the joy of doing what I'm supposed to do.
[01:00:04] You know, I remember when God first called me to preach.
[01:00:06] And I was so happy.
[01:00:08] I was so thankful.
[01:00:08] Man, the Lord allowed me to preach.
[01:00:10] They finally, back then, you know, the standard has dropped so low in the kingdom.
[01:00:15] Anybody can just do whatever they want to do.
[01:00:17] But they gave me a key to the church.
[01:00:19] And before they ever gave me a key, they told me to go out and mow 12, 13 acres.
[01:00:24] And I'd go out there and mow the grass.
[01:00:26] I would go out there and cut all the bushes, and I'd climb up there and clean all the gutters.
[01:00:30] God called me to preach, but He had me out there in a moor.
[01:00:32] Man, I'm going to tell you, some people lose their mind in this world if they had to do something like that.
[01:00:37] And in that place, I learned something, that it isn't about me, it's all about Him.
[01:00:43] And I felt proud.
[01:00:44] I felt honestly, man, I'm able to serve the Lord.
[01:00:48] I know we love to get up and preach.
[01:00:50] I know we love to get up and say things.
[01:00:52] But I'm going to tell you something.
[01:00:53] There's got to be toilet paper in holders.
[01:00:54] There's got to be floors that's going to be vacuumed.
[01:00:57] You know, me and the brothers was out there cutting bushes yesterday and mowing the grass and weed eating.
[01:01:01] Let me tell you, because we come in, it just don't happen.
[01:01:04] there has to work to be done but I was so proud that guess what I could work for the Lord I could do something for God why because when I stopped become willing to the Lord when I stopped become willing this is all for a purpose then I lose the joy of my salvation and you know what happened so many come into the church and got saved and they say I'm willing to do whatever you need me to do
[01:01:35] And then, in their journey with God, boy, I got up and spoke, or I did this, or I did that, bless God, I'm above.
[01:01:45] And then what happens?
[01:01:48] We lose the joy of our salvation.
[01:01:54] That's why He said, keep me willing, Lord.
[01:01:59] whatever you have me to do keep me willing keep me willing to talk to this person that smells like urine and alcohol keep me willing to love those that have been ostracized and cast out and pushed away keep me willing Lord not just to sit in a room full of people like me but Lord let me be able to sit in the room with people that are not like me Lord let me do the menial tasks let me pick up the trash let me let me go out here and do whatever you got me to do
[01:02:27] Because guess what?
[01:02:28] As long as I'm doing something for you, Lord, as long as I'm able, I'm going to keep joy in my life.
[01:02:34] Can I just be honest?
[01:02:34] Can I just say something as your pastor?
[01:02:37] You know, Pastor Appreciation next Sunday, we're going to celebrate 17 years, and we're going to have a great time, and glory to God for all that.
[01:02:42] But I'm going to be honest with you.
[01:02:44] I have been in here long enough, and I've been pastoring, and I've been in ministry long enough that when people get too good, and I'm just going to preach, it's okay.
[01:02:51] When people get too good to serve the Lord in any capacity that is in, they will quickly find themselves bitter, angry, and overwhelmed in the kingdom where they want to walk away from it all.
[01:03:05] I've been pastoring over 20 years of my life.
[01:03:07] I have seen them come through the door and then they feel like they are beyond it and beyond it.
[01:03:11] I don't care.
[01:03:12] Help me Jesus.
[01:03:14] The church needs less chiefs and more Indians.
[01:03:22] We need more followers and servants.
[01:03:25] Jesus said, if I have washed your feet, so you ought to wash each other's feet.
[01:03:31] I want you to be honest.
[01:03:32] If you are not willing to serve, you will lose the joy of your salvation.
[01:03:38] Hallelujah.
[01:03:41] Amen.
[01:03:41] Praise God anyhow.
[01:03:44] Killing y'all shout, but it's alright.
[01:03:47] I didn't like it when mama told me to sit up straight.
[01:03:51] Number four, got to have an expectant heart.
[01:04:00] An expectant heart.
[01:04:02] I only got one more to go after this, so don't think.
[01:04:06] He said, I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners to turn back to you.
[01:04:11] Once David's relationship was restored, he became expectant that what?
[01:04:16] God would use him.
[01:04:18] that God would use him in spite of what he has done, in spite of where he had failed, in spite of how he had sinned.
[01:04:28] He said, Lord, restore unto me the joy of your salvation.
[01:04:31] But then he says, I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will turn back to you.
[01:04:40] He didn't just say, I'm going to go out and talk to a bunch of heathens.
[01:04:43] He said, but the heathens are going to turn back to you, God.
[01:04:48] He had an expectancy that if God could turn his life around, then God can turn anybody's life around.
[01:04:58] See, I want you to understand something.
[01:05:01] The sin didn't define him.
[01:05:04] God continued to use the forgiven king.
[01:05:08] And I liked what Brother Billy said to me the other day.
[01:05:10] He was on the way to play golf, I don't know, last week, this week, I don't know when it was.
[01:05:14] My time is all in the air.
[01:05:15] I don't know.
[01:05:16] I live in eternity.
[01:05:17] I don't know.
[01:05:17] It's all happening at one time in my mind.
[01:05:21] But Billy said to me, he said, I think people that serve the Lord...
[01:05:27] Need to fall on their face some so they learn that they've got to trust God.
[01:05:34] He said because pride is a stench in the nostrils of God.
[01:05:39] And I'm going to be honest with you, until we have been broken, until our heart has been crushed, we truly don't understand the goodness of God.
[01:05:47] Until we have realized how far in the miry, Brother Ray, that God reached way down in the miry clay and right down in the pit of despair, in the sin and the filth and the scum of life.
[01:06:00] The skid row of life.
[01:06:02] Well, Pastor, I didn't do none of this.
[01:06:04] You was as filthy as one that did it all.
[01:06:06] And he reached his hand way down.
[01:06:09] And he picked us up.
[01:06:10] And he put our feet upon a rock.
[01:06:12] He put a new song in our mouth.
[01:06:14] He established our goings.
[01:06:16] Even praise unto our God.
[01:06:18] Hallelujah!
[01:06:22] If God can save me and turn me around, God can change anybody.
[01:06:29] Hallelujah.
[01:06:30] Somebody praise the Lord.
[01:06:32] He can turn them around.
[01:06:34] The sin did not define him.
[01:06:42] The forgiveness of God defined him.
[01:06:46] Hallelujah.
[01:06:48] I'm forgiven.
[01:06:49] Hallelujah.
[01:06:50] Anybody else forgiven in this place?
[01:06:53] Anybody else been washing the blood?
[01:06:55] Anybody else backslid and messed up and got away from God and made a stupid mess of it?
[01:07:00] You said, I'm going to be faithful.
[01:07:01] I won't deny you.
[01:07:03] I'm going to serve you the rest of my life.
[01:07:04] And you walked out the doors and fell flat on your face?
[01:07:07] Let me tell you, you're in good company because we've all missed tomorrow.
[01:07:11] We've all failed.
[01:07:12] We've all fallen short of the glory of God.
[01:07:16] Hallelujah.
[01:07:19] Expectancy.
[01:07:20] If God can do it in my life, God can do it in somebody else's.
[01:07:25] That's the posture of your heart.
[01:07:27] Obedient.
[01:07:28] Lastly is this.
[01:07:30] He had an evidence of a restored heart.
[01:07:33] If God's done something inside of you, there's going to be evidence that it happened.
[01:07:39] He said, O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise.
[01:07:46] You do not delight in sacrifice.
[01:07:49] He said, I'd bring it.
[01:07:51] He said, you don't, all of this stuff, he said, but the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a contrite heart.
[01:07:59] Oh God, you don't despise.
[01:08:03] No longer restless and burdened from the weight of sin.
[01:08:08] David, praise God.
[01:08:09] Why?
[01:08:10] Restoration took place.
[01:08:11] Relationship was restored.
[01:08:14] And the evidence resumed in his writing.
[01:08:16] God extends grace and forgiveness to all of us.
[01:08:20] It begins, though, with the recognition, number one, of a needy heart.
[01:08:25] You need God's change in your life.
[01:08:28] You know, I'll be honest.
[01:08:32] My mom and Natalie's mom, I think it's a mom thing, I just don't want to slump it over.
[01:08:38] But you know what?
[01:08:39] I would be sitting there as a kid.

[01:08:43] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
I'd be hunched over like this.

[01:08:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
We didn't have cell phones.
[01:08:49] God help all these kids' cell phones.
[01:08:54] Set up straight.
[01:08:55] Set up straight.
[01:08:55] No slouch.
[01:08:57] But you know what?
[01:08:58] There comes some time again where life will cause me to start doing this again.
[01:09:06] Sit back up.
[01:09:06] Okay.
[01:09:07] Sit back up.
[01:09:09] Life sometimes causes us to slouch.
[01:09:14] Life sometimes causes us to lose the joy.
[01:09:20] And I've learned enough that the reality was, is me telling me, Natalie telling the kids, stop being slouchy and saying I'm trying to save you from pain later.
[01:09:38] But we take it as an offense because, well, I don't want to say it.
[01:09:43] I don't want to say it.
[01:09:44] I'm tired.
[01:09:44] I got all this going on in my life.
[01:09:46] But if you continue to stay in this wrong posture, it's going to cause stuff to start hurting.
[01:09:54] It's going to cause things to start getting misaligned.
[01:10:00] It's going to cause your walk to change.
[01:10:04] It's going to cause your life to change.
[01:10:07] Because your posture changed.
[01:10:11] And I want to ask you a question.
[01:10:12] Sometimes we need a reminder from God.
[01:10:14] Ashley, come help me close please.
[01:10:16] Do I have an unforgiving spirit?
[01:10:20] We need to change our posture.
[01:10:22] Do I have a place inside of me that I'm holding bitterness and hurt feelings?
[01:10:25] Then we need to ask God to change our posture.
[01:10:29] Have I taken more of the world upon my shoulders and less of the Word of God in my life?
[01:10:37] How do I do it?
[01:10:38] I pray.
[01:10:39] I release it.
[01:10:41] And I give it to God, and God's extravagant forgiveness changes our lives.
[01:10:47] You know, I thought about this, and as I was preparing, I'm just going to be honest, sometimes have you ever heard good news, but there was something not so joyful going on on the inside of you that prevented you from hearing the good news?
[01:11:07] Let's just be honest.
[01:11:09] I'm just going to be truthful.
[01:11:10] I'm going to be very transparent.
[01:11:12] I think we've all been there.
[01:11:14] I think we can look back at moments in our life and we wish that we would have reacted not out of hurt, but out of gratitude.
[01:11:25] But especially for those who cared for us.
[01:11:28] Being a daddy, one of my greatest things in life, being a father.
[01:11:34] has given me a front row seat to this in life.
[01:11:40] It shows me sometimes I'm always quick to rationalize in my own life while I don't respond with joy just bubbling over when things are going good because for some reason I think we always have this odd way of seeing that we're more comforted by the dissatisfaction
[01:12:05] In our own heart than we are by the joy that's going on in others.
[01:12:13] And I'll look at the kids and sometimes there'll be something good that comes and they'll have grumpy faces.
[01:12:23] And I'll be like, man, but did you not hear the good news?
[01:12:26] But the problem was is that the posture of the heart directly correlates with the amount of joy that is in our lives.
[01:12:36] The reason we cannot receive joy when something good is happening because our posture is not in the place that it needs to be.
[01:12:52] And God is bringing blessing upon blessing upon blessing in your life all around you.
[01:12:58] If there are people that are praying to have the life that you're complaining about,
[01:13:07] They would love to have the life that you live.
[01:13:13] They would love to have the things that are going on in your life.
[01:13:18] You know, I don't expect my kids to go over the moon because good news comes in their life when they're having a tough day.
[01:13:24] That's an unreasonable expectation of anybody, right?
[01:13:29] You're having a tough time to be over the moon.
[01:13:32] But yet, I do expect gratitude.
[01:13:36] Thank you.
[01:13:38] Kindness.
[01:13:39] Right?
[01:13:39] We're teaching that to Luke.
[01:13:41] Abimelech, they're adults.
[01:13:42] They've got to figure this stuff out.
[01:13:45] But I'm speaking, when I look at Luke, I want him to understand that even though it may be tough at the moment, respond with thank you.
[01:13:57] Respond with gratitude.
[01:13:59] Respond with a feeling of having, hey, why?
[01:14:03] Because, let me just say this to you.
[01:14:07] You
[01:14:08] And only you are in charge of your posture, of your heart.
[01:14:17] Why, I want you to hear me.
[01:14:20] When the posture of my heart is turned so far inward that my own satisfaction and hurt are more comforting to me than someone else's kindness and care, then that's a heart problem.
[01:14:34] Let me be honest with you husbands and wives.
[01:14:36] Can I just try to help your marriage out a little bit?
[01:14:40] Some of you need to start having the right posture toward your spouse.
[01:14:45] It's wrong.
[01:14:47] Instead of snarkiness, disrespect, instead of isolation, it needs to be openness and kindness.
[01:15:01] It needs to be thankfulness.
[01:15:03] and Appreciativeness.
[01:15:05] Them children that you're so stressed out with, guess what?
[01:15:08] Thank God that they're still in your care.
[01:15:12] Thank God that you still have them.
[01:15:14] They may act crazy and stupid, but hear me, they're still yours.
[01:15:20] And they still got breath in their body.
[01:15:22] And they still have a channel for you to love.
[01:15:26] Hey, listen to me.
[01:15:28] This church ain't perfect.
[01:15:29] The leadership isn't perfect.
[01:15:31] The one down the street isn't.
[01:15:33] No one else isn't either.
[01:15:35] But listen to me, when we come here, the posture of our heart must be toward God and not toward anything else.
[01:15:43] If you've had a bad week, guess what?
[01:15:45] You're probably sitting beside somebody with a bad week.
[01:15:48] You're probably sitting beside somebody that had a hard week.
[01:15:51] Somebody that's gone through something.
[01:15:53] Somebody whose finances are challenged.
[01:15:55] Somebody whose relationships are in turmoil.
[01:15:57] But guess what?
[01:15:58] If you leave here with the wrong posture, you're going to be misaligned all week and you're not going to be able to do what you need to do.
[01:16:05] So guess what they do?
[01:16:08] The chiropractor will go in there and they'll pop, they'll crack, they'll twist.
[01:16:12] Why?
[01:16:13] I like watching it.
[01:16:14] There's this thing called the ring dinger.
[01:16:15] I don't know if it's safe or not.
[01:16:16] They put them in there and they tie them to it and they grab the thing around their neck and they jerk their head like that.
[01:16:22] People look like they're about to die when it's done.
[01:16:24] And then they tap their...make sure they're still feeling there.
[01:16:29] I'm like, God, help them, Jesus.
[01:16:33] The legs are still kicking.
[01:16:34] I'm like, they help you still walk.
[01:16:35] You're all right.
[01:16:35] The person's like, ah.
[01:16:39] How is that good?
[01:16:42] But the problem is this, that sometimes they got to align you to get you back to where you need to be.
[01:16:53] Can I ask you this morning, God help us to align our hearts.
[01:16:59] I pastured at church before this one in Wadesboro.
[01:17:03] There was a lady there who walked like this.
[01:17:07] She couldn't stand up straight.
[01:17:08] You didn't know she had that problem while she was sitting down.
[01:17:11] She just sat and sat there.
[01:17:12] And when she'd leave, she'd walk like this.
[01:17:16] Looking at her feet all the time.
[01:17:18] She ended up developing a hernia inside of her.
[01:17:22] She was an older lady.
[01:17:24] She was kind of poor.
[01:17:25] Didn't have much in life.
[01:17:26] Means were very sad.
[01:17:29] She had come to church.
[01:17:30] I thought, man, she's in so much pain.
[01:17:32] We're coming here like this, looking at her shoes, walking like this.
[01:17:37] She had a hernia which would cause an issue and they took her to the hospital.
[01:17:41] They started surgery.
[01:17:42] They laid her on the table.
[01:17:45] But because her back, she had been like this so long, her spine had fused like that.
[01:17:52] And when they laid her on that operating table, they ended up breaking her back.
[01:18:01] She ended up dying.
[01:18:05] And I'll never forget that.
[01:18:08] What happened in life that caused it to go a little bit like this?
[01:18:13] A little bit like this?
[01:18:15] A little bit like this?
[01:18:17] See, some of us are carrying stuff that we are never meant to carry.
[01:18:23] Some of us are walking around.
[01:18:25] You used to walk like this.
[01:18:27] But now you're carrying the burden, the rejection of others.
[01:18:31] You're carrying the pain of your relationships.
[01:18:35] You're carrying the hurt.
[01:18:37] And you don't realize it, but the more you start going in this direction, the more it keeps pushing you in that direction.
[01:18:46] Abraham got to a place like that that God Himself had to tell him twice to lift up his head because he became so discouraged in life.
[01:18:57] And I'm going to be honest with you guys, I feel the Lord.
[01:19:02] There are some of you that are carrying heavy burdens that you were never meant to carry.
[01:19:08] Some things you've got to lay at the feet of Jesus and just leave it there and trust that God is working in your life.
[01:19:20] So I want to say this morning, hear the nudge of the Holy Ghost.
[01:19:24] Sit up straight.
[01:19:27] Get your heart right.
[01:19:29] The Bible says in such a way that before you ever get up here and do any of this, He said make it right with one another before you do anything there.
[01:19:40] He said because the posture of your heart is more important than your talent and your calling and your position and all of the things that you've got going on.
[01:19:52] Make it right.
[01:19:53] It's a vertical.
[01:19:54] My relationship with God, my relationship with man which forms the cross.
[01:19:59] Will you stand with me all over this place this morning?
[01:20:03] This is the prayer that I've been praying for two weeks and it really surprised me when Scott said it Tuesday night.
[01:20:09] It was the Holy Ghost that just jumped off the page and he shared this Sunday.
[01:20:18] Check the posture of your heart.
[01:20:22] Check it.
[01:20:24] Make sure that it's where that it's supposed to be at.
[01:20:28] I said this Wednesday night, and I'm going to say it again.
[01:20:31] I think it's important to say it.
[01:20:33] I was going through a very difficult place.
[01:20:34] My wife was going through a very difficult place.
[01:20:38] We both was carrying some stuff, not against each other, not quarreling with each other, nothing there, nothing between.
[01:20:44] It was just life was heavy.
[01:20:45] And I remember laying down at bed.
[01:20:48] And the Lord, I had laid on one side, she was over there on the other and was just laying there and was just trying to wrestle with all the things that I was fighting in my mind, things she was fighting in her mind.
[01:20:56] Again, nothing between us, just life.
[01:21:00] And the enemy would like for my... Come here, sweetheart.
[01:21:08] The enemy would like for me to be this way with my spouse.
[01:21:17] I'm laying there dealing with my demons.
[01:21:19] She's laying there dealing with her things.
[01:21:20] We all have things going on.
[01:21:22] Nothing between us.
[01:21:24] But what's going on out here is affecting what's going on right here.
[01:21:30] And you know what the Lord told me?
[01:21:32] Simple.
[01:21:32] I said it Wednesday night.
[01:21:33] He said, Donnie, roll your little hiney in over and tell her how much you love her.
[01:21:44] And you know what?
[01:21:44] I turned around and I hugged her.
[01:21:47] I loved her.
[01:21:48] Because I'm going to be honest with you, the enemy wants to use your heart to create chaos in your life.
[01:21:55] So I don't know who needs to fix their home, their families, their mind, their life, their walk.
[01:22:04] But God help us to turn our hearts back to you.
[01:22:11] Back to you.
[01:22:12] Again, there was nothing here.
[01:22:14] It was life.
[01:22:16] but God said make sure that in the midst of all this that your hearts stay close so hear me this morning God hey if your spouse is gone if things happen let me tell you this don't turn your heart away from God so many get angry toward God so many get angry toward things and they say well I forget it I'm gonna turn my heart let me tell you something you start going through stuff attending church less is probably not the answer
[01:22:43] It's showing up more, saying, I'm going to keep my heart open to the things of God.
[01:22:49] So this morning, I want to say, oh God, help us to be faithful to you.
[01:22:52] Father, right now, in the name of Jesus, touch our hearts, touch our minds, touch our lives.
[01:22:57] Father, we are here today, needy people, in need of your touch and your help.
[01:23:01] Strengthen us, wash us, cleanse us.
[01:23:04] Make us holy before you, O God.
[01:23:06] And Lord, I thank you for what you've done, what you're going to do, how that you're working in our midst and in our lives.
[01:23:11] And I thank you for changing our hearts.
[01:23:14] God, in Jesus' name, I want to ask this question.
[01:23:18] I want everyone that will.
[01:23:19] I know it's a little different, but I want everyone that will.
[01:23:23] I want us to come to this front.
[01:23:25] And you can come and stand.
[01:23:26] You can come and kneel.
[01:23:27] You can come, and I want us to open our heart toward God and say, God, keep my heart toward you.
[01:23:33] Will you come right now?
[01:23:34] This is just a Sunday.
[01:23:35] This is how I feel to do this this morning.
[01:23:37] I want us to pray.
[01:23:38] Maybe you and a husband and wife need to come down here and hold hands.
[01:23:41] Maybe you need to pray for your family, your children, your home, your community.
[01:23:45] I don't know what it is.
[01:23:46] You just need to pray.
[01:23:47] I want you to come.
[01:23:48] I want you to come.
[01:23:49] Maybe you're by yourself this morning.
[01:23:50] I want you to come in the name of Jesus.
[01:23:52] I want everyone that will.
[01:23:53] I don't want you to be disobedient.
[01:23:54] I want you to be open and say, God, help my heart.
[01:23:56] You say, my heart's open.
[01:23:57] Great.
[01:23:58] Well, let's open it some more.
[01:23:59] Come on.
[01:23:59] I want you to come in the name of Jesus.
[01:24:01] Just come and say, God, cleanse my heart.
[01:24:03] Have my heart towards you, Lord.
[01:24:06] Have my heart towards you, Lord.
[01:24:08] As you come, if you can't kneel, just stand and raise your hands.
[01:24:11] In the name of Jesus.
[01:24:12] In the name of Jesus.
[01:24:13] In the name of Jesus.