Episode 31
How to Approach the King: Cultivating a Heart of Worship and Surrender
What happens when you step into the presence of a king? In this powerful teaching, Glenn Bleakney shares riveting stories from ministry in Nigeria and deep biblical insight on how our approach determines our access. Discover why we never come before the King empty-handed, how delighting in the Lord softens our hearts, and why living as a true sacrifice unlocks His favor and blessing.
Learn the spiritual protocol for encountering the King of kings, and how humility, honor, hunger, and holiness attract His presence. This is a timely word for anyone longing for deeper intimacy with God and breakthrough in every area of life.
Transcript
Going to teach on how to approach a king.
Speaker A:Have you ever, any of you ever met a king, Spent time with a king?
Speaker A:I had the privilege to do that once in Nigeria.
Speaker A: So back in the early: Speaker A:Delta state then was really bad.
Speaker A:It's still not good.
Speaker A:But back then, it was in what they call a crisis.
Speaker A:So basically what had happened was there was militia was fighting against the oil companies.
Speaker A:So the oil companies going in, taking the oil, and the local people weren't benefiting from it.
Speaker A:So they had to do something crazy to get the attention of the oil companies.
Speaker A:And every time they kidnap someone or do something crazy, the oil companies would respond.
Speaker A:Build a road, build a school, do something.
Speaker A:So this continued.
Speaker A:And so I had the privilege to fly into Nigeria during this time, not knowing how bad it was.
Speaker A:When I was on the flight from Canada, where we lived at that time, from Toronto into lagos, nigeria, one of the men on the plane, he was speaking with me, and he said, where are you going?
Speaker A:I said, well, I'm going to delta state to a place called worry.
Speaker A:It's on the niger delta, and it's a village actually called okwagbi.
Speaker A:And Okwagbi, at that time, literally on the river, really, really bad.
Speaker A:And he looked at me and he said this.
Speaker A:He goes, you're very brave, sir.
Speaker A:And I said, I am?
Speaker A:He said, yes.
Speaker A:He said, I wouldn't go there.
Speaker A:And I'm a nigerian.
Speaker A:And I said, oh, wow, I'm crazy.
Speaker A:I didn't realize how dangerous it was.
Speaker A:Honestly, I had no idea.
Speaker A:So we get there.
Speaker A:We had.
Speaker A:It was a long, complicated journey.
Speaker A:Finally fly into worry.
Speaker A:Then we take transport to the hotel, which was a fortified compound.
Speaker A:It had big, tall walls, probably at least 8 meters high, and razor wire everywhere.
Speaker A:Guards with machine guns outside and inside.
Speaker A:And that was the safest place to be.
Speaker A:We were told as you go down the streets, all the shops were closed, Military everywhere.
Speaker A:They've got snipers on rooftops.
Speaker A:It's really, really big bad.
Speaker A:So we go there, and the first order of business was that we need.
Speaker A:We caught up as a team and we discussed what would we do.
Speaker A:And the first thing we were told by the locals is, you need to visit the king and secure his blessing before you conduct the crusade.
Speaker A:Now, I'd heard about this king because I have several friends that had done ministry in this region before, not right there in the area where we were going, but.
Speaker A:But more closer To a place called port Harcourt and Warri.
Speaker A:And so we ended up journeying to his palace.
Speaker A:It's a proper palace.
Speaker A:You go inside the palace.
Speaker A:We met with the king and we offered him a gift.
Speaker A:One of my friends who has does extensive ministry in Africa, he actually took over the ministry, was the successor to Reinhard Bonnke.
Speaker A:His name is Daniel Kolenda.
Speaker A:Maybe you've heard of him.
Speaker A:Daniel advised me when I was meeting with him in Florida.
Speaker A:We were living in Florida at that time.
Speaker A:And he said to me, when you go to meet this king, make sure you bring him a gift.
Speaker A:Don't approach him without a gift.
Speaker A:I found that very interesting because the reputation that this king had is that he's a very wealthy man.
Speaker A:He lives in a palace, and so why would I have to give him a gift?
Speaker A:So I did.
Speaker A:In fact, we gave him several gifts.
Speaker A:We gave him a cash gift in US Dollars.
Speaker A:We also gave him some special gifts from Canada, Things that were unique, things you couldn't get necessarily there.
Speaker A:And as I approached the king and we ended up, those gifts were passed on to him.
Speaker A:He thanked me, and then he asked me, he said, what is it that you want from me?
Speaker A:And I said, king or olu is how they say it.
Speaker A:He said, what do you want?
Speaker A:I said, we want your blessing and your favor as we conduct this crusade.
Speaker A:We want you to bless us.
Speaker A:And he said, I will do that.
Speaker A:And in fact, not only will I bless you, but I will let all of the people know that you literally are endorsed by me, the I am in favor of what you're doing.
Speaker A:And so as a result, the word got out.
Speaker A:And can I tell you that over 50,000 people showed up for the crusade.
Speaker A:It was crazy, and it's such a dangerous area that the police won't even go there.
Speaker A:I found out some amazing things when I was there.
Speaker A:But suffice to say that we conducted the crusade and we saw God move in powerful ways.
Speaker A:Many people, thousands came to Jesus Christ and there were many miracles that took place.
Speaker A:And the point I want to make here this morning is that when we approach a king, it literally is our approach that determines our access.
Speaker A:Just as this king in Nigeria, we didn't need him to give us permission.
Speaker A:We could have done it without his permission.
Speaker A:But we want his favor.
Speaker A:We wanted his blessing.
Speaker A:And what I'm saying is that just as there's earthly kings that we can secure favor from, we have the greatest king, don't we?
Speaker A:Jesus Christ is king of kings and lord of lords.
Speaker A:He's more esteemed than any earthly ruler, and he's worthy of even greater honor and glory.
Speaker A:And so how we approach him, how we approach God is critical.
Speaker A:For example, Jesus said that God is spirit and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Speaker A:So here he shows us protocol.
Speaker A:He gives us criteria on how to approach his Father.
Speaker A:See, our approach determines our access.
Speaker A:And the Bible instructs us to always be appear before the Lord with something in our hands.
Speaker A: the Bible says in Deuteronomy: Speaker A:It says, three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which he chooses, at the feast of unleavened bread, the feast of weeks, and at the feast of tabernacles.
Speaker A:Look at this.
Speaker A:And they shall not appear before the Lord empty handed.
Speaker A:God says, don't come before me empty handed.
Speaker A:Bring a sacrifice when you approach me.
Speaker A:Another example, Psalm 96, verse 8.
Speaker A:Give to the Lord the glory due his name.
Speaker A:Bring an offering and come into his courts.
Speaker A:Give to the Lord the glory due his name.
Speaker A:What?
Speaker A:Bring what an offering and come into his courts.
Speaker A:Now here's another verse.
Speaker A:It's Proverbs 18, verse 16.
Speaker A:And a lot of times we actually take this out of context.
Speaker A:It talks about a man's gifts.
Speaker A:Go before him and make a way.
Speaker A:That's actually.
Speaker A:And they'll say, you know, your spiritual gifts, your anointing.
Speaker A:That's not what it means.
Speaker A:Can I just say, that's not what that verse is talking about.
Speaker A: In Proverbs: Speaker A:What is he talking about?
Speaker A:He's talking about what I just shared.
Speaker A:Coming before a king with a gift.
Speaker A: Proverbs: Speaker A:So the idea is that you have to come before the king with a gift.
Speaker A:So think about that.
Speaker A:Preparing ourselves, we prepare our physical appearance.
Speaker A:We prepare for marriage.
Speaker A:We prepare to become parents.
Speaker A:We prepare for a job interview.
Speaker A:We prepare academically, we even prepare for difficult times.
Speaker A:But do we prepare ourselves to approach the king?
Speaker A:What will set apart the bride of Christ according to what the book of Revelation says, is that they're known as a people that have prepared themselves.
Speaker A:It says in Revelation 19:7, Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory.
Speaker A:For the wedding of the lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
Speaker A:His bride has prepared herself.
Speaker A:Yet how casual.
Speaker A:How Flippant are we when it comes to how we approach God?
Speaker A:See, it's time.
Speaker A:The time.
Speaker A:Think about this.
Speaker A:The time we put into selecting the right gift speaks volumes regarding the value we place on the recipient.
Speaker A:The time we put into selecting the right gift speaks volumes regarding the value we place on the recipient.
Speaker A:Therefore, how we approach God informs the level of access we're granted.
Speaker A:And access to God.
Speaker A:Guess what it does.
Speaker A:It grants us favor and blessing.
Speaker A:Just like the Olu and Nigeria said.
Speaker A:Hey, guys, access, favor, my blessing.
Speaker A:Think about that as it relates to God, right?
Speaker A:We come before him with worship, with an offering, with our lives as a living sacrifice which we're about to see.
Speaker A:And we give that to Him.
Speaker A:And what does he say he gives back?
Speaker A:He blesses and gives beyond what we could ever give to Him.
Speaker A:So we want to talk about this today.
Speaker A:See, the gift is found in.
Speaker A:The offering is actually found In Romans, chapter 12.
Speaker A:I want to unpack this a little bit.
Speaker A:Romans 12, verse 1 says this.
Speaker A:I appeal to you, therefore, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Speaker A:Some other translations say it's your reasonable service.
Speaker A:That's your reasonable act of spiritual worship.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:When you offer what your bodies as living sacrifices.
Speaker A:Now, the word that is translated bodies here is the Greek word soma.
Speaker A:Soma is an interesting term in the context of what he's speaking of here.
Speaker A:It actually means to give your entire person to God as a living sacrifice, not just your physical body, but your spirit, your soul and your body.
Speaker A:In other words, your entire being is to be the sacrifice.
Speaker A:And indeed, it's reminiscent of most scholars will say, of the offering in the Old Testament that's called the burnt offering.
Speaker A:And the burnt offering, of all of the five Levitical offerings was the only one in which the entire being of the animal was sacrificed.
Speaker A:The burnt offering is an offering of complete sacrifice, of utter consecration, of being wholly surrendered to God.
Speaker A:A place where we give him everything that is due his name.
Speaker A:And the Bible tells us very clearly here that when we do this, it actually brings delight to God.
Speaker A:It says that as we do this, it literally becomes holy and acceptable to God.
Speaker A:The word that is translated acceptable means well pleasing.
Speaker A:And it carries the connotation of bringing delight to God, that our worship, our sacrifice, our lives laid down, everything about us is what he's looking for.
Speaker A:Now, some people can say, well, if I go to church, if I give money, if I serve, that's great.
Speaker A:That's what God wants.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Wrong.
Speaker A:You can take last week's message and apply it to your life.
Speaker A:And unless you have a heart of worship underneath it all, you're just like a Pharisee who tithe on mill, dent, dill and cumin.
Speaker A:All of these things.
Speaker A:They were meticulous, but their hearts were far from God.
Speaker A:So what he's talking about here is something so powerful, so critical, and we're going to go to a very well known verse to understand the heart of worship.
Speaker A:So God is looking for a heart of worship.
Speaker A:Yes, we should give.
Speaker A:Yes, we should tithe.
Speaker A:Yes, we should give offerings.
Speaker A:Yes, we should go to church.
Speaker A:The Bible says that the early church set it apart as a day unto the Lord.
Speaker A:Now I understand it doesn't work every week.
Speaker A:You know, if the ox falls in the pit, pull it out, right?
Speaker A:But Billy Graham once said, if the oxen keeps falling into the pit, either kill the oxen or, you know, fill in the pit.
Speaker A:So there's some things we have to like, hey, prioritize God is what I'm trying to say.
Speaker A:Prioritize God, prioritize.
Speaker A:Don't forsake the assembling together of yourselves when you have the opportunity.
Speaker A:And it's not just showing up on Sunday that that's referring to obviously.
Speaker A:But he was speaking specifically of the gathering of believers in Hebrews 10 when he said that it's important.
Speaker A:Things happen when we get into his presence.
Speaker A:Things happen when his gifts are moving and the Word is coming forth.
Speaker A:And you know, it says in the book of Acts that they devoted themselves to prayer, to the breaking of bread, to fellowship, to the apostles teaching.
Speaker A:They devoted themselves.
Speaker A:That's a strong word.
Speaker A:It's a commitment.
Speaker A:So let's look at a verse that is so powerful but yet often overlooked.
Speaker A:Psalm 37:4.
Speaker A:Delight yourself in the Lord and he will what?
Speaker A:Give you the desires of your heart.
Speaker A:Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Speaker A:What a powerful promise that God will give us not just guys what we need, but even our desires.
Speaker A:I love that Jesus said in John's Gospel, ask the Father anything in my name and he will do it.
Speaker A:That your joy may be full like he delights to see us blessed.
Speaker A:Let's get back to that.
Speaker A:But the point, this is all about delighting ourselves in the Lord.
Speaker A:Interesting word.
Speaker A:Okay, the word that is translated delight here is.
Speaker A:Is anag in Hebrew.
Speaker A:Now what that means, delight.
Speaker A:It's a very interesting term.
Speaker A:In the original Hebrew it means to be exquisite, but it also can mean this, to be Soft to be pliable.
Speaker A:And the idea is this, that our hearts are to be soft and pliable.
Speaker A:We're supposed to come before God with hearts that we allow him to shape.
Speaker A:You know, it says of David in Acts 13 that David was a man after God's own heart.
Speaker A:It says, who will do all my will?
Speaker A:What does that mean?
Speaker A:He delighted to do his will.
Speaker A:It says that of Jesus.
Speaker A:This is my servant who delights to do my will.
Speaker A:Delighting in the will of God, which is, Lord, I come before you with a soft heart.
Speaker A:Mold me, shape me.
Speaker A:I come before you, Lord, to do your will.
Speaker A:Often many of us come before God with the opposite.
Speaker A:We have our minds made up.
Speaker A:We have our own agenda set.
Speaker A:As I was praying this morning, I felt the Lord said that some of my people have become so set on their own ways and doing what they want that they become numb to my conviction.
Speaker A:And because their hearts have become hard and they're not listening to me.
Speaker A:But when we come before God with a heart that delights, we're saying, lord, I'm soft, I'm pliable.
Speaker A:Shape me, do whatever you want.
Speaker A:Change my attitude.
Speaker A:Show me what you desire.
Speaker A:But when we come rigid, this is the way it is.
Speaker A:And we stop hearing the voice of God because we're no longer delighting in him.
Speaker A:We're delighting in what he can do for us.
Speaker A:Or hopefully he'll bless what we've already decided and made up our minds.
Speaker A:Lord, bless my will.
Speaker A:Not your will, but my will be done.
Speaker A:Should I go there?
Speaker A:Do you know what the root of all evil is?
Speaker A:Some people say money.
Speaker A:No, it's not money.
Speaker A:Money is not evil.
Speaker A:Actually, in the original language, it says the love of money is a root of evil, not the root.
Speaker A:So if there's a root, there means there's more than one root.
Speaker A:Correct.
Speaker A:The root.
Speaker A:The root of all evil is selfish ambition.
Speaker A:James 3:16 says that.
Speaker A:If you read that.
Speaker A:So the idea is this, that when we have our own desires, then that is the root of all evil.
Speaker A:It's all about what I want, what I've made up my mind to.
Speaker A:To do.
Speaker A:My agenda, my plans.
Speaker A:That we actually become deaf to the voice of God.
Speaker A:When we live in a way that we say, lord, I have nothing.
Speaker A:We come before him with something in our hands.
Speaker A:What does that mean in the New Testament?
Speaker A:That we come before him still with the sacrifice, still with an offering, our lives laid down.
Speaker A:It doesn't mean that we segment this.
Speaker A:Well, I give God time.
Speaker A:I give God my talents.
Speaker A:I give God my Treasure.
Speaker A:That's not what it's talking about.
Speaker A:Some people say, well, I give him my time, I give him my time, but I don't give him my treasure.
Speaker A:I give him my treasure, but I don't give him my time.
Speaker A:And it can go on and on, but that's not what the heart of worship is about.
Speaker A:The heart of worship is this, Lord, whatever you want, whatever you desire, whatever you have for my life, I give it to you.
Speaker A:I have no plans, no agenda.
Speaker A:Lord, whatever you desire, I delight.
Speaker A:Just to do what you want, I delight.
Speaker A:The Bible says, delight yourself in the Lord.
Speaker A:And see, the Bible says, what, he will give you the desires of your heart.
Speaker A:That's an amazing thing, that he will give you the desires of your heart.
Speaker A:But let's make sure that we're delighting in the person and presence of the Lord, not just in his promises and provision.
Speaker A:It's like he's our spiritual vending machine and we do whatever we, we get for him, whatever we want.
Speaker A:But see, delighting in the Lord is the antithesis of trying to strong arm God to do what we want done.
Speaker A:It's whatever you will.
Speaker A:You want me to do this?
Speaker A:You want me to give it?
Speaker A:Do you want me to go there?
Speaker A:Do you want me to pray for that person?
Speaker A:God says, yeah, I want you to do this.
Speaker A:I want you to be like my son.
Speaker A:I want you to be like me.
Speaker A:I want you to be willing to say, lord, all that I have, all that I own, all that I am is yours.
Speaker A:And I delight in you.
Speaker A:I delight to know you.
Speaker A:I delight to know you.
Speaker A:See, the mentality that many Christians have is that serving God is drudgery or obligatory.
Speaker A:And I do it so I can get this.
Speaker A:I have to do it.
Speaker A:I have to go to church, I have to pray rather than I get to spend time with the king.
Speaker A:I get to approach this king.
Speaker A:I get to come before him in worship and honor.
Speaker A:I get to bring an offering to him.
Speaker A:I can give my finance to the kingdom.
Speaker A:I can do all of these things.
Speaker A:I, I get to do this and I delight to do it.
Speaker A:But the former mindset or mentality is like a bride who says, I only married you for your assets, for what you could give me.
Speaker A:I don't want intimacy, I don't want a relationship.
Speaker A:I married you simply for what you can give me.
Speaker A:Marriage of convenience, transactional.
Speaker A:And I understand those things still happen, not so much today as they used to.
Speaker A:See, Paul grieved over the church in Corinth.
Speaker A:In 2 Corinthians 11, 2 and 3.
Speaker A:This is what he said.
Speaker A:He said they had lost the purity of their devotion.
Speaker A:Listen to this.
Speaker A:For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
Speaker A:But I'm afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
Speaker A:A sincere, single hearted devotion to Christ.
Speaker A:So this man of God was all too aware that the chief ambition of the devil was to entice believers away from this pure, single hearted devotion to Christ.
Speaker A:That's it.
Speaker A:This was his method in Eden, and it's still his method today.
Speaker A:And so what are we to do?
Speaker A:We're to be obsessed, fixated with Jesus alone, delighting to do his will.
Speaker A:Delighting.
Speaker A:Listen, until we come to that place in our relationship with God and our devotion in God, we'll always struggle.
Speaker A:We always struggle.
Speaker A:We'll look to others to help us.
Speaker A:We'll think at times that God isn't being fair to us.
Speaker A:He's not treating us well.
Speaker A:But when we come with our hands, release, Lord, everything.
Speaker A:I give it to you, I surrender it to you.
Speaker A:Wherever you want me to go, whatever you want me to do, whatever it is, Lord, from my heart, I delight myself in you.
Speaker A:You're the only one worthy of affection, devotion and true worship.
Speaker A:It's all about delighting.
Speaker A:So the word can also mean delight.
Speaker A:To allure, to entice, by making oneself attractive.
Speaker A:All right, delight ourselves on God.
Speaker A:Is he attractive to us?
Speaker A:Does his.
Speaker A:The Bible says, worship the Lord in the beauty of his holiness.
Speaker A:Become enamored, fixated with his beauty.
Speaker A:The beauty of the Lord.
Speaker A:Beholding the beauty of.
Speaker A:Of the Lord.
Speaker A:Now, conversely, there's a sense in which God is actually attracted to us.
Speaker A:Do you know that?
Speaker A:So we make sure that when we delight ourselves in the Lord, and our focus is knowing him, honoring him as a person, not just the things he can do for us, but when we delight ourselves in the Lord.
Speaker A:The Bible tells us this, that his delight, our delight in him actually attracts his presence and favor, right?
Speaker A:So he will give us the desires of your heart.
Speaker A:Now this is really, really powerful.
Speaker A:Because what it's saying essentially is this, that when we delight ourselves in God, he delights in giving us the desires of our heart.
Speaker A:He delights to do this.
Speaker A:So let's look at it.
Speaker A:Zephaniah 3:17.
Speaker A:He takes great delight in and rejoices over his children with singing.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:The passion Translation Romans 12:1 says when you offer yourselves, your whole body as a living sacrifice, guess what happens?
Speaker A:It says, you will experience all that delights his heart.
Speaker A:That's what the Passion translation says, delights his heart.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:I don't know about you, but I know that God, if his heart is, delighted in me, right?
Speaker A:This is David.
Speaker A:He says, I telling you that David is a man after my own heart, with whom I'm well pleased.
Speaker A:This is my beloved Son, my Whoos.
Speaker A:Right, which we talked about that with whom I'm well placed.
Speaker A:There's a sense in which God does that.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:Isaiah 66, verse 2.
Speaker A:Look at this.
Speaker A:You ready?
Speaker A:But this is the one to whom I will look.
Speaker A:This is what God says.
Speaker A:This is the one to whom I will look.
Speaker A:He who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.
Speaker A:There's actually four things that actually attract the presence of God.
Speaker A:Humility, honor, hunger, and holiness.
Speaker A:Humility, honor, hunger, and holiness.
Speaker A:Jesus spoke about all of them in the Sermon on the Mount in the Beatitudes.
Speaker A:Specifically, when we approach him with humility, poor in spirit, when we come before with him hunger, blessed are those who hunger and thirst when we honor him as the great King, as the only one.
Speaker A:And when we come before him in holiness, blessed are those who are pure in heart.
Speaker A:When we come before him, we receive all the benefits of he has of our salvation.
Speaker A:But this is the one to whom I will look.
Speaker A:In the Hebrew, it literally means the word look, to scan or to look intently at.
Speaker A:So when you're scanning something, it's not just like when you're really scanning something.
Speaker A:The meaning of the word isn't just like, you know, QR code or whatever, scan it, boom, quick.
Speaker A:That's actually not the meaning of the word scanner.
Speaker A:You're scanning like if you're scanning the horizon.
Speaker A:If you're in the military and you're looking right, you're not just take quick, like, oh, no, enemy.
Speaker A:We're good.
Speaker A:You're scanning.
Speaker A:You have to look.
Speaker A:It means to look intently.
Speaker A:That's what the word means.
Speaker A:By implication, it means to regard with pleasure, favor, or care.
Speaker A:God says, this is the one to whom I regard with pleasure, favor, and care.
Speaker A:This is the one.
Speaker A:But God loves all of his kids, right?
Speaker A:He loves us all the same.
Speaker A:Jesus didn't say that.
Speaker A:I told you I'm the Father's favorite.
Speaker A:You guys know that you can grow in favor.
Speaker A:Do you know that Luke 2:52 says that Jesus, when he was a boy, not only did he increase in wisdom and in stature, but it says, but in favor with God and men.
Speaker A:The word that is translated favor is also translated grace in the New Testament in Peter 3:18 is a commandment to you and I.
Speaker A:And it says this.
Speaker A:Grow in the grace or the favor and knowledge of God.
Speaker A:Grow in the grace or the favor or the knowledge of God so we can grow and experience more of his favor and blessing upon our lives.
Speaker A:Why do you think that Joseph was so favored?
Speaker A:Why was it that David was so.
Speaker A:The Bible shows us clearly these were men, these were individuals that had a heart, that delighted in the Lord.
Speaker A:They delighted in the Lord.
Speaker A:I have made a commitment to Jesus many, many years ago, and I've tried to uphold it.
Speaker A:And hopefully I have not always the swiftest to obey the Lord.
Speaker A:But I've always said, lord, want you to speak to me, tell me anything you want.
Speaker A:And because of that, I've tried to be sensitive to that.
Speaker A:I actually have an acute awareness of when the Lord is happy, or can I say not so happy with me.
Speaker A:And I've become aware of it.
Speaker A:And so what it means is if I treat a person a way that Jesus wouldn't want me to treat them, why do I not do that?
Speaker A:Hopefully it's because I want to delight him.
Speaker A:I'm delighting in him.
Speaker A:I want to do what's pleasing and honoring to him.
Speaker A:And I know he's not like that.
Speaker A:I know he's not like that.
Speaker A:So when you begin to delight yourself in God, we become a living sacrifice in all of our ways.
Speaker A:Guys, this isn't about what do I have that I'm still not giving to God, Please.
Speaker A:We segment things.
Speaker A:We make things binary in the sense that we actually try to, you know, I do this, this, this and this.
Speaker A:But this little area over here, and I still haven't surrendered that to God.
Speaker A:Or we become, as I said earlier, callous.
Speaker A:We're not even aware of it anymore.
Speaker A:So I want to challenge us today.
Speaker A:Your father, our God, wants us to be obedient to him.
Speaker A:You know, there was a people in Jesus Day, John 12 says this so clearly that they loved the praise of men more than.
Speaker A:And instead of the favor or the praise of God, they loved.
Speaker A:And they were afraid to acknowledge Jesus.
Speaker A:They were afraid to do the right thing because of what the others thought about them.
Speaker A:What others might say, people stay in churches, they should never stay in.
Speaker A:Did I just say that?
Speaker A:Yes, I did.
Speaker A:People stay in relationships, they shouldn't stay in workplaces.
Speaker A:I'm not talking about covenant marriage.
Speaker A:Relationships going gets tough, get counseling, work on it.
Speaker A:Do what you have to.
Speaker A:What I'm saying is we stay in situations where it's not God's will.
Speaker A:And why do we do this?
Speaker A:I honestly believe that Jesus is looking at us in many instances, and he's saying, why aren't you doing what I've asked you to do?
Speaker A:Lord, I need you to speak to me again.
Speaker A:The last time I spoke to you didn't obey me, so why should I speak to you again?
Speaker A:Be obedient to what?
Speaker A:I've already showed you that revelation and.
Speaker A:And you'll get more revelation.
Speaker A:Sometimes he's gracious.
Speaker A:Now, how does it work?
Speaker A:It's even the little things, you know, when the favor of God is operating in your life.
Speaker A:Do you know how many conflicts and things Lynn and I have not had to deal with, even confrontational things in ministry?
Speaker A:Because we have prayed and sought the Lord and tried to walk before the Lord in humility.
Speaker A:And the Lord has gone before us and just sorted things.
Speaker A:Do you know how many battles we've not had to fight for finance, for breakthrough, for whatever it may be?
Speaker A:Because we've just said, lord, we delight in you, and you promised us that you'll take care of this.
Speaker A:And he provides a way, he makes a way, he opens the door.
Speaker A:He reigns and showers his blessing and his favor upon our lives.
Speaker A:It's time to delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Speaker A:He's not against you having the desires of your heart.
Speaker A:But the way it works is this.
Speaker A:When you delight yourself in God, your heart is soft, it's pliable, it's malleable.
Speaker A:And he begins to shape it.
Speaker A:And he begins to take his desires and plant them in you and me so that we begin to delight in what he wants.
Speaker A:And he goes, that's it.
Speaker A:You want that?
Speaker A:Yep, that's what I want.
Speaker A:And everything changes.
Speaker A:They do this, they do that, and they run out and they make choices.
Speaker A:And in whatever situation, they're not delighting in God, they're delighting in themselves.
Speaker A:This person didn't speak to me or I wasn't recognized or whatever it may be in life.
Speaker A:I wasn't honored.
Speaker A:And what happens is we get offended and we just make these decisions based on an apparent offense, which, frankly, sometimes God offends our minds to reach our hearts.
Speaker A:God will allow you to be offended.
Speaker A:Yes, I said it.
Speaker A:He will allow you to be offended because he's saying, I want to do a deeper work in you.
Speaker A:I want to get a hold of your heart.
Speaker A:I want to Deal with this stuff in your life.
Speaker A:In closing, let me show you this.
Speaker A:Years ago, I was traveling to Africa quite a lot.
Speaker A:And one time I was going to Uganda, I believe it was in East Africa, and I was in Canada.
Speaker A:We lived in Toronto.
Speaker A:We were pastoring a church, and it was time to go.
Speaker A:So I went to the airport and my flight had a layover in London for 14 hours.
Speaker A:So I thought, all right, I'm going to go to Buckingham Palace.
Speaker A:I'm going to see the sights.
Speaker A:I want to do all the things.
Speaker A:I hadn't been in England in years, since I was quite young.
Speaker A:And I went to the airport and I was sitting there and I prayed a prayer.
Speaker A:And this is what I said.
Speaker A:I said, lord, it would be amazing if someone who knows the city well would show me around and kind of take me, you know, on a tour, so to speak, and just show me the sights.
Speaker A:Five minutes later, a couple came and sat down beside me.
Speaker A:We began chatting.
Speaker A:They said, where are you going?
Speaker A:I said, I'm going to Uganda.
Speaker A:They said, oh, we're going to East Africa, too.
Speaker A:I think they were going to.
Speaker A:I'm not sure where it was.
Speaker A:Tanzania.
Speaker A:And I said, okay, that's awesome.
Speaker A:I said, yes, I do in London.
Speaker A:Oh, they said, we do, too.
Speaker A:I said, great.
Speaker A:How long is your layover?
Speaker A:Oh, they said, it's long.
Speaker A:It's 12 hours.
Speaker A:I said, mine's even longer.
Speaker A:And they said, right, okay.
Speaker A:What are you going to do when you get to London?
Speaker A:I said, I have no idea.
Speaker A:And she said, I'm from London.
Speaker A:And my former role, my job was a tourist guide, and I would take people everywhere in the city.
Speaker A:So guess what happened?
Speaker A:I got into places that people couldn't get into.
Speaker A:And, I mean, I went everywhere and saw the sights.
Speaker A:High five, the Queen.
Speaker A:No, I didn't.
Speaker A:But I said, what up, Queen?
Speaker A:No, but it was a lot of fun.
Speaker A:But this is the point I'm trying to make, guys, is this.
Speaker A:Do you see the father, how much he delights in us?
Speaker A:Come on.
Speaker A:I'll give you the desires of your heart.
Speaker A:And, like, that's so trivial.
Speaker A:It seems in light of eternity and weighty matters, like, oh, that's trivial.
Speaker A:No, it mattered to him.
Speaker A:It mattered to him that one of his kids wanted, had something.
Speaker A:And he said, oh, you delight in me.
Speaker A:Yeah, I'll give you the desires of your heart.
Speaker A:I had to delight in him.
Speaker A:I was going to Uganda and.
Speaker A:No, you can do that.
Speaker A:Even carnal, selfish reasons.
Speaker A:You can do ministry.
Speaker A:So delight yourself in, Lord.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:You ready?
Speaker A:One verse in closing.
Speaker A:John 8:29.
Speaker A:John 8:29.
Speaker A:Jesus speaking.
Speaker A:And he who sent me is with me.
Speaker A:He's not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:He who sent me is with me, has not left me alone.
Speaker A:For I always do the things that are pleasing to him.
Speaker A:John 8.
Speaker A:29.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:Isn't that powerful?
Speaker A:He's standing outside Lazarus Tomb, lifts up his eyes toward heaven.
Speaker A:Everybody's like, what are you going to do?
Speaker A:Jesus?
Speaker A:He said, watch.
Speaker A:He prays a prayer before he calls Lazarus forth.
Speaker A:And he says, father, I thank you that you've heard me.
Speaker A:And I thank you that you always hear me.
Speaker A:That's what he said.
Speaker A:I thank you that you've heard me.
Speaker A:Like, Lazarus is still dead.
Speaker A:He's still in there.
Speaker A:And I thank you that you always hear me.
Speaker A:And he says, it's only because of the people here that I'm even praying that they may believe.
Speaker A:That they may believe because they're full of unbelief.
Speaker A:So why John 8.
Speaker A:29.
Speaker A:He's not left me alone.
Speaker A:For I delight, I desire, I always do what's pleasing to him.
Speaker A:We get to follow this king.
Speaker A:We get to worship this king.
Speaker A:We get to serve this king.
Speaker A:We are called to come before him in the New Covenant with an offering.
Speaker A:That offering isn't just our our time or talent or our money.
Speaker A:That offering is our entire being.
Speaker A:It covers every aspect of our life.
Speaker A:You're saying it all belongs to me.
Speaker A:I want you to lay it all down.
Speaker A:I want you to give me everything and honor me and follow me and do what I've called you to do.
Speaker A:Trust me.
Speaker A:If sometimes we're hardwired based on our psyche, which is really our soulish realm, to think a certain way, but the way to reset all that is to begin to delight yourself in God.
Speaker A:Lord, I trust you.
Speaker A:I delight in you.
Speaker A:You're the healer.
Speaker A:You're the one who brings me peace.
Speaker A:You're the one that intervenes.
Speaker A:You're the one that goes before me.
Speaker A:You're the one that protects.
Speaker A:You're the one that works behind the scenes and that begins to change our mindset, our thinking, so that we begin to have peace.
