Thanks for checking out the anchor Faith, Message podcast
from st. Augustine, Florida.
Now, enjoy this message. You know, I love being able to
speak in the homebody where God has called me in place me and
put me in the vision that I'm connected to.
So I always appreciate the opportunity to do that.
And tonight I want to start an Exodus 20 verse 1.
For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you probably have
a decent idea of where this is going because my last couple
posts have been about what I've been studying because that tends
to be how my creative stuff goes.
So Exodus 21 through 6 says then God spoke.
All these words saying I am the Lord your God who brought you
out of the land of Egypt out of the house of slavery and you
shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness Us of
what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the
water under the Earth You shall not worship them or serve them
for I the Lord your God am a jealous God.
Visiting the iniquity of your father of the fathers of the
children on the 3rd and the 4th generations of those who hate me
but showing loving, kindness to thousands to those who love me
and keep my Commandments. All right, the first of the Ten
Commandments was Thou shalt have no other gods.
Gods. Before me or no other Idols.
So tonight, I want to talk about stationary gods.
Because, you know, coming off a couple weeks ago, Pastor spoke a
great message called drive it out, and he talked about the
flesh, right? He talked about how you have to
conquer our flesh and you know, obviously I think sometimes, you
know, we, we can think. Yeah, I got to conquer, my
flesh, got to conquer my sand, but then we don't really look at
all the things in our life that really take our time.
Right? We don't really sit down.
It's easy to kind of sit down, and like, evaluate yourself a
lot and like, look at, like, the big sins, right finger quotes
big sins, right? Things like everyone knows like,
you know, I'm not supposed to kill someone.
Shouldn't it be murdering, like me, I'm sitting out like, man, I
gotta stop murdering people obviously you know like
definitely you have to do that for sure.
Right? And so we can get caught and we
can sit and like oh I'm gonna evaluate my life and like well
I'm not killing people so you know, like I'm doing.
All right. All right, like I'm fine, I'm
not killing people. But the first commandment God
gave in the Ten Commandments was not.
It's not murder. Which means in the list of The
Commandments he gave that wasn't at the top.
It was Thou shalt not put any gods or Idols before me.
So what is an idol? Then write an idol.
If get some definitions out here is Extreme admiration.
Love or reverence for something or someone.
Extreme admiration love or reverence for something or
someone. or when something in your life becomes more important
to you, than God, And I'll break it down a little bit further.
Because that statement along can be like, oh well nothing's more
important than God. But as we're going to see a lot
of times, it's not that we instantly think these things are
more important than us. Then God.
But it's the things that prove out to be more important to us
than God, right. You know so we have to keep an
eye on where we put our time. Where we put our talents and
where we put our Treasures, right?
Because where you put your time, your talents and your treasure
is where your heart truly is. Right.
And it if we reduce God to Sunday and Wednesday, That I'm
telling you. Now, you have an idol.
If you only do God on Sunday and Wednesday, there is no chance.
He's getting all of your time talent and treasure.
I mean just just mathematically, no chance.
Right. And when it comes to Idols, you
know, because and this is what I love to do, especially when I'm
speaking with youth because, you know, for me, one of the biggest
things when I was in Youth and eat, even something I do now is,
you know, the Bible, especially, like, King James and all that
can seem like so crazy. We think idols, and I was like,
oh, you know, there's like an idol, right?
Like Idols, obviously aren't just like literal things that
you're putting up at shrines in your house and like bowing
before, right? Like, that's obviously, the
go-ahead was like, Idols, like, oh, I have no Idols in my house
and I Pure vital as well. Obviously, you probably don't
have. I mean, some of you might have
like a statue and then get rid of it.
But, you know, for most people like you read, Thou shalt not
have an Idols jeans. Any kind of check out.
Like, I'm good, right? I don't have anything, you know
I love an idol in my house, right?
But obviously Idols aren't just things that are silver or gold,
right? They could be paper or they
could be something that's just in your heart.
Right Ezekiel. 14 1 through 5 says, then some Elders of
Israel. Came to me and set down before
me and the word of the Lord came to me saying, son of, man, these
men have set up their Idols in their hearts and have put right
before their faces, the stumbling block of their
iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at
all? Therefore, speak to them and
tell them thus says the Lord God.
Any Man Of The House of Israel who sets up his idols in his
heart, and puts right before his face, the stumbling block of his
iniquity, and then comes to the prophet.
I the Lord will be brought to give him an answer in the metal
matter in the view of the multitude of his idols.
In order to lay, hold of the heart of the House of Israel,
who estranged from me, through all of the idol of their Idols,
right? So God saying, look, when they
come to a prophet or they come to me, I'm going to address them
by the idols in their heart. Right?
Idols are the things we put our time and value in, right?
So when you put your time and value in all these things and
then you come to God guys, like I'm going to address you by the
idol, you have in your heart. Right.
You know, I think this was timely because, you know, it had
me chewing on it, coming out of Pastor series on the route of
love, right? And obviously phenomenal series
for everyone in the house, he was here.
If not go to guest relations, there's a QR code that you can
scan to catch up on the whole series, right?
But it also got me thinking, you know, because we broke, you
know, Pastor did such a phenomenal job, breaking down
the route of the love of God, but then I was like well what is
the root of my love? Towards God.
You know, where does my love for God?
Really lie. Because just, as we can turn the
love of God into this big flippant thing.
We can also take how we express, love towards God, and make it
seem way, more than it really is.
Right? Because it can be hard sometimes
to instantly equate, how we treat God to how we love, God to
how much we love God, when, when you have like an actual physical
person here and like, me, and my wife Alyssa, I can easily equate
my love for her. I can show it for her.
She's here. She can see it.
She can explain it. She can back it up.
She can defend, how much I love her.
If I go around and telling her how much I loved it, you could
ask Alyssa me. Like does Chase really love you
and she could tell, you know, he doesn't he never shows me once
right. There's like an instant thing
there, I go around saying I love God, all I love is God.
Right. So it's a lot easier for us to
just kind of like oh I love God but then if you kind of think if
the way my relationship with God was with an actual person, would
that person still want to be around me?
With what God In the Flesh. Right here in our relationship,
actually amount to a real relationship.
Or am I just the needy friend who approaches when I really
need something? And I keep them around because
when I need something I want to know they're there and so I'll
show them enough attention to make it seem like we're really
connected. So that when I do come I feel
okay about it. All right.
John 14:23 says, Jesus answered them and said, if anyone loves
me, he will keep my word. If anyone loves me, he will keep
my word, which means I cannot say that I love God.
But not put all of my Time treasure and talent in him
first. Because if his word says look,
you can't have other gods beside me.
You can't have stationary God's what are stationary guys there.
Things that don't actually do anything but yet we think they
do. Right?
It's something you put on a pedestal and you think this
thing affects you somehow, but it's really not doing anything
for you. Right?
And we can sit and try to hide that we've got something going
on, but the truth is, God knows our heart.
Right. Hebrews 4:13 says and there is
no creature hidden from his sight but all things are open
and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Which means you can put on a show for everyone else around,
but God knows where your time actually is.
God knows where your time actually that, you know, I get
to teach in Kingdom, astute. And I tell my students all the
time the test is after this, right?
You can show up here, you can check off.
You read your Bible. Reading plan.
You can tell me. You read the extra book for the
class. You can give me an answer that I
want to hear. So that I can say, yes, they
learn something, but if you don't actually go apply in life,
after then you've really failed. Right?
And so if God knows our heart and it's laid bare before him,
then you can go out and do whatever you want during church
and Wednesday and at like you love them and be down here,
praying. All you want.
And worship and saying, Jesus, we love you and they not doing
it again till the next service time.
And then when someone asks how everything's going, you can say
it's great. Oh yeah, you know, I'm all up to
dama by replaying. I've been, you know, doing all
this kind of stuff and they won't be like all great.
That's awesome. But you know, you're not
actually putting time in it. You know, you're not actually
putting time in it. Proverbs 4:23 says, watch over
your heart with all diligence for from it flow.
The Springs of Life, Idols in the Bible was one of.
It's like one of the most talked about things to watch out for.
It's gone from Old Testament. We're going to show you in the
New Testament but it just continually carried to not have
Idols. Don't worship any God before me.
Don't Fall into idolatry. Don't let something be coming
out. Why?
Because we like, to think of it, idles as these big things, but
the truth is Idols can spread across so many categories.
They can spread across so many categories, and here's some new.
Let's get some new testament stuff in here for you first
John. 5:18 first John 5 18 through 21.
The Amplified version says, we know with confidence that anyone
born of God does not have habitually sin.
But he Jesus, who has born, who has born of God, carefully keeps
and protects him and the evil. One does not touch him.
We know for a fact that we are of God and the whole world
around us lies in the power of the evil.
One opposing God and His precepts.
And we have seen and no by personal experience that the Son
of God has actually come to this world and has given us
understanding and insight. So that we may progressively and
personally I know him who is true and we are in him.
Who is true in his son? Jesus Christ.
This is the true God. And eternal life.
Little children, Believers dear ones guard yourselves from
Idols, false teaching, moral compromises and anything that
would take God's place in your heart.
I like how this starts with, we know with confidence that we are
born of God, do not habitually sin, but we who are of God, keep
protect over and we can't let the evil one touch us and it
gives you all this confidence but then still at the end after
all that it says, but Don't fall into idolatry.
Meaning, even with all of that, that you've got the ability to
fall inside Dollar, Tree is still right there.
Why? Because time can be wasted so
quickly. Right.
You, I mean, how many people lose track have lost track of
time in such a way that you're like, holy crap?
It's so late. Now, I'm here.
When I first got married, Alyssa, got pregnant with our
first daughter, London. And she was going would come
home from work and then be like tired at like 6:30 going to bed,
right? Six six thirty in the afternoon
going to bed. Obviously I'm not getting in bed
at 6:30, an afternoon. Like that's insane like this way
too early, like what? So I'm just like, okay well you
know, good night. We got married at guess what?
18 had her at 19. So I was still really young, you
know, getting used to all the marriage stuff anyways, but she
goes bad, I was like, you know, not great.
I'm gonna play video games All right, I have some my own time.
I can just sit here, I can play my game.
She's asleep. She wakes up, we'll take care of
that but like she can't get mad. I'm not losing family time.
This is the perfect opportunity for me to jump into a game.
Alright, so I start playing Been playing for a while now.
I know I've been playing for a while but I'm just in there
playing, finally get to the point like, you know, I'm kind
of hungry. I should probably go get
something to eat, didn't eat dinner, I just started playing
when she went to bed, like walk-in to the kitchen, you
know, the time, the house we're living in.
Had like, you know, one of the kitchens with the, with the
window right above it. So you can see the backyard.
And so I grab something out of the fridge.
And I grab some water on the sink, and I look up and the sun
is rising. Now, I was like, I remember,
just, like quickly putting down my glass and like running to the
room. Like, I was going to get more
sleep. So I like getting bed and like
Alyssa is like, you just get a like, no, I just got up to get
some water. My alarm goes off in like 30
minutes. Ryan is like so quickly.
It went from 6:30 at night to 6:30, like in the morning and I
was just like, where did time go?
Like I just lost time so quickly, right?
Like even, you know, I went through a season where I started
waking up super early to go to the gym, like five in the
morning and then you get to a point where like, you know, it's
Saturday and you wake up at 8 and you just feel like you've
lost so much of the morning. Like my whole day is gone.
Why? Because that time is really
seems like it's amazing how much more you can get done in just
that short amount of time, right?
Then obviously when you enjoy things, you know how much longer
like how quick they go by, you know, you get involved in like a
good movie and next thing you know she's like over but then
when you watch like a kind of crappy movie, all of a sudden,
it's just like man has only been 30 minutes.
Like, I feel like I've been in this theater forever, how are we
only 30 minutes into this thing? You know, what is going on?
All right, so time is this kind of funny thing but because of
that, it's so easy to lose track of where you're putting your
time. When I was in high school, we
did this kind of like silly little thing, but it stuck with
me and we had to draw like a circle and then turn it into
like a pie. Slices like 24 lines, there's 24
hours in a day and then like give you a crown like, okay?
Now like how much how many slices worth of like TV?
Do you watch, right? I mean, like, you color, and
like the pizzas and you're like, okay.
Wow man. 6 hours is a big chunk of this 24-hour, you know thing,
right? You know, I won't do this in
here because I don't think it would have the same effect.
But, you know, every once in a while, I like to grab people's
phones in the youth, especially and be like, let me see your
screen time. Okay.
I quiet people like wait. Hey yeah, it's amazing.
How many people don't have the Bible app on their screen time?
Like not even 10 minutes, not even enough to register.
And then when you do it on a Wednesday night, it's even
better because it starts on like Monday.
And I remember one time I opened this one, one girl's phone and
she had 48 Hours on tick tock. In three days, she spent two
days worth of time, on Tick. Tock looks like, What?
It's not like it's not you too but I don't just play in the
background. Like what are you doing?
How are you spending that much time, right?
But time can go by so fast. And so that's why I think when
it came to Idols, it was so important that they wanted to
stress it because where your time is is where you value.
And so you can so quickly start placing more time and other
things, right? Because you always seem to have
time to do the things you really want to do, but you never really
seem to have time to start that others.
Spiritual book that you were supposed to be reading.
You know, I mean, I've done it myself.
I'm not a huge reader. Like I really wanted to be like,
I felt like it would fit like me to be like a reader to like
travel somewhere, like, read a book out in like, you know, like
in the land but that sure was like, I don't love it.
Like I want to love it, but I'd rather just see the movie, you
know? Like it was like the books way
better than the movies. Like, you know what?
But the movie can be seen, you know, when I have to just do it
in my mind, like, it's fine, I've imagination.
But, you know, I'd rather just actually see it.
Right. But, you know, at the same time,
you know, I can start, you know, like one of a book that I know I
should read this gonna build me up spiritually and then it's
like, within 15 minutes. I'm feeling like so tired no
matter what's going on. I was like, I just finished a
coffee, just had a Red Bull, like I'm ready to read.
I've got the readings owned in, I got my glasses on and then
it's like, goodbye, I'm asleep, right?
But on the few occasions that I've read, like, just like
random fiction books that I've enjoyed.
It's like, you can get sucked into that thing, right?
You find a good enough. Story.
You can get sucked into something.
I mean, I got like one book and I was like reading it and then I
can always just bug me some like why can I not just get like this
with this other book? Like I need someone to just
write really good fiction books that are actually spiritually
built books so that I just tricked myself into reading it.
You're like I feel like that would work but no, there is a
discipline that comes with it. Because that discipline builds
us up. Because just like, with anything
else, as I start to then read and get in the habit of reading
and make it an important part of what I'm doing.
Then, I actually start to look forward to it.
I do feel like, man, this is a great book.
I need to finish this. I'm learning so much from this
thing. Like I'm getting this thing
down, right? And so builds up that moat that
mode of Romans, 18 1:18 says this for the wrath of God is
revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that
which is known about God is evident within them for God made
it evident to them for since the creation of the world, his
invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature.
Have been clearly seen being understood through what has been
made so that they are without excuse for.
Even though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or
give, thanks, but they become became futile in their
speculations and they were foolish and their foolish heart
was darkened. Professing to be wise, they
became fools and exchanged, the glory of The Incorruptible, God
for an image in the form of corruptible, man, and of birds
and four-footed animals crawling creatures.
Therefore, God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to
impurity so that their bodies would be Dishonored among them
for they exchanged the truth of God, for a lie and worshipped
and served the creature rather than the Creator.
Who is blessed forever? Amen. right, so if we're talking
about where we put our time, And we're talking about where things
can become Idols. Like I said, I think it's always
easy for us to jump into like big things.
You know, we're always like, oh well, you know, if I'm murdering
someone that's wrong, if I want to murder someone all the time
and I think about it all the time, like I've got a murder
Idol or whatever like, that's obviously wrong anything about.
Like, obviously, I want to jump something like all the lust of
money, right. Like just wanting money is so
bad like it's greedy. You know you can't love God and
Mammon, right? And those are like ones that
just jump in big and that, you know, it's a bad one, right?
But you know, Idols can also be things that aren't, you know,
bad of themselves. Right, success is great.
Until it starts. Costing you services.
Right. Success is great.
Until all you do is drive for the next success and you let all
of your spiritual life fall behind chasing after worldly,
success. Right.
And we've seen this done time and time again.
Someone gets a promotion like, oh, I got a new job is going to
take me, you know, but I've got to go to Wisconsin.
You like okay, well you is there a church over there is like no,
I haven't found one but you know it's jobs a blessing like it's
huge. Like is it?
Right. But when success becomes an
idol, it becomes hard to see clearly.
That it's actually not a blessing.
And this is why I think Idol idolatry was talked about so
much, because they can be positive things that you just
didn't start to Value more than God.
Right. Family time is great.
Why being with your family is great.
But there's a lot of people who've made family and Idol in
their life. You know, I love my family but
my family raised me knowing that we don't skip church.
It's amazing to me. How many parents just let their
kids skip services. Oh well, they got practice, man.
I played football. And I came to service late and
stinky, because my dad said, hey, if you want to play that's
fine, but we still go to church, because if you can make it
there, you can make it here. Why it was value that was
instilled in me that said, you know, there is it's just as
important and half, you know, half these kids ain't gonna make
it pro anyways, right? Like I don't even get it, I'm
not gonna jump on it. That's fine, right?
I know. It's a sensitive subject.
Everyone loves their kid. Like, my kids, the most, I've
never there's this real on Instagram and there's like, this
is Mom. And she's like that boy right
there, he's gonna be an athlete, he's gonna go pro and then the
guys like about swallowing throws a Time.
It's the kid in the face. It's like completely misery like
that's mom's for you. You know, but we put our kids
and all of this stuff and then we start letting a Miss service
because of this stuff that requires it and then they don't
come back to church after high school and we're like, oh man,
why don't why are you leaving the church?
Because you showed them that success, in the world was more
valuable than the service time on Wednesday, you started the
creation of an idol. And place it in front of them.
Your health and fitness, right? Really important.
Being healthy, being able to accomplish the things God has
called you to, do is super important.
You know, there be nothing worse than the find out, God's called
you to do something and you just physically, couldn't do it
because you didn't keep yourself in shape.
But when never Skip Leg Day doesn't carry over to never skip
service. Then we've made our fitness and
Idol. And it's crazy.
It's amazing. Like, you know I've never
achieved just like a great Fitness level.
I've just never gotten there yet.
We're working on it, but I'm always Blown Away how dedicated
those people can become. And in your like if you just put
like half of that, turns towards the world, the word you'd be
doing great. Right.
You know, you got that person who comes to the party and
everyone's like eating cakes and there's like birthday cakes
everywhere and they just like stand there.
They grab like a great and they eat the one grape me like I'm
good and they Walker's like what who does that?
Like I'm ever so it was like so discipline and walk up and be
like a cake and they take one by the came back.
That was good and not touch any more.
Just like that's insane. At least finish the piece like
how you just got to take one bite and be like, that's a great
cake. I don't need anymore.
Like do I make a thing of brownies?
If the kids don't finish the Browning, I'm finishing, the
brother that fact we made brownies other day, all the kids
had a brownie. I had two brownies and then,
like, the next day, there was one brownie left.
I mean, are walked in from lunch, and I looked all the
girls because the whole surprise said that brownie is my brownie.
So don't even think about it. I know how these kids don't let
me just have a bike for kids one by I have no brownie left.
Right, you got sometimes. You got to put the hammer down.
Like I baked those by right of creation, that is mine.
You know, the people who get in the fitness, man, it's amazing.
They put their flesh down. To keep themselves in a certain
look that they want. But then when they're feeling a
little off, they pulled something in their back, they're
like oh you know back hurts. I could probably still do legs
though. But I'm going to need a rest it
so I can't go to service this morning.
We're forming idols and we're not noticing it.
Alright, friends are important. Until you find yourself going to
your friends for advice before. God see, I love having good
friends but I tell you this, when I go to friends for advice,
I'm looking for either confirmation on something.
I've already heard and for them to give me worthy of us is going
to fact, the decision. I've already kind of got or for
them to tell me. I'm stupid and what off, but
it's not because I'm looking for an answer from them.
It's because I'm, I think I have something.
From God and I need that support of a friend with me.
Right? But we can take friends and then
we start running to them so much.
That they become our God. Now, you might not ever say that
oh I would never never. Oh no, never.
Then you text your prayer to them.
Dear so-and-so. What should I do?
As a friend. Give good advice if you're
selling spraying Lake and you notice it.
You should be like, you know what, have you gone to God
first? Be a good friend.
Culture. Can become an idol.
There's nothing wrong with having cultural influences,
right? You can all be in cult
influenced by the culture around you, the things you're into the
the way you were raised, the places you were raised in and I
think you should embrace where you were born but when the
culture of where you are from is so much more evident than the
kingdom culture. Then we made the culture of
something an idol. I mean it's crazy to me.
How many people can keep up with just like everything a
celebrity's doing? You know it's like they just
know they like got this person's agenda.
Oh yeah. So and so they you know they
started this company they wake up at 6 a.m. every day.
You know, this is the thing about the new, the new wave of
like social media. Everybody wants to know what
someone else successful is doing so that then they can do it
right. It's like, oh, that person's
really successful and they're going to tell you.
This is what I do every day, I wake up at six.
Protein shake. Then I go take a cold ice bath.
They say five minutes. I say no 15, I'm a 15-minute ice
bath guy. Then another protein shake.
It's 6:00. I've already had one day.
You wake up at 2 days compounding math?
Anyone seen that one? I don't even get it.
I've lived so many people now. Giving advice.
You know, I've always thought it was funny.
It's like this person successful, they doing, you'll
never be successful. Someone I was just doing what
they did. You only ever make it where they
made, if I want to be the greatest and have to do
something different. Right?
And we can get so ingrained in trying to like, it's amazing how
many people will do, so much research and spend so much time
in a subject and learn about what they need to know.
I need to get healthy in the watching YouTube videos and
they're watching all this stuff and they're getting all this
information and then they don't apply a single bit of it.
Well, we've all been around the person who has like the answer
for everything, but has never actually done anything.
Right. You're like oh yeah this is all
you got to do it. This is what you're going to do
right here. And then they don't, they're
just going to tell you they're not going to physically do it
themselves because then they would have to like, actually try
it. You know.
So if we're not careful, then we can start making Idols of just
culture and routine and and all these goals.
You set are great. But when the goals just push you
further from God, then we start setting these worldly
motivations at a higher place than our spiritual life.
And see this, like I said, this is why I think Idols are so are
so sneaky because they can be disguised as such positive
things because like I said, you need to be healthy and fit.
Right. You need to spend time with your
family, you need to have a good base of friends, you need to
love your culture, you need to seek to be better than you are
and have success in whatever you're doing because God called
us to be successful. You shouldn't be staying in
settling for just garbage, right?
But at the same time, if we just start pursuing any one of those
individual things so much that it starts to pull us out.
Of the source of our life. And being then you're going to
get tripped up and lost without even knowing it.
Another one is yourself. I mean, self-esteem, super
important believe in yourself, that's great.
You should, you should be confident.
You should be confident in yourself, but when you stop
trying to see God's truth and you just have my truth, Right.
Well, this is my truth. Still lie.
Right now, we got to be firmly set in the word.
Matthew 6:33 says, but seek first, His kingdom and his
righteousness. And all these things will be
added to you having Idols in your life breaks, both of those.
Because an idol in your life. Takes your first seeking.
And it gets you out of alignment with God.
So I can't say that I'm seeking first, the kingdom of God and
his righteousness, but also be seeking first, something else.
And the minute I start seeking first someone else.
Now I'm breaking God's word to me.
Therefore, I'm no longer in alignment with his word, so now
I'm not put that back up now. I don't have the right to have
all these things added to me. Because it says seek first, the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these
things, which means if I'm not seeking the kingdom and saying
righteous, I don't qualify for the second half.
Right? And if we go back in Ezekiel,
when they're talking about look it's of your heart.
And God says, look when they come to me, I'm going to talk to
them based upon their idols. so that means every time we're
going to God, when you have Idols in your life, you are
cheating on God, and then bringing the partner to
everything you do. You're cheating on God.
And then bringing the person you're cheating on them to your
prayer. To your services to your events
to everywhere. You go rub it in his face.
I mean there's real weight to that, like I said, I think
sometimes, you know, we think God and is like, oh God, he's
there. But if you were cheating on your
spouse and then bringing that person around with you,
everywhere you went. Why cuz First Corinthians 3:16
Says do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the
spirit of God dwells in you? so, when I have Idols in my
life, I'm trying to bring something that's not of God's
nature. That's not of my nature.
It's no longer my nature. Right.
We're like aw man. It seems like a lot.
Like I mean how can we really like honestly say like seek you
like, obviously I work eight hours a day.
Like, that's a tower. I'm not telling you to boil this
down to Literal time hours because you have to work.
All right, you got you. There's things that we have to
do. But how do we spend then all the
free time we have? But how do we also attack how
we're working? Because do I go to work?
And then just check out and it's just like, oh, my buddies are
here, and we're cussing. We're hanging out.
We're doing all this kind of stuff.
Or do I bring this new spirit and new nature with me everyday
to work. Right?
Because if we're bringing these things around, you know, that's
how we stay in this. You know, simple things can can
change the trajectory of our lives so much.
Now, I've told this story before how, when we had our third
daughter, Scottie, we were in a busy season at the church.
And so, I started to pray that God would multiply my time with
my children and with my newborn baby that if I spent, you know,
30 minutes with her, it would be like, I spent three hours and so
on. Because I knew I wasn't going to
have as much time, but I knew I was doing what God told me to
do. And so I held God, the look, if
I'm doing what you call me to do, then you can't let this
Relationship fail. Right?
Because if I'm in your purpose, doing what?
Then you're not going to let this relationship fail.
And I held him to that and for those who know me and have been
around me, you know, Scotty is like my buddy.
She is like, like the closest to me, any of my daughters have
ever been at. Such a young age.
Right. Normally, when they're babies
they want their mom, like they're all about their mom.
And then it comes like a point that then I get to kind of swoop
in and take that attention a little bit.
Right? But from the get-go, Scotty just
wanted to be with me, like, wanted me to hold her.
Why? Because God honored, that prayer
and that time, and even though it wasn't as much time, as I did
spend with some other kids when they were newborn.
He Amplified that it's those small moments.
God can become so much more. Are you praying on your way to
work? You know, what are you doing?
When you have time start there? Start where you can.
I pray in the shower all the time, the majority of times.
I speak, I get half of them in the shower.
You know I had read a quote from this this Rider wants and he was
like look if you if you I set out to write, you know, one
chapter every day. He goes in, if I ever get stuck,
I should go take a shower, it was some days.
I'll take 9 showers, he was, but I always get a chapter.
And I not that that made me do it but it clicked and I was
like, you know, I'm kind of like that for me like I just get
stuff when I'm in the shower. I just feel like, I don't know,
maybe it's the water. Maybe it's the lowness,
whatever. It is things just start popping
up. You know, I've written tons of
songs in the shower. My voice sounds better in there,
anyways. But it's about taking any time I
can and how can I now make it valuable?
Because like we said, earlier time is so easily.
Lost Now, are we trying to actually be paying attention to
our time? Because I'm just never been a
big fan of when people tell me like they don't have enough
time. because you do, Like there's always more time, right?
You can always sleep, a little less wake up a little bit
earlier, stay up. I mean if you just woke up one
hour earlier and went to bed, one hour later, you've instantly
got two more hours a day which is 14 hours a week.
I've given you an entire basically days worth of time by
adding two extra hours. Right?
But the truth is it's not that we don't have enough time, is
that? We just really don't value it
enough to give it the time. Because when we truly value
something, we will put time into it.
You cannot say you love something but then spend no time
doing it. Do you love the idea of
something? A lot of people love the idea of
God. They love the blessings of God.
But they don't really love the relationship or they would build
it. They would build it.
Like I said, when we have Idols in our lives, we're letting
something that is no longer our nature.
Try to take over our nature. We're letting something that's
not a bar Kingdom culture. Try to take plant and Who We
Are. Because where you spend your
time, you will start to identify with that.
Where you spend your time and where you spend investment?
You're going to fight for those things.
Why? Because you clearly care about
it. And if we don't take that same
attitude into our relationship with God.
Then it's no wonder some of our lives are such a mess.
I mean sometimes it's just as simple as of sitting down and
saying I'm going to evaluate the time I spend with God.
Because, you know, things because and you can tell, man, I
mean, you can really tell the more time you spend with God and
in his presence, and in his word, you can tell things.
Just start coming easier and quicker, answers, problems are
solved things. Just start running more smooth.
Right, when you're in it, you know, you're in it. and most
times when you've gotten to a point that you're in it enough,
When you get out a little bit. That becomes so obvious to
something comes up and you like man.
You know what I really haven't been in it enough, this
shouldn't be a problem. It's not that we won't have
problems but it's that we can solve them a lot quicker when
we're in the word, right? The more we stay in the word and
saying his friends were building up defenses.
To keep us from spending time on things.
We should because if I'm spending time in God's presence
and in his word, that I can't be spending time, making Idols
because I'm here. So, I'm building defenses around
them and then when I get out of spending time with him,
eventually my defenses will be depleted.
Yeah. And the only way to get him back
is to get back into the word. Right?
So we want to make sure that we're staying connected to the
source. How do we stop Idols from
creeping up in our lives? We evaluate our time.
We evaluate what we're spending our money on.
We evaluate what we're showing our talents to Right, there's
some real gifted people that spend their talents on
themselves. It's all about getting me
somewhere better. I'm really good at these things.
And I can continue to progress my career, my status, my
ability, and I'm willing to spend time on building myself
and my kingdom. But then it's like all there's a
project here at the church where my God.
You know. Sorry.
Can't jump on, you know, it's a time, you know, you just like
the things, you know, there was a something that was it was
here, rain check. That we start rain check and
God. Like you know, you should be at
prayer and you're like, oh, you know next time.
Because it's not like the flesh, doesn't obviously.
So try to do his thing and it's easy for things to come off.
I mean, you wake up, you come to me, you know, Tuesday Morning,
Thursday morning prayer at 6 a.m. you can do it for, you
know, six months. It's still going to happen every
once in a while that you're going to wake up at like 5:30
and be like I'd rather stay in bed today.
Today would be a better day right here.
Especially when it's cold outside.
Like I gotta wake up, put on extra clothes.
I'm already trying to get it like as close to the last
second. I need to write takes me 32
minutes to get to the building so I can wake up you know five
minutes to get dressed. Now it's colds up to add 5
minutes. I mean I like to get my stuff
out the night before and like throw it somewhere that way I
can only have to think about it in the morning.
Why? Cuz I want that time sleeping
but you know, I always reminded myself.
Often, you know I'd wake up especially you know, when I was
going to the gym at 5:00, I'd wake up and my alarm would go
off and I look over and be like just won't go back to sleep.
And then I just asked myself, is one more hour of sleep really
worth it. Is one more hours sleep really?
Worth not obtaining. The goal I want to get to it was
this one more hour really worth it.
Some of us are trying to get to a Next Level spiritually and we
need to take one more hour. Towards something else.
And when it comes up and you don't want to do it, you need to
ask yourself. Is this one more hour really
worth me? Not accomplishing what God wants
me to in this season. Because like I said, it's crazy
how when you like are all about something, you'll jump on it,
you'll spend time in it, you'll go, it's like nothing can stop
you. You love this project.
You want to keep doing this project.
You want to see it all the way through you're putting in crazy
hours but you're excited about a times flying by, there's no
problem. But then it's like, God tells
you something like, you know, I'm just it was I was it was a
long day already. but if you really valued it, then we would
do it Colossians 3 1 through 17 says, therefore if you have been
raised with Christ to a new life, sharing his resurrection
from the dead, keep seeking the things that are above where
Christ is seated, at the right hand of God set your mind and
keep focused habitually on things above the Heavenly
things. Not on things that are of their
Earth which are only temporal value for you died to this world
and your new real life is hidden with Christ in God.
Christ, who is our life appears? Then you also will appear with
him in glory. So put to death and deprived of
power. Deprived of power, the evil.
Longings of your Earthly body with its sensual, self-centered
instincts, immorality impurity, sinful past, and evil desires
and greed which is a kind of Dollar Tree because it replaces
your Devotion to God because of the sinful things, the Divine
wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
Those who fail to listen and who routinely and, you know,
District, disregard God's precepts.
And in the sinful things, you also once walked when you were
habitually living in them without the knowledge of Christ,
but now read yourselves, completely of all these things,
anger, rage malice slander and obscene, abusive filthy vulgar
language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another for
you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices and
have put on the new spiritual self who is being continually
renewed in truth and true knowledge in the image of him
who created the new self and renewal in which there is no
distinction between Greek and and Jew circumcised and
uncircumcised nor between nations rather Barbarian or this
other place, nor in status, whether slave or free, but
Christ is all and in all, so believers, Equal in Christ
without distinction. So as God's Own chosen, people
who are holy set apart Sanctified for his purpose and
well-beloved by God himself. Put on a heart of compassion,
kindness, humility gentleness and patience which has the power
to endure, whatever Injustice or unpleasantness comes with good
temper. Bearing graciously with one
another and willing forgiveness of each other.
If one has a cause for complaint against another, just as the
Lord has forgiven, you, you should So you should forgive
beyond all these things put on. I lost my spot.
We're here. Yep.
And above all these things put on love and enfold yourselves
with a bond of perfectness which binds everything together
completely and ideal Harmony and let the peaceful Harmony which
continues from Christ's rule act as umpire continually in our
hearts deciding and settling with finality.
All the questions that arise in your mind's, in the peaceful
state to which, as members of Christ's one body, you are also
called to live and be thankful. Appreciative giving praise to
God, always let the word spoken by Christ.
The Messiah have its home in your hearts and minds and dwell
in you all its richness as you teach and admonish and train
one, another and all insight, and intelligence and wisdom, and
spiritual things. And as you sing Psalms, and
hymns, and spiritual songs making Melody to God with his
grace, in your hearts. And whatever you do, no matter
what it is, in word or deed. Do everything in the name of the
Lord, Jesus and Independence upon his person, giving praise
to God the Father through him. You've been given a new nature
called out of all of those things that were listed and
placed with the ability to overcome at all.
Just like Pastor talked about a couple Sundays on driving it out
and driving out the flesh. You have the same ability to
drive out the things that are sucking your time.
Because if we all believe we're drawing, even closer to the end.
Then how much more valuable is our time now than it was before?
How much more valuable has our time in this day and age become?
Because the truth is we have one shot at life.
And we will only be judged by where we put our time.
Right? Because he called us to
something, he wants us to accomplish something, which
means I'm gonna have to put my time to accomplish it, which
means in the end, he's going to look and say I called you to
attain this, you got here because this was the time you
gave me Right. So we've been called to
something greater we've been pushed in our hearts that we can
accomplish these things, which means we have to value our time
and we have to place our time and things that are going to
continue to push us to our purpose.
Right, I seek after things that will push me to my purpose and
are valuable to my time. You know, there are things I
used to do. You know, I used to do tons of
side photography because I enjoyed it and it was like good
extra money and I just kind of liked it and grew it.
Now I like never do side photography.
Why a I don't really love it as much anymore.
I just want to do my own thing. I don't have to deal with
families it's not as fun as it used to be you know it's like
you know I don't like the way this picture looks like it's
your face. My picture is great.
Like like is there just one where the whole family Smiles,
like know your Kid was screaming and crying the whole time.
Like, can't Photoshop that. And I was like so much work.
Like man, I just take pictures of Nature's easy.
People always look happy when they're staring at a mountain,
you know, it's like, let's just travel, I'll take pictures of
people there. But also I realized that I
didn't want to spend time doing it anymore.
Because it wasn't just that time of the photo shoot, it was the
time of the editing, it was the time of the getting better.
It was the time of finding new locations.
It was the time of doing all this stuff and just for me, I
was like, I don't like this, it's something I don't want to
spend time on anymore, especially continually.
I got still sobbing like my wife.
Does she's a better photographer than me.
Anyways, people always smiling her photos so you know like but
everyone's mom she's like hand and you kind of shoot like fine.
I can take it right. It's like it's not but I don't
have to edit them. That's the best part.
Like I just like boom. There you go.
You make them look happy. You know, like I don't have to
spend all that time in it. Now I got to spend the 4th I can
on Pinterest and fine poses and then try to get someone who
doesn't like to pose pose because he never fails that.
At some point, you're going to take photos of some like dude
who doesn't really want to be there because he hates pictures
and just like stands there. You like haha, you know do
something funny. Trying to make someone laughing.
I'm already in my mind going like okay, so they're going to
hate these. This is great.
How good is my Photoshop skills? Could I make him smile?
Will he know that he never smiled and call me on it or will
he just be happy that there was one and they think that maybe he
did at some point? Right.
Like it was just work and so I was like, man, I'd rather put
that time somewhere else. Better than that.
And so, I did I'm put time towards things, I grew up with
and I put times the things I actually found more enjoyable
now. So like, if I needed a break
like, this is now I have this time because I'm not booked
because like photo shoots are always like early morning,
anyways on the weekends. And so then I'm like it's
Saturday and now I have to wake up to go.
Take pictures of people who are tired and I like we're doing in
Six, Clock is high because the lighting is the best.
You just gotta do it. If you want family photos, wake
up early, you need to wake up extra early so that you look
awake in the photos. Don't blame your photographer
because you woke up five minutes before you needed to and like
Rush there in like a luxu sweeping all the photos.
You'll woke up five minutes ago, wake up 30, 40 minutes, early
get some coffee, get look happy. And then ask someone to take
some photos of you gonna make your family photos better?
You're welcome. Matthew 22:37 through 38 says,
and then he said to them. You shall love the Lord, your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and when all your
mind, this is the great and foremost commandment.
You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, all
your soul, and all your mind. The Creator who died for you,
who loves you, who gave you life, who gave you purpose?
Who blesses you and Lead. You just wants you to spend time
with him. And like I said earlier as a
father, I looked at the brownies and I was like I created these,
I have every right to them. God created each and every one
of us and has every right to demand that.
We give him our heart. Because in return, is it really
that much? To say man.
Look at all God did all he wants is for me to spend time with him
and do his word. Right?
And as parents, we look at our kids and we're like, just spend
time with me and obey me, right? For all the parents out there,
you can probably relate, there's nothing sweeter than like, when
your kid just comes up just completely out of the blue.
And they're like, I love you and they give you a hug and then
they just like go back to doing, you know, there's been multiple
times where like I've had one of my daughter's.
They are saying out playing especially Luna.
She's a lot more like affectionate but should just
like be playing and doing something, you know talking to
herself. Probably and singing Because she
can just like play with a tree and have a great time.
And then she'll just like run up to me she's like hey I love you
and not give me a hug and then just like run back out and just
like you literally stop what you were doing because at some point
you have this thought in your mind that you loved me and felt
like you needed me to know and there's nothing more special
than that moment. And some of us just need to give
God that moment. We need to take the time and
work to just stop so you gotta love you, thank you for all
you're doing my life. I thank you that you continue to
lead and guide me and push me somewhere else.
I thank you for your loving, kindness your faithfulness to
always be there because you are a good father and then go back
That's how we increase value in time.
That's how we get ourselves out of positions.
Being you can come up. That's how we get ourselves out
of of just the mundane, the, we're down, right?
Most people get so worn out at what they're doing because
they're really just not building themselves up with God.
Right Colossians 1 3 will 113 last one for.
He rescued us from the Dominion of darkness and transferred us
to the kingdom of his beloved Son.
In whom we have Redemption, the forgiveness of sin.
He is the image of the invisible.
God, the firstborn of all creation for by him.
All things were created both in the heavens and on Earth,
visible and invisible, whether Thrones, or dominions or rulers
or authorities. All things have been created
through him. And for him, he is before all
things. And in him all things, hold
together. He is also the head of the body,
the church and he is the beginning, the firstborn from
the dead so that he himself will come to have.
First place in everything for he is the Father's good pleasure
for all the fullness to dwell in him.
So, I just want to encourage everyone tonight.
As I wrap this up, To just take time.
To evaluate your time. Some of you are going through
situations or trying to get to the next level and really all
you need to do Is start putting time where it needs to be put.
And I think we can always look and try to find something big
and drastic to change, but the truth is for most people.
If you just arrange your time, you'll find yourself somewhere.
If find yourself in a way better position, if you just rearrange
your time and start putting the your valuable time in the things
of the spirit, and being in the word, and being in prayer and
being in his presence. You'll also find that you have
to spend less time dealing with other problems.
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