Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast our desire is for the word of God spread throughout all my numbers join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church located in Kernersville, North Carolina Chronicles chapter 7. Look at verse 14. If you will.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place like to preach on the subject of praying people praying people. Father, I ask you Lord that you bless. As we look at this passage, may we become a praying people and Lord as a church we will not become a praying church till our families become praying families and our families will not become praying family still lower the moms and dads represented become praying moms and dads. Lord I just pray that you would give a strong families lore that would give us a strong church in your name we pray. Amen. I believe that prayer is important to you.

I believe it's so important that's what we've been focusing on for a number of weeks. I don't know if it's helped you or not. It's helped me but all the help in the world we get won't do us any good unless we start praying you can know how to do something that doesn't make you do it, does it. I know how to lose weight just asked me. I'll tell you I have probably lost a thousand pounds in my lifetime. I feel like Richard Simmons without the permit really do it without the shorts that God, the Bible makes it clear how we can approach not only the throne of heaven, but get answers to our prayers. How we can pray with power and he begins here, but I want to ask you this question. Why is this so important want to read a verse to you. Jeremiah chapter 10 beginning in verse 10, just one verse once you listen to it says, but the Lord is the true God. He is the living God, and an everlasting King. At his wrath, the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation is what the Bible has to say about our God that at his wrath, the earth shall tremble in the nations. What is America.

America is a nation and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

Folks listen to me. We need help. Our nation needs help.

Now I know we always hear then be it it it's it's it's said so much that it just almost loses its impact. But God is our only hope. And you say, why is it so important will this is why, because America doesn't have a chance if God's wrath is unleashed on this nation. In fact, the only reason we still have what we have and enjoy what we enjoy is because God's been very good to this nation but I believe that as the church begins to weaken and has weakened for years.

That's why our nation is weakening.

It's really not the bar's fault and it's really not the unsaved crowds fault is really not all the other heathens fault why America is getting worse. We like to blame them. We like say well because of this, and these people in this group of people in and they're doing this is endemic.

America is weakening because we've been weakening and why have we been weakening look and we got more programs, more things we got more outreach is always got all these things we got nicer buildings. We've got screens we've got instruments, we've got air conditioning.

We've gotten so many things that the church didn't have years ago, we've got technology and we got television and we got iPads and we got all kinds of things. But let me tell you why we are weakening because we are not praying like the early church did were just not praying is not even that we don't know how everybody's is why don't know how to pray. But even when we tell them how we often we just don't try to notice in this passage, number one, the people God has is what he says in verse 14 if my people, which are called by my name. These are the people that God has others.

Two things I notice about this phrase. He says if my people, which are called by mining number one I see ownership.

He says if my people different. If you been saved by the grace of God, you belong to him. You're his and before you say well I don't know you are to be glad about that. That's a good thing that were his and I want to challenge you this morning. Do you know for sure that you're his. I mean, are you 100% certain you belong to him.

Have you ever been saved. Nothing else on that essay.

After this is going to matter if you're not all the praying in the world you want to do doesn't do you any good unless you've been saved by the grace of God. Do you know that you're his.

And if you've been saved.

He says my people. I see ownership second icy obligation. He said this if my people, which are called by my name, that means this Jesus says if if if if your mind if you been saved, then you have automatically been called by my name when we get saved we are not saying to set knob said that over and over again we're not saying to sit back and say well I made it in.

Thank God and then do nothing else, we are saved to serve not saved to said that people say hey have you have you talk to anybody about the Lord of you invite a monitored wellness not called to do that yes you are identical people that wanders that's not my calling. Yes, it is not called by Dino how to do that you are called by God to do that if you're his my people which are called by my name you have been called by God to reach others.

Often times we save a preacher and I've made so many mistakes in this during the week I struggle with so many things I don't feel I feel like a hypocrite to try to tell somebody about Christ. I thought you hypocrite tell them about salvation because of all the mistakes I made. Listen to me dear friend. We don't talk to people about Christ because were worthy. We talk to people about Christ because he's worthy because he's forgiven us and I'm thankful for that.

Aren't you he said if my people, which are called by my name, first Peter 417 says this for the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God, and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God. Folks, it's us that need to change. We are his people and we have been called by his name. It is time for me and you to do our job and all God's people said second thing is this what you to see the pride God hates the people God has.

But second, the pride God hates.

He says if my people, which are called by my name, shall pray the Maisie didn't say that first he didn't put that next in the lineage. He didn't say of my people which are called by my name, shall so when he didn't even say of my people which are called by my name, shall put money in the offering plate. God put the priority where it needed to be if you're my people and if you are called by my name, you need to humble your selves before you pray, you need to make sure that that you are humble before God, dear friend, is are you and I are going to pray.

If there's pride in our life because if we have pride in our life. We don't think we need him and we don't think were desperate. We think were okay we we think things are fine but you and I get humble enough we get desperate enough we turn to God in a hurry just to be personal with you when when our son Kate was born in the things we went there with Kayden that humbled me nodded no I needed humbled in that particular area. But I would limited why think it humbled me because I started turning to God in a different way. A lot of times we think were just getting desperate know you're getting humbled is you and I we have to God knows we have to be humbled before we can seek his face before we can turn from our wicked way, look at me all the things that follow this cannot happen unless humility is there. If you're not humble you're not going to pray. If you're not humble you're knocking to seek his face. If you are not humbled, then you're not to turn from your wicked way, all these things are not going to take place.

There has to be a spirit of humility in our lives before we can go any further in the Christian walk. The pride got H. James 46 says, but he giveth more grace.

Wherefore he saith, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

What you notice the early this morning. The prayer that God hears seeing the people that he has the pride that he hates but the prayer that he hears us two things that are a prerequisite for him to hear your prayer is a bridge what unit what what you mean, look at me in on that explain this numerous times over the next hopefully years depending on how much you like me I guess but I'm gonna constantly explain this and here's why.

Because we have new people even old people sometimes don't understand the truth of God's word so I have to explain is all going to more depth with this later, but our salvation has three parts. We have a past present and future.

The Bible says that the past part of our salvation is what's called justification. That's forgiveness of sin. That's forgiveness of our past, our salvation has a present and that's the word sanctification, then our salvation has a future. That's the word glorification. It has all three.

When you're saying we are justified then we immediately begin the process of sanctification and then were working towards the end when Jesus comes and we are glorification we have glorified bodies and in the best way I can put this this is it is justification is dealing with the past of sin and sanctification frees us from the power of sin, because every day I'm trying to live for God.

He's given us victory through him ending but but but but glorification or our future that is being freed from the presence of sin, because now were in heaven. So salvation frees us from the past of sin because we been forgiven. It frees us from the power of sin, because now were growing and sanctified through Christ. But then it frees us from the presence of sin in our future because will be in heaven and where God is.

Sin can't rain so when you read God's word, every passage you have to look at it and see. Is it dealing with my sanctification. Is it dealing with my justification or is it dealing with my glorification is a verse dealing with my past or is a verse dealing with my present or is the verse dealing with my future. Case in point. We often talk about Paul. Paul said this in the New Testament, he says, work out your own salvation will if you don't know any better, you'll say wow I thought I thought that God worked out.

My salvation ways not talking about justification. He's not talking about forgiveness of sin that's already been done.

He's talking about sanctification. He's talking about now you're growing, you need to work out your salvation. You've already been forgiven from sin. Only God can do that but now it's up to you to grow in the knowledge of Christ.

You get that you understand so all of Scripture has to be applied by these three areas is he talking about my past forgiveness is he talking about my present growth or is he talking about my future in heaven. You got that notice in chapter 7 verse 14 if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves notice this and pray that prayer God hears two things are required visa number one you have to seek my face number two. He says you have to turn from your wicked way in other words, God says if you're my people and if you been called by my name, and if you humble your selves and then you begin the process of praying now were still not to that point where he says I hear your prayer.

Remember what were talking about here is sanctification.

You say why that because he already said in the first part of the verse that were his people okay and were already called by his name's over Tonga saved individuals here so were not talking about pastor justification for forgiveness from sin were talking about a Christian that needs to grow and he said this of you as a Christian that needs to grow. If you want me to hear your prayers and if you want me to have. To answer your prayers and if you want to have power in your prayers. You gotta do two things you seek my face and you gotta turn from your wicked way is this making sense to you. You see a lot of times we say will only God can hear my prayer. I thought that a sinner can pray in golf yes a sinner. Praise God can hear you wherever you are, whatever you're going through whatever situation you're in. If you're in the bottom of the gutter and you feel repentance towards God and you say, I want you to be my Savior. He will hear you come into your life and save you by the grace of God but is talking here about a Christian that is growing is that if you want me to hear your prayers. He said you've got to seek my face and you gotta turn from your wicked way. Interestingly enough, this this phrase seek my face that word seek means this it means to search out or to strive after God said, let me tell you how you get a hold of me and how I begin to answer your prayers. You got to seek me out. You got a search after know what's different. It's not just the fact of where we acknowledge the gods there. We seek his face.

It means that we plead we constantly constantly a process of begging and pleading spending time with God.

God I want your will. God I want to do what you want to do with my life. God I need your wisdom. God I need your help. And not only that it is searching him out and seeking after him. It's driving after it means this that God I want to get your will and then I want to do it. You know I God is, and it's a lot of our prayers because we say God tell me your will and he already knows that when he tells us his will, were not going to do it easy to seek after God doesn't mean just him asking his advice.

It means am willing to take it when he gives it, it just doesn't mean I want God to tell me what he wants. It means that a listen and do it when he tells me.

So when I seek after God. It means this that my soul is longing for him. I need him. I'm desperate for him and it's a constant process of completing it in his word and seeking God's face.

That means seeking God's opinion seeking God's what you would call his approval seeking God's will. It's all about what he wants, not about what I want. Psalm 27 it says, when thou said it seek my face, my heart set into the thy face, Lord, will I seek.

Hosea chapter 5 has an interesting verse here it says I will go and return to my place until they acknowledge their offense. God says listen. Is this what God says I will go and return to my place until they acknowledge their offense and seek my face in their affliction, will they seek me early. God says alright I tell you what you're not you you're not seeking me. I'm just going to go ahead and leave you alone.

You get desperate enough in your affliction, then you'll seek my face come back to get that is me different.

I don't need God to turn away from me and leave me alone.

I need God right here.

I need help. Every second of every day. God says this if you will humble your selves and then at it and then you will I guess what you would call humbling is the preparation for prayer, but praying is the process you gotta do it. You got it you know it. Make it out of prayer list. I used to when I was you pasture before I made a weekly prayer list on Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday give a list of things you're supposed to pray for those days like Mondays with pray for missionaries. Pray for men of God in your life.

Pray for different things. I have the kids fill that out. Listen if you don't have.

If you don't have a chart if you don't have a process if you don't have a way to do it you to get down and say, well, Lord. I don't know what to talk about get your prayer list get you get your process in place begin praying. But as you do if you want those prayers to reach heaven and you want God to answer those prayers. He said you've number one, you gotta seek my face for number two.

This is a big one. Gotta turn from your wicked way. It was all easy to live in one notice, the Bible does not say humble ourselves and pray and seek my face and turn from your wicked way. It did not say and acknowledge your wicked way, it said, turn from it now and I want you to get the ship, you gotta listen to me. Psalm 80 verse four says, oh Lord God of hosts, how long will thou be angry against the prayer of thy people when it so this verse tells us that God can literally be angry at our prayers will eyes that look at me when you and I pray to God, but we have not repented when we have repented, praying in other words, were asking God to do something for us, but we've not sacrificed anything for him. We not change anything. We let Sam stay in our life that angers God so repentance has to come for God to hear our prayers.

That's why he says if you humble yourself and pray and seek my face and turn from your wicked way, then will I hear repentance has to come for us to have any power in prayer. There has to be a turning away from our sin. Why has the church not seen revival. I'll tell you why it's not because we haven't said we need to pray.

It is not even because there's nobody praying. It is not because were not seeking his face. I believe we have not seen revival because the charge on a whole has not heard from its wicked that's the missing we just like what were doing too much were knocking to change it. May I say first this morning that repentance is more than a conviction of sin.

Repentance isn't just the fact that you are convicted, asked 2425 says any as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, go thy way for this time when I have a convenient season. I will call for the what's going on here. Paul was witnessing to Felix politician man in charge and as Paul was witnessing to Felix. The Bible says Felix began to tremble. What was that conviction as Paul began to give the gospel guilt begin the flood Felix his life.

Felix began to realize that you know this guy's probably right in the Bible said that Felix begin to tremble and what did he say to Paul he said Paul go thy way when I have a convenient seasonal call for you so that means Felix was convicted, but he never changed.

You see, repentance isn't conviction of sin cannot save us a lot of times in church and the preacher will preach sitting there in the pew.

We feel convicted. We feel that for some reason we say all these people are not convicted of nothing more you can get put up a bottle of her to once Vincent Bridges about everybody and everything. I met them with the people is not effective or not convicted.

No, on the average and the average think most people don't need to be told when they done wrong. They know it. I don't need you to tell me when I have that you I'm sure you will.

But I don't need you to tell me what I've done wrong you know why because I know I'm done wrong. Repentance isn't conviction of sin. Second, repentance is more than a confession of sin is there. What is this me just because you confess your sin doesn't mean you changed a lot of times a preacher will preach and folks will come to an altar and we ought to be the altar by the waiver. Get ready to start a series were too long on the altar because only be honest with you I think this altar is in use as much as it needs to be that just my opinion amount on the largest fuming for me to love does preacher preach in a personal come down to this altar, and those a God I've done such a such a not done such such an I've done Billy but sometimes it meet with a preacher with a counselor or of another fellow personal safe man I've blown it. I've messed up and I've done this. That means they been convicted. Now they're confessing within the go right back into the same thing tomorrow so repentance is not just conviction and it's not just confession. Third, repentance is more than contrition for sin to preach what is this means and Caribbean chapter 7 says for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world work at death. Contrition means that I just feel rotten for what I've done, you know, convicted, and I've confessed and I just feel horrible about what I've done, nor that verse just said the sorrow of the world. Work at death. That means this just for you to feel bad about something but it doesn't spur you to change that's deadly is the Bible.

Repentance is this for it. It's more than conviction. It's more than confession. It's more than contrition.

Fourthly, repentance is turning away from sin that let let me put it this way is not just conviction. It's not just confession. It's not just contrition and saying change acts 2021 says testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks. Paul did repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance first faith towards God. Second, Ezekiel 14 says, therefore saying to the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God. Repent and turn yourselves and your idols and turn away your faces from all your abominations see that verse turn away, turn away, turn away. Repentance is me saying I've done wrong and I know and not only my convicted.

Not only am I confessing God.

I've done this. Not only do I feel rotten and bad that I have been omitted. Take the next step because I want God to hear my prayers so I'm going to change up now good to go this direction. God says all right if you fumbled yourself and your pray and seek my face and it's as if God knows the last step usually that all of us take the last final step, the hardest step, the one that most Christians never get to if we will turn from Our Wicked Way, God says, number four, the promise that God honors. He said then I will heal. Here she's me I will forgive and I will heal notice the verse, God will hear our prayers. Forgive our sins and heal our land.

God says I will hear I will forgive and I will heal by the way, that's the process God always takes when you come to him. He hears he'll forgive and then you'll heal. That's what salvation was salvation was you say Lord I can get to heaven on my own wrong I'm a sinner, Lord, I need you. Salvation is not coming on altar salvation is not getting baptized. That has nothing to do with salvation.

That's the first step of obedience after salvation.

Salvation was God I need you. I'm a sinner.

I have no payment for my sin.

God heard you and then you say Lord commanded heart, forgive my sins, God forgives you, and then he begins the process of any changes, molds us promise.

God honors you say this this morning that for we go yesterday we had upwards.

Our first upwards games and they went wonderful and we had a gym full of people wanting know most of it was wonderful to meet his great enemies were help in this community. These kids play sports in a Christian atmosphere, no arguing, no, besides the parents, the kids were arguing or anything. It was so good to see that building full of people coming in and out each game we spoke to all the parents between each of them and my son was playing in the first game so sit there as a parent watching and Daniel came down one time is driven and he shot the ball. He made it need made a few shots and he shot this ball and I watched him and soon this time this is. This half of the game. He was shooting down the goal, where we were sitting in when Daniel made the basket soon as he made it. He looked right over me. Why one my approval.

He wanted to know was that he happy with what I did. If you and I would just be like that if you and I would just go through life. What ever we do immediately. God you happy with that. Were you not. And if he's not if we will turn from that Wicked Way, God will hear. He will forgive you will heal. Father, I thank you for this morning. Lord I think. So often we want everybody else's approval, but yours. We worry whether or not everybody else is happy with what we've done, but we don't worry about you, God, if we would just humble ourselves enough to change. Lord I do want your approval. I know sometimes it doesn't. But I want my life. Thank you for listening to you receive the blessing from our broadcast.

The current Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Rd. in Kernersville, NC.

You may also contact us by phone in 33699351924 Kerwin Baptist Church.com enjoy our services live all Armenian honor website and church. Thank you for listening. Kerwin broadcast God bless you