From Valley to Victory (Part 15)

If I voted once heard it 100 times in the past 45 years in your day in ministry and of her limited variety of ways, but the problem is the same. Why don't seem to be able to have victory in my life. Why, I don't seem to be able to live the Christian life. Enjoy and victoriously and in a sense of achievement or accomplishment for the Lord why or why I don't feel contented and joyful. Why do I feel frustrated in my spiritual walk. Someone said I go from one Bible conference to another. And I'm still the same.

Another person said through the years is that I go from church to church but I still can't find what I'm looking for and one time a lady said to me she actually said I go to three different churches every Sunday. I got on LDS church that I come here and I got to the third church.

Another said, I have tried everything I have tried speaking in tongues. I have tried the deeper life. I have tried the inner healing services and I can't seem to have victory in my life. I'm always feeling defeated, why, why, why in the body of Christ. I can tell you why. The bottom line is they all have one thing in common and that is a faulty view of worship.

A faulty view of worship.

What people call worship these days has no resemblance of biblical teaching or biblical worship at all. The question is what is worship. The word comes from the Latin origin when we get into the English language. The Hebrew is different, but this the same meaning but the Latin word the original word is worth ship that's worth comes from worth ship. So the question is what is God worth to you what is God worth to me.

Romans chapter 12 gives us a picture of what is true worship is all about. At the heart of worship is not what we can get out of it, but what we can give to it. That is really the bottom line and that's where the confusion comes from worship is not getting, but it is giving and that is why we have these problems. These folks running around trying to find a victory in the lab trying to find contentment in the laughter trying to find spiritual growth in the life and they can't find it. This is what Paul said in Philippians 33 those who worship in the spirit of God glory in Christ Jesus." No confidence in the flesh. Jesus said in John chapter 3 were instructed to the Samaritan woman. Those who worship my father worship him in spirit and truth.

For such people the father seeks to be his worshipers. True worship is not what I can get out of God, but showing what God is worth to me.

True worship is multifaceted. Of course prayers as part of attending prayers part of a proclamation as part of it. Sacrificial giving is part of it and to add insult to injury there ourselves will persist that what we need in the Christian life is to get more of God and more from God. Beloved, listen to me. In Ephesians chapter 3 is that in Christ Jesus. We have already been blessed with every spiritual blessing. How many in Christ Jesus. We already have all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. How many in Christ Jesus.

We have been made complete the joy and the contentment in the Christian life is not striving to get more out of and get get get instead give more of ourselves to God that I get an amen because God already gave you everything that you have everything.

What we need to do is appropriate what your he has given us.

I needed to know how to do that. In fact, Romans 12 tells us how to do that here in Romans chapter 12 verses 1 to 8 Paul gives us the only way for true joy for contentment for satisfaction for victory in the Christian life. Please listen to me. Worship is not getting high on some emotional hi and then it wears off, and then you're back in the dumps and worst condition. No verse one. Therefore, I urge you in the view of the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual worship. Remember the principle of therefore, in fact, here tells us what it is for the mercies of God, therefore, in view of the mercies of God, in view of what you saw in the last message from Romans chapter 11 particular verse 33 called the depth of the riches of the wisdom of God the incredible mercy of God.

Now that he had shown mercy both to Jews and Gentiles to believe in Jesus. Those branches that already grafted vendor Gentiles or the branches were natural.

The Jews now that he showed mercy to all and because of that mercy. Therefore, it is your responses. My response to this unbelievable, indescribable, unfathomable mercy of the grace of God, therefore, is this is your expression of gratitude and thanksgiving to the mercy of God. Therefore, this is your secret for contentment and joy and victory and satisfaction in God. What is it offering God your spiritual worship handoff or God. My body is a spiritual sacrifice or jump on this altar like they do in the Old Testament. Okay God Alan altar send fire from heaven now. I hesitated actually saying that because some of you probably said yes lots and five N. the Lord forgive you. First of all, when Paul talking about offering our bodies not talk about the bones in the flesh and skin in the tissues is not talk about this physical body. No, he is referring to everything that we are everything that you are that's what he's talking about.

In the Old Testament the sacrifice had to be killed in the New Testament the sacrifice has to be living all it's a lot harder to live for Jesus and to die for Jesus.

Did you know that in the Old Testament the sacrifice cost.

A portion of one's income in the New Testament. You must be prepared to sacrifice everything in the Old Testament sacrifice had to be without blemish in the New Testament the sacrifice has to be complete and total surrender in the Old Testament the sacrifice brought sweet smelling savor to the nostrils of God in the New Testament the sacrifice must be pleasing to the Lord of the said things of the very people running around from Bible conference to Bible conference and seminar at the seminar from church to church looking for exciting experience new experience. Those of the very people who might be giving God the crumbs of the money for giving God the crumbs of their time not the first hour in the fresh fruit, they giving God the crumbs of the energy instead of the first burst of energy and that is why Paul is saying. I appeal to you he really say how big you I am pleading with you. I figure I argue with every ounce of my being am asking you please please please please please understand what worship is all about, because it is the secret to your true permanent lust and fulfill you know the thing I noticed through the years is that the more God blesses us, the less were willing to give of ourselves of sin. Too many times to about the more God blesses us, the more we want to hold onto his blessings and not depart from it and handed back to him. If God puts a gun to head as is.

Give or else what a good be honest with you.

Give right. Why feeling beloved senior is not our faith that is not often some other religion. Our faith is not a faith of fear. It is a faith of an expression of gratitude and thanksgiving and praise and adoration and worship our Faith is not legalism but Thanksgiving is really really hurt me or hurt. I have certain heroes in the Christian history. One of them is William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army. He went to see the eye doctor with his son Brown will one day the doctor.

The eye doctor examined him and then he took his son Romo saw the subnormal I need you to break this news to your father. He was given that unenviable task of telling his dad that is going blind and so Brummel said to general booze.

I'm afraid we don't have very good news durable since you mean I'm going to go completely blind in a very British understatement. Brummel said I fear that something we need to contemplate that amazing 11 dimmable centers, son him and I can never see your face again the side of heaven know that probably not love in this life in general. Booze was quiet for a little while and then is it well. I serve God with my eyes. Now I can serve him without my hearts beloved. This is a man who understood what it means to offer himself without reservation into a worship.

Most of us would've said well it's over for me.

Now I can do much now I'm in adequate to serve God.

Now I can serve anymore. I have no gifts.

I appeal to you, by the mercies of God, to offer all of you as a living sacrifice pleasing to the Lord, that is your acceptable, that is your active worship.

I know I know I know I know and I thought about this long and hard.

This is a strange language for our 21st century. It really is very strange. A culture that says get all you can and cannot you get than sit on the lead. How can I do this I'm glad you asked.

It means wherever your body goes there goes the act of worship where your body goes there goes a living sacrifice and living sacrifice. I used to tell people typically nearly does not cancel young couples and also you know it's a lot easier to set them off. I'll die for you as a whole. Of these, it's I think a bullet for you, but it is harder to say every day I'm going to die to self so they can do for you is the same with God is a logographic God has put living for God. It's a slow death slugfest itself life of Christ in you, wherever you go, there goes a living sacrifice in the boardroom. There is a living sacrifice in the factory floor that is a living sacrifice and the housework that is a living sacrifice, and intelligent. This is a living sacrifice in serving and giving him a living sacrifice everywhere I go. Beloved, the motive of giving of self, and spiritual worship must always be generated out of response to God's mercy always the object of giving is pleasing the Lord, pleasing the Lord before or after a word out of my mouth to ask of these words going to be pleasing to the Lord before I speak ill of someone or express ingratitude toward someone I ask is going to be pleasing to the Lord before I allow bitterness to seep into my heart and begin to feel sorry for myself and selfishness I ask is this really pleasing to the Lord before I allow my feet to take me to places where I should not and must never never never go. I asked myself is this living sacrifice is this pleasing to the Lord.

That is what it is all about beloved Surinder is a total job when God tested Abraham and he said to him give me Isaac.

He basically was saying to him give me everything you have because Isaac, the son of promise meant everything to Abraham in order. Abraham according to Hebrews now that we know it around syndrome. I am going to see some medicals God is going to resubmit your is not that son to wait to see how God is going to work this 100. God ask Abraham to do that got to meet Isaac. He gave Isaac he wanted to see if Abraham's affection moved away from the Lord and placed it on the blessing he wanted to witness his obedience and surrender. He wanted Abraham to say Lord everything I have comes from you. George us and wanted. He wants you to be willing to surrender it when David could not build the temple as the longing of his heart to build the temple to the Lord. He takes his entire net worth puts it aside to take it off, use it therefore I urge you, brethren, in the view of the mercy of God, to offer yourselves totally, completely, as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God which is your spiritual worship that immediately.

The apostle Paul goes to speak about the spiritual gifts which every believer has at least one some of you have more than one verse two do not conform in the longer to the pattern of this world, but rather be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

And then I'm here I'm adding this is the use of part and only friend. And then, will you be able to discern the will of God. We live in a culture of it grieves me no end with this conformity mentality is alive and well received all over, all over the place conformity. Anybody tries to be different immediately jump on him or her. Beloved, listen to me standing against the current of culture is a rarity these days.

If there is a hip pastor and on talking about. If a hip pastor gets up and he said God is true. There are many ways to God other than through Jesus. Thousands of young pastors follow suit and stop preaching this stuff tragic tragedy tragedy. Another hip preacher says we don't need to judge sin weakened by president of the church. Thousands of young pastors within weeks preaching the same falsehood. Make no mistake about it. Satan understand this powerful desire of conformity.

He understands it very very well and he uses it to the hilt. He uses it to the hilt.

Why because Satan's goal is to destroy the church of Jesus Christ is this news do now. If you get one message from verse two is this one thing I wanted to be this dare to stand alone dare to be different from the masses there to stand firm when everybody else is caving in there to be a Daniel there to be a short reclamation could Abednego dare to say no when everybody else is saying yes dare to say no that is not biblical. Dare to testify dare to stand courageously against that un-biblical church even if you have to walk out of the church walkout why because the transforming of your mind produces transforming of your will and the transforming of your will is going to reveal the will of God to you and you and the will of God will be one in and out in the same mind the same mind is Christ Jesus. The word transform here that is used the original word is the word from which we get metamorphosis where something is transformed from one form into another. It's like a change of the volatile frog or a caterpillar into a butterfly. In fact, in this same word is used here is the same word used in the Gospels to describe what happened on the Mount of Transfiguration you remember when Jesus took Peter and John and James and went up to the Mount of Transfiguration. That's what the word means transformational the Lords and would essence was allowed to shine through his body and is that his face radiated.

That's what it means he was transformed look with med versus 328. Here the apostle Paul gives us practical ways by which we can offer ourselves totally as a sacrifice to the Lord please listen to me.

We cannot offer ourselves totally to the Lord when were sitting on our Blessed assurance and doing nothing why because actively serving God brings honor to God and his a sticky wicket.

As they say in England. None of us are exempted. None of us exempted. Why because none of us have been exempted from receiving the Holy Spirit with all the gifts that he brought to us. Beloved, listen to big study after study after study have always been fascinated by this have shown that even the most brilliant minds among us. The most genius people must intellectual the only use 11% of the brain capacity, the Internet, but 90% is gone used. Even the brightest, I have a hunch that we have a similar percentages in the church if you stretch it -2080, 20%, doing all the work, giving all the get money or giving to all the things serving seven exotic 80% spectators there watching.

Here is the flow of true worship. It goes from self-denial and spiritual worship to self surrender to the will of God and the goes from self surrender to selfless serving in the work of God, no exemption verse three no exemption through the grace given to me.

I say to everyone you notice that, how many every one of you not exemption from a personal observation, I have found that in a given church.

There are two extremes. Both are erroneous. Both are destructive to the church of Jesus Christ listen to me very carefully place both are designed to make the church of Jesus Christ ineffective. One extreme is a person that who thinks much highly of himself or herself than they ought in the silver look down their noses at the others, yet inimitable work then the workers on the Prince of the church on the Princess of the church. I don't work down their noses.

They think serving is beneath them. That's a bad extreme the other bed extreme, equally bad, is the self-deprecating, the self-deprecating person. I'm just not worthy of. I have nothing to offer. I can't really do anything.

Both of false perceptions and Paul designed to paralyze the church of Jesus Christ. Are you with me so what's the answer. The answer to those two extremes given to us, right here in the Scripture verse three Paul says the first answer. Have an accurate self perception. In verses four and five's and have an adequate perception of others and family verses 6 to 8. He says have an active service mentality accurate self perception means that I am neither inflated or deflated unrealistic about myself. How do I have an accurate perception of myself by not keeping my eyes on somebody who's better than me or focusing my eyes on somebody who's worse off than me.

Why, because you will always find somebody who's better than you.

You will always find somebody who's in worse shape than you. If you focus on somebody whom you perceive better than you or has different gifts and you you will experience false discouragement. You will promise you if you keep your eyes on somebody whom you perceive worse off than you are, or have different gifts and you are you will have an inflated self-importance. Both extremes are deadly.

Both of these are wrong measurements for accurate measurements of self is a relationship with Jesus Christ is keeping your eyes on Jesus when your eyes on only on Jesus, you will have a sober judgment, meaning accurate perception. Why, because God does not give us all the same measures of faith to give some measures of faith to you and different from you and you and you and me. And when you operate faithfully on the measure of faith that is giving you.

You will not be discouraged. You will not discourage you not be frustrated did not gonna feel defeated transforming of the mind will help you to have an accurate perception of yourself. Secondly, transforming of the mind is going to allow you to have an adequate perception of others. Verses four and 5 million for moment you're flying on a plane and all of a sudden the announcement comes and says we have made a decision that we go to switch roles.

The pilots are going to serve the food and the be flight attendants and the flight attendants on a pilot the plane now wanted. Imagine what a lousy service that will be known about the plane crashing or imagine the horror of me trying to sing a solo every Sunday. I know you will clear this place half before five minutes into the service.

No Paul said don't envy the gifts of others. Don't despise your own gift.

Don't sit and wish you had a different gift.

Don't waste your life moping and moaning and complaining that your gift is not important. Your gift is not significant. The God who knew you before the foundation of the earth in you. You give you the gift that he knows is perfect for you. Somebody else just for you.

Get on with worshiping God using your energy and exercising of the gift.

Beloved. This is how seriously the Bible text.

The discovery and the using of a spiritual gift that's all we do this all new members help them discover the gift if they don't already know. Imagine a cell in the body or a group of cells in the body decide to rebel against the body when identical. For the rest of the body. You know what we called ourselves cancer cells as what the doctors call them those rebellious cells or cancerous cells unless they get corrected they can destroy the life the nature of these rebellious cells says I'm not going to give of myself.

I'm going to keep all of my nutrients to myself. I'm not going to give back to the body what the body needs these cells are gonna sap the energy of that body. These cells will weaken the body. These cells will eventually unless corrected will destroy the body out transforming mind gives us accurate self perception out transforming mind will give us adequate perception of others.

Finally, thirdly, 6 to 8 are transforming mind would give us an active serving mentality. Beloved. The Scripture tells us that when we become born again. The Holy Spirit comes in to dwell in us, but he doesn't come empty-handed. Holy Spirit is very generous. He always comes carrying gifts at least one gift for most of us is more than one that your spiritual birthday gift.

The Holy Spirit brings it to you hands it to you. The saddest part to me is the person who never ever open the gift to know what it is the next saddest person to me as a person who opens a gift and so I don't like that put on the shelf operate without meanwhile the body of Christ is languishing the body of Christ are suffering because of their absence. Listen to those who should I get nothing out of church to those who say that church doesn't do much for me think about the laws that others are experienced because of your absence. Think about that and think about it for a long time. I'm told that in the United States Navy. There are about 700 chips plus a more or less 700 chips that are stays in the harbor they don't go out in active they reverently refer to them as mothballed Navy. These vessels anchored in various harbors around the country there constantly receiving excellent maintenance. The exteriors are continuously repaired and painted and repainted the house are continuously bombarded by electric impulses designed to retard the process of rust or corrosion.

While most of these ships could be ready in a short period of time for active service. At present they just sit in the harbor.

Unfortunately, there are many people in the church of Jesus Christ who can be called multiple Christians, multiple Christians there continuously receiving ministry when they discouraged and they need prayers.

They receive Christian encouragement when the spiritually hungry, they get fed.

But then when they don't want to anything that I hang on the door, a sign that says don't disturb the undisturbed.

Romans 12 six and April gives us a beautiful picture here. I believe with all my heart of every church of every believer takes his picture to heart.

We can turn this world upside down with her. This, as I conclude it's an illustration I don't want to take it too far, and when asked tell you the story you will understand the point of it. After World War II to a group of German students Christian German students who volunteered to go to England and help prepare a very well-known famous Cathedral was bombed by the Germans during the war and there were targeted, repaired, and have done all the things they could do as the work progressed to become concerned about the large statue of Jesus see what I said on the big on stretchers but I'm telling you the story. There is a large statue of Jesus was depicted with his arms wide open. An inscription at the bottom of the statue says come unto me, and they try to repair those arms. I try to present his hands were just they couldn't do it in the conduit experienced real difficulty in fixing. After much debate, the leadership of that particular Cathedral that church that decided to keep the hands off of that stature and change in inscription Christ has no hand but hours see what I mean because the head of my Jesus is to Margie to work is too powerful is not short. But the point is the same. The questionnaires are you serving as a hands of Jesus are you serving as a hands of Jesus I pray to God that this not one person here was or will this not really for me it's for so-and-so here really or she really needs this.

The apostle Paul left no one out to everyone. Take a moment as the question he will answer you. I know he will.

I know he will. God loves you so much he cares for you to just forgive you all of your sins redeem you provides for you, but he even allows you to be able to see and read the word of God and be challenged by that is a great gift from God.

He does that to me all week long. If the answer Michael yes I really want to serve the Lord with every ounce of my being owner be in the spiritual worship from vitamin I want to use all the gifts of his given me and I don't want to sit like a multiple Christian I really want to serve him and I want to be encouraged by him and I want to be shown how to do it just worked as ever had. His brown eyes closers raising her number. Pray for you to pray with you. God bless you so many soda hands yes to the Holy Spirit is watching that man the angels in heaven are watching that's really the most important part. That's who the most important person is Holy Spirit of God. You know the desires of our hearts, and you Holy Spirit inspired David 3000 years ago decided to lock yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Father, we want to delight ourselves and you, Lord Jesus wanted delight ourselves in your will. We want offer to our bodies everything we are to be acceptable and pleasing to you. Would you hear our prayers are now your will and I know you already have because we pray in the matchless name of Jesus and all of God's people said amen and amen and amen. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael.

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