Fine tune
Key Passage: Philippians 3:13-14
Date: June 7, 2024
Someone said this, “I don’t fully agree with it, but they said people come Sunday morning because they love themselves. They want God’s blessing. They come Sunday night because they love the preacher, and then they come Wednesday night because they love the Lord.” I don’t fully agree with that, but I’m trying to brag on you a little bit here tonight. This is a Wednesday night crowd. You’re here.
And I think you’ve got, for the most part, your priorities right. You’re in church in the middle of the week. And that’s awesome. I think you’ve kind of got, if you will, the major tuning down. But maybe tonight, if we’d listen real closely, the Lord could maybe do a little fine tuning in our life. Sometimes that little bit of fine tuning does so much.
It makes us so much more effective. And Sunday we really focused on forgetting those things which are behind, to have apprehended and so on. We’re focused on that a lot. I want to just take a little time. I believe the Lord wants us to really kind of maybe fine-tune where we’re going, where we’re heading, how to get there, that type of thing. And the key tonight is that you…
You listen to the Holy Spirit. Now, He’s speaking. He’s always speaking. He’s our guide. But the key is us getting tuned in. So I want this just for a little while. I just rather try to tune in and try to get what He would like for us to get as far as setting our goals. Not just for a new year, this new decade. Man, this is 2020.
And perfect time really just to—and it’s already the second Wednesday of the decade. I’m a little behind, you know. But I just feel like the Lord doesn’t want us to miss this thing. It’s just such a good time to kind of get our sight set on the right thing, shooting for the right thing, and maybe get some fine tuning tonight with this thing. So we’re going to read these two verses, 13 and 14.
He’ll just kind of talk down a little bit through it, and then I want to just try to throw out some things, and we’ll see what the Holy Spirit will do with it in your heart, your life. And I’m not saying every one of them’s for every person, but I’m asking the Holy Spirit, the one that’s for you, He’ll say, “That’s the one that’s for you right there.” All right. So we’re in Philippians 3. We’re going to be in verse number 13. Would you please stand as we read God’s word together, if you’re able to, just out of respect to God’s word? Philippians 3…
Verse number 13. It’s funny. I listen to Mike Curley. He was preaching over here pretty close by and went over there last night and Monday night, and he told me he said, Sunday morning, he said he preached about forgetting. That’s a while, you know. And he said, then Sunday night he preached on survival. On Sunday night, he said I had my assistant preach, and he said, Sunday night, would you believe that he preached on remembering?
And so he said, “I fired my assistant pastor.” No, he was joking with me. But anyway, I thought that’s interesting for sure. Verse number 13: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
I mentioned Sunday morning this one thing I do, and I really emphasized. I think some of that meaning, a lot of that meaning has to do with once you’ve kind of cut the strings from the past and issues and whatnot, then you can focus on going ahead—this one thing I do. I believe that’s true, but I believe it’s more than just that. It’s amazing. There’s one interpretation of the Bible that’s literal, but there’s a lot of spiritual applications, see?
And let me just kind of add a thought in here with this one thing I do. He was going after this mark, the prize for the high calling. He didn’t get too tangled up in things down here. This one thing I do.
If we’re not careful, America has so many fun, enjoyable, pleasurable things to do that’ll get caught upon all these things, and it won’t be this one thing I do; I’ll be doing a whole lot of things. Now, there’s a certain place for pleasure. Remember one preacher used to say, “Oh, where can no play? It makes Jack a mighty boring fellow,” you know. As long as my pleasure in these things makes me more effective, more efficient for the Lord. Sometimes I’ll notice when I’m away from the church for a little while and I’ll come back, man, I can get so much more done. And that’s a good thing. And so I’m not saying don’t take a break and don’t take a rest, but the big thing, this one thing I do—one day I’m going to face the Lord Jesus Christ, and I’m getting ready for that day. See, it’s one thing I do.
See, just a couple of thoughts as we’re kind of working away through it here. He uses this word “mark.” Where is it at? Verse number 14 right there. He says, “I press toward the mark.” I mentioned Sunday about a race, and at the end they had that ribbon. They say sometimes their races back in the day, they would put a mark. Almost like in football—they got a chalk line, you know. And sometimes they have a mark, and I’m pressing toward the mark. Now, the end of this thing is not down here. See? It’s in glory. And can I just put it real simplified a little bit? The mark is you doing God’s will for your life. That’s the mark.
That’s what you’re running after. It’s going to be different. We mentioned this last Wednesday. It’s going to be different for everybody else’s race. “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” Hebrews 12:1. In our race, I’m not running against Brother Glenn. He’s not running against me. He’s running against God’s will for Brother Glenn. I’m running against God’s will for Paul. See? And don’t get in your mind, man, we’re in this race, we’re running for the Lord. Don’t think you’re running against someone else. Man, you’re running the race that is set before you. It’s going to be different than everybody else’s. Don’t compare. God has a race for you.
Then another word here. He says, “the prize.” Verse number 14, I believe it is. “I press toward the mark for the prize.” Sometimes in the old Olympic games, Greek games, the winners, they would have that wreath or that garland put around. And see, one day we’ll stand before our Savior that wore our crown of thorns, and He wore our crown of thorns, but He’ll give us a crown if you’ve served Him. See?
That’s the prize. It wouldn’t be wonderful if the Lord just kind of—it’d be wonderful if the Lord maybe put His hand on your shoulder and say, “Good job. You did good.” That’s what it’s about right there. And there’s a prize. And by the way, the prize isn’t down here. It’s not about having a certain retirement so I can go down to Florida and play shuffleboard and watch my wife’s veins pop out. It’s not about all that. Man, the prize is not so I’ll have a nest egg, all that. The prize is going to be with the Lord one day.
And there’s a prize about this saying here. There’s something else about it. Just kind of reading down through this saying here. He says, verse 14, “I press toward the mark for the prize.” It’s very interesting of the high calling. It’s a high calling. By the way, of God in Christ Jesus. If you’re in Christ Jesus, you’re saved, you’ve got a calling, and it’s a high calling.
Now, I don’t need to be crude here, I really don’t. But I do want to be a little bit—just kind of want you to get the point a little bit. It doesn’t matter how strong the man is, how beautiful the lady is, how wealthy the billionaire is. If God lets them live long enough, they’re going to be in some kind of a nursing home, somewhat. And I don’t mean to be crude here, but…
They’re going to have to where it depends. They’re not going to be able to control everything. Somebody’s going to have to take care of them. I’m just saying you’ve lived long enough, you’ve been around long enough, you’ve seen it. That’s just this life, if you will, if it’s just all down here, it’s pretty low, pretty vain. The best, best football player there ever was, if he lives long enough, somebody’s going to have to hold his hand to walk around somewhere.
We’re not living for this. We have a high calling. If it’s just down here what all has to offer down here, at the end of the day, it gets pretty low on a simple truth of the matter. But we have a high calling of God in Christ Jesus. A lot better than down here. If all we’re doing is chasing a green piece of paper, that’s pretty low, friend.
But it’s a high calling. A high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Reminds of Hebrews 3:1, “Wherefore, a holy brother, partakers of the heavenly calling.” Heavenly calling. Yeah, that’s your calling.
Now with these thoughts, just kind of reading down through this scripture a little bit, let me give it and go through out three things, just maybe suggestions, and then we’re going to try to get to some real practical things for a little bit and see what the Lord will do it in your life. And I’m not trying to hit everybody. I’m just asking the Lord as we go through it to maybe speak to us.
A couple of things before we get there, some suggestions. I would suggest having spiritual goals, New Year’s resolutions, if you will, new decade resolutions. Set you some goals. We’ve said it often, but you shoot for nothing, you hit it every time.
I mean, I guarantee you, I guarantee you, these college teams, man, they’re ending their season, they got some goals for next year. If they’re going to get better, they’re going to have to set some goals for next year. I mean, I mean, and if I’m going to grow on the Lord, it’s right, it’s proper to set some goals out there. I’m striving after something. Don’t just let life happen. Decide where you want to go, what you want to do, what the Lord wants, and shoot for that thing right there. He’ll help you get somewhere for the Lord.
I was never a star football player and all that. I always liked it, for sure. Wasn’t the biggest or strongest one, you know. I could run pretty fast when you got about a 300-pound guy. I could run real fast then. I mean, amen. Surprising guy fast-hing right now, you know. But I learned something. I mean, if you get hit just standing, that will just rattle every bone in your body.
I mean, it’s better just to run and hit somebody somewhere because if you’re standing, you’re going to get hit, and man, it’s going to hurt when you get hit. And if you’re going somewhere for the Lord, everybody’s going to get hit. I don’t care who you are, how old you are, where you live, how much money you got in your bank, you got—you’re going to get hit. And yet if I’m going somewhere for the Lord, it still hurts, but at least I got some direction, see. And so I just say, set some goals. Get you some goals. Lord, help me set some goals in my Christian life.
Number two, listen to the Lord’s voice. I’ve already mentioned it tonight. He’s speaking, I guarantee you. Last Wednesday we talked about, “He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for His name.” Either the Bible is true or He’s not leading. He’s speaking. He’s our guide. We preached a couple Sundays ago about Isaiah 9:6, the Wonderful Counselor.
He’s speaking, but it’s a matter of me getting tuned in. Am I listening? Have I turn—this is key—have I turned the volume of my flesh and my desires down low enough where I can hear His voice? See? And just, hey, we’re in a new decade here. Let’s just really do our best tonight to tune in to what the Lord has.
Then I’d say this, just way of suggestions: Get a plan. Get a plan. How can I reasonably reach my goal? Someone said, “We don’t plan to fail; we just fail to plan.” Someone said a goal without a plan is just a wish. And so get me a little plan.
All right. Now, saying all that, I’m just going to—I’m going to go down through seven different things. And I’m not trying to—I’m just kind of going through this, and maybe the Lord will say, “That right there is for you.” Or a real good chance it won’t be something I mentioned; it’ll be a spin-off of the Holy Spirit takes you over here and says, “That’s what I want for you.” Okay? But I want you just try to listen in real good. What would the Lord—I mean, it’s a new day. Praise the Lord. I love a fresh start. It’s 2020. I mean, I mean, I got to mention it. Ms. Gracie has not missed a service in 2020. I love it. It’s great.
Man, we’ve got a fresh start. It’s exciting. And so let’s tonight say, “Hey, Lord, speak to me. I’m going to try to tune in. There’s some adjustment I need to make. Am I out of balance somewhere?” See? And just let Him speak to us. Here’s a couple thoughts, all right? Number one, I’m going to give you seven of them. Maybe the Lord would like you to memorize some more verses. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against Thee.”
Now, here’s the plan I use. This may not be the plan for you, but I’m just trying to help us get a plan here a little bit. But I write down Bible verses I like to memorize. I don’t do it as much as I should, but I write them down or I type them out sometimes on three to five cards, and I keep them in my truck in the middle console, right there beside my pack of cigarettes. I mean, I’m joking with—just tried to see if you’re listening or not, you know. And we need to delete that off. But, man, I got it in there. And praise the Lord, you’re awake. I was wondering if you’re awake. You are. That’s a good thing, you know. Well, three people just woke up when I said that. But, you know.
But on my way in, in the morning time, that’s the time I get those Bible verses out, and I work at memorizing verses. It doesn’t take me long. It’s about 10, 12 minutes, according to how late I’m running and how much I’m obeying this to be limits. And I do work at it. Not always able to work at it. And that’s my time to memorize my Bible verses. It doesn’t take much time, and it doesn’t hurt my schedule. I have to make sure—and I get tempted on this—somebody calls, or I got to make a phone call, and I have the hands-free in my truck and all that. No, in the morning time, that’s the time to memorize Bible verses. But just get you a little plan. Maybe your plan is totally different. But I ask the Lord, “Is that one for me right there, Lord? Is that one for me?”
Number two, number two, maybe the Lord wants you to work at being a better spouse in 2020.
Now, can I just say something about this? I don’t want to get off the subject too much here. Maybe this is the message later on. But don’t go in there and say, “I’m going to make my marriage better.” You can’t make your marriage better. You can make yourself, by the grace of God, a better spouse, but God—except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. God’s the one that gives a good marriage for it. But you can go in there and say, “I’d like to be a better spouse.” See?
Let me just throw out some plans, and some of these are very basic. You’ve heard the first one ever by in the room, you’re probably saying the same thing: Have a date night. We’ve all heard that about 20 million times. It’s a good thing. Have a date night. Maybe this is it. Maybe you’re going to be more open with your mate this year. You’re just going to communicate better, be a little bit more transparent. You’re not going to make them come and beg for three hours, “What’s going on?” You know, you’re just going to be more open with them. Maybe you’re going to be able to resolve issues better. You say, “We’re not going to get in the fuss and last for three weeks; it’ll just last one week this year, amen.”
But I’m just—we’re just going to—we’re going to get cross with each other. We’re not going to—we’re not going to do this thing of days and days, days. We’re just going to come humbly and get this thing right. I mean, I don’t know what it is for you. Maybe you need to read a good Christian marriage book this year. That’s why the Lord’s speaking to you. Maybe the Holy Spirit says, “Hey, you need to go beyond the norm and just step out a little bit beyond the norm and try to seek to please it.” Maybe this might be a good thought for you.
Maybe you say, “I would like for my mate, my spouse, to feel spoiled this year.” That’s my goal. I like for them to feel spoiled. Sometimes, sometimes it’s almost like our loving our spouse is selfish. “Well, I did this, this, this, this so we can say we’re a good spouse.” And at the end of the day, it’s still all about us. How much you try to make them feel loved?
I mean, make that your goal. I want them—I want them to feel loved. That’s my goal. It doesn’t matter who knows about it, what I can say I did or didn’t do. I want them to feel loved. But just work at this thing. Maybe the Holy Spirit is speaking to you about that. Maybe this is it.
Number three, maybe the Lord’s speaking to you about working at this thing of witnessing. Oh, heaven and hell is coming. Every person you see walking, that person’s either going to heaven forever or going to hell forever. And I’ve got to be a part. I’ve got to get involved in this thing of witnessing, being a soul winner, telling somebody about Jesus. The Bible says there are wives over there in Proverbs 31:30. Me involved in this thing of trying to get people saved.
Now, here’s some plans, here’s some things for it. Maybe you want to say, “I’m going to pass out 10 gospel tracts a week, every week, every week.” I’m just going to do it. Now, I’m not talking about passing them out to the trash can, all right? And I’m talking about that. By the way, praise the Lord, some of our people, they went to their dentist and they showed me they had put up our tract on the bulletin board of the dentist, had taken a picture of it. I love it. I love it. It’s a wonderful picture. Maybe that’s your goal. Every week of 2020, there’s going to be 10 tracts that I have passed out somewhere to somebody.
Maybe it’s very simple. All right, when the spring soul-winning campaign comes around, I’m going to go soul winning. I’m going to go out there, and I’m going to be out there just trying to get people saved. Maybe I’m going to pray more about it. Maybe it’s some—I’m going to talk to at least one person about their salvation, whether they’re saved or not, every week. D. L. Moody, he used to have a goal every day. He said, “I’m going to try to talk to at least one person about getting saved.” One night it was about 11 o’clock at night, and he thought, “My goodness, I haven’t talked to anybody.” They said he went out and walked the streets and found somebody to witness to, and actually they got saved. But just set the goal. Pray about it.
I don’t say this to brag—hopefully it would be encouragement to—but I just prayed. I haven’t got to lead to my Lord this year. And Monday I was at the house. Lord, in that morning I prayed, “Lord, I don’t want to see somebody saved.” It’s been in my house since I’ve got to see somebody saved. And next door, across from us or across the way there, somebody’s bought that property. There’s a man over there working. I’ve met him a time or two before. I like the fellow. And I was out working on my truck, replaced one of the headlights, you know. And the Lord said, “You haven’t talked to Willie. He’s over there. You’re here, he’s there. You’re the only ones around. I want you to go witness to him.” All right. Willie bowed us and asked Jesus Christ to be his Savior. Talk him out coming to church. We’ll see what happens. But I mean, you got to go tell them. That’s what the Bible says: Go, go ye therefore. And just got to, “All right, what’s my plan? Holy Spirit, what do You want me to do? What’s my plan here?”
Maybe memorizing Bible, maybe working at being a better spouse, maybe you’re soul-winning. Maybe it’s your prayer life. Boy, the Lord’s been home, man, and maybe you tune in, “I need to work at my prayer life.” And I don’t know. Prayer lives are so interesting because it’s like relationships. Your prayer life would never be just like mine, and mine [wouldn’t be] like yours. They’re different. You can pray to God like I can never pray to God, and vice versa.
But let me just try to throw out a couple things, and you ask the Guide; He can tell you much better than I. But maybe you need to get up 10 minutes earlier every day. And you just did. All right, 10 minutes every morning to get up 10 minutes earlier. I don’t know what it is. Maybe you say, “All right, before I get home from work.” I’ve worked jobs. I had to get there pretty early in the morning time, and I don’t like real early. I mean, that’s just—I don’t like it, you know. And so I knew when I got off work, I had to go to a park somewhere and have my time alone with God before I got home, because once I got home, it wasn’t going to happen. Maybe you need to do that. I don’t know.
Maybe you need to make a prayer list. Maybe you need to rewrite your prayer list. Sometimes the prayer list can just get redundant. You need to rewrite it and work out a little bit. Maybe once a week you need to go have a special prayer time. It’s interesting, Jesus, Mark 1:35: “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out and departed to a solitary place and there prayed.” It was early in the morning, Mark 1:35. But then sometimes at nighttime He’s on the mountainside, stayed out there all night long. He went to the garden of Gethsemane, and His apostles knew, “Hey, that’s one of His prayer spots over there.” I mean, so maybe you need to kind of make adjustments. You’re in a rut; you need to change something, get your extra prayer times. But ask, ask your Guide. “I’d like to be more intense in my prayer life. I’m getting lethargic in again. I’m just reading the list, and it’s not lasting long or whatever it may be.” And all right, Lord, isn’t it interesting? “Lord, teach us to pray,” that’s what they asked. Maybe you need to put that in your prayer list: Lord, teach me to pray.
But just ask the Holy Spirit. All right. Fine tuning. Do I need some fine tuning? Maybe need to read a book on prayer. I’ve got a book—the next book, I’m reading one now. I’m supposed to be working at it, amen. And the next one, I’ve already got it set aside, is about prayer. And I want to read a book about prayer. Maybe that’s what you need. I don’t know. But let the Holy Spirit speak to you about fine-tuning some things here.
Just a couple more suggestions. Maybe it’s about having better relationships. I’m going to just talk about two of them. Maybe it’s a better relationship with your parents, young people, or all of us maybe. Here’s a plan: All right, I’m not going to argue with them when they tell me something I don’t like. I’m not going to have an attitude. I see Ms. Gracie moving away from her parents, and I’m joking with it. I believe she’s got a great relationship with her parents. I’m joking. But what’s the plan? And I’m joking. I think they’ve got a great relationship.
But maybe that’s what the Lord wants. Hey, maybe it’s us parents having a better relationship with their kids. Maybe kids are grown and they’re busy, and you’re busy. But God’s saying, “Hey, you need to text them more often. Need to write them a letter.” I think one of our good men years ago, him and his son had a falling out, and he just sent a letter apologizing for what he had did wrong and tried to restore the relationship. Maybe that’s it. I don’t know. But what’s the Lord—is the Lord speaking to you about things like that? Let the Holy Spirit fine-tune a little bit. Maybe I got my notes, but maybe if it’s little ones, and we don’t have many parents of little ones, but maybe it’s, “Don’t yell at them anymore; just do something about it.” But having better relationships.
Two more things, we’re done. Maybe God wants you to work at giving in 2020. Now, I’m not necessarily just talking about the offering plate. Maybe God wants you to give at least one person every week $20 to somebody. I’m going to be praying, “Lord, who’s the person this week I’m supposed to give $20 to?”
I got a man in our church, good man, good man. And, oh, when he started coming to our church several years ago, he told me, he said, “You know what I like to do?” He said, at the time—and it’s been several three, four years ago, maybe it’s changed—but at that time, he’d go to usually Cracker Barrel every Saturday morning. And he said, “What I love to do, I eat my breakfast. He said, I’ll try to get one of my kids to go with me. And he said, I’ll look for someone, and I’ll pay for their meal.” And he said, “I love it. It’s great.”
“It is more blessed to give than receive.” Maybe it is tithing. “I need to tithe in 2020.” Just need to buy faith. I mean, that’s the first fruits. Just need to obey God. And maybe I need to get involved in some of these special offerings that pastors have. But I want to work at this thing of giving. And I want to look at people’s needs. I want to be watching people needy, and I want to learn to—isn’t it sad if we’re always a recipient? That’s a good thing to read, but man, we ought to be giving too, and look and search for people and needs. And maybe you take a meal to a person every week, going to take somebody a meal somewhere along the line. But work at giving. It’s such a joy. It’s, man, it just adds so much to life when you’re giving. It’s great.
Last one that I’m going to mention. Maybe the Holy Spirit is mentioning something totally different, but maybe we’re good at befriending new people. Our church is a friendly church, but if we’re not careful, we’ve seen so many people come and go over the years. And over the years, new people come in, we’ll shake their hand one time, and then we’re busy shaking each other’s hands, and that new person just kind of…
…and more than you’re shaking their hand, but work at befriending them. I’m going to work at that. I’m going to get to know them. I’m going to be a relationship. I’m going to find out where they work at. I’m going to find out how many kids they have. I’m going to find out if they got any grandkids. Maybe you invite them out, “Hey, we’re going to go out to eat after lunch.” Instead of it just being, you know, you and so-and-so, you know, we’re going to invite new people.
I’m going to work at this thing, befriending new people and getting to know new people, and I’m going to invite them to my Sunday school class. I’m going to invite them to church functions and just work. I’m going to work at this thing in 2020 in the new day. I’m going to be one of those people. I welcome new people in, and I’m more than just shaking their hand one time; I’m going to befriend them.
Maybe at work, maybe in the neighborhood. But I’m going to work at this angle: befriending new people.
Now, I mentioned a lot, but it’s probably something I didn’t even mention, but the Holy Spirit’s mentioning it. And here’s the key: He’s speaking, I guarantee you. If there’s a flaw, it’s not in Him; it’s in me. I’m not listening. I’m caught up so much in my agenda; I’m not tuned in to His voice.
I have an old email. I don’t—I really don’t use it hardly at all. I don’t give it out anymore at all. But every once in a while, someone will use it or whatnot, and I have to really—and I’ve got one email I can get on my phone, and I use that one a lot. But every once in a while, I’ve got to really go out of my way; I’ve got to go through the internet and go to the old email.
Dave Whitmore was here a couple Sunday nights ago, not this Sunday night, but last Sunday night, a missionary of ours, good man, been following the Lord and serving the Lord for years and years in Brazil, doing a wonderful job. He got a son very sick; he had an accident and got some brain damage, and they’re taking him up to Indiana for medical testing. And boy, I hope you pray for him. The Whitmores were so good reaching out to another night, and we were trying to communicate a little bit, and he said, he said, “I sent you an email.” And I knew he said it was that old email. Honestly, I think it was maybe yesterday, maybe today. Shame on me. Now, we had communicated some otherwise, but before I went all the way over to that other email—it’s kind of a junk email; it’s got all kind of junk in there. Man, I just go in there and delete everything.
But I had to go out of my way, and there it was. He had sent me an email. It’s such a good time. It’s a new decade. It’s a new year. First to go out of our way and tune in to His emails. And it might be some fine-tuning that would make your marriage, your home, your relationships—you’re proud of it. It might make it so much better.
But I got to tune in. I’m just challenging us tonight. Let’s just tune in. As a church family, I’m not going to have anybody raise their hand during the invitation time, but I’m going to have our instruments just play, and I want us just come and just—let’s just try to tune in. What does He want to fine-tune in your life?
I mean, it ought to be a great time to set some goals. I’m going to put some marks. I’m pressing toward the mark, and it’s a high calling. All right, Lord, what do You want to change a little bit in my life? And would you just take some time during this invitation? Would you tune in? Go out of your way and kind of put everything aside and say, “Lord,” and would you just die to myself? And would You speak to me about what You want in 2020, in this decade? Would you do that?
Would you bow your heads, please? I’m going to have a word of prayer. Our instruments are going to come and play. I want to say amen. And would you just come, whether you come to an old-fashioned altar—it’d be a great place to do it, great place to get along with the Lord—or in your seats, but would you just—would you just tune into Him and get your spirit—He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Let him get his spiritual ears. Don’t let him just fine-tune us for Him in this decade.
Father, thank You very, very much, Lord, that You do speak. Lord, I need Your direction. I think of that verse, “Lead me in the way everlasting.” Lord, we need Your leadership. And tonight we’re coming. We’re coming asking, “Lord, would You please, would You speak to us about our goals, our plans, our future, the new year, the new decade?” Lord, whether it be something I mentioned or something I did not, would You please speak to us? Get us tuned in. Lord, help us to hear what You’re saying tonight in each individual life. Lord, help us to be more in line and go further for You because of tonight. And we’ll thank You, Lord, for what You do. We’re asking for that in the name of Jesus. We pray. Amen.
Would you please stand where you’re at? Would you come? Just spend some time tuning into the Lord. Just tuning into the Lord. That’s right. Just come on. Just get tuned in. Lord, some adjustments. Let’s just all stand. If you come down an altar, that’d be great. Let’s get tuned in and find out what He has for us in 2020, the new decade. Maybe it’s in your finances. And Lord, Lord’s speaking to, “Hey, you need to curb the appetite.” Maybe I need to be a little bit wiser with my money. Maybe it’s my schedule. I need to focus more on forgiveness, and I want to have a tender heart and forgive people, love people. I don’t know. Would you just tune in now? Lord, would You kind of reset me? And I want to veer off a little to the left, a little to the right; I’m staying right with You.
I remember listening to one of my heroes, Bobby Robertson. He’s in heaven now, but he mentioned he went through a stage in his life, and I think he called it Midlife Crisis. He said, “Well, that’s real.” And he said, “I prayed, Lord, what do You want me to do?” And he said the Lord, through another preacher, kind of spoke to him, “I need to read my Bible more.” And he was later on alive. He said, “Well, that’s what I needed at that point.”
And I’m just saying, let the Lord—it’s amazing the different stages you go through. And the Lord always can keep your bearings, your sights right, if I’m listening. And let’s just do it. Let’s take the next couple days, the end of this week. Let’s just try to tune in. Lord, what would You fine-tune me? And get me just right, get me pointing the right direction, just totally where You want me to be. And now I want to press toward that mark, amen.
And so glad you’re here on a Wednesday night. Praise the Lord, you’re in God’s house. It’s the second Wednesday of the year already. We’ve already gone past the year of 2020. And I’m excited about what God’s doing, going to do. And let’s just do our best to be right in line, right where He wants us to be. And let’s tune in to His voice. Let it kind of sharpen us, if you will. It’ll do it if we listen.
Original File: Fine Tune - Pastor Paul Chisgar Wednesday 1820