Let prayer change you
Category: Salvation & Gospel
Key Passage: James 4
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: June 7, 2024
Turn your Bibles, if you would, to James chapter number four, please. James chapter number four. We have been focusing on Sunday morning this month about prayer. We put a title on this one this morning: Let prayer change you. Let prayer change you.
And yes, prayers are to get things from God. We’ll find a phrase that’s very familiar in this passage: You have not because you asked not. It is part of prayer, but part of prayer is God changing us and me, and I need that. We’re going to talk about that just briefly this morning. I’m so excited about Ronnie and Scarlett getting baptized here in just a minute. That will be a blessing.
James chapter number four. We’ll start in verse number one. James four in verse number one. If you’re able to, would you please stand out of respect to the word of God? We try to show God’s word so much respect in our day and time with everything changing. I’m glad I have a never-ending, never-changing word of God, and always the same. Praise the Lord for that. We’re very, very thankful for that.
And we try to show much respect. James 4, verse number one. If you’re in verse number one, would you say amen? Good deal. Here we go. The Bible says, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? You lust and have not; you kill and desire to have and cannot obtain. You fight and war, yet you have not because you ask not. You ask and receive not because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.”
Would you pray with me that God would work in our hearts in this brief time? Lord, we come, Father. I sure need your guidance, your wisdom, Lord. I really just struggled over this thing: What do you want? What do you not want, Lord? Father, best I can, I don’t want to just please men; I want to please you. Please make it clear what you want. And then, Father, I pray that all the listeners, you would make it very clear to them what you want from them. Father, would you challenge us, change us, grow us? Lord, even the young people, give them a vision of walking with you in prayer.
And Father, we’ll thank you and brag on you and praise you for what you do, Lord. Father, we’re asking for this not based on my merit, Lord, no, no, Lord, based on your Son, Jesus. Would you hear and answer? And we’ll thank you for it, Lord. It’s in Jesus’ name we ask. Amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.
Really, that little phrase in the bottom of verse number two is what I tend to think the central theme of these several verses is. Would you notice at the bottom of verse number two, he says, “Yet you have not because you ask not.” Would you say that out loud with me? Are you ready? Here we go: Yet you have not because you ask not.
Would you do it one more time? I’m just trying to get it ingrained in our heart and our mind. Here we go: Yet you have not. Can you imagine going to heaven one day and God saying, “I had some things I wanted to give to you, some blessings”? Maybe a good marriage. Maybe health, maybe finances. I’m not sure. But can you imagine going to heaven and the Lord saying, “I had some things I wanted to give to you, but you didn’t get it because you didn’t ask”? It’s exactly what he’s saying here. You have not because you ask not.
John Rice used to tell a story, and of course it was just made up, about walking through heaven and seeing warehouses full of things and people’s names on them, and God would say, “That’s the things I wanted to give to you, but you never asked.” My dad would ask about everything. I don’t think my dad—I know after he got saved—I don’t think he ever played the lottery one time, but I wouldn’t doubt if he didn’t pray he won the lottery. We never played the lottery. I mean, he just prayed about everything, you know.
And we had joked with Dad sometimes. He prayed about everything, you know. And Dad would say—he said, “Well, I don’t want to get to heaven and God say, ‘Well, I will have something to give to, but you didn’t ask for it.’” There’s some truth to that. You have not because you asked not. Let’s just kind of look at these verses around that statement just a moment here.
Would you jump back up to verse number one, if you would here, please? Verse number one, James 4. He says, “From whence come wars.” Now, wars here, it could be nations, but it’s talking about among you. It’s the scattered twelve tribes of believers of the Jewish people. But we apply it to us today. Wars would be groups of people fighting with other groups of people. In church surroundings, they’ll call that church splits or they call that the little cliques in churches. And he says, where’s all this groups of people fighting with one another? It’s a sad thing sometimes.
I remember a funeral I did at the graveside. We had just buried Mom, and the family was divided, and after we buried her literally, they almost got into a fistfight, the two sides, over a lot of her money. But there’s two sides, and he’s asking, where is this warring, two sides fighting with each other? Then he goes on. He uses the word wars. That’s groups of people fighting against each other. And “whence come wars and fightings among you.” Fighting is just individuals. I mean, it’s a sad thing in families how much fighting goes on in our day and time, just fussing and fighting. And sometimes Mom and Dad endure each other; they stay together, praise the Lord for that. But even there, they’re just fussing and fighting all the time. It doesn’t have to be like that.
And then you got young people. These young people would never ever fight with their Mom and Dad, never ever ever, right? No, of course not. You see those halos above their heads, you see that right there, folks? But you see young people fight with Mom and Dad, complaining all the time. And God here is saying, where is all this warring and fighting among you? Where is it coming from? He tells us where it comes from: “From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members.”
Now notice he says lust. It’s in you and me. Even when we get saved, praise the Lord, we’re a new creature, amen. Old things are passed away; behold, all things become new. Praise your Lord for that. But can I say this: You still have your flesh. I’m looking forward—one of the biggest things I’m looking forward to when I go to heaven—is I’ll lay this robe of flesh down. I’ll just do right by instinct, praise the Lord, because I don’t do right by instinct right now. I mean, the Holy Spirit has to crucify my old flesh, and I have to hit myself over the head ten times. I have to fall about twenty times to do right one time. Anybody out there like that? Yeah. And even though we’re saved, we still have our own lust, he says. Okay.
Now, here’s the thing about it: Satan is always trying to bring your lust out. And he’s good at it; he entices us. I think of—have you ever thought of like a bass? Big old bass? All right, we’re going to dream; we might as well dream big, pound bass. Any man out there want to say, amen? Come on now, yeah, yeah. And a big old bass is underneath the rock, under the water, and you’re casting that lure out there, you know, spinnerbait, whatever it is, and that artificial worm, and that big old bass, that’s not quite his color, and he likes the rooster tail, whatever it may be, or the Hula Popper, whatever, you know. I’m not an expert fisherman. And those good fishermen, you know, they got that tackle box; they paid about $3,000 for all that stuff in there, you know. That one don’t work, and they pull out this one; they pull out this one, and they got, you know, all the different colors and all those different, you know, turquoise and all the every color in the world, you know, on that tackle box. And they’re just trying to put the right one out there. And that’s what the devil does with our lust.
And Satan’s so crafty. He’s trying to bring the things you really—the things that just may be your flesh wants. Satan’s always casting it out there, and he’s trying to attract your lust. Now, the reason why—it’s actually, here’s the reason. I’ll just stick with this second time. But the reason why we know it’s not the right kind of lust: Sometimes we desire something; you desire a good marriage, that’s a good desire. But this lust here is the lust that wars in your members. You notice that in the verse? That wars in your members. This lust brings the unpeacefulness about you. This lust, it divides you.
You’ve got the Spirit of God, if you’re saved, as trying to lead you to a higher level of living, living for the Lord Jesus Christ and for eternity. But then this lust, it brings the conflict inside you. And Satan’s good at enticing. Come on now, man. You know those commercials that will have this guy, man, he’s got ribs, you know—and I’m not talking about his ribs, ripples or whatever you call it, you know—and then we’ve got this old belly out there, you know, and it looks like he’s muscular and rich and strong and handsome and got it all together. And Satan’s trying to get that desire going on inside of you. Now, I’m first trying to be healthy. I don’t always eat right, that’s for sure. But I did have a Caramel Frappuccino yesterday morning, amen. Amen. But I’m just saying Satan will—he’ll do his best.
Look, I’ve got a nice truck. I’m very thankful for it. The problem is my wife’s been driving. Can you believe that? My goodness. Our bachelor—and I’ll tell you for sure—my daughter’s car is broke, and so she got my wife’s car. My wife’s got my truck. What about that? And I stole Brother Marlin’s truck. It’s a shame. Everything’s cattywampus around here, folks. I’ll tell you for sure, you know. But I do—the Lord’s blessed. I got a nice truck. It’s a 2009 GMC Sierra. I’m very thankful, a very nice truck. And I’m good with that. And then I’ll pull up to the red light, and now my truck—Brother Marlin’s going to give me a hard time—my truck sits a little taller with Brother Marlin’s, you know. I can’t say too much because he’s letting me borrow it for free, folks, so I’ve got to be wise about this. It is great, and I mean that. I’m just trying to say, my truck is nice. Now, Brother Marlin’s got some other vehicles that are very nice now, you know. But anyway, but I pull up at a red light in my truck. It’s a nice truck, but sure enough, mine’s a 2009, you know, and somebody would pull up beside me in a little bit taller, a little bit newer, a little bit better tires. No, I said better, brother. I said better. Now, they don’t pull up beside me unless they’re being pushed by somebody, anyway, you know.
Hey, you know what Satan’s trying to do? That 2019 GMC Sierra? He’s trying to draw my lust down. And he’s always working at your lust. I don’t know what it might be for you. Ladies, it may be a bigger house. I don’t know. It may be—what’s the purses that are all the—the Coach purse or something like that? Is that it? What is it called? What’s it called? Coach! Oh, Coach. I’m sorry. I don’t need one of those. I need the real couch, you know. Coach, I’m sorry. Praise the Lord, your pastor doesn’t know much about purses. That’s a good thing right there, and that’s the end time, you never know.
Well, I’m not sure, but Satan’s always trying to draw us and draw our lust out. Can I say this? And I’ve got to be wise. I want to be wise. But I think the Lord will have me say this: I think the vast majority of us in this room would be conservatives politically. By the way, I’m proud of that because the issues I’m talking about are biblical issues like abortion or same-sex marriage and supporting Israel. All those are biblical issues. God’s very clear on those things.
Here’s the thing: I just want to be wise about it, and I’m not against watching the news and keeping up on that. But, you know, just like the left mainstream media is trying to draw their attention, the conservative news is trying to keep our attention. They’ll tell us every doomsday there is. And I’m conservative, but they’ll kind of keep you hooked in where you’re listening often the same thing over and over again. And it gets darker and darker and darker because they’re trying to sell news, too, for him.
And if I’m not careful, my lust gets in there and I get enticed. And I’m warring inside because I don’t have the peace of God and the joy of God and the happiness of God. And Satan is always trying. And I’m not saying I’m against those things. And I look at Brother Adam. God’s called him into the political arena much more than me, and I’m thankful for that. We need good, godly Christians in there. Not against that. Praise the Lord for it.
But you must be wise that Satan is always trying to pull you to your lust. And he’ll use every lure in the box to get you. And in the end result, there’s no peace; you’re warring against each other, right? Inside—excuse me—inside your members, you’re warring against yourself. And that’s why you’re having this outward fussing and fighting with everybody because inside something’s not right.
Let’s keep going because we’re going to run out of time. But look in verse number two, if you would, please. Verse number two, James 4, verse number two. He says, “You lust and have not.” So you just get hooked. I got to have the bigger and better. There’s always going to be somebody that’s got a little bit bigger and better. It could be a four, but I doubt it. We’ve done got all subject here. He says, “You lust and you have not.” Somebody’s always going to have a little bit more, and you’re going to want more.
“You kill and desire to have.” You even get to the point where you’re just willing to go against morals and what you know is right to get that thing. It could be young people; it could be in relationships. “Well, if I just had that girl or that guy,” and you wouldn’t just bend all the rules that you know you ought to keep. It’s a sad thing sometimes to see young ladies dressed down trying to get a guy. If you’ve got to dress down to get a guy, that’s not the guy you want. You’re better off without that guy. But you’re willing to break all the rules to get this thing. And you desire, but you don’t get it. You lust it and have not. You kill and desire to have.
And watch this. Watch what he says in verse number two: “And cannot obtain.” Now, that obtain, it has to do with long term. It can be different scenarios. It could be, all right, you want that bigger house, and so you get the bigger house, and you’re happy with that house for a couple years, but then you want a bigger house. And then you’ve got to have the swimming pool behind it, and then you’ve got to have the three-car garage with it, and you’ve got to have it, and you’re never really going to obtain because as soon as you get that, you consume it, and you want more. And many people in America are running through the rat race, trying to get, get, get, and they cannot obtain.
Everything they get, it gets consumed. And it’s like we’ve got temporary fixes going on everywhere around us, just temporary things. “Well, I’ll get this car, I’ll get this truck, I’ll get this new phone.” What’s the newest latest iPhone nowadays? Twelve is the 12, the latest? The latest? Why is this all young people? The older people aren’t saying the word. What’s this? I know what level I’m on now, right? Brother Josh, man, he must be a young person. He says the 13 just came out now, you know. Would y’all meet out back and y’all can fight over that? We’ll have a bookie out there. We’ll raise money for the new buildings. You know, the thing is, this 13 is going to come out or about out—I don’t know where it is. You’re going to get that, and you’re going to have it for about six months, a year maybe, and the 14 is going to come around. And you’re never going to obtain if that’s just temporary fixes. And people go through life with temporary fixes. But there’s something better than that. It’s better than that.
Would you keep reading there? Verse number two: “You lust and have not, you kill and desire to have. You cannot obtain. You fight and war.” It’s a sad thing to see a couple that was at the altar in love, and you see them a couple years later, and they’re fighting and warring. I remember years ago, one of the storefronts we had had a young couple come in, and they wanted to get married; they wanted me to marry them. I said, “Well, we need to go through premarital counseling because one day, you know, you’re going to fuss and fight with each other and all those things.” And I think it was the lady, the young girl, she said, “Oh, we’ll never fuss and fight with each other.” I thought, boy, these people need counsel more than anybody. I don’t think I ended up marrying them, honestly. I don’t even know they were ready to even cross to go to the marriage altar, you know. They don’t understand that. But it’s a shame. People are just, man, are just committing to one another, and yet they—hey, you see them a couple years later sometimes just fighting. I’ve seen a couple literally chase each other with a knife. It’s a sad thing. And all this outward fighting because of inward problems. That’s what he says in verse number one: “Whence come these fighting words? Come they not hence, even of your own lusts that war in your members.”
Now let’s get down to our phrase here. He said, “You fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not.” Now that asking is talking about asking of God. It’s talking about you praying. It’s talking about you walking with God, spending time with God, getting to know God. Now here’s the thing. Here’s the thing: As you do that, God not only gives you things you want, but usually before he gives you things you want, he changes your wanter.
Look down—I think it’s in verse number eight, if you would please. Verse number eight where he talks about drawing nigh—I believe it’s verse number eight. In verse number eight, he says, “Draw nigh to God.” That’s asking; that’s getting close to him. By the way, sometimes God makes it where you need something because he wants you to draw nigh to him. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” It’s a wonderful promise for him. I think about that promise there, and I always think about my steps. I can take a step, you know, try to draw nigh to God. Well, I’m only 5’8"; I got short legs, friend. I mean, I can’t step very far. But God, when he steps towards me, whew, amen for that! That’s the promise. You draw nigh to him; he’ll draw nigh to you. I like his steps to hold up better than mine.
Watch the formula as you begin to ask and you’re drawing nigh out of God, draw nigh out of God, and he will draw nigh out of you. “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.” By the way, you meet a man that’s double-minded; it’s really a root problem. The root problem is the heart. “Purify your heart, ye double-minded.” But here’s the thing I want you to notice: as you begin to ask and you get closer to God and it comes closer to you, if you let him, he’ll change your heart. Your desires change.
I’ve seen so many people over the years that, man, they just—they came in maybe just wanting very worldly things and materialistic things and ambitions of their own. And yet God saves them, and God changes their heart. And you’ll watch them; all those things kind of fall by the wayside, and they start getting eternal desires: “Lord, use me. Lord, maybe would you let me use me to see my neighbor saved? Would you help me make a difference in the people that I work with in their lives? Would you give me some good, godly kids? Would you bless my marriage?”
Can I say this, friend? The world—it’s amazing how the world, they are chasing temporary things: money and wealth and popularity and prestige. But those things don’t really bring the root things they want. But half the time, they don’t know what they want. God changes your heart. These three things will pretty much knock out what the world wants, but they don’t love it, know it half the time: Love, joy, and peace—fruit of the Spirit, mind you—that’s the first three things. And but—but God gives you inside, and you start to realize it’s not all that that I’m after; it’s—it’s love and joy and peace, and God use me, so on and so on. And he really changes what you’re after.
That’s what the Bible means in Psalm 37:4. He says, “Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” It doesn’t mean he gives you whatever you desire; it means he gives you the very desires of your heart. He gives you what to desire. Now the next verse, he says—look over there—I’ll misquote it. Look over it in Psalm 37. I’ll mess that thing up. I’m good at messing things up. Psalm 37, would you please? Wonderful formula in the Bible on how God changes our wanter, wherever we want the right thing, and then he gives it to us in his time.
Psalms 37, verse number four, is the one we just mentioned: “Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” So you delight in him; he gives you the right desires. Verse number five: “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.” What’s the “it”? The things you desire now, in his time, his way, he brings it to pass.
Take children, by the way. Your children growing up and turning out right—money can’t give you that. There’s a Bible verse that says in First John—it says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” Now, that’s what I mean spiritually. And you leave some of the Lord, and you see them growing in the Lord and becoming all—just nothing like that. But I believe it also applies physically to your physical children. “I have no greater joy than to hear it.” By the way, they’re growing up, they’re on their own. Mom and Dad, you’re not taking care of the other knee. You see them; you don’t hear them. “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” Okay.
But he says that’s the greatest joy. Here’s what I’m after: Look, your desires change. Right now, I like for my kids to grow up and turn out ripe. Now, sometimes that takes years. Sometimes they’ve got to go through some dark times. Sometimes, like the prodigal child, they’ve got to hit rock bottom. “Trust also in him.” Sometimes that takes years or a lifetime to get there. But you keep praying after that. You keep asking about that.
See, this formula is yes, about us getting things, but part of this formula is God changing us so we ask for the right things. Would you go back over to James 4? Would you look at verse number three, please? James 4, verse number three. We’re flipping around a little bit here. James 4, verse number three. He says, “You ask and receive not.” Why is this? “Because you ask amiss.”
Now, what is amiss? A miss is kind of like there’s something wrong with your request. Has anybody ever been—my wife and I years ago went to a restaurant—I won’t say the name of the type—but it’s in Smyrna here, and they brought the chips out. And as we’re eating the chips, down the bottom, there was a cooked or roasted roach. I just got everybody’s attention. Now, there was something amiss with that order, Fred. Something in there made it sickly. I mean, I thought it tasted pretty good, the roach. My wife didn’t like it. That’s probably the best definition of a miss right there: There’s something wrong with this thing.
Look at it. Look at it. He said, “You ask, you receive not because you ask amiss, that you may consume it.” Notice it’s a contemporary thing, a contemporary thing, “that you may consume it upon your own lust.” I mean, it’s just all about you getting if you have those temporary fixes. I guess have the next truck or the next phone or the next video—what’s the video game? This is the latest video game. Boy, we get different opinions on those things right there. I’ll tell you what: How many remember Nintendo? How about you old folks out there? Yeah, come on. We’re dating ourselves on this thing here now, you know. But look, we don’t get it because it’s all about us getting the next gadget. And it all goes back to our lust. But when you ask and you let God change you, God gives you the right desires. And in his time, he begins to grant them.
We don’t have time to continue just wrote, you know, verse by verse. But would you look down, just get a couple of verses here. We’re going to be done. Look down verse number six, if you would please. Verse number six, just—it’s a sad thing. Verse number four, you’re warring. God says it is like you’re committing adultery against me. Verse number five, “Your spirit that dwelleth in you lusteth to envy.” The envy of the other thing. You’re talking about your spirit there. And then verse number six: “But he giveth more grace.” I’m so thankful for that. “Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.”
We all got that lust, and Satan’s good at putting the right lure out there to draw us out, and we get caught up on that, just getting this thing to consume it. What’s the answer to it? Humble yourself. God will give you grace. His grace changes you. His grace changes your heart. He resists the proud. How many guys played football before and you ever got stiff-armed? Anybody here? You never got stiff-armed? I hated getting stiff-armed. You get resisted. I’m proud. God says he resists you. But you get humble. By the way, humility is more than saying, “Lord, I come humbled before you.” That’s maybe part of it for you. But it’s you saying, “God, I want to come, not trying to get my agenda; I want your agenda.” Go out, I’m glad to change. If we differ on something, I want you to get your way. That’s true humility. And you let God change you in your prayer life, and you get the right desires, and God says, “I’ve got a humble one coming here. Now I’ve got a lot of grace for them.” Wonderful thing.
Look at the next verse, if you have, verse number seven: “Submit yourselves, therefore, to God.” You submit to what God’s allowing in your life. “Well, God, on my income, I can’t get the next latest, greatest Android or iPhone.” Boy, I just started another fight right there, didn’t I? Starting a lot of fights this morning. How many’s Android? Ooh. How many’s iPhone? How many don’t care? How did I get off of them? Where are we at? Where are we at? Oh, how can I get the latest, greatest gadget with my income? And Lord, would you give me a better job? And God says, “I don’t think a better job is good for you right now.” And you submit. “God, I want my wife to change. I want my husband to change, God.” God says, “No, I want you to be a better mate like it is.” And you submit. “God, I want a bigger, better house.” And God says no, and you submit. But you submit to the things going on in your life that God’s allowed in there. You don’t get bitter and proud: “God, I deserve better than this.” You humble; you submit.
Now the devil starts attacking. And what’s the next thing? The next thing there in that verse: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Two things about it: You can’t resist like you ought to until you submit. The order is very important. You submit to God, then God gives you strength to resist with. And then can I say this: If you’re going to live for the Lord over the long haul, you’re going to have to resist these temptations of the devil. Can I ask you, can I just ask you, when Satan’s coming against you and he’s trying to draw you by your lust, how much resistance have you given the devil here lately?
Sometimes we just play pity parties, and we just want our agenda so bad. And the honest truth is we’re playing right into the hand of the devil. Have you resisted? Have you given Satan much resistance here lately? Now here’s the wonderful thing about God’s word: He says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil,” and I like this, “and he will flee from you.” I like that. Like a whipped dog tucking his tail and running off. The devil runs from you. I like that. Is that what it says or not? He will flee from you. But you’re going to have to humble down and get his grace, submit to God. And there’s going to have to be some resistance when Satan tries to draw you.
We’re almost done, friend, because it’s getting close, and I’m excited about a baptism here just a minute here. Verse number 10, we’re just picking some verses out. Verse number 10 here. He says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord.” Just a word about that. It says, “In the sight of the Lord.” You ever see a Christian they want to look humble to everybody else? You ever see that? And they’re just—just very cowardly sometimes. They’re trying to act like they’re so humble. It’s not. It says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord.”
Elijah, when he was on Mount Carmel and he was praying for that fire to come down to the 450 prophets, he was making fun of them and all that. I don’t think he looked real humble to them, but I believe before God he looked real humble. That’s what matters right there, friend. “Humble yourself, therefore, in the sight of the Lord.” That’s the key. By the way, if the Lord thinks you’re humble, there’s a good chance you are. “Humble yourselves, therefore, in the sight of the Lord.”
And watch the last part of that verse. It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing right there, verse number 10: “And he”—that’s the Lord—“shall lift you up.” I would much, much rather have the Lord lift me than me lifting myself. Man, when God lifts you, sometimes it’s in your heart. There’s been times Saturday sometimes—not this, but Saturday sometimes—I just feel lifted. And this is what I always think: I think somebody’s praying for me. I appreciate that. When God lifts you…
Man, you humble yourself. Maybe at the workplace, you’re trying to get all this, and you just humble down; you let God have his way; you submit, and you resist the devil; you humble yourself on the side of God, and when God lifts you—maybe in a dark place, you’re depressed, you’re discouraged—preacher, can I encourage you to follow God’s formula because God can lift you out of that like nobody else can, and he shall lift you up.
And it’s very important, this humbling ourselves. Let me take that verse, that last verse: “Humble yourselves, therefore, in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” Take salvation. It’s very humbling to admit, “I can’t save myself. I’ll never be good enough.” I was witness to a man this week, and he was one of these jokester kind of guys, and we were on each other’s levels. I enjoyed it. And my wife said, “Well, you’re on the same level, you know.” And we got along pretty good. And at one point, he said, “Well, I’m not really a sinner.” And I said, “Kevin, you’re not good enough. Nobody’s good enough.” But I was able to—with him, sometimes you can’t—I was able to say, “Kevin, you’re not going to make it on your goodness. Nobody is.”
And so when you humble down, “Lord, I can’t save myself. I’m a sinner. I’m not going to depend on my goodness and how good I can be to get me to heaven.” If you’re depending on you being good enough, I take this young man right here; I think he’s a good guy. I asked him earlier, said, “You’re going to listen today.” He said, “I always listen.” Y’all believe all that now? But look, if he’s depending on him being good enough, he’ll never make it, like I’ll never make it depending on my goodness.
And when we humble down and say, “Man, I’ve got no hope of my own to get to heaven”—even if you could be perfect from today on, which you can’t—but even if you could, you still have sins that’s got to be paid for. When you humble down, Ronnie and Scarlett, I hope they don’t mind; I didn’t ask so ahead of time. I hope you don’t mind me mentioning them a little bit. But when it’s not—they came in so humble. They just wanted to know their name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. And they weren’t proud and all that they’ve done. They said, “Man, we know we need Jesus.” Boy, they were just very willing.
By the way, you know, the Bible says Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. If I think I’m saved, I got it all together, he didn’t come for me. If I know I’m lost, that’s the person he came for. He said, “I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners to repent.” Yeah. And I have to humble down. Any person that ever goes to heaven, they’ll go to heaven because they humbled down and said, “Hey, I’ll never save myself. Jesus, I want to put that in your category. You can save me. I want to believe, I want to trust, I want to rest on you to get me to heaven.”
We typically seal that with a prayer. But, friend, it’s all about saying, “You know, I’m not going to depend on me. I’m going to depend on Jesus. Would you save me?” And one day, he shall lift you up. Anybody looking forward to that day right now? It’s a coming, friend. Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, please? Our heads bowed, our eyes are closed. You say, “Preacher, preacher, I have unrest, if you will, warring in my members, and I need to go to the Lord in prayer. I need to go letting him change me.”
“Preacher, God spoke in my heart. I want to go to the Lord in prayer in my prayer life. I want God to change me. I want to humble myself before him.” When God spoke to my heart about those things, if that’s you this morning, “Preacher, that’s me, that’s me.” Just lift your hand. “Preacher, that’s me.” God bless you. God bless you. Me too, me too, me too. Thank you so very much. It’s wonderful.
Maybe you here this morning you say, “Preacher, I’ve gotten caught up too much on the temporary things that I can consume, and I won’t let go of all that. I want to submit to what God has in my life. I want to humble myself, and I want him to change my desires. I want to have a little bit more long-term, more eternal. I want God to really just get me off the temporary where I’m focusing on the real things, eternal things, and love and joy and peace and those things that God gives. And just, I want God to give me his look on life.” If that’s you this morning, “God spoke to my heart about that.” Did you slip your hand up, preacher? “I want God to change, give me his look, outlook on life. I want that more. I need that more.” That’s you this morning. You slip your hand up. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you.
You can put your hands down. Maybe you hear this morning and say, “Preacher, I need to get saved myself. I’m willing. I want to humble myself before the Lord, depend on Jesus to save me. I want him to lift me up one day. I need to get saved.” Friend, we don’t know what tomorrow holds. The Bible says, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” If you’re there and you preach, “I need to get saved.” Friend, heaven or hell is coming. No one can stop it. It’s coming. It’s coming for me; it’s coming for you. Heaven or hell. Jesus loves to save you. You hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, I need to get saved. I need to get saved. I want to go to heaven. I need to get saved. I need to get saved. I want to go to heaven one day. I want him to lift me up one day.” You slip it up. “Preacher, I need to get saved. I need to get saved. I need to get saved. I need to get saved.” I like that.
Friend, Jesus died on the cross. He loves you so much. He’ll give you that; it’s a gift. Turn to life and humble down and go to Jesus. “Jesus, would you save me? I want to trust you to save me.” He’ll be glad to do it. Would you please stand? Would you please stand? All of us will stand. We’ll have a word of prayer. Our instruments will play. Our folks go back to get ready to get baptized. But I want you to spend some time with the Lord. If the Lord’s spoken out, would you come to an old-fashioned altar, spend some time—some time? Have the Lord lead you there in the pew, but would you spend some time with the Lord? Would you do that?
Father, thank you so very, very much for your goodness. Lord, I do pray that your word would convict and change us. Help our desires to match yours. Thank you, Lord. In the end, you give us those good desires you give us. Bless the people this morning. Lord, if someone will not say, “Pray they get saved,” they’ll thank you for what you do, Lord. In Jesus’ name we ask. Amen. Would you come as our instruments play? Would you come, spend some time with the Lord, be obedient? Would you do that?
You know, it’s amazing. I’ve been there so many times where I just have unrest, and you get along with God, and you spend some time—not contemplating, but praying—and God changes our heart and brings a peace about us. We had men’s prayer meeting yesterday morning, and some of us—some more vocal than others—but some of us had unrest. You could just tell it. Not just one, but unrest. And boy, I noticed after we spent some time praying, and I believe humbly letting God lead, but after we prayed, the spirit was different. There was rest. There was peace. There was peace. There was peace. Love, joy, and peace, if you will. God brings that as I let him lead. A prayer life, he’ll change you. He’ll grow you. What a wonderful thing. You need to come. Would you come? Amen. Amen.
We have Ronnie and Scarlett went back to get baptized. We’re excited about that. Isn’t that a blessing? You say amen there. I mean, in our day and time, it’s just a blessing to see God save souls and people getting baptized and following the Lord and believers. It’s just encouraging, and praise the Lord for it. We’re honored to have family with us. Thank you for coming to be a part of it all. It’s awesome for us. You can be seated if you would. We won’t be long. I’ll go back and get ready to baptize. Brother Patrick will come lead us in a song. I appreciate Brother Patrick filling in. He’s smart. He said, “I need to get a song.” Yeah, boy, amen. And so I appreciate that. We’ll go back and get baptizing real, real quickly here. You can remain seated. If you don’t know the song, it’s 422 in your hymnal, Learning to Lean, page number 422. We’ll just sing through just really the main chorus there. Fine, fine. Let’s turn over a few pages to page 154, Heaven for Me, page 154.
Compared in the place that’s called heaven, my soul makes it heaven. On that chorus again: “But Jesus will be what makes it heaven. But Jesus will be what makes it heaven.”
I feel like I’m marrying somebody. Y’all kissing? What a blessing. Ronnie and Scarlett both Wednesday night asked the Lord Jesus Christ to be their personal Savior. And it’s a blessing. They want to grow and become what God wants them to become. And they’re picturing Jesus Christ right now, and they go down in the water, picturing his death, and it’s a burial. They come up out of the water, picturing his resurrection. And it pictures them saying, “I want to live for my Savior.” And he’s our Heavenly Father; they’re his children. He’s very, very proud of them, and I’m proud of them too. It’s wonderful. It’s awesome. If you’re excited about it, would you say amen out there? Amen. Amen. Amen. What a blessing.
Ronnie, have you asked Jesus Christ to be your personal Savior? Amen. Amen. Amen. In obedience to the command of our Lord and Master and upon your public profession of faith in him, I baptize you, my brother, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Buried in the likeness of his death, raised in the likeness of his resurrection.
We’ll go slow. You’ll go fast. Scarlett has a fear of water. Can we come up here a little bit? And so she’s doing a lot. She’s wanting to please the Lord, and she just has a phobia of water. And so you pray for her. But God’s pleased with this. He’s very pleased with it. Take a little extra effort for someone like that, and we appreciate Scarlett doing it. The Lord’s got you, Scarlett. You’re his daughter. He’s got you.
And Scarlett, do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior? Amen. In obedience to the command of our Lord and Master and upon your public profession of faith in him, I baptize you, my sister, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Burying the likeness of his death, raised in the likeness of his resurrection. You did it. Amen. Amen, you did it. Oh, she did it. Amen. The Lord’s very pleased with his children right here. That’s a wonderful thing. Amen. We’re excited about it, too.
And would you please stand? And it’s exciting to see someone get saved and baptized. Praise the Lord for the Lord working. And make sure you’re back tonight, 6 o’clock, in God’s house, right where God wants you to be. We’re thrilled you’re here today, every person, and praise the Lord for it. Brother Kevin, would you dismiss with a word of prayer, please, brother?
Original File: Ye Have Not Because… - Pastor Paul Chisgar Sunday AM 91921