 Will you stand with us all over the sanctuary tonight? How many of you glad to be in the presence of God? Come on. Let's try that again. How many of you glad to be in the presence of God? Thank you so much for being here you have dodged the rain today. You've done your best you've drove through Flooded streets and you've made your way to the house of God and I could promise you your labor will not be in vain God's gonna bless you and he's gonna speak to you tonight. How many of you are ready to receive from the Lord tonight? Amen, I hope you have your study tonight because pastors gonna be ministering staying Christ centered I'm looking forward to this study tonight, and I know it's gonna be a strength and be a blessing to you There are a number of people that are in need of a touch from the Lord tonight And I want us as we get ready to start this service I want us just to go to the Lord in prayer and ask the Lord to reach down his hand and bring strength and bring healing and Bring comfort to so many that are going through a difficult season in their life right now on your prayer and praise sheet many of you have that already there's a number of Those that have passed away that need to touch from the families that need to touch from the Lord and strengthen Encouragement remember these families in prayer continue to pray for brother Steve and sister Sandra God's doing a work every day their strength is coming back and thank you so much for praying for them Continue to remember sister Rita in prayer that God will continue to give her strength that she can just As she's coming through this and recovering from surgery that God will just restore Complete 100% how many of you believe that today? I want us to remember one of our missionaries in prayer brother David Grant He's a longtime missionary with the assemblies of God He is dealing with a brain bleed and is Experiencing stroke-like symptoms and he needs a touch from the Lord in his life tonight So how many of you walked into this house and you have a need and you need God to reach down his hand Let me see your hand tonight all over this house. There are needs that are represented in this sanctuary I want you to grab your prayer and praise hold that in your hand Let that just be a point of contact tonight as we go to the Lord in prayer Trusting and believing that he's going to meet the need are there any Believers in this house tonight. Amen. Then let's allow faith to arise tonight father We thank you Lord for the privilege that we have in your house We thank you for the privilege God that we're able to go to you in prayer and take our needs before the Throne room of God and we do that right now and we ask that you would reach down your hand and touch There's so many needs God that's on this prayer praise tonight that need a touch from God that need healing that needs strength That needs salvation that just needs comfort in the time of loss And we pray today God that you would reach down your hand and let your healing virtue flow in the peace of God That passes all understanding to overwhelm Lord your people right now. We thank you Lord that we can put our trust and our confidence in you We thank you Lord that when we cry unto you when when we pray you hear and you answer our prayers We thank you Lord that your hand is not too far away That it can't reach down in touch and I'm asking tonight that each and every person in this house has come in here Lord, we thank you for them Lord that even with the with the weather today They have sacrificed and Lord they made sure to be in your house and bless them tonight But Lord those that are here that have a need in their life Will you touch them even right now? Let them begin to feel the strength and the peace of Almighty God Let them know tonight that you're the one touching them and you're the one Strengthening them and in the name of Jesus we declare not one person will leave here the same way that they came But they'll leave touched and changed and strengthened and encouraged by the power of the Holy Spirit And we give you praise tonight for what you're going to do. Come on pace assembly all over this house Let's give him praise tonight. We praise you. We praise you. We praise you Worship you those same hands you're clapping with why don't you lift them in the air as a praise to the Lord? We give you praise tonight. We worship you tonight come on take a few minutes We give you praise and we honor you. There's nobody like our God. No one gives us strength No one is a present help like you Everything that we are is all because of you everything we have is all because of you We thank you for the goodness of God, and we praise you Hallelujah now give God a great big hand tonight Hallelujah, come on clap your hands tonight. Give him a great big ovation Praise the Lord praise the Lord Praise God you might be seated tonight Once again, we'd like to thank you for being in the house of God No better place for you to be on a Wednesday night than midweek Bible class and we're so glad that you're here There are a number of things that are taking place across the campus We want to make sure that you stay informed and in tune with what's taking place make sure that you visit the website make sure that you or download the app and The calendar of events are there and upcoming events one thing in particular I'm sure that pastor is going to mention But I want you to make sure that you have plans on being here Sunday night The 19th 6 p.m. For prophecy files. We're we're excited about this I'm so glad that our pastor stays well Informed in regard to current events and as he stays informed and studied and he presents that to you and I and what a gift that is for us and You know that things are taking place so quickly and so fast and it's imperative that you and I are ready For the return of the Lord. We're we're on the precipice of that taking place How many of you realize that and and the Bible says that people are destroyed for lack of knowledge And so I'm excited about Sunday night because pastors going to bring a word to us and information to us That I believe this is really going to stir our hearts and what it's going to cause us to do the scripture speaks of If we know that the Lord is returning soon that that that we begin to purify ourselves and and get ourselves ready And that's so important that we do that so make sure that you're here not only for Sunday night But be here Sunday morning Invite someone to be with to be with you Great things are happening at pace God's building his church God's growing his church And this is the great church for people to get connected to and and be a part of how many of you believe that today And so make sure that you get on the phone if you haven't seen someone in a while in a season Make sure that you get on the phone with them. Hey, I want you to I want to see you Sunday And so be those hands extended of the ministry and make sure that you connect with someone a man Because God's doing something great in every service It's just going to the next level from glory to glory from strength to strength a man And we want you to be a part of that and you are and we want those that are Maybe haven't made that decision that I'm gonna get back yet We want them to get back to the house of God, right? And so make sure that you're aware of that a man Make sure you have your your paper tonight that way you can keep up with a lesson tonight because it will be an encouragement to you Amen, God bless you tonight. It's a privilege to be able to give to the work of the Lord Thank you so much for your faithfulness and the way of giving and we encourage you to honor the Lord tonight God bless you There are several ways on the screen in which you can give and whatever is most convenient for you a man Let's pray tonight as pastor comes father. We thank you tonight for the privilege that we have to give We thank you Lord that you've been so faithful to us. You've been so good to us. You have never failed us You've never let us down Thank you so much for that and we pray that you would bless Tonight's tithe and offering that it a go forth and it will meet the needs of the kingdom Lord the need is great but Lord we know that we serve a God that is our Provider and father we pray for blessings tonight and blessings upon your people and we ask it in Jesus name and the church says a man God bless you tonight Glad to be in the Lord's house Thank you for being here tonight. I know that there's a lot of Water coming down from heaven We've had our share, but I can assure you that it's better than having your state to be on fire so I won't I Won't be discouraged by Some water coming down Open your Bibles up this evening to the book of Chironicals, I'm sorry Colossians the book of Colossians in the New Testament Colossians chapter number three and while you're doing that and Opash Jason mentioned something to you about this coming Sunday night Let me just read this passage of scripture to help you to understand What's happening what needs to take place Matthew 2444 Jesus speaks here and he says therefore Be also ready For in such an hour as you think not the Son of man cometh He said be ye also ready He didn't say get ready or be getting ready or try to do that or prepare yourself. He said be ready Here's what you need to know when Jesus gets ready. It will be too late for you to get ready So you better be ready right now as much typically It's about 40 hours worth of study for about two hours worth of a message and This coming Sunday night There's no way that I will be able to get to everything that is happening in our world. I could I could spend weeks On ending Because it is happening just that fast and in massive amounts and that alone is prophetic in a significance Got a little bit of a roar here. So you pull the fills down if you don't mind It is significant in the fact that When the birth pains according to the book of Matthew 24 when the birth pains become more intense and more frequent That's one indicator when you know that Jesus is about to return. I can tell you that it is more frequent More intense than it has ever been before these are words that are not being used by religious Bible prophecy preachers whatever these are the words that are being used by the secular media intensity Biblical proportion etc. In fact just the other day And this is going to be one of the major themes of this coming Sunday night's Bible prophecy prophecy files update I I'm not sure that this will be the entirety the title, but it will be one portion that I will deal with when leaders lie What happens to a nation what happens to a people when leaders lie So just this past week It has come out in the news that of all people the Folks that study seismograph our United States Seismographed Calculators their names escape me right off the top of my head have now lied and held back information as to the intensity of as many Frequent and intense earthquakes as they're taking place That's just one area now. That may not seem very significant unless you happen to be living in the area where the earthquake has been occurring And I will tell you that whenever Whenever you have a state In our union that decides that we're going to continue with the status quo and We are going to sustain the same leadership You can expect that you get the leaders that you want And so California has continued to do its deal Even though the state is on fire and they don't have enough water to put it out Even though earthquakes have been happening in such intensity and being kept back from the population So it's not to cause people to fear Etc. Etc. I want to tell you my friends Jesus is coming quicker than what anybody thinks and here's what you need to know There is not one sign one thing that has to be done in order for the rapture of the church to take place Okay, so that means that even though I'll bring to you things this coming Sunday night and you read about them already yourself There's not one of those things that are needed to happen before Jesus could come back He could come back before I get through with this message tonight and quite frankly. I'm just telling you that I Would expect it that's with it with as much things that are taking place you should expect the Lord to come back at any moment So you should be living in such a way that if the Lord was to come back that you are ready right then So without trying to ask you a bunch of questions. Here's the question of all questions Are you ready right now to meet Jesus if he was to come back? Let me see your hand. Amen Well, if you're not tonight tonight, I pray that you'll do it in a hurry because I'm gonna tell you To be left behind to face what is going to come upon this earth If what we're seeing right now in the chaotic situations of of this world and all that is happening I can tell you That this is nothing compared to what will be based upon what the Bible has to say and it's gonna come to pass Just like God said so I don't want you to miss this this coming Sunday night make plans to be here with us But tonight I want to encourage your faith in this continued series on staying power If you have your Bibles opened up to the book of Colossians chapter number three tonight. I want to talk to you a little bit about staying Christ centered and You know, I some folks may get tired of of every message that I bring being tied to the coming of the Lord, but whatever, I mean You heard him quoted a few moments ago with this hope we purify ourselves The the more I see and I'm telling you I don't have to make this up. I'm not taking it out of context. We're doing Here tonight a study and typically we do this on Wednesday night Especially for all of you that are watching those of you may be brand new to this kind of a Bible study But this is line upon line precept upon precept when we study this on Wednesday night typically and so It is expository preaching it is digging into what the Bible has to say and In its context and so forth so these first four verses are dealing with the church at Colossia that Paul is talking to and he concludes in this in the even in the fourth verse the fact of the concerning of the returning of the Lord Jesus Christ and what we do and How we act and how we conduct ourselves and our minds and our hearts and all that surrounds that so that we won't be Caught off guard so we won't be picked up by heresy and false doctrine etc. Etc. It is necessary for us to be able to read the Word of God keep it in context and study it line upon line So that's what we're gonna do tonight So get your pen and paper out and let's go before the throne father Thank you for all that you've already done in this service Lord that is honoring and blessing you with Worship in our tithe and offering and all that is taking place now. God send the Holy Spirit into our minds and hearts and Lord Refresh us in the word speak to us. Eluminate the Word of God to our understanding so that in these days We will know how to stay Christ centered Christ focused God because there's so many distractions so many Christ faults Narratives that are going on that would try to steer us away and take our hearts and our emotions away But tonight Lord we center it upon you and we ask you to speak to us from the volume of the book in Jesus mighty name and everybody said a good. Amen Colossians chapter number three verses one through four says this this is this is the staying power of staying Christ centered Paul is writing to a church that he never went to Colossia, but it is nearby geographically nearby the church of Laodicea and It is a church that is wrought with all kinds of situations I'm going to describe just a few of them to you here tonight, but in chapter number three There is perhaps no other book Colossians is a book that is filled with doctrinal truths and foundation rock solid doctrinal truth because the church at Colossia had gotten so far off in Things and mixed it together inside of their church that they were way off the mark even though Paul deals in this entire Book with the supremacy the preeminence of Jesus Christ and what that looks like and That may be a lot of theological terminology right there But the simplicity you'll find right here in the book of Colossians chapter three verse one Through four if you then that's the question if you then be risen with Christ So before you can have a resurrection there must be a crucifixion So Paul is assuming here that you have already died with Christ and Then if you then be risen with Christ Seek those things which are above Where Christ Sitteth on the right hand of God Now here's the practicum Set your defection on things above not on things on the earth For you are dead Thanks, Paul That's more significant than what you know and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is your life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in Glory Okay, there is so much to unpack in these four verses that is going to be helpful for where we are right now Because I'm gonna tell you simply put there are many people Certainly you would expect the world to operate this way But I'm concerned about many people who call themselves Christians who are losing their natural minds To fear to worry to fretting to stress to pressure Etc. Etc. The Bible says that many there are many people's hearts would fail them for fear For looking upon the things coming upon the earth All I would have to do is just say just a few things about what I've been studying to bring to you this coming Sunday night And it would take long for people start biting their fingernails down to the quick if You haven't been Risen with Christ We're not to act like the world But the Church of Colossia had gotten their doctrine and their stuff all messed up Because they had allowed a little bit of this and a little bit of that There's a whole reformed movement that if I started calling church names and leaders That people embrace their music right now into their churches evangelical churches The problem is their kingdom now theology People don't worry about theology when they're getting their good worship music from them But the thing that makes their music For you doctrinally pure is that their doctrine is right behind their music And that's where we've gotten it so messed up that we've made singing songs and worship all toward just Music on the platform and in many cases it is not doctrinally correct Now let's tell you people can write off hymns and psalms and spiritual songs But let me just say that's exactly what the book of Ephesians says that we're supposed to embrace The the the flow of all three of those because hymns remind us where we've been and where we're going Psalms are right up out of the Word of God as praise courses and then spiritual songs are sung from the from our spirit Man to the Lord that is a song between us and the Lord But if your doctrine is off and you sing those songs it becomes embedded Most of the church's doctrine when the Wesley brothers and others Were in leadership and and we're the ones that were on the forefront of the time where it was built into The hymns and the songs so that when we were singing Songs or hymns then the doctrine was being reinforced Into our spirit because it's much easier many times for me or you to even pick up a little course or a song and suddenly we're singing that and Back in I'm not trying to get off on this But this just happens to be the way it is that in as I was growing up that that trend of music happened to be a lot of Psalms written from the actual Psalms. So we would sing songs like this. Thy loving kindness is better than life So it was reinforcing the scripture to us Now it's all about experience over doctrine so if I have a God encounter what I say is a God encounter in a worship moment. I'm not discounting what that is all about It's very important. We worship we sing songs But if we get off course then little by little Here and this is the reason why I'm bringing this to you because I'm watching people who are having these and supposed incredible encounters with God in these worship settings But when it comes down to their feet touching the road so that they can walk in without fear and Face what's going on. They are very shallow Because all they've done is had an emotional experience, but not a spiritual encounter with God and his word Y'all right out there This is what Paul is dealing with in the book of Colossians But have you ever have you ever been? Have you ever been taken a tree out of the yard and you dug all the dirt out and you found that there was one root Hanging on to that thing and when you hit it with that axe all of a sudden It popped in it. I just felt like that that was what just happened in here. I hit the right route so heresy was collecting and arising in the church of Colossia and let me All right another little rabbit trail the Bible says that in the last days that the problem will be with the church and I'm talking about people of faith is that they would not endure Sound the doctrine But they would heed to themselves teachers having itching years So just me teaching this here to you tonight many people might shut it down or whatever because It's not flashing lights smoking cameras But I will tell you if you'll hold fast to what I'm about to tell you your feet Will be able to hit the ground and you can look the devil in the face and say I am risen with Christ and Nothing can harm me So to the heresy that was arising inside of the Colossian church Let me let me give you a little background of this because they were so far off even though they had the The the fact that the church had arisen by people giving their life to Christ and and in baptism the whole process was going on and here's this church has come up but they allowed heresies to come in such as stressing Astrology you're gonna find in in the book of Colossians chapter number two that Paul addresses it when he says to them beware lest any man spoil you after the rudiments or Signs and wonders and spirits of this world that are not after Christ as Colossians 2 and 8 so he deals with the fact that they've been dealing with or they've been allowing the study of astrology to Come in and take the place of the message of Christ and him crucified and they then he goes on to say they that they were dealing with the heresy of Philosophy and he tells them in that same passage of Scripture in Colossians 2 and 8 He said beware lest any man spoil you through vain philosophies and vain deceit It's one thing. I'll deal with this coming Sunday night is the absolute deception and delusion that is happening in our world today Where people can look at something They can say it's a blue sky outside and they'll absolutely deny that it's blue because they've been blinded They were dealing with vain philosophies and Paul so let me straighten this out Don't you beware about vain philosophies the philosophies of man entering in to Contaminate and to deceive you and watch this he says vain philosophy. That's empty deceit In other words, it gets you out there and and leaves you on the side of the road with nothing It's humanistic philosophy So when I speak to this and I mentioned to you a few moments ago of Main churches and and groups of people that are extremely popular But their ideology is is that there is no rapture the church that it's the kingdom now Philosophy and theology that says we're going to invite God to come back and take over after we've said everything in order Well, I can just tell you're looking at the world as it is today If you're waiting on Christians to set it in order Then I should stop preaching Jesus could come back at any moment Because we couldn't get enough folks to stand up righteous in the state of California to call that thing into order Vane and philosophies. This is what's happening. Not only that but they were they were dealing with What was identified as a heresy of enlightenment? That was putting more emphasis on wisdom and knowledge than in Christ and him crucified and Paul deals with that in Colossians chapter number two. He deals with philosophy and tradition. He says don't be relying upon Worshipping your own abilities But you're to control yourself and discipline yourself and crucify yourself Colossians 2 23 Then if that wasn't enough and these are listen, I know you're thinking well, that was way back then these are the same Heresies that are infiltrating the church today This philosophy this heresy was coming in that they stressed the soul over the body Now this particular heresy Paul dealt with in Colossians 2 21 and and other subsequent verses But here was the ideology behind it It was that since the soul has been saved the body has nothing to do with it So the body can go whatever it wants to keep on sinning keep on living doing whatever it wants to but the soul is secure That sound familiar? Paul said that's that's not that's not true. That's not right They also stress the ritual of traditions So we've seen a pendulum swing that's happened in the United States where many people in religious groups are embracing more of the orthodoxy of Religion more than the relationship with Christ Bring me the orthodoxy bring me the traditions in other words putting more emphasis on things like festivals and feast and and You know certain foods and rules to be so that I can feel religious by keeping this religious list of rules y'all with me They stressed other mediators Listen to this they stressed other mediators between God and man other than Jesus Christ Let's just call them saints they would pray to other personages and Felt that it wasn't necessary to go to Christ and Christ alone So we would pick up this personality or this or this and this was happening inside of the church and then they literally Attacked the very deity and the preeminence of Jesus Christ being the only true and living God Does that sound familiar to us today? So out of necessity Paul writes this letter to the church at Colossia and For us the same way here tonight. He writes this letter and They were living in a time of persecution of great difficulty Watch this because they were Christians. They were losing their jobs because of their faith They chose their faith over their occupation Colossians 1 through 3 gives us the necessity of how to be able to overcome All of this that Colossia was and where we're at right now to keep us Let me make it plain from losing our natural minds So here's the practicum because practical instruction follows prophetic insight Practical instruction he gives to us follows prophetic insight so with your paper pen in hand here we go Very simple. He says for us to set our heart to set our heart On something in fact. He says not just on something but on someone Set our hearts upon someone that someone is never than Jesus Christ heavenly things So think about the last time you set your heart on something I'm asking you think about the last time you set your heart on so I don't care if it's an ice cream cone or a hamburger I've been around some folks That if if they get one hunger pain boy, it shuts down everything They just look at you say I'm hungry. You might as well forget it. They're not doing another lick of work They're not gonna do nothing. I'm not gonna I'm not gonna do anything else until I get this satisfied because I have set my heart on a five-guys hamburger Now just the implication of that right now has got some of you already getting hunger pains and you just ate What happens when you set your heart on something you think about it every day until it happened Listen, let me let me give you a real clear example, especially when your children were young The worst thing in the world you could have done was tell them six months before We're going to Disney World in February and it's September and Every day of your life. They're asking you the question. Is it February? Are we there yet? When do we go is it tomorrow? You know why because you have literally by what you said Come on somebody you have caused their heart to be set upon something that now actually becomes a distraction in some ways But for our scripture for the context of this He's saying set your heart in that place so that your affections won't go all over the place and You get distracted by what's going on out here Are you with me? What does this mean setting our hearts on something means it motivates us Look what happens it motivates us How many of you know when you want to do something and you've said your heart on something you'll get out of bed Forget about the alarm clock You'll stay up all night it motivates you it changes you doesn't it? Whatever I've got to do, you know when you get most of the calls made that's been sitting on your desk now for months The day before you go on vacation Changes your whole attitude You don't care about what anybody else do I've got my heart set upon this it actually has the power to energize you Motivate you change you energize you It not only that but it gives you purpose and direction I'm telling you what Paul said Paul said set your hearts on things above Let your hearts be motivated changed Energized purpose find direction in looking to those things that are above and I'm just gonna tell you ladies and gentlemen Especially and I know I'm making this reference maybe too much here tonight But I'm just gonna tell you after looking and studying and preparing for prophecy files every time I do it We are now at a place where you better have yourself ready to turn loose of this world at any second now Because if you're a heart it's more of turn towards the things of this world you will miss The dog whistle of the trumpet of God And I'm just gonna tell you the world is not gonna hear that sound of the trumpet I Believe it very much could be an Internal alarm on the life of every believer through the power of the Holy Spirit that quickens our mortal body Don't get me going there So when Paul wrote this statement He actually uses the verb tense of the meaning in other words He says keep doing this as opposed to doing it one time and forgetting about it He says keep setting your heart on things above When Paul wrote this statement He's saying to us if we will immerse ourselves and our minds and hearts into the word and Thinking about Christ That is what's called heaven-based thinking or a biblical world view Now we're living in a world today that most people do not have a biblical world view What does that mean? That means that everything I do how I live how I conduct my life my family my business Whatever that it may be is all through the filter of God's word So I'm not gonna lie and cheat like other companies do my company is gonna be pure and right And we're gonna be upright even if it costs me to do it I'm going to do what's right because that's my biblical world view That means practicing the presence of God on a daily basis Do you do that? If you don't you better it's the only way to keep your mind and heart is to let peace rule and live and live on the inside of you It won't take but just one phone call one situation You know what's overwhelming for so many people today is to hear of someone else that's passed away Or what are this tragedy here? And and I'm just gonna tell you what is being said right now is five years out still with this pandemic That I read just today. Well, what am I gonna do with that? Am I gonna push the on-hole button and stay in my house suck my thumb and eat? You know slim gyms the rest of my life or am I gonna get out and live like Christ wants me to live? Influence and affect this world knowing that when he gets ready for me. I will leave Now that can set you free If you'll set your heart we need to understand what it means to set our heart. It means this it means that your heart's desire thoughts your thinking Especially in your emotional portion of your life is Focused Christ centered When we look for answers The psychologists tell us to look within The opportunist tells us look around The optimist tells us look up ahead the pessimist tells us Just look out, but God tells us to look up When you see these things happening look up For your redemption draw of night. He said no put a window at the top of that arc Why because I want you to be looking up at me not looking out of the circumstances of this world Philippians 3 and 20 says for our conversation is in heaven or our citizenship is in heaven one translation says from whence also We look for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ in other words. Here's what here's what the great preacher Vance Havner said He said this Christians are not citizens of this earth trying to make it to heaven But we're citizens of heaven making our way through this world. I hope you understand that tonight My citizenship let me just say to you if you're worried about border crossing don't worry about it in heaven Nobody gets in there unless they got the seal upon them and the blood of Jesus Christ So this is so important for us to set our hearts and then he says set your mind Now this is the battleground Your mind your will and your emotions three parts in your psyche Or identified as your soulish realm Very easy in the world that we're in right now to let our emotions and our and our actions Our mind turn loose and do whatever Needs to happen to succumb to fear whatever that it may be But the Bible tells us that our hopes and our dreams are to be set upon him What does he say? He says set your affections on things verse to above not on things on the earth The pendulum and the very clear message is you're to be focused heavenly Doesn't mean you negate what's happening in the world and your jobs and whatever you've got to do But it means that your affections your emotions should not get wrapped in to what's happening in this world Today people are consumed within an entertainment mentality Because it touches the emotional part of our life a Comedy a drama or whatever it may be movie whatever that it may be it touches that part of our life He says don't allow that to affect your life and your mind So that you're brought down to earthly mindedness You're to set your mind like concrete Paul is not saying that we're to set aside life and daily work Just sitting around thinking about God like a bunch of monks, but we're thinking while we're living We're setting our minds while we're living in this world You're in this world, but you're not of this world that you're talking to me now look at this It's important for you to understand when you're setting your mind means to have understanding to be wise To feel to think about the advantage and the mental discipline of Directed thinking in other words if you don't set your mind your mind will be set for you I mean we have all kinds of impulses that are hitting us every day, but catch this Every person in this building if we were to take the video of your mind just from today and roll the footage How many things would show up on the screen that you go wait time out cut that edit? And it didn't mean that you necessarily thought about it It just was the enemy's attack into your life to throw something into your head to get you to respond to it Much of what you're seeing today in the spiritual side of Activities that are happening through governments and nations and so forth is is the poke To see what kind of reaction you're going to get out of somebody and if you're only earthly minded and earthly affections and and sensual in your thinking and responsive and you shoot from the hip Then when somebody cuts you off in the car in front of you You're gonna give them a your feelings Are you with me? How many you know that's very eat that's like our first default because we're fallen nature our sinful nature wants to climb right to The top every day But he said if you've been risen with Christ Then set your affections on things above Why is that important set your mind on things above now? You can't get your listening to me. You cannot get your mind set by simply being here on Sunday and Wednesday There must be a daily Discipline in the Word of God and it is not how much you eat that does you good. It's what you digest Okay, so you've got to find that word that feeds your soul for the day and how many of you know God will speak to you through that word Setting your mind means that mental discipline of directed thinking He makes this clear to us that we're not to be we're to be thinking about things above Not about things on the earth now. What does that do? This is what Jesus ran into with the Pharisees and Sadducees in fact at one point He's there teaching to them and the Bible says that Jesus perceived that they were reasoning in their hearts so when you begin to question God's will in his way in your life or Reason about what he's already said is true. I don't have to pray about lying. The Bible says they'll shall not lie I know there are some things I don't have to pray about it's already written. It's already I already know that By and large everything you need to know in order to have your mind set and to think about heavenly things It's already been spoken, but he makes sure the Holy Spirit makes sure to put in here Don't redirect your mind don't allow your mind to get to a place where you begin to reason Like Eve did in the in the garden hath God said Did God really say that I mean did God really say this? Because that is the first step to doubting unbelief and a and an evil heart the Bible says of an unbelief Listen the believer is to train the mind to see two alternatives Which is what is given to you What the world is and what God's word says and then give the precedence To the things of God The preeminence goes to Christ in other words. I'm looking at something. I'm having to make a decision whatever that it may be What does my first question as a believer should be what does God's word have to say about this? Hear me. There is not one thing you're dealing with that God has not already told you what to do now the question You might not want to hear it. Well pastor. I'm gonna marry this individual. That's great Are they a believer? Well, no, but I'm they said they were going to come to church. Well, the Bible said don't be unequally yoked Yeah, I know what it says, but all right, you've just made your choice For a believer you're going to make the choice that says what does God say What does God say? How do I conduct my life? What does God say? What does his word say? If I don't have that understanding then it's going to be a real difficult time for me Here's what the Bible says in 1st Corinthians 7 26 because of this is the way Paul puts it out there And he's even dealing with relationships with men and women In the subsequent verses, but he says because of the present crisis I think that it is good for you to remain as you are Look at verse 31 Those who use the things of the world as if not engrossed of them for this world is is in its present form is passing away In other words, don't you get off track? Thinking and involving yourself in things of this world because because the world is passing away I'm gonna bring it to you Sunday night. They the calculators the people that the smart guys Said that July I could have told them this if they'd just asked me They said July was the hottest stone record of this year I'm just gonna tell you I could have told them that and I'm telling you it rolled into August and September What's the point? The point is is that this world is passing away Climate change, don't you worry about it? First of all mankind can do nothing to change the climate Mankind is not to blame Because your carbon footprint is taking up too much space God Set this thing into motion Spun the worlds out into space They looked through the Hubble Telescope Some time ago and found this very very small-looking grain of Sand that was a whole nother galaxy that was developing upon itself God's word is still reverberating in its creative form This world is passing away But the world that is to come will never pass away Heaven and earth don't pass away, but my word Will never pass away So I don't have any problem with people that want to talk about you know Climate change is getting hotter. It's getting colder. Their human reasoning is foolish. I Mean I have to ask myself. Where is Al Gore? I mean if you're gonna be on the scene be on the scene now but what he predicted a decade ago about the The ice in the art Arctic and other areas totally going to nothing but water he lied about that Because until God gets ready to smoke this earth And the next time it won't be by flood so don't worry about tonight All those in Louisiana, Texas everywhere else over there Don't you worry God is not allowing this thing to give this flood It's out of oil flooding in all these counties, Alabama, Mississippi all don't you worry that you ain't got to worry about God flooding He said he won't be flood next time. He said I'm gonna light this thing on fire and burn up every impurity The earth is passing away You stay steady You're serving the right God. Come on somebody The discipline of centering our hearts and minds on Christ Requires us to focus upon the things of God How many of you find in the time that we're living with all the stuff that's going on find it like a Daily struggle just to stay focused upon the things of God. Have I got some honest folk in here? All right, you know what I'm talking about Absolutely, there's not a show that you can turn on without some Suggestion or whatever that it may be that's that's impulsing you right? You know your phone is lighting up all the time with whatever they want you to think Whoever they are Right This is constantly coming at us and it is a struggle and the Bible tells us that's exactly the way it was going to be Here's four truths for you to stay Christ-centered that's found in these four verses number one He says for us to focus on his On his connection with you now whenever you read verse number one He says if you then be risen with Christ notice He puts this term with in there multiple times seek those things Which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your affections on things above not on the earth For you're dead and your life is hit with Christ in God He uses this term with why because the word with is that connection key word for your life being Interspersed immersed in Christ through faith in what Christ has done at the cross With is that connection word of our lifeline to Christ? So when he died We died with him When did that happen when you knelt down and said I Trust the Lord and what he did at the cross. I died at that moment with Christ And then he comes up out of verse number one and says if you then be risen with Christ In other words jokes at it like this. He will not leave my bones in the grave If I died with him, I'm not gonna stay in the grave. I shall be risen with him I've got to focus upon my connection with Christ. I'm with Christ and he's with me No matter where I'm going and what's going on in my life. I Gave my life to him. My life is not my own So I am with Christ and Christ is with me. So therefore whatever he did and whatever he is He is in me and I'm in him. We are together. I am with Christ in Crucifixion I am with Christ in the burial I am with Christ in the resurrection and I shall be with Christ when he comes In other words, he says we're gonna share in the glory of his resurrection We died he died in our place But he gives us the ability to be with him when we place our faith in him That's important for you to understand that connection Because you're gonna be hit with all kinds of thoughts Here's here's the way it is. You're not saved Anybody wake up one morning and the enemy hits you you're not saved what? You remember what you did and you're trying to think Wait a minute. I didn't do nothing Am I the only one that happens to Okay, wait a minute. I didn't do nothing you must have done something You start rehearsing just stop. I'm with Christ Whatever accusation you hit me with it won't stick I am Teflon Joe Not by myself, but through Christ who strengthens me I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me if I know that I'm with him and he's with me Y'all not getting that let me go ahead and throw a number two on you right here focus on his control over everything I'm just telling you my friends. I know the world looks like it's totally being run by the by the absolute maniacs Who have lost their mind, but I just want to let you know God is still in control And I know that you think that things may be falling to pieces But I want to flip you over to a heavenly thought They're falling into place not into pieces God's not gonna let this thing happen without his absolute authority over all things because he took he took authority He owns it. He redeemed us back from the curse of the law It was under Satan's control until the day Jesus died on the cross and led captivity captive and went down into the earth He did not die Spiritually he went down into the earth and took the keys of death hell in the grave and at that moment He redeemed earth back from the curse now What does that mean he is he redeemed it at that moment by the act that he performed on the cross and Shall redeem it after the millennium when he sets all things back in order like he had it in the very beginning So I want to let you know all you believers here and those of you that are watching God is in control of everything and everything is up underneath his feet This is good word right here. I do believe if you understand this and you get it in your spirit and you meditate upon it Then you have a clear understanding This is what he said in Philippians 2 verse 10 and 11 That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth I want to inform everybody who thinks they're in charge Every and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father. I Love what the message Bible reads in Ephesians 1 2323 all these energy issues from Christ God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven in Charge of running the universe Everything from galaxies to governments no name and no power exempt from his rule and not just for the time being but forever He is in charge of it all has the final word on everything at the center of all this Christ rules the church The church you see is not perpetual to the world But the world is perpetual to the church The church is Christ's body in which he speaks and acts by which he fills everything with his Presence this is so important for us to get a hold of When I understand that God is in control of all things When you know that he's in control of all things it takes the anxiety and the stress out of our current state of affairs The Lord is sitting on the throne the Lord is sitting on the throne. What is it that God can't handle number three? Focus on his care for you Focus on his care for you Colossians 3 3 4 you died and your life. This is this I love you died And your life is hidden with Christ in God with Christ and in God with Christ in God with cry Your life is hidden with Christ in God I want you to get this right here. This is so powerful. I wish I had more time on this hidden with Christ hidden So remember the term Christ is not Jesus last name Jesus Christ Jesus the Christ Jesus the anointed one the anointing so We are the body of Christ not the body of Jesus We're the body of his anointing Jesus physical body died on the cross was buried in the grave Rosie in on the third day walked around alive for 50 days and was caught up by a cloud and sits at the right hand of the Father ever living you make intercessions for us But he said I will send you another comforter the anointing the Holy Spirit the Christ Get this Now watch what I'm about to tell you Hidden with Christ your life is hidden in the anointing So in other words in order for you to find your purpose the will of God for your life You have to walk with Christ in Christ And in that anointing you find out what your purpose and your design and the will of God is Let me say it like this outside of that anointing because it is hidden in Christ Because you're hidden in Christ your life is hidden in Christ outside of Christ. You can never find your self Your true self because it's hidden in Christ. It's hidden in the anointing So when you have been anointed what has been hidden with Christ on the inside of Him his anointing When you come into that when you come into the relationship with Christ having been crucified on the cross and you've given your sins to him You embrace him as your Savior and Lord Because it is more than just a moment Everything and every plan and all of the will of God for your life for all of your life is hidden in him So I cannot find it by asking someone else. What do you think? What do you think? What do you think? He wants us to come back to the Christ To find what is hidden in him That has our name on it. I don't know if you're getting what I'm saying right here I've seen this before some of you may have seen it before but they have these And it's not just in Russia, but I'm using it as a they've got these great big wooden dolls I don't know what exactly what they're called, but but I've had someone give me one before and and It's a wooden doll and it and it separates in the middle and When you pull that off you reach inside and there's another one that's hidden But you can pull that out and open it up and there's something else and You open that up and there's something else and you open that up and there's something else And I just want to let you know that as long as you walk with the Lord and you keep opening up what God has for you There'll always be something else hidden in Christ. That's got your name on it Let me just say to you like this if you'll seek the Lord today and set your affections on things above Whatever he opens up for you today. It'll be like birthday all over again What am I trying to find in someone else that Christ is not hidden in himself? That if I will take time to open up what he has for me Hidden is hidden. Why because he wants us to seek him With all of our hearts so minded strength We're too fat. We don't want to seek him. We just want to order from him We just want to pull up to that speaker that nobody can understand what she's saying the Lord won't ask you again What did you what do you want? He wants you to seek him with all of your heart And the more you seek him the more he'll unpack stuff on you. I Hope you don't think that because you got saved that somehow that's it And let me stop all you Pentecostal tongue talkers in here because many people have been baptized on the Holy Ghost And they spoke with tongues and they think that's it But I want you to know hidden inside of him is more than what you could ever think imagine or ask for The question is have you stopped asking and searching for the hidden things? I heard preacher describe it to us like this one time that when we get to heaven. There'll be a room with our name on it Now he's surmising But a room with our name on it and when we open the door all the gifts that we could have had I Wish I'd have got some help. Well help was there. You just went to the wrong place Come on somebody How important that it is that we find our purpose the will of God for our life I don't have to ask people what I'm supposed to do. I go to Christ and he reveals to me what he's hidden for me. I Wish I had some more time to stay there look at this one He says to focus on his commitment to you. This is what comes up in Colossians chapter number four Colossians four when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory now This is the prophetic future of his return when Christ shall appear You'll you will appear with him in glory now that that right there speaks to us about the rapture having already taken place and We come back with him with the saints at what we call the battle of Armageddon Are you hearing what I'm saying the second coming of Christ? That that alone that passage of Scripture verifies the fact that there's going to be an event That is going to happen that is going to take the church off of the earth and that the church will come back with him when he appears This appearance is going to be to the world The world is going to see him whom they pierced. I Want to be on the side riding behind him Not watching the sword come out of his mouth to fry me You hear me Colossians there he says when Christ who is our life when Christ who is our life when Christ who is our life Question is Christ your life is he your all-in-all or is he like the Crisis button Christ needs to be your life You hear me What happens here? This is the description of the transformation That is the that is I was created in his image and in his likeness But until I stepped into the place that I received Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior He then began a Transformational change inside of my life that has not stopped to this day So my spirit man is saved My soulless man is being saved and my body shall be saved. This is a perpetual sanctification That is to say the more I walk with him the more like him I should be Just because I got saved 10 years ago 50 years ago two days ago. I should be changing transforming from glory to glory to glory to He's saying to us that he is so committed to us To our transformation that it won't it won't be the end of our transformation Until what does he say until until he appears and we appear with him in Glory, it's a transformation. What does that do? What does that do with all that's going on in our world? It should set our minds in hope in Christ and The anointing in us causes us to be encouraged in hoping in God that his future plan is already in place Let me make it simple Let's see. Let's just say Let's just say that in the plan of God Florida State has already won the game this weekend, but you don't know it But God does But he says if you'll stay with me and not give up on the process If you'll persevere You're going to see the glow. What's the glory of the game the glory of the game for the Florida State person? Is that Florida State blows it out? Wins it all The glory. I know that's tough for you Alabama fans. I know I'm not getting any a man's out of that I know I'm not getting anything from Gator fans and all that kind of stuff and Alabama fans have already copped an attitude They're not even gonna listen to the rest of this message That's just the way they are. They're just they're just hard-headed You know and the Auburn fans are going hey over here over here. Hey, oh Another words bad illustration, right? Let me just say to you God says in the end if you'll stay with me You're gonna win. It's already been said It's going to happen and it's gonna be your glory This is powerful So there's three ways to stay Christ-centered here for us tonight number one It's first of all to seek the will of God Matthew 633 gives us the plan of how we should be conducting our life every day because bad news is gonna come in it Come on bad news is gonna come. I Mean you already should know that bad news is gonna come Things are gonna happen. The world is still gonna be the world sinners are gonna sin Evil is still gonna take place But for the child of God, he says do what seek first The kingdom of God the kingdom Jesus came preaching the kingdom Jesus is not president He's not prime minister. He's not a governor He's not a senator. He's not a he's not a representative Jesus is king of kings and Lord of lords And if you don't get your head into the kingdom then you won't understand how that whole thing sets up because in our westernized culture We don't understand kingdom But a king is sovereign He has a kingdom and That kingdom is ruled by his word not by popular opinion in the kingdom of God. There is no democracy It is a theocracy where he is king ruler of all He's the judge. He's the jury He's all in all and his word is going to be the final so Seek first the kingdom of God The things that are in the kingdom of God what things are in the kingdom of God Well, Philippines tells us what sort of things are true. What sort of things are good What sort of things are lovely think on these things that's kingdom Watch this right here And this is so important because I'm going to share some of this coming coming Sunday night because part of the Marxist Socialist mentality and what you're seeing right now This is a reason why the Bible says this they will know we are his disciples because we have love One for another let me tell you what love does Let me tell you what what love does when love doesn't look like love when it's hanging on the cross But it's you heard it this past weekend from our evangelist Who stood here and talked about the love of God that absolutely consumed him And guess who else it consumed this past weekend a young man from one from project hope Who got up for the very first time in his life after hearing about the love of God as a drug addict and a homosexual and made his way to this altar and knelt down and surrendered his life to Jesus Christ because he got the love of God That overwhelmed him That's what happened this past weekend One of many reports that I've got What's the point the point is this? They will know that we're his disciples because we have love for one for another What is this mentality that is being perpetuated even from the highest office of the land? whites against blacks vaccinated against Unvaccinated on and on it goes What is that whole mentality to pit one another against one another so that we hate one another and Then we become just like that world the only way They're going to know that there is a difference in the church is that we have love one for another Are y'all with me here seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things should be added unto you Are you hearing this? Here's what one preacher said in a simplified way take care of the things that are important to God And he will take care of the things that are important to you Second point for you is this to search God's Word not only seek His will the kingdom but search his Word Where in the Bible says you find life? John 15 7 says if you abide in me my words about and you shall ask what you will and it shall be done to you There is the providential will of God there is the moral will of God There is the personal will of God and all of them can be found in the Word of God But if you don't ever read it if you don't ever digest it If you don't ever seek and search the Word of God out you won't know and let me tell you this book is the only one Above every other book that literally with 100% accuracy prophesies the future with 100% accuracy From thousands of years ago History is repeating itself just like the Bible said it would do you want to know about the future read the book People get amazed, you know while this stuff is going on here's the question What did you think the last days was going to look like? Everybody's got their opinion. Well, I I didn't know it was going to get this bad Well, the Bible says exactly what was taking place right now Why don't you as believers know I can tell you one problem If the indictment goes straight to the pulpit of many churches where preachers and pastors will not even pick up The Word of God much less the book of Revelation they propense their they purport their own opinions give you a cup of coffee Pat you on the behind and send you out the door and there needs to be preaching from the Word of God and not the Word of man Because I don't have anything to answer what's going on in this one, but this book has all of the answers Are you hearing what I'm saying? The providential will of God by the way is what God's going to do with or without you That's already set in place God said it's only begotten son That's the providential will of God. It was going to happen whether you wanted it to happen or not The moral will of God God says here's here's the way that you're supposed to live your life I've written it down so you can know Not just the big 10 But the principles the statutes the judgments of God you only get that by studying the Word of God Most people get hung up on thou shall not lie Thou shall not steal thou shall not this thou shall not that and they can't get past those to find out what God really is saying to us When I say really saying to us, I'm talking about the principles that you don't see Written, but they are principles of God for our life to live by so that we can prosper and be good What did he tell Joshua if you will study and follow my principles my judgments my statues and walk in them You will have good success all the days of your life Here's the third thing support God's work Seek God's will search God's word Support God's work. Why is this so important? Because it's the only hope Do you hear me? It's the only hope we have What does the Bible say? Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by maws and corrupted by rust and or worse stolen by Burglars stockpiled treasures in heaven where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is is the place where you most want it to be and end up being What a powerful statement that is Engage the work of God if you're not currently involved in some capacity of Working in the kingdom and that would be if this call you call this your church It is your obligation to be able to find your place in the body of Christ here and begin to do and To be what God's called you to be you can never be satisfied. Just come into church services week after week You've got to engage somewhere There's plenty of places to go to work in the kingdom Thank you for those four. Amen And let me just tell you the greatest work that's going on on this earth is the work of the kingdom of God Are you hearing me? Get involved in the work of the kingdom Get involved in sowing into the kingdom if you're not giving your tithes and offerings. Let me just tell you something God has a way of sustaining us through hard times people are people are in a Condition right now where they're they're watching right now. Listen The price how many of you have found out that when you go to the store the prices have gone exponentially up Go to the restaurant After you've waited an hour for someone to serve you because they can't get enough workers. Okay, and Then pay exorbitant amount of dollars for A steak that got cold or whatever What's the point? The point is is that we're watching the deterioration of what's taking place This is what happens when man ejects God It gets more the Bible is clear it gets more expensive to live. I don't have time to give you scripture It's in there What's the point when you're supporting the kingdom of God work with your finances? You're helping to reach further out just right now. I never know who is who is watching online There's no way to really understand we can see where the IP addresses are where they come from and if they connect with us Where they're watching but you realize there was a time When people were not able to click on you had to physically come to church if you were going to come to church Now we're in a place right now where people are able to do that and I'm thrilled about that But let me just say to you if you're physically able to be in church You need the fellowship nothing else will satisfy unless you get in the house of God somewhere here wherever you're at and Fellowship with God's people you're supporting the work of the kingdom like that You're sowing finances find your place Why because the only things that are done for Christ will last Can you say amen to that? Value the things of God find an opportunity every day to talk to somebody about Jesus even if it's yourself Bible says encourage yourself and come on somebody I preach more to myself than I do to anybody else Right My wife and she's watching the night from home herself But she dealt with this double vision thing that took place and and she looked at me and she said listen I see two of you and I can only take one of you That's the reason why we went to the hospital get that corrected real fast One of the great preachers in the early part of the 19th century 20th century G. Campbell Morgan he was a pastor during the time of of the of the tragedy of the Titanic the First World War the Second World War and there was crisis going on You do you realize that during the Second World War and things were ramping up for that and all of Hitler and all that Kind of stuff that was going on that's mimicking what's going on today in such a amazing way The conditions were similar and so he was one that was He was not engaging the process Until until things begin to turn that America had to get involved in World War two And so he writes this message and I had to bring it to you tonight because he titled the message in 1916 a fixed heart in the days of frightfulness That was the title of his message and this is what he said at the very last portion of it He said what then shall we do in the day of frightfulness? Are we living in the day of frightfulness? What shall we do in the day of frightfulness? We will do our duty The thing that lies nearest the thing we have to do tomorrow morning We will do that and do it well and do it cheerfully We will leave the rest to God the sorrow the suffering and the issues What this nation needs? Just now as much as and perhaps more than anything else is the multiplication of strong quiet souls who are not afraid of evil tidings He goes on to say who will go quietly to rest even though zeppelins may be coming those airships that the Nazis were sending that we're sending bombs and Will not add to the panic that demoralizes, but will do their work The men and women who could do that on such a day are the men and women who have hearts fixed Trusting in Jehovah may God make us such men and such women G. Campbell Morgan what a powerful powerful word from the Lord. Amen Fix your hearts on God set your affections on things above if your emotions get out of the way Stop and commit them to God Lord. I'm I'm feeling this sudden fear coming on me Wait a minute. God said his word says be not afraid of sudden fear. I'm stopping right now Let my mind and my heart get fixed upon you Pull the car to the side of the road get out of the bed in the middle of the night. Come on somebody Tormenting your sleep in the middle of the night the devil is a liar. He said he gives his beloved rest That's the word of the Lord I'm gonna get my rest Come on if I got to eat the whole bottle of melatonin and talk to Jesus on I law I'm gonna give me some rest up in here Come on somebody Set your affections on things. I just giving you the remedy of how to survive the days we're in Now and into the future if you'll follow the biblical pattern You can live in the middle of all this turmoil and circling storms and everything else and have peace that passes all understanding He will keep you your minds and hearts in Christ Jesus. Why because I've been risen with him I'm with him and he's with me. Amen Father in the name of Jesus for every soul that's here and those that are watching We pray the peace of God that passes all understanding would rest upon each and every one Those that are watching here tonight in foreign locations Lord We don't know who may be watching but we know this by divine appointment They're watching right now Lord, I pray that in these days of frightfulness will have a heart that is fixed Set upon you our emotions won't be out of control We will not allow the lives of the enemy to penetrate the mind and the heart of Christ that we have on a daily basis And we will be people that will spread the love of Jesus Christ and the calm resting power of the Holy Spirit to flow out of our life into the life of other people we come in contact with Let us serve you with the gladness of heart Looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith We give you praise for it tonight in Jesus mighty name if you receive it say a great big amen God bless you tonight stand to your feet shake hands with be friends with somebody around you Don't miss Sunday morning at 10. I'm gonna be preaching Sunday morning at 10 o'clock When Jesus comes Sunday night prophecy files don't forget it Hey come right here