Without doctrine that is according to godliness, we can lose our way. We lose sight of who we are and miss what we have from the Father in His House. It is so important that we know who we are. (1 Timothy 6:3-4; 1 Peter 1:13)

Speaker(s): Pastor Thomas Schaller, Pastor John Love
Sermon # 11719
6:30 PM on 7/21/2019

P. Schaller

In my heart that was a beautiful worship, wasn’t it? That was amazing. I love that last song. That was so the Spirit speaking to me in my heart those words.

I was in Hungary the other day; I came home Friday night. Thursday, we had a pastor’s meeting and service and one of the Hungarian pastors told a story about a 3-year-old daughter. I’ll share it with you and share a message and then take the offering and P. Love will share about the young people who went to Georgia on their mission. P. Cooper called me from Puerto Rico because there is rioting going on down there with the governor. They are trying to oust the governor. He said I think God is leading me to come home. So he’s coming home. P. Scibelli in Africa. Trips are being taken in the U.S., Malta, Montreal, and Toronto.

I was thinking of praying for prodigal sons and daughters to come home. I was thinking of prayer and praying for prodigal sons and daughters to come home. What do you think? Well, let’s do it. Let’s take a few minutes and do it. Is it in your heart that people that belong to Christ would come close to him? What do you think? Are you tempted to go with them? What do you think? Molly? You know I’m talking to you, Molly?! Am I tempted to go with the backsliding? I am worried, tired, bored. I’ll tell you that story about the little girl in a minute. I want that people would find it is much, much better the mind is clear. I could show you in the Scriptures. It affects the mind. It clears the mind. I got a lot going on here, don’t I!

1 Tim. 6:3- I always see – one time I was counseling a guy. He was complaining about his marriage. I said what’s her name. He said what do you mean. I said what’s the name of the woman you are flirting with. Wow. That’s fun to be able to talk like that. Notice here. There are people that their doctrine is not according to godliness. They depart from it. Vs. 4. I looked it up in Wuest and I got it here somewhere. If I can find it. I don’t have it. Look at all the paper. Knowing nothing. This person is not merely of a knowledge of facts but is unable to do any concentrated or reflective thinking. Vs. 4. Wuest says he is unable to do concentrative or reflective thinking, not even one thing. He knows nothing. Vs. 4. Doting about – means to be sick. Metaphorically used of any ailment of the mind. Morbid fondness for something. Both doting and mad after, the idea is a simple one of sickness in his mind as opposed to health.

I was thinking of the prodigal son. The arrogance blinding him, his desires in the flesh and his mind being affected. He has become unhealthy or sick in his mind. It’s fascinating. What does he do? Vs. 4. I have seen that happen to people. They get into trivial things. Very small world of gossip, talking about people. Facebook addicts that cannot stop talking and gossiping and relating to small minded living. Their minds are sick. Amazing. Fascinating thing. Vs. 5. By the way, I see them on TV when I watch the news. I see some man who is some expert in something speaking in a ridiculous way, not facing reality but blind, deceiving, lying, and manipulative and so on. I have no respect for people who are not objective and serious and godly. There is no godliness in these people. This happens to people. It happens to us when we go away from God. It’s amazing what happens when we go away from God. I want our sisters and brothers to come back to God. I’d like them to humble themselves and say I am sick in my mind and soul. The further I run from God, the further I get into quicksand. I don’t like this and that and they are talking and don’t know what they are talking about. Some of us may listen and be seduced and drawn into the same blindness, the criticism, the unbelief and grieve the Spirit of God because I am not humble. I want to tell about that in a minute. I feel sad. I want people to find Christ. I want Christians to find Christ. I feel sad about it. I want them to be broken and humble and learn to pray to Jesus and God will answer. God will fill people with the Spirit. He will help them and minister to them.

Make little groups and sit quietly. However you want to do it and pray for prodigals to come home. Why not? Is God working in their lives? I’d love to see that happen.

The Hungarian pastor said he has a three-year-old daughter. He has four children. He is an older parent. She’s not potty trained. They are older parents and kind of light on that. She is three and should be potty trained. They are trying to counsel her to use the potty. The diaper age is over. Big girls use the potty. So it didn’t work because she didn’t believe she was a big girl. They are trying to figure out how can we make her understand she is a big girl and uses the toilet and not diapers. Ask your neighbor how would you solve that problem? This is what they did. I can see you like the subject! I was thinking about this the other night! They said you are big girl already. You are a big girl, so we are giving you your own bedroom. Hungarian apartments are not the biggest apartments. They moved out of their bedroom into the living room and gave this three-year-old girl her own bedroom. Guess what happened? She started to use the potty. I’m a big girl. I have my own bedroom. Maybe you are thinking on the practical lines of things. Are they ever going to get their bedroom back? What is going to happen? The pastor said our identity is so important. Who I am and who I believe I am has a lot to do with my behaviors. What is in my heart, how I think, what I speak, what I believe.

I think a prodigal son or daughter is someone who gets messed up on understanding who they are. They leave home because they don’t know who they really are. Who they are connected with and what it means. Our whole point in church life is for us to know and understand who we are. When the Spirit reveals and shows us, this is written in 1 Pet. 1, if you turn there with me. We started it this morning. We went through the first nine verses. I want to share a couple more. We are elected, sanctified and sprinkled with blood. That is the Trinity who has saved us and made us secure. We have an inheritance in vs. 4. Now you can read these verses to a mind that is sick because of pride. But humility, God gives grace to the humble and the mind is affected by this grace of God, Spirit of God and we have a deep rejoicing in vs. 6. Even though sorrow because of trouble or temptation but we live by faith with a renewed mind. The mind is an incredible part of our faith. The prodigal didn’t get it. He didn’t understand who he was. He didn’t know who his dad was and what he had so he left. There are people who leave God. I don’t mean leaving the church. They leave God long before they leave the church. As they leave the church, they leave friends, doctrine, good examples, a way of life, a culture that is vibrant and vigorous where you can sit in a circle of believers and read Proverbs and make comments in divine wisdom and refreshment. They leave mission.

Let’s pray for New Jersey this summer. Let’s pray God will lead us in the state of New Jersey. Let’s pray for 30 churches in New Jersey. Why not? We have vision. We are not sick in our mind or heart. Jesus is walking on the water and saying, ask of me. I’ll give you the heathen for our inheritance. In our healthy mind, we say yes to God. He says to some young man, be a pastor or missionary. In his heart he says yes. I don’t have any confidence in one way. Yes, I can believe you. I am weak but anointed king, David said. Notice the verses here.

Vs. 13. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind. The mind. The loins of your mind. The legs, the strongest part of your body. We are not talking about our physical body but our mind. Girding up was when they picked up their long skirts and tucked them in so they could run. Maybe Peter and John did that when they ran to the tomb. Maybe it was in the mind of the apostle Peter that we are to be in our mind prepared by God. A prodigal son is erring with his pride and then the mind is sick.

One message we preached in Hungary is what you do with your jealousy when you go to prayer. I explained it this way. We were in India and had a conference. There is 147 Greater Grace churches and more than 100 pastors. There is 100 men on the platform and I’m standing in the middle. I want to talk to them heart to heart. Do you guys love each other? Do you compete with each other? Do you know one another’s names? When one is successful do you say I would love him to be two times as successful. Can you pray in love? Many people, men of God, don’t do that. Men of God are jealous and stop talking to each other. It’s unbelievable. It can’t happen. So in Hungary, we were saying – I need to use some article of some kind- my jealousy is here. It may be a brother over here and I love him in my words but in my heart, there is something there. Who is the greatest amongst us they said that in their hearts. Then they said it with their mouths to each other. Jesus stopped and said, what are you guys talking about? Oh, nothing. Which of us is the greatest? I don’t pray for the guy I am jealous of. I’m there thanking you, Jesus. I love you; you are the miracle worker and promise keeper. I praise you. The Lord says what is that in your pocket? Nothing. We’ll put that over here. That thing is important to me. That thing is important to me. That’s important. I’m God. You are jealous and you got something in your heart, and I want it on the table. I deny it and say it’s not there, but it is there. What could it be? I’m ashamed of the Apostle Paul. Paul wrote to Timothy, don’t be ashamed of my chain. I’m ashamed. My leader is in prison. I’m ashamed. Here I am ashamed of the apostle Paul. I’m praying in my prayer and I’m praising you and thanking you and the Lord says are you ashamed of the apostle Paul? I think I am. I’m ashamed of him. When I admit it, it’s there before God. Lord, I am. He is my leader, but he is in prison. I’m ashamed of that. God is saying I call you to walk in the light and listen to me. Now comes my healthy mind. Christ is not ashamed of me to call me brethren. God has hung on a tree hanging naked and naturally speaking, it would be shame but he took all that on himself so I could be free and crowned with glory. Someone weak and troubled I can love them and care about them. I’m not ashamed of my brother. I want to help my brother and serve my brother. This changes my prayer life.

In Hungary, I said to everyone at the conference, how many elephants fit in a phone booth? How many fit in a Volkswagen or [?] And here is the point. How many people fit in your heart? I’m ashamed of the apostle Paul. God would say are you ashamed of the Apostle Paul? I am. God says deal with it. Thank you, Lord. I am going to look for the apostle Paul. I’m not ashamed of his chain. I asked you not to give me a spirit of fear but power, love, and a sound mind. Help me and lead me so I can be a minister. What is the weakest church in America? Are we ashamed or are we to be a servant and help them and serve them? What are the other problems we have.

Covetousness. I want their lunch or job or house or things. I go to pray. Lord, I praise you. What is in your heart? Covetousness, jealousy, worry. I’m worried. God is saying you are worried. I want you to come to me in prayer and come to me. I will heal your mind and emotions. I’ll lead you in prayer. Your prayers will move mountains. I will anoint you. He doesn’t do it when I’m hiding this stuff. It’s called garbage. It’s the stuff our souls are thinking about. Garbage. What do you do with that when you pray? You go to prayer before God. God, I’m out of here. I don’t want to be here anymore. I’m going where there is greener pastures. Stop. Wait. Pray and humble yourself. I’m a prodigal not yet but on the way out the door. God, am I doing the right thing? What’s in your heart? I want out of here. I want my life, my way. God says that is sin. Give me your sin. Bring your sin before me. I will heal you and anoint you and fill you. I will answer your prayer. I found God again. I found God in a fresh way. I found what I really needed. I needed to come before God with a humble heart and say to him, what is going on? He will help me and answer my prayer. If I live with him in faith and truth, God will heal me and restore my soul and help me in every area. I always go back to that simple thing every day. Bring it to God every day and make your confession and say your prayer in humility before him and he will answer you.

If I keep this, not even one elephant could fit in my Volkswagen. Not even one person can fit. I can hardly fit in there. I’m so filled with myself. If I get this taken care of, I’ll have a thousand people that fit in my heart. I’ll have a life free and a mind healthy. A healthy mind is a gift from God. I wonder what your prayer life is like. I’m saying this as a preacher. I don’t know anything about the real case. I wonder how much of our prayers are with jealousy in our heart. We walk away with jealousy in our heart. I wonder what the prayer means to a holy God. I convict you in your heart. I want you to embrace it in faith. You will grow in your faith and know me personally. How many prayers and not Spirit filled. How many pray and they are religious prayers. Practice some kind of faith and find themselves empty. I say cleanse your heart you sinners, in James 4. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. Vs. 2-3. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up. Speak ye not evil of anyone brethren. So there it is. That’s on my mind. That’s good stuff. There is a lot there. You got the message. I’m stirred in my own life in this regard. I want God to guide me and lead me.

Many people we could think of and know personally that somehow, they are following their own hearts, own mind, own smarts, own way and living their own life and doing their own thing and the quick stand gets deeper and thicker. Their capacity diminishes and they are sick in their mind. They cannot self-reflect. Their culture changes to be more like an animal than a man of God. The don’t have the joy, the spontaneity, the punch, the fervency. They don’t have the power. They have the beer and the drinks and the women thing and everything else they are dong and they are our brothers and our sisters and I wonder if it’s because they never learned how to pray to a holy God and say forgive me and fill me and guide me and anoint me and move me in knowing who I am. That little girl is walking around the house in charge of the whole thing and is using the potty now because she’s a big girl. That’s what we have and once you got it, you got to be pretty stupid to walk away from it. What is going to happen to your family? What is going to happen to your mind, your body, your friends, your future, your life? Do you think God will take it lightly? What happens when we go as a prodigal and walk away from a living God? He is good to us and chastises us and has his way. We are here with open arms and we are not perfect. We have something going on precious and important. We need your work amongst our brothers and sisters. We pray they would come home and find your grace and a healthy mind, a spirit that is powerful and focused.

The Spirit of God in man, greater than man that can take a city. Powerful and mighty and needed in this world.

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P. Love

Praise the Lord. What a good message. Soul stirring and soul-searching message. Thanks, pastor. Very good. Like he did you want to get on your knees and pray and ask God is there something there. If there is, I want to deal with it. What a good word.

A brief overview of our trip at Camp Life, Europe. There were 110 of us from so many nations. Hungary, Romania, Albania, Kazakhstan, France. France had a group of 20. Remember I was there in May for a conference and after every meeting or church service, they had a snack bar set up. It all benefited the teens. They raised enough to send 20 teens to this camp, air fare and everything. That’s a heck of a snack bar. And enough to send a hand full to the Poconos next month. They worked very hard to be there. To meet these young people was incredible. To see how God was working in their lives. We had a baptism in the Black Sea. Once we all gathered, everyone on the beach came around. We are on everyone’s home videos in the Republic of Georgia. We asked the young people would you like to be baptized. We had one and then three. There were 15 by the time it took place by the sea. It was amazing.

One of them – they were all fascinating – three from our church here. And one of the young girls was there. I thought she was just observing, gathered to witness the baptism. She had a long white gown on. She looked beautiful like when someone was going somewhere. She was going to be baptized and she picked this gown out knowing she would be baptized. Her name was Audrey from France. When we said Audrey, come down, tears, just tears. We asked her to share a testimony, but she couldn’t speak because she kept weeping and weeping. Someone told me after she had been planning this for a year to come to camp and be baptized and make the commitment to follow Jesus with all her heart. There was nothing quite like that with the tears and brokenness and desire to follow the Lord.

From Georgia, we left Georgia and went to the capital city at Tbilisi and flew to Baku. The church there is amazing. I know P. Fouad is over here. You have done an amazing job. That is an incredible church that loves God and is on fire for God. We had church service and meetings. One night after the Wednesday night service in Baku, we went out with all the Azeri’s. There were ten or twelve of us; a couple of the girls from the camp were there. We said you have been made in God’s image and for his glory. He also made you to reflect his image. I shared with them something that happened before we left for the trip. I was doing yard work and trimming hedges. I looked in the dirt and found what looked like a coin. It was quite thick, so it wasn’t a coin. I thought what is it? I kept it in my hand and rubbed it and some dirt would come off. I put it in my pocket. I mowed the lawn and then pulled it out of my pocket and kept rubbing it. Then there is George Washington! It was a quarter. I said this is what God does with us. He knows his image is in us. What he often does is spend a lot of time rubbing us and rubbing us. All the dirt and debris and defilement of this world can leave us like I found that coin stuck in the mud. God never stops rubbing us until he sees his own image. The two young girls that night after we had pizza together, they both said I never thought I looked good. I need to change my nose and what my face looks like. But after that message, God spoke to me and said you bear my image, my likeness. You don’t have to change a single thing. I don’t have to think about that anymore. I know God made me in his own likeness. They got something.

That’s the whole thing with young people. Sometimes we preach and you don’t know if they are getting anything or is it hitting home, but we do it by faith. We make those deposits and you know there is going to be a harvest someday. It was an amazing time. P. Fouad said when you get to Azerbaijan, it may be an opportunity to meet with government officials about our church being registered. One of the elders said that meeting isn’t going to happen. He called me later and said it looks like it is going to happen. Can you make it? We could walk to this government building and it was a huge conference room, huge table and three of us from the church on one side and the secretary of religious affairs and a government photographer. He said we are a Muslim country only 4% Christian. He said we want it to grow. He said we want your church to grow. I thought, we do too! He said, we don’t want to be perceived as Afghanistan and Iraq. We want it here. We want it to be a tolerant nation. I’m sure they want to do it for political reasons but who cares! If you want our church to grow, we want people to grow!

One of the young people, P. Texier’s daughter, I said to her, have you been baptized? No. Here? No. I will be baptized at Camp Life in America. We will have a whole group baptized in the Poconos this summer. P. Pete said a thousand things can go wrong. Someone lost their cell phone; that was me! Other than that, God was faithful.

Thank you for your prayers. We have a great church and it’s reaching the next generation too.

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