1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:17,220 Thank you for listening to this message from Life House Church. 2 00:00:17,220 --> 00:00:18,220 Good morning, good morning. 3 00:00:18,220 --> 00:00:21,700 Listen, turn to somebody, give them a high five, tell them, what's up? 4 00:00:21,700 --> 00:00:22,700 Say what's up? 5 00:00:22,700 --> 00:00:23,700 What's up? 6 00:00:23,700 --> 00:00:24,700 Come on. 7 00:00:24,700 --> 00:00:26,620 It's after, it's a week after Easter. 8 00:00:26,620 --> 00:00:29,980 Something's got to be, listen, Jesus is still on the throne, isn't he? 9 00:00:29,980 --> 00:00:31,940 He's still alive and well. 10 00:00:31,940 --> 00:00:33,120 He's still out of the grave. 11 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,060 He's going to continue to be out of the grave. 12 00:00:35,060 --> 00:00:37,140 It's good to have you this morning. 13 00:00:37,140 --> 00:00:40,660 If you're joining us online, it's wonderful to have you as well. 14 00:00:40,660 --> 00:00:43,260 And East Shore, we give you a high five from here. 15 00:00:43,260 --> 00:00:46,100 They're up there telling what's up to each other up at East Shore. 16 00:00:46,100 --> 00:00:50,740 And I'm always remembering that we've got another campus up there and I can't see them, 17 00:00:50,740 --> 00:00:54,780 but I just kind of pretend in my mind that I'm preaching right up there with them. 18 00:00:54,780 --> 00:00:57,420 So it's good to have each one of you here this morning. 19 00:00:57,420 --> 00:01:00,780 I want to open up with prayer this morning just ahead of time as we get ready to pray 20 00:01:00,780 --> 00:01:04,920 over God's word, share a few stats with you, and then we're going to get into what God 21 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:06,180 has to say about some things. 22 00:01:06,180 --> 00:01:09,540 So Lord, we thank you for this day, for God, your blessing, your mercy. 23 00:01:09,540 --> 00:01:13,420 I thank you, Lord, that God, you bring us together and Lord, that we come together to 24 00:01:13,420 --> 00:01:14,420 worship you. 25 00:01:14,420 --> 00:01:18,700 God, I thank you, Lord, that you are the soon coming King, Lord, that you will establish 26 00:01:18,700 --> 00:01:19,940 your kingdom on this earth. 27 00:01:19,940 --> 00:01:26,220 And Lord, we just look for you, God, we, Lord, delight in the idea, God, that one day we 28 00:01:26,220 --> 00:01:27,540 will be with you face to face. 29 00:01:27,540 --> 00:01:32,620 So Lord, as we're here today, as we're occupying, as we're getting ready, Lord, for that time, 30 00:01:32,620 --> 00:01:36,020 Lord, I pray that you would just touch hearts, minds, and lives in Jesus' name. 31 00:01:36,020 --> 00:01:37,020 And everybody say it together. 32 00:01:37,020 --> 00:01:38,020 Amen. 33 00:01:38,020 --> 00:01:39,020 Amen. 34 00:01:39,020 --> 00:01:40,020 All right. 35 00:01:40,020 --> 00:01:42,580 Well, I want to give you a statistic, which is always dangerous at the beginning of a 36 00:01:42,580 --> 00:01:44,860 message because some of you are like, I'm peace out, right? 37 00:01:44,860 --> 00:01:47,620 He's going to give me numbers, but it's important. 38 00:01:47,620 --> 00:01:55,300 According to a recent Gallup poll, 82% of Americans say that they are religious or have 39 00:01:55,300 --> 00:01:56,300 spiritual beliefs. 40 00:01:56,300 --> 00:02:03,380 Now, as a pastor, as a follower of Jesus Christ, right, as somebody who is walking along in 41 00:02:03,380 --> 00:02:07,100 the way with Jesus, part of me gets really excited about that. 42 00:02:07,100 --> 00:02:10,140 Part of me wants to say, man, that is amazing. 43 00:02:10,140 --> 00:02:13,540 People at least have a spiritual curiosity, right? 44 00:02:13,540 --> 00:02:18,860 There's this idea of something spiritual in their heads and in their hearts, and they're 45 00:02:18,860 --> 00:02:20,420 looking to something. 46 00:02:20,420 --> 00:02:24,500 Some of them say they're religious, right? 47 00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:26,580 There's some kind of search going on. 48 00:02:26,580 --> 00:02:34,660 And if I had to hang my hat on that one stat, I'd believe that there would be this deep 49 00:02:34,660 --> 00:02:39,900 curiosity that's taking place in the world around us and particularly in our country 50 00:02:39,900 --> 00:02:46,080 because 82% say they're religious or at least have some kind of spiritual belief, right? 51 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:47,080 Some kind of curiosity. 52 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:53,780 And if I read into that one stat, I'd probably get really pumped and really excited about 53 00:02:53,780 --> 00:02:55,380 that very thing. 54 00:02:55,380 --> 00:02:58,420 But the problem is that's not the only stat. 55 00:02:58,420 --> 00:03:02,820 Unfortunately, it's really not what it looks like at all. 56 00:03:02,820 --> 00:03:05,700 With this, 82% say this. 57 00:03:05,700 --> 00:03:10,480 Yes, 82% of Americans, right, say they're religious or they've got some kind of spiritual 58 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:11,780 belief. 59 00:03:11,780 --> 00:03:16,660 But 47% of that 82%, right, you still with me in the numbers? 60 00:03:16,660 --> 00:03:17,660 Come on. 61 00:03:17,660 --> 00:03:19,660 Nobody said yes. 62 00:03:19,660 --> 00:03:20,660 All right. 63 00:03:20,660 --> 00:03:28,140 So, 47% of that 82% describe themselves as religious, Christian or otherwise, but they 64 00:03:28,140 --> 00:03:33,380 don't necessarily say that they have a deep spiritual walk. 65 00:03:33,380 --> 00:03:38,140 Another 33% say they believe in the spiritual, but it really doesn't affect their practice 66 00:03:38,140 --> 00:03:40,940 in life whatsoever, right? 67 00:03:40,940 --> 00:03:47,060 So when you add all these up, only 2% of the 82% of Americans that describe themselves 68 00:03:47,060 --> 00:03:51,900 as religious or spiritual say that their spiritual belief actually connects with their daily 69 00:03:51,900 --> 00:03:53,980 practice and what they live. 70 00:03:53,980 --> 00:03:56,700 2%, 2%. 71 00:03:56,700 --> 00:04:00,580 That includes Christians, which make up 67% of the 82%. 72 00:04:00,580 --> 00:04:03,260 Are you stunned as I am? 73 00:04:03,260 --> 00:04:05,380 Or did I lose you with the numbers? 74 00:04:05,380 --> 00:04:06,380 Come on. 75 00:04:06,380 --> 00:04:12,780 A little less than 2% of Christians say that their spiritual belief, their spiritual theology, 76 00:04:12,780 --> 00:04:19,860 their idea of who God is in the spirit really connects with how they live out their daily 77 00:04:19,860 --> 00:04:21,540 life. 78 00:04:21,540 --> 00:04:28,340 And our church, right, should be full of people that practice what they believe, right? 79 00:04:28,340 --> 00:04:30,420 It should be our religion. 80 00:04:30,420 --> 00:04:31,420 Say religion. 81 00:04:31,420 --> 00:04:33,220 I know that's a weird word these days. 82 00:04:33,220 --> 00:04:35,500 People cringe at that kind of word, right? 83 00:04:35,500 --> 00:04:36,580 It should be our religion. 84 00:04:36,580 --> 00:04:42,500 Our spiritual belief should somehow be connected to what we practice and what we do in Jesus. 85 00:04:42,500 --> 00:04:47,580 If not, there's a problem because all our religion should affect what we believe and 86 00:04:47,580 --> 00:04:48,860 what we do. 87 00:04:48,860 --> 00:04:50,500 It really should. 88 00:04:50,500 --> 00:04:52,940 The definition of religion is this. 89 00:04:52,940 --> 00:04:58,260 Religion is the belief in and the worship of a supernatural power or powers, especially 90 00:04:58,260 --> 00:04:59,540 a God or gods. 91 00:04:59,540 --> 00:05:02,940 It is a particular system of faith and worship. 92 00:05:02,940 --> 00:05:11,140 It is the pursuit of interest to which someone ascribes supreme, say supreme, supreme importance. 93 00:05:11,140 --> 00:05:13,140 We cannot be religious. 94 00:05:13,140 --> 00:05:18,820 We cannot pursue God, chase after Jesus and separate our belief in God from how we practice 95 00:05:18,820 --> 00:05:19,820 daily life. 96 00:05:19,820 --> 00:05:20,820 We can't. 97 00:05:20,820 --> 00:05:26,020 We can't be religious and call Jesus Lord and savior of our life, sing songs about it, 98 00:05:26,020 --> 00:05:27,020 right? 99 00:05:27,020 --> 00:05:33,500 And claim that he is supreme in my walk and in who I am and that not change how I live 100 00:05:33,500 --> 00:05:35,380 and how I function. 101 00:05:35,380 --> 00:05:36,660 We can't. 102 00:05:36,660 --> 00:05:42,100 Because what is supreme in my life is my religion. 103 00:05:42,100 --> 00:05:43,700 It's true. 104 00:05:43,700 --> 00:05:47,460 What is supreme in my life really is my religion. 105 00:05:47,460 --> 00:05:49,780 What is supreme in my life, I worship. 106 00:05:49,780 --> 00:05:52,540 What is supreme in my life, I chase after. 107 00:05:52,540 --> 00:05:55,780 What is supreme in my life, I practice. 108 00:05:55,780 --> 00:06:01,260 What is supreme in my life, I'll dedicate and will control my actions, my attitudes. 109 00:06:01,260 --> 00:06:03,460 Anybody got any attitude this week? 110 00:06:03,460 --> 00:06:04,460 Raise your hand. 111 00:06:04,460 --> 00:06:05,460 Come on. 112 00:06:05,460 --> 00:06:06,460 Confessions are good for the soul. 113 00:06:06,460 --> 00:06:09,020 What is supreme in my life, right? 114 00:06:09,020 --> 00:06:10,780 Is God in my life. 115 00:06:10,780 --> 00:06:14,300 And what is supreme in my life is my religion. 116 00:06:14,300 --> 00:06:16,620 It is what I practice. 117 00:06:16,620 --> 00:06:20,260 Regardless of what church you belong to, what denomination you ascribe to, what label you 118 00:06:20,260 --> 00:06:21,900 place on yourself, right? 119 00:06:21,900 --> 00:06:25,740 Pentecostal, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Independent, whatever. 120 00:06:25,740 --> 00:06:26,740 We all got labels, right? 121 00:06:26,740 --> 00:06:28,020 There's all kinds of labels. 122 00:06:28,020 --> 00:06:32,500 Regardless of what even is stamped on your water baptism certificate, right? 123 00:06:32,500 --> 00:06:39,380 If you want to know what your religion is, you need to ask yourself some questions. 124 00:06:39,380 --> 00:06:41,020 Ask yourself some questions. 125 00:06:41,020 --> 00:06:45,260 What holds supreme position in my life? 126 00:06:45,260 --> 00:06:46,580 I want you to ask in your mind. 127 00:06:46,580 --> 00:06:49,660 Don't answer out loud because we'll just make a bunch of noise. 128 00:06:49,660 --> 00:06:52,880 But what holds supreme position in my life? 129 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:59,060 What would I say has superhuman power in my life, or at least my concept of it is that 130 00:06:59,060 --> 00:07:01,440 has superhuman power? 131 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:06,340 What do I systematically put my faith in? 132 00:07:06,340 --> 00:07:08,400 What do I religiously put my faith in? 133 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:11,260 What do I systematically put faith in? 134 00:07:11,260 --> 00:07:14,340 What do I pursue in life? 135 00:07:14,340 --> 00:07:16,340 What do I pursue? 136 00:07:16,340 --> 00:07:17,340 Be honest, right? 137 00:07:17,340 --> 00:07:18,340 Answer the questions. 138 00:07:18,340 --> 00:07:21,340 Is it Jesus? 139 00:07:21,340 --> 00:07:22,940 Is it money? 140 00:07:22,940 --> 00:07:25,200 Is it position or status? 141 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:27,100 Is it pleasure, right? 142 00:07:27,100 --> 00:07:32,220 Is this some kind of relationship, human relationship in our life? 143 00:07:32,220 --> 00:07:34,220 Jesus said this in Matthew 6 24. 144 00:07:34,220 --> 00:07:38,420 He said, no one can serve two masters for either you will hate the one and love the 145 00:07:38,420 --> 00:07:41,620 other or else will be loyal to the one and despise the other. 146 00:07:41,620 --> 00:07:45,840 You cannot serve God and mammon, mammon's money. 147 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:47,500 You can't serve God and mammon. 148 00:07:47,500 --> 00:07:48,660 It can't hold first place. 149 00:07:48,660 --> 00:07:51,340 It can't be supreme in your life, right? 150 00:07:51,340 --> 00:07:53,380 Because there's something that's supreme in your life. 151 00:07:53,380 --> 00:07:55,680 There's something that you're pursuing in your life. 152 00:07:55,680 --> 00:08:00,060 There's something that you're regardless of whatever label you take on in your own life 153 00:08:00,060 --> 00:08:04,300 that will be the supreme thing that is your religion. 154 00:08:04,300 --> 00:08:05,940 Right? 155 00:08:05,940 --> 00:08:07,640 Why is this important? 156 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:12,180 Because the religion I practice reflects the God that I serve and the God that I serve 157 00:08:12,180 --> 00:08:15,460 reflects the religion that I practice. 158 00:08:15,460 --> 00:08:17,020 It really is. 159 00:08:17,020 --> 00:08:19,680 It should be what it looks like. 160 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:21,980 They should coincide, right? 161 00:08:21,980 --> 00:08:26,260 What I say I'm who I believe in should coincide with what I'm doing. 162 00:08:26,260 --> 00:08:33,960 And God, God really speaks to this really way before even Jesus comes into play way 163 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:39,620 back with Moses and the people and the children of Israel. 164 00:08:39,620 --> 00:08:44,100 God sends Moses to Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, right? 165 00:08:44,100 --> 00:08:46,820 And there he gives him the law of God. 166 00:08:46,820 --> 00:08:48,020 He begins to instruct me. 167 00:08:48,020 --> 00:08:49,340 He says, I'm going to give you the commands. 168 00:08:49,340 --> 00:08:54,180 I'm going to give you a practice for life for the people that you're now leading. 169 00:08:54,180 --> 00:08:56,100 And he says, I want you to write these down. 170 00:08:56,100 --> 00:08:57,340 Actually, he scribed them on his own. 171 00:08:57,340 --> 00:09:01,260 He said, I want you to have these commandments and these are going to be guidelines for the 172 00:09:01,260 --> 00:09:02,260 people. 173 00:09:02,260 --> 00:09:03,260 This is going to be a system. 174 00:09:03,260 --> 00:09:05,100 We call it the Ten Commandments, right? 175 00:09:05,100 --> 00:09:10,380 It's the first Ten Commandments that God begins to lay down in Exodus chapter 20 verse 3. 176 00:09:10,380 --> 00:09:11,380 And he says this. 177 00:09:11,380 --> 00:09:18,380 He says, you shall have in Exodus 20 and 3, you shall have no other gods before me. 178 00:09:18,380 --> 00:09:23,260 In other words, I must be supreme in your life. 179 00:09:23,260 --> 00:09:27,880 You shall not make for yourselves a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in 180 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:32,780 heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. 181 00:09:32,780 --> 00:09:36,580 You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. 182 00:09:36,580 --> 00:09:41,840 For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous guy, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon 183 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:46,660 the children to the third and fourth generations, to those who hate me, but showing mercy to 184 00:09:46,660 --> 00:09:53,140 those, to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments. 185 00:09:53,140 --> 00:10:00,060 God instructs Moses to tell the people to have no other gods before them, not to serve 186 00:10:00,060 --> 00:10:03,340 anything else, not to look to anything else. 187 00:10:03,340 --> 00:10:07,940 The only thing that should be supreme in their life at top position, right? 188 00:10:07,940 --> 00:10:10,980 Top post in their life is God himself. 189 00:10:10,980 --> 00:10:16,420 They should love him with all their hearts and their minds and their souls, right? 190 00:10:16,420 --> 00:10:23,360 Let them know that I, God, the I am, should be their religion, should be their practice 191 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,140 in life. 192 00:10:25,140 --> 00:10:30,980 And God says it to Moses and he says something to Moses that should really grab our attention. 193 00:10:30,980 --> 00:10:37,760 He tells Moses this, he says, I am a jealous God, not jealousy in a wrong way. 194 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:40,200 He says, I'm a jealous God. 195 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:47,940 We need to tell the people that I'm so jealous that I require supreme position in their life. 196 00:10:47,940 --> 00:10:55,340 I'm not okay with sharing that position with anybody else or anything else for that matter, 197 00:10:55,340 --> 00:10:56,340 right? 198 00:10:56,340 --> 00:11:01,300 To be Christian is to hold Jesus in supreme position in my life. 199 00:11:01,300 --> 00:11:02,300 He's my God. 200 00:11:02,300 --> 00:11:03,300 He is my religion. 201 00:11:03,300 --> 00:11:04,300 He is my practice. 202 00:11:04,300 --> 00:11:05,300 He is what I do. 203 00:11:05,300 --> 00:11:06,620 He's what I believe in, right? 204 00:11:06,620 --> 00:11:10,060 It is a spiritual part of my life, right? 205 00:11:10,060 --> 00:11:17,860 In fact, he's not all right with any other position other than supreme in my life. 206 00:11:17,860 --> 00:11:19,140 Top dog, right? 207 00:11:19,140 --> 00:11:20,460 Say top dog. 208 00:11:20,460 --> 00:11:22,220 All right? 209 00:11:22,220 --> 00:11:26,460 God won't tolerate us compartmentalizing him. 210 00:11:26,460 --> 00:11:29,180 That's what we do, right? 211 00:11:29,180 --> 00:11:34,980 He interprets compartmentalizing God like, okay, God's cool over here and God's all right 212 00:11:34,980 --> 00:11:39,100 over here and I got these four or five areas of my life that God's really awesome in and 213 00:11:39,100 --> 00:11:43,020 he's supreme over here, but when he gets over here, he's kind of in second, third place, 214 00:11:43,020 --> 00:11:44,020 right? 215 00:11:44,020 --> 00:11:45,020 That's compartmentalizing God. 216 00:11:45,020 --> 00:11:48,740 It's putting God in a box and I pull him out when I want to, right? 217 00:11:48,740 --> 00:11:50,020 He's not okay with that. 218 00:11:50,020 --> 00:11:52,300 He interprets that actually as hating him. 219 00:11:52,300 --> 00:11:53,300 I know that's strong, right? 220 00:11:53,300 --> 00:11:54,300 Come on, say it's strong. 221 00:11:54,300 --> 00:11:55,300 It's strong this morning. 222 00:11:55,300 --> 00:11:59,580 For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon 223 00:11:59,580 --> 00:12:03,000 the children to the third and fourth generations to those who hate me. 224 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,060 He interprets compartmentalizing as hating him. 225 00:12:06,060 --> 00:12:07,660 Did you catch that? 226 00:12:07,660 --> 00:12:09,300 I know that's stiff, right? 227 00:12:09,300 --> 00:12:10,300 That's tough, right? 228 00:12:10,300 --> 00:12:12,340 So I got to preach hard sometimes because it's just the Bible. 229 00:12:12,340 --> 00:12:14,340 That's what it says, right? 230 00:12:14,340 --> 00:12:15,340 Right? 231 00:12:15,340 --> 00:12:16,340 It's true. 232 00:12:16,340 --> 00:12:22,380 100% of Christians should say that he is my all in all, that my practice ties with what 233 00:12:22,380 --> 00:12:25,780 I believe and what I believe is my practice, not 2%. 234 00:12:25,780 --> 00:12:27,820 It should be 100%. 235 00:12:27,820 --> 00:12:34,820 100% of Christians should say that my spirit, what's happening spiritually with God is what 236 00:12:34,820 --> 00:12:38,140 affects how I walk out my daily life, right? 237 00:12:38,140 --> 00:12:39,980 It's the priorities in my life. 238 00:12:39,980 --> 00:12:42,300 This is how I do. 239 00:12:42,300 --> 00:12:46,460 And you might be thinking, well, how can this be so among Christians, right? 240 00:12:46,460 --> 00:12:52,660 How can only 2% of Christians say that their faith in Jesus is supreme only in some areas 241 00:12:52,660 --> 00:12:53,660 of their life? 242 00:12:53,660 --> 00:12:55,700 And here's how it happens. 243 00:12:55,700 --> 00:13:01,580 And it's clearing God's word because one of Satan's tactics is to shift Jesus from supreme 244 00:13:01,580 --> 00:13:04,180 position to some other position in your life. 245 00:13:04,180 --> 00:13:05,820 It's one of his supreme tactics. 246 00:13:05,820 --> 00:13:07,100 It's one of the things, it's one of his go-tos. 247 00:13:07,100 --> 00:13:10,420 If you want to give Satan a go-to, this is a go-to that Satan goes to. 248 00:13:10,420 --> 00:13:11,420 All right? 249 00:13:11,420 --> 00:13:13,100 I didn't mean to say that doubly, but it did. 250 00:13:13,100 --> 00:13:14,100 All right? 251 00:13:14,100 --> 00:13:15,620 He's constantly trying to shift us. 252 00:13:15,620 --> 00:13:20,420 He's constantly trying to get Jesus from first position in our life to some other position, 253 00:13:20,420 --> 00:13:21,940 slide it in there some way. 254 00:13:21,940 --> 00:13:27,780 And believe it or not, the devil works at this so hard that he literally tries to do 255 00:13:27,780 --> 00:13:32,220 this to Jesus when Jesus was walking the earth. 256 00:13:32,220 --> 00:13:34,500 He is so audacious. 257 00:13:34,500 --> 00:13:41,860 He has so much pride and arrogance that he tries to get Jesus to dethrone the father 258 00:13:41,860 --> 00:13:44,660 position in his own life. 259 00:13:44,660 --> 00:13:49,340 Jesus has been baptized by John the Baptist and the heavens opened up and said, this is 260 00:13:49,340 --> 00:13:52,500 my son in whom I am well pleased. 261 00:13:52,500 --> 00:13:58,040 And right following Jesus' water baptism, Jesus withdraws into the desert and he goes 262 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:00,740 out there to pray and fast for 40 days. 263 00:14:00,740 --> 00:14:04,180 And this is right before his public ministry is going to start. 264 00:14:04,180 --> 00:14:09,460 And at the end of this 40 day fast, Satan comes to him in his physical weakness, because 265 00:14:09,460 --> 00:14:12,980 how many of you don't eat for 40 days, you're going to get physically weak. 266 00:14:12,980 --> 00:14:18,020 And he says, and Satan comes to Jesus and I don't know Satan's thoughts, but I think 267 00:14:18,020 --> 00:14:21,420 he's thinking, well, let's just see what's supreme in your life, Jesus. 268 00:14:21,420 --> 00:14:25,140 Because listen to what he says to him in Matthew 4.1, he says, then Jesus was led up by the 269 00:14:25,140 --> 00:14:28,100 Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 270 00:14:28,100 --> 00:14:31,740 And when he had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights afterward, he was hungry. 271 00:14:31,740 --> 00:14:32,740 Amen. 272 00:14:32,740 --> 00:14:33,740 I'd be hungry. 273 00:14:33,740 --> 00:14:34,740 All right. 274 00:14:34,740 --> 00:14:37,740 Now, when the tempter came to him, he said, if you're the son of God, command that these 275 00:14:37,740 --> 00:14:39,300 stones become bread. 276 00:14:39,300 --> 00:14:44,220 But he answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every 277 00:14:44,220 --> 00:14:47,740 word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 278 00:14:47,740 --> 00:14:53,020 Satan comes to Jesus in a moment of extreme hunger. 279 00:14:53,020 --> 00:14:58,180 He's been fasting for 40 days and for 40 nights without food. 280 00:14:58,180 --> 00:15:01,820 How many know some of your children can't go 40 minutes without food and they think 281 00:15:01,820 --> 00:15:02,820 they're starving to death? 282 00:15:02,820 --> 00:15:03,900 Can I get an amen? 283 00:15:03,900 --> 00:15:05,900 Can I get a witness? 284 00:15:05,900 --> 00:15:10,860 Some of the big children in your house can't go 40 minutes without food. 285 00:15:10,860 --> 00:15:13,340 You got snacks in the dress drawer. 286 00:15:13,340 --> 00:15:15,300 You got snacks under the bed. 287 00:15:15,300 --> 00:15:16,940 You got snacks in your purse. 288 00:15:16,940 --> 00:15:18,540 You got them in your backpack. 289 00:15:18,540 --> 00:15:20,820 We probably got enough diaper bags in here with food. 290 00:15:20,820 --> 00:15:23,220 We can lock the doors and live in here for a year. 291 00:15:23,220 --> 00:15:25,140 Okay, come on. 292 00:15:25,140 --> 00:15:27,100 You know it's true, right? 293 00:15:27,100 --> 00:15:29,100 There's food everywhere. 294 00:15:29,100 --> 00:15:33,700 Jesus fasted for 40 days and for 40 nights. 295 00:15:33,700 --> 00:15:36,300 He's physically at a point of starvation. 296 00:15:36,300 --> 00:15:38,420 He is weak physically. 297 00:15:38,420 --> 00:15:39,420 He's craving food. 298 00:15:39,420 --> 00:15:44,380 How many know Satan always comes to us in the weak moment? 299 00:15:44,380 --> 00:15:47,300 He's always looking for the weak moment in our life. 300 00:15:47,300 --> 00:15:53,580 The time we're tired, the time we're stressed, the time we're physically down or mentally 301 00:15:53,580 --> 00:15:56,940 down or emotionally down and we're speaking it out. 302 00:15:56,940 --> 00:16:01,980 That's when he comes and he slides in and he does the same thing with Jesus, right? 303 00:16:01,980 --> 00:16:04,140 When you're on day five of skipping your devotions, right? 304 00:16:04,140 --> 00:16:05,740 Because you've been too busy. 305 00:16:05,740 --> 00:16:06,980 That's when the enemy comes in. 306 00:16:06,980 --> 00:16:10,060 He starts to come in like a flood and he's no different with Jesus. 307 00:16:10,060 --> 00:16:11,060 He comes in. 308 00:16:11,060 --> 00:16:15,580 Jesus is physically weak and Satan comes along and says, let's just see what's first in your 309 00:16:15,580 --> 00:16:18,620 life, Jesus, right? 310 00:16:18,620 --> 00:16:24,460 Because he knows and he starts to play to his extreme natural desire for food. 311 00:16:24,460 --> 00:16:28,460 Let's see what religion you really have. 312 00:16:28,460 --> 00:16:30,620 What are you standing on? 313 00:16:30,620 --> 00:16:33,620 Do you got pride and ego as the son of God? 314 00:16:33,620 --> 00:16:39,560 Because he says to him, if you're the son of God, command these stones become bread. 315 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:41,420 He knew Jesus power. 316 00:16:41,420 --> 00:16:43,140 He knew this was the son of God. 317 00:16:43,140 --> 00:16:46,020 He knew this was the man who would turn water into wine, right? 318 00:16:46,020 --> 00:16:49,340 He knew that if Jesus wanted to, he could command that stone. 319 00:16:49,340 --> 00:16:52,260 We couldn't do it, but he could command the stones and they'd turn bread and he could 320 00:16:52,260 --> 00:16:53,460 eat them. 321 00:16:53,460 --> 00:16:54,460 He knew that. 322 00:16:54,460 --> 00:16:57,180 He played on that physical weakness, right? 323 00:16:57,180 --> 00:17:00,460 In that moment, he played on his ego. 324 00:17:00,460 --> 00:17:05,500 If you're the son of God, come on, Jesus, if you're the son of God, go ahead and do 325 00:17:05,500 --> 00:17:06,500 it. 326 00:17:06,500 --> 00:17:11,140 He was trying to dethrone the father being first place in Jesus' life. 327 00:17:11,140 --> 00:17:12,460 He was trying to make his son. 328 00:17:12,460 --> 00:17:15,900 He said, Jesus answers, he says, it is written, man shall not. 329 00:17:15,900 --> 00:17:17,860 Jesus doesn't defend anything. 330 00:17:17,860 --> 00:17:19,740 He doesn't come back and argue a saint. 331 00:17:19,740 --> 00:17:21,260 He comes back with his father's word. 332 00:17:21,260 --> 00:17:24,780 He said, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the 333 00:17:24,780 --> 00:17:26,580 mouth of God. 334 00:17:26,580 --> 00:17:28,780 He's quoting scripture, right? 335 00:17:28,780 --> 00:17:30,900 He's quoting his father's word. 336 00:17:30,900 --> 00:17:34,420 Devil, let me tell you what is supreme in my life. 337 00:17:34,420 --> 00:17:37,540 Let me tell you what is first place in my life. 338 00:17:37,540 --> 00:17:40,340 This is the enemy's tactic. 339 00:17:40,340 --> 00:17:45,220 We will all have devils that will come into our life and they'll be constantly barraging 340 00:17:45,220 --> 00:17:50,220 us to get move Jesus from supreme position down to something else. 341 00:17:50,220 --> 00:17:51,900 Make something else your religion. 342 00:17:51,900 --> 00:17:53,420 Make something else your practice. 343 00:17:53,420 --> 00:17:56,340 Make something else that you rely on spiritually. 344 00:17:56,340 --> 00:17:57,340 He'll substitute. 345 00:17:57,340 --> 00:18:01,360 He'll find cheap substitutions because they're always cheap substitutions. 346 00:18:01,360 --> 00:18:03,580 Everything looks cheap compared to Jesus. 347 00:18:03,580 --> 00:18:07,220 And it'll satisfy for the moment, but it will only be a moment. 348 00:18:07,220 --> 00:18:12,740 People try to get Jesus to slide down and it's cheap substitution to slide in where 349 00:18:12,740 --> 00:18:15,540 Jesus is supposed to be. 350 00:18:15,540 --> 00:18:16,540 Don't do it. 351 00:18:16,540 --> 00:18:17,540 It's not what it looks like. 352 00:18:17,540 --> 00:18:18,540 Amen. 353 00:18:18,540 --> 00:18:20,260 It is not what it looks like. 354 00:18:20,260 --> 00:18:21,260 Don't do it. 355 00:18:21,260 --> 00:18:22,260 Don't let it happen. 356 00:18:22,260 --> 00:18:23,820 Don't fall for it. 357 00:18:23,820 --> 00:18:26,100 Satan comes to Jesus second time, right? 358 00:18:26,100 --> 00:18:27,100 Actually comes three times. 359 00:18:27,100 --> 00:18:32,300 Matthew in four or five says, then the devil took him up to a holy city into the holy city, 360 00:18:32,300 --> 00:18:36,180 set him up on a pinnacle of the temple where he could see down. 361 00:18:36,180 --> 00:18:40,260 And he said to him, if you're the son of God, throw yourself down for it is written, he 362 00:18:40,260 --> 00:18:43,980 shall give his angels charge over you and in their hands, they shall bear you up. 363 00:18:43,980 --> 00:18:45,860 Lest you dash your foot against the stone. 364 00:18:45,860 --> 00:18:50,860 Jesus said to him again, it is written, you shall not tempt the Lord your God. 365 00:18:50,860 --> 00:18:54,780 First time it's lust of the flesh and the pride of life. 366 00:18:54,780 --> 00:18:57,420 And Satan comes one more time to hit him in the pride. 367 00:18:57,420 --> 00:19:00,800 He's like, I don't know, Satan thought, well, maybe there's something under the surface. 368 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:03,300 Maybe this first time around was false pride in Jesus. 369 00:19:03,300 --> 00:19:05,540 I'm going to see if it's there because he says it again. 370 00:19:05,540 --> 00:19:07,660 If you're the son of God, right? 371 00:19:07,660 --> 00:19:10,980 If you're the son of God, just go ahead and throw yourself down. 372 00:19:10,980 --> 00:19:11,980 They'll catch you. 373 00:19:11,980 --> 00:19:13,900 They're not going to let you fall. 374 00:19:13,900 --> 00:19:14,900 Right? 375 00:19:14,900 --> 00:19:17,100 And Jesus never blanks. 376 00:19:17,100 --> 00:19:19,700 He said to him, it is written again. 377 00:19:19,700 --> 00:19:20,700 He's quoting the father. 378 00:19:20,700 --> 00:19:22,660 You shall not tempt the Lord your God. 379 00:19:22,660 --> 00:19:27,140 He kept his father at supreme position in his life. 380 00:19:27,140 --> 00:19:29,780 The devil will mess with you. 381 00:19:29,780 --> 00:19:32,060 He will try to get you to change your religion. 382 00:19:32,060 --> 00:19:34,140 He will try to get you to change your practice. 383 00:19:34,140 --> 00:19:38,700 He will try to get you to change what you're spiritually leaning on, what you're depending 384 00:19:38,700 --> 00:19:44,300 on and he'll try to move Jesus from first position in your life and slide it down to 385 00:19:44,300 --> 00:19:45,300 the second. 386 00:19:45,300 --> 00:19:49,380 And if you don't know Jesus at all, his goal is to never let Jesus come into first position 387 00:19:49,380 --> 00:19:52,940 in your life to keep you from knowing what it is. 388 00:19:52,940 --> 00:19:53,940 Right? 389 00:19:53,940 --> 00:19:54,940 It's true. 390 00:19:54,940 --> 00:19:58,500 You want a simple rule of thumb I can give you for keeping your religion? 391 00:19:58,500 --> 00:20:00,620 Come on, tell somebody, keep the religion, keep your religion. 392 00:20:00,620 --> 00:20:02,060 Come on, if it's in Jesus. 393 00:20:02,060 --> 00:20:03,060 All right. 394 00:20:03,060 --> 00:20:04,060 All right. 395 00:20:04,060 --> 00:20:09,900 1 Corinthians 10 31 says this, therefore, whatever you eat or drink or whatever you 396 00:20:09,900 --> 00:20:13,820 do, do it all to the glory of God. 397 00:20:13,820 --> 00:20:16,860 Every time you do some, just waded through this filter. 398 00:20:16,860 --> 00:20:19,780 Everything I'm going to do is this to the glory of God. 399 00:20:19,780 --> 00:20:23,760 Is this going to be, is this going to give honor and glory and worship to the one who's 400 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:25,100 supreme in my life? 401 00:20:25,100 --> 00:20:29,260 Because compartmentalizing Jesus doesn't do it, right? 402 00:20:29,260 --> 00:20:33,100 Actually, compartmentalizing Jesus is what gives Christians a bad rap. 403 00:20:33,100 --> 00:20:35,460 That because it looks like hypocrisy, right? 404 00:20:35,460 --> 00:20:37,860 We're talking Jesus and then we live something else. 405 00:20:37,860 --> 00:20:40,200 How many know that looks like hypocrisy to the world? 406 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:41,200 Because it is. 407 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:42,200 Right? 408 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:43,200 Right. 409 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:44,200 It looks like hypocrisy. 410 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:45,200 It's compartmentalized. 411 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:46,200 Don't do it. 412 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:49,740 If Jesus is supreme in us, our practice will always reflect it. 413 00:20:49,740 --> 00:20:51,100 I didn't say perfection. 414 00:20:51,100 --> 00:20:54,260 I said if Jesus is supreme in our life, our practice. 415 00:20:54,260 --> 00:20:58,180 How many know you don't always get it perfect in practice, right? 416 00:20:58,180 --> 00:20:59,180 But you practice it. 417 00:20:59,180 --> 00:21:00,900 You do it over and over. 418 00:21:00,900 --> 00:21:03,180 Jesus calls this out in James chapter 126. 419 00:21:03,180 --> 00:21:08,300 He says, if anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, 420 00:21:08,300 --> 00:21:12,660 but he deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. 421 00:21:12,660 --> 00:21:16,820 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this to visit the orphans and 422 00:21:16,820 --> 00:21:22,280 the widows in their trouble and to keep one's self unspotted from the world. 423 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:27,740 We can't separate what we say is supreme in our life and the practice that we do. 424 00:21:27,740 --> 00:21:31,940 I mean, visiting the widow and the orphan is the right thing, right? 425 00:21:31,940 --> 00:21:33,420 In the time of trouble. 426 00:21:33,420 --> 00:21:38,460 If we say we love God and we love people, thank you, three of you got it. 427 00:21:38,460 --> 00:21:43,620 If we say we love God and we love people, right, we got to practice it. 428 00:21:43,620 --> 00:21:45,020 It's going to show up in who we are. 429 00:21:45,020 --> 00:21:48,180 It's going to show up in what we do. 430 00:21:48,180 --> 00:21:52,900 Our religion should be what it looks like 100% of the time. 431 00:21:52,900 --> 00:21:55,060 It's not just a mission statement here at LifeHouse, right? 432 00:21:55,060 --> 00:21:57,420 Loving God, loving people every day. 433 00:21:57,420 --> 00:21:59,220 It is something that we believe. 434 00:21:59,220 --> 00:22:00,580 It is something we practice. 435 00:22:00,580 --> 00:22:02,620 It is something that goes together. 436 00:22:02,620 --> 00:22:03,620 It is who we are. 437 00:22:03,620 --> 00:22:05,600 It is our religion. 438 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,700 You know what is supreme in your life. 439 00:22:07,700 --> 00:22:12,380 I don't know if you've ever done this or not, but if you've ever watched a Super Bowl, 440 00:22:12,380 --> 00:22:16,940 the football, maybe you don't like football, but if you've ever watched a Super Bowl game, 441 00:22:16,940 --> 00:22:21,300 which takes place every year, at the end of the game, they always have these post game 442 00:22:21,300 --> 00:22:22,380 interviews, right? 443 00:22:22,380 --> 00:22:25,900 The winning team gets to come up and of course, everybody's cheering and carrying on and throw 444 00:22:25,900 --> 00:22:26,900 stuff around. 445 00:22:26,900 --> 00:22:30,140 I always interview a couple of the key players and it's interesting. 446 00:22:30,140 --> 00:22:34,420 I can always tell the key players who Jesus is their king, right? 447 00:22:34,420 --> 00:22:40,220 You can always tell the one who Jesus is supreme in their life because the commentators are 448 00:22:40,220 --> 00:22:42,340 all talking about the game like, what happened in this play? 449 00:22:42,340 --> 00:22:44,420 How did you feel during that play? 450 00:22:44,420 --> 00:22:47,220 And they'll shove the mic at the player and the player goes, first of all, I want to thank 451 00:22:47,220 --> 00:22:49,900 the Lord Jesus Christ who got over here. 452 00:22:49,900 --> 00:22:51,740 I'm like, yes, right? 453 00:22:51,740 --> 00:22:54,060 You know who's supreme in their life. 454 00:22:54,060 --> 00:22:58,540 And then almost with humbleness, right, they're like, man, I just appreciate my teammates 455 00:22:58,540 --> 00:22:59,680 so much. 456 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:03,180 The people that I love and work with, you know, and they're not talking about themselves. 457 00:23:03,180 --> 00:23:05,900 They're not talking about the great play they made, right? 458 00:23:05,900 --> 00:23:09,900 Then you'll get the next one who you know football is supreme in their life. 459 00:23:09,900 --> 00:23:11,100 It's not Jesus. 460 00:23:11,100 --> 00:23:13,460 And I'm not even going to quote some of them this year. 461 00:23:13,460 --> 00:23:14,460 It was so ridiculous. 462 00:23:14,460 --> 00:23:18,100 Go back and watch the reels, right? 463 00:23:18,100 --> 00:23:22,140 They're just bragging on whatever took place in their play or whatever happened and they'll 464 00:23:22,140 --> 00:23:23,140 throw in. 465 00:23:23,140 --> 00:23:26,100 They're like, yeah, my teammates are good too. 466 00:23:26,100 --> 00:23:28,140 You can tell what's supreme. 467 00:23:28,140 --> 00:23:29,940 It shows up in your practice. 468 00:23:29,940 --> 00:23:32,260 It shows up in what you do. 469 00:23:32,260 --> 00:23:39,220 I'm going to close with the last thing that James says here about our religion. 470 00:23:39,220 --> 00:23:43,140 He said, pure and defiled religion before God and the Father is this, to visit the orphans 471 00:23:43,140 --> 00:23:49,300 and the widows in a time of their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. 472 00:23:49,300 --> 00:23:53,980 He says if Jesus is your religion, you're going to stay away from sin. 473 00:23:53,980 --> 00:23:57,380 You'll strive to eradicate sin from your life. 474 00:23:57,380 --> 00:24:01,860 You'll follow the commands and God's desires are not your own. 475 00:24:01,860 --> 00:24:02,860 Right? 476 00:24:02,860 --> 00:24:06,140 That's what you'll strive to not rebel against God because that's what sin is. 477 00:24:06,140 --> 00:24:11,260 It's rebelling against God's word and His plan and His commands, right? 478 00:24:11,260 --> 00:24:17,060 You'll strive, will confess and will repent when we do get involved in sin and will keep 479 00:24:17,060 --> 00:24:19,700 oneself unspotted from the world. 480 00:24:19,700 --> 00:24:25,100 I don't know if you notice it in that scripture, but whose job is it to keep oneself unspotted? 481 00:24:25,100 --> 00:24:27,100 Myself, right? 482 00:24:27,100 --> 00:24:30,580 All the time, like God, keep me out of sin. 483 00:24:30,580 --> 00:24:33,180 Jesus saying, no, you keep yourself out of sin. 484 00:24:33,180 --> 00:24:34,180 Right? 485 00:24:34,180 --> 00:24:36,260 Where God, please don't let me, please don't let me. 486 00:24:36,260 --> 00:24:37,580 You're walking towards the temptation. 487 00:24:37,580 --> 00:24:38,660 Please don't let me be tempted. 488 00:24:38,660 --> 00:24:39,660 Please don't let me be tempted. 489 00:24:39,660 --> 00:24:42,540 And Jesus saying, please walk away. 490 00:24:42,540 --> 00:24:45,420 Turn around, go the other direction. 491 00:24:45,420 --> 00:24:46,420 What are you doing? 492 00:24:46,420 --> 00:24:47,420 Right? 493 00:24:47,420 --> 00:24:51,220 Because God provides the power for us to overcome sin. 494 00:24:51,220 --> 00:24:54,680 That's why the Holy Spirit came, comes in your life when you come to Jesus. 495 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:55,980 He empowers you. 496 00:24:55,980 --> 00:24:57,700 He gives you the power over sin. 497 00:24:57,700 --> 00:24:58,700 But then it's your job. 498 00:24:58,700 --> 00:25:04,180 Then it's your job to say, no, I'm not doing that because that doesn't fit with who's supreme 499 00:25:04,180 --> 00:25:05,180 in my life. 500 00:25:05,180 --> 00:25:06,180 Right? 501 00:25:06,180 --> 00:25:08,260 It's against God. 502 00:25:08,260 --> 00:25:14,860 Don't cheapen God's grace, His forgiveness with minimizing sin or intentionally practicing 503 00:25:14,860 --> 00:25:15,860 it. 504 00:25:15,860 --> 00:25:16,860 Do it. 505 00:25:16,860 --> 00:25:19,820 Well, one of my favorite scriptures and it's a scary scripture. 506 00:25:19,820 --> 00:25:22,580 How many other scary scriptures? 507 00:25:22,580 --> 00:25:24,340 Read the scary ones along with the other ones. 508 00:25:24,340 --> 00:25:25,340 Right? 509 00:25:25,340 --> 00:25:26,340 We love all the ones that are loved. 510 00:25:26,340 --> 00:25:27,700 Read the scary ones too. 511 00:25:27,700 --> 00:25:32,260 Because Hebrews 10 26 says this, for if we willfully sin after we've received the knowledge 512 00:25:32,260 --> 00:25:36,960 of truth, there's no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment 513 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:40,660 and fiery indignation which devours the adversaries. 514 00:25:40,660 --> 00:25:46,860 One who has rejected the Moses law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses 515 00:25:46,860 --> 00:25:53,780 in the law before Jesus came before the time of grace and God's loving care in the law. 516 00:25:53,780 --> 00:25:55,600 The law was tough, man. 517 00:25:55,600 --> 00:26:00,080 If you had two or three witnesses that came on two or three witnesses, you could be sentenced 518 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:01,080 to death. 519 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:02,080 Right? 520 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:03,420 On two or three. 521 00:26:03,420 --> 00:26:04,420 Right? 522 00:26:04,420 --> 00:26:05,420 If you broke God's law. 523 00:26:05,420 --> 00:26:06,420 How? 524 00:26:06,420 --> 00:26:07,940 Now, listen, we're in New Testament. 525 00:26:07,940 --> 00:26:12,500 Remember with Jesus and Jesus provides forgiveness of sins through what he did on the cross. 526 00:26:12,500 --> 00:26:14,180 We talked about that all last week. 527 00:26:14,180 --> 00:26:15,180 Right? 528 00:26:15,180 --> 00:26:21,100 But look what it says, of how much worse punishment do you suppose will be thought worthy of who 529 00:26:21,100 --> 00:26:25,780 trampled the son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was 530 00:26:25,780 --> 00:26:30,100 sanctified as common thing and insulted the spirit of grace? 531 00:26:30,100 --> 00:26:32,740 For we know him who said, vengeance is mine. 532 00:26:32,740 --> 00:26:34,940 I will repay says the Lord. 533 00:26:34,940 --> 00:26:37,060 And again, the Lord will judge his people. 534 00:26:37,060 --> 00:26:41,740 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. 535 00:26:41,740 --> 00:26:45,500 Listen, I'm not to judge, God is. 536 00:26:45,500 --> 00:26:48,340 I'm just telling you what scripture says. 537 00:26:48,340 --> 00:26:52,140 Don't compartmentalize Jesus. 538 00:26:52,140 --> 00:26:58,100 Don't compartmentalize who you believe in spiritually with what you practice. 539 00:26:58,100 --> 00:26:59,100 They go together. 540 00:26:59,100 --> 00:27:00,100 Amen? 541 00:27:00,100 --> 00:27:01,100 Amen. 542 00:27:01,100 --> 00:27:02,100 I'm going to ask if you'd stand. 543 00:27:02,100 --> 00:27:05,380 And I know at the East Shore campus right now, Pastor Eric, he's making his way to the 544 00:27:05,380 --> 00:27:07,660 front and the worship teams coming up. 545 00:27:07,660 --> 00:27:11,180 And if you're on the online community, please stay with us. 546 00:27:11,180 --> 00:27:16,460 We want you to hear the end of this message and really the response. 547 00:27:16,460 --> 00:27:20,940 And I'm going to ask if everybody in the house, if you just take a moment to start to reflect 548 00:27:20,940 --> 00:27:25,580 in your life, I want you to think about what you say is the spiritual belief in your life 549 00:27:25,580 --> 00:27:29,060 and what you're practicing and do they line up right? 550 00:27:29,060 --> 00:27:34,520 And I'm going to ask it if everyone now, if you would just close your eyes and focus for 551 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:36,140 a few minutes, right? 552 00:27:36,140 --> 00:28:06,060 Close your eyes.