WEBVTT 00:00:03.379 --> 00:00:08.720 It's an inside joke. Hallelujah. Do you feel 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:12.980 the rain today? I'm talking about the latter 00:00:12.980 --> 00:00:15.380 rain. We can't live off the former rain, can 00:00:15.380 --> 00:00:18.160 we? It's the latter rain is what I'm looking 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:22.699 for. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Be here today and 00:00:22.699 --> 00:00:26.519 see so many familiar faces in the house. As Pastor 00:00:26.519 --> 00:00:28.559 said, it's been a while, been a little too while. 00:00:29.390 --> 00:00:32.969 But we're glad to be here, and it's a rare occasion 00:00:32.969 --> 00:00:36.590 to have the whole crew at the same time. But 00:00:36.590 --> 00:00:39.909 God is good enough to get us all together and 00:00:39.909 --> 00:00:43.490 come back home for a visit and be with you today. 00:00:43.590 --> 00:00:48.990 I do have a word from on high today, and I am 00:00:48.990 --> 00:00:51.729 anticipating, I've been anticipating this week. 00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:55.500 Been in prayer, been seeking the Lord for a mighty 00:00:55.500 --> 00:00:58.420 move of God. And I don't settle for anything 00:00:58.420 --> 00:01:01.840 less. Amen. Because I serve a great big God. 00:01:02.380 --> 00:01:06.599 Amen. I come expecting and believing exceedingly 00:01:06.599 --> 00:01:10.099 abundantly above all that any of us could even 00:01:10.099 --> 00:01:14.599 ask or think. Amen. Amen. If you have your Bibles, 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:17.980 let's go ahead and get into this thing. Hope 00:01:17.980 --> 00:01:21.239 you brought your sword with you today. Amen. 00:01:22.379 --> 00:01:24.239 It's good to come to battle with your sword, 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:27.540 amen. If you have your Bibles, turn with me to 00:01:27.540 --> 00:01:34.359 the book of Ezekiel, chapter 47. Ezekiel, chapter 00:01:34.359 --> 00:01:39.340 47. We're going to look at verses 1 through 5. 00:01:40.459 --> 00:01:43.359 Ezekiel 47. Some familiar faces up there in the 00:01:43.359 --> 00:01:46.439 balcony. Good to see you all. Some old Woodbury 00:01:46.439 --> 00:01:54.400 folk. Good to see you. Ezekiel chapter 47, when 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:57.879 you have it, say amen. Alright, let's do it. 00:01:59.140 --> 00:02:02.099 Ezekiel 47, beginning at verse number 1. And 00:02:02.099 --> 00:02:05.540 afterward he brought me again unto the door of 00:02:05.540 --> 00:02:09.759 the house. And behold, waters issued out from 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:12.860 under the threshold of the house eastward. For 00:02:12.860 --> 00:02:15.400 the forefront of the house stood toward the east. 00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:18.680 And the waters came down from under from the 00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:21.810 right side of the house. At the south side of 00:02:21.810 --> 00:02:25.370 the altar. Then brought he me out of the way 00:02:25.370 --> 00:02:27.930 of the gate northward. And led me about the way 00:02:27.930 --> 00:02:30.789 without unto the utter gate by the way. That 00:02:30.789 --> 00:02:34.349 looketh eastward. And behold there ran out waters 00:02:34.349 --> 00:02:37.509 on the right side. And when the man that had 00:02:37.509 --> 00:02:40.669 held the line in his hand went forth eastward. 00:02:40.710 --> 00:02:43.849 He measured a thousand cubits. We'll talk about 00:02:43.849 --> 00:02:47.560 that a little bit. That's about 500 yards. And 00:02:47.560 --> 00:02:50.259 he brought me through the waters, and the waters 00:02:50.259 --> 00:02:54.379 were to the ankles. Again, he measured a thousand 00:02:54.379 --> 00:02:56.439 and brought me through the waters. The waters 00:02:56.439 --> 00:02:59.240 were to the knees. And he measured a thousand 00:02:59.240 --> 00:03:01.340 and brought me through the waters were to the 00:03:01.340 --> 00:03:05.039 loins. And afterward, he measured a thousand, 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:08.159 and it was a river that I could not even pass 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:13.280 over. For the waters were risen, waters to swim 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:18.129 in. A river that could not be passed over. With 00:03:18.129 --> 00:03:20.210 the help of the Lord this morning, just a simple 00:03:20.210 --> 00:03:26.530 thought for you today. Going deeper. Going deeper. 00:03:26.849 --> 00:03:29.870 Each and every person in this room has to venture 00:03:29.870 --> 00:03:33.189 out deeper than where you are. Anybody like to 00:03:33.189 --> 00:03:35.939 swim? Anybody scared to death to swim? There's 00:03:35.939 --> 00:03:37.740 some of you out there that can't swim. Amen. 00:03:37.939 --> 00:03:40.099 Well, we're going deeper today. So you might 00:03:40.099 --> 00:03:41.919 have to grab a hold of your neighbor, grab a 00:03:41.919 --> 00:03:43.759 hold of a life jacket or something because we're 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:47.860 going out deeper today. Amen. I'll pray for you 00:03:47.860 --> 00:03:49.680 if you pray for me. Father, we love you. We thank 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:51.280 you for your goodness and your mercy. I thank 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:53.780 you, Lord, for this time that we have assembled 00:03:53.780 --> 00:03:56.580 together in your house to be in one mind and 00:03:56.580 --> 00:03:59.219 one accord today. Sweet Holy Ghost, touch your 00:03:59.219 --> 00:04:01.419 people today. Give us ears to hear your voice 00:04:01.419 --> 00:04:04.620 and the word that declares over our lives today, 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:07.479 Lord. Let us leave here changed, Lord, encouraged 00:04:07.479 --> 00:04:10.699 by your word today. Touch every heart in here 00:04:10.699 --> 00:04:13.759 today, Lord, as I am just a vessel today. I am 00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:16.980 just simply a conduit today. Lord, that you would 00:04:16.980 --> 00:04:19.300 speak from the throne room of grace today and 00:04:19.300 --> 00:04:21.920 let it flow out of me today, Lord, and speak 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:25.240 life into your people today, Lord. Lord, I pray 00:04:25.240 --> 00:04:27.319 for the bread of life that is going forth, that 00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:30.000 it would touch each and every heart, each and 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:32.500 every mind, right where they are today, Lord, 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:35.279 as your word says that you are calling us out 00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:38.240 into deeper waters today. Lord, call us out into 00:04:38.240 --> 00:04:40.560 the deep, Lord, that we may meet you there and 00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:43.540 go deeper in you, deeper in our spiritual walk, 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:46.060 and deeper in our lives with you, Father. Have 00:04:46.060 --> 00:04:49.019 your way in this place. Anoint me. Use me this 00:04:49.019 --> 00:04:51.899 moment. And the church of the living God said, 00:04:52.220 --> 00:04:57.319 amen, amen, and amen. You can be seated in the 00:04:57.319 --> 00:05:00.060 house of the Lord this morning. I'm not a singer, 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:03.399 but something we've sort of adopted at my church, 00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:06.579 something we like to start off with is an old 00:05:06.579 --> 00:05:09.860 song. Some of y 'all might know it. You won't 00:05:09.860 --> 00:05:15.160 leave here like you came in Jesus' name. Anybody 00:05:15.160 --> 00:05:20.500 know that one? Bound, oppressed, tormented, sick 00:05:20.500 --> 00:05:26.319 or lame. For the Holy Ghost of Acts is still 00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:31.259 the same. You won't leave here like you came 00:05:31.259 --> 00:05:35.259 in Jesus' name. Now let's do it as a body. We 00:05:35.259 --> 00:05:40.079 won't leave here like we came in Jesus' name. 00:05:41.639 --> 00:05:48.259 Bound, oppressed, tormented. Sick or lame. For 00:05:48.259 --> 00:05:54.379 the Holy Ghost of Acts is still the same. We 00:05:54.379 --> 00:05:59.079 won't leave here like we came in Jesus. Now make 00:05:59.079 --> 00:06:04.660 it personal. I won't leave here like I came in 00:06:04.660 --> 00:06:11.100 Jesus' name. Oh, yes. Bound, oppressed, tormented, 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:18.920 sick or lame. For the Holy Ghost of Acts is still 00:06:18.920 --> 00:06:27.120 the same. I won't leave here like I came in Jesus' 00:06:27.560 --> 00:06:32.339 name. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Oh, I believe you 00:06:32.339 --> 00:06:34.740 prayed that this morning. I believe that was 00:06:34.740 --> 00:06:37.500 your anthem today, that you won't leave here 00:06:37.500 --> 00:06:42.639 like you came. Amen? As we look at this passage 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:45.629 today of going deeper, The writings of Ezekiel 00:06:45.629 --> 00:06:49.370 are sometimes difficult to understand. But here 00:06:49.370 --> 00:06:53.290 in Ezekiel 47, God shows Ezekiel a vision of 00:06:53.290 --> 00:06:56.350 his people being revived. Hallelujah. Don't the 00:06:56.350 --> 00:06:59.509 church world today need to be revived today? 00:07:00.610 --> 00:07:03.730 Ezekiel can see a river flowing out of the temple. 00:07:04.170 --> 00:07:07.029 The vision has a number of meanings to it. But 00:07:07.029 --> 00:07:10.290 when I look at it today, I see it as representing 00:07:10.290 --> 00:07:13.529 the believer, the body of Christ, us. Because 00:07:13.529 --> 00:07:16.170 the house of Ezekiel is referring to appears 00:07:16.170 --> 00:07:19.389 to be flooded with water. Now for most churches 00:07:19.389 --> 00:07:21.209 they would say that's a bad thing. We don't want 00:07:21.209 --> 00:07:23.529 water within the church. But we're talking about 00:07:23.529 --> 00:07:26.430 a spiritual water today. I'm talking about the 00:07:26.430 --> 00:07:30.009 living water today. A water that flows today. 00:07:30.089 --> 00:07:32.329 That's the kind of flowing water I'm looking 00:07:32.329 --> 00:07:36.269 for today. So much so that the waters are coming 00:07:36.269 --> 00:07:41.009 out of every possible crook and crevice all throughout 00:07:41.009 --> 00:07:44.139 the temple. But the house there that he's talking 00:07:44.139 --> 00:07:46.579 about is not an ordinary home. It is the temple 00:07:46.579 --> 00:07:50.319 of God. You need to under -remember today that 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:54.220 Ezekiel wrote in a time that God even had a temple. 00:07:54.339 --> 00:07:57.339 You say there's a time and a place where there 00:07:57.339 --> 00:07:59.639 was no temple. Yes, the temple had been destroyed 00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:02.339 at certain points and had been rebuilt again. 00:08:02.459 --> 00:08:04.959 But Ezekiel was prophesying of a time when the 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:07.819 temple was erected. It was there. It was a physical 00:08:07.819 --> 00:08:12.189 thing for them to gather in. For we as the people 00:08:12.189 --> 00:08:16.750 of God, we are the temples. That means that it's 00:08:16.750 --> 00:08:20.509 through us that God reaches the world. First, 00:08:20.569 --> 00:08:22.310 let's look at Ezekiel's vision. In Ezekiel's 00:08:22.310 --> 00:08:25.730 vision, he sees a river flowing out of this temple 00:08:25.730 --> 00:08:29.730 in every single hour. Can I tell you, when God 00:08:29.730 --> 00:08:32.750 begins to pour out, things are going to start 00:08:32.750 --> 00:08:35.870 happening. Hello? Are you with me today? There's 00:08:35.870 --> 00:08:38.549 nothing in this world that could slow it down. 00:08:38.690 --> 00:08:41.529 There's nothing that's going to stop it. It doesn't 00:08:41.529 --> 00:08:44.250 matter what society may say. It doesn't matter 00:08:44.250 --> 00:08:47.269 what any Congress may say. When the rivers of 00:08:47.269 --> 00:08:50.210 water begin to flow out of the throne room of 00:08:50.210 --> 00:08:53.230 grace, things are going to move. Things are going 00:08:53.230 --> 00:08:57.580 to happen. Hallelujah. David said in Psalm 65, 00:08:57.720 --> 00:09:02.320 the river of God is full of water. Meaning that 00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:05.539 the river of God is flowing out from God himself. 00:09:05.740 --> 00:09:07.940 What I want you to understand, that when the 00:09:07.940 --> 00:09:11.100 spirit of God is moving, it is flowing, it is 00:09:11.100 --> 00:09:14.799 emanating from him himself unto us. Think about 00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:17.200 that. Think about the spirit of the living God. 00:09:17.379 --> 00:09:20.200 The water that emits from the throne of God being 00:09:20.200 --> 00:09:23.000 poured out upon the church is coming straight 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:28.059 from him. Hallelujah. It's not fed by any other 00:09:28.059 --> 00:09:31.299 water source. That could only mean it's supernatural. 00:09:32.659 --> 00:09:36.100 How many know that rocks don't hold water? But 00:09:36.100 --> 00:09:38.240 when people get complacent, they get complaining, 00:09:38.419 --> 00:09:41.600 and they get thirsty, amen, God says, all right, 00:09:41.700 --> 00:09:44.100 that rock that I've got set up for you, go ahead 00:09:44.100 --> 00:09:46.600 and smite it, Moses. And he smit it, and water 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:49.200 began to gush out of it. Rocks don't hold water. 00:09:49.340 --> 00:09:51.159 But if God said there's going to be water in 00:09:51.159 --> 00:09:53.179 the rock, honey, there's going to be water in 00:09:53.179 --> 00:09:58.220 the rock. Oh, yeah. Pastor, how do you know it 00:09:58.220 --> 00:09:59.879 would be a supernatural river? Because it says 00:09:59.879 --> 00:10:03.220 every 500 yards it continued to grow and get 00:10:03.220 --> 00:10:06.240 deeper. Remember Ezekiel started out just at 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:08.580 the ankle deep. But he went out a little bit 00:10:08.580 --> 00:10:11.559 further. Right? It got up to his knees. Some 00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:13.200 of y 'all get nervous right there when it got 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:15.980 to your knees. Amen? But he went on out and it 00:10:15.980 --> 00:10:18.279 got up to his waist. And then he went so far 00:10:18.279 --> 00:10:22.580 out that he had to swim in it. My Lord. But it's 00:10:22.580 --> 00:10:24.980 not fed by any other source other than God himself. 00:10:25.580 --> 00:10:28.960 The mighty Mississippi has its source. The Nile 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:31.720 River has a source. But the river in Ezekiel 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:37.659 47 supplied was only by God himself. When God 00:10:37.659 --> 00:10:39.820 is flowing out, it's not something that's contained. 00:10:40.419 --> 00:10:43.919 You can't dam it up. You can't put a crook in 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:46.980 it and cause it to turn a certain way. You can't 00:10:46.980 --> 00:10:50.669 stop it. It's going forth. Revelation 20, 22 00:10:50.669 --> 00:10:53.409 and 1, it's a river that flows from the throne 00:10:53.409 --> 00:10:56.409 of God and the Lamb. The river that is flowing 00:10:56.409 --> 00:11:00.070 out of us is the river that God uses to revive 00:11:00.070 --> 00:11:03.509 us. It's also a healing water. Don't believe 00:11:03.509 --> 00:11:05.970 me? Let's look over to verse number 8 and verse 00:11:05.970 --> 00:11:08.950 number 9. Then he said unto me, these waters 00:11:08.950 --> 00:11:12.009 issue out toward the eastward and go down into 00:11:12.009 --> 00:11:14.769 the desert and down into the sea, which brought 00:11:14.769 --> 00:11:18.190 forth into the sea the waters that shall be healed. 00:11:18.730 --> 00:11:22.070 shall come to pass, that everything that liveth, 00:11:22.110 --> 00:11:25.230 everything that moves, whithersoever the rivers 00:11:25.230 --> 00:11:28.990 shall come, shall live. So it means whenever 00:11:28.990 --> 00:11:31.830 everything that it touches, everything that crosses 00:11:31.830 --> 00:11:35.149 over it is going to live today. It's a living, 00:11:35.309 --> 00:11:38.629 it's a breathing, it's a healing water that flows 00:11:38.629 --> 00:11:43.750 from the throne of God today. We look at John 00:11:43.750 --> 00:11:48.480 chapter 7. Jesus would say, if any man thirst, 00:11:48.860 --> 00:11:52.919 let him come unto me and drink. And he that believeth 00:11:52.919 --> 00:11:55.279 on me, as the scripture has said, out of his 00:11:55.279 --> 00:12:00.000 belly shall flow rivers of living water. So literally 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:02.600 what we have in the book of Ezekiel is a prophecy 00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:05.679 of what God wants his people to have flowing 00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:09.080 out of them. Come on. Just as Ezekiel saw the 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:11.759 moving currents of water coming out of the doors 00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:14.399 in every part of the temple, it was fulfilled 00:12:14.399 --> 00:12:17.340 in the New Testament because the Holy Ghost is 00:12:17.340 --> 00:12:20.220 the water that is flowing out of our temples 00:12:20.220 --> 00:12:23.320 today. Amen? It's within us. It's a river that 00:12:23.320 --> 00:12:26.740 is flowing out for us to go into the world and 00:12:26.740 --> 00:12:30.320 have boldness and power and speak life into a 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:34.919 dark world today. Hallelujah. Because the waters 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:37.690 of revival are unhindered. They're unstoppable, 00:12:37.870 --> 00:12:41.370 and they're flowing in our lives today. That's 00:12:41.370 --> 00:12:43.669 why Jesus told Peter, upon this rock I'm going 00:12:43.669 --> 00:12:46.330 to build my church, and the gates of hell shall 00:12:46.330 --> 00:12:50.690 not prevail against it. When I read what happened 00:12:50.690 --> 00:12:53.190 here in John 7, Jesus made the statement concerning 00:12:53.190 --> 00:12:57.149 the thirst of men. It's important that we understand 00:12:57.149 --> 00:12:59.789 the background of this passage. The Jews were 00:12:59.789 --> 00:13:02.009 coming to the close of the Feast of Tabernacles. 00:13:02.129 --> 00:13:05.269 It was a seven -day celebration. It was a great 00:13:05.269 --> 00:13:07.929 and holy day. It was a time toward the end of 00:13:07.929 --> 00:13:10.990 the harvest season when everybody would get together 00:13:10.990 --> 00:13:13.669 and they would give thanks for the great harvest 00:13:13.669 --> 00:13:16.409 that had come. And when it started back in the 00:13:16.409 --> 00:13:19.929 days of Moses, it was a holy day then. Come on, 00:13:19.929 --> 00:13:22.610 somebody. It was a holy thing. It was a beautiful 00:13:22.610 --> 00:13:25.470 celebration because it came from... the heart. 00:13:26.230 --> 00:13:31.210 But over the years, customs changed. Traditions 00:13:31.210 --> 00:13:35.049 began to change. People got a hold of it. Well, 00:13:35.169 --> 00:13:38.610 and what started out to be holy and pure in the 00:13:38.610 --> 00:13:41.929 sight of God had simply turned into one big circus. 00:13:42.929 --> 00:13:45.250 My Lord, when the people get their hands on it, 00:13:45.269 --> 00:13:48.509 it turns into a big circus, don't it? Because 00:13:48.509 --> 00:13:52.090 the high point of the celebration was when the 00:13:52.090 --> 00:13:55.059 priests got the water. From the pool of Siloam 00:13:55.059 --> 00:13:57.779 and began to pour it in a basin. And when the 00:13:57.779 --> 00:14:00.080 basin got full, the water would overflow and 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:02.799 hit the ground. And everybody cheered. Everybody 00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:05.980 shouted to the loudest of their shouts. And cries 00:14:05.980 --> 00:14:08.639 began to go throughout the city of joy. It was 00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:10.820 like a game -winning touchdown at Neyland Stadium. 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:13.820 I've seen some of y 'all on TV. I know what it 00:14:13.820 --> 00:14:20.240 looks like. I know how you act. But he simply 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:23.080 took this pitcher and poured it out. And people 00:14:23.080 --> 00:14:26.039 would cheer. But on this particular celebration 00:14:26.039 --> 00:14:29.240 in John chapter 7, Jesus was there watching and 00:14:29.240 --> 00:14:31.759 he saw the celebration of this ritual of pouring 00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:34.759 water into the basin and something stirred within 00:14:34.759 --> 00:14:39.720 him. He was moved in his spirit because he stood 00:14:39.720 --> 00:14:44.179 up and cried, If any man thirst, let him come 00:14:44.179 --> 00:14:47.840 unto me. And drink. Jesus knew that what they 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:50.059 were doing was simply going to be a temporary 00:14:50.059 --> 00:14:53.360 thing. It was going to be a passing moment. It 00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:55.919 would only be for a season. It would just soon 00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:58.720 evaporate like the water that would fall to the 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:01.100 ground. He knew that when the feast was over 00:15:01.100 --> 00:15:03.580 and everybody went back home, they would just 00:15:03.580 --> 00:15:05.820 go back to the things they used to do. They'd 00:15:05.820 --> 00:15:08.600 go back to the same old sins, the same old habits, 00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:11.259 the same old customs, to the same old traditions. 00:15:14.220 --> 00:15:16.360 Oh, I feel like preaching now. That's what Bishop 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:20.399 Hill says. The things that moved Jesus was that 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:22.820 they had a ceremony, but they didn't have Christ. 00:15:23.240 --> 00:15:26.320 They had religion, but they didn't have a relationship 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:29.100 with him. They had tradition, but they didn't 00:15:29.100 --> 00:15:31.740 have anything dwelling within their heart. That's 00:15:31.740 --> 00:15:35.200 why Jesus stood up and said, if any man thirst, 00:15:35.580 --> 00:15:39.059 let him come unto me. Because if you're really 00:15:39.059 --> 00:15:41.700 thirsty, don't come to this basin and expect 00:15:41.700 --> 00:15:44.570 to lap up the water from the ground. Don't come 00:15:44.570 --> 00:15:48.190 celebrating the water flowing over a basin because 00:15:48.190 --> 00:15:50.389 you're not going to find it there. But if you 00:15:50.389 --> 00:15:53.690 thirst, he will give you everlasting water. He'll 00:15:53.690 --> 00:15:56.230 give you a drink that will last for all of eternity 00:15:56.230 --> 00:15:59.169 if you're really thirsty. Don't just come to 00:15:59.169 --> 00:16:02.490 the temple and celebrate. But if any man thirsts, 00:16:02.490 --> 00:16:05.429 let him come unto me and drink. For out of his 00:16:05.429 --> 00:16:10.549 belly shall flow rivers of living water. Jesus 00:16:10.549 --> 00:16:14.889 had a message that day. But it wasn't for everybody. 00:16:16.929 --> 00:16:20.450 He was only talking to the thirsty. Is there 00:16:20.450 --> 00:16:23.330 any thirsty people in the house today? He said, 00:16:23.350 --> 00:16:27.830 if any man thirst, let him come unto me. I'm 00:16:27.830 --> 00:16:30.490 talking to the thirsty folks today. I'm not talking 00:16:30.490 --> 00:16:32.129 about to the folks that were going to go back 00:16:32.129 --> 00:16:34.809 to the same old lifestyle, to the same old stuff 00:16:34.809 --> 00:16:37.230 that just wants to be seen at church. He said, 00:16:37.269 --> 00:16:40.289 I'm talking to the thirsty people. I'm looking 00:16:40.289 --> 00:16:43.230 for a church that is thirsty. I'm looking for 00:16:43.230 --> 00:16:45.990 a church that wants to have rivers of living 00:16:45.990 --> 00:16:50.779 water flowing out of them. I'm looking for thirsty 00:16:50.779 --> 00:16:54.120 people, he said. I'm looking for thirsty. Oh, 00:16:54.120 --> 00:16:57.559 thirst was and still is needed for this fountain 00:16:57.559 --> 00:17:01.080 to flow today. Their thirst was and still is 00:17:01.080 --> 00:17:04.160 needed for a good old -fashioned red -hot revival 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:07.880 today. If anybody thirsts, let him come unto 00:17:07.880 --> 00:17:13.700 me and drink. Because I can tell you that everybody 00:17:13.700 --> 00:17:20.710 that's empty ain't thirsty. Well. People are 00:17:20.710 --> 00:17:24.450 so filled with self -love and flesh and they 00:17:24.450 --> 00:17:28.789 ain't thirsty. Here's the problem. Many of them 00:17:28.789 --> 00:17:32.170 know they're empty, but they ain't thirsty. It 00:17:32.170 --> 00:17:34.809 don't mean they're thirsty. You gas tank ever 00:17:34.809 --> 00:17:37.430 been on E? You've had the ding and the buzzer 00:17:37.430 --> 00:17:39.849 and the light come on? Just because your gas 00:17:39.849 --> 00:17:42.430 tank's empty don't mean it's thirsty. Hello? 00:17:45.930 --> 00:17:47.829 Pastor's good at that. He likes to run out of 00:17:47.829 --> 00:17:55.119 gas. But there's a difference in being empty 00:17:55.119 --> 00:17:59.509 and being thirsty. God is looking for those that 00:17:59.509 --> 00:18:03.390 have a blistering and burning thirst that makes 00:18:03.390 --> 00:18:06.089 them willing to be like the disciples, to pay 00:18:06.089 --> 00:18:10.130 any price whatsoever, to see a move, to see the 00:18:10.130 --> 00:18:12.910 power of God manifested in the church today. 00:18:13.049 --> 00:18:16.009 We've got to be willing to do whatever it takes. 00:18:16.170 --> 00:18:19.589 Lord, I'm thirsty today. I'm thirsty today. Fill 00:18:19.589 --> 00:18:25.109 me up today, Lord. I am thirsty. I'm thirsty. 00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:28.900 Oh, I'm thirsty because just going through the 00:18:28.900 --> 00:18:32.339 rituals of worship is not enough for me. I'm 00:18:32.339 --> 00:18:35.240 not satisfied with the motions of just coming 00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:38.779 to church and warming a pew. I'm thirsty. I'm 00:18:38.779 --> 00:18:42.559 thirsty. I'm thirsty for a move of God. I'm thirsty 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:46.619 for revival. I'm thirsty to see lost souls in 00:18:46.619 --> 00:18:49.200 the attic come through the door and come to an 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:55.789 altar and cover it with tears. I'm thirsty. Let 00:18:55.789 --> 00:18:59.230 the church be thirsty again. Oh, if we listen 00:18:59.230 --> 00:19:03.670 real close, we can still hear the echoes of Jesus' 00:19:03.809 --> 00:19:07.609 voice. If any man thirst. If any man thirst, 00:19:07.710 --> 00:19:10.750 let him come unto me. He didn't say if any man 00:19:10.750 --> 00:19:15.930 thirst, get involved in a program. He didn't 00:19:15.930 --> 00:19:17.950 say if you're really thirst and you come to Sunday 00:19:17.950 --> 00:19:20.589 school 52 consecutive Sundays, you might get 00:19:20.589 --> 00:19:24.890 a pen and a button. congratulating you for not 00:19:24.890 --> 00:19:28.509 missing a Sunday in Sunday school. That's not 00:19:28.509 --> 00:19:31.329 what he said. He didn't say if you just come 00:19:31.329 --> 00:19:35.309 and bring your tithes. Huh? But he said, if any 00:19:35.309 --> 00:19:39.670 man thirst, let him come unto me and out of his 00:19:39.670 --> 00:19:42.650 belly shuffle rivers of living water. Because 00:19:42.650 --> 00:19:44.349 the world, here's what the world needs to know 00:19:44.349 --> 00:19:47.430 today, that Jesus is still the answer for the 00:19:47.430 --> 00:19:50.269 thirsty. He's still the answer for the hungry 00:19:50.269 --> 00:19:52.970 today. He's still the answer for the hurting 00:19:52.970 --> 00:19:55.609 today. He's still the answer for the old drug 00:19:55.609 --> 00:19:58.670 addict. He's still the answer for those in bondage. 00:19:58.769 --> 00:20:02.630 He still is and will always be the answer for 00:20:02.630 --> 00:20:05.369 the answer for the answer. If you're here this 00:20:05.369 --> 00:20:08.109 morning and you're unfulfilled and you're thirsty, 00:20:08.289 --> 00:20:17.920 let me tell you today, Jesus is the answer. But 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:21.680 the water that came from the temple had a humble 00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:24.779 source to it. Because the Bible said that it 00:20:24.779 --> 00:20:29.019 came from under the threshold. It came from up. 00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:33.660 So if we are to encounter real revival, then 00:20:33.660 --> 00:20:38.279 it begins with humility. Are you with me? Because 00:20:38.279 --> 00:20:40.660 revival will come when the church humbles itself. 00:20:41.400 --> 00:20:45.700 Before a holy God. And realizes that God is all 00:20:45.700 --> 00:20:49.839 we need. Hello? Because without him, let me remind 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:54.200 you, we got nothing. Without him, we are nothing. 00:20:54.519 --> 00:20:57.539 Huh? David even said, know you that the Lord, 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:02.079 he is God. Right? It is he that is made of, not 00:21:02.079 --> 00:21:05.259 we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep 00:21:05.259 --> 00:21:08.039 of his pasture. And even God said in 2 Chronicles 00:21:08.039 --> 00:21:12.500 7 and 14, if my people would humble themselves 00:21:12.500 --> 00:21:15.960 and pray and seek my face and repent of their 00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:19.460 sins, then and only then will I hear from heaven 00:21:19.460 --> 00:21:22.339 and I will forgive their sins and I will heal 00:21:22.339 --> 00:21:25.039 their land. That's what a thirsty people looks 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:29.200 like. God's looking for a people that will fall 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:32.890 into the dust of humility. And say, God, without 00:21:32.890 --> 00:21:35.809 you, we are nothing. God, without you, we can't 00:21:35.809 --> 00:21:38.130 do any of these things. God, if we're doing this 00:21:38.130 --> 00:21:40.630 without you, we might as well shut the door and 00:21:40.630 --> 00:21:43.009 hook up a boat and go fishing somewhere. Because, 00:21:43.069 --> 00:21:45.109 God, if we're doing it without you, we're doing 00:21:45.109 --> 00:21:47.990 it in vain. It's all flesh. It's just pomp and 00:21:47.990 --> 00:21:50.670 show. It's just dressing up, coming to church, 00:21:50.789 --> 00:21:53.849 and say, look at me. But I'm ready. I'm ready 00:21:53.849 --> 00:21:57.430 to be humble and bow my face before God and say, 00:21:57.470 --> 00:22:03.750 Lord, it's all about you. It's all about you. 00:22:04.589 --> 00:22:08.490 It's all about you, Lord. We're nothing of ourselves, 00:22:08.849 --> 00:22:12.529 but I'm so glad to know today as the Bible tells 00:22:12.529 --> 00:22:18.250 me that there is a river. Oh, there is a river 00:22:18.250 --> 00:22:21.569 that's still flowing today, mighty God. The streams 00:22:21.569 --> 00:22:25.170 whereof make glad the city of our God. Hallelujah. 00:22:25.450 --> 00:22:28.490 I'm glad there's a river flowing from the throne 00:22:28.490 --> 00:22:34.960 today. This water that flowed had a holy source 00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:40.619 to it. What are you saying? I'm saying that the 00:22:40.619 --> 00:22:43.160 people of God must plant our faces. I like to 00:22:43.160 --> 00:22:49.059 say grab the horns of the altar. We must plant 00:22:49.059 --> 00:22:54.539 our faces in the altar of sacrifice and get cleansed. 00:22:55.279 --> 00:22:57.720 I know that's not a good topic, a shouting message, 00:22:57.940 --> 00:23:02.640 but it's true. God's people would humble themselves 00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:06.240 again. Planting your face in an altar somewhere. 00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:12.000 And seek God. Right? And get cleansed. That's 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:15.279 why Isaiah said in Isaiah chapter 6. He admitted 00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:20.079 it. Woe is me. I'm undone. I'm a man with unclean 00:23:20.079 --> 00:23:21.779 lips. And the people I've been hanging out with, 00:23:21.859 --> 00:23:25.059 they've got unclean lips too. But the angel took 00:23:25.059 --> 00:23:28.359 the tongs and he went over to that altar, that 00:23:28.359 --> 00:23:30.859 place of purifying, that place of grace, and 00:23:30.859 --> 00:23:34.000 he took that live coal and he put it on his lips 00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:36.720 today. Oh, and he said, thou hast touched thy 00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:39.920 lips and thy iniquity is taken away and thy sin 00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:42.900 is purged. May we get back to an altar and let 00:23:42.900 --> 00:23:45.859 the angel touch our lips with a hot coal anymore 00:23:45.859 --> 00:23:48.900 and cleanse us and purge us of everything that 00:23:48.900 --> 00:23:53.859 doesn't need to be in the church anymore. I want 00:23:53.859 --> 00:23:57.079 to tell you this morning, anybody that spends 00:23:57.079 --> 00:24:02.819 time with God will want to be holy. Because the 00:24:02.819 --> 00:24:05.680 closer you get to something, the more you become 00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:09.579 like it. I was thinking about something to add 00:24:09.579 --> 00:24:13.779 to that and smoking come up on there. I remember 00:24:13.779 --> 00:24:17.519 back in the days of COVID when we had to videotape 00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:19.460 the services and it was just me and pastor in 00:24:19.460 --> 00:24:21.799 here. I was walking around with a camera, and 00:24:21.799 --> 00:24:24.660 I'd been smoking meat all day. And he was about 00:24:24.660 --> 00:24:26.420 to get started. He was kind of psyching himself 00:24:26.420 --> 00:24:28.660 up a little bit. And he looked at me. He said, 00:24:28.740 --> 00:24:30.799 Brother, you're going to have to get out of here. 00:24:31.720 --> 00:24:33.619 I said, Why? He said, Because you smell like 00:24:33.619 --> 00:24:38.559 smoke. So I had to leave the room because I was 00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:41.470 a distraction. But it's just like smoking meat. 00:24:41.769 --> 00:24:44.589 When you get close to the smoker, you start smelling 00:24:44.589 --> 00:24:47.430 like the smoke. When you get closer to the altar, 00:24:47.630 --> 00:24:49.390 you're going to start getting a little bit holier. 00:24:49.430 --> 00:24:51.269 Amen. When you start getting in the Word, you 00:24:51.269 --> 00:24:52.930 get fatter with the bread of life. Hallelujah. 00:24:53.210 --> 00:24:55.529 Oh, when you get drinking that water, you won't 00:24:55.529 --> 00:24:57.450 be thirsty anymore. What I'm talking about is 00:24:57.450 --> 00:24:59.470 you got to get closer. You got to let it rub 00:24:59.470 --> 00:25:02.250 off on you. You got to rub elbows with it. Amen. 00:25:05.569 --> 00:25:09.309 Because James said, The Lord said, draw nigh 00:25:09.309 --> 00:25:12.450 unto me. What's he going to do? Draw nigh unto 00:25:12.450 --> 00:25:15.490 us, right? He said, come on to me, honey, and 00:25:15.490 --> 00:25:17.569 I'm going to get closer to you. Well, glory. 00:25:17.750 --> 00:25:20.849 But we've ignored the meaning of holiness far 00:25:20.849 --> 00:25:25.549 too long. Uh -oh. Here we go. We've allowed too 00:25:25.549 --> 00:25:28.410 many unholy things in our lives and in the church, 00:25:28.430 --> 00:25:31.269 and we've gotten to a place where we say anything 00:25:31.269 --> 00:25:37.759 goes. I watched this morning something. On Facebook. 00:25:39.420 --> 00:25:41.579 These people were coming up to this little booth. 00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:44.799 And this man had this. It kind of looked like 00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:48.220 a heat gun. And he was saying some ritual prayer. 00:25:48.700 --> 00:25:56.119 And it was to de -baptize folks. Yeah. De -baptizing 00:25:56.119 --> 00:25:59.839 folks. Yeah. I know y 'all are stunned as I was. 00:25:59.940 --> 00:26:03.180 That's what I look like. De -baptize. What in 00:26:03.180 --> 00:26:06.200 the world? Oh yeah. We've gotten to the place. 00:26:06.670 --> 00:26:11.710 Where anything goes anymore. Huh? The church 00:26:11.710 --> 00:26:13.509 has gotten to the point that we don't care what 00:26:13.509 --> 00:26:16.289 you do anymore. We just want you to show up. 00:26:17.109 --> 00:26:19.470 Huh? We just want you to sit in a pew or the 00:26:19.470 --> 00:26:22.029 chair. We just want you to pay your tithes so 00:26:22.029 --> 00:26:24.410 we can fill out a report and say, Boy, look how 00:26:24.410 --> 00:26:27.990 big our church is becoming. Look how many people 00:26:27.990 --> 00:26:34.029 we got. But God is looking for a church that 00:26:34.029 --> 00:26:38.240 is holy. He's looking for a church that is pure. 00:26:38.539 --> 00:26:40.839 Even when he said when he's coming back, I'm 00:26:40.839 --> 00:26:43.480 looking for a spotless bride. I'm looking for 00:26:43.480 --> 00:26:45.779 one to take home with me. He's looking for a 00:26:45.779 --> 00:26:48.599 spotless church, a church that is holy, a church 00:26:48.599 --> 00:26:51.319 that will stand up and say, Thus saith the Lord, 00:26:51.400 --> 00:26:53.680 and nothing else matters, nothing else goes. 00:26:54.140 --> 00:26:56.759 He's looking for a church that's holy. He's looking 00:26:56.759 --> 00:26:59.480 for thirsty people, a church that's in the world 00:26:59.480 --> 00:27:01.779 but not of the world. The church today is looking 00:27:01.779 --> 00:27:04.019 too much like the world, and it's to the point 00:27:04.019 --> 00:27:06.539 now we can't differentiate which one is which. 00:27:09.099 --> 00:27:12.519 Well, see, I don't preach here every Sunday, 00:27:12.539 --> 00:27:15.140 so I can go home after this. The pastor will 00:27:15.140 --> 00:27:19.039 have to clean it up. But I believe the world 00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:23.500 is sick and tired of compromising churches. We've 00:27:23.500 --> 00:27:26.839 had it up to here. With prosperity gospels and 00:27:26.839 --> 00:27:28.920 a feel -good sermon. Honey, if you leave here 00:27:28.920 --> 00:27:30.980 with a goose bump and go home and say, boy, we 00:27:30.980 --> 00:27:33.420 had church today. That's not enough for me. A 00:27:33.420 --> 00:27:36.099 goose bump will come up and go back down. I want 00:27:36.099 --> 00:27:38.680 the real thing. I want to experience. I want 00:27:38.680 --> 00:27:41.180 to walk out of here drunk on the power of God. 00:27:41.259 --> 00:27:44.059 I want to leave out of here full in my belly 00:27:44.059 --> 00:27:47.380 that when I go out them doors, out of me is rivers 00:27:47.380 --> 00:27:54.200 of living water to give unto the world. The world 00:27:54.200 --> 00:27:57.640 needs somebody to stand up anymore and say sin 00:27:57.640 --> 00:28:04.079 is sin. Hell is hell. And heaven is heaven. We 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:05.799 need a church to stand up with some backbone 00:28:05.799 --> 00:28:09.960 anymore. Huh? We've got to have men and women 00:28:09.960 --> 00:28:14.720 who will proclaim like Paul did to young Timothy. 00:28:15.220 --> 00:28:19.769 Preach the word. Stop looking for a PowerPoint 00:28:19.769 --> 00:28:22.210 to put on Facebook with your picture beside it. 00:28:22.250 --> 00:28:25.210 Just simply put, preach the word. That's all 00:28:25.210 --> 00:28:28.890 you got to do. That's all that's needed. Preach 00:28:28.890 --> 00:28:33.990 the word. The church has got to make its mind 00:28:33.990 --> 00:28:39.710 up today to stop blending in. Remember I told 00:28:39.710 --> 00:28:42.750 you, it don't take you long to figure it out 00:28:42.750 --> 00:28:45.089 that the church and the world are coming too 00:28:45.089 --> 00:28:48.319 close to one another. That there's a lot of blending 00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:51.240 going on. It's like we're in a blender anymore. 00:28:51.359 --> 00:28:53.940 You can't tell who is who. You can't tell who 00:28:53.940 --> 00:28:57.460 goes where and who's not. We've got to quit blending 00:28:57.460 --> 00:29:02.180 in. God didn't call us to blend in. Huh? He didn't 00:29:02.180 --> 00:29:05.119 call us to blend in. He said that we are a chosen 00:29:05.119 --> 00:29:09.980 people. Right? We are a royal priesthood. We 00:29:09.980 --> 00:29:13.299 are peculiar people. Right? That we are a little 00:29:13.299 --> 00:29:16.799 bit different. We are a holy nation. That we 00:29:16.799 --> 00:29:20.500 should show forth the praises of him that drawed 00:29:20.500 --> 00:29:22.920 us out of darkness and into the marvelous light. 00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:24.799 That's how you make the church and the world 00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:27.200 look different. I'm one of those that was drawn 00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:30.299 out of the darkness and exposed to the marvelous 00:29:30.299 --> 00:29:34.460 light today. I want to look different in the 00:29:34.460 --> 00:29:36.980 way I walk. I want to look different in the way 00:29:36.980 --> 00:29:39.079 I talk. They'll say, oh, that man there, he's 00:29:39.079 --> 00:29:42.299 full of the Holy Ghost. Oh, don't get close to 00:29:42.299 --> 00:29:45.079 him. Oh, Lord. Remember those that counseled 00:29:45.079 --> 00:29:47.059 there with Peter and John, and then they said, 00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:49.720 surely they've been with the Lord. Oh, we can't 00:29:49.720 --> 00:29:52.000 say anything else about them. They've been with 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:56.519 the Lord. My God. We've got to stop blending 00:29:56.519 --> 00:30:00.819 in. He called us to be a church full of power. 00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:05.599 He called us to be a church. Full of power. I'll 00:30:05.599 --> 00:30:08.519 say it one more time. He called us to be a church 00:30:08.519 --> 00:30:14.519 full of power. Why? Because the church started 00:30:14.519 --> 00:30:18.460 out that way. It started out that way. It started 00:30:18.460 --> 00:30:23.559 out with power. Right? I saw this and I had to 00:30:23.559 --> 00:30:26.920 put it on here. Because when the church stops 00:30:26.920 --> 00:30:31.460 blending in, God will start breaking in. Well. 00:30:32.359 --> 00:30:36.259 When the church stops blending in, God will start 00:30:36.259 --> 00:30:39.619 breaking in. Oh, for me today, I'm putting the 00:30:39.619 --> 00:30:42.380 devil on notice today. We're not going to blend 00:30:42.380 --> 00:30:45.259 it in. We're not going to quieten it down. I'm 00:30:45.259 --> 00:30:48.240 not going to sugarcoat the Word today. I'm drawing 00:30:48.240 --> 00:30:51.460 a line in the sand and say, Thus saith the Lord. 00:30:51.579 --> 00:30:54.079 This is what the Word of God says. If you don't 00:30:54.079 --> 00:30:56.559 like it, you talk to God about it. But this is 00:30:56.559 --> 00:30:59.279 what the Word of God says. Let your yea be yea 00:30:59.279 --> 00:31:02.380 and your nays be nays. This is the Word of God. 00:31:06.620 --> 00:31:08.000 I'm putting him on notice. We ain't going to 00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:11.680 be quiet, are we, sis? Huh? We're not going to 00:31:11.680 --> 00:31:15.740 tone it down because we are going deeper. I'm 00:31:15.740 --> 00:31:18.279 talking about deeper. Some of y 'all, when you 00:31:18.279 --> 00:31:19.920 go to the ocean, you just get your little toes 00:31:19.920 --> 00:31:22.119 in the sand. But that's not enough for me. I 00:31:22.119 --> 00:31:24.819 want to go deeper. I want to go deeper and deeper 00:31:24.819 --> 00:31:28.200 and deeper and deeper. Remember the disciples 00:31:28.200 --> 00:31:30.640 when they were on that boat and the storm was 00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:32.660 raging and they looked out there. Oh, Lord, it 00:31:32.660 --> 00:31:35.259 must be a ghost. It's a spirit out there. But 00:31:35.259 --> 00:31:37.599 the Lord said, come, come unto me. He didn't 00:31:37.599 --> 00:31:39.720 say, peace be still, and then you come out here. 00:31:39.799 --> 00:31:41.799 Or let me get over here where it's shallow air. 00:31:41.880 --> 00:31:44.900 He said, come out to me. And Peter, the only 00:31:44.900 --> 00:31:47.089 brave one that got out of the boat, amen. And 00:31:47.089 --> 00:31:49.289 he began to walk. That's what he's talking about. 00:31:49.390 --> 00:31:52.609 We've got to go deeper, deeper, deeper, deeper, 00:31:52.710 --> 00:31:55.329 deeper in our worship, deeper in our prayer, 00:31:55.509 --> 00:31:58.089 deeper in our Bible study, deeper in everything 00:31:58.089 --> 00:32:01.349 that God has for us. Going deeper and deeper 00:32:01.349 --> 00:32:08.890 and deeper. Going out further. The water that 00:32:08.890 --> 00:32:12.329 flowed had a heat source to it. Anybody like 00:32:12.329 --> 00:32:16.480 to take a cold shower? I didn't think so. I do. 00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:22.359 Not all the time, but on occasion. I don't know 00:32:22.359 --> 00:32:25.160 what it is, but it feels good sometimes. When 00:32:25.160 --> 00:32:27.720 you come outside and it's hot, you get a good 00:32:27.720 --> 00:32:32.599 cold shower, it's refreshing. But the water that 00:32:32.599 --> 00:32:35.039 flowed from this temple had a heat source to 00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:38.200 it. Because the Bible said that it came from 00:32:38.200 --> 00:32:42.759 the east door. What comes in the east every morning? 00:32:43.880 --> 00:32:47.180 The sun rises in the east every morning. That 00:32:47.180 --> 00:32:49.740 tells me that the sun got up there and began 00:32:49.740 --> 00:32:54.000 to heat that water. Oh, we got to have some heated 00:32:54.000 --> 00:32:57.160 water. Some of you ladies in the house, you ever 00:32:57.160 --> 00:32:59.240 work up on a Sunday morning and went to turn 00:32:59.240 --> 00:33:02.640 on that hot shower and nothing. Hot water heater 00:33:02.640 --> 00:33:06.640 went out. Uh -oh. And you said, oh, we got to 00:33:06.640 --> 00:33:09.839 have some hot water. I can't do this. We got 00:33:09.839 --> 00:33:12.799 to have some hot water. Why do you say that? 00:33:13.420 --> 00:33:16.240 I'm saying that because a cold church will not 00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:21.559 impact this world. We'll just be simply bumping 00:33:21.559 --> 00:33:24.720 our guns, putting on another program, trying 00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:28.259 to get folks in the house. A cold church won't 00:33:28.259 --> 00:33:32.839 do anything to the world. But God is ready to 00:33:32.839 --> 00:33:36.960 heat us up again by His Holy Spirit. A cold church 00:33:36.960 --> 00:33:40.140 won't reach anybody. A cold gospel will never 00:33:40.140 --> 00:33:42.660 convict anybody. John the Baptist there in the 00:33:42.660 --> 00:33:45.640 River Jordan said, there's one coming after me 00:33:45.640 --> 00:33:48.599 whose shoes I'm not worthy to let. He'll baptize 00:33:48.599 --> 00:33:52.000 you in the Holy Ghost and with the fire. There's 00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:54.940 an aspect of that to heat that water up, to get 00:33:54.940 --> 00:33:57.859 it going. Let it be a warm water blowing through. 00:33:57.940 --> 00:34:03.759 Amen. It's not a dead stagnant water, but it's 00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:08.099 alive. I want to tell you today that... We may 00:34:08.099 --> 00:34:12.860 be a lot of things. And there may be a lot of 00:34:12.860 --> 00:34:16.260 things that we'll never be. But one thing about 00:34:16.260 --> 00:34:20.920 it is we better be a church on fire. If we're 00:34:20.920 --> 00:34:24.239 expecting to draw the lost, if we're expecting 00:34:24.239 --> 00:34:27.179 to get the addict, then we better be a church 00:34:27.179 --> 00:34:31.579 that's on fire. They better come in and see us, 00:34:31.599 --> 00:34:35.199 pray, worshiping with all of our hearts. Oh, 00:34:35.219 --> 00:34:37.800 and just magnifying God. Oh, they want to see 00:34:37.800 --> 00:34:42.820 a church on fire. Oh, my Lord. Our young people 00:34:42.820 --> 00:34:47.340 need a church on fire. They're the next generation. 00:34:47.360 --> 00:34:52.719 Our children need to experience a church on fire. 00:34:54.880 --> 00:34:57.940 Every time we start praise and worship, we got 00:34:57.940 --> 00:35:01.960 to sing it with the fire. Every time we preach 00:35:01.960 --> 00:35:04.949 the word. My prayer is, Lord, let me preach it 00:35:04.949 --> 00:35:07.949 with fire. If I got one in the house and it's 00:35:07.949 --> 00:35:11.650 my wife or a thousand, let me preach it with 00:35:11.650 --> 00:35:18.869 fire and nothing less. Every time you pray, you 00:35:18.869 --> 00:35:22.380 are to pray until the fire begins to fall. I'm 00:35:22.380 --> 00:35:24.800 not talking about, Lord, I lay me down to sleep. 00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:27.679 I'm not talking about that. I'm not talking about 00:35:27.679 --> 00:35:29.440 one of those little prayers you prayed when you 00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:31.920 was a child. But I'm talking about a prayer when 00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:34.760 you go into that room and you shut the door behind 00:35:34.760 --> 00:35:37.480 you and you turn that little lock and say, nobody 00:35:37.480 --> 00:35:40.219 coming in because I've got to meet with the Lord. 00:35:40.380 --> 00:35:43.039 I've got some prayer matters to talk about, and 00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:45.920 I'm not coming out until something happens. I'm 00:35:45.920 --> 00:35:48.320 not coming. If you hear the fire fall, don't 00:35:48.320 --> 00:35:50.320 worry. Mom and Daddy's all right. We're just 00:35:50.320 --> 00:35:52.719 praying down the fire. Oh, we're praying down 00:35:52.719 --> 00:35:55.500 the fire. Let men and women of God come into 00:35:55.500 --> 00:35:58.320 church ready with a heart of praise, with a heart 00:35:58.320 --> 00:36:01.500 of worship, and a heart ready to pray. Pray down 00:36:01.500 --> 00:36:08.659 the fire. Pray it down. Because for me, a little 00:36:08.659 --> 00:36:13.400 smoke won't do it for me. I need the fire. Oh, 00:36:13.460 --> 00:36:17.500 I need the fire today. Lord, let the fire burn 00:36:17.500 --> 00:36:21.429 so hot. and intently that it's ever been today. 00:36:21.610 --> 00:36:24.170 Oh, I need the fire. Did I come to the right 00:36:24.170 --> 00:36:26.909 place today? Does anybody here, are you thirsty 00:36:26.909 --> 00:36:29.929 today? Do you want the fire today? Do you want 00:36:29.929 --> 00:36:32.429 to see it today? Do you want to see signs and 00:36:32.429 --> 00:36:35.110 miracles and wonders? Do you want to see souls 00:36:35.110 --> 00:36:37.730 saved? Do you want to see folks sanctified, baptized, 00:36:38.150 --> 00:36:40.349 filled with the Holy Ghost? Do you want to see 00:36:40.349 --> 00:36:42.710 it? Well, then you've got to be thirsty. You've 00:36:42.710 --> 00:36:45.250 got to desire the fire. You've got to be thirsty 00:36:45.250 --> 00:36:50.690 and desire the fire. There's got to be a fire. 00:36:51.429 --> 00:36:56.570 There's got to be a fire. But the further Ezekiel 00:36:56.570 --> 00:37:00.150 went, the deeper it got. Started out again ankle 00:37:00.150 --> 00:37:03.269 deep. That's when you start walking in the Spirit. 00:37:04.289 --> 00:37:07.369 That's the beginning of it. Then he got out in 00:37:07.369 --> 00:37:08.989 the knee deep. That's where you start praying 00:37:08.989 --> 00:37:12.590 in the Spirit. You're going deeper. Then the 00:37:12.590 --> 00:37:15.219 water got up to his loins. That meant that he 00:37:15.219 --> 00:37:18.239 was stronger in the spirit. Because if you've 00:37:18.239 --> 00:37:20.000 ever been in water where it's up to your loins, 00:37:20.019 --> 00:37:21.460 you've got to put forth a little bit of effort, 00:37:21.559 --> 00:37:23.260 don't you? You've got to push forward. You've 00:37:23.260 --> 00:37:25.719 got to strive to go a little bit further. You 00:37:25.719 --> 00:37:28.840 can't just stand there, right? But you've got 00:37:28.840 --> 00:37:32.739 to push forward. Then the water got so high that 00:37:32.739 --> 00:37:36.019 he had to swim in it. This means that the water 00:37:36.019 --> 00:37:39.460 becomes stronger than the person in it and carries 00:37:39.460 --> 00:37:44.340 them away. Well. Lord, let me get in the swimming 00:37:44.340 --> 00:37:47.539 water that the Spirit of God in the water just 00:37:47.539 --> 00:37:52.000 flows me wherever he wants to. I'm not swimming 00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:54.320 against the current. I'm not trying to get back 00:37:54.320 --> 00:37:56.920 upstream. But let me get in the river. Let me 00:37:56.920 --> 00:37:59.280 just begin to float down the river today and 00:37:59.280 --> 00:38:05.300 let the Spirit of God touch us again. But we're 00:38:05.300 --> 00:38:10.130 missing the mark. Too many are not seeing a deeper 00:38:10.130 --> 00:38:14.250 and developing move of God in their lives. We've 00:38:14.250 --> 00:38:19.710 often sacrificed depth for width. We're always 00:38:19.710 --> 00:38:24.449 looking back. Hey, I've come that far. I've come 00:38:24.449 --> 00:38:26.789 that far. I'm going to keep going. I'm just in 00:38:26.789 --> 00:38:28.590 that ankle -deep water, so it's not really an 00:38:28.590 --> 00:38:32.170 issue. I'm just going to keep walking. Yep, I've 00:38:32.170 --> 00:38:35.150 come that much further. But that's not for me. 00:38:35.949 --> 00:38:37.809 I'm not worried about how far I've come. I want 00:38:37.809 --> 00:38:41.489 to go deeper than I've ever been before. I want 00:38:41.489 --> 00:38:43.630 to go deeper in my relationship with the Lord 00:38:43.630 --> 00:38:46.969 than I've ever been before. I'm 42 years old 00:38:46.969 --> 00:38:49.030 and I hope in 43 I'm that much deeper than I 00:38:49.030 --> 00:38:51.969 was this year. I want to go deeper and deeper. 00:38:52.090 --> 00:38:54.449 I'm not satisfied with the ankle deep. I'm not 00:38:54.449 --> 00:38:56.710 satisfied with the knee deep. I'm not satisfied 00:38:56.710 --> 00:38:59.650 with the waist deep. But Lord, consume me and 00:38:59.650 --> 00:39:02.769 let me swim in that river that is flowing from 00:39:02.769 --> 00:39:08.269 your throne today. Hallelujah. We've got to go 00:39:08.269 --> 00:39:13.570 deeper. We've got to go deeper and deeper and 00:39:13.570 --> 00:39:16.190 deeper. Stand with me this morning. Hallelujah. 00:39:25.309 --> 00:39:30.110 Remember, Jesus wasn't talking to everybody. 00:39:32.610 --> 00:39:37.469 He was just talking to the thirsty folks. And 00:39:37.469 --> 00:39:40.110 I believe because you're here today. Because 00:39:40.110 --> 00:39:42.070 you showed up for church expecting and believing. 00:39:42.789 --> 00:39:46.349 That tells me you're thirsty. That tells me you're 00:39:46.349 --> 00:39:50.190 thirsty. Huh? We're not talking about just empty 00:39:50.190 --> 00:39:53.730 folks. I'm talking about a thirsty folks. Huh? 00:39:53.889 --> 00:39:56.369 It's one thing to be empty. But I want to be 00:39:56.369 --> 00:39:59.789 thirsty. Oh, I want to be so parched like I am 00:39:59.789 --> 00:40:01.829 right now. My Lord, I'm physically thirsty in 00:40:01.829 --> 00:40:04.500 my soul. I usually have a bottle of water up 00:40:04.500 --> 00:40:06.300 here. The pastor didn't even get me one. But 00:40:06.300 --> 00:40:12.559 my Lord, I'm thirsty. But I can push that physical 00:40:12.559 --> 00:40:16.119 thirst away. I'm more concerned about a spiritual 00:40:16.119 --> 00:40:21.079 thirst. I'm ready once again for God to pour 00:40:21.079 --> 00:40:24.139 it out on us one more time. Like Samson said, 00:40:24.260 --> 00:40:27.380 tied to them pillars. Do it, Lord, one more time. 00:40:27.820 --> 00:40:31.159 One more time, Lord, pour it out on us. Lord, 00:40:31.239 --> 00:40:33.440 I pray that you would take that temple and begin 00:40:33.440 --> 00:40:36.300 to immerse the water from every corner, every 00:40:36.300 --> 00:40:39.340 crack, every crevice, and let it to flow out 00:40:39.340 --> 00:40:42.059 on the Hopewell Church of God. And if anybody 00:40:42.059 --> 00:40:45.599 is thirsty, you can come and get a drink. And 00:40:45.599 --> 00:40:48.000 then when you leave this place, you'll be changed, 00:40:48.260 --> 00:40:51.000 you'll be renewed, and you'll have a spirit of 00:40:51.000 --> 00:40:56.400 living water flowing out of you. Woo! That's 00:40:56.400 --> 00:40:58.719 why I sang this song. You won't leave here like 00:40:58.719 --> 00:41:00.719 you came in Jesus' name because I'm hoping today 00:41:00.719 --> 00:41:04.599 you'll get that river of living water. Are you 00:41:04.599 --> 00:41:07.280 thirsty today? Anybody thirsty today? Come on, 00:41:07.300 --> 00:41:09.280 meet me right up here if you're thirsty. I'm 00:41:09.280 --> 00:41:11.460 not talking about empty. I'm talking about thirsty. 00:41:11.739 --> 00:41:13.980 I'm talking about thirsty. I'm talking about 00:41:13.980 --> 00:41:17.019 a desire that you've never had before. I'm talking 00:41:17.019 --> 00:41:20.099 about thirsty. I'm talking about parts. I'm thirsty. 00:41:20.320 --> 00:41:27.829 I'm thirsty. I'm thirsty for a move. My Lord, 00:41:27.889 --> 00:41:29.429 it's hard to believe there's only one person 00:41:29.429 --> 00:41:31.869 in this church that's thirsty today. My God, 00:41:32.010 --> 00:41:34.469 if we ever want to see revival, the water's got 00:41:34.469 --> 00:41:36.849 to flow past the altar. It's got to flow past 00:41:36.849 --> 00:41:39.670 the altar. It's got to flow past the altar. If 00:41:39.670 --> 00:41:41.650 you want to see your prodigals, if you want to 00:41:41.650 --> 00:41:44.130 see your sons and daughters come, start to proclaim 00:41:44.130 --> 00:41:47.130 it. Get thirsty about God. Get thirsty about 00:41:47.130 --> 00:41:59.159 the river. Get thirsty. God for a fire to fall. 00:42:00.539 --> 00:42:05.400 Oh, send the fire. Send the fire. Send the fire. 00:42:05.519 --> 00:42:10.739 Send the fire. Send the fire today. Oh, Holy 00:42:10.739 --> 00:42:15.679 Ghost. Oh, we've got to be thirsty. Oh, we've 00:42:15.679 --> 00:42:18.539 got to be thirsty again. We've got to be thirsty. 00:42:19.619 --> 00:42:23.820 It won't happen unless the church falls on its 00:42:23.820 --> 00:42:32.250 knees and gets thirsty. Fire fire fire fire fire 00:42:32.250 --> 00:42:32.630 fire