WEBVTT 00:00:00.750 --> 00:00:05.230 2 Kings chapter 22 and verse 8. God has placed 00:00:05.230 --> 00:00:08.669 a burden on my heart today and I want to hasten 00:00:08.669 --> 00:00:13.449 the time and read just a couple of verses. Word 00:00:13.449 --> 00:00:16.489 of God says, Then Hilkiah the high priest said 00:00:16.489 --> 00:00:23.010 to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book 00:00:23.010 --> 00:00:28.670 of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah 00:00:28.670 --> 00:00:34.810 gave the book. to Shaphan, and he read it. Now 00:00:34.810 --> 00:00:39.149 verse 10, a couple verses later, and Shaphan 00:00:39.149 --> 00:00:45.850 read it before the king. Now what happened? When 00:00:45.850 --> 00:00:50.750 the king heard the words of the book of the law, 00:00:50.869 --> 00:00:57.770 that he tore his clothes. He tore his clothes, 00:00:57.969 --> 00:01:00.049 wondering why did he tear his clothes. That was 00:01:00.049 --> 00:01:07.150 an outward symbol of an inward brokenness and 00:01:07.150 --> 00:01:10.530 repentance before God. And this is what he did. 00:01:10.609 --> 00:01:12.870 But I want for a few moments to preach on this 00:01:12.870 --> 00:01:15.969 thought. And I invite everyone to just open up 00:01:15.969 --> 00:01:19.409 your hearts to this thought on the lost book. 00:01:19.890 --> 00:01:22.760 I want to preach today on the lost book. We're 00:01:22.760 --> 00:01:25.000 going to pray again. I know we've been praying, 00:01:25.060 --> 00:01:27.219 we've been worshiping, but we're just going to 00:01:27.219 --> 00:01:30.900 pray a very specific prayer because this word 00:01:30.900 --> 00:01:33.859 today needs to penetrate someone's heart. Would 00:01:33.859 --> 00:01:36.480 you pray with me? Father, we thank you for your 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:40.260 spirit, the anointing that is in this place today. 00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:45.840 Our coming and gathering is not in vain, but 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:49.459 you have prepared a table for us. You have set 00:01:49.459 --> 00:01:54.040 up God. Everything in order. And now your word 00:01:54.040 --> 00:01:56.239 is about to go forth. And so, God, I pray that 00:01:56.239 --> 00:02:00.239 you would anoint the hearing, the hearts. I pray, 00:02:00.299 --> 00:02:03.959 God, that you would soften the hearts of your 00:02:03.959 --> 00:02:09.439 people today, God. Soften it, God. Soften our 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:13.340 hearts, Lord. And speak to us, God. And anoint 00:02:13.340 --> 00:02:18.020 my lips of clay. Put the word of the Lord into 00:02:18.020 --> 00:02:20.780 my mouth, God, so that everything I say would 00:02:20.780 --> 00:02:23.960 be your word and not mine. I give you glory and 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:27.039 honor in the name of Jesus, I pray. Somebody 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:30.479 say amen. You may be seated in God's presence. 00:02:33.419 --> 00:02:36.319 It happened during a renovation of the temple. 00:02:37.639 --> 00:02:43.680 Josiah, a young and godly king, had ordered the 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:48.310 house of God to be repaired. Wasting no time, 00:02:48.449 --> 00:02:53.990 the workers began clearing out the clutter, sweeping 00:02:53.990 --> 00:02:59.490 away years of dust and debris, and restoring 00:02:59.490 --> 00:03:06.810 what time and neglect had broken down. And then 00:03:06.810 --> 00:03:13.289 in the midst of the repair, something truly extraordinary 00:03:13.289 --> 00:03:18.400 happened. From the dim corners of the temple, 00:03:18.759 --> 00:03:24.199 the high priest Hilkiah emerged with his face 00:03:24.199 --> 00:03:31.639 frozen in awe. In his trembling hands was something 00:03:31.639 --> 00:03:38.900 wrapped in the dust of forgotten years, a holy, 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:47.139 sacred relic of a bygone era. With a quivering 00:03:47.139 --> 00:03:52.139 voice, he called to the scribe named Shaphan. 00:03:54.020 --> 00:03:59.340 He said, in my imagination, these words, Shaphan, 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:06.280 stop whatever it is that you're doing because 00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:11.180 I need to share something with you. I need you 00:04:11.180 --> 00:04:16.959 to come here at once, Shaphan. Put that thing 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:22.360 down, and I know we're in the midst of a large 00:04:22.360 --> 00:04:28.000 -scale renovation project here, but Jephun, I 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:33.160 need you to get here at once. You're not going 00:04:33.160 --> 00:04:40.540 to believe what I just found buried beneath all 00:04:40.540 --> 00:04:46.709 of this mess and clutter. that we have been sifting 00:04:46.709 --> 00:04:51.949 through for this time. And when Shaphan had showed 00:04:51.949 --> 00:04:54.810 up, the high priest showed up, or the scribe 00:04:54.810 --> 00:05:01.810 showed up, Hilkiah took a deep breath and he 00:05:01.810 --> 00:05:06.470 uttered words that would shake the nation of 00:05:06.470 --> 00:05:13.189 Judah to its very core. He said, I have found 00:05:13.819 --> 00:05:19.360 the book of the law in the house of the Lord. 00:05:21.019 --> 00:05:25.720 He said, I found the book in the house of the 00:05:25.720 --> 00:05:34.300 Lord. And this was both a shocking and a sobering 00:05:34.300 --> 00:05:39.240 discovery for the high priest. A moment that 00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:42.879 would forever change his... and the nation's 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:47.839 life. There was joy over finding this lost book 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:53.560 but the joy of finding the book was mixed and 00:05:53.560 --> 00:06:00.220 mingled with sadness over years of living without 00:06:00.220 --> 00:06:06.399 it. So on the one hand they were rejoicing but 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:10.879 on the other hand they were weeping at the sight 00:06:11.399 --> 00:06:17.519 of this long -lost book. Dear friend, I've come 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:21.560 today, church and guests, to preach that something 00:06:21.560 --> 00:06:26.579 similar happens in our lives when we realize 00:06:26.579 --> 00:06:31.060 that something sacred, something godly, something 00:06:31.060 --> 00:06:35.379 beautiful, something profound, something holy, 00:06:35.639 --> 00:06:41.129 something powerful is missing. but was there 00:06:41.129 --> 00:06:49.209 all the time. Somebody say amen. The story unfolds 00:06:49.209 --> 00:06:53.269 during a dark chapter in Judah's history. Generations 00:06:53.269 --> 00:06:58.750 of idolatry under Josiah's father, Manasseh and 00:06:58.750 --> 00:07:04.829 Ammon, where literally the word of God had been 00:07:04.829 --> 00:07:09.110 buried. The temple had been desecrated. It was 00:07:09.110 --> 00:07:13.009 in disrepair. The priests were complacent. The 00:07:13.009 --> 00:07:17.689 truth had been replaced with ceremony and tradition. 00:07:18.589 --> 00:07:24.389 Then came Josiah, a young, zealous, and godly 00:07:24.389 --> 00:07:30.490 king. This was a man who sought to restore all 00:07:30.490 --> 00:07:34.750 that had been done and undo it all in the house 00:07:34.750 --> 00:07:39.360 of the Lord. And when the book was found and 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:46.139 read to this young king, his response was truly 00:07:46.139 --> 00:07:52.839 a sobering one. The words pierced his heart as 00:07:52.839 --> 00:07:57.399 he heard, declared the book of the law for the 00:07:57.399 --> 00:08:01.899 first time in his life. Oh, he had heard about 00:08:01.899 --> 00:08:06.819 it. I'm sure stories. I'm sure. melodies and 00:08:06.819 --> 00:08:10.220 nursery rhymes and things that have been passed 00:08:10.220 --> 00:08:14.040 down, maybe slipped through the cracks. He had 00:08:14.040 --> 00:08:16.279 heard about this but this was the first time 00:08:16.279 --> 00:08:19.540 he had heard it. declared in his presence. And 00:08:19.540 --> 00:08:23.459 so he tore his garments in repentance as he realized 00:08:23.459 --> 00:08:26.980 how far the nation had drifted. And that moment, 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:29.720 that moment sparked, you can read about it for 00:08:29.720 --> 00:08:33.279 yourself, one of the greatest revivals recorded 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:39.500 in all of Scripture. He was not just emotionally 00:08:39.500 --> 00:08:43.490 moved and stirred. He did not just shed crocodile 00:08:43.490 --> 00:08:47.289 tears over what he had heard, but something shook 00:08:47.289 --> 00:08:51.049 him to the core and it reverberated across all 00:08:51.049 --> 00:08:54.850 of Judah. This was a defining moment for him 00:08:54.850 --> 00:08:59.730 and the people of God. And the moral of the story 00:08:59.730 --> 00:09:05.429 thus far is that the tragedy was not that the 00:09:05.429 --> 00:09:10.409 book had been stolen by thieves or had been taken. 00:09:20.220 --> 00:09:25.120 The tragedy was not that it fell into enemy hands. 00:09:25.399 --> 00:09:29.580 The tragedy was not that it was sitting in a 00:09:29.580 --> 00:09:33.820 foreign land or destroyed. The damage is that 00:09:33.820 --> 00:09:40.360 it was there all the time. But everybody... was 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:44.700 too busy, preoccupied, or hurt and despondent 00:09:44.700 --> 00:09:50.620 to recognize what had always been there. Can 00:09:50.620 --> 00:09:53.419 I preach here today? Somebody say go ahead. Hallelujah. 00:09:54.179 --> 00:09:57.460 This leads me to my very first important point 00:09:57.460 --> 00:10:01.059 today for your consideration, and that is that 00:10:01.059 --> 00:10:08.500 some things can be lost in a familiar place. 00:10:11.659 --> 00:10:15.759 The people of Judah had lost the book in the 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:21.759 most unlikely place. The very place where it 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:28.700 belonged. To be lost in the outside world is 00:10:28.700 --> 00:10:35.740 one thing. But to be lost in the house is an 00:10:35.740 --> 00:10:40.480 entirely different kind of spiritual dilemma. 00:10:41.639 --> 00:10:47.919 One that nobody, and I mean nobody, ever suspects 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:54.120 of themselves. And if the notion of something 00:10:54.120 --> 00:10:57.399 being lost where it belongs sounds impossible, 00:10:57.860 --> 00:11:02.679 we need only look at the parables of Jesus Christ 00:11:02.679 --> 00:11:09.620 himself. In Luke 15, the Lord told of a coin. 00:11:10.350 --> 00:11:14.929 that have been lost, not on the outside, not 00:11:14.929 --> 00:11:19.470 in the world, but somebody say, in the house. 00:11:20.470 --> 00:11:26.710 Say it again, in the house. The coin was hidden 00:11:26.710 --> 00:11:33.909 under the dust of neglect and time until this 00:11:33.909 --> 00:11:38.679 woman lit her lamp, swept the floor. And searched 00:11:38.679 --> 00:11:43.679 high and low until what was lost in the house 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:47.759 was found. And there was great rejoicing over 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:52.399 that. I could preach about just that one parable 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:55.019 here today. And maybe I will some other time. 00:11:55.179 --> 00:11:59.039 But there's also another parable. Jesus told 00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:04.120 of this unusual spiritual dilemma that occurs 00:12:04.120 --> 00:12:07.399 in the kingdom of God. which is being lost in 00:12:07.399 --> 00:12:14.399 the house when he tells also about a son. And 00:12:14.399 --> 00:12:18.379 for your understanding, it is the elder of the 00:12:18.379 --> 00:12:22.320 two sons that Jesus told about who was lost, 00:12:22.460 --> 00:12:28.019 not in the world, not on the outside, but in 00:12:28.019 --> 00:12:31.379 his father's house. You see, unlike the younger 00:12:31.379 --> 00:12:35.360 brother who got lost in the world, whose sin 00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:41.659 and issues and problems became front page news 00:12:41.659 --> 00:12:47.879 in all the town. Nowhere to hide his dirt. But 00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:51.120 it was the one who had been home all the time, 00:12:51.320 --> 00:12:54.899 living with a false sense of validation because 00:12:54.899 --> 00:13:00.720 he's there. Nobody was more lost than him. The 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:03.740 younger brother, he's lost in the world. That's 00:13:03.740 --> 00:13:06.740 one problem. And he needs saving and redeeming. 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:12.200 But it's the older brother who's at home and 00:13:12.200 --> 00:13:18.200 still is lost in the house. He's present in body, 00:13:18.419 --> 00:13:25.740 but he's absent in spirit. Somebody say amen 00:13:25.740 --> 00:13:32.129 today. He's there, but he's not there. Jesus 00:13:32.129 --> 00:13:36.549 himself became a living parable when his own 00:13:36.549 --> 00:13:43.129 parents lost him. He was thought to be missing 00:13:43.129 --> 00:13:51.429 until he was found where? In the house. In the 00:13:51.429 --> 00:13:59.929 temple of all places. Jesus. What ties all? These 00:13:59.929 --> 00:14:03.230 events together, let me tell you today, dear 00:14:03.230 --> 00:14:06.009 friend in church, is that they were all lost 00:14:06.009 --> 00:14:13.610 or left in familiar places. Places where you're 00:14:13.610 --> 00:14:20.389 not supposed to get lost. You can be at church 00:14:20.389 --> 00:14:31.389 and yet not be in church. going to get maybe 00:14:31.389 --> 00:14:36.350 a lot of amens as I preach to this and I'm here 00:14:36.350 --> 00:14:38.889 to tell you that's all right with me because 00:14:38.889 --> 00:14:42.490 God has an appointment with somebody today I 00:14:42.490 --> 00:14:46.110 said he's got an appointment with you hello somebody 00:14:46.110 --> 00:14:52.490 you say well what is this all about you can be 00:14:52.490 --> 00:14:58.269 you can be in the familiar place and still be 00:14:58.269 --> 00:15:02.289 missing what matters. Most of the things that 00:15:02.289 --> 00:15:04.629 we need in the spirit, let me tell you, they're 00:15:04.629 --> 00:15:08.870 not lost in the world. They're lost in the house, 00:15:08.870 --> 00:15:12.610 in familiar places because of neglect, because 00:15:12.610 --> 00:15:15.450 of bad decisions, because of things breaking 00:15:15.450 --> 00:15:18.889 down in our life or because of pride or a host 00:15:18.889 --> 00:15:21.549 of other things, of the affairs of our life. 00:15:21.610 --> 00:15:25.169 Things can get lost right under our very nose. 00:15:25.159 --> 00:15:29.419 noses, and this is why we need the Holy Ghost 00:15:29.419 --> 00:15:34.039 to renovate our lives and reveal what is missing. 00:15:34.259 --> 00:15:41.059 Somebody give God some praise here today. I have 00:15:41.059 --> 00:15:44.700 to tell you, dear brother and sister, you need 00:15:44.700 --> 00:15:48.679 preaching because we don't always know our state 00:15:48.679 --> 00:16:11.700 of lostness. And I understand this is sobering 00:16:11.700 --> 00:16:14.840 and this is not easy for us to hear. But this 00:16:14.840 --> 00:16:18.679 is why the Holy Ghost comes. He comes to renovate. 00:16:18.679 --> 00:16:22.720 He comes to remove those things. He comes to 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:26.620 restore and renew. This message today is not 00:16:26.620 --> 00:16:29.460 one of doom and gloom and condemnation. This 00:16:29.460 --> 00:16:32.320 is a message of hope, of healing and restoration 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:36.059 for somebody in your spiritual life, in your 00:16:36.059 --> 00:16:39.220 physical life, in your mental and financial life. 00:16:39.580 --> 00:16:42.799 This is for somebody to understand that God loves 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:47.480 you too much to let you be lost in his house. 00:16:48.100 --> 00:16:59.379 Hallelujah. So the dilemma Josiah faced was one 00:16:59.379 --> 00:17:03.019 of joy and both sorrow over the state of lostness. 00:17:03.559 --> 00:17:06.740 How is it that we have drifted this far? How 00:17:06.740 --> 00:17:09.180 is it that we have allowed ourselves to think 00:17:09.180 --> 00:17:12.460 that this was okay? Well, let me tell you the 00:17:12.460 --> 00:17:16.819 next step today. Finding what's lost starts with 00:17:16.819 --> 00:17:24.660 mending what's broken. Josiah's command was not 00:17:24.660 --> 00:17:29.240 just for general maintenance. This was not just 00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:34.829 a scheduled. Service maintenance. This was not 00:17:34.829 --> 00:17:38.690 just about polishing up for presentation because 00:17:38.690 --> 00:17:41.970 special guests are coming through and let's get 00:17:41.970 --> 00:17:44.450 the house in order because, you know, we want 00:17:44.450 --> 00:17:46.710 to look a certain way. We want to have everything 00:17:46.710 --> 00:17:49.329 polished and ready, you know. The Bible says 00:17:49.329 --> 00:17:53.890 that he sent Shaphan and Hilkiah in verse 5 of 00:17:53.890 --> 00:17:57.690 this chapter. He sent them to repair the breaches 00:17:57.690 --> 00:18:03.319 of the house. Breaches of the house. That word 00:18:03.319 --> 00:18:07.269 breaches literally means cracks, gaps. or broken 00:18:07.269 --> 00:18:11.690 places. He sent these two men of God, the priest 00:18:11.690 --> 00:18:14.609 and the scribe, the priest and the scribe. My 00:18:14.609 --> 00:18:16.509 God, I can preach just about those two things 00:18:16.509 --> 00:18:19.430 right there. We need a priest and we need a scribe. 00:18:19.430 --> 00:18:21.849 And it's all found in the Holy Ghost and in the 00:18:21.849 --> 00:18:25.490 word of God. And these men were sent not just 00:18:25.490 --> 00:18:28.349 to dust off the corners of the building, not 00:18:28.349 --> 00:18:31.049 just to patch up a few things, but they were 00:18:31.049 --> 00:18:34.869 sent into the house of the Lord to mend the broken 00:18:34.869 --> 00:18:39.029 places. to mend the temple. You see, oftentimes 00:18:39.029 --> 00:18:44.710 as believers, we want the glory of God to fill 00:18:44.710 --> 00:18:48.970 us, but we often ask for that without mending 00:18:48.970 --> 00:18:52.430 the holes in our life that keep his glory from 00:18:52.430 --> 00:18:56.430 leaking out. We want, oh hallelujah, we want 00:18:56.430 --> 00:18:59.490 more of God, but we're not willing to have less 00:18:59.490 --> 00:19:03.410 of us. We want more of his power and glory, but 00:19:03.410 --> 00:19:06.309 we're not willing to be put position where we 00:19:06.309 --> 00:19:09.230 have to submit and surrender to what God wants 00:19:09.230 --> 00:19:12.650 to do in our life. We want greater revival and 00:19:12.650 --> 00:19:16.430 greater manifestations of his power in our lives 00:19:16.430 --> 00:19:19.910 and in our church and throughout the body. But 00:19:19.910 --> 00:19:22.609 let me tell you, before God fills the temple, 00:19:22.789 --> 00:19:27.069 he first wants to heal the temple. Oh, my God. 00:19:40.359 --> 00:19:44.099 When I say temple, I'm not talking about a physical 00:19:44.099 --> 00:19:50.339 building, church. I am talking about you. Because 00:19:50.339 --> 00:19:57.480 the Bible says, Paul said, know ye not that your 00:19:57.480 --> 00:20:01.519 body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is 00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:04.900 in you. If you think I am talking about a building, 00:20:05.140 --> 00:20:07.720 if you think I'm talking about just an organization 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:10.690 or a body of people, You are grossly mistaken. 00:20:10.910 --> 00:20:16.089 I am talking about you and me. We are the temples 00:20:16.089 --> 00:20:42.529 of God and the spirit. Once again burned. And 00:20:42.529 --> 00:20:45.470 so the altars can be fired up once again. And 00:20:45.470 --> 00:20:47.750 so we can see a restoration of the priesthood 00:20:47.750 --> 00:20:51.529 in our life. And a restoration of miracles in 00:20:51.529 --> 00:20:54.569 our life. And a restoration of apostolic doctrine 00:20:54.569 --> 00:20:58.049 and authority in our life. Oh, I'm here to tell 00:20:58.049 --> 00:21:02.029 you, God wants to heal the temple. You are the 00:21:02.029 --> 00:21:05.069 temple. And the book of the law, you know what 00:21:05.069 --> 00:21:09.170 the book of the law is? It is the word of almighty 00:21:09.170 --> 00:21:13.410 God. Somebody say amen. It is the truth of God. 00:21:13.650 --> 00:21:16.650 It's the doctrines of God. It's the promises 00:21:16.650 --> 00:21:20.470 of God that define who you are and what you are 00:21:20.470 --> 00:21:24.890 called to do in this life. But the book can be 00:21:24.890 --> 00:21:29.450 buried under the rubble of different stuff that 00:21:29.450 --> 00:21:32.450 we've allowed to accumulate, different things 00:21:32.450 --> 00:21:35.539 that we tolerate. attitudes that we tolerate. 00:21:35.819 --> 00:21:39.420 Sin that we tolerate. Oh, hallelujah. Demeanor 00:21:39.420 --> 00:21:43.759 that we tolerate. Hallelujah. Areas of disobedience 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:48.579 that we tolerate. Oh, God, hallelujah. Oh, and 00:21:48.579 --> 00:21:52.460 the book can get buried even under the rubble 00:21:52.460 --> 00:21:56.740 of broken relationships and broken dreams and 00:21:56.740 --> 00:22:01.180 broken hopes and desires. Oh, and even more so 00:22:01.180 --> 00:22:05.440 sin and offense. will bury the book somewhere 00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:09.700 in our life. But this is why we need God. This 00:22:09.700 --> 00:22:13.200 is why for somebody today, hallelujah, God met 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:16.460 you in this church today, dear friend, so that 00:22:16.460 --> 00:22:20.579 he can repair the walls of your temple, the walls 00:22:20.579 --> 00:22:24.400 of your life, so God can heal the areas that 00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:27.539 are broken down. God can mend the areas that 00:22:27.539 --> 00:22:30.460 are destroyed. God can clean out. I wish somebody 00:22:30.460 --> 00:22:38.740 would. And you'll see the book like you've never 00:22:38.740 --> 00:22:42.339 seen it before in your life. Somebody clap your 00:22:42.339 --> 00:22:46.099 hands and give the Lord some praise today. Hallelujah. 00:22:47.160 --> 00:22:52.700 And you will see that the book of the law was 00:22:52.700 --> 00:22:59.519 there all the time. You will see that God had 00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:02.619 never failed. has never left you nor forsaken 00:23:02.619 --> 00:23:06.059 you. Can we pray right now? Somebody close your 00:23:06.059 --> 00:23:08.920 eyes. I feel the anointing in this house. Come 00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:12.519 on, somebody. Come on, open up your mouth and 00:23:12.519 --> 00:23:15.579 just pray for a moment. I feel the Holy Ghost 00:23:15.579 --> 00:23:21.039 moving in this place right now. Come on, church. 00:23:21.680 --> 00:23:25.319 Oh, hallelujah, hallelujah. Some of you, the 00:23:25.319 --> 00:23:28.200 scales need to fall off. some of our eyes today 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:31.539 so that we can see that the book is there. But 00:23:31.539 --> 00:23:34.619 yes, it can get buried. But I've come to tell 00:23:34.619 --> 00:23:37.759 you that God is so good that his word has never 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:40.660 forsaken us. Come on. His word has never departed 00:23:40.660 --> 00:23:43.259 from us. Come on, somebody. The word of the Lord 00:23:43.259 --> 00:23:46.039 was there all the time. I want to tell you that 00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:48.559 there's no devil in hell like we were singing 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:51.200 just a little while ago. There's no devil in 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:54.680 hell that can rob you of the word of God that's 00:23:54.680 --> 00:23:59.089 been buried. in the deep recesses of your life. 00:23:59.450 --> 00:24:02.650 Oh, I know it might be disheartening. I know 00:24:02.650 --> 00:24:05.490 it might be frustrating. I know it might be challenging, 00:24:05.509 --> 00:24:07.990 even if you don't want to admit it, that you're 00:24:07.990 --> 00:24:11.130 struggling to find a book again in your life. 00:24:11.450 --> 00:24:15.349 But God loves you so much. He sent this preacher 00:24:15.349 --> 00:24:18.730 here today. He sent your pastor here today to 00:24:18.730 --> 00:24:23.150 say God wants to renovate your heart so that 00:24:23.150 --> 00:24:31.500 you can find his book again. His word never left 00:24:31.500 --> 00:24:36.059 you. And also not only am I and you individually 00:24:36.059 --> 00:24:39.339 are we the temple, but also the church of God, 00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:43.980 the body of Christ, we are also the temple. In 00:24:43.980 --> 00:24:48.079 Ephesians 2, 21, it reads, in whom the whole 00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:51.420 building being fitted together grows into a holy 00:24:51.420 --> 00:24:55.619 temple in the Lord. In whom you are being built 00:24:55.619 --> 00:24:58.579 together for a dwelling place of the spirit. 00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:02.859 Not only are you alone a temple, but we together 00:25:02.859 --> 00:25:05.740 are a temple. And for the word and the glory 00:25:05.740 --> 00:25:10.660 to revive, we need the Holy Ghost to renovate 00:25:10.660 --> 00:25:15.200 the temple and to mend the I want somebody to 00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:17.599 lift up your hands right now, and I want you 00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:20.220 to pray with me in the Holy Ghost. Say, God, 00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:22.519 mend the breaches. Come on. I want you to pray 00:25:22.519 --> 00:25:26.119 that right now in the Holy Ghost. Say, God, mend 00:25:26.119 --> 00:25:43.890 the breaches, Lord. I pray, God. anointing in 00:25:43.890 --> 00:25:49.329 this place. Oh, hallelujah, Jesus. It was there 00:25:49.329 --> 00:25:56.069 all the time. Can you imagine how many times 00:25:56.069 --> 00:25:59.789 over the years how close they were to the word 00:25:59.789 --> 00:26:03.549 and they didn't know it? Can you imagine how 00:26:03.549 --> 00:26:06.890 often the priests and the scribes and the temple 00:26:06.890 --> 00:26:11.130 workers were quite literally walking on top of 00:26:11.130 --> 00:26:14.740 the word and they didn't even know it. Can you 00:26:14.740 --> 00:26:18.519 imagine how many times somebody may have leaned 00:26:18.519 --> 00:26:21.579 on the word and they didn't even know it. While 00:26:21.579 --> 00:26:24.259 their world is falling apart, can I tell you 00:26:24.259 --> 00:26:26.859 right now, the word of the Lord is holding you 00:26:26.859 --> 00:26:30.460 together. Even in your darkest moment, even in 00:26:30.460 --> 00:26:33.359 your darkest hour, come on now somebody, the 00:26:33.359 --> 00:26:36.640 word of the Lord is closer than you think. Oh 00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:40.700 my God. Oh, the promises of God are closer than 00:26:40.700 --> 00:26:43.119 you think. They say, but pastor, I don't feel 00:26:43.119 --> 00:26:46.279 them like I used to. I don't respond like I used 00:26:46.279 --> 00:26:49.519 to. I'm not quite where I used to be. I'm here 00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:53.019 to tell you God has not given up on you. The 00:26:53.019 --> 00:26:57.319 word is still in the house. The word is still 00:26:57.319 --> 00:27:01.619 in the house. And God still loves you. And God 00:27:01.619 --> 00:27:05.579 still wants to raise you up and use you. Come 00:27:05.579 --> 00:27:11.240 on somebody, give the Lord some praise. Hallelujah, 00:27:11.240 --> 00:27:18.440 Jesus. The word was there all the time. But they 00:27:18.440 --> 00:27:20.940 had to do some renovating. They had to do some 00:27:20.940 --> 00:27:24.019 clearing out. They had to do some created me 00:27:24.019 --> 00:27:27.019 a clean heart, oh God. And renew. Someone say 00:27:27.019 --> 00:27:31.410 renew. A right spirit within me. They had to 00:27:31.410 --> 00:27:35.349 do some prayers like, Lord, search me, oh, God. 00:27:35.789 --> 00:27:39.829 Oh, search me, oh, Lord. And know my way. Search 00:27:39.829 --> 00:27:43.910 me, oh, God. They had to pray prayers like that. 00:27:44.109 --> 00:27:47.970 And get honest and real before God. Because God, 00:27:48.089 --> 00:27:49.890 you're not going to discover the word again. 00:27:50.269 --> 00:27:52.089 You're saying, Pastor, are you talking about 00:27:52.089 --> 00:27:54.589 my Bible? Come on, Pastor, I know where my Bible 00:27:54.589 --> 00:27:58.650 is. This message isn't for me. about the Bible 00:27:58.650 --> 00:28:02.289 that's in your phone or in your hand. I'm talking 00:28:02.289 --> 00:28:05.930 about your word. Have I hid it in my heart that 00:28:05.930 --> 00:28:08.950 I might not sin against you. I'm talking about 00:28:08.950 --> 00:28:12.190 the word of the Lord. You can quote scripture 00:28:12.190 --> 00:28:18.529 and not have the word in your heart. It's your 00:28:18.529 --> 00:28:21.450 word. It's your word that says I must love. It's 00:28:21.450 --> 00:28:23.470 your word that says I have to forgive. It's your 00:28:23.470 --> 00:28:26.089 word that says I have to give and tithe and submit 00:28:26.089 --> 00:28:28.730 and be a good. Christian servant in the house 00:28:28.730 --> 00:28:31.829 of God it's your word that commands me to praise 00:28:31.829 --> 00:28:35.789 God even when it's your word and one of the tall 00:28:35.789 --> 00:28:38.829 tale signs I know that somebody needs restoration 00:28:38.829 --> 00:28:41.730 is when you are making excuses for why you're 00:28:41.730 --> 00:28:44.390 not doing those things and why you have found 00:28:44.390 --> 00:28:47.269 have you found a better way than what's in this 00:28:47.269 --> 00:28:53.259 book Because if you have, please enlighten us 00:28:53.259 --> 00:28:55.960 all. Enlighten God while you're at it. But as 00:28:55.960 --> 00:28:58.920 far as I'm concerned, there is no other book 00:28:58.920 --> 00:29:03.380 of the law. There is no other word from God that 00:29:03.380 --> 00:29:07.079 is the ingredient and the path for my life. And 00:29:07.079 --> 00:29:10.720 I have got to take this Bible and this book and 00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:27.630 find it again and say, where have you been? tell 00:29:27.630 --> 00:29:28.910 you something, we're not going to have revival 00:29:28.910 --> 00:29:30.710 just because a guest preacher is flying. We already 00:29:30.710 --> 00:29:34.589 bought his ticket, praise God, he's coming. But 00:29:34.589 --> 00:29:35.829 we're not going to have revival just because 00:29:35.829 --> 00:29:37.990 we booked a guest preacher and because we booked 00:29:37.990 --> 00:29:41.750 this sanctuary for three days. That's not why 00:29:41.750 --> 00:29:43.789 we're going to have revival. If we're going to 00:29:43.789 --> 00:29:45.990 have revival in others, then we first need to 00:29:45.990 --> 00:29:50.049 have revival in us. Oh, I said something right 00:29:50.049 --> 00:29:52.369 there. I said something right there. You know 00:29:52.369 --> 00:29:54.710 why? Someone is going to say, why? Because you 00:29:54.710 --> 00:29:57.349 can't give what you don't have. How are you going 00:29:57.349 --> 00:29:59.950 to revive somebody when in your own spirit you're 00:29:59.950 --> 00:30:02.569 dead? How can you revive somebody within your 00:30:02.569 --> 00:30:06.009 own spirit? Come on now, somebody. How can you 00:30:06.009 --> 00:30:08.329 praise somebody through the Holy Ghost and you 00:30:08.329 --> 00:30:11.029 haven't spoken in tongues in three weeks? How 00:30:11.029 --> 00:30:13.390 can you break somebody out of darkness, out of 00:30:13.390 --> 00:30:16.109 depression and bitterness if you yourself need 00:30:16.109 --> 00:30:20.049 to be revived and renovated and find the word 00:30:20.049 --> 00:30:26.960 of God once again? How can I teach others to 00:30:26.960 --> 00:30:31.539 do things that I myself am not doing? God help 00:30:31.539 --> 00:30:36.480 me. God help me. Give me just a few more moments. 00:30:36.599 --> 00:30:39.119 I'm almost done. But listen, there's something 00:30:39.119 --> 00:30:43.400 to what Josiah is doing. There's a personal renovation 00:30:43.400 --> 00:30:46.019 taking place in his life. Why? Because he tears 00:30:46.019 --> 00:30:49.150 his clothes. You don't think your pastor in the 00:30:49.150 --> 00:30:52.029 spirit is tearing his clothes and coming before 00:30:52.029 --> 00:30:55.349 God. You have to take me at my word that this 00:30:55.349 --> 00:30:57.890 is what God has been doing with me. And saying, 00:30:57.950 --> 00:31:01.609 Lord, here I am, God. You put me in this church. 00:31:01.730 --> 00:31:04.230 You put me in this city for a reason. I didn't 00:31:04.230 --> 00:31:07.950 call myself God. You called me. But Lord, where 00:31:07.950 --> 00:31:11.309 in my life, Lord, like Josiah and the people 00:31:11.309 --> 00:31:13.910 of Judah, which means praise, the people of praise, 00:31:13.950 --> 00:31:18.740 where have I, like them, the word, the calling, 00:31:18.980 --> 00:31:22.500 amen, the purpose of God to get over and covered 00:31:22.500 --> 00:31:25.579 with all kinds of stuff that I have been careless 00:31:25.579 --> 00:31:29.900 about and allowed. Oh, hallelujah. Oh, hallelujah. 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:33.720 Where have I, God, not taken heed to my own? 00:31:33.819 --> 00:31:38.059 Take heed lest you fall, the Bible says. Have 00:31:38.059 --> 00:31:42.380 I not been taking heed of my own walk lest I 00:31:42.380 --> 00:31:46.059 fall? Let me tell you, though, as they begin. 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:48.920 to renovate the temple. And the word of God came 00:31:48.920 --> 00:31:52.539 back and the book of the law was restored. The 00:31:52.539 --> 00:31:55.660 book that Moses, oh, that he wrote under the 00:31:55.660 --> 00:31:58.799 inspiration of God. The first five books of the 00:31:58.799 --> 00:32:03.319 Bible, the laws and the decrees and the commandments 00:32:03.319 --> 00:32:07.079 of the Lord are now being read. But let me tell 00:32:07.079 --> 00:32:10.039 you my last and final point is that when the 00:32:10.039 --> 00:32:13.039 word, somebody say the word. Come on, come on 00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:15.119 church, I need you to say it again. Say the word. 00:32:15.369 --> 00:32:20.190 When the word is declared, everything begins 00:32:20.190 --> 00:32:25.309 to shift. Oh, hallelujah. When the lost book 00:32:25.309 --> 00:32:28.950 was brought to Josiah and declared publicly, 00:32:29.349 --> 00:32:32.789 everything shifted. You know what they started 00:32:32.789 --> 00:32:36.650 to do? They tore down every false idol that had 00:32:36.650 --> 00:32:41.490 been unauthorized in the house of God. They restored 00:32:41.490 --> 00:32:46.069 true worship once again. They renewed their covenant 00:32:46.069 --> 00:32:50.430 with God. And then revival broke out across the 00:32:50.430 --> 00:32:53.410 land. Let me tell you today that the Bible is 00:32:53.410 --> 00:32:56.650 not just a book. Somebody say amen today. The 00:32:56.650 --> 00:32:59.549 Bible is not just a book. Don't you dare put 00:32:59.549 --> 00:33:02.869 this book or this Bible on your shelf and give 00:33:02.869 --> 00:33:05.869 it the same level of importance as every other 00:33:05.869 --> 00:33:09.069 book that's on your shelf or in your life. This 00:33:09.069 --> 00:33:13.529 is not just a book. This is the word of the living 00:33:13.529 --> 00:33:20.250 God. This is the word of almighty God. And let 00:33:20.250 --> 00:34:18.969 me tell you today, there is nothing. Somebody 00:34:18.969 --> 00:34:21.050 just worship the Lord and thank him for his word 00:34:21.050 --> 00:35:05.230 right now. I feel something in the Holy Ghost 00:35:05.230 --> 00:35:10.869 right now. Oh, hallelujah. The promises of God 00:35:10.869 --> 00:35:19.449 are yes and amen. When God, it shall accomplish. 00:35:21.809 --> 00:35:24.409 The worst thing you can do is try to fight the 00:35:24.409 --> 00:35:28.929 word of God in somebody's life. I said the worst 00:35:28.929 --> 00:35:31.150 thing you can do is try to fight the word of 00:35:31.150 --> 00:35:34.159 God in somebody's life. You are fighting a losing 00:35:34.159 --> 00:35:38.599 battle. Because if God has spoken a word, either 00:35:38.599 --> 00:35:43.119 from this book or the Rhema word, that God gives 00:35:43.119 --> 00:35:45.460 in moments through his prophets and preachers 00:35:45.460 --> 00:35:48.380 and pastors, and God still speaks to the church 00:35:48.380 --> 00:35:52.440 today. Hallelujah. You're fighting a losing battle. 00:35:52.539 --> 00:35:56.000 Why? Because this world will pass away. Heaven 00:35:56.000 --> 00:36:30.210 and earth. Somebody say it's powerful. The writer 00:36:30.210 --> 00:36:33.530 of Hebrews said, for the word of God. Someone 00:36:33.530 --> 00:36:36.610 say the word of God. Come on, say it again. The 00:36:36.610 --> 00:36:40.829 word of God. The word of God is living. This 00:36:40.829 --> 00:36:57.409 book is not dead. It's alive. Oh, my God, I feel 00:36:57.409 --> 00:36:59.690 something on me right now. Hallelujah. And it's 00:36:59.690 --> 00:37:03.289 sharper than any two -edged sword. Piercing, 00:37:03.289 --> 00:37:08.070 someone say piercing. Say it again, say piercing. 00:37:09.469 --> 00:37:14.369 Even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints. 00:37:54.670 --> 00:38:37.360 Shikalabaya. your eyes right now. I feel something 00:38:37.360 --> 00:38:39.920 happening. Would you just begin to go into the 00:38:39.920 --> 00:38:44.079 spirit for a moment. Let me tell you, I don't 00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:48.699 pity so much the unbeliever and the soul on the 00:38:48.699 --> 00:38:52.500 outside of these walls as much as I pity the 00:38:52.500 --> 00:38:56.219 saint who comes to church and leaves unpierced 00:38:56.219 --> 00:39:00.460 by the word. You say, why? Why don't you feel 00:39:00.460 --> 00:39:03.119 more sorry for the people out there? Because 00:39:03.119 --> 00:39:07.389 they've yet to hear yet. And if they will hear 00:39:07.389 --> 00:39:12.050 one day, it will only take one word. I'm more 00:39:12.050 --> 00:39:14.670 concerned about those of us who hear the word 00:39:14.670 --> 00:39:17.230 of God preached every Sunday and don't let it 00:39:17.230 --> 00:39:22.210 pierce our hearts. You're in more spiritual danger 00:39:22.210 --> 00:39:24.909 than the furthest person out there in the world 00:39:24.909 --> 00:39:27.150 from God. You say, pastor, that's heavy. You 00:39:27.150 --> 00:39:30.730 better believe it is. That's why the young man 00:39:30.730 --> 00:39:33.349 Eutychus, while Paul was preaching on that one 00:39:33.349 --> 00:39:38.059 night, fell from the window. And died. He was 00:39:38.059 --> 00:39:43.619 in. He was there, but he wasn't in. He was hearing 00:39:43.619 --> 00:39:47.940 the word, but he wasn't letting it pierce his 00:39:47.940 --> 00:39:54.000 heart. How can you go day after day, Sunday after 00:39:54.000 --> 00:39:57.940 Sunday. You say, pastor, I read my Bible. I don't 00:39:57.940 --> 00:40:01.159 want to hear. The Bible says that faith cometh 00:40:01.159 --> 00:40:06.789 by hearing. Can you get faith by reading? Absolutely. 00:40:07.909 --> 00:40:10.289 But I'm only repeating what the Bible says. It 00:40:10.289 --> 00:40:15.650 comes by hearing the word of God. So if you go 00:40:15.650 --> 00:40:18.309 and you're preaching today and you don't let 00:40:18.309 --> 00:40:23.650 the word pierce your heart, you're not fighting 00:40:23.650 --> 00:40:26.610 with me. You're not fighting the mood. You're 00:40:26.610 --> 00:40:29.070 not fighting the church. You're fighting God. 00:40:34.489 --> 00:40:40.230 Holy Ghost and say, Lord, I have lost the book 00:40:40.230 --> 00:40:50.050 and I need to get it back. All Scripture is given 00:40:50.050 --> 00:40:54.809 by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, 00:40:55.090 --> 00:40:59.030 for reproof, for correction, for instruction 00:40:59.030 --> 00:41:24.050 in righteousness. Why does this Bible, why does 00:41:24.050 --> 00:41:26.710 this word have power? Because it's the breath 00:41:26.710 --> 00:41:32.710 of God. That's why when Ezekiel, I feel something 00:41:32.710 --> 00:41:35.349 in the Holy Ghost. When Ezekiel was standing 00:41:35.349 --> 00:41:38.269 over the valley of dry bones, the word of the 00:41:38.269 --> 00:41:41.110 Lord came to him and told him to prophesy. And 00:41:41.110 --> 00:42:10.699 when he prophesied, he said, dry bones! I feel 00:42:10.699 --> 00:42:12.980 something happening right now in this place right 00:42:12.980 --> 00:42:17.579 now. I feel the spirit of God is moving. God 00:42:17.579 --> 00:42:21.380 is dealing. God is working. God is setting.