Dr. Tony Evans invites you to experience our first Virtual Reality 360 degree service. You can join us in this immersive worship experience in different ways: — If you have a VR headset, you can watch the video on the YouTube VR app. Simply search for “Tony Evans virtual reality” and select the video. Put on your headset and enjoy the service as if you were there. — If you are watching the video on a computer, you can use your mouse to click and drag the video to look around or use the on-screen arrows located at the top left of the screen. — If you are watching the video on a smartphone or tablet, you can use the YouTube app to watch the video. You can move your device to look around, or use your finger to swipe the screen to change the view. We hope you enjoy this unique and interactive way of worshiping with us. If you would like to download two encouraging, FREE full-length MP3s of Tony’s popular sermons: “The Sovereignty of God” and “How to Handle a Crisis,” you can do so by clicking on this link: https://share.hsforms.com/1atT9MJvXQN…
If you would like to sign up for our daily devotional bringing you hope and inspiration, please go to this link: https://share.hsforms.com/1CkOLA910Sm…
▶ Do you know Jesus as your Savior? https://tonyevans.org/know-jesus-christ/
▶ Stream Sermons: https://tonyevans.org/podcast/
▶▶ Free Sermon App: https://subsplash.com/tonyevans/app/
▶▶ DONATE: https://give.tonyevans.org/the-altern…
▶ Facebook: 
/ drtonyevans
▶ Instagram: 
/ drtonyevans
▶ Are you a preacher? Free sermon outlines: https://go.tonyevans.org/dr-tony-evan…
Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative and author of over 100 books, booklets and Bible studies. The first African American to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, he has been named one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World by Baylor University. Dr. Evans holds the honor of writing and publishing the first full-Bible commentary and study Bible by an African American. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on over 1,400 radio outlets daily and in more than 130 countries. Dr. Evans’ sermons are also streamed and downloaded over 20,000,000 times annually.
[Music]
[Applause]
we thank Jesus for
your we than
Jesus your PR we than
you we
you
we
Jesus
mer
Jesus your we than
you we thank
you for your
praise
is and your
word is
alive if you ask him
[Music]
your is
Aion the
word is
[Music]
[Applause]
the
[Music]
we
[Music]
you we
[Music]
you
Jes we you
we thank
you for your
PR with
theion and your
word is
alive you
are with
me
[Music]
he for your
gra
is
word
is if you
ask
[Applause]
anything thank
you thank you Jes thank
you thank you Jesus
[Music]
thank you Jesus thank you Lord for your
mer for your Mery Jesus thank you Lord
for your
[Applause]
Mery for your Mery Jesus thank
you for your
you love
forus
you thank you
Jesus thank
you thank you
for
Jesus for your Mery Jesus you
love thank
Youk
you thank you Jesus thank you Lord for
your
Jesus
for Jesus thank you
[Applause]
for
for
for
for
jesk
you thank you
Jesus
thank
you
for
J
for Jesus thank you
Fork
you
J thank you
for
for thank
you
for
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
thank
J than J thank you Lord
for
Jesus
for
your Jesus thank you Lord for
your
[Music]
[Applause]
jesk thank you Jesus thank you
forus for your
Jesus thank you Lord for
[Applause]
your
for Jesus thank
you thank you
[Music]
Jesus thank
[Music]
you
Jesus you
for
the
for
[Music]
Youk
you
J
you
for
your Jesus thank
[Music]
[Music]
you
for
thank
[Music]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
you as I said we will deal with the
subject of rewards this summer in detail
every Sunday and every Wednesday in June
and July the it is such a critical
Doctrine and it will affect the rest of
your life
and your Eternal State as
well again the studies are online you
can get the outline and additional
scriptures online ocbfchurch.org
studyguide if you want to review
this and each message you can do that
father
speak because I’m
in
inviting this
flock to join me in returning to
you so that we will get a full
reward no matter where we are right now
I pray that
this emphasis will draw
us to a deeper commitment and walk and
dedication to
[Music]
you help me this morning help
us to take you off of the back
burner and put you in your rightful
place in Jesus
name
amen many of you will perhaps remember
about the pastor who went to visit visit
one of his elderly church
members she had been in the church a
long time she was now older and she
couldn’t make it to church and he gave
her a pastoral visit as he sat down and
talked with this
elderly
member there was on the little table in
front of
him
peanuts and as he talked he began to eat
peanuts and talk and eat peanuts and
talk and he filled himself up with
peanuts only to discover throughout the
conversation he had eaten all the
peanuts when it dawned on him that he’d
eaten all of this older lady’s peanuts
he he said to her ma’am I I am so so
sorry that I ate all of your
peanuts that’s when the elderly lady
said well that’s okay ever since I lost
my teeth I suck the chocolates off the
peanuts you need to know what you’re
eating
we live in a world today
where we’re being fed the wrong
stuff because we’re being fed the wrong
stuff but it tastes so
good we find ourselves eating social
media eating
uh secular philosophy and
Theory
eting what’s popular in
entertainment because it tastes
good it feels good and maybe it seems
and sounds
good but the price tag we are paying for
eating the wrong
information is replete and
staggering this is why Paul told Timothy
in 2 Timothy chapter 4 he says I charge
you to preach the
word he says be instant in season and
out of season when it’s convenient and
when it’s
inconvenient when they like it and when
they don’t like it when they want it and
when they don’t want
it when they like you and when they hate
you you preach the word than because he
says in those first five verses of 2
Timothy 4 because the time is coming
when people will have itching
ears ears that want to be
tickled ears that want to hear what’s
popular ears that want to hear
what’s acceptable ears that want to hear
what’s
normative and they will no longer endure
sound Doctrine he says they will no
longer want the
truth they’ll settle for the lies of the
culture we live in a day
when cancel culture has canell God’s
truth not understanding that when you
cancel God’s word God’s word cancels
you in Amos chapter
8 the prophet tells them that there was
a famine in the land he says there is
this famine in the land in verses 11 and
12 he says and it is a famine of God’s
word and because there was a famine in
the Land There was chaos in the culture
that’s
right because people didn’t have truth
to eat
they had lies dipped in
chocolate we are being
duped our children are being
duped we’ve been duped on the issues
that people are fighting about where God
has already spoken
about there has been the abandoned
of God’s word and make no mistake about
it you cannot return to God and neglect
his
[Music]
word you cannot return to God and deny
his word you cannot turn return to God
and abandon reject ostracize
marginalize
peripheralized his
word if you are serious about a return
to God you must be serious about the
scripture scriptures serious about the
Bible so I want to talk to us today in
this series on returning to God about
returning to him through
scripture through the truth of the
Bible Paul puts it this way in 2 Timothy
3 he
says
beginning in verse 13 evil men and
Impostors are going to proceed from Bast
from bad to worse deceiving and being
deceived but you continue in the things
you have learned and become convinced of
knowing from whom you have learned them
and that from a
childhood which is why you need to make
sure your children know the word of God
from childhood you have known the sacred
writings the
scriptures which were able to give you
wisdom wiom that leads to Salvation
through faith which is in Jesus
Christ as a child you were introduced to
the Bible so that you could make better
decisions in your
[Music]
life why why make a big deal about the
Bible about
scripture he tells us in verse 16 all
scripture is inspired by
God all all scripture is inspired by
God we start off with
Revelation Revelation means divine
disclosure where God tells us what he
wants us to
know he does not tell us everything he
knows but he tells us what he wants us
to know and that is when he reveals it
when he says it the Bible says
Deuteronomy 29:29 that God has secret
things things he will not discuss or
things he discusses partially things
that keep us guessing but what he wants
to know he has
revealed Revelation leads to
inspiration all scripture is inspired
inspiration is that work of God where he
put Revelation in the thoughts minds and
pin of people to record his
Revelation Revelation is what he
discloses inspiration is the record of
that
disclosure and that is in
scripture so God reveals Revelation men
record inspiration leading to
canonization canonization is that
process where God leads people to
identify what was inspired that had been
revealed you see there are a lot of
things that were written that were not
inspired so God had to make sure that
what got in the Bible was what he
revealed that he inspired to assure he
got
canonized in the 66 books of our
scriptures so there is revelation what
God discloses inspiration how it is
recorded then there is canonization how
it is recognized leading to
illumination how it is understood and
applied when Revelation that has been
recorded in Inspiration based on what
has been Canon canonized in canonization
becomes your
illumination then you and I can
experience
transformation all
scripture is inspired by God the Greek
word Theos means to be breathed out to
Exhale scripture is the exhaling of
God it is not merely information about
God it is the voice of God in
print if you only marginalize scripture
to be information about him and not the
revelation of him
then you’ll be satisfied with
data and
sermons and bible
studies but you will not feel you’re
being told what to do yes it is the
voice of God in print not merely
information about
God Proverbs 30: 5 and 6 says every word
of God has been tested do not add to it
lest you be shown to be a liar
yes Romans 3:4 let God be true and every
man a
liar John
10:35 the scripture cannot be broken
meaning
cancelled you can’t cancel God God can
cancel
you so to reject the word of God is to
hurt you not hurt God or his
word because every word is true if the
Bible is not true Jesus is a
fake because it was Jesus who said in
Matthew
5:18 that every jot and tit which are
the two smallest elements of the Hebrew
vocabulary every jot and tit of God’s
word will be accomplished in the
infantes
[Music]
detail that’s why we can be confident
about the future cuz God has already
been there and come
[Music]
back it’s future to us it’s present to
him and that is revealed in Scripture
all
scripture not only that but scripture is
alive Hebrews 42 and 13 the word of God
is alive and active and it is a scalpel
he says sharper than any two-edged sword
piercing beneath the external into the
soul and the spirit the bone and the
marrow it will turn you inside
out it’s so
sharp it is alive it is a living alive
document because it is the exhaling of
God the voice of God impr
print he says all scripture is inspired
of
God and this profitable for teaching
reproof correction training and
righteousness so that the man or woman
of God may be adequately equipped for
every good
work what he’s telling you is that the
scripture is
sufficient for
life for decision making for
choices for guidance for
governance the scriptures sufficient for
you as an individual it’s sufficient for
you and your family it’s sufficient for
this church and every Church it is
sufficient for the
culture you’ve often heard me say if you
came to me personally your life was
falling apart I’d take the Bible I would
give you what God says give you
practical ways to implement it pray the
Holy Spirit empowered your obedience for
the transformation of your circumstance
if you brought your family I take the
same Bible do the same thing if you
brought the church because the church
was in disarray I take the Bible and do
the same thing
if you brought Congress I wouldn’t
change
[Music]
[Applause]
books a lot of our talk about race and
politics folk change books they go back
to other documents and other things
whether or not it agrees or disagrees
with the word of God we we change
books it’s amazing the amount of
Christians who change books God’s book
on Sunday and whatever the culture says
on
Monday the Bible says you do nullify the
word of God with your Traditions you
cancel its benefit to you you don’t
cancel it out you cancel its benefit so
you can actually cancel the benefit of
the Bible to you by not treating it like
it is which is not the word of men it is
the word of God and it is sufficient all
of us have appliances in our home we
have appliances in our home they’re
different sizes they’re different shapes
they do different things but they all
are generated by the same
Source you plug them in for electrical
power you don’t you don’t look for
something else for the toaster and
something else for the refrigerator and
something else for the stove and
something else for the lamp you know you
know you you you you have you have
something that is good enough for every
different
Appliance the scripture is good enough
for for the woman it’s good enough for
the man it’s good enough for the child
it’s good enough for the marriage it’s
good enough for the church it’s good
enough for the black the white hispanic
the yellow the Indian the word of God is
sufficient it can handle any Appliance
or any
person today we liveing today well
that’s my
truth we need to live in a day when we
look for the
truth
Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 man shall not
live by bread alone by what he takes in
physically but by every word all
scripture every word that proceeds out
of the mouth of God inspiration
Revelation that is inspired every
word because the devil is not allergic
to your word he’s allergic to his
word so every time Satan hear you say
well I think he say I got
you I got you cuz if what you said said
and what you just thought disagrees with
God you have invited the devil to
deceive
you because God can’t be wrong on any
subject because he is perfect as the
second half of Psalm 19
says the word of God is pure it says
flawless I remember and many of you who
are baby boomers will remember that your
mother and
grandmother no matter what was wrong
would bring out cast
oil mama I got a headache get the castor
oil mama I got a backage drink some
castor
oil mom I got a toe EG pour some castor
oil on it I
mean there was this view that castor oil
was
sufficient for whatever your problem was
he says the word of God is
sufficient for every good work
everything you ought to
do every decision you have to
make the word of God now if anything is
that good then you should want to know
it not only that but you should go to it
first cuz if it’s that good it can say
I’m sure there would be a lot of
testimonies here I wish I would have
obeyed God back
then right we all have that we all have
that I wish we cuz if I would have
obeyed him then it wouldn’t be like this
now some of y’all are sitting next to
your Disobedience I mean it’s just if I
obey him in I wouldn’t be stuck here
now some of y’all ain’t grinning either
so I know I
so the Bible is God’s
word it is we use this theological term
inherent yes that is it is without
error when it was given to men our job
is to read it understand it and apply
it but not challenge
it because its offer is
perfect so God is
insulted he pronounces a blessing on the
one I believe it is Isaiah
662 uh he pronounced a blessing on the
one who trembles at his word that is he
wants you to approach the Bible like
this cuz it’s it’s so it has the life of
God it has God’s presence he says to the
one who trembles at my
word you’re really shaking because
you’re in his presence and he’s getting
ready to
talk to return to God means to return to
scripture so the next question then
is how does this work and maybe you’re
sitting here and you’re saying well it
hasn’t worked for
me
hasn’t done what you just described for
me Luke 8 tells a
story about a sewer who went out to
sew a farmer is planting
seeds and he talks about the seeds that
the farmer planted fell on different
soils so Jesus the great Storyteller
that he that he is tells this
story and he tells him I’m talking to
you about the kingdom he
says and I’m going talk to you about the
kingdom and how the word works with the
kingdom and the kingdom is the rule of
God so he tells him this story and when
he tells him this
story verse 10 he says to you it has
been granted to know the mysteries of
the kingdom of God but to the rest of it
it is in Parables so that seeing they
may not see in hearing they may not
understand now let me let me just pause
there he says I told you this story
talking to his disciples I told you the
his this story uh so that you can learn
the mystery of the Kingdom so that
you’ll understand something that the
general public won’t know so I’m getting
ready to tell you what Jesus told them
because if you are here and you are a
Believer and you are serious about
following Christ he wants you to
understand but he doesn’t want the
non-christians to understand
why would he say that he says so that
seeing they may not see and that they
may not understand because the more you
understand that you don’t do anything
with the greater your
judgment so he says I want you to
understand because you belong to my
people I want you to get the benefit of
this so he tells this story and he says
now the parable is this the seed is the
word of
God the word of God comes to you in seed
form
right 1 Peter chapter
1: 23 to 25 talks about the word of God
has the DNA in it of God but it comes in
seed form now whenever you have a fruit
or a vegetable in seed
form all that is going to make the fruit
or vegetable what it’s designed to
become is embedded in the seed it just
hasn’t expanded and exposed itself yet
okay so right now this sermon you will
get in seed
form in other words not fully Amplified
not fully experienced not fully realized
but very much alive because a seed has
life in it of whatever the fruit and
vegetable is he says the soul went out
the SE the seed is the word of
God some of the seed fell by the
roadside he says just fell by the
roadside and the Devil comes and takes
it away the word before it gets to their
heart so Satan is the original
abortionist he
wants to take away the seed of
life some fell on rocky
[Music]
soil those they heard it they received
it with joy amen praise the Lord
hallelujah didn’t he
preach they received it they like the
sermon and these have no firm
root they bleed for a while and in time
of Temptation Fall Away yes he calls
that rocky soil the first was roadside
that’s no soil now we’re on rocky soil
they receive
it but when they leave church hit the
parking
lot drive home start watching football
start doing egg work during the time of
testing they fall away because it didn’t
get
[Music]
rooted C that rocky
soil he says then there the seed verse
14 that fell among
Thorns these are the ones who have heard
they go on their way they are choked
with worries and riches and pleasures of
this life and bring no fruit to
maturity so these are the choke
seeds these are the secular
Christians they get so involved with
their education so involved with their
profession so involved with making money
that they have they become what I’m
going to deal with next week week they
become worldly
Saints secular
Saints they shift from am to FM AM to FM
AM to FM their frequencies are always
shifting because they’re trying to
please God and please the
world and so they can never grow up to
become an adult Christian they stay baby
Saints they live on the
ABCs and so they don’t bring fruit to
maturity little apples little
oranges little
bananas it doesn’t it doesn’t become all
that the seed had in
it don’t live your life and not reach
your
potential but it all has to
[Applause]
do with this verse 15 but the seed in
the good
soil
these are the ones who have heard the
word and in an honest and good heart
hold it fast and bear fruit with
perseverance he says these are the
mature
seeds and you know they’re mature seeds
because of their fruit
bearing they bear fruit not not a little
tiny any fruit full
fruit fruit has to do with the
productivity of your life okay if you’re
have
fruit three there three things that
happen with
fruit number one fruit always Bears the
character of the tree of which it is a
part you won’t find apples on orange
trees you won’t find oranges on apple
trees you know you it will always
reflect the character so the way you
know you’re bearing fruit is you’re
looking more like Jesus this year than
you did last
year your actions and reactions are more
consistently in line with how he would
act and react because your character is
a fruit of his
tree the second aspect of
fruit
is fruit is always
visible you’ve never seen invisible
fruit you know what kind of tree it is
cuz you see see what kind of fruit it is
even if you’re not familiar with the
with the bark of the tree you can see
the fruit no that’s an orange tree apple
tree because it’s
visible you know you’re getting to
maturity when you’re no longer a secret
agent
Christian when your commitment to Christ
is visible it’s it’s you’re not hiding
it under a bushel you’re not apologizing
for your faith in Jesus Christ you are
visible adherent to the truth of
God you visible you’re not you’re not
hidden you’re not in the
closet so fruit
is reflects the character D part it’s
visible it’s
beneficial the only fruit that eats
itself is rotten
fruit if fruit is eating itself it’s
rotten fruit is always designed for
somebody else to eat e it so who is
taking a bite out of your
life who’s wanting to be like you follow
you who’s wanting you to disciple them
who are you benefiting in the Name of
Christ if you are only benefiting you
you are an immature
Christian if you want to be served but
can never serve if you want to be helped
but you can never be a
helper and you’re not beneficial you’re
just a fruit hanging out eating yourself
and if you are a selfish fruit you will
[Music]
self-destruct he says but to the fruit
that goes to the fruit that goes to
maturity well well how did I get there I
want to be there how do I get there
well there was nothing wrong with the
seed right the problem was always with
the
soil
a if God’s word isn’t working he doesn’t
have good soil to work with
yes if God’s word is not working if it’s
not doing in you to you through you for
you by you from you what it says it can
do because it is the life and DNA of God
that is either no soil rocky soil or
choke soil not good
soil it is the soil of the life that
determines the benefit of the
seed cuz the seed is the word of
God but just like the sperm has to reach
the egg if you want new
life the word has to reach the heart if
you want a transformed
life if the word does not get to the
heart just being in the canal and being
in the vicinity doesn’t mean a
fertilization has
occurred it must penetrate the heart in
order to birth the conception of divine
benefit and
life so the word of God must reach its
destination so all scripture is
absolutely true you cannot return to God
and ignore his word
and it is sufficient for
life and the things that the Bible don’t
talk
about must be made consistent with what
the Bible does talk about yes there are
things that the Bible doesn’t talk about
specifically but you cannot adopt it if
it contradicts it or is
in opposition to
it so that raises a
question
how do you get better
soil since there’s nothing wrong with
the
seed nothing wrong with the seed it
comes in seed form that means it’s got
to grow but it needs the right
environment in which to
grow I shared this before but if you if
you look at
um popcorn you
put popcorn in the
microwave you put it in the microwave in
seed
form
okay but but you don’t want to eat the
seed like it is you want it to
pop so you get
popcorn you put in the
microwave you put it in an environment
what a lot of people don’t know is that
every kernel of
corn has moisture in it every kernel of
corn has moisture in it so when you put
it in the
microwave and turn on the microwave the
radiation from the microwave heats up
the moisture that’s in every kernel of
corn while the moisture that’s in every
kernel corn gets hot because of the
microwave and it becomes
steam steam Rises so when you turn the
microwave on and the Heat and the
radiation of microwave heats up the
moisture that’s in every CERN of corn
the steam begins to rise and press
against the
shell when the shell can’t
handle the pressure of the moistu
rising it releases it and you hear p
what you’re hearing is the inside giving
way to the the outside giving way to the
inside cuz the inside can’t handle the
expansion the outside can’t handle the
expansion of the
inside and all of that’s happening
because an environmental shift has
occurred you can pick that popcorn with
your teeth all day long and you ain’t
going to get popcorn
because your teeth that’s not the right
environment but when you heat it you get
it you’re putting it in an environment
where the inside
expands what God wants his word to do in
our lives is to cause you and me to
go where the inside is
expanding cuz the outside can’t take it
no
more
so the question
is how do I change the soil so that it’s
the right environment because it’s got
to reach the heart it can’t just reach
the ears you remember all the time Jesus
says he that hath an ear let him
hear he that have an external he let him
hear what his internal he that is what
internally take it in not just
externally audio just just but let it
let it seep in
oh yes that’s right so we got a perfect
seed but we have imperfect soil but we
want to be better soil so that we can
grow to
maturity question is how do we do
that James chapter
one in the study I’ve got all kind of
scriptures about the word of God and we
could be on this all day but this will
give you a sense
of
what you need to do to get the word to
work verse 19 of James 1 this you know
my beloved Brethren fellow
Christians everyone must be quick to
hear slow to speak and slow to
anger okay a one that means you’re not
an
exception you must be if if you want you
you’ll stay with me here if you want to
change the
soil you must be quick to hear slow to
speak and slow to
anger that’s right let me put it this
way as you’ll see when this unfolds you
must be quick to hear God’s point of
view slow to speak your point of
view and don’t get mad when you and God
disagree quick to hear what God thinks
slow to say what you think and don’t get
mad when what God thinks and what you
think aren’t the same cuz God’s way will
tick you
off and your soul will throw a temper
tantrum so I’m going tell you that now
when you start with
God your soul
is going to have issues cuz it’s not how
you AR raised it’s not what you think
it’s not how you feel it’s not what you
want you know and so your soul is going
to no
no for the anger of man does not achieve
the righteousness of
God like my father used to tell me when
I got mad cuz I didn’t like something he
said I give you something to cry
about the the anger of man does not
achieve the righteousness of God so
getting mad at God it hasn’t going to
change nothing not going to change the
thing cuz he’s not going to change his
word to make you happy or to make me
happy or to make us happy or to make the
world Happy
therefore in light of this putting aside
all filthiness and all that remains of
wickedness in humility receive the word
implanted which is able to save your
soul
if you want the soil to be made right to
receive the
seed we must be willing to address
sin God won’t do his work if you’re
unwilling to get a
[Music]
colonoscopy he said
filthiness if you are unwilling for him
to address
sin we have to we have it there cuz he
says it’s there but you must be willing
to address it
because he won’t do his work if you are
refusing that’s different than
struggling
refusing to address sin he
says All That Remains of wickedness in
humility
receive the word implanted which is able
to save your soul but guess what he not
talking about going to heaven cuz he
says my beloved Brethren these people
already going to
heaven when you accepted Jesus Christ
your soul didn’t get saved your spirit
got
saved your soul still needed to be saved
okay let’s let’s let’s break down 1
Thessalonians 5:3 5 52 23 you you are
made of three parts that’s right Body
Soul and
Spirit your body enables you to
communicate with the physical world
through your five
senses your soul is your self life your
personhood your personality that’s your
soul your soul enables you to
communicate with yourself the reason you
know you’re alive the reason you know
you’re sitting here is not cuz you have
a body cuz a dead person has a body but
nothing can happen because they no
longer have a soul your soul is your
self life that’s the real you is your
soul the body is the frame for this
physical world so you have a
soul then you have a
spirit we’re born with our Spirits
separated from God dead the Bible says
the spirit is designed to communicate
with God that’s right the body your
environment the soul yourself the spirit
with
God the spirit is perfect it’s the seed
it’s Perfection the seed is God there is
no flaw in the
spirit but the soul is
distorted the selflife
everybody’s soul in here is
distorted
not at the same level not at the same
thing you were born with
Distortion that’s why you don’t have to
teach your children how to
lie that’s or to be selfish that’s all
that’s all just just it’s just there
that’s why you have children that commit
and do the same things that Daddy and
Mama did cuz they inherited a
distortion So based on your environment
based on on uh uh the influence of your
parents based on your own choices uh our
soul is all messed up tow up from the
flow
up it’s
distorted and the more sin is had its
weighing Our Lives the more distorted
our souls are and things are out of syn
squiggly lines I mean you can’t you
can’t you know trying to figure out who
you
are you know I’m trying to figure out
who I am let me know when you find
you but then if you don’t know what
you’re looking for how will you know
when you discovered
it so so we’re distorted okay we got
we’re distorted all of us to verying
degrees he said
receive the
word
implanted which is able to save rescue
deliver
your distorted Soul so the way life is
supposed to work is your spirit is
supposed to inform your soul your soul
is supposed to inform your body so your
body does what the soul says but if you
got a distorted distorted Soul you’re
going to do wrong things with your body
so to fix your body you need to improve
your
soul but the tool to improve your soul
is the spirit
and the spirit operates on the seed or
the seed operates on the spirit that’s
why the spirit of God is called the
spirit of truth because the spirit will
only use God’s truth to address your
soul so once you leave God’s truth the
tool for your soul has been
disregarded he says receive the word
implanted notice an ed on the word
implant not implant
implanted when you accepted
Christ the spirit is waiting for the
word the seed of the spirit is waiting
for the word like a seed in farming is
waiting for water when it sees that you
are taking in the word the seed absorbs
it when the seed absorbs the word it
expands in the soul like the popcorn
expand you would have never thought the
popcorn was holding all that Soft Stuff
hostage you know this big big ball comes
out out of this little seed cuz it was
being held hostage what we’re doing is
holding God
hostage cuz we’re keeping him in seed
form he says You must receive I love the
way 1 Thessalonians 2:13 says he says
you believ the word and you received it
so that it could perform its work so it
can do what it was meant to do and trust
me the seed will not perform his work if
you’re eating cultural
Donuts it may taste good but it has no
nutritional value if you just buying
what social media says what the culture
says all that it will be of no benefit
he
says prove yourselves to be doers of the
word and not merely hearers who delude
themselves okay how do you know if
you’re receiving the word not just
believing what it says but embracing it
and welcoming it he says you know you
have received it when it affects your
your action doer of the
word when you act on it even if you
don’t feel it even if you don’t emote
with it but you act on it you are now a
doer of the word okay let me say it the
other way if you don’t act on it the
word that you heard tricks you you
delude
yourself you think you’re better than
you are you think you’re improving and
you’re not to not act on it is to not
receive it which means you don’t benefit
from
it in fact if you you you’re worse off
because you’ve tricked
yourself receive the word that is
already down in there because the spirit
of God the seed is just waiting to suck
it
in every time you act in obedience you
are now drawing it down to the
heart okay how do you make sure it gets
down there verse 23 for if anyone is a
hear of the word not a doer he’s like
the man who looks at his natural face in
a mirror for once he has looked at
himself and gone away he has immediately
forgotten what kind of person he was but
the one who looks intently at the
perfect law cuz it’s perfect the law of
Liberty that set you free and hangs out
in it abides in it not having become a
forgetful hearer hearing the sermon and
leaving it but an effectual doer this
man will be blessed in what he
does okay you heard me say this again
but it’s it’s just such a clear
illustration he says don’t be like a man
in a mirror yeah and the Greek word for
man is
male not mankind there’s another Greek
word for mankind his word here is don’t
be like a male in a
mirror who looks and quickly goes
away men go to a mirror look
bye men are done men are
done we quickly go
away women are not
done because they don’t quickly go
away you heard me said before women have
multiple
mirrors there’s the bathroom mirror when
they get up and you know see how messed
up they were from last night he all over
the place okay then they go to the apply
named vanity
[Applause]
mirror they looking and then this is
this is the second mirror they they
looking they got a whole vanity worth of
stuff there and all that stuff and then
they get a hand mirror to look back at
the vanity
mirror back at the
vanity
then they go to the full body mirror
they go to
the going to the full full
body then they get in the car pull down
the visor they just pull down the
visor they just left all the mirror in
the house but now they pulling down the
V and right now in their
purse they got a compact with a mirror
in it and if you’re a man with a mirror
in your pocket we got to talk after this
service cuz all throughout the day they
going to keep checking that mirror
putting on the lips stick make it sure
they going they going to do all that why
because men visit a mirror women abide
in the
mirror they hang out in the mirror he
says to the one who hangs out in the
word they don’t just come and hear a
sermon they get the study guide they
look at the scriptures they they they
they want to spend time with God they
want to hear what God has to say they
talk to people who are going to give
them God’s perspective
they are hanging out in the
mirror and when you hanging out in the
mirror he says that man that woman will
be blessed in what they
do one of the reasons we’re not blessed
is we’re not hanging out in the mirror
we’ll go to church but we won’t hang out
in the mirror we won’t look at the
mirror we won’t see what the mirror has
to say and so the seed doesn’t get it
and we don’t act on it so it doesn’t
reach the the spirit so that the soul
can be
transformed so my challenge today is
let’s return to his
word as a way of life and a lifestyle
not a Sunday event
alone in closing when you and I were uh
growing up most of you if you you over
40 you can appreciate
this
cuz we all grew up
watching Soul
Train the hippest trip in
America 60 Minutes riding across the
tracks of your
mind Don Cornelius was wishing
us peace and love you know
so
within that hour they had a scramble
board the name of a song a group or a
singer and where the word was
scrambled and as the song
played the dance couple had to
unscramble the
words in order for stuff to make
sense cuz it was scrambled up
they had to get the word
right in order for things not to be
scrambled there are 26 letters in the
English
alphabet last time I checked every
English word can be covered by those 26
letters you don’t need to go outside of
the alphabet to make an English word cuz
every letter you need is sufficiently
embedded in the
alphabet so I don’t care how scrambled
your life is I don’t care how messed up
your soul is I don’t care how tore up
your situation is I don’t care how bad
your family is I don’t care how deep
your uh addiction is if your life is
scrambled I know somebody that has an
alphabet sufficient to do whatever needs
to be done to take the scramble of your
life and put it in order again and that
occurs when there is a radical return to
the word of
God hallah let’s return to God through
his
word I want you to be seated for a
moment I just want to pray for you as
you take your seats and then we’re going
to close with a benediction as we
dedicate a few of our families their
children to the Lord but Lord starting
with
me and then with us thank you Lord may
we radically return to your
word not just casually return to
it whether it’s reading through the
Bible whether it’s reading a
devotional whether it’s reviewing the
sermon notes but to stay in contact and
then to ask the question what do you
think or what do you say about the
situation I’m in or the challenges I
face I admit we have all fallen
short we’ve all not done it as you’ve
wanted it to be
done Daniel said I and my people have
sinned that’s right and we have a whole
culture that has abandoned
God so Lord here we
are help us all to
[Music]
return in Jesus name amen