Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: EHW
Program Code: EHW000004S
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00:19 Hello.
00:20 I'm Shelley Quinn 00:21 and I welcome you to 00:23 "Exalting His Word". 00:24 Today we'll be addressing 00:25 a very serious problem that 00:27 most of us are facing 00:28 whether we realize it or not. 00:30 And that is... 00:31 an identity crisis . 00:33 We suffer from mistaken identity because 00:35 we don't understand 00:37 God's amazing love for us. 00:39 And we don't recognize 00:41 His plan for our lives. 00:44 If you're joining us for 00:46 the first time today, 00:47 let me explain 00:49 where I got this series title 00:50 "Exalting His Word". 00:52 It comes from Psalms 138:2 00:54 And in that verse it says that 00:58 God, He exalts His name 01:00 and His word above ALL things. 01:02 And He magnifies His word 01:04 even above His name. 01:06 Well what does that mean? 01:08 If we just go right 01:10 straight to the bottom line... 01:12 ...it means that God exalts 01:14 His word over EVERYTHING. 01:16 Nothing is more important 01:18 to God. 01:20 God has promoted His word to 01:21 the highest rank of importance. 01:23 He has assigned His word 01:25 the highest position of praise. 01:28 He exalts His word 01:29 above everything because 01:31 He has empowered His word 01:33 with greater force 01:35 than anything else. 01:36 God has granted creative 01:38 life giving power to His word. 01:40 Power to accomplish all of His will. 01:44 And if God's word is His number one priority, 01:48 what do you think 01:49 our number one priority should be? 01:51 The word of God reveals His plan for lives. 01:56 And it will actually develop His plan in us 01:59 and through us 02:01 because the word contains 02:02 the creative power to transform our lives. 02:05 God declares His word is life to us. 02:11 Let me set the stage for today's teaching. 02:14 Let's consider for just a moment 02:16 the mentality of God's people 02:18 after He delivered them from 02:20 the bondage of slavery in Egypt. 02:22 As God's presence went with them 02:25 through the wilderness 02:27 He performed many miracles on their behalf. 02:29 But no matter how many wonders they witnessed 02:31 they still would not place their 02:34 trust in God's word. 02:35 The Bible says his promises were of 02:37 no benefit to them 02:38 because they wouldn't mix faith 02:41 with His message. 02:42 When they came to the land that 02:44 God had vowed to give them 02:46 they saw the inhabitants of 02:49 the land as GIANTS. 02:50 And they felt in comparison 02:52 like they were mere grasshoppers. 02:54 God's people were literally 02:57 shut out of the Promised Land 02:58 because of their sin of unbelief. 03:00 Their arrogance of doubting God's testimony 03:03 was like a slap in the face of God. 03:07 Their refusal to trust 03:09 and believe Him showed that 03:11 they regarded God as a liar. 03:14 Let me ask you this... 03:16 Are we suffering from 03:17 the same wilderness mentality? 03:20 Like the Israelites 03:21 do we find it difficult 03:23 to accept God's testimony 03:25 about us as His people? 03:26 Do we have the grasshopper identity syndrome? 03:29 That's what we're going to discuss today. 03:31 The identity crisis of God's people. 03:35 Before we begin, 03:37 let's go to the Lord in prayer. 03:39 Father God, 03:41 in the Name of Jesus 03:42 we come to you 03:43 and we ask Father that 03:45 you would send your Holy Spirit 03:46 to be our teacher 03:47 and that you would magnify your word 03:49 in our hearts. 03:50 In Jesus name, amen. 03:52 I'd like to start today with a story 03:55 about a farmer in a banker. 03:56 Two Christian friends 03:58 and while standing in 04:00 his wheat field, 04:02 this farmer 04:03 and his banker, 04:04 were talking about their 04:06 joint Ministry efforts for Christ. 04:07 The banker dressed in a three-piece suit said, 04:11 "I have an anointing from the Lord." 04:13 Now outfitted it in overalls 04:16 the farmer glanced down 04:18 and began digging the toes of his boot 04:20 into the soil 04:22 and he said, 04:23 "Oh Mercy, I love the Lord 04:24 "and I serve Him with all my heart but 04:27 "I wouldn't dare say that 04:29 "I'm anointed." 04:30 Which of these men acted in humility? 04:33 Christ was the anointed one of God 04:36 filled with power from on high. 04:38 Now wasn't the banker boasting 04:41 when he claimed that 04:42 same annoying thing? 04:44 Aren't we naturally drawn 04:45 to simple self abasing 04:47 attitude of the farmer? 04:48 I often use this story in churches 04:51 when I speak to show 04:53 our upside down thinking. 04:55 When I invite audiences to vote for 04:57 the example of true humility 04:59 they almost always 05:01 the majority would choose 05:02 the farmer hands down 05:04 and they dismiss the banker 05:06 as a hypocrite. 05:07 Perhaps because this story reminds us of 05:10 the Pharisee and the tax collector. 05:13 The Bible account of two men 05:15 praying in the temple is given in 05:17 the Gospel of Luke Chapter 18 05:20 And there a pompous Pharisee 05:22 stood praying before the Lord 05:24 and he was thanking God that 05:26 He wasn't like other sinners 05:28 and He began to list his deeds of 05:30 religious performance. 05:32 And his judgmental attitude, 05:34 flowed from a spirit of 05:36 self righteousness 05:38 and it contradicted God's truth. 05:41 We're all sinners 05:42 in need of a Savior. 05:44 And we're all counseled in the Bible 05:46 not to compare ourselves to others. 05:49 Now, on the other hand, 05:52 and in contrast the tax collector 05:54 begged for God's mercy. 05:56 Beating his breast 05:58 and confessing his sins before the Lord. 06:00 And, his act of humility agreed with 06:04 the council of God's word. 06:05 Can we compare the actions of these two men, 06:10 the Pharisee and 06:11 the tax collector to 06:14 the banker and the farmer? 06:16 Yes. 06:17 I think we can. 06:19 But the results might surprise you. 06:20 We must first, 06:22 at God's testimony, 06:23 of who we are in Christ. 06:26 The Bible says... 06:27 [text on screen] 06:51 Now that's God's declaration about 06:54 all who are abiding in Christ. 06:57 Our act of humility 06:59 is to accept God's testimony 07:01 and not depend on our own reasoning. 07:04 The Bible councils us in Proverbs 3:5 07:08 [text on screen] 07:14 If we're not going to lean 07:17 on our own understanding, 07:19 what is it that 07:20 the Lord wants us to lean on? 07:22 His word. 07:23 He wants us to trust His testimony even 07:26 when we don't understand how God is 07:28 going to accomplish all things. 07:30 We must cast down every thought 07:34 and every opinion that 07:36 proudly exalts itself 07:38 above the word of God. 07:40 Our experience may be 07:43 our reality but 07:45 it doesn't make them truth. 07:47 Truth is measured by only one standard. 07:52 The Holy Bible of God. 07:55 You know, 07:56 if the banker 07:57 and the farmer of 07:59 my imaginary scene 08:00 were abiding in Christ, 08:02 guest who the Lord would endorse? 08:03 He would endorse the banker as 08:05 the humble speaking man. 08:07 Why? 08:09 By affirming he had an anointing 08:11 the banker the revealed that 08:14 he believed and humbly accepted 08:17 God's testimony. 08:18 Now while the poor farmer 08:20 thought he was being humble, 08:22 he exalted his own opinion 08:24 over the word of God. 08:26 He spoke either from ignorance 08:29 or from refusal 08:30 to accept 08:32 what the Bible teaches about 08:34 his identity in Christ. 08:36 Our lesson is this; 08:38 Even if we don't feel anointed 08:42 we must accept and agree that 08:45 we are -if that is what God says. 08:48 We can't operate by feelings. 08:51 Feelings are too often 08:54 the defective product of 08:56 warped human reasoning. 08:58 Doubting God's word is 09:00 the very essence of pride. 09:02 And, since the beginning of time 09:04 this has been the devise that Satan has used! 09:08 Doubt and disbelief to trap us in sin. 09:13 Christians are suffering from 09:17 an identity crisis. 09:18 We're walking in error because 09:20 we don't know the scriptures 09:22 or the power of God. 09:24 [Reference on screen] 09:40 I hope that the end of this series 09:42 God will erase our ignorance. 09:45 I pray we will all come to 09:48 a better understanding of His plan 09:50 in our identity in Christ. 09:52 Let's look at a couple of reasons 09:54 we're in this predicament in the first place. 09:58 For some, 10:00 the crisis of identity results from 10:03 a shameful neglect of Bible study. 10:07 We lived in a generation that 10:09 seeks quick escape patches from 10:12 the stresses of our world. 10:14 Entertainment has been 10:17 elevated to idolatry. 10:18 Many sacrifice great chunks of time 10:21 following after this coveted idol. 10:25 And Christians aren't immune to this practice. 10:27 We can make many excuses to 10:30 sit mindlessly in front of 10:31 the television for hours. 10:34 "Oh I need to relax. 10:36 "My families doing it 10:37 "and I want to be with them. 10:39 "I deserve a break". 10:41 It's easy to become satisfied 10:45 with a meager effort in Bible study. 10:49 And let me tell you something, 10:50 apathy is a dangerous heart condition! 10:54 On the other hand, 10:55 there is a second group of us 10:58 who are devoted to Bible study. 11:01 Yet we still walk in 11:02 the darkness of mistaken identity. 11:05 Our hearts don't overflow 11:07 with love, joy, and peace. 11:09 We aren't stirred to activity by 11:11 the zeal of the Holy Spirit. 11:13 We're impotent instead of powerful. 11:16 And we can't figure out why! 11:18 In fearing others would 11:19 judge us harshly we hide our condition! 11:22 What we don't realize is 11:24 the same snare has trapped 11:25 the feet of most Christians. 11:27 In fact, 11:29 countless souls have approached me with 11:30 the tears of this testimony. 11:32 I think that they seem to feel at ease 11:36 in sharing with me 11:38 because... 11:39 -perhaps because I minister by example 11:41 telling of my past mistakes 11:44 and how the Lord has poured to His power unto me 11:48 and brought me out of those. 11:49 Then on the other hand 11:51 maybe they share with me just because 11:52 they know their secret is safe with me! 11:55 Because when I leave 11:56 their secret is stored 11:58 at a safe distance. 11:59 Christians cry out for 12:02 the answer to the crisis of identity. 12:06 Many years ago that was 12:08 my heart cry as well. 12:09 And I asked the Lord to 12:11 help me understand 12:13 and the answer came from 12:15 James 1:21-24 12:18 [Text on screen] 12:51 Here we are told that 12:53 when we read at the word of God 12:57 we see a vision. 12:59 A reflection of who we are in Christ. 13:03 The word reveals a mirrored image 13:05 of our re-created born-again nature. 13:11 We read the wonderful promises 13:12 and observe the image of our new nature. 13:15 But laying our Bibles aside 13:17 we immediately forget what we look like! 13:21 We lose the vision of God's promises to us. 13:24 And without a vision 13:25 the promises perish. 13:27 So we become hearers of the word 13:30 and not doers. 13:31 If you would like to study this 13:33 teaching at your leisure 13:34 you might be interested 13:36 in the upcoming announcement. 13:37 We'll be right back so 13:39 please stay tuned! 13:43 If this dynamic series is making 13:45 a difference in your life, 13:46 then you should know 13:47 about a special study guide 13:49 written by Shelley Quinn. 13:50 Exalting His Word with 13:51 Life Affirmations From Scripture 13:53 is an in depth study of the word of God. 13:57 Please send your love gifts to... 14:14 Jesus said in Luke 11:28 14:15 "Blessed rather are those 14:18 who hear the word of God 14:20 and obey and practice it." 14:22 It's true 14:23 some simply don't put 14:25 God's word into practice 14:26 because it requires effort... 14:28 ...and we're LAZY! 14:29 Still most of us don't walk in God's promises! 14:32 Because we can't wrap our mind 14:35 around the concepts. 14:37 It seems impossible to 14:39 apply such lofty statements 14:42 to ourselves! 14:44 Me!? 14:45 I have been anointing from God? 14:46 Focusing on our weaknesses 14:49 instead of the power of God. 14:51 We struggle with obedience! 14:52 And our Christian experience is lackluster. 14:56 Without joy. 15:00 Void of God's power we slip into 15:02 a performance of external 15:05 religious practices. 15:07 Then guilt and condemnation 15:08 come knocking at the door. 15:10 We stumble. 15:12 We strive to get back up on our feet. 15:14 Tidy our outward appearance 15:16 and we put up a good front 15:19 for others to see! 15:21 No one else seems to be 15:23 suffering from these problems! 15:24 And it's like we go before 15:27 the Lord and we say 15:28 "What's wrong with me Lord? 15:30 "Why do I keep failing you 15:31 "and how can you keep love me 15:33 when I keep failing you?" 15:35 We sometimes feel so unworthy 15:37 to receive God's love. 15:40 Don't we? 15:42 Well set your hearts at rest. 15:45 God demonstrated His amazing love 15:48 by sending Christ to die for you. 15:50 You are worth nothing less 15:54 than what He paid for you. 15:57 You are a special treasure to Him. 16:01 Before you ever knew Him 16:03 God paid your ransom! 16:05 The price to redeem and deliver you 16:08 from the bondage of sin. 16:10 You are worth nothing less than 16:12 the prize He paid for you! 16:15 It cost Him the precious lifeblood of 16:19 His Son Jesus Christ. 16:21 Here's how the apostle Peter said it. 16:24 1 Peter 1:18-19 16:28 [text on screen] 16:47 That's how much you're worth to God. 16:50 You are worth nothing less than 16:52 the price he paid for you. 16:54 If you still feel unworthy 16:57 to receive God's love 16:59 put your memories to rest. 17:01 Is there some sin that 17:03 you've asked God 17:04 to forgive repeatedly 17:06 yet your memory of it just 17:07 keeps coming back to haunt you? 17:09 If you sincerely repented 17:11 and confessed your sin to the Lord 17:13 He forgave you. 17:16 Not only did He forgive you 17:17 He also cleansed your record of all unrighteousness. 17:20 Accept that God's ways are higher than ours. 17:24 Quit trying to limit 17:27 His ability to forgive and forget. 17:29 When God forgives our confessed sins 17:33 He remembers them no more. 17:35 In loving mercy 17:36 the Bible says He removes our sins 17:38 as far as the East is from the West. 17:43 In just a moment 17:44 I'm going to give you a list of 17:45 nine scripture references 17:47 that will help you to belief 17:49 and receive the forgiveness of God. 17:51 I hope you have a pen and paper ready 17:53 to jot down these verses. 17:56 If you know anyone 18:00 or will forgive them 18:02 and they're tormented by a passed sin 18:04 please have these verses ready to share with them. 18:08 Before we put the list on the screen, 18:10 I wanna focus on 18:12 one of the scriptures included in the list 18:14 because it will give us a starting place 18:16 for understanding God's ability 18:18 to forgive 18:20 and forget the sins 18:22 which we sincerely repent 18:23 and seek forgiveness from Him. 18:26 If you have difficulty 18:28 accepting God's testimony 18:30 and His forgiveness, 18:31 consider what the Lord had to say about David 18:34 in I Kings 14:8 18:37 and this He said 18:38 after his death. 18:39 I'll put this on the screen in just a moment 18:42 but for now just listen. 18:43 God instructed the prophet to deliver a message 18:49 to the wicked King Jeroboam. 18:51 And he said to him, 18:53 this is I Kings 14:8 18:57 He said, 18:59 You go tell Jeroboam 19:01 that you have not been 19:03 as my servant David 19:04 who kept all of my commandments 19:07 and did only what was right in my eyes. 19:13 Now remember... 19:15 this scripture was written after David's death. 19:17 And I think that this vividly points out one thing. 19:22 God forgot what David asked Him to forgive. 19:28 You know King David had a heart for God, 19:32 didn't he? 19:33 But he certainly 19:35 and he did evil. 19:36 Then David humbled himself 19:38 and with sincere love for the Lord, 19:41 he repented of his sins. 19:43 The 51st Psalm is 19:45 the tender record of David's plea 19:47 for forgiveness 19:49 and a marvelous lesson in 19:51 the joy of repentance! 19:53 In my Bible I've made a note at Psalms 51 19:57 to refer me to God's account 19:58 in 1 Kings 14:8 of 20:00 David's record after he repented. 20:03 I always want to remember 20:06 the outcome of our confession of sin. 20:10 And that is... 20:11 Hallelujah! 20:13 That God forgets what we ask Him to forgive. 20:17 The message to King Jeroboam 20:20 represented as the very words of God 20:22 causes me to rejoice for another reason! 20:25 If we want proof that 20:27 every word of the Bible 20:28 is divinely inspired, 20:30 I think this is a wonderful example. 20:32 The writer of this account 20:34 must have been inspired by the Holy Spirit. 20:37 Any human agent 20:39 presuming to write for God 20:41 would've recorded something like this... 20:44 "You've not been as my servant David 20:46 "who after he committed adultery 20:48 "and after he was guilty of murder 20:51 "he confessed his sins and repented. 20:54 "But after I forgave him, 20:55 "David did what was right in my eyes 20:59 "for the rest of his life." 21:00 Don't you agree that that's 21:02 the only reasoning a human mind could produce? 21:05 We've been given the ability 21:08 to forgive others by 21:09 the grace of God. 21:11 But, we lack the capacity to wipe away all 21:16 the memory of our acts of forgiveness. 21:17 In fact, we're amazed to think that God does. 21:23 If we come to God, 21:24 with a humble heart and confess our sins, 21:27 not half-heartedly, 21:29 but with sincere repentance 21:31 and if we're ready to turn away from our sins 21:35 we are forgiven. 21:36 The blood of Christ 21:38 cleanses us from all unrighteousness. 21:40 He cancels out and blots out 21:44 our trangressions for His own sake. 21:48 His grace is sufficient to cover 21:51 all of our sins 21:53 and he remembers them no more. 21:55 Now, here is the scriptural evidence 21:57 for the position I take on this matter. 22:00 Let's look at 22:01 these wonderful Bible promises... 22:04 In Ezekiel 18:21-22 22:07 the Lord says, 22:09 [text on screen] 22:24 Then I John 1:7-9 says, 22:27 [text on screen] 22:54 Hebrews 8:10-12 22:56 One of my favorites!... 22:58 [text on screen] 23:30 Ephesians 1:7 23:32 [text on screen] 23:48 And then in II Corinthians 12:9 23:59 Isaiah 43:25 24:02 [text on screen] 24:17 Psalms 103:12 24:20 says... 24:22 [text on screen] 24:33 Isaiah 44:22 24:35 says this... 24:36 [text on screen] 24:49 And this reference we referred to earlier 24:52 I Kings 14:8 24:54 When God was talking about David 24:57 after his death 24:59 and he said to the prophet 25:01 to tell King Jeroboam... 25:03 [text on screen] 25:17 You know, 25:18 I'd like to take just a moment 25:21 and I would like to pray for you. 25:23 Because I believe 25:24 there's some of you out there 25:27 right now 25:28 who have been suffering 25:30 thinking that God could not forgive you. 25:32 And maybe that guilt in condemnation 25:36 has been a wall between you and God. 25:42 I want you now to 25:43 come with me and let's enter boldly 25:47 but humbly into the throne room of God. 25:51 Let's seek the Lord's grace. 25:53 I wanna pray with you. 25:55 Heavenly Father 25:58 right now we come before you 26:00 to lift up Father myself, 26:05 my brothers 26:06 and my sisters. 26:08 And Father God, all those who are suffering. 26:10 Father, those who want to accept your love 26:14 but have felt so unworthy. 26:16 Help them to know Father God 26:18 in the Name of Jesus 26:20 help them to know how much you love them. 26:23 Help them to accept your 26:26 forgiveness, Father. 26:28 I pray that you would lead them 26:29 to Godly sorrow 26:31 and true repentance. 26:32 And Father God, 26:34 in the Name of Jesus 26:35 I pray that your people will understand that 26:37 your power is made perfect in our weakness. 26:43 And by the power of your Holy Spirit 26:44 and the power of your word 26:45 you can transform our lives so that 26:47 we will no longer sin against you. 26:50 We praise and we thank you Father God 26:53 for being such a loving Father. 26:56 We thank you for the privilege 26:57 of being your children 26:59 and calling you Abba. 27:01 In Jesus name, Amen. 27:04 Well, 27:07 we're out of time again. 27:09 I hope that today's study 27:12 has been a great encouragement to you. 27:15 I hope that you are seeing something new 27:21 about God and gaining an understanding 27:24 of the heart of the Heavenly Father 27:26 and His loving plan just a little bit better. 27:30 Please tune in next week 27:32 and we'll continue to 27:33 unveil the identity crisis. 27:35 May God multiply 27:37 His mercy, love, 27:38 and grace to you. 27:39 And may He watch over His word to 27:41 perform it in your life 27:43 as you cooperate with Him. 27:44 I pray that you are being inspired to 27:48 spend more time making that which is 27:51 most important to Him 27:52 the very thing that is also 27:55 most important to you... 27:56 Exalting His Word. |
Revised 2024-11-05