Valley Gospel
A Pentecostal church experience.
Valley Gospel
They Didn't Understand
Is it worth losing friends to follow Jesus Christ wholeheartedly? Tune in to our latest episode as we tackle the daunting challenges Christians face amidst a world increasingly steeped in New Age spirituality and secular ideologies. We promise you'll gain a new perspective on how modern spiritual movements, often rooted in the occult and Eastern mysticism, contrast sharply with the core essence of Christian faith. Discover the inevitable rejection and persecution that accompany a true commitment to Jesus, especially when taking a firm stance on contentious issues like being pro-life.
Why did religious leaders plot to kill Jesus? Because he stood unwaveringly for truth. We dive into how this commitment to truth can sometimes be mistaken for legalism in today's world, leading many Christians to reject it. By citing 2 Thessalonians 2, we emphasize the dire consequences of denying truth due to hidden sins and the comfort found amidst afflictions. Understand how a life fully devoted to Christ can unsettle those clinging to compromise and unbelief, often resulting in rejection from family, friends, and even church members. The path of truth is fraught with spiritual warfare, but it is the only path to true freedom.
What parallels can we draw between the Apostle Paul's rejection and the challenges modern believers face? We explore how Paul's strict teachings on holiness, sin, and the cross led to his ostracism by believers in Asia, contrasting his modest lifestyle with the prosperity gospel's allure. The rise of new teachers like Alexander and Hymenaeus only compounded this rejection, but Paul’s steadfastness serves as a beacon for us today. Despite opposition, there is joy and peace in continually praising God. Celebrate the transformative power of worship and the victory it brings, no matter the trials we face. This episode is a call to stand firm in your faith and experience the profound joy of living a life that honors God.
Thank you, jesus. God will open. He'll open up the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing. My God will open. He'll open up the windows of heaven and He'll pour you out a blessing. My God will open. He'll open up the windows of heaven, he'll pour you out a blessing, and you will not have the room, not because of you, but because he's good, and you will not have the room to receive him.
Speaker 3:Hello Welcome to Valley Gospel Church. We are a non-denominational Pentecostal church located in Springdale, pennsylvania. Hello Welcome to Valley Gospel Church. We are a non-denominational Pentecostal church located in Springdale, pennsylvania. Our sole mission is to present the living truth of a risen Lord Jesus Christ to a remnant church and a lost world.
Speaker 4:Let's get into the service recorded. Live at Valley Gospel Church church. You know there's a word that's been kind of hijacked by a New Age movement, new Age philosophy, and the word is spirituality and the New Age spirituals that they call themselves, that they call themselves, they're rooted in the occult and Eastern mysticism and if you're aware of some of that philosophy, it's soaking prayer and it's infiltrated. The church, I guess, is the point that I'm trying to make. Soaking prayer, gazing, visualization, those type of things. Soaking prayer, gazing visualization, those type of things. And you've probably heard of some of the pretty prominent teachers, such as well, back in its inception, dale Carnegie, how to win friends and influence people, tim Robbins, deepak Chopra, l Ron Hubbard you ever heard any of those? Eric Eckert, toll, oprah Winfrey, norman Vincent Peale, power of Positive Thinking.
Speaker 4:It's interesting when I was at Carnegie Mellon I was on the negotiating team that negotiated contracts for the workers there and you know there was months-long battle between 2% raise and a 3% raise and we finally won out and got the 2% and kept it down. And then we went out and hired Dale Carnegie at $148,000 to bring him in and calm everything down, get everybody back on the same page. You know, it would have cost you a fraction of that if you had just given the 1%. I never understood that. What I have to share with you this morning isn't how to win friends and influence people, it's how to lose friends and be rejected by the world's people. That's the message today how to lose friends and be rejected by the world. And the way to do that is to go all in for Jesus Christ. It's kind of been the theme of what's happening today. I heard when Colette said that between songs it was like all right, here we go, that between songs it was like all right, here we go. And by that I mean is to get spiritual, about spiritual matters, digging deep for truth, forsaking all the popular idols, and turn to the Lord with all our hearts, soul and mind, forsaking that liberal mantra that's pounded into us day after day of our time everything is right as long as you believe it is. Forsake that and become possessed by Jesus. Chrissy, let's go to work.
Speaker 4:See, when we get our eyes off the things of this world and onto Jesus and I'm sure some of you will relate to this we're immediately called religious fanatics or extremists. You know, our politicians would label us now as hate groups and that's all fine. But sadly, those same things are being applied to us by the church today, and this may not be news to some of you. But when we completely sell out to Christ, when we completely go all in, be prepared for the greatest rejection, avoidance, snubbing that you have experienced in your life, when you fully commit to God. See, when we're lukewarm, when you and I as Christians are lukewarm, when we can say things like yeah, I'm a Christian but I'm a pro-choice Christian. There is no such thing. Yeah, I'm a Christian but I'm a pro-choice Christian. There is no such thing. Not because I said it, not because we preach that, because the Bible says so. You cannot be a Christian and be pro-choice. It's a misnomer, it doesn't fit.
Speaker 4:If you believe this word, if you believe this is God's word, now if you believe this is a storybook, you're kind of in trouble anyway. And when we're in that lukewarm condition, sort of believing, maybe we go to church, maybe we mention Jesus' name occasionally, but we present no trouble. We present no trouble to anyone, especially the devil. There's no resistance there. Things are peaceful. Everyone likes you, hallelujah. Well, most people like you. You're accepted. You're Most people like you. You're accepted, you're members of the club, hallelujah. But if you've changed, if there's been a change, if you're hungry for God, if you were convicted by the Holy Spirit, if you quit playing church, down came the idols and you began going deep in God's word and he's revealing truths to you that you have never seen before Hallelujah Then rejection is in your future. So, if you have your Bibles, turn with me please to the book of Acts, acts 7. Acts 7, beginning with the 23rd verse, and I'll ask whenever you get there, would you please stand for the reading of God's word? Acts 7, 23 through 25.
Speaker 5:And when he was full 40 years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel, and seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him and avenged him. Who was oppressed and smote the Egyptian. For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his would deliver them. But they understood not.
Speaker 4:Now use those final words for a subject this morning they understood not. Let's pray, heavenly Father. Thank you, lord. Thank you for this New Testament glimpse of an Old Testament truth, lord, that whereby you reveal our standing not only in the body today, lord, but in you, in Christ. Lord, I ask you to let this word this morning be a lamp unto our feet, a light to our path. It is in the name of your precious, beloved august, all-powerful, soon-coming Son, we pray. Amen and and amen, please be seated.
Speaker 4:That revelation in the book of Acts is talking about Moses. Moses was anointed of God and instructed by him to do something about the bondage that his people were in, and Moses is completely blown away by God's calling on his life. He's so excited that he needs to go and tell somebody. He has to tell someone what's going on, and he goes to his own people who are supposed to believe, just like he does George, just like he does. They're supposed to believe, so certainly they'll accept this message. Those that he think he believes, share his faith, that embrace his zeal, he believes, share his faith, that embrace his zeal, those that say every Sunday or, in their case, saturday, that they love God, and he wants them to hear and to see and to be involved in this revelation that God has called them to, much like the church is supposed to do, the local church is supposed to do every Sunday morning. But instead his brethren, those who were supposed to be like-minded, like, spiritualized and he assumed they would accept him with open arms. But instead they say and who made you the big church sheriff? They reject his message and say who do you think you are? Maybe you've experienced that Family friends, you're hearing from God. You're seeing things, people on the job, having your eyes opened and you just want to share. You just want to share what God's doing, the presence of God Just, oh my, you should have seen what happened last Sunday. Holy Spirit moved things and you're pointing out deep spiritual truths. You're relating, perhaps a move of the Holy Ghost and crickets, crickets, and, if you bring it up in church, well, pastor's too busy talking about raising money, bake sales, fundraising, chewing gum under the pews. You thought they'd see it too. You thought they'd get it. God put that in your heart and you thought they'd get it and they'd understand it. But your brothers are talking about good looking women and the sisters are talking about fashion and style. And look, I'm not saying that we shouldn't talk about other things baseball, fishing, whatever it might be but spiritual times are for spiritual matters, hallelujah.
Speaker 4:But they say you've gone overboard, you've gone a little too far, too heavy for me, too deep. The more you seek God, the deeper you go, the less you see of your brothers and sisters. They start holding back, they don't really. When they see you coming, they kind of duck around the corner, the less they want to see of you. And if that's happened To you, you're not alone. And what I am To share with you today Is what you can expect when you go, go way deep.
Speaker 4:I got a text this week that said how deep does God want us to go? And I responded with two words way deep, way deep. And when you go way deep, you will be rejected, you will be cast out, you will be punished as far as they see punishment. And I know that's hard, but it's truth. And Jesus gives us this warning in John, john 15. John 15. John 15 and 19,. Just a single word, a single verse. And if you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. Therefore, the world hates you, hates you, and that's hard. We want to straddle this fence, this line where we can still be friends with the world and we can still say well, I accept some of that, yeah, I'm not all the way in and you can't. We can't not if we're going deeper with God.
Speaker 4:A believer who is moving toward truth, toward revelation, toward discernment. You know, we want God to use us in a supernatural way, whether it be in discernment or wisdom or one of the gifts of the Spirit. We want that, but we're unwilling to cross over. We want to keep one foot over here, just in case this doesn't pan out. If we want those things, if we sell out to God, we will be rejected by the world and persecuted by a lukewarm church. I told you I used to be able to say I have maybe this many pastor friends. We're down to that. I have been rejected by the church world because of what I preach Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Speaker 4:Jesus had many Jewish followers who came along when he started to preach and they could sense the anointing and what was happening. They were yeah, jesus, you preach it, brother, you preach it, you bring it. Good word, rabbi. Nice miracle. They loved him when he was feeding 5,000 or healing the sick or raising the dead, but when he started to declare their sin, when he started pointing out that he fulfilled the prophecies, when he walked into that synagogue early on a saturday morning, read from the book of isaiah and told all the preachers there today, today, this has been glory. This has been brought about in your ears by you seeing me here, this what I just read the prophetic words of Isaiah have been realized and the crowd began to forsake him. They began to walk away. Too harsh, too demanding. He asked too much, began to forsake him. They began to walk away. Too harsh, too demanding, he asked too much. Hmm, this is getting too close to meddling. Oh, he's too supernatural. We have to work it ourselves. We have to do these through mitzvahs, and throwing the vendors out of the temple might have been the. That might have been the real turning point. They crossed the line. They crossed the line of church etiquette. They went too far. It so much reminds me of today's church. They sell everything, selling everything MasterCard, visa, slide cards Don't even have to go into the church. You can slide your card outside. We don't care if you're here or not, as long as we get the deposit. Jesus then asked his disciples when people started to walk away, he asked them so you're going to forsake me too.
Speaker 4:And I love Peter's words. They're kind of pointed, they're two-edged, because he starts out with where are we going to go out with? Where are we going to go? You know, you can kind of read into that that Peter's like like we're, we can't go back to work now. Nobody will hire us, nobody will give us a job, nobody will buy our fish, nobody's going to do anything with us because we're tainted. That's part of the point. And the other part of Peter's words are where would we go? You have the words to eternal life, my, my, no, we will not turn away. We will not turn away. We'll stay with you, even though it's too hard for most, too demanding for the many that said they'd stay with him, no matter the cost.
Speaker 4:Let me ask you a really hard question when it gets hard, will we quit? Will we turn away? When government starts really cracking down, or when Islam grows exponentially and says you have to have a Koran beside the Bible, will we back away when it starts to affect our pocketbook, when they start to shut off your paycheck, your social security? Will we back away? That's the issue that we face as Christians In these times. In these times, will we turn toward the truth, even if it convicts as I heard a couple of folks, I think, this morning even if it stings a little bit, even if it stings a lot, or the truth that points a finger at our hidden sin? I'm not going back there anymore.
Speaker 4:I can't tell you the number of times I have been accused of knowing something about somebody's life and bringing it over the pulpit and they quit, walked away, not going there. He knows all about me. Number one I would I preach only from here, only from here, and if it stings, talk to my boss, Knocked on my boss. Or the truth that demands a stand against evil and against Satan, whether it's in government or in the voting booth, that demands a stand against evil. Truth that knocks down our idols and demands we turn away from the world, get our eyes off materialism and bigger and better and more. Will we allow the Holy Spirit to correct us when we've gotten a little off course, when the one wheel goes just in the gravel over here? Will we allow him to correct us and bring us back? Will we allow him to sift us, to expose us for the greater good, to strip us, pardon me, to strip us naked of all our desires, our lusts, our wants? Because the truth sets free. The truth sets free, free from dead preaching, free from dead ministers, free from religious tradition, free from the doctrines of demons. Free, free, indeed, the Bible says Truth exposes hidden things, hidden things.
Speaker 4:The religious leaders sought to kill Jesus because he spoke truth. Because he spoke truth, he told them they didn't hear the truth of God because they were not of God. That's pretty rough In my mind. That's no way to build a congregation. You don't hear the truth because you're not of God. So if the truth sets free, but we don't know the truth, we don't know it intimately, can we expect to be free? In other words, the church today is expecting God to throw us a bone because we're trying. We show up. Throw us a bone, we try to be good.
Speaker 4:So many modern Christians reject the truth, saying that it's legalism or it's organized religion, or too strict or too many rules. I don't like rules. Hear that all the time, or this is the greatest one. God is love. God is love. There shouldn't be any correction. No preaching on sin or hell, because God is love. That's popular teaching. But you know what we need to start with the truth. Love the truth, love the truth If you really want to see that God is love. Love his truth.
Speaker 4:The Bible says believers don't love truth because of secret sin, secret sin, pet sins, unwilling to give up things that hold us outside the complete and total will of God. Where does it say that, pastor, I'll show you. 2 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians 2. Now this is when you use bobby pins that you found on the floor for little page breaks. I like that, though. It worked good. I like that word good.
Speaker 4:2 Thessalonians 2 and 8. And then shall the wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming, even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, all powers and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send a strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned, who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. He's speaking of compromised Christians caught in a horrible deception, christ-invited Christians caught in a horrible deception, just like the Jews in Jesus' day, thinking that they saw, clearly, believing they were followers of God, doing what God called them to do, but they rejected the truth because of a deep inner secret. Now, whether that was because of the church leaders at the time who needed to make a living, who had people who depended on them, who had to keep a temple up and operational, all these things and some was pleasure, some was lust, priests that took their living from the offering, all kind of things. Certainly it was their means of growing rich.
Speaker 4:Some idols, some even with an affliction that we've grown comfortable with, an affliction that kind of brings us notoriety. I know you're thinking that's crazy, but there's so many. I'm happy in my affliction because people see me, people notice me. Oh, he's the one with the, she's the, you know, oh, poor baby. And we grow comfortable. That affliction becomes part of us, part of who we are. It's how we attain things.
Speaker 4:Now, those who reject you because you're sold out, they've forsaken you because of the truth that you've embraced. And look, our enemy, our adversary, isn't afraid of lies, he isn't afraid of the newest doctrine. He isn't afraid of the newest church teaching or new age philosophy, not afraid of meditations or soaking prayer, but he is afraid of truth. He is afraid of truth. And you know, sometimes friends, family, brothers, sisters, even your children, even your church, reject you because they have reason. How could they have reason? You've become a threat when you're sold out. You've become a threat to your brother, your sister, your uncle, your dad. You've become a threat to your brother, your sister, your uncle, your dad. You've become a threat to something that they hold dear, something that's important, and I don't want to hear you start to tell me about my indiscretion. In fact, your life in the Spirit, your life in Christ, is a direct rebuke to their compromise and unbelief. I pray you're following. We good If this is ministering to you, but it's not very pleasant and that's why I'm not sure by the faces, I'm not sure what I'm getting. Either we're missing it or this just isn't pleasant and that's okay. Unpleasant is okay If this isn't very pleasant, but you're getting it, you're in good company, you're in really good company.
Speaker 4:Paul said the believers in Asia turned away from him. They didn't like Paul's harsh message. They didn't like his stance on holiness. They didn't like his stance on holiness. They didn't like his teaching on sin. They didn't like his view of the cross.
Speaker 4:There was a new teacher in town and Alexander, along with Hymenaeus these were a couple of preachers that were teaching prosperity and a fleshly gospel, and a people-pleasing gospel. Paul turned them over to Satan, named them by name, forever. This is forever. This isn't in some inarticulate book stashed away in a file cabinet. Forever their names are mentioned that he turned them over to Satan because they were destroying the faith of the people. Those were his words. You see.
Speaker 4:They saw Alexander and Hymenaeus. They saw Paul as a bad example and they didn't really like him. Couldn't really dispute the truth that he was bringing, but they didn't like him. He was loud, he was brash, he was a bad example of prosperity and Paul did time. Paul did time. Paul did time. In fact, he was in prison a couple of times. My my, he had some physical problems that didn't work out with the prosperity movement that they were preaching. You know Paul would be a he should be a poster child of healing and he wasn't. If you read about his history it said that. You know he had a crooked eye, he had a hooked nose. He had a big hump on his back, not very attractive. They were ashamed of Paul. They were ashamed of him.
Speaker 4:Today, those in the prosperity movement reject those that live modestly. They reject those that don't fly their own jet or have that's how they compare things or big, oblique temples of worship or have some affliction or some tribulation in their life. And Jesus said don't be surprised when they reject you because they rejected me. They rejected me. They don't know me. They rejected me. They don't know me. They don't. That's not good English. They don't know me. They don't know me. They don't know my father, john 9. John 9. John 9 and 34. And I'll kind of hopefully bring this home here. They answered and said unto him Thou wast altogether born in sin and dost thou teach us. And they cast him out. In other words, you were a sinner. You come in here and start to talk to us about sin. No, that's not going to fly. And they threw him out of the church.
Speaker 4:I believe this once blind man represents the remnant church. This once unbelieving man believers like are gathered here this morning. The remnant, how many of you know, the remnant is the end times believer who are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who love Jesus and love life, hallelujah, and take every opportunity to share this gospel Glory. You know so many of you have believed for a long while but maybe in the last year or two you've kind of had your eyes opened, you found your vision, if you will. You're seeing new things. You're seeing exciting things. God's filling not only your heart but your mouth and your spirit to share truth. The Lord is telling you to testify, but when you do, george, you're rejected. Tired of hearing about your heart, tired of hearing about your wife, tired. Amen. Be prepared to bear the reproach of Christ, because if they reproached him, they'll reproach you because you were crucified with him when you died to yourself. Look, in truth, when godly believers I love that term cast out, when godly believers are cast out, it's a blessing of God. It really is.
Speaker 4:There was a man who came to a few services earlier this year, I think, or maybe late last year, and he told me how powerful he thought the worship was, that he thought the, the message was anointed and he could see the move of the Spirit going on in church. And he lamented to me personally that his church rejected any move of the Spirit and that his church was dead or dying and it seemed like it was growing smaller by the week. And it's the next statement that threw me, because he said I'm not leaving because I'm there to change things Maybe, but it was more likely. Something else was holding him Tradition, maybe friends, maybe religious comfort. Nobody was going to call on, nobody was going to ask you to do anything, nobody was going to say hey, will you? Nobody was going to say hey, will you. Maybe it was you liked the pastor, or there was plenty of parking or lots for the kids to do.
Speaker 4:Isaiah said they will not change, they will not believe. Jesus said I work a work that they can't accept. You know, if we're in fellowship, church, bible study, whatever, wherever we are, wherever we go, if we're in fellowship and you've heard truth but you turned away, you can't hang out there. You can't hang out where the truth is absent out there. You can't hang out where the truth is absent Because a lack of power, no, godly presence. Listen, I've been in churches. Nothing's going to change. Nothing's going to change. You know what's the only thing that's going to change you? You're going to accept what they're saying.
Speaker 4:A man gave me a phrase a long time ago. He said it's easier to pull someone off the table than to pull someone up on the table, and that's absolutely true Made no sense to me at the time. But who wants to get on the table? I didn't, I didn't. And what fellowship hath light to do with darkness? We'll be the ones that are rejected, ridiculed and stoned, and that's where I'm going to close Acts 7. Acts 7. I just want to show you this and we'll stop Acts 7 and 54. How are we doing on time, donna? Oh, I can drone on. Then Acts 7 and 54.
Speaker 4:And when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God and saidly into heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God and said behold, I see the heavens open and the son of man standing on the right hand of God. When they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord and cast him out of the city and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet whose name was Saul. Kind of interesting here that we're bringing Stephen into this and we've been quoting the apostle Paul for most of this message. Stephen was a man sold out to Jesus. His eyes were fixed on the Lord, but he was stoned and killed by the religious council. Really important stuff here. What did this righteous, god-fearing man, what did he do? That was so appalling, so dangerous that caused an entire church council to come out and kill him. What did he do? Wow, you know what he did, barbie. He spoke the truth. He spoke truth, told them they resisted the Holy Ghost, that they knew the law but they didn't keep it, that they were clinging to greed and lust. All right, now I'm kind of I can see why they'd be a little mad. They were clinging to their idolatry. They crucified Christ idolatry. They crucified Christ and it was Stephen who was rejected and stoned. They killed Jesus. Stephen is rejected and killed with stones and I know I won't go over all that and killed with stones, and I know I won't go over all that, but the nuts and bolts of stoning is too hard to even fathom.
Speaker 4:A few preachers today are like Stephen, that they have a clear vision of Jesus and are preaching a true word, a cultured word of truth. The true word evokes the wrath of religion. A true word revokes the wrath of the Laodicean church. I know I evoke some wrath. I evoke some wrath. Those whose heart has been captured by an idol, a lust, an unbelief, growing a work of don't even use the word work, growing an edifice. The true word grates on them. They fight the truth because they fight God. They attack the preacher, they attack the established church, they attack, in some cases, the denomination.
Speaker 4:So, listen, if you're walking in truth, if you're believing the uncompromised word of God, how do we respond to, maybe, what you're feeling a little bit now, but you will be feeling in in great amounts soon? How should we respond to those who reject or come against you? Well, jesus responded like a lamb. Didn't call fire down from heaven, I would have being reviled. We're called to bless being used. We're to pray being persecuted. Suck it up. I know that's not easy to hear. It's even harder to do. But what is the reward for reacting in a biblical manner? Well, let's look at Stephen for just a minute Now. That's a pretty hard test about Stephen getting stoned and his reaction to the people who were actually doing the stoning, to the people who were actually killing him. And before we explore that reaction, I'll just mention something.
Speaker 4:I've heard it relayed that Stephen went through way more than Jesus did. I've heard it taught A more painful and gruesome death than Jesus did being stoned, pardon my language being stoned by a bunch of candy-armed Jews, possibly for a very long time before he died. And you read in that last little Acts verse that they may have actually bitten him. They actually were gnawing on him with their teeth. Well, I'll admit that was pretty gruesome. It's not even close to what Jesus suffered. Not even close.
Speaker 4:Firstly, jesus was tortured for days and then hung on the cross for six hours without any benefit of the Holy Spirit, without the presence of his dad with him that he had been abandoned. In his final hours Jesus carried the sin of all mankind. So before you start throwing those terms around about physicality and death, think about that. 55. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. Stephen, at the outset of his murder, was seized by heaven At the outset. Before they threw one stone, heaven grabbed him, hallelujah. He was stoned. He found himself encompassed not only by angels but by the glory of God and as he saw Jesus rise to greet him personally, my and was actually in a place call that of high worship. Personally, my and was actually in a place, colette of high worship, in a place of high worship, on his knees, showing no threat, no malice.
Speaker 4:When you and I react to those that revile us and persecute us because we sold out to Jesus, just like Stephen did and this is the point of the whole message I know I went a long way around You'll find yourself in the presence of God. We get in trouble when we. This is where it's painful when we're doing this. This is where it hurts when we're doing this. This is where it hurts when you completely sell out to him, like Stephen did. You'll find he's standing with you, he's standing beside you, he's standing by you in every situation that you might face. Let's close with a song, a promise too. Promise. We're gonna finish the promises, not this week, next week.
Speaker 4:121st Psalm, my. And here we see that, using the same word of going out, cast out, thrown out, I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills. From whence cometh my help? My help cometh from the Lord, which make heaven and earth. He will not suffer my foot to be moved. He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper. The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil. He shall preserve thy soul. All evil, he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy. Going out and thou coming in, from this time forth and even forevermore.
Speaker 4:Going out is synonymous for failure, out of his will, being cast out of his holiness, away from his teaching, and even, to some extent, we've all been there. We've all been there, even if it was just a short time. Maybe the best word is prodigal, prodigal, but when you're committed, jesus is always standing by, he's always standing with you. The Holy Ghost convicts, he cajoles, he ministers, and even if we do sin, even if we fall short and we will, we will. We grieve over that sin and we cry for deliverance. And even at our weakest moment, we still feel his love, we still feel his companionship, his nurture. We still receive his mercy and like the prodigal, like the prodigal, dad welcomes you with neck kisses. My dad welcomes you with neck kisses. My, that's the reward. That's the reward. He meets you out in the field, hugs your neck. He's always there, and that's something that lukewarm believers just don't understand. Thank you for listening.
Speaker 5:Thank you for listening to this week's podcast. We pray it was an encouragement and a blessing to you. You can contact us at Valley Gospel Church, 1069 Butler Logan Road, Springdale, Pennsylvania, 15144. We invite you to listen to this week's worship service that follows and tune in for next week's podcast of my heart where the song of thanksgiving starts.
Speaker 1:Because of all of your goodness and the joy that you give, I will let my song fill the air. Yes, I'll sing it everywhere. Lord, my praise will crescendo Everywhere, lord my praise will crescendo Every day that I live.
Speaker 1:I love to sing your praise, lord. I love the sound of your name. Yes, we do. Yes, it fills me with peace, washes over me like a sweet, gentle rain. I love to sing your praise, lord. It brings the victory, no matter what I face, through all of my days. I love to sing your praise. I love to sing your praise, lord. I just love your name. Yes, it fills me with peace. It washes over me Like a sweet, gentle rain. I love to sing your praise, lord. It brings me victory, no matter what I face, through all of my days.
Speaker 1:I love to sing your praise. Yes, lord, holy, holy. Sing it now. Holy, holy God almighty Emmanuel. Sing it again. Holy, holy, holy. God Almighty Emmanuel. Sing it again. Holy, holy, holy, holy. God Almighty Emmanuel. Sing it directly to Him. Holy God Almighty Emmanuel. Sing it directly to Him. Holy, holy, holy, holy. God Almighty Emmanuel, emmanuel. I love to sing your praise, lord. I just love your name. Yes, it fills me with peace, washes over me Like a sweet, gentle rain. I love to sing your praise, lord. It brings me victory, no matter what I face, through all of my days. I love to sing your praise.