Valley Gospel
A Pentecostal church experience.
Valley Gospel
Create in Me a Clean Heart
What happens when we fully embrace the power Jesus promised to His followers? This powerful message, brought to us by Theodore Gardner, challenges our modern understanding of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.
The early apostles performed extraordinary miracles after Christ's resurrection - commanding the lame to walk, healing the sick, and carrying such spiritual authority that people believed even Peter's shadow could heal them. These weren't anomalies but the expected outcome of Jesus' promise that believers would do "even greater things" than He did.
The key transformation was moving from "God with us" (Emmanuel) to "God in us" through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Yet today's church often rushes past Jesus' command to "wait" for this empowerment, creating a customized Christianity that accepts some spiritual gifts while rejecting others. This selective approach amounts to quenching the Spirit - potentially even blasphemy by denying His full operation in our lives.
Most challenging is the revelation that we weren't simply called to be saved; we were called to serve. Without fully walking in the Holy Spirit, we cannot fulfill our divine purpose. This explains why we don't see the explosive church growth of Acts - we've compromised the spiritual power they embraced.
The path forward requires sincere repentance: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." It's time to stop playing church games and start walking in the fullness of what Christ promised - the indwelling power of God Himself through His Holy Spirit.
But not because of you, but because he is good and you will not have room to receive Him. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, Woo.
Speaker 2: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. So let's go into the service recorded live at Valley Gospel Church.
Speaker 3:It's good to see everybody here, georgia, great to see you, georgia, and everyone else too, georgia, and everyone else too. All right, before I do my best to turn this over to the Holy Spirit, I just want to remind everyone here that Valley Gospel Church. We're a full gospel church here and our tenets of faith require us, whether you're preaching or teaching, you have to use the whole gospel in spirit and in truth. Amen, from the virgin birth all the way to the events that happened after the resurrection up to the crucifixion after the resurrection. We follow all of that. Amen, carla, would you pray us in please? Amen, carla, would you pray a sin please? Normally we would ask you to stand for the scripture reading, but there's so much of it today that I'm going to just have you stay seated. But you can honor God if you want, by following along. Amen, amen. The message today really doesn't start at the beginning, like the birth of Christ or his ministry, but rather at the events that happened after the resurrection. Amen, and I'm going to start. I'm going to be in the book of Acts, chapter 3, 1 through 7, if you'd like to follow along.
Speaker 3:One day, peter and John were going to the temple at the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. And now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate, called beautiful, where he put every day. He was put there every day to beg from those going into the temple courts and he saw peter and john about to enter and he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said look at us. So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. And Peter said silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up and instantly the man's feet and ankles become strong. Acts chapter 14, 8 through 10.
Speaker 3:In Lystra there was a man who sat and was lame. He had been that way from birth and never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out stand up on your feet. At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. And the last one is Acts 6, 8-10. Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the synagogue of the freedmen, as it was called, jews of Cyrene and Alexandria, as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia, who began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
Speaker 3:I said in the beginning that we have studied the full gospel, but suppose that you had never read anything before the crucifixion and resurrection. What if you were brought into the church and started with the book of Acts? How could you believe any of this? That these people, these men and women of God, having the ability to go out and to do such things as boldly tell someone to get up and walk who's never walked in their lives? How could you believe this? And not only did they just command them to get up and walk, they already knew something within themselves that this was going to happen. They did this with expectations. They already knew, before they even said it, that this is what was going to happen. This was such a strong move of God that not only did those that were following Christ believe that this was going to happen, but, because of the events that were taking place, even non-believers started to believe in this. I don't know if they were believing in the Son of God, but they couldn't help but believe what they were seeing with their own eyes In Acts 5, 12 through 16.
Speaker 3:The apostles performed many miracles, signs and wonders among the people. All the believers used to meet together at Solomon's colonnade. No one else dared to join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. No one else dared to join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought their sick into the streets and laid them on the beds and mats, so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem.
Speaker 3:Were they looking for a savior? Were they looking for Jesus Christ? Or did word just get out that there's a possibility that a shadow could fall on you and heal you? I would love to have been at that event. I might have went out there and laid down myself with my knees and let Peter come in To believe that the shadow of an apostle or a man or woman of God could do this. Where have those days gone when you can just believe. I mean, they believed strong enough. Tell you how strong they believed. They believed enough to go and tear the roof off some man's house so they could lower down a paralyzed man in front of Jesus. Amen, you're going to tear the roof off my house to let a man down in front of Jesus. And that was in Mark 2, 1 through 12. I'm going to read it A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.
Speaker 3:They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came bringing him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them, and since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and lowering the mat down that the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man son, your sins are forgiven. Now some teachers of the law were sitting there thinking to themselves why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming. Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming. Who can forgive sins? But God alone?
Speaker 3:Immediately, jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts. And he said to them why are you thinking these things? Which is easier to say to this paralyzed man your sins are forgiven, or to say get up, take your mat and walk. But I want you to know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins. So he said to the man I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home. He got up, took his mat, walked out in full view of them all, and this amazed everyone and they praise God, saying we have never seen anything like this. Amen, this caused such an opposition to Jesus. When you start forgiving sins and sort of it's all right to go along with healing people or your shadow fall in on somebody, but you say your sins are forgiven. Only God has the right to forgive sins, jesus says you're right. You're right about this. But the opposition started to grow and time started to move a little more quickly here. Jesus knew now that he had been fully opened himself up to this opposition, the modern day church. He knew what he was going to be walking into. You know, he could have walked around and said get up and walk all day long and nobody would have said something to him. But he said your sins be forgiven. And that stoked the fire. He knew it was coming now, so he started to move quicker. Matthew 10 1-8.
Speaker 3:Jesus called 12 disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles First, simon, who was called Peter, his brother Andrew, james, the son of Zebedee and his brother, john Philip and Bartholomew. Thomas, matthew, the tax collector. James, the son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus, simon, the zealot. And Judas, iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve, jesus sent out with the following instructions Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of Samaritan. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel and, as you go, proclaim this message the kingdom of heaven has come near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those that have leprosy, drive out demons Freely. You have received, freely, give. Now it all begins now.
Speaker 3:I don't think that we realize that the ministry of Jesus. Listen to this. Three years, right, jesus' ministry. He starts his ministry and three years later he's preparing to leave. Amen. That's like saying that you graduated school in the third grade and now you're ready to enter into the world. That's amazing. Three years of school and you're ready to enter the world. That's impossible. But only God could make a move like this. That could happen. Jesus knows what's coming.
Speaker 3:I want to read in John 14, 11-12. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father. The Father is in me, or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Verily, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. He tells them it's time for me to go, but I'm leaving you with this. We can see his time for leaving is coming. He's had his disciples, he was teaching them, he was training them, sending them out to do these things, and now it was time for him to go.
Speaker 3:Three years, did he accomplish what he set out to do? Was this enough? Did he have enough time to get them ready? I believe that's why the Holy Spirit had me read the book of Acts first, so you'll know that, yes, he accomplished what he set out to do. Remember Peter and Paul, stephen and the other apostles but that's why I started what I called and the other apostles. But that's why I started what I called the end before the beginning, amen. But the truth is Spirit and truth that there is no end, it's all a beginning. It's all a beginning. The beginning of Jesus being born, crucifixion and resurrection, the beginning of the apostles going out into the world. No end, there's no end there. But I do want you to see that there's a gospel of Jesus Christ before the crucifixion and resurrection, but then a gospel of Jesus Christ that happens after the resurrection. It's another beginning. It's a new beginning. It's a new beginning. We go from a time of God with us Emmanuel that's what it means, god with us to a time of God in us. Amen. I want to read Acts 1-3 and 5.
Speaker 3:After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days, spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about, for John baptized with water. But in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. So we have a gospel free crucifixion and resurrection, then we have a new one beginning. But we also know that there was a time, a waiting period, there was a lapse. He said don't do anything, right? He said don't do anything, right. He said don't do anything, but wait. Wait in the upper room. The time for transition, the time to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. He said wait in your upper room until you receive power from up above.
Speaker 3:Modern day believers and teachers and preachers don't want to wait. They probably don't even have an upper room, Valley Gospel Church, just right here. This is our upper room. If you're new to the gospel of Jesus Christ, if you haven't learned His precepts, his principles, his things for you to do yet, if you haven't heard the hope that we have in Christ, if you haven't heard for forgiveness of your sins, that there's nothing that you've done that can't be forgiven, that if you'll just stay in this upper room and wait, you'll receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You'll get that power from up above. Maybe your shadow can fall on somebody, john, amen.
Speaker 3:But the modern day church they start a lot of times. They'll start their ministry like in Romans and I'm not putting down the book of Romans but they'll say just confess with your mouth and you shall be saved. Just say a few lines of confession without any repentance, and you'll be saved. They'll assure the people of eternal life. But is this the gospel that you've been taught so far? Is this it? That's not the full gospel of Jesus Christ that's coming into Romans and giving people salvation, and they don't have the authority to do that. Only Christ had the authority to give the power to the disciples to go out, and even go out two by two. Amen.
Speaker 3:But if you haven't been taught, if you haven't been trained, if you haven't taken time to wait, if you haven't received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, then how can the Spirit of God lead you on a journey through Christ to the kingdom of God? He can't. So the Holy Spirit, you know what? Is it, some little friend of yours, that nudges you along to do the right thing? I feel as though we missed one of the greatest events in history. The first we know is Jesus Christ. That's the greatest event, amen. But the second is like an untoward, and it was the coming of the Holy Spirit into our body, the baptism.
Speaker 3:We say the baptism of the Holy Spirit. What you're really saying is the baptism of God, one-third of the Trinity, coming to live in you. The baptism of God, not the baptism of some spirit, because you minimize. When you say spirit, we don't even say Holy Ghost anymore, we say it's just some spirit, just some influence, it's the baptism of God within you. How do you comprehend that? I don't even think we have comprehended that, or else Ed wouldn't be bent over and you wouldn't be sick, and the rest of us that need help from the Lord, if we truly believe that.
Speaker 3:I mean, I can't say what the will of God is and everything, but I'll tell you this much Sometimes and this is me, don't confuse it I believe this that when you say if it's the will of God, I'll heal her, and God will say if it's your will, I'll allow you to do it. Is it your will? Do you believe that you can do this? Jesus went to be with the Father and he sits at his right hand and says you're going to do greater things than I did. What do you want? Do you want him here? Because God will say I don't mind, don't keep asking me if it's my will, but I want to know is it your will to do the works of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost. What do you want? The modern day church? Well, I'm going to read this first, because you might need to hear this About the gifts of the spirit.
Speaker 3:My brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or another, you were influenced and led astray by mute idols. Therefore, I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says Jesus be cursed and no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but all of them and everyone it is in the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but all of them and everyone it is in the same God at work.
Speaker 3:Now, to each other, to each one, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one, there is given, through the Spirit, a message of wisdom, another a message of knowledge, by means of the same Spirit To another. Faith by the same spirit To another. Faith by the same spirit To another. Gifts of healing by that one spirit To another, miraculous powers To another, prophecy To another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, speaking in different kinds of tongues, and still to another the interpretations of tongues. All of these the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them or determines them to each one just as he wants the modern day church.
Speaker 3:Today you'll see the evidence of some of these things. There'll be preachers who seem to know something. There'll be teachers. There'll be people who seem to have a spirit that can discern things. They've chosen these gifts of their own Holy Spirit.
Speaker 3:Didn't say I think you need the gift of preaching or prophecy. No, they're like a shopping list at a Walmart these I like, but the speaking in tongues, that's not for me. You've decided that Interpreting tongues I could never do that Healing Me. So you've picked and you've chosen. How is that not quenching the spirit of God? How is that not quenching God if he lives within you? How is doubt not blasphemous To pick and choose something that God set up and you don't have the authority to pick and choose in between that? But what are they doing?
Speaker 3:Isn't it not blasphemy to say that God can't heal through me? Now I understand you can't heal anybody, you can't even call on. Now, I understand you can't heal anybody. You can't even call on the name of Jesus without the Holy Spirit in it. You can't do nothing, I can't do nothing. But if God, don't get it twisted Now, I'm not talking about God the Father or God the Son. I'm talking about God, the Holy Spirit. If he's living in you, how can you reject the ability to do any of these? How can you reject the ability to do any of these? How can you reject him? Isn't that the unpardonable sin? And yet all these churches around America say we're all going to heaven. I don't know if you're going anywhere, my friend. I don't know if you're going anywhere.
Speaker 3:Okay, there were times when I refused to believe that I had the ability to do anything. And, like I just said, I don't have the ability. But when God calls me to lay hands on somebody, even like this morning when he said go, lay your hands on Ed while he's praying, I said I can't do that. We're in the middle of worship. He said go, lay your hands on Ed. I told you to Ed might not be here, but I was obedient to the calling of the Holy Spirit. Amen, obedience. I have refused to do the things the Spirit has told me to do in the past, and for that I repent, the things the Spirit has told me to do in the past, and for that I repent. But today I say God. Today I say God is within me. I know you're there. I want you to have your way. Show me the way through your Spirit, amen. It's hard to comprehend that one third of the Godhead is in this room today, and I don't mean in this room, I mean in you. I mean I'm like I don't feel them. You know it should be like a big pile, you know it's like I should, but but he's there.
Speaker 3:The Bible Either you believe all the Bible or you don't believe any of it. If you don't believe in speaking in tongues, then why do you believe John 3, 16? You don't believe in healing? Why do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? What do you believe? You want to pick and choose what you believe you want to. I don't have a God that I can hold in my hand or one that I can make and put on a stand. Well, that's what we're doing In our minds. We're creating a God that we think that we can serve obediently but technically, if you don't yield fully to the Holy Spirit. You haven't done anything, I haven't done anything, amen.
Speaker 3:We've got to allow this Holy Spirit to work or we're not going anywhere. We've got to be ready, for this Time is near. Oh, I want them to come back and see us all with that ability and believing you say well, chad, it's just so hard to believe, suck it up. You've got to call on the Holy Spirit. You've got to get there. We've got to believe for the good of the common that's what he said For the common good, for the whole body of believers. No wonder there's not 3,000 added under our church today, even though there wouldn't be room. It's because we're not fully walking, fully walking in the Holy Spirit. We've come, we believe, we believe we're saved, we believe we have eternity and we are, we are, we have eternal security. But you weren't called to be saved, you were called to serve and we can't serve without that Holy Spirit.
Speaker 3:It's so hard to understand and believe. What do we do? How do we get there? How do we become more sincere with God and not play games with church? What do we do?
Speaker 3:I didn't ask you to stand for the reading of God's Word, but I'm going to ask you, if you're able to stand now, I want you to repeat after me something you already know what it is and it's not the Lord's Prayer. Repeat after me, with me. Create in me a clean heart, o God, and renew a right spirit within me. Let's do that again, and renew a right spirit within me". Let's do that again.
Speaker 3:"'creating me a clean heart, o God, and renew a right spirit within me, oh, cast me not away from your presence, o God. Take not that Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation and renew a right spirit within me. We need to restore that right spirit in us. Don't take them from me, lord. I haven't been using them, but don't take them from me, lord. Rather than that, restore unto me the joy of your salvation and renew that right spirit in me. I've been walking in the wrong spirit, lord. Yes, I received Christ. Yes, I received the spirit, but then I didn't walk in that right spirit. It's time for renewal. We had a time for transition. Now there's a time for renewal. We need to begin today, believing the Word of God, the full Gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen. Pastor, would you close the service in prayer, please?
Speaker 2: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.
Speaker 4:You know, church, we know that everything in this world is temporary. In fact, we are even temporary residents here. But the enemy is always trying. He's always offering things, temporary things, for us to build our lives on. But the only thing we can build our lives on is the one who is eternal, jesus, the one true God stand.
Speaker 1:I have a God that's holding me. I don't have a God that I can create in the place I live with the money I make, but I have a God. He made everything. So I don't need a temporary man-made deity when I have got the real thing I've got the real thing. He's the Lord of all the earth, the maker of all things. He alone is the one true God. Kingdoms rise and fall, even through it all, he remains the one true God. Sing it again he's the Lord of all the earth, the maker of all things. He alone is the one true God. Kingdoms rise and fall. Kingdoms rise and fall, and even through it all, he remains the one true God. He's the Lord of all the earth, the maker of all things. He alone is the one true God. And kingdoms rise and fall, and even through it all, he remains the one true God. Yes, lord, I don't have a thing that I got on my own and I don't have a care that I carry alone, but I have a God who's carrying me and I don't have a sin that he doesn't forgive and I don't have a heart that is worthy of his, but I have a God who still loves me. I don't need a temporary man-made deity, cause I've got the real thing. I've got the real thing.
Speaker 1:Oh, let's sing it. He's the Lord of all the earth, the maker of all things. He alone is the one true God. Kingdoms rise and fall, but even through it all, he remains the one true God. Yes, lord, we glorify your name. Hallelujah to the King, because your love is better than life. My lips will glorify you, I will praise you as long as I live and in your name, I will lift up my hands. Oh, come on church, let's sing it again. He's the Lord of all the earth, the maker of all things. He alone is the one true God, true God. And kingdoms rise and fall, and even through it all, he remains the one true God. I don't have a God I can put on a stand, or a God I hold in the palm of my hand, but I have a God who's holding me, and I don't have a sin that he doesn't forgive, and I don't have a heart that is worthy of his, but I have a God who still loves me. So I don't need a temporary man-made deity when I've got the real thing. Real thing, yes, I've got the real thing. Let's sing it. He's the Lord of all the earth, the maker of all things. He alone is the one true God. And kingdoms rise and fall, and even through it all, he remains the one true God. Sing it again he's the Lord of all the earth, the maker of all things. He alone is the one true God. He don't rise and fall, and even through it all, he remains the one true God.
Speaker 1:Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty? Who is this King of glory? The Lord so mighty? Who is this King of glory? Who is this King of glory, jesus? I don't have a thing that I got on my own and I don't have a care that I carry alone, but I have a God who's carrying me and I don't have a sin that he doesn't forgive and I don't have a heart that is worthy of his, but I have a God who still loves me, so I don't need but I have a God who still loves me, so I don't need a temporary, man-made deity.
Speaker 1:When I've got the real thing, I've got the real thing. He's the Lord of all the earth, the maker of all things. He alone is the one true God. Kingdoms rise and fall, and even through it all, he remains the one true God. He's the Lord of all the earth, the maker of all things, he alone is the one true God. And kingdoms rise and fall, kingdoms rise and fall, and even through it all, he remains the one true God. Say it again he's the Lord of all the earth. Yes, lord, the maker of all things, he alone Hallelujah Is the one true God. And kingdoms rise and fall, and even through it all, he remains the one true God. Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name, make known among the nations what he has done. Yes, lord, we came to glorify your name. I give glory to your name. Sing it out, oh Lord. Glory to your name, oh Lord, for your name is great and greatly to be praised. Sing it again I give glory to your name, oh Lord. Glory to your name, oh Lord, for your name is great and greatly to be praised. Praise ye Jesus, praise Jesus.
Speaker 1:All I know is I am not home, yet this is not where I belong. Take this world and give me Jesus. This is not where I belong. All I know is I am not home, yet this is not where I belong. Take this world and give me Jesus. This is not where I belong. Yes, jesus, hallelujah to the lamb. This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through. Oh, if you know the words to that chorus, please sing it with us. All I know is I am not home yet this is not where I belong. Take this world and give me Jesus. This is not where I belong. All I know is I am not home yet. This is not where I belong. All I know is I am not home yet this is not where I belong. Take this world and give me Jesus. This is not where I belong.
Speaker 1:Yes, jesus, hallelujah to the King. Sweet Rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley, sweet Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley, my Prince of Peace. Yes, jesus, I don't have a thing that I got on my own and I don't have a care that I carry alone, but I have a God who's carrying me. Hallelujah. I don't have a sin that he doesn't forgive and I don't have a temporary, man-made deity. When I've got the real thing, I've got the real thing, oh, let's sing it. He's the Lord of all the earth, the maker of all things. He alone is the one true God, and kingdoms rise and fall, and even through it all, he remains the one true God. He's the Lord of all the earth, the maker of all things. He alone is the one true God, and kingdoms rise and fall, and even through it all, he remains the one true God.