"Quicken Me"

By Jesse Rairdon

March 20th, 2016

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Please remain standing if you are able; I’m going to ask Brother Mike to come pray over the sermon for us today.

Mike:    Lord Jesus, we just praise Your Holy name, Lord God.  Thank You for all Your many blessings, Lord Jesus.  Thank You for the love You give, even when we don’t deserve it, Lord Jesus.  And, Lord, we just pray this morning that You’d anoint Brother Jesse as he brings the message, Lord God, and You know every one of our needs, Lord God.  Lord, You want to chastise us when we need it, because You love us, Lord Jesus, and You want us to be pleasing in Your sight.  We just want to serve You, and we pray that You would open up our hearts, Lord God, in Your name, the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Amen.  Please be seated.  Amen.  Morning, church.  What a couple of months of serieses of messages we’ve had, amen?  Beginning with, in January, when we talked about being Born Again, and that flowed into Receive the Holy Ghost.  And, this month, we’re talking about The Word of God.  Our theme verse for the month is:

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Parrish Lee shared about—his topic of his message was, “My word shall not pass away.”  A couple of his main points were:

1.            God writes his word.

Moses was given the tables of stone written with the finger of God.  Moses was angry when he saw the sin that Israel had done, and he broke the tables written by the finger of God, threw them down and broke them.  Moses had to cut out the stones, himself, then, and write the word of God, as God gave it to him.  From that point God speaks to man and tells man to write it down.  The Holy Ghost moved upon the prophets and holy men of God and they wrote the Scriptures, this was why it is not open to private interpretation. God spoke, and they wrote it down.

2.            There was an attack, and there still is an attack on the word of God.

Satan first attacked the word of God in the garden, trying to explain away the word of God.  Even to this day this is still being done.  Satan tries to wear us out and thinks to change the times and the law. There are so many versions, so many different points of view.  So many people say that they are Christians, over two thousand—so many—denominations of Christians, and over two hundred written bibles that are out there. 

3.            The Word of God, he talked about, is the Answer.

When we turn to God there is nothing that can prevent God from answering us.  Nothing can stop God from reaching us.  Heaven and earth will pass away before His Word will pass away.

4.            God's Word Puts All Things in Their Place.

In an order, in time, for judgment, all things are put in its place by the Word of God.  Nothing can change what he has put into place.  Amen? 

Chris Ulrich shared last week about, “The Rock of Ages”

The main points were.

1.            We need to love the word of God

2.            We don’t understand everything about the world around us, or even the Bible.

But he made this point:  “just because you don’t understand everything, doesn’t mean it’s not true.”  He had someone come up and share about neurology, and he had someone come up and share about I.S.O., and how they are complex issues and hard to understand, but that doesn’t make them untrue.  So, the same is with Word of God.

He talked about the Levitical Priesthood, and how, in this day and age, they would be like the master’s of their degrees, and they had to learn a lot about their field, and understand about physics, and understand what the Word of God said, because you couldn’t be wrong if you were giving the Word of God out to people.  You had to know what you were talking about, and, even though it was all complex, they had to give the Word of God.

Title of this week’s message is “Quicken me.”  I’m going to cover three main points, if you’re taking notes:

1.            The Spirit gives life to the written Word of God

2.            Not everyone wants to hear the Word of God

3.            Quicken me according to your Word

The word, ‘Quicken’ itself comes—if you study the Strong’s Concordance,

Strong's No.:      H2421

Hebrew:               חיה

Transliteration:  Châyâh

Pronunciation:   khaw-yaw'

Definition:           A prim. root (compare {H2331 } H2424); to {live} whether literally or figuratively; causatively to revive: - keep ({leave} make) {alive} X {certainly} give (promise) {life} ({let} suffer to) {live} nourish {up} preserve ({alive}) {quicken} {recover} {repair} restore (to {life}) {revive} (X God) save ({alive} {life} {lives}) X {surely} be whole.

So, God quickens us by His Spirit, and brings it to life, the Word to life.  Amen?

Part 1: The Spirit Gives Life to the Written Word

Paul, in his letter to the church in Corinth:

2nd Corinthians 3:1         Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

Do we need a pat on the back from you?  Do we need to pat ourselves on the back?

2nd Corinthians 3:2-6     Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

The Spirit of God gives life to His Word.

2nd Corinthians 3:7-15   But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

Blindness, unbelief.  The veil is still there.

2nd Corinthians 3:16-18 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord [meaning Israel.  When Israel shall turn to the Lord], the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The Children of Israel couldn’t even look on Moses’ face, and he just had the tables of stone that was written.  And, now, when we have the Spirit of God as we fellowship, and we see, we behold, the Spirit of God on one another, and the Spirit bears witness that we have been given a greater glory.  Amen? That same Holy Ghost whom you received, gives life to His word.

Have you ever had God just speak to you, and it might not be a chapter and verse speak, but it says, “Go here.  Go there; share with this person.  Call this person?”  That’s the Spirit of God coming to life in your life, telling you to do the things that He desires you to do.  And He’ll back it up with His Word.  Trust me, when I was a young Christian, and I’d just got baptized, overseas, Joe remembers me back then—Joe did a lot of studies with me, and helped prepare me to go overseas—and, all I really knew was baptism, and Godhead, and just a few things.  That’s all I really know, even today, except God choose to give me a little bit more.  But the Spirit spoke to me just like this:  “Go join yourself to this chariot,” and there was a man over by his bed reading the Bible.  And I asked him, “Do you understand what you read?  Do you know what you’re reading?’  He said, “How can I, unless someone would share with me?”  And, from that moment on, I shared with him baptism in the Lord Jesus Christ, and he got baptized.  But that’s how God operates.  He speaks, and He brings His Word to life, and He teaches you and shows you what you’re supposed to do and how you’re supposed to go.  Even a few weeks ago, God put on my heart to go to this person and share this thing—a lady at work—just share that and nothing else, and walk away.  I shared that with her, and later on, she came to me and said, “That really ministered to me.”  But, I knew that was the Holy Spirit.  You’ve got to allow the Holy Spirit to bring life to the Word of God in your life.  You can’t just beat people over the head with the Bible and expect then to receive it; you’ve got to be ministers of the Gospel, as you’re able.  Amen?  That’s why you’ve got to study it, too.  You can’t just try to share the Word of God with people and you’ve never studied it.  You can’t share what you don’t know, right?  God’s not going to bring something alive that you don’t understand and don’t know and you’re not willing to learn.

Part 2:  Not Everyone Wants To Hear The Word Of God.

We talk about Palm Sunday.  We talk about this triumphant entry into Jerusalem, but not everybody wanted to hear Jesus when He was coming in.  Not everybody was there prepared to rejoice.  There was there, those who wanted to kill Him, those that did not want to lose their religiousness, their place in life, their society, maybe their set-up kingship.  Whatever it was, they did not want to lose what Jesus was threatening them.  And even those among Him, one was going to betray Him.  He has the words of eternal life, but, still, one was going to betray Him.  So, all those people were rejoicing, but where were all those people when the choice was given to the people to let Jesus go?  Most of them were probably saying, “Crucify Him!” caught up with the emotions, caught up with the religious leaders, telling them what they should say or what they should do.  Don’t be so caught up with all the things that are going on in the world.  Be attuned to the Spirit of God.  Let Him tell you what you should do. 

Proverbs 28:9     He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

You’ve got to hear God.  It doesn’t do you any good to pray if you don’t listen to God.  Amen?

Amos 8:11          Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

Not everyone wants to hear what God has to say.

Amos 8:12          And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

So many people fill coliseums and listen to these supposedly great speakers and teachers, but they’re not hearing the Word of the Lord.  They’re just hearing what people are trying to shove them.  They’re hearing prosperity messages; they’re hearing things that are contrary to the Word of God.  Amen?  Not everybody wants to hear the Word of the Lord.  “My Word will last forever.  Heaven and earth will pass away.”

Isaiah 30:8          Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:

“My Word shall last forever.”

Isaiah 30:9-10    That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

That’s what people want to hear now.  They want to hear nice little things, nice little quotes, the things that make them happy.  “Tickle my funny bone.  Don’t give me the Word of God.  Don’t give me the Truth!  Don’t make me change my life!  Don’t make me walk the way that God wants me to walk!”

Isaiah 30:11       Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

That’s the whole attitude of people today.  Let’s go to the Old Testament and see an example of a king that didn’t want to hear the Word of the Lord, but the Word of the Lord still went forth.

1 Kings 22:5-12  And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him? And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah. And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them. And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king's hand.

Amen.  Quite a show, huh?  Even grabbed something, and put on a great display.  “You’re going to push them out!”  But, was this the Word of the Lord?  No.  We’re going to read a little further on.

1 Kings 22:13-18              And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good. And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak. So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD? And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?

So, a messenger went out before the one prophet of God, the one that was going to tell the truth, and said, “Hey, everybody’s on the king’s side you better be on the king’s side.  Better listen to what they saying, too.  It’s not going to turn out good for you.”  He said, “Whatever God tells me, that’s what I’m going to say.”  He said, “I saw Israel scattered all over the hills, they had no captain.”  Basically, the king’s going to be killed.  Then the king said, “Didn’t I tell you he was going to say evil about me?”  We’ll pick it up again:

1 Kings 22:19-23              And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

So, here the truth comes out.  All these people were putting on a show.  All these three-hundred-something prophets were all up there lying, believing a lie.  Not everybody wants to hear the Word of the Lord. 

1 Kings 22:24     But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?

The same thing happened to Jesus as He was in the Temple; He got smote on the cheek (John 18:19-23).

1 Kings 22:25     And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.

When you go and hide, like the coward you are, you’re going to see.

1 Kings 22:26-28              And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son; And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace. And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.

Not everybody wants to hear the Word of the Lord.  ##20:05##

Part 3:  Quicken Me According To Your Word

Psalm 119.  There is a lot in Psalms 119.  If I could read the whole chapter, today, to you, and share with you, I would.  Time forbids me to, but go home, read it, study it yourself, and see what God has for you, amen?

Psalm 119:25     DALETH. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.

We’re in this flesh, cleaving to the dust, quicken Thou me—there’s got to be a separation of this.  God, I need You to quicken me according to Thy Word. 

Psalm 119:26-28              I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works. My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.

A lot of heaviness.  Strengthen me according to Thy Word.  Quicken me.

Psalm 119:29-42              Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me. I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame. I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. HE. Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way. Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear. Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good. Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness. VAU. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.

You’ve got to trust in the Word of God.  Don’t trust in all the talking heads; don’t even trust in me.  I could be lying to you.  Get in and study the Word yourself, and seek the Holy One of Israel.  Seek His Spirit in your life.  Prove what I’m saying here is not of God, or of God.  Prove it to yourself.  Prove it!  It’s there for you.

Psalm 119:44-46              So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever. And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts. I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.

Just like the prophet, I will not be ashamed.

Psalm 119:47-50              And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes. ZAIN. Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

Though we suffer in this flesh, though we’re afflicted in this flesh, comfort me; quicken me according to Your Word.

Psalm 119:51-55              The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law. I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself. Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law. Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law.

Every day, every night I have meditated on it.  Quicken me, save me, comfort me, deliver me, encourage me, give me hope, rebuke me if You need to, chastise me, prepare me according to Your Word, because the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Romans 8:1-3
     There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Moses, when he was angry because of sin, threw down the tablets of stone.  God, because of love, because of sin, broke the Word upon the cross.  We all have a choice to make, to receive that love.  God’s not going to force it on you. 

Romans 8:5-7    For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

But when you’re spiritually minded, when you allow the Holy Ghost to quicken you, to allow the Word to come alive in you, you’re alive!  Amen? 

Romans 8:8-11  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Something that wasn’t planned:  I want to share in John chapter one.  Chris shared these Scriptures last week in his message

John 1:1-8           In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

That’s what we’re to do; we’re to bear witness of the Light.

John 1:9-13        That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

You can’t say, “I’m born again,” unless you do it the way God wants you to do it, unless it’s by the will of God.  You can’t just say, “I’ve said something or done something or followed what someone told me to do,” unless God spoke to you directly and told you what to do.

John 1:13-14      Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Moses, they couldn’t look at, but Jesus they could look at.  This Holy Ghost in us, people can see that.  Let your light shine.  Let God quicken you to do His will.  Amen?

That’s the message I have for today.  Give the Lord a praise.


                           
Sermon notes by Pete Shepherd

Christian Fellowship Great Lakes


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