Transcription
Wonderful things come together when a group of men gathers to praise the Lord. I was saying that churches were thriving with women, while all the men were winners. [Applause]
You have no appreciation for what you have right here. You see a man who wants to serve God, giving his heart to Christ. Just a week ago, on Friday night, after their conference in Nogales, Mexico, I witnessed a wonderful work of God. It’s a totally indigenous work there. They survived the peso evaluation and continued to plant churches, not only in Mexico but also in Central America. Amen.
From that confidence, we can go Friday and Saturday, class the 13th, right where you're coming up. [Applause] [Laughter] [Applause] [Applause]
So, we gather in Gallup, New Mexico, where they have their counters. Out of that conference, they planted three years. [Applause]
You and I are part of a movement that believes in discipleship and finding churches. We’re not in the mega churches or the superstar ministries. In fact, someone handed me a cartoon on Sunday morning that I thought was really good. It said, "Our pastor has never been on television." [Applause]
There are foreign churches in that area, and he said their churches are everywhere, but none of them evangelize the people there. The red-light district and street people have taken over.
As she was giving her report, I listened to this young man talk about the work they were doing, going out evangelizing, getting drug abusers and prostitutes saved. I was sitting there on the platform, watching that young man, and I thought to myself, "There’s a movement with investment in people like him." [Applause]
Thank God we have hundreds like that. Yes, and they are down for the people there, especially precious souls, to have a word for the disciples, many women, and send them into the harvest fields of the world. Not the new superstars, but the real superstars among us. Amen.
Alone, none of us amounts to very much. I mean, the best of us. No, we’re not cooked very hard today, but I want to tell you, if we get foreign [Applause] to minister the Gospel of America.
A number of years ago, in our cities, I pastored a church for about 14 or 15 years. This event happened within our church. An elderly woman in our congregation called me at 2:30 in the morning. She said, "John's having a heart attack."
This precious lady has been in our church forever. I rushed out to the house, and as I got there, I arrived at the same time as the doctor from our city, who was our family doctor when I was a little boy. This old doctor was making a house call.
As I got there, she introduced me, and then she started working on Jim. The doctor said, "Don’t tell anybody that I’m making house calls. I just don’t do that anymore."
He put a needle right into John's heart and gave him a shot of something. He came back and probably lived another three years after that cardiac arrest.
So, it was probably another three years later when she called me at about the same time in the morning, saying, "John's having a heart attack. Come quick." I rushed out to the house again. The old doctor was there again, doing everything he could for John, but John didn’t make it this time. He died of a cardiac arrest.
Now, most people who have cardiac arrests never survive. Here’s the text we have tonight: if this man is having a spiritual cardiac arrest, his name is Peter.
Right at the point where we can see he’s having a spiritual cardiac arrest, he has to make some decisions. The decisions he makes at this point in time will determine eternity.
Eternity hangs in the balance, and the decision you make tonight is far-reaching.
Matthew chapter 16, verse 21: "From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall not happen to you!"
But Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"
The Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each according to his works.
I want to talk to you this evening about cardiac arrest. As we sit in this building, the heart determines the future. We’re talking about the inner man, the inner workings of a man, and that’s top priority because the Bible says in Proverbs 4:23, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life."
So here this evening, as we gather together, there is an attitude of heart that depends on how you react. It depends on the state of the heart, and the state of the heart this evening determines life action.
I applied a great deal of thought to this. I threw out Friday nights at the Gallup Bible Conference. I got back home, probably around 11 o'clock, and I was on an airplane.
Incidentally, we don’t have a New York Jets still, just a come home. [Applause]
As I was passing the rivers, I went through houses and balloons. I don’t even know what happens. I mean, in the Bank of America, we were flying on this airplane, and it has an attitude gyro.
This attitude gyro is a piece of safety equipment that helps you fly safely. Most of the time when you’re flying an airplane, you can tell if the winds are level, whether you’re going up or down.
So it doesn’t really matter. This attitude gyro is an instrument. If you’re flying at night and cannot see the horizon, or if you happen to get into a storm, you begin to rely on the instrument.
If a person is not trained on these instruments, they can get into a storm or fly at night and experience something called spatial disorientation. The average person, 82 seconds after they are in total disorientation, cannot tell if the plane is going up, down, sideways, or backwards.
This instrument is there so if you get into a storm, you’ll be able to apply it and get through that.
Everybody has watched us, and you and I have something called our heart. There’s a lesson here, and I’ll focus on a man named Peter.
This man is a disciple, just like you and I. He faces all the circumstances that you guys face in life. He’s at a crisis point in his life, and the decisions he’s going to make in this text tonight will have far-reaching consequences.
Peter’s will and God’s will are coming into collision. The Bible says their heart was not steadfast toward him, nor were they faithful to his covenant.
The issue here has suddenly been brought to the disciples. Jesus has just said to them what will happen to him, and this did not sit well with Peter’s plan for the kingdom of God.
At this point is the crisis of life. What God is looking for is the right heart. In 2 Chronicles 16:9, the Bible says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him."
What he’s looking for is simply a right heart. In 1 Samuel 16:7, the story of Samuel says, "Go and anoint a new leader." Saul had a calloused heart; he failed God in disobedience.
God said, "Go select me a man from the household of Jesse." Samuel goes down, and as he goes down, he says to Jesse, "Bring your sons here."
Jesse brings out his oldest son, and as he brings him out to Samuel, he looks at him and says, "Surely this is the Lord’s anointed."
But God said, "Ah, that’s not the one."
He spans it and says, "Don’t you have another son?"
Finally, they called David before him, and God spoke to him, saying, "This is the one."
The man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks upon the heart.
What God is looking at is the right heart. Amen.
So here we have Peter, and he’s in turmoil. He’s having a spiritual cardiac arrest. God’s word and Peter’s will are on a collision course.
This has awesome consequences. In Acts 8:21, we have an interesting story. Philip has gone down to preach in Samaria. Miracles are happening, and people are being baptized.
Peter and John come down to Jerusalem, and as this takes place, there’s a man named Simon who has undergone conversion. He’s been baptized in water, and as he sees this, he says, "Give me this gift also. I’ll give you some money."
Peter looks back at this man and says, "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God."
"Repent therefore of this your wickedness."
At that point, this man Simon coined the word that is known around the world today: simony, which is to sell holy things for money.
How would you like to have your name become a byword?
Here’s a man, and the Bible says this was the awesome consequence of a man whose heart was not right.
The Bible says if this man was in the midst of a miracle revival, signs and wonders were happening, and he was seeing multitudes come out, but he missed the entire point.
It’s very important this evening that you have a right heart.
Two men named Jehu and Jehoiada are mentioned in 2 Kings 10:5. They joined forces on the basis of the united heart.
The scripture says Jehoiada greeted Jehu and said, "Is your heart right, as my heart is right with yours?"
He answered, "It is."
He said, "If it is, give me your hand."
Now, this evening, it is absolutely crucial that your heart be right. I cannot tell if your heart is right. Only God can tell that.
But I want to tell you this evening, it is absolutely crucial that your heart is right in the sight of God. Yes, because out of it spring the issues of life.
I want to talk to you about the danger of unresolved issues. Every one of us in this building is vulnerable at this point.
In Jeremiah 17:9-10, the prophet says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart."
The prophet looks down and sees the condition of the human race. He says there’s something about these people; sin has such a hold on the human race that the inner heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things.
Then he says, "I, the Lord, search the hearts."
In Ecclesiastes 9:3, the preacher makes an interesting comment. He says, "This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all."
The hearts of the sons of men are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live.
He looks upon the human race and sees them conducting themselves totally against their self-interest, doing foolish things.
He says, "Nothing I said is in their highness."
People ought to know better, but there’s something inside of them that they have allowed to dwell there, and it’s like they commit spiritual suicide.
The danger tonight is unresolved issues. You and I have unresolved issues. These issues begin to affect the heart of man, the inner attitudes, the inner workings of our personalities.
When these issues are not resolved, they give place to the devil, and the devil begins to work.
Here we have a man just like you and us. He’s walking with Jesus, casting out devils, laying hands on the sick, speaking the word of God.
He’s in the inner circle; in fact, he’s one of the top three. But we find in our connection that he’s having a spiritual cardiac arrest.
His will and the will of God are in direct collision. Things are not working out the way he thought they would.
How many of you know that sometimes things don’t work out? [Music]
In fact, quite often, things don’t work out.
We find that this chief disciple, Jesus, turns to him at this point in time and says, "Get thee behind me, Satan!"
Peter has become an adversary to the will of God.
I want to talk to you seriously tonight, men, because there are people in this congregation tonight who are having a spiritual cardiac arrest.
Here’s the King James version that uses the word "savor." It means to entertain or to have a sentiment or opinion.
There is inside of him a sympathy not for the things of God but for the things of the devil.
There’s a sentiment within him that is from the things of the devil.
There is no attention; there’s an elephant. There’s something he’s allowed to reside in him that is not of God.
As that is inside of you, it is on a collision course with the will of God until Jesus turns to him and says, "Get behind me, Satan! You do not savor the things of God."
Your inner disposition is not toward what God wants.
Now, there’s an interesting fact in this text in John 14:30. Jesus says, "The prince of this world is coming, and he finds nothing in me."
There is no element, no affinity. He is coming, and as he comes, there’s nothing in me that he can touch.
In John 13:2, the Bible gives us another text that says, "The devil, having put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, to betray him."
How he was able to do that was he found something in Judas that was sympathetic with the devil’s program.
Most of the time, we know that the Lord simply looks for the devil, and that isn’t the theme we’re feeling sorry for him.
Tonight, we’re talking about serious things. We’re talking about a man just like you and I, Peter, who is having a spiritual cardiac arrest.
The decision he makes is going to determine eternity.
I want every head bowed. Praise God. Praise him. The blood of Jesus Christ. Thank you, Jesus.
[Music]
Does anything happen? Your ears are playing quite a bit. [Applause]
Let’s pray. Is there a change in there?
There’s a little, uh, yeah. [Music]
[Applause]
Yeah, from the last years, a little dead. Would you know if you got, you know, I can’t hear, you know, like a telephone ring or stuff like that?
You can’t hear a telephone?
So you might not be able to go to the maximum. Did you tell tonight you’re right here and see if you can hear this man?
Pretty crazy. Praise God. Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah. Praise God. He’s not very bad, but we’ll pray for him.
[Applause]
Everybody. [Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
Your secret has come out right now. It makes you like to speak to them. [Applause]
Are you really deaf or just kind of dead?
Well, I’m not saying happy to go ahead and push the bombs way down in the sun. I can’t hear the other when she talks to me.
And would you know if you got meals right now?
Probably, probably.
Yeah, plug up your videos and see if you compare it faster.
You’ll expect it. Praise God. Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus. Christopher, I thank you in Jesus. Hallelujah. Praise God.
Thank you, experiences. I believe God.
[Applause]
I want you to say to the letter, "Jesus, that love them makes me free."
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
Thanks, guys. Praise God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
Praise God. Praise God. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah.
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
No, no, um, this is damaged. This year’s past damage.
Okay, you’re ringing right now. When do you hear a ring?
I’m gonna keep in the morning. In the morning, it’s hard for me to hear the sun.
Okay, please, after this, this year record.
Thank you, Jesus.
Praise God.
First, thank you, Jesus.
Thank you.
Number one, you’re as good as I can.
[Applause]
Thank you.
[Music]
[Applause]
Brothers.
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
Let me know.
Okay, hi, how you doing?
I am just, uh, comparedness and easier on this left ear.
Okay, what we know right now is if it’s okay, I’m gonna because right now you sound like I just need to, uh, yeah, just repeat what this does.
Praise God.
Please, uh, thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
All right, okay, you’ve got a problem discriminating sounds.
Okay, we’ve got it. Don’t you just didn’t want you to say the blood of Jesus Christ.
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
Foreign.
[Applause]
[Applause]
Thank you. Praise the Lord. Praise God.
Okay, goodbye.
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Corner two, three, seven.
He’s already scared. He’s lost his whole deafness.
It’s a real weak spirit, yes.
A lot of times when people come, they’re already here before you pray for them.
So, a lot of times what these spirits do is they will try to deceive a crowd.
I’ve had people who said, "I’ve never been able to hear in my life. I was born deaf."
We test them out; they’re perfectly healed.
[Music]
At least [Applause] last night, I have a friend in them. He’s got bad ears.
He’s kind of to do something else. You gotta stand in for him.
Yeah, I’m crazy. You know he loves the Lord, but he’s just a young kid, you know.
Okay, okay, there’s a boy over here that’s got a baby that’s in the hospital.
I want him to come right now. I want to pray for that.
So we’re going to stand in it right.
Do you believe God?
What’s yours instead?
Um, you don’t know.
I’m gonna put your hands on yours right now.
The blood of Jesus right now.
I take the menu.
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
Everybody.
Foreign.
[Applause]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
Is it good?
[Music]
Perfect.
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
And you let us know.