Transcription
[Applause]
Two fantastic preachers just spoke to you, and I want to thank everyone who prayed for me. Possibly, the reason I'm here is because you prayed for me, and I'm grateful. My wife is grateful, praise the Lord, my kids are grateful. So, I encourage you to continue to pray for me, that I'll recover my strength.
If you have your Bible this morning, turn to Jeremiah 17. A lot of people learn, perhaps, from their own mistakes, but wisdom is when you learn from someone else's mistakes.
I want you to think with me for a moment about Bobby Knight. He's a living contradiction. He's known for his trophies and his tantrums. He won three NCAA National Championships, and four times he was National Coach of the Year. He coached at Indiana University, and in 1984, he coached and won the Olympic gold. This was the last time the United States Olympics had entirely college players. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. He was the last NCAA Championship coach who never lost a game the whole season.
In 1984, he predicted Michael Jordan would be the best basketball player ever. He said he had the talent, the work ethic, and his competitiveness. But here's a man who is a living contradiction. Someone said his good qualities were so good, but his bad qualities were so bad. The problem is, the bad side is all people remember until you're dead.
I want to minister this morning and challenge you about being a living contradiction. Jeremiah 17:9-10 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart; I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doing."
Father, we come by the blood. I thank you, God, for the messages last night and this morning. We come by your word and your spirit. I pray, God, you raise up men, break curses, God, give them wisdom and understanding about life, ministry, and destiny. God, I thank you for all you're doing in our fellowship. God, reach in and snatch the hearts of these men for kingdom purpose. I come against the curse trying to destroy the men of this generation. Touch them this morning, I pray. God, elevate them into your dimension of spirit, I pray in Jesus' name.
My question to you this morning is: Are you a living contradiction? Because a lot of people are. A lot of church people are. That means you're one thing at church and another thing at home or in private. At church, you know what's expected. You're even nice; you know how to smile, you know how to worship, you know the church language. Then you go home and you're a tyrant, going off on the people who love you the most—your family.
I've seen it. The advice you give to others with such emphasis, you don't take it when it comes to you. You need to tithe; God will bless you. But you get in a tight financial spot, and now the excuses come. "Oh, you need to stay away from her. She may be cute, but she's crazy. She's not your wife; she's nothing but trouble. Don't be texting her; don't be out alone with her. What are you thinking?" But then it comes to you, and you throw all that good godly advice out the window.
Listen to me: You need to pray. You need to be in prayer. I know you're going through hard times; I know there's a lot on your plate right now. But if you'll just pray, get a hold of God, God will come through for you. But now it's your chapter. Things are coming at you that you never expected, taking hits from every side. You can even be pastoring and in the ministry now. You need to pray, but you don't feel like it.
The advice that you so adamantly give to other people until it comes to you—advice about your marriage, or now you've lost a job, or now there are financial problems, spiritual difficulties, conflict—are you a living contradiction?
Think about Bobby Knight. Perhaps we can learn a lesson. He changed the game of basketball. He was a genius as a coach. He did a basketball clinic in San Antonio, and some 2,000 coaches showed up. He's the one who invented the motion offense, ball movement, off-ball screens, backdoor screens—all of that they attribute to him. He's the one who started man-to-man defense; before that, it was all pretty much zone.
He said, "You don't play against an opponent; you play against the game of basketball. Play smart, play efficiently, make fewer mistakes, learn the fundamentals, hustle, hustle, hustle." But he was known for demanding discipline. His teams were a picture of perfect discipline; they never beat themselves.
Discipline—he demanded discipline and self-control. This means to train or develop by instruction, to be under control, to not be all over the map, not to be an emotional basket case. Discipleship has that thought: to rule in your own soul and in your own spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 says one of the fruits of the spirit is self-control. He was a master at teaching discipline. Proverbs 25:28 says, "Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a broken-down city without walls."
He had the knowledge; he understood the value of discipline. He understood what he was able to teach and won championships. But here's the great paradox—not only in Bobby Knight but perhaps in you this morning. What he demanded from others, he totally excused in himself. He was a living demonstration of a man out of control. They called him the terrifying tyrant.
He coached discipline but refused to live it. Is that you? Is that you, Pastor, disciple, father, husband? He demanded discipline from others but not of himself. He saw the value; discipline will cause you to excel, to be successful, to accomplish. They say 100% of his players graduated college. He demanded they be in class. Isaiah Thomas was one of them; Coach K, the coach of Duke, was another.
But what was so common that he demanded of others, when it came to himself, in 1985, during a game, he picked up a folding chair and threw it across the court, injuring people. You might put up the photograph—old black and white—so they chained the chairs together. He broke a clipboard over a player's head.
In 1979, he assaulted a police officer when they were playing in Puerto Rico and had to escape the country. He got in a fight in a restaurant over a salad bar. They called him the raging bull. Another quote: his good qualities were so good, but his bad qualities were so bad.
He would go into these cursing rages, grabbing fistfuls of jurges, yelling and belittling. Do you take your own advice? Do you live it?
I think about a man in the Bible, his name was Solomon. He gave this incredible wisdom about life. We read it today in Proverbs. Yet when it came to his own decisions, he prayed for wisdom.
1 Kings 3:9 says, "Therefore give to your servant an understanding heart that I may discern between good and evil." Verse 12: "See, I have given you a wise and understanding heart." This man had incredible wisdom. He exalted wisdom, glorified wisdom, and spoke wisdom. The Book of Proverbs is about wisdom; some 54 times the word is used. It's the key word of the book—how to live a skillful life, how to live a godly life.
When the Queen of Sheba heard of the wisdom of Solomon, she came to test him. After testing him with hard questions, 2 Chronicles 9:3 says, "When the Queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon," verse 6, "I came and saw with my own eyes; indeed, half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame which I heard."
Here's a man wowing the world with his wisdom, yet when it came to demonstrating it in his own life, he miserably failed. Is that you this morning?
All the wisdom and the warnings about the wrong kind of woman—we've heard some of that. Proverbs 6:24 says, "To keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of the seductress." Verse 26: "For by means of a harlot, a man is reduced to a crust of bread."
I remember preaching a sermon at Prescott conference a number of years ago. I went and preached and did a men's D in Denver. The pastor's son told a story I'd never heard. He said, "Pastor, I remember I was a teenager when you preached that in the tent, and you had this loaf of bread and you were throwing this crust. I was behind a child; I didn't want to get hit with a crust of bread."
But he said, "I was in this relationship with a young lady, and we were getting too familiar. After that sermon, I went and told her, 'It's over, finished.' Shortly after that, I met my wife. Now we have children, and I'm pastoring a fantastic church with disciples there."
He listened to a sermon, and it wasn't just words; he applied it to his life. What you've heard last night and today—will it just be another sermon, or will it affect your life, your behavior, your conduct, your language, your time, and your decisions?
Solomon spoke these words: "Can a man take fire to his bosom and not be burned?" Proverbs 7:10 says, "There a woman met him with the attire of a harlot, a crafty heart. She caught him and kissed him with her enticing speech; she caused him to yield. He immediately went after her as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool to the correction of the stocks, till an arrow struck his liver. He did not know it would cost him his life."
What wisdom! What strong language! Here, these decades, centuries later, we read this and say, "Wow!" But did he listen to his own advice? Do you?
Do you demand from your sons what you excuse in yourself? Proverbs 7:24 says these powerful words: "Listen, listen to me." He said, "Listen! Her house is the way to hell." I mean, you read it, and you want to—can you hear me, young man? Can you hear what I'm saying?
How then did it happen? All of this wisdom and advice recorded for eternity, but when it came to Solomon, 1 Kings 11:1 says, "King Solomon loved many foreign women, the daughter of Pharaoh, women of Moab, Ammonites, Edomites, Hittites."
Verse 2: "For the nations of whom the Lord has said, 'You shall not enter or marry, for they will surely turn away your heart.'" He gave all this wise advice, and then you read, "700 wives and 300 concubines," with a thousand women.
In verse 4, "His wives turned away his heart after other gods." Is that you, sir? It bears thinking about how a man could have so much wisdom about essential topics.
One of the agonies of getting old is seeing men make these decisions. I mean, you've seen it. They've seen it, like an ox goes to the slaughter, like an arrow piercing the liver. You're going to die, and you see the body bags spiritually.
This book has 31 chapters, cover to cover, filled with wisdom, but in the end, he ignored his own advice. It's one thing to give godly counsel or advice; it's another thing to live it, demonstrate it, and receive it.
Bobby Knight, in the year 2000, was fired from coaching in Indiana. He grabbed another young kid. Twenty years later, he's an old man and a bitter old man. He finally went back to Indiana for a speech; they were going to honor him. He said these words: "Coaching at Indiana was the most joyous, happiest days of my life." Because he would not discipline himself, it cost him everything.
In another place, he said, "It cost me my dream." Don't let that be you.
I was in the hospital there in Sydney, and I didn't have a clue. I just collapsed. People are always saying, "Well, I'll pray at the last moment. You know, I know I'm dying; I'm going to pray."
Well, I'm talking to Connie, and next thing I know, I'm on the floor by the carousel where the baggage is coming off. I didn't have a clue. Some guy took the phone, talking to Connie, and says, "Well, I'm his wife. What happened?" He said, "Well, he's not breathing."
But there was a medical doctor standing right there who jumped on me. I had a cardiac arrest. It's different than a heart attack. A heart attack means your heart gets attacked but keeps beating. I had a cardiac arrest; my heart stopped. He gave me CPR until the EMTs got there and stayed through the whole thing.
But I'm in the hospital, and I come through. I think they got me on morphine; I was feeling awful good. I can't remember feeling that good in a long time. But I remember praying, "God, if you spared me for something, don't let me miss it."
I remember laying there for a few, and I just said, "God, if you spared me for something, don't let me miss it. I want to finish well."
So the question I ask is: How can this happen to Solomon, to you, to me? How can we be so adamant with others and so lenient when it comes to self? It seems so unreasonable.
In our text, the heart is deceitful above all things. Deceitful—the center of your life, your heart. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. The heart is the seat of your emotions, your intellect, your will. Your heart is where your decisions are made that become your destiny.
Proverbs 4:20 says, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of your heart springs the issues of life." We play the national anthem; we put our hand over our heart. But the text says, "Who can know it?"
Your heart is where truth lives or deceit. It's more than just this muscle that beats 100,000 times every 24 hours. When God looks at you this morning, sir, he looks at your heart. But also, the demonic looks at your heart.
The Bible says man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on your heart. Jesus said, "You honor me with your lips, but your heart is far from me."
But my point is, our heart has this incredible ability to deceive us, defraud us, mislead us, cause us to—like was preached last night—the wrong reference points today to miss this glorious thing called our fellowship, the possibilities, and the relationships.
He's not talking here necessarily about deceiving others; he's talking about deceiving you, and that's the issue. Your heart can blind you. Deceit can blind you.
Ephesians 4:18 says, "Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the blindness of their heart." A generation, as we've heard, is controlled and saturated and motivated by emotions and social media.
Is your heart lying to you this morning? Is your heart blinding you by deception? "That's not my problem; that's just the way I am." We play these games: "Hey, I'm gifted; no big deal."
Can anyone correct you? Can your pastor speak wisdom? Can he correct or rebuke you? Can he speak to you like a coach? Bobby Knight said in 2000, "When I was fired, the best years of my life ended."
Can you learn from that? Proverbs 29:1 says, "He who is often rebuked hardens his heart will suddenly be destroyed without remedy."
So what's the answer? The altar and prayer are powerful. The genius of conference is where we have altar calls. Altar call last night, altar call this morning, altar calls at night, church services—because the altar is a place where you open your heart.
"God, show me. God, speak to me. God, show me if there's any wicked thing residing in me. God, put the Holy Ghost spotlight on those deep, sometimes generational attitudes, those seeds of lust and jealousy that we've heard about, and envy and strife that we've allowed to take up residence. Seeds of rebellion."
I spoke of those who didn't. I was here in 1990, and later, and that didn't just happen in a moment. It began with a heart and a seed of deceit, jealousy, envy, strife, and discord. Bitterness was not dealt with.
What's living in your heart today that you've excused but will be your destruction tomorrow? If Jesus tarries, Jesus watched him pray. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, that famous prayer: "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done."
Discipleship is designed partially so that you can see yourself. I ask you again this morning in closing: What are you excusing today that can destroy you tomorrow? A girlfriend? An improper relationship that's budding? A place you go physically, mentally, emotionally? An attitude? A seed that, one day, if you're not careful, will destroy your family, your marriage, your ministry, your calling, your dream, your soul?
But it doesn't have to. It doesn't have to. That's why these men’s rallies are so powerful. It doesn't have to. Every man here, God wants to have a personal relationship. Your pastor is there for you if you'll simply open your heart to God.
Be honest. Holy Spirit, headship, sermons prayed that prayer: "God, if you spared me for something, please God, don't let me miss it."
I ask you to bow your head with me this morning. Before we do anything else, if your heart's not right with God, if your heart's not right with God and you want to be right with God, listen, there's only one way. There's only one way: it's words of repentance. It's a prayer; it's laying aside pride and all the fronts and the images and saying, "God, I just want to be right with you."
You're here this morning; you're unsaved, you're lost, you're backslidden. There are issues that you desperately need to deal with—hard issues, deep issues, sometimes longstanding issues. But you're here this morning, and God has brought you to this place to change you.
You'd say, "Pastor Campbell, that's me. That's me. I need to get my heart right with God. I need to pray; I need to be changed." You'd lift your hand. "That's me." You'd lift your hand.
Yes, I see that hand. I see that hand. I see that hand. I see these hands in the back. I see hands across there. Yes, these hands. I see a hand here. Who else? Yes, God bless you; thank you for your honesty. Yes, God bless you. Thank you, thank you, thank you on my right. Yes, thank you, thank you. Who else? You join these. Yes, God bless you; God bless you.
I want all you men who lifted your hand to stand to your feet and come to this altar. You stand to your feet right now, on my right, up in the middle. If you come, someone's going to pray with you. If you just come right out of your seat right now and come and begin to pray, come and begin to pray and lay hold of God.
Up in the middle and in the back over here, there were people who raised their hands. If you just stand to your feet and come, find a place to pray. Find a place to pray; someone's going to pray with you.
I give you a chance to make your way to the altar. God's going to pray with you. God's here with you; someone's going to pray with you. It's time to do kingdom business. It's time to do kingdom business. It's not a season to be playing games with God.
We see what's happening in the Middle East and Israel, around the world. I'm going to ask the rest of you to stand to your feet with me. Pastor Alon preached on Caleb, the different stages of life. Pastor Payne, the incredible opportunity, the blessing, the fellowship—what we're part of, the hope. God can use imperfect people.
I want to open these altars. You want to come and find a place to pray? I'm believing God to come down and touch you in this place.
If you want to make your way out, you want to come and find a place to pray, or if you're at your seat, you want to find a place to pray, let's call on God. Let's speak to Him.
Oh, living God, [Music] pray a real prayer. Pray a heart prayer, a sincere, open prayer. "God, I need you. Speak to me. Show me, God. I expose—I lay my heart open before you, God, right now. I need you, God."
[Music] God, pour out your spirit. Holy Ghost of God, come down in this place. Spirit of God, oh God, I pray supernatural [Music] dimension. God, I wait for you. [Music] Clean, oh Spirit of God. Oh God, God, come.
"Take not thy Holy Spirit from me; restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and the right spirit within me." Oh God, Spirit of God, create in me a clean heart. [Music]
"Cast me not away from thy presence." And let's stand right where we are and sing it unto God. Let's sing it. [Music]
[Applause]
"Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation." [Music]
"And renew a right spirit within me." Would you give Him praise? Oh, [Applause] God, oh [Applause] [Music] God, I praise you, my Lord and my God. I praise you. Oh God, I praise you, my Lord and my God.
Oh [Music] living God, touch these men. Living God, make yourself known to these men. Oh God, reveal yourself to these men. [Applause]
I speak to you today, says the Lord: "My children, my sons, I have you together like arrows in the hand of a warrior."
Like the prophet gave arrows to the king, "You are my arrows that are meant for deliverance," says the Lord. "I will launch your lives into destiny for the deliverance of cities and nations. But first, there must be a forging that must pass, that I might make you a polished arrow in my hand.
The arrow that has imperfections will not fly; imperfections are too great; they will destroy it. Therefore, says the Lord, submit to the process of forging that I am working in your life, because I am seeking to remove those impurities from you that would hinder you.
If you will come on this discipline, says the Lord, place your lives in my hand. Understand that these struggles that I am causing in your life are meant to produce you that peaceful fruit of righteousness that will polish you and enable you to fly," says the Lord.
"Then behold, I will indeed heal your life, for I am a God of destiny, and I have called you together to be the arrows of the Lord for deliverance—not just one, not just individual, but a mighty band of deliverers," says the Lord.
Hallelujah! [Applause]
"Now hear my voice," says the Lord. "In this age, I am going to attack the barriers between generations. I speak to fathers: open your eyes and see the sons that I bring you. Seek to adopt and instruct them. I will bless you with energy in your age, and I will bless the youth with wisdom, that from the mouths of babes, my glory will be known.
I tell you, sons, open your eyes and look for righteous fathers. The one you had by birth may not be the one that instructs you of me, but I have given you fathers in this house. I will return the hearts of the sons to the fathers and the hearts of the fathers to the sons. Open your hearts to another generation, for blessing flows from the father of this fellowship to the newest convert that would seek for a righteous and godly example.
I will attack the barrier between generations. Will you follow what I am doing?" says the Lord. [Applause]
Hallelujah!
I want you to pray a prayer with me. One of the things that I've recognized is, as I get older, the longer I've stood behind the sacred desk, the easier it is to excuse things in my life that are not excusable by God.
It has to do with longevity in relationship. I believe if you're not careful, the presence of God, the things of God become so normal that you can begin to compromise. I encourage you: don't fall into that trap.
Pastor Payne mentioned people that were once filled with God, people once honorable in our fellowship, who stood behind the desk and are gone. That's how it happens.
I want you to pray with me. I want you to say, "Living God, living God, Holy Spirit of the living God, Holy Spirit, living God, I pray this morning. I pray this morning, God, I open my heart completely before you. Show me, Lord, that which would compromise me, that which would, in my future, destroy me.
God, give me wisdom. Lay conviction upon me of any unrighteousness, any seeds of destruction. God, give me revelation to control my eyes, my thoughts, my language, my decisions. The blood of Jesus cleanse me.
Lord, I'm giving you liberty to deal with me at any level. I surrender to your work of discipleship. God, let me not miss that which you have for me. I pray in Jesus' name."
Amen.
Would you give God praise?