Transcription
Well, hello everybody. This is our welcome to you. We, we really do appreciate you tuning in. We want to teach you the word of God, make you strong in the Lord. I, I'm a pastor. I'm not a televangelist. I'm a pastor that's on television. And my, my ministry is pastoral. Wherever you are, we just want to feed the sheep. And I believe God's going to bless you today. And everybody said, amen. Amen. Amen.
Let me read you something in Psalm 138 about what David did. First of all, he said, "With all my heart I thank you. I sing you praises. I sing praises to you. I face your temple. I worship. I give thanks to you." And then it says, "Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will bring me safely through them." Now, it didn't say that you will bring me partially through them and then I'll fight my way out. It said, "God said I will bring you safely through them." YES. ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
Maybe you're living in a tunnel now. It looks like it's all dark. I know we've always been there. And you can't see any light. But if your trust is in the Lord Jesus, then he will bring you safely through those troubles, that tunnel, and you'll begin to see light and pretty soon the victory will come because that's how much he loves his children. And all the people that said amen. Amen. Thank you, darling.
Let's hold up our Bibles and let's make our confession together. And television audience, you can just lift up your Bible and do this with us. This is my Bible. >> This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I am what it says I have what it says I have. I have what it says I can do what it says I can do. I can do what it says I can. Today I will be taught the word of God. >> Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess >> I boldly confess my mind is alert. My mind. My heart is receptive. >> My heart is receptive. I will never be the same. >> I will never be the same. I am about to receive >> I am about to receive the incorruptible >> the incorruptible, indestructible, indestructible, ever-living, ever-living seed >> seed of the word of God. >> of the word of God. I will never be the same. >> I will never be the same. Never, never, never. Never, never, never. I'll never be the same. >> I'll never be the same. In Jesus' name. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.
You may be seated. Television audience, we're reading from the book of Luke chapter 11, beginning to read with verse 5. And Jesus is speaking. And he said unto them, "Which of you shall have a friend and will go unto him at midnight?" Everybody say midnight. Midnight. And say unto him, "Friend, lend me three loaves of bread for a friend of mine is on his journey is come, just come, and I have nothing to put before him." And he from within shall answer and say, "Do not disturb me. The door is now closed and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and supply you with anything." I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs. And I say unto you, "Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you. Seek and keep on seeking and you shall find. Knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened unto you. For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives. And he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds. And to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened. What father of you, if a son shall ask a loaf of bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, instead of a fish, will he give him a serpent? Or if he ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? If you then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things of the Holy Spirit to them that ask and continue to ask?" Could I have an amen? Amen.
All right, we're preaching again today on this little series of messages that I have, "How big is your want to?" I got a letter this week and a lady wrote me and said, "Brother O'Shields, I, I tell you, I thank God for the messages you've already preached on, uh, my want to. My want to is big." She said, "I've been going through many a battle and I had my part of my family didn't want me to come to church and didn't want me to do this and didn't want me to do that. But thank God my want to was so big, I decided I was coming to Sunday morning. I, my want to was so big, I'm coming to Sunday night and Wednesday night. My want to IS BIGGER THAN MY ENEMIES." GIVE HER A HAND CLAP, WOULD YOU? >> [applause] >> YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY, "I WANT TO GET OUT OF out of debt." How big is your want to? Is it big enough to start tithing? Thank you for your enthusiasm. Is it big enough to start honoring God with your money? She said, "Well, I, I want my marriage to work." Is it big enough for you to start living right and ask forgiveness and make things right with your husband or wife? You say, "WELL, I, I WANT to to to have this and that and the other." But whatever it is, how big is YOUR WANT TO? HOW STRONG IS YOUR WANT TO? Somebody said, "Well, I want my children, you know, to be raised in the fear and admonition of the Lord." How strong is that? Is it big enough, you know, to get them here to church? Is it big enough to get them in children's church? Is it big enough to get them here to sit to hear the word of God? Are you going to give in to their whims and and your easy, uh, the easy way out? No, we ought to not send them. We ought to bring them. How big is your want to? I want my family to live for God. Everybody say that. I want my family to live for God. Say it out loud. I want my family to live for God. Well, is that, is that want to big enough to put your children under the sound of the gospel? I tell you, our children are important. BUT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A DESIRE FOR SUCCESS or the blessings OF GOD AND YOU PRAY A LITTLE BIT about it here and pray, pray a little more, pray a little more and nothing happens. YOU JUST GIVE UP. HOW big is your WANT TO? OH MY, DO YOU WANT TO PLEASE JESUS? SHOUT AMEN. Do you want to bring, give a good report when you die and go to heaven? Shout amen. How big is YOUR WANT TO? OH, ARE YOU WILLING TO SAY WITH PAUL, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." Are you willing to say that I want to forget the things that are behind and reach forward to the things that ARE BEFORE? I PRESS toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in CHRIST JESUS. HOW BIG IS YOUR WANT TO?
Oh God, the Bible says in 2nd Chronicles chapter 16, this is the master text. It says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH SEARCHING FOR PEOPLE." THAT'S WHAT GOD'S EYES ARE DOING. THE EYES OF THE LORD run to and fro throughout the whole EARTH SEARCHING FOR PEOPLE. WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE? PEOPLE WHOSE HEARTS ARE PERFECT TOWARD HIM. All right, LET ME PARAPHRASE IT. He's searching for people who have a want to so great and so big and so strong, they will not give up. Can I have an amen? >> [applause] >> AND THE BIBLE SAYS THE EYES OF THE Lord search, go to and fro throughout the whole earth searching for people whose hearts are perfect toward him to show himself strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are turned perfectly toward him. Oh, when you see him, when he sees you're not going to give up, he's going to do something for you. The Bible says over there in another scripture in Jeremiah, I believe it's 29, it says, "YOU SHALL SEARCH FOR ME and you shall find me WHEN YOU SEARCH FOR ME with all of your heart." OH MY. LOT OF PEOPLE START OUT PRAYING AND THEY pray a day or two, you know, if nothing happens, THEY JUST GIVE UP. GOD WANTS PEOPLE WHO ARE STEADFAST AND STRONG.
Jesus told this story here. He said this man had somebody to come to him at his house, a visitor, a friend in the midnight hour. It was midnight. Everybody say midnight. Midnight. Everybody shout midnight five times. You know, there are midnight hours in our life. Son of Gary, it was midnight when Gary was diagnosed with an immune system disease and he had to become a bubble boy. Well, that's our, that's our youngest daughter's husband right there. He leads the singing here. And we all know him and love him. But it was a midnight hour. He had to be in a, in a room without curtains, without rugs, and and could eat only four basic foods and all of that and take 10 shots a day and and they had to see there was nobody, no doctor could help him. His daddy is a vascular surgeon. He did everything they could. But one night, he watched the program, our program, and I can remember what I did, I did it right in this camera right here. I looked in there and I said, "You don't have to die with the devil. YOU CAN LIVE WITH JESUS." >> [applause] >> BUT LISTEN, remain standing, Gary. Put that camera ON HIM. HOW BIG WAS HIS WANT TO? OH, he didn't get any better that day. He didn't get better the next day. I'll tell you, his want to was so great, he began to watch, he watched 10 weeks, 11 weeks, 12 weeks, 13 weeks. Kept on, kept on. His want TO WAS SO GOOD, GREAT AND SO STRONG. AND HE CAME OFF THAT BED, and little by little he began to put those shots away, 10 shots a day that he had to take, and finally began to walk out of that room and exercise his faith. Thank God, and God healed him because HE HAD A GREAT WANT TO. >> [applause] >> HOW BIG AND HOW STRONG IS YOUR WANT TO? Gary could have sit been still, been on that bed, still eating four basic foods and fighting for his life, BUT HIS WANT TO WAS SO STRONG. And I might say, later on, he came to this church that way, up in the top, and later on, he didn't even know it was our daughter, but he went to a youth meeting and God said, "You're going to meet somebody special today, a beautiful young lady that's going to be something in your life." And our beautiful daughter, stand up, April. Our beautiful daughter, and she says, she says, our, she is our most, she is our favorite daughter. And stand up, and she's, he looked across there and saw that beautiful thing there, and she looked over there and saw that handsome thing there, and I'm telling you, he stole our daughter AND MARRIED OUR DAUGHTER. GIVE HIM a hand clap, would you? >> [applause] >> AND WHAT A BLESSING HE IS TO THE BODY OF CHRIST AND THEY ARE TO THE BODY OF CHRIST. BUT LISTEN, IF HE HAD TO HAD A LITTLE TINY want to, if he had to said, "Well, now it's been 4 weeks and I've been listening to this preacher and he's telling me about a God who is Jehovah Rapha and and I'm not getting any better and all that." Oh, you see, BUT HIS WANT TO, HOW STRONG AND HOW BIG IS YOUR WANT TO? OH, MY. I CAN remember when I saw Dottie. Oh, huh. Now, y'all got to help me remember where I am because I get to talk about Dottie, I forget where I am. I remember when I saw Dottie, and I tell you, God put it in my heart to marry her. Oh, my. I knew that she was mine, mine, mine. She was mine. I knew it. I knew it. BE UNDER SHOT OF A GUN. YOU COULD TAKE A BALL BAT AND BEAT it out of me. I KNEW DOTTIE WAS GOING TO BE MY WIFE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? She didn't want to be my wife. She thought I was too short. She thought I wasn't good looking enough. I don't know what she thought. But I mean, I couldn't get her to marry me. I had breakfast with one of her near real close friends, and I saw, called her by name and I said, "Listen, DOTTIE IS LOSING HER MIND. She doesn't want to marry me. You know, LOOK AT ME, HOW HANDSOME I AM." But, but anyway, HOW BIG WAS MY WANT TO? I mean, I wouldn't give up. I mean, I wouldn't give up. She's in nurses' school. She wants to be a nurse. And she wants to carry out, she's just about to graduate, you know. And I said, "Dottie, I want to marry you. I want to marry you. I want to marry you." She said, "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know." How big is my want to? I would not give up. I would not give up. And you know, when she graduated from nurses' school, got her RN degree, Royal Nut, I mean, no. Excuse me. I mean, what is that? Registered Nurse. I'm telling you the truth. My want TO WAS SO BIG, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't DO ANYTHING. I HAD TO HAVE DOTTIE. I HAD TO HAVE DOTTIE. MY BIG, MY MY WANT TO WAS SO BIG AND SO STRONG, I WOULDN'T GIVE UP. AND I TOLD HER FRIEND, I said, "You go talk TO DOTTIE. TELL HER TO MARRY ME. TELL HER I WANT HER." SO, SHE WENT TALKED to her. I don't know what all happened, trust right. But anyway, to make a long story short, we got married. >> [applause] >> AND DOTTIE HAS BEEN PRACTICING her nursing career ever since on one patient, me. And she said it's a mental case. What are y'all laughing about? How big IS YOUR WANT TO? OH, MY. You know, a lot of people, they, they want a lot of things, BUT THEY DON'T THEY DON'T WANT TO SACRIFICE. THAT WANT TO IS NOT BIG ENOUGH. OH, GOD will show himself strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are perfect. You see it? He came, this man came to Jesus, I mean, this man Jesus told about this man coming at midnight. Sometime it is the midnight hour. Everybody here will face a midnight hour. Many of you on television listening to me are already in a midnight hour. Some of you here in the midnight hour, a dark hour, when disease has come, when the bad report has come, when it looks like your home is going to break up, when it looks like everything's going wrong with the children, when your finances are all shattered and ALL OF THAT, A MIDNIGHT HOUR. And Jesus said, "This man didn't have anything set before him, so he went next door to his friend's house." He began to bang on the door. And he, and the man looked out, no doubt upstairs, looked out the window up there, and he said, "What do you want DOWN THERE? IT'S MIDNIGHT. IT'S WAY PAST MIDNIGHT HERE." And he said, "Well, a friend of mine is coming, his journey. I don't have any bread. I need some bread. Would you get up, give me some bread?" He said, "Listen, my, my children are with me in bed. And I cannot get up and give you." How many of you have children? Shout amen. When you get them finally down in bed, you don't want them disturbed. We used to, I mean, we with all these children we raised, we'd get one down, get them, get them asleep, get the other one down, the other one's awake. I'm telling you, it's, I'm telling you, it's a great blessed hour when you can say they're all asleep. Can I have an amen? A better amen. A better amen. He's got THEM ALL DOWN. FINALLY, THEY'RE ASLEEP. HE SAID, "I'M NOT GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS BED AND get all these children awake and get down there and give YOU BREAD. GO AWAY. GO AWAY." BUT THE MAN JUST KEPT ON KNOCKING. AFTER HE CLOSED THE WINDOW, EVERY TIME he closed the window, he knocked. EVERY TIME HE CLOSED THE WINDOW, HE KNOCKED. EVERY time he closed the window, he knocked. And Jesus said, "HE'S NOT GOING TO GET up and get give it to HIM BECAUSE HE'S FRIEND, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS SHAMELESS PERSISTENCE." BECAUSE HIS WANT TO IS SO STRONG AND SO GREAT, HE WILL not take no for AN ANSWER. AND BECAUSE OF HIS SHAMELESS PERSISTENCE, how big is your want to? How big is your want to?
You know, years ago, in raising our family, we have many wonderful experiences. And Tamara came in. She's our middle daughter. They, they pastor in Victoria, Texas, Faith Christian Church. And she said, "Uh Daddy," she must have been around 10, maybe she says, "Daddy, I, I want a rabbit." I said, "You want a what?" I said, "We got a house full of kids. What is this you want? A rabbit?" I said, "Tamara, forget it. You are not going to have any rabbit. I'm not against rabbits. You can have all of you want to. But I, I said, "No, Tamara, you're not going to have a rabbit." But you know, she came back a day or two later, she said, "Daddy, I want a rabbit." I said, "Tamara, forget rabbits. You are not going to have a rabbit." A few days later, she came back and she said, "Daddy, I really want a rabbit." I said, "TAMARA, I TOLD YOU TO STOP TALKING TO ME ABOUT THIS RABBIT." She said, "But you said in one of your books you can HAVE WHAT YOU SAY." >> [applause] >> LISTEN, you got to keep those books away from those children. She said, "In Miracle in Your Mouth, you said you can have what you put in your mouth and say, and I want a rabbit. I want a rabbit. I want a rabbit." I said, "Quit reading my books." Few days later, she came back, she said, "Daddy, I want a rabbit." Shameless persistence. I said, I made a fatal mistake. I said, uh "Tamara, if I got you a rabbit," I said, "You don't have any place to keep it." She said, "Oh, yes, Daddy." She said, "I've already talked to Paul, and he said he would build me a cage." Already talked. She's planning like I'm going to give in. SHE'S ALREADY ACTING HER FAITH. SHE DIDN'T KNOW IT. She said, "Paul said he would build me a cage." I said, "Paul doesn't know how to build a cage." She said, "Yes, he does. He said he could build it." I said, "Well, let me think about it." You know, she's wearing me down. And so, finally, she came said, "Daddy, now when can I have my rabbit?" I said, "Listen, Tamara, I, there's no place in town. I've never seen any place that had a for sale rabbit sale. Never. There's no rabbits for sale in Houston. Or in Humble. We lived in Humble. None." She said, "OH, YES, THERE IS." SHE SAID, "I SAW A SIGN. I SAW A SIGN." I SAID, "TAMARA, YOU did not see a sign." She said, I said, "Tamara, where is it?" She said, "Between here and when we're going to Humble, up there on the right." I said, "Tamara, I go that way every day, 5 days a week to the church. I've never seen a rabbit sign. I've never seen anybody uh with a sign says rabbits for sale." She said, "Well, let's get in the car, Daddy." She, she's GOT A STRONG WANT TO. SHE'S GOT A GREAT WANT TO. SHE'S NOT GOING TO GIVE UP. SO, I PUT HER IN THE CAR. JUST TAMARA and me. And she said, "Now, drive slow." We're driving slow. I looked out there. I couldn't see anything. Finally, we came to a gold bunch of trees. SHE SAID, "THERE IT IS. THERE IT IS. THERE IT IS." I'M TELLING YOU 25 or 30, 40, 50 yards way back in there. There was a sign about this big. I mean, I had to have a telescope to see it. BUT, LISTEN, WHEN YOU GOT A WANT TO, YOU CAN SEE IT THROUGH THE WOOD, THROUGH THE WOOD. >> [cheering] [applause] >> WHEN YOU GOT A GREAT STRONG WANT TO, YOU CAN SEE IT WHEN SOMEBODY ELSE CAN'T. HOW STRONG IS YOUR WANT TO? HOW big is your want to? Oh, my. She said, "Now, now Daddy, look way back in there between those," and I saw a little bit of sign, rabbits for sale. Guess what? She got two rabbits. >> [applause] >> But, you know, you know, THIS IS WHAT JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT. He said this man because of his shameless possession. And he said, "Ask and keep on asking. Seek and keep on seeking. Knock and keep on knocking. EVERYONE." SHOUT EVERYONE. EVERYONE. SEE, JESUS SAID EVERYONE THAT ASK AND KEEPS ON ASKING, SEEKS AND KEEPS ON SEEKING, KNOCKS AND KEEPS ON KNOCKING, TO EVERY ONE OF THEM, you know, they'll receive. Every what? Jesus said every one of THEM WILL RECEIVE. HOW BIG is your want to? See, if you will dare not give up. IF YOU WILL DARE to take the promises of God and knock on the door of heaven or knock ON ON THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND PRESENT YOUR REQUEST. If you give up after the first day or two or few weeks, you didn't really want it. Just say, "What I'd have missed if I'd have gotten no deal." Can I have an amen? Amen. But, see, I wouldn't give up. Think what we'd have missed if, if, if Gary hadn't given up. Thank God for what he, he does for the kingdom of God. Could I have an amen? Amen. See, don't give up. How bad do you want TO BE SAVED? HOW BAD, HOW GREAT IS YOUR DESIRE TO MISS HELL? HOW GREAT IS YOUR DESIRE TO PLEASE JESUS? HOW GREAT IS YOUR DESIRE TO BE A FAITHFUL STRONG MEMBER OF A LOCAL CHURCH AND NOT BE A WHINING MURMURER, BUT BE A STRONG SOLDIER OF JESUS CHRIST. HOW BIG IS YOUR want to? It's a joy to teach the word of God. We want to be a blessing to you. I'm a pastor. I feed the people. I challenge. I exhort. I encourage. And you know, we know if your want to is strong enough and you got the word of God in you, you can get the desires of your heart. The Bible said, "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and he'll give you the desires of your heart." And we're so glad you tuned in today. How big is your want to? How big is your desire to be saved? Do you really want peace in your heart? Do you want to get free from the devil's power? Do you want to get free from all the shackles of of darkness that that bring you turmoil in your spirit, in your life? You can have freedom today by making Jesus the Lord of your life. Why don't you just pray this prayer with us? You know, the Bible said, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Say, "Oh God, today I turn my back on the way I've been living. God, I want to change. I don't want to live like I've been living. I don't want to go to hell. I want to go to heaven. And God, right now, I want to thank you that Jesus died in my place and rose again [music] in order for me to be saved. And I want to make Jesus the Lord of my life. Jesus, come into my heart and save me now. I accept you as my Lord and my savior. Thank you, Jesus. You're now my Lord. You're now my savior. If I dropped dead right now, I wouldn't go to hell. I'd go to heaven because Jesus is my Lord. Thank God, this is your day. If we don't see you here, we'll see you in heaven."