The Cost Of Cheap Consecration
Pastor David T. Elms 7/6/2025
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Summary
Pastor David T. Elms warns against 'cheap consecration' - the attempt to enjoy the benefits of God's name and forgiveness while refusing to submit to His lifestyle, values, and transformation. Facing the tension of the last days, believers must move beyond superficial worship to a costly, total surrender that prepares them to be part of Christ's glorious, holy church.
Key points
- •True consecration is not a negotiation; seeking God's name without accepting His commandments (His 'bread' and 'clothes') results in a superficial, 'cheap' faith.
- •Isaiah 1-5 serves as a prophetic warning that God will not ignore half-hearted worship or social masks of holiness when the heart remains unchanged and worldly.
- •The church should not be viewed as a place of 'forgiveness only' where one seeks a bailout from shame without a commitment to lifestyle transformation.
- •God promises a glorious remnant that will find refuge and a 'cloud of glory' if they choose costly consecration over cultural convenience.
- •In the last days, there is a temptation to collect teachers who 'tickle itching ears' and offer a version of grace that permits immorality instead of demanding self-denial.
Scripture
Consecration
Holiness
Repentance
End Times
Transformation
Life application
Evaluate your spiritual life this week for any 'prenuptial agreements' you have made with God-areas where you want His blessing but refuse His boundaries. Commit to full surrender by asking God to replace 'spiritual junk food' with a renewed appetite for sound Biblical doctrine and holy living.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of my life am I trying to wear my 'own clothes' or eat my 'own bread' instead of submitting to God's ways?
- Am I more interested in being 'called by His name' for the sake of social respectability than I am in living out His character?
- How does the promise of the 'branch of the Lord' being beautiful and glorious change my perspective on the trials of modern living?
- What is the difference between a 'church of forgiveness only' and a church of true transformation?
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Full transcript
0:00our way to the miracles because we have
0:00a God that is just like that. Well, are
0:00you ready to hear the word of the Lord?
0:02Lord Jesus, this is your word. I come to
0:05break it before your people and bring to
0:07them your truth today and do it in a
0:10manner that will empower them to serve
0:14you well. And I ask it in Jesus precious
0:17name I pray. Amen. The title of my
0:20message today is the cost of cheap
0:23consecration.
0:25The cost of cheap consecration. You may
0:29may be seated in the name of the Lord.
0:35Cheap consecration
0:38sounds like an oxymoron.
0:41It's hard to imagine that consecration
0:45would be accustomed to anything that was
0:48likened to something of less value.
0:52We've heard of oxymorons in our lives.
0:55Words that seem like they should never
0:58go together. Words like clean corruption
1:02or pure corruption.
1:05Words like sacred profanity,
1:09things like cheap consecration. Cheap
1:13means superficial
1:15or insincere.
1:18It's a form of devotion that doesn't
1:21come from the sanctity and moral
1:25commitment
1:26of the soul.
1:28It is something that appears holy and
1:32seems to be dedicated but it lacks
1:35depth. It is not authentic.
1:40It is not born of true sacrifice.
1:45The cost of cheap consecration.
1:49One of the things I love is that book of
1:53Isaiah, which is our text, is so filled
1:57with powerful verses that you and I have
2:01used throughout our walk with God. And
2:05of course, the beginning of Isaiah's
2:08book is filled with dynamic verses that
2:12you and I have heard and used throughout
2:17our life. Many times from this pulpit I
2:20have said uh that Isaiah had an entire
2:25change of perspective in the sixth
2:28chapter where the Bible says in the year
2:31that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord.
2:37Many times I have said that everything
2:39before that it's just him seeing the
2:43wickedness and the defilement of his
2:46people. But after he gets to chapter
2:49six, when he sees the Lord, he
2:51recognizes
2:53that not only are those around him
2:56defiled, but he realizes that I also am
3:00a man of unclean lips. And of course,
3:04it's one of the most beautiful
3:06descriptions of what the church ought to
3:08remember as we walk with God throughout
3:11our life. We never need to have a
3:13hottiness come about us. We need to
3:16always carry ourselves with humility.
3:18Ourselves with humility. And yet,
3:22just because the sixth chapter seems to
3:25have a revelation, an aha moment for
3:28Isaiah does not mean that you nor I
3:31should write off chapters 1 through
3:35five. Just because we love that year
3:39where he saw an angel come with tongs
3:43and take a coal from the altar and touch
3:45his lips and sanctify him doesn't mean
3:49that chapters one, two, three, four, and
3:53five are unimportant.
3:57The reason is that the entirety of
4:00scripture is given to us not just as a
4:04historical reference, but it is also
4:07prophetic of the world that is and is to
4:12come. Chapter number one, the Bible
4:15tells us through the prophecy of Isaiah,
4:19he said there's a problem in Israel. He
4:21wasn't talking about the problems of the
4:23Philistines, the problem of the
4:26Moabites, the problem of the Grecians.
4:30The entirety is a dealing with God's
4:33people. And he said, "You, my people,
4:37have forgotten who I am. The ox knows
4:41its owner and the donkey knows its
4:46master, but you have forgotten me." He
4:50said, 'You bring sacrifices and you make
4:53oblations
4:54that are vain. You offer gifts and
4:58offerings that you think impress me
5:01because you have done something. You
5:04think that all I need is something and
5:07that will suffice. But he went on to
5:10say, I don't want your offerings. Your
5:13holidays are not special to me. I don't
5:17care about your sacrifices.
5:20He said, when you lift and spread your
5:23hands, I will hide my eyes from you.
5:27When you make many prayers, these were
5:30not a nonpaying people. This was a
5:33praying people. But because they gave
5:37him what we are calling cheap
5:40consecration,
5:41he said, "I will not hear you." So they
5:46had many worship services where they
5:48raised their hands and many prayer
5:51meetings where they called on the name
5:53of the Lord. But because the measure of
5:56their sacrifice was shallow and cheap,
6:00it wasn't valuable. It wasn't authentic.
6:03It was just enough to put a band-aid on
6:06the problem. It wasn't their heart. And
6:10he said, "I will not hear you and I will
6:14hide my eyes." But every time the Lord
6:17tries to appeal to people who are
6:20playing church, he always comes back and
6:23says, "Please hear me. I love you. It is
6:28not going to be hard if you'll just
6:30serve me with your whole heart. If you
6:32just give me a little bit, I don't want
6:35it. I don't want your leftovers. I don't
6:38want your halfwit, halfhearted praise. I
6:42don't care about your halfway offerings.
6:45I don't need your stuff. Don't show up
6:48and give your token to me and act like
6:51the people of God ought to be glad that
6:53I gave something. He said, "Keep all
6:56you've got. I don't need that. Your
6:58holidays and your holy days mean nothing
7:01to me." When you celebrate a new moon or
7:05you bring oblations, they're vain and
7:08they're not special to me. I'm telling
7:10you, we need to hear Isaiah 1 through5
7:13today. Because at the end of Isaiah 1,
7:16he said, "Come, let us reason together.
7:19Though your sin be as scarlet, they
7:22shall be as wool. Though they be as
7:24crimson, they shall be wider than snow."
7:29And so the second chapter comes along
7:33and this sacred tension between the way
7:37God wants it to be and the way it seems
7:40to get are always working side by side.
7:45The opening of the second chapter of
7:47Isaiah starts out with a declaration of
7:50the way it's going to be at the coming
7:53of Messiah. Now remember something
7:55ladies and gentlemen, there are two
7:57comingings of Messiah. The first time he
7:59came, we call Christmas. It was in June,
8:02but we celebrated in December. Okay? We
8:05call it Christmas. And it's cute. It's
8:07nice. It's beautiful. But the first time
8:10he came, it wasn't glorious in power. It
8:14was not powerful in beauty. It was not
8:17majestic in splendor. Ah, angels sang
8:21and shepherds saw and wise men followed
8:23a star. But if you think that's the
8:26description of the coming of Messiah,
8:29you have a wrong interpretation of this
8:33God. He is not just a God who sets out
8:36one star. He spangles all the stars.
8:40He's not just a God that has one
8:43shepherd singing on a lonely field. When
8:46he shows up, every choir will sing of
8:49his goodness. It's not just a man, a boy
8:53that walked on the streets and raised
8:55the dead. No. On that day, every knee
8:58shall bow and every tongue shall confess
9:02that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory
9:05of God the Father of the things in
9:07heaven, of the things on earth, of the
9:09things under the earth. Every knee is
9:11going to bow. Are you with me tonight
9:13today?
9:14And so when he comes, it's described in
9:17the second chapter of Isaiah. It starts
9:19out by saying in the last days the L
9:21hill of the Lord will be where all the
9:24nations go when they will come and go
9:26from the hill of the Lord. That has
9:27never happened yet in this world. It's a
9:30prophecy of what's going to happen. He
9:32said, "And in that day they will take
9:34their swords and make plow shares out of
9:36them. They will take their spears and
9:38make pruning hooks." That is to say,
9:41they're going to take the instruments of
9:42war and turn them into the instruments
9:45of plenty. They're going to take the
9:47instruments that are meant to kill and
9:49they're going to turn them into
9:50instruments that make alive. It's going
9:52to be an amazing day when the He said
9:55they shall study war
9:59no more. Folks, this Bible that I'm
10:02preaching right now is as true right now
10:04as it's ever been. That is going to
10:06happen. It's going to happen, but it has
10:09never happened yet. When it hasn't
10:12happened yet, mark it down. God's word
10:14is true and it's going to happen one
10:17day.
10:19But in attention, he stopped seeing what
10:23shall be and start saying what is. He
10:27said, "Yet you have idols. You have
10:30crafted with your hands your own
10:32religions. You have crafted and
10:34self-prescribed your own forgivenesses.
10:37You have decided your own way to how you
10:39ought to worship and how you ought to
10:41live. And you come with your lofty looks
10:45and your hottie attitudes. You come and
10:49every great thing around you, you think
10:52that means I love you. But I'm telling
10:54you, your cedars from Lebanon, they
10:57don't move me. Your oaks from Bashan,
11:00they don't move me. Your ships from
11:02Tarsus, they don't impress me. Your
11:05beautiful pictures and paintings, they
11:08don't move me. I see the high mountains
11:10you celebrate, they don't move me. I
11:13look at your high towers, they're not
11:15impressive. I see your fenced walls that
11:18you think mean I love you, and they
11:21don't mean I love you. I look at your
11:24pleasant the all the things, but I want
11:26you to know I'm coming back and I'm
11:29going to show you every idol that you
11:31have made and called the measure of
11:33forgiveness. You have made a
11:36self-prescribed
11:37sacrifice. It's a cheap consecration.
11:41You didn't think I demanded and needed
11:43more. You measured yourself by the
11:45people round about and you made your own
11:48gods. Well, in that day, you're going to
11:50be so ashamed of the silver and gold
11:53idols you've made that you're going to
11:54melt them down, and you're going to feed
11:57them to the moles and the bats and hope
11:59that when darkness turns the day, that
12:02the silver of your idols, and the gold
12:05of your prescriptions will be hidden in
12:08the hole of the mole and in the height
12:11in the cliffs where the bats sleep, he
12:13said. But in that day you will be found
12:16out because you thought I could be
12:19bought off with cheap sacrifice. Uh and
12:22he finally ends chapter number two by
12:25saying cease ye from man which in our
12:29days statement it says you who think
12:31you're trusting in the arm of flesh you
12:34better stop trusting in the arm of
12:35flesh. Do not put your trust in man. Put
12:40your hope in God. Then chapter three
12:43comes upon us and he said because you
12:47have forgotten me because you think your
12:49weak worship and your selfish manner of
12:53serving me and your own desires of
12:55worship and prayer and consecration and
12:58sacrifice and giving because you thought
13:00that was the measure I wanted. I want to
13:03tell you in your people, I'm going to
13:05take away your mighty men. I'm going to
13:07take away your man of war. I'm going to
13:10take away the judge and the prophet. I'm
13:12going to take away the prudent and I'm
13:14going to take away the ancient. Oh,
13:15they'll be among you, but you will not
13:18see them in the measure of what they
13:20are. He said, I'm going to also take
13:22away your cunning artisan and I'm going
13:25to take away your eloquent ortor. All
13:28these people you thought meant I loved
13:30you. All of these the judge and the
13:33prophet I'll take away from you. And I'm
13:36going to do this because Zion is hotty.
13:40Because Zion has dressed herself in a
13:43manner. And he describes Zion. He said,
13:46"She holds her neck high and she prances
13:50and and and and and walks and goes with
13:53tinkling sounds on her ankles, with nose
13:56rings and necklaces, with combs and all
13:59kinds of decorations on her on her body
14:03to present herself as if she has been
14:05the accepted of God." and this long
14:08litmus of describing the things that
14:11this woman of Zion says this is how he
14:15loves me to look. He said, "But that's
14:17not the way it's going to be. I'm going
14:19to take your sweetness and turn it into
14:22stink. I'm going to take your hair that
14:24is prettily fixed and I'm going to give
14:26you baldness. I'm going to take your
14:29beauty and I'm going to make it
14:30burning." Because here's why it's going
14:33to happen. because you presumed that you
14:36could tell me how you ought to serve me
14:39instead of coming to me and finding out
14:42how you were to serve me. You see,
14:45serving God halfway will never work. I
14:49know we live in an hour where people
14:51think I'm spiritual if I just think
14:53about God. But you need to get in the
14:55book of Isaiah because this is a
14:57description of the way the church world
14:59was then. And ladies and gentlemen, it
15:02is a description of the way the church
15:05world is now. He said, "I will not
15:09settle for your description of
15:11sacrifice." You don't get to decide how
15:14you want to dress and think I'm going to
15:16accept it. You don't get to decide how
15:18what you want to wear and think I'm
15:19going to accept it. You can't show up
15:21and say, "Well, God understands and
15:24think I'm going to accept it." Either
15:25you love me enough to learn my ways or
15:28you don't love me at all. You either
15:31love me with all or you don't love me at
15:33all. I will not tolerate a cheap
15:37consecration. It will not be accepted.
15:40And so you feel this tension of God
15:43saying, "Straighten up. I love you. Walk
15:46right. It's not hard if you do it with
15:49your whole heart. You got to understand
15:51I'm going to take your hair and replace
15:53it with baldness if you think you're not
15:56you that I can accept your
15:58prescriptions. But please, though your
16:00sins are as scarlet, I'll wash you. I'll
16:04cleanse you from your filthiness. You
16:06don't have to do it, but you've got to
16:08come to me. You can't tell me how.
16:12And the fourth chapter, verse one, is
16:15our text. Are you with me? It's a
16:18prenuptual agreement. Don't tell me
16:20those are just modern day things. This
16:22was a deal with the devil. It's
16:24described in the opening verse of the
16:26fourth chapter. It's a short chapter,
16:29only six verses long, but it's filled
16:32with vivid imagery and messianic
16:35messages. It's a prophecy that did not
16:37have to do with the coming of the Lord
16:39the first time as much as it has to do
16:43with the coming of the Lord the second
16:45time. The key word if you're a Bible
16:48reader is whenever you read the branch
16:51of the Lord, always know this is
16:54messianic in its prophecy. And those
16:56words, when I say those, I hope you
16:58understand what messianic and prophetic
17:00mean. It means it hasn't happened yet.
17:03And it means he's coming back. And
17:05everything that is wrong is going to be
17:07set right. And he said, I'm going to
17:09come and I'm going to straighten out all
17:11the people who think that I can serve
17:14God any way I want. Folks, this is a
17:17church of transformation. This is a
17:19church where you come and you get
17:21blessed and saved and walking with God.
17:24But if you stop after you get the Holy
17:27Ghost, then you haven't continued in the
17:29ways of God. If you stop growing and
17:31you're happy to say, "Well, this is as
17:33far as I want to go and that's all." I'm
17:35here to tell you, I will like you and I
17:37will love you, but the Lord will not
17:40watch when you raise your hands. And the
17:42Lord will not hear your prayers, though
17:45they be many.
17:50This is the word.
17:52This is the word. And so they came. This
17:56was a story about in that day, seven
17:59women, and I'm reading from the King
18:00James. In that day, seven women shall
18:04take hold of one man, saying, "Here's
18:08our prenuptual agreement. We will eat
18:12our own bread, and we will wear our own
18:15apparel.
18:16Only let us be called by your name. and
18:22I need you to take away our reproach.
18:27This ancient text
18:30that we use so often at Christmas that
18:33we use so easily when we talk about his
18:37name shall be called wonderful
18:39counselor, the mighty God, the
18:42everlasting father, the prince of peace,
18:46all the wonderful prophecies of Emanuel,
18:49God with us. You cannot walk past the
18:52first five chapters. The fifth chapter,
18:54I don't have the time to tell you, but
18:56he sings a song about his beloved bride.
19:00He said, "I let me sing a song to you
19:03about my beloved. I did everything for
19:06her. I planted her in the most fruitful
19:09hill. I planted her with the most choice
19:11vine. I gave her a garden that was
19:14unbelievable. I took all the stones out.
19:18I built a wall around it. I put a wine
19:21press in the midst of it. And I went to
19:23see that it would bring forth grapes,
19:25and it brought forth sour grapes,
19:31wild grapes. In other words, he was
19:34saying, "I've done so much for the my
19:36people, and all they do is want to give
19:38back to me their own prescription of
19:40what they think is right. They won't
19:42submit to a pastor. They won't come
19:44under the leadership of a church. They
19:46won't arm themselves with a relationship
19:48with a body of believers. No, they're
19:50too spiritual for all of that. They
19:53don't need the communion of
19:54accountability because they're spiritual
19:57people. So, they slide in a spiritual
19:59church and they lift up spiritual hands
20:01and yet they give to God a cheap
20:03consecration. You know what you're doing
20:06today. I know what I'm doing today. I'm
20:09preaching to every one of us under the
20:11sound of my voice. The Bible says that
20:13the Old Testament is given to us as an
20:15example of the things that are going to
20:17happen and they are written for our
20:19admonition. Paul wrote and said, "Upon
20:22whom the ends of the world are come."
20:25When was the last time you stopped and
20:27considered the the cost of your
20:30consecration?
20:32Matthew 13:49. So shall it be at the end
20:36of the world. The angels shall come
20:39forth and sever the wicked from among
20:45the just.
20:50This chapter has so much mercy in it.
20:54It's a description because the only part
20:57that talks about the heaviness of God is
20:59that first verse because after that and
21:03that point forward it description of a
21:06remnant that has given to God a costly
21:09consecration. They did not try to make a
21:12deal. Just give me your name but I don't
21:15want your clothes.
21:17Just give me your name but I don't want
21:19your food. just take away my reproach
21:23but I don't want your culture
21:26ah seven women shall come to this one
21:29man see seven has been the number of the
21:32church through the centuries this is why
21:35when you read the book of John the
21:37letter the first three chapters are to
21:40the seven churches of Asia and every
21:45church had things in them that were good
21:49and every church had things in them that
21:52were bad. And the prophets were not sent
21:55to the nations roundabout. They were
21:58sent to the people of God to tell them,
22:01"Make sure your consecration
22:04is not cheap." Make sure you're not
22:07trying to say, "I'll serve God, but I
22:09don't want your clothes.
22:14I'll serve God, but I don't want your
22:16food." You can keep your commandments,
22:19your ordinances, your abominations. You
22:22can keep them to yourself. All we want
22:25is to celebrate your name.
22:29All we want is when reproach and shame
22:32shows up, will you please walk in the
22:34door and take that all away?
22:37But we don't want your clothes and we
22:40don't want your bread.
22:42And so from that point on, the Lord
22:44makes an appeal. And I would love for
22:46you to read these chapters. I'm telling
22:48you last night, 10 times I listened to
22:51these verses from chapter 1 to chapter
22:53six. 10 times through through the Lord
22:57woke me up at one. I thought it wasn't
22:59the Lord. I thought it was just me. I
23:03tried to go back to sleep. I couldn't go
23:06back to sleep. I haven't slept a week
23:08since 1:00 this morning. Don't feel
23:10sorry for me. But I said, Lord, why?
23:13What is going on here? I normally can
23:15sleep. He wanted me to get saturated
23:18with these chapters so you would
23:20understand. It's not me plucking a
23:22sermon verse out. It's me telling you
23:25there has been a continual tension among
23:28his people where they're trying to make
23:31a cheap consecration. There are those
23:34that will come in and try to make a
23:35lesser sacrifice and say, "Oh Lord,
23:38you're supposed to just accept me
23:40however you want. You get me and you're
23:42supposed to be happy about it. I've come
23:44to proclaim to you, I want whatever
23:47clothing he wants for me. I need
23:50whatever covering he has for me. I want
23:53whatever food he has for me. The Bible
23:57said because they received not a love
23:59for his things that he would take away
24:02their teachers. In other words, their
24:04teachers would still be teaching, but
24:06they wouldn't have an appetite to hear
24:09the word of the Lord. My question to you
24:11is, and it's been a pretty amazing month
24:14of preaching. If you add up the
24:16amalgamation of the sermons that have
24:18been brought to us in the last little
24:20while, it's almost stunning to me when
24:22we heard brother Hail and his depth
24:24about the toa prayer last Sunday and
24:26then brother Arnold on Tuesday, a few
24:29Tuesday nights ago about the the ex the
24:32power uh the the delivering power of
24:35discontent, of trying to press through.
24:38And it was all about am I giving the
24:41Lord everything? Am I holding back and
24:44saying it's ought to be good enough for
24:46you or do I give him everything? On
24:50Pentecost, Peter preached to explain all
24:53the tongues and all the rejoicing that
24:55was going on. And Peter quoted this
24:58verse. He said, "In the last days it
25:00shall be, God declares that I will pour
25:02out my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons
25:05and your daughters shall prophesy. Your
25:07young men shall see visions and your old
25:09men shall dream dreams. And then pre
25:12Peter preached that message about the
25:14Holy Ghost. You know when that message
25:16was preached in 8 years it will be 2,000
25:21years ago. He preached that message on
25:2333 AD
25:262033 is eight years from now. That was
25:29when Peter preached that message. And he
25:32said verse 21, "It shall come to pass
25:36that everyone who calls on the name of
25:38the Lord shall be saved." Isn't that an
25:41awesome verse? I want to call on his
25:44name. Many people quote that. And many
25:47churches all around America will say,
25:49"All you got to do is call on the name
25:51of the Lord to be saved." It is
25:53literally in the scripture. But don't
25:56stop reading. Now when they heard this,
25:59they they asked Peter, the Bible says
26:02they were cut to the heart and said to
26:05Peter and all the other disciples,
26:07"Brothers, what shall we do?" Well,
26:11shouldn't have Peter just said, "Well,
26:13call on his name."
26:17He just said, "Call on the name of the
26:19Lord and you shall be saved." Why didn't
26:22he repeat himself? Because calling on
26:25the name is a disposition.
26:28It's not a wrote assignment.
26:31It's not fill in the blank. It is a
26:34disposition. I can't go anywhere without
26:37calling on him. I can't wake up without
26:39calling on him. I can't get a lunch
26:42without calling on him. I'm not going to
26:44bed at night without calling on him.
26:46When my children get sick, I'm going to
26:48call on him. When my wife is not well,
26:50I'm going to call on him. When I just
26:52got my biggest bonus, I'm going to call
26:55on him. When I'm driving away in my
26:57brand new vehicle, I'm going to call on
27:00him because I call on the name of the
27:04Lord. Somebody in this house knows what
27:07I'm talking about right now. You know
27:09exactly what I'm saying. You felt it.
27:12You've experienced it. And you cannot
27:14get enough of it.
27:18But that wasn't what Peter said. Peter
27:20said "Repent.
27:22Here's what you must do."
27:24You want to know what you must do?
27:26Repent.
27:28And let every one of you be baptized in
27:30the name of Jesus Christ for the
27:33remission of sins. And you shall receive
27:37the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the
27:40promise is unto you and to your children
27:43and to all who are a far off, as many as
27:47the Lord our God shall call. But he
27:51wasn't finished there. He kept on saying
27:54other things. He preached more words
27:58after that because the Bible said, "And
28:00with many other words, he exhorted and
28:03preached unto them to save yourself from
28:08this untoward
28:10generation."
28:11So what are we supposed to do about this
28:15Isaiah 4 cheap consecration
28:20prenuptual agreement of these seven
28:24women that are trying to make a deal
28:27with the only man who can take their
28:30reproach away?
28:32What are we supposed to take from it?
28:35What are the ties to it? These wannabe
28:39brides, they provided their own terms.
28:43These wannabe brides said, "We're really
28:46concerned about our reproach and we
28:48really love your name, but we want to
28:51tell you we don't want your clothes and
28:54we don't want your food."
28:56I thank God for forgiveness
28:58and I thank God for grace.
29:01But some people want a church of
29:03forgiveness only.
29:05All they want when they come to church
29:07is, "Oh, just forgive me. Whatever I did
29:09this last week, Lord, forgive me. I
29:12don't want to change my ways. I just
29:15need a church of forgiveness." And so,
29:17we know Jesus paid it all, but all to
29:21him.
29:28See, cheap consecration
29:30leaves out the all to him.
29:35I oh no I want to make a prenup with you
29:37Lord
29:39I want your Holy Ghost and I want your
29:41name and I want the church of power
29:44forgiveness but I don't want to change
29:46the way I eat and the way I dress. I
29:50don't want to change the way I speak and
29:53the way I live. I don't want to change
29:56my infidelities and immoralities.
29:59I don't want to change my temper and the
30:02way I treat others. I only want
30:04forgiveness on Sunday. This next week
30:07I'll run into something else and I'll
30:09let it fly. But I want a church of
30:12forgiveness only. Be sure of one thing.
30:17Your sin will find you out.
30:19And when you try to make a prenup with
30:21God that you just want Sunday only
30:24church, you're not interested in any of
30:26the other proceedings that happen around
30:28the church. just give me a church with a
30:31bless me sermon and a forgive me sermon
30:35and let me go because I know they get in
30:38the nitty-gritty on Tuesday night. So I
30:40just rather leave that part alone and
30:43show back up to the church of
30:45forgiveness only. So these wannabe
30:48brides provide their own terms. Jude
30:52said, "In the last days, I say this
30:54because some ungodly people have wormed
30:56their way into your churches, saying
30:59that God's marvelous grace allows us to
31:02live immoral lives. We get to be ungodly
31:07and still be loved." But he said,
31:09"Ungodly people, they pervert the grace
31:13of our God into sensuality and deny."
31:18Oh, they pray to him. They sing his
31:20praises. They sing of his love forever,
31:23but they won't sing forever of his love.
31:26Because if you offer to him cheap
31:29consecration, the Bible tells you his
31:32spirit will not always strive with those
31:34who want prenupubs.
31:39The occupation of too many Christians
31:41today is to pervert the grace of God
31:44into sensuality and say, "Preacher,
31:47don't preach against immorality. Don't
31:50preach against sin. Don't preach against
31:53immodesty. Don't preach against
31:56worldliness. No. Just preach about
31:59forgiveness.
32:00Because we want to walk our own walk and
32:04eat our own food and dress our own dress
32:08and talk our own talk and just have
32:11forgiveness at church. But Jesus said,
32:13"If anyone desires to come after me, let
32:16him
32:19deny himself
32:21and take up his cross
32:24and follow me.
32:26Oh, just find a church which doesn't
32:28expect self-denial. There's plenty
32:31around. Find the church of forgiveness
32:33only. They're around the church of just
32:36faith and prosperity, blessing and
32:39power, but they don't preach the cross.
32:43Oh, they celebrate the cross, but not
32:45the cross Jesus died on. Because the
32:49cross Jesus died on cost something.
32:58It made you turn from the world and turn
33:00towards the Lord. It made you turn from
33:04carnal music and turn to spiritual
33:07devotion. It makes you turn from
33:09podcasts that destroy the soul and turn
33:13to something that edifies of God's word.
33:18The cross, it changes you. It comes and
33:21transforms you. And here's the thing.
33:24This message isn't just just newcomers.
33:26This message is to second generation,
33:28third generation, fourth generation,
33:30fifth generation. God has no
33:33grandchildren. Every one of my children
33:35get to decide if they want to make a
33:38prenup with God. Every one of my
33:40grandchildren will get to decide if they
33:42want a prenup with God. They don't want
33:44his clothes and they don't want his
33:46food. And all I can do is stand back and
33:49watch and plead the blood of Jesus and
33:52pray God make him yours because I know
33:56if you think a lesser sacrifice will
33:59move him. It doesn't matter your last
34:01name. It doesn't matter your family
34:03heritage. It doesn't matter your church
34:05name. It doesn't matter your pastor's
34:07name. It doesn't matter how many
34:09insiders you know. It doesn't how many
34:12times you sing of his love. It doesn't
34:14matter if you've prayed many prayers or
34:16if you've raised your hand many times.
34:19He said, "When you come to me with a
34:20cheap consecration, I will turn myself
34:24away from your raised hands and I will
34:27not hear your many prayers.
34:32Philip said they want something to
34:33tickle their own fancy in this second
34:36Timothy a time coming when people will
34:39not endure sound teaching but having
34:42this is the King James itching ears they
34:44want to accumulate for themselves
34:46teachers to suit their own passions.
34:48They will turn away from listening to
34:50the truth and wander into myths. Philip
34:53said they want something to tickle their
34:54own fancies and they will collect
34:56teachers who pander to their desires.
35:00They will no longer listen to the truth,
35:02but will wander off after manmade
35:06fictions. The message says it like this.
35:09People will have no stomach for solid
35:12preaching like I'm doing right now, but
35:15will fill up on spiritual junk food,
35:18catchy opinions that tickle their fancy.
35:23They'll turn their backs on truth and
35:25chase miragages. Let's make a deal, says
35:29the carnal church, the backsliding
35:32church, the church of Jerusalem and the
35:35church of Israel. If you read the rest
35:37of that scripture, after they had said
35:40they want to wear their own style and
35:42appease their own appetites, but they
35:45wanted their man to take away guilt and
35:47shame, then hell showed up. They wanted
35:52the husband to bail them out. Preaching
35:57always makes men ask and women ask,
36:00"What must we do?"
36:05And then after he said many other words,
36:07did he testify and exhort, saying, "Save
36:09yourself from this untored generation."
36:12I'm not done with Acts two. We stop way
36:15too fast because Acts 2:41 says,
36:19"Then they that gladly received
36:26See, Jesus demands self-denial.
36:30He demands you to come out from the
36:32world and be separate. He demands you to
36:35dress godly. He demands you to dress
36:38holy and speak godly and live holy and
36:43not be like the world who wants there to
36:46be just one blended sex. No distinction
36:49between men and women. confuse the
36:51children until they think homosexuality
36:54is an acceptable way to live on this
36:58earth. It's acceptable, but to God, it's
37:01unacceptable. Adultery on this earth is
37:05acceptable. To God, it's unacceptable.
37:08Sin with pornography on this earth seems
37:11to be a way out, but in heaven,
37:13unacceptable.
37:15I've come to tell you, I cannot just
37:18say, "I want a church of forgiveness and
37:21show up and think he's going to receive
37:23my outstretched hands and hear my many
37:27prayers." Isaiah said they want their
37:29own bread. Jesus said, "For false
37:32Christs and false prophets will arise
37:34and perform great signs and wonders, so
37:37they lead astray if possible, even
37:40church folk." their impressive
37:42credentials and dazzling performances
37:45will pull the wool over the eyes of even
37:47those who ought to know better. The
37:50majority of chapter 4 though describes
37:54the way I want to close the amazing
37:57church because in verse two it lets us
38:01know that this is prophetic about the
38:03branch of the Lord. In that day, the
38:06branch of the Lord shall be beautiful
38:09and glorious, and the fruit of the land
38:12shall be the pride and honor of the
38:15survivors of Israel. Those who remained
38:18in Jerusalem shall be called holy. Their
38:22filth, hey, we've all sinned. Don't
38:25anybody leave thinking, "Ah, he's acting
38:28like he's never walked dirty." No, no,
38:30no. We have all sinned and fallen short
38:32of the glory of God. The difference is,
38:35are we trying to change from the old man
38:40to the new? Have we been baptized? And
38:43then do we owe him? He said, "Present
38:46your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and
38:51acceptable unto God, which is your
38:55unreasonable."
38:58That's what the world says. It's
39:01unreasonable.
39:02Go find a church of forgiveness only.
39:04No, it's your reasonable
39:07service. Yeah, you dress with the
39:10clothes that the Lord wants you to
39:11dress. That's acceptable. You eat the
39:14food the Lord wants you to eat. There's
39:17no prenups in this kingdom. Those who
39:20remain in the Jer Jerusalem or in the
39:22church shall be called holy. What else
39:24about the church? Ah, upon her
39:27assemblies there shall be a cloud and
39:30smoke by day and a shining of flaming
39:33fire by night. For upon all the glory
39:37shall be a defense. I'm going to this
39:39last day, Sister Elms, come. Uh, and he
39:42says in that day, here's what the church
39:44is going to have. The church is going to
39:47be a tabernacle of shade for when the
39:51heat comes. And it shall be a refuge
39:54which holds secure when the storm and
39:57the rain comes. Scripture is very clear
40:00that the world will not ever admire the
40:03church. It says, "Marvel not my
40:05brethren. If the world hate you, don't
40:08be surprised. It hated me." Also, 2
40:13Timothy 3:12 says, "Yes, and all that
40:16live godly in Christ shall suffer
40:19persecution." And it didn't say those of
40:21the martyrdom era. It said all who who
40:24walk with Christ, who live godly in
40:27Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution.
40:30I don't want to say that our separation
40:33leads us to persecution because I've
40:35lived separated before my children all
40:37my life and before my wife. And I'll not
40:40stop now. I'm not changing now because
40:43I've not signing a prenup with God. I'm
40:46going to tell him when others are
40:48trading in for a cheaper consecration,
40:51I'm going to stand up and say he's going
40:53to have a glorious church. And when some
40:56didn't, and when others quit, there'll
40:58always be somebody who will.
41:04Ephesians 5:27, that he might present it
41:06to himself a glorious church, not having
41:10spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but
41:15that it should be holy
41:17and without blemish.
41:20Every generation
41:23goes through a time when they barter
41:25with the cost of living for God. It's
41:29not new. It's every generation.
41:33Every generation looks at the ancients.
41:36That's the way the Bible called the
41:37elders, the ancients. And every
41:40generation rises up and says things
41:43like, "The ancients, they were ignorant.
41:47They were unlearned. They were not
41:49advanced."
41:50The Lord said, "Because you sit there
41:52and try to barter with me." I'm not
41:54talking about things not in the Bible.
41:56I'm talking about things that the Bible
41:58speaks of, things the Bible speaks of.
42:03And they try to say, "Well, you know
42:04what? That's just
42:07uh the preacher. All he has the right to
42:09do is make a suggestion. Hey, I get it.
42:13That's what the world says about the
42:14pastor nowadays. All I can do is suggest
42:17how people ought to live." But then they
42:20got to decide for themselves whether
42:22they're going to leave. I could get very
42:25self-defensive and say, "You know what?
42:28Do whatever you want. I'm going to go to
42:31heaven."
42:33But that's not my calling.
42:35My calling is to tell you he will not
42:38sign a prenup.
42:43He's not going to walk up to you and
42:45say, "Oh, let me see your smile's
42:48special so I can make a little deal with
42:50you.
42:52Either
42:54you're all in
42:56or you're not included.
43:00[Music]
43:02World War II was one of the most
43:05troubling parts about this world. And I
43:07know right now we are living in a time
43:11that America's getting all kinds of
43:13publicity. I don't care what kind of
43:15side of the aisle you're on. I don't
43:18care who you like right now. know
43:21there's a lot of talk about the
43:25greatness of America
43:27and I say God bless America. I thank God
43:31for America and I'm not here to tear
43:33down America.
43:35But I want you to know something. If you
43:37build your hope on government,
43:40if you build your hope on science,
43:43if you build your hope on the banking
43:45industry, if you build your hope on
43:48corporate pension, if you build your
43:50hope on medical progressions, if you
43:54build your hope on friends, power, or
43:57prestige, if you build your hope on
43:59beauty,
44:01if you build your hope on anything down
44:03below, you're going to be let down.
44:06I don't want you to be let down.
44:10I don't wish for you to be let down. But
44:13you're going to be let down because
44:15there's only one kingdom that's going to
44:18last.
44:20He's going to present to himself a
44:23glorious church.
44:25World War II devastated Europe and it
44:27devastated England. In 2003, Herbert
44:31O'Drriscoll told of his uncle who lived
44:34in London. World War II was ending and
44:38he was about to be discharged from the
44:40Royal Navy.
44:43London was war scarred. The bombs had
44:46torn the city to shreds.
44:52So, as he walked through the remnants of
44:55London, as the World War II was coming
44:57to an end,
44:59Herbert O'Driscoll's uncle decided to
45:02celebrate getting out of the Royal Navy.
45:06He bought a ticket to see a show. He
45:09didn't care what show it was. He just
45:12heard it was a musical. and he said,
45:15"The first thing I've got to do is this
45:19war is coming to an end. I've got to
45:22celebrate it." So when he entered the
45:24theater, the first thing he noticed was
45:27how the bright lights were everywhere.
45:30He was so unaccustomed to bright lights
45:34everywhere because all of London had had
45:37dim lights or no lights. And at first it
45:42was shocking. all these lights
45:45everywhere. Lights in the street and
45:48lights in the foyer and lights out the
45:51window and lights everywhere.
45:54He said he noticed after six years of
45:57dim lighting, the world suddenly being
46:00bright again changed his disposition and
46:03a happy feeling began to hit him. But
46:06his uncle told him, he said, "Nothing
46:08prepared him for what happened when the
46:10curtain went up, when the stage blazed
46:14with light, and the decoration on the
46:18the stage was a horizon view into
46:22infinity."
46:24And the dancers leapt and danced onto
46:29the stage. He's sitting there wars
46:33scored London
46:35and dancers from America
46:38begin to sing, "Oh,
46:41what a beautiful morning.
46:43Oh, what a beautiful day.
46:47I've got a wonderful feeling.
46:51Everything's going my way."
46:55If you're familiar with musicals, you
46:57know he was watching Oklahoma, the
46:59opening song. He said, "But after six
47:02years of war and living in the darkness
47:06of a dark land," he said, "For the first
47:09time, I started feeling like the hope of
47:12America,
47:14a land that has been unscarred
47:17by these bombs and guns,
47:20begin to lighten up his heart."
47:23and he said, "Maybe here in England, we
47:26can get it back again because America's
47:29on our side." Oh, what a beautiful
47:33morning.
47:36Let me tell you something, folks. Living
47:38for God right now, as we stand and the
47:42altar workers come, I cannot tell you
47:45what tomorrow holds. I hope the golden
47:49age of America is here. I really do.
47:53I hope we can get so blessed as a land
47:56that we can bless the earth.
47:59I hope that we can solve the wars and
48:02stop the fighting.
48:04Some say it's going to be the golden
48:06age. Others say it's the end of America.
48:10Some say it's setting the world in
48:12order. Others say it's the reordering of
48:15word powers. But I want to tell you the
48:17Bible says at evening time there shall
48:21be light. That wasn't talking about the
48:24light of the musical Oklahoma. That was
48:28talking about a church of people who
48:31were not trying to make a cheap
48:33consecration.
48:37They weren't trying to give him just a
48:38little leftover.
48:40You know what you give your puppies
48:42after they've gone to eat? Well, let's
48:45take our leftovers on Sunday. Give them
48:47a little praise and give them a little
48:49bit of worship and give them a little
48:51bit of money. Give them a little bit of
48:54tip. Give them a little bit of joy.
48:57Greet a few people and then hurry back
49:01to eating our own bread
49:03and wearing our own clothing.
49:08Because when the church is revealed,
49:11it does not yet appear what we shall be.
49:15But we know that when he doth appear,
49:20we shall be like him.
49:22And on that day, everybody
49:25is going to wish they had gave him a
49:29costly
49:31consecration.
49:33Shall we pray?
49:35Master, all over this building today are
49:37people that are measuring the value of
49:40their consecration.
49:42All over this building right now are
49:44newcomers and saints that have been
49:46around for years that are assessing
49:49whether or not they've tried to work a
49:51deal with God when really it's just a
49:54deal with the devil. Oh Lord, I pray
49:56that this word would elevate them to see
50:01the cry of a master saying, "Come,
50:04let us reason together.
50:07Though your sins be as scarlet, they
50:10shall be as wool. Though they be as
50:13crimson,
50:15I will make them whiter than snow."
50:19Come,
50:21come.
50:22I'm opening this altar to everybody who
50:25wants to touch him today,
50:28who wants to measure your consecration,
50:31who wants to come and give the Lord not
50:34just leftovers.
50:36You want to come and say, "Oh, God, I'm
50:39working on giving you everything. I'm
50:43not trying to make a deal with you.
50:46I'm not trying to just have a church of
50:47forgiveness every Sunday. I'm not just
50:50trying, oh Lord, to come and find a
50:52blessing and a bailout.
50:55I'm here to tell you everything I have,
50:57I give to you. I'm not one to walk in my
51:01own garments. I want your white garments
51:05spiritually. I want garments that are
51:08without spot, without wrinkle, without
51:12any blemish. I want my holiness to be
51:15the holiness of the Lord.
51:18I want my righteousness to be the
51:20righteousness of God. We got prayer