Guardians of the Temple
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 8/31/20251 Corinthians 3:16
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Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez concludes the 'Guardians of the Temple' series by emphasizing that believers must submit their bodies, minds, and spirits to the Holy Spirit to live a life of power, rest, and integrity.
Key points
- •The human body is not our own; it is the temple of the Holy Spirit and must be used to glorify God.
- •True victory over temptation and trials comes from the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within the believer.
- •Self-control is a vital part of guarding the temple, specifically regarding what we see, what we hear, and what we speak.
- •Rest is a spiritual necessity, not a luxury; Jesus modeled the importance of pulling away from the crowd to prevent burnout and spiritual death.
- •A believer's life should be marked by the fruit of the spirit, particularly love that covers the faults of others rather than exposing them.
Scripture
Holy Spirit
Discipline
Holiness
Purpose
Love
Life application
This week, practice the 'Good Samaritan' approach to your community by choosing to cover someone's mistake with love rather than participating in gossip or criticism. Additionally, schedule a specific time for 'secluded rest' to recharge your spiritual and physical energy.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of my life have I been acting as my own 'Lord and Savior' instead of submitting to the Holy Spirit's conviction?
- Are my current relationships surrounding me with people who bear the fruit of the spirit, or am I thriving in toxicity?
- When people at my workplace or in my family look at me, do they see a life that is 'blameless' and marked by self-control?
- What 'idols' have I created out of the blessings God has given me (career, family, possessions) that now take priority over the Giver?
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Full transcript
0:001 Corinthians
0:02chapter 3 verse 16.
0:07We're closing out the theme, guardian of
0:11the temple. Today I'll speak about
0:14guardians
0:15of the temple.
0:19It says in 1 Corinthians 3:1
0:2316,
0:26"Do you not know
0:29that you are God's temple
0:32and that God's spirit dwells in you,
0:39that our bodies are not our own and they
0:44are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
0:48Do you not know the scripture says
0:52that you are God's temple and God dwells
0:56in you? Your body,
1:00it's not your own. Whatever you do with
1:03your body, the Bible says you ought to
1:07do it unto the glory of God because you
1:10don't own your body.
1:12>> You're a spirit. You came from God and
1:15he placed you in a body. You see, Jesus
1:19himself modeled what it means to be
1:23faithful guardian over the temple, which
1:27is your body.
1:29He walked in obedience.
1:32He kept his body pure and surrounded
1:37uh or surrendered, I should say, his
1:39will completely to the father's plan.
1:44He not only surrendered
1:46to God but he completely surrendered his
1:51entire agenda to the will of God.
1:55And I think every one of us must ask
1:57oursel this question.
2:00The way we live our lives, the things we
2:02do, the things we say, are we fully
2:07surrendered to the perfect will of God?
2:11You see, we must remember that we're a
2:14spirit. We're placed in a body. We're a
2:16soul according to the word of God. Our
2:19mind, our will, our emotions that
2:22connects us to our creator.
2:25Not only that, we must also recognize
2:27that the Holy Spirit who dwells in us,
2:32his job is to lead and empower us for a
2:37life that is pleasing to God. You cannot
2:40please God without the power of the Holy
2:45Spirit.
2:48>> Without the Holy Spirit in your life,
2:51you'll attempt to please him, but you
2:54will fail.
2:56>> That is why when God uh Jesus left this
2:59earth, he left the Holy Spirit to be a
3:03comforter and also a guide to us. that
3:07when we are navigating our way through
3:10life, the Holy Spirit's job is to enable
3:14us, is to empower us so that every step
3:18we make, every step we take, it is
3:22Christ centered. You see, some believe
3:26it's impossible to live
3:29in full submission to the spirit of God
3:33in a broken world. Let's face it,
3:37we're living in a broken world.
3:41Let's face it. Let's be honest.
3:44It seems as if the world is so broken
3:47and the church itself have gotten so
3:50broken that we have brought the world in
3:53the church instead of the church going
3:55to the world.
4:00And some may say there's no hope for the
4:03church. There's no hope for the
4:04believer.
4:06But I want you to understand this. The
4:08same spirit that sustained Jesus while
4:12he was on this earth, that same spirit,
4:15ladies and gentlemen, is living in you
4:18and I today.
4:19>> How do I know that? Let's go to Romans 8
4:22verse 11. Here's what it says. If the
4:27spirit of him who raised Jesus from the
4:29dead dwells in you, he who raised Jesus
4:33from uh he who raised Christ Jesus from
4:37the dead will also give life to your
4:40mortal bodies through his spirit who
4:44dwells in you. So the same spirit that
4:48raised Jesus from the dead, when you are
4:50living your life and the enemy is
4:52attacking you and and and you're tempted
4:54and you're tested, that same
4:56resurrection power is in you to help you
4:59to conquer the issues of life.
5:04Because you see, temptations will come
5:06and resistance will come. But but when
5:08we when we call on the name of the Lord
5:11Jesus Christ, when we look to the Holy
5:14Spirit, he will guard, watch this, and
5:17help us to guard what we see, what we
5:20hear, and what we speak.
5:25>> And here's the problem with us as
5:26believers.
5:28Sometimes
5:30we lack selfontrol.
5:36We're not guarding what we see. We're
5:38not guarding what we hear in. And then
5:42we've got a loose mouth.
5:44>> We just say anything we want to say. And
5:48when we look at Jesus, the model of
5:50Jesus, he didn't have a loose mouth.
5:54Whatever he would speak, he would say
5:56the father who sent me.
6:00I don't come to speak of my own, but I
6:03come to speak on the behalf of my
6:05father. Wouldn't it be amazing how we
6:09would transform this world for the Lord
6:11Jesus Christ if every one of us every
6:14day would get up and say, "I will not
6:18speak on my own terms. I will only say
6:23what the father
6:25has spoken to me."
6:28You see, you will never live a
6:31successful life if your life is not
6:35driven by the Holy Spirit.
6:38>> You can walk this planet every single
6:40day. You can do whatever you want to do
6:43year after year, but without the
6:45presence of the Holy Spirit, you're just
6:48walking around this planet with no
6:50power, and you're going to fail in
6:53almost every area of your life.
6:58>> I want to demonstrate this. Please let
7:00me have the rope. I want to show you
7:03something here. I'll just pick a few
7:05people here. Would you please come here,
7:07sir? I want you to come here. And then
7:10uh let's see who I just need another uh
7:14um
7:16come here young man with the glasses.
7:17Yes. Come on here quickly. Come on here
7:20quickly. Quickly quickly with the
7:22glasses. I want to show you something
7:24here. How important it is for you to
7:28stay connected to the Holy Spirit. Thank
7:31you. I need one more person. Sir. Yes.
7:35Yes. Come on. Quickly. Quickly.
7:38Come on, give them a hand, would you?
7:44I want you to stand right there.
7:47Don't you ever miss this.
7:50I want you to picture this young man as
7:53God.
7:55He's the ultimate source.
7:58I want you to picture him as the Holy
8:01Spirit.
8:02And then I want you to picture him as
8:05us,
8:07right? all of us.
8:10The way God has set it up in scripture,
8:14you and I are powerless
8:17and are incapable of living life
8:21successfully on the earth without
8:25God.
8:27But please don't ever forget, there's a
8:29mediator between man and God, the Holy
8:34Spirit.
8:36So what happens is your connection to
8:40God goes through the Holy Spirit. So for
8:43example, I'll just do this. Everyone put
8:45it around your waist. This is God for
8:47example. Now this is the Holy Spirit.
8:50Can I get your arm please for a moment?
8:53This is the Holy Spirit. Now when he
8:56comes to us, you see God and the Holy
8:58Spirit is one.
9:00In reality,
9:03whether you want to flow with him or
9:05not, they fine.
9:10[Applause]
9:14>> It is a choice
9:16to be connected to the source.
9:19>> Nobody can force you to connect to God.
9:22This is why in religion when when
9:25leaders manipulate you or try to control
9:28you, it is not scriptural
9:32>> because he says whosoever will let him
9:35come.
9:37>> God's not forcing you to serve him.
9:41>> God's not forcing you to honor his word.
9:44>> He just says who he is and he asks you
9:49to be connected to him. It's all up to
9:51you.
9:53>> But the moment you decide, I want the
9:56Holy Spirit in my life. I need him. I'm
10:00I am lost without him. And you connect
10:03with him. I promise you
10:07>> this temple,
10:09this temple will honor him. Without
10:15him, this temple cannot
10:19honor him.
10:23>> Regardless of what or who you're
10:26connected to in society, please don't
10:29ever forget this demonstration. I'm
10:33telling you, in order for you to
10:35properly serve God with your body, you
10:40must submit to the Holy Spirit. Even
10:43when you don't like it, even when you
10:46don't feel like doing it, you have to
10:49submit to the Holy Spirit. But here's
10:52the problem with many of us. Sometimes
10:55we struggle with being tied to the word.
11:03Because when you're tied to the word,
11:06every time you try to go astray, the
11:09word
11:10going to follow you everywhere you go.
11:14And it's always going to convict you.
11:19It is always going to convict you.
11:23>> Here's a problem we have with our
11:25society and especially the church. We
11:27have disconnected ourselves from the
11:30word, the Holy Spirit, and we walking
11:32around.
11:34And this is why we have no conviction.
11:39>> We have no substance to check us.
11:46>> We are our own Lord and Savior, our own
11:50Bible. We do whatever we want to do. We
11:53say whatever we want to say. I do
11:55whatever I want to do with my body. Why?
11:58Cuz nothing is checking you. But I
12:00promise you, when you are connected to
12:02God,
12:05that word is going to check you every
12:07time. Glory to God. I'm telling you,
12:10it's going to check you. Every time you
12:12open your mouth to say something, the
12:15word's going to say, "Hey, a soft
12:17answer. Re Come on now. A a soft answer.
12:22Come on now. Come on. Every time you try
12:25to do something, go to a place you ain't
12:27got no business going, the Holy Spirit
12:30say, "Oh, no. That that's unbecoming of
12:32a child of God."
12:38And as long as you let the word and the
12:42Holy Spirit, God the Father, follow you,
12:45baby, here's the problem. The enemy
12:47thinks he got you. Come on. He thinks he
12:49got you. And that's why he'll come
12:51against you. But he don't know who's
12:53behind you.
12:55He don't know you got backup. He don't
12:58know you got power behind you. And no
13:01weapon formed against you will ever
13:04prosper. Why? I got power. Somebody
13:07shout, "I got power."
13:11>> You stay to the source.
13:14There's nothing that will ever confront
13:17you that you cannot face.
13:20And I want to talk to a few people in
13:22here. I know the devil is after you and
13:25he's trying to destroy you. But I've
13:28come to announce to you today, you stick
13:31with God, you've got all of heaven
13:34backing you up. And I guarantee you the
13:36devil will not win.
13:40Somebody ought to give him praise in
13:42this house. Thank you, gentlemen. Thank
13:45you, gentlemen. Thank you, gentlemen.
13:48You see, the Holy Spirit
13:51>> once he's in place,
13:55>> he will align you with the word of God.
13:59>> So, let me leave you with three
14:01essentials
14:03for being a guardian of this temple.
14:07If you really want to honor God with
14:09this,
14:11here's what you must do. You got to
14:12recognize that your body is God's
14:15temple.
14:16Be careful of how
14:19you use it.
14:22>> Be careful of what you let get in it.
14:25>> Careful of what you say.
14:28Careful of how you think. Let this mind
14:33be in you
14:35which was also in Christ Jesus. So if
14:38Paul is saying we ought to have the mind
14:40of Christ, then we have to let the word
14:44check us. If you have the mind of
14:45Christ,
14:47why are your words so negative?
14:52>> Why do you lie so much?
14:57>> Why are you so negative? Why do you
14:59thrive in toxicity?
15:02>> If your mind is like Christ Jesus, why
15:06are your fruits
15:08contrary to the fruit of the spirit?
15:14Come on now.
15:16>> So your job is to recognize that your
15:20body is God's temple. You must
15:23personally know God, not only through
15:26pastors and mentors and church
15:30gatherings,
15:32but you ought to have a personal
15:33relationship with God.
15:36>> And we're in a society today where we're
15:39making celebrities out of preachers. And
15:45>> we have our favorites.
15:48>> And if the truth be told, sometimes our
15:51purpose of worship is not to him,
15:55>> but it's to stage.
16:02>> All right.
16:06But you got to know God for yourself.
16:11I am. Listen, I'm telling you, I'm just
16:14giving you what the Lord is has given me
16:16to give you. You need to know God for
16:18yourself. Don't you ever know him
16:21through Henry Fernandez. You better know
16:25him because I'm telling you, we all will
16:28fail. But Jesus never fails.
16:34That's why David said, "I would look to
16:36the hills from whence cometh my help."
16:39Your help doesn't come from your
16:40neighbor. Your help doesn't come from
16:42your friend. Your help doesn't come from
16:43your job. Your help comes from the Lord.
16:46I'm telling you, when you're tied to
16:48God, I don't care where the devil put
16:50you. He can put you in the most
16:52uncomfortable situation. Your God shall
16:55supply every need in your life.
17:01>> And you need to believe that.
17:04you to recognize that that while God has
17:08established spiritual leaders and
17:10fellowship within his church, we must
17:13not neglect
17:15our own pursuit of him.
17:19>> Are you pursuing him?
17:23Are you pursuing God? Who are you
17:26chasing after?
17:30>> That's the question for all of us.
17:33Who are we chasing after? Who are we
17:35worshiping?
17:37>> What is the reason for our faith walk?
17:42>> What is the reason for our faith walk?
17:45Is it about our feelings, our emotions?
17:48It is about is it about what we can get
17:51or is it about what David said? I look
17:53to the heels. Everything that I possess,
17:57everything I will ever become comes from
18:01>> the Lord.
18:02>> Amen.
18:03>> So your body is the dwelling place of
18:06the spirit and the Holy Spirit guides
18:09you into how to honor it physically,
18:14mentally, and spiritually.
18:18Physically,
18:20we've exhausted that portion all week,
18:23all month I should say. Pastor Tudman
18:26has taught us about the physical part of
18:29our body,
18:31>> how we ought to take care of the temple,
18:35>> because if the temple is not taken care
18:37of, it's almost impossible
18:41for the Holy Spirit to use us properly.
18:45>> When your mind is polluted,
18:49When when you're not thinking right,
18:52when you're stressed over the issues of
18:54life,
18:56>> then the enemy will prevent you from
19:00honoring God
19:02in the temple because you have to take
19:05responsibility
19:07for the physical care of your body.
19:10>> God gave you the responsibility to care
19:13for your body. That includes what you
19:15eat. We talked about that all month.
19:18>> What you eat.
19:21>> Not only that, according to 1
19:23Corinthians 10:31, it says, "So whatever
19:26you eat or drink, whatever whatever you
19:29eat or drink or whatever you do," he's
19:32talking about the body. Do it all for
19:34the glory of God. Do it all for the
19:37glory of God. Whatever you eat, do it
19:39all for the glory of God.
19:43>> Whatever you're drinking,
19:46Do it all for the glory of God.
19:49>> Whatever you putting in your body,
19:51whatever you do with your body, do it
19:53all for the glory of God. Rest is so
19:57important and renewal. I love what Jesus
20:00did in Mark 6:30-32.
20:05The Bible says the apostles who had been
20:07sent out on a mission gathered together
20:09with Jesus and told him everything that
20:12they had done and taught. They were
20:16bragging.
20:18Jesus, look what we did.
20:20>> You sent us out to preach. You sent us
20:23out to minister. We did a good job,
20:26Jesus. But they were missing one very
20:29important element.
20:31like us today. We are so busy trying to
20:35build our careers.
20:38>> We are so busy trying to make money.
20:41We're so busy trying to reach stardom
20:45to be important.
20:47We're on social media and we're trying
20:52to present oursel as successful
20:54individuals whether in our relationships
20:57or in business.
21:00that we forget one important element
21:02that's important in order for us to
21:05glorify God. Like these apostles, Jesus
21:09in verse 31 said to them after they were
21:11saying, "Look what we have done. We've
21:12achieved greatness." He then said to
21:14them, "Come away by yourselves
21:18to a secluded place and rest for a
21:21while." He said, "Wait a minute. I know
21:23you have done well, but rest."
21:27This is for those of us who own
21:30businesses or maybe you're working on
21:32the job. You You're working so hard that
21:35you can't even have lunch.
21:38>> You're working so hard. I'll prove it to
21:40you in just a minute in the scripture.
21:42You're working so hard you have no time
21:44to eat. You You have no time to rest.
21:46You have no time to sleep. Some of you
21:48only getting two hours uh rest because I
21:51got to make the money. I got to be
21:53successful. Well, Jesus addressed that
21:55because he knew our bodies
21:58>> are temporary.
22:01>> And if God himself on the seventh day
22:04showed us it's important for us to rest,
22:06not that God needed to rest,
22:10he was just showing us how we ought to
22:11live as human beings.
22:14Jesus said to them, "For there are many
22:17people there's so many people are
22:19pulling at you. Your children are
22:22pulling at you. Your spouse is pulling
22:25at you. Your parents, your family
22:27members are pulling at you. All kinds of
22:31things and people are pulling at you.
22:34And if you're not careful, you will give
22:38them everything.
22:41>> Only to find out
22:44that you have no energy for yourself.
22:48Jesus said to them,
22:51"Come away from them." People were
22:54continually coming and going and they
22:58could not even find time to eat.
23:05This message is going to save some of
23:07you because the problem is you're out of
23:09air. You're out of breath
23:13because you are doing everything that
23:17you think it's right
23:19to help so many people
23:23and you are on the verge of dying.
23:27One of the things I love about flying, I
23:29do fly a lot. Have you ever noticed when
23:32you go into aircraft and they're doing
23:34the emergency demonstration?
23:37The statement is
23:39in case of emergency
23:42>> these masks will drop from the ceiling.
23:44Notice what it says. Says before you
23:48help someone with their mask,
23:52put it on
23:54for yourself first.
23:57>> And that's the problem with us. We're
23:59trying to help other people breathe and
24:02live
24:04>> while we're dying.
24:07Oh, that's a good place to give God some
24:08praise man.
24:13>> You see, we are to avoid stress and
24:16worry because Jesus reminds us in
24:18Matthew 6:25-27
24:21that if he cares for the birds and the
24:23flowers, he surely cares for us.
24:27>> I don't know who this is for, man. Why
24:30are you worried about where you're going
24:31to sleep, what you're going to eat,
24:33about your job? Jesus, read it for
24:36yourself. I don't have time to read. Go
24:37into Matthew 6. That's why down to verse
24:40uh 33, he says, "Seek me first. Get
24:44connected to me first and everything you
24:47need in life. I'll make sure you get it.
24:54Seek first the kingdom of God. Don't
24:56worry. Glorify God in your body. Don't
24:58worry about," well, am I going to eat?
25:01David said, "I've never seen the
25:02righteous.
25:04nor his seed. That means generation.
25:09>> I've never seen his seed go beg for
25:11bread. And just in case you're sitting
25:14here, you're watching and you're worried
25:15about your future, stop worrying about
25:18your future. Stop stressing about
25:21tomorrow. Tomorrow has enough worry for
25:23itself. Just live in the moment and
25:26enjoy
25:28the present moment.
25:30Listen,
25:33illnesses will come. Some of them are
25:36unavoidable,
25:38but others are preventable. They're
25:40preventable because you have to manage
25:43your health. What you put in your body,
25:46what you put in your mind, you stress
25:49too much. You stress too much. I don't
25:52mean to brag about myself, but I will
25:54tell you something. I will sleep in a
25:57fire in the house.
26:02I have reached a point in my life. I
26:07have no time to stress about anything.
26:10You know why? Cuz once I turn it over to
26:13God, he said, "Cast all your cares."
26:17Woo. Would you tap your neighbor and
26:19say, "Give it all to Jesus." Just give
26:21it all to him.
26:24Give it all to him and go to bed.
26:27Go to bed and sleep. Glory to God.
26:31Hallelujah. Stop drinking and going to
26:34bed just to knock yourself out. Come on
26:37now. Stop sniffing all them drugs just
26:40to to to unwind and to deal with the the
26:43situation you're going through. I'm
26:45telling you, the only best drug you can
26:49ever have, man, is to just look to God
26:52and say, "God, you are my only source.
26:55you're my only help. I'm telling you,
26:58man. He'll get you through it.
27:03>> Then you got to protect your spiritual
27:04connection with the Holy Spirit.
27:07>> Listen to me. Take ownership over your
27:10spiritual walk.
27:12>> Faith Center. And those of you are
27:14listening to me online, take ownership
27:18over your faith journey.
27:21The reason why you come here is to be
27:22empowered, not to be entertained.
27:27>> For those of you, listen, for those of
27:29you are coming here to be entertained,
27:31the faith center is not a church for
27:34entertainment. You can get that at the
27:36club.
27:40You can subscribe to some of these cable
27:42companies and there's a lot of
27:44entertainment there.
27:46>> This house belongs to God.
27:50And when you enter these doors, be like
27:53the psalmist. I will enter into his
27:56gates with
27:58>> into his courts with.
28:00>> So every time you come here, just stop
28:03thinking about yourself and people. Say,
28:05God, this moment it's about you now.
28:08Thank you that you woke me up this
28:10morning. Thank you that you kept me all
28:12week long. Thank you that you provided
28:14for me and my family. Thank you that you
28:17took me out of that dilemma that the
28:19devil meant to destroy me. Thank you for
28:22healing my body. Thank you for saving my
28:25children. Thank you, God, for blessing
28:27my business. Thank you, God, for giving
28:30me a job. That's your responsibility
28:35to come to the house of God and make a
28:38joyful noise
28:41unto the Lord.
28:43to take that frown off your face and
28:45serve the Lord with gladness. Do I have
28:48any happy people in this place this
28:50morning?
28:51Serve him with gladness.
28:54That's our responsibility.
28:58So stay connected to God.
29:02>> And then I want to leave this with you
29:03and I got to go. You got to surround
29:06yourself, listen to me,
29:09>> with people who bear
29:13the fruit of the spirit.
29:17>> You see,
29:20to guard this temple, listen to me, to
29:24guard this temple,
29:26you have got to be careful
29:29of who you partner with.
29:34[Applause]
29:36Because if the people you partner with,
29:39who's in your ears, in your company, if
29:43they don't bear these fruits, according
29:46to the Apostle Paul in Galatians
29:485:22-23,
29:50you really want to know if you're in
29:52good company, it's very easy.
29:55>> It's if you're connected to Jesus Christ
29:58and the Holy Spirit is leading you, this
30:00is so easy. It is so simple. You really
30:02want to know if a person is good to be
30:05hooked up with. Is this person somebody
30:08I should marry? Is this person somebody
30:10I should go to coffee break with? Is
30:12this person I should invite in my home,
30:15my car? The Bible says the fruit of the
30:18spirit. This is how you know if a person
30:21is walking and being led by the Holy
30:24Spirit. It says
30:26the fruit of the spirit is love.
30:30Let's just pause there for a moment.
30:32Let's just pause there for a moment. I
30:34know even in the church it's difficult
30:36to talk about this love walk because I
30:39am telling you and and please excuse me
30:41for saying this but it's the truth. Some
30:44of the hardest places to find love is in
30:46the church.
30:52>> We are so divided,
30:56>> full of poison
30:59We can't which hard. They're sinners
31:01trying to come to the kingdom of God,
31:04>> escaping the drama of the world. And
31:08when they come to the church,
31:11>> love is lacking,
31:13>> we backbite.
31:15>> We talk bad about each other.
31:18>> Even if what the person did was wrong.
31:21>> What did the Bible say? If you're going
31:23to walk in the word now, the Bible says
31:25love
31:27>> covers
31:32Oh God.
31:34>> Love
31:36covers.
31:38>> So, you're going to know if a person is
31:40walking in the fruit of the spirit
31:42because the Bible says love doesn't
31:44embarrass.
31:47>> Love has no intention of destroying. The
31:51purpose of love is to cover a multitude
31:55of sin. So, do me a favor here,
31:58sweetheart. Would you come here in the
31:59black? Yes, the black. Come on. Come
32:00here. Come here. Come here. This is what
32:03love does.
32:05This is what love does. Okay, let's say
32:08this young lady represents all of us.
32:12And we're all messed up, jacked up, all
32:14kinds of stuff is happening in our
32:15lives. And we walking around and in this
32:19lady's brokenness, I don't know. Are you
32:21okay with kneeling? Okay, kneel, please.
32:24We're all broken.
32:27Be careful
32:29that you don't become like the story in
32:32the Bible when the
32:34>> person
32:37>> met his dilemma where thieves robbed him
32:43>> and the Bible says there was a good
32:46Samaritan
32:48which by the way
32:49>> he's not a person in the kingdom.
32:53The character of this good Samaritan is
32:56not the character of a Christian.
32:59>> But the Bible says the Levite, the
33:01priest,
33:02>> the religious
33:04>> saw the need
33:07and instead of trying to help pass by on
33:12their way to the temple.
33:17It's amazing how all of us left our
33:21homes this morning, drove to church
33:25with ulterior motives,
33:29>> had multiple opportunity to cover what's
33:33wrong with love,
33:36>> but we rather pass it doing church.
33:42[Applause]
33:48But a real Christian
33:52>> when you see
33:55somebody at fault. The Bible says
33:58instead of criticizing, cover it up.
34:02I got you, baby. I got you. I got you.
34:06I'm not going to see you fall. I'm not
34:10going to see you hurt. You're not going
34:11through this by yourself, girl. I got
34:14you. Would you hug somebody and tell
34:16them, "I got you."
34:19Thank you, sir.
34:24[Applause]
34:36>> Just give me two more minutes.
34:41The spirit
34:43and the fruit of the spirit is love,
34:45joy peace
34:48>> patience,
34:50kindness.
34:54>> Can we all just be kind?
34:58>> It's not hard to be kind. Why? Holy
35:01Spirit is in the temple.
35:04>> If he's not in the temple, it's hard to
35:06be kind.
35:08Can I get some real people in this
35:09house?
35:10>> How many times How many times you would
35:14like to fight back
35:17>> and knock somebody
35:20out?
35:23Don't leave me on this stage by myself.
35:31But because the Holy Spirit is inside of
35:34you, he said, "Child, don't mess with
35:36that. Walk away. Leave it alone.
35:40[Music]
35:42[Applause]
35:47>> Goodness,
35:51>> faithfulness.
35:55>> When you guard the temple,
35:58>> you don't be inconsistent.
36:02>> You must be trustworthy.
36:06Be faithful
36:09>> on the job. They're watching you.
36:14>> Be faithful.
36:17That's right.
36:18>> If you are a Christian on the job,
36:21>> your clock in hour is 9:00 a.m.
36:31[Applause]
36:33>> Be faithful.
36:37>> You took the job saying 9:00 a.m. I'll
36:40clock in. No, no, no, no, no. When they
36:42write you up, that's not the devil.
36:46When they write you up or get you fired,
36:49don't blame it on the devil. You did it.
36:53You were not faithful.
36:59>> When you borrow a loan
37:04and you hit hard times,
37:07be faithful.
37:11>> I told you my story years ago. 21 credit
37:15cards,
37:17maxed them all out,
37:20plunged my credit.
37:23It was horrible.
37:26And God humbled me
37:29>> cuz I was one of them. Oh, the devil is
37:31working that. No, I was the one in the
37:34store following my wife around shopping.
37:40I'm not looking at that side. I'm
37:50We lost everything.
37:54And you know what the spirit of God told
37:56me? I'm telling you the truth.
37:59He said, "You're not going to get a
38:00write off. Do not call these companies,
38:03ask them to give you a discount right
38:05off." He said, "You took the goods.
38:09You're going to pay for it."
38:11And for years
38:14we denied ourselves,
38:16>> started shopping at the Salvation Army.
38:20>> That's where we bought our clothes
38:22because we had a debt to pay. We were
38:25faithful. I paid my debts
38:30>> and repaired my credit.
38:33You can do it. Be faithful.
38:38Be faithful.
38:40That's the characteristics of a
38:41Christian.
38:43Be gentle.
38:45You don't need to be so rough.
38:49You don't need to be that mean.
38:52Stop abusing your spouse
38:56with your attitude, your mouth.
39:00Stop disrespecting
39:02people.
39:05>> You're a Christian. Amen.
39:08>> Stop being arrogant
39:11>> and boastful.
39:13>> Humble yourself cuz he will humble you.
39:18[Applause]
39:22>> I know some of you don't like this now,
39:23but that's
39:25>> that's okay
39:27>> cuz I'm in the word. These are the
39:29characteristics of a believer.
39:32>> Self-control.
39:35Learn to control yourself.
39:38>> That's one of the things I've prayed for
39:40years. God, give me wisdom to control
39:44myself.
39:45Just give me wisdom to control myself.
39:48Don't say things that I shouldn't say.
39:50Don't react quickly. So, as a believer,
39:53your garden of the temple, you know,
39:56when when when you do something, say
39:58something. Oops, I didn't mean that. No,
40:00it's in you.
40:03It was already in you.
40:05>> You just have no control over it.
40:09>> And against such things, there's no law.
40:14Let me leave you with this.
40:16I want to leave you with this scripture
40:18and then we're going to pray.
40:20It's found in First Thessalonians 5:23.
40:26When it comes to sanctification, we
40:28don't talk a lot about that anymore
40:30because as as Christians, watch this.
40:33Everybody has now
40:36redefined
40:38and carved out the image of their own
40:41gods.
40:43Remember remember Israel?
40:45>> That's the problem. God blessed them,
40:48>> gave them the gold,
40:50>> and they could not conform to the laws
40:55that Moses gave them
40:58because watch this in the country we
41:00live, we can relate to this. Everybody
41:04had freedom of speech.
41:08So instead of abiding by biblical
41:11principles, Israel said, "We don't hear
41:14from Moses.
41:16I'm talking about God told him to tell
41:20us about he he up there in the mountain
41:24talking to God. We don't know what he up
41:25there doing and he coming down yet
41:28giving us instruction. No, we want the
41:32God
41:34of our people.
41:36So they took the gold,
41:39melted it, made an image.
41:44Are you taking what God blessed you with
41:49>> and has now made it a priority over him?
41:56>> You prayed for the job.
42:00>> Is it that that job has become more
42:02important to you than serving God?
42:06>> You prayed for the car.
42:08Watch this. You prayed for the marriage.
42:14But now your temple is so devoted to the
42:17marriage, devoted to the career, devoted
42:21to acquiring things
42:26that God is nowhere to be found in your
42:29life.
42:32That your temple
42:35has now become an idol,
42:38>> a playground for the devil.
42:41So instead of having the fruit of the
42:43spirit,
42:45you love toxicity.
42:49>> Oh, the drama.
42:52Your family knows that you're a
42:54Christian,
42:55>> but they know you are the one sewing the
42:58biggest discord in the family.
43:01The workplace knows that you go to
43:03church,
43:05>> but if they want any juicy news,
43:09>> they know exactly
43:12who to go to.
43:14And Satan is setting you up because
43:18there's going to come a time where you
43:19have to tell that coworker
43:22that the only person can transform their
43:24life is Jesus Christ. How are you going
43:27to tell that coworker that
43:30when all their time on the job you did
43:34not display the life of a Christian?
43:40Paul
43:42said,
43:45"May the God of peace, peace, peace."
43:48God is not a God of war. And I know you
43:50might say, "No, God fight wars." And
43:52look in the context of what Paul is
43:54saying.
43:57May the God of peace
44:02sanctify you, not partially.
44:06>> Our faith journey is to go to
44:08sanctification, complete sanctification.
44:13And may your whole spirit, soul, and
44:16body, watch this, be kept. Kapp kept.
44:23All of us should want to be kept by the
44:25Holy Spirit.
44:27>> Don't disconnect from him. We want to be
44:29kept,
44:32>> blameless,
44:35blameless.
44:37You can't blame anybody
44:40for what you do to your body,
44:43what you put in it, your thoughts, what
44:45you speak. You have to blame yourself. I
44:49want you to bow your heads with me.
44:52And if you'll just give me a moment
44:54without moving,
44:56I'd appreciate that.
45:00I don't know where you are at when it
45:02comes to your relationship with Jesus
45:05Christ,
45:08but I promise you
45:12if you are not connected to him, please
45:15today I ask of you
45:20surrender to him.
45:22I'm not talking about a denomination or
45:25to a man or a woman.
45:29I'm talking about surrendering to your
45:31creator and let him be Lord of your
45:34temple.
45:35As you're watching, let him be Lord of
45:38your temple.
45:40And if there's any area of your life you
45:42can honestly say, "God, I want you to
45:45clean up." I promise you he'll clean it
45:47up.
45:48He will.
45:50If you just simply ask him, but you got
45:53to surrender.
45:56>> You got to surrender.
45:58That's you this morning.
46:02You don't know him as your Lord and
46:03Savior. And perhaps you were born.
46:04You're born again, but you drifted like
46:07all of us. We drift from time to time.
46:11I want to give you an opportunity to
46:13make it right with Jesus Christ this
46:15morning.
46:18Because you see, what you're not going
46:19to do is leave this church today or log
46:21off and you're going to blame any one of
46:25us for not giving you an opportunity to
46:27know the Lord Jesus as your personal
46:29savior. We're not going to do that.
46:32The message was preached. Now is an
46:34opportunity for you to confess with your
46:36mouth and believe in your heart
46:40that Jesus is worthy
46:44to be praised.
46:47If you'd like to say the sinner's
46:48prayer, I'd like for you to repeat after
46:51me. Lord Jesus,
46:54I am a sinner.
46:56I repent of my sins.
46:59>> And I embrace the free gift of
47:01salvation. I embrace the free. I declare
47:04with my mouth
47:07and I believe in my heart that I'm born
47:10again.
47:11Now, Father, I'm so grateful for the
47:13confession of many who are here, who are
47:17streaming,
47:20that they want to know you in the power
47:24of your resurrection.
47:27They want to be fully committed to the
47:30leading of the Holy Spirit. Thank you
47:33that by their confession, they're now
47:35born again. I pray for every person
47:38here, those who are watching online,
47:41that all of us
47:44will focus on serving you
47:48and making sure this body, this temple
47:53is saying the right things,
47:56doing the right things,
47:59that we're feeding it with the right
48:02things, that we must be salt and light.
48:05We've got to be different from the
48:07world.
48:09>> We don't have to want to be like the
48:12world and adopt,
48:14you know, their principles. We want to
48:17be like you.
48:19We want to make sure that when we go out
48:22into the marketplace, people can see
48:25that there's something different about
48:27us. They may disagree with us, but as
48:31long as we know that we're spiritled,
48:35we firmly believe
48:37that we will influence them to come to
48:41know you. May you bless
48:45everyone.
48:47Teach us to be patient,
48:50to be humble as a church. Yes, it's a
48:53difficult time for us.
48:55There are many questions,
48:58few answers,
49:01but God, we trust you
49:04and we're trusting the process
49:07that if this ministry stay true to its
49:11calling
49:12and that is to reach the lost to provide
49:16a place where
49:18people who are hurting can find hope and
49:21acceptance. Our job is not to hurt
49:24people.
49:26Our job is not to hurt people. They're
49:28going to come in hurt
49:31and we must love them. We must cover
49:34them with love.
49:37Thank you that this ministry is in the
49:39palm of your hands.
49:41Our lives are in the palm of your hands.
49:45Now, Father, for those of us who will
49:48make that commitment to give and to sew
49:51our tithes and offering, may you bless
49:55our barns,
49:57bless our resources. You said you give
49:59seed to the sewer,
50:02and I firmly believe if we take care of
50:04your house financially,
50:06you will take care of ours.
50:09We declare that every need in this house
50:11will be met.
50:13We declare that you're raising up an
50:16army of people
50:18who are going to think it not robbery
50:21to each week say, "I want to support my
50:24church. I love my church. Therefore, I
50:27build my church." We thank you for their
50:30giving today. Thank you for those who
50:32are streaming who will give in Jesus'
50:36name. Amen. Come on, can you give the
50:39Lord a hand of praise now? Do me a
50:41favor.
50:43You've been so kind. You've been so
50:45kind. If you can just refrain from
50:47moving. We'd like to get the offering
50:49containers out the aisle. They're
50:51putting on the screen right now the
50:52given platforms. Take your phones out
50:55and choose one of these platforms. Those
50:57of you are streaming. Now is the time to
51:00give. Sew into the work here at the
51:02Faith Center. If you're using the
51:04offering envelopes, go ahead and fill it
51:06out quickly. The buckets have been
51:08passed around. We'll gather that. And
51:11again, if you'll be so kind, I know in
51:15in about two minutes, we're all going to
51:16leave here together. Uh allow us just to
51:19have the ushers be the only ones in the
51:22aisle. Thank you so much. Thank you so
51:26much. Thank you for your giving. Thank
51:29you. Were you blessed today?
51:32>> Amen.
51:34God bless you. The ushers are quickly
51:37taking the containers
51:39from out of the aisles and then I'll ask
51:42you to stand in just one moment. It is
51:44my hope that all of you will have an
51:47amazing Labor Day tomorrow and we'll see
51:50you on Wednesday for our Bible study.
51:53Can't wait to see it's going to be an
51:54incredible Bible study. And again, thank
51:57you. Thank you for trusting the
51:59leadership of this church. Thank you.
52:01Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank
52:03you.
52:05Thank you. All right, please stand
52:07everybody. I believe the ushers have
52:10collected all the containers. If you
52:11still have your envelope, wave it and
52:14the Lord bless you. All right, there's a
52:15person there. Yes, there's a person with
52:18her envelope. Thank you so much. Amen.
52:21Now, everybody look at me. Everybody
52:23look at me for a moment. Those of you
52:24are streaming, we're going to let you
52:26go.
52:28Trust me, we going to be all right.
52:33>> That's it.
52:35All right.
52:36Now, I want to release you.
52:40Do not be a part of the toxicity.
52:45>> This is how you shut it down.
52:48>> You don't know.
52:50>> It's in God's hands.
52:53>> That's all.
52:55You go live your lives and know that God
52:59is taking care of all of us. There's one
53:02thing about Henry Fernandez.
53:04I absolutely love you.
53:07I absolutely will serve you.
53:13>> Amen.
53:14[Music]
53:16Believe me when I tell you me standing
53:19here today doing two services,
53:22it's only the strength of God.
53:26>> Only God's strength.
53:29This task today was not easy.
53:33But when you're yielded to the Holy
53:35Spirit, I can do all things
53:39through Christ who strengthens me. Faith
53:42in God will move mountains out of our
53:45lives. God bless you. Thank you so much.
53:47Love you.