II Timothy 2:15, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

“THE HIGH COST TO LOW LIVING.”

September 26, 2021 / Pastor Greg Temke

“THE HIGH COST TO LOW LIVING.”

Text: Luke 19:37-44

There is a HIGH COST to living without the word of God, living without prayer, living without commitment, living without God’s presence, living without the joy of the Lord.

“Because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Not every moment is an equal opportunity moment.  

The opportunities of God must be seized with the window of that opportunity.

Vs. 43-This verse has stood out to me for many years.

The time of visitation, the time of breakthrough, the time of God’s move is not always decided by us.

THERE IS A HIGH COST TO LOW LIVING.

ILLUS.: “Old Before my time.”    (Allman Brothers Band)

You’re the life of the party, everybody’s host, Still you need somewhere you can hide
All your good time friends, And your farewell has-beens, Lord knows, are just along for the ride.

You think you’re a survivor, But boy, you better think twice, No one rides for nothin’, So, step up and pay the price, It’s a high cost of low livin’

They’ve been chasing each dream with whiskey, From here to Tokyo, Usin’ up all your real friends
Places left to go, It’s a high cost of low livin’, Ain’t it high time? You turn yourself around
Yeah, the high cost of low livin’, It’s bound to put you six feet in the ground

Don’t look behind you, Ahh, don’t look back, Don’t turn to find reason in the past, past is gone, gone at last

And it’s a high cost of low living’, And it’s high time you turn yourself around.

IT IS HIGH TIME THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE TURN THEMSELVES AROUND AND SEEK THE LORD!

-Where there is LOW-LIVING, there is a LOW-Understanding of the workings of God, where there is LOW-LIVING, there is a LOW-Awareness of God’s presence. Where there is LOW-LIVING – There is a LOW-COMMITMENT to the things of the Lord.

Samson: Judges 16:20

POINT: Maturity is a day-by-day choice. Growing in God, growing in grace, is a day-by-day choice.

-Growing in discipleship, learning to live an unoffended lifestyle is a maturity issue.

-You and I can’t decide to do God’s will when we want to.

-We can’t decide to serve God when it is convenient or when it fits into our schedule.

-You can miss your time of visitation.

-I want to talk about seizing the moments when God desires to bring breakthroughs in our lives.

-I’m going to show you in scripture that you can miss your moment, your opportunity.

-There is a timing to the Spirit of God. It is important that we develop an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to us as a Church.

-Everything in this life is being shaken. How will we make it? How will we get through?

1. HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD. Isaiah 55:6

-That scripture doesn’t mean that God was lost, and now He is suddenly found, however, it does mean that there are moments when you sense God’s presence in tangible ways.  

“Call upon Him while He is near.”

Isaiah 40:31; II Chronicles 16:9; Proverbs 8:17; Matthew 11:28; Luke 11:9-10

[Many today seek the Lord when they have to. Many seek a word when they are made to. Many make God a priority when nothing else works. Many use God as a last resort]

POINT: We live in a day when the word of the Lord is no longer respected as it once was.

Q-Where are you headed today? What does God want for your life?  How will you know when you get there?

God’s destination is not unknown. God has a place, a purpose, and a plan for your life.     

-When you know the Lord -your purpose in life is higher. When Paul was facing the Guillotine he said: “To live is Christ, to die is gain.”If I stay-I’m in His will, if I die I’m in His will.

A. CENTRAL PIVOT POINT.

We need to understand as the Body of Christ, that God has a central point from which every arena of our life operates.

Whether corporately or individually, it is called TIME.  That one word causes lives to move forward with God or to regress in God. We must learn to cooperate with God’s timing in our lives.         

-There are a lot of last-minute people.

-Most people get everything done at the last minute.

PHRASES:

  Time is money….

  Time waits for no one….

  Better 3 hours too soon than a minute too late….

  Lost time is never found again….

  Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend….

  1. Time is moving very fast these days. Matthew 24:22 –In fact time has become a great commodity; it is a product. We try to harness it. We must learn to be a steward of our time as Christians:   “It is vital that we learn to number our days.”          
  1. Earth time usually means “rush”. We have fast food, fast cash, rush hour traffic. People in the natural fight with time.  It frustrates people, it angers people. People want things to slow down or speed up. Time becomes frustrating.  The ONLY place that time is your friend, is in the spirit realm. People who live in the spirit know how to work and walk with time.

God’s time is not our time unless we walk in the spirit.    

B. LET GOD BE IN CHARGE.

-To hear that voice speak.  Hebrews 3:7

-We don’t let life just happen, we pray about God’s guidance for our lives. We listen for the voice of our father.

-We must know who God is in our life, and what God is saying to us. We live in a society, that is crazed about knowing things.  They stay up on things that have nothing to do with their life. I call it useless information.  “Did you hear the latest?” “You wouldn’t believe, what I was told.”  “I talked to so and so, and they said this.”                                         

-10,000 years from now, it won’t matter what everyone else says, but it will matter what God showed you and told you. It won’t matter what everyone else told you, but it will matter what God whispered in your ear.

                                “We must hear His small still inner voice.”

3 Ways the Holy Spirit Speaks:

  1. Thus saith the Lord. This is when a believer is claiming to speak for God Himself. This type is usually 100% right or 100% wrong. Using this type of prophecy means that there can be no opinions or discussions. We ultimately look for this.
  1. “It seemed good to the HS and us.”(Acts 15:28) This type of prophecy reflects a consensus about the will of God. A group of people, a family has decided that to the best of their ability…they believe this to be the will of God.
  1. “Does this mean anything to you?” “What do you think about this?”  Someone sharing with you. Receiving prophetic words or insight. Words of knowledge, wisdom fall under this category.            

POINT: God gets blamed for a lot of things that God never said. God gets blamed for things God never did. In a time when the world is in uncertainty, and extreme behavior.

-It behooves the church to become extreme, passionate, and over the top for the Lord. The witness of the Church should be stable, mature, and faithful. We don’t ever give up. We don’t ever get weary. If we do, then we encourage ourselves in the Lord, because our response matters. Not all moments are created equal. There are intersections in life that come, and we must respond to the opportunity. WHEN THERE IS LOW LIVING – THERE IS A COST!

2. WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT?

-Whatever is in your heart will come out of your mouth.

ILLUS.: Subjects in conversation.

-JACOB &  ESAU –Genesis 25:27-33

Jacob was a cook, but Esau was a hunter. Both boys had heard about the blessing of God all their life. They were twins.

Esau was 1st born by only a few moments. Isaac had told them about the firstborn blessing their entire life. Esau had the right to it.

PROBLEM WAS: Esau was not interested in spiritual things! Around the campfire at night, Isaac would start talking about spiritual things, how grandpa Abraham made a covenant with God. Split animals and the fire of God would come down and consume the sacrifice. He had heard these stories all his life.

Jacob was like:  Tell me more, this is my spiritual heritage, you mean God’s hand is on us? We have a miracle of God coming? Do you mean God is going to do great things in our family? There was a zeal and passion in Jacob.

His brother across the campfire. He could care less. He was yawning and looking at his watch. He was putting new strings on his bow; he was sharpening his arrows. If you talked about hunting, then he would perk up.

If you talked about the little Cainite girl that moved to town, then he would perk up. He didn’t care about that inheritance stuff.  He didn’t care about that God stuff-that covenant stuff. I’m not excited about that. I’m excited about other things.

One was giving his enthusiasm to spiritual things, and the other was giving his enthusiasm to carnal things.

One was asking about The Birthright, and the other was living for now.

JACOB WAS LIKE, “TELL ME MORE……”ESSAU: “WHEN ARE WE GOING HUNTING?”

WHEN YOU BROUGHT UP A HUNTING TRIP…he came ALIVE!”

Jacob would lay awake at night. He would think about the blessing. “Oh I want the blessing. I am excited about it. I can’t wait to get a hold of it, and wrestle with God.”

I want more of what God has for me in my life.

He would lay awake and pray,  “Oh God, I want that blessing, that anointing, that favor that you want on my life.”

Jacob was hungry, excited, and enthusiastic about what God wanted. He was passionate about the Lord Jesus Christ!!

That destiny was already established in his life, all he had to do is seek for it!

BUT ISSAC HAD ANOTHER BOY…..ESSAU…already had the blessing…it was his……. He was uninterested.

One day he came home from hunting and the younger brother was fixing a bowl of RED BEAN SOUP (RED LENTILES) with a Ham Bone, hot cornbread with melted butter, fried taters with onions.

Esau said I’m hungry give me some food. Jacob said, “Give me the birthright.” Esau: “I will die if I don’t eat.”

Jacob said: “Sell me your birthright for this food.”

Esau, who did not understand the timing of God in his life, despised his birthright and sold it for some beans and cornbread.

A mountain of blessing for a bowl of beans.

All because a young man did not fully understand the purpose, the plan, the anointing, the calling, the blessing, and the calling on his life.

He traded the blessing for a bowl of RED BEANS. THE BLESSING WAS GIVEN TO JACOB.

If you are going to be in Church, then you better be in Church. If you are going to worship……then you better be a worshipper.

THERE IS A HIGH COST TO LOW LIVING. THERE IS A HIGH COST TO LOW DESIRE.

God says, “If you are going to be a Christian then be a Christian.”

God says, “If you are called to live a spirit-filled life. -Then live it.

God says, “If you are called to a ministry, then start being involved in ministry.

Don’t wait till every detail is perfect, get involved now.

-There are some who only get excited when someone is watching them.

-There are some who only shout when the crowd watches them.

-There are some who only get loud when they stand in front of people.

-I watch how people worship when they are not in front of the crowd.

I don’t want to miss the opportunity of a lifetime. I encourage you to get involved in Loving Jesus, worshipping Jesus.

There is a HIGH COST TO LOW EXCITEMENT AND LOW ENTHUSIASM WHEN IT COMES TO SERVING GOD.

Esau lost the blessing-and Jacob inherited the blessing all because ESAU was living way beneath his privilege. HIS LOW LIVING cost him God’s purpose for his life. Selling your destiny for a bowl of Beans would be like giving God’s call – up for an order of fried pickles at JT’S.

It’s commonplace…It is something people ate all the time.

That is why Jesus said: “If you are LUKEWARM, I will spit you out of my mouth.”(Rev. 2)

It is a true statement when the fire dies out, people generally lose their joy and excitement. God wants us leaning in…looking for more of Him. Asking God for desire…and His presence.

III. THE COST OF LOW LIVING. II Samuel 6:12-23

They were bringing the Ark of Covenant home. The nation had not seen this in many years. IT WAS A BFHD (BIG FAT HAIRY DEAL) Whenever they moved the Ark…there was a celebration.

The Ark was where the presence of God dwelt. If they took it out on the battlefield, the enemy would scatter. Because the presence of God came down on the battlefield.

If they took it in the streets…there was a victory, there was a blessing, there was harvest, there was an increase. There was excitement, there was enthusiasm… there was a blessing of God.  I love David…He was a worshipper!

POINT: Whatever you think about David…remember in the end-David is the one that God said: “This is a man after MY own heart.”

So much was David’s heart that God will permit him to rule and reign with the 12 Disciples from Jerusalem during the Millennial Reign of Jesus.

Re: David was so excited. After they got the Ark from the house of Obedom. David took 6 spaces and stopped and made an offering to the Lord….He killed an Ox and a fatling. The Bible says that David stopped after the sacrifice and worshipped the Lord with all of his might. He took off his Kingly robe because he just wanted to come as a hungry soul for God.

Maybe we have too much defeat in our life because we stop praising God-Like we used to praise Him.

WATCH THIS…The high cost of low living. “That’s nice, that’s good for David, that’s just not my style….”

David’s wife Michal looked out the window of her palace. She saw him dancing before the Lord with all His might. She saw him twirling, twisting, dancing, and shouting, he was going so enthusiastically after God. Michal, his wife had ice water in her veins, she was the self-appointed inspector general of what is appropriate and what was OK for the River of Life in Jerusalem.

Vs. 16-“Then, as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter [David’s wife], looked down from the window above and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she felt contempt for him in her heart [because she thought him undignified].”

MICHAL YELLS DOWN: David, “You look like a fool, you are the king of Israel. God has raised you up….You are the king of Israel, why are you acting like a fool?”  This is what Religion says.

The problem with religion: “The more religion people get, the deader the praise gets.”

ILLUS.: Sometimes people who know more are not doing more. Sometimes the more people learn, the less they respond. I don’t believe they are mutually exclusive.

When David got in the Palace Michal let him have it. I love his answer.

“If you think this is something…you haven’t seen anything yet. Wait till I get back down there…cause I can worship God even more. If you are going to mess with me, then I will double up on my praise.

KJV: I can get even more undignified than this.”

DAVID SAYS: I wasn’t doing it for you…I know you think it’s all about you, but when I was on the city streets when we brought the Ark of God home. I was thinking about the Bearskin rug on the floor in front of the fireplace. I was thinking of the Lionskin hanging on the wall. I was thinking about when I stood in front of Goliath when I was 16. He was 9’ 6” and I’m 5’ 10”.

I have that egghead in my trophy case. My God delivered me from the paw of the bear and the mouth of the lion and the strength of Goliath. I was thinking about the God that took me from the sheepfold to the Palace.

I was dancing for Him; I wasn’t dancing for you.

*If you think I was crazy then, you wait until I get back down there. I am already missing HIS PRESENCE.

The HIGH COST TO LOW LIVING….God saw her. So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord [that I did this], who chose me above your father and all his house, to appoint me as ruler over Israel, the people of the Lord. Therefore, I will celebrate [in pure enjoyment] before the Lord.  Yet I will demean myself even more than this and will be humbled (abased) in my own sight [and yours, as I please], but by the maids whom you mentioned, by them, I shall be held in honor.” ,

Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.”

God has put things in your Spirit and deposited the seed of God in your heart. It will never come to fruition until that praise part joins with that calling part. Why? You can’t be called to ministry if you don’t like to spend time with God. It is more than noise, it is more than gifted musicians. This is something that is core to who we are as Children of God. It is core to who we are as River of Lifers. It must not become dormant.  It must not become lackadaisical.

Never let your Praise Life be on the shelf…there is a High Cost to low living…there are things you will never give birth to…until you learn to put on the garment of praise for the Spirit of heaviness.

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!  

I will praise Him now!!!!! Somebody give Him praise! Praise Him if you had a hard week. Praise if you had a setback. Praise Him if you don’t feel like it. Somebody help me praise Him!  God is still on the throne and I will still praise Him!

Sometimes we have to be broken so we can praise Him. Graveside-Bad report-PTL Can’t sleep. Great is thy faithfulness.

David shouted as he brought the Ark of the Covenant back into Jerusalem. 2500 years later…Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Jesus was the box. The people were shouting and praising God. With great excitement and great joy… Pharisees-the critics said. Stop that…

The people are too enthusiastic….tell them to stop. Classic: If these people…don’t praise me…the rocks will cry out.”

Jesus wept over Jerusalem…I saw what you were capable of…I saw it. There could be such destiny, purpose, such blessing, such strength. Oh if you would just worship with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

CITY…Potential of what they could be. Looks at lives…goes through the motion of serving Jesus.. I look at the young generation….College…I want them to have their own touch…that’s the only thing that will stay with them…

I want to look with Passion…When was the last time you were passionate about worshipping Jesus?  Excited.. I am afraid that some are saved…that’s it. He wants more…He died for more…

There is no greater time to get excited than right here, right now. If there isn’t much in here….out there.

 

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