In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding and walking in covenant with God. They explain that by embracing God's promises, believers can become partakers of His divine nature. The speaker also highlights the need to walk in the fear of the Lord as a way to stay focused and prevent the enemy from stealing the word sown in our hearts. They reference Mark 4 to illustrate how Satan tries to distract believers and encourage them to make a conscious decision to keep their minds from drifting. The sermon concludes by pointing out that people have a tendency to turn away from God because they lack the fear of God in their lives.

This is tape number seven in the series. We urge you to listen to all the tapes in the series in numerical order so that the whole teaching can be received and understood. Listening to a part of the series or to the tapes out of sequence can lead to a misunderstanding of the nature, the intent, and the importance of the series. Hebrews chapter eight. We've been discussing covenant all week long and we've talked about several aspects of covenant and tonight we're going to talk about a takeoff from where we were last night but if you weren't here last night, if you'll follow through, I believe the word will speak to your heart and I don't believe you'll have any trouble following it. Then we're going to talk about the aspect of covenant that's necessary to walk with Him, walk in covenant and that's walking in the fear of the Lord. And we want to understand what the fear of the Lord is and know what God means when He says we're to walk in the fear of the Lord. But I want to begin in Hebrews chapter eight, verse six. But now He, speaking of Jesus, but now He has obtained a more excellent ministry by as much as He, Jesus, is also the mediator of a better covenant which has been enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless there would have been no occasion sought for a second. For finding fault with them, He says, behold, days are coming, says the Lord when I will effect a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt for they did not continue in my covenant. We saw that last night, did we not? They didn't continue in God's covenant. We saw why God gave the law and why it was necessary to give that law. They didn't continue in His covenant and I did not care for them, says the Lord for this is the covenant. Now we're talking about the covenant that He's made with us. Now notice what He says. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws into their minds and I will write them upon their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people and they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen and everyone his brother, saying, Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest of them. Now He was describing this covenant that we're talking about. I want you to turn with me to another scripture where we see the description of this covenant in Jeremiah. Now we just read it in the New Testament. We're going to go to the Old Testament and read the prophecy of this covenant. Jeremiah 24. Jeremiah chapter 24. I want to urge you to go through the scriptures with me. I want you to read the scriptures with me. Look at them as we're going through them because as you go through them and look at them with your eyes it'll get in your heart because what you see is going to have a greater effect on you than just what you sit and listen to. Are you hearing what I'm saying? And it's a way to keep your mind from drifting. I don't know if you know this or not but Satan's after the word as soon as it's sewn in your heart. Did you know that? That's what Mark 4 says. And that's why you'll catch yourself drifting away and your eyes will be looking around and be watching somebody or drifting off or your mind will be running off thinking of something and only you can control that because God's not going to do that for you. And you have to make a decision. I'm saying this because the Lord's telling me to say this tonight at this particular point because I think that some of you may be having the word stolen from you and really don't know what we just read in Hebrews 8. And you have to make that decision. But I want to tell you something that there's a message that God wants you to hear tonight that's very important for you to hear. And you have to make the decision to hear it. God's not going to make you hear it and you're just wasting your time if you're not going to hear it. Are you hearing what I'm saying? I'm saying that to you kindly but I want you to know that it's important for you to read along with me so that you can see what God has to say. We're looking at God's Word, His Word, to us. Now, Jeremiah chapter 24. Jeremiah 24. This is a prophecy of the Scriptures we just read about in this covenant. Verse 7. And I will give them a heart. What kind of heart's God going to give us? A heart to do what? Everybody say it. A heart to know Him. I will give them a heart to know me. Now, I want you to understand what God's saying. Now, don't let this just pass by without recognizing what God's saying to you. God says that in this new covenant I'm going to put a new heart in you and this new heart is going to be capable of knowing me. Now, I don't care what you think you know about God or how much you think you don't know about God. God says I've given you a heart in this covenant capable of having an intimate communion and knowledge of me. And don't say it doesn't include you because He says from the greatest to the least of them I'm giving them a heart to know me. You can know God. I desire that you know God personally and that you don't just have what we call a personal relationship but you have a personal, communing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. And He says you can have it because He's given you a heart capable of having that relationship. Now, how many of you see that in the Word? Is that what God said? Alright, now notice. He said, And I will give them a heart to know me for I am the Lord and they will be my people and I will be their God. But now I want you to notice something and this is an important qualification because if you don't have this you're not going to know Him. For they will return to me with how much of their heart? How much of their heart? Their whole heart. Every bit of it. If you have a divided heart you're not going to know God. You're not going to have a relationship with God. You're not going to have an intimate knowledge of Him. You may be able to talk about an experience you've had but now you know whether or not you know God. You know if you know Him. Now, not because somebody told you you know Him because you were baptized. Not because somebody told you you know Him. I'm talking about because you commune with Him you talk to Him and He talks to you. I remember as a little boy going... I would ask God. I couldn't understand it. From the time I was real small I wanted to have a relationship with God. I wanted to know Him. I'd talk to God. I'd get alone. I'd be out playing and I'd just talk away to God. Then one day it dawned on me. It dawned on me that God wasn't talking back to me. And I didn't understand that as a little boy because every friend that I had talked back to me. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Every one of them. And you know what I did? I went and asked my parents why God didn't talk back to me and they said, well, God just... He doesn't really just talk to you because they didn't really know God at that time. They didn't know Him. And so I asked the preacher and I asked my Sunday school teacher why won't God talk with me? I didn't get one answer why God wouldn't talk to me except don't expect Him to talk to you. God doesn't say anything to you. I want you to know something. I found out He does. I found out He does talk to you. I found out He not only talks to you through His Word but I found out He talks to my mind. Are you hearing what I'm saying? He wants to know me and to know you in an intimate communion. No, I've not heard a loud, booming voice but I've had an inner knowing sometimes that's just as strong as I'm speaking to you tonight and know it's God. Are you hearing what I'm saying? I want to grow to hear and discern His voice even more clearly than I am tonight. Do you? That ought to be the desire of your heart and God says I give you a heart capable of doing it but the stipulation is I must have your whole heart. If I don't have your whole heart you're not going to hear me and you're not going to know me. Are you with me? I say are you with me? Okay. Now, I want you to notice He says that we're to know Him with our whole heart. Now turn with me to some chapters close to that Jeremiah chapter 32. Jeremiah chapter 32. Now before we read in Jeremiah 32 I want to explain something to you. We're talking about a God who's going to make covenant with you. Now when you come to God God says this He says I'm going to give you a new heart and a new spirit. How many of you remember reading that in Ezekiel? A new heart and a new spirit. Now here's what happens Of course God's not talking about this pumper here, is He? No, He's not talking about that at all. He's talking about a work that He's going to do on the inner man. And here's what God says. God says when you make me Lord and you come to me with your whole heart unreservedly you give me all of your being you no longer live for yourself but you've made a choice to live for me. And when you do that you're giving me your whole heart. Now here's what God says. God says when you do that He, God is going to deposit something in that heart. Now listen to me very carefully because every person that's born again gets this deposit in the heart. Now, yes He does deposit the Holy Spirit. He does deposit the Holy Spirit in your heart. But God also deposits something else in your heart. If you've been born again you had it the moment you accepted Jesus it came as a part of His Lordship. Here's what it is. Look with me at Jeremiah 32. Again, here's a prophecy of what He's going to do and what's going to take place. Jeremiah 32 verse 38 And they shall be my people and I will be their God. And I will give them how many hearts? How many hearts? I'll give them one heart. And how many ways? One way. Isn't that interesting? I'll give them one heart and one way. I wonder what that means to all of us that got different interpretations for everything. Somebody's wrong. I'll give them one heart and one way that they may what's that one heart and one way going to do for them? That they may fear me how often? Always. For their own good and for the good of their children after them. Isn't that a strange way to talk about fear? God says I'm going to put the fear of me in them for their own good. How many of you see that? Is that what it says? I say is that what your Bible says? Now God does this. Now listen to me. Let's go on. And I for their own good and for the good of their children after them and I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good and I will put the fear of me where's He going to put it? In their hearts so that they will not turn away from me and I will rejoice over them to do them good and now look at this I will faithfully plant them in this land now look what God says with all my heart and with all my soul. Now that's good news. God says when you give me all of your heart I'm going to give you a new heart. It's going to be one heart and it's going to be one way and I'm going to put the fear of me inside you. Now this fear is not like the fear of the world. It's different from the fear of the world because we see that the fear of the world in 1 John 4.18 causes torment. How many of you know the fear of the world causes torment? The fear that comes from the world is a tormenting fear. The fear of the unknown is a tormenting fear. The fear of failing is a tormenting fear. The fear of being rejected is a tormenting fear. The fear of not being accepted is a tormenting fear. The fear of what's going to happen tomorrow is a tormenting fear. The fear of death is a tormenting fear. The fear of danger is a tormenting fear. The fear of not being loved is a tormenting fear. All of those are not the kind of fear that God's talking about. It's a different kind of fear. It's not one where you'll be afraid of God or afraid to approach God but it's something different than that. We're going to see what it is tonight but I want you to know this. You may not have felt it or known it but when you were born again God gave you a new heart and He put that fear of Him inside your heart. It was there from the very beginning. You know what that fear did? How many of you can remember when you first got saved? Do you remember those thoughts having just given your heart to Jesus of never wanting to displease Him in anything ever again? How many of you remember that? See, that was the fear of the Lord that was placed inside you. You wanted to love Him and you wanted to know Him if you truly got born again. Now, if you just came and joined a club or if you just came and put your name on a roster or became a member of something then you didn't have that. But if you genuinely gave your heart to Jesus there was something deposited on the inside of you that did not want to displease God. It didn't want to lose God and whatever else you wanted to have that relationship with God above everything else in the whole world. Are you with me? Alright? That was the fear of the Lord. That was the operation of that new heart that He gave you and that was the fear of the Lord that was deposited within you. It's a fear based on love. Are you with me? I'm going to explain that as we go but just follow along with me. And He says notice some things about this thing this fear. He says that this fear comes from one heart and one way and He says it's for their good. This is a fear that's not for bad but it's a fear that's for your good. How many of you see that? And here's what it does. Notice what it says. Verse 40. Let's read it again. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them. In other words this fear is necessary for a covenant to be made. Are you with me? He's going to put this fear inside you so that God can make covenant with you. How many of you see that? Are you with me? And now notice what He says. I'll make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good and I will put the fear of me in their hearts. Now here's why He does it. So that so that they will not turn away from me. How many of you see that? You see God puts the fear of Him in you so that you won't turn away from Him because what He wants to do in covenant is to do good to you. Is that what He's saying? Now here's what that means. You see when you walk in covenant with God God with the whole heart God can fulfill all the conditions of the covenant. Well we've been reading some tremendous blessings from covenant this week. Have we not? I mean look what He did for the nation of Israel. Look what He did for the children of Israel just through covenant. Remember we saw last night they were in bondage to Pharaoh they cried out to God and God says I heard their cry and remembered my covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. What did He do for them? He delivered them out of their bondage He provided healing for them He provided that their shoes didn't wear out their clothes didn't wear out He provided when they needed water they got water when they needed food they got food and God promises through covenant to supply every want and need that you have. Are you with me? Alright now that's God's covenant with you to do you good. Now may I just say to you that that's pretty strong in itself but it even goes further than that. Not only does God promise to meet your needs and to always be there never to forsake you never to leave you He promises to take care of your physical your financial your spiritual and every other need you've got He promises to be a guard over your household He promises we're going to see some things He promises He promises to even give you a long life and satisfy you with it by covenant. Now that's what He says that's just what He said God promised it to you He said it Now listen not only does He do those things but He also puts His robe of righteousness on you takes we've already seen that this week He puts His robe of righteousness on you He exchanges robes He takes your robe of sin He puts it on Jesus and it says that He makes you righteous just as He is righteous Is that what we've seen? So you become something in covenant that you couldn't become on your own which is the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus Not only does He do that through covenant but He also promises that He will exchange strength and we saw that this week that when you're weak His strength is exchanged for your strength and I hear this is the way I explain that to you God takes your strength called weakness and He exchanges it for His strength called power and so He takes all your weaknesses and clothes it in His power and gives you the grace and the ability to do His word are you hearing what I'm saying? He says things like I can do all things through Christ Jesus who's strengthened with me what's He saying? He's saying I've got a covenant partner and even though I'm weak I can do all things through Him who strengthens me because He's going to exchange strength with me Isaiah said it when he said that you'll not grow weary or tired but if you'll call on the Lord and exchange strength with Him He says you'll mount up with wings as eagles wings and you'll run and not grow weary now that's pretty good exchange isn't it? not only does He do that to do you good but we also saw He does something else when you make covenant with someone all of your debts become their debts and all of your liabilities become their liabilities and we saw in Colossians chapter 2 that He nailed the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against you having nailed it to the cross and put it out of the way and so here's what happened He just exchanged debts and liabilities you got all of His debts and liabilities He got all of your debts and liabilities good thing about that is He didn't have any so He took all of yours are you with me? not only that but we saw something else He does we also saw that He takes His name and He puts it in your name so that you and Him are perfectly identified together and that's why in the Bible you read statements like He who joins himself to the Lord becomes one spirit with the Lord what's He talking about? covenants that's why He was baptized Jesus was baptized indicating that I am perfectly identifying myself with you and so when we're baptized we're saying I through death am identifying myself with you also God and we now are walking no longer to live for ourselves the good thing about you not living for yourself is that God doesn't live for Hisself either when you live for Him He lives for you are you hearing what I'm saying? because that's what He meant here when He said you give me all of your hearts and I'll rejoice over you with all of my heart to do you good that's a pretty good covenant isn't it? alright now I want you to notice this those in exchange we also talked about one other thing that was necessary for you to give God your whole heart that was this all of your enemies become your covenant partners enemies but all of His enemies become your enemies which means you hate the things He hates you love the things He loves which means He hates the things you hate loves the things you love are you hearing what I'm saying? now that's a good thing because it means He mentioned we saw some enemies we saw the enemy was the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the boastful pride of life the powers of darkness and all that they all that they believe in and all that they are living for yourself pride ego God hates it it's His enemy loving the world all forms of it God hates it now I'm not talking about loving various things but I'm talking about I'm talking about a love for the world and the lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh the boastful pride of life where the world's got half your heart and God supposedly got half of it you understand what I'm saying? God says you're my enemy because you make covenant with my enemy are you hearing what I'm saying? but when you make when you make sin your enemy listen to this when you make sin your enemy God then comes in covenant to do battle with what you declared as an enemy and He comes to do battle with the strongholds and the sins and the temptations that are trying to bind you and hold you that's why the word says the battle is not yours it is the Lord's are you hearing what I'm saying? I say are you hearing what I'm saying? alright now He says He makes that covenant with you to do you good as a matter of fact if you read in Deuteronomy 28 He says that I'll do you so good that the blessings will literally overtake you and bypass you you'll be the head not the tail I'll command the blessings to be toward you God says if you'll put me first place in everything and diligently obey my word and listen to me that's what He promises now who wouldn't want a covenant like that? we turn with you to Romans 3 Romans chapter 3 we could have gone all night just talking about the things that God's got in covenant we weren't even able to begin to cover the things that God has for us in covenant let me just put it this way all that He has is yours and all that you have is His if you're in covenant because covenant means I no longer live for myself but I live for the one I'm in covenant with are you with me? I say are you with me? alright Romans chapter 3 but I want you to notice something He said that He was going to put the fear of Him in that heart that's born again is that what we saw? I say is that what we saw? alright now let's look at something in Romans chapter 3 notice this verse 9 Romans 3 what then? are we better than they? not at all for we have already charged both Jews and Greeks for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin as it is written there's none righteous not even one there's none who understands God there's none who seeks for God all have turned aside together they have become useless there is none who does good now don't talk about a good man because there's none who does good is that what your Bible says? I say is that what your Bible says? alright now notice what? there's not even one their throat is an open grave and with their tongues they keep deceiving the poison of asps is under their lips well you see you know what he's describing he's describing what comes out of their mouth because see when your heart is in rebellion to God this is what's going to come out of your mouth what does he mean? the poison of asps is under their lips whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness let me ask you a question do you think slander is like a poison? what about criticism? is that like a poison? what about selfishness? is that like a poison? see when you're living for yourself your heart's living for yourself it's like a poison one of the worst things about a poison is it not only affects the person who's infected but it's contagious it can get onto a whole family it can get into a whole household it can get on friends you know one of those one of the crimes that I believe that we'll be held accountable for is whenever you go to a third party you've been offended by somebody and you go to a third party who doesn't know anything about it and you speak for poison and it gets inside their heart and they don't even know but they love you so they're offended and they get hurt more than you got hurt because you know what usually happens? you usually forget about it but you know what? that poison stays right there and then they go and they tell another person and they get poisoned and they tell another person and they get poisoned you know where it all started? from the poison and venom that came out of your own mouth are you hearing what I'm saying? you just poisoned about six people alright? now notice this not only does poison come out of their lips their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness their feet are swift to shed blood destruction and misery are in their paths you know what that means? it means their feet are real quick to criticize and condemn and live for itself anything that crosses their paths then they're going to live for themselves and not only that but their feet are quick to run to sin now here's the whole problem the whole problem he sums up right here in the next two verses and the path of peace have they not known and there is no fear of God before their eyes how many of you see that? when there's no fear of God before their eyes they've got no they've got misery no peace and they're quick to sin are you hearing what I'm saying? alright? turn with me to second Peter I want you to see what God promises in this covenant second Peter look what God said God said we don't have to live like that second Peter chapter one turn with me carefully quickly second Peter chapter one I don't care how carefully you turn just quickly second Peter chapter one verse one Simon Peter a bondservant an apostle of Jesus Christ to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ now I just want you to notice here some of the things that God gives you by entering into covenant with him I believe you're gonna think it's pretty good grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord you know the the deeper you walk in covenant knowledge now he said he gave you a heart to know him is that what he said and the more you know him the more grace and peace is multiplied to you can I tell you that's a whole lot better than addition or especially than subtraction he multiplies grace and peace now all of us could use more peace and I said last night that grace is not just unmerited favor grace is the power that comes from through God to do his work and we saw that in the word did we not I say did we not all right now notice this he gives us grace and peace in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord verse three seeing that his divine power now let's see if this sounds pretty good has granted to us how much everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of him who called us now can I ask you a question can you think of anything he didn't cover in that statement he said I have given you everything pertaining to life in other words everything that you need in this covenant is found that you are going to need pertaining to life and godliness is that what he said I say is that what he said all right now notice what he said everything pertaining to life and godliness and what is this supposed to do verse four for by these that is these promises he has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises in order that by them you might become partakers of what kind of a nature a divine nature having escaped the corruption that's in the world by lust now here's what he's saying now listen to me carefully he's saying that in this covenant I have given you everything you need to live not one thing that can possibly be needed is not contained in this walk that I have for you everything you need for life is there and everything you need for godliness is contained in this covenant not only that but by the promises contained in this covenant you can escape the corruption that's in the world by lust through these promises now is that what he said and have a divine nature now is that what he said I say is that what he said all right turn with me now I want you to see a condition that's necessary turn with me to 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 now he said these promises contained in the covenant would do all of that for us you're not talking to me is that what he said all right 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1 therefore having these promises beloved let us what are we supposed to do since we have these promises let us cleanse ourselves from how much defilement of the flesh from all the defilement of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness and how are we going to perfect holiness in the fear of god now here's what he's saying now listen to me god says I've made covenant with you in that covenant I have given you everything you need we just read it pertaining to life and godliness I, god have done it I've covered every base for you I've covered every physical need I've covered every spiritual need I've covered every material need whatever you need for life and godliness it's contained in my covenant and I've given you promises to show you where it is and not only that but in this covenant I give you through these promises a divine nature so you can escape the corruption that's in the world through lust your job is to cleanse yourself but the only way that you're going to link up to the promises and cleanse yourself from all the form of flesh and spirit is if you walk in the fear of god are you hearing what I'm saying now that's what he's saying the people we just read about in Romans 3 they didn't walk with everything pertaining to life and godliness they had no godliness and what was missing was what the fear of god was missing before their eyes now how many of you saw that turn with me to Psalm 36 Psalm 36 we're laying a foundation for something and going somewhere now in Psalm 36 I read this psalm the other night but I only read a portion of it and I want to read the rest of it tonight not the whole psalm but a portion of this psalm Psalm 36 verse 1 now listen to me carefully transgression speaks to the ungodly and where does it speak to him transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart now listen to me this new heart that we saw that god's going to put within you when you get born again what's going to be put in that heart the fear of god what happens if the fear of god is missing transgression's going to speak to your heart it says it right here transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart there is no fear of god before his eyes are you seeing that so do you understand that if we remove the fear of god from before your eyes your heart will be more bent and leaning towards sin are you with me you know what's happened today we have developed a whole series of theologies and doctrines and traditions of men and commandments of men that do the very thing we're talking about right here they take the fear of god out from before the eyes of the people and it's peace and safety everything's alright you can live with bitterness you can live with criticism you can live with resentment in your heart and still serve on the most important committee in the whole church i mean you can hate your next door neighbor literally hate him and let everybody at church know and you can still teach a sunday school class and you know what you teach you teach that it's alright to have no fear of god before your eyes as a matter of fact if you just contribute enough money you can almost do just about anything you want to and nobody say anything and we've developed a whole system of no fear of god before our eyes and not only that i want to tell you something there is today in the body of christ a whole bunch of people that are following after the blessings of the covenants and all they want to hear is how they can be blessed next now i want to tell you i thank god for the blessings and i thank for the encouragement i've been trying to tell you some of the blessings we're going to see some of them tonight but i want you to know something you can search after the blessings seek after the blessings but they only come by walking in covenant with god to walk in covenant with god it means that i no longer live for myself but i live for my covenant partner are you hearing what i'm saying now listen if there's no fear of god before your eyes you're not only going to go after the blessings you're going to go after what your heart desires and you're going to try to close your selfish rebellious flesh lust desires in a christian clothing to make it look like it's covenant are you hearing what i'm saying because when there's no dear god before your eyes sin can speak to your heart and you know god's told us in his word several times this week he puts the fear of god in us to keep us from sinning have we been seeing that over and over i say have we been seeing that over and over alright now notice this here's what happens this is the sad thing when transgression speaks to the ungodly in his heart and there's no fear of god before his eyes here's what happens to his sin the transgression or the sin flatters him in his own eyes how many of you see this see he can sin and still find a way to flatter himself about how good a christian he is he can have all of these things in his heart and still find a way to flatter himself that he's still serving god and doing something good for jesus are you hearing what i'm saying verse three the words of his mouth what are they they're wickedness and deceit now listen to me this man might be the most respectable man in church might be the most respectable woman in church might be the most respectable man in town considered the most honest but the very fact that his heart doesn't belong to god but he gives god lip service as if his heart does what he says even though he may say right things it's wickedness and it's deceit are you hearing what i'm saying just like god said to the children of israel as we read in deuteronomy chapter five he said everything they said moses read the covenant to them they said we'll do it we'll be obedient we'll do it and god looked at something else he looked at them in deuteronomy five and he said to them everything that they said moses they said well but all that they had a heart to fear me and keep my commandments everything looked good on the outside but on the inside it was deceit are you hearing what i'm saying i say you hear what i'm saying alright now notice this his words of his mouth are wickedness deceit he ceased to be wise and do good he plans wickedness upon his bed he sets himself on a path that's not good he does not despise sin he doesn't despise anything you know why because there's no fear of god before him are you beginning to see how important it is that the fear of god be before you alright turn with me to hosea chapter ten hosea chapter ten right before amos or joel joel and amos hosea chapter ten now i want you to see the description of a man who has no fear of god before his eyes this is the description of a church that has no fear of god before its eyes this is the description of a group of people that have no fear of god before their eyes but it's the description especially of a person that doesn't have the fear of god before his eyes hosea chapter ten verse one israel does israel refer to the people of god the people of god are a luxuriant vine he produces fruit for who does he produce fruit for he produces fruit for himself now look at this the more his fruit the more altars he makes i've seen churches do this we heard them down front we don't tell them about covenant we just try to get numbers on the row we tell them a few quick things do you take jesus as lord of your life yes well you just sign this card and sit down and the more fruit they call that fruit the more fruit they produce the more altars they make the more idols they make i've known people who god uses them just a little bit and the more fruit it seems is produced the more idols they let build up in their heart the more somebody compliments them the more idols get established in their heart do you hear what i'm saying and he said the more fruit the more altars he made the richer his land the better he made the sacred pillars what was their problem is faithless or devalued literally it means their heart is cut in two do you know what that means that means god doesn't have the whole heart are you with me did he say he demanded the whole heart alright now notice this now they must bear their guilt the lord will break down their altars and destroy their sacred pillars but now here's what they say surely now they will say we have no king they're not saying this outwardly with their lips but in their heart in their divided heart they don't see that there's a need for a king over them they're king unto themselves they produce fruit for themselves are you with me i say are you with me alright now notice this surely we have no king for we do not revere or what fear the lord they don't have any fear of the lord now look at this as for a king what can he do for us that's what they're looking for they're always looking for a way that god will do something for them are you hearing what i'm saying here's the problem verse 4 they speak mere words with worthless oaths they make covenants or as the king gene says swearing falsely in making a covenant how many of you see that they make covenant with worthless oaths they speak with their lips but their hearts far from god their hearts the problem verse 12 here's what he tells them sow with a view to righteousness reap in accordance with kindness or mercy break up your fallow ground you know what that fallow ground what's fallow ground like break it up break up your fallow ground break it up get ready to sow get your heart take the hard part and plow it up plow up the hardness get it ready to sow it says for it's time to seek the lord until he comes to rain righteousness on you you have plowed wickedness and when you plow wickedness what do you reap injustice or sin iniquity is that right does that sound like Galatians 6 8 you sow to the flesh and what are you going to do from the flesh you're going to reap corruption is that what the word says all right now here's what he says you have plowed wickedness and if you're doing that you're going to sow wickedness you're going to reap wickedness you've eaten the fruit of lies because you had trusted in your own way in your way in your numerous warriors or in the multitude of thy mighty men you know what he's talking about now listen to me whenever god tries to give any truth to you you've eaten the fruit of lies so you see you don't have a king over you you know what's real convenient when you don't have a king over you find a bunch of men that you don't have to have over you and just believe what they say you see if I don't have a king over me if I've got Jesus as king over me then there's only going to be one thing that's going to direct my life and it's this word are you hearing what I'm saying but see if I don't have a king over me or if I'm my own king see I can go see what preacher so and so is going to say about it I can go buy me a book at the bookstore and see what doctor so and so had to say about it and I can just believe that and I don't even have to search it for myself now you know I'm not against preachers so don't if there's any here and if you think I am I'm not because I said the other night that they're gifts from God but I want to tell you something any preacher that's got a heart for God is not wanting to be a man's answer man he's wanting to teach people how to hear the voice of God so they can know God for themselves are you with me alright now here's what the people do see the people they don't want to bow down to Jesus as Lord they really don't want to know what's in here all they want to know is for somebody to tell them what their traditions say for somebody to write something in a book for somebody to send them a tape and tell them what God's saying for them and they don't want to check it out with their own with the word of God are you hearing what I'm saying now notice this they just keep on bearing fruit for themselves they keep on living for themselves because they've trusted in lies and eaten fruit of lies and they trust their own way or the multitude of mighty men now here's what God says about it verse 1 chapter 11 now look at God's heart I want you to see this here's what God's saying when Israel was a youth what does God say I loved him and out of Egypt I called my son now what does Egypt stand for the world does God say He called you out of the world out of the world I called my son but the more they called them the more they went from them they kept sacrificing to the bales and burning incense to idols you think there's any bales today any idols today and the more God calls the more they go after the idols what's the problem the heart verse 3 yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk I took them in my arms but they didn't know that I healed them I led them with cords of a man and bonds of love and I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws and I bent down and fed them or laid meat unto them they will not return to the land of Egypt but Assyria he'll be their king you know what he says he says they won't go all the way back to the world so they still look like the world but they'll take a king not king Jesus but a king in the land of promise are you hearing what I'm saying they won't go all the way back to Egypt but they'll take another king to be over them so that they look like they're in the land of promise now how many of you are seeing that you see what I'm saying alright now notice this here's what they say because they have they refuse to return to me and the sword will whirl against their cities and will demolish their gate bars and will consume them because of their counsels now look at verse 7 so my people are what everybody say that word bent that's a good word bent you know what it means they have a tendency a leading their bent on turning from me though they call them to the one on high none at all exalting you know why they have a bent to sin you know why they have a bent to turn from him because there's no fear of God before their eyes and when there's no fear of God before their eyes Satan can come with his temptations and if you've got no fear of God before your eyes your heart will be bent toward listening to his temptation are you hearing what I'm saying let me just tell you something see if you're absolutely convinced that you can lust and you say God forgive me your heart is going to be bent toward lust are you hearing what I'm saying if you're absolutely convinced that you can have a house your riches your job your family or your own selfish desires as an idol in your heart and still go to heaven guess what you're going to do you're just going to keep on bearing fruit for yourself you're going to have a heart that's bent toward that idol and you know what you're just going to go after more idols and when that one doesn't satisfy you you're just going to get some more idols and when that doesn't satisfy you you're going to get some more idols because there's no fear of God before your eyes because you've been told that things are going to be alright you're a good person while your heart is cut in two divided and unfaithful are you hearing what I'm saying turn with me to Ezekiel Ezekiel chapter 11 this is what God says if you've got a heart for him this is exactly what you'll be doing and it's just the opposite of what I just read to you if you've got a heart for him this is what you're going to be like Ezekiel chapter 11 Ezekiel 11 verse 17 again this is a prophecy about the new heart we read about in Hebrews 8 therefore therefore say thus says the Lord I shall gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you've been scattered and I shall give you the land of Israel now notice this when they come there that is when they come to the place of promise they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations from it who's going to remove them who's going to remove them they will they're going to do it they're going to resist the temptation they're going to remove them are you are you saying that I say are you saying how many of you seen that all right now notice this when you remove all of it the testable things and all the abominations I'll give them how many hearts one heart I'll put a new spirit within them I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and what's he going to give them a heart of flesh I like I like what the King James says I'll take the stony heart out of their hearts I'll take the stony heart out of their heart in other words I won't take that what's a stony heart it's a hardened heart don't give them a heart of flesh what's a heart of flesh that is that a heart that acts fleshly no that's a heart that's quiet and sensitive to the Holy Spirit and God says I'm going to remove that heart of stone I'm going to give them a heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit are you with me all right now notice what he says I'm going to give this to them because in verse 20 that they may walk in my statutes and do what keep my ordinances and what and do them not just what but to do them then they'll be my people and I'll be their God but I want you to notice verse 41 what's that first word everybody say it but a condition but as for those whose hearts go after their detestable things and abomination what's God says he going to do I'm going to bring their conduct down on their heads how many of you see the condition all right now I want you to turn with me well first of all let me just I want you to think of something God says he's building a house today is that right now let me what's the house he's building in the New Testament he building some kind of a building is that what he's building what is the house of God where the Holy Spirit dwells in the New Testament is this the house of God I this is the house of God in course he's building collected body whenever we come together that we might be a holy temple together unto the Lord but this is the temple of God is that right right now with that being the case I want you to notice some things that God says you'll remember these verses Psalm 127 verse 1 says unless the Lord build the house the building is what in vain in Isaiah 66 1 and 2 God says this he says that the the the earth is my footstool and heaven is my throne therefore what kind of a house can you build for me now I want you to think about that he says unless the Lord build the house the building is in vain is this the house unless the Lord do something in it and build it all the buildings in vain is that what he's saying now not only that but now what are you going to offer to God that's going to be pleasing to build this house I mean think about it heaven is his throne the earth is his footstool what kind of house you going to build for me what kind of house who's going to have to build the house he's going to have to build the house I want you to see how he builds it turn with me to Proverbs 24 now my friend I want you to listen carefully because we've been laying a foundation and now we're going to take off of what we've been wanting to talk about all right Proverbs chapter 24 how many of you have seen through the word of God that it's important to have the fear of God before your eyes because if you don't have the fear of God before your eyes you're not going to see it transgression speaks to the heart and your heart will go after idols abominations and detestable things how many of you see that but how many of you see that God said I put that fear within you I put it there wonder what happened to it let's watch this let's see how the house is built Proverbs 24 verse 3 by wisdom a house is built now that's how I build the house I'm going to how's it established by understanding now look at it carefully by wisdom a house is built and by understanding it's established how's the house going to be built by wisdom how's it going to be established by understanding now here's what I'm saying the house is going to be built this house is going to be built now what's he trying to build he's building a holy temple under the Lord that's what it says in Ephesians 2 the house Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone and built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets Jesus being the cornerstone he's growing us up that we might be a holy temple under the Lord a dwelling place of God in the spirit now that's what he's wanting us to be is that right God wants this to be a dwelling place in the spirit this this temple this body of mine is to be the dwelling place of the Lord and now he's going to tell us how this house is built unless the Lord built it the buildings in vain this concludes tape number seven please proceed to tape number eight where this message continues