Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes the transformative power of selflessness in his sermon 'Selflessness Brings Fullness.' He shares the story of a woman burdened for the lost, illustrating that true spiritual fire comes from being crushed and broken, allowing Christ's life to flow through us. The sermon encourages believers to embrace their trials as God's tools for growth, leading to a deeper understanding of His love and a call to lay down their lives for others. Beach highlights that selflessness is essential for experiencing the fullness of the Holy Spirit, which empowers us to serve and love others effectively.

She had such a burden for the people back home to realize the great need and, you know, she was just broken over it and she said, God, give me words that are like fire so that I can, you know, convince these self-satisfied and self-seeking people back in England that there's a world out here that's lost and dying. And, oh God, I wish I knew the poem by heart, but in other words, the Lord said to her, if you want words as fire, you first have to be crushed by molten stones and then the fire will flow through you. And, I mean, that's the very thought there, that God wants to crush us, but not because he wants to destroy us, but because he wants to be able to bring forth more of the loveliness of his son. And it's only as we are crushed and broken that his life can flow more abundantly through us. And I don't know why, but that was really on my heart, that was really quickened to me. And the more we see this truth, the more we'll be able to rejoice no matter what we're going through and the more we'll be able to thank God in the midst of our trials and suffering because we'll realize that that's the only way, that's God's way to make us into the people that we really want to be in our heart. And so I just want to encourage anyone this morning who was going through some kind of crushing or breaking or bruising or suffering, not to despair, but to thank God because he sees the desire in your heart to be more like Christ and to have more of Christ expressed through your life and that he's going to through the very things that you're going through right now, those are his means, those are his tools and his instruments to bring about the prayer of your heart, oh Lord, please make me more like you. Well it never fails that Phil picks up when the Lord's showing me something. You know, I don't really know what it's going to mean to you, but for the last short while, the Lord's just been showing me different ways that he loves us, you know. I think, you know, we want to understand as people, we want to understand, you know, the aspects of the Lord that affect us and then we want to be able to just keep going on with our life and our ways and our thoughts and stuff. But when you talk about salvation or us loving God, you know, it really can only come from from his drawing of us and I look, you know, in my life, my children's life and you know, I see so many different times how he revealed in different ways, you know, how he loves us, you know. And I still, I try to put those all together so I can just grasp the understanding of how he loves us. But just let me share a couple of the examples that I've, you know, been seeing. One was, I remember when I was a little child and I had two brothers and two sisters. So with five of us, it was hard to get the love and attention from our parents that, you know, that I felt that I wanted and stuff. And I remember some of the times that I felt receiving that love more clearly, more strongly than any other times. And one example that was driving in the car when I would get to sit, you know, between my mom and dad in the front seat and be able to put my head on their shoulder. You know how precious that that time was. Didn't seem like there was enough of that time. And I think, you know, as I grew up, I realized, you know, from watching people and how they grow and how they live, that you just kind of gird up your loins and live, you know, do your best without that love and nurture, you know. Or just take what you can get and strengthen yourself to make up the difference. One of the other examples that is in front of my face is with my two children. The oldest, when he was born, we loved him so much. He was very active. So he would run, you know, we'd have little times that we could love him and he would run, always be doing his thing, you know. We became pregnant with the second one. And I remember asking God, you know, show me how I can love another child as much as I love this first one, you know. I just didn't feel like it was within me to be able to do that. The second one came along and he was one that would just sit right on your lap, you know, just spend time right on your lap. You can see, even though he has all these other desires and interests, his contentment is there sitting in your lap. He can still be thinking, still be living, doing other things. But that time in your lap, for me as the father now, you know, I really, I feel that I can show him more love because of the time he gives me. You know, I see a difference in the security that the two have. I try to go out of my way. I think I put more effort into loving the older one because I'm trying to chase him with that love. And I think the Lord's doing that with us all the time. But, you know, it's beyond our understanding. But yet that his love is our strength, you know, it's and it's, you know, so that we become who he's meant for us to be, you know. We're going to glorify him when we love him because we receive his love. We live as secure, strong people, not in our strength, but in his. And then, you know, when people see that, they're going to begin to desire that love of God. As they desire, they can receive it. Then they're drawn to him. Again, that's no a complete understanding of what his love is like, but just part of what he's showing me. Thank you, brother. Hallelujah. That's wonderful, isn't it? Thank the Lord. He is faithful and true, isn't he? Altogether lovely. Do you know where that statement is found, anybody? Song of Solomon, that's right. He is altogether lovely. I'm going to change. Okay. Okay. All right. She wants me to put this microphone down and use the little one. So I'll do that. I'll turn that on and put this down. Hello? Are you still on? Yes. Good. All right. Well, praise the Lord. We're able to tape through the system now so that I don't need that microphone, that this one here is both putting me on the amplifying system as well as putting me on through the system onto the tape. And that is compliments of Mr. Cash Hill. Norman and I went to visit him on Sunday, last week, I mean. And we had a lovely time with him. And he said, again, is there anything that we can do for you? And so Norman took advantage of the opportunity, which is characteristic of a wise store and explained our need. And Mr. Cash Hill said, tell me what you need. He wrote it down on a piece of paper and we got it. So the Lord is faithful and he's altogether lovely. And he truly does love us with an everlasting love. And his heart is toward us in a wonderful way. I have a few things from the Lord this morning that I'd like to share. But first of all, I'd like to testify to the fact that I believe the Lord has shown me through many times this week, in particular last night while praying, that as far as the Lord's timing in moving in a significant way, he has been, but he has something in his heart. As far as timing is concerned, I believe the Lord showed me last night, late in the night, that the hand is one minute before 12. One minute before 12, which I believe is, indicates that we are on the threshold of the Lord being pleased to open up the heavens as we continue to tarry before him and pray and seek him. And he's going to open up the heavens and pour out a blessing that we cannot contain. And that this blessing will empower us to lay our lives down for one another and for the many people that God has put in our lives. The Holy Spirit's fullness is intended to come into the church so that the church will be enabled to follow in her Lord's footsteps. When husbands pray for the fullness of the spirit, it's so that they can lay their lives down for their wives and their families and the church. When wives pray for the fullness of the spirit, it's so that they could have a meek and a quiet spirit, as the scripture says, and that they could demonstrate the beauty that Sarah, Abraham's wife, was adorned with. And what kind of beauty was that? That was not outward beauty, but it was the inward beauty of a meek, quiet, godly spirit. And God wants women to be clothed with those kind of glorious garments. The Lord wants men to be men and not women. And maybe several hundreds of years ago, that might have been facetious to say, and it maybe only would have been taken as a pun, but that can be literal today, can't it? Because men actually want to become women. But men need to be men in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Men need to recognize our inherent weaknesses and deal with them in a very strong way. One of an inherent weakness of a man is being lazy spiritually. Not lazy after the thing he wants, but lazy spiritually. Most men, if they've got a desire or a vision or a passion for something, they'll be up early in the morning and they'll go after it. A lot of men have accomplished a lot of things, but God is looking for the man in the assembly who will take the responsibility to lead his family spiritually. Spiritually. Take your responsibility as a man, as a husband, as a father, and lead your family spiritually. Don't be lazy. The scripture indicates one instant where Jesus had crowds pressing on him, and the scripture says that it was into the evening hours, indicating that it had probably gotten pretty late. And then the very next scripture says, and early the next morning Jesus got up way before everybody. And what did he do? He prayed. Now, he could have certainly justified not getting up and praying by saying, I had a busy night last night. But he was so gripped, he was so controlled by an awareness that he of himself could do nothing. That he felt, Father, wake him up early before the sun rose, before his disciples got up and bid him, come son, that we might commune together, that I might give you bread for today. That's what it means, brothers. So watch out for being lazy spiritually. Be diligent. Pray that God will give you an earnest, diligent, seeking heart. Lead your family. Get in and get God's word in your heart. Have a word from the Lord for your wife every day. Every day find something for your wife. Find something for your children every day. I know some don't have a family, but this is a good habit to get into just for yourself. And then maybe if you don't have a family, then zero in on someone from the body. Wake up one morning and say, oh Lord, I have a burden for brother Phil today. Lord, give me something from your heart for brother Phil. Something to encourage him. Something to edify him. You know, I hate to say this, brothers and sisters, but I can't remember the last time somebody came to me. Says, you know, brother, the Lord put you on my heart. And here's what he said. I can't remember the last time. I don't say this to shame anybody. God knows my heart. I don't say this to put any guilt on anybody. It's just a fact. So if you don't have a family, pick someone out in the body and pray and seek the Lord. You know what it does to somebody when you call them up on the phone and say, you know, the Lord has just given me something. Can I share it with you? And you tell them, and you all of a sudden you hear, hallelujah, yes, and all of a sudden there's a mutual exchanging of encouragement and strengthening. What happens afterwards when somebody calls you up or tells you something encouraging from the Lord? How does it affect you? Doesn't it affect your whole day? Doesn't it? You sort of bring that with you to the store. You find yourself whistling. That's what it should be, members ministering one to another. So take the responsibility and pray, and don't pray in doubting and unbelief. Believe God will give you something, brothers, sisters. God will give you something from his heart. Tell your children that they're loved by God. Tell your children that though they be as, what's the scripture that slipped my mind in Isaiah? Though your sins be as scarlet, God says he'll what? Make them white as snow. Tell your children that when they struggle. Do you teach your children how to deal with frustration and anger? Do you teach them how to deal with it when you see they're frustrated or they're angry? Sit down with them and say, listen, here's what God's word says. Get a word for them, beloved. Get a word for them. Get a word. We need God on the scene in the world today, and we need the Lord to be filling us for others. Now, last week we talked about two important topics. The first topic was forgiveness. See, the Lord's been dealing with us a lot about prayer, but we learned last week that we can't enter into the subject of prayer and really touch the Lord's heart if there's an unforgiving spirit in us. Boy, I certainly love this without the microphone, Norman. What an answer to prayer. Be able to free to talk. My, my. God is so faithful. But forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness. We must guard against unforgiveness, beloved. Guard against unforgiveness. We, we, we learned last week the story of unforgiveness and how we have no right to have unforgiveness in our heart toward anybody. And the reason why is because we owe the Lord more than we could ever pay Him, and He forgave us. And no matter what anybody ever does against us, we always have a greater debt toward the Lord. If somebody has hurt you in any shape or form, you just consider this. You've hurt the Lord worse, and He forgave you. So who are you to look at your brother and sister and say, I'm not going to forgive you? Who are you to do that? We are to forgive others, even as our Heavenly Father, which is in heaven, hath what? Forgiven us. And when something hurts and it gets real big, I understand it's hard, and we might struggle, but that's not a reason to justify unforgiveness, because we still have access to God, and He'll give us the grace. Then we learned last week that, that once the issue of forgiveness is settled in our heart, and we need to make sure that we always, always, always allow the Lord to deal with our hearts regarding our forgiveness and never allow unforgiveness to fester in our heart and in our life. Once we settle the issue of forgiveness, then we come to the issue of prayer, and we told the story last week that Jesus told regarding prayer. He taught his disciples to pray, Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, for Lord's prayer, that he gave us a pattern prayer. And then remarkably, right after the prayer, he told them a little story, and in this story he talked about a friend who had another friend, and this friend had visitors suddenly come and visit him at the midnight hour, and he had no bread to give. So this guy went to his friend late at night and he said, I'm paraphrasing, he said, listen, I've got some folks here that need some bread, and I don't have any bread. Could you please give me some bread? Now, he basically went to his friend, and it was on the basis of friendship that he initially asked. Friendship. It would be like Gary and I are friends, and I came to Gary because I have a relationship with him as a friend, and I asked him for something. Well, that's what this friend did to his friend at the midnight hour. But remarkably, and this is the emphasis, this is the real meaning of this whole story, this is what Jesus was trying to teach. Remarkably, the friend said, I'm sorry, it's midnight, I'm in bed, I'm with my children, my doors are locked, I can't respond to your request. And so therefore, Jesus went on to tell that simply based on friendship to friendship, the request was denied, but the friend who had the need, the scripture says, began to make requests over and over again, and Jesus said he possessed what is called reckless, audacious boldness. Reckless, audacious boldness. So the appeal went, listen, the appeal for bread went a step above. They were friends, but the request went from just simply friend to friend to a friend imploring, and begging, and recklessly, audaciously asking. And then Jesus said, I tell you the truth, even though this friend up here would not give this guy bread because he's a friend, I say to you because of his reckless, audacious asking, the friend will get up, even though it's midnight, and he'll give him all that he has need of. And then Jesus starts talking about prayer again. So he starts out with prayer, he stops and tells a story, and then Jesus starts talking about prayer again. And the important thing about this whole section of scripture that we looked at last week was that Jesus was teaching us that there's a kind of prayer that he was looking to see in us, and in order for us to understand that kind of prayer, he had to tell us a story. So the kind of prayer that Jesus is looking, first of all, is the kind of prayer that springs out of us that is because we see a need, not that we have necessarily, but that somebody else has. So it's not so much bread for us as it is bread for somebody else. Bread for somebody else. Now when we come into this awakening, where we realize that there's people that are needy all around us, you're sitting next to people who are needy. As soon as you leave here and you go out into the world, you're going to be with people who are needy. And this revelation needs to grip us, and as this revelation grips us, and we realize that we are amidst needy people who are in need of bread, Jesus is telling us that there's an aspect of our relationship with God that must grow if we expect to receive the bread that we need to give to others, and that aspect of that relationship with God has to go beyond the simple truth, and this is important, but it has to go beyond it. The truth that we are the friends of the Lord, that he has made us his friend. It has to go beyond simple relationship. I'm related to God now because I'm one of his sons, and he's my father in heaven, and based on that, I'm simply going to ask him for whatever I want, and he'll give it to me. Well, essentially that's true, but that's the foundation. We've got to grow on that foundation. The truth that Jesus is teaching is there's got to come in us a longing, a craving, a desire, and asking a boldness to God in order to get the bread that we need to share with people that God brings our way. Do you sense in your hearts this kind of a prayer that is growing in your life, a longing, a passion, and asking because you've seen the need of others, and you want the Lord to provide you with bread for them? Surely the Lord is eagerly awaiting a people who will ask and keep asking, seek and keep seeking, knock and keep knocking as a result of this kind of revelation in their heart. Beloved, I am persuaded that bread for this purpose to give is not readily available among God's people because this kind of importunity that Jesus taught in the story, this kind of asking Father is simply not in abundance within the house of God, and that kind of growth has to occur in our life if we are to see the joy, the utter joy of being entrusted with the ministry of bringing bread to the hungry. And they're all over, they're everywhere, everywhere you turn. It's just a matter of the Lord dealing in our life and helping us to make the transition from me centered, I centered, my centered to God, the Lord's desires, the Lord's interests, and he'll surely fill us to overflowing as we ask him to enlarge our hearts. So that was the message last week. Forgiveness is a prerequisite. It has to happen before we enter into prayer, and prayer, if it is going to please the Lord in its entirety, has to become a selfless prayer, a request for bread for others. You remember the parable that Jesus taught? Matthew chapter 25, you could turn there, Matthew chapter 25 beginning in verse 14. We want to continue along this line for a few moments this morning, remembering that we're dealing now with the issue of asking God for bread that we might be able to give it to others. Now let me just say a few things, beloved. Keep your finger on Matthew chapter 25. You cannot enter into the ministry of serving others unless you have been prepared by the Holy Spirit to be willing to lay your own life down. This is true in families. Families don't work when everybody's selfish. You know, there was a police officer that I worked with in Mississippi, and he was just amazed at the size of my family, and he made a statement that it was very true, and I had respect for the guy. I was a his condition, but I had respect for him. He was married, had a nice wife, but he said, we're never going to have children, and I said, well my, why not? He said, because we're too selfish. He said, I know that when you have children, things got to revolve around the children, and you got to give up your agenda, you got to give up your own plans, you got to give up your own wants, your own desires, a family doesn't work when mom and dad have their selfish agendas, and they do their own thing. A family works when the strongest, the most mature in the family, which ought to be the parents, but nowadays sometimes it's the children that are more mature than the parents. But the way families work is the husband and wife become selfless. They lay their lives down. The way marriage works is the husband lays his life down. Husbands have to lay their lives down for their wives, even as Christ laid his life down. You see, so if you did a close scrutiny of most of the problems going on in the church today, or in a family, or in a marriage situation, you'll find nine times out of ten, if not ten times out of ten, that the problem is that somebody is being selfish. Somebody's being selfish. Somebody has not caught the revelation that we are to lay our lives down, that we are to die to ourself. So when you come to the issue of being a body of believers, when we come to the revelation that God is calling us, first of all, to deal with unforgiveness, basically when we come to the issue of unforgiveness, what we're doing is we're coming to the issue where you can't have aught in your heart toward anybody. You have to grow out of that realm where there is warring, and jealousy, and striving, and bitterness, and contention in your heart toward people. If you want to be a prince with God, an intercessor for God, one who moves mountains for God, one who says, be thou plucked up and cast into the sea, you can't be uttering those prayers before the Lord one early 530 in the morning, and then at nine o'clock go to the donut shop and see someone and say, I can't stand that person. I'm leaving this place. Those things don't work. You can't do it, you see? You could pray that prayer, and I'm sure the Lord will give a period of grace, but the fact is the Scripture says we can't have that kind of heart and be a prince with God. The Lord can't do it. The Lord won't do it, you see, and we can't be a prince with God and have our tongues out of control. So when we come into this story that Jesus taught, you know, inherent within this story is volumes of truth. You've got a man who is willing to entertain people in the midnight hour. That in itself indicates what? Selflessness. You know, there's a lot of territories that we, you know, we have a lot of areas in our life that we pretty much tell the Lord, Lord, this is my territory, this is my time. And we get defensive and angry if someone bothers us in our time. The worst time for a husband is when he comes home from nine hours of working. The last thing he wants to do is lay his life down. He's tired, doesn't want to, doesn't want to, doesn't want to deal with the family, doesn't want to deal with the wife, doesn't want to deal with her needs, doesn't want to deal with the children. Just leave me alone. I want to sit down. Where's my chair? Who's got my pillow? Where's the TV control? Just leave me alone. You see, this is the way we are human, you know, but what if the Lord wants to encourage your wife and he wants to use you? What if one of the children have a need and he wants to use you? It's the midnight hour. You need bread to give to somebody, but you're not available. You see, we fall short, don't we, brothers? We fall short. So the fact that Jesus was talking about a guy who's banging on his friend's door saying, I got some needs here, the guy's got something in his life. He's willing to deal with a need that someone else has. So, we're going to look at Matthew chapter 25 here, but before we do, I want to read here in 1 John chapter 3, verse 13. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. Wow, that's incredible, isn't it? One of the evidences of being born from above, being one of God's children, is we love the brethren. Now, I tell you right now, the Holy Spirit here is not talking about, as I heard one preacher once say, you know, it's not just a love where we cry and we touch one another and we have a sentimental feel like, oh, I just love you so much. I just love to be with you. That might be part of it, but I'm not sure if that's what the Lord has in mind. Matter of fact, I'm quite sure it's not. Here's the kind of love the Lord has in mind. Let's read on and we'll see. The Holy Spirit defines what he's talking about here. Because we love the brethren, he that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, and we know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us. There you go, right there. The love of God has been defined for us through the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus defined what it is to be filled with divine love. It is not essentially sentimental feelings toward a person. It's not necessarily an emotional feeling toward a person, but it is an action. It is an action. Verse 16, hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid his life down for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Beloved, listen closely. Whenever a company of people such as ourselves have been before the Lord for many years, have we not? Mostly everybody here has had a history. We've all had a history together, and our history has been quite a history. We've gone through many things together, but I think that we're at the place now together as a body where we're really beginning to say, Lord, we need you. We want your fullness. We want you to bring your spirit, Lord. We are in need of you, Lord. We are dry. We are thirsty. We thank you for the truth that you've given us. We thank you, Lord, that you have taught us the basic doctrines that we need to know of Christ, and the blood, and our acceptance, and our security in you. We thank you, Lord, for all those things, and we glory in them because they are the foundation upon which we live. But Lord, we need to know you now. Our hearts are longing to know you, and Lord, we recognize that here we are in a town, and you brought the nations of the world right to our back door. How many see the nations of the world here within a 20-mile radius? The nations of the world. Maybe 20, 30, 40 years ago, New York City was characteristic of that, and everybody talked about New York City as a melting pot of the world, but beloved, it's just not true anymore. It's true right here. We've got people from all over, all over the Mideast have come here. So therefore, as a body, how many have become more and more aware of the needs of the people around about you as a body over the last year? See, we're growing together, aren't we? We're growing together, and as a result we're praying, Lord. So the Lord would respond to us as a body by saying this, hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. There is no company of people who can gather together and continue to beg God to pour out his Spirit without the Lord coming into their midst and making it crystal clear to them that the answer to their request will necessitate an axe laid to the root of selfish ambition. God will not empower people to continue in selfish ambition. God will not empower a people to continue in a lifestyle that basically is very self-relating and self-centered. So the Lord wants us to fully understand this morning, and he's not saying this as if to make us say, well, Lord, who would want this? He's saying it, I believe, to cause us to respond by saying, Lord, so be it. Yes, Lord. But he's saying to us, listen, if we pray for the fullness of the Spirit in our lives as husbands, as wives, if we pray for the fullness of our Spirit in our families, if we pray for the fullness of our Spirit as believers gathered together, it will mean having to have an encounter with the Almighty God over the issues in your life, over the things in your life that are yet selfish, self-seeking, self-relating, and the Holy Spirit will have to put his finger on it and say, if you want my fullness, if you want the fullness of my love, if you want the fullness of my power walking through you, you've got to be prepared to relinquish, to give up, to acknowledge these areas in your life, and let me take them from you. Because you search the Scriptures, and tell me if it is not true. Anywhere you find in the New Testament an outpouring of the Spirit, God moving in an assembly, you see selfless people laying their lives down for one another, reaching out through the power of the living Christ, flowing through their empty vessels, and you see all kinds of things happening. You see riot, you see revival, you see repentance, you see the devil getting stirred, moving on people that persecute the church, you see believers getting encouraged and strengthened, all kinds of things happen. Beloved, we are on the threshold of a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit, because we have together, been brought step-by-step to a place where God has made us to see our need to be selfless people. That should encourage us. Selfless people. The devil knows that the Holy Spirit of God has taken much time and much effort, and has intimately worked in each one of our lives on a very personal, intimate level. Differently, separately sometimes, sometimes together, but the end result that God is realizing in each one of us is an awakening that's occurring in us, and this awakening is, Lord, I'm tired of myself. I'm tired of my own ways. I'm tired of being spent, Lord, for selfish living. Lord, you have a big heart. You have a big plan. The body is so needy. I am so needy. Lord, I want to live for you. I want to be filled with you so that I can live for you and be poured out for others. Now, I want honesty. Now, who feels that these kind of groanings are developing in your heart? That these kind of desires are developing in you? Everybody raising their hand. Everybody. You see? And the enemy knows what God's doing. He sees. He knows us. I'm telling you, beloved, there's a lot of things going on in hell. Now, hell metaphorically speaking, not the grave, but the place where the devils get together and have their strategy meetings. And don't think they don't, beloved. Don't think they don't. They've got places designated who knows where. Maybe they get together in abandoned crack buildings in New York City. And I'm sure, God forgive me, I'm sure that they get together in some empty church buildings, too. Of certain believers, huh, Carrie? I bet his name's been mentioned a couple of times. What about Mitch? Huh? And they assess the situation. What's going on in their life? What's going on in their life? Huh? What's going on? And let me tell you something. When they begin to see in brothers and sisters the work of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and they begin to see the heart and hear the prayers of, oh God, deliver me from myself. Deliver me from selfish ambition. Deliver me from loving this world. Deliver me from my temper, from my anger. Lord, I want to be, I want to fulfill the scripture of laying my life down for my brothers and sisters. And when they see this growth, let me tell you, there's no small turmoil going on. They get distressed, because that's the prerequisite. That's what happens right before God moves by his Holy Spirit. People start crying out. I mean, on the day of Pentecost, Acts chapter 2, you do a history with those believers. And before Acts chapter 2 came, man, I'll tell you, their dreams were dashed, their hopes were dashed. They were emptied. Peter denied the Lord three times. They had severe dealings, but they were all gathered together in the upper room, and they were all in one heart and one mind and one soul. They all had the same kind of history in their life. Same kind of history. Different ways that God did it, but they have the same history, and they were all at the same place where they were crying out, and they were continuing in prayer and in supplication, and they were seeking to be empowered from God so that they could, by the power of Jesus Christ, live and be what God called them to be. Hallelujah to God. And suddenly, suddenly, the scripture says, the Spirit came. So, when we look at this whole issue of prayer and seeking to be a body of believers that are experiencing the fullness of God's Spirit, we must equate that directly with being selfless. Selfless and fullness. You can't have fullness if you don't have selflessness, and you can't have selflessness without the fullness of God's Spirit. They go hand-in-hand, beloved. Fullness and selfless. So, let's be prepared for the Holy Spirit to continue this incredible work in our midst. Now, I just want to point out something here. In Matthew chapter 25, we've read so many times this scripture, and we probably, if you're like I am, have heard so many sermons on Matthew chapter 25, beginning in verse 14, the talents, and oh, we've heard preachers get up and talk about your talents and how you need to be using your talents, and you need to be doing something for God, and you need to join the church and plug in and do something. I'm not going to touch that. May God be the Lord, and may the Lord just cause all that comes from him to prosper. But I want you to see this talent message here in light of this truth of selflessness and fullness, because I believe there's a great connection between the two. I'm going to read this, and in particular, I want you to see what follows the message of the talents, because I think that's significant that it was put there in that way. Verse 14, chapter 25, For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country who called his own servants and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, and to every man according to his several ability, and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them five other talents. And likewise, he that had received two, he also gained other two. But that he that received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his Lord's money. And after a long time the Lord of those servants cometh and reckoned with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliverest unto me five talents. Behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant. I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliverest unto me two talents. Behold, I have gained two other talents besides them. The Lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant. Thou has been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou in the joy of the Lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee, thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed. Thou was afraid and went and hid thy talent in the earth. Lo, thou hast that this is thine. Lo, in other words, the servant said, Lo, here is what is yours. Take it. I've hid it in the earth. Now listen to this. His Lord answered and said to him, Wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed. Thou altest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received my own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And now immediately Jesus goes into a lovely message here, verse 31. I believe that verse 31 helps us to understand the heart of the Lord regarding talents. You see, regarding talents. Notice what Jesus says, When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, there shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations. And he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divided his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Now, for I was hungry and you gave me meat. I want you to notice that there's six times that Jesus makes a statement in verse 35 and 36. And each time he makes a statement, each one of these six, the word give or gave is used. Okay, we're seeing here the secret, beloved, of multiplying the talents that you have. The secret. You want to be a faithful store of the talent that God has given you? Give, give of yourself. Watch what Jesus says here. I was hungry and you gave me meat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and ye took action. You took me in. Naked, you clothed me. I was sick, you visited me. I was in prison and you came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry and fed thee, or thirsty and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger and took thee in, or naked and clothed thee? Or when saw we sick or in prison and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, insomuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me. Now, notice the contrast. Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me not meat to drink. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. I was a stranger and you took me not in, and you clothed me not, and in prison and you visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, Lord, when saw we thee naked or sick or in prison and did not minister unto you? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not unto me. John chapter 15 verse number 9. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Continue ye in my love. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if you do whatsoever I have commanded you. No greater love hath this, than a man should lay down his life for his friends. Selfless love is laying down our life for our friends. That's where the fullness of God's Spirit comes. The fullness of God's Spirit comes when we understand the meaning of the story and begin to recognize the need that we and others have and begin to pray for bread so that it can be given to others. The talents. I believe Jesus is teaching us in the talents that God gives us for one intention, that we might give to others. And in giving, God multiplies and feeds the multitude. God multiplies and feeds the multitude. Are we prepared this morning to offer ourselves to the Lord, that he might search our heart and grant to us a desire to be poured out upon the altar of sacrifice? Such a place is where the fullness of God's river is flowing. Anywhere on earth there are people who are being poured out on the altar of sacrifice because they have seen a revelation of Christ and the size of his heart and they've seen a revelation of their own selfishness and how profitless it is. And they've come before the Lord with an honest sincere heart and said, Lord make me a selfless man or woman. And they meet God at that altar of sacrifice. Right there at that altar there is a direct link to the fullness of the river of life that's flowing in heaven and you plug right into it and you are picked up and energized as long as you maintain by the Spirit and Word and grace of God that selfless mindset, that selfless heart set, that selfless life. You want to know the power of God. You want to know the fullness of the Spirit of God and the love of God? Renounce selfishness. Renounce a life with selfish ambition. Renounce those things and say, Lord let me lay my life down for the brothers. Start with your family. Start with your family. Let Christianity be proved in your home. Paul even said, don't make a man an overseer in the house of God if he can't. Walk as a man of God at home. Now being a man of God at home does not mean that you are without sin. It does not mean that you never make a mistake. But what it does mean is that you set the example in the home of how to properly respond when you do make a mistake. I'm sorry. Forgive me. Let's pray. Do we want God to bring his fullness to us? Do we? I do. Do we want to release us from selfish ambition? I do. Do we want as a body bread so that we have to give to those who come to us at the midnight hour? There's a place, brothers and sisters, it's organic, meaning it's something God does. It's not something that we try and work up. There's a place where God's people can be compelling them to come in. Do you want to get to the place as a body where we are going down the highways and the byways compelling them to come in? Because Jesus said, my house is gonna be full. Do you want to know the ministry of compelling? That's where we're heading. Let me tell you, when God gets us to the place where by the Spirit we are compelling men and women to come to the banquet that's set, we're going to see the multiplication of bread in our midst that will be beyond our expectation. I'm telling you, beloved, it's going to happen. We're going to see. But God is just patiently waiting and dealing with us because He wants to realize more and more and more that heart cry within us. And as we close, I want you to remember this, fullness and selflessness goes hand in hand. I'm asking God to help you never pray the prayer of fullness without praying the prayer of relinquishment, relinquishing, letting go of that which is selfish. You've got to see the two as one, two sides to the same coin. I'm encouraged this morning, beloved. There's much more in my heart, but it's 1235. We have to give way to the time. We have to give way to the clock. And I want to ask if maybe Colette will come up and play some songs, play a few songs as we just maybe spend one or two or three minutes before the Lord. And let's pray that God will fill us with the fullness of His Spirit that we might be able to lay our lives down for the brothers and the sisters. God is going to fill the auditorium. He has said it over and over, not only to me, but to several brothers and sisters. Several brothers and sisters have had dreams from God. It's God's intention. It's God's plan. But there's a reason why He wants to fill it. So men and women are infatuated with Him. And the bread of heaven is poured out in abundance to meet the need of the dying thirsty souls round about us. Such a thing will require selfless laying our life down. I've got anticipation from God in my spirit that thrills me at times. I get overwhelmed and I start jumping and leaping for joy. God is going to do it. And now He's preparing us. Spend a few minutes before Him as we sing. Let Him do it in Jesus name. Lord, we just want to come before you, Lord, and affirm our desire for you. We're singing the song that we want to be poured out like oil upon the altar. Lord, we want to just focus in on the practical implications of this prayer. Lord, we want to start, Lord, with this prayer in our homes. And everyone listening, Lord, right now, I pray, will pray that they will be able to pour their life out at home. Husbands will become selfless. Be willing for God to deliver them from selfish ambition. Husbands, your marriage will not work if you do not come to grips with the fact that you are called to be like Jesus Christ. It won't work. Wives, your marriage won't work out if you don't realize you are called to love, support, pray with, stand together, honor, and esteem your husband. Don't discourage him. Don't be negative. Find out the good qualities in him and tell him. Tell your husband, I appreciate your sweet spirit or I appreciate your gentle spirit. Men need to be encouraged just like women. It's probably worse for us because we've got the image in the world that we don't need encouragement. We're real tough, but that's not true. Wives, learn to be encouragers. The greatest thing that can happen in a man's life is when he realizes that to his wife, he's everything, and that she's going to stand with him whether he sinks or whether he swims. She's going to stand with him and pray and encourage him. When you know that your wife believes in you, believes in what God is doing in you, that makes a difference. Wives, learn to encourage your husband's children. You need to learn to be obedient to your parents. Obedience is the most important lesson you can learn as children. You don't need to argue with your parents. Don't be sassy to your parents. Don't talk back to your parents. Children, obey your parents. Listen to your parents when they tell you to do something and don't argue. Fathers, don't exasperate your children or provoke them. Learn to be gentle. Father, I pray that as we pour out ourselves upon the altar that you will help us to be filled with fullness so we can lay our lives down. And Lord, once we get this stuff working in our lives, in our marriages, and in our homes, it'll just overflow into the assembly. It'll overflow into the assembly. Lord, I'm asking for you to bring a mighty outpouring of the fullness of your spirit to empower every vessel that has set in their heart. I want to be emptied that you might be the fullness of my life. Lord, we're praying that you do this for your honor and glory. In Jesus' name, we believe you, Lord. We believe you, Lord. Amen and amen.