I Learned Holy Spirit Secrets to Touch God's Heart

I wanna talk to you about how to touch the heart of God in a way that pleases Him, in a way that invites His favor. We're gonna give you very biblical, practical keys. But to begin, I want you to write this in the comment section, 3 simple words, all for Jesus. Let that be your unashamed public declaration, all for Jesus. With this comment, you in your hearts are recommitting to pleasing the Lord. You're recommitting to connecting with Him. And you desire, I know you do, to go deeper with the Holy Spirit. So write that right now, and I'll take a look at point number 1 here for you. Number 1, humility. In James 4:6, the Scripture says, but He gives more grace. Therefore He says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. As you begin to study the nature of God by looking through the Scripture, you'll notice that His interaction with man often depends, of course, first and foremost on God's faithfulness, on God's grace, on God's goodness, on God's compassion. But there is also an element to consider in regards to the way that man responds to God, namely, whether or not man responds with pride or humility. And as you look throughout Scripture, studying both the Old and the New Testaments, you'll begin to see a pattern emerge. And you'll see that those who harden their hearts, those who think that they're self-sufficient, those who think more highly of themselves than they ought to, Those who resist God in ego and pride, God resists them. But those who humble themselves, those who acknowledge their need for God, those who acknowledge that they're helpless without him, those are the ones that he lifts up. But he gives grace to the humble. In Isaiah 66:2, the Bible says, has not my hand made all these things? So they came into being, declares the Lord. These are the ones I look on with favor. He tells us very plainly here, those who are humble and contrite in spirit and who tremble at my word. One of the demonstrations of humility is that we respond when God speaks. One of the demonstrations of humility is that we revere the word of God. We take his commands seriously. Those who walk in pride resist the commands of God. Why? Partly because they think they know better. They may see in scripture where God says, go left, and they choose to go right. They may see in scripture where God says to go right and they choose to go left. They may see in scripture where God says, don't live this way, and they live that way. Why? Because there's a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is destruction. We know that the plans of the Lord are established in our lives as we participate with him, walking in obedience, responding to his word, living in that humility. Now, we also have to recognize that humility isn't self-hatred. Humility isn't wallowing. Humility isn't necessarily burying your face in the dirt and saying, I'm good for nothing, I'm worthless. And sometimes those who are humble do express things like this, but it's not the self-hatred specifically that God is looking for. Humility truly, biblically speaking, is a recognition who you are in reference to God. In other words, when you see yourself in light of who he is, it's sobering. When you see how holy God is, it's really humbling. If you think too highly of yourself, and then you look at God or you catch a revelation of who he is, well, I promise you, When looking at the Lord, it's very difficult to not see your own flaws. Why? Because he is light. And he shines that light in dark places, especially in our hearts and minds. When those areas of our hearts and minds are revealed, that of course produces this great sense of need for the presence of God. And that is one of the demonstrations of humility, that we rely upon him. That we recognize that we're broken without him, that we recognize that we can't do it in our own strength, that we have to do it in God's strength. I often say that if it wasn't for the Holy Spirit, I would be 1,000 broken pieces on the floor. The Holy Spirit, his presence and power, that is the grace, the glue that holds together all of those broken pieces of who I am. In him, we are complete. In Him, we find our strength. In Him, we find our value. And again, this isn't self-hatred. This is recognizing that apart from Him, we have no value, but in Him, because of Him and by Him, that is where we find our value. So we recognize we're helpless without You, Lord. We can't do this on our own strength. We can't do ministry without the Holy Spirit. We can't be good spouses without the Holy Spirit. We can't be good parents without the Holy Spirit. We can't live this Christian life without the help of the precious Holy Spirit. And so in this season, this newness of life in which you're stepping, if you will wear humility, if you will clothe yourself with this recognition that God is great, And only in him do we find our value. There's no limit to where God will take you. God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. He gives favor to the humble. He looks favorably upon those who are humble and contrite in spirit. Number 2, and this is so important, a repentant heart. In Psalm 51:16-19, the word says this, You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Look with favor on Zion and help her rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will be pleased with sacrifices, this is key, offered in the right spirit. with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings, then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar. It's not in the sacrifice, it's in the sincerity. When we live in a way that recognizes the flaws, the frailty of human nature, and when we live in a way that constantly addresses these issues, not dismissing them, Not minimizing them, but acknowledging them, confessing them, and then tackling them for the problems that they are. When we approach the Lord asking for his forgiveness, when we approach the Lord asking for strength to do that which is right, when we constantly correct those little areas of our lives where there's compromise, the constant correction of compromise, that's what it is to live with a repentant heart. Now, I'm not talking about legalism. And by the way, you know, you're legalistic if you live in the constant fear of losing your salvation. Why? Because Ephesians 2:8-9 tell us that salvation is by grace through faith. It's not of works, lest any man should boast. So it's not that we do good works to be saved, but we do good works because we are saved. So I'm not talking about legalism, this constantly beating yourself up, this constant paranoia and fear and tension. No, The Lord gave us assurance of salvation. The Lord tells us that we can know in his word, that we can know that we are born again. Not this uncertainty, not this picturing of salvation as if it's just hanging by a thin thread, ready to be broken at any moment, that every mistake we make is the last one we'll ever make. No, that's not what I'm talking about. When I talk about living with a repentant heart, I'm talking about living in a way that acknowledges the wrongdoing, that acknowledges that there is sinfulness in us. If any man thinks he's without sin, he's a liar. If anyone says they don't have sin, he's a liar. All of us have areas in our lives where we could be more like Jesus. And the moment that we fail to recognize that, that's the moment we step into pride. That's the moment we allow compromise to continue. You see, legalism produces one of two results. When you think that salvation is dependent upon your works, it produces either pride or despair. Pride, because you think you're actually living perfect, or despair, because you don't think that you can ever be accepted by God because you can't be perfect. But when you recognize that you rely upon the righteousness of Christ, that that's what was imputed to you when you believed, then that produces a confidence that ultimately bears the fruit of righteousness and holiness. Yes, believers ought to live holy, But how are we to do that? We're to do that by wearing the righteousness of Christ and walking in repentance, correcting those things as we go. Some people leave things just lying around and then it becomes a big issue and it comes back to bite them later. Why do that? Why not address the issue when it's a small compromise? Now, technically there's no such thing as a small compromise. But why not just address this right now? Is there something in your area? Is there some area in your heart, I should say, that hasn't been addressed yet? Is there something in your heart? Is there something in your mind? Is there something in your habits? Is there something in your attitudes that needs to be addressed? Don't put it off, face it. This is what the Bible says in Luke 18:9-14. Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness. By the way, It was the Pharisees who had confidence in their own ability and their own righteousness. Luke 18:9, then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else. Verse 10, 2 men went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer, So here's the religious man praying. I thank you, God, that I am not like other people, cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I'm certainly not like that tax collector. I fast twice a week and I give you a 10th of my income. Verse 13, but the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner. I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. This is a lifestyle of repentance. Now we recognize in the New Testament, after the finished work of the cross, that we don't refer to ourselves as sinners anymore. We are saints. We are the saints of God in Christ Jesus, but we also must recognize the reality that there are areas of our hearts and minds that need to be worked on. And if we just try to sweep those areas under the rug and ignore them, if we just try to, as I said before, minimize those things, if we leave those areas of compromise and never once even attempt to fix them, we're walking on dangerous ground. Because that compromise becomes sin, that sin ultimately produces death, destruction, despair. You wanna please God? You wanna walk in a way that invites his favor? Then live like this man who prayed in Jesus's story. Live as the psalmist wrote, with that brokenness. And it's not, I'm not talking about brokenness in terms of disorder, 'cause sometimes when we think broken, we think, disorder and chaos. That's not what the scripture is talking about here. That brokenness is pliability. That brokenness is willingness. Really, it's the breaking of the will is what the scripture is describing here, to where that stubborn, hard-hearted, sinful will becomes pliable. It's broken, and then you pick up the will of God. That's the brokenness being described here. Again, not disorder. We don't celebrate disorder. We don't celebrate compromise. We don't celebrate sin. Amen. So we don't celebrate brokenness if that's how the term is being used. We celebrate brokenness if that word is being used to describe that pliability of the heart, that submissiveness to God, that recognition that we are helpless and that we need saving, that we need that sanctification, that sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. But this only comes As we walk in a way that addresses the compromise, that addresses the sin, that faces the reality of those flaws that we have within. And we don't say, Lord, I don't have a flaw, or I'm not dealing with that. But we say, Lord, I need to be more like you. Lord, here's an area in my life where I need to surrender to you. God's not gonna despise that. Sometimes we try to put up that front, right? Because we think that by being confident in our own works, that that's somehow pleasing to God. No, he despises that. The Lord, let me tell you something about the Lord. He despises religious thinking. He despises pride. He despises the stubborn heart. But he's pleased with those who recognize their need for God in these areas. Amen. So number 1, humility. Number 2, a repentant heart. If this is challenging you, let me know in the comment section and tell me what is challenging you the most about the message thus far. And also help us spread this message by simply leaving a like. Number 3, generosity and kindness. And again, I'm talking about living in a way that touches the heart of God, that invites the favor of God, that invites that, that grace to have effect in our everyday lives. In the book of Hebrews 13:16, the Bible says this, and do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. I wanna read that again. Let this settle in your spirit. Hebrews 13:16. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. The Lord is pleased when we share with others sacrificially. The Lord is pleased when we help those in need, not just being generous, by the way, with our resources, with food, but also being generous with your time, with your emotional energy. You know, it's very popular today to say, that you should conserve your emotional energy as much as is possible. Don't let anybody disturb your emotional balance. Don't let anybody disturb or inconvenience you or make you feel negative in any way. And just to be clear, I agree with the fundamental idea there. I do agree that you shouldn't allow people to take advantage of your kindness. You shouldn't allow people to completely drain you. In fact, I've taught about that. People who drain time, drain energy, drain resources, But we have to have balance in these things. We also have to recognize that there are times when helping others will be a sacrifice. Now, again, don't let people abuse that, and don't live in such a way where you can't continually give, because if you exhaust yourself to a point where you can't do any good, then that's no good to other people or yourself. But we must also recognize that to help someone sometimes is inconvenient. That to share with someone sometimes will mean that we have a little less, but ultimately God sees this. Ultimately God recognizes when you are sacrificial, when you are selfless. And this, as the scripture says, are pleasing to God. It is pleasing to God, I should say. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hear this now. Generosity is a demonstration of godliness. Generosity is a demonstration of godliness. Also kindness. Take, for example, the sins of Sodom. Now, this was something really interesting that I saw in scripture. I was reading this in the book of Genesis chapter 18, and something here stood out to me. Let's go to Genesis 18. I'm gonna read verses 20 and 21. Watch this. Then the Lord said, the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great that their sin is— that their sin and their sin so grievous, excuse me. The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know. Now I was looking at this and I said, Lord, what outcry? Obviously God sees all things. And here he takes on a human form or a physical form so that he can go down and see. And obviously there were certain limitations that he allowed to be on himself temporarily that he at any moment could have taken off those limitations. But you know, I was looking at this phrasing, this outcry, somebody is crying out against Sodom and Gomorrah. Somebody is crying out about the wickedness there. And I thought, what did he mean that there was an outcry? Now we know, of course, that the sexual sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were wicked. I mean, just read 1 Corinthians 6:9-12. It'll tell you very clearly a list of sins that are unacceptable, and people who participate in these sins will not inherit the kingdom of God. So the sexual sins of Sodom and Gomorrah Obviously very wicked. And that was part of the reason why they were destroyed, but it wasn't the full picture. So just so you don't hear what I'm not saying, let me be very clear. The sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, the sexual sins, were indeed sin and are indeed today still considered sin. And anyone who practices such sins will not inherit the kingdom of God, period. That's Bible. I may have offended some with that statement, but honestly, I'd rather offend you into heaven than comfort you into hell. I'd rather offend you with the truth than comfort you with a lie. So absolutely sin. Now, having taken that into consideration, we see that there was more to the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah than just sexual deviance. Because if you look at that verse right there that I just gave you in Genesis chapter 18, the outcry, the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Notice here that the language is very similar to Genesis 4:10, where the blood of Abel cries out from the ground against Cain. So when we look at what the scripture is describing here, what we are actually seeing is the outcry of those who are being sinned against by those of Sodom and Gomorrah. In other words, it was cruelty that was part of the reason why God destroyed these people. It had to do with the way they treated other people. I mean, look at what happened when the angels came to visit. The people tried to force themselves upon those beings and they did it violently. And so the outcry was in regards to the way that people were being treated. Yes, as I said, the sexual deviance, that was part of it. The greed, that was part of it, but it also had to do with the way that people were treated. It was the cruelty that angered the Lord. God is angered by cruelty. God is angered by abuse. God is angered when people are taken advantage of. God is angered by injustice. That is a fact of scripture. In fact, If we look at Ezekiel 16:49-50, help to add to the weight of what I'm saying, the Bible is saying here in Genesis 18. Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom, right here, very plainly. She and her daughters were arrogant, that's part of it, overfed, that's part of it, and right here, unconcerned. Unconcerned. They did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore, I did away with them, as you have seen. Look at what's listed here. And the scripture, again, through the prophet Ezekiel, is telling us very plainly why Sodom was destroyed. Arrogance, overindulgence, and being unconcerned with those in need. They did not help the poor and needy, the scripture says. So God looks at the way they ignored the needs of those who were desperate. Not only did they ignore the needs of those who were desperate, they were cruel to people. They took advantage of people. They abused people. They were violent against people. And that's what angered God. So this is something, and this would actually be quite a unique study if you just went, even just through the Old Testament and look at how God responds when people are cruel to one another, when they're violent, when they take advantage of one another, it angers him. Think about the fact that man was created in the image of God. There's something about mistreating our fellow man that angers the heart of God. There's something about taking advantage of people that angers the heart of God. There's something about ignoring those in need. And I'm not saying you have to, you know, sacrifice the stability of your home and your marriage and your relationship with your kids in order to help everyone around you. No, of course you use wisdom. And perhaps I can do another message another time on the balance between generosity and also taking care of your responsibilities. But at some point, there's gonna be some sacrifice involved when helping others. At some point, there's gonna be a consumption of time. There's gonna be a consumption of energy. Again, that's why I don't completely buy this, I guess it's a psychological angle that people are playing when it comes to what I see on social media. People are constantly talking about, you know, protecting your own energy, protecting your own. And some of that's even, you know, New Age in the first place. But, you know, this idea, this self-care, it's taken to an extreme today, I think. We have to be there for others. And when you consider the needy, when you consider the desperate, when you help those who cannot be of help to you, that pleases the Lord. I'm telling you, it touches the heart of God. Why do you think the scripture says, that the only religion that God accepts is if you take care of the orphans and the widows, because those are the most vulnerable among us. Jesus said, just as you've done it unto the least of these, you've done it unto me. God very much cares for the least of these. God very much cares for those who need help. And again, this doesn't mean I'm gonna empty my bank account, starve my wife and daughter to help everyone I ever come into contact with. There's balance to be had, there's wisdom to be had. And I would be judged harshly if I don't take care of my first ministry, which is my wife and my daughter, my family. But there's something that is so deeply touched in the heart of God when we treat others with kindness or with cruelty. You treat them with kindness, he's greatly pleased. You treat them with cruelty, there's a fire in him. Our God is a consuming fire. You mistreat people, you are cruel to people, you take advantage of people, there's a fire in God's heart, all-consuming, and he turns his face against you. Now that's Bible. Mark 12:30-31, love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this, love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. So what does Jesus tell us to do? What does he say summarizes the whole of the Law and the Prophets? He says, look, you love God with all that you are, and then you love your neighbor as yourself. That's how important that is, to take care of others, to treat others with generosity and kindness. You do that, It touches the heart of God. So number 1, humility. Number 2, a repentant heart. Number 3, generosity and kindness. I'll give you 4 and 5 here. Number 4, faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, but without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Amen. Childlike faith. You know, my daughter at the time of me doing this livestream is 4 years old. She'll be 5 soon. And the way that she trusts her mother and I, the way that she trusts Jess, the way that she trusts me, there's an innocence to that. Asks for pizza, which she often does, and Uncle Steve will tell you that. If she asks for a pizza, the moment I say, "Okay, we'll get you a pizza." I don't know what it is; she just—it's her favorite meal. When she asks for that pizza and I say, "Okay, we'll order it," and she has a very specific place she likes to order from, and it's a whole very specific order that she she has for four years old. She's very particular, and so I'll order it and. Obviously it comes to the house and she's so happy, but I'll notice that she starts rejoicing even before it arrives. Or if there's a specific toy that she's been eyeing, she'll show me pictures of it. She'll constantly talk about it. Dad, can I please have this? Dad, will you please buy me this? Dad, I really want this. And, you know, sometimes if we think it's right, we'll get it for her. I try not to overdo it. We wanna make sure she understands the meaning of no, and she understands boundaries. She understands that you can't always get what you want, but there are times when we will say yes. And the toy doesn't even have to be there. The toy doesn't have to be in her hands. I don't even have to place the order right away. Just by me saying, okay, I'll get it for you. Immediately, she's jumping up and down. She's rejoicing as if she already has it. Faith. is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. There's something in the heart of God that's touched when we totally believe Him. I'll never forget one time when the Holy Spirit had to correct me. He rebuked me. The Holy Spirit does that often. And you have to listen for those corrections because they're very helpful. I remember there was a time in our ministry when we were believing for resources to come in, and I was getting a little stressed out. And this was several years ago. And since then, the Lord's really worked on my heart in this area where whenever there's a need, I just, I even, my staff will even tell you, I just say, the Lord's gonna take care of it. Need's gonna come in. Don't even worry about it. God's gonna take care of it. Because I know I've seen him do it too many times to worry ever again. But on this particular instance, I was worried. I was nervous, I should say. A little uneasy about it. And the Holy Spirit spoke to me, he says, I'm gonna take care of the need. I said, okay, thank you, Holy Spirit. And I received that word, but I was still a little bit nervous. I was still looking for the resources to come in. And then a gentleman came and said, hey, the Lord led me to write a check to your ministry. He wrote a check to our ministry and he gave me the check and I saw the check. It was the amount that we needed. It was exactly what we needed. And as soon as I had the check in my hand, ah, relief flooded my being. And the Holy Spirit had to correct me. He said, why is it that you trust the signature of a man more than you trust my voice? And I knew what he meant. He was basically asking me, why are you so relieved when a man promises to meet the need? But you were still nervous, even though I promised to meet the need. Because I was lacking in faith, I'm just gonna admit it. And the Lord has to constantly help me to grow my faith, to stretch my faith, to test my faith. You know, Jesus only marveled at 2 things. In Mark 6:5-6, we see that he marveled at the unbelief of those he was trying to minister to. And then he marvels at faith in Matthew 8:10. It's the only thing Jesus marveled at, their unbelief, and then their faith. 'Cause that's what moves God's heart. Without faith, it's impossible to please Him. We must learn to have childlike reliance upon Him, to where when He speaks, relief floods the soul. When He speaks, we're at peace. When He speaks, we count it as done because it is. And we have to learn to get to that place where we can trust Him with that childlike faith. Think about how Peter came out of the boat, walking upon the water when Jesus called him. He says, if it's really You, You give the word and I'll get out of this boat. So Peter wasn't really walking on the water, he was walking on the word. He was walking on a word that Jesus had spoken. And that faith, when it meets the word, it holds up. When the promises of God, are met with the faith of men and women, miracles are born. When the promises of God are met with the faith of men and women, miracles are born. So that's number 4, faith. You live with that childlikeness. Lord, I believe it. I don't see how it's going to happen. I can't imagine the way it's going to come about. In my mind, I cannot conceive of how this is going to play out and work in my favor. But I know what you said, Lord. I know who you are, Lord. And I know what your power is capable of doing, Lord. And based upon who you are and based upon what you can do and based upon the character behind your promises, I believe. And I'm gonna allow faith, not fear, to flood my being. We look at situations and we think, Not possible. And then sometimes we look at situations and we try to assess those situations according to our ability, according to our power, according to our thinking. And in that way, we limit our faith because we can't see the bigger picture. We're not allowing ourselves to see it from God's perspective. Do you think God is surprised by your trial? Do you think your tragedy caught God off guard? Do you think the circumstances that you're facing are causing God to scramble and put a plan together? Of course not. And so let us approach God with faith. Let us be childlike in our considerations of his power, in our considerations of his promises. And let us be totally convinced that he is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or even imagine, According to the power that worketh in us. He is able. You wanna live in a way that invites the favor of God? Live by faith. It's a great adventure. Sometimes you'll be nervous, but it's a great adventure. And when you live by faith, that's when you begin to see God moving in your life. When you take steps of faith, you walk in the realms of the supernatural. When you take steps of faith, you walk in the realms of the supernatural. Finally, number 5, praise. This is something that touches God's heart. We see it right here in Psalm 69:30. I will praise the name of God with song and magnify him with thanksgiving. And it will please the Lord better than an ox or a young bull with horns and hooves. Again, that's Psalm 69:30. We must come back to the place where we are just obsessed with Him, to where we just begin to overflow with praise and adoration. Sometimes we're so consumed by our circumstances. Sometimes we're so within our own minds. You know, we retreat within our emotions. We retreat within our minds that we become consumed by those things. And we forget who God is. We forget what he's done. We forget how he's come through for us time and time again. You have breath. You have life. He's given you time and resources and connections. Even if the circumstances aren't what you want them to be, even if you're not living in what you consider to be perfectly ideal circumstances, Isn't God still worthy of praise? And does this not please Him? Doesn't our praise please Him more than a burnt offering, than a sacrifice? Then it's time to replace complaint with praise. When we praise instead of complaining, we invite the favor of God. Think about it. What really is discontentment? It's greed. It's the thought that we deserve more, that we want more, we're obsessed with more, and we're upset Or we're depressed, or we're worried if we don't have the more that we think we should have. That's greed. So if greed displeases Him, then gratitude pleases Him. If greed displeases Him, then gratitude pleases Him. Turn complaint into praise. Instead of saying, Lord, why don't I have this? Or when are You going to do that? Say, Lord, thank you for who you are. I praise you for who you are. I praise you for what you've done. I praise you for blessing me. I thank you for all that I have. Hebrews 13:5, be content with such things as ye have, for he hath said, I'll never leave thee nor forsake thee. Is not the presence of God not enough to praise him? Is not the presence of God enough to praise him? Then praise him. Worship him, magnify him, turn complaint into praise. Number 1, humility. 2, a repentant heart. 3, generosity and kindness. 4, faith. 5, praise. This is how you touch the heart of God. This is how you please him.