Pastor West: [00:00:01] Is he a great God? Is he a mighty God? Everybody take your Bible while you're staying up for just a moment. Everybody say, this is my Bible. We're going to try that again. Are we being followed by the camera? Let's see if you can keep up. Everybody say this is my Bible. I am who it says I am. I have what it says I have. I have what it says. I can do what it says I can do. Today I'll be taught the Word of God. Today I boldly confess my mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I'm just about. I'm just. Just about to receive the incorruptible, incorruptible, indestructible, indestructible, ever living seed of the Word of God. Therefore, I'll never be the same. Oh, say it with some spunk, my God. I'll never be the same. I'll never be the same. In Jesus name, Jesus name. Amen. You look good. Sound good? You may be seated. Well, praise God, God is good. Glad that you're here this morning. And everything's changed all around us and still continue to change. We'll have you another. Uh uh, this will be working next week. I destroyed that myself. I became a painter, a painter, a stainer, a, uh, electrician. Stay away from electricity. If you don't know what you're doing, stay far away from it. And we had to move certain things, and I pulled and I pulled and I said, this hung up and I moved it.
Pastor West: [00:01:39] And when you move, when you move it, when you move it real easy, you knew you disconnected it somewhere else. But anyway, it's all good. So we're glad that you're here this morning. Uh, if you're joining us live this morning, or if you're not. If you're not live, then we believe raising the dead. However you're watching or if you're listening, in another time, we're going to talk about the grace of God this morning. Oh, come on somebody. Ed Dufresne said, I wished I had a friend in this place. I wished I had a good friend in this place. But we're going to talk about the grace of God. And if you want to, Tyler, we're going to call it grace, God's power to change. You know, there's something everyone wants to change in their life. We all have something we want to change. A lot of times they're externals. Uh, not always, but a lot of times, externals. People want to do this. They want to change their life in this capacity. You know, some people want to lose weight. I mean, there might even be some people who want to gain weight, but I wish there was a way to transfer that, you know, just get someone who's just real, what they call skinny as a goat. And if you could just lay hands on them, I'd do that for 3 or 4 weeks. I said, that's awesome.
Pastor West: [00:02:47] Anyway. And, uh, if it works, vice versa. But anyway, people are looking to change all kinds of things. But the problem is we're trying to make a lot of changes, but we make it. We make changes in our natural thinking and our natural ability. We try to do things in our strength, and there's some things that we can do. There's some natural things that we can do, but they're not always long term, and they don't always reap lasting results. But we want to change things in our life because I don't know about you, but I think I do. We want what this book says. We want to have this life and live this life and be a testimony to others of who this Bible says that we already are in him. Amen. So you can't this is a spiritual thing. See, you can't always say it this way. You. If it's a spiritual problem, you can't fix that with with a natural fleshy tools. But you can't you can't pick up a pipe wrench, you can't pick up a crescent wrench, you can't pick up a a socket set and then fix something spiritual with it. No, you have to you have to do spiritual. Spiritual. And so we're going to go we're going to look at a few things this morning. Uh, we'll just take our time pick up next time we're together. Uh, not in a hurry. I'm actually, uh, slowing down.
Pastor West: [00:04:02] Uh, someone said, well, you ain't preached all month. I'm glad that you noticed. But, you know, I have a few thousand times through the years. And so I did that by by the by the unction of the Holy Ghost. He didn't even tell me why. I asked him why he said nothing. So I know how that works. I think it's because I had no idea I should have. I had no idea I would be a general contractor for a month, which I am not good at, and I do not like it. So anyway, uh, grace the power to change. I want to I want to start by a quote by Max. Uh, I don't know if it's called cause it pronounces it Lucado. Lucado. How we pronounce his name, but, uh, he has, you know, he's an author of several books. And on one, one of his books on on grace, he said, grace, grace is God as a heart surgeon. Cracking open your chest, removing your heart, pausing with pride in pain, and then replacing it with his own. Rather than tell you to change, he creates the change. Do you clean up so he can accept you? No, he accepts you. And then he begins cleaning you up. His dream isn't just to get you into heaven, but to get heaven into you. Isn't that good? Grace is more than we deserved. And grace is greater than you ever imagined.
Pastor West: [00:05:33] You know, traditionally through the years when we thought of grace, we would say, well, grace is the unmerited favor of God. Well, that'd be true. Um, in one sense, uh, when we all came to God, we were all sinners by nature. So. It was not merited. It was the unmerited favor of God. But that really doesn't tell you what grace is. That tells you what grace does or did for us. It tells us that we're free now because of grace, right? Amen. But what is grace? Well, grace is God's ability. Say it with me. Say God's ability. God's grace is God's ability. Doing what? Working in us to do what's impossible for you and I to do. I mean, literally impossible on our own ability. Your own might and your strength. I know we know this, and we've heard this before, but do we actually live it this way? Because this is how this is how this word works. And we're going to look at a few scriptures this morning. Now Jesus came, the Bible says to give us life. He came to give us the abundant life. Um. And when I say abundant life, I don't mean in the sense of possessions or wealth for the purpose of, you know, changing our life on a monetary sense. God's not against you being blessed. You know, it depends on what you can handle. Money is just neutral, isn't it? Money doesn't have a personality, but it gets in the hands of the individual.
Pastor West: [00:07:06] It takes on that person's thoughts, that person's personality. It takes on the goals and the passions of that person. So money's not either good nor evil. It's just a tool. That's all that it is. This this morning, you can see what someone who has the heart to do and to be a blessing to give what you can turn around. 85 days ago, I had a word from God, and 85 days ago, February the 3rd, I had a word from God back there during, uh, pre-service prayer and the Lord spoke to me some things very definite. I knew what was going on in the room, but it was just crystal clear, as if I was the only one in the room. And I went into my office and I wrote down what he said back in prayer. And and I won't go through that this morning, but 85 days later and multiplied thousands of dollars, changes begin to take place in a in a facility which is part of God's plan was he wants to do all over the world through people just like you and I. Amen. And so it's very important that we are working with God and in these matters. But Jesus came to give us life. That life, as you know, is the life or the the Zoe life of God. That's what the word life means.
Pastor West: [00:08:18] When you look it up in the Strong's, it's the number. I don't know why I give all this, but the number two, two, two, two. That's not hard to remember. 22 double. And it means the it means Zoe life. It means life is God know it. Life is God has it. He came to give you that life. So some people say, well, he came to give us an abundant life, you know, prosperous and all that. I'm not disagreeing with you, but that's not really what the Scripture is saying. He came to give you his life. He said. In that life in abundance, he came to give you part of what makes God. God is called Zoe. His nature, his ability, his essence is the life of God. So he he came and brought that to you, the part of him that makes God God. In that sense, he put a measure of that in your spirit when you were born again. Now this new life that he came to give us, it's not just a ticket to heaven. It's not what it is. It's a new nature. Amen. And it was created instantly in your spirits when you were born again. Just that fast. We say sometimes when people got saved and they turned over a new leaf. There's no leaf's involved in that. There's no leaf. Scripture. No, there was a death and then there was a birth. You had to die first.
Pastor West: [00:09:37] Best thing you ever happened to you when you die. They say, oh, death is terrible. Not always. The you know, we don't think of it in this sense, but we say, but the little side journey says, the Scripture says, because God has a different perspective than we do. This is beautiful. Are those who to the Lord who die, but that are in him. So you really. Death is not an end. It's just a brand new beginning. It is a separation from this life here, which is the most temporary thing that you are ever going to do. How many know that you won't? You won't begin your eternal life when you get to heaven. You begin your eternal life always. He was always in God. He just sort of reached in and pulled you out, sent you down to earth when he chose. Well, you could have been down. You could have been a cowboy. Or in India, you could have been Squanto or Ponto. I don't know, but but you are. You are who you are. And when I'm just. Thank God he put me here when there was air conditioning. Oh. Thank you. Jesus. Come on. Thank God. When there was air conditioning. Praise God. And so we had this new life. And it's. But it's not once again, not not just a ticket to get to heaven. It's a new nature. Old things. What passed away? What was the old things he talked about? You say, well, that was that.
Pastor West: [00:11:05] And that cussing and hollering and screaming and biting and chewing. Backy. No, that's not that's not what he was talking about. I mean, it's good that that passes away. Let me share that with you, neighbor. You know, say when you spit tobacco and I'm driving behind you. He said, put it in the cup because it's all over my windshield. Let that pass away too. Well, that's not what he was talking about. He's talking about your spirits being made brand new. You are a brand new species of being that has never existed before. No one like you whatsoever. God gave us these two paws. Well, we call them hands. And you are so special that we all have a different fingerprint that could identify you from anyone on the planet. With over 7 billion people on the planet, there's not one who has the same mark as you do. That just gives you a little insight into the uniqueness of how God sees you. How does he have these many billions of patterns that you, if you want to call it a pattern of fingerprints that would identify you from anywhere else on the planet, that's just amazing. But we can't change ourselves. How many know? How many? You know, I want to ask you this. I know you haven't tried, but how many know someone who tried to change himself? I know y'all haven't done that like me.
Pastor West: [00:12:30] I admit I tried that sometime, but you can't do that. Oh, we can go for a few days or a few weeks. Some of you are real strong. You know, you got real power. But then the last two L's fall off the wheel, and then you just, you know, there's just a wee little thing. Jeremiah, we won't turn there. But Jeremiah 1323 says, can the Ethiopian change his skin? You ever seen anyone do that? Now we're living. I don't know. We're in a generation. All kind of things are changing. You can change your name. You can change all kind of stuff. You can have parts moved and some put on and some taken out. I mean, whatever, you know, but it doesn't change who you are. You know, you can change your look on the outside. You can change your plumbing if you want to, but God still knows who you are inside that mess. Amen. Amen. Sorry about calling the mess, but it is. Anyway, so can the Ethiopian change his skin? It says, can the leopard change his spots? Then may you also do good that you are accustomed to do evil. See, all mankind in this life was born with a sin nature just the way it is. We don't like to think of it this way, but if you go into the nursery, I mean, there's there's there's kids and babies underneath the age of five.
Pastor West: [00:13:52] Well, they're just wonderful, precious gifts from God. I should have got at least one a man, especially from if you're a parent of one of them. Amen. You're just enjoying this hour separation, aren't you? Okay. Well, but you know, I know we don't like to think about it this way, but every child in the nursery has not been born again. They still have a sin nature in them. You know that, because there's some also some new toys this week in the nursery and when they discover it. You got that? Uh, what do you call it? Uh, pulling back and forth with a rope. Tug of war. Thank you. We may have some tug of war going on in the nursery. And those little fellas, they will express themselves. Through the years, we've had slaps across the face. We've had little ones bite. Other ones, you know, on the ear or whatever their fingers. Because that's my toy. I got it first. Well, that tells you right there there's a sin nature. I mean, have you ever seen a child throw a tantrum? We did that around our house. Well, we did it once and that was all over. My mother had the cure to it. She'd read a book or two. Actually. She didn't. She just had a bunch of hickory switches around the house and she could change us from her backside. Well, so we know that we were born with a sin nature, so we had to be born again.
Pastor West: [00:15:19] How many know? I'm a. No amount of good works can change your nature. You can't. No, I don't care what works that you try to do. You can't change your nature by works, if you will. I want you to go with me to John chapter one. I could read it. I could usually do, but I want you to see it. John. Chapter one. And we're going to read some verses here. Um, I think I'm in the King James. John one one. Then we'll go to verse 14, 16 and 17. John one says in the beginning. Was what? Was the word. And the word was with what was with God, and the word was God. So we know how this thing got a beginning. We know from where it came. It wasn't a big bang. I mean, I don't even have faith to believe in something like that. I don't have enough faith to be an atheist. I lack faith to be one. A huge explosion took place in all this just fell in place. Well, you know, could you imagine taking your house or a mobile home to the Grand Canyon? And they hurl it off and it goes thousands of feet down, and all the plates were right back in the cabinet. Everything be in place. Toothbrush be in the holder, your woman, your jewelry and all your shoes.
Pastor West: [00:16:44] You know, I think you got mad. She'll be right there where you got it. Do you have that much faith? I don't either, I'm just going to admit I don't have that kind of faith. It's easy for me to believe that there's a God than you or me or your brother in law made all this. I just can't believe it. Well, verse 14 said the word. Now who's the word? I said, who's the word? He has a name, right? He was made flesh. And then he dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the father. And he was what he was. Grace and truth. But how much did he have? Oh, he was full. Kirsten said he's full of it. You ever heard? Ever. I'm going to tell you that, y'all. You just full of it. Well that's scriptural. You're supposed to be full of it. Anyone ever tells you that you're just a put on. Well, you just tell them I'm obeying the scripture. Ephesians. Tell them to put on the new man. Colossians says, put off the old man and put on the new man. You're supposed to be a put on. Amen. You thought you were just acting. Now you're just living your best life right now. Amen. Now look at verse 16. And of his fullness have we all received. And grace for grace. Verse 17, for the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus.
Pastor West: [00:18:11] Oh, we're going to go in just a moment. If you got Christian to verse 16 and the amplified classic. Uh, will be there in just a moment. But it says of his fullness we receive grace for grace. Now the law was handed down, actually, through a meteor, through an angel to Moses. So the Lord and Jesus came. Contrary to maybe someone's thinking that Jesus didn't come and preach grace. He preached the covenant that would come, but he came as an Old Testament prophet of the law. Why? Because he came to fulfill the law that we couldn't fulfill in us. So we can see in the book of John Insight, where he talks about certain things that is to come concerning the covenant that you and I live in. But he did live in that covenant. He didn't preach in that covenant. He wasn't surrounded by people that lived like you are. You and I have. All your life, you've been living in the dispensation of grace due to ignorance and and which just means not knowing. I didn't say stupid. I just said not knowing. There are some things that we just don't know. Well, if if I was in the room and Zach was in the room and you wanted to ask him a question about mechanical engineering. Zach's a little bit younger than I am.
Pastor West: [00:19:34] I remember the day he was born. Yeah I do. I mean, the day that he was born. But if he was out in the room, who would you address your question to concerning mechanical engineering? You say? Well, you know, now, Pastor West, he's you know, he's 40 now, he's over 40. And you'd be right, I am I'm just right over 40. Just just right over there. But it would be a short conversation. Well, just just about any kind of engineering, right? Just just don't have any knowledge in that area. And so grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The law was truth. See, the law is good because it's God's standard of righteousness. The problem was that no man had the ability with himself to keep that law. We think as well. Now, grace come. And he fulfilled the law and we finally got that thing off of us. No, it's still the character of God. So Jesus came and he didn't make things better. He actually doubled up on the law. Why? To show you that. I mean, there were some people who thought that, you know, that we're still going to try to keep the law, but you couldn't keep it. No man ever kept the law. The law? The law showed you God's righteousness. But once again, it had no you had no ability. Mankind had no ability to to take that law. The law never changed anyone. The law didn't build up.
Pastor West: [00:21:16] It tore down. Because it showed you what you really wasn't, who you weren't, what you couldn't do. Jesus said, you've you've heard it said, this way, if any man does this and has an adultery or commits adultery, you know this is that sin for doing such and such a thing, he said. But I tell you this, he said, if a man just looks at a woman and thinks that way, he he's an adulterer. Well, I wouldn't ask no one to raise their hand this morning. But they wouldn't be many people left on the earth. Huh? So he went. He didn't go just to the physical action. Jesus went to thoughts on the inside, the evil imagination of the heart and of the flesh to meet a physical desire. And he suggested it's even wrong in your thoughts. So we see that no, no person was going to keep the law. But now notice the law came through Moses. But grace and truth. Grace and truth. What does that mean? Grace is God's ability once again to do for you what you can't do for yourself. So Jesus came bringing the truth, but then he also now brought grace, the ability to live it. Amen. Moses didn't bring grace. He just brought law truth. But you had no ability to keep it. Jesus said, I'm going to bring I'm going to bring the empowerment to walk this out. Amen.
Pastor West: [00:23:06] Well. That's good. That was worth coming for right there. Not that we're through, but, I mean, I'm saying it was worth coming for. Jesus came and he was abounding in grace. He was and all that he did. We need to remember that Jesus did it as a man. You say, well, he's the Son of God. Well, you'd be correct. He was God and he was man. But on the earth he did everything as a man anointed of the Holy Spirit. Why is that important? Because now you need to know how you're going to do it. A man or a woman of God, but anointed of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The Bible says for all eternity Jesus will be known as the the the man Christ Jesus. Not just the God Christ Jesus, but the man Christ Jesus. The physical scars, the beating that he took. He took as a man, as a person, as an individual. And so that's why he said he's easily moved by the feeling of your infirmities. He can easily identify with your feelings and your emotions and what it feels like. He knows what loss is about. He knows all about grief. You can't tell something Jesus about grief that he doesn't know about, but he knows the way out of it. See, it's okay to feel grief because of loss, but it ain't okay to keep it, because then you're going to get into the spirit of it.
Pastor West: [00:24:25] And that's where the enemy gets in there. And he says, you, you can't go forward without this person. Who told you that. No. You can't go in life without Jesus. Come on, Frank, we'll see you in a few years. Or a few months or a day or two. Right. I mean, if you live, if you live to be 120 in God's sight, you ain't lived 12 minutes. Anybody here want to live to 120? It's not my goal. I mean, I could change my mind. I just, like I don't know why. I don't want to do that. I was asking glory a couple one time by Brother Copeland that God dealt with him about that. And I won't get into all that and about being 120 as an example. And she was on TV with her, with George. I guess that'd be what, a son in law. And he said, well, you know, Brother Copeland, you know, living to 120. And she said, yeah, that's what he said. He said, well, so he's his goal was to be 120. She said, yep, I guess that's what he's going to do. She didn't say nothing about hanging around with him. She said if that's what he's got, he's supposed to go do. Wants to go do. Baby, I'll see you when you get on the other side. Amen. Well, you know, until you're satisfied. That's what the Scripture says, doesn't it? Amen.
Pastor West: [00:25:51] People say, well, was there time? Well, you ain't got a scripture for that. No, you ain't got no scripture for it. Was there a time? Not. Not in the New Covenant. You don't. You say? Well, no, the Bible says there's. There's the point he wants for man and time to time to die. There's the appointment. He didn't tell you when the appointment was? I mean, there's so much in this world when you study it, old Covenant and New Covenant, you study. You can see all kind of variables that if people live their life a certain way. In other words, it started off with children. Children, if you'll honor and obey your parents, you could have a long life. Yeah, well. And thus God is going to call you out at 31. No, that's not in the Scripture. There's all kinds of things that we can see about how we choose to love one another and live this word as we're intended to live it, that can add or subtract your life, your prosperity, your increase just by the choices that you make. Well, so Jesus did everything he did as a man full of grace. He is your example. Well, if Jesus did things full of grace, how are you going to live life? Full of grace. Not full of will power, but full of grace. He is your example. You might say, well, that's great for Jesus that he was able to do all that.
Pastor West: [00:27:20] Because. But that was Jesus. No member of his fullness have you received? So we just thought, well, that's Jesus, Son of God. He was able to do everything as a man full of grace. Well, he's your example. How he lived above sin. Well, God knows, you know, we're all going to sin and we're just all sinners. Until when? Well, I mean, we're just all sinners now. You was a sinner, right? But then you got saved, right? You died, and you became a new species of being, not a new species of a sinner. Right? Now drop that tag somewhere else and don't ever pick it up again. Amen. This thing really followed me around. Good. I'm gonna make you earn its keep. Because it cost plenty. If I go there, I want you to go there. I'll be checking you when I get home. Praise the Lord. I mean, that little computer and that and the software running. We're talking about $12,000, so I want it working. Now. Go with me to Romans chapter 11. Verse six. Brother Ella. He just so glad he ain't got his arm having to follow me around the room. He don't hardly know what to do himself. Of course, he's still going to take a nap this afternoon because he's up here about eight hours putting everything back together. Thank you. Elliot. You just walk into a building like it all fell into place by itself.
Pastor West: [00:28:57] You feel all right? Okay. Now remember. Remember this, that of his fulness. Have you all received grace for grace? Do we never read the amplified classic, do we? You have it right there. Let's look at it real quick. I want them to see the. Jesus name I command. There it is. See? It's that prayer I've been doing for out of his fullness abundance. Have we all received? And have a share, and we were all supplied with one grace after another. Spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor and gift heaped. You'll see that heap with me. Heap almost like hiccupping. Come on. Heap. Not just a gift, but. But gift. You know, like they're going to huff the ball 24/3 it up. We just say grace. Favor spiritual blessing. Heap. You got to do what I got to do to keep you awake. Gift heaped upon. Gift heaped upon gift. You know, Pastor Matt was talking about. The blessed of the Lord. We. We've been made rich. He's given us the power to get well. I mean. Well, someone says, well, we're going to bring some stuff over to you, you know. You know he's talking about Matt was talking about this ounce of silver. But one of the Lord changes the variable that it's not just announced. He said, well, we just start there. But he said, let's just go ahead and let's stack it up. He said, let's heap it.
Pastor West: [00:30:52] How many don't want mind having a being blessed? Yeah. Well, that's about a third of you. Okay. Well, the rest of y'all want. But how can you be okay if the Lord heaps it? Amen. The Lord heap it, Lord, heap it. Amen. Well, Romans chapter 11, verse 16. I'll go there. See, Jesus didn't come here to start a religion. He didn't come here with laws and rules and regulations or it had that. He came to fulfill the law. Jesus was the man full of grace. Remember grace and truth. Grace is not really a doctrine. It's not really a creed. We teach grace. We're doing that right now. But we have to really remember the whole time we're doing this that grace is not a doctrine. Grace is a person. Grace and truth came by. Jesus. The law came by Moses, but grace came in a person. The Holy Spirit is called the spirit of Grace. So when we're talking about living and enjoying and working in the spirit or in grace, we're talking about the person. We're talking about the Holy Spirit of grace. We're all gracious, being made available to you so that when you can't go forward in your own ability to do things, don't even try. Say, well, I'm going to have to push a little harder. No, don't stop the pushing. Someone wrote a book, and if you had this and you like it and then just forget what I'm telling you, but, well, you can listen.
Pastor West: [00:32:38] And I haven't read the book, so this is not fair. Uh. Fair play. But you go to Christian bookstores and sometimes you run. You wonder where you know what's wrong in the church. It's. It's whoever's book just came out. You know, I tell you, it's just the truth. And there's. And I have read the book, so I'm sure there's good things in there. I'm sure there is. But I don't even like the title. I picked up and read a little bit and said I wouldn't. I wouldn't spend $4 on that. Well, the truth is, I wouldn't spend a quarter. It talked about praying, talked about pushing. And, you know, Push was an acronym for I don't even remember what it was. But in other words, it was like, you got to press through, you got to push through. And what I'm trying to get people to do is stop and rest, which I'll get to in just a moment. So we've already been pushing. When a woman is delivered a child, she hears the word push. All right, baby, just one more. One more. Big push. Well, I've been wrestling with this thing for nine months now. Not me, I mean. I mean, I told somebody who asked me, she said, do y'all have kids? And I said, oh, yeah, we had four. And Michelle said, which one do you have? I said, well, I was there.
Pastor West: [00:33:48] I mean, so we got the hospital. You got to lay down, hold down, I stand up. Come on. You may not understand what I'm saying. How many y'all men stood up the whole time while your children and your wife got to lay down? I mean, where's our love? I could tell I'm not winning any favor. I better move on real quick. Romans 11 six I guess in the King James. And it says, and if by grace then it is no more of works. Amen. Humvee will bleed the Bible if you're if we if we read it from the Bible. So if this thing that we're doing is by grace, then it can't be no more of works. Otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be a works, then it is no more of grace. Otherwise, work is no more work. We're going to read that one more time. Be sure you say, well, I'm living by grace. Okay, then. Let's see. Well, then, if you live by grace, then it's no more of your works. What you're adding into it? Jesus plus you equals what the book says. There's a book called Jesus plus you equals nothing. But Jesus minus you equals everything. See he did this for you in your place, then made it available to you. But if it be of works. So we're if we're going to work it out.
Pastor West: [00:35:19] Then he says, well, then just take grace out of it, because otherwise work is no more work. I wrote down this last night. After I read that verse, here's why I heard it and I wrote it this way to help you. God will not help me be the source. To fix my problems or change myself. If God is your source, why would he help me be the source? I mean, if God is the source of all your needs, do you think he's actually going to help you be him and take his place? That's good. So we're in a covenant of grace. Someone say covenant? Throughout centuries, people have made covenant well. What is a covenant? Well, in the most simplest sense, it's just two parties coming together. They bring their their strengths and their weaknesses. They help one another. They use each other's resources. And they make covenant together. It's generally with the shedding of blood, which is the binding covenant that goes from generation to generation to generation. In other words, if you hurt someone on this side, they'll hunt you down to your 14th kill and take all of them out. Well, that's not how we're going to preach this thing, but I'm just saying that's what the covenant was. Just just do some study covenant, like, you know, uh, like these old feuds that, you know, sometimes you see them, they had some on the Andy Griffith, you know, and all these different views and, and when you get down to about 3 or 4 generations, they don't even know why.
Pastor West: [00:36:56] You know, why. The who? Some of the families. The darlings, but I'm talking about some of these old feuds that you used to watch on TV. Whoo! Yeah. You go down 3 or 4 generations. They don't. These kids, this third generation, they don't even know why they hate you. But they know they got to kill you because mama said it, and daddy said it. Grand daddy said it. Great. Grand daddy, we hated you. We hate you. Why? I don't know. Because we have to. See people are living what I think they're living by grace, but they're living by works or they're there. Most times. It's not just that most people aren't living just by works. They live by some grace and some works. It's called it's called a cocktail that they mixed up. That's why they look like Thursdays anyway. But they staggered out of the bar after four days, and they smell that way because they live life in a cocktail. A little bit of grace, a little bit of works, a little bit of grace. A little bit of works. And they mix it together. They say, well, God, we need your help. And then, oh, I used to do it myself all the time. I used to say, if it's to be, it's up to me. I remember saying, that was young.
Pastor West: [00:38:14] In other words, I just had a personality that if God needs something done, he can count on me. I'm going to get it. I'm going to get it done. I'm going to get it done. I got these wires all hung up in here around the other wires. And I was trying to pull this, and and I was trying to go easy. And I pulled a little bit. And that's why that projector ain't working. But I can tell you one thing. I mean, I fell off the ladder because I pulled, but I moved that wire. Of course, projector don't work no more, but. My personality will get it done. Oh, I'm older than I used to be. And I can't do all those things I used to do. But my personality ain't changed in that regard. I mean, you just know. And you're like, pulling. It won't go on. And all of a sudden you got all kinds of slack. That means it turned loose from somewhere else. Back to Amazon. Here we go. So we have to embrace the Covenant Foundation on which the Kingdom of God operates. How does it operate? See, this is your covenant. This is your life. The Bible says you're not just an heir, but you're a joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Now what is in there? Someone. Who? Has, is or will has left the world has made maybe a friend or relative a child heir, right? To their estate.
Pastor West: [00:39:52] And then they become an air. Well, for those of you who are married, maybe. Maybe you have a checking account or a savings account. Some men don't even know where it's at, but I'm going to say make you feel good that you got one. I mean, you say, well, I think we got one of those things. Yeah, yeah, yeah. One day she might let you see the checkbook. I don't know, just ask. Real nice. But anyway, just kidding. But that means if there's $5 in the bank or 5000 or 5 million and you're both on the account, that's called what? Joint heirs. Oh, I've counseled many people through the years, and it's money is the big thing. You know, there's her account, my account, her account, their account, his account, whatever. Well, when you do all that, then you start separating the life like that. Then you separate the covenant of the marriage after a while. Because. Because you think yours and mine, his and theirs. Mostly mine. All yours, mostly mine. You know. In other words, supper's on the stove. Don't ask no more questions, okay? Well, no, but we're joint heirs with Christ. So the question would be, what does Christ have? Because you're joint heirs to it. So it's through his blood and atoning sacrifice that we, by grace and faith in Jesus, we embrace his power. Grace is the power of God.
Pastor West: [00:41:18] It's because we're in covenant with him that we have his might. In his ability. Am I just preaching or am I telling the truth? I'm telling you what you have according to this word. So since we have this covenant, then why don't we step out of the flesh, the human mind and the senses? Or intellect of ability. If we embrace the covenant of grace through the person of Jesus. Then we can step out of defeat into everything that Jesus obtained for you. How many got five minutes? Amen. So because of God's great love for you, he offers his love and his resources freely, but he does not offer it on the basis of your performance. Now Galatians two says that you can actually frustrate grace and you can also fall from grace. Now, I heard that phrase a lot growing up, falling from grace, and I just assumed that meant that you lost. Your salvation has nothing to do with that, has nothing to do with you losing your salvation. You know, I grew up, you know, kind of in. Well. I'll leave. I grew up in church. I grew up in religion. We saved and wasn't saved, lost, saved, saved, lost. Lays back for backslid. Saved again. Lost again. Backslid. I mean, like people say, I. I mean, I wore my rededicated slap out. They had to rebuild it. I mean, every Sunday I was guilty of something, but I couldn't come up front because my mother's right there.
Pastor West: [00:42:55] She's going to be. What? What is it? Why? Why did you have to come up here? I just want to be close to Jesus. But when I'm at close to G. I couldn't tell her what had happened because I knew she thought she could fix it, and she probably could. She was a great behavior modulator. I mean, she she could moderate your behavior. You get to thinking like her for a few minutes anyway. Yeah. I mean, I had a mother like that that was willing to help you. Amen. Lots of help. So he offers his love, and because that he offered his resources. But not on the basis of your performance. It's not based on what you've done. God. God loves you the same, even if you do everything wrong tomorrow. Even if you do sin, you can't change his love for you. You don't. You don't do that with your kids, do you? You can't say, well, my kid wouldn't do this, and I have no love for them anymore. You may have hurts. You may have disappointment. You may have all kinds of emotions. But you can't say I'm taking your last name away. Just get out of the house. Number three. Well, I mean, you've had three years worth of stuff, and you're still sitting there. Just get out. We're going to get a different model. So. The Holy Spirit being the spirit of grace.
Pastor West: [00:44:20] He knows the plan for your life. And he goes and he uncovers the path. There's a path and he knows it. He knows why you're here. According to Psalms 139. The scripture in Psalms 3139 says, God knew you before you was born. I stopped right there because I don't even know what to do with that. Before there was you, God knew who you was. Does that sound like a Big Bang theory to you? God. God loved you before there was a you. God loved you before your parents was and grandparents was ever here. So he's he he knows the path. And the Holy Spirit wants to uncover the path for you. He wants to provide you with the strength and the ability and the might and the resources to do it. His might, his ability, his strength. He empowers you for the task that he has called you to. His grace called you. Now his grace will fund you. Amen. Amen. What I do here today is no more important than what you do. I just have a different function. The Lord spoke to me February the 3rd and gave me explicit instructions of what to do and to hurry up, because I had no idea of what was ahead. But I didn't have the ability to do that in my own mighty resources. I couldn't do that if I could, I would never mention it just would have happened just like that.
Pastor West: [00:45:55] But I've never hardly had anything in pasture. And the Lord told me to do that. I said, oh, I can do that, no problem. I had. I had two things like that happened one time. It was a lot of fun. Keith and Pam bless the ministry years ago. I mean, I never forget that. I just as a matter of fact, I presented two programs. I said one is this food program. This should be really good. And I said, you know, and then this, since we're just here together and I show them, you know, the angel food ministry, and we could do this and this will bless people. And this is how it works and all that kind of stuff. And we did that for a while. And then I said one day, you know, just one day. I mean, since we're here, we did this on a Wednesday night and had a fellowship. I said, one day we could go on and we could do these commercials. And I showed them the professional commercials. We could do 32nd spots, I said, but it'd be a few thousands of dollars, like several. Because you have to buy the commercial, you have to buy it. And if you can't afford the airtime, there's no need to do the commercials. I mean, no need buying a commercial, I mean, or, you know, they produce it for you, but it's like 5 or $7000 per commercial that they would cut.
Pastor West: [00:47:00] Then they put your name in there and then you go on cable TV. Well, uh, so I talked to the company. They said if you don't have $25,000 upfront, don't even get started. So I just kind of threw it out there, like vision. One day I said, this is we could do this, man. We can do this ministry right here in one day. If we could ever find $25,000. I mean, if there's that much in the world. We could do this one day. Next morning. Next. I think it was the next morning. Michelle called me and she said, uh, she said, uh, where are you at? I said, I'm at Russell getting some things for the church. She said, so-and-so wants to meet you at the church. Could you be there? And I said, yeah. Anything wrong? She said, no, I don't think you're going to think this is wrong. And they gave me that check to do for a whole year. I'd never had a project. I was funded on the front end that felt so good. Man, I was like a boss man. Let's go. Let's get this thing moving instead of someone doing a little bit, I'm down in the basement and heavy intercession. Just move it, boy. Move it! We got money. That ain't a problem. Lord, sign me up for some unknown projects. Praise God.
Pastor West: [00:48:12] So everything we do, we do by faith. And there's this path that's called the covenant of grace. And let's finish with this. Grace is the power active within the heart of a believer. Walking in them. Empower them to do his will. The natural mind wants to feel self-sufficient. The natural man wants to feel capable to do anything in their life. But don't forget, by grace you were saved through faith, not of yourself. It is the gift of God. Amen. God see, he took the you out of that, not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Salvation is actually wholeness. Spirit, soul and body. Amen. Our wholeness is received through faith, but by his grace. Grace supplies. Faith lays hold and says, I receive what grace supplied me. Amen. You got to have both. You didn't get just saved by faith. Grace had to supply it. But if the ply is, if the supply is there, but you have nothing to receive it with. So that's why you got to have faith. You got to have faith in grace working together. Well, don't go there. But first Corinthians one, I think it's verse 30 says all, not some, not 34%. All the promises of God are what? Yes and Amen to the glory of God. Boy, ain't that a powerful scripture. Boy, don't you just wish the Bible was true? Man, find a scripture like that. Just think man, the Bible is true.
Pastor West: [00:49:36] This would be awesome. Well. Is it true? All the promises of God are. Yes and amen. See? But now remember this. The promises are linked to your covenant through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Now I want you. I want you to see these verses. Go to Hebrews chapter four. I'm in the new king, Jimmy. New king James. You don't have that. Let's just go to King James. They're cousins. We don't have the new King James. Let's buy something else. We might as well buy something else. Not today, not right now. Give it a break for a minute. Hebrews chapter four, verses one. Therefore, since the promise remains this the new King James, since the promise remains of entering his rest, let us fear that word. Fear means believe. Let us believe lest any of you seem to come short of it. Anybody want to leave here? Come short of something today? No, let's not leave here short. I mean, if you're short, I ain't much I can do about that. Short, short. Well, we might can. Let me get that ladder back out. When the latter goes, but your chin is still above it. It stretches you. Anyway, we'll talk about that after. Uh, look at verse nine. There remaineth therefore a rest. To the people of Gracelife Church. To the people of God. There remains, therefore a rest being offered to you, the people of God. Verse ten. For God says, For he who has entered his rest has himself also cease from his works.
Pastor West: [00:51:30] Oh God, as God did from his. Whom is God working? God's resting. God did work, and he's resting. So he's telling you there's a rest being offered to you. Your rest is found in the grace of God. Which is God working? If you can receive this. If you would quit working for God and let him work for you. Yeah, you could rest. So verse ten again, for he who has entered the rest has himself also ceased from his works, as God did from his. Verse 11. Let us therefore be diligent to do what? Rest. Yours might say. Labour. Labour to rest, you think? Well, that's just two oxymorons. No. The laborers to stay in faith about resting. Come on now. And not just like I'm going to work this thing out. I know no one here has ever done all that, but I'm just going to tell you I'm admitting, you know, I did it once. Tried to work things out of my own intellect, mind, ability, strength. Y'all are really quiet. Pastor says it's time for you all to fess up. He didn't say confess each time you all fess up. Now look at verse three of that opening. It says almost the same thing. Hebrews four three. Of the same chapter. Now for he who hath believed. Is that you? What are we? What are you supposed to do? Enter in.
Pastor West: [00:53:20] There you go. Enter into that rest, as he has said. So I swore in my wrath that they shall not enter my rest. Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Amen. God's work in the spiritual world was finished in creation. In the physical world. God finished his work at creation. But in the spiritual world, he finished his work after the death and resurrection of Jesus. And you and I have been created to live in God's rest. The work was his part. The rest is yours. The rest is your part. Listen to this. If you got just a minute, if you need to go, just take a under the old covenant. The priests were forbidden to wear anything that would cause them to sweat. Now, you don't think I'm going to say that without no scripture, do you? We won't go there. But I'll give you the scripture. You'll see it. The ones who served at the altar, the priest. They were to wear such linens as they were not to sweat. If you want to go look at, look at Ezekiel 4418. Because what God said would be a symbol of the curse. He wants you to rest. God has provided his grace to fulfill his work with his strength. See if God is your source. He's not going to help you. Be the source. Let me skip almost all of it right here. How many know that we're complete in him?
Pastor West: [00:55:22] Right? Do you think we need to paint that wall again? I put two coats on it. Now, if you think I do, and then you do it. But why would I paint it again? Right. It's complete. Then why would you put a bumper sticker on? God's still working on me? Then I would have to ask you. Who's you? The new the new person in Christ identify who he's still working on.
Congregation: [00:56:00] Mhm. Yeah. There you go.
Pastor West: [00:56:01] I want you to get the big sense of that word. I mean I know we could talk about you know well they're spirits on board and he's okay I'll agree about that. But I want you to see who who you are in that statement. Well, he's still working on me. Always quote Pastor Bussey a whole lot because he hated that bumper sticker. He said, you know, he said, I've been driving, you know. You know, he lived in Arkansas. He said, someone come by. He said, I looked at my particular there's another one, God still working on me. So I just want to ram that bumper and just make that bumper fall off. I said, well, pastor, there ain't a lot of love. He says, he said, neither is that bumper sticker. I said, yes, sir, yes, sir, but we're complete in him. So we need faith. Right? Yeah. See, faith changes situations. Faith changes things. Grace changes people. Faith could change the circumstances, but only grace can change the person. Grace works at the at the heart level. Religion wants you to change the peripheral, the the behavior, the the rules and the regulations. Grace says, leave that alone. And let's do a let's do a hard work. And the hard work when they come to believe this, he said. Then they'll live out what's truly in their heart, a new heart. I will put a new. They won't need an instructor from the smallest to the oldest. So this is the final door of the sermon. Hebrews 416, if you will. You know, if you're going to Hebrews chapter four, just remember this. Now if you look up the word grace and it is the word curse.
Pastor West: [00:57:52] But in the Strong's exhaustive, exhaustive concordance, it defines grace as the divine influence of God upon the heart and its reflection in the life. God's influence on your heart and the reflection of the life. That's what grace is. It's his ability to do what you can't do on your own. When you think about what the Apostle Paul said and all that he did and all that he lived, Paul said this. He said, I am what I am by the grace of God. Or as Paul, he said all that. Then he went on to say, he said, I've worked more than all of them. He said, but actually yet not I, but the grace of God that was in me. So you could see the two together. But you can see our identification when he says all that I am, I am by the grace of God. And he did. But he did say, now I had to put forth some natural effort. In other words, he says, I actually and they know it. I worked harder than all of them put together then. But he said, but actually it wasn't even me doing it. It was the grace of God in me. All of you have done things before that you knew. I don't really know the best way to do this or how to do this. And it turned out. Zach, have you ever took a test that I know you studied and know you're prepared to know you're an intelligent person? I know that I believe that, but have you ever taken a test and needed to pray before you took the test? You felt like, you know, this is one we better pray over for sure. For sure.
Pastor West: [00:59:17] Have you ever got. Let's just talk about the good ones. Did you ever get a test result? You didn't really believe it was going to be that good. Okay, I want to ask you about the other one. But anyway, I just like. I know he graduated, but of course, with honors. Yeah. And so that's what God does with us. He makes you and I look a lot better than we could ever look. See God wants more for you than you want for you. Boy, I hope you heard that. You said, well, I got this big thing from God. You're not. None of us in here is impressing God. With our big thinking. If I was in here. What day is today? Today's Sunday, right? I lost days this week. I was in here Friday and the Lord said. How do you stand? Uh, how can you stand staying in a room that's this small? I said, well, I just got through putting out 30 chairs that went in here. He said, yeah, how can you stand, you know, on the inside and it be okay with you to be in a room that's too small? And I said, talk to me, Jesus, because I know where this is going. What does he do? He wants to remove your limitations. And and this he the last thing he he showed me last night I saw a picture of a road.
Pastor West: [01:00:50] Look like it was freshly paved asphalt road and had the, you know, the markings and the lines and everything. And, and it was all clear paint and I could see this like in a vision. And I said, what's that? He said. I said, what is that, Lord? What is that road you're showing me? What does that mean? He said, do you know where that road goes? I said, no, and he said, it goes. It goes on and on to everywhere. I said, I don't even know what you're talking about. He said. It goes on all the way through eternity because you're an eternal being. He said. The question is, where are you? On the road? Where did you stop? Where did you pull off? Where did you say, we can't go no further? Where did you say? Where did you put down stakes? Where are the borders of your limitations? He said. Because the road is ongoing. You know, we think of a highway sometimes the interstate, and you say, well, you know, you look it up on Google, it starts and you know, here and it goes through 14 states or three states or whatever. Well, the highway of God never stops. It just goes on and on and on. When the Lord removed your sin, what was the boundaries of him removing your sin? Well, the Scripture says he removed your sin as far as the east is from the west.
Pastor West: [01:02:11] Have you measured that lately? Get your tape measure out and let me know next week how far the east is from the west. He said he took your sin. That all be really good and moved your sin forever. He said, he said I did it for my own sake, not even for yours. I did it for my own sake. He said, I blotted out your transgressions for my own sake. And then I removed all your faults and your failures, and I have no remembrance of them. And I took them as far as the east is from the west. So when the Lord tells you, when you tell him I failed again, he says, what are you talking about? I don't have no record of failure. I looked up your record and your nickname is faultless. There goes old faultless. Thank you, Pastor Budgie. Again. This is the Pastor Budgie day. This is his message, actually. Uh, I mean, this is what he would be preaching. Some of it. Hebrews 416. Then we got to go eat some chicken. Anybody like fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy? Butter biscuits with some honey. Fried okra. Some pinto beans. Some turnips or some collard. Come on somebody. Come on. Hey.
Pastor West: [01:03:25] I know I better go quick. Verse 16. The verse. Hebrews 416. Let us therefore come...
Congregation: [01:03:35] ...boldly!
Pastor West: [01:03:35] Mhm.
Pastor West: [01:03:37] Sheepishly. Bashfully. Go. The throne of grace.
Pastor West: [01:03:44] **imitating a sheep** Baaaaaaaaaaa.
Pastor West: [01:03:46] I've been, baaaaaaaad. I'm just a worm in the dust. My righteousness is as filthy rags.
Pastor West: [01:03:56] But you mixing covenants again, huh? You said. Well, that's in the Bible, not in your covenant. It's not your covenant. It's not your cheese.
Congregation: [01:04:11] Okay.
Pastor West: [01:04:13] Come boldly to the throne of grace, that you may be scolded. Oh, no. I'm sorry. That's the. That's the reverse translation, not the revised, the reverse that we may obtain. What? Mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Amplifies. Find grace to help you just when you need it.
Congregation: [01:04:35] Amen. Amen. Say it again.
Pastor West: [01:04:37] Okay. Just when you need it. Yes. Hey. Want you on the front row next week. God loves cheerleaders.
Congregation: [01:04:48] Amen.
Pastor West: [01:04:50] A throne is a place of authority.
Pastor West: [01:04:54] That's what you've been given. Amen.
Pastor West: [01:04:56] You and I have been given the highest privilege of authority.
Pastor West: [01:04:58] In the universe. Now we can approach the heavenly throne. Our heavenly father. Not just God, but your heavenly father. You will find mercy and grace, strength and ability to help you in your time of need. Can you say Amen?
Congregation: [01:05:17] Amen.
Pastor West: [01:05:17] Grace coming just when you need it. Amen. How are we going to live this life? By his grace and by his goodness? You can't tap it out in the name of Jesus. Well, we bless you. And we bless those of you who are watching, being part of the service. Thank, amen. God is good. When? All the time. Well, how about on Tuesdays? What if it rains and it storms? What if it comes? They call a gully washer. What if the frogs are leaping out of the creek? Ezekiel talks about showers of blessings. Amen. We bless you. Till next time. Amen.
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