Dwelling Place

Guest (Male): Today, on the Dwelling Place.

Al Pittman: There's nothing wrong in possessing things and having things, but then we get all tied up in knots and mad and angry and full of bitterness and people because you know because of our possessions and things we have here. But this is not the final stop.

Guest (Female): Dwelling place, dwelling place, dwelling place. You are my dwelling place, dwelling place, dwelling place.

Guest (Male): Thank you for listening to the Dwelling Place, a radio ministry from Pastor Al Pittman of Al Pittman Ministries. The purpose of this radio program is to encourage you, strengthen your walk with the Lord and grow. To support this program financially or learn more about the ministry, visit us online at alpitmanministries.com. That's alpitmanministries.com. Thank you for partnering with us. Now, here's Pastor Al.

Al Pittman: The Lord laid on him the sins of us all. Amen. That's what he was doing. That's what he knew he came to do, to die, lay his life down as a ransom for many. His death on the cross resulted in our deliverance. Knew what he was facing and still he faced it for you and for me. Here's the last thing section that I find here and that is the debate from the denial to his death. And now the debate in verses 33 to 40 read then pilot entered the praetorium. Remember he's outside talking to the Jews outside the praetorium.

Then he goes back inside where the courtyard area is, the judgment hall is, and where Jesus is probably there standing with Roman guards at this time. And he entered the praetorium again and he called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this or did others tell you this concerning me?" Pilot answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priest have delivered you to me. What have you done? You must be wrong. What have you done here? I'm not a Jew.

I don't care if you're king or not," he's saying. And Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here." Amen. Pilot therefore said to him, "Are you a king?" And Jesus said, "Show your right." No, he didn't say that. He said, you say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born and for this cause I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth.

Two debates here. He's talking about the kingdom and now he's talking about truth. Everyone who is of the truth, Jesus said, "Here's my voice." Pilot said to him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again going back out of the praetorium, back out to the Jews again. And he said, "I find no fault in him at all. Find no fault in this man. But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at Passover, at the Passover. This is the Passover time. Do you therefore want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" Then all cried again saying, not this man, but Barabbas.

Now Barabbas was a robber. The great debate concerning the kingdom and the truth. Jesus answers Pilot's question with a question. "Are you the king of the Jews?" Pilot said. And Jesus said, "Are you asking for yourself or for other people?" I love that answer because the Lord calls each one of us to give an account, calls each one of us to be responsible and accountable to him and even Pilot. And Jesus wanted to know if his inquiry was authentic or was he just going through the motions? "Are you asking for yourself, Pilot, or for others?" Because Pilot didn't like his answer.

And went on to interrogate the Lord. And Jesus went on to say that my kingdom is not of this world. Mark that in your Bibles. My kingdom is not of this world because it's a sentiment that's often lost upon even the church because sometimes as believers, if we're not careful, we start living as if this is his kingdom and this world is not his kingdom. We are sojourners. We are just passing through this world. Amen. That's what the Bible says. Now we say that and we say amen, but then we live as if this is our only home.

There's nothing wrong in possessing things and having things, but then we get all tied up in knots and mad and angry and full of bitterness at people because you know because of our possessions and things we have here. But this is not the final stop. As a believer in Jesus Christ, this is not my home. We are kingdom people. And left and if we don't have a kingdom mentality, we are in danger of fighting the wrong fight and wasting our energy on the wrong thing. Be careful. There's a lot of that in the church today.

A lot of that where Christians are fighting each other in squabbles and divisions and all these things over worldly things as if this is their home, this this world. Over buildings and budgets and butts. That's what usually pastors are talking about at pastor's conference. How many you got coming? How much money you have? How big is your facility? We are kingdom people. So many churches are divided, devouring one another today as if this is the final stop. Be careful that you don't do that. I was reading an article the other day and listen, full disclosure, there's no ulterior motive here.

But I want to share this with you because you know it's it's a fact. It's an article entitled, "Why do churches wound their pastors?" Oh, Pastor Al's got a motive here. No, no. I'm a blessed pastor. I'm blessed to be your pastor as long as God will have me here. Thank God. Why do churches wound their pastors? And this is this is, why does the church freely, cruelly criticize its pastors for falling short of perfection? Why do we forget that Jesus alone is perfect, that Jesus alone redeems? To demand perfect skill, holiness and every effective labor from anyone is akin to idolatry.

Did you hear that? Expecting your wife or husband to be perfect or other people to be perfect in your life is the practice of idolatry. Grace center churches must know this. But churches idolize their pastors one day and savage them the next. Americans can't bear disappointment in silence and all too often we behave like Americans then disciples. Close quote. All too often in the church I find people acting like Americans rather than disciples. What's the difference? Hey, I'm proud to be an American. I have rights as a citizen of this nation and I will if someone violates those rights, I have a right to speak out.

Paul the apostle had his rights violated as a Roman citizen and he spoke out and avoided a beatdown one time. Amen. It's in the book of Acts. He said, "Hey, you can't scourge me. I'm a Roman citizen." And they go, "Whoa, didn't know you're a Roman citizen." He was exercising his rights as a Roman citizen. You can exercise your rights as an American citizen, but when it comes to the kingdom of God, we give up our rights for the glory of God. We esteem others higher than ourselves. But far too often people come to church thinking they have rights when the only right we have is to lay our lives down for Jesus Christ.

That's the right we have. And we need to be careful that we don't bring in cuz I know you listen to the news like I do all week and you go through things all week and all this kind of stuff and we sometimes, not intentionally, but we can bring in spirits and things that are not of the kingdom of God. And we get in fights and skirmishes and have thoughts and ideas that are not consistent with his kingdom. Because we're living in this world. We're to be in the world, but not of it. Amen. Be careful.

That 's not happening in your home that you are living according to the principles of God's word because you are a kingdom man or a kingdom woman. And if so, we need to live according to it. Now you don't know how to live in the kingdom if you don't know the words of the kingdom. That 's why I encourage you to be in the word. We need to know what his word declares. Listen. We forget sometimes the church is not a democracy and it's not a dictatorship. It's a theocracy. God is in charge. Amen. And his vote overrules every one of our wants, every one of our votes.

Lord, it's not my will, but that thy will be done. Amen. We are a theocracy run by the Holy Spirit whereby we are the body and Jesus Christ is the head of the church. Amen. We are a royal priesthood also. Did you know you're Pastor Al's he's a priest, he's a pastor. No, you are too. Did you know that? Husbands that you're a priest in your own home. That we are all called to a royal priesthood unto the Lord for the glory of Jesus Christ. That's what Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 2 verses 9 and 10.

We live, in other words, by values and standards reflective of another kingdom, not this world. I don't care what the Kardashians are doing or or what Washington is doing or anything else. Amen. You are kingdom people to live according to the word of God and the principles and standards of his kingdom, not this world. Jesus tells Pilot, you can have this cuz I'm not fighting for this. My kingdom is not of this world. Make sure you're fighting the right battles and not devouring one another. In verses 37 to 40 Jesus shifts the conversation from the kingdom to to the truth as he says.

In verse 39 he said, you say rightly that I am a a king. For this cause I was born and for this cause I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth here's my voice. Wow. How do you know you're the truth? You listen to the words of Jesus. You listen to the word, to God's word. You listen to the word of God. And then of course Pilot responds, oh, what is truth? It's not what a lot of people are saying today and and the sages and the so-called wise people of our time claim to have the truth, but listen, it is not really truth unless it has eternal value.

Guest (Male): Amen. We hope you're enjoying today's message so far. We wanted to take a quick break to thank you for supporting the Dwelling Place. Because of you, this message and many more will reach the whole world. If you like to support this ministry, please visit us at alpitmanministries.com or mail a check to PO Box 505 84 Colorado Springs, Colorado 809 49. That's PO Box 505 94 Colorado Springs, Colorado 809 49. Again, thank you for supporting the Dwelling Place. Now let's get back into the message.

Al Pittman: If truth ends at the grave, it is not truth. The truth of Jesus is eternal and it is liberating. It liberates the soul of mankind. And in fact Jesus said, here's the truth in John chapter 14 verse 6 that I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Truth is only found in Jesus Christ. He's not a piece of the truth. He is the truth and whole he is truth. Not a piece of the truth. I was reading this story the other day about the devil said once the devil was walking along with one of his homies.

And they saw a man ahead ahead of them pick up something shiny. "What did he find?" asked the devil's friend. "A piece of truth," the devil replied. "Doesn't it bother you that he found a piece of truth?" asked the devil's companion. "No," said the devil. "I will see to it that he makes it make a religion out of it." For a lot of people who call themselves Christians, Christianity is nothing more than a shiny object that they show up once a week to polish that never changes and admire it, their object, and then they tuck it away until the next week or the next month that they come to church.

Christ did not die to give us a piece of truth, but he is the truth. And the truth that he gives to you, the Bible says, will make you free. You see we have to be careful the day of this idolatry that says, let me shine up and polish up my idea of what Christianity is and come and admire it every week because we'll just tuck it away because that mentality, that kind of practice of idolatry will not sustain you in an age where there is a war on truth. Have you noticed it lately? People have lost their minds.

Amen. They have lost their minds. Uh you know it's it's not like we're getting there. We're there. I was listening to a report the other day where in some of these college campuses, man, I I just I just feel like, you know what, let's just send a bunch of parents out there and spank some behinds or something. It's you know I know it might offend some people, but you know what, way some of these kids are acting, they act like spoiled brats. They never had never had any discipline. One college campus they threatened to you know shut the place down and demanded the professor be fired.

Now here was the reason. I don't understand all of it cuz it's just some of it is like they ain't they ain't worth reading. But they wanted a a day where they honored the minorities, but in order to do that they wanted all the white people to leave the college campus. And one white professor wouldn't leave. And so they were mad at him cuz he wouldn't leave cuz he was being a racist. I 'm thinking you want all the white people to leave the college campus. Why? Because of this thing, notion out there called white privilege.

I call it a notion. Some of you may disagree with me. I know there's racism in the world, but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me cuz I'm not living by the principles of this world. I'm living by the principles of the kingdom. And I thought two wrongs don't make a right. Isn't that reverse racism? You can't become the enemy, like your enemy, to defeat your enemy. Amen. You got to you got to be better than your enemy. Amen. I mean Martin Luther King Jr. taught us that. And yet we forgotten those lessons.

Now it's about everybody's offended. I'll get off my soapbox in a moment. Everybody's offended. I'm offended. Had a brother over in Qatar and in fact his wife came up after the the last service and said, I'm I'm his wife and we talked, but a dear brother from our fellowship that's stationed there. And they have this is a Memorial Day weekend, right? So they have these huge big concrete pillars uh that protect the perimeter of the base where they're they're at. Well, I guess probably for Memorial Day they thought, well, you know we can color those, you know, paint them any kind of color we want and and honor of uh of you know Memorial Day or whatever.

And he wanted to decorate one of the pillars, these concrete slab deals, you know, uh on behalf of his friend who was killed in Afghanistan by an IUD. Uh is that what you call it? Improvised explosive And and he was his friend was killed. So to honor his friend, he put the his name up there and some and some other artwork and and put a cross. Somebody in the military unit was offended by the cross. And they had him and they told him you need to take that down. So he was upset about it, but he said, okay, I'll I'll modify it.

So he put up the symbol alpha and omega. Amen. Amen. And uh actually sent me pictures of it. I got pictures on my phone that he sent it to me. And I just sent him some words of encouragement and just, you know, but I thought, man, somebody's offended by a cross being put on the pillar of for in memory of one of our soldiers who gave his life for our freedom. Give me a break. That's not that's not offense. That's insanity. And thinking themselves wise, this is where we live today, they became fools. And these college campuses, I don't know, you pray for them.

Amen. And one lady came up to me and said that college you were talking about um my my my grandson goes there. Pray for these these college we our our country needs a revival. And uh it's it's it's it's crazy the way things are. It's like the inmates are running the the asylum anymore. And it's like, you know what, I can only imagine me having that attitude coming up in my family. You know, kids stomping off and mad at their parents, slamming the doors. I didn't have a door to slam. I I I didn't own a door.

I didn't own a fork. I didn't own a plate. Nothing. Amen. He owned everything. He owned my attitude. Dad would tell us quick, you ain't grown enough to be mad in my house. And boy you put it you might be mad, but you can't have that smile on your face like But he was teaching us respect. And so when P kids get out there, there's no respect for society and we've lost our minds and we're offended by everything and everybody owes me something, but nobody owes you nothing. And God sent his revival. It's the only help, the only antidote we have against the foolishness and the lies out there in the world today, my friend, is the word of God.

And if we not we're not hearing it, if we're not reading it ourselves, if we're not putting it, applying it to our own lives, we don't have a chance in a world today that is at war against the truth. So get in the word of God. Let the word of God dwell in you as Paul said in Colossians richly. Amen. Those who know the truth, Jesus said, hear my voice. God's word is the only effective weapon we have against this the insane mentalities that are out there today. Hebrews 4:12 says, for the word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

I need the word of God cuz my heart is desperately wicked, deceitful above all things. I can't even know it, but when I get into his word, God says this is what's going on. Only his word discerns my heart correctly. And the same goes for you. In this age of lies, we need the truth. And notice in verses 39 and 40 enclosing here, when we reject the truth, a thief will take its place. When you reject the truth, a thief will take its place. We don't want Jesus. Another gospel says that they cried out even more, crucify him, crucify him.

Let his blood be on us and our children. Give us Barabbas. The world's always crying for something else other than Jesus and they don't know what they're crying out for. Give us Barabbas. Who is Barabbas? He well he's a notable prisoner. That's all we know. We know that he led an insurrection against Rome and he was also a known murderer according to Luke chapter 23 verse 19. He was the Jesse James of his time. I know some of us idolize Jesse James. Jesse James was a thief and a murderer. That's Barabbas, a notorious criminal. Spiritually speaking, he's sort of a a type of devil here because he's a thief and a robber and the devil is a thief and a robber and a murderer.

And the Bible says the devil has come to do what? To steal, kill and to destroy. And even the name Barabbas is representative of a counterfeit faith. Barabbas in Aramaic literally means son of the Father. And then interesting but he's not the son of the Father, is he? People are crying out for what they think they want and it's not what they it's not what they think it is at all. Rejecting Jesus, you think, oh, here's the son of the Father. No, but it's a counterfeit. And when we reject Jesus and embrace something else, it's always a counterfeit in our lives.

Always a counterfeit. Barabbas was a counterfeit. And yet the people rejected Jesus. They wanted Barabbas, but Christ is the only true begotten son of God. He is the end of the debate. John 10:10 he said, I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. Amen. The illegal trial of Christ boils down to this. Will you embrace a robber or redeemer? That's what it boils down to. Everything that they were saying against Jesus and and all of this is about a choice between a robber or redeemer. My prayer is that you would choose the redeemer.

He died for you and he rose on the third day to guarantee your justification, your forgiveness, to guarantee your reconciliation, you being brought back to the living Father, to the living God.

Guest (Female): Dwelling place, dwelling place, dwelling place. You are my dwelling place, dwelling place, dwelling place.

Guest (Male): Learn more about Pastor Al and his ministry by visiting alpitmanministries.com. Also consider supporting us financially. You can send a check to alpitmanministries at PO Box 505 84 Colorado Springs, Colorado 809 49 or visit us online. Thank you for your prayers and your support. Your generosity keeps this radio ministry going. Lastly, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us by emailing info@alpitmanministries.com. That's info@alpitmanministries.com. We look forward to hearing from you. Again, thank you for joining us and we'll see you next time on the Dwelling Place. God bless.