Regaining Lost Ground

Shane Idleman: God, create a spirit within me that is dependable and unwavering. Though the culture comes against me, though those people come against me, God, I am unwavering. I am holding tight. Why? Because of me? No, because my shoes are found on the rock of Jesus Christ. I can't move because I've built my life on the rocks. So God, you create in me a clean heart. God, you renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Guest (Male): Thank you for joining us here at Westside Christian Fellowship, located in Leona Valley, California, one hour north of Los Angeles. Today's message on regaining lost ground is titled "Preparing the Heart to Pray" and is part four from the sermon series, "The Bible Doesn't Say That."

In this powerful message, Pastor Shane reminds us to the call from our Lord to obediently seek him with a humble heart, allowing God's word to be the foundation on which we stand. Second Corinthians 10:5 says, "Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." Join us today as Pastor Shane encourages us to prepare our hearts for a mighty prayer life, living for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

You can hear the whole message at Pastor Shane's YouTube and Rumble channels. Make sure to subscribe today. For more information, visit us online at westsidechristianfellowship.org. We also encourage you to hear more truth from Pastor Shane with the Idleman Unplugged weekly podcast. And now, from Westside Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California, here's Pastor Shane Idleman.

Shane Idleman: I love that scene in Isaiah where he says he saw the train of God's robe, which filled the entire temple. And the angels would sit there and cry out, "Holy, holy, holy is our God." And the temple would shake like this. The pillars of the temple would shake with that word, "Holy, holy, holy is our God." Why? Because that's the power.

Yes, we need the love of God, but it's the holiness of God that comes in and uproots evil and conquers sin. It's when people are holy and set apart for God. God says, "Come out from among them. Come out from among them and be loving." Yes, but come out from among them and be holy. Because if you're loving without holiness, you are leading people astray.

That's the big problem in our culture today. We just love everybody. Just love them. Allow them to continue sinning? Yeah, just love them as they're walking to hell. Love them? I don't want to say anything; I just want to love them. There's a time and place for that. Don't leave here thinking Shane just said "narrow" with holiness. Just don't even worry about love; just wreck them with the power of God. No, you need both. Love without holiness, you're lukewarm. Holiness without love, you're a Pharisee.

So you have to find that middle ground. How? Pray. Because when you're filled with the Spirit of God, you don't go and judge people. You love them. But you also call them to holiness. The big thing that's out there now is the LGBT suicide rate is alarming. And the reason is because validating sin won't lead to hope. Repentance leads to hope. Point them to the cross.

But Shane, they might still struggle. Yeah, we all still struggle with something. Come on. You point them to the hope, to the cross. That's where the hope is. Forty years ago, they said the church is at fault because they're making people feel guilty. You can't say that anymore because now the media is supporting sin. The government is supporting sin. The school districts are supporting sin. Hollywood is supporting sin. Facebook is supporting sin.

Everything is supporting sin. And you have this voice over here, the church, saying, "Hold on. Turn back to God." You can't say blame us now anymore because everybody's supporting sin, but there's still hopelessness. The suicide rate is an epidemic. Why? Because you're running from the answer. Turn people back to the hope and to the answer in Christ. That's the only answer.

And you know it's true. I have loved people through their sin. I'm doing it right now with many who don't come to this church and struggle with everything from alcohol to homosexuality. Love them. Don't judge them. They're still miserable. They're still hopeless. And I'm loving them. Why? Because my love is not supposed to replace God's love through forgiveness. Folks, that is so important because this culture is going to hell in a handbasket, and you better know what the priorities are.

And we hear all these deceiving things. And it's not deceiving if you look to God's word. Psalm 139: "Search me, oh God." A broken, humble, cleansed, and a believing heart. A believing heart trusts in God completely. You know why this is important? Because many people trust in God as long as it's going in their direction. Trust is, "Lord, no matter what you do, I will trust you. No matter what happens, I will trust you."

Psalm 139: "Search me, oh God. Oh God, search me and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts and see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." How many of you are willing to pray that this morning? Don't raise your hand; just say it in your heart. "Search me, oh God, and know my heart." Most people don't want to pray that if they're not willing to give up their sin. Who's going to pray that prayer if they want to continue in their sin? What do we say? I'll pray that in 10 years after I have fun.

One of the biggest tricks of the enemy is to make people think that following God is not fun. You're filling the lust of the flesh as somebody in rebellion, and you're miserable, and you're hopeless. How is that fun? Sure, the Bible says hard is the way of the transgressor, but it says also that sin satisfies for a season. There's a fulfillment as the sin is being gratified, but then when that is over, the negative aspects come in.

So let's ask a few questions. Just think what would happen if each believer made it his or her utter priority to spend quality time alone before God. I want you to think about that for a minute. What about if God became the priority in your life? So when you got up, it wasn't media, social media, your phone, this, texting, emails; it was God. What about when you got up if it was God, not what's going on in the news?

Same thing in the evening. What if God became the priority in your life? Yes, you still have to work, you pay the bills, you do chores, you get errands done. I know. But he can still be the priority. Is there any area in your life which you have not completely given over to Jesus Christ as Lord of your life? Number two: Is there anyone or anything that I love or desire more than God himself? It's called idolatry.

Is there anything that you love more than God himself? Number three: How do my relationships stand in the presence of God? Look at the last one: Have I forgiven people? Have I forgiven everyone? People don't realize how much of a hindrance this is to our prayer life. You can't go in praying for God and holding bitterness and unforgiveness in your heart. It gets quiet during that point. This is the hard one, isn't it? This is where the rubber meets the road.

"God, forgive me in all my sins. Thank you for the cross." But I'm not going to forgive them. That will hinder your prayer life. It's like cancer to the bones. Because you're praying and because you're not free; you're still bound to that unforgiveness and that anger and that bitterness. You have to release that. And remember, releasing this doesn't mean that the person was right. It means that you're giving it back to God.

Because I've had people, I've prayed for people many times. It breaks my heart that have been abused, maybe as a child and everything. My water boils. But releasing forgiveness does not mean that that person was right and off the hook. It means you've given it to God, and you're released of the cancer of unforgiveness. These things, unforgiveness, bitterness, they weigh on you. They've even studied how they produce toxic elements in your body.

Toxic chemicals that come in and damage the heart, damage your muscles. You're just so mad and tense. The reason is because when you're angry, you're upset, right? You're tense, and that cortisol is released, adrenaline is released. That's wonderful if you're running away from a lion, even though you couldn't get away, but it's a nice thought. But when it comes to living life, if you're always in that state of high adrenaline, cortisol, your body is not designed to continually be beat with those high levels of those hormones that are very beneficial in small dosages, very destructive in excess.

So what that does, you release that forgiveness. But you don't know what my dad did. You don't know what my mom... you don't know what they did to me. I don't know, but God knows. It doesn't mean they are right. It means, you know what, Lord? They're not holding me in prison anymore. I'm giving it over to you. And that will... your prayer life will explode. Why? Because I've been set free. I've been set free from these shackles that have held me down.

Number four: Am I truly surrendered to God in the area of personal disciplines and holiness of life? What is personal disciplines? Praying and reading. And we call them disciplines because it's a discipline where you have to do it. You discipline your body to do these things, but there is a reward afterwards. People think, "Oh, it's discipline, it's drudgery." No, it's not. There's a reward. Have any of you worked out hard and disciplined your body and got some results?

I lost this weight. My blood pressure is normal. I'm no longer Type 2 diabetic. I feel 10 times better. It wasn't fun the first couple weeks or couple months. It wasn't fun getting out there and walking for four miles. But there's disciplines that have rewards later. How much more spiritually? And holiness of life. Maybe it's interesting, or not interesting, but wise to mention this. When I mentioned over here this holiness movement about you can't go to the movies and you can't do this, you have to remember something.

You are not a neutral being. You are either filled with the Spirit of God or you're filled with the world. Or you're doing this a lot like most of us. "Oh, so filled with God, I'm so filled with God's Spirit after Sunday." And here comes Wednesday... You know, you get out. And then you've got this filled with God, filled with the world. And that's what happens when you listen to the media.

It's interesting. In Romans 1, Paul talks about that they suppress the truth and they gave themselves into a lie. And they begin to burn with lust, women for women, men for men. But then something at the end he says is interesting. He says the rebuke is also to those who are amused by it, are entertained by it, who allow it. So although we say I wouldn't do that, we watch it, we are entertained by it.

You just turn on something and there's sexual things that are drawing us in. Then there's envy and there's pride, it draws us in, the media. Everything is drawing us in, so we're filled with the things of the world. So we begin to think like the world. That's why you have all these people that can come out. That's why I was on Fox with that lady who's on "Sex and the City."

I called it "Sin in the City," but they didn't catch that. But "Sex and the City," she's going to rebuke the President on morality. We've lost our moral compass. You have a person promoting "Sex and the City," promoting all kinds of ungodly, illicit sex. And by the way, sex is great and good and God-given in the proper thing, just like a fireplace is wonderful in the fireplace. You go set that in the living room floor, you've got problems.

Same thing. So you have this person lecturing the President, the Vice President, calling him a homophobe because he stands up for Christian... your values. Holiness is so important. Number five: Do I tolerate pride? Do I tolerate? What does that mean? Put up with. Do you put up with pride? How do I know? Are you always making excuses for it? I'm just passionate. I just know my stuff. I just see things differently.

God speaks to me, not you. Do you put up with pride in your heart? What about impurity? What about unbelief? Or is there any other compromise in your heart? Compromising. Number six: Am I allowing the Lord to bring me into a life of true worship and obedience to the Holy Spirit of God? Would I call myself a diligent seeker of his face? Let me tell you how real the struggle is between the world and the spirit.

I know we could have a lot more people at 6:00 a.m. morning worship right here. But what excuses come up? Tired, it's cold, it's far, I've got to go to work. We take off work to go voting. We take work off to drive a friend to LAX airport. We might even take off Black Friday. Shop till you drop. To go spend on things that are perishing. Because see, it's that struggle.

The struggle is real between the flesh and the Spirit of God. So are you allowing? Are you going to allow the Lord to bring into your life true worship? If so, say, "Lord, I want that. What does it look like? What does true worship look like? God, show me." And yes, we do have morning worship this week at 6:00 a.m. every morning. People say, "You need to have it in the evening."

And then we have it in the evening, guess what? Same people don't show up. So I'm... fool me once, fool me twice, but mm-mm. Isn't it true, though, right? "Well, if you just had in evening." We have it in evening, oh, they don't show up. "If you just had Saturdays." Have Saturday, no, don't show up. Excuses have to die. Here's what we do. We allow the flesh to control us.

Yes, I'm tired. Yes, it's cold. But you know what, flesh? Be quiet. I'm going to drag you along. You're the ball and chain. My spouse isn't; you're the ball and chain, flesh. So let's go. And that's the Christian walk. You tell the flesh what to do. You have a scripture for me that says it pulls you around? Show it to me after the service. Because there isn't anything. You discipline your body. You tell it no.

You tell it we're going to praise God even if we don't feel like it. We're going to serve him even if we don't feel like it. We're going to worship him. We're going to go to church. We're going to put God on the counter. Of course you don't feel like it, flesh. You're coming into submission to me. I'm not submitting to your desires or your will. And guess what? Eventually, he listens.

Just look at all those trying to eat healthy. You know, after a couple weeks, it finally says, "All right, you're not having pizza. Get out the salad. Get out the healthy stuff because you've taught it. You've disciplined it." I think it's the same concept when the Bible says resist the devil and he will what? Flee. You resist the flesh. That's what Paul said: "I discipline my body." He didn't leave it there.

He said, "I bring it under subjection." Meaning I bring my flesh under my control. Most people have it this way: The flesh is controlling how often they come to church. The flesh is controlling how often they read the Bible. The flesh is controlling because they listen to the defense attorney within. You don't need to do that; you've read it, you know. And they just keep letting the flesh control them. But the life of the Christian is this: You bring your flesh under subjection and under control.

And then number seven: Is there some command or calling that the Lord has given you that you have chosen to pull back away from or ignore? Did you catch that? Has God called you to do something and you just ignore it? You think you're going to have a vibrant prayer life? Because that rebellion stops that. So I want to ask this question: How many of you has God prompted to do something, to serve? Children's ministry?

Bringing this home now. Ushering? We need ushers. We need children's ministry. We need sound. We need all these areas. And about 10 percent, maybe 15 percent of the church actually serves. So 85 percent of the people that come here don't even serve. Now I know people are busy and with kids, and I've got it, I'm right there with you. But if God is calling you, if God is prompting you to do something, how many times has he been prompting you to go to help at the hospital homes?

Months, years? Homeless outreach? We have every Sunday evening at 6:30. Prompting. Come to the morning worship? Prompting. "I know I should help those kids, but I really don't like kids." That's what I hear most often. People say, "I wish I could help in children's ministry, but I don't like those little stinkers. I'm not a kid's person." You had kids, didn't you? Yeah. Well, you're a kids person then.

Because often I've noticed God will use those difficult things to shape us. My wife remembers this when I first called to the ministry and she obviously called with me, we're both called. I said, how many times I said, "I'm not speaking to youth. I just... that, you know." Well, guess what I did for a year and a half? I even wrote a book about it: "What Works for Young Adults," "Solid Choices in Unstable Times."

And I was speaking at youth conferences. I was speaking at youth events. Why? Because it was uncomfortable. Because they don't pay as good attention as you do. They're on their phone, yawning, "I'm bored." But God often, often what you're running from is what God's calling you to chip away. "I don't want to go on the mission field." Oh, guess what? You need to see what it looks like in third-world countries.

"I don't want to do this. I don't want to do this." That's usually the flesh. So is there an area you've been running from to serve? Then grab that card in front of you in the pew and fill it out. Half-joking, but half-not. If people, if you want to serve, let us know because we need people helping. And I think it hinders prayers when a Christian, and all they're doing is coming being fed by the church, their kids are being fed, they're being encouraged, and they don't give back, they will become unhealthy spiritually. Because we're not supposed to get overweight spiritually. We're supposed to give it back. We receive and we give it back. Better is for you to give than to receive.

So let me close with this. This is both for the person who doesn't know Christ and the person who does. David said, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow." So for the person, if you don't know who Jesus Christ is, you know intellectually, you hear about it right now, you have a concept of who he is, you know he existed or you think he did. The Bible says you must be forgiven of your sin. You must repent and believe. It's that simple. "I repent of my sin and I believe, God," and as a result, "Wash me thoroughly from this iniquity."

But then also the saint who gets trapped in sin. Remember, I've given you that analogy before that sin is like mud that a pig falls into and a lamb. The pig enjoys it; the lamb cries out and wants out of that mud. So it's this image we have here saying, "God, wash me thoroughly from this sin, cleanse me and purge me, that I will be clean. Wash me and I'll be whiter than snow."

So believer can say that as well if they're trapped in sin, if sin's got a hold on them. If this message is convicting and you're ready for lunch, this might be a good time to apply this verse. "God, cleanse me." Create in me, like David said. He had somebody murdered. He committed adultery. His child died. And he said, "God, create in me a clean heart. God, create in me a clean heart, renew a right spirit within me."

That word "right" means dependable and unwavering. Who wants that this morning? I sure do. God, create a spirit within me that is dependable and unwavering, though the culture comes against me, though people come against me. God, I am unwavering. I am holding tight. Why? Because of me? No, because my shoes are founded, are stuck on the rock of Jesus Christ.

I can't move because I've built my life on the rock. So God, you create in me a clean heart. God, you renew a steadfast spirit within me. I love that old hymn, "Rock of Ages." "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee." It's this picture of this huge, enormous... think of Yosemite, Half Dome or whatever it is, and you're hiding in that cleft, that little opening, you're just hiding in there in this massive rock, 3,000 feet high.

"Rock of Ages, let me hide in thee. Let me find safety in thee." The Bible often attributes or actually links Jesus with things like a rock and a strong tower, a fortress, a buckler, a shield, a Sabbath rest, an Alpha, an Omega, a lion, a conquering king who will come back with a sword coming out of his mouth to judge the nations. He will rule the nations with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the wrath of Almighty God. It's strength.

So number one: Do you know him? Not about him. Do you truly know him? Or number two: For believers, do you need to fully surrender, get your life on track, and get that prayer life blazing again? Before anyone falls into a moral abyss... many you watch the news, how many pastors are going... kaboom? What's going on? It all started here in the prayer closet. When you become too busy, no time for God, that's where the fall's coming. It all starts there.

Prayer strengthens you. Prayer encourages you. Prayer rebuilds you. Prayer renews you. It revitalizes your entire life. You are strong in the things of God. The enemy gets you out of that prayer closet and you are doomed, because that's your strength. Knowing and applying scripture? Yes. But also praying. Praying and pulling down heaven.

A writer, I don't know who it was, a hundred years ago, a couple hundred years ago, I read it last night, said something like the devil knows that one hour in heartfelt communion with God will pull down what he's been trying to conceive in your life for the last year. An hour with God pulls down what Satan is trying to build. Is Satan after your children? Yes. Is he after your marriage? Is he after your personal life? Yes.

What pulls that down? What pulls down strongholds? What casts down every argument and high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ? What does that? Prayer. The prayer closet. You see that? The power is prayer. The power is what moves the hand of God; it's prayer. And we've got to get back to being a praying church.

Guest (Male): You've been listening to Regaining Lost Ground with Pastor Shane Idleman. You can find more information at westsidechristianfellowship.org. That's westsidechristianfellowship.org. And for all the latest on what God is doing with his ministry here, please be sure to follow us on most social media platforms. Westside Christian Fellowship is located 60 miles north of Los Angeles in Leona Valley, California. Thank you again for listening to today's message of regaining lost ground where we are reminded daily: Times change, truth does not.