A More Acceptable Offering | Pastor Travis Greene | Forward City Church

Hebrews 11:4. I'm going to read one verse if we could stand uh for his word and then uh you guys could sit down and I'm just going to share. I'mma fly through it and just kind of share with the Lord. I've been praying on this word and it it's a unique word, but I think it's going to be helpful for us um to get us started with with what's about to happen over the next couple days.

Verse four of Hebrews 11. It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable >> offering to God >> than Cain did. Abel's offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man. And God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

Amen. >> I want to preach just for a few moments from this idea, a more acceptable offering. >> Lord Jesus, thank you for allowing us to come here. Thank you for the Leonards, um, Pastor Kenny and Pastor Tasha who have never missed an engaged culture. >> And, um, thank you for friendship and fellowship.

And thank you for your Holy Spirit being here. Thank you, Lord, that um there are many here who are facing trials and there's some here that are feeling like they're drowning in shame and feeling like because of their lowest moments, that is their last moment, and that you're done with them.

I pray that in this atmosphere, you would resuscitate, revive, >> renew strength. Holy Spirit, do something unique that we'll never recover from. Change us from the inside out. Father, in this moment, I decrease. I don't want to be cool. I don't want to be retweeted. I I just want to please you. >> And so, I decrease.

You increase in here. Do a new thing. Do an old thing. >> Have your way in Jesus name. Just for one moment before we jump into the word, would you just lift your hands and lift your voices to him? And if you have a a heavenly language, just lift that up to them now.

Just purify our hearts, God. Purify our hearts, God. Change us for real. Let us cancel the show. Give us revival. Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, ((music playing)) >> this is your church. >> We are your people. ((music playing)) We turn from our wicked ways. We We turn from our vain ambitions. We turn from our hustle.

((music playing)) And we look to you, the author, the finisher of our Come on, just in a moment. I feel him here. I feel him. I feel him. I feel them. ((music playing)) Clean my hands. Purify my heart. ((music playing)) Take my life as a sacriice. ((music playing)) I want to do only for you. Oh my purify my heart.

I want to work for you. only for you. Change my heart as a sacriice. I want to love for you. >> Just the voices. Just the voices. Clean my hair. >> Purify my heart. >> Purify my heart. >> I want to burn for you, God. >> I want to burn. only >> take this life.

Take it >> as a sacrifice. >> As a sacriice, I want to burn for you. Only for you. >> Lord, prepare me >> to be a sanctuary. Pure and holy Christ ((music playing)) with thank ((music playing)) ((applause)) you for you >> and we thank you. I'll be a living. ((music playing)) ((applause)) ((music playing)) >> Hallelujah. Hallelu ((music playing)) Hallelujah.

Hallelu. Hallelu. ((music playing)) Hallelu. ((music playing)) Hallelujah. You can take your seats. I um ((music playing)) ((applause)) ((music playing)) ((applause)) ((applause)) ((music playing)) I believe the Lord has um he's been in incredibly gracious. ious and incredibly kind and incredibly tolerant >> because we've made this about everything but him ((applause)) >> and the Lord is stirring the hearts of a generation >> to return to the simple things.

I had a expensive jacket that I ordered cuz I wanted to look cool tonight. >> The Lord told me not to put it on. >> The simple is enough, man. >> Where it's where it's really just about him. like ((applause)) not not about bigger buildings and and not about more trophies and not about more money, >> but just him.

Because everything that we're trying to gain, all of these metrics and data for our own ego, you know, like none of this stuff is going to matter when we stand before him with his eyes like fire and his hair like wool. It's not going to matter. Our bank account is not going to matter.

Our following is not going to matter. Our tours and our trophies, it's not going to matter. our fancy clothes is not going to when we stand before him ((applause)) and I have determined in my heart I just want to hear him say well done ((music playing)) >> and he's been so patient >> he's he's let us act like it was about him and and he blessed it because he's a good father and he's kind >> but the Lord is desiring his children >> to desire him or we don't need social media post to excite us about coming to church.

We don't we don't need all the other stuff. I I mean I'm from a day Pastor Benny uh came up in the '9s, man, and we we didn't have nothing fancy. I didn't even know what a graphic was until I got to college. We didn't never had any of that stuff, man.

They had washboards and cowbells and >> tambourines and popup testimonies >> and miracles. ((music playing)) And we've been content coming in fancy and leaving unchanged, making our post and bragging in our preacher text thread about how many people came on Easter and nobody really encountered them. We just we're having cool services, but we're not having encounter.

And my my heart ((applause)) I'm desperate for encounter. I'm I'm desperate for the real things and I I don't care anymore. I don't care. I don't care if the church is empty but the people are full. I don't care anymore. ((applause)) >> I just want him. And if it was for nothing else that you came to Colombia, I I believe it was my job and my privilege to encourage you to return to a posture to a place of worship where he is primary, >> not the stuff, >> not the frills, not the thrills.

You know, it was Moses who said he said to God, he said, "Man, I don't know if you knew this, but Moses could have went into the promised land and God said, "I'll send an angel with you." He said, "I I I'll be done to hurt these people."

And Moses had the opportunity to go in before the wroth thing and before he got disqualified. And he told God, he said, "If you don't go, >> how how many of us, man, would that actually be our prayer?" >> And God, if if you're not in the gated community, I'm good here in the trailer park.

If if if you're if you're not in the promise, like I I'm good, man. Just whatever you do, whatever you do, whatever you do, whatever you do, don't take your presents. Don't take your presents. I don't need the fancy stuff. I don't need more notoriety. I don't need more attention.

God, if you don't go, ((music playing)) I want I want that, man. I want that for the generation. ((music playing)) >> The Lord took me around the world and put me in front of hundreds and thousands of people and gave me more than I could ever dream of. All just to show me that it's nothing.

((applause)) I went to the mountain and I looked out and I saw it was nothing. It was just hype. >> And it's cool. I'm not knocking that. That's still a part of my life. Don't hear me wrong. But now I have I have pure motives when I go out.

I I know when my motives are pure, when I'm not in such a rush that I can't stop and talk to the people >> who may not look important. ((applause)) >> I know. I know my motives are pure when I can go somewhere and see that they need the honorarium more than I do and I tell them keep it.

I I know my motives are pure >> when I'm not in such a rush to get to the stage that I don't call down fire with my team in the back before we walk out. I know my motives are pure when it's really about him. And God is turning the hearts of a generation.

Can you feel it? >> Hey, that that's why that's why it's been great services that you've been experiencing. But you still left like, man, there's something something missing. Something, you know, you know, you don't have to be in the world to be searching for something other than God to satisfy you. >> That's easy, preacher.

Drugs don't satisfy you. Alcohol don't satisfy you. Sex outside of marriage don't satis That's easy. But what about us who are trying to be satisfied by positions and titles and programs? This this this entire conference is for us to reenter. The Lord told me, he said, Travis, bring the power back, man. >> He said, if it's just me, you, and Jackie, bring the power back.

I don't care. But I I want a I want a house >> that would be a house of prayer. Not just a house of program. A a house that would be a house of true worship where I can sit in and I'm I'm not so rushed because honestly, you've been wanting a visitation more than a habitation.

I want a house that could be mine. And he's turning our hearts. He's turning our hearts. is turning our hearts where we're hungry again for power. >> We're hungry again for power. And we can give God an acceptable an acceptable offering. I was praying and the Lord said, "Travis, you guys have exchanged power for performance."

And >> and I had this thought. I said, "Man, if if Peter and Paul walked into our churches and took an assessment. >> Like what would they what would they say? Like what would they say? Would they would they go back and report? Yeah, it was fancy but it was no fire.

It was strategic but no spirit. >> It's packed, no power. >> Like what would that honestly say about what we call church today? The Lord, he's been on me. He says, "Travis, Travis, I'm ready. I'm ready to do a new thing." >> And I'm ready to do an old thing >> in a new way. >> But first, you got to you got to lose this contentment for leading powerless people.

((music playing)) >> Take a seat. I'm just going to talk for a couple moments. I um Thank y'all. I um I grew up in a town called Warner Robbins, Georgia. Um okay. Robins Air Force Base. And um first Columbus, Georgia, then Warner Robbins, Georgia. And my mother wanted to make sure I had discipline because my dad died when he was 28.

And my mom signed me up for ROTC. >> J ROTC. >> And um I think we got a picture. This is what I look like in ROTC. Um, just so you can know, this is this is true. This is me with the um floor model TV. You remember those?

And I was at RTC and I I served I served in the forces for uh for a couple years. And um they taught they taught us a lot of stuff. They taught us discipline. They taught us how to march and they taught us how to stand and all of this stuff and how to salute and all of that.

And uh yeah, I got a little about face on me, too. They taught me It's not about me. They taught me a lot of different things. Uh they did this thing called exhibition drills where they they would teach us how to throw up a a rifle and how to spin it and all kind of stuff.

Now, what was interesting about all of these drills is that they taught us the form, >> but they never actually taught us how to fight. >> Like, we look like we were ready for battle. >> We We looked like we was ready. We looked like we could stand right along with real soldiers, >> but we we had they had never taught us how to fight.

And I my heart is breaking because I think that's what we've been doing. We've been signing people up week after week to be in God's army without actually teaching them how to fight. They have the form of godliness, but denying the power and not understanding that there's a real war going on.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is not just random stuff that's happening to you. There's a reason why you can't sleep. And there's a reason why you've been having toxic behavior and thoughts and temptations is because there's a real devil in a real hell that's really trying to take your life. and we have raised you up to come and have a good time.

But you don't understand that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of the stronghold. You don't understand that you need a spiritual language and a spiritual encounter so you can fight a real spiritual devil. The devil do not respect >> you fighting in the flesh. >> He does not respect your logic or your experience or your education.

The only thing he actually responds to is spiritual weapons. This is why Paul said, "Fight the good fight of faith." This is why Paul said, "Make sure you put on the whole, not half, the whole armor of God so that you can stand against the ways of the enemy."

He's a devil coming after your children, coming after your mind, coming after your future. And if you don't get fully armored up, Not just for a photo, ((applause)) >> but you learn. My god. You learn how the war in the spirit. I miss those days. Mama tie. They'll put us on the altar to you know y'all know y'all aposol.

Y'all know what I'm talking about. They put you on the altar and the mothers will just get with you and you will you'll lose complete track of time. They called it tioning. Not Terry. No, not not a guy named Terry. It was the activity. You got there and you said, you remember that, Stephen?

You said Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, G. You said Jesus so much that you didn't even say the full name. G G. And next thing you know, something start happening on the inside of you. And the desires you walked in the church with, you walked out free and liberated.

But we done got so cute and so fancy that we have a good time in here. And by the time we in the parking lot, we back on pornography. is because we don't have the real power of the Holy Ghost. And I'm wondering, is there anybody in this room that said, "I need more.

I need more. I need the real thing. If I got to get on my face, if I got to turn upside down my plate, I need an encounter with the power of God." Shout, "The Holy Ghost." >> The Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is not just for the Pentecostals.

((applause)) the the the Holy Ghost did not begin at Isuza Street revival. >> Here we go. The Holy Ghost did not begin in Acts chapter 2. >> That was the fulfillment of Job's prophecy. But if you look through the Bible, I'm going to help you a little bit. But if you look through scripture over and over, you will see this Holy Spirit.

He is the spirit of God. Genesis 1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the spirit, that's the Holy Ghost, the spirit of God was hovering over the waters. He was there at the very beginning.

To reject the Holy Ghost is to reject God himself. He is not an angel. He is not a thing. He is God. Do me a favor. Grab somebody. Tell them you need the Holy Ghost. You need the Holy Ghost. In the Old Testament, in the Old Testament, Jay, the Bible said the spirit, >> the Holy Spirit will come on them. >> And it was it was temporary. >> The spirit came on King Saul.

He started prophesying. The the spirit came on Samson. He started finding people. The spirit came on Elijah and Elisha and Ezekiel. It came on them. But in the New Testament, we don't just have the spirit come on us. >> That's why it always sound funny when somebody tell me, "I caught the Holy Ghost."

You can't catch him. The spirit didn't come on you. The spirit dwells in you. Out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water. It's a real thing on the inside of you. He comes alive in you. And it's not just temporary. It is permanent. Tell somebody you need the Holy Ghost.

((applause)) ((music playing)) >> Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I'mma tell you. I'mma tell you why we're scared of the Holy Ghost. cuz he not as gentlemen. ((applause)) ((music playing)) >> He don't He don't care about your schedule. >> He don't care about your swag. You could be walking through Walmart and that thing just I got to get back to the parking lot.

That thing just got to see the Bible is very clear when it talks about father, son, and the holy ghost. The father, the son and the holy ghost. One being undivided in nature but different in function. >> We see it at Jesus's baptism. The Bible says the father speaks and said this is my son whom I am well pleased.

And the Bible says he goes in the water and come up and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost >> descends on him, the Bible says, and settles. >> Good God. >> I don't want to get stuck right there. That's what we need. We've been cool with him descending, but we don't let him settle.

We don't stay still enough for him to settle. When he settle, he changed some stuff. When he settles, he'll switch up your appetite when he settles. And throughout scripture, we see the Holy Ghost present. He is God. >> Genesis 1:26, it says this. God said, "Let us," >> who was he talking to? >> Make man in our image, according to our likeness.

At the Tower of Babel, you remember this 11:7, he said, "Come, let us >> go down >> and confuse the language." I'm going to tell you what was happening. God consults with himself >> within himself. It's a holy huddle. Jesus said, Jesus said in John 16:7, he said, "Nevertheless, I tell you," he said, "you go, you want me to go up." >> He said, "I'll tell you the truth.

It is to your advantage." That's a tattoo right there. The Holy Ghost is to your advantage. He says, "To your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the helper, my God, >> will not come down to you. But if I go, I will send him."

Tag team. I will send him to you. Jesus ascended and the Holy Spirit descended. He is our helper. He is our comforter. He's the spirit of grace. Here's the spirit of truth. He is our counselor. He empowers us. He equips us. And he produces his fruit. Fruit of the spirit.

His fruit within us. And I was praying and the Lord said, "Travis, the problem is it is impossible for you to give me an acceptable offering >> without my spirit." ((applause)) >> And out of all of the stories that I could preach to start engaged culture, I went back to vacation Bible school, >> Cain and Abel, because this is the first offering ever recorded. >> In order to bring the power back, we got to give God what he wants.

I was in prayer. I was in prayer, Pastor Benny, and the Lord said, "Y'all keep asking for my outpouring, but you aren't willing to pour out." >> And very quickly, I'm just going to give you very, very basic. This is basic. It's It's not deep. Very basic. Three offerings that our God wants.

Three offerings. Number one, posture. >> Yes, sir. >> And this is the offering of brokenness. >> You take broken vessels. Yes, sir. >> Put us back together. >> Yes, sir. >> Cain Cain. Cain, ladies and gentlemen, is the first human ever born. >> You got to recognize Adam and Eve were created grown. >> You heard this beautiful baby just cry out.

Go ahead, baby. Worship him. Cain was the first baby to ever cry. Kane was the first one to ever have a birthday. >> Kane, this is important to know because I need you to know that Kane didn't start off as a murderer. >> He started out innocent like we all do. >> No one No one starts in ministry planning to stray away from God. >> No, no one starts a family planning to walk away from them. >> And so the question is, what happened?

Somewhere in Kane's journey, he allowed pride to enter his heart. Man, pride. Pride. Pride. Can we talk for a moment? Pride is the thing that convinced you that you don't need a prayer life. >> Pride. Pride tells you that you can work for God, but without God. Pride.

Pride tells you that in ministry that that your church rise and fall on your performance, on your preaching, on your singing. Pride tells you that we need you. And >> the biggest threat to your posture of brokenness is is pride. The Bible says in Genesis 4:6, throw it up for me.

The Bible says this. It says, it says, "Then the Lord said to Cain, why are you angry? Why is your face fallen?" >> Said, "Why you all downcast?" I love this. He said, "If you do what is right, >> will you not be accepted?" >> How powerful is that?

If you do what is right, will you not be not will your gift not be accepted? >> Will you? God says, I'm looking at your posture. And this is a powerful powerful verse to me because it tells me that God is after a lot more than what I just put in the offering plate. >> The real question is, am I acceptable?

My God. >> That's why that song get to me. Prepare me to be a a living sanctuary. Romans 12:1, one of my favorite verses. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, what's the word? Acceptable >> to God.

It's a reasonable act of service. Psalm 19:14, let the words of my mouth, this should be your daily prayer. >> And the meditation of my heart be what? Accept. I want to give you an acceptable offering. >> I noticed when I was studying this story, Tim, that jealousy wasn't actually his main problem.

What the main rebellion was? >> Rebellion cannot coexist with brokenness. >> Question. When was the last time you've been broken before him? >> We so put together. >> I'm talking about total dependency and reliance, complete openness, saying, "God, here I am naked before you." Because anything that is unbroken is being held together in your own strength. >> Broken.

Broken. Broken. Broken. broken. I'm talking about humility. >> Yeah. >> Brokenness. I'm I'm talking about a repentant heart, a submitted heart. This is the difference between King Saul and David. It's not really the gravity of the sin. If you really check the text, David probably did a lot more worse than Saul did.

Saul just went to a little wit stopped there and did some weird stuff. David killed his homie. >> Took her took his wife. >> David had a lot going on. So, it wasn't just their sin that separated them. I need you to hear this. The difference between Saul and David wasn't just their sin.

It was their posture. >> Because when God corrected Saul, pride showed up. >> He said, "Hey, just hey, hey, hey, hey, Samuel, just make sure I look good in front of the people, man." >> David said, "Boy, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Create in me >> a clean heart >> a clean heart to renew a right spirit in me."

He said, "Take anything. Don't take your presence." He said, "The sacrifice of God." He said, "I would try to pay for it, but I understand I can't because the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit." He said this. He said, "A contrite heart. You would not reject." I love this.

He said, "God, you would not reject a broken spirit >> and a repentant heart." >> But not only does God desire a posture, number two, he desires priority. >> Priority. >> Priority. the offering of obedience. Give him what he wants. Party. Watch what the Bible says. Genesis 4:3.

This is very powerful. It says, "In the course of time," pause, "in the course of time, Cain brought his offering." Another translation, when he felt like it. >> Another translation, on first and and third Sundays. My God. ((music playing)) >> Another translation. When it was convenient. >> Another translation. When he wasn't bitter and frustrated >> in the course of time, when he felt like it.

God is not someone that you put on your schedule. Listen to me. Listen to me. It it I it I I think it really grieves my heart when I hear people say, "I got to make time for God." You can't make time for somebody who created time. God is not someone that you get around to when it's convenient.

The Bible says, "Early will I seek you." God has to be priorit because when God is not first, it is an unacceptable offering. >> The difference Cain and Abel, Cain and Abel, they both brought an offering to God. The Bible says Cain brought it in the in the in the course of time.

Do you know what the name Cain means? It means acquired. >> So Cain brought something that he acquired. >> Abel brought something that God required. That's the difference. And I was looking at this and I I was like, "Well, I mean I mean, was it really that bad what he brought you?"

The Lord said, "Kain knew better." >> He knew better because when Cain parents, you remember his parents, right? Come on, Bible people. >> This is the easiest question you going to get all day. Who's Cain's parents? >> Adam. ((music playing)) When Cain's parents fell in sin, what did the Lord do?

He covered them with a tunic. What's a tunic? A coat. How do you make a coat? You got to kill an animal. So God said, "I already demonstrated for his parents what the requirement to cover sin is, what the offering is. The only acceptable offering requires blood." This is why the Bible says in Hebrews 9:22, "Without the shedding of blood," come on here, he says, "Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins."

God rejects Cain offering not only because he brought it when he felt like it, but he brought him a a bloodless sacrifice. >> And the Lord said, "Travis, this is my problem. This is my problem with this new school church that we keep trying to bring God stuff without killing anything." >> It it look good and it sound good, but God told you to kill that thing a long time ago.

He told you to kill that relationship months ago, but we just text every now and then. And I keep his letter in jacket so I can smell him every now and then. And God said, "I've been told you to kill that." And Cain tried to bypass the blood. >> The Lord be eating me up with this.

He said, he said, he said, "Cain came to me with dirt on his hands. Abel came to me with blood on his hands. >> And he said, Travis, either your hands are dirty or bloody. Real worship, come on, let's talk. Real worship requires real obedience. >> Real obedience requires real sacrifice.

This is why in the Old Testament, the priests were butchers. >> It was a bloody job. Did you know that when Aaron's sons were anointed into the Levitical order, when they were anointed, the Bible says when they were consecrated, they took blood. You remember this? And they put it on their big right toe.

They put on their ears and they put it on their thumb. The Lord is looking for blood. The Bible says, "Who can ascend to the hill of the Lord? who can stand in his holy place. Only those with clean hands and pure hearts. And the only thing strong enough to clean the dirt off our hands is the blood.

This is why, ladies and gentlemen, Jesus was arrested. >> He was tried. >> He was beat up, whooped, placed on the cross. They put a crown of thorns on his head, stuck nails in his feet. where they messed up was >> they put nails in his hands >> because it's through the bloody hands of Jesus, my God, that my hands are made clean.

The only way that we can bring God an acceptable sacrifice, an acceptable offering is when we receive his blood. And when we walk in obedience, I'm so sorry, ladies and gentlemen. It's not just lifting up your hand. I want to be saved. Lift up your hands and walking through life not doing what he wants you to do.

Salvation is more than just a frill and a thrill and a momentary feeling of guilt. Salvation, the Bible says, walk out, work out your own soul. Salvation, it is a process of sanctification that whenever God requires something of you, even when your flesh don't feel like it, when your spirit speaks to me with my whole heart, I'll agree.

And my answer will be yes. The question is, when was the last time you killed something? ((applause)) >> I don't care that you've been saved for 40 years. When is the last time you killed something? When is the last time you killed that pride and said, "I'm sorry." When was the last time you killed your convenience and woke up when he told you to?

When is the last time you killed something? >> God says, "The offering I'm what?" >> Posture, priority. We're done right here. >> The last one, and perhaps the most important, purity, >> the offering of transformation. Amen. >> He said, he said, Travis, the acceptable >> offering that I want >> is not just from your hands.

It's from your heart. >> A transformed life. >> It is a weak Christianity. >> When we're content staying the same, >> that is literally denying the power. >> His power. You heard Pastor Ken up here. One moment in his presence. >> He didn't say, "I got up and did 30 days of a therapy session." >> No.

He didn't say, "I got up and then they had to and I had to just admit all of the trauma and talk about how, you know, this is my excuse and this is why." No, no, no. He got up changed. >> The power of I'm sorry. I know y'all don't like this.

Y'all want to just get in and post about all the stuff you've been through. We all done been through stuff. We all got a reason quote unquote to sin. The power of God is strong enough to change your life. The power of God is strong enough to rewrite your history.

The power of God is strong enough still to break chains. Still to break your still, >> to transform. >> Why are we the same? ((music playing)) ((applause)) Yes, Lord. >> I'm not talking to sinners. >> I'm talking to people who've had the same prayer life for 10 years. Why are we the same?

I'm not talking to people who going to leave and get high. I'm talking to people who come to church every Sunday and still can't lay hands on nobody. Why are we the same? Why are there still sick people in our family? Why are there still unsaved people on our jobs?

Why don't we walk in power? The Bible says Peter walked down the street and the shadow healed people. Why are we the same? ((applause)) >> I'll tell you why. I'll tell you why. >> Because God >> is a God who checks for purity. >> It's not enough to want power.

Sons ofKa. ((applause)) ((music playing)) Sometimes we want his power so that we can have a better show. >> God says, "I'm not I'm not in the business of promoting the greatest showman. I'm >> looking for someone who's pure >> who says, "God, if I never get more than 10 followers on Instagram, >> I want to be pure before you."

Kane, this this jack me up cuz Kane was at a crossroad. >> You will not find a Bible story that did not have grace in it. >> Period. Because he's the spirit of grace. You'll see it everywhere. You'll see it everywhere. >> You'll see it everywhere. Check the Bible.

It's everywhere. You see it at Sodom and Gomorrah. >> Grace. >> You see it with Nineveh. Grace. You see it over and over. Even in the most toxic and craziest situations, his grace come and it came to Cain and he rejected it. The Bible says God spoke to him.

He says, "If you do what is right, will it not be accepted?" He said, "But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door." >> It desires to have you, but you must rule over it. I'm going tell you, up until this week, this this verse never hit me like it did this week.

Because this week as I was praying and studying over and I couldn't shake this story, the Lord said, "Don't just look at what I said, look at when I said it." >> And it dawned on me, Aaron, that God said this to Kane after he rejected his offering. >> Which tells me >> that even when I get it wrong, he still speaks.

Even when I I give him something that he didn't ask for, he's so gracious, my God, that he'll still speak. And it was Cain who rejected the grace of God. >> Even when God gave him another chance, >> the proof the spirit, ladies and gentlemen, is not just tongues. >> It's transformation. >> There's a lot of tongue talking and unchanged people.

Lord says, "I want to transform you." >> into my image >> where your motives are pure again. >> Question is not do you have the Holy Spirit? You receive him with salvation. >> The question is, does the Holy Spirit have you? >> Lastly, I'll say that purity is not perfection. >> All have sinned and fallen short.

Purity is a pursuit of his presence >> and a pursuit of a lifestyle to please him. God, I want to please you. I'm not satisfied where I am, my God. >> I'm not I'm not satisfied with the choices, the thought patterns. I I'm not satisfied making excuses for my actions.

I want to live a life that is pleasing to you because hearts that don't come clean before him are capable shows of of anything. Cain didn't think that he would ever do what he did. When he when he was unwilling to kill what God wanted, he ended up killing what he supposed to keep.

I'm talking about purity, man. I'm talking about purity. Brokenness. Brokenness before God. Because it is brokenness that that leads me to a posture of worship. And in this worship, I get a revelation. when I get a revelation according to Romans transformed by the renewing by seeing him differently.

And I couldn't I couldn't get out of this message without talking about this woman in the New Testament perhaps the New Testament Abel who who comes to Jesus this final days and the Bible says she's a sinful woman. She comes to him with a jar of perfume and she breaks it at his feet.

And when I was reading and praying, the Lord said, "It wasn't just the jar that was broken. It was her that was broken." And some of the guys there said, "Man, she's wasting it." >> Ladies and gentlemen, you can never waste worship. >> Listen, listen. You can never waste worship.

I know it sounds funny and I know people in the house like, "Man, would you please hush?" My mom used to just wake us up all kind of time of night just worshiping God. It's going in. And I'll be 100 years old and I'll still be able to hear her voice because the worship wasn't wasted.

It was it was forming something. It was creating an atmosphere of miracles. It was it was creating an atmosphere. Listen parents, create an atmosphere in your home. This woman broke herself before the Lord. She had the right posture. She prioritize them. She said, "You're worthy of it all."

And watch what happens. Jesus says, this is beautiful. I love this. I love this. Jesus says, "Hey, your sins are forgiven." This is very important, ladies and gentlemen. When you prioritize him and you come to him with a posture of brokenness, he will purify. >> It's not in your own efforts.

It's not in your own works. It's not in your own strength. He is the purifier. When you come before him and say, "God, here I am, humble, >> yes, sir. >> Broken, >> emptied, >> poured out." He says, "I'll I'll purify you >> and then ladies and gentlemen, you will become the acceptable offering." >> I felt as I was preaching, I was supposed to do a prayer.

We're going to roll out. We're not going to be here too long tonight cuz we got a lot coming up. Torren is preaching tomorrow. Uh Pastor Benny's preaching tomorrow. It's going to be a powerful day. Uh, but I want to pray if you would join me on your feet for a moment.

And this this is the prayer I I want to pray for those who've been struggling with purity is just say, "God, I'm I'm broken. Here I am." God said the next outpour will happen when you pour yourself out. And if that's you in this room or even online, you saying, "Man, you know, I've been in this rustle.

I've been struggling with purifi with purity." The Lord says, "I am the purifier >> and I will make you whole again. >> I will create in you a clean heart and renew in you a right spirit if you want it." >> And if that's you, I don't care how old you are.

And I don't care what it is. This is not onedimensional. This isn't just about lust. This is about anything in your heart. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you. I want to pray for purity. If that's you, I want you to meet me at the altar.

I want you to meet me at the altar. >> Hey family, it's Pastor Jim. I pray that this message you just heard impacted your life forever. That's our desire. And not only you, but that you would share it with a friend, a family member, anyone that God puts on your heart that this word would affect, would change them, too.

Hey, also while you're at it, head over to our YouTube, become a subscriber, hit that bell notification so that you are notified every time we upload something new. and Meg. We have some good stuff coming to you. Hey, at Ford City, we don't dismiss. We simply declare your past is gone.

Your future awaits. Move forward.