Where is your focus? Pastor Benjamin Foster 8/11/24

[Music] praise God we bring you greetings on today from Divine Encounter Church and glad for everyone who is here in person as well as those who are viewing via the Internet we are blessed uh by God anytime you wake up and you see another day you got to realize you are blessed it's a blessing that anytime that you can wake up in a nation like America where that we have freedom of religion we can worship God freely and openly you are blessed anytime you can read a Bible study a Bible for yourself you are blessed praise God so you make no mistake about it you are blessed God is good and so we want to move forward into our service on today and we're going to start with an opening scripture and after our opening scripture we're going to have a Prayer by my wife evangelist Mary Foster uh but first we're GNA have a scripture by my son Benjamin so if you can come forward at this time and let us have a reading Luke 2 verse 46 and it reads and it came to pass that after three days they found him in the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors both hearing them and asking them questions and all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers and when they saw him they were amazed and his mother said unto him son why hast thou thus dealt with us Behold thy father and I have sought thee Sorrowing and he said unto them how is it that ye sought me wish ye not that I must be about my father's business and they understood not the saying which he spake unto them and he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart and Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man praise God for the reading of his word amen hallelujah let us all stand as we just boldly go before the Lord in Humble and sincerity of heart father in the name of Jesus we just come honoring you oh God lord we just come giving you the glory because you're Lord we come giving you the honor because you're God You Are God Alone and you're worthy to be praised oh Lord how we just magnify you on this day Lord you've given us this day and we thank you oh God we awaken this morning Lord God by your power by your strength and by your might and we just thank you oh God you've given us another opportunity Lord God to move forward Lord God to accomplish the will of you who have sent us Lord God and we are ever thankful oh God God our hearts are filled with gratefulness oh we're grateful to you oh god oh because you're The Giver of every good and perfect gift uh we're grateful to you oh God uh because you are such a loving awesome and kind God uh we're so grateful to you oh God because you've done marvelous things Lord God uh we can say that we're glad we're glad Lord God for The Marvelous things that you do oh God and oh God we just come lifting you up this day uh we come exalting you uh oh we come lifting up the name of your son Jesus Christ who reigns forever and ever we come lifting your name on high oh god oh we come lifting you up uh and blessing your holy name uh oh you are Eternal oh God we thank you oh God we rejoice in your each eternality oh God there's not an end to you oh God you are alpha omega beginning and the end the first and the last and The Great I Am and oh God we just exalt you uh oh we come lifting you up oh god oh thank you oh God thank you oh God for salvation thank you oh God for bringing us into your kingdom uh thank you oh God for birthing us Lord God into your glorious Kingdom um oh thank you oh God that we're a new creation in Christ Jesus thank you oh God for the blessings and the favor Lord God of Salvation oh God this great and awesome salvation that you've given us H there are many blessings Lord God that comes with it h many promises many great and precious promises and oh God we thank you oh God oh God we pray that you'll do a work in US Lord Lord God as only you can Lord you are a powerful God and you can work the awesome Lord God so we say that we're yielded to you oh God we're committed to you oh god oh do a work in our lives Lord God do an awesome work uh stir us up Lord God stir our hearts Lord God oh in the name of Jesus uh stir us up Lord God that we'll want Lord God to do your will uh that our desires Will Be Your Will that our focal point in life Lord God will be to accomplish your purposes oh Father be with us Lord God and bless us today oh god oh we ask for your presence Lord God the more in the name of Jesus H more of you Lord God less of us but more of you uh more more of Heaven more more of the things of God more more of the kingdom of God oh let the kingdom of God be worked in us oh God In The Name of Jesus uh oh God bless us today Lord God as we seek Lord God to worship you uh to spend time with you uh to listen Lord God to the word that you've sent to us from Heaven oh father let our hearts be open to receive your word let our hearts be open uh to take in your word and let our hearts be open to apply your word to our lives daily that we will be a perfect example of the resurrected Christ Our Lord oh Father we just thank you now for all things uh and all blessings in Jesus mighty name amen Pastor Ben at this time thank you uh evangelist Mary praise God Amen you may be seated in the house of the Lord praise God we are uh grateful for God's kindness and his Rich blessings uh in all of our lives uh from the word of God we're going to go to First John on today the Epistle of First John and chapter two and we're going to start at verse number 15 the first Epistle of John chapter two and we will start at verse number 15 praise God and uh me and my wife and two of my children my oldest daughter wasn't able to come with us but uh me and my wife and two of my children we were blessed to go for a vacation to get out of town for a while and to out and just see the beauty of Nature and enjoy ourselves period of time uh it was just a time of refreshing and relaxation for us and uh we are grateful that God blessed us to go and to come back safely praise God he blessed us to go and to that journey and to come back safely and uh I'm glad to say I didn't gain any weight on my vacation I was concerned that I'd come back 10 pounds heavier I said and I got on the scale and I said whoa a any weight I was glad because I I tell you I like to keep my weight right in a certain range praise God but it's good to get away but it's even better when you get back is something about when you get back home praise God so 1 John Chapter 2 vers 15 through 17 where it reads love not the world neither the things if any man love the world the love of the father is in him for all that is in the world of the Flesh and the lust of the ey and the pride of is not of the father but is of the world and the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever praise God may God add a blessing to the reading and the hearing of word and so what I want to talk to you today about is where is your focus is your focus and What In this passage of scripture written by the Apostle John is John dealing with the topic of the world he's writing to the church about the word and the love that some people have the world okay he's he's dealing with the topic of the world the love of the world contrasting it with the will of God which do you love do you love this present world or do you love the will of God do you love the word of God and that's really the Con making as you read this particular p mage of scripture and so he says love not the world well the first thing we got to understand is what is the definition of world that John uh was giving was speaking about what is what is he talking about when he says the world and don't love the world is he talking about physical planet planet Earth don't love the world world the planet Earth okay what is he talking about okay I can tell you he's not talking about the physical Planet when he speaks of the world but what he's talking about it comes from the Greek word Cosmos okay the Greek word is Cosmos and what it speaks of is the world system okay the world system that is what John is exort US concerning that's what he's dealing with dealing with in this particular P of scripture and admonishing US concerning okay the cosmos okay the world system that's where the problem lies is when we love the world system okay we know that this world system is not the system that God created in the beginning of time the original glorious beautiful uh system that God intended it to be no the world Fallen State it's in a fallen state issues it has problems okay there's crime there's violence there's war there's disease and sickness there's hatred GED lust theft these are all that have become a part of this current world system this current world system is a fallen system World system is not the system that God envisioned in the beginning is not the system that God wants to be in place in the beginning no but this world system are experiencing uh is a result of sin sin is what messed up system sin is what corrupted the world sin is what brought about the fall the fall of the Glorious system that God originally put in place is sin that disrupted original intent and God's design sin is what corrupted it okay uh so we live in a fallen World a Fallen World system and John lets us know what this world system is really driven by okay he tells us in this passage what really is behind this world system what really is motivating the world's system what really is driving the world's system and he lets us know three things are driving the world's system three things that can be really brought down to just two things okay when you really look at it you can really break it down to just two things it says the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life okay and he says it is not of the father of the world and so lust of the Flesh and lust of the eyes both of them motivated through what lust okay so lust and pride those are the two things that are behind the world system that's what really drives the world system the world economy that's what really drives the American Stock Market okay uh really look at it it's pride and lust okay pride in the sense that companies want to prove that they're better than other companies company CEOs want to distinguish themselves as being greater and better other CEOs uh and then you have uh the pride Factor you have the fact that companies uh want make more money for their investors they want to bring in as money as possible no matter how much money these companies for more they fight and they more and more corporate profit corporate greed is a real thing greed is a real thing it's a real issue in our world corporate greed is driven by lust lust that men's Hearts have for more that men's Hearts have for more things more stuff more money more wealth okay that's what drives the stock market okay and the stock market is component of this world system that we see in our world another thing that you've got to understand about this world system World system is actually ruled by our the world system is not ruled uh by God and and his angels they're not ruling over the world system because it's Fallen it's messed up there's war there's disease there's sickness and there's all kinds of issues so it's not really ruled and governed by God and His angels the world system is being dominated and is being influenced and manipulated by our enemy and his angels the devil and his Angel the Demonic Kingdom that's who is manipulating the world system that's who has caused the world's system to be all about lust and pride that's why the world system is in that state it's all about lust and pride okay and so it shouldn't difficult for us as Believers it shouldn't be diff difficult for us as Believers to see that we should not love and have an affection for this current world system we shouldn't love it it should not be something that we are enamored with something that we Delight in it should not be that type ation at all you know I I've met people Delight in the world system they like the greed system they like uh uh the cheating and theing running and hustling that is a part of the world system they actually like it they Delight in it I used to work uh some years back for an automotive dealership and it was interesting serving the sales staff at that Automotive dealership because what they would do is they would con or try to con a customer and then can brag about it yeah you know what I told that customer I told him that and I made a extra $2,000 by doing that I made an extra $500 by doing this this is what they were into real out of it they loved uh that system they able to cheat people and Rob people and deceive people they didn't have a problem with it at all they were dri their own lust they liked lust and they they were driven by it and they liked the pride of life it was not just enough some of that uh money that they shouldn't have had by deceiving the customer but they had that because then they wanted to boast about it they wanted to brag okay and so they went from lusting for someone else's and then they went over into the realm of boasting about it which is PR okay Pride so these men were driven unfortunately men and there was also some women that worked there too men and women women okay they were driven by lust and pride okay and so the world system it's influenced by our enemy it's not under the control of God God does not get his way in everything that happens in this world did you know that he doesn't get way in everything that happens in this world there's a lot of junk that happens in world that God is in no way in agreement with there's a lot of evil that happens in this world that God is totally opposed to and he is in no way in favor of there's a lot of evil in this world corruption wickedness GRE lust deceit that happens every day and God is not pleased with it he's not happy at all God doesn't get his way in everything that happens World okay there's a false teaching that is out there that basically says God is in of everything he's not in control of everything if God was in control of everything not a single person would be lost okay not a person would end up lost but yet and still Jesus made it very clear that is the way that leads to destruction and narrow that leads to life and few there be that find it Jesus made it very that it's not going to be just vast multitudes uh the majority of people that are going to come to Faith Jesus made it very clear that is going to be a much smaller number that are come to faith in Christ than those that oppose Christ okay more people are going to make a decision to a a in his gospel and oppose the truth rather than truth more people are going to go in the wrong direction Bible on the other hand lets us know it is not God's will that any should but that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth the God's desire is is is his will that's what he wants he wants everybody to be saved he doesn't want a single to be lost God is Not content with just one person ending up eternally lost not not even person he's that concerned about human Affairs just that concerned about you as a human being it's not a single person to be lost he wants all of us to make it in to enter into heaven in the end you don't want be lost see so God wants that to get that see he doesn't get everything that he wants in this world God doesn't want a single baby to be aborted and put to death before they can live in this world he didn't want that to happen but what happens it happens because of the will of man it happens because God gave us the ability as human beings to make our own decisions he doesn't want a single baby to be lost and babies that are born into this world he doesn't want a single one of them to be lost to die okay I'm not talking about ending ending up eternally lost but I'm saying die you don't want a single baby to die but it happens every day it's unfortunate it's sad but babies die they're in innocent they didn't do any wrong they're going to enter into heaven okay God is just that merciful he's that kind they're going to enter into heaven okay those little innocent sweet babies they're gonna make it to Heaven they're not going to be lost but God is not pleased that they didn't get to live out their life God is not pleased that they didn't get to enter into their Destiny in this physical world he's not pleased that they would be off and not have a chance CH to preach the gospel if they were called preacher not have a chance to teach if they were called to be a teacher not have to write if they were called to be a writer not have a chance to be a scientist if they were called to function in science chance to practice medicine if they were called to practice medicine God is not pleased with that at all not being able to EXP exp erience what they were and designed to do he's not pleased with that but still we see it happening every day little children cut off sometimes before they're even born cut off not allowed to pursue Destinies so God don't get his way in everything as this world is Fallen forget that people always point the finger at God when trouble happens in the world they say where was God at I remember on 911 2000 when those Twin Towers fell I remember when that happened early and it was such a horrific horrific occasion occurrence horrific sight seeing people jump out to their death and seeing those Towers come down people it was a horrific thing it was a terrible thing began to say well where was God people began to say where was God they were blaming God for something that God didn't have anything to do with God didn't bring those towers down can't blame God for it you can't blame God for it that was evil men inspired by demons that brought that about evil men inspired by the kingdom of darkness they are the ones that brought it about you can't blame God for the evil that people conspire to do and decide to do we can't blame God for it we've got to Humble ourselves and say God and acknowledge that it wasn't God okay and that often when evil happens in this world it's just people that come together and bring about it's people that bring about a lot of evil in this world people make decisions people side with Darkness rather than siding with light people choose evil rather than good it's the decisions of man so we need pointing the finger at our eles as human beings when real trouble worldl we need to point the finger at ourselves and say why did we do this and point the finger at God so uh a lot happens in this Fallen World God is not pleased with but you know what God desires for man God desires the highest good for man that's what God is concerned about he's concerned about the highest good and you know what the highest good for man is the highest that none of us would be lost but that every one of us in heaven with God for eternity every of us would be with our creator eternally that's the highest good and that's what God focuses on the world has fallen messed up and erupted so God is wise he says well I got to focus on what's most I gotta focus on doing the highest good I gotta Focus uh preserving people so they don't end up eternally lost you see that's what God focuses upon his focus on is on making sure that people don't end up lost he looks at the situation in this world and he says it's messed a lot of trouble a lot of wickedness and a lot of evil and God is concerned about even making sure that people are blessed not saying that he won't bless you in this life but his greatest Focus the greatest focus of God is that no one be lost that everyone be saved and come to the knowledge of the Hallelujah that's the greatest good experience if a person just makes it to Heaven they've won the lottery a billion times over there's no greater good you can experience than to just make it to heaven and be with God eternally don't you realize that there's nobody in the Eternal ages to come that's going to be lost from Heaven that's going to somehow fall in end up missing out on uh Heaven nope everybody that Miss to Heaven if you just make it there you're going to be with God eternally you will be with God eternally okay God is what is God doing in this world God is doing away with evil that's the plan and the wisdom God he's doing away with evil he's Gathering Together everybody do side with Darkness everybody that's GNA side with evil everybody not want to be in his glory and in his light eternally he's allowing them to live out their lives and they will be separated eternally the glory and presence of God that's the wisdom of God okay the devil and his angels that's who hell was created for it wasn't even created for us as human beings God didn't cre for us it was created for the devil and his angels we side with the devil and his angels then unfortunately God is going to what we have chosen okay he's going to give us what we and if we side with the evil one then we're going to go where the evil goes so God is looking for us as human beings to side with him amen he's looking for us as human beings to get on the right side get out of the kingdom of darkness and come over into the Kingdom of Light Hallelujah that's the vision he wants us to walk in the light and walk in the light of his word and so uh this world system is ruled by not ruled by God okay God he's the most powerful being he's the most high God but allowing many things to happen because of the will of man he's allowing many evils to transpire in this world because we as human beings are siding with the evil and so that we're living in it holds people captive using three different things it holds people in three different things I often wonder why don't people just say you know I've lived a number of years out into the world and I've done some things uh that sinful unrighteous Unholy they weren't really good and I've tasted of that world I want a taste of righteousness and truth and I just want to make sure that I'm ready to meet God I often wonder how come people don't just reason that within themselves it seems like they get out into the world and they taste of what's in the world and it's like they're they're never satisfied and they keep on trying to make satisfy them they keep on trying to make something that never intended to satisfy them to trying to make that thing somehow satisfy them they go after it over and over over and so the three things that hold people captive are this it's the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life those are the three things that hope captive in this world lust of the flesh lust of the eyes and the pride of life okay and uh the L of the flesh what is it the lust of the flesh is a craving sinful craving that we have for sensual pleasure sensual gratification that's it is that's what the lust of the flesh really is all about is a craving that's within us as human beings a a lust a passion for sensual pleasure sensual gratification okay that's what the lust of the flesh really about the lust of the flesh is what drives people to become addicted to pornography they go after pornography thinking that you know what by looking at por find the ultimate satisfaction the ultimate pleasure the ultimate Joy I'm will fulfillment they run after pornography out that the pornography don't feel the emptiness of the human heart heart it doesn't feel the emptiness of The Human Experience it doesn't satis pornography doesn't have the power to satisfy you people go out and get involved in kinds of uh relationships whe hetosexual or homosexual relationships they get involved in the they I'm going to find genuine satisfaction I'm going to find genuine I'm going to get a sense of real fulfillment if I just get involved kind of activity this kind of sexual activity way of living they get out there it and find out that it don't satisfy still empty there's still a longing in the heart of there's still a longing within the very of man that cries out cries fulfillment they find out is not there out and say you know what I'm gonna go out and and uh I'm gonna different drugs I'm gonna get involved with various drugs marijuana okay uh uh cocaine heroin uh the opioids all these different drugs they get out and just run after drugs thinking that this is the answer this is the answer this is the Panacea this is that which cures everything this is what they think if I can just get enough drugs and alcohol I'll find a sense of fulfillment they get out involved in in the drugs and the on and find out with time that it don't fulfill me I'm not satisfied I tried to find a sense of satisfaction I tried to find a sense of wholeness but I just something's missing I'm empty on the inside all theol that I drink I'm I'm still empty all the drugs that I experiment with and take I'm still empty there's still a longing in my heart for something bigger drugs just don't satisfy me they just don't satisfy me this people learn the hard way often times it's I find it quite uh sad when I look at that people are actually running after these various drugs uh even though they know history that drugs are not the answer all they got to do is look in a history book about what happened in the 70s 60s and how drugs ruin people's lives and that's all they got to do yet and still like fly that are uh flying towards the Flames where burned up and destroyed they gotion they go right in that direction even though even though they know from a historical perspective be the answer it's sad but it's it's sad but it's true people run after drugs and run thinking that it's going to fill me up there's men become players players going running around from and bar to bar looking for women to pray on to use for sexual pleasure they get out there and get involved in that kind of a lifestyle and find out there's no in it as a matter of fact that lifestyle actually your life because it makes it where you can't settle down makes it so hard for you to settle down after you've been out there and a loose wild life there's many people who have lived that way who will tell you I like to settle down have a wife and have children I would love to do it but I can't do it all the chasing of the women has messed me up has messed me up where I can't just settle down I know that it's better for me to settle down I know it's good and I know it would please God even I just can't settle down you see this is what happens through sin and so people uh through the lust of the flesh these are some of the things that they fall victim to the lust of the flesh is about sensual pleasure that's what it's about then there's the lust of the eyes the of the eyes that's basically when you lust for things that's what the lust of the eyes is really about is when you lust for things you lust for uh a bigger house you lust for a nicer car you lust for uh a nicer lawn okay you lust for uh just things things okay things you you crave and you desire things and you go after things you think that somehow things are going to satisfy the emptiness satisfy the longing of the human heart after things thinking that that's where it's at if I can just get enough stuff this is what people are deceived into there's been example after example of people who have become deceived by things and they've chased out as though that's the answer they cha they chased after that was going to give them true fulfillment and found out it just didn't work okay they found out that uh if you become with with your various issues that you have you you become wealthy and you're a person that still has an emptiness a spirit inside of they find out that you know what I'm just become with all of my a wealthy person who is empty on the inside the wealth didn't change me on the inside it changed my external maybe I got a nicer home nicer cars and things like clothing but it didn't change the internal issues that I have and what's sad is that the re have this in common both of them are addicts there's problems with addiction to drugs and alcohol porography among the rich and the poor alike doesn't matter doesn't matter if a person's Rich say oh because I'm rich I'm have these issues no you can't say that money is not the Cure All money is not the pania so people run after these things physical things you know if I go to the mall and just do some shopping that's G to satisfy me so you have people that go to the mall every day every day they're at the mall shopping why what are they doing they're trying to fill a spiritual void a spiritual emptiness with physical things you cannot fulfill your spirit with physical things physical things were not made to fulfill your spirit physical things can help you with physical issues physical things can uh make your life more convenient make it easier I'm not saying that is not good to have things okay it's a blessing if you have a few things to make your life more easy and more convenient it's a blessing to have but the issue is when we get into the state of mind that says that these things are going to satisfy me and these things are the Panacea and I keep using that Panacea that just means cure all okay the cure all okay the the one thing the miracle medicine that solves every problem that's what a Panacea is okay and people think that uh things if they can buy a things they're going to be satisfied that's the lust of the eyes and then others are entrapped by the pride of life others are entrapped by that pride of life is is basically I have a PhD I have a h a home in a very exclusive part of town where only the top% can live in that area and you don't have that and you're not you're down here I'm up here you gotta look you gotta realize that I'm a somebody or member of uh an exclusive fraternity or sorority and you didn't they accepted me into their club and they didn't accept you or I'm a part of a special golf club and this golf club is so Elite and special that even presidents of the United States join this club golf club that I got admitted into it's not just for the everyday this is a club that's for the special F the elite people you got to be a real a part of this club or if you're in sports made it to the hall of fame in my sport there's many people that played this sport but I'm I'm one of the few that made the profess Football Hall of Fame with all playing the professional football league the NFL they only maybe two people per year into their Hall of Fame only two people out of all those people that play in the NFL maybe two people get in it seems per year very hard to get into the NFL Hall of Fame but if you make it to the NFL Hall of Fame it's not going to satisfy the longing of your spirit it's not going to satisfy the longing of the human heart you are longing for something that is spiritual you are longing for something that is not of this world you are longing for something that is Supernatural you are longing for something that is beyond the Physical Realm at all Hallelujah and the longing of the human heart is for his creator that's where that's what our long for is for our creator that's what we really long for that's the answer that people keep avoiding that's the answer that people see but they don't see that's the PE that's the answer that people know about but they try to ignore and not know about the real answer for this Fallen [Music] word is its creator there's a god-shaped hole inside heart of every man inside of the heart of every on planet Earth there is a hole that only God can fill there is a hole and a void that only God can cause to have sense of satisfaction there's a within all of us and Only God Can fulfill that void only God can remove it's only God that can do it and we long for as human beings and the lust of the flesh the lust of the and the pride of life these things will not satisfy us these are count what they are the these are counterfeits these are things that are to deceive us he uses these things to deceive us many people that are walking through this world and thinking if I could just find the love of my life I would have ultimate satisfaction and that would for me if I could just uh get a lambor or a Porsche a Porche if I could just car I would be fully satisfied if I could just get that get a house on the hill exclusive house on the hill a mansion people would look up on that hill and see every time they look up on that heel and see that there's somebody of stature up there that owns that house they think that if they could get that they would be satisfied the Hall of Fame I would be satisfied if I could just get enough money I would be satisfied if I could just get enough uh women success drugs alcohol you see this is what the devil uses to entrant people people grab a hold of these things thinking that they're the answer and they're the Panacea and they turn out to be that which brings about their destruction they turn out to be the very things that destroy the person rather than help the person Elevate the person you see people are going after the wrong things the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is what people are running after but look at what John says In this passage of scripture he tells us love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man the world the love of the father is not in him so if somebody loves the world he says look the love of the father is not in that person if they love this world system the love of the father is not in them now why did say that because if you genuinely World it implies that you love the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life because that is motiv dating the world system those that love the world according to 1 John 15 1 John 2 and 15 are people that love love the lust of the Flesh thees and the pride of life and when you love things you're loving lust and pride but when you love God's when you love God's way and you love God's word what you're going to love is you're going to love loving and you're going to love humble humility okay so uh this world system is driven by uh lust Pride but God's kingdom and God's ways are driven by love sacrificial love towards others humility okay himself when he was on this Earth he said I am meek and heart you want to know what Jesus is like he's Meek and in his heart and he said if you come and follow me rest to your souls Jes Meek and low in heart he's not proud and arrogant that's not his way he's a man of humility so humble that he would wash his own disciples feet was willing to do in that day and time your feet could get quite dirty too running sandals all day in those Dusty roads your feet could get caked Jesus demonstrated humility because he's the very Son of God he's the Creator the Bible says without him was not anything made that was made okay and he humbled himself got down and washed his disciples feet okay humility we've got to grow in that quality that was the nature of Jesus Christ Jesus didn't come to this world with the attitude y'all better serve me and do what I tell y'all to do that wasn't his attitude at all his attitude was I'm here to serve erve I'm here to lay down my life a ransom for many and so Jesus demonstrated uh the divine nature and he gave up life he laid it down for this world and so what you got to realize is that the things the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life these are all that this world can really offer you when think about that's all the world can really offer you that's it lust of the flesh lust of the eyes and the pride of life that's all the really offer you so you got to wake up people need to wake up to the reality that you're pursuing something thinking that there's something out there something bigger something greater that's out there in the world of God see they won't seek after God all they'll seek after things in this present world to seeking after God and His will they won't reach out for it w get into the word of God they won't uh pray and seek say God what do you really want from my life they won't do it they're determined and bent on what finding fact action outside of God but that's all the world can really offer you in different forms everything is associated when the devil gives you all he's gonna offer you when the devil tempted Jesus that's all he really offer he offered Jesus the lust of the flesh lust of the eyes and the pride of life if you look at that passage of scripture you'll see it very clearly he saidif you are the Son of God then uh make these Stones red okay make these stones into bread what is that that's pride of life show yourself to be a real somebody Son of God demonstrate that you're a real somebody make this these Stones if you're the Son of God then jump off this this Temple because he'll give his angels charge over you and they they're gonna uh uh lift you up lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone okay uh so jump off this building then he the world showed him uh the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time showed them all the kingdoms in the world and said if you bow down and you worship me I'll give you all of this what is that lust of the eyes lust of the eyes so that's what the devil did he offered him those things that's all he can really offer off for you this is John making a clear statement about what the devil really can offer people in this world it's just lust of the flesh lust of the eyes and the pride of life and that's all he could offer Jesus Christ Jesus came into this world he offered him the same thing and Jesus to told him no made it very clear I don't agree with you Jesus in no way uh made any decision that was driven by those three things and so it's those three things that cause people to love the world system and if you are into those three things you're gonna love this world and you're gonna cling to it you're gonna love the world system and you're gonna hold on to it and you're gonna say I'm not giving it I like these things I like my drugs I like my alcohol I like my fornication I like my adulterous Affairs for people that are into adulterous Affairs I like my I like my stealing I like swindling people I like those things get under the grip of those things you will not your life over to Jesus Christ you won't follow him love the world okay and so John tells us what to do he say not the world neither the things in this world so the question I today is this where is your focus you know on this vacation the beautiful beaches beautiful beach region beautiful Beach area just beautiful we were enjoying that and I looked at the people and I was you know what what is it that's these people you know what's causing them to be lo you know the ones that are lost what what's causing them to be lost and it really has to do with is that's really what it's all about is their focus and their focus is on the Here and Now their focus is finding a way to get pleasure and genuine joy out of in this present world and they are not in any way seeking after they're not seeking the real answer though God every day and God is reaching out to the unbeliever every day them he's dealing with their hearts he's tugging at their hearts he's saying come to me come out of the sin come out of the unrighteousness repent and come follow me but what's happening they're resisting him they're resisting God day by day if you find yourself waking up in the night hours and you're thinking about God and what God wants to do with your life you got to realize that God is drawing you he's drawing you out of sin he's drawing you out of unrighteousness he's drawing you to himself you gotta realize that God is trying to get your attention he's drawing you into something that's great and much better he's trying to rescue you from the poor this present world so my question to you today is where is your f what are you focused on what's what has become the of your life what has become really important to you is it the world or is it God and his kingdom and so John says for all that is in the world the lust of the fles and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world is of this world system the COS and the world the cosmos cosmoses away the world system pass away and the lust thereof that's do away with it he's going to do away with all evil he's going to relegate e to the darkness of hell do away with it one day and then we're not g to have to deal with wickedness again God is going to separated okay he's a god of he's going to separate he's gonna he's gonna set us free uh evil permanently that okay and so it says and the world passes the way and the lust thereof that doeth the will of God abideth forever so where should focus be your focus ought to be the will of God in the scripture that today he read about how that Jesus his Earthly parents I must be about my father buiness in other words Jesus was letting them know I'm all focus on the will of the father I'm focused on doing what he wants me to do we've got to be focused on the will of God that's where your focus has to be amen we thank God for the word on today Hallelujah as we all stand and we approach God's Hallelujah Glory glory to God blessed is the name of the Lord hallelujah let's just turn our hearts to Heaven Hallelujah let's focus on God his will it's all about his will it's all about his kingdom it's all about his desires hallelu let's focus on him today Hallelujah Glory always want to give the opportunity if there's one under the sound of my voice and you say I want to make the first step which is I want to receive Jesus Christ into my heart that's the first step as far as you doing God's will the first step is you must receive Christ Into Your Heart by faith you must be born again Jesus said except a man born again you cannot see the kingdom of God so we want to give you the opportunity to be born again if there's anyone that happens to be here today that prayer to be born again to be saved you can just step right into the aisle right here and we will pray with you today to make that all important step and that is you need to commit your heart to the Lord It's All About eternity it's all about the world to come there's someone viewing uh through the internet and you need to make Jes Lord and Savior I'm giving you that opportunity today you have this chance ever again this may be your chance tomorrow is not promised tomorrow is not promised there's no guarantee you'll awake to see another day and so while you still have a chance while you're still breathing and your heart is still beating it's time to call on the Lord Jesus Christ I want to pray a prayer to today whether you're here in person or viewing via the Internet pray this prayer and mean it let's set once and for all let's make our calling and our ele be certain that you are ready to meet the L know the day or the hour you don't know the day the Lord Jesus is gonna crack the sky again and we must be ready and so pray this prayer let's let's settle this issue once and for all God is not willing that any should perish but that all men should be to the knowledge of the truth he wants you today today is the day of salvation don't count on tomorrow dear Lord Jesus I ask you to come into my heart and to save me I believe that you di on the cross for my sins that you were buried and that you rose again on the third day and so I put my trust in you and what you accomplished for me at the cross your death paid the price for my sins hallelujah thank thank you Lord Jesus if you prayed that prayer in simple faith God has answered you Jesus said If any man will come to me I will in nowise cast him out if you come to Jesus he won't reject you he always receives you he's Meek and he's lowly in heart he'll never reject you and so you can have confidence today that your prayer has been heard if there's anyone today that needs prayer for anything we want to offer prayer anyone that needs special prayer you can just step into the aisle we pray with you today uh dear father in the name of Jesus I pray Lord God uh for these that are here today oh God In The Name of Jesus oh God I pray Lord God that you would give us Lord God the right Focus give us the right Focus dear God give us a focus oh God on the things that you value not this present World Deliver Us from the love of the world this world system what it has to offer Deliver Us from the love of this world system oh God Deliver Us oh God from the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life Deliver Us oh God God give us oh God to hate what is sinful to love what is Right higher oh God in our with you Hallelujah turn us away from in the pull of this present world and what this world has to offer turn us away from it don't let us have a focus oh God that but let our Focus be on the things of Heaven Jes name we ask these blessings amen praise God this time we're GNA have my wife to come evangelist Mary Foster and she's gonna give us any announcements observations and you can go ahead benediction as well this time thank you Pastor Ben uh the weekly announcements for the Divine Encounter Church is as follow our Sunday afternoon worship service is at 3:00 we meet at the Washton