When All Hope is Lost Call on Me | Pastor Shane Idleman

Pastor Shane Idleman: The church is great in form. We lose the fire of the spirit, the groanings. Oh God, would you help our school districts? Would you help our children, our grandchildren? God, we are we are lost. The Titanic has been struck and we are going down. We need you. And we might say, you know what? I'm going to find myself every morning at 6 a.m. on my floor at home and tell God answers because I'm so desperate to hear from God. And God says, is that the cry of my child? Is that the cry of my child crying out to me every morning? You don't think God will hear that cry? That's biblical. If you seek me, you will find me.
Pastor Shane Idleman: Thank you for joining us here at West Side Christian Fellowship, located in Leona Valley, California, 1 hour north of Los Angeles. Today on Regaining Lost Ground, we hear the second part of a profound message from Pastor Shane titled When All Hope Is Lost, Call on Me. Pastor and theologian R. C. Sproul once said, Hope is called the anchor of the soul because it gives stability to the Christian life. But hope is not simply a wish, rather it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made. When we cast all our cares, all our anxieties on Jesus, he is faithful to lead us through life's storms. And that is the topic for today's message as Pastor Shane reinforces this through the truth of God's living word in Psalm 91. 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 Idle Man Unplugged weekly podcast. And now from West Side Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California, here's Pastor Shane Idle Man.
Pastor Shane Idleman: So forgive me. Some of us might get a little emotional during worship. I was lost, but now I'm found. I was blind, but now I see. See Is it Has Christ awakened you? Has Christ Has Christ come into your heart and truly transformed your life so there is a passion for God in his word? Well, I have good word for you. This is not a loving rebuke. It's an exhortation to turn back to God. In the church, we hear a lot about meditation, don't we? Thank God. But when do we hear We need to hear more about adoration. Adoration, adoration. And we are waiting for God, are we not? But it could could it be that God is waiting on us? Think about that. Oh God, would you move? And I was convicted that some years ago, God, would you just move? Shane, I'll move when you move. He's a rewarder of those who seek him from time to time. He's a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. And again, if you I love word studies, you have to you have to look at what the Bible's trying to It's It's like it's like a drop of water on a stone. A couple years later, it's going to begin to weave indentations into that stone. He who diligently seek me. I'm a rewarder. I will reward that. How does he reward us? With gold and riches? Oh, praise God. No. But with the fire of God. Worship comes alive. The word of God came alive in my life when I turned Oh, I've been missing this. I've been missing this. No wonder my mom put her Bible over my AC/DC albums. No wonder. And called down heaven and said, Devil, you will not have this child. And the power of prayer Oh, if we could get back to the power of prayer, church, where is that call to prayer? And a lost a lost discipline that that that that I'm I'm so glad I discovered the early church had it. We even had it up to 100 years ago. I'm not I I don't want to offend, so please understand my heart. But this word Oh, this word is life-changing. It's called fasting. When I tell King stomach, shut your mouth. I need to seek God because there's a fleshly appetite and a spiritual appetite. And whatever you feed grows the most in your heart. That's the power of fasting. It's not dogmatic and legalistic. Elisha fasted, Jesus fasted, Moses fasted, Ezra fasted, Esther fasted, David fasted, Paul fasted, and much fasting's often. It's not God doesn't love me more, but I sure love him more. 91:14 because he has set his love upon me. Talking again God saying, because we've set our love upon him, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high because he has known my name. One thing I love about the Bible is is the promises of God. But what many people don't understand is they claim the promise, but forget it has conditions. His call is not to Washington and Hollywood and the media. If my media humbles himself, if Washington if Sacramento would just humble themselves, if my people And again, a guy of context, I know that was applied to Israel under the reign of Solomon, when I bring pestilence, when I bring famine, when I bring drought, if my people humble themselves and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, if if Now I love those armchair quarterbacks. You know, Shane, that's out of context. Okay, I'll give you the context. But are you telling me that if the church humbles themselves and pray and seeks his face and turn that God might not revive us? Are you Are you seriously telling me that? Because the principle still applies, the principle of brokenness and humility conditional. Because he has set his love upon me, set his love upon me. And that word is like setting a bone in place. And let me be an encouragement to you. Sometimes I don't feel like preaching. Sometimes I don't feel like going to prayer meetings. But that's when you drag your flesh. Your flesh doesn't lead you. You lead your flesh. Because your flesh will flesh is takes you in all the wrong places. I want to sleep in. I want to eat too much. I want to drink too much. I don't want to do that. I don't want to forgive. I don't want to humble myself. And we've got a church that is given up to the appetites of the flesh. 91:15 He shall He shall call upon me and I will answer. And I will be with him in trouble. Do you believe that? Do you believe that God is our only hope? And we're going to all look at where America is going. Yeah, but look at what the possibilities are because I'm I'm naive enough to believe that when it's so dark, God can bring the light even brighter. You look at the You look at the um You look at during the first grade awakening, you read the the journals of Wesley or Whitfield or Jonathan Edwards. And Jonathan Edwards was was writing, I believe, to one of the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court. And they acknowledged there there's decadence across all of the land. Religion is is barren. Drunkenness is abounding. What is going on? Our nation is crumbling. Oh, could you imagine that being fast forward to now? But God rose up and revived in that darkest hour because I believe in the God who brings promises. And the negative Nellies and judgmental Jerrys for Shane, haven't you read Revelation? I sure have, but I've also read the rest of the Bible where God says, call upon me and I shall answer. We don't know the timing of things. We don't know that God might give us a measure of revival in our bondage. I'm not going to be buried 6 ft under and wish that I would have contended for revival for the generation next generation. Look at our kids. Look at our grandkids. Where Where is the desperation? So what do you do when all hope is gone? I want to share a few points with you because you can get spiritual you can get revived spiritually. I'm not as concerned about national revival as I am with individual revival because that's what fuels the fire of a spiritual awakening, getting a passion for God. Shouldn't there be a passion for God? Hello, the church of the living God, the word of God is the living word of God igniting the soul, bringing passion to the heart. There should be a fire and a zeal. Let me open up the word of God and see what thus saith the Lord means and how it changes my heart. Desperation. Folks, we've got to get desperate. We've got to get desperate. Desperate people do desperate things. They might say business as usual is not going to cut it anymore. I'm contending for my family. I am calling a prayer prayer each day. I am calling a fast. I need to hold on to God again and and never let go. I think it was said of the the Welsh revival 1904 1905 Evan Roberts. They're interviewing a very old man. And they'd said, what what happened to the flames of that fire? What what what happened? What why And he remembered back and he he looked at the gentleman and he he says his eyes were like fire. And he said, young man, when you lay hold of God, never never never let go. Oh, that could preach. When you lay hold of God, never let go. Sometimes all hell is breaking loose, but I've learned that the God of the mountains is still the God of the valleys. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear evil. Though all hell is breaking loose, though we are living in a sewer system, God will pull you up and set you back up and you can be the flame of his spirit. Even you the least I I've learned God uses the least likely. I love a So where did you get your degree? Do you have a PhD? A school of hard knocks? And I'm not again. I think people should study and and and think, but don't count on that. Count on the spirit of God as you study, as you educate yourself. So a couple of points that will help desperate. And just give me this when it's times up. Desperate for brokenness and humility. Desperate for brokenness and humility. Do you know when the church humbles herself, God will listen? You see many in America are angry and rightly so. Rightly so. Angry, but we're also arrogant. Oh, we're mad and we'll tell people off. But we're not broken. Because I believe you can be just as bold but also broken. And as a matter of fact, you'll accomplish a a lot more when your boldness is underscored by love. Because boldness boldness is a direct fruit of the Holy Spirit. You know, we think the Holy Spirit and you know, this and no, boldness. Boldness to share the gospel, bold boldness to confront this this culture that is spinning out of control, brokenness and humility. Humble yourself before God that he may exalt you. What does that look like? You go to your spouse and you say, I I've been wrong. I've been an angry man. I've been an arrogant woman. God, help me. I need to seek God again like never before I want. I I know I need to work on things, but God, please I want to be used by you. I don't Do you always have to be right? Critical Kathies. Listen, I always had to be right. I came back to the Lord and and I was reading systematic theology and I could quote Calvin, Hodge and and and of course Geisler and and and Spursions lectures to my students and I had all this knowledge. And I was going to go tell people off. I was a sin sniffer. I'm going to walk around and find you today. And then 2005 my mom gave me a wake-up call. She said, Shane, nobody wants to be around you. Cuz I was too arrogant. So you can be straight as a gun barrel theologically, but just as empty. But you get a man who's on fire for God with a theological underpinning. That is how God changes the church and changes our nation. You have to have both. You have to have the the the spirit of love and humility, but also the boldness and the preaching. D. Martin Lloyd-Jones said that preaching is theology coming through a man who's on fire. You need you need both of those things. And And I I I just released a video on YouTube the other day and I don't know the exact title, but a plea to conservative voices. I'm not going to name names. We know who these conservative voices are. But I want to say, guys, where is the humility? Where is the humility? This side says this, you come back with this. You do this mean meme. They do this mean It says attack, attack, attack. Arrogant, where's the call to repentance? Where's the call to humility? Where's the call to prayer meetings? Yes, be just as bold and say what is happening on our watch is is a perversion at the highest level and we will not allow it. But I need to get on my face before Almighty God before I post something or before I make a video that is full of arrogance. Brokenness and humility are the only key or one of the keys. The next key is desperate for holiness. Woo. So desperate Doesn't that word When I talk about holiness, some people think of a gown and a hat. You know, just, oh, he's so holy. Holiness just means come out from among them and be separate. You You You're going to be a little bit different. You You You You You There's a difference about you. Lord, I want to I want to be filled with your Holy Spirit. I can't watch all these this garbage. I can't fill my mind with garbage on a daily basis. I can't be critical and angry and gossiping and expect the spirit of the living God to move powerfully through me. I need to be holy instead apart for you. I'm not perfect, but God, there's a pursuit of you. I I must find you or I will die. I must God continue to break me and humble me. But why is holiness so hard? Because your old man knocks at the door often, doesn't he? Do you know the old nature? Some of you you know that battle? Or is it just me? Am I being too transparent? Right, the the devil wants the old Shane to come back and play. He'll plant those seeds, won't he? I mean, I was shocked. I land in Dallas Fort Worth Airport and I start thinking I'm going to by morning up from San Antone. I'll be looking for eight when they pull that gate. George Straits is come Where did that come from? Where did that come from? All back in the day grab a 12 pack, put on George Strait, throw the shotgun in the backseat. Let's have some fun out in the desert. See the only sheep Remember those day Oh, but but Devil, you didn't show me the vomit. And and and the you don't show me those things. You entice with the temporary pleasure. And so the church must come out from among them, be separate. You will look different. Stop trying to please the world and please Christ. Now notice notice I didn't say get weird. Just there's a difference. Anybody heard of Leonard Ravenhill? He said there's no such thing as a painless Pentecost. If you want God to change your heart, change your community, change your home, it will cost you. It will cost you. Friends, reputation, the desires of the flesh. And some people might be, oh my goodness, this guy's extreme. But see, I've tasted of the living water and I can never go back. Come and drink of this water and you will never thirst again, Christ said. There's a there's a unction of the spirit. There's a baptism of the spirit and you're full of God's love and grace and the truth comes alive. Yes, it's difficult. Yes, it's challenging, but I want to hold on to that anchor for the rest of my life. The passion of Christ working in your life. And thank God this point applies at this church. I know for certain we need to be desperate for the truth. Oh my goodness, it's embarrassing to watch sermons out there especially a lot of the you know the the the And I'm not going to put down friends at Omega Church pastors, of course. But a lot of times, man, they're telling people Of course you got thousands of people sodas a a cult. You You You're telling them what they want to hear and not what they need to hear. What do we need to hear right now? Peace, peace. Peace, peace. Don't worry. Everything's good. Do you know that was a sign of a false prophet? Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. God's not upset. Peace, peace. No, no, no. Don't listen to Jeremiah. Oh, that guy. Definitely don't listen to Isaiah. These guys are extreme. Everything's good, man. Just love. Just love Just love, man. Don't preach to God's We'll just see it. Let them Let them see the gospel by your love. But God said, I've not sent these prophets. Yet they ran. I've not spoken to them, yet they spoke. But had they truly stood in my council, they would have turned this nation back to me. Is not my word like a fire that devours? Is not my word like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? But you have perverted the words of the living God by not warning. Cuz true love warns, does it not? When you truly do not warn and you you you you are hiding behind the banner of love, that's cowardliness. Trust me. I I I want to hide behind that banner too. Oh, just love, man. Don't get upset at me. Don't I I I just want to be everybody's And that's actually was a struggle of mine came when I came back to the Lord. I'm what they would call people pleaser. I would do hell seminars when I I came back to the Lord. And I was a district manager with 24 hour fitness and a fitness background. And my goal was to make everyone in the audience want to come back. And they would have check sheets like, did you like his presentation? Will you be back? How would you rate the speaker on a scale of 1 to 10? Was he motivational? I had to throw all of that out of the window when I preached because it'll mess you up. Like, oh, they're going to think this. They're going to think that. They belong to that political party. They think that. They're big givers. They're Oh, well, let me just stick with Let me not Let me not wait in those deep waters. Let me not offend. But the word of God offends. It calls it out. We must have a love for truth and fear God because God says, my shepherds have become dull-hearted. Dull-hearted. They They are missing the fire of the spirit. And you won't always preach repentance. Of course you want to be preach love and encouragement and grace and mercy, but it must come through a heart of flame for the passion of God. That's how you truly change hearts and change your nation. Desperate desperate for truth. And then finally, last two, desperate for prayer. Oh, desperate for prayer. You need to get to a point where everything else can wait. Everything else can wait. Breakthroughs can't be rushed. That's why the old saints used to call it travail. I'm not You're not going to prevail until you travail. And there's a time where we wait upon God. Those who wait upon me shall renew their strength, their their muscle. No, spiritual strength. And there there's a call to pray, a call to fast. And we can't have form. We must have fire. The church is great in form. Oh God, just go through the form. But we're losing the fire. We lose the fire of the spirit. The groanings. Oh God, would you help our school districts? Would you help our children, our grandchildren? God, we are we are lost. The Titanic has been struck and we are going down. We need you. And we might say, you know what? I'm going to find myself every morning at 6 a.m. on my floor at home and tell God answers because I'm so desperate to hear from God. And God says, is that the cry of my child? Is that the cry of my child crying out to me every morning? You don't think God will hear that cry? That's biblical. If you seek me, you will find me. And then I'm going to use a word. Right now it's not popular. You ready for this? You Guys okay? Got your seat belt on? Buckle up. But actually I know you're familiar with it here, so I'm just saying that maybe to people listening later. We have to be desperate for repentance. Desperate for repentance. I love encouraging emails, but I get a lot of emails that say something like this. People don't want to hear what you're saying. You need to tone it down. You talk about repentance too much. I think Spurgeon said it. I'd like to say it too. I'll stop talking about repentance when you repent. But that it's actually a beautiful word. It means I'm off course going this direction. Lord, I'm off course and I'm what? Changing my mind only changing my actions.
Pastor Shane Idleman: Hello, this is Pastor Shane Idle Man. I want to tell you about a new booklet I just released titled The Dark Night of the Soul. This book came from a very challenging season in my own personal life. Dark seasons reveal what we actually believe, not just what we say we believe. The phrase The Dark Night of the Soul captures a moment we all dread. It's the moment when the floor drops out from underneath us and we realize that we are not in control and we come face to face with something we cannot fix. Time and time again, God demonstrates that what appears to be the end of something is actually only the beginning. So again, I want to encourage you to take time today and download my new booklet The Dark Night of the Soul for free right now at westsidechristianfellowship.org. Again, download it for free at westsidechristianfellowship.org. It is on Amazon, but we're encouraging people to go to our church website where they can actually download the booklet for free, the PDF and share it with friends and family at westsidechristianfellowship.org.
Guest (Male): West Side 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.