April 21, 2025 • 28 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask. But first,
here's the message, Deep and Wide.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Take your Bibles now and turn with me to Isaiah
chapter fifty four. I want to speak to you today
about our future. I want to talk to you about
your future and mine. And the title of the message
is deep and wide. Maybe you remember the little childhood
song we sang in Sunday School.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Deep and wide, deep and wide.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
There's a fountain flowing deep and wide, then wide and deep,
wide and deep. Well, I want to talk to you
about going wide and growing deep. That's what Isaiah fifty
four is about. Look at it with me. Beginning in
verses one, two and three, sing o'baron one who did
(01:03):
not bear break forth into singing and cry aloud, you
who have not been in labor, For the children of
the desolate one will be more than the children of
her who is married, says the Lord Enlarge the place
of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations
(01:23):
be stretched out. Say stretched out, do not hold back,
Say do not hold back. Lengthen your cords and strengthen
your stakes, for you will spread abroad to the right
and to the left, and your offspring will possess the
(01:43):
nations and will people the desolate cities. Here's what God
is saying in this unique passage, right on the heels
of one of the most important passages in all of
the Bible, Isaiah fifty three, when the Messiah Jesus His promised,
who would come and bear the sins of the world,
(02:04):
take our iniquities away, Take our sins away. Right right
on the heels of that right next to that great
passage is are these.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Words about bearing Israel.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Broken lives in Israel, people crying out to God. In
the ancient world in the days of these prophets, if
you were unable to bear children, it was a reproach,
and many women who could not bear children would would
be in deep sadness and heaviness and cry out to
(02:41):
God and pray for a child. We ought to always
remember among our friends and in this fellowship, the women
and men who are crying out and praying that God
would give them children.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
It's an important prayer.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
But in that day, the women were desperate to have children,
and they would cry out in their barrenness that God
would give them a child. Rachel was such a woman
who cried out she did not have a son. She
(03:18):
cried out for a son, saying, God, God, give me
a child.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Or I will die.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Now, in that context, Israel was barren, and God gave
them a promise, you who are barren, you who are
without child, Israel, You're going to flourish. You're going to
spread out to the nations. And did God keep that promise,
He certainly did. God has blessed Israel and to the nations,
(03:53):
and of course has established his land in Jerusalem once again.
In nineteen forty eight, Israel became a nation once again,
and God is gathering his people. And in these last
days we know the Jewish people play a vital role
in the future of the world. And so much of
what we see in the turmoil of the Middle East,
(04:13):
of course, is related to Israel and Jerusalem. But God says,
my people are always going to be here, and they're
going to flourish. And those who bless Israel, God will bless.
And God chose to bless Israel, and he gave them
children and more children. Now that's the primary application, but
(04:37):
there is a personal application for us today, those of
us who are in His church, those of us who
are spiritual Israel, if you will, that God has called
us to create a family, to bear children into the world,
(04:58):
spiritual children. Because the church is not an organization to join,
it is a family to share. We are Gods forever family,
and therefore we are to bring forth children. God wants
to expand his family. Thus you have those words that
(05:21):
we paused and looked at for just a moment, we
repeated them. If you're going to expand your family, if
you're going to have more and more and more children,
then you need to enlarge your house. You need to
enlarge your tent. They lived in tents, many of these
were Bedouin shepherds, and so he said, lengthen those cords,
get wider cords, because you're gonna add rooms onto your tent,
(05:43):
onto your house. And while you're lengthening those cords, and
don't spare, said, make it big because children are coming.
And then dry those steaks deeper into the ground, because
if you're going to expand the house and go go wider,
than you're gonna have to go deeper as well as
a wind or a storm come and blow it all away.
(06:06):
So God is saying to his people, to his church,
I'm going to keep giving you children. You're going to
be fruitful, You're going to be blessed beyond measure, and
there will be incredible joy in bearing spiritual children. Paul
spoke of being a spiritual father. He said in one
(06:29):
Corinthians four point fifteen, I became your father in Christ.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Jesus through the Gospel.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
He was talking to Christians at Corinth and he said,
I became your father through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Are you a spiritual father to anyone? Are you a
spiritual mother bringing children into the world and expanding and
enlarging God's house. Oh, it's a tragedy if someone is
(07:00):
physically maternally bear it. But it is a greater tragedy
if we are spiritually barren, if we don't have children,
our own children, our own families, our friends, our neighbors
to bring into the Kingdom of God. Like Rachel who prayed,
(07:22):
give me children or I die. There was a Scottish
preacher years ago who had a burden and a brokenness
for his homeland, Scotland, and he cried out, Oh God,
his name was John Knox. Oh God give me Scotland
or I die.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
I will die.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
It's that kind of passion, And oh how we ought
to cry out, because there's nothing more wonderful, nothing more
joyous in life than bringing a spiritual child into the
family of God.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Being a part of that.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Process, that delivery system where we introduce bring people to Jesus.
And I would say in my own life is certainly
the greatest joice is my salvation. And you know, salvation
in some way. When I was converted as a child,
I didn't understand a lot about my salvation. But now
that I know quite a bit about salvation of the
(08:14):
Bible and the Gospel, it's even greater in some sense
when I see people saved, when I see people unwrap,
It's like I'm like a boy at Christmas. When I
give a gift now and see somebody un wrap it.
There's greater joy in that than receiving a gift yourself.
Such great joy. Well, to have a spiritual family. Jesus
(08:37):
has that joy. He speaks of that joy in Hebrews ten,
of bringing many sons to glory. Now, God wants children
in his family, and if you're a Christian, You are
responsible to bring as many people into the Family of
God as possible. If you're not a Christian, if you're
not saved, you're welcome in the family of God. Our
(09:01):
prayer is that you would know Him and need him
this very day, that you would believe in the one
who died for you and rose again, so that you
could have eternal life, to fill that big old hole
in your heart, to give you a brand new life,
to forgive all your sins, the one you've been looking for.
What you've been looking for your entire life is a
relationship with God. As many as received him. Jesus to
(09:23):
them gave you the right to be called the children
of God, even to them who believe on His name.
You can become a child of God today. But just
as God said to Israel, tear the walls down, expand
the place of your habitation, lengthen those cords, expand and
(09:45):
do not spare. So are we to think this way?
We're to think more people for Christ, more people into
the Family of God. Greater things will God do. Now,
let's make this person. You have family members and friends
(10:06):
and neighbors and co workers and others in your life.
Fellow students, teammates, classmates who don't know Jesus. Are you
bearing spiritual fruit? Are you bringing forth fruit? Are you
bearing children? Can you say? Can you sing, thank you
(10:30):
Lord for the children that you're giving me. Jesus said
it clearly before he ascended to heaven from the Mount
of Olives. He said, you shall receive power after the
Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be
my witness to the ends of the earth, starting right
where you are and to the ends of the earth.
And then he ascended and the angel said He's coming back.
(10:53):
And many of us believe that Jesus is coming back soon.
When you look at the world today, the extreme violence
and these satanic movements that are going on, there's something different.
There's something. This isn't headline hysteria. I'm just saying that
many people believe that we've come to a tipping point
in history and that the future is going to be
(11:15):
very different. I believe Jesus is coming. He's coming back,
and in the meantime, he's called us to enlarge his family,
to grow and to go with his church and to
bring people to Jesus. I believe God wants to do
(11:36):
greater things new things do.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
You You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message deep and wide. In his powerful book Ask, Doctor
Graham helps you unlock the power of prayer in your
life using Jesus's teaching to ask, seek.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
And knock.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
As you follow these three simple commands, you'll completely transform
how you pray. We want to help you discover a dearer,
more meaningful, and more powerful prayer life by sending you
a copy of Ask as our thanks for your gift
of ten.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Dollars or more.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Call now to request your copy of this powerful resource.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Call one eight.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. That's one
eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. You
can also text the word ask to five nine seven
eight nine. Don't let stress rob you of peace. It
is possible to break the destructive grip of stress on
your life and enjoy the peace and abundance God desires
(12:31):
for you. That's what doctor Graham helps you do in
his booklet Breaking Free from Stress. We'll send you a
digital download of Breaking Free from Stress when you sign
up for email updates from PowerPoint Today. Just go to
PowerPoint dot org slash stress and sign up today. Now
let's get back to today's message. Deep and wide.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
You believe in a God who can do big things.
I do.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
This is why I'm calling us to greater prayer these days,
to greater expectancy. Too many Christians don't believe God to
do anything except maybe take them to Heaven someday. God
wants to do greater things in your life. What are
your holy ambitions? What are the great desires that God
(13:17):
has implanted into your heart. I remember, as a as
a teenager, when God put it in my heart to
preach the Gospel. He gave me a desire to preach
the Gospel. I had no idea what that would mean.
But I'm so grateful that I was able to fulfill
and fulfilling God's purpose in my life. That God did
so much more than I could have ever imagined or dreamed.
(13:39):
The Book of Revelation, we're told that around the throne
of God are peoples from every language and every nation,
and every tribe and every dialect.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
And people from all over the world that are.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Going to be born into the Family of God, and
around the throne of God millions myriads of them praising
God forever.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
We have a big God.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
We have a great God that is bringing together a
great family across the earth, and we get to be.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
A part of it.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Don't limit God in your life. Expand your life. What
are your dreams, what are your desires, what are your hopes?
Speaker 3 (14:18):
What are your aspirations?
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Don't cut him all, spare, not lengthen the cord. Believe
God because faith is a muscle that moves mountains.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
You know, if some people are they just they're they're
little people. You know why.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
I'm not talking about physically small. I'm talking about they've
got small hearts and small visions. They got a little world.
They just they're just they're just little. They're shriveled up.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
You know why they got.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
A little God. Their God is too small. And if
your God is too small, you will don't dream much,
you won't do much. You know, when troubles and oppositions comes,
you'll fold because you've got a little God. You think,
you know you're worried. Why do you worry? Because you
think your problem is so big? God can't handle it?
(15:16):
You can't can can you.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Not trust God?
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Is God not big enough in your life to handle
what you're going through right now? Sure?
Speaker 3 (15:24):
He is but so many of us.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Our God is so small, we think of him in
such small ways.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
That he's cut off.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
His power is cut off in our lives.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Believe God. Believe in a God who is big.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Say well, I'm you know, I'm I'm a little older
now I can't do what I used to do. Don't
say that God's got big plans for you. God has
dreams for you. If you're not dead, You're not done.
Pray big prayers, bold prayers. Let God use you. Believe
(16:05):
God for greater things in your life and your family.
There's no person God cannot save, no problem, God cannot solve,
no predicament he cannot deal with in your life.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Trust him.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
So with that, expand in large. Put your arms around
the world. But there's one thing that I need to
say before closing. God not only wants to create a
big family forever, but until he comes. God expects us
(16:41):
to care for his children and minister to his family.
We go wide, but we also go deep, and this
is why we have discipleship. This is why we teach
God's word. That's the other side of the great commission.
Make disciples and then mature disciple. Evangelism and discipleship. They're
(17:02):
not mutually exclusive. So we certainly don't want to be
a mile wide and an inch deep when we expand
the tent. We got to make sure we are deepening
the stakes and lengthening the cords. The way we do
that is to deepen the stakes. I want to show
(17:25):
you three ways that we're going to deepen the stakes.
How do you deepen the stake? There is, first of all,
the stake of biblical convictions, biblical preaching and teaching the
Word of God in errant and infallible. This is our
(17:50):
strong conviction, and we are driving this stake deeper and deeper.
The world doesn't need superficial, shallow.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
Talks.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
People need the Word of God, not pop psychology, not
just more programs. Nothing can take away from the power
and the effectiveness of the Word of God. So we're
gonna drive, Amen, We're gonna drive down deep the steak
(18:25):
of biblical conviction and stand upon the Word of God.
Because if we don't guess what's gonna happen, our tent's
gonna blow away. Jesus said, not only are you the
light of the world, but you're the salt of the earth.
He said, if you lose your your saltiness. What good
(18:46):
are you except to be thrown away? The salt is
thrown away. It's worthless, it's tasteless, and it doesn't sting.
There's a sense in which the word of God stings
and penetrates into people's lives. We so often lost our
saltiness because we've lost our convictions. It's like going to
(19:08):
a coffee shop and ordering a soy decaf latte. That's
just wrong, you know what I'm saying, That's just wrong.
Or going somewhere and getting a tofu burger. What Yeah,
(19:36):
you know, I want real coffee. If I'm gonna eat
a hamburger, I want a real burger, you know.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
And you know people don't want tofu. They want truth.
That's right.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Give me the strong stuff, give me the word of God.
What right do I have to stand behind this pulpit
and preach If I don't preach the word of the
Living God. We're going to drive down deep the stakes
of Biblican conviction. Do that in your own life. Secondly,
(20:20):
drive down deep the stake of personal holiness and godliness.
This generation has become way way too worldly. And by
that I mean what John said don't love the world
nor the things of this world. We are loving this
world way way too much and becoming more and more
(20:43):
like the world, and some of the things that used
to surprise us and shock us, we just go well,
we've lost our sense of conviction about morality and right
and wrong. We don't have high and holy standards from
God's word in this country any longer. We've got fifty
shades of gray, and a lot of Christians are living
(21:07):
in the gray. We're compromised, compromised, and so one of
the things we need to be doing as a church
is to drive down deep again the stakes of biblical
godliness and holiness, to pursue holiness. As the Bible says, now,
(21:29):
holiness is not the way to Jesus. Jesus is the
way to holiness. So to get closer to Jesus and
become more and more like him, to commit to moral
purity and godliness. The best thing Dad, your children could
ever say about you is, my dad's.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
A godly dad. My mom is a godly woman. Let
that be the pursuit of your life.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Drive that state deep down into your family and into
your home, into your life, and into this church. We're
going to be calling one another to the highest and
the holiest of standards. We'll be preaching right and wrong
in truth, because what God says is right is right,
(22:20):
and what God says is wrong is wrong. Adultery is wrong,
not because I said it, but because God says it.
Fordicating is wrong, not because Jack Graham says so, but
(22:42):
because God's word says so. Homosexuality is wrong. It is
an abomination unto God. Not because some Baptist says so,
but because the Bible says so. Right and wrong truth.
And I'm true absolutely in the Word of God. So
(23:05):
if we're going to be a church that moves into
the future effectively and brings many into the Family of God,
we've got to make sure that we not only go why,
but we drive down the stakes of a biblical conviction
and personal godliness and holiness, and one final thing, spiritual faithfulness.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
I call you to faithfulness. Whatever happened to.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
People who are faithful to worship and faithful to attend,
and faithful to be committed and faithful to witness, and
faithful to tithe, and faithful to serve, faithful to minister
to people, faithful to be a faithful member and an accountable
member to God's Church. Too many Christians are not that
(23:57):
faithful anymore. We run here in there. It's it's great
to take a vacation and be out when you need
to be out, of course, but we're just out for
any reason these days. Maybe if we don't have something
else to do, we'll we'll get to church. I want
you to drive down the stake in your life and
(24:19):
your family go to be faith to Christ or the church.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
But I will not just be in. I'll be all in.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
deep and wide. Nothing lights a fire in your faith
like experiencing the power of prayer firsthand. As you begin
to see God as a personal, loving father who desires
to hear and answer your prayers, it transforms your life,
and thanks to friends like you, more people all around
(24:48):
the world are hearing about their loving God and his
son Jesus through the TV, radio and online outreach of PowerPoint.
That's why your support of this ministry is so vital.
We'll say thanks for your gift of ten dollars or
more by sending you a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask.
This is a great resource to help you strengthen your
own prayer life and teach you to approach God with
(25:11):
boldness and confidence. So call now to request your copy.
When you give call one eight hundred seven ninety five
four six two seven. That's one eight hundred seven ninety
five four six two seven. You can also text the
word ask to five nine seven eight nine, and don't
forget to visit Jack Graham dot org where you can
(25:32):
shop our eastore, give a gift online, or sign up
for doctor Graham's free daily email devotional. Our website again
is Jack Graham dot org. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint
for today?
Speaker 2 (25:45):
I do want to challenge you to share your faith
and to do it faithfully. I know we get a
little nervous and we are afraid of rejection or abuse
or whatever. But the Holy Spirit will enable you to
share your faith if you commit to do it. Remember
you are a believer today because somebody, someone shared the
(26:06):
good News of Jesus Christ with you. And let that
be a motivation to you to share the Gospel with others. Also,
remember you're not the one that's doing the converting. You
don't have to talk someone into something, but rather simply
tell people about Jesus and what Jesus has done in
your life. And if you can share the gospel that
(26:26):
Christ died for our sins and rose again, and that
if a person will put their faith in Christ and
receive him, you will see the Holy Spirit will use
you in ways that you can't even imagine. Another thing
that I would really challenge you to do and share
your faith is to build a prayer list of people
you know who need to know Jesus. There are friends
(26:47):
in your life, and relatives in your life, and associates
in your life, and neighbors all around who need Jesus.
So write their names down, put them in your Bible,
your journal, wherever you can write them. But make a list.
It is your prayer list. It is your list to
love others and bring them to Jesus. And I promise
(27:08):
you this. When you get concerned about people, God will
open doors to give you the opportunity to share your faith.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
So get ready because God is going to use you.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a
gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll send
you doctor Graham's book Ask As Our Things Call one
eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. That's
one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word ask to five nine
(27:39):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
doctor Graham brings a message about how Jesus will meet
you at the end of your broken road. That's next
time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham
is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask. But first,
here's the message, Deep and Wide.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Take your Bibles now and turn with me to Isaiah
chapter fifty four. I want to speak to you today
about our future. I want to talk to you about
your future and mine. And the title of the message
is deep and wide. Maybe you remember the little childhood
song we sang in Sunday School.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Deep and wide, deep and wide.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
There's a fountain flowing deep and wide, then wide and deep,
wide and deep. Well, I want to talk to you
about going wide and growing deep. That's what Isaiah fifty
four is about. Look at it with me. Beginning in
verses one, two and three, sing o'baron one who did
(01:03):
not bear break forth into singing and cry aloud, you
who have not been in labor, For the children of
the desolate one will be more than the children of
her who is married, says the Lord Enlarge the place
of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations
(01:23):
be stretched out. Say stretched out, do not hold back,
Say do not hold back. Lengthen your cords and strengthen
your stakes, for you will spread abroad to the right
and to the left, and your offspring will possess the
(01:43):
nations and will people the desolate cities. Here's what God
is saying in this unique passage, right on the heels
of one of the most important passages in all of
the Bible, Isaiah fifty three, when the Messiah Jesus His promised,
who would come and bear the sins of the world,
(02:04):
take our iniquities away, Take our sins away. Right right
on the heels of that right next to that great
passage is are these.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Words about bearing Israel.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Broken lives in Israel, people crying out to God. In
the ancient world in the days of these prophets, if
you were unable to bear children, it was a reproach,
and many women who could not bear children would would
be in deep sadness and heaviness and cry out to
(02:41):
God and pray for a child. We ought to always
remember among our friends and in this fellowship, the women
and men who are crying out and praying that God
would give them children.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
It's an important prayer.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
But in that day, the women were desperate to have children,
and they would cry out in their barrenness that God
would give them a child. Rachel was such a woman
who cried out she did not have a son. She
(03:18):
cried out for a son, saying, God, God, give me
a child.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Or I will die.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Now, in that context, Israel was barren, and God gave
them a promise, you who are barren, you who are
without child, Israel, You're going to flourish. You're going to
spread out to the nations. And did God keep that promise,
He certainly did. God has blessed Israel and to the nations,
(03:53):
and of course has established his land in Jerusalem once again.
In nineteen forty eight, Israel became a nation once again,
and God is gathering his people. And in these last
days we know the Jewish people play a vital role
in the future of the world. And so much of
what we see in the turmoil of the Middle East,
(04:13):
of course, is related to Israel and Jerusalem. But God says,
my people are always going to be here, and they're
going to flourish. And those who bless Israel, God will bless.
And God chose to bless Israel, and he gave them
children and more children. Now that's the primary application, but
(04:37):
there is a personal application for us today, those of
us who are in His church, those of us who
are spiritual Israel, if you will, that God has called
us to create a family, to bear children into the world,
(04:58):
spiritual children. Because the church is not an organization to join,
it is a family to share. We are Gods forever family,
and therefore we are to bring forth children. God wants
to expand his family. Thus you have those words that
(05:21):
we paused and looked at for just a moment, we
repeated them. If you're going to expand your family, if
you're going to have more and more and more children,
then you need to enlarge your house. You need to
enlarge your tent. They lived in tents, many of these
were Bedouin shepherds, and so he said, lengthen those cords,
get wider cords, because you're gonna add rooms onto your tent,
(05:43):
onto your house. And while you're lengthening those cords, and
don't spare, said, make it big because children are coming.
And then dry those steaks deeper into the ground, because
if you're going to expand the house and go go wider,
than you're gonna have to go deeper as well as
a wind or a storm come and blow it all away.
(06:06):
So God is saying to his people, to his church,
I'm going to keep giving you children. You're going to
be fruitful, You're going to be blessed beyond measure, and
there will be incredible joy in bearing spiritual children. Paul
spoke of being a spiritual father. He said in one
(06:29):
Corinthians four point fifteen, I became your father in Christ.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Jesus through the Gospel.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
He was talking to Christians at Corinth and he said,
I became your father through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Are you a spiritual father to anyone? Are you a
spiritual mother bringing children into the world and expanding and
enlarging God's house. Oh, it's a tragedy if someone is
(07:00):
physically maternally bear it. But it is a greater tragedy
if we are spiritually barren, if we don't have children,
our own children, our own families, our friends, our neighbors
to bring into the Kingdom of God. Like Rachel who prayed,
(07:22):
give me children or I die. There was a Scottish
preacher years ago who had a burden and a brokenness
for his homeland, Scotland, and he cried out, Oh God,
his name was John Knox. Oh God give me Scotland
or I die.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
I will die.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
It's that kind of passion, And oh how we ought
to cry out, because there's nothing more wonderful, nothing more
joyous in life than bringing a spiritual child into the
family of God.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Being a part of that.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Process, that delivery system where we introduce bring people to Jesus.
And I would say in my own life is certainly
the greatest joice is my salvation. And you know, salvation
in some way. When I was converted as a child,
I didn't understand a lot about my salvation. But now
that I know quite a bit about salvation of the
(08:14):
Bible and the Gospel, it's even greater in some sense
when I see people saved, when I see people unwrap,
It's like I'm like a boy at Christmas. When I
give a gift now and see somebody un wrap it.
There's greater joy in that than receiving a gift yourself.
Such great joy. Well, to have a spiritual family. Jesus
(08:37):
has that joy. He speaks of that joy in Hebrews ten,
of bringing many sons to glory. Now, God wants children
in his family, and if you're a Christian, You are
responsible to bring as many people into the Family of
God as possible. If you're not a Christian, if you're
not saved, you're welcome in the family of God. Our
(09:01):
prayer is that you would know Him and need him
this very day, that you would believe in the one
who died for you and rose again, so that you
could have eternal life, to fill that big old hole
in your heart, to give you a brand new life,
to forgive all your sins, the one you've been looking for.
What you've been looking for your entire life is a
relationship with God. As many as received him. Jesus to
(09:23):
them gave you the right to be called the children
of God, even to them who believe on His name.
You can become a child of God today. But just
as God said to Israel, tear the walls down, expand
the place of your habitation, lengthen those cords, expand and
(09:45):
do not spare. So are we to think this way?
We're to think more people for Christ, more people into
the Family of God. Greater things will God do. Now,
let's make this person. You have family members and friends
(10:06):
and neighbors and co workers and others in your life.
Fellow students, teammates, classmates who don't know Jesus. Are you
bearing spiritual fruit? Are you bringing forth fruit? Are you
bearing children? Can you say? Can you sing, thank you
(10:30):
Lord for the children that you're giving me. Jesus said
it clearly before he ascended to heaven from the Mount
of Olives. He said, you shall receive power after the
Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be
my witness to the ends of the earth, starting right
where you are and to the ends of the earth.
And then he ascended and the angel said He's coming back.
(10:53):
And many of us believe that Jesus is coming back soon.
When you look at the world today, the extreme violence
and these satanic movements that are going on, there's something different.
There's something. This isn't headline hysteria. I'm just saying that
many people believe that we've come to a tipping point
in history and that the future is going to be
(11:15):
very different. I believe Jesus is coming. He's coming back,
and in the meantime, he's called us to enlarge his family,
to grow and to go with his church and to
bring people to Jesus. I believe God wants to do
(11:36):
greater things new things do.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
You You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message deep and wide. In his powerful book Ask, Doctor
Graham helps you unlock the power of prayer in your
life using Jesus's teaching to ask, seek.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
And knock.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
As you follow these three simple commands, you'll completely transform
how you pray. We want to help you discover a dearer,
more meaningful, and more powerful prayer life by sending you
a copy of Ask as our thanks for your gift
of ten.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Dollars or more.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Call now to request your copy of this powerful resource.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Call one eight.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. That's one
eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. You
can also text the word ask to five nine seven
eight nine. Don't let stress rob you of peace. It
is possible to break the destructive grip of stress on
your life and enjoy the peace and abundance God desires
(12:31):
for you. That's what doctor Graham helps you do in
his booklet Breaking Free from Stress. We'll send you a
digital download of Breaking Free from Stress when you sign
up for email updates from PowerPoint Today. Just go to
PowerPoint dot org slash stress and sign up today. Now
let's get back to today's message. Deep and wide.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
You believe in a God who can do big things.
I do.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
This is why I'm calling us to greater prayer these days,
to greater expectancy. Too many Christians don't believe God to
do anything except maybe take them to Heaven someday. God
wants to do greater things in your life. What are
your holy ambitions? What are the great desires that God
(13:17):
has implanted into your heart. I remember, as a as
a teenager, when God put it in my heart to
preach the Gospel. He gave me a desire to preach
the Gospel. I had no idea what that would mean.
But I'm so grateful that I was able to fulfill
and fulfilling God's purpose in my life. That God did
so much more than I could have ever imagined or dreamed.
(13:39):
The Book of Revelation, we're told that around the throne
of God are peoples from every language and every nation,
and every tribe and every dialect.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
And people from all over the world that are.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Going to be born into the Family of God, and
around the throne of God millions myriads of them praising
God forever.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
We have a big God.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
We have a great God that is bringing together a
great family across the earth, and we get to be.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
A part of it.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Don't limit God in your life. Expand your life. What
are your dreams, what are your desires, what are your hopes?
Speaker 3 (14:18):
What are your aspirations?
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Don't cut him all, spare, not lengthen the cord. Believe
God because faith is a muscle that moves mountains.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
You know, if some people are they just they're they're
little people. You know why.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
I'm not talking about physically small. I'm talking about they've
got small hearts and small visions. They got a little world.
They just they're just they're just little. They're shriveled up.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
You know why they got.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
A little God. Their God is too small. And if
your God is too small, you will don't dream much,
you won't do much. You know, when troubles and oppositions comes,
you'll fold because you've got a little God. You think,
you know you're worried. Why do you worry? Because you
think your problem is so big? God can't handle it?
(15:16):
You can't can can you.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Not trust God?
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Is God not big enough in your life to handle
what you're going through right now? Sure?
Speaker 3 (15:24):
He is but so many of us.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Our God is so small, we think of him in
such small ways.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
That he's cut off.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
His power is cut off in our lives.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Believe God. Believe in a God who is big.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Say well, I'm you know, I'm I'm a little older
now I can't do what I used to do. Don't
say that God's got big plans for you. God has
dreams for you. If you're not dead, You're not done.
Pray big prayers, bold prayers. Let God use you. Believe
(16:05):
God for greater things in your life and your family.
There's no person God cannot save, no problem, God cannot solve,
no predicament he cannot deal with in your life.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Trust him.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
So with that, expand in large. Put your arms around
the world. But there's one thing that I need to
say before closing. God not only wants to create a
big family forever, but until he comes. God expects us
(16:41):
to care for his children and minister to his family.
We go wide, but we also go deep, and this
is why we have discipleship. This is why we teach
God's word. That's the other side of the great commission.
Make disciples and then mature disciple. Evangelism and discipleship. They're
(17:02):
not mutually exclusive. So we certainly don't want to be
a mile wide and an inch deep when we expand
the tent. We got to make sure we are deepening
the stakes and lengthening the cords. The way we do
that is to deepen the stakes. I want to show
(17:25):
you three ways that we're going to deepen the stakes.
How do you deepen the stake? There is, first of all,
the stake of biblical convictions, biblical preaching and teaching the
Word of God in errant and infallible. This is our
(17:50):
strong conviction, and we are driving this stake deeper and deeper.
The world doesn't need superficial, shallow.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
Talks.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
People need the Word of God, not pop psychology, not
just more programs. Nothing can take away from the power
and the effectiveness of the Word of God. So we're
gonna drive, Amen, We're gonna drive down deep the steak
(18:25):
of biblical conviction and stand upon the Word of God.
Because if we don't guess what's gonna happen, our tent's
gonna blow away. Jesus said, not only are you the
light of the world, but you're the salt of the earth.
He said, if you lose your your saltiness. What good
(18:46):
are you except to be thrown away? The salt is
thrown away. It's worthless, it's tasteless, and it doesn't sting.
There's a sense in which the word of God stings
and penetrates into people's lives. We so often lost our
saltiness because we've lost our convictions. It's like going to
(19:08):
a coffee shop and ordering a soy decaf latte. That's
just wrong, you know what I'm saying, That's just wrong.
Or going somewhere and getting a tofu burger. What Yeah,
(19:36):
you know, I want real coffee. If I'm gonna eat
a hamburger, I want a real burger, you know.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
And you know people don't want tofu. They want truth.
That's right.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Give me the strong stuff, give me the word of God.
What right do I have to stand behind this pulpit
and preach If I don't preach the word of the
Living God. We're going to drive down deep the stakes
of Biblican conviction. Do that in your own life. Secondly,
(20:20):
drive down deep the stake of personal holiness and godliness.
This generation has become way way too worldly. And by
that I mean what John said don't love the world
nor the things of this world. We are loving this
world way way too much and becoming more and more
(20:43):
like the world, and some of the things that used
to surprise us and shock us, we just go well,
we've lost our sense of conviction about morality and right
and wrong. We don't have high and holy standards from
God's word in this country any longer. We've got fifty
shades of gray, and a lot of Christians are living
(21:07):
in the gray. We're compromised, compromised, and so one of
the things we need to be doing as a church
is to drive down deep again the stakes of biblical
godliness and holiness, to pursue holiness. As the Bible says, now,
(21:29):
holiness is not the way to Jesus. Jesus is the
way to holiness. So to get closer to Jesus and
become more and more like him, to commit to moral
purity and godliness. The best thing Dad, your children could
ever say about you is, my dad's.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
A godly dad. My mom is a godly woman. Let
that be the pursuit of your life.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Drive that state deep down into your family and into
your home, into your life, and into this church. We're
going to be calling one another to the highest and
the holiest of standards. We'll be preaching right and wrong
in truth, because what God says is right is right,
(22:20):
and what God says is wrong is wrong. Adultery is wrong,
not because I said it, but because God says it.
Fordicating is wrong, not because Jack Graham says so, but
(22:42):
because God's word says so. Homosexuality is wrong. It is
an abomination unto God. Not because some Baptist says so,
but because the Bible says so. Right and wrong truth.
And I'm true absolutely in the Word of God. So
(23:05):
if we're going to be a church that moves into
the future effectively and brings many into the Family of God,
we've got to make sure that we not only go why,
but we drive down the stakes of a biblical conviction
and personal godliness and holiness, and one final thing, spiritual faithfulness.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
I call you to faithfulness. Whatever happened to.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
People who are faithful to worship and faithful to attend,
and faithful to be committed and faithful to witness, and
faithful to tithe, and faithful to serve, faithful to minister
to people, faithful to be a faithful member and an accountable
member to God's Church. Too many Christians are not that
(23:57):
faithful anymore. We run here in there. It's it's great
to take a vacation and be out when you need
to be out, of course, but we're just out for
any reason these days. Maybe if we don't have something
else to do, we'll we'll get to church. I want
you to drive down the stake in your life and
(24:19):
your family go to be faith to Christ or the church.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
But I will not just be in. I'll be all in.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
deep and wide. Nothing lights a fire in your faith
like experiencing the power of prayer firsthand. As you begin
to see God as a personal, loving father who desires
to hear and answer your prayers, it transforms your life,
and thanks to friends like you, more people all around
(24:48):
the world are hearing about their loving God and his
son Jesus through the TV, radio and online outreach of PowerPoint.
That's why your support of this ministry is so vital.
We'll say thanks for your gift of ten dollars or
more by sending you a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask.
This is a great resource to help you strengthen your
own prayer life and teach you to approach God with
(25:11):
boldness and confidence. So call now to request your copy.
When you give call one eight hundred seven ninety five
four six two seven. That's one eight hundred seven ninety
five four six two seven. You can also text the
word ask to five nine seven eight nine, and don't
forget to visit Jack Graham dot org where you can
(25:32):
shop our eastore, give a gift online, or sign up
for doctor Graham's free daily email devotional. Our website again
is Jack Graham dot org. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint
for today?
Speaker 2 (25:45):
I do want to challenge you to share your faith
and to do it faithfully. I know we get a
little nervous and we are afraid of rejection or abuse
or whatever. But the Holy Spirit will enable you to
share your faith if you commit to do it. Remember
you are a believer today because somebody, someone shared the
(26:06):
good News of Jesus Christ with you. And let that
be a motivation to you to share the Gospel with others. Also,
remember you're not the one that's doing the converting. You
don't have to talk someone into something, but rather simply
tell people about Jesus and what Jesus has done in
your life. And if you can share the gospel that
(26:26):
Christ died for our sins and rose again, and that
if a person will put their faith in Christ and
receive him, you will see the Holy Spirit will use
you in ways that you can't even imagine. Another thing
that I would really challenge you to do and share
your faith is to build a prayer list of people
you know who need to know Jesus. There are friends
(26:47):
in your life, and relatives in your life, and associates
in your life, and neighbors all around who need Jesus.
So write their names down, put them in your Bible,
your journal, wherever you can write them. But make a list.
It is your prayer list. It is your list to
love others and bring them to Jesus. And I promise
(27:08):
you this. When you get concerned about people, God will
open doors to give you the opportunity to share your faith.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
So get ready because God is going to use you.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a
gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll send
you doctor Graham's book Ask As Our Things Call one
eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. That's
one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word ask to five nine
(27:39):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
doctor Graham brings a message about how Jesus will meet
you at the end of your broken road. That's next
time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham
is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
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