Unhidden

thank you brother Justin for that word I'm going to go right into scripture Mark 12: 41-44 Jesus sat over against the treasury and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury and many that were Rich cast in much and there came a certain poor Widow and she threw in two mites which make a farthing and he called unto his disciples and saith unto them verily I say unto you that this poor Widow hath cast more in than all they which have cast into the treasury for all they did cast in of their abundance but she of her want did cast in all that she had even all her living to go along with that Psalm 695 and this is from the ESV oh God you know my Folly the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you so the title this morning that I'm going to speak just a few moments is unhidden just simply unhidden Lord we thank you for giving us another opportunity to be here this morning God we ask that you just let us all be receptive to your word and to your voice this morning God we ask that you use each and every one of us as we go out this door today to make a difference in the world God in the name of Jesus

how many of you know someone who could do so much for God maybe someone in your family maybe a coworker maybe yourself if so raise your hand no don't do that I'm sure we all know a man by the name of Henry Ford very successful person in the world he said there is no failure except failure to serve one's purpose we all know what we could be doing for God we all know what we should be giving what we should be doing but so often we don't we know what our purpose is but we just push that aside and only give what we want to give we are so blessed by a God that gave it all for us but yet we only give part to him again I can think of so many instances where great Apostolic people in my life even pastors I know of preachers that have turn their back they know their purpose they have a word from God but yet they have decided they want to go their own way they have decided they don't want to give it all anymore they only want to give what they want I firmly believe that this can only be a case to where they have slowly let the world in to dilute their heart and their mind because they have decided they're going to hold back from what God would have them to do how many of us do the same I'm guilty I'll raise my hand you see Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever once he gave it all for you he's not taken any of it back at any point so once you've made that commitment to give it all to him if you're going to be Christlike why would you go back on what you've given him how often are we not truly given our all for him have you ever just tried to reach somebody body and they're just not ready to give up whatever it is in their life that's keeping them from being what God wants them to be so many times you will reach out to somebody you will pour so much into that person but it's up to them to make that choice to give it all to him to not just give a little bit and that is so many people's downfall in this world they may have most of it together but the enemy will then focus on that part that they don't have together that part that they choose not to fully give to God and that's where their failures will come from so often we only pray or talk to God when we have an abundance of Happiness just as in that scripture those Rich that gave out of the abundance that they have so often it's only in those times when we feel we're happy enough when we feel that things are good enough all right

but then we look in Matthew 19 there was a man with great possessions that Jesus met this man asked him good Master what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life that's a pretty loaded question especially to ask Jesus he goes on to tell him keep the Commandments and he he begins to go through Thou shalt do no murder not commit adultery Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness honor thy father and mother and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself but then this man answered to him and said all these things have I kept from my youth what lack I yet Jesus said unto him if you'll go if thou wil be perfect as the scripture says go and say s all that thou Hast all that thou Hast and give it to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow me but you see when the man heard that saying the word says He Went Away sorrowful for he had great possessions so it sounds to me like he had most of it together there's a lot that he had given to God he had kept those Commandments but yet it was the one thing that he chose not to give that he couldn't let let go of notice Jesus in that scripture he said come and follow me but then it says the man went away sorrowful it was up to him to make that decision to give it all God already knew all that he had to give it was not hidden from God so that man almost had it all down but that one thing that he did not want to give up again that was not hidden from God

people are going to ask us that same question that that man asked what do they have to do for eternal life and I'm sure most of the time we tell them it's committing Our Lives to him but have we ourselves truly followed that are we truly committed are we truly giving all that we have or only out of the abundance when we feel that we can how many times have we been an ambassador for Christ and a witness to someone else while hiding things of our own the person that we're witnessing that we're speaking to they may not know but it is unhidden to God he knows that it's there we think that we know what's better for ourselves than God at times we have so much to offer so much that we can give but yet we hold on to that we don't want to give it all up I'm sure that some of you in here today may say if I had a million dollars I would give it all to the church yet we don't don't even give all that we have now whether it be money whether it be time whether it be Talent the things that God's already entrusted us with we don't even give a 100% of that to him we may try to justify and say well God knows my heart and I guarantee you he does and that's probably why he hasn't given you that million dollars because he knows you because it is unhidden to him amen

we're going to go to acts 5 veres 1- 11 and this is from the English Standard Version we're going to read about a man named ananas and just so you know this is not the same ananas from Acts chapter n but a man named ananas with his wife Safar sold a piece of property and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles feet but Peter said ananas why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land while it remained unsold did it not remain your own and after it was sold was it not at your disposal why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart you have not lied to man but to God when ananas heard these words he fell down and breathed his last breath it's one way you know it's not the same guy great fear Came Upon all who Hur it but then it goes on the young men rose wrapped him up carried him out and buried him after an interval of about 3 hours his wife came in not knowing what had happened Peter said unto her tell me whether you sold the land for so much and she said yes for so much but Peter said to her how is it that you have agreed together to test the spirit of the Lord behold the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door and they will carry you out immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last the young men came in they found her dead They carried her out buried her beside her husband great fear Came Upon the whole church and upon all who heard these things

again he knows already what you have when you bring your offering to him whatever that may be when you have one hand behind your back with the part you don't want to give don't think that he don't see that don't think that he don't see that lie that you're putting forth before him because he knows you notice that not only ananas but his wife was in on this with him and they both died when you decide to lie to God when you decide to hold back and not give it all it's not just going to be you your family those close to you they're all going to get caught up in that deceit they're all going to be affected by that amen anything that we have that's worth giving already came from him who are we to try to hold back like we know better at Calvary I ask you was anything kept from you on that day was anything done in secret on that day what does it mean to be a Christian to follow Christ We Are Made In His Image but yet we so often choose to side with our flesh we have wants and Desires in our flesh we are not perfect but we still must strive to make every effort within us to follow Jesus to Die daily to give everything we have to him in Leviticus 4 it talks about sacrifices and that day had to be given spotless they had to be without blemish before they could be given to God so many of us are quick to go to Romans 12 about being a Living Sacrifice if we present if we are to present our bodies a Living Sacrifice I'm here to tell you you can't let one thing be hidden you can't keep one thing back you have to remain spotless if we want to be ready for heaven we have to be all in we can't hide anything because it's not going to do any good some of you may say well this thing that I'm keeping back or this sin that I Won't Let Go it just makes life a little easier for me I'm it it just makes everything go smoother we'll tell that to God at judgment and see how that goes it's not going to matter when it comes to the end how comfortable you tried to be in this life or that thing that you held back or what you didn't want to give out of your abundance how much it helped you in life CU once we're out of here it's over it's done Paul had a thorn that he prayed to be removed multiple times the Bible doesn't say that it was removed but yet he still kept the faith just because you give something to God doesn't mean you might not still struggle at times with that that thing it doesn't mean the enemy won't still seek out that part of you but it's up to you to every time you come to the altar to still give that part to God to still give a 100% not just out of your abundance

as I draw to a close in the Book of Joshua it talks about a man named aen he was an Israelite he fought the Battle of Jericho with Joshua so he was in the Lord's army as the song says all right God had commanded the Israelites in the Book of Joshua to destroy the entire city of Jericho because of its great sin he also further commanded unlike most victories that once they had that Victory they were not allowed to take anything from the city of Jericho everything was a cursed or devoted to destruction God warned that anyone taking things from Jericho would make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it every Israelite obeyed except for one man named aen who stole several things from Jericho he tried to hide them away but as you know nothing is hidden from God his sin was discovered and Israel faltered in their battle in this city known as AI this was a small City mind you they only sent a few thousand men because it was such a small City this is a battle they should have easily won but because of this one man's holding back not giving it all not obeying the command of God trying to hide things from God he caused 36 Israelite men to die because of his sin at that battle furthermore this sin caused God's blessing upon Israel to be withheld until the second time they battled Disobedience brings ruin even upon the enemy ENT I go back again to your family to those close to you your Disobedience to God while it may be hidden to them in your mind it will be revealed it will bring destruction you wonder why you're having family problems you wonder why your job is in shambles you need to give it all to God you need to make it all unhidden before him because people will be affected by your actions

Luke 8:17 nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest neither anything hid that shall not be known and come abroad we can follow him so closely yet have a Judah Spirit within us this was a man that was close to Jesus he followed him everywhere he saw the Miracles he knew what Jesus could do but yet he had things hidden away in his spirit that he did not give up to God Jesus was betrayed by one of his own disciples one who had a relationship with him one that I'm sure Jesus did so many great works for him personally every time that we try to hide something from God it's no different in this instance he's being betrayed by one of his own because when we choose to live for him that is a promise that is a commitment that we make to him when we repent when we are baptized when we are filled with his spirit that we're laying it all before him not one thing to be hidden because he already knows it's not going to do you any good Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto them Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all of thy mind not some but all he knows when you're not giving it to him today there will always be that one thing pulling you back if you don't cut ties and just hand it over it don't matter how buried you have that how well hidden you have that but until you finally just cut those ties you're not going to be all that God wants you to be I leave you with this as I close out the Prophet Jeremiah 2913 he said you shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with all of your heart don't try to be like Adam and just hide away from God because he knows right where you are he will meet you in that place just let go and give it to him

if you'd like to stand again as we begin to close out out of this service if there's anything within your soul within your heart within your mind that you're still holding on to if there's something that you haven't given God already knows it's there don't continue to hold on to that don't bury that thing away because you will not forget about it and neither will God if you want to come up and pray if you want to come release the things if you want to stay where you are and pray you do what you feel you need to do but all I know is that there's not a lot of time left when the Holy Ghost was poured out in Acts that was the last days how much closer are we today we can't afford to not hold out both hands and give it all let's let's pray and give him some praise hallelujah oh come on church it's time to pray it's time to pray come on it's time to pray Lord I I'm believing you come on somebody Search Your Heart Lord I I want you Jesus to work in my life I need you Lord God to help me grow and to mature in you Spirit of the Living God I honor you Lord and I thank you oh come on that's right Jesus Jesus Jesus come on Jesus Jesus Jesus glorify your name come on let's righty love him oh God search me oh God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts see if there be any wicked way in me and Lead Me in the way Everlasting let me find you Jesus come on somebody believe him for forgiveness believe him for Mercy believe him I love you Lord I trust you Lord I trust you Jesus oh come on that's right trust in him I thank you Lord I Thank You Lord thank you Jesus thank you Jesus thank you Jesus come on I why don't you pray for that one close to you just just believe God for good things right now Lord bless my brother my sister the name of Jesus anoint Lord I pray that the fire of the Holy Ghost Lord Jesus work in hearts and lives come on somebody let him have it I I need you Lord I Need You Jesus yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah I glorify your name Jesus I worship your Holy Name Jesus Jesus blessed be the name of the Lord holy is the name of the Lord that's right come on holy is the name of Jesus come on let righty run into his presence let the mercy of God work I need you Lord I trust you I trust you Lord I Thank You Lord I thank you Lord I Thank You lordes holy holy holy holy worthy Worthy is your name oh that's right aren't you glad you know the Lord come on give him praise aren't you thankful for his forgiveness come on give him praise Hallelujah aren't you thankful that he doesn't give up on you come on give him praise I Love You Lord trusting you Jesus trusting you Jesus oh I love you Lord how many you know that the Lord God works in our lives come on anybody hear a testimony of God's goodness and Grace his forgiveness