Pastor Todd Boxley Weekly Sermon

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to “Try Jesus!” If this is your first time joining us, it’s great to have you with us. I would like to thank all the new members for joining “Try Jesus.” Also welcome those in Tennessee, Kentucky, Boston, Kansas City, Arizona, and Minnesota.

It’s a blessing to be with the body of Christ and the members of “TRY JESUS.” God continues to be faithful, even when our faith is shaken like the fall leaves that are soon to fall.

Just as he keeps count of every hair on our head that falls, he also strengthens us when our faith is weak. As society continues to walk in blindness, God is still a lamp unto our feet, and a powerful light unto our path (Psalm 119:105).

Let’s welcome the Lord in prayer. “Heavenly Father, we thank you for giving us abundant life this morning. Thank you, Lord, for watching over us this week and keeping us safe in a volatile world.

Lord, please let us be filled with your presence. Bless this message to reach empty hearts throughout this country. Wherever it goes, let it spread love, joy, peace, goodness, and faithfulness.

May your word transform lives to become more like you and to worship you in they do. Help them desire you above things so much more than the sin that entices them. 

Help us to set our eyes and hearts on you today. Renew our spirits, fill us with your peace and joy. We love you and need you, this day and every day. We give you praise and thanks, for you alone are worthy! In Jesus’ name, amen.”

In many states, the leaves will begin to change, signifying that summers door will soon be closed. There will also be a change for some in how they dress. Growing up in an area surrounded by trees, the fun was soon to come.

That fun was given to us by the raking of a huge pile of leaves. There was nothing better than diving into and disappearing into a ton of leaves. Of course, it’s no fun when it’s time to rake them up and throw them away.

Those fall days as a youth bring back memories of many family traditions my parents kept on their seasonal schedules. One of my mother’s fall hobbies was to bake different pies. My favorite was “Dutch crump apple pie.”

Sometimes I didn’t have to see the apple pie; I could smell that beautiful scent walking up our driveway. My mom would usually bake more than one because of her quiver full of children she was blessed with.

It was great unless you were out playing with friends and came home to empty pie pans with crumbs on them. In my family, sometimes you had to be strategic in how you would get a piece of pie before it disappeared.

I used to look for the ingredients in the cabinet and other clues to find out what my mother would be baking. Of course, I would also simply ask her what she was making that day. But sometimes she would throw me a curve ball decide to fix something else.

If you’re thinking, why not just save each child a piece of pie when it’s done baking. Well, sometimes putting your name tag on foil wrapped up pie doesn’t always work.

When you have siblings that somehow come up with amnesia or memory loss, or somehow walk in their sleep late at night and forget to see a name that wasn’t theirs in the fridge, you sometimes have to take drastic measures into your own hands (Smile).

I would continue to zero in on my mom’s cabinet and dining room table manners. I’m sure many of you love a fresh brewed cup of morning coffee. The aroma can fill the whole house. I’ve never been a coffee drinker.

However, my mother loved coffee. It was called “Maxwell House.” She would especially have it when she was gathering all her ingredients to bake her apple pies. That was my clue to stick close by the house to make sure I would get my piece of that delicious baked pie.

Sometimes my mother would use a baking timer to make sure her pies would be just right. She would always tell us to stay away from the oven and not open it until it was ready.

I would plan my attack on how to make sure I got a piece of that stuff filled apple pie. Even after the pie was finished, I had to wait for the pie to cool down. But once the cooling took place, I quickly grabbed my paper plate and fork.

We were not allowed to take good dishes up to our room. Two things always left an impression on my mind. My mother’s coffee and her terrific pies. Her coffee was always filled to the brim. And her pies were always jam-packed bursting with delicious filling.
 

Some of you may remember a coffee called “Brim.” I don’t remember if my mother drank that brand, but I remember the television commercials. I thought they were sort of silly, but I understood the concept.

Brim was a decaffeinated coffee brand that was first produced in 1961 by General Foods Corporation. Its slogan was “Fill it to the rim, with Brim.” Coffee drinkers love their coffee, they just didn’t want all the caffeine that comes with it.

Like my mother’s different pies, and her coffee mug, she never shortsighted herself on either one. I’m not sure I ever saw her coffee mug empty (Smile). The words to describe her pies were “yummy for my tummy.”

Other words to describe my mother’s pies were, jam-packed, stuffed, loaded, bursting, permeated, crammed and well-filled with superlative taste. I was always sufficiently full after eating her pies.

Of course God looks at us the same way we may see that coffee mug filled to the rim. He sees vessels that have been depleted, weak, and dead because of sin. He desires to give us fresh new life.

Did you know God is all over? How so? Well, let’s jump right in the word this morning. If you’ve been a member with “TRY JESUS” since we started in 2020, you’ve already discovered that this is a word ministry.

This simply means that everything is Bible based. There are typically a lot of scripture passages to look at. God is pleased with it because he already told us when confronted by Satan in the wilderness.

He simply stated, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3 KJV).

So, if you want to live, you’ll always find a smorgasbord of delicious scripture on this site. You can fill up over and over again. Praise God! I’m ready to start shouting! Today, he is still high and lifted up, and his train fills the temple! (Isaiah 6:1-3).

God is so good to us. Let’s continue to search his word. In (Ephesians 4:4-6) we read, 4} “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5} One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6} One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6 KJV).

God’s Word tells us through his servant Paul, that we are one body under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He is the spiritual general of his church. We are all led and filled by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:12-27).

God has given each of his authentic born-again believers spiritual abilities for the church to be unified together in love. God is over all. He has ruling power over all his creation (transcendence). God is “in all” and “living through all.”

Unbelievers cannot recognize his active presence in the world and in the lives of believers (immanence). They are spiritually blind until they repent and receive Jesus Christ as Lord.

Any view of God that violates either his transcendence or his immanence does not paint a true picture of God. There is one religion that places Jesus on the same spiritual level as Satan. They also claim Jesus was created.

This and other false religious teachings from other denominations are spiritually bankrupt and paint a different Jesus to their followers. (Romans 8:9; Matthew 7:21-23).

That’s the true evidence where Christianity differs from man-made religions, traditions, legalism, and by-laws (John 10:1-10). Again, the true immanence of God means that he is knowable, perceivable or graspable. 

We see this in Jesus Christ. He is still referred to as the “God-man.” That is, he is God incarnate (in the flesh). (Colossians 1:14-20; Isaiah 41:10; Haggai 2:5; Zephaniah 3:17). We are only fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Before I continue, I wanted to encourage everyone to go back and look at the sermon a couple weeks ago. The sermon was entitled “Drawing closer than close.” God wants his people to come closer. He wants us to come into that Holy of hollies type relationship.

As this nation continues to be shaken and unresponsive to God’s warnings, he will fill his church (believers) to stand during the discipline that is coming. God, we take care of his people the same way he took care of the people in Goshen.

Just as my mother’s coffee mug was always filled to the brim, God is going to fill those who hunger and thirst for more of him during these turbulent times. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6 KJV).

The Holy Spirit filled these individuals over two thousand years ago, approximately AD 63-70. (Acts 2:4; 4:8; 4:31; 8:14-17; 9:17; 10:44-47; 13:9; 19:1-7). My friend’s, God is not done filling his people.

The Greek word filled (plēthō) is to be fulfilled. To accomplish fullness. This filling was signified by the Holy Spirit’s baptizing with fire (Luke 3:16; Joel 2:28-29). When God fills something, he consumes it.

The more this nation unravels in moral depravity and lawlessness, God is going to show that he is still on control. Each time in the book of acts that individuals were filled, persecution preceded it and followed after it.

So, when a person is born again, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in that person’s life (1 Corinthians 6:19). If a person does not have the Holy Spirit, then he does not belong to Christ (Romans 8:9).

When things get really horrible in this country, the religious and unbelievers will not be able to cope from all the lawlessness. Marshall law could be coming sooner than people think. (2 Timothy 3:1-9; 2 Peter 3:3-7).

Matthew chapter 24 represents what great perfection is coming upon this nation. But God never forgets about his people. He is going to fill them once again (Acts 2:16-21). There will also be new creations during this time. (Matthew 3:10-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

My friends, no matter how many Christians are martyred during evil chaotic times, the Lord will gather them home and fill his saints who remain on this earth with amazing power. Jesus still remains undefeated against evil.

But this great filling just didn’t start during and after Jesus walked on this earth, it also took place in the Old Testament. God has always wanted to be close to his creation.

God commanded Moses to put together a sanctuary so he could be closer to his creation. Notice that word “sanctuary.” It is the Hebrew word (miqdâsh). It is described as a consecrated thing or place. A palace sanctuary.

It is a hallowed holy place. A sacred place of sanctuary. A holy place. It reminds me of the opposite visual places in our cities that are referred to as sanctuary cities. Sadly, many lose their lives there.

These cities are the complete opposite of what God considers “sanctuary.” In God’s sanctuary there is the fruit of the Spirit. In God’s sanctuary there is new life and healing. God commanded the tabernacle was to be his dwelling place among Israel (Exodus 25:8-9).

God’s presence at Sinai emphasize the distance required between God and his people (Exodus 19:9-13). However, through the tabernacle, God brings his holy presence right into the midst of his people. God’s glory cloud fills the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34–38).

Even after the transgression of Adam and Eve (sin entering everything), God already had a plan to rescue his people. (Genesis 3:15). When God came down during Moses’ time, only one location has been described as holy, Mount Sinai (Genesis 3:5; 19:23).

However, near the end of the book of Exodus, God’s glory has entered the midst of the people, but the people couldn’t enter the midst of God’s glory. Why? Because the overpowering sense of his presence leaves room for nothing else.

34} “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35} And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” (Exodus 40:34-35 KJV).

God’s presence was then behind the curtain of the tabernacle. God’s glory and presence always strives to interact with those who know him as “The great I am.” We must always remember that God is Holy.

God will never reduce his glory for sinful humanity. “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore

e sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6 KJV). “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:15-16 KJV).

Almost 500 years later Solomon built the Temple, which replaced the Tabernacle as the central place of worship (2 Chronicles 5:13-14). Notice, God always shows up when his saints worship him in Spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24).

You cannot worship God with irreverence and expect that God will move throughout the congregation. God will never fill flesh that tries to gain access to him in a flippantly manner.

When God’s holiness is not respected disastrous results take place. (Leviticus (10:1-3; 2 Samuel 6:6-8). Eli had two sons who were evil. They had no regard for the Lord. Here’s just a short sequence of what happened to them.
 

1) Hophni and Phinehas: First, we are told that Eli’s sons took a three-pronged fork and ate whatever meat they brought out of the pot when sacrificing an animal (Leviticus 7:30–34).

2) Eli’s sons were sleeping with the women who were dedicated to the service of the tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:22). This was against God’s law forbidding adultery (Exodus 20:14).

3) A man of God came to Eli and revealed that judgment would come upon Eli’s sons for their actions. (1 Samuel 2:34). They both died on the same day.

How tragic it is when parents’ children pass away before they do. It’s heartbreaking to lose one child, but two. Eli’s sons thought their position could place them in God’s presence and do anything they wanted.

Eli’s sons must have thought their name recognition and titles could protect them. They took the ark to battle the Philistines and were killed. (1 Samuel 4:10–11).

Eli, after hearing the news of his sons, fell backward from his seat, broke his neck, and died on the same day. How tragic and sad. Then the pregnant wife of Phinehas heard the news.

She went into labor and died while giving birth (1 Samuel 4:19–21). God’s children should never play around with his presence. It seems rebellion can have a domino effect when we disregard God’s holiness.

Sadly, some churches are run this way today. I know of a woman who was a member of a church that seem to turn a blind eye to transgressions that were happening in the church.

It seems the pastor was trying to start a relationship with this woman while be married. After a while of his advances, she decided to confront the pastor’s wife. To her surprise, she was shocked that the pastor’s wife already knew.

She told the woman, “Oh, sweetheart, you’re not telling me anything I don’t already know.” “He’s been doing this for a long time with other women.” She also told the woman that they had a good thing going at the church, so, she really didn’t care.

“Do you suppose this church has any holiness in it?” “Do you think the Holy Spirit has been grieved and left after the first affair was not delt with?” By the way, the son of Phinehas’ wife survived. His name was “Ichabod.” Meaning “The glory has departed.”

How much glory is still in our churches when we allow all manner of moral decay inside it? When churches live like (Romans 1:18-32) and (Galatians 5:16-21) and (Jeremiah 7:8-20),
they are soon to be labeled “Ichabod.”

Jesus did not stand for it also. (Matthew 21:12-13). Still, God desires to be with us and fill us if we will obey and follow him (Jeremiah 7:23). But today, will our nation be like the next verses? (Jeremiah 7:24-35).

The temple would soon be destroyed that Solomon built. Again, God shows his abundant grace and mercy. The Temple was rebuilt in approximately 515 BC.

God’s glory returned in even greater splendor about five centuries later when Jesus Christ, his Son, entered it and taught. When Jesus was crucified, God’s glory again left the Temple.

However, God no longer needed a physical building after Jesus rose from the dead. God’s temple is now his church, the body of believers. Imagine, after all this rebellion we keep heaping on his holiness, he still wants us.

Tears should be filling our eyes with repentance. I stand guilty and raise my hand first that I have trampled on the blood of Jesus for sins I committed in the past. But that same blood can also wash away my sins. (1 John 1:7-9; Matthew 26:28; Revelation 1:5-8).

If we will trust God and allow him to love us, he will fill us with his many blessings (Ezekiel 11:17-23; Jeremiah 31:28,33-34). God would write his law on his people’s hearts rather than on tablets of stone, as he had done with the Ten Commandments.

God wants his church to be filled with joy unspeakable. Tears of joy are going to be held in his hands and in his heart. (Ezra 3:9-13). We see this same glory in the face of our Lord and Savior. (John 1:14).

Before we close for the day, let’s look one last time again at the Old Testament patriarchs. I’m amazed at how their hearts were towards God without any inward help. As the Bible says, we all are truly without any excuses. (Romans 1:20).

Again, believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were not yet filled with the Holy Spirit. They were like my earlier attempts of getting at my mother’s great pies so I could be filled with that delicious flavor (Smile).

God’s presence would certainly come upon them, but not permanently indwell them. In (Numbers 11:16-17; 24-29) we discover that the Holy Spirit was upon Moses and a portion of the Spirit was taken from Moses and placed upon the seventy elders who ministered with him.

In (Numbers 24:1-4) we discover that the Holy Spirit was upon a false prophet called Balaam (2 Peter 2:15; Revelation 2:14). The Holy Spirit came upon Samson to do extraordinary exploits. (Judges 13:25; 14:6,19; 15:14).

The Spirit of God came upon the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 59:21). The Spirit of the Lord came upon Amasai and Jahaziel (1 Chronicles 12:18; 2 Chronicles 20:14).

Now let’s look at the New Testament again as we did earlier in the message. From the book of acts to 2023, it is clear that the Holy Spirit permanently dwells in every true believer (Romans 8:9, 11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 12:13; Ephesians 1:13).

The Holy Spirit’s ministry to believers changed after Christ’s death and resurrection. The Holy Spirit dwelled within people in the New Testament. In Ephesians we are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:17-18).

We are also told to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-23). The Greek word filled (plēroō) means to be to make replete, to cram and level up. To make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full. To abound and furnish.

God never skims or cheats in filling those whom he loves. Those of you who love grocery shopping know that some items you purchase today (chips, crackers, etc.), are never filled for the money you spend.

Some of it is the product settling during shipment, other businesses may purposely skimp or reduce the amount but have us still pay an increased price. God never holds back from blessing and filling us with his goodness.

Know this my beloved friends, all authentic born-again believers are sealed and indwelt by the Holy Spirit at the point of their salvation. However, this filling or control by the Spirit can be hindered by sin.

Just like those half full bag of chips, if we continue in sin as Christians, we will quench the Spirit and the spiritual faucet will stop flowing (1 Thessalonians 5:19). The normal ministry of the Spirit is to fill us to reflect Jesus to a dying world. 

Many Holy Spirit filled ministries refer to it as “the anointing.” When God fills you with something he also equips you with something. Christians are given amazing tools while living in this dying world.

God equips his followers with armor to defeat the enemies conniving attacks. (Ephesians 6:10-18). This armor of defense helps to stop the demonic arrows from Satan’s demons against us. Some Christians think we are the minority in this nation. No beloved, we are the maturity. We have God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and his powerful angels. 

We are given a greater more powerful weapon (The sword of the Spirit), the word of God that Satan trembles when confronted with (James 4:7; Revelation 12:10-12; 20:10-15). Satan is no match against the Holy Spirit.

[Satan is constantly battling against all who are on the Lord’s side. We need supernatural power to defeat Satan, and God has provided this by giving us his Holy Spirit within us and his armor surrounding us.]

You cannot defeat the enemy with just your armor alone. Some churches try to defeat Satan with religiosity. They think programs alone will keep him at bay. They have prayer service meetings from 6:00 pm to 6:15 pm once a month.

This will make your church look and operate like the sons of Sceva in (Acts 19:13-16). You must allow the Holy Spirit to have control so your church can then take hold of the sword of the Spirit. (Ephesians 6:17-18).

If you are not reading the word of God, you will begin to atrophy those spiritual muscles you had when you were first saved by the Lord Jesus. The word of God is your spiritual nourishment to stay filled up at all times.

If I tried to eat my mother’s delicious pies without the filling, it would leave me empty, unsatisfied, and unfulfilled. The crust would only make me frustrated. Remember when the disciples tried to cast out the demon? (Matthew 17:14-21).

The disciples hadn’t learned to use faith wisely. They were still looking through a fleshly natural lens instead of seeing the young man’s need through a spiritual lens. They had the crust, but not the filling.

They would however experience this miraculous filling after Jesus ascended to the Father. Being filled with the Holy Spirit means that we submit to his authority, welcome his guidance, accept his correction, and live under his restraint.

[We must rely on his power, and allow him to unify us with other believers. Living by the Spirit does not mean having a casual, part-time relationship with him. We must fill our lives with the cleansing and invigorating love and power of the Holy Spirit.]

Those who do not repent and accept Jesus Christ as Lord are empty vessels awaiting destruction. Then again, I must correct myself, they are also filled. But they are filled with all manner of darkness. (Acts 13:6-12).

If you are an unbeliever reading this message, you don’t have to be filled with corruption and darkness. You don’t have to think about committing suicide. You don’t have to live in fear of the bad climate. You don’t have to be lost in the wrong identity.

You can get rid of all that sinful sludge, be emptied out, and be refilled with living power. Listen my friends, trouble is the inevitable by-product of sin entering the world, so you should not be surprised by it.

But along with the trouble comes the strength and wisdom of God to handle it. Remember beloved, trouble chases sinners, while blessings chase the righteous. (Proverbs 13:21).

 

🗣📢 Last words: God’s home is his people. If you are tired of feeling empty inside and living an unhealthy lifestyle, you can be restored with new vitality. God filling his tabernacle foreshadowed him filling our hearts.

Heaven touches earth when God dwells within us. Like my mother’s delicious pies, in God we can “Taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8). When we turn our hearts to God, he, by his Holy Spirit, builds into us desire to obey him (Revelation 21:1-3).

[God loves you dearly, and he has called you to be his very own people. God is looking for a personal relationship with each person he has created. He pursues us not to get something from us, but to give something wonderful to us.]

“Are you ready to live and not die? Then get filled with something eternal!”

 

🛐 Here’s a prayer you can pray to get filled with newness of life. “Heavenly Father, thank you for today’s message of being filled with the right substance. Lord, I’m that person who needs refurbished, renewed, and reignited.

Jesus, I’ve been told no one restores a life better than you. My life needs gutted out like one of those old houses you see with a shoot and trash container on the street.

I surrender my heart and life to you, so you can send your Holy Spirit to begin the cleanup and filling process in my life. Heavenly Father, I commit my way to you. I put my trust in you. I know you will act on my behalf.

Lord, heal my brokenness, and cleanse me from sin. Fill me with your precious Spirit. Make me a slave and bondservant to your righteousness. Lord, make me a dangerous soldier to the kingdom of darkness.

I love you and glorify you today, Lord. In you, I have liberty, freedom, and peace of heart. You are the breaker of chains in my life. Please fill me over and over again with your glorious presence. Guide and order all my steps Lord, in Jesus’ name, amen.”


❤ “If you would like to know Jesus as your Savior, pray now. Lord Jesus, I wish to know you, have a relationship with you, I wish to accept you in my heart, repent my sins, and have everlasting life. I believe in you and ask for your wisdom and guidance. In your name I pray. Amen.


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“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

Pastor Todd Boxley

Worship Center Ministry tjforlife.com