Revealing God's Sons by: Dr. Pete Norris

Today on Power In The Word And so for 17, 18 years of my life, I went through this crisis of where I didn't understand I couldn't do enough for God, I couldn't have enough from God, God couldn't do enough for me It was a terrible relationship and I got burnt out Some of you don't know what I'm talking about You're trying to be good and you can't be good He made you good See there's so much regret and shame and condemnation But the bottom line is it doesn't matter what you did What matters is who you are right now in Christ's name But you've got to come to grips with who you are Welcome to Power In The Word Most believers have a difficult time living a spirit-led life Often accompanied by shame and guilt Well today Dr. Norris shows us in the Word of God That our lives don't have to be controlled by our flesh Instead our spirit can be led by the Holy Spirit Into a place of love, peace and joy You stay tuned and be encouraged Let's go to Mark chapter 7 verse 13 Making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition Which you have handed down And many such things you do Now how many of you know you have a whole lot of traditions that were handed down to you Especially people in the church They're going to tell you what they did to get where they are And we need to forget all that and remember that Jesus, what He did Got us where we are Amen And because of that the traditions of people

And families and grandma and all them Made the Word of God of no effect Think about it a minute There's certain things in the Bible you believe And there's certain things you don't believe And everybody thinks the Bible has literally happened And it didn't Everything in the Bible is truth But everything in the Bible is not true Okay And I'm going to explain myself Because the reality of that is Is that the parables never happened You know, He was giving a teaching to compare for that Matter of fact, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John is not for us anyway He was talking to the scribes and the Pharisees So He was talking to Jewish people in the four gospels And the four gospels was after and before The death, burial and resurrection So they can't be New Testament I'm not trying to change your Bible I'm just trying to teach you that if you think differently See, we're going to take the Old Testament and New Testament And bring them together and make them work Under the Old Testament It looks like God took some people out Under the New Testament He brought some people in And the Bible never says God is the same yesterday and today and forever

It says Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever But everybody says You know, Pastor, the Bible says God is the same yesterday and today and forever It doesn't say that It says Jesus is the same yesterday and forever So I want you to go to John 1 and 1 In the beginning was the Word And the Word was with God And the Word was God Now who's the Word? Jesus So we see that in the beginning Now I want you to understand something The actual Greek doesn't say in the beginning It says in a beginning So how many of you know there's more than one beginning? Okay, so we're good with that, right? So in the beginning was the Word And the Word was with God And the Word was God So in the beginning Jesus was with God, right? How many of you know that so were you? And the Word was God So the Word was God The Word was God And in the beginning was the Word So everything that is, was in God, right? We can all buy that Okay, I want you to go to Galatians 6, verse 14

And this is Paul talking to the Galatian church And he was talking to them about how to understand What's been done for them Now so many people have a real problem With understanding what God's done for them But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ By whom the world has been crucified to me And I to the world How many of you know that you were crucified with Christ on the cross? How many of you died with Him? You resurrected with Him? You were buried with Him? And you're seated in heavenly places with Him? How many of you know that? That is you in Christ And Paul done a lot of wonderful things But Paul said I can't boast in any of that I can only boast in except the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ How many of you know it was the cross that changed your life? But I do want you to understand If it had not been for a resurrection you'd still be on the cross Because the resurrection was to demonstrate the power Of Him being the Son of God Romans 1 and 4 So we understand that what declared Him to be the Son of God Was the resurrection Not the crucifixion But Paul said unless the cross happened Everything else is in vain, right? How many of you know Jesus died on the cross?

Now I want you to really listen to me How many of you know Jesus died on the cross? How many of you know you died on the cross too? How many of you know you were buried with Him too? How many of you know that you resurrected with Him too? How many of you know you're seated in heavenly places? So what happened to your old man? Let's go to verse 15 here For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth anything How many of you know the Jews had to be circumcised? under the law and they were circumcised. He said whether you're circumcised or not circumcised, it availeth nothing or anything but a new creation. Now watch this. It's not about what you do, it's about what He did. How many of you know that you're totally a new creation? Now think about that a minute before you answer me. How many of you know you're a total recreation? If you're a new creation, then the old man cannot be alive. That's the part of us we deal with. We consist excellently and live in the past when we're really a new creation in the future. We've got to understand we're a new creation in the future. Look at verse 16. For as many as walk according to this rule, what rule? The new creation. Mercy and peace be upon them and upon the Israel of God. So we understand that as long as you walk in this rule, what rule? The new creation. How many of you a new creation? So why do you deal with the old man? Because you don't understand the old man's dead and you don't understand who you are in Christ with a new creation. Because the new creation says we're a new creation. Old things have passed away and behold things all become new. Listen to me very carefully. You do not have a past because your past has been wiped away in Christ. What you did last night has been removed. He don't even remember it. The only one that remembers is you. And what the church has done is they've kept people in condemnation week after week even though Romans 8 and 1 says there's no condemnation to those who are in Christ. They've kept you in condemnation. If you do

this, this, and this, and this, then you're falling right back into sin. That's absolutely incorrect. You and I have been delivered and transgressed and removed out of sin. Correct? Now I'm going to show you that in Scripture today. Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 1. And I, brethren, he's talking to Christians, to the Corinthian church, when I came to you did not come to with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. Verse 2. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Verse 3. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. Verse 4. And my speech and my preaching was not with persuasive words of human wisdom but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Paul said I didn't come to you to try to bring you some message that sounds good. I come to demonstrate what God Jesus has done for us through the cross. I come to tell you that you're a new creation. All these people are telling you what you've done wrong doesn't understand the power of the resurrection. We've got to understand that the cross of Calvary removed all yours and my sins. And because of that we're absolutely complete and whole. Guys, we're absolutely whole. Now this is a comma. Look at verse 5. That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Now we just read that the Word of God has the power, right? Now he's saying our faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the what? Power of God. Now think about it just a minute. Where did you get a lot of your teachings? In the past. Who taught you? The church or our grandparents or our mama or daddy or whoever it may have been. They taught us the things that they thought was right at the time. And we got a little bit of wisdom and then God comes along and increases that wisdom and shows us more and more and more and more. Anything that has to do with work is not under the New Testament. We work not because we got to. We work because we love Him and want to. It's kind of like a marriage. Think about it a minute. You don't have... I don't have to live with Anita. I can leave. But it won't be profitable, right? It won't be profitable. But I get to live with her. And see what we've done is we've come into the church and the first thing they told me when I got recreated is they said you need to

read your Bible, you need to pray, and you need to tithe. They definitely wanted that tithe thing. You need to read your Bible, you need to pray, and you need to tithe. And so we go through our whole lives trying to do this because this is what our people in the church have told us to do. So we go through our lives trying to do this and we never can pray enough, we never can read enough, we can never give enough, and we go through and we get miserable because it's not about a relationship. It looks like a one-sided deal to me. And so for 17, 18 years of my life, I went through this crisis of where I didn't understand, I couldn't do enough for God, I couldn't have enough from God, God couldn't do enough for me. It was a terrible relationship and I got burnt out. Some of you know what I'm talking about. You're trying to be good and you can't be good. He made you good. See, there's so much regret and shame and condemnation every Sunday in the pulpits because people say, if he knew what... done last night. Most of the time I know what you really did last night. But the bottom line it doesn't matter what you did last night. What matters is who you are right now in Christ Jesus. But you've got to come to grips with who you are. And until you do, you walk in that place a week. Let's go to 2 Corinthians 5 and 17. Now I want you to really start reading the Bible as what it says and take all your religious ideas out of it. Because some people just really believe, I ain't going to go there. Verse 17. Therefore, now when you see therefore you've got to find out what it's there for. So that means you need to read the one before it. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a what? Now how many of you know that word creation in the Greek means a species or nothing ever been like you. Old things have done what? And I want to underline behold all things have become new. Now how many of you know that once you got recreated and born again and accept Jesus as your personal Savior, all things were made new to you. So the old man don't exist anymore. Well pastor every once in a while he comes up. That's because you continue to think that way. If you could ever determine, all Paul was trying to tell the church in the New Testament was to find out who you are. That's why Paul could stand before the Corinthians and said, I've never wronged anybody. Think about it a minute. All of you know that you're born again, but you think you fall off the track every time you miss it. And the reality is you ain't never fell off the track since you got on the track. Because in Christ he made you a new creation. He made all things new to you and you don't have a past. That's what we

can't come to grips with. That everything has been new in our lives and behold all things have become new. Everything's new with you. He don't even know what you're talking about when you ask him to forgive you what you done yesterday. He don't see it. He don't even know it because the Bible said in Colossians 3 and 3, if you be dead then your life is hidden with Christ in God. So we understand that when he looks down he sees a perfect example of Christ on the earth. You and I are new creations. That's the part of us we got to get a hold of is that we're new creations and we're some kind of somethings. Not because of us, because of him. Think about it a minute. How many of you tried and tried your best to please God? And every time you'd say you ain't going to do that again, you'd turn right around and two weeks later and you'd do it again. I'm not going to say that again and then you'd turn right around and say it again. I'm not going to get upset and then you'd turn around and get upset. Why? Because you're trying to live based on not discovering who you are. God loves you so much that you absolutely have no worries if you can understand that you can trust him. But you can't trust him because you don't know him that good. The more time you spend with this Word, the more you're going to know about him. See, a lot of people have heard about Jesus. Remember the woman with the issue of blood? The Bible said she had heard about Jesus. But she said within herself, if I can touch the hem of his garment, I know I'll be made whole. For twelve years she went to doctor after doctor after doctor trying to find an answer. Couldn't get an answer. But she said, if I can touch the hem of his garment, I know I'll be made whole. And what happened? Now you've got to understand, she was a woman that had a sexually transmitted disease. In other words, blood was flowing out of her. She had a female problem. She wasn't even supposed to be out bleeding. That was unclean under the Old Testament. Because she was under the Old Testament. Because Jesus hadn't died and resurrected yet. So she's crawling around with a cobblestone trying to get the touch of the hem of his garment. All these people walking around that she was unclean around. And should not even have been out. But she touched the hem of his garment and what happened? She said, the scripture says, she said within herself, Mark 5 I believe it, she said within herself, if I can touch the hem of his garment, I know I'll be made whole. And he said, who touched me? And he turned around. I want you to get this picture. And he said, who touched me? And it doesn't seem important. She'd already got her healing.

Why don't you go on about her business? Because the moment she turned around and she was fear and trembling and told him, she said, I touched you. And watch this. The very moment that Jesus could look into her eyes and see her faith, she could see his grace. So we don't know Jesus well enough that he's not mad with us. He's not angry with us. Now the scribes and the Pharisees have been mad with them with her traveling around and walking around out there bleeding. But a moment, immediately it dried up. See, you only need one moment along with him to transform and change your life. Here's what's happening in the world. We're going to church, we're sitting in the pews, we're hearing our little self-help things, and we're not being transformed. We're not believing that God's really real. Listen, that's why some people have a great big God and some have a little teeny God. He's the same God, same God. But he's bigger to some people because they know him better. Think about it. I want you to go with me to Revelation 21 and five. And he who sat on the throne said, behold, I make all things new. And he said to me, write all these words are true and faithful. How many of you know he told us he makes all things new? That includes you. That includes me. How many of you know according to 2 Corinthians 5 and 17, old things have passed away and behold, all things have become new. Don't live in your condemnation,

in your guilt and your shame. One more moment. Jesus died that you and I could be free. Shame is eating away at people. Regret is killing people. What if I'd have done this? What if I'd have done that? What if I hadn't have done this? Listen, let me tell you something. There's no, you're not gonna be a perfect parent. You're gonna learn things down the road. You're gonna say, well, why did they turn out like that? Cause I was a bad parent. That's really not true. You are what you are by the grace of God. And the reality of all that is, you and I have got to come to grips with, he made all things new. The more time you spend with him, the more you're gonna trust him. Some of you live uptight, you're stressed out, you're panicking all the time, cause you can't fix it. You can't fix you. If you could have fixed you, you wouldn't need God. But he can fix you. Now he's gonna be dealing with you the whole time you're alive on this earth. You're never gonna get this perfected. When you get it perfected,

you ain't gonna stay here no longer. But you're a work in progress. Look at someone and say, I'm a work in progress. Let's go to Galatians chapter five, verse six. For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision or uncircumcision availeth anything, but faith working through. Here we go. It's not about circumcision, uncircumcision. It availeth nothing. But faith is only gonna work through love. Now listen to me very carefully. Love is not what everybody betrays it to be. Love is not a feeling. Love is not something you decide to do. I hear all genders are saying this. Well, we don't get to choose who we love. Ah, that's garbage. God's love, if you choose him, that's what love is. You can't love your spouse until you know God. Because God is love. You can try to be the best spouse in the world you wanna be, but you're not gonna walk in that until you understand God is love. That's not an attribute of God, it's what God is. So if you spend time with love, you're gonna have some operating in you because that's a fruit of the spirit. Galatians 5, 22. Think about it, man.

Love is not a feeling. You say, well, you know, I really don't like that person. Then I got a bad feeling about me. No, that has nothing to do with it, guys. Love is not about feelings. How many of you had a boyfriend or a girlfriend at some time early in your life and you thought, man, I love them. I love them, I could eat them up. And then after they're gone, what happens? You move on. It felt like love, it looked like love, but it really wasn't love. Because here's real love. God demonstrated his love for us when we were yet a sinner. That's real love. What did he say? For God so loved the world that he gave. Here's always attached to love, giving. Now I'm not talking about money. I'm talking about every part of your life that's always attached to love. You can base your love on your giving. I'm not talking about money, I'm talking about the way you give to your life. But always remember this. Your life is always about other people. It's not about you. The things you go through in life, they're not for you.

They're to help other people along the way. So when we talk about this love, that faith only works through love. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. What is faith? The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the word of God. Not because you heard it, because you're hearing it over and over and over and over and over and over and over until it gets so deeply embedded in you that it becomes who you are. See, that's what love does. The more time you spend with Jesus, the more love is going to penetrate you. You say, well, Pastor, that's just how I am. I'm sharp and I talk harsh and that's just who I am. No, it's not. You're a new creation. Old things passed away. You like that old man better because you don't know that you're a new man. Right? The Bible says, be slow to speak and quick to hear. Think about it a minute. You've got two ears and one mouth. Wonder why? You should be listening twice as much as you're talking. Because faith don't come by talking. Faith comes by hearing. Go with me to verse 7. I want you to see something here. You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? Think about it a minute. What does love look like? You ever heard that saying? I think my grandma told me when I was a little boy. Love is a funny little thing shaped like a lizard. Runs up and down your backbone and down around your gizzard. What is genuinely? What is love?

Love never quits giving. You ought to go read Corinthians 13 about once a week. Love doesn't get puffed up. Love doesn't want its own way. Love doesn't remember the wrong that's been done to it. See, that's what love is. See, some of you have pain and anguish from your past that people done. People can't help but hurt you. Hurting people hurt people. That's why it's never bothered me a whole lot when people hurt me in the ministry because I understand hurting people are going to hurt you. If you're a shepherd, you're going to get bit once in a while. Amen? But you got to get past abiding because your relationship's got to be stronger than the pain. And if the relationship with Jesus is not stronger than the pain, you'll quit. Did you know 1,300 pastors are quitting a month? 1,500 churches closed down in 2025 and they're expecting 2,500 to close down this year. Why? Because of relationships, man. We've got to have a relationship with this man named Jesus. It's more than just going to heaven. It's helping people get to where they need to be. People need to know they're loved. People need to know they're cared about. People need to be encouraged. It ain't your four and no more. It's got to be about people. Jesus died that all people would live. Not just the Jews. Not just the Gentiles. Everybody. Think about it a minute. For God so loved the world that He gave. You know, I love you, but I'm not going to give my son for you. I mean, I don't mean it ugly, but I'm not. But think about it. This man that loved us so much, we were yet sinners, gave His life for us. Go to Galatians 5 and 1.

I want you to see this. Here's a real powerful thing. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made us free. Do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. How many of you are walking in liberty? He said, stand fast, therefore, in the liberty of Christ. Stand forth in the liberty. Now, there's a revelation that comes with this. How many of you know that you can stand fast in the liberty that God's given you? The liberty is not to do anything you want to do. The liberty is to know who you are in Christ. And you can stand on who you are. If you would call me out and say, you know, Jack, come over here. I wouldn't go because my name is not Jack. When the church talks about and the preachers get up and talk about sinners, if you don't know that you're not one, then you go listen to Him. But if you know that you're a new creation and old things are passed away and what you do is not who you are, but who you are is the spirit, man, of what Christ done when recreating us and making us a new creature. Think about it a minute. You ever been to a celebration that's the end of somebody's life and they're in the coffin there? You can say whatever you want, they ain't gonna respond. Because they dead. The body's dead. But the spirit is alive forevermore. That's the real you. What you do is not you. What you believe is who you are. That's why the Bible says in Proverbs 23, 7, what's every man thinking in his heart? That's what he is. What do you think about yourself? You're living exactly where you're thinking. Because the Bible said in 1 Corinthians 2 and 16, you and I have the mind of Christ. Don't live in condemnation and guilt. Therefore, there's no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus. Now, go to 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 17. Now, the Lord is the spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, that's where the liberty is. How many of you know that the Lord is the spirit? It says, I want you to underline that. The Lord is the spirit, and the spirit of the Lord is. The Lord is, that's where the Spirit of the Lord is at. So where's the Lord? In me and you. What did Acts say? They're going to call this man Jesus, Lord and Christ. So the Lord

is the Spirit. Now listen, I'm doing something here. The Lord is the Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there's liberty. Do you have liberty in your life? Or are you living by bondage? See, you won't hear anybody in this town preach this, and I'm fixing to You don't have to tithe to go to heaven. You don't have to pay tithes. You ever heard this one? If you don't tithe, you're doomed now, you're cursed. It's impossible. The Bible says we're going to be redeemed from the curse of the law, right? You get the tithe. You don't have to. You get to. Say, I get to. So remember now, the Lord is the Spirit. Let's go to John chapter 4 verse 23 and 24. But the hour is coming, now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. Now look at 24. God is Spirit. Now I just thought the Lord is the Spirit. Now it's saying God is the Spirit, and those that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Now think about it a minute. The Lord is the Spirit. Now God is the Spirit. If God and the Lord are the same thing, they're Trinity, Colossians chapter 2 verse 9, the Godhead is the bodily, and then we're complete in the Godhead, right? And we have the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit inside of us. But me and you are led by the Spirit and not led by rules and regulations. Think about it a minute. 50 years ago, nobody would go to church like we dress today. You ever heard this? You ought to wear your best to church. Think about it a minute. What was that? When I cried out to the Lord, He didn't care what I had on. He didn't care if I didn't have anything on. Think about it a minute. Where is the liberty that's in the Spirit? You and I are led by the Holy Spirit that's on the inside of us. For as many as are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God. Are you led by the Spirit? Then do you understand that the blessings that are in the kingdom are by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit? Jesus said, it's your benefit that I leave because if I leave, I'm going to send the Holy Spirit and He's going to live in you. That same Spirit is alive on the inside. Listen, if we could learn to listen to the inside, we wouldn't be struggling with what we hear externally. The Holy Spirit is here to tell you who you are, not to tell you how bad you are. He's going to reveal all things to you because all things have been made new. And He put His Holy Spirit in to reveal who you are because of Him. Isn't that a wonderful picture? Think about it a minute. He's called us to that place of having the Holy Spirit inside of us to lead us. He is absolutely crazy about

you. Thank you for joining us today at Power in the Word. All of us here at Harvest Fellowship Church want you to know that God is not mad with you, but He loves you so very much. And He has a plan for your life. Please feel free to contact us here at Harvest Fellowship Church at our website, HarvestFellowshipChurch.net. So until next week, please remember, there's power in the Word.