Rooted In The Word By: Dr. Pete Norris

today on power in the word look at the principles of Christ those are the things you need to base your life on those are the things you need to focus on those are the things you need to put your time in those are the things you need to plant plant this word every day as soon as you get up plant this word in your heart over and over and over until after a while it becomes not a second nature is first nature for what comes out of your mouth when a crisis arise this word will rise up in you and take over you to where there'll not be another option there'll only be one option and that's the word welcome to power in the word do you find it hard to trust in Jesus Christ well today dr. Norris shows us in the Word of God that trusting in God is directly related to meditating and implanting the truths of God's Word in our minds and hearts this message is going to help you be victorious in this life so you stay with us so tonight we're going to talk about being rooted in the word and is the word the most important thing in your life I want you go to Proverbs chapter 3 and anybody know who wrote Proverbs Solomon right Solomon wrote Proverbs and he was one of the wisest men and the smartest me and the richest men until Jesus came along now I want you to understand that I mean he was the wisest man the smartest man and the richest man to Jesus came along but there was certain areas of his life that he didn't have any wisdom in so don't feel alone when you got areas of your life you don't you don't understand what's going on in the area of your life just because you don't have an answer for your question doesn't mean there's not an answer so let's go to Proverbs chapter 3 verse 1 my son do not forget my word or my law but let your heart keep my commands now the first thing that jumps in your mind right now is what it's the Ten Commandments isn't it doing right acting right that's not what he said he said my son don't forget my law don't forget my word and but keep my commands what's his command love one another's he's loved us John 1334 so we see here that if I won't forget his word I'll always walk in love because his word is love now I want to make a statement to you have you ever heard the scripture humble yourself before the Lord and if he if you humble yourself before the

Lord he'll lift you up but if he has to humble you he doesn't promise he's gonna lift you up and exalt you you said pastor do you believe the Lord humbles us I don't think we understand what humility is humility is not us getting at the altar and sin and begging God humility and humbleness is lining yourself up with the word regardless of what you're feeling what you're going through what you're dealing with making the word the number one priority and listen when the word is number one priority you don't have another option when you say by his stripes I'm healed there's not another option to be sick when you say my beloved brother wish above all things you prosper me and help even your soul prosper there's not another option to be poor see you got to understand what makes it happen what makes it happen is not you but it's his word go to Proverbs chapter 3 verse 5 Proverbs 3 is a powerful thing talking about the wisdom of God trust and let me have yours notice scripture trust in the Lord with all thine heart trust in the Lord all thine heart trust in the Lord all that heart and lean not to your own understanding now that'll preach how many of you are trusting in the Lord with all your heart and you're not even trying to figure it out that's what he's talking about here he said then he said in Proverbs and all you're getting get what understanding so if I'm trusting in the Lord all my heart I'm not trying to figure it out I'm not even trying to make it work I'm not even trying to rationalize or try to fix anything in my life because I'm trusting in the Lord do you reckon that's why Solomon lived such a powerful strong life and had such wisdom and wealth is because he didn't try to figure it out do you try to figure it out is this why does this happen to me why'd I go through this why am I dealing with this why am I trying to see you're trying to figure it out you're trying to rationalize out in your mind so you're not trusting him you got to trust him in the good and the bad you got to trust him in the in the situation in no situation you got to trust him when you don't understand it when you do understand it you got to trust him when you when you're broke or when you're prospering you got to trust him when you're sick or when you well you got to trust him because trust doesn't have a

circumstance to change you away from there's not another option for trust are you with me there's not another option so let's go to Romans chapter 8 verse 6 now look what he said to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is peace now how many people you know in the world got peace I'm not trying to criticize anybody but what does this say you well you don't have no peace because you're carnally minded you're thinking about the festerly things you're setting your mind on your feelings and your circumstances and and the things that you're dealing with in in the physical realm and so because of that we don't have peace in our lives because to be spiritually minded Peace in other words what he's saying is if your mind is on things of the physical it's gonna bring death to you But if your mind's on the things of the spirit, it's gonna bring peace to you How many of yours right now say Lord? I'm just sitting in a perfect place of peace Now isn't it amazing that some of the areas in your life you got peace What areas are those? The ones you're not involved in Those are the ones you trust him and don't lean to your own understanding in Those are the areas of your life that you got faith and trust that he's gonna look after you Those are the areas of your life that you don't have to be in control of You ever heard that old saying on the Pentecostal church let go and let God Well, they might have been a lot of truth in that We need to let go of it and let God have his way in our perfect life so so we can just rest in His finished work Now think about it. I want you to go back just a minute to the book of Acts And I want you to think about Paul just a minute Paul was trying to do the right thing wrote two-thirds of the New Testament And he was in prison in the middle of a night in a dungeon Water was running in there rest was everywhere because the Bible says he was in the lowest part of the dungeon In jail members of story Listen, he didn't have color TVs like we have in Goldsboro he didn't have air condition and and padded rooms and

Carpet on the floor and some weights when he got tired and foot a stake when he got hungry Paul was in jail. And what was Paul doing? He was praising and rejoicing in jail Wow, he was in a terrible situation, but he was still trusting What if you were in jail See a lot of people are in jail and They're free as a bird, but they don't know it And so we've got to understand today that if we're gonna rise above a level if God's gonna take this church to another level If God's gonna take you to another level, he's gonna take your marriage to another level There's something you gonna have to know that you don't know yet The difference in prosperity and poverty is knowledge the difference in health and wealth is The health and sickness is knowledge. All we like is wisdom if we listen, what is knowledge? Not the Bible said knowledge you'll puff you up knowledge, you know good unless you have the wisdom to use it and The only thing that knowledge is is something that's useless to you unless you have the wisdom to apply See, do you know what wisdom really is God? Give me a definition. Give me a definition several years ago. Wisdom is the ability to discern the differences in people That's all wisdom is the ability to discern the differences in people So let's go to let's go to Proverbs chapter 3 verse 2 and you remember what Proverbs chapter 3 verse 1 said he said my son do not forget my law and But let your heart guard your commands now look at verse 2 if you'll do that. Look what's happens If you'll keep him if you'll keep his word if you'll love and you'll you'll you'll not forget his word Here's what I happen. He'll give you a length of days and a long life and peace. They will add to you Why do I add it to you listen to that again for length of days and a long life now, wait a minute What's the difference in length of days in a long life and peace? They will add to you What's the difference in the length of days in a long life What he's trying to tell you is I'll give you more blessings and I'll make your 24 hours bigger than your 24 hours I'll give you a long life Psalms 91 16 with long life will I satisfy that you show you my salvation see he wants you to have a long life How you'll get a long life you'll get a long life by what?

Being in his word putting his word first place in your life. He's gonna give you a long life 75 is not a long time It is to a 15 year old But it ain't to a 75 year old It ain't to an 80 year old. It ain't to a 96 year old. I asked him the other day I said look brothers 96 years a long time to be alive in it. He said not to a 96 year old it ain't Think about it a minute What's the difference in a 96 year old and a 92 year old? four years of wisdom four years of revelation four years of knowledge I Want you to go with me somewhere go me to mark chapter 4 verse 14 through 20 the sower sows the word now watch how this works the sower sows the word verse 15 and These are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown when they hear it When they hear it Satan comes immediately take away. There's that word take away member healing school yesterday Take away means to turn off Remember to take away to turn off the word that was sown in your heart see the enemy wants you to walk out of here Tonight he don't want you to grab hold of this wisdom thing He don't want you to grab hold it the words the most important thing because here's what happens. Here's what happens Here's what happens you ready when you begin to dig into word all hell breaks loose When you begin to dig in a revelation you're digging for a revelation All hell's gonna break loose in that in that revelation you're trying to find because he don't want you to find it He wants you to he wants you to say. Oh, I'm gonna leave that alone There's in that the devil's coming at me with that one Anytime you're digging for revelation. What's he gonna do? He take away the word that's been sown in your heart by stripes. I'm healed What's the first thing he does bring sickness to your body and the first thing we do is respond and say, you know What whoa, whoa back up Jack Now look at verse 16 and And likewise are the ones who's sown on stony ground who have heard the word and immediately receive it with gladness

But then there's a semicolon then it says but I guarantee you 17 and They have no root in themselves have no root turn somebody say have you got root? and So endure only for a time afterwards when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake Immediately they stumble see the enemy's not after you. He's after the word in you He's no comparison to you You are no comparison to him. Listen to me. God don't have enemies He don't have an adversary. He defeated his you have an adversary. He's the devil you got to defeat him and Look, there's a period now. Look at verse 18 and These are the ones that sown among thorns. They the ones who hear the word and then there's a comma look at verse 19 and the cares Oh Well pastor don't you see what's going on overseas Don't you see what the crisis is? Don't see the money's running out. I don't see it short Don't you see we in a crisis or see the Dow Jones down you see it just raise up The Dow Jones down the interest rates up precious metals are low bit coins are falling off the chart SUP is not doing good and The cares of this world and deceitful of riches and the desire for other things in or in they what they do what they choke That word out of you. Why because you're looking at the crosses and the cares of this world you listen to me guys You can't look at that. You got to look at him. You got to put this word first thing in your life You got to bury yourself in this word and it becomes what? What comes unfruitful that word that you heard and you receive with gladness? Have you ever left here at night? He said Lord. That was a revelation that I got a good run Man, that thing clicked to me went off in me like a light bulb and about two days later lot bulbs out Because something's come along a view has come that you wasn't expecting their situations arose or where the car won't crank or the frigerators gone out Or or the dishwasher ain't working or something's happening and all of a sudden that revelation Looks a little bit dimmer now Look at verse 20 and these are the ones who's sewn on good ground those who what and They what and then they what? How do they bear fruit some 30 fold some 60 fold and some a hundred fold now

You see four different people receiving the same word and only 25% got it Listen to me Only 25% going to walk out of here tonight with what I said and hold on to it produce fruit from it So you're one out of four That's the same odds we have here They all heard the same word Only one got it produce fruit and Some produce 30 some 360 some proceeds 100 and so I asked the Lord I said Lord, why does some produce 30 and some produce 60 and some produce 100? He said some people produce 30 30 fold because that's what kind of root they have inside them and Then once they get a stronger root they get 60% and once they get a stronger root they get a hundred percent Now why'd he jump from 30 to 60 to 100? Why didn't he go from 30 60 to 90? Because 30 and 60 is what He said son, I'd be equaling myself out but a hundredfold return means infinite return a perpetual return 90 doesn't mean that There's a place you can live in him that blessings a flow into you Continuously over and over and over without you praying for you're just looking for You don't have to pray for what you know is coming Success is a direct proportion to the root. What do you believe? No root no results 30 fold Root equals 30 fold result. What kind of what you what kind of fold you're seeing? Let me tell you God is got you You can trust him you can trust him You Do not have to worry about going broke You got too much seeds in heaven to go broke. You can't go broke. You can't get broke from here Guys you got to understand listen to me a heavenly account is much stronger than an earthly account

Go me to Proverbs 3 and 3 and we've read 1 and 2 2 said he's gonna give you the length of days and a long life and he's gonna give you peace but look at three now he said don't let mercy and truth forsake you bind them around your neck now what does Isaiah say that the anointing of God destroys the yoke the yoke you know what a yoke is it's a it's a bridal thing they put around an oxen's neck and the translation of that Greek word in Isaiah says let your neck gets a fat the yoke can't stay around it so when they put that yoke around the oxen's neck that y'all that oxen couldn't do anything but pull if he wanted to respond they would clamp it tight and it cut the wind off to him so what did he say he said bind them around your neck write them on the tablets of your heart how do you do that the Bible says that you and I according to Proverbs or the our mouth is a pen of a ready writer so how do we how do we write these things on our heart by speaking them out of our mouth the blessings of God is following me the favor of God the healing of God the prosperity of God the abundance of God the goodness of God the mercy of God I'm standing on the word it doesn't matter what I feel doesn't matter what I'm looking like there's a matter what's going on in my life don't matter what's going on around me I know that things are gonna turn out for my good because good things come to those who love the Lord who are caught according to his purpose so I've got to be rooted in the word turn to someone say rooted Ephesians chapter 3 verse 16 and 17 that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man now I'm gonna stop right there that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man what's the inner man your spirit right that's the inner man look at verse 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through what that you being rooted and grounded in what say looted and grounded in love and what he tell you in Proverbs chapter 3 he said keep my commandments what's this commandment love one another as I've loved the Bible said in Galatians chapter 6 verse 5 don't work in your life without love are you walking in love are you walking in love

love is always given love is always long-suffering love is kind love don't keep a record the wrongs been done to it read first Corinthians 13 over and over and over till you get it so deep in you God is love he can't do anything but love God can't hate you because he's not hate all these people say God's angry with him he can't be angry because you don't remember anything you've done wrong so we don't understand love love don't keep a record that's not puffed up love don't want its own way love is wonderful the greatest listen love is more addictive than crack love's more addictive to crack if we really walking in love we don't overlook people stuff because the Bible said love covers a multitude of sins you don't look past people stuff when you really love now that listen we have a misconception in the body of Christ we think if we love them we condone what they do come on guys that love ain't nothing to do with the condoning I can disagree with what you do is still love you right that that that's where we that's where we miss it here let's go to Colossians chapter 2 verse 8 beware least anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty precede according to the dishes of man according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ he said don't be broken up with his philosophies and it deepens eat there's traditions of man don't look at the principles of this world but look at the principles of Christ those are the things you need to base your life on those are the things you need to focus on those are the things you need to put your time in those are the things you need to plant plant this word every day as soon as you get up plant this word in your heart over and over and over until after a while it becomes not a second nature is first nature for what comes out of your mouth when a crisis arise this word arise up in you and take over you to where they'll not be another option there only be one option and that's the word so the root is the word the root is the commandment go to first John chapter 2 verse 5 but whoever keeps his word God that their word keep there is a translation of a Greek word it means guard the word his word truly the love of God is perfected in what does he mean by guard his word when the temptation wants to come to say that the

word ain't true you stand on the word regardless of what you're feeling regardless what you're going through you don't speak out of that well I am sick I am going through this I'm going through this I'm going through that I'm broke I ain't got no money I'm poor I'm busted I'm busted I'm you know we said but we can't pay attention those things shouldn't be coming out of your mouth because that's not what the word says say only what the word says so when the enemy comes whoever keeps his word truly the love of God is perfected in him by this we know that we are in him how when we keep the word you ever seen those old Saints back in the day and when you growing up in church and and they would go through some stuff and they stood man they stood like a T-Rail fence no matter what they went through they had terrible home loss they just stood and trust God they just stood and trusted God they went to church every when the door was open to hear that word they were trusting God they had a terrible marriage your kids were wild as bucks everything was falling apart around them they were trusting God and so when you wanted to be prayed for them's the went to because you knew dad stood on the word and meant through some stuff see if you want to listen to me if you have a testimony you gotta have a test stop crying for the test to end and learn what the test is about that you've overcome it it's only a test, if it was an emergency you'd have been called I promise you, God will call you when there's an emergency, it ain't an emergency it's just a test, you ever see that thing come across TV, it's a test you ever seen it, it used to come a lot across TV, it's a test every once in a while you get it across your phone, it's a test but when there's a real emergency it calls you ain't in an emergency you're just going through a test do you believe what you say, you believe, oh I'm standing, I've heard people say I'm standing with the Lord brother, I'll be there when everything kicks in, I'll be with you

to the end brother whoop, where he is they meant well, had good intentions but they didn't have enough word, see your dance won't determine your destiny your revelation will determine, I've seen the dancers I could dance with the best of them, a lot of the dancers couldn't remain because they had no word you gotta understand, there's two sides of this thing, there's worship and word if you don't learn to worship then you ain't gonna have much word and if you don't learn the word, you don't have a reason to worship long I'm all about worship we don't even understand what these guys and gals are doing sometimes here's what they're doing, they're plowing dirt to make it easier for me to sow seed all they do is till and ground they're ninety percent more important than I am because if you ain't got nothing to break up the land the seed ain't gonna grow on top of the earth a little bit of it is, but you ain't gonna have a bumper crop until you put it in the ground, break up the dirt and then cover it back over what they're doing is they're tilling the ground and getting it ready and I'm coming back and sowing seed that's what it's all about guys we take these guys and these gals up here for granted, but I'm telling you they're very very very important turn to somebody and say they're very important let's go to Proverbs chapter 3 verse 4 now look it, we've read all of Proverbs chapter 3, do we get down to verse 4 and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man if you read this, it says verse 3

let mercy not forsake you, bind them around your neck write them on the tally of your heart and then verse 4 says and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and of man in other words, do you realize what he said here? do you remember what Luke chapter 2 verse 52 says? Jesus increased in wisdom and stature in favor with God and glory be to God see, God's favor and God's word gives you favor with other people it'll give you favor with people that don't even like you it'll give you self esteem with people that don't even want to be around you until they get sick and then they're going to call you they don't even want, they don't even like you and they got to bless you anyway, they don't even like you remember the prophet of Balaam in the Old Testament he was going to look over from the top of the mountain, he was going to curse all of them he looked down and saw the tribes in the form of a cross and he began to bless them, trying to curse them blessings flowed out of his mouth see, people want to curse you, they can't even curse you because God's got you you can't curse what God's blessed you can't, listen, people say, well they may put a spell on me you can't put a spell on me, I'm blessed turn to somebody and say, you can't put a curse on me, I'm blessed you know, we grew up in church, they could put a spell on you, man witchcraft and all that kind of stuff, we walk into anointed to do that good success in the sight of God and man the commandment will take over go to Proverbs chapter 6 verse 20, I love this one my son, keep your father's commands

and do not forsake the law of your mother verse 21 bind them continuously upon your heart tie them around your neck verse 22 when you roam, they'll lead you when you sleep, they'll keep you when you're awake, they'll speak with you for the commandment is a lamp and the law is a light reproofs of instructions are a way of life how many of you like instructions? how many of you like reproof? you know what the Bible calls somebody that don't like instructions? you know, that'll endanger you to hellfire, you ever heard that? don't call nobody a fool, brother, that'll endanger you to hellfire Jesus said that if you don't like instructions and reproof, you're a fool fool this is a fool I didn't say that then verse 5 says, watch this now in Proverbs chapter 3 verse 5 trust in the Lord all the time your heart. This is what's gonna get a long life. The days, your length of the days are gonna be longer. You're gonna have peace in your life. If you'll keep His command to love one another and walk in that love. Because love is the only thing that activates faith. Unconditional love. Now go to verse 6 and 7 and 8 in Proverbs chapter 3. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He'll do what? In all your ways acknowledge Him and He'll let you direct. He'll let you do what you

want to do. He'll let you have your own way. That's not what He said. He said trust in the Lord all the heart. Lean not the own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He'll direct your paths. How many of you want you to pass direct? Look at verse 7. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil. Verse 8. It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones. Guys you see what he's saying here? What's the Word gonna do? The Word's gonna bring health to you. The Words gonna bring strength to you. The word's gonna bring favor to you. The word's going to bring length in your days. The words gonna bring long life to you. The length, look, it's gonna bring health to you. It's gonna bring favour to you. It's gonna bring high esteem to you. The Word of God in your heart in your, listen, not listening to me is gonna do it, listen to me gonna do it. You got to get it in your heart. The Word sees the whole picture both in the natural rim and the spirit. The Word sees the heart of other men. You got to understand this. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 4. I'm almost through. Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12. For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even dividing of sunder the joints and the marrow and the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Now the word dividing of sunder, piercing even to the division of a soul and the spirit and the joints and the marrow, that word is merismos. It means able to separate the soul of a person from the spirit of a person. In other words, the Word of God will get into your spirit and it will override your soulish man in what you think in the natural rim. You got to apply the Word to your life. You got to operate the principles. If you sow, you're gonna reap. If you don't sow, you ain't gonna reap. God has nothing to do with that. Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you tonight for your wisdom, for your insight, for your revelation, for your knowledge. I thank you Lord for the truth of your word and revelation of your grace. And Father, open our eyes to see truth in a greater level. Let us see the enlighten us with revelation, knowledge of the fullness of who you are. Lord, I'm gonna pray what Paul prayed. Did he pray that we would recognize who we are in Christ each and every day? Lord, we're full of wisdom. We're full of

wisdom. We just don't know we're full of wisdom. And so we ask you tonight to enlighten us with wisdom. In Jesus name we pray and everybody say it. Amen. God bless you guys. 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.