Participants: John Lomacang
Series Code: ASHF
Program Code: ASHF000014
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00:18 Hello, friends.
00:19 And welcome to another Wednesday night study 00:21 here at 3ABN in the Thompsonville 00:24 Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:26 also, the 3ABN worship center 00:28 here for another broadcast of "A Sharper Focus." 00:31 Welcome wherever you are joining us from 00:33 we'd like to welcome you tonight 00:35 and encourage you to get your Bibles, 00:37 sit down for the next hour 00:38 and walk through the Word of God 00:40 together with us as we learn how to live a spiritual life. 00:45 Everyone else, what's the rest of it? 00:46 In a natural body. Natural body. 00:49 That's our focus. 00:51 Everyone of us wants to know how to live that spiritual life 00:54 but we have a natural body that's the challenge. 00:56 But the Lord is able 00:57 when we submit ourselves to Him 00:59 to be able to accomplish far above 01:02 what we can ever imagine. 01:03 So get your Bibles, get your pens, 01:06 if you would like a copy of the lesson for tonight, 01:08 go to our website ASF.3abn.org. 01:14 Don't put www 01:15 it will take you right to the website 01:17 where the lessons are 01:18 and you will download lesson number six, 01:21 006 which is "How to be Willing and Obedient" 01:25 that's the topic that we are covering tonight. 01:28 Once again ASF.3abn.org is our website. 01:33 And invite your friends to join you 01:34 and we are gonna turn to the Lord in prayer tonight 01:36 before we do anything else 01:38 because this is the time 01:39 that the Lord will speak to our hearts. 01:41 Let's pray together. 01:43 Our gracious Father in heaven, we thank You, Lord, 01:44 for the opportunity to open Your word 01:47 also to open our hearts. 01:49 We invite Your Holy Spirit to come and to be our teacher, 01:52 to be our guide, to be the one that opens our minds 01:55 and help us to understand 01:57 what it really means to be victorious. 01:59 Oh, how important it is to find victory in Jesus. 02:04 So strengthen us, Father, and bring Your word 02:06 alive in us. 02:08 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Amen. 02:11 Now before we go to our song tonight 02:13 which is "Victory in Jesus" 02:14 I have a letter I want to share with you. 02:17 Often times we hear from people around the world 02:20 but this one was particularly exciting 02:22 because I got a letter from somebody in Greece. 02:26 Can you say amen to that? Amen. 02:27 And that's watching the program 02:29 and evidently until we made some changes on our network, 02:33 they were not able to follow the program. 02:35 But it is from a lady that it reads as follows. 02:38 I got this on May 6th. 02:40 But it says, "Attention, Pastor John Lomacang. 02:42 Dear, Pastor John, today is a day of Thanksgiving, 02:46 today is a day for Thanksgiving and jubilation. 02:50 Firstly, thank you to 3ABN for changing the ASF schedule 02:54 which now allows us in Europe 02:57 to study with you on Thursday evening. 02:58 Amen. 03:00 Tomorrow night well, they are gonna get that program 03:01 together as they study. 03:03 "Thank you, Pastor John, for making us feel at home 03:05 and so much part of your study group. 03:08 Foremost, thank you for teaching 03:10 how to live the Christian life 03:12 and showing us that Christians do have 03:14 an excellent sense of humor." 03:16 Praise the Lord for that. 03:18 And then she ends with a prayer, wonderful prayer. 03:20 "Thank you, Holy Spirit, 03:21 for keeping your hand over this program. 03:23 Strengthen Pastor John and may more and more people 03:27 study with us while we wait for Your return, Jesus." 03:30 And this comes from Isabel Stidandis 03:34 from Rhodes, Greece. 03:36 So praise the Lord. 03:38 Let's say welcome. Welcome. 03:40 And if you are in Greece 03:42 and you got that on Thursday night, 03:44 thank the Lord whenever you get that 03:45 but thank you so much for those encouraging words. 03:48 And because we are looking for victory in Christ, 03:50 tonight join us, if you know this song 03:52 it's gonna appear on our screen. 03:54 The song, "There is Victory in Jesus." 03:57 Listen to it tonight. 04:04 Ready? 04:05 I heard an old, old story 04:09 How the Savior came from glory 04:13 How He gave His life on Calvary 04:17 To save a wretch like me 04:20 I heard about His groaning 04:24 Of His precious blood's atoning 04:28 Then I repented of my sins 04:32 And won the victory Together. 04:36 O victory in Jesus 04:39 My Savior, forever 04:43 He sought me and bought me 04:47 With His redeeming blood 04:51 He loved me ere I knew Him 04:54 And all my love is due Him 04:58 He plunged me to victory 05:02 Beneath the cleansing flood 05:06 I heard about a mansion 05:10 He has built for me in glory 05:14 And I heard about the streets of gold 05:17 Beyond the crystal sea 05:21 About the angels singing 05:25 And the old redemption story 05:29 And some sweet day I'll sing up there 05:32 The song of victory Key change. 05:36 O victory in Jesus 05:40 My Savior, forever 05:44 He sought me and bought me 05:48 With His redeeming blood 05:51 He loved me ere I knew Him 05:55 And all my love is due Him 05:59 He plunged me to victory 06:03 Beneath the cleansing flood 06:07 He plunged me to victory 06:10 Beneath the cleansing flood 06:17 Amen. Amen. 06:18 What do we all want? We want victory. Where? 06:21 In Jesus. In Jesus. 06:23 That's what our topic is tonight 06:24 and if you have your Bibles, 06:25 I'd like to encourage you to follow along tonight. 06:28 Now I'm going to begin with a picture. 06:31 By the way, the title of our topic tonight 06:32 is "How to be Willing and Obedient" 06:36 that's our title for tonight's study. 06:38 Now we all want to be willing, we all want to be obedient 06:42 and we learned the last week 06:44 that if there is first a willing heart 06:45 God accepts us according to what we have 06:48 and not according to what we do not have. 06:50 Tonight, this very first picture 06:52 illustrates the daily Christian battle. 06:55 Look at it and try your best not to laugh, okay. 06:59 And now you see how important this picture is 07:03 because you notice that this baby 07:05 has every intention mentally of lifting those weights 07:11 but there is nothing available physically 07:14 that's gonna ever make that possible. 07:16 Am I right? Right. 07:17 And so tonight when you think about 07:19 the daily Christian battle in your life, 07:21 I mean, we have so many ways. 07:23 Sin is like a weight that we try to lift every day. 07:27 We try to carry or move out of our way. 07:30 "The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is," "Weak." 07:33 "Weak." 07:35 That's the Christian battle every day. 07:37 And so when we begin tonight 07:38 I like to go to our first question by the way 07:41 the title "How to be Willing and Obedient" 07:43 but look with me to question number one. 07:46 Look with me to question number one. 07:48 "How does the Bible describe the daily Christian battle?" 07:55 How does it describe the daily Christian battle? 07:59 That is Matthew 26:41, 08:03 Matthew 26:41, okay. 08:07 Now, if you have your Bibles I know you are turning there 08:09 but if not the answers are on the screen 08:12 and the scripture is as follows. 08:13 Here it is. 08:15 I like us to read the first one together 08:16 because we saw the illustration that brought this to life. 08:18 Are you ready? Here we go. 08:20 "Watch and" what else? 08:22 "Pray, lest you enter into" what? 08:25 "Temptation. 08:27 The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 08:32 Now, unless you have entered into perfection 08:37 you know what I mean, 08:38 you know what the Bible means when it says 08:40 the flesh is weak. 08:41 Every day there are going to be a mountain of temptations 08:44 that are going to be waiting for you. 08:45 Now for those of us who live out here 08:47 in the quietude of Thompsonville 08:51 and West Frankfurt, 08:52 there may be less temptations 08:54 but there are temptations none the less. 08:56 Temptations come in various ways. 08:58 Somebody last week told me, they said 09:01 that whey they moved from Dallas, Texas 09:03 a lot of the temptation that they had left 09:07 because part of their temptation 09:08 was going to the mall. 09:10 And for those of you who life in Thompsonville, 09:12 there is no mall. 09:13 Am I right? So that's not our temptation. 09:16 We are not tempted to go to the mall. 09:18 You got to drive a long way 09:20 to get that temptation out here. 09:21 But there are other temptations. 09:23 There are temptations of temper. 09:25 There are temptations of appetite. 09:27 There are temptations of personality conflicts. 09:30 Temptations are all around us. 09:31 I mean, that's the very atmosphere that we breathe. 09:34 And there are two things that we need to do every day 09:36 that will help us in the area of temptation. 09:38 What are those two things that were pointed out 09:40 in the beginning of this text? 09:41 Watch. Watch and what? 09:43 Pray. Now why should we watch? 09:47 Paul-- I mean, Peter says 09:48 "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, 09:53 the devil walks around like a roaring lion, 09:55 seeking whom he" what? 09:56 "May devour." 09:58 If you had a neighbor with an angry dog 09:59 that always roamed the neighborhood 10:01 and we some of them out here. 10:02 Sometimes I'm riding my bike up New Lake Road 10:05 and it's always a smallest dog leading the pack. 10:08 Have you noticed that? Yeah. 10:10 The smallest dog is always the loudest one. 10:12 Always nibbling at our feet. 10:13 By the way we were in a van one time driving 10:16 and about five or six dogs just ran in front of the van 10:20 refused to move. 10:21 So we, and then beep the horn 10:24 and all the dogs ran except one, the smallest one. 10:27 And you couldn't even see it but it was out there 10:30 trying to nibble at the tires and I'm thinking to myself 10:33 if you knew that you had a neighbor 10:35 with an angry dog 10:37 that wanted to bite you every chance you got 10:38 what would do you? 10:40 The first words say it with me. You do what? 10:41 You would watch. You would watch. 10:42 But you wouldn't just pray, 10:44 you probably carry a switch or something, 10:45 you know, to keep that dog away. 10:47 Every day we've got to watch, we've got to pray. 10:50 We've got to watch for our natural tendencies 10:52 because they come to the surface 10:54 without our permission. 10:55 We've got to watch our tongues. 10:57 We've got to watch the things that cause us to stumble. 11:01 We've got to watch. We've got to be on guard. 11:04 When you think about watch, the scriptural text here is 11:07 talking about the watchman. 11:09 The person that stood on the walls 11:11 outside of the cities. 11:12 He watched to see if temptations were coming. 11:15 He watched to see if the enemy was approaching. 11:18 So he watched and he made sure 11:20 that those on the inside were aware. 11:22 So every day each of us has to be like a watchman 11:24 watching for those things that cause us to stumble. 11:28 Now your temptation, Yannick, and your temptation, Glen, 11:32 maybe different but each day you have to watch 11:34 not for his temptation, 11:36 you don't watch for his temptation 11:37 you watch for your temptation. 11:39 Every day we have to watch and pray 11:41 and that helps us because the spirit indeed is willing. 11:45 We want to do right. 11:46 Paul the apostle talked about 11:47 that battle in Romans Chapter 7. 11:49 He says, "What I want to do I can't do. 11:53 What I don't want to do I find myself doing that." 11:58 "O wretched man that I am! 11:59 Who is gonna deliver me from this body of death?" 12:01 He had this daily battle. 12:02 And every one of us has the daily battle. 12:04 But now here's the key. 12:06 As you continue watching and praying, 12:08 you begin to build up 12:10 by the work of Christ in your life, 12:11 the ability to resist more and more successfully, 12:16 to resist more and more victoriously. 12:19 And I'm hoping that the things that you struggle with 12:22 15 years ago you are not still struggling with that, right. 12:25 Because the babe at the beginning 12:26 should become grown and stronger 12:28 as they continue walking in Christ. 12:30 But now the reason why we have to watch and pray 12:33 is because the "spirit indeed is willing, 12:34 the flesh is weak." 12:36 So therefore, who is the one 12:38 that will give us the victory over the flesh? 12:39 Tell me his name. 12:41 Jesus. His name is Jesus. 12:42 Now go with me to Jude, the Book of Jude. 12:46 It's not gonna be on the screen. 12:47 I'm gonna walk you through a couple of things here 12:49 because we are talking about victory in Jesus. 12:51 How to be willing and obedient? 12:54 And often times some individual say, 12:57 "Okay, I'm not gonna do it, I'm not gonna do it, 12:59 I'm not gonna do it, I'm not gonna do it." 13:00 They try to psych themselves into being obedient. 13:03 But the Bible says, oh there is a lot more to it 13:06 than psychological brain washing. 13:10 We can't brainwash ourselves into being obedient, 13:12 it has to be character change. 13:14 It has to be Christ in you the hope of glory. 13:17 Now look at Jude, there's only one chapter in Jude 13:19 but look at verse 24. 13:21 Jude verse 24 and I'd say chapter 1 13:25 but there is only one chapter. 13:26 It's not on the screen. It's in your Bibles. 13:28 And notice how it begins. 13:29 It says, "Now to Him 13:31 who is able to keep you from" what? 13:33 "Falling" or "stumbling." 13:34 Falling, King James Version. 13:36 Stumbling, New King James Version. 13:38 "And to present you" what is the next word? 13:41 "Faultless before the presence of His glory 13:44 with exceeding joy." 13:46 You know what that means? 13:47 That means the Lord takes pleasure 13:49 in keeping us from stumbling. 13:50 Amen. Amen. 13:52 Oh, that wasn't really good. 13:53 I'd like to drink the water and just try that over again. 13:55 The Lord takes pleasure in keeping us from stumbling. 13:57 Amen. Amen. 13:58 I mean, think about this. 14:00 You have to get the picture of it. 14:01 I remember a young man that I grew up with, 14:04 if by any means you are watching this program 14:06 I lost sight of him, don't even know where he is. 14:09 Little family member, well, I'm sure he's grown man now 14:12 but his name is Hayden and he is from Trinidad. 14:15 And when he came over, 14:16 his parents came over to America 14:18 he was little, little boy. 14:19 I mean, very small and I remember 14:21 walking on the streets of Brooklyn, New York, 14:24 there on Fulton Street, 14:25 as we are coming form the supermarket 14:27 and he had the gift of running into things. 14:31 Poles, either light pole or sign pole, 14:35 one of the most, one of the funniest days 14:37 was when he ran square head straight into a light pole 14:40 here we had the little ting. 14:43 You know that little bell 14:44 that the head meeting a metal pole sounds like. 14:47 I mean, and then finally he got the hint 14:50 because his father would always say, 14:51 "hold my hand" and he would pull his hand away, "no." 14:53 So what was the natural result 14:57 of pulling away from the father? 14:58 He fell himself. He hit the pole himself. 15:01 He stumbled himself. 15:02 What really taught him the lesson 15:04 is, that particular day after he ran into a pole, 15:05 all of a sudden a terrible heavy rain 15:08 hit Brooklyn, New York with a lot of wind 15:10 and it almost picked him up off the ground. 15:13 Well, coupled with hitting the pole 15:14 and this wind coming through, 15:16 he realized the best thing to do 15:17 is hold his father's hand. 15:19 And brethren and sisters, the winds of life 15:22 and the obstacles of life are out there. 15:24 If we hold the Father's hand 15:26 He is able to keep us from stumbling, all right. 15:27 Amen. 15:28 But here's another one, 2 Timothy 1:12. 15:31 2 Timothy 1:12. 15:34 In order for us to experience this victorious life in Christ, 15:37 and we will get back to the questions a moment ago, 15:39 a moment from now but I want to show you 15:42 that what we are talking about here 15:43 is there is, there is this victory 15:46 that we find only in Christ 15:48 that we can't find in ourselves. 15:50 There is a victory we find in Christ 15:52 that we cannot find in ourselves. 15:55 2 Timothy 1:12, 2 Timothy 1:12, 15:59 Paul talks about something that we must do, all right. 16:03 He says, "For this reason I also suffer these things, 16:07 nevertheless I am not" what? 16:09 Ashamed. 16:10 I'm not "Ashamed, for I know whom I have believed 16:13 and persuaded that He is able to" do what? 16:17 "Keep what I have committed to Him until that Day." 16:20 So here's the key. 16:22 If you commit yourself, remember Ellen White 16:23 says the first work we should do in the morning 16:25 is do what? 16:26 The first thing we should do in the morning 16:27 is commit ourselves to the Lord. 16:30 It should be our first work. 16:33 Say, Father take my life for I cannot give it. 16:36 Take my heart for I cannot give it. 16:38 Take my mind for I cannot give it. 16:40 Control my hands for I can't control them. 16:42 Control my lips for I can't control them. 16:45 If you commit your mind, your heart, your life 16:47 and all those things that are weak in you to Christ 16:50 is He able to keep what you commit? 16:52 Amen. Is He able to keep it? 16:54 Yes, He is. 16:55 He is able to keep 16:57 what we have committed to Him until that day. 17:00 That means until the day He comes. 17:02 Now why until that day? 17:03 Because when He comes, 17:06 we will be perfectly reproduced in His righteousness. 17:08 And He wouldn't have to keep us anymore 17:10 because we will be just like Him. 17:13 Here's another text. 17:14 How well is He able to keep us? 17:16 Ephesians 3:20. 17:18 Ephesians 3:20, go over there with me. 17:23 Another one of how He is able to keep us. 17:28 What chapter? Ephesians 3:20 look at it. 17:33 I'm pointing, you know, 17:34 the reason I'm putting these texts together 17:36 I want to point us away from us. 17:39 I want to point you away from you 17:40 because there are some great Christians, 17:42 there are some good Christians 17:43 but there are no Christians able to be victorious 17:47 in and of themselves 17:49 because the spirit is willing but the flesh is what? 17:51 The flesh is weak. 17:53 So now let's look at another one. 17:55 How well is Christ able to keep you? 17:57 Ephesians 3:20, it says, 17:59 "Now to Him who is able to do" 18:02 what are the two next words? 18:03 "Exceedingly" what is the next one? 18:05 "Abundantly above all 18:09 that we ask or think, 18:11 according to the power that works" where? 18:14 "In us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus 18:18 to all generations, forever and ever. 18:20 Amen." 18:21 So notice why is He able to do exceedingly, 18:24 abundantly above all we ask or think, here's the point. 18:27 You say, Lord, keep me today. 18:30 And He goes farther than you ever imagined. 18:34 But you never know that. 18:35 Because you can be sure that when the day begins 18:37 somebody is going to try you out. 18:40 Some situation is gonna test you. 18:42 Am I telling the truth? Amen. 18:43 There is something gonna come your way 18:45 that's gonna test you see, all right, well, glad-- 18:47 all right, well, you know, but I just got baptized. 18:50 The devil is not gonna say, well, but I just got baptized 18:51 Just leave but alone. 18:53 He is gonna say, but I just got baptized 18:54 let's see how baptized he is. 18:57 ...let a few words after that. 18:59 Exactly. 19:00 See, and so what happens is you know 19:03 that this challenge is going to come 19:05 but the Lord is saying here, 19:06 there is a power that is at work in us. 19:09 Who is that power? Somebody tell me. 19:11 The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit. 19:15 Yes, Christ we know that but through the Holy Spirit. 19:17 "Christ in you, the hope of glory." 19:19 The Holy Spirit moves in and begins that work. 19:22 And we don't know how powerful that work is 19:24 until we read texts like this. 19:26 "He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above 19:30 all that you can ask or" what? 19:31 "Think." 19:33 In other words here's the point. 19:34 You say, I ask Him for strength today 19:37 but, man, 19:40 He delivered me from the greatest temptation 19:42 I often have. 19:44 You know why? 19:45 Because He is able to do farther 19:47 than you can ever imagine. 19:49 But, you know, the reason why sometimes we fall 19:51 is because we don't ask Him to deliver us. 19:54 We think okay, here it comes 19:55 and we go through this psychological, 19:57 okay, prepare yourself. 20:03 There is no amount of meditation 20:05 that can save you from sin 20:06 except you meditate on Christ. 20:09 Except you invite Him 20:10 and the only One that is able to do 20:12 farther abundantly above all that you ask or think. 20:16 Here's another reason why. 20:17 I remember according to the power 20:19 that works in us, Philippians 2:13, 20:22 you know this one. 20:24 Philippians 2:13, I want to point you away from yourself. 20:28 But before we go to the next question, 20:30 I'm gonna point you to something 20:31 that you've got to do. 20:32 Point away from you 20:34 but then back to something that you have do 20:36 because these things 20:37 are not going to happen naturally 20:39 unless you say, "Lord," unless you say, "Lord, 20:42 I'm giving You permission to work in my life." 20:45 All right. 20:46 Philippians 2:13. What does it say? 20:49 It says, "For it is" who? God. 20:52 "God who works" where? "In you" get this. 20:57 You've read this before. 20:58 "Both to will and to do of His good pleasure." 21:04 In other words here's the point. 21:05 He is able if you acknowledge the Christ in you, 21:08 if you acknowledge 21:09 the presence of God in your life, 21:11 He is able to not only will, 21:14 that is, direct your will 21:17 but He is able to accomplish through that will 21:22 His good pleasure. 21:27 It's not the winter now 21:29 but sometimes we wear gloves in the winter time 21:32 and they are pretty expensive. 21:33 Some people pay a lot of money for gloves 21:35 but, you know, gloves can't do anything. 21:38 They can't do anything for you 21:40 unless you put your hand in them. 21:42 Right? Amen. 21:44 The glove does not receive any power, any effectiveness 21:48 until your hands are in it. 21:50 In the very same way you are like that glove, 21:52 unless Christ is in you 21:54 there is no power in and of yourself 21:56 to overcome those temptations. 21:58 I mean, this is Christianity one on one. 22:01 This is where we live. 22:03 This is not any of our 20 fundamentals and specifics. 22:06 Part of our fundamentals is righteousness by faith. 22:08 But this in fact, is where we take and live 22:11 and breathe every day. 22:12 So if we know that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly 22:15 of all that we ask or think 22:17 and it's Christ that's working in us 22:18 what do we have to do? 22:20 Go with me now to 1 John 3:3, 1 John 3:3 22:24 and then we will jump to question number two. 22:27 All right, I haven't forgotten that one. 22:30 1 John 3:3, something we have to do. 22:38 This is amazing. 22:42 Okay, 1 John 3:3 instructs us as follows. 22:48 "And everyone who has this" what? 22:51 "Hope in Him" what are the next two words? 22:54 "Purifies himself, just as He is pure." 22:59 I want you to get that now. 23:00 A good friend of mine, we were singing with her 23:03 in the Heritage Singers years ago 23:05 a young lady by the name Becki Trueblood. 23:07 She was Miss. Teenage Idaho. 23:08 It was really funny. 23:10 She told us a story one day 23:11 where she was being interviewed for Miss. Teenage Idaho. 23:14 She was sitting down in front of her interviewers 23:16 and had on this beautiful gown. 23:19 Well, just before she went into the room 23:22 she was eating something that had chocolate 23:26 and she spilled chocolate on her gown 23:30 before she went into the room 23:31 to be interviewed for Miss. Teenage Idaho. 23:36 They said, she sat there with such composure 23:40 as she tried her best to ignore 23:41 this big old chocolate stain on her outfit, 23:45 that she not only qualified for Miss. Teenage Idaho, 23:48 but she won. 23:51 But she realized that she couldn't get it off 23:54 of her good gown fast enough, 23:57 so she went on in there with it. 23:59 Now what this is saying to us is Christ makes us pure 24:04 even as He is pure. 24:05 We are pure in Christ, right. 24:08 "If we confess our sins He is faithful 24:10 and just to forgive us of our sins and to," what? 24:12 Cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We are pure. 24:15 But then he says, since I've cleaned up the house 24:17 as a father or mother would say to the child. 24:19 Since I've cleaned it up you keep it cleaned up. 24:23 So the Lord has cleaned us up, has He not? 24:26 But now what is it mean by purify yourself? 24:28 The very things that He's taken from you 24:30 in your life that, you know are temptations, 24:32 He is saying, stay clear of those things 24:34 that are gonna spot you up. 24:36 Remember that text in Jeremiah, 24:37 "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, 24:39 or the leopard his" what? 24:40 "Spots." 24:42 So there are sin spots 24:45 that we have to make sure 24:46 that we not expose ourselves to lest 24:48 we spill that sin on our character. 24:51 So who in essence saying those things 24:53 that you know are gonna stain your character, 24:54 stay clear of those things. 24:57 "He that has this hope purifies himself." 25:00 It's not that you make yourself righteous, 25:02 but the Lord makes you righteous 25:04 and you carefully consider your journey 25:06 to stay away from those things 25:08 that are gonna get you spotty and soil your character. 25:11 Now let's go to question number two. 25:12 So, you see, who is the one that works in us? 25:15 Who is the one that works in us? 25:18 Come on talk to me, who is the one that works in us? 25:19 The Holy Spirit. Okay, right. 25:21 The Holy Spirit, right. To do what? 25:23 To keep us pure 25:24 but we have to make the decision 25:26 that we want to remain pure as Christ has made us pure. 25:30 Question number two, here it is on the screen. 25:33 "How does the Bible show 25:35 that choosing to walk in Christ is our only hope?" 25:40 Romans 8:3, "How does the Bible show 25:43 that choosing to walk in Christ is our only hope?" 25:49 All right? Here's the answer. 25:52 This is a very powerful text 25:53 and I will break it down in just a moment 25:55 but here's the answer. 25:56 Romans 8:3, "For what the law could not do 26:00 in that it was weak through the" what? 26:04 "Flesh, God did by sending His own Son 26:08 in the likeness of sinful flesh, 26:11 on account of sin, He condemned" what? 26:15 "Sin in the flesh." So here's the answer. 26:17 "How does the Bible show 26:19 that choosing to walk in Christ is our only hope?" 26:22 If you go back to that, where is the weakness, 26:26 according to this passage where is the weakness? 26:28 Flesh. In the flesh. 26:30 So the answer is, if you put the answer 26:33 "How does the Bible show 26:34 that choosing to walk in Christ is our only hope?" 26:36 Our flesh is weak. Our flesh is weak. 26:40 But I want to get this part now 26:42 when the Lord, when Jesus came 26:45 He came on account of sin 26:47 and He condemned sin in the flesh. 26:50 Let's break that down. 26:51 He became like Jerry. 26:53 He became like Glen. 26:55 He became like Angela. 26:57 He became like all of us. 27:00 He came to face sin in the same flesh 27:02 that everyone of us face sin in 27:04 and He showed us by relying on His heavenly Father 27:06 that it is possible to be victorious 27:09 over the temptations of sin. 27:10 Right? 27:17 Right? Amen. Yes. 27:20 I mean, praise the Lord. 27:22 He shows us it is possible. 27:25 Because there is no temptation that overtakes you 27:29 but such as is common to man. 27:31 But God is faithful 27:33 who will not allow you to be tempted 27:36 beyond what you are able. 27:37 Go with me to 1 Corinthians 10:31, 27:39 here's the reason why some of us say, 27:41 I remember years ago, and I said this before 27:43 and some of you guys are too young to remember this 27:45 and that's okay, but I'm gonna say it anyway. 27:47 So people say, well, I couldn't resist. 27:50 Well, that's not true. 27:53 Thank you, Honey. 27:54 Some people say the devil made me do it. 27:56 Like that old character Flip Wilson 27:58 but then again no running about Flip Wilson 27:59 because some of you are too young to know who that is. 28:01 Okay. 28:05 Is there a temptation that we cannot resist? 28:08 Yes or no? 28:13 You guys think this is the trick question. 28:16 Is there a temptation that cannot be overcome? 28:22 Let's read the passage since you guys think 28:24 I'm trying to set you up. 28:27 1 Corinthians 10:13, what are the first two words? 28:32 1 Corinthians 10:13, what are the first two words? 28:36 No temptation. Say it again. 28:37 No temptation. 28:39 Let me ask you the question, is there any temptation 28:40 that we cannot overcome through Christ? 28:42 No. 28:43 So what's the answer? No temptation. 28:45 So can we overcome temptations through Christ? 28:48 Yes. Let's read that again. 28:50 "No temptation has overtaken you 28:53 except such as is common to man," 28:56 which means everybody is going through that. 28:58 Somebody is going through the same thing 28:59 you've gone through. 29:01 But now look at the transition. 29:03 "But God is faithful, who will not allow you 29:07 to be tempted beyond what you are able." 29:11 Isn't that fair? 29:13 "But with the temptation 29:15 will also make the way" to do what? 29:18 "Escape, that you may be able to" what? 29:21 "To bear it." 29:23 he is a faithful Lord, what do you say? 29:25 Amen. 29:26 So when temptation comes your way, 29:28 now here's where the problem comes in. 29:31 some people have pet sins, some people have darling sin. 29:35 Some people wink at their sin. 29:39 Some people glare at it. 29:42 Some people oh, oh, that smells so good. 29:46 Right now I'm getting weak. 29:50 You know, you have those, really, I mean, 29:52 if the temptation is food, really. 29:54 You think about a person who is trying to be victorious 29:56 in that area if the temptation is food, 29:58 sometimes the very aroma of a food 30:00 can really get the best of them. 30:02 Somebody-- somebody could smell a cigarette, 30:05 oh, that's the, that's the brand I used to smoke. 30:11 You know, really, I mean, the temptations come 30:14 in all forms and all sizes. 30:15 Sometimes it's something you see 30:18 and you look too long, right. 30:21 You need to learn to look away. See. 30:24 Look away. Right, look away. 30:27 David's temptation was he looked too long. 30:30 Look away. 30:31 The temptation is packaged, well, let me put it this way. 30:35 Have you noticed that all the temptations 30:37 that come your way is packaged just for you? 30:41 Am I right? 30:43 Sometimes you're walking down the street 30:45 it's like 89 degrees 30:47 and you see somebody pull out of a big old ice cooler 30:52 out of a pack of ice, an old can of beer dripping 30:55 and you know that he said, 30:57 and he puts that all himself to cool himself down 30:59 and he pops it and you think, right about now. 31:05 You think of your former habit of drinking beer 31:07 and you think, right now that old nature is crying out. 31:11 Go get one. Just one. 31:15 You know, that's what sin is all about. 31:17 However, the Lord is saying, 31:19 "Wait a minute. There is no excuse, Jessy. 31:21 Jerry, because I'm not gonna allow any temptation 31:23 to come your way 31:26 that is greater than your ability to resist it." 31:31 Because God is faithful. Praise God for that. 31:35 So when you say that, "Ah, man." 31:37 But weren't there. 31:38 I mean, you don't know how this temptation was. 31:40 Somebody mentioned a moment ago 31:42 sometimes you just got to run. 31:44 You can't even-- 31:45 I like that Elijah ran 31:48 but he ran for the wrong reason. 31:50 He ran because he was afraid of Jezebel. 31:52 But he ran. I mean, at least he ran. 31:57 He said I'm not gonna face that. 31:58 I mean, I'm not, I can't face that woman 32:01 so I'm gonna run. 32:03 Sometimes if you don't know what to do, brethren, 32:05 it's best to run. 32:07 Run away. 32:08 Don't stand and say, okay, now should I or should I not 32:10 because your mind is gonna get the best of you 32:12 and before you know it, you are gonna be a lot closer 32:14 to falling into that temptation 32:16 than you would be to overcoming that. 32:18 Look at Romans 8:1, 32:20 question number three, Romans 8:1. 32:24 Thank the Lord for His faithfulness. 32:26 Here's the question. 32:27 "Through what action do we experience 32:30 living above defeat?" 32:34 Okay, defeat. 32:41 "The thrill of victory but the agony of," what? 32:43 "Defeat." 32:45 "The thrill of victory but the agony of defeat." 32:48 Okay, through what action? 32:52 Romans 8:1 here it is. 32:55 "There is therefore" what's the next word? 32:59 "now no condemnation to those 33:03 who are in Christ Jesus, 33:06 who do not walk according to the flesh, 33:09 but according to the" what? 33:11 "Spirit." 33:12 Now how do you learn 33:13 how to walk according to the spirit? 33:15 You know, how do you learn? By reading your Bible. 33:17 Do you know that? 33:18 The Spirit inspired men of holy character 33:22 to write this Bible. 33:24 If you want to learn how to walk, 33:26 it's just like asking a pilot how do you want to learn, 33:29 how would you learn how to get your destination. 33:31 They will open their maps. 33:33 It's like asking a trailer driver 33:34 or truck driver or person on the road, 33:36 you need something to navigate? 33:38 Every one of us need direction in our lives. 33:40 We get our daily direction, 33:42 our daily food from the Word of God. 33:43 Do we not? 33:45 And that's a source of our strength. 33:46 If we don't get our daily strength 33:47 from the Word of God then we are trying to navigate, 33:50 we are trying to navigate the temptations of this world 33:53 with our own mindset. 33:56 And, brethren, if the flesh is weak 33:58 is the mind also weak? 34:00 Yes. 34:01 Because the mind and the flesh are inseparable. 34:04 The flesh is weak, the flesh cannot do 34:07 what the mind is not able to direct it to do. 34:10 But now how do you break that cycle? 34:12 How does that mind of Christ get into you? 34:16 How do you strengthen your faith? 34:18 "Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God." 34:22 Romans 10:17. 34:23 So let's gets to the basic aspects of it. 34:25 Do you ready your Bible every day? 34:26 Yeah. 34:28 Ask-- don't ask-- I mean, think about it. 34:32 You got to read the Bible, the more-- 34:33 Sixty times. Praise the Lord. 34:35 You read it. 34:36 The more you stay in the Word of God 34:38 the more spiritual food you are going to get. 34:40 Now here's the key. 34:41 If you are getting more spiritual food 34:42 then there is less space for carnal food 34:46 or natural food or worldly food 34:50 because you got to put something in your cabin. 34:52 Let's think about that, you go home in your kitchen 34:53 and you open up your cabinets. 34:55 Just as you put stuff in your cabinets 34:57 in your kitchen, 34:58 you put things in the cabinets of your mind. 35:01 You put them there. 35:02 Now sometimes, 35:05 sometimes I go in the kitchen 35:06 I put things where my wife doesn't normally put them 35:10 and she said, "Now how did that get there? 35:12 I didn't put it there." 35:13 I said, "Honey, somebody broke in 35:15 and put it there." 35:17 Now she knows I'm joking. 35:21 She said, she looks at me, when she is got me, 35:23 when she got me. 35:25 "Now I didn't put it there how did it get there?" 35:29 Pardon me. 35:31 There's only one other answer. 35:33 Here's my point, 35:34 nothing is gonna get in your mind 35:36 unless you put it there. 35:41 Everything that you decide 35:43 to allow in, you decide to allow in. 35:47 Everything that you load up in your brain, 35:50 you load up in your brain. 35:52 Everything you expose yourself to, you expose yourself too. 35:57 Temptation doesn't run after us and jump on our backs. 36:01 It's just that, it's temptation. 36:03 But it's not sin. 36:05 We decide whether or not it's gonna have access to us. 36:07 But if you at the text here it says, 36:10 "There is no condemnation to those 36:12 who are in Christ Jesus, because they make a decision 36:15 not to walk according to the flesh, 36:17 but according to the Spirit." 36:18 And you know what, 36:20 there is no time in your life 36:21 that's more realistic than after 36:23 you first give your life to Christ. 36:24 Have you noticed that? 36:25 When you first give your life to Christ 36:27 your sensibilities against sin 36:29 is heightened more than than ever before. 36:32 Because you say, "I just got baptized." 36:35 and you are geared up and ready to go 36:38 and to live that victorious life. 36:40 But here's the danger. 36:41 As times goes on 36:42 one of the dangers of being a Christian 36:44 for long period of time 36:46 is that if you don't allow yourself to continue to grow 36:49 and you begin to rely on experience 36:50 of five years ago or ten years ago 36:52 or fifteen years ago and you say, 36:54 "Man, I used to be so excited about church 36:58 but right now I could take it or leave it. 37:00 I used to be-- I mean, every place I went 37:02 I went I used to carry my Bible 37:03 but right now I could take it or leave it." 37:06 And what even gets me is when people say, 37:08 "Have you seen my Bible?" 37:10 Do you know that we have in our lost 37:11 and found room in our church Bibles 37:14 that nobody has come back to claim? 37:16 Do you know that every Sabbath we find a Bible in this church 37:19 and people don't come back and say, 37:21 "Have you found my Bible?" 37:23 You know that means there is somebody out there 37:25 without a Bible and nothing going, 37:27 and that is the Word of God is not going in their head 37:29 because their Bible is here and they are somewhere else. 37:32 But when people first give their lives to Christ 37:34 there's nothing that could get between them and their Bible. 37:37 They get the new Bible with their name on it. 37:38 Got to get your Bible with the name on it. 37:41 Nothing gets between them and that new Bible. 37:43 They are so happy they turn those pages 37:45 and they make that dedication. 37:46 "Lord Jesus, I'm gonna spend time in the Word every day." 37:51 And will power allows them to carry that on 37:54 and even dedication and commitment to Christ 37:56 allows that commitment to go on and on and on. 37:59 Something comes along 38:00 and begins to freeze out your time. 38:02 And by the way, it doesn't have to be something bad 38:04 that freezes Christ out. 38:05 Because I know there are people here work at 3ABN 38:08 and sometimes they say, "I'm so worn out. 38:12 I mean, when I leave home I'm still doing work for 3ABN. 38:15 I'm still working on, I'm reading a project. 38:17 I'm doing this." 38:20 And they realize, man, I'm so exhausted. I'm weak. 38:23 And I said, what happened? 38:26 This whole week has gone and I read my Bible once. 38:29 And you know what, they are doing the Lord's work 38:31 but they are not allowing Christ to work in them, right. 38:36 So the condemnation is removed 38:39 when we are walking in Christ Jesus. 38:42 When we are living in Christ Jesus 38:44 when the flesh is not in control. 38:46 So here's the answer. 38:48 Through what action do we experience 38:49 living above defeat?" 38:51 What is the action? What is the answer to that? 38:54 When we walk according to the spirit, 38:58 when we walk according to the spirit. 39:01 How do you do that? You read the Bible. 39:04 That's how you do it. You read the Bible. 39:07 Go with me to Colossians I want you to see this one. 39:10 You read the Bible, after you put the answer 39:11 go with me to Colossians 3, Colossians 3. 39:15 Let me get there. 39:18 And we are gonna read verses 5 to verse 8. 39:22 This is an action verse. 39:24 What's it called? What's it called? 39:27 Action verse. 39:29 You are quiet bunch tonight. 39:30 What's it called? Action verse. 39:32 Action verse, which means this is the action 39:35 that you've got to take, okay. 39:37 Colossians 3:5-8. 39:40 And you will notice the wording in there 39:42 is actions you have to take. 39:45 All right. 39:48 "Therefore" what's the first action? 39:51 Put to death. 39:53 "Put to death your members" not your church members. 39:59 But your fingers, your hands, 40:01 you eyes, your mind, your tongue, 40:03 all those members that are like instruments of sin. 40:07 Some people have fast tongues 40:09 and they will tell you off in a heartbeat. 40:11 You could see their tongues forming. 40:13 Before you even finish your sentence, they go. 40:17 They are waiting like fire breathing dragons. 40:19 Am I telling the truth? 40:21 And there are some people you could see their 40:22 body languages all huffed up and ready to go. 40:25 So Lord is saying to you, 40:26 for those of you who are always ready to fight 40:28 "Put to death your members which are on the earth." 40:33 Look at these members. 40:34 Look at these things that war against our spiritual growth. 40:38 "Fornication, uncleanness, passion," 40:43 and that's a huge issue of passions. 40:46 Sexual passions, financial passions, 40:48 passions for power. 40:50 Here's the next one "Evil desire, and covetousness, 40:54 which is" what? 40:56 "Idolatry. 40:57 Because of these things 40:59 the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of" what? 41:03 "Disobedience." 41:06 Well, verse 7, 41:08 "In which you yourselves once walked 41:11 when you lived in them." 41:13 That's how you used to walk, 41:15 when you live in them, that's how you walk. 41:17 But here's the action, verse 8. 41:19 "But now you yourselves are to" do what? 41:22 "Put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, 41:29 and filthy language out of your mouth." 41:32 Action words. So get rid of all that stuff. 41:36 Those are the things. 41:37 So when you want to say, 41:39 "Now, okay, Lord, what do You want me to do?" 41:41 Read the Bible and the instructions are there. 41:42 Am I right? Amen. 41:44 The Bible will tell you what you need to do. 41:47 But you will know that when you are living in Christ, 41:50 there is nothing that's gonna condemn you 41:51 because you are not walking according to these things, 41:53 you are walking according 41:55 to the leading of the Spirit of God, right. 41:57 Look at question number four. 41:58 Is it question number four? 42:00 Yes, it is, question number four. 42:02 Okay, here it is. 42:06 "How does the Holy Spirit aid in our daily victories?" 42:11 "How does the Holy Spirit aid in our daily victories?" 42:17 Galatians 5:16. 42:20 "How does the Holy Spirit aid in our daily victories?" 42:23 I'll say, confidence and happiness. 42:27 Okay, confidence and happiness. 42:29 Yes, those are the things that we get 42:31 by allowing the Spirit of God to work in our lives 42:34 but notice what happens. 42:36 How does He aid, here's the answer. 42:39 Galatians 5:16, "I say then" read that with me 42:44 "Walk in the Spirit, 42:45 and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." 42:50 Now let me break here for a brief moment 42:52 because you've heard that phrase 42:53 walk in the spirit so much you're probably thinking, 42:55 okay, I got it. 42:57 Let me make sure you got it, all right. 43:00 Let me make sure you got it. 43:03 If you're walking in a mall would you know it? 43:07 Come on somebody answer me. 43:08 If you are walking in the mall would you know it? 43:10 Yes. How would you know it? 43:12 Come on talk to me. Ho would you know it? 43:14 The store is all around you, right. 43:17 Store is calling in every direction, 43:19 buy this, buy that, buy this, buy that. 43:22 Do you need that? Do you need this? 43:24 "Could I have a survey with you sir." 43:25 "Ma'am, let me tell you about this new product." 43:27 It's all around you. 43:28 The voices are calling all around you. 43:29 You know you are walking in the mall. 43:32 If you're walking in a farm with cows, would you know it? 43:36 Come on talk, would you know it? 43:37 Yes. Why? 43:39 Because there is scent. 43:40 The scent is everywhere. 43:42 Every now and then in Thompsonville 43:43 the east wind blows and we say 43:46 there is a farm not too far away. 43:49 Don't you know that? Yes. 43:51 So you know you are walking in the area 43:52 where there is a farm because the scent tells you. 43:57 Your very-- the very atmosphere 43:59 that is surrounding you will tell you 44:02 how are you walking. 44:04 If you are walking and you have a spiritual mindset 44:07 and you are living, feeling like praise God-- 44:10 you know, I meet some people some days 44:12 and they would say, they walk out to me 44:13 and other people that are in the natural will say 44:16 "What are they talking about?" 44:18 They say, "You know, I had such a time, 44:21 just me and Jesus today." 44:23 It was ah, 44:25 "I can't even express what it was like." 44:27 "I opened my Bible this morning 44:29 and I intended to read one chapter 44:31 and before you know it, three hours passed by 44:33 and what a day I had in Jesus." 44:37 "It felt so good." 44:39 And you look at people like that sometimes, 44:43 so what did you feel? 44:44 You know, brethren, 44:45 when you are walking in Christ-- Joy. 44:48 Joy, this sense of being on earth 44:51 but at the same time being in heaven. 44:54 This sense of, this spiritual fulfillment that is so rich 45:00 that if you could cut it up and slice it up 45:02 and give a person around you a slice of that 45:05 there will be enough of that to go around the entire room. 45:07 What that means in essence, 45:09 you've got to create for yourself 45:10 a spiritual atmosphere. 45:12 You've got to create, my cousin down in Atlanta, 45:19 she's an evolving Christian and I'm using that phrase. 45:21 Everyone of us an evolving Christian. 45:22 We grow in our relationship. 45:25 But she wants to do her best. 45:26 So she, the moment people walk into her house 45:29 right at the front door there's a picture of Christ. 45:32 She covered off all her worldly pictures 45:34 and now on wall there is pictures of Jesus. 45:36 In the bathroom there is a picture of Christ. 45:38 There is a Bible memory verse over the kitchen table. 45:42 When you go up the steps on the wall 45:43 there are Bible memory verses. 45:45 She says, I want people to know that Jesus lives in my house. 45:48 Says it with attitude. 45:50 "I want people to know that when they are coming in here, 45:51 there is a Christian living in here. 45:52 You know, what I'm saying, child." 45:54 I mean, she's getting all into her attitude. 45:55 She is in that spirit. 45:57 She wants people to know, she is unashamed. 45:59 That's why Paul says in Romans 1, 46:01 He says, "I am not ashamed of the gospel 46:04 for it is the power of Christ unto salvation 46:07 for all those who believe." 46:09 So, brethren, if you are ashamed of the Christianity, 46:11 one of the things about the world 46:12 is the world is not ashamed of its worldliness. 46:14 Right, have you noticed that? 46:16 You go to the mall, you hear songs 46:17 that you don't agree with. 46:19 You think about lifestyles in the world 46:21 you don't agree with that but there is a clarion call, 46:23 there is almost a cacophony of evil 46:25 that's being heard all around us. 46:27 Yet, in the midst of all this corruption 46:29 God, is an essence, saying to the Christian. 46:30 You know what, you ought to walk like a Christian. 46:33 You ought to live like a Christian. 46:34 And live godly, soberly and righteously 46:38 in this present age and don't apologize about it. 46:41 Amen. 46:45 People that are blowing smoke on your face 46:47 don't apologize about it. 46:49 People that try to destroy your car 46:51 with all the base in their car behind you 46:54 they are not ashamed about it. 46:57 So we got to live, walk in the spirit. 46:59 You've got to create for yourself an atmosphere. 47:01 You got to, you have to strategically plan your day 47:05 so that when you wake up in the morning 47:08 you can get that first spiritual shot on the arm. 47:12 So that you can fill yourself 47:13 and make sure that your mind is filled. 47:14 I have a devotional that I have in my iPad. 47:18 And it's nice it's "Our High Calling" 47:20 it's one that Ellen White wrote. 47:22 And I've read that two or three times before 47:24 but now I'm reading it slowly. 47:27 You know, you go back to a book the third time 47:29 and you read it slowly. 47:30 It's like going through a bag of mixed peanuts 47:33 and this time you are looking just for the cashews. 47:35 Have you noticed that? 47:36 Oh, there is one. 47:39 My mother always used to say, "Take a handful, don't dig in." 47:42 Sometimes you got to open that bag of spiritual mixed nuts 47:46 and pull out the good things and say, 47:48 "Ah, I never tasted it that way before." 47:51 When you have that kind of daily walk with Christ 47:53 you are gonna walk out on the world 47:55 and you can go out there so fortified 47:57 that sin is just ricocheting off of you. 48:00 Nothing's bothering you. 48:03 But, brethren, you will never know 48:04 unless you begin to live your Christian life on purpose 48:07 because there is a saying that is very, very true. 48:10 If you don't, "If you fail to plan you plan to fail." 48:15 Right. Okay. 48:18 Now where were we? 48:21 "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." 48:23 But he won't even want to come around you. 48:27 Remember now before you resist the devil 48:28 there is a text that Peter talks about. 48:30 He says, "Draw near to God and God will draw near to you." 48:34 That's the first part. 48:35 Then "resist the devil and he will flee from you." 48:37 You got to make a decision to draw near to God, right. 48:39 Amen. 48:40 If you are living in the presence of your Father 48:42 the devil don't want to go there. 48:44 And the other thing about it, brethren, 48:45 sometimes even the music 48:46 you listen to in your home, the Bible says 48:48 the "Lord inhabits the praises of His people." 48:50 If you're feeling down turn on some Christian music 48:53 and turn the volume up. 48:57 That's if you like it loud. 49:00 Some people like it low. I like it loud. 49:03 I'm a New Yorker. 49:06 The devil knocks on the door 49:07 and he hears the music, I'm leaving. 49:10 Don't even open the door, I'm not coming in. 49:13 That's the way. You got to create that. 49:14 I mean, you got to make the devil fearful 49:16 of coming around you. 49:18 Praise God for that. 49:19 You could do that but Christ will do that in you. 49:22 When Christ is in you 49:23 He not only awakens that desire. 49:24 He says, "Don't you want to spend the day with Me?" 49:27 Yes, I do, Lord. 49:28 "Okay, well, let's work this thing out. 49:30 You read my letter, I'll talk to you. 49:33 Get some of my music, 49:34 these are My spiritual food 49:36 and we will spend the day together." 49:37 Is that all right. That's great. 49:38 You know, if you do that every day, 49:40 you come to church on Sabbath. 49:41 You come to church on Sabbath not to receive but to give. 49:45 And what does that Bible say, "It is more blessed to" what? 49:47 "Give than to" what? "Receive." 49:49 I'm able when I'm preaching to tell 49:51 who is spending time with Christ and who is not. 49:54 Those who are not spending time 49:55 with the Christ are like... 50:04 And when I say, okay, 50:06 I'm getting my last point I hear those Bibles go... 50:10 They are like-- finally. 50:13 And I'm thinking, you know, 50:14 how you're gonna make it in the kingdom? 50:15 You want to rush out of here. 50:17 It's like enough of that spirituals, I got it. 50:18 I got it. 50:20 I understand the point of the sermon, 50:21 I got it when you started. 50:22 I'm ready to leave. 50:24 Brethren, we got this-- 50:25 I mean it. 50:29 I won't fear what my grace. 50:31 Okay, whatever the case maybe 50:33 you got to spend time in the presence of the Lord. 50:35 You have to be willing to spend time 50:36 where you are gonna get that nourishment. 50:37 Praise the Lord for that, right. 50:39 So let the spiritual things that God puts before you 50:41 thrill your soul and you will understand 50:44 what it means to be walking in Christ. 50:46 You will not fulfill the lust of the flesh 50:47 when you are so in the spirit that the, 50:49 that the devil does-- you know, 50:51 let's not even mess with Cynthia today. 50:53 It's just a waste. 50:54 Just not even-- don't bother her today 50:56 because this is not gonna work. 50:57 Angels, try somebody else 50:59 because she is just like right now, 51:00 don't go near her 51:02 because she is so in Christ today it's not gonna work. 51:04 That's how you have to make the devil resist you. 51:07 Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 51:09 Question number five, here's another one. 51:12 "Why is it useless to think 51:14 that we can obtain victory on our own?" 51:16 "Why is it useless to think 51:18 that we can obtain victory on our own?" 51:22 We cannot. 51:24 Oh, man. 51:26 You know what, I enjoy this lesson like three times 51:29 before I get it to you 51:32 but here it is Galatians 5:17. 51:35 I want to break those verses down. 51:37 We read verse 16 51:38 now we are going to look at verse 17. 51:39 Here's the answer. 51:41 Why is it useless? Here it is. 51:44 "For the flesh lusts against the" what? 51:47 "Spirit, and the Spirit against the" what? 51:50 "Flesh, and these are contrary to one another, 51:53 so that you do not do the things that you wish." 51:56 So why is it useless to think 51:59 that we can obtain victory on our own? 52:02 Our sinfulness. Our sinfulness. 52:05 Right. We've got this nature, it's called mortality. 52:09 You see when Jesus came forth from the tomb, 52:11 He was clothed in the glory of immortality never to die again. 52:18 We will one day be clothed in immortality. 52:21 We will one day be clothed in incorruptibility 52:25 but until then, 52:26 right now there is this battle, 52:28 flesh against the spirit, the spirit against the flesh. 52:33 I've told you the story before but it fits right here 52:35 about the gentleman who had dogs. 52:38 He would fight dogs against each other. 52:40 And every weekend when he took his 52:41 two German Shepherds to fight against each other, 52:44 you know, this dog rings sometimes they use pit bulls 52:46 and sometimes they use chickens and hens and crazy thing. 52:50 We don't partake in that 52:51 but every time he takes his dogs to fight 52:53 he would always bet on the dog that won. 52:56 And people, 52:58 after a while they say, wait a minute, wait a minute. 52:59 Joe, this is kind of ridiculous. 53:00 How do you know who is gonna win? 53:03 He said, the dog that I feed all week long is gonna win. 53:07 Did you know that? 53:09 The nature that you feed all week long is going to win. 53:11 So let's go back down to the basic aspects of it. 53:14 If you spend your time watching movies all week long 53:20 what's gonna win, the spirit or the flesh? 53:23 Flesh. 53:25 You know what, because you conditioned your mind 53:26 to think a certain way. 53:29 You, matter of fact, 53:32 when I was a little boy I was a fake cowboy. 53:36 Got to tell you the story. Anybody what I mean? 53:38 You know, little boys that two gun holsters. 53:40 I was raised in the Marshal Dillon days, 53:43 Gunsmoke days, Big Valley, Bonanza. 53:47 You know, anybody know what I'm talking about? 53:51 So I used to, I had my two six shooters 53:54 filled with paper caps 53:57 and I was excited when they finally made plastic caps 54:00 because they were louder and lasted longer. 54:02 But when I came home from school, 54:06 I would strap all my two six shooters, 54:08 tie them to my legs and go outside, 54:10 shooting up the neighborhood. 54:13 I thought I was a cowboy. 54:14 You know, why, because that's all I used to watch. 54:16 Gunsmoke, Big Valley, Bonanza. 54:21 You know, I want to be Cartwright 54:22 then I want to be Little Joe 54:24 because I filled my mind with that. 54:26 And then when Superman began to be the thing 54:28 that all little boys want to be, 54:30 I heard about little kids jumping off, you know, 54:32 out of third storey windows with their bed sheet. 54:36 I never did that but I had my own sheet 54:39 tied around my shoulder. 54:40 Yes, I did. 54:41 And then in my mind I was Superman. 54:43 You see my, Friend, my point is 54:45 by beholding you become changed. 54:48 The things that you see the most 54:50 will condition the way you think. 54:53 And let me make it very, very clear. 54:55 You can't have the world on right up to sunset 54:57 and then turn on Jesus. 55:01 The Jews in their economy 55:03 they got ready for the Sabbath on Wednesday. 55:05 We think about the preparation day on Friday. 55:07 The preparation day for them, they were ready by Friday. 55:10 They didn't wait till Friday to get ready. You see. 55:13 But the reason why is because there is a battle 55:15 that continues to go on in the human nature every day 55:18 and unless you feed one of them, 55:21 the other one is going to win. 55:22 The one that you feed is gonna win, 55:24 the one that you starve is going to lose. 55:27 You heard that phrase, "feed a cold, starve a fever." 55:31 The one you feed is going to win. 55:33 So what do you feed, you feed the spiritual life. 55:36 That's the life that you want to sustain you. 55:38 That's the walk that you want to sustain you. 55:40 That spiritual life that you have in Christ 55:42 is where we're gonna find our strength. 55:44 Look at number six. Is that where we are? 55:45 Yeah. 55:47 Number six, okay, here it is. 55:49 Number six. 55:50 "What vital contribution does the Holy Spirit make 55:54 that sustains our walk?" 55:57 "What vital contribution does the Holy Spirit make 56:00 that sustains our walk?" 56:03 And we are going to look there at Romans 8:26. 56:08 Okay, here it is. 56:11 Here it is. 56:13 The Bible says, 56:14 "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our" what? 56:20 "Weaknesses." 56:21 Get this. That's the spirit life. 56:23 Spirit helps in our weaknesses "For we do not know 56:28 what we should pray for" even that's weak. 56:30 How many of you have a hard time 56:31 in your prayer life? 56:33 Don't even know. 56:34 How many of you have a challenge 56:35 in your prayer life? 56:37 Sometimes you are on your knees 56:38 you don't know what to pray for but let's continue. 56:39 "For we do not know what we should pray for 56:41 as we ought, but the Spirit Himself" what? 56:45 "Makes intercession for us with groanings 56:48 which cannot be" what? 56:49 "Cannot be uttered." 56:52 So get this my, brethren, 56:55 even sometimes when you are on your knees 56:57 praying the battle is going on. 57:00 Have you ever had that experience? 57:02 I mean, you are down on your knees praying say, 57:04 "Father" and you're putting before the Lord 57:05 all your prayer request 57:07 and you hear the guns 57:08 and the bombs going off in your head 57:10 and you think it'd go and thoughts are coming. 57:12 And say, I'm not thinking that. 57:13 Leave me alone and you are praying, 57:15 you're struggling. 57:16 And the Lord says, 57:18 here how I end on an encouraging note. 57:20 The Spirit of God says, 57:23 "Johnny, Linda, I know what you are praying for. 57:25 You are on your knees battling but I'm gonna take that prayer. 57:29 I'm gonna fix it up to make 57:31 what you want to say what God hears." 57:35 And I'm gonna bring that before the Father. 57:37 I'm gonna help that prayer 57:39 and God is gonna answer that prayer and you say, 57:40 "Lord, He actually answered that prayer 57:42 and I didn't even know, 57:43 I didn't even know if my thoughts would clear." 57:45 Well, brothers and sisters, here's the point. 57:48 The nature that every one of us has is weak 57:50 but when we turn that nature over to Christ 57:53 we find in Him the strength that we need." 57:55 Let me encourage you, turn your life over to Christ 57:58 and His righteousness will come into sharper focus. 58:02 God bless you. |
Revised 2016-03-03