Participants: Jason Sliger
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000208
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00:31 We would like to welcome you to today's Faith Chapel.
00:33 My name is Jason Sliger. 00:36 I'm an evangelist with Amazing Facts Ministries 00:39 and today we are gonna be taking a look at a subject 00:40 from the Bible called "The Violent Taketh By Force." 00:44 In the 1992, Barcelona Olympic Games 00:47 there was a young man by the name of Derek Redmond. 00:50 Derek Redmond was a young man 00:52 that everybody was looking at to, 00:54 to win the race the 400 meter race 00:56 that he was running. 00:57 Derek had spent about 00:59 four years training for this race 01:01 and he was ready to win the gold medal 01:03 on the 400 meter run. 01:06 Derek that day, that he had been waiting for 01:09 had gone ready on the track, 01:10 he was there getting ready to run that race, 01:13 to win that race and to take home 01:15 that gold medal. 01:16 He was crouched down on the track, 01:19 getting ready waiting for that gunshot to sound 01:21 so that he could take off down that track 01:24 to win that gold medal. 01:26 As Derek waited he heard the gunshot sound 01:28 he got up and he began to run with all the energy 01:31 that he had within him. 01:32 As he turned the final corner 01:34 to go down that homestretch 01:36 to win that gold medal 01:38 Derek accelerated with all the power that he had 01:40 to win that race and all the sudden 01:43 he felt a terrible pain in the back of his leg 01:45 Derek had tore his hamstring. 01:47 Derek fell to the ground 01:49 and was unable to finish the race. 01:51 Well, Derek as he was laying there on that track 01:54 he tried to get up to make that end to finish that race 01:58 and he could not do it. 02:00 There was a man that ran out of the crowd 02:03 down to where Derek was this man was Derek's father. 02:07 And he ran to Derek and he said, 02:09 son, you don't have to do this. 02:10 You don't have to try to finish the race 02:11 you're in pain you cannot do this. 02:13 He said, father, I have to do it. 02:14 I have been training for so long 02:16 I have got to finish the race. 02:19 Derek's father looked at him and said Derek, 02:21 if you're gonna finish the race we're gonna do it together. 02:24 And so, Derek and his father they got up 02:27 and Derek with excruciating pain 02:30 finished that race 02:32 and was applauded by the people watching him 02:35 as he went across that finish line. 02:38 You know what friends, 02:39 each one of us are involved in a race, 02:41 its called as-- its a spiritual race 02:43 and if you would go with me 02:44 in your Bible to the Book of Hebrews Chapter 12 02:47 and we're gonna be reading verse 1. 02:48 Hebrew 12:1 the Bible tells us here in Hebrew 12:1 02:54 "Wherefore seeing we are also compassed about 02:56 with so great a cloud of witnesses, 02:59 let us lay aside every weight, 03:01 and sin which doth so easily beset us, 03:04 and let us run with patience 03:07 the race that is set before us." 03:10 The Bible tells us that we are running a race. 03:13 That we are involved in a race 03:15 and in this race God is asking you and me 03:18 to set aside the weight that so easily beset us. 03:21 You know, I can imagine 03:22 when Derek was training to run that race, 03:25 I'm sure may be-- when he was training 03:27 he had some weights to help build up his muscles 03:30 but when it came to that time of the race, 03:32 when he was getting ready to run to win that gold medal 03:35 I'm sure that Derek laid a side every weight 03:37 he had on the -- the best sneakers, 03:40 he had on the best 03:41 the lightest pair of shorts, the lightest top 03:43 he wanted to be the lightest he possibly could 03:45 so he can run the fastest. 03:46 And friends, God is asking us in this race 03:49 that we are running to lay aside the weights 03:51 that beset us in the Christian race. 03:53 The weights that beset us friends, the Bible tells us 03:56 are sins in our lives. 03:58 And the question that I ask myself 04:00 and the question I'm sure 04:01 many of you are asking yourselves 04:02 is how is it 04:04 that I can overcome sin in my life? 04:06 How is it that I can lay aside these weights 04:08 that the Bible says, so easily besets us? 04:10 How can I put a side these sins? 04:13 Well, I would ask you to go to the Book of Revelation. 04:15 Revelation Chapter 12 04:17 and we are going to look at verse 17, 04:19 the Bible says this, 04:21 "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, 04:23 and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, 04:26 which keep the commandments of God, 04:28 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." 04:31 The Bible tells us that the dragon or Satan 04:34 as you study the 12th chapter of Revelation, 04:37 Satan is angry with God's remnant church, a church-- 04:41 women in Bible prophecies often represented as a church 04:45 and the Bible tells us that Satan is angry 04:47 he is wroth, he is upset. 04:48 He doesn't like God's church and he has gone to make war 04:52 with God's remnant church. 04:55 The church right before Jesus comes back. 04:57 Friends, why is Satan wroth with God's and time church? 05:01 Why is Satan wroth with God's people? 05:04 The reason why he is angry with God's church is 05:06 because God has a gift that He wants to give to His church. 05:09 He has this gift called eternal life 05:10 that He wants to give to each and everyone of us. 05:13 And Satan knows the way 05:14 that he can most effectively take away that gift 05:16 that God wants to give to you 05:18 and what God wants to give to me 05:19 is to tempt us with sin and to cause us to flaw 05:23 into those temptations of sin. 05:26 So, the way that you and I 05:27 are going to be able to receive this gift 05:29 that God wants to give to us 05:30 is to learn from the Bible 05:32 on how we can have victory over sin in our lives. 05:36 If you would go with me in your Bibles 05:38 to the Book of Matthew, Matthew 11:12, 05:44 the Bible says this, 05:45 "And from the days of John the Baptist until now 05:48 the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, 05:51 and the violent take it by force." 05:55 When I first read this Bible passage, 05:57 it was kind of alarming to me 05:58 because I never read something so-- 06:00 so strong in its language. 06:02 The way that God is speaking here saying that 06:04 those people who want the kingdom of heaven 06:06 and I know that you want the kingdom of heaven. 06:07 I know that's my-- my desire 06:09 I want to have that kingdom of heaven 06:10 that God has for each one of us. 06:12 The Bible tells us in Matthew 5:5 that the, 06:13 "the meek, shall inherit the earth." 06:15 And God has a gift that He wants to give you 06:17 and He wants to give me and the Bible says, 06:19 that those people who want this gift 06:21 that those people who want to receive 06:23 that kingdom of heaven that they'll take it by force. 06:27 Now, I don't know if you ever thought about it 06:29 in this sense before 06:30 that you have to be violent in the sense 06:32 of taking the kingdom of heaven 06:34 but that's exactly what the Bible is saying. 06:35 The Bible is saying that if we want that 06:37 kingdom of heaven we have to take it by force. 06:40 Now, as I was contemplated 06:42 and meditating on this Bible passage 06:43 I was thinking to myself, 06:44 how is it good way that I can illustrate this? 06:46 How can I make this practical to myself? 06:48 And I thought of a little illustration 06:50 to kind of help me understand this passage 06:52 and hopefully it will help you as well. 06:54 Think friends, that you have a little two little boys 06:57 little Jonny and little David. 07:00 Little Jonny and little David 07:01 they're having a good time together, 07:02 they're playing on the swing set, 07:04 they're swinging back and forth 07:05 and they're just having a good old time 07:07 playing with each other as little kids often times do. 07:10 And all of a sudden little Jonny 07:12 walks over to the park bench, 07:14 he reaches down into his pocket 07:16 and he pulls out a lollipop that 07:18 I might say his father gave to him. 07:21 He takes the wrapper off of that lollipop 07:23 and begins to enjoy that beautiful piece of candy 07:26 that his father had given to him. 07:29 And as he is enjoying it 07:30 little David is looking over that little Jonny 07:32 and you can almost imagine 07:33 what is going through the mind of little David. 07:35 You got it, that's right. 07:37 Little David wants that piece of candy as well. 07:39 He wants to enjoy that piece of candy too. 07:42 And little David might go over to little Jonny 07:45 and try to take that piece of candy out of his hand. 07:48 But let me ask you a question, 07:49 you're a little kid one time I'm sure 07:51 what would little Jonny do? 07:52 Is little Jonny just gonna stand by and say 07:54 all right go ahead you go ahead and take that piece of candy 07:56 I'll just let you have it. 07:58 No, little Jonny is not gonna do that. 08:00 Little Jonny might grab that piece of candy 08:02 even tighter in his hand and pull his hand away 08:06 and say no, you can't have it 08:08 this is a gift that my father has given to me 08:10 and continue to enjoy that gift from his father. 08:13 Friends, God has given each one of us a gift. 08:16 Do you know what that gift is? 08:17 That gift is eternal life. 08:18 The gift of the kingdom of heaven 08:20 the Bible tells us and the Bible says, 08:22 that those who want the kingdom of heaven, 08:24 they will take it by force. 08:26 They'll take it by force. 08:27 They'll possibly stand by and let Satan take that gift 08:31 that God wants to give to each one of us. 08:32 They won't stand there and just say go ahead Satan 08:35 you go right ahead and take it. 08:36 They're going to fight. 08:37 They're going to fight with 08:38 every fiber inside of their body 08:40 to obtain that gift 08:42 that God wants to give to each one of us. 08:44 Go with me in your Bibles to the Book of Ephesians, 08:46 Ephesians Chapter 6 08:48 and we are gonna being in verse 11. 08:50 Ephesians 6:11 the Bible says, this, 08:52 "Put on the whole armor of God, 08:54 that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 08:58 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, 09:00 but against principalities, against powers, 09:03 against the rulers of the darkness of this world, 09:05 against spiritual wickedness in high places. 09:08 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, 09:12 that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, 09:15 and having done all, to stand. 09:17 Stand therefore, having your loins 09:19 girt about with truth, 09:20 and having on the breastplate of righteousness. 09:23 And your feet shod 09:24 with the preparation of the gospel of peace." 09:26 Notice what the Bible says, here, 09:27 "Above all, taking the shield of faith, 09:31 wherewith ye shall be able to quench 09:33 all the fiery darts of the wicked. 09:36 And take the helmet of salvation, 09:38 and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 09:40 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, 09:44 watching therefore unto with all perseverance 09:48 and supplication for all saints." 09:51 The Bible tells us here, to take on the armor of God. 09:54 The Bible says, to put on the whole armor of God 09:57 and I find it very interesting 09:58 how the Bible here talks about putting on armor. 10:01 Let me ask you a question. 10:02 What is armor used for? 10:04 Armor is often used for war. 10:06 It's used for battle. 10:07 It's not something that a solider would put on 10:10 to go down and visit one of his friends 10:12 at the local restaurant. 10:13 It's not something that a family member would put on 10:16 to go visit his family 10:17 but armor is something that an individual puts on 10:20 he is making a statement saying 10:22 I'm getting ready for what? 10:23 Battle. 10:25 I'm getting ready to go fight a battle, 10:26 I'm getting ready to go fight and engage with the enemy. 10:29 And the Bible tells you and me 10:30 that we need to put on this armor of God. 10:32 Now, I don't have the time to go into 10:34 elaborate on each portion of the armor of God. 10:37 But God is telling us to put on this armor why? 10:40 Because He is telling us to get ready for a battle 10:42 and He tells us about this battle 10:44 as that we have already read in Revelation 12:17 10:47 where the dragon is worth, he is angry, he is upset. 10:49 He wants to make war with God's end time people. 10:51 And friends, God is warning us, 10:53 He is telling us ahead a time to put on the armor of God. 10:58 That is what's going to give us the power, 11:00 that's is what's going to give us the strength 11:01 to over come these sins in our lives, 11:04 to overcome the temptations 11:05 that Satan is placing before us. 11:07 Friends, do you put the armor of God on 11:08 when you wake up in the morning? 11:10 As you go through out the day do you put the armor of God on? 11:13 Do you spend time sharpening your sword 11:15 everyday that the Bible says, the sword of the Spirit, 11:18 the sword of the Word of God? 11:19 Do you spend time 11:21 putting on the helmet of salvation? 11:23 Do you spend time my friends, putting on the armor of God 11:26 as you go through out your day 11:28 and each day that you go through? 11:31 What I want to do today in our study is 11:33 I want to pick up on one aspect of the armor of God 11:35 that the Bible is talking about. 11:36 The Bible says, above all taking the shield of faith. 11:39 Now when the Bible says, above all that tells me 11:42 and I'm sure it tells you 11:43 that one of the most important parts of the armor of God 11:47 is taking this thing called the shield of faith. 11:50 The Bible says, above all, taking the shield of faith. 11:53 What does it mean to have faith? 11:54 What does it mean to have faith in our life with God? 11:57 You know we could talk about faith 11:58 as it is written there in Hebrew 12:1 where it says, 12:03 "Faith is a substance of things 12:04 hope for the evidence of things not seen." 12:06 But friends, let's try to make this 12:07 a little bit more practical and you know in my experience 12:10 I like to look at Jesus 12:12 and look at what Jesus did in His life 12:14 and as I look at what Jesus did 12:16 that helps me to know what I should do 12:18 because Christ is our example in all things, right. 12:20 So, how did Jesus have faith? 12:22 Go with me in your Bibles 12:24 to the Book of 1 Timothy Chapter 6, 12:27 1 Timothy Chapter 6 12:28 and we are going to look at verse 12. 12:30 1 Timothy 6:12 the Bible says, this, 12:32 "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life." 12:36 Listen to the language here, 12:37 "Whereunto thou art also called, 12:39 and hast professed a good profession 12:41 before many witnesses." 12:44 The Bible says, that we are to fight 12:46 the good fight of faith. 12:47 Now, doesn't that just go along with our subject 12:49 our theme today of this spiritual warfare 12:51 that we are fighting in, 12:52 the spiritual war fare between us and Satan. 12:55 The Bible says, that we are to fight 12:56 the good fight a faith. 12:57 Now what does it mean to fight 12:58 the good fight a faith? 12:59 How can I make this practical in my life today? 13:02 How can I truly fight the good fight of faith? 13:06 Well, let's take a look at this from the Bible 13:07 and go to the Book of John 8:29. 13:10 I want to take a look and see how Jesus fought 13:13 the good fight of faith. 13:14 John 8:29 the Bible says this, 13:17 "And he that sent me is with me, 13:20 the Father hath not left me alone 13:22 for I do always those things that please him." 13:25 Notice what the Bible says here, the Bible says, 13:28 that Jesus is telling us 13:30 that the father had not left him alone. 13:31 Now keep in mind what we are studying here. 13:33 What we are studying is that 13:35 fighting the good fight of faith 13:36 and we are looking at an example of it 13:38 from the life of Jesus. 13:39 Jesus said, to His disciples 13:41 as they were listening to Him preach that day 13:43 or whoever it was that was listening to Him 13:45 preach that day. 13:46 He said that God had never left Him alone. 13:49 Even though Jesus was separated 13:51 by that space between heaven and earth, 13:53 even though now he had taken the form of humanity, 13:56 even though now He was hear on this earth 13:58 they were still together, they were still united together 14:00 from the study of God's word 14:02 and also through prayer, meditation 14:03 that Jesus often did with His father. 14:06 Jesus said, the Father had not left me alone, 14:08 now, just think in your minds 14:10 if you had eternity to get to know somebody, 14:12 if you had the ceaseless ages of eternity 14:15 never beginning, never ending 14:17 to get to know one person. 14:18 How well do you think you get to know them? 14:20 I'm sure we get to know them pretty well. 14:22 So Jesus and the Father 14:24 they had a very closely knit relationship, 14:26 they had a very close relationship. 14:28 They loved each other very much. 14:30 And even though they were separated by that space 14:33 from heaven to earth, they were still united. 14:35 They still had a relationship. They were still very close. 14:38 But what happened 14:39 to Jesus and the Father's relationship? 14:41 Go with me to Isaiah 53:6 the Bible tells us here, 14:46 "All we like sheep have gone astray 14:48 we have turned every one to his own way, 14:51 and the Lord" the who? 14:53 The Lord, the Bible says, "hath laid on him" 14:56 that Him is Jesus 14:58 "the iniquity or the sin of us all." 15:01 The Bible tells us that we are like sheep 15:03 that we have gone astray 15:04 and that the Lord or God 15:06 had laid on Him Jesus the inequity of everybody, 15:10 the inequity or the sin of the word. 15:12 Now, just think for-- with me for a moment 15:14 if you would. 15:16 When we commit sin in our lives, 15:18 when we do something that is wrong, 15:20 when we trespass against the law of God 15:23 and now, we have guilt and sin in our lives 15:26 what is that goes into your mind? 15:28 What do you think about when you -- when you lie, 15:30 when you cheat, when you steal? 15:31 When you do something that you know is not right? 15:32 When you know that you have done something wrong 15:34 in the presence of God 15:35 what goes through your mind? 15:36 You have this guilt. 15:37 You have this guilt that, 15:38 now I need to make this thing right. 15:40 I have done something wrong, 15:41 now I need to go make this thing right 15:43 before God. 15:45 Jesus had the inequity of the world placed upon Him. 15:48 Now, imagine with me for just a moment. 15:51 If you had the guilt or the weight of sin 15:55 of your whole life not just one sin 15:58 but the sin of your whole life placed upon you 16:01 at one moment in your life 16:03 how do you think you would feel? 16:04 Probably would feel like 16:05 your life was being crushed out. 16:08 Now, just imagine with me the Bible says that 16:10 the inequity of the world was placed upon Jesus 16:13 at one moment in time. 16:15 The inequity from Adam 16:17 all the way down to the end of this world, 16:19 the inequity from the time 16:20 that Eve plucked that fruit off of the tree 16:22 of knowledge of good and evil all the way down 16:25 to right before Jesus comes back 16:27 the equity of the world the sin of everybody 16:29 the sins of the millions and thousands of 16:31 billions of people in this world, 16:32 every sin that they had committed, 16:34 every wrong that they have done, 16:35 every transgression that they have committed, 16:38 everything that they had done wrong 16:40 was placed upon Jesus right there on the cross. 16:42 The Bible says that the inequity of the world 16:44 was placed upon Him. 16:45 The sin of the world now 16:46 to add another dimension to this 16:49 the Bible tells us that Jesus was tempted 16:51 in all points like as we are yet without sin 16:53 in Hebrews Chapter 4. 16:55 And so Jesus had never experienced the guilt of sin. 16:57 Jesus had never known what it was to sin. 17:00 He had never experienced sin in His life before 17:02 but now we find out that the sin 17:05 or the inequity of the whole world 17:06 not His sin but other people's sin 17:08 was placed upon Him on the cross. 17:12 Now, I don't know about you but that-- 17:13 that says something to me. 17:15 You know, I think about Jesus and Him dying on the cross 17:18 and all that tremendous mental and physical pain 17:22 that He went through, 17:23 the physical agony of being crucified to a tree, 17:26 being beaten with the cat o' nine tails, 17:28 being hit in the face 17:30 and all the things that He went through. 17:31 Yes, it was gruesome. 17:33 The physical pain was terrible. 17:35 But friends, the Bible tells us 17:38 that the sin of the world was placed upon Jesus 17:41 and I believe that not only the mental pain-- 17:43 not only the physical pain was terrible 17:45 but I believe that the mental agony 17:47 that Jesus went through was excruciating. 17:49 The mental agony of sin and to continue our study 17:52 in Isaiah 59:2 the Bible tells us this. 17:57 "But your iniquities have separated 17:59 between you and your God, 18:00 and your sins have hid his face from you, 18:03 that he will not hear you." 18:06 The Bible tells us that our inequities 18:09 separate us from God. 18:11 Now, keep in mind now we are looking at this idea 18:13 of fighting the good fight of faith. 18:14 It's all gonna come together here in just a moment. 18:17 The Bible says, that inequities separate us from God, 18:20 that sin separates us from God. 18:21 Now, let's kind of put our-- 18:23 our Bible passages together here. 18:25 First Jesus says, 18:26 that the Father had not let me alone 18:27 because I do all those things that please Him. 18:29 God has never left me alone, 18:31 God has never left me even though 18:33 I'm here on this earth. 18:34 And then the Bible goes on and it tells us 18:36 that the sin of the world was placed upon Jesus 18:39 as He hung there on the cross 18:40 and then we find out that sin separates us from God. 18:42 How do you think Jesus felt 18:44 as he was there on that cross that day 18:45 being separated from His father, 18:47 being separated from the God that he loves so much, 18:50 the God that had never left him alone, 18:52 He is now separated from him because of your sin 18:55 and because of my sin? 18:57 Can you imagine what was going through the mind of Jesus? 18:59 I can almost imagine. 19:01 You know some people say, 19:02 wasn't that difficult of a thing for Jesus 19:04 to die on the cross. 19:05 It wasn't that hard of a-- 19:06 of an experience we had to go through 19:08 because Jesus knew that in three days 19:09 He was gonna resurrect form the tomb. 19:11 Yes, friends, He did know that, 19:12 but who gave Him that promise? 19:13 Who was it that told Him 19:15 that in three days, He would resurrect? 19:16 That's right, it was His father. 19:17 God had given Him that promise 19:19 and now the God had given Him the promise 19:21 that in three days, He would resurrect. 19:22 Now, that God had turned His back on Him. 19:24 He had been separated from that God 19:26 that He had given Him this promise. 19:27 And I can almost imagine in my minds eye, 19:30 that Satan was there. 19:32 Satan was there tempting Jesus thinking man, 19:35 You have gone through all of this. 19:37 You have given your life off for these people 19:38 that are spitting on You and beating You 19:40 and now they've crucified You to a cross. 19:41 You have given your life off for those people 19:43 that are now saying, if you be the true God 19:45 come down from that cross. 19:47 You're giving Your life up and now You're gonna be 19:49 totally separated from your Father. 19:50 You'll never gonna see Him again. 19:52 I can almost imagine Satan tempting Jesus 19:54 in His mind about that 19:56 that he'll never see His father again. 19:59 But notice what the Bible goes on to say, 20:01 I want to take a look at the-- the very last words 20:04 that Jesus spoke. 20:05 The very last words that came out of the mouth of Jesus, 20:08 here as we go on in our study in Luke 23:46. 20:12 Luke 23:46 the Bible says this, 20:16 "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, 20:20 he said, Father, into thy hands 20:24 I commend my spirit and having said thus, 20:27 he gave up the ghost." 20:29 Friends, do you hear the cry of faith 20:33 in those last words that Jesus spoke, 20:35 those last words that came out of His mouth. 20:38 He said Father, into your hands I commend My spirit. 20:41 Father, into your hands I give it on to you. 20:44 If it means I'm going to be eternally separated from you 20:46 so be it but Father, if it means that 20:49 I'll one day be reunited with you 20:51 in that heavenly kingdom. 20:53 Then I'm happy for that 20:55 but father I completely rested into your hands. 20:58 I completely give my life totally over to you 21:00 it doesn't matter 21:01 I want you to be the guiding light of my life. 21:04 I want you to be the one that makes decision. 21:06 Friends, that is what it means 21:09 to fight the good fight of faith. 21:11 The Bible tells us 21:12 that we are to fight the good fight of faith 21:14 and we see in the life of Jesus 21:16 that He truly fought the fight of faith, 21:19 that He truly gave His life completely over to God 21:22 and that he was willing to do what God wanted Him to do. 21:26 Friends, how many of you today will like to 21:30 fully yield your life over to God like Jesus did 21:34 and fight the good fight of faith like Jesus did? 21:38 You see friends, if we truly yield our lives over to God 21:41 and fight the good fight of faith just like Jesus did 21:44 we'll become more victorious Christians in our life. 21:47 We will truly have a more victorious experience. 21:50 Sin will no longer pull us down. 21:53 Sin will no longer hold us back in that Christian race 21:56 that the Bible talks about in Hebrews Chapter 12 21:58 that race that the Bible says to lay a side those sins 22:01 and those weights are so easily beset us. 22:05 I would like to read a quotation to you 22:07 from Ellen G. White 22:08 this is the Youth Instructor April 25, 1901 22:12 this is what she says, 22:14 "When Christ bowed His head and died, 22:17 He bore the pillars of Satan's kingdom with Him 22:19 to the earth. 22:21 He vanquished Satan in the same nature 22:23 over which in Eden Satan obtained the victory. 22:27 The enemy was overcome by Christ in His human nature. 22:30 The power of the Savior's Godhead was hidden. 22:32 He overcame in human nature," listen to this 22:36 "relying upon God for power." 22:40 Listen to what she says now, this is powerful she says, 22:43 "This is the privilege of all." 22:46 The privilege of you, the privilege of me, 22:48 is to rely upon God to give us the power, 22:51 to give us the strength, to give us the victory 22:53 over sin in our lives. 22:54 She is says, this the privilege of everybody. 22:56 Friends, that's the privilege that you have to rely upon God 23:00 to truly be able to be more victorious Christian 23:02 is to rely upon God as Jesus relied upon God. 23:05 She says, this is the privilege of all. 23:08 This is the privilege that God has given to you. 23:09 Friends, do you rely upon God for your victory? 23:12 You go to Him and prayer and say God, 23:14 please give me the strength to over come these sins in my life 23:18 or do you rely upon your own power, 23:20 your own strength to over come sin? 23:22 Friends, listen to me and I'm talking from experience 23:24 if you rely upon your own strength 23:26 you'll not be a victorious Christian. 23:28 The only way that you'll be victorious 23:29 is the way that Jesus was victorious 23:31 and that was by relining upon God 23:33 as his source and strengths. 23:35 She closes this quotation by saying, 23:37 "In proportion to our faith will be our victory." 23:42 In proportion to your faith, in proportion to the faith 23:45 that you have now know that the Bible tells us that 23:47 God has given each one of us a measure of faith. 23:50 And it just depends on what you do with that faith. 23:52 It just depends on how you use that faith. 23:54 Friends, the Bible tells us 23:57 that God is looking for victorious people. 24:00 In the way that we are victorious 24:02 is by fighting the good fight of faith. 24:03 One of the elements of the armor of God 24:06 to have on that faith, that shield of faith. 24:11 We look at 1 John5:4 the Bible tells us here, 24:17 "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world 24:21 and this is the victory" 24:23 listen to what the Bible is saying here, 24:24 "this is the victory." 24:26 This is how we have victory 24:27 "that overcometh the world, even our faith." 24:31 The Bible tells us, this is the victory, 24:33 this is how we have victory, this is how we over come. 24:36 The way that we over come friends 24:37 is by having the victory through faith 24:40 and the question that I ask you today 24:42 is how much faith do you have? 24:45 Do you have a faith 24:46 that yields its life completely over to God 24:50 or do you have a faith 24:51 that relies upon your own strength, 24:53 your own wisdom, your own knowledge, 24:55 your own accomplishments? 24:57 Friends, we need to be like Jesus, 24:58 to rely completely upon Him 25:01 to ask Him to give us the victory 25:03 over sin in our lives. 25:04 I remember a time when I was at home one day, 25:07 I was back home on a break 25:10 and there at home I was spending some time 25:13 getting some studies put together 25:14 my family had left, 25:16 I was actually living in England at that time 25:17 my family had left to go back to America 25:19 to visit some family over there 25:20 and I was at home by myself 25:22 having a few days of just kind of rest and relaxation. 25:26 I remember the time I was actually 25:27 if I remember correctly in my bedroom, 25:29 in my room studying the Bible. 25:31 And my Bible said open before me, 25:32 I was working on some studies. 25:34 And all the sudden out of no where 25:37 out of the blue, 25:38 Satan came with me, came to me with a temptation. 25:43 And as I was sitting there studying the Bible 25:45 and I was having this temptation go through my mind 25:48 I got up from my desk and I started facing the floor 25:53 and thinking what am I going to do? 25:55 Am I going to yield or am I not going to yield? 25:57 Am I going to fall in temptation 25:59 or am I going to become victorious? 26:00 Going back and forth, walking pacing back and forth, 26:03 thinking about this contemplating it, 26:05 looking at it from all angles and friends, 26:07 I came to a point walked upstairs in our house, 26:11 walked upstairs to one of our upstairs bedrooms. 26:14 I could take you to the spot, I could take you to the house, 26:16 I could take you to the very square of the carpet 26:18 because it was such a powerful experience 26:20 in my life. 26:21 I knelt down in that room in that cold English house 26:27 I knelt down and I prayed. 26:29 And I said God if you want me to be a victorious Christian 26:32 You are gonna have to give me victory in my life. 26:34 God if you want me to be a more victorious Christians, 26:37 if you want me to over come this sin, 26:39 if you want me to over come this temptation. 26:41 You're going to have to give me the victory 26:43 because in and out myself I cannot over come sin. 26:46 And friends, we have to come to a point in our experience 26:48 where we know that we cannot overcome sin 26:50 under our own strength. 26:52 We try and try and try over and over again 26:54 but friends, we cannot do that. 26:56 The only way that we are going to overcome 26:57 is by coming to God, beseeching His throne, 27:00 by praying just like Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane. 27:03 Father, if it is your will let this cup pass from Me, 27:05 nevertheless not my will but thy will be done. 27:08 And I knelt down there and I prayed and I said God, 27:10 please give me the victory and God gave me the victory. 27:14 Friends, listen victory is not just for me, 27:15 it's not just for Jesus, it's not just for the disciples 27:18 but victory is for every Christian. 27:20 And today, I ask you the question 27:21 how many of you want to be a victorious Christian. 27:24 How many of you truly want to have victory in your life 27:27 and say God I want to give my life completely over to You 27:30 and live a life just like Jesus 27:32 and walk by faith not by sight. 27:34 If that is your desire, if that is your desire 27:37 I pray that you get down on your knees right now 27:39 and that you'll pray and say God, 27:41 I want to give my life completely over to You. 27:43 I want to walk by faith just as Jesus walked by faith 27:46 and fully surrender my whole life over to You 27:51 into Your care and keeping. 27:53 May God bless you in your journey. |
Revised 2014-12-17