Hi, I'm Pastor Floyd Bresee 00:00:30.34\00:00:33.54 and I've been thinking, it seems to me that 00:00:34.45\00:00:37.39 there be a lot more Christians 00:00:37.40\00:00:39.16 if Christians were a lot more 00:00:39.76\00:00:41.29 Christ like, let's pray about it. 00:00:41.30\00:00:44.13 Loving Lord, please teach us each 00:00:45.42\00:00:50.23 something today that will help us become 00:00:50.24\00:00:53.85 more Christ like Christians, 00:00:54.25\00:00:56.24 in Jesus name we pray, amen. 00:00:56.25\00:00:59.91 Our focus today is on over coming, 00:01:01.20\00:01:04.57 growing up. Let's begin by opening our Bibles 00:01:05.39\00:01:09.71 to Hebrews chapter 11; I'll be using the New 00:01:09.72\00:01:13.12 International Version. You know, some kinds of 00:01:13.13\00:01:16.96 growing are among the easiest things we do, 00:01:16.97\00:01:19.47 it's easy to grow gray, 00:01:19.48\00:01:21.40 it's easy to grow heavy, 00:01:21.41\00:01:22.92 it's to easy to grow old, 00:01:22.93\00:01:24.67 just keep on breathing, but growing up is one 00:01:24.68\00:01:29.52 of the hardest things we do, 00:01:29.53\00:01:31.09 it's hard to grow things centered to 00:01:31.10\00:01:34.05 God centered, from self-centered 00:01:34.06\00:01:36.32 to love centered. It's so hard in fact 00:01:36.33\00:01:38.59 that we tend to pretend when we really 00:01:38.60\00:01:41.25 haven't changed as much as we pretend to 00:01:41.26\00:01:44.34 have changed. We, we learn socially 00:01:44.35\00:01:47.35 acceptable ways of faking love and we 00:01:47.36\00:01:51.11 incline to his faith and say nasty things 00:01:51.12\00:01:53.92 behind his back, we smile on the 00:01:53.93\00:01:56.18 outside and we cede on the inside, 00:01:56.19\00:01:58.85 hoping that most won't catch on that 00:01:58.86\00:02:01.38 we stayed basically selfish all our lives. 00:02:01.39\00:02:05.13 Let's talk about spiritual growth, 00:02:06.03\00:02:08.81 love growth, growing up. 00:02:08.82\00:02:12.96 In London, there is a great 00:02:15.58\00:02:18.34 cathedral called the Westminster Abbey. 00:02:18.35\00:02:22.13 This was the place where Princess Diana's 00:02:22.52\00:02:24.97 funeral was held. This is the place where 00:02:24.98\00:02:27.99 England's most honor dead are buried. 00:02:28.43\00:02:32.25 Now, what kind of people do you suppose 00:02:33.29\00:02:36.27 are in England's Westminster Abbey? 00:02:36.65\00:02:39.71 What kind of people does England 00:02:39.72\00:02:42.23 honor most? Well, Kings, statesmen, 00:02:42.24\00:02:47.85 scholars, soldiers, beneath the floor or 00:02:48.68\00:02:53.96 behind the walls, they are buried 00:02:53.97\00:02:56.55 with an inscription over each tomb. 00:02:56.56\00:02:59.60 And as I walked around Westminster Abbey, 00:02:59.70\00:03:02.62 my heart skipped a beat as I look down 00:03:02.63\00:03:04.87 and I was standing on the tomb of my 00:03:05.37\00:03:08.55 boyhood hero David Livingston buried 00:03:09.91\00:03:14.70 in Westminster Abbey. Those whom England 00:03:15.13\00:03:18.69 honors most. Did you ever stop to 00:03:18.70\00:03:20.50 think that God also has a Westminster Abbey? 00:03:20.51\00:03:25.47 It's found in Hebrews chapter 11. 00:03:25.92\00:03:29.38 What kind of people does God honor most? 00:03:29.87\00:03:34.87 And as we look down through our chapter 00:03:34.88\00:03:38.01 we see in verse 4 Abel, God honors martyrs 00:03:38.02\00:03:43.12 and we say that's good. Verse 5, 00:03:43.13\00:03:45.51 we find Enoch, God honors those 00:03:45.52\00:03:49.56 who walk with Him and we say that's good. 00:03:49.57\00:03:53.05 Verse 7 we find Noah, that great 00:03:53.06\00:03:56.41 preacher of faith, the 120 years without 00:03:56.42\00:03:59.33 a convert and still he preached on, 00:03:59.34\00:04:01.16 saved only his family, but he stayed 00:04:01.17\00:04:03.72 true to God, we say that's good, 00:04:03.73\00:04:06.94 but wait a minute. Genesis 9 says 00:04:06.95\00:04:11.50 that Noah celebrated the end of the 00:04:11.51\00:04:14.79 flood by getting drunk. You mean that preachers 00:04:14.80\00:04:19.72 who get drunk on occasion are among 00:04:20.47\00:04:23.48 those whom God honors most? Skip 00:04:23.49\00:04:26.49 down to verse 31, you'll find Rehab the 00:04:26.50\00:04:28.94 prostitute God honors woman who sell their 00:04:28.95\00:04:31.74 bodies. Let's look at 3 special heroes. 00:04:31.75\00:04:37.98 In verse 8 we pick up the name of Abraham, 00:04:38.60\00:04:41.41 an 8 foot inscription over his tomb, 00:04:41.42\00:04:43.91 that is our eight verses in Hebrews 00:04:43.92\00:04:45.89 11 about Abraham, must be someone 00:04:45.90\00:04:48.24 who is very, very especially 00:04:48.25\00:04:50.17 honored by God. Abraham the liar, 00:04:50.18\00:04:53.11 he didn't just lie once, he lied repeatedly. 00:04:54.17\00:04:57.05 Genesis 12 and 20 says that 00:04:57.67\00:05:00.14 everywhere he went he lied, 00:05:00.15\00:05:02.44 he lied to the King Abimelech, he, 00:05:02.45\00:05:04.62 he lied to the Pharaoh of Egypt, 00:05:04.63\00:05:06.51 it was a clever lie and his wife 00:05:06.52\00:05:09.05 was beautiful and, and these great 00:05:09.06\00:05:11.55 powers coveted his wife. And he said, 00:05:11.56\00:05:15.23 that she's my sister and clever because 00:05:15.24\00:05:18.64 sisters got gifts, husbands got killed. 00:05:18.65\00:05:21.57 He lied to the government, 00:05:22.84\00:05:24.22 thrown out of the country as an 00:05:24.23\00:05:25.70 undesirable alien, one whom God 00:05:25.71\00:05:28.44 would honor most. Verse 24 mentions Moses, 00:05:28.45\00:05:34.43 there's a 7 foot inscription over 00:05:34.44\00:05:36.06 Moses tomb, 7 verses in the Hebrews 00:05:36.07\00:05:38.48 11 about Moses he must be 00:05:38.49\00:05:40.42 someone very special. In his younger years 00:05:40.43\00:05:43.98 Moses was an egotistical hot head, 00:05:43.99\00:05:46.61 he was a murderer. In modern 00:05:46.62\00:05:48.81 parlance we'd say, he killed a cop 00:05:48.82\00:05:51.28 and drop down to verse 32 we have David, 00:05:52.36\00:05:56.62 a true enigma. David we say was 00:05:57.07\00:06:01.01 a man after God's own heart. 00:06:01.02\00:06:03.17 David was an adulterer, 00:06:03.90\00:06:05.61 David was a murderer, 00:06:06.52\00:06:08.34 David was a peeping Tom, 00:06:09.73\00:06:11.58 it started with the King on the roof 00:06:12.63\00:06:15.06 of his castle watching his neighbor Bathsheba 00:06:15.07\00:06:19.11 taking a bath, brought her to 00:06:19.12\00:06:21.06 the Palace, she became pregnant, 00:06:21.07\00:06:22.71 he had Uriah her husband killed, 00:06:22.72\00:06:25.15 not only was this terrible sin, 00:06:25.16\00:06:28.17 but he did all this while he was president 00:06:28.18\00:06:30.43 of the General Conference, 00:06:30.44\00:06:31.41 he was a leader in his Church, 00:06:31.42\00:06:35.37 one especially chosen by God. You know, 00:06:35.77\00:06:40.03 Church leaders that make mistakes 00:06:40.04\00:06:41.65 and sometimes we use that as an excuse 00:06:41.66\00:06:44.25 to not have, have confidence in, 00:06:44.26\00:06:46.95 in the Church, but no mistakes any 00:06:46.96\00:06:50.52 bigger than David made and, and David, 00:06:50.53\00:06:53.59 a man after God's own heart. 00:06:53.60\00:06:56.21 What really is the lesson that God 00:06:57.88\00:07:02.57 is not particular? We find a list of the 00:07:02.58\00:07:07.40 exploits of these people in God's 00:07:07.41\00:07:11.70 Westminster Abbey. In Hebrews the 00:07:11.71\00:07:14.43 11th chapter, verses 33 and 34, 00:07:14.44\00:07:17.78 here we find the answer to our question. 00:07:17.79\00:07:21.09 How did these folks get into God's 00:07:22.41\00:07:25.70 Westminster Abbey? "Who through 00:07:25.71\00:07:28.60 faith conquered kingdoms, 00:07:28.61\00:07:30.36 administered justice, 00:07:30.37\00:07:32.00 and gained what was promised; 00:07:32.58\00:07:34.67 who shut the mouths of lions, 00:07:35.21\00:07:37.70 quenched the fury of the flames, 00:07:38.38\00:07:41.42 and escaped the edge of the sword; 00:07:41.81\00:07:44.22 whose weakness was turned to strength; 00:07:44.92\00:07:48.64 and who became powerful in battle 00:07:48.65\00:07:51.29 and routed foreign armies, armies." 00:07:51.30\00:07:54.18 There is the answer to our dilemma. 00:07:54.19\00:07:58.23 How did these big sinners get into God's 00:07:59.10\00:08:03.50 Westminster Abbey, out of weakness 00:08:03.91\00:08:07.60 they were made strong. Don't you see, 00:08:08.34\00:08:10.45 God is a firm believer in growing up. 00:08:10.91\00:08:14.23 And so our lesson today with God it's 00:08:15.52\00:08:19.11 not what we've been, it's what we're 00:08:19.12\00:08:22.46 becoming that counts. What a comfort 00:08:22.47\00:08:26.42 to the guilty? It's not what you 00:08:26.43\00:08:29.03 have done, but it's what you're doing. 00:08:29.04\00:08:32.18 It's not where you have been, 00:08:33.28\00:08:35.34 but where you're going? 00:08:36.31\00:08:37.54 It's not how tall you are, 00:08:38.25\00:08:40.30 but how much you're growing? 00:08:41.38\00:08:43.28 What a relief, comfort to the guilty, 00:08:44.43\00:08:48.69 but oh! What a warning to the complacent? 00:08:49.17\00:08:54.91 You see, one time conversion 00:08:55.81\00:08:57.53 is not enough, with God it's not 00:08:57.86\00:09:00.69 what you've been, it's what you 00:09:00.70\00:09:01.95 becoming that counts. When our eldest son 00:09:01.96\00:09:05.60 was three years old, his baby brother was 00:09:05.61\00:09:11.54 born and you know, what happens then, 00:09:11.55\00:09:13.61 the three-year-old was for the 00:09:13.62\00:09:15.02 first time taken out of his crib and he 00:09:15.03\00:09:17.78 slept in a bed without sides. 00:09:17.79\00:09:20.75 And except he had trouble staying in bed. 00:09:22.91\00:09:27.65 Now, we had an arrangement my 00:09:28.56\00:09:30.12 wife and I, it was the little 00:09:30.13\00:09:31.98 one that was usually her responsibility, 00:09:31.99\00:09:34.02 if it was the three-year-old 00:09:34.03\00:09:35.35 it was mine. And in the night I was 00:09:35.36\00:09:39.08 waken by a thud in the other 00:09:39.09\00:09:41.06 room and a limper. And there was 00:09:41.07\00:09:44.68 my son lying on the floor. 00:09:44.69\00:09:46.87 And I picked him up and I, 00:09:46.88\00:09:48.38 I helped him into bed. 00:09:48.39\00:09:50.13 And, and I went back to my bed and not long 00:09:50.63\00:09:52.88 later there was another thump and another 00:09:52.89\00:09:55.04 limper and again I helped him back 00:09:55.05\00:09:56.66 in the bed, again I went to my bed 00:09:56.67\00:09:58.29 and I had no more than hit the pillar 00:09:58.30\00:10:00.03 and out he went again. Once more I went 00:10:00.04\00:10:03.34 in and I picked him up and I tried to wake 00:10:03.35\00:10:05.30 him up a little bit to help him understand 00:10:05.31\00:10:07.33 I said, son, this is not the proper 00:10:07.34\00:10:09.36 procedure you keep falling out. 00:10:09.37\00:10:12.17 How, how come, what's wrong? 00:10:12.18\00:10:13.76 And only half awake, he rubbed his eyes 00:10:13.77\00:10:15.75 and he said daddy, I think I stayed too 00:10:15.76\00:10:19.83 close to where I got in. And you stayed too 00:10:19.84\00:10:26.52 close to where your got in? 00:10:26.53\00:10:28.21 You have a sin that used to bother you; 00:10:30.77\00:10:33.24 you still have the sin, just doesn't 00:10:34.67\00:10:37.84 bother you anymore. Are you spending less 00:10:37.85\00:10:41.63 time in prayer, less time in Bible study? 00:10:41.64\00:10:46.12 Are your standards lowering? 00:10:47.33\00:10:49.24 Is your relationship with Christ weakening? 00:10:50.07\00:10:52.47 Are you spending ten times as much time 00:10:53.19\00:10:55.24 was your television as you do with your Bible? 00:10:55.25\00:10:57.73 Remember, with God it's not what you've been, 00:10:58.65\00:11:03.15 it's what you're becoming that counts. 00:11:04.01\00:11:05.97 And may I invite you today to stop right 00:11:07.03\00:11:12.18 here and now and take a little 00:11:12.19\00:11:14.86 personal inventory. Are you closer to 00:11:14.87\00:11:19.79 Christ then you were a year ago, 00:11:19.80\00:11:24.64 you willing today to make a new beginning? 00:11:25.21\00:11:28.53 God honors over comers. 00:11:30.86\00:11:33.81 Let's look at that word over comers and 00:11:34.89\00:11:37.36 the first chapters of the Book of Revelation. 00:11:37.37\00:11:41.90 For example, Revelation the 00:11:41.91\00:11:43.77 3rd chapter and the 21st verse, 00:11:43.78\00:11:47.48 Revelation 3 and verse 21. 00:11:47.49\00:11:49.83 "To him who overcomes, I will give the right to 00:11:49.84\00:11:53.43 sit with me on my throne, 00:11:53.44\00:11:55.08 just as I overcame and sat down with my 00:11:55.09\00:11:58.33 Father on his throne." Let's take a look now 00:11:58.34\00:12:03.53 at these three special people whom God 00:12:03.97\00:12:07.51 honors by being in his Westminster Abbey. 00:12:07.52\00:12:10.89 First of all, there was David, 00:12:10.90\00:12:12.37 when Nathan the prophet came in 00:12:12.38\00:12:14.97 and told David of his terrible sin. 00:12:16.82\00:12:19.32 David sat down and wrote Psalm 51. 00:12:21.60\00:12:24.05 "Purge me with hyssop, 00:12:24.94\00:12:26.56 create in me a clean heart, 00:12:27.40\00:12:29.50 renew a right spirit within me." 00:12:29.51\00:12:32.29 Shame on David for being such a big sinner, 00:12:32.30\00:12:35.03 but David was a bigger repenter and he 00:12:35.04\00:12:39.90 became one of the biggest of over comers. 00:12:39.91\00:12:42.80 You see, and those who sinned 00:12:43.84\00:12:45.63 timidly tend to repent half heartedly. 00:12:45.64\00:12:49.74 It's a danger to be a respectable Christian. 00:12:53.29\00:12:56.65 We feel we don't have very much 00:12:57.80\00:12:59.39 of which we need to repent and it's 00:12:59.40\00:13:00.95 that Phariseeism, the very thing of 00:13:00.96\00:13:03.63 which we most need to repent. 00:13:03.64\00:13:05.56 Won't you see it's not small sinners, 00:13:06.29\00:13:08.43 but big over comers who become people 00:13:08.44\00:13:12.13 after God's own heart? Moses, 00:13:12.62\00:13:16.62 Moses problem was his prayed in the temper. 00:13:17.42\00:13:20.21 Numbers 12 says, Moses became the 00:13:20.64\00:13:22.37 meekest man on the face of the earth. 00:13:22.38\00:13:24.94 Abraham, Genesis 17 says that 00:13:26.04\00:13:29.30 Abraham and God were still working on 00:13:29.31\00:13:31.63 Abraham's growing at 99 years of age, 00:13:31.64\00:13:35.03 the concrete sets as we get older. 00:13:35.04\00:13:37.38 And change comes more, 00:13:37.39\00:13:39.63 it was more difficulty it, 00:13:40.34\00:13:41.66 it gets harder. And I hope I've lived 00:13:41.67\00:13:44.97 a few years and lost enough hair and 00:13:44.98\00:13:47.36 gained enough gray to speak for the others 00:13:47.37\00:13:49.90 of you who are touched with a, 00:13:49.91\00:13:51.33 a and bitter Matusetalitus. 00:13:51.34\00:13:53.14 Never credit yourself with overcoming sins 00:13:54.50\00:13:58.19 you've grown too old to enjoy. 00:13:58.20\00:14:00.91 Sanctification by senility, we drop off 00:14:01.90\00:14:06.42 sin-after-sin as we lose the energy 00:14:06.43\00:14:09.17 to commit them and we call at growth. 00:14:09.18\00:14:11.96 Oh! Young people please forgive us, 00:14:13.11\00:14:15.17 sometimes we're still as self-centered 00:14:15.18\00:14:18.27 and unkind and un-loving as ever. 00:14:18.28\00:14:21.78 And we've become a little cantankerous on 00:14:22.06\00:14:25.11 top of it all. Heaven is to over comers. 00:14:25.12\00:14:29.59 Notice in Revelation the second chapter 00:14:29.60\00:14:32.70 and the 7th verse, verse, "Who has an ear, 00:14:32.71\00:14:35.25 let him hear what the Spirit says to 00:14:35.26\00:14:37.11 the churches. To him who overcomes, 00:14:37.12\00:14:39.49 I will give the right to eat from 00:14:39.50\00:14:41.71 the tree of life, which is in the 00:14:41.72\00:14:43.55 paradise of God." Revelation the 3rd 00:14:43.56\00:14:45.97 chapter and the 5th verse, 00:14:45.98\00:14:47.52 "He who overcomes will, like them, 00:14:47.53\00:14:49.86 be dressed in white. I will never block 00:14:49.87\00:14:51.82 out his name from the book of life, 00:14:51.83\00:14:53.62 but will acknowledge his name before my 00:14:53.63\00:14:55.77 Father and his angels." And my favorite 00:14:55.78\00:14:58.34 is Revelation the 3rd chapter and 00:14:58.35\00:15:01.08 the 12th verse. Revelation 3:12, 00:15:01.09\00:15:03.96 "Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in 00:15:03.97\00:15:07.96 the temple of my God. Never again will he 00:15:07.97\00:15:10.35 leave that I will write on him the name of 00:15:10.36\00:15:12.26 my God and the name of the city of my God, 00:15:12.27\00:15:14.50 the new Jerusalem which is coming down 00:15:14.51\00:15:16.22 out of heaven from my God; 00:15:16.23\00:15:17.63 and I will also write on him my new name." 00:15:17.64\00:15:22.04 It says pillar, those who overcome 00:15:22.05\00:15:25.88 become pillars in the temple of God. 00:15:26.57\00:15:29.57 Now, what's a pillar? A pillar, 00:15:29.58\00:15:31.11 we really call them trusses today. 00:15:31.67\00:15:34.14 A pillar is something that holds 00:15:35.33\00:15:37.86 a building up. It's, it's the strength 00:15:37.87\00:15:41.79 that's the mainstay of a building. 00:15:41.80\00:15:44.07 And what John is saying is the Kingdom 00:15:46.14\00:15:48.81 is depended upon these pillars, 00:15:48.82\00:15:51.23 these over comers, over comers are 00:15:51.24\00:15:53.84 what hold the Kingdom of God up, 00:15:53.85\00:15:55.73 that's what the book says. 00:15:55.74\00:15:59.75 The omnipotence of the power of God 00:16:01.15\00:16:03.44 can be proven in many ways. 00:16:03.45\00:16:05.81 Have you heard that there are more 00:16:06.70\00:16:09.44 stars in the sky then there are grains 00:16:09.45\00:16:11.96 of sand in all of the oceans of the world, 00:16:11.97\00:16:14.84 our Creator God an omnipotent God, 00:16:14.85\00:16:17.05 powerful God, but the best prove 00:16:17.06\00:16:20.65 of the omnipotence of God is in making bad 00:16:20.66\00:16:25.13 people fit for heaven, if you took only those 00:16:25.14\00:16:29.15 who would always been good, 00:16:29.16\00:16:30.50 the angels would yarn, totally unimpressed, 00:16:30.51\00:16:34.57 but when great sinners become greater 00:16:35.38\00:16:38.49 over comers that is the greatest proof 00:16:38.50\00:16:42.21 of the power of Christ. And when they 00:16:42.69\00:16:45.87 get Floyd Bresee over there, 00:16:45.88\00:16:48.54 there is going to be prove-positive 00:16:50.00\00:16:52.46 that there is power in the blood. Now, 00:16:53.04\00:16:58.12 if it is so important to be over comers, 00:16:58.72\00:17:02.58 how can I overcome? Let me suggest 00:17:03.26\00:17:07.48 three steps, you want to be an over comer? 00:17:07.49\00:17:10.59 Three steps, number one, first step 00:17:11.67\00:17:14.63 is to see you'll left your sins in 00:17:14.64\00:17:17.01 light of the Cross. It's wrong to do what 00:17:17.02\00:17:21.81 comes natural and see our sins in comparison 00:17:21.82\00:17:25.43 with the sins of others. And let me illustrate 00:17:25.44\00:17:30.80 with sexual purity. Here is a sexual 00:17:30.81\00:17:35.61 standard of the world lets say, 00:17:35.62\00:17:38.71 well the standard of the church is 00:17:39.16\00:17:41.35 invariably higher than the standard of 00:17:41.36\00:17:44.52 the world, but then the standard 00:17:44.53\00:17:46.38 of the world begins to lower and have 00:17:46.39\00:17:49.04 you notice that the standard of the Church 00:17:49.05\00:17:51.68 tends so lower too, and so eventually 00:17:51.69\00:17:55.06 can become lower than the previous standard 00:17:55.07\00:17:57.69 of the world. The worst condemnation 00:17:57.70\00:18:03.40 of Christianity is it our standards come 00:18:03.41\00:18:06.13 more from the world than from the word. 00:18:06.14\00:18:09.47 Why? Because we spend so much more 00:18:10.79\00:18:14.57 time soaking up the world standards, 00:18:14.58\00:18:17.58 so little time studying God's. 00:18:18.22\00:18:21.44 Does sin still stuff my pillow with thorns 00:18:22.97\00:18:26.80 or has this permissive society convinced me 00:18:27.58\00:18:32.12 that sin isn't serious? Shall I crucify my 00:18:32.13\00:18:37.72 Savior when from me he born such pain, 00:18:37.73\00:18:41.81 one soul, one sight crucified him 00:18:41.82\00:18:44.48 shall I crucify again. So, you want to be an 00:18:45.29\00:18:49.14 over comer first of all, see your sin is not 00:18:49.15\00:18:51.65 in comparison to other people, 00:18:51.66\00:18:53.18 see your sins in the light of the Cross. 00:18:53.84\00:18:57.76 Secondly, you want to be an over comer, 00:18:58.74\00:19:00.75 learn to rely on Christ' power. 00:19:01.41\00:19:04.85 Philippians the 4th chapter the 13th verse 00:19:05.32\00:19:09.49 my favorite verse in all scripture. 00:19:09.50\00:19:13.63 Philippians 4:13, "I can do everything 00:19:13.95\00:19:18.90 through him who gives me strength." 00:19:18.91\00:19:22.48 We ought to be a can do people, 00:19:22.82\00:19:25.50 I can, not because I'm good, 00:19:25.51\00:19:27.87 I can because he is good. His grace accepts 00:19:27.88\00:19:32.66 me just the way I am, but his grace also 00:19:32.67\00:19:36.76 changes me to be more like He is. 00:19:36.77\00:19:39.97 Third secret, you want to grow? 00:19:42.50\00:19:45.16 Well, first of all see your sins in the 00:19:45.90\00:19:48.86 light of the Cross, secondly rely on 00:19:48.87\00:19:51.72 Christ' power and thirdly, 00:19:51.73\00:19:53.68 feed your spiritual nature daily. 00:19:54.91\00:19:59.89 Dear, Christian you cannot survive on one 00:20:01.31\00:20:04.93 meal a week; you need a balanced diet daily. 00:20:04.94\00:20:11.49 There is no chef that can make such a 00:20:12.66\00:20:15.99 wonderfully nutritious meal that you 00:20:16.00\00:20:18.96 only need to eat once a week, 00:20:18.97\00:20:21.43 you would starve to death, 00:20:21.44\00:20:23.60 would become critical to preacher because 00:20:23.61\00:20:26.34 if we go to church, we sit there 00:20:26.65\00:20:29.57 and we say, well preacher you 00:20:29.58\00:20:31.69 give me 30 minutes or a religion enough 00:20:31.70\00:20:34.74 to last me for the next week, 00:20:34.75\00:20:37.68 but that simply won't work. 00:20:39.02\00:20:42.36 We must find someway to feed ourselves, 00:20:43.38\00:20:46.61 to feed our spiritual nature on an 00:20:47.07\00:20:50.14 everyday basis. And so, our question today, 00:20:50.15\00:20:57.30 are we growing up? Are we really growing 00:20:58.51\00:21:01.31 up or are we just growing old? 00:21:01.32\00:21:04.82 Growing old comes very naturally, 00:21:06.41\00:21:09.69 growing old comes with time, 00:21:10.98\00:21:13.45 growing up come supernaturally, 00:21:14.91\00:21:18.03 growing up comes through Christ. 00:21:19.15\00:21:21.86 Remember with God its not what we've been, 00:21:22.60\00:21:28.05 but what we're becoming that counts. 00:21:28.63\00:21:30.95 Please don't live with that everlasting 00:21:32.10\00:21:34.32 guilt and worrying about what you have 00:21:34.33\00:21:37.81 been in the past. Please don't be 00:21:37.82\00:21:41.75 satisfied with what you are in the present. 00:21:41.76\00:21:44.83 The people that God honors are not people 00:21:45.56\00:21:48.46 who were good all their lives, 00:21:48.47\00:21:49.99 they're people who struggled with sin 00:21:50.00\00:21:51.75 all their lives until through Christ 00:21:51.76\00:21:53.98 they overcame. Two dogs, neighbors, 00:21:54.80\00:22:03.54 bad neighbors, don't like each other, 00:22:05.92\00:22:08.96 fence in between, on this side we call 00:22:10.09\00:22:15.32 this dog Nice, and over here on this 00:22:15.33\00:22:20.09 side we call this dog Nasty. 00:22:20.10\00:22:24.52 And they're all the time coming over 00:22:25.71\00:22:27.16 to the fence and growling at each other. 00:22:27.17\00:22:30.16 One day one of them digs under the 00:22:31.71\00:22:35.05 fence and the dogs come together and 00:22:35.06\00:22:38.75 they fight, and they fight, 00:22:38.76\00:22:41.42 and they fight truth and nail they fight, 00:22:41.43\00:22:44.87 neither one can overcome the other. 00:22:44.88\00:22:47.98 For a while, Nice is on top and 00:22:48.61\00:22:50.81 Nasty is on the bottom and then Nasty 00:22:50.82\00:22:52.88 is on top and Nice is on the bottom, 00:22:52.89\00:22:54.97 their owners come dashing out and 00:22:55.87\00:22:58.02 separate the dogs they put them back 00:22:58.03\00:23:02.56 in their own backyards and they 00:23:02.57\00:23:05.11 patched the fence. And then a terrible 00:23:05.12\00:23:11.09 thing happens. Nicest family goes 00:23:11.10\00:23:16.50 on vacation and the boy that was 00:23:16.51\00:23:21.11 supposed to come and feed Nice forgets. 00:23:21.12\00:23:24.04 And Nice goes for all of two weeks 00:23:25.49\00:23:28.77 without anything to eat. Meanwhile Nasty 00:23:29.93\00:23:35.06 next door is being fed nutritiously twice 00:23:35.07\00:23:38.35 faithfully every single day. 00:23:38.36\00:23:41.33 At the end of the two weeks somehow 00:23:43.38\00:23:45.73 the dogs comeback together again. 00:23:46.11\00:23:49.21 One of them gets under the fence 00:23:51.44\00:23:52.97 and I've a strong suspicion it's Nasty 00:23:52.98\00:23:55.28 because Nice is just simple to weak 00:23:55.29\00:23:57.58 to make the trip, but they still 00:23:57.59\00:23:59.73 hate each other. And once more, 00:23:59.74\00:24:02.06 they go at it tooth and nail and they 00:24:02.07\00:24:05.04 growl and, and, and they pull 00:24:05.05\00:24:07.42 one another, once more they fight. Now, 00:24:08.08\00:24:15.20 which dog will win? The dog you feed 00:24:16.45\00:24:24.58 is the dog that wins. And we're not really 00:24:25.40\00:24:29.51 talking about dogs; we're talking 00:24:29.52\00:24:33.32 about Pauline theology. Paul says that who have 00:24:33.33\00:24:38.89 these two dogs in your own heart, 00:24:38.90\00:24:41.55 in our own life, in your own mind 00:24:41.56\00:24:44.29 and no matter how converted 00:24:44.30\00:24:45.88 you have been, you will have both of 00:24:45.89\00:24:48.56 them in your life all the rest of your life. 00:24:48.57\00:24:53.15 He calls at the spiritual nature and 00:24:53.82\00:24:56.35 the carnal nature, and the spiritual 00:24:56.36\00:24:58.47 nature and the carnal nature fight 00:24:58.48\00:25:00.75 against each other. Which nature is 00:25:00.76\00:25:03.86 going to win in your life? 00:25:03.87\00:25:06.03 Well, of course the one you feed 00:25:07.50\00:25:11.06 is one that wins. And I'm embarrassed 00:25:11.89\00:25:16.41 to admit, I fear that many 00:25:16.42\00:25:19.97 times we Christians pray that Nice will win 00:25:19.98\00:25:27.52 in spite of the fact we're feeding Nasty. 00:25:28.08\00:25:31.79 The dog that you feed is the dog 00:25:32.82\00:25:36.94 that will win. Find someway on a 00:25:37.47\00:25:41.92 daily bases to feed your spiritual nature, 00:25:41.93\00:25:47.49 don't assume that there is some magical 00:25:48.18\00:25:50.10 prayer that can over ride the way 00:25:50.11\00:25:53.51 you feed your soul. The nature that you 00:25:53.52\00:25:57.46 feed is the nature that will win. Let's pray. 00:25:57.93\00:26:05.29 Loving Father, thank you for 00:26:09.05\00:26:15.06 seeing us according not to what 00:26:15.07\00:26:19.38 we have been, but what we're becoming. 00:26:19.39\00:26:23.46 And I pray for each viewer today who 00:26:24.91\00:26:28.09 is prepared to make just now 00:26:28.10\00:26:31.84 a brand new beginning with Jesus. 00:26:32.28\00:26:35.98 May we find daily someway to feed 00:26:37.35\00:26:41.73 our spiritual natures, keep us growing 00:26:41.74\00:26:46.60 I pray, make us over comers through Jesus. 00:26:46.61\00:26:53.50 So, I leave you now with a question. 00:26:56.71\00:26:58.64 Which dog are you feeding? 00:27:00.16\00:27:03.53 Have you found someway to spend 00:27:04.44\00:27:07.57 meaningful time on a daily basis with Jesus? 00:27:07.58\00:27:13.92 The dog that you feed is a dog that will win. 00:27:15.01\00:27:19.04 There is no use feeding the carnal 00:27:19.05\00:27:22.90 and presuming that the spiritual will 00:27:23.61\00:27:26.81 win out in your life. So, please as you 00:27:26.82\00:27:31.61 go on from now, remember with 00:27:31.62\00:27:35.39 God it's not what you've been, 00:27:35.40\00:27:37.78 it's what you're becoming that counts. 00:27:38.55\00:27:41.12 Let's find someway to spend time with 00:27:41.71\00:27:44.99 Him on an every day basis. 00:27:45.00\00:27:48.92 And may we too become over 00:27:49.65\00:27:51.38 comers and more like our Lord. 00:27:51.39\00:27:55.05