Welcome to Issues & Answers.
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I'm C.A. Murray
and on today's program
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we're going to be
discussing an issue
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that I suspect is
at the heart of the
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Christian experience.
It is indeed dying to self,
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easily said not
quite as easily done.
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And to help walk us
through that experience
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and see how we can
be successful in our
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Christian growth, my
guest is Dr. Clarence Schilt.
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Doctor, good to
have you here today.
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Thank you, glad to be
here. You are the pastor of
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the Rockwood
Seventh-day Adventist
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Church in
Portland, Oregon, so you're
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a long way from home, yes, yeah.
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It's good to have
you here and looking at
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your bio, you've
spend sometime at Loma Linda
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University on the
pastoral staff there and then
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you were out east
back my way Potomac
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Conference I understand,
Pennsylvania Conference,
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right, right. And now
in Oregon, but you've got
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a burden I see for
helping Christians grow in grace
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and die to self.
Well, I've just notice in
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my own life and in the
life of so many Christians
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it seems like we know
a lot about religion and
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scripture and all
about, but there doesn't seem
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to be a lot of power,
and I've reflected a lot
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on the fact that
the leaders in Jewish
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Jesus day, the
Jewish leaders there.
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They were nobody knew
the Bible like they did
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and they had spiritual
disciplines, prayer and
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fasting and all that,
and yet they miss Jesus
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when he showed up
and I thought why and
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as a religious leader
as a pastor I thought boy
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if they can miss
Jesus, we could also easily
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miss him. And
what makes a difference
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in terms of seeing
him when he shows up
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and not seeing him in the sense.
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And I think it's an
important discussion
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because we're talking
about death before life
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and then in a sense life
after death, that's true.
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And growth after
death, yeah that's true,
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yeah and that's your
burden. Exactly, when
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Jesus or when in
laying his ministry Jesus in
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the period of six
days told the disciples on
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three different
occasions in Mark 8 and 9,
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he said very
explicitly, I'm going to die and
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be buried and be
raised again and the disciples
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heard that, Mark says
it in Mark that he says
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it very, he said it
very clearly and yet they
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didn't hear because
when he died they were
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absolutely crushed
and unprepared and when
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he rose from the
grave, it took them a while
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to believe it, yeah they
really, they really didn't
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believe it for a
while yeah. And why, when
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the spiritual
truth is right there.
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So, obviously then
the doctor it's not just a
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matter of a head
knowledge because the Jewish
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community, the disciples
in particularly had that,
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yes they had
studied yeah, Christ had
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explained it to them
exactly, so they were,
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they were armed
with the book knowledge
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if I can use that
term, that's right.
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So, it's more then
just the knowledge of,
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of in the head. Right,
and hearing it and even
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being able to talk
about and in one place
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when Jesus came
down from the Mount of
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Transfiguration in
Mark 9, why Jesus gave them
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orders in verse 9 not
to tell anyone what they
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had seen until the
Son of Man had risen from
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the dead. And they kept
the matter to themselves,
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discussing what
rising from the dead meant.
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So they even talked
about religious things
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I mean we've our
religious meetings
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and talk about
them and yet they were
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still ill-prepared,
it's very disconcerting,
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very unsettling. It
is because you seem to
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be saying I can spend
my life involved in the
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trappings of Christianity,
the accoutrement of
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Christianity, I can
work for the church even,
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right. Perhaps even be
a denominational employee
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or a pastor, right
and be surrounded with the
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stuff of the church,
right, and yet not have the
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relationship or
the power within.
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How do I get beyond
that, how I work my way
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through that?
Exactly yeah and maybe we had
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just ask the question
what keeps me from hearing
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it, I mean later in
just that same day when
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they came down
the mountain why the
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disciples were asked
to cast the demon out of
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a boy and they
weren't able to do it, yes.
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And they ask Jesus why
couldn't we cast it out,
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Jesus said well
this comes up by prayer
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and fasting. I think
often we, and so here the
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disciples they had
lost spiritual power to heal
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somebody else. And I
think the reason being
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and the crux at the end
of all of this in verse 33
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of Mark 9 when
they came to Capernaum,
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and he was in the
house, and he asked them,
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what were you
arguing about on the road?
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And they kept
quiet because on the way
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they had argued
about who was the greatest,
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yes, yes. Now my
sense is that what we're
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learning from
scripture here is that when the
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person is wrapped up in
self and primarily taking
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care of me and they
would, they argued a lot about
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who was gonna sit
next Christ and who was
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gonna have what
positions in the new government
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and so on. That
something happens that
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blocks spiritual
truth from sinking in,
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because Jesus was
there you know they heard
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with their ear drums and
saw with their eye balls,
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yeah all these truths
and yet it just went by them
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and I think it's
because they were so wrapped
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up in themselves that
nothing could get through.
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Yeah, yeah, the word
keeps coming up again,
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again in your
dialogue self, self, yes I know
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yes, so it would
appear that the blockage,
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the fulcrum, the crux
of the issue is dealing
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with self, I think
so, I mean Jesus said
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in Luke 9, he said,
"If anyone would come
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after me, let him deny
himself and take up his
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cross daily and follow
me. Now, crosses usually
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what happen on
crosses is people die, yeah.
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So in some sense Jesus is
its kind of a strange term
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and probably grammatical
but he wants to un-self us.
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Yeah, I
understand, he like to free us,
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I mean Paul said
in Galatians 2:20:
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I have been
crucified with Christ and
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I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me.
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And the life that
I live in the body,
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I live by faith, so
there is this strange almost
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oxymoron of dying
to self so that another
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life can come alive in
us. Now, you've orchestrated
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for us the problem,
the problem is itself is
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crucifying self is,
is keeping self dead
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because self has
this Lazarus like quality,
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yes it's right, it
pops up you know you've
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got to work at it
every day Paul says,
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yes true yeah, how do
we, how do we do that,
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how do we even
attempted to do that?
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To die to self,
yeah, yeah do you know
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that's the thing
because we use the cliche?
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My wife has always
said to me don't tell me
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what to do,
tell me how to do it.
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And we've use the
cliche, yeah and it seems to
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me like center to
this is understanding the
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process of, of
saying dead yourself and
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that's the same process
as when we come to Christ.
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When we come to Christ
and become a Christian,
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what we're recognizing
is how much we're loved.
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We're recognizing
how sinful we are and
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we need to be
forgiven and we're accepting
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his forgiveness and
his power. So, whenever
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self rises a
challenge I've had with self is
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my attitude to
other drivers on the road,
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I mean they irritate
me. Well having spend
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30 years in your
car, I understand and
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I emphasis, that's true.
And it's, it's a long term
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habit and so
whenever I find my self urged
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because the
lights turned green and
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they're sitting there
still not moving where I,
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why then when I find
irritation to me that's
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self, yes, that's
not love is patient,
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love is kind, it's
not easily angered.
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So, at that point
I let the Holy Spirit
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convicted me,
Clarence, self is rising
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here, yes, yes. And
so I think the first step
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in how to overcome and
die to self is letting the
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spirit actually show
me and convict me that
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in fact self is
about to arise or has risen
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and when I see sin
my understanding is
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that the first
thing I want to admit is,
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is to confess it,
yes. And to basically give
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it to God, so it's
letting the Spirit show it to
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me which we call the
first step seeing it,
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and then I wanna
confess it, I want to
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say back to him, this
I realize Lord is sin,
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it's selfishness,
it's my sinful nature,
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I don't wanna be this
way, I want to stay dead,
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so that your life
can live through me.
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And then I, we use four
yeses, let the Holy Spirit
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convict us by seeing
it, seeing it, we confess it
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by saying it and
then we give it to him,
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surrender, give it
away to him and finally
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and most importantly
we change our thought
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life by substituting
his words for our words.
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Now, I wanna walk
through each of those
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because those are
four important yeses.
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What is if a
person does not see it?
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You obviously have
turned the light inward
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and asking God to
show you when self arises,
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yes, right. But what
if a person is a bit self
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deceived, is it
there any sort of objective
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criteria they can use
to say if this is wrong
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then I must have
a problem with self.
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Well, I think the
word is crucial here,
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but if a person
doesn't see it what,
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I mean if they don't
see it they may not see it.
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The disciples just
didn't see self, they kept
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arguing, they didn't
see self until Jesus died
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and he rose from
the grave and then they
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were just oh my
yeah, then they got it
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I mean Peter went
from betraying Christ
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fearfully there
around that fire yeah,
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to all of a sudden
he didn't care about his
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life at all and
proclaiming Christ later.
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So, it seems that
the life of Jesus,
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the love of Jesus, it
seems that staying around
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the cross a lot where
the cross shows his hay,
00:11:03.28\00:11:05.98
you're a sinner
but you're also love,
00:11:05.99\00:11:08.10
you're right what I
was thinking yes because
00:11:08.11\00:11:09.12
we began by saying
that though the disciples
00:11:09.13\00:11:13.21
were in Christ constant
company yes, they didn't
00:11:13.22\00:11:16.06
see it right, exactly.
So, I think and I think
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you'll agree with
me one of the things
00:11:18.47\00:11:19.67
we have to do is ask
the Lord show me myself,
00:11:19.68\00:11:21.73
yeah and spend time
in the mirror here to
00:11:21.74\00:11:24.79
make sure that you
can, you can see the word,
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where the word really shows it.
00:11:26.55\00:11:27.52
My wife is into
this in a really deep way
00:11:27.53\00:11:30.36
and wonderful way
and everyday she has a
00:11:30.37\00:11:33.20
prayer and part of
that prayer is Lord,
00:11:33.21\00:11:35.93
show me self
today, yes, yes, yes.
00:11:35.94\00:11:37.95
So, you have to be
eager and open and willing
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but the word is it
primary you know search me
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and try my heart, yes
you know thy word is a
00:11:45.59\00:11:47.61
lamp under my feet,
so I think the key way
00:11:47.62\00:11:49.57
to see self and if
we're not seeing it and
00:11:49.58\00:11:53.29
the key way to that will
change is life in the word.
00:11:53.30\00:11:56.59
Okay, praise the
Lord yeah one down,
00:11:56.60\00:11:58.37
now the second S is.
Is confessing, saying it,
00:11:58.38\00:12:02.43
saying it, saying it
and I'm fascinated with
00:12:02.44\00:12:05.34
First John 1:9: that
he says: If we confess our
00:12:05.35\00:12:08.78
sins, he is faithful
and just to do things
00:12:08.79\00:12:11.43
we don't separate
those much but I think there
00:12:11.44\00:12:13.49
are two messages,
to forgive us, yes
00:12:13.50\00:12:16.11
and to cleanse us, so
I think in confessing sin
00:12:16.12\00:12:20.29
and apologizing and
asking for forgiveness.
00:12:20.30\00:12:23.69
There is not just
forgiveness at that time,
00:12:23.70\00:12:26.63
I think there is
healing that goes on inwardly,
00:12:26.64\00:12:29.39
I mean if I'm
hurting my wife and I confess
00:12:29.40\00:12:32.52
and apologize, I
think that process is gonna
00:12:32.53\00:12:35.01
keep me from
hurting her as often, yes.
00:12:35.02\00:12:37.77
So, there is not
just he will forgive us
00:12:37.78\00:12:39.53
but he will also
cleanse us, and so I need to
00:12:39.54\00:12:42.12
just openly
admit, yeah and say Lord
00:12:42.13\00:12:45.54
I'm sinning here,
I'm not trusting you,
00:12:45.55\00:12:47.24
I'm disobeying your
command, I'm and I think
00:12:47.25\00:12:49.94
we need to be much
more sin sensitive.
00:12:49.95\00:12:51.87
We have juicy category of sins,
00:12:51.88\00:12:54.39
you know sex,
and drugs and sure,
00:12:54.40\00:12:56.42
the word sin in
the Bible just means to
00:12:56.43\00:12:58.79
miss the mark of
being like Jesus, yes, yes.
00:12:58.80\00:13:00.92
So, if I'm violating
any of the aspects of
00:13:00.93\00:13:03.89
First Corinthians 13
love, is patient and kind
00:13:03.90\00:13:06.52
and doesn't envy, doesn't boast,
00:13:06.53\00:13:08.25
is not rude, not
self seeking, not easily
00:13:08.26\00:13:12.06
angered, keeps
no record of wrong,
00:13:12.07\00:13:13.92
yeah any violation
of that is really sin
00:13:13.93\00:13:16.99
and so in small ways I
need to admit little sin
00:13:17.00\00:13:21.40
it's not just big
ones. Now, I wanna put a pin
00:13:21.41\00:13:23.79
in one of your
remarks because you said
00:13:23.80\00:13:25.18
something that, that
sort of turned the light
00:13:25.19\00:13:27.64
on for me you said
that when I confess it sort
00:13:27.65\00:13:32.98
of sensitizes me
not to do it again,
00:13:32.99\00:13:35.83
because when we confess our sin,
00:13:35.84\00:13:37.34
we certainly are not
informing God of anything,
00:13:37.35\00:13:39.28
he is aware, right.
But for your benefit
00:13:39.29\00:13:42.14
you are saying to
your wife I've made this
00:13:42.15\00:13:44.06
mistake against you,
and that sort of helps not
00:13:44.07\00:13:46.50
to do that again,
is it the same way with
00:13:46.51\00:13:48.59
the Lord when we
confess. I think so,
00:13:48.60\00:13:50.40
now of course
first I want to reconcile
00:13:50.41\00:13:53.71
the hurt I may have caused, yes,
00:13:53.72\00:13:55.84
but also see I'm
intrigued the verse
00:13:55.85\00:13:59.46
before First John
1:9 says: If anyone
00:13:59.47\00:14:02.63
claims to be
without sin, he is a liar,
00:14:02.64\00:14:04.77
yes he is a liar.
For years I thought hey
00:14:04.78\00:14:07.02
who claims to be
without sin, I mean what a
00:14:07.03\00:14:09.58
odd thing and then I
read an author that suggested
00:14:09.59\00:14:13.61
when I don't confess
sin, I'm in a sense by
00:14:13.62\00:14:17.98
default claiming
to be without sin.
00:14:17.99\00:14:19.94
Yes, that
occurred to me, you sort of
00:14:19.95\00:14:21.15
de-facto of saying I'm sinless;
00:14:21.16\00:14:22.44
I've got nothing to confess.
00:14:22.45\00:14:23.58
Otherwise I'd be confessing it,
00:14:23.59\00:14:25.00
yeah surely. You
know, so but I do to think
00:14:25.01\00:14:27.97
yeah, hey it is so
humbling to say hey CA,
00:14:27.98\00:14:31.63
I said this to you I'm
sorry, will you forgive
00:14:31.64\00:14:34.06
me, I mean that is
so, it keeps me I think
00:14:34.07\00:14:38.78
when I confess
and apologize and ask
00:14:38.79\00:14:41.27
forgiveness and parenthetically
00:14:41.28\00:14:42.73
I think we're very
sloppy with our apologies.
00:14:42.74\00:14:45.45
Oh yes, and very
nonspecific, very
00:14:45.46\00:14:48.15
nonspecific, oh
I'm sorry I think,
00:14:48.16\00:14:50.23
I think I need to do
three things specifically
00:14:50.24\00:14:52.79
name my sin, yes
agree, I'm sorry number 2,
00:14:52.80\00:14:55.82
thirdly, will you
forgive me I don't say
00:14:55.83\00:14:58.56
I wanna ask you
forgiveness because
00:14:58.57\00:15:00.04
that's a statement
and you can but here will
00:15:00.05\00:15:02.34
you forgive me, yes
and then your response
00:15:02.35\00:15:03.95
I forgive you, yeah. I
think that experience in
00:15:03.96\00:15:07.43
itself is an experience
of dying to self, indeed,
00:15:07.44\00:15:11.37
indeed, yeah. I mean
I'm dying to my pride,
00:15:11.38\00:15:14.14
to my sin, to what
I've done to you, yeah.
00:15:14.15\00:15:16.55
And that keeps me
humble and there by more
00:15:16.56\00:15:20.38
open to hearing
spiritual truth, yeah, when it
00:15:20.39\00:15:23.06
comes to
scripture. That is an exciting
00:15:23.07\00:15:24.79
point particularly in
light of Hebrews statement
00:15:24.80\00:15:27.23
that we crucified
Christ afresh and put him
00:15:27.24\00:15:29.78
to open shame, so our
sin, open shame rather,
00:15:29.79\00:15:32.10
our sin actually
do wound him, right.
00:15:32.11\00:15:35.54
And he deserves
an apology from us,
00:15:35.55\00:15:37.70
yeah exactly and if
we, we confess him is
00:15:37.71\00:15:40.35
faithful and
just to forgive that.
00:15:40.36\00:15:42.16
In fact he is wounded first yes.
00:15:42.17\00:15:44.21
I've always been a
little perplex at Psalms 51
00:15:44.22\00:15:49.46
which is the Psalm
where David confessed
00:15:49.47\00:15:51.33
after his sin
with Bathsheba. He said
00:15:51.34\00:15:53.54
against you and you
only yes and how about
00:15:53.55\00:15:56.80
Bathsheba and you're
right then he got killed
00:15:56.81\00:15:59.22
and all that, right,
right. And yet our sin against
00:15:59.23\00:16:02.41
God and Christ is,
is so overwhelming yes.
00:16:02.42\00:16:06.87
That put Jesus on
the cross compared to
00:16:06.88\00:16:09.76
I've hurt you and
I need to come to you
00:16:09.77\00:16:12.59
if I heard you also
but first of all primarily
00:16:12.60\00:16:15.97
I've hurt Christ,
you hurt Christ, yeah,
00:16:15.98\00:16:17.88
and crucified him
afresh in a sense, so.
00:16:17.89\00:16:19.89
It's a very
challenging I mean Peter, Peter
00:16:19.90\00:16:23.10
was heart broken
when he betrayed Jesus,
00:16:23.11\00:16:25.13
and I think maybe
another reason that we sin
00:16:25.14\00:16:28.32
and self rises so
much and so frequently and
00:16:28.33\00:16:30.81
we sin so easily
is we feel bad because
00:16:30.82\00:16:36.81
we made a mistake, I
feel miserable about,
00:16:36.82\00:16:40.11
about failing
but I don't miserable
00:16:40.12\00:16:42.36
about hurting you, yes.
I feel bad about looking,
00:16:42.37\00:16:45.42
I look bad but
I'm not as repentance
00:16:45.43\00:16:48.98
I ought to be for
what I've done to you yeah
00:16:48.99\00:16:50.92
and to Jesus, understood.
And I think that, that act
00:16:50.93\00:16:55.28
of confession is in
itself a humbling thing,
00:16:55.29\00:16:58.86
it tends to
stabilize you know you don't
00:16:58.87\00:17:01.45
rise your head up
too much or too hardy,
00:17:01.46\00:17:03.00
because you realize
you've made some mistakes
00:17:03.01\00:17:04.63
and your mistakes
have wounded and hurt
00:17:04.64\00:17:06.60
someone else. I
be interested if we
00:17:06.61\00:17:08.84
want to return to
Philippians 2 because
00:17:08.85\00:17:12.23
I'm fascinated
with the model of Jesus
00:17:12.24\00:17:15.05
and when Jesus in
Mark 1 said to the disciple
00:17:15.06\00:17:18.54
I'm gonna die and be
resurrected why Peter
00:17:18.55\00:17:20.24
rebuked him and said no
this is not gonna happen
00:17:20.25\00:17:22.07
to you and it's
fascinating that Jesus
00:17:22.08\00:17:24.90
said to Peter,
Get behind me, Satan,
00:17:24.91\00:17:27.05
which is a
really strong term, yes.
00:17:27.06\00:17:29.18
He said, then he said
you don't have in mind
00:17:29.19\00:17:32.51
the things of God,
but the things of men.
00:17:32.52\00:17:34.81
Now, Philippians
2 and verse 5 says:
00:17:34.82\00:17:37.39
You should have the
same mind that Jesus
00:17:37.40\00:17:40.20
had, yes. Have this
mind in you there was in
00:17:40.21\00:17:42.09
Christ Jesus and
then notice this flow,
00:17:42.10\00:17:45.02
who being Jesus
in very nature God,
00:17:45.03\00:17:48.09
did not consider
equality with God something
00:17:48.10\00:17:50.99
to be grasped, yes or
to clung to, cling to,
00:17:51.00\00:17:53.67
but made himself
nothing, or emptied
00:17:53.68\00:17:55.76
himself taking the
very nature of a servant,
00:17:55.77\00:17:58.12
being made in human likeness.
00:17:58.13\00:17:59.53
Now, here notice
this flow, Jesus is first
00:17:59.54\00:18:03.43
saying look to the
scripture I want you to have
00:18:03.44\00:18:05.48
the same mind as I
have, what I did is I,
00:18:05.49\00:18:09.64
my DNA was divine,
my nature, DNA spiritual
00:18:09.65\00:18:13.75
nature was divine,
and it was perfect.
00:18:13.76\00:18:15.86
I didn't cling to
that I let go over it and
00:18:15.87\00:18:18.91
I took on human
nature, another nature, yes,
00:18:18.92\00:18:21.61
yes, alright. If
we're supposed to have the
00:18:21.62\00:18:23.28
mind of Jesus, Jesus
gave up who he really
00:18:23.29\00:18:26.10
was and became
someone else in the sense,
00:18:26.11\00:18:28.42
yes, alright. If we're
to talk about who we are,
00:18:28.43\00:18:32.57
what's our DNA,
it's sinful, sinful,
00:18:32.58\00:18:35.63
it's sinful right
it's call carnal, fleshly,
00:18:35.64\00:18:38.49
whatever, surely.
So, Jesus gave up his
00:18:38.50\00:18:42.03
divine DNA to take on human DNA,
00:18:42.04\00:18:45.72
we give up sinful,
selfish DNA, yeah so that
00:18:45.73\00:18:50.30
Jesus can come in
us yeah and so I think,
00:18:50.31\00:18:53.78
I think every
time I confess sin,
00:18:53.79\00:18:56.85
I let the Holy Spirit
show to see it and I confess
00:18:56.86\00:19:00.80
it at that point
I'm dying to self,
00:19:00.81\00:19:03.51
I'm relinquishing
my selfish nature,
00:19:03.52\00:19:06.16
so that Christ nature
can take over, yes, yes.
00:19:06.17\00:19:08.79
I see the parallel and
I like it, because Christ
00:19:08.80\00:19:11.75
gave up who he
was and became who he
00:19:11.76\00:19:14.37
needed to be, true,
we can say, that's right.
00:19:14.38\00:19:16.57
So, then we need
to give up who we are,
00:19:16.58\00:19:18.40
right and become what
we need to be in Christ.
00:19:18.41\00:19:21.84
Yeah I think I mean
Galatians 2:20 again,
00:19:21.85\00:19:24.33
yes, I've been
crucified with Christ, yes, and
00:19:24.34\00:19:26.60
I no longer live,
but Christ lives in, it's
00:19:26.61\00:19:28.98
kind of an exchange,
it's kind of trading places,
00:19:28.99\00:19:31.41
indeed, indeed.
And what's amazing is,
00:19:31.42\00:19:34.81
we settled for
the weakness and the
00:19:34.82\00:19:37.01
limitations of our
own nature when God is
00:19:37.02\00:19:40.18
just so eager to
give us. Peter we read to
00:19:40.19\00:19:44.43
participate in the
divine nature and the confessing
00:19:44.44\00:19:47.64
process that we've
talked about I think is
00:19:47.65\00:19:50.29
absolutely huge in
keeping us dead to self,
00:19:50.30\00:19:52.87
yes, yes. And is in it
then interesting that the
00:19:52.88\00:19:55.52
secret to mastering
if I can use that term,
00:19:55.53\00:19:59.65
the Christian
experience yes, is surrendering
00:19:59.66\00:20:01.98
to it, right, yeah. I
mean, there was another S.
00:20:01.99\00:20:04.51
Yeah that takes us
to another chapter;
00:20:04.52\00:20:06.01
yeah that's right, yes,
yes. That is not, is not
00:20:06.02\00:20:08.17
fighting per say
it's surrendering, is
00:20:08.18\00:20:12.15
surrendering to Jesus, exactly.
00:20:12.16\00:20:13.79
Which may be I think
you'll agree the toughest
00:20:13.80\00:20:16.99
of all things to do.
The toughest thing exactly
00:20:17.00\00:20:19.71
and it's more subjective,
I mean it's one thing
00:20:19.72\00:20:21.95
for me to see my sin
where the Holy Spirit
00:20:21.96\00:20:24.76
shows me and to
admit it but then to walk,
00:20:24.77\00:20:28.60
to give it away, and
it's tricky I've read an
00:20:28.61\00:20:34.53
author that suggest
that some people actually
00:20:34.54\00:20:36.49
will write out and
burn the piece of paper or
00:20:36.50\00:20:41.20
flush it down to
toilet or something, almost
00:20:41.21\00:20:42.89
as a physical, it
sounds a little kind of crazy
00:20:42.90\00:20:45.42
in a way, but
somehow where I really walk
00:20:45.43\00:20:49.30
from in it and say
Lord this is yours and
00:20:49.31\00:20:53.07
I'm just wanting to
give this to you, yes.
00:20:53.08\00:20:55.63
And relinquish it to
you, yes, just relinquish it
00:20:55.64\00:20:58.29
to you, surrender
it to you, surrender.
00:20:58.30\00:21:00.11
In your experience
having pastored in a
00:21:00.12\00:21:02.46
number of places
East Coast-West Coast,
00:21:02.47\00:21:04.37
middle of the
country, give us some tips
00:21:04.38\00:21:08.50
if I can use that
term about surrender,
00:21:08.51\00:21:12.22
it's a tough thing to
do. And the old man rises
00:21:12.23\00:21:15.69
up so quickly and
so frequently, yes.
00:21:15.70\00:21:17.56
How do we stay
yielded because that seems
00:21:17.57\00:21:20.89
to bedrock to our
growth in Christ, absolutely
00:21:20.90\00:21:23.25
yeah, yeah. The one
suggestion I make is
00:21:23.26\00:21:27.25
that you start
with the little things,
00:21:27.26\00:21:30.19
I mean for me, we
kind of laugh but cars that
00:21:30.20\00:21:35.84
irritate me on
the highway are easier
00:21:35.85\00:21:38.75
to die to then when
a family member just
00:21:38.76\00:21:42.49
does something or
says something that hurts
00:21:42.50\00:21:44.44
me deeply, it's harder
to let go off so I would,
00:21:44.62\00:21:48.77
I would say start by
staying very sensitive
00:21:49.10\00:21:52.16
to the little ways
in which self rises that
00:21:52.17\00:21:55.40
are in a sense
easier to turn over and then
00:21:55.41\00:21:59.92
when those little
things come up you're just
00:21:59.93\00:22:01.88
irritated about something.
My wife says before God
00:22:01.89\00:22:04.99
showed her all these,
she use to get irritated
00:22:05.00\00:22:07.63
with oh she forget
something in a home,
00:22:07.64\00:22:09.70
I've to go back and
get it or drop something
00:22:09.71\00:22:11.69
and break it. But,
the little things that are
00:22:11.70\00:22:16.14
easier to let go off
and when those happened,
00:22:16.15\00:22:18.36
yes see it let the
Holy Spirit stop me and
00:22:18.37\00:22:21.59
convict me say Lord
even though this is small,
00:22:21.60\00:22:24.74
this is sin, this is
falling short of being
00:22:24.75\00:22:26.70
like Christ. I wanna
give this to you Lord
00:22:26.71\00:22:29.75
and most crucial and
we might talk about this
00:22:29.76\00:22:32.85
in another
session but substituting
00:22:32.86\00:22:34.90
with the word is where
I will replace his words.
00:22:34.91\00:22:39.13
If I've gotten
impatient I find a word that
00:22:39.14\00:22:42.32
comes in, love is
patient is not easily angered,
00:22:42.33\00:22:45.93
keeps no record of
wrong so starting out with
00:22:45.94\00:22:48.93
small things I think
is absolutely crucial to
00:22:48.94\00:22:54.11
learning to do this
and when you began to
00:22:54.12\00:22:56.74
experience the
reward and all of a sudden
00:22:56.75\00:22:59.18
I mean you go
through these steps and its
00:22:59.19\00:23:02.00
just amazing how
rather quickly self will
00:23:02.01\00:23:05.19
be surrendered again
and you'll just feel peace.
00:23:05.20\00:23:07.43
Praise God, and I
mean yeah, peace compared
00:23:07.44\00:23:10.41
to irritation, it's
not a contest you know
00:23:10.42\00:23:13.93
how very true you
know and when you begin
00:23:13.94\00:23:17.01
to experience the
rewards of his life
00:23:17.02\00:23:20.25
and him taking over
and controlling your inner
00:23:20.26\00:23:22.47
spirit in little things
you begin to say alright,
00:23:22.48\00:23:25.33
hey I'm taking this
to the bigger stuff.
00:23:25.34\00:23:26.86
Praise God, yeah now
to recap we see it right,
00:23:26.87\00:23:31.46
we say it, we
surrender it, and then we
00:23:31.47\00:23:34.96
substitute, then
we substitute, yeah,
00:23:34.97\00:23:37.12
praise God. And
we're finding and I would
00:23:37.13\00:23:41.89
just say to those of
you that are watching
00:23:41.90\00:23:43.56
this is really
crucial because we're finding
00:23:43.57\00:23:46.59
that over and over
people skip these four steps,
00:23:46.60\00:23:50.22
substituting, yes,
because I can anywhere
00:23:50.23\00:23:53.56
anytime see it,
confess it, say it and
00:23:53.57\00:23:57.14
surrender it. But
then I need scripture to
00:23:57.15\00:23:59.58
replace my thoughts,
I mean you notice Jesus,
00:23:59.59\00:24:02.01
Jesus didn't need
the first three steps
00:24:02.02\00:24:03.64
he was perfect, whenever he was
00:24:03.65\00:24:04.82
tempted he just
jumped to step forward,
00:24:04.83\00:24:06.70
it is written, yes, it
is written, it is written.
00:24:06.71\00:24:09.16
And we're finding
as we experiment in our
00:24:09.17\00:24:12.49
church family and
with friends and so on,
00:24:12.50\00:24:14.27
when people say look
this isn't working very well,
00:24:14.28\00:24:16.69
we're saying did you
do the fourth step yes.
00:24:16.70\00:24:19.50
Did you turn your
mind to his thoughts and
00:24:19.51\00:24:21.68
his ways? You see
in Isaiah, my thoughts
00:24:21.69\00:24:24.65
and my ways are as
vastly different as
00:24:24.66\00:24:27.56
the heavens are
above the earth, yeah and
00:24:27.57\00:24:29.60
he says my word won't
go return to be empty,
00:24:29.61\00:24:32.02
it will
accomplished what I desire.
00:24:32.03\00:24:33.61
There is huge
power in scripture and
00:24:33.62\00:24:36.38
this is the most
important step is going to word
00:24:36.39\00:24:39.92
and that mean
some discipline yes.
00:24:39.93\00:24:42.86
It means actually
having cards on scripture
00:24:42.87\00:24:47.35
or your scripture on
cards, what I'm saying,
00:24:47.36\00:24:50.21
yeah, or memorized
or something where my
00:24:50.22\00:24:55.28
wife carries the promises book.
00:24:55.29\00:24:57.84
The Bible
promises book yes, yes, yes
00:24:57.85\00:24:59.32
where it has all
these different topics and
00:24:59.33\00:25:01.68
you can just look up
a topic, and, and, and,
00:25:01.69\00:25:05.02
and, and, and, and
find some scripture and
00:25:05.03\00:25:07.73
then dwell on those
scripture instead of
00:25:07.74\00:25:10.17
these thoughts of
worry or anxiety or
00:25:10.18\00:25:13.18
irritation or hurts
or resentment, yeah you
00:25:13.19\00:25:16.55
just say Lord
I'm gonna set my mind
00:25:16.56\00:25:18.64
on things above.
That is a sublime thought
00:25:18.65\00:25:21.73
and I'll tell you
why, because if you don't
00:25:21.74\00:25:24.20
replace, you are reduced
to avoidance theory okay.
00:25:24.21\00:25:29.11
Say I've got a
problem with alcohol yeah,
00:25:29.12\00:25:32.11
I can stay away from
that but that's avoidance,
00:25:32.12\00:25:37.04
that's not victory
true. Victory is to replace
00:25:37.05\00:25:39.92
that love for alcohol
with the love for Christ,
00:25:39.93\00:25:41.68
so that it doesn't
even tempt me so that
00:25:41.69\00:25:43.28
if someone puts a
drink in front of me
00:25:43.29\00:25:44.91
it doesn't move me
anymore yes because
00:25:44.92\00:25:46.81
you're not gonna be
able to spend your life
00:25:46.82\00:25:48.74
avoiding negative situation.
00:25:48.75\00:25:50.24
Exactly sooner or
later I'm gonna catch up
00:25:50.25\00:25:51.68
with you, yeah and
then you're lost but
00:25:51.69\00:25:53.79
if you replace that
desire with the new desire
00:25:53.80\00:25:56.13
for Christ then even
on those odd occasions
00:25:56.14\00:25:58.60
when temptation
comes to your face, right
00:25:58.61\00:26:00.58
you can say get thee
behind me, because it
00:26:00.59\00:26:02.73
doesn't move. Christ
said Satan sin has nothing in
00:26:02.74\00:26:06.09
me there is nothing
to reach in and grab on
00:26:06.10\00:26:08.13
to it right, so
your, your recipe if I can
00:26:08.14\00:26:12.97
use that term yes. Is
the recipe for healthy
00:26:12.98\00:26:15.25
Christian living and
growth. That's very true.
00:26:15.26\00:26:17.09
By not just avoiding
sin, no, no, replacing it
00:26:17.10\00:26:19.55
with the love for
Jesus Christ, yeah.
00:26:19.56\00:26:21.10
We tend to either
gunny sac or vent or try
00:26:21.11\00:26:25.14
with whatever, yes, yes, yes.
00:26:25.15\00:26:26.19
This is surrendering
and this is emptying self
00:26:26.20\00:26:29.53
and filling and
filling yes, yes. Jesus said
00:26:29.54\00:26:32.45
in Matthew 12: Out
of the overflow of the
00:26:32.46\00:26:34.26
heart the mouth
speaks, yes, yes the good
00:26:34.27\00:26:36.04
person brings good
things out of the good
00:26:36.05\00:26:37.94
stored up in them.
So, what's in me is coming
00:26:37.95\00:26:40.41
out, yeah you
don't make me mad I chose
00:26:40.42\00:26:42.22
to get mad, you
don't make me loving,
00:26:42.23\00:26:44.71
I've chose to love
you, yes, yes, yes, yes.
00:26:44.72\00:26:47.25
And so, you're absolutely right,
00:26:47.26\00:26:48.78
yeah, yeah Jesus
said: Since, then, we've
00:26:48.79\00:26:50.56
been raised by
Christ, set your hearts on
00:26:50.57\00:26:53.25
things above, set
your minds on things above,
00:26:53.26\00:26:56.19
not on earthly things.
And I don't know a more
00:26:56.20\00:26:58.64
effective way of, of
setting the mind on a
00:26:58.65\00:27:01.39
different place then
setting on scripture.
00:27:01.40\00:27:03.18
This is fabulous it
speaks of Romans 12:1
00:27:03.19\00:27:05.80
where we are a living
sacrifice, that's right,
00:27:05.81\00:27:07.81
a walking, talking
epistle for Jesus Christ,
00:27:07.82\00:27:09.66
that's true. Wrap it
up for us in just a few
00:27:09.67\00:27:11.42
seconds we've got, go
through the four steps
00:27:11.43\00:27:12.98
again, okay and
gives a quick summary.
00:27:12.99\00:27:14.50
Alright, we
stay sensitive to the
00:27:14.51\00:27:16.51
Holy Spirit so he
could, we're ready to be
00:27:16.52\00:27:19.44
convicted. As
soon as we're convicted
00:27:19.45\00:27:21.60
if we give anytime
at all and self rises
00:27:21.61\00:27:23.85
we're gonna be in
trouble, as soon as
00:27:23.86\00:27:24.99
we're convicted
we confess it as sin,
00:27:25.00\00:27:27.14
we give it to him
and we turn our thoughts
00:27:27.15\00:27:29.84
to his words, so
his word becomes the
00:27:29.85\00:27:31.99
controlling factor in
our mind, not our own words.
00:27:32.00\00:27:34.58
Praise God, good stuff
and an excellent recipe
00:27:34.59\00:27:39.19
for successful Christian growth.
00:27:39.20\00:27:41.76
Try it, more then that apply it,
00:27:41.77\00:27:44.09
dedicate yourself to
it, see it, surrender,
00:27:44.10\00:27:47.04
say it and then
walk into newness of life
00:27:47.05\00:27:49.40
and you will be
growing strong in Christ Jesus.
00:27:49.41\00:27:51.81
Until next time
may God bless you we'll
00:27:51.82\00:27:54.58
see you again on
Issues & Answers bye, bye.
00:27:54.59\00:27:57.40