If you will open your
Bibles to Revelation 15,
00:00:18.62\00:00:24.83
Revelation 15:2, "And I saw
what looked like a sea of glass
00:00:24.86\00:00:32.83
mixed with fire and
standing beside the sea,
00:00:34.64\00:00:38.95
those who had been
victorious over the beast
00:00:38.98\00:00:45.24
and they sang the
song of Moses and the Lamb,
00:00:45.27\00:00:50.30
great and marvelous are
Your deeds, Lord God Almighty,
00:00:50.33\00:00:53.91
just and true are Your
ways, King of the ages."
00:00:53.94\00:00:59.59
I want to be standing on
that sea of glass, don't you?
00:00:59.62\00:01:05.23
I want to be seeing
Jesus sitting on His throne.
00:01:05.26\00:01:09.96
I want to sing that
song, Moses and the Lamb.
00:01:09.99\00:01:17.86
I think if there's
any one single word
00:01:17.89\00:01:19.56
that expresses the
desire of our hearts
00:01:19.59\00:01:23.00
as we study the
Book of Revelation
00:01:23.03\00:01:26.23
or in any matter for that matter
that word would be victory.
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We want to be
victorious, don't we?
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We want to be
successful in life.
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We want to be
successful for Jesus.
00:01:39.69\00:01:42.95
We want to be successful
not only in our Christian walk
00:01:42.98\00:01:46.12
but in our
business life, our careers.
00:01:46.15\00:01:49.22
We want to be
successful in our homes,
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our families, our marriages.
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We want to be
successful parents.
00:01:53.30\00:01:55.39
We want to be successful people.
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I have never ever met anyone
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who said, I want to
be a failure, have you?
00:02:02.31\00:02:07.91
We all want to be victorious.
We all want to overcome.
00:02:07.94\00:02:12.49
The word "Overcome" is
found over and over again
00:02:12.52\00:02:15.36
in the letters to
the seven churches,
00:02:15.39\00:02:17.18
to him who
overcomes, Jesus promises.
00:02:17.21\00:02:20.05
We want to be overcomers.
We want to be successful.
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But I've discovered that
there are many Christians
00:02:23.32\00:02:29.06
living under a cloud of doubt,
haunted by the fear of failure.
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Discouraged because their lives
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just don't seem
to be measuring up
00:02:39.09\00:02:42.39
to the lofty standard of
the Bible and what a pity,
00:02:42.42\00:02:45.79
because the laws for
successful Christian living
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are so clear in the scripture.
00:02:48.77\00:02:52.43
Sometimes I think we make
Christianity be so complicated
00:02:52.46\00:02:57.40
that too many people just
get discouraged then give up.
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On the other
hand, they are those
00:03:02.92\00:03:04.10
who reduce it to some
meaningless simplicity
00:03:04.13\00:03:07.59
to where there's no difference
00:03:07.62\00:03:09.24
between a
Christian or anyone else.
00:03:09.27\00:03:11.99
But I believe that little lady
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who stood up at church
one night at prayer meeting
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to give her
testimony hit the bull's eye.
00:03:18.10\00:03:22.55
She said, her
language wasn't as polished
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as it could have been
but her message was right on.
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I ain't what I ought to be
and I ain't what I'm gonna be,
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but praise God
anyhow I ain't what I was.
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And I think she captured
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the essence of
successful Christian living,
00:03:44.42\00:03:47.47
recognizing our lives are
not all that they ought to be
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and exercising a bold
determination to do better,
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praising God all the way for
the victory that He's given us.
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But as I already mentioned,
most are just the opposite,
00:04:02.59\00:04:06.65
frustrated and discouraged
with their Christian life.
00:04:06.68\00:04:13.00
But God's promises and
I'm gonna read a promise
00:04:13.03\00:04:17.20
to you this morning
that just lifts us up
00:04:17.23\00:04:20.09
beyond human comprehension,
00:04:20.12\00:04:24.93
it is so
awesome and so powerful.
00:04:24.96\00:04:28.55
In 2 Peter 1:3,
"His divine power
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has given us
everything we need for life.
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His divine power gives us
everything we need for life
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and godliness
through our knowledge of him
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who called us by his own glory.
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And through
these He has given us
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His very great
and precious promises,
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that through them
you--" and here's the part,
00:05:02.03\00:05:06.28
"You may participate
in the divine nature,
00:05:06.31\00:05:12.05
and escape the
corruptions in the world
00:05:12.08\00:05:14.71
caused by evil desires."
00:05:14.74\00:05:17.46
So the promise is
that we can participate
00:05:17.49\00:05:21.85
in God's divine
nature and when we do,
00:05:21.88\00:05:26.93
He empowers us to escape
the corruptions of the world,
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to be successful, to be
victorious in Jesus Christ.
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Three laws for
successful Christian living.
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What is the first law?
00:05:45.06\00:05:46.09
Verse 7, "What shall we
say then is the law sin,
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certainly not,
indeed I would not known
00:05:51.10\00:05:53.86
that what sin was
except through the law."
00:05:53.89\00:05:56.19
Now which law is
Paul speaking of here?
00:05:56.22\00:05:59.37
Watch, "I would not have
known what coveting really was
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if the law had not
said, do not covet."
00:06:02.99\00:06:07.03
So, the first law
that Paul mentions
00:06:07.06\00:06:10.96
is the Ten Commandment
law, the one that says,
00:06:10.99\00:06:13.89
Thou shalt not
covet, that's the first law
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and we gonna discover that's
the law that Paul wants to keep.
00:06:17.68\00:06:20.94
He wants to be obedient
to God's Ten Commandment law.
00:06:20.97\00:06:25.27
There's nothing wrong with
the law, the law is not sin,
00:06:25.30\00:06:28.64
in fact, he said in verse
12, "So then the law is holy
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and the Commandment is
holy, righteous, and good.
00:06:33.36\00:06:36.51
"Nothing wrong with God's law.
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God's law is holy, it
is righteous, it is good.
00:06:39.42\00:06:42.70
He wants to be
obedient to God's law
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but we discovered the
real problem in verse 14.
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We know that the law
is spiritual, get that.
00:06:50.52\00:06:56.18
God's Ten
Commandment law is spiritual,
00:06:56.21\00:07:00.91
the problem is not with
the law, what's the problem?
00:07:00.94\00:07:05.39
The law is spiritua, Paul said,
but I am unspiritual. What?
00:07:05.42\00:07:12.89
How can Paul the apostle say,
00:07:14.16\00:07:17.25
I am unspiritual,
the law is spiritual?
00:07:17.28\00:07:22.23
How can he say,
I am unspiritual?
00:07:22.26\00:07:24.96
In fact, he goes
on, it gets worse,
00:07:24.99\00:07:27.20
I am unspiritual,
sold as a slave to sin,
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I do not understand what I do,
00:07:31.34\00:07:33.01
for what I want
to do I do not do,
00:07:33.04\00:07:34.55
but what I hate I do and
if I do what I do want to do
00:07:34.58\00:07:37.41
I agree the law is
good, the problem is me.
00:07:37.44\00:07:41.60
The law is
spiritual, I'm unspiritual.
00:07:41.63\00:07:43.73
How can Paul the
apostle say, I am unspiritual?
00:07:43.76\00:07:47.04
He says it
troubled some people so much
00:07:47.07\00:07:49.18
that they came to conclusion,
00:07:49.21\00:07:50.72
well, that was Paul
before he was converted,
00:07:50.75\00:07:54.44
after he got converted,
00:07:54.47\00:07:56.00
then he could never
say, I am unspiritual.
00:07:56.03\00:08:01.27
But the problem is
Paul writing in his letter
00:08:01.30\00:08:04.55
to the church at Rome said,
00:08:04.58\00:08:06.94
we know the law is
spiritual but I am unspiritual.
00:08:06.97\00:08:12.88
Was he telling the truth?
00:08:12.91\00:08:14.88
At the time that he
wrote his letter to Rome,
00:08:14.91\00:08:17.17
he was the
Apostle Paul and he said,
00:08:17.20\00:08:19.26
I the Apostle
Paul, am unspiritual,
00:08:19.29\00:08:22.58
he didn't say I was
unspiritual but I'm unspiritual.
00:08:22.61\00:08:27.98
The law is spiritual,
00:08:28.01\00:08:29.04
the problem ain't the
law, the problem is me.
00:08:29.07\00:08:32.56
I have been sold
as a slave to sin.
00:08:32.59\00:08:34.76
He didn't say, I sold
myself as a slave to sin,
00:08:34.79\00:08:37.91
no, I have been
sold as a slave to sin.
00:08:37.94\00:08:42.59
We all have this
battle with sin to fight
00:08:42.62\00:08:46.05
the same battle
that Paul fought.
00:08:46.08\00:08:51.24
If I do what I do want to
do, I agree the law is good,
00:08:51.27\00:08:54.05
I don't know what I do.
00:08:54.08\00:08:55.49
He said, I don't
even understand myself.
00:08:55.52\00:08:57.76
The good that I
want to do, I don't do,
00:08:57.79\00:08:59.14
the evil I don't want to do
that's what I wind up doing.
00:08:59.17\00:09:01.41
Oh, what am I gonna do?
You ever felt like that?
00:09:01.44\00:09:06.89
It reminds me of a little girl
00:09:06.92\00:09:08.35
who got caught with
her hand in the cookie jar,
00:09:08.38\00:09:11.87
mom comes in
the kitchen, oh, oh,
00:09:11.90\00:09:14.82
mom scolds her a little bit,
don't you ever do that again.
00:09:14.85\00:09:17.65
I promise, mommy, I
won't ever do it again.
00:09:17.68\00:09:19.46
Next day, mom
comes in the kitchen
00:09:19.49\00:09:21.36
and her hands in
the cookie jar again
00:09:21.39\00:09:24.19
and she bursts into
tears and she says but, mama,
00:09:24.22\00:09:27.65
I don't always want
to do what I want to do.
00:09:27.68\00:09:31.75
And I think that's kind
of what Paul was saying here
00:09:31.78\00:09:34.44
and I've got a suspicion
that every single one of us
00:09:34.47\00:09:37.34
goes through that sometimes,
00:09:37.37\00:09:38.74
I don't want to
do what I want to do.
00:09:38.77\00:09:42.64
There's a piece of me that wants
to be obedient to the law of God
00:09:42.67\00:09:47.25
but there's another piece
of me that every time I try,
00:09:47.28\00:09:50.69
I wind up falling
far and miserably short
00:09:50.72\00:09:54.44
from the lofty standard
that Jesus Himself set for us.
00:09:54.47\00:09:59.78
So what's the problem?
00:09:59.81\00:10:02.57
Second law, verse 21,
now I find this law at work,
00:10:02.60\00:10:06.34
"When I want to do good,
evil is right there with me,
00:10:06.37\00:10:09.61
for in my inner being
I delight in God's law."
00:10:09.64\00:10:13.26
Now that's how you can know
00:10:13.29\00:10:15.19
that this is Paul
the Apostle writing
00:10:15.22\00:10:17.63
and he's not talking about
himself before he was converted,
00:10:17.66\00:10:21.14
that's
impossible because he says,
00:10:21.17\00:10:23.61
"In my inner being I
delight in God's law"
00:10:23.64\00:10:28.08
and an
unconverted man cannot say,
00:10:28.11\00:10:31.16
in my inner being, I
delight in God's law,
00:10:31.19\00:10:34.51
no way, impossible
because in Chapter 8:7,
00:10:34.54\00:10:37.91
"The sinful mind
is hostile to God.
00:10:37.94\00:10:40.48
It does not submit to
God's law or nor can it do so."
00:10:40.51\00:10:44.59
So this is not a sinful mind,
00:10:44.62\00:10:46.74
this is not an
unconverted person,
00:10:46.77\00:10:48.90
this is Paul the
Christian, the Paul the Apostle.
00:10:48.93\00:10:52.38
In my inner being I
delight in God's law
00:10:52.41\00:10:56.14
but I see another law at
work in the members of my body
00:10:56.17\00:10:59.15
waging war against
the law of my mind,
00:10:59.18\00:11:01.72
making me a
prisoner of the law of sin
00:11:01.75\00:11:05.29
at work within my members.
00:11:05.32\00:11:07.93
So the Bible is telling
us that there are two laws,
00:11:07.96\00:11:11.17
God's law, that's the
one that he wants to keep
00:11:11.20\00:11:13.49
and then there's the law
of sin that's holding him down
00:11:13.52\00:11:18.03
preventing him from being
obedient to the law of God,
00:11:18.06\00:11:22.11
waging war
against the law of my mind
00:11:22.14\00:11:25.07
and making me a
prisoner to the law of sin.
00:11:25.10\00:11:28.30
He wants to obey but the
law of sin is holding him back.
00:11:28.33\00:11:32.67
What a wretched
man I am, verse 24,
00:11:32.70\00:11:35.93
who will deliver me
from this body of death?
00:11:35.96\00:11:38.54
Thanks be to God
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:11:38.57\00:11:43.08
In the same breathe,
what a wretched man I am.
00:11:43.11\00:11:47.20
The good that I
want to do I can't do,
00:11:47.23\00:11:48.58
the evil I don't want to do
that's what I wind up doing,
00:11:48.61\00:11:50.61
oh, what a wretched man I am,
00:11:50.64\00:11:52.15
who will deliver me
from this body of death?
00:11:52.18\00:11:54.45
Thanks be to God through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Wow.
00:11:54.48\00:11:59.97
Is he describing life
as we know it today or not?
00:12:00.00\00:12:05.18
That's the battle
for the mind, watch.
00:12:05.21\00:12:08.67
So then I myself in my
mind, I am slave to God's law,
00:12:08.70\00:12:15.49
but in my sinful nature
a slave to the law of sin.
00:12:15.52\00:12:23.22
Two laws, God's law,
spiritual that he wants to keep,
00:12:23.25\00:12:29.11
the law of sin, preventing
him, holding him down,
00:12:29.14\00:12:34.43
preventing him from
keeping the law of God.
00:12:34.46\00:12:41.21
Aren't you glad that
Paul didn't finish his letter
00:12:41.24\00:12:43.53
to the Church at
Rome with Chapter 7?
00:12:43.56\00:12:48.80
But he gives us the solution
to the problem in Chapter 8.
00:12:48.83\00:12:53.41
Therefore, verse 1,
there is no condemnation now
00:12:53.44\00:12:56.38
for those who are in
Christ Jesus, why not?
00:12:56.41\00:13:00.48
Because through Christ Jesus,
the law, the spirit of life
00:13:00.51\00:13:03.69
has set me free from
the law of sin and death.
00:13:03.72\00:13:08.89
The law of the
spirit of life sets me free
00:13:08.92\00:13:12.03
from the law of sin and death.
00:13:12.06\00:13:14.34
It does not, notice,
it does not set me free
00:13:14.37\00:13:18.20
from the law of God. No.
00:13:18.23\00:13:21.31
It sets me free
from the law of sin
00:13:21.34\00:13:24.19
that is preventing me
from obeying the law of God
00:13:24.22\00:13:27.69
in order that, verse 4,
00:13:27.72\00:13:29.43
the righteous
requirements of the law of God
00:13:29.46\00:13:31.91
might be met in us.
00:13:31.94\00:13:35.00
So He sets us free
from the law of sin,
00:13:35.03\00:13:37.85
so that we can be
obedient to the law of God.
00:13:37.88\00:13:43.03
He doesn't set us
free from the law of God,
00:13:43.06\00:13:44.81
don't let anyone tell you
00:13:44.84\00:13:46.98
that the cross sets us
free from the law of God.
00:13:47.01\00:13:50.16
It sets us free from
the condemnation of the law.
00:13:50.19\00:13:53.29
It sets us free
from the law of sin
00:13:53.32\00:13:55.66
so that by the
law of the spirit,
00:13:55.69\00:13:58.20
we can become
obedient to the law of God.
00:13:58.23\00:14:02.80
Now we have to
understand a couple of things
00:14:02.83\00:14:04.95
before we go any further.
00:14:04.98\00:14:07.47
And that is that Romans 7 and 8
00:14:07.50\00:14:12.84
are not instructions
on how to get saved.
00:14:12.87\00:14:17.20
Paul devoted the entire
first six chapters of Romans
00:14:17.23\00:14:21.35
on the fact that by the gospel,
00:14:21.38\00:14:23.72
we're saved by grace
through faith in Jesus Christ,
00:14:23.75\00:14:26.90
not by works, but
it's a gift of God.
00:14:26.93\00:14:31.23
Romans 1-6 define
the gospel of salvation
00:14:31.26\00:14:35.90
by grace through
faith in him but now
00:14:35.93\00:14:38.97
when we get to
Romans 8, and 7 and 8,
00:14:39.00\00:14:42.25
he's talking about
not how to get saved,
00:14:42.28\00:14:45.78
but how do we live our
lives after we have been saved.
00:14:45.81\00:14:51.73
We're still
living in a world of sin.
00:14:51.76\00:14:54.02
We're still influenced by
myriads and myriads of powers
00:14:54.05\00:14:58.04
trying to lead us
down the wrong pathway,
00:14:58.07\00:15:01.06
so how can we be victorious
in the midst of all of that?
00:15:01.09\00:15:07.65
So let's not confuse the two.
00:15:07.68\00:15:10.34
Three laws, the
first law, God's law.
00:15:10.37\00:15:13.40
That's the one
that He wants to keep.
00:15:13.43\00:15:14.95
The second law, the
law of sin and death,
00:15:14.98\00:15:17.17
holding him down
preventing him and us
00:15:17.20\00:15:19.94
from obeying the law of God
00:15:19.97\00:15:21.47
that we desire deep
down in our hearts to do.
00:15:21.50\00:15:24.08
But the third
law, praise the Lord,
00:15:24.11\00:15:26.04
helps us to
overcome the law of sin
00:15:26.07\00:15:28.74
so that we can
obey the law of God
00:15:28.77\00:15:33.29
and that's how the three laws
00:15:33.32\00:15:35.21
for successful Christian
living work in our lives.
00:15:35.24\00:15:39.96
Well, how do we put the law
00:15:39.99\00:15:41.91
of the spirit of
life to work for us?
00:15:41.94\00:15:44.54
That's the real question.
00:15:44.57\00:15:46.20
How do we get the law of
the spirit of life to empower us
00:15:46.23\00:15:49.00
to live a victorious
powerful successful life?
00:15:49.03\00:15:53.64
Well, I'm gonna
show you how to do that
00:15:53.67\00:15:56.61
but first, it's quiz time.
00:15:56.64\00:16:00.90
It's quiz time so want everybody
to answer together now.
00:16:00.93\00:16:06.09
We've just learned
three spiritual laws
00:16:06.12\00:16:08.13
for successful Christian living.
00:16:08.16\00:16:09.58
The first one is the law of
God, the Ten Commandments, good.
00:16:09.61\00:16:14.87
See if you can do
better on the second one,
00:16:14.90\00:16:16.65
that was a little weak,
see if you can do better,
00:16:16.68\00:16:18.99
the law that prevents us
from obeying the law of God
00:16:19.02\00:16:22.53
holding us down is
the law of sin and death.
00:16:22.56\00:16:26.79
Okay, now, since you did
that one louder than the other,
00:16:26.82\00:16:30.10
you really need to be louder
than sin on this last one right?
00:16:30.13\00:16:34.40
So the law that enables
us to overcome the law of sin
00:16:34.43\00:16:38.08
to be obedient to the law
of God is the law of the..
00:16:38.11\00:16:42.39
Come on, you can do better.
00:16:43.66\00:16:45.26
Spirit of life. Spirit of
life overcomes the law of sin,
00:16:45.29\00:16:50.35
enables us to be
obedient to the law of God,
00:16:50.38\00:16:52.36
not in order to be saved
but because we have been saved
00:16:52.39\00:16:56.49
by grace through faith in
Jesus Christ. So you got it?
00:16:56.52\00:17:02.06
All right, now, I
want to illustrate
00:17:02.09\00:17:07.16
how this works in
the world of nature
00:17:07.19\00:17:10.57
because nature gives us
good examples of the gospel.
00:17:10.60\00:17:15.81
When I was a little boy
growing up in Louisiana,
00:17:15.84\00:17:20.99
every summer, my grandpa would
rent a camp out on the Gulf.
00:17:21.02\00:17:27.15
Now down there, a
camp is a little different
00:17:27.18\00:17:29.54
from what you think of up here.
00:17:29.57\00:17:31.81
A camp out on the
Gulf was a cab, a big house
00:17:31.84\00:17:35.50
built on pilings
out over the water
00:17:35.53\00:17:39.81
and there would be
a long walkway up here
00:17:39.84\00:17:42.00
like going out to the
house built over the water.
00:17:42.03\00:17:45.41
I can remember looking
through the cracks in my bedroom
00:17:45.44\00:17:48.06
and seeing the water down there,
I love going to the beach.
00:17:48.09\00:17:52.54
My favorite thing
was to get out there
00:17:52.57\00:17:55.46
in that hot sun
and white burning sand,
00:17:55.49\00:18:00.43
crystal clear water
before Katrina messed it all up,
00:18:00.46\00:18:05.87
and just letting the
waves flash up on me,
00:18:05.90\00:18:10.03
and watching the big brown
pelican stretch out his wings
00:18:10.06\00:18:18.03
and just soar so
effortlessly through the air.
00:18:19.03\00:18:23.94
I love brown pelicans,
that's my favorite bird.
00:18:23.97\00:18:28.83
That's why I got one
sitting right here on my desk,
00:18:28.86\00:18:31.91
see him, ain't he cute?
00:18:31.94\00:18:36.18
Big brown pelican just
soaring through the air,
00:18:36.21\00:18:39.65
hardly moving a feather.
00:18:39.68\00:18:41.35
I wanted deep
down in my heart, oh,
00:18:45.62\00:18:49.55
I wanted to fly
like a brown pelican.
00:18:49.58\00:18:54.32
If I could just fly like that,
00:18:54.35\00:18:58.98
but I could have stood
on the shore in the sand,
00:18:59.01\00:19:04.19
in the sun, in the water and
flap my arms until they fell off
00:19:04.22\00:19:10.91
and I'm not gonna
get off the ground
00:19:10.94\00:19:14.10
because the law of
gravity is holding me down
00:19:14.13\00:19:20.31
and it prevents me from doing
00:19:20.34\00:19:22.22
what deep down in
my heart I want to do
00:19:22.25\00:19:25.85
and that's to fly
like the brown pelican.
00:19:25.88\00:19:30.13
The law of gravity
is holding me down,
00:19:30.16\00:19:36.42
but there's a third
law, the law of flight,
00:19:36.45\00:19:42.51
it's called Bernoulli's theory.
00:19:42.54\00:19:45.80
And the law of flight or
Bernoulli's theory is that
00:19:45.83\00:19:48.83
when air moves across a surface,
00:19:48.86\00:19:52.87
it reduces the pressure
that it exerts on that surface
00:19:52.90\00:19:58.50
and the faster the air goes,
00:19:58.53\00:20:01.09
the lower the pressure
it exerts on that surface.
00:20:01.12\00:20:05.61
Now an airplane wing
is designed in such a way
00:20:05.64\00:20:09.48
as to take advantage
of Bernoulli's theory.
00:20:09.51\00:20:13.78
The airplane wing
is curved on the top,
00:20:13.81\00:20:16.09
I don't know if
you ever noticed that,
00:20:16.12\00:20:18.00
it's flat across the bottom.
00:20:18.03\00:20:20.49
So that means that as
it moves through the air,
00:20:20.52\00:20:23.43
the air going over
the top of the wing
00:20:23.46\00:20:26.13
as they travel
a greater distance
00:20:26.16\00:20:28.45
than the air going
straight across the bottom,
00:20:28.48\00:20:31.96
but it does it in the same
time so the air across the top
00:20:31.99\00:20:35.43
has to go faster than
the air across the bottom.
00:20:35.46\00:20:40.24
And the plane moves
through the air fast enough,
00:20:40.27\00:20:42.75
the air across the top
is so much less pressure
00:20:42.78\00:20:46.36
than the air across the bottom,
it can cause the plane to fly.
00:20:46.39\00:20:49.36
I remember first time I walked
out to the giant B-52 bomber,
00:20:49.39\00:20:56.71
and it was my first flight.
00:20:56.74\00:21:01.10
Boy, the closer we
got to that airplane,
00:21:01.13\00:21:03.87
the bigger it looked,
500,000 plus pounds loaded.
00:21:03.90\00:21:11.87
The closer we got,
the bigger it looked,
00:21:14.33\00:21:17.25
the smaller those
eight engines looked.
00:21:17.28\00:21:20.71
And I started to think, no way,
00:21:20.74\00:21:24.47
that giant bird is never
gonna get off the ground.
00:21:24.50\00:21:29.34
But we did all of
our preflight checklist,
00:21:29.37\00:21:33.45
jump into the plane, got
clearance to start the engines,
00:21:33.48\00:21:39.81
began taxing out to
the end of the runway,
00:21:39.84\00:21:43.58
big heavy airplane.
00:21:43.61\00:21:46.81
Finally we got clearance
from the tower to takeoff.
00:21:46.84\00:21:51.19
Taxied out into position
00:21:51.22\00:21:52.69
and all eight throttles
full forward, loud roar
00:21:52.72\00:21:58.81
and that big plane began to
just barely inch down the runway
00:21:58.84\00:22:03.54
and I knew we would
never get off the ground,
00:22:03.57\00:22:08.47
but it started gathering
speed faster and faster.
00:22:08.50\00:22:12.50
The air flowing over the top
00:22:12.53\00:22:14.07
was going faster than
the air across the bottom
00:22:14.10\00:22:17.11
and we got to a certain speed
00:22:17.14\00:22:18.78
that the air over
the top was so fast,
00:22:18.81\00:22:21.21
the pressure exerted on top
of the wing was so much lower
00:22:21.24\00:22:25.17
than the pressure of the
air under the wing was exerting,
00:22:25.20\00:22:28.43
that 500,000 pounds of airplane
and me lifted off the ground
00:22:28.46\00:22:35.51
and finally I could soar
with the pelicans even higher
00:22:35.54\00:22:42.60
because the law
of flight enabled me
00:22:42.63\00:22:45.98
to overcome the
law of sin and death
00:22:46.01\00:22:49.53
and to soar in fulfillment
of the desire deep in my heart.
00:22:49.56\00:22:55.97
And that's the
way it is with God.
00:22:56.00\00:22:58.27
We want to obey the
law but sin holds us down.
00:22:58.30\00:23:02.95
The law of the spirit of
life enables me to overcome
00:23:02.98\00:23:06.04
the law of sin and soar in
obedience to the law of God,
00:23:06.07\00:23:11.48
not in order to be saved, no,
00:23:11.51\00:23:15.07
but because He saved me by grace
00:23:15.10\00:23:17.20
through faith in Jesus
Christ to do good works
00:23:17.23\00:23:20.83
that He prepared in
advance for us to do.
00:23:20.86\00:23:26.41
So how do we put
it to work for us?
00:23:26.44\00:23:30.15
How do we get that law of
the spirit of life to work?
00:23:30.18\00:23:35.42
There are two steps,
the first step is your part,
00:23:35.45\00:23:42.25
the second step, God's part.
00:23:42.28\00:23:47.36
You do yours
and God will do His.
00:23:47.39\00:23:52.48
So what is our part?
00:23:52.51\00:23:54.50
I'm gonna read it
to you in Roman 8:5
00:23:54.53\00:23:58.57
and see if this phrase doesn't
just jump off the pages to you.
00:23:58.60\00:24:03.10
Romans 8:5, see
if you pick it up,
00:24:03.13\00:24:05.93
the key to the law
of the spirit of life,
00:24:05.96\00:24:08.51
"Now those who live
according to the sinful nature
00:24:08.54\00:24:11.71
have their minds set on
what that nature desires
00:24:11.74\00:24:17.41
but those who live
according to the spirit
00:24:17.44\00:24:19.63
have their minds set on
what the spirit desires."
00:24:19.66\00:24:25.16
Did you get it? What's the key?
00:24:25.19\00:24:29.45
Set your mind, the
mind set on the spirit
00:24:29.48\00:24:36.75
is gonna do the
things of the spirit,
00:24:36.78\00:24:40.29
the mind set on
the sinful nature
00:24:40.32\00:24:44.16
is gonna do the
things of the sinful nature.
00:24:44.19\00:24:48.07
Set your mind, that's
your part, you do your part,
00:24:48.10\00:24:55.00
God will do His.
What is your part?
00:24:55.03\00:24:58.32
Set your mind on the
things of the spirit.
00:24:58.35\00:25:03.16
I call it mental
discipline, mental discipline,
00:25:03.19\00:25:09.11
not to be confused
with some of the classics,
00:25:09.14\00:25:14.01
they're old but
they're still taught
00:25:14.04\00:25:15.78
in the basis for
success teaching today.
00:25:15.81\00:25:19.07
Some of the old
classics, 'Norman Vincent Peale,
00:25:19.10\00:25:21.78
"The Power Of
Positive Thinking."
00:25:21.81\00:25:24.24
Maxwell Maltz,
"Psycho-Cybernetics."
00:25:24.27\00:25:26.95
Napoleon Hill,
"Think and Grow Rich."
00:25:26.98\00:25:29.91
These are old classic books
00:25:29.94\00:25:31.82
but the basic principles in
there are still valid today.
00:25:31.85\00:25:35.93
The problem is that they all
miss a very important key point.
00:25:35.96\00:25:43.53
And I used to
teach success seminars
00:25:43.56\00:25:47.78
and sales training seminars
based on those principles,
00:25:47.81\00:25:53.85
but once I became a Christian,
00:25:53.88\00:25:57.13
I discovered that
all of those principles
00:25:57.16\00:25:58.89
worth anything at all
were already in this book.
00:25:58.92\00:26:02.87
I used to charge
$600 for a seminar
00:26:02.90\00:26:06.78
and now you get it for free.
00:26:06.81\00:26:10.71
The laws for successful--
00:26:10.74\00:26:12.16
how do we get the law of
the spirit of life to work?
00:26:12.19\00:26:14.55
There are three
steps, three verses,
00:26:14.58\00:26:16.84
first one, I'm sure
you know it by heart.
00:26:16.87\00:26:19.09
Proverbs 23:7, "Whatsoever
a man thinketh in his heart,
00:26:19.12\00:26:26.29
what, so is he."
00:26:26.32\00:26:31.92
Whatever you think
determines what you are.
00:26:31.95\00:26:39.92
You are what you think about.
00:26:41.34\00:26:45.21
Now that's something
to think about, isn't it?
00:26:45.24\00:26:49.15
Your thoughts
determine what you are.
00:26:49.18\00:26:52.72
That's the first step.
00:26:52.75\00:26:54.89
The second step in
Luke 6:45, Jesus said,
00:26:54.92\00:26:59.26
"The good man does good from
the good stored up in his heart.
00:26:59.29\00:27:03.20
The evil man does evil from
the evil stored up in his heart,
00:27:03.23\00:27:07.67
so not only do your
thoughts determine who you are
00:27:07.70\00:27:12.43
but your thoughts
determine what you do.
00:27:12.46\00:27:17.12
Your behavior is controlled
by the way that you think,
00:27:17.15\00:27:22.51
that's what Jesus
said, can you trust Him?
00:27:22.54\00:27:26.47
The good man does good from
the good stored up in his heart.
00:27:26.50\00:27:30.23
How do you store
up good in your heart?
00:27:30.26\00:27:31.82
By thinking right, by thinking
about the things of the spirit.
00:27:31.85\00:27:35.88
So your behavior determine
00:27:35.91\00:27:37.42
or your thoughts
determine what you are,
00:27:37.45\00:27:39.42
your thoughts
determine what you do.
00:27:39.45\00:27:41.37
The third step in Romans
12:2, it's just common sense,
00:27:41.40\00:27:46.64
if your thoughts
determine what you are
00:27:46.67\00:27:48.48
and your thoughts
determine what you do,
00:27:48.51\00:27:50.18
then in order to
change what you do,
00:27:50.21\00:27:52.39
in order to
change your behavior,
00:27:52.42\00:27:54.09
you simply need
to change your mind,
00:27:54.12\00:27:58.20
be transformed by
the renewing of the mind.
00:27:58.23\00:28:02.81
Romans 12, you see,
it's all in the Bible.
00:28:02.84\00:28:07.55
So your thoughts
determine who you are,
00:28:07.58\00:28:09.17
your thoughts
determine what you do,
00:28:09.20\00:28:10.40
in order to change what
you do, change your thoughts,
00:28:10.43\00:28:12.84
change your mind and
your behavior will follow.
00:28:12.87\00:28:18.29
But it's not that easy.
00:28:18.32\00:28:21.16
It's not as easy
as it sounds, why?
00:28:21.19\00:28:23.34
Because we think in
terms of thought patterns.
00:28:23.37\00:28:29.18
And these thought
patterns are called habits.
00:28:29.21\00:28:37.18
Now when I said habits, you
probably thought bad, right?
00:28:37.21\00:28:45.18
But a habit is bad
only if it's a bad habit.
00:28:49.64\00:28:56.74
Habits can be good.
00:28:56.77\00:29:00.18
In fact, some tell us that
as much as 90% is what we do
00:29:00.21\00:29:06.48
on a daily basis is the result
of habit and I believe that.
00:29:06.51\00:29:12.93
These habits are
very, very powerful
00:29:12.96\00:29:18.98
and they're formed by
the process of repetition,
00:29:19.01\00:29:22.70
thinking a certain
way over and over again
00:29:22.73\00:29:26.79
and it becomes a habit.
00:29:26.82\00:29:29.92
And these habits are so powerful
00:29:29.95\00:29:31.75
that it's difficult to
change the way we think.
00:29:31.78\00:29:35.91
But you can't
change your behavior
00:29:35.94\00:29:37.67
unless you change your thoughts.
00:29:37.70\00:29:42.33
Let me give you an illustration
how habits are formed.
00:29:42.36\00:29:46.98
How many of you
know how to drive a car?
00:29:47.01\00:29:50.21
Okay, a few.
Let me ask this one.
00:29:50.24\00:29:56.20
How many of you know
how to drive a stick shift?
00:29:56.23\00:30:01.87
Now, that's interesting.
00:30:01.90\00:30:04.57
Every place I go,
I find more people
00:30:04.60\00:30:07.97
know how to drive a stick
shift than know how to drive.
00:30:08.00\00:30:13.35
You explain that to me.
00:30:13.38\00:30:16.32
Yeah, I drive stick shift,
you know, drive, all right,
00:30:16.35\00:30:21.67
remember that when you learned
how to drive a stick shift.
00:30:21.70\00:30:25.11
I remember, well,
I sat in that car,
00:30:25.14\00:30:29.29
my dad thought me how
00:30:29.32\00:30:31.41
and he had me going
through a little list in my head
00:30:31.44\00:30:34.73
of all the
things I needed to go,
00:30:34.76\00:30:36.48
make sure the break was
set, then put that key in there
00:30:36.51\00:30:39.70
and I even had to
think about which way,
00:30:39.73\00:30:41.78
this way or that
way, how does it go?
00:30:41.81\00:30:45.04
Put the key in
there, and I did everything,
00:30:45.07\00:30:47.71
and then finally may be a
little gas and turn the key,
00:30:47.74\00:30:53.25
it started right up,
oh, man, I'm driving.
00:30:53.28\00:30:57.27
Then I had to release the brake,
00:30:57.30\00:31:00.27
the clutch in and let
that clutch in and give the gas
00:31:00.30\00:31:04.94
just at the right
rate in the right point,
00:31:04.97\00:31:08.13
let out the
clutch and you know what?
00:31:08.16\00:31:10.19
The first time I did that
I just took off so smoothly.
00:31:10.22\00:31:14.98
You believe that? What happened?
00:31:15.01\00:31:19.50
Jerk-jerk-jerk-jerk,
it quit on me.
00:31:19.53\00:31:23.96
I had to try it again
and jerk-jerk-jerk-jerk,
00:31:23.99\00:31:27.64
quit on me again,
jerk-jerk-jerk-jerk, quit, oh!
00:31:27.67\00:31:30.96
I'm never gonna get,
jerk-jerk-jerk-jerk, quit,
00:31:30.99\00:31:33.44
finally I went
jerk-jerk-jerk-jerk-jerk
00:31:33.47\00:31:36.68
and went on, oh, I'm driving,
I'm driving, almost hit a tree,
00:31:36.71\00:31:40.40
got so excited,
you remember that?
00:31:40.43\00:31:46.22
You remember the first time
00:31:46.25\00:31:47.74
you stopped at a
red light on a hill,
00:31:47.77\00:31:53.14
and there was a car
behind you, oh, man,
00:31:53.17\00:31:57.49
but do you remember the
last time that happened?
00:31:57.52\00:32:02.82
Probably not, why not?
00:32:02.85\00:32:06.88
Because through the
process of repetition,
00:32:06.91\00:32:10.15
all those
thoughts become established
00:32:10.18\00:32:13.81
as patterns or habits,
00:32:13.84\00:32:17.34
and the truth is you
probably barely remembered
00:32:17.37\00:32:21.12
driving to church this morning.
00:32:21.15\00:32:24.08
You just jumped in your
car, you didn't think about
00:32:24.11\00:32:26.11
which way the key goes
or which way to turn it
00:32:26.14\00:32:28.38
or clutches or anything,
you just jump in the car and go,
00:32:28.41\00:32:32.92
because it's a habit.
00:32:32.95\00:32:35.24
And habits are good
'cause it sets your mind free
00:32:35.27\00:32:38.81
to do other things
while you are driving
00:32:38.84\00:32:40.99
like watch for traffic.
00:32:41.02\00:32:45.90
So habits are good
if they are good habits
00:32:45.93\00:32:48.44
and most of what we do
00:32:48.47\00:32:50.31
is the result of a
habit and they're powerful.
00:32:50.34\00:32:54.62
Let me show you
how powerful they are.
00:32:54.65\00:32:55.94
If you let me do a
worldly illustration,
00:32:55.97\00:33:00.32
I've tried to, pastor
said it's okay, so I'll do it.
00:33:00.35\00:33:03.83
I try to keep coming up with
something better but I can't.
00:33:03.86\00:33:08.10
Let me tell you a little jingle,
00:33:08.13\00:33:10.15
Pepsi Cola hits the spot,
about four or five of you got it
00:33:10.18\00:33:17.28
12 full ounces that's a lot,
00:33:17.31\00:33:20.53
there are few more
getting on down wagon here.
00:33:20.56\00:33:24.12
Now how did you know that?
00:33:24.15\00:33:29.72
And when you first heard
that jingle on the radio,
00:33:29.75\00:33:31.73
did you say, oh,
man, that's cool.
00:33:31.76\00:33:34.13
No, they weren't
saying cool back then.
00:33:34.16\00:33:35.85
Oh, man, I like that.
Yeah, I really like it.
00:33:35.88\00:33:38.97
I'm gonna memorize it,
I'm gonna write it 150 times
00:33:39.00\00:33:41.78
still I didn't get it perfect.
00:33:41.81\00:33:42.84
Pepsi Cola hits the spot,
12 full ounces that's a lot,
00:33:42.87\00:33:44.91
over and over and over
again till, oh, I got it,
00:33:44.94\00:33:46.95
yes, I learned it,
is that what happened?
00:33:46.98\00:33:49.21
Nope. What happened?
00:33:49.24\00:33:51.43
You heard it over and
over and over and over
00:33:51.46\00:33:56.13
until it became
established as a habit pattern,
00:33:56.16\00:33:58.74
a thought pattern or habit.
00:33:58.77\00:34:01.22
Now, oh, you're
gonna hate me for this.
00:34:01.25\00:34:07.10
Do you know how long it's been
00:34:07.13\00:34:08.16
since you've
heard that on the radio?
00:34:08.19\00:34:14.01
Well, let me
just say it this way,
00:34:14.04\00:34:16.67
over 40 years,
way over 40 years,
00:34:16.70\00:34:23.74
you have heard that
jingle way over 40 years
00:34:23.77\00:34:28.41
and yet now I can still
say Pepsi Cola hits the...
00:34:28.44\00:34:32.90
and you instantly
respond with spot.
00:34:32.93\00:34:36.86
Habits are very,
very powerful creatures.
00:34:36.89\00:34:41.34
And that's why it's not always
so easy to change our behavior
00:34:41.37\00:34:45.08
because in order to
change our behavior,
00:34:45.11\00:34:46.37
we have to
change the way we think.
00:34:46.40\00:34:48.70
Now there's one other
thing that we need to understand
00:34:48.73\00:34:51.08
before we actually
apply these Bible texts
00:34:51.11\00:34:53.56
and put them into
practice in our lives
00:34:53.59\00:34:56.30
that is that your
brain has two halves to it,
00:34:56.33\00:35:00.03
the left half
and the right half.
00:35:00.06\00:35:03.96
The left side of the
brain is where we learn things
00:35:03.99\00:35:08.49
and memorize things
and store information
00:35:08.52\00:35:12.32
and we think
logically and sequentially
00:35:12.35\00:35:15.87
and we work math
problems and all of that is done
00:35:15.90\00:35:19.51
on the left side of the brain,
00:35:19.54\00:35:20.83
language is stored on
the left side of the brain.
00:35:20.86\00:35:24.62
The right side of the brain
is emotional for the most part.
00:35:24.65\00:35:28.95
Now I've
realized for those of you
00:35:28.98\00:35:30.28
that are experts in healthcare,
00:35:30.31\00:35:32.26
I'm being
oversimplifying a little bit
00:35:32.29\00:35:34.65
just to keep it simple.
00:35:34.68\00:35:36.47
But the right side of the
brain is basically emotional,
00:35:36.50\00:35:39.85
that's where our
feelings are seated.
00:35:39.88\00:35:45.59
Now when we learn things,
00:35:45.62\00:35:48.10
we put the
information into the left side,
00:35:48.13\00:35:52.96
the right side through
the process of repetition
00:35:52.99\00:35:56.75
picks it up and the right side
00:35:56.78\00:36:00.17
automatically follows
the instructions given to it.
00:36:00.20\00:36:04.07
It's like a
General and the army.
00:36:04.10\00:36:07.04
The General looks at the
whole situation with his staff
00:36:07.07\00:36:12.45
and plans strategically
what to do and where to strike
00:36:12.48\00:36:16.66
and with how much and
then he issues the orders.
00:36:16.69\00:36:22.56
He gives the orders
to the army, the troops
00:36:22.59\00:36:26.13
and the troops
carry out the orders.
00:36:26.16\00:36:28.92
They don't modify
it, they don't change it,
00:36:28.95\00:36:32.46
they don't stop and think, well,
this isn't a very good order,
00:36:32.49\00:36:36.82
I think we'll do it
this way instead of his way.
00:36:36.85\00:36:39.61
No, if it's a good army,
00:36:39.64\00:36:41.38
they're gonna automatically obey
the orders that they're given
00:36:41.41\00:36:45.38
indiscriminately just obey it.
00:36:45.41\00:36:48.95
Now that's the
way the brain works.
00:36:48.98\00:36:50.56
The left brain is the General,
00:36:50.59\00:36:52.16
the right brain,
that's the troops.
00:36:52.19\00:36:55.24
The left brain
makes the decisions,
00:36:55.27\00:36:57.23
the right brain can't do
that, it just takes the orders
00:36:57.26\00:37:00.58
from the left
brain and automatically
00:37:00.61\00:37:02.87
doesn't decide is this a
good thing or a bad thing,
00:37:02.90\00:37:05.54
it just does
what it's told to do.
00:37:05.57\00:37:09.07
So through the
process of repetition,
00:37:09.10\00:37:11.46
those orders become
embedded in the right brain
00:37:11.49\00:37:15.87
and they automatically function
00:37:15.90\00:37:18.62
without you even thinking
about it, it just happens.
00:37:18.65\00:37:23.16
That's why it's
so hard to change.
00:37:23.19\00:37:26.09
We have to through
the process of repetition
00:37:26.12\00:37:28.42
establish a new habit that's
stronger and more powerful
00:37:28.45\00:37:31.88
than the one that's been
in force for years and years.
00:37:31.91\00:37:35.83
So that's way it's hard
to change your behavior.
00:37:35.86\00:37:39.73
I remember the, first--
have you ever been to a country
00:37:39.76\00:37:42.74
where they drive on
the wrong side of the road?
00:37:42.77\00:37:45.82
Our son is in London
and we were over there
00:37:45.85\00:37:49.15
visiting a few years ago
and rented a car and here we go,
00:37:49.18\00:37:54.88
I'm driving down the
wrong side of the road.
00:37:54.91\00:37:57.08
We drive on the right
side, they go on the wrong side,
00:37:57.11\00:38:01.33
left side, and
so I'm driving along
00:38:01.36\00:38:04.22
and as long as I
could think about it,
00:38:04.25\00:38:06.85
you know, yes,
stay on the left side,
00:38:06.88\00:38:08.17
stay on the left side, stay
on the wrong side, you're okay.
00:38:08.20\00:38:12.12
We did fine, but then
we would start talking,
00:38:12.15\00:38:16.34
now I look over there
and say something to Dina
00:38:16.37\00:38:18.01
and she says something back and
we get all into the conversation
00:38:18.04\00:38:20.59
and before I know, she's going,
00:38:20.62\00:38:21.78
Jack, You're on the
wrong side of the road!
00:38:21.81\00:38:24.79
I'm looking up, oh, yeah,
00:38:24.82\00:38:26.42
back over there
on the wrong side.
00:38:26.45\00:38:29.86
You know,
because I know what to do
00:38:29.89\00:38:31.62
but it didn't overhear
in my right brain yet to do
00:38:31.65\00:38:33.69
without me thinking about it.
00:38:33.72\00:38:37.86
Now if we're gonna
change our behavior,
00:38:37.89\00:38:43.75
we have to change
those thought patterns.
00:38:43.78\00:38:47.20
And those thought
patterns are generally given
00:38:47.23\00:38:49.66
to the right brain as orders
in term of images and pictures.
00:38:49.69\00:38:54.16
The right brain
processes pictures.
00:38:54.19\00:38:56.59
Let me show you what I mean.
00:38:56.62\00:38:58.74
I'm gonna say a
word, are you ready?
00:38:58.77\00:39:02.26
Car. Now what did you see?
00:39:02.29\00:39:06.76
Did you see the letters, C.A.R.,
00:39:06.79\00:39:09.87
or did you see
the picture of a car?
00:39:09.90\00:39:12.59
You saw the picture
of a car, your car maybe,
00:39:12.62\00:39:16.19
maybe one you wish was your car,
00:39:16.22\00:39:18.50
but you saw the
picture of a car.
00:39:18.53\00:39:20.97
See, our instructions
get into the right brain
00:39:21.00\00:39:24.46
in terms of images and pictures,
00:39:24.49\00:39:27.95
so that means that
if you are a student
00:39:27.98\00:39:32.36
and you see
yourself as a failure,
00:39:32.39\00:39:36.62
then you're giving
instructions to your right brain
00:39:36.65\00:39:40.11
to watch TV the
night before the exam
00:39:40.14\00:39:42.44
instead of study,
you're gonna fail.
00:39:42.47\00:39:46.49
If you see yourself successful,
00:39:46.52\00:39:48.62
then you're given
instructions to succeed.
00:39:48.65\00:39:53.97
You see yourself as
a successful Christian,
00:39:54.00\00:39:57.80
soaring in obedience to God,
then that's what you gonna do.
00:39:57.83\00:40:03.28
If you see
yourself as a failure,
00:40:03.31\00:40:05.76
that's what you're gonna do.
00:40:05.79\00:40:08.46
And while we're
talking about this parents,
00:40:08.49\00:40:11.42
I have to confess that there
are times when I just quench,
00:40:11.45\00:40:16.14
when I see the way some
parents talk to their children,
00:40:16.17\00:40:20.14
they may be getting into a
little mischief, who doesn't?
00:40:20.17\00:40:24.16
And they'll say
something like, "You are so bad,
00:40:24.19\00:40:29.20
You're gonna wind up in jail."
00:40:29.23\00:40:32.64
What kind of
image are they forming
00:40:32.67\00:40:34.72
in the minds of their child?
00:40:34.75\00:40:39.08
You are just worse than a
bunch of monkeys around here.
00:40:39.11\00:40:43.71
And they wonder why does
my son act like a monkey.
00:40:43.74\00:40:49.72
Because they've been
told over and over again
00:40:49.75\00:40:53.34
that that's what they are
00:40:53.37\00:40:54.62
and that's the image they
have and they're gonna do it.
00:40:54.65\00:40:59.64
So parents be careful of
what you say to the little ones.
00:40:59.67\00:41:06.83
Does this really work?
00:41:06.86\00:41:08.40
Folks, it does.
God made us that way.
00:41:08.43\00:41:12.48
That's how He
made our brain to work.
00:41:12.51\00:41:15.54
Let me prove it to you.
00:41:15.57\00:41:16.79
I want you to sit with
your feet flat on the ground,
00:41:16.82\00:41:19.40
put your feet
down, hands in your lap,
00:41:19.43\00:41:21.74
relax but don't close your eyes
00:41:21.77\00:41:23.97
or close your
eyes but don't sleep,
00:41:24.00\00:41:25.70
let's do it that way.
00:41:25.73\00:41:27.03
Close your eyes, if
you sleep it won't work.
00:41:27.06\00:41:29.51
It isn't gonna
hurt, all I want you to do
00:41:29.54\00:41:31.88
is just picture in your
mind a bright yellow lemon,
00:41:31.91\00:41:36.33
crystal clear,
get it sharp focus,
00:41:36.36\00:41:39.56
turn it around so you can see
00:41:39.59\00:41:40.62
the green letter, sun
kissed, written on it.
00:41:40.65\00:41:45.19
You see the dimples in the skin,
00:41:45.22\00:41:47.02
the little stem on the
end, lemon. Get it in focus.
00:41:47.05\00:41:52.81
Now picture a razor sharp
knife slicing through the lemon,
00:41:52.84\00:41:59.13
juice explodes all across
the blade, it is so juicy.
00:41:59.16\00:42:05.86
Picture yourself
picking up half of that lemon
00:42:05.89\00:42:09.52
and squeezing it over
your outstretched tongue.
00:42:09.55\00:42:14.16
Give it a good squeeze, squeeze,
00:42:14.19\00:42:16.43
drip, drip, ooh,
wow, it is so sour.
00:42:16.46\00:42:21.97
Squeeze it again, get some more,
00:42:22.00\00:42:24.34
get a mouthful,
pick up the other half,
00:42:24.37\00:42:26.66
squeeze it over
your tongue, swallow it,
00:42:26.69\00:42:29.55
get another big
mouthful, oh, it is so sour.
00:42:29.58\00:42:32.78
Okay, you can open your eyes.
00:42:36.23\00:42:39.14
How many of you noticed
your mouth began to water?
00:42:39.17\00:42:42.10
Did it? Did you say mouth water?
00:42:42.13\00:42:48.09
No, you put the image there
00:42:48.12\00:42:51.21
and your right brain
took that image as an order
00:42:51.24\00:42:54.26
and your mouth began to water.
00:42:54.29\00:42:58.00
It works. That's
the way God made you.
00:42:58.03\00:43:02.60
That's the way He
made your brain to function
00:43:02.63\00:43:05.53
and so that's why He said
00:43:05.56\00:43:07.24
you need to set your mind
on the things of the spirit.
00:43:07.27\00:43:12.00
Because that's
giving your right brain
00:43:12.03\00:43:14.69
instructions of what to do.
00:43:14.72\00:43:15.97
People come to me and say,
00:43:16.00\00:43:17.05
"Pastor, I don't
know what's wrong with me,
00:43:17.08\00:43:18.12
I just can't grow spiritually."
00:43:18.15\00:43:20.40
I would say, "What
do you watch on TV?
00:43:20.43\00:43:23.32
What kind of books you read?"
00:43:23.35\00:43:25.00
You see you can't fix
your mind on the filth
00:43:25.03\00:43:27.17
and the
cesspools of this old world
00:43:27.20\00:43:29.44
and expect to soar
in obedience to God.
00:43:29.47\00:43:33.07
In the computer
industry, they have a formula,
00:43:33.10\00:43:35.58
it's called GIGO, GIGO,
garbage in, garbage out.
00:43:35.61\00:43:43.58
You cannot program a
bunch of errors into a computer
00:43:43.61\00:43:48.18
and expect to
get the right answer.
00:43:48.21\00:43:50.95
You can't take the
picture of a pile of sewage
00:43:50.98\00:43:56.12
and expect it to come
out looking like a rose,
00:43:56.15\00:43:59.26
unless you have photoshop.
00:43:59.29\00:44:04.11
But did you
understand what I'm saying?
00:44:04.14\00:44:06.95
What do you read?
What do you watch?
00:44:06.98\00:44:10.37
Fix your mind on
the things of the spirit
00:44:10.40\00:44:13.19
and that's what you're gonna do.
00:44:13.22\00:44:15.49
That's the law of life,
that's the way God made you.
00:44:15.52\00:44:18.85
In fact, why do you think
Paul said in Philippians 4:8,
00:44:18.88\00:44:23.41
"Finally brothers,
whatever is true, noble, right,
00:44:23.44\00:44:25.99
whatever is pure,
lovely, whatever is admirable,
00:44:26.02\00:44:28.63
if anything is
excellent or praiseworthy
00:44:28.66\00:44:30.53
think about such things."
00:44:30.56\00:44:33.54
What a God, He
tells us how to think
00:44:33.57\00:44:35.57
and then He tells us what
we should be thinking about.
00:44:35.60\00:44:38.66
That verse should be
printed out in big letters
00:44:38.69\00:44:41.19
and pasted on the top
of your television set.
00:44:41.22\00:44:44.89
Is it noble, is it pure, is
it trustworthy, is it right,
00:44:44.92\00:44:48.69
is it lovely, is it admirable?
00:44:48.72\00:44:50.90
If it is, okay, if
it's not, don't watch it.
00:44:50.93\00:44:54.69
You can't program all
that garbage into your mind
00:44:54.72\00:44:57.45
and expect to be obedient
00:44:57.48\00:44:59.24
empowered by the law
of the spirit of life.
00:44:59.27\00:45:03.10
We have to die to sin.
00:45:03.13\00:45:05.84
Discipline, mental
disciple must be total.
00:45:05.87\00:45:09.57
We need to die,
Paul said, we die to sin.
00:45:09.60\00:45:12.02
Dead people don't
respond to anything
00:45:12.05\00:45:16.26
and that's the
way we need to be.
00:45:16.29\00:45:17.61
We need to be dead to
the temptations of sin,
00:45:17.64\00:45:20.59
we die, we don't respond.
00:45:20.62\00:45:22.58
Sometimes people ask me,
00:45:22.61\00:45:27.04
"Pastor, I don't
know what's wrong with me.
00:45:27.07\00:45:31.39
I keep getting all these
00:45:31.42\00:45:32.52
bad thoughts in my
mind all the time."
00:45:32.55\00:45:35.73
And I surprise them, I say,
"There's nothing wrong with you,
00:45:35.76\00:45:41.40
there's nothing wrong with bad
thoughts coming into your mind,
00:45:41.43\00:45:45.68
it's called temptation."
00:45:45.71\00:45:50.96
It only becomes
wrong when you choose
00:45:50.99\00:45:52.74
to keep those
bad thoughts there."
00:45:52.77\00:45:56.22
We need to put
them out of our minds.
00:45:56.25\00:45:58.68
We live in a world of sin.
00:45:58.71\00:46:00.04
We're gonna see things
all around that are bad,
00:46:00.07\00:46:02.16
that's temptation, but
when we get a bad thought,
00:46:02.19\00:46:05.18
we need to put it out.
00:46:05.21\00:46:07.43
I'm gonna tell you the
secret of the banana tree.
00:46:07.46\00:46:12.36
Now you don't know that up here,
00:46:12.39\00:46:14.56
'cause you don't
have banana trees.
00:46:14.59\00:46:17.30
So let me tell you about it.
00:46:17.33\00:46:19.80
We bought a house when we
lived down in South Texas,
00:46:19.83\00:46:22.83
we bought a house
that had banana trees.
00:46:22.86\00:46:26.16
And so I as a good
banana plantation owner,
00:46:26.19\00:46:31.04
had a big plantation,
It was about this big.
00:46:31.07\00:46:35.13
I brought a machete
because you might not know it,
00:46:35.16\00:46:39.88
but banana trees
make one bunch of bananas
00:46:39.91\00:46:43.37
and they die, they're finished.
00:46:43.40\00:46:47.12
But they send up little
shoots, make new banana trees.
00:46:47.15\00:46:51.51
Now the problem is if one
tree sends up a lot of shoots
00:46:51.54\00:46:55.34
and if you just let these
things grow, they get so thick
00:46:55.37\00:46:59.36
that they will choke each
other out and they all die.
00:46:59.39\00:47:02.27
So you have to weed
out your banana trees.
00:47:02.30\00:47:05.83
Well, I got
there, got my machete
00:47:05.86\00:47:08.52
and my two
little guys helping me
00:47:08.55\00:47:10.70
and I chopped through
that first banana tree,
00:47:10.73\00:47:13.24
it was about that big
around, and they are heavy.
00:47:13.27\00:47:17.85
And I had to
drag that banana tree
00:47:17.88\00:47:19.50
down to the back of our
lot, big ditch back there,
00:47:19.53\00:47:23.58
my two guys were gonna help me.
00:47:23.61\00:47:25.26
They rode on the
leaves while I pulled it.
00:47:25.29\00:47:30.52
I got that tree back
here, I'm tired, man,
00:47:30.55\00:47:32.77
it's heavy but there were more,
00:47:32.80\00:47:35.14
so I'll cut down
another one, drag that,
00:47:35.17\00:47:38.09
oh, man, I'm
getting tired, only two,
00:47:38.12\00:47:41.01
I've a lot a more to do
and I'm doing another one,
00:47:41.04\00:47:43.58
I don't know if I
can do this one or not.
00:47:43.61\00:47:45.74
Finally I make it to the
back, I come back thinking,
00:47:45.77\00:47:48.95
you know, maybe I'd
done enough for today
00:47:48.98\00:47:50.76
and then all of
a sudden, ah-hah,
00:47:50.79\00:47:53.21
I saw it, a
banana tree that big,
00:47:53.24\00:47:59.07
so I took my machete and I went
00:47:59.10\00:48:03.20
one flick of the
wrist and it was gone.
00:48:03.23\00:48:07.31
Bent down, picked it
up, put it in my pocket,
00:48:07.34\00:48:13.09
found another one, picked
it up, put it in my pocket,
00:48:13.12\00:48:17.92
another one, put
them in my pocket.
00:48:17.95\00:48:23.83
Pretty soon, my pockets
were full of banana trees.
00:48:23.86\00:48:27.64
I just walked to the back
of the lot, emptied my pockets.
00:48:27.67\00:48:32.81
See, it's a lot easier to
get them when they're that big
00:48:32.84\00:48:34.90
than when they're full grown.
00:48:34.93\00:48:38.26
And so the secret is when a bad
thought comes into your mind,
00:48:38.29\00:48:43.21
put it out
immediately, put it out.
00:48:43.24\00:48:48.13
Don't let it take root,
00:48:48.16\00:48:49.68
don't let it get to be a
big banana tree, put it out.
00:48:49.71\00:48:53.49
Learn how to
recognize the bad thoughts
00:48:53.52\00:48:55.76
by studying your Bible,
studying the word of God.
00:48:55.79\00:48:58.86
And then when a
bad thought comes in,
00:48:58.89\00:49:00.50
immediately
recognize it, put it out,
00:49:00.53\00:49:02.92
that's the secret
of the banana tree.
00:49:02.95\00:49:05.66
Don't let them take root and
they'll never result in action.
00:49:05.69\00:49:10.63
It'll change your
life, mental discipline.
00:49:10.66\00:49:16.55
A man had learned one
night at Revelation Now
00:49:16.58\00:49:20.50
that his body was a
temple of the Holy Spirit,
00:49:20.53\00:49:22.72
and he was smoker,
he says, "That's it,
00:49:22.75\00:49:25.48
I don't want to put anything
in my body that defiles it,
00:49:25.51\00:49:28.65
I want to keep
healthy and strong
00:49:28.68\00:49:30.27
so I can understand God and
what He's trying to say to me.
00:49:30.30\00:49:33.34
He is a farmer in Oklahoma
00:49:33.37\00:49:35.39
driving around a big
tractor around the field,
00:49:35.42\00:49:38.38
that day he said that's
it, I'm gonna quit smoking.
00:49:38.41\00:49:41.27
So he takes his
cigarettes out of his pocket,
00:49:41.30\00:49:43.73
and throws them
over his shoulder
00:49:43.76\00:49:45.88
and then turned around to
see where they hit in the dirt.
00:49:45.91\00:49:49.69
He's driving around, he said,
00:49:49.72\00:49:50.94
"I wonder how long
I'm gonna be able to go."
00:49:50.97\00:49:53.13
Then he goes around the field,
00:49:53.16\00:49:54.40
oh, man, I could just
have one more cigarette,
00:49:54.43\00:49:57.01
oh, it would just taste so
good if I could have one more.
00:49:57.04\00:50:00.07
Then he gets back to that
spot where he threw them out,
00:50:00.10\00:50:02.68
and he got off the tractor,
picked up the cigarettes
00:50:02.71\00:50:05.62
and he started smoking again.
00:50:05.65\00:50:07.27
And he's thinking, good
night, what's wrong with me?
00:50:07.30\00:50:10.80
I've gone longer
than that without smoking
00:50:10.83\00:50:12.48
not even trying to quit.
00:50:12.51\00:50:15.53
So he's disgusted with himself,
00:50:15.56\00:50:17.11
he throws them down
and buries them in the dirt
00:50:17.14\00:50:19.37
and he gets on the tractor,
goes round and round the field,
00:50:19.40\00:50:22.93
sun's getting right to
set, pulls into the barn,
00:50:22.96\00:50:25.82
goes to his house and
there's a big farm dinner,
00:50:25.85\00:50:29.91
his wife has spread
out on the table for him.
00:50:29.94\00:50:31.75
Oh, wow, it was so
good, his tummy is so full
00:50:31.78\00:50:34.79
before he knows it he is digging
around in his shirt pocket,
00:50:34.82\00:50:37.95
no cigarettes but
he wants a cigarette.
00:50:37.98\00:50:42.71
So he gets up and he
goes over to the drawer
00:50:42.74\00:50:44.72
where he keeps
them, no cigarettes,
00:50:44.75\00:50:47.06
his wife got rid of them all.
00:50:47.09\00:50:49.49
He goes running around looking
in the all the ash trays,
00:50:49.52\00:50:52.69
just a butt, that's
all I want, just a butt,
00:50:52.72\00:50:55.40
she emptied them all
and threw it all out.
00:50:55.43\00:50:58.57
But he did find a flash light.
00:50:58.60\00:51:03.43
So he goes out in the
field with a flash light
00:51:03.46\00:51:06.08
looking around in the dirt
00:51:06.11\00:51:08.00
kicking the clods around
till finally he found them.
00:51:08.03\00:51:11.56
Sat out there in the dirt clods,
00:51:11.59\00:51:12.99
smoked three
cigarettes in a row,
00:51:13.02\00:51:16.19
then he said,
"That's it, that's it,
00:51:16.22\00:51:19.13
I'm gonna quit smoking
00:51:19.16\00:51:22.21
and I'm not even gonna
think about it anymore."
00:51:22.24\00:51:25.60
As far as I know,
00:51:25.63\00:51:27.70
that was the last
cigarette he ever smoked.
00:51:27.73\00:51:30.79
Mental discipline.
00:51:30.82\00:51:34.62
Fix your mind on the
things of the spirit,
00:51:34.65\00:51:37.15
you do your part and
then God will do His part.
00:51:37.18\00:51:41.87
But what's God's part?
00:51:41.90\00:51:44.08
Romans 8:9, "You
however are not controlled
00:51:44.11\00:51:46.54
by the sinful
nature but by the spirit."
00:51:46.57\00:51:49.25
If the spirit of
God lives in you,"
00:51:49.28\00:51:52.38
verse 11, "And
if the spirit of him
00:51:52.41\00:51:53.86
who raised Jesus from
the dead is living in you,
00:51:53.89\00:51:57.56
then he who raised
Christ from the dead
00:51:57.59\00:52:00.43
will also give life
to your mortal bodies
00:52:00.46\00:52:02.76
through his
spirit who lives in you,
00:52:02.79\00:52:04.97
and if by the
spirit you put to death
00:52:05.00\00:52:06.74
amidst needs of the
body you will live."
00:52:06.77\00:52:09.01
The same spirit that raised
Jesus Christ from the dead
00:52:09.04\00:52:13.19
is willing to live in
you and empower you to live
00:52:13.22\00:52:17.11
and break the
habits that enslave
00:52:17.14\00:52:19.63
and destroy the
mind and the body.
00:52:19.66\00:52:21.90
You can be free,
you can be successful,
00:52:21.93\00:52:24.92
but it's the law
of the spirit of life
00:52:24.95\00:52:27.80
that enables God's spirit
to work in us and to empower us
00:52:27.83\00:52:33.52
to break those
shackles and to be free.
00:52:33.55\00:52:36.35
We do our part,
mental discipline,
00:52:36.38\00:52:39.15
fix your mind on the
spirit and God will do His part
00:52:39.18\00:52:43.05
and you can live
victoriously for Christ.
00:52:43.08\00:52:48.68
So why do I have
to do my part first,
00:52:48.71\00:52:50.42
why don't God do his
first, be a lot easier.
00:52:50.45\00:52:55.34
Well, God never forces,
00:52:55.37\00:52:58.33
the beast uses
force but not God.
00:52:58.36\00:53:01.41
And we demonstrate to God
00:53:01.44\00:53:03.62
that we're really
wanting to change us
00:53:03.65\00:53:06.25
by fixing our mind
on the things of God.
00:53:06.28\00:53:10.99
If we say oh, God, I
want to be a Christian,
00:53:11.02\00:53:12.87
I want to be saved but we
keep focusing our attention
00:53:12.90\00:53:15.95
watching
pornography on the internet
00:53:15.98\00:53:18.68
and watching all the bad things,
00:53:18.71\00:53:20.81
reading the bad,
we're really saying,
00:53:20.84\00:53:22.45
God I don't
really want to change.
00:53:22.48\00:53:25.67
We signal the
change by fixing our mind
00:53:25.70\00:53:28.34
on the things of the spirit.
00:53:28.37\00:53:30.17
You do your part, God does His.
00:53:30.20\00:53:32.79
And this closing
verse is so powerful,
00:53:32.82\00:53:35.16
I could have read
it at the beginning
00:53:35.19\00:53:37.05
and it would have
been the whole message.
00:53:37.08\00:53:38.96
So why didn't you do
that? No, I have more to say.
00:53:38.99\00:53:44.19
2 Corinthians 3:18,
"We who with unveiled faces
00:53:44.22\00:53:48.27
all behold the Lord's
glory are being transformed
00:53:48.30\00:53:51.49
into his likeness with
ever increasing glory."
00:53:51.52\00:53:54.41
By beholding Him, we become
transformed into His likeness.
00:53:54.44\00:53:59.42
Fix your minds on Jesus.
00:53:59.45\00:54:03.42
And you will do the
things of the spirit.
00:54:03.45\00:54:06.52
A friend of mine
who does what we do,
00:54:06.55\00:54:10.81
an evangelist, tells a story,
he didn't have the advantage,
00:54:10.84\00:54:15.04
I don't know if
it's advantage or not,
00:54:15.07\00:54:16.19
the opportunity
to be in the military
00:54:16.22\00:54:18.17
and to fly military jets
and he love flying though,
00:54:18.20\00:54:22.88
in all his life
he wanted to fly,
00:54:22.91\00:54:24.86
this was way back
in the Vietnam War,
00:54:24.89\00:54:26.73
when the F-4
Phantom jet, that was it,
00:54:26.76\00:54:29.17
I mean, that was it,
00:54:29.20\00:54:30.79
everybody want to
fly the F-4 Phantom.
00:54:30.82\00:54:33.74
He would love to have
a ride on a Phantom Jet
00:54:33.77\00:54:36.41
but he wasn't in the military.
00:54:36.44\00:54:38.52
No hope, well, one day he
was doing a seminar like this
00:54:38.55\00:54:42.24
and he
accidentally let it slip out
00:54:42.27\00:54:44.36
that he wished he could get
a ride on a F-4 Phantom jet,
00:54:44.39\00:54:48.40
afterwards a man
came up to him, he says,
00:54:48.43\00:54:50.20
"You really want
to ride a Phantom?
00:54:50.23\00:54:51.54
He said, "Yeah."
00:54:51.57\00:54:52.60
He says, "I'm a flight
instructor over the air base,
00:54:52.63\00:54:54.61
I can get you a ride. Oh,
man, he couldn't believe it.
00:54:54.64\00:54:58.72
So he went over and did a little
bit of quick emeregency training
00:54:58.75\00:55:01.95
and preparation and finally
the day came for him to ride
00:55:01.98\00:55:06.32
and he went over there
and they had him fixed up
00:55:06.35\00:55:08.04
in his flight suit
and helmet, oxygen mask,
00:55:08.07\00:55:12.41
oh, wow, fighter pilot, now
he's gonna ride in that Phantom,
00:55:12.44\00:55:16.94
so he climbed in the jet
and the pilot instructor,
00:55:16.97\00:55:19.73
"We have two rules for
you while we're flying.
00:55:19.76\00:55:23.06
Number one, the
microphones voice activated,
00:55:23.09\00:55:26.99
don't you say a word.
00:55:27.02\00:55:30.18
I don't care what's
happening, don't say a word."
00:55:30.21\00:55:34.08
Oh, I won't talk, I
won't talk, I promise.
00:55:34.11\00:55:37.11
"Number two, see that
stick between your knees?
00:55:37.14\00:55:41.09
Don't even think
about touching it,
00:55:41.12\00:55:44.44
that's for me, don't touch it."
00:55:44.47\00:55:47.37
I won't touch
it, I won't touch it.
00:55:47.40\00:55:48.68
Okay, so they take off,
happen to be formation flight,
00:55:48.71\00:55:52.82
another aircraft
off on the right,
00:55:52.85\00:55:54.76
he was leading
and they were flying
00:55:54.79\00:55:56.14
and my friend in
the back noticed say,
00:55:56.17\00:55:58.60
"Boy that pilot's always
looking out the side window
00:55:58.63\00:56:01.41
instead of the front?
00:56:01.44\00:56:02.48
He's looking at the wing
tip of the lead aircraft.
00:56:02.51\00:56:05.31
And every time,
they climbed, we climbed,
00:56:05.34\00:56:07.09
when they dove, and we dove,
00:56:07.12\00:56:08.36
when they did a
split S we did a split S
00:56:08.39\00:56:10.49
and everything they did we did.
00:56:10.52\00:56:12.40
The pilot was just
looking at the wing tip
00:56:12.43\00:56:14.44
on the other airplane.
00:56:14.47\00:56:16.75
Finally, they
finished the flight,
00:56:16.78\00:56:18.19
they were getting
ready to get back to land.
00:56:18.22\00:56:20.88
The pilot's still
looking out the side window.
00:56:20.91\00:56:24.26
My friend's looking at the
air base, he's right there.
00:56:24.29\00:56:27.93
and they're
getting closer and closer
00:56:27.96\00:56:29.86
and the pilot still
looking out the side.
00:56:29.89\00:56:33.31
And finally he
starts getting nervous.
00:56:33.34\00:56:37.81
And he can't hold it in anymore,
00:56:37.84\00:56:40.46
and he said, "I know
I'm not supposed to talk
00:56:40.49\00:56:43.33
but when you're gonna look up?"
00:56:43.36\00:56:48.66
Pilot looking out
of the side window,
00:56:48.69\00:56:52.53
the wing tip of
the other aircraft
00:56:52.56\00:56:55.08
he said, "When the wheels
touch the ground, be quiet."
00:56:55.11\00:57:02.82
Now he was probably
being a macho pilot,
00:57:02.85\00:57:06.91
I doubt if he landed it looking
out the side of the window.
00:57:06.94\00:57:12.88
But, folks, we're
headed into the kingdom,
00:57:12.91\00:57:17.73
don't look to the
right, don't look to the left,
00:57:22.11\00:57:26.63
don't look behind, just
look straight ahead at Jesus.
00:57:26.66\00:57:33.49
And don't move your eyes until
your wheels touch the ground.
00:57:36.22\00:57:42.63