I want to do
something a little different
00:00:30.83\00:00:32.69
that I normally do, I
want to read the Scripture,
00:00:32.73\00:00:35.76
but I want you to stand
with me to read the Scripture.
00:00:35.80\00:00:38.03
I've seen this
before, but it is a good reset
00:00:38.07\00:00:40.30
and I think it's a good
time to just take a breath
00:00:40.34\00:00:42.40
and reset - so
let's stand together.
00:00:42.44\00:00:44.17
We're going to read the
Scripture on the screen,
00:00:44.21\00:00:46.14
it's a wonderful one - it is the
declaration of the Apostle Paul,
00:00:46.17\00:00:52.51
and I'd like us to
read this together today
00:00:52.55\00:00:55.48
with some
wonderful conviction...
00:00:55.52\00:00:59.42
Are you ready?
00:00:59.45\00:01:01.76
Father in heaven,
As we open Your word
00:01:20.48\00:01:22.71
now we pray that You
will open our hearts to speak
00:01:22.74\00:01:25.55
to us today as to how we
can find that we can experience
00:01:25.58\00:01:31.15
this life that is
found only in Christ.
00:01:31.19\00:01:35.62
In Your precious
name we pray... Amen
00:01:36.86\00:01:40.43
You may be seated.
00:01:40.46\00:01:43.63
Most of you don't
even know it happened.
00:01:45.80\00:01:49.07
It happened July 29, 2006.
00:01:49.10\00:01:53.11
It was labeled the
greatest public works project in
00:01:54.34\00:01:58.95
U.S. history, but you
didn't even know it happened,
00:01:58.98\00:02:03.59
June 29, 2006.
00:02:04.92\00:02:08.59
From the day that
President Dwight D. Eisenhower
00:02:08.62\00:02:11.63
signed the "Federal-Aid
Highway Act" of 1956
00:02:11.66\00:02:15.66
the Interstate
System of America was born.
00:02:17.50\00:02:21.50
Now, I look around, some
of you could have been alive
00:02:21.64\00:02:24.84
during that time - I just want
to make it clear in the record,
00:02:24.87\00:02:28.11
I wasn't - can
you say Amen. Amen!
00:02:28.14\00:02:31.15
But the "Federal-Aid
Highway Act" of 1956
00:02:31.18\00:02:35.18
opened up in America something
called the "Interstate System."
00:02:36.18\00:02:41.99
We can simply modify it
by calling it "The I-System."
00:02:42.02\00:02:45.89
Every citizen has been
touched by it, if not directly
00:02:47.60\00:02:51.50
as a motorist, than
indirectly as a passenger.
00:02:51.53\00:02:55.50
Every item we buy has
been on the Interstate System
00:02:55.60\00:02:59.44
at one point or the
other and when I read the story
00:02:59.47\00:03:03.48
a few days ago, historians
all agree that the Interstate
00:03:04.48\00:03:08.48
is one of the most important
achievements in American history
00:03:09.05\00:03:13.05
and President Dwight
D. Eisenhower has been
00:03:13.66\00:03:17.66
credited by that invention.
00:03:18.23\00:03:21.10
He did not invent
it, he did not build it,
00:03:21.13\00:03:23.47
but he signed it into law
and as you travel around...
00:03:23.50\00:03:27.24
and I just discovered this
when, a number of years ago,
00:03:27.27\00:03:30.51
when Angie and I were driving
00:03:30.54\00:03:31.87
from Orlando, Florida to
live with the Heritage Singers
00:03:31.91\00:03:35.44
there in Northern California,
I didn't know about it,
00:03:35.48\00:03:37.35
but then it came to my
mind when we looked at the map
00:03:37.38\00:03:40.78
back then when we
used the Rand McNally Maps,
00:03:40.82\00:03:44.05
I discovered something
that I hadn't known until
00:03:44.09\00:03:47.22
I decided to
travel the Interstate.
00:03:47.26\00:03:49.69
Even numbers go from
east to west, odd numbers
00:03:49.72\00:03:53.73
go from north to south.
00:03:54.60\00:03:56.97
If you're in the
south, the lower numbers
00:03:57.00\00:03:58.93
are there - Highway 10
and the further north you go
00:03:58.97\00:04:01.30
the higher the
numbers get up to Highway 80,
00:04:01.34\00:04:04.21
and I don't know if there
is a 90, but I know that in the
00:04:04.24\00:04:07.41
far west is the
lowest one, Highway 5,
00:04:07.44\00:04:10.85
and in the far east is
Highway 95 which takes you
00:04:10.88\00:04:14.48
from north to south.
00:04:14.52\00:04:16.02
So you will know your
direction if you understand that
00:04:16.05\00:04:18.89
you are on an odd
number or an even number.
00:04:18.92\00:04:21.99
Today, when we enter
these super highways,
00:04:22.02\00:04:24.76
in our region,
you see I-64 or I-70,
00:04:24.79\00:04:29.30
but the point of
the story is this...
00:04:29.33\00:04:33.84
The interstate known as
the "I-Ways" will take you
00:04:33.87\00:04:39.14
where they are
designed to take you.
00:04:39.17\00:04:43.11
The interstate of human nature
or the I-Ways of human nature
00:04:43.75\00:04:47.75
will take us where they
are designed to take us.
00:04:47.85\00:04:51.85
Once we decide to
travel on the I-Ways or the
00:04:51.89\00:04:55.89
interstate of human nature,
we cannot change our direction
00:04:56.99\00:05:00.96
unless we get off
of the interstate.
00:05:01.96\00:05:05.37
This morning, I want to
talk about the interstate
00:05:05.40\00:05:09.07
of human nature... the
I-Ways of human nature,
00:05:09.10\00:05:12.14
and I want to thank
Gary Wills for being creative
00:05:12.17\00:05:14.94
in coming up
with this background.
00:05:14.98\00:05:17.98
The "I's" have it.
00:05:18.01\00:05:20.72
You see the plight of
humanity or, let me broaden it,
00:05:20.75\00:05:23.89
the plight of every one
of us can be summed up in
00:05:23.92\00:05:26.19
the following phrase...
00:05:26.22\00:05:27.76
"We are where we are
not because we failed
00:05:27.79\00:05:31.36
in our journey, but
because we were born to travel
00:05:31.39\00:05:35.40
in only one direction."
00:05:36.26\00:05:37.77
Every one of us was born to
travel in only one direction,
00:05:37.80\00:05:41.80
the direction of
the fallen human nature.
00:05:41.94\00:05:44.74
Every one of us was born on
the interstate of human nature.
00:05:44.77\00:05:48.68
We were born to go south,
the Lord wants us to go north.
00:05:51.38\00:05:53.48
We were born to go west,
the Lord wants us to go east.
00:05:55.82\00:05:59.82
Every one of us was born
with a predetermined direction
00:05:59.92\00:06:03.93
on the I-Ways of human nature...
00:06:04.53\00:06:07.80
That's why Jeremiah the prophet
asked the following question...
00:06:07.83\00:06:10.93
Notice Jeremiah 13
and let's use our Bibles.
00:06:10.97\00:06:13.87
We know it comes on
the screen, but we want you
00:06:13.90\00:06:15.54
to become familiar
with the Bible in how we can
00:06:15.57\00:06:18.04
use the word of God together,
let's look at the word of God.
00:06:18.07\00:06:21.94
Jeremiah the prophet
asked a very important question,
00:06:21.98\00:06:25.55
and it is about the
direction of the human nature.
00:06:25.58\00:06:29.58
He asks... "Can the
Ethiopian change his skin,"
00:06:30.39\00:06:34.36
and what is the answer?
00:06:36.02\00:06:37.93
Come on talk to
me, what is the answer?
00:06:37.96\00:06:39.29
The answer is "no."
00:06:39.33\00:06:40.83
Or the leopard his
spots? What's the answer? "No"
00:06:40.86\00:06:42.90
Then may you also do good
who are accustomed to do evil?
00:06:43.87\00:06:47.87
And the answer is what? No.
00:06:49.74\00:06:51.37
Every one of us was
born on interstate of evil,
00:06:51.41\00:06:55.38
the interstate of human
nature where we are incapable
00:06:56.91\00:07:00.88
of changing our skin
color, where the leopard is
00:07:00.92\00:07:04.92
impossibly locked in the
battle of changing his spots.
00:07:05.25\00:07:08.82
We cannot change, we
are incapable of change.
00:07:08.86\00:07:12.86
And when I think about that,
the thing that really gets me,
00:07:13.93\00:07:16.80
we think about the
journeys of life...
00:07:16.83\00:07:18.23
You know many of the
journeys that we set in life
00:07:18.27\00:07:20.50
having nothing to do eternity.
00:07:20.54\00:07:22.30
Many of the decisions
we make having nothing
00:07:22.34\00:07:24.57
to do with eternity.
00:07:24.61\00:07:25.94
Almost every decision
we make, as we grow up,
00:07:25.97\00:07:28.81
has nothing to do with
eternity - think about that.
00:07:28.84\00:07:32.85
We have guidance counselors
for educational goals;
00:07:33.75\00:07:36.25
we have financial
counselors for investment goals;
00:07:36.28\00:07:39.29
we have realtors
for real estate goals,
00:07:39.32\00:07:41.72
but most of the decisions
we make, even as Christians,
00:07:41.76\00:07:45.19
have really nothing to do with
eternity and most of our focus
00:07:45.23\00:07:48.30
is what we're
going to do down here...
00:07:48.33\00:07:50.30
But, the supreme goal of
life is not making a mark
00:07:50.33\00:07:55.94
in this world - the
supreme goal of life
00:07:55.97\00:07:59.07
ought to be getting
ready for the world to come,
00:07:59.11\00:08:01.61
what do you say?
00:08:01.64\00:08:02.98
That's the supreme goal.
00:08:03.01\00:08:04.45
If you think about
it, there is no other goal
00:08:04.48\00:08:08.45
of greater importance than
the supreme goal of getting
00:08:08.48\00:08:14.06
ready for the world to come
00:08:14.09\00:08:17.16
But to me, it seems like an odd
thing because Adam's nature only
00:08:17.19\00:08:21.16
has one destination...
00:08:22.46\00:08:24.23
Just the first part
of 1 Corinthians 15:22,
00:08:24.27\00:08:27.74
the Bible says, "For as in
Adam, all die," and when you
00:08:27.77\00:08:31.77
think about the journey
that we are all born on,
00:08:33.98\00:08:37.48
it is a journey to death.
00:08:37.51\00:08:39.78
None of us could change
that direction by our efforts,
00:08:39.81\00:08:43.52
by our actions, by our
skill, by our education,
00:08:43.55\00:08:48.69
by our ability...
none of us could change
00:08:48.72\00:08:51.36
that direction because
Adam's nature binds us to our
00:08:51.39\00:08:55.36
destination.
00:08:56.23\00:08:58.33
We are hopelessly
locked in where we're headed
00:08:58.37\00:09:03.41
because of Adam's nature.
00:09:03.47\00:09:06.51
This has become a
subject of my concentration
00:09:07.58\00:09:10.65
and you might have noticed that
for one very important reason...
00:09:10.68\00:09:15.95
After pastoring 30 years
and being married 33 years,
00:09:15.98\00:09:20.96
I've come up to the great
realization and I want to say
00:09:21.62\00:09:25.29
this - I've come up to great
realization that you can pastor
00:09:25.33\00:09:29.33
for 60 years, but if making
heaven is not your supreme
00:09:29.93\00:09:35.54
goal, if becoming more like
Jesus is not your supreme goal,
00:09:35.60\00:09:39.67
then you've got a great career,
but you don't have eternity.
00:09:39.81\00:09:43.81
And so we have a new
saying now, Angie and I,
00:09:44.81\00:09:47.78
we have this new saying
together - "We are living
00:09:47.82\00:09:51.82
with eternity in view,
living with eternity in view.
00:09:51.95\00:09:57.46
And I want to
tell you this morning,
00:09:57.49\00:09:58.83
and I hope this
becomes a focus in your life...
00:09:58.86\00:10:01.46
It is not worth
allowing anything in this life
00:10:01.50\00:10:05.50
whether good or
bad, failure or success,
00:10:06.60\00:10:10.61
whether what has held
you or what is holding you,
00:10:10.71\00:10:13.64
it is not sensible to
allow anything in this world
00:10:13.68\00:10:17.51
to allow us to miss out
on the blessings that God
00:10:17.55\00:10:21.55
has prepared for every one of
us and the lights said "Amen."
00:10:21.75\00:10:25.75
Adam binds us to bad habits,
produces within us evil desires.
00:10:34.40\00:10:38.40
Adam's nature shackles us
to immorality, a selfish mind,
00:10:39.80\00:10:43.81
it buries us in self-interests,
and so where we are
00:10:45.17\00:10:49.18
is not by coincidence...
00:10:49.61\00:10:51.71
Every one of us is born,
every of us is born on the
00:10:51.75\00:10:55.75
interstate to failure,
to darkness, to habits,
00:10:56.35\00:11:00.16
to disease, to darkness.
00:11:00.19\00:11:03.16
Every one of us is born
there, but God's love for us
00:11:03.19\00:11:07.20
has made it possible
that none of us need to stay
00:11:07.23\00:11:11.13
on the highway or the
interstate or the I-Way
00:11:11.17\00:11:14.67
of failure by Christ, every
one of us can find freedom.
00:11:14.70\00:11:18.71
Until we are born again, we
can only go as far as Adam's
00:11:21.38\00:11:27.85
interstate allows us to travel.
00:11:27.88\00:11:31.12
Until we're born
again, we cannot get off of
00:11:31.15\00:11:34.02
Adam's interstate.
00:11:34.06\00:11:37.06
That's why Jesus said
what He did in John 3:7...
00:11:37.09\00:11:41.06
The hopeless of our
nature is revealed through the
00:11:42.63\00:11:46.27
following words of Jesus
and notice what He said...
00:11:46.30\00:11:49.17
To the Christian, He
says, "Do not marvel that I
00:11:49.20\00:11:53.21
say to you... let's read
the last part together...
00:11:54.48\00:11:57.45
you what? Must be born again."
00:11:57.48\00:12:02.62
Jesus is looking at a grown
tax collector named "Nicodemus,"
00:12:02.65\00:12:06.65
a grown man,
highly accomplished,
00:12:06.69\00:12:10.69
status in society,
established in his community.
00:12:11.16\00:12:15.16
A grown man by the
name of "Nicodemus"
00:12:16.63\00:12:19.30
who comes to Jesus by night...
and I gotta pause and say
00:12:19.33\00:12:22.64
something there...
it's better to come to Jesus
00:12:22.67\00:12:24.87
by night than not to
come to Jesus at all.
00:12:24.91\00:12:28.88
He came to Jesus by night
in the darkness of his life,
00:12:29.01\00:12:32.11
afraid to allow the other
publicans and tax collectors
00:12:32.15\00:12:36.15
seeing him come in
contact with Jesus,
00:12:37.72\00:12:40.46
he came to Jesus by night and
Jesus made it very clear to him
00:12:40.49\00:12:43.89
that all of his accomplishments
in life have brought him
00:12:43.93\00:12:46.93
nothing but failure if he
stays on the interstate of self,
00:12:46.96\00:12:50.97
the I-Ways of Adam.
00:12:52.07\00:12:55.27
In other words, Nicodemus I
realize how long it is taking
00:12:55.30\00:12:58.54
you to get to this point
in life, but to do further
00:12:58.57\00:13:01.24
you've got to
start all over again.
00:13:01.28\00:13:04.18
Now, can I pause
and say something?
00:13:04.21\00:13:07.92
I believe - and this
is a statement of faith,
00:13:08.38\00:13:12.35
I believe that if we
really understood, by faith,
00:13:14.39\00:13:19.59
what awaits us when
Jesus comes, we would be more
00:13:19.66\00:13:24.83
determined and more
excited about getting ready
00:13:26.23\00:13:30.24
for the coming of Jesus.
00:13:30.37\00:13:32.44
If we only knew...
if we only took the time
00:13:32.47\00:13:34.98
to inquire and
although nobody has seen it,
00:13:35.01\00:13:39.01
there's enough
information that you can read
00:13:39.45\00:13:41.18
to get you excited to
sever this world and get ready
00:13:41.22\00:13:44.09
for the world to come
and if you travel at all,
00:13:44.12\00:13:47.36
if you've gone anywhere,
even if all you've gone
00:13:47.39\00:13:49.39
is to Carbondale, I can
tell you today, there's nothing
00:13:49.42\00:13:53.33
in Carbondale... Cindy, I'm
not talking about you and Jay,
00:13:53.36\00:13:56.90
laughter... but
there's nothing in Carbondale,
00:13:56.93\00:13:59.30
there's nothing in New
York, there's nothing in Paris,
00:13:59.33\00:14:01.60
there's nothing in
Europe, there's nothing in Asia,
00:14:01.64\00:14:04.11
there's nothing on this planet
worth giving up eternity for.
00:14:04.14\00:14:10.48
And Jesus said to
Nicodemus, in verse 6 of John 3,
00:14:10.51\00:14:14.68
"You gotta start all
over, Nicodemus, because that
00:14:17.95\00:14:20.62
which is born of the
flesh is flesh and that which is
00:14:20.66\00:14:24.63
born of the Spirit is spirit."
00:14:25.13\00:14:28.66
You see, we are where we
are because of who we were,
00:14:28.70\00:14:32.70
but we will only be
where we can be because of who
00:14:32.97\00:14:36.97
we've become.
00:14:37.44\00:14:39.11
I know where I was,
but I want to be someone
00:14:39.14\00:14:42.04
different than who I was.
00:14:42.08\00:14:44.45
I want to be somewhere
different than where I was.
00:14:44.48\00:14:47.02
And when I read in the Bible...
we've got the practice every day
00:14:47.05\00:14:50.35
when we wake up in the morning,
we reach right away for a
00:14:50.39\00:14:54.02
devotion and then we read
our Bible later on in the day,
00:14:54.06\00:14:57.56
we don't go to bed at night
without reading our Bibles...
00:14:57.59\00:15:00.26
And you know what it has
done in our lives, in our home,
00:15:00.30\00:15:02.80
it has awakened a thirst and
a joy for reading God's word.
00:15:02.83\00:15:06.84
And what's so nice about
that is you cannot understand
00:15:07.74\00:15:11.14
how victorious you can be
unless you read in God's word
00:15:11.17\00:15:14.78
the victories that He
brought to His people in the
00:15:14.81\00:15:18.35
Old Testament and
in the New Testament...
00:15:18.38\00:15:21.55
And I believe one of
the reasons why we have...
00:15:21.58\00:15:23.52
There's a song I sing
called, "There is a Way,"
00:15:23.55\00:15:26.32
you know sometimes we become
friends with our own personal
00:15:26.35\00:15:29.46
cloud and we carry it with us.
00:15:29.49\00:15:32.46
Rather than looking
beyond the cloud and realizing
00:15:32.49\00:15:35.46
even on a day like today
the sun is still shinning.
00:15:35.50\00:15:39.50
Don't get caught
up in the clouds,
00:15:40.57\00:15:43.17
the Sun of
righteousness shines 24/7.
00:15:43.20\00:15:47.18
So it may not look
like a cheerful day,
00:15:49.14\00:15:51.98
it may look like an overcast
day, but it's only overcast
00:15:52.01\00:15:55.48
if you fail to realize that on
the other side of these clouds
00:15:55.52\00:15:59.52
there is a silver lining and
He is the Sun of righteousness,
00:16:00.26\00:16:04.23
and His name is Jesus.
00:16:06.29\00:16:09.96
But I want to ask a
couple of questions...
00:16:10.00\00:16:12.50
I don't normally ask
questions in the sermon because
00:16:12.53\00:16:14.94
that usually requires an answer,
these are rhetorical questions.
00:16:14.97\00:16:18.61
No answers required,
but just to think about it.
00:16:18.64\00:16:21.14
How do we become
who we need to become
00:16:21.18\00:16:25.05
to get where we can be?
00:16:25.08\00:16:27.02
And I follow that
with a second question...
00:16:27.05\00:16:30.29
What did Jesus do to
get where He needed to be?
00:16:30.32\00:16:34.32
Open your Bibles to
John 19, look with me.
00:16:35.52\00:16:38.39
What did Jesus do to
get where He needed to be?
00:16:38.43\00:16:42.40
That sounds like
an odd statement,
00:16:43.13\00:16:44.57
"to get where Jesus
needed to be? Isn't He Jesus?
00:16:44.60\00:16:48.20
When He came to the earth,
He took on the nature of Adam.
00:16:48.24\00:16:50.64
He took on the same human
flesh that every one of us has.
00:16:50.67\00:16:54.68
He became subject to
the very same temptations
00:16:55.78\00:16:59.01
that every one of us is
subject to, but praise God
00:16:59.05\00:17:02.68
He never allowed
those temptations
00:17:02.72\00:17:04.39
to cause Him to sin.
00:17:04.42\00:17:05.75
But still in His nature,
in the nature of fallen Adam,
00:17:05.79\00:17:10.93
there was something that Jesus
had to do to get to the other
00:17:10.96\00:17:15.03
side of the journey,
here it is in John 19:17-18...
00:17:15.83\00:17:22.57
And the Bible says...
00:17:22.60\00:17:27.14
What did Jesus do to
get where He needed to be?
00:17:49.70\00:17:53.70
Jesus knew that to
get where He needed to be,
00:17:53.77\00:17:57.31
He had to carry His cross.
00:17:57.34\00:18:01.34
He had to carry His cross
to the place of His crucifixion
00:18:03.58\00:18:07.58
He had to carry the cross.
00:18:08.45\00:18:10.12
He didn't want
to carry the cross.
00:18:10.15\00:18:12.19
He said, "Father, if it is Thy
will, let this cup pass from Me.
00:18:12.22\00:18:15.42
He didn't desire
to carry the cross;
00:18:15.46\00:18:17.33
human nature never
desires to carry the cross...
00:18:17.36\00:18:20.80
And so in its frailty,
in the Adam nature, He said,
00:18:20.83\00:18:24.13
"Father, if it is Thy
will, let this cup pass from Me,
00:18:24.17\00:18:27.47
but not My will
but Thine be done."
00:18:27.50\00:18:30.14
You see, the reality is...
many Christians identify with
00:18:30.17\00:18:33.38
the Jesus that
rose victoriously.
00:18:33.41\00:18:35.48
We like to say, "Jesus was
victorious," can you say "Amen."
00:18:35.51\00:18:39.51
He is victorious!
He was victorious!
00:18:40.02\00:18:43.22
Where I'm headed today
is... while we like to identify
00:18:43.25\00:18:47.22
with the Jesus of victory,
very few are willing to walk
00:18:47.66\00:18:51.13
the road with the
Jesus that was crucified.
00:18:51.16\00:18:54.90
You see, there's an element of
00:18:54.93\00:18:56.26
Christianity
that seems to be odd.
00:18:56.30\00:18:57.63
There is an element
of Christianity that
00:18:57.67\00:18:59.53
seems to be odd.
00:18:59.57\00:19:01.47
There seems to be an
underestimation of the
00:19:01.50\00:19:05.47
Christian value.
00:19:05.81\00:19:07.68
There seems to be a
dumbing down of the benefits
00:19:07.71\00:19:11.25
of Christianity.
00:19:11.28\00:19:13.18
Follow me for a moment...
00:19:13.21\00:19:16.92
Allow me to explain it in the
context of a basketball player.
00:19:16.95\00:19:20.96
You know, I was
explaining in the context of a
00:19:21.56\00:19:23.73
football player, but as I
was telling my wife about the
00:19:23.76\00:19:26.39
sermon, she said,
"Now do we watch football?"
00:19:26.43\00:19:28.56
I said, "No," she
said, "Then talk about
00:19:28.60\00:19:30.03
basketball."
00:19:30.07\00:19:31.40
She said, "We never watch
the Super Bowl, so why talking
00:19:31.43\00:19:35.44
about football,
talk about basketball."
00:19:35.70\00:19:37.31
So if you wanted me
to use the illustration
00:19:37.34\00:19:39.74
of football, my
wife changed that.
00:19:39.77\00:19:41.14
Let's consider the
context of the Christian life
00:19:41.18\00:19:43.61
in the life of a basketball
player and let me preface it by
00:19:43.65\00:19:49.18
simply saying...
When you understand the
00:19:49.22\00:19:52.39
value of the
victory, there are changes,
00:19:52.42\00:19:55.82
there are
patterns, there are regimens
00:19:55.86\00:19:58.43
that take place in your
life because of the focus
00:19:58.46\00:20:02.46
that you now have.
00:20:03.40\00:20:04.73
Notice carefully...
Consider the basketball player.
00:20:04.77\00:20:08.54
He lays it all on the
line just to win - does he not?
00:20:08.57\00:20:12.57
He studies with intensity to
discover the secrets of victory.
00:20:13.78\00:20:17.75
He studies the
team he is up against.
00:20:18.65\00:20:21.28
He studies the
players that he's up against.
00:20:21.32\00:20:24.59
He studies the strategies.
00:20:24.62\00:20:26.12
He looks through the
video tapes to determine
00:20:26.15\00:20:28.42
how to defeat those who
are going to be the opponent
00:20:28.46\00:20:31.53
in the next game or the
next series or the championship.
00:20:31.56\00:20:35.00
He spends time studying.
00:20:35.03\00:20:37.07
He lays his life on the line.
00:20:37.10\00:20:39.50
He conditions
his body to withstand
00:20:39.53\00:20:41.94
the demands of the battle.
00:20:41.97\00:20:43.61
He conditions
himself, he doesn't take his
00:20:43.64\00:20:47.48
day-to-day for granted.
00:20:47.51\00:20:49.18
He lives a life of
daily conditioning.
00:20:49.21\00:20:52.91
He meditates to remove any
doubt that he can win the game.
00:20:52.95\00:20:56.95
He meditates to remove any
doubt that he can win the game.
00:21:01.82\00:21:09.16
And finally, he refuses
to entertain the thought
00:21:09.20\00:21:13.07
of defeat.
00:21:14.47\00:21:16.30
But look at 1 Corinthians 9:25,
this puts it all into context.
00:21:16.34\00:21:22.34
1 Corinthians
9:25, look at it...
00:21:22.38\00:21:25.08
He does all that
and the Apostle Paul,
00:21:25.11\00:21:28.15
considering the athlete
says, "And everyone who competes
00:21:28.18\00:21:32.15
for the prize is
temperate in how many things?
00:21:32.82\00:21:36.02
All things... but get this...
00:21:36.06\00:21:40.06
They do it to
obtain a perishable crown,
00:21:40.20\00:21:44.20
but we for what kind of
crown? An imperishable."
00:21:44.83\00:21:48.37
In other words, they
will do all of these things,
00:21:48.40\00:21:52.37
they govern their
lives, they create regimens
00:21:52.77\00:21:56.75
in their lives, they create
discipline in their lives,
00:21:56.78\00:22:00.22
and they do ALL THAT
just to win a gold or a trophy
00:22:00.25\00:22:04.22
or a medal or a
championship that only lasts
00:22:04.99\00:22:08.92
for one year at best.
00:22:08.96\00:22:11.39
They do all that and they
put themselves in subjection
00:22:11.43\00:22:14.50
of study and meditation
and physical conditioning,
00:22:14.53\00:22:17.33
and they refuse to
entertain the thought of defeat.
00:22:17.37\00:22:19.83
They do ALL that
just to become victorious
00:22:19.87\00:22:23.14
for a perishable crown.
00:22:23.17\00:22:27.18
Paul says... and
I'm going to add this,
00:22:27.98\00:22:31.98
I believe this is what he meant,
I didn't see it in the verse,
00:22:32.91\00:22:36.28
but I believe
this is what he meant.
00:22:36.32\00:22:37.65
I believe he meant that if
an athlete is willing to do
00:22:37.69\00:22:40.86
anything that he must do to win,
00:22:40.89\00:22:43.53
we should be willing to do
anything that we must do to win.
00:22:43.56\00:22:47.56
We should never entertain
the idea that we are going to be
00:22:50.50\00:22:53.40
defeated somewhere or
that defeat is imminent.
00:22:53.44\00:22:55.57
If the athlete does that
just for his name to shine
00:22:55.60\00:22:59.44
in the light... and
you've seen it, you've seen the
00:22:59.47\00:23:01.11
championship games -
you may have seen one or two
00:23:01.14\00:23:04.21
or you may have
heard about one or two.
00:23:04.25\00:23:05.95
When the championship
team wins, they have a gigantic
00:23:05.98\00:23:09.15
celebration, all the confetti
and everybody is cheering
00:23:09.18\00:23:12.29
on one side, except those
who supported the other team,
00:23:12.32\00:23:15.99
breaking champagne and
they're jumping up and down
00:23:16.02\00:23:19.06
and cheering to get their caps
and they have the celebration
00:23:19.09\00:23:22.50
that seems to go on
and on for about a week,
00:23:22.53\00:23:25.20
and then everybody forgets it.
00:23:25.23\00:23:28.50
And they get you
fired up on the commercials,
00:23:28.54\00:23:31.01
buy the championship
trophy or the championship
00:23:31.04\00:23:33.48
basketball or the
championship cap or the jersey.
00:23:33.51\00:23:36.88
And millions of dollars flow
from our pockets to the venders
00:23:36.91\00:23:40.15
just because we want to identify
with the championship team,
00:23:40.18\00:23:44.19
but on the other side of that,
God doesn't ask for a penny
00:23:45.02\00:23:49.02
out of our pockets to identify
with the victorious Jesus.
00:23:49.72\00:23:53.66
Come on somebody!
00:23:53.70\00:23:56.36
But he does say that
there ought to be some kind of
00:23:56.40\00:24:00.40
discipline in our lives when
we know that we are in the final
00:24:01.00\00:24:05.31
stages of the competition
that the battle is intensifying,
00:24:05.34\00:24:09.61
that the enemy or
the opponent is doing
00:24:09.64\00:24:12.61
all he can to defeat us.
00:24:12.68\00:24:16.55
There ought to be
some determination in us.
00:24:16.58\00:24:19.92
Let me read this...
I sent this to somebody
00:24:19.95\00:24:22.56
yesterday...
"Nothing so humiliates Satan
00:24:22.59\00:24:28.20
as to lose one soul whom
he has counted as his own.
00:24:28.23\00:24:34.07
To have that soul flee to Christ
for refuge and lay hold of His
00:24:34.10\00:24:40.28
righteousness causes
Satan humiliation and then he
00:24:41.61\00:24:45.61
doubles his efforts to regain
the mastery over those who are
00:24:46.88\00:24:52.42
standing under the
banner of Jesus Christ.
00:24:52.45\00:24:55.29
Have you been delivered?
If you have been, say "Amen."
00:24:55.32\00:24:57.36
Amen!
00:24:57.43\00:24:59.16
Has the devil
attacked you since then? Yes,
00:24:59.19\00:25:02.20
Any time - the moment
you leave church or I might
00:25:02.26\00:25:08.97
even say - even in church.
00:25:09.00\00:25:10.71
Sometimes you're thinking about
the victory and the devil is
00:25:10.74\00:25:14.78
messing with your thoughts;
he has entered your mind;
00:25:14.81\00:25:18.81
you come to worship, but
you can't come to worship
00:25:18.95\00:25:22.42
because the devil is
reminding you of the PAST!
00:25:22.45\00:25:25.42
The failures, the defeats, the
things you have fallen short on.
00:25:25.45\00:25:29.46
But I want to tell you today,
he can remind us of all he
00:25:30.16\00:25:34.10
wants, but I've got my
mind FIXED on eternity!
00:25:34.13\00:25:38.13
I'm telling you today,
I can't get there for you,
00:25:39.33\00:25:43.37
you can't get there for
me, but we've got to make up
00:25:43.41\00:25:47.44
our minds that no
matter who the opponent is,
00:25:47.48\00:25:50.05
or how intense he increases
his ability to try to defeat us,
00:25:50.08\00:25:57.52
we've got a God on
our side whom the devil
00:25:57.59\00:26:00.86
can never defeat,
come on somebody! Amen!
00:26:00.89\00:26:04.86
And anytime the
championship game begins,
00:26:05.29\00:26:07.73
we ought to be like the players.
00:26:07.76\00:26:09.93
I've seen these guys,
I've looked at some of these
00:26:09.96\00:26:11.77
guys and I gotta
include all the sports here,
00:26:11.80\00:26:14.50
but when these superathletes,
00:26:14.54\00:26:16.91
you gotta be good to get
to the championship level...
00:26:16.94\00:26:19.21
When these superathletes
enter the arena of the
00:26:19.24\00:26:22.28
final competition, there are
certain things that they know
00:26:22.31\00:26:25.71
in their minds that
drives them, that pushes them...
00:26:25.75\00:26:29.75
They get injured but they don't
care about the injury because
00:26:30.29\00:26:32.29
their determination
is to win not to fail,
00:26:32.32\00:26:36.32
and I'm going to tell
you, if all you thing about
00:26:36.56\00:26:38.53
is yourself, you will fail,
00:26:38.56\00:26:40.53
but if you focus on
Jesus, you will win. Amen!
00:26:40.56\00:26:43.73
If all you think about is
what I can't do, how I feel,
00:26:43.77\00:26:46.84
where I've been, what
I've done, what happened to me,
00:26:46.87\00:26:49.27
you are on the Interstate of I.
00:26:49.30\00:26:53.31
Gotta get off
the Interstate of I.
00:26:55.41\00:26:57.31
When the game begins, when
the championship game begins,
00:26:57.35\00:27:01.22
whether it's the 7th game
in basketball or the Super Bowl
00:27:01.25\00:27:04.75
which is only one
game, every player knows
00:27:04.79\00:27:08.12
that there is a trophy waiting
for the winning team to claim.
00:27:08.16\00:27:12.16
I'm going to tell you this
morning - you may not know it,
00:27:12.59\00:27:14.83
but there's a crown waiting
for every one of us to claim.
00:27:14.86\00:27:18.83
They also know that
there's a cap with the word
00:27:18.90\00:27:21.44
"champion" embroidered on that.
00:27:21.47\00:27:23.51
Do you know that
when the game begins,
00:27:23.54\00:27:25.77
in this locker room,
there's a whole box of
00:27:25.81\00:27:28.11
caps that says, "This
team wins," and in the other
00:27:28.14\00:27:30.98
locker room, there's a
whole box of caps that says,
00:27:31.01\00:27:33.11
"That team wins."
00:27:33.15\00:27:34.48
You can only put
the cap on if you win.
00:27:34.52\00:27:38.19
And merchants invest thousands,
maybe hundreds of thousands
00:27:42.82\00:27:46.80
of dollars into
creating paraphernalia hoping
00:27:47.56\00:27:51.30
that that team might win when
00:27:51.33\00:27:55.30
it turns out
that that team wins.
00:27:56.44\00:27:59.57
I want to tell you today,
when God sent His Son Jesus,
00:27:59.61\00:28:03.61
hear me carefully...
when God sent His Son Jesus,
00:28:04.38\00:28:08.38
He did not invest millions,
He invested everything in our
00:28:08.75\00:28:12.75
victory. Amen!
00:28:13.52\00:28:15.09
And He didn't send Jesus
hoping that Jesus might win,
00:28:17.23\00:28:21.23
He sent Jesus and
He stayed with Him,
00:28:22.36\00:28:26.33
and as long as Jesus
was determined to do the
00:28:26.37\00:28:29.17
Father's will, He
would come out victorious.
00:28:29.20\00:28:32.81
That's why the victory
never comes before the cross.
00:28:32.84\00:28:36.28
The cross always
comes before the victory.
00:28:36.31\00:28:39.38
The cross always
comes before the victory.
00:28:39.41\00:28:43.02
Look at Luke 9:23- we've got
to be willing to carry the cross
00:28:43.05\00:28:47.02
before we
experience the victory.
00:28:47.79\00:28:51.16
We've got to be
willing to carry the cross
00:28:51.19\00:28:53.66
before we
experience the victory.
00:28:54.06\00:28:57.30
Notice Luke 9:23, "And
Jesus said to them all...
00:28:57.33\00:29:01.34
And there's a word I'm going
to highlight that we've been
00:29:03.44\00:29:07.14
talking about from week-to-week,
He says, "If anyone,
00:29:07.18\00:29:10.15
what is the next word?
"Desires" to come after Me,
00:29:10.18\00:29:14.15
let him do what?
"Deny" himself and take
00:29:14.28\00:29:18.25
up his cross - how
often? "Daily" and follow Me."
00:29:18.45\00:29:22.46
We'll never know the power
of the cross until we experience
00:29:22.62\00:29:25.76
the death of the cross.
00:29:25.79\00:29:27.43
You'll never know the power
until you go through the death.
00:29:27.46\00:29:30.70
Jesus didn't say - "All power
is given to Me" until He went
00:29:30.73\00:29:34.70
into the tomb and
then rose on the third day.
00:29:34.80\00:29:37.97
He didn't bypass the
cross, He went through the cross
00:29:38.01\00:29:41.11
into the tomb, then
into eternal victory.
00:29:41.14\00:29:44.35
Notice what the Bible says and
this is a very encouraging text.
00:29:44.38\00:29:48.38
Romans 6:5-6, "For if we
have been united together in the
00:29:48.55\00:29:52.55
likeness of His what?
"Death," what is the very
00:29:54.49\00:29:57.36
next word? What
is the next word?
00:29:57.39\00:30:00.10
Certainly not maybe,
certainly we also shall be
00:30:00.13\00:30:04.13
in the likeness of
His what? "Resurrection."
00:30:05.17\00:30:08.57
In other words, before I go
to verse 6, if you're willing
00:30:08.60\00:30:11.27
to enter the death of
Christ, you will emerge
00:30:11.31\00:30:15.31
in the life of Christ.
00:30:16.68\00:30:19.41
If you enter the... if
you put yourself to death,
00:30:19.45\00:30:22.88
only then will you understand
the victory and the power of
00:30:22.92\00:30:26.92
the cross - you can't
find it any other way.
00:30:27.96\00:30:31.46
You can't find it
any... you could try to find it
00:30:31.49\00:30:34.33
in all kinds of
combinations or equations,
00:30:34.36\00:30:38.37
but you can't find
the power anyplace else,
00:30:38.83\00:30:41.97
but through the grave,
out of the tomb into victory,
00:30:42.00\00:30:46.01
and it all begins on
your own "Skull Hill,"
00:30:46.17\00:30:50.18
your own "Golgotha
Hill," you've got a cross.
00:30:50.58\00:30:53.62
And before I read verse
6, I want to say this...
00:30:53.65\00:30:56.82
You know, at times,
there's a severe disservice we
00:30:56.85\00:31:00.16
do to the phrase "the cross."
00:31:00.19\00:31:01.66
People think that "the
cross" means "you got burdens,"
00:31:01.69\00:31:04.66
that's not what the cross means.
00:31:04.69\00:31:06.56
Burdens are not the cross.
00:31:06.59\00:31:09.76
Hardship in life
is not the cross.
00:31:09.80\00:31:12.93
People say, "Oh I
got my cross to bear."
00:31:12.97\00:31:15.04
That's not a cross.
00:31:15.07\00:31:16.40
The cross in the Bible
means "self-sacrifice."
00:31:16.44\00:31:20.28
Putting self to
death... Jesus didn't say,
00:31:21.21\00:31:25.11
"Oh man, it's so
hard living in Nazareth."
00:31:25.15\00:31:29.15
Jesus didn't say, "The
Pharisees are making me sick."
00:31:31.99\00:31:35.99
Jesus was born with the fact
that the cross is before Him,
00:31:37.86\00:31:41.86
and everything around Him
was subject to the journey,
00:31:42.73\00:31:45.93
and then the destiny.
00:31:45.97\00:31:47.60
You see, if we get rid of all
the little irritations of life,
00:31:47.64\00:31:51.64
and this is what the
life is, He said, Jesus said,
00:31:52.07\00:31:54.54
"In this world you
will have tribulation."
00:31:54.58\00:31:57.08
Do you have tribulation? Yes!
00:31:57.11\00:31:59.18
That's the part,
that's this life,
00:31:59.21\00:32:00.98
that's just what happens here.
00:32:01.02\00:32:02.45
It's going to happen, we
are in enemy's territory,
00:32:02.48\00:32:05.19
he doesn't like us.
00:32:05.22\00:32:06.55
But the cross He talks
about is not the difficulty
00:32:06.59\00:32:10.59
you face on
Monday to Thursday...
00:32:10.89\00:32:12.46
The cross He talks about
is... Are you willing to be so
00:32:12.49\00:32:16.00
dead to self... This is deep.
00:32:16.03\00:32:17.97
Are you so willing to be
dead to self - that when an
00:32:18.00\00:32:20.97
offence comes you way,
it doesn't change your focus
00:32:21.00\00:32:25.01
about eternity.
00:32:26.51\00:32:28.14
Because you know the
devil will irritate you if he
00:32:30.25\00:32:33.45
could change your focus about
eternity and when he irritates
00:32:33.48\00:32:36.22
you and you lose your focus,
you forget about eternity,
00:32:36.25\00:32:39.19
and you go back to your
mirror and there you are
00:32:39.22\00:32:41.06
"I" back to yourself...
that's the real battle.
00:32:41.09\00:32:45.09
That's why He says in
verse 6, "Knowing this,
00:32:45.73\00:32:49.23
that our old man
was crucified with Him.
00:32:49.26\00:32:53.23
Until that old man us
crucified, you'll never know
00:32:53.87\00:32:56.20
the power of the
cross, that the body of sin,
00:32:56.24\00:32:59.24
that ruling power, might be
done away with that we should
00:32:59.27\00:33:02.31
no longer be slaves to sin.
00:33:02.34\00:33:05.48
Sin is a ruling power and
I gotta make this very clear.
00:33:05.51\00:33:08.42
I don't want this to
flow off of you just by
00:33:08.45\00:33:10.85
a whole group of Scriptures,
I want to make this very clear.
00:33:10.89\00:33:13.15
When sin is in control,
self is the central focus.
00:33:13.19\00:33:18.79
When sin is in
control, it's all about me.
00:33:18.86\00:33:26.13
When Christ is in control,
it's no longer about me.
00:33:28.74\00:33:32.74
Let's go back to
our Scripture reading.
00:33:34.21\00:33:36.54
Look at this...
That's why you gotta get
00:33:36.58\00:33:39.15
out of the way -
until self is put to death,
00:33:39.18\00:33:41.65
we will always have
self to contend with.
00:33:41.68\00:33:43.72
That's why the
Apostle Paul wrote this...
00:33:43.75\00:33:46.29
We're talking about
crucifixion, the old man
00:33:46.32\00:33:48.26
being crucified, carrying our
cross and putting self to death.
00:33:48.29\00:33:51.56
Now when self is put to
death, then we can say as
00:33:51.59\00:33:54.53
Galatians 2:20...
Look at this again.
00:33:54.56\00:33:56.43
Now we look at this
from different eyes.
00:33:56.46\00:33:59.70
"I, together, I
am crucified how?
00:33:59.73\00:34:03.71
With Christ, nevertheless, what?
00:34:04.37\00:34:08.34
I live, yet not I,
but Christ liveth where?
00:34:08.44\00:34:12.41
In Me and the life
which I now live in the flesh,
00:34:13.58\00:34:17.59
I live by the faith of
the Son of God who loved Me
00:34:18.85\00:34:22.86
and gave Himself for Me."
00:34:23.66\00:34:25.39
Let me make this clear...
00:34:25.43\00:34:27.06
See, I have been
crucified. Let me break this...
00:34:27.10\00:34:29.46
What has been crucified?
00:34:29.50\00:34:31.50
What has been?
SELF has been crucified!
00:34:31.53\00:34:34.20
So when it says, "Nevertheless
I live," it doesn't
00:34:35.60\00:34:38.17
mean self-lives.
00:34:38.21\00:34:39.97
It means, "I'm still alive."
00:34:40.01\00:34:41.98
But the ruling power, the
focus has completely changed
00:34:42.01\00:34:46.01
from a "me" central
focus, an "I" centered focus,
00:34:47.62\00:34:51.55
to a "Him" centered focus.
00:34:51.59\00:34:55.26
And when the focus is no
longer on us... let make that
00:35:04.17\00:35:07.57
When the focus is
no longer on you...
00:35:07.60\00:35:10.54
When the focus...
The secret to my joy,
00:35:10.57\00:35:14.31
can I reveal this?
00:35:14.34\00:35:15.68
The secret to the joy
that I've been having...
00:35:15.71\00:35:17.81
I feel a little excited...
00:35:17.85\00:35:20.68
The reason why I
feel the way I do,
00:35:20.72\00:35:24.29
and I'm using the word "feel,"
00:35:24.35\00:35:26.52
the reason why I'm in the
joy that I'm in is because
00:35:26.55\00:35:30.86
I realize it ain't about
me, it's about Jesus. Amen!
00:35:30.89\00:35:38.53
Cause you know what, the
devil can go into my file,
00:35:38.57\00:35:46.17
which is 50+ years long,
that's all I'm giving you,
00:35:46.21\00:35:51.15
and pull out junk...
come on now, you all got junk,
00:35:51.18\00:35:56.12
Pastor C.A. - we all
got junk. Right? Amen!
00:35:57.22\00:36:00.96
You got junk - I got
junk. You stuff - I got stuff.
00:36:00.99\00:36:04.99
He could spend so much
time throwing your stuff at you
00:36:05.66\00:36:09.66
that you can't see
nothing but stuff coming,
00:36:10.20\00:36:14.14
and you start catching
stuff and looking at stuff,
00:36:14.17\00:36:20.01
and remembering stuff and
thinking about the stuff that
00:36:20.04\00:36:24.15
happened to you or the
stuff that is happening to you,
00:36:24.31\00:36:27.92
and you forget about Jesus...
00:36:27.95\00:36:30.75
and then all of a sudden
you have a birthday party,
00:36:30.79\00:36:34.79
it's called an
"I birthday party,"
00:36:35.59\00:36:37.93
you only invite
one person, yourself...
00:36:37.96\00:36:41.10
it's called a "pity party."
00:36:41.13\00:36:43.90
and you spend all your
time lamenting all the failures
00:36:43.93\00:36:47.64
of your life rather than saying,
"as Jesus said, "If the world
00:36:47.67\00:36:56.24
hates you - if the devil
hates you - remember he hated Me
00:36:56.28\00:37:00.25
before he hated you.
00:37:00.82\00:37:03.15
He wants to keep
the Jesus out of us.
00:37:03.18\00:37:06.25
And nothing is more irritating,
as I said in that quotation...
00:37:06.29\00:37:10.06
Nothing is more irritating
to the devil than to know that
00:37:10.09\00:37:13.26
somebody has been
rescued from his hands...
00:37:13.29\00:37:17.30
Nothing humiliates him
more than to know that we
00:37:17.43\00:37:20.84
are no longer
focusing on ourselves,
00:37:20.87\00:37:23.54
but we're now focusing on Jesus.
00:37:23.57\00:37:26.21
Can I make it even clearer?
00:37:26.24\00:37:28.64
Don't even let the
offences become personal
00:37:28.68\00:37:32.68
because the devil
wouldn't come after you
00:37:32.88\00:37:34.98
to try to make you upset
if he didn't believe that
00:37:35.02\00:37:38.05
you are a child of God.
00:37:38.09\00:37:39.95
He doesn't waste time with
people that don't claim Jesus.
00:37:39.99\00:37:42.46
That's why we
look at the world...
00:37:42.49\00:37:43.93
If you read the Psalm of
Asaph, Asaph was distracted by
00:37:43.96\00:37:48.93
the wealthy - he saw all their
success and he wondered why
00:37:48.96\00:37:53.94
he couldn't have
that kind of success.
00:37:53.97\00:37:55.50
He saw all their
fame, he even said that
00:37:55.54\00:37:57.84
"in their death
there are no pangs."
00:37:57.87\00:38:00.31
He said, "They have more
knowledge that even God has,"
00:38:00.34\00:38:03.45
because they look like
they were just so successful
00:38:03.48\00:38:06.21
with no problems,
no hardships of life,
00:38:06.25\00:38:10.25
no bills that
couldn't be paid...
00:38:10.65\00:38:13.86
He got caught up in
all that until God said,
00:38:13.89\00:38:16.39
"Asaph, come into the
sanctuary and let Me show
00:38:16.42\00:38:20.43
you their end," and when
Asaph saw the end of the wicked,
00:38:20.70\00:38:24.70
he said, "I got it."
00:38:25.17\00:38:28.07
So I want to say
it as my dear brother,
00:38:28.10\00:38:29.80
Elder Brooks would say it...
00:38:29.84\00:38:33.84
cause that was a profound
statement that I'm about to say.
00:38:34.08\00:38:36.28
He says, "It doesn't
make sense to live in hell,
00:38:36.31\00:38:39.01
go through hell
and end up in hell."
00:38:39.05\00:38:43.02
This world is...
there's hell all around us.
00:38:44.59\00:38:48.59
We might think
that Thompsonville is
00:38:49.59\00:38:52.56
exempt from that...
don't fool yourself.
00:38:53.13\00:38:56.60
You can go to the
north, to the south,
00:38:56.63\00:38:58.53
to the east, to the
west, it's all around us.
00:38:58.57\00:39:01.17
It's in our homes,
it's in our families,
00:39:01.20\00:39:03.81
it's in what we watch,
it's in what we listen to,
00:39:03.84\00:39:06.57
it's in what we
concentrate on...
00:39:06.61\00:39:08.14
And we try to live
this Christian-centered life
00:39:08.18\00:39:10.65
during the week while
hell is being shot at us in
00:39:10.68\00:39:14.65
every direction and
where you get thrown off course
00:39:14.68\00:39:17.92
is when you think it's
all about you and you fail
00:39:17.95\00:39:21.62
to realize that the only
purpose for all that difficulty
00:39:21.66\00:39:25.33
is to get you off-centered
from looking at Christ.
00:39:25.36\00:39:29.30
That's why He says,
"Look unto Me, and be saved."
00:39:29.33\00:39:33.34
"Look unto Me, the author
and finisher of your faith."
00:39:33.57\00:39:36.87
We gotta keep our
minds focused on Christ.
00:39:36.91\00:39:38.94
Come on,
somebody say "Amen." Amen!
00:39:38.97\00:39:40.91
It can't be about
you because you know why?
00:39:40.94\00:39:43.95
You're a vapor -
you're here today whooh...
00:39:43.98\00:39:47.95
I thought, "Man,
if I live to be 100,
00:39:48.72\00:39:50.19
I got almost 50 years left!
00:39:50.22\00:39:54.22
Not so bad, 100-
that's a long time.
00:39:56.86\00:40:00.60
But then I turned to the right
and I saw this word called,
00:40:00.63\00:40:02.93
"eternity," and I said,
"Wait a minute, I like that
00:40:02.96\00:40:06.30
better than 100."
Come on somebody! Amen!
00:40:06.33\00:40:08.17
That's a whole
lot more enjoyable
00:40:08.20\00:40:09.77
than 100 and you know what?
00:40:09.80\00:40:11.17
We're not going to go through
eternity with aches and pains,
00:40:11.21\00:40:14.64
and hardship and
difficulty, we're going to go
00:40:14.68\00:40:18.21
through eternity with
none of the former things
00:40:18.48\00:40:22.28
ever being brought back to
our minds - praise God for that!
00:40:22.32\00:40:25.82
Sometimes we say we're
Christians and somebody says,
00:40:25.85\00:40:29.86
"Well why is the guy that's
not a Christian seem so much
00:40:29.89\00:40:33.86
more happy than you?"
00:40:33.90\00:40:37.90
The Lord has given
us the promise that
00:40:42.10\00:40:47.08
if we focus on Him, the image
that He has, thank you Jesus,
00:40:47.11\00:40:53.92
will one day be the image that
we reflect and let me give you
00:40:53.95\00:41:00.69
the caveat - Not in
eternity but here and now. Amen!
00:41:01.12\00:41:05.13
1 Corinthians 15:49, look
at it. "The transformation that
00:41:07.06\00:41:11.07
takes place in us is profound."
00:41:11.50\00:41:13.23
I'm going to move
a little quicker...
00:41:13.27\00:41:16.60
I might do some jumping,
but I know I'd rather be moving,
00:41:16.64\00:41:19.37
keep up with me.
00:41:19.41\00:41:21.21
The transformation that
takes place in us is profound.
00:41:21.24\00:41:25.25
The promise that the
Lord made and, by the way,
00:41:26.05\00:41:28.45
1 Corinthians 15 is
a chapter of promises.
00:41:28.48\00:41:31.15
He says in verse 49...
00:41:31.19\00:41:35.19
We used to look like Adam,
00:41:43.16\00:41:44.90
but now we
could look like Jesus.
00:41:44.93\00:41:47.97
We used to be distraught like
Adam, heading for the grave,
00:41:48.00\00:41:51.84
now we're heading
for the resurrection.
00:41:51.87\00:41:54.08
But in order for the image
of Christ to be seen in us,
00:42:01.85\00:42:04.79
we have to get rid
of the image of self.
00:42:04.82\00:42:07.82
We have to be
willing to put self to death.
00:42:07.86\00:42:15.83
You see, when Jesus
came... Jesus came not just to
00:42:15.86\00:42:19.93
forgive sins - somebody
asked me this question once.
00:42:19.97\00:42:22.44
If Jesus could
forgive sin, why did He have
00:42:22.47\00:42:24.87
to come to this earth?
00:42:24.91\00:42:26.78
Why couldn't He just
forgive sin and not have to die?
00:42:26.81\00:42:30.08
I said, "Jesus didn't
just come to forgive sin..."
00:42:30.11\00:42:32.75
2 Corinthians 5:21 says...
00:42:33.92\00:42:37.89
Jesus didn't come
just to forgive sin,
00:42:43.59\00:42:46.39
He came to trade places with us.
00:42:46.43\00:42:49.96
He came to take MY struggles,
My nature, go to MY cross,
00:42:50.00\00:42:56.04
DIE for MY SIN and
to forgive MY SINS,
00:42:56.07\00:42:59.97
and then give me
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
00:43:01.41\00:43:03.85
and HIS GLORY, and HIS FREEDOM.
00:43:03.88\00:43:06.55
He didn't just come to
die, He didn't just come
00:43:06.58\00:43:09.85
to forgive sins - He
could have done that by email.
00:43:09.88\00:43:12.09
Your sins are forgiven you...
your sins are forgiven you.
00:43:12.12\00:43:14.99
He could have done
that from a distance,
00:43:15.02\00:43:16.39
but He came to take our place.
00:43:16.42\00:43:17.76
He came to become
what we were born as,
00:43:17.79\00:43:20.93
to take us off of
the "I-Way" of self.
00:43:20.96\00:43:24.40
So when the fullness of
time came, God sent forth
00:43:24.43\00:43:28.00
His Son born under that law.
00:43:28.04\00:43:30.57
He was born under law,
not under the Ten Commandments
00:43:30.61\00:43:33.58
or the Ceremonial
Law, He was born under the
00:43:33.61\00:43:35.94
law of sin that held onto
every human being from the
00:43:35.98\00:43:39.88
day of creation,
from the fall of man.
00:43:39.91\00:43:43.49
Every human born was
held under the law of sin.
00:43:43.52\00:43:48.96
And Jesus knew that
they couldn't free themselves
00:43:49.02\00:43:54.43
from the law of
sin, so He came - He came
00:43:54.46\00:43:58.43
not only to take our place,
but here's what gave me joy...
00:43:58.53\00:44:02.24
Every sin that Adam failed
in, Jesus was victorious in.
00:44:02.27\00:44:08.21
Every temptation that
Adam faced, Jesus endured.
00:44:08.24\00:44:12.38
Every trial that
overcame Adam, Jesus overcame...
00:44:13.31\00:44:17.29
But even deeper than
that, hear me carefully...
00:44:18.65\00:44:21.16
Every sin that we would
EVER commit was laid on Jesus.
00:44:21.19\00:44:25.19
Every sin that is in the past,
00:44:26.33\00:44:28.83
and every sin that is in
the future, Jesus made provision
00:44:28.86\00:44:32.57
for those not only to be
forgiven, but to overcome.
00:44:32.60\00:44:36.60
Look at Isaiah
53, you know the text.
00:44:37.77\00:44:41.31
Isaiah 53- go
there quickly with me.
00:44:41.34\00:44:45.31
Sometimes you can't
preach, you gotta teach...
00:44:46.48\00:44:49.28
I'm teaching today,
but I forgot my glove.
00:44:49.32\00:44:54.39
Does anybody have a glove?
00:44:54.42\00:44:56.89
Surely somebody has to have
a glove - it's cold outside.
00:44:56.93\00:45:00.93
Forgot my glove.
00:45:02.13\00:45:04.80
But look at Isaiah 53:5-6
00:45:04.83\00:45:08.84
I used the
illustration once with a glove,
00:45:40.24\00:45:43.87
and you've seen a glove before,
so I don't have one visible,
00:45:43.91\00:45:46.88
but I want to just make the
illustration very, very clear.
00:45:46.91\00:45:49.58
The glove
represents us, the glove has no
00:45:49.61\00:45:52.48
power in and of itself,
but it does have a function.
00:45:52.51\00:45:56.48
We have no power in and
of ourselves but we do have a
00:45:56.99\00:46:00.26
function in God's eternal plan.
00:46:00.29\00:46:04.26
Yet when the Lord enters into
our lives, it makes the glove
00:46:04.29\00:46:09.16
look as though it is
alive, but it really has
00:46:09.20\00:46:11.30
no life in and of itself...
00:46:11.33\00:46:12.90
But Christ moves in
and gives it a power that
00:46:12.93\00:46:15.37
it has never known,
and this glove that was an
00:46:15.40\00:46:18.97
inanimate object unable to
do anything but just lay there,
00:46:19.01\00:46:22.98
the hand now
enters into that glove
00:46:23.18\00:46:25.48
as Jesus enters into our
lives and gives us a power
00:46:25.51\00:46:29.48
that we have never known and
He begins to work out His will
00:46:29.62\00:46:33.62
in us - then He begins to
work out His will for us...
00:46:34.06\00:46:39.83
Then He begins to work
out His will through us.
00:46:39.86\00:46:42.86
Let me say that again...
00:46:43.33\00:46:44.67
First He begins to work
out His will where? IN US..
00:46:44.70\00:46:48.87
Then He works
out His will FOR US.
00:46:48.90\00:46:51.64
Then and only then can He
work out His will THROUGH US.
00:46:51.67\00:46:55.44
You see, until
self is put to death,
00:46:55.48\00:46:59.58
there's no room
for Christ to come in
00:46:59.61\00:47:02.22
until we are no longer the
focus and we leave sometimes...
00:47:02.25\00:47:05.25
the first thing we
often do after the service is
00:47:05.29\00:47:07.79
...what's going to happen this
week? How am I going to make it?
00:47:07.82\00:47:10.93
Where am I going to get a job?
00:47:10.96\00:47:12.79
How am I going
to make ends meet?
00:47:12.83\00:47:14.16
How is this
relationship going to work out?
00:47:14.20\00:47:16.53
What's going to
happen with so-and-so?
00:47:16.56\00:47:18.03
We dive into the
caldron of self-focused issues
00:47:18.07\00:47:23.81
and forget who we are
in the presence of Christ.
00:47:23.84\00:47:28.24
I'm going to go to 1
Peter 2:9... to let you see
00:47:28.28\00:47:31.61
the transformation
that takes place when
00:47:31.65\00:47:34.32
"I" is put to death,
Christ comes in and He
00:47:34.35\00:47:37.32
doesn't just forgive our sins...
00:47:37.35\00:47:39.15
He doesn't just deliver
us from the power of sin,
00:47:39.19\00:47:42.42
but He changes
our standing in the
00:47:42.46\00:47:45.29
presence of our Heavenly Father.
00:47:45.33\00:47:48.13
Notice what He
does... and I believe that if
00:47:48.16\00:47:50.33
we understood this the way that
it's intended to be understood,
00:47:50.37\00:47:52.73
I believe that we would have
a lot more joy in our position
00:47:52.77\00:47:56.34
before God - I believe
if we knew who we are in
00:47:56.37\00:47:59.67
the sight of God, this would
bring us reasons to rejoice.
00:47:59.71\00:48:03.55
Notice what He
says in 1 Peter 2:9...
00:48:03.58\00:48:05.71
He says, "But you are a
what kind of generation?
00:48:05.75\00:48:07.98
CHOSEN GENERATION,
a ROYAL priesthood,
00:48:08.02\00:48:11.99
a holy nation, His
own special people,
00:48:12.02\00:48:15.82
but get this...
00:48:15.86\00:48:18.03
That you may proclaim or
show forth the praises of
00:48:18.06\00:48:22.30
Him who called you
out of WHAT? Darkness into
00:48:22.33\00:48:27.00
this what? MARVELOUS LIGHT."
00:48:27.04\00:48:30.64
The marvelous light that
He brings us into is not just
00:48:30.67\00:48:34.14
INCLUDING marvelous
teachings, but it's Jesus.
00:48:34.18\00:48:39.31
Jesus - He said, "I am
the light of the world."
00:48:39.35\00:48:42.92
And then He
says, in His absence,
00:48:42.95\00:48:44.29
"Let your light so shine."
00:48:44.35\00:48:46.12
You see this thing
called, "Christianity"
00:48:46.15\00:48:48.19
is not a second chance
to do what we couldn't do
00:48:48.22\00:48:50.99
the first time, but
it is an opportunity
00:48:51.03\00:48:55.43
to see that self has
been crucified and when self
00:48:55.46\00:49:00.17
is crucified, our
darkness is removed...
00:49:00.20\00:49:04.21
The light of the world comes
in and I'm going to tell you,
00:49:04.24\00:49:07.04
even if all you are is a
pumpkin, if you put a candle
00:49:07.08\00:49:11.38
on the inside - somebody
is going to see your light.
00:49:11.41\00:49:13.62
But I ain't a
pumpkin, I'm a child of God...
00:49:16.08\00:49:18.45
Come on, say Amen! Amen!
00:49:18.49\00:49:20.56
When Jesus moves in,
you don't see the sad face
00:49:20.59\00:49:23.66
carved out by Satan,
you see the joy - the Joy!
00:49:23.69\00:49:27.26
What happens to the
joy that's supposed to be
00:49:27.30\00:49:29.30
in the Christian's
life?. Happy Sabbath
00:49:29.33\00:49:34.67
And then you go downtown
to the football arena...
00:49:38.74\00:49:41.14
"HEY was" - people are
infused with this passion
00:49:41.18\00:49:45.78
that you wonder -
"Where is it coming from?"
00:49:45.81\00:49:48.95
If people can get that
excited about things that are
00:49:48.98\00:49:51.89
going to pass away
in a matter of hours,
00:49:51.92\00:49:55.96
why cannot a
Christian exude with joy?
00:49:55.99\00:49:59.89
I'm not talking about
the "prosperity gospel,"
00:49:59.93\00:50:02.96
I'm talking about
the gospel of Jesus...
00:50:03.00\00:50:05.00
Why cannot we celebrate
our deliverance in Christ?
00:50:05.03\00:50:09.70
We ain't destined for
hell once we're in Jesus,
00:50:09.74\00:50:14.94
we're destined for heaven.
00:50:14.98\00:50:17.88
You see, the power
of sin has been broken,
00:50:17.91\00:50:20.08
and Jesus is the
power that moves in.
00:50:20.12\00:50:22.75
The control of sin is
removed, Jesus moves in and
00:50:22.78\00:50:26.62
takes control, sin no
longer dominates us...
00:50:26.65\00:50:29.62
Jesus is the one
calling the shots.
00:50:29.66\00:50:32.16
Sin no longer commands
us, Jesus is the new commander
00:50:32.19\00:50:35.86
in our lives.
00:50:35.90\00:50:37.23
Sin no longer has authority.
00:50:37.27\00:50:38.87
Jesus is the only
authority in our lives.
00:50:38.90\00:50:47.64
Jesus moves in and
changes the old "I"
00:50:48.74\00:50:51.91
in the process of His work
for "It is God who works in us
00:50:51.95\00:50:56.79
both to will and to do of His
good pleasure." Amen somebody.
00:50:56.82\00:51:01.22
"And He who has begun this
work in you will complete it."
00:51:01.26\00:51:04.23
He will finish that work
but look at Philippians...
00:51:04.26\00:51:06.86
You've read this
before, but today I believe
00:51:06.90\00:51:08.70
you're going to see
it quite differently.
00:51:08.73\00:51:10.93
Look at Philippians 4:13, a
text that you know by heart!
00:51:10.97\00:51:17.04
And I'm going to
preface this by saying...
00:51:17.07\00:51:19.14
"This text could not be
true unless the old "I" has
00:51:19.17\00:51:23.28
been put to death and the
Lord has given a new power
00:51:23.31\00:51:27.08
to the new "I"
because before, you couldn't
00:51:27.12\00:51:31.99
do anything.
00:51:32.02\00:51:33.36
But it is amazing that
Paul begins with this verse...
00:51:33.39\00:51:37.09
He begins this
verse with the letter "I"
00:51:37.13\00:51:40.00
What does he say,
together, together...
00:51:40.03\00:51:42.73
"I," together,
"I," one more time,
00:51:42.76\00:51:47.37
I want to hear that,
"I" can do all things HOW?
00:51:47.40\00:51:51.71
Through Christ
who strengthens me."
00:51:51.74\00:51:55.64
How much can I
do? Come on now...
00:51:55.68\00:51:57.61
ALL things!
00:51:57.65\00:51:58.98
How could this "I" who failed
become an "I" that succeeds?
00:51:59.01\00:52:02.38
How could this "I"
who had experienced defeat
00:52:02.42\00:52:04.75
become this "I" who
experiences victory?
00:52:04.79\00:52:07.32
How could this "I"
who was bound be the "I"
00:52:07.36\00:52:09.92
that is set free?
00:52:09.96\00:52:11.53
How could this "I" that failed
be the "I" that knows the joy
00:52:11.56\00:52:15.80
and the power of
victory? How could it be?
00:52:15.86\00:52:18.33
Because Christ has come in and
given the "I" the glove of me,
00:52:18.37\00:52:25.14
a new power that
I've never known before.
00:52:25.17\00:52:27.31
You see brothers and sisters,
when we become the new "I,"
00:52:27.34\00:52:30.55
there's a change in
every area of our lives.
00:52:30.58\00:52:34.98
As I begin to close...
00:52:35.02\00:52:37.65
The change has come here,
we begin to love the things
00:52:37.69\00:52:42.59
we hated and we begin
to hate the things we love.
00:52:42.62\00:52:47.30
We embrace the life we
despised and we DISPISE the life
00:52:47.33\00:52:52.83
that we once embraced.
00:52:52.87\00:52:55.14
We change our direction and
we experience transformation
00:52:55.17\00:53:01.38
in our affections.
00:53:01.41\00:53:04.51
I want to make sure that
I end on the right note...
00:53:04.55\00:53:08.72
You see, the new "I" can
now do, hear me carefully,
00:53:08.75\00:53:13.66
look up, this is the close...
00:53:13.69\00:53:15.02
The new "I" can now do
what the old "I" could never do,
00:53:15.06\00:53:20.00
and now the new "I" is
not focusing on what I failed,
00:53:20.03\00:53:25.20
but the new "I" can
say with confidence,
00:53:25.23\00:53:27.50
look at the last
text... 2 Timothy 4:7-8,
00:53:27.54\00:53:31.74
the new "I" could now
say this with confidence
00:53:31.77\00:53:37.31
Thank you Jesus.
00:53:37.35\00:53:42.25
What does he say, together...
"I have fought a good fight,
00:53:42.28\00:53:48.86
I have finished the
race, I have kept the faith."
00:53:48.89\00:53:55.26
You couldn't say that if you
were still living in the old "I"
00:53:55.30\00:53:58.90
because the old
"I" couldn't fight.
00:53:58.93\00:54:00.54
The old "I"
couldn't finish anything.
00:54:00.57\00:54:02.30
The old "I" had no
faith, but until the new "I"
00:54:02.34\00:54:05.37
has been filled by
Christ, and the old "I" has been
00:54:05.41\00:54:10.65
put to death, now we
have a better looking forward.
00:54:10.68\00:54:13.55
Notice verse 8, he says,
Finally... together, "Finally
00:54:13.58\00:54:18.09
there is laid up for me a
what? Crown of righteousness
00:54:18.12\00:54:22.82
which the Lord,
the righteous Judge,
00:54:22.86\00:54:26.43
will give to me on
that day and not to me only,
00:54:26.46\00:54:31.30
but unto all those that
what? Love His appearing."
00:54:31.33\00:54:37.71
Dwight D. Eisenhower created
the Interstate in America.
00:54:37.74\00:54:41.74
Jesus created the
Interstate to Eternity.
00:54:41.78\00:54:47.48
He says it's a
little narrow highway...
00:54:47.52\00:54:50.25
It's a little narrow highway...
00:54:50.29\00:54:54.82
and I'm going to tell you
today, there's enough space on
00:54:54.86\00:54:57.26
that little narrow
highway for every one of us
00:54:57.33\00:55:00.76
to leave the old "I"
and get on the new "I."
00:55:00.80\00:55:05.47
Put the old "I" to
death and travel with Christ
00:55:05.50\00:55:09.00
as the central focus.
00:55:09.04\00:55:10.37
"It is no longer I who lives,
but Christ who lives in me."
00:55:10.41\00:55:15.54
I now have a new
power, a power to be
00:55:15.58\00:55:17.78
delivered from the old "I."
00:55:17.81\00:55:19.51
I don't look at life
with failure anymore.
00:55:19.55\00:55:21.45
I don't look at
life as obstacles
00:55:21.48\00:55:22.82
anymore... I
don't look at life as...
00:55:22.88\00:55:24.42
"it cannot happen
that way anymore."
00:55:24.45\00:55:25.95
I look at "I can do
all things through Christ
00:55:25.99\00:55:28.59
who strengthens
me," not prosperity,
00:55:28.62\00:55:31.19
but victory in Jesus.
00:55:31.23\00:55:33.50
So today, the moment
we say the benediction,
00:55:33.53\00:55:38.20
a new battle is going
to begin, but that battle
00:55:38.23\00:55:42.10
can only have its way over
us if we still allow the things
00:55:42.14\00:55:46.47
that occur following this
service to be all about us.
00:55:46.51\00:55:51.78
Is it about us?
No, it's about Jesus.
00:55:51.81\00:55:55.75
If it's about you,
it's going to be a burden.
00:55:57.29\00:56:00.12
If it's about you,
it's going to be nothing
00:56:00.16\00:56:01.56
but sadness.
00:56:01.59\00:56:04.66
If it is about you,
it's going to be nothing
00:56:04.69\00:56:06.33
but defeat and a looking
back at the failures and the
00:56:06.36\00:56:09.13
obstacles that
were there before,
00:56:09.16\00:56:11.67
but if it's about
Christ, we will go from victory
00:56:11.70\00:56:17.11
to victory.
00:56:17.14\00:56:18.67
Even in the
midst of the battles,
00:56:18.71\00:56:21.68
we'll find that in Christ
we can have that deliverance
00:56:21.74\00:56:25.48
today - don't want to go back,
I want to go forward in Christ.
00:56:25.51\00:56:31.79
Anybody else today - I want
to pray for you. Lord Jesus...
00:56:31.82\00:56:38.73
As I pray, I'm going
to ask you to stand...
00:56:38.76\00:56:46.70
Our Heavenly Father,
00:56:46.74\00:56:55.18
The gospel is
simple but profound...
00:56:55.21\00:57:00.48
How can an old I become a new I?
00:57:00.52\00:57:05.75
How can we overcome the
obstacles that have hindered
00:57:05.79\00:57:10.83
our progress and now
face the battles that we have
00:57:10.86\00:57:15.83
been exposed to with
the assurance of victory.
00:57:15.86\00:57:20.50
How can we find
strength and deliverance
00:57:20.54\00:57:26.11
in every area of our lives?
00:57:26.14\00:57:28.74
How can we leave the old
past buried and walk into the
00:57:28.78\00:57:34.12
irresistible future?
00:57:34.15\00:57:35.95
How can we abandon
the irreversible past?
00:57:35.98\00:57:40.72
Lord Jesus, today help us
to realize it's not about us,
00:57:40.76\00:57:45.79
but the benefit is
for everyone of us.
00:57:45.83\00:57:51.77
Jesus wants to not just
deliver us and forgive our sins,
00:57:51.80\00:57:55.47
but He wants to give us a
walk of joy, a walk of power,
00:57:55.50\00:57:59.31
a walk of freedom and
today, Lord Jesus, we pray that
00:57:59.34\00:58:03.85
every one of us can experience
that in our own lives.
00:58:03.88\00:58:07.28
So come and speak to us
today at the point of our need,
00:58:07.32\00:58:10.42
help us to shake off the old
I, to open our hearts to Christ,
00:58:10.45\00:58:16.32
invite Him to come in and
to transform the journey that
00:58:16.36\00:58:20.80
lays before us.
00:58:20.83\00:58:23.47
So today, Father, we
give You that privilege,
00:58:23.50\00:58:26.30
we open the door with joy to
find that You are our ONLY hope,
00:58:26.33\00:58:32.87
our ONLY safety.
00:58:32.91\00:58:35.04
Help us to find victory at
the base of our Christianity
00:58:35.08\00:58:38.38
that one day we will stand at
the summit of our Christianity,
00:58:38.41\00:58:43.62
and we give You the Praise
and the Glory and the Honor
00:58:43.65\00:58:45.95
in Jesus name... Amen
00:58:45.99\00:58:50.79