WEBVTT 00:00:00.460 --> 00:00:02.859 Thank you for choosing this sermon from New Heights 00:00:02.859 --> 00:00:04.960 Fellowship Baptist Church in East Toledo. Enjoy 00:00:04.960 --> 00:03:27.280 and grow. We will rise with you, lifted on your 00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:33.319 wings, and the world will see that. Oh yes, the 00:03:33.319 --> 00:10:17.820 world will see that. It's a ghetto I promise 00:10:17.820 --> 00:10:19.799 you it's a Bible verse. It's right here. Because 00:10:19.799 --> 00:10:21.960 straight is the gate and narrow is the way which 00:10:21.960 --> 00:10:24.120 leadeth unto life, and few there be that find 00:10:24.120 --> 00:10:27.299 it. Beware of false prophets which come to you 00:10:27.299 --> 00:10:29.539 in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous. 00:10:30.679 --> 00:10:32.440 Ravening. I want to say ravenous, but it's the 00:10:32.440 --> 00:10:36.419 King James, so it's ravening wolves. That's that 00:10:36.419 --> 00:10:40.460 reference. All right. You'll notice that the 00:10:40.460 --> 00:10:42.840 title of the sermon today is The Good Intentions 00:10:42.840 --> 00:10:47.519 Maids. Shakespeare wrote, and I believe it was 00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:51.600 Hamlet, that the road to hell is paved with good 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:54.700 intentions. And today we're going to talk about 00:10:54.700 --> 00:10:57.940 the good intentions maze. I want to impress upon 00:10:57.940 --> 00:11:02.059 you exactly how difficult it is, by the time 00:11:02.059 --> 00:11:07.720 we're done, to be on the road to where we want 00:11:07.720 --> 00:11:10.960 to be. That's all there is for my opening illustration. 00:11:11.399 --> 00:11:14.960 I think it's short and to the point. And then 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:17.039 we're going to get into the text. So grab your 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:21.039 Bibles, take a breath, and it may be a little 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:23.519 challenging at times to be excited about the 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:25.779 book of Proverbs, but the book of Proverbs is 00:11:25.779 --> 00:11:29.500 full of power and a lot of success for those 00:11:29.500 --> 00:11:31.919 who will listen to it. So take a breath and say 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:34.379 amen. Give me a Yahtzee for Proverbs chapter 00:11:34.379 --> 00:11:39.500 14. Amen. Proverbs chapter 14, and we'll begin 00:11:39.500 --> 00:11:43.210 in verse 10. Okay, I'm going to read these verses 00:11:43.210 --> 00:11:45.409 and I'm going to explain them a little bit, although 00:11:45.409 --> 00:11:47.190 they are fairly self -explanatory. There's only 00:11:47.190 --> 00:11:48.850 a couple of words and it's mostly toward the 00:11:48.850 --> 00:11:51.450 end that are hard to understand, but I'm going 00:11:51.450 --> 00:11:54.289 to explain them as we go through. And then I'll 00:11:54.289 --> 00:11:56.070 come back and show you a couple of things. And 00:11:56.070 --> 00:11:58.990 we have a few other texts, all New Testament 00:11:58.990 --> 00:12:02.029 texts that we will look at in conjunction to 00:12:02.029 --> 00:12:06.090 what we are reading. Proverbs chapter 14, beginning 00:12:06.090 --> 00:12:08.929 of verse 10 says this, the heart knows its own 00:12:08.929 --> 00:12:13.470 bitterness That seems kind of obvious. The heart, 00:12:13.570 --> 00:12:16.250 the center of your being, you know what your 00:12:16.250 --> 00:12:19.649 bitterness is inside, internally. Now, mentally 00:12:19.649 --> 00:12:21.789 you may have a hard time recognizing it. That's 00:12:21.789 --> 00:12:24.029 why we get therapy sometimes to find out what 00:12:24.029 --> 00:12:26.830 it was in our past that really provokes us. What 00:12:26.830 --> 00:12:29.289 it was that really causes that problem for us. 00:12:29.769 --> 00:12:32.929 But in our heart, it knows its own bitterness. 00:12:33.929 --> 00:12:38.440 And a stranger does not share its joy. When you 00:12:38.440 --> 00:12:40.559 truly have joy in your heart because you've seen 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:42.179 something, experienced something, whatever, a 00:12:42.179 --> 00:12:43.899 stranger, somebody who does not know you well, 00:12:43.980 --> 00:12:46.620 they don't share in that. They can't really understand 00:12:46.620 --> 00:12:50.559 why you're really joyous. They might see that 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:52.279 you are, or that you're acting like you're really 00:12:52.279 --> 00:12:54.480 happy, but they can't really understand why that 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:57.200 would be. Now, a close friend gets closer. A 00:12:57.200 --> 00:12:59.940 spouse, very much so. Maybe a brother who's been 00:12:59.940 --> 00:13:01.419 with you your whole life, who's been really close 00:13:01.419 --> 00:13:03.440 with your sibling your whole life, something 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:06.399 like that. Maybe your parent. but a stranger 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:11.200 does not share in the joy of the heart. The house 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:13.379 of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent 00:13:13.379 --> 00:13:16.519 of the upright will flourish. So the house here 00:13:16.519 --> 00:13:19.659 is metaphoric, right? It means where you live, 00:13:19.899 --> 00:13:23.080 where you act, where you control, where you do 00:13:23.080 --> 00:13:25.399 your work, where you go. So the circle of your 00:13:25.399 --> 00:13:28.779 life, if you will, of the wicked will be destroyed, 00:13:29.139 --> 00:13:33.200 will be put down, done away with. But the tent 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:35.620 of the upright, again, that's that... that place 00:13:35.620 --> 00:13:39.039 which is temporary, but it's where you work at. 00:13:39.100 --> 00:13:40.659 It's where you do your stuff at, right? But it's 00:13:40.659 --> 00:13:42.159 temporary. It's mentioned as a tent rather than 00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:45.279 a house. Of the upright will flourish. I think 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:46.700 it's significant that it's mentioned as a tent 00:13:46.700 --> 00:13:48.779 because we realize this lifetime is temporary. 00:13:48.919 --> 00:13:50.179 Like Ron was talking about, the things we think 00:13:50.179 --> 00:13:51.840 are really important right now, they can't become 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:54.000 baggage to you. They can't be stuck to you because 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:55.580 someday you're going to have to not take that 00:13:55.580 --> 00:13:58.019 stuff with you into heaven, no matter how important 00:13:58.019 --> 00:14:00.879 it is right now. The tent of the upright will 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:03.019 flourish, and flourish means to blossom out. 00:14:03.710 --> 00:14:07.889 To expand, to grow rapidly. You can imagine that 00:14:07.889 --> 00:14:10.190 happen as we come into heaven or even as we come 00:14:10.190 --> 00:14:12.529 into the kingdom of God and God working in us. 00:14:12.690 --> 00:14:15.590 Verse 12, there is a way which seems right to 00:14:15.590 --> 00:14:17.509 a man. And this is kind of the center of our 00:14:17.509 --> 00:14:19.929 verse. There is a way which seems right to a 00:14:19.929 --> 00:14:23.529 man, but its end is the way of death. And so 00:14:23.529 --> 00:14:25.750 you can be on a path doing what you think is 00:14:25.750 --> 00:14:28.049 best. and I won't dwell on this too much right 00:14:28.049 --> 00:14:29.230 now, I'll come back to it, but you can be on 00:14:29.230 --> 00:14:30.870 a path that you're doing what you think is best, 00:14:30.950 --> 00:14:34.269 and actually that path leads you to exactly where 00:14:34.269 --> 00:14:36.889 you don't want to go. By the best training that 00:14:36.889 --> 00:14:38.850 you've received, by your best understanding, 00:14:39.149 --> 00:14:41.950 by your best figuring, calculating books that 00:14:41.950 --> 00:14:44.190 you've read, you go, I think I need to do this, 00:14:44.289 --> 00:14:46.450 and you study it, and you figure out how to do 00:14:46.450 --> 00:14:48.669 it best, and by the best that you can do, you 00:14:48.669 --> 00:14:50.690 can think you're on the right path, but actually 00:14:50.690 --> 00:14:53.350 the path leads to destruction, because if the 00:14:53.350 --> 00:14:54.970 path seems right to you, then of course you're 00:14:54.970 --> 00:14:58.110 on it. Why wouldn't you be on it? but it leads 00:14:58.110 --> 00:15:01.429 to destruction. And so that's not good. The end 00:15:01.429 --> 00:15:04.110 of that way is death. Verse 13, we've got four 00:15:04.110 --> 00:15:07.289 verses left. 13 says, even in laughter, the heart 00:15:07.289 --> 00:15:09.950 may be in pain. So in other words, and you see 00:15:09.950 --> 00:15:12.309 this in people, they laugh, the joke, right? 00:15:12.509 --> 00:15:14.350 A lot of times when kids are being bullied in 00:15:14.350 --> 00:15:18.850 school, they laugh. People are picking on them, 00:15:18.870 --> 00:15:20.470 cracking on them, saying nasty things. I'm a 00:15:20.470 --> 00:15:23.659 fat or ugly or mean or stupid or... You're ignorant, 00:15:23.700 --> 00:15:25.539 or that was really dumb, whatever. And they crack 00:15:25.539 --> 00:15:27.700 on them, insults. And the kid who's being bullied 00:15:27.700 --> 00:15:30.379 will laugh. But really, inside they have pain. 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:35.840 Deep residing hurt, right? And so, though people 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:37.799 are laughing, they might actually be in pain. 00:15:37.940 --> 00:15:40.080 So they're kind of, their outward emotions then 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:41.659 are a lie about what's really going on inside, 00:15:41.899 --> 00:15:44.840 right? And it says, and the end of joy may be 00:15:44.840 --> 00:15:47.440 grief. So in other words, even if for a while, 00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:49.779 it seems like, yeah, I really feel good about 00:15:49.779 --> 00:15:52.019 this. This is really right. Ultimately, the end 00:15:52.019 --> 00:15:53.960 can be grief. You can wind up where you don't 00:15:53.960 --> 00:15:57.960 want to be, sad, destroyed, you know? And then 00:15:57.960 --> 00:16:03.059 it says, the backslider in heart, this is the 00:16:03.059 --> 00:16:05.399 person who in their heart doesn't really want 00:16:05.399 --> 00:16:07.440 to do what's right. They're slipping away from 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:10.940 doing what's right. They will have his fill of 00:16:10.940 --> 00:16:14.259 his own ways. So ultimately, if you survive long 00:16:14.259 --> 00:16:16.240 enough and you're walking on a road that isn't 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:18.279 good for you, you will ultimately figure out, 00:16:18.279 --> 00:16:20.720 you know, I'm sick of this. I've had enough. 00:16:21.389 --> 00:16:23.529 It never seems to work out. No matter what I 00:16:23.529 --> 00:16:26.929 try to do, it always falls apart. And people 00:16:26.929 --> 00:16:29.590 arrive at a place where, for all their efforts, 00:16:29.809 --> 00:16:32.549 they feel like they're fed up. They're done. 00:16:33.690 --> 00:16:36.350 They just want to quit doing it over and over 00:16:36.350 --> 00:16:39.509 and over again, trying again and again. The backslider 00:16:39.509 --> 00:16:42.009 in heart winds up there. Because the heart's 00:16:42.009 --> 00:16:43.590 supposed to be right with God. The heart's supposed 00:16:43.590 --> 00:16:46.330 to be upright. It doesn't have strength to keep 00:16:46.330 --> 00:16:48.730 doing what's wrong over and over and over again. 00:16:49.610 --> 00:16:52.830 It says, but a good man will be satisfied with 00:16:52.830 --> 00:16:55.169 his ways. Notice it does not say that a good 00:16:55.169 --> 00:16:59.250 man will come out on top all the time or will 00:16:59.250 --> 00:17:01.970 not suffer at all or will get wealthy or any 00:17:01.970 --> 00:17:04.470 of that. But it says that a good man will be 00:17:04.470 --> 00:17:07.750 satisfied with his ways. So in other words, if 00:17:07.750 --> 00:17:09.829 you keep trying to do what's right, no matter 00:17:09.829 --> 00:17:12.849 how hard it gets, you will be satisfied. You 00:17:12.849 --> 00:17:14.650 will realize, hey, I'm doing what's right. You'll 00:17:14.650 --> 00:17:19.190 be able to support. your decision. It makes sense 00:17:19.190 --> 00:17:21.329 to your mind. You'll be satisfied. It makes sense 00:17:21.329 --> 00:17:25.650 to your heart. Two verses left. The naive believes 00:17:25.650 --> 00:17:28.769 everything, but the prudent man considers his 00:17:28.769 --> 00:17:35.069 steps. Hey, Tyler. Tyler. Sit up, buddy. Thanks. 00:17:35.730 --> 00:17:38.509 The naive believes everything, but the prudent 00:17:38.509 --> 00:17:42.089 man considers his steps. So the naive is the 00:17:42.089 --> 00:17:44.200 one who's easily tricked. As I was reading this, 00:17:44.240 --> 00:17:46.119 I was thinking of my daughter Alicia when she 00:17:46.119 --> 00:17:50.420 was younger. Poor Alicia. I believe it was Ron 00:17:50.420 --> 00:17:52.319 and I were driving down from Michigan one day 00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:53.859 to give you an example, and we convinced her 00:17:53.859 --> 00:17:56.279 that on the map they have those black lines. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:17:58.680 She's like, you've got to tell this story again. 00:17:59.779 --> 00:18:01.920 Don't worry, it was a long time ago, so you've 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:04.460 grown out of it. But the point is, we convinced 00:18:04.460 --> 00:18:06.019 her that at one point in time they had actually 00:18:06.019 --> 00:18:08.420 painted those black lines on the ground where 00:18:08.420 --> 00:18:11.839 all the state lines were, but that they had faded 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:14.579 away. And so now they put up signs to mark where 00:18:14.579 --> 00:18:16.259 the line used to be. And she believed it for 00:18:16.259 --> 00:18:17.779 all of about, I think, three or five minutes 00:18:17.779 --> 00:18:19.940 or something. And I said, Dad, that just doesn't 00:18:19.940 --> 00:18:24.740 seem right. In your defense, I was just as naive 00:18:24.740 --> 00:18:27.940 as you were. My uncle and my aunt one time invited 00:18:27.940 --> 00:18:31.880 me to come over to dinner to go out for pizza. 00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:34.339 And right before I got there, my uncle turned 00:18:34.339 --> 00:18:37.200 the oven on. And then when I walked in, I noticed 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:39.519 that the oven was always warm in the house. And 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:41.619 I got suspicious. Are we going out for pizza? 00:18:41.700 --> 00:18:42.920 And he says, you know, we were going to go out 00:18:42.920 --> 00:18:47.359 for pizza, but at that time I didn't like lasagna 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:48.779 at all, and they knew it, and everybody knew 00:18:48.779 --> 00:18:50.400 I didn't like lasagna. And he said, but your 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:52.180 aunt decided to make lasagna for dinner instead. 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:55.200 And I was like, oh, I was destroyed for like 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:58.440 10 minutes. I sat on the couch pouting, and I 00:18:58.440 --> 00:19:00.599 thought, you know, I was like 8 or 9, and I was 00:19:00.599 --> 00:19:02.339 like, oh, man, no way, we're not getting pizza. 00:19:02.740 --> 00:19:06.640 And finally... My uncle went in the kitchen, 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:08.079 turned the oven off, and he said, there's nothing 00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:09.839 in the oven. I was just kidding with you. So 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:14.299 it runs in the family. The naive, that's what 00:19:14.299 --> 00:19:16.279 naive means. It means those who accept. It says 00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:18.220 you'll believe anything. You'll believe everything. 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:20.440 When Satan comes along and nudges you in a certain 00:19:20.440 --> 00:19:22.299 direction, when the world teaches you to go a 00:19:22.299 --> 00:19:23.880 certain way, you start thinking, hey, I might 00:19:23.880 --> 00:19:26.740 get some benefit out of this, right? The naive 00:19:26.740 --> 00:19:29.109 believes everything. But the prudent man, and 00:19:29.109 --> 00:19:31.210 that word is huge for our sermon today, the prudent 00:19:31.210 --> 00:19:34.349 man considers his steps. And so when you read 00:19:34.349 --> 00:19:36.529 that verse, you take the definition of prudent 00:19:36.529 --> 00:19:39.470 to be wise, right? That's what we want to define 00:19:39.470 --> 00:19:41.490 the word prudent as, but that's not the definition 00:19:41.490 --> 00:19:44.950 of the word prudent. And we'll come back to the 00:19:44.950 --> 00:19:46.470 definition of the word prudent before we're through. 00:19:47.130 --> 00:19:49.069 But the prudent man, somebody that we want to 00:19:49.069 --> 00:19:52.839 be, considers his steps. thoughtful about the 00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:54.819 things that he's doing. And the last verse says, 00:19:54.940 --> 00:19:58.180 that we're going to read anyway, a wise man is 00:19:58.180 --> 00:20:03.299 cautious and turns away from evil. So we have 00:20:03.299 --> 00:20:07.140 reason to fear, reason to be concerned, and there's 00:20:07.140 --> 00:20:08.960 nothing wrong with fear, right? It's fear that 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:11.700 keeps us from putting our hand down on a burning 00:20:11.700 --> 00:20:13.319 hot stove, because we learned a long time ago, 00:20:13.339 --> 00:20:14.920 if you do that, you burn, it hurts really bad, 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:16.480 so we don't do that. So fear keeps, there's nothing 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:19.420 wrong with fear, okay? But there's a lot of fear 00:20:19.420 --> 00:20:24.630 that is wrong. So to be cautious is wise, and 00:20:24.630 --> 00:20:28.250 the wise man is cautious and turns away from 00:20:28.250 --> 00:20:29.990 evil because he realizes that evil will take 00:20:29.990 --> 00:20:32.049 him a place that he doesn't want to go. Okay, 00:20:32.130 --> 00:20:36.609 so this is what I was thinking about as I was 00:20:36.609 --> 00:20:38.089 writing this sermon. I was thinking about how 00:20:38.089 --> 00:20:41.369 dangerous it is to be right and to be lost at 00:20:41.369 --> 00:20:46.730 the same time. Ever had that happen? To be right, 00:20:46.829 --> 00:20:48.970 to think you know what's right, you're doing 00:20:48.970 --> 00:20:51.349 the right things, you're doing the best you can, 00:20:51.529 --> 00:20:54.650 and to be lost at the same time. When I was in 00:20:54.650 --> 00:20:56.490 junior high and I went through a period of time 00:20:56.490 --> 00:20:58.390 where there was this gang of guys, about five 00:20:58.390 --> 00:20:59.750 or six of them, and they were hunting me wherever 00:20:59.750 --> 00:21:04.450 I went. And so I got really tricky and really 00:21:04.450 --> 00:21:07.150 cunning at hiding from them because I didn't 00:21:07.150 --> 00:21:08.609 want them to beat me up. And I knew the one guy 00:21:08.609 --> 00:21:10.569 carried a knife. And I started carrying a knife 00:21:10.569 --> 00:21:12.630 too, but the truth is I was afraid to ever have 00:21:12.630 --> 00:21:15.480 to use it. I didn't ever want to have to use 00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:17.779 it. The one time I did try to use it, somebody 00:21:17.779 --> 00:21:19.359 took it away from me and tried to use it on me. 00:21:21.220 --> 00:21:23.000 Fortunately, I was able to get to my car and 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:26.059 drive away before I was seriously injured. The 00:21:26.059 --> 00:21:29.859 point is, I was afraid. And so I got cautious, 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:33.740 and I was lurking, and I was hiding, and I was 00:21:33.740 --> 00:21:36.079 lying, and I was doing everything I could possibly 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:38.140 do to not get in a fight with these five, six 00:21:38.140 --> 00:21:39.660 guys that I knew would beat the crap out of me 00:21:39.660 --> 00:21:43.450 if I did. So I was right because I don't want 00:21:43.450 --> 00:21:44.990 to get beat up and I don't want to face them 00:21:44.990 --> 00:21:46.410 one on five or six. That was the right thing. 00:21:46.470 --> 00:21:49.970 But I was so afraid. I was so scared. I was hiding 00:21:49.970 --> 00:21:55.109 around corners. You understand? It's terrible 00:21:55.109 --> 00:21:57.470 to be right, to be doing what you think is the 00:21:57.470 --> 00:21:59.130 right thing the best you can, but to be lost 00:21:59.130 --> 00:22:01.930 at the same time. I've heard stories of pastors 00:22:01.930 --> 00:22:04.390 and leaders of churches that have told their 00:22:04.390 --> 00:22:06.609 congregation or their flock, manipulated them, 00:22:06.650 --> 00:22:09.309 pushed them hard to do something that really 00:22:09.309 --> 00:22:13.440 is the wrong thing. I know people in my life, 00:22:13.559 --> 00:22:15.839 and I never share their stories, but I know people 00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:18.880 in my life firsthand that have experienced that 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:22.940 and it's ended horribly. It's terrible, terrible, 00:22:23.220 --> 00:22:25.599 terrible to be right and to think in your mind, 00:22:25.640 --> 00:22:29.079 I'm so right, I know, and yet to be lost at the 00:22:29.079 --> 00:22:34.119 same time. So what we read in these verses in 00:22:34.119 --> 00:22:37.980 10 through 16 here is about a bad way. This is 00:22:37.980 --> 00:22:41.019 a bad way. But let me tell you about this bad 00:22:41.019 --> 00:22:43.640 way. This is not about a bad way you might take. 00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:46.660 Most people quote the verse, say there is a way 00:22:46.660 --> 00:22:48.720 that seems right unto man but leads to death. 00:22:49.240 --> 00:22:52.579 And you don't want to take that way. Right? Except 00:22:52.579 --> 00:22:54.839 that's not even what this is talking about. This 00:22:54.839 --> 00:22:57.400 has absolutely zero to talk for zero in it about 00:22:57.400 --> 00:23:02.400 you not taking a bad way. Understand? Even though 00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:04.259 it's written in the present tense, there is a 00:23:04.259 --> 00:23:06.059 bad way, and I'm paraphrasing now, there is a 00:23:06.059 --> 00:23:08.859 bad way. That seems good to somebody. That's 00:23:08.859 --> 00:23:11.039 present tense. It seems good. Seems is present 00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:13.880 tense. It seems. Right now it seems good. But 00:23:13.880 --> 00:23:16.299 it leads to death. Even though that's in the 00:23:16.299 --> 00:23:18.579 present tense, it isn't even about present tense, 00:23:18.740 --> 00:23:23.039 is it? You understand? It isn't about present 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:27.700 tense. It's actually about the past tense. Because 00:23:27.700 --> 00:23:30.880 how do you have a way that seems right to a man 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:33.480 but leads unto death unless the way already exists? 00:23:35.309 --> 00:23:37.369 Unless there's somebody who's already been on 00:23:37.369 --> 00:23:40.569 it. And I submit to you, it's talking about you, 00:23:40.710 --> 00:23:43.990 me, having already been on it. This is about 00:23:43.990 --> 00:23:47.289 a way that we already chose for ourselves. You 00:23:47.289 --> 00:23:48.990 understand? This is about a way that we were 00:23:48.990 --> 00:23:52.269 already on, have been on, could now be on, and 00:23:52.269 --> 00:23:54.289 could in the future be on. This is a way that 00:23:54.289 --> 00:23:56.470 persists, continues to exist. It's a bad way, 00:23:56.609 --> 00:24:00.849 this is. And it's a bad way, not that we might 00:24:00.849 --> 00:24:03.329 just possibly get on in the future, that we could 00:24:03.329 --> 00:24:05.809 easily avoid if we just realized it exists. It's 00:24:05.809 --> 00:24:09.970 a bad way that we were already on. And Jesus 00:24:09.970 --> 00:24:11.650 said to Nicodemus when he came in the middle 00:24:11.650 --> 00:24:13.890 of the night, do not be surprised that I say 00:24:13.890 --> 00:24:17.529 unto you, you must be born again. First he said, 00:24:17.569 --> 00:24:18.930 you have to be born again in order to see the 00:24:18.930 --> 00:24:20.609 kingdom of God. And he said it to Nicodemus, 00:24:20.609 --> 00:24:23.609 who was this... godly man who knew the Bible 00:24:23.609 --> 00:24:26.910 like crazy, whole books memorized, prayed all 00:24:26.910 --> 00:24:29.849 the time everywhere he went, was preaching probably 00:24:29.849 --> 00:24:32.150 seven days a week. Brother Tim works about seven 00:24:32.150 --> 00:24:34.589 days a week. This guy was preaching seven days 00:24:34.589 --> 00:24:38.029 a week. Right? And people were paying him to 00:24:38.029 --> 00:24:40.930 preach because they loved what he had to say. 00:24:41.329 --> 00:24:44.789 They wanted to hear it so bad. He fasted two 00:24:44.789 --> 00:24:46.890 days a week, went completely without food from 00:24:46.890 --> 00:24:48.789 sundown one day to the sundown the next day, 00:24:48.849 --> 00:24:51.089 two days a week. And Jesus said to him, you got 00:24:51.089 --> 00:24:52.970 to be born again in order to see the kingdom 00:24:52.970 --> 00:24:55.170 of God. And then he said to him, don't be surprised 00:24:55.170 --> 00:24:58.009 that you have to be born again to see the kingdom 00:24:58.009 --> 00:25:00.730 of God. It doesn't really make any sense that 00:25:00.730 --> 00:25:02.670 God would let people go to heaven that are liars 00:25:02.670 --> 00:25:05.329 and thieves and hypocrites, because if all the 00:25:05.329 --> 00:25:07.109 liars and thieves and hypocrites wind up in heaven, 00:25:07.190 --> 00:25:08.450 liars and thieves and hypocrites, guess what 00:25:08.450 --> 00:25:10.529 heaven's going to be full of? Liars and thieves 00:25:10.529 --> 00:25:11.849 and hypocrites. And that doesn't sound like heaven, 00:25:11.930 --> 00:25:14.769 does it? Don't be surprised to say that you have 00:25:14.769 --> 00:25:16.750 to be born again. And you could hear him saying 00:25:16.750 --> 00:25:19.269 to Nicodemus, and Nicodemus should have known 00:25:19.269 --> 00:25:22.240 this proverb, But don't be surprised when I say 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:24.680 to you, you must be born again, means you have 00:25:24.680 --> 00:25:28.140 chosen that way which seems right to you, but 00:25:28.140 --> 00:25:32.759 leads to death. Okay, now, just a straw poll 00:25:32.759 --> 00:25:34.640 real quick. How many of you have ever memorized 00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:37.039 an entire book of the Bible? How many of you 00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:39.500 consistently fast two days a week? How many of 00:25:39.500 --> 00:25:41.380 you have ever been preaching seven days a week 00:25:41.380 --> 00:25:44.980 and paid for it every single day? Zero hands 00:25:44.980 --> 00:25:48.519 go up. So here's a man that's that wise about 00:25:48.519 --> 00:25:51.299 the ways of living for God. He's that wise about 00:25:51.299 --> 00:25:53.920 the ways of living for God, and yet he was on 00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:57.940 a road that leads to death. What hope had we 00:25:57.940 --> 00:26:00.759 as ordinary human beings of not being on this 00:26:00.759 --> 00:26:04.359 road this bad way? Ah, but there is hope. You 00:26:04.359 --> 00:26:06.680 see, one of the qualities of this bad way is 00:26:06.680 --> 00:26:11.500 it stinks suspiciously. Remember that a man who 00:26:11.500 --> 00:26:16.789 goes his own way, eventually what? Tires of it. 00:26:17.569 --> 00:26:20.650 He starts to realize, hey, this is not working. 00:26:21.549 --> 00:26:24.390 I keep doing this, I keep trying, and this is 00:26:24.390 --> 00:26:26.769 not working. It's because that man has chosen 00:26:26.769 --> 00:26:31.950 his own way, a way that seems right to him. If 00:26:31.950 --> 00:26:33.829 it's your own way, it must be a way that seems 00:26:33.829 --> 00:26:37.190 right to you, right? But if it's your own way... 00:26:37.529 --> 00:26:39.829 then it's a way that leads to death. There is 00:26:39.829 --> 00:26:41.849 a way that seems right to you that leads to death. 00:26:41.950 --> 00:26:44.250 And it's not God's way. It's not Jesus' way. 00:26:44.309 --> 00:26:46.589 It's not depending on Jesus. You must be born 00:26:46.589 --> 00:26:49.210 again. You have to have a fresh start. You have 00:26:49.210 --> 00:26:54.170 to put your way down. Stop it. Cut it out. Quit 00:26:54.170 --> 00:26:57.990 reasoning your way to the next step. This is 00:26:57.990 --> 00:27:01.029 dangerous. Because this same teaching applies 00:27:01.029 --> 00:27:03.589 for those who pretend or those who say they are 00:27:03.589 --> 00:27:06.680 Christians and are not. So you know people in 00:27:06.680 --> 00:27:08.900 your family. You know people in your school. 00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:11.400 You know people at your workplace. You know people 00:27:11.400 --> 00:27:14.319 maybe even in this room who are claiming to be 00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:16.240 Christians. And while you would never say to 00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:17.940 them, I don't think you're a Christian, or at 00:27:17.940 --> 00:27:19.259 least you shouldn't if they're claiming to be 00:27:19.259 --> 00:27:20.819 a Christian, because that would be judging their 00:27:20.819 --> 00:27:23.619 salvation. You can see that their actions clearly 00:27:23.619 --> 00:27:26.259 are some other way other than the way that God 00:27:26.259 --> 00:27:28.140 is talking about, right? If it's the way of the 00:27:28.140 --> 00:27:29.779 heart, the way that the heart truly desires, 00:27:29.960 --> 00:27:32.220 it's with Christ and Christ is leading, then 00:27:32.220 --> 00:27:34.079 it's godly and what comes out of their mouth. 00:27:34.180 --> 00:27:35.559 And is this the point at which, by the way, I 00:27:35.559 --> 00:27:38.440 did a couple of hours of... research. And I'm 00:27:38.440 --> 00:27:39.960 wondering if this is the point at which I should 00:27:39.960 --> 00:27:42.579 now put up the social media posts that I found 00:27:42.579 --> 00:27:45.680 of a vast number of our church members that include 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:48.240 a proliferation of foul language, nastiness, 00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:50.140 cussing at each other, talking about how lazy 00:27:50.140 --> 00:27:53.460 and mean people are. Oh, but that doesn't apply 00:27:53.460 --> 00:27:55.740 to you. What if I pulled out a recorder at this 00:27:55.740 --> 00:27:58.519 point in time and I played back a recording of 00:27:58.519 --> 00:28:00.720 the last time you were struggling with your car 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:02.500 breaking down or rushing to get to an appointment 00:28:02.500 --> 00:28:05.430 or a kid was being, disbehaving. What kind of 00:28:05.430 --> 00:28:07.569 language could I have recorded on that recorder 00:28:07.569 --> 00:28:11.190 that I could now play? You see, there is a way 00:28:11.190 --> 00:28:13.470 that seems right unto a man, but it leads to 00:28:13.470 --> 00:28:15.890 death. And I submit to you that if you are living 00:28:15.890 --> 00:28:19.150 like that, half in, half out, sometimes all real 00:28:19.150 --> 00:28:21.410 nasty in your speech and other times pretty nice. 00:28:22.250 --> 00:28:25.710 If you've been holding a wrong against somebody 00:28:25.710 --> 00:28:30.109 and love, right, does not take into account the 00:28:30.109 --> 00:28:33.670 wrong suffered. Last month's memory verse. You've 00:28:33.670 --> 00:28:35.269 been holding a wrong against somebody. Jesus 00:28:35.269 --> 00:28:38.609 said, for as you forgive others, that's how your 00:28:38.609 --> 00:28:40.349 Father will forgive you. I changed the tense 00:28:40.349 --> 00:28:43.130 slightly. In the Lord's Prayer, Lord, forgive 00:28:43.130 --> 00:28:46.710 us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass 00:28:46.710 --> 00:28:49.210 against us. If you've been holding a wrong against 00:28:49.210 --> 00:28:52.109 somebody, then I submit to you that you are living 00:28:52.109 --> 00:28:54.730 a way which you think is right. I don't think 00:28:54.730 --> 00:28:56.170 you're doing that because you're an idiot. I 00:28:56.170 --> 00:28:57.210 don't think you're doing that because you're 00:28:57.210 --> 00:29:00.089 just a mean cuss that wants to be bad to people. 00:29:00.890 --> 00:29:03.849 But if your life is like this, if your life has 00:29:03.849 --> 00:29:07.150 those moments in time where clearly you are disrespecting 00:29:07.150 --> 00:29:09.369 God, yet you are claiming the name of the Lord 00:29:09.369 --> 00:29:12.869 Jesus, I submit to you that you, like any other 00:29:12.869 --> 00:29:15.809 reasonably wise person, have chosen a way that 00:29:15.809 --> 00:29:19.529 seems right to you. And you, like Nicodemus, 00:29:19.670 --> 00:29:23.750 should be hearing the same words of Jesus. You 00:29:23.750 --> 00:29:27.190 must be born again. You say, no, but I claim 00:29:27.190 --> 00:29:31.049 the name of Jesus. I trusted Jesus, and now I 00:29:31.049 --> 00:29:34.930 trust that Jesus is covering over my sins. Well, 00:29:35.109 --> 00:29:45.630 if that's the way you see it, and it's not suspiciously 00:29:45.630 --> 00:29:54.250 stinky to you, then maybe you're okay. But I 00:29:54.250 --> 00:29:56.250 submit to you that repentance and living the 00:29:56.250 --> 00:29:58.700 way that God would have you to live It would 00:29:58.700 --> 00:30:01.519 be better. I submit to you that when you have 00:30:01.519 --> 00:30:04.079 that irk inside you, that kind of feeling of 00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:11.900 your heart that says, this behavior, well, ultimately, 00:30:11.960 --> 00:30:14.200 I don't want the results of this behavior. I 00:30:14.200 --> 00:30:16.259 don't want to hurt my spouse, my friend, my brother, 00:30:16.299 --> 00:30:17.980 my sister. I don't want to not do what it is 00:30:17.980 --> 00:30:19.500 that God called. I don't want the results of 00:30:19.500 --> 00:30:23.079 this. If you could take, the last time you made 00:30:23.079 --> 00:30:26.700 a nasty comment to somebody, Now I want you to 00:30:26.700 --> 00:30:28.599 just, in your imagination for a moment, think 00:30:28.599 --> 00:30:31.759 about if you do that, how long ago was it? Say 00:30:31.759 --> 00:30:33.579 maybe it was a month ago. A month ago you made 00:30:33.579 --> 00:30:36.559 your last nasty comment to somebody. And you 00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:38.579 say, well, I think I could go another month without 00:30:38.579 --> 00:30:41.599 doing it. And so I'm only going to make a nasty 00:30:41.599 --> 00:30:45.259 comment once every two months. It's pretty likely 00:30:45.259 --> 00:30:49.039 that, you know, that's a fairly reasonable estimation. 00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:52.380 So six times a year. Now I'm going to live on 00:30:52.380 --> 00:30:55.380 earth for 50 more years. Most of us might make 00:30:55.380 --> 00:30:56.960 that. Some of us might be kind of pushing it. 00:30:57.599 --> 00:31:01.980 Hard to say. Say, I'm going to live for 50 more 00:31:01.980 --> 00:31:05.359 years. So six times a year. So 300 times. And 00:31:05.359 --> 00:31:06.720 you think when you're 80, you're not going to 00:31:06.720 --> 00:31:07.859 look back and go, you know what, I just need 00:31:07.859 --> 00:31:10.119 to stop making those nasty comments to people. 00:31:10.220 --> 00:31:12.299 Or would it go like this? When you're 80, it's 00:31:12.299 --> 00:31:14.480 going to be like a nasty comment every day. Which 00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:19.859 is it? Either way, it would mark or prove that 00:31:19.859 --> 00:31:23.519 you are... on a way of your own choosing that 00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:26.180 you think is right, but it stinks suspiciously, 00:31:26.180 --> 00:31:30.059 and you will have your fill of it, and you need 00:31:30.059 --> 00:31:34.180 to be born again. The second thing about this 00:31:34.180 --> 00:31:37.880 bad way is it stalks skillfully. First of all, 00:31:37.920 --> 00:31:39.900 it stinks suspiciously, and so there is the ability 00:31:39.900 --> 00:31:42.000 for us to choose not to be on it, to choose Jesus 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:45.779 instead on a regular basis, but also it stalks 00:31:45.779 --> 00:31:50.339 skillfully. It's stealthy. The opportunities, 00:31:51.039 --> 00:31:53.039 are always there. So they're always hiding around 00:31:53.039 --> 00:31:55.279 the corner. You know what I mean? Somebody will 00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:56.980 provoke you when you're not expecting it. Somebody 00:31:56.980 --> 00:31:59.000 that you are trusting to behave in a reasonable 00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:00.920 way will behave in a completely unreasonable 00:32:00.920 --> 00:32:03.299 way. And the next thing you know, you're behaving 00:32:03.299 --> 00:32:05.240 in an unreasonable way. Not nearly as unreasonable 00:32:05.240 --> 00:32:08.900 as they are. So it's all on them. But just a 00:32:08.900 --> 00:32:11.859 little bit unreasonable. Right? It's stealthy. 00:32:11.859 --> 00:32:13.920 It creeps up on you. And suddenly you're doing 00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:16.099 what you should not be doing. Why? Because it's 00:32:16.099 --> 00:32:18.559 a reasonable thing to do. It makes perfect sense 00:32:18.559 --> 00:32:22.509 to me to behave this way. Someone just cut me 00:32:22.509 --> 00:32:25.049 off in traffic. It makes perfect sense for me 00:32:25.049 --> 00:32:26.630 to cuss them out a little bit. They can't hear 00:32:26.630 --> 00:32:28.269 it. I'm not hurting anybody. I'm the only one 00:32:28.269 --> 00:32:30.950 in the car. If you're the only one in the car, 00:32:31.089 --> 00:32:33.069 you need to be born again because Jesus is supposed 00:32:33.069 --> 00:32:36.589 to be in the car too. And if you think Jesus 00:32:36.589 --> 00:32:38.349 would cuss them out for cutting you off, you 00:32:38.349 --> 00:32:39.690 might want to look at the story where Jesus is 00:32:39.690 --> 00:32:41.190 on the cross being crucified. He's on the verge 00:32:41.190 --> 00:32:43.230 of dying. And he says, forgive them for they 00:32:43.230 --> 00:32:46.950 know not what they do while they're crucifying 00:32:46.950 --> 00:32:50.130 him. While he's struggling to get his next breath. 00:32:50.430 --> 00:32:52.609 Oh, but them cutting you off in traffic, that 00:32:52.609 --> 00:32:55.869 makes it perfectly okay. To have Jesus in the 00:32:55.869 --> 00:32:58.710 car with you, that seems like maybe you're living 00:32:58.710 --> 00:33:03.349 your own way. It stalks you skillfully. It's 00:33:03.349 --> 00:33:05.089 right there around the corner, always looking 00:33:05.089 --> 00:33:07.470 for an opportunity for you to diverge from the 00:33:07.470 --> 00:33:09.089 course that you've set for yourself, which was 00:33:09.089 --> 00:33:14.670 supposed to be Jesus' course. Also, it's good 00:33:14.670 --> 00:33:17.940 at camouflage. Because it looks right. What are 00:33:17.940 --> 00:33:19.859 we called to? In Christ, what are we supposed 00:33:19.859 --> 00:33:23.539 to be? Right? Live upright. It's right in there. 00:33:23.660 --> 00:33:26.259 The upright man. So we're just supposed to be 00:33:26.259 --> 00:33:28.759 right. So if we're right by our own standards, 00:33:28.980 --> 00:33:32.440 we're all good. Right? It's camouflaged. Because 00:33:32.440 --> 00:33:34.380 if you're right by your own standards, you're 00:33:34.380 --> 00:33:38.579 not good. Not unless your standards of what's 00:33:38.579 --> 00:33:41.079 right have been completely regenerated in God. 00:33:42.079 --> 00:33:44.180 And that doesn't even happen at the moment that 00:33:44.180 --> 00:33:47.460 you're born again. Because we have... A progressive 00:33:47.460 --> 00:33:50.160 regeneration. We understand better and better 00:33:50.160 --> 00:33:51.619 and better. So you may be here today and you 00:33:51.619 --> 00:33:54.119 say, okay, I'm a Christian. And I do understand 00:33:54.119 --> 00:33:55.920 that some of these behaviors that I'm trying 00:33:55.920 --> 00:33:59.839 to put out of my life, that they are still wrong. 00:34:00.380 --> 00:34:02.619 And I need to once and for all put them out of 00:34:02.619 --> 00:34:04.579 my life. But I've not been able to do that. That's 00:34:04.579 --> 00:34:06.660 because this bad way that we're talking about 00:34:06.660 --> 00:34:10.980 stalks skillfully. It's right there. And it looks 00:34:10.980 --> 00:34:15.690 right when it happens. And so you wind up doing 00:34:15.690 --> 00:34:18.829 something that you think is right. And that won't 00:34:18.829 --> 00:34:20.730 cut it. That's not going to get you where you 00:34:20.730 --> 00:34:25.690 want to go. And it has endurance. It can outweigh 00:34:25.690 --> 00:34:30.309 you. You can get it right for days, weeks, or 00:34:30.309 --> 00:34:33.409 months. It takes a human 40 days to build a habit. 00:34:33.610 --> 00:34:35.710 Now let's imagine you wanted to build a habit 00:34:35.710 --> 00:34:38.869 of right living in every possible way. That's 00:34:38.869 --> 00:34:41.599 a lot of 40 days. Right? Let's say you get 10 00:34:41.599 --> 00:34:44.039 things in 40 days. But there are millions of 00:34:44.039 --> 00:34:47.300 things. So all it has to do is wait for you to 00:34:47.300 --> 00:34:50.500 find that right way that isn't God's way again 00:34:50.500 --> 00:34:53.340 and you will diverge. You will find something 00:34:53.340 --> 00:34:56.059 else. You will take the steps that you should 00:34:56.059 --> 00:34:58.960 not because this bad way stalks you skillfully. 00:35:00.679 --> 00:35:04.139 What we need to do is be disciplined and recognize 00:35:04.139 --> 00:35:09.650 that we are being stalked. In the movie, The 00:35:09.650 --> 00:35:11.750 Hunger Games, which was out, the whole series 00:35:11.750 --> 00:35:14.309 that came out back, I don't know, what is it, 00:35:14.349 --> 00:35:18.969 five, ten years ago? Whatever. Everybody knew 00:35:18.969 --> 00:35:22.869 that they were going to be in the games. And 00:35:22.869 --> 00:35:25.550 everybody got access to the same training. And 00:35:25.550 --> 00:35:27.349 they knew that the other contestants, all of 00:35:27.349 --> 00:35:28.869 them, would be stalking them. Even the one that 00:35:28.869 --> 00:35:30.789 came from their home area eventually would be 00:35:30.789 --> 00:35:33.690 stalking them, potentially. It wasn't until the 00:35:33.690 --> 00:35:37.179 last Hunger Games. The big one, if you will. 00:35:37.260 --> 00:35:38.340 I don't know if it was even the last one. It 00:35:38.340 --> 00:35:40.000 wasn't technically the last one, I guess. But 00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:42.300 where two were allowed to survive. That was the 00:35:42.300 --> 00:35:44.019 first time that ever happened. And so even your 00:35:44.019 --> 00:35:45.940 friend from home, if you would call him a friend, 00:35:45.980 --> 00:35:47.900 would have to kill you. And so if you're being 00:35:47.900 --> 00:35:50.579 stalked skillfully, and if the opponent is trained 00:35:50.579 --> 00:35:53.480 in camouflage, you had better be disciplined 00:35:53.480 --> 00:35:57.179 about what you have learned in order to resist 00:35:57.179 --> 00:36:03.039 the bad way. The third thing is that the bad 00:36:03.039 --> 00:36:07.619 way... started specifically. And here it comes 00:36:07.619 --> 00:36:10.360 to it. The bad way started very specifically. 00:36:10.579 --> 00:36:12.280 When you got on the bad way and began doing the 00:36:12.280 --> 00:36:14.480 wrong things instead of the right things, by 00:36:14.480 --> 00:36:16.380 the wrong things, it's not putting God first, 00:36:16.500 --> 00:36:19.960 not practicing spiritual disciplines, maybe not 00:36:19.960 --> 00:36:22.119 worshiping, maybe not serving, maybe not caring 00:36:22.119 --> 00:36:24.860 about others more than yourself, maybe allowing 00:36:24.860 --> 00:36:26.559 your mouth to spout things that you shouldn't 00:36:26.559 --> 00:36:28.699 or heart to feel things that you shouldn't, et 00:36:28.699 --> 00:36:31.119 cetera, et cetera. So rather than doing the wrong 00:36:31.119 --> 00:36:36.150 things, actually did, started quite specifically, 00:36:36.429 --> 00:36:40.309 and it's going to surprise you, started with 00:36:40.309 --> 00:36:45.090 all good intentions. It's a way that seems right. 00:36:46.989 --> 00:36:50.829 You couldn't fall into it unless you thought 00:36:50.829 --> 00:36:53.070 it was right. You started with good intentions. 00:36:53.630 --> 00:36:56.969 So you never, ever cussed anybody out that didn't 00:36:56.969 --> 00:36:58.789 deserve it. You know how many times I've heard 00:36:58.789 --> 00:37:00.389 that on the street in the last 10, 15 years? 00:37:00.489 --> 00:37:01.889 Well, I never cussed anybody that didn't deserve 00:37:01.889 --> 00:37:05.389 it. I never put somebody down that didn't deserve 00:37:05.389 --> 00:37:09.409 it. I've even heard people say, I never stole 00:37:09.409 --> 00:37:11.849 from somebody that didn't deserve it. And so 00:37:11.849 --> 00:37:14.389 they're doing what they think is right. And so 00:37:14.389 --> 00:37:16.030 when you go out into the world, you need to realize 00:37:16.030 --> 00:37:18.389 that a lot of times when people are doing this 00:37:18.389 --> 00:37:20.269 stupid thing, they're cutting you off in traffic. 00:37:20.369 --> 00:37:22.949 They're doing what they think is right. Maybe 00:37:22.949 --> 00:37:24.869 they're not a very good driver, but they didn't 00:37:24.869 --> 00:37:28.170 hit you. Maybe they are in a rush to get somewhere. 00:37:29.349 --> 00:37:31.960 Maybe they are distracted because... Somebody 00:37:31.960 --> 00:37:34.679 just died or they're on the verge of losing their 00:37:34.679 --> 00:37:37.260 marriage that they care very deeply about or 00:37:37.260 --> 00:37:39.539 whatever. You don't know what their situation 00:37:39.539 --> 00:37:43.320 is and so they're just doing what they think 00:37:43.320 --> 00:37:46.320 is right. Remember what God said to Jonah when 00:37:46.320 --> 00:37:48.099 Jonah resisted going to Nineveh? Does anybody 00:37:48.099 --> 00:37:52.059 remember? There's a lot of people there. They 00:37:52.059 --> 00:37:56.039 don't know their right hand from the left. I 00:37:56.039 --> 00:38:00.179 want you to go to them and tell them. Educate 00:38:00.179 --> 00:38:02.380 them. You're my prophet. I'm paraphrasing, of 00:38:02.380 --> 00:38:06.039 course. Right? Jonah didn't want to go because 00:38:06.039 --> 00:38:07.400 he didn't want to save the Ninevites because 00:38:07.400 --> 00:38:08.920 they were threatening to attack Jerusalem even 00:38:08.920 --> 00:38:11.500 then. History tells us that 90 miles away from 00:38:11.500 --> 00:38:14.119 Jerusalem was a Ninevite army ready to march 00:38:14.119 --> 00:38:16.739 down and destroy God's people when God told Jonah 00:38:16.739 --> 00:38:18.920 to go to Nineveh. He didn't want to save Nineveh. 00:38:18.920 --> 00:38:21.119 He didn't want to let God relent of his anger. 00:38:21.280 --> 00:38:26.539 He didn't want to let God spare Nineveh if they 00:38:26.539 --> 00:38:28.460 should repent. And guess what they did when he 00:38:28.460 --> 00:38:29.920 finally got around to it? They repented. And 00:38:29.920 --> 00:38:36.019 guess what God did? He spared them. Their bad 00:38:36.019 --> 00:38:39.679 ways started very specifically. They said, hey, 00:38:39.739 --> 00:38:43.639 God has allowed us to build a great nation with 00:38:43.639 --> 00:38:45.559 great armies and we can go and conquer others, 00:38:45.699 --> 00:38:51.760 etc. Started very specifically with good intentions. 00:38:52.659 --> 00:38:55.639 We are a good nation. We can rule others and 00:38:55.639 --> 00:39:00.639 make their situation better. In the movie, A 00:39:00.639 --> 00:39:04.719 Knight's Tale, late on in the movie, when it's 00:39:04.719 --> 00:39:06.260 after the period of time which the main character 00:39:06.260 --> 00:39:09.079 has tried to throw the joust, and now his love 00:39:09.079 --> 00:39:11.360 tells him, if you love me, you'll win this joust. 00:39:11.659 --> 00:39:13.679 And he gets up there, and he picks up his lance, 00:39:13.760 --> 00:39:15.179 and he's about ready to go, and his squires tell 00:39:15.179 --> 00:39:17.679 him the name of the guy he's jousting. And he 00:39:17.679 --> 00:39:21.280 says, yeah, he sits at feast while he taxes his 00:39:21.280 --> 00:39:23.800 servants all the more. He's taking all their 00:39:23.800 --> 00:39:27.380 money. They starve while he feasts. And he's 00:39:27.380 --> 00:39:30.090 like, yeah. And he rides out and he jousts this 00:39:30.090 --> 00:39:32.130 guy because now he thinks this guy deserves it. 00:39:32.570 --> 00:39:34.869 Now that guy deserves to be on the scene. He's 00:39:34.869 --> 00:39:36.969 mad at the guy, whatever. I've heard people go 00:39:36.969 --> 00:39:39.230 step up at a bat in softball and they say, I 00:39:39.230 --> 00:39:41.309 want you to imagine the face of the person you're 00:39:41.309 --> 00:39:45.110 the most mad at. These are all gimmicks that 00:39:45.110 --> 00:39:50.389 people use because the bad way starts very specifically 00:39:50.389 --> 00:39:54.449 with good intentions. You remember that word 00:39:54.449 --> 00:39:58.880 prudent? Remember the word prudent? It was in 00:39:58.880 --> 00:40:00.460 there and I said we'd talk about it. Let me tell 00:40:00.460 --> 00:40:02.840 you what it actually means. What it actually 00:40:02.840 --> 00:40:05.159 means is not to be wise. He could have just said 00:40:05.159 --> 00:40:06.420 that. He said that in the other verse. What it 00:40:06.420 --> 00:40:09.440 actually means is to take into account the future, 00:40:09.619 --> 00:40:14.139 the destination, the goal, where you're likely 00:40:14.139 --> 00:40:15.940 to wind up because of the choices that you're 00:40:15.940 --> 00:40:20.429 making. To be prudent is to look forward. And 00:40:20.429 --> 00:40:23.530 God says it over and over and over in His Word 00:40:23.530 --> 00:40:26.269 that we are to be prudent. We're not to be arrogant. 00:40:27.269 --> 00:40:29.030 We're not to think that we're right. We need 00:40:29.030 --> 00:40:31.929 to be prudent. Ultimately, as wise as you may 00:40:31.929 --> 00:40:34.550 ever get, as wise as you may ever get, you will 00:40:34.550 --> 00:40:38.610 stand ultimately before the wisest being in the 00:40:38.610 --> 00:40:41.210 universe and answer for your life. And will you 00:40:41.210 --> 00:40:45.309 say, I thought it was the right thing? And if 00:40:45.309 --> 00:40:49.340 you did say that, would it be enough? No. It 00:40:49.340 --> 00:40:53.519 would not. You cannot rely on your own wisdom. 00:40:54.659 --> 00:40:57.360 You need to be ready to stand before God and 00:40:57.360 --> 00:41:01.179 answer for your actions. The way that we are 00:41:01.179 --> 00:41:04.300 talking about getting on to, there's things like 00:41:04.300 --> 00:41:05.900 you can never go wrong by worshiping the God 00:41:05.900 --> 00:41:07.260 of the universe unless, of course, you're worshiping 00:41:07.260 --> 00:41:09.940 the wrong God. That would be a problem. You can 00:41:09.940 --> 00:41:12.579 never go wrong by studying the Bible unless, 00:41:12.619 --> 00:41:15.539 of course, you're warping it to your own thinking. 00:41:16.239 --> 00:41:18.639 You can never go wrong by praying to God unless, 00:41:18.699 --> 00:41:20.679 of course, you're praying to Him like a candy 00:41:20.679 --> 00:41:24.159 store owner or a teddy bear God, disrespecting 00:41:24.159 --> 00:41:25.559 Him, asking Him for what you want, expecting 00:41:25.559 --> 00:41:26.860 Him to give it to you just because you asked 00:41:26.860 --> 00:41:29.619 Him, like a sorcerer. Then I guess you could 00:41:29.619 --> 00:41:31.460 go wrong. See, these are all spiritual disciplines 00:41:31.460 --> 00:41:34.179 and we have them. But when you order them, lay 00:41:34.179 --> 00:41:35.679 them out next to each other and put them together, 00:41:35.699 --> 00:41:37.840 they become a lifestyle. And that lifestyle respects 00:41:37.840 --> 00:41:41.039 God. That lifestyle is the way that Jesus is 00:41:41.039 --> 00:41:44.110 talking about. I'm going to read a few verses 00:41:44.110 --> 00:41:45.949 from the New Testament that talk about thinking 00:41:45.949 --> 00:41:47.849 ahead, and we are moving into the conclusion 00:41:47.849 --> 00:41:50.389 now already, but it's a bit of a conclusion, 00:41:50.510 --> 00:41:53.530 so give me a second. Titus chapter 2. If you 00:41:53.530 --> 00:41:54.889 want to flip there, you can. I'm going to read 00:41:54.889 --> 00:41:58.130 five verses or so, six verses. Titus chapter 00:41:58.130 --> 00:42:02.030 2. Paul writes to Titus, and this is what he 00:42:02.030 --> 00:42:05.989 writes, beginning in verse 7 of chapter 2. In 00:42:05.989 --> 00:42:08.789 all things, show yourself to be an example of 00:42:08.789 --> 00:42:14.789 good deeds. with purity and doctrine, dignified, 00:42:14.789 --> 00:42:20.329 sound in speech, which is beyond reproach, in 00:42:20.329 --> 00:42:22.449 order that the opponent may be put to shame, 00:42:22.670 --> 00:42:26.590 having nothing bad to say about us. Urge bond 00:42:26.590 --> 00:42:28.690 slaves. Listen to this. This is huge. Urge bond 00:42:28.690 --> 00:42:31.070 slaves. Those are people who are in slavery to 00:42:31.070 --> 00:42:33.469 masters, actual slaves owned by somebody else 00:42:33.469 --> 00:42:36.170 that have pledged their service for life. Urge 00:42:36.170 --> 00:42:38.989 bond slaves to be subject to their own masters 00:42:38.989 --> 00:42:41.800 in everything. This is how much God wants us 00:42:41.800 --> 00:42:45.119 to live strictly for Jesus. It may seem right 00:42:45.119 --> 00:42:47.539 to be free, to have no other master in your life, 00:42:47.659 --> 00:42:50.500 but if there is a master in your life, he says, 00:42:50.599 --> 00:42:54.300 don't resist, don't talk back, don't fight back, 00:42:54.360 --> 00:42:56.519 because the spirit of rebellion is more dangerous 00:42:56.519 --> 00:42:59.949 than being a slave. Urge bond slaves to be subject 00:42:59.949 --> 00:43:02.210 to their own masters in everything, to be well 00:43:02.210 --> 00:43:04.530 -pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, 00:43:04.530 --> 00:43:07.070 taking small stuff, but showing all good faith 00:43:07.070 --> 00:43:09.730 that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior 00:43:09.730 --> 00:43:16.250 in every respect. For the grace of God has appeared, 00:43:16.409 --> 00:43:19.730 bringing salvation to all men, instructing us 00:43:19.730 --> 00:43:22.670 to deny ungodliness and worldly desires, and 00:43:22.670 --> 00:43:25.889 to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the 00:43:25.889 --> 00:43:29.639 present age. Looking, where are we looking? For 00:43:29.639 --> 00:43:31.519 the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory 00:43:31.519 --> 00:43:34.780 of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Christ 00:43:34.780 --> 00:43:39.239 Jesus. If your focus is on what lies ahead of 00:43:39.239 --> 00:43:45.619 you, then that stink that's around you is what 00:43:45.619 --> 00:43:48.340 you're doing that doesn't honor where you're 00:43:48.340 --> 00:43:53.550 going. And you go, well... And you begin to spew 00:43:53.550 --> 00:43:55.750 a string of cuss words or well, and you begin 00:43:55.750 --> 00:44:00.510 to talk back to an authority. And that stink 00:44:00.510 --> 00:44:04.050 stands directly opposed to where you're going. 00:44:04.530 --> 00:44:06.530 Do you think anybody is going to talk to people 00:44:06.530 --> 00:44:09.170 like you sometimes talk to people when you get 00:44:09.170 --> 00:44:11.670 to heaven? Will there be anybody in heaven talking 00:44:11.670 --> 00:44:14.230 like that? Well, that makes it clear then that 00:44:14.230 --> 00:44:16.170 that's a work that we have to get rid of. We 00:44:16.170 --> 00:44:17.550 have to work. And I understand it's a work in 00:44:17.550 --> 00:44:18.829 progress. I'm not saying it's an instantaneous 00:44:18.829 --> 00:44:21.170 thing. But it's something that our heart should 00:44:21.170 --> 00:44:25.429 desire to be rid of. Do we think that anybody 00:44:25.429 --> 00:44:29.070 is going to think about other people in heaven 00:44:29.070 --> 00:44:32.869 the way we sometimes think about people? And 00:44:32.869 --> 00:44:34.469 you say, well, I don't say anything. I just feel 00:44:34.469 --> 00:44:37.789 it. Why? Why do you feel it? Are you submitting 00:44:37.789 --> 00:44:39.489 your feelings and your thoughts to the God of 00:44:39.489 --> 00:44:41.869 the universe? God doesn't work only in the physical. 00:44:41.929 --> 00:44:45.670 He works in the spiritual. More so, even, I think, 00:44:45.670 --> 00:44:48.690 than the physical. But He's capable. Unlimited 00:44:48.690 --> 00:44:53.469 in both. Why do you think that way? Is it because 00:44:53.469 --> 00:44:57.250 you need to submit your thoughts to God? We're 00:44:57.250 --> 00:44:59.369 going somewhere and the way it's going to be 00:44:59.369 --> 00:45:01.369 when we reach that moment in time is going to 00:45:01.369 --> 00:45:05.710 be, should, it doesn't fully depend, but it should 00:45:05.710 --> 00:45:08.650 line up perfectly with the way you're acting 00:45:08.650 --> 00:45:15.809 in these days. Hebrews 10 then. Hebrews 10 is 00:45:15.809 --> 00:45:19.849 the next one. Hebrews 10, beginning in verse 00:45:19.849 --> 00:45:24.789 22. We've got two more of these, an illustration 00:45:24.789 --> 00:45:30.409 and a summary, and we're done. Hebrews 10, beginning 00:45:30.409 --> 00:45:34.030 in verse 22, says this. And according to the 00:45:34.030 --> 00:45:38.469 law, oops, that's wrong, that's 9, 22, here we 00:45:38.469 --> 00:45:41.949 go. Let us draw near with a sincere heart in 00:45:41.949 --> 00:45:45.110 full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled 00:45:45.110 --> 00:45:48.099 clean from an evil conscience. and our bodies 00:45:48.099 --> 00:45:51.320 washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the 00:45:51.320 --> 00:45:54.699 confession of our hope without wavering. For 00:45:54.699 --> 00:45:59.019 he who promised is faithful, and let us consider 00:45:59.019 --> 00:46:01.119 how to stimulate one another to love and good 00:46:01.119 --> 00:46:04.380 deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together. 00:46:04.460 --> 00:46:06.639 That's one of the classic verses about making 00:46:06.639 --> 00:46:08.400 sure you're in church and at Bible study and 00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:10.460 like that with other believers, right? Not forsaking 00:46:10.460 --> 00:46:13.219 our own assembling together, as is the habit 00:46:13.219 --> 00:46:15.199 of some. Some people do that. We recognize not 00:46:15.199 --> 00:46:19.750 everybody is... But encouraging one another and 00:46:19.750 --> 00:46:23.710 all the more as you see the day drawing near. 00:46:24.889 --> 00:46:27.670 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving 00:46:27.670 --> 00:46:29.269 the knowledge of the truth. In other words, if 00:46:29.269 --> 00:46:31.570 you're choosing to sin willfully after receiving 00:46:31.570 --> 00:46:34.289 the knowledge about Jesus, there no longer remains 00:46:34.289 --> 00:46:38.639 a sacrifice for sins. If Jesus paid for your 00:46:38.639 --> 00:46:40.420 sins and then you go on and sin again, how can 00:46:40.420 --> 00:46:42.760 anyone pay for that? It's an ongoing payment 00:46:42.760 --> 00:46:45.079 or it's no payment at all. It's a payment for 00:46:45.079 --> 00:46:46.719 sins that's for all the sins you ever did and 00:46:46.719 --> 00:46:49.019 all the sins you ever will do or it's no payment 00:46:49.019 --> 00:46:52.000 at all. But a certain terrifying expectation 00:46:52.000 --> 00:46:54.440 of judgment and the fury of a fire which will 00:46:54.440 --> 00:46:56.940 consume the adversaries. That's what we can hope 00:46:56.940 --> 00:46:59.940 for. That's the destination. A path that seems 00:46:59.940 --> 00:47:03.050 right to us leads to that place. Anyone who has 00:47:03.050 --> 00:47:05.389 set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy 00:47:05.389 --> 00:47:07.130 on the testimony of two or three witnesses. They 00:47:07.130 --> 00:47:08.909 were put to death. Anybody of two or three people 00:47:08.909 --> 00:47:10.789 witnessed against them breaking the law, they 00:47:10.789 --> 00:47:12.510 could put them to death. That's the rule of the 00:47:12.510 --> 00:47:15.130 Old Testament. How much severer punishment do 00:47:15.130 --> 00:47:17.730 you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot 00:47:17.730 --> 00:47:20.690 the Son of God and has disregarded as unclean 00:47:20.690 --> 00:47:23.429 the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified? 00:47:23.590 --> 00:47:26.349 So Jesus' blood is regarded as unclean by those 00:47:26.349 --> 00:47:28.929 who continue in sin, willfully sin after having 00:47:28.929 --> 00:47:31.679 accepted Christ. and has insulted the spirit 00:47:31.679 --> 00:47:34.380 of grace. For we know him who said, vengeance 00:47:34.380 --> 00:47:38.300 is mine, I will repay. And again, the Lord will 00:47:38.300 --> 00:47:40.639 judge his people. It is a terrifying thing to 00:47:40.639 --> 00:47:46.829 fall into the hands of the living God. But remember 00:47:46.829 --> 00:47:48.869 the former days when after being enlightened 00:47:48.869 --> 00:47:51.010 you endured a great conflict of suffering. So 00:47:51.010 --> 00:47:52.429 you went through a lot of difficulties as you 00:47:52.429 --> 00:47:55.590 started to try to live for Jesus. Partly by being 00:47:55.590 --> 00:47:57.590 made a public spectacle through reproaches and 00:47:57.590 --> 00:47:59.949 tribulations and partly by becoming sharers with 00:47:59.949 --> 00:48:02.710 those who were so treated because you knew people 00:48:02.710 --> 00:48:04.250 who were treated that way because of their faith. 00:48:04.510 --> 00:48:07.260 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners. and 00:48:07.260 --> 00:48:09.199 accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, 00:48:09.280 --> 00:48:11.460 knowing that you have for yourselves a better 00:48:11.460 --> 00:48:13.900 possession and an abiding one. And this is written 00:48:13.900 --> 00:48:16.579 to those who had experienced those things. Therefore, 00:48:16.679 --> 00:48:19.440 do not throw away your confidence, which has 00:48:19.440 --> 00:48:22.900 a great reward, for you have need of endurance, 00:48:23.320 --> 00:48:25.719 so that when you have done the will of God, you 00:48:25.719 --> 00:48:29.039 may receive what was promised. For yet in a very 00:48:29.039 --> 00:48:31.239 little while, he who is coming will come and 00:48:31.239 --> 00:48:33.800 will not delay. But my righteous one shall live 00:48:33.800 --> 00:48:37.260 by faith. And if he shrinks back, My soul has 00:48:37.260 --> 00:48:40.460 no pleasure in him. You hear that? God says, 00:48:40.480 --> 00:48:42.579 if you shrink back, his soul has no pleasure 00:48:42.579 --> 00:48:45.699 in you. If I shrink back, his soul has no pleasure 00:48:45.699 --> 00:48:48.320 in me. But we are not of those who shrink back 00:48:48.320 --> 00:48:50.360 to destruction. That's the great blessing. We 00:48:50.360 --> 00:48:54.380 do not shrink back to destruction. But of those 00:48:54.380 --> 00:48:57.340 who have faith to the persevering of the soul, 00:48:57.500 --> 00:49:03.280 we can continue. 2 Peter chapter 3. The last 00:49:03.280 --> 00:49:11.099 two are fairly short. 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter 00:49:11.099 --> 00:49:16.139 chapter 3 beginning in verse 11. And let him 00:49:16.139 --> 00:49:20.639 turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek 00:49:20.639 --> 00:49:23.500 peace and pursue it. This is what we're supposed 00:49:23.500 --> 00:49:26.179 to do. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the 00:49:26.179 --> 00:49:28.320 righteous and his ears attend to their prayer. 00:49:28.480 --> 00:49:31.039 But the face of the Lord is against those who 00:49:31.039 --> 00:49:35.449 do evil. And I can put this paraphrase in there. 00:49:35.610 --> 00:49:39.969 Who do evil even if they think it's right. You 00:49:39.969 --> 00:49:46.050 understand? And who is there to harm you if you 00:49:46.050 --> 00:49:48.369 prove zealous for what is good. Who will harm 00:49:48.369 --> 00:49:51.769 you if you prove zealous for what is good? But 00:49:51.769 --> 00:49:53.769 even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, 00:49:54.150 --> 00:49:56.409 you are blessed. Even if you actually do what's 00:49:56.409 --> 00:49:57.710 right, you live for God and actually do what 00:49:57.710 --> 00:49:59.170 God wants you to do and then you suffer because 00:49:59.170 --> 00:50:02.900 of it, you're blessed. and do not fear their 00:50:02.900 --> 00:50:05.820 intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify, 00:50:05.860 --> 00:50:08.920 that means set apart, Christ as Lord in your 00:50:08.920 --> 00:50:11.360 hearts, always being ready to make a defense 00:50:11.360 --> 00:50:14.500 to everyone who asks you to give an account for 00:50:14.500 --> 00:50:16.780 the hope that is in you. You always have to be 00:50:16.780 --> 00:50:19.519 ready to tell anyone, why do you have this hope? 00:50:20.059 --> 00:50:23.400 Yet will gentleness and reverence do that, and 00:50:23.400 --> 00:50:26.199 keep a good conscience, so that in a thing in 00:50:26.199 --> 00:50:28.940 which you are slandered, those who revile your 00:50:28.940 --> 00:50:31.559 good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 00:50:32.079 --> 00:50:34.559 So even those who speak out against you will 00:50:34.559 --> 00:50:39.039 be put to shame. And then the book of Jude. The 00:50:39.039 --> 00:50:49.039 book of Jude. It's the last one before Revelation. 00:50:49.599 --> 00:50:51.780 The book of Jude just has one chapter, so it's 00:50:51.780 --> 00:50:57.159 verses 24 and 25. In Jude 24, it says this. now 00:50:57.159 --> 00:51:00.059 to him who is able to keep you from stumbling. 00:51:00.639 --> 00:51:03.079 Do you hear that? Okay, let's stop one second 00:51:03.079 --> 00:51:07.159 right here. This bad way, it stinks suspiciously. 00:51:08.460 --> 00:51:10.860 You were already on it. You needed to be born 00:51:10.860 --> 00:51:12.559 again. I hope you have been. If you haven't, 00:51:12.559 --> 00:51:16.199 you need to be. Then assuming you've been born 00:51:16.199 --> 00:51:19.619 again, be aware this bad way, it stalks skillfully. 00:51:19.679 --> 00:51:24.039 It's after you. It's stealthy. It's camouflaged 00:51:24.039 --> 00:51:26.079 and it has endurance. You need to be disciplined. 00:51:26.880 --> 00:51:29.059 You need to be prudent thinking about where you're 00:51:29.059 --> 00:51:31.639 going, not where you've been or what's going 00:51:31.639 --> 00:51:33.480 on now or what seems right to you, but where 00:51:33.480 --> 00:51:35.659 you're going, what you could do here that lines 00:51:35.659 --> 00:51:38.699 up with where you're going. And then he says 00:51:38.699 --> 00:51:41.400 that this one in whom you have trusted, if you've 00:51:41.400 --> 00:51:43.320 been born again, he is able to keep you from 00:51:43.320 --> 00:51:46.099 stumbling. He can stop that stealth. He can stop 00:51:46.099 --> 00:51:48.800 that camouflage. He can let you see it for what 00:51:48.800 --> 00:51:53.590 it is. He is able to keep you from stumbling 00:51:53.590 --> 00:51:56.130 and to make you stand in the presence of His 00:51:56.130 --> 00:52:00.889 glory blameless with great joy. He is able to 00:52:00.889 --> 00:52:02.949 bring you to that place where you will stand 00:52:02.949 --> 00:52:08.349 before Him blameless with great joy. Notice it's 00:52:08.349 --> 00:52:10.769 not about us at all. It's not about what we think 00:52:10.769 --> 00:52:13.469 about what's right. It's not about our opinions. 00:52:13.590 --> 00:52:15.829 God is able to do that. That's what that whole 00:52:15.829 --> 00:52:20.170 verse is about. To the only God, our Savior, 00:52:20.699 --> 00:52:23.079 Through Jesus Christ our Lord, be these things. 00:52:23.300 --> 00:52:26.719 Glory. Let us shine a light on God that all people 00:52:26.719 --> 00:52:29.119 can see. Majesty. Let's recognize that God has 00:52:29.119 --> 00:52:30.980 the character of a king. He deserves to be in 00:52:30.980 --> 00:52:33.739 charge of all things. Dominion. That means He 00:52:33.739 --> 00:52:37.980 rules. He governs. He directs. He guides. And 00:52:37.980 --> 00:52:39.400 when I would start to say something that's inappropriate, 00:52:39.559 --> 00:52:41.199 when I start to fail to do something that I should 00:52:41.199 --> 00:52:45.139 do, I should hear God saying, Get up, Dan. Do 00:52:45.139 --> 00:52:48.219 this, Dan. Don't do that, Dan. That's not right, 00:52:48.400 --> 00:52:51.630 Dan. What are you doing? Repent and say you're 00:52:51.630 --> 00:52:55.090 sorry, Dan. Apologize and make it right. Not 00:52:55.090 --> 00:52:59.070 once, but four times over, Dan. That's His dominion 00:52:59.070 --> 00:53:02.530 and His authority. He can rebuke that evil. He 00:53:02.530 --> 00:53:05.929 can stop that way. He can make me think what's 00:53:05.929 --> 00:53:07.829 right. He can help me see what's right. Not what 00:53:07.829 --> 00:53:09.829 I think is right, not by my reason or my logic, 00:53:09.889 --> 00:53:16.789 but by His standards. And it is so before all 00:53:16.789 --> 00:53:20.170 time and now and forever. And then amen, which 00:53:20.170 --> 00:53:27.949 means let it be so. So this is the check. If 00:53:27.949 --> 00:53:40.429 there is a time or some kind of reason that you 00:53:40.429 --> 00:53:50.940 have been allowing yourself to engage in behavior 00:53:50.940 --> 00:54:03.119 that would not be logical in heaven, then you 00:54:03.119 --> 00:54:07.699 need to repent. And you need to reinstate with 00:54:07.699 --> 00:54:11.639 all that is in you and plead to the Lord for 00:54:11.639 --> 00:54:13.719 him to reinstate because he is really the one 00:54:13.719 --> 00:54:17.679 who can do it, his dominion in your life. The 00:54:17.679 --> 00:54:22.159 tool of repentance, is a gift. And through repentance 00:54:22.159 --> 00:54:24.260 now, there is the remission of sins. That's what 00:54:24.260 --> 00:54:27.320 Jesus said. And that is the message of the Gospel. 00:54:29.000 --> 00:54:31.320 Because we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who 00:54:31.320 --> 00:54:34.940 died on the cross for us and rose again and taught 00:54:34.940 --> 00:54:38.800 us that it was so, we can have our sins and the 00:54:38.800 --> 00:54:41.179 consequences of them forgiven through repentance. 00:54:43.000 --> 00:54:46.159 And what is repentance? It is not simply saying, 00:54:46.260 --> 00:54:48.670 oh, I'll never do that again. It's not saying 00:54:48.670 --> 00:54:52.070 I'm sorry or I'm sorry I was caught. It's not 00:54:52.070 --> 00:54:55.309 making restitution. Repentance is turning to 00:54:55.309 --> 00:54:59.409 God again. Not turning to a different sin or 00:54:59.409 --> 00:55:03.070 another way. Not even turning to a way that seems 00:55:03.070 --> 00:55:05.969 right to you. I'm here to say to you today that 00:55:05.969 --> 00:55:11.210 turning to God in the flesh, in your humanistic 00:55:11.210 --> 00:55:16.829 self, in your old man, would never seem right. 00:55:16.840 --> 00:55:22.320 Right. How does that work? How does it work that 00:55:22.320 --> 00:55:25.159 I say, God, I lied, I don't want to do that anymore, 00:55:25.480 --> 00:55:27.980 I want you to be in charge of my life, and that 00:55:27.980 --> 00:55:32.579 does anything at all? Because I lied, and then 00:55:32.579 --> 00:55:35.360 I said that, and then a month later I lied again. 00:55:36.360 --> 00:55:39.960 And I completed that process over a space of 00:55:39.960 --> 00:55:42.300 two and a half years. I did it over and over 00:55:42.300 --> 00:55:43.440 and over again. I kept saying, God, I don't want 00:55:43.440 --> 00:55:47.360 to lie anymore. Change me, fix me, help me, help 00:55:47.360 --> 00:55:51.320 me do it. And over that period of time, a little 00:55:51.320 --> 00:55:52.699 more, a little more, a little more, every time 00:55:52.699 --> 00:55:55.119 I lie, I would hear God's compulsion more. I 00:55:55.119 --> 00:55:57.059 knew I was going to pray the next day and say, 00:55:57.119 --> 00:55:58.840 God, please don't, or later that same day and 00:55:58.840 --> 00:56:00.920 say, God, please help me not do that anymore. 00:56:01.219 --> 00:56:04.119 And ultimately, the last time, God said, you 00:56:04.119 --> 00:56:06.559 just lied. As loud as there was somebody standing 00:56:06.559 --> 00:56:10.480 there smacking me in the back of the head. Go 00:56:10.480 --> 00:56:16.170 fix it. Tell him the truth. And on that day, 00:56:16.190 --> 00:56:19.849 I finally figured out how it gets better. Because 00:56:19.849 --> 00:56:22.510 the more you want what God wants in that particular 00:56:22.510 --> 00:56:25.769 circumstance, the less you can reason it, define 00:56:25.769 --> 00:56:29.110 it, make it right. The camouflage falls away. 00:56:29.349 --> 00:56:32.269 The stealth ends. It's no surprise to me to know 00:56:32.269 --> 00:56:37.530 that what I'm doing is wrong now. Mom said it 00:56:37.530 --> 00:56:39.050 was wrong. Dad said it was wrong. The brother 00:56:39.050 --> 00:56:42.079 said it was wrong. Whatever. But now I know it's 00:56:42.079 --> 00:56:44.480 wrong. Now I feel it in my heart. My heart is 00:56:44.480 --> 00:56:46.199 telling me it's wrong because my heart is being 00:56:46.199 --> 00:56:48.639 rejuvenated in Christ. And now I know I have 00:56:48.639 --> 00:56:51.440 to let it go. And then you let it go and then 00:56:51.440 --> 00:56:53.699 it's gone. And some things took a day. And some 00:56:53.699 --> 00:56:55.579 things take two and a half years. But you have 00:56:55.579 --> 00:56:58.219 to do the same thing every time and get off the 00:56:58.219 --> 00:57:00.639 path that you think is right and get on the path 00:57:00.639 --> 00:57:02.380 that He thinks is right. And that takes discipline. 00:57:02.579 --> 00:57:05.469 And all the disciplines... Coming together is 00:57:05.469 --> 00:57:08.909 weaving a life in Christ. So worship and serve 00:57:08.909 --> 00:57:15.230 and give and love. Step out. Resist the spirit 00:57:15.230 --> 00:57:18.550 of rebellion. Be faithful and be found obedient. 00:57:19.829 --> 00:57:22.369 Stop being arrogant and thinking you know because 00:57:22.369 --> 00:57:32.809 you don't. And so it comes down to this. Be born 00:57:32.809 --> 00:57:37.570 again. And then be disciplined and be prudent. 00:57:39.050 --> 00:57:47.050 That's the road that seems right to God. Be born 00:57:47.050 --> 00:57:51.030 again. Then be disciplined. Choose to do the 00:57:51.030 --> 00:57:55.210 right things. Failing to do so, repent. Figure 00:57:55.210 --> 00:57:57.989 out what the spiritual disciplines are. There 00:57:57.989 --> 00:58:00.670 are probably 35 of them. 10 of them are listed 00:58:00.670 --> 00:58:03.849 in the green book that we use. Figure out what 00:58:03.849 --> 00:58:06.269 the spiritual disciplines are and make an action 00:58:06.269 --> 00:58:09.789 plan yourself to do more of each and every one 00:58:09.789 --> 00:58:11.949 of those things and to do them in a more godly 00:58:11.949 --> 00:58:13.869 way whenever you find yourself weak in some way. 00:58:15.809 --> 00:58:19.849 Be born again, be disciplined, and then be prudent. 00:58:20.590 --> 00:58:24.530 And when you are prudent, you will stop wandering 00:58:24.530 --> 00:58:34.400 off onto the way that looks good to you. You 00:58:34.400 --> 00:58:39.139 will instead choose a way that lines up with 00:58:39.139 --> 00:58:45.260 where you're going. You can't go south to get 00:58:45.260 --> 00:58:47.320 to Alaska. You can go south for a little while. 00:58:48.480 --> 00:58:52.380 You can go around something. You can go southwest 00:58:52.380 --> 00:58:56.519 to get to a certain expressway. You can go south 00:58:56.519 --> 00:59:01.099 all the way around Antarctica if you could survive 00:59:01.099 --> 00:59:06.190 it, which probably would not be the case. It 00:59:06.190 --> 00:59:13.150 doesn't even seem right to you to try. So we 00:59:13.150 --> 00:59:14.909 can figure out a little bit of what we think 00:59:14.909 --> 00:59:22.130 is right. But as Shakespeare said, the road to 00:59:22.130 --> 00:59:24.010 hell is paved with good intentions. It's like 00:59:24.010 --> 00:59:37.389 a maze. Let me pray for you briefly. The Jail 00:59:37.389 --> 00:59:41.050 of Intentions by Daniel Stevenson at New Heights 00:59:41.050 --> 00:59:43.449 Fellowship Baptist Church in East Toledo. We 00:59:43.449 --> 00:59:44.929 hope that you have learned and grown from it. 00:59:44.949 --> 00:59:48.769 Check us out online at churchtoledo .com. Consider 00:59:48.769 --> 00:59:51.030 partnering with the ministry. Show up for service. 00:59:51.530 --> 00:59:53.130 Serve the Lord right where you are, reaching 00:59:53.130 --> 00:59:55.070 new heights in Jesus. God bless you today.