WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.940 Pastor Cammie and I both preached little bit 00:00:03.940 --> 00:00:06.980 I was in Petersburg and she was here and I I 00:00:06.980 --> 00:00:08.839 preached a little bit of a different message 00:00:08.839 --> 00:00:11.779 there and I preached out of Philippians chapter 00:00:11.779 --> 00:00:14.220 3 and if you weren't here last week and didn't 00:00:14.220 --> 00:00:17.679 get to hear that message go on our YouTube channel 00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:21.219 or go on Facebook listen to the word that pastor 00:00:21.219 --> 00:00:25.899 Cami brought about running after God and about 00:00:25.899 --> 00:00:32.530 the practical ways to to run after him amen And 00:00:32.530 --> 00:00:36.429 Paul had a passion to run after God with his 00:00:36.429 --> 00:00:39.070 whole heart. The week before that, I preached 00:00:39.070 --> 00:00:42.609 a message out of Habakkuk. I preached two points 00:00:42.609 --> 00:00:45.770 of that message, and today I want to preach the 00:00:45.770 --> 00:00:50.229 third point. And so I want you to go with me 00:00:50.229 --> 00:00:55.289 again to Habakkuk chapter 2 in the Old Testament, 00:00:55.710 --> 00:00:59.590 and we are going to pick up kind of where we 00:00:59.590 --> 00:01:04.310 left off. The title of my last message was, write 00:01:04.310 --> 00:01:09.200 it down. the prophet Habakkuk prophesying during 00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:13.140 a time when the Israelites were not being blessed 00:01:13.140 --> 00:01:17.140 by God but they were under they were under persecution 00:01:17.140 --> 00:01:20.939 and it seemed like the enemies of the kingdom 00:01:20.939 --> 00:01:24.319 of God were being blessed while the people of 00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:27.140 God were not being blessed and Habakkuk in chapter 00:01:27.140 --> 00:01:30.519 1 had a complaint and just said why is it like 00:01:30.519 --> 00:01:34.480 this God? And in chapter two, God began to speak 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:42.400 to Habakkuk. And he says in verse two of Habakkuk 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:46.760 two, then the Lord replied, write down the revelation 00:01:46.760 --> 00:01:51.799 and make it plain on tablets so that a herald 00:01:51.799 --> 00:02:01.180 may run with it. And so that's from the New International. 00:02:01.209 --> 00:02:05.469 Version write down the Revelation and make it 00:02:05.469 --> 00:02:12.509 plain on tablets so that a herald may run With 00:02:12.509 --> 00:02:18.110 it. I want to read that this morning from the 00:02:18.110 --> 00:02:22.789 New King James Version as well and so the New 00:02:22.789 --> 00:02:28.490 King James says write the vision Make it plain 00:02:28.490 --> 00:02:37.939 on tablets That he may run who reads it That 00:02:37.939 --> 00:02:44.639 he may run Who reads it? Thank you, Lord. And 00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:47.979 so the first two points that I talked about was 00:02:47.979 --> 00:02:52.139 paying about paying attention to what God says 00:02:52.139 --> 00:02:58.199 When God speaks we need to listen, right? So 00:02:58.300 --> 00:03:00.460 shake your neighbor and say, when God speaks, 00:03:00.520 --> 00:03:04.259 you better listen. Especially if it's your husband 00:03:04.259 --> 00:03:08.400 or wife. When God speaks, you better listen. 00:03:10.620 --> 00:03:16.460 We write it down. And so it's important when 00:03:16.460 --> 00:03:22.259 God speaks to remember what He said. How many 00:03:22.259 --> 00:03:25.319 of you even remember that I preached out of Habakkuk 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:31.250 chapter 2? A couple of you. When I asked Cami, 00:03:31.370 --> 00:03:34.270 because I listened to about two -thirds of her 00:03:34.270 --> 00:03:38.110 message from last Sunday, I asked her, how did 00:03:38.110 --> 00:03:40.849 you end your sermon last week? And she said, 00:03:40.849 --> 00:03:47.889 I don't know. She said, I don't know. I'll have 00:03:47.889 --> 00:03:54.610 to look. I'm telling on her. She said she threw 00:03:54.610 --> 00:03:58.069 me under the bus last week. I'm throwing her 00:03:58.069 --> 00:04:02.669 under the bus this week. We have a tendency to 00:04:02.669 --> 00:04:07.590 forget things that are important, right? We have 00:04:07.590 --> 00:04:10.870 a tendency to forget and I'm not immune to that. 00:04:13.270 --> 00:04:17.629 My wife is laughing, she knows. I forget things. 00:04:20.970 --> 00:04:22.910 How many of you have experienced me forgetting 00:04:22.910 --> 00:04:28.819 things? Lift up your hand. That's true. That's 00:04:28.819 --> 00:04:34.300 true. Some of you have your hands up that I don't 00:04:34.300 --> 00:04:37.720 remember why. I'm just glancing around thinking, 00:04:37.860 --> 00:04:44.259 what is that one? I don't even know. I forgot. 00:04:45.019 --> 00:04:49.879 I forgot. But it is important when God speaks, 00:04:50.139 --> 00:04:54.220 right? And so he declared to Habakkuk, don't 00:04:54.220 --> 00:04:57.480 just listen to what I'm going to say, write it 00:04:57.480 --> 00:05:01.079 down. And then as you write it down, Habakkuk, 00:05:01.220 --> 00:05:04.600 make it plain. Aren't you glad that the message 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:09.639 of the gospel is simple and it is plain? You 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:13.259 do not have to have a doctorate to understand 00:05:13.259 --> 00:05:17.839 the gospel. In fact, a child can understand the 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:21.740 message of the gospel. Jesus, the Son of God, 00:05:22.139 --> 00:05:26.399 came as a perfect sacrifice and gave himself 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:32.420 on a cross in place so that we can be forgiven 00:05:32.420 --> 00:05:38.339 and free hallelujah it is plain and it is simple 00:05:38.339 --> 00:05:41.199 now that does not mean that the message of the 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:48.779 gospel is easy but it is simple and he told Habakkuk 00:05:48.779 --> 00:05:55.899 make it plain make it plain So the vision that 00:05:55.899 --> 00:05:58.160 God gave to Habakkuk for the rest of the book 00:05:58.160 --> 00:06:02.579 was one of calling people to repentance and It 00:06:02.579 --> 00:06:09.879 was simple You've strayed from God You need to 00:06:09.879 --> 00:06:18.220 come back And that's the message of repentance 00:06:18.220 --> 00:06:23.519 have you ever been there in your life where you've 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:27.699 strayed from God? Have you ever been there in 00:06:27.699 --> 00:06:31.759 your life where you have just kind of come to 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:34.120 yourself spiritually thinking, you know what, 00:06:34.139 --> 00:06:38.860 I have not been doing the things I need to be 00:06:38.860 --> 00:06:43.680 doing. Am I alone in that this morning? Am I 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:49.259 alone in the need to repent and to come back 00:06:49.259 --> 00:06:56.310 to God? There is a simple message that God gave 00:06:56.310 --> 00:06:59.269 in fact, it's all through the scriptures and 00:06:59.269 --> 00:07:07.129 it's simply this turn back to me and God is calling 00:07:07.129 --> 00:07:11.990 America right now God is calling out to young 00:07:11.990 --> 00:07:16.649 men in America right now. I Believe he's speaking 00:07:16.649 --> 00:07:19.529 to all of America, but I believe he's specifically 00:07:19.529 --> 00:07:26.149 speaking to young men calling young men to be 00:07:26.149 --> 00:07:29.290 wholehearted in their relationship with God. 00:07:30.170 --> 00:07:33.129 To be unashamed of what their friends think about 00:07:33.129 --> 00:07:36.269 them. To be unashamed to declare, you know what, 00:07:36.509 --> 00:07:40.730 I am a believer in Jesus Christ. That's what 00:07:40.730 --> 00:07:45.610 I love. I have listened this past week to hours 00:07:45.610 --> 00:07:49.850 of Charlie Kirk videos, debating, and you know 00:07:49.850 --> 00:07:52.149 the debating I can kind of get into because I 00:07:52.149 --> 00:07:54.389 like, you know, the clashing and this and that 00:07:54.389 --> 00:07:58.629 and I think, wow. But you know what? In those 00:07:58.629 --> 00:08:01.829 same campuses where he was debating politics 00:08:01.829 --> 00:08:06.670 or he was debating issues, he was also naming 00:08:06.670 --> 00:08:12.319 unashamedly the name of Jesus. And he was he 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:15.959 was laying his life down saying I am a follower 00:08:15.959 --> 00:08:19.399 of Jesus Christ and I am not ashamed to talk 00:08:19.399 --> 00:08:24.209 about it. Hallelujah and friends God is calling 00:08:24.209 --> 00:08:28.290 out to America right now to not be ashamed. It 00:08:28.290 --> 00:08:30.730 doesn't mean that you have that you're perfect 00:08:30.730 --> 00:08:33.269 It doesn't mean you're declaring that you are 00:08:33.269 --> 00:08:35.929 inerrant and never make any mistakes and never 00:08:35.929 --> 00:08:39.769 never fail and never fall but you are a follower 00:08:39.769 --> 00:08:48.210 of Jesus Christ and you are not ashamed of it 00:08:48.210 --> 00:08:57.299 Hallelujah write it down Make it plain So that 00:08:57.299 --> 00:09:11.019 others Can run So that others can run Your life 00:09:11.019 --> 00:09:17.340 is not just for you Did you know that? God is 00:09:17.340 --> 00:09:22.580 going to speak to you things that enable others 00:09:23.399 --> 00:09:31.460 to run My study of this One commentary Jamison 00:09:31.460 --> 00:09:35.940 Fawcett Brown want to read this quote the true 00:09:35.940 --> 00:09:40.899 sense of this passage is this The true sense 00:09:40.899 --> 00:09:48.789 is make it so legible that whoever reads it May 00:09:48.789 --> 00:09:52.549 run to tell all whom he can the good news of 00:09:52.549 --> 00:09:58.990 that the foes have coming doom and Judah will 00:09:58.990 --> 00:10:04.450 be delivered Isn't that awesome I kind of translated 00:10:04.450 --> 00:10:08.049 that because that that commentary writes in King 00:10:08.049 --> 00:10:12.950 James language Make it so legible that whoever 00:10:12.950 --> 00:10:17.590 reads it may run to tell all they can the good 00:10:17.590 --> 00:10:23.289 news that our enemies are losing and that Judah 00:10:23.289 --> 00:10:29.480 will be delivered. That was what Jameson Fawcett 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:33.539 Brown says the true sense of this passage is. 00:10:33.740 --> 00:10:37.100 You hear from God, you write it down, you make 00:10:37.100 --> 00:10:40.480 it plain so that people will understand their 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:43.519 enemies have been defeated on the cross. Jesus 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:49.559 is winning, hallelujah. He has won the victory 00:10:49.559 --> 00:10:52.779 and he has provided for your deliverance and 00:10:52.779 --> 00:10:56.879 your freedom in the name of Jesus. It was all 00:10:56.879 --> 00:11:01.340 about encouragement. And so keep your ear to 00:11:01.340 --> 00:11:05.100 the ground. Write down the things the Holy Spirit 00:11:05.100 --> 00:11:10.299 says because it will be useful to liberate people 00:11:10.299 --> 00:11:14.100 that before could not run, but now will be able 00:11:14.100 --> 00:11:17.519 to stand up on their own two feet. Now they will 00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:21.379 find strength to move forward in Jesus' name. 00:11:22.090 --> 00:11:25.590 What does it take for a church to stand up in 00:11:25.590 --> 00:11:29.529 a culture that is forgot about God? It takes 00:11:29.529 --> 00:11:33.450 one person to stand up It takes somebody else 00:11:33.450 --> 00:11:35.710 to stand to see them and say you know what I'm 00:11:35.710 --> 00:11:38.730 not gonna let them stand alone I'm gonna stand 00:11:38.730 --> 00:11:41.490 up to and then another one stands up and then 00:11:41.490 --> 00:11:44.309 they begin to run and then then they begin to 00:11:44.309 --> 00:11:51.470 move like God wants them to move For many years 00:11:51.789 --> 00:11:57.429 because of health conditions in my life, I have 00:11:57.429 --> 00:12:03.269 not been able to run. But this year, for the 00:12:03.269 --> 00:12:09.710 first time, I started running again. The beginning 00:12:09.710 --> 00:12:13.549 of me running, I was texting Doug because Doug 00:12:13.549 --> 00:12:17.730 likes to run and walk. He was accountability 00:12:17.730 --> 00:12:20.110 for me. He didn't know that, but that's what 00:12:20.110 --> 00:12:28.659 he was. It's a physical thing, but in my life 00:12:28.659 --> 00:12:34.740 running accomplishes something spiritual. Something 00:12:34.740 --> 00:12:39.419 spiritual happens inside of me when I am physically 00:12:39.419 --> 00:12:46.179 running. It's not a stretch for me to say that 00:12:46.179 --> 00:12:51.879 I feel connected with God in a unique way. Some 00:12:51.879 --> 00:12:55.980 of my prayer time happens when I am running. 00:12:57.679 --> 00:12:59.259 There's others that I share that with and they 00:12:59.259 --> 00:13:01.500 say, how does that happen? I just feel like death 00:13:01.500 --> 00:13:08.639 when I run. Chariots of Fire was a movie about 00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:12.580 Eric Little. Now, Eric Little was an amazing 00:13:12.580 --> 00:13:16.620 man of God that ran as an Olympian. It's a movie 00:13:16.620 --> 00:13:20.529 worth watching. The quote that they ascribed 00:13:20.529 --> 00:13:23.289 to him in chariots of fire was not a quote that 00:13:23.289 --> 00:13:28.009 he said it was specific to the movie but it shook 00:13:28.009 --> 00:13:32.870 me because it described how I feel and Eric little 00:13:32.870 --> 00:13:37.970 says in the movie he says I know that God has 00:13:37.970 --> 00:13:44.070 a plan for my life a purpose But he also made 00:13:44.070 --> 00:13:52.019 me fast And when I run, I feel His pleasure. 00:13:54.580 --> 00:13:57.940 When I heard that in the movie, it gripped my 00:13:57.940 --> 00:14:01.840 heart because that's how I feel. When I run, 00:14:01.860 --> 00:14:06.539 I feel the pleasure of the Lord. Recently, somebody 00:14:06.539 --> 00:14:11.740 well -meaning told me that I'm over 50 and therefore 00:14:11.740 --> 00:14:14.379 I should not run because it's detracting from 00:14:14.379 --> 00:14:21.500 my health. that it wasn't good for me and I have 00:14:21.500 --> 00:14:26.200 not studied the science of that to know and I 00:14:26.200 --> 00:14:32.259 thanked him for caring about me but when I run 00:14:32.259 --> 00:14:37.379 I Feel like I'm fulfilling something that God 00:14:37.379 --> 00:14:41.799 created me to do something that he planted in 00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:49.240 my life and Small percentage of you that are 00:14:49.240 --> 00:14:55.120 hearing me talk about this understand it You 00:14:55.120 --> 00:15:00.740 can connect with what I'm saying But in the spirit 00:15:00.740 --> 00:15:12.860 realm God created all of us to run When I was 00:15:12.860 --> 00:15:20.929 in my 20s I would watch the Rocky movies, which 00:15:20.929 --> 00:15:23.090 my daughter just blessed me with a new set of 00:15:23.090 --> 00:15:25.870 Rocky movies for Father's Day. Oh, hallelujah. 00:15:27.509 --> 00:15:43.929 You know? Never mind. Okay. And in my 20s when 00:15:43.929 --> 00:15:55.309 I would watch those movies... Oh yeah, here we 00:15:55.309 --> 00:15:59.450 go. I can tell who has watched Rocky and who 00:15:59.450 --> 00:16:04.070 hasn't. Scanning the audience. And at the end... 00:16:04.059 --> 00:16:07.159 of the movie, especially in Rocky IV, when he 00:16:07.159 --> 00:16:11.120 says, and if I can change, and if you can change, 00:16:11.580 --> 00:16:17.440 then the whole world can change. Well, in my 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:20.980 20s, when I would watch that, I would get up 00:16:20.980 --> 00:16:24.379 off of my chair, and it didn't matter if it was 00:16:24.379 --> 00:16:27.980 10 o 'clock, 11 o 'clock at night, I would run 00:16:27.980 --> 00:16:32.529 five or six miles through the city, and... It 00:16:32.529 --> 00:16:37.649 was like that movie liberated something inside 00:16:37.649 --> 00:16:47.870 of me to run. And God said to Habakkuk, write 00:16:47.870 --> 00:16:55.710 it down, make it plain so that others can take 00:16:55.710 --> 00:17:01.379 the message that I give to you and run. Friends, 00:17:01.639 --> 00:17:04.220 this message of the kingdom, this message of 00:17:04.220 --> 00:17:08.559 the gospel is no ordinary message. It isn't meant 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:12.000 to put people to sleep. It isn't meant to bore 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:15.460 people. It isn't meant, the kingdom of God is 00:17:15.460 --> 00:17:20.210 not meant to just keep... people status quo and 00:17:20.210 --> 00:17:22.829 to form religion so that you just come to church 00:17:22.829 --> 00:17:26.049 on Sunday and do your little thing and then go 00:17:26.049 --> 00:17:29.089 back. No, the message of the kingdom is meant 00:17:29.089 --> 00:17:33.470 to instill life inside of you, to do something 00:17:33.470 --> 00:17:36.490 in your life, to impact you, to motivate you 00:17:36.490 --> 00:17:40.910 by God's Spirit, to change, to get up off of 00:17:40.910 --> 00:17:43.549 your feet and to say, I'm not gonna be satisfied 00:17:43.549 --> 00:17:46.430 anymore living in this place of weakness. I'm 00:17:46.430 --> 00:17:48.710 not gonna be satisfied. satisfied anymore living 00:17:48.710 --> 00:17:51.549 according to the status quo, just being sucked 00:17:51.549 --> 00:17:55.289 into all the conversation of my friends and addictions 00:17:55.289 --> 00:17:58.170 that I know are wrong. I am not going to be satisfied 00:17:58.170 --> 00:18:00.769 just coasting in life knowing that I'm missing 00:18:00.769 --> 00:18:04.410 God's purpose. No, the gospel message is supposed 00:18:04.410 --> 00:18:08.130 to touch you in such a way that it changes the 00:18:08.130 --> 00:18:10.970 course of your life, causes you to get up off 00:18:10.970 --> 00:18:14.289 of your spiritual laziness and begin to walk 00:18:14.289 --> 00:18:18.009 and begin to move and begin to run again hallelujah 00:18:18.009 --> 00:18:22.930 that's what the gospel does it changes lives 00:18:22.930 --> 00:18:35.329 it causes people to run but those who wait on 00:18:35.329 --> 00:18:45.609 the Lord she'll get bored Those who wait upon 00:18:45.609 --> 00:18:52.289 the Lord Shall wish they were with their friends 00:18:52.289 --> 00:18:58.950 Those who wait upon the Lord know what does it 00:18:58.950 --> 00:19:03.990 say They shall renew their strength. They shall 00:19:03.990 --> 00:19:09.029 mount up with wings like Eagles They shall run 00:19:09.029 --> 00:19:14.839 and not be weary they shall walk and not faint. 00:19:15.720 --> 00:19:19.359 Hallelujah. Oh, praise the Lord. Hallelujah. 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:27.119 This is a gospel of running. Hallelujah. First 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:30.380 Corinthians 9 24. Do you not know that those 00:19:30.380 --> 00:19:34.099 who run in a race all run, but only one receives 00:19:34.099 --> 00:19:39.400 the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain 00:19:39.400 --> 00:19:43.900 the prize. Hallelujah. everyone who competes 00:19:43.900 --> 00:19:47.680 for the prize is temperate in all things they 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:52.259 do it to obtain a perishable crown but we for 00:19:52.259 --> 00:19:57.680 an imperishable crown glory to God And so your 00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:01.019 life friend is not just about the temporal, about 00:20:01.019 --> 00:20:03.619 what you can gain in this life. It's not about 00:20:03.619 --> 00:20:06.779 how much you can acquire. It's not about how 00:20:06.779 --> 00:20:10.579 nice you can make your home to be. It is about 00:20:10.579 --> 00:20:14.980 eternity. And we are running in such a way as 00:20:14.980 --> 00:20:20.700 to gain the prize of heaven. Hallelujah. Somebody 00:20:20.700 --> 00:20:25.259 excited about that? It is a kingdom of running. 00:20:27.660 --> 00:20:36.460 I want to I want to close this morning with Hebrews 00:20:36.460 --> 00:20:44.920 chapter 12 verse 1 Therefore we also since we 00:20:44.920 --> 00:20:48.799 are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses 00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:57.720 Let us lay aside every weight I was running the 00:20:57.720 --> 00:21:00.140 other day at Kickapoo Park. I like to run the 00:21:00.140 --> 00:21:03.000 trails. The back trail behind that bridge is 00:21:03.000 --> 00:21:07.240 my favorite place in Kickapoo Park. There's a 00:21:07.240 --> 00:21:09.920 bunch of pine trees on the one side. It's gorgeous. 00:21:10.299 --> 00:21:12.279 I was running there and there was a gentleman 00:21:12.279 --> 00:21:17.400 also running. He was carrying his water bottle. 00:21:19.779 --> 00:21:24.759 His water bottle wasn't just like a little glass 00:21:24.759 --> 00:21:28.710 of water. It was this massive thing, and he had 00:21:28.710 --> 00:21:34.490 it in one hand. And I'm sure, you know, he was 00:21:34.490 --> 00:21:37.910 out there running. He needs to be commended for 00:21:37.910 --> 00:21:41.910 being out there, right? Because how many of us 00:21:41.910 --> 00:21:47.190 were out there besides me? Him. And as I passed 00:21:47.190 --> 00:21:51.349 by him, I was thinking of this verse. He was 00:21:51.349 --> 00:21:55.539 carrying a weight. How many of you have ever 00:21:55.539 --> 00:22:01.519 seen runners in the Olympics that carry dumbbells 00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:05.279 while they're running? You've never seen it because 00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:10.000 they don't do it. When you carry a weight, it 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:14.519 hinders you. If you want to run an effective 00:22:14.519 --> 00:22:21.960 race, you have to lay down the weights. You think 00:22:21.960 --> 00:22:25.579 about your life right now and I I was tempted 00:22:25.579 --> 00:22:29.359 to write a list of things that are weights in 00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:34.200 our lives things that are stealing your ability 00:22:34.200 --> 00:22:40.799 to run for Jesus in the kingdom to live for him 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:46.720 and I was tempted to write down lists of things 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:51.839 that hinder us But you think about your life 00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:56.039 You already know because the Holy Spirit has 00:22:56.039 --> 00:23:00.400 revealed it to you The things that you have going 00:23:00.400 --> 00:23:04.740 on in your life the addictions that you're carrying 00:23:04.740 --> 00:23:09.900 But the things that you know well this this is 00:23:09.900 --> 00:23:14.000 a lot of fun But it's stealing my resources and 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:20.160 my time and my money it's stealing from everything 00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:23.900 that I'm supposed to be giving myself to. You 00:23:23.900 --> 00:23:28.920 know what it's robbing? It's robbing your affection 00:23:28.920 --> 00:23:33.619 for Christ. Your affection that is supposed to 00:23:33.619 --> 00:23:37.980 be for God and is supposed to be for Jesus is 00:23:37.980 --> 00:23:42.279 going towards this thing. And nobody else might 00:23:42.279 --> 00:23:46.339 say, oh, that thing is wrong. But you know in 00:23:46.339 --> 00:23:49.559 your life it is a weight and it is hindering 00:23:49.559 --> 00:23:58.940 me You need to lay that thing down Child of God 00:23:58.940 --> 00:24:06.380 You need to say you know what I'm gonna forfeit 00:24:06.380 --> 00:24:15.680 this temporary thing So that I can run I'm gonna 00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:22.279 focus my eyes on the prize. The world has trinkets. 00:24:24.200 --> 00:24:28.019 The world has trinkets. They dangle in front 00:24:28.019 --> 00:24:33.819 of you. But the prize is our heavenward call 00:24:33.819 --> 00:24:42.859 in Christ. It's our prize. And then he goes on. 00:24:43.240 --> 00:24:47.740 He says, don't just lay things that are heavy, 00:24:48.900 --> 00:24:56.279 that get in the way, but the sin that so easily 00:24:56.279 --> 00:25:05.579 entangles, ensnares, and the sin which so easily 00:25:05.579 --> 00:25:11.210 ensnares us. If we're going to run this race 00:25:11.210 --> 00:25:15.509 with endurance to the end, we've got to lay down 00:25:15.509 --> 00:25:23.170 the weights, quit being distracted, and get rid 00:25:23.170 --> 00:25:31.990 of the sin in our life which entangles us and 00:25:31.990 --> 00:25:43.660 snares us. Why, pastor, is sin So bad Well, I 00:25:43.660 --> 00:25:45.359 said this was going to be the last verse that 00:25:45.359 --> 00:26:08.019 I read I'm gonna read one more Maybe this is 00:26:08.019 --> 00:26:10.559 the one that Dale should memorize before next 00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:20.940 Sunday. He could win the thousand dollar gift 00:26:20.940 --> 00:26:31.039 card to Walmart. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:42.109 1. alive Who were dead in trespasses and sins 00:26:42.109 --> 00:26:48.450 You see trespasses and sins is what kept you 00:26:48.450 --> 00:26:55.950 dead But when you came to Christ He made you 00:26:55.950 --> 00:27:00.329 alive That's what this baptism tank represents 00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:03.500 Did you know that you're looking here not just 00:27:03.500 --> 00:27:06.579 at a little spa that people use in their backyards 00:27:06.579 --> 00:27:13.960 but you are you were looking at a tomb and When 00:27:13.960 --> 00:27:17.880 our candidates go down into the water They are 00:27:17.880 --> 00:27:22.799 being buried in the same tomb that Jesus was 00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:29.160 buried in and they are dying to self When they 00:27:29.160 --> 00:27:31.460 come up out of the water, I've assured them I'm 00:27:31.460 --> 00:27:33.500 not going to hold them in there for three days. 00:27:35.289 --> 00:27:38.049 When they come up out of the water, they are 00:27:38.049 --> 00:27:42.529 rising again from the dead, hallelujah, just 00:27:42.529 --> 00:27:47.029 like Jesus did. I am not living in death any 00:27:47.029 --> 00:27:50.549 longer. I am not living for sin any longer, but 00:27:50.549 --> 00:27:55.390 I am walking in newness of life. I've been raised 00:27:55.390 --> 00:28:00.089 from the dead, just like Jesus was. And you, 00:28:00.470 --> 00:28:05.440 He made alive. That's what happened in your spirit 00:28:05.440 --> 00:28:11.240 who were dead in your trespasses and sins This 00:28:11.240 --> 00:28:16.180 is what sin does it leads to death and before 00:28:16.180 --> 00:28:22.359 you came to Christ it held you there In which 00:28:22.359 --> 00:28:27.779 you once walked verse 2 according to the course 00:28:27.779 --> 00:28:33.069 of this world according to the prince the power 00:28:33.069 --> 00:28:39.750 of the air the spirit who now works in the sons 00:28:39.750 --> 00:28:45.269 of disobedience Why is it so important that I 00:28:45.269 --> 00:28:49.789 obey God Pastor Cammie's message last week was 00:28:49.789 --> 00:28:55.190 on obedience Well here we see what happens when 00:28:55.190 --> 00:29:01.799 we walk in disobedience You have something that 00:29:01.799 --> 00:29:06.299 you know that God called you to do. You have 00:29:06.299 --> 00:29:09.940 an aspect of your life that God has brought conviction 00:29:09.940 --> 00:29:14.140 to. You've realized this is sin in my life. Your 00:29:14.140 --> 00:29:20.700 flesh will still crave it. Your flesh will always 00:29:20.700 --> 00:29:23.319 crave sin. It's why Jesus said, daily take up 00:29:23.319 --> 00:29:25.819 your cross. You've got to crucify it. You've 00:29:25.819 --> 00:29:31.170 got to crucify it. How often? Daily. Daily, daily, 00:29:31.230 --> 00:29:33.849 daily, you will never, Christian, you will never 00:29:33.849 --> 00:29:36.650 get to the point where your flesh does not want 00:29:36.650 --> 00:29:44.029 to sin. It is attracted to sin. Because you're 00:29:44.029 --> 00:29:47.750 on this side of eternity. And so you daily take 00:29:47.750 --> 00:29:50.730 up your cross and put your flesh back up on the 00:29:50.730 --> 00:29:55.809 cross. And you say, I am not gonna live for you. 00:29:56.250 --> 00:30:00.470 Hallelujah. but when that gnawing feeling from 00:30:00.470 --> 00:30:03.710 the Holy Spirit comes on you because you're caught 00:30:03.710 --> 00:30:07.789 and you're trapped in the wrong thing and you 00:30:07.789 --> 00:30:14.930 refuse to obey at first and You don't listen 00:30:14.930 --> 00:30:19.109 to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and you 00:30:19.109 --> 00:30:24.509 say no to God and You do it again and you do 00:30:24.509 --> 00:30:29.950 it again and you do it again Guess what that 00:30:29.950 --> 00:30:35.369 pattern of disobedience invites into your life 00:30:35.369 --> 00:30:43.349 It becomes an open door for the prince of the 00:30:43.349 --> 00:30:49.170 power of the air Which is Satan and his imps? 00:30:49.990 --> 00:30:56.440 To work in your life you sing the song in the 00:30:56.440 --> 00:31:00.980 mighty name of Jesus I'm free but you know what 00:31:00.980 --> 00:31:07.259 you're not free because singing the song isn't 00:31:07.259 --> 00:31:11.839 what makes you free but actually resisting the 00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:16.339 devil through obedience and surrender to God 00:31:16.339 --> 00:31:21.839 is what makes you free So this doesn't mean that 00:31:21.839 --> 00:31:24.099 every time you fail that the devil has complete 00:31:24.099 --> 00:31:26.559 authority in your life. That's not what I'm saying 00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:29.960 Because we're all in those places where we have 00:31:29.960 --> 00:31:32.819 to Repent, you know, we do something wrong and 00:31:32.819 --> 00:31:35.160 we repent I don't want people to leave here afraid 00:31:35.160 --> 00:31:37.859 that every time you do something wrong The devil 00:31:37.859 --> 00:31:40.859 is gonna have authority over your life. That's 00:31:40.859 --> 00:31:45.440 just not the truth But if you are carrying something 00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:49.539 friend where God has been convicting you and 00:31:49.539 --> 00:31:54.779 you have continually said no to God and You have 00:31:54.779 --> 00:31:59.599 set a pattern in your life of disobedience and 00:31:59.599 --> 00:32:02.460 You have said God you can't touch this area of 00:32:02.460 --> 00:32:06.859 my life. I Want you to know friend that you are 00:32:06.859 --> 00:32:11.700 playing with fire You are opening up the door 00:32:11.700 --> 00:32:16.619 to the enemy and God is trying to protect you 00:32:16.619 --> 00:32:24.299 from that. The spirit of the air works in the 00:32:24.299 --> 00:32:31.319 sons of disobedience. But the spirit of God works 00:32:31.319 --> 00:32:37.359 in those that have been liberated. God, I say 00:32:37.359 --> 00:32:48.200 yes to you. Hallelujah. the sin which so easily 00:32:48.200 --> 00:32:56.619 entangles That secret sin sir That nobody knows 00:32:56.619 --> 00:33:05.819 about That secret coveting ma 'am That you haven't 00:33:05.819 --> 00:33:12.819 shared with anybody The lust of the flesh Lust 00:33:12.819 --> 00:33:21.420 of the eyes the pride of life Tangle you and 00:33:21.420 --> 00:33:28.700 keep you from running How many here would say 00:33:28.700 --> 00:33:34.859 I want to fulfill God's purpose for my life I 00:33:34.859 --> 00:33:41.339 want I want to be one that in the spirit realm 00:33:43.190 --> 00:33:50.190 Runs I Want to sign up today to be to be in God's 00:33:50.190 --> 00:33:59.329 marathon and To say yes to him praise God I Want 00:33:59.329 --> 00:34:03.789 to ask every head here to bow and every eye closed 00:34:03.789 --> 00:34:09.739 in this place Because you might be here For the 00:34:09.739 --> 00:34:14.460 first time or for decades But you might say you 00:34:14.460 --> 00:34:17.539 know what pastor I have never surrendered my 00:34:17.539 --> 00:34:25.380 life to Jesus And many in this room have Been 00:34:25.380 --> 00:34:29.380 in your shoes right where you are including me 00:34:29.380 --> 00:34:33.619 Where there came a moment of decision? Where 00:34:33.619 --> 00:34:38.309 I had to say yes to Jesus And if you're here 00:34:38.309 --> 00:34:41.949 this morning and for the first time you are saying 00:34:41.949 --> 00:34:49.489 yes to Jesus You're receiving the sacrifice that 00:34:49.489 --> 00:34:53.909 he made for you and Turning your life around 00:34:53.909 --> 00:34:58.869 to become a follower of Christ If that is you 00:34:58.869 --> 00:35:02.110 I just want you to lift up your hand as I scan 00:35:02.110 --> 00:35:05.570 across this sanctuary Is there anybody here this 00:35:05.570 --> 00:35:07.730 morning that would say, yes, that's me. Thank 00:35:07.730 --> 00:35:10.449 you. Is there anybody else that would just in 00:35:10.449 --> 00:35:15.650 honesty say, yes, that's me. I want to surrender 00:35:15.650 --> 00:35:22.489 my life to Jesus and say yes to him. Church, 00:35:22.530 --> 00:35:27.630 we're going to pray right now. And I want the 00:35:27.630 --> 00:35:30.530 whole church to pray even for the sake of one. 00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:34.400 And others, perhaps I missed your hand up, but 00:35:34.400 --> 00:35:38.880 God saw. And you're gonna pray right now with 00:35:38.880 --> 00:35:44.219 sincerity. And make this your confession. Let's 00:35:44.219 --> 00:35:47.800 all pray together, pray this after me. Lord Jesus, 00:35:48.940 --> 00:35:53.039 thank you for the cross. Thank you for shedding 00:35:53.039 --> 00:36:00.039 your blood on Calvary for me. I receive your 00:36:00.039 --> 00:36:07.239 free gift. I turn away from my own living and 00:36:07.239 --> 00:36:13.059 I turn my heart towards you. You are my Lord. 00:36:14.400 --> 00:36:21.980 You're my Savior. I confess that in Jesus' name. 00:36:23.300 --> 00:36:26.940 Amen. Hallelujah, can we give the Lord praise 00:36:26.940 --> 00:36:32.739 right now? He is good. He is good. He is good 00:36:32.739 --> 00:36:36.519 and Secondly friend you're here, and you're you're 00:36:36.519 --> 00:36:42.480 a believer But you would freely confess I've 00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:45.719 been weighed down. I've been distracted I've 00:36:45.719 --> 00:36:51.780 had stuff in my life and Today I just want to 00:36:51.780 --> 00:36:56.070 shed that stuff And I want to I want to be able 00:36:56.070 --> 00:37:02.989 to run again after God If that's you Would you 00:37:02.989 --> 00:37:06.230 stand up all over this place right now and just 00:37:06.230 --> 00:37:09.590 say yes, that's me I want to run after him this 00:37:09.590 --> 00:37:13.409 takes some boldness, but Thank you. Come on. 00:37:13.409 --> 00:37:18.110 Come on. Come on around this place Come on. Don't 00:37:18.110 --> 00:37:21.750 be ashamed. Don't be afraid Just say yes, I've 00:37:21.750 --> 00:37:24.400 had weights in my life There are people standing 00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:26.340 that are brand new believers. There are people 00:37:26.340 --> 00:37:28.500 standing that have been serving God for a long 00:37:28.500 --> 00:37:31.699 time. But they're just in a place where they're 00:37:31.699 --> 00:37:34.800 recognizing this morning, I've got things to 00:37:34.800 --> 00:37:39.619 shed so that I can run after God. And so the 00:37:39.619 --> 00:37:42.019 rest of us, can you just stretch your hand? Yeah, 00:37:42.039 --> 00:37:43.780 you might need to stand while we're praying. 00:37:43.980 --> 00:37:46.059 God might be speaking to you. Come on, if you're 00:37:46.059 --> 00:37:49.239 wrestling with God, just stand up. Come on, just 00:37:49.239 --> 00:37:55.980 give in. Just make that confession hallelujah 00:37:55.980 --> 00:38:02.800 and right now I'm gonna ask Brianna to come and 00:38:02.800 --> 00:38:07.219 just play on the keyboard But right now what 00:38:07.219 --> 00:38:13.639 you need is a moment with God And so I just want 00:38:13.639 --> 00:38:17.159 to encourage you close your eyes The rest of 00:38:17.159 --> 00:38:19.300 it you you can stretch your hand towards somebody 00:38:19.300 --> 00:38:27.670 you can pray, but let's all participate Just 00:38:27.670 --> 00:38:33.449 talk to the Lord right now Confess that thing 00:38:33.449 --> 00:38:45.030 Just say God I just lay it down Right here Right 00:38:45.030 --> 00:39:00.719 now I Make room for you To move In my life Make 00:39:00.719 --> 00:39:04.400 room for you Lord right now you're setting people 00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:08.420 free Even when they stood up and they they just 00:39:08.420 --> 00:39:11.000 it was hard to stand up But when they did that 00:39:11.000 --> 00:39:19.179 act of standing up You saw that prayer And they 00:39:19.179 --> 00:39:28.369 said God I want to be free Want to be free And 00:39:28.369 --> 00:39:30.690 so right now even in their mind and in their 00:39:30.690 --> 00:39:39.090 heart they set you apart as Lord And I say God 00:39:39.090 --> 00:39:47.650 Have your way Have your way Have your way Set 00:39:47.650 --> 00:39:53.909 your people free from status quo and mediocrity 00:39:54.720 --> 00:40:02.599 In Jesus' name. In Jesus' name. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. 00:40:03.659 --> 00:40:07.840 Hallelujah. Go ahead, lead us in the song. Thank 00:40:07.840 --> 00:40:08.380 you, Father.