1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:17,480 Thank you for listening to this message from LifeHouse Church. 2 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:22,080 We are only a couple of weeks away from officially launching that campus. 3 00:00:22,080 --> 00:00:25,880 There's been lots of activity going on up to this point up at that campus, but we are 4 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:26,880 getting ready to launch. 5 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:30,200 There's going to be thousands of mailers that are going to go out and we're going to be 6 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:34,000 announcing the startup there and a message series that we're going to be doing here and 7 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,120 there simultaneously of course. 8 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:37,760 And we're excited about what God's doing. 9 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:39,080 We've been praying. 10 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:40,760 We've got everything I think pretty well set. 11 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,640 They're actually doing a pre-launch gathering up there today. 12 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:48,040 Shout out to East Shore and they're doing a pre-launch today to make sure we're getting 13 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,400 everything working right before the community comes in, make sure everything works right, 14 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:54,520 all the buttons we can get turned on properly. 15 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,120 I don't know if you know this or not, but there's an awful lot of buttons they push 16 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,320 back there to make this all happen. 17 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:02,800 And if you ever want to know, just go talk to them guys in the booth. 18 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:07,520 They do a lot and there's a lot that goes into the technology that gets us from here 19 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:13,920 to there and they're going to be simulcasting or casting the messages up to that location. 20 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:16,440 So we're just excited about what God's doing. 21 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:17,520 And here's what I believe. 22 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:18,520 I believe this. 23 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:24,180 If God is speaking to you this morning about that campus, maybe you got a little nudge 24 00:01:24,180 --> 00:01:26,640 in your spirit as that video took place. 25 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,920 We believe that there's going to be people from this campus that are going to go along 26 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:35,280 up there for a six month period and help support that campus, help get that campus off the 27 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:36,280 ground. 28 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,080 If that's you, please see me. 29 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:40,080 See Pastor Eric. 30 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:41,280 We want to get you informed. 31 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:45,720 We want to let you know what's coming up and then we're going to see you go along up there 32 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:46,720 to get things started. 33 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,560 I don't know about you. 34 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:50,720 Life House was a church plant. 35 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,760 We started in our house many years ago and I like starting new things. 36 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:55,760 I get excited. 37 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:57,160 I almost get giddy with it all. 38 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:01,160 So I'm pretty pumped about what's coming up in a few weeks and what God's going to do. 39 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,720 How many know God does new things in our life? 40 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:04,720 Amen? 41 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:05,720 Amen. 42 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:06,720 It's true. 43 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:09,680 Listen, I just want to commend you and thank you for praying and just minister to one another. 44 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:14,800 I was watching a little bit while the break was going on here and people were praying 45 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:15,800 for one another. 46 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:18,060 They're talking with one another, encouraging one another. 47 00:02:18,060 --> 00:02:20,120 We come together as a church to do that. 48 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,640 You know that we come together to lift each other up. 49 00:02:22,640 --> 00:02:27,480 So I want to commend you in that and just thank you for being a part and really just 50 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:29,920 worshiping and serving as you come here. 51 00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:31,240 Some of you serve an official role. 52 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:35,040 Some you come in and just minister to people as you go the whole time. 53 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:36,460 So thank you for that. 54 00:02:36,460 --> 00:02:41,080 This morning I'm going to preach a word and I'm going to start off with a question and 55 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:42,160 here's the question. 56 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:48,320 Have you ever had someone just give it to you straight? 57 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:49,320 Come on. 58 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:50,320 Raise your hand. 59 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,860 You got somebody just gave it to you straight. 60 00:02:52,860 --> 00:02:58,880 They told you what you needed to hear when you needed to hear it. 61 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:00,440 Anybody talk with know what I'm talking about? 62 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:05,360 Do you ever have somebody who gave it to you and you might not even wanted to hear it, 63 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:06,360 right? 64 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:07,360 You might not. 65 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:08,360 You might not ask for it. 66 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:10,280 You might not said, please bring it on. 67 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,880 They just gave it to you straight. 68 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:14,960 Someone gave you the long and the short. 69 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:16,500 Somebody gave you the skinny. 70 00:03:16,500 --> 00:03:19,480 Somebody gave it to you with zero sugar added. 71 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:20,480 Amen. 72 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:21,480 Come on. 73 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:25,160 Just they didn't mince words in the conversation. 74 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,640 Someone just put it out there about either what you did, what you didn't do or what you're 75 00:03:29,640 --> 00:03:31,560 about to do. 76 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:32,560 Right? 77 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:38,040 And sometimes we need people like that in our lives just to give it to us straight. 78 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:42,920 And I kind of feel like that's what the apostle Paul was doing with Timothy in this in chapter 79 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,440 two or chapter three of second Timothy. 80 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:46,440 So you got your Bible. 81 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:47,720 You can start turning there. 82 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:49,160 We're going to go into second Timothy. 83 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:53,720 And if you haven't noticed the last couple of weeks, we've been parked in second Timothy. 84 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,080 We've been working out through the chapters there. 85 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:57,760 And this is chapter three. 86 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:02,440 This is part of a letter that Paul was sending to his young protege, right? 87 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:05,840 Timothy and Timothy is pastoring a church in Ephesus. 88 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:09,440 He's been there approximately four years at this point. 89 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:13,720 While Paul is not there, he's in a Roman prison. 90 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,320 Now experts don't know if he was actually in the prison cell or if he was actually under 91 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:18,680 a house arrest. 92 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:19,680 He experienced both. 93 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,240 But either way, he would have had a Roman guard attached to him and he would have been 94 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:24,240 in prison. 95 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:30,780 And Paul was well aware that he is possibly steps away or one step away from death. 96 00:04:30,780 --> 00:04:34,680 He knows that he's going on trial for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. 97 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:40,000 And it could be his last in history tells us that it was his last letter that he wrote 98 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:42,960 and he's writing to encourage Timothy. 99 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:47,360 But he's also writing to him because Timothy is going to face some hard stuff. 100 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:50,360 He's going to have to handle some difficult things. 101 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:54,080 He's got opposition going on in his church in Ephesus. 102 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:56,340 He's got false teachers who are rising up. 103 00:04:56,340 --> 00:04:58,480 He's got people that are coming against him. 104 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:04,280 And he knows, Paul knows that for Timothy to follow Jesus Christ in the culture that 105 00:05:04,280 --> 00:05:07,400 he's in, it's not going to be easy. 106 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:08,980 It's going to be tough. 107 00:05:08,980 --> 00:05:14,560 We live in a culture that might make it difficult to follow Jesus. 108 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:19,640 Now probably not the same difficulty they did, but you might run into difficulty if you follow 109 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:20,640 Christ. 110 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:23,320 You're probably going to hit some opposing views. 111 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:24,320 Amen. 112 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:30,000 If you get out there and get talking, everything about Jesus is completely amazing, but it 113 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,860 does not mean it's easy. 114 00:05:31,860 --> 00:05:34,160 It doesn't mean it's without opposition. 115 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:39,520 The world around us doesn't see things like Jesus sees things. 116 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:41,360 They don't hold the same priorities. 117 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:43,200 They don't hold the same values. 118 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:48,360 They don't understand God or sometimes don't even care about God. 119 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:54,280 They certainly don't have the same opinion on sin if they even call it sin. 120 00:05:54,280 --> 00:05:59,240 We're called to see things like Jesus, to live like Jesus and to respond like Jesus 121 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:05,040 and see through the lens of God's truth and not popular opinion, popular bias or what 122 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,640 the culture tries to pass off as truth. 123 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:14,000 So on some scale, somewhere along the way to what Paul was saying to Timothy, the word 124 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:20,520 of God is saying to you because you're going to hit opposition if you follow Jesus Christ. 125 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:24,880 And opposition is much easier to handle if you're prepared for it. 126 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:26,280 If you know it's coming. 127 00:06:26,280 --> 00:06:27,280 Amen. 128 00:06:27,280 --> 00:06:29,560 I may like to see what's coming. 129 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:31,440 You know what's coming at you. 130 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:33,360 It's a lot easier to handle that opposition. 131 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:38,440 So again, second Timothy chapter three, verse one, and I'm going to pray before we read 132 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:39,440 God's word. 133 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:41,800 Lord, we thank you for this day for your mercy and love. 134 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:43,120 I thank you, God, for the ministry. 135 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,320 It's already taken place in this house. 136 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:48,920 And Lord, as we open your word and God, as we look into your word, God, make it apply 137 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:50,560 to our own hearts and spirit. 138 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:52,920 Holy Spirit, speak to those that are here. 139 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:54,080 Those are listening online. 140 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:58,120 Those are these short and just drop the word in their spirit that they need to hear this 141 00:06:58,120 --> 00:06:59,120 morning. 142 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:02,320 We give you praise and glory in Jesus name and everybody said together. 143 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:03,320 Amen. 144 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:04,320 Amen. 145 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:05,320 That was a good amen. 146 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:06,320 All right. 147 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:10,440 Second Timothy chapter three, verse one says, but know this, that in the last days, perilous 148 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:11,600 times will come. 149 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:15,440 Say perilous, perilous times will come in the last days. 150 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:17,640 It's going to get tough in the last days. 151 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:19,840 It's going to be difficult in the last days. 152 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:21,360 There's going to be risk and danger. 153 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:23,200 That's exactly what perilous means. 154 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:24,200 All right. 155 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:31,080 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedient 156 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:39,600 to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers without self control, 157 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:47,440 brutal, despisers of good traders, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers 158 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:52,100 of God having a form of godliness, but denying its power. 159 00:07:52,100 --> 00:07:57,060 And from such Paul's telling Timothy's turn away for of this sort are those who creep 160 00:07:57,060 --> 00:08:02,200 into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various 161 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:07,500 lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 162 00:08:07,500 --> 00:08:08,820 Now he gives an example. 163 00:08:08,820 --> 00:08:14,540 Now as Janus and Jane Breeze resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth. 164 00:08:14,540 --> 00:08:18,740 Men of corrupt minds disapprove concerning the faith, but they will progress no further 165 00:08:18,740 --> 00:08:24,460 for their folly will be manifest to all as theirs also was. 166 00:08:24,460 --> 00:08:27,660 Timothy is hearing this letter from Paul. 167 00:08:27,660 --> 00:08:31,960 Paul's writing to Timothy and he's saying, Hey, it's not the greatest news, buddy. 168 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:32,960 All right. 169 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:34,960 So how many know sometimes you don't get the greatest news. 170 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:38,440 He's he's telling you're going to have opposition. 171 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:40,000 Things are going to get tough. 172 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:41,860 You're headed for some problems. 173 00:08:41,860 --> 00:08:42,860 There's going to be issues. 174 00:08:42,860 --> 00:08:43,860 Right. 175 00:08:43,860 --> 00:08:47,600 Aren't you glad I'm back from vacation preaching this positive stuff to you? 176 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:48,600 Right. 177 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:53,060 And in the last days, this is what you're going to see around you. 178 00:08:53,060 --> 00:08:55,900 Anybody seeing any of those things I just described around you. 179 00:08:55,900 --> 00:08:56,900 Right. 180 00:08:56,900 --> 00:09:01,460 Let people that are lovers of themselves, lovers of money, bolsters, proud slanderers, 181 00:09:01,460 --> 00:09:04,420 man, people slander these days like it's their job. 182 00:09:04,420 --> 00:09:05,420 Right. 183 00:09:05,420 --> 00:09:09,140 Unforgiving, unloving, unholy lovers of pleasure. 184 00:09:09,140 --> 00:09:13,100 As I looked at this, I thought, well, you know, I do see that around me a good bit. 185 00:09:13,100 --> 00:09:16,420 You know, this could be very well the last days. 186 00:09:16,420 --> 00:09:20,340 And some of this, honestly, we've seen since the beginning of time, right. 187 00:09:20,340 --> 00:09:25,500 Since the Garden of Eden, the fall of mankind, we've seen some of these things take place. 188 00:09:25,500 --> 00:09:29,700 But I think while some of these have been around since the beginning, I think there 189 00:09:29,700 --> 00:09:34,200 really is some things that are at epidemic level in our society today. 190 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:40,620 One of those things that it says is men are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. 191 00:09:40,620 --> 00:09:42,300 Our society craves pleasure. 192 00:09:42,300 --> 00:09:43,300 Right. 193 00:09:43,300 --> 00:09:50,140 Now, I don't know if you know this or not, but pleasure is on the number six list or 194 00:09:50,140 --> 00:09:52,980 line item in the American budget. 195 00:09:52,980 --> 00:09:53,980 All right. 196 00:09:53,980 --> 00:09:57,860 If you if you're talking now, if you have a budget, it's good to have a budget. 197 00:09:57,860 --> 00:10:03,380 But if you have a budget, number six slot is for pleasure. 198 00:10:03,380 --> 00:10:05,180 Now you might think, well, that's pretty good. 199 00:10:05,180 --> 00:10:06,180 Right. 200 00:10:06,180 --> 00:10:08,660 Didn't hit number one, didn't hit number two or number three. 201 00:10:08,660 --> 00:10:09,820 It's way down or number six. 202 00:10:09,820 --> 00:10:12,260 Well, you got to look at the five things that are ahead of it. 203 00:10:12,260 --> 00:10:13,260 All right. 204 00:10:13,260 --> 00:10:14,900 The five things are ahead of it is food. 205 00:10:14,900 --> 00:10:15,900 I mean, that's a necessity. 206 00:10:15,900 --> 00:10:16,900 Come on. 207 00:10:16,900 --> 00:10:17,900 I am. 208 00:10:17,900 --> 00:10:18,900 All right. 209 00:10:18,900 --> 00:10:19,900 Shelter, right. 210 00:10:19,900 --> 00:10:25,620 Transportation, insurance, retirement and health care. 211 00:10:25,620 --> 00:10:28,540 The first five are all necessities. 212 00:10:28,540 --> 00:10:31,940 And then number six is pleasure. 213 00:10:31,940 --> 00:10:36,700 Thousands and thousands of dollars per year set aside per household on pleasure. 214 00:10:36,700 --> 00:10:39,420 Now, I'm not preaching against pleasure. 215 00:10:39,420 --> 00:10:42,140 I just got back from vacation. 216 00:10:42,140 --> 00:10:43,220 All right. 217 00:10:43,220 --> 00:10:45,020 I had a pleasurable time. 218 00:10:45,020 --> 00:10:46,260 All right. 219 00:10:46,260 --> 00:10:48,220 That's not what I'm talking about. 220 00:10:48,220 --> 00:10:49,980 Pleasure is not the problem. 221 00:10:49,980 --> 00:10:55,220 It says the love of pleasure more than the love of God is the problem. 222 00:10:55,220 --> 00:10:56,220 Right. 223 00:10:56,220 --> 00:11:00,740 Americans spend thousands and thousands of dollars on pleasure, but they've hardly poured 224 00:11:00,740 --> 00:11:04,300 anything into the ministry or into the godly work. 225 00:11:04,300 --> 00:11:07,740 Forty four percent of Christians give less than one hundred dollars to the church or 226 00:11:07,740 --> 00:11:09,700 a ministry per year. 227 00:11:09,700 --> 00:11:14,980 Only two point eight percent of Christians give give more than a thousand dollars to 228 00:11:14,980 --> 00:11:17,140 a church in a giving year. 229 00:11:17,140 --> 00:11:21,060 The word of God says this in Matthew six, 19, do not lay up for yourselves treasures 230 00:11:21,060 --> 00:11:25,460 on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for 231 00:11:25,460 --> 00:11:30,620 yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves don't 232 00:11:30,620 --> 00:11:33,340 break in and steal for where your treasure is. 233 00:11:33,340 --> 00:11:34,340 Okay. 234 00:11:34,340 --> 00:11:35,340 That's where your money's at. 235 00:11:35,340 --> 00:11:36,340 That's what your treasure is. 236 00:11:36,340 --> 00:11:37,340 Right. 237 00:11:37,340 --> 00:11:38,820 There your heart will be also. 238 00:11:38,820 --> 00:11:44,580 It's not a problem having pleasurable things in your life and doing pleasurable things. 239 00:11:44,580 --> 00:11:48,260 It's just you got to make sure that the love of God trumps all that. 240 00:11:48,260 --> 00:11:49,260 Right. 241 00:11:49,260 --> 00:11:52,980 It's got to fall somewhere else down on the list, but it's got to be about that. 242 00:11:52,980 --> 00:11:56,540 And Paul told Timothy people are not in love with Jesus. 243 00:11:56,540 --> 00:11:58,180 They're not in love with God. 244 00:11:58,180 --> 00:12:00,260 They're in love with stuff. 245 00:12:00,260 --> 00:12:01,260 They're in love with themselves. 246 00:12:01,260 --> 00:12:02,260 Right. 247 00:12:02,260 --> 00:12:03,260 Lovers of themselves. 248 00:12:03,260 --> 00:12:10,180 They're in love with other things and there's going to be opposition in your life because 249 00:12:10,180 --> 00:12:11,180 of this. 250 00:12:11,180 --> 00:12:12,820 You can count on it. 251 00:12:12,820 --> 00:12:14,820 You need to under he's telling Timothy. 252 00:12:14,820 --> 00:12:16,700 He's telling him, understand the struggle. 253 00:12:16,700 --> 00:12:18,800 He's saying, understand the opposition. 254 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:20,680 Don't put your head in the sand. 255 00:12:20,680 --> 00:12:23,180 Don't run away from what's in front of you. 256 00:12:23,180 --> 00:12:26,380 Don't go looking for ease because it's probably not going to come. 257 00:12:26,380 --> 00:12:28,080 Don't downplay the opposition. 258 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:29,420 Don't run and hide. 259 00:12:29,420 --> 00:12:32,500 Timothy, you will hit opposition. 260 00:12:32,500 --> 00:12:36,660 And Timothy, have I mentioned that I'm in jail for the gospel of Jesus Christ? 261 00:12:36,660 --> 00:12:37,660 Right. 262 00:12:37,660 --> 00:12:39,580 Paul shoots it straight. 263 00:12:39,580 --> 00:12:43,100 This is what I call a suck it up cupcake conversation. 264 00:12:43,100 --> 00:12:44,100 All right. 265 00:12:44,100 --> 00:12:45,440 Take it with me. 266 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:46,440 Suck it up cupcake. 267 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:48,180 Turn to somebody beside you. 268 00:12:48,180 --> 00:12:50,060 Tell them, suck it up cupcake. 269 00:12:50,060 --> 00:12:52,740 Some of you wanted to say it at somebody for a long time. 270 00:12:52,740 --> 00:12:54,860 Suck it up cupcake. 271 00:12:54,860 --> 00:12:57,140 I'll never forget a conversation I got in. 272 00:12:57,140 --> 00:13:01,580 This was years and years ago, but we were with some friends of ours who we knew really 273 00:13:01,580 --> 00:13:05,980 well, but they had some friends that I had just met, literally just met them. 274 00:13:05,980 --> 00:13:10,480 So it was a group of us adults and we're all together and we're hanging out together. 275 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:14,860 And I had this blister on my foot that I had gotten from earlier today. 276 00:13:14,860 --> 00:13:16,340 It was from shoes. 277 00:13:16,340 --> 00:13:20,860 And I'm whining and complaining a little bit about this blister in my foot. 278 00:13:20,860 --> 00:13:22,420 And I was in some serious pain here, folks. 279 00:13:22,420 --> 00:13:23,420 It was a blister. 280 00:13:23,420 --> 00:13:24,420 All right. 281 00:13:24,420 --> 00:13:29,620 So I had his blister and we're talking and this person that I do not know, the wife of 282 00:13:29,620 --> 00:13:34,620 this gentleman looks me dead in the eye and she says, just suck it up cupcake. 283 00:13:34,620 --> 00:13:39,740 I was like, what? 284 00:13:39,740 --> 00:13:43,140 And I wanted to say something cool back, but I had nothing. 285 00:13:43,140 --> 00:13:44,140 All right. 286 00:13:44,140 --> 00:13:46,140 And I'm like, all right. 287 00:13:46,140 --> 00:13:50,220 Think I will, you know, just like suck it up cupcake. 288 00:13:50,220 --> 00:13:51,660 Right. 289 00:13:51,660 --> 00:13:54,220 Sometimes you need somebody to shoot straight with you. 290 00:13:54,220 --> 00:13:56,380 You need to tell you, you're going to have some opposition. 291 00:13:56,380 --> 00:13:58,900 You're going to have some difficulty. 292 00:13:58,900 --> 00:14:05,140 If you follow Jesus, suck it up cupcake, because there's going to be struggle. 293 00:14:05,140 --> 00:14:08,140 There's going to be opposition. 294 00:14:08,140 --> 00:14:09,980 It's not going to be a maybe. 295 00:14:09,980 --> 00:14:11,980 It's not going to be a could be. 296 00:14:11,980 --> 00:14:14,300 It's not going to be a possibility. 297 00:14:14,300 --> 00:14:16,460 It is a guarantee. 298 00:14:16,460 --> 00:14:17,620 All right. 299 00:14:17,620 --> 00:14:21,620 Is why Ephesians six instructs us this way. 300 00:14:21,620 --> 00:14:26,660 Ephesians six, 10 says is finally my brother, be strong in the Lord and in the power of 301 00:14:26,660 --> 00:14:30,780 his might, put on the whole armor of God. 302 00:14:30,780 --> 00:14:33,460 Do you know why it says to put on the whole armor of God? 303 00:14:33,460 --> 00:14:36,460 Because you're going to get into serious opposition. 304 00:14:36,460 --> 00:14:38,140 You don't need just a piece or two of the armor. 305 00:14:38,140 --> 00:14:39,460 You need all of it. 306 00:14:39,460 --> 00:14:40,460 Right. 307 00:14:40,460 --> 00:14:44,380 It's going to come and then you may be able to stand against the wilds or the plans or 308 00:14:44,380 --> 00:14:49,540 the execution of the devil for we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities 309 00:14:49,540 --> 00:14:54,020 against powers, against rules of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness 310 00:14:54,020 --> 00:14:55,700 in heavenly places. 311 00:14:55,700 --> 00:15:01,380 Never take up the whole armor of God that you might be able to stand within the evil 312 00:15:01,380 --> 00:15:05,460 day and having done all to stand. 313 00:15:05,460 --> 00:15:08,020 We're in a struggle with the devil. 314 00:15:08,020 --> 00:15:10,220 We're in a struggle with the enemy. 315 00:15:10,220 --> 00:15:15,380 We are in a fight with Satan and his works that are unfolding in the world around us. 316 00:15:15,380 --> 00:15:19,180 There will be evil days that will push in on us. 317 00:15:19,180 --> 00:15:20,260 They're going to push in. 318 00:15:20,260 --> 00:15:21,980 There are principalities. 319 00:15:21,980 --> 00:15:23,220 There are powers. 320 00:15:23,220 --> 00:15:26,940 There are hosts of darkness at work in the world around us. 321 00:15:26,940 --> 00:15:29,300 There are evil minions. 322 00:15:29,300 --> 00:15:30,300 There is a devil. 323 00:15:30,300 --> 00:15:31,300 There are demons. 324 00:15:31,300 --> 00:15:35,100 There are things that work in the society around us and we need to understand it. 325 00:15:35,100 --> 00:15:36,180 It's a wrestling match. 326 00:15:36,180 --> 00:15:37,260 It's a war. 327 00:15:37,260 --> 00:15:39,900 There's opposition, right? 328 00:15:39,900 --> 00:15:45,220 So buckle up, armor up, wake up, cupcake. 329 00:15:45,220 --> 00:15:48,340 Come on, because the struggle is here. 330 00:15:48,340 --> 00:15:53,300 And if we're walking with Jesus, we're going to be in a fight with the devil. 331 00:15:53,300 --> 00:16:00,740 Do you know that the Bible refers to us in scripture as children of light? 332 00:16:00,740 --> 00:16:05,340 Do you know that darkness and light are always in a struggle? 333 00:16:05,340 --> 00:16:11,060 And if you don't believe me, just this happens every single day, every single day when you 334 00:16:11,060 --> 00:16:14,140 get up, if you get up early enough, I didn't because I was on vacation. 335 00:16:14,140 --> 00:16:15,860 I didn't see this happen one time. 336 00:16:15,860 --> 00:16:18,620 But if you get up early enough, do you know what happens? 337 00:16:18,620 --> 00:16:19,620 The sun rises. 338 00:16:19,620 --> 00:16:21,700 It really does happen. 339 00:16:21,700 --> 00:16:22,700 Right. 340 00:16:22,700 --> 00:16:24,500 And the darkness that's on the earth. 341 00:16:24,500 --> 00:16:26,500 What does light do to darkness? 342 00:16:26,500 --> 00:16:28,300 It dispels darkness. 343 00:16:28,300 --> 00:16:33,180 As soon as that sun comes up, right, the earth's rotation takes place and that sun comes up. 344 00:16:33,180 --> 00:16:34,940 It dispels the darkness. 345 00:16:34,940 --> 00:16:39,940 And at the evening, when the sun begins to go down in the evening, darkness begins to 346 00:16:39,940 --> 00:16:41,900 overshadow the light. 347 00:16:41,900 --> 00:16:44,580 It's all they're always oppressing on one another. 348 00:16:44,580 --> 00:16:47,180 They're always in opposition to one another. 349 00:16:47,180 --> 00:16:51,500 So when your light, when you're a child of light and you walk into darkness, what's going 350 00:16:51,500 --> 00:16:52,500 to happen? 351 00:16:52,500 --> 00:16:53,500 Right. 352 00:16:53,500 --> 00:16:54,980 Opposition is going to take place. 353 00:16:54,980 --> 00:16:59,740 Or if you're in a room and there's light and darkness begins to come in, there's going 354 00:16:59,740 --> 00:17:01,940 to be opposition that takes place. 355 00:17:01,940 --> 00:17:02,980 You got to armor up. 356 00:17:02,980 --> 00:17:04,220 You got to be ready. 357 00:17:04,220 --> 00:17:08,100 You got to have the helmet of salvation, the belt of truth, you know, the breastplate of 358 00:17:08,100 --> 00:17:12,500 righteousness, your feet shot with the preparation of the gospel, the sword of the spirit, which 359 00:17:12,500 --> 00:17:14,940 is the word of God in the Holy Spirit. 360 00:17:14,940 --> 00:17:21,980 You got to be ready not to fight people, but to fight the evil that is working to overwhelm 361 00:17:21,980 --> 00:17:22,980 the earth. 362 00:17:22,980 --> 00:17:28,000 Now, I know that happens sometimes in people, but we're not fighting people. 363 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:31,380 We get this all jacked up sometimes as Christians, right? 364 00:17:31,380 --> 00:17:33,100 We get this all messed up. 365 00:17:33,100 --> 00:17:36,540 Sometimes we think we're in a fight with evil people, right? 366 00:17:36,540 --> 00:17:39,700 Well, we're in fight with principalities, powers and rulers of darkness. 367 00:17:39,700 --> 00:17:41,260 We're not in a fight with the people. 368 00:17:41,260 --> 00:17:43,100 We think we're getting ready to fight people. 369 00:17:43,100 --> 00:17:44,660 So we armor up to fight people. 370 00:17:44,660 --> 00:17:46,540 How many of you armor up different? 371 00:17:46,540 --> 00:17:49,620 You're just going to fight somebody else, right? 372 00:17:49,620 --> 00:17:54,020 You'll you'll arm up a whole lot different and you won't weaponize yourself spiritually. 373 00:17:54,020 --> 00:17:58,660 You just weaponize yourself to take somebody else out, maybe verbally, hopefully not physically, 374 00:17:58,660 --> 00:17:59,660 right? 375 00:17:59,660 --> 00:18:01,780 But you'll weapon up it in a different way. 376 00:18:01,780 --> 00:18:08,400 And if you're not ready for the opposition that is evil and powers of darkness and principalities, 377 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:09,400 you won't weaponize. 378 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:10,400 Right? 379 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:13,100 If you come into the fight, you'll bring a knife to a gunfight. 380 00:18:13,100 --> 00:18:14,100 Okay. 381 00:18:14,100 --> 00:18:17,260 How many know you don't do very well if you have a knife and a gunfight? 382 00:18:17,260 --> 00:18:22,420 If you don't get ready spiritually for the evil that's out there and you don't arm it 383 00:18:22,420 --> 00:18:28,580 up in a spiritual manner, you'll bring a knife right to a gunfight and the enemy will crush 384 00:18:28,580 --> 00:18:29,580 you. 385 00:18:29,580 --> 00:18:31,840 He will take your feet out from under you. 386 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:33,700 We're not in a fight with people. 387 00:18:33,700 --> 00:18:35,380 Paul was reminding this young minister. 388 00:18:35,380 --> 00:18:40,620 That's evil sometimes works through people, but you're not there to take the people out. 389 00:18:40,620 --> 00:18:42,940 You're in the fight with the evil one. 390 00:18:42,940 --> 00:18:45,380 You're in the fight with the enemy. 391 00:18:45,380 --> 00:18:46,700 Understand this. 392 00:18:46,700 --> 00:18:49,780 Understand Jesus took he on Jesus understood the fight. 393 00:18:49,780 --> 00:18:55,420 Do you know that he on he always he always had people opposing him everywhere. 394 00:18:55,420 --> 00:18:59,600 Jesus one he had people opposing him all the time, but he understood the fight. 395 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:00,820 First John three eight says this. 396 00:19:00,820 --> 00:19:05,020 He who sins is of the devil for the devil has sinned from the beginning for this purpose. 397 00:19:05,020 --> 00:19:10,500 The Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. 398 00:19:10,500 --> 00:19:13,020 It does not say that he came to destroy people. 399 00:19:13,020 --> 00:19:17,860 Matter of fact, Jesus came to seek and save those who were lost right to destroy the works 400 00:19:17,860 --> 00:19:19,460 of the devil. 401 00:19:19,460 --> 00:19:22,160 You armor up to destroy the works of the devil. 402 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:26,820 You get ready for the opposition to destroy the works of the devil. 403 00:19:26,820 --> 00:19:30,140 Jesus when he came through the earth, he didn't come to fight the Romans. 404 00:19:30,140 --> 00:19:32,200 The Romans were in power at that time. 405 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:33,200 They were heathens. 406 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:34,660 They did not believe in God. 407 00:19:34,660 --> 00:19:36,280 They were brutal. 408 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:40,220 You can just read about the Roman Empire and find out how brutal they were. 409 00:19:40,220 --> 00:19:41,940 Jesus didn't come to fight the Romans. 410 00:19:41,940 --> 00:19:44,860 He could have he could have taken all of Rome down. 411 00:19:44,860 --> 00:19:46,220 He could have done he did. 412 00:19:46,220 --> 00:19:48,600 He came to fight the works of the devil. 413 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:51,020 He came to crush the works of the devil. 414 00:19:51,020 --> 00:19:52,020 Right. 415 00:19:52,020 --> 00:19:53,680 Love God, love people every day. 416 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:54,980 That's our that's our mission. 417 00:19:54,980 --> 00:19:55,980 Right. 418 00:19:55,980 --> 00:19:56,980 Love God, love people every day. 419 00:19:56,980 --> 00:19:58,620 And maybe we should add to the end of it. 420 00:19:58,620 --> 00:20:00,060 Destroy the works of the devil. 421 00:20:00,060 --> 00:20:01,540 Okay. 422 00:20:01,540 --> 00:20:06,900 Love God, love people every day, but destroy the works of the devil. 423 00:20:06,900 --> 00:20:11,300 We want to make sure people come to Christ and then will crush the work of the enemy 424 00:20:11,300 --> 00:20:15,060 in the meantime while we're walking them through. 425 00:20:15,060 --> 00:20:16,060 Right. 426 00:20:16,060 --> 00:20:19,900 Paul was centering Timothy for the fight. 427 00:20:19,900 --> 00:20:20,900 Focus on the right struggle. 428 00:20:20,900 --> 00:20:21,900 Focus on the right struggle. 429 00:20:21,900 --> 00:20:23,860 Let me pick up at verse 10. 430 00:20:23,860 --> 00:20:29,540 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long suffering, 431 00:20:29,540 --> 00:20:33,220 love, perseverance, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions. 432 00:20:33,220 --> 00:20:38,740 He's encouraging Timothy, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what 433 00:20:38,740 --> 00:20:42,900 persecutions I endured and out of them all the Lord deliver me. 434 00:20:42,900 --> 00:20:43,900 Yes. 435 00:20:43,900 --> 00:20:47,540 And all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 436 00:20:47,540 --> 00:20:48,740 You see it again. 437 00:20:48,740 --> 00:20:53,020 But evil men and apostles will grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived. 438 00:20:53,020 --> 00:20:58,700 Then in verse 14, Paul shifts gears out of suck it up cupcake mode. 439 00:20:58,700 --> 00:20:59,700 Right. 440 00:20:59,700 --> 00:21:01,340 He starts to lean into coaching more. 441 00:21:01,340 --> 00:21:02,340 He's coaching Timothy. 442 00:21:02,340 --> 00:21:03,340 He's doing it the whole time. 443 00:21:03,340 --> 00:21:07,460 A good how I know a good coach gives you a picture of the reality that you're in at the 444 00:21:07,460 --> 00:21:08,460 moment. 445 00:21:08,460 --> 00:21:09,980 That's what a good coach does. 446 00:21:09,980 --> 00:21:12,620 A coach gives you a picture of your current reality. 447 00:21:12,620 --> 00:21:13,620 Right. 448 00:21:13,620 --> 00:21:15,160 The opposition that's in front of you. 449 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:18,140 And then a coach begins to instruct you. 450 00:21:18,140 --> 00:21:21,740 They begin to instruct you on how to get through the opposition. 451 00:21:21,740 --> 00:21:25,620 And 14, he says, but you must continue in the things which you have learned. 452 00:21:25,620 --> 00:21:26,620 Right. 453 00:21:26,620 --> 00:21:31,460 You must lean into your training and be assured of knowing from whom you have learned them 454 00:21:31,460 --> 00:21:34,980 and that from childhood you have known the holy scriptures. 455 00:21:34,980 --> 00:21:36,220 You've got the right tool. 456 00:21:36,220 --> 00:21:40,540 You've got the scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, 457 00:21:40,540 --> 00:21:42,500 which is in Christ Jesus. 458 00:21:42,500 --> 00:21:47,820 He says all scriptures given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for 459 00:21:47,820 --> 00:21:55,020 reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, 460 00:21:55,020 --> 00:21:59,020 thoroughly equipped for every good work. 461 00:21:59,020 --> 00:22:01,680 Good coaches give you the playbook. 462 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:04,020 They give you the strategy to win. 463 00:22:04,020 --> 00:22:06,300 Good coaches correct bad habits. 464 00:22:06,300 --> 00:22:07,300 Right. 465 00:22:07,300 --> 00:22:09,220 They'll tell you they'll speak it straight. 466 00:22:09,220 --> 00:22:12,940 Good coaches confirm your current reality. 467 00:22:12,940 --> 00:22:20,080 Good coaches equip you to overcome the opposition so that you can be complete and thoroughly 468 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:23,460 equipped for every good work. 469 00:22:23,460 --> 00:22:28,700 Everyone needs at least one Paul in their life. 470 00:22:28,700 --> 00:22:33,940 Everyone as a believer, as a follower of Jesus, everyone needs one Paul. 471 00:22:33,940 --> 00:22:39,460 They need one coach, at least one to pour in them, to speak it straight, to give you 472 00:22:39,460 --> 00:22:41,200 to you straight on. 473 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:45,100 Every Christian needs someone who will help you walk through the spiritual battlefields 474 00:22:45,100 --> 00:22:48,260 that are in front of you to understand the opposition. 475 00:22:48,260 --> 00:22:51,280 You need a coach to give you a picture of your current reality. 476 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:53,460 You need a coach who can help equip you. 477 00:22:53,460 --> 00:22:58,700 You need somebody that will and will be willing to correct you if necessary, right, to cheer 478 00:22:58,700 --> 00:23:03,980 you on to the end, to make sure you get to the win. 479 00:23:03,980 --> 00:23:10,960 As I get ready to close here and as the campus up at East Shore gets ready to close, I want 480 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:14,580 to read a story that has a little bit to do with coaching. 481 00:23:14,580 --> 00:23:17,260 And this comes out of Jim Collins' book, Good to Great. 482 00:23:17,260 --> 00:23:22,100 He writes about a high school cross country team who went from being ranked in the top 483 00:23:22,100 --> 00:23:28,060 20 in the state to consistent contenders for the state championship in both girls and boys 484 00:23:28,060 --> 00:23:29,060 division. 485 00:23:29,060 --> 00:23:32,780 It says that the coaching staff of a high school cross country running team got together 486 00:23:32,780 --> 00:23:36,860 for dinner after winning its second state championship in two years. 487 00:23:36,860 --> 00:23:42,260 The program had been transformed in the previous five years from good, right, top 20 in the 488 00:23:42,260 --> 00:23:44,560 state to great. 489 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:49,140 And contenders for the state championship on both the boys and the girls team. 490 00:23:49,140 --> 00:23:50,180 And one of the coaches said this. 491 00:23:50,180 --> 00:23:52,940 He said, I don't get it, said one of the coaches. 492 00:23:52,940 --> 00:23:54,920 Why are we so successful? 493 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,160 We don't work any harder than the other teams. 494 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:00,540 And we what we do is just so simple. 495 00:24:00,540 --> 00:24:01,860 What does it work? 496 00:24:01,860 --> 00:24:04,220 He was referring to their simple strategy. 497 00:24:04,220 --> 00:24:06,300 We run the best at the end. 498 00:24:06,300 --> 00:24:07,620 That was their strategy. 499 00:24:07,620 --> 00:24:09,360 We run the best at the end of workouts. 500 00:24:09,360 --> 00:24:11,180 We run the best at the end of the races. 501 00:24:11,180 --> 00:24:15,480 We run the best at the end of the season when it counts the most. 502 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:17,500 Everything is geared to this simple idea. 503 00:24:17,500 --> 00:24:21,020 And the coaching staff knows how to create this effect better than any other team in 504 00:24:21,020 --> 00:24:22,220 the state. 505 00:24:22,220 --> 00:24:27,820 For example, they place a coach at the two mile mark of a 3.1 mile race to collect data 506 00:24:27,820 --> 00:24:29,660 as the runners go past. 507 00:24:29,660 --> 00:24:34,860 Then the coaches calculate not how fast the runners go, but how many competitors they 508 00:24:34,860 --> 00:24:40,220 pass at the end of the race from mile two to the finish, right to the 3.1. 509 00:24:40,220 --> 00:24:43,420 The kids learn how to pace themselves and race with confidence. 510 00:24:43,420 --> 00:24:47,940 We run best at the end and they think at the end of the hard race. 511 00:24:47,940 --> 00:24:52,820 So if I'm hurting bad, then my competitors must be hurting a whole lot worse and they 512 00:24:52,820 --> 00:25:01,180 win a good coach makes you aware of your current reality and then gives you the tools and the 513 00:25:01,180 --> 00:25:07,100 strategy to overcome the opposition to get through in the end. 514 00:25:07,100 --> 00:25:10,960 Let me give you a little bit what it looks like as I'm getting ready to close and the 515 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:12,840 praise team begins to come. 516 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:16,660 Let me give you a little bit of what it looks like without a coach. 517 00:25:16,660 --> 00:25:20,860 See without a coach, you will be unaware of your current reality. 518 00:25:20,860 --> 00:25:23,980 Do you know why that is? 519 00:25:23,980 --> 00:25:26,900 You're not very good at looking in. 520 00:25:26,900 --> 00:25:28,980 You're great at looking out. 521 00:25:28,980 --> 00:25:29,980 Right? 522 00:25:29,980 --> 00:25:30,980 God gave you two eyeballs. 523 00:25:30,980 --> 00:25:31,980 Go ahead. 524 00:25:31,980 --> 00:25:32,980 Just point your eyes right now. 525 00:25:32,980 --> 00:25:33,980 Right? 526 00:25:33,980 --> 00:25:34,980 He gave you two eyes. 527 00:25:34,980 --> 00:25:36,340 What are those two eyes do? 528 00:25:36,340 --> 00:25:37,340 They look out. 529 00:25:37,340 --> 00:25:38,340 Right? 530 00:25:38,340 --> 00:25:39,340 They do not look in. 531 00:25:39,340 --> 00:25:40,340 All right. 532 00:25:40,340 --> 00:25:43,940 If you can flip your eyes backwards and look inside yourself, that's just freaky. 533 00:25:43,940 --> 00:25:44,940 First of all. 534 00:25:44,940 --> 00:25:45,940 Okay. 535 00:25:45,940 --> 00:25:47,020 That's just weird. 536 00:25:47,020 --> 00:25:49,220 But I've never met anybody that can do that. 537 00:25:49,220 --> 00:25:50,220 Right? 538 00:25:50,220 --> 00:25:53,780 We can't we can't physically look backwards and look inside of ourselves. 539 00:25:53,780 --> 00:25:56,780 So we're not very good at seeing inside of ourselves. 540 00:25:56,780 --> 00:25:57,780 We're geared. 541 00:25:57,780 --> 00:25:59,500 We're built to look out. 542 00:25:59,500 --> 00:26:04,340 So you need somebody who can look in that they can give you a perspective of your current 543 00:26:04,340 --> 00:26:09,140 reality because we're not very good at assessing our own current reality. 544 00:26:09,140 --> 00:26:10,140 You need a coach. 545 00:26:10,140 --> 00:26:14,460 You need a Paul in your life who's willing to stop and take a look at your life and give 546 00:26:14,460 --> 00:26:19,780 you honest feedback about where you are and tell you what your current reality is. 547 00:26:19,780 --> 00:26:21,180 I'm not very good looking. 548 00:26:21,180 --> 00:26:23,980 Matter of fact, I look at I look out and I'm seeing a reflection. 549 00:26:23,980 --> 00:26:25,580 I'm like, yeah, you're doing okay. 550 00:26:25,580 --> 00:26:30,340 You know, and then I got some people into my life and saying, not so much. 551 00:26:30,340 --> 00:26:31,340 Right? 552 00:26:31,340 --> 00:26:33,440 You need a Paul in your life. 553 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:34,980 You need a Paul. 554 00:26:34,980 --> 00:26:38,740 You need someone who's going to coach you the entire you. 555 00:26:38,740 --> 00:26:42,740 You need somebody who will help you not learn things the hard way. 556 00:26:42,740 --> 00:26:44,580 That's what a coach does. 557 00:26:44,580 --> 00:26:45,580 A coach. 558 00:26:45,580 --> 00:26:46,700 Now, listen, I understand. 559 00:26:46,700 --> 00:26:47,700 Right? 560 00:26:47,700 --> 00:26:48,900 People say, well, experience is a good teacher. 561 00:26:48,900 --> 00:26:49,900 It is a good teacher. 562 00:26:49,900 --> 00:26:51,460 It's not a great teacher. 563 00:26:51,460 --> 00:26:52,540 All right. 564 00:26:52,540 --> 00:26:55,940 Sometimes you can experience something and you don't make it through the other side of 565 00:26:55,940 --> 00:26:56,940 the experience. 566 00:26:56,940 --> 00:26:57,940 Right? 567 00:26:57,940 --> 00:26:58,940 I got people come to me all the time. 568 00:26:58,940 --> 00:27:00,380 Pastor, I experienced this in another church. 569 00:27:00,380 --> 00:27:01,380 I experienced this. 570 00:27:01,380 --> 00:27:02,380 What happened in my past? 571 00:27:02,380 --> 00:27:05,380 I experienced this back here and they're stuck, man. 572 00:27:05,380 --> 00:27:08,580 They're jammed up in their lives because of what they experienced. 573 00:27:08,580 --> 00:27:09,820 Do you know what's better? 574 00:27:09,820 --> 00:27:11,620 If I learn from somebody else's experience. 575 00:27:11,620 --> 00:27:12,620 Right? 576 00:27:12,620 --> 00:27:17,220 I don't know if you heard this saying, wise people, they learn from the experience of 577 00:27:17,220 --> 00:27:18,220 someone else. 578 00:27:18,220 --> 00:27:22,020 Smart people learn from their own experience and stupid people never learn. 579 00:27:22,020 --> 00:27:23,020 Right? 580 00:27:23,020 --> 00:27:25,180 That's what that's the saying that goes around. 581 00:27:25,180 --> 00:27:28,700 And you need a coach, somebody who's gone where you haven't gone yet. 582 00:27:28,700 --> 00:27:30,300 And you need them to pour wisdom in your life. 583 00:27:30,300 --> 00:27:32,700 They'll tell you where the pitfalls are. 584 00:27:32,700 --> 00:27:34,420 They'll tell you where the potholes are. 585 00:27:34,420 --> 00:27:37,540 They'll tell you don't go there because you don't walk in there and break your leg. 586 00:27:37,540 --> 00:27:39,540 It's going to lay you up for a long period of time. 587 00:27:39,540 --> 00:27:41,500 I mean, it broke your broke your leg emotionally. 588 00:27:41,500 --> 00:27:42,500 Right? 589 00:27:42,500 --> 00:27:44,460 And it just lays you up for a long time. 590 00:27:44,460 --> 00:27:46,380 You need a coach. 591 00:27:46,380 --> 00:27:48,420 You need a Paul in your life. 592 00:27:48,420 --> 00:27:50,480 You're going to hit opposition. 593 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:51,480 It's going to happen. 594 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:55,580 If you follow Jesus, buckle up, cupcake. 595 00:27:55,580 --> 00:27:56,580 It's coming. 596 00:27:56,580 --> 00:27:57,580 All right. 597 00:27:57,580 --> 00:27:58,860 Buckle up. 598 00:27:58,860 --> 00:28:00,480 It's going to happen. 599 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:03,860 And you need someone in your corner, just like Paul was with him. 600 00:28:03,860 --> 00:28:06,980 He's in jail and he's still coaching this young man. 601 00:28:06,980 --> 00:28:10,660 I'm going to ask you to stand. 602 00:28:10,660 --> 00:28:13,220 Jesus did this all the time. 603 00:28:13,220 --> 00:28:18,560 In Matthew chapter 26, Jesus is meeting with his disciples for the very final time. 604 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:21,500 They're having what we call communion or the Last Supper. 605 00:28:21,500 --> 00:28:23,140 The Last Supper is taking place. 606 00:28:23,140 --> 00:28:24,880 It's what we base communion off of. 607 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:27,200 We're supposed to practice this to remember Jesus. 608 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:31,740 So while that was taking place, he looked at his disciples and he said, basically, all 609 00:28:31,740 --> 00:28:33,820 of you are going to stumble because of me tonight. 610 00:28:33,820 --> 00:28:35,380 All of you are going to fail tonight. 611 00:28:35,380 --> 00:28:36,380 Right? 612 00:28:36,380 --> 00:28:38,460 I mean, like that for a final meal. 613 00:28:38,460 --> 00:28:39,460 Right? 614 00:28:39,460 --> 00:28:43,260 And Peter's, of course, is the first one to jump up and say, not me, Lord. 615 00:28:43,260 --> 00:28:44,900 I'm not going to fail. 616 00:28:44,900 --> 00:28:46,460 I'll follow you to the death. 617 00:28:46,460 --> 00:28:48,460 I'm going to go over and all the others stop. 618 00:28:48,460 --> 00:28:49,460 Yeah, us too. 619 00:28:49,460 --> 00:28:50,460 That's what they were doing. 620 00:28:50,460 --> 00:28:51,460 You read the Word of God. 621 00:28:51,460 --> 00:28:53,060 Go ahead and read it in Matthew 26. 622 00:28:53,060 --> 00:28:54,060 And they're all doing it. 623 00:28:54,060 --> 00:28:55,060 And Jesus looked at him. 624 00:28:55,060 --> 00:28:56,940 He told him, this is the current reality. 625 00:28:56,940 --> 00:28:59,180 I'm going to get arrested. 626 00:28:59,180 --> 00:29:01,020 My current reality is I'm going to get arrested. 627 00:29:01,020 --> 00:29:02,020 I'm going to be brought in. 628 00:29:02,020 --> 00:29:03,380 I'm going to be falsely accused. 629 00:29:03,380 --> 00:29:04,380 I'm going to be beaten. 630 00:29:04,380 --> 00:29:05,380 I'm going to be tortured. 631 00:29:05,380 --> 00:29:06,380 I'm going to be crucified. 632 00:29:06,380 --> 00:29:09,860 And you all aren't going to make it through the first round of this. 633 00:29:09,860 --> 00:29:12,740 That's the current reality because I can see what's in you. 634 00:29:12,740 --> 00:29:13,940 You're going to make it through. 635 00:29:13,940 --> 00:29:15,140 Why was he telling him that? 636 00:29:15,140 --> 00:29:16,620 He's preparing them. 637 00:29:16,620 --> 00:29:18,260 He's letting them know so they can look back. 638 00:29:18,260 --> 00:29:20,740 And he's coaching them. 639 00:29:20,740 --> 00:29:22,700 He meets with them after he comes back from it. 640 00:29:22,700 --> 00:29:23,700 Right? 641 00:29:23,700 --> 00:29:26,860 When he rises from the dead, he meets with the disciples and he coaches them on. 642 00:29:26,860 --> 00:29:29,060 You need a Paul. 643 00:29:29,060 --> 00:29:30,700 You need a Jesus in your life. 644 00:29:30,700 --> 00:29:32,380 You need somebody who's coaching you. 645 00:29:32,380 --> 00:29:34,100 Yes, we have the Holy Spirit. 646 00:29:34,100 --> 00:29:35,100 He is our coach. 647 00:29:35,100 --> 00:29:36,180 He is our guy. 648 00:29:36,180 --> 00:29:38,060 But you need somebody physically on the ground. 649 00:29:38,060 --> 00:29:41,060 How many of you know we can shut the Holy Spirit off sometimes? 650 00:29:41,060 --> 00:29:42,060 Right? 651 00:29:42,060 --> 00:29:45,700 You can't shut my mouth up sometimes if I'm standing beside you. 652 00:29:45,700 --> 00:29:46,700 It's true. 653 00:29:46,700 --> 00:29:48,380 So I've got one question. 654 00:29:48,380 --> 00:29:51,940 I've got one question for you this morning. 655 00:29:51,940 --> 00:29:54,940 Who's your Paul? 656 00:29:54,940 --> 00:29:59,260 I'll give you a few seconds. 657 00:29:59,260 --> 00:30:00,260 Who's your Paul? 658 00:30:00,260 --> 00:30:07,820 I'm going to ask you to close your eyes. 659 00:30:07,820 --> 00:30:10,700 Who's your Paul? 660 00:30:10,700 --> 00:30:14,900 You will face opposition if you're following Christ. 661 00:30:14,900 --> 00:30:19,180 And you will make it through because everything is awesome with Christ. 662 00:30:19,180 --> 00:30:20,180 Even the struggle. 663 00:30:20,180 --> 00:30:22,420 Even when it's hard. 664 00:30:22,420 --> 00:30:28,740 If you're listening to me this morning and you don't know Jesus, I can tell you about 665 00:30:28,740 --> 00:30:30,700 one who will be with you in the struggle. 666 00:30:30,700 --> 00:30:31,700 His name is Jesus. 667 00:30:31,700 --> 00:30:32,700 He'll never leave you. 668 00:30:32,700 --> 00:30:34,380 He'll never forsake you. 669 00:30:34,380 --> 00:30:38,140 The Word of God says that all you have to do is recognize that He is the Son of God 670 00:30:38,140 --> 00:30:43,620 and that you believe in your heart that He died on that cross to save you from your sins 671 00:30:43,620 --> 00:30:47,180 and you can be in relationship with the one who will never leave you, the coach that will 672 00:30:47,180 --> 00:30:49,060 always be by your side. 673 00:30:49,060 --> 00:30:52,020 If that's you here this morning, all you have to do is pray that prayer. 674 00:30:52,020 --> 00:31:01,060 If you're listening to me online, if you're at the East Shore campus, you can meet Jesus. 675 00:31:01,060 --> 00:31:05,740 But for those who know Jesus, you will hit opposition. 676 00:31:05,740 --> 00:31:10,420 You will be in the fight with evil and principalities and rulers of darkness count on it. 677 00:31:10,420 --> 00:31:14,540 I'm here to let you know that. 678 00:31:14,540 --> 00:31:16,660 Who's the coach in your life? 679 00:31:16,660 --> 00:31:17,660 Who's the Paul? 680 00:31:17,660 --> 00:31:20,460 There can be more than one, by the way. 681 00:31:20,460 --> 00:31:22,760 Some will be in for a short period of time. 682 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:24,560 Some could be long term. 683 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,140 Some could be just in moments in your life. 684 00:31:27,140 --> 00:31:29,980 Who are the Pauls in your life? 685 00:31:29,980 --> 00:31:31,860 You got to ask yourself this question. 686 00:31:31,860 --> 00:31:34,020 Father, we come to you right now. 687 00:31:34,020 --> 00:31:37,260 I thank you, God, for each person that's in the house. 688 00:31:37,260 --> 00:31:40,660 I thank you for Paul and Timothy and their relationship. 689 00:31:40,660 --> 00:31:44,900 What we see in the Word of God, it's Jesus with the disciples. 690 00:31:44,900 --> 00:31:46,820 Lord, we need coaches. 691 00:31:46,820 --> 00:31:49,580 Lord, we need people who will pour into us. 692 00:31:49,580 --> 00:31:54,660 God, we need people who will see what's going on in our lives and are willing to speak. 693 00:31:54,660 --> 00:31:59,140 We need people that want to see us win as battle as we want to win and make it through 694 00:31:59,140 --> 00:32:03,900 the struggle and make it past the opposition so that the darkness will not overwhelm us. 695 00:32:03,900 --> 00:32:07,020 God, I pray right now for each person in the house. 696 00:32:07,020 --> 00:32:11,820 God, if they don't have a Paul in their life, God, help them to, Lord, fess up right now 697 00:32:11,820 --> 00:32:12,820 and say, I don't. 698 00:32:12,820 --> 00:32:13,820 I need one. 699 00:32:13,820 --> 00:32:15,820 I've got to find one. 700 00:32:15,820 --> 00:32:17,060 I've got to search that out. 701 00:32:17,060 --> 00:32:18,420 I've got to seek that out. 702 00:32:18,420 --> 00:32:22,860 Lord, God, I pray right now that you would just help, that you would guide, that you 703 00:32:22,860 --> 00:32:27,580 would direct them, Lord, in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name. 704 00:32:27,580 --> 00:32:32,140 They might even be praying right now and there's a name that begins to pop into their mind 705 00:32:32,140 --> 00:32:36,740 and they need to contact that person and say, listen, I need this to be more of a surface 706 00:32:36,740 --> 00:32:37,740 thing. 707 00:32:37,740 --> 00:32:40,500 I need this to be more than just a little bit of coffee now and then. 708 00:32:40,500 --> 00:32:45,220 We need to get real with one another and I need you to get real with me. 709 00:32:45,220 --> 00:32:46,380 I need you to see. 710 00:32:46,380 --> 00:32:49,700 Find somebody who's spiritually ahead of you. 711 00:32:49,700 --> 00:32:50,700 Find somebody who's spiritually ahead of you. 712 00:32:50,700 --> 00:32:57,060 We thank you, Lord, in Jesus' name and amen. 713 00:32:57,060 --> 00:32:59,060 Can I tell you? 714 00:32:59,060 --> 00:33:03,620 Listen, if you want to find a coach, go to where the coaches, spiritual coaches hang 715 00:33:03,620 --> 00:33:05,620 out by the way, all right? 716 00:33:05,620 --> 00:33:07,700 I don't know if you can go find one at Walmart. 717 00:33:07,700 --> 00:33:08,700 Could happen. 718 00:33:08,700 --> 00:33:09,700 I don't know. 719 00:33:09,700 --> 00:33:10,700 But I know this. 720 00:33:10,700 --> 00:33:13,420 You want to get where the body of Christ is, right? 721 00:33:13,420 --> 00:33:15,260 You want to go to church. 722 00:33:15,260 --> 00:33:17,180 You want to show up at a life group. 723 00:33:17,180 --> 00:33:20,860 You might find somebody there that you're going to get to know that can connect in with 724 00:33:20,860 --> 00:33:21,860 you. 725 00:33:21,860 --> 00:33:23,940 You might want to serve on a life house team, right? 726 00:33:23,940 --> 00:33:27,900 You might want to get where people come and Christians congregate. 727 00:33:27,900 --> 00:33:30,620 You might want to go to that Christian concert where everybody's getting together. 728 00:33:30,620 --> 00:33:32,380 There's people from your local area. 729 00:33:32,380 --> 00:33:35,020 You might find that person, right? 730 00:33:35,020 --> 00:33:36,820 Seek out a coach personally. 731 00:33:36,820 --> 00:33:37,820 Do it. 732 00:33:37,820 --> 00:33:39,700 This is a very practical thing. 733 00:33:39,700 --> 00:33:44,740 This is a very practical thing, but it will make all the difference in your life. 734 00:33:44,740 --> 00:33:47,780 It will keep you from getting stuck. 735 00:33:47,780 --> 00:33:51,820 It will keep you from sliding backwards, and it might keep you from dying in the ditch 736 00:33:51,820 --> 00:33:52,820 alone. 737 00:33:52,820 --> 00:33:53,820 Amen? 738 00:33:53,820 --> 00:34:01,300 Way too many Christians who've died alone in the ditch, that should not be in the body 739 00:34:01,300 --> 00:34:02,300 of Christ. 740 00:34:02,300 --> 00:34:03,300 It should not be. 741 00:34:03,300 --> 00:34:07,420 So I want you to think right now. 742 00:34:07,420 --> 00:34:09,660 In a moment I'm going to dismiss the prayer teams back there. 743 00:34:09,660 --> 00:34:11,860 They'll pray with you about any need that you might have. 744 00:34:11,860 --> 00:34:15,580 But we're going to close out just singing a song. 745 00:34:15,580 --> 00:34:22,580 I want you seriously, seriously, if you did not, if names did not pop in your mind while 746 00:34:22,580 --> 00:34:27,500 you were praying, if you haven't seriously, I want you to seriously question yourself. 747 00:34:27,500 --> 00:34:29,380 Unfortunately, you don't got anybody. 748 00:34:29,380 --> 00:34:33,140 I could have somebody beside you kind of speak in your life, but they may not know you right 749 00:34:33,140 --> 00:34:34,140 now. 750 00:34:34,140 --> 00:34:35,140 Come on, sing it. 751 00:34:35,140 --> 00:34:42,140 It was my cross you bore, so I could live in the freedom you died for. 752 00:34:42,140 --> 00:34:49,140 And now my life is yours, and I will sing of your goodness forevermore. 753 00:34:49,140 --> 00:34:56,140 Worthy is your name, which I will sing of your name. 754 00:34:56,140 --> 00:35:05,140 Worthy is your name, worthy is your name. 755 00:35:05,140 --> 00:35:29,140 Jesus, you deserve the praise, worthy is your name, worthy is your name. 756 00:35:29,140 --> 00:35:48,140 Jesus, you deserve the praise, worthy is your name, worthy is your name. 757 00:35:48,140 --> 00:36:02,140 Jesus, you deserve the praise, worthy is your name, worthy is your name. 758 00:36:02,140 --> 00:36:19,140 Jesus, you deserve the praise, worthy is your name, worthy is your name. 759 00:36:19,140 --> 00:36:32,140 Jesus, you deserve the praise, worthy is your name. 760 00:36:32,140 --> 00:36:37,140 As I think about this message, I think about a couple I knew years ago. 761 00:36:37,140 --> 00:36:42,140 And we walked beside them, we were pretty close to them, and they got stuck in the ditch. 762 00:36:42,140 --> 00:36:45,140 They actually moved away, physically moved away. 763 00:36:45,140 --> 00:36:47,140 And while they were there, they got stuck in the ditch. 764 00:36:47,140 --> 00:36:51,140 And they're not serving God any longer. 765 00:36:51,140 --> 00:36:57,140 From all things I can see on the outside, they cut off people who probably would have spoken to their lives, 766 00:36:57,140 --> 00:37:03,140 and could have walked them through and got them through some difficult places, but they cut off, they isolated. 767 00:37:03,140 --> 00:37:09,140 And we watched, from the outside we've watched. 768 00:37:09,140 --> 00:37:18,140 I do not want to see that in this house, with any part of this LifeHouse family, for those who are listening. 769 00:37:18,140 --> 00:37:22,140 This is incredibly important. 770 00:37:22,140 --> 00:37:24,140 Get connected. 771 00:37:24,140 --> 00:37:26,140 We say it all the time. 772 00:37:26,140 --> 00:37:32,140 I know it sounds like a mantra and a thing, but we just get up and say, I'm telling you, it's scriptural. 773 00:37:32,140 --> 00:37:38,140 It's part of God's prescription from keeping you from dying, to keep you from getting taken out. 774 00:37:38,140 --> 00:37:40,140 Amen? 775 00:37:40,140 --> 00:37:42,140 It's true. 776 00:37:42,140 --> 00:37:50,140 It breaks your heart, it breaks my heart, to see one person, one person, breaks my heart. 777 00:37:50,140 --> 00:37:52,140 Don't do it. 778 00:37:52,140 --> 00:37:54,140 Amen? 779 00:37:54,140 --> 00:38:01,140 Regardless of your personality, some of you, I know you've got anxiety about getting in a group, go find one person. 780 00:38:01,140 --> 00:38:03,140 That's a group, by the way. 781 00:38:03,140 --> 00:38:04,140 Okay? 782 00:38:04,140 --> 00:38:07,140 Even if it's just two. 783 00:38:07,140 --> 00:38:08,140 Amen. 784 00:38:08,140 --> 00:38:10,140 I'm going to pray a prayer, blessing and favor. 785 00:38:10,140 --> 00:38:16,140 Again, if you need specific prayer, and that team prays all week long for the needs of this church, 786 00:38:16,140 --> 00:38:21,140 and if you've got something that you need to talk with them about or just need prayed over in general, 787 00:38:21,140 --> 00:38:25,140 if you need healing of any kind, they're back there, they want to pray with you. 788 00:38:25,140 --> 00:38:28,140 We see a heart of one healing already this morning. 789 00:38:28,140 --> 00:38:29,140 How cool is that? 790 00:38:29,140 --> 00:38:30,140 All right? 791 00:38:30,140 --> 00:38:32,140 You might want to jump in while God's moving. 792 00:38:32,140 --> 00:38:33,140 All right? 793 00:38:33,140 --> 00:38:37,140 It already took place before the gathering. 794 00:38:37,140 --> 00:38:38,140 All right? 795 00:38:38,140 --> 00:38:39,140 Father, I thank you for this day. 796 00:38:39,140 --> 00:38:41,140 I thank you for each one in the house. 797 00:38:41,140 --> 00:38:44,140 God, I pray, God, that your hand would be upon them. 798 00:38:44,140 --> 00:38:48,140 God, I pray they take serious, Lord, finding a Paul in their life. 799 00:38:48,140 --> 00:38:53,140 And Lord, God, I pray that your favor would be upon them, that your blessing would be upon them. 800 00:38:53,140 --> 00:39:00,140 Lord, as we go out and face evil, God, as we work to crush little works of the enemy and the devil, 801 00:39:00,140 --> 00:39:03,140 God, I pray that your favor would shine upon them. 802 00:39:03,140 --> 00:39:08,140 God, that the Holy Spirit would be alive and active in their lives and continue to be. 803 00:39:08,140 --> 00:39:11,140 And Lord, as they move forward, crushing the enemy. 804 00:39:11,140 --> 00:39:13,140 God, we have no power in ourselves. 805 00:39:13,140 --> 00:39:15,140 It is only by the blood of Christ. 806 00:39:15,140 --> 00:39:18,140 It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we move forward. 807 00:39:18,140 --> 00:39:20,140 Lord, we just give you glory and praise. 808 00:39:20,140 --> 00:39:30,140 In Jesus' name, Amen. 809 00:39:50,140 --> 00:39:52,140 Amen.