WEBVTT 00:00:00.780 --> 00:00:04.099 We're going to have a little heart -to -heart 00:00:04.099 --> 00:00:07.900 talk today about something that's very practical. 00:00:08.339 --> 00:00:10.880 And I think that you'll find most of my heart 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:14.640 -to -heart talks practical because I've learned 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:19.140 a long time ago that even though heaven is our 00:00:19.140 --> 00:00:23.059 goal and heaven is real, heaven is not a state 00:00:23.059 --> 00:00:28.699 of mind. Heaven is real. I believe everything 00:00:28.699 --> 00:00:32.420 that the Bible teaches regarding heaven and life 00:00:32.420 --> 00:00:39.320 after death. But I have also found from the teaching 00:00:39.320 --> 00:00:43.560 of the Word of God that there's an awful lot 00:00:43.560 --> 00:00:46.259 of living that has to be done before you and 00:00:46.259 --> 00:00:50.060 I are going to walk those streets of gold. I 00:00:50.060 --> 00:00:55.399 have found out a long time ago that nobody escapes 00:00:55.399 --> 00:01:00.719 troubles. Even though you are a Christian, don't 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:05.939 ever feel that you are immune to troubles, to 00:01:05.939 --> 00:01:11.480 sorrows, to heartaches. No, ma 'am. The Word 00:01:11.480 --> 00:01:14.359 of God says that you'll not only have troubles, 00:01:14.439 --> 00:01:19.579 but there'll be tribulations. But also remember, 00:01:19.900 --> 00:01:23.760 the Word of God promises the Christian victory 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:27.560 over these things. Now, what you and I are going 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:35.299 to discuss today is real victory and false. Real 00:01:35.299 --> 00:01:40.819 victory and its counterfeit. You want to know 00:01:40.819 --> 00:01:45.819 something? The victorious life is simply a life 00:01:45.819 --> 00:01:49.400 fully surrendered to God with Christ himself 00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:55.700 dwelling within and in complete control. Some 00:01:55.700 --> 00:02:00.099 of you do not begin to understand what I'm talking 00:02:00.099 --> 00:02:06.819 about when I speak of one's life being controlled 00:02:06.819 --> 00:02:12.319 by the Master. But there is such a place. There 00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:20.439 absolutely is a place where a life is under complete 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:23.840 control of the Master, a life in which the only 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:27.169 desire, is to bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:02:28.789 --> 00:02:32.509 It is the only really, truly happy life that 00:02:32.509 --> 00:02:36.169 I know anything about. And yet, Christians refuse 00:02:36.169 --> 00:02:40.990 to enter in, lest their lives should be made 00:02:40.990 --> 00:02:46.129 miserable. There are those who are not born again, 00:02:46.330 --> 00:02:50.349 who get the idea that if you're going to live 00:02:50.349 --> 00:02:52.750 a Christian life, you're going to be miserable. 00:02:53.250 --> 00:02:55.819 You're going to go... around with a long face. 00:02:57.159 --> 00:03:01.879 There'll no longer be joy. That with your conversion, 00:03:02.060 --> 00:03:05.460 all joy, all happiness goes. Let me tell you 00:03:05.460 --> 00:03:10.199 something. It's only after you've been born again 00:03:10.199 --> 00:03:15.500 that you know what real happiness is, what real 00:03:15.500 --> 00:03:18.819 joy is. For there can be no real happiness, there 00:03:18.819 --> 00:03:22.039 can be no real joy without peace of mind and 00:03:22.039 --> 00:03:28.930 peace of soul. I mean that. Now, there's a difference 00:03:28.930 --> 00:03:35.889 between having fun and having real joy and happiness. 00:03:37.330 --> 00:03:41.810 Oh, sure. You pass by a bar and you hear them 00:03:41.810 --> 00:03:45.949 laughing and giggling and you can say to the 00:03:45.949 --> 00:03:48.789 one next to you, my, they certainly are happy 00:03:48.789 --> 00:03:53.990 in there. No, they may be having fun for a couple 00:03:53.990 --> 00:03:58.560 of hours. But I'll tell you, it's like somebody 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:02.960 says, champagne at night and real pain in the 00:04:02.960 --> 00:04:08.319 morning. Because you cannot, it is impossible 00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:15.159 for any human being to really be happy, to know 00:04:15.159 --> 00:04:20.639 what genuine happiness is, what real joy really 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:27.560 is, if there is no peace of mind. And you only 00:04:27.560 --> 00:04:32.600 have peace of mind when there is peace of soul. 00:04:33.160 --> 00:04:35.540 And Jesus himself is the only one who can give 00:04:35.540 --> 00:04:42.160 that. Mm -hmm. Somebody says, oh, but this life 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:45.639 of being a Christian is so filled with crosses. 00:04:47.220 --> 00:04:49.180 That's exactly the idea that many Christians 00:04:49.180 --> 00:04:54.250 have. That where... There is the choice between 00:04:54.250 --> 00:04:58.449 things agreeable and disagreeable. The unpleasant 00:04:58.449 --> 00:05:03.129 one must, of course, be chosen. That's the idea 00:05:03.129 --> 00:05:06.750 that some Christians have. Let me ask you something. 00:05:07.069 --> 00:05:08.990 Can you find anything like that in the Bible? 00:05:09.089 --> 00:05:13.509 I can't. Paul is never tired of talking about 00:05:13.509 --> 00:05:16.949 the wonderful joy in his life. Read the Bible. 00:05:19.239 --> 00:05:23.519 Constantly, Paul is talking about rejoice evermore. 00:05:24.040 --> 00:05:26.540 He's constantly talking about this wonderful 00:05:26.540 --> 00:05:32.100 joy that's in his life. In everything, he says, 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:38.139 give thanks. Yet what hardship, what bitter persecution 00:05:38.139 --> 00:05:43.100 were his lot. If you love God and fully trust 00:05:43.100 --> 00:05:48.370 him, the place in which you are is that. happiest 00:05:48.370 --> 00:05:53.889 place in which you can possibly be. And the work 00:05:53.889 --> 00:05:57.829 you're doing is the very best for you, of course. 00:05:58.689 --> 00:06:02.910 God may move you elsewhere or give you other 00:06:02.910 --> 00:06:06.610 work. That's left to Him. He's not always God. 00:06:06.730 --> 00:06:09.230 He's perfect knowledge. He's perfect wisdom. 00:06:10.589 --> 00:06:17.769 But let Him be glorified in us now. No matter 00:06:17.769 --> 00:06:20.670 what you're going through, no matter what the 00:06:20.670 --> 00:06:24.509 circumstances are, no matter how deep the waters, 00:06:24.629 --> 00:06:30.730 no matter how dark the night, for a Christian, 00:06:30.889 --> 00:06:39.149 there can still be joy on the inside. There is 00:06:39.149 --> 00:06:44.560 that perfect peace, that perfect... Trust, knowing 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:49.220 that nothing, absolutely nothing can come into 00:06:49.220 --> 00:06:52.339 your life or touch you if you are completely 00:06:52.339 --> 00:06:55.759 surrendered to him. If you have given yourself 00:06:55.759 --> 00:07:00.579 completely to his guidance, to his control, then 00:07:00.579 --> 00:07:04.540 nothing can happen to you but what he allows 00:07:04.540 --> 00:07:08.519 and he permits. And if he has allowed and permitted 00:07:08.519 --> 00:07:11.560 that thing, then it's the very best place in 00:07:11.560 --> 00:07:14.600 the whole world for you. So you can look up and 00:07:14.600 --> 00:07:21.660 still rejoice and still be glad. That's real 00:07:21.660 --> 00:07:26.139 victory. Somebody says, what about the crosses? 00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:30.240 Oh, I was so amused the other day in one of the 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:34.300 Friday services. A woman got up, and I'll tell 00:07:34.300 --> 00:07:40.060 you, all she could talk about was her crosses. 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:43.139 I didn't let her go on very long, I'll tell you. 00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:50.620 Her crosses. Now she says, I'll tell you. When 00:07:50.620 --> 00:07:57.980 God gives me those crosses, I will bear them. 00:07:59.079 --> 00:08:03.819 Crosses. Nowhere in the Bible do we read of crosses. 00:08:04.980 --> 00:08:08.300 Yet when our plans are upset, or the weather 00:08:08.300 --> 00:08:11.819 spoils our day, or sickness, Our bereavement, 00:08:11.819 --> 00:08:18.660 our sorrow, alters our plans. We're very apt 00:08:18.660 --> 00:08:24.360 to say very sadly, well, I suppose that this 00:08:24.360 --> 00:08:30.660 is just my cross for the day. Oh, don't ever 00:08:30.660 --> 00:08:34.340 say that around me, whatever you do. I can't 00:08:34.340 --> 00:08:38.240 stand these people who are always talking about 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:43.080 their crosses. and blaming God for everything 00:08:43.080 --> 00:08:47.379 that happened to them, and yet, I'll tell you, 00:08:47.559 --> 00:08:56.639 they're such martyrs. It's their cross, and yet 00:08:56.639 --> 00:09:00.080 they brought the whole thing on themselves. But 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:04.120 yet they find such comfort in the fact that it's 00:09:04.120 --> 00:09:11.889 their cross, and they'll bear it. Mm -hmm. If 00:09:11.889 --> 00:09:17.070 God has complete control over us, I repeat, nothing 00:09:17.070 --> 00:09:23.289 can happen contrary to His will. And is not His 00:09:23.289 --> 00:09:27.850 will the very best for us? Instead of resigning 00:09:27.850 --> 00:09:34.539 ourselves to something, the... feeling that should 00:09:34.539 --> 00:09:38.080 be in our hearts should ever be, I delight to 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:41.360 do thy will. Oh my God. That's what the psalmist 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:46.940 said. That's what David said. I delight to do 00:09:46.940 --> 00:09:52.480 thy will. Oh my God. There can be no such thing 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:55.740 as disappointment in the life of a man really 00:09:55.740 --> 00:10:02.389 living this victorious Christian life. My is 00:10:02.389 --> 00:10:07.029 to do the will of him that sent me. Those are 00:10:07.029 --> 00:10:12.169 words of our own Lord. Can we say the same? Can 00:10:12.169 --> 00:10:19.370 you say honestly? My meat is to do the will of 00:10:19.370 --> 00:10:25.009 him that sent me? That's real victory. There's 00:10:25.009 --> 00:10:28.570 nothing false about that. When we're transformed 00:10:28.570 --> 00:10:34.159 by the renewing of our mind, We shall prove every 00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:38.460 day of our lives that God's will is good and 00:10:38.460 --> 00:10:43.779 perfect. Shall it not therefore be acceptable? 00:10:44.659 --> 00:10:50.659 But remember something. Only for those who are 00:10:50.659 --> 00:10:53.980 living in his divine will, who have given their 00:10:53.980 --> 00:11:00.990 lives to be controlled completely by him, are 00:11:00.990 --> 00:11:03.690 the folk who can accept that glorious promise 00:11:03.690 --> 00:11:07.049 in the 12th chapter of Romans, the second verse. 00:11:09.149 --> 00:11:15.190 It is only then that all things work together 00:11:15.190 --> 00:11:21.389 for good. That's right. All right, let's go back 00:11:21.389 --> 00:11:26.610 to that cross, picking up the cross. I know. 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:33.059 That Jesus himself said, if any man would come 00:11:33.059 --> 00:11:38.059 after me, let him deny himself and take up his 00:11:38.059 --> 00:11:43.879 cross and follow me. That's scripture. That's 00:11:43.879 --> 00:11:46.080 in the 16th chapter of Matthew, the 24th verse. 00:11:47.139 --> 00:11:52.159 And Jesus himself said it. If any man, if you, 00:11:52.220 --> 00:11:57.220 my friend, would come after me, after Jesus, 00:11:57.950 --> 00:12:01.269 Let him deny himself and take up his cross and 00:12:01.269 --> 00:12:08.350 follow me. Another scripture. Whosoever does 00:12:08.350 --> 00:12:11.950 not bear his cross and come after me cannot be 00:12:11.950 --> 00:12:20.889 my disciple. Now watch. There is one cross for 00:12:20.889 --> 00:12:28.330 everyone and for every day. As surely as there 00:12:28.330 --> 00:12:32.149 was a cross for Jesus, and he died on that cross 00:12:32.149 --> 00:12:37.629 and gave his life on that cross, there is a cross 00:12:37.629 --> 00:12:41.110 for every man and every woman who would dare 00:12:41.110 --> 00:12:45.389 to follow him. If you had seen a man in our Lord's 00:12:45.389 --> 00:12:48.710 day carrying a cross, you would know immediately 00:12:48.710 --> 00:12:52.629 that it meant death to someone, probably for 00:12:52.629 --> 00:12:56.460 the man himself. For always the cross... is a 00:12:56.460 --> 00:13:01.879 sign of death. And before anyone can really, 00:13:01.940 --> 00:13:07.240 truly follow Jesus Christ, really be a disciple, 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:14.440 he must be dead with Christ and risen with him. 00:13:14.659 --> 00:13:16.860 That's exactly what Paul meant when he said, 00:13:16.980 --> 00:13:24.299 I have been crucified with Christ. Yep, I live. 00:13:25.450 --> 00:13:29.009 In other words, I am still alive. I am still 00:13:29.009 --> 00:13:34.409 in the flesh. I am still in the world. I had 00:13:34.409 --> 00:13:39.470 been crucified with Christ, yet I live. Yet no 00:13:39.470 --> 00:13:46.669 longer I, but Christ liveth in me. Someone has 00:13:46.669 --> 00:13:50.870 said, it's one thing to be saved from the penalty 00:13:50.870 --> 00:13:56.740 of sin. It's another thing... To follow Christ. 00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:04.240 It was Dr. Thomas who said once that some Christians 00:14:04.240 --> 00:14:08.860 are monstrosities. They are no more like Christ 00:14:08.860 --> 00:14:12.259 20 years after their conversion than they were 00:14:12.259 --> 00:14:16.980 when they began the Christian life. They're not 00:14:16.980 --> 00:14:20.779 learning of him. They have never taken up their 00:14:20.779 --> 00:14:24.559 cross. They have not been crucified with Christ. 00:14:24.779 --> 00:14:28.799 They know nothing about being crucified with 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:36.480 Christ. The taking up of the cross is the end 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:44.100 of crosses and the beginning of discipleship. 00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:56.590 And therein is the secret. of real victory. God 00:14:56.590 --> 00:14:57.070 bless you.