WEBVTT

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God has said, be ye holy, for I am holy. I am

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glad that holiness is what he calls us to and

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that which he is working in us by the power of

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the Holy Spirit. Holiness is not something we

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produce on our own, but holiness is God's work

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in us, both the willing and the doing of His

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good pleasure. And one day that work of holiness

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will be complete when we're with the Lord. But

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now we're in a pilgrimage. We're in this world.

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And God has given us assignments to accomplish

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as a people of God. We've talked something about

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that in the month of January. As we entered a

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new decade in the ministry of our church, these

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are also probably the most ten critical years

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in the history of our nation. I don't think that

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that's an overstatement. Because of the crossroads

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that we find ourselves in, in this nation and

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in the Western culture, I believe that the next

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ten years are the most critical in the history

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of our nation. While focusing on a new vision

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for our ministry as a local church and retooling

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ourselves with perhaps some new methods adapted

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to the 90s, We must be careful not to lay aside

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some of the old truths that are essential if

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in fact we want the blessing of God upon us in

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this new decade. One such truth, which we looked

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at last week, is the truth of repentance. That

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is, changing one's mind or one's way of thinking.

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As that word is applied to Christians, and we

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saw last week that indeed it is applied to Christians,

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that we need to be a repentant people. Repentance

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is a mindset that says I will change my mind

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and agree with God whenever I'm convicted of

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God to do so. That is, whenever God turns the

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light on our spirit and we sense there something

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that is not right with God, we have a mindset

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that says immediately, I must change. We don't

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allow our minds or our souls to become hardened.

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But we change. We are repentant. The danger,

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of course, is that sin is not truthful. as it

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allures us. Sin says to us, if you do this, if

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you involve yourself in that, if you will use

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this motive, if you will make that your goal,

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then I promise you, says sin, that you will be

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pleased. You will have this result or that result.

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That's what sin says. But sin is a liar. Sin

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may point to some genuine pleasure or some human

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achievement that we would desire that it could

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give us, but sin always veils the final result.

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It always does. Because the final result of sin,

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even when it's temporally or temporarily full

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of pleasure. The final result of sin is always

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destruction. So sin is deceitful and it will

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deceive and harden our hearts if we aren't alert,

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if we don't maintain a repentant mindset. The

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writer of Hebrews warns about this in the third

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chapter of that book when he says, day after

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day, as long as it is called today, lest any

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one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of

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sin." You see, sin not only deceives, but it

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subtly hardens the heart, almost imperceptibly.

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Without one actually noticing that the hardening

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is taking place, it happens. And that heart that

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once was soft and palpable, pliable in the hands

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of God rather, that heart becomes stiffer and

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harder until finally, if sin has its way, that

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heart is fixed. The writer of Hebrews warns about

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an earlier generation to whom that happened.

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It was the generation of the Jews who came out

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of Egypt, who hardened their hearts against God

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in the wilderness. And as a result of that, God

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says, they shall not enter my rest. And they

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didn't. They died in the wilderness, not inheriting

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the land that God had promised to them. And so

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they came short because of the deceitfulness

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of sin. You see, sin is not a benign deviation.

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But sin actually is a malignant cancer that grows

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and drains the spiritual power from one's life.

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It changes the heart attitude against God and

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finally will bring one to destruction. James

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talks about this in the last chapter of his epistle,

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the last two verses. An interesting way for him

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to conclude. Often the Apostle Paul, when he

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would write, would conclude with a benediction.

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The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

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Or some other upbeat note, but James gives a

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warning. He says, my brethren, if any among you

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strays from the truth. Now notice first of all

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he's talking to brethren. He is not talking to

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unsafe people. And he says, if any among you

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strays from the truth, that is, wanders away

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into sin, and one turns him back, there's the

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word convert that we looked at briefly last week,

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and one converts him, one causes him to turn

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around and go the other direction, James says

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in that case, let him know that he who turns

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a sinner from the error of his way will save

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his soul from death." Now you say, does that

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mean hell? Well, in some context it does. Whenever

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you find the word death, you have to discover

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what is it talking about? Is this spiritual death?

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Is this physical death? Is this some other kind

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of death? He's talking here about physical death,

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as I understand this text. That is the discipline

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of God. He says, let him know that if he turns

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a sinner from his way of error, that he will

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save that soul from death. That is the discipline

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of God and will cover a multitude of sins. Sin

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is not benign. It is malignant. And the only

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answer to sin is a repentant heart. A heart that

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is always ready to change. when enlightened by

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the Holy Spirit. A heart that says there is no

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territory that is protected. God has access to

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all of me. The heart that says there is no room

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that is out of bounds to God's inspection. The

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heart that says I will allow no callous to develop

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on me. The heart that says, I will be sensitive

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toward God. I will have a near listening to the

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voice of God and a will determined to be right

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with God. And so I think it's appropriate for

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us to ask ourselves this morning, am I right

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with God? Am I right with God? Have I been repentant?

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When God has turned the spotlight on my life,

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have I responded positively by changing my mind,

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resulting in changes in my life? Am I a repentant

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Christian? Repentance is not possible apart from

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brokenness over sin. I see brokenness over sin

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involving several things. In the first place,

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it involves recognizing sin for what it is. That

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is, I don't allow myself to excuse it. I don't

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allow myself to play with it. I don't allow myself

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to taste it by rolling it around in my mouth.

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I don't allow sin to be protected. But rather

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I bring it out into the open in my life, and

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I recognize it for what it is. Then I must also

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go beyond that. I must then perceive how that

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sin affects God. I must understand how that sin

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affects God and others around me. I must see

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what that sin does to me. I must understand the

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grief that it causes. I must understand the sorrow

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that it brings to the heart of God. I must understand

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that it brings me to destruction. That it will

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destroy my life and my effectiveness for God.

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Once I understand all of that, then it will bring

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me to the final step, which is to respond with

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sorrow over it. A sorrow that leads to repentance.

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Paul talks in 2 Corinthians chapter 7 about that

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kind of sorrow, suggesting that there is a sorrow

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that does not bring one to repentance. It's merely

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a superficial kind of sorrow. For example, the

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kind of sorrow that says, I'm sorry I got caught.

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Boo hoo. And tears are shed because one has been

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found out. But it's not the kind of sorrow that

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brings repentance. The change of mind. resulting

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in a change of direction to one's life. I first

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need to recognize sin for what it is and then

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understand what it does to God and what it does

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to me and what it does to others. And the only

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response I can have if I go that far is to sorrow

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over it and be brought to repentance, brokenness.

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Is your heart broken over sin? Sometimes it's

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easier for us to be broken over the sin of others

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than it is our own sin. Sometimes it's easier

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for us to sorrow and to grieve over what others

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are doing or not doing than what we ought to

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be doing or not doing. As we enter a new decade,

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an exciting decade with lots of potential, We

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must also recognize that sin abounds, and it

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comes to us in nearly every shape and form. Repentance

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as a mindset, as a way of life, will keep us

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walking in the light of God and not falling into

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the darkness of the devil. Repentance is one

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of those old truths that we have to hang onto.

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I want to move ahead this morning to another

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one. Another old truth for a decade that is before

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us, filled with exciting potential for God. If

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we want to see that potential realized, here

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is a truth, an old truth, that we must get a

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hold of and never release. And it is that truth

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of dependence upon God. The truth of dependence

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upon God, I invite you to turn with me to a verse

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in John chapter 15, our Lord Himself speaking.

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And He says to us, abide in Me and I in you.

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You recall that He compares us here to branches

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that partake in the vine, the true one, He Himself.

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And he says in verse 5, I am the vine, you are

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the branches. He who abides in me and I in him,

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he bears much fruit. For apart from me, you can

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do nothing. Notice the totality of that statement.

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He makes no exception. He doesn't say you can

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do most things apart from me. He doesn't say

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you can do a few things apart from me. He says

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you can do no things. apart from me. Now, obviously

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there are some things we can do. We can go through

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the motions of life. We can accomplish things.

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We can accumulate things. We can affect the lives

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of other people for good or for ill. There are

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many things we can do. But one thing we cannot

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do is to bear spiritual fruit. That's eternal.

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apart from Jesus Christ. So when you enter into

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that realm of what counts forever, in that realm

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there is nothing that we can do apart from Him.

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We are dependent upon the vine to produce in

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and through us the fruit that will be pleasing

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to Him. As a church we can go into this next

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decade and accomplish a lot. There are things

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that we can do that may even attract the attention

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of other people, or which we ourselves will find

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very fulfilling or pleasing to ourselves. We

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may get written up in a newspaper, good or bad.

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There are lots of things we can do, but if we

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want to do things that are going to count forever,

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that are going to pass the test of the judgment

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seat of Christ, then we must hang on to this

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old truth that we are dependent upon Jesus Christ

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and we cannot do these things in ourselves and

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in our own strength. This is one of the most

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difficult things for us to comprehend and practice

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in our culture, isn't it? Because in many ways

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we have the impression at least that we don't

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need the Lord. We can go out and get a loan.

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We can use a charge card. We can call upon other

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people. We can get in the car and go somewhere.

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There's something we can do ourselves to respond

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to our crisis rather than have to depend upon

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God. Maybe that's why it is that God often puts

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us in places where we are completely bound up

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and can't. do anything. So that hopefully we'll

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come to this truth that ultimately we must depend

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upon Him. We can't get along without the Holy

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Spirit. I think that we have bought into this

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humanistic lie of our own autonomy. Humanism,

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the religion of man worshipping himself, teaches

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that man is autonomous, that he is independent

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of others. and certainly of God. Now, we would

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not say that. We would never put that into a

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statement of faith for our church. If you were

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asked to write out what you would believe, likely

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you would never put down, I am independent of

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God. But the fact is, though we are not professing

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humanists, we are practicing humanists. Because

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we tend to do so much. apart from God. And we

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have the wealth and the ingenuity and the freedom

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to do so in our culture. There are other cultures

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where that doesn't exist as readily as it does

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here. Where people are very poor, where they

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have nothing, they have no resources to drop

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on. For them to think of themselves as independent

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would be very difficult. But on the other hand,

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for us to think of ourselves as dependent is

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very difficult. The fact is that we will make

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a mess every time that we fail to depend upon

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God. Ultimately, our efforts must fail if they

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are efforts apart from His enablement. Perhaps

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the greater curse, though, is not failure but

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success. God allowing us to succeed in our own

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efforts apart from Him. Perhaps that is the greater

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curse. God has not designed us to live our lives

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in a vacuum apart from His direct involvement.

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He has created us so that we might live by faith.

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That's why we have a spirit. Immeasurable distance

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between ourselves and mere animals. It's interesting

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the Bible doesn't say that we are created a little

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above the animals. It says that we are created

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a little below the angels. We have the capacity

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to know God and to relate to God and to trust

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God. To depend upon Him. That's how God has created

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us. That's how He wants to relate to us. A relationship

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of faith, dependence. And it is that faith or

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dependence that makes his involvement in our

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lives a reality. The writer of Hebrews, as he

00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:37.740
goes back through his chart of Old Testament

00:19:37.740 --> 00:19:40.859
figures, talks about a number of them, as you

00:19:40.859 --> 00:19:44.140
know, in the eleventh chapter. And if you were

00:19:44.140 --> 00:19:46.200
to sum up the eleventh chapter, just in a verse,

00:19:46.220 --> 00:19:49.170
I think verse six would would pretty well be

00:19:49.170 --> 00:19:51.650
the summary. It says there, without faith it

00:19:51.650 --> 00:19:55.309
is impossible to please Him, for he that comes

00:19:55.309 --> 00:19:58.089
to God must believe that He is and that He is

00:19:58.089 --> 00:20:03.049
a rewarder of those who seek Him. If we seek

00:20:03.049 --> 00:20:07.049
God, it's because we need God. If we don't need

00:20:07.049 --> 00:20:11.950
God, we don't seek Him. The seeker is one who

00:20:11.950 --> 00:20:16.200
senses his need, his dependence upon God. And

00:20:16.200 --> 00:20:18.519
the writer of Hebrews says, the one who senses

00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:23.960
this dependence is one who will be rewarded by

00:20:23.960 --> 00:20:28.599
God, because that dependence is faith. And again,

00:20:28.779 --> 00:20:32.160
it's a statement of totality. He says, without

00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:35.420
faith, it is impossible to please God. It's not

00:20:35.420 --> 00:20:38.779
just pretty hard, but it's impossible to please

00:20:38.779 --> 00:20:42.140
God. Because you see, God is well pleased. God

00:20:42.140 --> 00:20:46.460
rewards when there is faith. Back in verse 2,

00:20:46.579 --> 00:20:51.400
it says, for by it, faith, the men of old gained

00:20:51.400 --> 00:20:55.880
approval. In verse 39, he concludes the chapter

00:20:55.880 --> 00:20:58.740
with basically the same thought. And all these

00:20:58.740 --> 00:21:03.519
having gained approval through their faith. So

00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:06.119
what is it that brings God's involvement in our

00:21:06.119 --> 00:21:09.099
lives, that brings God's reward to our lives?

00:21:09.740 --> 00:21:13.460
It is our attitude of dependence, our trust,

00:21:13.740 --> 00:21:17.720
our faith. We have to understand that faith is

00:21:17.720 --> 00:21:23.740
not passive. Faith is not merely saying, I won't

00:21:23.740 --> 00:21:27.460
do anything. God has to do everything. That is

00:21:27.460 --> 00:21:31.940
not faith. Faith is not an inactive mindset.

00:21:34.279 --> 00:21:39.160
But faith is hearing what God says and then taking

00:21:39.160 --> 00:21:43.000
action on the basis of that. You see, faith is

00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:49.180
active. It's potent. Faith causes us to respond

00:21:49.180 --> 00:21:55.619
in some way. It produces within us. This last

00:21:55.619 --> 00:21:58.000
week, our staff was able to get away for a day

00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:01.220
and a half retreat together. On this occasion,

00:22:01.240 --> 00:22:04.039
we took our families. It was a wonderful experience.

00:22:05.059 --> 00:22:07.960
We went to Camp Forest Springs, which is the

00:22:07.960 --> 00:22:10.880
camp that we're cooperating with now in our ministry.

00:22:11.500 --> 00:22:14.920
I'm excited about that. It is a first -class

00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:19.119
operation. from top to bottom, side to side,

00:22:19.339 --> 00:22:23.460
is just a class operation. And some of us will

00:22:23.460 --> 00:22:25.700
be there throughout this year in various kinds

00:22:25.700 --> 00:22:29.039
of activities, including family camp, a little

00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:31.799
bit later on in the summer. So you'll have a

00:22:31.799 --> 00:22:33.680
chance to see it for yourself, but in the summer

00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:36.799
you won't have the opportunity to go cross -country

00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:40.920
skiing or downhill skiing or tubing, the latter

00:22:40.920 --> 00:22:44.880
of which I prefer. Because it's so easy. You

00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:46.819
just get on the tube and you're dragged to the

00:22:46.819 --> 00:22:48.700
top of the hill with the tow rope and then you

00:22:48.700 --> 00:22:52.579
slide down. It's so easy. Now, you take John

00:22:52.579 --> 00:22:54.839
Benham, for example. He liked to go downhill.

00:22:55.640 --> 00:22:58.339
In fact, was this your first time, John, out

00:22:58.339 --> 00:23:01.039
there on the skis? No, it didn't look like it.

00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:05.180
He really did well. He was coming down a hill

00:23:05.180 --> 00:23:09.000
and it was a steep hill, frankly. It was pretty

00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:12.329
steep and there was not fresh snow on it. And

00:23:12.329 --> 00:23:14.529
Pastor Bartlett was just along beside him. They

00:23:14.529 --> 00:23:16.809
were skiing together and all of a sudden Pastor

00:23:16.809 --> 00:23:21.190
Bartlett took a left turn. A real sharp left

00:23:21.190 --> 00:23:25.829
turn. And John could do nothing and it was humorous

00:23:25.829 --> 00:23:28.150
to those of us watching. I'm sure it wasn't humorous

00:23:28.150 --> 00:23:31.069
to be involved but there were skis and legs and

00:23:31.069 --> 00:23:35.109
arms flying up into the air and snow and they

00:23:35.109 --> 00:23:37.609
lit and John came back with an injured right

00:23:37.609 --> 00:23:39.650
arm. I was surprised to see him leading the singing

00:23:39.650 --> 00:23:44.019
this morning. But I didn't go downhill. I decided

00:23:44.019 --> 00:23:46.720
to go cross country and I got my youngest son

00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:49.920
Out there and as well some others in the family,

00:23:49.940 --> 00:23:52.000
but the two of us were together in particularly

00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:55.420
one occasion They have several miles of trails

00:23:55.420 --> 00:24:00.640
far too many miles But we took a shorter path

00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:05.140
and as we were going along We'd been out about

00:24:05.140 --> 00:24:08.960
an hour by that time and my son said to me which

00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:14.490
way is back to camp I said, just follow me. You

00:24:14.490 --> 00:24:18.390
see, they had signs up with arrows. So I knew

00:24:18.390 --> 00:24:23.430
where I was going. And we kept going. Five minutes

00:24:23.430 --> 00:24:27.390
went by, and my son said to me, this isn't the

00:24:27.390 --> 00:24:32.869
way back. And I panted out the words, trust me.

00:24:34.009 --> 00:24:37.490
That's about all I could say at that point. Trust

00:24:37.490 --> 00:24:44.289
me. He did, and eventually we got back to camp.

00:24:45.869 --> 00:24:48.109
And as I experienced it, I thought to myself,

00:24:48.250 --> 00:24:50.410
how many times have I been out on the trail of

00:24:50.410 --> 00:24:55.930
life, not knowing for sure where I was, panting

00:24:55.930 --> 00:24:59.569
for my breath, and I've said to God, which is

00:24:59.569 --> 00:25:03.569
the way out of here? And he said, just follow

00:25:03.569 --> 00:25:09.109
me. A little bit later, as I get tireder and

00:25:09.109 --> 00:25:15.059
more weary, I say, this isn't the way out. And

00:25:15.059 --> 00:25:20.819
he says, trust me. And inevitably, we got out.

00:25:23.980 --> 00:25:26.119
There's a lesson there for all of us, folks.

00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:29.839
There's an old truth that we need to get a hold

00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:33.140
of. It's the truth that we are dependent upon

00:25:33.140 --> 00:25:38.720
God. Wherein we find in ourselves that streak

00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:44.220
of independence. That stubbornness of heart.

00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:49.599
That questioning of God. We need to go back to

00:25:49.599 --> 00:25:54.099
point number one and repent. And then come back

00:25:54.099 --> 00:25:57.119
to point number two and say, Lord, I'm following.

00:25:58.220 --> 00:26:05.720
I'm trusting. Lord, I am dependent. Larnell Harris

00:26:05.720 --> 00:26:07.920
puts it this way in one of the songs that you

00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:11.869
hear frequently these days. It's not in trying

00:26:11.869 --> 00:26:18.069
but trusting. It's not in running but resting.

00:26:20.130 --> 00:26:25.349
It's not in wanting but praying that we find

00:26:25.349 --> 00:26:29.910
the strength of the Lord. Maybe you're one of

00:26:29.910 --> 00:26:34.210
those of God's children today running hard. You're

00:26:34.210 --> 00:26:36.589
trying your best and you want something bad.

00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:41.740
But if we want God's involvement in our lives,

00:26:41.799 --> 00:26:47.140
if we want to be rewarded by Him, then we need

00:26:47.140 --> 00:26:56.220
to trust and to rest. We need to pray. And when

00:26:56.220 --> 00:27:02.359
we do that, God delights to reward. It says here

00:27:02.359 --> 00:27:04.980
in this same chapter that He is not ashamed to

00:27:04.980 --> 00:27:07.480
be called the God of those who will trust Him.

00:27:07.690 --> 00:27:11.710
Isn't that great? Oh, I don't want God to be

00:27:11.710 --> 00:27:21.069
ashamed to be called my God. I want to be a dependent

00:27:21.069 --> 00:27:34.029
child and trust Him. You may feel today that

00:27:34.029 --> 00:27:37.289
God is calling you to do something you can't

00:27:37.289 --> 00:27:44.609
do. Maybe it's an issue of some service that

00:27:44.609 --> 00:27:49.430
God is calling you to. He has said to you, my

00:27:49.430 --> 00:27:53.910
child, this is what I have for you. This is the

00:27:53.910 --> 00:27:57.549
way walk in it. And you look at that and you

00:27:57.549 --> 00:28:02.650
say, oh Lord, I can't do that. Lord, that's beyond

00:28:02.650 --> 00:28:07.279
me. I can never... Hold out for that. Lord, I

00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:12.880
can never accomplish that." And he says to you,

00:28:12.920 --> 00:28:17.259
just trust me. Just take it a step at a time.

00:28:19.380 --> 00:28:21.220
When you're out there in the back of the trails,

00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:24.599
cross -country skiing, and you think about how

00:28:24.599 --> 00:28:28.000
far you've got to go to get back to camp, you

00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:34.059
can start crying. My son did. And I almost did

00:28:34.059 --> 00:28:37.740
a couple of times. I mean, you can think about

00:28:37.740 --> 00:28:40.279
how far you've got to go to get to that goal,

00:28:40.279 --> 00:28:42.759
and it just seems like you can't go any further.

00:28:45.759 --> 00:28:47.960
You've already phoned up muscles you haven't

00:28:47.960 --> 00:28:51.400
talked to for a long time, and they're answering.

00:28:53.640 --> 00:28:56.000
And you say, there's no way I can make it. How

00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:59.200
do you do it? Well, you just keep putting those

00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:03.160
feet out there, keep using those skis. Eventually

00:29:03.160 --> 00:29:06.440
you get there. How do you get to that goal God

00:29:06.440 --> 00:29:12.500
is pointing out? Just a step at a time. Trust

00:29:12.500 --> 00:29:16.059
me, he says. That's what he said to Moses, wasn't

00:29:16.059 --> 00:29:18.700
it? So he met with him in the backside of the

00:29:18.700 --> 00:29:20.819
wilderness. He said, Moses, I want you to go

00:29:20.819 --> 00:29:23.359
back to Egypt and I want you to tell Pharaoh

00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:27.759
to let my people go. And Moses said, Lord, not

00:29:27.759 --> 00:29:32.670
me. That's too much for me. I can't that's not

00:29:32.670 --> 00:29:37.470
my gift God says look. That's what I'm calling

00:29:37.470 --> 00:29:42.990
you to do Moses trust me So who think who do

00:29:42.990 --> 00:29:47.430
you think made your mouth? Who do you think made

00:29:47.430 --> 00:29:50.710
you just the way you are Moses? Who do you think

00:29:50.710 --> 00:29:55.529
has prepared you for these 80 years? These 40

00:29:55.529 --> 00:30:00.299
years these 80 years is going to use you for

00:30:00.299 --> 00:30:06.940
the next forty. Moses, trust me. There are some

00:30:06.940 --> 00:30:08.960
of you that are at a point of decision in your

00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:11.900
life and you're saying to God, Lord, I don't

00:30:11.900 --> 00:30:16.839
know. The reason for that is that you're looking

00:30:16.839 --> 00:30:19.059
at that goal in light of how you feel and what

00:30:19.059 --> 00:30:23.000
you think about yourself. You're trusting yourself.

00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:30.339
God is saying, trust me. Because when you give

00:30:30.339 --> 00:30:35.539
out, I'm there to carry you on. Trust me. It's

00:30:35.539 --> 00:30:39.039
an old truth, isn't it? But it's a truth that

00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:42.559
we cannot let go of. Because God may be calling

00:30:42.559 --> 00:30:46.079
you and me, not only as individuals but as a

00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:49.720
church, to enter into some things that will cause

00:30:49.720 --> 00:30:52.559
us to say, oh my goodness, how in the world can

00:30:52.559 --> 00:31:02.980
we do this? God says, trust me. Trust me. We

00:31:02.980 --> 00:31:07.640
must not limit ourselves to those actions, those

00:31:07.640 --> 00:31:11.400
involvements, those commitments that we perceive

00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:16.880
we can do. Because if we do, that's all we'll

00:31:16.880 --> 00:31:22.539
ever accomplish, what we can do. We need to have

00:31:22.539 --> 00:31:27.480
our ears open and our eyes open. to hear and

00:31:27.480 --> 00:31:32.539
to see what God says. And when God says there,

00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:39.259
it will always be a stretch for us. God is never

00:31:39.259 --> 00:31:42.039
going to point out something that we can do in

00:31:42.039 --> 00:31:46.660
ourselves because He doesn't want us to be reinforced

00:31:46.660 --> 00:31:49.039
again that we can make it independent of Him.

00:31:49.099 --> 00:31:51.259
He's always going to point out something to us

00:31:51.259 --> 00:31:57.039
that will stretch us. Because that's the way

00:31:57.039 --> 00:32:03.900
that we learn dependence upon Him. Our need today

00:32:03.900 --> 00:32:06.900
is for a fresh and filling of God in this area

00:32:06.900 --> 00:32:10.519
of our lives. And if today you're one of God's

00:32:10.519 --> 00:32:13.779
saints just trying hard and struggling and bogged

00:32:13.779 --> 00:32:16.839
down and overcome and wondering and questioning,

00:32:18.460 --> 00:32:23.279
God says, my child, have you hit bottom yet?

00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:28.480
Are you worn out enough yet trying in your own

00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:33.759
strength? Are you yet finished being independent?

00:32:35.660 --> 00:32:44.319
If so, now trust. Declare your dependence and

00:32:44.319 --> 00:32:50.059
I will show you what I can do. And I will reward

00:32:50.059 --> 00:32:57.460
you and what you do. will last forever and it

00:32:57.460 --> 00:33:00.940
will get my mark of approval at the end of the

00:33:00.940 --> 00:33:14.480
road. Let's pray. I don't know where this message

00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:21.569
from the Lord may catch you today. Maybe you

00:33:21.569 --> 00:33:25.750
are quite aware of your dependence And you're

00:33:25.750 --> 00:33:31.230
walking by faith not by sight Praise God for

00:33:31.230 --> 00:33:36.269
that my friend But I have a hunch there are not

00:33:36.269 --> 00:33:41.210
a few of us here We're out there on the trail

00:33:41.210 --> 00:33:44.829
weary and wondering how we'll ever make it back

00:33:48.170 --> 00:33:51.089
Or God has pointed out something to us that seems

00:33:51.089 --> 00:33:57.210
so far beyond that we have a big question mark

00:33:57.210 --> 00:34:00.509
in our lives. God, do you really know what you're

00:34:00.509 --> 00:34:10.550
doing? Today it's time to say, Lord, I declare

00:34:10.550 --> 00:34:18.610
my dependence. I'm weary. I've tried. I've been

00:34:18.610 --> 00:34:26.650
running, but it's all in my strength. And I am

00:34:26.650 --> 00:34:34.530
coming to you to declare that I need you and

00:34:34.530 --> 00:34:41.309
I trust you. Would you do that right where you're

00:34:41.309 --> 00:34:49.730
seated? Make this old truth real in your life

00:34:49.730 --> 00:34:53.710
Well understand it will be challenged maybe even

00:34:53.710 --> 00:34:59.769
yet today For if Satan can keep you from really

00:34:59.769 --> 00:35:03.610
trusting He doesn't have to worry about anything

00:35:03.610 --> 00:35:07.849
else you might attempt Because without faith

00:35:07.849 --> 00:35:14.159
it's impossible to please God So he will try

00:35:14.159 --> 00:35:17.219
to keep faith from being active in your life.

00:35:18.599 --> 00:35:21.199
Declare your dependence today and ask God to

00:35:21.199 --> 00:35:24.820
make it a real daily living principle within

00:35:24.820 --> 00:35:31.219
you. If that is your declaration to God today,

00:35:32.380 --> 00:35:34.239
would you indicate that by the lifting of your

00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:38.179
hand? I'm asking you to do something physical.

00:35:38.920 --> 00:35:43.400
Just to reinforce in your heart a spiritual decision

00:35:43.400 --> 00:35:47.619
Lift your hand to God saying God today is my

00:35:47.619 --> 00:35:55.880
declaration of dependence. Yes The scores hands

00:35:55.880 --> 00:36:02.880
God bless you all remember friend. He is a rewarder

00:36:02.880 --> 00:36:11.380
of those Who seek him? Father, I pray that faith,

00:36:13.079 --> 00:36:18.960
dependence, trust will become the principle by

00:36:18.960 --> 00:36:26.019
which we live our lives every day. We acknowledge

00:36:26.019 --> 00:36:28.800
to you the temptations, especially in our culture,

00:36:29.599 --> 00:36:36.059
to live by sight, to live by what we can do for

00:36:36.059 --> 00:36:43.610
ourselves. Forgive us And bring us to that point

00:36:43.610 --> 00:36:47.010
of brokenness about our independence that we

00:36:47.010 --> 00:36:51.889
repent And begin to live as you want us to live

00:36:51.889 --> 00:37:01.170
Like branches on the vine In Jesus name Amen