1
00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,040
Hey everybody, this is Pastor 
John Ewart from Inglewood 

2
00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:05,920
Baptist Church in Rocky 
Mountain, North Carolina. 

3
00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,119
Thank you so much for tuning 
into our podcast. 

4
00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,320
You're going to hear from God 
today as we share from his word 

5
00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,080
about important issues facing 
your life that can guide you 

6
00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:21,560
according to the Bible. 
Thank you all for joining me 

7
00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,040
here live. 
Those of you who are listening 

8
00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:25,200
online later to the podcast, 
thank you so much. 

9
00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:30,040
I can't strongly enough 
encourage you to go listen to 

10
00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:33,560
the other podcast that we've 
recorded in relation to engaging

11
00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:36,560
the Bible. 
Doctor Chuck Quarles, as I've 

12
00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:40,200
mentioned before, he and I did 
one on the New Testament just to

13
00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,840
hear a brilliant, brilliant 
human being speak and talk about

14
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:45,840
the Bible. 
There's probably not a greater 

15
00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,560
expert on some original language
conversation. 

16
00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,320
You'll be astounded at some of 
the work that they're doing as 

17
00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,840
they're looking at thousands and
thousands of original 

18
00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:57,560
manuscripts with what he does at
the center of Southeastern. 

19
00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,760
So you want to listen to that 
one and then others that that 

20
00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:02,760
have been a part of this whole 
whole broadcast. 

21
00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:07,440
Now this this this, this is the 
end of Engage the Bible this 

22
00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:09,520
session for now. 
That doesn't mean we're 

23
00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:12,880
abandoning that essential of 
discipleship, but we're going to

24
00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:17,080
move on starting next session to
how do we abide in prayer with 

25
00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:19,520
anticipation and dependency. 
So, so it's going to be a 

26
00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:21,680
powerful time. 
We're going to, you might say, I

27
00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:23,720
don't want to say about prayer. 
Well, then you should. 

28
00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:26,920
That's exactly the reason why 
you ought to be here. 

29
00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,760
We're actually going to talk 
about if your prayer life never 

30
00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,120
gets past the ceiling or you 
find yourself distracted when 

31
00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:35,600
you're trying to pray or I just 
can't seem to focus. 

32
00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,280
We're going to talk about some 
of those real practical things. 

33
00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:39,760
How do I become a prayer 
warrior? 

34
00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,280
Why do I pray? 
How do I pray? 

35
00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:46,320
What do I pray and walk through 
some of those very practical as 

36
00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:47,640
well as obviously biblical 
things. 

37
00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:52,000
So that'll start next time. 
And so look forward to diving 

38
00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:53,680
into that together. 
Plus we'll do some prayer 

39
00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,760
experiences here live and lead 
those of you who are listening 

40
00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,600
to this in some of those 
experiences as well. 

41
00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,480
So thank you for that. 
But now we want to talk about 

42
00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:05,880
how do I continue to engage the 
Bible with a humble and 

43
00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:08,800
teachable spirit? 
And especially how am I, how am 

44
00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:10,160
I going to share the text? 
Now? 

45
00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:14,000
I'm going to take you down a 
rabbit hole for a while that you

46
00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,720
may not see the connection, but 
but there is a connection, I 

47
00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:22,440
promise down the road. 
At one time I was working when I

48
00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:25,840
got to tell all these stories 
one of these days, but I try to 

49
00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:28,720
remember, I actually write down 
what stories I've shared. 

50
00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:31,400
So I try not to share the same 
story every single time. 

51
00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:36,040
But I was working on a cattle 
ranch in Oklahoma. 

52
00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:41,240
It was the the Wild Goose Ranch 
and it was a mixed breed ranch, 

53
00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:43,400
but it was a pretty good size 
operation. 

54
00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,360
And I was working there for some
friends of mine and we were out 

55
00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:52,120
one early, early morning, I mean
barely light morning and foggy 

56
00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,200
and cold. 
And they had these incredible 

57
00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,280
cattle dogs that could just 
amazing to watch them, you know,

58
00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,880
herd, herd cattle. 
But anyway, so we were, we were 

59
00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,040
on horseback and, and there's a 
time when we needed to get ahead

60
00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,080
of everybody very quickly to get
ahead of the cows. 

61
00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:09,680
I'm making this story too long, 
sorry. 

62
00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,360
So we're, we're galloping on 
horseback, right. 

63
00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:17,280
So we're about as fast as we 
could possibly get the horses to

64
00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:21,160
go through a wooded forest to 
get to another pasture. 

65
00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:23,680
So we could get ahead of where 
the dogs were driving everybody 

66
00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:25,920
and the guys in behind the dogs 
were driving everybody. 

67
00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:31,960
So I'm hanging on and you know, 
it's a cold morning and and 

68
00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:37,120
suddenly I find myself shifting 
to the right and so the entire 

69
00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:40,120
saddle is sliding around the 
horse. 

70
00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:44,440
Now, I did not put my saddle on.
The disclaimer is a friend of 

71
00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,680
mine was supposed to have 
cinched up my saddle and 

72
00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,400
obviously did not cinch up my 
saddle completely or adequately 

73
00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,000
or at all. 
And so as I'm galloping, 

74
00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:58,560
suddenly I'm on the side of the 
horse and eventually there's 

75
00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:02,120
nothing else I can do but to let
go at a full gallop and go 

76
00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:06,080
rolling along the ground. 
Now fortunately in those days, 

77
00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:09,400
this was the day of pre puffer 
jackets before the current trend

78
00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,160
of puffer jackets. 
And so I'm thankful for that. 

79
00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,760
But this puffer jacket was 
probably from, you know, some 

80
00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,959
inexpensive store. 
And as I hit the ground, the 

81
00:04:18,959 --> 00:04:20,959
puffer jacket kind of fell 
apart. 

82
00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:25,360
And so there was this poof of 
goose down feathers as I hit hit

83
00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:27,120
the ground. 
And so that I'm rolling and 

84
00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,040
rolling and feathers are going 
everywhere. 

85
00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:33,000
The ranch owner was riding along
with me. 

86
00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,800
Tom sees me fall and he, you 
know, he's stopping as fast as 

87
00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:40,080
he can trying to catch the horse
and he's assuming I'm dead. 

88
00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:42,360
And so I'll probably thinking 
about how he's going to get 

89
00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:44,840
these cattle dogs to dig a big 
enough hole to throw me in. 

90
00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:49,240
But, but, but sometimes things 
don't always go the way you 

91
00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:51,560
thought they would. 
And sometimes everything's not 

92
00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:53,920
connected real well. 
So I want to spend a couple of 

93
00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:58,000
minutes connecting a few dots 
since this is our last session 

94
00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,280
on engaging the Bible. 
But we're also going to get 

95
00:05:00,280 --> 00:05:03,080
extremely practical. 
So I want to start off by 

96
00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:06,200
repeating a quote that I shared 
in the last session from Howard 

97
00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:08,800
Hendricks. 
And I want to, I want to dive 

98
00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:10,760
down a road for a minute. 
You think, what does this got to

99
00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,000
do with me learning or sharing 
the Bible? 

100
00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,800
But it does it, it'll make 
perfect sense, I hope. 

101
00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,800
Or just tell me that it did and 
it'll make me feel better. 

102
00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,640
So the quote was the Bible was 
not given to make us more 

103
00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,840
intelligent sinners, but to 
change our lives. 

104
00:05:27,840 --> 00:05:29,640
Now we talked about that last 
session. 

105
00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:34,720
So, so the questions that this 
creates for us as we try to 

106
00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,640
conclude some of the things that
we've learned is then how does 

107
00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:40,920
God use his word to transform 
lives? 

108
00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:45,080
How does he do that and, and, 
and why and, and what happens in

109
00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:47,680
that? 
And so why are we studying this?

110
00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:51,400
Well, one of the one of the 
driving points and it and it 

111
00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:55,760
would be curious to ask you, but
among Protestant churchgoers, 

112
00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,840
and that's the phrase used 
Protestant churchgoers. 

113
00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:03,960
So in other words, this would be
non Catholic churchgoers in the 

114
00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:06,080
United States. 
Most say that they read 

115
00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:09,800
scripture on a regular basis. 
They don't define that, but only

116
00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,960
31% would say that they have a 
daily habit of reading the 

117
00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,280
Bible. 
My suspicion is is the actuality

118
00:06:17,280 --> 00:06:20,400
is lower than 31%. 
Probably because people lie on 

119
00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:22,840
surveys all the time. 
It's called the Halo effect. 

120
00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:24,440
They make themselves look like 
little angels. 

121
00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:26,000
There really is. 
That's the scientific 

122
00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:28,240
statistical term is called the 
Halo effect. 

123
00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,120
They lie about religion, they 
lie about money, they lie about 

124
00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,760
politics, they lie about sex. 
So whenever you see a, a survey 

125
00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:38,640
on TV where, you know, 30% of 
Americans said the most 

126
00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:42,400
important word was said, you 
know, that doesn't actually mean

127
00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,280
they're doing anything. 
And so the same thing happens in

128
00:06:45,280 --> 00:06:49,080
church life. 
But, but if only one third or 

129
00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:53,920
less, really less than 1/3 of 
churchgoers, these are people 

130
00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:57,360
who actually go to church. 
This isn't just the US 

131
00:06:57,360 --> 00:06:59,880
population. 
So only a third maybe read their

132
00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:03,040
Bible every day. 
So if we, if we believe that 

133
00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:08,200
here, and hopefully we're above 
that at Inglewood, but if only 

134
00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:12,080
one third of us are reading our 
Bibles every day, then there's a

135
00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:14,680
gap. 
There's a gap of discipleship 

136
00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,360
taking place. 
And so how does the Bible, how 

137
00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:19,240
are we going to best engage his 
word? 

138
00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,120
Why is this an essential to our 
discipleship? 

139
00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:24,360
How's God going to use this to 
transform us? 

140
00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,880
Well, I'm going to get very 
practical in a moment, but but 

141
00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:32,080
first let me make certain that 
we've laid or remember a proper 

142
00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,720
theological foundation. 
I'm going to use words that I've

143
00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,960
never used with you before. 
Even though we've talked some 

144
00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,760
about this subject idea, I want 
to use it as a different angle, 

145
00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:45,320
a little different theological 
angle for a minute as to what 

146
00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,840
we're trying to accomplish as we
wrap up this series of teachings

147
00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:51,680
concerning the specific 
essentials of engaging the 

148
00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:54,320
Bible. 
And so how do we do this with, 

149
00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:56,440
you know, engaging the Bible 
with a humble and teachable 

150
00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:57,760
spirit? 
Because again, next week we're 

151
00:07:57,760 --> 00:07:59,760
going to start abiding in prayer
with dependence and 

152
00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:03,560
anticipation. 
In fact, next week's session 

153
00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,280
will be about how do I become a 
prayer warrior? 

154
00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,760
So what's missing in your life? 
What are some things that would 

155
00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:11,920
help you to become a stronger 
prayer? 

156
00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:14,680
I think that's, I think that's a
word. 

157
00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:18,000
So how could you reach that 
depth in prayer? 

158
00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,920
So, but for a few minutes, I 
need to make certain I need to 

159
00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:25,520
make these connections that and 
we understand what discipleship 

160
00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:27,120
is in a sense. 
But I'm not going to use that 

161
00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:28,720
word. 
I'm going to, I want to, I want 

162
00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,280
to talk about what does personal
transformation or 

163
00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:33,760
sanctification? 
I'm going to use that word 

164
00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:37,240
tonight a little bit. 
What does sanctification really 

165
00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,760
mean to you, us? 
And how does the Bible play a 

166
00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:45,160
role in sanctification, Right? 
And so Doctor Scott Hildreth, 

167
00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,360
who's a dear friend of mine, 
we've worked together in many 

168
00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,240
different ways. 
He's a professor at Southeastern

169
00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:55,120
and an elder at the summit, 
reminds us that now listen 

170
00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:58,480
positionally now that I'm not 
going to, I'm not going to get 

171
00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:01,000
too academic on you, but there's
some words that we got to talk 

172
00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,840
about positionally. 
We are righteous in Christ. 

173
00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:08,160
Now just stop for a minute. 
So in other words, my position 

174
00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:14,360
in Christ, who I am in Jesus, my
saved position in him make you 

175
00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,640
know, gives me the righteousness
of of Christ. 

176
00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:18,440
He he gives me his 
righteousness. 

177
00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:23,160
He takes my sin I'm in I'm given
that that big account transition

178
00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:26,840
to transaction takes place. 
So I'm I'm righteous in Christ 

179
00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:31,320
and sanctification then is the 
work by which he brings our 

180
00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:34,880
experience into conformity with 
our position. 

181
00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:37,760
Don't let these words throw you.
In other words, how am I living 

182
00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:42,920
my life and how does that match 
the fact that I'm saved, 

183
00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:46,480
covered, forgiven, righteous in 
Christ? 

184
00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:50,240
Am I actually living a righteous
life that matches my righteous 

185
00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:51,560
position? 
You all with me. 

186
00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:54,520
That makes sense. 
All right, So don't let this 

187
00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:59,200
throw you, but but these two 
variations of positional and 

188
00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:03,600
experiential are are are often 
part of this conversation. 

189
00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:07,520
So sanctification demonstrates 
that God has not just saved us 

190
00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:09,840
from the penalty of sin. 
This is something we often would

191
00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:14,480
say, but he's also saved us from
the power of sin in our ongoing 

192
00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:16,880
life, which is part of the 
sanctification process. 

193
00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:20,240
We would we might also say that 
one day he'll save us from what 

194
00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:23,800
the presence of sin. 
So there's that kind of that 

195
00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,880
famous saying when we were, when
we're with him forever. 

196
00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:31,600
So engaging his word, then this 
essential that we're talking 

197
00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:36,320
about must be a primary tool by 
which he does this part. 

198
00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:39,760
Part of what part of what makes 
reading the Bible important is 

199
00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:43,600
because it, it leads to this 
experience, it leads to 

200
00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:45,760
sanctification. 
It's not the only thing, but 

201
00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:49,880
it's a major tool, a primary 
tool of sanctification, right? 

202
00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,440
So, so just hang in there with 
me while I talk about this for a

203
00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:55,440
few minutes, because when you, 
when you look in the original 

204
00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:59,960
language in the Hebrew or Greek,
frankly, they both would end up 

205
00:10:59,960 --> 00:11:03,160
the same way. 
And you translate to sanctify. 

206
00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:05,560
You translate that idea of 
sanctify. 

207
00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:11,000
It basically means to separate 
kind of like my, my strap on my 

208
00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,200
horse. 
Did you know it's it's to 

209
00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:16,560
separate or 11 morning on Sunday
morning when my, my belt did 

210
00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:18,320
that. 
But anyway, I told another story

211
00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:21,920
and I'm reminded of that often. 
Thank you very much, wherever 

212
00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,800
you are. 
I'm sure you're in here and have

213
00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:28,040
a comment. 
But anyway, so, so there's an 

214
00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:33,320
Old Testament word kadosh, which
means to be consecrated, but it 

215
00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:37,760
just means to be holy. 
But it's from a root word, cod, 

216
00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:41,080
which means to cut. 
It means to separate. 

217
00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:43,400
So the idea of being holy means 
to be cut. 

218
00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:45,920
It means to be separated, means 
to be called out. 

219
00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:49,520
You're, you're over here 
different from everything else. 

220
00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:53,800
In a sense, the New Testament 
word hagiazo, which is very 

221
00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:58,160
similar to the same way you 
would just say holy if you said 

222
00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:00,760
Holy Spirit, you might very well
say hagiaz. 

223
00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:03,000
Hagiazo sounds like the same 
word. 

224
00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:05,520
It's because it comes from the 
same word in Greek. 

225
00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,920
Greek does that to you, but it 
but it basically means to 

226
00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,440
separate or to set apart. 
Again, it's this idea of 

227
00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,640
holiness. 
So to be holy means you're set 

228
00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:17,600
aside, you're set apart. 
You're, you're, you're, you're 

229
00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:19,840
in some way encircled in a 
special way. 

230
00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,400
And sanctification is the 
process of that. 

231
00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,320
Now, that doesn't mean that we 
don't relate at all to lost 

232
00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:26,720
people. 
It doesn't mean that we don't 

233
00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:29,120
relate well to other sinners 
because we are those. 

234
00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,680
But but it does mean that in our
spiritual life and, and in our 

235
00:12:32,680 --> 00:12:35,160
growth in Christ, we, we're, we 
are different. 

236
00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:36,600
We don't just act like the 
world. 

237
00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,120
We don't just act like like a 
non believer would. 

238
00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:40,840
There should be something 
different about us. 

239
00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:42,840
There should be something unique
about us. 

240
00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:45,680
There should be something 
biblical about us, right? 

241
00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,520
So engaging the Bible is helping
us do that. 

242
00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:51,160
And I'm going to lead us to the 
point of we're also supposed to 

243
00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,560
help other people do that in 
just a moment. 

244
00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:57,920
But it's interesting because in 
the Old Testament, the idea of 

245
00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:02,320
sanctification, and we could, we
could go down an entire night or

246
00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:05,680
session on the same concept of 
the Holy Spirit in the Old 

247
00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:08,200
Testament. 
Because the way the Holy Spirit 

248
00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:11,640
works in the Old Testament most 
often is different than the way 

249
00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:14,160
he works in the New Testament in
the sense that you'll see the 

250
00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:18,520
Holy Spirit coming upon people 
for a season or a period or a 

251
00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:21,440
time frame in the Old Testament.
In the New Testament, we're 

252
00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:24,000
indwelled in a different way 
very often. 

253
00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:26,960
So in the Old Testament, 
sanctification is kind of that 

254
00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:29,160
way. 
So in sanctification, you almost

255
00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:32,160
have this idea of you're doing 
it to yourself, sanctify 

256
00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,360
yourself. 
There's a lot of that in the Old

257
00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:38,880
Testament, and it makes sense 
when you think about how the law

258
00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:40,480
worked. 
In other words, there are 

259
00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:43,640
sacrifices I have to make. 
There are things I have to 

260
00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:47,240
rituals I have to go through. 
So there there were these works 

261
00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,320
that you did in the Old 
Testament in order to be 

262
00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:52,000
forgiven. 
And but it was still a 

263
00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,760
faith-based, as Hebrews 11 would
tell us, they're still doing 

264
00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:57,360
this by faith. 
So it's the rituals themselves 

265
00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:00,160
were still not enough, but they 
were things that they did. 

266
00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:04,200
Joshua 35 says, then Joshua said
to the people, consecrate 

267
00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:07,440
yourselves for tomorrow. 
The Lord will do wonders among 

268
00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:08,320
you. 
I love that verse. 

269
00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:13,280
But so this idea of there's 
certain things I need to do in 

270
00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,080
order to be ready for God to use
me. 

271
00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:20,600
The New Testament kind of flips 
this and it and it emphasizes 

272
00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:23,280
more the fact that 
sanctification is a work that 

273
00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:27,000
God does to us. 
So instead of something I can do

274
00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,760
to myself and prepare myself, 
now we're really on a different 

275
00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,560
level. 
Now God is doing this to me, 

276
00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:34,320
which is part of the role of the
Holy Spirit. 

277
00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:38,520
First Thessalonians 523 Now may 
the God of peace himself 

278
00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:43,400
sanctify you completely, and may
your whole spirit and soul and 

279
00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:47,240
body be kept blameless at the 
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

280
00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:52,880
And so sanctification for us 
today is where God is, is 

281
00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:56,720
staking His claim over us. 
He's redeeming us. 

282
00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,320
He's buying us back. 
We've been purchased with a 

283
00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:01,840
price and He has a claim over 
us. 

284
00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:06,240
And then it's the it's the 
ongoing subsequent process of 

285
00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,240
purification as His new 
possession. 

286
00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,960
God owns me. 
I belong to God. 

287
00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:15,800
I am not my own anymore. 
It is no longer I who live, but 

288
00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,840
who Christ who lives in me, 
right. 

289
00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,600
So we're not us anymore. 
We're different. 

290
00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:24,240
We're born again, we're a new 
creation. 

291
00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:27,840
The old things have passed away 
and all things have become new. 

292
00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:32,000
So, so there's different. 
So sanctification is this is, is

293
00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:35,240
both this, this claim, but it's 
also this process. 

294
00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:39,240
So you have again, the 
positional, that's the claim. 

295
00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:42,600
That's the, that's where God 
first claims us in salvation. 

296
00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:45,680
He first sets us apart for 
himself from sin. 

297
00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:48,480
I'm saved. 
I'm now claimed by God. 

298
00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:52,040
I'm purchased by God, Right? 
And then you have the 

299
00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:57,080
experiential side of this where 
God is in cleansing me in a 

300
00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:00,840
progressive work by the Holy 
Spirit that never, ever, ever, 

301
00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:02,600
ever, ever, ever, ever, ever 
ends. 

302
00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:07,440
Maybe depends on your view, 
which is what I want to talk 

303
00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:13,760
about. 
So what we see then is several 

304
00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:16,640
questions arise. 
Now, one of the ways the the 

305
00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:20,560
Holy Spirit is going to do this 
two primary ways, his the God, 

306
00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,040
God's word. 
I mean, it's a primary way he's 

307
00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:25,840
going to purify us and continue 
to purify us. 

308
00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:28,080
I mean, how do I know how to 
live for Christ? 

309
00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:31,080
I got to study the Bible. 
He's also going to do it through

310
00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:33,080
prayer. 
So these two studies are really 

311
00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:36,640
important for your discipleship.
And so we recognize this, but 

312
00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:40,640
big questions come up and these 
questions separate Christians. 

313
00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:44,600
These questions create 
denominations, the answers to 

314
00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:48,640
these questions. 
So for example, think about 

315
00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:50,440
this. 
And we got to kind of go back to

316
00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:53,800
theological triage, if you've 
been with me for the whole year,

317
00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:57,800
to think about things, the 
primary doctrines and secondary 

318
00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:01,200
doctrines and tertiaries. 
But questions like how quickly 

319
00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:05,560
is a Christian sanctified and 
how thoroughly is he made holy? 

320
00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:10,280
Is it a sudden experience or a 
gradual process? 

321
00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:14,680
Is it possible for a Christian 
to completely cease sinning? 

322
00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:19,640
And if not, why not? 
And so these things become real 

323
00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:23,359
issues and they actually lead to
theological conclusions which 

324
00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:26,359
have led to different 
denominations, frankly, over the

325
00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:29,480
years. 
And, and these things, questions

326
00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:33,560
become particularly important 
for those who believe that the 

327
00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:36,080
sanctification is part of the 
justification. 

328
00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:37,320
Now, I don't know what I just 
said. 

329
00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:39,120
Maybe you do. 
I'm getting ready to preach out 

330
00:17:39,120 --> 00:17:40,480
of Romans. 
We better get used to these 

331
00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:44,280
words on Sunday morning. 
So in other words, if you 

332
00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:47,400
believe that that your 
sanctification, the word, in 

333
00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:49,560
other words, this is a works 
righteousness description. 

334
00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:52,400
You believe that your 
sanctification is also a part of

335
00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:55,480
your salvation. 
You have to be this in order to 

336
00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:58,800
get that. 
So there's a, there's a perfect,

337
00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:02,440
there's a perfectionism involved
in that, a sinlessness involved 

338
00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:03,960
in that. 
There could also be works 

339
00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:06,920
righteousness involved in the 
answers to these questions. 

340
00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:10,120
So spiritual perfectionism, 
works righteousness, certainly 

341
00:18:10,120 --> 00:18:13,800
all kinds of assurance issues 
can be impacted by this. 

342
00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:16,560
Now tonight is about engaging 
the Bible. 

343
00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:20,120
I promise we're going to get 
very practical in a minute, but 

344
00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:23,960
I want to share a couple of 
views with you because it really

345
00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,560
does impact why and how we would
share the Bible. 

346
00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,680
So there's a view called the 
perfectionist view. 

347
00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:33,520
Matthew 548 says you therefore 
must be perfect as your heavenly

348
00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:37,640
Father is perfect. 
Well, if I read that in English 

349
00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:41,200
and that's all I understand, 
then it would say to me, I can 

350
00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:44,560
never sin. 
I have to be perfect. 

351
00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:50,760
I, I must be sinless. 
This is perfectionism spiritual.

352
00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,560
So I can never sin again. 
Once I've been saved, I can 

353
00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:55,320
never sin again. 
And if I do sin again, I'm 

354
00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:57,920
probably not saved. 
But think about what the 

355
00:18:57,920 --> 00:18:59,480
slippery slope I've just 
created. 

356
00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:01,840
If I do sin, does that mean I 
just lost my salvation? 

357
00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:03,880
So how many sins do I have to 
sin in order to lose my 

358
00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:05,480
salvation? 
When did I lose my salvation? 

359
00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,520
There was a 2 sins, three sins, 
4 sins, a habit of sin, or just 

360
00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:14,040
the one sin? 
Oh, so let's talk about this for

361
00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:17,280
a minute. 
This view believes that a 

362
00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:21,320
Christian can actually attain 
spiritual perfection in this 

363
00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:23,880
lifetime. 
We can become spiritually 

364
00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,840
perfect. 
And it also believes that a 

365
00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:28,720
Christian experiences 
sanctification. 

366
00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:31,120
Normally they believe this 
instantaneously. 

367
00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:34,640
Normally this is called the 
baptism of the Holy Spirit and 

368
00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:36,720
you're instantaneously 
sanctified. 

369
00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:41,600
And normally you know that's 
happened because in that same 

370
00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:43,640
context, you would be speaking 
in tongues. 

371
00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:47,760
And so there are people that 
this is the view. 

372
00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:50,760
And if this, and if you're not 
this, then something's wrong and

373
00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:52,640
you kind of got to start the 
cycle all over again. 

374
00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:54,640
And if something's wrong, then 
you got to start the cycle 

375
00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:56,920
again, and you got in the sun, 
you got to start the cycle 

376
00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:00,560
again. 
And so there's a response that 

377
00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:03,920
we need to share because I don't
believe in perfectionism. 

378
00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:06,360
I don't believe it's what the 
Bible teach you. 

379
00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:11,240
I know it's not. 
So the word translated perfect 

380
00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:17,160
back in Matthew Teleos can and 
often does mean mature or 

381
00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:21,000
complete. 
But it never carries the idea of

382
00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:22,600
sinless perfection. 
Never. 

383
00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:28,000
That's not what that word means.
So reading Matthew 5, believing 

384
00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,680
you have to be sinless is not a 
good interpretation of the 

385
00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:33,840
verse. 
You need to be mature, you need 

386
00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:36,520
to be complete, but it doesn't 
mean sinless. 

387
00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:38,520
It never has never. 
That word, that word can't be 

388
00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:40,880
that. 
It's because Greek so specific. 

389
00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:43,280
You can't make Greek words mean 
what they don't mean. 

390
00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:46,200
And so you can't do that. 
It didn't work that way. 

391
00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:50,720
So and then none of the passages
normally cited by the 

392
00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:54,840
perfectionist view proponents 
actually support sinless 

393
00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:57,880
perfection. 
But that's that's often not 

394
00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:01,320
their main drive. 
The main drive for them is often

395
00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,840
not scriptural, it's often 
experiential. 

396
00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,360
And so you've got what's called 
experiential theology. 

397
00:21:07,360 --> 00:21:09,080
It's not necessarily what God's 
Word says. 

398
00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:12,000
It's what I experienced and what
I feel, what I think. 

399
00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:15,880
And so none of these passages 
actually teach sinless 

400
00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:20,320
perfection or that, and none of 
them teach that the sin nature 

401
00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:23,840
is eliminated, that none of the 
passages that are often quoted 

402
00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:26,200
ever do that. 
And if this was a theological 

403
00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:28,280
lesson, we'd look at all those. 
But that's not, I got to get to 

404
00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,800
the other part of this. 
So the Bible recognizes also 

405
00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,120
that the struggle with sin is an
ongoing reality for Christians. 

406
00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,960
And the Bible promises that we 
can be forgiven, that we can we 

407
00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:42,120
can have victory over sin, that 
when we sin, we can confess our 

408
00:21:42,120 --> 00:21:43,640
sin, that we can be forgiven of 
our sin. 

409
00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:44,960
And so the Bible is really 
clear. 

410
00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:47,440
And these are passages written 
to Christians. 

411
00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:49,320
They're not written to lost 
people. 

412
00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:53,520
And so, for example, 1st 
Corinthians 10 says no 

413
00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:56,560
temptation is overtaking you. 
That is not common to man. 

414
00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:59,440
God is faithful and he will not 
let you be tempted beyond your 

415
00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:01,640
ability, but with the 
temptation, he will also provide

416
00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:03,840
the way of escape that you may 
be able to endure it. 

417
00:22:04,120 --> 00:22:05,440
So we're going to be tempted to 
sin. 

418
00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:07,800
That doesn't go away. 
The sin nature never disappears.

419
00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:11,480
But the most, the most common 
passage we would probably refer 

420
00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:15,040
to as first John one. 
If we say we have no sin, we 

421
00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:17,440
deceive ourselves and the truth 
is not in US. 

422
00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:20,920
This is written to Christians. 
This is not written to non 

423
00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:23,080
Christians. 
And it's important to understand

424
00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:24,880
the context. 
Thus you should know how to 

425
00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:28,160
engage your Bible and know how 
to observe and know how to 

426
00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:31,760
interpret and know how to apply.
So don't take verses out of 

427
00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:33,800
context. 
This passage in first John is 

428
00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:37,720
written to believers. 
And so if we say we have no sin,

429
00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:39,720
we deceive ourselves and the 
truth is not in us. 

430
00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:42,680
If we confess our sins, He's 
faithful and just to forgive us 

431
00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:44,800
our sins and to cleanse us from 
all unrighteousness. 

432
00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:47,920
If we say we have not sinned, we
make him a liar and the word is 

433
00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:51,280
not in us. 
So a healthier view is what we 

434
00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:54,400
would call the progressive view.
And there's a reason I'm sharing

435
00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:55,640
all this. 
It'll make sense in a minute 

436
00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:59,720
because this this will actually 
help us see why the seven of 

437
00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:02,800
essentials of discipleship are 
so important. 

438
00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:06,640
It'll help us to understand why 
engaging the Bible with this 

439
00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:10,680
humble and teachable spirit 
becomes so vital and even being 

440
00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:13,560
able to share it with others 
becomes so significant. 

441
00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:18,880
And I I promise I'm going to get
you there because the Bible 

442
00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:23,080
presents sanctification as both 
a positional reality. 

443
00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:26,200
This is my position in Christ. 
I've been sanctified in Christ, 

444
00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:31,920
but it's also a a that's that 
initial saving setting apart, 

445
00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:33,440
but it's also going to be 
experiential. 

446
00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,040
So first Corinthians 6, for 
example, says and such were some

447
00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:40,200
of you were notice that were 
some of you, but you were 

448
00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:43,280
washed, you were sanctified, you
were justified in the name of 

449
00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:45,360
the Lord Jesus Christ and by the
Spirit of God. 

450
00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:49,080
So that's our position. 
Our position in Christ now 

451
00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:52,760
enables us because I have been 
saved, because I have been made 

452
00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:55,760
righteous, because I have been 
purchased, because I have been 

453
00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:59,960
bought, because I have been born
again, I am now able to engage 

454
00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:02,600
in what we would call 
experiential sanctification, 

455
00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:06,080
which is the the rest of my life
and my growth, my discipleship, 

456
00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:10,800
my progress and maturity. 
And so positionally, we're 

457
00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,320
sanctified because we're holy in
Christ. 

458
00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:17,480
So experientially, we're to live
out this new reality as the Holy

459
00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:19,560
Spirit dwells within us. 
That's the only way you can do 

460
00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:20,400
it. 
You couldn't do this by 

461
00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:24,760
yourself, you'd fail. 
So the indwelling of the Holy 

462
00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:27,320
Spirit is absolutely vital and 
crucial. 

463
00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:32,600
But his word then defines who we
are as we engage the Bible. 

464
00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:35,520
This word also defines who we 
should become. 

465
00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:38,520
It's going to help us understand
the gap between those two 

466
00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:41,720
things. 
You know, who I really AM and 

467
00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:44,240
who I should be. 
This this is where I get the 

468
00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:46,600
definitions. 
And then it's also going to 

469
00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,160
provide me with the destination 
that I'm trying to get to in the

470
00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:51,840
direction to get there. 
And so it's it's absolutely 

471
00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:55,200
crucial for us to be in this 
word. 

472
00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:59,720
So I hope you're not 31%. 
You need to be in this thing 

473
00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,560
every day to understand your 
day. 

474
00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:09,200
So to positionally we rose with 
Christ, therefore put expert 

475
00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,160
experientially we get to live 
out that righteousness. 

476
00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,160
So think of Romans 6. 
He says we were buried. 

477
00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:17,960
This is what we would often that
if we quoted verses during 

478
00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:20,360
baptism, This is what you would 
quote during a baptism. 

479
00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:24,360
It says therefore we were buried
with him by baptism into death 

480
00:25:24,360 --> 00:25:26,720
in order that just as Christ was
raised from the dead by the 

481
00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:30,320
glory of the Father, we too 
might walk in newness of life. 

482
00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:33,600
So often we'll talk about we're 
baptized in the name of the Holy

483
00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:35,080
Spirit. 
You know, we're baptized in 

484
00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:40,080
Christ or are buried with 
Christ, saved by Christ, risen 

485
00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:45,960
to new life to walk with him. 
So we died, Therefore we we died

486
00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:47,200
in Christ. 
In other words, I don't live 

487
00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:48,360
anymore. 
It's not me anymore. 

488
00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:51,200
The old me is dead. 
The old me is gone. 

489
00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:55,600
And crucial part of my testimony
better be that thing needed to 

490
00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:59,040
die again. 
I've said a million times, I 

491
00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:02,880
think one of the keys to Paul 
was he remembered Saul, but Saul

492
00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:06,320
was dead and so we've died with 
Christ. 

493
00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:08,560
Therefore experientially we are 
to die to sin. 

494
00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:10,280
Now that's our goal. 
We're trying to get there. 

495
00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:12,800
We want perfection. 
Don't, don't, don't, don't get 

496
00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:15,040
me wrong. 
We want to be perfect. 

497
00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:18,960
Jerry Bridges who wrote the 
pursuit of of holiness book, 

498
00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:20,120
it's a great book on 
discipleship. 

499
00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:22,920
He he would use the illustration
when a soldier goes out to 

500
00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,080
battle, his goal is not to get 
shot once or twice. 

501
00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,160
You know, I only sinned once or 
twice today, only got shot once 

502
00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:29,760
or twice today. 
His goal is not to get shot at 

503
00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:32,120
all. 
And that'll be our goal with 

504
00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:35,200
sin. 
I entered the day praying I 

505
00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:37,920
don't sin at all. 
I don't say something, do 

506
00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,560
something or think something. 
That's the catcher. 

507
00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:43,640
Sometimes that goes against 
God's word. 

508
00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:48,560
So Colossians 3 then says, for 
you have died and your life is 

509
00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:50,680
hidden with Christ and God on in
verse 5. 

510
00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:53,440
But to death, therefore what is 
earthly? 

511
00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:57,440
And he gives a list, right? 
So in other words, because I've 

512
00:26:57,440 --> 00:26:59,080
died in Christ, I'm dead in 
Christ. 

513
00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:01,600
That's my position. 
I'm in a I'm a new life in 

514
00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:03,560
Christ. 
And, and, and it's interesting 

515
00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:07,480
because we're born again and we 
also died and that that's the 

516
00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:13,080
juxtaposition of salvation. 
I die, but I'm also born again. 

517
00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:15,400
And that's that image. 
I've died with Christ. 

518
00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:19,720
Now there's a new me and this 
new me gets to experientially 

519
00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:27,000
progressively, step by step, get
better, get closer, get more 

520
00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:31,200
like him is the idea. 
And, and the Bible's got to be 

521
00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,960
the key for this. 
So we strive for progressing 

522
00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:39,800
maturity because we're also 
striving for that ideal 

523
00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:41,880
perfection that Jesus models for
us. 

524
00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:45,240
I mean, that's, that's the goal.
That's that's what we're after. 

525
00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:49,040
And so these verses like 
Philippians 2 become really 

526
00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:51,960
important. 
Not that I've already obtained 

527
00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:56,560
this or I'm already perfect. 
Paul kind of just says it, 

528
00:27:56,560 --> 00:28:00,360
doesn't he? 
I'm not perfect yet, but I press

529
00:28:00,360 --> 00:28:06,480
on to make it my own because 
Christ Jesus has made me his own

530
00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:09,440
brothers. 
I do not consider that I have 

531
00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:12,680
made it my own. 
But one thing I do forgetting 

532
00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:16,800
what lies behind and straining 
forward to what lies ahead, I 

533
00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:19,760
press on to the goal for the 
prize of the upward call of God 

534
00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:22,560
in Christ Jesus. 
And that those of us who are 

535
00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:26,920
mature think this way and if 
anything, you think if anything,

536
00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:30,440
you think otherwise God will 
reveal that to you also on only 

537
00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:34,160
let us hold true to what we have
obtained attained. 

538
00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:36,240
So Paul says, listen, I'm not 
there yet. 

539
00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:40,640
I'm trying to get there. 
I can see it. 

540
00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:43,840
I can taste it. 
I see it out there. 

541
00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:46,840
I see the model. 
I see I see what we're after and

542
00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,600
you got it. 
Now think about how how 

543
00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:52,120
different this was. 
He didn't have a whole Bible. 

544
00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:55,120
His Bible primarily was the Old 
Testament. 

545
00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:59,960
You know, he, he had heard, he 
knew stories, he, he knew of 

546
00:28:59,960 --> 00:29:02,760
Christ and of course the Holy 
Spirit walking with Paul in a 

547
00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,800
special way as this last 
apostle, so to speak. 

548
00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:08,440
But what we see is, is, you 
know, he, he didn't have all the

549
00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:09,840
Gospels. 
He didn't have all the other 

550
00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:12,600
letters he wrote, you know, he, 
he write yet hadn't written them

551
00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:14,840
yet, you know, so he's working 
through it. 

552
00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:18,240
And so it's fascinating. 
I, I don't, I don't have it all 

553
00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:24,080
yet, but I know this. 
I'm in a, I'm on a journey and, 

554
00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:27,200
and if you'll notice these 
verbs, I'm forgetting what lies 

555
00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,240
behind and I'm straining 
forward. 

556
00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:33,200
This isn't some passive, 
complacent, apathetic journey, 

557
00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:35,240
is it? 
This is a pursuit. 

558
00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:39,440
See, and that's the way 
discipleship works. 

559
00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:42,040
Discipleship doesn't just happen
to you. 

560
00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,200
Discipleship is a discipline. 
Think about the word. 

561
00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:51,080
It's a it's, it's an effort. 
It's, it's that's when the when 

562
00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:53,440
the Bible talks about us working
out our own salvation, this is 

563
00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:55,480
what he's talking about. 
He's not talking about her being

564
00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:58,200
saved, being being born again. 
He's talking about how we're 

565
00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:01,720
then working out what it means. 
How do I become what I'm 

566
00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:04,040
supposed to become? 
How do I become the follower 

567
00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:06,600
that I'm supposed to become? 
And if it's just some passive 

568
00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:10,360
complacent, yeah, I'm, I'm doing
my religious ritual check off 

569
00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:12,640
list. 
That's, that's not the same 

570
00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:16,120
thing. 
If I'm just scanning the Bible, 

571
00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:19,560
but not allowing the Bible to 
really engage with me to 

572
00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:21,400
transform, it's not the same 
thing. 

573
00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:26,760
Light reading the Bible is not 
the same as engaging the Bible 

574
00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:28,120
with a humble and teachable 
spirit. 

575
00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:32,360
You're expecting it with 
humility and teachability. 

576
00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:35,680
I want to learn something today.
I want to feed on this. 

577
00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:38,200
I want to soak on this. 
In a couple of weeks. 

578
00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:42,200
We get to Nehemiah chapter 8 on 
Sunday mornings and it's 

579
00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:45,040
powerful. 
It's the passage we've been 

580
00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:49,720
waiting on to get to. 
So we see this so, so Christ 

581
00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:52,480
protects us along the way as 
well. 

582
00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:55,040
He's helping us grow. 
He's also protecting us from the

583
00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:58,600
condemnation that sin brings. 
He's also trying to purify us 

584
00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:00,880
from this power and pollution of
sin. 

585
00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:04,440
Philippians 16 says, and I'm 
sure of this, that he who began 

586
00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:07,960
a good work in you will begin. 
We'll bring it to completion at 

587
00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:09,480
the day of. 
In other words, this isn't over 

588
00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:11,360
yet. 
You're not done yet. 

589
00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:15,160
Now, that's important because I 
don't care how lousy you are 

590
00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:16,920
right now. 
I don't. 

591
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:19,080
I mean, I do. 
I don't want you to be lousy. 

592
00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,960
If I like lousy food, lousy 
service. 

593
00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:27,840
So I get an eye shot. 
My eye. 

594
00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:30,840
I want to be very careful. 
I'm not going to name names, but

595
00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:33,640
so Teresa, I have to get eye 
injections every now and then. 

596
00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:36,520
And because of the Friday night 
snow service, I had to postpone.

597
00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:38,440
Normally I get them on Friday, 
so you all don't even know about

598
00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:40,480
it. 
And so I get them on a regular 

599
00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:43,840
basis. 
So I had to go Monday and I get 

600
00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:47,880
there and there's not a seat in 
the house and my appointments at

601
00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:49,920
3:40. 
This is in Wake Forest. 

602
00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:53,280
And so I sit down in a cup. 
Finally there's one seat opens 

603
00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:54,760
up, somebody goes back nice open
up. 

604
00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:56,760
I sit down and the couple says 
you better get comfortable. 

605
00:31:56,760 --> 00:32:00,000
We've been here over an hour. 
Well, me too. 

606
00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:02,560
I've been there. 
So after an hour or so, Teresa's

607
00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:03,680
out. 
Go shopping. 

608
00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:06,360
Teresa, you know, she had to go 
get some stuff. 

609
00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:08,400
So. 
But about an hour later, they 

610
00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:10,040
finally called me back to phase 
one. 

611
00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:11,760
There's three phases to this 
experience. 

612
00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:14,840
So Phase 1. 
So they put the painkiller in my

613
00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:16,600
eye that's only supposed to be 
in there. 

614
00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:18,480
It's a lidocaine patch. 
It's only supposed to be in 

615
00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:19,680
there for a certain number of 
minutes. 

616
00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:21,560
Send me back up the waiting 
room. 

617
00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:25,600
Forget him out there. 
But then finally a guy kind of 

618
00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:27,960
comes out and looks at me, goes,
oh, we need to get that out. 

619
00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:30,080
I'm like, yeah. 
I mean, it's like, I mean, you 

620
00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:31,720
don't understand. 
I'm, I don't want to be. 

621
00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:34,640
But I mean, my eyes on fire, 
it's just burning. 

622
00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:38,200
And so. 
And if you look at me tonight, 

623
00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:41,520
my eyes still red and swollen 
and it normally didn't last that

624
00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:42,760
long. 
But anyway, fortunately it's 

625
00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:45,480
just one eye. 
But but anyway, so fine. 

626
00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:48,080
He calls me back and all he does
is take the thing out, put some 

627
00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:50,360
more deadening drops in there, 
sends you back up the waiting 

628
00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:52,360
room. 
Now wait a minute. 

629
00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:55,200
I'm getting ready to an 
injection in my eyeball. 

630
00:32:56,320 --> 00:32:58,800
So there's only a certain number
of minutes I'm supposed to wait 

631
00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:02,320
from when the deadening stuff 
gets taken out to when I get the

632
00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:05,440
shot. 
I'm out in the waiting room. 

633
00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:08,520
Teresa comes back, hour and a 
half, whatever we were out 

634
00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:10,160
there. 
But you know, it's at 5:00 at 

635
00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:13,440
5:00 by now or whatever it is. 
Finally, they call me back. 

636
00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:17,880
Well, at that point, I'm like, 
my eyes just frying like a piece

637
00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:19,240
of bacon. 
I'm telling you, it hurts. 

638
00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:22,080
And it's not normal for this 
experience. 

639
00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:24,360
And so my eyes hurting, Oh, 
we'll give you another deadening

640
00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:26,320
drop. 
So they put another deadening 

641
00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:28,320
drop in. 
Then he gives me the shot. 

642
00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:30,320
Well, friends, I'm just going to
share with you. 

643
00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:34,080
It's unnerving enough to have a 
needle coming at your eyeball 

644
00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:37,240
and normally you feel pressure. 
I'm not going to go any further,

645
00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,640
sorry. 
But I felt more than pressure. 

646
00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:43,120
I felt like reaching up and 
grabbing a hold of someone and 

647
00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:45,760
explaining to them in the 
complaint department that I 

648
00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:47,640
didn't appreciate the way I had 
to wait. 

649
00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:54,000
But it was a, you know, he began
this good and finally brought 

650
00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:56,000
it. 
It finally got to completion. 

651
00:33:56,200 --> 00:34:00,240
I went home, went to bed early 
Monday night, screamed like a 

652
00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:01,960
little girl in the middle of the
night because I felt like I had 

653
00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:06,800
shards of glass in my eye and, 
and here I am. 

654
00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:09,960
So those of you on this side, I 
have no idea who you are. 

655
00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:12,080
No, it's fine. 
It's fine. 

656
00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:13,719
Everything's fine. 
It's just red. 

657
00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:16,760
But but the point being that it 
was a whole process and it 

658
00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:21,199
didn't go well. 
Well, that could be us and 

659
00:34:21,199 --> 00:34:23,920
sanctification. 
We can mess it up. 

660
00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:27,560
You can be saved and still mess 
up the process. 

661
00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:30,360
You can still mess up the 
progress. 

662
00:34:31,159 --> 00:34:35,400
And so we might know of people 
don't point at anybody. 

663
00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:38,719
We might know of people who've 
been saved, who've been 

664
00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:42,760
Christians for a long time, 
church members for a long time, 

665
00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:45,520
but but they've never got past 
milk. 

666
00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:51,679
They're not past a fairly low 
maturity level of service or 

667
00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:55,440
discipleship. 
So we can stunt this process. 

668
00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:58,360
But I'm sure of this, that he 
began a good work, we'll bring 

669
00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:01,800
it to completion. 
So this progression, this 

670
00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:05,760
progression, this progressive 
work of salvation, he continues 

671
00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:08,200
in this process is that 
experiential component of 

672
00:35:08,200 --> 00:35:11,280
sanctification. 
So, so we also see that this is 

673
00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:13,640
evidenced by a by a hunger for 
righteousness. 

674
00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:16,200
There's no complacency, there's 
no apathy in any of that. 

675
00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:19,720
The Bible shares that we that 
shares the truth then that we 

676
00:35:19,720 --> 00:35:22,840
need to help us satisfy that 
hunger. 

677
00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:26,080
We'll talk more about that 
Nehemiah in a few weeks. 

678
00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:29,920
So second, Peter 318 says, but 
grow in the grace and knowledge 

679
00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:31,560
of our Lord and Savior Jesus 
Christ. 

680
00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:35,160
To Him be the glory both now and
to the day of eternity. 

681
00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:37,160
Amen. 
We need to grow in the grace and

682
00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:40,440
knowledge and it's a never 
ending thing. 

683
00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:43,800
Grow and continue to grow would 
be original language. 

684
00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:46,720
Grow and continue to grow. 
Continue to grow, continue to 

685
00:35:46,720 --> 00:35:48,440
grow. 
Never stop growing, always grow.

686
00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:51,840
And that's the kind of emphasis 
you would see there. 

687
00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:55,840
So Doctor Hildreth uses this 
illustration because think of a 

688
00:35:55,840 --> 00:36:00,280
ball bouncing down a stairwell 
and says though it goes up and 

689
00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:03,400
down, it's general direction is 
down. 

690
00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:06,800
And he goes to Christian life is
the similar but just the 

691
00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:10,040
opposite direction. 
It our progress may be up and 

692
00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:14,240
down, but the general progress 
needs to be up. 

693
00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:19,440
So we're going up the steps. 
So and that's, that's then let 

694
00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:22,200
me tie this back into what we 
were originally going to talk 

695
00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:28,120
about tonight. 
So, so that's why and that's the

696
00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:30,080
purpose of spiritual 
disciplines. 

697
00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:34,120
That's why we're talking so much
about these 7 essentials because

698
00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:37,280
they're going to help us keep, 
keep moving up even when we 

699
00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:40,080
bounce a little and we'll bounce
a little. 

700
00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:42,080
Everybody here ever bounce, I 
bounce a little. 

701
00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:45,880
I bounced a little Monday at 
about 5:15. 

702
00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:55,800
And so it's important for us to 
be engaged in these disciplines.

703
00:36:55,800 --> 00:36:58,160
And the Bible not only holds the
lessons. 

704
00:36:58,160 --> 00:36:59,560
Now this is where we get home 
here. 

705
00:37:00,640 --> 00:37:03,200
See, the Bible not only holds 
the lessons that we need. 

706
00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:05,120
And that's what we've been 
talking about over the sessions.

707
00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:07,760
How do I get to the lessons that
I need? 

708
00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:10,120
That's what we've been talking 
about over the last several 

709
00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:12,880
sessions. 
How did God preserve His Word 

710
00:37:12,880 --> 00:37:15,240
for me? 
Now, how do I get out of it what

711
00:37:15,240 --> 00:37:17,960
I need? 
But we also got to recognize 

712
00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:21,400
that's not the end of this 
because not only does the Bible 

713
00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:24,640
hold the lessons that I must 
learn to be able to bounce up 

714
00:37:24,640 --> 00:37:28,360
successfully, so to speak, but 
it also contains the lessons 

715
00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:30,960
that others need for me to share
with them. 

716
00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:35,360
Now, some of you are going to do
that in a more formal way. 

717
00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:36,760
So let's talk about this for a 
minute. 

718
00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:39,360
Others are going to do this in a
very relational, one-on-one kind

719
00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:40,960
of way. 
Let's talk about this. 

720
00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:44,120
So, So the first thing we want 
to remind ourselves is as we 

721
00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:48,560
talk about how I can share what 
I've learned from the text with 

722
00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:54,240
others, first we review these 
previously discussed steps 

723
00:37:54,240 --> 00:37:56,680
because you never leave these 
behind. 

724
00:37:57,040 --> 00:37:59,480
All of these matter. 
You can't just start here. 

725
00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:00,960
Don't just start here at the 
end. 

726
00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:03,760
You got to start at the 
beginning and walk through these

727
00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:06,680
steps so you have preparation. 
How did God prepare the Bible 

728
00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:09,000
for us? 
We talked about that and then 

729
00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:13,120
also how do I prepare myself 
spiritually to receive his 

730
00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:17,840
personal revelation for me that 
day from his text? 

731
00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:21,280
Now that revelation will agree 
with all the other biblical 

732
00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:26,440
texts and then observation. 
So what does the text actually 

733
00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:28,000
say? 
And we walk through questions to

734
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:31,640
ask and the way ways to think 
about the passage in the context

735
00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:35,720
interpretation. 
What does the text mean, right. 

736
00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:39,480
So not only what does it just 
say, but also what does it 

737
00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:41,720
really mean? 
And then we talked about 

738
00:38:41,720 --> 00:38:45,040
application last time. 
What, what does the text mean to

739
00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:46,880
me? 
How do I, how does, how do I 

740
00:38:46,880 --> 00:38:50,320
preserve? 
How, how do I not only preserve 

741
00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:52,320
it, but how does, how does this 
apply in my life? 

742
00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:55,480
How does it change me? 
So then, then I need to talk 

743
00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:56,920
about. 
So OK, so now I've got all these

744
00:38:56,920 --> 00:38:59,120
great lessons. 
So I want to talk to you a 

745
00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:01,560
minute about some very practical
logistical things in your 

746
00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:05,000
personal quiet time. 
So, So what I hope you don't do 

747
00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:11,680
is learn a lesson and forget it.
That can happen. 

748
00:39:12,320 --> 00:39:17,080
You know, over the centuries 
I've been asked how do I 

749
00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:18,640
remember about everything I'm 
working on? 

750
00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:23,040
I mean, there have been times 
that I might have a lot of 

751
00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:25,320
people who report to me in a lot
of different that moving parts 

752
00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:26,800
going on. 
Some of you, you know, some of 

753
00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:27,880
you are living that life right 
now. 

754
00:39:29,240 --> 00:39:31,840
And I have a secret. 
It's it's a magic secret. 

755
00:39:31,840 --> 00:39:33,800
It is, it's I learned it from 
Einstein. 

756
00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:37,400
So it's got to be good. 
I remember 2 things. 

757
00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:39,800
I remember to write it down and 
I remember to look where I wrote

758
00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:41,080
it down. 
That's all I ever remember. 

759
00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:45,960
So, you know, you tell me 
something out here, bless you. 

760
00:39:47,720 --> 00:39:50,000
Write it down, send me an 
e-mail, let me write it down, 

761
00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:52,040
make sure I'm writing it down. 
If I write it down, we're good 

762
00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:55,120
because I move everything I 
write down to the same spot. 

763
00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:57,560
I have one spot where 
everything's written down. 

764
00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:00,560
Been doing this for years. 
And then I read that spot every 

765
00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:03,080
single day. 
That's I'm not, that's not 

766
00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:06,840
prescriptive, That's just. 
The only way I can function, you

767
00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:10,760
figure out your system, but how 
am I preserving what I learned? 

768
00:40:10,840 --> 00:40:13,720
Don't forget what you learned. 
You need to be able to preserve 

769
00:40:13,720 --> 00:40:15,520
it. 
And then how am I going to share

770
00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:18,480
that with somebody else? 
So we need to talk about 

771
00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:20,960
organization just for a moment, 
because here's the key question.

772
00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:24,000
How will I organize my knowledge
now? 

773
00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:26,200
Now don't zoom, zoom out on the 
practical stuff. 

774
00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:29,800
This is important because how 
are what are you doing every day

775
00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:33,480
when you read, when you engage 
the Bible, I'm assuming you're 

776
00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:37,000
doing this every day because you
are all what would that be 69 

777
00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:39,920
percenters? 
No, you're, you're 31 

778
00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:42,000
percenters, you're 100 
percenters. 

779
00:40:42,720 --> 00:40:44,480
You're all doing it, whatever 
that meant. 

780
00:40:44,480 --> 00:40:46,520
I have no idea what math I was 
just quoting. 

781
00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:53,800
So how do you do this on a 
personal level first? 

782
00:40:54,360 --> 00:40:57,920
Well, here's what I do again, 
this, this is this is purely 

783
00:40:57,920 --> 00:41:01,240
descriptive. 
Started this years ago, stopped 

784
00:41:01,240 --> 00:41:03,600
for a while, shouldn't have 
stopped, started back now. 

785
00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:05,880
It's better for me. 
I journal. 

786
00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:10,680
It's what I do. 
So I have journaling Bibles that

787
00:41:10,680 --> 00:41:12,680
have the big margins on the side
with lines. 

788
00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:17,160
I do that, but also Teresa in 
Her Grace for me that there's a 

789
00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:19,680
big set that you can buy and 
they're not cheap, but there's a

790
00:41:19,680 --> 00:41:22,200
big set you can buy where every 
single book's a separate book 

791
00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:25,280
and then one pages Bible, one 
page is just lines. 

792
00:41:26,120 --> 00:41:27,920
And so at home, that's what I'm 
using. 

793
00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:31,000
I have these little books that 
you know, like here's here's the

794
00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:33,800
entire book of numbers. 
And that's what I do. 

795
00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:37,160
And so every morning I'm 
writing, I'm writing now there's

796
00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:38,480
nothing, and I've shared this 
with you before. 

797
00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:41,600
There's absolutely nothing 
astounding special, nothing to 

798
00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:43,560
preserve for anybody else but 
me. 

799
00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:48,160
But it helps me remember. 
And then one of the things that 

800
00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:51,280
we do up here is every morning 
as we have, we start the day, we

801
00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:54,720
have the staff gets together for
a little Scripture in prayer 

802
00:41:54,720 --> 00:41:56,720
time at 8:15 every single 
morning. 

803
00:41:57,360 --> 00:42:01,600
And I usually lead that and I 
try to most mornings share 

804
00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:04,520
something that I just journaled 
out of my personal Bible study. 

805
00:42:04,720 --> 00:42:08,160
I want my staff to believe I 
actually read the Bible and I 

806
00:42:08,160 --> 00:42:11,160
believe God's hopefully saying 
something good for us for the 

807
00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:15,320
day, you know, But so journaling
for me helps. 

808
00:42:15,320 --> 00:42:17,280
I don't know, you got to figure 
out what you're going to do. 

809
00:42:17,280 --> 00:42:23,960
Prayer lists are helpful for 
many and our prayer listing are 

810
00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:27,000
always going to be inadequate. 
I wish we could get, I wish we 

811
00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:29,640
could see all these prayer 
requests every midweek. 

812
00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:32,600
And then I wish we could get 
answers, you know, what happened

813
00:42:32,600 --> 00:42:34,160
to every single one of these 
things every week. 

814
00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:36,800
But that would be virtually 
difficult. 

815
00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:40,360
So we have some digital things 
that we've had and we're trying 

816
00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:44,400
to continue to improve. 
But memory and testimony are 

817
00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:46,840
also important. 
See, if I share with somebody 

818
00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:50,760
else what I've learned, I'm also
going to remember it more. 

819
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:53,160
So let's. 
So here's the kind of professor 

820
00:42:53,160 --> 00:42:56,520
that I have been. 
So when I give a final exam, my 

821
00:42:56,520 --> 00:43:00,200
final exams are essays. 
I do not believe in true and 

822
00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:02,280
false questions. 
I do not believe in multiple 

823
00:43:02,280 --> 00:43:04,520
choice questions. 
I do not believe in fill in the 

824
00:43:04,520 --> 00:43:05,680
blank questions. 
They are. 

825
00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:07,920
They never appear in my level of
teaching. 

826
00:43:08,480 --> 00:43:12,400
Every single final exam is a 
list of essay questions. 

827
00:43:12,800 --> 00:43:15,440
I give you the final exam in 
advance. 

828
00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:18,120
I give you the actual questions 
in advance. 

829
00:43:18,440 --> 00:43:21,320
I intend for you to take a week 
in to study those questions. 

830
00:43:21,560 --> 00:43:25,360
If I were you, I would rehearse 
your answers and writing. 

831
00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:29,960
And then when you come back into
the room with me, no notes, no 

832
00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:34,240
anything, and you, you write out
what you've already studied. 

833
00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:37,200
Because what I believe is, is 
that going, you know, there's 

834
00:43:37,280 --> 00:43:39,200
rules and science behind some of
this. 

835
00:43:39,360 --> 00:43:42,480
It's going to reinforce what 
I've learned. 

836
00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:46,120
I've I've written it now twice. 
First I had to study it. 

837
00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:49,240
Now I've written it out twice. 
I ought to because my goal, I 

838
00:43:49,240 --> 00:43:51,400
know it's shocking, but my goal 
is that you actually might 

839
00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:54,720
remember something when the 
class is over and be able to use

840
00:43:54,720 --> 00:43:56,480
it in life, especially at 
seminary. 

841
00:43:57,640 --> 00:43:59,320
Now, my students don't always 
like that. 

842
00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:03,200
They would much rather have true
and false questions, fill in the

843
00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:05,600
blanks, something that doesn't 
take them a week. 

844
00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:12,840
But life is really, really hard.
So memory and testimony work the

845
00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:14,440
same way. 
The more I try to memorize 

846
00:44:14,440 --> 00:44:16,560
something, the more I share that
with somebody else, whether it's

847
00:44:16,560 --> 00:44:20,680
a memory verse or it's a memory 
truth, the more I share that 

848
00:44:20,680 --> 00:44:23,120
with somebody else. 
So maybe I'm trying to memorize 

849
00:44:23,120 --> 00:44:25,760
a passage and the more I share 
that, which is why the Awanas 

850
00:44:25,880 --> 00:44:27,840
are the way they are. 
The fact that there's memory 

851
00:44:27,840 --> 00:44:30,040
going on with our children's 
ministry to where they memorize 

852
00:44:30,040 --> 00:44:33,480
versus they share it with other 
people, those kinds of ideas 

853
00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:37,200
reinforce them able to preserve.
It doesn't necessarily mean 

854
00:44:37,200 --> 00:44:40,280
they're going to apply it, but 
at least they're preserving the 

855
00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:42,480
knowledge. 
And there's a sometimes a big 

856
00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:44,760
difference between preserving 
knowledge and actually seeing 

857
00:44:44,760 --> 00:44:46,880
life change. 
I understand that part. 

858
00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:51,280
So think about how am I doing 
that now in the corporate level?

859
00:44:52,440 --> 00:44:55,320
When when I mean by that is 
you're in a more formal teaching

860
00:44:55,320 --> 00:44:56,720
setting. 
And I also want some of your 

861
00:44:56,720 --> 00:44:58,360
connect group leaders and things
like that. 

862
00:44:59,680 --> 00:45:02,880
And so you have lesson plans and
outlines that you're working on 

863
00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:05,240
ahead of time. 
You know, I've, I've studied now

864
00:45:05,240 --> 00:45:08,640
I have things written out, notes
or a curriculum that they're 

865
00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:10,840
going to help me. 
So then let's talk about 

866
00:45:10,840 --> 00:45:13,120
presentation for a minute 
because here's the key question 

867
00:45:13,120 --> 00:45:15,400
here. 
How will I actually share what 

868
00:45:15,400 --> 00:45:18,240
I've learned with somebody else?
Now, this applies to all of you.

869
00:45:18,680 --> 00:45:21,960
This is not just for a teacher. 
This applies for all of us. 

870
00:45:21,960 --> 00:45:24,200
I promise I will make that stick
in a minute. 

871
00:45:25,040 --> 00:45:28,520
So after you study, after you 
work through all of these 

872
00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:32,080
hermeneutical steps that we've 
discussed, you need to move 

873
00:45:32,080 --> 00:45:34,080
towards some version of 
homiletics. 

874
00:45:34,800 --> 00:45:38,160
Now what I mean, homiletics is 
the art of preaching or teaching

875
00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:41,400
or sharing. 
So now I'm moving away from just

876
00:45:41,400 --> 00:45:44,280
studying the stuff and learning 
how it works. 

877
00:45:44,280 --> 00:45:47,440
Now I'm actually going to 
verbally try to share or some 

878
00:45:47,440 --> 00:45:50,800
other medium, perhaps share with
somebody else what it means. 

879
00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:53,320
And some of that's going to be 
formal, like preaching A sermon 

880
00:45:53,320 --> 00:45:56,440
or teaching a small group or or 
some Bible study someplace. 

881
00:45:56,880 --> 00:46:01,040
Others, likely the majority of 
us will be more, much more 

882
00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:02,680
informal. 
It'll be relational. 

883
00:46:02,680 --> 00:46:04,720
You're sharing with your family 
member, you're sharing with a 

884
00:46:04,720 --> 00:46:07,360
friend, you're sharing with a Co
worker, you're sharing with a 

885
00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:10,720
classmate, right? 
And and this is going to sound 

886
00:46:10,720 --> 00:46:12,560
like evangelism. 
Well, good. 

887
00:46:13,920 --> 00:46:16,040
But you may not share the whole 
gospel that you may just be 

888
00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:18,280
sharing a verse, You may just be
sharing a truth, right? 

889
00:46:18,480 --> 00:46:22,120
But it can be part of an 
evangelistic presentation, which

890
00:46:22,120 --> 00:46:23,440
we'll talk more about in a 
minute. 

891
00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:27,480
So, so the Bible, the Bible's 
helping us in this. 

892
00:46:27,480 --> 00:46:30,560
So, so you share with that 
something you've learned and 

893
00:46:30,560 --> 00:46:32,800
applied in your life concerning 
with the Bible has taught you 

894
00:46:32,800 --> 00:46:34,880
about something both in some 
formal setting. 

895
00:46:34,880 --> 00:46:38,200
You might have, you might have 
gotten it from a midweek, you 

896
00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:40,280
know, you, you might have stayed
awake during a sermon and heard 

897
00:46:40,280 --> 00:46:43,680
something then, or it might be 
through your own personal Bible 

898
00:46:43,680 --> 00:46:46,040
engagement, your own personal 
Bible study. 

899
00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:49,440
But there's a big difference 
between all the research you've 

900
00:46:49,440 --> 00:46:52,960
done and being able to actually 
effectively share or teach 

901
00:46:52,960 --> 00:46:56,240
something. 
So let me try to make a full 

902
00:46:56,240 --> 00:46:59,920
circle connection. 
Now I'm going to cinch back up 

903
00:47:00,160 --> 00:47:03,400
the saddle and get back up on 
the horse, which is what I had 

904
00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:05,200
to do. 
And it was quite hilarious 

905
00:47:05,200 --> 00:47:07,680
because not all the goose 
feathers had emptied out of the 

906
00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:10,440
coat yet. 
So as I still had to gallop on 

907
00:47:10,440 --> 00:47:13,000
down to get ahead of the cows 
even faster, now there's a 

908
00:47:13,000 --> 00:47:17,560
stream of of it probably would 
have been incredible to see kind

909
00:47:17,560 --> 00:47:20,880
of an aura of feathers floating 
back behind me. 

910
00:47:21,360 --> 00:47:24,400
Would have been quite confusing 
to any cow. 

911
00:47:26,280 --> 00:47:29,360
So we finally got up ahead of 
there, but let me make a full 

912
00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:31,400
circle. 
So let's do go back for a second

913
00:47:31,400 --> 00:47:34,040
to our personal evangelism 
training from the fall, just for

914
00:47:34,040 --> 00:47:37,960
a second. 
Because the most natural way of 

915
00:47:37,960 --> 00:47:40,280
sharing what you're learning 
from the Bible and what the 

916
00:47:40,280 --> 00:47:44,680
Bible has meant to you is simply
the overflow of your intentional

917
00:47:44,680 --> 00:47:48,320
relationship with God, his word 
and his people into your 

918
00:47:48,320 --> 00:47:50,120
relationship. 
That a very intentional 

919
00:47:50,120 --> 00:47:51,720
relationship with the world and 
its people. 

920
00:47:52,360 --> 00:47:55,440
And so in my sections, we talked
about before where I talked 

921
00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:58,440
about leading a conversation to 
Christ and your personal 

922
00:47:58,440 --> 00:48:00,280
testimonies, which are back in 
the fall. 

923
00:48:00,400 --> 00:48:03,840
For those who are not here or 
not have not listened to that, 

924
00:48:03,840 --> 00:48:08,600
go back and listen to what I 
shared back in those days about 

925
00:48:08,800 --> 00:48:11,520
leading a conversation to Christ
and personal testimonies. 

926
00:48:11,760 --> 00:48:15,360
Because this is exactly where 
this stuff can plug back in. 

927
00:48:16,320 --> 00:48:22,000
So you can easily build bridges 
to the gospel by connecting them

928
00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:24,840
to how you are personally 
engaging the Bible. 

929
00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:28,480
I've said this to you back then,
but listen to it now in this new

930
00:48:28,480 --> 00:48:30,720
context. 
After all this hermeneutical 

931
00:48:30,720 --> 00:48:36,040
study, right? 
Just this morning, the Lord 

932
00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:40,400
showed me in His word dot dot 
dot dot, you know, or just last 

933
00:48:40,400 --> 00:48:45,240
Sunday or in my small group, I 
learned this from God's Word and

934
00:48:45,240 --> 00:48:47,720
it applies directly to our 
conversation right now. 

935
00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:50,320
It applies directly to your life
need right now. 

936
00:48:50,320 --> 00:48:53,160
The issue that you're going 
with, and I promise you, I 

937
00:48:53,160 --> 00:48:56,680
guarantee it, the more you're in
the word daily like that, the 

938
00:48:56,720 --> 00:49:00,600
more those things match up. 
But if you're not personally 

939
00:49:00,600 --> 00:49:05,240
engaging the Bible, you've got 
to have any fuel, you know, 

940
00:49:05,240 --> 00:49:07,840
because this needs to be honest.
This needs to be very natural. 

941
00:49:07,840 --> 00:49:10,600
This needs to be authentic. 
You don't make this stuff up. 

942
00:49:11,120 --> 00:49:13,280
But it's only going to happen 
that way if you have the type of

943
00:49:13,280 --> 00:49:15,760
personal study that we've 
outlined in this series. 

944
00:49:16,640 --> 00:49:19,840
So, so if you really have 
studied the way we've talked 

945
00:49:19,840 --> 00:49:22,680
about studying, God's going to 
give you opportunity if you'll 

946
00:49:22,680 --> 00:49:24,960
ask him, give you opportunities 
to share with that person at the

947
00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:27,000
grocery store or share with your
neighbor or share with that 

948
00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:29,160
family member. 
And it's amazing how they'll 

949
00:49:29,160 --> 00:49:34,920
match up just this morning in 
the book of Zephaniah or 

950
00:49:34,920 --> 00:49:38,880
wherever it was. 
So don't be afraid to quote and 

951
00:49:38,880 --> 00:49:42,920
share the truth from God. 
It's powerful, it's alive, it is

952
00:49:42,920 --> 00:49:47,680
the truth and and just recognize
our responsibility now 

953
00:49:47,680 --> 00:49:49,960
throughout biblical history, the
early biblical history, the 

954
00:49:49,960 --> 00:49:53,040
family was the primary 
educational institution. 

955
00:49:53,560 --> 00:49:55,120
Think about Deuteronomy chapter 
6. 

956
00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:57,800
Parents taught their children, 
there really were no schools to 

957
00:49:57,800 --> 00:50:00,520
speak of in many parts of the of
the world. 

958
00:50:00,920 --> 00:50:04,600
And so you had to teach at home.
You had to teach your children 

959
00:50:04,800 --> 00:50:06,600
these things. 
So think about your 

960
00:50:06,600 --> 00:50:11,000
responsibility at home with your
family of not only to be a great

961
00:50:11,000 --> 00:50:14,240
student of the Bible, but also 
to be a great sharer of the 

962
00:50:14,240 --> 00:50:17,400
Bible and how significant that 
becomes. 

963
00:50:17,920 --> 00:50:22,080
So if if you don't feel like you
need Bible study for yourself, 

964
00:50:23,480 --> 00:50:25,840
other people need you to be in 
Bible study. 

965
00:50:26,280 --> 00:50:29,120
They do. 
And so later in biblical 

966
00:50:29,120 --> 00:50:32,280
histories, the, the the priest 
would share, sometimes in public

967
00:50:32,280 --> 00:50:35,440
settings, the observance of the 
law in, in temple type or 

968
00:50:35,440 --> 00:50:38,800
Tabernacle type experiences. 
Then after the exile, the 

969
00:50:38,800 --> 00:50:42,600
written Torah, the law, and it's
a little longer than the law, 

970
00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:45,280
but the law was taught along 
with the oral, the Mishnah, 

971
00:50:45,280 --> 00:50:47,520
which was oral tradition. 
So they taught these things in 

972
00:50:47,520 --> 00:50:50,040
the synagogue. 
So this is, this is where the, 

973
00:50:50,160 --> 00:50:53,960
what we might think more of 
church looking type things 

974
00:50:53,960 --> 00:50:58,280
started happening in the 
synagogues after the exile. 

975
00:50:58,920 --> 00:51:04,160
But then Jesus comes and Jesus 
came and taught with a whole 

976
00:51:04,160 --> 00:51:06,320
different authority. 
They, they even said that about 

977
00:51:06,320 --> 00:51:07,760
him. 
He teaches with a new, a 

978
00:51:07,760 --> 00:51:10,000
different authority. 
In fact, they questioned him 

979
00:51:10,120 --> 00:51:13,400
about it and his disciples 
taught with that authority 

980
00:51:13,560 --> 00:51:15,840
because they, they were. 
And then, and then we do the 

981
00:51:15,840 --> 00:51:17,160
same thing. 
So we're filled with the Holy 

982
00:51:17,160 --> 00:51:18,160
Spirit. 
It's different. 

983
00:51:18,920 --> 00:51:22,360
And so this isn't, this isn't 
just distributional, this isn't 

984
00:51:22,360 --> 00:51:24,800
just the distribution of 
information that we're trying to

985
00:51:24,800 --> 00:51:27,240
get out there. 
This is transformational. 

986
00:51:28,600 --> 00:51:33,080
This is really not just a book. 
This is the word of God and it 

987
00:51:33,080 --> 00:51:37,720
changes lives. 
And so the privilege that we 

988
00:51:37,720 --> 00:51:41,200
have been given is as amazing. 
So we have this historical 

989
00:51:41,200 --> 00:51:44,480
privilege of holding the entire 
written word of God in our 

990
00:51:44,480 --> 00:51:46,960
hands. 
Now you can understand that that

991
00:51:46,960 --> 00:51:48,720
generations never had that 
privilege. 

992
00:51:48,720 --> 00:51:50,760
People all around the world 
don't have that privilege. 

993
00:51:50,760 --> 00:51:53,840
And here we have this privilege 
of holding the written word of 

994
00:51:53,840 --> 00:51:57,200
God in our hands in a language 
we understand, and we have the 

995
00:51:57,200 --> 00:52:00,680
opportunity to engage it with 
sincere humility and eager 

996
00:52:00,680 --> 00:52:03,720
teachability. 
And so this privilege is not one

997
00:52:03,720 --> 00:52:06,480
to be taken lightly. 
It it shouldn't be hidden 

998
00:52:06,480 --> 00:52:09,520
selfishly because it's not just 
for us. 

999
00:52:10,080 --> 00:52:12,440
He didn't just give you that so 
that you can keep it to you. 

1000
00:52:12,720 --> 00:52:14,920
He didn't give you a light to 
hide it. 

1001
00:52:16,280 --> 00:52:19,240
He didn't give you this word to,
to keep it from people. 

1002
00:52:19,560 --> 00:52:21,720
He's given you this opportunity.
So you'll share with other 

1003
00:52:21,720 --> 00:52:24,120
people. 
So, so it's given to us, sure 

1004
00:52:24,120 --> 00:52:26,000
that we might grow personally, 
absolutely. 

1005
00:52:26,000 --> 00:52:28,600
That we're, we're positionally 
in Christ and we're 

1006
00:52:28,600 --> 00:52:32,760
experientially growing in Christ
progressively, constantly, never

1007
00:52:32,760 --> 00:52:34,400
stopping. 
We never get there. 

1008
00:52:34,400 --> 00:52:37,120
And like a bouncing ball, there 
are days and there are days, 

1009
00:52:38,760 --> 00:52:40,520
right? 
But hopefully we're on a 

1010
00:52:40,520 --> 00:52:42,720
trajectory of growth and 
maturity. 

1011
00:52:43,240 --> 00:52:45,680
So for sure it's for us 
personally, but it's also for 

1012
00:52:45,680 --> 00:52:47,440
those that we might help others 
grow. 

1013
00:52:47,440 --> 00:52:49,840
Other Christians lost people as 
well. 

1014
00:52:50,640 --> 00:52:53,720
So don't forget when you read 
the Great Commission in Matthew,

1015
00:52:54,800 --> 00:52:58,400
we often talk about going, and 
that's sometimes all we talk 

1016
00:52:58,400 --> 00:53:00,680
about. 
We use it for missions, which is

1017
00:53:00,680 --> 00:53:04,040
fine. 
I'm a messiologist, so of course

1018
00:53:04,040 --> 00:53:07,360
I've used that passage. 
We talk about going, we talk 

1019
00:53:07,360 --> 00:53:10,800
about making disciples, and we 
should, but we also recognize 

1020
00:53:10,800 --> 00:53:13,520
that in that passage we're 
commanded to teach, to share the

1021
00:53:13,520 --> 00:53:16,000
word of God as we're disciple, 
right? 

1022
00:53:16,680 --> 00:53:19,600
And not all of that teaching 
would have ever been in a formal

1023
00:53:19,600 --> 00:53:21,360
setting. 
In the early days of 

1024
00:53:21,360 --> 00:53:25,040
Christianity, much of it would 
have been on a chariot on the 

1025
00:53:25,040 --> 00:53:31,480
side of the road or wherever it 
might be along a river with 

1026
00:53:31,960 --> 00:53:37,080
Lydia and a few others. 
So it could be a small group, it

1027
00:53:37,080 --> 00:53:40,200
could be a one, it could be one 
person, or it might be preaching

1028
00:53:40,200 --> 00:53:43,400
in front of thousands. 
But the fact that we've been 

1029
00:53:43,400 --> 00:53:47,200
given this opportunity and this 
command, so it's not just the 

1030
00:53:47,200 --> 00:53:50,040
truths that are found, but but 
how do we observe it? 

1031
00:53:50,040 --> 00:53:52,640
How do we live it out? 
And that's what discipleship is.

1032
00:53:52,640 --> 00:53:55,760
That's, that's what the, the, 
that's what sanctification 

1033
00:53:55,760 --> 00:53:57,600
reveals. 
The seven essentials of 

1034
00:53:57,600 --> 00:54:01,400
discipleship will help help you 
to reveal the sanctification in 

1035
00:54:01,400 --> 00:54:03,720
your life. 
And if you study each one of 

1036
00:54:03,720 --> 00:54:06,400
these areas, I'm not saying it's
perfect, I'm not saying it's the

1037
00:54:06,400 --> 00:54:08,480
the best model in the whole 
world, but it's one we're 

1038
00:54:08,480 --> 00:54:10,240
working on right now. 
It's a good one. 

1039
00:54:10,240 --> 00:54:12,160
It's biblical. 
We got it out of the Bible. 

1040
00:54:12,160 --> 00:54:14,680
So, so that we're working 
through 7 essentials right now 

1041
00:54:14,680 --> 00:54:16,720
and thinking through, thinking 
of it that way. 

1042
00:54:17,240 --> 00:54:20,000
And if we, if we're all really 
healthy and strong in these 

1043
00:54:20,000 --> 00:54:24,400
seven areas, your walk with 
God's probably not horrible, 

1044
00:54:24,840 --> 00:54:28,920
it's probably not too bad. 
And then we'll continue to grow.

1045
00:54:29,160 --> 00:54:34,600
So let's not neglect the right 
thing to do as we continue to 

1046
00:54:34,600 --> 00:54:37,040
progress. 
So Matthew 28, let me just, you 

1047
00:54:37,040 --> 00:54:38,560
know, we know it. 
But go therefore, and make 

1048
00:54:38,560 --> 00:54:41,680
disciples of all nations, 
baptizing them in the name of 

1049
00:54:41,680 --> 00:54:46,240
the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, teaching them 

1050
00:54:46,240 --> 00:54:50,960
to observe. 
We, we don't just teach them, we

1051
00:54:50,960 --> 00:54:54,560
got to teach them to do. 
We're teaching them to observe 

1052
00:54:54,560 --> 00:54:58,600
all that I have commanded you 
and behold, I'm with you always 

1053
00:54:58,600 --> 00:55:01,320
to the end of the age. 
Well, how am I going to know how

1054
00:55:01,320 --> 00:55:03,520
to teach them all that He's 
commanded me? 

1055
00:55:05,080 --> 00:55:08,760
How, how, how are how, how our 
disciples, how are we, how are 

1056
00:55:08,760 --> 00:55:11,800
we going to ever remember all 
that he commanded? 

1057
00:55:12,040 --> 00:55:17,880
What do we have to do? 
Study the Bible. 

1058
00:55:18,280 --> 00:55:22,040
We have to engage the Bible if 
we're going to, if we're going 

1059
00:55:22,040 --> 00:55:24,040
to teach somebody else. 
Here's every single thing Jesus 

1060
00:55:24,040 --> 00:55:27,960
ever commanded. 
That's probably not one sitting,

1061
00:55:27,960 --> 00:55:31,480
is it? 
But in that process, so it even 

1062
00:55:31,480 --> 00:55:33,720
I really, I think it even 
suggests that idea. 

1063
00:55:33,720 --> 00:55:36,120
This, this, this, this is not 
talking about a one time event. 

1064
00:55:36,120 --> 00:55:38,640
This is talking about life. 
This is talking about mentoring,

1065
00:55:38,640 --> 00:55:41,200
this talk about discipleship. 
This is talking about life on 

1066
00:55:41,200 --> 00:55:43,840
life with people to to help them
understand. 

1067
00:55:43,840 --> 00:55:45,680
Here's everything that Jesus 
taught. 

1068
00:55:45,920 --> 00:55:48,160
And you got to remember that 
when Matthew's written, they 

1069
00:55:48,160 --> 00:55:50,480
don't have the whole Bible. 
They don't even have all the 

1070
00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:54,520
other gospels together. 
Not at that point, not when he 

1071
00:55:54,520 --> 00:55:59,040
says this. 
And so they've got to work hard.

1072
00:55:59,040 --> 00:56:01,080
Now we have it. 
We have such a privilege, such 

1073
00:56:01,080 --> 00:56:04,360
an opportunity, such a blessing 
to do that. 

1074
00:56:05,360 --> 00:56:08,040
So let me share a couple models 
that aren't on your hand out, 

1075
00:56:09,000 --> 00:56:12,840
sorry. 
And I have two models here that 

1076
00:56:12,840 --> 00:56:17,240
I want to share with you. 
And, and these relate to the 

1077
00:56:17,240 --> 00:56:21,480
whole series as well as some to 
this, but one of them is by John

1078
00:56:21,480 --> 00:56:22,880
Maxwell. 
And I'm not necessarily a 

1079
00:56:22,880 --> 00:56:26,920
Maxwellian, but John Maxwell has
written some good things on 

1080
00:56:26,920 --> 00:56:29,520
leadership and some other 
things, but also on, on how to 

1081
00:56:29,520 --> 00:56:33,200
develop people. 
And this is probably not even 

1082
00:56:33,200 --> 00:56:37,840
original with John Maxwell, 
frankly, but the the words might

1083
00:56:37,840 --> 00:56:41,200
be, it doesn't matter. 
But I needed to say that out 

1084
00:56:41,200 --> 00:56:45,800
loud so I don't just plagiarize.
So this is what you would call a

1085
00:56:45,800 --> 00:56:48,200
developmental discipleship 
sequence. 

1086
00:56:48,680 --> 00:56:51,560
In other words, how am I helping
somebody progress, right? 

1087
00:56:52,160 --> 00:56:55,040
But this also works in terms of 
the Bible. 

1088
00:56:55,840 --> 00:56:59,280
So how am I going to show or 
share with somebody about the 

1089
00:56:59,280 --> 00:57:02,320
Bible? 
Well, the first step is I model.

1090
00:57:03,480 --> 00:57:04,920
These are pretty simple 
sentences. 

1091
00:57:05,320 --> 00:57:07,320
I model. 
In other words, I do it, I'm 

1092
00:57:07,320 --> 00:57:09,440
showing them. 
This is how to live. 

1093
00:57:09,440 --> 00:57:15,080
This is what to believe, right? 
Then secondly, I mentor, I do 

1094
00:57:15,080 --> 00:57:22,080
it, and you watch me. 3rd, I 
monitor, you do it. 

1095
00:57:22,480 --> 00:57:25,520
I'll watch you. 
That's a big turning point for a

1096
00:57:25,520 --> 00:57:28,000
lot of people in leadership 
development. 

1097
00:57:29,240 --> 00:57:34,760
Fourthly, I motivate, you do it.
And then the last one is we 

1098
00:57:34,760 --> 00:57:36,800
multiply. 
You do it and train someone 

1099
00:57:36,800 --> 00:57:40,880
else. 
So I'm, I model, I mentor, I 

1100
00:57:40,880 --> 00:57:43,520
monitor, I motivate and we 
multiply. 

1101
00:57:44,520 --> 00:57:47,320
And so this is a model that's 
been around for a long time and 

1102
00:57:47,320 --> 00:57:48,880
we often talk about leadership 
development. 

1103
00:57:48,880 --> 00:57:52,040
But this works in the sense of 
when I'm, when I'm gleaning from

1104
00:57:52,040 --> 00:57:56,200
the word, I need to be living a 
life that matches me saying that

1105
00:57:56,200 --> 00:57:58,520
I'm gleaning from the word 
because if my life over here 

1106
00:57:58,520 --> 00:58:01,040
doesn't match anything the Bible
teaches, I don't know who's ever

1107
00:58:01,040 --> 00:58:04,440
going to listen to me. 
You know, all I'm going to be is

1108
00:58:04,440 --> 00:58:07,880
a bad example. 
So I'm, I'm actually modeling 

1109
00:58:08,000 --> 00:58:12,640
biblical life sanctification. 
Then I'm actually going to share

1110
00:58:12,640 --> 00:58:14,800
with you, I'm going to, I'm 
going to show you and you're 

1111
00:58:14,800 --> 00:58:17,680
going to watch me do this or 
you're going to listen to me as 

1112
00:58:17,680 --> 00:58:20,000
I teach you. 
And then, and then I'm going to 

1113
00:58:20,000 --> 00:58:22,880
let you teach and I'm going to 
watch you and I'm going to 

1114
00:58:22,880 --> 00:58:25,160
encourage you. 
I'm going to cheerlead you on, 

1115
00:58:25,200 --> 00:58:27,520
I'm going to motivate you. 
And then let's find somebody 

1116
00:58:27,520 --> 00:58:28,280
else. 
Do the same thing. 

1117
00:58:28,680 --> 00:58:31,400
Rinse and repeat, rinse and 
repeat, rinse and repeat, rinse 

1118
00:58:31,400 --> 00:58:37,360
and repeat. 
A doctoral student of mine used 

1119
00:58:37,360 --> 00:58:41,640
to be the director of 
assimilation at Brook Hills 

1120
00:58:41,760 --> 00:58:45,720
Church in Birmingham, which is 
where David Platt was when he 

1121
00:58:45,720 --> 00:58:48,480
wrote Radical, before he went to
the International Mission Board.

1122
00:58:49,240 --> 00:58:51,720
When David Platt became kind of 
known, he was the pastor of 

1123
00:58:51,720 --> 00:58:53,920
Brook Hills. 
Jim Shaddix, a dear friend who 

1124
00:58:53,920 --> 00:58:58,360
passed away a while back from 
cancer, was there on staff with 

1125
00:58:58,360 --> 00:59:01,080
them, too. 
But this doctoral student of 

1126
00:59:01,080 --> 00:59:03,760
mine was actually in charge of 
helping people walk through 

1127
00:59:03,760 --> 00:59:06,440
discipleship and get assimilated
into the church. 

1128
00:59:06,800 --> 00:59:10,840
And I just want you to listen to
the questions that they had to 

1129
00:59:10,840 --> 00:59:12,440
answer. 
We should. 

1130
00:59:12,960 --> 00:59:15,400
We should do this on noon member
presentation day. 

1131
00:59:16,840 --> 00:59:20,760
I should give this as a essay 
test a week in advance. 

1132
00:59:23,920 --> 00:59:25,960
Every Connect group leader ought
to have to answer these 

1133
00:59:25,960 --> 00:59:28,440
questions for me. 
I know some of you here. 

1134
00:59:29,400 --> 00:59:32,560
Anyway, listen to this. 
They call this the personal 

1135
00:59:32,560 --> 00:59:34,520
disciple making plan. 
It's what they call it. 

1136
00:59:34,520 --> 00:59:36,800
There's nothing flowery about 
the language. 

1137
00:59:36,800 --> 00:59:37,920
You can probably still. 
Yeah. 

1138
00:59:37,920 --> 00:59:38,960
I don't know. 
You might find it on their 

1139
00:59:38,960 --> 00:59:41,920
website, The Church at Brook 
Hills Personal disciple making 

1140
00:59:41,920 --> 00:59:46,280
plan question #1 How will I fill
my mind with truth? 

1141
00:59:47,920 --> 00:59:52,240
How am I going to do that? 
How am I going to fill my mind 

1142
00:59:52,240 --> 00:59:55,840
with the truth of God? 
What am I doing in my life to 

1143
00:59:55,840 --> 01:00:00,240
help me do that? 
Ties right in, obviously, to 

1144
01:00:00,240 --> 01:00:02,080
engaging the Bible, maybe 
prayer. 

1145
01:00:04,280 --> 01:00:08,200
Listen to this one. 
How will I fuel my affections 

1146
01:00:08,200 --> 01:00:11,960
for God? 
How am I going to keep stocking 

1147
01:00:11,960 --> 01:00:16,040
the fire? 
Let's see if these words make 

1148
01:00:16,040 --> 01:00:17,400
sense. 
They're going to come up in a 

1149
01:00:17,400 --> 01:00:19,200
partial sermon someday down the 
road. 

1150
01:00:19,200 --> 01:00:20,960
But it's just follow me for a 
minute. 

1151
01:00:20,960 --> 01:00:23,960
This will this may just make you
fall asleep, but it may, you 

1152
01:00:23,960 --> 01:00:29,080
know, you can thank me later. 
So I was teaching in our all 

1153
01:00:29,080 --> 01:00:32,080
staff meeting on Monday about 
two terms. 

1154
01:00:32,640 --> 01:00:35,120
One is constant. 
You ready? 

1155
01:00:35,640 --> 01:00:40,000
Constant, dynamic, redundant 
progression. 

1156
01:00:40,040 --> 01:00:43,280
How's that? 
These these are actually keys to

1157
01:00:43,280 --> 01:00:44,880
church health, believe it or 
not. 

1158
01:00:45,800 --> 01:00:51,360
Constant, dynamic, redundant 
progression. 

1159
01:00:51,360 --> 01:00:53,160
Think about those words. 
It never ends. 

1160
01:00:53,160 --> 01:00:55,840
It's constant, It's dynamic. 
It's alive. 

1161
01:00:55,840 --> 01:00:58,560
It's not boring, it's alive. 
These are church health 

1162
01:00:58,560 --> 01:01:01,880
principles. 
Constant dynamic, constant life,

1163
01:01:01,880 --> 01:01:05,560
constant constant newness, 
constant freshness, redundant 

1164
01:01:05,680 --> 01:01:08,320
over and over and over and over 
and over again. 

1165
01:01:08,560 --> 01:01:13,000
And progression takes place 
versus static. 

1166
01:01:13,000 --> 01:01:15,680
Redundancy. 
Static usually means no 

1167
01:01:15,680 --> 01:01:16,960
movement. 
Static means nothing's 

1168
01:01:16,960 --> 01:01:18,560
happening. 
Could be dead, it's lifeless. 

1169
01:01:18,560 --> 01:01:20,480
There's just sitting there. 
Redundancy. 

1170
01:01:20,800 --> 01:01:22,120
See, that's what most churches 
do. 

1171
01:01:22,600 --> 01:01:24,480
Most churches just do the same 
thing every week. 

1172
01:01:24,600 --> 01:01:26,800
Then they do the same thing 
every week, and they do the same

1173
01:01:26,800 --> 01:01:28,120
thing every week. 
And people are what? 

1174
01:01:28,240 --> 01:01:29,520
People wonder why they're bored 
to death. 

1175
01:01:31,360 --> 01:01:32,800
It's just rent and repeat every 
week. 

1176
01:01:32,960 --> 01:01:36,000
There's no new life, there's no 
freshness, there's nothing new. 

1177
01:01:36,000 --> 01:01:37,640
There's no progression taking 
place. 

1178
01:01:37,960 --> 01:01:40,320
And so often the churches that 
I've worked with over the years,

1179
01:01:40,320 --> 01:01:41,960
they're just in static 
redundancy. 

1180
01:01:41,960 --> 01:01:44,480
They're just repeating something
on a calendar every single week,

1181
01:01:44,480 --> 01:01:48,040
just spinning in a circle 
without making any progress. 

1182
01:01:48,040 --> 01:01:52,200
They are bumper cars. 
Well, in our life we want 

1183
01:01:52,560 --> 01:01:57,000
dynamic progression. 
So how will I fuel? 

1184
01:01:57,920 --> 01:02:01,520
How will I bring life into my 
affections for God? 

1185
01:02:02,920 --> 01:02:06,560
The next question they ask is 
how will I share God's love as a

1186
01:02:06,560 --> 01:02:09,880
witness in the world? 
How am I going to do that? 

1187
01:02:09,880 --> 01:02:11,480
They ask everyone that you're a 
new member. 

1188
01:02:11,480 --> 01:02:12,680
You got to answer these 
questions. 

1189
01:02:14,720 --> 01:02:16,560
How will I share my witness in 
the world? 

1190
01:02:16,560 --> 01:02:18,760
The expectation from day one is 
that you're going to do that. 

1191
01:02:18,760 --> 01:02:20,240
You don't just get to come sit 
and soak. 

1192
01:02:21,280 --> 01:02:23,320
What are you going to do? 
You got to have a dynamic 

1193
01:02:23,320 --> 01:02:26,680
spiritual walk with God and, and
you've got to let that overflow.

1194
01:02:26,880 --> 01:02:29,920
So when God shows me something, 
when he fills my mind with his 

1195
01:02:29,920 --> 01:02:33,120
truth and his word, and I'm 
fueling that with my affection 

1196
01:02:33,120 --> 01:02:35,440
for him, I, it's just going to 
overflow. 

1197
01:02:35,520 --> 01:02:37,840
It's fire in my bones. 
It's got to get out. 

1198
01:02:37,880 --> 01:02:39,360
I got to tell somebody about 
this. 

1199
01:02:41,600 --> 01:02:44,480
How will I show God's love as a 
member of a church? 

1200
01:02:46,200 --> 01:02:48,040
We still got to take care of one
another too. 

1201
01:02:49,360 --> 01:02:51,080
We need to help one another 
understand. 

1202
01:02:51,080 --> 01:02:54,840
We need to help others grow. 
We need to share the truth that 

1203
01:02:54,840 --> 01:02:57,240
God has given to us with them 
too. 

1204
01:02:57,240 --> 01:03:00,760
So I don't know some of that's 
one-on-one, but you know exactly

1205
01:03:00,760 --> 01:03:02,440
where I think most of that's 
going to happen. 

1206
01:03:03,040 --> 01:03:05,240
What do I think most of that's 
going to happen in the church? 

1207
01:03:06,360 --> 01:03:10,440
Thank you very much. 100% 
participation in Connect groups.

1208
01:03:12,120 --> 01:03:14,280
Had a great crowd Sunday morning
in Connect groups. 

1209
01:03:14,280 --> 01:03:16,600
Thank you all. 
We really did. 

1210
01:03:17,360 --> 01:03:22,120
This Sunday's it's supposed to 
rain. 93% chance of rain only on

1211
01:03:22,120 --> 01:03:23,360
Sunday. 
I don't know why in the world 

1212
01:03:23,360 --> 01:03:25,200
this is happening on Wednesdays 
and Sundays. 

1213
01:03:26,440 --> 01:03:30,840
I want to know who still has 
stolen from Jericho and hidden 

1214
01:03:30,840 --> 01:03:37,440
it in their tent. 
Because I'm telling you, it's 

1215
01:03:37,440 --> 01:03:39,920
amazing to me. 
But Danny Akins preaching, so I 

1216
01:03:39,920 --> 01:03:42,560
hope. 
Come on, be here Sunday. 

1217
01:03:42,560 --> 01:03:45,240
It's just water. 
It's not snow. 

1218
01:03:47,280 --> 01:03:50,680
Thank you. 
Couple questions. 

1219
01:03:50,680 --> 01:03:53,920
How will I spread God's glory 
among all peoples? 

1220
01:03:53,960 --> 01:03:57,640
That's a missions question. 
How will I spread God's glory 

1221
01:03:57,640 --> 01:04:00,760
among all peoples? 
And how will I make disciples 

1222
01:04:01,400 --> 01:04:05,200
among a few people? 
Good questions. 

1223
01:04:06,560 --> 01:04:09,520
How am I going to spread the 
gospel and God's glory among all

1224
01:04:09,520 --> 01:04:13,320
the nations, all the peoples? 
But how am I going to make 

1225
01:04:13,320 --> 01:04:16,240
disciples among a few? 
Who are you discipling? 

1226
01:04:18,000 --> 01:04:21,960
Who are you personally disciple?
How does that work in your life?

1227
01:04:21,960 --> 01:04:24,280
Have you ever even thought of 
such a concept? 

1228
01:04:25,080 --> 01:04:28,960
What does that look like? 
And so I pray that you'll think 

1229
01:04:28,960 --> 01:04:33,120
about that and God will continue
to lead you to that point. 

1230
01:04:33,120 --> 01:04:35,280
But more than anything, what I 
really hope is, is that you'll 

1231
01:04:35,280 --> 01:04:39,200
engage the Bible with humility 
and teachability. 

1232
01:04:39,880 --> 01:04:42,520
Go to it with an open heart. 
Go to it with an open mind. 

1233
01:04:42,520 --> 01:04:46,840
Ask God, prepare yourself that 
he would reveal to you what 

1234
01:04:46,840 --> 01:04:49,040
you're supposed to get out of 
his word that day. 

1235
01:04:49,320 --> 01:04:51,640
Then read that text. 
Observe it. 

1236
01:04:51,960 --> 01:04:54,600
Ask questions about a where is 
this, Who is this? 

1237
01:04:54,600 --> 01:04:57,120
Why is this, What is this? 
When is this? 

1238
01:04:57,400 --> 01:05:00,080
Ask these questions that we've 
talked about in previous times. 

1239
01:05:00,320 --> 01:05:02,120
Then what in the world does this
really mean? 

1240
01:05:03,080 --> 01:05:06,680
Not what I wish it meant, not 
that I'm isagenically or 

1241
01:05:06,680 --> 01:05:08,680
narcissetically trying to make 
it mean. 

1242
01:05:08,880 --> 01:05:12,440
What does it really mean? 
And then what does it mean to 

1243
01:05:12,440 --> 01:05:13,640
me? 
So what? 

1244
01:05:14,400 --> 01:05:17,280
How does that affect my 
thoughts? 

1245
01:05:18,040 --> 01:05:22,680
How does that affect my speech? 
How does that affect my actions?

1246
01:05:23,640 --> 01:05:27,960
And then how in the world, how 
in the world could I tell 

1247
01:05:27,960 --> 01:05:31,920
somebody else that? 
How can I show them and how can 

1248
01:05:31,920 --> 01:05:36,040
I share with them to say this is
what God is doing in my life And

1249
01:05:36,760 --> 01:05:40,880
I want you to understand as a 
father, as a husband, as a 

1250
01:05:40,880 --> 01:05:43,400
grandfather, I I don't know how 
you do it. 

1251
01:05:43,400 --> 01:05:46,880
I don't know how you survive 
this world without this truth. 

1252
01:05:48,000 --> 01:05:49,960
You like sports. 
I love sports, man. 

1253
01:05:49,960 --> 01:05:52,320
I love sports competitions, a 
part of my life. 

1254
01:05:52,320 --> 01:05:54,160
I love that. 
I learned a lot from sports, 

1255
01:05:54,160 --> 01:05:55,800
learned a lot about getting 
together with each other. 

1256
01:05:55,800 --> 01:05:58,680
But just this morning in the 
Bible, I'm not kidding you, 

1257
01:06:01,440 --> 01:06:02,600
because it's got to be right 
there. 

1258
01:06:02,680 --> 01:06:05,040
It's just right there. 
It's the most natural thing in 

1259
01:06:05,040 --> 01:06:07,320
the world. 
If you know me, you know Jesus. 

1260
01:06:07,320 --> 01:06:08,600
If you know me, you hear his 
word. 

1261
01:06:08,600 --> 01:06:15,880
It's just right there. 
Because I once was Saul and he 

1262
01:06:15,880 --> 01:06:22,160
changed that. 
So positionally, I'm somebody 

1263
01:06:22,160 --> 01:06:24,720
else. 
That old guy's dead. 

1264
01:06:25,880 --> 01:06:29,120
Positionally, I'm somebody else.
So experientially, I just want 

1265
01:06:29,120 --> 01:06:33,240
to continue to become who I'm 
supposed to till the very end. 

1266
01:06:34,080 --> 01:06:44,240
And then one day, right, one 
day, one day, we'll see it all. 

1267
01:06:46,160 --> 01:06:48,800
We're whole, we're restored. 
No more brokenness. 

1268
01:06:51,520 --> 01:06:55,560
We'll understand, Father. 
Help us to do our best to 

1269
01:06:55,560 --> 01:06:58,720
understand now. 
Grip our hearts. 

1270
01:06:59,640 --> 01:07:04,680
Help us, Father, to fan the fuel
of our affections for you and 

1271
01:07:04,680 --> 01:07:07,680
Your Word. 
Lord, I pray that it will burn a

1272
01:07:07,680 --> 01:07:12,240
hole in us that, Father, we'll 
miss any day that we're not in 

1273
01:07:12,240 --> 01:07:14,760
Your Word, That Father will know
that there's a gap. 

1274
01:07:15,120 --> 01:07:16,920
Father, I thank you for that. 
I was able to share that 

1275
01:07:16,920 --> 01:07:18,320
testimony with somebody 
yesterday. 

1276
01:07:18,320 --> 01:07:21,240
Thank you for that. 
That, that whenever I miss being

1277
01:07:21,240 --> 01:07:24,720
with you, it's like, it's like 
missing spiritual exercise. 

1278
01:07:24,720 --> 01:07:26,440
It's like missing physical 
exercise. 

1279
01:07:26,440 --> 01:07:28,440
I miss it. 
It's not the right day. 

1280
01:07:28,440 --> 01:07:32,760
Something's off. 
I pray, Father, that we'll seek 

1281
01:07:32,760 --> 01:07:36,600
it, we'll pursue it. 
We'll strain for the prize. 

1282
01:07:37,320 --> 01:07:40,040
We're not just going to sit back
and hopefully somebody force 

1283
01:07:40,040 --> 01:07:43,480
feeds me. 
I'm not sitting in my high chair

1284
01:07:43,520 --> 01:07:46,200
in my diaper with a bib on 
anymore and somebody's trying to

1285
01:07:46,200 --> 01:07:48,160
get me to eat my my cream of 
wheat. 

1286
01:07:49,440 --> 01:07:51,480
Father, help me to pursue the 
meat. 

1287
01:07:52,320 --> 01:07:55,080
Pursue the real depths of your 
word, your truth. 

1288
01:07:56,040 --> 01:07:58,000
And Father, you're going to show
us and then help me to tell 

1289
01:07:58,000 --> 01:08:01,240
somebody else. 
Show me somebody, give me 

1290
01:08:01,240 --> 01:08:02,960
somebody. 
Put somebody in my path who 

1291
01:08:02,960 --> 01:08:05,880
needs it. 
Father, I pray that you'll give 

1292
01:08:05,880 --> 01:08:07,520
us wisdom. 
Thank you for that. 

1293
01:08:08,080 --> 01:08:11,280
In Christ's name, Amen. 
God bless you all. 

1294
01:08:14,120 --> 01:08:16,680
Thank you so much for listening 
today, and I also hope that 

1295
01:08:16,680 --> 01:08:19,240
you'll go to 
ourwebsite@englewoodbaptist.com 

1296
01:08:19,240 --> 01:08:22,279
as well as our app and find many
other resources that will bless 

1297
01:08:22,279 --> 01:08:24,479
you and your families. 
Thank you once again.