1 00:00:05,630 --> 00:00:09,510 Calvary Church presents lead to Serve, a leadership podcast with 2 00:00:09,510 --> 00:00:13,430 Ed Taylor. Welcome again to another episode 3 00:00:13,430 --> 00:00:16,149 of the Lead to Serve podcast. We're so grateful that you've 4 00:00:16,149 --> 00:00:18,870 chosen to join us. We know your time is so 5 00:00:18,870 --> 00:00:21,670 valuable. So as Pastor Bob and I in this 6 00:00:21,670 --> 00:00:26,070 Season 6 are talking about ministry and bouncing around 7 00:00:26,070 --> 00:00:29,710 ideas and letting the Holy Spirit invade this studio, we're 8 00:00:29,710 --> 00:00:31,830 thinking of you like you were in here with us. 9 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,640 There's actually a couple of empty chairs in the room with us 10 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:37,560 and we can picture, I can picture you in here. 11 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,240 Bob and I are on either side of the table looking at each other 12 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,000 when we're talking. And that's what we invite you in 13 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:46,760 on the Lead to Serve podcast. We're in a conversation about 14 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,120 different topics. Some of them have come through 15 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:50,800 e-mail. Some of them have come through 16 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:53,680 suggestions. Some of them have come because 17 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:56,720 that's the topic of the day. But we would love to have you 18 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:58,920 join us. You know, our goal, you know our 19 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,480 heart here is to help you grow in servant leadership. 20 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,840 And by the way, as we help you grow, we're helping ourselves 21 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:07,880 too. We're talking about these things 22 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,880 and we're learning along with you, but we want to see you and 23 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:15,840 see us grow in our servant leadership so that our lives 24 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:20,000 glorify God in everything that we do and we believe, and we see 25 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,800 this to be true. The better serving you are, the 26 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:27,240 better leader you will become. We come to another episode 27 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,280 today. The topic today is living in 28 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:34,960 Victory Day by day. Welcome again Bob Klaykamp. 29 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:36,640 Good. It's great to be here. 30 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:38,480 Do you walk in Victory Day by day? 31 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:41,480 Usually. Usually, yeah. 32 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:45,360 There are days that but here. But wait a second. 33 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:49,720 At the end of the day, it's not whether you've lived a perfect 34 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:55,680 Christian life, it's you've owned your your sins, you've 35 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,400 owned your things you didn't handle right. 36 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,760 And you close the day with maybe repentance. 37 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:03,360 You close the day with owning it. 38 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:07,120 That's finishing well. That's victory at the end of the 39 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,960 day. Do you walk in Victory Day by 40 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:12,560 day and at the end of the day have a clean slate? 41 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:16,600 Or do you go to bed sometimes days, weeks? 42 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,680 I mean, we don't know your life. Are there days where you go to 43 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:22,680 bed in defeat? Yes. 44 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:27,000 I would say that, but the longer I walk with the Lord, the fewer 45 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:31,240 those times are. But boy, when they happen, you 46 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,160 it, it, you can't. You can't get away from it and 47 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,960 you have to deal with it because you won't get any sleep. 48 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:42,560 Yeah, you know, in the earlier days of my walk, my motive for 49 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,560 not going to bed and defeat. Let me think of one real 50 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:50,080 applicable example scripturally where the Bible says do not let 51 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:54,360 the sun go down on your wrath that that you know, in marriage, 52 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:58,640 but in life, it's a principle. It's very similar to what you, 53 00:02:58,920 --> 00:03:02,520 you said, like like settle it, get everything clean, go to bed 54 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:04,800 with a clean conscience. Definitely don't go to bed 55 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:06,840 angry. So kind of assessing. 56 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:10,720 So in the early days of my walk, I did it because I felt like I 57 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,880 had to like this is a command. I have to do it. 58 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,720 And and so I'm working through Marie. 59 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,440 We got to stay up till 5:00 in the morning, solve our problems 60 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:23,520 and I'm not very healthy approach to walking in victory 61 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,200 with that definition. But when I think of it this 62 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,440 year, not just like again, we you guys as you're listening 63 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:31,560 this not scripted. So we're this is right out. 64 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,120 This is out of the gate like we're just talking through and 65 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:39,120 it's sparking a thought in my mind today like I just really 66 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:41,600 want to do it. I just want I want a clean 67 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:43,880 conscience. I just really want to be right 68 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,040 with the Lord. I don't want to waste any more 69 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:49,560 time in my life. I really don't want to displease 70 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:51,680 him. I mean, if I'm in the flesh, I'm 71 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:54,360 selfish, then I'll let it go for a while. 72 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:59,080 But I mean, I can say with all my heart I desire to be a good 73 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,400 son. I desire to be a good servant. 74 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:06,400 I desire to be a good friend. Like my in the spirit. 75 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,720 My motives are I want to be more usable for God. 76 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:15,080 I want to enjoy him more. I don't want to I don't want to 77 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,880 let things go. I I just want a simple life, 78 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:20,600 right? Isn't that what the Bible isn't 79 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:22,560 the Bible tell us to live a simple life. 80 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:26,400 I really want a simple life. So much of life and ministry, 81 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:30,560 serving in a church or Even so much life and ministry in 82 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,720 general, because that's most of my life is so complicated, 83 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,400 difficult dealing with some of the worst sins. 84 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:39,640 Like how did you get like, I don't even know. 85 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:41,840 I don't even know how you got yourself in this mess. 86 00:04:41,840 --> 00:04:45,040 I I just want to help you out of it or you know, a hurt when I 87 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:49,480 had this young young person wait from a young lady wait for me 88 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:53,400 after service. It's been a busy ministry these 89 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,400 last few weeks like I've been here super late talking to 90 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:58,400 everybody praying with everyone. She waited. 91 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:00,720 All the pastors help you guys all help me. 92 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:02,720 But sometimes people just want to wait. 93 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:05,840 And I understand now that I talked to her why she wanted to 94 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:08,400 wait is a real real deep tragedy. 95 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,720 Just bad all the way around every part of it. 96 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:16,680 She's so young, got a couple kids and the father of her 97 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,240 children passed away and just a real complicated thing. 98 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:24,000 And we spent a good 45 minutes or so talking and praying and 99 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,320 talking things out and helping. And at the end of the time she 100 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:31,160 goes, I feel so much better. And you know, I don't want to be 101 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:37,920 here at this church in the flesh and holding on to grudges and 102 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:42,560 bitterness or whatever and miss out on her because that's why. 103 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:44,480 You're there. She comes every week. 104 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,680 She has a different name, sometimes different gender in 105 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,600 terms not her in particular. Like sometimes it's a guy that 106 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:52,040 needs help. Sometimes it's a woman, 107 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:53,840 sometimes it's older, sometimes it's younger. 108 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:56,520 Like they're here every they're here all the time. 109 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:57,880 They're here when we answer the phone. 110 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:02,480 And and so when you say walking in victory includes at the end 111 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:06,640 of the day coming clean before the Lord settling my motives 112 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,720 have even changed where I want to be. 113 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,920 I want to enjoy the Lord. There is a selfishness like I 114 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:15,400 guess a healthy covetousness. I want to covet deeper spiritual 115 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:20,720 like I I want more. But as I get older, I'm a few 116 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:24,160 years behind you, not very far, but a few years behind you. 117 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:29,160 And if the motive is not only to be in fellowship with the Lord, 118 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:34,240 but also you never know when she comes in, he comes in. 119 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:38,600 You never know when they call, she call and I don't want to be 120 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,440 in the flesh for them. We're told to be instant in 121 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:45,200 season and out of season and to be ready for that. 122 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,360 You just have to keep short accounts. 123 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:52,760 Even when you're you get upset or you're frustrated or 124 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,280 everything all has just turned chaotic. 125 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:00,800 God is still in control, and he puts in the midst of the chaos, 126 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,040 He put somebody in your life on purpose. 127 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:06,520 Yeah. It was the verse that I thought 128 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:10,200 of and I'm, I'm wanting this in my life is in First 129 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:12,440 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 11. 130 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:17,840 That you may also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your 131 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:21,880 business and to work with your own hands as we commanded you. 132 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:26,480 And those, those are principles that I, I want in the noise of 133 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:30,040 life and the noise of culture and the noise of the economy, in 134 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:34,360 the noise of politics and in the noise of all of that. 135 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,960 I want to live a quiet life. I want to mind my own business 136 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:41,200 and to work with my own hands, be faithful to what God's called 137 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:43,360 me to do. Kind of a summary of this whole 138 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:47,120 season too, as I'm listening to it and talking it out with you. 139 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:51,440 I love that. I love that angle of victory 140 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,040 comes. Part of it comes by having a 141 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:56,680 clean conscience at night and working things through things at 142 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:58,760 night. Let's go to the morning though. 143 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,200 How do we walk in victory in the morning? 144 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:05,640 It it's not as complicated as you might think I would offer 145 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:09,320 and Bob, you can offer on in response to this, but read your 146 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,560 Bible and pray every morning and that's going to set the course 147 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:14,600 of your life. You're in the word, you're 148 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,360 seeking the Lord, you're enjoying him, you're longing for 149 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:22,000 him If you don't read the Bible. My wife Marie, she has the Bible 150 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,520 read to her. She receives better by having 151 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:29,000 the Bible app just read to her the Bible and she's taking it in 152 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:34,200 and she's soaking in. But victory comes from faith. 153 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:39,600 It's a relationship with Jesus, abiding in Christ, drawing from 154 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:43,280 his strength, his resources, looking to him, the author and 155 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,800 finisher of our faith to reading your Bible, praying everyday. 156 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:50,280 Victory is yours in abiding life. 157 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:52,640 What do you think? How, how do you apply that? 158 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:54,200 What do you think? What do you have to add to that? 159 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:58,160 Well, when I get up in the morning, I know that. 160 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:03,040 And this is just, I think in the last eight years or so of my 161 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:09,360 life, as I get older, I'm learning more about God's heart 162 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:14,800 to me and what is expecting of me and reading the Gospels and 163 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:20,600 hearing how Jesus deals with people and how, because I've 164 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:23,960 been really hard on myself, especially in the first years of 165 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:26,320 my life. I was in a youth ministry 166 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:33,480 situation that was quite intense, all capital letters, 167 00:09:34,680 --> 00:09:37,720 not cultic, but just intense, like a mission. 168 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:40,680 So there was a lot of outward restrictions and outward 169 00:09:40,680 --> 00:09:43,480 disciplines and outward things that needed to be done. 170 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:50,000 And I think it robbed me from really enjoying the Lord as his 171 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:53,280 heart for me was just that he's happy that I'm with him. 172 00:09:54,120 --> 00:10:00,720 And so now here I'm 73 years old, walked in the Lord 55 years 173 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:08,440 and I just want to enjoy him and have him and see him and 174 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:12,120 understand him as he reveals himself in his words. 175 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:17,600 So I I get up and I know he's with me and I know it. 176 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:21,960 It's like having a having a friend coming in and just doing 177 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:26,720 life with you. And I need that time to in the 178 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:31,200 morning, just talk to him, thank him, or even calling me. 179 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:35,240 It always goes back to him even calling me because I have no 180 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,520 right for him to even search me out and call me. 181 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:43,800 I was in the world's orphanage and and I was messed up and and. 182 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:48,480 It was bad like that's our testimony and not everybody 183 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:52,600 listening in has as bad of a testimony as we do. 184 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:57,560 However, everyone listening was in a the same bad place. 185 00:10:57,560 --> 00:11:02,480 We were separate from God, dead in our trespasses and sins, and 186 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,880 in need of the convicting, wooing presence of the Holy 187 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:10,560 Spirit to bring us to Himself. Yeah, and just the fact that he 188 00:11:10,560 --> 00:11:15,360 did it, He chased me down, He boxed me and he gave me faith by 189 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,560 which to believe. He put people in my life where I 190 00:11:18,560 --> 00:11:22,680 couldn't get away from. And then he reasoned with me by 191 00:11:22,680 --> 00:11:25,960 his Holy Spirit and. And it always goes back to that. 192 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:30,160 And it's like, listen, I'm, you know, we'll work out these 193 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,160 things, those issues, but you're still, you know, I want you to 194 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:35,760 trust me that, you know, the Lord's speaking to me. 195 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,800 I want you to trust me on this, even though you can't figure it 196 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:40,080 out. I want you to trust me. 197 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:43,400 And let's just do life together here. 198 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:48,240 You want to finish well, finish every day well, that that means 199 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:51,000 you finish your week well. If you finish every day well, 200 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:53,840 that means you finish your, your year well. 201 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:59,360 And so just finish well, and that doesn't mean you're 202 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,440 perfect. Victory Day by day, victory may 203 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:04,920 not even be what people think it is like. 204 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:09,200 It's just this massive victorious life over the demonic 205 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:11,080 realm. And we're always walking with 206 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:14,880 strength and power and never I, I'm. 207 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:19,640 I'm certain that most listening to us do not hold to that form 208 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:23,400 of theology, but it's important we understand it so that we can 209 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,600 minister to people and help them understand that victory. 210 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:28,920 Kind of like success in her earlier episode, right? 211 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:33,160 I define success equals faithfulness to me, victory 212 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:35,520 equals faith. Just believe in God. 213 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:39,080 You, you mention you use the word trust, but without faith, 214 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:42,600 it's impossible to please God. We've all been given a measure 215 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:44,120 of faith. The Bible says so we're not 216 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:46,800 trying to muster it up and create it. 217 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,960 The bridge between enjoying because you you had mentioned 218 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:52,920 it. Everything in the Bible is true, 219 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:56,080 Bob, whether we believe it or not, it's all true. 220 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:59,320 It is God's word to us. Every promise is true. 221 00:12:59,680 --> 00:13:03,440 It's so much so that he even said that every All the promises 222 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:06,440 in God are all the promises are in Christ. 223 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:09,360 Yes and Amen. In case we couldn't come to that 224 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:14,480 conclusion, there is a very specific scripture that points 225 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:18,200 out the value of faith and being in Christ where that's the place 226 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:22,840 of peace and joy and the bridge if enjoying it all is faith 227 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:24,600 because it's going to be true whether you believe it or not. 228 00:13:24,680 --> 00:13:27,200 I mean, when you come to passages in the Bible, you don't 229 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,320 understand. To me, that's like it's food in 230 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:32,200 the freezer. You don't pull it out of the 231 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:34,600 freezer and just chomp on it. You don't get it. 232 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:38,000 I mean that there there are times that it's for later. 233 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,000 It's not for now, it's food in the freezer. 234 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,920 So if you don't understand it, just put a question mark by it 235 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:45,840 and keep on going. It's in the freezer, so that's 236 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:48,880 that's the picture in my mind. It's good because I keep I just 237 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:51,000 tell people skip it, write it down, skip it. 238 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:53,800 But that's a great you got to let it thaw and then you got to 239 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:55,120 cook it. You know, there's a great 240 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,240 illustration. There's another Bob ISM. 241 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,840 We're going to write a book of all the Bob isms because that's 242 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:03,480 a really good meant. That's a really good picture of, 243 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:07,000 of, of how to deal with difficulties. 244 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:09,520 You don't just throw it away, even if you don't understand, 245 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:11,520 don't know what you know, you and then you leave stuff in the 246 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,320 freezer so long that you don't know what what it is. 247 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,680 You got to give it some time to figure out what is it. 248 00:14:16,680 --> 00:14:22,880 Again, one of the scriptures that I was reminded of. 249 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:24,520 And this is in the heart of grace, right? 250 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:28,360 We're, we're so grateful to be a part of a ministry and to have a 251 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:33,440 pastor who set the the course of our ministry on the topic of 252 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:36,120 grace. Even Pastor Chuck Smith writing 253 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:43,600 a book Grace changes everything, an approach to life in Christ by 254 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:48,120 grace is so important that we're not only saved by grace that we 255 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:52,160 but we also live by grace. We're sustained by grace. 256 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:56,320 We're we're we're given day by day victory by grace and we're 257 00:14:56,320 --> 00:15:00,640 going to be in the presence of God in eternity by grace. 258 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:06,120 And one of the verses that always ministers to me because 259 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:10,320 it's real and true is when Paul wrote to the Corinthians and he 260 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:17,400 said, now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in 261 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:21,560 Christ and through US diffuses the fragrance of his knowledge 262 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:27,080 in every place. That tells me in a very simple 263 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:31,520 truth that if I follow the Lord, he's going to let me lead me to 264 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:34,800 triumph in victory. That's why I'm close to him. 265 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:37,640 I'm going to be in victory. 100%. 266 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:41,200 Those that have addictions and stuff, I always try to remind 267 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:44,360 them at the appropriate time. Like, I mean, look at you guys 268 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:46,760 for the last 90 minutes, you didn't take a drink, you didn't 269 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:50,360 smoke a pot you didn't like for 90 minutes because you were in 270 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:53,280 proximity to Jesus. Yeah, you were in church and 271 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:56,320 yeah, you're in Bible study. Don't, but you wanted God for 272 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:57,840 this 90 minutes. That's why you're here. 273 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:00,000 You want to God. You might be desperate. 274 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:03,280 You might even if you came with your grandmother and you decided 275 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:05,280 I'm going to go to church, but I know I'm going to go to church, 276 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:08,160 so I'm not going to be drinking, so grandma doesn't have to smell 277 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:10,560 my alcohol breath and whatever. It doesn't matter. 278 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:12,480 Doesn't even matter. All those details. 279 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,160 You're in a worship service for 90 minutes. 280 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:17,640 And I always like to remind them, look, you were living in 281 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:19,920 victory. You can do for 90 minutes. 282 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:22,440 You can do it for three hours. If you can do it for three 283 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:24,120 hours, you can do it for 10 hours. 284 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:26,000 If you do it for, you can do it for days. 285 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,040 Days become weeks. Weeks become months. 286 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:30,440 Months become years. Years become lifetimes. 287 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,160 Lifetime becomes a legacy to your family. 288 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:35,880 But it starts with your proximity to Jesus. 289 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:39,920 That's where victory is. He always leads us in victory. 290 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:43,240 Yeah, if you're following. If you're following, I mean you. 291 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:45,560 Yeah, he leads us. Yeah, you can't have to follow. 292 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:47,480 But but where is he going to lead you? 293 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:49,280 There is a destination that's abiding. 294 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:55,200 Yeah, it's through the cross and that's the that's the denial. 295 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:59,680 Jesus said if anyone come after me, let him deny himself. 296 00:16:59,920 --> 00:17:03,600 Take up his cross daily, which is an instrument of death, death 297 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:08,160 to the flesh, and follow me. He's not pushing in your way, He 298 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:14,560 wants you to follow. But the way of the cross is not 299 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:19,839 a comfortable path, not a convenient path that doesn't 300 00:17:19,839 --> 00:17:23,839 allow compromise, and so you got to get that straight. 301 00:17:24,319 --> 00:17:27,440 When I taught through this passage in Second Corinthians, 302 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:32,760 one of the principles that I shared with our church is that 303 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:37,600 it's important to understand and to know that, like grace, 304 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:41,440 victory is a gift. It's a gift. 305 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:45,400 We can't earn victory even in our fighting for victory or 306 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:47,600 battle. In spiritual warfare, we so 307 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:52,360 often revert to our own human effort, whether we realize it or 308 00:17:52,360 --> 00:17:54,560 not. It's how good I got to put the 309 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:56,240 armor on. I got to fight good. 310 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:57,880 I got to stand, I got, Oh, I got. 311 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:03,120 And it's so burdening and so difficult that we tend to avert 312 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:07,080 from things that burden us. But this gift, this gift starts 313 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:09,600 with leading. This gift starts with abiding. 314 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:11,680 This gift starts with all the way back. 315 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:14,560 Like you said, the gift of victory is something to be 316 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:15,880 received. Why? 317 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:18,360 He said, well, pastor, why would you say that? 318 00:18:18,360 --> 00:18:21,800 Well, because the victor lives inside of us. 319 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:27,440 So by faith we access grace just as much as we access victory. 320 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:31,840 As we allow God, as we allow Christ to express himself and 321 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:35,920 his life through us, we'll experience a continual, regular 322 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:41,080 victory over sin and temptation. It's not Jesus giving us victory 323 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:45,480 as much as it is Jesus is our victory. 324 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:48,560 He defeated sin and death on the cross. 325 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:52,280 It is finished. Done and to me that that lays 326 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:55,640 because I don't always remember. I mean I mean and I'm somebody 327 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:58,080 that knows the Bible I've spent in you've got more time in the 328 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:01,280 Bible than I do as well. But I don't always remember 329 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:03,920 these principles. I don't always remember verses. 330 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:07,840 I don't always remember, but I I do remember to run to the Lord. 331 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:11,360 I do remember past victories. I do remember that He has 332 00:19:11,360 --> 00:19:14,440 promised to give me all things pertaining to life and godliness 333 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:18,040 through the knowledge of Him. I do remember if I just simply 334 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:20,520 follow Him, I'll say I do remember if I can open the 335 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:25,360 Bible, God will meet me there. And living Victory Day by day is 336 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:27,520 so essential. You won't make it if you don't 337 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:29,160 look to the Lord, you won't make it. 338 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:33,400 All these other things we talked about, endurance upumone like 339 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:38,800 you. It all starts and continues and 340 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:44,000 ends abiding in Christ. He's the definition of victory, 341 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,680 like you said, But what does victory look like to him? 342 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:52,320 And it's always processing, always going back to that Lord, 343 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:56,520 what does it look like to you? What you know, I, I have my 344 00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:01,000 ideas and I'm so ambitious and I'm so want to please you and I 345 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,760 want, I want, I want. And and that's where you just 346 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:06,600 have to say, would you just rest? 347 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:12,440 You know, because the come to me and Matthew 11 ends up with rest 348 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,760 that that's the goal. It's like your kids and mine. 349 00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:20,640 There are behaviors with our kids that maybe bum us out. 350 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:24,400 There's behavior from our kids that encourage us, but they 351 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:27,160 never have to come to us and say, would you just love me? 352 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:30,280 Like no, good or bad, I love you. 353 00:20:31,360 --> 00:20:34,600 Happy or sad, I love you. Whether we're getting along 354 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:37,200 right now or not. I love you like that. 355 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,600 We've got to set aside all those secondary things that come out 356 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:44,480 of and from relationship and just come back to the you're my, 357 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:47,840 you're my son or daughter there. There is nothing you need to do 358 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:51,280 for me to love you. Nothing, nothing, nothing, 359 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:54,680 nothing. Now our behavior might define 360 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:57,960 how much we enjoy each other, how much we can enjoy life 361 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:01,960 together, how much you encourage me or I or discourage me. 362 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:05,240 That's true. But you, I mean, I can think of 363 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:09,120 all my kids or my grandson. Like if you had the chance to 364 00:21:09,120 --> 00:21:12,600 say you have nothing to do at all. 365 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:18,160 I love you explicitly. Yeah, and if, but if you grew up 366 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:23,560 in a family where you didn't have that and it was an abusive 367 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:31,720 situation, it's God has to burn into your heart the reality of 368 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:36,520 his love, which is on a different scale than what you've 369 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:40,320 experienced. And the a lot of the fight that 370 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:45,880 goes on is trying to cleanse, trying to wash from you those 371 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:52,600 incorrect word pictures and feelings and reactions that are 372 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:56,840 just like thumbprints on your soul from the sin. 373 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:03,520 And and the Lord is the healer. He is the the cleanser and and 374 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:09,320 he wants to break the chain so that in the people that you 375 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:12,480 interact with and maybe in your future life, if you have, if 376 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:15,680 you're not married, your future marriage, your future children, 377 00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:19,720 that you can break the chain and not continue that kind of 378 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:21,520 pattern. That's destructive. 379 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,560 It's really good that you said that because even in building 380 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,080 the bridge with that illustration and the 381 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:31,280 difficulties that many have experienced at home is it's 382 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:34,120 still accessed by faith. Like, you're going to have to 383 00:22:34,120 --> 00:22:36,200 trust God that He's going to take good care of you. 384 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,120 You're going to trust God that you're going to experience a 385 00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:42,640 love you've never experienced before, a grace that you didn't 386 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:45,120 get the privilege of being modeled in the human realm, 387 00:22:45,360 --> 00:22:48,520 maybe still not modeled. You know, adult children never 388 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:51,960 being affirmed by their parents, never receiving affirmation from 389 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:55,320 the people that they've valued or people that are important to 390 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:58,200 them in life. And it tends to keep you in a 391 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:01,280 defeated place. You just feel defeated that 392 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:03,040 we're almost done with this episode. 393 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:04,880 But Bob, I want to hear from you. 394 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:07,360 Maybe you can speak on. We always hear pastors. 395 00:23:07,360 --> 00:23:10,200 You've said it, I've said it. When we teach a Bible study, 396 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,800 we'll, we'll tell the church, you know what? 397 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:16,160 We fight from victory, not for victory. 398 00:23:16,360 --> 00:23:18,240 What are you trying to say when you say that? 399 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:21,960 Well, sometimes we're trying to find the strategy and the 400 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:27,440 formula to get to victory in what it looks like in our mind 401 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:33,160 and we forget that He has done the work, births God who works 402 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:37,120 in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure. 403 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:45,680 So there is that tension of he wants my involvement, He wants 404 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:51,560 my trust, but yet at the same time, he already knows what he 405 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:54,880 wants to do and he doesn't. He's no under no obligation to 406 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:58,280 tell me, but I'm just to trust Him and we're going to discover 407 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:00,720 it together even though he already knows. 408 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:04,120 And when I think of this victory, that's it's the best 409 00:24:04,120 --> 00:24:05,640 illustration I can come up with yet. 410 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:09,200 It's it's kind of like being on a football team or a baseball 411 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:14,280 team where you've already been shown the game you're about to 412 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:16,680 play. You already been shown all the 413 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:19,560 plays and everything. Somehow you're still going to 414 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:21,160 play that game. But you know the end. 415 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:24,000 It's already a victory. So when you play it, when you're 416 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:26,120 out on the field, you're you're going. 417 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:29,160 If you knew you were going to win already, hopefully it would 418 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:31,480 not in because you have integrity. 419 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,120 You won't make you lazy. You won't sit on the sidelines. 420 00:24:34,120 --> 00:24:36,160 You can't win that way. You still got to play the game, 421 00:24:36,360 --> 00:24:37,840 still got to give your best effort. 422 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,480 You still got to be the player and the part of the team that 423 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:42,480 you are. But if you knew you were going 424 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:45,360 to win already, you would play with such confidence. 425 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:49,360 You would play with such strength, you would know, hey, a 426 00:24:49,360 --> 00:24:52,440 bad it's OK, it's interception. Don't it's OK, it's OK. 427 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:54,960 Get back up. We got another play or it's a 428 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:58,360 crunch time and you know how nervous you get And when you 429 00:24:58,360 --> 00:25:00,880 don't know the outcome of a game, which is the normal way of 430 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:04,160 playing it, and you're just so worried and so concerning just 431 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,720 like, and then you might be that you might be upset, but but if 432 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:10,680 you knew you were going to win, you're going to like, it's all 433 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:12,120 right, everything's going to be fine. 434 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:14,840 We're winners here. Like it's going to be fine. 435 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:16,440 How do you know? Just don't worry about it. 436 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:17,800 I was in the twilight zone wherever. 437 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:20,120 I know, I know what it's going to be like, but you don't need 438 00:25:20,120 --> 00:25:22,640 to worry about it. We can have confidence because 439 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:27,360 we have one and life is very similar where we have to live. 440 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:32,600 We, we, we, we are living life. We do have relationships, but 441 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:37,000 according to the Bible, not only the Jesus Christ defeat sin and 442 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:40,320 death on the cross, but he rose again the third day. 443 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:45,920 He is the epitome of victory. And as we live the situations we 444 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:49,680 live in, that they aren't as bad as they seem because Jesus is 445 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:50,840 alive. Yeah. 446 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:55,320 And those that like right this second, there are so many 447 00:25:55,360 --> 00:26:00,480 believers, faithful believers close to the Lord, believers 448 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:04,440 that are suffering torturous situations in prisons around the 449 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:08,680 world, unfair, unjust, false accusations. 450 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:11,040 Is there life, a life of victory? 451 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:17,240 Well, as Jesus sees it, yes. And so we really have to be 452 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:22,320 careful how we define victory. And it starts with Jesus and 453 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:27,400 walking in life with him no matter what happens in life. 454 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:32,400 John the Baptist, when he had his doubts, he was where God 455 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:37,520 wanted him to be, to fulfill a higher purpose of the last of 456 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:41,200 the Old Testament prophets suffering the same as all the 457 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:44,800 other prophets did. It didn't work out like he 458 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:50,320 thought and yet he was faithful. He didn't do anything wrong, it 459 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:54,600 was just how it was not. Only that he received the 460 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,680 encouragement that he needed by sending the message to the right 461 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:00,960 person. He, he went to the right source. 462 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:05,040 I have a tendency to get up in my mind and I have a tendency to 463 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,680 make little things and the big things in my mind. 464 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:10,240 Before you know it, I could have brought the little thing to the 465 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:11,400 Lord. But now I got this big 466 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:15,400 complicated thing and have to sort it out because I could get 467 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:18,360 through the layers of my mind. But every time I come to the 468 00:27:18,360 --> 00:27:21,520 Lord, He strengthens me. Every time I come to the Lord, 469 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:25,640 He encourages me and let me clarify what that means. 470 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:27,600 That doesn't mean the problem went away. 471 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:30,320 It doesn't mean it's solved. I every time I come to the 472 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:31,960 world, Oh, he solve all my problems. 473 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:35,480 No, he is the solution like he will get me through. 474 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:39,200 He does get me through and he gives me the strength for today 475 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:42,360 and the hope for tomorrow. My pastor, Jeff Johnson would 476 00:27:42,360 --> 00:27:45,160 say that all the time. God gives us strength for the 477 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:50,560 day, yes and hope for tomorrow yes and I can look to him and so 478 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:53,920 I think it's important that we we realize that God has victory 479 00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:56,520 for you. You are in victory that it's 480 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:59,640 important that you realize that you look to him for victory, 481 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:04,680 that victory dwells in you and that you can live with a a very 482 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:09,960 strong forward moving life in Christ as you abide in him and 483 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:14,040 be useful for him. Be useful to him, but also enjoy 484 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:16,960 him like just you don't have to my kids are home. 485 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:20,680 They don't have to do anything that we're just together. 486 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:23,040 We're we're fine. We get to talk, we get to share, 487 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:26,840 but they have my love that period and and for those that 488 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:29,520 that can receive that today, receive it. 489 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:32,680 For those that are unable to receive it, then pray that the 490 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:36,960 Lord would give you capacity by grace to receive his love 491 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:40,280 unconditionally today. It'll encourage you and 492 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:42,040 strengthen you. Good stuff. 493 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:45,520 Thanks again, Bob for being here this season and today. 494 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:48,920 Yes, it's good. Lots of good discussions. 495 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:50,720 This is the lead to serve podcasts. 496 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:53,720 We're at the end of another episode, Season 6. 497 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:56,520 Great, great season, great discussions. 498 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:59,000 We want you to give us feedback. Please do. 499 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:03,680 You can do that. Texting US 720-608-0012. 500 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:08,240 Leave positive feedback on your podcast provider so it helps the 501 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:10,320 algorithms. And I'm asking you to do it. 502 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:13,440 Please do because it does help. Share it on your social media. 503 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:16,880 You can always e-mail us, contact us, go through the 504 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:24,880 church, calvaryco.churchcalvaryco.churchbobswebsitebobclaycamp.com, 505 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:30,360 my website at taylor.org. We'd love to hear from you, love 506 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:32,560 to interact with you. God bless you guys. 507 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:35,880 Till the next time the Lord encourage you, strengthen you, 508 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:40,680 and bless your life in Christ. Thank you for joining us for 509 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:43,920 this episode of Lead to Serve with Pastor Ed Taylor, a 510 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:47,120 leadership podcast from Calvary Church in Aurora, Co. 511 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:49,480 If you have a leadership question you want to hear 512 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:52,840 answered on a future Lead to Serve podcast, please e-mail it 513 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,480 to Pastor Ed at Calvary Co dot church. 514 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:59,080 And if you like our podcast, please subscribe, rate or review 515 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:02,280 us on iTunes and share us with your friends on social media. 516 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:05,480 Thanks again for joining us, and we'll see you next time right 517 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:07,600 here on the Lead to Serve podcast.