1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:03,600 It's very good to be here in Bakersfield. 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:07,300 I know yesterday, we enjoyed very much going to the wedding 3 00:00:07,500 --> 00:00:11,000 Sal and Diana and we wish them the very best and we all pray 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:15,800 for them as they go about their Christian life together. 5 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:20,500 It's just a wonderful thing that we can band together as husband 6 00:00:20,500 --> 00:00:24,200 and wife as Christians in a congregation and we can help 7 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,200 each other out. We can strengthen each other 8 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:29,700 looking at this story here in 1st. 9 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,000 Samuel. We look at this Giant Goliath 10 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:40,700 and Goliath is more than any man can face Goliath is wearing more 11 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:47,200 pounds of armor than I weigh. And and I'm not at that fighting 12 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:50,200 weight either. I guess you would say this man 13 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:53,700 is so big. He's not something that, you 14 00:00:53,708 --> 00:01:00,000 know, the first guy just trots out and And, you know, goes up 15 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:05,099 against this six cubits. Six cubits is 9 foot tall, plus 16 00:01:05,099 --> 00:01:09,200 another 6 inches. So this guy is very tall, we've 17 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,300 never seen a guy as big as Goliath in our lifetime. 18 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:17,000 The tallest man right now on Earth is roughly eight foot tall 19 00:01:17,300 --> 00:01:20,700 and I saw a picture of him the other day and his picture was 20 00:01:20,700 --> 00:01:27,200 taken in New York on Wall Street and of all the things that he 21 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,900 was looking. Duvall in the United States. 22 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,300 Something he said was he would really like a little romance and 23 00:01:34,300 --> 00:01:37,600 he would really like to be able to get married someday, but he 24 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:40,200 just hasn't found that eight foot tall woman yet. 25 00:01:40,900 --> 00:01:46,100 So everything's not great for guys who are nine foot tall but 26 00:01:46,100 --> 00:01:48,500 they are pretty fierce when they come out to battle you. 27 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:51,700 So in this story the Israelites had a great problem. 28 00:01:51,700 --> 00:01:55,800 There's nobody there who's going to hustle right out here they 29 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,900 are at war with the Philistines. The Philistines have this huge 30 00:01:59,900 --> 00:02:04,200 God, they made a challenge and you know, think about this also 31 00:02:04,500 --> 00:02:07,300 just because the guy comes out in the middle of the field and 32 00:02:07,300 --> 00:02:10,500 says I'm nine foot tall and I can beat anybody in the Israel 33 00:02:10,500 --> 00:02:13,000 army. Why don't you send one man out 34 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:15,400 here to fight me? That's no reason for the 35 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,200 Israelites to agree. They could have just said, 36 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,700 forget you dude. We're not going to do one on one 37 00:02:20,700 --> 00:02:22,400 here. We're going to send a hundred 38 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:27,100 guys out to fight this one. Big guy because That's the way 39 00:02:27,100 --> 00:02:31,400 we want to do it but for some reason, the Israelites think I 40 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:36,100 got a fight on this guy's terms. We have to go out and we have to 41 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:41,000 fight this guy and no Israel, no, no single guy in Israel by 42 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,000 himself. Can go out and do this. 43 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:45,800 They knew they had a fight that they couldn't win. 44 00:02:46,500 --> 00:02:51,000 And Jesus told us don't get into a fight that you can't win in 45 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:55,300 Luke, the 14th chapter verse 31, it says or what king is going to 46 00:02:55,300 --> 00:02:59,500 make war against The king does not sit down first and consider 47 00:02:59,500 --> 00:03:04,000 whether he is able, but 10,000 to meet who him who has. 48 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:08,200 I'm sorry to meet him who comes out against him with twenty 49 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,400 thousand or else while the other is a great way off. 50 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:15,100 He sends a delegation and ask the conditions of Peace. 51 00:03:15,700 --> 00:03:18,500 Jesus said, don't just jump into these fights. 52 00:03:18,500 --> 00:03:21,600 When you know, you're not going to win that he said a king 53 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:24,700 doesn't go out with 10,000 men when he sees another king coming 54 00:03:24,700 --> 00:03:26,200 against him with twenty thousand men. 55 00:03:26,300 --> 00:03:30,100 When it doesn't make sense. So what happened in this story? 56 00:03:30,500 --> 00:03:34,400 What did David do in this story? Look at first Samuel, the 17th 57 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,600 chapter looking down, at verse 32, it says, then David said to 58 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:43,000 Saul that no one's heart fail because of him, your servant 59 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,300 will go and fight this philistine. 60 00:03:46,900 --> 00:03:50,400 And Saul said to David, you're not able to go against this 61 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,400 Philistine to fight against him. You are a youth, and he is a man 62 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:58,100 of war from his youth. So here. 63 00:04:00,100 --> 00:04:03,400 Saul the king here. Here's David and David is 64 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,300 talking about going and fighting this Goliath. 65 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,900 And you might think you know the first time he heard this or when 66 00:04:10,900 --> 00:04:13,500 this first came up you might think this is just some Brash 67 00:04:13,500 --> 00:04:17,500 talking teenager and you know, you've all been around teenagers 68 00:04:17,500 --> 00:04:19,899 who thought they could just take the World by the tail. 69 00:04:19,899 --> 00:04:23,000 There were the toughest guys in the world and here comes this 70 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,600 teenager guy, not even the biggest toughest guy in Israel. 71 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,200 Here Comes This. Teenager guy up to the King 72 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,200 saying, don't worry about it. I'm going to go out and fight 73 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,100 this guy. So what do you think the king 74 00:04:34,100 --> 00:04:40,300 thinks? Well, you know, the Kings got to 75 00:04:40,300 --> 00:04:43,600 think what is up with this guy? Does he think he's Invincible or 76 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:45,800 what? But this was not the case with 77 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:47,600 David. This was not the case with 78 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,400 David. He did not think I am so young 79 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,400 and tough that nothing's going to happen to me. 80 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,200 He had something else that he knew about and that was God. 81 00:04:56,500 --> 00:04:57,700 In verse 34. It says. 82 00:04:57,700 --> 00:05:00,800 But David said, to Saul your servant used to keep his 83 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:04,500 father's sheep and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb 84 00:05:04,500 --> 00:05:08,400 out of the flock, I went out after it and I struck it and 85 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:10,300 delivered. Lamb from its mouth. 86 00:05:10,300 --> 00:05:13,900 And when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard and 87 00:05:13,900 --> 00:05:17,300 struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both 88 00:05:17,300 --> 00:05:21,000 lion and Bear. And this uncircumcised 89 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,500 Philistine will be like one of them seeing that he is defiled, 90 00:05:24,500 --> 00:05:27,900 the armies of the Living God, I'm sorry defied. 91 00:05:27,900 --> 00:05:31,800 The armies of the Living God, moreover David said the Lord who 92 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,300 delivered me from the Paw of the lion. 93 00:05:34,500 --> 00:05:38,200 And from the Paw of the bear, he will deliver me from the hand of 94 00:05:38,207 --> 00:05:42,900 this Philistine and Saul said to David go and the Lord be with 95 00:05:42,900 --> 00:05:46,400 you. So David. 96 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,600 He knows that he cannot face this challenge by himself. 97 00:05:50,700 --> 00:05:54,100 He's not just up at the Kings face saying, uh, you know, you 98 00:05:54,100 --> 00:05:57,200 guys are all scared and all that and I can go out there and do 99 00:05:57,200 --> 00:05:58,800 this. He knows he can't do it by 100 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:03,200 himself and he knows also, he does not have to fight this 101 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:06,800 giant by himself. He knows that God is on his side 102 00:06:07,300 --> 00:06:12,000 and when he talks to the king about God and his faith in God, 103 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:17,200 then the king recognizes that this faith of David is greater 104 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:21,300 Then the faith of the rest of the army of Israel because they 105 00:06:21,300 --> 00:06:23,300 have just been cowering on their side. 106 00:06:23,900 --> 00:06:27,500 But this man has Faith, even though he's young, he has great 107 00:06:27,500 --> 00:06:30,800 faith. And, you know what I said 108 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,800 before, when you get ready to fight, don't let your enemies 109 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:39,400 Seth the rules, just because this guy came out and said, send 110 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:44,300 one guy out here to fight me is no reason why Israel should have 111 00:06:44,300 --> 00:06:46,200 said. Oh well, they've got this plan 112 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,300 for us to fight against them and just go out there on their 113 00:06:49,300 --> 00:06:51,700 rules. That is a problem that we have 114 00:06:51,700 --> 00:06:56,600 when we come up to face evil, we think that we have to face evil 115 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:01,000 on evils terms when we go up against something we think, 116 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,900 well, that's the way the world works and we try to beat 117 00:07:03,900 --> 00:07:06,600 Temptation on our own. It's just when we have a 118 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,600 Temptation we're like we're going to tough it out or we're 119 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,300 going to just do that. But that's what Satan wants you 120 00:07:12,300 --> 00:07:14,800 to think that's the enemies rules. 121 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,300 The enemy is rules thinks want you to think? 122 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,300 Yeah, it's Satan against me when I have a Temptation. 123 00:07:20,500 --> 00:07:22,800 That's, not it at all. We have God. 124 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,400 We always have God. And when we're in the middle of 125 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:30,000 the army of God, like this congregation here and we're 126 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,700 coming up against a Temptation, we're coming up against the 127 00:07:32,700 --> 00:07:34,900 enemy. There's no reason for us to 128 00:07:34,900 --> 00:07:38,900 think it's us against them. It's one against one, it's us 129 00:07:38,900 --> 00:07:43,300 against Satan, it's not, it's all of us against evil, and when 130 00:07:43,300 --> 00:07:46,700 we come up against that problem, we need to look around and say, 131 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,600 hey, I need Need some help here. Let's get some help from some 132 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:51,900 people around here. We don't have a problem with 133 00:07:51,900 --> 00:07:53,400 that. We're all playing tennis were 134 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:55,800 doing something. The ball goes over the fence. 135 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:58,700 We see some other people will yell, hey, little help over 136 00:07:58,700 --> 00:08:01,500 there and they go get the ball, they throw it back. 137 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:05,100 But when we come up against something, we don't think to 138 00:08:05,100 --> 00:08:07,800 turn around to the other Christians and say, how about a 139 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:11,300 little help over here. That's why we're here. 140 00:08:11,300 --> 00:08:13,600 That's why we're together get some help. 141 00:08:14,100 --> 00:08:17,300 So here's the part of the story, that caught my eye the other 142 00:08:17,300 --> 00:08:23,200 Sunday when when Dwayne was teaching about the King David 143 00:08:23,700 --> 00:08:27,200 and the 40th verse. It says, then he took his staff 144 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:31,900 in his hand and he chose for himself five smooth stones from 145 00:08:31,900 --> 00:08:36,200 the brook and put them in a Shepherds bag in a pouch, which 146 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,299 he had. And his sling was in his hand 147 00:08:39,299 --> 00:08:41,600 and he drew Heir to the philistine. 148 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:48,500 You know, in this story leading up to the point here, it's all 149 00:08:48,500 --> 00:08:53,300 about David's faith in God. David is going up against this 150 00:08:53,300 --> 00:08:57,700 giant, not because he's so strong, but because of his faith 151 00:08:57,700 --> 00:09:02,500 in God, It's all about how the God will deliver. 152 00:09:02,500 --> 00:09:05,700 The Israelites, this story is all about how God will deliver 153 00:09:05,700 --> 00:09:10,400 them if they have faith in him, it's about how God is going to 154 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:13,400 Smite this giant. And we've heard the story before 155 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:18,600 we know who wins in the end. And personally, I expect God to 156 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:22,100 do everything for me. If God's going to take care of 157 00:09:22,100 --> 00:09:27,900 something for me, I think that personally, it should be by 158 00:09:27,900 --> 00:09:30,800 lightning. God should have just struck down 159 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:33,900 this Goliath guy by lightning because I like lightning best. 160 00:09:34,300 --> 00:09:35,900 You know? If it's going to happen, I 161 00:09:35,900 --> 00:09:37,600 should be sitting in my recliner. 162 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:41,300 I should be seeing it on TV and it should happen by lightning. 163 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,300 That's how God ought to take care of all my problems. 164 00:09:44,700 --> 00:09:48,500 Now maybe you also have your own personal way that you think God 165 00:09:48,500 --> 00:09:50,200 should take care of your problems. 166 00:09:50,700 --> 00:09:55,300 When the evil comes up against you you may just think well, got 167 00:09:55,300 --> 00:09:58,500 out of just stop it at the front door or God ought to just strike 168 00:09:58,500 --> 00:10:00,500 me death. So I don't hear people taunting 169 00:10:00,500 --> 00:10:04,400 me or you may have this this whole thing that you like God to 170 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:08,900 do things personally mines lightning but that wasn't the 171 00:10:08,900 --> 00:10:12,700 attitude of David. He knew he had to prepare for 172 00:10:12,700 --> 00:10:15,400 the fights and you look at this giant. 173 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,600 You look at Dave and you go, what's this guy going to do to 174 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,200 prepare for the fight? You know what, you're not the 175 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:24,000 first person who thought that you look at the story. 176 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,500 You'll discover that there were other people who are saying, 177 00:10:28,500 --> 00:10:31,900 what's this guy going to have to do to prepare for to fight this 178 00:10:31,900 --> 00:10:33,700 giant, you all. Look at this store and you'll 179 00:10:33,700 --> 00:10:37,500 see the king brought his armor in and said, put this armor on 180 00:10:37,500 --> 00:10:41,300 David because David has to prepare for this fight, they put 181 00:10:41,300 --> 00:10:43,700 the armor on David and was all just too heavy. 182 00:10:43,900 --> 00:10:48,900 It was cumbersome for him to do anything and you're reminded 183 00:10:48,900 --> 00:10:51,600 that David fought many battles after this. 184 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:55,200 He fought battles his whole life and all that. 185 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:57,100 Models. We see David after this, he's 186 00:10:57,100 --> 00:10:59,200 wearing armor, he's wearing a helmet. 187 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:01,100 He's got a sword. He's got all these different 188 00:11:01,100 --> 00:11:03,400 things. David always prepared. 189 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:08,700 He didn't say, well, I went and beat a giant with a slingshot. 190 00:11:08,700 --> 00:11:12,100 So the rest of my fighting career, I'm just going to carry 191 00:11:12,100 --> 00:11:14,900 a slingshot didn't happen that way. 192 00:11:15,300 --> 00:11:22,800 David always prepared. and this time, he prepared five smooth 193 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:26,800 stones out of the creek, Five, smooth Stones. 194 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:30,700 He went down to the creek and he got five, smooth stones. 195 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:33,700 And you look at this, you look at this giant. 196 00:11:33,900 --> 00:11:38,200 And you look at David and throwing rocks at a guy, 9 foot 197 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:43,200 tall is just pretty ludicrous. He didn't just go out there and 198 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:46,500 grab some stones and and say, I'm going to throw rocks at this 199 00:11:46,500 --> 00:11:49,900 guy until he goes home. It didn't work that way. 200 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,900 He went and he got five smooth stones. 201 00:11:53,900 --> 00:11:57,900 The same is true of our weapons to defeat sin. 202 00:11:58,500 --> 00:12:02,200 Some of them sound pretty ludicrous to the people in the 203 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:05,200 world around us. They don't think a guys going to 204 00:12:05,208 --> 00:12:08,200 throw rocks at a giant till he goes home or dies. 205 00:12:08,900 --> 00:12:13,500 But it is through works of righteousness and it's our that 206 00:12:13,500 --> 00:12:16,900 our faith is perfected. It is through our faith that we 207 00:12:16,900 --> 00:12:21,700 can, we can defeat evil, but we have to do the things we have to 208 00:12:21,700 --> 00:12:24,700 do the things to prepare. To fight against evil. 209 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,700 Look at first Samuel, the 17th chapter reading the story 210 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,700 through here. In verse 45, it says then David 211 00:12:31,700 --> 00:12:35,700 said to the Philistine you have come to me with a sword with a 212 00:12:35,700 --> 00:12:39,800 spear and with a javelin but I come to you in the name of the 213 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:43,200 Lord of hosts, the god of the armies of Israel. 214 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:46,900 Whom you have defied this day, the Lord will deliver you into 215 00:12:46,900 --> 00:12:50,200 my hand and I will strike you and take your head from you. 216 00:12:50,300 --> 00:12:54,500 And this day I will give the carcasses one of the camp of the 217 00:12:54,500 --> 00:12:57,900 Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the 218 00:12:57,900 --> 00:13:00,900 earth that all the Earth. May know that there is a God in 219 00:13:00,900 --> 00:13:04,200 Israel, then all of this assembly shall know that the 220 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:07,900 Lord does not say with sword and spear for the battle is the 221 00:13:07,900 --> 00:13:10,600 Lord's and he will give you into our hands. 222 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,300 And so it was when the Philistine Rose and came Drew 223 00:13:14,300 --> 00:13:18,200 and Drew near to David that David hurried and ran toward the 224 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:22,100 Army to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in his 225 00:13:22,100 --> 00:13:25,200 bag and took out a stone. Phone and he slung it and struck 226 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:29,400 the Philistine in his forehead so that the stone sank into his 227 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:31,900 forehead. And he fell on his face to the 228 00:13:31,900 --> 00:13:34,100 Earth. So David prevailed, over the 229 00:13:34,100 --> 00:13:38,700 Philistine with a sling and a stone and struck the Philistine 230 00:13:38,700 --> 00:13:43,400 and killed him. So this is the story and we've 231 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:48,200 heard it before David, took that stone, one of those five stones 232 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:51,200 that he gathered up and incidentally, he didn't just 233 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:55,600 take one smooth Stone. We only know that he put one in 234 00:13:55,600 --> 00:14:00,600 his sling and he killed this Philistine and he cut his head 235 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,400 off, and they went on and they defeated the army of the 236 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:06,100 Philistines. And three points. 237 00:14:06,100 --> 00:14:11,500 I want to make about this story number one, David said before 238 00:14:11,500 --> 00:14:14,500 the fight that the Lord was going to save him. 239 00:14:14,700 --> 00:14:18,600 David said, the Lord is going to save me before this fight, and 240 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:22,400 after the fight David said, God has saved me. 241 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:27,600 But in between he made preparation for the fight and he 242 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:32,100 fought now all the time before, when I looked at this story, I 243 00:14:32,100 --> 00:14:37,000 remembered he said, God is going to Me and when God did save him 244 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:41,500 he said God did save me but I never remembered that in the 245 00:14:41,500 --> 00:14:44,100 middle. He made preparation and he 246 00:14:44,100 --> 00:14:48,800 fought and I think that's my problem, a lot, I read and I 247 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:52,800 study, I have faith in God and I think God is going to save me 248 00:14:53,300 --> 00:14:55,300 through faith. God is going to save me. 249 00:14:55,700 --> 00:14:59,600 And when I get through a Temptation, I say, God saved me 250 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:03,200 from that temptation. But I don't always remember. 251 00:15:03,500 --> 00:15:06,600 I got to get ready to fight. Fight and I got a fight when 252 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,900 it's happening and that's the thing about the story that I 253 00:15:09,900 --> 00:15:15,100 always forget. I always remember God's going to 254 00:15:15,100 --> 00:15:17,700 do something, but I don't remember. 255 00:15:17,700 --> 00:15:21,600 I got to do something. There's a job in here for me if 256 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,700 we're going to fight on the Lord's Side, we have to make 257 00:15:24,700 --> 00:15:27,800 preparation and we have to engage in the battle. 258 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:31,900 We can't just sit in our recliners and expect God to take 259 00:15:31,900 --> 00:15:37,800 the fight to everybody for us. You know, something that we have 260 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:42,300 to prepare for this fight, as we have to prepare our hearts to be 261 00:15:42,300 --> 00:15:46,700 ready to find on God's side before the Israelites went out 262 00:15:46,700 --> 00:15:50,200 to fight the Philistines. The prophet Samuel told them 263 00:15:50,300 --> 00:15:53,300 that they must first prepare their hearts looking in. 264 00:15:53,300 --> 00:15:56,700 First Samuel, the seventh chapter looking at verse 3. 265 00:15:56,700 --> 00:16:01,000 It says then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel saying if 266 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:04,500 you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away. 267 00:16:04,700 --> 00:16:08,000 The foreign gods and the astronauts from among you, and 268 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,900 prepare your hearts for the Lord and serve him only, and he will 269 00:16:11,900 --> 00:16:14,200 deliver you from the hand of the Philistines. 270 00:16:14,500 --> 00:16:17,400 So the children of Israel, put away, the Bales and the 271 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:23,200 ashtaroth and serve the Lord only You know, we receive a very 272 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:28,700 helpful lesson here from the prophet who says, put everything 273 00:16:28,700 --> 00:16:31,700 else out of your heart, put all of those other things out of 274 00:16:31,700 --> 00:16:36,200 your heart that you're serving so that you can serve God. 275 00:16:36,900 --> 00:16:40,500 We have to purify our hearts. It's one of the first steps we 276 00:16:40,500 --> 00:16:46,200 must take to be ready to serve God and to defeat Satan in this 277 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:49,900 case the Israelites had to get rid of all the practices of 278 00:16:49,900 --> 00:16:53,900 worshipping idols. Nothing could come before God 279 00:16:53,900 --> 00:16:56,500 and their particular life. It's the same with us. 280 00:16:56,500 --> 00:17:00,300 Today, we have all sorts of religions in the world around 281 00:17:00,300 --> 00:17:02,400 us. And some of those religions can 282 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:06,800 just sneak into your thinking, if you're not careful and a lot 283 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:10,000 of this stuff has come into our culture that we don't really 284 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,000 realize. Now, I was at work the other day 285 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:16,099 in a meeting. And someone said, let's all 286 00:17:16,099 --> 00:17:20,700 think positive salt thoughts, so that we have good karma. 287 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:24,700 I don't have good karma. I'm a Christian. 288 00:17:24,700 --> 00:17:28,800 I'm not Hindu, I don't Worship in the Hindu religion. 289 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:34,600 Karma is a Hindu religious thing so I don't have good karma and 290 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:38,000 my response back to them. My karma is a Corvette with my 291 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:39,900 after it. I don't have it. 292 00:17:39,900 --> 00:17:44,000 I'm a Christian and that's the things we have to think about. 293 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:47,200 And we can't just let the religious things of the day. 294 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:52,700 Sneak into our minds sneak into our our talk, So many times we 295 00:17:52,700 --> 00:17:57,800 hear people say mother earth this and Mother Earth that the 296 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:00,800 Earth is not a mother. The Earth is just another 297 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,700 possession of God. And when God has done with this 298 00:18:03,700 --> 00:18:06,200 Earth, he will, he will do away with it. 299 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:08,700 So, we can't just let these things sneak into our brains, 300 00:18:08,700 --> 00:18:11,600 and suddenly were saying, okay, everybody in the room, have good 301 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,800 karma, we're Christians. We don't have good karma. 302 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:16,500 We're not part of the Hindu religion. 303 00:18:16,700 --> 00:18:21,600 We must purify our minds purify, our hearts and second Quran, 304 00:18:21,700 --> 00:18:23,800 Chuckles. The 12th chapter verse 14. 305 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:28,700 It says and he did Evil because he did not prepare his heart to 306 00:18:28,700 --> 00:18:34,700 seek the Lord, Psalm the 10th. Psalm verse 17, Lord, you have 307 00:18:34,700 --> 00:18:38,300 heard the desire of the humble, you will prepare their heart, 308 00:18:38,300 --> 00:18:42,300 you will cause your ear to hear. So, we must prepare our hearts 309 00:18:42,300 --> 00:18:46,300 to worship God and to serve, God and put all of these things of 310 00:18:46,300 --> 00:18:48,800 our culture. All of the other religions of 311 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:53,000 our day, out of our minds. We also Have to prepare for our 312 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,900 worship. We can't just, you know, stumble 313 00:18:56,900 --> 00:18:59,300 through life and show up here, every now and then. 314 00:18:59,300 --> 00:19:03,800 And and think that that is serving God, when the Israelites 315 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:08,800 worshipped in the way that God required of them, it took them 316 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:12,600 days of preparation before their big feast days. 317 00:19:13,100 --> 00:19:15,800 You know, we have an example of the disciples getting ready for 318 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:18,000 celebrating the Passover with Jesus. 319 00:19:18,300 --> 00:19:22,100 In Matthew, the 26th, chapter Matthew, 26 verse. 14. 320 00:19:22,100 --> 00:19:25,300 It says now the first day of the Feast of unleavened bread, the 321 00:19:25,308 --> 00:19:27,600 disciples came to Jesus saying to him. 322 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:31,500 Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover? 323 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:35,800 Now, it was the first day of the Feast of unleavened bread and 324 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:38,900 these disciples. They knew that at the end of the 325 00:19:38,900 --> 00:19:43,200 seven days of the Feast of unleavened bread, the Passover 326 00:19:43,500 --> 00:19:46,900 was to be observed there, so they made preparation for it. 327 00:19:47,100 --> 00:19:50,100 It was a reminder to them. Hey, at the end of these seven 328 00:19:50,100 --> 00:19:53,700 days is going to be the past, Or we have to get ready to 329 00:19:53,700 --> 00:19:56,700 celebrate the Passover somewhere, so they talk to Jesus 330 00:19:56,700 --> 00:19:59,900 about it. You know, we know that the end 331 00:19:59,900 --> 00:20:04,500 of every week, another week generally starts, unless Jesus 332 00:20:04,500 --> 00:20:07,400 comes to take us home. So, we know, when we're getting 333 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:10,100 to the end of the week, another week's going to start. 334 00:20:10,100 --> 00:20:12,600 There's going to be a first day of the week coming up here 335 00:20:12,900 --> 00:20:17,400 pretty soon, so we need to make preparations and it may be as 336 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:20,600 easy as, you know, getting our life in order. 337 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:24,000 So that something Doesn't come up unexpectedly on Sunday 338 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:28,400 morning and we just drive over to our local congregation, but 339 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:31,900 you might be doing something special and you may have to make 340 00:20:31,900 --> 00:20:35,500 some preparation and I don't say this to brag, but I will say 341 00:20:35,500 --> 00:20:38,700 this that you have. Sometimes you have to think 342 00:20:38,700 --> 00:20:43,100 months ahead to prepare for worshipping now, I was just in 343 00:20:43,100 --> 00:20:46,600 Hong Kong and I don't know of a church in Hong Kong. 344 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:49,800 I know of a church in the Philippines and I know of a 345 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,500 church in Malaysia. So, Months ago when I was making 346 00:20:53,500 --> 00:20:57,200 my preparation to Hong Kong, I bought an airline ticket that 347 00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:00,900 was going to fly me for hours from Hong Kong over to Malaysia 348 00:21:00,900 --> 00:21:02,800 so that I could worship on Sunday. 349 00:21:03,300 --> 00:21:05,600 Now, that's a case of making preparation. 350 00:21:05,900 --> 00:21:08,100 That's a making preparation, physically. 351 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:11,700 I didn't wake up on Sunday, morning in Hong Kong and say, 352 00:21:12,500 --> 00:21:14,500 how am I going to worship God today? 353 00:21:15,500 --> 00:21:18,000 You have to make preparation, you have to get ready for it in 354 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,400 advance. I knew I was going to Worship 355 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:24,600 the Lord on Sunday because I had bought a ticket some months 356 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:26,500 earlier, and I was going to be there. 357 00:21:26,900 --> 00:21:29,800 Now, it may be in your heart that you need to make this 358 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,300 preparation. You may have done all kinds of 359 00:21:32,300 --> 00:21:35,300 things on Saturday, you may have gone to the best college 360 00:21:35,300 --> 00:21:37,400 football game. You may have done all kinds of 361 00:21:37,408 --> 00:21:41,100 stuff, your team may have one. You may have gone to bed late 362 00:21:41,100 --> 00:21:45,200 and get up on Sunday and go. Oh, I just can't make it. 363 00:21:45,900 --> 00:21:49,500 We have to make preparation every single week that we can 364 00:21:49,500 --> 00:21:52,100 worship God, that we can serve our God. 365 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:56,700 We should be making plans and preparation always Hebrews. 366 00:21:56,700 --> 00:22:00,400 The 10th chapter verse 24 and let us consider one another in 367 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:03,000 order to stir up. Love and good works, not 368 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:06,700 forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner 369 00:22:06,700 --> 00:22:10,600 of some, but exhorting, one another and so much the more as 370 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:14,200 you see the day approaching. So we should be helping each 371 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:15,600 other. We should be making our own 372 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:18,800 Operation and helping each other make preparation. 373 00:22:19,100 --> 00:22:22,900 So that when it's time to worship, God, we are here. 374 00:22:22,900 --> 00:22:27,000 We are in the right mindset. And, you know, when service is 375 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:31,800 about to start, we need to to prepare our minds for worship 376 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:34,300 also and I know we love to see each other. 377 00:22:34,300 --> 00:22:37,500 We like to hug each other shake hands, you know, talk to each 378 00:22:37,500 --> 00:22:39,300 other about what's going on in our life. 379 00:22:39,300 --> 00:22:44,000 But there's going to come a time that we have to be ready to 380 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,600 Worship in. In the first chapter verse 9, it 381 00:22:47,608 --> 00:22:50,100 talks about John. It says, I John both your 382 00:22:50,100 --> 00:22:53,400 brother and companion in the tribulation and the kingdom, and 383 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:55,800 the patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island. 384 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,900 That was called Patmos for the word of God. 385 00:22:58,900 --> 00:23:01,000 And for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 386 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,900 And I was in the spirit on the Lord's day. 387 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,300 I don't know exactly what in the spirit on the Lord's Day. 388 00:23:07,300 --> 00:23:11,900 Means I, I just don't know that, but I know that John was ready, 389 00:23:11,900 --> 00:23:15,500 John was prepared to Worship in his mind on the Lord. 390 00:23:16,700 --> 00:23:19,700 Now other things we have to do, we don't just come to this 391 00:23:19,700 --> 00:23:22,700 building, we have to prepare to do. 392 00:23:22,700 --> 00:23:27,500 Good works in our lives, and God knew that we needed to prepare 393 00:23:27,500 --> 00:23:31,400 for everything and we do need to prepare to have success. 394 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:34,300 The Apostle wrote this to the Corinthians in second 395 00:23:34,300 --> 00:23:37,400 Corinthians, the ninth chapter. Second Corinthians. 396 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:41,100 And I chapter verse 5, it says, therefore I thought it necessary 397 00:23:41,100 --> 00:23:45,300 to exhort the Brethren to go to you ahead of time and prepare 398 00:23:45,300 --> 00:23:48,700 your Generous gift beforehand, which you had previously 399 00:23:48,700 --> 00:23:53,600 promised that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not 400 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:59,600 as a grudging obligation. So God knew that we as humans 401 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:03,900 need to set some money aside in advance in order to do good 402 00:24:03,900 --> 00:24:06,700 things and to take take care of the needs of the church. 403 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:12,600 And The Corinthians had said we're going to do this, we're 404 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,400 going to help these people that are in Jerusalem out because 405 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,800 they're having a famine and they can't work as much as they would 406 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:20,800 like to. And they're we're going to help 407 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:24,600 them out and the Apostle, Paul knew that they were human just 408 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:27,700 like the rest of us. So the Apostle Paul wrote them 409 00:24:27,700 --> 00:24:30,600 letters and said, hey remember you said you were going to help 410 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:34,100 the people out in Jerusalem? Well now's the time to be ready 411 00:24:34,100 --> 00:24:38,800 to do this, not the day I show up but weeks ahead. 412 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,800 Once ahead, you need to set aside money in a treasury so 413 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:44,900 that you can do what is good for the church. 414 00:24:44,900 --> 00:24:47,300 What is good for the people in Jerusalem. 415 00:24:47,500 --> 00:24:50,400 Not when I show up, then you go you Grumble around you. 416 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,700 Oh man Paul's here already and we didn't put any money aside 417 00:24:53,700 --> 00:24:58,800 and and you know I got to make a payment on that boat and he's 418 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:02,700 going to want money from us. No, they were to prepare, we are 419 00:25:02,700 --> 00:25:05,600 to prepare. If we didn't give every Sunday 420 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:08,700 to the Lord, there wouldn't be much. 421 00:25:08,900 --> 00:25:12,200 We ahead to support preachers. That wouldn't be money to 422 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:15,100 maintain this building. There wouldn't be money to put 423 00:25:15,100 --> 00:25:18,200 out flyers when there's a meeting all this kind of stuff 424 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:21,800 because stuff happens to us every day in the world and 425 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:26,500 things come up unexpectedly and we are to prepare to do. 426 00:25:26,500 --> 00:25:29,500 Good works. We are to prepare to do the work 427 00:25:29,500 --> 00:25:33,300 of God and to spread the gospel so that when something 428 00:25:33,300 --> 00:25:36,000 unexpected comes up, it doesn't bother us. 429 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,100 Have you ever made a commitment to someone? 430 00:25:39,300 --> 00:25:43,400 And when it came time, you just weren't prepared for that guy. 431 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,800 Calls you on the phone and goes up, this is the Saturday, I'm 432 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:47,400 moving. Yeah, you said you'd bring your 433 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:51,400 truck over and help me move. And you go, hmm. 434 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:55,400 My football teams on in 10 minutes, what am I going to do? 435 00:25:56,000 --> 00:26:00,000 Well, you make preparations. You set that VCR or whatever, 436 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:02,500 they call these days and record that game. 437 00:26:02,500 --> 00:26:07,000 And you go over and you help this guy with your truck but it 438 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,800 can put you in a bad mood. When you drive over to that 439 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:14,100 friend's house and you're not watching your football game, you 440 00:26:14,100 --> 00:26:16,800 might start grumbling and you might just shuffle along when 441 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:19,400 you're moving the furniture and Grumble about everything. 442 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:22,100 That's not what God wants us to do. 443 00:26:22,500 --> 00:26:25,000 And the matter of giving and second Corinthians tonight, 444 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:28,700 chapter verse 7, it says so. Let each one of you give as he 445 00:26:28,700 --> 00:26:33,100 purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity for 446 00:26:33,100 --> 00:26:34,800 God. Loves a cheerful Giver. 447 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:39,300 So we're always Drew prepared to goo do good things and we're not 448 00:26:39,300 --> 00:26:42,800 to Grumble about them we're to put ourselves in the right mood 449 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,200 so that when we're doing something good we're not just 450 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,100 shuffling along and grumbling about it. 451 00:26:47,300 --> 00:26:49,500 Oh yeah. You know these people needed 452 00:26:49,500 --> 00:26:53,000 some Open. And go on like that work. 453 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:56,000 To prepare our minds work to prepare our lives for doing 454 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:59,600 things that are good. We're also to prepare for 455 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:02,400 eternity, there's more after this life. 456 00:27:02,500 --> 00:27:06,300 It's not over. When when we pass from this life 457 00:27:06,700 --> 00:27:08,700 we're going on to greater things. 458 00:27:09,100 --> 00:27:13,200 And here are some words that are spoken about Jesus around the 459 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:16,600 time of his birth, by a prophet in the temple. 460 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:21,200 That talks about that Luke the first chapter, Luke 1 verse 76. 461 00:27:21,500 --> 00:27:24,700 It says, and you child will be called the prophet of the 462 00:27:24,700 --> 00:27:27,900 highest for you will go before the face of the Lord. 463 00:27:28,100 --> 00:27:32,000 Prepare his ways to give knowledge of Salvation to his 464 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,800 people by the remission of their sins. 465 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:41,100 Through the tender mercy of God with which the Dayspring of the 466 00:27:41,500 --> 00:27:45,800 from on high has visited us to give up to give light to those 467 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:49,400 who sit in darkness and the shadow of death to guide our 468 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:54,200 feet into the way of Peace. So while we're on this Earth, we 469 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:59,200 are preparing for eternal life. We need to prepare by listening 470 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,500 to the words of Jesus. So we will gain the knowledge of 471 00:28:02,500 --> 00:28:05,300 Salvation. Jesus came here to give us the 472 00:28:05,300 --> 00:28:08,600 knowledge of salvation And we are to hear the gospel of 473 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:11,500 Salvation. So we know what to do to be 474 00:28:11,500 --> 00:28:16,200 saved. We need to know how to gain 475 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:19,700 remission of our sins. So we can have peace with God 476 00:28:19,900 --> 00:28:23,400 and we can be his children. Jesus said, in Mark the 16th 477 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:27,500 chapter verse 16 and 17, he said, he who believes and is 478 00:28:27,500 --> 00:28:31,100 baptized, will be saved. But he, who does not believe 479 00:28:31,100 --> 00:28:35,000 will be condemned the Apostle Peter in the First Gospel, 480 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:39,500 sermon in Acts 2, verse 38, then Peter said, to them, repent. 481 00:28:39,500 --> 00:28:43,200 And let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus 482 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:45,200 Christ. For the remission of Ends and 483 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,500 you shall receive the gift of the holy spirit for the promise, 484 00:28:48,500 --> 00:28:53,300 is to you and to your children and to all who are afar off as 485 00:28:53,300 --> 00:28:55,800 many as the Lord, your God will call. 486 00:28:56,200 --> 00:29:00,200 And in Matthew the 10th chapter Jesus said therefore whoever 487 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:02,700 confesses me before men him will. 488 00:29:02,700 --> 00:29:05,800 I also confessed before my father who is in heaven, but 489 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,200 whoever denies me before men him. 490 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:12,400 I will also deny before my father who is in heaven and in 491 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:17,200 Luke the 12th chapter verse Rt7 says, and that servant, who knew 492 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:21,000 his master's will, and did not prepare himself, or do according 493 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:25,400 to his will shall be beaten with many stripes but he who did not 494 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:28,700 know yet committed things. Deserving Stripes shall be 495 00:29:28,700 --> 00:29:32,900 beaten with few for everyone to whom much is given from him much 496 00:29:32,900 --> 00:29:38,100 will be required and to him much has been committed of him. 497 00:29:38,100 --> 00:29:42,300 They will ask the more. So we have been giving the 498 00:29:42,300 --> 00:29:48,300 gospel We are the age that has been given the gospel. 499 00:29:48,300 --> 00:29:52,400 The remission of our sins. We have received Jesus Christ on 500 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:56,300 this Earth and Jesus Christ has taught us what to do to be saved 501 00:29:56,300 --> 00:29:58,900 and we have to make preparation. We can't just hear. 502 00:29:58,900 --> 00:30:01,500 Jesus say repent and be baptized. 503 00:30:01,500 --> 00:30:04,100 We can't just hear. Jesus say believe and be 504 00:30:04,100 --> 00:30:09,100 baptized, we can't just hear Jesus say Confess me before men 505 00:30:09,100 --> 00:30:12,800 that we have to do these things so that we are prepared for 506 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:16,800 eternity. So we are prepared for meeting 507 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:19,500 Jesus Christ. At the end of this life because 508 00:30:19,500 --> 00:30:24,400 Jesus is doing his Parts. Jesus is right now preparing for 509 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:28,500 us, a place in heaven. He has given us the way to 510 00:30:28,500 --> 00:30:33,300 Salvation and he is now preparing in heaven and John the 511 00:30:33,300 --> 00:30:36,400 14th chapter verse 1. It says let not your heart be 512 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:38,800 troubled. Believe in God believe. 513 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:42,400 Also in me in my father's house are many mansions. 514 00:30:42,500 --> 00:30:45,600 If it were not. So I would have told you I go to 515 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:49,700 prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, 516 00:30:49,700 --> 00:30:54,100 I will come again and receive to you to myself and where I am, 517 00:30:54,100 --> 00:30:58,200 there you may be also and where I go, you know, and the way, you 518 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:03,100 know, so Jesus delivered to us the way he delivered to us 519 00:31:03,100 --> 00:31:06,500 salvation and he is making preparations for us, you know, 520 00:31:06,500 --> 00:31:11,100 we all know the The power of God and and we would think if I 521 00:31:11,100 --> 00:31:13,900 showed up on the doorstep of heaven today. 522 00:31:14,100 --> 00:31:17,200 I know that God and Jesus could whip up something, just 523 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:21,400 wonderful for me a place for me to live, but he's not doing 524 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:23,100 that. He's not waiting to the last 525 00:31:23,100 --> 00:31:25,200 minute. He's not waiting until you show 526 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:29,500 up on the doorstep, Jesus is preparing the place right now. 527 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:33,600 He's making something very good. Not just something that he can 528 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:37,200 whip up in a second. He's preparing A Place For Us in 529 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:39,300 heaven. But just like our Earthly 530 00:31:39,300 --> 00:31:42,800 parents prepared a place for us. When they knew that we were 531 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:47,800 going to be born, I don't know. When we had children before, we 532 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:51,900 had children, we had extra bedrooms and then when we found 533 00:31:51,900 --> 00:31:54,200 out, we're going to have a child suddenly. 534 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:57,900 We had a baby's bedroom or Nursery if you call it or 535 00:31:57,900 --> 00:32:02,700 whatever and that Nursery looked a lot different than the room 536 00:32:02,700 --> 00:32:05,100 did before we knew somebody was coming. 537 00:32:05,700 --> 00:32:08,000 A child is coming. So we started I'm painting it 538 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:13,000 and you know soft baby colors. We got a different kind of bed 539 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:15,700 so that the baby didn't just fall out of the bed on the first 540 00:32:15,700 --> 00:32:17,800 day. All kinds of stuff like that. 541 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:20,800 Good preparations when we knew a baby was coming. 542 00:32:21,100 --> 00:32:26,000 Well, Jesus knows. Christians are coming to heaven 543 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:28,300 and he's making a really nice place for us. 544 00:32:28,700 --> 00:32:33,500 And we have to make sure that we don't lose our focus and we do 545 00:32:33,500 --> 00:32:38,900 our part to go to heaven in John. 546 00:32:38,900 --> 00:32:41,300 The 14th chapter verse 5 is Thomas said to him. 547 00:32:41,300 --> 00:32:44,700 Lord, we do not know where your you are going and how can we 548 00:32:44,700 --> 00:32:48,400 know the way and Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth and 549 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:50,800 the life. No one comes to the father, 550 00:32:50,900 --> 00:32:56,100 except through me. So we have lots of preparation 551 00:32:56,100 --> 00:33:01,400 to do just like David did David looked at the situation he saw 552 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:04,400 the shoots giant. He says I can't do this by 553 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:06,800 myself. Matter of fact, everybody in 554 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:12,500 Israel said we can't go fight this giant by ourself And so 555 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,500 they said we're not going to fight him on his terms. 556 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:19,600 We're gonna fight him on our terms and David said, I am going 557 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:24,700 to ask God to help me defeat. This big huge giant I got in 558 00:33:24,700 --> 00:33:26,900 front of me and he went out there. 559 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,700 God was going to help him. God did help him but he fought 560 00:33:30,700 --> 00:33:34,600 the fight in the middle of it. We can't defeat sin by ourself. 561 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:38,200 We can't go out there and do something that is going to rid 562 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:42,700 our life of sin. We have to rely on We know God 563 00:33:42,700 --> 00:33:44,700 has already made the preparation for us. 564 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:47,900 Jesus Christ has been sacrificed for our sins. 565 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:49,800 We have to do something about it. 566 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:51,700 We have to believe in Jesus Christ. 567 00:33:51,700 --> 00:33:54,800 We have to turn our lives around, repent of our sins, walk 568 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:57,100 for Jesus Christ. We need to confess that Jesus 569 00:33:57,100 --> 00:34:00,500 Christ is the Son of God. We need to be immersed in water 570 00:34:00,500 --> 00:34:03,000 for the remission of our sins in baptism. 571 00:34:03,500 --> 00:34:06,000 If we've done those things, we have to keep on fighting. 572 00:34:06,300 --> 00:34:09,400 We are not to just sit down after we are in the middle of 573 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:11,000 the fight, we need to prepare ourselves. 574 00:34:11,100 --> 00:34:15,000 If every day to go out and fight against evil and fight against 575 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:18,300 our Temptations and ask people around us in the church. 576 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:21,300 Hey come help me. I got to fight this evil. 577 00:34:21,300 --> 00:34:24,400 I got to fight this temptation but we might fall back into 578 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:27,000 temptation. It's not a reason for us to fall 579 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:30,900 down and and and give up, they say the difference between 580 00:34:30,900 --> 00:34:34,100 successful people and unsuccessful people are not that 581 00:34:34,199 --> 00:34:36,300 that successful people never fall down. 582 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:39,600 It's that success be successful people. 583 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:43,199 Get up after A falling down. That's what God has. 584 00:34:43,199 --> 00:34:47,100 Offered us a chance to get up. You fell down, you said, get up 585 00:34:47,199 --> 00:34:50,100 pray to God, asked for him for strength, but ask, for 586 00:34:50,100 --> 00:34:54,300 forgiveness, forgiveness of that sin so that you can get back up 587 00:34:54,300 --> 00:34:56,100 and the fight the battle once again. 588 00:34:57,500 --> 00:35:00,100 We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the 589 00:35:00,100 --> 00:35:05,900 Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you 590 00:35:05,900 --> 00:35:09,100 would like any additional information or you would like to 591 00:35:09,100 --> 00:35:12,100 receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail. 592 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:16,600 Please email us at info at True Church of Christ 593 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:20,600 Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays 594 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:26,200 at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. 595 00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:30,300 Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our 596 00:35:30,300 --> 00:35:31,200 honored guest.