1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,100 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist sermon archives. 2 00:00:06,300 --> 00:00:09,100 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty, Baptist 3 00:00:09,100 --> 00:00:13,100 Church in Eastern Massachusetts. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,100 --> 00:00:17,400 or contact us at my Liberty, Baptist dot org or just look us 5 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,800 up on Facebook. And now, we hope that this 6 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,200 message from God's word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,300 --> 00:00:27,200 Well, we are moving forward in 2023. 8 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,200 That is our theme January. We are looking at going forward 9 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,900 in our daily walk and so that is going to bring us to a familiar 10 00:00:33,900 --> 00:00:37,000 passage to many of you and that is Hebrews chapter 12 this 11 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:37,900 morning. So would you turn in your 12 00:00:37,900 --> 00:00:39,300 Bibles? Please to the book of Hebrews 13 00:00:39,300 --> 00:00:42,600 chapter number 12 and will stand in a few moments for the reading 14 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:47,500 of God's word Hebrews chapter number 12, as I mentioned to 15 00:00:47,500 --> 00:00:50,200 some of you, I do have a surgery tomorrow. 16 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:53,000 I am going for outpatient surgery to Boston Medical Center 17 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,000 just to get Some of this excess skin removed, some of those dead 18 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,200 skin cells have been causing me some problems from my surgery. 19 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:02,900 They've been getting infected several times over and so the 20 00:01:02,900 --> 00:01:05,300 best course of action seems to be just to remove that 21 00:01:05,300 --> 00:01:09,000 completely, so that will be happening on Monday tomorrow 22 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:10,600 1:00. So I appreciate your prayers 23 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:12,600 about that but I'm looking forward to being back on 24 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:14,800 Wednesday. But going along with all of that 25 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:16,800 in the surgery, I'm actually believe it or not. 26 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,200 Going through my second round. Now of physical therapy. 27 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:24,900 I went back to physical therapy on Wednesday and The reason was 28 00:01:24,900 --> 00:01:27,600 because I've had stress injuries and both of my legs that have 29 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:31,300 caused it to be difficult to walk for a little bit, although 30 00:01:31,300 --> 00:01:33,900 not badly, but it was a difficulty. 31 00:01:33,900 --> 00:01:37,200 But more, the difficulty wasn't running that I have run for 32 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,700 several years and then because of the fibula being taken out of 33 00:01:40,700 --> 00:01:44,700 my left leg and then running. And then they didn't like me 34 00:01:44,700 --> 00:01:46,200 running, I guess without a fibula. 35 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:48,100 I don't know, exactly. But I do know this. 36 00:01:48,100 --> 00:01:51,800 I had to go back to physical therapy and I had to find out if 37 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:53,900 I'm doing something wrong. Am I doing? 38 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,100 Something that is preventing me from running the way that I want 39 00:01:58,100 --> 00:02:00,500 to run. And so after going through about 40 00:02:00,500 --> 00:02:04,400 45 minutes of, you know, push this pull this stand up, stand 41 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:07,900 on one leg stand on both legs. You know, you know say your 42 00:02:07,900 --> 00:02:10,000 alphabet backwards. I felt like I doing all kinds of 43 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,000 stuff at Physical Therapy. But going through all of that, 44 00:02:13,100 --> 00:02:16,700 finally, the therapist that I've had now, for several sessions of 45 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,600 physical therapy and lymphedema therapy, helping get some of the 46 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:22,900 swelling out of my face. This woman said to me, all 47 00:02:22,908 --> 00:02:26,000 right, now I want you to get on Treadmill and I want you to run 48 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,900 now, I haven't run at all for six months. 49 00:02:28,900 --> 00:02:32,200 It's the first time I've been on a treadmill in six months and so 50 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,500 I did and I ran at a very slow pace for about three minutes. 51 00:02:35,500 --> 00:02:39,300 And she said, oh right, you can go ahead and stop and she says I 52 00:02:39,300 --> 00:02:42,100 can already identify couple different problems with what 53 00:02:42,100 --> 00:02:44,900 you're doing now. Which could cause problems. 54 00:02:44,900 --> 00:02:47,300 One is the fact that you're kind of running and your kind of 55 00:02:47,300 --> 00:02:49,900 straight up and you need to be leaning forward a little bit 56 00:02:49,900 --> 00:02:52,200 kind of leaning into the run a little bit Geo. 57 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:53,800 Secondly you're landing on your heels. 58 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:55,900 When you're running, you need to be landing in the middle of your 59 00:02:55,900 --> 00:02:58,900 foot or on the ball of your foot but you keep landing on your 60 00:02:58,900 --> 00:03:00,500 heels and you'll get shin splints. 61 00:03:00,500 --> 00:03:04,200 And I said, I know I've had shin splints and she says, I know you 62 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:07,300 have that's why you're here. That's why I'm telling you you 63 00:03:07,300 --> 00:03:08,800 need to stop playing and on your heels. 64 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:11,100 And so it's amazing to me within three minutes. 65 00:03:11,100 --> 00:03:16,200 She told me of things that I'm doing wrong with my form and was 66 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:19,600 trying to help me correct those things I've done wrong. 67 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,700 Now, I say this here today, not because I want to explain to you 68 00:03:22,700 --> 00:03:25,100 the details of me. Going through physical therapy 69 00:03:25,100 --> 00:03:27,500 because, well, you don't want to hear about it. 70 00:03:27,500 --> 00:03:29,300 I don't want to do it, but that's just kind of the way that 71 00:03:29,300 --> 00:03:31,200 it is. What I'm saying is, I believe 72 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:35,300 there's actually a spiritual connection between me having to 73 00:03:35,300 --> 00:03:40,800 understand the right way to run and for us in understanding the 74 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,800 right way to run, not in a physical race. 75 00:03:44,100 --> 00:03:46,900 But in this spiritual race in which God has put us. 76 00:03:46,900 --> 00:03:49,600 And so, when we think of the race that God has called us to 77 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:53,000 run, we consider that there are some who just aren't able to 78 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,600 move ahead. In their daily walk. 79 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,800 And I believe the reason for that is found right here in our 80 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,000 text and Hebrews chapter 12 and I would ask you this this 81 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,500 morning. Maybe you would say I just don't 82 00:04:04,500 --> 00:04:06,600 feel like I'm getting ahead in my spiritual life. 83 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:08,600 I feel like I'm I'm Treading Water. 84 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,500 I feel like I'm supposed to be going forward but I'm not and I 85 00:04:11,500 --> 00:04:13,500 want to ask you a question. Don't answer it out loud but 86 00:04:13,500 --> 00:04:15,700 answering your heart. Aren't you kind of tired of 87 00:04:15,700 --> 00:04:18,700 that? Aren't you tired of spinning 88 00:04:18,700 --> 00:04:21,899 your wheels? Spiritually and it don't you get 89 00:04:21,899 --> 00:04:27,500 tired of your walk producing desire to serve God but not the 90 00:04:27,500 --> 00:04:30,800 actual service to God that he desires. 91 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:35,600 And I believe, if that's your heart this morning, there's hope 92 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:40,300 for us and Hebrews chapter 12. Hope for us as we move forward 93 00:04:40,300 --> 00:04:42,900 in our Christian race, in a tie, a message that I've entitled 94 00:04:42,900 --> 00:04:45,200 this. What's holding you back? 95 00:04:45,700 --> 00:04:47,700 What's holding you back? Would you stand Please Hebrews 96 00:04:47,700 --> 00:04:50,700 chapter 12 and we're just going to read the first three verses. 97 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:00,200 The word says this. Wherefore seeing we also are 98 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:03,200 compassed about with so great, a cloud of witnesses, let us lay 99 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,600 aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, 100 00:05:06,900 --> 00:05:09,900 and let us run with patience, the race that is set before us 101 00:05:10,300 --> 00:05:13,400 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. 102 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:17,400 Who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross 103 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:22,200 despising, the shame and is set down at the right hand of the 104 00:05:22,207 --> 00:05:26,700 Throne of God, he gave himself who I see right there for 105 00:05:26,700 --> 00:05:28,300 consider him that endured such contradiction. 106 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:32,000 Diction of Sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and 107 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:35,600 faint in your own minds. Thank you for listening. 108 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:37,300 The word of God and you may be seated. 109 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:43,100 Lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds one. 110 00:05:43,100 --> 00:05:45,700 Interesting, that, that phrase there is not that she we be 111 00:05:45,700 --> 00:05:47,800 wearied and faint in your bodies. 112 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:51,800 But rather that you be saying, well, let's try it again, faint 113 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:55,000 and weary in your minds. And for some here this morning, 114 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,900 maybe that's your testimony. That when it comes to running 115 00:05:58,100 --> 00:06:01,800 the Christian race, you are faint and you are weary in your 116 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:03,400 mind's. Well, the good news is there's 117 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,200 hope for us here in Hebrews chapter 12. 118 00:06:06,300 --> 00:06:08,400 Hope for us to understand what's holding us. 119 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,800 That from running the Christian race that God has called us to 120 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:14,700 run. You know, the Christian Life is 121 00:06:14,700 --> 00:06:18,100 a race but I found that many people don't treat it like it's 122 00:06:18,100 --> 00:06:20,200 such. In fact I was just reading this 123 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,900 from the commentator William Barclay and he said this about 124 00:06:23,900 --> 00:06:27,800 the Christian Life he said the Christian is not an unconcerned 125 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,500 stroller along the byways of Life. 126 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,400 He's a Wayfarer on the high road. 127 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:37,100 He is not a tourist who returns each night to the place from 128 00:06:37,100 --> 00:06:39,500 which he starts. He's a pilgrim. 129 00:06:39,500 --> 00:06:43,500 Who is Forever on the way. The goal is nothing less than 130 00:06:43,500 --> 00:06:46,700 the likeness of Christ. The Christians life is going 131 00:06:46,700 --> 00:06:50,700 somewhere and it would do. Well, if at the days ending, we 132 00:06:50,700 --> 00:06:54,800 were to ask ourselves. Am I any further on that as we 133 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,900 realize we're not just tourists on the highways and byways of 134 00:06:57,900 --> 00:07:01,200 life, but were pilgrims that this worlds on our home we're 135 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:04,700 just passing through, but as we go on the Christian walk, every 136 00:07:04,700 --> 00:07:07,300 single day as we run the Christian race, we ask 137 00:07:07,300 --> 00:07:11,400 ourselves, am I in Further on today than I was yesterday. 138 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:13,900 Have I moved ahead? And this is really what our 139 00:07:13,900 --> 00:07:16,300 theme forward is all about this year. 140 00:07:16,500 --> 00:07:19,700 Am I any further on? Am I any further on this month 141 00:07:19,700 --> 00:07:23,400 than I was last month? Am I any further on this week 142 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:27,100 that I was last week? Am I any further on today than I 143 00:07:27,100 --> 00:07:30,500 was yesterday? Think of the distance that we 144 00:07:30,500 --> 00:07:33,200 could go for God? If we just went a little further 145 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:37,500 every day I remember a man told me once many years ago, he says 146 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:39,000 son. He says you can get far in 147 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:43,200 Earth, you can walk around the world, rather he says, if you 148 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,600 take your time, And as a sixteen-year-old I thought 149 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:48,300 that's one of the weirdest things I've ever heard that 150 00:07:48,300 --> 00:07:51,300 doesn't even make any sense and the older I get, I realized what 151 00:07:51,300 --> 00:07:53,900 he was trying to say. Listen just take a little bit at 152 00:07:53,900 --> 00:07:56,800 a time and you'll get were God's trying to get you to go. 153 00:07:57,300 --> 00:07:59,600 If we could just say every day, not that we're going to 154 00:07:59,608 --> 00:08:02,200 necessarily hit a home run for Christ that day, but are you 155 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,200 willing to move forward from today to tomorrow? 156 00:08:05,300 --> 00:08:08,100 And from tomorrow to the next day imagine a year. 157 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:11,100 Imagine 10 years, imagine 20 years if we just looked back and 158 00:08:11,100 --> 00:08:13,800 saw that we went forward for God a little bit each day. 159 00:08:13,900 --> 00:08:19,000 How much We do for his cause, but this Christian Life is a 160 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,700 race but like my bad running form. 161 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:25,600 Hinders me from running physically, like I want to bad 162 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:27,600 running form. In the Christian Life, can do 163 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,000 exactly the same. Now, thankfully, the text that 164 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:34,400 we just read gives us a warning of bad form, but it also gives 165 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:38,500 us a diagram of the right form. So it tells us, this is the 166 00:08:38,500 --> 00:08:40,700 wrong form and running the Christian race. 167 00:08:40,700 --> 00:08:44,600 And then it says this, then you have the right form in running. 168 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:46,900 The Christian race. So we need to look at both of 169 00:08:46,900 --> 00:08:49,900 those this morning to make sure we're running in our daily log 170 00:08:49,900 --> 00:08:53,700 walk like we should, but I would say this before we even begin, 171 00:08:54,100 --> 00:08:59,100 you can't run the Christian race today without knowing Jesus 172 00:08:59,100 --> 00:09:03,200 Christ as your savior, you can't go on a journey for Christ 173 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,500 without knowing the Christ of the journey. 174 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:09,200 And before you go on any Journey beyond the cross, you must take 175 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,600 a journey to the cross and Neil, they're submitting yourself to 176 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:15,500 Jesus Christ. Realizing that only he Can save 177 00:09:15,500 --> 00:09:17,800 you from your sins. So my appeal to you this morning 178 00:09:17,900 --> 00:09:20,600 before we even go any further is, if you don't know, Jesus 179 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:22,500 Christ. As your savior, if you were to 180 00:09:22,500 --> 00:09:25,800 die today and you don't know that when you open your eyes 181 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,000 after you died and yes I said that correctly. 182 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,200 I say a lot of things incorrectly but I said that 183 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:34,000 correctly, when you open your eyes after you die, will you be 184 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,000 an eternal Lake of Fire? Will you be in heaven forever 185 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:39,300 with Jesus Christ? If you don't know where you 186 00:09:39,300 --> 00:09:41,600 would spend eternity friend. Listen, I don't care. 187 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:43,700 If I miss lunch. I don't care if I miss dinner. 188 00:09:43,900 --> 00:09:46,200 I don't care if I miss samael. That's saying a lot. 189 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,800 I don't care if I miss a meal, I want to know that, you know, 190 00:09:49,900 --> 00:09:52,600 Jesus Christ, as your savior before you leave today, do not 191 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:57,000 let embarrassment do not. Let a delay of time do not let 192 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,700 the fact that you have the rest of your life to figure this out. 193 00:09:59,700 --> 00:10:02,100 Get in the way of deciding today. 194 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,500 Today is the day of salvation. The Bible says, if you don't 195 00:10:05,500 --> 00:10:07,700 know him you need to repent of your sins and call upon him 196 00:10:07,900 --> 00:10:11,600 today while you have the opportunity and so I'd encourage 197 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:15,000 you to do that today. But before we consider that We 198 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,900 also realized that, for those of us who are saved, we got to run 199 00:10:17,900 --> 00:10:21,300 this Christian rights. And so we have to diagnose the 200 00:10:21,300 --> 00:10:25,000 bad form that we have in running this race. 201 00:10:25,100 --> 00:10:28,500 And in fact, it tells us this the writer of Hebrews says, in 202 00:10:28,500 --> 00:10:31,000 verse number one, it says wherefore seeing. 203 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:33,400 We are also compass'd about with so great. 204 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:36,000 A cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside. 205 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:39,700 So we see right from the get-go. Right from the jump, we realized 206 00:10:39,700 --> 00:10:43,100 this, if we're to run the race that God wants us to run, that's 207 00:10:43,100 --> 00:10:46,100 the end of verse number 1 there. Some things we have to lay 208 00:10:46,100 --> 00:10:47,700 aside. There's some things we must 209 00:10:47,700 --> 00:10:51,400 forsake if we're to run the race that God wants us to run, 210 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:54,000 there's some things that will tank our ability to run. 211 00:10:54,300 --> 00:10:57,400 There's some things could we put it this way that will hobble us 212 00:10:57,700 --> 00:10:59,900 if we're trying to run the Christian race, if we 213 00:10:59,908 --> 00:11:02,400 incorporate them into our lives and there's some things we have 214 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:06,200 to lay aside and he gives us to him, he gives these to us here 215 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:08,900 in our text says. Let us lay aside every weight 216 00:11:08,900 --> 00:11:11,000 and the sin which doth so easily. 217 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,300 Beset, us actually want to start with the second in that list 218 00:11:13,300 --> 00:11:16,900 here just briefly. That there's some sin that we 219 00:11:16,900 --> 00:11:21,600 have to lay aside, you say, well Pastor, if I'm saved then I 220 00:11:21,608 --> 00:11:24,400 don't have to deal with sin anymore and the answer to that 221 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,100 is well certainly we don't have to deal with the Eternal 222 00:11:27,300 --> 00:11:30,800 repercussions of our sin because we have been forgiven of our 223 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:33,300 sins. We are justified in the eyes of 224 00:11:33,300 --> 00:11:35,900 Jesus Christ, but you don't have to walk long in this earth to 225 00:11:35,900 --> 00:11:39,000 realize that after you get saved your old flesh, still wants to 226 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,700 do wrong. And your old flesh is still 227 00:11:41,700 --> 00:11:44,700 trying to rise up and trying to do things then that the holy 228 00:11:44,700 --> 00:11:46,900 spirit inside of you is telling you not to do. 229 00:11:47,100 --> 00:11:50,300 And so the writer of Hebrews do the inspirational, holy spirit 230 00:11:50,300 --> 00:11:52,100 makes it so clear to us this morning. 231 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:56,300 That if we're to run the race that God wants us to run, we 232 00:11:56,300 --> 00:11:58,800 must lay aside sin. It says Paul said in Romans 233 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:03,000 chapter 6 twice over, he said, shall we continue in sin that 234 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:07,400 Grace May abound. God forbid, don't keep doing it, 235 00:12:07,700 --> 00:12:10,100 just stop, it's not helping you at all. 236 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:14,200 Only hindering you on the race to sin. 237 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:16,200 Literally means the definition of sin. 238 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:18,800 Literally means to miss the Mark we sin. 239 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:22,500 When we missed the Benchmark of God's holiness as described to 240 00:12:22,500 --> 00:12:27,400 us in his holy word we sin. When we miss the Benchmark of 241 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:32,500 God's holiness as described to us in God's holy word, you can't 242 00:12:32,500 --> 00:12:36,400 run races your own way. You realize that this morning 243 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:38,200 you can't run races your own way. 244 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:42,600 We have some in this assembly who not myself who have run not 245 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,700 just races but there's these kind of crazy races they're 246 00:12:45,700 --> 00:12:48,900 called like Spartan races or mud runs or different things. 247 00:12:49,300 --> 00:12:51,300 And you know what? You don't just run because 248 00:12:51,300 --> 00:12:53,300 that's because that's easy enough, right? 249 00:12:53,300 --> 00:12:56,100 Anybody can do that, apparently. But you had to go through mud 250 00:12:56,100 --> 00:13:00,300 pits and climb ladders. I've seen ones we have to belly 251 00:13:00,300 --> 00:13:02,200 crawl, and there's like electrical fences. 252 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:04,300 If, you know, if you go a little bit too high and it shocks you 253 00:13:04,300 --> 00:13:06,500 at all, That I mean, it sounds like a great way to waste, 50 254 00:13:06,500 --> 00:13:07,700 bucks to me. You know, I don't know. 255 00:13:07,900 --> 00:13:11,600 I can't, I don't know but there are people have done it and I 256 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:16,300 can see the appeal somewhere but imagine running one of these 257 00:13:16,300 --> 00:13:19,700 races and coming up to the next obstacle and saying this. 258 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:23,900 Yeah I don't think so and so you run around it and you go to the 259 00:13:23,900 --> 00:13:29,100 next obstacle and you say mud on these brand new running shoes, I 260 00:13:29,100 --> 00:13:31,400 don't think so and you run around that and then you see 261 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:33,600 this ladder that you have to go up, it's about 10 feet tall, I 262 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:36,100 think I'm Of heights. I guess I'm going to skip that 263 00:13:36,100 --> 00:13:37,600 too and you get all the way to the end. 264 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,300 But because you skipped all the obstacles, you're actually in 265 00:13:40,300 --> 00:13:43,800 first place and you be, everyone else to the end of the course 266 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:47,800 and you celebrate and you're expecting them to put the medal 267 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:49,300 around your neck and they just look at you. 268 00:13:49,300 --> 00:13:51,200 And they say this, you're disqualified. 269 00:13:52,300 --> 00:13:55,500 Why was first? Well you may have been first but 270 00:13:55,500 --> 00:13:57,000 you didn't run the race. The right way. 271 00:13:58,300 --> 00:14:01,500 Do you may have thought that you had come ahead but you didn't 272 00:14:01,500 --> 00:14:04,500 run the race as prescribed in the rulebook. 273 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:07,100 Do you realize there are people here today who believe they're 274 00:14:07,100 --> 00:14:10,100 living in first place because they have a big bank account 275 00:14:10,100 --> 00:14:13,400 because they have a nice job because they're popular because 276 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:16,500 everyone seems to love them because they have power and 277 00:14:16,500 --> 00:14:19,200 authority and they feel like they're in first place. 278 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:22,000 But what they will realize is this, that if you don't follow, 279 00:14:22,100 --> 00:14:24,800 Follow the rule book that God has and I'm not talking about 280 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,000 trying to live a good life to be saved. 281 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,200 You can't live a good life, enough to be saved but I'm 282 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,800 talking about in this race this Christian race that God has 283 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:34,100 called us to run. It's not those who have the 284 00:14:34,100 --> 00:14:36,900 biggest churches. It's not those who necessarily I 285 00:14:36,908 --> 00:14:39,500 have them outward Conformity, that everyone thinks that they 286 00:14:39,500 --> 00:14:42,900 should have, but it's those who have run the race that God has 287 00:14:42,900 --> 00:14:45,100 called them to run. They've laid aside the sin. 288 00:14:45,100 --> 00:14:47,300 If God says it's in, I'm laying it aside. 289 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,300 Those are the ones who are running the race properly. 290 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,000 Many Christians have made their own hybrid version of 291 00:14:55,000 --> 00:15:00,000 Christianity. Using their own opinions and 292 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:03,600 their own specific needs. Why see what the Bible says but 293 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:06,800 in my situation more when you keep you get yourself into 294 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,300 dangerous territory, right there, you know what you're 295 00:15:09,300 --> 00:15:11,800 doing? You're picking up sin instead of 296 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:13,900 laying inside and it's going to harm you. 297 00:15:13,900 --> 00:15:16,800 As you run the race, you can tailor a suit, you can trick out 298 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:18,900 an automobile. You can custom design a ring, 299 00:15:19,100 --> 00:15:21,300 but you can't custom design your Christianity. 300 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,300 If God says, lay it aside, We Lay it aside. 301 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:26,900 If God says, don't do it, we don't do it. 302 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,700 It it doesn't matter what your opinion is on it and by the way, 303 00:15:29,700 --> 00:15:31,600 it doesn't matter what my opinion is on it. 304 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:35,500 It's what God's opinion is on it and we do it and we lay aside 305 00:15:35,500 --> 00:15:38,400 the sin that duck and it doesn't just say lay aside the sin. 306 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:42,800 It says lay aside the sin that does so easily beset us, meaning 307 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:48,000 this that each of us are tempted by different sins, that happened 308 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,800 to arouse our flesh differently than other people. 309 00:15:52,100 --> 00:15:53,900 What may be a Temptation for you? 310 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:56,500 I'll be a Temptation for someone else. 311 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:59,200 Now, it's still sin for everyone because if God says it's in it's 312 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,900 in. But God will tempt me with 313 00:16:01,900 --> 00:16:04,100 different sin that he will tempt you very often. 314 00:16:04,100 --> 00:16:07,300 Why is that? Because he understands to easily 315 00:16:07,300 --> 00:16:10,700 beset mean, the word. Beset means this to press on all 316 00:16:10,700 --> 00:16:15,400 sides as to perplex to entangle. So as to render Escape difficult 317 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,600 or impossible that there are certain sins in our lives, that 318 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:23,100 that who Satan loves to tempt us with and what does he say, you 319 00:16:23,100 --> 00:16:25,400 better be set. Those, you better get rid of 320 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,300 those, listen, some are easily beset by foul language. 321 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:30,200 It's just the way they've always talk. 322 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:32,500 And it just seems to come so easily when they get into a 323 00:16:32,500 --> 00:16:35,800 difficult situation, you had to lay that aside, some are easily 324 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,300 beset by pornography. It's something that they looked 325 00:16:38,300 --> 00:16:40,400 at when they were younger and they were suddenly struggle with 326 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,000 or it's something that has come into by the way, not just for 327 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,400 men, but for women as well, the statistics show that it's 328 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:49,100 something that is a epidemic in our nation for both men and 329 00:16:49,100 --> 00:16:50,900 women. There are some who are easily 330 00:16:50,900 --> 00:16:52,900 beset by that. There are some who are easily 331 00:16:52,900 --> 00:16:55,100 beset by bitterness. Oh sure, they don't show 332 00:16:55,100 --> 00:16:57,700 anything on the outside, but on the inside, they're bitter and 333 00:16:57,700 --> 00:17:00,000 they're angry at situations in life. 334 00:17:00,100 --> 00:17:03,000 There's Some who are beset easily, beset by alcohol or 335 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:07,300 substances, where were some may not have any difficulty saying 336 00:17:07,300 --> 00:17:10,300 no to those things for others. It's a great difficulty because 337 00:17:10,300 --> 00:17:12,700 of their last, their life decisions. 338 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:15,700 There are some who are beset easily beset by hypocrisy 339 00:17:16,300 --> 00:17:19,300 showing outward Conformity to the things of Christ while 340 00:17:19,300 --> 00:17:21,700 having little spiritual desire on the inside. 341 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:26,500 All of those are sins that we must forsake. 342 00:17:27,300 --> 00:17:30,600 If we're going to run the race, God wants us to call it, what 343 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:33,000 God wants us to run. Will you forsake the sin that's 344 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,600 bad form it, but you can't run the race with that sin, but not 345 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:38,800 just that. It said in verse number one, not 346 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:41,500 just the sin, but lay aside every weight. 347 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:44,700 Now, I've explained this before this isn't new, but I felt just 348 00:17:44,700 --> 00:17:47,800 so impression by the Lord, to be able to present this to the 349 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:52,000 whole body here, this morning on a Sunday morning, but the 350 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:56,600 weights are not sin. In, if the weights were sin, we 351 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:58,800 wouldn't had the word sin following behind it. 352 00:17:58,800 --> 00:17:59,800 Do you understand what I'm saying? 353 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:02,400 It's obvious because they're two different things named. 354 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,000 They're two different things I would submit to you. 355 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:10,200 This that the weights are not sin, but they are inconveniences 356 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:14,700 on the race course. They are not sin, but they are 357 00:18:14,700 --> 00:18:17,300 inconveniences on the race course of Life. 358 00:18:17,300 --> 00:18:21,700 They are not violations, of the rule book, but they are things 359 00:18:21,700 --> 00:18:23,300 that. If you incorporate into your 360 00:18:23,300 --> 00:18:27,400 race will not have you run the way that you should back in 361 00:18:27,408 --> 00:18:29,300 2011? There was a firefighter name's 362 00:18:29,300 --> 00:18:32,000 James, guess key of Glendale Wisconsin. 363 00:18:32,100 --> 00:18:36,800 He finished 115th in the oh, he finished the 115th Boston 364 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:40,600 Marathon while wearing 30 pounds of firefighting gear. 365 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:46,700 Think about that, he finished in four hours, 18 minutes and 29 366 00:18:46,700 --> 00:18:49,200 seconds. And I would say man, I like to 367 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:51,900 wear that if it made me run at that speed but he can actually 368 00:18:51,900 --> 00:18:55,000 run much faster. He did it for, it was only two 369 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,800 minutes slower than the median marathon time for men that year, 370 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:01,400 but he completed this extraordinary effort as a 371 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:04,400 tribute to his colleague, John Harrington who was killed in a 372 00:19:04,408 --> 00:19:08,700 crash while biking to a Station House in May 2004 and he ran to 373 00:19:08,700 --> 00:19:11,200 raise money for the Wisconsin burn survivors. 374 00:19:11,300 --> 00:19:13,600 Network see, for James guess key. 375 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:17,700 He ran the race for cause he wasn't running to win. 376 00:19:18,500 --> 00:19:20,100 I would say. James guess he would probably 377 00:19:20,100 --> 00:19:23,000 say this if he was running to win, he wouldn't have been 378 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:25,900 carrying 30 pounds of fire fighting equipment on his back. 379 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:31,000 You know what, he had, he had some weights, he was carrying 380 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:35,100 some weights that would have slowed him down and for us if 381 00:19:35,100 --> 00:19:36,800 you're going to run the Christian race on, listen, this 382 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:38,800 isn't popular. When it comes to churches today. 383 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:41,300 And so what I understand what I'm about to say, there are some 384 00:19:41,300 --> 00:19:43,600 that may not like what it what what you hear. 385 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:46,200 But I want to encourage you don't listen to me, listen to 386 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:49,100 the Holy Spirit and the word of God as he speaks to you this 387 00:19:49,100 --> 00:19:51,800 morning, but there are some things that are not inherently 388 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:55,000 sinful that the word of God does not forbid us to do, but it's 389 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,100 just not appropriate in certain Nations for a Christian to do. 390 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,800 Because it hinders our ability to run the race that God wants 391 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:04,100 us to run. It hinders the ability for us to 392 00:20:04,100 --> 00:20:06,300 be able to share the gospel with other people. 393 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:09,100 It hinders our ability to be able to minister to our family, 394 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:11,700 the way that we should and it or not sinful. 395 00:20:11,700 --> 00:20:14,700 Pastor, show me in the Bible where it's wrong, I can't. 396 00:20:14,700 --> 00:20:18,000 But I would tell you this, in your situation in your life, you 397 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:19,700 would even know. And you would even admit, you 398 00:20:19,700 --> 00:20:21,700 know, what this is kind of getting in the way between my 399 00:20:21,700 --> 00:20:23,800 relationship with the Lord and I'm not running the race. 400 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,700 The way God would want me to run, maybe you need to change. 401 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,300 Check your gear this morning to see what slowing you down. 402 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:32,300 Maybe you need to strip down those things that don't belong 403 00:20:32,300 --> 00:20:34,200 in the Christian race. The things that are holding you 404 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:37,500 back, they're not the sin, but they're the weights and the list 405 00:20:37,500 --> 00:20:41,500 is different for everybody. The list is different for us. 406 00:20:41,500 --> 00:20:44,300 All Could I give you some examples? 407 00:20:45,100 --> 00:20:50,000 It could be the news for some of the news is await the news in 408 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:51,300 general just knowing what's going. 409 00:20:51,300 --> 00:20:53,100 I'm not saying you should be informed about what's going on 410 00:20:53,100 --> 00:20:56,400 in the world. But in the 24-hour news cycle, 411 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:59,200 some of us try to consume 23 of the 24 hours of it. 412 00:21:00,100 --> 00:21:05,400 That could be a wait. news in general politics, specifically, 413 00:21:06,700 --> 00:21:10,000 I'm afraid, there are more Believers today who are more 414 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:12,200 concerned about being a conservative than they are about 415 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:16,700 being Christian. I listen I'm conservative 416 00:21:16,700 --> 00:21:20,900 because of what the Bible says. Jay Pastor you preaching on 417 00:21:20,900 --> 00:21:22,300 politics? No, no, I'm not preaching on 418 00:21:22,300 --> 00:21:24,000 politics that quite the opposite. 419 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:29,700 What I'm saying is this, I get my stances in life, not from a 420 00:21:29,708 --> 00:21:34,200 political party, but from the word of God, political parties 421 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:37,900 shift, in fact, they're great at doing that. 422 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:43,000 You know, what doesn't shift the word of God, that's always been 423 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,100 the same. And so maybe for you the weight 424 00:21:45,100 --> 00:21:48,900 is getting into politics and following that, and then should 425 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:49,700 go. What's going on? 426 00:21:49,700 --> 00:21:52,400 Listen, I mean, 17, votes. 1000 vote. 427 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:53,900 I don't know how many times they voted for speaker. 428 00:21:53,900 --> 00:21:56,600 I was intrigued. To, I don't know what they were 429 00:21:56,600 --> 00:21:58,000 doing. I don't know what was going on. 430 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:00,800 They didn't know what was going on from quite honestly, but, you 431 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:03,900 know, we can get so involved in these things, it can be a wait. 432 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:06,200 And it may not be for some people. 433 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:08,300 You might just read about it in the morning and you don't think 434 00:22:08,300 --> 00:22:10,500 about it, the rest of the day for some it's a wait. 435 00:22:11,500 --> 00:22:13,300 It could be a Civics group or a club. 436 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:16,300 It could be a face group group or could be Facebook in general. 437 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:18,900 It could be a social media account because social media can 438 00:22:18,900 --> 00:22:21,000 be a snare for many. All Pastor, you're saying, 439 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,900 nobody should be on social media, I'm on social media, the 440 00:22:23,900 --> 00:22:26,400 church is on social media, that's not what I'm saying. 441 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,300 But for some people who are glued to social media, it's a 442 00:22:29,300 --> 00:22:34,600 wait Or you're getting into things on social media that you 443 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:37,900 know, you're not supposed to. It's a vehicle may be for you to 444 00:22:37,900 --> 00:22:40,400 look at things or to consume things, you know, you're not, 445 00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:42,800 it's a weight. Well you can't say I can't have 446 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:44,100 it. Well maybe you just don't need 447 00:22:44,100 --> 00:22:48,000 to have it. Maybe it's just inconvenient on 448 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,400 your race that God's called you to run. 449 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:54,500 Could be hobbies that have turned into obsessions, it could 450 00:22:54,500 --> 00:22:56,900 be money. Pastor. 451 00:22:56,900 --> 00:22:58,200 There's nothing wrong with money. 452 00:22:59,300 --> 00:23:01,800 Well, inherently money's not sinful. 453 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:04,600 The Bible doesn't say that money is the root of all evil. 454 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:07,300 I hear that quoted. Bible says, the money is the 455 00:23:07,300 --> 00:23:09,200 root of all evil. Well, no, it's not. 456 00:23:10,300 --> 00:23:13,500 Bible says, the love of money is the root of all evil. 457 00:23:14,500 --> 00:23:18,400 What is it saying when it becomes a weight instead of a 458 00:23:18,408 --> 00:23:22,400 tool? When it becomes a weight instead 459 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:25,700 of a tool. Then we've missed the Mark. 460 00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:28,100 What's happened were running with bad form? 461 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,800 We've got sin who Pastor, I don't like you talking about 462 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:33,300 saying, I don't like you talking about the weights. 463 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:39,400 Listen, you're not going to do better until you realize where 464 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:42,100 you're going wrong. I've been running for five 465 00:23:42,100 --> 00:23:43,500 years. I don't want some woman that I 466 00:23:43,500 --> 00:23:45,400 barely know to tell me. I'm not running, right? 467 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:49,900 I'm running fine. That's why I've had shin splints 468 00:23:49,900 --> 00:23:53,900 twice and plantar fasciitis and why? 469 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:57,000 I'm seeing the physical therapist for the second time in 470 00:23:57,000 --> 00:23:58,700 a year and a half. I'm doing fine. 471 00:23:59,700 --> 00:24:01,500 He's a pastor, you're not getting it. 472 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:03,600 You how many Christians? I've met Pastor. 473 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,400 I'm doing fine. Well, here's what the word says 474 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:11,200 I'm doing fine, but but you asked me for help and I'm just 475 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:12,200 telling you what the word of God. 476 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:14,500 Well, I wanted help but that's not what I want to do. 477 00:24:14,500 --> 00:24:18,100 What I'm doing fine. You know, who the head in your 478 00:24:18,100 --> 00:24:21,000 daily walk, you're going behind, don't say that you're a follower 479 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:24,500 of Christ and then in turn around and deny every single 480 00:24:24,500 --> 00:24:26,900 thing that he says to do just because it's inconvenient to the 481 00:24:26,900 --> 00:24:28,500 race. You want to run. 482 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:30,700 I would ask you this in that condition. 483 00:24:30,900 --> 00:24:35,000 Who's God? Because if God says this and you 484 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,700 say I want to do something else well who's the highest 485 00:24:37,700 --> 00:24:40,300 Authority? And listen this steps on my toes 486 00:24:40,300 --> 00:24:42,400 to this morning. So don't think I'm getting onto 487 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:44,900 you because every finger I got pointed you, I've got three 488 00:24:44,900 --> 00:24:49,400 pointed back at me. But let's just be real if we 489 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:52,000 want Revival, if we want to get right with God, we got to get 490 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,800 real with ourselves and we got to realize there's some things 491 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:56,900 in the race that we don't want to discuss. 492 00:24:56,900 --> 00:24:58,900 There's some things we don't want the Holy Spirit to talk to 493 00:24:58,900 --> 00:25:01,200 us about. We they're closed doors that 494 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,700 aren't for him to talk about. Listen, I'm already going to 495 00:25:03,700 --> 00:25:05,800 church, I'm already doing better than I used to. 496 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:07,400 How much more do I have to? Give up? 497 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:08,800 How many more things do I have to do? 498 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:12,600 I'm tired of the whole mess. Look, I'll be a Christian. 499 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:15,500 Sure, but I mean, there has to be a time where, I mean, how 500 00:25:15,500 --> 00:25:16,900 much more does he want me to give up? 501 00:25:20,300 --> 00:25:25,500 well, he wants us to forsake all and follow him and bar forsaking 502 00:25:25,500 --> 00:25:31,700 all we gain Hall. He saves his life, shall lose 503 00:25:31,700 --> 00:25:34,900 it. Lose his life for my sake, shall 504 00:25:34,900 --> 00:25:38,800 save. But here's the problem. 505 00:25:40,300 --> 00:25:42,200 Simply knowing you're running incorrectly. 506 00:25:43,700 --> 00:25:46,900 Doesn't really help you does it, it's important. 507 00:25:47,900 --> 00:25:51,000 It's important. But it's not everything. 508 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:56,300 Because if someone just tells you you're doing wrong, you're 509 00:25:56,300 --> 00:25:59,000 doing wrong, you're doing wrong, you walk out and say hi. 510 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,000 I'm doing wrong but you know how to do right? 511 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:05,400 Can I be honest with you sometimes may be going to a 512 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,600 Baptist Church can feel like that at least in the General 513 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:10,600 Baptist circles. I'm doing wrong. 514 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:12,700 I'm doing wrong. Okay, well I guess I'm just 515 00:26:12,700 --> 00:26:14,800 doing wrong and you walk out of here and you think oh I'm 516 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:16,700 already doing wrong anyway. So I might as well just keep 517 00:26:16,700 --> 00:26:20,100 doing wrong. But you know, running the race 518 00:26:20,100 --> 00:26:22,100 properly means you correct, the bad form. 519 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:24,000 Then you replace it with good form. 520 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:27,700 I'm hoping after the first session where I was just told 521 00:26:27,700 --> 00:26:30,600 how bad of a wicked rotten Center Runner. 522 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:35,800 I am She'll explain to me how to do it, right? 523 00:26:36,300 --> 00:26:38,900 So you see I'm it's not like she, I saw her on Wednesday and 524 00:26:38,900 --> 00:26:42,400 I ran Friday. I know I can't run until I do it 525 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:46,000 the right way. Okay, I did something wrong, but 526 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:47,400 then I could replace it with something else. 527 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:50,700 That's wrong. So we see there's a wrong way to 528 00:26:50,700 --> 00:26:54,900 run, but there also has to be a way to run with the right form. 529 00:26:54,900 --> 00:26:58,100 So, physically for me, it means having someone who knows what 530 00:26:58,100 --> 00:27:02,100 they're doing, correcting the flaws and replacing them with 531 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,800 Correct behaviors. I need to see someone who knows 532 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:09,000 how to run and have them teach me how to run. 533 00:27:09,700 --> 00:27:12,100 I'm not very good at golf. I want to play golf this year. 534 00:27:12,100 --> 00:27:15,000 I really do. Brother Sam's begging me to play 535 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,100 golf this year and lately. I don't know. 536 00:27:17,100 --> 00:27:20,000 But we'll see. We'll see how the your goes but 537 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:23,100 I'm self-taught which means I can't. 538 00:27:23,100 --> 00:27:27,400 Just learn unlearn all the things I'm doing wrong then I 539 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:28,700 got to learn how to do it, right? 540 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:32,500 Because just because I switch to something else, I could switch 541 00:27:32,500 --> 00:27:34,200 to something else. It's just as wrong, instead of 542 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:37,900 slicing 30 yards One Direction. I can hook 40 yards the other 543 00:27:39,100 --> 00:27:40,400 And so I'm going to replace it with something. 544 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:42,600 That's right, so in the Christian Life, it's not just a 545 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:45,000 pastor, you know, this pastor, he's always down us. 546 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:46,400 He just tell us all the stuff that's wrong. 547 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:49,500 He says, God bless you and leave and don't forget your tithe on 548 00:27:49,500 --> 00:27:51,400 the way out. I mean, what's all that about 549 00:27:52,500 --> 00:27:54,700 What's all that about? This guy doesn't even get it. 550 00:27:54,900 --> 00:27:58,500 Boom, you realize I'm in the same boat as everyone in this 551 00:27:58,500 --> 00:28:01,900 room. We're all there but it's not 552 00:28:01,900 --> 00:28:05,000 just about what we're doing wrong, it's about what to do, 553 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,900 right. You know, I just wonder as a 554 00:28:07,900 --> 00:28:13,800 Christian who could point out to us the wrong way, the wrong ways 555 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,900 in our life and who could show us an example of the perfect 556 00:28:16,900 --> 00:28:19,400 form of living. If only there was someone who 557 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:22,300 could show us what's wrong in our life and show us the A 558 00:28:22,308 --> 00:28:25,600 perfect for I wish. There is. 559 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:30,000 It's in our text. Go to verse 2. 560 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:38,900 Looking unto pastor. Everyone should say thank. 561 00:28:39,100 --> 00:28:41,200 Thank the Lord. No, yeah, God forbids even 562 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:44,700 better. Looking unto my spouse. 563 00:28:46,900 --> 00:28:52,800 Looking unto the televangelist. Looking unto my favorite online 564 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:57,400 preacher. Looking unto Jesus. 565 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:05,400 The author and the finisher of my faith, the author and the 566 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:07,500 finisher. That means he's the Creator and 567 00:29:07,500 --> 00:29:11,100 the completer of our faith. He's the example of faith and 568 00:29:11,100 --> 00:29:14,800 he's the executor of Faith. He is the one that we are to 569 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:16,800 look to. If we were to run the race that 570 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:20,800 God wants us to run, we are to look to Jesus as the author and 571 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,800 the finisher of our faith. And if you aren't sure why here 572 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:27,800 are his credentials, who for the joy, that was set before him, he 573 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:31,400 was joyful to go. To the Cross, not joyful for the 574 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:35,000 pain, not joyful for the suffering, joyful that you. 575 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:38,000 And I could be reconciled with the father once again. 576 00:29:38,100 --> 00:29:41,300 And so, because of that, even though he sweat, great drops of 577 00:29:41,300 --> 00:29:45,300 blood, there is the garden. There was still a joy deep down 578 00:29:45,300 --> 00:29:48,800 within his soul knowing that when his mission was completed, 579 00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:53,200 once he died and was buried and rose again and apply his blood 580 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,400 at the mercy seat at heaven and sat down at the right hand of 581 00:29:56,400 --> 00:30:00,300 God, the father that you and I had the ability to be reconciled 582 00:30:00,300 --> 00:30:02,100 with him. That's his credentials. 583 00:30:02,100 --> 00:30:05,500 And we look unto him as the one who's the author and finisher of 584 00:30:05,500 --> 00:30:07,500 our faith. How do I run right? 585 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,600 Look to Jesus. And you'll know how to run, 586 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:15,100 right? Look to Him, He endured the 587 00:30:15,100 --> 00:30:20,100 cross despising, the shame. That that phrase there, 588 00:30:20,100 --> 00:30:23,900 despising, the shame means he had no regard for the fact that 589 00:30:23,900 --> 00:30:26,900 the process of his death was humiliate, humiliating and 590 00:30:26,900 --> 00:30:31,500 degrading despised the shame. He says this, I care not for the 591 00:30:31,500 --> 00:30:32,900 shame. It doesn't even move me. 592 00:30:34,500 --> 00:30:37,000 I'm afraid for us as Believers a lot of time at the shame that 593 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:40,200 comes with publicly being called a Christian, keeps our Bibles 594 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:43,800 closed, it keeps the tracks in the pocket or in the purse. 595 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:47,000 It keeps us from claiming the name of Christ. 596 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:50,200 It keeps us from telling someone to please stop saying the name 597 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:52,600 of my God in the way that you're saying it. 598 00:30:52,700 --> 00:30:54,400 And I'm not saying to be haughty, and I'm not saying to 599 00:30:54,408 --> 00:30:56,800 be unkind because we need to be careful about that. 600 00:30:56,900 --> 00:30:59,100 But sometimes, we're so concerned about what other 601 00:30:59,100 --> 00:31:02,800 people think that we forget, here's Jesus Christ, he despised 602 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:05,800 the shame. He he literally cared not for 603 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:08,300 the shame, it didn't move him. He was going to that cross. 604 00:31:10,100 --> 00:31:12,400 He's set down at the right hand of the Throne of God, for 605 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:17,000 consider him that endured such contradiction of Sinners against 606 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,200 himself. That the Creator was put to 607 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:25,800 death by his creation, what a contradiction of Sinners and yet 608 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:29,300 he didn't gladly What's the right form? 609 00:31:29,700 --> 00:31:34,300 Well consider him. Consider him in your daily walk. 610 00:31:35,500 --> 00:31:36,600 There's a saying in the nineties. 611 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:39,100 It was it was so trite and to be honest with you is said, so 612 00:31:39,100 --> 00:31:43,300 often hid lost any and all meaning, but what would Jesus do 613 00:31:43,300 --> 00:31:46,100 you remember? That was on bracelets and 614 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:52,100 Clothing and all kinds of things that was on who's on pogs if you 615 00:31:52,100 --> 00:31:55,000 remember, those are 90s, anyone know nobody? 616 00:31:55,100 --> 00:31:56,800 Okay, good. But there's all these things 617 00:31:56,800 --> 00:31:58,300 from the 90s. It was very popular. 618 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:00,900 What would Jesus do? And it became? 619 00:32:00,900 --> 00:32:03,400 So, what lesson would pop culture takes over something 620 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:05,000 like that? You know, probably not going in 621 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:08,500 a great Direction, but I will say this, the thought is true. 622 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:10,700 Consider him. What would Jesus do? 623 00:32:10,900 --> 00:32:14,600 You know that is consider him How often do you consider him 624 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:18,100 during your day? Someone said something to me, I 625 00:32:18,108 --> 00:32:19,800 didn't like. But what would Jesus do? 626 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:24,200 I was angry at somebody for what they did to me, what would Jesus 627 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:27,600 do? How often do we truly consider 628 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:31,400 him? What, what would being like? 629 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:33,200 Jesus. Look like, you know. 630 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:34,900 What's wonderful about that, brother. 631 00:32:34,900 --> 00:32:38,100 Rick just read that for us a few minutes ago, Philippians chapter 632 00:32:38,100 --> 00:32:42,000 2. Who always in the form of God, 633 00:32:42,500 --> 00:32:44,200 thought it not robbery to be equal with God. 634 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:48,900 Made himself of no reputation and took upon him, the form of a 635 00:32:48,908 --> 00:32:52,000 servant. And being obedient unto death. 636 00:32:53,300 --> 00:32:59,100 Went to the death of the cross. I love when the Bible gives us 637 00:32:59,100 --> 00:33:02,200 an assignment. It tells us how to complete the 638 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:05,500 assignment. Consider him. 639 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:08,000 Well, how well, here's what he is like. 640 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:12,100 It's the right form. It's the way to run. 641 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:21,600 Listen. if you're thinking like I am Feeling like I'm first of 642 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:22,500 all, you're thinking you're hungry. 643 00:33:22,500 --> 00:33:26,600 But secondly, if you're thinking like I am, You're thinking this. 644 00:33:30,500 --> 00:33:33,900 Who can do this? Like who could even do this? 645 00:33:35,900 --> 00:33:40,100 You Pastor, you could do it. I don't feel like I can not like 646 00:33:40,100 --> 00:33:43,300 I should. Who can do this. 647 00:33:44,300 --> 00:33:47,600 But again, when the Bible gives us an assignment, it always 648 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:50,900 gives us the ability. And the guidance to complete 649 00:33:50,900 --> 00:33:53,900 that assignment. and it's actually at the beginning of 650 00:33:54,000 --> 00:34:00,200 chapter 12, Luke 12:1, wherefore seeing we are compass'd about 651 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:01,500 with so great. A cloud of witnesses. 652 00:34:01,500 --> 00:34:05,200 Now, stop right there. I skip that before on purpose. 653 00:34:06,500 --> 00:34:10,300 Here's a little help when you're doing your Bible reading, and 654 00:34:10,300 --> 00:34:14,300 you're trying to study, when you see a wherefore or therefore in 655 00:34:14,300 --> 00:34:18,000 the Bible, you want to check what's before to see what it's 656 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:21,300 there for. Wherefore So that we're for 657 00:34:21,300 --> 00:34:23,500 means there's a conversation that's just happened. 658 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:27,800 Wherefore here's what I want you to glean from that conversation 659 00:34:28,300 --> 00:34:30,800 and so we just kind of jumped into the middle of a greater 660 00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:33,699 conversation chapter 12 starts where for okay? 661 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:36,800 So there was something that was discussed in chapter 11 that 662 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:39,600 would help me to be able to fulfill that which is talked 663 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:43,000 about in chapter number 12. What could it possibly be well, 664 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:46,000 will you remember that in Hebrews chapter number 11, we 665 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:49,100 find that there is a great listing of Old Testament Saints 666 00:34:49,100 --> 00:34:52,300 who had faith. Faith in God. 667 00:34:53,300 --> 00:34:57,700 Wherefore seeing as we have a compass'd about with such a 668 00:34:57,700 --> 00:35:00,500 great cloud of witnesses. Well, what are those Witnesses? 669 00:35:00,500 --> 00:35:03,200 Who are those Witnesses? Well, there was able who had a 670 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:05,900 faithful sacrifice. There was Enoch, who walked with 671 00:35:05,900 --> 00:35:08,900 God, and was translated, there was no who built an ark. 672 00:35:08,900 --> 00:35:12,000 There was Abraham who followed his God, LED there was Sarah, 673 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:14,200 who came to believe that which was impossible. 674 00:35:14,300 --> 00:35:16,700 There was Isaac who saw the future. 675 00:35:16,700 --> 00:35:19,500 And there was Jacob, who knew that God would fulfill his 676 00:35:19,500 --> 00:35:22,100 promises. There was Joseph who bones were 677 00:35:22,100 --> 00:35:25,400 arrested in case Ninh. There was a am and Jacob who put 678 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:29,300 Moses in a vessel to save his life when babies were being 679 00:35:29,300 --> 00:35:31,600 murdered by Pharaoh. There was Moses himself, who 680 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:33,500 forsook Egypt for the Israelites. 681 00:35:33,700 --> 00:35:36,100 There was Joshua, whose Faith brought down the walls of 682 00:35:36,100 --> 00:35:39,300 Jericho Rahab, who cast her lot with the Israelites. 683 00:35:39,300 --> 00:35:42,600 There was Gideon, who whacks Mighty and War and they rack who 684 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:45,700 subdued kingdoms and Sampson. Who from weakness was made 685 00:35:45,700 --> 00:35:49,300 strong in jeptha who defeated armies and David who obtained 686 00:35:49,300 --> 00:35:52,900 promises and each and every one of those are witnesses. 687 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:57,700 God, imagine this seated in a courtroom not just witnesses as 688 00:35:57,700 --> 00:36:00,500 in they were just on the sidelines just watching us run 689 00:36:00,500 --> 00:36:02,000 the race. I think sometimes that's the way 690 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:03,900 that it's preach their Witnesses, they're just cheering 691 00:36:03,900 --> 00:36:06,600 us on there in the crowd there at the Finish Line, just up in 692 00:36:06,600 --> 00:36:08,600 heaven. Going to go ahead. 693 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:10,900 You can do it. We're proud of, you know, that's 694 00:36:11,100 --> 00:36:13,500 David's not up there in heaven. Just watching us saying. 695 00:36:13,500 --> 00:36:16,300 Keep going turn that TV off, turn that TV off. 696 00:36:16,300 --> 00:36:19,300 David's not doing that. I promise you but here's why I 697 00:36:19,300 --> 00:36:22,200 believe there's a great cloud of witnesses who were saying we 698 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:26,900 couldn't do it either. Either we had no way to run the 699 00:36:26,900 --> 00:36:29,600 life that God wanted us to run. We were weak. 700 00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:33,500 We were feeble. Abraham David? 701 00:36:34,700 --> 00:36:38,200 Jacob. These are people who have no 702 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:45,200 business being in the faith Hall of Fame. but yet they believed 703 00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:50,100 God and it was counted for that for righteousness and they stand 704 00:36:50,100 --> 00:36:55,100 as Witnesses, not in Judgment of us, but in a courtroom saying, 705 00:36:56,100 --> 00:37:01,000 if we could do it, You could to me that's a whole lot better 706 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:03,300 than Abraham saying. Go read your Bible. 707 00:37:03,300 --> 00:37:08,200 Go read your Bible. it's them literally being Witnesses in 708 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:13,100 heaven saying, God helped us. And he'll help me. 709 00:37:14,700 --> 00:37:18,400 Pastor, we can't do it today and maybe even saying this becomes a 710 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:22,700 walk in my Christian life. I don't see it, I don't see it. 711 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:26,600 You don't know my past. You don't know the sins that 712 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:29,900 doth so easily, beset me. You don't know the things I 713 00:37:29,900 --> 00:37:32,600 struggle with the things that tempt me, you don't know. 714 00:37:32,900 --> 00:37:36,000 And yes, I'm a Believer but I have so much trouble with my 715 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:37,900 flesh and I want to do so much for God. 716 00:37:37,900 --> 00:37:38,900 I want to move forward this year. 717 00:37:38,900 --> 00:37:41,400 I'm encouraged by the theme. I know I want to move forward 718 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:43,500 but I just don't, I don't see it. 719 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:47,800 I don't know how it can happen. Can I leave you with Hebrews 720 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:53,400 11:1? But faith is the substance of 721 00:37:53,400 --> 00:37:59,300 things hoped for And the evidence of Things Not Seen. 722 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:03,000 Don't see it. That's good. 723 00:38:03,700 --> 00:38:06,900 That's the first step of faith. God, I can't run this Christian 724 00:38:06,900 --> 00:38:11,800 race, but either could David, neither could Abraham either. 725 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:15,600 Could Jacob, neither could amram and jochabed, or Rahab or Joshua 726 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:21,600 or Bay, Rack, or Samson. But yet by faith. 727 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:26,500 They stand as Witnesses saying, we could do it with God's help 728 00:38:26,900 --> 00:38:30,800 and you can't, you are you willing to forsake the weights 729 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:35,700 and the sin and follow the perfect running form of our Lord 730 00:38:35,700 --> 00:38:37,200 and Savior. Jesus Christ. 731 00:38:38,100 --> 00:38:40,800 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 732 00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:43,700 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 733 00:38:43,700 --> 00:38:47,100 to you or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 734 00:38:47,100 --> 00:38:52,000 know by contacting us at info, at my Liberty Baptist dot org, 735 00:38:52,100 --> 00:38:55,200 or you can visit us this Sunday at eight hundred Washington 736 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:58,400 Street in Eastern. Massachusetts, may the Lord 737 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:00,700 bless you as you grow in his word. 738 00:38:38,100 --> 00:38:40,800 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 739 00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:43,700 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 740 00:38:43,700 --> 00:38:47,100 to you or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 741 00:38:47,100 --> 00:38:52,000 know by contacting us at info, at my Liberty Baptist dot org, 742 00:38:52,100 --> 00:38:55,200 or you can visit us this Sunday at eight hundred Washington 743 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:58,400 Street in Eastern. Massachusetts, may the Lord 744 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:00,700 bless you as you grow in his word.