WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.511 I tell you what if you've been missing these services, you've been missing a lot. 00:00:03.511 --> 00:00:16.073 God's been pouring out his spirit and he's been doing something real for his people and showing himself to his people once again as they make the grand escape. 00:00:16.073 --> 00:00:24.022 I tell you what it takes a man of skill to get out all them wires and straps and everything else and get off the stage without tripping over something. 00:00:24.022 --> 00:00:30.393 If you have your way, just go ahead and fall forward Right to the altar. 00:00:30.393 --> 00:00:33.868 Brother, go ahead. 00:00:33.868 --> 00:00:43.390 If you have your Bible today, look with me in 1 Corinthians 16, verse 13. 00:00:43.390 --> 00:00:45.332 If you're already there, say amen. 00:00:45.332 --> 00:00:58.996 If you need more time, say hold up, I got you. 00:00:58.996 --> 00:01:03.765 Like Brother Vernon said, if you don't have a church home, welcome home. 00:01:03.765 --> 00:01:13.242 If you didn't notice, we like having fun, but we also stick to the scripture and what the word of God says, and anything outside of that will not be coming from this pulpit. 00:01:13.242 --> 00:01:14.784 We believe that the word of God is infallible. 00:01:14.784 --> 00:01:15.305 It is true. 00:01:15.305 --> 00:01:17.811 It is the one true source of all knowledge and truth. 00:01:17.811 --> 00:01:24.064 There is no other truth, doesn't matter what your opinion and feelings say about it, doesn't matter what the culture says. 00:01:24.064 --> 00:01:31.751 There is only one truth and it comes from God and it comes from the word, and we do not bend and we do not let the culture influence the church. 00:01:31.751 --> 00:01:34.049 The church needs to be influencing the culture. 00:01:34.049 --> 00:01:39.948 1 Corinthians 16, verse 13,. 00:01:39.948 --> 00:01:48.112 It says Be on guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous and be strong. 00:01:48.112 --> 00:01:51.108 Let's pray, father, we thank you so much for your presence. 00:01:51.108 --> 00:01:55.912 I pray, god, that the hardest of hearts hear today that your word penetrate. 00:01:55.912 --> 00:02:00.850 Let my mouth be the mouthpiece of the Lord today. 00:02:00.850 --> 00:02:06.771 Let lives be transformed, let spirits be renewed, let minds be regenerated. 00:02:06.771 --> 00:02:14.521 In the name of Jesus, we pray Amen. 00:02:14.521 --> 00:02:14.962 You may be seated. 00:02:14.983 --> 00:02:16.425 Now we're going to do a small little recap. 00:02:16.425 --> 00:02:20.782 Anybody here last week Anybody we got some that were, some that weren't, so right now we're in this series. 00:02:20.782 --> 00:02:27.765 Last week was our first Sunday of in this series of choose first, choose first. 00:02:27.765 --> 00:02:34.112 We have to make a decision today for the choices and temptations that we will be faced with tomorrow. 00:02:34.112 --> 00:02:40.612 We have to choose today that we are going to serve the Lord, no matter what comes our way. 00:02:40.612 --> 00:02:52.233 We are going to stand firm and steadfast where God has called us to be, where God has planted you to grow, and we're going to make the decision now for the future of tomorrow. 00:02:53.800 --> 00:02:55.366 So last week was take it back. 00:02:55.366 --> 00:02:57.151 Did anybody carry home a steak with you? 00:02:57.151 --> 00:03:02.409 If you were here, you didn't get a steak like a medium rare version or a T-bone. 00:03:02.409 --> 00:03:03.872 You got a steak. 00:03:03.872 --> 00:03:06.669 It looked like a tent stake in the ground. 00:03:06.669 --> 00:03:14.086 You went home and my instructions were it had a scripture on it that whatever the weapons the enemy is going to form, that he will form them. 00:03:14.086 --> 00:03:21.128 It is promised that we will have trouble, we will have turmoil, we will be on the spotlight for God. 00:03:21.149 --> 00:03:31.183 When you say I am a Christian, people begin to take notice and then watch to see what you're going to do, and sometimes people who don't come to church will use the church to dictate how they live their lives. 00:03:31.183 --> 00:03:35.161 So we need to make sure that we are living accordingly to the scriptures. 00:03:35.161 --> 00:04:10.228 And so, on those stakes, I instructed you to take them home and to drive them in the ground with your family to pray over them, to pray over your property, to pray over Longview, texas, to pray over Kilgore and Hallsville and New Diana, and by this we are declaring that what the enemy has tried to take from us, we are here to take it back in the name of the Lord, that everything the enemy has tried to rob us of and sometimes we give it to him that we are making clay. 00:04:10.228 --> 00:04:17.451 We are putting a stake in the ground that we are here to stay and, no matter what it looks like, we are going to follow the Lord. 00:04:17.451 --> 00:04:31.648 The whole idea behind this series is to retrain our minds and our spirits to stop letting life just happen to you, that you have the authority to take control of your life. 00:04:33.190 --> 00:04:37.685 Last week, the stakes to reclaim your physical property surrounding Longview, texas. 00:04:37.685 --> 00:04:43.824 This brings the body into unity that everyone imagine. 00:04:43.824 --> 00:04:56.788 This is how, when I thought that up and we had, at the beginning of the year, stake Longview and it was kind of the same principle we went to schools this time and the entrances of Longview, texas. 00:04:56.788 --> 00:04:59.053 It's time that we keep out the enemy of our business. 00:04:59.053 --> 00:05:11.649 A lot of us, we have something we put stock into and we let the enemy move in and build a house when he has no business having real estate there. 00:05:11.649 --> 00:05:18.509 That the territory imagine this. 00:05:18.509 --> 00:05:29.050 Everyone who took home a stake in all of the area that we covered, all of us put the stakes in the ground and everything inside of there is now going to be blood bought and redeemed by God. 00:05:29.050 --> 00:05:50.072 That's what I believe that when you put scripture I said it last week, but actually in the foundation of this church, there is an actual Bible in the foundation of this church, because when you put your foundation on the word of God, you will not falter, you will not wane, you will not whine, you will continue to serve the Lord because you know what real truth is. 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:59.012 There's people Brother Vernon told me this story and I've heard it from other places is that money, currency, the dollar bill of America? 00:05:59.012 --> 00:06:05.033 The people who study to make sure it's not being produced and ripped off and used as fake currency. 00:06:05.033 --> 00:06:08.439 They don't study the fake currency because there's too many variations. 00:06:08.439 --> 00:06:14.593 They study the one true piece of currency to know when a fake comes about. 00:06:14.593 --> 00:06:25.670 The problem is we get wrapped up on YouTube, ministers, and you don't have a real relationship with God. 00:06:25.670 --> 00:06:38.747 You haven't been diving into his word for yourself and so when false prophets and false ministries come knocking at your door, you don't have a clue and the enemy sneaks into your camp and you just eat whatever's served at the table. 00:06:41.440 --> 00:06:45.567 You've got to have a relationship with the one true God and we start by getting into his word. 00:06:45.567 --> 00:06:51.353 You must put a stake in the ground and say for me and my house we will serve the Lord. 00:06:51.353 --> 00:06:54.764 Enough is enough. 00:06:54.764 --> 00:06:57.245 I choose this day. 00:06:57.245 --> 00:07:06.692 From here forward, let me say something to you you cannot sin too hard or too loud to not be welcomed in when God's grace and mercy covers you. 00:07:06.692 --> 00:07:11.463 It don't matter what you did last night, you're here today. 00:07:11.463 --> 00:07:14.812 It doesn't matter your struggles. 00:07:14.812 --> 00:07:19.346 It cannot rob you of your salvation unless you give it over. 00:07:19.346 --> 00:07:28.209 But if you keep trying and you keep pushing and you keep reading and you keep praying, one day I believe we serve a God of breakthrough. 00:07:28.209 --> 00:07:35.288 But it starts with you putting a mistake in the ground and saying I don't care what everybody else is doing around me. 00:07:35.288 --> 00:07:45.069 Sometimes you've got to cut some relationships, sometimes you've got to let some people go Because they are poison to your very soul. 00:07:47.862 --> 00:07:52.425 That we, as followers of Christ, we do not have to sit and wait for the enemy to come to us. 00:07:52.425 --> 00:07:57.089 We need to be more on the offense and stop playing only defense. 00:07:57.089 --> 00:08:03.509 No sport in the history of sports has ever been won by only good defense. 00:08:03.509 --> 00:08:06.112 If you can't get the ball in the history of sports has ever been won by only good defense. 00:08:06.112 --> 00:08:06.836 If you can't get the ball. 00:08:06.836 --> 00:08:13.153 In the end zone we are to be. 00:08:13.153 --> 00:08:27.670 We are to understand that we have the authority and the power to go to the enemy's playground and win souls for the kingdom To be in the offensive moment, not just defensive. 00:08:27.711 --> 00:08:40.873 So today we're going to be talking about overcoming temptation, because here's what I know as soon as I make a claim and put my stake in the ground, the enemy comes knocking on my door. 00:08:40.873 --> 00:08:48.562 He starts trying to find places he can disrupt and dismantle my divine destiny that God has called me into. 00:08:48.562 --> 00:08:50.046 And sometimes we let him. 00:08:50.046 --> 00:08:51.808 Why? 00:08:51.808 --> 00:08:55.803 It's not because we want to invite him in, it's because we're not paying attention. 00:08:55.803 --> 00:08:59.932 You haven't been preparing for the battle at hand. 00:08:59.932 --> 00:09:08.168 And so you look around and you find yourself in the middle of this season or battle, or circumstance and you're like, oh, if only I would have blah, blah, blah. 00:09:08.168 --> 00:09:09.110 Yeah, guess what? 00:09:09.110 --> 00:09:11.539 Today is the time that you make that decision. 00:09:11.539 --> 00:09:19.913 From here on forward, I'm going to preemptively prepare myself spiritually for the battles that are coming my way. 00:09:19.913 --> 00:09:20.455 Why? 00:09:20.455 --> 00:09:23.604 Because we know that it rains on the just and the unjust. 00:09:23.604 --> 00:09:38.456 It is proven Ask anyone who's been on this earth for a while that you will have hardships, you will have troubles, you will have loss, you will have pain. 00:09:38.456 --> 00:09:48.104 So it would be stupid and ignorant for someone who knows God to let these things just happen to us. 00:09:48.124 --> 00:09:49.225 So I'm going to tell you the week's coming up. 00:09:49.225 --> 00:09:54.054 We got a seven-week series maybe the longest one I've done yet and we may not stop at seven. 00:09:54.054 --> 00:10:00.240 It just depends on what the Lord does. 00:10:00.240 --> 00:10:06.133 Week three we're going to be talking about the power of consistency. 00:10:06.133 --> 00:10:11.730 You ever talk to somebody about their Christian faith, belief before, and they just rattle off a bunch of cherry picking scriptures and they have no consistency. 00:10:11.730 --> 00:10:20.206 Week four drawing closer to God. 00:10:22.328 --> 00:10:32.552 Sometimes we get caught up on programs and time and everything else that goes on in a structure of a church and we forget to tarry and wait and draw closer to God. 00:10:32.552 --> 00:10:54.668 If you're waiting for a Sunday service to draw closer to God, your well will dry up, because what you're doing and listen to me, I'm going to say this as bluntly as possible to hurt your feelings is that if you wait for God to do something in your life, to come and hear a word from a preacher, you have made an idol. 00:10:54.668 --> 00:11:09.563 If you come to a church and you're wanting to be filled by God, you're wanting to feel his spirit and, yes, he does those things in his house. 00:11:09.563 --> 00:11:13.251 But you are a temple of the Holy Spirit. 00:11:13.251 --> 00:11:16.062 You carry with you the name of God. 00:11:16.062 --> 00:11:21.110 You bear witness, with God going with you in the name of the Lord. 00:11:21.110 --> 00:11:22.921 It is not a building. 00:11:22.921 --> 00:11:23.703 That is the church. 00:11:23.703 --> 00:11:42.885 The people in the seats are the church, and if you only see church as a place you go to, you will never, ever find the place that you're looking for, because it's not a person, it's not a man or a woman, it's not a worship team, it's not a certain song. 00:11:42.885 --> 00:11:51.847 Yes, these things are wonderful, these things are great, and I believe that God has designed them for our enjoyment, that we are not to forsake the gathering. 00:11:51.847 --> 00:11:56.269 It's important to be with each other, but if you don't get along with God, it's all for nothing. 00:11:56.269 --> 00:11:59.567 Drawing closer to him. 00:11:59.606 --> 00:12:04.991 Week five what happens when you in your life stop holding back? 00:12:04.991 --> 00:12:11.562 Paint that however you want, but what if? 00:12:11.562 --> 00:12:17.168 What if God has been waiting to use you and you keep holding back his spirit from your life working? 00:12:17.168 --> 00:12:23.270 What if God has a divine purpose for you? 00:12:23.270 --> 00:12:24.394 And guess what he does? 00:12:24.394 --> 00:12:25.919 What if God has a divine purpose for you and guess what he does? 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:38.850 And you have been sitting there on your gift, constraining the spirit of God working in your life because you're whining about what your circumstance looks like. 00:12:38.850 --> 00:12:50.072 If you do this, you are saying that God is not big enough, that his grace is not sufficient enough, that whatever's going on in my life, it trumps God. 00:12:50.072 --> 00:12:57.070 And I'll say it again If you do this and you live this life, you have made an idol. 00:12:57.070 --> 00:13:03.486 What happens when you stop holding back? 00:13:03.486 --> 00:13:04.962 Week six? 00:13:04.962 --> 00:13:07.029 One word that will change your life. 00:13:07.029 --> 00:13:08.701 I'm not going to give it to you. 00:13:08.701 --> 00:13:17.966 You got to stick around that long Week seven, when you want to give up. 00:13:20.211 --> 00:13:32.051 See, all these things are surrounding choosing first, which there's a lot of times when you may make a choice and you choose first, but you're in the middle of it and you get tired, you get exhausted and you just want to throw in the towel. 00:13:32.051 --> 00:13:35.989 So we're going to be talking about what to do when you get to that point. 00:13:35.989 --> 00:13:45.708 So if you come here all the time, or you're visiting today, or if you go back and want to watch the messages, I want to let you know if you've been looking on Facebook. 00:13:45.708 --> 00:13:47.575 We stopped going live on Facebook. 00:13:47.575 --> 00:13:49.682 We have no more videos on Facebook. 00:13:49.682 --> 00:13:56.788 It kept giving us trouble and I was actually thinking about this the other day because I had an online apparel store. 00:13:56.927 --> 00:14:06.854 I make t-shirts and hats and all these other things and I, just a couple of weeks ago, I cut that and let it loose, because I'm getting to the age now to where if it ain't working for me, it's working against me and I ain't got time for that. 00:14:06.854 --> 00:14:15.543 So we had Facebook and YouTube that we would do simultaneously and Facebook kept giving us issues and they're like we can't figure it out. 00:14:15.543 --> 00:14:16.205 I said then cut it. 00:14:16.205 --> 00:14:25.087 So if you want to watch our sermons, every single sermon since the conception of this church in this building with the cameras, is on our YouTube channel, connect Church Longview. 00:14:25.087 --> 00:14:26.028 Look it up. 00:14:26.028 --> 00:14:29.654 You'll see the logo and everything on the channel. 00:14:29.654 --> 00:14:30.642 So that's where. 00:14:30.721 --> 00:14:36.205 If you're looking for the services, that's where they are Sunday, as soon as they're live. 00:14:36.205 --> 00:14:43.552 Let me tell you the process as soon as they're live and they go off, they are not rebroadcasted until Monday again, okay, at about eight o'clock in the morning. 00:14:43.552 --> 00:14:47.486 That gives me time to edit the photos and the thumbnail and all the YouTube fun stuff. 00:14:47.486 --> 00:14:48.451 So just letting you know. 00:14:48.451 --> 00:14:49.948 If you can't find it on a Sunday afternoon. 00:14:49.948 --> 00:14:50.955 That's where it's at. 00:14:50.955 --> 00:14:56.013 If you want to share it with somebody Monday morning, it will be there ready for you to share and give to somebody else. 00:14:56.013 --> 00:14:58.442 So I just want to let y'all know we're not doing Facebook anymore. 00:14:58.442 --> 00:15:07.674 We still have a page, we still have an Instagram, but we're only going live on YouTube because I ain't got time to waste on their precious time and energy to try to figure out what's going on. 00:15:07.914 --> 00:15:08.796 If you ain't working for us. 00:15:08.796 --> 00:15:17.514 I have the same policy about programs. 00:15:17.514 --> 00:15:23.331 People think the more programs you have, the better your church is. 00:15:23.331 --> 00:15:25.927 Usually that's the more dead weight you got. 00:15:25.927 --> 00:15:28.908 So if a program ain't working, I'm cutting. 00:15:28.908 --> 00:15:31.222 So one day. 00:15:31.222 --> 00:15:32.749 If your program, I'm just kidding, just kidding. 00:15:37.061 --> 00:15:43.333 So I believe that through this seven-week process, that God is going to speak to someone here today. 00:15:43.333 --> 00:15:45.746 So prepare your hearts every week. 00:15:45.746 --> 00:15:46.260 I want you to. 00:15:46.260 --> 00:15:56.250 Before you come into this church, you should be already every single day preparing your hearts, not Sunday morning on the way to church. 00:15:56.250 --> 00:16:02.481 Let me ask you this and I'm going to be very y'all know I'm pretty blunt already. 00:16:02.481 --> 00:16:04.546 I may have to apologize later. 00:16:06.528 --> 00:16:07.910 Will you ever come to a Sunday service? 00:16:07.910 --> 00:16:08.971 And it was just as okay. 00:16:08.971 --> 00:16:10.914 You're the problem. 00:16:10.914 --> 00:16:17.985 A pastor does not manifest something. 00:16:17.985 --> 00:16:20.812 I'm not your motivational speaker. 00:16:20.812 --> 00:16:22.162 I'm the deliverer of the word of God. 00:16:22.162 --> 00:16:29.168 I sing, I do other things to lead worship, but I can only do what I can do. 00:16:29.168 --> 00:16:36.749 That's what's so awesome about being a part of a body, is every single piece of the body has a purpose, it has a place. 00:16:36.749 --> 00:16:41.027 So if you're not feeling the service, start worshiping a little harder. 00:16:41.027 --> 00:16:46.162 If you don't like the pastor, say amen a little louder and you'll just start enjoying yourself. 00:16:46.162 --> 00:16:53.868 And I promise you, the more you say amen, the faster I talk and preach, so the faster I'll get done. 00:16:53.868 --> 00:16:57.721 So if you're worried about lunch, just start saying hallelujah, praise God, and we'll get out of here. 00:16:57.721 --> 00:17:12.693 I told you, man, church is too fun. 00:17:12.693 --> 00:17:17.096 I have good and I have good times in the Lord. 00:17:17.096 --> 00:17:23.790 All the times in the Lord that I have had and experienced is better than any second in the world. 00:17:23.790 --> 00:17:29.381 This is why I've been beating you over the head. 00:17:29.381 --> 00:17:30.944 I say it every single Sunday. 00:17:30.984 --> 00:17:32.067 The challenge is 17,. 00:17:32.067 --> 00:17:35.909 Five minutes in prayer, five minutes of reading a word, five minutes of praising. 00:17:35.909 --> 00:17:37.556 Start your day off that way. 00:17:37.556 --> 00:17:39.461 Some of you are like that's not 17. 00:17:39.461 --> 00:17:40.203 Hold on, I'm getting there. 00:17:40.203 --> 00:17:46.623 Start your day off that way and you'll be ready and prepared and I promise you, after a few days five minutes won't be enough. 00:17:48.489 --> 00:17:53.422 And then do one small act of faith every single day and invite one person to church. 00:17:53.422 --> 00:17:57.653 Start quacking as loud as you can to get the other ducks to come to the pond. 00:17:57.653 --> 00:18:01.084 Why do one small act of faith every day? 00:18:01.084 --> 00:18:06.105 Same reason you go to the gym every single day to work out is you want to get that muscle larger. 00:18:06.105 --> 00:18:07.688 So reason you go to the gym every single day to work out is you want to get that muscle larger. 00:18:07.968 --> 00:18:21.942 So when you start believing and other people start believing, everybody may have baby faith, but when you get together, your faith becomes larger and you are built up in strength and faith and, all of a sudden, things that you never would have prayed for or believed in. 00:18:21.942 --> 00:18:24.107 All of a sudden you're like I know God can do it. 00:18:24.107 --> 00:18:30.586 Let's go to the hospital and clear that place out and if you've got a lot of faith, you'll go to the Lord. 00:18:30.586 --> 00:18:37.905 I've heard stories of people spitting up embalming fluid after they've already been embalmed. 00:18:37.905 --> 00:18:41.445 Now listen, I don't want to be around that. 00:18:41.445 --> 00:18:42.189 That will scare me. 00:18:42.189 --> 00:18:44.423 I'm just being honest. 00:18:44.423 --> 00:18:47.807 But I know God can do it and I'll pray for that from a distance. 00:18:47.807 --> 00:19:10.775 So today's message, now that we've got a little spiritual right Overcoming temptation Now why is it so important to understand that you have an assignment on you, that you have the enemy coming for you. 00:19:10.815 --> 00:19:31.633 When you begin to declare and rightly divide the way you're going to be living, when you start diving into the word, when you start witnessing to people, when you start inviting people to church start witnessing to people, when you start inviting people to church, everything in your life is going to begin to break down, it seems. 00:19:31.633 --> 00:19:39.366 Now the question is and this part doesn't matter, but think about it Is it the devil coming after you or is it God perfecting your faith? 00:19:39.366 --> 00:19:43.972 You read Job. 00:19:43.972 --> 00:19:50.048 It was the devil that did all the things to him, but it was a stamp of approval from the Heavenly Father. 00:19:50.048 --> 00:19:55.190 So let me twist up your theology a little bit. 00:19:55.940 --> 00:19:58.609 Maybe sufferings and issues and pains are not for you. 00:19:58.609 --> 00:20:09.233 Maybe what you're walking through right now it is hard, it is a struggle, but it may not be for you. 00:20:09.233 --> 00:20:13.050 Is anybody else in the house very selfish like this? 00:20:13.050 --> 00:20:15.500 You think when you're going through something? 00:20:15.500 --> 00:20:19.288 Oh Lord, I just can't believe God. 00:20:19.288 --> 00:20:20.450 I've been paying my tithes. 00:20:20.450 --> 00:20:23.240 I've been coming to church faithful. 00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:24.104 Why is this happening? 00:20:24.104 --> 00:20:28.188 Because you have been faithful and now we're going to see if you really believe what you say. 00:20:32.681 --> 00:20:35.609 Do you not build in trust when you have to trust? 00:20:35.609 --> 00:20:41.372 Do you not start to build your faith when you actually have to believe? 00:20:41.372 --> 00:20:50.823 Do you not truly Begin to thirst when you're in the desert? 00:20:50.823 --> 00:20:57.939 Do you begin To seek his face the most when everything is right or when everything is wrong? 00:20:57.939 --> 00:21:11.044 Sadly enough, that is our human condition Is that we seem to have to be pressed on every side before we begin to look up. 00:21:11.044 --> 00:21:31.807 Because as soon as you start to declare that I am going to change, I am going to live for God, I'm going to give him everything, the enemy's ears begin to perk up and he begins to look in your direction. 00:21:31.807 --> 00:21:32.972 You are now his number one enemy. 00:21:32.972 --> 00:21:36.480 So how does the enemy fight against us? 00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:47.289 He tries to get us to drink from the well of temptation. 00:21:50.109 --> 00:21:50.691 Now let me ask you this. 00:21:50.691 --> 00:21:51.692 Probably everyone in here, you're in church. 00:21:51.692 --> 00:21:58.980 You know the story of Jesus, that he was perfect, he was the perfect sacrificial lamb for our sins, and yet he still, and yet he still read it. 00:21:58.980 --> 00:22:10.657 When he was baptized, the Spirit came down like a dove on him Immediately. 00:22:10.657 --> 00:22:13.430 Not the devil, led him out into the wilderness to be tempted. 00:22:13.430 --> 00:22:16.009 The Spirit led him out to be tempted. 00:22:16.009 --> 00:22:16.651 And what does that mean? 00:22:16.651 --> 00:22:24.917 That means, if you're following closely behind the Lord and you're being led by his spirit, who are you to be better than Jesus? 00:22:29.311 --> 00:22:30.738 Now, what did Jesus do when he was tempted? 00:22:30.738 --> 00:22:34.119 He stuck to what he knew to be true. 00:22:34.119 --> 00:22:38.557 If you don't know or understand the scriptures, how are you supposed to face temptation? 00:22:38.557 --> 00:22:45.471 If you don't know what's available to you and who is fighting for you, how will you stand against temptation? 00:22:45.471 --> 00:22:52.211 You may think this is pretty obvious, that when the devil's coming at you, oh, I could spot that easy. 00:22:52.211 --> 00:22:53.955 But let me ask you some questions. 00:22:53.955 --> 00:22:55.118 I'm going to ask you. 00:22:55.118 --> 00:22:56.482 Jesus did this all the time. 00:22:56.482 --> 00:23:01.362 He said parables that were a physical example of spiritual things. 00:23:01.770 --> 00:23:15.111 So listen to this have you ever, you ever met anybody who planned Anybody? 00:23:15.111 --> 00:23:15.592 What's that show? 00:23:15.592 --> 00:23:17.980 A thousand pounds, my sister a thousand pounds, or something like that? 00:23:17.980 --> 00:23:22.519 Something like that, a thousand pounds, sister, I, sister. 00:23:22.519 --> 00:23:23.642 I was reading the Spanish version. 00:23:23.642 --> 00:23:24.143 It was backwards. 00:23:24.143 --> 00:23:28.211 Y'all didn't know I knew Spanish. 00:23:31.097 --> 00:23:34.911 Does anybody in here think that one day, when she was a child. 00:23:34.911 --> 00:23:36.714 She woke up and she's like you know. 00:23:36.714 --> 00:23:40.403 I think a thousand is probably a good place to try to hit. 00:23:40.403 --> 00:23:44.736 Do we think that that was an actual, accurate thing? 00:23:44.736 --> 00:23:50.849 Or does, over time, slowly, you get to a place where you're like, oh my goodness, I have to get new clothes because my pants don't fit anymore? 00:23:50.849 --> 00:23:52.813 I just recently went through this. 00:23:52.833 --> 00:23:54.054 Some of you are like no, you didn't. 00:23:54.054 --> 00:23:54.795 Yes, I did. 00:23:54.795 --> 00:23:55.174 Shut up. 00:23:55.174 --> 00:23:56.237 You don't understand my pain. 00:23:56.237 --> 00:24:09.398 I went from size 28 to size 30 because, shut up, listen, listen, it's that, it's that Pentecostal weight, it's coming on. 00:24:09.398 --> 00:24:14.898 I know some of you are like, oh, that's so stupid. 00:24:14.898 --> 00:24:27.234 But I, I seriously would get angry when I put on pants and the buttons would not touch anymore Because, listen, I'm not a bigger frame guy, it's not up on me. 00:24:27.234 --> 00:24:32.721 I thought I was going to go walking out looking good and I couldn't even leave the bedroom because I wouldn't go on. 00:24:32.721 --> 00:24:46.051 No, this was months ago, this was not recent, and some of y'all laugh because you really understand Anybody ever. 00:24:46.192 --> 00:24:48.599 When they were younger, they were a little smaller than they are now. 00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:58.000 Come on, we got some people living in the truth in the house of God today when you were a little younger, you were a little smaller. 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:03.493 None of us said, oh, as soon as I get out of high school, I'm getting my fantastic 50 on. 00:25:03.493 --> 00:25:06.461 Nobody says that. 00:25:06.461 --> 00:25:10.290 Nobody says when they are four years old. 00:25:10.290 --> 00:25:12.394 You know, just one day I want to be bankrupt. 00:25:12.394 --> 00:25:15.861 I just you know. 00:25:15.861 --> 00:25:18.085 I want to give it all away. 00:25:18.085 --> 00:25:20.150 I just you know I want to give it all away. 00:25:20.150 --> 00:25:24.586 I just want to have nothing. 00:25:24.586 --> 00:25:31.297 Matter of fact, I would love. 00:25:31.297 --> 00:25:31.898 I would just love Mom. 00:25:31.898 --> 00:25:33.743 I would just love to be in debt to the IRS. 00:25:33.743 --> 00:25:34.747 That's just a goal of mine. 00:25:34.747 --> 00:25:35.548 God placed it on my heart. 00:25:35.548 --> 00:25:37.701 I want the IRS to chase after me, apparently with their new guns. 00:25:38.767 --> 00:25:48.419 Apparently, I don't know, no one sets out with these goals, but yet things happen in life Little small steps in the wrong direction, just a little bit. 00:25:48.419 --> 00:25:52.531 It's not always a hard right and you find yourself there. 00:25:52.531 --> 00:25:55.836 It's always a little bit, just a little, where you never desire to be. 00:25:55.836 --> 00:26:15.499 I don't know anybody who's ever really thought I want to be hooked on pornography, yet I know people that enjoy it. 00:26:15.499 --> 00:26:19.419 No one set out to be hooked on it. 00:26:26.990 --> 00:26:30.154 Temptation is sly like that because we don't pay attention. 00:26:30.154 --> 00:26:43.584 I don't know of anybody who plans to do something just completely outrageous stupid, knowing that it's stupid and you make it on your calendar. 00:26:43.584 --> 00:26:48.980 I'm going to do something stupid today, or I'm going to set out and I'm going to do something sinful today and then hide it and then lie about it. 00:26:48.980 --> 00:26:51.089 Oh, and then I'll lose some trust in some people that I really love the most. 00:26:51.089 --> 00:26:55.320 The people that you end up hiding things from are the ones you end up hurting the most. 00:26:55.320 --> 00:26:58.095 No one ever sets out. 00:26:58.095 --> 00:27:00.020 They don't put that in their plan book. 00:27:00.020 --> 00:27:04.851 No one ever sets out. 00:27:04.851 --> 00:27:05.752 They don't put that in their plan book. 00:27:05.752 --> 00:27:07.896 I'm gonna betray some trust today, in the name of Jesus. 00:27:07.896 --> 00:27:08.377 It don't, it don't. 00:27:08.377 --> 00:27:08.999 We don't do that. 00:27:08.999 --> 00:27:10.260 Why? 00:27:10.260 --> 00:27:14.921 Because on the outside, looking in, you're like man, that is stupid, that's dumb. 00:27:14.921 --> 00:27:15.804 Nobody would do that. 00:27:15.844 --> 00:27:21.560 But we make these spiritual decisions slightly every single day. 00:27:21.560 --> 00:27:33.662 The problem is that most of us, we don't plan to do this, but we don't plan to not do it either. 00:27:33.662 --> 00:27:38.894 We just let it happen, and that's what we're going to talk about. 00:27:38.894 --> 00:27:47.855 Something today that I believe has the potential to impact your life in a very, very powerful way Is to choose first. 00:27:47.855 --> 00:28:01.044 Before you end up in the depths of sin, choose first, we need to understand that the quality I said this last week the quality of our decisions determines the quality of our life. 00:28:01.044 --> 00:28:09.297 In other words, we make our decisions and then our decisions make us, and we've said this since the beginning of the year. 00:28:09.369 --> 00:28:11.438 We've been talking about retraining your mind. 00:28:11.438 --> 00:28:12.895 You can literally rewrite. 00:28:12.895 --> 00:28:16.681 It's so awesome what God has given the body the ability to do. 00:28:16.681 --> 00:28:21.280 We can rewrite and retrain ourselves in 90 days to form new habits. 00:28:21.280 --> 00:28:25.317 You can literally physically reroute brainwaves. 00:28:25.317 --> 00:28:27.421 Why do we want to do this? 00:28:27.421 --> 00:28:28.810 Why is this so important? 00:28:28.810 --> 00:28:32.221 Because your life will go to the motion of your strongest thoughts. 00:28:32.221 --> 00:28:41.537 That's why the Bible says to think on things above and do not let what's going on around you to distract you, because if you do, you will be messed up. 00:28:41.537 --> 00:28:44.282 You will be constantly depressed, full of anxiety. 00:28:44.282 --> 00:28:46.375 You have to keep your eyes on him. 00:28:47.497 --> 00:28:54.619 The problem is, although we have good intentions, many of us are simply not very good decision makers. 00:28:54.619 --> 00:29:00.762 If I was a better decision maker, I would not have ended up divorced. 00:29:00.762 --> 00:29:03.492 I would not have ended up in jail twice. 00:29:03.492 --> 00:29:12.298 I would not have ended up hooked on meth, I would not have played my mother's favorite and caused a wedge between my parents that ended in divorce. 00:29:12.298 --> 00:29:21.023 There's a lot of things I would have not done if I could have saw clearly and chosen first that I was not going to let these things happen. 00:29:21.190 --> 00:29:26.298 When I was young, in high school, I had so many friends in high school that their parents were divorced. 00:29:26.298 --> 00:29:32.173 Mine wasn't, and that was the song that I sang. 00:29:32.173 --> 00:30:09.432 My parents aren't divorced, I'm not getting divorced either but a series of poor decisions, a series of simple, seemingly innocent temptations that led me, little by little, down the wrong path, and that's why we introduced a big idea called choose first, because we want to understand the power of choosing ahead of time what we are going to face in the future, to make good decisions now so that we don't have to suffer in the damage later. 00:30:09.432 --> 00:30:11.536 Choose first. 00:30:11.536 --> 00:30:13.859 We want to make good decisions now. 00:30:13.859 --> 00:30:16.484 Let's be adults about it. 00:30:16.484 --> 00:30:18.534 Look at yourself honestly. 00:30:19.557 --> 00:30:21.422 Some of you may stick to what you stick to. 00:30:21.422 --> 00:30:25.576 You said I'm not crossing this line, I'm not doing this, I'm not doing that, and you may actually be able to do it. 00:30:25.576 --> 00:30:30.061 But majority of people, we can make decisions and we end up not sticking to it. 00:30:30.061 --> 00:30:34.712 And you know, the number one reason we don't stick with things is the people we allow to speak into our lives. 00:30:34.712 --> 00:30:52.886 Make good decisions now so that we don't have to suffer in the damage later, instead of waiting until the moment to give in to temptation or let our emotions take us to a place that we don't really need and want to go. 00:30:52.886 --> 00:31:03.013 We're choosing first what we're going to do before we ever get into that circumstance. 00:31:03.013 --> 00:31:05.597 We're choosing first who we are, because when we know who we are, we know what we will do. 00:31:07.541 --> 00:31:18.013 If you have a clear definition, clear core values, clear core beliefs in your heart, you know who you are and you will not waver from the truth that you know. 00:31:18.013 --> 00:31:21.603 So I want you to declare these statements. 00:31:21.603 --> 00:31:25.157 I'm going to put them up on the board, on the whatever you call it Screen. 00:31:25.157 --> 00:31:26.401 There we go, not the board. 00:31:26.401 --> 00:31:30.756 We're not in class, but I want you to think about this. 00:31:30.756 --> 00:31:33.960 See, a lot of times we allow the world to speak negativity into us. 00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:38.920 I mean, look at any news channel you want and one person's showing the worst parts of the riots. 00:31:38.920 --> 00:31:41.721 The channel you want and one person showing the worst parts of the riots, the other one showing peaceful protest. 00:31:41.721 --> 00:31:43.583 They all have an agenda. 00:31:43.583 --> 00:31:46.045 Sorry if that messed with some of y'all and the people you watch, I don't care. 00:31:46.045 --> 00:31:48.165 They all have an agenda. 00:31:48.165 --> 00:31:50.810 That's why you have to study and look up for yourself. 00:31:50.810 --> 00:31:55.064 Don't let other people tell you what you are and who you are. 00:31:56.248 --> 00:31:57.752 This is a proclamation of faith. 00:31:57.752 --> 00:32:02.230 This is something that I've been saying to God recently and he's been transforming my heart. 00:32:02.230 --> 00:32:11.464 I am ready, I am consistent, I am devoted, I am generous, I am faithful and I am a finisher. 00:32:11.464 --> 00:32:22.941 I am ready, I am consistent, I am devoted, I am generous, I am faithful and I am a finisher, because I choose first to be the man of God that he wants me to be. 00:32:22.941 --> 00:32:34.900 Our decisions won't be based on our feelings in the moment, if we choose first, but on who you want to be for the rest of your life. 00:32:34.900 --> 00:32:37.499 Not on feelings but on facts. 00:32:37.499 --> 00:32:43.385 Not on feelings but on facts. 00:32:43.385 --> 00:32:49.198 These things right here are based on values, because when our values are clear, our decisions are easier. 00:32:49.198 --> 00:32:55.077 When our values are clear, our decisions are easier. 00:32:56.111 --> 00:33:10.207 I want to ask you a question how many of you, of the faithful people of the Lord, have ever given in to temptation and regretted? 00:33:10.207 --> 00:33:17.226 It Should be 100%, unless you're just a second coming. 00:33:17.226 --> 00:33:21.290 All of us, every person in here has at some point in time in their life, given into some sort of temptation and regretted it. 00:33:21.290 --> 00:33:24.676 Now why? 00:33:24.676 --> 00:33:28.443 Why, at some point have we fallen into the temptation? 00:33:28.443 --> 00:33:31.454 I said it earlier Chances are it's because you weren't ready. 00:33:31.454 --> 00:33:36.751 Chances are it's because you weren't ready, you were blindsided. 00:33:36.751 --> 00:33:45.164 But when we choose first what your decision will be, no matter what comes, you will make better decisions and stick to your values. 00:33:45.164 --> 00:33:49.980 Things will not affect you in the same way if you stick to your values. 00:33:49.980 --> 00:33:57.584 So we have to understand that your flesh is constantly at war with your spirit. 00:33:57.584 --> 00:34:01.494 Paul talks about this a lot. 00:34:01.494 --> 00:34:03.751 He even called himself the chief of sinners. 00:34:03.751 --> 00:34:10.650 A man that wrote the majority of the New Testament labeled himself as the chief of sinners. 00:34:10.650 --> 00:34:11.132 Why? 00:34:11.132 --> 00:34:19.099 Because he understood that temptation is real and if we do not prepare ourselves, we will fall into temptation. 00:34:20.382 --> 00:34:28.297 If you have your Bibles, look with me in Matthew, chapter 26, verse 41. 00:34:28.297 --> 00:34:30.800 And Jesus is talking to the disciples. 00:34:30.800 --> 00:34:31.041 Here. 00:34:31.041 --> 00:34:35.070 He says keep watch and pray Now. 00:34:35.070 --> 00:34:37.838 Jesus knew that he was about to get taken and crucified. 00:34:37.838 --> 00:34:38.940 He knew it was coming. 00:34:38.940 --> 00:34:41.887 Jesus knew that he was about to get taken and crucified. 00:34:41.887 --> 00:34:46.485 He knew it was coming and all he was asking for is some people to be by his side. 00:34:51.130 --> 00:34:55.853 Have you ever been to a place in your life where you felt something was happening or you were in the middle of something and all you needed was someone just to stay and watch with you and listen to what he says? 00:34:55.853 --> 00:34:57.193 And listen to what he calls it? 00:34:57.193 --> 00:34:59.155 Verse 41 in Matthew, chapter 26,. 00:34:59.155 --> 00:35:01.896 It says keep watch and pray. 00:35:01.896 --> 00:35:05.719 Now, these two first things that he says to do are so important. 00:35:05.719 --> 00:35:24.737 If you want to avoid temptation, you have to keep your eyes open, keep focus and pray so that you will not give into temptation, for the spirit is willing but the body is weak. 00:35:24.737 --> 00:35:27.489 Have you ever known anybody that always wanted to volunteer for everything and never accomplished anything? 00:35:27.489 --> 00:35:31.137 The body is willing, but the spirit is weak. 00:35:31.137 --> 00:35:35.572 Jesus was trying to tell the disciples you have to be on guard. 00:35:35.572 --> 00:35:37.976 Keep watching, keep your eyes focused. 00:35:37.976 --> 00:35:42.771 Don't let distractions steal your focus from what is important. 00:35:44.853 --> 00:35:54.505 Second Corinthians, chapter two, verses nine through 11. 00:35:54.505 --> 00:36:08.914 If you got to say amen, man, make sure you mark your Bibles, take notes. 00:36:08.914 --> 00:36:11.018 Taking notes is the Tupperware from the sermon that you take home with you. 00:36:11.018 --> 00:36:18.097 Verse 9 through 11 says this I wrote to you, as I did, to test you and to see if you would fully comply with my instructions. 00:36:18.097 --> 00:36:34.135 When you forgive this man, I forgive him too, and when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ's authority, for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us. 00:36:34.135 --> 00:36:41.764 He included himself, for we are familiar with his evil schemes. 00:36:41.764 --> 00:36:43.485 Now what did he just lay out here? 00:36:43.485 --> 00:36:52.170 That it is a big temptation in the house of God to live and be in unforgiveness in the church, he said. 00:36:52.170 --> 00:36:56.802 I worded it in this way I set it up to see if you would forgive or if you wouldn't. 00:36:56.802 --> 00:37:01.597 I set it up to see if you were going to do what you were supposed to. 00:37:01.597 --> 00:37:07.360 No matter what I said, unforgiveness among believers is a scheme of the devil. 00:37:07.360 --> 00:37:14.742 I didn't say you had to like them, but you must forgive them. 00:37:14.742 --> 00:37:18.476 Get real quiet because y'all know the truth. 00:37:18.476 --> 00:37:20.373 Get real quiet because y'all know the truth. 00:37:20.393 --> 00:37:25.461 The Bible and the Lord values relationships so much. 00:37:25.461 --> 00:37:27.364 I've said this over and over and over again. 00:37:27.364 --> 00:37:35.922 It says in his word that if you were at the altar of sacrifice and someone has something against you, to leave there and go and make it right. 00:37:35.922 --> 00:37:44.518 He's saying that what is between you and me pivots on what is between you and them. 00:37:44.518 --> 00:37:48.440