WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:24.879 We're in a series called The Four Great Invitations. 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:29.440 Jesus makes invitations to whosoever has ears to hear. 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:35.600 I was with a uh, I call him a young guy, in in between that 35 to 45. 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:37.200 We were friends. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:40.079 Uh he had uh come to Jesus. 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:42.880 Uh he was seeking to follow Jesus. 00:00:43.119 --> 00:00:50.880 Uh he had a good job, a beautiful family, uh couple kids, and he called and said, You know, I'm really, really, really struggling. 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:52.159 Could could we get together? 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:53.359 And uh I said, sure. 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:55.759 He says, How about, you know, some time? 00:00:55.920 --> 00:00:58.000 So we we decided we'd play nine holes of golf. 00:00:58.079 --> 00:01:11.599 And as we're walking along and playing golf, we get to about the third or fourth hole, and I've heard about the frustrations in his marriage, and in weak moments, I know I'm drinking too much, and you know, my kids, there's pressures over here, and I'm over here, work is just so demanding. 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:15.439 And if I get up and I spend time with God and read the Bible, then I don't work out. 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:17.599 But if I work out, I don't spend time with God. 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:22.159 And then he just looked at me and goes, it's just not supposed to be this hard. 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:24.239 It's just not supposed to be this hard. 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:27.760 This whole Christian thing is so hard. 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:35.040 And I happen to know his background, and he uh he played college football and then he uh spent some time in the arena league. 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:37.840 Uh he was a really, really good athlete. 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:46.159 And I just was listening most of the time, and just casually I said, um, could I just ask you a question? 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:47.840 He said, Yeah, sure. 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:50.000 I said, he happened to be a tight end. 00:01:50.159 --> 00:02:03.359 I said, when you when you go and you run, you know, a slant and you come across and you catch the ball, and a linebacker comes and levels you, do you get up and say, Boy, that's not fair. 00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:05.359 That's really hard. 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:07.519 You shouldn't hit me like that. 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:10.960 I said, uh, do you remember doing two-day practices? 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:15.439 Do you remember all that you did growing up to get at the level that you are? 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:18.000 And he said, Well, yeah. 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:20.000 I said, Was it hard? 00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:22.800 And then I said, You know something? 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:25.199 We live in a really fallen world. 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:34.960 And basically, as you listened, he had struggles, and he had in a moment of time, honestly, deeply, authentically, come to Jesus. 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:39.680 He found rest for his soul, and he was a part of God's family. 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:47.280 And then he was on a journey to seek to follow him, but he was following him kind of out of his willpower. 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:53.759 I'm gonna do what's right, I'm gonna behave in the right way, I'm going to try and quote, be a good Christian. 00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:57.680 So as I start, I want you to listen very, very carefully. 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:04.560 The Christian life is not a matter of doing more or behaving better. 00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:08.639 It's a matter of going deeper. 00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:10.319 Let me say that again. 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:17.759 The Christian life is not a matter of doing more or behaving better, but of going deeper. 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:21.439 What my friend didn't have was any power in his life. 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:32.319 He didn't have the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit allowing the life of Christ, connecting him to his power so he could live it out. 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:40.240 And there's few things more frustrating than trying to live the Christian life in the power of your own energy. 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:48.159 If you were here in our last time together, I kind of ended it with the Christian life is not hard, it's impossible. 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:50.800 And the only one to live it is Jesus. 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:53.599 And so here's his invitation. 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:58.319 Invitation number one, come to me, and the promise is peace. 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:08.560 Invitation number two was follow me, and the promise was purpose, direction, meaning, fulfillment. 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:14.159 And now you'll notice in your notes at the very top the blank is abide in me. 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:20.399 The promise is freedom, the promise is joy, the promise is power. 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:24.800 It's to abide literally means to stay connected to Jesus. 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:30.000 Now I kind of looked at the notes and um I'm gonna give an overview of those notes. 00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:31.920 Think of them as a skeleton. 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:38.720 And as we get to this time, what I recognize is a lot of people don't know what this actually looks like. 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:48.160 I mean, in real life, because some of you are married and have marriage demands, and some of you are single and you've got single demands, and we've all got work demands. 00:04:48.480 --> 00:04:53.680 And some people drink a little too much, some people play videos a little too much, some people do other things. 00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:58.480 In other words, it's so hard because there's three distractions, you might jot these down. 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:03.920 Number one, the first one why it's hard to abide is just write the word distractions. 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:06.160 You're bombarded, I'm bombarded. 00:05:06.240 --> 00:05:09.680 In fact, we carry distraction in our back pocket most of the time, don't we? 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:12.560 Buzz, buzz, blink, blink, blink, blink, right? 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:18.240 The second thing is distorted desires. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:29.040 In a fallen world, in other words, if you are riding in the Tour de France as they're doing right now, as they're going up the steep, steep hills, they're not saying, I wonder why this is hard. 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:30.800 It's very, very steep. 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:37.279 I want you to know as you live your faith and following Jesus, it's uphill. 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:40.959 This world isn't how God designed it to be since the fall. 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:48.319 And so the distorted desires are the desires to take the gifts that God gives in place of the giver. 00:05:48.480 --> 00:06:00.160 So the desire for sex, for power, for popularity, for fame, for acceptance, for security, there's a world that offers that in ways that promise to satisfy, but it doesn't. 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:06.800 All those are good gifts in the right time in the right way as from God where the focus is the giver. 00:06:07.120 --> 00:06:09.519 And then the third one is discouragement. 00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:14.879 The enemy's number one goal is to get you to say, I can't do this. 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:16.480 I'm worth nothing. 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:17.759 I'm a failure. 00:06:17.920 --> 00:06:19.920 No one knows the thoughts I have inside. 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:22.480 I can't, I don't think I can handle this anymore. 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:26.800 Or, you know, I don't want to quit, so I'll just fake it, kind of. 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:28.879 And we've all lived there. 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:35.040 And so in your notes, what we have is Jesus teaching his disciples, where do you get the power? 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:36.879 How do you actually live this? 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:38.480 Because he's about to leave. 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:40.720 You'll notice in your note it says the context. 00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:42.720 Put a circle around the word context. 00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:48.000 Anytime you get a passage, you want to know what came before it, what came after it, and why is it here. 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:54.319 And the context is the chapters 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 before what's right here. 00:06:54.480 --> 00:07:00.240 In chapter 13, listen carefully, because we always think about the Lord's Supper and him washing their feet. 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:05.600 But the very first line is I deeply desired to spend this time with you. 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:08.240 Jesus wanted to be with them. 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:10.639 He washes their feet. 00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:14.560 Chapter 14, he desperately wants to be with them. 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:23.439 So he says, I'm going to leave, but I'm going to prepare a place for you because where I am, I want you to be with me, and I promise you will be. 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:30.800 Chapter 15, now they've taken a walk, and as they've taken a walk, and there's a number of things, and there's vineyards, he pauses. 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:38.879 And what we're going to look at quickly is he's going to use a metaphor, a picture to say, I'm leaving physically, but I want you to stay connected to me. 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:43.920 And he's going to say, My Father's the vine dresser, I am the true vine, the hope of Israel. 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:50.560 And if you stay connected to me, in fact, everything that you've shared with me when I was here physically, it's going to be better. 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:53.199 Chapter 16 says, How does it get better? 00:07:53.360 --> 00:08:01.279 Is the Holy Spirit is actually going to dwell in you and manifest not only my presence, but the Father's presence. 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:07.600 And then in chapter 17, Jesus is praying for them, and Jesus is praying for us even right now. 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:10.160 So let's imagine walking. 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:13.279 We've sung a hymn, he's washed our feet. 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:18.720 We don't quite understand, we're a bit confused about this death that's coming. 00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:22.480 And he says, I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser. 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:25.759 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:30.079 And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it, that it may bear more fruit. 00:08:30.319 --> 00:08:34.639 You are already clean because the word which I've spoken to you, abide in me. 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:37.600 Here's the invitation, and I in you. 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:46.080 As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me. 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:54.240 I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in me, and I in him result bears much fruit. 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:55.039 Why? 00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:58.480 For apart from me you can do nothing. 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:00.960 That was where my friend was. 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:05.519 He couldn't be more sincere, but he wasn't connected. 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:07.840 He was just trying really hard. 00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:14.960 If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away and then put a box around the next phrase as a branch. 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:16.639 I'll explain why in a minute. 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:17.840 And dries up. 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:21.840 And they gather them and they cast them into the fire and they are burned. 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:28.879 The promise: if you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:40.159 When you're connected to him and he's connected to you, your desires will align with God's desires, and you'll start asking him things, and you will see him like they did in Mexico, answer vividly and powerfully. 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:49.279 He goes on to say, My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:53.039 Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. 00:09:53.279 --> 00:09:54.399 Now notice the shift. 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:55.440 It's abide in me. 00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:57.200 Now it's abide in my love. 00:09:57.519 --> 00:09:58.559 Well, how do you do that? 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:04.399 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. 00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:16.399 So he divines this abiding, not as just some ooey-goooey emotional feeling, but there's this connection, and there's a connection that as we obey his word by the power of his spirit, we abide in his love. 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:18.559 And then there's a purpose clause. 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:19.440 Why? 00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:20.399 What's all this? 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:22.320 What's the purpose of this abiding? 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:29.519 These things I've spoken to you, that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full. 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:37.360 I don't know about many of you, but I don't at times meet a lot of Christians that are really joyful. 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:42.879 I meet a lot of Christians that talk about all their problems, all their struggles, how terrible the world is. 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:47.679 This group of followers is going to go into the most hostile environment. 00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:51.360 Eleven of them will sacrifice their life. 00:10:51.440 --> 00:11:04.399 And the greeting card of the early church in the midst of suffering and injustice and all kinds of difficulty was this unquenchable, supernatural, non-understandable joy that they had. 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:07.120 And it wasn't because circumstances were good. 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:09.120 They had this connection. 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:19.840 They had this the life of Jesus flowing through him, his presence, his personality, his comfort, his encouragement, even in the midst of what was happening there. 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:23.279 And it doesn't mean it was easy for them anymore that's easy for us. 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:27.519 But what's happened in our world is a subtle shift happened. 00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:44.799 And the shift that happened, especially in America, and then it spread all over the place, is that actually the real joy in life is if your life works out, you find the right person, and you're healthy, and you're upwardly mobile, and things go your way, and you have these expectations that it'll be wonderful. 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:50.960 And Jesus is sort of like your health self-help genie that Jesus helped me get what I want. 00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:56.799 And a lot of people are deeply discouraged with God because He hasn't come through. 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:00.240 I prayed about this and I wanted that, and I'm still single. 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:03.919 I prayed about this and I wanted that, but the company didn't go public. 00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:07.360 I prayed about this and I wanted that, but my kid didn't make the traveling team. 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:08.639 In fact, the coach was a jerk. 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:09.840 I prayed it, right? 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:15.440 And kind of our hands are on our hips and saying, Hey God, what's wrong? 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:19.519 And we've missed what it means to abide. 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:24.159 In the worship time, Ryan quoted a portion of Psalm 16. 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:30.399 It says, In your presence is fullness of joy, and at your right hand are pleasures forever. 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:36.639 And don't get me wrong, the gifts of God that he wants to give, he wants us to enjoy a good meal. 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:39.759 He wants us to enjoy sex with our marital partner. 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:44.399 He wants us, did you all get that little parenthesis there? 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:48.080 He wants us to be accepted in love and find security. 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:52.879 He wants us to have a job that we were made for and we're passionate about and brings great fulfillment. 00:12:53.039 --> 00:12:54.799 But all those things are gifts. 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:59.600 And he says where it starts is abiding in me, in me, and you. 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:02.320 I don't want to exposit this passage. 00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:11.840 If you're interested, uh we've done some other work where if you, you know, want to kind of hear teaching through all the book of John here at Living on the Edge, where I work. 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:17.840 But here's what I want you to get: the true vine, the great access to the Father is Jesus. 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:20.240 And then this one line I do want you to get. 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:24.320 Every branch in mead that does not bear fruit, he takes away. 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:33.840 Your translation is a little bit different, but about 85% of the time that this word is translated in the New Testament, it means to take away, it means to lift up. 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:35.200 It's not a negative. 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:38.879 It's like it's like a vine and there's a branch on the ground. 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:43.200 And so he lifts it up and positions it so it can bear fruit. 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:47.200 And the ones that are already bearing fruit, he does something that feels very painful. 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:52.559 He prunes it and he cuts off some of the extraneous things so that it'll bear fruit. 00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:59.440 And then remember, you put a box around, if any branch in me that doesn't bear fruit, he's talking to followers. 00:13:59.679 --> 00:14:02.159 He says they're burned and cast into the fire. 00:14:02.320 --> 00:14:05.279 This is not a picture of a believer going to hell. 00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:11.840 Jot on the side of your notes, 1 Corinthians chapter 3, and you can go study it a bit later. 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:30.559 And what he says is that we all, once we have come to know Christ and his spirit lives in us, and our sins are forgiven, and he lives in us, there is a judgment, not for our salvation, but there's a judgment coming where we give an account for what did we do with the life that God gave us? 00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:33.919 The time, the energy, the money, the spiritual gifts. 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:43.279 And he says, at that judgment, the things that were done for him with the right motive, there's rewards, gold, silver, and precious stones. 00:14:43.519 --> 00:15:00.720 But those things where he gave us things and we didn't do anything with them, or we did things in order to impress people with the wrong motive, he says they're wood, hay, and stubble, and there's this judgment that those things burn, and he's very quick to say, but you will be saved as through fire. 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:02.879 There's a refining process. 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:06.799 So Jesus is saying to them, There's a lot on the line. 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:10.240 The only one that can live this life is me. 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:17.200 And the only one that can live it is when the Holy Spirit dwelling in you produces this life. 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:20.159 And then you'll notice I just did a little study for you. 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:24.159 I'm hoping that you'll kind of dig in on your own and take it deeper. 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:27.679 But it says, What did Jesus teach Peter to follow? 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:32.720 And it really ought to be, what did Jesus teach Peter and the disciples about abiding? 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:43.919 And you notice I went through that process where the metaphor of the vine, uh, life-giving power, the warning about the branch and judgment, the promise of intimacy and access. 00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:53.360 And did you notice that if my, if you abide in me and my, what's it say, my words abide in you, ask. 00:15:53.679 --> 00:16:03.200 So there's some level of this intimacy that gets developed between Jesus showing up in his word, and then we talk to him. 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:08.240 There's this vertical relationship like breathing, and we inhale God's word. 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:22.799 And as we inhale God's word through teaching, through time alone with him, by kind of reading the scriptures slowly and quietly, not to get my three chapters done and put a check mark, but to say, what do you want to say to me? 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:25.279 Here's the one thing I want you to get. 00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:29.840 The Christian life is about Jesus wanting to be with you. 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:32.240 He wants to be with you. 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:34.960 It's a relationship, it's not a duty. 00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:38.399 It's not just reading the Bible or praying so long or talking. 00:16:38.559 --> 00:16:48.480 And then, did you notice after there's this vertical relationship of him manifesting his presence, he says, abide in my love, just as I abide in my father's love. 00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:50.399 And he talks about loving one another. 00:16:50.559 --> 00:16:52.320 So there's this connection. 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:58.159 What I want you to know is that everything we're going to talk about is impossible to do alone. 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:01.759 You can't do it, and I can't do it. 00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:05.839 Every command in the New Testament is in the second person plural. 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:10.960 You all love one another, you all honor one another, you all encourage one another. 00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:24.160 No one can live this life apart from God's word, the inhaling of the scriptures, and the exhaling of talking to God in honesty and intimacy and authenticity. 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:26.799 God is never impressed with our words. 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:31.279 He's always looking at our heart, and he longs to be close to us. 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:36.079 In fact, he longs to be close to us in the times when we want to run away from him. 00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:44.240 Your failure, your mistake, your difficulty, you blowing it for the 33rd time, and you don't really want to pray. 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:49.039 The moment you come honestly, oh God, I'm so sorry. 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:50.400 I'm so sorry. 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:51.519 And you mean it? 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:56.480 The Lord is near the brokenhearted, he saves those that are crushed in spirit. 00:17:57.359 --> 00:18:01.839 That's what David could say after he committed murder and adultery. 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:07.039 And so on the right side, I just put, you know, Peter's and the disciples, what did they do? 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:14.799 Early on, they heard all of this and they were confused, they were anxious, then they failed, right? 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:22.319 They abandoned him, then they got hopeful, you know, and then his death, and they were don't think anything's gonna happen. 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:23.599 They were defeated. 00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:33.119 Then they went to his word after the resurrection, and they looked at some of those Old Testament promises and things Jesus told him, and then they prayed. 00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:38.000 And as they waited, they received power, and the Holy Spirit indwelt them. 00:18:38.160 --> 00:19:00.799 And if you want to jot down Acts 2, 42 to 47, you'll find that there is a life-giving, powerful community where on a regular, rhythmic way, they gave their attention to the apostles' teaching and to the prayers and to meeting from house to house and sharing a meal and loving one another and meeting the needs of the poor. 00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:03.680 And it said the Lord added to their number daily. 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:07.519 That that's the picture of abiding and how it's manifested. 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:12.720 If you uh turn to the back page, I put a little picture that I introduced last time. 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:15.440 Uh all of that is true. 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:20.480 And what I discovered was uh I didn't grow up reading the Bible. 00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:24.160 Uh, I didn't know didn't grow up in a church that taught the Bible. 00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:28.559 Uh I, as I shared earlier, I came to Christ just before I went away to college. 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:31.599 There was a bricklayer that began to help me grow. 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:41.839 Uh I tried, I was the reason I could help that uh former football player, I I tried really hard in my effort and my energy to uh to live the Christian life. 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:47.039 And as I shared in our last time together, once I found out I couldn't do it, I quit. 00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:49.200 At least I tried to quit. 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:51.279 But Jesus wouldn't quit. 00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:58.400 And so uh in the midst of that, I began to learn, okay, how do you abide? 00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:05.599 And those things that came out of John 15, notice there's the word and prayer in this vertical relationship. 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:12.960 You notice there's witnessing and fellowship in the horizontal relationship, and it's all about having Christ as the center. 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:21.680 And then just as you learn and as I learn, obeying what you know, uh, I put a few uh observations about this wheel. 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:25.279 It serves as a guide in our personal growth, as a basis for abiding. 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:27.839 Notice a wheel's dynamic, it's always moving. 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:29.839 When it's moving, you don't see the spokes. 00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:31.920 It's not about how much you pray or this or that. 00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:34.160 What happens is you begin to see Christ. 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:37.200 The emphasis is on relationship. 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:43.440 The Christian life is not about sort of some self-help, like, how am I growing and how am I doing and am I praying enough? 00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:44.319 Am I reading enough? 00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:45.359 Am I doing this? 00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:46.880 Here's the Christian life. 00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:48.880 My focus is on Jesus. 00:20:49.200 --> 00:20:51.519 All those things are merely means. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:57.599 When you're really struggling, and when I'm really struggling, don't start focusing more and more in. 00:20:58.160 --> 00:21:01.920 Start setting your eyes and your focus on Him. 00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:07.359 And I want to talk about how to do that practically, because I've heard people say that, you know, fix your eyes on Jesus. 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:08.799 And I thought, great. 00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:13.519 I mean, what's that really mean? 00:21:13.599 --> 00:21:15.039 How do you really do that? 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:18.240 And then where obedience meets the rubber of the road. 00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:23.279 And I'll share how that little picture, uh, there's a couple verses that go with each of those. 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:33.519 Uh by the way, if you want the full wheel illustration with verses and how it all works out, just Google the wheel illustration and a fuller explanation of that. 00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:44.799 It was developed by another high school educated person named Dawson Trotman, who started a ministry called the Navigators, the Discipleship Ministry, and that bricklayer was a part of the Navigators. 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:47.920 And I had a uh, we're gonna now, are you ready? 00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:49.920 You know what it means to abide, right? 00:21:50.400 --> 00:21:52.079 Nod your head or something. 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:52.640 Okay? 00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:54.880 It means to stay connected to Jesus. 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:56.079 How do you abide? 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:59.759 It has something to do with the word and prayer and being connected to other believers. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:03.279 And responding in love and obedience to what we know. 00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:04.079 Right? 00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:08.400 It's really, really hard to abide because we all get distracted, right? 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:11.599 We all have distorted desires. 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:18.880 Satan is always offering, and the world is always offering really, really good things in the wrong way or the wrong time. 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:21.759 And so we fall in love with the gift. 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:38.160 If, you know, if if so many people knew my name, or if we went public, or if I had a house, or I had a second house, or, you know, if I have, well, you know, if my body looked better, and you know, we have all these things that if went, if went, if went, if went, and then if you ever do get them, it's like, ooh, they didn't deliver. 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:42.400 And God says, those are all gifts. 00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:50.079 Those are all things I want to give when you understand every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights with whom there's no variation. 00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:57.920 I want you to enjoy these things as gifts and give me the credit and cause it to spur on our relationship. 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:01.200 Well, back to this wheel. 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:09.279 Uh I was uh pretty much uh after I had quit the Christian life and realized I couldn't because Jesus wouldn't leave me alone. 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:12.640 I thought, well, somehow, some way I gotta figure it out. 00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:16.400 And I was in a Bible study and they had this wheel illustration. 00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:21.119 And what I realized in my life, it was like, okay, I wonder what's wrong. 00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:23.599 Okay, number one, Christ isn't the center. 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:30.400 Ask, you know, if if I replace a circle, uh basketball was the center and my girlfriend was the center. 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:39.839 And then the word was like, well, you know, I'm reading my Bible, you know, maybe a couple, three times on good mornings. 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:42.799 And I go to church maybe once or twice a month. 00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:43.759 I sort of. 00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:47.119 Prayer is sort of like mostly running to class. 00:23:47.359 --> 00:23:49.519 And fellowship, I do go to that Thursday thing. 00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:50.160 That's really good. 00:23:50.240 --> 00:23:52.799 And there's a lot of cute girls, so that was part of the motivation. 00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:58.480 And as far as witnessing, telling others, uh, yeah, actually a little bit, not too much. 00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:03.680 And then as far as obedience, I I I've I'm coming a long way except in a couple areas. 00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:05.839 My thought, life, and lust. 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:07.759 And I was stuck. 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:14.880 And uh there's two verses that go with each of those, and uh, I accidentally learned how to abide. 00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:15.680 Are you ready for this? 00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:19.440 It was a pure accident, and my motivation was carnal. 00:24:19.599 --> 00:24:21.599 That's how kind God is. 00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:31.279 So I'm uh I'm deciding I can't quit the Christian life, and um my roommate was uh a wrestler, and we were very competitive. 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:34.640 He was a heavyweight wrestler, and I was the skinny point guard. 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:43.759 And so uh he was gonna go to this training program put on by this group that does the wheel, and he had these 60 verses he had to memorize. 00:24:43.839 --> 00:24:50.400 And there were two verses, you know, two verses on God's word, two on prayer, two on obedience, and then there was another 60 total. 00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:58.000 And he left the room and he had these little cards, and I was too cheap to buy the cards because back then they were five dollars for a box of them. 00:24:58.160 --> 00:25:03.920 And so I got three by five cards, I cut them up and I wrote all the verses down, and I had one motivation. 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:11.279 Uh, he was gonna memorize a couple a week because he had to have these done by the summer, and this is like, I don't know, December or January. 00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:25.279 And so I thought, I'm gonna do one a day, I'm gonna have a master, I'm just gonna walk in and go, hey Bob, how are you coming with the uh, you know, you know, wrestlers are and then I said some semi-unkind joking things. 00:25:25.920 --> 00:25:28.000 And uh, how are you coming with that? 00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:32.640 And then I was gonna go, uh, oh yeah, Christ the center, Galatians 2.20. 00:25:32.720 --> 00:25:34.799 For I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. 00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:36.880 Yet not I, but Christ lives within me. 00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:41.759 And this life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and died for me. 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:43.119 You got that one down yet, Bob? 00:25:43.279 --> 00:25:44.240 Or Bob, how about the word? 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:52.559 All scriptures inspired by God is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness that the man of God might be fully equipped for every good word. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:53.519 You got that one, Bob? 00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:54.799 Or hey, Bob, how about prayer? 00:25:54.880 --> 00:25:55.839 How are you coming on prayer? 00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:56.880 John 15, 7. 00:25:57.039 --> 00:26:01.359 If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it'll be done for you. 00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:02.480 Hey, Bob. 00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:04.640 And I mean I went through all of them. 00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:10.319 But to go through all of them, you know, I'm a very over-the-top, zealous, nutty person. 00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:12.720 I've actually mellowed some. 00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:22.640 Um but but the only way I did it was I took those cards and I did one a day, and then I kept them with me. 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:26.160 I remember running to, we had fall baseball, and I would do them there. 00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:40.880 I remember in psychology class, because it was very boring, I would, and I I reviewed them, I reviewed them, I reviewed them, I reviewed them, I kept reviewing them all the time because I wanted all 60 in 60 days, and I wanted to show him that basketball players were better than wrestlers. 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:48.079 And on day 21, uh, by the way, I did not know about the power of the mind. 00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:50.559 I did not know about abiding. 00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:56.400 I basically had only read through the New Testament, like maybe once or not all the way through. 00:26:56.720 --> 00:27:04.079 Um and I didn't realize that I was renewing my mind multiple times every day. 00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:08.400 And all these verses were getting put into my mind and my subconscious. 00:27:08.640 --> 00:27:14.640 And I remember uh meeting a very beautiful co-ed who I really struggled with because she was very godly. 00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:19.599 And I remember having a conversation where I did not lust at all. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:23.279 And then I no one told me to start doing this or start doing that. 00:27:23.440 --> 00:27:25.440 My my desires changed. 00:27:25.599 --> 00:27:28.319 Uh getting up and reading the Bible was all these Christians here. 00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:29.680 Did you read the Bible this morning? 00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:31.119 Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. 00:27:31.279 --> 00:27:34.799 And it was just like duty, duty, duty, right? 00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:37.200 If you're supposed to be a good Christian, you're supposed to read the Bible. 00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:39.039 I don't read the Bible, I feel guilty a lot. 00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:39.839 Did you go to church? 00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:47.680 No, I didn't really go to church because I was out until two in the morning with the basketball guys, and it was really hard to get up, and I still love God, and I'd really feel bad. 00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:50.720 Or if I did some things I knew were really wrong, then I remember doing this. 00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:54.880 I'd get next to my bed and, you know, oh God, oh God, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. 00:27:54.960 --> 00:27:56.319 Please, please, please, please, please. 00:27:56.400 --> 00:27:59.839 And I'm going to feel really bad about myself for about two days, and then I'll catch you later. 00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:02.480 It was sort of like, you know, whip myself. 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:08.720 And I remember in this journey praying like that about a behavior that I was struggling with. 00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:16.640 And uh I remember, I didn't know much about the Holy Spirit, but I heard literally a voice inside my head, why are you saying you're sorry? 00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:18.559 You like this sin. 00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:22.799 So why don't you just get honest? 00:28:23.119 --> 00:28:25.839 Why don't you just tell me, I really like this sin. 00:28:25.920 --> 00:28:28.720 I feel really bad afterwards, but I I like this sin. 00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:32.400 And ask me to help you not to like the sin. 00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:34.960 And I didn't know how that would work. 00:28:35.440 --> 00:28:43.039 But I remember getting up and thinking, I've been telling God how sorry I am and not changing over and over and over again, because I didn't know how to abide. 00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:47.200 See, at the heart of abiding is honesty. 00:28:48.960 --> 00:28:54.319 God's desires are very high, God's expectations are very reasonable. 00:28:54.559 --> 00:29:14.079 But like in every relationship with a real person, if you're real and you're honest, you know, most of us, when people blow it, friends, marriage partner, one of our kids, one of our parents, I mean, when they're really real and authentic, you know, we can pretty much always get reconnected. 00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:18.160 And so uh what happened was I just told him. 00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:30.480 And I had no idea these two sort of in my mind random things happened as as I kept reviewing these verses and memorizing these verses, my desires changed. 00:29:31.039 --> 00:29:39.519 Instead of willpower, willpower, it was like I remember just walking and and a thought came to me and it was a verse. 00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:47.519 And then I remember I went over here and and a verse came to my mind, and it was like, who loved me and gave himself for me. 00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:54.720 See, I spent most of my early Christian life living to gain God's approval. 00:29:55.200 --> 00:29:58.240 And the scripture teaches I already have it. 00:29:58.799 --> 00:30:07.920 And the paradigm completely changes when you live instead of for God's approval, you live from God's approval. 00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:12.799 I'm his son, I have an inheritance, I'm loved. 00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:16.559 While I was yet a sinner, Christ died in my place. 00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:18.240 He loves me for me. 00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:21.759 And then I started, you know, then it was like, hey, you know what? 00:30:21.920 --> 00:30:30.079 There's other verses in here other than these 60, you know, and then I then I discovered the Psalms, and I thought, man, these people are as messed up as me. 00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:31.440 They really struggle. 00:30:31.599 --> 00:30:33.920 And I started praying these psalms back to God. 00:30:34.079 --> 00:30:40.079 And then I didn't, you know, I didn't know how to live life, and some guy said, there's a lot of wisdom, you ought to read some of those proverbs. 00:30:40.160 --> 00:30:45.440 And so, you know, there's like 30 or 31, and so so every day I would read just a proverb. 00:30:45.519 --> 00:30:55.759 But it went from duty, got to, ought to, feel guilty if it don't, to a discipline to a delight to the point, and and it took a while. 00:30:56.319 --> 00:31:08.960 Uh I don't I don't want to make it sound like there's just some magic, but I I remember realizing the greatest part of my day was getting up and not performing. 00:31:09.279 --> 00:31:10.400 Did you read your Bible? 00:31:10.640 --> 00:31:12.000 Did you pray? 00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:18.079 It was Jesus wants to meet with me. 00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:22.480 It's not that he loved me, he's not a force. 00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:25.519 This this isn't some religion of principles. 00:31:25.759 --> 00:31:31.119 This this isn't like read the Bible, get in a small group, go to church, take communion. 00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:37.039 This is a real person with emotions. 00:31:38.079 --> 00:31:45.920 I I remember when I would miss my time in the morning, I realized I think the Lord's a little sad today. 00:31:46.640 --> 00:31:50.240 See, I grew up thinking that if you ever messed up, he was always mad. 00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:56.640 But I realized it's I remember one day thinking, I really love my wife. 00:31:56.799 --> 00:32:07.920 Happens to be her birthday, and today I was thinking of the 43 years we've had, and just despite all the ups and downs, just how good, how rich, how amazing she is. 00:32:08.079 --> 00:32:19.440 And and um, you know, there's been times where my schedule, we had something planned, like a like a you know, a great dinner out and a romantic evening, and and something happened and I missed it. 00:32:20.160 --> 00:32:23.119 Well, she wasn't mad. 00:32:23.440 --> 00:32:25.920 It was like, oh man, we missed out. 00:32:26.720 --> 00:32:36.240 And and I I and when I finally realized, you know, when Jesus was talking to those disciples, I eagerly wanted to spend this time with you. 00:32:36.480 --> 00:32:40.880 In his humanity, he needed them as much as they needed him. 00:32:41.279 --> 00:32:44.079 In his humanity, could you guys pray with me? 00:32:44.240 --> 00:32:46.079 I'm gonna I'm gonna go to the cross. 00:32:46.160 --> 00:32:47.279 I want you to be with me. 00:32:47.359 --> 00:32:48.480 You're my bros. 00:32:49.519 --> 00:32:53.039 And and then, and then, you know, with that last night he knew they were afraid. 00:32:53.119 --> 00:32:54.960 He goes, I'm gonna co-prepare a place. 00:32:55.119 --> 00:32:56.880 By the way, that place is real. 00:32:57.279 --> 00:33:04.079 There is a heaven, and there's a new heaven and a new earth and a reality that's coming, and it's as real as that. 00:33:04.240 --> 00:33:05.279 It's that concrete. 00:33:05.359 --> 00:33:10.880 It's not floating around and sipping iced tea, and you know, it's not like an eternal worship service. 00:33:11.759 --> 00:33:15.759 And he wanted him to know, I want, I want you to be with me. 00:33:15.920 --> 00:33:18.640 Abiding is about a relationship. 00:33:18.880 --> 00:33:26.720 And as I begin to uh memorize those verses, then my desires changed. 00:33:27.200 --> 00:33:28.799 And did I still mess up? 00:33:28.960 --> 00:33:29.920 Of course. 00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:40.079 But you know, it's really different messing up when you hurt a friend's feelings than when you violate some principle and you just try and cover for it. 00:33:40.960 --> 00:33:47.680 Uh I I wanted to kind of wrap up my time by kind of my lessons. 00:33:47.759 --> 00:33:49.920 I have a head, a heart, and a hands. 00:33:50.079 --> 00:33:57.920 I think a lot about what do you need to know, what do you need to feel or grasp, and then what do you need to do in order to abide. 00:33:58.240 --> 00:34:07.039 And um, so in terms of if you really want to abide, uh, you need a theology of your salvation and your identity in Christ. 00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:13.840 In other words, you'll never really abide unless you learn who am I and whose am I? 00:34:14.480 --> 00:34:24.079 And um, and so you need to understand the Father ordained my salvation, the Son accomplished my salvation, and the Holy Spirit applies my salvation. 00:34:24.239 --> 00:34:26.400 And some of that is kind of heady stuff. 00:34:26.719 --> 00:34:34.079 For those of you that have been around for a long time, uh let me encourage you to read a book called Deeper by Dane Ortland. 00:34:34.320 --> 00:34:42.719 Uh, he's got another one called What Gentle and Lowy, Lowly, um, where he takes theology and gets it to where what's it look like? 00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:48.000 Um I I wrote a book called Yes, You Can Really Change. 00:34:48.159 --> 00:34:55.679 You know, when you have as many struggles as I've had, um, I really value super smart, super spiritual people. 00:34:55.840 --> 00:35:01.280 And I'm like just smart enough and just to be able to translate that for us everyday people. 00:35:01.599 --> 00:35:07.920 And um, if if what I'm talking about is a bit of a challenge, I don't have a bunch of them, but when I write a book, they send me a couple boxes. 00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:14.000 And this morning I was praying for us, and I thought, um, these boxes are not doing anything, you know, for me. 00:35:14.079 --> 00:35:15.119 They're in my closet. 00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:18.079 And so, you know, I just got a handful for each service. 00:35:18.159 --> 00:35:21.519 If if something like this would be helpful, uh grab it. 00:35:21.679 --> 00:35:24.400 But there's a there's some things you do need to know. 00:35:25.280 --> 00:35:28.400 And just, I mean, if you take calculus, right, there's some things you need to know. 00:35:28.480 --> 00:35:31.440 If if you're gonna learn to do software, there's some things you need to know. 00:35:31.599 --> 00:35:35.280 If you want to be a follower of Jesus, there's some things you need to know. 00:35:35.440 --> 00:35:39.360 Uh the second is there's some things in heart, that's your head. 00:35:39.599 --> 00:35:51.519 And um in the heart, I think you need to feel and sense and reorient yourself in your Christian life around this is a real person and a relationship. 00:35:51.840 --> 00:35:53.519 God is not the force. 00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:56.159 The goal is not to improve my behavior. 00:35:56.400 --> 00:35:58.880 Jesus is not my self-help genie. 00:35:59.199 --> 00:36:11.840 This is about a real person who has revealed what the Father is like, who is the second person of the Trinity, that the Holy Spirit's job is to manifest his presence and his personality. 00:36:11.920 --> 00:36:17.760 And if you have trusted Christ, he lives in you and he wants to speak to you personally from his word. 00:36:18.239 --> 00:36:22.400 He loves the delight of the Lord or the prayers of his people. 00:36:22.639 --> 00:36:26.800 He wants you to be loved and connected with others and his presence inside you. 00:36:26.960 --> 00:36:35.840 He wants you to shape the lives of others and be shaped by them, and then he wants you to be his hands and his instruments to care and to love, especially the least of these. 00:36:36.400 --> 00:36:40.000 And that's something that needs to be a reorientation. 00:36:40.320 --> 00:36:55.440 If you consider the Christian life a bit like this is my job, or how am I performing, you will find yourself like my my football friend, pretty frustrated, trying hard. 00:36:56.400 --> 00:37:00.480 Uh joy is the byproduct of relationship. 00:37:01.360 --> 00:37:13.119 Uh the second thing that I think that you need to uh terms is is understand that the what what connects the head to the heart is your thinking. 00:37:13.519 --> 00:37:15.199 And so you have to renew your mind. 00:37:15.280 --> 00:37:18.719 I it was an accident that I started memorizing these cards. 00:37:18.800 --> 00:37:26.079 Well, after I did this, it was like, wow, if if 60 verses do this, anytime I found a verse that really spoke to me, then I would memorize it. 00:37:26.159 --> 00:37:36.400 And then for some of you, you've been in the faith for a while, you need to pick out what are some core chapters that you know when you're sitting at a light, you can go over in your mind. 00:37:36.559 --> 00:37:41.199 Maybe Romans chapter 12, or maybe the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, 6, and 7. 00:37:41.280 --> 00:37:42.800 By the way, you can do this. 00:37:43.920 --> 00:37:55.360 Or maybe it's Ephesians 4, or maybe it's a great psalm like Psalm 27 or Psalm 46 or Psalm 37, and and and pretty soon you just you start thinking and renewing your mind. 00:37:55.519 --> 00:37:58.639 Here's what will happen: your desires will change. 00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:06.559 And the final thing in terms of the to-do is renewing my mind. 00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:17.519 The reason I meet with God in the morning is that if I don't start my day with a focus and a connection and relationship, what I know is I'm going to get distracted later, right? 00:38:17.920 --> 00:38:19.599 I have distorted desires. 00:38:19.679 --> 00:38:30.719 I've been a Christian 50 years, and I still have issues with all the things that you do that I need to battle, and left to myself, I'm going to get discouraged because the enemy wants me to think I never measure up. 00:38:30.960 --> 00:38:35.199 When I get really depressed, it goes like this You're a terrible person. 00:38:35.360 --> 00:38:37.119 You're a bad dad. 00:38:37.440 --> 00:38:39.199 You're a terrible pastor. 00:38:39.440 --> 00:38:41.280 You never amount to anything. 00:38:41.519 --> 00:38:43.039 Your life is a waste. 00:38:43.199 --> 00:38:45.039 You're a bad husband. 00:38:46.079 --> 00:38:47.360 Gosh, you're looking at me. 00:38:47.679 --> 00:38:49.760 Does no one ever have those thoughts? 00:38:50.719 --> 00:38:53.199 Lord, I guess it's just you and me. 00:38:54.719 --> 00:38:57.280 I think we all have dark times like that. 00:38:57.599 --> 00:39:03.760 But when I when I start, when I start my day and I'm reminded, this is who you are. 00:39:03.920 --> 00:39:04.800 You're my son. 00:39:04.960 --> 00:39:06.559 I don't care what anybody else thinks. 00:39:06.639 --> 00:39:07.760 I love you, Chip. 00:39:07.920 --> 00:39:12.159 Hey, by the way, I know everything's gonna happen today, so I'll prepare you, Chip. 00:39:12.320 --> 00:39:13.360 Hey, what you know what? 00:39:13.440 --> 00:39:20.639 You got this meeting you're uptight about, and you know, I just I just did a message at a place with a group of people that were so intimidating. 00:39:20.800 --> 00:39:23.280 I was so anxious all afternoon before I spoke. 00:39:23.440 --> 00:39:30.800 And finally it was just, oh Jesus, you know, I'm so insecure around these people, and they're just blah, blah, blah, and for all these reasons. 00:39:31.039 --> 00:39:35.840 Oh, and I just heard him whisper, Wow, just be yourself. 00:39:36.159 --> 00:39:37.679 We got this together. 00:39:38.320 --> 00:39:41.920 And boy, when I got done, it was like, oh, the relief. 00:39:42.159 --> 00:39:54.079 Because I said really, really hard things to people uh that have uh everything this world says will make you happy, but being very close to them, I see they're really struggling. 00:39:55.840 --> 00:40:03.360 And then in terms of the do, uh, this is something is uh that's been so helpful. 00:40:03.599 --> 00:40:07.119 There were times at least in in my early, and by the way, this is a journey, right? 00:40:07.199 --> 00:40:17.760 In my in my early Christian life, um, that I would when I finally got to where I could ever discipline myself to get up, that was hard for me, you know, right? 00:40:18.079 --> 00:40:23.679 You know, getting to church is like, you know, pulling teeth, and little by little by little my desires changed. 00:40:23.840 --> 00:40:29.760 But then I I might spend, you know, like for me, 15 minutes was like a really long time. 00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:33.280 Uh so again, someone asked me, well, how long should you pray? 00:40:33.360 --> 00:40:38.719 And I used to, well, what do you is that how you is that how you do your other relationships? 00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:41.039 Like, hey, we're really close friends. 00:40:41.199 --> 00:40:42.000 Let's have coffee. 00:40:42.159 --> 00:40:44.079 And then you sit down with them and we're really close. 00:40:44.159 --> 00:40:45.440 Could you set the timer? 00:40:46.320 --> 00:40:49.440 I mean, we want to have we won't have a really great conversation, but right? 00:40:49.679 --> 00:40:56.880 You know, like, well, uh, well, if if if we uh if we have coffee for for 13 minutes, then I guess we're really close friends, or if we, right? 00:40:57.519 --> 00:40:59.280 Some well, what's on your heart? 00:40:59.440 --> 00:41:01.039 How long you got, hey, you know what? 00:41:01.119 --> 00:41:02.639 I gotta run in 45 minutes. 00:41:02.800 --> 00:41:04.000 Hey, tell me what's going on. 00:41:04.159 --> 00:41:06.800 Tell me your biggest challenges, tell me what's happening in your life. 00:41:06.880 --> 00:41:08.000 What what are you really excited about? 00:41:08.079 --> 00:41:09.280 And they blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. 00:41:09.519 --> 00:41:10.960 And then they turn around and say, Oh, chip, what about you? 00:41:11.039 --> 00:41:12.159 And I blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. 00:41:12.480 --> 00:41:14.639 Man, I wish we could stay longer, but I'll see you later. 00:41:14.880 --> 00:41:15.280 Right? 00:41:15.360 --> 00:41:16.480 Isn't that how we do? 00:41:16.719 --> 00:41:19.599 But but it's not like, well, no, we can't talk. 00:41:19.920 --> 00:41:21.599 No, okay, here's the rules. 00:41:21.760 --> 00:41:25.679 We can't text, we can't talk, or do anything until we have coffee again. 00:41:26.079 --> 00:41:28.079 Is that is that what you do with your friends? 00:41:28.960 --> 00:41:31.760 I mean, you know, during the day, it's like, oh man, you can't believe what I saw. 00:41:31.920 --> 00:41:33.199 Someone sent me this, blah, blah, blah. 00:41:33.280 --> 00:41:40.320 Or, oh, I just, I gotta tell you, I was up in Colorado, and I just I was thinking of you because we talk about how God speaks his nature. 00:41:40.800 --> 00:41:43.679 These mountains were, I mean, it was, it blew my mind. 00:41:45.119 --> 00:41:45.679 Right? 00:41:46.239 --> 00:41:50.639 And so one of the things I started doing is called practicing the presence of God. 00:41:50.880 --> 00:41:57.519 And what I have sought to do very, very imperfectly, uh, the most I learned a lot from books. 00:41:57.599 --> 00:42:01.360 There was a guy named Brother Lawrence, and it was, you know, hundreds of years ago, and he was a cook. 00:42:01.440 --> 00:42:07.199 And as he cooked, he just decided he would try to have a consciousness and talk to God all the time. 00:42:07.760 --> 00:42:09.679 So I started practicing that. 00:42:10.079 --> 00:42:14.639 So when I'm not talking to you, I'm I'm in my mind, I'm talking to the Lord. 00:42:15.039 --> 00:42:21.360 You know, when when they were leading worship up here, I was in the back and I didn't want to go behind and come out. 00:42:21.599 --> 00:42:23.039 I didn't want to miss it. 00:42:23.199 --> 00:42:29.599 And with tears in my eyes, I, Jesus and I, Lord, man, my dad was an alcoholic. 00:42:29.760 --> 00:42:31.280 It was so hard to be a dad. 00:42:31.440 --> 00:42:34.000 I I know I messed up a lot as a dad. 00:42:34.079 --> 00:42:36.000 I've had so many struggles. 00:42:36.400 --> 00:42:37.360 Thank you. 00:42:38.559 --> 00:42:43.760 I mean, Ryan's far from perfect, and I'm sure my grandkids aren't perfect, although my wife thinks they are. 00:42:44.960 --> 00:42:47.280 But but but do you understand? 00:42:47.440 --> 00:42:52.079 Just practicing the presence of God where, you know, just turn off the radio. 00:42:52.239 --> 00:42:52.960 Not all the time. 00:42:53.199 --> 00:42:56.000 You know, if you want to listen to music, again, get out of illegal. 00:42:58.400 --> 00:42:59.599 It's a relationship. 00:42:59.760 --> 00:43:03.280 You turn off in the car, and just as you're driving, you know, someone cuts you off. 00:43:03.599 --> 00:43:09.760 Lord help him, because my finger is ready to go up, and and um and that would not be honoring to you. 00:43:10.159 --> 00:43:10.880 I'm serious. 00:43:11.119 --> 00:43:12.719 Talk to him like that. 00:43:13.440 --> 00:43:18.800 He's a person, he's not a force out there or some bar you live up to. 00:43:19.039 --> 00:43:21.199 And then I'll I'll close with this. 00:43:21.440 --> 00:43:31.119 Um realized was these distorted desires, um, I kept having the same ones. 00:43:31.440 --> 00:43:34.159 And so I read this verse in Psalm 374. 00:43:34.320 --> 00:43:38.880 It says, Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 00:43:39.039 --> 00:43:43.679 And so uh this was about 1982, so it's only about 40 years ago. 00:43:43.920 --> 00:43:58.800 I uh I start I decided I would write down desires that I'm sure are God's will, and I'd write them on these little cards, and I started out calling them a desire or a goal, and it says life goals, and then I have one for God, one for wife, one for kids. 00:43:59.039 --> 00:43:59.760 I'll share a few later. 00:44:00.480 --> 00:44:04.000 But, and then it says, these are to be instead of to do. 00:44:04.159 --> 00:44:13.119 And then the question before I, every time I review them, is are these goals or desires designed for me to perfect myself or to express my love for God? 00:44:13.360 --> 00:44:18.880 And then so it was like, my desire is to have a clear understanding of every book in the Bible. 00:44:19.039 --> 00:44:20.400 And then I have a passage. 00:44:20.559 --> 00:44:27.679 My desire, intercession, is to prayerfully intercede for those I love, those I'm responsible for, and those in need daily. 00:44:27.840 --> 00:44:29.119 And then I have a passage. 00:44:29.519 --> 00:44:31.519 This is a desire for purity. 00:44:31.760 --> 00:44:37.039 My desire is to walk with God in the integrity of my heart until the day I die. 00:44:37.440 --> 00:44:38.960 This is one for confession. 00:44:39.199 --> 00:44:45.519 My goal is to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's convicting ministry and to confess any known sin before I sleep. 00:44:45.679 --> 00:44:47.039 Don't let it slide. 00:44:47.280 --> 00:44:49.679 And then I have a passage, Psalm 139. 00:44:49.840 --> 00:44:55.039 My desire is to apply the truth of Scripture to my life every single day in a specific way. 00:44:55.440 --> 00:44:56.000 Good works. 00:44:56.159 --> 00:45:03.679 My desire is to secretly do good and be kind to others and to uplift their day as a regular part of each and every day and worship. 00:45:03.840 --> 00:45:10.400 My desire is to worship God for who He is in praise and adoration at least once a day. 00:45:10.719 --> 00:45:15.039 And all those are because I struggle with all those things. 00:45:15.679 --> 00:45:20.320 And I didn't want to make them goals like I got to do this, I got to do this, I got to do this. 00:45:20.400 --> 00:45:21.440 I just read them over. 00:45:21.599 --> 00:45:22.559 I just read them over. 00:45:22.719 --> 00:45:23.519 I just read them over. 00:45:23.599 --> 00:45:28.639 And as I read them over in the mornings and put them near my bed and just read them over with no pressure. 00:45:28.800 --> 00:45:30.559 I'm just saying, hey, Lord, you know me. 00:45:30.719 --> 00:45:31.679 I got all these struggles. 00:45:31.760 --> 00:45:32.480 Here's my background. 00:45:32.559 --> 00:45:36.320 I got this family of origin issues, and I married this wonderful girl and her dad's an alcoholic. 00:45:36.400 --> 00:45:39.280 We have big marriage issues, we got all this junk. 00:45:40.159 --> 00:45:43.920 You said if I would delight in you, would you give me the desires of my heart? 00:45:44.239 --> 00:45:47.039 You said if I abide in your word and your words abide in me. 00:45:47.119 --> 00:45:49.360 I'm trying to do that, but I struggle. 00:45:49.519 --> 00:45:52.559 So I'm telling you, these are my desires. 00:45:52.800 --> 00:46:01.679 What would happen if you just took five three by five cards or on your phone, in your notes, and you wrote down, these are three or four desires of your relationship with God. 00:46:01.920 --> 00:46:05.280 Three or four desires with one important relationship. 00:46:05.519 --> 00:46:13.519 Um my desire is to fill my mind with good things and guard my mind from evil things because I really struggled with what I put in my mind. 00:46:13.760 --> 00:46:20.800 And then, in terms of those enemies that I talked about, I have unique ones, and I think you do. 00:46:20.960 --> 00:46:30.480 And so I wrote uh I wrote some that I that I wanted to be a part of my future that weren't. 00:46:30.880 --> 00:46:32.559 I want to become a worshiper. 00:46:32.719 --> 00:46:37.840 I want to enjoy God more, sing of his greatness, and ascribe worth and praise to him. 00:46:38.400 --> 00:46:43.199 Uh when when I prayed and I still struggle, I want to get something done. 00:46:43.440 --> 00:46:46.000 I'm an achiever, former workaholic. 00:46:46.159 --> 00:46:48.559 Some would say it's not as former as you think. 00:46:49.119 --> 00:46:54.559 And you know, I'm performance-oriented, no matter how much I want to review. 00:46:54.880 --> 00:46:56.480 Jesus wants to enjoy me. 00:46:56.559 --> 00:46:58.159 That still blows my mind. 00:46:58.559 --> 00:47:05.519 And when I sit quietly, when I I I, unlike most of my family, I can't sing, I have none of those gifts. 00:47:05.760 --> 00:47:10.800 I I put on some worship music and I sing to God not very well. 00:47:11.519 --> 00:47:18.320 And that that connection from truth to emotion to his presence. 00:47:18.639 --> 00:47:31.119 And I don't, I mean, to me, it's a really special moment to emote, like, I mean, when you're with a really close friend, don't you kind of laugh sometimes or cry sometimes? 00:47:31.440 --> 00:47:33.760 Worship does that in my life. 00:47:34.000 --> 00:47:41.280 Um, I desire to hunger and thirst for God's word, to memorize and meditate on it at a renewed level of consistency. 00:47:41.360 --> 00:47:45.679 And then here's my line: in order to know him better. 00:47:45.920 --> 00:47:48.400 And then I wrote Philippians chapter 3. 00:47:48.639 --> 00:47:53.039 Um I'm running out of time, so I will go to this. 00:47:53.199 --> 00:47:54.000 This is one. 00:47:54.320 --> 00:48:01.599 When you grow up in an alcoholic family, you become a pleaser because when you're not, someone gets exploded and they get mad and it gets scary. 00:48:01.760 --> 00:48:08.159 So what happens is you take that into your life and you end up wanting to please everyone that creates tremendous tension. 00:48:08.320 --> 00:48:12.000 And so this is one, this is my issue in security. 00:48:12.159 --> 00:48:14.880 I write, I've read, I read this over for years every day. 00:48:15.039 --> 00:48:19.280 I'd like to become more authentic in every aspect of my life. 00:48:19.920 --> 00:48:26.800 Just God, what whatever it means for the real me to show up and not to pose, and by the way, I still pose. 00:48:26.960 --> 00:48:34.480 Um, I'd like to be more generous this year uh with all the time and all the money that you've given me. 00:48:34.639 --> 00:48:35.280 Why? 00:48:35.760 --> 00:48:38.079 Because left to myself, I want to be in control. 00:48:38.159 --> 00:48:40.880 I want to control my time, I want to control my money. 00:48:40.960 --> 00:48:48.480 And as I've done that and created that desire, God has given me desires that I can't understand where I found myself to be more generous. 00:48:48.719 --> 00:48:53.760 Uh the final one uh is this one. 00:48:54.000 --> 00:48:56.239 Uh it's from Proverbs 423. 00:48:56.320 --> 00:49:17.760 But it's I long to cultivate a heart of integrity and purity before God, allowing the Holy Spirit freedom daily to correct, convict, and restore me in matters of accuracy, privilege, power, perceived prestige, and moral purity, knowing my heart is deceitful above all else and desperately wicked. 00:49:17.840 --> 00:49:18.800 Who can understand it? 00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:21.199 Are you getting the picture? 00:49:22.000 --> 00:49:23.920 It's just staying connected to Jesus. 00:49:24.719 --> 00:49:38.239 Knowing that you have issues, I have issues, knowing that you're gonna be distracted, knowing you're gonna get discouraged, and knowing that the enemy is all the time working and taking good things and give you distorted desires. 00:49:39.199 --> 00:49:45.039 But as you abide in Christ, the Lord will change your life because the focus is Jesus. 00:49:45.840 --> 00:49:47.519 The whole goal is Jesus. 00:49:48.000 --> 00:49:51.039 The whole goal is He wants to be with you. 00:49:51.199 --> 00:49:57.920 It's removing anything, anyone, any so that the connection with you and Jesus. 00:49:58.159 --> 00:50:02.960 And when you're connected to Him, you will have joy when things are going great. 00:50:03.760 --> 00:50:07.679 And when you're connected to Him, you will have joy when things aren't. 00:50:08.159 --> 00:50:09.519 Would you bow your head with me? 00:50:11.360 --> 00:50:15.199 Oh God, I thank you how patient you are. 00:50:16.559 --> 00:50:19.119 I thank you for how understanding you are. 00:50:20.000 --> 00:50:27.599 I thank you that you you love to share and extend mercy, giving us what we don't deserve after we've really blown it. 00:50:28.559 --> 00:50:32.719 Lord, I thank you for how good you are, that you want the best for us. 00:50:33.199 --> 00:50:38.800 Would you help us to remember that so that we would lean in and not buy the lies? 00:50:39.679 --> 00:50:51.039 We as a group and individually say, it's true, if we abide in you and your word abides in us, we will bring you great glory and will bear much fruit. 00:50:51.440 --> 00:50:52.480 And so we thank you. 00:50:53.360 --> 00:50:53.920 Amen. 00:50:55.360 --> 00:50:57.599 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:50:57.760 --> 00:51:02.239 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:51:02.400 --> 00:51:04.480 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:51:04.639 --> 00:51:10.559 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.com slash card.