3ABN On the Road

Closing Session

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Doug Batchelor

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Series Code: OTR

Program Code: OTR000972


01:01 It's been an encouraging and inspiring
01:04 to be together with you this beautiful day.
01:08 The Lord just bless with the great day.
01:10 Amen. And you feel a different kind of energy
01:13 in a roomful of men. Where to say a lot of
01:18 leadership and lot of potential, yeah,
01:25 I have really prayed a lot about what to say?
01:28 I actually had about 40 different things;
01:31 I had to try and coalesce less down
01:33 to three presentations. I wanted to talk
01:36 about enclosing this afternoon.
01:40 I like to speak to you about a different
01:44 kind of mighty men. And these are
01:47 what I would call the Kings of Pride.
01:51 The Kings of Pride and I know that maybe
01:53 a little different then what you saw in your,
01:57 in your outline earlier today, but I tell you
02:00 where I'm coming from. I would like to see God
02:04 pour out his Spirit on his people. Amen.
02:08 And so, and I know the Lord wants to.
02:10 And so, I pray and I say God, what is preventing
02:14 you from pouring out your Spirit on your church,
02:18 the way you wanted to. And then I read
02:22 in the word that, it's a same problem
02:24 there is always been. Why did Lucifer get evicted
02:31 from heaven? Pride. Pride, why was Nebuchadnezzar
02:39 driven from the social interaction
02:45 of other people started with pride.
02:50 And what were the disciples arguing about
02:52 in the upper room, which of them was the greatest?
02:58 Now, one thing that you will see that is,
03:01 it's not totally unique to men, but it's manifested
03:05 a certain way among men is that
03:07 men are very territorial, if you put a lot of ladies
03:12 in a room and it's a small room and they are
03:15 all squashed together, they love it.
03:17 It helps them get intimate, but you do that
03:22 to men, they started to get a little bit edgy.
03:26 Because we like to know, who gets the arm rest
03:30 on the airplane? This is my territory.
03:34 I have stick to that, when I go camping
03:36 with my friends and you know, every year I have,
03:38 I have lot of fun, I, I go out
03:40 with the bunch of Christian gentlemen,
03:41 we were camping in the desert,
03:42 we take these ATVs. I think one year
03:45 we had 16 of us just Nevada will never
03:47 be the same. We go way out in the desert,
03:49 but its funny when we first get to the camp
03:52 everybody starts staking out there place,
03:55 their camp. And men are kind of territorial
03:58 that way. You even see it in the animal kingdom,
04:00 it's something, something where we are wired
04:02 for you know we want to have our place.
04:05 And if men are telling stories of some adventure.
04:09 No sinner has one taking his last breath telling
04:11 about his adventure, but what are the other
04:13 guys do? Let me tell you, my adventure,
04:16 but my adventure taught you adventure.
04:18 One guy says, you know, I caught a fish this big,
04:20 the other guy goes mine was this big.
04:23 And this is competitiveness.
04:26 And that's why the disciples just before
04:30 three and a half years following the humblest man
04:32 in the world in the upper room.
04:34 God wants to pour out his spirit.
04:35 What was the obstacle? He said what were you
04:38 talking about on the way? We weren't talking
04:41 about any. He knew what they were talking about?
04:43 They were debating among themselves,
04:46 which have them was the greatest?
04:49 And I don't you know, I'm not suggesting there is,
04:51 this spirit of competition here going on
04:54 this seminar, but when you leave in our lives,
04:56 it's typically true that we all grapple with pride.
05:01 We are proud about our person,
05:04 about our position and about our possessions.
05:09 I think it was spurgeon that said we should
05:11 never be proud of race or place or face.
05:17 And yet, it's kind of an ingrained
05:19 in all our hearts and it springs from selfishness.
05:24 I've got a little study that I,
05:26 I did in the Bible looking at some of the kings
05:28 and some are good and some are bad,
05:32 but many of them struggled with pride.
05:37 And if we will humble our service before the Lord
05:39 and if we will have the mind of Christ
05:42 it opens our hearts to receive the baptism
05:46 of the Holy Spirit. What had to happen with Israel
05:49 before God poured out the Holy Spirit
05:51 in the days of Elijah? After God sent the fire
05:54 down from heaven, the people fell on their faces
05:57 they said the Lord he is God, the Lord he is God,
05:59 they humble themselves then the rain came.
06:03 And when we as men can have that
06:06 spirit of Christ. I think that's all the Lord
06:10 is waiting for is for us to humble ourselves
06:14 and pray and seek his face and turn
06:17 from our wicked ways, then he will hear
06:19 from heaven, he will forgive our sin,
06:21 he will heal our land. You know,
06:23 what healing the land means? He would send
06:25 the rain to counteract the family.
06:27 We are talking about the Holy Spirit.
06:29 Now, you know, what I mean?
06:30 So, as I look in the word of God.
06:32 I notice that as Christ began his ministry;
06:36 he zeroed in his side specifically on pride
06:42 and he got to even pride in the church.
06:44 You talked about Pharisees,
06:49 who were very religious, but they prayed
06:53 to be sin of men. What will they think of me?
06:55 They gave their offerings to be sin of men.
06:59 They fasted to be sin of men.
07:01 They were more pre-occupied
07:03 with what people thought about then and Jesus said,
07:05 don't let your left hand know what
07:06 is your right hand is doing. Be more interested
07:08 in the reward that comes from your Father in heaven
07:10 then what your friends think.
07:11 And I'll tell you when God is gonna pour out
07:13 his spirit on the church is when we end up having
07:16 that attitude would really are much more concerned
07:20 with what God thinks of us in this relationship,
07:24 in this relationship. But we are so pre-occupied;
07:28 the devils got us soul wrapped up in being proud
07:32 of our person, our position
07:35 and our possessions that we lose
07:39 the eternal perspective. And we have got
07:41 some case studies in the Bible and these were
07:43 some great men that are here for our example.
07:48 For instance, in the Exodus story
07:52 if Moses says, let my people go
07:54 and he represents Jesus, who with the pharaoh
07:56 represent? The devil, how many of you would agree
08:01 that the pharaoh probably had a pride problem?
08:05 His kingdom is disintegrating around him
08:08 and all he has got to do is humble himself
08:10 and say the Lord is God, but he won't do it
08:13 and as soon as the plague is removed
08:14 he briefly humbles himself
08:16 because he really left with no alternative,
08:17 but as soon as that plague is removed
08:20 he hardens his heart again,
08:21 well it came over me I don't deserve this,
08:23 these are our slaves. Matter of fact,
08:26 his pride was so terminal that even after God
08:30 parts the sea, he goes charging off
08:34 into this miraculously parted ocean
08:36 to get his way. I would think after God parts
08:40 the sea to deliver his people, I would say
08:42 you went I'm not going in there,
08:45 but he just couldn't give up.
08:48 Pride makes you stupid, how many know that?
08:50 Can I get? I have got three scars,
08:55 I won't show you. I got one right here
08:58 on my hand, I just showed you.
09:00 Left hand, left foot, and left eye all three times
09:06 I was showing off. Up in the cave,
09:09 I was gonna go dive off these rocks and impress
09:11 my friend, how I could a high dive,
09:13 walking across the creek barefoot,
09:15 I stepped on a gerber baby jar, you know,
09:18 the little glass jars they used to have.
09:19 It cracked under my foot, cut my foot open
09:21 had to stitch myself up and very humble,
09:25 I never did get to do the dive.
09:27 Holy Spirit goes before fall.
09:30 Again I was up in the mountains,
09:32 I was gonna show my friend how I
09:33 could spear fish? I sharpening the stick.
09:37 This, you know, one-on-one and using the knife
09:40 and the stick don't cut towards yourself,
09:42 cut toward to myself, cut myself right down
09:44 to the bone here, it still the nerves
09:46 as looking at today, they are still dead.
09:47 Had to stitch myself up again too far away
09:50 from emergency. I had to stay up in the hills
09:53 for a while showing off some girls were watching,
09:56 I wanted to do a jump with the bike,
09:59 went over this jump, try to impress them
10:04 and they were impressed I promise you that,
10:05 bike flow up in the air came down landed
10:08 on my face, cut under my eye, I had to get surgery
10:10 and stitched up and patch and thankful I can see.
10:15 And I have notice through my life that
10:19 and I'm kind of open myself up to,
10:22 you take as a fate you probably
10:23 not that different. Maybe you will thinking
10:27 what Doug you really are different.
10:29 When it gets done, but you know,
10:33 it's just one of the things, I think the Lord
10:34 is always hammering on me is the pride
10:38 and selfishness. And I usually go
10:39 hand-in-hand because pride is all
10:41 about yourself. Matter of fact,
10:44 in First Corinthians 13, what is it says,
10:46 "Pride or love is not puffed up."
10:49 The antithesis of love is pride and selfishness
10:53 and Christ is love, the devil is selfish
10:57 and proud. And so often pride is like a
11:00 compass needle that always points inward.
11:04 It's always seeing me, what would they think
11:06 of me? Look at me, and what this
11:07 is gonna mean to me. And it's only when
11:11 we humble ourselves and say, Lord it's not
11:13 about me, it's about you. I wanna have your mind
11:16 and you know you can't do that
11:17 without the Holy Spirit, you can't receive
11:19 the Holy Spirit until you humble yourself.
11:20 Now, show me where in the Bible
11:22 that we are supposed to pray that God humbles us?
11:27 It's not in the Bible. The Bible says, God says,
11:31 humble yourself. That means you don't just walk
11:35 through life and say God you give me the
11:36 gift of humility, it's a choice you can make
11:39 to behave and to think with humility.
11:42 God says humble yourself, you can choose to think
11:45 and behave in a humble way. And when you are
11:47 tempted to selfish and proud you can counteract
11:50 to that consciously. God tells us humble yourself,
11:53 humble yourself. Because you see, it's like love.
11:56 The God can't force love. He can humiliate you,
11:59 he can embarrass you, but you can still be
12:01 as proud as the pharaoh and marched off
12:03 to your destruction. The great sin originating
12:09 with Satan is pride. And the devil is gonna self
12:13 destructing and even though he knows,
12:15 he has a short time, he knows he is domed.
12:18 Will he change? Is he gonna give up?
12:21 He is going down, he knows he is going down
12:24 and he is so stubborn and proud,
12:25 he is gonna take as many with him as he can.
12:27 Has lot of lost people out there. And you know,
12:30 men in particular. I think this is a bigger problem
12:33 you know technically there are more women.
12:36 I know more women are alive than men,
12:38 but even beyond that statistic
12:40 a higher percentage of women demonstrate
12:43 spirituality and join churches than men.
12:46 And part of the reason is because of a man's pride
12:49 it's very difficult for us to say, I need help.
12:54 I mean we don't like to ask for directions,
12:56 do we? One kid was asking his mother,
13:00 she sat in the backseat and dad is driving around
13:03 town trying to figure out where he is going?
13:05 Is this why or he said how long was the flood?
13:08 And mom said, 40 days and 40 nights.
13:11 Mom how long was Noah on the boat?
13:13 Oh! Nearly a year. Was he afraid to ask directions,
13:19 just like dad? In the Christian life,
13:23 the only way you win is by surrender.
13:27 Who here wants to brag about surrender?
13:31 Men don't want to say I was wrong, I need help,
13:34 it's a sign of weakness to say I need help.
13:37 You see, that's one reason we struggle
13:39 with this issue in a different capacity
13:42 then women typically do. Is because for us
13:45 to come to the place, where we get on our knees
13:48 and say Lord depart from me, I'm a sinful man.
13:52 Then God, he can't say alright
13:54 will you follow me? And I'll make you fishermen.
13:56 Whenever the disciples or John the Baptist
13:59 or anybody humbled themselves before the Lord
14:01 with the attitude of he must increase,
14:03 I must decrease then God could do something
14:06 spectacular, but it's not easy for us.
14:09 Because we want to think we are in charge,
14:12 it's an illusion. We want to think
14:14 we are in control. Who usually monopolizes
14:17 the self control? The men or the women.
14:20 Come on fess up. We want to be in control
14:26 and yet we know we are not. "Pharaoh saw
14:31 the rain and the hail and the thunder
14:34 and he hardened his heart more."
14:38 Exodus chapter 10:17, pharaoh servant
14:40 said to him, "Let the people go to serve
14:43 the Lord, don't you know that Egypt is destroyed?"
14:45 And he just couldn't let go.
14:51 Until you finally drown. God choose the young men
14:55 to be king. Head and shoulders
14:59 taller than everyone else. All dark and handsome.
15:03 And you know, in the beginning
15:05 he had something of a humble attitude.
15:08 Matter of fact, when they went to coordinate them
15:10 they couldn't find them because he was hiding.
15:13 Finally after becoming king and getting
15:15 the accolades of the people and having
15:17 the few victories, you began to get proud.
15:19 You know, whom I'm talking about? King Saul
15:22 and it got so bad that he just had to have his way.
15:27 And you heard the expression,
15:29 power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
15:34 It's very important, if you are in any kind
15:35 of position of a leadership and authority
15:39 and influence that you have accountability,
15:42 you need to invite accountability,
15:44 you need to welcome accountability because
15:47 if you get the position, where you have got all
15:49 that power influence and money can destroy people.
15:52 I saw that first him, and again I don't mean
15:55 to be disrespectful, but my father had hundreds
16:01 of millions of dollars when he died.
16:04 And I saw all my life people treated him
16:07 differently. Because instead of saying
16:11 Mr. Batchelor you are acting like an idiot.
16:15 And sometimes he did, I don't mean disrespect,
16:19 but after he was gone people said,
16:20 I mean he was impossible, but they never tell him
16:23 that because he would somehow penalize them
16:27 or cut their wages or something like that,
16:29 and he didn't surround himself with people,
16:32 George that's wrong, you shouldn't do that.
16:36 And so basically you lost that sense
16:39 of accountability and it hurt his character.
16:42 You need to invite people around you
16:44 that will be honest with you and maintain that.
16:49 Well Saul, he was more concerned with what the
16:52 people thought of him. And even when
16:55 he was confronted by Samuel the prophet.
16:58 God had told him to go destroy all of the
17:01 Malachite's and he didn't do it,
17:03 he kept the king alive. And he said,
17:05 I'm not gonna destroy all the cattle,
17:06 he was told to kill them too.
17:07 So, these are good ones, let keep these
17:10 and will make bring them back, we will parade them
17:13 through the city, offer sacrifice,
17:15 the people said, you know, why do you want to
17:17 destroy and Saul wanted to be popular
17:19 with the people that even when he was confronted
17:22 with that by Samuel, and Samuel said
17:24 you can't be king anymore. And Samuel turned
17:27 to walk away. Saul said, no at least comeback
17:31 and honor me before the people.
17:33 What do the people gonna think?
17:35 I mean I would think that after the Lord had said,
17:38 you are not king anymore, you would humble
17:39 yourself, but he was so pre-occupied.
17:42 Why did King Saul want to kill David?
17:46 Because Saul heard the lady is singing,
17:48 Saul is slaying thousands and he like that,
17:51 but he didn't like to chorus. And David has
17:55 killed his ten thousands. And instead of being
17:57 thankful they were singing about him at all.
17:59 He was mad that anybody would get more honor
18:02 than him or be describe the higher number
18:05 than him, and he spent the rest of his life,
18:07 he wasted years, he could have been fighting
18:09 the enemy, fighting someone that wasn't
18:11 a threat, fighting someone that should
18:13 have been NLI because of pride.
18:17 I have seen that even among Christians,
18:18 I have seen it in the church. Who has gotten
18:22 the most baptisms? Who has got the
18:26 biggest church? And you know get a bunch
18:29 of pastors together say how many members
18:31 do you have? Oh! Yeah, but how many here
18:34 on in your church Sabbath morning and you know,
18:36 I'm, I'm telling you we are not immune.
18:39 Same thing that you saw among the apostles,
18:41 Nebuchadnezzar, God blessed him with success,
18:47 you didn't want to give God the credit
18:49 phenomenal success, a very bright king,
18:52 I mean after all he is the one who tested
18:54 in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and Daniel.
18:57 He was a pretty smart king and after conquering
19:03 all of the surrounding empires
19:05 and building a Babylon, so it was the golden empire
19:08 of history. He stood up on his balcony one day
19:13 and the sun was going down and it was just a
19:15 glorious spectacle as he surveyed that panorama.
19:19 His heart swells with pride and instead of
19:21 saying thank you Lord for giving me
19:24 this opportunity, to help these people.
19:26 He said, is this not the great Babylon that
19:29 I have build for my majesty and my glory
19:32 and I mean he was basically will become a
19:35 maniacal narcissistic king. Me, me, me, I, I, I,
19:41 what was that the devil said in heaven?
19:44 I will exalt my throne above the stars of God,
19:48 I will be like the most, I, I, I.
19:52 And then God took away Nebuchadnezzar's wisdom
19:56 also and he was a raving idiot,
19:57 grabbling on the ground, eating grass
19:59 like a donkey. And they had to kick him out
20:03 some back 40 somewhere for seven years until
20:05 finally God gave him senses back,
20:08 have any humble himself, he humbled himself.
20:11 Prayed to God, gave him credit.
20:16 You are smart when you are humble.
20:20 The fear of the Lord is beginning of wisdom
20:22 and before honor there is humility. By the way,
20:28 that's proverb 15:33, "The fear of the LORD
20:30 is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor
20:33 is humility." Proverb 12:15, by the way written
20:36 by the Wisers Men, "The way of a fool is right
20:38 in his own eyes: but he who heeds counsel
20:41 is wise." When people are demanding,
20:43 I have their way all the time, not very smart.
20:46 Proverbs 11 verse 2, "When pride comes
20:49 then comes shame, but with the humble
20:52 there is wisdom." I need all the wisdom
20:55 I can get and so God cannot give divine wisdom
20:58 to those who are proud. So, if you would
21:02 need wisdom starting place and say Lord
21:05 I don't know, I'm a little child. You know,
21:08 I, I probably on a pause there and look at what
21:10 Solomon said, when you read,
21:14 if you look at First Kings chapter 3 in your Bible.
21:19 Matter of fact, there is not in my notes here,
21:21 but I think this would be a good.
21:27 First Kings chapter 3, verse 3,
21:30 "And Solomon loved the LORD,
21:31 walking in the statutes of his father David."
21:35 And then he go on and says in verse 5,
21:37 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon
21:40 in a dream by night and He said,
21:41 "Ask what I will give you." Now, here is God
21:45 almighty of the cosmos asking Solomon,
21:49 what do you want, ask? Solomon said,
21:53 "You shown great mercy to your servant David
21:56 my father because he walked before you
21:58 in truth, in righteousness,
22:00 in uprightness and heart with you, you have
22:02 continued this kindness to him and that you
22:04 have given him a son to sit on his throne
22:06 as it is this day. And now, O LORD you have
22:10 made your servant king instead of my father
22:12 David, but I am just a little child.
22:14 I don't know how to go out or come in.
22:16 And your servant is in the midst of your people
22:19 who you have chosen; therefore give
22:22 your servant an understanding heart
22:25 to judge your people." Who is the focus
22:27 of Solomon's prayer? Is Solomon saying,
22:30 me, me, me, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine,
22:33 or he is saying Lord, you, you, you, you, you.
22:36 And does God give him wisdom?
22:39 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
22:42 He humbled himself; he recognized
22:44 what his need was? He said, Lord I don't know
22:47 what I'm doing. I don't know how to go out
22:49 or to come in? Help me, give me this wisdom.
22:51 And God answered his prayer.
22:54 How very different from some other kings.
22:58 Take for instance King Hezekiah;
23:04 you might turn in your Bibles Isaiah 39.
23:08 This is the antitheist I love using that word
23:12 of what just happen there in First Kings.
23:18 Isaiah 39, you remember when God healed Hezekiah,
23:24 he was gonna die, he had this boil,
23:26 and the fever and God said, set your house
23:28 in order you are going to die and not live,
23:30 and he cried and prayed and God
23:32 he humbled himself. God heard his prayer,
23:35 he healed him of his terminal problems that
23:38 you are gonna have 15 more years,
23:40 you still terminal, but now you have 15 years.
23:44 And then the son stood still.
23:48 He said what's sign shall I give you?
23:50 You want the son to go forward
23:52 or you want the son to go backwards.
23:53 He didn't stand still actually went backwards
23:55 10 degrees. And the people in Babylon
23:58 they were watching the sundial
23:59 and observing the heaven. They said, Oh!
24:01 What is this? What's cause this sign?
24:04 To what do we describe, this is a pretty soon
24:05 word reach them, it's the God of,
24:07 of King Hezekiah did this. And emissaries
24:10 and ambassadors are sent from Babylon to find out
24:12 about the God of King Hezekiah,
24:15 who has done this marvelous sign.
24:17 And how Hezekiah know, I have told you be aware
24:21 when you are at the top, you got to be careful,
24:23 it's like the momma whale said to the baby whale.
24:26 Be careful, when you get to the surface
24:27 and you start to blow that's when
24:28 you get harpooned. And sometimes,
24:31 when God blesses us and were successful
24:33 and here Solomon thought you know,
24:35 we have got peace with our surrounding neighbors,
24:37 the economy is great, I'm healed,
24:40 I got 15 more years, I'm on top of the world
24:43 and then to top things off look at that,
24:45 I have got emissaries from Babylon.
24:46 Babylon is the center of intelligence in education.
24:49 They are coming to me to ask me question,
24:52 well I'm really something. Right after that
24:54 wonderful miracle God did for Hezekiah.
24:57 He now become self centered.
24:58 He was a good king. We are all at risk.
25:05 So, what does he do? You can read
25:09 in Isaiah chapter 39, verse 2, "And Hezekiah
25:14 was pleased with them, and He showed them
25:16 the house of his treasures; the silver
25:19 and the gold, the spices and precious ointment,
25:21 and all his armory; and all that was found among
25:24 his treasures. There was nothing in his house
25:26 or in his dominion that Hezekiah
25:28 did not show them." I might add never says
25:31 he showed them the temple of the Lord.
25:34 Never says, he showed them God,
25:37 that's what they were coming to find out
25:39 about Bible tells us that God tested him in that,
25:42 he send these emissary to enquire about the wonder
25:45 that was done. They were coming to find out
25:48 about God, what a great opportunity,
25:49 how different would history have been?
25:52 And Hezekiah had given them a Bible study
25:55 on Jehovah to take back to Babylon.
25:59 People are gonna want whatever your treasure is?
26:01 You brag about all your stuff, do you think
26:04 they are gonna love you more?
26:06 Do you love your neighbor more,
26:08 when they get new toys? What's a typical corner
26:11 reaction to that? You don't love them more,
26:14 you want their toys. And I, you know,
26:19 I probably done it, I don't know why we do it,
26:20 but when people brag about I got this
26:22 and I got that. Very few people
26:25 are so sanctify this, I'm just really happy
26:27 for you brother. They were thinking, I guess,
26:29 I got to get a new one, he has got a 2008 mines
26:31 is 2002. I have got the ladies model.
26:36 Friends flip out there ladies PDA or gadget
26:38 or phone or something like that.
26:39 And everyone at the office is giving me a hard time
26:41 because I don't have an iPhone yet.
26:44 We are all want that upgrade. People are gonna
26:50 want you treasure. And Hezekiah showed them
26:53 his treasure, if his treasure was the Lord,
26:55 they want that. Where your treasure is
26:59 that's where your heart is gonna be.
27:01 So, he brags about his stuff.
27:04 Isaiah the prophet comes to him later
27:06 and he asks this question. What have
27:08 they seen in your house? Now, as men
27:12 whether you are single or you are married
27:15 or you have children. When people come
27:19 to your home, if you are the husband,
27:21 you are the houseman, you ought to be priest
27:23 servant leaders in your families,
27:26 what are they seeing in your house.
27:29 When they come into your house, first of all,
27:31 do they sense the spirit of God there?
27:34 Is your burden to show anybody that comes
27:36 within your gates, your treasure?
27:39 Is your treasure Jesus? Now, I was really
27:44 convicted on this a few years ago.
27:50 How do I say this, but that sounds like
27:51 a bragging, but we have property up in the hills
27:55 and had it for 30 years, about a years ago,
27:58 designed and build a cabin up there.
28:02 It's solar electric, I was up there last week,
28:03 added two more solar panels and I put
28:06 in a pelton wheel and got a lot of work in 30 years,
28:08 it's pretty neat, it's kind off the grid,
28:10 but we got all the modern conveniences and,
28:13 and one day, we had ordered some propane
28:16 because we do have a propane refrigerator
28:17 and a gas stove. Propane truck comes;
28:21 I mean we are way off, dirt roads way up
28:24 in the hills near some neighbors a mile away.
28:28 And propane truck comes this healthy young man
28:32 jumps out of the propane truck
28:33 and he looks around, he looks at me.
28:36 And he look familiar, but I didn't recognize him
28:39 right way. He said, Brother Doug
28:41 I have been out here in a long time.
28:42 Oh! He called Pastor Doug, and I said
28:45 are you so and so and I said his name,
28:48 he said, yeah. I taught him when he was a kid
28:51 in juniors, doing well. I also knew that
28:55 he wasn't going to church anymore and I thought,
28:59 well praise the Lord, God send him up here.
29:02 And he looked around and he said, you know,
29:04 I have been here what is this, a really nice place.
29:07 Well, that's all I needed,
29:08 just open the door and ask me about my place.
29:11 That little window that he gave me.
29:15 I said, yeah, well you know, the whole things
29:17 runs on the sun. You see panels up there,
29:20 and so we got to runs into the inverter here
29:22 and then I have got the generator,
29:23 when the generator runs, it converts inverter
29:24 into a charger and it charges a battery,
29:26 we got the meter here and said,
29:28 it's all gravity flow water and it runs on
29:29 the plug wheel, we dug the lake over here.
29:31 And I'm going on and on and on,
29:32 it must have been really boring actually,
29:34 but you know, we all become armored
29:36 with our own voice, when we are talking about
29:37 ourselves and our achievements,
29:38 we think everyone else is just as interested
29:40 as we are. I frequently lose the sense of time,
29:47 when I'm preaching because I'm enchanted
29:49 by my own voice. And so on, telling him about
29:53 all the stuff in the house and,
29:56 and the next thing I knew,
29:59 he looked at his watch, he said, you know,
30:00 it's really good to see you. He says,
30:02 I got to make another delivery.
30:04 And I slapped him on the back and he hopped
30:06 in the truck, I didn't have a prayer with him
30:07 because I was so into talking about the place
30:13 and the stuff, the equipment that my mind
30:17 just was not in the soul winning state of mind.
30:20 I was showing my treasure and just
30:24 as he was driven away in that big old
30:26 lumbering truck and all the dust
30:28 was building up behind. I heard a little voice say,
30:31 what do we see in your house? And I never,
30:35 I never have seen him since. I didn't say
30:39 can I get your number? Can I call you?
30:43 And you know, I have just been so convicted
30:46 that my heart was so selfish. What do you care
30:50 more about a lost soul or scratch in your car?
30:54 What bothers you more? You know,
30:57 we are pre-occupied sometimes like Hezekiah
30:59 with our treasure. Our earth fully stuff
31:05 or maybe it's, maybe it's not the house we live in,
31:08 maybe it's the clothes we wear.
31:10 No, I'm not a clothes worth,
31:13 if it wasn't for my wife and my mother-in-law.
31:15 I don't know what I would be wearing right now,
31:18 but they kind of tell me what to wear,
31:20 I mean you know got to nice living in a cave.
31:22 I didn't wear anything back then.
31:24 So, this is an upgrade no matter what I wear,
31:27 but you know, some people in the spirit
31:29 of prophecy has lot to say with those who are
31:31 pre-occupied with fashion. And you know,
31:35 you and I know people that every time
31:37 they got to tell me, they got to get a new suit,
31:38 new tie and hundred dollars suits
31:40 and the Gucci loafers and all that stuff,
31:45 Rolex watch, Casio, G shock, but you know
31:54 there are even those who are so concerned
31:56 with the external appearance.
31:57 Jesus talked about the priest that would wear
32:01 their robes in such a waste to impress people
32:03 with the phylacteries and, and their parents
32:07 like a colonel with all of his, his ribbons
32:11 and his stripes, try to impress a person
32:15 with their uniform. There is another king
32:17 in the Bible. Put on his royal apparel,
32:20 King Herald Acts chapter 12 made a speech,
32:24 golden sequence glistening in the sun
32:27 and the people who were actual little
32:30 inebriated listening to him, very impressed by
32:33 what they saw on this earth,
32:34 it's a voice of a God and not a man
32:37 and he should have said, no, no don't say that,
32:39 that's not right, I'm just a man, now you,
32:43 who was that said the Solomon said,
32:46 "A jewel of gold in a pig's nose is like
32:49 a beautiful woman without discretion."
32:54 And you know, sometimes you can put all kinds
32:56 of fancy jewels and gold and clothes on a person
33:00 and we are all bodies or all mortal
33:05 these are corruptible bodies
33:10 just like Adam and Eve you know,
33:11 we are trying covered up with fig leaves.
33:14 So, he is making the speech,
33:16 but he would not humble himself and give God
33:18 the glory for anything intelligent
33:20 he might have said, for even the clothes he wore.
33:24 And because he took that credit upon himself,
33:27 the angel of the Lord touched him.
33:30 So, he was smoked by the angel of the Lord
33:33 and he was consumed by warms. And you know,
33:35 that's actually born out by gel sea fish it says,
33:37 he was eaten and died and sort diseases
33:39 from maggots. Overtaken humbled you might say
33:47 because they took the credit
33:49 proud of his attire. And we got to be careful
33:54 also about flattering peoples,
33:56 like when they flattered hared.
33:57 And so it's a voice of a God.
33:59 Now, it's nice to complement people
34:02 and you know, we all appreciate that
34:03 when someone seems to appreciate
34:05 what we have done and what we have said,
34:06 and I think that you ought to show appreciation,
34:08 if you are married you need to learn to express
34:12 don't take your spouses for granted express
34:14 appreciation on an ongoing basis,
34:17 one of the common appropriate complaints
34:20 that wives have is that you know,
34:23 we are very appreciative when we were dating them,
34:27 but then after we marry them we just start
34:29 taking it for granted that they are suppose to,
34:31 you know, wash the clothes and, and wash
34:33 throughout the day because I help with dishes
34:34 and house cleaning and stuff we should,
34:36 but you show appreciation,
34:39 say thank you. Amen. And it goes a long way,
34:44 and it's often reciprocal and you find that
34:46 you get more, if you give it,
34:47 but flatter is different, flatter is like
34:49 an artificial sweetener, it's like your same
34:52 nice things to person, you may not even
34:54 believe yourself because you want something
34:56 from men. And if people make a complement to you,
35:00 you got to be careful to sniff it,
35:02 but don't swallow, it's like perfume is meant
35:04 to be sniff, but don't drink it.
35:05 It will make you sick. Who is that who said
35:09 that lot of bees have drowned
35:10 in their own honey? And so, you know,
35:14 and I do that. If you folks are so nice
35:17 and even hear I meet him between meetings
35:20 you say some very nice things and I'll tell you,
35:23 I have learned to take it all with grain of salt;
35:26 I was telling the pastor just earlier,
35:28 television creates an illusion.
35:32 And I know that, I preached the whole sermon
35:35 one time and I thought I had the audience
35:37 spell bounce. Someone came up to me
35:38 as soon as I was done and said Pastor
35:40 we don't have to tell you flies men down all night.
35:45 Well, if you don't think that will humble you.
35:51 Everybody got to go through that
35:52 at least once. And so you know,
35:56 whenever I hear people looking like
35:57 they are really interested, I'm not sure
35:59 if it's me or if it's something about me.
36:01 No, no, no as got their attention.
36:05 So, I got to be careful not to flatter.
36:08 Proverbs 29 verse 5, "A man who flatters
36:11 his neighbor spreads a net for his feet."
36:14 Proverbs 27:6, "Faithful are the wounds
36:18 of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy
36:21 are deceitful." Sometimes it's the construct
36:25 a criticism that I have receive from my friends
36:28 and often my spouse. You know,
36:30 I think I have done a really great job
36:31 and then afterward my wife will say
36:33 will you realize that you mixed up the words
36:35 Peter and Paul during that whole sermon,
36:37 where you gave and you just got them
36:39 backwards every time you said up
36:40 and no one want to interrupt you.
36:42 Karen is usually nice enough be interrupt me
36:44 right during the sermon said, don't you mean.
36:46 And, I praise God for a wife like that,
36:49 but you want people who will be honest with you.
36:55 You need to invite that instead of becoming
36:59 scornful, if someone criticizes you thank them.
37:02 So, you know, I appreciate that.
37:04 I need to think about that.
37:07 And it even happens to good kings,
37:09 sometimes there is religious pride.
37:12 Second Chronicles 26:16, when is say King Uzziah,
37:15 do you think that was a good king or bad king?
37:19 We often remember their mistakes,
37:21 but King Uzziah was a good king.
37:22 So, he walked in the commandments of the Lord
37:24 according to David his father,
37:28 but when he was at the zenith of his success,
37:31 that's how it often happens.
37:32 Enemies are defeated, kingdoms being build up,
37:35 great success he said you know,
37:38 I don't know if I like the idea
37:40 that I'm not allowed to going in the sanctuary
37:42 like the priest, I'm king, God was with me, right.
37:45 I had to be able to do what a king does,
37:46 the other pagan kings they offer sacrifice,
37:48 why can't I do it? Because the word of God said,
37:51 only the Levites. And he began to rationalize
37:55 themselves and pretty soon,
37:56 he grab hold of the sensory one day
37:58 and he walked into the temple of Lord
38:00 with the sensor and only priests were supposed
38:02 to do that. And the priests
38:05 are confronted him and said, King Uzziah
38:07 this will not be to your glory,
38:08 you are not supposed to do this.
38:10 This is appointed for the Levites
38:11 and the children of Aaron to do this.
38:14 And he got angry instead of humbling himself
38:17 and say, you know, you are right.
38:18 He got angry and as a result of that
38:22 while he was having his tirade, lost his temper.
38:28 You know, why we often lose our temper?
38:31 Pride, someone defended our pride,
38:34 don't you love it when someone tells you,
38:36 you are wrong. Anyone here like to be wrong?
38:41 When someone confronts you?
38:44 And he was having tirade, he lost his temper
38:48 and he ranted and rave and while he was doing it,
38:50 the priest looked at him. And leprosy popped out.
38:54 They could see on his forehead.
38:57 And they took him and thrown him
38:58 out of the temple and he was leprosied
39:00 till the day of his death. By the way,
39:04 when you lose your temper, why do they say that,
39:08 because the devil finds it? And usually at least
39:13 temporarily demon possessed when we lose
39:15 our tempers? Haymen, he was pre-occupied
39:21 by with his position, hey I have been exalted,
39:24 I'm the right hand man of the king,
39:25 I'm his friend and advisor and he love telling
39:27 everyone that went back home to his wife
39:29 and his friends, call them all together
39:30 and began to brag about his success.
39:33 So, look I have got this incredible pay increase,
39:36 I'm invited into the palace, I come and go,
39:38 I'm the king's friend, I'm his advisor,
39:40 he has promoted me, but it doesn't do me
39:44 any good because Mordecai I won't bow down to me.
39:46 I want everyone to recognize my authority.
39:50 Well, I know what I'm gonna do,
39:51 I hang him from the gallows 50 feet high.
39:54 What ended up happening? That's quite a story
39:57 about pride there in the Book of Esther.
39:59 He goes to the king to try and get the
40:00 death warrant of Mordecai.
40:02 And while he is in there trying to secure
40:04 the king is having as a dream or he can't sleep
40:07 and he is having a crown that read the Hayman
40:10 suddenly he remembers I never rewarded
40:12 this guy Mordecai. So Hayman comes in
40:16 to ask for the death warrant and before
40:19 he gets to say anything, the King says hey Hayman
40:22 I got to ask you a question.
40:24 What should I do for the man who
40:26 I had like to honor? And Hayman thinks to himself.
40:31 Who would the king want to honor more than me.
40:36 And he says well let me tell you what I think
40:38 you have to do your highness.
40:39 You have to put him on the King's verse.
40:41 Put the king's robe on, put the king's crown
40:44 on him, it sounds like he wants to be the king,
40:46 doesn't it? It's like the devil want to be God.
40:50 He said can you pray him up and down the street
40:52 for everyone to see. That shall it be done
40:54 to the man whom the king delights to honor.
40:57 He says, that sounds good and he said
41:00 tell you what since it's your idea,
41:02 you are the man, told lead him through the streets.
41:05 I want you to go find Mordecai.
41:07 Do everything you said right down to the detail,
41:09 good idea. I want you to pray him up and down
41:12 the streets in my robe with my crown on my horse.
41:17 He who exalts himself will be humble.
41:20 If that's not exhibited what is?
41:22 Just like the devil talk about a reversal of rules.
41:27 The devil, who wanted to destroy Christ.
41:32 Christ who humbled themselves
41:33 will be exalted. The devil who exalted himself
41:35 will be humbled. It's going to be the ultimate
41:38 reversal of rules. Let another man praise you
41:42 and not your own mouth. A stranger
41:44 and not your own lips. Before greatness
41:49 must come humility. 1st Corinthians 4 verse 7
41:54 that none of you be puffed up on behalf
41:57 of one against the other. For who makes you differ
42:00 from another? And what do you have that
42:02 you did not receive? Now if you indeed receive it,
42:05 why do you boast as though you had
42:06 not received it? Martin Luther
42:09 used to love to tell the story about a woodpecker
42:11 that was picking away at the big tree in the bold
42:14 of lightening struck the tree
42:15 and it fell over and the little woodpecker flew
42:17 away and said look what I did, look what I did.
42:21 We are all little bit like that.
42:26 Second Chronicle 7:14 if my people,
42:29 who are called by my name, will humble themselves
42:32 and pray and seek my face and turn
42:35 from their wicked ways, then I will hear
42:38 from heaven and forgive their sin
42:40 and heal their land. Job 22:29.
42:43 He will save the humble person.
42:45 I don't know about your friends,
42:47 but I wanna be saved. And if I led pride
42:55 possess my mind and my thinking.
42:57 Guide my life. If the devil was cast out
43:02 because of pride or we going in that way
43:03 that pride and selfishness. Micah 6:8,
43:08 what are the priorities with the Lord.
43:09 What's really important to God?
43:11 What does the Lord require of us the Prophet asks.
43:15 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
43:17 And what does the Lord require of you
43:20 But to do justly, to love mercy,
43:24 And to walk how, walk humbly.
43:27 You know walk is not something
43:28 where you stationary making a decision
43:29 for a moment. It's a way of life.
43:32 God wants his men of faith to walk humbly.
43:37 Humble does not mean weak. Was Jesus weak?
43:43 Jesus was a man's man. Matter of faith
43:45 I take issue with these medieval paintings
43:48 they have got of Jesus, where he always looks
43:49 a little bit anorexic up there on the cross
43:52 and the kind of blue and spindly.
43:56 I think that carpenters back then didn't have
43:58 power tools. And Jesus was a man.
44:02 Nobody could have gone through
44:04 what he went through the last 24 hours of his life
44:06 and even survived to get to the cross unless
44:10 he was in good shape. Christ was a man,
44:13 but he was a humble man. He was meek man,
44:17 he was a brave man, he was a strong man,
44:20 he was a mighty man. See sometimes we think
44:22 it's incongruous. How can you have a meek man
44:24 and a humble man be a mighty strong man.
44:30 You ever read anywhere in the Bible
44:31 where it says Samson had been muscles.
44:35 Show me that chapter and verse.
44:37 It's not in there. Matter of fact,
44:40 when the spirit of God was withdrawn from Samson,
44:42 says he was like other man.
44:44 I bet you have never pictured Samson
44:46 before splendidly guy looks like, you know,
44:48 he has got the big horn rim just like a computer
44:50 and geek. Hi Samson, I kill lions,
44:54 thousand Philistines. All of you picture him
44:58 with biceps like that alright.
45:01 But he says that when the spirit of God
45:03 was withdrawn from him and he didn't even know it
45:06 that he went on to shake himself
45:07 and he was just as vulnerable
45:09 and weak as any other man.
45:10 It was the spirit of God that came on David
45:13 that helped him kill a lion.
45:15 What makes us strong? What makes us mighty man?
45:19 Being spirit filled, how do we get that?
45:22 If we would humble ourselves before the Lord.
45:25 If we would humble ourselves before the Lord.
45:28 That's what makes you strong.
45:29 There is no limit to what God can do through
45:33 our lives if we would present ourselves
45:34 as a living sacrifice and humble ourselves
45:37 before God. James 4:6 He gives more grace
45:40 therefore he says God resist the proud
45:43 but he gives grace to who? The humble.
45:47 Psalm 25:9. The humble he guides and justice.
45:51 You want God's guidance. He guides the humble.
45:54 Even the butterfly starts out as a worm.
45:57 The meek will inherit the earth up
46:01 wanna be one of those. Right.
46:03 Christ said he that would be greatest among you,
46:06 let him be as certain. Those are the ones you
46:10 have grade in the eyes of the Lord.
46:12 Now you can see in the Bible of Pattern.
46:18 If Nebakanezer was cast out of men society
46:22 because of pride. Adam was evicted
46:25 from the garden. You can see in the Bible
46:30 these examples of people who lost everything
46:32 because of pride. It's all lost the kingdom.
46:36 We are not going into heaven that way.
46:39 But Jesus he gave up everything
46:43 and humbled himself. Notice this verse.
46:46 Bible says he who exalts himself will be humbled
46:49 and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
46:52 Philippians 2 verse 5, Philippians 2:5.
46:55 Let this mind be in you. God wants to give you
47:00 this mind, but he won't force it on you.
47:01 You must choose to humble yourself.
47:03 Let this mind be in you. What mind?
47:05 The mind that was in Christ.
47:07 Ask God to give you the mind of Christ,
47:09 the attitude of Christ, the humility of Christ.
47:12 The Christ Jesus who being informed
47:15 in the form of God did not consider it robbery
47:17 to be equal with God. It would not have been
47:20 inappropriate for him to consider himself
47:22 equal with God, but he made himself
47:25 of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant,
47:30 coming in the likeness of men being
47:32 found in appearance as a man,
47:34 He humbled himself and became obedient
47:37 to the point of death, even the death
47:38 of the cross. Therefore God is highly exalted him
47:42 and given him a name that is above every name
47:44 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow
47:47 of those in heaven, and of those on earth,
47:49 and of those under the earth everyone
47:51 is gonna bow to Christ. That every tongue
47:53 should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
47:56 to the glory of God the Father.
48:01 He who humbled himself the most is going
48:04 to be exalted the highest. He who exalted himself
48:08 the most that's the devil. God says
48:11 I'll bring forth the fire from the midst of thee,
48:13 and that will devour thee, and I will bring
48:15 thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of them
48:17 to be behold thee. And even the devil himself
48:20 is gonna bow down and say Jesus Christ is Lord.
48:23 There is gonna be the great reversal of roles.
48:27 You will get to share in one of those
48:29 two destinies. Now I don't know what things
48:32 are like with you, in your family, at your job,
48:35 in your life, in your church maybe there
48:38 are chances are that there is conflict
48:41 somewhere and you might find that lot of it
48:46 could be resolved, if you will humble yourself.
48:49 I have got a tip for you guys that are married.
48:53 You got to apologize sometimes whether
48:54 you think you are right or wrong.
48:55 There is no moral dilemma there.
48:58 You need to learn how to say, I'm sorry
49:01 we quarreled, I'm sorry dear.
49:05 Even if you may have been right on a point,
49:07 humble yourself. Be a lot more harmony
49:11 in our relationships with sometimes is tension
49:14 that just goes on and on because we can't say
49:17 we are wrong, sometimes in relationships
49:19 in the church. Someone just has to get
49:22 to the place you can heal a lot of schisms
49:24 and division someone would say. You know,
49:28 I don't wanna be like this anymore.
49:30 I like to humble him so. I have seen church
49:32 members sue each other; I have seen families
49:34 break apart because of pride,
49:37 divorces because of pride. That's what really
49:43 makes us strong, that's what makes us mighty men
49:46 and men of faith is when we can say you know,
49:49 I'm willing to humble myself.
49:50 You do and God says he will lift you up.
49:56 And he will keep lifting you up until
49:58 you are lifted up with Christ in heavenly places.
50:02 You know it's about time to close here.
50:06 Before we do I think it's important that
50:08 we give everybody an opportunity
50:10 to make a decision. You know at the cross
50:16 is where you see the ultimate display
50:19 of Christ humbling himself. At the cross
50:24 you see the devil love for power
50:26 and you see Christ power of love.
50:31 And that's where all of us gain the strength
50:34 to humble ourselves. How can we be proud
50:37 when you sit there at the foot of the cross
50:39 and you see that he is going through everything
50:42 that he went through because of you are sins.
50:44 What do we have to be proud of?
50:46 Where are the ones who really are responsible
50:48 for his death and his sufferings,
50:50 so what do we gonna be brag about.
50:52 Everything you have comes from God.
50:54 Naked, you came into the world,
50:56 naked you are going out. The only thing
50:58 you can take with you is that robe of righteousness
51:00 that Jesus gave up at the cross.
51:06 I believe the Lord brought you here today
51:08 and he has great plans for you,
51:10 he wants you to be a mighty man of faith,
51:12 but you got to come and choose to humble yourself
51:15 and say Lord I wanna come to you just as I'm.
51:17 I like to invite Jeremy to come up.
51:20 He is gonna sing the 1st verse from a familiar song
51:22 and I would like you to just bow your heads
51:24 as he is singing and be praying in your life.
51:26 If there is something in your life,
51:28 you need to surrender to the Lord.
51:29 I would like you to take this opportunity to do
51:31 that and we will be having prayer
51:33 together before we close.
51:51 Jesus, keep me near the cross;
52:01 There's a precious fountain, Free to all,
52:15 a healing stream, Flows from Calvary's mountain.
52:30 In the cross, in the cross, Be my glory ever,
52:50 Till my raptured soul shall
52:58 find Rest beyond the river.
53:12 Before we have one more verse of this song.
53:14 I would like to just extend an invitation
53:19 to each of you in order to be successful
53:23 mighty men of faith it begins with a surrender.
53:27 We come to Jesus just like we are.
53:31 We cast our sins upon him, all of our cares
53:34 upon him and he promises that he has the power
53:38 to release in our lives that you and Jesus
53:42 cannot be overcome by any adversary.
53:45 He can give you victory over the temptation
53:47 in your life over the problems in your life.
53:49 Our God is a God of power. Amen.
53:51 But you cannot unite yourself with that power
53:54 until you empty yourself. He wants to fill you
53:57 with his spirit, but so often our hearts
54:00 and minds are so full, the things of this world,
54:03 materialism, selfishness sin.
54:09 Today, I like to just ask if the Holy Spirit
54:12 when speaking to your heart can you realize.
54:14 I wanna go all the way with God.
54:17 I want to accept all of God's forgiveness
54:19 and I want all of his power to live a new life
54:22 to represent him to have the mind of Christ in me.
54:25 If that's your prayer then why don't you
54:28 stand together, we are gonna
54:30 listen to one more verse.
54:37 Near the cross I'll watch and wait,
54:48 Hoping, trusting ever, Till I reach the
55:03 golden strand Just beyond the river.
55:19 In the cross, in the cross, Be my glory ever,
55:39 Till my raptured soul shall find
55:48 Rest beyond the river.
56:02 It would be a good idea for us to sing that chorus
56:06 together, but before we do. There maybe
56:10 some of you here today that have some special
56:13 need in your life and you really wanna take this
56:17 opportunity to say Lord in your presence
56:20 and even in the presence of others,
56:22 in the presence of your angels.
56:24 I would like to say by your grace today
56:26 is gonna be a new day as I go from this place.
56:29 I want to be new creature and you like come forward
56:33 and request special prayer. As we are singing
56:37 the chorus together, I want you to come
56:40 to the front, we will have special prayer for you
56:43 and ask the God to just activate
56:45 his power in your life. I think everybody knows
56:49 the chorus to this song and I just see
56:52 all these men together, well it would be beautiful
56:54 to have all of us sing that together in the cross
56:57 that's where the power, that's where
56:59 we want our new lives. If you like to come now
57:02 as we sing that together and you have some need
57:05 for prayer come in the cross, in the cross.
57:17 In the cross, in the cross, Be my glory ever,
57:37 Till my raptured soul shall find
57:47 Rest beyond the river. Amen.


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Revised 2014-12-17