Participants:
Series Code: ASHF
Program Code: ASHF000178A
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00:20 Hello friends, and welcome
00:22 to our Wednesday night Bible study here 00:24 at the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:26 We thank you so much for taking the time to tune in 00:28 as we study the Word of God together. 00:30 And all you need is a Bible, and we're going to pray 00:34 in just a moment to ask the Lord to guide us. 00:36 And we'll let you know 00:38 where to get the copy of the lesson. 00:39 But tonight we're beginning a new lesson 00:41 called Living in Victory. 00:43 And we'll tell you in just a moment 00:45 how to get a copy of that. 00:47 But at the website I'll give you after our prayer, 00:50 you'll find all the resources there, 00:52 the lessons that are in the past, 00:54 the lessons that are coming up from this point on, 00:56 and also our videos, which you can share 00:58 with your friends and your family. 01:00 Now before we sing our theme song tonight, 01:02 we'd like to invite you to bow your heads with us 01:04 as we go to the Lord in prayer. 01:07 Loving Father in heaven, 01:08 thank You so much for the opportunity 01:10 of studying Your word. 01:11 Your word is the lamp unto our feet 01:14 and a light unto our paths. 01:15 And we do pray tonight 01:17 as we study this important topic, 01:20 "How to win? 01:23 How to be victorious in Christ?" 01:25 That You'll guide us with Your presence. 01:28 And we thank You, in Jesus' name, amen. 01:33 The website to go to is ASF.3ABN.org. 01:39 That is A Sharper Focus.3ABN.org, 01:42 and download lesson number 40. 01:45 What number did I say? Forty. 01:47 Lesson number 40. 01:48 And you'll be able to walk along with us 01:50 through the topic of the study tonight. 01:53 Now, we don't usually get to all our questions. 01:56 Come on in. 01:57 We don't usually get to all of our questions, 01:59 but we thank you for taking the time to walk with us. 02:03 We always sing our theme song. 02:05 And our theme song is Victory in Jesus. 02:09 Let's sing that song together. 02:19 I heard an old, old story 02:22 How the Savior came from glory 02:26 How He gave His life on Calvary 02:30 To save a wretch like me 02:34 I heard about His groaning 02:37 Of His precious blood's atoning 02:41 Then I repented of my sins 02:45 And won the victory 02:49 O victory in Jesus 02:53 My Savior, forever 02:56 He sought me and bought me 03:00 With His redeeming blood 03:04 He loved me ere I knew Him 03:08 And all my love is due Him 03:11 He plunged me to victory 03:15 Beneath the cleansing flood 03:19 I heard about a mansion 03:23 He has built for me in glory 03:27 And I heard about the streets of gold 03:30 Beyond the crystal sea 03:34 About the angels singing 03:38 And the old redemption story 03:42 And some sweet day I'll sing up there 03:46 The song of victory 03:48 Key change. 03:49 O victory in Jesus 03:53 My Savior, forever 03:57 He sought me and bought me 04:01 With His redeeming blood 04:04 He loved me ere I knew Him 04:08 And all my love is due Him 04:12 He plunged me to victory 04:16 Beneath the cleansing flood 04:19 He plunged me to victory 04:23 Beneath the cleansing flood 04:30 Amen? Yes. 04:32 Victory in Jesus. 04:35 To win is the only thing. 04:40 If you are involved in any kind of sport, 04:44 and I'm not speaking about competition, 04:45 but any kind of sport, there's a saying that 04:49 people that are not involved in sports often use, they say, 04:53 "It's not whether you win or lose, it is..." 04:56 what? 04:57 "How you play the game." 04:59 Obviously, they are not involved in sports 05:01 because people that are 05:03 professionally involved in any kind of sport, 05:05 whether basketball, baseball, football, 05:07 hockey, running, cycling, whatever it is, 05:10 unless they do it for a hobby or for health, 05:15 no one wants to lose, am I right? 05:18 But in the Christian life, 05:22 it is whether you win or lose. 05:25 And it is also how you live the life. 05:28 It is whether you win or lose, but more specifically, 05:32 it's how you live the life. 05:33 And how you live the life 05:35 determines whether you win or lose, 05:37 vitally important focus. 05:39 I want to start with something that many of us 05:41 may not think of. 05:42 And the topic by the way is Living in Victory, 05:45 what is that together? 05:46 Living in Victory. 05:49 Something that we all want to do, 05:51 but how you do it is the important question. 05:53 How do you live in victory? 05:56 We'll find out a little tonight. 05:57 But let me start with a couple of examples 06:00 that I think really are important. 06:02 Go with me to Hebrews 12. 06:05 I did some research earlier today. 06:07 I'm not a runner, I play basketball, 06:11 and with all the injuries that I sustained, 06:14 I should be getting paid. 06:16 But I really don't get paid, it's just for exercise for me. 06:20 Didn't play yesterday 06:22 'cause I wanted to just feel good today. 06:26 But Hebrews 12, and I'm going to set this up 06:30 with a particular story. 06:32 Now whenever I choose 06:37 basketball shoes or sneakers, as they call them in New York. 06:41 I try to choose the lightest pair 06:43 because I want to be able to have 06:45 the least amount of pull on my knee, 06:48 the quickest movement on the court, 06:50 and the least strain on my foot when I'm playing. 06:55 I discovered something also, and I did this, I looked up, 06:58 I asked on Google a particular question, 07:01 "What is the lightest running shoe 07:02 that Olympians use?" 07:04 And I heard about one. 07:06 Let me bring this up on my iPad here. 07:08 I heard about one called the Vibram Five Finger. 07:12 The Vibram Five Finger, 07:14 it's a shoe that has been designed 07:16 to most closely simulate having nothing on your feet. 07:21 It literally has an independent slip 07:24 for each of your toes. 07:25 And those who are professional athletes, 07:28 they often get them made specifically for their feet. 07:31 In other words, if I go to the store 07:32 and buy a pair that has five toes 07:35 while they use a model maybe or dummy 07:38 to just estimate, this is where my toes go. 07:42 But people that are into professional running, 07:44 they get a mold made to fit their feet 07:45 so when they're running, 07:47 it's like they have nothing on it at all. 07:48 And I wondered, what is the shoe like that way? 07:51 And in some cases, it's between 4 and 5.1 ounces, 07:56 and some of those could go as little as 3.5 ounces. 08:00 Now I don't know if you know what 3.5 ounces is, 08:03 but for something to be on your foot 08:05 to give you the support to run a race. 08:10 So when you put it in your hand, 08:11 it's like there's nothing there, 08:13 3.5 to 5.1 ounces, 08:15 need not tell you how much that costs. 08:18 But the reason why this is important, 08:19 there's a lesson here is because the runner 08:21 is focusing on winning the race. 08:24 Is focusing on what? 08:25 Winning the race. 08:27 Not just running on a casual basis 08:29 when he's chosen to represent his country 08:30 or she's chosen, 08:32 they're not out there for casual good afternoon nap, 08:35 they're out there to run. 08:37 Am I right, Brian? 08:38 They want to win. 08:39 They may be in a large, and they got there 08:42 by doing what this text is going to admonish us to do. 08:46 Look at Hebrews 12, 08:48 Hebrews 12:1, 2. 08:54 The illustration that is put here 08:56 by the writer of Hebrews 08:58 is very much in the Olympic mindset. 09:00 He says in verse 1, "Therefore we also, 09:04 since we are surrounded by so," what? 09:07 "So great a cloud of witnesses," 09:09 that's the Olympic stadium, when they are running, 09:11 everybody is watching. 09:13 Today the whole world is watching. 09:15 And in reality, 09:17 when the Christian is living his or her life, 09:19 all the holy angels are watching. 09:22 There's a great cloud of witnesses, 09:24 but it goes on and it says, 09:28 "Let us lay aside, together, every weight, 09:33 and the sin which so easily ensnares or besets us," 09:38 and look at the word now, "and let us do," what? 09:40 "Run with endurance 09:43 the race that is set before us." 09:46 Do you know what the word endurance means? 09:47 Be fit, because you got to finish this race. 09:51 The Christian journey is not a walk in the park, 09:55 it is a race. 09:57 And it's not necessarily given to the swift, 10:00 but as you look at the word here, 10:02 endurance as the Bible says in Matthew 24, 10:05 "He that endures to the end, the same shall be," what? 10:08 "Same shall be saved." 10:09 So endurance and laying aside every weight 10:13 and being conscious that when you're running, 10:16 there are witnesses. 10:17 So when you're living the Christian life, 10:19 somebody is watching. 10:21 And because you know someone's watching, 10:22 your holy angel, the Lord, 10:25 the heavenly universe is watching. 10:28 You know, you don't just run with endurance 10:29 and lay aside every weight, 10:31 but there's something else you have to do, 10:33 you have to focus your mind. 10:35 Look at verse 2, 10:36 where should you be looking, 10:39 together, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher." 10:44 In other words, 10:45 the starting line and the finishing line. 10:47 Your faith began, 10:49 it will take you to the finishing line, 10:51 "The author and finisher of our faith, 10:54 who for the joy that was set before Him," pause. 10:58 What joy is set before the runner? 11:00 What is it called? 11:02 The physical runner, what is it called? 11:06 The finish line. 11:08 When they go across the finish... 11:09 When they win what they do? 11:12 The joy that is set before them. 11:14 When we get to heaven, we're going to go like this, 11:17 right? 11:18 The joy that is set before us. 11:20 But you've got to focus. 11:22 And oftentimes we fail to win because where we're looking. 11:26 Runners don't look behind them, runners don't care 11:30 who's to the left, they make glance 11:32 but all that's an infinitesimal small amount of time 11:35 because they're looking at the finish line, 11:37 they're looking unto the finisher of that race. 11:41 We got to keep our eyes on Jesus to finish the race, 11:44 am I right? 11:46 But notice what it says, "Who endured the cross, 11:49 it's not an easy race. 11:51 Despising the shame..." 11:53 There are people in the audience 11:55 that don't want you to win, 11:57 it's the hecklers. 11:59 "And has sat down at the right hand 12:01 of the throne of God." 12:02 And then it says in verse 3, 12:04 "For considering him who endured such hostility 12:08 from sinners against himself, 12:10 lest you become weary and discouraged in your soul." 12:14 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed 12:18 striving against sin. 12:20 I learned some amazing stories about runners. 12:23 Some of them get blisters, right? 12:26 They fall sometimes, they get injured, 12:30 but they get up. 12:32 How was that? 12:35 Socks and shoes, they wear the lightest, 12:37 and some of them don't wear any at all 12:38 with some kind of simulation of a sock and the shoe 12:41 just to keep the moisture down, 12:42 but they know that 12:44 getting ready for this amazing race, 12:46 they don't concern themselves 12:48 with the things that happen to them, 12:50 they are just equipping themselves 12:52 for the winning of the race. 12:54 Let us lay aside every weight 12:56 and the sin that so easily besets us 13:00 because when the race is over, 13:02 they're going to reflect the medal 13:04 that represents the country that they're connected to. 13:07 What is it called? They want which one? 13:09 Which one did they want? 13:12 The gold, silver, and bronze. 13:15 Fourth place, there is no wooden medal. 13:19 Gold, silver or bronze, they got to focus themselves. 13:22 And so when we think about this, 13:25 I didn't look his name up, 13:26 but in the back of my mind 13:28 it keeps coming in and out one of the most... 13:31 One of the American athletes, Olympic athletes 13:33 that have the most medals, I think he's a swimmer. 13:37 Michael Phelps. 13:39 Michael Phelps, he's got nothing but medals, 13:42 gold medals. 13:43 And so whenever he smiles, he's gold from ear to ear. 13:48 He's proud of the country he represented 13:51 because he did his best. 13:52 He ran, he trained, and the Christian life 13:56 is very much like the life of an athlete, 13:59 you've got to train, you've got to eat right, 14:01 you've got to focus, 14:03 you've got to read the proper materials, 14:05 you have to condition yourself, you don't wait till a week 14:07 before Olympics and start running and saying, 14:09 "What are you doing?" 14:11 "I'm getting in... 14:12 I'm getting in shape for the Olympics." 14:15 You do that how many days? 14:17 The athlete live the life how many days? 14:20 Every day, that person remembers 14:22 that he or she is the athlete 14:25 and they're ready to run that race with endurance. 14:28 And it's important 14:30 because when those medals starts shining 14:32 and your country starts, 14:33 everybody in your country is saying, "Michael, Michael." 14:36 You know, all of a sudden, it's like, 14:38 "Wow, you remember 14:39 that the great cloud of witnesses in the homes, 14:42 in the cars, in the businesses, 14:44 in the banks or the insurance companies, 14:46 the sponsors, the sports companies, 14:48 the sneaker manufacturers, 14:49 everybody's looking for somebody 14:51 that they could say, 14:52 "He represents us." 14:55 That's what Jesus did. 14:57 He ran the race to represent us. 15:00 When we look and we train with Him... 15:01 One more thing, 15:03 when we look and we train with Him, 15:05 we will be fit to run the race. 15:07 And so every runner has a trainer, am I right? 15:12 Look at 1 John 1:7, let's look at our trainer. 15:16 Every runner has a trainer. 15:21 Laying some foundation before we dive into it. 15:24 Now chances are we might not do 14 questions tonight. 15:29 The chances are high 15:30 that we probably won't get through it. 15:32 I also looked up something else, 15:33 I like to learn new things. 15:35 I have a little laser on my pointer. 15:39 Not very necessary, but at this point of my hand 15:41 has a laser on it, 15:43 and I don't want to blind the guys in the control room 15:44 they might say, "What was that?" 15:46 But there's a green laser in this 15:47 and I asked the question earlier 15:49 to one of our technicians here at 3ABN, 15:51 "How does a laser work?" 15:53 And I came to find out that the laser, 15:55 that's not what it is, 15:56 it's an acronym for light amplified 16:00 by simulated emission of radiation, 16:03 that's an acronym, light amplified, L.A, 16:07 simulated, S, E, emission, R, radiation. 16:11 And what it says is because of the protons 16:14 and the amplification in the way that it works 16:17 is the waves that are in here to create a laser, 16:20 a single light, is when it goes from the lower state 16:23 to a higher state, it moves together. 16:29 Whereas in ordinary light, 16:30 they move in opposite directions, 16:32 therefore their waves get wider and wider 16:35 apart the further that light shines. 16:38 If we move with Jesus, 16:42 He's the laser that when we go 16:44 from a lower state to a higher state, 16:48 we stay in step with Christ. 16:50 Look at 1 John 1:7, look at that. 16:54 1 John 1:7, and this is the laser, 16:57 we are in... And the laser never loses... 16:59 There are many waves 17:01 but they never lose step with the other one 17:03 from a lower state to a higher state. 17:05 1 John 1:7, but the Bible says, "But if we do," what? 17:09 "Walk in the light as He," what? 17:11 "Is in the light," notice what happens. 17:13 "We have," what? 17:14 "Fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, 17:17 His Son, does," what? 17:19 "Cleanses us from all sin." 17:21 But we have to walk in the light. 17:23 When He goes from one state to the next, 17:26 we have to move with Him. 17:28 And therefore our relationship stays pointed. 17:30 It doesn't go apart like a regular light beam does 17:33 in the distance of the reflection, 17:35 it doesn't move away from its source, 17:37 it stays together no matter how far that beam is reflected. 17:43 So tonight we're talking about reflecting. 17:45 Let's go to our first question. 17:47 Reflecting Christ and walking with Him. 17:49 Question number one. 17:52 Who are we called to reflect? 17:55 Now we know the answer. 17:57 But let's go and see what the Bible says, 17:59 Ephesians 4:13, 18:01 "Who are we called to reflect?" 18:05 All right, 18:07 since it is our first scripture for the night 18:08 and it's on the screen, 18:09 I'd like us all to read it together, 18:11 our home audience, and those watching 18:12 would surely appreciate it. 18:14 Are you ready? 18:15 Let's read the one on the screen. 18:16 It says, "Till we all come to the unity of the faith 18:20 and of the knowledge of the Son of God, 18:23 to a perfect man, 18:25 to the measure of the stature of the fullness of," what? 18:29 "Christ." 18:31 Notice where their unity. 18:32 Who are we called to reflect by the way? 18:34 Who is the... 18:35 What's the answer? 18:36 Christ, we're called to reflect Christ, 18:38 but it's done in unity. 18:40 As we are one with Christ, we become one with each other, 18:43 till we all come to the unity. 18:46 It's a lockstep. 18:47 We go from one state to the next together. 18:49 If that person is walking in the light, 18:51 and I am walking in the light, 18:53 and you're walking in the light, 18:55 and Yannick is walking in the light, 18:56 as we move, we move in the same state together, 18:59 and Jesus who is the guiding light, 19:02 we never lose step with Him. 19:04 We have to walk in the light as He is in the light. 19:07 And what that's saying is not in the general vicinity, 19:10 but we walk with Him, we walk with Him, 19:13 like the road to Emmaus, they walked with Him. 19:18 And when you walk in with the light, where are you? 19:21 You're in the light. 19:22 You're never in the dark. 19:24 So who are we called to reflect? 19:25 We are called reflect who? 19:26 We are called to reflect Christ. 19:30 Because of that, let's go to question number two. 19:34 Question number two. 19:37 What is Satan determined 19:40 to keep us from revealing? 19:45 What is Satan determined 19:47 to keep us from revealing? 19:51 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4. 19:56 Okay, 19:59 and here's the answer. 20:01 And the Bible says, 20:02 "But even if our gospel is veiled or hidden, 20:07 it is veiled to those who are," what? 20:10 "Perishing, whose minds the god of this age has done," what? 20:15 "Blinded, who do not believe." 20:17 Let me pause there for a moment. 20:19 If a person is blind, you don't put him in a race 20:24 'cause they don't know where they're going. 20:27 Before we enter the race with Christ, 20:29 one of the first things He does, 20:30 He restores our sight. 20:32 He opens the eyes of the blind. 20:35 It's not possible to reflect the glory of God. 20:37 And notice why He keeps us blind? 20:40 Look at the next as it goes on. 20:43 "Whose mind the God of the sage has blinded, 20:45 who do not believe lest the," what? 20:49 "The light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, 20:53 who is the image of God should shine on them." 20:58 What is Satan determined to keep us from reflecting? 21:02 The glory of Christ, 21:05 the glory of Christ. 21:09 And as you get closer to the end, 21:11 when you look at the three angels' messages, 21:13 you know, you find there's an angel flying 21:15 in the midst of heaven, and in Revelation 18, 21:17 the Bible says, 21:18 "The earth was illuminated with His glory." 21:22 You also find Isaiah 60, 21:24 "Arise, shine for your light has come, 21:26 and the glory of the Lord has risen on you." 21:29 The Christian life is really not one that... 21:32 See people... 21:33 I want to put this in right context. 21:35 People would rather see your Christianity 21:38 than you tell them that you're a Christian. 21:40 They'll say, 21:41 "Wow, there's something different about his life, 21:43 there's something different about her life, 21:45 there's something about her that... 21:47 I think she's a Christian. 21:48 And remember the wood, Allen, in LA 21:51 or I think a few years ago, 21:52 we went down the Northern California, 21:55 or Southern California... 21:56 I forgot what we were doing down there, 21:58 but we were going to someone's house 21:59 for Thanksgiving, 22:00 and we couldn't find where we're going. 22:03 And if you remember, let me know, 22:05 but we stopped in a restaurant, 22:09 very few restaurants are open on Thanksgiving, 22:11 but this one was, 22:13 we were trying to ask directions. 22:14 And we didn't have a GPS at that particular time, 22:17 so it must have been a while ago. 22:19 But we walked in the restaurant to get directions, 22:22 and when we were coming out, there was a gentleman going in. 22:25 And along the way he paused, he said, 22:29 "Are you guys Christians?" 22:32 And I said, "Yeah." 22:35 He said, "I can tell." 22:37 We didn't say anything to this guy, we didn't know, 22:41 he was on the way in to the restaurant. 22:44 We were, had just stopped to get directions, 22:46 and in that short period of time, what happened? 22:51 In that short span of time, he saw something 22:55 that said to him, "They're Christians." 22:59 And, you know, that's a humbling experience 23:02 to know that in the little throes of life, 23:06 and just in the passing moments of life, 23:08 people can look at you and see 23:10 that there's something different in your life. 23:12 There's something that's making a difference, 23:14 but the reason why the devil doesn't want us to... 23:18 The reason why he doesn't want us 23:19 to reflect the glory of God 23:21 is because he doesn't want God to get any credit, any glory 23:25 for the transformation and the change in our lives. 23:29 Who doesn't want to be changed? 23:32 I'm glad you didn't answer. 23:33 Who wants to be changed? 23:34 Amen? Amen. 23:36 We all want to reflect God's glory. 23:38 But the devil tries to do things to keep our... 23:41 He tries to blind us 23:44 so that we cannot see the glory of God, 23:46 and then if we can't see the glory of God, 23:49 we don't believe, and if we don't believe, 23:51 we can't reflect 23:52 what we don't even have any reference to. 23:55 So he tries to blind us. 23:56 That's why it's so vitally important 23:58 in the simple things of life like your entertainment. 24:01 You have to make sure that your entertainment 24:03 doesn't blind you from the gospel 24:04 because the world doesn't give us 24:06 what we need to learn more about the gospel, 24:09 it pulls us away from it, the prince of this world. 24:12 Let's go on, 24:13 so what does Satan determine to keep us from reflecting? 24:16 What's the answer? 24:17 The glory, the glory or also the image of God, 24:22 the glory of Christ. 24:24 He's determined to keep us 24:25 from allowing Jesus to be revealed in our lives. 24:28 Okay, another question, very simple one, 24:30 but I think it's to the point 24:31 and it lays our foundation even further. 24:34 Question number three. 24:36 How do we obtain the image of God? 24:40 Let's go to the beginning. 24:43 Let's go to the beginning, Genesis 1:26, 24:46 look at that together. 24:50 Had any of you ever said, 24:52 "You look like somebody I know." 24:55 Ever had that experience? 24:57 Or have they have said, 24:58 "You know, I could tell who your children are. 25:01 They look just like you. 25:03 Is that your son?" 25:04 What did they see? What do they see? 25:07 They see the image. They say, "You've got... 25:10 My wife did that actually a couple days ago. 25:12 Today, I think you told me. 25:13 She said, "I looked at your dad's picture, 25:15 you have your dad's nose. 25:18 And we were talking about that 25:19 because we had a chance to meet someone 25:21 that we were talking about our, where we came from, 25:24 and, you know, kids like to... 25:26 What they say, who... 25:28 I don't know who had... 25:29 I mean, I have my mother's ears. 25:31 But I have my dad's nose. 25:33 Hello. 25:35 And it's a family trait. 25:36 If you ever want to pick my family out of a crowd, 25:39 just have them go like this, and you'll know exactly 25:42 who I'm related to, is that right? 25:43 Isn't it? 25:44 It's a fingerprint or an ear print in our family. 25:48 But the image that we reflect lets everyone know 25:52 who we are related to. 25:55 Look at Genesis 126, the image reflect 25:59 reveals our point of origin, our family. 26:05 Speaking of the creation of humanity, 26:08 "Then God said, 26:11 'Let Us make man in," together, "Our image, 26:16 according to Our likeness, let him have dominion 26:21 over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, 26:26 and over the cattle, over all the earth, 26:29 and over every creeping thing that," what? 26:31 "Creeps on the earth." 26:32 So in whose image are we made? 26:36 Now... That wasn't a... 26:38 I didn't mean to trick you that quickly. 26:40 I didn't mean to do that. 26:42 In whose image was humanity made in the beginning? 26:47 In the image of God. 26:49 But I must put this in the context of today. 26:52 Is everyone in the world today reflecting the image of God? 26:56 No, because something happened along the way 27:00 that distorted the image. 27:02 I'm not a photographer, but I know 27:03 at least something called focus, 27:05 that's why we call this program A Sharper Focus. 27:07 And I always and look for this at the very end, 27:11 I'll say if it doesn't make sense, 27:13 continue studying, 27:14 one day it will come into A Sharper Focus. 27:18 And so what happens is, when our lives are out of focus 27:21 with God like a picture. 27:24 Have you ever seen a picture out of focus? 27:26 The one thing you can't do with a picture 27:28 that was originally out of focus 27:30 is put it in focus. 27:33 If it is in focus, you could unfocus it, 27:36 but you can't focus the picture that's out of focus 27:40 because it's a locked image. 27:42 But if it is clear, you can blur it. 27:45 But you cannot put a blur picture in focus. 27:47 You could do your best to try to make out the features, 27:50 but you cannot put a blurred image in focus. 27:53 That's the beautiful thing about Christ. 27:56 He took a blurred image 28:01 and brought it into focus to reveal Himself. 28:04 Amen, somebody? Amen. 28:06 'Cause you can't... There's no... 28:07 I don't know of any photographic, 28:10 I may be ignorant in this particular area, 28:12 but I don't know of any photographic tools 28:15 that will take a blurry picture, 28:17 now they might try to magnify it 28:19 and do some technical things, 28:20 but you cannot take a blurry picture 28:22 and bring it into sharp focus. 28:24 But the Lord took blurry humanity, 28:27 and applied His character, and when people look at us, 28:30 they say, "Are you a Christian? 28:34 You look like your Father." 28:35 Amen. 28:37 That image was given to us in the beginning, 28:38 but now look at this text one more time 28:40 because when God gave us His image, 28:43 going back briefly here, He gave us dominion. 28:47 Man had authority over everything 28:49 that was created. 28:52 But since Satan wanted to rule the world, 28:57 and this is where the great controversy began, 28:59 let me just develop this very quickly. 29:02 When God created the world, He gave Adam 29:05 dominion over the fish of the sea, 29:06 the birds of the air, or the cattle, 29:07 over every creeping thing. 29:09 In other words, Adam was able to command all of creation. 29:12 But when sin entered the world, he lost his dominion. 29:17 Somebody else took the path, 29:19 somebody else took the captain's chair, 29:22 who was his name? 29:23 Satan. 29:25 Satan took the captain chair and even up to the point 29:28 where Jesus came, matter of fact, 29:30 Paul even talked about the god of this world. 29:35 And then Jesus says, 29:36 "The prince of this world has come, 29:38 and he has nothing in Me." 29:39 So even up to the time of Christ, Jesus recognized, 29:42 I've got to restore man to the position and the image 29:48 that had been lost for nearly 4,000 years. 29:52 So that's why this topic is all about living in victory. 29:56 How does God restore that image? 29:59 And not only in His day and age 30:03 when He was on earth and in ministry, 30:05 but He wants all of us 30:07 to continue to reflect His image. 30:09 That's why this lesson is so vitally important. 30:11 We could talk about the Sabbath or other things, 30:13 but having the image of God and reflecting His glory 30:16 is the first and highest priority. 30:18 Look at the next one. 30:20 So where did we get the image from? 30:24 We obtained that by being created 30:27 in the image of God. 30:28 That's what God originally did, 30:31 He created man to reflect Him all through the earth, 30:35 He created man 30:36 to reflect Him all through the earth. 30:40 And I tell you today, if you look at... 30:42 Oh, matter of fact, I think, I was having a conversation, 30:46 I think Angie and I were having a conversation with somebody, 30:48 and we're from a large city, I won't mention the city 30:50 because some of the people that are from my city say, 30:52 "You're always down in our city." 30:54 Okay, I'm from New York, I love New York. 30:59 Just like God loves New York, 31:01 but I'm glad I live in the country. 31:03 But you can go to some cities in the world, 31:06 whether New York or Chicago or LA or Detroit or Miami 31:11 and, you know, you could look at people's faces and see sin. 31:16 You kind of see it. 31:19 Not that we're judging anyone and saying, 31:20 "Oh, there's a sinner, there's a saint, 31:22 there's a sinner, there's a saint." 31:23 But you could see what sin has done. 31:25 It has marred the image of God. 31:27 And the deeper in sin that a person gets, 31:30 the more sin seems to distort. 31:32 And when you look at examples in scripture, 31:34 you find all the places where Jesus set someone free, 31:37 something about them was marred, 31:39 either they couldn't see, or they were blind, 31:41 or they were lame, or they were hauled, 31:44 or they were demon possessed. 31:46 Something about them was affected 31:48 physically and mentally. 31:49 When Jesus restored them like He did Naaman, 31:52 He restored him to the point where his flesh was like 31:54 the flesh of a babe. 31:55 The restoration process is we are always better 31:58 after Christ than we are before. 31:59 Amen? Amen. 32:01 Now look at question number four, 32:03 let's try to move on. 32:04 Question number four. 32:06 How has the image of God been changed by man's fall? 32:12 How has the image of God been changed by man's fall? 32:15 A very short passage which we all know very well, 32:19 Romans 3:23, Romans 3:23, 32:25 to the point. 32:31 And this is why the Lord came to the entire world, 32:36 "For," how many? 32:38 "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." 32:44 Now let's put this back in the athletes' corner. 32:47 Can you imagine God, He is moving, 32:51 I mean he is booking, I mean, what's that guy? 32:55 He's bolt, he's bolting. 32:58 You know, like somebody once who ran against Usain Bolt, 33:02 they said, "How fast is he?" 33:04 And the guy said, "Fast." 33:06 Well, that's relative. 33:08 Because a car is fast, a jet is fast, a bullet's fast, 33:11 a plane is fast. 33:12 How fast is he? Fast. 33:15 You'll only understand the definition of that 33:16 when you run against him. 33:20 But what if Usain Bolt ran his heart out 33:23 and right short of the finish line, 33:26 he just stopped. 33:28 Everybody's cheering, 33:29 "We're going to win, we're going to win," 33:31 he just stops. 33:32 And all the other runners run by him. 33:34 Would there be an outcry in the audience? 33:36 Come on. 33:37 Would Jamaica be upset? 33:41 What wrong with him? 33:42 That was my West Indian, excuse me. 33:45 You know, they would go, they go West Indian ballistic. 33:48 What is wrong with him? 33:50 He just stopped short of the finish line. 33:55 The whole country would feel let down. 33:58 Do you know that without Christ 34:02 that reflects our lives? 34:04 We run as hard as we can 34:07 and we get to the finish line and we can't cross it, 34:11 for all have sinned and done what? 34:13 Fall short. 34:15 They can't say, "Oh, I... 34:17 Okay, put your hands down. 34:20 I want to... 34:21 But I can't claim the victory." 34:22 All have run a race 34:25 that they have become painfully aware. 34:27 "I know I have." 34:32 If the camera turned around, 34:33 you see everybody with their hands down. 34:35 I know I have. 34:38 We have fallen short at points in our lives 34:42 of reflecting the glory of God. 34:45 And we want to go like this and say, "Victory." 34:48 We tried in our own efforts, 34:50 and we've come to the finish line, 34:52 and the sign says, "Stop. 34:54 You cannot cross it 34:56 because you don't have what it takes 34:57 to cross that line." 35:01 Wow, 35:03 so... 35:05 I'm trying to kind of go ahead of myself, 35:06 but I'm gonna give you a preview. 35:08 Along comes Jesus to a planet of losers, 35:11 and decides, 35:14 I got the best sneakers, 35:18 I am ready to run against him, where is he? 35:20 And Satan is saying, "I was waiting for this match. 35:23 I have been waiting 4,000 years to take you on. 35:29 So he dogs the tracks of Jesus to see how he's training. 35:34 And then he finds Jesus in His morning devotions 35:36 talking to His Father. 35:39 There he sees Jesus 35:40 at the moments of great temptation 35:42 not losing His mind. 35:45 There he sees Jesus when He's even identified 35:47 as an illegitimate child, He says, 35:51 "I'm about My Father's business." 35:54 He looks at His life in every particular, 35:57 trying to find a way that when they get to the race, 36:01 he is going to beat Him. 36:04 And every point of his life, he's like, can't find a way. 36:11 And Jesus being aware of it says to His Father in heaven, 36:15 "The prince of this world has come, 36:17 but he has nothing in Me. 36:19 He cannot break My training routine." 36:23 When we are with our Father every day, 36:25 the devil can't break our training routine, 36:27 we have victory, am I right? 36:28 So that's what happens. 36:30 But until you get there, look at how incapable we are. 36:33 Go to the very next one. 36:35 The answer to number four, "What has made us incapable?" 36:39 We have all fallen short. 36:41 Question number four, the routine of Jesus. 36:43 That's why routines are so important in your life. 36:45 To be victorious, you have to have a routine. 36:48 You cannot be an athlete without a routine. 36:50 You cannot be a pilot without a checklist. 36:53 Everything in life requires some kind of accountability. 36:56 If you have a Christian life with no accountability, 36:58 with nothing that gauges whether or not you're growing, 37:01 then you're not really a Christian. 37:04 You're floating, you're meandering. 37:07 And the maze of mediocrity 37:09 will not take you to the place of victory. 37:11 Let's go to question number five. 37:13 What power has sin inserted over man? 37:17 What power has sin inserted over man? 37:22 When we look at the incapable... 37:24 When we run that race 37:25 and we get to the finish line and we stop, 37:28 somebody might say, "Why did you stop?" 37:30 And you'll say, "I didn't want to." 37:32 But what happens... 37:34 See a lot of people don't understand this part, 37:35 this is very powerful. 37:37 When you're running the race, and you get to the finish line, 37:39 and you stop, somebody might say, 37:42 "Why did you stop?" 37:44 And based on this text, you'll say, "I didn't stop." 37:48 Let's read the text together. 37:49 "I didn't stop." 37:51 Look at the text, Romans 7:17, "But now," together, 37:56 "it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me." 38:02 Sin says, "I'm not letting you cross that line." 38:05 And you're running, 38:06 and it's almost like the tether of sin, 38:07 you're running, it pulls you back. 38:10 Sin says, "You thought you were crossing the line, 38:12 didn't you? 38:13 I've got the rope." 38:15 He's in control. 38:16 What many of us don't know is sin is... 38:18 First, sin is first and enslaving power, 38:21 then it is a controlling power. 38:24 It first ties you, and then it tethers you, 38:28 and determines how far you can go. 38:33 When sin gets a hold of us, we want to do one thing, 38:38 but we come to the sad realization 38:41 as Paul did in Romans 7:17, 38:43 I want to cross that finish line, 38:45 but I'm not the one who decides that. 38:47 It is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 38:50 So while the audiences yell, "Cross the line." 38:53 You're yelling back, "I didn't stop, 38:56 sin stopped me." 38:58 And that's why we need Jesus, amen? 38:59 Amen. 39:01 Because He comes to break the connection that stops us, 39:04 all of us will fall short without Christ. 39:07 The reason why I went back to this topic 39:09 is because I believe that 39:13 understanding how to win, how to be victorious daily 39:18 is more important than anything else. 39:21 If you can't be victorious, all the Sabbath, the diet, 39:25 how to dress, what songs you sing, 39:29 it all doesn't matter. 39:31 You could be a... You could be a... 39:32 You could be a... 39:33 You could be a prisoner 39:35 with a really wonderful curriculum, 39:38 but you're behind bars. 39:42 No experience of victory. 39:44 But Jesus comes to break the hold. 39:47 So let's answer the question. 39:50 What power has sin inserted over man? 39:54 Write this down, it's not obvious in the text. 39:57 Control. 40:00 Control, sin is first an enslaving power, 40:05 then it is the controlling power. 40:10 It first enslaves, then it controls. 40:18 Matter of fact, can I give it to you? 40:21 Go with me to Romans 6:16. 40:24 My wife knows where we're going. 40:27 Romans 6:16, let's go ahead 40:28 and, let's go ahead and confirm this point. 40:32 Romans 7:17, but Romans 6:16, it's not on the screen, 40:36 but it's in your Bibles. 40:37 Let's look at the enslaving aspect of it, 40:39 then the controlling aspect of it. 40:45 "Do you not know," Romans 6:16, 40:48 "Do you not know to whom you," what? 40:52 "Present yourselves slaves to obey, 40:56 you are that one slave whom you obey 41:00 whether of," what? 41:01 "Sin leading to death or obedience 41:04 leading to righteousness." 41:06 What do you find in both categories? 41:07 Leading. 41:09 Somebody's leading. 41:10 When you yield, somebody else is leading. 41:14 You're no longer in the driver's seat. 41:15 When you yield to sin, sin is leading to death. 41:19 When you yield to obedience or through obedience you yield, 41:23 obedience is leading to righteousness. 41:26 In both cases, it is not us who is in control. 41:29 In both cases, all you've got to do is decide 41:32 who you want to have in charge. 41:34 When you yield, do you not know... 41:36 And so the Apostle Paul says here, he says, 41:38 "Don't you know how this works?" 41:40 He said, "Don't you know how this works? 41:42 Where are you going to yield?" 41:43 And I've learned something very significantly here. 41:46 In this yielding, 41:48 in this whole aspect of yielding, 41:51 there is no third category. 41:52 Is there a third category? 41:54 There's no third category. 41:55 Either you're yielding from sin that leads to death 41:59 or obedience that leads to what? 42:01 Righteousness. 42:02 There's no third category. 42:04 So you might be thinking, "Well, 42:05 I'm not in either category, I'm not a Christian. 42:07 I'm sorry, you're in the first category 42:09 if you're not a Christian 42:10 'cause sin is leading in that one, 42:12 and then until you yield to Christ, 42:14 you're not obedient leading to righteousness. 42:18 It's amazing. 42:20 You put that down as an extra text 42:21 by number five. 42:23 Now... 42:24 But now let's go to the other side 42:26 because remember, I'm talking about effort. 42:28 I'm talking about what? 42:29 Effort. What's that word? 42:31 Effort. 42:33 Effort is... 42:34 Effort always leads us to fail 42:37 when the effort is based on our abilities. 42:40 But now when Christ comes in, 42:41 I want you to notice question number six. 42:44 When Christ comes in, how... 42:47 Here it is, question number six. 42:49 When Christ comes in, 42:50 how difficult is it to reflect His glory? 42:55 When Christ comes in, how difficult it is 42:58 to reflect His glory? 43:00 You'll find this word used by Matthew and by Paul 43:04 quite a bit. 43:05 If you just use that, if you just put up that one word, 43:07 you'll discover it in Matthew 5:16, 43:10 let us look at the text together. 43:12 What's the first word? 43:14 What is it together? 43:16 Let your light so shine before men, 43:21 that they may see your," what? 43:22 "Good words and glorify your Father in heaven." 43:27 What's the first word? 43:28 Let. 43:31 Let's illustrate let. 43:34 Ready? 43:37 This is let. 43:40 What am I doing? 43:41 Nothing. 43:42 Let. 43:44 Do I look happy? 43:45 I'm going to let my light shine. 43:47 Amen. Anybody got a mirror? 43:53 Well, that's good, 43:55 we don't think of ourselves that way. 43:57 But if you look in the mirror, 44:00 can you see a reflection? 44:02 What are you doing to see a reflection? 44:04 Nothing, just letting the mirror work. 44:08 When you shine a light, 44:10 is the flashlight shaken in your hand 44:11 and fighting to get the light out? 44:13 And what's it doing? 44:14 Letting. 44:16 You see the beauty of... 44:17 When Christ comes in, He takes us 44:19 from T-R-Y-U-M-P-H, T-R-Y, 44:24 that's try to T-R-I-U-M-P-H. 44:29 The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 44:32 He takes us from trying to win 44:35 to giving all the triumph 44:38 to the powers of heaven. 44:41 From trying to triumph. 44:44 And so when the Bible says, when Jesus says, 44:46 "Let your light so shine before men," 44:48 He was speaking... 44:50 He was laying out the beatitudes, 44:52 and some writers call it the be-happy attitude 44:55 because when you live in harmony with the beatitudes, 44:57 you begin to understand that Jesus and the beatitudes 45:00 were outlining principles. 45:03 Look at it very quickly. 45:04 You're in Matthew 5, right? 45:06 Let me just show you something here real quickly. 45:09 He was outlining the characteristical traits 45:13 that are synonymous with a person 45:15 who is a Christian. 45:17 He was outlining the characteristical traits 45:20 to a person who is a Christian. 45:24 Notice what He says, 45:25 I'm going to just start with verse 1 45:27 and just go very quickly. 45:28 "And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain," 45:31 Matthew 5:1, "And when He was seated, 45:34 His disciples came to Him, 45:37 then He opened His mouth and taught them." 45:39 Whenever Jesus sat, He was teaching, 45:40 when He stood up, He was preaching, 45:42 you'll notice that in the scriptures. 45:44 What did He say in verse 3? 45:45 "Blessed are the," what? 45:46 "Poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 45:48 It's not people that are financially poor, 45:51 but he's talking about humble spirit, 45:53 a person that's not proud and boastful. 45:56 Also, "Blessed are those who mourn 45:57 for they shall be comforted." 45:59 You know what that means? 46:00 The word mourn there doesn't mean, 46:01 "Oh, I'm always sad, the word there mean, 46:04 the mourning there means they have a desire 46:06 and a longing with something that the world cannot give. 46:10 They have a desire and longing for something 46:11 the world cannot give. 46:13 So they're not looking for joy from the world, 46:16 their minds are fixed on eternal joys. 46:19 It goes on to number five, or verse 5. 46:22 "Blessed are the meek," not the weak, the meek, 46:26 "for they shall inherit the earth." 46:28 Meek are people 46:29 that are not filled with themselves. 46:31 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 46:34 for they shall be" what? 46:35 "Filled." 46:36 That's the desire. 46:38 What is your thirst on a daily basis? 46:40 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." 46:43 Remember that, but for the grace of God, 46:45 you could be in the scenario that other people are in, 46:47 be merciful. 46:49 When you're merciful, you get mercy. 46:51 Number eight, "Blessed are the," what? 46:53 "Pure in heart for they shall," what? 46:55 "See God." 46:56 You know it doesn't says pure in the words 46:58 because anybody can say pure things, 47:00 but what's happening in your heart? 47:02 What's going on in the heart 47:03 is really where the stand is going to, 47:04 is where you can determine, 47:06 where you stand on that podium of the final victory. 47:10 That's right from the abundance of the heart. 47:12 Thank you, honey, the mouth speaks. 47:13 What's in the heart is going to come out of the mouth. 47:15 Number nine or verse 9, "Blessed are the peacemakers 47:18 for they shall be called," what? 47:20 "Sons of God, children of God." 47:22 Some people don't want peace, 47:25 but when you seek peace and pursue peace, 47:27 we recently did a program on peace 47:29 for one of our family worships. 47:32 And then it says in verse 10, 47:34 "Blessed are those who are," what? 47:36 "Persecuted for righteousness' sake 47:39 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 47:41 These are all the things 47:42 that the Christian will go through. 47:44 These are the characteristical traits of the person 47:46 who's outlining his life or her life in ready, 47:49 in preparation for eternity, 47:50 and it goes on down to verse 16, which is read, 47:54 you can read the others together in your own time, 47:56 but it says, "Let your light so shine." 47:57 In other words, when your life 47:59 is in harmony with God, 48:01 it's clear who you are associated with. 48:04 You're letting His light as He says clearly 48:07 that He is the light of the world, 48:09 but when He's not here, we are the light of the world, 48:12 right? 48:13 Any evidence that person, if anybody ever argues 48:16 whether or not Jesus is real, the greatest testimony, 48:20 I think, Pastor Mark Finley once said this. 48:22 He had a motorcyclist, not a motorcyclist, 48:25 but a guy that was a motorcyclist, 48:27 yeah, a cyclist, he had a motorcycle, 48:30 big, tall, tough, strong, built guy, just muscle bound. 48:35 Did you ever see those guys, they have nothing, 48:37 muscle upon muscle, and leather jacket, 48:39 they look like, they could just blow bubbles 48:41 with your heart, I mean, just strong. 48:44 And he was standing next to Pastor Mark Finley, 48:46 I'm sharing your story, Mark. 48:47 It's a really great story. 48:49 And a guy came and was telling Pastor Mark Finley off 48:53 because he didn't believe in God, 48:56 and the guy standing next to Mark Finley, 48:57 who had not too long ago been converted, 49:00 he said, "What evidence can you give me 49:02 that God is real?" 49:04 And the motorcyclist guy looked like 49:06 he could blow bubbles with your heart. 49:08 He said, "If God wasn't real, 49:10 right now I'd rip your head off." 49:15 So it sort of changed his life. 49:17 Even the exterior that didn't look like it associated... 49:20 So I'm not just speaking about exteriors, 49:23 I'm speaking about people whose hearts, and minds, 49:25 and lives have been transformed. 49:26 Sometimes we only judge a person by the exterior. 49:30 Man looks at the outward appearance, 49:31 God looks at the heart. 49:34 God looks at the heart. Let's go to the next one. 49:36 Number seven, number seven, 49:39 I don't think we'll get seven more done 49:41 in eight minutes, but let's try. 49:43 Number seven. 49:45 What is the source of the light that shines through us? 49:51 We know the answer, but let's let the Bible speak. 49:54 I always like when the Bible speaks. 49:56 John 8:12, John 8:12, 50:00 we read in the beatitudes where he says, 50:02 "You are the light of the world." 50:03 But John 8:12 is where we find the answer. 50:08 And the scripture opens our eyes in this sense. 50:13 "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying," 50:16 let's read those next five words, 50:18 "I am the light" four words. 50:21 I am the light of the world. 50:24 "He who," and this is powerful, "He who follows me shall not," 50:28 what? 50:29 "Shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." 50:34 The laser, as we are rising, 50:36 as He is rising, we're rising with Him, 50:38 as He's ebbing, we're ebbing with Him. 50:40 When you walk in the light, if you walk with Him, 50:43 you will not walk in darkness, you can't. 50:47 Because when you walk in the light, 50:49 as He is in the light, you'll have that fellowship. 50:51 So very quickly, 50:54 what is the source of the light that shines through us? 50:57 What is the source? Jesus is. 51:00 Not what, but who is the source? 51:04 Very important, I'm building, 51:05 and then I'm going to take a turn 51:07 in just a few more questions, 51:08 and come back to a very significant issue. 51:10 So I want to use our time wisely. 51:12 The source is Jesus, 51:14 that means we don't have any light on our own. 51:17 Amen? 51:19 We don't own the light, but we just simply reflect. 51:22 We are like refracted mirrors. 51:26 My wife and I are little amateur astronomers. 51:29 We want to buy a telescope. 51:30 And we were learning 51:31 the difference between a direct, 51:33 I'm using the word refractive, 51:35 you know, where you look that way, 51:37 but you actually see that way 51:39 or then the ones that look down, 51:41 and so we're learning. 51:43 You know, what looks like a good, 51:44 so we ran into a guy in New York at B&H Photo. 51:48 And he had a white gloves 51:50 because he was in the telescope department. 51:52 He says, "Never..." 51:54 He was saying, "Never ever touch 51:58 the mirrors of a telescope with your fingers. 52:02 The oils will start to corrode it." 52:05 And he's giving us a lesson, and we're saying to each other, 52:08 "Hurry up, hurry up, but he said, okay, 52:13 which one of these thing do you think is good? 52:15 And we pointed at one that look elaborated, he said, 52:17 "That's a piece of junk." 52:18 "This," and he knew it very well, 52:22 and he told us about how it reflects light. 52:24 And I thought, "Wow, what a lesson." 52:25 He says, "If you live in a place 52:27 that's dark at night, this is what you want to get." 52:29 So my wife and I said, 52:30 "We live in a place as dark at night, 52:31 and we want to learn more about 52:33 where the light really is. 52:35 The light that exists in the heavens 52:36 always declare the glory of God. 52:41 Number eight, let's look at the question very quickly, 52:43 and here it is. 52:45 How does the transaction of accepting Jesus 52:50 change our standing? 52:53 How does the transaction 52:55 of accepting Jesus change our standing? 52:59 Because, you know what, the reality of it is 53:01 I know many people that don't want to be 53:02 who they always have been. 53:06 And sometimes it takes longer for some people to admit that 53:08 they say, "I am tired of being who I had been." 53:11 And when they were younger and vibrant 53:13 and life seemed to be going their way, 53:15 they didn't want to hear it, 53:16 but now life is beginning to catch up, 53:18 and the routine is starting to get old, 53:20 and everything in life is so predictable, 53:22 and they're starting to say, "I don't want to, 53:24 I'm just at the point where I have more time 53:26 behind me than ahead of me, I want something new." 53:29 When you accept Christ and the transaction is made, 53:33 notice how wonderful your standing is altered. 53:38 1 Peter 2:9, what happens these people 53:41 that could not see right from wrong, 53:44 what happens 53:46 when Jesus pulls us into the heavenly family? 53:49 The Bible says, "But you are a," what? 53:51 "Chosen generation," What else are we? 53:54 "A royal priesthood," and what else are we? 53:58 "A holy nation, His own special people." 54:04 And look at what he calls us to do, 54:06 "That you may proclaim the praises of Him 54:10 who called you out of darkness into His," what? 54:13 "Marvelous light. 54:14 The King James Version says, "That you may show forth." 54:18 I like that sometimes, you may show forth. 54:20 How are people going to see Him? 54:22 You are showing it in your life, how you live. 54:26 Not only proclaiming it as the writer here 54:30 in the New King James Version. 54:32 The word "proclaim" is often an audible thing, 54:34 but one that you may show forth. 54:36 How do you do it? By the way you live. 54:39 And I tell you, if you think it's easy, 54:42 if you think it's easy, 54:47 well, let me just say this, "It's not easy, 54:49 so don't ever lower your guards. 54:52 Because when you think you've got it, 54:54 the devil studying you to find a way to trip you up. 54:58 Be sober, be vigilant 55:00 because your adversary the devil walks around 55:02 like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. 55:06 So how does the transaction of accepting Christ 55:09 change our standing? 55:11 If I could add anything there, we are royal. 55:14 Say that with me, we are, what? 55:15 Royal. 55:17 The royal family recently had a new child. 55:21 And I tell you, I'm going to say this, 55:24 I'm going to say this with a smile, 55:26 "As that child gets older, 55:28 they're going to have a royal pain." 55:31 'Cause all children are born in sin. 55:33 Come on, help me out somebody. 55:34 Amen. 55:36 You've got to train that child. 55:37 I don't care what kind of royalty they are born into, 55:40 until they are born into Christ, 55:42 they'll be a royal pain. 55:45 That's the human nature. 55:47 You can be born 55:48 with the heritage of 15 generations into royalty, 55:51 but unless you're born into the royalty of Christ, 55:54 you are royal pain. 55:56 I say that not in an insulting way, 55:58 but that's the reality, am I right? 56:00 All children, I was one. 56:03 And I had some royal pain incidences as an adult, 56:06 so I know this is true. 56:08 Am I telling the truth, Cindy? 56:09 It all happens, we all have our royal pain moments. 56:12 But praise be to God, 56:14 He hasn't finished the work in us yet. 56:16 He's working on us 56:18 until one day we'll be able to reflect His glory. 56:20 Now this is a good one, 56:21 and we're getting close to our time, 56:23 and I may spend a little time on number nine 56:25 because this is powerful. 56:26 We talked about Romans 7:17, 56:28 now let's see the opposite of that. 56:29 And here's the question. 56:31 What makes the difference 56:33 in being able to reflect God's glory? 56:38 I was going to put the word "Glory" there, 56:40 but I was in hurry, God's glory, 56:42 that's the word I'm going to include there. 56:44 What makes the difference in being able 56:45 to reflect God's glory? 56:47 Let's go now to Galatians 2:20, 56:52 now remember when we read Romans 7:17, 56:54 remember I talked about he fell short of the line, 56:57 when he fell short of the stop line, 56:59 and somebody yell, "Why did you do that?" 57:00 He said, "I didn't do it, sin did it." 57:03 But now let's look at the flipside of that. 57:05 Galatians 2:20, "I have been," what? 57:09 "Crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, 57:14 but Christ lives in Me, 57:16 and the life which I now live in the flesh 57:20 I live by faith in the Son of God, 57:22 who loved me and gave Himself for me." 57:25 Amen. 57:27 Who's doing it? 57:28 It is no longer I. 57:32 It's no longer I, 57:33 in the same way that you didn't stop yourself, 57:36 but sin stopped you. 57:38 Now somebody said, 57:39 "How did you cross the finish line?" 57:41 I didn't do it, it's no longer me, 57:45 but Christ in me that pulled me across the finish line. 57:49 Amen, somebody? 57:51 In both cases, you'll discover in the yielding to sin, 57:55 sin will stop you. 57:57 And ultimately, death. 57:58 And yielding in obedience to righteousness, 58:01 Jesus will enable you, 58:03 and you will experience the joy, 58:05 and you won't give yourself any credit, 58:07 you won't glory in it, 58:08 you'll simply say, "It's not me, 58:12 but Christ lives in me." 58:14 When Christ is living in us, 58:15 the capabilities of reflecting Him 58:17 will be present. 58:19 And you won't take the credit, it's Christ who lives in me. 58:23 So, friends, as I said earlier, 58:25 if it doesn't make sense, keep studying, 58:27 one day it will come into A Sharper Focus. 58:30 God bless you. |
Revised 2018-10-08