The podcast episode emphasizes the importance of living a victorious and abundant life as a Christian, anchored in the belief that there is always more land to possess spiritually. Speaker A discusses the recent missionary trip to Cape Verde, highlighting not only the medical assistance provided but also the primary goal of sharing the gospel with the local community. They recount the transformation experienced by individuals receiving medical care and glasses, underscoring the critical role of the church in spreading the gospel. Additionally, Speaker A reflects on the necessity of continual growth and reliance on God, urging listeners to surrender fully to His will for their lives. The episode ultimately serves as a reminder that the journey of faith is ongoing, with every believer called to pursue deeper knowledge of Christ and to engage actively in proclaiming the message of salvation.
Takeaways:
- The episode emphasizes the unconditional love of God, which serves as a foundation for the Christian faith and life.
- Speaker A shares experiences from a recent trip to Cape Verde, highlighting the importance of missions and community support.
- The speaker notes that each Christian is called to live a victorious life, reflecting on the ongoing journey of faith and personal growth.
- The discussion includes the necessity of relying on God’s strength to overcome life’s challenges, illustrating that we cannot achieve victory on our own.
- The episode stresses that the primary mission of the church is to spread the gospel, ensuring that every action aligns with this fundamental purpose.
- Finally, the speaker encourages listeners to reflect upon their spiritual journey and consider their commitment to fully surrendering to God’s will.
Transcript
Glad the Lord loves us unconditionally.
Speaker A:Aren't you A love that won't stop.
Speaker A:Turn your Bibles this morning to Joshua, chapter 13 as we continue our series on Higher Call, talking about again that higher ground in the Christian life and the place in which God wants us to live, a place of victory, that abundant life that Jesus Christ promised.
Speaker A:So turn there if you would.
Speaker A:And as you're turning there, we'll give kind of a update on the trip that we just got back from last night.
Speaker A:And so we got back late last night from Cape Verde, which is an island, some islands on the coast of Africa.
Speaker A:I was expecting, you know, island, you know, what's in the tb.
Speaker A:Anyway, it's a beautiful island, but it was a little warm, warmer than I thought it was going to be.
Speaker A:And we had just a wonderful, wonderful time, a beautiful place, wonderful people, just loving, kind, gracious people.
Speaker A:And a little unique this time as we went to work with our missionaries, the Prince family there on the island.
Speaker A:It's one of four or five islands and they are serving a church that has been on the island for 70 years, a Baptist church.
Speaker A:And so they're serving under the national pastor, Brother AU I'm close to.
Speaker A:That's close.
Speaker A:Trying to pronounce it correctly.
Speaker A:And what a blessing to get to know the national pastor there, the pastor who's been there and this past, the national pastor grew up in the church, was saved in that church and went out of that church, planted another church on another island in the Cape Verde Islands and was there and that church that he planted for 19 years and then God brought him back to his home church here just a few years ago.
Speaker A:And the church had kind of gone through a low valley, the church he grew up in.
Speaker A:And he's been able to, of course, by the Lord to get that church back on its feet.
Speaker A:In fact, not just back on its feet.
Speaker A:We were there last Sunday morning and they had a full crowd.
Speaker A:I mean the building was just full.
Speaker A:It was amazing.
Speaker A:I don't know exactly the numbers, but over 100 people there, a packed building.
Speaker A:And I got to preach, you know, in Portuguese.
Speaker A:No, I'm just kidding.
Speaker A:I did not preach in Portuguese.
Speaker A:He someone interpreted my somewhat English And I got to preach there just again a great time.
Speaker A:We saw over:Speaker A:And that's medical and optical.
Speaker A:The optical became the really the point of interest because on the islands they again, having glasses or seeing a doctor to get an exam is about A month and a half salary for them.
Speaker A:And so for us to be able to go in and do that, it's just.
Speaker A:It's just fantastic.
Speaker A:You have to experience it yourself.
Speaker A:To experience seeing someone fitted for glasses who couldn't afford glasses.
Speaker A:And to see how it changes, by the way, it's going to change their life, but how it transforms them right then.
Speaker A:Have y' all seen that little.
Speaker A:There's a commercial or it's on.
Speaker A:It had been real popular, a real.
Speaker A:Just trying to use the vernacular.
Speaker A:And it was a baby that they fitted for glasses.
Speaker A:Y' all remember that one?
Speaker A:It was real popular for a long time.
Speaker A:And they put those glasses on this little baby and the baby went from crying to like.
Speaker A:And it was.
Speaker A:You could see automatically.
Speaker A:There was zero doubt that that little baby could see.
Speaker A:And we see that when we do this.
Speaker A:It's amazing.
Speaker A:It's amazing.
Speaker A:And then remember now, our purpose for being there is not to give them glasses or to give them free medicine.
Speaker A:That's not the main purpose.
Speaker A:The main purpose to give them the gospel.
Speaker A:So everyone who comes through there has to go through.
Speaker A:Has to go through the souling.
Speaker A:They have to go through the gospel.
Speaker A:They have to go to the evangelism area if they want to get their medicine.
Speaker A:And we don't twist, of course, don't twist their arm.
Speaker A:We didn't have as many salvations this time.
Speaker A:And the Cape Verdeans, the people there are more relational.
Speaker A:They're not just going to jump off and pray the prayer and go on with that.
Speaker A:I kind of like that.
Speaker A:Anyway, make sure that the decision you're making is your decision not based upon something you're being given or whatever.
Speaker A:And so I'm so thankful though.
Speaker A:We have a great missionary there, the Fritz family, we have a great national pastor there.
Speaker A:And when we were said and done, there was a Ziploc bag, the gallon, Ziploc bag of little slips of paper that had phone numbers and addresses and names.
Speaker A:Over:Speaker A:And they have every intention of following up on, on all those people.
Speaker A:And the gospel was given to:Speaker A:Maybe that church would have got around to it.
Speaker A:Maybe that church would have knocked that door or whatever the case is.
Speaker A:But it's amazing to see what God does and what God can do.
Speaker A:And it's amazing eye opening to go to the field like that and to see a church nationals, people from that country do such a great, great job, work as hard or harder, many times harder than all us who were helping the church family over there, church like minded like us, doing the same thing we're doing, doing here, working hard at it, getting the gospel out, understanding that's the number one thing.
Speaker A:They're about to start a church out of that church just a few miles away.
Speaker A:One of the things, the problem they have is their building's full and it would be very difficult for them to build or do.
Speaker A:So let's just start another church over there.
Speaker A:And all the people that live over that area are going to go to that church.
Speaker A:Just amazing.
Speaker A:But I think it's for the elder.
Speaker A:Elder is gonna, is gonna be the pastor of that church.
Speaker A:And so I just like the name Elder.
Speaker A:At first I thought they were into the elder rule thing and I was like, I keep saying elder, I hope they don't have elders.
Speaker A:We're gonna have some kind of doctrinal problem here and it's not gonna go well.
Speaker A:And then I found out his name was Brother Elder.
Speaker A:I was so relieved.
Speaker A:Some of y' all may believe in elder rule.
Speaker A:That's not Bible.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:You know, when I get tired, I get slap happy.
Speaker A:Anybody know what that is?
Speaker A:That's me.
Speaker A:Slap happy.
Speaker A:We got this.
Speaker A:It was.
Speaker A:Appreciate all the work and effort that goes into many of you working to help put the totes together and puppets and supplying so many things that we can take with us.
Speaker A:And what a blessing and remind you too those who are going are paying their own way.
Speaker A:These nurses, the other help that we had, they're paying their own way, taking off work.
Speaker A:And I just so much commend you.
Speaker A:Appreciate all the work and effort that goes into it.
Speaker A:And only in eternity, honestly we say this a lot as cliche, but only eternity.
Speaker A:We truly see the dividends, the fruit from the investment we've been making.
Speaker A:And we see this evidence not only now, but we will see it in the future.
Speaker A:I really believe as a song says that when we get to heaven, there'll be people approach us.
Speaker A:They'll thank you for giving that $10 you gave to missions.
Speaker A:They're going to thank you for that.
Speaker A:That $5 you gave to missions, they're going to thank you for that.
Speaker A:Even though you couldn't go the field, even though you couldn't do it's that part that you gave, the part that you have in sending the gospel around the world.
Speaker A:And that is the purpose of the church by the way.
Speaker A:Way.
Speaker A:It's a constant reminder that our primary purpose as a church is to spread the gospel, to propagate the gospel.
Speaker A:To see that that remains our number one purpose and that we not get sidetracked.
Speaker A:So many churches have gotten sidetracked.
Speaker A:The majority of churches have gotten side.
Speaker A:You know, the Salvation army at one point was a Salvation Army.
Speaker A:Mr. Booth's goal was to see soul saves.
Speaker A:But over time, it didn't take them long.
Speaker A:They got sidetracked.
Speaker A:May we never get sidetracked.
Speaker A:The transformation of lives.
Speaker A:He's still in the transforming business.
Speaker A:God's word changes lives.
Speaker A:One of the one, and I'll end with this.
Speaker A:I still believe this is Bible.
Speaker A:The Bible says that God shall supply.
Speaker A:He will supply all of our needs.
Speaker A:Who is he speaking to?
Speaker A:He's speaking to the Ephesus Church, but also the Philippian Church, but he's also speaking to every Christian.
Speaker A:Every Christian is promised.
Speaker A:If you're a child of God, God has promised you that he will supply all your needs.
Speaker A:Well, again, if I go to the foreign field and I give someone the gospel and get saved, does that promise apply to them?
Speaker A:They may be in a country where they're not as blessed as we are financially and able to have the things that we have.
Speaker A:But that same promise that applies to me, that there's food on my table and there's food in my refrigerator and there's food in my freezer and there's food outside in my chicken coop, Food right now I could have as much as I want.
Speaker A:Isn't that amazing?
Speaker A:That same promise applies to them.
Speaker A:So why would I go over there and dig a well first?
Speaker A:I have no problem with mission efforts to go dig water wells.
Speaker A:No problem with that.
Speaker A:But if that's all I do, all I did was give them water.
Speaker A:And there's no promise that God will supply all their needs if they're not children of God.
Speaker A:If they're not saved, there's no promise there.
Speaker A:But if I lead them, I give them the gospel and they get saved, guess what?
Speaker A:Now the promise applies.
Speaker A:There will always be bread on the table.
Speaker A:God will never let the righteous go without bread, he said.
Speaker A:It's amazing, isn't it?
Speaker A:God is so good.
Speaker A:And that's just the practical aspect of.
Speaker A:Of course, the eternal aspect of it.
Speaker A:Escaping hell and having a home in heaven.
Speaker A:This life is just a vapor.
Speaker A:It appears for a little while and vanishes away.
Speaker A:No man knows what's going to happen tomorrow.
Speaker A:You better be careful.
Speaker A:But, man, this life is just like the grass that appears for a little while here in Texas.
Speaker A:And then when the heat comes out, it's gone.
Speaker A:Unless you put a lot of water to it compared to eternity, this life is short.
Speaker A:And we get the opportunity to go to foreign countries and give people the gospel so that their eternity changes, the eternal destination changes.
Speaker A:By the way, we have that same opportunity here to go to our neighbor, to tell a friend, to tell a coworker.
Speaker A:It's amazing.
Speaker A:My pre sermon to the sermon.
Speaker A:Joshua, chapter 13, verse one.
Speaker A:I'm just going to read one verse.
Speaker A:If you want to do homework, you can go home and read chapter 11, 12 and 13, right?
Speaker A:We finished with chapter 10 here.
Speaker A:A couple of weeks ago we preached out of chapter 10 that the Lord, the Bible says the Lord fought for Israel.
Speaker A:Remember, he set down, he brought down stones from heaven.
Speaker A:And there's more of the enemy killed by the stones from heaven than there were killed by the children of Israel themselves.
Speaker A:In other words, God did it.
Speaker A:God fought for them.
Speaker A:And I'm thankful that God fights for us.
Speaker A:You can do a whole lot more if you'll let the Lord do it instead of you.
Speaker A:I can do a whole lot more in my life, overcoming and having victory in my life if I will rely upon the Lord.
Speaker A:The Lord fought for Israel.
Speaker A:He fights for us.
Speaker A:And in chapter 11, 12 and 13, we have summaries of the extent of the conquest of the land of Canaan as they go in and they continue to defeat the people of Canaan.
Speaker A:So look there, chapter 13, verse one.
Speaker A:Now, Joshua was old.
Speaker A:He was around 90 years old and strickening years.
Speaker A:And the Lord said unto him, thou art old and stricken in years.
Speaker A:There remaineth.
Speaker A:Listen to this.
Speaker A:And there remaineth yet very much land to possess.
Speaker A:Yet very much land to be possessed.
Speaker A:He's saying, Joshua, you're not done.
Speaker A:Joshua, there's still much to do.
Speaker A:There's still more land to conquer.
Speaker A:There's still much to achieve.
Speaker A:Look back at chapter 11 and verse 23 just real quick should be able to just turn a couple of pages.
Speaker A:He talks about several battles and then it says in verse 23, and Joshua took the whole land according to all that the Lord said unto Moses.
Speaker A:And Joshua gave it for an inheritance, gave it unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes, and the land rested from war.
Speaker A:Now understand that as they, as they went in and as they fought for Canaan, God gave them victory after victory after victory after victory.
Speaker A:But yet there was more land to be possessed.
Speaker A:He did give them rest.
Speaker A:He did give them rest.
Speaker A:And as they allotted portions of land to each tribe, he gave them rest.
Speaker A:And then each of the tribes was assigned to an allotment of land.
Speaker A:And they were to possess that land.
Speaker A:It was no longer a combined army, no longer a combined.
Speaker A:The tribes were no longer combined into one big army.
Speaker A:It was each individual tribes, armies that were to continue to possess the allotment of land that they were given.
Speaker A:There's something to be said about that.
Speaker A:We'll cover that.
Speaker A:Either this sermon or the next one.
Speaker A:Let's pray.
Speaker A:Heavenly Father, Lord, we do pray that you would be with the message this morning, be with the word as we preach.
Speaker A:God, I pray this morning again we see the importance of our trust in you, the importance of relying upon you, our importance of surrendering, yielding to you that we may have victory in our own lives.
Speaker A:We thank you and love you.
Speaker A:In Jesus name, Amen.
Speaker A:God's purpose for your life, by the way, for everyone, is that they might be saved.
Speaker A:God is no respecter of persons.
Speaker A:He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Speaker A:So God's purpose for your life.
Speaker A:God's purpose for my life is that we would accept him as Savior, that we would be saved, that we'd be rescued from the penalty of sin, which is death.
Speaker A:The Bible says, and death and hell were cast in the lake of fire.
Speaker A:This is the second death.
Speaker A:And so in order for us to escape hell and have a home in heaven, our sins had to be removed.
Speaker A:Our sins had to be forgiven.
Speaker A:But yet God said they had to be paid for.
Speaker A:He's just not going to let sin just, you know, just not going to gloss over it.
Speaker A:He's not going to like some liberal judge and just let you off the hook.
Speaker A:No, no, no, no.
Speaker A:It has to be paid for.
Speaker A:But instead of you paying for it, instead of you paying for your own selfishness, instead of me paying for my own selfishness, my sin.
Speaker A:Christ came and paid the price for me.
Speaker A:He paid the penalty for me.
Speaker A:He paid the judge for me.
Speaker A:He died in my place.
Speaker A:He took my death.
Speaker A:He died the death I should have.
Speaker A:Eric Crawford should have died on the cross.
Speaker A:I should have died for my own sins.
Speaker A:But yet he died for my sins.
Speaker A:He died in my place.
Speaker A:He's the great substitutionary death of Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:What an example of love that Jesus displayed to us.
Speaker A:The Creator became part of his creation in order to die for those he created.
Speaker A:Love to love.
Speaker A:What an amazing love it is.
Speaker A:God's will for our life and purpose for our life is again to be saved.
Speaker A:And then once we're saved, God's desire and God's will for our life is that we do live an abundant life.
Speaker A:Life was not meant to be endured.
Speaker A:It was meant to be enjoyed.
Speaker A:As Christians, you ought to enjoy your life.
Speaker A:Gotta have a life of joy.
Speaker A:Notice I didn't say happen.
Speaker A:There's a difference between happiness and joy.
Speaker A:Joy is something given to us divinely by God.
Speaker A:And we can actually have joy in spite of the circumstances we're in.
Speaker A:No matter the circumstances we're in, God wants us to have an abundant life.
Speaker A:We call it.
Speaker A:Maybe you've heard the term victorious Christian life or the greater Christian life.
Speaker A:However you want to phrase it, that is the intent that God has for every Christian.
Speaker A:For every Christian's life is an abundant life.
Speaker A:Again, in chapters 11 and 12 and 13 we have a summarization of the extent of the conquering in the land of canaan.
Speaker A:In chapter 12, it even covers a small portion of the conquering of the other side of Jordan.
Speaker A:When Mo Moses allotted to Reuben and allotted to half the tribe of Manasseh and half the tribe and to the tribe of Gad.
Speaker A:So the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh stayed on the other side of Jordan.
Speaker A:Their families didn't cross Jordan.
Speaker A:Now their armies did.
Speaker A:Their armies fought with the rest of the children of Israel, but their families stayed on the other side of Jordan.
Speaker A:It is a picture or an analogy of how so many Christians just never cross over Jordan.
Speaker A:They never cross over and die to self and yield to God.
Speaker A:And so by the way, that also meant that they ended up fading away first.
Speaker A:That those two and a half tribes were defeated first.
Speaker A:In fact, as you read history in the Bible and history, you see that they were pretty well absorbed by the nations around them.
Speaker A:We just don't hear a lot about them.
Speaker A:God did not intend for you to live on that side of Jordan.
Speaker A:If you live on that side of Jordan, the world will absorb you.
Speaker A:Can't hang around a bunch of turkeys and.
Speaker A:No, I'm just kidding.
Speaker A:Can't hang around a bunch of skunks and come out smelling like a turkey.
Speaker A:Turkey smells really good when it's fried.
Speaker A:Moses allotted.
Speaker A:I'm using that term for a reason.
Speaker A:Because if we go along in the message, this is going to be short.
Speaker A:The allotment they were given, there were 31 kings over the chapter 12 and 10 or 11, 12 and 13.
Speaker A:31 kings that were subdued or again became submissive to Israel under the control of Israel.
Speaker A:31 Kings that the children of Israel defeated.
Speaker A:Let me just remind you too, in the Christian life, it's good to reflect on the victories.
Speaker A:Because the devil sure reminds you of the defeats.
Speaker A:When he reminds you of the defeats in your life, you need to remember and go back and count your blessings.
Speaker A:The reason why the hymn writer wrote the song.
Speaker A:It's a great song.
Speaker A:Count your blessings, name the one rival.
Speaker A:Then you'll rejoice in what God has done.
Speaker A:Certainly.
Speaker A:Always, always.
Speaker A:And I will say that more blessings than there are curses.
Speaker A:Many battles.
Speaker A:Many battles lost and won.
Speaker A:And there are many battles yet to be fought.
Speaker A:That's what he was saying here.
Speaker A:Many battles were lost in one.
Speaker A:But yet he's saying to Joshua, there's many battles yet to come.
Speaker A:Second Timothy, chapter four.
Speaker A:Paul said to young Timothy, I have fought a good fight.
Speaker A:I have finished my course.
Speaker A:I have kept the faith.
Speaker A:I hope when we all get to heaven, we can say the same thing.
Speaker A:Christian life is a battle, and there is a great battle taking place.
Speaker A:My life angles.
Speaker A:Can I remind you too, that the land can only be.
Speaker A:The land conquered can only be kept by walking with Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:In other words, as I go throughout my Christian life and I see this victory and this victory and this victory I can't restore on my laurels and just say, well, I had this victory and this victory.
Speaker A:I've arrived.
Speaker A:I'm here.
Speaker A:No, no, no.
Speaker A:It has to be kept.
Speaker A:No, no.
Speaker A:The land that we have conquered, it has to be fought for, yes, but then it has to be kept, and it's only kept by our relationship and walking with the Lord Jesus Christ, not depending upon ourselves, but depending on, cannot be conquered or kept by our own efforts.
Speaker A:I hope throughout this year you've seen that, and I hope maybe you'll stick with it, that victories are not accomplished on our own merit.
Speaker A:Victories are not accomplished on our own effort.
Speaker A:Victories are only found in relying upon Jesus Christ, the victorious Christian life, of entering the land of rest, entering that higher Christian living.
Speaker A:Living.
Speaker A:The higher call is found in Jesus and Jesus Christ alone.
Speaker A:He says to Joshua, here there's still much land to be conquered.
Speaker A:I must remind you this morning, in this life, there's no rest.
Speaker A:And by that I mean you never get to the point where you have arrived in the Christian life.
Speaker A:There's never a time when you can go into the end zone and spike the ball and say, I'm done.
Speaker A:Not in the Christian life, no.
Speaker A:There's always more land to conquer.
Speaker A:There's always more to learn, more knowledge to possess.
Speaker A:And I would remind you, this sounds negative, but it's not.
Speaker A:There will always be more land of his hands.
Speaker A:Again, the same Concept as you never arrive, you never get to the point where you can say, well, I know it all.
Speaker A:No, Paul said, I press toward the mark.
Speaker A:He said, I have an attainment.
Speaker A:Paul, who wrote over half the New Testament, said, I have an attempt contained.
Speaker A:I don't know it all.
Speaker A:There's a continued battle taking place.
Speaker A:What are we possessing?
Speaker A:So what's the analogy?
Speaker A:The analogy is that Christ is our possession.
Speaker A:Do you want part of Christ or you want all of Christ?
Speaker A:Well, he would encourage you and he would want you to have all of them.
Speaker A:But I can tell you that you'll never be able to claim that you have all of them.
Speaker A:But I press toward the mark.
Speaker A:That is my goal.
Speaker A:Christ is my goal.
Speaker A:By the way, he's the one.
Speaker A:He says in chapter four of Philippians, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Speaker A:He's the one who strengthens us.
Speaker A:In order that we might continue to run the race, in order that we might continue the battle, in order we might continue to pursue, possess more of our possessions, how do they have been given to us?
Speaker A:I just.
Speaker A:The question this morning would be, are you satisfied?
Speaker A:Are you satisfied this morning?
Speaker A:You're a Christian life.
Speaker A:And if so, are you then are you satisfied with less than what God intended for you to have in this Christian life?
Speaker A:In the Christian life, we won't win every battle.
Speaker A:And the Christian life will have some scars.
Speaker A:And there'll be times in which we'll take the easier path rather than the harder path, because it's just easy.
Speaker A:There'll be times we sit down and we reflect upon the battles that we've been in.
Speaker A:And by the way, when we reflect on those battles again, it shouldn't be a negative or depress us.
Speaker A:It should be a reflection in order that it might encourage us and inspire us to cry out to the Lord, Lord, because, Lord, I need you.
Speaker A:That's what reflection gives us, by the way, good and bad, the good and the bad.
Speaker A:If I experience joy here, here and here and here, and I experienced, you know, trials here, here and here, I can go back and say, lord, through it all, I needed you.
Speaker A:And I see that, Lord, I want you.
Speaker A:I need you.
Speaker A:I need you.
Speaker A:Reflecting on him, it is God who leads us to higher ground.
Speaker A:It's the Lord who leads, leads us to higher ground.
Speaker A:And all that happens at the foot of the cross.
Speaker A:I appreciate the choir this morning.
Speaker A:It's when we as Christians stay at the foot of the cross, understand that Jesus is by our side, that he's promised to never leave us, nor forsake us and understand there's much land to be possessed, land still needing to be possessed.
Speaker A:What is that, by the way?
Speaker A:Very quickly, number one is the knowledge of Christ.
Speaker A:Some people have intelligence, some people have a good memory, or they're disciplined intellectually, but that's not wisdom.
Speaker A:Some people just smart.
Speaker A:But being smart does not bring about discernment.
Speaker A:I've seen a lot of smart people who can't discern.
Speaker A:How many of you have experienced this?
Speaker A:I have many times where I've been talking to a child maybe 6, 7, 8 years old, and they said something about the Lord that I just blew me away.
Speaker A:The childlike faith is amazing, isn't it?
Speaker A:Some child who doesn't have the intellectual prowess of a gnat.
Speaker A:But yet they say something very profound about the Lord.
Speaker A:It happens all the time.
Speaker A:But if you be.
Speaker A:If you're going to.
Speaker A:If you're a parent very long, it's going to happen to you.
Speaker A:Your child's going to say something.
Speaker A:If you keep them in Sunday school, you keep them in children's church, and you're having devotions with them and you keep them immersed in the word of God, it's going to happen to you.
Speaker A:Your child's going to say something.
Speaker A:You're going to go, what in the world are they around there?
Speaker A:That's awesome.
Speaker A:You could be intellectual and have no knowledge.
Speaker A:And the things that are most important, of course, you know where this is going.
Speaker A:And that most important thing is Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:Do you know him?
Speaker A:I mean, do you know him?
Speaker A:Are you staying at Calvary daily?
Speaker A:Paul said, I count all things but lost that I might know Him.
Speaker A:He said, I count them but dung, refuse, sewer.
Speaker A:That I might know Him.
Speaker A:He said, compared to the great college I went to and the great education I received, he was from a wealthy family.
Speaker A:He had all the, you know, great learning that the world had to offer.
Speaker A:He said, compared to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, all this learning, all this wealth is nothing compared to knowing Jesus, to understanding and knowing Him.
Speaker A:Notice this knowing him more because he's the one who set I have not arrived, I have not attained.
Speaker A:But I press on that I might know him more.
Speaker A:Because as I know him more, it's that which transforms my life.
Speaker A:It's that which conforms me into the image of Jesus, which is the goal that God has for our lives.
Speaker A:In other words, there's still so much to learn.
Speaker A:How many pages of your Bible have yet to be explored?
Speaker A:How many pages of your Bible have no markings in them?
Speaker A:How many pages of your Bible have no highlighter or however you mark your Bible.
Speaker A:How many pages of the Bible have you neglected pointing one finger at you and three back at me?
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Because it's by the word of God that we learn and understand and know Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:We cannot know him unless we know His Word.
Speaker A:Not only is it the knowledge of Christ, but the spiritual experiences.
Speaker A:There were kings and enemies in life yet to be un.
Speaker A:Yet to be conquered.
Speaker A:There are some things in our lives that seem impossible.
Speaker A:Some enemies in our life, some habit or something in our life that seems like we cannot conquer it.
Speaker A:We've talked about this already.
Speaker A:Maybe it is a temper, or maybe it is being hateful or critical.
Speaker A:Or maybe it is a habit that you may have.
Speaker A:And in spite of years of experience with that sin in your life or that sin in my life, we have yet to conquer it.
Speaker A:How are we to move to higher ground?
Speaker A:How are we to move to a higher call?
Speaker A:How are we to have victory over that enemy in our life?
Speaker A:How do we do that?
Speaker A:Number one is receive Him.
Speaker A:Do you know Jesus as your Savior?
Speaker A:You're not going to overcome anything if you don't know Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Speaker A:That's the start.
Speaker A:Do you know Jesus?
Speaker A:Jesus has received.
Speaker A:In just a moment we're going to have an invitation invite you to come.
Speaker A:We'd love to show you from the Bible how you can have your sins forgiven and have a home in heaven.
Speaker A:Then understand that we need to live out our faith.
Speaker A:We need to live out our faith in Him.
Speaker A:I care not today what tomorrow may bring if shadow or sunshine or rain the Lord I know Ruleth o' er everything and all of my worry is what vain Living by faith in Jesus above trusting confiding in his great love.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:Living by faith.
Speaker A:We're not just saved by faith.
Speaker A:We're to live by faith.
Speaker A:We're not just saved by coming to the foot of the cross.
Speaker A:And I'm.
Speaker A:I'm so thankful that God's no respecter of persons and the foot of the cross is level to everyone.
Speaker A:But we're not just to come to the cross for salvation.
Speaker A:We're to come to the cross every day for strength, for comfort, for peace.
Speaker A:A reminder that again that we need Him.
Speaker A:Surrender to Him.
Speaker A:How are we to overcome and conquer these enemies in our life?
Speaker A:We're to surrender to the will of God in our life.
Speaker A:What's God's will for your life?
Speaker A:We're to give him all.
Speaker A:We're to give him all of our talents.
Speaker A:The world shouldn't get our talents.
Speaker A:God should get our talents.
Speaker A:If you can sing, you should be in the choir.
Speaker A:If you can sing, you should be up here singing.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:You're a good administrator.
Speaker A:You should be administrator, not just in your job and for the Lord, too.
Speaker A:I could go on and on and on.
Speaker A:You're a great caregiver.
Speaker A:What a great way to be a minister to others in the church.
Speaker A:And again could go on using our.
Speaker A:Using all of us, giving our life, surrendering all to him.
Speaker A:Our talents, our finances, you say, oh, gonna get off on that.
Speaker A:I'm telling you, God will bless you.
Speaker A:He's promised to.
Speaker A:He'll give.
Speaker A:Give your life to him.
Speaker A:Give your talents to him.
Speaker A:Give your finances to him.
Speaker A:Oh, he doesn't ask for all.
Speaker A:He asks for 10%.
Speaker A:My dad just drilled into us growing up that you can do a whole lot more with the 90% than you can with 100.
Speaker A:And that is true.
Speaker A:And again, we're not TV evangelists around here.
Speaker A:God's not going to give you a thousand for every hundred you give.
Speaker A:But God will bless you, forgive.
Speaker A:Give it all to him.
Speaker A:Give your finances, give your time to him.
Speaker A:Give every part of your life to him.
Speaker A:Have you done that?
Speaker A:Have you given all to him?
Speaker A:And then claim the promises.
Speaker A:Lord, I surrender to you.
Speaker A:I want what you want from my life.
Speaker A:We cannot live as God intended for us to live.
Speaker A:If he hasn't conquered our will, if we are not all his, we're still keeping a few rooms to ourselves.
Speaker A:Lord, you can have this.
Speaker A:You can have the living room.
Speaker A:You can have the kitchen.
Speaker A:You can have this room and that room.
Speaker A:But, Lord, this room.
Speaker A:I've got that door closed and locked and padlocked.
Speaker A:Oh, no, give him all.
Speaker A:By the way, he can do much more with your life than you can.
Speaker A:Surrender every part of him and then surrender to him and expect him to get the victory.
Speaker A:If he says give your all to him, well, he says give your all to him and then he will give you the victory.
Speaker A:Expect victory, understanding that he will give it to you.
Speaker A:And then I want to end with this.
Speaker A:So each tribe was given the allotments.
Speaker A:Here's your land portion.
Speaker A:Here's your land portion.
Speaker A:Here's your allotment each tribe was giving.
Speaker A:And here's your phrase.
Speaker A:We use this phrase.
Speaker A:Here is your allotment in life.
Speaker A:Here is your allotment in life.
Speaker A:Can I tell you, God knows best what's best for your life.
Speaker A:The allotment he's given you.
Speaker A:That is what's best for Your life, his yoke is easy.
Speaker A:His burden's light.
Speaker A:Think about the Fritz this morning.
Speaker A:They may be watching.
Speaker A:Here's a family, wonderful kids, Goes to a country that doesn't have everything that we have.
Speaker A:I sweat for 10 days.
Speaker A:That's why I said I love AC but they don't have it, you know, in certain places, they don't have the things we.
Speaker A:The sacrifices are missionary, man.
Speaker A:But I can tell you this.
Speaker A:His brother Fritz's lot in life, that's what God gave him.
Speaker A:He's way better off being in Cape Verde than he is being in Texas.
Speaker A:His yoke, the yoke that God's given him, that burden that God's given him is way lighter in Cape Verde than it would be in Texas because he would be out of the will of God.
Speaker A:This applies to all of us.
Speaker A:The yoke that God gives us, the lot in life that God gives us is way easier than what you are.
Speaker A:What I want to do, give him all.
Speaker A:Surrender to him.
Speaker A:Expect him to give you victory.
Speaker A:Understand that his allotment in life is the best choice in your life.
Speaker A:And again, I know the person who uses this term.
Speaker A:But your best life is a life lived and surrendered to God's will, wherever that is and wherever that may be found, Are you in the center of God's will?
Speaker A:Choose his lot for your life and not your path.
Speaker A:The spirit Christian this morning.
Speaker A:There's much land to be possessed.
Speaker A:There's still battles that we're going to face.
Speaker A:But if you'll face them, understanding and being dependent upon the Lord, what great victories that you'll experience in this life.
Speaker A:I'm thankful again that God didn't say, I come to give you life.
Speaker A:I've come to give you eternal life, and that's it.
Speaker A:Well, that's a big deal.
Speaker A:I'm thankful for that again because this life's just a vapor compared to eternity.
Speaker A:But he didn't just say that.
Speaker A:He said, I came to give you life.
Speaker A:And to give you life more abundant.
Speaker A:Life was not meant to be endured.
Speaker A:It was meant to be enjoyed.
Speaker A:And every Christian ought to enjoy life.
Speaker A:Are you enjoying life?
Speaker A:And then the second would be, are you fully surrendered to him?
Speaker A:Because that's where the victory stands.
Speaker A:The let's all stand, sing a verse of invitation inviting you to come to the altar.
Speaker A:Maybe you need to come to the altar this morning and pray and just seek the Lord's face as to God's will for your life.
Speaker A:Maybe this morning it's just coming and saying, lord, this habit or this sin in my life.
Speaker A:Lord, forgive me, Lord.
Speaker A:I claim the victory through the cross and through faith that you've given me.
Speaker A:Maybe this morning you're not saved.
Speaker A:Maybe you've never trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Speaker A:We have counselors down here, would love to deal with you and help you, show you from the Bible how you can have eternal life again.
Speaker A:This invitation inviting you to come and pray.
Speaker A:Maybe Christian just want to come pray.
Speaker A:Lay your all on the altar.
Speaker A:Heavenly Father, we thank you for the time we've had.
Speaker A:And we thank you for this example we have.
Speaker A:And Lord, may we choose to walk with you.
Speaker A:May we choose to surrender to you full in order that we might see victory in our own lives.
Speaker A:In Jesus name, amen.
Speaker A:Let's sing together.
Speaker A:I need thee every hour.
Speaker A:Great.
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