1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,520 Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church podcast 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,480 where we are proclaiming the truth to the world. 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,720 My name is Pastor Josh and I want to thank you for listening to 4 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:10,480 this podcast. 5 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:14,640 I hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen 6 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:16,080 you in the word of God. 7 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:20,160 Now come along, let's look into the Bible and see what God has 8 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:21,440 for us here today. 9 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:25,760 Hey, if you have your Bibles, go ahead and open up to Proverbs 10 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:26,400 chapter 4. 11 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,240 We're going to start there this morning, but I want to give 12 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,740 a little bit of a recap about what took place this summer. 13 00:00:33,220 --> 00:00:37,540 Some of you had, were able to be out there with us. 14 00:00:37,540 --> 00:00:42,980 If you were with us this summer for that week long work week. 15 00:00:43,220 --> 00:00:45,980 Would you just put your hand up real quickly just so I, I know 16 00:00:45,980 --> 00:00:46,780 Dan was there. 17 00:00:46,780 --> 00:00:47,460 Yes, sir. 18 00:00:47,940 --> 00:00:48,740 Yes, sir. 19 00:00:49,300 --> 00:00:51,860 I know there's a couple others that they might not be here this 20 00:00:51,860 --> 00:00:52,180 morning. 21 00:00:52,820 --> 00:00:57,700 But I tell you what, I learned very quickly from watching other 22 00:00:57,700 --> 00:01:05,120 people, how much I plan ahead of time, that I over task people 23 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:10,400 and that week became over task for those that came. 24 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:11,040 Thank you. 25 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,719 You probably were like, I cannot wait to go back to Delaware. 26 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:17,560 This Pastor Brad's crazy. 27 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:19,680 He doesn't, doesn't realize what he's doing. 28 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,080 And those, all those things are true. 29 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:24,640 And you were such a blessing. 30 00:01:25,460 --> 00:01:30,060 I, I did not take pictures and, and I, I didn't put those up 31 00:01:30,060 --> 00:01:30,420 yet. 32 00:01:30,900 --> 00:01:34,180 But I would love for you to come and see what took place this 33 00:01:34,180 --> 00:01:34,660 summer. 34 00:01:34,980 --> 00:01:36,580 Some of the things that changed. 35 00:01:37,140 --> 00:01:38,420 We're only an hour away. 36 00:01:39,220 --> 00:01:40,340 We're not really that far. 37 00:01:40,340 --> 00:01:43,140 You guys can come for any time that you want to. 38 00:01:43,140 --> 00:01:44,940 In fact, I'm just going to put this out there. 39 00:01:44,940 --> 00:01:46,820 I'm not sure Pastor Josh is probably. 40 00:01:46,820 --> 00:01:48,220 Going to see this and you're going. 41 00:01:48,220 --> 00:01:49,940 To say, I don't know why you said that. 42 00:01:50,830 --> 00:01:52,950 Next Sunday night we have our chill or. 43 00:01:52,950 --> 00:01:53,830 No, not chili. 44 00:01:53,830 --> 00:01:54,430 What are we doing? 45 00:01:54,430 --> 00:01:55,550 We're doing our friendsgiving. 46 00:01:55,710 --> 00:01:57,390 Next Sunday night we're doing our friendsgiving. 47 00:01:57,630 --> 00:01:59,630 Pastor Josh is one of my close friends. 48 00:01:59,630 --> 00:02:00,230 He's coming out. 49 00:02:00,230 --> 00:02:02,990 He's going to speak for us for our friendsgiving. 50 00:02:03,550 --> 00:02:05,230 Would love for you to come too. 51 00:02:05,870 --> 00:02:06,829 You don't have to. 52 00:02:07,470 --> 00:02:08,790 I don't think he's driving the van. 53 00:02:08,790 --> 00:02:11,790 Or anything like that, but I will give you the address. 54 00:02:11,790 --> 00:02:13,230 We'd love for you to be with us. 55 00:02:13,390 --> 00:02:14,510 You're part of our family. 56 00:02:15,070 --> 00:02:20,060 And we have a beautiful now kind of a renewed lobby and we have 57 00:02:20,060 --> 00:02:23,380 been using that and people are gathering in that area. 58 00:02:23,380 --> 00:02:24,740 That is amazing. 59 00:02:24,900 --> 00:02:25,700 It's incredible. 60 00:02:25,700 --> 00:02:31,740 We went from having probably A like a, almost a 60 square foot square 61 00:02:31,740 --> 00:02:33,020 right next to the bathrooms. 62 00:02:33,020 --> 00:02:35,380 Now we have about 300 plus square. 63 00:02:35,380 --> 00:02:37,060 Feet available for our lobby. 64 00:02:37,620 --> 00:02:40,900 And, and the painting is beautiful. 65 00:02:41,380 --> 00:02:44,380 We had Brother Dan, I think all the way up on the top of like 66 00:02:44,380 --> 00:02:45,620 a 16 foot ladder. 67 00:02:45,620 --> 00:02:50,200 He was cutting in edges and Alicia and Pastor Josh were up there 68 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:50,440 doing. 69 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,320 That and just beautiful work has been done. 70 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:55,800 And so we'd love for you to come out and see some of it. 71 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:57,400 Thank you for being a part of it. 72 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,760 And some of you I also know contributed financially for that 73 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:02,800 and that was such a huge blessing to us. 74 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:04,880 Thank you for being a part of. 75 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:07,080 What God's doing over there in Millville, New Jersey. 76 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:11,560 Really we are kind of in that bottom area that's easily forgotten 77 00:03:12,140 --> 00:03:15,500 and but there's a much that needs to be done there and we're 78 00:03:15,500 --> 00:03:18,860 thankful for the opportunity to be a part of it and we're thankful 79 00:03:18,860 --> 00:03:22,380 that we get to be a part of your family as well here in Middletown. 80 00:03:22,860 --> 00:03:27,660 Pastor Josh and Alicia are some of my best friends. 81 00:03:28,140 --> 00:03:29,580 I don't say that lightly. 82 00:03:30,780 --> 00:03:32,180 Pastor Josh and I have got to. 83 00:03:32,180 --> 00:03:33,740 Spend quite a bit of time together. 84 00:03:34,380 --> 00:03:39,880 We took a trip this last week, last week, last year, down into Florida. 85 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:41,480 Together and I got to meet some. 86 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,680 Of his family and just gotten to enjoy growing with him. 87 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:48,880 And so you have an incredible pastor. 88 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:53,320 You have an incredible man of God. 89 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:56,400 Who loves the word of God, who. 90 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,560 Loves his family, who loves serving Jesus. 91 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:01,120 Christ with all of his life. 92 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:06,180 So I thank you for sharing him with, with me. 93 00:04:06,500 --> 00:04:08,100 So let's take a few minutes. 94 00:04:08,900 --> 00:04:09,580 Let's go ahead. 95 00:04:09,580 --> 00:04:12,180 I know we prayed a couple times, but why don't we do this? 96 00:04:12,500 --> 00:04:14,980 You guys there in Proverbs chapter 4. 97 00:04:15,700 --> 00:04:16,100 Good. 98 00:04:16,740 --> 00:04:21,580 Why don't we pray and ask the Lord to guide our hearts as we jump 99 00:04:21,580 --> 00:04:24,260 into our study this morning. 100 00:04:24,820 --> 00:04:27,780 Heavenly Father, I thank you for the. 101 00:04:27,780 --> 00:04:29,420 Songs that we sang this morning. 102 00:04:29,420 --> 00:04:32,390 I thank you for the men and. 103 00:04:32,390 --> 00:04:33,950 Thinking about the men and the women. 104 00:04:33,950 --> 00:04:37,310 Who have sacrificed so much. 105 00:04:38,110 --> 00:04:41,350 Maybe when they first got into the military they didn't think that 106 00:04:41,350 --> 00:04:41,590 it was. 107 00:04:41,590 --> 00:04:43,510 Going to be much of a sacrifice, but it's going to be a 108 00:04:43,510 --> 00:04:43,790 job. 109 00:04:44,670 --> 00:04:48,550 But Lord, it's taught them so much more and it's given us so much. 110 00:04:48,550 --> 00:04:49,870 More freedom as well as others. 111 00:04:50,350 --> 00:04:54,190 Lord, I thank you for their story, their life, their. 112 00:04:54,590 --> 00:04:59,050 Their desire to be more than what they were. 113 00:04:59,050 --> 00:05:01,490 And Father, I thank you for protecting. 114 00:05:01,490 --> 00:05:04,410 Them through, through the battles to which they have faced. 115 00:05:06,730 --> 00:05:08,370 Lord, I thank you for the opportunity. 116 00:05:08,370 --> 00:05:09,690 That we have to be able to. 117 00:05:10,090 --> 00:05:14,570 Together jump into a passage of scripture. 118 00:05:15,370 --> 00:05:18,330 That sometimes for me is just something. 119 00:05:18,330 --> 00:05:19,370 That I breeze over. 120 00:05:20,090 --> 00:05:24,910 Something that we can learn some deep principles in a quick and 121 00:05:24,910 --> 00:05:25,830 powerful way. 122 00:05:26,950 --> 00:05:28,070 So that we can be. 123 00:05:31,910 --> 00:05:33,990 Faithful followers of Jesus Christ. 124 00:05:36,870 --> 00:05:40,190 We don't want to just come to church on a Sunday to check things 125 00:05:40,190 --> 00:05:40,549 off. 126 00:05:41,590 --> 00:05:44,270 We don't want to just say we've done church, so now we can 127 00:05:44,270 --> 00:05:45,110 do something different. 128 00:05:46,550 --> 00:05:52,280 Lord, we want to grow in our relationship with you because you 129 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:55,720 have given everything for us to have relationship. 130 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:58,960 So, Father, we ask that you would. 131 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,160 Bless Pastor Josh and the family today. 132 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:05,320 We ask that you would protect them as they are away from their 133 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:11,240 family here, Lord, that you would encourage them and give them 134 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:14,000 some refreshment in their. 135 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:15,640 Life that I know that they need. 136 00:06:16,250 --> 00:06:17,850 Father, I ask that you would allow. 137 00:06:19,050 --> 00:06:23,090 My church backing New Jersey this morning to be encouraged as 138 00:06:23,090 --> 00:06:23,370 well. 139 00:06:23,850 --> 00:06:28,850 And Lord, that we would, as one unified body, worship you as 140 00:06:28,850 --> 00:06:32,090 you, for you are worthy of it all. 141 00:06:33,450 --> 00:06:35,370 In your precious son's name, Jesus Christ. 142 00:06:36,010 --> 00:06:36,570 Amen. 143 00:06:37,690 --> 00:06:39,850 All right, so you're there in Proverbs, chapter 4. 144 00:06:40,090 --> 00:06:41,130 I am as well. 145 00:06:41,620 --> 00:06:44,460 And we're going to jump straight in here in verse number 146 00:06:44,460 --> 00:06:44,820 20. 147 00:06:45,300 --> 00:06:48,340 And obviously the book of Proverbs is written from a father 148 00:06:48,340 --> 00:06:52,980 to a son, but for a very specific reason, right? 149 00:06:54,260 --> 00:06:58,340 Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, looked at his son and 150 00:06:58,340 --> 00:07:04,820 said, you know, and if you learn anything about Solomon's son, 151 00:07:04,820 --> 00:07:08,920 the very first thing he does as a king, you would probably think, 152 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:11,320 did he not read what his dad said? 153 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:15,600 You know, did he not take time to learn some principles to which 154 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,000 his father taught? 155 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:22,560 And so this morning we're going to see this and probably verses 156 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:23,640 that you've read before. 157 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:25,120 But look here with me at verse. 158 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:26,280 Number 20 of chapter four. 159 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:33,160 My son, attend to my words, incline thine ear to my sayings. 160 00:07:33,780 --> 00:07:36,420 Let them not depart from thine eyes. 161 00:07:36,820 --> 00:07:42,100 Keep them in the midst of thine heart, for they are life unto 162 00:07:42,100 --> 00:07:45,780 those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 163 00:07:45,780 --> 00:07:49,300 I mean, right from the very get go of reading these couple verses, 164 00:07:49,780 --> 00:07:51,460 we think, wow, this is important. 165 00:07:52,740 --> 00:07:53,620 This is important. 166 00:07:53,780 --> 00:07:56,260 The way that he's writing this, it means that it's important. 167 00:07:57,140 --> 00:07:58,260 Look at verse 23. 168 00:07:59,550 --> 00:08:03,350 Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the 169 00:08:03,350 --> 00:08:04,150 issues of life. 170 00:08:04,150 --> 00:08:09,950 Put away from thee a froward mouth and a perverse lips put far 171 00:08:10,030 --> 00:08:10,830 from thee. 172 00:08:11,310 --> 00:08:16,110 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight 173 00:08:16,110 --> 00:08:16,910 before thee. 174 00:08:17,150 --> 00:08:22,270 Ponder the paths of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 175 00:08:22,590 --> 00:08:25,920 Turn not to the right hand, turn or to the left. 176 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:32,600 Remove thy foot from evil how many of us this morning would be 177 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:38,560 willing to say that they have had an issue in their past with alignment? 178 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:40,160 Alignment. 179 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:40,760 Okay. 180 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:41,600 A couple people. 181 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:46,360 All right, so one area that we can be out of alignment would be 182 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:47,200 in a vehicle. 183 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:47,680 Right. 184 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,360 If your wheels are out of alignment or they're out of balance, 185 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:54,600 you know, you're driving down the highway and everything is starting 186 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:55,120 to shake. 187 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:58,920 You're like, oh, boy, I got to get my vehicle into the shop so that 188 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:00,480 it can be realigned. 189 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:01,120 Right. 190 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:05,600 Or how about your body alignment? 191 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:13,200 You know, maybe you woke up this morning like, oh, you know, 192 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:15,000 what are you talking about, Pastor Brad? 193 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:16,560 Like, that's every single morning. 194 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,520 Like, I'm always alignment. 195 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:21,680 Where's the chiropractor? 196 00:09:21,680 --> 00:09:25,660 And Pastor Josh and I have joked with each other back and forth 197 00:09:25,660 --> 00:09:29,020 because, you know, maybe he'll hurt his back or something like that, 198 00:09:29,020 --> 00:09:31,900 or he was climbing a tree stand not too long ago, and. 199 00:09:32,380 --> 00:09:32,860 And he. 200 00:09:32,860 --> 00:09:35,540 He said he pulled a muscle, and I. I teased him about it. 201 00:09:35,540 --> 00:09:37,820 And about a week later, guess what I did? 202 00:09:38,300 --> 00:09:42,460 I hurt my back, and I was out of alignment. 203 00:09:43,820 --> 00:09:47,980 You see, being out of alignment happens before even the 204 00:09:47,980 --> 00:09:48,940 pain sets in. 205 00:09:49,510 --> 00:09:53,270 Pain is often the signal that something's not right. 206 00:09:53,830 --> 00:09:54,190 Right. 207 00:09:54,190 --> 00:09:54,750 You know, the. 208 00:09:54,750 --> 00:09:56,590 The swelling, the pain, the. 209 00:09:56,590 --> 00:10:00,430 The ice pack and whatever else that we try to do in order to try 210 00:10:00,430 --> 00:10:03,750 to heal from being out of alignment. 211 00:10:04,310 --> 00:10:05,190 Let me ask you this. 212 00:10:05,190 --> 00:10:07,830 What about spiritual alignment? 213 00:10:09,510 --> 00:10:13,430 See, spiritual alignment happens as we walk. 214 00:10:13,670 --> 00:10:16,710 In unity with the Holy Spirit. 215 00:10:18,550 --> 00:10:19,750 Not emotionalism. 216 00:10:20,310 --> 00:10:23,510 Not coming to church and say, ah, I feel so good about that service. 217 00:10:23,750 --> 00:10:25,270 That's not spiritual alignment. 218 00:10:25,590 --> 00:10:26,790 That's emotionalism. 219 00:10:28,230 --> 00:10:29,430 Oh, you know what? 220 00:10:30,470 --> 00:10:34,510 I got this problem, and I don't know really how to fix it. 221 00:10:34,510 --> 00:10:36,270 That means you're out of alignment, and. 222 00:10:36,270 --> 00:10:37,270 We need to fix that. 223 00:10:38,630 --> 00:10:41,270 Now, we are here at church this morning. 224 00:10:41,270 --> 00:10:44,150 Most of us want to have spiritual alignment in our life, 225 00:10:44,870 --> 00:10:48,670 but spiritual alignment is something that we do not automatically 226 00:10:48,670 --> 00:10:52,230 gravitate towards, but we can apply some. 227 00:10:52,230 --> 00:10:55,670 Disciplines that can keep us from being out of alignment. 228 00:10:56,230 --> 00:11:03,190 Now, I cannot celebrate with veterans because I'm not a veteran, 229 00:11:03,270 --> 00:11:07,430 but I do know a couple things that I have learned from some veterans 230 00:11:07,830 --> 00:11:12,580 in my life is that one of the key things that you learn is being 231 00:11:12,580 --> 00:11:15,420 in the military is disciplines. 232 00:11:16,780 --> 00:11:18,140 You are disciplined. 233 00:11:18,700 --> 00:11:22,860 If you don't learn the disciplines, you get more discipline. 234 00:11:23,420 --> 00:11:23,820 Right. 235 00:11:23,980 --> 00:11:28,940 And so disciplines are a natural thing of life, and they're 236 00:11:28,940 --> 00:11:34,220 also very helpful for us when it comes to being spiritually aligned. 237 00:11:34,300 --> 00:11:38,300 So this morning, every one of us need to apply healthy disciplines 238 00:11:38,860 --> 00:11:42,420 that help keep us from being out of spiritual alignment. 239 00:11:42,420 --> 00:11:45,260 I'm going to show you four very quickly. 240 00:11:45,740 --> 00:11:49,620 In verses 20 through 22, we see the very first discipline. 241 00:11:49,620 --> 00:11:51,020 Discipline number one is this. 242 00:11:51,660 --> 00:11:55,580 Listen to the word of God. 243 00:11:56,300 --> 00:11:58,460 Listen to the word of God. 244 00:11:58,620 --> 00:12:01,540 He says here, to incline your ear. 245 00:12:01,540 --> 00:12:03,220 Now, someone showed me this. 246 00:12:03,220 --> 00:12:06,460 I was probably just a young man, and it never left me. 247 00:12:06,940 --> 00:12:10,580 To incline your ear means that you take your hand, you make it look 248 00:12:10,580 --> 00:12:14,340 like a C, and you put it behind your ear and you make your 249 00:12:14,340 --> 00:12:17,820 ear a little bit bigger so that you can hear more stuff. 250 00:12:17,820 --> 00:12:18,780 You guys know that, right? 251 00:12:19,260 --> 00:12:20,460 You guys are so smart. 252 00:12:20,460 --> 00:12:22,499 I tell you what, I'm not kidding. 253 00:12:22,499 --> 00:12:24,300 Like, I didn't know that at one point. 254 00:12:24,300 --> 00:12:28,180 And I'm glad that I do know that now, because sometimes as I'm 255 00:12:28,180 --> 00:12:32,710 talking to my kids, I say to them, hey, listen, you know what 256 00:12:32,710 --> 00:12:33,510 I'm trying to tell them? 257 00:12:33,510 --> 00:12:35,910 In that moment, incline your ear. 258 00:12:36,550 --> 00:12:40,390 I want you to hear everything that I'm saying. 259 00:12:40,550 --> 00:12:44,190 He's saying here in this moment, that when it comes to the 260 00:12:44,190 --> 00:12:45,030 word of. 261 00:12:45,110 --> 00:12:47,510 God, incline your ear. 262 00:12:48,710 --> 00:12:50,150 Listen up. 263 00:12:51,110 --> 00:12:55,390 Now, what's really powerful about this very thought is that there 264 00:12:55,390 --> 00:12:56,230 is a psalm. 265 00:12:57,510 --> 00:12:58,630 The psalmist starts off. 266 00:12:58,630 --> 00:13:00,950 He says, I love the Lord because. 267 00:13:02,150 --> 00:13:02,750 Beautiful psalm. 268 00:13:02,750 --> 00:13:03,750 You should read it sometime. 269 00:13:04,070 --> 00:13:05,750 I believe it's Psalm 113. 270 00:13:05,910 --> 00:13:07,190 I'm probably wrong. 271 00:13:07,270 --> 00:13:08,230 Maybe 116. 272 00:13:08,230 --> 00:13:10,790 It's right there in those before 119. 273 00:13:12,470 --> 00:13:14,470 It says, I love the Lord because. 274 00:13:15,910 --> 00:13:18,790 He inclines his ear. 275 00:13:20,230 --> 00:13:23,350 See, when God's asking us to incline. 276 00:13:23,430 --> 00:13:26,950 Our ear to him, to listen up to him, it's because he's already 277 00:13:27,030 --> 00:13:28,060 doing it for us. 278 00:13:29,740 --> 00:13:30,900 He's already doing it for us. 279 00:13:30,900 --> 00:13:33,420 He wants us to hear him because he hears us. 280 00:13:33,420 --> 00:13:35,660 He knows, well, we're already out of alignment. 281 00:13:35,900 --> 00:13:37,740 He knows our deepest need. 282 00:13:37,740 --> 00:13:41,500 He knows what's going on in our life, spiritually, physically, 283 00:13:41,820 --> 00:13:42,780 emotionally. 284 00:13:43,100 --> 00:13:44,460 Everything he knows. 285 00:13:44,540 --> 00:13:45,660 He says, listen up. 286 00:13:45,660 --> 00:13:47,580 I got the answer for you. 287 00:13:48,140 --> 00:13:50,540 Incline your ear to me. 288 00:13:51,500 --> 00:13:55,180 See, there is a listening and attempting to hear every word. 289 00:13:55,760 --> 00:14:01,520 Or as my wife likes to put it, are you hearing me or are you listening 290 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:02,080 to me? 291 00:14:03,680 --> 00:14:05,000 Gentlemen, you know the answer. 292 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:06,720 There is a difference, right? 293 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:10,240 Then he goes on, this is interesting because we're going to 294 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:13,320 see there's a difference in this part of the passage to another 295 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:14,160 part of the passage. 296 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:15,120 The word keep. 297 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:15,440 Here. 298 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:18,080 He says to listen and to keep. 299 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:19,920 To keep. 300 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:21,480 This is to be the. 301 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:25,980 To the hearer is meant to be the hearer and the doer of the word. 302 00:14:25,980 --> 00:14:31,260 Even as Pastor James says there in the book of James, to keep 303 00:14:31,580 --> 00:14:31,860 means. 304 00:14:31,860 --> 00:14:36,100 That you listen and Do I wrote. 305 00:14:36,100 --> 00:14:38,380 This down in my notes this morning. 306 00:14:38,620 --> 00:14:40,620 I just want you to think about this for a minute. 307 00:14:40,620 --> 00:14:42,300 We sang some songs about this. 308 00:14:43,260 --> 00:14:46,540 The reasons to not reading and obeying. 309 00:14:46,540 --> 00:14:48,780 The word of God that we have in our life. 310 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:50,760 I'm too tired this morning, Pastor Brad. 311 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:53,000 Or I'm going to church this Sunday morning. 312 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:57,160 I don't need to really spend time reading my Bible or I just don't. 313 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:02,160 Quite understand every word that I'm reading or I just don't 314 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:04,280 know where to start reading. 315 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:07,400 There's a whole book by the way out there called how to read 316 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:08,040 your Bible. 317 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:09,080 Really good book. 318 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:12,440 The reasons that we have to not. 319 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:19,090 Reading God's word are never good enough when it comes to the 320 00:15:19,090 --> 00:15:24,130 reason where Christ sacrificed everything for us. 321 00:15:25,490 --> 00:15:27,290 If we put those two up together. 322 00:15:27,290 --> 00:15:30,369 Okay, the reason I'm not reading my Bible and we put up the 323 00:15:30,369 --> 00:15:32,450 reasons of why he died for us. 324 00:15:33,970 --> 00:15:34,930 They don't compare. 325 00:15:35,730 --> 00:15:37,330 See, this is where discipline comes in. 326 00:15:37,490 --> 00:15:40,850 Disciplines is when we begin to realize the reasons why we do 327 00:15:40,850 --> 00:15:41,490 certain things. 328 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:43,840 It's not just that we do it. 329 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:45,920 Make your bed, brush your teeth, do these things. 330 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:48,640 It's the reasons why I do these things is cause it's healthy 331 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:49,040 for me. 332 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:52,960 The reasons why I get up and do this or the reasons why I spend 333 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:54,720 time doing this is because it's good for me. 334 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:58,960 Hey, listen, reading your Bible is really good for you. 335 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,760 Reading and knowing our Word is really. 336 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:05,960 Good for us sometimes. 337 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:08,800 The biggest reasons that we have, the issues that we have in 338 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:09,120 our life. 339 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:12,530 The out of alignments that we have in our life, biggest reason 340 00:16:12,530 --> 00:16:17,970 we have, conflict in our homes, because the word of God is 341 00:16:17,970 --> 00:16:18,770 not wearing. 342 00:16:21,170 --> 00:16:22,610 So what does this mean for me? 343 00:16:23,730 --> 00:16:28,290 Clearly, when God's word is not in our life, we will follow our 344 00:16:28,290 --> 00:16:28,610 own. 345 00:16:28,610 --> 00:16:34,050 Way, which leads us to being spiritually not in a healthy place. 346 00:16:35,330 --> 00:16:37,370 Think about just a couple passages of Scripture. 347 00:16:37,370 --> 00:16:38,290 Psalm 119. 348 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:40,120 These two jump out to me. 349 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:45,240 How shall a young man cleanse his way by giving heed or listening 350 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:45,760 to. 351 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:46,600 The Word of God? 352 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:49,040 He goes on a little bit later. 353 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:50,360 In that passage, he says this. 354 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:57,720 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. 355 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:00,560 I don't know if you know this or not, but if you read through Psalm 356 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:06,000 119, every single one of those verses, I think it's over 160 verses 357 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:07,160 there in Psalm 119. 358 00:17:07,690 --> 00:17:09,050 You have to fact check me later. 359 00:17:09,930 --> 00:17:16,370 Every single one of those verses has an understanding of the 360 00:17:16,370 --> 00:17:17,370 Word of God. 361 00:17:17,370 --> 00:17:20,850 Every single one of them is about the importance of the Word 362 00:17:20,850 --> 00:17:21,290 of God. 363 00:17:21,290 --> 00:17:22,810 That's what Psalm 119 is all about. 364 00:17:23,530 --> 00:17:27,290 It goes through the Hebrew Alphabet of the importance of the 365 00:17:27,290 --> 00:17:28,010 word of God. 366 00:17:28,010 --> 00:17:28,890 It's powerful. 367 00:17:29,210 --> 00:17:29,610 Why? 368 00:17:29,930 --> 00:17:31,530 Because the word of God is the. 369 00:17:31,530 --> 00:17:35,060 Most important discipline that any person can put into their life. 370 00:17:36,420 --> 00:17:37,460 Discipline number two. 371 00:17:38,020 --> 00:17:39,540 Told you it's gonna be quick and sweet. 372 00:17:39,620 --> 00:17:40,740 Look at verse 23. 373 00:17:41,540 --> 00:17:42,260 He goes on. 374 00:17:42,260 --> 00:17:45,620 And we need to understand the second discipline is to protect your 375 00:17:46,180 --> 00:17:46,820 passages. 376 00:17:47,940 --> 00:17:52,580 Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the 377 00:17:52,980 --> 00:17:54,820 issues of life. 378 00:17:55,380 --> 00:18:00,380 Now this word to keep is different than the other word to 379 00:18:00,380 --> 00:18:01,700 keep because of the context. 380 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:04,720 This keep means protection. 381 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:07,680 The other keep meant do. 382 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:10,160 This keep means protection. 383 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,440 I don't know if any, any of you are Lord of the Rings fans, but 384 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:18,920 you have King Theoden and the two towers, and all of a sudden they're 385 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:22,880 being invaded and the, the, the, the, the place that they are 386 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:29,040 being held up there is being overrun by these monstrous orcs. 387 00:18:29,510 --> 00:18:33,430 And King Theoden yells out in a, in a champion voice, to the keep. 388 00:18:33,910 --> 00:18:34,710 To the keep. 389 00:18:35,030 --> 00:18:36,550 And they all run in and they, they. 390 00:18:36,550 --> 00:18:39,190 They protect themselves behind the doors. 391 00:18:39,430 --> 00:18:42,790 The idea here is this, is that there's an attack that's coming. 392 00:18:43,590 --> 00:18:44,030 There's. 393 00:18:44,030 --> 00:18:46,310 There's an army that is overrunning us. 394 00:18:46,710 --> 00:18:51,030 And so because of these things, these battles that we face, 395 00:18:51,350 --> 00:18:54,790 we need to protect our hearts. 396 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:58,040 We need to protect our passions. 397 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,360 He says the word heart here, which is connected back to verse 398 00:19:02,360 --> 00:19:02,920 21. 399 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:05,240 He says, Let them not depart. 400 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:07,640 Talk about the word of God from thine eyes. 401 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:10,720 Keep them in the midst of thy heart. 402 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:12,360 This is the thing that we're protecting here. 403 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:13,640 I wrote down. 404 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:20,000 Your passions will be guided by what or who you listen to. 405 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:21,320 This is something we had to protect. 406 00:19:21,970 --> 00:19:23,490 We've got to protect our heart. 407 00:19:24,770 --> 00:19:30,930 Negativity in our life will always cause us to be negative. 408 00:19:32,210 --> 00:19:33,010 Just happens. 409 00:19:33,570 --> 00:19:38,610 Fear in our life will always cause us to be fearful. 410 00:19:39,490 --> 00:19:42,050 Well, Pastor Brad, I'm just a positive guy. 411 00:19:43,330 --> 00:19:46,530 I'm just a. I'm never afraid of anything. 412 00:19:47,100 --> 00:19:50,860 I tell you, take those kinds of people and you infiltrate their 413 00:19:50,860 --> 00:19:55,460 heart with fear and negativity, you're going to turn 414 00:19:55,460 --> 00:19:58,540 out fearful and negative. 415 00:19:59,740 --> 00:20:02,900 Throughout Proverbs, the reference to protecting our hearts 416 00:20:02,900 --> 00:20:07,900 and writing God's word on our hearts is repeated so many times 417 00:20:08,300 --> 00:20:12,520 that it is obvious that he isn't just talking about the organization 418 00:20:12,830 --> 00:20:17,150 in our body, but the decision maker of our life. 419 00:20:17,630 --> 00:20:23,150 Hey, what is influencing your decision maker in your life? 420 00:20:26,510 --> 00:20:28,030 What's influencing that? 421 00:20:29,870 --> 00:20:32,310 Jeremiah references this place. 422 00:20:32,310 --> 00:20:36,590 He says the heart is deceitful, desperately wicked. 423 00:20:37,070 --> 00:20:38,620 Who can know it so well? 424 00:20:38,620 --> 00:20:41,220 Pastor Brad, My decision Maker, it's fine. 425 00:20:41,460 --> 00:20:42,980 I don't need to worry about it. 426 00:20:43,220 --> 00:20:43,940 I'm good. 427 00:20:45,220 --> 00:20:46,100 There's none good. 428 00:20:46,740 --> 00:20:47,540 No, not one. 429 00:20:47,540 --> 00:20:51,500 See, that decision maker that's in your life will always lead 430 00:20:51,500 --> 00:20:55,380 us astray when we do not have the right influence in our life. 431 00:20:55,620 --> 00:21:00,740 Protecting the most powerful decision maker of our life. 432 00:21:02,500 --> 00:21:05,380 See, things that are important to us, we protect. 433 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:08,760 If your family's important to you, guess what you're going to do. 434 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:09,720 You're going to protect your home. 435 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,960 If your time is important to you, guess what? 436 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:17,400 You're going to live by your schedule, right? 437 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:20,680 I'm sorry, I don't have time for this right now. 438 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:24,040 If your money is important to you, guess what you're going to live 439 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:24,360 by. 440 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:26,920 Your bank account, right? 441 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:29,320 We protect the things that are important to us. 442 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:36,530 And what Solomon was saying to his son is, hey, listen, protect 443 00:21:36,770 --> 00:21:37,490 your heart. 444 00:21:38,210 --> 00:21:42,250 The thing that is often misguided by your passionate living. 445 00:21:42,250 --> 00:21:44,690 And whatever you want to do, protect. 446 00:21:44,690 --> 00:21:50,090 That place and protect it by the word of God, put it where it 447 00:21:50,090 --> 00:21:51,090 is meant to be. 448 00:21:52,850 --> 00:21:55,490 See, trusting our heart isn't the answer. 449 00:21:56,050 --> 00:21:58,050 Making a place of protection is. 450 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:01,720 It means that we recognize as followers of Christ, the one thing 451 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:06,120 that we allow to be affected as much as we do needs to be protected 452 00:22:06,120 --> 00:22:07,160 more than we do. 453 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:10,880 We let our hearts get affected by Hallmark movies. 454 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:12,360 Folks, it's almost Christmas time. 455 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:15,760 You know, one of the beautiful things that I love about where we 456 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:18,680 live is that there's Christmas tree farms everywhere. 457 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:19,640 Around where we live. 458 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:24,040 The very first time driving to the church, I was like, it's like 459 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:25,850 a Walmart movie. 460 00:22:30,090 --> 00:22:32,130 It has not always been like a Hallmark movie. 461 00:22:32,130 --> 00:22:32,570 Okay? 462 00:22:33,690 --> 00:22:34,530 There's been some. 463 00:22:34,530 --> 00:22:35,930 There's been some real difficulties. 464 00:22:35,930 --> 00:22:36,810 But I will say this. 465 00:22:36,970 --> 00:22:38,410 We watch a Hallmark movie. 466 00:22:40,810 --> 00:22:41,850 I need to have. 467 00:22:41,930 --> 00:22:44,330 I need to open my house to 10 puppies. 468 00:22:46,570 --> 00:22:48,650 We watch a Hallmark movie or whatever. 469 00:22:48,650 --> 00:22:50,170 Like, I need to do this. 470 00:22:50,330 --> 00:22:50,650 Why? 471 00:22:50,650 --> 00:22:54,890 Because where we're guided by things that we're passionate about, 472 00:22:54,890 --> 00:22:56,090 we get excited about. 473 00:22:56,570 --> 00:22:56,970 Right? 474 00:22:57,050 --> 00:23:00,130 You can't help but walk into Cabela's and think that you're a 475 00:23:00,130 --> 00:23:01,050 professional hunter. 476 00:23:01,850 --> 00:23:02,730 I don't know about you. 477 00:23:02,730 --> 00:23:03,770 That's how I do it. 478 00:23:03,930 --> 00:23:05,090 You know, I want. 479 00:23:05,090 --> 00:23:06,170 All right, I'm ready. 480 00:23:06,170 --> 00:23:07,490 You know, I'm armed to go. 481 00:23:07,490 --> 00:23:08,170 You know why? 482 00:23:08,170 --> 00:23:10,730 Because of the passions of our hearts. 483 00:23:12,010 --> 00:23:14,250 Hey, do we do the same thing with the word of God? 484 00:23:22,180 --> 00:23:23,540 See, we should discipline ourselves. 485 00:23:23,780 --> 00:23:24,980 As Paul said it. 486 00:23:25,700 --> 00:23:26,820 Romans, chapter 13. 487 00:23:27,300 --> 00:23:31,860 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for 488 00:23:31,860 --> 00:23:33,940 the flesh to fulfill the lust. 489 00:23:34,980 --> 00:23:35,500 This is. 490 00:23:35,500 --> 00:23:36,020 Protect. 491 00:23:38,340 --> 00:23:41,780 Protect it with the armor of the. 492 00:23:44,190 --> 00:23:44,910 Number three clear. 493 00:23:44,910 --> 00:23:45,550 Discipline. 494 00:23:46,590 --> 00:23:47,470 This may not. 495 00:23:48,190 --> 00:23:48,590 This. 496 00:23:48,590 --> 00:23:49,950 This is exciting to me. 497 00:23:50,270 --> 00:23:52,790 I'm not going to give it to you in an exciting way until the 498 00:23:52,790 --> 00:23:53,310 very end. 499 00:23:53,790 --> 00:23:56,910 Discipline number three, remove perversions. 500 00:23:57,150 --> 00:23:58,190 Look at verse 24. 501 00:23:58,830 --> 00:23:59,710 He says this. 502 00:23:59,790 --> 00:24:05,070 Put away from the a forward mouth and perverse lips put far from 503 00:24:05,070 --> 00:24:05,630 thee. 504 00:24:06,030 --> 00:24:10,270 Now he's not just talking about himself like you don't do this. 505 00:24:10,510 --> 00:24:14,670 He's saying individuals that are like this, remove from your life 506 00:24:15,230 --> 00:24:16,510 the froward mouth. 507 00:24:16,910 --> 00:24:20,110 This is a word that we don't typically use today, but it means 508 00:24:20,110 --> 00:24:22,350 proud or arrogance. 509 00:24:23,070 --> 00:24:24,270 Perverse lips. 510 00:24:24,590 --> 00:24:26,190 This means lies. 511 00:24:26,910 --> 00:24:28,030 Proverbs, chapter six. 512 00:24:28,030 --> 00:24:31,470 A couple chapters later, Solomon repeats the idea here. 513 00:24:31,470 --> 00:24:34,430 He says, these six things does the Lord hate? 514 00:24:34,430 --> 00:24:36,190 Ye seven are an abomination to him. 515 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:41,080 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. 516 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:46,200 And a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations. 517 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:48,440 Feet that be swift in running to mischief. 518 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:51,080 A false witness that speaketh lies. 519 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:56,440 And he that soweth discord among the brethren, like these are 520 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,400 things to which God says, I don't even want around me. 521 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:01,160 I hate these things. 522 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:02,120 David. 523 00:25:02,120 --> 00:25:06,470 So the father of Solomon had this to say about this thought. 524 00:25:06,470 --> 00:25:10,790 He said, whosoever secretly slanders his neighbor lies about 525 00:25:10,790 --> 00:25:11,430 his neighbor. 526 00:25:11,430 --> 00:25:19,830 Him will I destroy the one who has a haughty look and a proud heart. 527 00:25:20,230 --> 00:25:22,550 Him will I not endure. 528 00:25:23,350 --> 00:25:25,990 See, the image that it's given here is this. 529 00:25:25,990 --> 00:25:28,350 Hey, do you have someone that's around your life who lies 530 00:25:28,350 --> 00:25:29,590 a lot about other people? 531 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:32,680 Do you get rid of them? 532 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:34,120 Get them out of your life. 533 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:36,960 Hey, do you have someone around your life who all they do 534 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:40,240 is talk about themselves and talk about their greatness and their 535 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:40,760 glory. 536 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:41,800 You do. 537 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:43,880 Come on, get rid of them. 538 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:48,280 They are not the things that bring goodness to your life. 539 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:51,760 They are not the things that bring goodness to the passions of 540 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:52,200 your life. 541 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:55,240 In fact, they're going to cripple you. 542 00:26:00,070 --> 00:26:03,590 How about this old adage, I don't know, Maybe my mom or my grandparents 543 00:26:03,590 --> 00:26:04,390 said this to me. 544 00:26:04,870 --> 00:26:07,990 What you put in comes out. 545 00:26:09,910 --> 00:26:14,470 See again, you can't have negativity in your life and think. 546 00:26:14,470 --> 00:26:15,830 You're always going to be positive. 547 00:26:17,750 --> 00:26:20,870 You can't hear all the bad things that happen in our world every 548 00:26:20,870 --> 00:26:24,480 single day of the week and come to church and expect to bring 549 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:26,800 glory to God in your heart and through your heart. 550 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:29,200 Because all we're thinking about is the end of the days. 551 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:34,000 Now, I'm thankful for the fact that the end of days is not the end 552 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:34,880 of our king. 553 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:36,240 We know that. 554 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:40,320 We know that Jesus is still King, no matter what, we know that 555 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:44,640 we have a future beyond what takes place in our local government, 556 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:45,440 our. 557 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:45,920 Our. 558 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:46,200 Our. 559 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:46,480 Our. 560 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:46,760 Our. 561 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:49,820 Our country government and in the world government. 562 00:26:49,820 --> 00:26:52,220 We know that the King is above all. 563 00:26:52,220 --> 00:26:53,260 We're thankful for that. 564 00:26:53,340 --> 00:26:58,020 But there are so many times that we live so negatively as Christians. 565 00:26:58,020 --> 00:26:59,660 Oh, it's doom and gloom. 566 00:27:00,220 --> 00:27:02,140 I don't know what God's going to do. 567 00:27:02,140 --> 00:27:03,580 I know what God's going to do. 568 00:27:04,139 --> 00:27:05,020 He wins. 569 00:27:07,340 --> 00:27:08,380 He wins. 570 00:27:08,780 --> 00:27:11,340 And if he wins, then guess what he does now? 571 00:27:11,980 --> 00:27:13,020 He wins. 572 00:27:13,910 --> 00:27:16,230 Oh, well, brother, it's just so bad out there. 573 00:27:16,230 --> 00:27:17,830 Gas prices keep going up. 574 00:27:18,390 --> 00:27:19,430 My taxes. 575 00:27:24,150 --> 00:27:27,110 You know where Paul was when he wrote the book of Philippi? 576 00:27:27,110 --> 00:27:28,150 The book about joy. 577 00:27:28,310 --> 00:27:29,509 Count it all joy. 578 00:27:29,509 --> 00:27:31,710 When you fall into diverse sufferings. 579 00:27:31,710 --> 00:27:34,550 You know where he was locked up? 580 00:27:36,470 --> 00:27:42,640 Do you know where he was when he sang songs with Silas through 581 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:43,120 the night? 582 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,840 He was in the Philippian jail cell. 583 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,160 He was beaten and bruised. 584 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:56,880 And he's singing, you know, amazing grace. 585 00:27:59,120 --> 00:28:02,640 He's singing how sweet is the name of Jesus. 586 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:06,080 He's singing the song that we sang this morning. 587 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:08,440 You know, he's so great, and I'm not. 588 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:16,680 If he allowed all that negativity in his life, you know 589 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:17,640 what Paul would have done? 590 00:28:18,360 --> 00:28:21,240 Well, Brother Silas, I don't know. 591 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:23,320 I don't know. 592 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:26,360 This might be the end of our life, you know? 593 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,480 No, he's like, hey, let's sing about. 594 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:31,320 What Christ has done in our life. 595 00:28:32,690 --> 00:28:34,130 Because I believe he's going to use. 596 00:28:34,130 --> 00:28:35,890 This for something greater. 597 00:28:36,850 --> 00:28:38,450 See, the reason. 598 00:28:38,770 --> 00:28:42,610 The reason is because right back to this point. 599 00:28:43,170 --> 00:28:45,250 Remove perversion. 600 00:28:46,370 --> 00:28:47,530 There's a lot of things that can. 601 00:28:47,530 --> 00:28:48,610 Be perversions in our life. 602 00:28:48,610 --> 00:28:52,370 He just deals with things that are lies and things that are boastful. 603 00:28:52,530 --> 00:28:53,810 He sums it up right there. 604 00:28:54,290 --> 00:28:57,570 Remove individuals in your life who are going to lie to you. 605 00:28:57,930 --> 00:28:59,210 They're not going to speak truth to you. 606 00:28:59,210 --> 00:29:00,650 Hey, how do I look today? 607 00:29:04,410 --> 00:29:05,210 You look great. 608 00:29:06,490 --> 00:29:10,090 You know, I don't know how he did it exactly, but. 609 00:29:10,090 --> 00:29:10,490 Hey. 610 00:29:10,730 --> 00:29:13,610 Hey, what do you think about this law that we're about to pass? 611 00:29:14,250 --> 00:29:16,490 Oh, King, you should live forever. 612 00:29:16,490 --> 00:29:17,610 Whatever you want to do. 613 00:29:19,210 --> 00:29:20,450 Hey, what do you think about this? 614 00:29:20,450 --> 00:29:21,050 You know what? 615 00:29:21,130 --> 00:29:23,210 I don't think this lines up with God's word. 616 00:29:23,550 --> 00:29:25,550 Thank you for speaking truth. 617 00:29:25,630 --> 00:29:27,550 Hey, where do we learn that truth in the first place? 618 00:29:27,710 --> 00:29:29,070 From discipline number one. 619 00:29:29,550 --> 00:29:31,790 Listen to the word of God. 620 00:29:32,990 --> 00:29:33,950 Get into it. 621 00:29:34,270 --> 00:29:35,710 Know it intimately. 622 00:29:36,990 --> 00:29:39,390 Number four, and we'll be done. 623 00:29:41,310 --> 00:29:42,590 Discipline number four. 624 00:29:42,750 --> 00:29:45,550 Look and think forward. 625 00:29:46,110 --> 00:29:47,870 Look at verse 25 through 27. 626 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:54,720 He says, Let thine eyes look right on and Let thine eyelids look 627 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:55,680 straight before thee. 628 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:57,480 And now I'm gonna read the other. 629 00:29:57,480 --> 00:29:58,680 Verses here in a minute. 630 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:01,960 But these thoughts that are here are amazing. 631 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:03,080 They're powerful. 632 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:06,720 And I hope and I pray that they leave you encouraged like they've 633 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:07,160 left me. 634 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:09,200 As I've been studying through this disciplines. 635 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:11,080 I'm trying to establish in my own life. 636 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:12,200 Eyes. 637 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:13,640 We know what eyes are, right? 638 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:14,960 Your eyes are open. 639 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:15,800 You're looking forward. 640 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:16,280 Great. 641 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:18,240 Imagine with me for a minute. 642 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:19,840 It's a early morning. 643 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:21,360 You're driving to work. 644 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:23,840 And I drive a school bus every single morning. 645 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:29,400 And I'm driving usually down Route 55 sometime around 7 o' clock 646 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:31,040 in the morning with a bunch full of kids. 647 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:37,160 And then I end up driving south and I end up turning east to 648 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:39,200 where the sun is rising right now. 649 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:44,080 The sun is coming up right there between 6:30 and about 7:15. 650 00:30:44,810 --> 00:30:49,610 And so I turn off the highway and I start going east and there 651 00:30:49,610 --> 00:30:51,770 is the sun. 652 00:30:53,130 --> 00:30:55,250 I have this little visor that I can pull down. 653 00:30:55,250 --> 00:30:56,090 It's not good enough. 654 00:30:57,370 --> 00:30:59,050 But I gotta stay on the road, right? 655 00:30:59,610 --> 00:31:00,530 What if I was just. 656 00:31:00,530 --> 00:31:01,770 I can't keep looking, folks. 657 00:31:01,770 --> 00:31:02,890 You tell me where to go. 658 00:31:04,490 --> 00:31:05,610 Sorry, Brad. 659 00:31:05,610 --> 00:31:07,490 You can't drive school buses anymore. 660 00:31:07,490 --> 00:31:10,090 You know, you drove it off because of the sun. 661 00:31:10,910 --> 00:31:13,470 That's why he uses the words eyelids here too. 662 00:31:14,110 --> 00:31:18,270 See what you look at and what you flutter your eyes at. 663 00:31:18,430 --> 00:31:23,310 It carries the illusion of not looking away even when you got something 664 00:31:23,390 --> 00:31:24,350 in your eyes. 665 00:31:25,550 --> 00:31:27,870 See something in our eyes is typically distraction. 666 00:31:28,430 --> 00:31:29,470 The sun coming up. 667 00:31:29,470 --> 00:31:32,310 I can't quite see it, but I. 668 00:31:32,310 --> 00:31:33,910 Know that this is the direction that. 669 00:31:33,910 --> 00:31:34,750 I meant to go. 670 00:31:35,070 --> 00:31:37,030 I can't quite see the Lord in front of me. 671 00:31:37,030 --> 00:31:39,190 There's so many other things that are going on around me. 672 00:31:39,190 --> 00:31:41,230 But I hear his voice because I'm listening to his word. 673 00:31:41,630 --> 00:31:45,150 So I'm going to keep moving forward. 674 00:31:45,950 --> 00:31:46,430 Hey. 675 00:31:46,510 --> 00:31:51,790 I can't quite quite tell if this water is going to hold my weight. 676 00:31:52,030 --> 00:31:55,510 But I'm going to go ahead and step out because he bid me to come 677 00:31:55,510 --> 00:31:56,910 unto him on the water. 678 00:31:58,030 --> 00:32:00,670 Yeah, I don't know how I'm going to live this way by faith. 679 00:32:00,670 --> 00:32:02,510 But I know that this is the direction that he's leaving. 680 00:32:02,510 --> 00:32:05,790 Because I'm deep in my word and I saw it before. 681 00:32:05,790 --> 00:32:08,070 But now my eyes are kind of distracted. 682 00:32:08,070 --> 00:32:09,110 I can't quite see everything. 683 00:32:09,110 --> 00:32:10,230 My glasses are gone. 684 00:32:10,230 --> 00:32:13,670 Whatever illusion you want to give here, folks, the only way that 685 00:32:13,670 --> 00:32:15,910 we know that we're walking by faith and this is the way forward 686 00:32:15,910 --> 00:32:16,390 is why. 687 00:32:16,390 --> 00:32:19,550 Because point number one, discipline number one is that we're 688 00:32:19,550 --> 00:32:20,190 reading it. 689 00:32:21,150 --> 00:32:23,070 We know that's what his word said. 690 00:32:23,070 --> 00:32:25,310 It is the foundation of our life. 691 00:32:25,470 --> 00:32:27,070 It is where we are living. 692 00:32:27,150 --> 00:32:30,670 It is what is in us, not something else. 693 00:32:31,870 --> 00:32:37,460 So this understanding is even when I can't quite tell where I'm 694 00:32:37,460 --> 00:32:45,700 going because the sun is too bright, I keep moving forward. 695 00:32:47,780 --> 00:32:49,739 Then he goes on, here's a couple. 696 00:32:49,739 --> 00:32:52,420 Other words that are really powerful to connect this. 697 00:32:52,420 --> 00:32:53,780 He says this in 26. 698 00:32:54,260 --> 00:32:59,740 Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established. 699 00:32:59,740 --> 00:33:02,110 Turn not to the right hand, nor to the left. 700 00:33:02,510 --> 00:33:04,590 Remove thy foot from evil. 701 00:33:05,150 --> 00:33:08,190 This word ponder, it means to weigh out or to make level. 702 00:33:08,190 --> 00:33:09,950 It's a measurement word. 703 00:33:10,190 --> 00:33:11,830 It's a measure your way. 704 00:33:11,830 --> 00:33:13,070 Know where you're going. 705 00:33:13,310 --> 00:33:14,830 Hey, I'm going towards the Lord. 706 00:33:15,790 --> 00:33:17,950 Since I know that I'm walking towards the Lord. 707 00:33:18,190 --> 00:33:20,510 I know that this is the path. 708 00:33:20,750 --> 00:33:22,910 That I'm supposed to walk, walk towards. 709 00:33:23,230 --> 00:33:25,150 I know that this is what's going to guide me. 710 00:33:25,230 --> 00:33:26,910 I know that it's not something else. 711 00:33:27,390 --> 00:33:32,750 I know it's not just, you know, encouraging words from businessmen. 712 00:33:33,150 --> 00:33:34,510 I know it's not just the. 713 00:33:34,750 --> 00:33:37,390 I know it's not the government's laws. 714 00:33:37,470 --> 00:33:42,190 I know it's not something else that can be sometimes encouraging. 715 00:33:42,510 --> 00:33:46,030 I know that this is the guide of my soul. 716 00:33:48,830 --> 00:33:53,320 He says it this way, then you'll be established to be firm, 717 00:33:53,320 --> 00:33:53,680 to be. 718 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:55,160 Secure, to be steadfast. 719 00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:58,720 Paul used this word and end the idea in Romans 1. 720 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:03,400 He says, For I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual 721 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:05,760 gift so that you may be established. 722 00:34:05,760 --> 00:34:08,080 You know what that spiritual gift that Paul wanted to impart on 723 00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:08,360 people? 724 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:13,640 The word of God. 725 00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:16,760 Hey, guys, this is not new to us. 726 00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:19,080 We know this truth. 727 00:34:19,660 --> 00:34:22,220 But this is sometimes the hardest discipline to live. 728 00:34:24,860 --> 00:34:29,860 But again, if we measure that up to what Christ has done for us 729 00:34:29,860 --> 00:34:31,740 on the cross, any excuse that we. 730 00:34:31,740 --> 00:34:33,940 Give to not being in our word. 731 00:34:33,940 --> 00:34:35,980 Like we should be, melts away. 732 00:34:39,260 --> 00:34:42,460 See, as you're looking ahead, you can measure out your walking 733 00:34:42,460 --> 00:34:42,780 path. 734 00:34:42,780 --> 00:34:44,780 You can see where it is taking you. 735 00:34:45,570 --> 00:34:48,490 You are walking with purpose instead of aimlessly through life. 736 00:34:48,490 --> 00:34:53,490 And we are where we are in our life today because of the decisions 737 00:34:53,490 --> 00:34:55,090 and the path that we have taken. 738 00:34:55,330 --> 00:34:58,970 So maybe some of you this morning, to this point, at this place, 739 00:34:58,970 --> 00:35:03,250 you would say, hey, Pastor Brad, I have not allowed the word 740 00:35:03,250 --> 00:35:04,850 of God to guide me sometimes. 741 00:35:05,410 --> 00:35:09,650 I've allowed my frustrations, I have allowed anger. 742 00:35:09,810 --> 00:35:11,570 I've allowed different passions. 743 00:35:12,170 --> 00:35:13,530 I've allowed different things. 744 00:35:14,330 --> 00:35:18,650 And because of that, Pastor Brad, I'm at a place in My life where 745 00:35:18,650 --> 00:35:19,010 my. 746 00:35:19,010 --> 00:35:20,810 My family and I are not where we should be. 747 00:35:21,450 --> 00:35:25,050 I'm at a place in my life where I am not where I should. 748 00:35:25,050 --> 00:35:29,130 Be, and so I don't know what to do. 749 00:35:29,130 --> 00:35:30,130 Well, I can say it to you. 750 00:35:30,130 --> 00:35:34,770 At this point right now, the path to move ahead starts back with 751 00:35:34,770 --> 00:35:36,410 discipline number one, no matter what. 752 00:35:38,180 --> 00:35:40,820 If you know where you are in your life, that the path that you've 753 00:35:40,820 --> 00:35:43,380 taken in the past has led you to a place where you shouldn't be, 754 00:35:43,620 --> 00:35:44,500 oh, great. 755 00:35:44,900 --> 00:35:45,260 You. 756 00:35:45,260 --> 00:35:45,900 You know that. 757 00:35:45,900 --> 00:35:48,500 Now let's get back to where you need to be. 758 00:35:48,980 --> 00:35:50,820 Let's start back to where the word God. 759 00:35:51,060 --> 00:35:51,780 Pastor Brad. 760 00:35:51,780 --> 00:35:52,780 I just need a quick fix. 761 00:35:52,780 --> 00:35:54,500 No, that's not how disciplines work, folks. 762 00:35:55,140 --> 00:35:59,460 If it was a quick fix, talk to the men that stood up here earlier 763 00:35:59,780 --> 00:36:02,820 and ask them how long they were in their boot camp. 764 00:36:03,820 --> 00:36:05,420 They weren't in it for 24 hours. 765 00:36:07,580 --> 00:36:09,260 They weren't in it for one week. 766 00:36:10,380 --> 00:36:14,540 They were in it as long as it took them to get through the program 767 00:36:15,020 --> 00:36:18,700 to be the disciplined soldier they were meant to be, because the 768 00:36:18,700 --> 00:36:22,660 purpose of that was to bring them to the place where they could 769 00:36:22,660 --> 00:36:23,980 fight for you and I. 770 00:36:25,340 --> 00:36:28,660 And the reasons that we have these disciplines in our life, as 771 00:36:28,660 --> 00:36:33,100 we should, and we should be living them, is not just to bring 772 00:36:33,100 --> 00:36:35,180 us wealth and prosperity. 773 00:36:35,260 --> 00:36:37,660 As much as some people may want to think it is. 774 00:36:38,060 --> 00:36:41,420 The reasons that we have these disciplines in our life is because 775 00:36:41,420 --> 00:36:45,259 there is a battle that we are facing and that we need to fight 776 00:36:45,259 --> 00:36:48,940 well, spiritually, because there's an attack that keeps coming 777 00:36:49,180 --> 00:36:51,180 that doesn't want to give up. 778 00:36:52,860 --> 00:36:58,870 It's called the devil, the world and the flesh. 779 00:37:00,070 --> 00:37:05,030 And every single one of those things wants to keep you and I from 780 00:37:05,030 --> 00:37:08,230 being disciplined in our walk with God. 781 00:37:11,030 --> 00:37:15,990 Now, even if someone does treat me poorly, I have the power 782 00:37:15,990 --> 00:37:22,270 to decide how and what I will respond and the direction that it 783 00:37:22,270 --> 00:37:22,870 will take me. 784 00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:26,360 Every time that we talk to our kids about a situation that comes 785 00:37:26,360 --> 00:37:29,600 up between two or three of them, we say, what decision did you 786 00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:29,880 make? 787 00:37:30,520 --> 00:37:31,480 Well, I did this. 788 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:33,160 Okay, that was your decision. 789 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:35,480 What you did was wrong. 790 00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:36,840 Yes. 791 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:39,800 Your brother smacked you, right? 792 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:43,480 Yes, your brother did this, but what did you do? 793 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:45,880 Well, he shouldn't have. 794 00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:46,920 No, no, no, no, no. 795 00:37:47,720 --> 00:37:48,680 What did you do? 796 00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:51,040 What did he do? 797 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:52,160 What did you do? 798 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:55,280 You know, a lot of times as believers, we want to blame someone 799 00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:55,520 else. 800 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:57,120 For the spiritual decisions that we. 801 00:38:00,720 --> 00:38:03,480 Pastor didn't say this to me today. 802 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:05,440 He didn't welcome me to church this morning. 803 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:07,520 I'm not going back. 804 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:09,600 Okay, that's your Decision, not his. 805 00:38:11,120 --> 00:38:11,480 Well. 806 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:13,240 Well, we didn't do this, and so. 807 00:38:13,240 --> 00:38:15,120 No, that's your decision, not someone else's. 808 00:38:15,750 --> 00:38:17,590 Well, somebody decided to lie about me. 809 00:38:17,590 --> 00:38:18,950 Okay, what did you do in response? 810 00:38:20,150 --> 00:38:22,950 Did you go through the proper channels and deal with it from a 811 00:38:22,950 --> 00:38:24,550 spiritual perspective like Jesus taught? 812 00:38:25,030 --> 00:38:26,950 Did you go to your brother who erred against you? 813 00:38:28,470 --> 00:38:31,070 Folks, everything is written out through the word of God, which 814 00:38:31,070 --> 00:38:32,310 is discipline number one. 815 00:38:33,430 --> 00:38:35,430 Know it, live it. 816 00:38:38,950 --> 00:38:43,370 One pastor I listened to recently, he made this statement. 817 00:38:43,370 --> 00:38:44,450 I'm going to explain it to you. 818 00:38:44,450 --> 00:38:45,730 And we'll be almost done. 819 00:38:45,730 --> 00:38:46,450 He says this. 820 00:38:46,450 --> 00:38:53,410 Your think, be, and do in life will equal your have. 821 00:38:54,370 --> 00:38:56,450 See, our think is our mindset. 822 00:38:56,930 --> 00:39:01,410 So your mindset, he says, then your be, which is your identity, 823 00:39:01,410 --> 00:39:05,170 who you say you are, your do is your action. 824 00:39:05,170 --> 00:39:11,250 So he says, your mindset, your identity, and your actions will equal 825 00:39:11,410 --> 00:39:12,850 your results. 826 00:39:14,050 --> 00:39:16,490 See, if you're not happy about where your spiritual results are 827 00:39:16,490 --> 00:39:19,930 right now, if you're out of sync, if you're out of alignment 828 00:39:19,930 --> 00:39:21,570 spiritually, guess what? 829 00:39:21,650 --> 00:39:23,730 We need to fix our think, be, and do. 830 00:39:24,610 --> 00:39:26,530 We need to figure out where our mindset's off. 831 00:39:26,530 --> 00:39:28,210 We need to figure out where our identity is off. 832 00:39:28,210 --> 00:39:30,450 We need to figure out where our actions are off. 833 00:39:30,610 --> 00:39:34,120 Because then that's going to lead us to the results that we need 834 00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:34,640 to have. 835 00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:40,080 Now, I know Pastor Josh is highly disciplined. 836 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:41,200 I hear him talk about it often. 837 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:43,120 But are you. 838 00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:45,440 Are you. 839 00:39:46,240 --> 00:39:47,760 Are you disciplined with a woman? 840 00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:49,680 Are you looking forward? 841 00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:52,400 Or are you coasting through life asleep? 842 00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:54,960 Are you wandering through your spiritual life. 843 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:57,920 Like a taste testing hour in Costco? 844 00:39:59,770 --> 00:40:00,970 Oh, that smells good over here. 845 00:40:00,970 --> 00:40:01,930 Let's go try that. 846 00:40:01,930 --> 00:40:03,690 You know, no. 847 00:40:03,770 --> 00:40:07,850 Why don't we want to become more disciplined in our spiritual 848 00:40:07,850 --> 00:40:08,650 walk with God? 849 00:40:09,450 --> 00:40:12,690 See, every one of us need to apply disciplines that help keep 850 00:40:12,690 --> 00:40:16,810 us from being out of spiritual alignment. 851 00:40:18,330 --> 00:40:20,570 I was going to have you turn to a passage, and I was going to 852 00:40:20,570 --> 00:40:23,330 kind of explain to you from Luke chapter 24, but I just want 853 00:40:23,330 --> 00:40:24,850 to explain to you the passage. 854 00:40:24,850 --> 00:40:26,330 I'm going to abbreviate it for you. 855 00:40:26,780 --> 00:40:29,660 In Luke chapter 24, Christ rose from the dead. 856 00:40:29,660 --> 00:40:31,820 Beautiful, incredible passage. 857 00:40:32,940 --> 00:40:36,260 The women, they go to the grave early in the morning, find 858 00:40:36,260 --> 00:40:39,060 that a stone is rolled away, the angels are up, and they end up 859 00:40:39,060 --> 00:40:41,140 going back to the disciples and telling them everything that 860 00:40:41,140 --> 00:40:41,660 they had seen. 861 00:40:41,660 --> 00:40:44,780 And then they had heard the disciples, they don't believe her. 862 00:40:45,020 --> 00:40:46,380 They don't believe the ladies. 863 00:40:47,500 --> 00:40:48,140 They don't. 864 00:40:48,300 --> 00:40:49,900 And so a couple of them run off. 865 00:40:49,900 --> 00:40:51,340 Peter and John run off. 866 00:40:51,340 --> 00:40:51,620 They. 867 00:40:51,620 --> 00:40:54,800 They see the empty tomb, and they're unsure about what they have 868 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:56,680 now seen, heard themselves. 869 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:03,960 Well, two disciples, not of the 11 apostles, but two of the disciples. 870 00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:07,680 They ended up leaving Jerusalem that day and making their 871 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:08,640 way down to Emmaus. 872 00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:10,120 This is called the road to Emmaus. 873 00:41:10,680 --> 00:41:14,520 And these two disciples, as they're walking on the way, it says 874 00:41:14,520 --> 00:41:17,000 that they're having a conversation with each other. 875 00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:19,600 And the wording and the understanding that they're having 876 00:41:19,600 --> 00:41:21,680 together, it means that they're having an argument. 877 00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:24,290 They're having an argument of the things that had happened to Christ 878 00:41:24,290 --> 00:41:26,210 three days earlier when he died on the cross. 879 00:41:26,370 --> 00:41:28,810 It means that they are having an argument about what they had heard 880 00:41:28,810 --> 00:41:32,010 from the women and Peter and John and all these different events 881 00:41:32,010 --> 00:41:33,090 are arguing about it. 882 00:41:33,330 --> 00:41:36,130 In fact, when Christ shows up, which they don't know, it's Christ 883 00:41:36,450 --> 00:41:39,970 says their eyes are closed to the fact that this is truly Jesus. 884 00:41:40,690 --> 00:41:43,730 It says that Jesus responds to them and says, why are you having 885 00:41:43,730 --> 00:41:48,530 this kind of conversation with one another and why are you sad? 886 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:50,640 So they are emotionally distraught. 887 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:53,040 They're out of alignment spiritually. 888 00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:56,440 They're kind of going their own way at this point, trying just 889 00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:59,680 to figure out how to regather, regroup in their own living. 890 00:41:59,920 --> 00:42:02,000 Because now Messiah is dead. 891 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:06,000 So Christ, he joins them in this walk. 892 00:42:07,600 --> 00:42:10,800 After that, Jesus, it says, begins to. 893 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:16,890 Preach to them himself of the things that he must suffer. 894 00:42:18,730 --> 00:42:20,410 That was given from the prophets. 895 00:42:21,770 --> 00:42:24,690 And he preaches this entire sermon to them from the prophets 896 00:42:24,690 --> 00:42:25,410 all the way through. 897 00:42:25,410 --> 00:42:28,090 Like, can you imagine Jesus preaching Jesus now? 898 00:42:28,090 --> 00:42:29,690 That in itself would be amazing. 899 00:42:29,690 --> 00:42:35,410 I can't one day wait to get to heaven and just hear the lamb preach 900 00:42:35,410 --> 00:42:37,410 to him about the King. 901 00:42:37,410 --> 00:42:40,250 Like to me I'm whoa, like that is amazing. 902 00:42:40,250 --> 00:42:42,090 I cannot wait for those kinds of moments. 903 00:42:45,030 --> 00:42:48,990 What they did during this time because they were in out of spiritual 904 00:42:48,990 --> 00:42:49,590 alignment. 905 00:42:49,990 --> 00:42:53,750 They listened to the word of God while they walk with Jesus. 906 00:42:54,710 --> 00:42:56,350 Jesus challenged them right off the bat. 907 00:42:56,350 --> 00:42:57,270 He said, oh fool. 908 00:42:57,270 --> 00:43:01,750 Slow to believe the prophets, meaning the thing that they should 909 00:43:01,750 --> 00:43:03,750 be listening to, they weren't. 910 00:43:03,750 --> 00:43:06,390 They weren't protecting their passion. 911 00:43:06,390 --> 00:43:09,520 They weren't protecting their decision maker. 912 00:43:11,120 --> 00:43:14,000 Instead they are reading the Jerusalem News column. 913 00:43:15,040 --> 00:43:19,680 Thus ends the leadership of Jesus of Nazareth. 914 00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:25,760 By the end of the time, together with Jesus, it says their 915 00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:27,120 hearts burn. 916 00:43:27,760 --> 00:43:29,600 This means their passions revived. 917 00:43:29,760 --> 00:43:32,480 They silenced the unbelief in the unbelief of others. 918 00:43:32,800 --> 00:43:38,070 They ran back to Jerusalem and it they shared everything with them 919 00:43:38,070 --> 00:43:41,270 that they now had experienced with Jesus. 920 00:43:41,270 --> 00:43:44,510 In fact that this idea is they pondered the path of their feet. 921 00:43:44,750 --> 00:43:49,510 They focused on what Jesus would do now he was back from the 922 00:43:49,510 --> 00:43:53,950 dead, they set their eyes and their eyelids on him. 923 00:43:54,350 --> 00:43:58,350 Eyelids, the unseen, the unknown, the eyes and what we do 924 00:43:58,350 --> 00:43:58,670 see. 925 00:43:58,670 --> 00:44:02,040 Hey, folks, there's a lot of unknowns for you. 926 00:44:03,640 --> 00:44:05,160 There's a lot of unknowns of what's. 927 00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:06,200 Going to happen tomorrow. 928 00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:08,560 But the one thing that we can. 929 00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:12,120 Do in our discipline is come back to the word of God. 930 00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:15,680 Protecting the passions, removing the perverse things. 931 00:44:15,680 --> 00:44:16,280 From our life. 932 00:44:18,200 --> 00:44:21,400 And setting our eyes on him no matter what comes. 933 00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:23,400 No matter what comes. 934 00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:27,580 There may there have been some things. 935 00:44:28,140 --> 00:44:32,780 That I even have allowed to come out of alignment in my life. 936 00:44:33,900 --> 00:44:35,500 You know, just yesterday. 937 00:44:36,060 --> 00:44:37,020 Just yesterday. 938 00:44:37,420 --> 00:44:41,300 There are things that I needed to deal with, with a spiritual alignment 939 00:44:41,300 --> 00:44:41,460 in. 940 00:44:41,460 --> 00:44:42,620 My very own home. 941 00:44:44,060 --> 00:44:46,700 There are things that I had allowed to become out of alignment. 942 00:44:47,420 --> 00:44:49,220 Pastor Brad, you struggle with things in. 943 00:44:49,220 --> 00:44:50,700 Your own life, you better believe. 944 00:44:52,550 --> 00:44:53,590 So does Pastor Josh. 945 00:44:55,590 --> 00:44:56,710 So do all of us. 946 00:44:58,790 --> 00:45:01,750 You know what that so encouraging about that is that the 947 00:45:01,750 --> 00:45:02,350 Word of God. 948 00:45:02,350 --> 00:45:05,270 Teaches us exactly how to be who we're. 949 00:45:07,030 --> 00:45:08,629 So my question for us this morning. 950 00:45:08,629 --> 00:45:11,030 As we finish up is this just one. 951 00:45:12,630 --> 00:45:16,870 Are you living a spiritually disciplined life? 952 00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:18,880 Party. 953 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:24,800 We celebrated the disciplines of the men who have stood for us 954 00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:25,280 this morning. 955 00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:29,440 Now it's time to celebrate our own life spiritually. 956 00:45:31,200 --> 00:45:34,000 If we are being disciplined as we should or not. 957 00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:36,920 Maybe right away, off the bat. 958 00:45:36,920 --> 00:45:37,880 You know what, Pastor Brad? 959 00:45:37,880 --> 00:45:40,360 There's something right now that the Holy Spirit is revealing 960 00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:40,800 to me. 961 00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:42,400 Become undisciplined. 962 00:45:42,400 --> 00:45:44,200 I have not allowed the Word of God in my life like I should. 963 00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:46,700 Or I'm allowing too much perverseness in. 964 00:45:46,700 --> 00:45:47,940 My life like I shouldn't. 965 00:45:48,020 --> 00:45:48,420 Or. 966 00:45:48,820 --> 00:45:52,420 Or I'm not protecting the passions like I should. 967 00:45:52,660 --> 00:45:53,060 Or. 968 00:45:53,300 --> 00:45:54,820 Or I'm not looking forward. 969 00:45:54,900 --> 00:45:57,620 I'm kind of looking behind and saying, look at the good old days. 970 00:45:59,380 --> 00:46:01,540 It was much easier to be a Christian back then. 971 00:46:03,380 --> 00:46:05,460 No, folks, we're missing the point. 972 00:46:05,940 --> 00:46:09,220 The Word of God doesn't teach us when it was easier. 973 00:46:09,620 --> 00:46:13,130 The Word of God teaches us what it means to be strong right 974 00:46:13,130 --> 00:46:13,450 now. 975 00:46:15,370 --> 00:46:17,490 So you might be able to say, pastor Brad, that's me. 976 00:46:17,490 --> 00:46:19,770 There's something in my life that discipline. 977 00:46:20,250 --> 00:46:21,770 I'm not going to have you raise your hand. 978 00:46:22,250 --> 00:46:23,450 I'm not your pastor. 979 00:46:24,570 --> 00:46:25,450 I'm your friend. 980 00:46:26,410 --> 00:46:27,769 So here's what I'm going to do. 981 00:46:28,410 --> 00:46:30,690 As the piano plays in a minute, I'm going to lead us in prayer 982 00:46:30,690 --> 00:46:35,810 in just a sec and I'm going to invite you to come forward, spend 983 00:46:35,810 --> 00:46:38,530 some time down here praying there's something in my life. 984 00:46:38,530 --> 00:46:39,650 Not disciplined it. 985 00:46:40,370 --> 00:46:41,930 Well, Pastor, what if so and so. 986 00:46:41,930 --> 00:46:44,810 Sees me walk forward, I'm a deacon, and they see that I'm not 987 00:46:44,810 --> 00:46:45,730 disciplined in my life. 988 00:46:46,210 --> 00:46:46,610 Good. 989 00:46:47,490 --> 00:46:50,930 Let them see you lead in an area of your life that you want to 990 00:46:50,930 --> 00:46:52,050 be more disciplined. 991 00:46:52,770 --> 00:46:55,250 Hey, Pastor Brian, I don't know what my spouse is going to think. 992 00:46:55,410 --> 00:46:56,290 Who cares? 993 00:46:56,930 --> 00:46:59,650 Do what needs to be done in your life spiritually. 994 00:47:00,130 --> 00:47:05,410 Make a commitment before the King of Kings and show others that 995 00:47:05,410 --> 00:47:05,730 you want. 996 00:47:05,730 --> 00:47:08,170 To lead by discipline spiritually in your life. 997 00:47:09,130 --> 00:47:10,570 Maybe you would go back to your. 998 00:47:10,650 --> 00:47:12,250 Your house later today and you say. 999 00:47:12,330 --> 00:47:13,210 Hey, you know what? 1000 00:47:13,210 --> 00:47:15,690 The reason I went forward this morning is because I need to spend 1001 00:47:15,690 --> 00:47:16,730 more time reading my Bible. 1002 00:47:17,770 --> 00:47:19,610 Would you help encourage me to do so? 1003 00:47:19,610 --> 00:47:21,730 Or hey, you know, there's this area in my life. 1004 00:47:21,730 --> 00:47:24,930 I've been allowing a lot of media in my life that's been causing 1005 00:47:24,930 --> 00:47:25,050 me. 1006 00:47:25,050 --> 00:47:26,250 To feel so negative. 1007 00:47:26,890 --> 00:47:28,170 I don't want that anymore. 1008 00:47:29,570 --> 00:47:32,610 Or maybe I've allowed this other thing, or maybe I haven't protected 1009 00:47:32,610 --> 00:47:34,050 the thing that needs the most protection. 1010 00:47:35,730 --> 00:47:38,850 Let's start it now before the King. 1011 00:47:39,650 --> 00:47:40,370 Let's all stand. 1012 00:47:40,370 --> 00:47:41,610 Heads are bowed, eyes are closed. 1013 00:47:41,610 --> 00:47:44,610 Heavenly Father, I thank you for the few moments that we had to 1014 00:47:44,610 --> 00:47:44,690 be. 1015 00:47:44,690 --> 00:47:45,650 Able to be in your word. 1016 00:47:46,370 --> 00:47:47,890 I thank you for the wisdom to. 1017 00:47:47,890 --> 00:47:51,970 Which you have given to your son. 1018 00:47:51,970 --> 00:47:53,330 And Lord in this picture. 1019 00:47:54,380 --> 00:47:54,940 This picture. 1020 00:47:54,940 --> 00:47:58,220 Every single one of us are learning this wisdom. 1021 00:47:58,220 --> 00:48:00,860 As sons and daughters, we're learning this. 1022 00:48:00,860 --> 00:48:03,820 Wisdom, applying the spiritual truth to our life. 1023 00:48:03,820 --> 00:48:05,860 Because, Lord, I believe in my heart. 1024 00:48:05,860 --> 00:48:08,460 There are many times that I need. 1025 00:48:08,460 --> 00:48:11,100 To be reminded of where I am. 1026 00:48:11,100 --> 00:48:12,500 Off with my alignment. 1027 00:48:12,500 --> 00:48:13,180 Spiritually. 1028 00:48:13,660 --> 00:48:15,260 I thank you for your grace. 1029 00:48:16,380 --> 00:48:18,180 I thank you for your mercy. 1030 00:48:18,180 --> 00:48:19,910 Endureth for forever. 1031 00:48:20,390 --> 00:48:22,790 That reading that we read this morning, what a. 1032 00:48:22,870 --> 00:48:24,950 What a connection that we're able to make. 1033 00:48:25,350 --> 00:48:29,310 Lord, if we're afraid of the consequences of our sinfulness, Lord, 1034 00:48:29,310 --> 00:48:32,870 help us to be more grateful for the mercy to which you give. 1035 00:48:34,150 --> 00:48:37,750 Lord, help us not to be driven by fear, but be driven by your love, 1036 00:48:38,470 --> 00:48:40,230 your healing, your forgiveness. 1037 00:48:42,230 --> 00:48:45,270 Lord, thank you for a place that we can come together as a unified 1038 00:48:45,350 --> 00:48:50,610 body under your word, to be challenged in a way that allows us 1039 00:48:50,610 --> 00:48:53,610 to grow faithfully. 1040 00:48:55,290 --> 00:48:57,490 Lord, if there's anyone here this morning who's still struggling 1041 00:48:57,490 --> 00:49:00,290 with this thought, I ask that you would give them the encouragement 1042 00:49:00,290 --> 00:49:04,050 that they need or that they would do business with you as you 1043 00:49:04,050 --> 00:49:05,210 have begun to do business. 1044 00:49:07,050 --> 00:49:08,810 Precious Son's name, Jesus Christ. 1045 00:49:10,170 --> 00:49:11,090 Piano's going to play. 1046 00:49:11,090 --> 00:49:11,530 You come. 1047 00:49:11,850 --> 00:49:12,410 You come. 1048 00:49:12,410 --> 00:49:13,050 Don't wait. 1049 00:51:21,000 --> 00:51:21,240 Foreign. 1050 00:51:28,680 --> 00:51:29,320 We love you. 1051 00:51:29,320 --> 00:51:30,800 We thank you for the fact that. 1052 00:51:30,800 --> 00:51:36,760 We were reminded that having Jesus is greater than gold, silver 1053 00:51:36,839 --> 00:51:37,840 and anything that. 1054 00:51:37,840 --> 00:51:38,360 The world. 1055 00:51:43,160 --> 00:51:45,760 Or if there's someone here still this morning who's struggling 1056 00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:49,610 with this decision of discipline, they're out of spiritual 1057 00:51:49,610 --> 00:51:49,970 alignment. 1058 00:51:49,970 --> 00:51:54,290 Maybe there's someone here this morning who has not yet Jesus 1059 00:51:54,290 --> 00:51:55,010 Christ alone. 1060 00:51:57,330 --> 00:52:03,570 The place that we find our first alignment is in a relationship. 1061 00:52:04,850 --> 00:52:08,690 So Father, I ask that you would, you would encourage them to 1062 00:52:08,770 --> 00:52:11,810 do business with somebody, to talk about it with somebody, ask 1063 00:52:11,810 --> 00:52:12,370 the question. 1064 00:52:14,620 --> 00:52:15,020 They can. 1065 00:52:15,020 --> 00:52:18,380 They can come to the place where you, you, Holy Spirit, are 1066 00:52:18,380 --> 00:52:19,340 leading them to. 1067 00:52:22,220 --> 00:52:23,740 Lord, we thank you for this moment. 1068 00:52:24,860 --> 00:52:26,700 Your precious son, Jesus Christ. 1069 00:52:35,660 --> 00:52:38,300 Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church 1070 00:52:38,300 --> 00:52:38,940 podcast. 1071 00:52:39,180 --> 00:52:41,590 I hope that this sermon has been a blessing for you. 1072 00:52:42,150 --> 00:52:44,430 If you would like to find out more information about our church 1073 00:52:44,430 --> 00:52:47,910 or this sermon, you can find us at middletownbaptistchurch.org 1074 00:52:48,230 --> 00:52:50,790 or find us on Facebook or YouTube. 1075 00:52:51,510 --> 00:52:56,470 You can also email me directly at Josh Massaro, Middletown BaptistChurch.com 1076 00:52:56,950 --> 00:53:00,430 if you've enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and follow 1077 00:53:00,430 --> 00:53:03,270 along for future podcast and updates. 1078 00:53:03,910 --> 00:53:04,790 Thank you so much. 1079 00:53:05,110 --> 00:53:05,830 God bless. 1080 00:53:06,070 --> 00:53:07,350 Have a wonderful day.