In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of recognizing that our bodies are not God, but rather tools to be used for His purposes. He encourages listeners to resist the immediate impulses of the body and instead enslave it to the things of God. The speaker also highlights the need to take care of our physical bodies in order to effectively serve God and spread the gospel. He concludes by urging believers to live a steadfast and dependable life, consistently laboring in the things of God, as this is the path to developing deep character and making a lasting impact.

Bless now the going forth of your word to our hearts and father, we pray that we would leave this Wednesday night More in love with Jesus more on fire in an age and in a nation that needs a true witness of Christ Lord make us Revolutionaries as it were for the kingdom of God it is time Lord That America father be revived and that's not going to happen unless your people are revived And Lord, we know that you're the God of revival You love doing it So father we're asking you right now to do it in our lives start right here as an epicenter of revival Lord start in this corner of this continent in Southern California and Lord cause an earthquake in the spirit to ripple across this nation Start with us father. We pray in Jesus name and all God's people said amen What church grab your Bibles this evening and turn if you would to two places as we Normally do on Wednesday nights and that is Matthew chapter 28 Matthew chapter 28 and we'll read it there in a moment and lamentations Chapter 3 lamentations. It's just after the book of Jeremiah and just before the book of Ezekiel Just after Jeremiah and just before Ezekiel is the book of lamentations written by Jeremiah the prophet Lamentations, but first first Matthew chapter 28 tonight we're looking at the discipline of Dependability, what does that mean as we go through this special series on Wednesday nights about the disciplines of life? What does it mean to be? dependable What is God's definition of it? And what does it mean? And what does it look like in our lives? We're gonna talk about that tonight and Lord willing learn of that tonight So Matthew chapter 28 Regarding the disciplines of life. Jesus said all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth Go therefore and make disciples of all nations Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things that I've commanded you and Behold, and I love this. I am with you always Even to the end of the world now lamentations chapter 3 verse 27 the discipline of dependability It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth Let him sit alone and keep silent Because God has laid it on him Let him put his mouth to the dust and there may yet be hope What a strong word It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth Who and what you and I are and what we become listen church is formed and shaped in our early years It's interesting to me that Karl Marx Joseph Stalin Fidel Castro Have all announced throughout the careers of their tyranny that if we can just get the youth of a culture Then we'll get the future that is the future is the youth when you can control the youth you will control the future America has a brand new future That's happening right before our eyes because the youth now are growing up and they're voters and they're in The economy and they're in the neighborhood and they have now Advanced and there's a whole nother generation coming behind them. That's the way it has always been That's the way it shall be until the Lord comes back, but keep this in mind the person that you are today The life that you live is very much formed by your early years The struggles that you and I go through in our own private life The the things that we need to get victory over how much of what you and I struggle with as Christians are things that are What we'll call residuals of our lives How much of that is something that Controls us versus something that through the power of God is able to be overcome I would say this that no matter who we are in Christ as we'll see by The end of this message that no matter what kind of upbringing that you've ever had in your life No matter how dark the painting or picture can be that the Bible says through Christ We are more than conquerors and that's very good news The Bible says in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 1 It says remember now your creator in the days of your youth check this out Before the difficult days come and the years draw near when you say I have no pleasure in them Think of that as you're young remember now the days Remember the Creator your God in the days of your youth Listen church family as we are young people gathered around here right now as we as young people That doesn't matter what age you are right now. If you've got some years to live you're younger now than you will be later Right and what I'm talking about is we need to remember the Lord our God in the days of our youth Because there are days coming when the scripture says we will have no pleasure in those days Now for some that are older and getting on in years or maybe it's sickness or disease or ailment life is a burden Life is difficult Life gets hard. It's a struggle to get out of bed for some people when in earlier years it was something that they never thought about and God says you remember me in your youth There is no reason why our young people today in America or for that matter in the world Should have some sort of an excuse as to why they can't follow Jesus because they're young Oh, no, it's the other way around because they are young. They should be following Jesus absolutely 100% crazy for God This nation this world needs to see kids crazy for God once again kids that are alive for Christ and there's certain laws by the way and all of nature that you and I obey every day the The laws that take place in nature gravity's working on us all right there's entropy Which is the second law of thermodynamics? Entropy declares that everything and in the scientific world and the observable universe is going from an ordered state To a chaotic state. Did you know that? That's what the Bible says too, by the way, that's what science is everything's going from a perfect state to a disastrous state things are Unwinding we know that this the the burn rate of the Sun for example is Diminishing it's losing strength you and I as humans are losing strength. We know from Philosophy and also from science at the moment a child is born that a child begins to die Even at its young age why because it started that downward progression of life. It's going to Against the clock the clock is as it were Against life and it doesn't matter what you and I do in all of this life There's not enough Botox or saline or our corrective surgery or whatever that it's going to make That change there are laws that God has established and one of those things is how you and I listen are Disciplining our lives as believers and I'm gonna say some things tonight that need to be said Things that parents need to be listening to and If they're not gonna listen to it, then you young people tonight you tune in and listen and be better off for it Remember listen, I'm not your parent. I'm not your dad so I get to tell you stuff that I really really value and You can you can choose to take it and live it out or not That's your choice, but I hope you do take it before we get into this jot down 2nd Corinthians 416 2nd Corinthians 416 says therefore we do not lose heart even though our outward man is perishing Yet our inward man is being renewed day by day That's the last thing in a young person's mind This evening is my outward man's perishing because when you're young you're deceived by how you feel you feel so good And I want to challenge you because listen us old people now we would say man, I remember I was reading them Benjamin Franklin and he was talking to Thomas Jefferson and The conversation went this way that somebody's age was stated and the guy was 70 years old I'm 70 years old today and Benjamin Franklin who was well into his 80s turned to Jefferson and said Oh to be 70 again Well think about that for a moment I'm 52 Oh to be 32 again Why because I know more now than I did then But now I don't have the energy to pull off what I know, which is the right thing to do If I had life you've heard this before if I had life to live all over again I would do it this way or I do it that way. Where does that come from based upon life's experience lived in Light of God and then to look back and say you see young people you go Don't do that and they think what do you know you old-timer? You know and then they their car blows up or they run into the glass wall and you say I told you and there's some bit of pleasure by the way for us old people watching you do that, but But when you're young you need to be focused more on God than ever before Because what you're sowing to in your youth will matter later on in life The things that you and I are enjoying right now as older believers is because we invested and the things of God early on in life I'm so grateful for my spiritual heritage and That Christ saved me young in life at the age of 19 now if I had to do it my way I guess I would have said I wish I would have been grown up in a Christian home, but God knows his plan but these influences that you and I have had in our lives have caused you and I to have certain disciplines in our life and These disciplines become our lifestyle. So here we go. Number one is this the discipline of dependability is this That we are to be training our new hearts we had jot that down as a Christian tonight You've been granted a brand new heart my friends listen, do not think for a moment that you can come into religion and just carry your old world into some Preconceived notion that you've just added religion onto your life. No you and I have been given as a believer Christian a new heart. That's what that's one of the great hallmarks of God's work in our lives We don't become religious we become new people We've been given a new heart and we've got to train that new heart Instructed in the things of God. It's been well said that the heart is the great Fundamental isn't a great statement. The heart is the great Fundamental Noah Webster and his 1828 dictionary says that dependability is the act of loyalty reliability steadfastness Weber Webster adds as in a dependable friend, isn't that a beautiful thing to him? He writes That dependability is that which is found like it is in a dependable friend loyalty Reliability steadfastness That's a strong word. Jesus said it this way and Matthew 5 8 regarding the heart blessed are the pure in Heart for they shall see God have you ever thought about that for a minute? Think about that. This is not the study I want to give right now, but let me put this in front of you blessed are the pure in heart For they shall see God you want to freak out for a moment God is Father Son Holy Spirit In eternity By the way the pure in heart there's not gonna be a section in in heaven where the pure in heart sit Did you know that? Well, I'll be a peacemaker. I'll be over here. No, you're not No, no those in heaven Will have all of those things because the true believer in Their heart right now you right here this evening. You're you long to be a peacemaker You long to be pure in heart, don't you? The four of us do right here Pure in heart see what does that mean? They shall see God how how are we gonna see the Holy Spirit in heaven? I don't know, but we're gonna It says God you will see God How are we gonna see God the Father when the Bible tells us that no man can look upon him because you will be glorified You will be in your glorified state. You will be in your absolute total redeemed state Wow Obviously we can really relate and associate and so we should with Jesus Christ But to see the Holy Spirit to see the Father to see the Son Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God that is going to be an awesome moment and when we talk about the disciplines of Dependability we're talking about something that is installed in the character of a believer a brand new hearts been given to us Now, why do we need a new heart? Because the Bible says in Jeremiah 17 9 now watch the doors. This is where people leave Watch this Cameras get ready follow them out all the way Because nobody wants to hear this if they're deceived but if you're honest with yourself, you'll say wow the Bible like looks down into my soul Jeremiah 17 9 says this is God speaking. The heart is deceitful above all things It's desperately wicked Who can know it if you keep reading verse 10 God says I know it God knows You know that the hearts wicked says the Bible. It's deceitful It needs to be renewed. It needs to be changed I should say a new heart and that heart needs to be trained in the things of God that's being born again Jesus said in Psalm 14 1 the Bible says I love this go out tonight. It's gonna be crystal clear Look at the stars. It's been beautiful at night for the last 10 months The fool has said in his heart. There is no God Look up at those stars because the Bible says the heavens declare the glory of God You think of that boy this morning? I was outside early. It was beautiful and it was dark and the sky was so brilliant and you think about the heavens declare the glory of God and sometimes when I'm looking at the heavens and You're thinking about that. It's almost as though as the scripture says that Day and today night and night and tonight and day and today they utter their speech and there's no place Where their voice is not heard. It means that the heavens are shouting to a world. That's looking on God is right real But the fool says in his heart. No God, there's no God. There's no God. There's no God Wow Well, listen This is the very reason why as Jesus said we must be born again to enter the kingdom of heaven We need a brand new heart in the moment that we come to Christ that heart needs to be trained in the things of God Ezekiel 36 26 says that God speaks to the believer and he says I will give you a new heart and I will put my spirit within You a brand new life in 2nd Corinthians 5 you got to write these down fast I have a lot of verses in 2nd Corinthians 5 16 The Bible says therefore from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. I quote this verse often. I love it We don't look at each other any longer according to the flesh even though we have known Christ according to the flesh Yet now we know him thus no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ He is a new creation all things have passed away behold all things have become New do we believe that tonight's? Listen, have you had a rough life has the input into your life been very bad Have you had horrible parents or horrible grandparents or did somebody raise you were you raised by a pack of wolves in the wilderness? Whatever that was listen, you are not an animal you have been created in the image of God You're not an angel. You're redeemable angels are not You are God's treasure so much. So he says I've sent my son To die on the cross for your sins and to not only pay the price that you and I couldn't pay for our sin He did that Washing away the sin of yours and mine, but on top of it giving us a brand new start in life All the stuff that mark it down in your head. Just think for a moment. All the stuff that we would say is against us Is it life somebody might say life's not fair. Let me tell you something. Absolutely not Life's not fair. It's not supposed to be fair Where do we get that concept? Well, it was not fair For you to say that life's not fair is for you to immediately admit that there is something better and To assume that what's difficult must be bad Somebody I was talking to someone yesterday at the hospital and they said well the worst thing that can happen is and They said what they said and I said, but is that really the worst thing that could happen? Yeah, yeah, actually that's yeah. That's what they said. Is it really the worst thing that could happen? That this person real life ends in death Not for the believer. That's not the worst thing that can happen See we get this concept and let me tell you something right now. We need to rejoice. God is not fair regarding salvation either You don't want God fair regarding salvation Fair is all the super nice good people get to go to heaven where the rest of us gonna go Jesus died for the entire world He died for the sins of all humanity at the cross and that's an awesome thing. That's a wonderful thing so the newness of Life that he gives us listen is Observable in this area of God working in you dependability and Man, I got it. I feel like a salmon right now swimming upstream with what I'm about to say our culture Is all but lost Because Somewhere along the line our kids have been sold the bill of goods Just get by don't excel Don't be The star student don't get all happy faces. Don't get straight A's you'll make everybody else feel bad Don't be Innovative don't be listen We have been sold down the river of Just getting by in life and now we come listen, there's something there's something to suffering there is something to Duty, there is something to Having to be dependable mom dad if you think having junior at Eight years of age learn how to take the trash cans out even the trash even though the trash cans taller than him You think that's evil because you've been sold an absolutely insane way of thinking listen Do you understand that when you're training jr. To take the trash can out you are building in his life character. I Want you to mow the lawn the lawnmower might be too big for him But put him put her in situations where they need to sweat and learn and try and try again We have a culture that says if it's too hard quit and It's wrong because you know what it translates into life and you have a bunch of people walking around in life They're not dependable, but they're holding their hand out saying give me give me give me it's mine. It's mine I don't need to earn it hand it to me and Yet every great achievement in the world for that matter in America has been because people have put their blood sweat and tears You see what does that have to do with what we're talking about? Because in spiritual matters too many young people did air brought up saying well, you know what whatever and When I read my Bible, I see young people pursuing hungering. Can I say? lusting after God Passionate for him the Bible says in 1st Corinthians 1557 but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ stop right there He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So what does that mean? Well, I guess we just sit around and wait for the cake to arrive No We are to war in the things of the Spirit, right? We are to put on the armor of God the victories been given thus we go to war and the things of God Therefore my beloved brethren be here's that word dependable steadfast Immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labor your what? Can I hear that again? Your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Are we teaching our young people today? Do our junior hires and high schoolers know that they were to be laboring than the things of God. It's hard. It's difficult It's tough Because you know what life is hard difficult and tough So tomorrow night we'll have a three-time gold medalist speaking to us. And how do you think that happened? You think they just walked up there in Greece or in Australia and handed her the gold medals It's a ego looks good on you Kind of goes with your skin tone, you know a life was devoted to that and As believers is eternity as heaven is Christ So important to us that we will absolutely be sold out for him. Oh I'm telling you it's the only way to live and it's the only way that we're gonna have life There is no life lived in some mediocre state and Maybe we're too old to hear this message tonight, but there might be a young person listening That might be the next person who either Takes the pulpit for Billy Graham or I don't know what Becomes the next president. The Lord knows we need a new governor right Dependability is proven through difficult times in life 2nd Corinthians 1 5 1-7 says and our hope for you is Steadfast because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings So also you will be partaker of the consolation. That is the comfort Heart maintenance is required daily as a Christian We're to train our hearts up in the things of God and to understand that what I'm embarking upon is gonna be difficult Don't raise your hand tonight, please. But are you not a Christian tonight? Well, let me tell you something right now your friend may have brought you here tonight, they bought you dinner maybe and Brought you here and Well, I want to be the first to tell you being a Christian is the hardest thing in this world to be. Oh Great. Thanks. Now. My friend's not gonna come to Christ. Oh, no. No, listen You can sleep in and snooze and dream Daydream your whole life away. Anybody can do that But the moment you become a Christian for real I'm talking real Z's I'm talking a real Christian I'm not talking about a Sunday Christian world's full of Sunday Christians. I'm talking about a real Christian. I'm talking like a Wednesday night Christian And a Monday and a Tuesday, right It will be hard because what we are living for the one that we're living for and what we're doing in this world is Real and everlasting and isn't it amazing? I was thinking about this as we were praying before the service started how I mean we have we've come into our age Think about it. We have arrived. You see what I mean? Everything I'm watching on the news this evening has to do with faith Okay, some state just ruled the cross Oh, Utah no more crosses signifying a place of death or Where somebody was in an accident that crop because they said it promotes one particular religion No crosses take them down remove them And so the cross is under attack the Ten Commandments are an attack all this and it has everything to do with my Christianity This is an awesome time He's a man. I don't want to get involved in that then don't But I got to tell you something This is an amazing time because everything that the Lord has put in his word and what was once great of this nation is under attack In fact right now Oh Nancy Pelosi is now petitioning to launch an investigation on people who are against the New York mosque Nancy Pelosi Nancy, are you listening Nancy? Are you there? Call me call me? Call me Nancy Pelosi There's a whole lot of people here that would love to be investigated Regarding this issue here Are you kidding me? This is amazing Just for fun just for fun We should go to New York and we should pull a permit to build a ground zero church And see what happens. Do you know what would happen? There would be a riot That can't happen separation of church and state What am I saying as a believer? It is amazing thing to realize that what we're fighting for is truth We are on the side of God We're not asking God to get on our side. That's a bad Ronald Reagan said don't ask God to be on our side We better be on God's side. There's a big difference. We need to make sure that we're on God's side And so that's tremendous and Hebrews 314 the Bible says for We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end We're Christians before we're Americans. We're Christians before we're Californians. We're Christians above all things Because he is steadfast we get to be steadfast Hebrews 6 18 says know this that by two Immutable things God is immutable. There's No one else is immutable. That is he is perfect in which it is impossible for God to lie We might have strong Consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us this hope We have here it is as an anchor of the soul Don't you need an anchor for your soul? I do Both sure and steadfast, that's that word dependable and which enters the presence Behind the veil, that's Jesus Our confidence is in Christ as an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast That's our Jesus and you and I need an anchor in the storms of life an anchor Okay, listen, I want you to jot this down before we move on to the next point How do I train my heart isn't that you're asking anyway, okay Jack so you say I need to have my heart trained How do I do it? Here you go. Ten things you get it, right? I'm down this piece of paper right in front of the seat there in front of you Begin these disciplines for your life starting now number one. Make sure that you have a heart Make sure you have one That is a new one. Are you born again? John chapter 3 verse 3. Are you born again? Jesus said you ain't going to heaven Unless you're born again. The word born again in English is actually the word born from above in Greek to be born from above It flies in the face of having been born of the earth we've all been born of the earth We are children of Adam and Eve Jesus said to enter the kingdom of heaven. You need to be born by the Spirit which comes from above John chapter 3 Okay, the second thing is do everything you can to feed it The Bible your heart feeds on nothing. I let me rephrase Your new heart feeds on nothing but the Bible It doesn't have an appetite for anything else and I'm gonna prove it to you right now who are born again When your heart invest in things that are not of the Spirit you might have fun You might be entertained it might be exciting but when it's over You know that this was of no eternal value, you know, I'm talking about It's like going to a movie you go to a movie get popcorn. You watch this thing. What are you doing? And honestly, here's the way I think you don't want to go to a movie with me first of all Lisa hates to go to a movie with me because when I go to a movie if I I sit down and with if I can figure that movie out in three minutes and five minutes. I'm gone, baby I'm out of there money back. I try to figure out the movie and If I can figure out a movie in three to five minutes, it's not worthy of my time And you eat the popcorn and all that and what's happened? You've wasted three hours So Jack man, calm down back off. Take a chill pill. What is the deal? But Your your new heart walks around thinking how do I redeem the time and So we'll go and do something or do whatever and and is it a value now now just so you don't think I'm some sort of a creep You can go to the beach and enjoy the whole day and totally be walking or laying out in the will of God You could be Sabbath thing thinking about him Thanking him for the sand thanking him for the shore thanking him for the dolphins or whatever it is. I don't know But So often we get involved in things that that don't matter eternally So that's important number three teach it. That is your heart to praise and worship my friend You and I have to nurture our hearts to worship Don't ever think The way some people think well, you know what we can make we can do we can get the church they're just singing now a born-again heart cannot think like that a Born-again heart says I don't care what Jack says. I gotta get there before the worship begins Because that's my offering to him. That's my time with him in a corporate setting in a convocation That's my moment Teach your heart to praise and worship. Do you know the difference between praise and worship? Some people get all been out of shape It should only be praise or it should only be worship. No, the Bible says that we are to praise and worship Worship is more like those times when we're singing and it's kind of melodic and it's kind of meditative You know what I'm talking about? And it's kind of like this and that's a wonderful and then praise is more of the time where it's like this God You're awesome and God you're great Both are biblical Both we are to do for number four except the man or woman He has made you or made you in to be Your heart needs to understand this your new heart you're born-again art God listen, in fact Esther aren't we reading didn't we read about Esther today? She's gonna come to the conclusion soon in our daily Bible reading That she's come into the kingdom she's gonna hear this from Mordecai for such a time as this Guess what? Are you alive right now? Yep. Are you born again? Mm-hmm. Are you listening? Yep You've been appointed right now for such a time as this by the hand of God You understand something now whatever your life has been previously to this moment if you're a Christian today Whatever hardship difficulty in life you've had it is to the making and building of your Christian character Did you have a rough this or a good that or whatsoever? It's for your character Except the person who you are in Christ and get up and go don't look around us They I wish I was like her. I wish I was like him You're not them. You're not supposed to be her get up and go Here's the cool thing are you ready for this? I've only had about three original thoughts in my entire life and this is one of them It's very hard to have an original thought. I Remember 30 years ago really struggling with God. Why'd you save me? I'm so stupid. Why argue with him? Just say thank you very much. No, I'm gonna get in a debate with them Why'd you save me anyway? And the Lord instilled in my heart this Because I wanted to be somebody else it's like, you know, I don't want to be me and God says Jack I didn't die for your personality. I Died for your sins I Made you who you are because I like you That's freaky weird, huh? The sin issue he died for the sin issue He thinks that you know how you know that stuff in your life that You're kind of quirky about God thinks that's cool with you. We it drives us nuts, but he likes that in you It's absolutely amazing number five fellowship with those That are stronger than you in the faith that you can you can't read stronger, but that's stronger their fellowship What fellowship with those that are stranger? Is that say stranger? No, it says stronger Fellowship with those that are stronger than you are in the faith You always want to hang out with people that are gonna challenge your walk. Don't hang out with people that don't challenge your walk That's a serious thing pick your friends prayerfully Very important next one. There's ten of them Do this faithfully Do it faithfully number seven guard your heart with all diligence as the scripture watch out your heart is like a ginormous backstop And it catches things You need to maintain your heart Number eight find a quiet place to listen to God every day I'm not joking about this find a quiet place To listen to God he will bless your life Number nine learn to meditate in his word talk This is my form of meditation. This is what I mean by that. This is personal. Maybe this doesn't work for you I'll just do Bible roulette here for a second. Okay? There was a space in front of the gate chambers one cubit on this side and one Cuban on that side No, wait a minute. The gate chambers were six cubits on this side and six cubits on that side. I know what that's about That's about God that's about that's about assembling the Tabernacle in the wilderness which would eventually lead to the building of the temple because the temple was built after the model of the tabernacle But I know something about the tabernacle. It was built after the model which is or the accurate one which is in heaven above so Lord This verse right here. I pray that my life Would be patterned after the master's life Jesus that every step I take every direction I move everything I see everything I go that you give me discerning eyes discerning hands and feet God that I would walk in the spirit walk in the power that I would not fulfill the lust of my Flesh and Lord God that you would just do that in my life until I am in your heavenly temple Forever with you in Jesus name. Amen. That's meditating on his word You pray the scripture into your life Number ten pray into your heart What he's teaching you day by day, did you get a flat tire today? Lord, what's with the flat tire? Talk to me about it. Something's going on. Was did the triple-a man need to hear about Jesus? What went on in your life today that to you was a setback? Personally those interruptions that I don't really like I find out later Sometimes I miss them completely and the Lord taps me on the shoulder and says I was in that thing Jack and you missed it You made that wrong turn and you went over there and that thing and then right there. I was I was in that I was in the wrong turn Very important number two. Oh, we're in trouble number two Exercise listen to this the discipline of dependability is exercise in our new body. This is kind of fun I got to go through this one quickly, but this is kind of fun. See what I mean our new body Well, this one that's gonna take a stretch of faith. We can understand a new heart We even see that in action, but our body our bodies are pretty amazing things you guys According to the Lord, they're perfect tools for what he wants to accomplish in this world These bodies the Bible says in listen Bible says in 1st Corinthians 924. This is heavy stuff my body The scripture says is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit That is pure scripture Paul says do you not know that those who run in a race? All run but one receives the prize run in such a way that you may obtain it and Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things Has control of his body Now that now they do it for to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown Therefore I run thus not with uncertainty. He doesn't run like Forrest Gump Okay, he knows where he's going thus I fight not as one who beats the air Paul is saying man and my Christianity I look at it as a boxer and the boxers not going like this like he's a swimmer out of water I don't I'm not flailing here. I Don't beat the air He says but I discipline my body and bring it into subjection lest when I have preached to others I myself should become disqualified the spiritual aspects of our body I Think sometimes we're a little bit Gnostic in the way that we live our lives and that's wrong Well, you know in heaven it's all gonna be good then but right now I'm just a rotten stinking sinner. So oh well That's terrible The spirit leads our life and so our body should be in obedience how much of our physical being is in Relation to the our spirit being I'm gonna say 100% You may disagree with that. I understand that I'm not saying you have to believe this But I personally am based upon first Thessalonians 523 the Bible says that may the Lord now sanctify you completely body soul and spirit We are a trichotomy When I live as a Christian, I'm living for God in my body soul and spirit Soul is the word suki where we get psychology the head My thoughts that's one aspect. Another aspect is my new born-again state the spirit I'm born. I'm alive my life has been as the scriptures is quickened by the Spirit of God made alive and My body is Now the apparatus by which I execute the will of God for my life You want to know how important it is to God? This is pretty disgusting picture First Corinthians 615. Do you not know that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make the members of a harlot? Certainly not or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her For the two says the scripture shall become one flesh But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him flea sexual immorality Listen to this every sin that a man does is outside the body But he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body Sexual sin is different from all other types of sin. That's powerful, isn't it? And it's so spirit your body is such a spiritual machine for the work of God in this element in this world that the Bible says if you're if You were to join yourself to someone outside of marriage. You're joining Christ to them. That's a horrible picture It's supposed to be that's why Paul used it Galatians 6 verse 15 for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision or uncircumcision avails anything but a new creation and As many as walk according to this rule peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God From now on let no one trouble me for I bear in my body the marks the word in Greek is stigma The stigma of the Lord Jesus the word stigma here means scars bruises wounds disfigurements by the way The word also means the recognition of ownership Paul had scars all over his body and he could say you see this one I don't think I have a scar anywhere I don't think I even bruised my I'm I'm not even sure if I cut my finger before but I'm such a wimp I'm looking for something. I have a mosquito bite. Maybe right there. I'm not sure Paul would say you see this one. I got that and I got that in Cappadocia when I got Beat up there and then this one. Oh, yeah, you see these scars here my cheek. That's what they beat me up When I was in that area of Turkey and My back he put up his shirt. Oh my goodness Paul's back must have been Horrible to look at He had been beaten so many times Several times he received the Roman 39 slash lashes 39 lashes which often killed people. Can you imagine his back the scar tissue? The disfigurement of Paul Paul says, okay. Oh, yeah, you think who are you? I'm Paul. Oh, yeah, you big Christian Man, well, I don't know about that, but I bears I bear the stigma of Christ in my body. I don't My faith's for real Wow, can I give you ten things? We're out of time. Can I give you ten things? I'll go fast. Just write them down Exercise in our new body remind your body that it's remind your body of its proper place. It ain't God Okay, so stop treating it like God or a God it's your body it's a tool Number two, don't be so quick to obey its first impulses It screams all the time. It's always yelling at you three You will not die if you don't get that thing For take physical care of yourself for him He wants to use your body. You can't go around the world preaching the gospel If you're abusing your body Five Enslave your body to the things of God Enslave your body to the things of God Six do that thing faithfully Seven receive his virginity for your body. I should say receive His virginity for your body again. Are you single? and You think you've blown it. You're not a virgin now. You're saying you're Christian. It's oh my goodness. I'm I'm wasted goods I'm damaged goods. No, you're not Listen whole world. Listen to this Only Jesus lets you become a virgin again Only Jesus lets you start over again That's awesome And body soul and spirit you can start brand new again with your body. It's amazing Only through Jesus, isn't it? Great. That's wonderful number nine expose yourself to godly environments If Jesus delivered you from a life of drinking then don't go to the bar to get a glass of water Okay, if you have a hard time with pornography do not use what is it the 60 freeway Don't go there take the 10 or the 91 you have a problem with temper Then then don't watch extreme fight night stuff Be wise 10 keep a watchful eye out for snares Things that will trip you up Snares number three point number three. We're so over. Let's just keep going to the sunrise Number three is this ordering our new life We need to order our new life. How do we do that? Personally for me, this is the big deal. This is the this is ordering the new life as a christian This is the biggest thing in my life personally And it means this the the new structure of the born-again life The discipline of dependability is creating now in ordering a new life I have so many scriptures that I can't read Maybe they can just flash them up on the screens and let them go down starting with colossians 3 you guys can write them down As he puts them up colossians 3 verses 2 through 5. This is your homework roman 7 21 To chapter 8 verse 1. That's a great one galatians 6 verses 5 through 8 about reaping and sowing in life Second corinthians 9 6 through 7 is regarding spiritual matters in the kingdom of god be very very extravagant With your devotion to god and james 5 verses 7 through 9 be patient Establish your hearts James ends in verse 9 saying do not complain against brothers and sisters By the way, did you know something you're not going to want to hear this but the more a christian complains It is proof positive of their distance from their walk with god You cannot be a whiner a grumbler and a complainer and be near to the lord when you hear a christian griping and grumbling about this thing and about that thing and about It's because you've lost or they've lost the picture of him on his throne And there's no fear of god in that when we gripe and complain I don't know why and I help in this thing and I boy I and it's and wow and That i'm saying you know what? I mean and all that stuff You're far from god You're far from god you're in the desert And so And so we're at we're out of time. Oh, and I have 10 more things I have these 10 things I have these 10 things regarding Regarding this it's it's important. Um Our new life number one You guys already know this one put them on the screens you guys it's what you've been doing now, right? Wake up early I wish I had like a military outfit on right now Wake up early Make uncomfortable changes in your life Make uncomfortable changes get out of the comfort zone. The comfort zone will kill you Okay, three No bible No prayer, then you don't get to eat any food Every day get up If you don't read your bible if you don't pray then you don't get to eat He's are you crazy? I am absolutely Totally right on Make a deal with god god. I will not eat any food in the morning Until i've read my bible and prayed Let me tell you something you will read your bible and you will pray because you want that grand slam For ask yourself, how will this affect my walk with god? Hey jack, come on you want to go Wait, how will this affect my walk with god? Five present yourself to him for whatever he wants Six That's romans 12 lord here I am What's the next one? Do that thing faithfully. Did you notice that's in all three of those? Seven establish yourself in righteousness do the right thing Don't do the thing that you want to do Can remember the first impulse? Hey Back off Usually the thing that comes first Is usually the wrong thing Calm down slow down rethink it pray Then watch what happens establish yourself in righteousness number eight obey what you know If in doubt obey the word Nine trust him for the outcome rest And number ten thank him and everything We'll end with this Thank him and everything You cannot the probably the greatest sin in a family in my opinion when it comes to i'm talking somewhat normal family Is when a child is ungrateful There's nothing you can do about it mom dad, you know painfully there's nothing you can do To make your child be grateful And it comes right now back to where we started young people today I mean this with all love You need to know what it's like to work hard plot along You need to know listen you need to know how to deal with defeat so You master that And you long for victory you need to know what it's like to have to be dependent upon And isn't that not true you say yeah jack you tell those young people that's all i'm gonna get this tape for those young people Listen god is saying to all of us You'll never Have deep character in the things of god without a consistent dependable ongoing steadfast life And every one of us as believers tonight need to be embarked on a journey where people are dependent upon us church Did you hear me? This is vital Look around your christian life and ask yourself this question In the family of god Who depends upon me If you don't know you must change that now pray and change that Father we thank you for your word Lord we ask in jesus name That you would make us incredible awesome faithful dependable steadfast christians That love you above all things That are fearless In our faith no longer timid But lord out front being point men For the kingdom of god to stand for righteousness to expose injustice To look around this world to look around lord our lives And say lord here I am send me Father I pray now that as we worship you in closing may we bless you By making this song a prayer from our hearts out of our lips to your throne Even now church, let's stand and let's bless him in this closing song together