Christ My Example

[00:00:00] This audio sermon is provided by AnabaptistSermons.com and may be freely copied and distributed. You may not sell or edit this sermon. Our prayer is that you would be blessed by this ministry. Get out my laptop here. Good morning. Good morning, children. Hmm, pretty good the first time. [00:00:35] It's good to be here. I have been blessed already. Last time I was up here, I talked about 1 John 2, verse 6. He that saith he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. So we have an example here. [00:01:14] Who is that example? Who is he? President? Was it Moses as he walked? It's Christ. We all know that. What a dumb question. So the message title is Christ My Example. He's not an example to each one of you. [00:01:45] He's an example to me. My example. He is your example, but I don't want to look at him as your example. For some reason, all of a sudden, you look like grace. Like huge, for some reason. He's my example. He's not the example. He's my example, even though He is the example, if you know what I mean. But that hit me a little different. Yes, Christ is our example. And sometimes that is made in a very broad sense. [00:02:16] And I started thinking about it as mine. He's my example to follow. Let's pause for a word of prayer real quick. Lord, I thank you for being here and I know that you are and I pray that you would speak to my heart and that you would speak to each one of our hearts and help us to have our hearts open to receive your word. [00:02:51] No matter how hard it may be, help us to receive it with joy. Help us to receive it with open eyes and open ears and open hearts. In Jesus' name, Amen. It's also talking about, this verse is talking about walking. Last time I talked about, I think it was last time, I don't know what I was talking about. Maybe it was to the boys. [00:03:24] About following somebody into the mud. If you're not looking at where you're walking, not paying attention to where you're walking and what you're doing, very soon you end up in the mud. Maybe. Or if you, you know, when I'm walking through the pasture into the barn to feed the cows, I watch where I'm walking or else I end up in trouble with stinky feet, stinky shoes. So I wanted to look a little bit at, there's four references I wanted to look at. [00:03:59] Look at a sinful walk where Christ is not our example. The first one is in Deuteronomy chapter 29. I'm going to have a lot of scriptures today, references, one verse here and one verse here, one verse here. Hopefully we are all scholars, got our pencils out, papers ready. [00:04:34] Because when I start thinking about, there's no way I can cover this subject. and Christ our example. You start looking at his life, read the New Testament, read the Gospels. There's no way I can cover everything. So hopefully this will cause you to... You know, there's a lot of people who will say we need to keep our eyes focused on Christ. [00:05:04] Well, that's an easy thing to say, but how do we do it? Or do we do it? In our everyday life, tomorrow morning, are we going to be focused on Christ? On Thursday at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, are we going to be focused on Christ? And is Christ my focus? Is He my example? Do I realize this is a man that I want to follow after? If we say that we abide in Him, we ought to walk as He walked. [00:05:39] So, I want to focus on his example to me. Here in Deuteronomy chapter 29, I'm not sure where to start. Maybe verse 17, And you saw their abominations and their idols, which were among them wood and stone and silver and gold, so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God [00:06:16] to go and serve the gods of these nations and that there may be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood and so it may not happen when he hears the words of this curse that he blesses himself in his heart saying I shall have peace, even though I followed the dictates of my heart, as though the drunkard could be included with the sober. Then in verse 20, the Lord would not spare him, and he goes on. [00:06:54] But verse 19 caught my attention. That he blesses himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart. There were many, many years when I lived following the dictates of my heart, blessing myself, giving excuses for myself, for the way I was living, for the way I was thinking. You know, excusing myself really quickly, you know, well, look at the good that I'm doing, so, you know, this isn't so bad. [00:07:29] I wasn't really loving the truth and hating sin, abhorring evil. And I think that if I don't, if we don't keep our minds, our minds, not just our thoughts, not just our words, If we don't keep our minds focused on Christ as our example and we try to follow Him, if we are not trying to follow Him, we will bless ourselves in our hearts saying, [00:08:01] I shall have peace even though I follow the dictates of my heart. As though the drunkard could be included with the sober. The next one is in Jeremiah chapter 7 verses 23 and 24. But this is what I commanded to them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people, and walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you. [00:08:31] Yet they did not obey or incline their ear but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts and went backward and not forward. I pray that as we read these scriptures that you will try and apply them to your life. I don't know where you're at. And I pray that we can be honest. If there's no honesty, if there's no honesty in my life, what does it get me? It gets me nowhere. If I lie to myself and I say that I'm better than who I really am, and I say these words that make myself look better, if I even think thoughts that make myself look better, what does that gain me? [00:09:30] I pray that God convicts, I pray that God comforts, I pray that God encourages. Just, you know, if you are not following Christ, if Christ is not your example, I pray that you would be so convicted, but yet if you are, if Christ is your all in all, [00:10:11] it's not just a word on your lips, but if he's your all in all, may you be so encouraged and strengthened. Ephesians chapter 2 And you, verse 1, Ephesians chapter 2, verse 1 And you He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins. [00:10:44] Hallelujah. If that's you. Is that you? Verse 2 In which you once walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath just as the others. [00:11:21] You know, is that me this morning? Is that you? Even in the smallest way, the thing that stuck out to me was the desires of the flesh. Okay, that's easy. But what of the mind? Desires of the mind. And are there ways in which, you know, just checking ourselves, where am I at? Where are you at? What do you think about? What are you focused on? [00:11:57] What are you into? What am I into? Philippians 3 Verse 17 Brethren, join in following my example and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern. Boy, this guy had... He knew where he was. [00:12:29] He knew who he was in Christ. Look at him. He says, follow me. You have us for a pattern. I don't know if I can stand up here and say that. Maybe in some ways I can say that. I mean, because maybe I can say that. But I still, I see areas where I still need to grow, so I'm not sure if I can say that. [00:13:04] But would you be able to write this to a church, to the Philippians, to the city of Shipshuana? Verse 18, for many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly their terrible selfish and whose glory is in their shame [00:13:35] who set their mind on earthly things We have talked a lot about the two kingdom concept and that came to mind thinking about these earthly things. And I know how easy it is to get all wrapped up in the things of this earth and even moving into a house that I put God aside, family devotions aside. [00:14:12] And, oh, but we've got to get moved in the house. No, we don't. We don't have to get moved into a house. You know, what is most important for me? So, you know, as I started looking at Christ, my example, I wanted to look at my life and I wanted to see where I really was in my devotion to Him, in my, how committed am I? [00:14:48] Where do I stand? What is my desire? Do I say that I want to go to the nursing home because I want to minister to these old people? Or do I do it just to make myself look good? Where am I? Where are you? Where are you at? And then, am I really following Christ? [00:15:25] Am I really laying everything down, putting my nets down, leaving everything, leaving my tools, and following Him? Is He my example? What is so great is looking at Christ. You ever heard of Caesar? And there's another big warrior. Starts with an A. Alexander. Alexander the Great. I don't know my history very good. But I think I kind of have to remember that these guys did not tell their men, [00:16:02] All right, you guys go fight that group over there, that city or whoever. I don't know. I wish I knew history, but I think I remember that those guys led their people, their warriors, they were right in the battle, they didn't sit back and let everybody else do the fighting and that's what, that's who I see Christ, Christ, he went before us and he endured everything, went through everything that we did [00:16:35] Which is hard to imagine, but he did. The Bible says that he did. In John 10, verse 4. I like the way King James puts it better than the new King James. John 10, verse 4, Jesus said, And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the shepherd follow him, for they know his voice. [00:17:08] He's talking about a shepherd here who leads his sheep. And he's saying that he is the good shepherd. Christ has went before us, and we are to follow him. In John 13, verse 13, You call me teacher and Lord, and you say, well, for so I am. [00:17:39] If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. And then going to 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 15 and 16. But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy. [00:18:18] What does it mean to be holy? Do we see God as holy? Holy is complete. Holy is healthy in spirit. There was truth within Him, spoken by Him, acted by Him. I'm not sure, I'm thinking there would be a sermon just on that. He was holy and He's calling us to be holy. [00:18:49] Luke 14 verse 27 and whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. [00:19:25] You know, there's so much in that. What does it mean to bear his cross? You know, are you, I think I remember Elmer speaking, I had a message on choosing to suffer, I think. I forget the title of it. I don't think I was here, but I heard a little bit about it. You know, are we choosing to suffer with Christ? Christ, we've taken up our cross. Because if we don't, we cannot be His disciple. Matthew 11, verse 29. Sorry for skipping all around. Suffer. Well, yeah, sorry. [00:20:02] Verse 28 And this is, you know, I often long for rest for my body. Cam, you ever get tired? You just want to sleep. You don't want to work no more. Especially Saturday afternoons, I just want to be done. You know? And I often just want rest for my body. But how much more important is it to be looking for rest for my soul? You know the difference. [00:20:37] Verse 28 of Matthew 11. Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Okay, great. So I can relax my body and sleep. I don't think that's what he's talking about. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle. King James says meek. Do the same thing. for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. [00:21:09] Rest for our souls. That's way different than resting. As if our souls are not resting, is that restful? I think, do I have to go into an illustration? A guy who, you know, tries to find satisfaction in the world. I mean, what ways did you try to satisfy yourself in the world, looking for rest, but it didn't work so good? [00:21:44] Hebrews 7, verse 26. For such a high priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens. Here we see Christ as our perfect example, as the perfect high priest. [00:22:27] And am I following that example? Am I holy? Am I harmless? Am I undefiled, separate from sinners? It was a question that I had to ask myself. We read in 1 Peter chapter 1 a call to holiness. Christ was holy first. He's calling us to holiness. [00:22:57] In 1 John chapter 3, verse 3, He is calling us to purity. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure. So we are to follow in those footsteps. There are so many footsteps that we need to follow Him in. And when I'm done through all of these, you're going to think, man, how in the world? [00:23:33] But we'll talk about that later. Then going to John 13, verse 34. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this, all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. None of these verses are new to you. I know they're not. Trying to put them all together to look at Christ's example and what he's calling us to. [00:24:08] He's calling us to love one another. How is it that we love one another? You know, does love, does, you know, love is not going to think ill or is not going to think the worst. Jamie says something and I'm going to think that he meant it for bad automatically. You know how that is. Somebody can say something and you can take it one of two ways. [00:24:41] You choose how you take it. Maybe it's kind of said in a... I was trying so hard to think of an illustration and I couldn't. So maybe you know what I'm talking about. But something is said. Patty says something. You know what? What's she trying to... I can automatically think that she said she meant it to hurt somebody or me or my family. That's not love. [00:25:12] And also in Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 5, verse 2, actually I'll read the first verse too. Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us in offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. We could have a sermon on just His love. [00:25:46] He gave Himself. Do you ever give yourself for somebody? And what does that look like to you? To love as Christ loved us. Giving Himself for us. And here, Christ is calling us to be imitators of Him. King James says followers. and love. If you look at how Jesus loved his life, [00:26:18] he loved the little children. He wanted them to come unto him. He loved the widow, was tender to her, raised her son from the dead. He obviously loved sinners. He came to seek and to save. You know, I had to think of that Do I seek out a sinner? I know I can't save them, but do I seek out a sinner to lead them to Christ? [00:26:52] Sometimes I know that there's been times when I feel like I talk to somebody, especially in Jamaica, I sought them out thinking I could save them. You do that, it's never going to work. You can love them to the point and care for them that you lead them to Christ, not that you can save them. You can't save them. Another thing about Christ's love that was challenging to me was that He loved His Father first. [00:27:32] Not second after his wife, he loved his, I guess he didn't have a wife. He loved God, his father, first. Above anything else in the world, above volleyball, above work, above your car. Brittany, you don't love your car, I know. Above anything, photography, you wouldn't name it. He loved his father first. And I thought of the question for myself, who do you love, Dwayne? [00:28:05] Do I only love those who love me? Who do you love? What do you love more than Christ? Maybe I love myself. Maybe I live within myself. Maybe myself is all my world. And then I had to think, a question came to mind when I was thinking of all that. You know, is myself the most important thing? [00:28:42] Do I look out after myself? Christ never looked out after himself. Then I had to think, you know, maybe he did because he went away into the garden. To do what? What did he do? Read a book? Took time out for himself? Christ removed himself, built himself a fire and just kicked back, relax. No. And I had a guy tell me one time, he meant it for good. He really did. He said, hey, even Christ took some time to himself. [00:29:13] And he was trying to encourage us in Jamaica to say, hey, take some time off, you know, you're a little stressed out. It was good advice, but I think he used the wrong illustration. Christ removed himself to pray. Christ didn't remove himself to go camping and relax. And I'm not saying that's wrong because I love camping. But just look at how he was so, he was not into himself. [00:29:45] He did not love himself. It's quite obvious that he gave himself. And then I had to think of the question, so right away the word critical. Why am I critical then? Is it because I love myself? What makes us critical? It would be a good discussion. I don't have the answer. What makes us critical of others? Because we love ourselves so much, we're critical of Jim. He does this and this and that makes me feel better. I don't know. What makes us critical? [00:30:15] It was a question that I had. Going on and looking at Christ as humble. Luke 22. I wish I would have just wrote them all down. 22 verse 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table or he who serves? [00:30:48] Who would you think is greater, Cam? He who sits at the table or he who serves? You know, a lot of times I like to sit at the table. Hey, want to get me a drink? Boys do it too. Hey, grab me that drink over there. And I know they're not thinking, I'm bigger than you are, but I had to think of that when I read this verse. It is not he who sits at the table, yet I am among you as the one who serves. Christ served. Are we ones who serve or do we want to be served? [00:31:24] and if we want others to serve us and I don't know how to make it practical because I know that we don't sit around wishing that you would boy, I wish somebody would bring me a cup of coffee you know, in that way where we think I think I'm better than Justin Justin, you need to bring me a drink but in what way In what ways do we, are we selfish enough in the little ways? [00:32:02] And also Philippians 2, verse 5 and 7. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. How degrading to come down to man, to be as a man. [00:32:34] I had to think of myself, if I'm going to make myself into an ant or a dog that goes around and nasty stuff they eat. And Christ was obedient. We should follow His example of obedience. John chapter 15 verse 10 [00:33:05] If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full And that is through obedience And I know it seems like a lot of people are scared of the word obedience They're not scared or they don't want to say it, they don't like it You must obey Well, Christ obeyed, He's calling us to obey [00:33:36] Look, I obeyed, now you obey It's that simple LaVon talked about simple obedience. That leads to what? Victory. Look at Christ and how He obeyed His Father and how that led to victory. Christ denied Himself. Matthew 16 [00:34:09] Verse 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. We can look at how He ministered to others in a couple of verses. There's tons of them, but I just picked out a couple. In Matthew 20, Verse 28 [00:34:40] Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. And then also, I had to think of the one also on the foot wash and how He ministered to them. He was also benevolent. Every time I read that word somewhere, I think, what does that mean? [00:35:14] What is benevolent? So I look it up every time, and then the next time I read it, I always forget again. Benevolence is kindness to do good. And benevolence is that kind of love for mankind. And it has a desire to promote their happiness. If so, I love Jim so much that I want to promote his happiness, or you, or you, or you. Do I love that? Do I love you that much, Britt, that I want to promote your happiness? [00:35:47] Forget my happiness, what's your, what would make you happy? And I found that in Acts chapter 20. Maybe I wrote it down wrong. Verse 35, I have shown you in every way by laboring like this that you must support the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he said, [00:36:31] It is more blessed to give than to receive. That is so very... There's a lot of little children. I mean, I knew that from little on up. It's more blessed to give than to receive. Every Christmas, every Christmas, every Christmas. It's more blessed to give than to receive. You should give and not expect anything in return. And we just say it and say it, but do I believe it with all of my heart? Do I follow Christ in that way? Do I follow His example? [00:37:06] And then I had to think of forgiving. I had to think of Jesus when He was on the cross. Somebody tell me where Colossians is. Colossians 3, verse 13. This is something different. I had to think of Jesus on the cross [00:37:38] when it comes to forgiving. What did He say just before He died? Even look at Stephen's example. Lord, forgive them. Don't put this to their charge. And Jesus said, here He has the weight of the world, all this pain, all this sin. He's dying for you and me. He's given up Himself. He's lived this life of sacrifice. Life of sacrifice. Not a couple years of sacrifice. It's a life of sacrifice. And then He says, and you know how it feels when people hurt you, when they say things about you, when they don't literally spit in your face or kick you in the shins, but with words they just smash you down and make you feel stupid. And here, all these people, the world, everybody is leaving Him and then he says, forgive them. [00:38:29] Somebody didn't tell him, or maybe God was telling him, his father was telling him to forgive. But no, he's praying to his father saying, Father, forgive them because they don't know what they're doing. You know, he didn't have his dad beside him or his mother or his uncle or a brother in the church saying, look, you need to forgive them. No, he just, Father, forgive them for they don't know what they do. And then in Colossians chapter 3 verse 13, I'll read 12. [00:39:01] Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another and forgiving one another. If anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. We read in John 17, verse 16, that it says, [00:39:42] They are not of the world. He's talking about His disciples. Just as I am not of the world. Are we of the world? Do we have our minds in the world, on the world? In 1 Peter, it talks about Jesus being guileless. I wrote that. What does it mean to be guile? I wrote that down somewhere. Guile is cunning, deceit, and crafty. [00:40:22] And then in 1 Peter 2, verse 23, it talks about him suffering wrongfully. I've already talked about that. And, you know, if we look at all these, it's overwhelming. It's almost overwhelming just the same way if I would tell maybe Carrington, look, you're going to be in charge of framing this house. And I give them this list of everything that goes into building this house. [00:40:53] Here it is, Carrington. And I know Jamie feels that way sometimes at work. Okay, do this, this, and I'm explaining everything. I got it pictured in my head how it needs to be. And when I'm all done with the instruction, he says, Okay, now what? And then I'm like, Oh, look, I just got in telling you. Okay, and I get this attitude. All right, now look. You put one foot in front of the other, you take this nail, and that's my attitude. [00:41:25] So I don't want you to feel that way. Because it looks big, it looks overwhelming. It's like, how in the world can I ever do that? How in the world? How can I live like Christ? Glennon's back there scratching his head. I know not for that reason. How do we do it? You know, Christ, you know, if I would, Christ has called us to follow Him, right? [00:42:08] He says, follow me. He has promised His Holy Spirit. Where did I put that? In John 14, I didn't write it down, but I think it's in John 14. Verse 15, If you love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father, and he will give you another helper, that he may abide with you forever. [00:42:45] The Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and He will be in you. Amen, somebody. Man! So, we have the promise. We have a promise that the Holy Spirit will be with us. You know, Jesus doesn't call us to Him and give us these list of things to do to be, look at my example and follow me. [00:43:19] You know, walk right behind me. Walk as I walked. And then he makes us feel a way we can't do it. And so then he's going to say, well, then just forget it. Because that's what I want to tell Jamie sometimes. He doesn't do that. So he gives us his helper. He has called you. He has called me. And so that means that you can and you will be like him and follow him and walk even as he walked. You know, if there's Michael Jordan, Peyton, you ever want to be like Michael Jordan? [00:43:56] Probably not. Maybe. Or some, I don't know, any famous, I had to think of volleyball, some big volleyball. Maybe Cameron or Carrington wants to be like Jamie. So he's going to, I don't know some big volleyball, huh? But if, or I had to think of, well, okay, if Jamie wants to be better in volleyball, he's going to watch somebody. You know, if I want to be better in basketball, I'm going to watch Michael Jordan. And you're going to watch videos and you're going to watch everything about him. [00:44:31] You know, how does he shoot? How does he, I remember watching him, you know, when he'd go around, Somebody's dribbling, you kind of put his elbow out, you know, and kind of push off a little bit. I taught that to Jamie, too. You know, the little, you're going to watch him close, you're going to study so you can be better. Same with volleyball. Jamie was telling me, well, you got to, it's how you turn, you know, it's how you jump. I land on this foot and I don't know what all that means, but he's got it. You know, he's learning how. [00:45:02] And Dustin wants to be a better accountant. Imagine getting married, you think you got it all together getting married and you know everything that, no I don't really mean that, but what I know now about being married is way far more than what I did way back then. So as we, you know, we always want to be doing better. And it would be so overwhelming if I would know everything that I know now back at your stage. I would just say, whoa, there's no way. But for some reason, God shows us from glory to glory. One little glimpse of Him here. A little glimpse of Him here. But we'll never see it if we aren't looking. We'll never see it if we're never abiding in Him. If we're not even trying. Jamie's never going to be a better volleyball player if he's not even trying. I'm watching how the guys set up and how they swing their arms. [00:46:05] I don't know what all it takes, but they hit that ball hard. You know, there's a technique in doing it. You've got to learn. It's because he wants to. Do I want to follow Christ? Do I just say it? Jamie can say he wants to be a better volleyball player, but I'm watching his life and he ain't getting no better. He's just sitting around doing nothing. He's not doing what he knows. How are you going to get any better? Do you really want to? He comes to me, I want to do better. [00:46:38] I just, I want to be a better volleyball player, Dad, but he ain't doing nothing. I thought of a bunch of things, you know, Jim laying tile, me laying tile. You know, a lot of times I walk through Lowe's and I pick up this tile book and there's different ideas and different, When I, hey, how do you do this? And he says, oh, boy, that'd be so easy. There's all kinds of little stuff. I'm learning. I'm trying to be better. We want to be the best we can be in what we want to do. [00:47:19] Dustin's going to be the best accountant that he can be. He's trying to be the best butcher, Paul Barn Builder, Paul Barn Builder, the best house builder because we want to. And I could go on and on about that because it speaks so loudly to me. What do I really want? Do I really for real? I say it. I say it to my children. I say it to you as a church. I say it to myself. I want to do better. I want to be a Christian. I want to live for Him. [00:47:49] But have I given up everything like Christ? Every thought, my ways, what I want to do when I'm bored, everything. And just put it out there, forget it. Christ, I don't know what you're doing, but you're telling me to give away my last penny. Does anybody know what that's like? I don't know what it's like. [00:48:22] Lord, I want to do this. I want to, I want to, I want to, I want to put anything in there that you really want to do. You know, we all live in the flesh. And for us men, look, there's a lovely lady walking across the street. I really want to look at her. Boys, you lay that aside. I ain't gonna. [00:48:54] give up yourself die to yourself the way of Christ the call of Christ Christ is calling us to follow him the call of Christ is to die not to live you must die die with him does Christ have my attention what has my attention These days, what, what is? [00:49:37] There's so many ways that churches today want to try and get your attention to bring you into church. And your attention is all this. What's your attention on day after day? I'm not talking about right now. Maybe your attention isn't up here and maybe it's not on the Lord, but I'm thinking that it is. You know what I'm saying. I'm not talking about right now. What is it in life? What is it on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday and Saturday? Where is your attention? Where is my attention? On moving into my house? Is my attention on my children? Which it should be, but is it on my attention on them more than it is on God? I hope not. I'll never win. [00:50:23] You know, our children, your children, Corbin, will be like Leon in some ways. You know, your children are going to be like you. You're critical, they'll be critical. Ask Jamie. I'm critical. I think I'm getting better. Jamie's critical, because I was critical on him. You know, even the words that you say, Is this all we're having? My boys pick up on that, and so they ask, When we go to some place, hey, this is all we're having. [00:50:58] You know, they pick up on, they're going to be like you. Why? Because we're always together, you know. We live in the same house. We dwell together. We abide together. We will be like Christ if we abide in Him. If you say you abide in Him, you ought to also walk as He walked. One last verse I want to call our attention to is in 2 Corinthians. [00:51:37] 2 Corinthians 3 verse 18 But we all, with unveiled face, King James says, open face, Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed. transformed, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory just as by the Spirit of the Lord. [00:52:26] Now look, yes, there's an all of a sudden change when you become a Christian and you choose Christ, but are you seeing each glory, each little glory, as Christ talks to you, as the Holy Spirit speaks to you, as you abide with Him, each glory, each time you see Him, each time you see His face, Each time He gives you a truth, each time He steps on your toe, are you becoming more like Him? [00:52:57] Are you allowing Him to transform you? To change you into what He wants, not what you want. I want to be a pilot. No, God says, I want you to go to Africa. You forget. I want to have a big house and a couple cars and a nice tractor and all that. No, I want you to go to China. And we can't hardly imagine ourselves doing something like that. [00:53:31] For real? Are we there? What does God want for you? What does He want for you? What does He want for you, Carrington? Who does He want you to be? Are you willing to just lay down your life and say, here's my life. I'm going to follow you. That's what it is to follow Him. It's my prayer that we can each be changed and transformed from glory to glory. Kate said amen, brother. I hope that's what you're thinking. I think it's really amen so much, but I think it's really not. He made it real simple. You love God or don't you? [00:54:30] And if you just use this idea of volleyball, and, you know, Jamie says there's a tournament this week, I think the end of this week, and if we were all there, we'd all go watch, and Jamie would point out to me this guy, there's a guy over there on the third court, I think there's like eight courts there, four courts, someone's over there on the third court, Jim, you've got to see this guy, you've got to go over there and see him. And I would go over there and he'd show me this guy, this guy, blue sweats, okay, so I got the guy all pegged blue sweats, and this guy would be worthless, worthless, like me, goes up and swings at it and it flies off the side of his fist so the next time he just, you know, he's afraid to use his fist because you don't know where the ball's going to go, so you just hit it with your hand and it's this flimsy little, little wannabe. [00:55:29] and, uh, what do you, what do you call it when Spike, his wannabe Spike, you know, that's so soft that even a girl gets it back. Sorry, I know you guys, the girls are as good as the boys, but in my day, you know, a girl hit it back and, and so they don't even set to him anymore. And I, this is the guy, yeah, this is the guy. I wouldn't believe him because the guy's no good. Look, it's no different in the Christian life. Let's not say we're somebody we're not. It's very simple to tell if we love God or if we don't. It's very simple. Do we love him? Do we want to? [00:56:03] You know, it comes down to, in the Christian life, it's different from volleyball in that you are who you want to be and not what you do. You are who you want to be. Who do you want to be? You are what you want to do. We often don't get it done in the Christian life, but you are what you want. What do you want? That's why James said that those who want to be a friend of the world, Whoever therefore will be a friend of the world. There's about as many people who are friends of the world because they want to [00:56:35] than who actually get to carry it out. So I want to hear what God said to you. I wanted to also say that devotions was kind of the key to the sermon too because what we all need is a stone cut out, not by hands, not with hands. You know, when he read that Daniel 2 scripture, it's a stone cut out, not with hands. That's the part he read. It hit the base of the thing that's in your life. [00:57:06] Just think of it in that way. Forget about the games of the world. It hit the base of that giant. That's the thing in your life that you need to have taken care of. It hits the base. You don't even know where the ball came from, where the stone came from. It's not cut out with hands. And when it's done, there's nothing left except dust. and then this stone that hit it just grows. Amen. Because I always try to rationalize out all these things. Okay, I'm quiet now. [00:57:42] You can say something. And if you're not sure what to say, what verse out of the verses that he gave meant, came alive to you? My thoughts were also kind of along the lines of who I want to be. [00:58:22] Something that kind of came back from a sermon somewhere, I think it's a statement that if we're not longing for something, I think it's an original sermon on the mountain, but if we're not longing for something, then we're not going to get it. Anabaptist, Anabaptist, Anabaptist, Anabaptist [00:59:12] The verse in Deuteronomy that we read, 29 verse 19 especially, So it may not happen when he hears the words of this curse that he blots himself in his heart, saying I shall have peace even though I follow dead kids in my heart [00:59:44] as though the drunkard should be included with the sober sounds a little bit like well if you're a drunkard you're not going to be included with the sober like that's so obvious so I guess that just kind of I never read that verse well I guess I probably read it before but I never really thought about it I can't follow whatever my heart wants to do and then expect to be accepted by God that way and expect to be included with those who follow what God wants them to do if I'm following what my heart wants me to do. [01:00:22] That was just a challenge to me. One of the greatest reassurances to me is when there's something, I tend to get wrapped up in things for a time. Whatever it may be, it might have my interest, or maybe it's a number of days or weeks or whatever, but I know that God has done this over and over for me, [01:01:18] That I realize this is, I find myself wanting to do this more than some of the things I should be doing. And God is faithful in changing our desires and diminishing those desires of not a bad thing, whether it's whatever it may be, but it occupies time that should be designated for something else. God is faithful. If we ask him to give us the right priorities and to specifically diminish our desire in an area, I believe we will. [01:02:00] He has had to do that a number of times for me and just did it again just recently and so it's a God we serve and follow is a gracious God. Thank you. If we could only see that to God it's just the way that that verse says that Brittany used. [01:02:42] To God it's just as clear as the drunk or the sober guy. Even if we're all saved, but the times when we don't feel like it and we're dragging and we're not pushing along, And we think, and I think you can't see it, you know, when I'm in a slump. And I have been, by the way. I think you all can't see it, but the God is, you know, he just sees right through all of that. [01:03:16] And I want to read that verse from 2 Corinthians again. but we all, all, amen, all, we all, not five of us, all of us, we all here at Faith Community Chapel all of us with open face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord [01:03:50] are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory just as by the Spirit of the Lord. What I would want to say to all of us at Faith Community Chapel is if you are in a slump, you're still being transformed into His image. It doesn't matter where you find yourself because I have found myself at the bottom of the slump And without the rooster crowing over my head, I could have never gotten to the hill that I was hoping to get to. [01:04:29] And the bottom of your slump often involves a rooster. It does. About the third crow, you start to see what's happening. You start to see what's happening. It's not all bad sometimes. Well, does somebody have a course? Jamie, you have a course? That'd be fitting. I know how to come up here and try to eke out some testimonies on how to have a course. [01:05:08] Somebody have a course? Anybody? Somebody know that? Ah, Jamie knows every course. From glory to glory he's changing me, changing me, changing me, this image and life is stored in the to-be. Oh, we'll probably remember it because we didn't know it, right? [01:05:46] Why don't we all stand and we'll have prayer and be dismissed. Dustin, you want to dismiss us with prayer?