WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:07.120 Jesus frequently took a very common word like student, pupil, disciple, apprentice, 2 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:11.119 and he adds new meaning to it. He infuses it, 3 00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:13.839 He injects new meaning into it. And so I want 4 00:00:13.880 --> 00:00:17.679 us to look at Jesus definition of what it means 5 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:20.879 to be a disciple, because about ten times in scripture, 6 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:25.480 Jesus says, if you do this, then you're my disciple. 7 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:29.679 If you do this, then you can follow me. Look 8 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:34.759 at this verse on the screen. If you continue and 9 00:00:34.840 --> 00:00:39.240 what I say lives in you continues in you, then 10 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:42.280 you can ask anything you want and it'll be yours. 11 00:00:42.280 --> 00:00:45.359 That's quite a promise. In prayer said, if you're living 12 00:00:45.399 --> 00:00:47.200 in me and my words living in you, you can 13 00:00:47.240 --> 00:00:49.759 ask for whatever you want, it'll be yours. You give 14 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:52.840 glory to my father when you produce a lot of fruit, 15 00:00:53.719 --> 00:00:58.079 and therefore show that you're my disciples. Now, he says, 16 00:00:58.679 --> 00:01:01.759 you got to continue. It's a process, it's a strategy, 17 00:01:01.799 --> 00:01:04.280 it's a journey. If you're going to continue to grow 18 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:06.040 the rest of your life, and that's what I'm trying 19 00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:09.319 to help you do, You're going to need a couple things. First. 20 00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:13.280 You need a plan, You need a track to run on. 21 00:01:13.799 --> 00:01:17.359 You need a pathway, you need some guidelines, you need 22 00:01:17.400 --> 00:01:22.599 a trail, you need a process. Jesus had a plan 23 00:01:22.920 --> 00:01:27.400 for helping his disciples grow from immaturity to spiritual maturity. 24 00:01:28.120 --> 00:01:30.560 And he starts off where they were, not where they 25 00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:32.519 ought to be. He starts off where they are. He 26 00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:34.920 loves them, and he takes them through each step to growth. 27 00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:38.879 Now when they're growing, he loves them at every stage. 28 00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:43.319 Listen to this. Jesus loves you. God loves you at 29 00:01:43.400 --> 00:01:46.120 every stage of your maturity. But he does want you 30 00:01:46.200 --> 00:01:50.400 to grow, and you need a pathway. Jesus had a plan, 31 00:01:50.799 --> 00:01:54.280 and that pathway was teaching his disciples first to know 32 00:01:54.439 --> 00:01:59.239 him and then to love him, and then to grow 33 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:03.480 in him, and then to serve him and then to 34 00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:07.120 share him. It's like a baby. A baby has to 35 00:02:07.239 --> 00:02:13.159 learn to breathe, then it learns to eat, Then it 36 00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:18.360 learns to walk, and then it learns to talk. We 37 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:21.599 all grow at different stages and greats, but every one 38 00:02:21.639 --> 00:02:25.120 of us went through those exact same physical stages, and 39 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:31.199 there are spiritual stages in spiritual growth too. If you 40 00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:35.919 want to grow, you must develop good habits. Would you 41 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:40.919 write that down? Spiritual growth is a matter of good habits, 42 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:44.639 and in the Christian life, you are the sum total 43 00:02:44.759 --> 00:02:49.599 of your habits. You see, character is a matter of habit. 44 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:53.400 It's something that you do habitually. For instance, you can't 45 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:57.560 say you have the character quality of honesty unless it's 46 00:02:57.599 --> 00:03:01.280 your habit to always tell the truth. If you tell 47 00:03:01.319 --> 00:03:04.439 the truth seventy percent of the time, you're not honest. 48 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:08.439 It's not a habit. It's not a character. You got 49 00:03:08.439 --> 00:03:10.319 to be honest. It has to be a habit. In 50 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:12.719 your line, if I say to my wife, honey, I 51 00:03:12.759 --> 00:03:16.039 have the character quality of faithfulness to you, and I 52 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:18.840 will be faithful to you twenty eight days a month, 53 00:03:20.840 --> 00:03:26.080 Well that doesn't work. Partial faithfulness is unfaithfulness, right, Does 54 00:03:26.120 --> 00:03:29.000 that make sense? You're not being faithful at all if 55 00:03:29.080 --> 00:03:32.840 you're faithful ninety percent of the time. No, I'm not 56 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:35.879 faithful to my wife unless I am one hundred percent 57 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:39.439 faithful to her all the time. Now, that's true in 58 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:45.400 every area. It's developing good habits. Now throughout the centuries, 59 00:03:45.400 --> 00:03:49.919 for two thousand years of the church, Christians have used 60 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:54.599 these habits. Sometimes they're called spiritual disciplines. Sometimes they're called 61 00:03:54.840 --> 00:03:57.599 devotional practices. I don't care what you call them. We 62 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:01.639 call them habits at saddleback, stuff that you learn, like 63 00:04:02.599 --> 00:04:05.400 how to have a daily time with God, a quiet time. 64 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:08.639 How to pray, that's a habit. How to read the Bible, 65 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:11.439 that's a habit. How to be in a small group fellowship, 66 00:04:11.479 --> 00:04:14.919 that's a habit. How to tithe your money, that's a habit. 67 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:19.319 The habit of solitude, silence, being quiet before God, the 68 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:21.920 habit of fasting, the habit of journaling. There are hundreds 69 00:04:21.959 --> 00:04:24.879 of good habits. Some are more important than others, but 70 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:29.000 they are the building blocks for growing the spiritual maturity. 71 00:04:29.639 --> 00:04:33.839 And notice the results of spiritual maturity. It says that 72 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:36.639 when you have these habits, and when you grow and 73 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:38.600 you do what Jesus tells you to do, it says 74 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:43.879 you will produce fruit, a lot of fruit. Jesus said, 75 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:46.720 by their fruit you will know them. This is what 76 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:51.600 we call radical discipleship. Radical devotion is I love God 77 00:04:51.639 --> 00:04:53.439 with all my heart and soul and mind and strength. 78 00:04:53.879 --> 00:04:56.600 Radical fellowship is I'm as committed to you as I 79 00:04:56.600 --> 00:05:00.120 am the Jesus Christ. Radical discipleship is when I I 80 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:02.879 develop the habits to become more and more like Jesus. 81 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:09.279 Every year of my life Number five, the fifth qualification. 82 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:15.480 To be a disciple of Jesus, I must serve others unselfishly. 83 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:19.600 I've got to learn to serve others. And service is 84 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:23.000 a very very important part of your spiritual growth and 85 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:26.319 your spiritual development, because God says it's not all taken in, 86 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:31.120 it's giving back. The Bible says, if you want to 87 00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:35.560 be the most important person, you must take the last 88 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:40.480 place and be the servant to everyone else. See the 89 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:44.399 world's value system says get everybody to serve you, and 90 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:48.279 Jesus says, no, no, the real leaders Leadership is not 91 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:51.279 dependent upon how many people serve you, but how many 92 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:55.720 people you serve. He says, the best leaders are those 93 00:05:55.759 --> 00:05:58.480 who are helping other people, not using the people to 94 00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:02.879 serve themselves. The world says, live for yourself. God says, 95 00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:05.759 give your life away. Now, why is this so important? 96 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:10.399 Let me give you a little advice. The key to 97 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:16.519 happiness in life is to find significance. Happiness does not 98 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:20.879 last unless you find significance in life. And everybody wants 99 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:24.079 their life to be significant. The problem is we look 100 00:06:24.120 --> 00:06:28.519 in all the wrong places for significance. Success does not 101 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:33.519 give significance because You can always find somebody who's more 102 00:06:33.560 --> 00:06:36.240 successful than you and you start feeling bad. You can 103 00:06:36.279 --> 00:06:42.319 be successful and it won't give you significance. A salary 104 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:45.560 doesn't give you significance. You can make a lot of money. 105 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:48.120 There's nothing wrong with making money. But you can make 106 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:49.959 a lot of money, but it won't give you significance. 107 00:06:50.399 --> 00:06:52.839 I probably know a dozen billionaires. I can give their 108 00:06:52.920 --> 00:06:56.199 names and you'd know who they were, and they would 109 00:06:56.240 --> 00:07:00.600 tell you that money does several things. It makes life easier, 110 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:04.959 it removes some worries, it can make you more comfortable. 111 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:08.680 But money will never give you significance. And that's the 112 00:07:08.759 --> 00:07:11.439 key to happiness. And we get tired of things, and 113 00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:15.839 so that's why we have to redecorate. So significance doesn't 114 00:07:15.879 --> 00:07:19.120 come from salary. It doesn't come from success. It doesn't 115 00:07:19.160 --> 00:07:22.639 come from status, the little symbols on your car, on 116 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:27.480 your shirt. It doesn't come from sex. It comes from service. 117 00:07:28.439 --> 00:07:31.680 Because God wired the universe that the only way your 118 00:07:31.720 --> 00:07:35.279 life takes on significance is you give it away. Why 119 00:07:35.399 --> 00:07:38.439 God wants you to learn to be like him unselfish. 120 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:42.000 The most miserable people in life are self centered. It's 121 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:45.639 all about me. I'm living for me, my pleasure, my needs, 122 00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:48.160 my comfort. It's all about me, and that's the way 123 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:51.600 to be a miserable person. The happiest people in life 124 00:07:51.720 --> 00:07:54.560 are those who give their lives away. They're serving others. 125 00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:56.959 Whether they got money or not, it doesn't matter. Their 126 00:07:57.000 --> 00:08:02.399 significance gives them their satisfaction, their meaning, their purpose, their 127 00:08:02.519 --> 00:08:06.959 value in life. So he says, give your life away. 128 00:08:07.079 --> 00:08:10.240 And who's our model for this, Jesus. Look at the 129 00:08:10.279 --> 00:08:14.439 next verse. Jesus said, for even I, the son of Man, 130 00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:17.639 came here not to be served, but to serve others 131 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:21.439 and give my life as a ransom for many you 132 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:24.160 might circle to serve and to give. He said, I 133 00:08:24.199 --> 00:08:27.000 came to serve and I came to give. That defines 134 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:30.079 the Christian life. And the more you learn to serve, 135 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:32.399 and the more you learn to give, the happier you're 136 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:34.720 going to be, the more fulfilled you're going to be. 137 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:37.559 Because when you do that, God says, I've found somebody 138 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:41.480 who gets it. I'm going to pour blessing into their lives. Now, 139 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:45.639 why is serving so important to spiritual growth? Because you 140 00:08:45.720 --> 00:08:49.960 can't just take in, You've got to exercise, and spiritual 141 00:08:50.039 --> 00:08:54.039 exercise is when you do something unselfish when you serve others, 142 00:08:54.240 --> 00:08:58.879 when you minister to others, you can't just sit soak 143 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:03.600 and sour. You can't just keep taking in. If your 144 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:06.559 whole Christian life involves just going to church, listening, sitting down, 145 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:10.840 taking notes and going home, it ain't gonna work. Impression 146 00:09:11.480 --> 00:09:18.799 without expression leads to depression. You have to exercise. Ministry 147 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:21.080 is movement. As I said, you got to move it, 148 00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:24.559 move it. And if you do that, then you're gonna grow. 149 00:09:25.240 --> 00:09:28.080 You know, if all you did was eat the right food, 150 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:32.759 you wouldn't grow. You have to exercise too. It's not 151 00:09:32.919 --> 00:09:35.600 enough you got. You know, sometimes people they just are 152 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:40.759 spiritual feeders and all they do is listen, and they 153 00:09:40.759 --> 00:09:43.320 come to church and they listen, and then they turn 154 00:09:43.399 --> 00:09:46.000 on the Christian radio and they listen, and they go 155 00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:48.960 to a Bible study and they listen, and you just 156 00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:52.679 start getting better and better, and you're eating more and 157 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:55.200 more spiritual food and bigger and bigger, til you're so 158 00:09:55.279 --> 00:09:58.600 big we have to roll you down the aisle. And 159 00:09:58.679 --> 00:10:06.039 that's where we get the term holy. If you don't 160 00:10:06.120 --> 00:10:08.679 move it, move it. If you don't have any exercise 161 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:13.720 in your life, you will not grow spiritually. You got 162 00:10:13.720 --> 00:10:17.960 to develop some muscle how by serving, Jesus said, if 163 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:20.360 you want to follow me, you got to learn to 164 00:10:20.360 --> 00:10:31.159 be the servant of all. One of the things that 165 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:33.720 God wants us to do, and he says it over 166 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:38.000 and over scripture is to practice gratitude. I don't know 167 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:40.679 if you've ever noticed that the more grateful a person is, 168 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:46.240 the happier they are. That's the power of gratitude. Now 169 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:49.679 I've put together a brand new Bible study called the 170 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:54.080 Power of Gratitude, and in it you'll find scriptures and 171 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:57.919 teaching and exercises that will help you develop the habit 172 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:02.080 of gratitude. You'll discover how to state in God's will, 173 00:11:02.919 --> 00:11:07.399 how to defeat discouragement, how to conquer complaining, how to 174 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:13.759 reduce stress, and how to experience God's blessing through gratitude. So, today, 175 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:17.519 when you partner with me by giving a gift, a 176 00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:21.320 financial gift to daily hope, to help us take the 177 00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:24.039 certain hope of Jesus to people all around the world, 178 00:11:24.519 --> 00:11:27.080 I'm going to have my team sends you the Power 179 00:11:27.320 --> 00:11:30.919 of Gratitude Bible Study. I just want to say, thanks 180 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:32.879 to you. I'm going to be grateful for you. You 181 00:11:32.919 --> 00:11:36.519 know your support is essential for us taking the daily 182 00:11:36.559 --> 00:11:43.840 hope message of Jesus all around the world. Now, there's 183 00:11:43.879 --> 00:11:47.000 another thing that this first teaches, and that is you're 184 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:50.240 never going to grow spiritually until you learn to sacrifice. 185 00:11:50.279 --> 00:11:56.039 Spiritual growth requires sacrifice. Why Because it's all about love, 186 00:11:56.519 --> 00:11:59.279 and the essence of love is giving. It's the essence 187 00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:03.000 of love. If you've never had the sacrifice for anything, 188 00:12:03.320 --> 00:12:06.639 you don't know the deeper levels of love. You know 189 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:10.320 shallow love, But the deeper levels of love are the 190 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:15.080 levels of sacrifice, losing your life to find it. And 191 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:19.120 Jesus said it like this, and Matthew sixteen, if anyone 192 00:12:19.159 --> 00:12:24.000 wants to be my disciple, he must deny himself, take 193 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:27.720 up his cross, and follow me. Notice three three definitions 194 00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:31.039 of sacrifice. First, he must deny himself. What does that mean. 195 00:12:32.360 --> 00:12:34.480 It means I say, God, I'm putting my agenda on 196 00:12:34.519 --> 00:12:37.039 the shelf, and I'm going with your agenda. It's not 197 00:12:37.080 --> 00:12:38.960 my plan, it's your plan. It's not my purpose for 198 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:40.919 my life, it's your purpose for my life. I'm gonna 199 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:44.519 deny myself my plans for my life. I'm gonna say, God, 200 00:12:44.519 --> 00:12:46.000 what did you put me on this earth to do. 201 00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:48.679 I want to go with your plan. That's denying yourself, 202 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:51.799 that's sacrifice. Then it says take up your cross. What 203 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:55.799 does that mean? Take up your cross literally means be 204 00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:58.720 willing to sacrifice for good and for God, even if 205 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:02.879 it means dying, because the cross was an instrument of death. 206 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:08.159 Only God can turn a negative into a positive. The 207 00:13:08.279 --> 00:13:13.000 cross is a symbol of torture. Now today we don't 208 00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:14.960 understand what means to take up your cross because we 209 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:18.159 think of these cute little crosses we were on necklaces, 210 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:20.120 you know, around our neck, and it's just a nice 211 00:13:20.120 --> 00:13:24.000 little pretty piece of jewelry. But the cross was a 212 00:13:24.039 --> 00:13:28.879 symbol of torture. It was a device for capital punishment, 213 00:13:29.159 --> 00:13:36.159 extremely cruel and excruciatingly painful, invented by the Romans. Today, 214 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:42.840 the equivalent would be wearing an electric chair on a 215 00:13:42.919 --> 00:13:46.080 chain around your neck. What do you wear an electric 216 00:13:46.120 --> 00:13:48.919 chain before? Because it'd be wearing a symbol of torture. 217 00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:52.919 But God took that and turned it into a positive. 218 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:55.320 Do you know what a cross is? It is a 219 00:13:55.360 --> 00:14:00.159 minus sign crossed out. It's a negative turned in to 220 00:14:00.200 --> 00:14:04.000 a plus. And that's what the cross does in your life. 221 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:07.440 He takes God takes the negatives in your life, the minuses, 222 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:10.480 and he makes up for it with what Jesus did 223 00:14:10.519 --> 00:14:12.960 for you, and he turns your negative life into a 224 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:17.600 positive life into a plus. Now, he says, take up 225 00:14:17.639 --> 00:14:21.080 your cross. That means be willing to die for Christ. 226 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:23.879 You haven't been asked to do that in America, but 227 00:14:23.960 --> 00:14:26.480 all around the world, one hundred and thirty seven thousand 228 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:29.960 Christians did that this last year in the world. Gave 229 00:14:30.039 --> 00:14:33.080 their lives, gave their lives, they took up their cross 230 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:38.480 because they were killed simply for believing in Jesus. Now 231 00:14:38.480 --> 00:14:41.799 there's one more thing, okay, Jesus saying, if I'm going 232 00:14:41.879 --> 00:14:43.879 to be a disciple, I've got to spend time with him. 233 00:14:44.080 --> 00:14:46.840 I've got to love him supremely. I've got to love 234 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:49.759 all everybody else in the church. I've got to obey 235 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:54.000 him continually. I've got to serve others unselfishly. Here's number six. 236 00:14:54.440 --> 00:14:57.639 To be a disciple, I must pass on the good news. 237 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:03.480 I must pass on the good news. When I hear it, 238 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:07.399 I'm supposed to tell somebody else about it. Matthew four, 239 00:15:07.480 --> 00:15:12.639 Verse twenty. Jesus called out come be my disciples, and 240 00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:15.679 I will show you how to fish for people. And 241 00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:18.360 they left their nets at once and went with him. 242 00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:20.799 And what's he talking about here? One day Jesus is 243 00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:26.399 walking down the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee. Peter, James, John, 244 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:30.759 and Andrew are brothers and cousins and their professional fishermen. 245 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:32.799 In those days, you didn't fish with a rod and reel. 246 00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:35.080 You fish with a net, so you throw the net out. 247 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:38.399 They're on the shoreline mending their nets. Jesus is walking 248 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:40.279 mind and it looks at him and he says, well, 249 00:15:40.279 --> 00:15:42.240 he's walking back. Come be my disciple, and I'll show 250 00:15:42.279 --> 00:15:44.879 you how to fish for people. What's he mean by that? 251 00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:48.279 I'll show you how to change lives. I'll show you 252 00:15:48.360 --> 00:15:50.759 how to get people into heaven. I'll show you how 253 00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:53.120 to bring people to me. I'll show you how to 254 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:56.759 share the good news. You will be a fisher of men, 255 00:15:56.960 --> 00:16:00.240 he says, follow me and I will teach you. I'll 256 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:03.120 make you fishers of men. Now, the corollary of that is, 257 00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:09.080 if you're not fishing, you're not following. Is anybody going 258 00:16:09.159 --> 00:16:12.519 to be in heaven because of you? If you're not fishing, 259 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:15.879 you're not following. If you're not telling it to somebody else, 260 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:20.639 you are not being a disciple. You see, God expects 261 00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:22.799 you to pass it on. If I knew the cure 262 00:16:22.840 --> 00:16:25.080 for cancer and kept it a secret, they should put 263 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:28.639 me in prison. That should It should be criminal to 264 00:16:28.759 --> 00:16:30.960 know the best news and not share it. If I 265 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:33.120 knew the cure for AIDS and I didn't share it 266 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:37.279 with anybody, that's criminal. I know something better than that. 267 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:39.440 You do too, How to have your past forgiving purpose 268 00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:41.679 for living home in heaven and God calls us to 269 00:16:41.720 --> 00:16:44.159 share it. Look at this verse on the screen. Paul 270 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:49.120 is talking to Timothy. Timothy was the disciple, the apprentice 271 00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:53.799 of Paul, and Paul says, Timothy, take the teachings that 272 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:57.039 you heard from me, in the presence of any witnesses, 273 00:16:57.440 --> 00:17:03.799 and entrust them to reliable people who these reliable people 274 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:06.039 will be able to teach others. Also to leave that 275 00:17:06.119 --> 00:17:09.000 verse on the screen from minute four generations. In this verse, 276 00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:12.400 Paul says, I got the good news, Timothy, and I 277 00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:15.960 passed it on to you. Now, Timothy, you're to pass 278 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:19.480 it on to other people who are reliable enough to 279 00:17:19.559 --> 00:17:23.680 pass it on to a fourth generation. You're gonna go 280 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:29.680 to heaven because somebody told you, and somebody told the 281 00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:34.319 somebody who told you, and somebody told the somebody who 282 00:17:34.359 --> 00:17:39.000 told somebody who told you. Is the chain gonna break 283 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:42.920 with you? Is anybody going to be in heaven? Because 284 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:50.319 you Christianity is always one generation away from annihilation, one 285 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:55.359 generation away. If you don't tell somebody who's going to 286 00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:58.599 be there. Jesus says, to be a disciple, you must 287 00:17:58.640 --> 00:18:03.000 pass it on. Look at the next Matthew twenty eight. Therefore, 288 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:06.400 he says, go and make disciples. Once you're one, he says, 289 00:18:06.440 --> 00:18:09.799 you're to go make others. You're a disciple. Now, go 290 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:13.799 and make other disciples of all the nations. In Greek, 291 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:16.559 that's ta ethne. We get the word ethnic from it, 292 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:20.240 from the Greek word ethne ethnic food and ethnic language, 293 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:23.160 things like that. Go and make disciples of all Ethnics, 294 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:26.759 all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, 295 00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:28.640 Son and Holy Spirit. There's a trinity. If you haven't 296 00:18:28.680 --> 00:18:32.559 been baptized or baptizing today, and teach these new disciples 297 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:35.640 to do the same thing you do. To obey all 298 00:18:35.640 --> 00:18:39.799 the commands I've given you. And be sure of this. 299 00:18:40.279 --> 00:18:43.240 I am with you always, even to the end. Of 300 00:18:43.319 --> 00:18:47.799 the age. I want somebody to be in heaven because 301 00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:50.440 of you. And if you start praying about your friends 302 00:18:50.440 --> 00:18:52.400 who don't know the Lord, God will make it so 303 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:56.079 easy they'll come to Christ and you can reach one person. 304 00:18:56.119 --> 00:18:58.799 For Jesus, that's what it means to be a disciple. 305 00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:03.160 We pass it on somebody else. What happens. Look at 306 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:05.599 this verse on the screen. If I do these six 307 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:08.839 things that Jesus says to do and I become a disciple, 308 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:12.519 here's what happens. Jesus said, if you try to keep 309 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:16.359 your life for yourself, you're going to lose it. But 310 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:20.559 if you give up your life for my sake and 311 00:19:20.599 --> 00:19:23.799 for the sake of the good News, you will find 312 00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:28.720 true life. But let's close with the prayer. Why don't 313 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:35.079 you pray this in your heart, Dear God. I don't 314 00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:38.279 want to be a baby believer. I don't want to 315 00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:42.359 be spiritually immature. I want to grow up. I want 316 00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:43.599 to be a man of God. I want to be 317 00:19:43.640 --> 00:19:47.720 a woman of God. I want to spend more time 318 00:19:47.720 --> 00:19:49.599 with you, Jesus. I want to learn to talk to 319 00:19:49.640 --> 00:19:53.400 you like you're my best friend. I want to learn 320 00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:55.559 to love you supremely with all my heart and soul 321 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:59.799 and mind and strength. I want to learn to love 322 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:04.119 other disciples. I want to learn to love other Christians, 323 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:05.759 the body of Christ. I want to be a part 324 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:08.319 of this church family. I want to be in a 325 00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:13.680 small group where I can practice love. I want to 326 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:15.160 do what you tell me to do. I want to 327 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:17.960 continue in your teaching so that I can be set 328 00:20:18.039 --> 00:20:20.559 free from all of the hang ups that hold me back, 329 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:24.960 the worry, the fear, the anxiety, all the many things. 330 00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:28.960 I want to develop some spiritual muscle this year. I 331 00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:34.799 want to learn to serve you unselfishly, and I want 332 00:20:34.839 --> 00:20:37.079 to pass on the good news. Help me to find 333 00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:41.920 one person that I can bring to you can become 334 00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:44.680 a part of your family and be in heaven because 335 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:48.160 I shared with you. Lord, I can't do this on 336 00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:50.319 my own that I ask you to do this. I 337 00:20:50.359 --> 00:20:55.400 make these six things my new Year's resolution, and with 338 00:20:55.519 --> 00:21:06.119 your help, I will keep them in Jesus' name. Amen. Today, 339 00:21:06.160 --> 00:21:09.160 I'd like to read a testimony that really blessed me. 340 00:21:09.640 --> 00:21:12.559 It shows how even when you make mistakes, God's faithful 341 00:21:12.599 --> 00:21:15.160 to forgive you, and that He's always working in your 342 00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:19.240 life to bring about everything together for good in your life. 343 00:21:19.400 --> 00:21:21.839 Not everything is good in your life, but God works 344 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:24.720 at all for good in your life. Now, this is 345 00:21:24.759 --> 00:21:27.279 from a man who says he's a recovering addict, and 346 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:30.720 this is part of his story that starts when he 347 00:21:30.920 --> 00:21:35.240 listened to a Daily Hope podcast. Here's what he wrote 348 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:38.359 past Rick. A couple months ago, I started a twelve 349 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:41.359 step program. In working the steps and in turning my 350 00:21:41.400 --> 00:21:44.599 addiction over to God, I searched out many sources for 351 00:21:45.640 --> 00:21:50.759 daily inspirational, daily devotionals, daily meditations to help me reconnect 352 00:21:50.759 --> 00:21:54.519 with the Lord as a support for the progress in 353 00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:57.599 my recovery. Now, in what just seemed to be a 354 00:21:57.720 --> 00:22:01.119 random chance, seemed to be I just came across your 355 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:05.359 Daily Hope podcast and I blindly just picked a message 356 00:22:05.400 --> 00:22:08.920 from early July. I'm sure some of a lot of 357 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:11.200 other people have done that too. Well. The very first 358 00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:13.799 one I listened to was on Roman seven, which is 359 00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:17.240 all about why do I do the wrong things that 360 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:19.640 I don't want to do when I know what's wrong? 361 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:24.480 And what makes me do that? I can't believe that 362 00:22:24.519 --> 00:22:26.519 was the first one you listened to. Well, knock me 363 00:22:26.599 --> 00:22:29.759 over with a feather. It was a bolt of lightning 364 00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:31.920 that I needed to hear, and it was followed by 365 00:22:31.960 --> 00:22:35.160 tears of joy because the very next podcast, of course, 366 00:22:35.400 --> 00:22:39.920 was Roman's eight, which is the solution to my dilemma. 367 00:22:39.960 --> 00:22:43.240 That's right, folks. Roman seven explains the mess we're in. 368 00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:46.319 Roman's eight explains how to get out of it. He says, Rick, 369 00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:49.319 it was like a smack on the head by divine intervention. 370 00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:52.400 So I joined a small group and I haven't missed 371 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:55.119 a week since and I love it. And I have 372 00:22:55.160 --> 00:22:57.640 a weekly Bible study with a close friend who graciously 373 00:22:57.640 --> 00:23:01.200 offered to help me. And I subscribe to your daily 374 00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:05.680 devotional email, and I've continued to listen to your podcast 375 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:09.759 when I go for my morning walk. He says, the 376 00:23:09.799 --> 00:23:13.920 spiritual growth that I've achieved in a relatively short period 377 00:23:13.960 --> 00:23:16.440 of time is really nothing short of remarkable. It's a 378 00:23:16.480 --> 00:23:19.839 miracle and it's a blessing, and it's helped me turn 379 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:23.039 my life around. I now understand why God allowed me 380 00:23:23.079 --> 00:23:25.559 to suffer through all my addiction, and that the path 381 00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:29.240 of recovery is through Jesus Christ. From the bottom of 382 00:23:29.240 --> 00:23:32.799 my heart, Rick, thank you for all you do through him. 383 00:23:33.880 --> 00:23:39.119 Well wow, wow, wow. This testimony is a powerful reminder 384 00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:42.680 of how God can take everything in our lives, the mistakes, 385 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:46.200 the sins, the failures, the hurts, the bad decisions, even 386 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:50.200 destructive habits, and guess what God can even bring good 387 00:23:50.279 --> 00:23:55.880 out of them. The Bible says in all things God 388 00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:59.079 works for the good of those who love him. It 389 00:23:59.079 --> 00:24:01.359 doesn't say all things good, because not all things are good. 390 00:24:01.799 --> 00:24:04.680 But in all things God is working for the good 391 00:24:05.079 --> 00:24:07.799 of those who love him. That's Romans eight twenty eight. 392 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:11.759 Now this story is a beautiful example of Romans eight 393 00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:16.759 twenty eight and that truth. Listen very closely. No matter 394 00:24:16.799 --> 00:24:19.759 what we've done, I'll say it again, no matter what 395 00:24:20.359 --> 00:24:25.799 we've done, we're never outside of God's master plan for 396 00:24:25.880 --> 00:24:31.039 our lives. Your life is not random. In this case, 397 00:24:31.079 --> 00:24:33.799 God led somebody to Daily Hope podcasts just at the 398 00:24:33.880 --> 00:24:37.880 right moment tear exactly what he needed. Now, God could 399 00:24:37.880 --> 00:24:40.079 have used any method, He could have used any person, 400 00:24:40.279 --> 00:24:43.079 He could have used any podcasts, but God, in this 401 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:49.279