WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.399 --> 00:00:06.599 Hello everybody, and welcome to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. This 2 00:00:06.679 --> 00:00:10.320 is the Bible teaching ministry of Rick Warren. Now today 3 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:13.759 we're continuing into the new year, and we're digging deeper 4 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:17.960 into one of life's biggest questions, does my life really matter? 5 00:00:18.280 --> 00:00:22.359 In today's message, Rick's going to continue his powerful series 6 00:00:22.760 --> 00:00:23.719 Live Your Calling? 7 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:25.920 What on Earth Am I here For? 8 00:00:26.280 --> 00:00:29.399 In it, you'll discover how living out God's purpose for 9 00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:34.240 your life brings real meaning, direction, and joy no matter 10 00:00:34.359 --> 00:00:38.159 where you're starting from. Well settle in as Rick shares 11 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:41.960 part one of a message titled you are Called to Become. 12 00:00:42.759 --> 00:00:46.240 Welcome to Week four of Live Your Calling? What on 13 00:00:46.280 --> 00:00:49.159 Earth Am I here For? And we've looked at your 14 00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:52.439 first calling in life, which is the calling to be loved. 15 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:55.280 God doesn't want you to do anything first of off, 16 00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:57.159 in life. He wants you to just let Him do 17 00:00:57.280 --> 00:01:00.799 something to you. Let God love you, and that's the 18 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:03.880 bedrock of everything that happens in your life. You must 19 00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:07.319 learn to let God love you. You were created to 20 00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:11.159 be loved, You are called to be loved. Last week, 21 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:14.079 we looked at the second of the callings in life, 22 00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:17.840 which is you're called to belong You weren't made to 23 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:20.120 go through life all on your own. You weren't made 24 00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:23.159 to go through life lonely. God made you to belong 25 00:01:23.239 --> 00:01:26.079 to His family, which is the Church. It's the family 26 00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:29.599 of God. And when you beloved and when you belong, 27 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:32.120 then you can move to the third calling, which is 28 00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:37.840 you're called to become, to become. Now, these actually are 29 00:01:37.879 --> 00:01:41.359 building blocks that build on top of each other. You 30 00:01:41.400 --> 00:01:45.239 cannot become the woman God wants you to be. You 31 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:49.040 cannot become the man God wants you to be unless 32 00:01:49.079 --> 00:01:53.319 you beloved and belong first. It is only in being 33 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:56.480 loved and belonging that we are able to do the 34 00:01:56.519 --> 00:02:00.719 becoming in life. Now, it's really interesting. As little kids, 35 00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:04.120 we often want to become things. Well, let me just 36 00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:06.760 ask you. How many of you, when you were a 37 00:02:06.840 --> 00:02:10.080 kid you wanted to be a fireman, a policeman, or 38 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:10.879 an astronaut? 39 00:02:10.919 --> 00:02:13.919 Can I see your hands? Yeah, that's that's one of 40 00:02:13.960 --> 00:02:14.360 the most. 41 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:17.560 How many of you wanted to be a nurse when 42 00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:18.159 you're growing up? 43 00:02:18.439 --> 00:02:18.960 All right? 44 00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:24.080 How many of you wanted to be Barbie? Yeah? 45 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:26.479 Here's the more likely question. 46 00:02:27.120 --> 00:02:29.879 How many of you did not become what you thought 47 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:32.879 you would become when you were eight years old. Yeah, 48 00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:38.800 that's universal, pretty universal. But the Bible says God created 49 00:02:38.840 --> 00:02:41.439 you not just to be loved and not just to belong. 50 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:44.159 But the third calling in life is you are called 51 00:02:44.199 --> 00:02:48.080 to become. Now, what is a calling, we said, that's 52 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:51.479 the same thing as a purpose. God has five purposes 53 00:02:51.479 --> 00:02:55.520 for your life. God has five reasons for creating you. 54 00:02:56.039 --> 00:03:03.240 God has five assignments, five missions, five rationales for your life. 55 00:03:03.400 --> 00:03:06.280 The callings of God are the purposes of God for 56 00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:09.039 your life. The Bible uses the word calling at least 57 00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:11.960 ten times more often than the word purpose when it 58 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:15.000 talks about your life. Now, one of the theme verses 59 00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:19.520 for this series on living out your calling God's purposes 60 00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:22.520 for your life is Romans eight twenty eight in the Bible. 61 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:25.159 And we've looked at this verse each week, and I 62 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:27.319 want us to go back to it because of its significance. 63 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:30.159 There on your outline if you pull out your message notes. 64 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:33.400 Romans eight eight twenty nine from the Bible says this, 65 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:38.680 we know that God causes everything to work for the 66 00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:42.240 good together for the good of those who love God. 67 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:45.759 It's not all good, but God causes everything to work 68 00:03:45.759 --> 00:03:49.639 together for the good of those who love God and 69 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:53.759 are called. There's that word according to his purpose. There's 70 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:57.159 that word for them. Calling and purpose go together. Your 71 00:03:57.159 --> 00:04:00.439 calling in life is your purpose in life. For God 72 00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:04.360 knew in his people in advance, before you were even born. 73 00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:07.240 God knew you. He thought you up. You were his idea. 74 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:10.599 You're not an accident. For God knew his people in advance, 75 00:04:10.639 --> 00:04:16.199 and he chose them to become like his son. That's 76 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:19.319 talking about Jesus. Why don't you circle that phrase, become 77 00:04:19.800 --> 00:04:24.279 like his son. That's your third calling in life. Once 78 00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:26.759 you get into God's family, God wants you to grow 79 00:04:26.839 --> 00:04:30.639 up and become like your older brother, Jesus Christ. He 80 00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:33.360 chose them to become like his son so that his 81 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:38.680 son Jesus would be the first born with many brothers 82 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:41.600 and sisters. All right, I want you to write this down. 83 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:45.439 My third calling in life is to become like Christ. 84 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:48.879 Now what does that mean? Well, you're not going to 85 00:04:48.920 --> 00:04:50.680 be a God. You're never going to be a God. 86 00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:52.639 You're not even going to be a little mini me God. 87 00:04:53.240 --> 00:04:55.879 God is God and you're not. That's an antidote distress 88 00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:59.879 when you realize that. But God wants you to become God. 89 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:02.800 In other words, he wants you to take on the 90 00:05:02.920 --> 00:05:06.639 characteristics of his family, like father, like son. And the 91 00:05:06.680 --> 00:05:09.319 Bible says that God is loving, and God is joyful, 92 00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:12.160 and God is peaceful, and God is patient, and God 93 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:16.720 is kind. The Bible tells us that God is self control, 94 00:05:17.279 --> 00:05:20.079 God is merciful. These are called the fruit of the Spirit. 95 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:23.120 They're perfect picture of Jesus. If you're going to become 96 00:05:23.240 --> 00:05:26.279 like Jesus, it means to be filled with love, to 97 00:05:26.360 --> 00:05:29.279 be filled with joy, to be filled with peace, to 98 00:05:29.319 --> 00:05:34.319 be filled with patience, and all of those other qualities. Now, 99 00:05:34.360 --> 00:05:39.240 five times in the Bible it compares becoming like Jesus 100 00:05:39.800 --> 00:05:43.759 to running a race. It is the race of life. 101 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:47.079 Life is not a fifty yard dash. It's a marathon. 102 00:05:47.560 --> 00:05:51.040 And you're running this race right now. And the goal 103 00:05:51.319 --> 00:05:54.319 is to become the man God wants you to be. 104 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:58.759 The goal is to become the woman God wants you 105 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:02.040 to be. Is your third calling in life, to become 106 00:06:02.600 --> 00:06:05.600 what God made you to become. And as I said, 107 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:08.680 the Bible calls this a race. And the Bible talks 108 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:12.759 about walking the Christian walk. It talks about running the race, 109 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:16.639 it talks about finishing the course. And so what I 110 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:19.680 want to do this weekend is take the five different 111 00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:23.319 passages of the Bible that compare life to a race 112 00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:26.839 and compare becoming who God wants you to be to 113 00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:30.839 a race, and draw out from them eight principles. I 114 00:06:30.920 --> 00:06:35.879 call this the marathon to maturity. This is how you 115 00:06:36.040 --> 00:06:38.319 get to where God wants you to be in life. 116 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:40.480 God doesn't want you to stay the same. He doesn't 117 00:06:40.519 --> 00:06:43.279 want you to be in spiritual diapers your entire life. 118 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:47.240 He wants you to grow up and what is full maturity? 119 00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:49.759 Look at Jesus and you know that's what God wants 120 00:06:49.800 --> 00:06:50.360 you to become. 121 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:52.639 Like, now, how do I do this? How do I 122 00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:54.279 run the marathon to maturity? 123 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:57.720 Well, as I look at these five passages, I can 124 00:06:57.759 --> 00:06:59.480 summarize them in eight statements. 125 00:06:59.480 --> 00:07:00.639 You might write these down. 126 00:07:00.920 --> 00:07:03.680 The first step in making it to the end of 127 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:06.560 life and finishing the course God asks for you is first, 128 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:10.199 I must simplify my life. 129 00:07:10.279 --> 00:07:12.560 I must simplify my life. 130 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:16.439 I have to cut out and clean out and discard 131 00:07:16.759 --> 00:07:20.199 all the junk that's holding me back from becoming the 132 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:23.600 person God wants me to become. You got to clean 133 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:25.480 out the clutter, You got to clean out your mind. 134 00:07:25.480 --> 00:07:27.639 You got to clean out your schedule, You got to 135 00:07:27.639 --> 00:07:30.319 clean up your relationships. You got to get rid of 136 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:33.680 unnecessary baggage. In other words, you don't run a marathon 137 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:38.079 in a parka. You don't wear nine layers of clothes. 138 00:07:38.439 --> 00:07:41.560 If you've ever seen somebody running a marathon, they strip 139 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:45.000 down to the bear essentials, a pair of shorts, a 140 00:07:45.040 --> 00:07:46.800 T shirt, and the lightest pair of. 141 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:47.720 Shoes you can find. 142 00:07:48.040 --> 00:07:52.279 You don't want to be carrying extra baggage through your life. So, really, 143 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:54.519 if you're going to become the man God wants you 144 00:07:54.600 --> 00:07:57.480 to be or the woman God wants you to be, 145 00:07:57.600 --> 00:07:58.439 first thing you gotta. 146 00:07:58.279 --> 00:07:59.680 Do is you gotta let go of some stuff. 147 00:08:00.519 --> 00:08:05.720 You let you gotta eliminate the diversions, the distractions, the detours, 148 00:08:06.040 --> 00:08:09.720 the dead ends, the time wasters. Hebrews chapter twelve is 149 00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:12.600 one of the books of the Bible chapters that deals 150 00:08:12.680 --> 00:08:16.120 with this metaphor of life is a race, so we're 151 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:16.720 gonna spend a. 152 00:08:16.680 --> 00:08:17.120 Lot of time. 153 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:21.040 In Hebrews twelve, verse one says this let us strip 154 00:08:21.079 --> 00:08:25.959 off anything that slows us down or holds us back. 155 00:08:26.120 --> 00:08:28.920 Circle that word anything. That word in Greek is the 156 00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:35.320 word ogkoss in. It actually means a weight means something bulky, 157 00:08:35.480 --> 00:08:39.279 something a burden, something heavy that holds you back. Let 158 00:08:39.399 --> 00:08:42.399 us strip off anything that slows us down or holds 159 00:08:42.440 --> 00:08:46.720 us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so 160 00:08:46.919 --> 00:08:48.799 tightly around our feet and trip us up. 161 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:50.240 We've all had that. 162 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:55.639 Let us run with patience the particular race that God 163 00:08:55.679 --> 00:08:59.320 has set before us. Now circle the phrase the particular race. 164 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:03.919 God has a particular race for your life, and only 165 00:09:03.960 --> 00:09:06.519 you can run it. Your mom can't run it, your 166 00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:10.000 dad can't run it, your boyfriend can't run it. Somebody 167 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:12.000 else can't run your race, and by the way, you 168 00:09:12.039 --> 00:09:15.320 can't run anybody else's. You have a particular race that 169 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:18.039 God wants you to run in life, and everybody else 170 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:20.480 has a race that God wants them to run. Here's 171 00:09:20.519 --> 00:09:27.159 the problem. Everybody wants you to run their race. Everybody 172 00:09:27.320 --> 00:09:30.440 has a plan for your life. Your parents wanted you 173 00:09:30.519 --> 00:09:34.480 to run the race they wanted you to run. You 174 00:09:34.519 --> 00:09:36.399 may be married to a husband or wife who want 175 00:09:36.440 --> 00:09:38.919 you to run the race they want you to run. 176 00:09:40.039 --> 00:09:41.799 You may have a boss who wants you to run 177 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:44.200 a race he or she wants you to run. But 178 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:46.639 you got to decide this Whose race? Am I going 179 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:49.600 to run in life. I can run my own race, 180 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:52.720 I can run a race that somebody else wants me 181 00:09:52.759 --> 00:09:55.000 to run, or I can run the race that God 182 00:09:55.080 --> 00:09:59.120 created me to run. You can't run all three. I 183 00:09:59.159 --> 00:10:01.720 can't do god plan for my life and my plan 184 00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:04.480 at the same time, and I can't do your plan 185 00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:06.559 for my life and God's plan at the same time. 186 00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:09.240 So the starting point, if you're gonna win in the 187 00:10:09.320 --> 00:10:11.759 race of life, you got to decide which race you're 188 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:15.639 gonna run. The particular race that God has designed for you, 189 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:18.399 then that's the one you want to run. They say, God, 190 00:10:18.559 --> 00:10:21.919 I'm gonna strip off everything, the sins that mess me up. 191 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:25.159 I do a moral inventory, and I get the junk 192 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:29.279 out of my life and the weights, the things that 193 00:10:29.399 --> 00:10:32.080 hold me back, the habits and the hurts and the 194 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:34.080 hang ups that hold me back. I let go of 195 00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:38.120 those things and I run the particular race, which means 196 00:10:38.120 --> 00:10:40.480 you're gonna have to let go of some expectations too, 197 00:10:40.919 --> 00:10:45.480 because you can't please everybody else and please God. You 198 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:47.879 got to decide did God put me on this earth 199 00:10:47.879 --> 00:10:51.279 to please my parents, to please my girlfriend, to please 200 00:10:51.320 --> 00:10:55.159 my teacher, to please my clique, my club, my fans, 201 00:10:55.799 --> 00:10:59.759 my peers, my parents, my partners, or did God put 202 00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:01.960 me on this earth to live for the plan that 203 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:05.080 he made me for? And so you have to kind 204 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:07.120 of say, I'm willing to not just let go of sins, 205 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:09.240 and I'm not just willing to let go of waits. 206 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:11.600 I'm willing to let go of what everybody else expects 207 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:14.840 me to do with my life. And when you're when 208 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:17.919 you're doing that, then you're saying God, I'm ready to 209 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:21.480 become the woman you made me to be. I'm ready 210 00:11:21.519 --> 00:11:24.039 to become the man you made me to be. That's 211 00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:27.240 the first step simplify my life. Step two is in 212 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:29.440 the next verse or the next part of that verse, 213 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:34.519 and it's this, don't get impatient or in a hurry. 214 00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:37.519 This race is going to take your entire life. You're 215 00:11:37.559 --> 00:11:39.399 not going to finish it in a week, a month, 216 00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:42.639 or even next year. God's plan to make you the 217 00:11:42.679 --> 00:11:45.120 person he wants you to be is a lifetime plan. 218 00:11:45.159 --> 00:11:47.159 It's going to take your entire life, and you can't 219 00:11:47.240 --> 00:11:51.320 run the race quickly. It's not a short fifty yard dash. 220 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:55.039 It's a marathon. So you don't get impatient. You know, 221 00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:57.600 when I was grown up as a kid, I actually 222 00:11:57.639 --> 00:12:01.039 was a long distance runner, and pretty quickly you learn. 223 00:12:01.159 --> 00:12:03.440 Your coaches teach you that if you're gonna run ten 224 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:06.559 miles or fifteen miles, or if you're gonna run a marathon, 225 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:10.240 you have to pace yourself. You can't start out really 226 00:12:10.279 --> 00:12:12.759 really fast, because if you do, you'll get winded, you 227 00:12:12.840 --> 00:12:15.399 run out of steam, you run out of energy, you 228 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:18.279 get fatigued, you give up, and you don't finish. You 229 00:12:18.360 --> 00:12:22.480 got to pace yourself. Now, when you become a Christian, 230 00:12:22.679 --> 00:12:25.080 you start growing really fast. Just like babies in the 231 00:12:25.080 --> 00:12:29.320 early months. They grow enormously fast. They'll double in size, 232 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:34.159 you know, their first year and they learn. But thank god, 233 00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:36.360 you're not growing as fast as you did your first year, 234 00:12:36.360 --> 00:12:40.279 aren't you glad? You'd look pretty funny. In fact, you'd 235 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:43.320 probably take up the whole row if you grew as 236 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:47.480 fast every year as you did your first year. Growth 237 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:51.120 slows down, but it's stable and it's secure, and over 238 00:12:51.159 --> 00:12:52.919 a period of time, God says, I'm not in a 239 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:56.240 hurry to growing you to where I want you to grow. 240 00:12:56.480 --> 00:12:58.080 God is in a hurry. Not in a hurry. 241 00:12:58.120 --> 00:13:00.720 You are, but he's not. When God wants to make 242 00:13:00.759 --> 00:13:04.600 a mushroom, he takes six hours. When God wants to 243 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:08.639 make an oak tree, he takes sixty years. Where do 244 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:11.080 you want to be a mushroom or an oak tree? 245 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:14.960 I want to be solid like an oak tree. I 246 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:17.720 want my life to be deeply rooted. I want it 247 00:13:17.720 --> 00:13:21.159 to be strong, stable, secure, so that when the rogue 248 00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:24.320 winds of life and the storms of life buffet me, 249 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:28.480 and when I get blown over by problems and pressures 250 00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:34.039 and suffering and sorrow and scandal and loss and all 251 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:36.759 of the financial problems that you have in life, whatever 252 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:39.000 it is, it doesn't blow you over because you're as 253 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:41.879 solid as an oak tree. I can show you how 254 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:44.879 to become a man of God. I can teach you 255 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:47.600 how to become a woman of God. I cannot teach 256 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:50.600 you how to do it quickly. It's going to take 257 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:55.919 your entire life. You spell maturity, TI m e. Now 258 00:13:55.960 --> 00:13:58.279 we get in a hurry, but God's not in a hurry. 259 00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:01.159 So you need to just relax and realize that He's 260 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:05.759 not impatient with you. Champions know how to pace themselves. 261 00:14:05.879 --> 00:14:09.360 Here's the second verse in Hebrews chapter twelve, verse one. 262 00:14:09.720 --> 00:14:13.080 Notice that part it says, let us run like the 263 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:18.200 race of life. Let us run with patience. The peculiar 264 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:22.200 or particular race that God has set out before us 265 00:14:22.200 --> 00:14:26.080 circle with patience. That's why you know each week, at 266 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:28.720 the end of every service, I always give you like 267 00:14:28.759 --> 00:14:31.440 one or two baby steps to take, because if every 268 00:14:31.480 --> 00:14:34.279 week you take one or two baby steps, at the 269 00:14:34.360 --> 00:14:36.240 end of the year, you're much further down the road 270 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:38.840 than you thought you were going to be. And life 271 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:41.480 is not one big leap across the grand canyon. It's 272 00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:44.080 a baby step, one step at a time. To quote 273 00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:50.360 that great theologian from what about Bob, you know, take 274 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:53.879 baby steps. Take baby steps, okay, and when you take 275 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:57.200 a baby step every week, you're making progress. Don't get 276 00:14:57.200 --> 00:15:01.159 impatient or in a hurry. Number three, the third key 277 00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:03.679 to running the race of life God as for you 278 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:09.919 is I must spend time focusing on Jesus every day. 279 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:13.240 I must spend a little bit of time. I'm not 280 00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:15.759 talking about an hour, two hours, three hours, ten hours. 281 00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:19.879 I'm going to start with five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes. 282 00:15:20.080 --> 00:15:24.559 Spend some time focusing on Jesus every day. And that's 283 00:15:24.559 --> 00:15:28.000 what the next verse said about this race in life. Now, 284 00:15:28.039 --> 00:15:30.440 why do I need to spend some time focusing my 285 00:15:30.600 --> 00:15:34.879 thoughts my mind on Jesus, because whatever you want to become, 286 00:15:34.960 --> 00:15:37.360 you need to think about it. If you want to 287 00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:39.919 become like Jesus, you need to think about it. And 288 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:43.360 if you want to be like somebody, you become like 289 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:46.720 whoever you spend the most time with. If you hang 290 00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:49.240 out with people who have no ambition, you're going to 291 00:15:49.320 --> 00:15:52.240 have no ambition. If you hang out with people who 292 00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:55.799 are critical, you're going to become critical. Whoever you spend 293 00:15:55.799 --> 00:15:59.240 the most time with is who you're going to become like. 294 00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:01.480 It's like that old cliche. 295 00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:04.159 You can't soar with the eagles if you're running with 296 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:04.759 the turkeys. 297 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:07.919 So maybe there's. 298 00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:10.440 Some relationships you need to kind of, you know, not 299 00:16:10.519 --> 00:16:12.559 spend so much time with those people because they're tearing 300 00:16:12.559 --> 00:16:12.879 you down. 301 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:14.279 They're taking you down. 302 00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:18.399 But if you spend time with Jesus five, ten, fifteen 303 00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:21.639 minutes a day, then you become more and more like him. 304 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:25.000 Now we call this a quiet time. A quiet time 305 00:16:25.080 --> 00:16:26.960 is I don't care when you do it. You just 306 00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:28.799 the best time I think it is in the morning. 307 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:31.360 Get up and you go find your favorite chair and 308 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:33.440 you sit down in it and you spend some time 309 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:37.159 and you read the Bible for five minutes, and then 310 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:39.240 you talk to God about the stuff that's on your heart. God, 311 00:16:39.240 --> 00:16:42.000 here's the stuff I'm worried about. Lord, here's the stuff 312 00:16:42.039 --> 00:16:45.200 I'm concerned about. Here's my schedule today. I'm really stressed. 313 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:47.799 I need your help. And then you be quiet and 314 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:50.440 you let God talk to you, and you say, God, 315 00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:51.840 is there anything you want to say to me? 316 00:16:52.759 --> 00:16:53.480 And you be quiet. 317 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:55.120 The reason why God's never talked to you is you've 318 00:16:55.159 --> 00:16:58.879 never been quiet long enough. You always got the radio on, 319 00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:01.799 and you gotta just sit there and be quiet and God. 320 00:17:01.879 --> 00:17:04.359 Sometimes God will put a thought in my mind, and 321 00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:07.799 sometimes like everything's say okay, go along with your life 322 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:11.839 and you move on. God doesn't have to speak aloud 323 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:14.160 to me. He's the one who created radio ways and 324 00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:16.480 television ways. He can put a thought immediately in my mind. 325 00:17:16.599 --> 00:17:21.160 We call it inspiration. The devil gives your thought, that's temptation. 326 00:17:21.559 --> 00:17:24.119 God gives your thought, that's inspiration. You get a thought 327 00:17:24.119 --> 00:17:30.480 that's stupidity, just kidding. You got to spend some time 328 00:17:30.519 --> 00:17:34.039 focusing on Jesus every day. Here's what the Bible says 329 00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:37.319 Hebrews twelve, verse two. We do this, In other words, 330 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:42.279 run the race of life by keeping our eyes on Jesus. 331 00:17:42.519 --> 00:17:45.759 That's focusing on Him every day, on whom our faith 332 00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:48.759 depends from start. That's the beginning of your race and 333 00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:50.920 life to finish the end of your race in life. 334 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:57.480 You cannot become like Jesus unless you spend time with Jesus. Now, 335 00:17:57.519 --> 00:17:59.119 let me give you a little tip, because some of 336 00:17:59.160 --> 00:18:01.480 you have had this habit in your life where you 337 00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:03.440 would have what's called a quiet time and every day 338 00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:05.680 you'd sit down for five minutes or ten minutes and 339 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:08.559 just kind of center yourself and you get quiet, You 340 00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:10.799 read the Bible, you pray, and then you go on 341 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:13.319 with your life, maybe review your schedule for that day 342 00:18:13.319 --> 00:18:15.079 and say, Lord, is there anything you need to change 343 00:18:15.079 --> 00:18:18.440 in this? But you've stopped it, and then you started it, 344 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:19.920 and then you stopped it, and you started and said, 345 00:18:20.119 --> 00:18:23.440 let me give you a little tip. Find a special 346 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:26.319 place that that's where you meet with God every day, 347 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:30.319 and make that your special place that when you go there, 348 00:18:30.519 --> 00:18:33.119 I'm going to go spend fifteen minutes with God, just 349 00:18:33.119 --> 00:18:37.400 being quiet, thinking, meditating, looking at God's word, praying. 350 00:18:38.359 --> 00:18:38.880 I don't care. 351 00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:41.400 Again, it might be a lazy boy chair in your 352 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:44.079 living room and you get a cup of coffee and 353 00:18:44.119 --> 00:18:46.200 sit down and sit back and get comfortable. Or you 354 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:48.319 go out in your backyard if you're an outdoor person 355 00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:51.559 and you look outside and hear the birds and sit 356 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:54.119 under a tree, or you know you might you might go. 357 00:18:54.279 --> 00:18:56.000 You just need to go where you can be alone, 358 00:18:56.119 --> 00:18:59.039 where you can pray aloud. I highly recommend you pray aloud, 359 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:02.160 because when I pray, when I close my eyes, I 360 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:06.079 go to sleep. So when I talk to God, I 361 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:08.839 don't close my eyes, and I don't just think close 362 00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:11.200 my eyes and talk like this, I'd fall asleep. I 363 00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:14.039 talk aloud to God. I like to have a conversation. 364 00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:15.599 You should do that too. So you don't want to 365 00:19:15.599 --> 00:19:17.880 be sitting in Starbucks now, God, let me tell you 366 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:20.920 about it. I wouldn't recommend Starbucks to being the place. 367 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:22.680 I talked to guy after last service. He said, my 368 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:25.640 favorite place for my quiet time is sitting on the toilet. 369 00:19:27.079 --> 00:19:29.480 The excuse me, he said, the bathroom is the only 370 00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:32.160 place that's quiet in my house. I got a lot 371 00:19:32.200 --> 00:19:37.319 of little kids. Fine, okay, whatever floats your boat, you 372 00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:40.000 find the spot that becomes special and sacred. 373 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:42.000 Did you know that this was Jesus' habit. 374 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:45.519 Jesus liked to go to a standard place where he 375 00:19:45.559 --> 00:19:49.039 could talk to the Father, for God the Father. Notice 376 00:19:49.079 --> 00:19:51.079 this verse up here on the screen. Luke twenty two 377 00:19:51.160 --> 00:19:56.000 says this, Jesus went out as usual to the mount 378 00:19:56.039 --> 00:19:57.799 of Olives to pray. And now notice as he went 379 00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:01.400 out as usual, that means it was his abbot, it 380 00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:03.640 was his custom he liked to go. 381 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:05.359 I've been to this garden on. 382 00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:09.400 The Mount of Olizus, whereas there's a grove of olive trees. 383 00:20:09.559 --> 00:20:11.720 He liked to go there, and that's where he would 384 00:20:11.720 --> 00:20:14.799 have his quiet time. You need to choose a special 385 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:18.960 place where you meet God every day. Now here's the thing. 386 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:21.759 The more time you spend with God, the more you're 387 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:24.200 going to become like him. The more time you spend 388 00:20:24.200 --> 00:20:27.440 reading the Bible and studying about Jesus, the more you're 389 00:20:27.480 --> 00:20:30.319 going to learn his love, his patience, his peace, his 390 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:34.000 character in your life. The Bible tells us that Moses 391 00:20:34.119 --> 00:20:37.640 spent so much time with God that one time he 392 00:20:37.720 --> 00:20:40.640 was up on Mount Sinai when he's getting the Ten Commandments, 393 00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:43.400 and he has spent months alone with God up on 394 00:20:43.400 --> 00:20:45.759 this mountain, and when he came down. He spent so 395 00:20:45.799 --> 00:20:48.599 much time with God. He literally, the Bible says, the 396 00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:52.880 people said he glowed. He had a presence about him 397 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:56.039 that actually glowed. He'd been so much, spent so much 398 00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:58.640 time with God, and for a while he wore a 399 00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:01.920 veil to kind of high this glow. Now, the next 400 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:03.640 verse says this, we don't have to worry about that. 401 00:21:04.119 --> 00:21:07.079