WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.720 --> 00:00:03.839 Well, I want to jump right into the word here. 2 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:06.719 And I was excited when I found out I was 3 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:11.080 going to be able to preach today. But about a 4 00:00:11.119 --> 00:00:14.439 couple months ago, it was last fall, I had a situation, 5 00:00:14.839 --> 00:00:17.559 an experience that as I was experiencing it, I thought, 6 00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:20.719 there is a sermon here. And so I've been waiting 7 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:23.960 and waiting, and you know, while I was in Florida, 8 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:26.679 sitting there waiting for Knowing to be done teaching, I thought, 9 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:29.839 this is it, this is so it. So I want 10 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:34.439 to welcome you into an experience that I had last fall, 11 00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:36.200 and you're going to be right up there, right on 12 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:39.280 the sidelines with me, all right. So what happened was 13 00:00:39.719 --> 00:00:42.479 we have four children, as you know, and our third born, 14 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:45.399 his name is Austin. He's married Andrea. How many of 15 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:48.960 you know Austin Andrea and how many? Yes, they're wonderful. 16 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:52.560 He drums for us. We are so blessed. Anyway, they 17 00:00:52.600 --> 00:00:55.799 have two kids, and the oldest is Judah. The next 18 00:00:55.799 --> 00:00:58.240 one is Kai. Judah is four years old. Kai is 19 00:00:58.280 --> 00:01:01.600 two years old. And so they have been teaching these 20 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:05.120 children how to ride bikes, and now they have these 21 00:01:05.159 --> 00:01:07.480 new fangled bikes out now that don't have pedals. Have 22 00:01:07.560 --> 00:01:11.480 you seen those? So there's strider bikes are called strider bikes. 23 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:14.439 And when the kids can kind of latch onto the 24 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:17.359 strider bike thing, they can. I am gonna get to 25 00:01:17.400 --> 00:01:20.760 the Bible just a minute. I think some of you 26 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:22.719 are like, wait, I came to church and she's telling 27 00:01:22.719 --> 00:01:25.799 me a story. You bet, because it's gonna work really good. 28 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:27.799 You just wait. We're gonna get to the Bible in 29 00:01:27.879 --> 00:01:30.640 just a minute. Okay, So back to the strider bikes. 30 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:32.040 And if you can get your kid to get on 31 00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:34.840 this strider bike and kind of understand that there's no pedals, 32 00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:38.000 they end up being able to go really fast. So 33 00:01:38.040 --> 00:01:40.280 they have these legs and they're gonna be going running 34 00:01:40.359 --> 00:01:43.120 as fast as they can with these strider bikes. Well, 35 00:01:43.239 --> 00:01:47.000 in pewallup at the Pull Fairgrounds, they have a motocross 36 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:51.599 flat track racing. Anybody ever heard of that? You can't. 37 00:01:51.879 --> 00:01:54.879 I didn't either. So they to get you to get 38 00:01:54.920 --> 00:01:57.719 your you know, the bait on the hook, they run 39 00:01:57.760 --> 00:02:02.359 these little races with strider bikes. And so they'll fill 40 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:05.359 the arena up at the pub fair with dirt and 41 00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:08.919 then they'll build this track with kind of hills and uh, 42 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:10.319 the rest of the night. For the rest of night, 43 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:13.120 it's gonna be you know, screaming motorcycles and craziness. Right, 44 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:16.039 But they kick it off with these little kids, and 45 00:02:16.120 --> 00:02:18.599 so Mimi and Papa had to go and watch, of course, 46 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:22.120 So they have Judah and Kai, the four year old 47 00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:24.039 and the two year old down in the pit down there. 48 00:02:24.520 --> 00:02:26.560 When we get there and we're up in the grand stand, 49 00:02:26.599 --> 00:02:28.000 you know, up in the stands or whatever. But you know, 50 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:31.479 Mimi cannot sit down on the bench. That's not the 51 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:34.639 place for Mimi. So Mimi found her way right to 52 00:02:34.759 --> 00:02:39.280 the right to the rail watching. And as I'm watching 53 00:02:39.319 --> 00:02:41.159 these kids and they're out there, they're they're going around 54 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:43.560 as Andre down there with their kids and and kind 55 00:02:43.560 --> 00:02:47.039 of giving them, giving them hints or whatever, I notice something. 56 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:50.520 I noticed that my little Judah, she he's going really good. 57 00:02:50.599 --> 00:02:53.520 He's he's he's he's gonna win. He's the cutest one 58 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:56.400 out there. He's got the best helmet, it's got the 59 00:02:56.520 --> 00:02:59.479 you know, the spikes on the top, the mohawk thing. Oh, 60 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:02.800 he is good win, I just know it. But there's 61 00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:05.960 another little guy out there that catches my eye. He's 62 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:09.280 in green Judah is in a red jacket and this 63 00:03:09.319 --> 00:03:13.560 little guy in green is actually on pretty fast, and 64 00:03:13.639 --> 00:03:16.319 I'm thinking to myself self, we got a problem here. 65 00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:19.520 This little guy just might win. We have a problem. 66 00:03:19.560 --> 00:03:21.759 So I'm starting to analyze, how many of you ever 67 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:25.960 analyze a sporting event? And you could be the coach 68 00:03:26.120 --> 00:03:29.039 if you were let, if you were allowed. So I'm watching, 69 00:03:29.080 --> 00:03:32.719 I'm thinking, we have a problem. That little guy's seat 70 00:03:33.560 --> 00:03:36.360 was raised up so high that it wasn't like he 71 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:38.240 was sitting. He could actually his legs were straight, and 72 00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:40.599 he was running with that thing. And I looked over 73 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:42.759 at Judah and his seat was a little lower, so 74 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:44.599 he was kind of sitting, and so he didn't have 75 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:48.800 the right angle right. So no, this is not gonna work. No, no, no, no, 76 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:51.800 no no. So I'm standing at the rail. We got 77 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:56.240 to take care of business. Mimi. Can't have little guy losing, 78 00:03:57.000 --> 00:04:00.360 So I yell, I said, I said, And he's like 79 00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:04.639 a Sai call here. So he comes over to me. 80 00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:07.479 I said, Austin, raise that seat up right now. He's 81 00:04:07.479 --> 00:04:09.919 gonna lose if he doesn't. We have got to get 82 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:14.039 this situation fixed. He's like, mom, no, you don't understand. 83 00:04:14.520 --> 00:04:17.560 So much is on the line. So they raised the 84 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:21.639 seat and that little guy had the bestled little option, 85 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:24.480 you know, possibility to win. Right. So they clear the 86 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:28.399 track and they get them all over in the pit 87 00:04:28.519 --> 00:04:31.240 over here, and then they bring them all on and 88 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:34.639 they line up at the starting line right here, and 89 00:04:34.680 --> 00:04:37.240 the dads are bent over at each one of the 90 00:04:37.319 --> 00:04:39.079 kids and they're like, you know. The kids are like, 91 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:43.079 I'm so happy, you know, where's my lollipop? I don't 92 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:45.240 know what I'm doing. And the dad's are like, come on, buddy, 93 00:04:45.279 --> 00:04:49.120 old poll you're gonna do this. Now. Look down there 94 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:54.079 there's the end line right and you're gonna go okay, 95 00:04:54.199 --> 00:04:57.920 you know, but the dads are down there and Mimi's 96 00:04:57.959 --> 00:05:00.519 over here going come on, buddy, old pal. So but 97 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:03.079 you know, down on the track, the kid is, you know, 98 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:11.279 having a great time. Anyway, I videoed it and I'm 99 00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:14.160 gonna share it with you. Are you ready to see it? 100 00:05:14.160 --> 00:05:16.920 Are you with me here? Okay, let's go ahead, and 101 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:23.720 says race day. Do you see the video? Okay, see Austin. 102 00:05:26.439 --> 00:05:30.480 Now watch for Juda's face when that guy gets out 103 00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:39.120 of the way. He's got his game. Now look at 104 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:49.879 that first place. Listen to me, God, that is Pi 105 00:05:50.120 --> 00:06:00.480 right there. Took him forever to get around. He doesn't 106 00:06:02.079 --> 00:06:11.800 he doesn't know. He's got something else taking out. Don't 107 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:16.519 come on, watch it, watch it, watch it, watch it. 108 00:06:21.560 --> 00:06:27.480 Who that was a race. Mimi was hob a right 109 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:30.439 to lose it. But he won. Did you see that? 110 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:39.480 Just barely? His adversary, the guy, that little kid in 111 00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:46.120 the green, he was a fast one, but he won 112 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:49.600 just barely. And I'm sure it's because of his Mimi 113 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:54.879 screaming at him the whole time, keeping him focused. So yeah, 114 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:57.560 when I yes I was loud, and yes I was ridiculous, 115 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:00.680 And if you listened really well in the back there 116 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:03.480 there was the lady standing next to me, goes, she's 117 00:07:03.560 --> 00:07:07.480 really loud. And I didn't know that until I watched 118 00:07:07.480 --> 00:07:11.480 the video. I'm like, okay, shut up over there. I'm 119 00:07:11.639 --> 00:07:15.920 naem anyway. I know that I was in my place 120 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:18.639 and doing my I was in my lane because the 121 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:21.480 Bible says that we are all surrounded with a great 122 00:07:21.560 --> 00:07:26.759 crowd of witnesses, and when you are relegated off of 123 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:29.839 the track, your race is done. Now you have to 124 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:32.160 be in your great crowd of witnesses, and your job 125 00:07:32.279 --> 00:07:34.920 is to cheer them on. And let me just tell you, 126 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:36.879 this is sideline, and this isn't my sermon, but I 127 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:39.079 will tell you that that will be my job, and 128 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:43.959 I will do it well. And when I die, if 129 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.759 I look down and I see you run in your race, 130 00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:56.040 you might hear me screaming, especially for see you slowing down, 131 00:07:57.199 --> 00:08:01.120 especially if I see your adversary sneaking on you. So 132 00:08:01.319 --> 00:08:07.600 just be listening. Just be listening. So let's go ahead 133 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:09.279 and turn to Hebrews twelve, because I want to prove 134 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:13.319 to you that is in the Bible. We're gonna be listening, 135 00:08:13.439 --> 00:08:15.399 yeah uh, Or we're gonna read it out of the NIV. 136 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:20.639 It says, therefore here you go. Therefore, since we are 137 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:24.600 surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us 138 00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:27.240 throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so 139 00:08:27.560 --> 00:08:32.480 easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race 140 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:36.559 marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the 141 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:41.279 Pioneer and perfector or some of your your translations might say, 142 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:46.559 the author and the finisher of your faith, for the 143 00:08:46.679 --> 00:08:51.000 joy set before him. He endured the cross, scorning its shame, 144 00:08:51.159 --> 00:08:53.120 and sat down at the right hand of the throne 145 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:57.759 of God, Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, 146 00:08:57.799 --> 00:09:02.679 so that you will not grow or lose heart in 147 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:06.159 your struggle against sin. You have not yet resisted to 148 00:09:06.200 --> 00:09:09.440 the point of shedding your blood. In other words, quit 149 00:09:09.480 --> 00:09:16.480 whining till I see blood dripping. Go down to the 150 00:09:16.600 --> 00:09:18.759 end of that chapter or not well, kind of midway 151 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:23.519 Verses twelve and thirteen. Therefore, strengthen your feeble knees and arms, 152 00:09:23.559 --> 00:09:26.919 and feeble arms and weak knees, make level the paths 153 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:29.759 of your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, 154 00:09:29.799 --> 00:09:38.159 but rather healed. Now, this passage of scripture is so powerful, 155 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:42.559 so powerful, and so today I want to take a 156 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:44.639 few minutes and just kind of break it down for you. 157 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:47.679 I want that when you're finished, that you have a 158 00:09:48.840 --> 00:09:55.320 new kind of vision for your day to day life. Okay, 159 00:09:55.960 --> 00:10:02.879 so Jesus won his race. Would you say he crossed 160 00:10:02.919 --> 00:10:08.039 the finish line? The adversary could not keep up. Jesus 161 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:12.480 won his race. My question to you and I is 162 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:17.120 how are we doing in our race? So we're on 163 00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:20.799 the track. If your second heir, if you're alive, your 164 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:25.679 heart is beating, you're on the track, and you will 165 00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:28.440 not get off that track. The race is not done 166 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:33.120 until the day you go to glory. So we're in 167 00:10:33.159 --> 00:10:42.559 the race. The race is competitive, you have an adversary. 168 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:48.600 You may win, you may lose, but you're running the race. 169 00:10:50.200 --> 00:10:54.039 And so today I want to bring to you some 170 00:10:54.279 --> 00:10:57.600 points out of this passage, and I call them the 171 00:10:57.639 --> 00:11:01.279 ways of winning. These are some things that Paul, well, 172 00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:07.759 we say it's Paul, the writer of Hero Hebrews. He 173 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:12.799 gave us some really good inside things, kind of like 174 00:11:12.840 --> 00:11:16.480 when I said, Hey, Judah's gonna lose if we keep 175 00:11:16.519 --> 00:11:20.399 that seat too low. We got to make some adjustments. 176 00:11:21.320 --> 00:11:25.840 And if we make some adjustments, Judah will win. But 177 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:29.679 if we don't make some adjustments, Judah will lose no 178 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:34.879 matter how hard he tries. Amen. So let's look at 179 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:36.879 this passage and see what we can do here with this. 180 00:11:37.200 --> 00:11:40.200 Let's pick up some ways of winning. Therefore, let's go 181 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:42.720 back to verse one. Since we are surrounded by such 182 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:47.480 a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything 183 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:52.039 that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Okay, 184 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:54.960 so this is our first little bit, our winning way. 185 00:11:55.480 --> 00:12:01.679 Let us throw off every in everything that hinders and 186 00:12:01.720 --> 00:12:04.679 the sin that so easily entangles. Let me break this 187 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:07.639 down just a little bit. So note the word throw. 188 00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:12.759 We'll get back to that one. Everything that hinders and 189 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:16.679 then sin. So there's two things that he's telling us 190 00:12:16.679 --> 00:12:20.080 here that we need to watch out for, something that 191 00:12:20.200 --> 00:12:26.080 hinders and sin. So what I'm hearing is that the 192 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:33.960 thing that hinders is not sin. It hinders. It's not sinful, 193 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:40.000 but it hinders. So the word for hinders in the 194 00:12:40.039 --> 00:12:42.399 Greek is the word There's a couple of words there, 195 00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:48.000 but the one that I kind of grabbed onto is bulge. Bulge. Yes, 196 00:12:48.039 --> 00:12:53.639 I said it bulge. And you know, bulges aren't sin, 197 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:56.799 but they sure keep you from being able to do things. 198 00:12:57.840 --> 00:12:59.919 And the other day, you know, I mean, I don't know, 199 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:03.360 a while back, things are getting a little bulgeer than typical, 200 00:13:04.919 --> 00:13:06.639 and I bent over and it's kind of hard to 201 00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:09.759 bend over, and I thought, wait a minute, what is that. 202 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:18.759 It's a bulge. Bulges aren't sin, but they're a problem 203 00:13:19.240 --> 00:13:21.919 that get in the way. So what is a bulge? 204 00:13:21.960 --> 00:13:24.879 It might be an attitude, it might be a habit, 205 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:27.879 it might be something that you got in your life 206 00:13:28.360 --> 00:13:32.320 that isn't a sin, but it's hindering. You, and so 207 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:36.360 he's telling us. This writer says, hey, listen, look for bulges. 208 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:45.360 May the Lord right now identify bulges in your life. 209 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:48.399 There's a meme that I saw about ten years ago 210 00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:52.120 on Facebook that still sits in my head. So I 211 00:13:52.120 --> 00:13:54.360 want us to keep with this idea of running a race. 212 00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:59.039 And the top half of the meme says what I 213 00:13:59.080 --> 00:14:02.000 think I look like I run, and it is just 214 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:04.840 the coolest, like one of those pictures they're just the 215 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:10.399 athlete lady just run and just sleep and just sweating, 216 00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:13.200 and she's winning her race. And then the bottom half 217 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:15.639 is what I actually look like, and it's kind of 218 00:14:15.720 --> 00:14:19.200 this with a lot of bulges right, kind of barely 219 00:14:19.240 --> 00:14:26.240 making it right. So the writer says, here though, watch out, 220 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:31.480 watch out for the bulges, watch out for the sin. 221 00:14:31.559 --> 00:14:33.919 The sin is so easily entangles. The thought is that 222 00:14:33.960 --> 00:14:36.440 you're running and all of a sudden you trip up 223 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:39.200 because there's stuff around your feet, and you have all 224 00:14:39.240 --> 00:14:41.279 the abilities, you have, all the strength, you have, all 225 00:14:41.279 --> 00:14:44.120 the talent, but there's this thing that's kind of wanting 226 00:14:44.159 --> 00:14:46.480 to get get around your feet, that kind of and 227 00:14:46.519 --> 00:14:48.720 have you ever just go ahead and start keep running 228 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:51.080 even though you're kind of got stuff. But you know 229 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:53.279 you don't want to take the time to get rid 230 00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:55.200 of this stuff, so you're just gonna run with it. 231 00:14:55.480 --> 00:14:57.840 How far can you run? And how fast can you run? 232 00:14:57.960 --> 00:15:03.559 And will you win the race? Now? Doctor Brian Simmons 233 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:08.200 also adds to this, and in his translation he says, 234 00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:14.240 let go of every wound that has pierced us. So 235 00:15:14.360 --> 00:15:19.559 he takes the hinder the bulge, and he likens it 236 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:28.000 to a wound. So he's saying, people have got the wound, 237 00:15:29.080 --> 00:15:34.480 has got to go. Oh no, wait a minute, I 238 00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:40.399 deserve that wound. They hurt me. I'm a victim here. 239 00:15:41.080 --> 00:15:46.279 I didn't ask for the wound, but it's become my identity. 240 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:49.120 What would you be like if you didn't have that wound? 241 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:54.200 Have you seen yourself without your wound? Have you seen 242 00:15:54.279 --> 00:15:58.720 yourself without your offense? Can you still see yourself without it? 243 00:15:58.759 --> 00:16:02.600 I don't know. But wounds that we keep on the 244 00:16:02.679 --> 00:16:06.720 inside end up being a hindrance. Wounds that we keep 245 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:10.320 inside that hasn't been let out into the light, where 246 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:13.720 light can heal, where the anointing salve of the Holy 247 00:16:13.759 --> 00:16:16.399 Spirit can come and heal. I am calling you, the 248 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:21.960 writer here is calling us to throw off your bulges, 249 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:28.559 throw off the sin that entangles, and deal with your wounds. 250 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:33.639 Because Jesus wants you to run your race to win. 251 00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:38.360 He wants you to run the body of Christ is 252 00:16:38.519 --> 00:16:44.080 supposed to run the race individually and collectively to win. 253 00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:49.080 The wind is bringing Kingdom of God to earth. The 254 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:52.000 wind is becoming more. The wind is more more of 255 00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:56.960 Christ in me. We can't do it with bulges, we 256 00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:00.840 can't do it with wounds. We can't do it with 257 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:05.880 the sin that so easily entangles. So he says, to 258 00:17:05.960 --> 00:17:10.279 throw it off. Now, if you're gonna throw it off, 259 00:17:10.279 --> 00:17:13.680 that takes think of throwing it takes I don't know 260 00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:17.680 how many muscle groups to and it takes a little 261 00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:23.920 bit of oomph, little grit. It's not this cannot be. 262 00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:32.680 I don't want to, okay, I don't know. No. This 263 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:39.039 means people have got today right now, throw it off, 264 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:50.119 throw it off, be done. Please talk to you about 265 00:17:50.160 --> 00:17:53.440 this before be done. This is your day, This is 266 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:57.559 your day. The way of winning is to throw it off, 267 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:02.079 all right, say number one, throw it off. We got 268 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:06.359 a lot more to go, oh dear. Then it says, 269 00:18:06.440 --> 00:18:11.119 let us run this race with let us run with perseverance, 270 00:18:11.160 --> 00:18:14.720 the race marked out for us. So here's another way 271 00:18:14.839 --> 00:18:18.279 of winning. Number one is to realize you are in 272 00:18:18.319 --> 00:18:21.359 a race. How many human beings wake up and just 273 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:25.319 think it's another day, and they were gonna drink their coffee, 274 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:31.799 eat their food, drive the work, get out, yawn, come on, 275 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:38.440 do nothing. They think they that's their life. But that 276 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:44.599 was the day of their race. That was a day, 277 00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:50.400 that was a lap around the track. And there were 278 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:57.319 others on that track, some being your adversary, and they 279 00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:02.440 took that day very seriously, and you didn't because you 280 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:06.599 didn't realize you were running a race. The first race 281 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:09.400 that you are set and this Bible says, my word 282 00:19:09.480 --> 00:19:12.160 says the race set out before you. In other words, 283 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:14.640 God has a race set up for you, and you 284 00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:25.200 are running it every minute of every day, and you're 285 00:19:25.240 --> 00:19:27.039 meant to win that race. The first race that you 286 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:30.559 have to win is the race inside of yourself. Your 287 00:19:30.680 --> 00:19:33.759 race every moment of every day is to subdue the 288 00:19:33.799 --> 00:19:38.880 flesh and sinful carnal nature withinside of you. That is 289 00:19:38.920 --> 00:19:43.559 your first race, and that is your first adversary. Your 290 00:19:43.640 --> 00:19:48.079 first fight is what happens between your ears every day. 291 00:19:49.119 --> 00:19:51.920 Do you get prideful. Do you get frustrated, do you 292 00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:54.680 get angry? Do you rise up? And whatever? Are you 293 00:19:54.759 --> 00:20:02.400 in disobedience? Are you drawn away with fleshly desire? The 294 00:20:02.440 --> 00:20:07.119 first race, the first adversary, is within yourself. And every 295 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:09.880 day you run that race. And I will say to 296 00:20:09.920 --> 00:20:14.319 you people, if God win it, work with me to 297 00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:18.920 win it. I'm in that same race. But when I 298 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:21.400 can look over and see you and go, you got this, 299 00:20:21.480 --> 00:20:24.200 then come on and you're looking at me, tewing joel, 300 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:26.839 You're better than that. Come on, you got this. You're right, 301 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:31.319 You're right. Okay, okay, okay, I'm gonna win. First race 302 00:20:31.400 --> 00:20:37.440 is within Another race is in your marriage. Every day 303 00:20:37.480 --> 00:20:40.119 you get up, every word that you speak, every interaction 304 00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:43.640 you have with your spouse is part of the race. 305 00:20:44.039 --> 00:20:47.359 And either you are lacks a daisical or negative or 306 00:20:47.599 --> 00:20:51.559 ruining of that race to the victory, or you are 307 00:20:51.640 --> 00:20:56.559 getting yourself to the victory in your marriage. The Bible 308 00:20:56.599 --> 00:20:59.839 says he who creates trouble for his family will in 309 00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:03.519 hair at the wind. Our marriages are supposed to reflect 310 00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:07.599 our marriage with the heavenly Father. It's to make the 311 00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:12.039 world jealous of us. I want our marriages to be 312 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:15.519 so strong. I want your sexual lives to be so 313 00:21:15.720 --> 00:21:21.599 pure and so good that the world wishes they were you. 314 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:26.480 How many of the churches wishing they were the world 315 00:21:30.240 --> 00:21:35.480 in the sexual realm? Come on, people, they don't have it. 316 00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:38.240 I just spit all over. Just don't ever sit close 317 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:42.119 to me, because I will spit on you. I promise 318 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:46.400 it's the glory spit coming. I'm gonna baptize you in 319 00:21:46.440 --> 00:21:49.880 one way or the other, so the word of God 320 00:21:49.960 --> 00:22:00.480 coming out of my mouth anointed spit. Sorry, my brain, 321 00:22:00.519 --> 00:22:02.680 It's just I wish you could visit me inside of 322 00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:06.160 my brain. I work so hard to keep it cool. 323 00:22:07.640 --> 00:22:15.240 Where was I? Oh? Your races, your marriage, Stop trying 324 00:22:16.400 --> 00:22:18.079 to look at the world and wish you could be 325 00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:24.160 that you be godly husband? And what? Get game face on? 326 00:22:26.759 --> 00:22:31.720 Our community? Our church. This is our race. This church 327 00:22:33.000 --> 00:22:36.519 is not a mistake. This church is divinely planted right 328 00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:40.480 in the middle of Hell itself. And He gathers all 329 00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:43.680 of you to come. And we're all a little weird. Okay, 330 00:22:43.960 --> 00:22:46.440 we're all a little off, we're all a little wrong, 331 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:49.160 and yet we have to settle in next to each 332 00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:51.000 other and look at each other. And then God says, 333 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:53.640 we actually have to love one another and we have 334 00:22:53.720 --> 00:22:58.559 to get along. So deal with me. People love me, 335 00:22:59.319 --> 00:23:03.240 and I will with you. But don't cause a problem 336 00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:07.359 in this church because when we do have problems. Oh, 337 00:23:07.400 --> 00:23:09.640 I work so try, I try so hard. May it 338 00:23:09.720 --> 00:23:13.960 not be me? Because we're running a race. Every Sunday. 339 00:23:13.960 --> 00:23:18.160 We run a race when we get together, you guys worshiped, Ah, 340 00:23:19.640 --> 00:23:25.799 how beautiful was this morning? How beautiful this morning? For 341 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:28.720 early morning prayer where you know, be pre service prayer. Usually, 342 00:23:28.759 --> 00:23:30.039 you know, we have a little circle of people. But 343 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:31.720 I was noticing people were coming in and just kind 344 00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:34.400 of filling in this sanctuary praying. They weren't sitting there 345 00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:37.240 checking their phone. They were they were they were starting 346 00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:39.799 to pray. We got a church of prayer warriors here. 347 00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:45.079 This is our race. You're a you have an assignment. 348 00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:48.559 This is the race you're assigned to. I better keep moving. 349 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:52.440 We have a nation. I mean, we can keep going. 350 00:23:52.680 --> 00:23:54.799 What is your race? You have a lot of races, 351 00:23:55.319 --> 00:23:57.880 A lot of things are on your race docket. So 352 00:23:58.039 --> 00:24:00.680 talk a little bit about what does race mean? Race 353 00:24:00.920 --> 00:24:04.960 is the Hebrew word agona, a g ona agona. I 354 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:09.519 don't know, it's agona algona agona no l or agona. 355 00:24:10.440 --> 00:24:14.200 The word means to a struggle, a conflict of many kinds. 356 00:24:15.160 --> 00:24:18.279 So I'm just here to tell you that your race 357 00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:26.799 is gonna be a struggle. So if you wake up 358 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:30.359 in the morning you go, what is like the hold, Well, 359 00:24:30.359 --> 00:24:33.839 it's because you're on your race, and your race is 360 00:24:33.880 --> 00:24:37.279 an agony. And your race is to make you sweat, 361 00:24:37.519 --> 00:24:39.799 and your race is to make you get up and 362 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:43.000 stretch and say I'm gonna win and I got this, 363 00:24:43.400 --> 00:24:45.240 and I'm gonna work hard, and you got all of 364 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:47.279 me today, God, and I'm gonna do my very best. 365 00:24:47.319 --> 00:24:49.920 And when my spouse snart is snarky to me, I'm 366 00:24:49.960 --> 00:24:52.799 gonna go I love you, honey, instead of going back 367 00:24:52.839 --> 00:24:56.039 at him. And you know, when the thing's your race 368 00:24:56.200 --> 00:24:59.079 is the race to win in it is a struggle. 369 00:25:00.519 --> 00:25:05.400 So stop whining and thinking it's just you and everybody 370 00:25:05.400 --> 00:25:10.759 else has it easy. That spirit of self pity wants 371 00:25:10.759 --> 00:25:16.880 to just rise up. I'm tired. Oh no, what it 372 00:25:17.079 --> 00:25:20.319 is anymore? Well, that's for the day you die, and 373 00:25:20.359 --> 00:25:22.960 you're not gonna die for a very long time. So honey, 374 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:31.400 get on your bike and ride. It's been way too 375 00:25:31.400 --> 00:25:36.799 long since I've been up here. Let's run with endurance 376 00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:39.559 or perseverance. The race set up for the word perseverance 377 00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:43.559 is hoopo mone. It means it has the word patient 378 00:25:44.680 --> 00:25:49.279 involved in it. You cannot run with endurance or perseverance 379 00:25:49.359 --> 00:25:52.240 without patience, So it's a different It's a certain kind 380 00:25:52.279 --> 00:25:55.759 of patience though people, how many of you love patience? 381 00:25:58.039 --> 00:26:02.359 I am the worst in a's office when you have 382 00:26:02.440 --> 00:26:06.559 to sit in the waiting room and be patient because 383 00:26:06.599 --> 00:26:09.799 you're a patient. They call you a patient because you 384 00:26:09.839 --> 00:26:13.440 have to be patient as you wait in the doctor's office. 385 00:26:15.720 --> 00:26:19.559 But there's two, there's different kinds of patient. Barkley says 386 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:23.319 that this patience is not the patience that sits down 387 00:26:23.319 --> 00:26:27.440 and accepts things as they are, But perseverance and endurance 388 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:33.839 is the kind of patience that masters the problem. So 389 00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:36.759 what he's saying here is when you're in your conflict, 390 00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:39.279 when you're in your struggle and you're in your race, 391 00:26:39.720 --> 00:26:43.039 you gotta keep there, you gotta stay there, you gotta 392 00:26:43.079 --> 00:26:46.400 have patience. But it's not the patience just says throws 393 00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:48.519 up your hands and says, this is just the way 394 00:26:48.559 --> 00:26:52.279 it's gonna be. This is just how I am get 395 00:26:52.359 --> 00:26:58.440 over it. It's the patience that says, get to work, 396 00:26:58.480 --> 00:27:01.119 girlfriend and friend out here. I can't call you a 397 00:27:01.160 --> 00:27:04.720 boyfriend that would really go not go over well, Church 398 00:27:04.759 --> 00:27:08.559 friends out here, because you're gonna master it. And I 399 00:27:08.599 --> 00:27:10.880 am here to say, you are gonna master your marriages. 400 00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:14.039 You are gonna master your children, You are gonna master 401 00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:17.599