WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:06.919 Pastor Rick Warren often says you were made by God 2 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:11.119 and for God, and until you understand that, life will 3 00:00:11.160 --> 00:00:16.160 never make sense. Welcome to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. Today. 4 00:00:16.399 --> 00:00:19.280 In our series called God's Vision for the Rest of 5 00:00:19.320 --> 00:00:22.480 your Life, Rick continues in his effort to help you 6 00:00:22.600 --> 00:00:26.679 discover the unique purpose and vision that the Lord has 7 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:29.960 for your life. Now, before we get started, we want 8 00:00:29.960 --> 00:00:32.719 to let you know that a very generous friend has 9 00:00:32.759 --> 00:00:36.600 given one hundred thousand dollars matching grant to Daily Hope. 10 00:00:36.759 --> 00:00:40.039 That means that all this month, every dollar you give 11 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:43.000 to help Daily Hope share the hope of Jesus around 12 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:46.679 the world will be matched up to one hundred thousand dollars. 13 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:50.039 You can find out more by going to Pastorick dot 14 00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:53.640 com or by texting the word daily to eight hundred 15 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:58.119 six hundred five thousand and four. That's Pastorick dot com, 16 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:01.880 or the word daily to a hundred six hundred five 17 00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:05.719 thousand and four. Right now, here's Pastor Rick Warren with 18 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:08.719 part one of a message called how to Get Ready 19 00:01:08.760 --> 00:01:10.319 to be Used by God. 20 00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:12.920 Now we've been talking about how God has a purpose 21 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:15.200 for your life, a plan for your life, a mission 22 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:18.760 for your life, and the greatest adventure of life is 23 00:01:18.799 --> 00:01:21.359 to be used by God. Nothing else compares to that. 24 00:01:21.560 --> 00:01:25.760 Nothing comes close to the feeling of being used by God. 25 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:28.680 And if you've never had that feeling of being used 26 00:01:28.680 --> 00:01:32.159 by God, I really feel sad for you. Because God 27 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:34.159 wants to use you. And the Bible says God is 28 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:38.319 looking for people to use. But there is a qualification. 29 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:43.599 God says you must be usable. The Bible says this 30 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:48.120 in Romans six thirteen. Let's read it aloud together, give 31 00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:51.719 yourselves completely to God so you can be tools in 32 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:56.159 the hands of God to be used for his good purposes. 33 00:01:56.359 --> 00:01:59.480 God wants to use you for his good purposes. And 34 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:03.640 the big question now is now, what what do I do? 35 00:02:03.719 --> 00:02:06.480 What are my next steps? Well, today we're going to 36 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:09.280 look at those next steps. What you do once you've 37 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:11.639 surrendered your life to say, God, whatever it takes, I 38 00:02:11.639 --> 00:02:14.960 want you to use my life. Because God says there 39 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:18.639 are five things he looks for in your life. If 40 00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:20.639 you're going to have the blessing and the power and 41 00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:25.000 be usable by God, let's get right into him. Step one. 42 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:27.759 The first step if I want to be used by 43 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:33.199 God is to purify my heart. Purify my heart because 44 00:02:33.240 --> 00:02:37.960 God uses people with a pure heart, not a perfect person, 45 00:02:38.199 --> 00:02:40.680 but a pure person. And the Bible says on two 46 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:44.439 Timothy two twenty one, if you keep yourself pure, you'll 47 00:02:44.439 --> 00:02:47.560 be a utensil. That's a tool that God can use 48 00:02:47.560 --> 00:02:51.240 for his purpose. If you keep yourself pure, your life 49 00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:53.159 will be clean, and you will be ready for the 50 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:58.319 Master to use you for every good work. Now, God 51 00:02:58.439 --> 00:03:01.560 uses all kinds of people. He uses shy people, he 52 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:05.199 uses outgoing people, he uses really smart people, and he 53 00:03:05.319 --> 00:03:09.280 uses people who aren't so smart. He uses all different races, 54 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:13.639 all different ages, all different stages of life, all different backgrounds. 55 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:17.479 He uses men and women. God wants to use you. 56 00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:22.000 And God will use plane vessels, and he'll use ornate vessels, 57 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:24.879 and he'll use big vessels, and he'll use small vessels. 58 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:27.520 But there's one thing God will not use. He will 59 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:31.800 not use a dirty vessel. We have to be clean 60 00:03:31.879 --> 00:03:35.520 on the inside. That's why Joshua when he was telling 61 00:03:35.560 --> 00:03:37.879 the people to get ready to go into the Promised Land, 62 00:03:37.879 --> 00:03:40.800 for forty years, they'd been waiting an entire nation, and 63 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:42.759 the next day they're going to cross over the Jordan 64 00:03:42.919 --> 00:03:45.919 River and go into the Promised Land. They're going into 65 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:49.319 the next stage of their vision, and Joshua says this. 66 00:03:49.479 --> 00:03:53.039 In the next verse, verse five Joshua three. Joshua told 67 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:56.400 the people, purify yourselves. Now this is something you do 68 00:03:56.439 --> 00:03:59.919 to yourself, for tomorrow the Lord will do great one 69 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:03.199 among you. God is going to do great things to 70 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:05.719 this church. There's not a doubt in my mind. In 71 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:07.759 the years ahead, we're on a new level, wor on 72 00:04:07.800 --> 00:04:10.400 a new plane. But the starting point is we must 73 00:04:10.439 --> 00:04:14.639 purify ourselves. How do you do that, Well, you do 74 00:04:14.680 --> 00:04:20.519 it through a real simple word, confession. Confession. Augustine said, 75 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:23.319 the confession of bad works is the beginning of good works. 76 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:26.600 And the Bible says this. Let's read first John one nine. Together. 77 00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:30.720 If we confess our sins to God, he will keep 78 00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:34.160 this promise and do right. He will forgive us our 79 00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:39.600 sins and purify us from all our wrongdoings. God says, 80 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:44.480 here's your part, you confess, and my part is all purify. 81 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:47.160 Now what does it mean to confess, Well, the word 82 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:50.399 in Greek literally is the word homo. Oh, that's what 83 00:04:50.519 --> 00:04:54.959 confessed means in Greek, and confess homo means same like 84 00:04:55.120 --> 00:05:00.839 homogenized milk, the same and logeo means to speak, and 85 00:05:00.879 --> 00:05:04.519 so homologo literally means to speak the same about my 86 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:07.199 sin that God does. Means I just agree with God. 87 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:10.279 You're right. It wasn't a faux pas. It wasn't a mistake. 88 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:14.120 It wasn't a peccadillo. It was a sin. Is call 89 00:05:14.160 --> 00:05:17.160 it for what it is. It was wrong. Now, it 90 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:20.000 doesn't mean you're bargain with God. I'll never do it again. 91 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:23.399 It doesn't mean you you bribe God. I promise to 92 00:05:23.399 --> 00:05:25.959 read my Bible every day if you'll forgive me. No, 93 00:05:26.279 --> 00:05:29.319 you just admit it, he said. All I got to 94 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:31.160 do is admit it and God will forgive it. That's 95 00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:35.240 what he says. That's called grace. And so I admit 96 00:05:35.319 --> 00:05:38.439 it to God, and I say, God, what do you 97 00:05:38.439 --> 00:05:42.120 want me to confess? Here? Here's what I would suggest 98 00:05:42.199 --> 00:05:43.480 you do if you really want to be used by 99 00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:46.079 God this next week, take a day off. Here's your 100 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:49.560 action step. Take an hour in a day or sometime 101 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:51.959 in the next couple of days, and sit down with 102 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:54.839 a yellow pad and say, God, just be quiet. God, 103 00:05:55.720 --> 00:05:59.199 show me what's between me and you, what's piled up 104 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:01.839 in my life, what's wrong in my life? Just show me, 105 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:04.680 and I'm gonna write it down and I'm gonna admit it. 106 00:06:05.480 --> 00:06:07.240 I'm just gonna confess to you. And you wait and 107 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:09.959 you just say, God tell me, and you write something down. 108 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:11.839 He gives you another idea. You write that down. First 109 00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:13.160 time I did it, I thought I was gonna write 110 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:19.040 a book, The Purpose Driven Sinner. It was about nine 111 00:06:19.079 --> 00:06:20.959 pages long the first time I ever did this. Now 112 00:06:20.959 --> 00:06:23.959 I've done this many many times since. But the idea 113 00:06:24.079 --> 00:06:26.839 is you make a list and then you can write 114 00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:29.000 first John one nine all over it and say, God, 115 00:06:29.240 --> 00:06:31.399 I admit it to you. These are wrong. I don't 116 00:06:31.399 --> 00:06:34.319 want them in my life. And God says, I forgive, 117 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:38.079 and I forget. So you ask God to cleanse your life. 118 00:06:38.360 --> 00:06:42.079 Who have I hurt? That's guilt. Who's hurt me? That's resentment? 119 00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:45.240 What am I worrying about? That's a lack of faith? 120 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:47.240 Just things like that. Who have I been jealous of? 121 00:06:47.560 --> 00:06:47.639 You? 122 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:51.079 Just cleanse your life. That's the starting point. I must 123 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:55.319 purify my heart. Now here's the second one. This one's 124 00:06:55.319 --> 00:06:58.839 even a little bit more difficult. I need to sanctify 125 00:06:59.160 --> 00:06:59.759 my body. 126 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:04.759 Thank you so much for listening to Pastor Rick's Daily 127 00:07:04.839 --> 00:07:07.800 Hope We've got some incredible news to share with you. 128 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:11.879 A very generous friend has given a one hundred thousand 129 00:07:11.959 --> 00:07:16.240 dollars matching grant to this ministry all this month. Every 130 00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:19.319 dollar you give to help Daily Hope share the certain 131 00:07:19.399 --> 00:07:22.639 hope of Jesus around the world will be matched up 132 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:27.000 to one hundred thousand dollars, So twenty five dollars becomes 133 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:31.399 fifty dollars, fifty becomes one hundred and five hundred becomes 134 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:34.680 a thousand. Whatever you give will be doubled by the 135 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:38.560 matching grant up to one hundred thousand dollars, but only 136 00:07:38.680 --> 00:07:43.160 till midnight December thirty first, So please contact us today. 137 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:46.959 Go to Pastorick dot com or just call eight hundred 138 00:07:47.240 --> 00:07:49.399 six hundred five thousand and four. 139 00:07:50.040 --> 00:07:51.959 If you want to make your time in prayer the 140 00:07:52.040 --> 00:07:54.399 best it can be, then you're going to want to 141 00:07:54.439 --> 00:07:57.120 get a copy of the brand new twenty twenty one 142 00:07:57.439 --> 00:08:01.639 Daily Hope Prayer Journal. This year's theme, God's Great Adventure 143 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:04.519 for You, will help you tap into God's power and 144 00:08:04.600 --> 00:08:08.480 presence when you learn how to pray with passion and purpose. 145 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:13.000 Covered in soft vegan leather with full color pages, this 146 00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:17.399 prayer journal has sections to pray for specific people and situations, 147 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:20.920 as well as space to express your gratitude and personal 148 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:25.199 prayer requests to God. Each page is beautifully designed and 149 00:08:25.240 --> 00:08:30.160 filled with inspiring Bible verses, photos and artwork. The God's 150 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:33.440 Great Adventure for You Prayer Journal is a spiritual growth 151 00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:36.960 tool designed to help you enjoy a vibrant prayer life, 152 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:41.399 connect with God, and establish a consistent daily prayer time. 153 00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:44.240 When you give a gift to help daily Hope take 154 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:47.799 the certain Hope of Jesus to people around the world, 155 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:51.279 we'll send you the all new twenty twenty one Daily 156 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:55.039 Hope Prayer Journal to say thanks. Quantities are limited, so 157 00:08:55.240 --> 00:08:59.039 don't wait. Call eight hundred six hundred five zero zero 158 00:08:59.080 --> 00:09:01.919 four to get your Prayer Journal and have your gift 159 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:05.240 matched up to one hundred thousand dollars. Or you can 160 00:09:05.320 --> 00:09:08.559 visit Pastorick dot com. That's eight hundred and six hundred 161 00:09:08.759 --> 00:09:11.960 five zero zero four or pastorick dot com. 162 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:16.080 You're listening to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope once again. Here's 163 00:09:16.159 --> 00:09:17.360 Pastor Rick Warren. 164 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:22.039 So you ask God to cleanse your life. Who have 165 00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:26.720 I hurt? That's guilt? Who's hurt me? That's resentment? What 166 00:09:26.759 --> 00:09:28.840 am I worrying about. That's a lack of faith, just 167 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:30.879 things like that. Who have I been jealous of? You 168 00:09:30.919 --> 00:09:34.200 need to cleanse your life. That's the starting point. I 169 00:09:34.279 --> 00:09:38.440 must purify my heart. Now here's the second one. This 170 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:41.440 one's even a little bit more difficult. I need to 171 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:47.480 sanctify my body. Sanctify my body. Now, what in the 172 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:50.799 world does that mean. Well, sanctification is just a big, 173 00:09:50.840 --> 00:09:55.480 fancy theological word that means to dedicate something for God's purpose. 174 00:09:56.440 --> 00:09:59.559 You can sanctify anything. You could say, God, I sanctify 175 00:09:59.639 --> 00:10:03.480 this car. I dedicate it to you for your purposes. God, 176 00:10:03.879 --> 00:10:06.799 I sanctify this home. I dedicate it to you for 177 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:10.279 your purposes. You can sanctify anything. It's whatever you give 178 00:10:10.440 --> 00:10:13.799 to God and say, God, you use it for your purposes. 179 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:17.240 That's what it means. Now, God says, there's something I 180 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:21.000 want you specifically to dedicate to me. It is your body. 181 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:27.120 It is your body. Notice what the Bible says. Don't 182 00:10:27.159 --> 00:10:29.679 you know that your body is the temple of the 183 00:10:29.679 --> 00:10:33.720 Holy Spirit who lives in you and was given to 184 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:38.240 you by God. You do not belong to yourself, for 185 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:42.279 God bought you with a high price. So you must 186 00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:46.519 read it with me. Honor God with your body. Now, 187 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:49.799 how do you do that? How do you honor God 188 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:54.200 with your body? Well, real simple, you take care of it. 189 00:10:55.240 --> 00:10:57.279 But let me give you a paraphrase of the phrase 190 00:10:57.320 --> 00:10:59.840 sanctify my body. Here you can write this one down. 191 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:04.480 Here's what it means. Get in shape, that's what it means. 192 00:11:04.840 --> 00:11:07.480 And if you want God to use you, you got to 193 00:11:07.559 --> 00:11:10.240 get in shape because the better in shape you are, 194 00:11:10.279 --> 00:11:12.759 the more energy you'll have and the more God can 195 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:15.519 use you. See how practical this is. God says, I 196 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:17.200 want you to give your body to me. Why because 197 00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:21.519 you can't do anything without your body. Saw one nineteen 198 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:25.480 verse seventy three says this, you made my body. Lord, 199 00:11:25.960 --> 00:11:29.159 Now give me the sense to heed your laws. You know. 200 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:31.679 God set up the principles of good health, and he 201 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:37.480 says there's a balance between eating and sleeping and exercising, 202 00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:39.879 and he says you need all three third John two, 203 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:42.399 God says, I'm concerned about your health. I want you 204 00:11:42.440 --> 00:11:45.039 to be healthy. The Old Testament is full of rules 205 00:11:45.080 --> 00:11:47.919 about health, and actually a major part, one third of 206 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:52.279 jesus ministry was helping people get healthy. So God says, 207 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:53.919 I don't want you to just have a pure heart. 208 00:11:54.360 --> 00:11:56.200 I want you to have an in shape body so 209 00:11:56.279 --> 00:12:00.679 I can use you more effectively. Now, I guess of 210 00:12:00.679 --> 00:12:04.279 these three of a sleep and eat and exercise, that 211 00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:06.799 everybody in this room probably needs to work on one 212 00:12:06.840 --> 00:12:11.960 of them, at least some of you. You're not getting 213 00:12:12.039 --> 00:12:16.519 enough sleep, and you're tired all the time, and really 214 00:12:17.080 --> 00:12:20.039 having that extra hour sleep would probably help you be 215 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:25.759 more effective in your life, and you would have more energy, 216 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:28.000 and God could use you. God can't use somebody who's 217 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:31.519 tired all the time. You're just moping around, jumping around. 218 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:33.679 You need to get your proper rest. In fact, look 219 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:36.039 at this verse up here on scripture. Someone twenty seven 220 00:12:36.120 --> 00:12:39.039 verse two on the video screen says this, it is 221 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:42.320 senseless for you to work so hard from early morning 222 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:46.200 until late at night. For God wants his loved ones 223 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:50.639 read it with me to get their proper rest. So 224 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:52.600 for some of you, the most spiritual thing you can 225 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:55.120 do is go to bed. Now, don't do it until 226 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:57.919 his sermon's over. But I mean, don't go to sleep 227 00:12:57.919 --> 00:13:01.799 on me. But you need to get your rest. And 228 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:03.559 so some of you need to work on the rest 229 00:13:03.639 --> 00:13:06.440 factor in dedicating your body. Some of you need to 230 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:09.080 work like me. On the food factor, I don't know 231 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:13.120 why God made food taste so good. I mean, you 232 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:16.799 could have made it all taste like oatmeal, but he didn't. 233 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:18.600 Look at this verse up here on the screen. First 234 00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:23.120 Corinthians six thirteen says food is for the stomach, and 235 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:26.200 the stomach is for food. But God will put an 236 00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:29.480 end to both. That means they're temporary. The body is 237 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:32.799 not to be used for sexual immorality, but to serve 238 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:35.159 the Lord. Now leave that scripturep there once you know 239 00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:37.240 those couple things. First, food is for the stomach, the 240 00:13:37.240 --> 00:13:39.240 stomach for food. What is he saying there? He's saying this, 241 00:13:40.039 --> 00:13:46.679 You eat to live, you don't live to eat. You 242 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:50.559 see the difference. You eat to live, you don't live 243 00:13:50.840 --> 00:13:54.559 to eat. And then notice he compares over eating down 244 00:13:54.559 --> 00:13:57.120 here to sexual immorality. Now, I wouldn't put those in 245 00:13:57.200 --> 00:14:03.480 the same category. You know, you wouldn't think of, you know, 246 00:14:03.720 --> 00:14:07.960 cheating on your husband or your wife. But God says, 247 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:11.080 you know, these are sins against the body. And he 248 00:14:11.080 --> 00:14:14.519 says this is serious. This is serious. God says, I 249 00:14:14.600 --> 00:14:17.399 want you to be in shape. And then, of course 250 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:21.159 everybody needs exercise. Every one of us need exercise. Now 251 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:26.840 I want to personally recommend to you sleepwalking. Okay, I 252 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:31.120 highly recommend this. It's multitasking. Okay, you can get your 253 00:14:31.159 --> 00:14:35.320 rest and your exercise at the same time. Works really good. Okay, 254 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:38.440 so you're doubling up your effort sleepwalking, be very, very good. 255 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:42.120 The point is this, you can have a wrong attitude 256 00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:44.519 or a right attitude to your body. What's the wrong attitude? 257 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:48.559 The wrong attitude is neglected, the wrong attitude is rejected. God, 258 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:51.440 I'm on a different one. The wrong attitude is perfected. 259 00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:54.679 That's the bodybuilders who are narcissistic, and you know they 260 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:57.559 worship their body and they build all these muscles as 261 00:14:57.559 --> 00:15:00.279 if the body is the most important thing in life. Now, 262 00:15:00.519 --> 00:15:03.000 you don't worship your body, You don't neglect it, you 263 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:05.360 don't reject it, you don't perfect it. What do you do? 264 00:15:05.879 --> 00:15:09.679 You respect it and you protect it. That's what God 265 00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:12.240 wants you to do with your body. Why because God 266 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:16.039 created it, Jesus paid for it, and the Holy Spirit 267 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:18.799 lives in it. So what's our motivation? Look at the 268 00:15:18.840 --> 00:15:22.639 next verse one Corinthians nine. Read it with me. Athletes 269 00:15:22.759 --> 00:15:27.159 practice discipline and self control. They do it to win 270 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:30.279 a prize that will fade away. But we do it 271 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:34.480 for an eternal prize. Our motivation is we want to 272 00:15:34.519 --> 00:15:37.159 please God in an eternity. You will be rewarded because 273 00:15:37.159 --> 00:15:40.080 you made the most of what you were given, he said. 274 00:15:40.120 --> 00:15:42.320 Athletes get you know, they get in shape just to 275 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:44.519 win an award, he said, but this is going to 276 00:15:44.519 --> 00:15:46.879 be an eternal award. If you get in shape so 277 00:15:46.919 --> 00:15:50.879 that God could use you more effectively. Now here's the 278 00:15:50.919 --> 00:15:52.919 third step. If you want to be used by God. 279 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:59.120 Simplify my life. I purify my heart, I sanctify my body, 280 00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:02.120 and I simplify my life so I have more time 281 00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:05.240 to be used by God. You know, the Bible compares 282 00:16:05.320 --> 00:16:08.919 life to a marathon race, and in Hebrews Paul says 283 00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:13.440 this Hebrews twelve. We should remove anything from our lives 284 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:17.159 that would get in the way and hold us back. 285 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:19.480 He says, just as you're running a race of life, 286 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:22.440 let go of anything that holds you back. Now I 287 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:25.639 know this one from personal experience. If the devil can't 288 00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:31.360 make you bad, he'll make you busy. Okay, if he 289 00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:34.320 can't make you bad, he'll make you busy, and he'll 290 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:37.320 get you so busy you don't have time for the 291 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:40.519 important stuff. It's good things, they're all really good things. 292 00:16:40.519 --> 00:16:42.919 But you don't have time for God, for time alone 293 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:46.039 with God, for ministry, for mission, things like that. So 294 00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:49.879 Paul says, simplify your life. Get rid of the excess baggage. 295 00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:53.240 Don't try to do it all, do what matters most. 296 00:16:53.320 --> 00:16:56.519 You have just enough time to do God's will. That 297 00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:58.600 means if you don't, you can't get everything done. It 298 00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:00.519 means there are things on that list God ever intended 299 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:06.119 for you to do in the first place. Serious runner's focus, now, friends, 300 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:08.920 I have met thousands of people who have told me 301 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:12.240 they want to be used by God. But they never will. 302 00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:15.960 They'll never be used by God. Why they're too busy. 303 00:17:16.440 --> 00:17:19.119 They're too busy. They've got their own agenda going, They've 304 00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:22.799 got their own things going, they've got their own plans 305 00:17:22.839 --> 00:17:25.200 and dreams and ambitions going, and they don't have any time. 306 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:27.559 And they try to carve out a little sliver in 307 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:29.960 the pie of life, say oh, I'll give this to God. 308 00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:33.640 It doesn't work that way. If you're serious about being 309 00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:36.240 used by God, you have to say, Lord, what do 310 00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:37.680 I need to let go of? What I need to 311 00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:41.519 cut out what are the barriers that are holding me back, 312 00:17:41.559 --> 00:17:43.599 that are keeping me from running the race you out 313 00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:46.319 for me? Now, there are lots of different barriers that 314 00:17:46.359 --> 00:17:48.960 hold you back from God's plan for your life. Then 315 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:50.839 let me give you two real common ones. You can 316 00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:58.240 write these down. The first one is distractions. Distractions. Jesus 317 00:17:58.279 --> 00:18:02.400 said this in Luke six. Anybody who lets himself be 318 00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:07.359 distracted from the work that I plan for him is 319 00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:11.559 not fit for the Kingdom of heaven. He says. Don't 320 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:14.960 let yourself be distracted. Now, what could distract you from 321 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:18.559 your life mission? Oh, a lot of things. The expectations 322 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:22.240 of other people. You're trying to please everybody else's to 323 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:24.039 try to please God. You can't do that. You got 324 00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:26.319 to decide am I going to please God with my life? 325 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:29.559 Or am I going to please my boyfriend or my girlfriend, 326 00:18:29.799 --> 00:18:32.079 or my boss or whatever. You've got to decide who 327 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:34.680 you're going to please first. In life, you can only 328 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:38.400 have one number one, and the expectations of others, the 329 00:18:38.440 --> 00:18:42.319 opinions of others. Trying to be like other people can 330 00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:45.680 be a distraction. Television can be a distraction. Hobbies can 331 00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:48.319 be distraction. There's nothing wrong with these things. They're good things, 332 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:52.759 but they can distract you. Addictions, the wrong kind of 333 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:55.759 friends can distract you. There may be some friends that 334 00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:58.519 you say, you know what, you're just letting me. I'm 335 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:00.880 not talking about a good friendship, talking about you know, 336 00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:05.039 negative one. To finish the race, you gotta let go. 337 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:05.359 Now. 338 00:19:05.400 --> 00:19:07.839 Let me tell you what is the biggest distraction for 339 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:13.799 most people. Your past, your past. Some of you refuse 340 00:19:13.960 --> 00:19:16.880 to let go of your past, and you keep holding 341 00:19:16.920 --> 00:19:20.319 on to it, either guilt things that I've done to 342 00:19:20.359 --> 00:19:22.720 others or resentment things that others have done to me. 343 00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:25.039 And you won't let go of the guilt or the 344 00:19:25.079 --> 00:19:28.279 grudges or the grief. And as a result, you are 345 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:31.160 stuck in the past and you cannot get on with 346 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:34.000 the present, and you can't certainly get on to God's 347 00:19:34.039 --> 00:19:36.720 future vision for you. If you're stuck in the past, 348 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:41.079 you need to let it go. Let it go. Your 349 00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:45.200 past is past, it's over. You got to let it 350 00:19:45.240 --> 00:19:48.880 go so you can get on with the future. Stop 351 00:19:48.920 --> 00:19:54.279 rehearsing the past, release it, release it, and let it go. 352 00:19:54.440 --> 00:19:58.839 Distractions will keep you. Notice this next verse two Timothy 353 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:04.240 twenty four as Christ's soldiers, don't let yourself become tied 354 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:07.000 up in the affairs of this life circle that phrase 355 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:09.640 tied up. Some of you are all tied up in 356 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:13.400 nuts by the affairs of this life. For then you 357 00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:18.319 cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army, 358 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:21.000 if you are enlisted in the service. And by the way, 359 00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:23.359 they don't call it the service for nothing, it's to serve. 360 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:26.079 If you've been listed in the service, you don't get 361 00:20:26.119 --> 00:20:29.119 involved in civilian affairs because you've got to please your 362 00:20:29.160 --> 00:20:33.319 commanding officer. And if you said to God, whatever it takes, God, 363 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:36.759 I want to be yours, then you can't get tied 364 00:20:36.839 --> 00:20:40.359 up and a lot of other things. So what do 365 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:43.079 you need to let go of? Look at this verse 366 00:20:43.160 --> 00:20:44.759 up here on the screen. The Bible says in First 367 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:50.759 Corinthians ten, everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. 368 00:20:51.400 --> 00:20:54.839 What does that mean? Everything is permissible but not everything's beneficial. 369 00:20:54.839 --> 00:20:58.319 It means this a lot of things aren't necessarily wrong, 370 00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:04.599 just not necessary. They're not necessarily wrong, they're not evil, 371 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:09.079 they're just not necessary. Now let me give you the 372 00:21:09.119 --> 00:21:12.880 greatest time management tip you'll ever get. This is the 373 00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:15.720 greatest time management tip. It's a two letter word. 374 00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:23.559 No thank you so much for listening to Pastor Rick's 375 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:26.920 Daily Hope. We've got some incredible news to share with you. 376 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:31.039 A very generous friend has given a one hundred thousand 377 00:21:31.079 --> 00:21:34.960 dollars matching grant to this ministry. That means that all 378 00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:38.240 this month, every dollar you give to help Daily Hope 379 00:21:38.279 --> 00:21:41.559 share the certain Hope of Jesus around the world will 380 00:21:41.559 --> 00:21:45.880 be matched up to one hundred thousand dollars. Here's Pastor 381 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:47.119 Rick to tell you more. 382 00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:49.480 I know I tell you this all the time, but 383 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:52.279 again I want you to know how much I thank 384 00:21:52.359 --> 00:21:56.440 God for you and appreciate your support of Daily Hope. 385 00:21:56.799 --> 00:21:59.759 We couldn't do this without your prayers, and we can't 386 00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:03.119 do it without your financial gifts. And I know that 387 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:06.359 for many of you this is a real sacrifice in 388 00:22:06.440 --> 00:22:09.319 order to be able to support the Ministry of Daily 389 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:12.119 Hope as we take the message of Christ literally around 390 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:15.359 the world into places that nobody else is going to. 391 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:20.799 As you consider your year in giving, I want to 392 00:22:20.839 --> 00:22:24.200 ask you to consider about sending your greatest gift to 393 00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:27.680 Daily Hope that you've ever given. You know, the great 394 00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:31.039 news is that in this month your financial gift will 395 00:22:31.079 --> 00:22:35.799 be doubled because a generous Friend is offering one hundred 396 00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:40.359 thousand dollars matching grant, and they've challenged all of the 397 00:22:40.359 --> 00:22:43.000 rest of us to give as much as we can 398 00:22:43.160 --> 00:22:46.200 and they will match it up to one hundred thousand dollars. 399 00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:48.960 That means that every dollar you give to Daily Hope 400 00:22:49.480 --> 00:22:53.079 in December, up to one hundred thousand dollars will be doubled. 401 00:22:53.079 --> 00:22:56.279