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00:00 And we're going to continue on with our lesson that, based on the reports I've heard, we
00:10 started this lesson last Sunday, and based on the reports I've heard, it's been very
00:15 well received.
00:18 Our lesson is entitled "The Temperament of the Temperate."
00:24 The temperament of the temperate, the position, the posture of those who exercise self-control,
00:32 those who live a life of temperance and self-control.
00:37 Nali, were you here last week when I was talking about you and your Chicago Bulls stuff?
00:42 I see you representing Chi-town all the time.
00:48 I know it.
00:51 Verse 24 of 1 Corinthians 9, are you there?
00:56 So we talked about a number of things.
01:01 Of course, we began with discussing what Paul discusses with the Galatian believers and
01:11 ultimately those called to be saints.
01:14 But he shares with them and us what it means to walk according to our new nature.
01:23 Walk according to the new man and not the old man.
01:28 Walk according to the new you as opposed to the old you, because when you walk according
01:34 to the old you, you fulfill the lust of the flesh.
01:39 You fulfill the lust of the flesh.
01:42 So when you walk according to our born-again selves, right, the new nature we received
01:48 at salvation, we're pleasing God.
01:53 And so Paul says the old man and the new man, they're constantly engaged in battle.
02:00 There's a tug of war that goes on and it will go on until the Lord appears and receives
02:06 us, this contention between our unsaved flesh and our saved spirit.
02:13 And they're contending and they're butting heads constantly because each of them want
02:17 influence over the man in the middle, which is the soul man.
02:23 The spirit man wants to influence the soul so that we can be a spiritually-minded individual,
02:31 whereas the flesh wants to influence the soul so that one could be a carnally-minded individual.
02:37 But we don't want to be carnally-minded.
02:39 The Bible says that is enmity against God.
02:43 That is hostility and hatred.
02:45 I don't think any one of us who loves God wants to walk in hostility towards God.
02:51 I don't believe that we intentionally want to walk in hatred towards God, but when we
02:58 live a carnal life and have a carnal mindset, that's exactly what we're doing.
03:05 And so Paul tells us, he says, "Listen, make it your aim to walk in the Spirit.
03:11 Walk according to the new you so you don't fulfill the lust of the flesh."
03:16 And so the lust of the flesh are evident and we read the whole list, 17 of them and the
03:21 like that means even beyond the 17.
03:24 And then what did Paul tell us?
03:25 Paul said, "Remember I told you before that those who practice those things, they won't
03:30 inherit the kingdom of God."
03:32 Now see, that's not you and I.
03:35 If we're a born-again believer, if you've been bought with the precious blood of the
03:41 Lamb, you are the righteousness of God.
03:46 And righteousness is what you practice.
03:50 We don't practice unrighteousness as believers.
03:53 You can't.
03:54 You really couldn't successfully do it.
03:56 If you truly were converted, if repentance took place, a mind change took place, you
04:06 couldn't practice unrighteousness if you prayed to because it goes against the new you.
04:12 It goes against your nature.
04:15 And so while I don't recommend Christians sinning to see if conviction comes so that
04:20 they can know they're saved, it's a good thing that if you do engage in activity you have
04:27 no business engaging in, your conscience is pricked by the Holy Spirit.
04:34 Guilt comes.
04:35 Why?
04:36 Because that's not who I am.
04:37 That's not me anymore.
04:39 I don't do this.
04:40 I don't live this kind of lifestyle anymore.
04:42 That's actually a good thing.
04:44 Amen.
04:46 So he tells us what?
04:47 Those who practice such things, well, they're not going to inherit the kingdom of God.
04:50 You and I who are the practitioners of righteousness, we who are heirs of God and joint heirs with
04:55 Jesus, we have inherited the kingdom of God.
05:00 We are in the kingdom of God.
05:02 Now what can be problematic is that if we engage in behavior that goes against the new
05:07 man, we won't experience the benefits of the kingdom of God while we're here in the earth
05:14 realm.
05:15 Then Paul says what?
05:17 Now the fruit of the spirit, the fruit of your born again self, the fruit of the new
05:22 you are things like what?
05:25 Love and joy and peace.
05:27 And he says against such there is no law.
05:31 One of those that he mentions is self-control, which means control self.
05:44 Control doesn't mean control you and self-control for you doesn't mean control me.
05:50 Self-control for you means control you.
05:53 Self-control for me means control me.
05:55 That's why it's called self-control.
05:58 And it's also known as temperance.
06:02 Now I talked about a number of things that even as believers, even as believers, we can,
06:08 we can fall into and begin to live somewhat of an out of control life, right?
06:17 Unbelievers are not the only ones who end up being alcoholics, end up abusing drugs,
06:27 end up living a sexually promiscuous out of control life.
06:31 No, no, no, no.
06:33 Just because I'm born again doesn't mean I'll never sin again.
06:37 Being born again means your spirit man has changed.
06:40 You've received a righteous nature, but you still live in this unsaved flesh.
06:47 So that old man is always trying to make himself well known in a number of ways.
06:57 That's why Paul said and the like, because there are some things that he didn't mention
07:01 in that list.
07:02 We talked about gluttony, for example.
07:06 And if you recall how I defined it, which is according to scripture, gluttony is not
07:13 you just being overweight.
07:14 You being overweight is you being overweight.
07:17 And if you know you need to address being overweight, then you need to address being
07:21 overweight.
07:22 But don't forget the discipline you have exercised thus far, maintaining being overweight.
07:28 You don't even realize you've been doing it.
07:33 For the, you were one weight 15 years ago.
07:37 And here you are 15 years later, 15 pounds overweight, maintaining being 15 pounds overweight
07:44 for 15 years.
07:45 That's discipline.
07:46 You don't even realize it.
07:50 Which means what?
07:51 All you got to do is increase that discipline to get that 15 off.
07:55 You've proven that you can maintain.
07:56 Now, gluttony is food drunkenness.
07:58 That's when you're drunk off of food.
08:00 You're intoxicated with food and you just keep eating and eating and eating.
08:03 Every single time you eat, you eat until you stuff yourself.
08:05 You eat until you can't breathe and then you just keep eating because it's breakfast, not
08:09 because you're hungry.
08:10 You're eating because it's lunch, not because you're hungry.
08:12 You're eating because it's dinner, not because you're hungry.
08:14 You're having a snack in between those three meals.
08:17 You just keep going and going and going the same way a drunkard just keeps drinking and
08:21 drinking and drinking and drinking.
08:26 We read three scriptures where gluttony was right there with the winebibbers.
08:31 The winebibber is the one given to wine or the one who is drunk.
08:35 So you can be addicted to or show addictive behavior in arenas such as what?
08:44 Such as alcohol, such as food.
08:46 Some kind of sexual immorality.
08:49 Remember sexual immorality is a very large umbrella with all kinds of issues that fall
08:54 under that umbrella.
08:56 I was very open with you last week, sharing with you my victory and I needed to have victory
09:02 for a while over pornography addiction.
09:06 And it's interesting how many texts I receive mostly from men saying, "Pastor, thank you.
09:12 Thank you for your transparency."
09:13 I had individuals texting me saying, "I was right there with you.
09:17 I battled that demon too and I've overcome."
09:21 So praise God for that.
09:24 But that's just one area.
09:28 That's one of many areas.
09:30 You can show addictive behavior in a number of areas or maybe you're not showing addictive
09:36 behavior but you will admit, you know, in these three areas of my life I'm a bit out
09:40 of control and I need to exercise some self-restraint.
09:45 I need to exercise some self-government.
09:47 Now when you talk about things like—anyone ever heard of dopamine?
10:01 Has anyone ever heard of the reward system?
10:06 The reward system is in the same conversation as dopamine, right?
10:10 Dopamine release.
10:13 And in a general context and the reward system—for example, the reward system—the pleasure
10:21 system, right?
10:23 So you like a good meal, right?
10:26 That's a reward.
10:28 You want to see a good movie, that's a reward.
10:31 You want to go on vacation, right?
10:32 The reward system.
10:33 Hey, we all work hard, don't we?
10:41 We all aim to work hard, don't we?
10:43 Okay.
10:44 So, so, so, so we're deserving of a break, deserving of a vacation, deserving of a little
10:51 time off.
10:52 Reward system.
10:53 Well, addictive behavior—see that's a neuropsychological disorder to where the flesh man says—and
11:02 ultimately it's beginning in your mind but it's saying I want to reward myself and I
11:08 want to make myself happy even if it makes you unhappy, even if I disappoint you, even
11:14 if I hurt you, even if I hurt me.
11:18 Addictive behavior, that's why it's considered a disease.
11:21 And you can, you can Google pictures of a normal brain and an addictive brain and you
11:25 can see the differences.
11:29 Now if you've never been in an addiction stage, thank God.
11:35 But if you have been, you may have needed some additional help.
11:40 You may have needed some counseling and that's okay.
11:44 You may have needed to see a therapist and that's okay.
11:50 Because as I have said numerous times over and over and over, I don't know why Christians
11:57 get their lingerie in a bunch because a Christian said I need to see a
12:09 therapist.
12:13 And you judge them.
12:14 What's wrong with you?
12:15 You don't believe in the word?
12:16 You're not applying the word?
12:17 Are you applying the word when you go get a checkup?
12:21 Why you gotta go see the doctor?
12:22 Why you gotta go see the internist?
12:24 Why you need your colonoscopy?
12:26 Why do you need your mammogram?
12:28 Why is it okay to get the body checked?
12:32 But as soon as a believer says I need a mind check, we frown on them like they don't believe
12:37 in the word.
12:39 Something wrong with that.
12:44 So whether you go into the internist or the therapist, your faith is not in them.
12:50 But there are some things that they can offer you that will assist in your application of
12:55 the word of God so the environment for healing can take place.
13:05 But there's something you gotta do.
13:10 There's work you have to do.
13:13 And for those who have never been in an addictive state, once again, praise God for you.
13:19 But if you are one who would have to admit, "Oh, pastor, you know what?
13:23 I need to exercise self-government in a few areas," there's something you have to do as
13:29 well.
13:31 There's work you have to do as well.
13:32 And Paul, listen, Paul gives us the formula.
13:38 It's simple in the sense that it's laid out and all you have to do is do it.
13:42 Daddy would always say what?
13:43 The word works when you work the word.
13:47 Work it.
13:48 Do it.
13:49 Don't just be a hearer, but be a doer as well.
13:52 Look at 1 Corinthians 9, 24.
13:55 This is where we ended.
13:56 Let's go over it again and then we'll move on to some other things.
14:01 Because remember, temperance and self-control, that's one of the fruits of the new nature.
14:08 That's evidence of you being born again.
14:12 Along with the other eight, we're just focusing in on self-control.
14:15 Look at 1 Corinthians 9, 24.
14:17 It says, "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run?"
14:21 They all run, but only one receives the prize.
14:25 And we noted last week that clearly Paul is talking about the ultimate prize, first place.
14:34 Once again, no one, no one is competing in the Olympics with their, with their mind set
14:41 on third place.
14:44 I came to the Olympics.
14:45 I came to perform on the greatest stage, the grandest stage in front of the world to attain
14:54 the silver medal.
14:56 That's why I'm here.
14:57 No, sorry, no.
14:58 Now, if you get the silver, that's impressive.
15:02 If you get the bronze, that's impressive.
15:04 But everyone is aiming for the what?
15:06 For the gold medal.
15:09 For the gold medal.
15:11 And that's what Paul is talking about.
15:13 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the gold medal?
15:18 Only one receives the blue ribbon.
15:21 Only one receives first place, the prize.
15:23 So he says, "Run in such a way that you may obtain it."
15:27 All right, Paul, I like how you're talking.
15:29 Yeah, I think I, I think I will run in a way that I may obtain it.
15:34 It says, "And everyone who competes for the prize is what?
15:37 Temperate in all things."
15:41 How many things?
15:42 All things.
15:43 All things.
15:44 To be temperate is to exercise self-restraint and exhibit self-government.
15:49 In other words, to be temperate is to exercise self-control.
15:55 Paul uses often athletic examples.
16:01 In his day, there were the Isthmus Games.
16:03 In his day, there were the Olympics.
16:06 So he would draw on some of the things that were relatable to him in his surroundings.
16:15 And another definition for temperate actually focuses on the athlete.
16:19 And it means this, "In a figure drawn from athletes who in preparing themselves for the
16:23 games abstained from unwholesome food, wine, and sexual indulgence."
16:29 In other words, "Oh, I got to get ready for the games?
16:32 Sorry y'all, I can't hang out tonight.
16:36 I got an athletic competition coming up.
16:39 Sorry.
16:40 No junk food for me.
16:42 No wine for me.
16:43 No frolicking for me."
16:48 And Paul is saying, "Don't be like the athletes who would only exhibit the self-control or
16:55 the self-restraint when it was time for the games.
16:58 When it was time for the championships.
17:02 When it was time to just be on display before an audience and a crowd."
17:06 Paul is saying, "Exercise this all the time.
17:10 All the time."
17:12 Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.
17:15 Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown.
17:18 Look at that.
17:19 They work that hard to obtain a crown that perishes.
17:23 But we, we live this life and we run in such a way so that we can obtain that prize for
17:29 an imperishable crown.
17:31 A crown that never rusts.
17:34 A wreath that never rots.
17:37 This imperishable crown is believed by many to be the crown of victory.
17:42 And there are five crowns that are highlighted in the Scripture.
17:44 Quickly I'll go over them again.
17:45 The crown of rejoicing.
17:47 That's for the one who saves souls.
17:49 You're out there preaching the ministry of reconciliation.
17:52 You're preaching the gospel to every creature.
17:53 You're getting souls saved.
17:54 You got a crown of rejoicing coming to you.
17:59 For the ones who endure temptation.
18:02 They don't give in.
18:03 They keep going.
18:04 They keep pushing.
18:05 They keep pressing forward.
18:07 We're gonna get the crown of life.
18:10 For those of us who say, "Nope, I'm not leaving here until I finish my assignment.
18:15 I'm not leaving until I finish my course."
18:18 Finally there is laid up for us the crown of righteousness.
18:22 And then for individuals like myself, where Peter tells us to shepherd the flock of God
18:28 with integrity, laid up for us shepherds and ministry gifts.
18:32 It's a crown of glory.
18:34 And maybe, I don't know, because the context seems to only focus on ministry gifts, but
18:38 you never know.
18:39 It could even apply to husbands and wives and fathers and mothers who've shepherded
18:45 their homes and shepherded their families.
18:48 To us it's the crown of glory.
18:50 Well here Paul is talking about exercising self-government and self-discipline.
18:56 He says, continuing on in the next two verses, he says, "Therefore I run thus, not with uncertainty."
19:03 I don't run with uncertainty.
19:05 I show up knowing I'm gonna win.
19:10 I show up knowing I'm going to win.
19:13 I believe I used this example.
19:15 How many of you remember sometime after, yeah, after Tyson got out of jail?
19:22 Tyson Holyfield I was after his prison, wasn't it?
19:26 Come on fellas.
19:27 Yeah, it was.
19:28 It was after.
19:29 So, we all know Tyson is, you know, Tyson's a pit bull.
19:34 He's a monster.
19:35 And everybody was concerned about Mr. Holyfield.
19:40 But Holyfield didn't show up to the fight with uncertainty.
19:43 Holyfield came out walking with a purple robe that said Philippians 4.13 right here on the
19:47 left side.
19:49 He didn't show up with uncertainty.
19:50 He showed up with certainty.
19:52 And he whooped his tail.
19:58 Whooped his tail.
20:01 Had Tyson leaving Allah and calling on Jesus again.
20:05 I remember when he was trying to be a practicing Muslim.
20:09 You recall that phase?
20:11 Oh yeah.
20:14 He didn't show up with uncertainty.
20:19 What's our, what's our, from Jamaica, our athlete, Usain Bolt.
20:26 Never ran a race that he thought he might lose.
20:31 Showed up with certainty.
20:32 Paul says what?
20:33 "Here's how I run.
20:34 I don't run with uncertainty.
20:37 I don't fight with uncertainty."
20:38 He says, "I run thus not with uncertainty, thus I fight."
20:41 And that is one who beats the air.
20:44 I'm not just punching the air and I'm not just missing.
20:48 My shots are landing.
20:50 He says, "Why?
20:51 How is this possible?"
20:52 "Because I discipline my body and I bring it under subjection.
20:57 Lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."
21:00 If we do that, we get the crown of victory.
21:03 That's a life of self-restraint, a life of self-government, a life of discipline, self-control,
21:08 temperance.
21:09 This is why Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6 and verse 12, you know, when the Christian
21:17 gets into that gray area and they're wondering, "Am I allowed to do this?
21:22 Am I allowed to do that?
21:23 Because, you know, I don't see a scripture that flat out says, 'Thou shalt not.'"
21:28 So when it comes to the gray area, Paul said, "Okay, I got you covered.
21:30 All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful."
21:35 He says, "All things are lawful, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
21:42 Not one thing will own me.
21:45 Not one thing will control me."
21:46 He says, "I will not be brought under the power of any."
21:52 He says, "I discipline my body.
21:54 I discipline my."
21:57 Everybody say, "I."
21:58 Now say, "My."
21:59 I discipline my body.
22:01 See, it's your responsibility to discipline your tent, your house, your building, your
22:10 clothing, your habitation.
22:12 It's your job.
22:13 Don't ask me to paint your house.
22:14 I'm not painting your house.
22:15 You redecorate your house.
22:20 That's your job.
22:21 I'm over here renovating mine.
22:23 That's my job.
22:27 That's until the Lord appears daily.
22:31 What does Paul say?
22:32 I love the traditional.
22:33 Paul doesn't say, "I put my body under."
22:36 He says what?
22:37 He says, "I keep it under."
22:39 Which means what?
22:40 He said to first put it under, but then keep his foot on it to keep it under.
22:47 I keep my body under.
22:48 I discipline.
22:49 I buff it myself.
22:54 Meaning what?
22:55 If I have to, if I have to rebuke me or chastise me or admonish me, myself, to exercise restraint,
23:02 that is what I will do.
23:03 Paul says what?
23:05 I can't afford to become disqualified.
23:11 You still here?
23:12 Alright, so in the first verse that we read here in verse 24, he said, "run in a" — he
23:17 said, "do you not know that those who," what?
23:20 "Run in a race, they run, but only one gets the prize."
23:23 And then in the next verse he says, "run in such a way."
23:27 Run in such a way.
23:28 Let's look at Hebrews 12.
23:31 Hebrews 12.
23:37 Find verse 1.
23:40 Let me know when you're there.
23:47 Hebrews 12, 1 reads, "therefore we also," who's we?
23:52 Yeah, he's primarily writing to Jewish believers, but it applies to all believers.
23:59 It applies to all who are in Christ.
24:01 We know that because the next verse says, "look into Jesus."
24:03 So you know, ultimately he's talking to everyone.
24:08 And so look what he says here.
24:09 He says, "therefore we also, since or being that, we are," what?
24:17 "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses."
24:21 Now, the writer is technically talking about all of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11.
24:29 All those Old Testament heroes of faith.
24:33 He's referring to them as a great cloud of witnesses.
24:37 Now normally when we talk about believers going to be with the Lord, we say they've
24:42 joined that crowd.
24:43 And while there's no specific Scripture that says they do join that crowd, there's no specific
24:50 Scripture that says they don't join that crowd.
24:55 I think it's reasonable to believe that they joined that cloud of witnesses.
25:01 Nevertheless, we know for sure in this cloud includes individuals like a Joshua, like a
25:09 David, like an Abraham.
25:12 I believe it includes all who are in the presence of God.
25:16 That's my personal belief.
25:17 But we know for sure that our writer is talking about all of the Old Covenant heroes of faith.
25:24 And so he says, "Since we're surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses."
25:29 So imagine a stadium.
25:31 You and I are on the field.
25:33 We're the athletes on the field.
25:36 We're the ones competing.
25:37 And the stadium is filled with this great cloud of witnesses.
25:42 He says what?
25:43 He says, "Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,"
25:49 he says, "let us do something."
25:53 Let us do something.
25:56 He didn't tell us to pray about it.
25:59 He said let us do something.
26:01 Let us do what?
26:03 Let us lay aside, let's start with the first part.
26:05 Let us lay aside every weight.
26:08 Oh, look at that.
26:10 I think we know what weights are, right?
26:12 Burdens, heaviness.
26:13 All right, I pray it every single time we're together.
26:21 That I'm not going to be anxious for anything.
26:25 That we're not going to be anxious or worry about anything.
26:31 We're going to let our request be made known to him.
26:33 And then we're just going to receive his peace that surpasses our understanding.
26:37 We're going to be like Peter over in 1 Peter 5, 7.
26:39 We're going to cast every care on him.
26:41 That's every weight.
26:43 Every weight.
26:44 All the heaviness I'm giving to him, it's no longer on me.
26:48 I do that by faith.
26:50 I give every weight to God by faith and I receive his peace by faith.
26:55 It's on me.
26:56 I have it.
26:57 I'm in his rest.
26:58 I'm resting.
26:59 Paul says what?
27:00 I mean our writer here says what?
27:01 He says, he says let us do what?
27:02 He says let us lay aside every weight.
27:05 Lay it aside.
27:06 It's no longer on you if you've laid it aside.
27:09 And then after that, look at what he says next.
27:13 And what?
27:14 Okay, wait, wait, wait.
27:16 Don't read anymore.
27:18 Now he doesn't just say and every sin.
27:22 He doesn't just say and every sin.
27:25 He says every sin that so easily ensnares us.
27:32 I highly recommend that if you don't know you, you get to know you.
27:38 You better know what sin will catch your attention much quicker than the others.
27:48 I'm not going to get into any details.
27:50 I'm going to tell you right now, there's some sins, easy, no temptation.
27:56 I'm not even looking.
27:58 Some sins, I'm going to keep my face on her.
28:08 Keep my face on her.
28:18 Listen listen, come on fellas, don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about.
28:25 Your wife's not the only beautiful woman on this planet.
28:31 So we've all been guilty of head turning.
28:39 And some of us have possibly been guilty of having heads turned a bit too long.
28:45 Some of us have been guilty of repeated offenses in the same situation.
28:50 You looked more than once.
28:52 You got to make rules for yourself.
28:56 I work hard at looking straight ahead.
29:00 And if I have to look up, I'm looking up.
29:05 Because obviously, I'm going to get on the fellas in a second.
29:12 Ladies there's something called eye candy for you as well.
29:18 Don't act like you have more self-restraint.
29:22 You just display self-restraint a lot better.
29:26 Your minds are much more detailed.
29:32 Listen I'm as straight as they come.
29:35 I'm not interested in no man, but I know when a man is good looking.
29:38 I do.
29:39 And I'm thinking to myself, I know my wife saw him.
29:43 But you ladies, you're all gangsta with it.
29:50 Your husband would never know.
29:56 That's okay.
29:57 That's fine.
29:58 That's fine.
29:59 I know he was good looking.
30:00 He don't look better than me, but he was good looking.
30:06 Listen regarding my wife, that's the attitude I have to have.
30:08 Husbands, I recommend you have the same attitude regarding your wife and your wife only.
30:13 Come on husbands, tell your wives right now, don't nobody look better than me?
30:24 And wives you do the same thing.
30:26 You tell that husband right now, Negro you know nobody looks better than me.
30:32 I don't care how many pretty ladies you see, they all ugly compared to me.
30:37 You know that's just the demeanor.
30:40 Just carry yourself.
30:41 We don't really believe they're ugly.
30:43 We're making rules for ourselves.
30:46 Self-government, self-restraint.
30:49 That's what we're doing here.
30:52 See I've never been drunk a day in my life.
30:54 I mean it was a choice.
30:57 So I don't walk through certain aisles in the grocery store shaking.
31:07 That's a new Hennessy.
31:09 I ain't seen that one before.
31:12 That's a new release.
31:20 Come on, some of you, ooh, see this is why you gotta exercise self-restraint.
31:25 See I didn't take us over to Ephesians 5 when Paul said, "I wanna name you a number of things
31:30 that should not be named among us the saints."
31:34 And one of them was coarse jesting.
31:38 You know what coarse jesting is?
31:40 That's when you just make fun of everybody.
31:41 You can't help it.
31:43 You laugh at everybody.
31:44 You turn everything into a joke.
31:49 Now laughter does the heart good like medicine, but not at someone else's expense.
31:59 And when we get together as friends we can crack on each other.
32:02 We know where we're coming from.
32:03 But when you just make fun of everybody, you just can't help it.
32:07 You just got, you gotta turn everything into a joke.
32:10 Everything is a joke.
32:11 Gotta make fun of everybody.
32:13 You need to work something out within yourself.
32:17 You're addicted to coarse jesting.
32:21 Doing harm with your tongue, trying to make everybody else around you happy and laugh
32:26 and...
32:27 See he said, "Lay aside," what?
32:30 "Lay aside every sin that so easily ensnares us."
32:35 Some sins may not easily ensnare you.
32:38 They're not really an issue, but you know what would be tempting to fall into.
32:45 You know which areas you have to make rules for yourself.
32:49 So you avoid every sin that...
32:53 So he said, "Lay aside every," what?
32:54 Wait, wait, what did he say at first?
32:56 He says, "Remember, we're surrounded."
32:59 We're surrounded by what?
33:00 By such a great cloud of witnesses.
33:03 They all bought their tickets to the championship game to watch us, the athletes, play it out.
33:12 They're watching.
33:14 They're cheering us on.
33:16 They're rooting for us.
33:18 Everybody, all the great cloud of...
33:20 They're all Laker fans.
33:23 Where'd that come from?
33:24 Whoa, whoa, where'd that come from?
33:26 I don't know what that was.
33:28 I don't know why, I just got a vision.
33:32 There's purple and gold in heaven everywhere.
33:34 I'm going to be honest with you, there really is purple and gold in heaven though.
33:39 I mean, I'm just saying.
33:40 It's the colors of royalty.
33:43 They are in heaven, amongst some other royal colors as well.
33:47 No, they're all watching.
33:48 They're watching us.
33:51 So it's our job to do what?
33:52 Lay aside every weight, every burden, every care, all the heaviness, and not only that,
33:58 every sin that so easily ensnares us because the sins that easily ensnare us can become
34:04 weights for us.
34:07 It's my job to lay it aside.
34:11 You've heard me say this before.
34:12 Apostles said it numerous times.
34:14 You don't pray about what the Lord tells you to fix or you to do.
34:20 Now you can go to the Father, you can go to the Spirit of God and ask for aid and assistance,
34:27 but ultimately I'm the one that's supposed to put to death my members.
34:31 I'm the one that's supposed to put off these things.
34:35 I'm the one that's not supposed to allow corrupt communication to come out of my mouth.
34:41 And it's my job to lay aside every weight and every sin that so easily ensnares us.
34:47 And then look at what he says next.
34:49 He says, "And let us run with endurance the race that's set before us."
34:55 Paul said, "Run in such a way."
34:58 The race is like the fight.
35:00 The fight and the race are both fixed.
35:03 Ladies and gentlemen, it's a fixed fight.
35:06 It's a fixed race.
35:08 We win because he won.
35:12 We just have to fight.
35:17 You're supposed to get in the ring so that you can fight the victorious fight.
35:23 You're supposed to get in the race so that you can run the fixed race set before you,
35:30 but you have to run it.
35:35 The cloud of witnesses, they're watching.
35:37 We're laying aside every weight.
35:38 We're laying aside every sin that so easily ensnares us.
35:42 And we are running the race that is set before us with endurance, with perseverance.
35:52 There's a gold medal waiting for all of us.
35:56 We just got to run it.
36:00 And we don't have to look to anyone on the left or the right.
36:03 Look at verse 2, looking unto Jesus.
36:05 See, I fight the good fight looking unto Jesus.
36:09 I run the race, the good race looking unto Jesus.
36:14 He's the what?
36:15 He's the author.
36:18 What does an author do?
36:21 That's the writer.
36:24 He's the ready writer.
36:26 He pinned my faith.
36:27 Ooh, it's a good story too.
36:31 Have y'all read it?
36:33 He's the author and he's the closer as well.
36:36 He's the finisher.
36:37 He's the author and he's the finisher of my faith.
36:40 So I'm not looking to the left or to the right.
36:42 I'm looking unto Jesus.
36:46 When you're looking to his word, you're looking to Jesus.
36:49 I'm looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set
36:53 before him.
36:55 See we got a race set before us.
36:57 He had joy set before him.
36:59 He endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the
37:03 throne of God.
37:04 That's the example to follow.
37:07 He was shamed, he was beaten, he was flogged, he was spit.
37:09 Look where he is now.
37:10 I mean if Jesus wanted to be arrogant, oh goodness, couldn't he show off if he just
37:15 really wanted to show off?
37:16 Where y'all at now?
37:17 You way down there.
37:24 He already knew.
37:25 He knew what time it was.
37:26 All right, let me just finish my course.
37:30 Let me finish my course so that mankind can be reconciled back to my father.
37:35 That's why there was joy here.
37:38 For the joy that was, joy was, I don't see anything joyous about being, being beaten
37:44 with a cat o' nine tails, having your flesh ripped off your body.
37:47 I don't see what's joyful about that.
37:50 I don't see what's joyful about having nails driven into the palms of your hand and into
37:58 your feet.
38:01 Being placed on a cross, but even worse, you got me up here with the rest of these
38:04 criminals like I committed some kind of crime.
38:08 Oh, but the joy that was said.
38:11 That's why James said, "Reckon it joy."
38:13 Didn't say it was joy.
38:18 Liken it to joy.
38:19 And here's why you can liken it to joy, 'cause you know this.
38:23 What do we know?
38:24 That the testing of our faith or the proving of our faith works endurance.
38:29 Run the race with endurance that's set before us.
38:34 Look here in 2 Timothy chapter 2.
38:37 We'll probably finish here in Timothy today.
38:40 Second Timothy, we're gonna look at chapter 3.
38:43 We're gonna read all of chapter 3, but I want you to look at one Scripture here in verse,
38:50 verse 5 of 2 Timothy chapter 2.
39:03 And husbands and wives, you know, listen.
39:09 I don't know anyone who got married to get divorced.
39:13 And some of you have gone through divorces.
39:17 It is what it is.
39:19 It's called life.
39:21 As long as we are in these earthly bodies, we're gonna go through some stuff and we're
39:26 gonna go through things we didn't plan on.
39:31 Nobody says their vows with like a planned exit date.
39:38 Where you go, I will go until four years from now.
39:42 Then I'm going somewhere else.
39:44 Nobody, you don't plan for divorce when you get married.
39:48 Nobody's doing that.
39:51 But listen, in some cases, it, wisdom dictated.
39:55 Bible says be wise as serpents, harmless as doves.
40:00 In some situations, the wisest choice for the two of them in that union, because it
40:08 was going to be nuclear.
40:10 It was getting nuclear.
40:13 It was unhealthy for both of them.
40:15 They're killing themselves remaining in this relationship.
40:19 Harming the children, thinking you're staying together for the sake of the children.
40:22 You're making things worse.
40:23 I'm saying all that to say in some cases, while it's not God's ideal choice, it's an
40:33 available option if it comes to that.
40:36 But in all situations, it doesn't have to come to that.
40:40 It doesn't.
40:42 And so, and so listen, husbands and, husbands, if you, if you have just a, you know, couple
40:50 days of some kind of disagreement or, and for whatever reason, she's getting on your
40:55 nerves right now and you got all kind of thoughts running in your mind, I want out.
41:01 Well, you know, you can, you can get a new wife or you can make your wife new.
41:11 Unless he's, he's getting on the nerve that comes after the last one.
41:17 You can get yourself a new husband or you can give making your husband new a shot.
41:25 Just remember, having done all.
41:29 You can sleep well at night when you know you've done all.
41:34 I've done all and then this, this is the end result.
41:38 And it's trauma.
41:39 It's trauma.
41:40 There's different kinds of trauma.
41:42 Divorce is trauma.
41:44 Right?
41:45 Losing, losing, losing a loved one in passing, that's trauma.
41:51 Car accidents, trauma.
41:53 Being betrayed, trauma.
41:54 It's just different levels of trauma.
41:57 While we live this life, we go through things.
42:01 It is inevitable.
42:03 Remember Jesus said, "It rains on the just and the unjust alike."
42:08 We the just, we have tools at our disposal.
42:14 And in the case of a marriage, we can fix the marriage.
42:19 If the marriage seems like it's unfixable, then we both go our separate ways, fixing
42:23 ourselves as we go.
42:25 But we have the tools.
42:31 Second Timothy, and whatever you end up doing, don't let anyone judge you because they weren't
42:42 in your marriage.
42:47 They weren't there.
42:48 Second, I don't know who that's for.
42:53 Second Timothy 2, chapter 2, look at verse 5.
43:03 I just want you to see, look at how many times Paul brings up athletic competition.
43:08 Look at this fifth verse.
43:09 He says, "And also, if anyone competes in athletics, he is not," what?
43:14 "Crowned."
43:15 Unless he what?
43:19 So not just unless he competes.
43:21 He has to compete according to, oh, according to the rules.
43:26 So when Paul says, "Run in a way that you may obtain it," I have to run according to
43:30 the rules.
43:32 When our writer of Hebrew says, "Run the race that's set before you," I have to run the
43:37 race according to a set of rules.
43:40 I've got to fight the good, it's a faith fight, so faith rules apply.
43:44 See, I've got to fight the good fight according to the set of rules.
43:49 That's the only way that I receive the crown.
43:52 Okay, but let's look at chapter 3.
43:56 Second Timothy, chapter 3.
44:04 So before this lesson is over, this series, we'll have read Timothy twice and Titus once.
44:16 And so I just want to, I want to lay some things out now.
44:18 We have to remember that when Paul was writing to Timothy and Titus, he was writing to Timothy
44:25 and Titus.
44:29 He wasn't writing to Fred.
44:31 Now Fred can benefit from what he wrote to Titus, but he was writing to Titus and he
44:36 was writing to Timothy.
44:38 It's not the same.
44:39 It's the same in the sense that it's the word and it's the same in the sense that it's Holy
44:44 Spirit inspired word.
44:47 But it's not the same in the sense to where Paul was writing to the believers at Rome,
44:53 the church at Rome.
44:54 He was writing to the church at Ephesus, or he was writing to the church at Corinth.
44:59 In the case of Timothy and Titus, he was writing to Timothy and Titus wherever they were.
45:04 It's just both in physical location and spiritually as well.
45:09 We have to remember that.
45:10 So look at what he's writing to Timothy here.
45:13 Remember, he's writing to Timothy.
45:17 Some stuff is just for Timothy.
45:18 Some stuff is just for Titus.
45:20 Then we as believers in the Lord, those of us called to be saints, there's some things
45:23 that can apply to us.
45:26 Are you with me?
45:27 Okay.
45:28 Second Timothy chapter three, beginning with verse one.
45:34 Okay.
45:35 It says, "But know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come."
45:41 Times feeling perilous to you?
45:44 Or seeming perilous to you?
45:49 Times will become more perilous as we get closer to the appearing of the Lord.
45:56 Let's see if we've seen any of this that Paul lists to Timothy.
45:59 Verse two, "For men will be lovers of themselves."
46:07 Anybody seen any of that?
46:09 Can we check that one?
46:14 Men will also become lovers of money.
46:19 Have we seen that?
46:21 And now watch this.
46:23 Almost 2,000 years ago, Paul writes this to Timothy.
46:28 And men were loving money then and becoming lovers of themselves then.
46:34 He says, "Men will become boasters."
46:36 Check.
46:40 Men will become proud.
46:44 Check.
46:46 Men will become blasphemers.
46:50 Yeah.
46:53 And this word men, it refers to women as well.
46:55 It's talking about mankind.
46:58 Mankind will become.
47:00 They will become lovers of themselves.
47:02 They will become lovers of money.
47:03 They'll become boasters.
47:05 They'll become proud.
47:06 They'll become blasphemers.
47:08 They'll become disobedient to parents.
47:16 Let's not make light of that one.
47:18 It's not good to disobey your parents.
47:22 That's not the end thing to do.
47:27 Because the parents are the first institution God ever created.
47:31 Before there was ever an ecclesia, a church, there were the parents.
47:38 Ten commandments were given to Israel and only one of them had a promise attached to
47:43 it.
47:44 Honor your father and your mother.
47:48 It's the only one of the ten that had promise attached to it.
47:52 That is why Paul writes, "Which is the first commandment with promise?"
48:00 When he said, "Keep the Sabbath," God—the ultimate G is God.
48:04 God was like, "Keep the Sabbath.
48:06 Do it because I said so."
48:07 God didn't say he was going to get anything for doing it.
48:09 Keep the Sabbath.
48:10 You better not have any of the gods before me.
48:11 You better worship me only.
48:12 Am I going to give you something for it?
48:13 Nope.
48:14 You just better worship me.
48:16 You better not make a graven image.
48:19 And everything else—but when it came to honoring your father and mother, he said,
48:21 "It'll be well with you."
48:25 First commandment with promise.
48:28 And disobedience to parents is increasing.
48:34 Now this ain't in the list, but also so is the perversion of parenting.
48:42 And the attempts to try to govern us as to how we parent.
48:48 Y'all don't realize it.
48:52 One time, one time, a man was going to lose his life.
48:55 He was going to lose his life in Shake Shack over there in El Segundo.
49:00 I don't know if you've been to that Shake Shack in El Segundo.
49:03 But we were there with the family.
49:07 And so I've taught my sons, you open the door for everybody if you're at the door.
49:11 So Gabriel, my middle child, he opened the door for somebody and then he was just still
49:19 standing at the door.
49:20 He hadn't made his way back to us.
49:21 And some dude rode up.
49:22 What'd he say, babe?
49:23 He was like, "You just going to stand there?"
49:28 The way he—and I didn't find out till after.
49:32 Gabriel told us what he said exactly.
49:36 And by the time we went outside to look for this dude, he was gone.
49:40 Oh, but it was going to be very, very problematic for him.
49:44 Because you bet not ever in your life talk to my kids crazy.
49:50 I'm going to end you with the love of Christ.
49:57 But it's going to be an ugly day for you.
50:00 You messed with my kids.
50:04 And that's me.
50:05 Listen, I already know that when it comes to the kids, the most dangerous one is the
50:09 mama bear.
50:12 Mama bears lift cars and tanks when it comes to their kids.
50:18 Mama bears are like, "Honey, you'll be fine.
50:20 I'm handling these kids."
50:21 Yeah.
50:22 Right.
50:23 Disobedient to parents, unthankful.
50:26 Have we seen any unthankfulness?
50:29 Have we seen any unholiness?
50:32 Have we seen the unloving?
50:35 I've never—we've never seen the response to hate with hate like we've seen in the hour
50:42 we live in now.
50:45 Watch this.
50:46 You can, you can, you know, there's this, you know, love everybody and love them as
50:51 they are, right?
50:52 So you have, you have one group that are pushing their agenda and you might have a very strict
50:58 group against them, responding to them in hate.
51:03 And then you may have others who disagree with this one group promoting their agenda,
51:09 but they don't disagree in hate.
51:11 But because of this group disagreeing in hate, this group sends this group hate as well.
51:19 When they were never disrespectful.
51:21 That's the hour we live in.
51:23 We can't even disagree in peace.
51:27 Your guard's already up if I slightly disagree with you.
51:32 That's the hour we live in.
51:33 Unloving, unforgiving, check.
51:36 Slanders, check.
51:38 Without self-control, without temperance, check.
51:45 Brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers
51:56 of God.
51:58 We see it.
52:02 Having a form of godliness.
52:04 Oh, look at that.
52:06 But denying its power and from such people turn away.
52:13 Watch this.
52:14 For of this sort, which sort?
52:18 Which sort?
52:19 The list he just, the list we just read?
52:21 Right.
52:22 Mankind.
52:23 Watch this.
52:24 Watch this.
52:27 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women.
52:36 In the traditional, it reads silly.
52:39 Now the word woman here only refers to the female gender.
52:44 But the cause for these women remaining gullible or silly and having their households violated
52:53 isn't just due to males only.
52:56 It's due to women also.
52:59 Because Paul opens up and says for mankind.
53:04 Mankind in these last and perilous times.
53:06 Mankind, males and females, will be lovers of money.
53:11 Males and females will be boasters.
53:13 Males and females will be traitors.
53:16 And these ungodly men and women, it says for of this sort are those who creep into households.
53:23 How do they creep in?
53:24 A number of ways.
53:27 You don't just creep into a household by sneaking in through the window.
53:29 You can creep into a household through Netflix.
53:36 You can creep into a household through the news.
53:40 You can creep into a household through social media.
53:44 They've crept in and made captives, taken captives of silly or gullible women loaded
53:51 down with sins, taking advantage of women already at a low point, led away by various
53:57 lusts, always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
54:04 Let's just read these last two verses.
54:06 It says now as Janus and Jambres, like who are these dudes?
54:10 Where they come from?
54:11 Resisted Moses.
54:12 Oh, whoever they are, they had some sort of connection or relationship to Moses.
54:17 I know who Moses is.
54:18 I don't know no Janus and I don't know no, yo, yo, no, don't know yo Jambres.
54:25 I don't know Janus and I don't know Jambres, but I know Moses, right?
54:32 Who are they?
54:33 Look at what it says.
54:34 It says that they resisted Moses.
54:36 Whoever they are, they resisted Moses.
54:39 When did they resist Moses?
54:40 You all remember those magicians who Pharaoh said, "Throw down your staffs," because Moses
54:48 threw down his staff.
54:50 He was permitted by God to do this and his staff turned into a serpent.
54:54 So Janus and Jambres, these were magicians in Pharaoh's court.
54:59 They did the same thing.
55:01 Pretty impressive, except Moses' snake ate their snakes.
55:06 So God showed his power triumphant.
55:10 And here's some interesting information.
55:11 We found out, so you got to come to Tuesday night to find out all the secret stuff.
55:15 I mean Wednesday night.
55:16 Thank you.
55:17 Thank you, brother.
55:18 See, it's a habit still.
55:19 I'm working on it.
55:20 You got to come to Wednesday night Bible study to find out all the secret sauce.
55:26 Y'all heard of Balaam?
55:28 He was they daddy.
55:31 And we know what kind of man he was.
55:33 He was a sorcerer.
55:34 He was a wizard.
55:36 He was wicked and so were his sons.
55:38 And they resisted Moses.
55:39 Says, so do these also resist the truth, men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning
55:45 the faith, but they will, oh, look at Paul is no joke.
55:48 He says, but they will progress.
55:52 They'll progress no further for their folly or their foolishness will be manifest to all
55:57 as theirs also was.
55:59 The foolishness and folly of Janus and Jambres was made manifest.
56:03 Don't y'all remember?
56:04 Remember the plagues in the beginning?
56:06 Those sorcerers were hanging with Moses.
56:10 We can make snakes too.
56:12 We can turn water into blood too.
56:14 Then all of a sudden the plagues got real epic and then wizards went hush.
56:22 That's why it says, it says as theirs also was made manifest.
56:26 So all of these boasters and lovers of money and lovers of themselves, they're going to,
56:32 their folly and their foolishness will be made manifest as well.
56:37 We can't finish the rest, but if you look at verse 10 it says, but you.
56:43 That's Paul talking to Timothy, but ultimately talking to believers as well.
56:47 But you.
56:48 We'll have to finish that next time.
56:50 Father, we thank you for your word.
56:51 It's life and truth.
56:52 It will not, it cannot return to you void, but it will accomplish what it set out to
56:58 do.
56:59 It will prosper where it's sent.
57:01 And I thank you that the word indeed has gone forth.
57:04 The seed of the word has been planted into the hearts of those who are present here.
57:10 Those watching wherever they're watching.
57:13 Seed incorruptible.