WEBVTT - The Inner-Me Enemy, Part 7 0:00:00.280 --> 0:00:05.359 See. Don't forget these things. Don't forget about the goodness 0:00:05.360 --> 0:00:08.680 of God. Don't forget about the glory of God. Don't 0:00:08.680 --> 0:00:11.959 forget about the grace of God. Because if we do, 0:00:12.240 --> 0:00:15.560 it leads us to our sinful tendency. 0:00:22.160 --> 0:00:25.200 Welcome to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford, 0:00:25.200 --> 0:00:27.960 junior senior pastor of the Christ Bible Church in Chicago. 0:00:28.000 --> 0:00:30.120 I'm Steve Hillard. Glad you're with us as we continue 0:00:30.120 --> 0:00:34.640 our message, the inner me enemy and pastor, because we 0:00:34.640 --> 0:00:38.680 do have the sin nature, uh, because the flesh does 0:00:38.680 --> 0:00:41.279 have this tendency to want to sin. As you so 0:00:41.280 --> 0:00:45.159 rightly point out, we need to be reminding ourselves daily 0:00:45.520 --> 0:00:47.879 of the gospel. In fact, uh, there's a phrase I 0:00:47.880 --> 0:00:49.360 picked up a number of years ago. I thought it 0:00:49.360 --> 0:00:51.960 was so helpful. I need to be preaching the gospel 0:00:51.960 --> 0:00:54.080 to myself each and every day. 0:00:54.400 --> 0:00:57.920 Amen. You certainly do. Well, I mean, when you think 0:00:57.920 --> 0:01:03.480 about it, uh, if I have a glass and the 0:01:03.480 --> 0:01:07.360 glass is supposed to be empty, but it's really not 0:01:07.640 --> 0:01:10.920 because it has air in it. Yeah. Now, my question 0:01:10.920 --> 0:01:14.120 to you, Steve, would be how do I get rid 0:01:14.160 --> 0:01:16.720 of the air that's in that glass? 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:18.880 You got to put something else in that glass. 0:01:18.920 --> 0:01:22.760 I've got to put something else in that glass, and 0:01:23.160 --> 0:01:28.119 I'll get rid of the air in direct proportion to 0:01:28.160 --> 0:01:31.360 the glass. In other words, if I fill it half 0:01:31.360 --> 0:01:36.920 full of water, then I've got water and air. Yeah. 0:01:36.959 --> 0:01:40.560 And the more water I put in it, the less 0:01:40.600 --> 0:01:45.360 air I'm going to have. And so that's it. You know, 0:01:45.400 --> 0:01:49.000 there can't be this coexistence. So when you have the 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:53.000 glory of God and you have the grace of God 0:01:53.240 --> 0:01:57.280 and the goodness of God, your glass is filled. Yeah. 0:01:57.320 --> 0:02:01.320 There's no room for the flesh, you see. And that's 0:02:01.320 --> 0:02:04.720 why Paul said in the book of Galatians, walk in 0:02:04.720 --> 0:02:08.519 the spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of 0:02:08.520 --> 0:02:11.600 the flesh. So it's like oil and water. They will 0:02:11.600 --> 0:02:16.280 not mix. And so that's why I've got to continue 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:20.880 on a daily basis, as you often say, uh, filling 0:02:20.880 --> 0:02:25.400 myself with God's Word, uh, filling my room or my 0:02:25.400 --> 0:02:29.560 prayer closet with prayer and filling my life with positive 0:02:29.560 --> 0:02:36.639 ministry and allowing, uh, individuals who have a good impact 0:02:36.639 --> 0:02:39.880 on me, uh, in my life. Because I say it 0:02:39.880 --> 0:02:41.799 all the time. You know, if you see a preacher 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:45.280 and a drunk together, you know something? If they're together 0:02:45.280 --> 0:02:48.600 all the time, you either know that the drunk is 0:02:48.600 --> 0:02:51.600 a preacher or the preacher is a drunk, you see. 0:02:51.840 --> 0:02:57.400 And so, first Corinthians 1533, evil companions corrupt good morals. 0:02:57.600 --> 0:03:00.600 And so, even with the people that we hang with, 0:03:00.910 --> 0:03:05.310 you know, even that fills our life with positive things. 0:03:05.310 --> 0:03:10.230 So if you're listening today, how many positive things are 0:03:10.230 --> 0:03:13.750 you filling your life with so that as you fill 0:03:13.750 --> 0:03:17.750 your life with those good things, the flesh becomes less 0:03:17.750 --> 0:03:21.310 of an impact and an influence over you? 0:03:22.030 --> 0:03:24.830 Yeah. And one of the other things that I found 0:03:24.830 --> 0:03:29.070 so helpful was to realize that if I am struggling 0:03:29.070 --> 0:03:31.989 to get rid of the thing, the sin in my life, 0:03:32.190 --> 0:03:35.270 it's because I like that sin in some way. We 0:03:35.270 --> 0:03:38.110 talked about that in a previous broadcast, and the way 0:03:38.270 --> 0:03:40.670 that has been so useful and helpful for me is 0:03:40.670 --> 0:03:44.590 to realize that Thomas Chalmers, uh, old pastor, preached a 0:03:44.590 --> 0:03:47.950 message called the Expulsive power of a New Affection. The 0:03:47.990 --> 0:03:49.869 more you fall in love with Jesus, the more time 0:03:49.870 --> 0:03:52.430 you spend with him, the more repulsive that sin is 0:03:52.430 --> 0:03:55.230 going to be. You're going to replace that love of 0:03:55.230 --> 0:03:57.950 sin with the love of Christ. And so to to 0:03:57.990 --> 0:03:59.750 spend time with him and to fall more deeply in 0:03:59.750 --> 0:04:01.750 love with him, You're going to be able to say 0:04:01.750 --> 0:04:02.390 no to that soon. 0:04:02.430 --> 0:04:03.510 Oh, yeah. Amen. 0:04:03.550 --> 0:04:05.990 Well, let's, uh, get to James chapter one. As we 0:04:06.030 --> 0:04:10.230 continue our message, the inner me enemy here is Pastor Ford. 0:04:10.830 --> 0:04:14.310 Don't forget about the goodness of God. Don't forget about 0:04:14.310 --> 0:04:17.870 the glory of God. Don't forget about the grace of God. 0:04:17.870 --> 0:04:22.950 Because if we do, it leads us to our sinful tendencies. 0:04:22.950 --> 0:04:25.230 So I share with you the passages. We didn't go 0:04:25.230 --> 0:04:28.830 over em, but Israel was our example. He kept telling Israel, 0:04:28.830 --> 0:04:30.789 when you go in the land, don't forget you're living 0:04:30.790 --> 0:04:33.349 in houses that you didn't build. Don't forget that you're 0:04:33.350 --> 0:04:36.150 eating from fruit trees that you didn't plant. Don't forget 0:04:36.150 --> 0:04:39.790 that everything you have I gave you even the victory. 0:04:39.790 --> 0:04:43.150 The battle was mine. And so what does it mean 0:04:43.150 --> 0:04:46.790 when I allow my sinful proclivities to lead me to sin? 0:04:46.790 --> 0:04:52.190 I have forgotten these three things. I've forgotten the goodness 0:04:52.190 --> 0:04:54.990 of God. I've forgotten the glory of God, and I've 0:04:54.990 --> 0:05:00.790 forgotten the grace of God. And so here now, Secondly, 0:05:00.790 --> 0:05:04.750 not just in his creation, but in his character. What's 0:05:04.750 --> 0:05:09.630 he talking about? Immutability. That God is not only incandescent 0:05:09.910 --> 0:05:13.590 in his character, he is immutable in his character. What 0:05:13.589 --> 0:05:18.870 does it mean? Malachi 36I am Yahweh, I change not. 0:05:20.589 --> 0:05:24.870 He doesn't change. Now what ought that to do? See, 0:05:24.870 --> 0:05:28.510 you got to connect stuff. If he's talking about sinful 0:05:28.510 --> 0:05:31.229 tendencies and he's saying, listen, all you got to do 0:05:31.230 --> 0:05:33.950 is you got to focus on the goodness, the glory 0:05:34.270 --> 0:05:37.750 and the grace of God. And then he says, God's immutable. 0:05:37.870 --> 0:05:47.510 He doesn't change. You can have confidence that no matter 0:05:47.510 --> 0:05:52.790 what you're going through, no matter what is drawing you 0:05:52.790 --> 0:05:58.110 to it, you can depend upon the goodness, the glory, 0:05:58.430 --> 0:06:01.390 and the grace of God. He's never going to let 0:06:01.390 --> 0:06:03.550 you down. Okay, let me jump back to chapter one 0:06:03.550 --> 0:06:07.430 real quick. Watch this. When he's talking about trials. Now 0:06:07.430 --> 0:06:11.430 remember now we switch right. One through 12 talks about 0:06:11.470 --> 0:06:17.190 trials on the outside 13 through 18 trials on the inside. 0:06:17.790 --> 0:06:23.270 So then one through 12 is talking about circumstances 13 0:06:23.310 --> 0:06:26.950 through 18. He's talking about cravings. You know when you 0:06:26.950 --> 0:06:31.310 are wanting and wanting and wanting and want. Now watch this. 0:06:32.750 --> 0:06:35.950 He's talking about trials and tribulations. My brother in law joy, 0:06:35.950 --> 0:06:38.190 when you fall into divers temptation, knowing this, that the 0:06:38.190 --> 0:06:40.790 trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have 0:06:41.029 --> 0:06:43.390 her perfect work, that you may be complete and entire, 0:06:43.430 --> 0:06:48.830 lacking nothing. What are trials to do? Teach us, teach us? 0:06:50.550 --> 0:06:55.549 What else? Train us? What else? Take us to maturity. 0:06:56.710 --> 0:07:00.630 On and on it goes. Then he says in verse five, 0:07:01.430 --> 0:07:05.550 if any man, woman, boy or girl is anthropos any man, woman, boy, 0:07:05.550 --> 0:07:09.670 a girl lack wisdom, let him ask of God who 0:07:09.670 --> 0:07:15.030 gives to all men liberally and upbraideth not. I know 0:07:15.030 --> 0:07:19.310 that's King James. Anybody have NIV anybody have NIV? Nearly 0:07:19.310 --> 0:07:22.430 inspired version. Anybody got that version? No. No. Okay. All right. 0:07:22.470 --> 0:07:28.990 Check this out. Here's what it means. That God is 0:07:28.990 --> 0:07:33.310 not going to say I'm not giving you any more 0:07:33.310 --> 0:07:36.510 wisdom because you didn't use the wisdom that I gave 0:07:36.510 --> 0:07:40.790 you before. Now that shouts me. I got goosebumps because 0:07:40.790 --> 0:07:44.429 there's a lot of things that God has granted to me, 0:07:44.470 --> 0:07:47.950 gifted to me, grace to me, glory to me. And 0:07:47.950 --> 0:07:51.750 I didn't take advantage of it. Yet I can still 0:07:51.950 --> 0:07:55.910 go to him and say, you know what? I need 0:07:55.910 --> 0:08:00.830 wisdom in this situation. And he's not going to say, 0:08:01.310 --> 0:08:05.350 I'm not giving you wisdom because you didn't use the 0:08:05.350 --> 0:08:08.350 wisdom I gave you the last time. That's what he's 0:08:08.350 --> 0:08:10.030 trying to get us to see. When he says that 0:08:10.030 --> 0:08:13.950 he does not change that God. God does not change. 0:08:14.230 --> 0:08:18.710 There's no shadow of turning with him. And so he 0:08:18.710 --> 0:08:23.070 uses it. He uses the sun because the sun doesn't change. 0:08:23.310 --> 0:08:27.510 And since he cannot change, we should never doubt his love. 0:08:27.630 --> 0:08:29.670 So verse 16, let me say it again. Look ahead 0:08:29.670 --> 0:08:32.670 and see the judgment of sin. Verse 17 look around 0:08:32.670 --> 0:08:35.590 and see how good God's been. Now verse 18, look 0:08:35.590 --> 0:08:40.270 inside and see how you've been born from above and 0:08:40.270 --> 0:08:44.030 possess the divine nature. So here it is. Here's the 0:08:44.030 --> 0:08:47.829 last one. He says, the third aspect of God is 0:08:47.830 --> 0:08:50.869 not just the gifts of God, the glory of God. 0:08:50.870 --> 0:08:54.430 He says in verse 18, the grace of God. I 0:08:54.429 --> 0:08:57.190 like the way he does it. So remember he said, 0:08:57.190 --> 0:09:00.700 look ahead, see the conclusion. Remember, a A temptation is 0:09:00.740 --> 0:09:03.980 an opportunity to do a good thing in a bad way. 0:09:04.340 --> 0:09:08.460 It's the devil's perversion of God's good. He's not original. 0:09:08.500 --> 0:09:11.020 He can only pervert what God has created because he 0:09:11.020 --> 0:09:15.180 can't create anything. So God said. Sex within marriage is good. 0:09:15.179 --> 0:09:19.740 And the devil said had premarital and extramarital. Enjoy yourself 0:09:20.220 --> 0:09:24.260 outside of the will of God. Food is good. But 0:09:24.260 --> 0:09:30.140 he says, no, don't. Don't buffet your body. Buffet your body. Yeah, 0:09:30.420 --> 0:09:35.260 sleep is good. But he says, yeah, be lazy, sleep 0:09:35.260 --> 0:09:40.620 all day. So on and on. Money is good. He 0:09:40.620 --> 0:09:46.700 says love it. So he perverts what God has done. 0:09:46.700 --> 0:09:48.660 But notice what he says. Now here it is. I 0:09:48.700 --> 0:09:52.060 gotta drop these real quick. Notice in verse 18 of 0:09:52.059 --> 0:10:00.059 his own will begot he us. That is God's plan. Notice. 0:10:01.260 --> 0:10:07.020 with the word of truth. That's God's power, that we 0:10:07.020 --> 0:10:10.700 should be a kind of firstfruits of his creature. That's 0:10:10.700 --> 0:10:15.900 God's purpose. Grace has a plan. Grace has a power. 0:10:16.540 --> 0:10:20.500 Grace has a purpose. Everybody still with me? So? So 0:10:20.500 --> 0:10:25.180 here's what you have. It's emphatic. It literally in the Greek. Uh, 0:10:25.220 --> 0:10:30.300 his own will is first his and his alone. That's grace. 0:10:30.300 --> 0:10:34.140 First Corinthians 1510 Paul said three times. It was the 0:10:34.140 --> 0:10:36.700 grace of God. It was the grace of God. It 0:10:36.700 --> 0:10:38.780 was the grace of God. So if you look at 0:10:38.780 --> 0:10:42.179 all three of them in first Corinthians 1510, let me 0:10:42.179 --> 0:10:44.580 just read it in first Corinthians 1510. I want to 0:10:44.580 --> 0:10:46.140 take time to do it because I want to I 0:10:46.179 --> 0:10:50.660 want to wrap this up right. First Corinthians 1510. Here's 0:10:50.660 --> 0:10:55.140 what Paul says. Paul says, but by the grace of God, 0:10:55.140 --> 0:10:57.500 I am what I am, and his grace which was 0:10:57.500 --> 0:10:59.860 bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored 0:10:59.860 --> 0:11:01.780 more abundantly than they all. Yet not I, but the 0:11:01.780 --> 0:11:05.580 grace of God which was with me. Now get this. 0:11:05.980 --> 0:11:09.580 The first grace is the grace that saves me. The 0:11:09.580 --> 0:11:12.820 second grace is the grace that shapes me. And the 0:11:12.820 --> 0:11:16.220 third grace is the grace that strengthens me. So then 0:11:16.220 --> 0:11:19.420 the first grace is for pardon. The second grace is 0:11:19.420 --> 0:11:23.420 for production. And the third grace is for power, so 0:11:23.420 --> 0:11:25.660 that it is the grace of God that is first 0:11:25.660 --> 0:11:28.740 of all in me. It converts me. That's my salvation. 0:11:28.740 --> 0:11:31.459 It's the grace of God. Secondly, that's on me. It 0:11:31.460 --> 0:11:34.460 conforms me. That's my sanctification, and it's the grace of 0:11:34.460 --> 0:11:40.100 God through me that conveys my service for him. He 0:11:40.100 --> 0:11:42.980 wants us to understand that it was God's plan to 0:11:42.980 --> 0:11:44.459 save us by his grace. 0:11:46.780 --> 0:11:49.380 And what a plan that is. You're listening to Treasure 0:11:49.380 --> 0:11:52.020 Truth with Pastor Ford, but maybe as you've been listening, 0:11:52.020 --> 0:11:55.420 you realize that that's not true of you. You've never 0:11:55.420 --> 0:11:58.300 been saved like Pastor Ford is talking about. But you'd 0:11:58.300 --> 0:12:00.460 like to know more about that. Or maybe you're even 0:12:00.460 --> 0:12:04.060 ready to begin a relationship with Jesus today. There's a 0:12:04.059 --> 0:12:06.300 toll free number you can call, and someone is ready 0:12:06.300 --> 0:12:07.980 to talk with you, or pray with you, or answer 0:12:07.980 --> 0:12:12.260 questions you may have about experiencing God's grace. That number 0:12:12.260 --> 0:12:18.580 is one 888. Need him again. That's one 888 need him. 0:12:19.220 --> 0:12:22.339 Back to the message. Once again, here is Pastor Ford. 0:12:23.260 --> 0:12:28.220 And so that Grace then is what? That grace is universal. 0:12:28.220 --> 0:12:32.900 It doesn't matter who you are. That grace is unconditional. 0:12:32.900 --> 0:12:37.820 It doesn't matter what you've done. That the grace is unlimited. 0:12:37.820 --> 0:12:42.500 It's the kindness of God that that grace is ubiquitous. 0:12:42.500 --> 0:12:46.140 It doesn't matter where you are. So grace then, here 0:12:46.140 --> 0:12:51.580 is universal. It's unconditional. It's unlimited. It's ubiquitous. Everything we 0:12:51.580 --> 0:12:54.380 do is by grace. So we are sought by grace. 0:12:54.420 --> 0:12:57.940 Titus 211 through 13. We're saved by grace. Ephesians two 0:12:57.940 --> 0:13:01.300 eight and nine, where sons and daughters, by grace. Ephesians 0:13:01.300 --> 0:13:05.579 one three. We're summoned by grace. Galatians 115. We're shaped 0:13:05.580 --> 0:13:09.620 by grace. First Corinthians 15 nine and ten. We're sanctified 0:13:09.620 --> 0:13:14.699 by grace. Romans 520. We're spiritually gifted by grace. Ephesians 411. 0:13:14.700 --> 0:13:18.540 We're supplied by grace. Second Corinthians 12 nine. Our speech 0:13:18.540 --> 0:13:22.260 is by grace. Colossians four six. We're stimulated in our 0:13:22.260 --> 0:13:26.980 growth by grace. Hebrews 1319. We are serving by grace. 0:13:26.980 --> 0:13:32.700 Second Peter 318. We're stabilized by grace. Hebrews 1317 and 0:13:32.700 --> 0:13:36.780 we're sustained by grace. Hebrews 416. Let us then come 0:13:36.820 --> 0:13:39.260 boldly to the throne of grace, that we may be 0:13:39.300 --> 0:13:42.420 able to find mercy and grace to help us in 0:13:42.420 --> 0:13:50.860 time of need. Wow. Come boldly. I wish I could 0:13:50.860 --> 0:13:55.739 talk about grace, but all I can say is amazing grace. 0:13:56.100 --> 0:13:59.420 How sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me. 0:13:59.420 --> 0:14:02.900 I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind. 0:14:02.940 --> 0:14:06.660 But now I see. And grace will always be my 0:14:06.660 --> 0:14:12.580 song of praise. For it was grace that brought my liberty. Mm. 0:14:13.660 --> 0:14:16.020 And so we did it. You heard this before? Of 0:14:16.020 --> 0:14:19.100 his own will. His plan in eternity. He planned it 0:14:19.100 --> 0:14:21.660 in the Old Testament. He promised it in the Gospels. 0:14:21.660 --> 0:14:24.580 He paid for it in the epistles. He proclaimed it 0:14:24.620 --> 0:14:27.620 in Hebrews. He's processing it the day you believe he 0:14:27.620 --> 0:14:34.460 provided it. And in revelation he will perfect it. Mm. Well, 0:14:34.460 --> 0:14:38.820 what's your point? Two men live in me, an old 0:14:38.820 --> 0:14:43.940 man and a new man. When temptation knocks at the door, 0:14:44.100 --> 0:14:50.300 somebody has the answer. Send Jesus to the door. Then 0:14:50.300 --> 0:14:52.980 his power begotten by the word. What does that mean? 0:14:52.980 --> 0:14:54.940 Why do you say power? Why do you say precept? 0:14:54.940 --> 0:14:58.020 Because he's talking about power. What was it that begot 0:14:58.060 --> 0:15:02.770 us into our common. It was the word. That's what 0:15:02.770 --> 0:15:06.850 it was. Just. Just write these down first. Peter chapter 123. 0:15:07.290 --> 0:15:13.730 First Peter chapter 123 or 22 through chapter two, verse two. 0:15:13.890 --> 0:15:16.290 Let me just give you the bottom line. Here's what 0:15:16.330 --> 0:15:20.810 verse 22 says. It's the word that informs you. Verse 0:15:20.810 --> 0:15:24.810 23 says, it's the word that transformed you. It says 0:15:24.810 --> 0:15:28.170 in verse one, it's the word that reforms you. In 0:15:28.170 --> 0:15:32.010 verse two says, it's the word that conforms you. And 0:15:32.010 --> 0:15:37.090 so the Word of God informs, transforms, reforms, and conforms 0:15:37.090 --> 0:15:40.490 because the Bible that's falling apart. D.L. Moody said, is 0:15:40.490 --> 0:15:45.370 usually owned by a Christian who is not. Mm. And 0:15:45.370 --> 0:15:47.650 so the Bible will keep you from sin, or sin 0:15:47.650 --> 0:15:50.690 will keep you from the Bible. Psalm one 1911. Wherewith 0:15:50.890 --> 0:15:52.890 verse nine. Let me start at verse nine. Wherewithal shall 0:15:52.890 --> 0:15:55.530 a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto 0:15:55.570 --> 0:15:58.490 according to thy truth? Thy word is truth. With my 0:15:58.490 --> 0:16:00.570 whole heart have I sought thee, O let me not 0:16:00.610 --> 0:16:03.850 wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in 0:16:03.850 --> 0:16:09.690 my heart that I might not sin against thee. So 0:16:09.690 --> 0:16:11.970 what are we to do? Well, we're to listen to 0:16:11.970 --> 0:16:15.410 the word eagerly. We're to look for the word enthusiastically. 0:16:15.410 --> 0:16:18.970 We're to love it eternally. We're to learn from it expectantly. 0:16:19.010 --> 0:16:21.890 We're to languish in it entirely, and we ought to 0:16:21.890 --> 0:16:26.170 let it work in us effectively. Then he gives us 0:16:26.170 --> 0:16:30.570 the purpose. First fruits. What is the first fruits? Now 0:16:30.570 --> 0:16:33.450 you remember I told you what they would do. Go 0:16:33.450 --> 0:16:38.930 into the field. And the first crop was a barley crop. 0:16:39.050 --> 0:16:43.490 And so you get three sheaves. Bind them individually and 0:16:43.490 --> 0:16:50.530 then bring them together corporately. Three distinct units in one sheaf. 0:16:50.730 --> 0:16:53.370 Then you wave it before the Lord. Now here's what 0:16:53.370 --> 0:16:58.010 you were saying. God, this is praise to your person. 0:16:58.930 --> 0:17:05.890 I'm praising you. I'm thanking you for the provision. I'm 0:17:05.890 --> 0:17:11.090 bringing you the first because you're my priority. I'm bringing 0:17:11.090 --> 0:17:16.490 you this to show that I understand possession, that you 0:17:16.930 --> 0:17:21.409 are the owner and I am the steward. I bring 0:17:21.410 --> 0:17:25.330 it because you have purposes for giving me this and 0:17:25.330 --> 0:17:28.010 I want to fulfill it. So then what does a 0:17:28.010 --> 0:17:36.250 first fruit offering mean? Praise. Provision. Priority. Possession and purpose. 0:17:38.570 --> 0:17:41.850 You see, I want to tell you something. You know, 0:17:41.850 --> 0:17:43.850 I pick up stuff. I try to make myself a 0:17:43.850 --> 0:17:49.410 better preacher. And so, like Good Friday, whenever those brothers preach. Done. 0:17:49.410 --> 0:17:52.650 Brothers preach. I told them that's the first time I 0:17:52.650 --> 0:17:56.130 ever felt like I was a novice preacher. Them boys 0:17:56.130 --> 0:17:59.489 tore it up, but I noticed something about some of 0:17:59.570 --> 0:18:03.090 their preaching. So I've already put it in mine. No, 0:18:03.090 --> 0:18:06.090 not whooping, not whooping, not whooping, but I already put 0:18:06.090 --> 0:18:08.129 it in mine. I II do that. That's how I learn. 0:18:08.170 --> 0:18:11.650 You know, I learn, you say, uh, somebody told me, man, 0:18:11.690 --> 0:18:13.609 you really know how to illustrate. I learned that from 0:18:13.609 --> 0:18:16.930 Tony Evans. I said, what's he do that's different from 0:18:16.930 --> 0:18:20.169 everybody else? Make his illustration so good. I call it 0:18:20.210 --> 0:18:24.770 milking the metaphor. Just don't apply it one way. Apply 0:18:24.770 --> 0:18:28.010 it five or 6 or 7 ways, you know, stretch 0:18:28.010 --> 0:18:31.889 that thing out. Make it full Orbed do that. I 0:18:31.930 --> 0:18:35.810 listen to an orator by the name of Gardner C Taylor, 0:18:35.810 --> 0:18:38.490 and I said, wow, I don't do oratory. I'm a 0:18:38.490 --> 0:18:43.449 I'm a concrete, uh, text, word by word expositor. Uh, 0:18:43.450 --> 0:18:45.929 but I need to get some of this concept stuff in. 0:18:46.090 --> 0:18:48.570 And so I put that in. There's a preacher, uh, 0:18:48.690 --> 0:18:51.370 in Dallas, Texas. I heard Freddie Haynes. He talks to 0:18:51.410 --> 0:18:54.090 inanimate objects. So I've been doing it since I heard him. 0:18:54.090 --> 0:18:55.530 If he could do it, I could do it, too. 0:18:58.050 --> 0:19:02.810 And so guess what happened? My grandson Jaden came to me. 0:19:03.450 --> 0:19:08.570 He was at our house from school. Papa. My pencil. 0:19:09.970 --> 0:19:12.370 I need it sharpened so I could do my homework. 0:19:13.609 --> 0:19:15.889 So I said, oh, yeah, I have it in my office. 0:19:16.170 --> 0:19:17.970 So we're down in my den. He was doing homework 0:19:17.970 --> 0:19:21.050 in my den, and I took the pencil from me. 0:19:21.050 --> 0:19:24.610 And on the way up, the pencil talked to me. 0:19:27.650 --> 0:19:34.050 The pencil said, Pastor Ford, please, please, please don't. Don't 0:19:34.050 --> 0:19:36.730 cut me up like this. I don't want to be 0:19:36.730 --> 0:19:39.369 cut up. How you know I'm going to cut you up. 0:19:39.369 --> 0:19:43.370 You said that you were taking me to a pencil sharpener. 0:19:43.970 --> 0:19:45.889 That means I'm going to get cut. Yeah, but, see, 0:19:45.890 --> 0:19:49.530 you need to understand something. See how you are right now. Uh, 0:19:49.530 --> 0:19:56.010 your designer made you for a purpose. But because you 0:19:56.010 --> 0:20:00.050 have a flat end, you can't fulfill that purpose. You see, 0:20:00.050 --> 0:20:03.770 what's in you has to be on the outside of 0:20:03.770 --> 0:20:08.210 you in order to make an impact. So what I'm 0:20:08.210 --> 0:20:12.650 going to do is cut some stuff off of you 0:20:13.850 --> 0:20:20.169 that keeps you from becoming what you need to become 0:20:20.330 --> 0:20:25.209 to fulfill your purpose. So yes, it's going to hurt, 0:20:26.090 --> 0:20:29.730 but when I'm done with you, you are going to 0:20:29.730 --> 0:20:33.770 be able to fulfill the purpose that is in the 0:20:33.810 --> 0:20:38.850 hands of my grandson. You're going to help him maintain 0:20:38.850 --> 0:20:42.810 his A average, but it's going to hurt. Yes it is. 0:20:43.010 --> 0:20:46.290 And I'm about to hurt you right now. But it's 0:20:46.290 --> 0:20:51.609 pain with purpose. Somebody came in here, and you're going 0:20:51.609 --> 0:20:54.930 through something right now. But you need to understand that 0:20:54.930 --> 0:20:59.129 because of our sinful tendencies, we have surrounded us ourselves 0:20:59.280 --> 0:21:02.400 with stuff that precludes us from the purpose for which 0:21:02.400 --> 0:21:05.960 God called us. And he's got to cut away all 0:21:06.119 --> 0:21:13.520 those sinful tendencies. And it hurts. So I put him in. 0:21:13.880 --> 0:21:17.840 He's hollering, oh, hurts and hurts. And then all of 0:21:17.840 --> 0:21:19.919 a sudden he said, stop hurting. I said, yeah, I 0:21:19.920 --> 0:21:22.120 gotta pull you out now because I don't hear any noise. 0:21:22.119 --> 0:21:25.160 Which means everything that needs to be cut off has 0:21:25.160 --> 0:21:29.399 been cut off. And now you're ready to roll. You're 0:21:29.400 --> 0:21:32.320 ready to fulfill the purpose for which you were made. 0:21:33.840 --> 0:21:37.879 So as I handed him to my grandson, he said, 0:21:37.880 --> 0:21:40.280 I don't ever want to see you again. I said, 0:21:40.280 --> 0:21:44.920 I bet you I'll see you in another two hours. Uh, 0:21:44.920 --> 0:21:48.680 because he's going to wear your point down and you're 0:21:48.680 --> 0:21:54.240 going to have to be cut again. Bless the truth 0:21:54.240 --> 0:21:58.360 to our hearts, our father, we pray in Christ's name. 0:22:00.720 --> 0:22:04.639 Amen. That is Pastor Ford today wrapping up our series 0:22:04.640 --> 0:22:07.920 The Enemy Enemy. It's been a great look at James 0:22:07.920 --> 0:22:11.080 chapter one. And if you've missed any of the broadcasts 0:22:11.080 --> 0:22:13.639 in the series, you'll find them online. Simply come to 0:22:13.640 --> 0:22:18.199 our website. It's treasure truth Radio.com. 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