WEBVTT - The Gift Of Victory 0:00:03.720 --> 0:00:06.359 God brought a scripture to my memory from First Corinthians, 0:00:06.440 --> 0:00:13.000 chapter fifteen. I read from verse fifty four Verse Corinthians, 0:00:13.080 --> 0:00:22.120 Chapter fifteen, Verse fifty four. When the perishable has been 0:00:22.239 --> 0:00:28.360 clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then 0:00:28.960 --> 0:00:34.600 the saying that is written will come true. Death has 0:00:34.680 --> 0:00:44.440 been swallowed up in victory. Where oh death is your victory, 0:00:45.240 --> 0:00:49.680 Where oh death is your sting. The sting of death 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:53.960 is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 0:00:54.040 --> 0:00:58.120 But thanks be to God he gives us the victory 0:00:58.720 --> 0:01:03.480 through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, 0:01:04.440 --> 0:01:10.080 stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully 0:01:10.600 --> 0:01:13.920 to the work of the Lord, because you know that 0:01:13.959 --> 0:01:18.800 your labor in the Lord is not in vain. What 0:01:18.920 --> 0:01:22.920 a word today. I want to talk to you from 0:01:22.920 --> 0:01:25.240 an unusual topic. I want to speak about the gift 0:01:25.319 --> 0:01:28.160 of victory. I want to give you. Go ahead, put 0:01:28.160 --> 0:01:29.440 your hands out, because I want to give you your 0:01:29.440 --> 0:01:33.160 first Christmas gift. You hadn't open anything yet, have you 0:01:33.959 --> 0:01:38.200 all right? We'll get ready for this, the gift of victory. 0:01:38.280 --> 0:01:41.040 Somebody shot is mine, It's mine, It's mine. I want it. 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:43.600 I take it. I receive it. It's mine, it's got 0:01:43.600 --> 0:01:48.360 my name on it. Huh, let's unwrap this together. Today 0:01:48.400 --> 0:01:52.360 you be seated in God's presence, the gift of victory. 0:01:54.000 --> 0:01:56.280 I think my oldest son, Elijah put it best one time. 0:01:57.680 --> 0:01:59.280 I don't remember how many years ago this was, but 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:03.120 he was having a hard time in school because they 0:02:03.120 --> 0:02:05.160 were dividing up and playing this certain game with this 0:02:05.240 --> 0:02:09.800 certain team at recess, and they kept losing. And one 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:12.320 of the girls in his class said, Elijah, quit having 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.400 such a bad attitude. It's not if you win or lose, 0:02:16.000 --> 0:02:20.040 it's if you're having fun. So he came home mad 0:02:20.080 --> 0:02:22.800 every day. You know, we lost again, and whatever her 0:02:22.880 --> 0:02:25.040 name was said, it's not whether you win or lose, 0:02:25.680 --> 0:02:28.680 it's whether or not you have fun. After about three 0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:30.760 days of this, he comes home. This is the most 0:02:30.840 --> 0:02:33.440 brilliant thing that has ever been said in the furdic howhole. 0:02:33.840 --> 0:02:37.480 Listen what he said. He said, Dad, today I got her. 0:02:38.200 --> 0:02:39.639 I said, you got who you'll want. He said, no, 0:02:39.680 --> 0:02:44.200 we still lost. But when she said that, after we lost, 0:02:44.280 --> 0:02:46.840 his teammate who kept saying it's not whether you win 0:02:46.960 --> 0:02:49.520 or lose, it's whether you have fun, he said, I 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:53.200 was ready, and this time when she said it, she said, Elijah, 0:02:53.320 --> 0:02:55.880 it's not if you win or lose, it's whether you 0:02:55.960 --> 0:02:59.359 have fun. I said, well, I'm not having fun if 0:02:59.400 --> 0:03:06.440 I'm not with that's my boy. That's my boy. He's 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:11.400 got that anointing of antagonism, not anointing us counter attack 0:03:11.560 --> 0:03:16.520 based in sound logic. That's the truth. Man, I'm not 0:03:16.639 --> 0:03:21.320 having fun if I'm not winning. And maybe you're not competitive, 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:26.200 you little Pollyanna positive. It's not whether you win or lose. 0:03:26.240 --> 0:03:31.680 That's fine. But our family is very different. Our family 0:03:31.720 --> 0:03:37.040 does not have game nights. Oh we try. They were 0:03:37.040 --> 0:03:39.760 too bloody and traumatic. I figured if I kept having 0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:42.080 game nights with my kids, the therapy bill would be 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:44.160 through the roof when they get older. Because it just 0:03:44.240 --> 0:03:48.720 always it always ended poorly. And y'all pray for Holly 0:03:48.800 --> 0:03:53.040 because she has this competitive spirit that would come out 0:03:53.040 --> 0:03:56.640 at game night. You'll believe that, y'all believe she was 0:03:56.640 --> 0:04:01.920 the problem. Be a first time guest. If you believe that. 0:04:03.440 --> 0:04:05.720 Now it was all of us, really, every single one 0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:07.200 of us. We're now we have a lot of good 0:04:07.200 --> 0:04:09.600 family traditions. I mean, I think that our family is 0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:12.040 pretty cool, really cool I'm really proud of our family 0:04:12.160 --> 0:04:15.200 we got we have. We had a family lunch club. 0:04:15.240 --> 0:04:18.800 When the kids were smaller, we had a uh, we 0:04:18.839 --> 0:04:22.520 had a Pixar challenge. You know. It's funny though, even 0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:25.039 when we set out a few summers ago to watch 0:04:25.080 --> 0:04:28.440 every Pixar movie as a family. We made it a 0:04:28.440 --> 0:04:33.760 competition of which Pixar movie was the best? Oh man, 0:04:33.800 --> 0:04:41.360 we got issues and Monopoly no, mm hmmm, I can't 0:04:41.400 --> 0:04:46.719 even say Monopoly without my family feeling some uh some PTSD. 0:04:49.120 --> 0:04:51.320 But I think the reason I wanted to use that 0:04:51.400 --> 0:04:53.320 kind of as an example before I get to this 0:04:53.520 --> 0:04:56.080 scripture that I read you in First Corinthians, I really 0:04:56.160 --> 0:04:59.600 want to illustrate isolate and hopefully the Holy Spirit will 0:04:59.600 --> 0:05:02.120 illuminate the principle in the contrast that Paul is giving 0:05:02.120 --> 0:05:07.919 here in First Corinthians. Because he speaks about the victory 0:05:08.320 --> 0:05:10.800 that God gives put up verse fifty six again or 0:05:10.880 --> 0:05:15.200 verse fifty seven rather where he says thanks be to God, 0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:21.039 he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 0:05:22.440 --> 0:05:24.680 That's a wonderful scripture. Is the kind of scripture that 0:05:24.720 --> 0:05:28.120 you often see hanging up like in a weight room 0:05:28.400 --> 0:05:32.159 or football locker room. God gives us the victory because 0:05:32.160 --> 0:05:34.719 he doesn't like the other team. His favor is on us, 0:05:34.800 --> 0:05:37.000 So we're going to win because God is with us. 0:05:37.120 --> 0:05:40.080 Mighty warrior, and other scriptures that are taken out of context, 0:05:40.400 --> 0:05:42.000 But it's good. It's a good scripture to put up 0:05:42.000 --> 0:05:43.880 in a locker room, is an amazing scripture to put 0:05:43.960 --> 0:05:47.120 up anywhere. I just want to point out that in 0:05:47.200 --> 0:05:50.839 this particular passage, Paul is not so much concerned about 0:05:50.880 --> 0:05:55.200 external victories as he is about the internal victory that 0:05:55.279 --> 0:06:01.200 God has promised us over sin. Is no good to 0:06:01.320 --> 0:06:04.200 win in every other area of your life if the 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:08.760 victory over sin in your life is theoretical and abstract. 0:06:10.040 --> 0:06:12.320 In other words, Paul is saying that there will come 0:06:12.360 --> 0:06:16.800 a day where the perishable will put on imperishable, where 0:06:16.839 --> 0:06:19.960 the corruptible will put on incorruptible. He's talking about the 0:06:20.000 --> 0:06:23.240 resurrection of the righteous, which will come in the last days. 0:06:23.960 --> 0:06:27.880 He's basing this expectation in the example of Jesus Christ, 0:06:27.920 --> 0:06:30.359 who did exactly that when he got up out of 0:06:30.400 --> 0:06:33.760 the grave. I mean, that's a pretty big win when 0:06:33.760 --> 0:06:37.800 you beat death. Floyd Mayweather is still undefeated, but death 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:41.880 isn't death got its first loss after Jesus hung on 0:06:41.920 --> 0:06:45.520 the cross said is finished. But I'm not done, because 0:06:45.520 --> 0:06:49.000 after I get the keys to death, hell and the grave, 0:06:49.320 --> 0:06:52.279 I'm gonna go tell my brothers you get up too. 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:58.919 That's awesome. There is a principle in the text of 0:06:59.120 --> 0:07:02.200 Already and not Yet that is as Paul is giving 0:07:02.240 --> 0:07:05.800 them an expectation of a future event of resurrection in 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:09.680 their life, he is giving them an exhortation, which simply 0:07:09.720 --> 0:07:15.000 means to urge in a very determined fashion. It's an 0:07:15.480 --> 0:07:21.880 expectation and an exhortation. He says that God has given 0:07:22.040 --> 0:07:26.720 us the victory, or more specifically, he gives us the victory. 0:07:27.200 --> 0:07:30.960 And I make that distinction because it's something that continues 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:34.480 to happen, not something that happens once and then just 0:07:34.520 --> 0:07:39.400 stays that way. He gives us the victory. Every day 0:07:39.440 --> 0:07:42.840 I wake up is a choice will I win this day? 0:07:45.200 --> 0:07:48.200 Every time that the sin in my life that rears 0:07:48.240 --> 0:07:51.640 his head and says you belong to me, tries to 0:07:51.680 --> 0:07:55.680 defy the righteousness of God that Jesus Christ imparted through 0:07:55.720 --> 0:07:58.880 the Holy Spirit into my life, it is an opportunity 0:07:59.040 --> 0:08:02.160 for me to either fi the sin that claims to 0:08:02.200 --> 0:08:05.920 have mastery over me, or to deny the power that 0:08:06.000 --> 0:08:09.400 lives in me, because of what Jesus already did for me. 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:14.239 He gives us the victory. You see what I'm saying. 0:08:15.280 --> 0:08:18.320 And it doesn't happen all at once. It doesn't happen 0:08:18.360 --> 0:08:23.920 all at once. It happens incrementally. It happens gradually. Oh yeah, 0:08:24.200 --> 0:08:26.680 it's a victory that you can depend on, But it 0:08:26.760 --> 0:08:29.840 is not a victory that you can deposit and forget 0:08:29.880 --> 0:08:33.280 about it and live off of the dividends. It is 0:08:33.320 --> 0:08:37.360 a victory that is given to be received with every 0:08:37.480 --> 0:08:41.600 rising of the sun. And nothing feels worse in life, 0:08:41.640 --> 0:08:44.480 I'm telling you right now, especially for a competitive person, 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:48.920 nothing feels worse in life than to give yourself to 0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:56.679 something that you can't win at. Nothing feels worse. That's 0:08:56.720 --> 0:09:01.400 why I quit tennis. I was going out there all 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:04.880 the time and Larry Hubacka beat me, and he had 0:09:04.880 --> 0:09:08.560 not played in six years, but he played in middle school. 0:09:09.120 --> 0:09:11.920 And once I figured out I couldn't win, I quit. 0:09:12.840 --> 0:09:16.040 That was my last tennis lesson that day he beat me. 0:09:17.640 --> 0:09:19.640 Still feel bad about it. I'm thinking about challenging him 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:21.280 to a wrestling match, because that's what I did in 0:09:21.320 --> 0:09:24.880 middle school. Let's see who wins on the mat. How 0:09:24.880 --> 0:09:29.800 about that? I came across the term in Harvard Business 0:09:29.840 --> 0:09:33.000 Review recently that was describing what the author claimed was 0:09:33.000 --> 0:09:36.200 a social phenomenon, yet the Bible has been clear about 0:09:36.240 --> 0:09:37.920 long before they got a hold of it in the 0:09:37.920 --> 0:09:42.600 business community. He was talking about how employees are now 0:09:42.960 --> 0:09:49.440 rather than leaving their jobs, withdrawing their hearts, and he 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:57.080 called it the quiet quit. If you feel underappreciated and 0:09:57.200 --> 0:10:03.560 undervalued in the workplace, don't leave your paycheck or your benefits. 0:10:04.600 --> 0:10:06.560 Don't walk in the office, stand up on the desk, 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:08.679 burn something, throw it in the trash can, light the 0:10:08.720 --> 0:10:13.360 place on fire, and go to jail. Just show up, 0:10:14.360 --> 0:10:21.080 but not really. Just come at the last minute and 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:26.760 leave at the first opportunity. Don't stay late, don't offer 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:29.080 to do anything that's going to inconvenience you in any way. 0:10:29.920 --> 0:10:35.520 It's called the quiet quit, That's what he said. He 0:10:35.600 --> 0:10:39.280 said that this is not only a trend that we 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:42.760 now have a cute name for, but it is a 0:10:43.000 --> 0:10:48.280 human instinct that when I am giving to something where 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:51.400 I do not feel i'm winning, that it may not 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:54.439 happen all at once, and I may not announce it. 0:10:55.440 --> 0:10:57.720 I may not throw a party. This is my last day. 0:10:58.000 --> 0:11:02.360 Y'all can kiss my ring finger. This is going online. 0:11:02.360 --> 0:11:04.040 So I just say things in a certain way so 0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:11.480 it can be acceptable. It's called a quiet quit. Quiet 0:11:11.520 --> 0:11:16.200 quit when Paul says in First Corinthians, and I'm going 0:11:16.280 --> 0:11:18.320 to illustrate this in just a moment, but first, let 0:11:18.360 --> 0:11:22.680 me preach the principle that God gives us the victory 0:11:22.720 --> 0:11:28.040 through our Lord Jesus Christ. That's the expectation when he 0:11:28.080 --> 0:11:32.840 says in verse fifty eight, Therefore stand firm, letting nothing move. 0:11:32.920 --> 0:11:37.520 You always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. 0:11:37.559 --> 0:11:41.320 That is the exhortation. And I wonder did God give 0:11:41.360 --> 0:11:45.200 me this word today, called the gift of victory To 0:11:45.320 --> 0:11:50.280 someone who is in the middle of a quiet quit 0:11:51.000 --> 0:11:54.600 in your life. You have not announced that you are 0:11:54.600 --> 0:11:59.000 an atheist, and you don't plan too. You didn't change 0:11:59.000 --> 0:12:02.640 your bio on Instagram too. I hate good dot com. 0:12:03.960 --> 0:12:08.160 But deep down in your heart, since you're not winning, 0:12:11.920 --> 0:12:16.840 it seems like the only logical response is to quietly 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:22.080 quit trying. Because if I quit trying, then when I 0:12:22.080 --> 0:12:27.560 don't win, I'll understand why if I quit trying, if 0:12:27.600 --> 0:12:30.640 I completely give in to the sin, I will no 0:12:30.720 --> 0:12:33.760 longer have to resist it. So I won't feel weak 0:12:34.280 --> 0:12:37.360 because I won't be fighting. If I lay down and 0:12:37.400 --> 0:12:41.040 die and quit trying to be a joyful, positive person 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:44.840 and completely give into the cynicism that tries to run 0:12:44.880 --> 0:12:48.880 the operating system of my life, I won't lose because 0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:51.640 I didn't show up. And if I take my ball 0:12:51.800 --> 0:12:54.800 and go home, if I take my belief and go home, 0:12:55.080 --> 0:12:58.920 the devil can't whip me, because if he can't find me, 0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:02.240 he can't beat me. So I'm going to hide behind 0:13:02.360 --> 0:13:05.880 excuses and pretend like I don't want it and settle 0:13:05.920 --> 0:13:08.640 for stuff that I used to struggle against. And I'm 0:13:08.640 --> 0:13:11.280 not going to announce it because if I announce it, 0:13:11.520 --> 0:13:14.199 somebody might come get me and pull me out of it. 0:13:14.360 --> 0:13:17.160 So what I'll do rather than announcing it, rather than 0:13:17.240 --> 0:13:20.040 quitting in a way that people can perceive, I will 0:13:20.120 --> 0:13:22.640 just show up in my body, but I will not 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:25.600 be present in my mind. I will not bring my 0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:28.520 best I will not bring my heart, I will not 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:31.960 bring my ideas. I will not bring my playfulness. I 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:34.680 will not bring who I really am, because if I 0:13:34.720 --> 0:13:37.600 don't bring who I really am, then you can't beat 0:13:37.679 --> 0:13:40.880 who I really am. I will hide behind the excuse 0:13:41.200 --> 0:13:49.840 that I don't want it anymore. What could be more 0:13:49.920 --> 0:13:56.000 miserable than to live as a Christian with the promise 0:13:56.120 --> 0:14:03.480 that God gives you the victory, but to live far 0:14:03.520 --> 0:14:09.080 beneath the reality of that promise, to know that you 0:14:09.120 --> 0:14:15.800 are forgiven, but to live without victory over sin. I 0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:19.160 saw bumpersticker one time. It's that Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven. 0:14:20.520 --> 0:14:25.840 I'm like, dang, that's good, and that's kind of not true. Okay, 0:14:25.880 --> 0:14:29.560 we're not perfect, that part is true, but just forgiven, 0:14:31.680 --> 0:14:35.680 Like that's the whole goal, right, Like, Hey man, we 0:14:35.760 --> 0:14:39.600 run around, we lie, we talk just like everybody else. 0:14:39.640 --> 0:14:42.240 We're hateful just like everybody else. We don't really have 0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:47.960 any different standard. We're just forgiven. The world definitely wants 0:14:47.960 --> 0:14:50.600 to join our team. Hey, come to church with me. 0:14:51.000 --> 0:14:53.800 My life sucks just like yours. I make the same 0:14:53.880 --> 0:14:57.560 excuses you make. I have the same old broken patterns 0:14:57.600 --> 0:14:59.440 you have. Come to church with me, get some of this. 0:15:03.680 --> 0:15:14.040 You know. To be forgiven, but not to live in victory. 0:15:14.640 --> 0:15:18.480 It's misery because I know I'm supposed to be able 0:15:18.520 --> 0:15:20.880 to get over this. I know I'm supposed to be 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:23.560 able to forgive this. I know I'm supposed to be 0:15:23.600 --> 0:15:26.160 able to say no to this. I know I'm supposed 0:15:26.160 --> 0:15:28.560 to be able to pray this away. I know I'm 0:15:28.600 --> 0:15:31.320 supposed to be better than this. I know I'm bigger 0:15:31.360 --> 0:15:38.680 than this petty offense. But I'm forgiven. So you think 0:15:38.720 --> 0:15:42.200 the whole goal for life is for God to just 0:15:42.240 --> 0:15:45.560 get you to fall into forgiveness and never get back 0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:50.320 up and live in victory. I see a lot of 0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:53.360 people in culture these days who are really good, even 0:15:53.400 --> 0:15:55.080 in Christianity. I'm not talking about the world. I'm talking 0:15:55.080 --> 0:15:58.120 about us who are really good at falling into forgiveness. 0:15:58.120 --> 0:15:59.880 And hey, I have to do it too. I had 0:15:59.880 --> 0:16:02.760 to do it Friday. Friday, I saw myself doing something 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:04.800 so dumb. I'm like, oh God, wait, if I was 0:16:04.840 --> 0:16:06.080 gonna do something this done, why did I do it 0:16:06.160 --> 0:16:08.440 on Monday so I'd have time before I preach to 0:16:08.480 --> 0:16:10.760 get this out of my system. That's too close to 0:16:10.840 --> 0:16:13.240 preaching to be messing up like that. And I had 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:15.240 to ask him, God, help me, help me. I got 0:16:15.280 --> 0:16:17.480 people coming to hear me talking I'm an idiot. God 0:16:17.520 --> 0:16:19.800 help me, I have to do that too. But is 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:24.400 that all that he died for? Just so I have 0:16:24.440 --> 0:16:28.640 to fall into the same pit over and over again. 0:16:28.840 --> 0:16:35.200 And I'm just forgiving and I'm just frustrated because it's 0:16:35.280 --> 0:16:39.960 no fun if I'm not winning. It's no fun to 0:16:40.040 --> 0:16:44.520 come in church and sing songs about victory and go 0:16:44.640 --> 0:16:50.680 back to defeat over and over and over again. And 0:16:50.720 --> 0:16:54.920 that's why some people just watch online every six weeks now. 0:16:55.840 --> 0:16:59.320 Because I did a quiet quit, because I didn't stop 0:16:59.360 --> 0:17:01.920 believing in God, but I did stop coming to church. 0:17:02.880 --> 0:17:04.760 I'm not talking about those who are and are you fami, 0:17:04.760 --> 0:17:07.760 who are giving and contributing and serving and praying. That's wonderful. 0:17:08.080 --> 0:17:11.480 I'm talking about the quiet quit. I'm talking about when 0:17:11.520 --> 0:17:13.879 you keep on watching sermons in the background if you 0:17:13.880 --> 0:17:17.280 don't have anything more important. The quiet quit. I'm talking 0:17:17.320 --> 0:17:20.439 about picking the scriptures that aligne with your lifestyle, and 0:17:20.520 --> 0:17:23.240 never the ones that challenge you, and only quoting the 0:17:23.280 --> 0:17:26.320 ones that make you feel good, the cute ones. I'm 0:17:26.320 --> 0:17:30.240 talking about the quiet quit. But thanks me to God 0:17:31.000 --> 0:17:35.320 who gives us the victory. He didn't die just so 0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:38.439 I could be forgiven. He didn't die just so I 0:17:38.480 --> 0:17:41.880 could fall. He died so I could rise with him. 0:17:42.160 --> 0:17:48.320 And I expect resurrection because the stick promised it. He 0:17:48.440 --> 0:17:58.920 gave me an iou with him, We rise with him, 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:02.960 We rie say with him, I rise just like he did. 0:18:03.200 --> 0:18:07.800 So there's an example of an expectation that the perishable 0:18:08.040 --> 0:18:11.159 will be swallowed up an imperishable. And he uses the 0:18:11.160 --> 0:18:18.919 best example. If Jesus beat the grave, what do you 0:18:19.000 --> 0:18:26.400 have permission to stay down in? Because that's the ultimate right. 0:18:27.640 --> 0:18:30.760 If I bene three hundred, you better get this one 0:18:30.840 --> 0:18:34.440 fifty five. And I did do that one time. I'm 0:18:34.480 --> 0:18:35.760 not going to tell you how long ago it was, 0:18:35.800 --> 0:18:38.160 but I did do it one time. Jesus said, if 0:18:38.240 --> 0:18:44.200 I got up out of this, do not use forgiveness 0:18:44.960 --> 0:18:53.320 as permission for failure. Am I preaching a good Christmas sermon? 0:18:53.400 --> 0:19:00.400 Or what y'all are like? Where's the manger? A little 0:19:00.400 --> 0:19:03.479 baby Christianity that just wants to keep Jesus quiet and 0:19:03.480 --> 0:19:06.280 cute the little Lord Jesus. What's the hymn that says 0:19:06.520 --> 0:19:13.680 the little Lord Jesus? No crying? He makes well? Not 0:19:13.720 --> 0:19:15.960 only did he sweat drop some great blood when he 0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:18.840 went to the cross, but the Bible says, because if 0:19:18.840 --> 0:19:20.560 we want to take Jesus like that, it's just a 0:19:20.600 --> 0:19:25.040 symbol of our salvation. But he does not become the 0:19:25.160 --> 0:19:29.399 spiritual dynamic by which we overcome temptation in our life. 0:19:30.640 --> 0:19:32.879 Then what are we to do with the fact that 0:19:32.960 --> 0:19:36.600 when Jesus was dying on the cross, it said he 0:19:36.720 --> 0:19:40.240 endured it, despising its shame for the joy set before him. 0:19:42.200 --> 0:19:44.959 He wasn't just dying up there. I know how this 0:19:45.040 --> 0:19:47.840 kind of message can sound. It can't sound super Baptist. 0:19:48.880 --> 0:19:52.840 It's like stop sinning. I'm not saying stop sinning. I'm 0:19:52.880 --> 0:20:00.399 saying stop stopping. That's what I'm saying. Because if I 0:20:00.440 --> 0:20:02.119 were going to say stop sinning, then I would have 0:20:02.160 --> 0:20:04.080 had to reach a state of sinless perfection and I 0:20:04.119 --> 0:20:06.280 would be Jesus and I would not be here. If 0:20:06.280 --> 0:20:08.680 I was Jesus, I'll be in heaven with the angels, 0:20:08.680 --> 0:20:12.399 getting ready to have my birthday party on December twenty fifth. 0:20:15.920 --> 0:20:18.680 But thanks v to God. Don't you love the way 0:20:18.720 --> 0:20:21.080 he frames that? He said, the sting, how do you 0:20:21.080 --> 0:20:22.800 say it? I want to get it right? Verse fifty six, 0:20:22.880 --> 0:20:26.760 Verse fifty six. The sting of death is sin and 0:20:26.800 --> 0:20:29.480 the power of sin is the law? Oh no, what 0:20:29.560 --> 0:20:31.520 am I going to do? If the power of sin 0:20:31.640 --> 0:20:33.520 is the law that God gave so that I would 0:20:33.560 --> 0:20:35.880 know how to live, But that very law that had 0:20:35.880 --> 0:20:37.760 the power to show me how to live, I was 0:20:37.840 --> 0:20:40.440 powerless to do it because of my sinful nature? Then 0:20:40.560 --> 0:20:46.040 what what thanks be to God? In this phrase is 0:20:46.200 --> 0:20:54.960 very paradoxical. Who gives us the victory which doesn't even 0:20:54.960 --> 0:21:01.919 seem to be a real thing because a victory is 0:21:01.960 --> 0:21:06.280 not something that is typically given, is something that is won. 0:21:08.080 --> 0:21:10.480 Think about, think about, think about, think about when he 0:21:10.520 --> 0:21:13.720 said give me the verse again, he gives us the 0:21:13.840 --> 0:21:20.080 victory that in itself is a miracle, because a victory 0:21:20.200 --> 0:21:25.159 again again, If somebody wants to give you socks this Christmas, 0:21:25.520 --> 0:21:28.560 they can give you socks. If somebody wants to give 0:21:28.560 --> 0:21:30.360 you this Christmas, I mean, what are you hoping for 0:21:30.359 --> 0:21:33.480 for this Christmas? A microwave oven? Where they can give that. 0:21:33.840 --> 0:21:36.080 If Oprah wants to give you a trip to Australia, 0:21:36.359 --> 0:21:38.600 she can give you a trip to Australia. I can't 0:21:38.680 --> 0:21:42.640 do that. I'm not on the Oprah level. But when 0:21:42.640 --> 0:21:46.280 he said he gives us the victory, it's almost confusing 0:21:47.400 --> 0:21:49.840 because it almost sounds as if God is co opting 0:21:49.840 --> 0:21:54.720 a participation trophy mentality of salvation, like He's just gonna 0:21:54.720 --> 0:21:58.119 give you stuff without you having to go for it. 0:21:59.400 --> 0:22:03.600 That's why I'm really excited about the exhortation that follows 0:22:03.640 --> 0:22:08.320 the expectation. He said, he gives us the victory verse 0:22:08.359 --> 0:22:16.280 fifty eight. Therefore, stand firm, let nothing move you. Always 0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:22.480 give yourself fully to the work of the Lord. So 0:22:22.560 --> 0:22:25.840 here's what I want to ask you today, brothers and sisters, 0:22:26.800 --> 0:22:29.960 like Paul asked the church at court, I want to 0:22:30.000 --> 0:22:34.919 ask you on behalf of the Holy Spirit. Are you 0:22:35.000 --> 0:22:38.520 more committed to verse fifty seven than you are verse 0:22:38.560 --> 0:22:46.720 fifty eight? Cause verse fifty seven talks about what God 0:22:46.760 --> 0:22:52.679 gives the victory. Verse fifty eight talks about what you 0:22:52.760 --> 0:23:00.879 give yourself. And if you don't give your self to 0:23:01.000 --> 0:23:05.840 it and expect God to give it to you, you 0:23:05.880 --> 0:23:10.480 are gonna live your whole life frustrated, wondering why I'm 0:23:10.560 --> 0:23:13.919 still staying down in stuff that Christ gave me the 0:23:13.920 --> 0:23:20.840 power to rise from. That's the message God said, I'm 0:23:20.840 --> 0:23:24.479 gonna give it to you. But then because you've got it, 0:23:24.520 --> 0:23:27.800 somebody shout, I've got it. No, I need you to 0:23:27.840 --> 0:23:30.240 shout that better than you shouted it. Say I got it. 0:23:31.400 --> 0:23:34.640 I've got the victory, I've got the joy, I've got 0:23:34.640 --> 0:23:38.159 the promise. I've got the assurance. I've got the blood 0:23:38.160 --> 0:23:42.280 of Jesus. I've got the pardon of sin. I've got reconciliation. 0:23:42.680 --> 0:23:45.320 I've got the name of Jesus. I've got a great 0:23:45.400 --> 0:23:49.400 high priest who intercedes with me. I've got wisdom. I've 0:23:49.440 --> 0:23:52.320 got knowledge that God wants me to have. I've got 0:23:52.320 --> 0:23:55.320 the experience for the thing I'm going through now. Shout 0:23:55.560 --> 0:23:58.400 I got it. Look at your neighbor like you got 0:23:58.400 --> 0:24:00.520 something to be proud of. Say I got it. I 0:24:00.600 --> 0:24:03.600 got that thing. I got it on the inside. You 0:24:03.640 --> 0:24:06.320 didn't give it. You can't take it. I'm not asking 0:24:06.359 --> 0:24:08.520 you for it. I'm not begging for it. I'm not 0:24:08.720 --> 0:24:11.680 posting about it. But that doesn't mean I don't got it. 0:24:11.920 --> 0:24:15.160 I got direction from God. I got new mercies when 0:24:15.200 --> 0:24:17.800 I woke up. I got it in my cup of coffee. 0:24:18.119 --> 0:24:20.760 I got it when I lay my pillow, I got it. 0:24:21.000 --> 0:24:23.919 I got the assurance and the hope of Heaven. I 0:24:23.960 --> 0:24:27.800 have a heavenly calling. I got a shame breaking annointing 0:24:28.200 --> 0:24:31.520 that makes it possible for me to triumph over the 0:24:31.560 --> 0:24:34.960 works of the devil. Let's get out three high fives. 0:24:35.000 --> 0:24:38.840 Tell somebody, I got it. I got it, I got it. 0:24:39.040 --> 0:24:42.680 I got that thing. I got that thing. I got 0:24:42.720 --> 0:24:46.560 the anointing. What got the victory? He cut the power? 0:24:46.800 --> 0:24:51.280 What cat resurrection? This in my polls. I got wrecked 0:24:51.280 --> 0:24:54.960 the prasim. I got strength to praish. I gotta right 0:24:55.080 --> 0:24:58.480 the prashm. I got permission to praism. I got the 0:24:58.520 --> 0:25:01.200 INDs to do the thing he gave me the deal. 0:25:01.560 --> 0:25:04.320 I got the seed of the world of God. It's 0:25:04.359 --> 0:25:07.560 a little bitty, but it's gonna grow. I got faith. 0:25:07.880 --> 0:25:13.360 I got not moving faith. I got grace, gully washing, grace, sideration, 0:25:13.480 --> 0:25:21.800 and grace. I got it. I got it, I got it. 0:25:23.320 --> 0:25:30.360 I got it. It's a gift. I didn't learn it, 0:25:31.040 --> 0:25:35.360 don't deserve it, but I got it. Couldn't work for it, 0:25:35.600 --> 0:25:38.840 couldn't clide to it, but I got it. Try to 0:25:38.960 --> 0:25:42.120 run from it, fright for the diet. Tried to get 0:25:42.160 --> 0:25:45.560 away from it. But I got it. I got good this, 0:25:46.040 --> 0:25:53.480 I got mercy. I got him like it. My dad 0:25:53.560 --> 0:25:55.919 gave it to me. I got it. He put it 0:25:55.960 --> 0:25:58.960 on the tree, not under the tree. When he died 0:25:59.040 --> 0:26:02.119 on the tree, on the old rugged cross and his 0:26:02.320 --> 0:26:08.879 flood ran down, he gave me the victory. Thanks be 0:26:09.040 --> 0:26:13.720 to God. You got me if I fall for this 0:26:13.840 --> 0:26:18.919 indescribable gift. He gave it to me. He gave it 0:26:18.960 --> 0:26:22.399 to me. He gave it to me. But sometimes I 0:26:22.440 --> 0:26:27.680 don't give myself to it. And Paul said, is expectation, 0:26:28.240 --> 0:26:31.840 But there's an exhortation. If he gave it to you, 0:26:31.840 --> 0:26:36.520 you gotta give yourself to it. You can't quiet quit. 0:26:36.800 --> 0:26:40.280 You can't loud shout in church and quiet quit at home. 0:26:42.320 --> 0:26:47.040 Shout on that. But you better keep south. And when 0:26:47.080 --> 0:26:50.120 it gets hard this week, you better get shouting when 0:26:50.119 --> 0:26:52.840 you look at those bills this week. You better get 0:26:52.880 --> 0:26:55.640 shouting when it comes over you this week and you think, 0:26:55.680 --> 0:26:59.200 O God, I'm about to go crazy. I can't quit 0:27:00.320 --> 0:27:06.600 something eternal, imperishable, incorruptible, the seed of the Word of God. 0:27:07.640 --> 0:27:10.160