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Empowering multimedia ministry for bold Christian living: Weekend Messages, Deep End Podcast, Deep Dive Bible Study. Tim Hatch, Lead Pastor, Waters Church, 26 years of pastoral ministry, book author.
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0:00 You are listening to Waters Church podcast. Waters Church is a multisite, multigeneration community of faith on the East Coast of America. Now for a message from our pastor.0:18 We are in a series of messages called how to, and we have been talking about the basics of life. If you remember part 1 of this series was how to be a man. Part 2, I preached from here in Apollo Beach, how to be a0:29 woman, and I preached how to be married, how to preach how to be married longer, how to not be married, how to be a parent was last weekend. And this weekend, we are closing out with this title, how to be a0:41 leader. How to be a leader. So take out your notes. If you don't have paper notes, you can still go to waters church dot guide. And if you're online, you can go to waters church dot guide. It looks like that.0:53 You click on today's message, and it'll pop down a little fill in the blank section there so that you can participate in this message as well. Again, those of you online, so glad that you're with us as well. But today is1:05 Father's Day, and, I wanted to say something about this series that's gonna be very pertinent to the topic of how to be a leader. And that is that I I don't like to open up with bragging about myself in the1:17 sermon, but I'm gonna make an exception this week. I think that I have offended more people in this series than any other series1:29 in my church's history in this church's history. Yeah. That's that's the humble brag right there. We've had people get up whole families get up and walk out as I've preached and think about the topics that I've preached1:41 about in this series. This is what has been so offensive in people's minds that they have to get up and walk out. How to be a man, how to be a woman, how to be married, how to be a parent. And what I thought what I1:52 thought what I thought about is that this is the problem with our society right now. This is the problem with our culture. Our culture has such a deep seated rot that when you start talking about what the2:04 bible says about men and women, people literally cannot handle the truth. I think about Jack Nicholson. You can't handle the truth. Amen. I mean, that's that's our culture right now. And I think here's the deal. I2:15 mean, these foundational issues about being men, being women, being parents, being married, they hold a country together. America could have all the nuclear arms it2:27 wants. It could blow up its enemies, but it cannot heal the human heart. We will lose this country if we don't save the family. Amen, somebody. To raise up mighty men, mighty women,2:39 mighty dads in Jesus' name. 1 more time. Let's give a hand to all the dads in the house. Come on. Dads matter.2:51 Now it's really not rocket science. 1 of the same statements that I said in part 1 of the series about how to be a man, and this was offensive to some. We even got a negative review on Google over this. I said3:03 I said this. I said, alright. This is very, be prepared, very offensive language coming out. Okay. I said, men and women are different. Yeah.3:17 Are different. And people don't wanna admit that, but they are. They're different. They're just different biologically. They're different emotionally. They're different in all kinds of ways. And3:28 we gotta be honest about that and teach the truth of God about that because there's more confusion about the basics than ever before. Here's the reality. If you have children, you know that3:40 men and women are different. Boys and girls are not the same. 3 seconds of having 1 of both and you know. So I am privileged to3:52 tell you that I am an expert in this field. I have 3 children. 1 baby girl who is actually not a baby anymore. She's 22 years old, and she's living on her own. Praise Jesus. And then I have a son and4:04 another son who is still dependent on us. But nonetheless, I have 2 boys and a girl. They are different. It is Father's Day. My daughter went out of4:16 her way to send me a card a week in advance. I got my Father's Day card a week in advance of Father's Day from my precious daughter who lives 8 hours4:28 away. That means that she mailed it. That was a lot harder than just leaving it on the counter. Amen? And she didn't just mail it, but she wrote on the left side, the left blank side4:39 of the card. How many know they really love you when they fill in the left side of the card? You know what I'm talking about? They don't just say whatever Hallmark says, sign me. Right? They they fill in that side. She4:49 filled in the whole page. She talked about how good of a dad I've been, and amen. She was so spot on. Amen. She got she put not 1, not 2, she put 3 gift cards to my5:00 favorite restaurants in the car. I mean, I'm like, woo hoo. This daughter is on fire. And she again, a week in advance. That's what girls do. Girls and women,5:12 you think, you plan, you prepare, you are thoughtful. My son, my 20 year old son, got up this morning and handed me this.5:26 Half drunk. Happy Father's Day, dad. I didn't finish it. That is the proof positive that men and women are different. And5:38 it's just crazy that we live in a country, we live in a culture where that that is offensive. People can't handle that fact, which brings me to our talk today. There is5:50 such a deep cultural rock in our society that if you don't learn how to be a leader, you will follow the insanity all around you. So write this down at the top of your notes. Here's the choice6:02 that I think God's word offers us every day. Lead in life or follow this world. Lead in life or follow6:14 this world. That that's the choice we all have to make. Because, yes, this culture is not all Christian, and it is putting a hook in way too6:26 many Christian homes. I'm not I'm not talking about non Christians. They are gonna be non Christians. I am not sent to pastor non Christians. I'm sent to pastor people who believe Christ is the6:37 way. And we've gotta be guardians at the gate of our own hearts and our own lives. Listen to not let this culture get its hooks in6:49 our homes. We're fighting a spiritual battle. We're fighting a war for our souls. And I think that the only thing necessary for you to lose the battle that's coming against you,7:01 your family, your children is to just ignore it and pretend it's not real. My friends, it's real. Now I believe I believe old school religion. Are you ready for some old school religion? Are you ready? I believe this is7:13 the word of almighty God. I believe that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten son. I believe he lived a sinless life. I believe he was put on the cross for my sins. I believe he7:25 died a real human death. I believe they buried him in a real tomb 2000 years ago, But I believe he came out of that tomb 2000 years ago, and he really ascended to the right hand side of God the father, and he ever lives7:36 to pray and intercede for you and for me. I also believe he's coming back. I believe victory is in his hands. I believe the end of the book is written. Jesus wins. We're okay no matter what we7:48 feel right now. But the flip side of all that is I believe in a real devil. I believe in real demons. I believe in real7:59 spiritual forces that are targeting your lives, your minds, your hearts every single day. And so you gotta have your guard up. Somebody say guard up. Guard You gotta be ready. You gotta8:11 lead yourself, or you'll fall for anything this world has to offer you. Well, Joshua is a great place to go to. Joshua chapter 1, because we got a guy named8:23 Joshua who's taken the leadership reigns from Moses. Now Moses is a significant character. I don't know I don't know if you're aware of this, but he's a significant character8:35 in the Bible. He wrote the first 5 books of our Bible. He was God's man to deliver God's people, Israel, out of Egypt. He stood down Pharaoh with a shepherd's staff,8:47 stuck his staff in the ground, said, let my people go. Led Israel out of bondage through 10 powerful plagues. Not only led them out, but led them through the wilderness, through the Red Sea. He8:59 brought manna from heaven. He brought water out of a rock. Yes. God did it, but Moses was the vessel that God used to accomplish it. And then God said, your time is up.9:11 You're not going into the land. I'm handing the leadership reins of my people over to your assistant, Joshua. Joshua, it's time for you to step up and lead. And it's9:22 1 thing to do what God wants you to do. It's another thing to do what God has asked someone great before you to do what they just did. How and this is a big question9:34 for Joshua. How do you follow the greatest of all time? The goat. Contrary to people's imagination, Tom9:46 Brady is not the goat. Moses was the goat. Amen? And and so so I think about this because I did watch Tom Brady's retirement ceremony this9:58 past Wednesday because I'm a born and bred New Englander. Come on. Come on, New Englanders in the house. Tepid tepid applause for the New Englanders. Okay. But I'm born and bred New Englander, rooted for the10:10 Patriots my whole life. Still rooting for them even though they're having some tough times right now. I believe that they are gonna make a big comeback. Anyway, that's for another message. Anyway, I watched the10:18 retirement ceremony. It was a bit long. It was a bit much, powerful because what he said in the speech can help every single 1 of us. Because what he said was you don't have to be special to accomplish great things.10:30 Here's the direct quote from his speech that night, and I think it's I think it's good sermon material. He said, quote, understand this, life is hard. How many know life is hard? How many10:42 know Christian life is harder? It's hard. So so he said, understand this, life is hard. And no matter who you are, there are bumps and hits and bruises along the way. And my advice is prepare yourself10:54 because football lessons teach us that success and achievement come from overcoming adversity. Listen to that line again. Success and achievement come from overcoming adversity. That's how11:06 you succeed and let you gotta overcome the things that are coming against you. Then he says to be successful at anything, the truth is you don't have to be special. You just have to be what most people aren't,11:15 consistent, determined, and willing to work for it. No shortcuts. Man, I'll tell you, pastor Tom Brady could preach. I mean, stick to your11:27 lane, Tom. I'll take it from here. Amen, somebody. But but that's a good lesson for all of us. Life is hard. Hey. The Christian life is even harder. And and some of you, you're following, you're you're following the the11:38 world because you've never led yourself in life, and and some of you feel overwhelmed. How could I be a leader? You can be a leader. And Joshua chapter 1 is a great starting point because Joshua was following the11:50 greatest leader of all time. How do you overcome that mental block? How do you overcome following Moses? I got 3 points, then we're done. Number 1, write this down. Leadership starts by knowing you're serving12:01 God. Write it down. Leadership starts by knowing you're what? You're serving God. Now this is so important that God lays it out12:13 in the first 2 verses of Joshua's of Joshua's book. Verse 1, after the death of Moses what's the next line, everybody? The serve circle servant.12:25 After the death of Moses, the servant of the lord I like the fact that that's how it starts because it doesn't say, after the death of Moses, the greatest man that ever lived. After the death of Moses, the 1 who done12:37 done all these miracles. After the death of Moses, the 1 who divided the rest no. After the death of Moses, servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua, Moses' assistant, Moses, what? My servant. Underline. My servant12:48 is dead. God is kinda laying the groundwork for Joshua right off the bat. Joshua, don't get starry eyed when you think about Moses. Don't get your head in the clouds. Don't think that you gotta be13:00 like Moses because here's what Moses was. Are you ready for it, Joshua? He was just my servant. And I wanna tell you guys that if you wanna lead a life of godliness, it doesn't start13:12 by having special gifts, special talents, good looks, lots of money, lots of friend. No. Do you know where it starts? It starts by saying, all I am is a servant of the most high13:24 God. I'm here to serve his purposes, where I am, with what I am, with what I have. I don't have to compare myself to anybody else. I don't have to look at somebody else's life. I gotta lead my life13:36 and serve God in my days, in my generation, in my place. It's that simple. Because if we stop seeing ourselves as servants, we'll start competing with each other. We'll start angling at each other. We'll start looking13:48 for position and power, promise, titles, position, all these things that people chase after all their lives. Look. All at the end of the day, all we are as God's people are servants of God, which means, listen,14:00 you're not a servant of people. You're not a servant of other people's opinions. You're not a servant of this country. You're not a servant of your com company. You are a servant of God14:12 in the company. You are a servant of God as a friend. You are a servant of God as a father, as a mother, as an educ as a student. That's that's a way to see life. I think that just kinda, like,14:24 levels the playing field and stops putting all this pressure on us to live up to somebody else's expectation. All I'm doing is serving God where I am. 1 of my friends is named Joe Kim. Joe Kim is an14:36 assistant coach for the Patriots, and I love this guy. And he has a great line. He says it like this, our jobs are camouflage for serving God's purposes. That's all that's all they are. They're just camouflage. We put on14:48 we put on engineer clothes, or we put on architect clothes, or we put on, you know, public school teacher clothes, or we put on, you know, construction worker clothes, and then we go into that. And that clothing that we14:58 put on workers or as as as students or as teachers, it's just camouflaged to say, God, use me in this situation. Paul the apostle had this mindset. First Corinthians chapter 5 3 verse 5. He he was talking to15:10 a church that was jockeying for position. Some loved Paul. Some loved Peter. Some loved Paul. And Paul says, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We're just what? Servants. We're just servants. That's what pastor Tim15:22 Hatch is. I'm a servant of God. That's all I am. Some of you, I you look at me and say, wow. He's really got it together. No. I don't. I don't got it together. I got God in me. I got the Holy Spirit15:34 working in me. I got the Lord Jesus ahead of me and beside me and behind me. He's my champion. He's my leader. He's also my brother, and he's my forgiver, and he's my intercessor. And who I am is because15:46 of who he is. And it comes really it becomes really simple in life when you see yourself as a servant instead of trying to live up to everybody else's expectation, even even your own expectation. In Matthew15:58 chapter 20, when the disciples were jockeying for position and titles and importance, Jesus says this to them in verse 26. He says, whoever would be great among you must be servants of all of you.16:10 That's really what it comes down to. Just give your life to serve others, and let all that stuff that you that the that that that the devil puts in your mind, you gotta be more like them. You gotta live up to their16:20 expectation. You gotta be more like your elder brother. You should be more like your father. Why aren't you more no. Stop stop all that. I am here to serve God with what I am, who I am, and what I have16:32 inside of me. And when I see it that way, life gets a whole lot easier. Some some of you, the problem is not that you're focusing on the p the great people in your past.16:44 The problem is you're focusing on the pain of your past. You're you're focusing on all the hurts and the hardships, all the setbacks. You're missing you're missing your future because you're frustrated over what happened16:56 15, 20 years ago. And you're thinking, man, I I can't get over that. I can't let that go. That's that's hurt me. That's held me back. Alright. I get it. I get it. We all have things in the past, some worse than others.17:09 But I believe that God can bring us out of hurts in the past and use them for his purposes. Amen, somebody? I believe that God uses dead things to bring out new life. And then I thought about this17:20 story about 1 person named Charlie Chaplin. How many remember Charlie Chaplin? If you're over 40, you remember. Okay. He he was a black and white silent film star, but17:32 many people don't realize that before he was a silent film star, he was a comedian. He was a stand up comedian. And he used to I I heard the story. He used to end his show the same way wherever he went. He would tell a17:44 joke, the audience would laugh. And then he would tell the same exact joke, and the audience would laugh a little less. And then he would tell that same exact joke a third time, and no 1 would17:55 laugh. And he would end the show by saying this. Isn't it isn't it interesting how we won't laugh and laugh at the same things, but we will cry and cry18:07 over the same hurts. Maybe we need to move on from what's hurt us in the past. Maybe we need to let go of what somebody didn't give us or how somebody let us down or18:19 somebody hurt us. I mean, man, we can all stand up here all day and go over all the things that we messed up or other people messed up for us, but at some point, we gotta take up arms in Jesus Christ and overcome the18:29 things of our past knowing that God is working all things together for our good, and he's got the whole world in his hands. He's the author, and he's the finisher of18:41 our faith. Number 2 in your notes, write this down. Leadership grows out of time alone with God. And this is what Joshua really caught on18:53 to early on in his life as he followed Moses. Moses actually gave him a standard to live by. First, verse 2, it says, go arise over19:04 this Jordan, you and all these people. Verse 3, every place that the sole of your foot will tread, I have given you. And I think about that picture. Like, every time Joshua took a step, he was taking a step of God's19:16 favor over his life. Here is what Christianity is. It's a walk with God. It's a walk with God. Now here's the question.19:28 Are you spending time with God? Because life can get busy, put you in all kinds of different ways, distract you, depress you, you know, get out go get off the lid of your head and make you all confused.19:40 Okay. Look. All that stuff comes at me too. All confusion, all that envy, all that jealousy, all that stuff that comes up in my in your heart comes up in my heart. It's it's it's a decision that you've gotta make on a19:51 daily basis. Are you ready? Make a decision every day to spend time with God. Do you have a devotional time with God?20:03 What do I mean by that devotional time? I mean, a time where you say, quiet to the world, where where you take this little devil device right here. You take this little distraction device, and you put it20:15 aside, and you pick up get yourself an old school paper bible and pick it up and ask God to speak to you through his word. You say, don't know. I don't understand it. Okay. Here's the good news about this bible. Are you20:25 ready? The holy spirit wrote this Bible through people, and he inspired them to write it. Now if you're a Christian, you've got that same Holy Spirit living inside of you, and he can live inside of you in such a way that20:37 he can help you understand what he wrote through somebody else. He helps you to he he helps you read this. So here's here's what you need to do. You need to first pray and ask God to open up the word to you and make it20:47 clear to you, and then you read it and he starts to speak to you. And I'm telling you, something wonderful will start happening. God will put some seeds in you that you didn't have previously. He'll put seeds of20:57 confidence in you. He'll put seeds of forgiveness in you. He'll put seeds of mercy and goodness in you as God's word gets into your heart and starts to change you from the inside out. Well well well,21:09 Joshua learned this by watching Moses do it. Joshua's story and leadership doesn't start in Joshua 1. It starts way back in Exodus chapter 17. He's freshly out21:20 of Egypt, out of slavery, and he fights a battle against the Amalekites, and and he's a mighty warrior overnight because God gave them that that grace. But but he knew that to last long term, he needed to do21:32 what Moses did. Look look with me back in Exodus chapter 33 at what Moses did on a regular basis. It says, now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he21:44 called it the tent of what? Everybody say that word. Now now now who was he meeting with? Now now look at the picture. Moses used to take the tent. He used to wrap it all up.21:56 He used to go way out far the Bible makes makes it clear to say Far off from the camp where all the people were, where everybody that he had to lead was, and he would disconnect.22:08 He would create distance, and then he would set up the tent. And the Bible says in verse 9, when Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent. That's a picture of God's22:17 presence. And the Lord would speak with Moses. So who is Moses meeting with in the tent of meeting? God. With God. Can I ask you a22:29 question? Do you have a tent of meeting in your house? Not a physical tent, of course. I'm talking about a place where you go to pray with God. Maybe maybe you don't have a place like that in your house because you got 622:40 kids and 3 bedrooms. I know how that works. Do you have a car? Do you have a place where you can just kinda get away from everybody else and meet with God? Do you know why Moses needed to meet with God alone, away from22:52 all the people? Because back in the camp were 600000 complaining Israelites. You got 600000 people of your own blood waiting to complain and criticize you and and and chastise you. I mean,23:04 he faced so many criticism. He faced so many challenges of his leadership. His own sister and brother turned on him at 1 point. And and this guy was just constantly attacked. That's why he needed to separate, get along23:14 with God, and spend time listening to the Lord. And now look what it says here in verse 11. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his23:25 assistant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not, what? Depart from the Depart from the tent. Know what you know what Joshua developed early on in his life? Listen to me, young people. Listen to me, teenagers.23:38 A time alone with God. Get alone with God so that when you get back out into the world, you've got his presence with you. You've got his truth in you. You've got his wisdom up in your mind.23:51 By the way, I believe that we need to do this now more than ever before as the world gets darker and darker. In Daniel chapter 11, Daniel describes what I call the last days, the tribulation, the 724:02 last years of human history. And he talks about it like this in verse 32. He says, forces from him who is that him? I believe that's the Antichrist, the leader of the world that will24:14 make a covenant with Israel and then break that covenant 3 and a half years in. He says, forces from him will appear and profane the temple and fortress, and he shall take away the regular burnt offering. And he shall24:25 set up the abomination that makes desolate. Now what that's talking about is there's a world leader that's coming, and I believe this with all my heart. There's a world leader that's coming. He's gonna make covenant with24:33 the nation state of Israel. It's a 7 year covenant. And halfway through that covenant, that agreement, he's gonna break it, and he's gonna bring in a statue of himself or some god that he worships, and he's gonna24:42 establish himself as the king of Israel and the king of this world. And all the nations, he's gonna he's gonna seduce them. Look what it says in verse 32. He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the24:54 covenant. Now look at that. That's the world chasing after 1 world leader. Isn't it amazing how people can get caught up and chase 1 person, 1 leader, to be the leader of all leaders, to save them from this, you know,25:05 hideous world? That's exactly what this world's gonna look like at the end times. And everybody who who who is not in Christ is gonna be seduced by the flattery of this leader.25:17 But look at the last part of the verse, verse 32. But the people who who who know their God shall what? Stand firm and take action. Who's gonna take for25:30 who's gonna stand firm? The people who Know their god. Know their god. Who's gonna take action in the last days? The people who Know their god. Know their god. Do you wanna stand strong? You've gotta know your God. You25:41 gotta know your God. So how do I get to know God? Well, the same way that I get to know my wife. I spend time with her. Imagine if I only saw my wife for an hour on Sunday morning. How do think how you think my marriage25:53 would be? I how how about if I just checked in? Hey, honey. How are you doing? Good to see you. I'll see you next Sunday. That's it. Like, that that kind of relationship would be weak. We wouldn't have a basis of26:03 confidence in each other. We wouldn't know how each other lives. But when I spend time with my wife, I live with her, I I I I I talk with her, we develop a harmony. The Lord wants that with26:15 you. Some of you don't realize this. You don't even think like this. You think, oh, this is for preachers to do so that he can tell us what God wants. No. No. No. This is for you as well. You can have26:27 an intimate close relationship with God. By the way, it's getting crazy out there. You need a relationship with God that keeps you sane. Amen, somebody. I got 2 news stories. I can't believe I gotta tell you these new26:38 stories. 1 of them is absolutely hilarious and sad and tragic at the same time. Listen to this story. The Los Angeles City Council removed no u-turn traffic signs in a gay neighborhood citing that the signs were26:50 homophobic. Really? The the no u-turn sign, somehow that's homophobic. I don't know how that works, but this is our country. This was our culture. You better get27:02 alone with God or this country is gonna make you crazy. Another story. In the state of California, they passed assembly bill a b 19 55, and it banned school districts from requiring teachers to27:13 notify parents when a child is transitioned to another gender by the school system. It's gonna be illegal in California to tell parents that their child is being transitioned in the school27:25 system. You say, what does that have to do with us? We're in Florida. Listen, friends. California influences the rest of the country. It really does. And it seduces this country27:37 through media and pop culture and, all kinds of television programming. Listen. You better know your God so that you can stand firm and take27:48 action in Jesus' name. And say at the end of your life, as Joshua says at the end of his book, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I can't28:00 speak for my neighbors. I can't speak for all the people that I don't know or all the crazies in this country, but I'm talking about my home. My home, Christ is king in my home. Christ is28:12 king in Waters Church. Can I get a good amen right there? Alright. Number 3, leadership flows from inward strength from God's word. Now some of you, you you don't understand why I press28:24 this so much about studying and knowing God's word is because it gives you strength. It gives you internal confidence. Verse 6 in chapter 1, be strong and courageous. Look at how I28:36 had underlined and bolded the word and because those are 2 sides of the same coin, strength and courage. Let me give you the English definition of strong. To be strong means you are able28:47 to withstand great force or pressure. To be strong means that you are able to withstand great force or pressure. That's what strength is. What's courageous28:59 or what's courage? Courage is defined as being strong, alert, bold, and not deterred by danger or pain. Not29:10 deterred by danger or pain. And strength, able to withstand pressure. Hey. If you're gonna stand for Christ, you're gonna need both. You're gonna need to be able to stand against pressure,29:22 and you're gonna need to be not deterred by pain. The reason why God says be strong and courageous, and not just be strong or not just be courageous, is because both pressure and pain are coming your way.29:35 Happy Father's Day, everybody. I don't know what your future holds, but I do know there's pressure coming. I do know there's pain coming. I do know there's trials coming. I do know there's gonna be things coming against29:46 you that you did not expect to come against you. But here's what I also know, that in Christ Jesus, as the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of the lord will raise up a standard against him and give you the29:56 strength to withstand and press through no matter the pain, no matter the pressure in Jesus' mighty name. Now how do you do that? It doesn't happen just by checking in with God 1 hour a week in church. You've gotta30:08 develop a time in God's word to alone. So write this down. How do I develop inward strength? Well, Joshua's given this game plan in the last couple of verses that we read30:19 today. Letter a in your notes there, I want you to write this down, keep God's word. Keep it. What does that mean? That means do it. You don't you don't grow in Christ30:31 just by knowing God's word. You grow in Christ by doing God's word. Jesus said, now that you know these things, you're blessed if you do them. So so30:43 Joshua is told from from the Lord, only be strong, verse 7, being careful to do according to all the law. In other words, do what God says. Now with every decision that you make, you've got 3 choices.30:56 Choice number 1, God's way. Choice number 2, your way. Choice number 3, the world's way. Which way are you going? You're you're gonna be faced with this on every31:07 every day of your life. So you show up at work, and maybe this is your story. And so and so wants to have another flirt session with you, and they're not your spouse. And you like31:19 to, you know, just kinda, like, tease that appetite a little bit. It's harmless. It's not gonna hurt anything. I'm fine. That's the world's way. Your way might be, well, I'll do it a little bit, but not too much. That's31:29 your way. Here's what God's way is. Flee sexual immorality. Don't mess with it. Don't dip don't dip your toes in the water. That stuff is toxic. Don't don't31:41 have the flourishing. You walk away. I know that girl. I know that guy. He's gonna try to take me away. He doesn't love me. He doesn't love my children. He doesn't love my future. He's gonna kill my life, my future, my31:52 children. I need to walk with God. I need to walk away from that temptation. Same thing with money. There's God's way, there's your way, and there's the world's way. The world's way is32:04 get all you can and hold on to it because it defines who you are. Your way might be, I'll give a couple of bucks to God, but most of it's mine. And God's way is, it's all mine. It's all mine. I want32:16 you to trust me with it. Bring the first fruits, the first tenth to the house of God, and then watch me multiply the rest and bless your life. Every decision that you make you got 3 options, God's way,32:28 your way, and the world's way. Now here's what I know. The world is stupid. I'm not good enough, but God's way is always right. So let's do it that way, and I'm telling you, God will make you strong and32:39 courageous in your life. Number or letter b in your notes, guard God's word. Now now the reason why I say guard is because the devil's gonna try to manipulate God's word. Right from the Garden of Eden,32:52 we see the devil twisting and manipulating God's word. The Bible tells us that God said to Adam, don't eat from 2 from I'm sorry. From33:04 1 tree, the knowledge of the tree of good and evil. Don't eat from that 1 tree. The devil shows up in the Garden of Eden, and he slithers in as a serpent, and he says, let me get this straight. Did God really say that33:15 you shall not eat from any tree in the garden? Now what does he do there? He doesn't come right out and say, eat the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. No. He manipulates the word of God, doesn't he? He just puts33:27 a slight twist on the word of God. The the devil does this all the time. He does not come out with a pitchfork and a pointy tail. He layers deception33:39 with manipulation of the truth. It's a half truth. How many know a half truth is a full lie? That's what the enemy does. And he tries to do this with your life. You gotta33:51 guard it, so you gotta get familiar with it. You gotta you gotta listen to how it really is and and and and not veer off and stretch it and try to find the loopholes inside of34:03 it. You know, it's Father's Day. I remember I remember this story from some people who came to my church many years ago, and I was a young pastor. And I'll tell you, in my younger days, I was like firm firm firm.34:15 I would preach hard hard hard messages. And I remember this 1 guy, and he was a great guy, but he was dating a girl in our church. And he came up, and they were living together. And I kept telling him, listen. You're not34:25 doing it God's way. You're not doing it. You gotta get out of the house. You gotta stop living together and honor God, and he will bless that. And so they did. They moved out, and they stopped sleeping together because34:35 they wanted to honor God. They were new to the faith. They wanted to honor God. So I'll never forget this. He calls me up. It's the night before, Valentine's Day, And I get this34:47 call. Pastors get the strangest conversations. He calls me up. He says, pastor Tim, I got a question. I've done everything God's way. We're not sleeping together, but tomorrow34:59 is Valentine's Day. And I'm wondering if you could give me a hall pass just for tomorrow.35:12 I'll get you to know, pastors have the craziest conversations. I said, are you kidding me? Do you want me to really take God's word and flip it upside down just for your horniness right now? Are you insane?35:25 Anyway, long story short, they didn't get the hall pass. Praise God. And they've been married for about 15 years, and they still are today. Amen? Amen. Do it God's way. Don't let the devil manipulate35:37 you by twisting and turning God's word. Let her see. Speak God's word. Speak it. Say it out loud. Look what God says to Joshua.35:49 This book of the law shall not depart from your, what? What does that mean? It means you gotta say it. So we're really good at reading it, or not so much, some of us. We're really good at36:01 studying it, but have you ever thought about the power of speaking God's word out? I believe that when you speak God's word, the atmosphere in the spiritual realm all around you36:13 shifts. I do believe that. Now the the the the point here is I gotta have it in my heart so that I can speak it out on a regular basis. And I think that some of36:24 you gotta get into the habit of confessing truth from God's word over your life. For instance, I like to confess on a regular basis that all things are working together for36:36 the good of my life because I'm called according to the purposes of God. Where do I get that phrase from? Romans 8 28. I like to confess that greater is he I like to say this out loud. Greater is he36:48 that is in me than he that is in the world. Where do I get that from? That's from first John 5 18. I I I like to confess that that God so loved me that he gave his only begotten son37:00 for me that if I believe in him, I shall not perish but have everlasting life. Where do I get that from? John 3 16. There's passage after passage after passage. You can do this with on a regular basis. I like to say, I37:11 can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4 19. I like to say this over my life. Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything by prayer, petition, with supplication, when thanksgiving, make37:22 your request known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. Where does that come from? Philippians 4 verse 8. What I'm trying to tell you is37:32 that passage after passage after passage of God's word, you gotta speak that into your atmosphere, and I believe it'll bring peace and confidence and strength and courage into your life. This is why God says to37:43 Joshua, don't let it depart from your mouth. Hebrews 4 verse 12, the word of God is living and active. There's a power to this word. Romans 10 17,37:56 the faith comes by hearing God's word. When I when I speak it, I'm hearing it. When I speak it, the devil's hearing it.38:08 The devil the the demons are hearing it. The spiritual forces of wickedness are hearing it, and they know that I got a good confession that they can't take away from me. Amen, somebody? Now38:20 are you are you ready? I don't know I don't know if you're ready for for number 4 or letter d on this. This is old old school preaching. I mean, this is old school, old old fashioned religion. I don't know if we38:32 all got the guts for this 1. Do you got the guts for this 1? Yes. I see. You don't have the guts for this 1. I'll just skip it. Let me try again. Do you got the guts for this 1? Yes. Alright. That's much better. Alright.38:42 That's much better. Alright. Letter d, memorize God's word. Preacher, now you're getting a little bit much. Really? Memorize it? Yeah. Memorize it. You say, oh,Show more
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