Title: The Battle With Sin: Introduction (Part 1) Meta: Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11 Tags: the,battle,with,sin,intro,assurance,salvation,judgment 1 00:00:09,782 --> 00:00:12,443 A Series on the Battle with Sin. 2 00:00:12,443 --> 00:00:20,267 A couple weeks ago I talked to you folks about the difference between being a slave of sin, 3 00:00:20,267 --> 00:00:27,295 and struggling with sin, and the fact that's life and death difference. 4 00:00:28,542 --> 00:00:33,558 If you are a slave of sin; Its death. 5 00:00:33,558 --> 00:00:40,197 But the true christian sometimes might feel that way, but it's not slavery. 6 00:00:40,197 --> 00:00:46,185 Because the Scripture says that sin is not going to have dominion over us. 7 00:00:46,185 --> 00:00:54,194 and I know that we've had a lot of new converts in the church over the last several years, 8 00:00:54,194 --> 00:00:57,562 and I know what's been happening in a lot of your lives. 9 00:00:58,515 --> 00:01:05,308 A number of you are getting to the place where the fight with sin is becoming an all out battle. 10 00:01:05,308 --> 00:01:06,922 And so I want to deal with that. 11 00:01:06,922 --> 00:01:09,770 I want to take the next weeks, and months, 12 00:01:09,770 --> 00:01:15,234 and I want to go through the major sins that Christians struggle with. 13 00:01:15,234 --> 00:01:19,392 And I want to talk about that warfare. I want to talk about how to win. 14 00:01:19,392 --> 00:01:22,143 How to keep going in the race in the midst of all of them. 15 00:01:22,143 --> 00:01:26,168 And obviously you guys can think of some of the big ones. 16 00:01:26,168 --> 00:01:36,388 Pride, unbelief, lust, dishonesty, idolatry. 17 00:01:36,388 --> 00:01:40,788 You can just keep going. 18 00:01:40,788 --> 00:01:48,708 Envy, jealousy, covetousness, greediness, worldliness. 19 00:01:48,708 --> 00:01:54,100 I mean these are the things, struggling with bitterness, struggling with anger. 20 00:01:54,100 --> 00:01:56,816 There is... 21 00:01:58,889 --> 00:02:04,042 There is any number of sins, 22 00:02:04,042 --> 00:02:10,175 that if you have been a christian very long, you know that you have to deal with. 23 00:02:10,175 --> 00:02:12,469 Now brethren, here's what... 24 00:02:12,469 --> 00:02:15,486 Basically, here's what I've seen happen, 25 00:02:15,486 --> 00:02:19,152 and maybe some of you can kind of follow this with me. 26 00:02:19,152 --> 00:02:22,476 Brethren, when I was first saved. 27 00:02:22,476 --> 00:02:26,280 I was saved up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, 28 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:31,531 and I started going to a church there, 29 00:02:31,531 --> 00:02:37,906 and suddenly, I've got people in my Sunday School class who were sleeping with each other. 30 00:02:37,906 --> 00:02:39,691 I've got… 31 00:02:39,691 --> 00:02:44,979 There's guys in there that were drunks, and I'm thinking. What's going on? 32 00:02:44,979 --> 00:02:53,813 This is what lost life was like, and now I'm seeing this in the church. What's going on? 33 00:02:53,813 --> 00:02:59,171 Well of course, I was saved reading John MacArthur's book on The Gospel According to Jesus. 34 00:02:59,171 --> 00:03:02,587 And so I was exposed right from the beginning, 35 00:03:02,587 --> 00:03:09,616 to the fact that there were people out there that believed you could live hellish lives. 36 00:03:09,616 --> 00:03:12,895 And be a true Christian, and go on your way to heaven. 37 00:03:12,895 --> 00:03:19,314 And I'll guarantee you, you will find the false profits lining up to tell people that today. 38 00:03:19,314 --> 00:03:24,510 And I was in a church where that was the case. 39 00:03:24,510 --> 00:03:27,499 And I thought, somethings wrong here. This doesn't square with scripture. 40 00:03:27,499 --> 00:03:32,498 Scripture says, "Be not deceived." People like this don't inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. 41 00:03:32,498 --> 00:03:36,614 And yet, there were Pastors in that very church, that were saying, 42 00:03:36,614 --> 00:03:41,665 "Well you can't say that. You can't go there. Judge not, less you be judged." 43 00:03:41,665 --> 00:03:45,194 And you know, you got all this garbage. 44 00:03:45,194 --> 00:03:57,945 Brethren, my son, and daughters play soccer typically for Alamo... 45 00:03:57,945 --> 00:04:02,569 What is it Alamo Fellowship? 46 00:04:02,569 --> 00:04:05,867 Alamo City. 47 00:04:05,867 --> 00:04:10,693 And typically at halftime, they'll have different speakers get up. 48 00:04:10,693 --> 00:04:14,867 Well this year, towards the end of the season. They had a guy get up, 49 00:04:14,867 --> 00:04:19,482 and a lot of you would know his name if I said it. 50 00:04:19,482 --> 00:04:25,283 And he spoke, and the truth is He didn't mention sin. 51 00:04:25,283 --> 00:04:28,525 He didn't mention the cross. 52 00:04:28,525 --> 00:04:34,905 There was no cross in his message. No sin, no hell, no judgment. There was none of it. 53 00:04:34,905 --> 00:04:40,785 It was basically a self esteem message, and he talked about how; You know if you get on God's good side. 54 00:04:40,785 --> 00:04:44,250 Basically God will take you out of the back row. 55 00:04:44,250 --> 00:04:49,773 And went on to brag about how he's been to all these different 14, 13 Countries or whatever. 56 00:04:49,773 --> 00:04:53,703 And uh, It wasn't Gospel. 57 00:04:53,703 --> 00:05:00,233 And when he got done. It was the typical, "Anybody want to dedicate their life to Christ?" 58 00:05:00,233 --> 00:05:02,737 Well the guy that headed up to whole sports thing. 59 00:05:02,737 --> 00:05:08,367 He kind of drifted over to me after it was over, and he was all excited. 60 00:05:08,367 --> 00:05:10,702 And I just listened to him, and he said; 61 00:05:10,702 --> 00:05:16,321 "Did you see, there was a guy way out there in one of the fields. 62 00:05:16,321 --> 00:05:22,740 And did you see when he gave the invitation", he said "I saw that guy out there, he raised his hand!" 63 00:05:22,740 --> 00:05:32,440 And I thought. "So what, he raised his hand." 64 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:34,192 And you know what's happened? 65 00:05:34,192 --> 00:05:36,939 Many of us, 66 00:05:36,939 --> 00:05:40,192 Many of us have realized. I know a lot of you young people. 67 00:05:40,192 --> 00:05:45,690 It's been amazing to me in the last 3, 4 years. How many people have come to the Church. 68 00:05:45,690 --> 00:05:49,983 And they've been listening online to Washer, and they've been listening to Piper. 69 00:05:49,983 --> 00:05:51,691 They've been listening to this stuff. 70 00:05:51,691 --> 00:05:59,107 They've been listening to what true salvation looks like, and what the true gospel looks like. 71 00:05:59,107 --> 00:06:06,485 And of course, Paul Washer has really been hammering this reality of Regeneration. 72 00:06:06,485 --> 00:06:11,026 And so, as a response to all this deadness, and all this garbage, 73 00:06:11,026 --> 00:06:16,857 and all the present day Joel Osteen type stuff. 74 00:06:16,857 --> 00:06:19,233 We've got a lot of... 75 00:06:19,233 --> 00:06:23,316 You know James is putting this stuff up on "I'll be Honest". Just Boom! 76 00:06:23,316 --> 00:06:31,275 It's this explosive in your face; Regeneration is this real, life changing, life transforming thing. 77 00:06:31,275 --> 00:06:33,524 And undoubtedly it is! 78 00:06:33,524 --> 00:06:37,734 And we go to the Scriptures, and we get hit by this again; 79 00:06:37,734 --> 00:06:43,776 That we must be Born Again, and we realize that's defective in so much of the message today. 80 00:06:43,776 --> 00:06:48,526 It's just - Believe. I remember that, there in that Church in Michigan. 81 00:06:48,526 --> 00:06:53,688 The Pastor in that big Church, would just standup on Sunday's, and he'd say: 82 00:06:53,688 --> 00:06:56,939 "Just believe, just believe." 83 00:06:56,939 --> 00:07:02,358 Brethren, Jesus came along there in the Sermon on the Mount. when he started his ministry, 84 00:07:02,358 --> 00:07:04,239 and he didn't say just believe. 85 00:07:04,239 --> 00:07:09,608 He said, "It's not everybody that says to me; Lord, Lord. It's those that do the will of my Father." 86 00:07:09,608 --> 00:07:13,109 And he wasn't saying you get to heaven by works. 87 00:07:13,109 --> 00:07:21,856 He was saying; That true faith is not just knowing a bunch of head knowledge facts about Jesus Christ. 88 00:07:21,856 --> 00:07:26,655 The demons know that, but they're not saved. 89 00:07:26,655 --> 00:07:30,442 It's not just historical fact about Christ. 90 00:07:30,442 --> 00:07:32,938 Bottom line, what the gospel shows us. 91 00:07:32,938 --> 00:07:37,335 Is true faith; Is that which sees Christ to be more precious than anything else, 92 00:07:37,335 --> 00:07:40,371 and is willing to sell all to have Him. 93 00:07:40,371 --> 00:07:46,785 It's coming to the rich young ruler, and NOT saying to him; Do you believe I'm a real person? 94 00:07:46,785 --> 00:07:52,611 Saying; are you ready to follow me, and go sell the most valuable things in your life, to have me? 95 00:07:52,611 --> 00:07:55,274 He said "No", and he walked away. 96 00:07:55,274 --> 00:07:57,454 That's the test of faith. 97 00:07:57,454 --> 00:08:02,703 And see we get hit by this; Regeneration, a New Heart, seeing Christ as precious. 98 00:08:02,703 --> 00:08:06,568 A new creation in Christ. Old things passed away. 99 00:08:06,568 --> 00:08:08,986 All things becoming new, we see that. 100 00:08:08,986 --> 00:08:16,111 We go into Romans; one of the most glorious demonstrations of the gospel, 101 00:08:16,111 --> 00:08:18,120 in all of the New Testament. 102 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:21,785 And you have in the midst of it, Sin will not; 103 00:08:21,785 --> 00:08:26,359 I mean look, basically where sin abounds, grace much more abounds. 104 00:08:26,359 --> 00:08:29,391 No matter how much this; God gave the Law. 105 00:08:29,391 --> 00:08:35,249 And people just became more wicked, more wicked. All it did was arouse more, and more sin. 106 00:08:35,249 --> 00:08:40,777 But Paul says, Even when that Law came, and it just stirred up sinful passions, 107 00:08:40,777 --> 00:08:44,696 that grace much more abounded. 108 00:08:44,696 --> 00:08:48,194 And somebody's going to say, "You talk that way, you'll just have people sinning all day long." 109 00:08:48,194 --> 00:08:50,213 He says, Oh no way. 110 00:08:50,213 --> 00:08:54,434 He says, "What do we say then. Do we sin, so that Grace might abound?" 111 00:08:54,434 --> 00:08:57,241 He says, "No." 112 00:08:57,241 --> 00:08:59,417 You walk in newness of life. 113 00:08:59,417 --> 00:09:00,859 You've been born again. 114 00:09:00,859 --> 00:09:04,776 Sin will not have dominion over you. 115 00:09:04,776 --> 00:09:08,443 You will fulfill the law, you who walk in the Spirit. 116 00:09:08,443 --> 00:09:12,610 Well brethren, we hear that. 117 00:09:12,610 --> 00:09:17,695 We hear texts like that, and we believe them. 118 00:09:17,695 --> 00:09:22,420 But brethren what happens is; We start thinking. 119 00:09:22,420 --> 00:09:24,071 Just listen to some of these. 120 00:09:24,071 --> 00:09:28,983 We come across these. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for Righteousness. 121 00:09:28,983 --> 00:09:34,026 Well that describes those who make up the Kingdom. 122 00:09:34,026 --> 00:09:36,735 They hunger and thirst for Righteousness. 123 00:09:36,735 --> 00:09:38,670 Say Yea, if I'm a true Christian. 124 00:09:38,670 --> 00:09:41,153 I'm going to go around all the time, and I'm going to be hungry,and I'm going to be thirsty. 125 00:09:41,153 --> 00:09:45,404 Going to be panting for Righteousness. I'm going to be really hungry for Christ. 126 00:09:45,404 --> 00:09:48,283 And I'm just going to be driven like that all the time. 127 00:09:48,283 --> 00:09:50,726 We read a text like that, it makes us think that. 128 00:09:50,726 --> 00:09:56,560 Ezekiel 36. You know the very characteristic of the New Covenant. 129 00:09:56,560 --> 00:10:01,784 God says this, "I'm going to put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, 130 00:10:01,784 --> 00:10:05,599 and be careful to obey my rules." 131 00:10:05,599 --> 00:10:12,563 Okay, here we have a picture of God is going to make us careful to keep His commandments. 132 00:10:12,563 --> 00:10:16,726 He's going to give his Spirit to us, so we read that. 133 00:10:16,726 --> 00:10:22,226 We read hungering, thirsting, we have the spirit, were going to walk in His statutes. 134 00:10:22,226 --> 00:10:25,369 Were going to be careful to obey his rules. 135 00:10:25,369 --> 00:10:30,368 1st John 5:3 It says, His commandments are not burdensome, or grievous. 136 00:10:30,368 --> 00:10:34,285 So not only is He going to right them on our hearts, and cause us to do them. 137 00:10:34,285 --> 00:10:38,768 But it's not going to be grievous. It's not going to be a hard thing. 138 00:10:38,768 --> 00:10:43,892 And then we hear Jesus say, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." 139 00:10:43,892 --> 00:10:45,365 Wow! 140 00:10:45,365 --> 00:10:46,975 Easy 141 00:10:46,975 --> 00:10:48,683 Light 142 00:10:48,683 --> 00:10:50,867 That all sounds wonderful. 143 00:10:50,867 --> 00:10:58,725 Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus, have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 144 00:10:58,725 --> 00:11:05,037 So, all my wicked corrupt desires are crucified. That's wonderful. 145 00:11:05,037 --> 00:11:09,766 Galatians 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 146 00:11:09,766 --> 00:11:13,768 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age. 147 00:11:13,768 --> 00:11:18,811 So Christ gave himself, to deliver me from this present evil age. 148 00:11:18,811 --> 00:11:20,865 He says, 1st John 5:4 149 00:11:20,865 --> 00:11:25,699 Everyone born of God overcomes the world, this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith. 150 00:11:25,699 --> 00:11:35,436 So, we read and we see. Easy, and light, and hunger, and thirst, and crucified passions. 151 00:11:35,436 --> 00:11:39,284 And not burdensome, and God causing me to do it. 152 00:11:39,284 --> 00:11:41,891 And victory, 153 00:11:41,891 --> 00:11:44,227 and Faith, 154 00:11:44,227 --> 00:11:46,140 and overcoming, 155 00:11:46,140 --> 00:11:50,525 and sin shall have no dominion. 156 00:11:50,525 --> 00:11:57,455 And you see, we were responding over here. 157 00:11:57,455 --> 00:12:05,429 Because of all this shallow gospel, and saying, "No! Regeneration looks like a New Creation." 158 00:12:05,429 --> 00:12:08,760 And if it's not that, don't; 159 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:16,760 You don't want to put your hope in what ever kind of profession you have. 160 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:22,472 If it doesn't lead to something that resembles a new creation in Christ, 161 00:12:22,472 --> 00:12:25,423 and all these things we talked about. 162 00:12:25,423 --> 00:12:29,178 But you see brethren, what happens then, 163 00:12:29,178 --> 00:12:37,640 is we get these verses planted in our minds. 164 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:41,926 We get this picture planted in our minds. And the new Christian comes in. 165 00:12:41,926 --> 00:12:44,701 Do you remember how Don Johnson described it? 166 00:12:44,701 --> 00:12:47,771 Some of us were out there, and heard him preach at Community Baptist. 167 00:12:47,771 --> 00:12:56,103 He said, when he got saved, it was just flowery beds of ease. Remember him saying that? 168 00:12:56,103 --> 00:13:05,853 He said, he "was just so overflowed, with the joy of the Spirit." He said, "It as just wonderful." 169 00:13:05,853 --> 00:13:07,221 In fact I think he even said, 170 00:13:07,221 --> 00:13:10,517 "He could just remember laying out on the ground, and looking up at the clouds, 171 00:13:10,517 --> 00:13:14,772 and just thinking this is wonderful. Life in Christ is wonderful!"" 172 00:13:14,772 --> 00:13:19,887 And as he's telling the story, He say; "And it is! It is wonderful." But he said, 173 00:13:19,887 --> 00:13:26,733 "I just thought the Christian life was just going to be these repetitive baptisms of the Holy Spirit, 174 00:13:26,733 --> 00:13:29,688 and just joy unspeakable, and full of glory." 175 00:13:29,688 --> 00:13:32,524 And he said, "Then it happened one day." 176 00:13:32,524 --> 00:13:36,200 That day came when he was sitting in Church, and he said, 177 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:42,601 "Suddenly, the most hellish thoughts in to his mind, and he was under an attack." 178 00:13:42,601 --> 00:13:46,227 And he said, "He had the most blasphemous, wicked thoughts of Christ." 179 00:13:46,227 --> 00:13:50,846 He said, "He suddenly was asking himself; Am I even saved?" 180 00:13:50,846 --> 00:13:55,315 And brethren I think, I think we have a real danger; Right There. 181 00:13:55,315 --> 00:13:59,261 Because what's happening to some of you. 182 00:13:59,261 --> 00:14:08,536 Is suddenly, all hell is breaking out against you, and you're shaken, "What's going on here?" 183 00:14:08,536 --> 00:14:10,968 I thought, 184 00:14:10,968 --> 00:14:15,677 "His yoke is easy His burden is light." 185 00:14:15,677 --> 00:14:19,488 Well, it is. But brethren you have to remember, 186 00:14:19,488 --> 00:14:22,444 we enter in at a narrow gate. 187 00:14:22,444 --> 00:14:26,486 And the way is hard, and it is through much tribulation. 188 00:14:26,486 --> 00:14:33,803 That does not mean that his yoke isn't easy, and light. 189 00:14:33,803 --> 00:14:40,736 I mean; What He gives us to do, He gives us desires that long for it. 190 00:14:40,736 --> 00:14:42,367 We do hunger and thirst. 191 00:14:42,367 --> 00:14:46,983 But that doesn't make the way easy. 192 00:14:46,983 --> 00:14:52,859 Him being with us, is definitely a help, and he definitely brings joy to the soul. 193 00:14:52,859 --> 00:14:56,650 But brethren I tell you, what's been happening, and I've been seeing it. 194 00:14:56,650 --> 00:15:00,201 Is some of you are getting to the place Don Johnson got to, 195 00:15:00,201 --> 00:15:05,617 and all the sudden all Hell is breaking out against you, and you're staggered. 196 00:15:05,617 --> 00:15:09,934 You begin to wonder. "Well am I even saved?" 197 00:15:09,934 --> 00:15:15,440 Many of you have been birthed in to the Kingdom at such a time. 198 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:19,898 When there is this radical emphasis, on the nature of regeneration. 199 00:15:19,898 --> 00:15:24,326 And you're being hit with it so powerfully. 200 00:15:24,326 --> 00:15:29,609 That then when all hell breaks out against you. 201 00:15:29,609 --> 00:15:33,523 You feel like; 202 00:15:33,523 --> 00:15:36,814 it's not easy, and it's not light. 203 00:15:36,814 --> 00:15:38,827 You feel like you're not overcoming. 204 00:15:38,827 --> 00:15:40,659 You feel like there's not victory. 205 00:15:40,659 --> 00:15:46,399 And you feel like, sin is having a degree of dominion over you. 206 00:15:46,399 --> 00:15:54,189 And you feel like all your passions aren't crucified, and it's staggering you. 207 00:15:54,189 --> 00:16:01,731 And what's happening, is I think sometimes, folks are thinking. "Well maybe I'm not saved." 208 00:16:01,731 --> 00:16:07,595 And sometimes other people are looking at it. Other young people. 209 00:16:07,595 --> 00:16:11,477 And they're coming to the conclusion, maybe they're not saved. 210 00:16:11,477 --> 00:16:16,356 At just such a time, when somebody ought to be coming along side you, 211 00:16:16,356 --> 00:16:21,312 and aiding you, equipping you, encouraging you, and pointing you in the right direction. 212 00:16:21,312 --> 00:16:28,248 We've got some folks coming along saying, "Well the issue is; You're not saved." 213 00:16:28,248 --> 00:16:29,915 And that's not helping. 214 00:16:29,915 --> 00:16:33,305 That's only compounding the problem. 215 00:16:33,305 --> 00:16:37,329 And so brethren, there's got to be this balance. 216 00:16:37,329 --> 00:16:42,077 What I want to do in these months ahead of us. Is I want to look at these sins. 217 00:16:42,077 --> 00:16:43,828 Cause brethren, I remember it. 218 00:16:43,828 --> 00:16:45,829 I remember it. 219 00:16:45,829 --> 00:16:49,747 I remember coming to Christ. 220 00:16:49,747 --> 00:16:51,343 And I didn't have a good church, 221 00:16:51,343 --> 00:16:52,661 and I didn't have good Pastor's, 222 00:16:52,661 --> 00:16:56,079 and I was just kind of out there on my own. 223 00:16:56,079 --> 00:17:00,749 I was saved through John MacArthur's ministry, and I was basically being taught by it. 224 00:17:00,749 --> 00:17:06,930 And I was not in a good church, and MacArthur was a long way away from Michigan. 225 00:17:06,930 --> 00:17:13,378 And basically, the men I was going to in the church were not leading me in the truth. 226 00:17:13,378 --> 00:17:16,917 Brethren, I remember. 227 00:17:16,917 --> 00:17:24,196 I remember ... as a nominal Catholic, I never doubted the existence of God. 228 00:17:24,196 --> 00:17:33,530 Once the Lord saved me, I had such hellish attacks of Atheistic thoughts. 229 00:17:33,530 --> 00:17:39,195 Just storming my mind. "God doesn't exist, God doesn't exist." 230 00:17:39,195 --> 00:17:43,362 I would go out in the fields at night, and I would just pray, and sometimes I would wonder; 231 00:17:43,362 --> 00:17:46,152 "Lord why am I even praying to you if you don't exist?" 232 00:17:46,152 --> 00:17:50,483 It's like God had me already, 233 00:17:50,483 --> 00:17:56,042 and He was pouring faith in to me that was stronger than all the Devil; 234 00:17:56,042 --> 00:18:01,322 Listen; 235 00:18:03,338 --> 00:18:10,033 When Christ binds the strong man, and takes you from Him. 236 00:18:10,033 --> 00:18:17,615 I guarantee. You remember Pilgrims Progress? He ran into Appolyon down in the Valley of Humility. 237 00:18:17,615 --> 00:18:20,824 And He says, 238 00:18:20,824 --> 00:18:24,649 "If I recall right you're one of my servants, 239 00:18:24,649 --> 00:18:29,454 and I've come here in hopes of bringing you back." 240 00:18:29,454 --> 00:18:38,399 And I'll tell you what. The Devil will try to get you back, and I had hellish attacks of unbelief. 241 00:18:38,399 --> 00:18:42,353 And then, before that. 242 00:18:42,353 --> 00:18:49,570 Just thoughts stormed me, that I had committed the unpardonable sin. 243 00:18:49,570 --> 00:18:52,987 John Bunyan went through that too, the Puritan. 244 00:18:52,987 --> 00:19:00,483 I can remember having my head against the wall, just trying not to think the thought. 245 00:19:00,483 --> 00:19:02,534 "No I'm not gonna think it! I'm not gonna think it!" 246 00:19:02,534 --> 00:19:07,453 You try to just create a vacuum in your mind, and I thought it, and it's done. 247 00:19:07,453 --> 00:19:09,955 I've committed it. 248 00:19:09,955 --> 00:19:16,021 I mean I went through these things brethren, one after another. 249 00:19:16,021 --> 00:19:22,757 Brethren, just within the last four months, I've had such attacks. 250 00:19:22,757 --> 00:19:27,262 And it was right at the time when we sent the Flaspoehler's down to Peru. 251 00:19:27,262 --> 00:19:31,732 And James was just getting ready to release the Spanish version of "I'll Be Honest". 252 00:19:31,732 --> 00:19:35,765 And we were just getting ready to start this Eastside Ministry. 253 00:19:35,765 --> 00:19:40,007 John Sytsma experienced it too. 254 00:19:40,007 --> 00:19:41,357 Brethren it was a darkness, 255 00:19:41,357 --> 00:19:47,047 that I didn't know rather or not I was going to be able to make it, one moment to the next. 256 00:19:47,047 --> 00:19:51,995 It was just. It felt like utter hopelessness and darkness. I tell you what. 257 00:19:51,995 --> 00:19:55,859 Brethren we're in a battle that's for real, 258 00:19:55,859 --> 00:19:58,013 and we're not going to walk through a flowery bed of ease. 259 00:19:58,013 --> 00:20:00,317 Now Christ said he'll be with us; 260 00:20:00,317 --> 00:20:04,233 and I guarantee, and I grant you in the midst of all of it, there will be Joy. 261 00:20:04,233 --> 00:20:08,629 There will be glorious manifestations of Christ. 262 00:20:08,629 --> 00:20:16,067 Brethren, I wouldn't trade this life for what I had before, for anything; not for anything. 263 00:20:16,067 --> 00:20:25,902 I want Christ more than anything; and having Him, though we have to walk through the crucible is better. 264 00:20:25,902 --> 00:20:28,700 Brethren there is a battle to be fought. 265 00:20:28,700 --> 00:20:38,269 Now I want you to look at this verse. 1st Peter 2:11 266 00:20:39,869 --> 00:20:44,204 Before we read it. Peter says right in this same letter, 267 00:20:44,204 --> 00:20:50,739 "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial, when it comes upon you, to test you. 268 00:20:50,739 --> 00:20:57,237 As though something strange were happening to you." Don't be surprised! 269 00:20:57,237 --> 00:20:58,703 Don Johnson was surprised. 270 00:20:58,703 --> 00:21:03,370 I was surprised. A lot of us are surprised, because we're young. 271 00:21:03,370 --> 00:21:08,953 And because it hasn't happened before, and even though somebody can tell us not to be surprised. 272 00:21:08,953 --> 00:21:10,404 We still are. 273 00:21:10,404 --> 00:21:12,204 It's kind of like the newlyweds right? 274 00:21:12,204 --> 00:21:15,871 You know, they're in their honeymoon, and you're trying to tell them, 275 00:21:15,871 --> 00:21:18,807 "Look guys the day is going to come when you're going to have problems." 276 00:21:18,807 --> 00:21:21,138 Well they don't really hear you, right? 277 00:21:21,138 --> 00:21:23,142 And when they come they're surprised. 278 00:21:23,142 --> 00:21:27,891 You say, "Why are you surprised? I told you they were coming." 279 00:21:27,891 --> 00:21:33,391 Well, that's the same way when we first have the honeymoon period with Christ. 280 00:21:33,391 --> 00:21:40,474 And it's not that the fallout is with Him, it's that things get tough. 281 00:21:40,474 --> 00:21:43,270 But listen to this, 1st Peter 2:11 282 00:21:43,270 --> 00:21:52,996 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, 283 00:21:52,996 --> 00:21:57,912 which wage war against your soul. 284 00:21:57,912 --> 00:22:01,211 Here these words, 285 00:22:01,211 --> 00:22:12,521 "Abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage ware against your soul." 286 00:22:12,521 --> 00:22:19,006 Listen, what this means is that there are forces, that are set... 287 00:22:19,006 --> 00:22:25,753 What does that mean? They wage war against your soul. 288 00:22:25,753 --> 00:22:33,253 Brethren, when you wage war against somebody, the enemy is seeking to destroy you. 289 00:22:33,253 --> 00:22:41,253 There are forces that are hell bent against your soul. 290 00:22:41,253 --> 00:22:54,508 There are anti-soul forces, that are pointed with their cross hairs right on you. 291 00:22:54,508 --> 00:23:01,557 You are to abstain, you are to fight, and you are to wage war. 292 00:23:01,557 --> 00:23:04,851 Because if you don't, 293 00:23:04,851 --> 00:23:06,675 and they take you down. 294 00:23:06,675 --> 00:23:11,449 It will cost you your soul. 295 00:23:11,449 --> 00:23:17,426 Here's a man walking with the Apostle Paul, by the name of Demas. 296 00:23:17,426 --> 00:23:23,110 And they came; These passions, and they pulled him. 297 00:23:23,110 --> 00:23:28,859 And they pulled him, and he gave place, and he didn't fight. 298 00:23:28,859 --> 00:23:35,694 He was there with Paul during his ministry, you can follow him, he's there, and then he's there. 299 00:23:35,694 --> 00:23:44,836 And then Paul has to say, "Demas is gone, he's gone back to the world." 300 00:23:44,836 --> 00:23:51,501 Being in love with this present world, it pulled him away. 301 00:23:51,501 --> 00:23:55,334 Brethren, it's happening in the midst of us. 302 00:23:55,334 --> 00:24:06,453 There are some young people, that at one time were there with the rest of us, in our Church. 303 00:24:06,453 --> 00:24:10,782 And these passions are pulling them, 304 00:24:10,782 --> 00:24:12,863 and some are falling. 305 00:24:12,863 --> 00:24:17,428 And it's going to cost them their soul, if they don't repent and come back. 306 00:24:17,428 --> 00:24:21,509 Brethren I knew the day was coming, and the battle is going to be real. 307 00:24:21,509 --> 00:24:23,197 And it's going to intensify. 308 00:24:23,197 --> 00:24:26,279 And you know what? I know it, it's just like a battle. 309 00:24:26,279 --> 00:24:29,072 You go out on the battlefield. 310 00:24:29,072 --> 00:24:32,197 I've been thinking about battle, what it's like. 311 00:24:32,197 --> 00:24:36,904 You know you go in to the Marines. It's glorious, you get your uniform. 312 00:24:36,904 --> 00:24:41,611 You march around, you get all fit. 313 00:24:41,611 --> 00:24:44,563 And I can imagine that first time, 314 00:24:44,563 --> 00:24:48,309 the Marine went out in to the jungles of Vietnam. 315 00:24:48,309 --> 00:24:52,809 And the first time they were hit with enemy fire. Suddenly it's real. 316 00:24:52,809 --> 00:24:57,323 Suddenly it's like, "What in the world is happening? This is not what I expected. 317 00:24:57,323 --> 00:25:02,489 People are being blown to bits around me. There are dead people on the battle field." 318 00:25:02,489 --> 00:25:05,821 This is for real. This is for your soul. 319 00:25:05,821 --> 00:25:10,779 This is a battle for your souls, and you fight and overcome, 320 00:25:10,779 --> 00:25:14,158 or you are going to be a casualty on that field. 321 00:25:14,158 --> 00:25:15,858 And you are going to lose your soul. 322 00:25:15,858 --> 00:25:18,487 This is life, and this is death. 323 00:25:18,487 --> 00:25:22,445 This is not a time to play brethren. 324 00:25:22,445 --> 00:25:27,321 The passions of the soul are going to take some of you down, 325 00:25:27,321 --> 00:25:31,945 and some of you are going fight through by faith in Jesus Christ, 326 00:25:31,945 --> 00:25:35,570 in the power of the Spirit, and you going to make it. 327 00:25:35,570 --> 00:25:37,902 But it's not going to be easy. 328 00:25:37,902 --> 00:25:43,489 "Those who overcome", Christ says. "He'll give a place." 329 00:25:43,489 --> 00:25:46,695 You'll have a place there. You over come, you'll sit on his thrown with Him. 330 00:25:46,695 --> 00:25:51,906 You overcome, you'll be a pillar in the temple of his Father. 331 00:25:51,906 --> 00:25:57,499 But some of you; Some are already fallen out brethren, and we've got to fight. 332 00:25:57,499 --> 00:26:00,066 You gotta fight with everything in you. 333 00:26:00,066 --> 00:26:10,485 Folks, there are forces that seek your destruction, and they are passions. 334 00:26:10,485 --> 00:26:12,610 We read them here. 335 00:26:12,610 --> 00:26:18,194 There passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 336 00:26:18,194 --> 00:26:24,150 And brethren, people forfeit their souls, 337 00:26:24,150 --> 00:26:26,272 over sex, 338 00:26:26,272 --> 00:26:32,898 over a man, over a women, over money, 339 00:26:32,898 --> 00:26:35,848 over... 340 00:26:35,848 --> 00:26:38,799 inability to forgive somebody. 341 00:26:38,799 --> 00:26:41,175 They're going to be bitter, they're going to hate somebody. 342 00:26:41,175 --> 00:26:43,925 Over jealousy. 343 00:26:43,925 --> 00:26:49,428 Over a desire to be popular. A desire to have what you want, and have your way. 344 00:26:49,428 --> 00:26:51,387 And people lose their souls. 345 00:26:51,387 --> 00:26:55,008 Brethren this is a fight to the death. 346 00:26:55,008 --> 00:27:01,966 Jesus Christ says, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and he forfeits his soul." 347 00:27:01,966 --> 00:27:09,176 You see how utterly foolish it is when somebody walks away from Christ for sin. 348 00:27:09,176 --> 00:27:15,926 And Peter says later, It would have been better that they had never known, than to know the truth, 349 00:27:15,926 --> 00:27:21,585 and to be like a dog going back to its vomit, back to its sin. 350 00:27:21,585 --> 00:27:25,256 And I know brethren, as we fight. 351 00:27:25,256 --> 00:27:29,711 There have been times, when I have literally in the last four to five months. 352 00:27:29,711 --> 00:27:33,293 I haven't known how I'm going to make it the next minute. 353 00:27:33,293 --> 00:27:36,792 The battle has been so strong in my own soul. 354 00:27:36,792 --> 00:27:40,709 But I have been determined in the midst of it. 355 00:27:40,709 --> 00:27:45,775 Whatever hell may come against me, whatever passions may rage. 356 00:27:45,775 --> 00:27:48,284 I want Christ, and I'm not giving up. 357 00:27:48,284 --> 00:27:53,354 Even though the rest of my life may be like this, and even though I may have to fight. 358 00:27:53,354 --> 00:27:59,321 The sun came back out, but sometimes in the middle of those things. 359 00:27:59,321 --> 00:28:03,606 It doesn't seem like it's ever going to shine again. 360 00:28:03,606 --> 00:28:09,857 Brethren, we live in the midst of a world. I'll tell you what. 361 00:28:09,857 --> 00:28:13,155 All you got to do is watch the commercials on TV. 362 00:28:13,155 --> 00:28:18,910 Those commercials are bent on making you forfeit your soul. Look what they parade. 363 00:28:18,910 --> 00:28:21,806 Sex 364 00:28:21,806 --> 00:28:24,196 Pride 365 00:28:24,196 --> 00:28:28,063 Worldliness. 366 00:28:28,063 --> 00:28:37,763 Brethren, modern advertising keys on the passions of the flesh. 367 00:28:37,763 --> 00:28:41,064 That's what drives it. 368 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:49,226 Can you imagine; Can you imagine brethren? 369 00:28:49,226 --> 00:28:52,731 If we could take every person in the face. 370 00:28:52,731 --> 00:28:58,603 If we could take all two and a half million people in San Antonio right now. 371 00:28:58,603 --> 00:29:03,482 And we could take them before the Throne of God right now. 372 00:29:03,482 --> 00:29:09,000 To see something of His Glory like Isaiah saw, when he fell on his face. 373 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:12,677 And then we could take them to hell, and we could show them the damned there. 374 00:29:12,677 --> 00:29:14,796 And then we could bring them back to this text. 375 00:29:14,796 --> 00:29:18,794 And say, "There is a battle for your soul." 376 00:29:18,794 --> 00:29:22,377 Do you realize how things would change tomorrow? 377 00:29:22,377 --> 00:29:25,211 Everything in the Newspaper would be about this. 378 00:29:25,211 --> 00:29:27,931 Everything in the news would be about this. 379 00:29:27,931 --> 00:29:32,681 All the professors on the college campuses would be talking about this. 380 00:29:32,681 --> 00:29:34,626 Everything would be about this. 381 00:29:34,626 --> 00:29:39,543 And yet, you and I can walk around this city now, and there isn't a billboard that's about this. 382 00:29:39,543 --> 00:29:41,349 It's not on the radio stations. 383 00:29:41,349 --> 00:29:46,515 You might find a Christian one here and there, and even there it's mostly garbage. 384 00:29:46,515 --> 00:29:48,212 You go to the college campuses. 385 00:29:48,212 --> 00:29:54,572 Brethren, one of the most phenomenal realities that you and I are faced with, is a battle for our souls. 386 00:29:54,572 --> 00:29:56,904 And its like; 387 00:29:56,904 --> 00:30:00,027 Its like the world is world is clueless. 388 00:30:00,027 --> 00:30:05,112 And we've got people that professed to be Christians, 389 00:30:05,112 --> 00:30:07,779 and they're dropping the ball. 390 00:30:07,779 --> 00:30:10,670 They're saying I want my sin more than Christ.