1 00:00:00,804 --> 00:00:09,129 Well, let's pray. 2 00:00:09,129 --> 00:00:11,284 Heavenly Father, 3 00:00:11,284 --> 00:00:14,129 how good it is 4 00:00:14,129 --> 00:00:17,254 to be gathered with the saints 5 00:00:17,254 --> 00:00:20,423 on the Lord's day. 6 00:00:20,423 --> 00:00:23,028 To be able to look around the room 7 00:00:23,028 --> 00:00:27,734 and even though I don't know a lot of people here, 8 00:00:27,734 --> 00:00:31,554 to know that I belong 9 00:00:31,554 --> 00:00:34,616 among the saints; 10 00:00:34,616 --> 00:00:37,410 that I'm part of Your people. 11 00:00:37,410 --> 00:00:42,215 Lord, we're glad to be gathered 12 00:00:42,215 --> 00:00:45,420 among the precious saints of God. 13 00:00:45,420 --> 00:00:50,337 We're glad to worship the Lord Jesus Christ today. 14 00:00:50,337 --> 00:00:54,300 We're glad to lift up His name. 15 00:00:54,300 --> 00:00:55,946 We're glad to exult 16 00:00:55,946 --> 00:00:59,936 in the gospel of our salvation. 17 00:00:59,936 --> 00:01:01,919 We thank You for the blood 18 00:01:01,919 --> 00:01:05,169 and righteousness of the Lord Jesus 19 00:01:05,169 --> 00:01:07,786 in which we place our only hope 20 00:01:07,786 --> 00:01:12,116 for time and eternity. 21 00:01:12,116 --> 00:01:19,905 Lord, we thank You for Your Word that You've given us. 22 00:01:19,905 --> 00:01:24,024 And we thank You for the Holy Spirit. 23 00:01:24,024 --> 00:01:27,038 And we pray for the help of the Spirit today 24 00:01:27,038 --> 00:01:30,986 that the Spirit may apply the Word; 25 00:01:30,986 --> 00:01:33,752 that He might give us understanding; 26 00:01:33,752 --> 00:01:36,758 that He might open our eyes 27 00:01:36,758 --> 00:01:40,158 to spiritual reality in some way. 28 00:01:40,158 --> 00:01:44,736 Lord, for each one, that You'd have something for us 29 00:01:44,736 --> 00:01:48,259 from this particular hour. 30 00:01:48,259 --> 00:01:54,915 Oh Father, 31 00:01:54,915 --> 00:01:57,776 our eyes are upon You, 32 00:01:57,776 --> 00:02:01,219 and our confidence is in You today. 33 00:02:01,219 --> 00:02:05,447 Glorify Thyself, we ask. 34 00:02:05,447 --> 00:02:07,580 In Jesus' name we pray. 35 00:02:07,580 --> 00:02:17,101 Amen. 36 00:02:17,101 --> 00:02:23,852 Well, I remember back, I guess a few months ago 37 00:02:23,852 --> 00:02:26,034 when things started brewing 38 00:02:26,034 --> 00:02:29,184 between Evan and Charity. 39 00:02:29,184 --> 00:02:31,168 I did have the thought: 40 00:02:31,168 --> 00:02:33,686 "Well, maybe this will be the year 41 00:02:33,686 --> 00:02:38,479 we'll finally make it down and visit San Antonio." 42 00:02:38,479 --> 00:02:42,354 And sure enough, in the providence of God, here we are. 43 00:02:42,354 --> 00:02:46,805 So glad to be able to be here today. 44 00:02:46,805 --> 00:02:52,910 To be among you precious brothers and sisters 45 00:02:52,910 --> 00:02:56,998 to worship the Lord Jesus. 46 00:02:56,998 --> 00:03:01,352 I suspect most of us here would say that we're Christians. 47 00:03:01,352 --> 00:03:04,107 And so, I'd ask you that are Christians 48 00:03:04,107 --> 00:03:07,107 to participate in a little exercise 49 00:03:07,107 --> 00:03:11,117 with me this morning, right at the beginning. 50 00:03:11,117 --> 00:03:14,860 Over here, I know you all have a screen used for songs. 51 00:03:14,860 --> 00:03:20,495 Imagine that projected on that screen 52 00:03:20,495 --> 00:03:25,407 was a chart of your Christian life. 53 00:03:25,407 --> 00:03:29,068 On the left side, beginning when you were converted 54 00:03:29,068 --> 00:03:32,760 all the way over to the right side being today. 55 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,082 And there's a squiggly line on there 56 00:03:35,082 --> 00:03:38,842 representing your sanctification. 57 00:03:38,842 --> 00:03:40,474 Your growth in grace. 58 00:03:40,474 --> 00:03:45,560 Your relationship with the Lord Jesus over time. 59 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,227 I'm asking you to imagine that for yourself. 60 00:03:48,227 --> 00:03:50,971 Everybody's got a different chart, right? 61 00:03:50,971 --> 00:03:53,096 Our lives have been unique - 62 00:03:53,096 --> 00:03:55,716 our walk with the Lord. 63 00:03:55,716 --> 00:04:00,003 What does your chart look like this morning? 64 00:04:00,003 --> 00:04:01,991 What does your chart look like? 65 00:04:01,991 --> 00:04:04,860 Now some of you are going to have a line 66 00:04:04,860 --> 00:04:07,860 that just kind of steadily goes up over time. 67 00:04:07,860 --> 00:04:09,185 That's really great! 68 00:04:09,185 --> 00:04:11,808 Praise the Lord if that's the case. 69 00:04:11,808 --> 00:04:16,448 Some of you might have a chart where the line starts upward 70 00:04:16,448 --> 00:04:17,893 for a little ways, 71 00:04:17,893 --> 00:04:21,343 and then just falls off the table and disappears. 72 00:04:21,343 --> 00:04:22,873 That's really bad. 73 00:04:22,873 --> 00:04:26,705 You're probably not even a Christian in that case. 74 00:04:26,705 --> 00:04:29,966 But then I suspect a bunch of us have a chart 75 00:04:29,966 --> 00:04:32,502 where the line is really jagged. 76 00:04:32,502 --> 00:04:35,291 It's up and down, and up and down, up and down. 77 00:04:35,291 --> 00:04:38,264 Peaks and valleys, hit and miss, 78 00:04:38,264 --> 00:04:40,064 herky-jerky. 79 00:04:40,064 --> 00:04:42,831 Wild, volatile swings. 80 00:04:42,831 --> 00:04:47,589 At times, you're a blazing fireball of zeal for Jesus, 81 00:04:47,589 --> 00:04:49,623 and other times 82 00:04:49,623 --> 00:04:51,915 you're down in the dumps of depression 83 00:04:51,915 --> 00:04:57,289 and disobedience and unbelief. 84 00:04:57,289 --> 00:05:01,059 Or just think about, more recently in your Christian life. 85 00:05:01,059 --> 00:05:02,965 Just think the last year or two. 86 00:05:02,965 --> 00:05:10,888 How consistent has your walk with the Lord been recently? 87 00:05:10,888 --> 00:05:16,628 I want to speak to you this morning on the subject of spiritual stability. 88 00:05:16,628 --> 00:05:18,529 Or the long title would be: 89 00:05:18,529 --> 00:05:24,869 "The Underappreciated Virtue of Spiritual Stability." 90 00:05:24,869 --> 00:05:28,221 Stability in the Christian life. 91 00:05:28,221 --> 00:05:32,089 I mean we usually appreciate steadiness, 92 00:05:32,089 --> 00:05:34,945 consistency, stability, 93 00:05:34,945 --> 00:05:38,595 in other areas of life, don't we? 94 00:05:38,595 --> 00:05:40,397 We like to have a spouse 95 00:05:40,397 --> 00:05:43,397 that's really stable and loyal 96 00:05:43,397 --> 00:05:44,682 from day to day. 97 00:05:44,682 --> 00:05:48,178 We like to have co-workers at our jobs that are that way. 98 00:05:48,178 --> 00:05:54,353 That are consistent, steady, reliable, stable. 99 00:05:54,353 --> 00:05:57,826 We even appreciate this in ball-players, don't we? 100 00:05:57,826 --> 00:06:00,035 That they're stable and consistent. 101 00:06:00,035 --> 00:06:02,701 You know, just a few years ago we lauding 102 00:06:02,701 --> 00:06:06,248 Cal Ripken Jr. and then Brett Favre 103 00:06:06,248 --> 00:06:09,697 for their steaks of consecutive games played. 104 00:06:09,697 --> 00:06:12,573 Just the fact they played so many games in a row. 105 00:06:12,573 --> 00:06:14,639 That was a big deal. 106 00:06:14,639 --> 00:06:18,310 We appreciate it in those fields. 107 00:06:18,310 --> 00:06:20,913 This message is about how we should strive 108 00:06:20,913 --> 00:06:22,763 for those same qualities 109 00:06:22,763 --> 00:06:26,163 in our Christian walk. 110 00:06:26,163 --> 00:06:30,949 Let me describe a certain type of brother, 111 00:06:30,949 --> 00:06:33,647 I imagine you have many in the church 112 00:06:33,647 --> 00:06:36,161 here in San Antonio. 113 00:06:36,161 --> 00:06:41,829 He's a brother that seems like a pretty ordinary man. 114 00:06:41,829 --> 00:06:44,703 An ordinary sort of job. 115 00:06:44,703 --> 00:06:47,844 Ordinary sort of family. 116 00:06:47,844 --> 00:06:51,796 He's a guy who does not do open-air preaching. 117 00:06:51,796 --> 00:06:56,290 He is not a foreign missionary. 118 00:06:56,290 --> 00:06:58,770 He's not a theology expert. 119 00:06:58,770 --> 00:07:01,126 He maybe doesn't say a whole lot 120 00:07:01,126 --> 00:07:04,216 in your church meetings even. 121 00:07:04,216 --> 00:07:05,557 But listen. 122 00:07:05,557 --> 00:07:07,645 Listen, this brother, 123 00:07:07,645 --> 00:07:12,845 he reads his well-marked Bible through every year. 124 00:07:12,845 --> 00:07:17,386 Every morning, you can find him alone with God 125 00:07:17,386 --> 00:07:20,582 pouring out his heart in prayer. 126 00:07:20,582 --> 00:07:24,518 He shows up at just about every single church meeting 127 00:07:24,518 --> 00:07:26,170 he can possibly be at. 128 00:07:26,170 --> 00:07:28,038 He wants to be there! 129 00:07:28,038 --> 00:07:31,899 He wants to be an encouragement to the brethren 130 00:07:31,899 --> 00:07:33,929 without causing trouble. 131 00:07:33,929 --> 00:07:36,009 He's generous, he's helpful 132 00:07:36,009 --> 00:07:37,792 in every way he can be. 133 00:07:37,792 --> 00:07:43,357 His family is a joy to be around! 134 00:07:43,357 --> 00:07:47,504 He walks with God with a clear conscience 135 00:07:47,504 --> 00:07:49,971 from day to day. 136 00:07:49,971 --> 00:07:52,521 I tell you there is glory 137 00:07:52,521 --> 00:07:55,446 in that ordinary brother's life. 138 00:07:55,446 --> 00:07:59,251 There is great grace from God in his life. 139 00:07:59,251 --> 00:08:01,276 What is it? He's stable. 140 00:08:01,276 --> 00:08:02,956 He's consistent. 141 00:08:02,956 --> 00:08:06,855 He's pressing on! He's enduring. 142 00:08:06,855 --> 00:08:08,463 He's running the race 143 00:08:08,463 --> 00:08:11,193 with endurance to the end. 144 00:08:11,193 --> 00:08:13,258 That's what we're talking about today. 145 00:08:13,258 --> 00:08:14,907 Praise God for that grace! 146 00:08:14,907 --> 00:08:16,045 Some of you here 147 00:08:16,045 --> 00:08:17,943 are maybe like that brother. 148 00:08:17,943 --> 00:08:20,534 Maybe some of you are actually discouraged; 149 00:08:20,534 --> 00:08:21,812 actually thinking, 150 00:08:21,812 --> 00:08:24,562 "Well, this year looks an awful lot like last year. 151 00:08:24,562 --> 00:08:27,164 There's not a lot of big things changing here!" 152 00:08:27,164 --> 00:08:29,593 Well, maybe this message can encourage you. 153 00:08:29,593 --> 00:08:31,817 It's a good thing to be stable 154 00:08:31,817 --> 00:08:34,863 in your walk with Jesus. 155 00:08:34,863 --> 00:08:36,568 Or maybe the other hand, 156 00:08:36,568 --> 00:08:40,968 some of you here are unstable unbelievers. 157 00:08:40,968 --> 00:08:43,451 Maybe everything spiritual for you 158 00:08:43,451 --> 00:08:46,451 is all hit and miss, herky-jerky. 159 00:08:46,451 --> 00:08:50,260 Up and down, hot and cold, inconsistent. 160 00:08:50,260 --> 00:08:54,518 And you realize, "Yeah, that's a need in my life!" 161 00:08:54,518 --> 00:08:58,492 Well, we're going to talk about some ways to get better at that - 162 00:08:58,492 --> 00:09:01,858 to become a more stable Christian, 163 00:09:01,858 --> 00:09:04,268 in you're walk with the Lord. 164 00:09:04,268 --> 00:09:06,316 So, there's just so much Scripture on this 165 00:09:06,316 --> 00:09:09,583 and you start looking for it, it's like, there's all these different 166 00:09:09,583 --> 00:09:12,103 Bible verses really pointing at this basic thought. 167 00:09:12,103 --> 00:09:15,968 But, I'm just going to look today with you at a few Scriptures 168 00:09:15,968 --> 00:09:17,837 and along the way I want to point out 169 00:09:17,837 --> 00:09:23,857 seven characteristics of stable Christians. 170 00:09:23,857 --> 00:09:26,587 So let's start by turning to Psalm 1. 171 00:09:26,587 --> 00:09:32,179 The first psalm. Psalm 1:1. 172 00:09:32,179 --> 00:09:34,797 "How blessed is the man 173 00:09:34,797 --> 00:09:37,237 who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, 174 00:09:37,237 --> 00:09:39,569 nor stand in the path of sinners, 175 00:09:39,569 --> 00:09:42,049 nor sit in the seat of scoffers; 176 00:09:42,049 --> 00:09:44,848 but his delight is in the law of the Lord. 177 00:09:44,848 --> 00:09:48,819 and in His law, he meditates day and night. 178 00:09:48,819 --> 00:09:50,129 He will be like a tree, 179 00:09:50,129 --> 00:09:52,450 firmly planted by streams of water 180 00:09:52,450 --> 00:09:54,882 which yields its fruit in its season, 181 00:09:54,882 --> 00:09:57,032 and its leaf does not wither. 182 00:09:57,032 --> 00:10:00,908 And in whatever he does, he prospers. 183 00:10:00,908 --> 00:10:03,417 The wicked are not so. 184 00:10:03,417 --> 00:10:06,838 But they are like chaff, which the wind drives away. 185 00:10:06,838 --> 00:10:10,104 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, 186 00:10:10,104 --> 00:10:13,162 nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous, 187 00:10:13,162 --> 00:10:15,762 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, 188 00:10:15,762 --> 00:10:18,879 but the path of the wicked will perish." 189 00:10:18,879 --> 00:10:22,658 So the righteous man here is described in verse 3 as what? 190 00:10:22,658 --> 00:10:24,895 He's described as a tree - 191 00:10:24,895 --> 00:10:28,455 a tree planted by streams of water. 192 00:10:28,455 --> 00:10:30,765 A tree with roots that go down 193 00:10:30,765 --> 00:10:33,845 into that perpetually moist soil 194 00:10:33,845 --> 00:10:35,405 around that stream. 195 00:10:35,405 --> 00:10:39,541 He's always nourished from that water 196 00:10:39,541 --> 00:10:41,431 that's coming past all the time. 197 00:10:41,431 --> 00:10:46,268 He is stable and he's thriving there! 198 00:10:46,268 --> 00:10:48,887 By contrast, we have the wicked in verse 4. 199 00:10:48,887 --> 00:10:51,736 It says, "They're like the chaff 200 00:10:51,736 --> 00:10:53,606 that the wind drives away." 201 00:10:53,606 --> 00:10:57,222 What a picture. Just little dry husks. 202 00:10:57,222 --> 00:10:59,172 The wind just drives it away. 203 00:10:59,172 --> 00:11:00,895 It's a contrast, isn't it? 204 00:11:00,895 --> 00:11:04,438 Between the stability of the righteous man, like the tree, 205 00:11:04,438 --> 00:11:06,736 and the chaos of the lost man. 206 00:11:06,736 --> 00:11:12,002 If you are not a Christian today, this is how God pictures your life! 207 00:11:12,002 --> 00:11:13,874 This is reality for you! 208 00:11:13,874 --> 00:11:17,154 You're like chaff that the wind drives away. 209 00:11:17,154 --> 00:11:20,218 There is no stability outside of Jesus Christ. 210 00:11:20,218 --> 00:11:22,808 That's the big problem in your life! 211 00:11:22,808 --> 00:11:24,138 You need to know Jesus! 212 00:11:24,138 --> 00:11:26,151 You need to become a Christian. 213 00:11:26,151 --> 00:11:28,561 And turn from your sin, 214 00:11:28,561 --> 00:11:32,511 put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. 215 00:11:32,511 --> 00:11:35,218 You can be like this tree. 216 00:11:35,218 --> 00:11:37,311 Well, what can we learn from this picture 217 00:11:37,311 --> 00:11:40,445 then about spiritual stability? 218 00:11:40,445 --> 00:11:42,130 Well, the first thing to point out 219 00:11:42,130 --> 00:11:46,552 is that stable Christians are fruitful. 220 00:11:46,552 --> 00:11:49,248 Stable Christians are fruitful. 221 00:11:49,248 --> 00:11:51,779 This tree isn't just there, 222 00:11:51,779 --> 00:11:54,431 but it's a fruitful tree, right? 223 00:11:54,431 --> 00:11:57,503 Verse 3 says, 224 00:11:57,503 --> 00:12:01,888 "It yields its fruit in its season." 225 00:12:01,888 --> 00:12:05,712 And then it says, "In whatever he does, 226 00:12:05,712 --> 00:12:08,255 he prospers." 227 00:12:08,255 --> 00:12:11,126 So, there's life. There's growth. 228 00:12:11,126 --> 00:12:12,816 There's fruitfulness. 229 00:12:12,816 --> 00:12:15,297 There's progress happening 230 00:12:15,297 --> 00:12:18,868 in the life of this saint. 231 00:12:18,868 --> 00:12:21,217 Fruitfulness. What does fruitfulness 232 00:12:21,217 --> 00:12:24,019 look like in our lives as believers? 233 00:12:24,019 --> 00:12:27,379 I assume the first text we think of in that regard 234 00:12:27,379 --> 00:12:28,979 is Galatians 5. 235 00:12:28,979 --> 00:12:31,260 The fruit of the Spirit, right? 236 00:12:31,260 --> 00:12:33,150 These character qualities 237 00:12:33,150 --> 00:12:36,798 that the Spirit produces within believers. 238 00:12:36,798 --> 00:12:38,844 The fruit of the Spirit is love, 239 00:12:38,844 --> 00:12:41,368 joy, peace, patience, kindness, 240 00:12:41,368 --> 00:12:44,087 goodness, faithfulness, 241 00:12:44,087 --> 00:12:45,890 gentleness, self-control. 242 00:12:45,890 --> 00:12:48,247 The stable Christian 243 00:12:48,247 --> 00:12:51,009 will be producing more love, 244 00:12:51,009 --> 00:12:55,273 more joy, more peace, and so on. 245 00:12:55,273 --> 00:12:57,903 Will be producing these character qualities 246 00:12:57,903 --> 00:12:59,647 in their life. 247 00:12:59,647 --> 00:13:01,257 But you know, it's also biblical 248 00:13:01,257 --> 00:13:03,034 to think of our fruitfulness 249 00:13:03,034 --> 00:13:04,801 in terms of what we do; 250 00:13:04,801 --> 00:13:08,552 in terms of our service to the Lord - 251 00:13:08,552 --> 00:13:11,008 what we do for Him. 252 00:13:11,008 --> 00:13:15,311 The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:58 - 253 00:13:15,311 --> 00:13:17,583 that last verse in that long chapter - 254 00:13:17,583 --> 00:13:19,997 he says, "Therefore, my brothers, 255 00:13:19,997 --> 00:13:22,701 be steadfast, immovable, 256 00:13:22,701 --> 00:13:26,749 always abounding in the work of the Lord." 257 00:13:26,749 --> 00:13:28,792 You see how he combines the two thoughts 258 00:13:28,792 --> 00:13:30,934 of stability on the one hand 259 00:13:30,934 --> 00:13:32,939 and fruitfulness on the other. 260 00:13:32,939 --> 00:13:35,064 Be steadfast and immovable 261 00:13:35,064 --> 00:13:36,994 that you might be abounding 262 00:13:36,994 --> 00:13:42,153 in the work of the Lord. 263 00:13:42,153 --> 00:13:44,023 You see at times ministry, 264 00:13:44,023 --> 00:13:46,161 at times service to the Lord, 265 00:13:46,161 --> 00:13:48,246 there's times it's not as fun 266 00:13:48,246 --> 00:13:50,110 as other times. 267 00:13:50,110 --> 00:13:52,607 There's times where you're discouraged, right? 268 00:13:52,607 --> 00:13:54,301 And you think, what's the use? 269 00:13:54,301 --> 00:13:56,477 Why are we messing around with this? 270 00:13:56,477 --> 00:13:58,694 And you start casting your eyes about 271 00:13:58,694 --> 00:14:01,842 at different greener pastures perhaps. 272 00:14:01,842 --> 00:14:05,341 Well, very often, the right answer is just be stable. 273 00:14:05,341 --> 00:14:07,282 Just be where you're at. 274 00:14:07,282 --> 00:14:10,052 Just be fruitful right there 275 00:14:10,052 --> 00:14:14,137 where God has you in that place. 276 00:14:14,137 --> 00:14:15,966 I thought too of this application. 277 00:14:15,966 --> 00:14:19,526 And I don't know how it is here in your church, 278 00:14:19,526 --> 00:14:21,109 but I know in many churches, 279 00:14:21,109 --> 00:14:22,859 there's some young men 280 00:14:22,859 --> 00:14:24,242 that have thoughts - 281 00:14:24,242 --> 00:14:25,942 I was in this spot once - 282 00:14:25,942 --> 00:14:27,309 have these thoughts about, 283 00:14:27,309 --> 00:14:30,882 maybe I'm going to be a preacher someday. 284 00:14:30,882 --> 00:14:33,538 Maybe the Lord is calling me 285 00:14:33,538 --> 00:14:35,713 to some kind of ministry work 286 00:14:35,713 --> 00:14:37,599 in the future. 287 00:14:37,599 --> 00:14:39,431 If you're in that spot; 288 00:14:39,431 --> 00:14:41,414 if anybody's here in that spot, 289 00:14:41,414 --> 00:14:45,553 my question to you, brother, 290 00:14:45,553 --> 00:14:48,743 is how stable is your Christian life? 291 00:14:48,743 --> 00:14:51,714 How stable is your basic walk 292 00:14:51,714 --> 00:14:53,788 with the Lord Jesus? 293 00:14:53,788 --> 00:14:57,551 If it's all up and down; 294 00:14:57,551 --> 00:14:59,255 if it's unstable, 295 00:14:59,255 --> 00:15:03,076 you're not going to be producing much fruit. 296 00:15:03,076 --> 00:15:05,473 And that instability of your life 297 00:15:05,473 --> 00:15:07,024 is going to hold you back 298 00:15:07,024 --> 00:15:09,806 from doing all this stuff for the Lord 299 00:15:09,806 --> 00:15:11,820 that you imagine yourself doing. 300 00:15:11,820 --> 00:15:13,688 It's going to hold you back way more 301 00:15:13,688 --> 00:15:16,239 than your Greek skills will hold you back 302 00:15:16,239 --> 00:15:18,739 or your ability to cobble together a sermon 303 00:15:18,739 --> 00:15:21,383 will hold you back. 304 00:15:21,383 --> 00:15:24,048 Is your walk with the Lord stable? 305 00:15:24,048 --> 00:15:25,187 Is it consistent? 306 00:15:25,187 --> 00:15:28,003 Is it solid like this fruitful tree here? 307 00:15:28,003 --> 00:15:30,083 Well, the second thing we see here 308 00:15:30,083 --> 00:15:31,453 about stable Christians 309 00:15:31,453 --> 00:15:35,480 is that they avoid bad influences. 310 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:36,949 You see that in verse 1. 311 00:15:36,949 --> 00:15:38,672 It says, "How blessed is the man 312 00:15:38,672 --> 00:15:41,018 who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, 313 00:15:41,018 --> 00:15:43,032 or stand in the path of sinners, 314 00:15:43,032 --> 00:15:47,355 or sit in the seat of scoffers." 315 00:15:47,355 --> 00:15:49,586 You see, if you want to be a stable, 316 00:15:49,586 --> 00:15:51,564 fruitful Christian, 317 00:15:51,564 --> 00:15:53,018 you've got to be careful 318 00:15:53,018 --> 00:15:55,539 about who is influencing you. 319 00:15:55,539 --> 00:16:00,774 We are all affected by the people around us, 320 00:16:00,774 --> 00:16:02,624 the friends we have, 321 00:16:02,624 --> 00:16:04,410 the things we're listening to, 322 00:16:04,410 --> 00:16:06,887 the things we're taking in from the media, 323 00:16:06,887 --> 00:16:08,414 the entertainment stuff 324 00:16:08,414 --> 00:16:11,102 that we're into, 325 00:16:11,102 --> 00:16:13,403 the websites we read. 326 00:16:13,403 --> 00:16:16,136 We're affected by all these things. 327 00:16:16,136 --> 00:16:18,813 The Bible talks about it a bunch of places 328 00:16:18,813 --> 00:16:21,471 and it can affect the stability 329 00:16:21,471 --> 00:16:22,960 of your walk with the Lord. 330 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:25,972 If you've got bad influences, 331 00:16:25,972 --> 00:16:28,622 it can cause you to doubt God. 332 00:16:28,622 --> 00:16:31,336 It can cause you to become discontent. 333 00:16:31,336 --> 00:16:37,418 It can defile your conscience with foul stuff. 334 00:16:37,418 --> 00:16:41,466 It can cause a worldly way of thinking 335 00:16:41,466 --> 00:16:43,342 to begin to influence you 336 00:16:43,342 --> 00:16:45,314 and change how you think 337 00:16:45,314 --> 00:16:47,491 about spiritual things. 338 00:16:47,491 --> 00:16:49,913 It makes a difference for us. 339 00:16:49,913 --> 00:16:53,317 You start to lose touch with spiritual reality 340 00:16:53,317 --> 00:16:54,636 and before long, 341 00:16:54,636 --> 00:16:57,918 the chart over there kind of takes a nosedive. 342 00:16:57,918 --> 00:17:01,110 Why? You're hanging out with scoffers too much. 343 00:17:01,118 --> 00:17:03,151 It's affecting you. 344 00:17:03,151 --> 00:17:06,036 And so in order to become more spiritually stable, 345 00:17:06,036 --> 00:17:08,497 you might have to cut off certain things - 346 00:17:08,497 --> 00:17:09,959 certain habits where you say 347 00:17:09,959 --> 00:17:12,469 this is not good for my soul. 348 00:17:12,469 --> 00:17:14,518 I need to change this. 349 00:17:14,518 --> 00:17:16,573 And so you maybe lay aside - 350 00:17:16,573 --> 00:17:19,048 maybe you have to lay aside some friends 351 00:17:19,048 --> 00:17:23,857 or some of the media you consume. 352 00:17:23,857 --> 00:17:26,324 Of course, we want to be evangelizing lost people. 353 00:17:26,324 --> 00:17:27,458 That's what people say. 354 00:17:27,458 --> 00:17:29,296 I want to witness to my lost friends. 355 00:17:29,296 --> 00:17:31,280 And of course, we want to be doing that. 356 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:33,738 Jesus hung out with sinners 357 00:17:33,738 --> 00:17:35,662 that He might witness to them. 358 00:17:35,662 --> 00:17:40,691 The crucial thing is who is influencing who in this deal. 359 00:17:40,691 --> 00:17:42,317 Be careful. 360 00:17:42,317 --> 00:17:45,371 Maybe scoffers are influencing you too much 361 00:17:45,371 --> 00:17:48,044 rather than vice versa. 362 00:17:48,044 --> 00:17:50,219 There's actually a similar thought to this 363 00:17:50,219 --> 00:17:53,525 over in Proverbs 24:21. 364 00:17:53,525 --> 00:17:56,755 It says, "My son, fear the Lord and the king. 365 00:17:56,755 --> 00:17:59,383 Do not associate with those 366 00:17:59,383 --> 00:18:02,144 who are given to change." 367 00:18:02,144 --> 00:18:03,222 Interesting verse. 368 00:18:03,222 --> 00:18:04,659 Do not associate with those 369 00:18:04,659 --> 00:18:07,207 given to change. 370 00:18:07,207 --> 00:18:09,195 Who are these people given to change? 371 00:18:09,195 --> 00:18:11,159 Well, it's unstable people. 372 00:18:11,159 --> 00:18:12,823 It's up and down people. 373 00:18:12,823 --> 00:18:15,143 Have you noticed this often? 374 00:18:15,143 --> 00:18:17,758 That unstable people tend to gravitate 375 00:18:17,758 --> 00:18:20,293 towards other unstable people? 376 00:18:20,293 --> 00:18:23,409 And they don't help each other very much. 377 00:18:23,409 --> 00:18:24,949 It's so much better; 378 00:18:24,949 --> 00:18:27,020 so much better if the shaky person 379 00:18:27,020 --> 00:18:29,929 would seek out the solid, mature saints, 380 00:18:29,929 --> 00:18:32,258 like that brother I described at the beginning. 381 00:18:32,258 --> 00:18:35,885 Maybe he's not the coolest guy in the church, 382 00:18:35,885 --> 00:18:37,499 but if you'd seek him out; 383 00:18:37,499 --> 00:18:38,879 if you'd hang out with him, 384 00:18:38,879 --> 00:18:40,136 you could learn a lot. 385 00:18:40,136 --> 00:18:42,492 He'd be really good for your soul 386 00:18:42,492 --> 00:18:45,141 in a lot of ways. 387 00:18:45,141 --> 00:18:47,829 A third thing about stable Christians 388 00:18:47,829 --> 00:18:49,499 is that they are consistent 389 00:18:49,499 --> 00:18:52,880 in spiritual disciplines. 390 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:54,256 Look at verse 2. 391 00:18:54,256 --> 00:18:57,385 It says of this stable saint, 392 00:18:57,385 --> 00:19:01,177 it says, "his delight is in the law of the Lord 393 00:19:01,177 --> 00:19:05,957 and in His law, he meditates day and night." 394 00:19:05,957 --> 00:19:08,576 This guy's in the Bible, isn't he? 395 00:19:08,576 --> 00:19:09,740 He's in the Bible. 396 00:19:09,740 --> 00:19:11,505 I mean, we're happy to get somebody 397 00:19:11,505 --> 00:19:12,926 reading the Bible once a day. 398 00:19:12,926 --> 00:19:15,042 This guy's in it day and night. 399 00:19:15,042 --> 00:19:17,100 I mean, his life is saturated 400 00:19:17,100 --> 00:19:20,575 with the Scriptures. 401 00:19:20,575 --> 00:19:22,876 Now, there are Christians - 402 00:19:22,876 --> 00:19:26,303 maybe there's some even here - 403 00:19:26,303 --> 00:19:30,908 who if you had to give a report publicly 404 00:19:30,908 --> 00:19:34,783 of your Bible reading over the last year, 405 00:19:34,783 --> 00:19:36,069 you'd be ashamed. 406 00:19:36,069 --> 00:19:38,636 You'd be ashamed for others to know 407 00:19:38,636 --> 00:19:41,102 your own Bible reading. 408 00:19:41,102 --> 00:19:42,950 Maybe you go days at a time 409 00:19:42,950 --> 00:19:44,903 and don't read anything at all. 410 00:19:44,903 --> 00:19:48,193 And maybe it's just kind of this haphazard, 411 00:19:48,193 --> 00:19:53,724 just sort of jump around here and there in the Word. 412 00:19:53,724 --> 00:19:57,282 I was that way for awhile in my life. 413 00:19:57,282 --> 00:19:59,119 I know there were seasons like that. 414 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:01,592 And you know what was going on during those seasons? 415 00:20:01,592 --> 00:20:03,365 The chart was looking real bad. 416 00:20:03,365 --> 00:20:04,341 It was going down. 417 00:20:04,341 --> 00:20:07,233 When you're inconsistent in the Word, 418 00:20:07,233 --> 00:20:10,423 it's like everything else suffers. 419 00:20:10,423 --> 00:20:12,699 Brethren, there's some of you 420 00:20:12,699 --> 00:20:16,301 that haven't read certain wonderful books 421 00:20:16,301 --> 00:20:17,767 of the Old Testament 422 00:20:17,767 --> 00:20:20,949 since the Bush Administration or something. 423 00:20:20,949 --> 00:20:23,415 There's wonderful things in that Bible. 424 00:20:23,415 --> 00:20:25,397 If we don't see them regularly, 425 00:20:25,397 --> 00:20:26,871 we forget they're there. 426 00:20:26,871 --> 00:20:29,760 There's just riches in God's Word. 427 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:31,621 But look at this guy in Psalm 1. 428 00:20:31,621 --> 00:20:34,466 It's not just that he's disciplined, 429 00:20:34,466 --> 00:20:36,679 but he's also delighting, right? 430 00:20:36,679 --> 00:20:39,546 Those are the two things you have to hold on to, right? 431 00:20:39,546 --> 00:20:41,745 Both discipline and delight. 432 00:20:41,745 --> 00:20:43,360 Verse 2, "his delight 433 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:45,767 is in the law of the Lord." 434 00:20:45,767 --> 00:20:49,184 How is it that he's able to enjoy the Bible? 435 00:20:49,184 --> 00:20:53,094 It says, "in His law, he meditates day and night." 436 00:20:53,094 --> 00:20:54,588 I think that's the key to it. 437 00:20:54,588 --> 00:20:56,926 He's meditating on the Word. 438 00:20:56,926 --> 00:20:58,767 He's not just grinding along. 439 00:20:58,767 --> 00:21:01,323 "I'm going to read my two chapters today." 440 00:21:01,323 --> 00:21:04,836 Not just reading across the tops of the words, 441 00:21:04,836 --> 00:21:06,249 like we often do, 442 00:21:06,249 --> 00:21:08,094 but he's meditating on the Word. 443 00:21:08,094 --> 00:21:10,104 He's stopping. He's praying over it. 444 00:21:10,104 --> 00:21:12,632 He's seeking to apply it to himself. 445 00:21:12,632 --> 00:21:16,053 He's seeking to obey the Word of God. 446 00:21:16,053 --> 00:21:17,745 He's meditating on it, 447 00:21:17,745 --> 00:21:19,898 and it's become his delight now. 448 00:21:19,898 --> 00:21:21,757 And now he can't get enough of it. 449 00:21:21,757 --> 00:21:25,505 He's soaking in the Word day and night. 450 00:21:25,505 --> 00:21:28,978 It's a wonderful picture here. 451 00:21:28,978 --> 00:21:31,109 The daily feeding on Scripture. 452 00:21:31,109 --> 00:21:33,436 It's like the streams of water 453 00:21:33,436 --> 00:21:36,896 that keep supplying this tree 454 00:21:36,896 --> 00:21:39,666 that's planted by the stream. 455 00:21:39,666 --> 00:21:41,170 Now, I know Psalm 1 here - 456 00:21:41,170 --> 00:21:43,748 it's just talking about consistency in the Bible, 457 00:21:43,748 --> 00:21:46,577 but could we broaden the application a little bit 458 00:21:46,577 --> 00:21:50,628 and just include spiritual disciplines generally? 459 00:21:50,628 --> 00:21:52,507 I assume you guys are familiar 460 00:21:52,507 --> 00:21:55,231 with Don Whitney's book on spiritual disciplines? 461 00:21:55,231 --> 00:21:57,190 Really, a fine, helpful work. 462 00:21:57,190 --> 00:22:00,001 I think he covers like a dozen things in there. 463 00:22:00,001 --> 00:22:02,753 I mean, who's going to keep track of a dozen things? 464 00:22:02,753 --> 00:22:04,890 I tend to talk about three things 465 00:22:04,890 --> 00:22:06,449 with the guys in our church, 466 00:22:06,449 --> 00:22:08,022 if you'll do these three things, 467 00:22:08,022 --> 00:22:10,165 you're probably going to be pretty solid: 468 00:22:10,165 --> 00:22:12,774 Bible, prayer, and church. Bible, prayer, and church. 469 00:22:12,774 --> 00:22:16,508 If you're in the Bible every day, 470 00:22:16,508 --> 00:22:19,542 if you have a time of private prayer - 471 00:22:19,542 --> 00:22:20,651 real private prayer, 472 00:22:20,651 --> 00:22:23,178 not just saying a couple sentences in the car, 473 00:22:23,178 --> 00:22:25,729 but real private prayer with God - 474 00:22:25,729 --> 00:22:28,654 and then thirdly, if you're involved 475 00:22:28,654 --> 00:22:31,330 in church life an a thorough, 476 00:22:31,330 --> 00:22:32,690 healthy way, 477 00:22:32,690 --> 00:22:34,734 if you do those three things consistently, 478 00:22:34,734 --> 00:22:36,725 you'll probably grow like crazy. 479 00:22:36,725 --> 00:22:38,580 There's great grace that comes 480 00:22:38,580 --> 00:22:42,389 through just doing the basic means of grace 481 00:22:42,389 --> 00:22:45,408 that God has given to us. 482 00:22:45,408 --> 00:22:49,005 So, anyway, this fellow in Psalm 1, 483 00:22:49,005 --> 00:22:51,839 he's consistent in the spiritual disciplines. 484 00:22:51,839 --> 00:22:54,483 A fourth thing about stable Christians 485 00:22:54,483 --> 00:22:59,496 is that they can handle the trials of life. 486 00:22:59,496 --> 00:23:01,477 And I get that from verse 3 487 00:23:01,477 --> 00:23:03,861 where it says that, 488 00:23:03,861 --> 00:23:06,719 "its leaf does not wither." 489 00:23:06,719 --> 00:23:08,400 Its leaf does not wither. 490 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:11,019 So picture this time of terrible drought 491 00:23:11,019 --> 00:23:12,898 in the land, 492 00:23:12,898 --> 00:23:14,530 and all around this tree, 493 00:23:14,530 --> 00:23:16,604 there are plants that are withering. 494 00:23:16,604 --> 00:23:19,468 There are even trees that are dropping their leaves 495 00:23:19,468 --> 00:23:21,500 and about to die. 496 00:23:21,500 --> 00:23:24,141 It's a bad scene out there. 497 00:23:24,141 --> 00:23:25,943 And then you look over at this tree 498 00:23:25,943 --> 00:23:27,120 by the water, 499 00:23:27,120 --> 00:23:28,760 and he's still doing just fine. 500 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:30,304 His leaves aren't dropping. 501 00:23:30,304 --> 00:23:32,132 His leaves aren't even withering. 502 00:23:32,132 --> 00:23:33,957 He's continuing to thrive 503 00:23:33,957 --> 00:23:37,377 in the midst of the drought. 504 00:23:37,377 --> 00:23:39,211 There in Jeremiah, 505 00:23:39,211 --> 00:23:42,568 the prophet uses a really similar picture to this. 506 00:23:42,568 --> 00:23:45,324 I'll just read it - Jeremiah 17:7. 507 00:23:45,324 --> 00:23:47,473 He says, "Blessed is the man 508 00:23:47,473 --> 00:23:49,361 who trusts in the Lord, 509 00:23:49,361 --> 00:23:52,555 for he will be like a tree planted by the water 510 00:23:52,555 --> 00:23:55,567 that extends its roots by a stream 511 00:23:55,567 --> 00:23:58,449 and will not fear when the heat comes, 512 00:23:58,449 --> 00:24:00,775 but its leaves will be green; 513 00:24:00,775 --> 00:24:03,524 it will not be anxious in a year of drought 514 00:24:03,524 --> 00:24:06,849 nor cease to yield fruit." 515 00:24:06,849 --> 00:24:08,470 That's it exactly. 516 00:24:08,470 --> 00:24:09,965 The tree that's stable 517 00:24:09,965 --> 00:24:11,875 can handle the drought; 518 00:24:11,875 --> 00:24:13,905 can handle the hard times, 519 00:24:13,905 --> 00:24:16,127 the trials of life. 520 00:24:16,127 --> 00:24:19,516 See, spiritual stability is not the idea 521 00:24:19,516 --> 00:24:22,407 of, well, I'm doing okay now, 522 00:24:22,407 --> 00:24:25,591 and I'll do okay as long as nothing bad happens. 523 00:24:25,591 --> 00:24:27,185 See, that won't get you very far 524 00:24:27,185 --> 00:24:29,449 because bad stuff is going to happen. 525 00:24:29,449 --> 00:24:30,895 It's promised to us. 526 00:24:30,895 --> 00:24:32,315 There will be tribulation. 527 00:24:32,315 --> 00:24:35,239 There will be hard trials. 528 00:24:35,239 --> 00:24:38,489 A verse on that - 1 Thessalonians 3:3. 529 00:24:38,489 --> 00:24:40,866 Paul says, "that no man may be 530 00:24:40,866 --> 00:24:43,068 disturbed by these afflictions, 531 00:24:43,068 --> 00:24:44,987 for you yourselves know 532 00:24:44,987 --> 00:24:47,473 we've been destined for this." 533 00:24:47,473 --> 00:24:49,911 He says you've been destined - for what? 534 00:24:49,911 --> 00:24:52,017 Destined for afflictions. 535 00:24:52,017 --> 00:24:53,786 He says I'm telling you this so that 536 00:24:53,786 --> 00:24:55,788 you'll not be disturbed by them; 537 00:24:55,788 --> 00:24:57,829 you'll not be destabilized 538 00:24:57,829 --> 00:25:00,111 by the afflictions when they come. 539 00:25:00,111 --> 00:25:01,904 I'm telling you in advance, 540 00:25:01,904 --> 00:25:03,756 you're destined for this 541 00:25:03,756 --> 00:25:07,239 that the Lord might sustain you 542 00:25:07,239 --> 00:25:08,727 when it arises. 543 00:25:08,727 --> 00:25:10,205 You see this sometimes though. 544 00:25:10,205 --> 00:25:12,367 Somebody seems to be a Christian; 545 00:25:12,367 --> 00:25:14,010 they seem to be doing okay, 546 00:25:14,010 --> 00:25:15,795 but some crisis happens. 547 00:25:15,795 --> 00:25:17,751 Something happens in their family. 548 00:25:17,751 --> 00:25:19,796 Something happens with their kids 549 00:25:19,796 --> 00:25:21,624 or their job or something, 550 00:25:21,624 --> 00:25:24,078 and it's like they just fall apart. 551 00:25:24,078 --> 00:25:25,915 You know, they start missing meetings, 552 00:25:25,915 --> 00:25:27,631 stop communicating, become distant 553 00:25:27,631 --> 00:25:32,798 and disappear. 554 00:25:32,798 --> 00:25:34,789 It doesn't have to be that way. 555 00:25:34,789 --> 00:25:39,473 Psalm 55:22 is such a wonderful promise. 556 00:25:39,473 --> 00:25:41,068 Do you know this promise? 557 00:25:41,068 --> 00:25:44,563 It says, "Cast your burden upon the Lord 558 00:25:44,563 --> 00:25:46,703 and He will sustain you. 559 00:25:46,703 --> 00:25:49,227 He will never allow the righteous 560 00:25:49,227 --> 00:25:52,416 to be shaken." 561 00:25:52,416 --> 00:25:54,500 So here's this burden, right? 562 00:25:54,500 --> 00:25:55,969 Here's this problem 563 00:25:55,969 --> 00:25:59,125 that is weighing down on you. 564 00:25:59,125 --> 00:26:00,567 What does it say to do? 565 00:26:00,567 --> 00:26:02,998 It says cast your burden upon the Lord. 566 00:26:02,998 --> 00:26:04,677 Put it upon Him. 567 00:26:04,677 --> 00:26:06,406 Lord, You take it. 568 00:26:06,406 --> 00:26:08,996 I can't handle this, Lord. I'm putting it on You. 569 00:26:08,996 --> 00:26:11,486 I'm trusting You with this. 570 00:26:11,486 --> 00:26:13,481 And then the promise 571 00:26:13,481 --> 00:26:16,535 that He'll not allow you to be shaken by it; 572 00:26:16,535 --> 00:26:19,370 the promise that He will sustain you 573 00:26:19,370 --> 00:26:21,262 in that trial. 574 00:26:21,262 --> 00:26:25,112 Stability, consistency, fruitfulness 575 00:26:25,112 --> 00:26:28,233 can continue right through the trial. 576 00:26:28,233 --> 00:26:30,488 And you know how it is with many Christians. 577 00:26:30,488 --> 00:26:32,178 Their life becomes sweeter 578 00:26:32,178 --> 00:26:33,690 and more fruitful 579 00:26:33,690 --> 00:26:35,872 as they go through hard things. 580 00:26:35,872 --> 00:26:37,689 There's more glory to God 581 00:26:37,689 --> 00:26:39,825 coming from those times. 582 00:26:39,825 --> 00:26:41,075 God is sustaining them. 583 00:26:41,075 --> 00:26:43,381 Similar verse - Psalm 112:6 584 00:26:43,381 --> 00:26:46,392 says, "For he will never be shaken; 585 00:26:46,392 --> 00:26:48,918 the righteous will be remembered forever. 586 00:26:48,918 --> 00:26:51,304 He will not fear evil tidings. 587 00:26:51,304 --> 00:26:54,608 His heart is steadfast trusting in the Lord. 588 00:26:54,608 --> 00:26:56,864 His heart is upheld. 589 00:26:56,864 --> 00:27:00,043 He will not fear." 590 00:27:00,043 --> 00:27:01,729 Just saying it again and again, 591 00:27:01,729 --> 00:27:03,163 God will sustain you. 592 00:27:03,163 --> 00:27:05,457 You don't have to be shaken by this. 593 00:27:05,457 --> 00:27:07,988 You can be steadfast and stable 594 00:27:07,988 --> 00:27:09,091 through the trial 595 00:27:09,091 --> 00:27:12,976 because God is sustaining you in it. 596 00:27:12,976 --> 00:27:15,479 That's spiritual stability. 597 00:27:15,479 --> 00:27:17,939 That's encouraging, isn't it. 598 00:27:17,939 --> 00:27:20,008 So that's four things from this psalm, 599 00:27:20,008 --> 00:27:22,141 but I'd like to add a few more thoughts 600 00:27:22,141 --> 00:27:23,952 if I could from the New Testament 601 00:27:23,952 --> 00:27:27,008 and kind of build this out a little further. 602 00:27:27,008 --> 00:27:29,168 A fifth thing that we see - 603 00:27:29,168 --> 00:27:33,046 a fifth characteristic of stable Christians 604 00:27:33,046 --> 00:27:37,606 is that they embrace sound doctrine. 605 00:27:37,606 --> 00:27:40,965 Stable Christians embrace sound doctrine. 606 00:27:40,965 --> 00:27:42,807 Truth is a big deal. 607 00:27:42,807 --> 00:27:44,915 Maybe we could turn in the New Testament 608 00:27:44,915 --> 00:27:52,268 to Ephesians 4. 609 00:27:52,268 --> 00:27:54,525 Ephesians 4 is talking about 610 00:27:54,525 --> 00:27:56,118 at the beginning of the chapter 611 00:27:56,118 --> 00:27:59,874 about how Christ has given gifts 612 00:27:59,874 --> 00:28:01,471 to all these preachers 613 00:28:01,471 --> 00:28:04,811 for the building up of the body of Christ 614 00:28:04,811 --> 00:28:08,213 that we might become a mature man, 615 00:28:08,213 --> 00:28:10,008 it says in verse 13. 616 00:28:10,008 --> 00:28:12,641 And then the next verse, verse 14, 617 00:28:12,641 --> 00:28:15,508 he says, "As a result..." 618 00:28:15,508 --> 00:28:18,531 So, as a result of these ministries 619 00:28:18,531 --> 00:28:22,353 of teaching and proclaiming truth to us, 620 00:28:22,353 --> 00:28:24,965 enabling us to become mature - 621 00:28:24,965 --> 00:28:26,780 as a result of that, 622 00:28:26,780 --> 00:28:29,005 Ephesians 4:14, 623 00:28:29,005 --> 00:28:32,421 "We are no longer to be children 624 00:28:32,421 --> 00:28:35,501 tossed here and there by waves 625 00:28:35,501 --> 00:28:37,017 and carried about 626 00:28:37,017 --> 00:28:39,791 by every wind of doctrine, 627 00:28:39,791 --> 00:28:42,495 by the trickery of men, 628 00:28:42,495 --> 00:28:48,076 by craftiness in deceitful scheming. 629 00:28:48,076 --> 00:28:50,021 But speaking the truth in love, 630 00:28:50,021 --> 00:28:52,247 we are to grow up in all aspects 631 00:28:52,247 --> 00:28:54,871 into Him who is the Head, 632 00:28:54,871 --> 00:28:57,573 even Christ." 633 00:28:57,573 --> 00:29:00,995 What imagery this is in verse 14! 634 00:29:00,995 --> 00:29:04,968 Children, tossed here and there by waves; 635 00:29:04,968 --> 00:29:07,808 carried about by every wind of doctrine. 636 00:29:07,808 --> 00:29:10,606 I picture little kids in a rubber raft 637 00:29:10,606 --> 00:29:13,109 out in some storm at sea or something. 638 00:29:13,109 --> 00:29:15,619 It just is this horrible, scary position. 639 00:29:15,619 --> 00:29:18,219 I mean, they're just being blown everywhere. 640 00:29:18,219 --> 00:29:19,907 They can't do anything about it. 641 00:29:19,907 --> 00:29:22,307 They're up and down and all over the place. 642 00:29:22,307 --> 00:29:25,401 And there's people whose lives are that way 643 00:29:25,401 --> 00:29:28,153 because they're not grounded in truth. 644 00:29:28,153 --> 00:29:30,016 See, the issue here is truth. 645 00:29:30,016 --> 00:29:32,628 It's sound teaching. 646 00:29:32,628 --> 00:29:35,886 It's truth that will settle us down 647 00:29:35,886 --> 00:29:37,779 and make us stable. 648 00:29:37,779 --> 00:29:40,300 Hebrews 13:9 says, 649 00:29:40,300 --> 00:29:42,740 "Do not be carried away 650 00:29:42,740 --> 00:29:46,815 by varied and strange teachings." 651 00:29:46,815 --> 00:29:48,714 Carried away. 652 00:29:48,714 --> 00:29:50,927 Drawn off course by varied 653 00:29:50,927 --> 00:29:53,316 and strange teachings. 654 00:29:53,316 --> 00:29:55,767 Have you met a Christian before 655 00:29:55,767 --> 00:29:57,637 that seems pretty solid, 656 00:29:57,637 --> 00:30:00,371 seems to love the Lord a lot, 657 00:30:00,371 --> 00:30:03,214 but they have this strange teaching? 658 00:30:03,214 --> 00:30:06,087 It's like there's this one thing that's just weird 659 00:30:06,087 --> 00:30:07,579 that they're into. 660 00:30:07,579 --> 00:30:10,859 And that one thing never helps them, does it? 661 00:30:10,859 --> 00:30:12,185 They think it's a big deal, 662 00:30:12,185 --> 00:30:13,433 but it's not helping them. 663 00:30:13,433 --> 00:30:15,837 It's drawing them off course. 664 00:30:15,837 --> 00:30:18,801 It's getting them away from the things that matter - 665 00:30:18,801 --> 00:30:21,263 Christ and Him crucified, 666 00:30:21,263 --> 00:30:23,501 the gospel essentials. 667 00:30:23,501 --> 00:30:25,469 Varied and strange teaching. 668 00:30:25,469 --> 00:30:27,049 When the Apostle Peter warns 669 00:30:27,049 --> 00:30:29,420 about false teachers, he says 670 00:30:29,420 --> 00:30:32,912 in 2 Peter 2 - he says that they entice 671 00:30:32,912 --> 00:30:35,338 unstable souls. 672 00:30:35,338 --> 00:30:37,139 He says false teachers are actually 673 00:30:37,139 --> 00:30:39,717 looking for unstable people 674 00:30:39,717 --> 00:30:41,805 and they prey upon them. 675 00:30:41,805 --> 00:30:45,018 So the person that's unstable 676 00:30:45,018 --> 00:30:47,503 because they don't have truth, 677 00:30:47,503 --> 00:30:50,177 now the false teacher comes after you 678 00:30:50,177 --> 00:30:51,669 and now you get worse. 679 00:30:51,669 --> 00:30:56,718 It's like this downward spiral into error. 680 00:30:56,718 --> 00:30:58,925 Fearful picture. 681 00:30:58,925 --> 00:31:01,428 Peter says something similar in the next chapter. 682 00:31:01,428 --> 00:31:03,302 We probably ought to turn over to this. 683 00:31:03,302 --> 00:31:11,688 This is 2 Peter 3:15. 684 00:31:11,688 --> 00:31:20,321 2 Peter 3:15. 685 00:31:20,321 --> 00:31:21,945 So here Peter is talking about 686 00:31:21,945 --> 00:31:27,270 these letters from our beloved brother Paul. 687 00:31:27,270 --> 00:31:29,787 And he mentions in verse 16 688 00:31:29,787 --> 00:31:34,051 that in his letters are some things 689 00:31:34,051 --> 00:31:36,294 hard to understand, 690 00:31:36,294 --> 00:31:38,504 and we know what he's talking about there. 691 00:31:38,504 --> 00:31:40,327 We've encountered some of those things 692 00:31:40,327 --> 00:31:45,119 in Paul's letters that are hard to understand. 693 00:31:45,119 --> 00:31:47,825 But what he has to say is really very serious. 694 00:31:47,825 --> 00:31:51,001 It says, "Which the untaught 695 00:31:51,001 --> 00:31:54,550 and unstable distort." 696 00:31:54,550 --> 00:31:56,252 Untaught and unstable. 697 00:31:56,252 --> 00:31:58,038 That always goes together - 698 00:31:58,038 --> 00:32:00,366 just about always goes together, doesn't it? 699 00:32:00,366 --> 00:32:03,949 Untaught people tend to be unstable people. 700 00:32:03,949 --> 00:32:06,972 And what do they do? 701 00:32:06,972 --> 00:32:08,877 Well, the verb is distort. 702 00:32:08,877 --> 00:32:12,135 They distort those difficult things 703 00:32:12,135 --> 00:32:16,728 as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 704 00:32:16,728 --> 00:32:19,976 So, they're distorting Scripture. 705 00:32:19,976 --> 00:32:21,384 The untaught person; 706 00:32:21,384 --> 00:32:23,611 the spiritually unstable person; 707 00:32:23,611 --> 00:32:25,647 the person not grounded in truth, 708 00:32:25,647 --> 00:32:28,697 they're distorting the Bible. 709 00:32:28,697 --> 00:32:31,930 They're taking it out of its proper proportion, right? 710 00:32:31,930 --> 00:32:35,151 They're majoring on minor stuff often. 711 00:32:35,151 --> 00:32:37,572 And it's like why do you think that's a big deal? 712 00:32:37,572 --> 00:32:40,668 Can't you see the big picture looks like this? 713 00:32:40,668 --> 00:32:44,648 It's distorted. It's twisted. 714 00:32:44,648 --> 00:32:47,810 But the consequence of this is big, isn't it? 715 00:32:47,810 --> 00:32:51,178 It says, "to their own destruction," 716 00:32:51,178 --> 00:32:52,581 at the end of verse 16. 717 00:32:52,581 --> 00:32:55,230 It's not just their theology's a little wrong, 718 00:32:55,230 --> 00:32:57,581 but no, they can be destroyed 719 00:32:57,581 --> 00:32:59,881 for distorting the Scripture, 720 00:32:59,881 --> 00:33:02,832 not understanding truth. 721 00:33:02,832 --> 00:33:04,591 And then he goes on in verse 17, 722 00:33:04,591 --> 00:33:06,223 "you therefore, beloved, 723 00:33:06,223 --> 00:33:07,951 knowing this beforehand, 724 00:33:07,951 --> 00:33:10,331 be on your guard." 725 00:33:10,331 --> 00:33:13,070 He says we need to be careful about this. 726 00:33:13,070 --> 00:33:15,975 "Being carried away by the error 727 00:33:15,975 --> 00:33:17,878 of unprincipled men, 728 00:33:17,878 --> 00:33:20,903 you fall from your own steadfastness." 729 00:33:20,903 --> 00:33:23,034 It's like you think you're solid. 730 00:33:23,034 --> 00:33:24,891 You think you're doing well now. 731 00:33:24,891 --> 00:33:26,236 Well, just be careful, 732 00:33:26,236 --> 00:33:27,811 you don't get enticed 733 00:33:27,811 --> 00:33:30,402 by some of this false teaching out here 734 00:33:30,402 --> 00:33:33,530 and you lose your own steadfastness. 735 00:33:33,530 --> 00:33:35,957 You can be steadfast and then lose it 736 00:33:35,957 --> 00:33:37,944 when you get into error. 737 00:33:37,944 --> 00:33:39,590 That's what he's warning against. 738 00:33:39,590 --> 00:33:41,012 So truth matters, right, 739 00:33:41,012 --> 00:33:44,373 you cannot separate good doctrine 740 00:33:44,373 --> 00:33:47,336 from right living. 741 00:33:47,336 --> 00:33:49,419 The more grounded in truth you are 742 00:33:49,419 --> 00:33:51,546 the more stable and consistent 743 00:33:51,546 --> 00:33:54,852 your Christian life ought to be. 744 00:33:54,852 --> 00:33:56,844 Well, that leads us to a sixth thing 745 00:33:56,844 --> 00:33:58,905 about stable Christians, 746 00:33:58,905 --> 00:34:01,170 and that is that stable Christians 747 00:34:01,170 --> 00:34:04,475 resist the devil 748 00:34:04,475 --> 00:34:06,673 with the whole armor of God. 749 00:34:06,673 --> 00:34:09,229 Stable Christians will resist the devil 750 00:34:09,229 --> 00:34:10,988 through the whole armor of God. 751 00:34:10,988 --> 00:34:12,792 See, there's things that come at us 752 00:34:12,792 --> 00:34:14,230 to try to destabilize us. 753 00:34:14,230 --> 00:34:16,466 So false teaching tries to do that. 754 00:34:16,466 --> 00:34:18,864 Trials seek to do that. 755 00:34:18,864 --> 00:34:20,918 Well, here's one more. Here's the devil. 756 00:34:20,918 --> 00:34:22,209 The devil's coming at us 757 00:34:22,209 --> 00:34:25,310 to try to destabilize us; to knock us down; 758 00:34:25,310 --> 00:34:29,124 to make the chart go crazy. 759 00:34:29,124 --> 00:34:32,657 Ephesians 6. Let's just read that paragraph 760 00:34:32,657 --> 00:34:35,383 about the armor. 761 00:34:35,383 --> 00:34:37,928 Ephesians 6, and as we read this, 762 00:34:37,928 --> 00:34:40,157 I want you to look for all the references 763 00:34:40,157 --> 00:34:44,686 to stability in these familiar verses. 764 00:34:44,686 --> 00:34:47,510 Ephesians 6:10, he says, 765 00:34:47,510 --> 00:34:52,695 "Finally, be strong in the Lord..." 766 00:34:52,695 --> 00:34:54,073 Be strong. 767 00:34:54,073 --> 00:34:56,519 "...And in the strength of His might. 768 00:34:56,519 --> 00:34:58,295 Put on the full armor of God 769 00:34:58,295 --> 00:35:01,053 that you may be able to stand firm..." 770 00:35:01,053 --> 00:35:02,885 There's the stability term. 771 00:35:02,885 --> 00:35:05,700 "...Stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 772 00:35:05,700 --> 00:35:08,139 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 773 00:35:08,139 --> 00:35:10,257 but against the rulers, against the powers, 774 00:35:10,257 --> 00:35:12,412 against the world forces of this darkness, 775 00:35:12,412 --> 00:35:14,886 against spiritual forces of wickedness 776 00:35:14,886 --> 00:35:16,141 in the heavenly places. 777 00:35:16,141 --> 00:35:19,176 Therefore take up the full armor of God 778 00:35:19,176 --> 00:35:21,904 that you may be able to resist in the evil day 779 00:35:21,904 --> 00:35:27,594 having done everything to stand firm. 780 00:35:27,594 --> 00:35:29,795 Stand firm therefore, 781 00:35:29,795 --> 00:35:31,968 having girded your loins with truth; 782 00:35:31,968 --> 00:35:34,848 having put on the breastplate of righteousness; 783 00:35:34,848 --> 00:35:37,172 having shod your feet with the preparation 784 00:35:37,172 --> 00:35:38,552 of the gospel of peace, 785 00:35:38,552 --> 00:35:39,905 in addition to all, 786 00:35:39,905 --> 00:35:41,826 taking up the shield of faith 787 00:35:41,826 --> 00:35:44,300 with which you'll be able to extinguish 788 00:35:44,300 --> 00:35:48,319 all the flaming missiles of the evil one. 789 00:35:48,319 --> 00:35:50,419 And take the helmet of salvation 790 00:35:50,419 --> 00:35:51,938 and the sword of the Spirit 791 00:35:51,938 --> 00:35:55,748 which is the Word of God." 792 00:35:55,748 --> 00:35:58,054 So the devil is constantly attacking us. 793 00:35:58,054 --> 00:36:03,060 He's trying to destabilize us with lies, 794 00:36:03,060 --> 00:36:05,337 with slanders, with temptations, 795 00:36:05,337 --> 00:36:10,238 with all sorts of unbelieving thoughts and ideas. 796 00:36:10,238 --> 00:36:13,452 However he can get those into our heads. 797 00:36:13,452 --> 00:36:16,619 Ultimately, he's trying to make us casualties. 798 00:36:16,619 --> 00:36:19,724 He's trying to get you off the battlefield. 799 00:36:19,724 --> 00:36:24,230 He's trying to destroy your soul. 800 00:36:24,230 --> 00:36:25,683 Christ on the other hand, 801 00:36:25,683 --> 00:36:27,899 He wants us to stand firm 802 00:36:27,899 --> 00:36:29,442 against the devil's schemes. 803 00:36:29,442 --> 00:36:32,045 To resist. Resist him. 804 00:36:32,045 --> 00:36:33,937 Resist the doubts and temptations. 805 00:36:33,937 --> 00:36:35,529 How are we going to do that? 806 00:36:35,529 --> 00:36:40,039 Verse 13, "Take up the full armor of God." 807 00:36:40,039 --> 00:36:41,307 The full armor. 808 00:36:41,307 --> 00:36:42,964 I emphasize that "full" part. 809 00:36:42,964 --> 00:36:44,490 We're not going to go through, 810 00:36:44,490 --> 00:36:46,143 we don't have time to go through 811 00:36:46,143 --> 00:36:48,701 each of the parts of the armor that he mentions here. 812 00:36:48,701 --> 00:36:52,715 The point is that God has given us the equipment. 813 00:36:52,715 --> 00:36:55,821 God has given us sufficient means 814 00:36:55,821 --> 00:36:59,860 whereby we don't have to be exposed to him. 815 00:36:59,860 --> 00:37:02,244 When somebody keeps being attacked 816 00:37:02,244 --> 00:37:03,863 by the devil and brought down, 817 00:37:03,863 --> 00:37:06,712 it's often the case that they're just not 818 00:37:06,712 --> 00:37:09,481 applying the spiritual armor. 819 00:37:09,481 --> 00:37:12,395 They're leaving themselves exposed somehow 820 00:37:12,395 --> 00:37:14,575 and the devil's going right after that thing 821 00:37:14,575 --> 00:37:17,039 again and again. 822 00:37:17,039 --> 00:37:19,459 They're in trouble. 823 00:37:19,459 --> 00:37:23,778 Their life is unstable as a result. 824 00:37:23,778 --> 00:37:27,191 God's armor is sufficient to protect us; 825 00:37:27,191 --> 00:37:30,539 to enable us to stand firm. 826 00:37:30,539 --> 00:37:33,448 He's provided all the means necessary, 827 00:37:33,448 --> 00:37:35,361 but it's up to us to put on the armor. 828 00:37:35,361 --> 00:37:37,958 That's what it says. You've got to do something here. 829 00:37:37,958 --> 00:37:39,545 You've got to apply this. 830 00:37:39,545 --> 00:37:41,258 You've got to put it on yourself. 831 00:37:41,258 --> 00:37:43,766 You've got to walk in this reality. 832 00:37:43,766 --> 00:37:46,774 And if we do, we'll stand firm. 833 00:37:46,774 --> 00:37:48,916 We can stand firm against him. 834 00:37:48,916 --> 00:37:50,545 We can resist the devil 835 00:37:50,545 --> 00:37:52,939 and he'll flee from us, it says. 836 00:37:52,939 --> 00:37:55,487 Very encouraging words. 837 00:37:55,487 --> 00:37:58,105 We can resist him 838 00:37:58,105 --> 00:38:00,200 through the armor that He's given us. 839 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:04,643 So six things so far about stable Christians. 840 00:38:04,643 --> 00:38:06,330 We'll see if I can remember them. 841 00:38:06,330 --> 00:38:11,149 The first is that stable Christians are fruitful. 842 00:38:11,149 --> 00:38:13,392 They're fruitful. 843 00:38:13,392 --> 00:38:15,130 You might think of stability 844 00:38:15,130 --> 00:38:17,030 as being something kind of boring. 845 00:38:17,030 --> 00:38:18,906 You think a person that's real stable, 846 00:38:18,906 --> 00:38:21,396 I bet they're not really accomplishing much for God. 847 00:38:21,396 --> 00:38:22,811 No, just the opposite. 848 00:38:22,811 --> 00:38:24,660 The stable Christian is going to be 849 00:38:24,660 --> 00:38:26,733 the one abounding in fruitfulness. 850 00:38:26,733 --> 00:38:28,745 He's going to be the productive Christian. 851 00:38:28,745 --> 00:38:31,621 So fruitfulness is first off. 852 00:38:31,621 --> 00:38:34,063 Secondly, stable Christians avoid 853 00:38:34,063 --> 00:38:35,563 bad influences. 854 00:38:35,563 --> 00:38:38,144 They're not hanging out with scoffers all the time 855 00:38:38,144 --> 00:38:40,626 and being brought down by that. 856 00:38:40,626 --> 00:38:43,898 Thirdly, stable Christians are consistent 857 00:38:43,898 --> 00:38:46,030 in their spiritual disciplines. 858 00:38:46,030 --> 00:38:48,528 Just read your Bible and pray every day. 859 00:38:48,528 --> 00:38:50,195 Just that kind of stuff. 860 00:38:50,195 --> 00:38:53,617 Fourthly, stable Christians can handle 861 00:38:53,617 --> 00:38:59,164 the trials of life without being destroyed by it; 862 00:38:59,164 --> 00:39:01,226 without being brought down by it. 863 00:39:01,226 --> 00:39:04,918 Fifthly, stable Christians embrace 864 00:39:04,918 --> 00:39:06,949 sound doctrine. 865 00:39:06,949 --> 00:39:09,095 You've got to have truth 866 00:39:09,095 --> 00:39:11,585 if you're going to stand firm. 867 00:39:11,585 --> 00:39:14,241 Then sixthly here, stable Christians 868 00:39:14,241 --> 00:39:18,172 resist the devil through the whole armor of God 869 00:39:18,172 --> 00:39:20,418 that He's provided. 870 00:39:20,418 --> 00:39:22,133 And that leaves us with one more. 871 00:39:22,133 --> 00:39:26,896 Stable Christians make it to heaven. 872 00:39:26,896 --> 00:39:33,901 Stable Christians will make it to heaven. 873 00:39:33,901 --> 00:39:35,284 I want you to be clear. 874 00:39:35,284 --> 00:39:38,714 I'm not preaching about these things 875 00:39:38,714 --> 00:39:42,428 just so your pastors will have an easier time 876 00:39:42,428 --> 00:39:44,803 counseling you in your life. 877 00:39:44,803 --> 00:39:48,054 Though it may have that effect. 878 00:39:48,054 --> 00:39:49,670 But I'm talking about these things 879 00:39:49,670 --> 00:39:51,938 because they're essential 880 00:39:51,938 --> 00:39:57,277 for you making it to heaven at all. 881 00:39:57,277 --> 00:39:59,876 Without this stability, 882 00:39:59,876 --> 00:40:04,259 I doubt whether we can make it. 883 00:40:04,259 --> 00:40:06,696 If the chart is just volatile, 884 00:40:06,696 --> 00:40:08,820 if it's just up and down and up and down, 885 00:40:08,820 --> 00:40:10,982 maybe at some point, it just crashes, 886 00:40:10,982 --> 00:40:14,219 and you're never heard from again. 887 00:40:14,219 --> 00:40:15,933 You see, a true Christian 888 00:40:15,933 --> 00:40:19,846 doesn't just make a profession of faith, 889 00:40:19,846 --> 00:40:23,354 but he also steadily perseveres 890 00:40:23,354 --> 00:40:25,326 in that profession. 891 00:40:25,326 --> 00:40:29,223 He perseveres. How long? How far? 892 00:40:29,223 --> 00:40:31,176 All the way to the end. 893 00:40:31,176 --> 00:40:33,130 Jesus talked about it again and again. 894 00:40:33,130 --> 00:40:35,514 Jesus made a big emphasis 895 00:40:35,514 --> 00:40:38,833 that it's not in how exciting; 896 00:40:38,833 --> 00:40:41,287 it's not in how much drama there is 897 00:40:41,287 --> 00:40:43,055 when you become a Christian, 898 00:40:43,055 --> 00:40:46,346 but it's continuing on steadily 899 00:40:46,346 --> 00:40:48,040 in that walk with the Lord 900 00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:49,431 that gets you there; 901 00:40:49,431 --> 00:40:51,185 that gets you to heaven in the end. 902 00:40:51,185 --> 00:40:54,504 Jesus says repeatedly really, 903 00:40:54,504 --> 00:40:57,459 but here's Matthew 10:22, 904 00:40:57,459 --> 00:41:00,527 "It's the one who endures to the end who'll be saved." 905 00:41:00,527 --> 00:41:02,971 Jesus kept saying that. Endure to the end. 906 00:41:02,971 --> 00:41:05,466 Endure to the end and you'll be saved. 907 00:41:05,466 --> 00:41:06,991 How about there in Luke 9 908 00:41:06,991 --> 00:41:08,001 where Jesus says, 909 00:41:08,001 --> 00:41:11,022 "No one who puts his hand to the plow 910 00:41:11,022 --> 00:41:13,387 and looks back... 911 00:41:13,387 --> 00:41:14,913 is fit for the kingdom of God." 912 00:41:14,913 --> 00:41:16,304 If you become a Christian - 913 00:41:16,304 --> 00:41:18,023 if you put your hands on the plow, 914 00:41:18,023 --> 00:41:21,460 you go right straight on across the field. 915 00:41:21,460 --> 00:41:22,962 Don't keep looking back. 916 00:41:22,962 --> 00:41:25,085 Don't keep looking back to Egypt. 917 00:41:25,085 --> 00:41:29,106 You press on with the Lord. 918 00:41:29,106 --> 00:41:31,725 Jesus' parable about the sower and the soils. 919 00:41:31,725 --> 00:41:34,221 Really, it's the same thing, right? 920 00:41:34,221 --> 00:41:38,709 You guys are familiar with the four different types of soil. 921 00:41:38,709 --> 00:41:40,905 It's not the beginning that matters. 922 00:41:40,905 --> 00:41:42,395 In three of those cases, 923 00:41:42,395 --> 00:41:44,747 the seed germinates and grows 924 00:41:44,747 --> 00:41:46,517 and looks great at first. 925 00:41:46,517 --> 00:41:48,688 The issue is what's going to be fruitful 926 00:41:48,688 --> 00:41:49,862 in the end. 927 00:41:49,862 --> 00:41:52,106 There's only one of those four 928 00:41:52,106 --> 00:41:54,957 that actually makes it to maturity; 929 00:41:54,957 --> 00:41:58,241 actually becomes a fruitful plant 930 00:41:58,241 --> 00:41:59,295 in the end. 931 00:41:59,295 --> 00:42:01,508 That represents the real Christian. 932 00:42:01,508 --> 00:42:03,627 The book of Hebrews gives so many warnings 933 00:42:03,627 --> 00:42:05,936 about the danger of apostasy. 934 00:42:05,936 --> 00:42:09,336 One thing it says in Hebrews 10:23, 935 00:42:09,336 --> 00:42:12,138 it says, "Let us hold fast the confession 936 00:42:12,138 --> 00:42:15,588 of our hope without wavering." 937 00:42:15,588 --> 00:42:16,904 Without wavering. 938 00:42:16,904 --> 00:42:20,146 Without this up and down inconsistency. 939 00:42:20,146 --> 00:42:23,050 Hold it fast without wavering 940 00:42:23,050 --> 00:42:26,293 all the way to the end. 941 00:42:26,293 --> 00:42:29,216 You see, this is why spiritual stability 942 00:42:29,216 --> 00:42:30,795 is so important. 943 00:42:30,795 --> 00:42:33,639 A lifetime is a really long time. 944 00:42:33,639 --> 00:42:36,374 A bunch of you younger folks, 945 00:42:36,374 --> 00:42:38,832 you might need to follow Christ - 946 00:42:38,832 --> 00:42:40,046 if the Lord tarries, 947 00:42:40,046 --> 00:42:43,061 you might be following Christ another 50 years. 948 00:42:43,061 --> 00:42:45,904 A whole lot of stuff's going to happen in those 50 years. 949 00:42:45,904 --> 00:42:47,537 Things are going to happen to you. 950 00:42:47,537 --> 00:42:49,444 Things are going to happen in the world. 951 00:42:49,444 --> 00:42:54,106 We can scarcely imagine I suspect. 952 00:42:54,106 --> 00:42:56,664 How are you going to continue on with the Lord 953 00:42:56,664 --> 00:42:58,549 if there's not a settledness; 954 00:42:58,549 --> 00:43:01,612 if there's not a day to day consistency 955 00:43:01,612 --> 00:43:02,799 in your walk with Him; 956 00:43:02,799 --> 00:43:04,917 if you're just up and down and up and down. 957 00:43:04,917 --> 00:43:06,814 How are you going to make it that far? 958 00:43:06,814 --> 00:43:08,840 How are you going to make it that far? 959 00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:11,260 We want you to make it all the way home 960 00:43:11,260 --> 00:43:13,354 to Heaven. 961 00:43:13,354 --> 00:43:15,878 There's a race that's set before us 962 00:43:15,878 --> 00:43:16,876 the Bible says. 963 00:43:16,876 --> 00:43:19,765 There's a race. And it's not a sprint. 964 00:43:19,765 --> 00:43:21,015 It's not a sprint, is it. 965 00:43:21,015 --> 00:43:24,879 It's a long distance marathon. 966 00:43:24,879 --> 00:43:28,950 It's an ultra-marathon that is set before us. 967 00:43:28,950 --> 00:43:30,297 Those marathon runners - 968 00:43:30,297 --> 00:43:31,696 they're not flashy. 969 00:43:31,696 --> 00:43:34,520 They're not usually very muscular. 970 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:36,533 They're almost mechanical. 971 00:43:36,533 --> 00:43:39,524 They just keep on going. 972 00:43:39,524 --> 00:43:41,748 They get to the pace 973 00:43:41,748 --> 00:43:43,645 and they maintain that pace 974 00:43:43,645 --> 00:43:47,008 until they reach the end. 975 00:43:47,008 --> 00:43:49,062 That's a picture of the Christian life. 976 00:43:49,062 --> 00:43:50,107 That's steadiness. 977 00:43:50,107 --> 00:43:51,607 That's consistency. 978 00:43:51,607 --> 00:43:53,307 That will get you to heaven. 979 00:43:53,307 --> 00:43:55,226 Paul could say at the end of his life, 980 00:43:55,226 --> 00:43:56,829 "I have fought the good fight. 981 00:43:56,829 --> 00:43:59,246 I have finished the course. 982 00:43:59,246 --> 00:44:00,865 I've kept the faith." 983 00:44:00,865 --> 00:44:02,907 He finished the course. 984 00:44:02,907 --> 00:44:09,055 He was consistent all the way to the end. 985 00:44:09,055 --> 00:44:11,618 Now, brethren, we know that it's God - 986 00:44:11,618 --> 00:44:13,576 it's God in His mercy 987 00:44:13,576 --> 00:44:15,866 that enables us to persevere, right? 988 00:44:15,866 --> 00:44:18,369 I mean, we're kept by the power of God 989 00:44:18,369 --> 00:44:20,297 it says in 1 Peter 1. 990 00:44:20,297 --> 00:44:22,181 We know that. We know it. 991 00:44:22,181 --> 00:44:24,961 Peter says in chapter 5 that it's God 992 00:44:24,961 --> 00:44:26,982 who perfects and confirms 993 00:44:26,982 --> 00:44:29,969 and strengthens and establishes us. 994 00:44:29,969 --> 00:44:34,834 Our perseverance is a miracle of divine grace. 995 00:44:34,834 --> 00:44:37,121 But this sermon's not about that. 996 00:44:37,121 --> 00:44:39,839 It's not about the sovereignty of God side. 997 00:44:39,839 --> 00:44:43,605 This is about the responsibility of man side. 998 00:44:43,605 --> 00:44:47,939 That God has given us the means; 999 00:44:47,939 --> 00:44:49,583 He's put it right in our hands 1000 00:44:49,583 --> 00:44:51,366 right in front of us - 1001 00:44:51,366 --> 00:44:53,926 means we can lay hold of 1002 00:44:53,926 --> 00:44:57,385 to become more spiritually stable 1003 00:44:57,385 --> 00:44:58,988 in our walk with Him, 1004 00:44:58,988 --> 00:45:01,140 and thus more fruitful; 1005 00:45:01,140 --> 00:45:04,406 thus more productive in the kingdom; 1006 00:45:04,406 --> 00:45:07,756 thus have more love and joy and peace; 1007 00:45:07,756 --> 00:45:11,097 thus know Him more, etc., etc. 1008 00:45:11,097 --> 00:45:14,415 God has put the means in our hands 1009 00:45:14,415 --> 00:45:18,428 if we'll be diligent to lay hold of them. 1010 00:45:18,428 --> 00:45:22,038 So that's our exhortation for today. 1011 00:45:22,038 --> 00:45:24,184 And as we do that, 1012 00:45:24,184 --> 00:45:27,499 our chart will start to smooth out. 1013 00:45:27,499 --> 00:45:29,860 Instead of the big ups and downs, 1014 00:45:29,860 --> 00:45:31,850 the ups and downs will get smaller. 1015 00:45:31,850 --> 00:45:34,367 And the line will start going upward. 1016 00:45:34,367 --> 00:45:37,476 There will be growth. There will be progress 1017 00:45:37,476 --> 00:45:38,792 with the Lord. 1018 00:45:38,792 --> 00:45:43,037 Are we all convinced that we can make progress? 1019 00:45:43,037 --> 00:45:45,735 We can grow in grace. 1020 00:45:45,735 --> 00:45:47,936 Are we all convinced 1021 00:45:47,936 --> 00:45:50,574 that we can become more sanctified? 1022 00:45:50,574 --> 00:45:52,986 That there's more of Christ to be known? 1023 00:45:52,986 --> 00:45:55,251 There's more reality to walk in? 1024 00:45:55,251 --> 00:45:57,766 There's more of Canaan to be conquered 1025 00:45:57,766 --> 00:46:00,425 and enjoyed in this life? 1026 00:46:00,425 --> 00:46:03,447 Are we still pressing on the upward way? 1027 00:46:03,447 --> 00:46:07,503 New heights I'm gaining every day? 1028 00:46:07,503 --> 00:46:10,095 Though some may dwell where these abound, 1029 00:46:10,095 --> 00:46:13,418 my constant aim is higher ground. 1030 00:46:13,418 --> 00:46:15,477 Can we say that? Is that a reality for us? 1031 00:46:15,477 --> 00:46:17,021 I hope so. 1032 00:46:17,021 --> 00:46:22,682 Amen.