The Joy Of Victory
September 28, 2020
27:29
The sound Bible-based teaching of Turning Point carries forward the goal of delivering the unchanging Word of God to an ever-changing world.
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The Joy Of Victory
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- ♪♪♪
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- female announcer: Are youwaiting for joy to find you?
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- Don't wait, claim a happinessthat circumstances cannot change
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- with Dr. Jeremiah's book,"Count It All Joy."
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- In this rich exploration of thebiblical book of Philippians,
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- Dr. Jeremiah uncoversthe Apostle Paul's secret
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- to experiencing a joythat carried Paul
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- through the mostdifficult times.
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- Discover this happinessfor yourself with
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- "Count It All Joy,"
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- to send you in appreciationthe "Count It All Joy" set,
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- which includes his book, hiscomplete newly preached,
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- male announcer: Thank youfor watching "Count It All Joy"
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- on "Turning Point."
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- Now, here is Dr. Jeremiah withhis message, The Joy Of Victory.
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- Dr. David Jeremiah:Here in this section,
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- Paul is gonna let usin on the secret.
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- He's gonna tell us what it takesto win, what it takes to
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- reach the goal, the goalthat he had in his heart.
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- As he looks over his shoulder,Paul is gonna tell us how
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- he appraised the past.
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- As he looks forwardto the future,
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- he's gonna help us understandhis lofty goals.
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- And as he moves back tothe present, he'll help us
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- with a strategy that,not only worked for him,
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- but will work for any of uswho will apply it to our lives.
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- Let's begin with hisliabilities of the past.
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- In verse 7 and 8 he says thisabout what his life used to be.
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- He said, "Whatthings were gain to me,
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- these I have countedloss for Christ.
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- Yet indeed I also count allthings loss for the excellence
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- of the knowledge of ChristJesus my Lord, for whom I have
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- suffered the loss of all things,and count them as rubbish."
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- I don't know about you,but that's what happens
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- to a lot of peoplewhen they come to Christ.
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- All the things they made funof and didn't want anything
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- to do with, now becomeso precious to them.
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- And all the things they thoughtwere worthy of their time,
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- and money, and experience,
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- they no longer had anyinterest in them at all.
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- When Jesus Christ comes to livewithin your heart, he doesn't
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- just forgive you of your sin.
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- The Bible says old thingsbegin to pass away,
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- and all things become new.
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- That's what happened to Paul.
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- It all changed one day when hewas confronted by the Savior.
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- As Paul evaluated his life,remembering that day on the road
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- to Damascus, he used a wordthat is really interesting.
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- He said that everythingthat he had before
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- that that he thought wasworthy, all of his gains,
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- all of that now hadbecome loss to him.
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- And the word that he usesfor "loss" from the language
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- of the New Testament isan amazing word.
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- It's only used twice in allthe Bible here and in Acts 27.
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- Paul said that, "When I becamea Christian, everything that
- 00:04:06.863 --> 00:04:09.932
- I thought was good before, Irealized was not important.
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- It was loss."
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- The word in the Greek languagewas used in Acts 27
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- of a very interestingmoment in Paul's life.
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- If you read the 27th chapterof Acts, you will discover
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- that it records the storyof a shipwreck,
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- which Paul participated in.He was aboard the ship.
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- And the story pictures how thisship was on its way for Italy
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- and it was loaded with cargo.This was their gain.
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- This was their wayof doing business.
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- They had wheat and otherthings aboard the ship.
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- On the way to Italy, the shiphit a terrible storm,
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- and the captain of the ship knewif he didn't offload the cargo,
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- the passengerswouldn't live.
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- The ship was broken apart,they offloaded the cargo.
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- The passengers were able to makeit and no one was lost, but
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- the whole concept of takingall that was gain on that ship
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- and in offloading it so thatthe passengers
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- could be saved is the word thatPaul uses here in this text.
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- What he's saying is,"When I became a Christian,
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- all the cargo thatI thought was so good for me,
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- I had to offload that.
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- I had to get rid of it, so thatI could become a Christian."
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- Jesus said it this way.
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- He said, "Whoever desires tosave his life will lose it,
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- but whoever loses his lifefor My sake will find it.
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- For what profit is it to a manif he gains the whole world,
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- and loses his own soul?
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- Or what will a man givein exchange for his soul?"
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- How many of you know thatwhen you meet Christ,
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- you get a whole newset of values?
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- You get a whole new set ofthings, a whole new set of
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- loves, and a whole new set ofstuff that doesn't matter to you
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- all that much anymore.
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- That's what happens when JesusChrist comes into your life.
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- So, he looked at his past, hehas a good understanding
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- of his past.
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- Now he's gonna talk aboutthe possibilities of the future.
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- Notice in verse 8 Paulsays, "I do all of this.
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- I see all of this.
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- I understand this becauseI have some new goals.
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- My new goals are that I may gainChrist and be found in Him,
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- not having my own righteousness,which is from the law, but that
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- which is through faith inChrist, the righteousness which
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- is from God by faith; that I mayknow Him and the power of His
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- resurrection, and the fellowshipof His sufferings,
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- being conformed to His death,if, by any means,
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- I may attain to the resurrectionfrom the dead."
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- When Paul said he wanted togain Christ, he is helping us
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- understand that his new goal inlife, which should be our goal,
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- as Christians, this ishow we should think.
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- This is what weshould be looking at.
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- Now that Jesus Christhas dealt with our sin
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- and we are in the family of God,
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- our goal should be the goalsthat Paul set out here.
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- First of all, he said that inhis own life as he looked to
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- the future, the one thing thathe wanted to do more than
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- anything else was to knowthe person of Jesus Christ.
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- Many who consider themselvesChristians have a knowledge
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- of Christ, but it'sjust a head knowledge.
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- The knowledge Paul is talkingabout here it goes deeper.
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- It's the surpassingknowledge of Jesus Christ.
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- In verse 3 of John 17, thisis the Lord's Prayer for us.
- 00:07:29.565 --> 00:07:35.104
- "And this is eternal life, thatthey may know You, the only
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- true God, and Jesus Christwhom You have sent."
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- This is the prayer Paul prayedfor the Ephesians believers
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- in Ephesians chapter 1.
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- He said, "That you may know whatis the exceeding greatness of
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- His power toward us who believe,according to the working of
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- His mighty power, whichhe worked in Christ
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- when He raised himfrom the dead."
- 00:08:02.365 --> 00:08:04.667
- The knowledge of the personof Jesus Christ is what sets
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- Christianity apart fromall the other religions.
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- A relationship with Jesus Christis the key ingredient that makes
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- Christianity differentthan any religion
- 00:08:14.777 --> 00:08:17.013
- you have ever heard about.
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- It's not enough for us justto know about a leader and
- 00:08:18.781 --> 00:08:21.684
- subscribe to his agenda butwhen you become a Christian,
- 00:08:21.717 --> 00:08:25.688
- you enter into a relationshipwith the living Son of God
- 00:08:25.721 --> 00:08:29.625
- and you deepenthat relationship.
- 00:08:29.659 --> 00:08:31.394
- Paul said, "My goal isto know Jesus better."
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- That's a wonderful goal tohave in your life this year,
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- "I want to get to knowJesus better."
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- Then he said, "I want to knowthe power of Christ,
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- and the powerof his resurrection."
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- As believers, we have knownthe power of Christ when he
- 00:08:48.444 --> 00:08:53.282
- saved us, but Paul tells us thatas we walk the Christian life,
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- that power, that resurrectionpower that brought Jesus out
- 00:08:58.321 --> 00:09:01.691
- of the grave right through thegrave clothes and brought him
- 00:09:01.724 --> 00:09:04.760
- back out alive and the sameperson he was before but
- 00:09:04.794 --> 00:09:07.830
- with his glorified body, thatkind of resurrection power,
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- says the Scripture wehave available to us.
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- And I have to ask myself,and I'm sure you ask yourself,
- 00:09:15.504 --> 00:09:18.207
- "Have I ever accessedthat power?
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- Have I ever in my life been at aplace where there was no hope,
- 00:09:22.445 --> 00:09:28.084
- but the power ofGod broke through?
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- Have I ever had anythingin my life that can only
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- be explained because of God?"
- 00:09:33.789 --> 00:09:36.626
- Paul wanted to seethis in his life.
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- He didn't want to just live anormal, natural Christian life.
- 00:09:39.061 --> 00:09:42.398
- He wanted to livea supernatural life.
- 00:09:42.431 --> 00:09:44.400
- He wanted to live a lifethat the power of God that was
- 00:09:44.433 --> 00:09:48.070
- resident in the resurrectionbecame his own personal power.
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- Read his story and seeif he didn't see
- 00:09:51.140 --> 00:09:53.142
- that happen along the way.
- 00:09:53.175 --> 00:09:56.178
- And then he said not only didhe want to know the person of
- 00:09:56.212 --> 00:09:58.814
- Christ and the power of Christ,he wanted to know the passion
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- of Christ and the fellowship ofhis sufferings being conformed
- 00:10:02.385 --> 00:10:06.589
- to his death.
- 00:10:06.622 --> 00:10:08.624
- This is heavy stuff.
- 00:10:09.258 --> 00:10:11.460
- This is not low hanging fruit.
- 00:10:11.494 --> 00:10:14.397
- This is like I need to get up onthe ladder and grab hold of this
- 00:10:14.430 --> 00:10:18.034
- because the imprisoned apostleis actually praying for the
- 00:10:18.067 --> 00:10:22.538
- opportunity of identifyingwith Christ in his suffering.
- 00:10:22.571 --> 00:10:28.344
- The suffering that we go throughis to bring us into the realm
- 00:10:28.377 --> 00:10:33.549
- of the suffering ofthe Lord Jesus, as he went
- 00:10:33.582 --> 00:10:36.185
- through his passionon the cross,
- 00:10:36.218 --> 00:10:39.855
- his death, his burial,his resurrection.
- 00:10:39.889 --> 00:10:42.958
- Peter wrote this about sufferingto his readers, he said,
- 00:10:42.992 --> 00:10:47.496
- "For to this you were called,because Christ also suffered
- 00:10:47.530 --> 00:10:51.400
- for us, leaving usan example,
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- that you should followHis steps," hmm?
- 00:10:53.803 --> 00:10:58.040
- And did you ever stopand think about what
- 00:10:58.074 --> 00:11:00.342
- the Lord Jesus saidabout all this?
- 00:11:00.376 --> 00:11:02.845
- He said, "Blessed arethose who are persecuted
- 00:11:02.878 --> 00:11:05.414
- for righteousness' sake, fortheirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- 00:11:05.448 --> 00:11:09.919
- Blessed are you when they revileand persecute you, and say all
- 00:11:09.952 --> 00:11:13.155
- kinds of evil againstyou falsely for My sake.
- 00:11:13.189 --> 00:11:17.026
- Rejoice and be exceedingly glad,
- 00:11:17.059 --> 00:11:19.428
- for great is yourreward in heaven,
- 00:11:19.462 --> 00:11:21.597
- for so they persecuted theprophets who were before you."
- 00:11:21.630 --> 00:11:24.667
- Paul wrote in verse 29 ofchapter 1 of this very epistle,
- 00:11:27.303 --> 00:11:30.873
- "For to you it has beengranted on behalf of Christ,
- 00:11:30.906 --> 00:11:34.009
- not only to believe in Him, butalso to suffer for His sake."
- 00:11:34.043 --> 00:11:38.714
- I don't know if you need it now,I don't know if you need that
- 00:11:38.748 --> 00:11:42.084
- now but sometimeyou're gonna need it
- 00:11:42.118 --> 00:11:45.187
- because it's justa part of life.
- 00:11:45.221 --> 00:11:48.157
- Suffering isn't wasted activity.
- 00:11:48.190 --> 00:11:50.993
- According to the New Testament,there is a tremendous advantage
- 00:11:51.026 --> 00:11:54.697
- that comes to us when we sufferbecause Jesus Christ
- 00:11:54.730 --> 00:12:00.469
- suffered for us.
- 00:12:00.503 --> 00:12:04.006
- Romans 8:17 puts it this way,"If we suffer with him,
- 00:12:04.039 --> 00:12:09.211
- we also will beglorified together."
- 00:12:09.245 --> 00:12:12.248
- Paul wanted to know the personof Christ, the power of Christ,
- 00:12:12.281 --> 00:12:15.785
- and the passion of Christ.
- 00:12:15.818 --> 00:12:17.219
- One more, this was a little bitobscure in the text,
- 00:12:17.253 --> 00:12:20.990
- but this is what the text says,"If by any means I may attain
- 00:12:21.023 --> 00:12:24.426
- to the resurrectionfrom the dead."
- 00:12:24.460 --> 00:12:25.895
- Well, Paul's already attained tothe resurrection from the dead
- 00:12:25.928 --> 00:12:28.731
- through salvation.
- 00:12:28.764 --> 00:12:30.099
- But the word "resurrection"here is an interesting word for
- 00:12:30.132 --> 00:12:32.568
- resurrection, it actually meansthat, "I may attain to the out
- 00:12:32.601 --> 00:12:36.338
- resurrection from the dead," andit's a veiled expression talking
- 00:12:36.372 --> 00:12:40.543
- about the time when Jesus Christcomes back at the Rapture.
- 00:12:40.576 --> 00:12:45.447
- When the dead in Christ shallrise at the time of the Rapture,
- 00:12:45.481 --> 00:12:48.584
- the next event is the rewardingof the saints at the judgment
- 00:12:48.617 --> 00:12:51.520
- seat of Christ.
- 00:12:51.554 --> 00:12:52.922
- And Paul is speaking of thatmoment and he's saying,
- 00:12:52.955 --> 00:12:55.691
- "one day I'm gonna stand beforethe Lord after the resurrection
- 00:12:55.724 --> 00:12:59.528
- in heaven, and he's going togive out these trophies,
- 00:12:59.562 --> 00:13:03.032
- and I don't want to beempty handed."
- 00:13:03.065 --> 00:13:05.801
- How many of you know that whenwe get to heaven, the Lord
- 00:13:05.835 --> 00:13:07.903
- Jesus Christ at the judgmentseat of Christ, is gonna give
- 00:13:07.937 --> 00:13:10.706
- rewards for those who have runthe race as Christians?
- 00:13:10.739 --> 00:13:15.211
- Not about salvation,this is about how we
- 00:13:15.244 --> 00:13:18.047
- have lived as believers.
- 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:19.582
- And Paul says, "I don't wantto be left out at that moment."
- 00:13:19.615 --> 00:13:23.519
- You say, "Well, that's gonnabe hard, all these Christians
- 00:13:23.552 --> 00:13:25.688
- running around heaven withtheir trophies in their hands."
- 00:13:25.721 --> 00:13:28.090
- No, that one last.
- 00:13:28.123 --> 00:13:29.592
- The Bible says when we get thesetrophies, we're gonna catch them
- 00:13:29.625 --> 00:13:32.661
- at the feet of Jesus.
- 00:13:32.695 --> 00:13:34.096
- Oh, well, then it'snot so important.
- 00:13:34.129 --> 00:13:35.497
- Oh, yes, it is.
- 00:13:35.531 --> 00:13:36.866
- I don't want to be leftout of that ceremony.
- 00:13:36.899 --> 00:13:38.701
- I don't want to be standing inthe back watching everybody else
- 00:13:38.734 --> 00:13:41.470
- as they worship the Lord withthe trophies that were theirs
- 00:13:41.503 --> 00:13:44.640
- because of their walk.
- 00:13:44.673 --> 00:13:46.075
- You see, Paul has this allhinged together in his view of
- 00:13:46.108 --> 00:13:48.577
- the future, to know Christ, toknow his power, to know more
- 00:13:48.611 --> 00:13:52.615
- about his suffering, ultimately,to stand with him in glory at
- 00:13:52.648 --> 00:13:56.118
- the time of reward.
- 00:13:56.151 --> 00:13:58.320
- Paul's vision for his lifehas jumped over everything
- 00:13:58.354 --> 00:14:04.193
- and landed in eternity.
- 00:14:04.226 --> 00:14:06.595
- And you say, "Well,that's not very good.
- 00:14:06.629 --> 00:14:08.063
- What is he gonna do withthe rest of his life?"
- 00:14:08.097 --> 00:14:09.999
- That's a good question becausethat brings us to the third
- 00:14:10.032 --> 00:14:14.036
- major point in this text.
- 00:14:14.069 --> 00:14:16.171
- Here are theresponsibilities of the present.
- 00:14:16.205 --> 00:14:19.942
- Listen carefully, "Not that Ihave already attained, or am
- 00:14:19.975 --> 00:14:24.480
- already perfected; but I presson, that I may lay hold of that
- 00:14:24.513 --> 00:14:29.184
- for which Christ Jesushas also laid hold of me.
- 00:14:29.218 --> 00:14:32.288
- Brethren, I do not count myselfto have apprehended; but one
- 00:14:32.321 --> 00:14:36.325
- thing I do, forgetting thosethings which are behind and
- 00:14:36.358 --> 00:14:39.395
- reaching forward to those thingswhich are ahead,
- 00:14:39.428 --> 00:14:41.897
- I press toward the goal for theprize of the upward call of God
- 00:14:41.931 --> 00:14:45.501
- in Christ Jesus."
- 00:14:45.534 --> 00:14:46.936
- I don't know what you sayabout that paragraph,
- 00:14:46.969 --> 00:14:48.704
- but let me tell you what it is,it's aspirational.
- 00:14:48.737 --> 00:14:51.907
- It's a guy who's got a wholelot of juice left in his veins.
- 00:14:51.941 --> 00:14:57.613
- He's at the end of his life, andhe writes this statement, which
- 00:14:57.646 --> 00:15:02.084
- would be ambitious if you werejust starting out in your 20s.
- 00:15:02.117 --> 00:15:06.188
- He's lived this life.
- 00:15:06.221 --> 00:15:07.623
- He's written these epistles.
- 00:15:07.656 --> 00:15:09.091
- He spent time in jail.
- 00:15:09.124 --> 00:15:10.626
- He's traveled the world.
- 00:15:10.659 --> 00:15:12.261
- He's been thespokesman for Christianity.
- 00:15:12.294 --> 00:15:14.730
- Is he satisfiedwith where he is?
- 00:15:14.763 --> 00:15:16.498
- Absolutely not.Look at these words.
- 00:15:16.532 --> 00:15:19.201
- This paragraph maybe hasmore athletic terminology
- 00:15:19.234 --> 00:15:22.338
- in it than any otherparagraph in the Bible.
- 00:15:22.371 --> 00:15:24.540
- Let me point them out to you.
- 00:15:24.573 --> 00:15:26.475
- Here is his breakdown of this.
- 00:15:26.508 --> 00:15:29.645
- First of all, he says, "Ifyou're going to live a life
- 00:15:29.678 --> 00:15:32.481
- that's worthy of the calling towhich you have been called, and
- 00:15:32.514 --> 00:15:35.651
- will put you in the right placewhen you stand before the Lord,
- 00:15:35.684 --> 00:15:38.454
- number one, you have to developthe discipline to focus."
- 00:15:38.487 --> 00:15:41.890
- Verse 12, "Not that I havealready attained or I'm already
- 00:15:41.924 --> 00:15:45.627
- perfect, but I press on thatI may lay hold of that
- 00:15:45.661 --> 00:15:49.131
- for which Christ Jesushas laid hold of me."
- 00:15:49.164 --> 00:15:52.167
- Paul is clear eyed aboutwhat he's supposed to be doing.
- 00:15:54.236 --> 00:15:57.940
- He's not in doubt.
- 00:15:57.973 --> 00:15:59.341
- He's got it focused.
- 00:15:59.375 --> 00:16:01.610
- In the athletic world, the nameof the game is concentration.
- 00:16:01.643 --> 00:16:05.214
- If the athlete cannotconcentrate, if he cannot teach
- 00:16:05.247 --> 00:16:07.916
- himself to focus, he willnot be able to compete.
- 00:16:07.950 --> 00:16:11.387
- Players talk about being in azone where their concentration
- 00:16:11.420 --> 00:16:15.391
- is so intense that it blocksout the rest of the world.
- 00:16:15.424 --> 00:16:18.894
- They don't hearthe crowd noises.
- 00:16:18.927 --> 00:16:20.429
- They don't feelthe pain of injury.
- 00:16:20.462 --> 00:16:22.297
- They're focused and thatsame kind of concentration
- 00:16:22.331 --> 00:16:26.235
- is a requirement for thosewho would gain Christ.
- 00:16:26.268 --> 00:16:29.104
- We can't allow other thingsto divert us from this goal.
- 00:16:29.138 --> 00:16:32.741
- We must not run on certainly.
- 00:16:32.775 --> 00:16:34.476
- Our language must be thatof the psalmist who wrote,
- 00:16:34.510 --> 00:16:37.579
- "Whom have I in heaven but You?
- 00:16:37.613 --> 00:16:39.448
- And there is none upon earththat I desire beside You."
- 00:16:39.481 --> 00:16:44.520
- See, the problemwith us isn't that
- 00:16:44.553 --> 00:16:46.755
- we don't wantto know Christ.
- 00:16:46.789 --> 00:16:49.224
- The problem isn't that we don'twant to be rewarded when we--
- 00:16:49.258 --> 00:16:51.760
- we all want that.
- 00:16:51.794 --> 00:16:53.962
- But it never quite seems toget to many of us that
- 00:16:53.996 --> 00:16:57.800
- if that's gonna be true,there's a different kind of
- 00:16:57.833 --> 00:17:01.136
- way to live thanthe way we live.
- 00:17:01.170 --> 00:17:02.838
- Our lives are so filledwith so much activity,
- 00:17:02.871 --> 00:17:04.907
- so much stuff going on,children, grandchildren,
- 00:17:04.940 --> 00:17:07.743
- all kinds of sportsevents, all of this.
- 00:17:07.776 --> 00:17:11.480
- So, what happens?
- 00:17:11.513 --> 00:17:12.848
- Let's be honest, what happensis our spiritual goals
- 00:17:12.881 --> 00:17:15.684
- kind of just getpushed off the table.
- 00:17:15.717 --> 00:17:18.454
- And so, we come to church everyweek and thank God for that
- 00:17:18.487 --> 00:17:20.856
- 'cause that's important, but howmany you know you can't live
- 00:17:20.889 --> 00:17:23.559
- the kind of life Paul's talkingabout off of what you can get
- 00:17:23.592 --> 00:17:26.328
- in a one-hour service on Sunday?
- 00:17:26.361 --> 00:17:29.198
- Paul's talking about a differentway to live, a different way to
- 00:17:29.231 --> 00:17:32.167
- think, a different way to focus,a different way to prioritize
- 00:17:32.201 --> 00:17:35.537
- the things in our lives.
- 00:17:35.571 --> 00:17:37.673
- Such concentrationdoesn't come naturally.
- 00:17:37.706 --> 00:17:40.542
- It has to be developedthrough training and effort.
- 00:17:40.576 --> 00:17:43.045
- And when we focus our lives likethis, then the routine work of
- 00:17:43.078 --> 00:17:47.516
- each day, the moments we spendin relaxation, even the trials
- 00:17:47.549 --> 00:17:51.687
- and sufferings we experience,
- 00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:53.956
- all of them seem tofit into the picture.
- 00:17:53.989 --> 00:17:57.326
- Here's maybe the mostimportant thing about
- 00:17:57.359 --> 00:17:59.194
- our current strategy.
- 00:17:59.228 --> 00:18:00.996
- This one we'llall resonate with.
- 00:18:01.029 --> 00:18:02.531
- This is in reachof every one of us.
- 00:18:02.564 --> 00:18:04.967
- Not only do we need developthe discipline to focus,
- 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:07.970
- but we need to developthe discipline to forget.
- 00:18:08.003 --> 00:18:11.173
- Verse 13: "Brethren, I donot count myself to have
- 00:18:13.208 --> 00:18:16.211
- apprehended; but one thing I do,
- 00:18:16.245 --> 00:18:19.748
- forgetting those thingswhich are behind."
- 00:18:19.781 --> 00:18:23.051
- Let's just stop for a moment.
- 00:18:23.085 --> 00:18:25.254
- How many of you know thatfor a lot of people who call
- 00:18:25.287 --> 00:18:27.789
- themselves followers of Christ,they want to go forward,
- 00:18:27.823 --> 00:18:31.660
- but they're stillliving in the past?
- 00:18:31.693 --> 00:18:34.062
- They can't get over the thingsof the past that have
- 00:18:34.096 --> 00:18:36.999
- so messed up their lives.
- 00:18:37.032 --> 00:18:38.433
- They became Christians, but howmany of you know the enemy
- 00:18:38.467 --> 00:18:41.170
- of your soul wants to keepreminding you of every failure
- 00:18:41.203 --> 00:18:43.939
- you've ever had in your life.
- 00:18:43.972 --> 00:18:45.807
- He wants to keep bringing it up.
- 00:18:45.841 --> 00:18:47.476
- He wants to keep remindingyou every time you try to do
- 00:18:47.509 --> 00:18:49.878
- something for God, he flashes itacross the screen of your mind,
- 00:18:49.912 --> 00:18:53.849
- almost to intimidate youand say you're not worthy.
- 00:18:53.882 --> 00:18:57.286
- Here's what Paul said,"I'm doing one thing,
- 00:18:57.319 --> 00:18:59.988
- I'm forgetting the past."
- 00:19:00.022 --> 00:19:02.257
- What did you have to forget?Well, let's stop for a moment.
- 00:19:02.291 --> 00:19:05.460
- He had a few things to forgetthat, I mean, I don't think I
- 00:19:05.494 --> 00:19:09.198
- would have want to go and preachand be reminded,
- 00:19:09.231 --> 00:19:11.433
- as I was going to the pulpit,of all the Christians
- 00:19:11.466 --> 00:19:13.569
- I'd put in jail before Iwas a Christian.
- 00:19:13.602 --> 00:19:17.272
- You're getting up to give atestimony and the enemy flashes
- 00:19:17.306 --> 00:19:20.008
- across your mind that you werestanding at the feet of those
- 00:19:20.042 --> 00:19:23.212
- people who were stoning Stephen
- 00:19:23.245 --> 00:19:24.780
- and you were holdingtheir coats.
- 00:19:24.813 --> 00:19:26.815
- As you see how passionate Paulwas as a preacher, you have
- 00:19:28.784 --> 00:19:33.188
- to understand he was exactlythat passionate as a persecutor.
- 00:19:33.222 --> 00:19:37.492
- As good as he wasas a preacher,
- 00:19:37.526 --> 00:19:38.927
- he was that goodas a persecutor.
- 00:19:38.961 --> 00:19:41.430
- As good as he was at bringinghope and love to people,
- 00:19:41.463 --> 00:19:45.367
- he was that good at bringingharm and hurt to people.
- 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:49.137
- And all of that was in hismemory bank, and all of that
- 00:19:49.171 --> 00:19:52.341
- could have destroyed him, justlike the things that we've done
- 00:19:52.374 --> 00:19:55.043
- in our past that we've beenforgiven of them, but they
- 00:19:55.077 --> 00:20:00.048
- haven't been erasedfrom our memory bank.
- 00:20:00.082 --> 00:20:02.718
- So, the enemy, ifwe're not careful,
- 00:20:02.751 --> 00:20:04.419
- grabs holdof those things.
- 00:20:04.453 --> 00:20:05.887
- And when we're trying to goforward with Christ,
- 00:20:05.921 --> 00:20:08.056
- when we're trying to win thisrace, he brings them all back
- 00:20:08.090 --> 00:20:12.928
- and they intimidate us and makeit hard for us to go forward.
- 00:20:12.961 --> 00:20:17.399
- Let me tell you something, youhave to come to the place like
- 00:20:17.432 --> 00:20:19.668
- Paul, where you make a consciouseffort to say, "That's it.
- 00:20:19.701 --> 00:20:23.538
- I'm drawing a line in the sand.That stuff is past.
- 00:20:23.572 --> 00:20:26.275
- It's under the blood,it's forgiven.
- 00:20:26.308 --> 00:20:28.143
- God has said he's nolonger holding me accountable.
- 00:20:28.176 --> 00:20:31.246
- If God can forget it by hisgrace, I'm gonna forget it.
- 00:20:31.280 --> 00:20:34.316
- Devil, you can't havemy past, it's over."
- 00:20:34.349 --> 00:20:38.520
- Unless we do that,we will always be,
- 00:20:38.553 --> 00:20:42.924
- always be feeling defeatedwhen we want to be victorious.
- 00:20:42.958 --> 00:20:48.997
- Let me tell you one otherthing Paul had to forget.
- 00:20:49.031 --> 00:20:50.766
- He not only had to forgethis failures,
- 00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:52.734
- he had to forget his successes.Remember that list.
- 00:20:52.768 --> 00:20:55.937
- He was a Hebrew ofHebrews of the stock of Israel.
- 00:20:55.971 --> 00:20:59.141
- He was a persecutor of thechurch, all those things that,
- 00:20:59.174 --> 00:21:02.511
- according to his old life,would hold him up to
- 00:21:02.544 --> 00:21:05.814
- a high level of achievement.Those things were worthless
- 00:21:05.847 --> 00:21:09.284
- and Paul said it rightin this passage.
- 00:21:09.318 --> 00:21:10.786
- "What things were gain to me,
- 00:21:10.819 --> 00:21:12.821
- those things I hadto count loss."
- 00:21:12.854 --> 00:21:14.690
- He forgot his failures andhe forgot his successes.
- 00:21:14.723 --> 00:21:18.327
- God wants us to be able tocome to him with no baggage.
- 00:21:18.360 --> 00:21:24.066
- He died on the cross toget rid of the baggage.
- 00:21:24.099 --> 00:21:27.602
- Now, we stand just compliantand ready to go forward.
- 00:21:27.636 --> 00:21:31.506
- That's what Paulis talking about.
- 00:21:31.540 --> 00:21:34.109
- Don't get caught up in thethings that have already
- 00:21:34.142 --> 00:21:36.244
- happened, over whichyou have no control.
- 00:21:36.278 --> 00:21:39.414
- Don't even get so caught upin the future
- 00:21:39.448 --> 00:21:41.516
- that you haven'tyet experienced.
- 00:21:41.550 --> 00:21:43.385
- Live in the present every dayknowing that God is with you.
- 00:21:43.418 --> 00:21:46.655
- He's forgiven you.He's got a plan for your life.
- 00:21:46.688 --> 00:21:49.424
- If you will walk with himevery day, you can know
- 00:21:49.458 --> 00:21:53.328
- what the Apostle Paul istalking about has victory.
- 00:21:53.362 --> 00:21:56.565
- Well, we developthe discipline to focus
- 00:21:58.567 --> 00:22:00.936
- and the discipline to forget.
- 00:22:00.969 --> 00:22:02.971
- The final one is youhave to develop
- 00:22:03.004 --> 00:22:04.539
- the discipline to follow.
- 00:22:04.573 --> 00:22:06.608
- Verses 13 and 14have three athletic phrases
- 00:22:06.641 --> 00:22:10.612
- in the verse,
- 00:22:10.645 --> 00:22:12.414
- the word "apprehended,"the word "reaching forward,"
- 00:22:12.447 --> 00:22:14.750
- and the words "pressing toward."
- 00:22:14.783 --> 00:22:17.586
- Paul's desire is presented inthese words as a foot race.
- 00:22:17.619 --> 00:22:21.923
- First, reaching forward refersto a race that you're in
- 00:22:21.957 --> 00:22:25.927
- and you're stretchingforward to win the race.
- 00:22:25.961 --> 00:22:29.464
- And then the word"apprehended" is another word
- 00:22:29.498 --> 00:22:32.000
- which means to complete.
- 00:22:32.033 --> 00:22:34.202
- Paul said, "Here I am atthe zenith of my life.
- 00:22:34.236 --> 00:22:37.806
- All these things that I havedone, all these churches I have
- 00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:40.609
- founded, all these epistlesthat I've written, all of these
- 00:22:40.642 --> 00:22:43.612
- people that have come to Christ,all these attributes
- 00:22:43.645 --> 00:22:46.448
- that I've stood before," andhere's what he's saying,
- 00:22:46.481 --> 00:22:48.984
- "I don't consider myselfto have arrived.
- 00:22:49.017 --> 00:22:51.653
- I'm not there yet."
- 00:22:51.686 --> 00:22:53.255
- Instead of being proud of whathe had accomplished in his life,
- 00:22:53.288 --> 00:22:56.091
- he's still on the hunt.
- 00:22:56.124 --> 00:22:57.692
- He's still hungry.He's still humble.
- 00:22:57.726 --> 00:22:59.661
- Listen to me, Paul took hisspiritual growth seriously.
- 00:22:59.694 --> 00:23:04.733
- He didn't use it as something,
- 00:23:04.766 --> 00:23:06.201
- "If I get around to it,I'm gonna try to develop
- 00:23:06.234 --> 00:23:08.503
- my spiritual lifea little bit this week."
- 00:23:08.537 --> 00:23:10.539
- It was his focus.
- 00:23:10.572 --> 00:23:12.107
- It was his drive.
- 00:23:12.140 --> 00:23:13.809
- It was the thing that meantmore to him than anything
- 00:23:13.842 --> 00:23:16.445
- else he ever did.
- 00:23:16.478 --> 00:23:19.514
- He was looking for a prize,the crown of righteousness,
- 00:23:19.548 --> 00:23:23.285
- which God gives to thosewho walked with him.
- 00:23:23.318 --> 00:23:26.488
- You know, I feel so honoredthat even talk about this.
- 00:23:26.521 --> 00:23:30.125
- I'm so far out of the league ofPaul, I only can tell you about
- 00:23:30.158 --> 00:23:35.430
- him with admiration.
- 00:23:35.464 --> 00:23:38.500
- But my goal, and my heart,and my vision, and my drive is
- 00:23:38.533 --> 00:23:43.872
- to follow the pattern that hehas sent for us so that I can
- 00:23:43.905 --> 00:23:48.877
- be more like Christ andserve him with my heart.
- 00:23:48.910 --> 00:23:53.348
- You say, "Well, Pastor Jeremiah,I'm not even there, man.
- 00:23:53.381 --> 00:23:55.550
- I'm a Christian.I know I'm going to heaven.
- 00:23:55.584 --> 00:23:57.252
- That's good enough for me."
- 00:23:57.285 --> 00:24:00.322
- All right, if that's goodenough for you, fine,
- 00:24:00.355 --> 00:24:02.057
- but don't expect thejoy of the Lord in your life
- 00:24:02.090 --> 00:24:04.993
- 'cause that's nothow you get it.
- 00:24:05.026 --> 00:24:07.662
- The Lord Jesus Christ didn'tjust come to this earth and die
- 00:24:07.696 --> 00:24:10.465
- on the cross so he could forgiveyour sins and let you go on
- 00:24:10.499 --> 00:24:13.468
- living like you always did,and then somehow jerk you into
- 00:24:13.502 --> 00:24:16.571
- heaven at the lastminute as a second thought.
- 00:24:16.605 --> 00:24:21.009
- He saved you so that youwould become like him.
- 00:24:21.042 --> 00:24:24.079
- He saved me, so that every daythat I live, I grow in my faith
- 00:24:24.112 --> 00:24:28.984
- and develop the qualitiesthat are in the Scripture
- 00:24:29.017 --> 00:24:33.188
- that describe Christians.
- 00:24:33.221 --> 00:24:34.990
- Let's don't giveup on ourselves.
- 00:24:35.023 --> 00:24:37.092
- Let's don't just mail it in.
- 00:24:37.125 --> 00:24:39.528
- Let's don't just show up onSunday and go to church and say,
- 00:24:39.561 --> 00:24:42.430
- "Oh, well, that'senough spirituality for me.
- 00:24:42.464 --> 00:24:44.566
- See you next week, Pastor."
- 00:24:44.599 --> 00:24:47.903
- Let's get serious about it,that's what this is about.
- 00:24:47.936 --> 00:24:50.005
- If nothing else comes out of it,it's this, if you want to know
- 00:24:50.038 --> 00:24:53.875
- Christ, if you want to growin Christ, get serious about it.
- 00:24:53.909 --> 00:24:57.979
- Carve out some time to makeit happen and then you can know
- 00:24:58.013 --> 00:25:01.550
- the victory that Paulis talking about.
- 00:25:01.583 --> 00:25:04.819
- ♪♪♪
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- 00:26:01.509 --> 00:26:04.079
- you can do that today.
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- to send you two resourcesthat will help you.
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- The first is a booklet called,"Your Greatest Turning Point,"
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- 00:26:26.601 --> 00:26:29.704
- when you contactTurning Point today.
- 00:26:29.738 --> 00:26:32.140
- male announcer: In additionto these free study resources,
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- nothing is asprofound as the Word of God.
- 00:26:35.477 --> 00:26:38.146
- And now, Dr. Jeremiahhas a Bible
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- for every member of the family.
- 00:26:40.615 --> 00:26:42.651
- There are numerous versionsof the Jeremiah Study Bible,
- 00:26:42.684 --> 00:26:45.320
- perfect for adults and teens.
- 00:26:45.353 --> 00:26:47.055
- And the Airship Genesis KidsStudy Bible will bring the truth
- 00:26:47.088 --> 00:26:50.792
- of God's Word to theyoung ones in your life.
- 00:26:50.825 --> 00:26:53.294
- Contact Turning Point for moreinformation, or to order today.
- 00:26:53.328 --> 00:26:57.098
- announcer: Next timeon "Turning Point."
- 00:26:59.134 --> 00:27:01.536
- Dr. Jeremiah: If you wantto stay on course
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- and keep growingand keep moving toward the goal,
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- don't lose sightof what the goal is.
- 00:27:06.508 --> 00:27:09.077
- We're going to haveheaven someday,
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- we're gonna bewith the Lord someday.
- 00:27:10.512 --> 00:27:12.347
- Our anticipation is glory.
- 00:27:12.380 --> 00:27:14.249
- It's not this earth,it's something heavenly.
- 00:27:14.282 --> 00:27:16.651
- announcer: Thank youfor being with us today.
- 00:27:17.185 --> 00:27:18.720
- Join us next timefor Dr. Jeremiah's message,
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- The Joy Of Maturity,here on "Turning Point."
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