WEBVTT 00:30.000 --> 00:34.480 it's been kind of a hard season been so many people gone yet so many people have 00:34.480 --> 00:38.400 come back and it is exciting and there were several things I kind of had on my 00:38.400 --> 00:44.440 mind that were special to me Christmas Eve I mean New Year's Eve we had a 00:44.440 --> 00:48.760 prayer circle and there were 63 kids there there were 80 in the house some 00:48.760 --> 00:53.640 went home with tired children before then and I was just lifted up you know 00:53.640 --> 00:56.160 say oh you have too much fun in the church 00:56.160 --> 01:03.440 blowny we had a lot of fun but we prayed the New Year in you know it was just a 01:03.440 --> 01:07.960 joy to me because I had a strong little red-headed boy seven years old right 01:07.960 --> 01:12.680 here at my left hand a wiggly one left and then a good strong hand came in here 01:12.680 --> 01:20.240 and little Ricky Keith said a prayer that I thought would do any gray haired 01:20.240 --> 01:25.840 person here justice and I thought seven years old praise God for godly parents 01:25.840 --> 01:29.720 and for a godly church and Sunday school and Bible school that gets its little 01:29.720 --> 01:36.760 guys to entering into the mainstream so fast and then we were up at the ha at 01:36.760 --> 01:42.960 the home the sick room of Ed Wasik and grandpa wasn't doing very good and we 01:42.960 --> 01:48.560 didn't think he was gonna make it and Jesse James came in and he had a little 01:48.560 --> 01:53.240 Bible under here now Jesse isn't very bright he can't read he's not he's only 01:53.240 --> 01:58.640 five but then he's not reading yet and he had that little Bible under here and 01:58.640 --> 02:03.280 that little boy's eyes looking up like that because daddy had told him that 02:03.280 --> 02:08.280 grandpa Ed isn't doing very well and that little five-year-old with an open 02:08.280 --> 02:12.600 face like that clever that Bible and he knew that was the answer somehow to a 02:12.600 --> 02:18.920 lot of Ed's problems and to all of our problems see and then I tell you we had 02:18.920 --> 02:25.360 an eagle banquet and a ward and we had some good things happen there and we 02:25.360 --> 02:32.640 saw we saw Daniel stand up there Daniel Williams and and you know and he's 02:32.640 --> 02:37.640 marine outfit it looked better even than the Boy Scouts outfit and and you know 02:37.640 --> 02:42.440 that's always a great occasion but it was just so good to seem he's doing so 02:42.440 --> 02:46.040 well and he may be guarding our president in the next few weeks and I 02:46.040 --> 02:53.720 just thought oh praise God for our young people and did you have a good 02:53.720 --> 02:59.320 season was it good for you too it was for me and the men's fellowship yesterday 02:59.320 --> 03:06.560 had 18 and a wonderful study at a good breakfast and it was just a joy for big 03:06.560 --> 03:12.000 strong men to sit there and talk about how they could be better family men how 03:12.000 --> 03:16.160 they could raise their children better how they could be more warriors for God 03:16.160 --> 03:21.440 and you know if you got your young men and your young women growing up in the 03:21.440 --> 03:26.760 church and the church is in great good hands praise the Lord when I see so many 03:26.760 --> 03:33.440 others growing in the faith and I'd like to have our subject be second Timothy 03:33.440 --> 03:40.960 chapter 4 and we'll read 1 through 8 second Timothy chapter 4 1 through 8 03:40.960 --> 03:49.960 and maybe a good thing to use as a title would be plan your life well live it 03:49.960 --> 03:56.600 well and end it well and at my age I'm looking to the end and with great 03:56.600 --> 04:01.160 expectations and it's a glorious feeling and so let's read that passage of 04:01.160 --> 04:05.680 Scripture in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who will judge the living 04:05.680 --> 04:09.600 and the dead and in view of his appearing in his kingdom I give you this 04:09.600 --> 04:14.280 charge preach the word be prepared in season and out of season correct rebuke 04:14.280 --> 04:19.160 and encourage you know this is a scripture often used for dedication 04:19.160 --> 04:24.640 services or ordination services when you have a new preacher or when you have new 04:24.640 --> 04:28.920 elders you know and they're ordained or set aside to a special work but aren't 04:28.920 --> 04:34.840 we all set aside to a special work Jesus you know in Matthew 19 the Son of God 04:34.840 --> 04:38.520 came to seek and save that which was lost and that's my mission and your 04:38.520 --> 04:41.720 mission too and I think every one of us or even the little guys with the tiny 04:41.720 --> 04:47.840 Bible or a wonderful prayer at any age you know they have that feeling in the 04:47.840 --> 04:53.560 spirit of God and so he says preach that word and do all those things for the 04:53.560 --> 04:59.080 time will come when when the men will not put with sound doctrine instead to 04:59.080 --> 05:02.880 suit their own desires they will gather around them a great number of teachers 05:02.880 --> 05:08.480 to say what their itching ears want to hear and you know that's an interesting 05:08.480 --> 05:13.400 thing is gather around you those people who only agree with you we tend to do 05:13.400 --> 05:19.760 that great leaders do that you couldn't say no to Hitler because Hitler killed 05:19.760 --> 05:23.480 his generals literally they died within the day if they disagreed with him see 05:23.480 --> 05:30.480 sycophants flattering deceivers that's one thing we don't have in the church you 05:30.480 --> 05:37.480 know we're not trying to build anybody up for a devious reason no no you have 05:37.480 --> 05:43.360 God in you you have the spirit in you and that's what you are and that is 05:43.360 --> 05:50.360 plenty good enough we don't need that kind of thing you know the word and the 05:50.360 --> 05:57.920 word has to be an integral part of our plans in what we do in life now one 05:57.920 --> 06:02.000 through four there talks about planning well planning you know how many of you 06:02.000 --> 06:07.280 are planners do you plan your events kitty Reese sometimes has a list of 48 06:07.280 --> 06:10.960 things she's going to do it takes her sometimes four hours to make that list 06:10.960 --> 06:15.240 she could have done it all of it in four hours but she's a planner and she gets a 06:15.240 --> 06:21.160 lot done I to a lesser degree am a planner and I can understand you need to 06:21.160 --> 06:26.000 plan your life in this busy veil of tears don't you you really do she gets a 06:26.000 --> 06:31.800 lot done see and I have always believed this that a poor plan is better than 06:31.800 --> 06:37.480 nothing at all a poor plan is better than no plans at all and I affirm that as a 06:37.480 --> 06:43.040 teacher in the college you know I spent 36 years advising young kids to what 06:43.040 --> 06:46.840 their career should be what courses they should take what where they should go all 06:46.840 --> 06:52.480 these things but you know you've got to make the plan work don't you and all 06:52.480 --> 06:56.720 good plans include God I don't believe you can have a good plan for your life 06:56.720 --> 07:04.440 if God is excluded Proverbs 15 22 says plans fail for lack of counsel but with 07:04.440 --> 07:09.720 many advisors they succeed and that is right get good so good advice that's the 07:09.720 --> 07:13.800 joy of the church find some people who have lived successfully find some people 07:13.800 --> 07:19.320 who have marvelous children and ask them be have them be your mentors you need 07:19.320 --> 07:24.000 that here's someone who successfully did what you wanted to do look to the gray 07:24.000 --> 07:28.000 hairs in other words sometimes and look to people who are successful in the way 07:28.000 --> 07:33.760 they you like their lifestyle is it enjoyable is it good is it right and if 07:33.800 --> 07:38.960 it is so then talk to them and learn from Charlie Chaplin when he heard that 07:38.960 --> 07:46.600 there's no life on Mars he said suddenly I feel lonely well I think a lot of 07:46.600 --> 07:54.000 people have somebody advising them from Mars they're getting no decent advice if 07:54.000 --> 07:59.000 you're tuning into Mars we need to talk because Mars is not the answer outer 07:59.000 --> 08:02.880 space and vibes and I have some of the kids say ooh I'm getting the vibes from 08:02.920 --> 08:07.560 outer space well they're getting something else but it's not vibes from outer 08:07.560 --> 08:13.080 space probably seven-day itch but it is not advice from outer space Psalms 20 08:13.080 --> 08:21.760 verse 4 says may he give you the desire of your heart and make all of your 08:21.760 --> 08:28.200 plans succeed now that includes a couple things God has wanted us to have 08:28.200 --> 08:32.800 plans he wants you to have plans if you have plans he will help you to succeed 08:32.800 --> 08:37.040 in those things and you know Christians are asked to do some hard things 08:37.040 --> 08:42.160 they're asked to save the world they're asked to preach a gospel that the people 08:42.160 --> 08:50.640 laugh at people curse 200 million martyrs are reckoned to have died for the 08:50.640 --> 08:54.640 name of the Lord Jesus Christ now you won't read that in very many places but 08:54.640 --> 08:58.760 it is a substantial fact and the cross and the crown affirms it many other 08:58.760 --> 09:04.600 books do that as well it is a difficult thing to preach the word of God in this 09:04.600 --> 09:11.400 veil of tears and yet he empowers you to do that very very thing and he will make 09:11.400 --> 09:16.320 all your plans succeed but you got to have a plan and you have to work the 09:16.320 --> 09:20.560 plan in other words there is a level of commitment on your part if you're going 09:20.560 --> 09:25.480 to plan well you better be thinking very very clearly as you look to the future 09:26.280 --> 09:32.480 Psalms 20 verse 4 and I think it's worth writing down may all your plans 09:32.480 --> 09:39.080 succeed in Christ now verse 5 and 6 says this is kind of a cool passage of 09:39.080 --> 09:46.600 Scripture and it says they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn 09:46.600 --> 09:51.800 aside to miss they'll find other sources than the word of God and hey I have never 09:51.800 --> 09:57.280 apologized as a scientist for the word of God I have no desire to ever 09:57.280 --> 10:05.640 apologize a matter of fact I want to cry out what you need you clowns is the 10:05.640 --> 10:15.200 mind of God is he so unwise that he could not conceive a program or plan for 10:15.200 --> 10:20.400 your life that he couldn't record for you a way of living the truth what's right 10:20.400 --> 10:26.040 what is wrong a clear decision that you might plan your lies indeed God is not 10:26.040 --> 10:33.360 held back it is men that only know the partial truth and they sometimes fail 10:33.360 --> 10:39.400 the world thinks that living well has to do with money the world thinks that 10:39.400 --> 10:46.360 living well has to do with fame and with fortune and with the popularity all 10:46.360 --> 10:52.480 among kids that's a big problem because popularity is everything isn't it I 10:52.480 --> 10:59.040 can't get my hair to curl and it's a catastrophe I just wished I had hair to 10:59.040 --> 11:04.440 curl or not curl but to many it's a catastrophe and how frivolous how silly 11:04.440 --> 11:10.840 the world isn't going to end because of that not not at all no it won't many 11:10.880 --> 11:17.800 people have to have persons around them who agree with them you know it's like 11:17.800 --> 11:21.120 the mirror on the wall what in the mirror the mirror always lied didn't oh 11:21.120 --> 11:27.080 you're the fairest of them all and she wasn't the fairest of them all and you 11:27.080 --> 11:33.120 don't need to be told how great you are you need to be told how you are and I 11:33.120 --> 11:38.520 think that's the truth liberates us all sinners never live well and I think 11:38.520 --> 11:42.960 that's important I think a lot of people believe that living well and the sins 11:42.960 --> 11:51.800 and all that is really the key to life back home in Enid Oklahoma the second 11:51.800 --> 11:56.160 biggest mansion in the town it's the town as big as this by the way we ever 11:56.160 --> 12:06.040 heard of it but the second biggest mansion in town belong guess who the guy 12:06.080 --> 12:13.280 that sold illegal liquor bootleg hooch and everyone looked up to man alive 12:13.280 --> 12:21.200 look at that it wasn't such good sip and whiskey it was more like Tomcat urine 12:21.200 --> 12:27.120 when you get right down to it but it's so cheap and it devastated people's 12:27.120 --> 12:33.760 lives and folks sometimes would point to the big house on the hill and say man he 12:33.760 --> 12:39.400 lives well doesn't he how could a man like that live well you know better than 12:39.400 --> 12:46.000 that and he died a babbling idiot he died with cirrhosis of the liver a 12:46.000 --> 12:53.400 destroyed brain did he live so well oh he had flash money if you love cats you 12:53.400 --> 12:57.480 probably would like the drinks that he had but I tell you he didn't live so well 12:57.480 --> 13:02.440 did he and the Bible addresses that Deuteronomy 32 verse 35 their foot 13:02.440 --> 13:08.640 shall slide in due time you know there's one foundation that's the word of God 13:08.640 --> 13:15.800 there is one Christ there is one Lord there is one faith one baptism which is 13:15.800 --> 13:21.760 in you all and for you all and you can't have another foundation than that 13:21.760 --> 13:27.960 which is already laid which is in Christ Jesus your foot will slip if you're 13:27.960 --> 13:35.720 placing your future and your plans on sinful activities and there's not going 13:35.720 --> 13:41.280 to be any way to live well under those circumstances you know Adolf Eichmann 13:41.280 --> 13:48.360 was a terrible man he was a good-looking young man he was suave sophisticated he 13:48.360 --> 13:52.680 looked like a college professor his I don't know that's something to look up 13:52.720 --> 13:59.320 to but anyway you know he was well dressed he was polished he spoke well but 13:59.320 --> 14:06.120 you know he killed six million Jews he was in charge of that program called the 14:06.120 --> 14:12.540 Jewish problem and he eliminated a lot of the problem at least for Adolf 14:12.540 --> 14:19.440 Schickelgruber in other words Adolf Hitler he was a intrinsic part of 14:19.720 --> 14:28.600 Eichmann's gang or the Geheimis stop politzai the Gestapo and he lived well but 14:28.600 --> 14:34.120 he perished the way he lived and his life was taken from him and he had no 14:34.120 --> 14:37.680 hope of eternity because he wasn't converted even at the time of his death 14:37.680 --> 14:42.800 even a slayer of six million people can change their mind and come to Jesus 14:42.840 --> 14:51.720 Christ and on that you can live well and the world goes its own way and the 14:51.720 --> 14:56.560 world through sin is condemned to hell you really believe that I know as a 14:56.560 --> 15:02.000 geologist that there is a hell why is that I can read most geologists can 15:02.000 --> 15:07.800 read and the Word of God says there is a heaven and there is a hell it is 15:07.800 --> 15:13.840 inevitable it is the truth there is either black or white or there is right 15:13.840 --> 15:19.840 or there is wrong and we are condemned when we are wrong and we need to tell 15:19.840 --> 15:25.440 the world don't we that Jesus is the way the truth and the life he's the only 15:25.440 --> 15:33.840 one that can give us the really living well good quality of life and you know 15:34.000 --> 15:38.280 a little man a little Jewish man who came out of Auschwitz Auschwitz was the 15:38.280 --> 15:43.400 second highest killer of Jews in the day over one of those camp 15:43.400 --> 15:53.280 Dachau killed 100,000 Jews over 100,000 Jews in one day's time and he is the 15:53.280 --> 16:01.600 organizer now of that kind of thinking polished beautiful intellectual 16:01.640 --> 16:09.880 suave beyond all belief but he was a butcher of God's people and how sad it 16:09.880 --> 16:15.680 was and that little man who was a witness against him Yahiel de Nure out of 16:15.680 --> 16:21.920 Auschwitz said he was just like me he looked like me he kind of dressed the 16:21.920 --> 16:30.760 way he he was just another guy could it be and I wrote this down Eichmann is in 16:30.760 --> 16:39.600 all of us and you know sin is in all of us but now here's the thing sin is 16:39.600 --> 16:45.640 forgiven through Jesus Christ and without Jesus Christ how would you like to be 16:45.640 --> 16:52.360 guilty of the death of 42 million people 6 million Jews and 42 million people who 16:52.360 --> 16:58.960 perished because of World War two and Hitler's foul schemes of eliminating 16:58.960 --> 17:04.640 God's people that's really sad isn't is there an Eichmann in you there is in me 17:04.640 --> 17:10.360 sometimes I'll tell you what my Eichmann is put down by the Holy Spirit my Eichmann 17:10.360 --> 17:15.240 isn't allowed to run amuck within me and that sinful propensity which lies 17:15.240 --> 17:20.520 within me and you is put down because there is the graciousness of the Lord 17:20.520 --> 17:26.240 Jesus Christ and his tremendous forgiving philosophy you know that's what's so 17:26.240 --> 17:30.760 wonderful about the faith that's so wonderful about the church we're imperfect 17:30.760 --> 17:38.600 but we are made perfect by the Lamb of God behold the Lamb of God that takes 17:38.600 --> 17:45.040 away the sins of the world and poor Adolf died with that sweet 17:45.040 --> 17:52.840 unjunt which is the forgiving grace that lies in the Lord Jesus Christ well I 17:52.880 --> 18:00.680 would say that in answer to the little Jewish man Eichmann is in all of us Jesus 18:00.680 --> 18:07.180 Christ is in all of us and all conquering we ride forth to conquer and to 18:07.180 --> 18:13.560 conquer again Christ emptied himself for us what does that mean well just like 18:13.560 --> 18:22.800 Paul said there I'm being poured out for a drink offering see I am being poured 18:22.960 --> 18:29.480 out I'm being emptied Jesus Christ died for you and me and thus is his 18:29.480 --> 18:35.880 graciousness alive and well 2,000 years later and will be until he comes again 18:35.880 --> 18:43.680 to reclaim his bride the church well Christ makes his people different and I 18:43.680 --> 18:51.240 think we are different from the world many Proverbs 19 21 says many are the 18:51.240 --> 18:55.520 plans in a man's heart hey that's like me I'd make lots of plans kitty makes 18:55.520 --> 19:00.120 lots of plans there make lots of plans yeah lists of plans this time of year 19:00.120 --> 19:03.480 we're making all kinds of plans for our life aren't we a new year new way a new 19:03.480 --> 19:09.000 day and we're making plans she said many are the plans in a man's heart but it is 19:09.000 --> 19:14.920 the Lord's purpose that prevails if you want to be successful put God in your 19:14.960 --> 19:21.440 plans have God's in your program for your living your business your family your 19:21.440 --> 19:27.000 children see even our mighty country it will prevail as long as we live by God's 19:27.000 --> 19:34.880 standards and uphold what is right and what is good in this veil of tears God's 19:34.880 --> 19:41.280 purpose will prevail in your life and in mine God's will be done and you 19:41.280 --> 19:48.280 therefore will live well maybe not as the world reckons it but as God reckons 19:48.280 --> 19:56.080 it we will live well a missionary the name of do us roster was a missionary to 19:56.080 --> 20:01.400 the lepers of India lepers are probably the most pathetic of all people 20:01.400 --> 20:06.320 particularly in a primitive society Hansen's disease is one of the worst 20:06.320 --> 20:15.800 gorges of all the times no nose no eyelids no face many times no hands no 20:15.800 --> 20:21.800 feet it's a terrible disease and one who has leopard was considered cursed and 20:21.800 --> 20:26.760 they had to cry out leper leper leper as they walked down the street lest 20:26.760 --> 20:32.840 anybody should touch them that'd be a sad way to live wouldn't and yet they 20:32.840 --> 20:36.280 invited the missionary to come to their little church it was made up of carved 20:36.280 --> 20:41.080 granite boulders I checked that out and in India the northern portion of that is 20:41.080 --> 20:48.760 made in granite that's cool it's a it's a good story and they called the 20:48.760 --> 20:53.760 missionary to preach the gospel of Jesus in their new church it was made up of 20:53.760 --> 20:59.000 little three-foot granite rounded boulders squared off and they'd only 20:59.000 --> 21:03.880 got it up six feet high one much of a church and they said come see our church 21:03.880 --> 21:08.040 to them it was beautiful is your church beautiful to you I hope it is 21:08.040 --> 21:14.040 imperfect yeah like a church that's just box in with six foot high squared granite 21:14.040 --> 21:19.160 with people who had no hands much to speak of and not very good eyesight to 21:19.160 --> 21:24.120 speak of it had to be an imperfect place but the people were perfected by the 21:24.120 --> 21:28.680 Lord Jesus Christ they laid down on the ground in the hot sun of northern India 21:28.680 --> 21:33.360 during summertime and for two hours they prayed and I wrote down what they 21:33.360 --> 21:43.720 prayed for they prayed for his goodness his grace and his mercy now under 21:43.720 --> 21:49.080 those circumstances would you give thanks to God for his goodness to you you 21:49.080 --> 21:52.720 know when we're so concerned with personal appearance when so concerned 21:52.720 --> 21:58.960 with eating man I tell you I consumed the most marvelous bowl of noodles this 21:58.960 --> 22:07.000 holiday it was obscene chicken and noodles or always beef and noodles I 22:07.000 --> 22:15.440 couldn't stop and I just think noodles like grandma used to make you know like 22:15.440 --> 22:21.920 this big chewy things that made your sugar count go into the 300s and I 22:21.920 --> 22:29.360 couldn't leave it alone I loved it it was wonderful it wasn't too good for me 22:29.360 --> 22:34.200 would I have enough to sense to say God take noodles out of my life like grandma 22:34.200 --> 22:39.640 used to make isn't it silly what our appetites will do for us they were well 22:39.640 --> 22:46.040 fed see by the word of God corny story I don't think so at all you ever seen a 22:46.040 --> 22:51.240 leopard to think that a leopard would say God thank you for being good to me 22:51.600 --> 22:59.480 thank you for being gracious to me not a unique lifestyle there's somebody who is 22:59.480 --> 23:03.760 living well because they're living above their environment aren't they are 23:03.760 --> 23:14.280 indeed living well Ephesians 5 verse 2 says and live live a life of love even 23:14.280 --> 23:20.160 as Christ loved us now that would make a wonderful sermon series wouldn't it 23:20.200 --> 23:25.200 really would live a life of love how if anyone had to say as we sit down what 23:25.200 --> 23:30.240 can I do today to live a life of love see it would be because I cared or I 23:30.240 --> 23:37.360 shared or I gave or I put myself into someone else's life I lifted someone up 23:37.360 --> 23:42.840 and exalted them would be a life of love wouldn't it to hug little kids without 23:42.840 --> 23:47.720 moms and dads you know to care for those who can't care for themselves to love 23:47.720 --> 23:55.600 the unlovely sometimes and are we always great to love not always lovable are 23:55.600 --> 24:00.080 we and think of Christ as he gave himself to a world that would soon 24:00.080 --> 24:08.400 crucify him and mock him and slander the name of his father and you know when 24:08.400 --> 24:17.000 you slander somebody's papa be prepared my papa was wasn't that much of a man 24:17.400 --> 24:24.360 but he was my papa and you know eventually at 74 he accepted the Lord 24:24.360 --> 24:32.880 Jesus Christ and how we all cried when we heard that news papa has found Jesus 24:32.880 --> 24:37.240 which means one of these days I'm going to go home and put my arms around him 24:37.240 --> 24:43.480 in that great crowd of witnesses which are before us and which have gone before 24:43.480 --> 24:53.080 us well John 10 10 Jesus reaffirms a life of love when he said I am come that 24:53.080 --> 24:59.120 you might have life and have it more abundantly and you know you've heard 24:59.120 --> 25:05.320 sermons on the abundant life and I do believe that Jesus provides the abundant 25:05.320 --> 25:11.840 life he said so that you might just have life and you know there's life and 25:11.840 --> 25:16.400 there's life isn't it there's a merry existence and there's a life which is 25:16.400 --> 25:22.320 vibrant and high quality and love and sharing and goodness and kindness and 25:22.320 --> 25:27.920 gentleness and mercy as a part of your everyday living if you don't have that 25:27.920 --> 25:33.640 come see those who know the scriptures and those who love the Lord and those who 25:33.640 --> 25:39.720 counsel we spend hours counseling people in the church and it lifts you up and it 25:39.720 --> 25:46.320 will help you and you are promised some great gifts in God's Word have them he 25:46.320 --> 25:53.360 wanted you to have them I want to conclude with this thought John Mason 25:53.360 --> 25:57.720 wrote a book and I left it down there I could hold it up it doesn't matter he 25:57.720 --> 26:02.520 wrote a book that said something like this know your limits and then ignore 26:02.520 --> 26:08.480 them now Christians are great for defining their limits I can't do that 26:08.880 --> 26:19.280 oh I couldn't do that oh you'd have to be a seminarian to do that when anything 26:19.280 --> 26:24.760 that a minister can do you can readily do too you know that with all of your 26:24.760 --> 26:29.600 heart because you could probably do it better many of you and so you ought to 26:29.600 --> 26:36.080 be doing it then you really ought to be doing it he speaks of knowing your limits 26:36.080 --> 26:42.480 see but not accepting your limits and to grow beyond your limits and we all 26:42.480 --> 26:49.080 want to grow see and that makes a good life doesn't the story is told of the 26:49.080 --> 26:55.160 elephant which is staked to the ground you've seen circuses a million times 26:55.160 --> 27:01.640 haven't you and you see that old great elephantine mammal there shaking his head 27:01.640 --> 27:06.360 back and forth a kind of catatonic response to his boredom and his hatred 27:06.360 --> 27:10.760 of being trapped have you ever seen that scene if you ever been to circus you 27:10.760 --> 27:18.360 have the thing weighs 13,000 pounds the rope is no thicker than this it's a 27:18.360 --> 27:22.640 hemp rope the stake isn't this big around it's no longer than three feet 27:22.640 --> 27:30.240 deep why with a lift of his trunk he could throw that stake 150 yards why 27:30.240 --> 27:37.400 doesn't this gigantic elephantine quadruped get up and get out of there 27:37.400 --> 27:45.760 because he's chained by that rope and stake of his own understanding he thinks 27:45.760 --> 27:53.080 he can't do a thing about it and you know that he can he's raised as a little 27:53.080 --> 27:57.000 elephant and the rope was bigger at that time probably to him and the stake 27:57.000 --> 28:00.360 looked awful big when you're just a little baby elephant see and only weigh 28:00.360 --> 28:07.800 6,000 pounds and so he's develops a mindset doesn't he he develops a mindset 28:07.800 --> 28:15.840 that says I'm a slave I can't do that I can't go anywhere I can't be what I'm 28:15.840 --> 28:21.840 free to be and Christians sometimes buy that and don't you do that don't dare do 28:21.840 --> 28:28.320 that you can be what you want to be and so he has a list there John Mason of a 28:28.320 --> 28:31.560 hundred and one things you can do to get out of the mindset of being trapped like 28:31.560 --> 28:38.280 an elephant victim to your own insecurity and your own ignorance and 28:38.280 --> 28:43.520 Christ wants you free he wants you liberated he wants you whole and 28:43.520 --> 28:49.080 victorious in your day-to-day living number one he said dare to be what you 28:49.080 --> 28:52.760 are you don't have to be like the Joneses you don't have to drive a car as 28:52.760 --> 28:56.920 big as there's you don't have to put on any show for anybody just be what you 28:56.920 --> 29:02.040 are because Christ died for you just the way you are dare to be what you are 29:02.040 --> 29:06.080 number two you're either a thermometer or thermostat now the women will really 29:06.080 --> 29:10.960 turn on to this a thermostat determines the temperature of the room doesn't you 29:10.960 --> 29:17.240 set it for 70 then it should be 70 or you got a faulty thermostat the 29:17.240 --> 29:21.040 thermostat is very superior to a thermometer because a dumb thermometer 29:21.040 --> 29:26.800 just says oh it's hot oh it's cold in here but can't do a stinking thing about 29:26.800 --> 29:32.480 it but when you put the thermostat and the thermometer together then you have 29:32.480 --> 29:37.480 the one that determines the temperature of the room Christians are just like the 29:37.480 --> 29:42.320 thermostat they should determine the environment around them if it's unholy 29:42.440 --> 29:48.400 make it holy see if it is empty fill it if it is unrighteous make it righteous in 29:48.400 --> 29:53.720 the name of the Lord Jesus Christ live a victorious life as a thermostat a 29:53.720 --> 29:59.600 changer of the neighborhood a changer of America a change of the world and the 29:59.600 --> 30:04.480 church alone has the capacity to do that how exciting that really is young 30:04.480 --> 30:10.200 people and you have the secret to it thirdly he says purpose of life is to 30:10.200 --> 30:15.720 have a purpose in life some of your horsemen does that old horse go away from 30:15.720 --> 30:20.080 the barn as fast as it comes back now I think when you come back you better be 30:20.080 --> 30:23.480 careful you're gonna go right through the barn door with that horse quiet 30:23.480 --> 30:29.920 he's coming home to hay and water and ah scratches there seeing gets that old 30:29.920 --> 30:35.200 saddle marks off his back he's close to home and he's going faster he has a 30:35.200 --> 30:42.120 direction doesn't he he has a purpose in life and that is to go home number four 30:42.120 --> 30:46.440 is to get caught dreaming I'm just amazed at how many young people have no 30:46.440 --> 30:50.520 dreams for their life have no visions the Bible said if you don't have a vision 30:50.520 --> 30:55.120 the people perish but you really believe that if you don't want to be big it's I 30:55.120 --> 31:02.680 doubt it's going to be big accidentally do accidents make you rich more on rare 31:02.720 --> 31:08.080 occasion hard work does though the planning successful carrying out of 31:08.080 --> 31:13.080 ideas creative thinking is one of the rarest aspects of the human mind I'm 31:13.080 --> 31:19.840 very aware of that as a college teacher and if you have a creative mind open it 31:19.840 --> 31:24.960 up to God and let God work great dreams and visions within your life the fifth 31:24.960 --> 31:30.360 is to lift people up don't put them down the church is a group of people we are 31:30.360 --> 31:34.800 gregarious we're colonizers we live together we need to boost each other up 31:34.800 --> 31:38.840 and we need to exalt each other and we need to edify that's called a ministry 31:38.840 --> 31:43.360 of reconciliation it's in first Corinthians and it's a beautiful passage 31:43.360 --> 31:49.280 of Scripture we've had many sermons one that and the last is this the secret to 31:49.280 --> 32:00.840 living is giving I have found in you know being an elder since 1955 that people 32:00.840 --> 32:10.080 live long who have dreams they live long who give of themselves who are 32:10.080 --> 32:17.360 unselfish they don't burn out they don't get tired they just keep on doing 32:17.400 --> 32:23.760 good and you know that's a rich life that's a good life that's living it well 32:23.760 --> 32:29.640 and it can only be done through the Lord Jesus 32:47.360 --> 32:49.420 you