https://youtu.be/NyVfTkK8FNk

Get Back Up

– Proverbs 24:16, The godly man may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.

– This book is a collection of wise words and universal truths given to us by King Solomon.

– Proverbs 1:2, Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise.

– This proverb is pointing out that when you live by God’s precepts, you will endure, and have new strength. BUT if you do not, life will beat you down and keep you there.

– Think of an athlete: What stops them from getting back up? Pain, injury, self-doubt…

– Spiritually and emotionally, I believe it works the same way.

– Psychologists say that we are only born with 2 fears: Falling, and Loud Noises. (Self-protection.)

– All other fears are learned, and most in order to avoid pain and injury. (Self-protection also.)

– Fear of FAILURE, & looking FOOLISH are ones that will keep us from “getting back up”.

– Example: I think this is where the “fear of public speaking” comes in. (To avoid the pain of ridicule by our peers.) This stops us from sharing the gospel!

– These fears cause us to commit sins of omission.

– You have to get over your fear of looking foolish if you are going to step out in faith, and be the son or daughter God has created you to be.

Its okay to fail.

– “The godly man may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.”

– The scriptures record 7 times where the Disciple Peter fails during his time with Jesus. I want to focus on a couple of them:

– Looking through Matthew 26:36-75 alone we see…

– 1st: Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him to pray before being crucified. They ALL fell asleep! They failed to “keep watch”. They didn’t protect Jesus. “For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”  (All of them went on to become heroes of the faith later.)

– 2nd: Armed men lead by Judas “grabbed Jesus and arrested him.” Peter cuts off the ear. After receiving rebuke for not protecting Jesus in the garden, now he is being rebuked again for trying to protect him from arrest. (This was probably a little confusing…)

– 3rd: All the disciples deserted Jesus, but verse 58 says, “Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.”  (Peter, the only one close enough to deny Jesus.)

– All the disciples failed Jesus at one point or another, but why is scripture focused on mostly Peter’s failures?

– Peter always took action and pushed forward. Where was everyone else? Running away, or standing by watching? I don’t know because scripture doesn’t say what they did!

– You won’t fail if you don’t try. But, this is the sin of omission, and sin is failure.

– Your Pastors would much rather see you push forward, and have to pull you back in. Than for you to do nothing, fearing failure, and have to pull you along.

– I don’t think Jesus was mad at Peter. I think he loved it, and wished they were all like that!

– Don’t wait for the Pastor to ask you to serve! Get involved,

https://youtu.be/j53-o0NO2fQ

What it says:

Mar 10:35 NKJV – Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

Mar 10:36 NKJV – And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

Mar 10:37 NKJV – They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”

Mar 10:38 NKJV – But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

Mar 10:39 NKJV – They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;

Mar 10:40 NKJV – “but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but [it is for those] for whom it is prepared.”

Mar 10:41 NKJV – And when the ten heard [it], they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.

Mar 10:42 NKJV – But Jesus called them to [Himself] and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

Mar 10:43 NKJV – “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.

Mar 10:44 NKJV – “And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.

Mar 10:45 NKJV – “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

What it means / What it means to you:

Mar 10:35 NKJV – Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

This is kind of a funny thing to do because Jesus just told them in the previous verses that he was going to dieIt would be like if I said I was terminal and I was going to die soon and you said, “Yeah before you do that I have a favor to ask.”

Mar 10:36 NKJV – And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

Mar 10:37 NKJV – They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”

This is an audacious request but it shows us a couple of things one they were brave enough to ask Jesus for what they wanted while the others who really wanted the same thing were too timid to make such a request

Mar 10:38 NKJV – But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

Mar 10:39 NKJV – They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;

Even though Jesus Says this he is taking about in the future because in just a little bit they will all run for their lives when Jesus is arrested

Mar 10:40 NKJV – “but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but [it is for those] for whom it is prepared.”

The Disciples wanted to share in the glory of Christ but they didn’t know what it would take for Christ to enter into his glory.It took dying on the cross, the Disciples were inadvertently asking for each of them to be crucified next to Jesus one on his right and one on his left

https://youtu.be/E-u0Q7wXeHs

Today I have the privilege to Honor our Senior Pastors. The only way I can explain it best is – Because of your obedience, you sacrifice, and being submissive to the true gospel of Jesus Christ- My life has been transformed, my wife’s, my kids and our future. Not to mention some of the people we meet along the way.

All because you two answered the call and said, “Send me, here I am”

See, back in 2010 when Eva and I were seeking direction- part time Christian ( a.k.a lukewarm Christians), trying to figure out where to go and God lead us to Faith and Victory, we didn’t know that our lives would be transformed.

The process started and – He removed the heart of stone and put in me a new heart.

I can’t lie, yo invaded our space in a very uncomfortable way. The hugs and I love you’s – were weird at first.

You would call and check on us if we missed church. The church was so loving. People were just super nice. You were just too loving- we wondered what this people wanted with us.

As we continue to cautiously come to church its then that we realized that this was how Christ love felt. – this how to love your neighbor as yourself.

That you two loved God with all your heart and you just couldn’t contain that love. So you had to project it to other. And through Gods guidance you created a place where other can experience the same.

Then Pastor Matt preached – He said’ I am not perfect- I am broken, and I struggle with stuff- BUT!! I love Christ and if you are willing, come along side me and we read the bible, do what it say and seek God together for directions.

Pastor Crystal Spoke and she said “I have a past and I am forgiven and loved by my father and now I have purpose.

This was not my past experience with other Pastors. – I could relate man!

I saw humility, I felt genuine hearts that loved God and were willing to do whatever it took to honor Him. It was then I knew that I could respect, honor, submit and follow my Pastors.

7 years later, Eva and I consider you our Pastors and friends. It hasn’t been easy, it did require us to allow God work through me.

I didn’t Amen every sermon you guy preached coz some of it cut deep, but on that day, we committed to be part of Faith and Victory church, we committed to honor you and part of the that honor is to be submissive 100% to you as God appointed spiritual leaders in our lives

We allowed God to use you to reach our lives.

In those few years under your teaching:

Relationship with God. Intimate relationship. Loving on us and pruning us as well.I learnt how to be a good husbandI saw Eva’s life transform to a girl after God’s heart – All started with her coming to Tue bible studyThe list is endless, …we are no longer the same.

Thank you for being obedient to the call and for pushing us to have a personal relationship with God.

THE CALLING

The bible say’s in Luke 12:48 “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more”

I know that this calling is not an easy one – when I think about the work that has been trusted to you Pastor Matt and Pastor Crystal. I am reminded of a guy in the bible who much was required from him.

Noah – We all have heard the story of Noah, and for most of us- we only know the Sunday School...

https://youtu.be/rfpmUI93N5w

2 Sam 11

Why preach a sermon on such a bleak passage?

I never want to preach something to you that I don’t find challenging to myselfDavid’s complacency got him into big troubleI am often spiritually complacentI don’t want to fail like David failedI need you all so much to help me NOT be spiritually complacent

You have heard it said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

This is really a very profound statement that has been widely accepted and applauded.It’s a quote we have probably all heard even if we don’t remember it.And this story of David seems to be a real example of the corrupting nature of power in a man’s life but the statement power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely is not true!It’s against the scriptures. The bible teaches that Man is corrupt and power just gives him the opportunity to act corruptly.Don’t believe me?God had absolute power and that power never corrupted him,there is a reason we call him Almighty.

If power corrupted then God would have to be the most vile being in the universe but the opposite is true.God is the most merciful, selfless, humble and loving being that the universe has ever or will ever see!Your greatest enemy, the greatest opposition you will have to following the Lord whole heartedly is yourselfWhat about the devil? You might ask?I think the devil is a powerful enemy but if he didn’t have this inside man, this traitor that is my flesh he would find no purchase in my lifeHe just has to appeal to my fallen nature and his has an automatic allyIf you can’t accept that in your flesh you are by nature corrupt then you will become complacent with regards to your sin and it will lead you to moral catastrophe James 1:14-16

King David was one of the greatest men that ever lived

Great CharacterRighteous – A man after God’s own heart Acts 13:22Humble and LoyalA man of profound FaithHe had great spiritual gifts such as prophecyStrong and BraveWhen he was a teenager maybe even younger he slew lions and bears that came after his father’s flockHe put the king and warriors of Israel to shame when he faced down Goliath with nothing but his faith and sling shotGreat Warrior and tacticianMercifulCharismatic and handsomeAmazing TalentGreat poet and singerA great administrator and leaderProminent Position as KingFamousRespect of the peopleAnd he had the favor of GodHe was at the zenith of his power and success

Despite all of this David fell into vile, shameful, treacherous, perverted sinIf David could fall into sin than we can to

What can we learn from David’s sin?

*A side note narratives like this are a great proof for the validity of the scriptures

– historians have a principle called the principle of embarrassment

– If the account contains exceedingly embarrassing details then the narrative is most likely true

How did David fall into sin? I believe it’s because David grew complacent

Now there are two types of complacency

The Complacency that comes from over confidenceAnd the complacency that comes from apathyWhat kind of complacency did David haveI believe both

Look at v. 1

“It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

https://youtu.be/bxla3RQQF_Y

Drink the Cup

Mark 10:35-40

3 things from this

Check your heart

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”37 They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” 39 They said to Him, “We are able.”In this scripture- the disciples are all but telling Jesus- “you are going to do what we ask you to do” Jesus plays along for a bit and asks “what is it you want”Remember- he knows what they are thinking- he is setting them up because he knowsThey want position in the kingdom- They think of Joseph in potiphars house, they think of Daniel under Darius. They want some position. They want some influence

Their heart is not about what they can do for Jesus- it is based on what Jesus can do for them.The right and the left hand are positions of authority in a worldly kingdom and they want it.Here’s the deal- You can hear and not understand- been with Jesus and still aren’t getting it.Around the savior of the universe and still not realizing what it means to be a follower of JCThe problem was they thought Jesus kingdom was going to be like a worldly kingdomThey wanted power and prestige They wanted what would please themThey wanted to get for themselves- wrong heart condition Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?Modern day- I want Jesus to bless me and do stuff for me. This is the same heart condition of many people who come to Jesus not even “what can you do” but “you’re going to do this”Jesus says “are you able” and they are like “we are able” Jesus drops the bomb on them and they agree that they are able- but inMark 14:50 it says “Then they all forsook Him and fled”What it means to youWhere’s your heart? James 1:14But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.I can appreciate that people come to Jesus for many different reasons, many people start with a bad theology that must be corrected- The first thing Jesus wants to do is forgive your sinThis is what sends churches sideways. People who want to build their own kingdoms. They get upset when they don’t get what they want.What you want from Jesus and what Jesus is going to give you might be different than you think

People think that God is some magical genie that you can come around sporadically and rub the lamp whenever you need your wish granted- and when he doesn’t do it, you feel justified in your unbelief– people that come in and out of relationship with Jesus and his church for personal gainThese guys hearts were wrong- but their theology was wrong too. They were wanting what Jesus doesn’t provide. They wanted a position that didn’t exist. No one gets that spot in heavenYou Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.Get your heart clean before God and then ask HIM…God, what is it that you want from me?I promise you that God will tell you if you ask him. – first thing he wants is all of YOUBut here’s the other part of it- Don’t commit to what you wont doThese dudes said they were able to do what Jesus asked of them, and in the end they failed.People will ask God to do something in their life, and faced with the responsibility of it, will choose to quit or not complete it.Don’t ask for a position and when it gets hard, quit. Don’t ask for a spouse and when it gets hard, quit.

https://youtu.be/S-OZ188hW04

How Can You Contend with Horses?

If you have run a marathon, then running 10 miles isn’t such a big deal because you have trained for endurance thus can go a greater length.

But, if you only ever run 3 miles, you will faint and likely not finish a 26 mile race. You haven’t prepared for the endurance. The most I have ever done was 36 miles- walking/running mix

Jeremiah 12:5New King James Version (NKJV)

5 “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,

Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace,

In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain[a] of the Jordan?

Jeremiah, I have greater dangers for you to encounter than those you are exposed to at Anathoth; if you be so disturbed with them, who are but as footmen, how will you be able to grapple with those far greater enemies which you are like to meet with at Jerusalem? Anathoth also seems to be understood by the land of thy peace; that is, the land of your friends, wherein you have a confidence: If your enemies meet with you there (in the land of peace) and you faint, what wilt thou do in the swellings of Jordan? that is, in a place where you are like to meet with an increase of greater troubles, like the swelling of Jordan (which in harvest used to overflow its banks).

Ex: my friend who smuggled Bibles into China, went to an underground church at night

They would rejoice to be able to meet freely as we still have that right

Now look at Americans, who treat the Bride of Christ like a prostitute, using Her only as they need something. People who cannot even say homosexuality is a sin for fear of offending someone who has absolutely no say so over their life. Never really putting their faith on display, but all the while pretending to be a closet Christian.

This type of Christian will not endure intense persecution.

Can you contend with horses?

This was spoken to the great prophet Jeremiah by God Himself-

what will He say to you?

The Faithful Church- the Church of Philadelphia

Revelation 3:7-13 New King James Version (NKJV)

10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

Philadelphia was a faithful church that kept Christ’s Word did not deny Him. They endured intense opposition from the world and resisted conforming to the evil trends of other churches.

They persevered in loyalty to Christ and the truth of the gospel.

1. Perseverance requires trust that God loves you. Rev 3:9 “and to know that I have loved you”

Oswald Chambers

“A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, but our Lord continues to stretch and strain, and every once in awhile the saint says, ‘I can’t take any more’. Yet, God pays no attention; He goes on stretching until His purpose is in sight, and then He lets the arrow fly. Entrust yourself to God’s hands.”

Faith is not some weak and pitiful emotion, but is strong and vigorous confidence built on the fact that God loves me. God cares for me. I am His beloved child.

Going through trials,

https://youtu.be/GoD6hiiSoQY

Quit being afraid

Mark 10:32-34

Once again the disciples are walking with Jesus and they are following him and not really knowing what is going on. They are following but completely lost. So Jesus takes them aside and is describing to them what they are about to experience as they are following him. He clearly lays out the process by which he is going to be crucified. Betrayed, condemned, delivered, mocked, scoured, spit on, killed. And then rising from the dead.

I’m not going to go in order, but I want to draw a few things about this scripture that we can get from it

Jesus always Goes before us

Its an interesting distinction that as the disciples are walking their way with Jesus that he is “going before them”That’s the heart of Jesus folks. That’s the heart of a leader. He goes before his disciples. He doesn’t ask of them more than he asks of himselfHe is the one who is going towards the cross- he is the one who is going to face death, and in this instance- they are afraid, and Jesus is going before them.Deuteronomy 31:8 And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”There are many times in scripture where you see God going before someone. They are able to see God before them, and know that they will be taken care of as they go.Lets be honest- who respects a leader who doesn’t go before them? Not many!A leader who is never willing to go before their people will never lead them. How can you lead from the back?Isaiah 45:2 ‘I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron.

Doing the tough mudder with PJ- him not letting me fall behind. He was ahead, trail blazing!What does it mean to you?There is nothing that you are going through that Jesus hasn’t gone before you.he has experienced every thing that you have experienced and understands pain. He is BEFOREThink about this earth. We think we’re exceptional- we think that no one has experienced what we are experiencing- but the reality is that JESUS has walked through everything with everyone.He’s not overwhelmed with it. He’s not concerned with it. He’s not worried about it.Deuteronomy 1:30 The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes,This is why reading the Bible is so good! If he did it for someone else, he will do it for YOURed Sea parted, Marah’s waters sweetened, Manna sent In the Wilderness, Water from the rock, Balaam’s ass speaking, The river Jordan divided, Walls of Jericho fall down,Sun and moon stand stillJesus goes before you! Before you go into that surgery, before you lose your job, before your kids get sick, before you have to face your biggest fears! BEFORE

2 Samuel 5:24 And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.”There’s a reason we sing songs of victory- and its not so you can forget them!Why do you allow yourself to be consumed by the things of this world?You know who I love? Kathryn Duffy- man- she is a woman of faith. I’m sure she has her bad days but she lives with cancer every day- and I haven’t seen her curse God yet!Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?Psalm 56:11 In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?Here’s the truth- Some of you haven’t received the baptism of the Holy Spirit so you’re unable to walk in victory.

https://youtu.be/xvK8doLwPn4

“HOUSE RULES” ****VERSES ARE IN NKJV NOW****

Matthew 20:1-16 (NKJV), “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’

8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner,12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

– Jesus often spoke in stories:

– The truth he would speak plainly. Like the gospel, why he came, who God is, etc…

– The mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven are hard to understand, so Jesus spoke them in parables.

– Jesus tells this story, right after he talked to the rich young ruler, and talked about how hard it is for a rich man to enter into heaven. This is what Pastor Matt preached on Sunday.

– He use this story to add to the previous one. He Oreos them together as two examples of people’s misconceptions about what status is important in the kingdom of God. These things (wealth, position, and seniority) are important in OUR earthly kingdoms, but not in God’s Kingdom.

– Jesus’ point last time addresses those people who think they have everything they need already (wealth, kept the aspects of the law their whole life). They believe they are “good” and deserve heaven.

– I think the Rich Young Ruler just wanted Jesus to simply confirm that he had done enough to live eternally. He wasn’t looking for any more “to do”s.

– This story expands on that by including those who think that they have earned their “wages” by their hard work.

– Both examples are dealing with the same issue, a prideful heart. Your self-discipline and hard work don’t get you eternal life.

POINT #1

Matthew 20:1-7 (NKJV), “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw othersstanding idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour,