1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:06,860 Well, I invite you to open your Bibles, please, at the letter of Jude, and particularly today 2 00:00:06,860 –> 00:00:09,740 at verse 20. 3 00:00:09,740 –> 00:00:17,540 Now, this marvelous letter in the New Testament was written to a group of believers who were 4 00:00:17,540 –> 00:00:22,879 finding it increasingly difficult to live out their life of faith. 5 00:00:22,879 –> 00:00:27,580 As you’ll see from verse 4, some of them were discouraged, because there were a growing 6 00:00:27,580 –> 00:00:35,000 number of leaders in the church whose lives were marked by compromise, and whose teaching 7 00:00:35,000 –> 00:00:37,560 was marked by error. 8 00:00:37,560 –> 00:00:42,220 Many people had been taken in by these trends, and the result was that, as the church moved 9 00:00:42,220 –> 00:00:48,599 forward, the preaching of the Word of God was increasingly difficult to find, and moral 10 00:00:48,599 –> 00:00:52,500 standards were generally in decline, even amongst God’s people. 11 00:00:53,279 –> 00:00:58,700 In fact, to get a description of the quality of leadership that was beginning to emerge 12 00:00:58,700 –> 00:01:01,919 within the churches, you only need to look at Verse 12. 13 00:01:01,919 –> 00:01:04,059 It’s pretty sobering stuff. 14 00:01:04,059 –> 00:01:10,480 Shepherds, says Jude, who feed only themselves. 15 00:01:10,480 –> 00:01:15,919 Here in other words were pastors being appointed within the churches, who were trusted with 16 00:01:16,139 –> 00:01:22,620 care of God’s flock, but ended up evidently only being concerned with their own careers. 17 00:01:22,620 –> 00:01:27,480 Clouds without rain, he says, Verse 12. 18 00:01:27,480 –> 00:01:31,739 Spiritual leaders who seemed to have some authentic walk with God and some promise of 19 00:01:31,739 –> 00:01:37,180 spiritual help, but actually were personally like spiritual dry wells. 20 00:01:37,180 –> 00:01:42,919 A conversation with one of these shepherds might be interesting and stimulating, but 21 00:01:42,919 –> 00:01:48,419 they were able to offer nothing that would be like water to a thirsty soul. 22 00:01:48,419 –> 00:01:52,620 Blown along by the wind, says Jude. 23 00:01:52,620 –> 00:01:58,440 Here were people who took their direction from the prevailing winds of the culture, 24 00:01:58,440 –> 00:02:07,320 minds filled with marketing and with management, but devoid of communion with Jesus Christ. 25 00:02:07,320 –> 00:02:10,839 Without faith and uprooted, he says. 26 00:02:10,839 –> 00:02:16,440 Their lives, in other words, became filled with fruitless activity and the reason that 27 00:02:16,440 –> 00:02:22,240 all this activity was fruitless is that it was not rooted deeply in the work of the Holy 28 00:02:22,240 –> 00:02:25,360 Spirit of God. 29 00:02:25,360 –> 00:02:29,240 Now is there anybody here who doesn’t know what he was talking about? 30 00:02:29,240 –> 00:02:35,320 This is as powerful a description as you will find anywhere in the Bible about the way in 31 00:02:35,539 –> 00:02:42,279 which ministry becomes compromised, about the way in which a church can begin with a 32 00:02:42,279 –> 00:02:50,360 sense of calling but can all too easily slide into becoming a self-perpetuating institution. 33 00:02:50,360 –> 00:02:56,199 Now, remember that Jude is writing late in the first century. 34 00:02:56,199 –> 00:03:03,399 The first generation of Christians are almost all gone, the torch is now being passed to 35 00:03:03,399 –> 00:03:06,059 a new generation. 36 00:03:06,059 –> 00:03:10,419 And Jude writes to them and begins his letter in verse 3 by saying now you’re going to have 37 00:03:10,419 –> 00:03:12,479 to make a decision. 38 00:03:12,479 –> 00:03:19,479 You’re going to have to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints 39 00:03:19,479 –> 00:03:25,779 because you’re going to find in this new generation Jude says that even in church world the faith 40 00:03:25,779 –> 00:03:32,119 is being eroded, it’s being reshaped, and it’s being repackaged. 41 00:03:32,119 –> 00:03:39,059 You’re going to have to decide in this new generation, are you going to contend for the 42 00:03:39,059 –> 00:03:43,020 faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints? 43 00:03:43,020 –> 00:03:50,720 Or are you going to settle just for a faith that is primarily shaped to suit your culture 44 00:03:50,720 –> 00:03:52,119 and your lifestyle? 45 00:03:52,119 –> 00:03:57,979 Now in a world in which we see increasingly the Church of Jesus Christ being invaded by 46 00:03:58,039 –> 00:04:04,500 moral compromise and doctrinal error, what are we to do? 47 00:04:04,500 –> 00:04:10,860 And Jude answers that question very simply in the last six verses of this wonderful letter. 48 00:04:10,860 –> 00:04:19,279 We can summarize his message in this way – keep yourself in spiritual shape. 49 00:04:19,279 –> 00:04:26,320 And Jude is very practical because he breaks down what that means, into identifiable steps 50 00:04:27,279 –> 00:04:28,640 for us to follow. 51 00:04:28,640 –> 00:04:36,720 He gives us what I’m going to describe as seven workouts for a healthy Christian life. 52 00:04:36,720 –> 00:04:43,200 Now, many of us will be committed to some kind of fitness program. 53 00:04:43,200 –> 00:04:45,519 Some of us work with a coach. 54 00:04:45,519 –> 00:04:50,899 Some of us work with a personal trainer, and you are familiar with the fact that the coach 55 00:04:51,040 –> 00:04:58,040 gives to you an exercise program, a fitness routine that is geared to getting yourself 56 00:04:59,179 –> 00:05:01,899 in physical shape. 57 00:05:01,899 –> 00:05:05,880 And of course, a good exercise routine will work on different muscle groups. 58 00:05:05,880 –> 00:05:12,299 You know, this one’s for your abs and this one’s for your quads. 59 00:05:12,299 –> 00:05:13,959 And so, it goes on. 60 00:05:13,959 –> 00:05:21,799 Well, Jude gives us a balanced workout for a healthy spiritual life. 61 00:05:21,799 –> 00:05:25,640 And I do want to emphasize that this series, therefore, needs to be taken as a whole. 62 00:05:25,640 –> 00:05:30,160 There are some folks who always want to work on one muscle group to the neglect of all 63 00:05:30,160 –> 00:05:34,859 the others, and that is not the way to get yourself in good shape. 64 00:05:34,859 –> 00:05:38,959 In any routine, we’ll be drawn to some exercises that we like. 65 00:05:39,679 –> 00:05:45,220 We’ll be tempted to neglect other exercises that don’t appeal to us so much. 66 00:05:45,220 –> 00:05:51,420 But it’s usually the ones that we’re tempted to neglect that we’re most in need of actually 67 00:05:51,420 –> 00:05:52,420 doing. 68 00:05:52,420 –> 00:05:58,640 Now, like any good coach, Jude’s instructions on the exercise routine are very simple. 69 00:05:58,640 –> 00:06:01,980 Picture him there in his tracksuit on the field. 70 00:06:01,980 –> 00:06:03,519 He’s standing in the center. 71 00:06:03,519 –> 00:06:06,839 Jude is our coach, and he’s got the clipboard. 72 00:06:07,279 –> 00:06:12,239 And here we are, the congregation this morning, and we’re gathered arounds Jude who is our 73 00:06:12,239 –> 00:06:13,239 coach. 74 00:06:13,239 –> 00:06:15,720 And he’s been telling us what we’re going to be up against in the next meet. 75 00:06:15,720 –> 00:06:19,679 It’s going to be a tough one, folks, and so we’re going to really have to get ourselves 76 00:06:19,679 –> 00:06:21,119 in shape. 77 00:06:21,119 –> 00:06:25,179 And so he says there in verse 20, 78 00:06:25,179 –> 00:06:27,359 But you dear friends 79 00:06:27,359 –> 00:06:30,480 And he’s going to tell us now what we need to do. 80 00:06:30,480 –> 00:06:34,119 Build yourselves up in your faith, pray in the holy spirit. 81 00:06:34,119 –> 00:06:36,399 Keep yourselves in the love of God. 82 00:06:36,679 –> 00:06:38,500 Wait for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. 83 00:06:38,500 –> 00:06:43,260 Be merciful to those who doubt, to others show mercy mixed with fear, to him who is 84 00:06:43,260 –> 00:06:46,079 able to keep you from falling be glory forevermore. 85 00:06:46,079 –> 00:06:47,079 Amen. 86 00:06:47,079 –> 00:06:56,299 Now these six verses are really like a goldmine of how to live the Christian life, especially 87 00:06:56,299 –> 00:07:01,260 in a world of doctrinal confusion and of moral compromise. 88 00:07:01,260 –> 00:07:05,000 So we’re going to camp ourselves for these next weeks over this goldmine. 89 00:07:05,720 –> 00:07:13,160 We’re going to work with the trainer, Jude, to get ourselves into spiritual shape. 90 00:07:13,160 –> 00:07:17,480 Now before we come to the first of the seven workouts this morning, I want to ask the obvious 91 00:07:17,480 –> 00:07:24,519 question, which is simply what kind of spiritual shape are you in right now? 92 00:07:24,519 –> 00:07:33,079 Now it’s an important question because evangelicals place a tremendous amount of stress on spiritual 93 00:07:33,079 –> 00:07:34,559 life. 94 00:07:34,640 –> 00:07:38,079 We emphasize the importance of the new birth. 95 00:07:38,079 –> 00:07:45,519 We rejoice when people give testimonies of how they came to spiritual life in Jesus Christ. 96 00:07:45,519 –> 00:07:52,179 But remember that spiritual life is no guarantee of spiritual health. 97 00:07:52,179 –> 00:07:57,640 You may be spiritually alive in Jesus Christ, but the question we’re facing on these Sunday 98 00:07:57,640 –> 00:08:01,260 mornings is, are you spiritually fit? 99 00:08:01,380 –> 00:08:06,920 I’ve decided, by the way, that my job is decidedly unhealthy. 100 00:08:06,920 –> 00:08:09,239 I mean, think about it. 101 00:08:09,239 –> 00:08:15,959 Sitting at a desk, engaging in extended conversations, the writing and preparation of sermons, traveling 102 00:08:15,959 –> 00:08:23,140 to meetings, becoming an almost professional eater of breakfasts. 103 00:08:23,140 –> 00:08:28,739 I have to tell you without regular exercise over this last winter, I have begun to feel 104 00:08:28,739 –> 00:08:30,480 distinctly out of shape. 105 00:08:30,480 –> 00:08:36,539 I sit a car and a few weeks ago, I need to get back on the tennis court—that’s just 106 00:08:36,539 –> 00:08:37,539 my thing. 107 00:08:37,539 –> 00:08:42,219 Now, we all know what it is to feel physically out of shape. 108 00:08:42,219 –> 00:08:47,239 You just begin to become aware of that within your own self, and you know that you need 109 00:08:47,239 –> 00:08:50,820 to do something about it. 110 00:08:50,820 –> 00:08:59,080 What does it look like when you begin to get spiritually out of shape? 111 00:08:59,080 –> 00:09:00,919 Let me give you some symptoms. 112 00:09:00,919 –> 00:09:04,760 You can measure yourself by them. 113 00:09:04,760 –> 00:09:14,280 When I experience a loss of vigor and of vision, a lethargy creeps in so that the service God 114 00:09:14,280 –> 00:09:22,119 has called me to which was a joy to me before now becomes a drudgery to continue. 115 00:09:22,119 –> 00:09:29,440 When the enjoyment of God and worship begins to be eclipsed, when I no longer experience 116 00:09:29,440 –> 00:09:34,520 the nearness of God as I used to, nor feel any brokenness within my own spirit as I see 117 00:09:34,520 –> 00:09:37,020 myself and how I need to change. 118 00:09:37,020 –> 00:09:44,640 A loss of gratitude, in which I become far more preoccupied with something I want that 119 00:09:45,320 –> 00:09:52,200 didn’t give me than all that God did give me that I never deserved. 120 00:09:52,200 –> 00:09:55,320 A loss of spiritual hunger and thirst. 121 00:09:55,320 –> 00:10:03,039 David says, as a deer pants for springs of living water, that’s how my soul longs after 122 00:10:03,039 –> 00:10:04,400 you, O God. 123 00:10:04,400 –> 00:10:10,059 That’s the normal condition of a soul that’s in good and healthy shape. 124 00:10:10,059 –> 00:10:17,299 And when I begin to experience the absence of that hunger, then I know that I’m getting 125 00:10:17,299 –> 00:10:19,320 out of shape spiritually. 126 00:10:19,320 –> 00:10:21,840 A loss of compassion. 127 00:10:21,840 –> 00:10:25,140 And I begin to feel that other people are a drain. 128 00:10:25,140 –> 00:10:26,380 I don’t have the time. 129 00:10:26,380 –> 00:10:30,380 We become impatient with the faults of other people. 130 00:10:30,380 –> 00:10:32,460 The needs of others seem to be a burden. 131 00:10:32,460 –> 00:10:36,280 We feel frustrated that other people don’t make more progress. 132 00:10:37,080 –> 00:10:43,760 Now if you begin to see these things emerging within your soul, it is a sure sign that you 133 00:10:43,760 –> 00:10:51,780 are getting out of spiritual shape and there’s only one way to deal with that problem and 134 00:10:51,780 –> 00:10:55,619 that is to get into God’s exercise room. 135 00:10:55,619 –> 00:11:04,239 That’s where we’re going to be over these next weeks as Jude is our coach and our trainer. 136 00:11:04,260 –> 00:11:09,500 But before we get to the first workout, I want to take a moment just to give a word 137 00:11:09,500 –> 00:11:12,479 of encouragement. 138 00:11:12,479 –> 00:11:18,320 The way that God has ordered the church is that there should be shepherds for the flock 139 00:11:18,320 –> 00:11:20,260 of God’s sheep. 140 00:11:20,260 –> 00:11:28,479 The word pastor simply means shepherd, and one of the highest callings and privileges 141 00:11:28,739 –> 00:11:35,359 a pastor is to encourage another believer in their walk with God. 142 00:11:35,359 –> 00:11:40,619 You have a pastor who cares about your soul. 143 00:11:40,619 –> 00:11:46,700 The vast majority of us are used to going regularly, to the doctor, just for a checkup. 144 00:11:46,700 –> 00:11:52,119 We say, oh no, no, no, there’s nothing wrong with me, I’m just going for a checkup. 145 00:11:52,200 –> 00:11:56,840 But for some reason, it would never occur to some of us that it might be profoundly 146 00:11:56,840 –> 00:12:05,219 helpful to take precisely the same initiative and opportunity with regard to our souls. 147 00:12:05,219 –> 00:12:09,640 Now I want you to understand, and it’s important that the whole congregation understands 148 00:12:09,640 –> 00:12:15,419 this clearly, that pastoral staff positions in this church have been created from the 149 00:12:15,419 –> 00:12:23,919 deep conviction that the primary calling of a pastor is not to run a program, but to shepherd 150 00:12:23,919 –> 00:12:27,080 a group of people. 151 00:12:27,080 –> 00:12:33,679 That may be somewhat unusual in our culture, but it is profoundly biblical. 152 00:12:33,679 –> 00:12:37,280 We are God’s people. 153 00:12:37,280 –> 00:12:45,400 We are the sheep under His care, and God has appointed shepherds within the flock. 154 00:12:45,400 –> 00:12:49,359 That is somebody who cares for your soul. 155 00:12:49,359 –> 00:12:55,599 Now, the other reason for mentioning that this morning is that I want in this series 156 00:12:55,599 –> 00:13:03,500 to take the kind of practical, spiritual encouragement that would often go on in these private, one-to-one 157 00:13:03,500 –> 00:13:10,299 meanings, and to bring that out into the open, and to share it here with the whole congregation. 158 00:13:10,299 –> 00:13:16,559 I want to speak over these Sunday mornings, as I would eyeball-to-eyeball with someone 159 00:13:16,559 –> 00:13:23,479 who came and gave me the opportunity of counseling with them and encouraging them, and they would 160 00:13:23,479 –> 00:13:28,739 say to me, you know, I feel spiritually dried up, I feel all bent out of shape, I don’t 161 00:13:28,739 –> 00:13:29,739 know where to go. 162 00:13:30,239 –> 00:13:36,900 You see, these are the issues that Pastor Jude, the apostle Jude, is addressing. 163 00:13:36,900 –> 00:13:42,000 Now, spiritual fitness—and I found this very fascinating just over the years to observe 164 00:13:42,000 –> 00:13:50,099 the pattern—but spiritual fitness really revolves around seven areas, seven ways in 165 00:13:50,099 –> 00:13:55,679 which we can easily become spiritually flabby. 166 00:13:55,679 –> 00:14:06,760 There’s a loss of faith, or a decline in prayer, or a lack of love, or a loss of hope, 167 00:14:06,760 –> 00:14:16,580 or a losing of urgency that we once felt about our calling, a compromise in purity, a loss 168 00:14:16,580 –> 00:14:19,539 of confidence. 169 00:14:19,539 –> 00:14:24,719 These are the seven areas in which, above all else, we need to keep ourselves in spiritual 170 00:14:24,719 –> 00:14:25,719 shape. 171 00:14:25,719 –> 00:14:33,739 They are the seven areas identified by Jude for the workouts that we need in God’s gymnasium. 172 00:14:33,739 –> 00:14:38,640 So with that long introduction this morning, let’s now turn to the first workout, which 173 00:14:38,640 –> 00:14:41,559 you’ll find in verse 20. 174 00:14:41,559 –> 00:14:52,200 First workout, build yourselves up in your most holy faith. 175 00:14:52,200 –> 00:14:59,000 Now remember that Jude is talking to believers here, those who have embraced faith in Jesus 176 00:14:59,000 –> 00:15:00,000 Christ. 177 00:15:00,000 –> 00:15:05,479 And Jude says, yes, you’ve embraced that faith, it’s been entrusted once for all to the saints, 178 00:15:05,479 –> 00:15:10,799 but now you must build yourself up in it. 179 00:15:10,840 –> 00:15:16,960 There may be times when your faith seems to be at a low ebb, you feel you’re not growing. 180 00:15:16,960 –> 00:15:23,099 There may even be times when you say to yourself, you know, I wonder if I’m really a Christian 181 00:15:23,099 –> 00:15:24,140 at all? 182 00:15:24,140 –> 00:15:28,940 And Jude says, here’s where you need to begin. 183 00:15:28,940 –> 00:15:32,260 Build yourself up in your most holy faith. 184 00:15:32,260 –> 00:15:38,179 That’s the first thing you need to work on, if you’re to get yourself in spiritual shape. 185 00:15:39,159 –> 00:15:43,000 The obvious question then is, okay, how are we going to do that? 186 00:15:43,000 –> 00:15:47,140 Now, I want to suggest four very practical exercises. 187 00:15:47,140 –> 00:15:55,760 Four exercises that will help us to build ourselves up in our most holy faith. 188 00:15:55,760 –> 00:15:59,760 First, give thanks for your faith. 189 00:16:00,320 –> 00:16:09,219 Now, one of Satan’s greatest strategies against a believer is to seek to discredit your faith. 190 00:16:09,219 –> 00:16:13,280 Have you ever had something running in your mind that says, you know, for all the years 191 00:16:13,280 –> 00:16:20,880 I’m a Christian, my faith seems to be so puny, so weak, so small, so embarrassingly 192 00:16:20,880 –> 00:16:23,260 little in its growth and development? 193 00:16:23,260 –> 00:16:29,239 You see, that’s what the enemy loves to shoot into your mind. 194 00:16:29,260 –> 00:16:35,919 And there’s only one way to counteract that strategy, and that is to recognize that the 195 00:16:35,919 –> 00:16:44,919 faith that you have, however small it is, is a miracle and a gift from God and therefore 196 00:16:44,919 –> 00:16:47,059 to give thanks for it. 197 00:16:47,940 –> 00:16:52,859 There’s a wonderful story about a lady who came to see a pastor because she felt spiritually 198 00:16:52,859 –> 00:16:54,460 out of shape. 199 00:16:54,559 –> 00:16:57,359 She felt dried up, she felt when she came to 200 00:16:57,419 –> 00:17:01,739 worship she was on the outside and she was looking in. 201 00:17:01,739 –> 00:17:12,180 And as she explained her sense of spiritual dryness, she at one point broke down as she 202 00:17:12,180 –> 00:17:18,199 said, I sometimes wonder if I’m really a Christian at all. 203 00:17:20,619 –> 00:17:23,979 The pastor took a piece of paper and he wrote on it. 204 00:17:25,180 –> 00:17:31,180 These words, I do not love Jesus Christ. 205 00:17:31,219 –> 00:17:34,239 He then printed the woman’s name at the bottom of the piece of paper. 206 00:17:34,339 –> 00:17:40,060 He handed the piece of paper to the woman and he said, I want you to sign this. 207 00:17:42,459 –> 00:17:44,060 The woman took the piece of paper, she read it. 208 00:17:44,780 –> 00:17:47,780 I do not love Jesus Christ. 209 00:17:50,520 –> 00:17:53,760 I can’t sign that, she said. 210 00:17:54,459 –> 00:17:58,560 I’m not going to sign that. 211 00:17:58,560 –> 00:18:00,699 Of course you can’t, said the pastor, 212 00:18:03,020 –> 00:18:10,180 because the Holy Spirit lives in you, because you are a child of God. 213 00:18:11,619 –> 00:18:17,000 Now, stop complaining about how weak your faith is 214 00:18:17,020 –> 00:18:22,400 and start thanking God for the miracle he has done in your life 215 00:18:22,439 –> 00:18:25,959 and then, your faith will begin to grow. 216 00:18:25,959 –> 00:18:31,599 Now, if your faith is at a low ebb, this morning, 217 00:18:31,599 –> 00:18:34,239 this is where you begin. 218 00:18:34,239 –> 00:18:37,839 You look up into the face of Almighty God, 219 00:18:37,839 –> 00:18:38,959 and you say, 220 00:18:38,959 –> 00:18:46,479 Thank you that your Holy Spirit is at work in me. 221 00:18:46,479 –> 00:18:49,199 And when you begin to give thanks for what God has done 222 00:18:49,199 –> 00:18:52,439 and for what He is doing in your own life, 223 00:18:52,439 –> 00:18:55,800 then you will find that a cloud lifts 224 00:18:55,800 –> 00:18:58,699 and your faith begins to grow. 225 00:18:58,699 –> 00:19:01,400 You see, we need to learn to discern 226 00:19:01,400 –> 00:19:04,439 the work of the Holy Spirit. 227 00:19:04,439 –> 00:19:09,000 If you cannot see anything that God is doing in your life, 228 00:19:09,000 –> 00:19:12,079 if you cannot see what God has done in your life, 229 00:19:12,079 –> 00:19:14,540 then the problem is with your ability to see. 230 00:19:14,540 –> 00:19:15,359 Jesus says, 231 00:19:15,359 –> 00:19:20,319 my father is always at work and I am working too. 232 00:19:20,319 –> 00:19:22,439 That’s where the ministry of encouragement 233 00:19:22,439 –> 00:19:24,239 can sometimes be so important. 234 00:19:24,239 –> 00:19:26,920 If you can’t see what God is doing in your life, 235 00:19:26,920 –> 00:19:29,079 perhaps a friend can, 236 00:19:29,079 –> 00:19:32,380 and they can say to you, well, I see God doing this. 237 00:19:32,380 –> 00:19:33,319 Perhaps a pastor can, 238 00:19:33,319 –> 00:19:37,900 and he or she can say to you, I can see God doing this. 239 00:19:38,780 –> 00:19:41,800 And it’s a means of wonderful encouragement. 240 00:19:42,640 –> 00:19:47,640 See, faith is like a bulb that is planted in the ground. 241 00:19:48,800 –> 00:19:51,640 Dig out a hole, and then what’s the next thing that happens? 242 00:19:51,640 –> 00:19:55,260 A load of dirt gets dumped on top of this little bulb. 243 00:19:56,439 –> 00:19:58,859 It’s a miracle that it survives, isn’t it? 244 00:20:00,439 –> 00:20:00,900 But you see, it has life in it, 245 00:20:03,439 –> 00:20:07,680 and that life pushes its way through all of the muck, 246 00:20:07,680 –> 00:20:09,459 and eventually you see a little Shoot 247 00:20:09,459 –> 00:20:11,160 just peeping through the ground. 248 00:20:11,319 –> 00:20:12,119 It’s amazing. 249 00:20:13,560 –> 00:20:14,640 It’s amazing. 250 00:20:15,680 –> 00:20:16,619 There’s life there. 251 00:20:18,560 –> 00:20:20,780 Now you think of everything that is arrayed 252 00:20:20,780 –> 00:20:21,839 against your faith. 253 00:20:23,560 –> 00:20:25,819 How come your faith survived 254 00:20:25,819 –> 00:20:28,500 all the unanswered questions of your life? 255 00:20:30,719 –> 00:20:33,680 How come your faith survived all the bitter disappointments 256 00:20:33,680 –> 00:20:34,719 that you’ve faced? 257 00:20:36,219 –> 00:20:38,780 How come your faith survived all the exhausting 258 00:20:38,780 –> 00:20:40,079 struggles that you’ve been through? 259 00:20:40,079 –> 00:20:42,560 How come, that at the end of all that, 260 00:20:42,560 –> 00:20:44,099 you still would have to say, 261 00:20:44,099 –> 00:20:46,060 I love Jesus Christ? 262 00:20:47,760 –> 00:20:49,760 The amazing thing is not that your faith is weak 263 00:20:49,760 –> 00:20:51,380 but that it exists at all. 264 00:20:51,380 –> 00:20:52,219 Begin here. 265 00:20:52,219 –> 00:20:54,599 There is only one explanation of your faith. 266 00:20:54,599 –> 00:20:57,239 It is the gift of God. 267 00:20:57,239 –> 00:20:59,880 It is the result of the prayers of Jesus 268 00:20:59,880 –> 00:21:03,079 that have sustained it when all kinds of opposition 269 00:21:03,079 –> 00:21:04,380 was dumped upon it, 270 00:21:04,380 –> 00:21:06,959 and it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit 271 00:21:06,959 –> 00:21:08,880 that has caused it to keep growing. 272 00:21:10,599 –> 00:21:12,719 The faith that you have, however weak, 273 00:21:12,719 –> 00:21:15,280 and however small it sometimes seems to you, 274 00:21:15,280 –> 00:21:16,839 is a miracle. 275 00:21:16,839 –> 00:21:20,400 It is the work of Almighty God in your soul. 276 00:21:20,400 –> 00:21:21,680 So begin here. 277 00:21:21,680 –> 00:21:23,900 Thank God for that miracle. 278 00:21:24,800 –> 00:21:29,800 Recognize what He’s done and your faith will begin to grow. 279 00:21:33,880 –> 00:21:36,579 Now, when I say thank God for what He’s done, 280 00:21:36,579 –> 00:21:38,119 I don’t mean do it once in a blue moon. 281 00:21:38,140 –> 00:21:41,859 I mean think of this analogy of an exercise routine. 282 00:21:41,859 –> 00:21:43,739 You know, sit-ups. 283 00:21:43,739 –> 00:21:46,060 Yes, I’ve done sit-ups. 284 00:21:46,060 –> 00:21:47,099 I did two. 285 00:21:47,099 –> 00:21:50,020 Three weeks ago. 286 00:21:50,020 –> 00:21:51,380 Now that’s not gonna do anything 287 00:21:51,380 –> 00:21:53,660 for my physical fitness is it? 288 00:21:53,660 –> 00:21:56,300 And for you now and again every few weeks 289 00:21:56,300 –> 00:21:57,780 to occasionally say thank you to God 290 00:21:57,780 –> 00:21:58,780 for what He’s done in your life 291 00:21:58,780 –> 00:22:00,020 isn’t gonna make much change either. 292 00:22:00,020 –> 00:22:03,339 I’m saying build this exercise 293 00:22:03,339 –> 00:22:06,420 into the spiritual disciplines of your life 294 00:22:07,239 –> 00:22:09,819 That you give thanks to God 295 00:22:09,819 –> 00:22:11,760 for what he’s doing in your life 296 00:22:11,760 –> 00:22:13,780 and that we encourage one another in it. 297 00:22:13,780 –> 00:22:14,619 Notice it’s plural. 298 00:22:14,619 –> 00:22:15,880 Build yourselves up. 299 00:22:15,880 –> 00:22:18,160 So there’s a ministry for me to say to someone else, 300 00:22:18,160 –> 00:22:20,800 you know, I thank God for what He’s doing there 301 00:22:20,800 –> 00:22:22,979 and I can see how he’s sustaining you here. 302 00:22:22,979 –> 00:22:23,979 It’s a wonderful thing. 303 00:22:23,979 –> 00:22:25,140 Even I can see it. 304 00:22:26,459 –> 00:22:28,640 Oh there’s such a rich encouragement 305 00:22:28,640 –> 00:22:30,880 that we can give to one another 306 00:22:30,880 –> 00:22:33,359 in these relationships within the family of God. 307 00:22:34,260 –> 00:22:35,640 So there’s the first thing. 308 00:22:36,619 –> 00:22:38,780 Give thanks for your faith. 309 00:22:38,780 –> 00:22:42,900 Secondly, affirm your faith. 310 00:22:44,000 –> 00:22:45,040 Now notice that Jude says 311 00:22:45,040 –> 00:22:48,859 we’re to build ourselves up in our most holy faith. 312 00:22:48,859 –> 00:22:50,079 He’s talking, of course, 313 00:22:50,079 –> 00:22:51,939 about the faith referred to in verse three, 314 00:22:51,939 –> 00:22:55,540 this faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 315 00:22:55,540 –> 00:22:58,500 So it’s both personal in that it’s your faith 316 00:22:58,500 –> 00:23:01,500 but it’s also bigger than you 317 00:23:01,500 –> 00:23:05,400 because your faith is to embrace the faith 318 00:23:05,479 –> 00:23:09,420 that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 319 00:23:09,420 –> 00:23:11,880 And one of the ways in which you can build yourself up 320 00:23:11,880 –> 00:23:15,500 in your most holy faith is to affirm what you believe. 321 00:23:15,500 –> 00:23:17,699 That is why Christians throughout the centuries 322 00:23:17,699 –> 00:23:20,060 have found it very helpful in worship 323 00:23:20,060 –> 00:23:24,099 to recite creeds as part of their worship to God. 324 00:23:24,099 –> 00:23:25,660 A very useful thing to do 325 00:23:25,660 –> 00:23:28,619 and perhaps something that we should do more often. 326 00:23:28,619 –> 00:23:33,400 I believe in God the Father Almighty, 327 00:23:33,420 –> 00:23:36,560 the Creator of heaven and earth. 328 00:23:38,780 –> 00:23:40,979 Some of you know the name of C.H. Spurgeon. 329 00:23:42,000 –> 00:23:44,780 Spurgeon had the awesome responsibility 330 00:23:44,780 –> 00:23:48,959 of preaching to vast crowds in London over 100 years ago. 331 00:23:49,880 –> 00:23:52,859 When the time came for Spurgeon to enter the pulpit, 332 00:23:53,959 –> 00:23:57,199 there were times when he felt so overwhelmed 333 00:23:57,199 –> 00:24:00,079 he struggled to get up there and speak. 334 00:24:01,000 –> 00:24:05,739 I have to tell you honestly that I know how he felt. 335 00:24:07,339 –> 00:24:09,680 To speak personally for just a moment, 336 00:24:10,619 –> 00:24:13,160 to speak the word of God 337 00:24:14,260 –> 00:24:18,099 in such a way that people would see Jesus 338 00:24:18,800 –> 00:24:21,619 is an awesome responsibility. 339 00:24:23,819 –> 00:24:26,680 To stand up and seek to press home 340 00:24:26,680 –> 00:24:29,859 the claims of Jesus Christ, 341 00:24:29,880 –> 00:24:34,040 knowing that you are charged to speak of eternal things 342 00:24:35,160 –> 00:24:38,939 sometimes feels utterly overwhelming. 343 00:24:40,900 –> 00:24:42,660 And years ago, 344 00:24:42,660 –> 00:24:45,280 I found out something that Spurgeon did to help him, 345 00:24:45,280 –> 00:24:48,239 and it has helped me ever since I discovered it. 346 00:24:49,719 –> 00:24:52,479 He used to speak from a pulpit that was raised high, 347 00:24:52,479 –> 00:24:55,359 there was a gallery in the church where he spoke, 348 00:24:55,359 –> 00:24:57,839 and as he climbed these 20 steps, 349 00:24:57,839 –> 00:25:00,199 feeling the weight of his responsibility, 350 00:25:00,199 –> 00:25:01,959 he said one thing to himself, 351 00:25:03,260 –> 00:25:07,459 I believe in the Holy Spirit. 352 00:25:08,780 –> 00:25:11,599 You picture it, he’s climbing these steps, 353 00:25:12,479 –> 00:25:15,040 I believe in the Holy Spirit, 354 00:25:16,280 –> 00:25:18,959 I believe in the Holy Spirit. 355 00:25:21,880 –> 00:25:23,880 See, so if I didn’t believe in the Holy Spirit, 356 00:25:23,880 –> 00:25:25,719 there’s no way I could even begin 357 00:25:25,719 –> 00:25:27,660 to attempt what I’m called to do. 358 00:25:28,479 –> 00:25:32,979 But I do believe in the Holy Spirit, 359 00:25:32,979 –> 00:25:34,699 therefore I press forward 360 00:25:35,780 –> 00:25:38,420 to do what he has called me to do today. 361 00:25:39,520 –> 00:25:42,239 Now, you may want to say that 362 00:25:42,239 –> 00:25:44,880 as you step into a job interview this week, 363 00:25:45,920 –> 00:25:48,260 or perhaps as you’re admitted into a hospital, 364 00:25:49,319 –> 00:25:51,520 or perhaps as you go into a law court 365 00:25:51,520 –> 00:25:54,439 or some other situation that God puts you in 366 00:25:54,439 –> 00:25:56,479 that you find quite overwhelming 367 00:25:56,520 –> 00:25:58,099 and you need to say to yourself 368 00:25:58,099 –> 00:26:00,000 this affirmation of your faith, 369 00:26:00,000 –> 00:26:03,479 I believe in the Holy Spirit. 370 00:26:03,479 –> 00:26:06,199 I believe in God the Father Almighty. 371 00:26:08,680 –> 00:26:12,839 Maybe Satan comes and he keeps raising in your mind 372 00:26:12,839 –> 00:26:16,079 some sin that you’ve confessed 373 00:26:16,079 –> 00:26:18,040 and you’ve brought it to Christ, 374 00:26:18,040 –> 00:26:20,640 but he causes you to feel ashamed 375 00:26:20,640 –> 00:26:22,439 over and over and over again 376 00:26:22,439 –> 00:26:23,640 and you can’t get free. 377 00:26:23,640 –> 00:26:25,599 How are you going to counteract that? 378 00:26:27,280 –> 00:26:32,280 The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from every sin. 379 00:26:33,579 –> 00:26:38,119 Satan, I believe in the blood of Jesus. 380 00:26:39,040 –> 00:26:44,040 I believe in the blood of Jesus. 381 00:26:45,560 –> 00:26:47,280 Read the Psalms. 382 00:26:47,280 –> 00:26:50,959 You’ll find that they are full of affirmations of faith 383 00:26:50,959 –> 00:26:52,660 to build up the soul. 384 00:26:53,500 –> 00:26:57,040 Why are all these affirmations of faith there? 385 00:26:57,040 –> 00:27:01,500 Because this is what we most need to feed our faith upon. 386 00:27:01,500 –> 00:27:03,219 The world, the flesh, and the devil 387 00:27:03,219 –> 00:27:07,640 are always assaulting your mind with lies and doubts 388 00:27:07,640 –> 00:27:09,939 and unanswerable questions, 389 00:27:09,939 –> 00:27:14,640 so feed your soul on affirmations of what you believe. 390 00:27:15,900 –> 00:27:20,599 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. 391 00:27:21,540 –> 00:27:24,660 He is good! 392 00:27:26,160 –> 00:27:29,680 Nothing that ever happens to me will be without his work 393 00:27:30,619 –> 00:27:32,439 to bring my good out of it. 394 00:27:33,400 –> 00:27:36,420 Give thanks to the Lord for his love endures forever. 395 00:27:36,420 –> 00:27:40,760 I may feel so desperate, but I am surrounded by his love 396 00:27:40,760 –> 00:27:43,020 because it endures forever. 397 00:27:45,359 –> 00:27:48,300 Affirming your faith by confessing what God has revealed 398 00:27:48,339 –> 00:27:51,079 will be like fresh air to your soul 399 00:27:52,239 –> 00:27:53,780 and it will cause you to grow. 400 00:27:55,160 –> 00:27:56,540 Now, here’s the third exercise. 401 00:27:56,540 –> 00:27:59,680 The first one was giving thanks for your faith. 402 00:27:59,680 –> 00:28:03,739 The second in this first workout was affirming your faith. 403 00:28:03,739 –> 00:28:07,300 And here’s the third, exercise your faith. 404 00:28:08,280 –> 00:28:11,099 Now, faith is like a muscle. 405 00:28:11,099 –> 00:28:15,979 And the way in which it grows strong is when it is used. 406 00:28:15,979 –> 00:28:19,839 And all of you who have ever worked out in a gym know 407 00:28:19,839 –> 00:28:23,439 that if you want to develop a particular muscle, 408 00:28:23,439 –> 00:28:27,380 the way that you do it is that you put some weight upon it 409 00:28:27,380 –> 00:28:30,540 and pull or push against that weight. 410 00:28:30,540 –> 00:28:34,119 And in this way, you will build the strength of that muscle. 411 00:28:35,079 –> 00:28:37,680 Now, it’s exactly the same with your faith. 412 00:28:37,680 –> 00:28:39,140 How does your faith grow? 413 00:28:39,140 –> 00:28:44,140 Your faith will grow when some weight is put upon it, 414 00:28:44,280 –> 00:28:47,839 when your faith has to pull or to push 415 00:28:47,839 –> 00:28:49,439 against some great burden. 416 00:28:50,280 –> 00:28:53,359 And that’s not happening all the time in life, 417 00:28:53,359 –> 00:28:56,000 but it does happen particularly 418 00:28:56,000 –> 00:28:59,280 when God allows some trial to come into your life. 419 00:29:00,099 –> 00:29:04,640 Suddenly, one Friday, you discover you’re having a job. 420 00:29:04,640 –> 00:29:07,260 Your girlfriend or your boyfriend packs you in. 421 00:29:08,280 –> 00:29:11,760 Your business bottom line comes out the wrong color. 422 00:29:11,859 –> 00:29:14,780 What you had always feared actually comes to pass. 423 00:29:14,780 –> 00:29:19,500 And suddenly, God has thrust you into the gymnasium. 424 00:29:19,500 –> 00:29:24,500 This is the moment God is handing you the weights. 425 00:29:26,140 –> 00:29:30,680 This is where faith will grow if it is exercised. 426 00:29:32,119 –> 00:29:35,260 Now whenever God allows you to face some burden, 427 00:29:35,260 –> 00:29:38,479 some trials, some weight in your life, 428 00:29:38,479 –> 00:29:41,579 He is calling you to exercise faith. 429 00:29:41,579 –> 00:29:46,579 And faith grows as it is exercised under pressure. 430 00:29:47,520 –> 00:29:51,099 That weight that He’s given you and allowed you to carry. 431 00:29:52,640 –> 00:29:56,119 Now, one reason why many people never really grow in faith 432 00:29:57,000 –> 00:30:00,160 is that when God put you in the gymnasium 433 00:30:00,160 –> 00:30:04,560 and showed you the weights, you just sat there in a chair. 434 00:30:05,400 –> 00:30:08,760 See, going into a gymnasium and looking at the weights 435 00:30:08,760 –> 00:30:11,520 will do you no good in terms of your physical fitness 436 00:30:11,520 –> 00:30:13,339 if you do not pick them up. 437 00:30:14,640 –> 00:30:18,420 And you can go through a trial without ever really praying, 438 00:30:19,459 –> 00:30:22,040 without ever really exercising faith in God. 439 00:30:22,040 –> 00:30:23,160 You just go through the trial. 440 00:30:23,160 –> 00:30:24,540 You come out the other side. 441 00:30:24,540 –> 00:30:27,540 You survive it, but you are no stronger spiritually 442 00:30:27,540 –> 00:30:31,719 than when you went in because you missed the moment 443 00:30:31,719 –> 00:30:33,359 to exercise your faith. 444 00:30:33,400 –> 00:30:35,660 You missed your moment in the gymnasium. 445 00:30:35,660 –> 00:30:39,859 You allowed your session to pass without doing anything. 446 00:30:42,319 –> 00:30:44,599 Now, if you can identify that pattern in your life, 447 00:30:44,599 –> 00:30:46,040 and it happens very often, 448 00:30:47,400 –> 00:30:48,939 let me give you this assurance. 449 00:30:48,939 –> 00:30:53,099 God will put you in the gymnasium again. 450 00:30:54,979 –> 00:30:59,780 Ask God for eyes to see when it happens. 451 00:30:59,780 –> 00:31:01,420 Might be a relatively small thing this week, 452 00:31:01,420 –> 00:31:03,160 but it’s something that goes wrong and you need 453 00:31:03,920 –> 00:31:04,760 to exercise faith. 454 00:31:05,760 –> 00:31:08,239 Ask God for eyes to see, 455 00:31:09,599 –> 00:31:11,560 and then seize the moment and say, 456 00:31:11,560 –> 00:31:14,000 Lord, this time when this has gone wrong, 457 00:31:14,000 –> 00:31:16,959 I am going to trust you. 458 00:31:16,959 –> 00:31:21,079 Strengthen my faith and cause it to grow. 459 00:31:22,680 –> 00:31:25,579 So give thanks for your faith, affirm your faith. 460 00:31:25,579 –> 00:31:27,920 Exercise your faith, and here’s the last thing. 461 00:31:28,800 –> 00:31:32,560 Feed your faith on Jesus Christ. 462 00:31:32,599 –> 00:31:35,439 Remember that Christian faith is above everything else, 463 00:31:35,439 –> 00:31:37,979 faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 464 00:31:37,979 –> 00:31:42,699 It is fed, and it is nourished by him. 465 00:31:42,699 –> 00:31:43,920 That is why the Bible says, 466 00:31:43,920 –> 00:31:46,239 let us fix our eyes on Jesus, 467 00:31:46,239 –> 00:31:50,500 because he is the author and the finisher of our faith. 468 00:31:50,500 –> 00:31:52,920 In other words, my faith won’t grow 469 00:31:52,920 –> 00:31:55,180 by looking at my faith. 470 00:31:55,180 –> 00:31:58,64 My faith will grow by looking at Jesus. 471 00:31:58,640 –> 00:32:01,520 You spend an hour contemplating your faith, 472 00:32:01,520 –> 00:32:03,400 and you’ll simply be discouraged. 473 00:32:03,400 –> 00:32:06,239 You spend an hour contemplating Jesus, 474 00:32:06,239 –> 00:32:08,160 and your faith will grow. 475 00:32:10,699 –> 00:32:13,640 Now Christians in an earlier century 476 00:32:14,839 –> 00:32:18,040 used to talk, in a phrase that’s hardly ever used 477 00:32:18,040 –> 00:32:20,500 and not even known in many circles today, 478 00:32:21,500 –> 00:32:25,699 about getting a view of Jesus. 479 00:32:25,699 –> 00:32:27,359 It’s a rather beautiful phrase. 480 00:32:28,359 –> 00:32:29,680 What they meant was simply this. 481 00:32:29,739 –> 00:32:30,739 If they knew that their faith 482 00:32:30,739 –> 00:32:33,160 would be fed and nourished by Jesus, 483 00:32:34,140 –> 00:32:36,119 and so whenever they read the Word, 484 00:32:36,119 –> 00:32:38,760 or whenever they came to worship, 485 00:32:38,760 –> 00:32:41,000 they were looking for the Holy Spirit 486 00:32:41,000 –> 00:32:44,260 to give them some fresh glimpse 487 00:32:44,260 –> 00:32:46,839 of the reality of the love of Christ 488 00:32:46,839 –> 00:32:49,140 and to renew the knowledge of that 489 00:32:49,140 –> 00:32:51,619 deep within their own souls. 490 00:32:53,719 –> 00:32:55,239 As I was thinking about this, 491 00:32:55,239 –> 00:32:57,280 memory came back to me strongly. 492 00:32:58,239 –> 00:32:59,959 One of the things I loved to do 493 00:32:59,959 –> 00:33:02,439 as a kid growing up in Edinburgh 494 00:33:02,439 –> 00:33:06,459 was to go and see Scotland play rugby 495 00:33:06,459 –> 00:33:08,780 at Murrayfield, the National Stadium. 496 00:33:09,699 –> 00:33:11,500 Sometimes we got tickets for what was called 497 00:33:11,500 –> 00:33:13,119 the Schoolboy’s Enclosure. 498 00:33:13,119 –> 00:33:15,020 It was right at the side of the pitch. 499 00:33:15,020 –> 00:33:17,819 I know it’s a field, but I’m gonna call it a pitch. 500 00:33:17,819 –> 00:33:22,380 It was magnificent to be right there on the sideline 501 00:33:22,380 –> 00:33:24,260 next to the great heroes of the nation. 502 00:33:24,260 –> 00:33:26,520 You’ll need to translate the sport, 503 00:33:26,599 –> 00:33:28,079 and you’ll need to translate the names. 504 00:33:28,079 –> 00:33:31,099 I know all that, but you know what I’m describing. 505 00:33:32,199 –> 00:33:35,579 If we didn’t get tickets for the Schoolboy’s Enclosure, 506 00:33:36,660 –> 00:33:38,579 we had to go on to the main terrace. 507 00:33:38,579 –> 00:33:41,959 Now, this was before all-seater stadiums. 508 00:33:41,959 –> 00:33:44,640 We just stood packed like sardines 509 00:33:44,640 –> 00:33:46,160 on these banked terraces 510 00:33:46,160 –> 00:33:49,459 with some crutch barriers every so often, 511 00:33:49,459 –> 00:33:51,719 and the problem was that when these terraces 512 00:33:51,719 –> 00:33:55,260 were packed with 30,000 people, 513 00:33:55,260 –> 00:33:58,380 it was relatively difficult for a kid 514 00:33:58,380 –> 00:34:00,020 to see what was going on, 515 00:34:00,979 –> 00:34:02,400 but we found the solution. 516 00:34:03,459 –> 00:34:07,060 Empty drinks cans. 517 00:34:07,060 –> 00:34:09,399 They were a bit more substantial then than they are now, 518 00:34:09,399 –> 00:34:11,120 but I can assure you from experience 519 00:34:11,120 –> 00:34:16,120 that six large empty drinks cans 520 00:34:16,199 –> 00:34:19,979 placed on end together on the ground 521 00:34:19,979 –> 00:34:22,419 make an excellent platform 522 00:34:22,419 –> 00:34:23,800 that can give you an advantage 523 00:34:23,879 –> 00:34:25,879 between six and nine inches, 524 00:34:25,879 –> 00:34:27,439 depending on the brand, 525 00:34:27,439 –> 00:34:30,879 to see over the head of the tall man in front of you 526 00:34:30,879 –> 00:34:33,600 and to catch a glimpse of the glory 527 00:34:33,600 –> 00:34:37,639 that is going on on that field. 528 00:34:37,639 –> 00:34:38,479 Now, 529 00:34:39,360 –> 00:34:42,780 it wasn’t terribly good when the crowd crashed forward, 530 00:34:44,520 –> 00:34:47,080 but I want you to take that picture of a little kid 531 00:34:48,760 –> 00:34:51,959 who would only be below the shoulder height at that time 532 00:34:51,959 –> 00:34:54,760 of most of the folks in this vast crowd around him, 533 00:34:56,520 –> 00:35:00,080 but he’s finding a way to get up these extra few inches 534 00:35:00,080 –> 00:35:03,840 to peep between some heads on this packed-out terrace 535 00:35:03,840 –> 00:35:06,520 because he longs to see the glory 536 00:35:08,040 –> 00:35:10,219 of what’s going on in the field. 537 00:35:10,219 –> 00:35:12,280 And he didn’t pay his money for that ticket 538 00:35:12,280 –> 00:35:14,639 to stand there looking at the back of the coat 539 00:35:14,639 –> 00:35:15,979 of the man in front of him. 540 00:35:17,239 –> 00:35:21,060 Now, that is how you have to approach the word of God. 541 00:35:21,979 –> 00:35:24,379 That is how you have to come to worship 542 00:35:24,379 –> 00:35:27,300 if you want your faith to grow. 543 00:35:27,300 –> 00:35:32,300 We are looking for a fresh glimpse of Jesus, he is here. 544 00:35:33,379 –> 00:35:36,000 We discern his presence and his beauty 545 00:35:36,000 –> 00:35:37,459 with the eye of faith. 546 00:35:37,459 –> 00:35:41,060 We look for him in the word. 547 00:35:41,060 –> 00:35:45,340 We ask the Holy Spirit to refresh a glimpse of him 548 00:35:45,340 –> 00:35:50,340 and of his love to our hungry and our thirsty souls. 549 00:35:50,340 –> 00:35:52,139 That’s how you must come to worship. 550 00:35:53,739 –> 00:35:56,979 Has your faith been stretching, as it were, 551 00:35:56,979 –> 00:36:00,219 for a glimpse of Jesus in this last hour 552 00:36:00,219 –> 00:36:01,959 or have you just been sitting here? 553 00:36:04,419 –> 00:36:06,459 Some of us have become used to worship 554 00:36:06,459 –> 00:36:09,139 being rather like an experience of a small kid 555 00:36:09,139 –> 00:36:11,739 surrounded by tall men in woolen coats 556 00:36:11,739 –> 00:36:14,520 who just kinda stands there and can’t actually see 557 00:36:14,520 –> 00:36:17,639 a thing of the glory that other people are cheering about 558 00:36:17,639 –> 00:36:19,139 that’s going on in the field. 559 00:36:21,120 –> 00:36:26,120 We have come so used to never seeing anything 560 00:36:26,159 –> 00:36:30,100 that we never expect to see anything. 561 00:36:30,100 –> 00:36:31,899 We just read the Bible and come to church 562 00:36:31,899 –> 00:36:33,179 and go home. 563 00:36:34,800 –> 00:36:38,040 And other people are caught up in the glory 564 00:36:38,040 –> 00:36:40,320 of what’s going on. 565 00:36:40,320 –> 00:36:42,580 They’re catching a glimpse of who Jesus is 566 00:36:42,580 –> 00:36:45,179 and their souls are being fed. 567 00:36:45,179 –> 00:36:47,159 But you don’t see it. 568 00:36:47,459 –> 00:36:50,600 There’s an old prayer that I find so helpful. 569 00:36:52,399 –> 00:36:57,340 Make the book live to me, oh God. 570 00:36:57,340 –> 00:37:01,060 Show me thyself within your word. 571 00:37:01,060 –> 00:37:05,979 Show me myself and show me my savior 572 00:37:07,300 –> 00:37:12,139 and make this book live to me, oh God. 573 00:37:12,280 –> 00:37:16,879 Show me thyself to live to me, oh God. 574 00:37:16,879 –> 00:37:19,719 And if you will come to the word 575 00:37:19,719 –> 00:37:21,699 and if you will come to worship like that, 576 00:37:21,699 –> 00:37:23,639 you will find that the holy spirit 577 00:37:23,639 –> 00:37:26,860 begins to give you glimpses of Jesus. 578 00:37:30,639 –> 00:37:34,280 Your soul will be renewed and your faith will be fed 579 00:37:34,280 –> 00:37:35,840 and it will grow. 580 00:37:37,080 –> 00:37:39,760 You’ll start moving from reading about Him 581 00:37:39,760 –> 00:37:41,639 to fellowshipping with him. 582 00:37:43,139 –> 00:37:45,500 You’ll find yourself feeding on him. 583 00:37:47,820 –> 00:37:51,840 So here’s the first workout for a healthy Christian life. 584 00:37:53,300 –> 00:37:58,300 Build yourself up in your most holy faith. 585 00:38:01,199 –> 00:38:03,320 You do that as you give thanks for your faith, 586 00:38:03,320 –> 00:38:06,620 as you affirm your faith, as you exercise your faith, 587 00:38:06,620 –> 00:38:11,020 as you feed your faith on Jesus Christ. 588 00:38:12,780 –> 00:38:13,939 And as you do these things, 589 00:38:13,939 –> 00:38:15,540 your faith will grow 590 00:38:16,979 –> 00:38:18,459 and you will be on the path 591 00:38:18,459 –> 00:38:22,540 to getting yourself in spiritual shape.