Bob Lloyd - The Way of Life - Class 2 - Seek First the Kingdom of God

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:00

   Our general theme for the weekend is the way of life. And this afternoon now we are to consider study two with our brother Bob. And we look forward to his words on the subject, seek first the kingdom of God. Brother Bob. Well, good afternoon once again, my beloved brothers and sisters, young people and friends.

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   I know we have some new ones that have come. You missed the first class. I can tell you truthfully you didn't miss a thing. But we're glad you're here for this one. Because this class, I think, is important. Not because I'm giving it, but because the words are the inspired word of God.

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   And if we listen to it, we're going to be in the kingdom. If we don't, we won't. So it's not complicated. In our first class, we were reminded that there are many wrong ways that we can go, but there's only one right way. And that one right way is by following Jesus, who he said is the way, the truth, and the life.

4. 1:03

   And no other way will work. We cannot take shortcuts or change the requirements that God has made for us. We have to follow in the way of life. And we actually learned in our first class that we will be tested. And that God tests us because he loves us. And so it's not that he wants to punish us.

5. 1:26

   He's trying to prepare us for bigger and better things. And we learned that when we are being tested, we need to respond by thanking God for the hurdles in our life. It's not normal. It's not natural. But it's right. Anything that everybody does is probably not right. Now, one of my favorite verses, and I have a bunch of them, but one of them is a verse that I've memorized, and I commit it to you to commit to memory because it's a verse you can use when you're being tempted.

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   Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, as you know. And each time he was tempted, he responded to the temptation by quoting a Bible verse. He didn't have scrolls in his possession at the time. He had them in his head. And you and I need to get Bible verses that will help us in our head.

7. 2:20

   And please don't tell me you're too old to memorize a Bible verse. I've had people say, well, I just can't memorize a Bible verse. And I say, what's your phone number? You know they know it. What's your address? They know it. How come you know your phone number and your address? Well, that's important.

8. 2:38

   Well, yes, it is important. But is there anything more important than knowing a Bible verse that can keep you from sinning? And so mine is you want to look it up. You don't need to. But it's 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 13. And I've changed the words a little bit because the verse in the King James says, there is no temptation taken you, but such as is coming to man.

9. 3:00

   But I've just changed it because I'm talking to me. So I say, there's no temptation taken me, but such as is coming to man. Which means that when I'm having a trial and temptation, I'm not the first one to go through this. You've been through it. Your grandparents have been through it. Since Adam and Eve, there's no such thing really as new temptation.

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    There's new ways to sin. But the temptations are old. It's sinning against God's will. And so there is no temptation taken me, but such as is common to man. So other people have this. But God is faithful, who will not allow me to be tempted above that which I am able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape that I may be able to bear it.

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    Now the thing is, you cannot think but one thing at a time. It is impossible to have two thoughts going through the brain at the very same time. So if you are saying a Bible verse, whatever the temptation was, is gone. And so you have pushed the bad thought out with a good thought.

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    Now you can't resist temptation by saying, oh, I'm not going to think about that. You're thinking about the thing you said you wouldn't think about. I use the example because it happens to all men. A pretty girl walks by. Oh, is she pretty?

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    And then I say this first to myself. There's no temptation taken me, but such as is coming. And while I'm saying this verse, she's out of mind. And here she comes in. There's no temptation taken me. I may have to say that verse lots of times to overcome a temptation. But if you don't know it, you can't use it.

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    So learn it and use it. Realize that you're not going through any kind of a temptation that thousands, millions, billions of people have had before you. But you see, what applies to you doesn't apply to the world. Because God is not concerned with the world. Jesus, I don't even pray for the world.

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    I only pray for those you've given me out of the world. That's us, brothers and sisters. We are the ones that God is looking after because Jesus has prayed to God for us that we could be in the world but not be part of it. And so God will not give you a trial, a problem, more than you can handle.

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    And if you've got it, you can take it or you wouldn't have it. Now, I flew over here on an airplane. And what do people do when they build a new airplane? They hire test pilots. And what does a test pilot do? He gets in the airplane and he flies it. And he puts it through dives and squibs and all this.

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    And does he want to destroy that plane? Not on your life. He's in it. He's not trying to destroy it. He's trying to see how much it can take. God is not going to destroy you unless you just give up on him. So when you have a temptation, you can handle it or you wouldn't have it.

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    And so that helps us to bear the problems we face knowing that a loving God has tailor-made your problems just for you. And again, in our first class, this little bit of review, some of you came in. We looked at Hebrews 12. And in verse 6, whom the Lord loves, he chastens. And he scourges every son whom he receives.

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    If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom a father does not chasten? If you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you're illegitimate and you're not sons. So you should be thankful for the problems you have. We talk about thank God for the hurdles that you have.

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    Now, in this class, we want to explore in more detail the fact that we are really chosen, hand-picked. We are a special, drawn-out people by God because he wants you in his kingdom. And what we have to do is want it to be in his kingdom as much as he wants us to be in his kingdom.

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    And so, in the book of Jeremiah, God says, and just listen to these words and realize that they're spoken to you. Because whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning. We, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope. These are your words for you. Listen, and God's talking to you.

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    I have plans for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope. Plans to give you a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

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    But, so, when you pray to God, do you listen to what you say? You know, sometimes people pray to God and they have a canned prayer that they just can turn on like a record. Has this ever happened in your house? You do pray for your food. All good things come from God.

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    We always say a prayer before we eat. And so, it's rush time, breakfast. You've got to get off to work. And you sit down and you say a little prayer. And then you start to eat and you say, oh, forgot the milk. Go get the milk out of the food. Go get the milk.

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    Okay, now, oh, we better say a prayer. Did we say a prayer? Well, we'll do it again. You have been talking to God and you weren't listening. You expect him to listen if you're not listening? See, your prayers should not be by rote that you just say words and you're not thinking about what you're saying.

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    And so, God will listen to your prayers. But he knows whether you're thinking about what you're saying. So, choose your words with care. Realize you're talking to Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth. Nations of the world are like the dust on the balance. It doesn't even make it go down. And yet, he knows all about you.

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    And he's wanting you to pray to him. And some people say, well, I just don't have time. Well, God has time to listen if you have time to pray. And so, our prayers are such an important part of our life. How real is your prayer life? Could it be any better than it is?

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    Just listen to Paul as he prays. And what position was his body when he prays? Well, you don't have to guess. He's got to tell us. This is in Ephesians chapter 3. These are verses, again, you know these well. You read this twice a year every time you do your daily Bible readings.

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    For this reason, says Paul in Ephesians 3, verse 14, I bow my knees. So, what was the position of Paul when he was praying? He was on his knees. Do you have to be on your knees to pray? No. God will listen to your prayer in any position you are in. The Lord Jesus prostrated himself on the ground in the Garden of Gethsemane.

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    But Solomon, when he dedicated the temple, got down on his knees. Daniel, when he prayed three times a day, got down on his knees. Paul got down on his knees. Make sure your mind is on his knees, whether your body is or not. My wife has a titanium knee. And she doesn't dare kneel on it.

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    So, she sits at the side of the bed and bends over. But she gets in a humble position, though she dare not put that knee on the ground. God understands that. He doesn't care what position your body is in. But he cares about what your mind is in. And if you're praying, and you're not even listening to your own prayer, how do you expect him to listen to it?

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    So, listen to Paul's prayer. I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. And that he would grant you. Now, who's Paul doing? He's praying for others. Do you have a prayer list? Do you have people you pray for?

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    You should have a list of people that you pray for. Paul did. He talks about some of the people that he prayed for. We have a number of people over our way who are very ill. Some of them are near death. One sister will probably die before I get home. I've been praying for her every day.

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    So, when you know someone is ill, name them in your prayers to God. When you know somebody is going through a trial, a problem, name them in your prayers to God. And if somebody hurts you, name them in your prayers to God. I travel around a bit, and when you do this, you meet lots of different people.

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    And nobody appeals to everybody. And if you come up to me this weekend and say, you're a dirty rotten egg, I am going to add you to my prayer list. Because that's exactly what Jesus said to do. You pray for your enemies. You pray for those who persecute you. You pray for those who mistreat you and revile you and say unkind things about you.

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    And I know some Christadelphians who have someone they really don't like. They won't use the word, hey, but... And I've asked them, are you praying for that? I could never pray for him. Pray for her? As if it would be a sin to pray for somebody you really don't like. And that's the very person you ought to be praying for.

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    Jesus said so. He not only said so, he proved it. On the cross, in excruciating pain, as his life was ebbing away, Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do. And they were killing him! And he prayed for them. You do not have an enemy that's ever killed you. I know that because you're here.

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    So if you have an enemy, put them on your list! And pray for them. Stephen, as he was being stoned, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And so Paul prayed for his enemies. And Paul prayed for his friends. And he prayed for those that were in need. And the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man or woman avails much, says James.

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    But it has to be effectual and fervent. You have to be thinking about what you're saying. Don't say a prayer and not be thinking of what you're talking about. And so he prays to God. And he prays for others. And he prays that God will dwell in your hearts through faith. Faith. I don't know if you've been praying for me hearing I was coming.

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    But I've been praying for you knowing I was coming. I know a lot of you and I thought of many of you in my prayers. And I pictured an audience. I didn't know what this building would look like. But I pictured you there and I prayed that God would bring you here safely.

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    That he would bless you while you're here. I take you home safely. And bless you as you now prepare to meet your Savior when he comes. That God, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. That you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height.

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    And to know the love of Christ. This is a prayer. You're listening to Paul pray. You can copy this prayer. It's not copy written. If you can't think of good words to say, use words that someone else has said. I've had people say to me, well, sometimes I don't feel like praying. Well, that's when you should pray the most when you don't feel like it.

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    You don't do what you feel like doing. You do what you ought to do. Whether you feel like it or not. And so, if you don't feel like praying, open your hymn book. Some of the hymn. We come, O God, to bow before thy throne. To pay our solemn vow through thy dear Son.

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    Hear, gracious Father, hear our humble prayer. You're singing a prayer. Just read the words. And if you can sing, sing it too. Open the Psalms. Yes. And this is a good one to read here in Ephesians. But do what you ought to do, whether you feel like it or not. And if you will do what you ought to do, whether you don't feel like it, you will begin to feel like it.

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    And if you don't do it because you don't feel like it, you never will do it. So, we just have to make ourselves do what we know we ought to do. And God has provided prayer for you. And it's a great blessing. And please do not pass up the privilege that he has made in willingly offering to listen and to answer your prayers.

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    That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. This is what Paul wanted to happen to those that lived in Ephesus. I want this to happen to those that live here in Australia. That Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith. That you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend all the things.

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    What is the width and length and depth and height. And to know the love of Christ at passive knowledge. That you may be filled with all the fullness of God. You ought to just be full of the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.

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    According to the power that works in us. To him be glory in the ecclesia by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and forever. Amen. Did you hear what he said? He said that God will do exceedingly abundantly more than you even ask or think. One version says God is able to do more than you would ever dare to ask or even dream of.

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    Infinitely beyond our highest prayers, thoughts, desires, and hopes. Oh, brethren, this is how blessed we are that we have a God. And you can call him anytime. We all have cell phones now. Call people. I see people walking down the street going. They call on the phone all the time. But sometimes you can't get through.

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    Sometimes the signal doesn't work. Sometimes they're busy. Sometimes they're not home and you talk to a machine. You're never going to get an answering machine when you call God. You have a direct line to the Heavenly Father. And he listens and cares if you will only pray. Isaiah tells us, Your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, This is the way.

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    Walk in it. Whenever you turn to the right hand or to the left. Now, today, we have so many new wonderful things. We have a thing called global, what do you call it? Global positioning devices. And some cars have a little screen in their dashboard. And you put in where you want to go.

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    And it tells you how to go. I just got a new telephone, a cell phone. And it's got it in that. I've got a phone that's smarter than me. I know not how to use everything that it does. But it did tell me how to get home the other day. I already knew how.

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    But I just wanted to check it out. And it told me which lane to get in on the freeway. It tells me how, in nine-tenths of a mile, you're going to take an offer amp to the right. It's wonderful that these global positioning devices know where you are. And they know how to tell you to get from where you are to where you want to go.

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    But you know who has the best global positioning device of all times? It's your Heavenly Father. He knows where you are. And you cannot go where he isn't. Now, if you have one of those devices and you're driving along and it says turn right and you keep going straight, you can do that.

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    The device will not grab the steering wheel of your car and push it to the right. So you don't have to listen to them. Unfortunately, you don't have to listen to God. He wants you to, but he won't make you. But just realize that God knows the way you're walking and he is willing to direct your steps if you will just allow him to.

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    So trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't lean on your own understanding and all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths. Now, if you want to turn to Psalm 139 with me, David certainly didn't know about global positioning, but he certainly knew about God. And he knew that God knew everything about him.

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    In fact, it blew him away in a sense as he speaks to God in Psalm 139. And so he says in Psalm 139, Oh Lord, you have searched me and you know me. And you know, that's true of each of us. God knows what you're thinking even before you think it. So David goes on and says, you know my sitting down and my rising up.

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    Now it's a fact right now, I'm standing and all of you are sitting. Now that's not terribly important, but God knows that. He knows when you stand up and when I sit down. He says, you're comprehend my path and my lying down. You're acquainted with all my ways, verse three. There's not a word in my tongue, but behold, oh Lord, you know it all together.

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    Now this blew him away. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. I cannot attain it. Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? You can't get away from God. Jonah tried to, it didn't work.

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    You may try to, and it won't work. Not that you're going to be swallowed by a whale, but you're going to be off the beaten path to the kingdom, the whale life, if you turn when you should have gone straight or you go straight when you should have turned. He says in verse 11, if I say surely the darkness shall fall on me, even the night shall be a light unto me.

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    Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from you. Do you know why most burglaries are done in the night? Because the darkness hides them. They don't usually like to work in which bright light because people will see them break into a house. So they do most of their evil deeds in the darkness. People love darkness more than light because their deeds are evil.

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    But you don't hide from God, and he sees through the darkness as to what you're thinking and what you're saying and what you're doing. For you form my inward parts. I'm reading verse 13. You covered me in my mother's womb. Before David was born, God knew about him. You certainly know the story when Samuel went to anoint one of Jesse's sons to be the king, and all that come, oh, he's good looking, all and handsome.

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    He says, not him. God looks on the heart. Aren't you glad he looks on the heart? Because we sometimes look on the outward appearance. I do a bit of traveling, and I was in a city I'd never been in before, and a sister come up to me and says, oh, you're Brother Lloyd.

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    I said, yes. She says, I've listened to your tapes, and I pictured what you would look like. She says, I thought you'd be tall and handsome. But she says, you're not. Now, she was speaking the truth.

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    And I didn't have to put her on my prayer list because that didn't offend me. I mean, she was just telling me what she saw, and I look at her mirror. I see that same thing. But the point is, you never know what people will say to you. But you can't get away from God, and he knows what you look like and what you're thinking and what you're saying.

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    And so he knew you in your mother's womb, as he said to David. And so he says in verse 14, he says, I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

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    Your eyes saw my sevens before it yet being yet unformed, before he was even being formed in the womb. And in your book, this is God's book, did you know your name's in the book?

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    But you know, on your computer, you have a little key called delete. Olden days, we used to buy a thing called whiteout. I used to buy whiteout in spray cans. Because, but God is able to blot your name out of the book of life. And that's a frightening thought to think. Don't let it be true of you.

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    Because God, I believe when you get baptized, he puts your name in the book. And then he watches you and cares for you and watches to see how you progress. And if we go out of the way of life, if we go off the rails, if we begin to do wrong things, God has a delete key in his book of life also.

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    How precious are your thoughts to me, O God? How great is the sum of them? Search me, O God, he is, whether you want him to or not. Search me, O God, verse 20, Know my heart. Try me and know my anxieties. And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

71. 26:26

    Now that's a beautiful prayer. And again, it's one that you could very well read if you don't feel like praying your own words. You can't improve on the inspired word of God. But God doesn't require you to say glib, set phrases. He just wants you to pour your heart out to him. And so, another one of my favorite verses is Philippians chapter 4, verse 6 and 7.

72. 26:55

    And I like this in the Phillips translation. And it says, in the King James, it says, be careful for nothing. Well, be careful for nothing and makes me think, I don't care about anything. That's not what it meant. And it's not a very good translation. But, Phillips says, don't worry over anything, whatever.

73. 27:22

    Tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer and the peace of God which translates in human understanding will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus. And so, when I'm really worried about something, I just say, don't worry over anything. I say that when I'm being tempted, there's no temptation taking me but it says it's coming to man.

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    I've got verses that I can put in play in a second of time to help me overcome a problem that I'm facing. And believe me, like all of us, I have problems. And so, this is the way I learned to cope with them.

75. 27:55

    David went out and looked up in the sky and said, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmness showeth his handiwork. Isaiah says, behold, the nations are as a drop in the bucket and are counted as a small dust of the scale. And yet, in spite of the immensity of this universe, God knows how many hairs you have on your head.

76. 28:17

    And I do not know the number, but I know it's getting less all the time. It doesn't matter. Now, Jesus said that and again, we talked about, did Jesus say silly things? And the answer was no. When he said leap for joy, he meant that. When he says, God knows how many hairs on your head, it wasn't silly.

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    He's trying to say, look, God knows more about you than you know about yourself. There's not a person in this room, unless they're totally bald, that you know how many hairs you have on your head. Maybe just a few fuzz around the back, but you still don't know the number and God knows it.

78. 28:53

    Now, God is, to his son, is trying to impress you with the fact that he knows all about you. Much better than any global positioning thing. And so, when you pray, think of the person you're talking to, Almighty God. And you're praying through the Lord Jesus, who is our meteor in his right hand.

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    Now, if these kind of thoughts don't impress you and make you feel very small and insignificant, well, then I'm not reaching you. Because God is so great and we're so small and yet, he cares about us. And he wants you to stay in the way of life. And he sent his son to show you that way.

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    And now, we have to make that goal of the kingdom so real in our own mind that we're drawn to it. So, what is your goal in life? Your ultimate goal in life? What's the most important thing in the world to you? That'll tell you something about yourself. now. It needs to be that you want to be in the kingdom of God more than anything else in all the world.

81. 30:04

    Now, most people in the world who are not successful, and that's most people in the world, certainly spiritually they're not, they don't have goals. If you want to go to a seminar of motivational speakers who try to help you to be successful in life, in sports, and whatever, they tell you you have to set goals.

82. 30:23

    You have to visualize your goal. You have to think about your goal. You have to repeat it, and you're drawn to it, and it helps you. And so, the people who do not have goals won't get there because they don't know where they're going anyway. David Thoreau said that most people's lives are quiet desperation, but today, many people could be described as living aimless distraction.

83. 30:48

    They simply just go with the flow. Wherever the wind blows, that's where they go. Remember the story of Alice in Wonderland? Not that we want to, but you can actually learn the lesson even from a little fairy tale. Alice is lost. She doesn't know where to go. She sees a cat. She asks this cat, could you help me where I should go?

84. 31:12

    And the cat says to Alice, well, where do you want to go? And Alice says, I really don't know. The cat was smarter than Alice. The cat says, any way will do. But you see, we're talking about the way of life and we're not saying any way will do. There is the one right way and if it's not your goal to be in that way, then you do have a problem.

85. 31:41

    So I like this little story because it teaches a lesson. Lessons to be learned from simple little stories which may or may not be true. Some of the parables were not true, but the lesson they taught was very profound. And so this is the man driving through the countryside here in beautiful New South Wales and he gets lost.

86. 32:04

    And he pulls up to a four-way corner and there's a little boy sitting on the fence, just sitting there. And so he rolls down his window and he says, G'day, mate!

87. 32:18

    That's Australian talk. And the boy, he says, can you tell me which road to take to Newcastle? The boy says, nope. He says, well, if I want to get to Toronto, can you tell me which road will go that way? Can you help me? He says, nope. He says, well, any of these roads take me to Morissette?

88. 32:48

    Do you know? He says, nope. The fellow got a little bit disgusted. He says, well, you don't know much, do you? The boy says, well, I know I ain't lost.

89. 33:02

    But you see, he was lost and didn't know it. Because if you don't know how to get anywhere from where you are, you are lost. And so, one of the things we do in preaching is to help people realize they are lost. They don't know it. And so, we can help them realize they have the problem and then we've got the solution.

90. 33:28

    Because it's God's solution. It's a hope for the righteous. And so, aren't you thankful you know where you're going? We are kingdom bound. We're on the way, in the way. And we're going in the right direction. Now, there are some worldly wise people who set goals and achieve them and become very successful in whatever their field is.

91. 33:53

    But when they get the goal that they sought for, it's not worth it. They get a gold medal. They may make a lot of money.

92. 34:04

    But it's not worth it. All the goals of the world, even if you get them, are not worth it. I went to a success seminar when I was a young man. My company paid for us to go. And he told us about setting goals. And then he told us how to achieve these goals.

93. 34:23

    And he didn't use the Bible at all. But he confessed to me later. I mean, he didn't quote the Bible because I was talking to him privately. He says, you know, everything I'm teaching is in the Sermon on the Mount. But if I told people that, they wouldn't pay me thousands of dollars to come and hear me.

94. 34:45

    So you see, these principles, which are in the Sermon on the Mount, as he said, in your Bible, will lead you to success in whatever and ever you want. So Jesus said, the children of this world and their generation wiser than the children of light. Because there are people out in the world who take godly principles and use them to get worldly goals.

95. 35:07

    In a way, it's kind of sad that they don't take those godly principles and use them to get into the kingdom. That's why you're different. You're going to take, you're going to be a goal-setting person setting goals to help you get into the kingdom. Remember what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9, verse 24.

96. 35:26

    Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last. But we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

97. 35:45

    Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly. I do not fight like a man beating the air. You are kingdom-bound. You're in the way of life. The goal is to be in the kingdom. Now, James Dobson is a famous man over our way. I don't know if he's known over here or not.

98. 36:01

    He has a radio program called Focus on the Family. He's over here. And he tells this story about himself. When he was in college, he was pretty good at tennis. And his goal was to become the school tennis champion. And he achieved it. And he got a great big trophy. And the school took this trophy and put this trophy with this name on it in the trophy case in the hall of the school.

99. 36:29

    He was so proud of his accomplishment. Years and years later, a package arrived. And it was his trophy. And a janitor had found it in a trash can. They had torn down the school and were building a new one. And they threw that trophy away. And James Dobson said, given enough time, all your trophies will be trashed by someone.

100. 37:00

     But not if it's the kingdom. And that's the point that Paul is making. You make your goal the kingdom and you will be successful. In one of our hymns, hymn 329, we sing, How long your strength and substance waste on trifles, light as air. I mean, people go through their life, you don't become a champion in any sport without giving it 110%.

101. 37:28

     And yet when you got it, what have you got? It's not worth it. So we are in the way of life and our goal is to be in the kingdom. And we have to be drawn to that because we visualize it, we have pictures of the kingdom in the Bible. I have not seen or heard neither in the heart of man the things that God has prepared to those that love him.

102. 37:55

     But the next verse begins with, but. Don't stop there. Read the but. God has revealed it to us. God wants us in his kingdom and he's given us a picture. You know, remember when Paul was taken up to the third heaven? He says, well, they're in the body of the other body. I don't know.

103. 38:12

     You know, some people really know and Paul said he didn't know. How do they know when Paul didn't know? But he saw things that were so wonderful that he couldn't express it. Now, you can have an imagination. God gave you an imagination and you can use it for good and you can use it for ill and it's your choice.

104. 38:35

     So, question is, are you using your imagination to draw you to the kingdom? Do you want to be in the kingdom more than anything else in all the world? Is that on your chest? Do you want to be in the kingdom of God more than anything else in the whole world? The good news, if you do, you will be there.

105. 39:11

     And if you don't, you won't. It's not complicated. You just have to visualize. I say these words to myself every day. Not once. Not twice. Not a dozen times. I don't count them. I just say them over and over. I'm driving the car. You know, I want to be in the kingdom of God more than anything else in all the world.

106. 39:46

     This is embedded in, it's like, I don't believe in tattooing, but I do believe that you ought to have this emblazoned in your brain and you're just drawn to the kingdom because you want to be there more than anything. And then when you, someone tells you, let's go sin. Oh, it'll be fun.

107. 40:04

     And you look at this, you know, you know, sin is fun. God's quite honest. Sin is fun. If it wasn't fun, you wouldn't want to do it. Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. So, someone's trying to get you to do something.

108. 40:25

     Oh, it's going to be fun. Everybody's going to do it, you know. And you look at this, at the fun thing and then you think about the kingdom and you look at the fun thing and you look about the kingdom. Oh, forget it. It's so easy to resist temptation when you have a vision of the kingdom in your mind that you want to be in the kingdom of God more than anything else in all the world.

109. 40:54

     Let's hope that is your goal. If it isn't your goal, it's not too late to make it your goal. But if it isn't your goal when Christ comes, we already know the words he will say to you. Depart from me, workers of iniquity. I never knew you. But I went to meeting every Sunday.

110. 41:18

     I worked on this committee. I don't even know who you are. Because you see, you can go through the motions of doing very good things. but if you're not motivated because you want to be in the kingdom of God more than anything else in all the world, you won't be there. And so we come to Luke chapter 13 and if you would like to look this up, I'm starting in at verse 23 because they ask Jesus a question.

111. 41:48

     Lord, are only a few people going to be saved? And let's listen to his answer. Luke chapter 13 verse 24. Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. We're talking about the way of life. Because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.

112. 42:24

     Verse 25. when the householder has risen up and shut the door. There. There is a door that will be shut. And you're going to be on one side of it or the other. and you're deciding right now which side of the door you're going to be on. It'll be a fair judgment. You cannot appeal it.

113. 43:06

     It will be final. And you're getting ready to face your Lord. And that's why these classes on the way of life are so important for you because we could be on the wrong side of the door now. And there's still time to change. But if you don't do different, if you're on the wrong side of the door, you're going to be kept out.

114. 43:34

     And once the master has risen and shut the door, they will begin to stand outside and to knock on the door and say, Lord, Lord, open to us. He will ask you, I do not know where you came from. Then you will begin to say, we ate and drank in your presence and we taught in your streets.

115. 43:55

     He will say, I tell you now, I do not know where you are. There you will see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out. And men will come from the east and from the west and from the north and from the south and sit at the table of the kingdom of God.

116. 44:12

     Behold, some that are last will be first and some that are first will be last. Now, Jesus is making a distinction between two words. It's important that we get the point he's making. he's saying, strive to enter in because I tell you, some will seek to enter and will not be able. Now, I'm not a Greek scholar.

117. 44:39

     We're thankful for the fact that we have Greek lexicons and that word strive is strong number 75 and the Greek word is agonizoite, same ale. I don't know how to say Greek but it's got agonizoite agonizing it and it's a male. Agonize the male and it means to labor fervently to agonize to give it everything you've got.

118. 45:07

     That's what you've got to do, brothers and sisters. You want to be in the kingdom. I'd like to be in the kingdom. Well, maybe you're just seeking for the kingdom and that word is a Greek word zeto, z-e-t-e-o. It's 212, 2212 in the Greek lexical and it means in the strong it means to desire, to want.

119. 45:30

     Back in the olden days of horse and buggies there was a saying if wishes were horses beggars would ride. A lot of people can wish for a horse but they're not willing to go out and earn the money and buy one so they can ride it. So if you just wish to be in the kingdom, oh, it'd be nice.

120. 45:51

     If I said, if I was to, I'm not going to do this but if I was to ask you to raise your hand if you want to be in the kingdom, probably every hand in the room would go up. But then if I said, now, put your hand down and I'm going to ask you once more, are you willing to strive to be in the kingdom?

121. 46:13

     Are you willing to give it your all? Are you willing to want to be in the kingdom of God more than anything else in all the world? If you want something else more than you want the kingdom, I hope you get it because it'll keep you out of the kingdom.

122. 46:27

     There are lots of gods and lots of wrong ways to go. There's one right way. If you don't want to be in the kingdom more than anything else in this world, then whatever it is you're wanting more, whatever that is, it's your God. It can be a person. It can be a career.

123. 46:52

     It can be a job. It can be a sport. There are a lot of nice sports but very bad gods. The people who become champions of the sport really do make it their God. And we can't be like that. That's the lesson we're trying to drive home. We want you, brothers and sisters and young people who haven't yet made a decision, we want you to realize that the kingdom of God is the most wonderful thing that's ever been offered to a human being and God wants to give it to you.

124. 47:21

     You can't buy it. You can't earn it. It's a gift. He's not going to give it to you unless you want it more than anything else in all the world. So that's my question to you as we come to our end of our second class. we want you to want to be in the kingdom of God more than anything else in all the world.

125. 47:52

     And so your handout is a little funny piece of wood. I didn't know I was going to have trouble getting these into the country. But there's a question on the entry form when you come in as a stranger saying, are you bringing anything made out of wood? Well, these are made out of wood.

126. 48:10

     It's round and it says to it on it. And it's around to it. No rocket science. It's round and it says to it. So it's around to it. And all of us say we'll do something when we get around to it. Well, you're going to get one right now. And on the back it says seek first the kingdom of God.

127. 48:33

     I want you to take it home. When you put it in your purse when you open your coin purse whatever you got there it is to remind you. Fellas, you reach in your pocket you can feel it. I have them in my pocket. I know what it is. I don't have to even read it.

128. 48:48

     I just know what it is. And you're going to have one. But that won't save you. But following it will. Because brethren, sisters, friends, young people we need to set a goal that we want to be in the kingdom of God more than anything else in all the world. out there