So as we look at this in 1 John chapter 2 verse 12, I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for his namesake. I write unto you fathers because you have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you young men because you have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you little children because you have known the father. I have written unto you fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you young men, because ye are strong. And the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Stuart Briscoe tells his story about his kids. Many years ago, when the children were small, he said, we went for a little drive in the lovely English countryside. And there was some fresh snow. I saw a lovely field with not a single blemish on the virgin snow. I stopped the car, vaulted over the gate, and I ran around a great big circle, striding as wide as I could. Then I came back to the kids, and I said, now children, I want you to follow in my footsteps. I want you to run around the circle, that circle in the snow, and I want you to put your feet where your father put his feet. Well, David tried and couldn't quite make it. Judy, our overachiever, was certain she would make it, but she didn't. Pete, the little kid, took a great run at it, put his foot in my first footprint, and then strode out as far as he could and fell flat on his face. His mother picked him up as he cried. She said to me, what are you trying to do? I said, I'm trying to get a sermon illustration. I said, Pete, come here. I picked up little Peter and put his left foot on my foot and I put his right foot on my right foot. I said, okay, Pete, let's go. I began to stride one big stride at a time with my hands under his armpits and his feet lightly on mine. Well, who was doing the walking now? In a sense, he was doing it because I was doing it. In a sense, there was a commitment of the little boy to the big dad, and some of the properties of the big dad were working through the little boy. In exactly the same way, in our powerlessness, we can't stride as we would. We don't walk the way we should, we don't hit the target the way we ought. It isn't that at every point we are as bad as we could be, it's just that at no point are we as good as we should be. A lot of that story reminds us that if you're gonna be a living letter, you need to be God-confident and God-dependent. We need to yield to him and let him live his life through us. Paul was a man who was dependent upon the Lord, and I asked the question this morning, are you? It is when we cease to be God-dependent people that we make foolish choices that get us into trouble. We tend to run away of or ahead from the Lord. For this reason, the Bible reminds us to be dependent upon the Lord for all our needs. So I think on this little passage, a little boy putting his feet on his daddy's footsteps and walking with him. Man, life can be difficult. Life can be challenging. You can be faced with insurmountable trials. Had some things yesterday that came when we got back from the city. We went away for a couple days and got back and got some bills and I was like, and some things with the CRA that's like, oh, it's every year something new. And I had to say I went to a worry, I did. And I'm like, I'm preaching, I'm being dependent upon the Lord. The fathers that we see in this passage of scripture in verses 12 through 14 are written unto you fathers because you have known him this from the beginning. He says that twice, verse 13 and verse 14. You've known him, you've experienced him, and you live for him. There's something that sets these fathers, these would be mature believers, fathers or mothers or men or women, it doesn't matter either way, but it sets them apart from the young men, the younger believers who are still learning and experiencing the Lord. What is this distinction? What is it that would distinguish a mature believer from a younger believer? Now, our age does not necessarily dictate whether we're mature or not. But you know what it is? It is a dependence on the Lord rather than an independence of the Lord. What do I mean by dependence? When the bottom crashes out on my life, I'm going to God pleading and begging for help and strength. I'm getting to the Word of God, saying, God, I'm empty and I don't know what to do. You see, these fathers are settled, they're steadfast, these mature believers, God is the answer. It's not like, I think He is, I hope He is. Now I understand, you might be saint, but there is a propensity, there's a tendency in our lives to go to whatever is the easiest solution, and oftentimes worry and fretting and anxiety is the default state, I would think for many of us. And the principle this morning is serve the Lord with a subtle faith and contentment in God's leading and provision. Christ is enough. With these thoughts, let's go to the Lord, and then we'll continue our study this morning in talking about a dependence upon the Lord. These believers, I've been studying in Daniel in my own personal devotions and several other passages and I'm amazed when I think about it, these young Hebrew men, young, but they're settled that God is true. With all the wealth of Babylon at their disposal, with all of the power that they are able to potentially exhibit, They take a path which in the eyes of the world would be the most difficult. They trust God. I want to ask us this morning the difference between a growing believer and a mature believer is that I can settle myself. Yes, you might get all, first you might get unsettled, but you know where to get settled. You know where to get the comfort for your life. And it's not found in this anxiety laden society. We have answers. We have answers that are timeless. I like this one pastor, their church pastor I've listened to preaching and I appreciate his messages. But he said churches, he says churches aren't trendy but timeless. Can I tell you the truths in here or truths that have been ongoing for thousands of years and yet they still apply today? Because God is eternal and God made you and me and he knows the human nature because we're created in his image. I want to talk about this idea of dependence upon God. Let us pray and we'll continue our study. Father, I thank you for this day. Lord, I thank you for being our gracious Savior. Lord, this is one of those lessons that you have me preach, but you also have me live out. I thank you for that. Father, I know that all of us, we face storms, trials, whether we're coming out of one or going into one or through one, whatever the case is, Lord, we will face trials. And Lord, we may come to the end of ourself. How do I take another step? How do I take another breath? Our Father, I yield today to thee. I need you. And Lord, your people need you. They need answers. They need encouragement. It comes from the throne of grace. Father, I commit this morning to you. Lord, I love you. It's your people, your sheep. And God, may you speak through me through your word. And Lord, may we walk away refreshed, having come to the well of living waters. Your precious word. Father, should there be someone this morning that has never been saved, they've never realized that Jesus died for them, that Jesus forgave their sins. And if they'll simply ask you to forgive them, come to you and ask you to forgive them of all their sins, repenting of their sins, or they can have freedom. They can have liberty in Christ. Our Father, I yield all that we do and say this morning to Thee. Lord, may we walk out encouraged to face the world and live for Jesus, because You are enough. I love You. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen. dependence upon God. I want to look at several things that we are dependent upon God for. Would you turn with me in your Bible to Genesis chapter 41? I'll look at quite a few passages of scripture. I'm kind of going to go over a number of various ideas under this topic of dependence. You know what the idea of dependence really is? This notion that you and I don't have all the answers, that I am not strong enough to handle life under my own strength. That I, in so many people, and I know for myself, I have balked, I have resisted, I have struggled that I am dependent upon anyone else. I like to be independent. I think all of us do, or many of us. I like to be the one that determines my destination. I like to have a control over the outcome. One of the things I've learned in ministry is any control of the outcome is in God's hand, because however best I try, it never turns out. But it turns out when God leads and God does it. In Genesis chapter 41, verse 15, And Pharaoh has a dream, and Joseph is there. Joseph is second in command. Joseph has already risen through the ranks. He's already been sold by his brothers, sold into slavery. Then Potiphar buys him. He's Potiphar's slave. Potiphar's, he's elevated in rank. Then he's thrown into prison because Potiphar's wife, she lies about him, that he tried to seduce her when in fact she tried to seduce him. And he said, no. Then he's in prison. Then the butler and the baker, they say, oh, yes, we'll make sure when we get out of here. Well, the baker died and the butler went back to serving Pharaoh. And he forgot all about Joseph for two more years. And then eventually the Pharaoh has a dream and Joseph is here brought before the king. In verse 15, and Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it, and I have heard say of thee that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me. God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. What does Joseph say? I am dependent upon God for my problems' solutions. What problems are in your life right now? What are the trials, the struggles, the heartache? I have to say the last two years were probably the most difficult, my wife and I, in the years of ministry. But also some of the greatest blessings, obviously, is this last summer God totally renovated this building. Can I tell you sometimes the greatest battle is my mind? I don't know if that is for you, but it definitely is for me. Feelings of discouragement and depression and all sorts of things. And there's times in the morning I'm discouraged, I'm all sorts of emotions, and then I sit down and I start doing my devotions and God does something. Can I tell you, we might undermine this as just some words on a page. But I wanna ask you, how much do you really realize that this book is the answer? It is the solution to my problems. Man, I gotta delve in, dig in, study it. And Joseph says, Pharaoh, I can't do it, but God can. Daniel, in the same sense that Nebuchadnezzar, I can't do it, but God can. You can even find the apostles, we come to thee in the name of the Lord. This problem solution, every problem God has the answer. But am I willing to just settle down, sit down, quiet down, and listen? I like a microwave solution, 30 seconds, boom, I want an answer. I want to get to the solution right away. I like solving problems. I mean, my undergrad was in solving problems. I was there in engineering. Solve problems. Man, this lesson of just learning that I can't solve my problems. And sometimes I'm in situations I have no way out. There's no human possibility of a solution. I want to ask you, what are you going through? I want to ask you how much have you actually spent your time, maybe on your knees, praying to God, help me. Coming to the book, I say an awesome place to start, if you're discouraged, is get to the book of Psalms, just start reading. You know the second thing that God is good? The dependence, I need God for my problems, the solutions to them. Number two, I need him for my provision. I'd like you to look with me at Philippians 4, verse 19. One of the things that I always find is When I finally, as a young kid, you remember wrestling with someone when you were young, and they get you to that place where you're yelling, uncle, uncle, or I give up, or I surrender, or whatever it is. You know, God does that. Oftentimes, we're trying to fight. God's saying, let go. Let go. Trust me. God, it doesn't make sense. Let go. Luke 11, three, it says, give us day by day our daily bread, but then Philippians chapter four, verse 19, but my God shall supply all your need. according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. Can I tell you, when I was there, I left the military. I was a single man. I went to train for the ministry. As I was leaving for the ministry, I said, God, I'd sure like to find a young lady to marry. I had a need. I wanted to be married. It was a desire. I had tried dating in my own way, and it didn't ever work out very well. It was pretty painful. Many heartbreaks. But I just had to get in God's will and be obedient to what God told me I needed to do. I needed to be in his word daily. I needed to be faithful to church. Faithful in giving to church. There were some things that I knew I needed to do. I knew without a shadow of a doubt, man, God was just working on me. I was leaving the military, I was there an officer, an engineer, and I had a very promising career if I went into the secular field and making money, but God was saying, that's not what I want for you. Man, that was hard. I was like, oh, I want it, Lord. Nope. And I fought and I fought and I fought until finally I got to a place in my life and I was completely broken. There in my apartment, head on the carpet, and I was like, God, I don't care what I've gotta do, I just want peace. I just want peace in my life. I'm tired of living without peace. I'm tired of feeling so empty. I was saved. You know what I realized? God wasn't my need. When God says, God shall supply all your need, He's not just talking about food on the table, in a car, in the driveway, or whatever it might be. It's not a house to live in. You realize that God will give you your emotional needs, your spiritual needs, your physical needs. God will provide within the boundaries that He set. I'm dependent upon God for my problem solutions. I'm dependent upon God for my visions, number three. I'm dependent upon God for productiveness and the performance of my duties. Look with me, Philippians, if you're still there, look with me at verse 13. This verse is oftentimes used to say, I can do all things. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I can do all things through Christ, but strengthen me. This is oftentimes in those movies and it's all feel good and all this stuff, but I want you to think about it through Christ. That is a resignation of my will, allowing God's will to enable me to strengthen it day by day. Look with me at John chapter 15 verses four and five. In John chapter 15, verse 5, can I ask you, when you wake up in the morning, is your thought to go into God's Word and spending time with Him? To get into this book, your prayer time, wear quietness. Can I tell you one of the greatest hindrances to our time with God is probably our cell phones, social media, or some sort of electronics? ding, ding, ding, or whatever noise you have. And you're sitting there, or it can be mommy, daddy. I mean, I'm telling you, there's so many distractions. You find your place wherever you live that's quiet. Man, I gotta get a lot done. You've gotta get a lot done in your day. If you're a parent, your biggest duty is those children. In John 15, verse 5, abide in me. And I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. What does abide mean? Am the vine near the branches he that abided to me and I and him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me you can do nothing Abiding is a branch attached to the vine Cut that branch off Live in your own self-will live for yourself Guess what happened that branch is detached from that vine. It's not flourishing You see Christian You know what, sometimes when the harder the trials, the more I ought to be in this book. Saying, God, give me answers. Sometimes you say, I don't know where to look, and feel free to ask on that. Abiding is, God, I'm struggling. My will, I want this, I'm tired of this. Man, I want to turn off that check engine light. The pain is intense. I'm frustrated, I'm irritated, I'm angry. Maybe angry at God. God finally brings us to a place of brokenness. God, I can't do it. I need you to help me to be productive, to perform that which you've called me to do. 1 Timothy 1.12, and I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. The apostle Paul said, God put me into the ministry. Philippians 2.13, for it is God which worketh in you both to will, and to do of his good pleasure. Can I tell you that God that made you, he knows exactly what you can handle. He knows exactly, and God for his, to will and to do of his good pleasure. God's got a plan. Man, you have so much worth and value. But will I allow the potter to shape this stubborn clay? Can I tell you, we've probably got a lot of patterns in our life of doing it our way. At least I do. Man, I resist. And it's painful. You want it your way. And you try to twist scripture. God, oh, I know this. And you're like, hmm. Other people's like, no, not really. And I'm saying, God, I know you called me to this job. I know you gave me these precious children. I know you've done this in my life. But God, if you called me and you've given me these precious children and this family, these friends, God, I need you. You go to work and you try to have, man, you've just had some devastating blows and you go to work and you're trying to carry on Can you just feel empty? Abide. Hudson Taylor, another thing I'm depending upon God is for power and strength when I'm weak. Hudson Taylor once noted that God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on him. I'd like you to look with me at 2 Corinthians 12, verse 10. The Apostle Paul, he's under great physical pain. I mean, he's hurting. He's praying, God, heal me. And God doesn't heal him. God, heal me. I mean, you think about the Apostle Paul. I mean, yes, God had used him. Some had been healed. But now he's saying, God, heal me. And God says, no, I'm not healing you. Did Paul have enough faith? Of course he did. Can I tell you sometimes in the challenges you go through, sometimes the sickness or whatever it might be that you're enduring, God's getting you to a place where you can realize the Father's tender love. I know in my own life it was, and even continued over these last couple years, learning some things to just be content in Christ. 2 Corinthians 12, verse 10, therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, and reproaches, and necessities, and persecutions, and distresses for Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then am I strong. Verse nine, look with me just before this, and he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore, while I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. As we thought about that story of a little dad taking his kids and putting them on his feet, Carrying him and the little boy or the little girl putting their feet on their daddy's and they're making the steps just as daddy did His daddy's stretching them You know what happened they're weak And now God's saying listen, we'll do more than you ever thought you could do Can I tell you this building this summer? I Didn't some days I was so tired. I don't know how we're gonna do it Lord And every day a little bit of strength for that day. I In Psalm 18.32, look with me here, this is a verse that I would encourage you, man, this is awesome stuff. You see when we fight, Psalm 18.32, not Proverbs, I had to turn, Psalm 18.32. When I'm fighting, I am telling God I've got it, I'm strong enough, and I can handle it. And it's kind of like a young kid. When I was a young kid, I would often times tell my parents, me do, me do. And I was going to figure it out my way. My parents would try to show me something with a new toy or whatever I had received at Christmas time or birthday or whatever. Me do was my famous saying. My parents still give me a hard time about it. And finally, I would try to do it, and I would be working and working, and then I'd get... I need help! Okay, now we can help you. But I had to come to the end of thinking I had the solution, and then come to the place saying, God, I don't have the solution, I don't know what to do. You know what, God? I'm dependent upon God for power and strength. Psalm 18, verse 32, the Bible says, It is God that girdeth me with strength and maketh my way perfect. Girdeth, right? He's putting upon you. He gives me strength and his way is perfect. Are you telling me I've got to go through some dark waters? Yeah, but he says I'll go through them with you. Everyone's going to go through some dark waters. But who are you going through it with? That's the difference. And God says I'll give you the strength. Psalm 28 verse seven, look with me at another passage of scripture. The Bible says, the Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusted in him and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him. I'm dependent upon the Lord for powerful accomplishments. Peter would ask, why marvel ye at this? Peter would say to the people, here's a man that was healed. You know what, it's God who helps you do many things that help us be living letters of his glory. I remember when I was finishing up and doing my seminary training and I had a hundred page paper I had to write, my final thesis or whatever you call it. And I was stuck. I was trying, I was searching the scriptures. I had this topic and I was just studying it and I was like 30 pages and I couldn't make it past. And I was like, how do I finish this? I got 100 pages to write. I was like, ugh. And I was doing my devotions, and I was there in Hebrews. And it's like God just, he gave it to me. As I was reading my Bible, I said, there's the answer. And man, the words just flowed off the page. I finished up my paper. At about 3 a.m., I remember February or March of whatever it was, 2013 I think, I was running and jumping around that house. I finished that paper. I was pretty discouraged. I thought I'm never going to finish this thing. God gave it through his word, gave me what I needed to finish that. Here's another truth, you know what, I can be dependent upon God to speak to others about Him. It tells us in 2 Timothy 4, 17, Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, that by me the preaching might be fully known, that all the Gentiles might hear, and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. Have you ever tried to talk to someone about Christ? You know that, man, the Spirit of God's just convicting you to go talk to them. Or talk to your friend. You're wrestling inside. I don't really want to say it. What if they don't like me? What if they're mad at me? It still happens. What if they think I'm weird? Probably already know that, but anyways. You know what? God says, I'll give you the words to speak. Here's another thing. Look with me in Psalm 32.8. I'm dependent upon God to know his plan and purpose for my life. I would have never imagined when I was exiting high school where I'd be today. Not in a million years. I didn't even envision when I was finishing up there, schooling, to be a pastor. I would have never thought I'd be where I am today. Psalm 32a, the Bible says, the Lord says, I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye. God says, listen, you're dependent upon God for his plan and purpose for your life. There was a direction I thought I was going when I was finishing up my schooling. And I thought I was trying for this particular program. And that door shut so hard in my face, it hurt. And it hurt bad. I was pretty angry. I was pretty angry at God that God shut that door that I thought for sure the door God had opened. And that opportunity was taken, and I was mad. I'm just telling you, I was mad. But you know what? Had that not happened, I wouldn't be here today. I'm thankful the Lord shut that door. I wouldn't be here today. You know what? Had God not brought me to a place of brokenness in the military, I would have never met my beautiful, wonderful wife. Would have never met her. I had some ideas on what I wanted, but God knew who I needed to marry. Man, I'm thankful. God says, I'll instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. The problem is, am I willing to resign my will, say, God, your will is the best will? I'll follow it. It's okay to follow his will when it's like, woohoo, I like this plan. Easy trail, I mean easy, I mean, you know, you get on the interstate and man, there's no one there and you're just like, woohoo! When you're in rush hour traffic and people are cutting you off, it's a whole different story. You're all frustrated. I know that's the way I'm supposed to go, but why do these people have to keep getting in my way? Why do they have to cut me off? I was there at the hotel yesterday and a guy, I'm there putting my tea and making it before we leave and this guy jumps right in front of me and I'm like, you could've waited like 10 more seconds, I would've finished up. He like jumps right in front of me and I'm like trying to do my cup and finish up and I was like, excuse me? Man. And God puts sometimes those little frustrations. He says, just listen to me. You know, also I'm dependent upon God for prayer. I'm dependent upon God also. Luke 11 talks about this. Jesus talking about telling his disciples how to pray and the need to pray. And there in the Garden of Gethsemane, he said, you need to pray. Can't you watch with me one hour? Your temptation's coming. He also, I'm dependent upon God to pardon and forgive others when they hurt me. Like you look with me in Matthew chapter six, verse 14, I think this is one of the more difficult ones when someone hurts us. And I'm not talking just like, oh, they hurt my feelings a little bit, but I'm talking, man, they hit the core of my heart and it breaks me. It could be a parent, it could be someone else, but man, it just like shatters me. They hurt me and they hurt me bad. And the thought upon your mind because I want to get even. In Matthew 6, 14, for if you forgive men their trespasses, Matthew 6, 14, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. I think it's pretty clear, God says, if you're not forgiving, I'm not forgiving what you do against me. Look with me at Matthew 5, 44. Matthew 5, 44, but I say unto you, love your enemies. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. You ever feel used? And persecute you. That ye may be the children of your Father, which is in heaven, for he maketh his Son to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. And there's sometimes people, they just, they use you. You feel used, abused, and when they're done with you, they discard you. I'm dependent upon God to forgive them. How about this other one, to provide or serve others, Philippians chapter two. This is what God's saying. If it was my choice on what to say, I'd be like, man, give him a stiff kick. That's not what God says. Put a little salt in there, pop, or do something, you know, just agitate him. I'm telling you in the flesh, that's what I would want to do. Speaking of which, back when we were in university, my buddies and I would go to the cafeteria and every time you left, you had to take your pop with you because probably unfailingly, they would tamper with it and pull a whole bunch of salt or pepper or something in it. Most of the time it was the salt because they'd stir it up and then you'd be like, like the salt sea, you know? It was terrible. I'm just telling you, there's things you wanted, and that was all a jest and good friends and stuff like that, but Philippians chapter two, verse three, you know what, you need to provide or serve others, sometimes as a parent, grandparent, guardian, whatever it is. I'm trying to do for others, but it's really hard. Philippians two, three, and four, let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind, that's a humility. Let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let me give you the little example on this. After the death of her first husband, Jim Elliott, Elizabeth Elliott was the wife of Jim Elliott. She reached the Akka tribe for Jesus Christ. Years later, she married Addison Leach. Shortly after Elizabeth married Addison, Addison was diagnosed as having two entirely distinct, unique, unrelated, painful types of cancer. Day and night, literally, she had to care for this godly man. She said she used to pray that God would give her strength to get her through the week, but then it got so difficult that all she could pray for was that God would give her strength to get through the day. Then she used to pray that somehow God would just give her the strength to get through the hour because at 9 a.m. it was unbearable to think about praying somehow about getting strength for 10 a.m. God helped Elizabeth to have the strength to serve someone else. He will help you too. You ever feel like that? Man, there's days I'm exhausted, I'm tired, I'm wore out. You know what God also does, and I'm depending upon Him, to be persistent and unafraid. In the Bible, look with me at 2 Timothy. Another point here, 2 Timothy 1, verse seven. I'm just talking about some of the ways that we're dependent. A mature believer realizes, and do they ever mess up? Of course. Does a mature believer ever have times maybe where there's some lapses? Of course. I mean, you think about Elijah. Elijah does this huge thing, amazing. I mean, he doesn't, but God does. Elijah, he's making fun of these prophets because they're cutting themselves and they're dancing and they're doing all this other stuff and they're trying to get their God Baal to call down fire from heaven to consume this ox that's on the altar, this bowl, excuse me, and it doesn't do anything. And so then Elijah says, okay, pour some water on, pour some water on, dig a moat, pour some water. I mean, this thing is drenched. God calls, I mean, Elijah calls up to God and God sends fire down. It consumes all of the rocks, all of the bull, all of the water. I mean, this amazing feat. All these prophets are destroyed. I mean, this is a mountaintop experience. And then in the next moment, he's there at the river. The ravens are feeding him. He's like, oh, no one wants to follow God. We can do that. Man, God does a work in our life. And the next, we're like, you know, we're down in the dumps. At least that's some of the experiences I've had and do have. But I need God's strength on the mountaintop and in the valleys. I'm dependent upon God. In 2 Timothy 1, 7, for God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind. Isaiah 41.10, fear thou not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Any success you may enjoy in life, in school, at work, or at church is to be traced to the Lord Jesus Christ. My abilities are from Him. Your abilities are. Our ability just to think and reason with clarity, clearness, correctness, and calm comes from God. Our health is fragile. Sickness and disease can sap our strength and abilities. One little blood clot can bring on a stroke, not to mention all the problems and distractions that we face in our life. that can cloud our thinking and sift our strength. Rod Mattoon, if you're not careful, he says, success or prosperity can cloud your thinking of what it really means to be successful. God's standard of success is much different than man's criteria for success. The scales of God are weighted to much different values than man's. If we don't use our head, we start basing our lives on the world's guidelines of success and accomplishment. If we focus our energy on human accomplishment, then we lose sight of God's enablement and help. If we emphasize self-confidence, then we can be entrapped by our own pride. We develop a I-did-it-all mentality. The world's view of Paul would have been one of success. If he wanted to brag or boast, he had a lot to brag about. He mentioned this to the church at Philippi. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. The apostle Paul was incredibly well-educated, brilliant. He understood the law. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees. He said, if I'm gonna boast, I'm gonna boast. He said, I have room to boast if you want to talk about humans' accomplishments, but Apostle Paul said, I'm nothing. And last of all, I am dependent upon God to live holy and above reproach. I'd like you to look with me at 1 Corinthians 9, 27, then I'll come to the conclusion. And I, Sometimes, as a pastor, I think about things in society where maybe you're getting a little frustrated, irritated, and you just wanna tell someone what you're really thinking. But I realize that if I do that, number one, I hurt the name of Jesus. I say I'm a Christian. Oftentimes, I've had unbelievers, when I was there in the military, they said, Christians shouldn't do that, and I knew they were right, but it bothered me that they told me that. I was like, they have something inside, that tells him Christians shouldn't be acting like this. It bothered me, it made me angry. It was my own pride at the time. 1 Corinthians 9, 27, but I keep under my body and bring unto you subjection lest that by any means when I preach to others I myself should be a castaway. What is he saying here? If I'm gonna live for Jesus, I need God's help to live a holy life that's above reproach, and a Christian ought to be honest. A Christian ought to, and the morality and the ethics and the integrity ought to be of a Christian above reproach. Because I'm not doing it for Chris. You're not doing it for you. I'm doing it for Christ, and I'm dependent upon him, and I need his help. Because sometimes there's those desires inside, and they're probably not very good, but they're there. And indulging in whatever it might be. And I need God's help. And God calls us to be holy, in conclusion. Let's get a look with me at the mindset of the faithful mature Christian as I draw this to a close. Joshua chapter 24 verse 15. Joshua chapter 24 verse 15, my apologies. Joshua 24 verse 15. I think this would be a good mindset of a Christian. the Bible gives us. And Joshua made a determination, I'm gonna be dependent upon God. Joshua experienced that God was faithful. Joshua experienced the promised land. I mean, can you think, Joshua, here they are, they're going into the promised land, they hear from the spies, and the spy says, there's a lady there, she fears God. Of course, yes, she was a woman of the night. was a prostitute but she loves God now and she trusts God and she heard about all that God did can you imagine this woman Rahab not only would she have faith in God she would enter into the lineage of the Messiah Jesus Christ King David and forth to Christ in our lives Christians in verse 15 of Joshua 24 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your father served on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods. For the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt. house of bondage which did those great signs in our sight and preserved us and all the way wherein we went and Among all the people through whom we passed the Lord drave out from before us all the people even the Amorites Which dwelt in the land therefore will we also serve the Lord for he is our God And Joshua said in the people you cannot serve the Lord for he is an holy God. He is a jealous God it will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins if you forsake the Lord and serve strange gods and He will turn and do you hurt and consume you after that he had done you good and the people said unto Joshua nay But we will serve the Lord We can say that I'll serve God but can I tell you when hard times come That's a pretty good indicator if I have gods or idols in my life Because I'll turn to back to whatever's the most comfortable I'll turn back to the very thing I can trust and Look with me at Psalm 37. You know, when I was coming away, when I was there in the military and I'd come away from drinking and some other things in my life, and when I was coming away from that, it wasn't easy at first. It wasn't easy. There was a pull. There was a stronghold. But can I tell you today, I wouldn't want to go back to that. Because the further I've walked away, I've realized that Christ is sufficient. In Psalm 37, I think this would be the motto of a mature believer. Psalm 37, verse four. Psalm 37, verse four. Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee desires of thine heart. Commit thy way in the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth thy righteousness, the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger and forsake wrath. Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, for evildoers shall be cut off, but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. That's pretty amazing. I'd like to finish my life. Final passage and I'm done. 2 Timothy 4, 4. And I'm done. Got a little bit longer today. I just kind of in between my notes and finishing this topic and we'll continue this study of 1 John next week. Lord willing. 2 Timothy chapter 4, 2 Timothy 4, 4. I think this would be a good epitaph if it was on our life. Of a mature believer. You know what a mature believer is? They're one that they know God. They know him. They walk with him. They spend time with him. He's real. He's not just some big man upstairs I'm hoping my prayers reach. I know when I'm praying, and I'm there on my knees or wherever I'm at, and I'm praying and talking with him, I know he's hearing me. 2 Timothy 4, 4, the Bible says, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned into fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. The apostle Paul goes on to say, for I'm now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love is appearing. Keep looking up. Christian, you and I need to be dependent upon him. It's in the hard times, there's a real test of do I actually know the Lord? We can be saved for a long time. I had been saved for a long time. April 30th, 1986, I got saved. 39 years ago, come April 30th. But in all that time, I think the last two years, I probably learned the most in regards to a brokenness and a realization of my absolute need for the Lord. I'm growing. We're all growing. And this morning, as I draw this to a close, how much do you need the Lord? What has the Lord done for you? Can you be dependent upon him? Say, God, I need your help. I need your strength. But I don't know what to do. How's this book? How's your time? Not just reading it, but I'm talking meditating. You're sitting here, you're writing down your thoughts as you're in this book. You know, that shows I need God. I need to be with other believers. Man, you guys encourage me, I'm so thankful for you. This morning I'm gonna have a song play, I Know Whom I Ever Believed. It's number 224 in your blue hymn book, but I just wanna invite you to take some time to pray and talk to the Lord. Number one, if you're a Christian, are you dependent upon God? Just ask God, Lord, how dependent upon you am I? And number two, if you're here this morning, you've never accepted Jesus Christ, that he died on that cross, excuse me, for every bad thing you've ever done, for every, not just bad things, but I have offended God, I know I've offended him, I know I put Jesus on that cross, I know I deserve God's penalty. There's a time in your life where you realize you trusted Jesus as your own personal savior. I trust you could say I know that for sure. And if you don't, man, I'd love to show you how you could know for sure. So as the music plays, I trust you just take some time to talk with the Lord and just pray. Pray wherever you're seated, you're welcome to. If you want to come up front and pray, you're welcome to.