Persevering in Practice - Part 2

This podcast is made available by this increasing media as to the generosity of our support is your donation today means great podcast ideas remain available to help people look to God daily presentation at our nation today send out all day far too often a high profile Christian stumbled his testimony is, and their ministry suffers and you keep that from happening to you that I am Turning Point. Dr. David Jeremiah continues to encourage her to write her perseverance. Staying focused on God and avoiding the world's distractions listen as David introduces the conclusion of his message persevering and practice the friends I don't know about you but 2020 has been a very difficult year to stay focused, everyday things of change we've never experienced anything like this and I really ask God to help me stay focused on what I was supposed to be doing and not get off on rabbit trails that are so easy to follow during a pandemic and thankfully we been able to keep our eyes on the goal we've seen our ministries stable and strong going forward would have major growth both at our church and in our school and on Turning Point focus is such an important thing. And today I'm going to give you four principles actually will probably go back and retrieve the first one so you get them all together and these are five things that I learned from John 17 that are the result of a focused life. Of course our example in the focus life is the Lord Jesus himself who came to this earth with one purpose, and that was to die for lost men and women who never lost his purpose never lost his focus and never lost the reason for his being on this earth, and he teaches us how to live such a life as well. From a very doctrinal passage of Scripture some very practical principles for living your life every day. Let's go back down to where we were yesterday as we pick up our discussion from John 17 persevering in practice as it ever crossed your mind that you might be just kind of float through life missing the very best thing that God has for you. Listen to me you say well I'm afraid to find out what that is because if I find out what it is I'm sure still be some I don't like what the word of God says commit your way to the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart you know what I'm doing friends. I'm doing what I love to do what I would do if I could design it. I didn't know it at the time God had this all in mind, and he planned it all out.

He sorted it all out and I wake up every morning to get ready to face the day. I'm so excited because I get to spend my life doing what I really love to do. God has a plan for everyone. It was like that. That's the plan. He wants to focus your life on when you find out what that is.

And some of you never even thought this way you to stop while I'm a Christian I'm on the way to heaven. I gotta do all the stuff on the way know God has a plan for your life and that plan is going to bring meaning and purpose. If you will take some time to sort it out.

Find out what is and I'm telling you it's the only way to stay focused. It's the reason why the Lord Jesus Christ could stay focused in his life, to give you five things that you can take to the bank five things that will help you understand how very important it is to have a focused life.

Jesus lived his life according to purpose.

He never lost sight of that. He was a human. And so he had all the same kind of experiences we have you believe that the Bible says he was tempted in all points as we are yet, apart from sin, you think Jesus ever had days when he could've gotten off course and lost sight of his perspective. He had all the same challenges that you and I have he could have. You remember when Satan took him out into the wilderness to remember that and Satan tempted him and I don't know if you ever studied Matthew chapter 4 Matthew chapter 4 is like this.

It's Satan trying to get Jesus to accept the benefits of the cross without going to the cross. He was saying to orgies.

I have the kingdom just bow down before me in the Lord Jesus is no saying you not going to do that to me.

I know what my purpose is. I know what my focus is that you behind me Satan is a little phrase.

John 17 and it's found seven times throughout the Gospels. It's all about the power that is, when you come to John 17 one. It begins like this.

Jesus says glorify the father for my hour has come well or was he talking about class staff. The next day was going to die. He said the hour has come you never noticed it. There are several places in the Gospels where Jesus said that his hour had not come and it's interesting to study those places and see what Jesus said when he said my hour had come. For instance, it begins in John chapter 2 Jesus is just beginning his earthly ministry, and he's invited to a wedding goes to the wedding at Cana of Galilee. And you know what the problem was in John chapter 2, they ran out of wine, they didn't have enough to service all the people that came to the wedding in John chapter 2 verses three and four we read and when they ran out of wine, the mother Jesus said to him, they have no wine. Jesus said to her, woman, what does your concern have to do with me.

My hour has not yet come. What is that all about. We have studied a little bit. Let me tell you what it means. Jesus was not being disrespectful to his mother. I've heard messages were people said he shouldn't of said to her, woman today in our culture you somebody a woman system to you and you respond one is probably not going to be very well received that in that doing so would like that and you certainly have nothing to do with his willingness to do the miracle because Diddy did the miracle absolutely listen to me now Jesus was not rebuking his mother. He was not refusing to deal with the lack of wine. Jesus saying to his mother listen carefully. The time for me to be submissive to the authority of man in the hour of my crucifixion is not yet here I will not be placed under authority to man. I will do what you ask of me, but I want you understand that this is not my purpose right now. My purpose right now is not to turn water into wine. My purpose now is the cross and I will not let the activity of even a marriage ceremony distract me from that purpose. So I wrote down in my notes. When you live a focused life. Nothing can distract you. Is that a problem to you dear Heather, I tell you what. Whenever I lose the focus of my goal.

I get totally distracted and I get off on other things.

How many times do you get off on the cul-de-sac summaries always got you doing something wake up one day someone my doing this for this is not what I'm supposed to be doing but when you stay focused on God's purpose for your life. Listen to me. Nothing can distract you.

Now the little phrase my hour has not yet come.

We pick it up. The second time in John chapter 7 in verse 30 notice this. Therefore, they sought to take Jesus, but no one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come in that same thought is in chapter 8 and verse 20. Listen to it again these words Jesus spoke in the treasury as he taught in the temple and no one laid hands on him for his hour had not yet come. And I wrote down in my notes that when you live a focused life.

Nothing can destroy you.

Was Jesus, afraid that they were gonna come and taken when killing right then they couldn't do it. Why and when his time he was in his hour. Now you gotta be careful you don't go to seed on this.

I remember a wonderful story that I heard Dr. J. Vernon McGee tell on occasion he been studying the doctrine of predestination.

Some mantis carnation got so entranced by the idea of God's sovereignty that one day he came to Dr. McGeady made this post. He said you know Pastor, I'm so convinced that God is keeping me no matter what I do that I believe I can step right out into the midst of the busiest traffic in Los Angeles at noon time and if my hour had not yet, I would be perfectly safe and in his inimitable style. Dr. McGee said Mr. if you step out in traffic at high noon. Your hour has come sort of easy to get this out of perspective. Let me give you personal illustration, but I believe with all my heart when I first started. God began to bless what we're doing on the radio and so we started doing some rallies and I was speaking at some conventions and things. I go to the airport out here limbered field and I get on the airplane and we taxied out to the end of the runway and I had something I've never really experienced before. I started to experience some fear and I tried to isolate the ferry was in the fear that something happened to me. I was ready to go. If God was ready I was ready. I always wondered what would happen if it was the pilots turned to go, but I knew that I was okay with the thing that bothered me more than anything else was my family. What what some have asked me what about Donna Mitchell will happen with them and I would begin to be afraid and it was kind of, I mean, I couldn't get rid of it and then one day I was talking to a friend of mine about this and he gave me this little thought I put it in front my Bible and the thought goes like this, God's man in the center of God's will is immortal until God is finished with him telling you what tremendous… Doesn't mean you should go to some stupid like Dr. McGee's friend.

But listen to it again.

God's man, God's woman in the center of God's will is immortal until God is finished with you what I know about that is I'm in the hands of the Lord. What is my purpose is to make sure I stay in the center of God's will do that.

Stay in the center of God's will and God's good take care of you for as long as he wants you here on planet Earth. You can get on an airplane and fly often don't be stupid and fly into the storm as your head. But by the grace of God. If you do what God is called you to do when you're in the center of his will.

He's going to protect you. The reason Jesus had confidence in the temple.

The reason he had confidence when they came and tried to take it was. He knew it wasn't his time.

He had omissions we don't have when you live a focused life. Nothing can destroy you. Here we find the word again in John chapter 12 and verse 27 now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say father, save me from this hour, but for this purpose I came to this hour. Here the Lord is wrestling with his own heart the time of the strugglers, this is pre-Gethsemane, if you will, and Gethsemane. He would say, let this cup pass from me but nevertheless not my will but thine be done. But here in chapter 12 Jesus is going through a time of inward suffering a period of internal grief and torture in the Scripture tells us simply that he was troubled and do you see it was troubled but not what Jesus says he doesn't say what shall I choose.

He says what shall I say, even though he is troubled. He understands that, for this hour. He has been born for this purpose.

He came to this hour. And this tells me that when you live according to God's plan.

When you live a focused life. Nothing can discourage you.

You can be troubled, but you still won't lose sight of your goal, you can go through anguish but you will never lose sight, how many of you know that sometimes trouble comes into our lives to put even a sharper focus on our vision and our goal. Sometimes you're going along and you think you're going in the right direction and you really believe your in the center of God's will and he sends a little adversity so that you can make some midcourse corrections and sharpen the focus even more.

When you live a focus like nothing can discourage you, then you find the word again in John chapter 16 in verse 32, MD, the hours coming yes now has come that you will be scattered each to his own and you will leave me alone.

Jesus talking to his disciples, and yet I am not alone because the father is with me. Jesus understood the significance of this hour. He knew that when the hour came, he would be left alone. He would be abandoned and rejected all of his disciples would forsake him you remember the scene at the cross when Jesus is hanging on the cross.

He spent all his life investing in these men, and he stands on the cross and we looks down in his dying moments.

Who does he see he sees his mother and one of the disciples, one of them can imagine as a leader anything that would be more difficult than suppose. I spent all 30 to 40 years of my adult ministry at Xiamen on Community Church and when it came time for us to summarize what happened my moment, perhaps at my funeral. One person showed up.

What a discouragement to know what Jesus said said it's all right because I'm not alone.

Father is with me. He knew that he wasn't on this earth to gain the popularity even of his closest followers. He was on this earth to do the will of God would sent him and so he understood that though they didn't understand his plan and friends only tie some of the same pattern is repeated today.

If you get focused in your life and you know what God called you to do. Don't a lot of people won't understand that to get a witness is not true. What are you doing that for this is what God's call me to do God's calls you to do what you want to hear some of the things that relatives of our missionaries say to the young missionaries who decided to take their doctor's degree there medical degree and go to Asia or to Africa or to India and their families. As you can do what you're turning your back on the multitudes of opportunities in the myriads of privileges and the money you're going to Africa why you going. That's what God's call me to do and you know when you do what God called you to do. There's not enough money in the world to buy you off because you know the joy of your life is being focused on his will. So Jesus understood that even though all of his disciples and left him the only one that was left was John with his mother. He won disappointed, he said, can be disappointed because the father was with me and unfocused to do the will of God's call me to do and then let me give the last back in the 17th chapter again Jesus spoke these words lifted up his eyes to heaven, he said father, the hour has come. Glorify your son. Now this is the end of the journey the next days go to dices the hours come. How many of you today. If you knew tomorrow you're going to die would stand up today and say, with her hands lifted up and praise the risk hours come from, what I want to die tomorrow you're weird.

Jesus said, the hours come.

Any glorify God. Why because that's the very purpose for which he was born to everyone around him. It looked like this was the end. Satan was dancing on the grave already, but this was an hour of defeat. When you live a focused life.

Nothing can defeat you.

Nothing is schedule testimony as a pastor there been moments when the only thing that kept me here was the knowledge that God called me and that I was in his will.

I remember times when I would say Lord I'd rather be anyplace in the world than here. I know it's Southern California and I know the sun shines every day but not where I live. It doesn't. And God said Jeremiah called you here. This is my purpose and now I see why he had a plan. I didn't know he had a purpose. I couldn't comprehend. He knew there was going to be a party someday need and want me to miss it. I praise his name for that type something when you know what God wants you to do when you focus on his will and can have a sense of purpose and joy in your life every day is not true.

Why are you on planet Earth did you just put you here to come to pass the time until you go to heaven. I hope not. God doesn't clutter up his universe with meaningless things. He put you here for a purpose and in eternity past before you ever knew to breathe God had a purpose for your life. He knows what it is and I'm challenging you to find out what it is and get busy doing it.

When you come to getting your life like the Lord Jesus did you know when Jesus died. You know what his epitaph was know, I know he's living today but when he died and was in the great here was his epitaph. It's in John chapter 17 one. Epitaph I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do while how do you like to come to the end of your life no matter how many years you have and have written on your tombstone. He finished the work God gave them to do.

You know my problem has been I've been trying to finish all the work there is to do.

You know I'm talking about so much to do to trick know I can do the work you're supposed to do. I'm learning that now as I get older I can do the work. Any of you been called and I can just finish the work God's given me to do and you know what. In doing that. There is joy and satisfaction in excitement. Paul had a similar experience. Remember what he said in second Timothy.

He said I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. What a triumphant way to end your life because you searched out during your life. What was God wanted you to do then with all of your heart you gave yourself to it.

When you came to the end of the way and when it's time for you to check out you can say hey what a great run.

We had God, you and me on this earth.

When a great run. I tried to figure out what you want me to doing with all my heart to give myself to it and I finished the work you gave me to do, pass the torch on to somebody else go on the glory and joy.

Heaven forever, but I had a great run loss down here.

Amen. That's what you want to live. That's called living with gusto.

That's called living with excitement and enthusiasm. Every getting up every day knowing God is giving you a purpose and that purpose is divine. It has to do with eternity. You can be the star of the show, but you're really not the star of the show because it's all about Jesus Christ and what he's trying to do on this earth are you when I was ordained. Seems like a long time ago my father gave the ordination sermon on their forget my mother came to the ordination.

Can you believe that she came to the examining Council. She asked me some questions, bless her dear heart, she's with the Lord now she knows the answers. I didn't know but I remember one time there examining me on angels and one of the guys asked me if I believe in guardian angels.

My mom popped out because she says what he does and I do watch me grow up and she knew I would been around guardian angels were around. My father gave the ordination sermon and he based his sermon on a passage in acts chapter 13 this is what the passage was David served his own generation by the will of God. He challenged me that day course this is an about this I'm not in the Bible.

Believe me, I'm not in that this is another David this is the David from whom I got my name. I'm sure David, the king in the book of acts it says about him that he served his generation by the will of God have never forgotten that. That's kind of been a touchstone for me. Kind of a vision from God. I just that's what I want to do. I want to serve my generation by the will of God. I can serve the generation which pastor gone and I can't serve the generation that's just starting that's coming up. I probably won't be here to do that for God has given me this little window of privilege and opportunity to serve my generation by the will of God by his grace I want to stay focused and when you do that when you live that kind of life. These are the five things that we've learned that will happen to you when you live a focused life. Here are the promises that God gives to you nothing to distract you and nothing can destroy you and nothing can discourage you and nothing can disappoint you. And nothing can defeat you. You say were pastor Jeremiah.

I've tried to come to live that sort life there been times I've been distracted in times not felt like I was being destroyed times I was discouraged and disappointed and I felt defeated. Sometimes that's all true, but let me tell you what I've learned whenever those things start happening to you, it's because you've lost your focus a little bit you know what I have to do when I start feeling those emotions. I have to shut down get away someplace get my Bible and my notebook in my journal back away from all the pressure and say Lord I'm starting to feel some things I should be feeling if I stay focused. Now help me to get focused again.

Do you ever do that.

What a great time to do that. Lord help me to focus on your will for my life so that I won't be distracted and I will be destroyed and discouraged and disappointed in defeated and I have victory in my soul when I do that and so were you.

Well tomorrow morning to talk about writing your story from Proverbs chapter 4 and will finish up this month with a message entitled eight spiritual blessings 20, 21 is off to a great start.

I hope you're in a good place. Having learned all the things we need to learn from the year before and now as we go forward were going to grab hold of new spiritual truth and it will be in a different way. Because now our experiences are different because of what we've been through the word of God is going to mean more to us in many ways.

If we approach it without perspective. This will be a great year of growth for all of us as we share together the timeless truths of the Scripture. I'm so excited to have the privilege to do what I do every day here in the Bible share with you. God's word and encourage you to walk with him, even as I find my own self being encouraged again tomorrow right here in this crustacean message today, written either from Shadow Mountain Community Church and Dr. David Jeremiah, the senior pastor would you like to tell us have tending toward ministers to you. Please write to us tending point PO Box 3838, San Diego, CA 92163 or visit our website at David Jeremiah thought/lighting nonsecure copy of Jack countrymen's new book, God's blessings just for you is 100 inspirational leavings and reflections is yours for a gift of any amount still have Krista Davidson youth any devotional for 2021 spring day.

There is no copies of the growing going to get a dose of biblical truth real coffee. When you visit David Jeremiah thought/radio. I'm very hopeful he can join us tomorrow as we continue the series the life God blesses here on tending point with Dr. David Jeremiah for taking time to listen to on tonight from these increased in size and