Be Resolved to Grow Spiritually No Matter the Cost - Tim Conway
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0:00 - 0:03I mean, you can get
gripped by this reality. -
0:03 - 0:04There's a door here.
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0:04 - 0:06Christ is saying, "I'm on the other side.
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0:06 - 0:09Come and open, and I'll come in."
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0:09 - 0:10And you know what?
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0:10 - 0:12You can sit in a message like this
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0:12 - 0:13and you can hear this and you can say,
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0:13 - 0:16"Yeah, I want that."
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0:16 - 0:21"I want that."
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0:21 - 0:23Have you ever noticed -
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0:23 - 0:29maybe the word "fickle" is a good word -
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0:29 - 0:33have any of you ever been in the place,
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0:33 - 0:37you sat under powerful preaching,
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0:37 - 0:40you had a sweet time in prayer
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0:40 - 0:43or powerful season in the Word,
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0:43 - 0:46and you're resolved.
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0:46 - 0:48I want that.
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0:48 - 0:50I want to go deeper.
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0:50 - 0:52I want to go further.
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0:52 - 0:57I believe it from Scripture.
I can have it. -
0:57 - 1:00But what happens?
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1:00 - 1:02Any of you ever been there
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1:02 - 1:05where you look up
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1:05 - 1:08and it's like what happened?
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1:08 - 1:12How did I get distracted?
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1:12 - 1:17I mean, I was resolved for this.
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1:17 - 1:20How did I get here?
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1:20 - 1:22I was determined. I wanted that.
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1:22 - 1:24I made certain resolutions.
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1:24 - 1:25Have you ever been there?
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1:25 - 1:28You make these spiritual resolutions
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1:28 - 1:33and then what happens?
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1:33 - 1:35What's the difference between
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1:35 - 1:40the people that press on to know the Lord
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1:40 - 1:43and the ones that kind of give up
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1:43 - 1:46or are always struggling?
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1:46 - 1:48Always falling short?
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1:48 - 1:50What's the difference?
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1:50 - 1:52Well, I think it comes back to this.
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1:52 - 1:54I think it comes back
to being strengthened -
1:54 - 1:58by God Himself to have
a will that's committed. -
1:58 - 2:00I think it comes to having appetites
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2:00 - 2:02that are strong.
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2:02 - 2:03I mean, we know it.
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2:03 - 2:06You know what, I got sick this week.
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2:06 - 2:11My appetite has not been there.
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2:11 - 2:13Do you ever go through
seasons in your life - -
2:13 - 2:15maybe you're saying yeah,
way too many of them - -
2:15 - 2:17where you're hungry?
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2:17 - 2:19You're hungry all the time.
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2:19 - 2:22You can eat and you're still hungry.
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2:22 - 2:23What's the difference?
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2:23 - 2:24Well, there's a difference
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2:24 - 2:28in the health of that appetite.
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2:28 - 2:30I'll tell you,
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2:30 - 2:33if our appetite itself
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2:33 - 2:36were to be magnified a hundred fold,
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2:36 - 2:38we desperately needed Christ.
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2:38 - 2:41Maybe some of the trivialities
that have sidetracked us -
2:41 - 2:43and derailed us -
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2:43 - 2:47did any of you after last week's message,
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2:47 - 2:50any of you go out of here thinking,
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2:50 - 2:52yeah, I want that?
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2:52 - 2:54I want that.
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2:54 - 2:56I want you to want it!
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2:56 - 2:56I hope so!
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2:56 - 2:59See, that's the kind of
thing that I'm afraid of. -
2:59 - 3:01That you went out of
here not thinking that. -
3:01 - 3:04I hope you did! I hope some of you did!
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3:04 - 3:06You were feeling like: I want that!
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3:06 - 3:08I want to know more of the fullness
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3:08 - 3:11of Christ settling in to my heart.
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3:11 - 3:18I want that. I want it deeper.
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3:18 - 3:22But, tomorrow came and what happens?
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3:22 - 3:24We forget.
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3:24 - 3:26We become distracted by something else.
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3:26 - 3:28Oh, you were fully resolved a week ago.
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3:28 - 3:30A week ago right now, it was like,
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3:30 - 3:33ah, I want that!
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3:33 - 3:34I'm going to open the door!
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3:34 - 3:36I want Christ to come in.
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3:36 - 3:37You prayed last week:
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3:37 - 3:39Lord, give me that!
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3:39 - 3:40The thing that Paul prayed for.
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3:40 - 3:43Give me people to pray that for me!
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3:43 - 3:45I want it.
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3:45 - 3:48But the cares and the concerns
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3:48 - 3:50and the trivialities of the world -
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3:50 - 3:53and you see, our commitment is weak.
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3:53 - 3:55Our will is too weak.
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3:55 - 3:56Your faith is too weak.
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3:56 - 3:59I mean, you hear the man in Scripture:
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3:59 - 4:01"Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief."
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4:01 - 4:03And I guess one of the things
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4:03 - 4:05that I would have our faith to go to
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4:05 - 4:07in the very beginning is this belief
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4:07 - 4:11that there is a God who can and will
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4:11 - 4:16and does strengthen His people.
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4:16 - 4:19Has your faith even
latched on to this reality? -
4:19 - 4:20That there is more -
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4:20 - 4:22I can have Christ settle in.
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4:22 - 4:24I can have Him come into me
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4:24 - 4:27in a way that He's never come into me.
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4:27 - 4:29Go back and read the Song of Solomon.
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4:29 - 4:32You want to feel this at the level -
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4:32 - 4:35marriage is only the picture!
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4:35 - 4:37The intimacies of marriage
are only the picture. -
4:37 - 4:39And you can go back there
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4:39 - 4:41and you can say yes,
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4:41 - 4:46"my Beloved, He put His
hand to the door latch." -
4:46 - 4:49And what happened?
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4:49 - 4:52"Well, I already washed my feet."
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4:52 - 4:57Is that not the sad commentary
on too many of us? -
4:57 - 5:00Yes, I want it! He stands at the door!
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5:00 - 5:03He's knocking! I want to let Him in!
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5:03 - 5:06But it's just like the Song of Solomon.
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5:06 - 5:09We hesitated.
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5:09 - 5:11We hesitated.
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5:11 - 5:16Something else was more important.
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5:16 - 5:18You know what will happen?
The Lord will test your heart. -
5:18 - 5:20I wanted to sing that song:
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5:20 - 5:22"I asked the Lord that I might grow."
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5:22 - 5:24Because you know what happens oftentimes?
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5:24 - 5:27You say, "Yes, Lord. I want this.
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5:27 - 5:29And I'm going to seek to be careful
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5:29 - 5:31to not let the kinds
of things into my life -
5:31 - 5:34that might grieve and offend You.
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5:34 - 5:37I want You to find my heart
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5:37 - 5:41a sufficient place for
You to dwell deeply in." -
5:41 - 5:43And you know, you begin to pray for this,
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5:43 - 5:44and you begin to long for this.
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5:44 - 5:47And what happens?
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5:47 - 5:48You begin to pray,
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5:48 - 5:50"Lord, strengthen me for this.
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5:50 - 5:52More of this. More of Christ."
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5:52 - 5:54And then you know what happens?
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5:54 - 5:59The Lord tests your heart.
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5:59 - 6:02You remember the song.
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6:02 - 6:06Suddenly Newton's hymn breaks in upon us.
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6:06 - 6:08It can seem very discouraging.
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6:08 - 6:10Yes, brother, I went
out of here last week. -
6:10 - 6:13I was very determined, but you know
what I found during the week? -
6:13 - 6:16I found such manifestations
of pride in my own heart -
6:16 - 6:19and idolatry or something else.
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6:19 - 6:21I asked the Lord that I might grow.
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6:21 - 6:24But you see, you forgot the song.
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6:24 - 6:26Because you hear things
like this and it's like: -
6:26 - 6:28That's glorious! Christ coming in!
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6:28 - 6:29And oh, bringing His fragrance,
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6:29 - 6:32His power and His presence
in my inner being. -
6:32 - 6:35Yes! I want that!
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6:35 - 6:41I asked the Lord that He might come in.
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6:41 - 6:42And Newton said,
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6:42 - 6:45"and seek more earnestly His face."
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6:45 - 6:47Yes, I want to seek more
earnestly to open that door -
6:47 - 6:50that He might come in.
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6:50 - 6:54"'Twas He who taught me thus to pray."
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6:54 - 6:58Isn't Paul teaching us to pray this way?
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6:58 - 7:01That Christ may come in.
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7:01 - 7:04Lord, You're teaching us to pray.
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7:04 - 7:06"And He I trust has answered prayer,
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7:06 - 7:07but has been such a way as
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7:07 - 7:10almost drove me to despair."
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7:10 - 7:12See, that's often what happens.
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7:12 - 7:15Lord, please come in.
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7:15 - 7:17Come close.
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7:17 - 7:18Indwell.
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7:18 - 7:20Come in and sup with me.
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7:20 - 7:23And see, we hope the
same way Newton hoped. -
7:23 - 7:25"I hoped that in some favored hour,
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7:25 - 7:27at once He'd grant me my request.
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7:27 - 7:28By His love's constraining power,
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7:28 - 7:31subdue my sins and give me rest."
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7:31 - 7:34Instead of this:
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7:34 - 7:37"He made me feel the
hidden evils of my heart, -
7:37 - 7:40let the angry powers of hell
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7:40 - 7:47assault my soul in every part."
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7:47 - 7:49And you know what happens?
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7:49 - 7:53You suddenly feel like,
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7:53 - 7:56Lord, I want this.
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7:56 - 8:00I want to go deeper.
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8:00 - 8:02But as soon as I set my heart to it
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8:02 - 8:04and I begin to pray I feel like
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8:04 - 8:08I'm further away than ever from Christ.
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8:08 - 8:13You may actually feel much
worse now than before. -
8:13 - 8:16Why? Because things have come up.
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8:16 - 8:18They've come to the surface in your heart
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8:18 - 8:20that you never imagined were there.
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8:20 - 8:22It drives you to despair.
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8:22 - 8:25It drives you to be desperate.
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8:25 - 8:27But you know what I say?
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8:27 - 8:30Is look, this is often part of it.
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8:30 - 8:32This is often what God is doing.
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8:32 - 8:36Why? You have to remember this.
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8:36 - 8:38I think this is key.
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8:38 - 8:42Those Laodiceans -
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8:42 - 8:46if Jesus would have
just broken in right away -
8:46 - 8:47and said to them,
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8:47 - 8:49"I stand at the door and knock.
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8:49 - 8:50Open up."
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8:50 - 8:53Well, you know what they were saying.
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8:53 - 8:54We're rich.
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8:54 - 8:57We've got our act together.
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8:57 - 8:59We don't need anything.
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8:59 - 9:04We've prospered. In need of nothing.
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9:04 - 9:05And you see, you feel so boldly
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9:05 - 9:08and confidently, "Yeah, I'm good."
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9:08 - 9:11"Christ, come on in."
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9:11 - 9:12But Jesus said this to them:
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9:12 - 9:14You know what the problem is?
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9:14 - 9:17You don't recognize
the reality about yourself. -
9:17 - 9:19What?
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9:19 - 9:21The reality is that you're wretched,
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9:21 - 9:25miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
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9:25 - 9:29And you see, what we
have to recognize is this: -
9:29 - 9:33That when Christ comes in,
we don't deserve it. -
9:33 - 9:34We don't deserve it.
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9:34 - 9:35Our faith needs to go there.
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9:35 - 9:38Our faith needs to
latch on to that reality. -
9:38 - 9:41Christ coming in and settling down,
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9:41 - 9:44it's entirely a mercy.
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9:44 - 9:46You don't deserve it
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9:46 - 9:49and your performance
isn't the basis of it. -
9:49 - 9:51Look, it's true,
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9:51 - 9:53you can do things to
drive your Master away. -
9:53 - 9:56There's no question about that.
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9:56 - 10:00But how does Jesus want the Laodiceans
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10:00 - 10:02to approach the door?
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10:02 - 10:06Confident? Got our act together?
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10:06 - 10:08Let me tell you this.
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10:08 - 10:10If you began to pray
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10:10 - 10:11and you began to seek this,
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10:11 - 10:13and suddenly God began
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10:13 - 10:16to show you things in your heart,
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10:16 - 10:18then you know what?
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10:18 - 10:20What you want to do
is like the Laodiceans, -
10:20 - 10:21you want to repent.
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10:21 - 10:23You want to recognize what you are
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10:23 - 10:24in your own strength.
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10:24 - 10:28And recognize that this is
God's way of taking you on, -
10:28 - 10:30taking you deeper.
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10:30 - 10:34To sweep that heart
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10:34 - 10:35that Christ may come in.
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10:35 - 10:36Don't resist that.
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10:36 - 10:38And don't be in despair because of it.
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10:38 - 10:40Oh, the devil will be right there saying,
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10:40 - 10:42"Look at you. You're a mess.
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10:42 - 10:45You think Christ is going to
come in and dwell there?" -
10:45 - 10:50Listen, whatever his foul language may say
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10:50 - 10:51you remember this:
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10:51 - 10:54Christ came to save sinners.
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10:54 - 10:56And He came to save them
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10:56 - 10:58and He came to love them
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10:58 - 10:59and He came to commune with them
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10:59 - 11:02and He came to dwell within them.
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11:02 - 11:05And never because of
any merits on their part. -
11:05 - 11:08Simply because for their sake,
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11:08 - 11:11He's willing to die and to do this
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11:11 - 11:19that the glory of God might be shown.
- Title:
- Be Resolved to Grow Spiritually No Matter the Cost - Tim Conway
- Description:
-
As believers, there are times that we become gripped with such a great resolve to go further and be more like Christ. Yet to our dismay, we often will look up and realize that we got distracted and did not follow through with the resolutions we made. Somehow we got sidetracked; and our appetite to grow spiritually, no matter the cost, somehow dissipated. So what should we do? We need to believe that the Lord can and will strengthen us inwardly by His power so that we persist onward with our resolve.
�MP3: https://illbehonest.com/download/excerpts/be-resolved-to-grow-spiritually-no-matter-the-cost-tim-conway.mp3
→ View on I'll Be Honest: https://illbehonest.com/be-resolved-to-grow-spiritually-no-matter-the-cost
→ Excerpt taken from the full sermon, "Christianity is Christ Dwelling in the Believer": https://youtu.be/Bvc8zPchh64
- Video Language:
- English
- Duration:
- 11:23
Carrie Spradlin edited English subtitles for Be Resolved to Grow Spiritually No Matter the Cost - Tim Conway |