["Pomp and Circumstance"]
Song number 23.
Song number 23, there's power in the blood.
Sing it out on the first.
Would you be free from your burden of sin?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood.
Would you be evil, a victory win?
There's love, there's power in the blood.
There is power, what we're working on
In the blood of the lamb.
There is power, what we're working on
In the blood of the lamb.
Song number 23, on second.
Second
Oh
Amen and we want to welcome you to this last Sunday of the year here at Verity Baptist Church
We're glad that you are with us. Of course, we'd like to begin the service with a word of prayer
Let's go ahead and bow our heads and pray together. Heavenly Father. Lord. We do. Love you
We thank you for allowing us to gather together today Lord
We pray that you would bless the service this morning tonight Lord as well
And pray that you'd bless this last day of this year help us to prepare our hearts and prepare ourselves
To have a great year next year Lord. We love you in Jesus name we pray. Amen
Turn to song 410
Is the victory 410 to see it out on the first
Oh
110 sing it out on the second
Oh
Sing it out on the last
Oh
Amen all right
well
Let's take our bulletins this morning and we'll look at some announcements real quickly if you did not receive a bulletin on your way in
Just raise your hand and one of our ushers can get one for you
If you need a bulletin, just put your hand up and we will get one for you the verse this week 2nd Corinthians 517
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature old things are passed away behold
All things have become new and that's a good verse that we like that
If you open up your bulletin, you'll see our service time Sunday morning service 10 30 a.m
And we are glad of course that you are with us on Sunday morning on the Lord's Day for church
And of course today is a very special Sunday
It's the last Sunday of the year the last day of the year and this was a unique year in the sense that the first
Day of the year was a Sunday in the last day of the year is a Sunday
And so we started the year off in church and we're ending the year off in church and we are glad that you are here
We want to encourage you to be back tonight for the evening service and the evening service will be the last service of the year
And of course, we'd love for you to join us and we'll have a special service tonight
And I'll give you those details here in a minute and of course
We have our Wednesday evening Bible study at 7 p.m
And I want to encourage you to be with us on Wednesday night for the midweek service
We call it the most encouraging service of the week and this Wednesday night
We're gonna be in Hebrews chapter 6 and we're gonna get into verse number 4
Which is a little bit of a controversial passage many of you have asked questions about it
We'll be covering it this Wednesday night. So I want to encourage you of course to be here for that
It'll be the first service of the year
So make sure that you are here on
Wednesday night for the midweek Bible study
If you look at our soul winning times our main the sowing times on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m
Then we have additional sowing times on Thursdays Fridays and Sundays at 2 p.m
Thursdays and Fridays are postponed for now due to the workdays over on the new property
But there is a time for you to go soul winning this afternoon at 2 p.m
If you would like to do so and of course if you are a first-time guest if it's your first time here at Verity Baptist Church
We are glad that you are with us
We have a gift we'd like to give you as you walk out of the church building this morning if you go on our main
Foyer or if you got our secondary for you'll see a little table set up and on that table. You'll see these little gift bags
Please grab one on your way out as a gift from us to you for being our guests this morning
There are several resources in this bag that we'd like you to have
The one I like to highlight is this documentary that our church made is called being Baptist. It's very well made very interesting
We think you'll like it and we want to give this to you as a gift
So, please make sure you don't leave here this morning without grabbing one of those gift bags on your way out
And if you are a guest we'd ask that you please take a moment to fill out the communication card
Which is inserted in your bulletin
If you need a pen just raise your hand and one of our ushers can bring you by a Verity Baptist Church pen and you're
Welcome to keep the pen as a gift from us as well. We're not gonna do anything odd with your info
We would just like to have a record of your attendance
We actually would like to send you a little gift, but we need your information to do that
So, please take a moment to fill the card out when we're done with the announcements
We're gonna sing a song when we're done singing
We're gonna receive the offering as the offering plate goes by you can drop this card in the offering plate or you can hand it
To me after the service
I'll be standing at the main door greeting people on the way out and we'd love for you to come by and
Say hello, if you notice there in the bulletins, we of course are a family integrated church. What that means is that
Children and infants are always welcomed in the service. We do not separate children from their parents for any reason
We do have mother-baby rooms and daddy rooms available for your convenience
All of the rooms have comfortable seating they have monitors set up so you can watch the service and listen to it
So if you have a child that's being distracting during the service or if you need some privacy
We would encourage you to please use those rooms as needed
If you're not sure where those rooms are at you can look at the back of the bulletin and you'll see a layout of our
Church building and I'll show you where the restrooms are to show you where the mother-baby rooms are with daddy room is if you need
To be baptized, of course, please let us know we'd love to baptize you on the back of the communication card
You can check off that you'd like information about baptism and we'll follow up with you in
Regards to that if you've already spoken to somebody about baptism, you know
You need to be baptized and all you need to do is at the end of the service after the preaching while we're singing the last
Song if you step out that door one of our staff guys will meet you there and we will get you situated for
Baptism if you look at the announcements and upcoming events, of course, we are continuing with the work days
This coming week and we want to ask you guys to just keep at it and help us if you can
You'll notice of course that in the foyer there are three clipboards for three different days January 4th, January 5th
That's a Thursday and a Friday and then of course January 6. There's
different shifts 8 a.m.
to 7 p.m. On
Thursday and Friday and then on Saturday, there's two shifts after soul winning and we could really use your help
Things are progressing over on the new property, but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done
Especially in the next several weeks
So if you would not mind going by their men and looking at the areas that you are able to help
We would appreciate it
You'll notice that there are sections there for electrical leads if you're an electrician or you can help with electrical
We appreciate that drywall mudding
Drywall sanding paint prep if you have any experience with that type of work, that would be great
There's cove lights that need to be
Installed over there and there's some prep that needs to be done prep finish for car
It needs to be done by a carpenter. Also, we need to get the projector
Mechanical mount built over there for the projector on that property
So if you if you're able to help with any of that if any of that sounds like something that you could help us with
We would really appreciate your help and please go by and sign up on
The clipboards there if you have any questions, of course, you can see brother Joel Usher
He's the one running the show over there and
He can answer any questions for you. And then of course tonight is our New Year's Eve service
You'll notice there in the announcements. We just want you to be aware of several things
First of all be aware of the fact that the service tonight begins at 7 p.m
Usually our Sunday night service is at 6 p.m. This week. It's at 7 p.m. So we want you to be aware of that
We're gonna start one hour later
The reason for that is because there's a lot of you that are gonna stay till midnight and we don't want we want to just
Start a little later since we're gonna be here till midnight. You don't have to stay till midnight
Of course, the service will be at 7 p.m. At 7 p.m
We're gonna have our regular Sunday night service like we normally do and I want to encourage you to be here for that
Not only because of the fact that is the last service of the year
But also because I'm gonna be giving you some information for next year
And I'm gonna be giving you some important dates that you need to know many of you've been asking about dates for certain things
In the upcoming year, so you're gonna want to be here for that
After the service we'll have a potluck
So after the service if you want to just take off and go home
That's not a problem at all
If you'd like to stick around we'll have a potluck in our fellowship hall and I want to encourage you to bring
Something for the potluck and you need to bring enough for your family and to share. All right
That's the only way a potluck works
It doesn't work if you show up with 17 people and you you know, you bring a cracker
All right, unless you're gonna pray over it and multiply it. We need you to actually bring food
All right, so please help us with that. And then of course, we also have a popcorn machine
We're gonna be watching a Christian film. And if you stay till midnight, we'll pray in the new year together
We'll also have board games in the fellowship hall. The church has a basket full of board games
You're of course, you're welcome to bring any board games that you'd like so you can watch the movie
You can play games in the fellowship hall. You can just eat till midnight. Whatever you normally do
Whatever brings you comfort that'll be fine. But if you stay till midnight, we'll pray in the new year together
so we
Encourage you and invite you to be a part of that if you like
And of course afterwards if you'd like to stick around and help us clean
We'd appreciate the help with that as well nine chapters a day
In your bulletin, you should have one of these charts and I just want to encourage you with this nine chapters a day begins tomorrow
Tomorrow is January 1st and January is Bible month here at Verity Baptist Church
We encourage the entire church family to read nine chapters a day in the month of January in the New Testament
If you do that, you'll read the entire New Testament in the month of January
You'll notice that you have two grace period days and there's two ways for you to do it
You can read straight through or we we have a split up reading
And it allows you to read in two different portions of the New Testament if you finish nine chapters a day
if you finish the goal, then of course, we have a nice plaque in the
Main foyer that will put your name on if you haven't seen the plaques go by there
You'll see one for every year all the different participants over the years
We want to encourage you to begin the new year in the Word of God reading nine chapters in the New Testament with us
So make sure that you do that. Of course, you still have the Christmas gifts for Jesus insert there as well
you're welcome to give up until tonight if you'd like to pick something up and drop it off at the
Drop-off station. That would be fine
You're also can make a special donation of course in the offering or at our drop-off centers there
And then there's other things there for you to look at
Please don't forget to turn your cell phones off or place them on silent during the service
So that they're not a distraction to anybody if you look at the back of the bulletin birthdays and anniversaries
for the month of January
Today is brother Aiden and miss Ruby Roldan's
anniversary December 31st and also brother John and miss Irene Reed's anniversary December 31st
And then tomorrow's brother Ron Edwards birthday, January 1st
Amira Holland has a birthday January 6 and yes, Ellie the deos has a birthday on January 6
Excuse me
Amira's birthdays January 2nd and yeah, Sally the deos is January 6 praise report money matters
All those things are there for you to look at I do have one baptism certificate to hand out
And let me go ahead and read this real quickly
This says certificate of baptism
this certificate is awarded to Rebecca Dixon in recognition of her baptism on the 24th day of December of the year 2023
Presented by Verity Baptist Church with the verse therefore
We are buried within my baptism into death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory father even so we should
Walk in newness of life and we have pictures here for mr. Becca to remember the day of her baptism
Let's go ahead and give her a round of applause
And I think that's it for all of the announcements
So we're gonna go ahead and sing the chorus of the week, which is the insert in your bulletin
And we're gonna sing I know who holds tomorrow
It's a good song to sing right before
The new year and let's go ahead and sing it out sing it on purpose sing it with passion on the first
From day to day I don't
It sunshine
Oh
What Jesus said and today a lot beside him
Many things about tomorrow I don't see
Oh
Almost second
Oh
Tomorrow
But I
Amen good singing about the guys come up and help us with the offering at this time
And let's go ahead and bow our heads and have a word of prayer
Heavenly Father the Lord we do. Thank you for allowing us to gather together this morning Lord
We pray that you'd bless the offering the gift and the giver
We pray that you would continue to meet our financial needs here at Verity Baptist Church Lord
We pray that you would bless the service Lord this morning and also tonight and Lord
I pray that you'd meet with us speak to us and Lord help us to draw closer to you
Help us to prepare for this coming year to serve you with our lives in Jesus name. We pray
You
Turn your Bibles to Nehemiah chapter 6
Nehemiah chapter 6 if you do not have a Bible, please raise your hand and an usher will bring you one
Nehemiah chapter 6 we will read the entire chapter as is our custom
Nehemiah chapter 6
Just keep your hands up and an usher will bring you a Bible
Nehemiah chapter 6 the Bible reads now it came to pass when some ballot and Tobiah and
Gisham the Arabian and the rest of our enemies
Heard that I had builded the wall and that there was no breach left there in
Though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates
That Sam ballad and Gisham sent unto me saying come let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plane of Ono
But they thought to do me mischief and I sent messengers unto them saying I am doing a great work
So that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease whilst I leave it and come down to you
Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort and I answered them after the same manner
Then sent some ballot his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand
Wherein was written it is reported among the heathen and Gash move sayeth that thou and the Jews think to rebel
For which cause thou buildest the wall that thou mayest be their king
according to these words and thou has also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem saying
There is a king in Judah and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words
Come now therefore and let us take counsel together
Then I sent unto him saying there are no such things done as thou sayest
But thou faintest them out of thine own heart
For they all made us afraid saying their hands shall be weakened from the work that it be not done now therefore Oh God
strengthen my hands
afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Deliah the son of
Mahavib eel who was shut up and he said let us meet together in the house of God
Within the temple and let us shut the doors of the temple for they will come to slay thee
yay in the night will they come to slay thee and I said should such a man as I flee and
Who is there that being as I am would go into the temple to save his life. I will not go in and
Lo, I perceive that God had not sent him but that he pronounced this prophecy against me for to buy and some ballot
Had hired him
Therefore was he hired that I should be afraid and do so and sin and that they might have matter for an evil report
That they might reproach me my God
Think thou upon to buy and some ballot according to these their works and on the prophetess Noah dia and the rest of the prophets
That would have put me in fear
So the wall was finished in the 20th and 50th and fifth day of the month of evil in
50 and 2 days and it came to pass that when all our enemies heard thereof
And all the heathen that were about us saw these things
They were much cast down in their own eyes for they perceive that this work was wrought of our God
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto to buy and the letters of to buy I came unto them
For there were many in Judah sworn unto him because he was the son-in-law of
Shekin I the son of era and his son Johanna had taken the daughter of my shulam the son of Barachai
Also, they reported his good deeds before me and uttered my words to him and Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear
Let's pray
Father God Almighty. Thank you for this day. Thank you for this opportunity to come together and to hear your words being preached
Please bless pastor and the message. Please let it bring glory and honor to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I pray amen
Amen
All right, we're there in
Nehemiah
chapter number six and of course today is a special service. We've been talking about it
it's the last day of the year and
It happens to fall on a Sunday
Not only the last Sunday of the year
But the last day of the year and I'm glad that you are spending it in the house of God
with God's people and
Usually around this time I like to preach something
Regarding the upcoming year the new year try to preach on the sub on the subject of having a good new year
and I'd like to continue that tradition this morning and
What I'd like to talk about this morning is three principles from the Bible
three high performance principles and
I'm not gonna talk too much about goals or things like that
Although I preached on goals and I'm not against that
But I'd like to speak on the subject of having a high performance life
and one thing that I've noticed in life is that some people seem to
Accomplish more than others. Some people seem to do more than others. Some people seem to have a life that is
more effective than others and
I've done my best to look at individuals like that study lives like that read books
About lives like that and and and try to figure out because I don't know about you. I don't want to waste my life
one life is all we have and
We want to use it for the glory of God, of course
And I'd like to speak to you this morning on this subject of high performance a high performance life
No
I'll give you three principles three principles that I believe if you will take these to heart you will learn these in a
Coming year you can have the best here
that
You've ever had. I hope that 2023 is a good year for you. Maybe it was maybe it wasn't
The good thing is that it's coming to an end and we are able to start afresh
I'd like to give you these thoughts this morning and I'll give them to you as quickly as we can
We're here in numbers chapter 6 and numbers. Excuse me, Nehemiah chapter 6. I'm stuck with numbers
That's another series Nehemiah chapter 6 Nehemiah chapter 6 actually one of my favorite passages
In the Bible, it's a passage that I often think about here in verse 1 the Bible says this now it came to pass
when Sanballat and Tobiah and
Gisham the Arabian notice these words and the rest of our enemies
So these are the bad guys that we have and we have Nehemiah who's the good guy and I'm not necessarily
Preaching on the subject of Nehemiah this morning, but if you are familiar with the book of Nehemiah, you know that Nehemiah
It's one of the captives that has returned to Jerusalem and he is being used of God to build the wall
The wall has been destroyed around the city
Nehemiah is being used of God to rally the people to motivate and mobilize the people to do a great work to
Build the wall and here we're told that Sanballat and Tobiah and Gisham
The Arabian and the rest of our enemies heard that I had
Builded the wall and let me just say this anytime you try to accomplish something for God
There will be those who try to oppose you there will be those who try to stop you
There will always be the enemies of the work of God that are going to try to hinder you from doing
That work notice there in verse 1 and that there was no breach left therein
He says that his enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach the word breach means gap or break
Left there in though at the time I had not set up the doors upon the gates notice verse 2 then Sanballat and Gisham
Sent unto me saying I want you to notice what Nehemiah is telling us Nehemiah is telling us that he was engaged in a work
He was doing something
Important for God he was fulfilling God's will for his life
And then these individuals who he identifies as the enemies of the work of God
Sanballat and Gisham sent unto me saying come let us meet together
He's they said come let us meet together and some of the villages in the plain of Ono now
They're they're just inviting him. They're saying come let us meet together
I don't know exactly what that invitation entailed. Maybe they said let's get together for lunch
Maybe they said let's get together for a cup of coffee
They said let's let let's spend some time together
But they send this request and then to me saying come let us meet together
In some one of the villages of the plane of Ono and then of course Nehemiah
Having discernment says but they thought to do me mischief
I want you to notice verse 3 verse 3. Like I said, it's one of my favorite verses in the Bible
It's a verse that I think of often Nehemiah chapter 6 and verse 3 and I sent messengers unto them saying I
Am doing a great work so that I cannot come down
Why should the work cease whilst I leave it and come down to you I want you to notice that Nehemiah here
having discernment from God
Understands that the enemies of the work of God at best want to distract them
From the work that God has called him to do and at worse want to stop
The work that God wants them to do they sent unto me
He says saying come let us meet together simple requests. They said let's meet together. Let's get together for lunch
Let's get together for coffee. Let's get together for dessert
Let's get together and spend some time together and he understands that they thought to do a mischief
but I love the response that Nehemiah gives the response that he gives is I'm doing a great work so that I
Cannot come down. I'm doing a great work so that I cannot come down and in this response
We see the first principle of a high performance life the first principle of a high performance
Individual and if you're taking notes, and I do encourage you to take notes on the back of your course of the week
There's a place for you to write down some things
Maybe you can jot these down the first principle of having a life that matters is
the high performance principle of
priority
the high performance principle of
Priority once you notice that Nehemiah here has his priorities, right?
He understands what it is that he is supposed to do he understands what it is that God has called him to do
He understands what it is that he's supposed to be accomplishing with his life, and he says look I appreciate the invitation look
I appreciate the offer look I appreciate the opportunity and he says but I must kindly
Decline he says I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down
He said I'm doing what God has called me to do
I am doing what God has sent me to do I am doing what God has in store for me to do
I believe that this is one of the reasons why?
Nehemiah goes down in history as one of the greatest men in the Bible and one of the greatest men of history
Why because he understood what it was that he was supposed to do and he did that he was a high performance
Individual because he had his priorities straight
If you and I are going to live lives of high performance
If we're going to live lives that we get to the end of our lives, and we are accomplished
We are effective. We can like the Apostle Paul say at the end of his life. I have finished my course
and we're going to have to
decide and
Figure out and and apply this idea in our lives of being a high
Performance of the high performance principle of priority and you've got to ask yourself this question
And this is the question that maybe will help you to clarify. What is it that I'm supposed to be doing?
What are the priorities in my life? And here's a question that you should ask yourself. What one thing
Should I focus on in this season of life that I cannot do later?
What is the one thing that God has for me right now?
That cannot be done later on if you're going to answer this question and I believe in these clarifying questions
I think sometimes it's good for us to just have these
Questions that bring clarity because there's so much clutter to life
Wouldn't you agree that there's so many opportunities?
I know for me in ministry
there are so many opportunities to
do this and do that and get involved in this and get involved in that and and I think we ought to do lots of
Things and I think we ought to be busy in our father's work and I'm going to talk about that here in a minute
But it's also good for us to sometimes clarify
Exactly what it is that we are supposed to be doing and the way that you do that is you ask yourself
What am I supposed to be doing? What does God want me to be doing right now that I cannot do later?
See Nehemiah understood. This is my priority. I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down
What is the great work that God would have for you to do?
What is a great thing that you that only you can do and only you can do at this moment in your life
I'm talking to you mothers
Talking to you homeschooling mothers
Only you can be a keeper at home
Only you can raise your children
only you can educate your children and
Oftentimes mothers get so distracted with this and with that they get so distracted with so many things that they can be
Accomplishing in life that they forget that they've got a priority
Which is to raise those children and educate those children and let me remind you ladies that you only get to raise those children once
You only get to do it one time
That is it's the only the only person that can raise those children
I'm talking about homeschooling mothers and the vast majority of ladies in our church homeschool
I understand not everyone does and not everybody has the opportunity to and that's okay
We're not mad at you or upset with you if that's not the case
But I do want to speak to you ladies who do have the opportunity to homeschool
You're the only one that can educate your children
You're the only one that can raise them at this time
You have been brought to the kingdom for such a time as this and you've got to decide that you're not going to allow
Yourself to be distracted. You've got to get this mindset of Nehemiah that says I'm doing a great work. I cannot come down
Talking to a homeschool mother I need to educate her children. I'm talking about to a hard-working father
Hard-working dads who are prioritizing their jobs over their families
prioritizing their jobs over their spiritual life
Working on Sundays when they should be in the house of God with their families leading their families spiritually
working on on
All week long and look I believe in hard work and I think we ought to work hard
But you need to understand what your priorities are
You need to understand what it is that only you can do and you need to get this clarity in your mind
What am I supposed to be doing right now in this season of my life and then decide?
So everything else whether it's good or bad. I'm doing a great work. I cannot come down
I'm talking to young couples this morning
And have no children
You know
It's interesting to me because in the last 13 years of ministry
What I have learned is that much of the dissatisfaction in life comes with people trying to live outside of the season of life
that they find themselves in I
See young couples trying to run around like they were still single. I
See couples with babies trying to run around like they have no children. I
See individuals who are trying to get out of the season of life that they're in
Hey, let me let you know a little secret for happiness and contentment in life. Embrace the season you find yourself in
Having children is hard having babies are hard. It's a difficult season of life
I understand that but you only get to do it one time. Why not just embrace it. Why not just enjoy it
Why not just enjoy the the diaper changes and and enjoy the the getting up
In the middle of that you say, oh, it's so frustrating. It's so hard. Let me tell you something one day you'll miss it
So you young couples you you have no children
You know what?
The Bible says the Bible says that when a young man gets married in the Old Testament and obviously we don't practice this today
This was part of the Old Testament system, but in the Old Testament when a young man got married
He was supposed to not start any business. He was supposed to not go off to war
He was supposed to not do anything but take a year to comfort his wife now
He was supposed to work of course during that time
But the idea is that he didn't take on any new
Endeavor, he didn't take on any new adventure and we learned a principle there that when you're newly married you got to focus on your marriage
Hey young man, you got married don't run around like you're some single guy. You're not a single guy anymore
Hey young lady, you're not a single lady anymore. You're a married woman
Your priority ought to be
Your marriage how about you couples with children running around like you don't have a baby
I'm all for grandma and grandpa
Babysitting from time to time and and giving you a date night
But they're not you're not co-parenting with grandma and grandpa
God didn't give those children to grandma and grandpa. I give those children to you
You gotta embrace the time you have with those kids God gave them to you I'm talking to teen boys
We have this tendency in our church or in churches like ours because of the homeschooling
Where young men turned 16 and 17 years old and they think you know, it's time to go work 40 hours a week somewhere. I
Remember when I was a young man, aren't my pastor pastor Nichols would tell us
He was against that and he would tell us look you only get to be a teenager one time
You have the rest of your life to work
Grab any man in this in this in this room
Grab any man in this room who has a wife and children asking what you spend the week doing though
You know what to tell you I worked
You have your whole life to work. You only have your teen years now
And you ought not be forsaking your education by the way
homeschooling mom
You're not be allowing your children to be forsaking their education
So they can go work 40 hours a week when they're 15 and 16 and 17 years old
That's not the season of life. They find themselves in
They don't rob that from them
This is a time when they ought to be getting their education and enjoying their teen years
Hey, by the way, it's the last years they have with their family
I'm just telling you high-performance individuals realize what it is that I'm supposed to be doing right now
What should I be doing right now, I'll tell you this 16 year old boys only to be working 40 hours a week right now
26 year old man and 36 year old man need to be working 40 50 60 hours a week
How about teen girls?
We get this idea in churches like ours that women aren't supposed to work and I believe that
So then we get this idea. Well, they turn 18 and 19 years old and they'll just sit around at home doing nothing until
someone marries them
Well, you didn't get that from the Bible
Show me that in Proverbs 31
The Bible you said what should a teenage girl do if she's done with high school and she's not married yet
She ought to be working. I'm not saying working at a secular job. She ought to be working at home
Isn't she going to be a keeper at home
Then she should be working at home. She should be learning how to manage her home
She should be learning how to cook meals and how to help with children and take a look
I'm just saying you need to figure out what you're supposed to be doing right now and
Do it. I'm talking to senior Saints
Senior Saints I've spoken to several senior Saints. We have lots of godly senior Saints in our church and praise God for them
You know, but hey senior saint don't raise your grandkids, but invest in them
Don't raise your grandkids. That's not your job. And obviously if if you're you know, son or daughter passed away or something like that
I'm not talking about that
But you ought to be investing in the spiritual life of your grandchildren
If you're retired and you say all I have is time great use that time for the glory of God
The Bible says that the elder women ought to invest in the lives of the younger women
Look around and you can look at a whole lot of
ladies and men who are doing everything in their power to keep their head above water and they're
Overwhelmed with all sorts of things and maybe you are underwhelmed with all the things you don't have to do
Why not invest some of that time in someone else?
the very least volunteer at church
I'm talking about full-time ministry workers. Look I'm preaching to myself and I and any other pastor might be listening sermon
I'm talking to our staff and any other staff that might be listening sermon
Hey, if you've given your life to full-time ministry, don't get distracted with hobbies. Don't get distracted with the stock market
Don't get distracted with doing all sorts of other things that want to take away your focus from what it is that God has called
You to do we need to get back to the place in life when we say I'm doing a great work
I cannot come down
That's a good opportunity might be a good opportunity
But you don't have to say yes to every opportunity. You don't have to say yes to every distraction
You don't have to say yes to every little thing that comes across your way
You ought to get a focus in this height. What is the one thing that I can do right now?
And only I can do and that I that only I can do right now
I'm saying Christian. You ought to be consistent to church in the New Year
Whatever it is
That's keeping you from showing up to church on Sunday morning or showing up to church on Sunday night or showing up to church
On Wednesday night you ought to say no
I'm doing a great work. I cannot come down
Whatever is keeping you from reading your Bible in 2024
Whatever is keeping you from prayer time in 2024
Whatever is keeping you from soul winning in 2024
Whatever is keep you look I'm just saying you ought to decide what is it that God would have me to do today
What is it that God would happen to do right now?
What is it that only I can do and only I can do at this time and do that?
I'm like Nehemiah say I'm doing a great work. I cannot come down. Thanks for the invitation. I'm doing a great work though
I cannot come down
Go to Philippians chapter 3 if you would Philippians chapter 3 in the New Testament
You've got Matthew Mark Luke John Acts Romans 1st 2nd Corinthians Galatians of Egypt Philippians 1st 2nd Corinthians Galatians of Egypt Philippians
I know these are verses we often see during this time of year, but they're good verses and it's good to see them
The high-performance principle of priority you got to decide. What is it that I'm supposed to be doing
and
You ought to figure out look you ought to spend the day you have to spend the rest of today
Until 7 p.m. Cuz then you ought to be in church
You ought to spend the rest of the day figuring out what am I supposed to do?
Not just what am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do in 2024?
What is it that only I can do and only I can do and it can only be done in 2024
Paul said in Philippians 3 and verse 13 again Paul another high-performance individual
Someone who accomplished much with this life. Here's what he said brethren. I count not myself to have apprehended
Why don't you notice this knows what he says? I love this little phrase. He says but this one thing I do
He didn't say these 12 things I dabble in
He this was a man who was focused he understood what he was supposed to do
He said this one thing I do
forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth into those things which are before I
Pressed toward the mark towards the goal towards the focus for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus
And I asked you again, what is the one thing
That only you can do and only you can do at this time in your life
And that you cannot do later. What is the one thing that if you put off now you cannot do later
And this is why I think it's so important to talk about children because you can only raise your children now
The one thing you cannot do later
Let me ask you this way. What is the one thing that if you fail at?
What is the one thing that if you fail at you will regret for the rest of your life?
We need to get
Clarity in regards to what it is that God has called us to do and begin to do it and like the Apostle Paul say
This one thing I do this is the one thing that God has called me to do. This is the one thing
I'm going to focus on
Don't ask what you can do ask what you should do
What should you be doing?
What's your priority?
Look, I'm just telling you if you figured out your priorities the effectiveness of your life would change
The contentment of your life would change and you would understand what it is that I am
Supposed to do this one thing I do
My wife and I have had this conversation many times
Sometimes I look around at my house
and I see a house that is falling apart I
Mean I'm sure your house is maybe the same way
I don't know I
Look at things and I think man that needs to be fixed that needs to be replaced that needs to be remodeled that needs to
be changed
You say why don't you do it pastor? Well, you know one of the reasons is that I
Don't have the money to but don't misunderstand me. I
Didn't say I don't have money
I'm not asking for a raise
We've just decided to spend our money somewhere else
See
My wife and I and when I say my wife and I and it's my wife who does it and I finance it
You know, we homeschool our children
That costs us money. You know that
We educate we pay to educate our children twice the government takes taxes to supposedly pay our children
Educate our children, but we don't send them to that
public school mess
We pay the government and then we spend money to purchase curriculum and to homeschool and educate our children at all
Not only that, but then we do other things. We're just kind of crazy that way
We have our kids in music classes. We pay for that. Nobody pays we pay for that out of our pocket
We have our kids and my sons and we have them in Muay Thai
So why do you have them?
Because I want them to have outside activities because I want them to do things that'll use up their energy and they'll learn self-defense and and
And gain some some confidence and things we want to do now look
Here's what I'm telling you. I could I could spend my money on fixing up my house
You understand what I'm saying I
Could have this little trendy house and this cute little house and and and spend the time here and spend the time there
But we've just decided that a house is just a tool that God has given us to do what he's actually called us to do
Which is to raise those six children he gave us
So we'd rather spend our children our time and our money and our energy
Investing in our children because we can remodel a house later
We can live in a nicer neighborhood later
We could drive a nicer vehicle than the one we currently drive later, but we can't raise those kids later
We
Can't invest into their into their education later
And I'm just telling you that you've got to decide
What is it that God has called you to do and say I'm doing a great work
I cannot I cannot be distracted with that right now
That's something maybe it's good, maybe it's fine, maybe there's nothing wrong with it
Keep your place there in Philippians chapter 3 go to Hebrews chapter 12
Hebrews chapter 12 you're there in Philippians go past Colossians first second Thessalonians first second Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews
Hebrews chapter 12 well
I'm talking to men who want to go spend hours at the gym
After they're married with children like they used to do when they were single
There's a disconnect there friend
And you say pastor you're picking on me. I'm trying to help you. I'm trying to get not wake up 20 years from now with regrets
Not wake up 25 years from now thinking. What was I doing? Why why did my children they hate me?
I've seen grown men pay for classes for themselves while their children said look. I'm gonna pay for classes for my kids
Being in karate that's done for me. I
Don't need to sign up for Kovar
This
Season of life has been given to me to invest in my children to invest in my
spouse and my wife to invest in this church
I'm just telling you why don't you figure out what you're supposed to do what only you can do what only you can do in?
This season of your life and stop getting so stinking distracted and say like Nehemiah. I'm doing a great work. I cannot come down
That's one thing I do
Notice Hebrews chapter 12 in verse 1
Wherefore seeing we also our compass about was so great a cloud of witnesses let us
notice these words let us lay aside every weight and
The sin which does so easily beset us and let us notice the analogy here
Let us run with patience the race that is set before us that race that is set before you
That's what God has called you to do
Your race is different than my race my race involves pastoring verity Baptist Church your race involves something else
But here's what I know God has given all of us a race to run
This analogy often used throughout the Bible. We saw it in Philippians. I press toward the mark
We're we're running towards that mark. We're running the race that is set before us
But listen to me along the line we sometimes pick up some weights
Now
Away is the last thing you want when you're running
If you're running in a race and trying to finish the race
You don't need to be dragging along with you some weight
But here the writer of Hebrews says we're foreseeing we are compass about was so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us lay aside every weight
And notice it's not necessarily sinful because in the next phrase he says and the sin
But he says there are some things that weigh you down
There are some sins that stumble you and stop you and he says we need to set aside those weights and those sins
Which does so easily beset us
Why so that I can run the race that God has called me to run
Here's what I'm telling you is you need to figure out what you're supposed to do and don't allow yourself to get distracted from that
Don't feel this pressure
This playing this comparison game, it's it's one of the reasons why I just I hate social media
I'm personally not on social media the church is on social media. Whatever. It's whatever it's needed. I
Don't run it I have nothing to do with it sometimes people have conversations with me on social media and it's not me
I don't know who it is. It's not me
It's one of these guys
That's why everything's misspelled
But
These these comparison game pressures
You know, listen mom don't don't feel this pressure to start some home business
I'm not against home businesses a home business. I don't feel this pressure where you feel like well everyone she's doing it
Become some vlogger
All I think it's interesting when people that you got you got three little children and they're like three years old five years old
Six years, you're gonna teach you're gonna teach these lessons about how to raise children for God. Have you raised children for God?
I'm saying, you know, why don't you raise those kids and marry them off, right?
Have some adult children. They're serving God then let's talk
Then let's talk
Don't feel this pressure
To keep up with this and keep up with that and keep and this person doing this that person and I've got to do it
Look it's human tendency and human nature to live this type of life and and succumb to this type of pressure
But why don't you just say you know what? I don't care about that. I'm doing a great work
I'm doing what God has called me to do and I cannot come down
This one thing I do
Sometimes people tell me we're doing this and we're doing that and we're going here and we're going there and I think myself
Where are your children?
Where are your children who's raising your kids?
Earlier this year I was having lunch actually at the Red Hot Preaching Conference. I was having lunch with several pastor friends
And I'm not saying this to you know, God bless them
They're all all all my pastor friends are in different
we're all in different seasons of life and different things and some of them have children that are adults and they're they find themselves in a
Different season of life than the one I find myself in
But you know
We were we were talking and they were
talking about how they were doing this and everything that and some of them were taking this and whatever just doing all sorts of
Exercising I'm working out and learning things and whatever and I just kind of sat there quietly and and and then the
Pastor friend was sitting next to me kind of we started talking. I said, man, I just I feel so bad
You know, you guys are all just busy doing X Y & Z and I'm just I'm just I don't do any of that
I'm already he looked at me. He said well, I wouldn't worry about it
If I were you just look at your church in comparison to ours
And
He said it joking and we laugh but I think to myself, you know, it's true
God's called me to do this. I
Need to be like Nehemiah who says I'm doing a great work I cannot come down
There's one thing I do I press toward the mark and you gotta decide in life. You're this time
What is it that you're going to do and what is it that God has called you to do?
Look, there'll be time to do other things. There'll be time
My wife and I God has blessed us with six children. We find ourselves in a season of life right now
It is very new to us. We do not have any babies in our home
Our youngest is five years old
Our oldest is 16. We've got two teen boys in our home
My wife and I do things today that we would have never done when our children were younger
Not that they're sinful not that they're wrong just things we wouldn't have done when our children were things that we certainly wouldn't have done
When we had babies in the home
You just got to decide in life, what is it that God has called you to do
Go back to Philippians chapter 3
Don't allow yourself to get distracted
You need to figure out what is it that I'm supposed to do
What is it that only I can do what is it that only I can do at this time in my life?
Figure out what that is. And then here's what Paul says in verse 14. I press toward the mark
Don't allow yourself to get distracted. I'm doing a great work. I cannot come down
Go to Ecclesiastes if you actually I'm sorry go to Proverbs Proverbs chapter 31 you open up your Bible
Just right in the center. You're more than likely fall in the book of Psalms right after Psalms
You have the book of Proverbs Proverbs chapter 31. I
Remember years ago. I read a book on
Parenting by a man named Steve Maxwell. I know some of you look him up or whatever. I he's he's a good guy
I don't endorse everything he says but
He's a good guy. I
Remember he told a story just really impacted me because before he was married
He was really into what his hobby had a very interesting hobby an expensive hobby
He had this hobby of flying planes planes
He would he was a pilot but he did it on the side thought what he did for a living
He is just something he would do every Saturday
He'd go and spend hours flying planes is something that he grew up doing and he just enjoyed it. It was his hobby
I remember he was telling the story about how he'd been married for a little while and they started having children
All these little children at home his wife never said anything
Got a very meek and quiet spirit. She never said anything
but but but he would go leave on Saturday and be gone away from home for hours go off to the airport and and
Fly this plane that he'd rent and whatever and do these things and and he'd be gone from home for hours now wife
Never said anything to him
But he tells a story how one day driving home late on Saturday. The Holy Spirit of God just began to really work on his heart
The answer wonder what are you doing?
What are you doing?
Have this wife and these precious children at home. You're working all week long and you're gonna spend all day Saturday flying planes
He tells a story how he had to
Decide and one day he went to his wife and he told her
You know, there's nothing wrong with this hobby. It's a hobby. I enjoy a hobby
I like and we can afford to do it, but I've decided I will not fly planes anymore
I won't engage in this hobby anymore
Till our children are grown
So they're out of the house
So if I just say he raises children, they're out of the house. He still hasn't taken back off. I
Remember hearing another preacher sell a similar story of a hobby that he had it took lots of hours of his time and this kind
Of similar thing just decided, you know
This is not something for my season of life
And he any quoted this little phrase and I think of it often and it's this idea that sometimes we just have to say look
Sometimes we have to say no, but sometimes we say no for now
No for now
but not forever
There's lots of things in my life and my wife lots of decisions. We've made lots of opportunities
We've been given and things we people have told us
Well, you can do this you can do that
You can take part of this to participate in that and and we just kind of look at ourselves say no for now
Not forever. Just no for now. Why because we're doing something more important right now. We've got a great work
And we just cannot allow you to distract us from that
Doing a great work. I cannot come down
This one thing I do that is the principle of priority the high-performance principle of priority notice there in Proverbs 31
Where does this virtuous woman?
See oftentimes here's here's here's what the the social media aspect of it is. We all want to get our kudos now
We
All want to get the our pat in the back now
We all want all the thumbs up and all the wow you're amazing now, so we got to post all these amazing things we do
Look at this look what I did look where I'm at look what I'm doing
Because we want everyone to be impressed now, but here's the problem with that that lasts for about this long
Proverbs 31 look at this virtuous woman verse 27 the Bible says this she looketh well to the ways of her
household
She's a keeper at home Titus 2 5
And he is not the bread of idols. It's not that she's lazy
Her children notice her children arise up and call her blessed her husband also, and he prays of her
You know what would be better than people on social media
Being impressed with you, and how much you're doing and how where you're going and all these things
I can't believe how great
You know be better is if you raise children for God and for the rest of your life adult children would rise up and say
My mother was blessed
My mother is blessed her children will rise up and call her blessed her husband also, and he prays of her
Many daughters have done virtually
But thou excels them all favors deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman that feareth the Lord
She shall be praised give her of the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gates
The gate would be the area of business notice this woman did not have to go into business to be praised in business
She raised some kids that went into business and her own works praised her in the gates
So mom I need to ask you what are you doing?
Daddy I need to ask you
What do you do see that house that job that car?
Those investments, I'm not against it. I have investments. I have retirement account whatever
All of those are tools
To do what God has called us to do
They are not the goal. They're not the end
They are not the end game the end game is not a fixed up house in a nice neighborhood in a nice car
That's not the goals or tools to do what God has told you to do
And so many people are so busy working out something
That they might get to the end of their lives and realize that was a waste I
Just want you to understand this high-performance principle of priority
Figure out what you're supposed to do and like Nehemiah say I'm doing a great work. I cannot come down
It's one thing I do
I'd like you to give you a second one
You're there in Proverbs if you would go to Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes chapter 9
If you just flip over past Proverbs into Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes chapter 9
Do me a favor when you get to Ecclesiastes put a ribbon or a bookmark or something there because we'll leave it and we'll come back
to it
Ecclesiastes chapter 9
We saw the high-performance principle priority
But I'd like to give you a second principle of high performance life and it is this the high performance principle of productivity
Now you can't get these backwards
First you need to figure out. What is it that you're supposed to do?
And once you've figured out what you're supposed to do what your priorities are then you need to work hard at that
one thing
This one thing I do I press toward I work towards I put effort towards that mark
Ecclesiastes chapter 9 you've seen this verse before I it's a verse that I often read or quote
Ecclesiastes 9 and verse 10 whatsoever thy hand find it to do
Do it with thy might
Decide what it is you're supposed to do and then whatever you're supposed to do do it with thy might why for there is no
Work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whether thou goest
The idea is this figure out what only you can do at this time in this season with the life that God has given you
And then do that with your might
Here's a sub point for you work hard
you
My wife has a book written by Miss Beverly Hiles miss Beverly houses the pastor
It's wife at first Baptist Church of Ham and Jack house wife pastor Jack house wife
She has a book written to pastors wives which my wife read years and years ago, I
Remember when my wife was reading and she was telling me about the book and she said one thing that Miss Beverly house
And by the way, these are high
achieving individuals
Dr. Jack house miss Beverly house in their ministry
so one thing that she would often tell herself is as she would get out of bed and
As her feet would hit the floor. She would tell herself hit the ground running
hit the ground running and
My wife shared that with me and this something that we often say to we think about and consider hit the ground running
I'm not sure exactly where that phrase came from. I think it came from the military. I think it has to do with
With with soldiers who would parachute into battle and the idea is that as they were parachuting down into battle
they didn't have time to
Land and get situated they had to hit the ground running if once they hit the ground
They needed to start running and get engaged
Now to remind you that we are in a spiritual battle
We need to hit the ground running and let me say this activity is often confused with productivity
I'm not talking about being busy all day long. You can be busy all day long and doing a whole lot of nothing
You can be busy all day long doing a whole lot of worthless things
But you ought to work hard be productive at the thing you're supposed to do your priority
You need to work hard. You need to hit the ground running you need to decide
You know what's over my hand fighting to do now. I'm gonna be very careful about what my hand fighting to do
I'm gonna make sure that what my hand finds to do is not just any old thing any old opportunity anything that comes across
My way, I'm gonna be very focused on what is that God has called me to do
But once I decide once I understand once I know this is what I must do
This is what only I can do
This is what only I can do at this time in my life once you decide that
Whatsoever thy hand finding to do do it with thy mind
Work and work hard look you out of work every day you ought to work hard every day
You man need to get up every day and work and work hard you ladies
So I'm a stay-at-home mom praise God for it. You don't go to a secular job, but you ought to work every day
You gotta get up and work and work and work figure out what God has called you to do you want to be a high?
Performance individual where you want to have a high performance life you need to get the principle of priority
You need to match it up to the principle of productivity you need to just decide that your life will be characterized not by laziness
Not by slothfulness not by sleeping in not by wasting time not by idleness, but by this word work
Work for the night is coming
work through the sunny noon
Fill brightest hours with labor rest comes sure and soon give every flying minute
Something to keep in store work for the night is coming when man works no more
You and I need to just work
We just figure out what God has called us to do and then we need to just do it
the principle of priority and the principle of productivity
With a mark chapter 3 if you wouldn't mark chapter 3 the New Testament Matthew mark mark chapter 3
You got to hit the ground running like miss beverly hyles said
By the way that was a lady
As a wife and a mother
Highly productive highly effective
When your feet hit the floor tomorrow morning hit the ground running
Be about your father's business
The high-performance principle of productivity is this work hard work hard
Then there's another
Part to that it's this every day
Work hard every day
It's interesting to me because in in mark chapter 3 we have this busy and the book of mark is like this
It's a busy book. It's a fast moving fast action book
You see this word straight away a lot this word straight away a lot throughout the book of mark in March
3 we get this little synopsis into just a day in the life of Christ. I want you to notice that it's interesting to me
I won't read the whole chapter just for sake of time
But I want you to notice that in verses 1 through 6 mark chapter 3 verses 1 through 6
Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath day and the Pharisees take counsel with the Herodians to kill him
Then in verse 7 and 8 Jesus withdraws with his disciples, but a great multitude fallen
Look at Mark chapter 3 verse 7
but Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea and a great multitude from Galilee followed him and from Judea and from
Jerusalem and
from Edomia and from beyond Jordan and they about Tyre and Sidon notice these words a great multitude when they had heard
What great things he did came unto him then in verses 9 and 10 Jesus heals many
The Bible says and they press upon him look at verse 9 and he's spake to his disciples that a small ship
Should wait on him because of the multitude lest they should throng him and he had healed
Excuse me
verse 10 for he had healed many in so much that they pressed upon him for to touch him as many as had plagues
Verses 11 to 12 Jesus cast out unclean spirits verses 13 through 19
Jesus goes up to a mountain and ordains the 12 apostles and then in verses 19
19 through 20 Jesus goes to a house and the multitude follows him so that
They could not even so much as eat bread you can't even have a lunch
they're so busy look at verse 19 and Judas Iscariot which also betrayed him and they that were into and
And they went into in house and the multitude coming together again so that they could not so much as eat breads
and then I want you to notice verse 21 and
When his friends heard of it, this is interesting to me when his friends Jesus friends who these people are. I don't know
When his friends heard of it think about this day
This is one day in the life of Christ casting out. He's healing a man in the Sabbath day. They're trying to kill him
He disappears within their midst. He withdraws himself and great multitudes followed him
He they come so he heals many they press upon him. He cast out spirits. He goes up to a mountain
He ordains the 12 he comes back down the multitudes are there. He can't even have lunch
They can't even eat bread because they're so busy and then the Bible tells us in verse 21 and when his friends heard of it
They went out to lay hold on him for they said he is beside himself
They said he's crazy
Why don't you notice that Jesus was about his father's work
He wasn't busy doing a bunch of little things but he was busy doing the one thing that God had called him to do
Pastor Clarence Sexton is a pastor of an independent fundamental Baptist Church in
Powell Tennessee, he actually passed away just a couple weeks ago
He was an old IFP and I'm sure someone's gonna tell me something bad about him or whatever, I don't care
But he he he was a good man, I mean as far as I know he is faithful to his wife and his family
Big ministry effective ministry just passed away just a couple weeks ago
My wife and I went to it the reason bring him up my wife and I went to his Bible College
For a little while when we were
Before we had kids. I remember clarin Sexton telling the story. Somebody asked him about
The things he does and how he accomplished as much and I remember he he told a story and I just always resonated with me
He he said early in ministry
He he told his wife he looked at his wife and he says there's something a conversation that he and his wife would have often
They would look at each other and say we don't have one day to waste
Don't have one day to waste
And you know, that's true of him but it's true of you and it's true of me we don't have one day to waste
The the the high-performance principle of productivity tells us this that we must hit the ground running and we don't have one day to waste
We don't have one day to waste
Don't have one day to give to the devil
Don't have one day to give to the flash
We don't have one day to waste our life is but a vapor it appears for a little time and then vanishes away
the
High-performance principle of priority
The high-performance principle of productivity
Got to work hard hit the ground running and you have to do it every day. We don't have one day
Not one day to waste
I'd like to give you the third one this morning. We'll finish up
You're there any ecclesiastes or if you're there in Ecclesiastes go to Isaiah if you would Isaiah 28
You've seen these verses before but I want you to see them again
Ecclesiastes song of Solomon Isaiah, I don't know if this is a help to you, but it's it's helping me
you
Ecclesiastes song of Solomon Isaiah Isaiah 28
The high-performance principle of priority the high-performance principle of productivity and then thirdly this morning
the high-performance principle of patterns
The high-performance principle of patterns
Consistency is
One of the most important things in life
It's actually how we gain traction in life how we begin to accomplish things and do things is through this word
consistency
Isaiah 28 in verse 10. I love these verses because they speak to this
Isaiah 20 in verse 10 and this is talking about spiritual growth, but we could apply it to anything
Isaiah 28 verse 10 the Bible says this for precept must be upon precept
Precept upon precept
Line upon line line upon line notice these words. I love these words here a little there a little
It's repeated again in verse 13, but the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept
Precept upon precept line upon line line upon line notice the word here a little there a little
The truth is this
And anyone who has accomplished anything?
I'm
Saying good bad worldly spiritual, whatever
If there's anyone who's acquired a lot of knowledge
If there's anyone who's developed a lot of skills
If there's anyone that has accomplished a lot in their career their trade or their business
If there's anyone that is has a success raising their children or success in their marriage
If there's anyone that it has accumulated a lot of wealth. Let me tell you it happened
line upon line
Precept upon precept
Just here a little there a little here a little there a little
See, it's interesting to me how we get this idea and this is what we're gonna do, right?
This is what the average American is gonna do January 1st. You're gonna get up and work out
And then you might do it again on Wednesday and you might do it again on Friday
but for the vast majority of individuals, that'll be the end of it and
Then this time next year you'll be making the same goal
But the point is this that nothing is gained with a one-time event
People have marriage problems they show up to church like we came to church is they're gonna fix our problems. No
No, it's not
Now if you come Sunday night and you come Wednesday night and you come Sunday morning and you come Sunday night and you come Wednesday
night and Sunday morning and Sunday night and Wednesday night for weeks and weeks and months and month and years and years and you listen and
You learn and you apply and you're saying it'll change your life
But showing up one service isn't gonna do anything for you
You hang on a treadmill one time isn't gonna do anything for you
Putting money in a savings account one time isn't gonna do anything for you. Anything that is ever accomplished is done through consistency
Line upon line here a little very little
That's why I buried about the search we go line upon line here a little very little through the Bible Sunday morning
Sunday night Wednesday night because there's an accumulative
Production
so the positive effects of consistency are this and let me just
Explain this you I've taught this before but let me just remind you
You know
The reason we don't get excited about consistency is because there is no immediate benefit to any single installment
Is that true?
That's why we don't get excited about consistency
Because you're gonna get up on Monday and work out for 15 minutes and then spend 30 minutes in front of a mirror
I
Think I'm getting bigger. No, you're not
There is no immediate benefit to any single installment of
Time into any particular activity all on its own
but you know why you should get excited about consistency because there is however a
cumulative value
To invest in small amounts of time into specific activities over a long period of time
By the way, the same is true. This is just a law of life. The same is true in a negative way
Why we don't worry about inconsistency is because there is no immediate consequence to missing any single installment of time
In any activity all on its own
That's why some of you skip Sunday night church so flippantly
Because you you miss church one Sunday morning you miss church one Wednesday night and you said nothing happened
Everything's fine and you're right
There is no immediate consequence to missing any single installment of time into any activity all on its own
There is however an accumulative consequence
To neglecting small amounts of time
Are you listening to what I'm saying?
There's an accumulative consequence to neglecting small amounts of time in your church attendance in your Bible reading
With your family in your marriage with your children regarding your health there is an accumulative
Consequence to neglecting small amounts of time into any certain activity over a long period of time
So, you know what high-performance individuals do they develop habits
They develop patterns
See I want you to have goals and I hope you have goals and if you don't have any goals
Let me give you a goal nine chapters a day. That's a goal
But you know more than having goals, you know, what I want you to have is to develop patterns in your life
Develop patterns of just things you do on a regular basis repetition
Why because consistency helps us gain traction repetition helps us gain
momentum
So here's a clarifying question for you
What one thing could you do?
That if you did repeatedly over time
Would have the biggest impact on your life your marriage your children your health your finances
Because instead of having some big goal
Why don't you just decide I want to develop a pattern
Here's a pattern. I read the Bible every day
Here's a pattern I go to church Sunday morning Sunday night Wednesday night
Here's a pattern I pray every day
Here's a pattern. I'm a weekly soul winner
Here
Here's a pattern I have dinner with my family every night here. I don't know. I don't know what it is. Here's a pattern
I I exercise regularly
Mondays Wednesday, whatever. I just decide why don't you decide?
What is it that you're supposed to do because I'm here to tell you something highly effective people high-performance individuals
They don't do some major thing one time they develop patterns in life
When they do the same thing every day over and over and over again
Go to Luke chapter 4 we got to finish this up Luke chapter 4
Matthew Mark Luke Luke chapter 4
Consistency is how we gain traction repetition is how we gain momentum
The power of consistency lies and it's compounding
value over time
Luke chapter 4 and verse 16 the Bible says this and he came to Nazareth
This is Jesus where he had been brought up
Once you notice this what the Bible says about Jesus and as his custom was
The word custom means habitual pattern
Habitual practice
There were some things that Jesus just did in life on a regular basis as his custom was he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath
Day and stood up for to read. It was just a custom. It's just something he did
Jesus the greatest
figure of world history
Was a man of patterns
I think we could argue that next to Jesus the most effective influential individual in world history is the Apostle Paul
Notice what the Bible says about Paul in the book of Acts acts 17
You're there in Luke go past John into the book of Acts acts 17
Please listen to me. You will be what you are becoming
You will be what you are becoming
You are what you repeatedly do
You don't like what you are then change it you don't like what the future holds for you then change it
You and I have the wonderful privilege today to begin a new year next year and to begin to change who we are
So, how do I do it
Figure out what you're supposed to do priorities
Put all your effort into that one thing
productivity
And develop patterns
Acts 17 verse 2 and Paul
Arguably the second most effective individual to ever live and Paul notice his words as his manner was
Know the word matter means
Pattern
prevailing custom habit
As his manner was went in unto them three Sabbath days reason with them out of the scriptures
It's interesting to me that the Bible highlights the fact that Jesus had
Habits and patterns of his life and so did Paul
What one thing could you do
What one thing should you do that only you can do in this season of life
But if done repeatedly
Would bring the biggest impact
to your life
And maybe people on social media aren't gonna say wow, you're amazing. You're the greatest
But at the end of your life people will say
There's a life that made an impact
And isn't the end of a thing better than the beginning I
Think it's funny when people start new things and they tell everybody
Why don't you do it and then tell us
Acts 20 verse 24
Acts 20 verse 24, we'll finish up right here
Acts 24
Here's what Paul said
But none of these things move me
You know, it sounds that that sounds to be like Nehemiah saying
I'm doing a great work. I
cannot come down
Look in life in life. Sometimes you and I just need to say no, sometimes we just say no
And sometimes we need to say no for now, but not forever
I'm doing a great work. I
Cannot come down. That's what Nehemiah said
This one thing I do
That's what Paul said
But none of these things move me
Neither count I my life dear unto myself so that I might notice these words. Here's the goal
finish my course
Run the race that is set before me and notice these words with joy
And
the ministry
Which I have received the Lord Jesus testified the gospel of the grace of God, you know what high-performance individuals do
They get to the end of their lives and they say I didn't do it all
But I did what I was supposed to do
And that's a life worth living
Spot heads and I would pray a heavenly father
Lord we love you
What I realized we are all running different races
We are all doing different things
But Lord help us to be mindful of what it is that we're supposed to do
There are some things that you've given me to do that only I can do and only I can do at this point in my
life
But that's true of every individual here
Every person here has something that they're supposed to do and only they can do and only they can do at this point in their
life
Help us to figure out what that is
Help us to get prioritized
I'm not against doing other things at other times and having fun
But when the things we're doing is distracting us from what we are called to do there's a problem
Lord I pray you'd help us to have priorities
To be productive to develop patterns
That we might all get to the end of our lives and say I finished my course with joy
We love you, we thank you for this opportunity to begin a new year tomorrow
Your mercies are new every day and great as life made for us
Father I pray you'd help us in the matchless name of Christ we pray
Amen
We're gonna have brother Matt come up and lead us in a final song. Just want to remind you a couple of things before we go
First of all, don't forget that we've got some sign-up sheets for the workdays in the main foyer
And if you men could go by we would really appreciate your help with that
There are different sign-up sheets for different times and different things that need to be done and we would again appreciate if you can help us
If you have the ability to do any of those things electrical work, mudding, texturing, prepping for paint, all those things
Carpentry then then we appreciate your help and then want to remind you a couple things tonight
The service begins at 7 p.m. 7 p.m. Not 6 p.m. 7 p.m. And we'll have our regular service like we normally do
Afterwards, we'll have a potluck. So if you'd like to be part of the potluck
Please help us bring a dish to share bring enough for yourself and for your family
And if you'd like to stay after the potluck, we're gonna have a film. We'll watch a Christian film. We'll have popcorn
We'll also have board games in the fellowship hub. You'd rather play board games
You can bring your own or the church has a lot of different games. It'll be a fun time
And if you stay all the way till midnight, we'll at maybe about 20 minutes before midnight
We will sing some favorites and then we'll pray in the new year together
So I'll encourage you to be here for that if you'd like to be a part of the fellowship hub
If you'd like to be a part of that
And um, and again, you don't have to you can just come for the evening service and go home
If you're old or whatever, it's fine
I'd look i'd like to go home. I just
I might just go home, but
You know, you're you're you don't have to but we do encourage you to be here for the evening service 7 p.m
And tonight i'm going to be preaching a very special sermon
I don't even want to call it a sermon because it's not really much of a sermon
but i'm i'm going to be going over a lot of things for
This upcoming year for our church and giving you a lot of dates there's a lot of questions
I've been receiving a lot of questions about specific dates
Um for certain things and and i'm gonna be giving all that tonight
So i'm gonna encourage you to be here tonight for that if there's anything we can do for you
Please let us know if we don't see you happy new year
And I do encourage you to be back with us on wednesday night for the first service of the year
We'll have with matt come up and lead us in a final song
Turn to song 157
157
157 come thou almighty king on the first
Oh
Dear
In his
And
Good on blast
Is
Amen good singing before we leave here if anybody has questions about salvation
Church membership or baptism pastor will be at the door
We'd love to talk to you or direct you to someone who's trained to talk to you about that brother rj close a prayer for us
So
Amen
So