Latest / HBCWestminster / 3.20.22 Luke 22:39-46 Pastor Danny Gardner

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3.20.22 Luke 22:39-46 Pastor Danny Gardner · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  Good morning, church. If you have your Bibles, open to Luke chapter 22 and verse 39. Luke 22 and verse 39. Can anybody tell me, as you're opening there, why we pick up in verse 39? Because we left off with verse 38, right? So Pastor Nathan last week preached through verse 38, and so this Sunday we pick up in verse 39, and I heard an interesting statement by a pastor of a very large church here, actually in the south, here in our country, where
• 0:32
  he said that verse-by-verse preaching, he said, is a thing of the past. He said it needs to phase out. In fact, he called verse-by-verse preaching a waste of time. He said that it is lazy on behalf of the pastor. And he said, actually, verse-by-verse preaching, he actually said, would stunt the church's growth. And so I have to apologize for wasting your time, for apparently stunting your growth. When he said that, I thought, well, that's an interesting thing to say. I wonder if he really...
• 1:01
  is as passionate about that as he seems to come across and i'm not saying church you guys know it's not like we never do topical messages we do them quite often in fact and two sundays ago i just preached on spiritual warfare as the church as the the war in the ukraine had just broken out i reminded us of the fact that every single one of us is actually involved in a spiritual war and the importance of putting on the whole armor of god and so it's not like we never do topical messages but
• 1:27
  When he said that, I thought, man, that is so weird that he would say that that passionately, that strongly, that it needs to phase out, that it's a waste of time. You're stunting your church's growth. Because I thought, you know what? If the Lord wanted me to preach differently than verse by verse, he shouldn't have written the Bible verse by verse. You know, I kind of thought, well, why wouldn't we go through from beginning to end? That's how the Lord wrote it. And for the last two years, what a joy it's been to go through the gospel of Luke with you.
• 1:53
  The whole thing from beginning to end, we're coming up now on the end, which is crazy because just in the next couple of months, we will conclude Luke's gospel. And I haven't yet fully decided on what we'll look at over the summer, but I can promise you, probably be verse by verse, all right? So if you don't want to waste any time, I don't know, you know, but we're going to pick up in verse 39 and I'm going to read through verse 46. And I would ask if you're able to stand in honor of God's word that you stand as I read.
• 2:23
  Luke 22 and verse 39. And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, Pray that you may not enter into temptation. And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw and knelt down and prayed, saying, Father, if you're willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done. And there appeared to him an angel from heaven strengthening him. And being in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
• 2:56
  When he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation. Pray with me, Lord. You've promised us your presence. This is great news, Lord, because we need your help. And so, Holy Spirit, move among us and awaken in us a fresh passion for your word. In Jesus' name, amen.
• 3:26
  Amen. Thank you, church. There's a man named Gary Richmond. Gary Richmond is a pastor in Corona, California. But before that, he worked for many years full-time at the Los Angeles Zoo. He was a zookeeper there and a veterinary medical assistant in the care of many of the animals, both large and small. In his years as a full-time zookeeper, he began to write about the unique and often funny traits that the animals had. When he became a pastor, he equated some of those animals' behaviors.
• 3:56
  with character qualities that humans also share and so for instance he would say something like dogs and people are similar in these ways or he would say this woman from my church reminds me of an ostrich i used to care for in one of his books and he wrote many he describes the day that he was scheduled to do a school presentation in a neighboring desert town knowing that the middle schoolers of that school would enjoy it he threw one of the zoo's very large
• 4:24
  red-tailed boa constrictors and a tied-off pillowcase to use as an attention grabber, and he headed north into the desert. Arriving at the un-air-conditioned school gymnasium, he worried that the stuffy building would be too hot for the snake, but then he worried less when the lights were turned off in order for him to start his slideshow. When the slideshow was finished, he casually walked over and picked up the pillowcase that had transported the snake, and he realized that it was empty.
• 4:53
  He walked over to the microphone and so as not to cause alarm, the very first thing out of his mouth he just said, did you know that boa constrictors are completely harmless? He said they don't actually typically bite people and so there should be no cause for alarm when I announce that mine has just escaped. Now many in the audience thought that he was joking until he himself began crawling around under the chairs searching for it. It didn't take him long with the crowd's help to track the snake down. He put it back into the pillowcase.
• 5:24
  All the way home, as he drove, he reached over and padded the pillowcase sitting on the passenger seat. One, to make sure that the snake was okay, but also to make sure that the snake was still in there. Imagine for a moment that a snake had escaped in our sanctuary. But instead of it being a harmless boa constrictor, imagine if it was a deadly king cobra.
• 5:48
  Can you imagine how much differently Gary would have responded if it were a cobra? How much differently the crowd would have responded for that matter? How much differently we would respond if a deadly snake were moving among us? If there were indeed a cobra in the sanctuary this morning, I would not be the least concerned that it would be safely apprehended. Rather, I would be much more concerned that we get our people away from it. That it, even if in being apprehended, was killed.
• 6:19
  I'd be okay with it as long as we got it before it could bring any harm to any of our beloved church members. The truth is, friends, that sin is not a harmless boa constrictor. It's much more like a deadly cobra. And the temptation to sin should therefore be treated with the same severity. Knowing that sin is much more deadly than I often treat it, I'm surprised at how casually I act around it.
• 6:51
  How I sometimes even let it coexist with me as if it were just a harmless snake living under my chair. Our text this morning describes Jesus' final evening on earth prior to the cross.
• 7:06
  It describes his final earthly walk from the upper room in Jerusalem to, we find in verse 39, to the Mount of Olives across the Kidron Valley and back up the other side to the Mount of Olives. And then in verse 40, it says he came to the place. Now we know that to be the Garden of Gethsemane. And so he takes his final evening stroll with his apostles to the garden. It's not difficult in this text, in this Garden of Gethsemane passage.
• 7:34
  to imagine parallels with the Garden of Eden. The first Adam was placed in a garden. He also was tempted by the devil who had taken what kind of form? The form of a snake. And that Adam had failed. And where else would this evening Satan, that ancient serpent, be except in the Garden of Gethsemane? Although it doesn't say it explicitly, where else would he be?
• 8:02
  Except right there at Jesus' elbow, whispering lies directly into the ear of the second Adam in the hope that he would also fail. And although still many weeks away in terms of our preaching schedule, Jesus is mere moments away from his arrest and trial. We've got his final evening, his final earthly walk, but also in our text this morning, his final earthly prayer prior to the cross.
• 8:31
  His final earthly conversation with his apostles prior to his arrest. And we know that our final words are always meant to be our most profound. And you'll notice this morning Christ's final words to his 11. His final prayer, his final words were commands, exhortations, telling his apostles that a poisonous snake had gotten loose.
• 8:56
  And so he leaves them with instructions on how to battle the temptations that that snake would no doubt level against them. And you'll recall I preached two Sundays ago on spiritual warfare. Church, if you want to win the war, you have to fight against temptation. We hear in the words of Jesus that righteous living matters. Be holy, he would say. Walk in a manner worthy of your calling.
• 9:25
  Put off the evil desires of the flesh and put on holiness. Put to death what is earthly in you. Sexual immorality, impurity, passions, evil desires. And you may hear that list and you may be very encouraged and challenged and even pricked to the heart. And you say, well, Danny, I want to do those things. I want to put those things off. I want to put those things to death. I am so tired of sinning. Anyone else? You're just tired of failing? You're like, man, I want to do that. How?
• 9:53
  How do I do that? And Jesus this morning gives three commands which taken together make kind of this formula. Jesus's formula for fighting temptation. Three commands. A formula for stomping on the head of the snake of temptation. You notice the first one is to pray against it. Pray against it. Look at verse 39. And he came out and went as was his custom to the Mount of Olives.
• 10:19
  And the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, the garden of Gethsemane, he said to them, pray that you may not enter into temptation. I'm going to make a statement here that I'll repeat a couple of times so we make sure we understand the impact of it. But prayer brings us into fellowship with God and allows us to draw on his power through his presence. Let me say that again. Prayer.
• 10:47
  brings us into fellowship with God. It allows us to draw on His power through His presence. That word fellowship gets used a lot in the church, but rarely in the same way that the Bible uses it. When we say, join us for fellowship after the service, what we often mean is, join us for a light small talk over a cup of coffee. That's what Christians mean when they say fellowship, but that's not what the Bible means.
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  The Greek word translated fellowship is the word koinonia. The same word is also translated communion. Communion is the sharing of something in common, as when the church on the first Sunday of every month eats the bread and drinks the cup in communion, right? In remembrance of Christ's death. When it's translated fellowship, it means something even deeper, even more. In a slightly different Greek form, same word, koinonia, means to partake together.
• 11:46
  Or to become partners together with someone. And that's a good definition of it. When we say join us in fellowship, what we mean is become partners with us. And it goes beyond a mere eating of the same food. True fellowship with one another is much more than what happens in the fellowship hall. It's more than a quick cup of coffee and a smile and a brief, how was your week? We get close to it.
• 12:15
  When we extend our hand in order to shake someone else's hand, we get close, right? And so in that couple of second little hand exchange, right, it's close if we continue to hold on. If we reach out our hand to handshake, right, and you ever had this happen where someone will come to you and shake your hand and then they don't let go and you're like, okay, at this point we're just holding hands.
• 12:41
  Like, what are we doing here? You know, like, I wasn't thinking 10, 11 seconds. I was thinking more like two seconds. But it's okay. Let's see what happens. You know, we'll run with it. And after a few seconds, you're like, okay, it's awkward now. You know, and you kind of let go to see if it'll trigger them to let go. But imagine for a moment what fellowship truly is. If you reached out and shook somebody's hand and you grabbed their hand and didn't let go, and then you used their hand to pull them toward you and then wrap their arm through yours.
• 13:08
  That is the idea of genuine fellowship. It is a linking of arms for the sake of a common cause. When you were all little kids and during recess, you ran with all of your friends out onto the school playground, out onto the yard, the big grass field, and half of you lined up on one side and the other half on the other, and you all linked arms. And then one side chanted to the other side, Red Rover.
• 13:38
  Red Rover, right? Send Barry Gonzalez on over, right? And Barry would let go and he would step out to the front and then he would do what? He'd run as fast as he can and as he's picking up speed, he's scanning for the weak link, right? Who is it that I think I can bust through because if he can break that chain, then he wins.
• 14:02
  And he gets to steal somebody from this side and go over to the other side. That linking of arms together, that is the biblical idea of fellowship. Becoming partners. Now consider again, Christ's command to pray to the Father that we might not enter into temptation. Prayer links our arms together with his. So that his power envelops our power through prayer. Let me see if I can...
• 14:31
  illustrate that this is as you know just a piece of aluminum foil right i mean it's made of metal of sorts right but it's aluminum it's so thin that it's pliable it's easy to bend it's easy to manipulate you could tear it you could wad it up in a ball i mean this is no strength at all it can't even stand up in a breeze well this aluminum foil represents our strength to fight against temptation this is about as strong as we are
• 15:02
  Now this is another piece of aluminum, right? It's also aluminum, but it's in a slightly different form. I could call the strongest guy up here onto the stage and tell him, you try to break this thing all you want. I mean, you can slam it against stuff. You try to put your knee through it as many times as you want. Your leg will break before this does. It's aluminum, right? But it's a different form. It's a stronger form. And this represents God's strength to fight against temptation.
• 15:33
  When we pray, it's like we are fusing together our strength and His. And as we pray, and the closer partnership, the closer fellowship we have with God through prayer, the more the weaker of the two can take on the strength of the stronger one. Does that make sense? You notice our strength, it's not like we have gotten any stronger.
• 16:00
  But we fuse our strength together in fellowship and prayer with the Father. And notice, now that aluminum can take on the strength of the aluminum bat. How much more can we be victorious over temptation? And church, are you tempted?
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  And are you tired of indulging in temptation? Jesus would say, well then pray and ask God to link arms together with you. Fuse your aluminum foil to God's aluminum bat through prayer. Pray that you may not enter into temptation. But notice second, submit to the will of God even during temptation. Submit to the will of God during temptation. You say, well Danny, what if I'm praying?
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  Really earnestly. What if I'm praying against disobedience? And then the Lord, as I'm praying, tells me to do something I don't want to do. What then? What if God tells me? Certainly God would never tell us to do something we don't want to do, right? What if God would tell us? What if he tells me to do something I don't want to do? Notice verse 41. He withdrew from them about a stone's throw. So you're talking maybe 10 or 20 yards. He knelt down and prayed, saying, here is Jesus's prayer. Father, if you are willing.
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  Remove this cup from me. That cup represents wrath, judgment. In this context, it represents the crucifixion. Remove this cup from me. No greater suffering existed in the ancient world than that of crucifixion. The Romans had perfected the art of execution, and they figured out the most painful and excruciating way. And Jesus, we know, was no dummy. He knew what awaited.
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  He had seen crucifixions many times before. He had heard its victims' agonizing screams. He didn't want to go to the cross any more than you or I would want to. And so he prayed earnestly that if there was any other way for mankind to be saved, for the salvation of mankind to be accomplished, he prayed that his Father would allow it. Any other way. You can imagine that Christ was fighting against temptation. Temptation to do what?
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  Here's a lot of talk. Temptation to do what? You think Christ was fighting against temptation here? I think he was. What was he tempted to do? Not go through with that. If there's any other way, Lord. Right? If there's any other way. I don't want to do this as he stares down the gun barrel of the cross. And so he prayed. And you'll notice, not only did he pray, his prayer was honest.
• 18:48
  I ask us, church, are we allowed to be honest with God in our prayer? Are we allowed to be honest? Are we allowed to really genuinely open our hearts and our minds and bear our souls before the Almighty? Yes. I believe that we are even encouraged to do so. Jeremiah was one of the major prophets of the Old Testament, and he was...
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  At one point imprisoned, he was put into stocks. Meaning that he was kind of barred into this big chunk of wood. You know, his arms and his legs stuck and imprisoned because he had prophesied against a very high-ranking false prophet. He had said some not-too-nice things to this guy. And because of this guy's influence, he had Jeremiah put into this stockade. When he was released on the next day, Jeremiah in Jeremiah 20 prayed this, Oh Lord, you have deceived me.
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  That's pretty honest, right? Yeah, he is bearing his soul to the Lord. Oh Lord, you have deceived me and I was deceived. You're stronger than I and you have prevailed. I've become a laughingstock all the day. Everyone mocks me. And if I say, I will not mention him or speak anymore in his name. There is in my heart, as it were, a burning fire shut up in my bones and I'm weary with holding it in and I can't. Imagine Jeremiah the prophet.
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  Saying, Lord, you've given me a message. It's a message that brings ridicule and mockery and suffering upon my own head. And so I've sworn no longer to talk about you. I'm just not going to talk about you anymore. But then you put this fire in my heart. So that if I try to keep my mouth shut, this fire just burns hotter and hotter and hotter and hotter. And eventually my mouth opens and I just start speaking of your goodness again. And then people ridicule me again. That's a pretty honest prayer.
• 20:46
  Right? Lord, help me. Lord, what are you doing to me? What would you have me to do? Honesty. We are invited to be honest with the Father, but that honesty should never turn to anger. It should never turn to disrespect. I am not saying that our honesty can turn to irreverence, because after all, don't forget, church, who we're talking to. King Solomon, David's son, said, be not rash with your mouth.
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  nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you're on earth. Therefore, let your words be few. We are invited in Hebrews chapter 4 to approach the throne of God, right? Hebrews 4 says, approach the throne of God with confidence. Approach the throne of God with confidence, but we are never invited to approach the throne of God with arrogance.
• 21:44
  Notice, even in Jesus' prayer, Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. And then he says these great words, and church, honestly, it wouldn't be a bad idea just to start to incorporate this phrase into our own prayer lives. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done. Nevertheless, I mean, this is Jesus, the Son of God, speaking to his heavenly Father, but not my will, Lord, yours be done.
• 22:13
  We know that God's way is always better than our way. We know that God's plan is always better than our plan. In fact, half the time, my plans don't even work according to plan. God's will for our lives is always better than our will for our lives. Turn with me, if you would, to the left. We'll make a hard left turn to 2 Samuel 7. 2 Samuel 7. I'll give you a minute to get there. 2 Samuel 7.
• 22:46
  If you've been reading your Bibles with the church, if you're going through the church reading plan, you're currently reading 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel is the book of Saul's, King Saul's failures. 2 Samuel, which we'll come to probably next week, is about how David succeeded where Saul did not. So 1 Samuel, Saul's failures. 2 Samuel, David's success. In all of the Old Testament, a few chapters stand out as vital in understanding God's desire for his people.
• 23:14
  In mankind's thousands of years of history, a few short time periods rise to the top of utmost importance. And in the thousands of verses inspired in the Old Testament, a few receive recognition by becoming themes that recur throughout the rest of Scripture. And 2 Samuel 7 is one such passage in this chapter. God gives what I'm going to call the mountain peak of revelation. In His progressive unfolding of His salvific plans,
• 23:42
  for the world he is leading the world down the gospel road and in second samuel 7 you have a spotlight here is who the messiah will be now we know that in the covenant with adam and eve god promised a redeemer to come who would cover their sin in the covenant with moses god gave through the law the reason that that redeemer must come but in god's covenant with david god finally puts a name
• 24:11
  to the face he's been describing this guy but now for the first time in the old testament we put a name to the face he will be the son of david and notice verse 2 the king that is david said to nathan the prophet his friend also his prophet see now i dwell in a house of cedar but the ark of god dwells in a tent david had become conflicted
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  Because while he was living in luxury, I mean, he was living in this beautiful palace, the Ark of the Covenant was in a tent. And so something in David was motivating him to build. And you might think, well, maybe it was boredom or guilt or desire for fame or recognition, but it was none of these. David loved the Lord. David loved the Ark of the Lord. He cherished it. He wanted to show God reverence.
• 25:04
  His motivation was pure. It's like he would go to Nathan and say, listen, I'm putting together this plan. I'm going to build a temple, a permanent structure for the Ark of the Covenant to dwell in. And to David, it seemed like a great idea. It's like he goes to Nathan and he says, listen, we're going to double check with God, but I can't imagine why God would tell me not to do this.
• 25:27
  This is a good idea. This is a good thing I'm going to do. I can't imagine getting a denial, but nevertheless, Nathan, would you submit my building plans and request from God a building permit? Right? Look down at verse 5. The Lord speaking to Nathan, go and tell my servant David, thus says the Lord, would you build me a house to dwell in? Would you build me a house? It's an interesting section because God is basically saying, don't do what I haven't asked you to do. God.
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  in his own design, chose a tent. His choosing of such a domicile communicated something about God and about his people. Why would God choose a tent? Because he wanted to communicate to his people that he was mobile. He would never leave nor forsake his people. His presence would always be with them no matter where they went. A tent can get packed up and moved anywhere. And so he intentionally chose a tent in order to communicate this lack of permanence.
• 26:28
  to his people, but it also communicated something about them. It was meant to communicate that this earth is not your home. We just live in a tent. Your stay here is temporary. Your permanent citizenship would be in heaven. And look at verse 8. Now, therefore, God continuing to speak to Nathan, you shall say to my servant David, thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people.
• 26:58
  Israel. Don't forget, David, I remember where you're from. Everyone else, when they see you, sees the king. When you walk into the room, I know everybody hits the deck. I know everybody bows in the presence of the king. But don't forget, David, where I found you. You were in a field taking care of sheep.
• 27:19
  I chose you to be my prince. Remember that day that David was chosen and anointed by God to be the next king, that Saul had been rejected by God. And so God comes to Samuel the prophet and says, go to Jesse's house. I've chosen from among Jesse's sons, Saul's heir. And so Samuel obediently goes to Jesse's house and he says, one of your sons has been chosen by God to be king over his people Israel.
• 27:45
  Jesse, obviously, brings out his firstborn son. It's the way that we would all do it. He's the oldest. He's the tallest. He's the strongest. I bring out my firstborn. And Samuel looks at him and says, nope, there's got to be another one. Well, I do have another one. He brings him out. Nope, not that one either. He brings out the next and the next and the next and the next. And he's working his way down all of these sons. And Samuel just keeps saying, no, it's not him. It's not him. There's got to be some more. And Jesse says, I'm out of sons. Can't be right.
• 28:11
  I don't have any more sons. And Samuel says, you've got to have at least one more. I'm telling you, I don't. Well, God's never wrong. There's got to be another son. And Jesse says, well, I do have one more son. Right? And his name is David. He's out in the field with the sheep. And he calls David in. And God here is reminding David of that day. Remember that day? I'm the one who said, man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. Don't forget David.
• 28:42
  where I found you. I know exactly who you are. One of my very good friends, whose name is Mike, has a son whose name is also Mike, Michael Jr. When Michael Jr. was in high school, his dad Mike bought this kind of run-down, very rustic cabin up in the mountains. His goal was that he was going to renovate this cabin and his family would enjoy it. He was very capable of doing that. He was a great builder. And so on his weekends, on his days off, they would all go up and they would work on the cabin together.
• 29:12
  Mike came to me and he says, hey, I taught Michael Jr. how to hang drywall this weekend. I said, that's a great life skill. No doubt that will serve your son in the future. Michael was in probably high school at the time. And then Mike said this. He said, you know, it only took him about 10 minutes before he started telling me all the ways I should be doing it better. He says, where does this little punk get off? I just taught him how to do it. And now he's criticizing the way that I do it? You can imagine.
• 29:43
  David's saying, listen, Lord, I got this great idea. I can't even imagine that you're going to say no. I mean, I'll run it by you anyway just to jump through the hoop. But you're going to be so excited, God, when I tell you about my idea. Notice how the Lord ends. Look down at verse 16. God's speaking, and your house, he's speaking directly to David now, and your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established.
• 30:11
  David goes to God and he says, I'm going to build you a house. And God comes back to David and says, I'm going to build you a dynasty. What do you think David's response would have been? Like, yes, Lord. Let's do yours. Yours is way better. I mean, I thought I had a good idea and maybe it was a pretty good idea. But Lord, your ways, your will, your plan is so far superior to mine. The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 2 and verse 21.
• 30:46
  He says it this way. He says, for to this you've been called because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten. Now here's the key. But he continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. In those last few days on earth,
• 31:11
  Peter is describing Jesus by saying all of those times he was spit on, he didn't spit back. And all of those times he was cursed, he didn't curse back. And all of those times he was punched, he didn't punch back. What did Jesus do instead? He entrusted himself to him who judges justly. We, church, likewise, can willingly and unflinchingly submit our lives to God's plan. Why? Because his plans
• 31:42
  are always better than ours. His plans are for our good, and His plans never fail. Submit to the will of God, even in the midst of suffering. And notice third, and with this we finish. We'll go back to Luke 22. Third, stay awake, Jesus says, and keep an eye out for temptation. Pray against temptation. Submit to the will of God during temptation, and then stay awake and keep an eye out for temptation. Notice verse 43.
• 32:12
  There appeared to him an angel from heaven strengthening him. Being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground. So earnest was his prayer that his capillaries were actually bursting, and so blood was coming out of his pores. When he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow. They had cried themselves to sleep. And he said to them, Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.
• 32:41
  Church, if there really were a cobra in the sanctuary, I wouldn't recommend that the sanctuary be a good place to take a nap. Can you imagine Jesus coming across his disciples asleep? Him nudging them awake with his foot and saying, how can you be sleeping when there's a snake loose in the garden? We know that the Christian life is based in routine, even repetition, Sunday after Sunday, Wednesday after Wednesday.
• 33:13
  dinners and meetings and hospitality and prayer and connect homes. And these are all great things. Without them, we could not thrive spiritually. On the positive side, that repetition lends itself to efficiency and growth. But the danger inherent in repetition is the temptation to treat our souls casually, that we just get into a routine. Routine breeds comfort. Comfort breeds
• 33:44
  ease. Ease breeds laziness. Laziness breeds sleepiness. Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 14, awake, oh sleeper, and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Galatians chapter 6 and verse 9, let us not grow weary of doing good. Don't become weary, he says, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. First Peter chapter 1, therefore preparing your minds.
• 34:12
  for action and being sober-minded set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of jesus christ first peter 5 8 be sober-minded be watchful your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour and church constant vigilance is the only assured path to victory at the conclusion of richmond's book about being a zookeeper
• 34:43
  He describes some interesting qualities about rattlesnakes. He studied them for some time. He said that 60% of the time humans are bitten by a rattlesnake. The snake is only giving a warning bite and it releases no venom. I didn't know that. 60% of the time, he says, the rattlesnake is just trying to push you away. It doesn't actually release any venom. It's a warning strike. Now, I am not willing to be the guy who tests that theory.
• 35:11
  If we are on a hike or mountain biking or something together and I get bit by a snake, I am going straight to the emergency room and let them tell me if it released any venom or not. Don't worry. Like 60% of the time, doc, you know, I just decided to go home. But church, temptation to sin gives no such warning strike. It will strike. It will do the most damage possible every single time. And so we must be vigilant to pray against it, to submit our will to the fathers, even during it.
• 35:42
  and to stay awake and vigilant in watching for it. And Lord, I pray a blessing over the preaching of your word. Lord, may we, through prayer, fuse our aluminum foil to your aluminum bat. Lord, may your power be enjoined to ours through prayer and submission, through sober-mindedness, so that we can battle, and not only battle, but even declare victory over temptation. In Jesus' name, amen.