All right, well, amen. Last Sunday, we started this series called New Life, A Fresh Beginning
with Jesus. And first of all, how many of y'all enjoyed that choir special we just heard?
Wasn't that a lot of fun? Yeah, I thought they did awesome, man. It got a little soul
up in here. There's nothing wrong with that every once in a while. All right. I would
like to invite you to take the Word of God with me and let's go to... Let me make sure
this is working real quick here. Y'all, we are good to go. Let's go. Let's have a little
Jesus clap that the slides are working today. If you've been coming here for a little while,
you've seen days when they just did not want to cooperate. So we are grateful that that's
all on track today. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse
17. This is our second Sunday in this new series called New Life, A Fresh Beginning
with Jesus. If you wouldn't mind, if you're able to and willing, would you join us in standing?
We'll just read this verse briefly and then ask God to bless our reading of the Word today.
And I hope that He speaks to you as He has to me and I know many others in our church. 2 Corinthians
chapter 5 and verse 17. Everyone looking at a copy of God's Word if you can and if you just
can't get your eyes on one, then we have it up here on the screen. Let's read together.
Ready? Begin. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away and see,
the new has come. Can you read those two words highlighted on the screen up top in front of
you? Ready? Begin. New creation. And God, we ask you to remind us that as many of us are in
Christ, we are a new creation. The old has passed away. The new is here. Yet sometimes we find
ourselves chasing after the old. We find ourselves going backward. Remind us, God, that every day,
every morning can be a fresh beginning with you. You're doing something new in the life of our church.
We see it. Recognize it. Show us our place in it. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You may be seated.
Thanks for standing. So 2 Corinthians 5, 17 teaches us this foundational truth to the Christian life
that the old is gone, the new is here. The old way was the way of the Old Testament. The law
that none of us can measure up to. The sin that easily tears us down, holds us back. We can't seem to
shake it. And therefore, we could never match up to the expectations that God's law set for mankind.
That is the old way. Then Jesus came and he replaced the law. He is better than the law.
Jesus came and showed the flaws of the law. That while it would reveal our sinfulness,
the truth about us, it would never bring us to God. But Jesus could do that. Jesus was the way
that you and I could have a relationship with God. The only way that that would be possible.
And so if we have followed that way and we have chosen the Jesus way, then now we are in Christ.
We are no longer in our flesh. We are no longer in or under the law. Now we are in Christ. We are under
grace. We are now living free. And if we are in Christ, we are a new creation. The old is gone. The new
is here. Last Sunday, we looked at Isaiah 43 and 44 and we read how God is doing a new thing
in the life of our church right now. Man, we showed that slide last Sunday of all those kids who have
gotten baptized in just recent months and weeks. And we see that God is doing a new thing. And we
didn't even have the two up there from last Sunday. Or the ones that are yet scheduled to come
and be baptized and give testimony, public testimony to what God is doing in their life.
God is doing a new thing in our church. And often he starts with the younger ones.
Oftentimes he starts with your children, your grandchildren, the generations coming up behind
you because they might be less calloused. They might be less hardened. They might be more open to the new
thing that God is doing. So the question is, do we see what he's doing? This new thing. Today,
I want to talk to you about this simple concept. Stop trying and start training. This came from
someone who taught me, man, this guy teaches me something every time I heard him speak. How many
of you ever heard of Craig Groeschel, pastor of Life Church in Oklahoma City? Anybody? We got like
six of you, maybe. That's all right. Hey, if you have a chance to hear his podcast or go online and
watch his preaching, I've never heard him preach anything off base or unscriptural. If you have,
come talk to me. We'll look at it together. But personally, he's blessed me, convicted me,
and moved me every time I've heard him speak or read one of his books. And so I got this concept
from him. God showed me this. And I realized the biblical truth that supports it. So the theme for
today, and it's probably going to be a recurring theme over the next several weeks, is stop trying,
start training. Stop trying, start training. What do we mean by that? Well, let's go to the Word of God.
Galatians chapter 1 and verse 10. You and I find ourselves trying to do all kinds of different things.
words. We'll try to lose weight. We'll try to be a better dad or a better wife. We'll try to be a
mother. We'll try to be a better son or daughter. We'll try to be a better friend. We'll try to be
a better employee. We'll try to make more money. We'll try to handle our finances better. We'll try
to get up and do the things that we need to get done. We'll try to get up early in the morning. We'll
try to go to bed earlier. We'll try to do all these different things that are worthy endeavors,
and we should do those things,
but try, try, try,
and what happens so often,
we fail, fail, fail.
Paul wrote this in Galatians 1.10.
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings or of God?
Am I trying to please people?
If I were still trying to please people,
I would not be a servant of Christ.
You know what?
That is the motivation usually behind our trying.
Our endless trying is usually to please somebody else.
Maybe it's to get your spouse off your back.
Maybe it's to get your boss off your back.
Whatever it is, it's usually to please someone else.
Maybe you have a mentor that you've let down
and you're trying to win their approval again.
Whatever it is that you're trying to do,
most often when we boil it down to its very basic reality,
it's we're trying to please somebody.
So, Paul says, I'm not doing that.
I'm not trying to please anybody.
I wouldn't be a servant of Christ if I was.
So now let's look at 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16.
If the children have their sermon listening guides
where they get to draw and write in a question for the pastor
or something like that, this verse is on there.
All scripture is inspired by God,
is profitable for teaching, for rebuking,
for correcting, for training in righteousness.
You see the difference in those two words?
There's trying, which Paul says, I'm not doing that.
I'm not trying to please people.
Over here in 2 Timothy 3,
we read that the Word of God is there to train us
in righteousness.
So the man of God or woman of God
may be complete, equipped for every good work.
The Bible is there to train us.
God does not ask us to try, try, try.
Instead, he says, if you walk with me,
I will train, train, train you.
And there's such a mind shift between those two words.
There's such a different outlook on life
between those two concepts.
God tells us to treat our children this way.
He says, train up a child in the way he should go.
And then even when he is old, he will not depart from it.
God works with us that way, doesn't he?
He doesn't say, man, you better try to follow me.
You better try to be good.
He knows we can't be good.
We can fake it for a while,
but that's all it is, is faking it.
God says, let me train you.
Let me walk with you.
Let me lead you.
This is going to be a lifelong process.
You're not trying.
You're in training.
So that's what we're asking ourselves to do today
is stop trying and start training.
This could be the first time
that you wrap your head around this concept
in your entire walk with Jesus.
Maybe you've been a born-again Christian for decades,
but you've been thinking about it
as I'm trying, trying, trying to follow God,
to do what's right, and man, it's hard.
Yes, yes it is.
But you know what?
If you have a simple redirection
of how you're looking at this,
then you realize that training is hard.
How many of you ever trained for something?
Anybody?
Slip your hand up.
Bruce, what'd you train for?
Marathon?
It's awesome.
Did you run it?
Twice.
Bruce is just flexing on us over there.
I've run two marathons.
That's awesome, man.
I bet that took a little bit of training.
Just a little bit.
I bet you didn't just go around
around the track at the school a couple times.
You're like, I'm good to go.
Well, my brother ran one of those,
and it liked to kill him.
We have very different body types,
my brother and I.
I want to start with like a 5K, okay?
And then maybe someday before I'm dead,
we'll get to a marathon.
We'll see.
But y'all, training is hard, is it not?
You can't just go eat whatever you want
and then run a marathon.
How many of you ever trained for football?
Anybody in the room?
We got more football players than that.
Come on, get your hands up.
Here we go.
How many of you have trained?
There we go, there we go.
How about basketball?
Anybody?
Volleyball?
Softball?
Baseball?
Tennis?
Golf?
How many of you have a lifelong training relationship
with golf,
and it feels like you haven't progressed all that far?
Yeah, yeah.
Me too.
Anybody who's played golf with me,
Jacob Browning, can tell you.
That man needs to keep training.
Really bad.
I know I do.
Y'all, training is difficult.
Training is hard.
But here's the thing.
When you're training,
you don't get mad at yourself
for not succeeding right away
because you recognize
that you're not performing yet.
You're not there.
You're training.
So when we're training in the Christian life,
we don't get upset and aggravated in ourselves
that we mess up sometimes
because we recognize,
just like Paul said,
he said,
I have not attained.
I have not been made perfect.
What does he mean by that?
I haven't reached where God is taking me yet.
I'm on my way,
but I'm training.
And I think that is the shift
that many of us,
including myself,
need sometimes in our walk with God
is we've got to stop trying,
trying, trying,
and recognize that we are training with Jesus.
1 Corinthians 9
is where we'll spend the rest of our time this morning.
1 Corinthians 9, verse 25.
I'm reading from the New Living Translation.
If you want to look on, go ahead.
But I've got it on the screen here.
All athletes are disciplined in their training.
The other versions will say something similar to this concept,
but I love that this New Living Translation
had the word training in here.
It really jives with what we're trying to drive across this morning.
All athletes are disciplined in their training.
Well, we know that, don't we?
If you're a real athlete,
then you're going to be disciplined
in whatever you're training for.
If you're an Olympic athlete,
you don't get there just by skill.
You can't.
You can't get there just by talent alone.
You have to train for the disciplines
that you're trying to succeed in.
So athletes are disciplined in their training.
They do it to win a prize.
Back in ancient Greece,
when the Olympics were invented,
what was the prize that they were trying to win?
It was a little wreath
that would go over their head of leaves.
Obviously, it was the status,
it was the attention,
the glory that came with being the winner,
the victor of their particular event.
But that wreath of leaves would fade away so fast, right?
They would strive, strive, strive,
and work, work, work
to win an event for a prize that would fade away.
I've heard stories of Olympic athletes
getting into financial trouble later
and literally selling their gold medals
to try to pay bills.
The prize that you win on this earth
is never guaranteed to last.
But we do it.
We train.
We are disciplined in our training
for an eternal prize.
God's not promising us a trophy
or a leaf wreath
or a gold medal.
He's promising us
rewards in heaven,
glory and honor
and blessing
that we can then turn
and give right back to our Heavenly Father.
The Bible says that whatever
we do for Christ
will result in gold,
silver, and precious stones
that we will receive in heaven someday.
It's an eternal prize.
So we are disciplined in our training
because we know there is something waiting for us
that will not fade away.
Verse 26,
So I run with purpose in every step.
Here's where we're going to bring it home, okay?
I am not just shadowboxing.
I'm not just fighting at the air.
I'm not just fighting with no opponent
or no purpose.
There is intention and purpose
in everything I do.
I discipline my body like an athlete,
training it to do what it should.
Paul is writing this to us
and he's saying,
this is what I have to do
to successfully run this Christian life.
I have to discipline my body.
I have to discipline my spirit.
When I run,
when I take a step on this journey with Jesus,
I do it with purpose.
Y'all, as a church, okay?
Now individually,
we need to take this to heart.
But as a church, together,
we're all gathered
and this is a perfect opportunity
for us to re-identify ourselves as a church.
Do we run every step as a church with purpose?
Is there a reason for every ministry we have?
Have we identified the prize
that lies ahead of us?
We are training.
We are training as a church.
We are not yet there.
We've been here since 1876, haven't we?
Maybe not here,
but we've been in existence since 1876.
We've been around a long time.
Some of you have been around close to that long.
But we have not yet arrived at our goal.
We have not yet achieved
what God established this church
in Henrietta, Texas to be.
So if we are looking ahead
to a prize that we know won't fade away,
you know what won't fade away
in the life of our church?
Those baptisms that happened.
You know what won't fade away
is the time that you spent instructing young people.
The time that you spent on your knees
crying out to God
for people to be saved,
for their lives to be transformed.
Those things will not fade away.
Man, there's all kinds of things
the church can do
that will be forgotten,
that will fade away,
that will not truly make much of an impact
for the kingdom of God.
But there are some things
that we are called to do.
We are called
to lift up Jesus in our home.
We are called
to pour into somebody else
and try to
take someone's hand
and walk with them
toward becoming like Jesus.
We are called
to share the good news of Jesus with others
and lead them
into church
where they can get up
and testify
of the decision that they've made
to place their faith in Jesus
and they can get up there
and get baptized
and say,
I'm walking with Jesus now.
We are called
to do these things
and those things
don't fade away.
So if the goal
of our church
is discipleship,
becoming more like Jesus,
becoming a disciple,
a follower,
a true follower
of Jesus,
then what are the purposes
of the things
that we actually do
in our church?
what about the preaching?
What about the singing?
What about the offering?
What about the announcements?
What about the kindness ministry?
What about the Sunday school?
The youth group?
What about the benevolence committee?
What about the different things
that our church does?
We've got to put everything
under the microscope
and say,
are we running with purpose
in every step?
Because if not,
we're not training well.
Instead,
we're just trying.
Well,
I don't really know
if this is going to
fulfill the mission
of our church,
but I feel like
we need to try something,
so let's try this.
Let's try that.
I remember
back 30 years ago,
we did this
and it seemed like
people enjoyed it,
so let's try it again.
Let's not try,
let's train
with purpose
in every step.
Then,
we know
we're pursuing
the goal,
which is Jesus,
which is making
much of Jesus,
which is raising
our children,
our friends,
our family,
everyone in our circle
to make much
of Jesus.
So,
stop trying,
start training.
How do we prepare
for that?
How do we get ready
for that?
Number one,
we equip ourselves.
If you've ever
trained with something,
you realize
you've got to go out
and get the equipment,
don't you?
If you're going
to run a marathon
like Bruce did
twice,
you're probably
not going to
dress like
you're herding cattle.
Now,
maybe he did.
I don't think so.
How many of y'all
ever watched
American Ninja Warrior?
Anybody on TV?
I love that show.
My kids love it.
We got some
American Ninja Warrior
fans in this church.
All right.
Maybe we need to have
an A&W party
up here sometime
and have a little
watch party
when they have
the next season.
How many of y'all
ever heard of
Lance Peacus,
the cowboy ninja?
Anybody?
There you go.
That's like
taking it down a level.
All right?
Yeah,
I've watched
American Ninja Warrior.
How about Lance Peacus?
Now we know
who the real fans are.
Lance Peacus
wears jeans
every time
and early
when he would
start running
those first couple
races before you
get up to the
nationals level,
I think he ran
in cowboy boots
a time or two.
He's running
this obstacle course
where you got to
jump and swing
and climb
and all this
physically taxing
stuff.
He's running
in jeans
and cowboy boots.
He would have
a cowboy hat on
that would inevitably
fall off at some
point while he's
running his race.
And I've seen
because I've
been a little bit
of a diehard
on American Ninja Warrior.
I've seen
him suffer
because he didn't
have the right
clothes on at times.
You see these guys
get out there
and they're wearing
their athletic outfits
and their nice shoes
and shorts
and tank top
or whatever
and they're able
to have the freedom
of movement
to do whatever
they need to do.
It's important
to wear
the right equipment.
My kids
just the other day
discovered that
football players
have not always
had full face masks
on their football
helmets.
And they're sitting
there thinking
man
how did they
do that?
Well
they got hurt
a lot.
That's what happened.
They got a lot
of concussions.
It was rough.
Nowadays
you got all
the technology
and the fancy helmets
and the coach
could be talking
to you in there
and I saw recently
some of the newest helmets
have like
head up displays
that you can see
you know
plays and all this
in your visor
and it's just crazy
what they can do now.
The equipment
is important
if you're going
to train well.
If you're going
to get ready
to train
as a Christian
what do you need
to equip yourself with?
Well
you probably need
to download
the YouVersion
Bible app
on your phone
so you can
have the Bible
with you
when you're not
always carrying
that paper copy
with you right?
I bet there's
sometimes in your life
in your day
that you go around
that you don't
always have a
copy of God's
word on your
person do you?
But you probably
have your phone
don't you?
So maybe
there's an opportunity
to download
the Bible app
that you can go
read good devotionals
on there.
You can have
reminders pop up
that hey it's time
to read God's word.
You can have
a verse of the day
that always pops up
that gets a little
bit of scripture
into your day.
Maybe you need
to have some
memory verses
like Emma
was memorizing
the word of God.
Maybe we can
take her cue
and start learning
some of God's word.
Put a little sticky note
up on your mirror
that has a Bible verse
on it.
You need to equip
yourself
set aside a time
set aside a schedule
that will help you
prepare
to train.
What do we need
to do
to equip ourselves
to train
as a follower
of Jesus?
And then number two
how do we plan?
And that's what
we're talking about
with scheduling.
How many of you guys
we asked last Sunday
and I reminded everybody
on Facebook this week
and the Facebook group
but I said
I would love
if some of our church
would commit
to a time
to pray for God
to move in our church
and show them
how they can help
and have a key part
in our church
going forward
this new thing
that God's doing.
And I was so blessed
to see comment
after comment
pop up on that
Facebook reminder
that I put out
said man I've been
doing at 8 o'clock.
I did it at 8 p.m.
on Wednesday.
I did it at 5.30
when I wake up.
All kinds of people
were popping up
saying I've been praying.
I'm praying.
We have to plan.
It is not in our nature
to say I'm going
to dedicate my day
to God.
None of us
are going to do that
just by ourselves
on our own.
We're not going to do that.
That's not in our flesh.
That's not in our nature.
We have to intentionally
plan to do this.
So if we're going
to train for Jesus
if we're going to train
to see the next generation
turn into Jesus followers
if we're going to train
to actually make a difference
in the lives
of our loved ones
and beyond
then we have to
plan for it.
We can't just
be unhealthy
and then hope
that somehow
we become healthy.
We have to plan
to be healthy
don't we?
You can't just change
all your eating habits
overnight without maybe
going to the grocery store
first.
You've got to stock yourself
with food that will be
good for you.
You can't just
plan to
go to bed
at a certain time
without maybe
telling someone
to remind you
and setting things
in place
to help you
not do the same
habits that have
been tearing you down.
So what plans
do we need to set
in place
to train
for Jesus?
So it leads us
to these last two questions.
What can you add
and what can you change?
maybe there's something
that you're currently
not doing
that will help you
train
and you don't say
I'm going to try
to start doing this
you say no
I'm going to start
training
and this is how
I'm going to do it
and when I don't
do it
I recognize
that it's okay
because I'm not
trying
I'm what?
Training
that's right
I'm not trying
to be
a follower of Jesus
I'm training
to be a follower
of Jesus
I'm not trying
to be like Jesus
I'm training
to be like Jesus
because all by myself
I don't know how to
so I need to let
God train me
in how to do this
so is there something
you need to add
or is there something
you need to change
that will help you
train
to be like Jesus
I love this quote
man I've been using
so many quotes
from her recently
Corrie Ten Boom
a Dutch
prisoner of war
who was helping
the Jewish people
and was
captured
by her family
she and her family
were captured
by the Nazis
and put into
terrible terrible
concentration camp
where she suffered
greatly
for Jesus
but she gave us
so many great quotes
especially knowing
what she went through
she said God has
plans not problems
for our lives
man the problems
that she endured
makes it so much
more powerful
to hear those words
come from someone
like her
God has plans
not problems
for our lives
the life of a Christian
is an education
for a higher service
God is training
you for something
all of you
every one of you
last week we talked
about how God's moving
in the younger generation
and he is
we see evidence
of that
but God is training
all of you
for something
younger
middle aged
older
everyone
every category
God is training
you for something
otherwise
he loves you
so dearly
he'll bring you
home to heaven
to get a jump start
on all of eternity
in that loving relationship
that he's going to enjoy
with all of us
for all of eternity
in his presence
but if he's waiting
on that
because he's training
you for something
still
he's still got a purpose
for you
you've still got a role
to play
he's training you
for something
incredible
that he wants to do
through you
so don't try
train
we're talking about
new life
a fresh beginning
with Jesus
I pray
that this concept
of training
not trying
can help you
begin fresh
with Jesus
I hope it can help
you overcome
something that has been
dragging you down
getting you down
depressing you
to understand
that God does not
expect perfection
from you
God does not expect
you to be like him
without his help
he's going to help
you
let him train you
let him pick you up
when you fall
let him set you back
on your feet
what would it look like
for our church
to be a church
of people
in training
not trying
what would it look like
would we be a church
that constantly
sees people
stirring those
baptism waters
giving evidence
of life change
would it be a church
that when you
speak the name
of First Baptist Church
in Henrietta Texas
and beyond
people would say
I don't know
that's a group
of people
that seems like
they really care
that's a group
of people
that seems like
they really love
Jesus
I know that guy
said a bad word
on the job site
but I know
he instantly
turned around
and said
man forgive me
Jesus didn't
want me to do that
that's not honoring
to God
is it somebody
that could be
that their life
could be changed
by people
who are training
to be like Jesus
and what does
that mean
for us
what does that
mean for our church
does it mean
that we cut
some things
that aren't
purposefully
moving us
toward being
like Jesus
does it mean
we add some
things
that we've been
dropping the ball
in
does it mean
that we
change some
things
tweak some
things
that can be
more effective
in leading us
to be
like Jesus
church
we're not
trying
we're what
we're training
so let's do
that
God I pray
that you would
speak to us
right now
I've spoken
your word
I've spoken
the truth
that I believe
you gave me
to preach
from your word
today
but I can't
individually
go to every
person in this
room and say
here's what
you need to
do
if I did
that I
would be
wrong
in whatever
I told
them
but you
individually
can speak
to each
of our
heart
and you
can show
us exactly
how we
need to
change
for you
how we
need to
train
you can
show us
the area
we've been
maybe hurting
ourselves
in reaching
our goal
you can
change our
hearts
you can
change our
minds
so I'd
ask that
you would
do that
God I
can't lead
this church
where it
needs to
go
but you
can
so I
pray that
you would
start with
me
that you
would start
with my
family
and you
would go
out to
our
church
staff
and our
volunteer
leadership
and go
on through
every heart
of everyone
in this
room
and everyone
watching
online
and everyone
who calls
this church
their home
that you
would change
us
to make
us
trainers
people
in training
for your
glory
because we
want to see
what thing
you're going
to do
God
you're raising
up new
life
all around
us
help us
to not
miss it
show us
what it
is
that God
has
for me
in my
house
would y'all
look at the
screen real quick
real quick
when God
is about to
do a mighty
new thing
we looked at
this last
week
he always
sets his
people praying
so can we
do that now
can we pray
can we
can we bow
our heads
together
and we're
about to enter
into the
Lord's
supper
it's a
perfect
appropriate
time
to reveal
our hearts
to God
and just
say God
I'm not
hiding anything
I'm not
holding anything
back
I'm an
open book
you show
me what
you have
for me
right now
it's going
to be
different
for every
one of
us
but you
show me
what shift
needs to
happen in
my thinking
what shift
needs to
happen in
my heart
God I'm a
vessel for
your service
you train
me
I'm not
going to do
anything in
my own
strength
can we pray
now
God your
people are
praying your
people are
looking to
you our
hearts are
open and
as we enter
into a time
of Lord's
supper speak
to us God
move in our
body move in
our midst we'll
give you the
glory in Jesus
name music's
going to play
for just a
couple of
minutes let's
use this time
as a reflection
to open our
hearts to God
and ask him to
speak to us
peace
about
Fur
how