And maybe what I'll do for those that has not heard it and have been privy to that, let me go to Deuteronomy 6 and read verse 12 to you, but then I'll preach this because you'll see the contrast that there's things we better not forget, but then there's some things we need to forget, okay? So in Deuteronomy 6 and verse 12, this is all I'm reading and I'll be over in Philippians. It says, then beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage. That's a warning in scriptures. Beware lest thou forget the Lord. And their son this morning that has forgot the Lord. They're not in the Lord's house. They're in their own pleasure. They're in their own will. They have forgotten the Lord. They have pushed the Lord to the side. And that's exactly what they've done. They have forgotten the severity of the Lord. They have forgotten the power of the Lord. They have forgotten what the Lord can do in their rebellion. Yes, even saved folk. He knows how to get attention. Sometimes he's got to strip you of everything. to show you what all that gain did for you. Well, we're going to get to that. So, everybody go to Philippians 3 now, if you will. Now, this is you must forget. I want to go over some things we must forget. Things you've got to get out of your mind. You want to work for the Lord? You want to serve the Lord? Well, there's a big question there. Do you even have an interest? But, this morning, for the sake of the text, we'll just, I'll try to stick with it. I'm fired up. as if you can't tell. But I want to get to this. So Philippians 3, before I even read the text, we'll be in three and we'll work through it. There's some things you need to know about the book of Philippians. How long have y'all known that I've been dealing with the mindset? So the title here, You Must Forget, Philippians 3, I've been dealing with the mindset, the mindset. I've went through, I've had the board up there. I've talked about all this stuff with the thoughts and the process of change, process of change being in the center of you, the top thought. The thought creates a feeling. The feeling creates an action. The action creates a result. Every action has a result. And people say, well, I just felt this. No, you had a thought. Thoughts creates feelings. So the idea is, where did your thought come from? Where does our thoughts come from? Have you ever thought about that? Where do they come from? How many places do thoughts come from? Anybody got a clue? Rebecca already knows the answer. She's privy. She lives... Two. Two. You're either getting your thoughts from the lowercase father, F father, or your thoughts are coming from the capital F father. In other words, they're either coming from heaven or hell. That's where your thoughts come from. It's easy to classify them. I mean, you just need two bins, the trash and the good. There it is. How many sides is there to the cross of Calvary? You don't have to think hard. How many thieves were there with him, the malefactors? Two. How many went to be in paradise with the Lord? One. So there's only on one side of the cross you want to be. You want to be on the right side, not the left. Think about all the ramifications that God has put forth that people don't even understand. Why do you think we vote with our right hand? Why do you think you use your right hand when you pledge of allegiance? Why? Power. It shows power. And on the right side of the cross, that man experienced the power of God. The Lord saved that man. I fully believe that. And isn't it amazing? He wasn't baptized. He didn't work any food can drives or nothing else. No car washes or brownies for Jesus. He didn't do any of that. He just had faith. Just had faith. Well, the book of Philippians is about the mind. I mentioned this yesterday when I preached it. There'll be some new things come up here, because I'm going to dive a little deeper. See, I hit a subject up there, I hit a point up there, and I felt the wind suck out of the room. And we're going to deal with that here. Because if it did it there, it's needed here, too. But I want you to understand about the mind. Philippians 1, 27, is about the singleness of the mind. Ten times. Ten times in this book, very personable book, a very loving book to these people at Philippi, very, very focused. Chapter 2 and verse 2, unity of the mind. Chapter 2 and verse 3, humility of the mind. Chapter 2 and verse 5, the mind of Christ. Chapter 2 and verse 20, the unity of doctrinal mind, being doctrinally minded. 315, mature in mind. 316, unity in Christ. 319, earthly-minded. 420, unity-minded. 470, pure-minded or heavenly-minded. So every chapter in the book of Philippians, Paul hits the mind, the mind, the mind, the mind, the mind. And I've been working on the mind to the point I've I felt like when I was preaching it, maybe y'all were getting bored of it. I just started getting a feeling like, oh, here he goes again on the mind. But then I turn around, and myself, we self-destruct. I preach it, and then Satan gets in my mind. I teach it and Satan gets in your mind. I mean the day after, the week of. This is something you could have a devotion on the mind every day of the week because we're in a wicked world with wicked people and evil people around us and it hits the mind. So every chapter he deals with the mind. He knew long before any doctors or psychologist of today, he knew long before it. That's where good things and bad things take place. He knew long before. He understood the process of change before any doctor did. He totally got it. Well, we'll move on. You must forget what we're going to see here is Paul does in my first point some proper accounting. It's a proper accounting. So watch here, we'll read in verse one. It says, Finally, brethren, rejoice in the Lord, to write the same things to you, to me, indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision, for we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of Hebrews, as touching the law of Pharisee. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gained to me, those I counted loss for Christ." The first two verses in this text Because we're eventually going to get to 12. It's where I'll really start hammering hard. But the first two verses here, we see what he's doing in this proper accounting is he's telling you to take heed. The Judaizers were following him everywhere Paul went. Think about it. When you read the book of Acts, how many times have you read in the book of Acts that the gospel swept through, and then what comes right behind it? I already gave you the answer. Judaizers. Judy, are we awake this morning? Is everybody good? Maybe I need to get everybody to just come sit right here in the center. We need some energy in here. I don't know what it is. It feels like it's been pulled out of here. I don't know what's going on. But anyhow, we need to understand Paul is going in with the gospel. And everywhere there is truth, there is false. There is imitators. And to be an imitator, there means there's something that's of quality that's you know, right. I talked about currency. Everyone knows and understands currency, the U.S. Mint. You know, the people that's good at identifying counterfeits, they don't try to study the counterfeit dollar. They don't sit there because by tomorrow someone's made another one and by the next day someone's made another one. So they waste not their time studying cults and all that sort of, that's me. Studying the fake stuff. They studied the real thing and that's what we're to do You want to you want to be able to identify what's false and what's not true you study this? You don't need to read about all these other denominations You don't need to read about all these all these false Denominations and false prophets and all these things you read the truth and then what happens is when they show their self You're like gotcha You don't line up with this. Nope, gotcha. You don't line up with this. Nope, nope. That's your lens to life right here. Well, Paul's going and he's starting churches. Paul was sent out at Antioch, Acts 13. Church authority, there's always gotta be authority. Men cannot strike off on their own and start a church. You know, Joey can't get mad at me and say, you know what, I'm just going to go start my own church and just walk off and decide to start having the First Baptist of, what's that road you live on, I'm thinking, Hatcher. You know, you can't do that without authority. I mean, you can. It just doesn't have God's seal upon it. It doesn't have His authority upon it. So we understand here when He says, it's not grievous for me to write unto you. It's even saying, I'm not lazy in doing this. It's not overpowering for me to do this, but for you it's safe. It is good. It is good for me to let you know. And He says, beware. Does that sound familiar? In Deuteronomy 6, 12, what did he say? Beware lest thou forget the Lord. Here he is saying, beware, because what would Paul be talking about there? He's saying, beware of things that pull you away from the Lord. I tell you, I think I could preach on this for a month. Put guard up. Build the shepherd's fence. That's what you need to do. And when he says, beware here, beware of dogs. You understand this is, he explains, he gives his pedigree right down there, does he not? Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of Hebrews. And then he, being the Hebrew of Hebrews, he being of the tribe of Benjamin, which was one of the most loyal tribes to King David. See, people miss these things. That was a loyal tribe. There was no absolums in the tribe of Benjamin. They were loyal to him. They were loyal in the line of Jesus Christ. That's why he's listing that out. The tribe of Benjamin is very important when you follow the line of Christ. God knew what he was doing. He was leading. So he's given us pedigree here, and he's saying, beware of dogs. Now, to the Jews, Gentiles are mangy, worthless, Dogs. The true Jews today still feel that way. That's right. You say, well, that ain't nice of them. No, it's not. But we don't hate the Jews for that. I'm telling you, they will never wipe them off the map. Those are his promised people. And that's God's land. God has allowed them to bring it down to this size. But they will never, ever push it off the sea. It will not happen. You know why I know? Where do you think the Lord's gonna return to? That's his land, all right? So we have this promise. He is turning around. Paul is turning around calling these Judaizers. These ones run around saying, yes, take your Jesus, but you need to be circumcised. Take your Jesus and add the law in there too. Then you're saved. You say, Pastor, I don't know if you know what you're talking about. It's in your Bible. Acts 15, what do you think was going on there? Let's turn there and see. I told you, I can't re-preach anything, it's always gonna be different. Acts 15. There was a problem. You know, I told you before, this is a good chapter to know, because there's a lot of the world that thinks Peter was the first pope. That's right, I see Michelle Smith shaking her head no. No, that's a lie. That's another one of Satan's lies. You say, well, that's Satan's lies. There's people promoting it. I'm just saying. Look here. There was a great problem going on, dissension in the church about circumcision. Let's see, in verse six of chapter 15, it says, and the apostles and the elders came together for to consider this matter. What was going on? Well, if you back up, it says, but there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees, which believed, see, they believed, saying that it was needful to circumcise them. So these are believers in Jesus Christ, but it's needful to circumcise them. So you gotta have some Jesus and you gotta have some law. That's what they were saying. There's people like that today. Do you know they're Seventh-day Baptists? There are, there truly is. Seventh-day Baptists, they meet on Saturday. They still got the law, still holding on to the law. Seventh-day Adventists aren't the only ones, there's Seventh-day Baptists. Yeah, it's amazing what people will get in their minds. But anyways, so they're believers, but we need to be circumcised too. It's almost like just to be safe. I believe there's some people sometimes that's baptized just to be safe. Because they still don't, they're not real sure. It's just by faith. And I still go back to that thief on the cross. And then some say, well, that thief on the cross was Old Testament. Well, then what rituals was he doing up there on the cross? What goat was slain or pigeon was slain to cover his sins? None. The lamb was next to him. It's through Jesus Christ and faith. So here we see, this was the problem. So watch what happens here. Let me see. Okay, let's read on. We'll start at verse six. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles, remember those dogs, that the Gentiles, I've lost my spot here. Let me look. These glasses are progressive. I have lost my spot. Seven. And when there have been upon you men and brethren. Yeah. For a good while ago, God made choice among us that the Gentiles by mouth should hear the word of the gospel and believe. Okay, so that means the gospel being preached to them. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us, the Jews. You see that? What God's showing them, there's no difference between a Jew and a Gentile. It's by faith. But they got a problem. Remember, they want to add circumcision to it. Well, let's keep going. Verse 10 says, Now therefore, why tempt ye God? that to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved, even as they." What a blessed verse there. By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. Verse 12, then it says, then all the multitude kept silence and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their peace, Peter, the first pope, answers. Is that what it says? The pope of the church answers. I mean, that's what it says, doesn't it? Isn't that strange? Who's this James? James is the first pastor of the first church. Do you know that? The first church was established in Jerusalem. This is it. We're reading about it. They're having a meeting right there at the first church in Jerusalem. And isn't it strange? James is the one that answers. James is the pastor. You see what I'm talking about? This is where men can get off with this lying and heresy, and now they declare Peter's the first pope. He was the first one in charge, because you know what the pope says goes. You understand that? Well, here, let's listen to Brother James. How about that? And to this agree. the words of the prophets as it is written. So he's referring there that there's gonna be a certain amount, a certain number of Gentiles gonna be saved. There's a lot of Gentiles running around now, but they ain't all gonna be saved. There's a number of them gonna be saved. That's why it's important to put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. All right, so we see that's taking place, but then we watch there, he refers back to the Old Testament in verse 15. To this, the prophets agree. See, if they knew their Bible better, all right. So, verse 16, after this I will return and build again. It says as it's written, verse 15, after this I will return and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down, and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up, that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things, known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." I could preach on that too, but I won't. Verse 19, wherefore my sentence is, wait a minute, where'd he get with Peter in that? Would he go have counsel with Peter? See, we're getting down to the sentence. This is the declaration. Here's the rule. Here's what we're gonna do about this deal of mixing Jesus and circumcision. Here's what we're gonna do. James is giving answer of the first church. See, that's why a church is supposed to be able to handle its affairs. That's why we have a covenant so we can handle our affairs. We don't go to the heathen and go through all that nonsense and the courts and all that. We're supposed to be able to handle our affairs. So James gives sentence. Wherefore, my sentence is that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God, but that we write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. Namely, Judas named and Silas, chief men among the brethren." And look at this verse 23 before I leave, I'm not going to say a whole lot about this, but what does it say there verse 23, and they wrote what? They wrote letters by them after this manner, the apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia. For as much as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you, with words subverting your soul saying you must be circumcised and keep the law to whom we gave no such commandment. So what's that showing? First of all, letters used to be sent showing that the church has given authority. That's exactly what happened here. You know there's Baptist preachers now that laugh if you bring a letter to an ordination. And maybe he'll see this and think about scriptures. I got laughed at because this church sent a letter of authority to an ordination. That's what happens when you get away from truth. See, it all comes back to authority. Why were they there at that church? And what greater authority could they go to? All the elders, preachers, pastors, everybody comes back to that first church there at Jerusalem. Well, what are we going to do about this? You go back to where everything started. In the beginning, God. Everything goes back to God. Everything will end with God, the book of Revelation, Alpha and Omega. It's all there. These are important times, folks. This is not a game. We don't go to church just to check the box. The preacher doesn't get up just to make you feel good. That's not what it's about. It's about God's word. And Paul was declaring to these Philippians, I don't care if you're a Jew. I don't care what it is. All those things were lost to me. His focus was Jesus Christ. So, we see the proper accounting. All the way through here, it's like being a banker. You watch how many times when we get through it, I count, I count, I count, counted, count, count. This is an accounting chapter right here. So, the Jews were wrong on that. And everywhere Paul went and preached, the Jews followed him. So, next thing, verses 3-6, you do the math. So we've taken heed, beware, beware, now we do the math, the flesh will not advance us. I don't care that you're just a good old boy. I don't care if you're muscular, skinny, overweight, it has nothing to do with it. These are spiritual times. The war is a spiritual war. It doesn't matter. Brother Epps, you know what, his dad used to be a member here. And that's neat. Those are neat things that I can say. I talked to a man yesterday. He said, is there any left out of the Central Avenue Baptist Church there with you? I said, no. And I said, Brother Ray Cross. I know, I'm getting to that. Just give me a second. I said, Brother Ray Cross was the last one. And he said, so none of the daughters are there? I said, the two youngest. He goes, really? The two oldest don't go? I said, no, they don't go. He said, but the two youngest are there. I said, yes. I said, they're loyal. Every time the doors are open, they're there. Well, Central Avenue, it's important all these things go back. It's important because that's where Roy Mason was. Roy Mason's a guy that I look up to. He's one of the giants of past preachers. And Ray Crossan was a member with it. These things matter, but guess what? They matter to me. But that pedigree doesn't matter when it comes to salvation. Roy Mason was a great preacher, but just because you sat under Roy Mason doesn't mean you're saved. It doesn't mean that you're better than the next person. Brother Epps' daddy was a member here. That's great, but that does nothing for Brother Epps. Brother Epps will give account by himself to the Lord Jesus Christ. There's where it's going here. This is where the thrust of it is. You do the math. The flesh will not advance us. Works will not advance us. How many times do you have to read in scripture it's by faith? But yet there's a world out there trying to work their way to heaven. If I just do a little more, I'll gain paradise. Again, thief on the cross. Can we not understand that? What work did he do? He didn't even get to dig his grave. He didn't even put himself on the cross that he was on. That's still confusing me. Maybe someone can straighten me out why when you pass a field and they got three crosses out there. You ever thought about that? That doesn't make sense to me. I thought Jesus Christ is to be prominent and above all. Why are you putting the malefactor's crosses out there? I don't get that. But I'm not digging into that anyways because Jesus isn't on the cross. He's at the throne sitting at the right hand of God. But all the gains of our works will not advance us. This is where I get a little personal. We're going to get to some more things. All the gains. The Apostle Paul had money. He was never without money. The Apostle Paul had great authority under the Pharisees. The Apostle Paul had a pretty good life going, but he counted it all loss. He counted it all loss for the sake of Christ. You understand when he wrote this, he's sitting in a prison. Could you write this in a prison? While your Mercedes is still at home and your AC's running, could you sit there and say, but it means nothing to me? Hmm. Yeah, it happens. So we look at the hard line in this accounting, verses 7 through 12. I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time probably on this, but we'll see how it goes. Verse 7 says, but what things were gained to me I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss to the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung. that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering being made conformable unto His death. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after it that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. So when we look at this, think about what he is saying there. He's counted all, look at the count, count, count, I do count. I mean, it's there. And he's counting it all but dung. It's all dung. Now, dung, I know the first thing comes to your mind, you think of a dog, some dog dung or something like that. But you know, the Greek terminology here, it means refuse. It means you're garbage. Anybody got garbage cans? You say, well, that's a silly question. Do you put stuff in there? I mean, you're most valuables, right? I mean, that's where you just go ahead and fill the can up there with all your stuff, right? You just go ahead and unload. Say, I don't need any of this stuff. This stuff does me no good. Look at that. I'll just go ahead and throw my key, everything. I mean, it's all, I mean, that's what we put in our cans, right? Just throw it all out there. No, what do we put out there? The stuff we don't want. That example I just gave you is what Paul did. He threw it all in. You understand he had a good life. But the Lord stopped him on that road to Damascus. And he was saved. And God made him a vessel of glory. He made him a vessel to bring glory back to God, to reflect it back to him. He made him a vessel, a usable vessel. and what the Lord can do with us. I think it's interesting there, before I move on too quickly, I think it's interesting there when he counts it but done, he says that I may win Christ. What does that mean, that I may win Christ? You've heard people talking about, I want a soul to Christ. Okay, you know, the Bible does talk about Proverbs, you know, he that winneth souls is wise, I get that. But what's that mean, that I may win Christ? What it means is that you get so close to Him. that you're coming, Christ is the victor, the cross is the victor, and you're able to get close enough, and get close enough, and get close enough with him. Meaning, for all my past, all I wanna do is be next to Christ, I wanna get with him. You think of this, some gains are a detriment to that act right there. That's what he's saying, I got rid of all of it, that I may win Christ. Anything that takes away from Christ is not winning. That's what he's saying, that I may win Christ, that there would be no distractions in my life from Christ, that I would pursue him with everything I have. And I'll tell y'all this morning, I wish more were here, because the distracted ones are not here. I'm telling you, get the distractions out of your life. Whatever distracts you from Jesus Christ, it's got to go. If it's taken you from being close to Christ, it's got to go. Whatever it is, you say, well, it's my children. Well, no, that just means you need to be a good parent. Because I'll get to some of that in this afternoon, if you would like to hear it. If not, it'll be recorded. There's nothing, nothing that should keep us from winning Christ, becoming closer and affectionate, and having better sweet fellowship, which he says right there, with Christ. In verse 9, it says, and be found in him. How are you found in him? Well, you're saved by him. not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Now I could take you there, but I'm not for the sake of time today. But Romans 4, it was by Abraham's faith that it was imputed. The righteousness of Jesus Christ was imputed under Abraham. You can look it up, Romans 4, 1 through 8. By his faith and belief and trust and believing in God, it was imputed unto him for righteousness. It happened to Caitlin at camp. It happened to Jordan at camp. It happened to McKenna. And I believe McKenna was at camp, too. Am I right? Or when you got back from camp. It was somewhere around at camp time. But the fact is, they were drawn by Christ and saved. And by their belief and trust, the righteousness, the beauty of Christ. I can't imagine it. Do you understand we have something that beautiful in us? You say, well, all I know is my flesh. That's what you're looking at. But what has you here this morning, if you're saved, is the beauty within. God's commanded us to worship. I wish I knew what that was in the Bible. It's in Hebrews chapter 10. Get to reading. We are not to forsake the assembly. You know why I believe you're here this morning? I ain't talking about the kids. They got drug here. I get that. You're here this morning because you love Christ. So what's that say on the other side? Pastor, you're getting personal. It's gonna be very personal when you stand in front of Christ. You know how personal it's gonna be? It's just you and Him. Pastor won't be there with you. Pastor's got enough to answer for, okay? My sins have been, praise the Lord, my sins have already been judged. But I'm gonna have to answer for a lot of mistakes that I could have made. I'm gonna have to answer for a lot of neglect. I know y'all know what I mean. You ever had the Lord nudge you, you need to talk to that man, you need to talk to that man, you need to talk to that man, you need to tell him about Jesus Christ, and you shrug it off? I think of Ezekiel. You better go. If you don't go, the blood's on your hands. If you do go and he doesn't listen, his blood's on his hands. No, enough of that. I just showed you I'm human. I've been there, done that as a young Christian. So, let's continue on. Gains can cause damage. Gains can cause violence to the spiritual account. And that's just what he was talking about when you get to reading about that. I do count them but done that I may win Christ and be found in him. You study that passage out. It means if you're hanging on to the things or your stuff of life, see, because God has things, we have stuff. And if your stuff's your God, you're doing violence to the Spirit. You say, well, wait a minute. How can you do that and be saved? Saved people can put stuff in front of the things of God. So let me get to it now. This is real. I'm speeding ahead a little bit. See, the Lord, I didn't preach this message this way up there. Did I, Frank? My brother said, no, this is a whole new message. Well, here we go. We'll keep going. We've already covered a true deposit, which is Romans 4, 1 through 8. Now let's go to my second main point, a proper assessment. Here's where it gets fun. Proper assessment. Look at verse 12. Not as though I had already attained, or either were already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do." What's it say? All you men read it with me. What's it say? Forgetting those things which are behind. All right, I left you behind. We'll try it again. All the men, please read with me. We'll start at the beginning of verse 13. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind. and reaching forth unto those things which are before. That's the hardest thing for a man to do, is to give up the past, to get rid of the past, to get it behind us. We want to live in the past. You know how I know? Every time I go and do something silly and I pay for it for the next four days physically, because I keep thinking I'm 27 years old. My eyes don't see what I look like coming this way. I'm still seeing life out that way. I can't see the lack of hair this way. I can't see the gray hair this way. When I look that way, I still got a head full of hair, and it's just as brown. Don't we all do that? Well, I want to get into something here. Here's what we must forget, because this afternoon, we'll deal with what we can't forget. But here's what we must forget. All that we thought was gain, Everything we think we had to have, it's got to go. All that we've accomplished, we've had some great accomplishments. I drove stock cars. I won trophies. I was telling them up there at Citrus, I had, I don't forget how much, I think I had over 200 trophies. But when you come to my house and y'all been there, Fifth Sunday Fellowship, you haven't seen no trophies. And I was telling them, I said, you know, we look at them, and I know people that they love their trophies, still got trophies from over 60 years ago, got trophies, filled the room. They even had to build cases to put their trophies in. What's Paul saying? It's all done. And like I told them, I said, and somehow those trophies, they can sit on the shelf and loosen up. They'll fall apart on the shelf. I don't understand how they do that. The nuts come loose. Michelle knows. She's had to tighten them up when I did have trophies. Tighten them up, dust them. They collect dust. See, that's what the world thinks of your past accomplishments. Anyways, it's not as shiny now. But the fact is, you've got to let those things go. I have no more of those trophies. Yes, I enjoyed my days of racing, but those days are gone. Those days are not going to get me to heaven. Those days are not who Tate Pierce is. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I am saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. How about this? All that we love, if it's taken place in front of Jesus Christ, even things you love. In fact, I'll go ahead and get, let me clue you in here to this afternoon where I was going to head. See, it's starting to get quiet now like it did up there. Deuteronomy 13, look at this. Verse six, Deuteronomy 13. I think Troy's preaching on some of this this morning, because we were talking afterwards. He said, I'm so fired up, I think I'm going to preach. And he said, I'm going to get right back in where you were at Deuteronomy, and we're going to go to Exodus. And I said, good, do it. When you get done, send me the outline. I'll preach it. But here's the thing. Deuteronomy 13, look at this. If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul." You know, like David and Jonathan, those friends that's closer than a brother. entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou nor thy fathers, namely of the gods of the people." Think about this. Namely, the gods of the people that are around about us, around about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth, even unto the other end of the earth. So he's pretty well covered, hadn't he? Anybody. Anybody that tries to pull you away from the things of Christ, anybody, anything, any, any, anyone tries to get you away from church, away from being baptized, away from following Christ. Let's see what the Lord says we should do with that. Verse 8, go ahead. Is that what it says? Thou shall not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him, neither, get this now, and I will get this afternoon, because I got the definitions to back up what I'm fixing to tell you, neither shall thine eye pity him. Well, they only want me to do it one time. God says, you don't give in to it. It's just one Sunday, don't give in to it. But they're my daughter. We covered that, didn't we? But it's my son. We covered that, didn't we? It's my mama. We covered that, didn't we? It's my daddy. There it is. God says you do not consent to it. God has a high standard, much higher than ours. That's why you'll never be above him. You can be a joint heir with Christ, but you'll never be above him. We have it right here. It says, shall thine eye pity him, neither shall thou spare him. You know what that means? Consent. I don't agree with it, but. Mm-hmm. Anything that keeps you out of God's house, anything that keeps you from serving the Lord Jesus Christ, anything that prevents you, let it go. Let it go. Here's how strong he feels about it. Neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him. You know what that means? Lying for him. They'd have been here, but you better stop that. You better stop it. You better not lie for your daughter, your niece, your aunt, your uncle, your grandpa, your grandma, your mama, your daddy. Don't cover for them. God says don't do it. Is that not what it says? Here's what he tells you to do, but thou shalt surely what? Who? Who? Who's he talking about killing? Now, this is Old Testament. I know we're in New Testament. We don't do this now. I get it. But look at the severity of it. Who's he talking about killing? If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or the son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly." You know, when the pastor ain't around. I'm just giving you an illustration. That's not what I'm saying it means. It means secretly. That's who he's talking about when it gets to verse 9. It says, but thou shalt surely kill him. shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people." All the other ones. You see the contrast there? That's strong, isn't it? You say, whew, I am glad we're in New Testament times. Well, hold on, because here's what it's teaching you. Those people that you've given in to, those people you're consenting to, those people that are swaying you to go against what preacher preaches and what preacher teaches and what preacher says in the pulpit and following this Bible and doing what the Bible says, those people, you need to cut them off. Cut them off. Sever them. You say, he's saying go kill, no, no. If they don't line up with you, you don't need to be hanging with them. They're not your buddies. They're not your friends. God says separate from them. If they are a hindrance to your spiritual walk and growth, you need to be removing those obstacles out of your life. But I was just helping my daddy. It doesn't matter. God's given a command. Serve him. It goes back to the thing I was taught as a little guy. I'm thankful my parents taught me that. We was taught in my house. I mean, I'm a toddler. Who do you love the most? You, Daddy? Nope. Mama? Nope. Granny? Nope. See, we're supposed to be teachers. You know who I was taught to love the most? God. Then Daddy, then Mama. Just the order God has it in the Bible. No, I mean, they didn't get into arguing over me first. But the idea is God, parents. That's the way it works. Well, if God says to do this, if God says to do that, don't you think that's what we ought to follow even if Daddy disagrees? Even if Mama disagrees? Even if Aunt Susie Q disagrees? or Uncle Bobby Joe or whatever disagrees. I'd have been there, but you know, this is one of my favorites. I'd have been there, but I got some family coming in. I can't make it to church. You better get to reading this Bible. Yeah? There's different flight times, arrival times. Who sets the course? Now, I'm going to get into something else a little more personal. We're doing good. I know this must be heavy, because I know you think it's about 1 o'clock. It's not. But I want to hit something else before we finish this section, because there's no way I'm finishing even this sermon today. Let me hit this for you. One of the things, go back to Philippians 3. I'm headed back there, and then I'm going to head to the Gospels. But you can park yours at Philippians 3 for a few minutes, and I'll cover the Gospels. Philippians 3, when he says, I count it all but done. But then in verse 12, he's apprehended by Christ. If he's apprehended, there must be a purpose there. And then verse 13, all you men read it with me, brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. That reaching forth, that reaching forth illustrates an Olympic runner. Everybody used to love to watch Usain Bolt. He just sort of stride and he sort of laid back. I mean, that guy could run like nobody else. But when he'd get to the finish line, even though he still had that advanced lead on him, he'd still lean forward to hit that ribbon, didn't he? That's just what Paul's talking about, reaching forth. It means we've got to be putting all of ourself into it, disciplined. Disciplined as a runner, as a trainer. They didn't eat Froot Loops in the morning. When you're running the track and field, you don't eat Froot Loops. And you don't go to bed with a little Debbie, Joey. That house loves the Little Debbies. But you don't eat like that because you got to be in your best shape, ready to go, coming out of the boxes hard. You got to be ready and disciplined and focused, and you got to be reaching forth. Okay? So we see that. But he says, forgetting the things which are behind. And I got into this yesterday, and this is when the air left the room, and I want to bring it up to you. I believe sometimes the reason we struggle with advancing in Christ and serving Christ is because we like the fact that Christ has forgiven us. We like the fact that God has drawn us unto him and saved our souls. We really like that. Isn't that a good thing? Sometimes I think we can't attain and grab a hold of what we're supposed to and reaching forth and press because we have some unforgiveness in our hearts. We have some unwilling hearts to forgive and forget. Think of this. I hit this and I didn't know it was going to be such a hot button. But after the service, the preachers were talking to me about it, and then I had a lot of people wanting to talk to me. Have you forgiven yourself? Hard enough to forgive others, but as we saw in Sunday school, we're to love our brethren as He loved us, okay? Have you ever turned loose of your own self? You're holding yourself hostage. How could I have done that being saved? BAD ENOUGH BEFORE SALVATION, WHAT ABOUT SINCE YOU'VE BEEN SAVED? HOW COULD I HAVE DONE THAT, BEING ONE OF JESUS CHRIST'S DISCIPLES, BLOOD-BALT BELIEVER IN CHRIST? HOW COULD I HAVE SINNED LIKE THAT? HOW COULD I HAVE TREATED HIM LIKE THAT OR HER LIKE THAT? HOW COULD I TREAT OTHERS LIKE THAT AND BE A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST? HOW? You see what I'm talking about, forgiving yourself? You cannot forgive yourself of your sin. That's God's work. But you gotta figure out what the problem is. If you can't get over it yourself, you know what it shows? You got a lack of faith. That's what it comes down to. Lord, help thou my unbelief. It comes down to you're lacking something. Well, I'm not lacking salvation, preacher. OK, good. We've got that covered. God saved you. Then you just don't believe his word. I believe his word. Glad you asked before I go to the Gospels. First John chapter 1 verse 9 it says if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness What part are you struggling with in that? I've confessed them, but I still feel so terrible I See, the reason I'm bringing this up, this forgetting in chapter three, it doesn't mean that you never think of it again, that it's just erased from your mind. Anybody ever prayed for that? Lord, just please take this totally out of our mind, it won't happen. You'll never forget. But you just said, he says, forgetting those things which are behind. What Paul's talking about is you cannot let those things guide your future. You cannot let those things guide your path. Luke 9, 62, putting your hands to the plow and looking back is unfit for the kingdom of God. You cannot look back. You may have sinned as a believer, but if you've confessed it and given it to Jesus, then you have to let it go. Let it be behind you. Don't worry about Satan's rabbits running around. Don't chase those rabbits. You stay on the proper track. You stay going where you're supposed to go. That's what God would have you do. He knows what you did. He knew you before the foundation of the world. The Bible makes it clear. And He still forgave you. So you can't let it go? You can't just give it up? What, I still feel bad? Let it go. Have you confessed it? I confessed it, but I still feel it. Let it go. I'll tell you, when I counsel people, that's the one thing I've heard more so. I'm getting a lot of this. I just don't know if I was truly saved. Then what did you lack? Did you not believe? I believed. So you doubted God saves. No, I never doubt God saves. Okay, so you don't believe. No, I believe. There's only two sides to the cross. One's gotta be wrong. If you feel like something's wrong, one or the other's wrong, which is it? And if you know you have truly put your faith and trust in Christ, then you're doubting God. Maybe you just need to tighten up on your faith. maybe we just need to become stronger in our faith. So, I'm not gonna, I may just pick up on this and lead into the Old Testament this afternoon, but I gotta give you this in the Gospels, because I don't want you to say, well, he said that, but I didn't see it in the Bible. Well, let me show you, I'm glad you asked. Mark chapter nine, and for our web viewers, I'm still amazed that we got people in Vietnam and China and everywhere else watching. That's just an amazing thing to me. Mark chapter nine. No, I told you wrong, Mark 11. I had something else. Mark 9's the, Mark 9's the, where Elijah and Moses and Jesus is there. That stays in my mind a lot too. Mark chapter 11. Look at verse 24. No, I'm gonna back up. I even underline, I made some new underlines this morning as I was reviewing. Verse 20. And in the morning as they passed, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto them, Master, behold the fig tree which thou cursed. It's withered away. And Jesus answering said unto them, have faith in God. For verily I say unto you that whatsoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed and be cast into the sea and shall not, what does it say? Shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass. He shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore, there's the therefore, that's why it's therefore, okay? Therefore, I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when you pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall receive them. And when ye stand praying, forgive. Oh, you mean I gotta meet some standards here, yes. You're asking the Father above that's forgiven you when you were a nasty, nasty person. He knows what can happen in a heart. He tells you now while you're praying, forgive. Forgive. If you have ought, that's dead, that's a problem between brethren. If you have ought against any that your father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your father which is in heaven forgive you Forgive your trespasses. Do you think it's important to forgive? And now that's talking about forgiving one another. That's like that Uncle Bobo, you know, he did that. Do you remember when you did that when I was seven? Do you remember how you offended me? Do you remember it? Honestly, no. That's usually what happens. The people that offended you on such and such day back in 1942 has no clue they offended you, and you have harbored that in your heart your whole life. And it's messed you up. You didn't offend me. I was just using you for an example. Do you remember when I was seven years old when you offended me? I knew you wouldn't have a clue. I struggle next. I struggle with last week. I did what? What I'm saying is, that's to each other. If it's to each other, and I pose this, and I wanna say it again, just for on the web, not to do damage of the text of Philippians 3, not to do damage of the text of Mark 11, what I just read, but I'm just telling you, as a man that studies the Bible and prays about this, it made me really think about, I think a lot of our hindrances of advancing forward for the cause of Christ is because we don't even forgive ourself. Now, Brother Troy doesn't like that term, forgiving yourself, because of psychiatrists and psychologists, you know, the secret is to forgive yourself. Well, you can't forgive yourself of sin. He does. But what I'm talking about is having strong enough faith to know that the Lord means what He says when He says, if you confess your sins, because 1 John's written to save people, and He means it when He says, if you'll confess your sins. Can you imagine? That's why He don't leave nothing to us. Because even when He does forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, we just can't let it go. That's why you couldn't be God and you can't be a Savior. That's why. So why not? Even after I preach this, I'm not going to say names, but I counsel with a person, and they say, when I pray to God, I just really feel like I'm not hearing back. I have prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed, and I have not seen God answer. And see, I even thought on this last night. I thought about it. Then maybe He wants you to get something straightened out. Maybe there's a mess we've left in the backyard that people can't see from the road. That's why we're not Catholics. You don't have to come to me. I don't want to know. I don't want to know your nastiness. You don't need to know my nastiness. That's the way the Bible set it up. But maybe there's something locked away in your heart that you haven't let go of. Some people have more acreage than others. Some people might have two and three things locked away in their heart they've got to get rid of. But I'm telling you, I think what hinders us from advancing for Christ is just what Paul's saying. We're not willing to forget. He says, forgetting those things which are behind, those things, the Mercedes Benz, the great jobs, the houses, all those things, but also other things, like sin, like things that hinder you, like people, like the wrong you've done in your life. That's what he's talking about. Let it go. Don't let it steer your future. Do not let it steer your future. I have issues. You have issues. There's things I wish I'd have done different. There's things you could have done different. But we cannot let that steer us as we go forward for the cause of Christ. So I'm going to stop there right now. I think it's a good place to stop. I'm going to stop right there. And we're going to Have a verse of, we're gonna have one verse of invitation. She can just play the piano. I just want you to stand. We don't even have to sing. She can just play. If you haven't trusted the Lord Jesus Christ, you're not even on the right track to anything other than hell. That's all there is to it. But if you have and you're hindered here today, leave it here. Leave it with Christ. Let those things go. The hatred you're having towards someone, you better confess that and get rid of it. It may be someone that's already dead and gone that you feel, you better confess it to Christ. He didn't say, in 1 John 1, 9, he didn't say go back and find this and confess this and do that. He says, confess to him. He is faithful and just. You may go to the person that want forgiveness, and they will not forgive you. It doesn't matter, you did what you're supposed to do. That's the idea. So we'll play one verse. you