Skyfall 2024: Finish Strong by Pastor Troy Towns
Source URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsMyx2SY0pE
Video ID: lsMyx2SY0pE
YouTube upload date: 2024-11-08
Video duration: 00:50:52
Transcription: Faster-Whisper small.en (automatic; timestamped)
Note: Automatic transcription; review against the audio before quotation or publication.

[00:00:00] Well, I want to introduce my friend and Pastor Troy Towns, I think everybody should be familiar
[00:00:08] with him.
[00:00:09] He is the pastor of Next Level Ministries and the former vice chair of the Alabama Republican
[00:00:20] Party and I've known him for a long time and the thing I love about Pastor Troy is
[00:00:28] he's serious.
[00:00:29] He's serious about getting before God and making sure he knows what he's supposed to preach
[00:00:36] and teach and I've seen him do that for years.
[00:00:40] He is serious about that and I appreciate that and I know that he has a word from the Lord
[00:00:47] for us this morning.
[00:00:48] So Pastor Troy, come on and give us a word, brother.
[00:00:59] Hallelujah.
[00:01:02] Praise you, Lord.
[00:01:04] Hallelujah.
[00:01:07] Praise you, Lord.
[00:01:08] Hallelujah to your holy name.
[00:01:11] Oh, praise you, Lord, God.
[00:01:15] Thank you, Lord.
[00:01:16] We praise you, Lord.
[00:01:17] We take a moment to meditate on you and your goodness, Father God.
[00:01:24] Lord I shudder to think what my life would be if you had not sought me out and bought
[00:01:31] me with your blood.
[00:01:33] If you had not courted me with your love, I'd think about the manner of man I was.
[00:01:40] Father, I'm so grateful.
[00:01:43] And Father, now I want to pray over this word.
[00:01:48] I know you dropped it in my heart and in my spirit.
[00:01:53] And Holy Spirit, I ask you now to anoint your vessel and speak through me.
[00:02:00] I pray in Jesus' name, amen.
[00:02:07] You know, we have all heard the expression, it's not how you start, it's how you finish.
[00:02:18] But in the kingdom of God, it's a little different thought.
[00:02:22] It's how you start and it's how you finish.
[00:02:28] For the believer, the two most important moments of our Christian journey is the start
[00:02:35] and the finish.
[00:02:37] Now between those two paradigms in time, there will be highs and lows, peaks and valleys,
[00:02:45] stumbles and triumphs, promotions and setbacks, sickness and health, attacks and victories.
[00:02:54] And how we navigate those twists and turns will determine our lot in life.
[00:03:00] But our start and our finish will determine the fate of our eternity.
[00:03:09] One day over a year ago, I was in the sanctuary at Next Level Ministries and I was in an intense
[00:03:15] time of prayer and intercession.
[00:03:18] I was standing right up at the podium.
[00:03:20] I was praying for my children.
[00:03:23] I was praying for myself.
[00:03:25] I was praying for the ministry, praying for the nation.
[00:03:29] And then all of a sudden, I heard the Lord speak to my spirit and he said, finish strong.
[00:03:39] You know, this is the third time that I've had the privilege to speak at Skyfall.
[00:03:45] And the other two times I was struggling to come up with a message.
[00:03:49] I was seeking God, asking him what to say.
[00:03:54] Both times I didn't feel the leading of the Lord until a few days before the conference.
[00:04:00] That's scary, y'all.
[00:04:03] But not this time.
[00:04:05] Pastor Dean asked me to speak and the very next day, or no later than two days after,
[00:04:11] I heard the same voice of God again say to me, finish strong.
[00:04:18] So our theme today will be about how you finish your race.
[00:04:24] You see, it all makes sense to me now why God had me bring this message today.
[00:04:29] Because the theme of Skyfall, the Skyfall Conference this year is staying on course.
[00:04:37] You see, you can't finish strong if you don't stay on course.
[00:04:43] And you probably won't stay on course if you don't finish strong.
[00:04:49] By the end of this message, it's going to be very clear, it's going to make all this
[00:04:53] is going to make sense to you.
[00:04:55] And we're about to watch a short video.
[00:04:59] This video depicts those who know how to finish strong.
[00:05:03] And afterwards, we're going to go right into the Word of God.
[00:05:07] So if y'all will cue up, cue that up, you're going to be blessed.
[00:05:11] The United States lost to East Germany on this final event, and they had a full muscle.
[00:05:29] Mike Franks coming through now, the crowd booing in response to that earlier incident.
[00:05:33] What a controversy.
[00:05:34] What a finish to this World Cup as the Africans are pushing back.
[00:05:37] But look at Franks.
[00:05:38] What a fantastic effort by Franks.
[00:05:40] Unbelievable run.
[00:05:42] Unbelievable by Franks.
[00:06:15] We just saw them, Mitchell stumbled, so she's going to have to go out.
[00:06:33] Looks like Rosa Flanagan out in front.
[00:06:36] This is a turn up, but Vic Mitchell coming home.
[00:06:39] Rosa Flanagan, the 18-year-old from New Zealand, coming over the final steeple.
[00:06:44] Vic Mitchell coming from way back.
[00:06:46] She tripped at the final water jump.
[00:06:49] But look at this as she storms over the line.
[00:06:52] Vic Mitchell come back there, unofficial time of 9.56.
[00:06:57] The end of the World Press Country Champion.
[00:07:13] He's sucking up, punching, the rain has come.
[00:07:16] Angelino is making a move as well.
[00:07:36] 8.7-15.
[00:07:38] The team of 18, Faun and I post up on the
[00:07:47] the competition.
[00:07:49] And we're going to do it.
[00:07:50] We're going to do it.
[00:07:51] We're going to do it.
[00:07:52] The time is coming.
[00:07:53] We're going to do it.
[00:07:54] We're going to do it.
[00:07:55] We're going to do it.
[00:07:56] We're going to do it.
[00:07:57] We're going to do it.
[00:07:58] We're going to do it.
[00:07:59] We're going to do it.
[00:08:02] We're going to do it.
[00:08:03] This is where we're all going to do it.
[00:08:09] Caroline overtakes him, 600 meters in.
[00:08:12] 17.98.
[00:08:13] Man is very far.
[00:08:15] And Barbosa goes fast, proud.
[00:08:17] And look at Ermusic!
[00:08:18] Come now, look at the Olympic champion, it's absolutely breathtaking.
[00:08:24] He stormed to Barbosa and Linne has come fast.
[00:08:29] Barbosa holds on.
[00:08:30] only too many. The Olympic champion and the defending champion. And that is a storming
[00:08:35] round. Look at the clock. 144, 85 and Sebastian goes for a record of
[00:09:14] that's it. Finish strong. If that don't get your blood flowing, check your pulse. Finish
[00:09:18] strong. That's what the Lord was talking about there. How many of you have ever
[00:09:24] run track before? I used to run track. Anybody? Can you feel that? Finish strong.
[00:09:31] That's what the Lord is saying. You guys, we have two foundational scriptures today.
[00:09:35] The first one is going to be Hebrews chapter two. I'm sorry, chapter 12 verse
[00:09:41] two. And it says, looking unto Jesus who is the author and the finisher of our
[00:09:50] faith. Oh, hallelujah. The Bible says he's the the author, he's the originator, he's
[00:09:56] the inventor. You could say that Jesus wrote the book on faith. He's the author
[00:10:03] and the finisher of our faith. And our second foundational scripture we find in
[00:10:08] Philippians chapter 1 verse 6 saying, being confident of this very thing that
[00:10:15] he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ
[00:10:22] Jesus. Has he started good work in you? He said he's faithful to perform it to the
[00:10:30] end. Amen. I want to read that Philippians 1 and 6 in the Amplified. It says, I am
[00:10:35] convinced and confident of this very thing that he who has begun a good
[00:10:41] work in you will continue to perfect and complete it until the day Jesus
[00:10:47] Christ the time of his return. If it's one point I'd like to get across to you
[00:10:55] this morning is that our God, he's a finisher. He's a finisher. Y'all remember
[00:11:03] back in the day when when your parents would tell you, now don't you go
[00:11:07] around starting no mess. But if somebody get up in your face, it probably was your
[00:11:13] dad that told you this. They said he said, listen if they started, you finish it. Amen.
[00:11:19] Y'all remember that? But let me tell you something about our God. If he starts it,
[00:11:25] he's gonna finish it. Amen. You know even when I think about Job, y'all know Job
[00:11:33] started, I mean you know y'all know God started that fight. Satan was bragging, I
[00:11:39] got everybody in the world, everybody. I got everybody. I'm controlling everybody
[00:11:43] and God said, but what about my servant Job? He started the fight and it didn't
[00:11:50] look like it was going well but at the end of it, Job got double for his
[00:11:55] trouble. Our God, he's a finisher. If he starts it, he can finish it. Now let's
[00:12:01] put up Ecclesiastes 9 and 11. Says this, I returned and saw under the sun that the
[00:12:11] race is not given to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither bread to the
[00:12:17] wise, nor riches to men of understanding. As the Holy Spirit led me to this verse,
[00:12:23] he had me concentrate, he had me focus on one particular word and that word is
[00:12:29] race. You guys, we are all in a race running and competing after the prize.
[00:12:37] Amen. 1 Corinthians 9 and 24 says this, this is Paul speaking, he says, know yet
[00:12:47] not that they which run in a race all run but one receives the prize. So run
[00:12:55] that you may obtain. So I want you to understand there are three parts to a
[00:13:02] race and like I said many of you raised your hand when I asked you have you ever
[00:13:05] ran track. There's three parts to a race. There's the start, there's the struggle
[00:13:13] and that's the effort you exert during your your race. Amen. And then
[00:13:19] there's the finish. There's the start, the struggle, and the finish. You guys
[00:13:27] remember when we were we were kids in the neighborhood y'all remember that and we
[00:13:31] wanted to see who was the fastest in the neighborhood so he was like I'm fast no
[00:13:35] I'm faster than you so y'all remember we would now in my neighborhood what we would
[00:13:39] do is we would run from from one street light to the next street light that's
[00:13:44] how we would do it or sometimes we would run from one tree to the next tree
[00:13:47] right. So I remember those days and I remember as we got you know we got to
[00:13:56] the pole and we both were standing there or three of us were standing there
[00:13:59] and somebody would say on your mark you remember you on your mark right and you
[00:14:06] guys this represents something in the spirit. Now if you guys remember the
[00:14:12] Olympics we just had the Olympics here just a couple months ago and if you
[00:14:16] like to watch track and feel like me and pasty D do that's our favorite part
[00:14:20] is the track and feel and you know when they get in the mark the mark is
[00:14:25] when you get at your starting point amen and that's the same thing for us this is
[00:14:31] the starting point on your mark. So we're going to look at some verses of
[00:14:36] scriptures in John chapter 3 this is Jesus speaking to Nicodemus he said
[00:14:43] Jesus answered and said unto him verily verily I say unto you accept or
[00:14:49] unless a man is born again that if you that's translated they're born again
[00:14:53] born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God what does this mean unless a man
[00:15:01] is born again he cannot see the kingdom that means until you are born of God
[00:15:08] Spirit you cannot understand comprehend or make sense of the things of God and
[00:15:16] you know Pastor Dean yes last night you totally shift gears and when I was
[00:15:23] working on my outline a couple days ago I sensed that there were people here that
[00:15:28] were not born again or either had walked with God but backslidden away from him
[00:15:34] and I was so grateful last night that you you didn't go with what you have
[00:15:39] prepared you sense the move of the spirit and I believe most of you dealt
[00:15:45] with whatever you had to deal with last night and I praise God but I'm gonna
[00:15:49] say if you weren't here last night or for some reason you still resisted the
[00:15:53] Holy Ghost tugging and pulling on you let today be your day let today be the day of
[00:16:00] salvation amen don't miss your chance because see this is on your mark this
[00:16:06] is the starting point let's read first Corinthians 2 and 14 because Jesus said
[00:16:14] unless a man is born again he cannot see he cannot understand he cannot
[00:16:17] comprehend the things of God but the natural man receives not the things of
[00:16:23] the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know
[00:16:29] them because they are spiritually discerned you guys until the Spirit of
[00:16:35] God comes and lives inside you and regenerates you you really cannot
[00:16:40] understand the things of God amen and so that's why sometimes the Bible says
[00:16:45] don't cast your pearl before it's why I don't get too deep when I'm talking to
[00:16:49] somebody when I discern that they're not believers I don't get too deep with them
[00:16:54] I don't talk to them about flat earth you know what I say do you have a
[00:17:01] personal relationship with Jesus see it's on your mark I'm trying to get them
[00:17:06] to the starting point of their race of their journey amen so I don't waste my
[00:17:12] time with that we got to get them see they'll never be able to understand the
[00:17:17] things of God until God's Spirit is abiding and living inside of them now
[00:17:23] let's go back to John chapter 3 we're gonna look at verse 5 this time Jesus
[00:17:29] answered and said verily verily I say unto you accept a man is born of water
[00:17:33] and of the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God you know I want to share
[00:17:41] with you guys something I believe the Holy Spirit showed me about this verse
[00:17:45] and I know pastor Dean you said did you believe the water is here represents
[00:17:49] when when they came in pierced Jesus side when he was being crucified and it
[00:17:53] said that was the water poured out of him and I do agree with that I do agree
[00:17:58] with that but I'd like to share with you what I believe the Holy Spirit has
[00:18:03] shown me unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit I believe that the
[00:18:10] water here represents the Word of God and often in the scriptures when you see
[00:18:17] the word water it represents God's Word I want to show you something and prove it
[00:18:22] to you look at Ephesians 5 we're gonna look at verses 25 and 26 says husbands
[00:18:30] love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for
[00:18:36] it or you could say for her verse 26 that he might sanctify and cleanse it or
[00:18:43] cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word amen now let's go to
[00:18:51] Romans chapter 10 we're gonna look at verses 13 and 14 and then we're gonna
[00:18:56] bring this home it says for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
[00:19:01] shall be saved how then shall they call upon him and whom they have not
[00:19:06] believed and how shall they believe on him whom they have not heard and how
[00:19:12] shall they hear without a preacher you guys every single one of us in this
[00:19:19] room that is a born-again believer is here because God sent somebody to get up
[00:19:26] in our Kool-Aid God sent somebody with the Word of God and told us about Jesus
[00:19:36] and what he what he did on the cross for us told us about the love of God told us
[00:19:41] about the blood of God told us about if we if you don't get it right in this
[00:19:45] life hellfire every single one of us is here because of that God says how would
[00:19:51] they know without a preacher unless somebody came with the word how would
[00:19:55] they know so I believe verse 5 here in John chapter 3 is the sequence of how
[00:20:02] salvation happens he said you got to be born of the water somebody got to bring
[00:20:07] you to work and you know even though there's people in the Middle East this
[00:20:11] has been going on for middle for many years now where the gospel is not being
[00:20:15] taught but Jesus is revealing himself in the dreams of these people in these
[00:20:21] Muslim countries but he's the living word right I say unto you unless a man
[00:20:28] is born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God
[00:20:34] amen so and then Jesus goes ahead and he he kind of seals it here in verse 6 he
[00:20:44] said he confirms it he said that which is born of flesh is flesh that talking
[00:20:49] about a natural birth and that which is born of spirit is spirit you must be
[00:20:56] born again that's the starting point like I said if you're in here today and
[00:21:02] the Holy Spirit is right now kind of tugging on you and poking you don't
[00:21:07] leave this conference without getting it right because the Bible says no man
[00:21:12] no day is promised to us amen so that's that's the start you remember like I
[00:21:18] said we it's on your mark what was the next thing we would say get set get
[00:21:25] set now this means that now that I'm in God and he and I'm walking with the Lord
[00:21:31] this is what this means I ain't going nowhere you got to get set first
[00:21:38] Corinthians 15 and 58 love this verse says therefore my beloved brethren be
[00:21:44] steadfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as
[00:21:53] you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord he said be steadfast be
[00:22:01] unmovable that means I won't be swayed by popular opinion but but Oprah said but
[00:22:13] dr. Phil said but my therapist said but the girls at work said girl I wouldn't
[00:22:22] stay with listen I am NOT going to be moved I'm set amen on your mark get set
[00:22:34] you guys I don't care if my family rejects me and in many ways they have
[00:22:42] I'm set I'm steadfast I'm unmovable I'm with Jesus I'm standing with Jesus
[00:22:53] there's only two genders a male and a female I'm set I can't be moved there's
[00:23:03] only one way to have a marriage for this reason shall a man leave his father and
[00:23:08] mother in Cleveland to his own wife and the two shall become one less there is
[00:23:13] no other marriage this is the blueprint for marriage and family God put it
[00:23:17] right there in Genesis I'm unmovable I won't move off that I see so many
[00:23:22] Christians being swayed and moved bowing to bail but I'm I'm set on your mark get
[00:23:33] set huh let's look at Habakkuk 3 and 19 I like this the Lord is my strength and
[00:23:42] he will make my feet like Heinz feet and he makes me to walk upon my high
[00:23:49] places oh I love that Heinz feet this is the feet of a deer or more likely the
[00:23:56] feet of a ram that helps them stay secure in the mountain so they won't slip
[00:24:02] or fall that's what God says he says if you get resolute in your mind and
[00:24:08] resolute in your spirit that you're gonna be set that you can't be moved
[00:24:12] he said I'll make your feet like Heinz feet and when you I'll take you to the
[00:24:18] high places and you won't slip or fall amen on your mark get set and what was
[00:24:30] the last thing we would say go right you know what this represents living with
[00:24:38] purpose living with purpose look at Matthew 6 and 33 but seek you first the
[00:24:46] kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you
[00:24:54] put first can I ask you a couple questions it's football before church
[00:25:05] sometimes you stay home and watch the Alabama game instead of going to church
[00:25:13] movies before prayer put first this is living with purpose and I always tell
[00:25:25] young singles or especially young singles who are believing God for mate
[00:25:30] this particular verse just seek after God go after God you don't have to date
[00:25:39] dating ain't biblical anyway world that's from the enemy oh go try it out
[00:25:45] go see if you like it have sex with this person have sex with that person that's
[00:25:51] never was God's will you know we have had three marriages in our church family
[00:25:56] in the last what six months pastor Dean can I tell you what it was seek you first
[00:26:03] Kelsey it was seek you first yes she gave me a thumbs up because that woman's
[00:26:10] been seeking after God I've been watching her for years and guess what God added
[00:26:15] unto her but it's living with purpose for God and every one of those three
[00:26:24] marriages happened the exact same way they weren't dating all of a sudden the Bible
[00:26:30] says when a man finds a wife he finds a good thing and obtain favor from the
[00:26:35] Lord that word finds there don't mean you go looking and dating that means
[00:26:39] you go after God you seek the kingdom first and then one day God that word
[00:26:44] find literally means to happen upon or to discover it'll just happen you might
[00:26:52] be going with her going to church with her for months years and all of a
[00:26:57] sudden the Lord will let you see in a different way what and you're running
[00:27:04] the pastor Dean pastor Dean I think God is saying someone's so supposed to be
[00:27:09] my wife that's how it happens in God and if you look in the Old Testament
[00:27:13] looking screws exactly how God did it seek you first go live with purpose
[00:27:21] James 2 17 and 18 says even so faith if it has not works it is dead being alone
[00:27:30] yay a man may say or you could say one man may say you have faith and I have
[00:27:37] works show me your faith without your works and I'll show you my faith by my
[00:27:43] works what was James talking about here was he talking about working for your
[00:27:47] salvation we know that's not what he was talking about so James says faith without
[00:27:53] works is dead amen so real faith always has corresponding action right always has
[00:28:06] corresponding action you know I've over the years I've seen people and they say
[00:28:11] you know I just can't find a job I said well have you gotten up and looked for a
[00:28:18] job well no have you put on your best suit your best shoes put on a little
[00:28:25] smell good and walk in there you know I used to tell my kids when they were
[00:28:30] going up I said now if you're gonna go and you're trying to get a job I said
[00:28:33] you only get one chance to make a first impression and y'all when I used to be
[00:28:39] and I needed a job I'll be so clean I walk up in there I'm gonna say they're
[00:28:44] gonna remember Troy towns when I walk out of here I come and give them a resume
[00:28:49] because look there's probably a hundred people gonna walk in that door I have
[00:28:52] seen people where I work now come in and look for a job and they look at
[00:28:56] raggedy wrinkled clothes I'm like you're trying to get a job but there always
[00:29:04] has to be corresponding act so I can be praying say God I need a job but you
[00:29:08] know what I got to get up and do I got to have some corresponding action I got to
[00:29:11] get up take a shower put on some clothes and go talk to some people and then while
[00:29:15] I'm doing that God will let me have favor with somebody I go and talk to
[00:29:20] it's always corresponding action what about giving into the kingdom you know
[00:29:25] everybody is my God social ply all my needs according to his riches and glory
[00:29:30] but can I tell you the corresponding action behind that that really shows
[00:29:35] you have faith when you write out that check and you put it in the offering or
[00:29:42] you pay your tithes and offering you know what it's saying to God God I have
[00:29:46] faith that if I give this that it's gonna come back to me and good measure
[00:29:53] press down shaking together running over shall men give unto my bosom there's
[00:29:58] always corresponding action you know even if there's gonna be a healing I
[00:30:05] remember Jesus healed a man and he said rise take up thy bed and walk but you
[00:30:10] want to know what the corresponding action is and and and when somebody's
[00:30:13] praying for you to be healed sometimes you'll hear that you'll see the man or
[00:30:16] the woman of God say well stretch it out stretch that leg out see there's some
[00:30:21] corresponding action that means that you believe or get up rise take up your
[00:30:26] bed and walk amen so it's on your mark get set and go amen you got to start
[00:30:38] working for the Lord doing things for the Lord in a race there's only three
[00:30:45] things that will keep you from finishing and getting a prize number one a false
[00:30:52] start right and let me tell you what this is this is when a babe tries to take
[00:31:01] on too much too soon it's a false start you guys I've seen many Christians come
[00:31:09] out the block on fire for God all kinds of zeal then they try to do a
[00:31:17] meat work without going through the full maturation process you guys it's
[00:31:24] got to be milk first first Peter two and two says this as newborn babes desire
[00:31:32] the sincere milk of the word that you may grow there by you know in the
[00:31:40] natural when they're getting ready to race like I said they get in the blocks
[00:31:44] and they're waiting for somebody to shoot the gun to get them started but if
[00:31:48] you go too soon that's called a false start and you're disqualified but I'm
[00:31:54] gonna say this yes we do want to start on the milk but eventually you got to be
[00:32:01] weaned from the milk amen there are some of you have been saved for 20 years or
[00:32:08] longer and you still sucking on the bottle I can't go to the deep things of
[00:32:13] God with you I want to read Hebrews 6 and 1 says therefore let us leave the
[00:32:21] elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity I'd like to read that in
[00:32:27] the New Living Translation and actually this is the next level ministries
[00:32:32] foundational verse when when God spoke to me a number of years ago and told us
[00:32:36] to start the church this was the verse he gave me was our foundational
[00:32:40] scripture and we actually use it we had it on one of our cards one time and I
[00:32:45] have it in the New Living Translation it says so let us stop going over the
[00:32:50] basic teachings about Christ again and again let us go on instead and become
[00:32:58] mature in our understanding hence the name next level ministries y'all know what I
[00:33:07] say at our ministry right you stay with us we're gonna keep taking you to the
[00:33:12] next level amen so God some of you just you've been in the milk phase for a
[00:33:21] long time you haven't gone on into maturity so I want to give you some
[00:33:27] examples of this in the natural that I've seen you know examples of entertainers
[00:33:32] like you'll see a singer or an actor they'll get saved they'll be on all the
[00:33:37] Christian networks right they'll be talking about how they got saved and
[00:33:41] this and that and then about a year or two later you'll see them come out with
[00:33:47] another rap album on the videos be half naked women shaking and doing things that
[00:33:56] are unseemly or you'll see that actor and they'll go back and do another
[00:34:03] R-rated movie with an elaborate sex scene and you'll think to yourself but
[00:34:09] hold up did not just see them on TV in about a year ago talking about they had
[00:34:13] given their life to the Lord see this is a false start this is somebody that
[00:34:18] got saved and because of their celebrity they push them out there and they push
[00:34:24] them out too soon and they never get grounded and rooted in the Word of God
[00:34:30] so that's the false start here's number two you don't stay in your lane you
[00:34:41] don't stay in your lane and I gotta tell you guys a story about me before we read
[00:34:46] this scripture but it's been about almost a year and a half ago I have been
[00:34:53] driving a hoopty for a long time and I told you I said no the last two we bought
[00:34:58] they were for you and when I gave all of our kids cars and stuff like that I
[00:35:02] said this next one I'm getting for me and my boss that I work for I always
[00:35:09] pick on him because I say I said man the next time I buy a car I'm gonna buy
[00:35:13] it from you he's got like eight cars I said I'm coming to your car lot I'm
[00:35:15] coming to your house I'm gonna pick out when he would always laugh but he was
[00:35:20] every now and then drive this Mercedes Roadster to work and I would walk past
[00:35:27] I said man that's a bad car oh my god I would look so good in that and so and I
[00:35:33] had a thought in my mind I said I wonder if he would sell it to me for this
[00:35:36] amount because I knew how much I could afford and so then one day I was at
[00:35:40] work he was back and we were both back in the lab and I said Wes I said
[00:35:45] how much would you I said I know you got a lot of cars which one of them
[00:35:48] would you sell he said I would sell the so-and-so and he said I would probably
[00:35:51] sell the Mercedes I said how much would you sell the Mercedes for you guys it was
[00:35:55] the exact amount to the penny of what I said I could buy it for I said oh I'm
[00:36:02] getting this oh yeah and so I went home and told Dee I'm about to get this
[00:36:07] Mercedes so this is so bad and Dee said Troy uh-uh bro don't do it I just sense
[00:36:15] you don't need to get that car and I listened to him say I'm getting this
[00:36:19] Mercedes I'm gonna be looking good this thing I'm gonna be looking good riding
[00:36:23] in this thing and so one day my boss Wes brought it he gave me the keys he said
[00:36:29] you ready to go to lunch he said just take it on your lunch break and go drive
[00:36:33] it so I took it out there cranked it up got in oh my god never driven a
[00:36:39] Mercedes before so I got in it drove it to my mechanic and I pulled it up and I
[00:36:44] said Sam come here man so I'm thinking about buying this car what do you
[00:36:48] think Sam looked at it he said Troy I wouldn't buy it for this week he gave me
[00:36:53] about five reasons why he wouldn't buy it I got back in the car start driving
[00:36:59] back to work and I heard the Lord speak to me stay in your lane y'all like I'm
[00:37:07] hearing myself talk right now I heard the Lord says stay in your lane I said
[00:37:12] alright Lord I hear you so I went back and told him I wasn't going to buy it
[00:37:18] now I told you that story for a reason let's look at 1st Corinthians 12 and I'm
[00:37:24] gonna go there myself 1st Corinthians 12 we're gonna read verses 27 through 31
[00:37:31] says now you are the body of Christ and members in particular and God have set
[00:37:39] some in the church first apostles secondarily prophets thirdly teachers after
[00:37:43] that miracles then gifts of healing helps governments diversities of tongues
[00:37:49] are all apostles are all prophets are all teachers all workers of miracles have
[00:37:55] all the gift of healing you all speak with tongues meaning having the gift of
[00:38:00] tongues do all interpret but covet earnestly the best gifts and yet show I
[00:38:06] unto you a more excellent way and the verse I want to concentrate on here is
[00:38:14] verse 27 he said but you are members of the body of Christ and members in
[00:38:20] particular you are a particular member of the body of Christ right and you have
[00:38:29] to understand what you are and what your function is so if you are an ear
[00:38:35] don't try to be a mouth God has not ordained every person to come up and
[00:38:41] speak and bring the word right I've seen people that are ears try to be mouths they
[00:38:46] want to get up and believe they're getting the adulation of men if you're
[00:38:51] a deacon don't try to be a pastor amen and if you're a foot don't try to be a
[00:38:58] hand when you don't stay in your lane this will cause confusion and it will
[00:39:04] stir up strife don't emulate others be what God has called you to be all of
[00:39:12] you that ran track you remember if you're running and somebody comes over
[00:39:16] in your lane that just that just throws you off doesn't it makes you want to
[00:39:20] elbow me hey man get out my lane amen and that's the way it is in the body of
[00:39:25] Christ stay in your lane amen because you don't want to be disqualified that
[00:39:30] way and here's the third reason you follow but don't get back up
[00:39:38] Proverbs 24 and 16 says for a just or a righteous man fall of seven times and
[00:39:46] rises up again they say that a cat has nine lives I don't know about that but I
[00:39:54] know that God's Word says that if you're a believer you can fall seven times and
[00:40:02] get back up you guys a fall is not a stumble a fall is not stubbing your big
[00:40:10] toe it's a fall but God says if you're in me you can fall seven times and get
[00:40:20] back up y'all don't let the enemy tell you you've messed up this time you're
[00:40:26] you're an absolute failure you're just a nobody you can't start over it's too
[00:40:33] late that's not what God's Word says he said if you fail you had a real bad
[00:40:41] fall you really messed up God said get back up and you know why you can do it
[00:40:49] because God is with you and if God is for you who can be against you amen
[00:40:58] we're gonna watch this video one more time and this time when I when we watch
[00:41:09] this video I want you to watch it and think about your race and are you going
[00:41:17] to finish strong and I'm gonna tell you there's two of my favorite runners in
[00:41:23] this video there's two of them one of them is that white guy who just his
[00:41:29] stride he was going for it he was finishing strong he was the one that
[00:41:33] flipped over after the race he he just blessed me but my favorite one is the
[00:41:41] lady who fell and she could have stayed there and she could have said I messed up
[00:41:49] God it's too late I can't get back in the race but not only did she get up she
[00:42:00] finished the race but not only did she finish the race she won let's watch this
[00:42:12] video one more time
[00:42:16] the United States lost to East Germany on this final event
[00:42:20] and they had a full muscle Mike Franks coming through now the crowd going in
[00:42:24] response to that earlier incident what a controversy what a finish to this
[00:42:28] World Cup as the Africans are pushing back
[00:42:31] what a fantastic effort by Franks unbelievable run unbelievable by Franks
[00:42:59] we just saw them Mitchell stumbled so she's gonna have to go out looks like
[00:43:27] Rosa Flanagan out in front oh this is a turn up at Vic Mitchell coming home Rosa
[00:43:32] Flanagan the 18 year old from New Zealand coming over the final steeple
[00:43:37] Vic Mitchell coming from way back she tripped out the final water jump but
[00:43:43] look at this as she storms over the line
[00:43:45] big Mitchell come back there unofficial time is 9.56
[00:43:50] to the World Cup champion
[00:44:06] he's sucking up
[00:44:09] he's making a move as well
[00:44:13] 8.7
[00:44:31] 15
[00:44:36] the team will make it to the post-op
[00:44:38] and they're going to make it to the post-op
[00:44:40] and they're going to come back
[00:44:42] and they're going to make it to the post-op
[00:44:44] they're going to come back
[00:44:46] What did you see?
[00:44:48] The ballman!
[00:44:49] The ballman!
[00:44:51] The ballman!
[00:44:52] And the Olympian!
[00:44:53] Ballman!
[00:44:54] The Olympian!
[00:44:55] The ballman!
[00:44:56] The ballman finds the best way to catch up!
[00:45:00] That's it!
[00:45:03] It overtakes him, 600 meters in one, 1798, Matt is very far.
[00:45:07] And Barbosa goes past Brown and look at Ayran come now!
[00:45:13] Look at the Olympic champion, it's absolutely breathtaking!
[00:45:17] It's stormed up to Barbosa and Aaron has gone past.
[00:45:21] Barbosa holds on, there are only too many.
[00:45:25] The Olympic champion and the defending champion,
[00:45:27] and that is a storming round.
[00:45:29] Look at the clock, 144.85,
[00:45:33] and Sebastian goes for a record start.
[00:45:40] That's East Germany to Evelyn.
[00:45:46] Barbese, Gleicher, and it comes us up.
[00:46:03] Finish strong.
[00:46:06] Some of you out there may be like me
[00:46:11] and have made some real, real bad mistakes.
[00:46:18] Y'all, there's skeletons in my closet
[00:46:22] that I want anyone to know about.
[00:46:26] But God is saying if you are sincere in your heart
[00:46:31] and have repented of those things,
[00:46:34] He said, I remember them no more.
[00:46:39] He said, finish strong, finish strong.
[00:46:47] I wanna end with one more scripture.
[00:46:52] We're gonna look at Philippians chapter three.
[00:46:57] We're gonna read verses 12 through 14.
[00:47:01] As I read this, think about yourself.
[00:47:06] Paul said, not as though I have already attained,
[00:47:13] either were already perfect or perfected,
[00:47:20] but I follow after if that I may apprehend that,
[00:47:25] which I am also apprehended of Christ Jesus.
[00:47:33] He says, brother, I count not myself to have apprehended,
[00:47:38] but this one thing I do, forgetting those things
[00:47:45] that are behind and reaching forth to those things
[00:47:53] which are before I press toward the mark
[00:48:00] of the prize of the high call of God in Christ Jesus.
[00:48:09] You know, last night seemed like every person
[00:48:14] that I prayed for last night
[00:48:17] was dealing with the spirit of condemnation.
[00:48:21] They were listening to what the enemy was saying about them
[00:48:25] and not what God was saying about them.
[00:48:30] Condemnation is a demonic spirit that gets in your ear
[00:48:35] and tells you, you're nobody, you're messed up,
[00:48:40] you can never start over again.
[00:48:45] But I'm telling you what God is saying today,
[00:48:49] forget those things that are behind.
[00:48:52] God says, as long as you repent it, he said,
[00:48:55] it's as far as the east is from the west.
[00:48:59] He said, forget those things that are behind
[00:49:01] and look at the things I'm telling you to do now.
[00:49:03] Look at the things that are before you.
[00:49:05] Look at the ministry that is before you
[00:49:09] and press towards that mark.
[00:49:13] God says, finish, I got a couple minutes.
[00:49:23] I wanna end in prayer.
[00:49:27] So Father God, Lord, we come before you right now
[00:49:37] and we thank you for this word today
[00:49:41] because Lord, many were struggling.
[00:49:45] They were thinking, God, they just don't know
[00:49:50] what I've done in my past.
[00:49:56] But Lord, you're saying, don't worry about that.
[00:50:00] A righteous man can fall seven times,
[00:50:02] he can get back up and he can finish strong.
[00:50:07] And Father, we're in this season,
[00:50:10] we're in the end of the end times
[00:50:14] and you want your church to have purpose,
[00:50:19] to be steadfast and immovable.
[00:50:23] Lord, you said you would set our feet like Heinz feet.
[00:50:29] Father, I pray right now
[00:50:31] that those who have not forgiven themselves
[00:50:34] will forgive themselves in this moment.
[00:50:38] They'll get back up, finish their race
[00:50:43] and finish strong.
[00:50:47] Amen.