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>> WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT,
RIGHT NOW,
TRAINING TO BE A WARRIOR.
OK?
HOW DO YOU TRAIN
TO BE A WARRIOR THAT OVERCOMES?
NOW,
WE USE THE WORD WARRIOR BECAUSE,
HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS KNOW THAT
WE'RE IN A SPIRITUAL BATTLE?
HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS KNOW THAT?
RIGHT?
WE ARE.
WE ARE IN A SPIRITUAL BATTLE
AND THE ENEMY IS CONSTANTLY
TRYING TO MESS YOU UP,
HE'S TRYING TO TAKE YOU OUT
OVER AND OVER AGAIN, OK?
NOW,
HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS KNOW,
IN A PHYSICAL WAR,
WE DON'T JUST GRAB SOME PEOPLE
OFF THE STREET,
AND JUST YOU KNOW,
THROW THEM ON THE BATTLEFIELD
AND SAY,
GO GET 'EM! RIGHT?
CUZ THOSE PEOPLE
WOULD JUST GET TAKEN OUT
WOULDN'T THEY?
SO WHAT WE DO
IS WE HAVE INSTITUTIONS
WHERE WE TRAIN OUR WARRIORS,
RIGHT?
WE TRAIN THEM
SO THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL
ON THE BATTLE FIELD. OK?
AND I FEEL LIKE FOR ALOT OF US
AS CHRISTIANS,
WE MISS THIS POINT.
YOU KNOW,
WE JUST TRAIN,
WE JUST KIND OF,
YOU KNOW,
SHOW UP AND WE THINK
THAT WE'RE GONNA BE PREPARED
TO FIGHT THE SPIRITUAL BATTLES
THAT ARE GONNA MEET US
AS SOON AS
WE WALK OUT THESE DOORS.
AND BECAUSE WE DON'T
TRAIN OURSELVES,
JUST LIKE WHAT HAPPENED
WITH ANYBODY IN A NATURAL WAR
THAT GOT THROWN OUT IN THE
BATTLEFIELD WITH NO TRAINING,
WE'D GET MOWED DOWN,
RIGHT?
TEMPTATION COMES OUR WAY,
THE PRESSURES OF THE ENEMY,
AND BAM,
THERE WE ARE,
FLAT ON OUR BACK.
GETTING BORN AGAIN
IS THE FIRST STEP, RIGHT?
BUT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT MORE
THAT COMES AFTER THAT
BEING BORN AGAIN RIGHT?
IN FACT,
THE BIBLE WARNS US,
SAYS LISTEN,
YOU ARE BEING BORN AGAIN,
BUT IT'S ALOT MORE THAN THAT,
YOUR'E BEING BORN AGAIN
INTO A SPIRITUAL WAR ZONE.
>> WE REALIZE
THERE'S A REAL WAR GOING ON HERE
AND WE CAN'T TREAT IT
LIKE A FAKE BATTLE,
BECAUSE IF WE DO,
THE ENEMY'S JUST GONNA CONTINUE
TO BURN US UP IN THAT FIRE
BECAUSE IT IS REAL, RIGHT?
SO WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE
THAT WE'RE PREPARED
AND THE BIBLE WARNS US
ABOUT THIS KIND OF,
YOU KNOW, NONCHALANT MENTALITY.
IT TALKS ABOUT,
IT'S KINDA FUNNY,
IT TALKS ABOUT IT
IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 5.
VERSES 12-14, IT SAYS THIS,
IT SAYS,
"IN FACT THOUGH
BY THIS TIME
YOU OUGHT TO BE TEACHERS,
YOU NEED SOMEONE TO TEACH YOU
THE ELEMENTARY TRUTHS OF GOD'S
WORD OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
IT SAID YOU NEED MILK
AND NOT SOLID FOOD,
IT SAID,
ANYONE WHO LIVES ON MILK
BEING STILL AN INFANT
IS NOT ACQUAINTED
WITH THE TEACHING
ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS.
BUT SOLID FOOD
IS FOR THE MATURE,O STUS
HAVE TRAINED THEMSELVES,"
THERE'S THAT WORD,
"TO DISTINGUISH GOOD AND EVIL"
AND SO HERE'S WHAT PAUL'S SAYING
HE'S BASICALLY TALKING
TO THE CHURCH.
AND HE'S SAYING LISTEN
YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN IN CHURCH
A LONG TIME,
MAYBE LIKE SOME OF YOU GUYS,
YOU'VE BEEN IN YOUTH GROUP
YOUR LIFE,
HE'S SAYING
YOU SHOULD BE TEACHING
OTHER PEOPLE.
YOU SHOULD BE TEACHING PEOPLE
LEFT AND RIGHT
HOW TO WALK THIS WALK
WITH JESUS CHRIST.
BUT HE SAID MOST OF YOU,
HE SAID,
YOU GUYS NEED TO BE TAUGHT
THE ELEMENTARY TRUTHS
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
HE BASICALLY SAYS
YOU GUYS
ARE LIKE SPIRITUAL BABIES
THAT'S WHAT HE'S TELLING THESE
PEOPLE RIGHT?
AND I THINK SOME OF US,
THAT'S A GOOD ANALOGY FOR US,
AND SOME OF US,
MAYBE WE'RE
LIKE SPIRITUAL BABIES
WE'VE NEVER REALLY TRAINED
OURSELVES EFFECTIVELY.
AND SO AS A RESULT,
YOU KNOW,
BEING A BABY IS NOT THAT FUN.
BEING A BABY,
YOU CAN'T DO ANY OF THE STUFF
THAT MATURE PEOPLE CAN DO,
LIKE WALK, RIGHT?
OR RUN,
OR JUMP OR FEED YOURSELF,
WITHOUT SOMEONE PLAYING AIRPLANE
WE ARE EXPECTED
TO GROW OUT OF OUR DIAPERS.
AND IT'S THE SAME THING
WITH THE LORD,
IS THAT WE'RE EXPECTED
TO GROW UP.
WE'RE EXPECTED NOT TO BE BABIES
ANYMORE,
AND HERE'S WHY
I USE THAT EXAMPLE.
IT'S BECAUSE
IF YOU TAKE SPIRITUAL MATURITY
OF A BABY,
AND YOU TAKE THAT EXAMPLE,
AND YOU BRING IT BACK
TO KIND OF A REAL LIFE EXAMPLE,
HOW EFFECTIVE
WOULD BABIES BE
AT FIGHTING A WAR?
NOT VERY EFFECTIVE RIGHT?
THEY'D BE EASY TARGET PRACTICE
FOR THE ENEMY.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE YOU GUYS,
I THINK SOMETIMES
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE SPIRITUALLY.
BECAUSE WE'VE STAYED INFANTS
SPIRITUALLY WE HAVEN'T REALLY
TRAINED OURSELVES
DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
READING OUR BIBLES,
GROWING IN THE WORD,
GETTING STRONGER IN GOD.
WE'RE LIKE SPIRITUAL BABIES,
AND WHEN THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE
COMES TO US,
BAM, WE KEEP FALLING OVER.
AND THEN WE THINK TO OURSELVES,
MAYBE THIS JESUS THING
ISN'T REAL.
MAYBE NOBODY CAN REALLY FOLLOW
THIS WALK WITH GOD,
MAYBE HE CAN'T
REALLY HELP ME GROW.
NOPE,
THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
HE REALLY CAN HELP YOU GROW.
THIS THING WITH JESUS
REALLY IS REAL,
AND LIFE CHANGING,
BUT IT'S MEANT TO BE APPLIED
TO YOUR LIFE EVERY DAY,
NOT ONCE A YEAR.
WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT
HOW DO TRAIN OURSELVES
TO BE A WARRIOR,
THAT MEANS
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO START
DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY
TO TRAIN OURSELVES
TO GET STRONG.
YOU GUYS READY TO FIND OUT
HOW TO DO THIS?
ALRIGHT, WELL THERE'S A GUY
THAT LIVED MANY CENTURIES AGO,
AND HE LIVED ACTUALLY
IN THE REGION OF CHINA,
AND HIS NAME WAS TSUNG ZU. OK?
YOU GUYS WANNA SAY THAT
WITH ME ONE TIME?
IT'S KIND OF FUN
TSUNG ZU.
I KNOW IT JUST ROLLS
OFF THE TONGUE.
BUT ANYWAYS, THIS GUY
WROTE A BOOK
CALLED THE ART OF WAR,
AND EVEN THOUGH THIS BOOK
IS CENTURIES OLD,
PEOPLE SAY
THAT IT'S ONE
OF THE MOST PROFOUND BOOKS
ON WAR EVER WRITTEN.
AND WHEN WE WERE LOOKING
AT THIS
I FOUND A QUOTE IN THERE
THAT I FEEL WE CAN LEARN
TO TRAIN OURSELVES
AND GET STRONG
IN THIS SPIRITUAL BATTLE
FROM WHAT HE TALKED ABOUT
BEING IN NATURAL BATTLES.
AND THIS IS THE COMMENT
THAT HE MADE.
HE SAYS,
"IF YOU KNOW YOURSELF
AND YOU KNOW YOUR ENEMY,
YOU DON'T NEED TO FEAR
THE RESULT OF 100 BATTLES."
HE SAYS,
"BUT IF YOU KNOW YOURSELF
AND NOT YOUR ENEMY,
FOR EVERY VICTORY
YOU'RE GOING TO SUFFER DEFEAT."
AND SO HOW DOES THE ENEMY
ATTACK US?
LISTEN ONE WORD,
THE ENEMY ATTACKS US
WITH DECEPTION.
HE DECEIVES US INTO THINKING
THAT SIN REALLY IS BETTER
THAN WHAT WE KNOW IS RIGHT,
AND ONCE HE DOES THAT
HE CAN MESS WITH OUR LIVES.
AND SO THE BIBLE IS TELLING US,
IN FACT, PAUL,
HE WROTE HALF THE NEW TESTAMENT,
IN ALL HIS LETTERS HE SAID,
YOU KNOW, LISTEN,
I'M TELLING YOU THESE THINGS
SO THAT YOU DON'T GET DECEIVED
BY THE HIGH SOUNDING ARGUMENTS
OF THE ENEMY.
CUZ HE'S SAYING
HIS WEAPON'S DECEPTION
AND HE'S REALLY GOOD AT IT.
SO WE KNOW OUR ENEMY,
NUMBER 1,
NUMBER 2 WE GOTTA KNOW OURSELVES
MIKE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN
KNOW YOURSELF?
WELL, THE FIRST THING
YOU NEED TO KNOW,
WHERE ARE YOUR AREAS
OF WEAKNESS?
WHERE ARE YOUR AREAS
OF GREATEST TEMPTATION,
WHAT ARE THE AREAS
THAT YOU FIND THE ENEMY,
YOU KNOW, CAUSING YOU
TO FALL THE MOST IN?
SOME OF THE AREAS
OF YOUR GREATEST STRUGGLE,
BECAUSE ONCE YOU KNOW
THAT YOU KNOW
WHERE THE ENEMY
IS GOING TO ATTACK.
YOU SEE, YOUR AREAS
OF WEAKNESS,
YOU GUYS, THEY'RE LIKE GAPS
IN YOUR ARMOR.
AND WHAT THE ENEMY
IS GOING TO DO
IS HE KNOWS AS SOON
AS YOU GET HOME
FROM ACQUIRE THE FIRE,
YOU KNOW WHERE
HE'S GOING TO TRY
TO ATTACK YOU?
RIGHT IN YOUR AREA
OF WEAKNESS.
MAYBE IT'S A BOYFRIEND
GIRLFRIEND
MAYBE IT'S DEPRESSION,
MAYBE IT'S YOU KNOW, PARTYING,
WHATEVER.
AND HE'S GONNA GO
RIGHT FOR THAT AREA.
AND SO WHEN WE KNOW THE ENEMY
HE'S GONNA DECEIVE US
IN OUR AREAS OF WEAKNESS,
WE'VE GOTTA KNOW OURSELVES,
WHAT ARE THOSE AREAS
SO WE CAN GET STRONG
IN THOSE AREAS.
IT'S KINDA LIKE THIS,
IF YOU KNEW THE ENEMY
HAD A SWORD,
AND HE WAS GOING TO STRIKE
RIGHT FOR YOUR KNEE CAP,
AND YOU HAD A SHIELD,
NOW YOU KNOW
YOU CAN BLOCK IT
BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOUR ENEMY,
YOU KNOW YOU'RE AREA OF WEAKNESS
BAM, YOU CAN STOP
HIS ATTACKS, RIGHT?
IF YOU WANT TO STAND STRONG,
YOU NEED TO FIND
THOSE AREAS OF WEAKNESS,
AND GET SOME TRUTH
AND START FILLING YOURSELF
WITH TRUTH IN THOSE AREAS.
AND IF YOU'LL DO THAT,
GUESS WHAT?
THE ENEMY'S GONNA TRY
TO MAKE YOU FALL
LIKE HE DID EVERY OTHER TIME,
BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN
WHEN HE SWINGS, "DING!"
SOMEBODY GOT STRONG. RIGHT?
AND YOU BLOCK THAT ATTACK,
AND YOU DON'T FALL
IN THE AREAS
THAT YOU USED TO.
YOU GUYS LOOK,
YOU WANNA BE STRONG IN GOD?
YOU WANNA HAVE
A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
THAT REALLY DOES MEET
THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART?
MAN I'M TELLING YOU,
YOU CAN HAVE IT,
YOU REALLY CAN,
BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN
JUST ACCIDENTALLY.
IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN
AS YOU PURSUE THE LORD
AND TRAIN YOURSELF
IN SPIRITUAL THINGS,
YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW GOD
THE WAY YOU DESIRE.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE STRONG
THE WAY YOU DESIRE.
YOU KNOW PAUL GIVES US A HINT,
I LOVE IT.
IN 1ST CORINTHIANS 9
HE SAYS THIS. HE SAYS,
"DON'T YOU KNOW THAT IN A RACE
ALL THE RUNNERS RUN,
BUT ONLY ONE GET'S THE PRIZE?"
HE SAID,
"RUN IN SUCH A WAY
AS TO GET THE PRIZE,"
HE SAID,
"EVERYONE WHO COMPETES
IN THE GAMES
GOES INTO STRICT TRAINING.
THEY DO IT FOR A CROWN
THAT WILL NOT LAST,
BUT WE DO IT TO GET A CROWN
THAT WILL LAST FOREVER."
THE KEY IS,
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO
WHEN YOU LEAVE?
ARE YOU GOING TO
TAKE IT SERIOUSLY?
ARE YOU GOING
TO TRAIN YOURSELF?
BECAUSE IF YOU DO,
GOD WILL CHANGE YOU,
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE
TO WORRY ABOUT STANDING STRONG,
YOU WILL STAND STRONG.
BUT IT DEPENDS ON WHAT
YOU PUT INTO PRACTICE
WHEN YOU LEAVE.
LET ME REALLY QUICKLY
JUST SHOW YOU
HOW BADLY WE NEED THIS OK?
>> LOOK,
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE ARMY
OF GOD RIGHT?
WE'RE SUPPOSE TO BE THE PEOPLE
THAT ARE RESCUING
THOSE AROUND US,
AND MAYBE WE WONDER,
YOU KNOW,
YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD
THE STATISTIC,
4% OF YOUR GENERATION
ARE BIBLE BELIEVING CHRISTIANS,
4%. AND WE GO,
WELL WHY IS THAT?
YOU KNOW WHY THAT IS?
BECAUSE WE HAVE NTO TRAINED
OURSELVES ENOUGH
TO WHERE WE CAN
EFFECTIVELY RESCUE
A GENERATION.
AND ON TOP OF THAT,
MY LAST QUESTION FOR YOU IS,
YOU KNOW WHAT,
I THINK THAT MOST OF US,
NOT ONLY HAVE WE NOT TRAINED
OURSELVES TO RESCUE OTHERS,
WE HAVEN'T EVEN TRAINED
OURSELVES TO RESCUE OURSELVES.
YOU GUYS,
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MAY KIDS
I TALK TO,
BATTLECRY.COM
I TALK TO KIDS EVERY WEEK,
CHRISTIANS STRUGGLING
WITH CUTTING,
DEPRESSION,
DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE,
HAVING SEX WITH THEIR BOYFRIEND
OR GIRLFRIEND,
AND THESE ARE THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE SUPPOSED
TO HAVE THE ANSWER.
STRUGGLING WITH DEPRESSION
AND ADDICTION,
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE
THAT ALL THE ANSWERS OF LIFE
ARE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US,
AND WE ARE STILL STRUGGLING
WITH THESE THINGS?
AND I'M NOT SAYING
THAT IT DOESN'T TAKE TIME
TO GROW OUT OF THEM,
BUT WE'RE STRUGGLING
TO THE POINT
WHERE WE'RE NOT EVEN CHANGING
AT ALL.
YOU GUYS,
HAVE YOU TAKEN THE TIME TO TRAIN
YOURSELF IN THOSE AREAS?
LISTEN,
IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH JOY,
OR STRUGGLING
WITH LACK OF PEACE,
HAVE YOU LOOKED AT
WHAT THE BIBLE
HAS TO SAY ABOUT IT?
DID YOU KNOW
THAT THE ANSWER
IS IN HERE
ON HOW TO WALK IN JOY?
SOME PEOPLE SAY
WELL MIKE
I CAN'T WALK IN JOY
BECAUSE THE CIRCUMSTANCES
OF MY LIFE ARE SO BAD.
LISTEN, I GOT A CLUE FOR YA,
IF THAT'S HOW YOU FEEL.
DO YOU KNOW JOY IS NOT
AN EMOTION?
IF IT WAS,
IT'S NOT, IT'S A CHOICE.
IF IT WASN'T A CHOICE,
THE BIBLE COULD NOT COMMAND YOU
TO BE JOYFUL.
THE VERY FACT THAT
IT COMMANDS YOU OF IT
PROVES THAT IT IS A CHOICE.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
SO I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME,
YOU WANNA BE JOYFUL?
TAKE SOME TIME
AND WHAT STEALS OUR JOY
IS WHEN WE THINK ABOUT ALL
THE OTHER JUNK THAT'S GOING ON
IN OUR LIFE.
TAKE SOME TIME MAYBE
AND START THINKIN' ABOUT MAYBE
SOME OF THE GOOD THINGS
THAT ARE GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE,
YOU LIVE HERE,
IN THE UNITED STATES,
YOU HAVE MORE FOOD
THAN YOU COULD EVER EAT.
YOU'VE CLOTHES THAT YOU GET
TO WEAR EVERY DAY.
YOU KNOW 90% OF THE WORLD
DOESN'T HAVE THAT?
YOU KNOW,
THINK ABOUT ALL THE GOD THINGS
THAT ARE GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE,
YOU'RE SAVED,
YOU'RE GOING TO HEAVEN,
YOU KNOW,
YOU THINK ABOUT SOME
OF THAT STUFF,
ALL OF A SUDDEN JOY
STARTS TO COME IN, WHY?
BECAUSE YOU BEGIN TO DO
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS,
WHATEVER THINGS ARE GOOD,
WHATEVER THINGS ARE PEACEABLE,
WHATEVER THINGS ARE PURE,
THINK ON THESE THINGS. RIGHT?
HEY GUYS,
I'M TELLING YOU MAN,
YOU, YOU'RE STRUGGLING
IN BONDAGE,
THE ANSWER'S IN HERE.
YOU'RE STRUGGLING.
GOD I WANT MORE PASSION FOR YOU,
I WANT YOU TO REVEAL YOURSELF
TO ME,
HOW DO I FIND YOU?
THE ANSWER'S IN HERE.
THE QUESTION IS SIMPLY THIS,
HAVE YOU TRAINED YOURSELF?
HERE'S WHAT I'M GONNA TELL YOU
RIGHT NOW,
LISTEN,
SOME OF YOU GUYS CAME HERE
THIS WEEKEND
YOU'RE DESPERATE
FOR SOMETHING REAL,
YOU'VE BEEN IN CHURCH
MAYBE YOUR WHOLE LIVES,
BUT YOU'RE SAYING MIKE I JUST,
THIS THINGS NEVER REALLY STICKIN
FOR ME,
I'M ALWAYS GOING UP AND DOWN.
I'M TELLING YOU GUYS,
THIS SESSION MIGHT HAVE SEEMED
SO SIMPLE,
BUT I'M TELLING YOU
IT'LL HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT
ON YOUR LIFE
IF YOU PUT IT INTO PRACTICE.
IF YOU MAKE A DECISION
WHEN YOU LEAVE,
TO SAY I'M NO LONGER
GOING TO TREAT MY WALK WITH GOD
LIKE A FAKE FIRE ALARM,
I REALIZE I'M IN A REAL
SPIRITUAL BATTLE,
AND I'M GOING TO TRAIN MYSELF,
I'M GONNA SPEND THAT SAME
AMOUNT OF TIME,
YOU KNOW,
READING THE WORD AS I DO IN TV,
I'M GOING TO MEMORIZE SEVERAL
CHAPTERS OF THE BIBLE,
I'M GOING TO MEMORIZE A VERSE
A WEEK AND APPLY IT,
WHATEVER IT IS,
I'M GOING TO READ THROUGH
THE BIBLE TWICE THIS YEAR.
I'M GOING TO SPEND THIS AMOUNT
OF TIME IN PRAYER EVERY DAY.
IF YOU'LL SET SOME THINGS
LIKE THAT
AND MAKE A COMMITMENT TO GROW,
LISTEN,
I'M TELLING YOU GUYS,
IT'LL CHANGE YOU.
I WAS SITTING
WHERE MANY OF YOU ARE AT.
MAN, WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL,
I PROBABLY NEVER MISSED A DAY
GETTING HIGH,
FROM MY SOPHOMORE YEAR
IN HIGH SCHOOL
UNTIL THE DAY THAT I GRADUATED.
I WAS IN ALL KINDS OF JUNK,
I WAS RAISED
IN A CHRISTIAN HOME,
I KNEW ABOUT GOD,
BUT IT WASN'T REAL TO ME
UNTIL THE DAY I SAID
ALRIGHT JESUS,
I'M GIVING YOU MY WHOLE LIFE
LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT LAST NIGHT.
AND FROM THAT MOMENT ON
I BEGAN TO PURSUE GOD
WITH ALL MY HEART,
AND I'M TELLING YOU
HE'S SO RADICALLY
CHANGED MY LIFE.
AND I KNOW
THAT HE'LL DO THE SAME
FOR YOU.
MAN, YOU COULDN'T PAY ME
TO GET HIGH
YOU COULDN'T PAY ME
TO FALL INTO SOME
OF THOSE TEMPTATIONS
ANYMORE BECAUSE
GOD HAS SO RADICALLY
TRANSFORMED ME.
HE'S GIVEN ME DIFFERENT DESIRES.
AND I'M TELLING YOU
HE'LL DO THE SAME FOR YOU.
THIS THING,
THIS RELATIONSHIP
WITH JESUS CHRIST
IS REAL,
AND IT CAN MEET YOU
AT THE DEEPEST NEED IN YOUR LIFE
IT CAN MEET YOU
AT THE STRONGEST ADDICTION.
BUT I'D BE LYING TO YOU
IF I TOLD YOU THIS ONE EVENT
IS AN END ALL FOR YOU.
INSTEAD IT'S WHAT ARE YOU
GOING TO DO WHEN YOU LEAVE?
IF YOU'LL PURSUE GOD