Being Conformed To The Image Of Christ — Donny Coulter

Just a small glimpse, a small glimpse of eternity, eh? I don't know why I have to be a blubbering idiot and cry all the time. Thayne and I come from the same cloth there. I wish I could just say things and do things without having to worry about it.

Bless the way that God made me. But just a small glimpse into the beauty of eternity that you and I are going to get to enjoy because of the Lamb that was slain. That we get to do exactly what we just did.

I wish you could hear it from up front like I do up front. And I want to say if you're watching online and you are missing out. If you can be here, you need to be here to enjoy the fellowship of God's people.

To enjoy the sound of singing together. There's just something about it. It gives me chills listening to you sing. Thank you for worshipping the Lord. We have been talking now about Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 for a couple of weeks.

The Christian Life as a Race Toward Christlikeness

I am hoping that this will be the last week. We're going to try to get through today. Turn with me if you would to Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 and 2. I will remind you of the picture. Did we catch it yet?

The picture of our life in Christ. And we pictured our life as that yellow line of maturity. I constantly want to bring this picture before you so that you can see that we have a course, a race that is set out before us.

This is your course. This is your race. And we are to race that race every day that we live. And so our desire, as we have said often, and I hope it is your desire, that when it comes to the end of my yellow line, whether by death or by rapture, that I want there to be as little change in Donnie Coulter as there can possibly be into my new life forever.

Don't you? That is the purpose of God for us as believers. I wish we could get that into our hearts and into our heads, that that is the purpose of God, is to make us, conform us to the image of Christ.

He desires for us to look, act, and sound like His Son. That's His desire. Let's read together Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 and 2. Therefore we also. You remember that therefore referred to those heroes of our faith.

Those witnesses. Not people along the side of the road going, Yay, you can do it, you can do it. But those people that were on the side of the road and surrounding us going, We did it. He is faithful.

He keeps His word. He is faithful. And He will do it for you. He is worthy. That's what they say. Those witnesses are saying, He's worth it. He is worth it. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight.

Remember, to lay aside means to put it away from its normal location. To take it out from where it is, off of our back, as we illustrated last week. Off of our back and away from our person and leave it there.

There is a separation in lay it aside. There is not, I'm going to lay it down and hold on to it. There is not, I'm going to lay it down and I'm going to go back and pick it up. It is, I am going to lay it down.

You yourself. Do you remember that last week we talked about the way it was written in the original language? You yourself lay it down and don't touch it. Lay it aside. And He says, lay aside every weight.

We're reviewing as we're reading. Every weight. Lay aside every weight. There is no exception clause in every. Do you see that? Do we understand that? There is no exception clause here. And when He says you lay aside every weight that encumbers everything that encumbers you.

We talked about last week. That it's anything that hinders your ability, my ability to be diligent towards the course that's laid out for us. Anything. These can be things that are even good. Even righteous.

Laying Aside Every Weight and the Sin That Entangles

And I want to, I sent a statement last week and I want to remind you that. Keep in mind that some of the things that you consider weights may not be weights for someone else. So please be careful in your judgment of others.

Do you understand that thought? That what may be a weight for me may not be a weight for you. So be careful that you don't look at your weights and say, well they have those weights too. They need to get right with God.

Be careful. The question is not, what's wrong with this? We're not supposed to ask what's wrong with this weight. We are supposed to ask, does it hinder a greater faith in Jesus? Now you were given a homework assignment last week.

Did you do it? I did. Because God revealed some weights. Because I asked Him to. Remember, we took some time of silent prayer last week. And contemplation. To go, God, what is my weight in my life? And then the encouragement was then to go home, write them down, and work on them.

Work on laying them aside. And I had a couple of weights that I had to put aside this week. Make some adjustments and changes. Did you? Look what He says. Lay aside every weight. And, so there is something secondary to weights.

There are two parts of laying aside. Laying aside every weight and the sin. Notice the definite article there. The sin which so easily ensnares us. And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

How in the world can we do such a thing? Verse 2. Let's pray together. Father, I pray that you bless the reading of your word. And may your Holy Spirit come. Teach us. I pray that your Holy Spirit would teach us deeply this morning.

Way beyond the ability of my words. I pray that He would teach us and draw us into a place. Where we are led by Him. God to attack the sin. To remove it. To get rid of it. That hinders our journey. Hinders our way.

That trips us up and ensnares us. I pray that you would help us to rid ourselves of it. As we see the end of time that fastly approaching. I pray. God, I pray. That you would help us to be desirous of holiness.

Make us those kind of people. I pray for the one who is struggling this morning. And they are not looking unto Jesus. I pray that you would help them to see you. Some for the very first time. God, for them may you reveal yourself as the Savior of the world.

The author and finisher of faith. And for those who, Lord, who have taken their eyes off Jesus. And placed it everywhere else. I pray that you would set them straight. God, I pray that may you make an eternal impact.

In our lives and in our hearts this morning. By your word we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. It is a crying morning, I guess. The sin. Now, we're going to jump into this hard and fast. Because I've got a lot of room to cover.

Ground to cover here. In a very short time. But I want us to get there as best we can. Look what he says. Not only is it laying aside every weight as we've seen last week. Those encumbrances. That when we have them on our back.

Going up and down the steps with 40 or 60 pounds in a young teenager's life. Going up and down the steps and how it gets weary on the legs. We need to lay aside every weight that hinders our journey. But not only do we lay aside every weight.

Those things that may or may not be bad for us. They could be good. But now he's saying not only that. But you lay aside the sin which so easily ensnares us. I want you to remember that we're talking within context.

We're speaking within context here. And so what is the context? When we say, the sin. There is a definite article there. Now, I have looked at this in the past. And went through and tried to name a bunch of sins according to this.

And we're to lay aside. And I believe ultimately it works out into that. But I also believe that if we look at this within context. I believe that the sin to which he speaks. Is the sin of unbelief. Because remember our context is about faith.

Right? Our context is about those heroes of faith. And so we are talking within the context of faith. And so I believe when he says. He's referring to the sin of unbelief. So the sin of unbelief. To me is the source of all sin.

Now follow me as we think through this. Look at chapter 11 and verse 6. Chapter 11 verse 6. But without faith it is. What's the word? Without faith it is impossible to please him. Impossible. Without faith it is impossible to please him.

For he who comes to God. We're not going to teach this. Although this is really deep and rich and wonderful. For he who comes to God must believe that he is. We must believe that God is. And that he is as he is.

He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. In other words you have to believe that he is. And that when you come to him. He's going to reward you with exactly what he needs to reward you with.

Whether that's what you ask for or not. So the sin of unbelief. I believe is the source of all sin. Why in the world would I say something like that? Look at 2 Kings chapter 17. 2 Kings 17. Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah.

By all of his prophets and every seer saying. Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes. According to all the law which I commanded your fathers. In which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.

Nevertheless they would not hear. But stiffened their necks like the necks of their fathers who did not. What? Believe. Who did not believe in the Lord their God. Now look what happens when they do not believe.

And they rejected his statutes. And his covenant that he made with their fathers. And his testimonies which he had testified against them. They followed idols. Became idolaters. And went after the nations who were all around them.

Concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them. You see what happens when there is a lack of belief. When there is unbelief. Unbelief leads to a trail of sin. When unbelief rules the heart.

Sin comes in like a tsunami. When we no longer believe God at his word. Or believe God's word. When we no longer give it the position that it is supposed to have. Or give him the position that he is supposed to have.

When we no longer believe that he is God of Gods. Lord of Lords. And King of Kings. When we no longer believe that what he says is good is good. And what he says is wrong is wrong. When we no longer believe that.

Then sin comes in like a tsunami. How do we know that? Well it only takes one look back to Genesis. Go in your Bible back to Genesis chapter 3. Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field.

Unbelief in Eden and the Flood of Sin

Which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman. As God indeed said. You shall not eat of every tree of the garden. And the woman said to the serpent. We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.

But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden. God said you shall not eat it. Nor shall you touch it. Lest you die. Then the serpent said to the woman. You shall not surely die. Now what did God say?

Think about it. Think it through with me. What did God say? For on the day that you eat thereof. You shall surely die. And Satan comes in and says. You will not surely die. Now you notice he did not say.

God did not say you will surely die. He just said. He threw a cast, a doubt on what God had said. You will not surely die. He's cunning. For God knows that in the day that you eat of it. Your eyes will be opened.

And you will be like God. Knowing good and evil. See. God. You won't surely die. He's just trying to scare you from eating it. Because he knows that on the day that you eat. You're going to be like him.

And by the way. Don't you want to be like him? Because I do. An unbelief entered. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food. How can the tree be good for food. If God has said do not eat. How can it be good for food.

Unless she has stopped believing what God has said. And so. When she seen that it was good for food. And that it was pleasant to the eyes. And a tree desirable to make one wise. She took of its fruit.

And ate. She also gave her husband with her. And he ate. And the tsunami entered. And it did not enter just for Adam and Eve. But for you and me. And because of the tsunami. There had to be a cross. Endured.

By Jesus. Do you see how unbelief. The sin of unbelief. Can lead to a tsunami. Of other sins. So now. Take a look at. Your life. And the sins. Not the sin. But the sins which now so easily ensnare or trip you up.

That word ensnares there. Is a word that explains this idea of surrounding. It's based on the same word as surrounded. There by the cloud of witnesses. You are now surrounded. Everywhere you go. You are entrapped.

By the sin. It gives the picture of a runner trying to run with a long robe on. And as he tries to run with a long robe. It gets tangled up in his feet. And in between his legs. And he falls and stumbles.

And so the sin. Of unbelief. Turns into the tsunami. Of sin. Of action and attitude. And words in our lives. And. We are tripped up. In the race that we are commanded to run. I believe that we have developed such a insensitivity.

To sin in our lives. That we have put sin in categories of big. And little. Oh that's horribly offensive to God. Homosexuality. Adultery. Bad. Lying. Gossiping. It's okay. God will look over that. Jealousy.

Malice. But don't you dare cheat on your wife or your husband. Because that's offensive. Now. When he says lay aside the sin. The sin of unbelief. That brings in the tsunami of all the other things. Don't you think.

That we are to lay aside those things too. There is no room here. To hold on to. Throw away the big things. Keep the little things. Because it's okay. I recently had a conversation. With someone who said.

Well you know what. I spent so much time focusing on the big things. The hard things. That I just kind of let the little things slide by. Is that the intention? Of this walk of maturity? Is that the intention?

Should it be the intention? To focus on the big things. And let the other little things slide. Until I get the big things. Well there are so many big things in my life. I never get to the little things.

That was the conversation. So. I believe. Man time. I should not have looked at that clock. Wow. Think of the children of Israel. They did not believe God. And they wandered for 40 years in the desert.

And as they wandered in the desert. Time and time again. They turned their back on God. So. Here is what I believe. That I want to say to you. And that I hope that the writer of Hebrews is saying to you.

And that is this. That we are to lay aside the sin of unbelief. We are to believe that God is. And that He is the rewarder of those who seek Him. Just like those witnesses found out. Those heroes of the faith they found out.

No matter their circumstance. Whether it was a positive outcome or a bad outcome of being sown in half. They realized that God is worth it. What He says He means. They believed. Do you see it? And so He is saying to us.

Lay aside the sin of unbelief. And move back again. That when God speaks we believe. We believe. And that He is going to reward us for our belief. So we are running a race. We are laying aside the encumbrances.

And we are laying aside the sin which entangles us. And we are to run this race. Look what He says. Back in Hebrews 12. I'm sorry. Hebrews 12 1 and 2. I forgot to put it back in there. Every weight in the sin which so easily ensnares us.

And let us run with endurance. The race that is set before us. You are in this race to run. How in the world do we do it? You say ok. I got these things that hold me down. And I live in a world that is all about weights.

And I don't know what to do with all the stuff that is around me. And causing me this confusion. And making me slow down in my race with Jesus. I 've got this farm. I've got this business. I've got this home.

I've got this family. I've got these kids. I've got these friends. I've got these neighbors. I've got all of these things. And I've got this sin in my life. And it's a big sin. I've got all of these little sins in my life.

And here it says to run the race. How am I going to do that. How do I do that. Do you feel that desperation? At some point. How am I supposed to run with all of this. How am I supposed to do that. But how can I do that?

Looking Unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of Faith

Look what the word says. Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. That's how we do it. Let me read to you a quote, and I'm sorry, I don't remember who wrote it, and I didn't write it down in my notes, and my brain doesn't work like it used to, but let me read to you what they wrote.

The race which is set before us most clearly reveals our helplessness and our hopelessness apart from divine grace. The race of holiness and patience, while it demands our vigor, displays our weakness.

We are compelled, even before we take a step in the running, to bow the knee and to cry unto the strong for strength. We dare not retreat from the contest, but how can we begin a struggle for which we are so unfitted?

Who will help us? To whom shall we look? The scripture tells us clearly that we are to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Now let me tell you, this word, look, be careful that you don't misunderstand it.

I think there are some translations that translate it really well. It says to look unto Jesus, it is in the present tense, meaning that it is something that we are always doing. We are constantly looking.

It is not a single act that you do, it is something that you are always doing, and this looking is a turning away from. That's the word, the way the word is built in the Greek language, it is a turning away from, it is turning my eyes away from everything else, so it is a two-part word, turning away from and looking to and focusing on an object.

In other words, it is like the horses with their blinders, or their blinkers, whatever they are, I think they call them, blinkers, or what do they call those, blinkers, blinders, I think I read blinkers maybe, that must be Australian or something.

So, you get the picture? That we are to look unto Jesus, it means to stop looking around here and focus on Christ. That's the command. Funny, here, I remember, I rode bulls, I had a bull riding career of five bulls, and I rode bulls, and I remember getting on the one bull down in Colorado, and the cowboy says, look man, when you get on there, it is going to be crazy.

When it is bucking, it is just going to be everywhere. And he says, the way that you stay in the center is that you look at his neck, the base of his neck, and you concentrate right there. Don't look at his head, don't look outside, you concentrate right there.

And you can ride it, if you concentrate right there. When we are plowing, I don't have any of this GPS fancy stuff, you know, where you just sit in the tractor and it drives itself in a very straight line and all that stuff, and all you got to do is turn it around and then push a button and there it goes.

I don't have any of that stuff. You know what I have to do when I am plowing or when I am cutting hay or whatever? I have to look to the horizon, the distance where I want to be, and I find a spot, and I place my eyes on that post or on that tree, and I stay there.

I don't look, I don't do any of this stuff, because as soon as you do that, what happens? So if you go and find where I cut hay this summer and it goes like this, you will know that I am not looking in the right spot.

But if you look, that's the idea that we are looking unto Jesus, and He is the author, the starter, the beginner of your faith. He endured, listen, He endured the cross so that you could approach a holy God.

He did that for you. He is the author of your faith. And let me ask you, have you looked at Him? Have you looked at Him? Religious person, either here in this place this morning or at home, have you looked at Him?

Exercising the things of faith does not make a person of faith necessarily. Did you hear that? Doing the things of faith will not necessarily make you a person of faith. You have looked your whole life to a faith, to be a Baptist.

You have looked your whole life at somewhere else other than Jesus, and you are convinced, you are convinced that you have looked at Jesus. May the Holy Spirit speak. How about to those of you who have been running your race and who have looked away?

You have been distracted by all this stuff out here, and you are looking away from Jesus, and your course has been hindered. Your yellow line is pointing downward or backwards. People that have looked at the church and the abuse, yes, the church has abused people.

God forgive us. People in the church have abused people, but God is not the source of the abuse. Jesus is not the source. Take your eyes off the people that are doing the abusing and put them on Jesus and run the race.

If we could find ourselves there, then we could leave all of that stuff behind like Paul says, and we could run a race. Stop looking at the abusers and look at Jesus. Let me say to you, those of you that are struggling because of physical abuse, sexual, physical abuse, my heart hurts, stop looking at the abuser.

And I know that's hard. I know it's hard because of all of the emotional things that are attached. I know it's difficult, but focus on Jesus. The author of your faith. The author of your faith. For those of us that are not struggling in those kind of ways, we've got to take our eyes off everything else.

Off the witnesses, off the weights, off the sin, off the race course, off the competitors. We've got to take our eyes off those things and put them where they belong. And they belong on Christ Himself.

That's where it belongs. He is our example on how to win this race. And there is a danger when you stop looking. There is a tremendous danger when you stop looking. Turn to Matthew 14. I told you we had a long way to go.

Peter Walking on Water: Faith Focused on Christ Amid Storms

Matthew 14. Immediately Jesus made His disciples. Verse 22. Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side while He sent the multitudes away. Verse 23. He stayed and He prayed.

Verse 24. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Stop for just a second. Have you ever thought about it this way? The disciples are exactly where Jesus commanded them to be.

In the middle of a storm. Please don't forget. Please keep in mind that sometimes your storm is happening because you are doing exactly what you're supposed to do. Exactly what you've been instructed to do by the Savior.

Now, verse 25. Now in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went to them. They'd been struggling for quite a while. Jesus went to them walking on the sea. You know what? Let that blow your mind as much as it can.

I can't even understand what that looked like. And I can totally, completely understand the reaction of the disciples. Verse 26. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled. Would you not be troubled?

Yes, we would. Saying, it is a ghost. And they cried out for fear. Jesus, save us. But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, be of good cheer, it is I. Do not be afraid. And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it is You.

Here's good old Peter. Foot in the mouth Peter. Love Him. So much like Him. Lord, if it's You, command me to come to You on the water. And so, He said, come. And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

What? Amazement. Amazing thought to think of. If we were blown away by Jesus walking on the water, now we're looking at one of us walking on the water. And He was walking. Why was He walking on the water?

That's right. Because His eyes were where they belonged. But when He saw what has happened, but when He saw that the wind was boisterous and He was afraid. You see what happens when you take your eyes off Christ and put them on your abuser?

Put them on the church. Put them on the denomination. Put them on a preacher. When you take your eyes off there, look what He says. What happens? But when He saw that the wind was boisterous, He was afraid.

And beginning to sink, He cried out saying, Lord, save me. And immediately, Jesus stretched out His hand and caught Him and said to Him, Oh, You of little faith. In context. Context. Oh, You of little faith.

Why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him saying, Truly, you are the Son of God. Do you see how dangerous looking somewhere else can be?

You see it? So, Jesus is our example on how to run the race even when it hurts. Keep your eyes focused. We do not run because of the witnesses. Listen to this. We do not run because of the witnesses and how they have run and won.

We do not run because of that. We run because of our vision of Jesus. I see Him and I want to be like Him. Do you get me? When my focus is there, I see Him and I want to be like Him. Not like all this other stuff.

Repentance and Faith: Turning to Jesus Alone

I'm going to stop here. Would you sing with me this song? Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Dana, I know this is off the cuff. Sorry. Do you know that song by heart? What's that? You did? Sing with me before she plays.

Let's just sing it together as our prayer. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow straight in the light of His glory. Can you make that your prayer this morning?

Looking unto Jesus. Where are your eyes? I'm glad they're on Jesus, Quinn. Where are your eyes? Are your eyes on your sickness? Are your eyes on your pain? Are your eyes on your living situation? Are your eyes on your finances?

Where are your eyes? Where is your focus? You who have never come to Jesus before. You have never come to Christ and said, I see you. Thank you for what you've done for me. Something I could never do for myself.

Remember, He endured the cross. We were supposed to get there. He endured the cross. And He endured the cross so that you could approach a holy God. Have you committed your life to that Jesus? Have you looked to that Jesus?

I want to say to you that stop waiting. Hear your name. I don't care if you're a young person, a child, or an old person. Or somewhere in between. Hear your name called. And respond. Come with a heart of repentance.

And a heart of faith. You know what repentance is. We've been talking about it. It's a turning away from the sin and turning to Christ. Look unto Jesus. And nothing else. I can't save you. This church can't save you.

Hearing these words can't save you. Only by faith. Turning to Jesus. Who Jesus alone can you be saved. Would you do that? Look to Him. Let me pray and then we'll sing it again. Father, I pray may your Holy Spirit do His work in the lives of those that are here.

I pray Father for the one who has never turned. Turned away from their sin and turned to You. The one who is struggling with life. No answers. I pray Father may You by Your Holy Spirit clearly reveal Yourself to them.

I pray that You'd remove the blinders that have blinded them for their entire life. And set them free. For the religious person. Lord, You know. You know who they are. Who've been faithful to do all the things.

All the things that are called on for faith. But they have never had truth saving faith. I pray. God may You set them free from that prison. May they turn to You in true faith in repentance this morning.

For those of us that are struggling, God. We're looking so many other places. I pray that You would pinpoint our vision on You. That You would put the blinders on us. Help us to see in the distance. The one thing to focus on.

So that we can finish our course. Thank You for Your word this morning. And the way Your Holy Spirit leads. And I pray Father may You fulfill that.