Allow God To SCULPT Your Life While In The Land Of The DYING

Submit to God's Sovereignty. (Rom 8:28 | Jer 29:11)
1. Discover the power of "TIPHLAH" (Job 1:22)
Confess your Weakness.

Don't deny it or indulge it (Psalm 61:2) The ELIOENAI Treatment – 9 times

Remember what we really are
1. Weak Sinners (Rom 5:6, 8 | Matt 26:41)
2. Self - exaltation denounced by Paul (Rom 12:3b)
3. God knows your frame (Psalm 103:12-14)
Realize that accepting weakness can breed strength (2 Cor 12:10)

Strength comes from humbly abiding in God's Presence (Ps 91:1 | Isaiah 57:15)

Don't LIMIT the Holy One by a lack of trust or unbelief (Psalm 78:41)

Understand God's Big Picture
1. Develop a "Better than I deserve" mentality (Rom 6:23 | Luke 17:10)
2. Remember God is the Creator and Owner
  1. You NEVER have a right to be ANGRY WITH GOD!!! (Matt 5:22)
3. Remember: A strong root always produces fruit
Leave Self on the Shelf
1. Change your focus to the Lord – BELIEVE (Psalm 16:8-9 | Isaiah 26:3)
  1. Not like Job (Job 29:20-23)
2. BELIEVE (2 Cor 1:3) – "the God of all comfort"
  1. God is NOT a persecutor, abandoner, adversary, accuser, or prosecutor
  2. Replace your Why with a What (Acts 9:6 | 2 Cor 1:4)
3. Don't just Live With your mistakes, Learn From your mistakes
  1. Don't live in the WHAT IF, but in the What Now (Phil 3:13)
4. Confess rather than depress (1 John 1:9 | Proverbs 28:13)
5. Use your gifts to serve others (Js 4:6 | 1 Pet 5:5b)
Praise God for His Provision
1. Praise is the ULTIMATE "Depression Medicine" (Psalm 61:8)
2. Take a "Scripture Prescription" and rejoice
  1. Psalm 16:8-9 | Phil 4:6 | 1 Cor 15:55-57 | Rom 8:37)
Testify to God's AMAZING GRACE
1. The LIBERATING "Stephen Principle" (Acts 7:51-60 | Rom 1:20 | Eph 2:10)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Frank Zitzman:
00:29-00:31
Yeah, famous, world famous.
Frank Zitzman:
00:32-00:33
Well, I'm humble. I just call it famous.
Frank Zitzman:
00:33-00:36
I took the world out, because I'm humble.
Pastor Jeff:
00:36-00:37
Give it time.
Pastor Jeff:
00:39-00:57
When I knew Frank was in the air, Frank and Sue lived in Kentucky, when I knew Frank was in the air, I said, "I would love to have Frank share the word with us here at Harvest Bible Chapel." This man has had, and his wife Sue, they have had a profound influence on my life.
Pastor Jeff:
00:58-00:59
I'll give you a specific.
Pastor Jeff:
01:00-01:21
Fresh out of Bible college, you know when you go to Bible college, you sit in the classroom and they say, "Well this is what the Bible says, but Professor so and so says this, and Doctor so and so says this, and maybe it doesn't really mean this, because so and so says this." And one of the things that Frank really poured into me was, "Hey, what does the Bible say?" That's what it means.
Pastor Jeff:
01:22-01:29
God meant what He said, and He said what He meant, preach that and who cares what Dr. What's-his-name says.
Pastor Jeff:
01:30-01:36
Just go ahead and just really challenge me on being a better Bible student.
Pastor Jeff:
01:38-01:41
You're back out of Bible college, that's really where my education started.
Pastor Jeff:
01:42-01:47
So I just wanna publicly thank you for that, Frank.
Pastor Jeff:
01:47-01:51
That's just one of many things, but you've had a profound influence on my life.
Pastor Jeff:
01:52-01:55
But before you speak, I also got to tell a story about Sue.
Pastor Jeff:
01:55-01:56
Uh-oh.
Pastor Jeff:
01:57-01:58
This is a true story.
Pastor Jeff:
01:59-02:00
This is a true story.
Pastor Jeff:
02:01-02:02
Sue tried to get me a record.
Frank Zitzman:
02:03-02:04
Oh, yeah.
Pastor Jeff:
02:05-02:06
You remember this Sue?
Pastor Jeff:
02:06-02:06
Oh.
Pastor Jeff:
02:06-02:07
You're going to.
Pastor Jeff:
02:08-02:10
I've been keeping this story in the hopper for years.
Frank Zitzman:
02:10-02:11
Oh.
Pastor Jeff:
02:12-02:14
And I'm like, now's the time to share it.
Pastor Jeff:
02:14-02:28
Back when we did prison ministry together and we'd go into the guy's side and Sue and somebody would be doing the girl's side, to hand out Bibles, share the gospel, and that's where I've really learned to appreciate.
Pastor Jeff:
02:31-02:42
But anyways, so I don't know where you are this night, but I'm in the lobby, it was at the old prison up in Bowery, I'm sitting in the lobby, waiting for them to let me back for Bible study.
Pastor Jeff:
02:43-02:49
And one of the prison transport lobby, and he's standing, do you remember this now, sir?
Pastor Jeff:
02:50-02:52
You're going through, he's standing there, I remember this.
Pastor Jeff:
02:53-02:56
And he was doing some paperwork.
Pastor Jeff:
02:56-02:57
And I'm sitting there.
Pastor Jeff:
02:57-02:59
And he turned around and just looked at me.
Pastor Jeff:
02:59-03:02
He goes, take your laces off.
Pastor Jeff:
03:04-03:05
What?
Frank Zitzman:
03:06-03:07
[LAUGHTER]
Pastor Jeff:
03:07-03:09
He's like, take your laces off.
Pastor Jeff:
03:15-03:16
What were we talking about?
Pastor Jeff:
03:24-03:31
I'm like, "I have no idea what's going on." Finally, the guy goes, "I can't transport you with laces in your shoes.
Pastor Jeff:
03:31-03:40
You've got to take your laces out." And I said, "I'm not a prisoner to be transported." And that's where Sue jumped in.
Pastor Jeff:
03:41-03:48
I said, "Yeah, this is your guy." I'm here for Bible study.
Pastor Jeff:
03:48-03:48
it
Frank Zitzman:
04:16-04:17
uh...
Frank Zitzman:
04:18-04:18
(laughter)
Frank Zitzman:
04:22-04:23
You have to forgive, though.
Frank Zitzman:
04:23-04:25
I know, forgiving people forgives.
Pastor Jeff:
04:28-04:30
But anyway, let's give a warm Harvest Bible Chapel welcome.
Frank Zitzman:
04:31-04:31
Thank you.
04:31-04:31
(applause)
Frank Zitzman:
04:31-04:33
Praise the Lord.
Frank Zitzman:
04:37-04:38
Praise the Lord.
Frank Zitzman:
04:39-04:39
Oh, man.
Frank Zitzman:
04:41-04:43
Darren, I want to thank you so much for the music.
Frank Zitzman:
04:46-04:50
I can tell a lot about a fellowship when you go and they play their music.
Frank Zitzman:
04:51-04:53
I mean, you can tell so much.
Frank Zitzman:
04:53-04:58
If the leadership sings along, or if they're just going through the motions.
Frank Zitzman:
04:59-05:02
I'm sure everybody's - you've been to churches where they just go through the motions.
Frank Zitzman:
05:02-05:09
It's so refreshing to go to a fellowship where when they do the music, they're really doing it.
Frank Zitzman:
05:09-05:11
I mean, everybody's just really singing.
Frank Zitzman:
05:12-05:13
You don't know what a blessing.
Frank Zitzman:
05:13-06:00
The older I've gotten, I've learned I guess really really appreciate music and That's I have just loved since the first Sunday. I came here. It's just such a blessing I'm so thankful just have the opportunity to thank you personally Darren for because it's just been a blessing for me a great lesson So keep up the good work Or I'll leave Now but it's a blessing one of us, you know Jeff says it We had an impact on his life. Let me tell you you don't know what a blessing you folks have To have this guy's your pastor I'll tell you what I mean from the day. I met Jeff Miller From the day I met him his heart for God Is such a blessing to me I?
Frank Zitzman:
06:02-06:10
Mean I just so he's the master of analogies. He's just such a great job with analogy He told me something about a fly in his office today, and I'll never forget it now.
Frank Zitzman:
06:10-06:12
I hate flies. Now I've got to like them now.
Frank Zitzman:
06:12-06:15
But anyhow, geez!
Frank Zitzman:
06:15-06:16
He's just a master of analogy.
Frank Zitzman:
06:17-06:21
But more than pouring it out, he's just his heart when he speaks and stuff.
Frank Zitzman:
06:22-06:26
And you know, everybody knows, anybody that's been in church for a time, you know when someone's speaking.
Frank Zitzman:
06:27-06:29
If it's coming from the heart.
Frank Zitzman:
06:30-06:31
And it's just such a joy for me.
Frank Zitzman:
06:32-06:33
It is such a joy for me.
Frank Zitzman:
06:34-06:35
To even be able to come here.
Frank Zitzman:
06:36-06:46
When I found out we were an hour away, I said to my wife, "We're going to Jeff's church." The first time I walked in, I'm like, "Whoa." The last time I saw his church, it was in a school building.
Frank Zitzman:
06:47-06:49
I come walking in, I'm like, "Wow, what?
Frank Zitzman:
06:49-06:52
This place is amazing." Jeff said, "I didn't do any of it.
Frank Zitzman:
06:52-06:58
It was everybody else here." But it is such a blessing, and it's a blessing for me to be here.
Frank Zitzman:
06:59-07:01
First of all, you're invited to Troy's Creation House.
Frank Zitzman:
07:01-07:02
That's our house.
Frank Zitzman:
07:04-07:11
what we do there is we have folks stay with us. I want to go see the Creation Museum. I want to go see the Ark. And I give them a tour if they so desire.
Frank Zitzman:
07:11-07:22
And it's a real blessing for me to be able to do that. And what we're all about is firming family foundations to the glory of our - and please take note of that word there - awesome Creator.
Frank Zitzman:
07:22-08:51
That's the other thing I so appreciate about the fellowship here. You really emphasize that a lot. And we use that word so many times for things like a cookie or a cake. We ought to reserve that just for the Creator. I mean that is just, and that's what we're all about. And it's interesting, we encourage others to bring glory to our sovereign God by building their life on the solid foundation of God's Holy Word. That's the passion behind our ministry at our home. And that's what I try to do. Everybody comes to our house, I have a lot of great discussions with them, I take them on tours, is it's really a blessing. And it's interesting to me, I took this off the internet, I think this is interesting, consider a fallible psychotherapy. Listen to this, I read this right off an internet site. When you're going to get counseling, somebody to help you, okay, somebody's going to give you a foundation, all right. Listen to what this says, "No therapist will be right all the time." Now if you know that when you walk through the door, why would you even gonna be there all right now it says of course and it may be that your expectations for change are just unrealistic or misguided yet sort this out together but the final word is yours what are you paying this other guy for if the final word's yours why so what a joke that is see if you don't have a foundation now if you don't have a credible reliable authoritative source of truth in your life and that's what the Bible is by the way the Bible is a credible, reliable, authoritative source of truth.
Frank Zitzman:
08:52-08:54
If you don't have that in your life, this is what you're left with.
Frank Zitzman:
08:55-08:59
What a tragedy. If you're here and you don't know the Lord, I feel sorry for you.
Frank Zitzman:
09:00-09:03
Because see, what's great is there is something that's perfect.
Frank Zitzman:
09:04-09:14
And the Bible says this. And what you're going to see, whenever Jeff asked me to do this, I wasn't going to do this PowerPoint, but when I started to look at it, I have so many verses of Scripture in here. And I'm thinking, you know what?
Frank Zitzman:
09:14-09:18
If there's anything I want people to remember when I'm done talking is the Bible.
Frank Zitzman:
09:19-09:21
I don't want them to see me, I want them to see scripture.
Frank Zitzman:
09:21-09:24
So I thought, I'm gonna have to use this PowerPoint 'cause I've got so many verses in here.
Frank Zitzman:
09:24-09:31
But look at it, Psalm 19, seven says, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.
Frank Zitzman:
09:31-09:39
"The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise and simple." One of the things that I do a lot of times when I study the Bible is I look words up, like that word perfect, for example.
Frank Zitzman:
09:39-09:52
That word means complete, whole, and this particular commentator said it, "An unerring guide of conduct conveys the idea of something able to cover all aspects of an issue." Now, see, if I have a problem, that's where I want to go.
Frank Zitzman:
09:53-09:55
Why go to somebody that's not right all the time?
Frank Zitzman:
09:55-09:57
We've got something that's right all the time!
Frank Zitzman:
09:57-09:59
I mean, it's perfect! How many things in this world are perfect? Nothing!
Frank Zitzman:
10:01-10:04
But we have a book that is! Oh, what a blessing that is!
Frank Zitzman:
10:04-10:07
And then, the word "sure" means reliable and trustworthy.
Frank Zitzman:
10:08-10:12
And see, that's what I love about the Scripture. It's like, I don't care what issue you have.
Frank Zitzman:
10:12-10:15
You may not like what it says, but it will address it.
Frank Zitzman:
10:16-10:17
It will address it.
Frank Zitzman:
10:17-10:18
And what a blessing that is.
Frank Zitzman:
10:19-10:24
And this is one of my favorite verses I want to start with before we do our full message here.
Frank Zitzman:
10:25-10:33
1 Thessalonians 2.13 says, "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, "because when you receive the word of God," now this is Paul talking to Thessalonian church.
Frank Zitzman:
10:33-10:50
"When you receive the word of God which you heard of us, "you received it not as a word of men, "but as is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." See, the Bible's perfect, it's sure, and because of that, it will effectually work in your life.
Frank Zitzman:
10:50-10:55
And what's really interesting, you look that word up, and that's the word "energeo." Now, what's that sound like?
Frank Zitzman:
10:55-10:57
Energy, right? It sounds like energy.
Frank Zitzman:
10:57-11:02
Energeo, that means to be operative, be at work, to put forth power, to aid one.
Frank Zitzman:
11:02-11:15
It's actually used in Hebrews 4:12 when it says, "The word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword." So this verse is saying that God's Word will work effectively in your life.
Frank Zitzman:
11:15-11:21
But notice what it says, "in you that believe." See, the issue comes down to, it's not that the Bible doesn't work.
Frank Zitzman:
11:22-11:30
I've had people tell me, "I don't know, you tell me that it doesn't work for me." And I say, "Well, I know what the problem is." I can tell you, you don't believe.
Frank Zitzman:
11:31-11:35
See, if you really believe what the Bible says, it will work.
Frank Zitzman:
11:35-11:36
That's the issue.
Frank Zitzman:
11:36-11:55
Anytime that you're given a Bible verse that applies your life situation and it's not working for you. I guarantee you I know the problem. You're not believing it. You're just not believing it so Just so you know Jeff gave me an introduction I'll say it's really important that you know, the credentials of the people that are speaking to you. Okay?
Frank Zitzman:
11:56-12:31
So this is my these are my credentials. All right here they are. I have a THD from HKU I got. Okay, now this is what it is. Now, HKU, you may not have heard of this, but it's a prestigious school with facilities all around the world. Though the majority of my training took place at HKU branch located in Western Pennsylvania, that's where we're from. I continue to routinely attend HKU classes in my local area. Okay, so this is where I want you to understand, you don't just have some rookie here. Okay, now you might be wondering now Now what's THD and HKU stand for?
Frank Zitzman:
12:32-12:32
So here's what they stand for.
Frank Zitzman:
12:34-12:36
THD is a Truth Heralding Degree.
Frank Zitzman:
12:37-12:38
I got that.
Frank Zitzman:
12:39-12:42
And I got it from Hard Knocks University.
Frank Zitzman:
12:44-12:44
And you know what?
Frank Zitzman:
12:45-12:46
All of us go to that school.
Frank Zitzman:
12:47-12:49
The issue is, are you learning anything when you go there?
Frank Zitzman:
12:51-12:52
But you know what's really neat?
Frank Zitzman:
12:52-12:59
When you start to become somebody, when you're a Christian, and you love God, Hard knocks really started coming from the world.
Frank Zitzman:
13:00-13:02
Just because we live in a fallen world.
Frank Zitzman:
13:03-13:06
And God a lot of times behind those hard knocks just to shape us and mold us.
Frank Zitzman:
13:07-13:13
Well back on June 20th, 2004, I lost my dad to a sudden brain aneurysm just out of nowhere.
Frank Zitzman:
13:14-13:15
He just got a brain aneurysm and he died.
Frank Zitzman:
13:16-13:17
It was a major shock in our family.
Frank Zitzman:
13:18-13:23
But nine days after that, just nine short days after that, something else happened.
Frank Zitzman:
13:24-13:31
I lost my 17-year-old son in a motorcycle accident, nine days after I lost my father.
Frank Zitzman:
13:32-13:34
My son actually was in one of the pole barrels at my dad's funeral.
Frank Zitzman:
13:35-13:36
And I spoke at my dad's funeral.
Frank Zitzman:
13:36-13:41
I spoke on behalf of the Lord, because I didn't know where my dad stood with the Lord.
Frank Zitzman:
13:42-13:44
And any time somebody asks me to do a funeral, I'm very honest.
Frank Zitzman:
13:45-13:46
I just stand up and tell people the truth.
Frank Zitzman:
13:47-13:48
I have a truth-telling degree, OK?
Frank Zitzman:
13:48-13:49
I tell people the truth.
Frank Zitzman:
13:49-13:50
I don't know where my dad stood.
Frank Zitzman:
13:51-14:21
And I'll never forget the day I left that hospital, my son said, "Troy, my boy," said, "Dad, no one here has an excuse. They heard the message today." He said, "They have no excuse." Nine days later, that son was killed in a motorcycle accident. And soon I had to go to write past the scene where it was at, and it was just a horrific, horrific thing. But you know, the good news is, let's see, if you're a Christian, if you're a Christian, you know that there's There's nothing that comes into your life that isn't Father filled.
Frank Zitzman:
14:23-14:25
It comes through the hands of your loving Father.
Frank Zitzman:
14:26-14:28
God allows it for a reason.
Frank Zitzman:
14:29-14:38
And today what I want to do with you is I want to share with you a little cross I put together called "Sculpt." And we're going to go through this and I have an outline with you.
Frank Zitzman:
14:38-14:44
It's called "Shaped by the Master Sculptor." And I try to emphasize to people, allow God to sculpt your life while you're in the land of the dying.
Frank Zitzman:
14:44-14:45
See, we're in the land of the dying.
Frank Zitzman:
14:46-14:47
We're all going to die someday.
Frank Zitzman:
14:48-15:18
gonna die someday. So what we're gonna do is we're gonna take that word sculpt we're gonna use each letter, highlight a biblical principle and this is the principle that helped us, my wife and I, my whole family actually get through what we went through in losing my son. And the first letter, S, stands for submit to God's sovereignty. Submit to God's sovereignty. You know there's no better book in the Bible that you turn to to see an example of this than the book of Job.
Frank Zitzman:
15:19-15:45
If you read the book of Job, Job chapter 1, what happens in the book of Job, just to summarize for you the Job chapter 1, Job loses, he loses 11 ,000 animals and 10 children in one day. Now can you imagine that? Here's a man, he He lost his entire livelihood and his entire family, all his children, in one day.
Frank Zitzman:
15:46-15:48
Now I know what it's like to lose one child.
Frank Zitzman:
15:49-15:54
I can't imagine losing that in one day.
Frank Zitzman:
15:54-15:55
I can't imagine that.
Frank Zitzman:
15:56-16:00
But really interesting in the last verse in the book of Job, is Job 1.22.
Frank Zitzman:
16:01-16:47
look at verse up it says in all this Job sin not nor charged God foolishly I mentioned to you before see when I read the Bible I like those words that just I call them jump out words they just jump out to me and that word foolishly jumped out to me when I read it and this is way long when I first became a Christian when I was reading the book of Job I remember telling my wife hey this job character I mean Job or what's his name again I I thought his name was job at first. You know when you're on a Christian, I mean I don't know, I thought job what? I'll read this book I like to know about a job, I find out it's a guy's name's Job. But anyhow, I said this character, this is something else what he's going through. I remember reading it, but when I got to this word foolish, I thought you know there's something about that word. I just looked that word up. And it's the Hebrew word tifla.
Frank Zitzman:
16:48-17:51
Now that almost sounds like a like a whisper, like tifla. But what that word means is so significant it means that which is empty now what I do then is let's take out and put that in Job 122 in all this Job sin not nor charge God of that which is empty see Job knew Romans 8 28 before it was ripped he knew that all things were together for good but as a love God and are called according to his purpose. He knew that before that verse was even written, all right? And actually, so I tell people all the time you need to discover the power of Tiflah in your life. You need to realize if you're a Christian, if you're a Christian, and you know isn't it great to be a Christian? I mean, you know when I talk with atheists sometimes I'm just like, "Oh, you're just, you have no idea what you're missing. No idea." But what I try to emphasize to people all that whole idea that nothing comes into your life that's empty.
Frank Zitzman:
17:52-18:00
And see, the reason this was so significant to me is because in the prison ministry, and Jeff can vouch for you for this, one of my major topics in the prison ministry was worship.
Frank Zitzman:
18:01-18:03
And I would tell guys all the time, "You know what?
Frank Zitzman:
18:03-18:04
God deserves to be worshipped no matter what.
Frank Zitzman:
18:05-18:06
I don't care what you're going through.
Frank Zitzman:
18:07-18:11
He deserves to be worshipped no matter what." And I used this passage as an illustration of that.
Frank Zitzman:
18:12-18:47
Because right before this it says that Job fell down and worshipped God dust and ashes. He basically repented in dust and ashes and he worshipped God and this is right after that this verse and that's why he could worship him because he knew nothing was empty because it was life. Now I really made an issue of that. Well see when I realized my son, see this is when you hear people talk about when the rubber meets the road. Well this is when it does, when you have something like this happen. But I remember so specifically. We got to the hospital and the people at the hospital said, I said where's my son I want to see him. They said well sir he was on a motorcycle accident and they had already told us that he was that he had died. I said I don't care what he looks like I want to see him.
Frank Zitzman:
18:48-19:46
And they said well okay so I took me into a little room where he was at and I walked into that room and I saw a Troy lying on a garnet on a gurney he was covered up to his face and his face didn't have a scratch on it. I don't know if the Lord hid that from me or what but he didn't have a scratch on it. And I looked at him and I looked at him it's like I felt like he was sleeping. That was the only time we had peace in our house when the kids were sleeping. I used to go in and pray my kids when I watch them sleep but I stood there looking at Troy and I'm thinking and then it hit me I realized he's not going to get back up and let me tell you when you're in a situation like that there is nothing that any psychotherapist any human you can't handle it and I said to God I said what am I gonna do without this young lad in my life anymore and my god because I All I could hear was that word, "Tiflah" in my ear.
Frank Zitzman:
19:48-19:49
And you know what's so neat?
Frank Zitzman:
19:49-19:54
Is that since Troy died, I've had so many opportunities to share with people.
Frank Zitzman:
19:55-20:00
Troy used to say, when he was a, he said, "Dad, he used to play golf." And he broke like 40 on a golf course.
Frank Zitzman:
20:00-20:01
He's 13 years old.
Frank Zitzman:
20:01-20:02
He loved playing golf.
Frank Zitzman:
20:02-20:06
He said, "Dad, someday when I'm a professional golfer, "I'm gonna buy a radio station.
Frank Zitzman:
20:07-20:10
"And I'm gonna put you on there to talk to people about God because you're really good at that.
Frank Zitzman:
20:11-20:14
You know, that never materialized into Roy's life.
Frank Zitzman:
20:15-20:18
But through his death, God's made that possible for me.
Frank Zitzman:
20:19-20:19
In a lot of ways.
Frank Zitzman:
20:20-20:21
Don't believe me, I'd rather have him back.
Frank Zitzman:
20:22-20:31
But you know, there's a lot of times I told Sue, the relationships that we've established down in Kentucky now with different people, all since this happened, it's amazing.
Frank Zitzman:
20:32-20:35
So you need to, folks, you need to discover the power of Tiflin in your life.
Frank Zitzman:
20:35-20:36
I don't care what's in your life.
Frank Zitzman:
20:36-20:37
I don't care what it is.
Frank Zitzman:
20:38-20:41
People use it if you have the right perspective.
Frank Zitzman:
20:41-20:42
You've got to have the right perspective.
Frank Zitzman:
20:43-20:45
And tragically, a lot of us many times don't.
Frank Zitzman:
20:47-20:55
Romans 8:28, the verse I just said, "We know all things work together for good, and them love God, and them are called according to His purpose." Here's another good verse, Jeremiah 29.11.
Frank Zitzman:
20:55-20:56
And all these things are on your outline.
Frank Zitzman:
20:56-20:57
All the verses are on there.
Frank Zitzman:
20:58-21:00
But I like to just print them out for people to see.
Frank Zitzman:
21:00-21:02
It's because I love this verse, Jeremiah 29.11.
Frank Zitzman:
21:02-21:06
"A future and a hope." Everybody wants that, right?
Frank Zitzman:
21:07-21:08
I've never met anybody who doesn't want that.
Frank Zitzman:
21:08-21:09
Everybody wants that.
Frank Zitzman:
21:09-21:10
Well, the Bible tells us that we can get it.
Frank Zitzman:
21:11-21:13
That's what I love about the God's word.
Frank Zitzman:
21:14-21:15
Let's move on to the C.
Frank Zitzman:
21:15-21:19
The C stands for confess your weakness.
Frank Zitzman:
21:19-21:26
Now this ought to, after you do the first one, in fact, as we go through each one of these, you're gonna see a progression, all right?
Frank Zitzman:
21:26-21:32
Well, when you see submitting to God's sovereignty, hey, if you submit to God's sovereignty, it's gonna be real easy to confess your weakness, 'cause you're gonna see it real clear.
Frank Zitzman:
21:34-21:34
I mean real clear.
Frank Zitzman:
21:34-21:35
You should.
Frank Zitzman:
21:36-21:39
If you're really submitting to God's sovereignty, you should really see it real clear.
Frank Zitzman:
21:40-21:44
Because, see, you don't want to deny it or indulge it.
Frank Zitzman:
21:45-21:47
See, that's what a lot of people do when they go through a tragedy.
Frank Zitzman:
21:48-21:51
They try to say, "I'm just going to block it out of my mind." Well, that won't work, but it's still there.
Frank Zitzman:
21:53-21:56
Or they end up not being able to function in anything.
Frank Zitzman:
21:57-21:57
They indulge it.
Frank Zitzman:
21:58-21:59
You don't want to do either one of those things.
Frank Zitzman:
22:00-22:00
You know what you need to do?
Frank Zitzman:
22:01-22:04
You just need to confess your weakness to God.
Frank Zitzman:
22:04-22:07
That's what I did when I went and saw my son on that gurney.
Frank Zitzman:
22:07-22:16
I just admitted, "Hey, I can't handle this." And the great thing about our God, if you're a Christian, He sees that and He answers.
Frank Zitzman:
22:16-22:17
Oh, this is so wonderful.
Frank Zitzman:
22:17-22:18
It's so great to be a Christian.
Frank Zitzman:
22:18-22:21
Psalm 61 too is probably my favorite version of the Bible.
Frank Zitzman:
22:22-22:24
I was telling Jeff in his office, I was saying this a lot yesterday.
Frank Zitzman:
22:24-22:27
I was working on some jobs at my daughter's farm.
Frank Zitzman:
22:27-22:29
And you'll use this verse a lot in your life.
Frank Zitzman:
22:29-22:30
You need to memorize this.
Frank Zitzman:
22:30-22:35
Okay, it says, "From the ends of the earth "Woe, I cry unto thee, lead me to the rock.
Frank Zitzman:
22:35-22:42
"When my heart is overwhelmed, "lead me to the rock that's higher than I." See, that's what's great about being a Christian.
Frank Zitzman:
22:42-22:43
We got a rock.
Frank Zitzman:
22:44-22:46
And that's what's so sad when you don't.
Frank Zitzman:
22:47-22:52
You know, when I talk with people and they don't know the Lord, I always tell them, I said, "Just wait, time's coming.
Frank Zitzman:
22:53-22:55
"You're not gonna be able to handle a situation.
Frank Zitzman:
22:55-22:58
"You need a rock." And I just love Psalm 61 too.
Frank Zitzman:
22:58-23:00
That's one of my favorite, favorite verses.
Frank Zitzman:
23:02-23:03
See, we need to remember what we really are.
Frank Zitzman:
23:04-23:12
In Romans 5, 8, Romans 5, 8 says, God commends his love toward us, and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Frank Zitzman:
23:12-23:13
Now, I wanna show you something here I think is really neat.
Frank Zitzman:
23:14-23:23
See, the verse right up from that, Romans 5, 6, look at it says, "For when we were yet without strength, "in due time, Christ died for the ungodly." See the connection there?
Frank Zitzman:
23:24-23:25
Sinner without strength.
Frank Zitzman:
23:26-23:27
You wanna know why you're a sinner?
Frank Zitzman:
23:29-23:29
I'll tell you why you're a sinner.
Frank Zitzman:
23:30-23:32
because you don't have the strength not to be.
Frank Zitzman:
23:34-23:35
And you never will.
Frank Zitzman:
23:36-23:37
That's why you need a rock.
Frank Zitzman:
23:38-23:40
That's why you need one that has no sin in your life.
Frank Zitzman:
23:41-23:48
In fact, the Bible says, Jesus said that the disciples watched and prayed that he entered into temptation, the spirit of need is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Frank Zitzman:
23:50-23:55
So on your outline, you see you have a blank there, and I even put the number of letters in the word, it'll really help you.
Frank Zitzman:
23:56-24:00
So you gotta put weak, W-E-A-K, we're weak sinners.
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24:00-24:05
We're actually weak sinners in need of a mighty God.
Frank Zitzman:
24:06-24:07
Boy, don't ever forget that.
Frank Zitzman:
24:08-24:10
And it's easy to forget that.
Frank Zitzman:
24:10-24:11
You need to remember that.
Frank Zitzman:
24:11-24:13
You need to remember you're a weak sinner in need.
Frank Zitzman:
24:13-24:19
And see, what's interesting is that the apostle Paul actually chimes in for us.
Frank Zitzman:
24:19-24:28
He says, "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that's among you, you ought to think of himself more highly than he ought to think." That's another good verse to keep in your mind a lot.
Frank Zitzman:
24:29-24:35
Psalm 103, 13 and 14, "Like as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities them that fear Him, for He knows our frame." He remembers we're just dust.
Frank Zitzman:
24:37-24:50
See if you just keep the perspective right all the time, keep God up here and you down here, you can handle anything. I can't think of anything more tragic for a parent than to lose a child. There isn't any. Jeff already highlighted up here how important that is.
Frank Zitzman:
24:51-24:58
But with the Lord, you can handle it. And we've just been able to do that, and I'm I'm so thankful, and I give all the glory to God for that.
Frank Zitzman:
24:59-25:01
You have to realize that accepting weakness will breed strength.
Frank Zitzman:
25:02-25:14
2 Corinthians 12.10 says that, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, and approaches, and necessities, and persecutions, and distresses for Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong." Then am I strong.
Frank Zitzman:
25:15-25:20
See, I guess the reason I'm really emphasizing all these verses to you is because, see, that's where it's at, folks.
Frank Zitzman:
25:21-25:26
You need to put these deep into your soul before the tragedies come.
Frank Zitzman:
25:27-25:30
And if you do, when they come, it's like a flood.
Frank Zitzman:
25:32-25:33
And I know that, I've experienced that.
Frank Zitzman:
25:33-25:35
It's amazing, it's amazing.
Frank Zitzman:
25:36-25:49
My wife and I did a seminar one time, they said, somebody raised their hand, it was like a question and answer thing, they said, "Can you recommend a book "that could really help with tragedy?" And Sue and I were both sitting on a stage, I looked, I went,
Pastor Jeff:
25:49-25:49
"Oh,
25:50-25:50
the
Frank Zitzman:
25:50-25:56
Bible?" They were like, "Oh, well, I know that." I'm like, "Oh, see, as soon as they said that, I said, 'No, you don't.'" They don't.
Frank Zitzman:
25:57-25:59
See, we underestimate the Bible.
Frank Zitzman:
25:59-26:01
We do, we just underestimate the power of it.
Frank Zitzman:
26:01-26:03
You put God's word into your heart and you really believe it?
Frank Zitzman:
26:04-26:05
Folks, it really works.
Frank Zitzman:
26:06-26:07
It really works.
Frank Zitzman:
26:08-26:10
Strength comes from humbly abiding in God's presence.
Frank Zitzman:
26:11-26:13
Two verses that support that.
Frank Zitzman:
26:14-26:14
Call 911.
Frank Zitzman:
26:15-26:16
I tell people that all the time.
Frank Zitzman:
26:16-26:16
You hear that, call 911?
Frank Zitzman:
26:18-26:26
Okay, Psalm 91, one says, "He who dwells in the secret place of the most high you'll abide under the shadow of the Almighty. You want to call 911? Go to that one.
Frank Zitzman:
26:27-26:41
That's the one that can really help. Isaiah 57 15 says, "Thus saith the High and Lofty One of Heaven's Eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in a high and holy place." That's what I love about this music. You don't know. I just, oh, it's so great.
Frank Zitzman:
26:41-26:51
"I dwell in a high and holy place with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit. He revives the spirit of the humble and he revives the heart of the contrite ones." If you If you aren't being revived, I'll tell you why that's a problem.
Frank Zitzman:
26:51-26:53
It's certainly not because God isn't high enough.
Frank Zitzman:
26:54-26:55
It isn't powerful enough.
Frank Zitzman:
26:55-26:59
It's because you're not humbling enough.
Frank Zitzman:
27:00-27:01
You're not contrite enough.
Frank Zitzman:
27:01-27:02
See, that's what I love about the Bible.
Frank Zitzman:
27:02-27:03
Like I say, it has the truth.
Frank Zitzman:
27:04-27:05
You might not like it.
Frank Zitzman:
27:05-27:06
I don't like that.
Frank Zitzman:
27:06-27:07
It offends me.
Frank Zitzman:
27:07-27:08
But I'll tell you what.
Frank Zitzman:
27:09-27:10
It heals.
Frank Zitzman:
27:10-27:12
The truth heals and the lie kills.
Frank Zitzman:
27:12-27:13
Don't forget that.
Frank Zitzman:
27:13-27:15
That's a Dan Smith little rhyme.
Frank Zitzman:
27:17-27:47
You don't want to limit the Holy One by lack of lack of belief. That's what Israel did and in Psalm 78 41 Yea, they turned her back and tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel. You don't ever want to limit God and So exciting folks. I can't you know, I wish I could put into words the experience it is to know God's Empowering and stamina in your life. I mean once you feel what it's like man. I'll tell you what That's why when I meet an atheist they say to me. Oh, there's no God My first thought was, "Oh, you're just ignorant.
Frank Zitzman:
27:48-27:55
You're just ignorant. That's the problem." Because I'm just like, "Don't tell me there's no God." I mean, it's just, you've got to be kidding me.
Frank Zitzman:
27:55-27:57
But whatever, that's another story.
Frank Zitzman:
27:57-27:59
I could go on all kinds of stuff about that.
Frank Zitzman:
27:59-28:00
We'll have to come back and talk about that message sometime.
Frank Zitzman:
28:01-28:07
So we'll go to the next "U." Understand God's big picture.
Frank Zitzman:
28:08-28:09
Understand God's big picture.
Frank Zitzman:
28:09-28:11
And here's the number one thing you need to do.
Frank Zitzman:
28:12-28:14
You need to develop a "better than I deserve" mentality.
Frank Zitzman:
28:14-28:35
When I was coming in today, I was asked, "How you doing, Frank?" First thing I said was, "Better than I deserve." But my buddy Dan Smith, friend of another friend who was in the prison ministry, I was talking with him the other day, we were at a wedding, and Dan goes, "Oh, I came up with another thing," I say, "Now." I said, "What do you say now?" He said, "Well, when people ask me how I'm doing, I'm saying, 'Not as good as I'm gonna be.'" And I'm like, "Whoa, that is really good!
Frank Zitzman:
28:36-28:39
"Not as good as I'm gonna be!" 'Cause then right away people say, "Well, what do you mean?
Frank Zitzman:
28:39-28:41
"You're gonna inherit something?" I go, "Well, I am!
Frank Zitzman:
28:42-28:46
"I mean, it opens the door That's a good one too, but that's another good one.
Frank Zitzman:
28:46-28:48
Okay. I mean, it's really great.
Frank Zitzman:
28:48-28:53
And I get that you need to develop a better than I deserve mentality for Romans 6.23, because this is what we deserve.
Frank Zitzman:
28:53-28:55
The wage of sin is death.
Frank Zitzman:
28:56-28:58
So if you're still breathing, guess what?
Frank Zitzman:
28:59-29:00
You got better than you deserve.
Frank Zitzman:
29:01-29:02
'Cause you're a sinner, folks.
Frank Zitzman:
29:02-29:03
We've already established that.
Frank Zitzman:
29:03-29:04
We know you're a sinner.
Frank Zitzman:
29:05-29:06
Well, you deserve death.
Frank Zitzman:
29:06-29:10
And people say to me about my son, they say, well, I said, my son lived for 17 years.
Frank Zitzman:
29:11-29:12
He lived for 17 years.
Frank Zitzman:
29:12-29:13
He should have been dead when he was born.
Frank Zitzman:
29:14-29:14
All this should have been.
Frank Zitzman:
29:15-29:19
The fact that we breathe it all is such a blessing from God.
Frank Zitzman:
29:19-29:20
And see, we forget that.
Frank Zitzman:
29:21-29:21
We forget it.
Frank Zitzman:
29:23-29:25
We got this horrible mentality in America.
Frank Zitzman:
29:26-29:33
Luke 17, 10, "So likewise you, when you shall have done all those things which are commanded to you, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.
Frank Zitzman:
29:33-29:38
We have done only that which is our duty to do.'" I've had so many people say to me when they've gone through something, "I don't know why God would do this to me.
Frank Zitzman:
29:38-29:39
I mean, I go to church.
Frank Zitzman:
29:40-29:41
What's happened to me?" Oh, really?
Frank Zitzman:
29:42-29:43
I hear that and I think, "Oh yeah.
Frank Zitzman:
29:44-29:44
Have you done all?
Frank Zitzman:
29:46-29:54
I mean, the Bible says, see, that's just a, you might not like that verse, but see, that verse is telling you that after you've done everything, after you've done it, then you're supposed to say you're on your duty.
Frank Zitzman:
29:55-29:56
You shouldn't be expecting anything.
Frank Zitzman:
29:58-30:03
And again, we don't wanna hear that because we've got the Joel Olsteins preaching on TV and all these other knuckleheads.
Frank Zitzman:
30:04-30:08
I mean, just polluting God's word and polluting what, ah, it just drives me nuts.
Frank Zitzman:
30:09-30:14
I mean, people that love God, love the Lord, when they hear that stuff, it's just like, You just want to crawl out of your skin.
Frank Zitzman:
30:14-30:20
I mean, it's so hard for me to deal with that, but anyhow, we had to go through that sometimes in a jail a couple times.
Frank Zitzman:
30:20-30:21
It was kind of interesting that happened.
Frank Zitzman:
30:21-30:27
Okay, remember, God is the creator and owner.
30:29-30:30
Please don't ever forget that.
30:30-30:36
See, that means, see, when you own something, that means that you get to say when it stays here, when it comes here, where it goes.
30:37-30:38
See, that's what I remember.
30:38-30:39
When my son died, I thought, you know what?
30:40-30:40
He's not my son.
30:41-30:42
Ultimately, he's God's son.
30:43-30:46
And if God chose to take him out of this life now, he has a reason for it.
30:47-30:54
See, if you just remember that, that God is the Creator and Owner, it'll really keep you from ever getting into this situation.
30:55-30:59
You never - I can't make that word big enough or bold enough -
Frank Zitzman:
30:59-31:03
you never have a right to be angry with God.
Frank Zitzman:
31:04-31:04
Oh.
Frank Zitzman:
31:05-31:13
You know, when we lost our son, we had a pastor call us and tell us, "We can do counseling." counseling with people, grief counseling with people that lose loved ones.
Frank Zitzman:
31:14-31:18
I just want you to know that, you know, if you get angry, when you get angry with God, you can give me a call.
Frank Zitzman:
31:19-31:21
Like, a moment Sue said that to me, I said, "What?
Frank Zitzman:
31:22-31:23
Angry with God?
Frank Zitzman:
31:24-31:27
Are you kidding me?" I said, "What?
Frank Zitzman:
31:28-31:29
Like it was God's fault?
Frank Zitzman:
31:30-31:32
I mean, we brought sin in the world, right?
Frank Zitzman:
31:32-31:33
I mean, and my son was a sinner.
Frank Zitzman:
31:33-31:36
It's like, well, so now we're going to get angry with the only...
Frank Zitzman:
31:36-31:37
You know, and you know what?
Frank Zitzman:
31:37-31:38
Here's the real big thing.
Frank Zitzman:
31:38-31:40
I mean, this is a selfish thing, but it's just the truth.
Frank Zitzman:
31:40-31:45
I mean where else you gonna turn? Why you gonna get angry with anyone who can help you?
Frank Zitzman:
31:46-32:42
I mean that's about stupid isn't it? I mean I'm just saying even if you're just being selfish about it but more importantly than that look at this verse Matthew 5 22 Jesus says this but I say unto you whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in the danger of judgment whosoever shall call his brother Raca shall be in danger of the council whosoever shall say Adolf Full shall be in danger of hellfire now this word Raka means a senseless empty-headed man all right the word fool there is the word moros it means kind of like moron right foolish impious godless okay so but the point of this verse is is that Jesus is saying if you get angry and disrespectful with a fellow sinner look what you're in danger of what do you think you might be in danger of if you get angry and disrespectful to the sinless one.
Frank Zitzman:
32:44-32:45
You don't want to go there.
Frank Zitzman:
32:45-32:47
I had a famous Bible teacher and he's really famous.
Frank Zitzman:
32:47-32:48
He's written a lot of books.
Frank Zitzman:
32:49-32:52
Him and I had a conversation one day and he told me, "Oh, Frank, listen.
Frank Zitzman:
32:53-32:54
It's okay to be angry.
Frank Zitzman:
32:55-32:59
You just don't stay there." I'm like, "Oh, you mean like murder.
Frank Zitzman:
32:59-33:00
It's okay to murder.
Frank Zitzman:
33:00-33:07
Just don't keep doing it." "Well, it's just not quite the same." I said, "It's exactly the same because being angry is God's sin, folks.
Frank Zitzman:
33:07-33:10
It is." Now again, you might not want to hear that, but that's the truth.
Frank Zitzman:
33:11-33:13
People say, "Well, it's only the natural thing." Guess what?
Frank Zitzman:
33:13-33:15
As Christians, we don't live in the natural.
Frank Zitzman:
33:16-33:17
We should be living in the supernatural.
Frank Zitzman:
33:19-33:20
And I understand why that happens.
Frank Zitzman:
33:20-33:23
I have a whole message I do on angering God, and maybe I'll come and do that sometime.
Frank Zitzman:
33:24-33:26
I try to be sensitive with people.
Frank Zitzman:
33:26-33:27
I don't have time to be sensitive today, so I'm going to be real blunt.
Frank Zitzman:
33:29-33:32
But anyhow, you just never, ever want to be angry with God.
Frank Zitzman:
33:33-33:34
Don't ever get in that situation.
Frank Zitzman:
33:34-33:37
It's just not a good place to be.
Frank Zitzman:
33:38-33:43
No, the next thing, remember a strong root always, always produces fruit.
Frank Zitzman:
33:44-33:48
And when you have a strong root in God's word, there'll always be fruit from it.
Frank Zitzman:
33:48-33:50
What a blessing it is to know that.
Frank Zitzman:
33:51-33:52
So let's go to the L.
Frank Zitzman:
33:53-33:58
The L is leave self on the shelf.
Frank Zitzman:
34:00-34:05
All right, now there can't be a better illustration of that.
Frank Zitzman:
34:06-34:07
Well, you know, change your focus to the Lord.
Frank Zitzman:
34:07-34:08
Psalm 16, 8, 9.
Frank Zitzman:
34:09-34:11
I've set the Lord always before me, 'cause he's in my right hand.
Frank Zitzman:
34:11-34:15
I shall not be moved, therefore my heart is glad, my glory rejoices, my flesh will rest in him.
Frank Zitzman:
34:15-34:17
Take a moment and just look at that verse, okay?
Frank Zitzman:
34:17-34:19
I want you to see what that says.
Frank Zitzman:
34:19-34:24
Okay, it says, "I shall not be moved." That means stability.
Frank Zitzman:
34:25-34:28
It says, "Therefore my heart is glad." Okay, that's happiness.
Frank Zitzman:
34:29-34:30
And my glory rejoices.
Frank Zitzman:
34:31-34:32
That's joy.
Frank Zitzman:
34:33-34:35
So you get stability, happiness, joy.
Frank Zitzman:
34:36-34:41
and the last one, "And my flesh shall also rest in hope." Stability, happiness, joy, and hope.
Frank Zitzman:
34:41-34:43
Do you know anybody that doesn't want that?
Frank Zitzman:
34:45-34:48
I have never met anybody in my life that doesn't want that.
Frank Zitzman:
34:49-34:50
And you know what, the way we get it?
Frank Zitzman:
34:51-34:52
We set the Lord.
Frank Zitzman:
34:52-34:53
See, that's why I hate evolution so much.
Frank Zitzman:
34:54-34:56
'Cause what evolution does is it takes God out.
Frank Zitzman:
34:56-34:57
You know what it does?
Frank Zitzman:
34:57-34:59
It deprives everybody of that.
Frank Zitzman:
35:00-35:01
They'll never have stability.
Frank Zitzman:
35:02-35:02
They'll never have happiness.
Frank Zitzman:
35:03-35:03
They'll never have joy.
Frank Zitzman:
35:03-35:14
have hope without God. That's one of my favorite favorite verses. But see the only way you're gonna do that is if you leave self on the shelf. So you quit looking at self, quit looking at self's problems and everything else. You look at the Lord.
Frank Zitzman:
35:14-35:33
You keep the Lord always before you. That's why knowing his word and having it ingrained in you is so helpful. Then the next verse, one of my favorites too. I'm probably gonna drive you people crazy I keep saying every verse is my favorite verse. I just love God's word so much. Isaiah 26 3 and 4, "Thou will keep him in Perfect peace! Who doesn't want that?
Frank Zitzman:
35:34-35:41
"Who's my estate on thee, because you trust in Him." Trust you in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.
Frank Zitzman:
35:41-35:44
I mean, perfect peace, everlasting strength.
Frank Zitzman:
35:44-35:45
I mean, who in the world?
Frank Zitzman:
35:46-35:47
Think about that, folks.
Frank Zitzman:
35:47-35:51
And if you're a Christian here today, that's available to you.
Frank Zitzman:
35:53-35:54
No matter what you're going through.
Frank Zitzman:
35:54-35:59
And see, I can say that with all authority, because I went through the most horrible thing a parent can go through, and I'll tell you what, I had it.
Frank Zitzman:
36:00-36:07
It wasn't that second I was angry with God, because my God was there right by my side, and His word was flooding my mind.
Frank Zitzman:
36:08-36:09
It made all the difference.
Frank Zitzman:
36:09-36:10
Oh, it made all the difference.
Frank Zitzman:
36:11-36:18
And then, you know, "Perfect Peace" is just something that I heard a guy do an illustration one time about peace, and he said they wanted this artist to draw a picture of peace, and they had this big contest.
Frank Zitzman:
36:18-36:28
And one artist drew this picture of this beautiful summer setting, and there was a lake and a house, and everybody's like, "Oh." Then the next person, they showed their picture, and it was like a winter scene.
Frank Zitzman:
36:29-36:32
And there's this little cabin and snow around and a little smoke coming out of the cabin.
Frank Zitzman:
36:34-36:35
Then the third artist showed you this picture.
Frank Zitzman:
36:36-36:39
Everybody goes, "Ah, there's a big gas!" Like, "What?" "It's a waterfall!
Frank Zitzman:
36:39-36:43
"Waterfall coming over this, waves crashing and everything!" People were like, "What?
Frank Zitzman:
36:43-36:49
"Who's the jerk that made a picture like that for peace?" And the artist's like, "Wait a second, folks.
Frank Zitzman:
36:49-36:57
"You're not looking so close, like close enough." He went over to the waterfall and he showed a little branch sticking out there and there was a bird filling this nest right there.
Frank Zitzman:
36:59-37:09
And this author said, "See, you have peace when in the midst of the turmoil, you're making a nest in your home right in the middle." That's perfect peace.
Frank Zitzman:
37:09-37:17
And see, it's available to us if, if you put your mind on Him and not on you and your problems.
Frank Zitzman:
37:18-37:23
So, but here's the ultimate example, Luke 22, 42 to 43.
Frank Zitzman:
37:26-37:29
Anybody that knows the gospels, You know who's speaking here, right?
Frank Zitzman:
37:30-37:30
This is Jesus.
Frank Zitzman:
37:31-37:33
And I wanna show you something here that a lot of people miss.
Frank Zitzman:
37:33-37:35
I think this is so, so important.
Frank Zitzman:
37:36-37:41
Saying, "Father, if you'll be willing, "remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will, "but thine be done." That's verse 42.
Frank Zitzman:
37:43-37:48
Then verse 43, "There appeared an angel unto him from heaven." So here you have the scene.
Frank Zitzman:
37:49-37:56
Jesus has gone through the most horrendous trial and event anybody go through, carrying the sin of the world.
Frank Zitzman:
37:57-38:03
And he's crying out to God, but he says, but you know what, I would just let this cup pass from me.
Frank Zitzman:
38:04-38:05
So there's nothing wrong with asking for that.
Frank Zitzman:
38:06-38:09
But notice Jesus right away says, nevertheless not my will, but yours be done.
Frank Zitzman:
38:09-38:12
So he basically submits to God's sovereignty.
Frank Zitzman:
38:12-38:18
And there appeared an angel into him from heaven, and look at what the angel does, strengthening him.
Frank Zitzman:
38:19-38:22
See, if you want God's strength, that's what you need to do.
Frank Zitzman:
38:23-38:24
He is the ultimate example.
Frank Zitzman:
38:26-38:30
And I'm telling you folks, and when you do it, it's astounding.
Frank Zitzman:
38:30-38:34
It is absolutely astounding what God can do in your life and the strength He brings.
Frank Zitzman:
38:35-38:36
It's just overwhelming.
Frank Zitzman:
38:37-38:37
Overwhelming to me.
Frank Zitzman:
38:38-38:40
And again, I don't know how anybody...
Frank Zitzman:
38:40-38:41
Well, they just don't know.
Frank Zitzman:
38:41-38:42
But here's an example.
Frank Zitzman:
38:42-38:44
We talked about Job at the beginning.
Frank Zitzman:
38:44-38:45
I was saying what a great guy Job was.
Frank Zitzman:
38:45-38:50
But see, if you read all the books of Job, you start finding out, uh-oh, there's a few places where Job's not too great a guy.
Frank Zitzman:
38:51-38:52
And here's one of them.
Frank Zitzman:
38:52-38:53
Job 29-23.
Frank Zitzman:
38:53-38:55
Notice the words I have in white.
Frank Zitzman:
38:56-38:57
Can everybody see them?
Frank Zitzman:
38:58-39:05
"My, me, my, my, me, me, my, my, me." Now, does that sound like you've got the Lord always before him?
Frank Zitzman:
39:06-39:08
I mean, what's that sound like?
Frank Zitzman:
39:08-39:12
"My words, they spoke, they waited for me as the fruit of the rain." He's remembering how great he was.
Frank Zitzman:
39:14-39:17
You know what? If you read Job 29, that's one of the lowest parts in Job's life.
Frank Zitzman:
39:18-39:18
And isn't it interesting?
Frank Zitzman:
39:19-39:21
Isn't it interesting where he's focusing?
Frank Zitzman:
39:21-39:23
And you'll see that throughout the book of Job.
Frank Zitzman:
39:24-39:28
Anytime Job's at a low point, take a look at what he's thinking about God, and what he's thinking about him.
Frank Zitzman:
39:29-39:33
He's derailing God, essentially, really, and he's thinking about him.
Frank Zitzman:
39:34-39:37
See, you need to believe what 2 Corinthians 1:3 says about God's character.
Frank Zitzman:
39:38-39:48
And that is, "Blessed be the God, even the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort." He's the God of all comfort.
Frank Zitzman:
39:48-39:50
One of the greatest titles there is in the Bible for God.
Frank Zitzman:
39:50-39:56
And when you go through a tragedy, let me tell you, you realize that's a man's life.
Frank Zitzman:
39:56-39:59
See, God is not a persecutor.
Frank Zitzman:
40:00-40:02
And He's not a forsaker.
Frank Zitzman:
40:02-40:04
Now I know your outline says abandoner, I never changed that.
Frank Zitzman:
40:04-40:06
Forsaker, that just sounds like a more educated word.
Frank Zitzman:
40:07-40:13
Forsaker! He's not an adversary, He's not an accuser, and He's not a prosecutor.
Frank Zitzman:
40:13-40:14
Not a persecutor or a prosecutor.
Frank Zitzman:
40:15-40:46
And the reason I put those on there like that is because unfortunately, If you look in the book of Job, you're gonna see that's exactly what Job says about God And every time he says it He's always down He's not able to deal with the situation What a great picture see if we can just avoid it. See that you know what folks That's why the book of Job is there by the way. That's why God gave that to us to show us that's humanity But we know with Christ see we can overcome that So we need to replace our why?
Frank Zitzman:
40:47-40:48
With a what?
Frank Zitzman:
40:49-40:51
You know when every time tragedy happens you go why just why?
Frank Zitzman:
40:52-41:05
You need to replace it with a what and I use an example that acts 9 6 And acts 9 6 it says and he trembling. This is the Apostle Paul God slammed his face in the dirt and he looked up and he said why are you doing this to me?
Frank Zitzman:
41:06-41:09
No, he says Lord. What will you have me to do?
Frank Zitzman:
41:10-41:14
So you need to get that mentality in your life. You change your why to a what?
Frank Zitzman:
41:14-41:29
You know what God answers prayer in that passage by the way if you if you read through it Then second Corinthians 1 for just another verse that I threw in there to talk about how the reason God Comforts us in our tribulation is so we can cover other people. I mean that makes sense, right?
Frank Zitzman:
41:30-41:34
I have a pastor our pastor down in Kentucky. He when we first moved there. He said, you know what Frank?
Frank Zitzman:
41:34-42:00
He had me speak at their church and he said that you know He said there are that Sue and I were on special assignment in Kentucky When he said it I thought you know what that's so true See whatever trial you go through some big tragedy if you go through a major tragedy you ought to consider it a privilege if you're a Christian Because God's chosen you with a special son You're gonna be able to comfort others and go through the same thing. How's the world gonna get comfort?
Frank Zitzman:
42:01-43:10
Gonna do the psychotherapist We already find out he ain't gonna help. Okay, so You just don't want to live with your mistakes you want to learn from them. Psalm 85 8 is a verse that I just kind of threw understanding your outline but this is about the God saying to the children of Israel I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his saints and let them not turn again to following. See when you have make a mistake in your life you just need to learn from it. Okay now see the reason this is significant to me is because guess who bought my son his motorcycle me see the day that Troy was killed what do you think I was second you know what maybe was a mistake but you know what there's nothing I can do about now I mean I said I'd live with but see that's where my next point comes in we don't live in the what-if we live in the what now don't ever forget that. Even if you're responsible, you know what? That's in the past, man. You can't do anything about the past, but you know what you can do? Something about the future. And really, we don't live in the past, we live in the future, we live in the present, right?
Frank Zitzman:
43:11-43:36
So what we need to do is focus on the present and learn. Just learn. And believe me, hey, we all got a lot to learn, right? We're never done. We're never done learning. Philippians 3.13 illustrates that. "Brethren, I count on myself to apprehend it, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, reaching forth with those things that are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Frank Zitzman:
43:36-44:51
That word "press" is really interesting. It's a word in the Greek is "dioko" and what it means is to pursue in a hostile manner. Are you doing that? You need to pursue the goal of being Christ-like in a hostile manner. And actually, another thing is that that word is in what they call the present tense in the Greek. What that means is it's a continual action so you should always be doing that now I know that's not easy but I'm telling you we should be doing that and again like I say the Bible has answers we just have to just gonna do it so the next one you need to confess rather than depress a couple verses there for that first John 1 9 I'm sure you're all familiar with that one just about all of us know that one cuz we gotta do that lot if we confess our sins he's faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us And then Proverbs 28 13 another one of my really favorite ones that anybody that confesses and forsakes going to have God's mercy So and then the last thing I have on this point is you need to use your gift to serve others and You can look those verses up But both of them talk about being good that God gives grace to the humble God gives grace to humble We just need to be humble and the best way to do that serve others. That's my that's my wife She's like oh my gosh. I mean I've never met anybody in my life that serves like her.
Frank Zitzman:
44:52-44:55
I mean, everybody's needs all the time.
Frank Zitzman:
44:55-44:57
I mean, she's just a blessing, but you know what?
Frank Zitzman:
44:57-44:59
That's how Sue can deal with her situation.
Frank Zitzman:
44:59-45:00
You know what?
Frank Zitzman:
45:00-45:02
You need to use your gifts, whatever gifts God's given you.
Frank Zitzman:
45:02-45:04
You're in a tragedy, hey, get busy using those gifts.
Frank Zitzman:
45:04-45:07
Get your eyes off of you, and you'll see such a difference.
Frank Zitzman:
45:08-45:14
Okay, so the next one, P, praise God for his provision.
Frank Zitzman:
45:16-46:17
And I like to say that praise is the ultimate, depression medicine It really is Psalm 61 8 and I never think Psalm 61 8 is just the reverse of Psalm 16 8 Look what it says so I sing praise and I name forever that I may daily perform my vows and I really prefer this translation when it says that because some parents I should say as And I think it should be that because let me tell you that's how you end up doing your vows If you start singing praises unto his name that that's where the power comes from to do this that's why you don't indulge your weakness and you don't lay in it you praise God and move on and it's just a blessing and once again the scripture tells us that pretty clear there so I always encourage people to take a scripture prescription and rejoice and this is the verse that applies with that be anxious for nothing but everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your request be known to God and the peace of God, there's that peace again, passes all understanding.
Frank Zitzman:
46:17-46:24
I had a lady stay at our house one time that was going to the museum, she said to me, she says, "When you're in a fix, "think of Philippians 4:6.
Frank Zitzman:
46:26-46:37
"And if you want a piece of heaven, read verse seven." So I thought that was pretty neat, 'cause she said, "You're in a fix, "and then you get a piece of heaven "because God gives you your understanding." I'll just never forget that.
Frank Zitzman:
46:38-46:39
You're in a fix, think of Philippians 4.
Frank Zitzman:
46:40-46:41
I'm kind of a poet at heart.
Frank Zitzman:
46:43-46:53
Okay, 1 Corinthians 15 is another great verse that shows, that just illustrates this point of how when you praise God, you put these verses into your mind, He gives you victory.
Frank Zitzman:
46:54-46:58
I mean, think of this, folks, victory over death and the grave.
Frank Zitzman:
47:00-47:02
That's our biggest enemies, and they've been conquered.
Frank Zitzman:
47:04-47:06
Oh, I'm just so thankful for that.
Frank Zitzman:
47:06-47:10
You stand by a girl with a dead child, Let me tell you, you're really thankful.
Frank Zitzman:
47:12-47:14
Isn't it just great to be a Christian?
Frank Zitzman:
47:15-47:17
If you're here today and you're not a Christian, I feel sorry for you.
Frank Zitzman:
47:18-47:19
I really do.
Frank Zitzman:
47:19-47:20
I really do.
Frank Zitzman:
47:22-47:28
Romans 8, 37, "Nay, in all these things, "we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Think about that for a second.
Frank Zitzman:
47:28-47:29
More than a conqueror.
Frank Zitzman:
47:29-47:31
I mean, everybody, I mean, conqueror, that's like the peak, isn't it?
Frank Zitzman:
47:31-47:32
I mean, how could there be more?
Frank Zitzman:
47:33-47:34
What in the world?
Frank Zitzman:
47:34-47:38
What would be more, what's better than a conqueror?
Frank Zitzman:
47:38-47:41
I mean, and I think I have the answer for that.
Frank Zitzman:
47:41-47:44
And it's this, an endurer.
Frank Zitzman:
47:45-47:47
'Cause see, sometimes when you conquer, you just quit.
Frank Zitzman:
47:48-47:48
Hey, I won!
Frank Zitzman:
47:49-47:52
But see, somebody that's an endurer, they never quit.
Frank Zitzman:
47:53-47:55
Win or lose, they keep going.
Frank Zitzman:
47:56-47:56
And you know what?
Frank Zitzman:
47:57-48:00
That's exactly what Christ does in your life for you.
Frank Zitzman:
48:00-48:03
He enables you to keep going if you keep your focus on Him.
Frank Zitzman:
48:04-48:05
What a blessing.
Frank Zitzman:
48:06-48:15
The last thing in sculpt is T, and that is testify to God's amazing grace.
Frank Zitzman:
48:15-48:26
And again, like I told you before, the progression there, if you're submitting to God's sovereignty, you're confessing your weakness, you're understanding God's big picture, you're leaving self on the shelf, you will praise him and you will testify.
Frank Zitzman:
48:26-48:27
That's gonna happen.
Frank Zitzman:
48:27-48:28
It's just gonna flow.
Frank Zitzman:
48:29-48:30
It's just gonna flow.
Frank Zitzman:
48:31-48:33
And I wanna show you something here that I think's really interesting.
Frank Zitzman:
48:34-48:36
You're probably familiar with this passage, Matthew 7.
Frank Zitzman:
48:37-48:49
"Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, "I will like him unto a wise man "and build his house upon a rock." So this is a very powerful passage, but I think a lot of people have never seen this, I'm sure you probably haven't.
Frank Zitzman:
48:49-48:56
It says, "The rain descended, floods came, "and they beat upon that house." Now see that verse 25 says, "Beat upon that house." But notice what's different.
Frank Zitzman:
48:57-49:02
Beat upon in verse 25 is a different word, a different Greek word.
Frank Zitzman:
49:03-49:04
Now this is why that's important.
Frank Zitzman:
49:06-49:07
Okay, this is Matthew 7.25 again.
Frank Zitzman:
49:07-49:09
"Beat upon that," that's the word prospecto.
Frank Zitzman:
49:10-49:12
It means this, to fall upon.
Frank Zitzman:
49:13-49:18
Every place else that's used in the Bible, it means to prostrate oneself before in homage or supplication at one's feet.
Frank Zitzman:
49:18-49:19
That's worship, folks.
Frank Zitzman:
49:21-49:23
Okay, now look, six times it refers to Christ.
Frank Zitzman:
49:24-49:25
I have all those verses down there for you.
Frank Zitzman:
49:25-49:26
One time it refers to Paul.
Frank Zitzman:
49:28-49:29
Now think about this.
Frank Zitzman:
49:29-49:32
The Bible's saying that if you're built on a rock, the storm comes.
Frank Zitzman:
49:33-49:35
See, when you're built on the sand, you just get knocked over.
Frank Zitzman:
49:36-49:36
You're built on a rock.
Frank Zitzman:
49:36-49:42
Not only does it not knock you over, it bows to you.
Frank Zitzman:
49:43-49:49
See, you can use your grief instead of your grief abusing you when you're built on a rock.
Frank Zitzman:
49:50-49:51
That is such a powerful...
Frank Zitzman:
49:51-49:54
You know, when I found this, it got so good to me.
Frank Zitzman:
49:55-49:59
I found this one day I was grieving, just really upset about losing Troy.
Frank Zitzman:
49:59-50:00
I was just having a rough day.
Frank Zitzman:
50:01-50:03
And the Lord laid on my heart, you need to read Matthew 7, Frank.
Frank Zitzman:
50:03-50:05
And I thought, why do I need to read that for?
Frank Zitzman:
50:05-50:06
I know what that says.
Frank Zitzman:
50:07-50:09
I mean, I taught that in a jail for years.
Frank Zitzman:
50:09-50:10
I don't need to read that.
Frank Zitzman:
50:11-50:15
I went and I looked it up and I found out, I discovered this.
Frank Zitzman:
50:16-50:17
Now, isn't that interesting?
Frank Zitzman:
50:18-50:22
See, so many times the Bible is, they're such so rich, it's so deep.
Frank Zitzman:
50:22-50:24
We don't even scratch the surface.
Frank Zitzman:
50:24-50:25
Don't even scratch the surface.
Frank Zitzman:
50:25-50:26
That's just a powerful truth.
Frank Zitzman:
50:27-50:32
And it's another reason I testify to God's amazing grace because God showed that to me when I needed it.
Frank Zitzman:
50:33-50:35
I just think that's a powerful, powerful truth.
Frank Zitzman:
50:36-50:38
Then a couple other verses there I'd draw your attention to.
Frank Zitzman:
50:38-50:43
The invisible things of him, Romans 1:20, for the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.
Frank Zitzman:
50:44-50:49
He was the eternal power and God had, oh, I could stand here for a long time and talk to you about the things that were made.
Frank Zitzman:
50:49-50:51
But I want you to see that that's creation, okay?
Frank Zitzman:
50:52-50:56
Now that word there for creation is the same word here for workmanship, Ephesians 2:10.
Frank Zitzman:
50:57-50:59
We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus under good works.
Frank Zitzman:
51:00-51:01
Here's what's really interesting.
Frank Zitzman:
51:02-51:04
Poiema is the word for both of those, things that are made in workmanship.
Frank Zitzman:
51:04-51:05
What's that word look like?
Frank Zitzman:
51:07-51:07
Home, right?
Frank Zitzman:
51:08-51:16
You realize, folks, that God's creation and God's recreation, us, are God's poetry for the world.
Frank Zitzman:
51:17-51:19
And we should be, you know, what's poetry do?
Frank Zitzman:
51:20-51:22
Poetry's just so comforting and soothing.
Frank Zitzman:
51:22-51:23
That's what we're meant to be.
Frank Zitzman:
51:24-51:28
And if you apply what I share with you here today, I'm telling you, you'll be able to do that.
Frank Zitzman:
51:29-51:30
you will be able to do that.
Frank Zitzman:
51:30-51:32
It's just such a wonderful blessing to know that.
Frank Zitzman:
51:34-51:38
I have a poem I want to read to you, Real, that I think will bless you, I hope it does.
Frank Zitzman:
51:39-51:43
It's a poem that I wrote about this whole situation we went through.
Frank Zitzman:
51:44-51:48
And it's just really meaningful to me and I hope it's a blessing to you.
Frank Zitzman:
51:48-51:50
I call it an opportunity to.
Frank Zitzman:
51:51-51:52
And it goes like this.
Frank Zitzman:
51:52-51:55
Several years have passed since we lost our dear Troy.
Frank Zitzman:
51:56-51:58
Words can't describe how we miss that boy.
Frank Zitzman:
51:58-52:03
We will never forget his smiling face and the joy that he brought us here in this place.
Frank Zitzman:
52:04-52:07
Yes, the grief is real and sometimes hard to bear.
Frank Zitzman:
52:08-52:12
But praise be to God, there's still victory to share.
Frank Zitzman:
52:13-52:20
Death's ugly sting has been vanquished, you see, by the Jesus who died for you and for me.
Frank Zitzman:
52:21-52:25
Oh, tragedies will come on this old cursed earth, but they can quickly become opportunities for birth.
Frank Zitzman:
52:25-52:33
If we keep our dear Lord in his rightful place and offer him praise, oh what a difference it makes.
Frank Zitzman:
52:35-52:42
So here's my praise to the awesome one who not only holds my precious son.
Frank Zitzman:
52:43-52:50
Thank you dear Lord for the opportunity to tell others about the glories of you.
Frank Zitzman:
52:50-53:14
for the way that you comfort in the midst of such sorrow, for the hope that you bring and you give in a brighter tomorrow, for the doors that you open for us to proclaim the soul-cleansing gospel that wipes away shame, for the stamina that comes from your powerful word, for the freedom that comes when your message is heard, for the way that you take what is broken and crushed and infuse it with life through your sovereign touch.
Frank Zitzman:
53:16-53:18
Oh, what a blessing to be a child of the Master.
Frank Zitzman:
53:20-53:27
and experience from the face of disaster, just thank you, dear Lord, for the opportunity to tell others about the glories of you.
Frank Zitzman:
53:28-53:31
If you're a Christian, folks, that should be your attitude.
Frank Zitzman:
53:32-53:35
Telling others about the glories of God, no matter what happens.
Frank Zitzman:
53:35-53:42
And I assure you, folks, if you develop that attitude and cultivate it, whatever does happen, well, you will.
Frank Zitzman:
53:44-53:50
We are so blessed, so blessed to know the King of Kings And Lord of Lords.
Frank Zitzman:
53:51-53:54
The last thing I have up there, the Liberating Stephen Principle.
Frank Zitzman:
53:55-53:58
That's out of Acts 7, 51 to 60, and I'm not going to read all those to you.
Frank Zitzman:
53:58-53:59
Everybody will go to sleep.
Frank Zitzman:
53:59-54:00
But I encourage you to read that.
Frank Zitzman:
54:01-54:04
I really encourage you to read that because this is a story about Stephen.
Frank Zitzman:
54:05-54:07
And what I really love about this story is this.
Frank Zitzman:
54:07-54:08
This really ministers to me.
Frank Zitzman:
54:08-54:09
I hope it ministers to you.
Frank Zitzman:
54:10-54:12
See, Stephen was the first Christian martyr.
Frank Zitzman:
54:14-54:16
Now, just imagine how the church felt.
Frank Zitzman:
54:16-54:18
You got this firebrand.
Frank Zitzman:
54:18-54:20
I mean, this guy that's turning the world on fire, man.
Frank Zitzman:
54:20-54:25
He's standing in front of this anhedral bonus, and all of a sudden he's dead!
Frank Zitzman:
54:27-54:29
People will be like, "Oh man!
Frank Zitzman:
54:29-54:30
Why God let that
54:30-54:32
happen?"
Frank Zitzman:
54:32-54:32
Oh!
Frank Zitzman:
54:33-54:42
But when I mention Stephen in the Bible to anybody that knows the Bible, the first word they think of, it isn't coward.
Frank Zitzman:
54:44-54:45
And it isn't timid.
Frank Zitzman:
54:49-55:15
courageous, brave, bold. See, Stephen's job for the church was to infuse it with that at that particular time at the church of all. You know what folks, whatever your gift is, God wants you to use it. But when you're done using it, it's time for you to leave. When I lost my son, there's so many things I remember about Troy as a 17 year old. If he'd have been a 30 year old, I might not remember I remember those.
Frank Zitzman:
55:16-55:16
He may have changed.
Frank Zitzman:
55:17-55:20
But I'll never forget some of the greatest things that he did in my life.
Frank Zitzman:
55:20-55:21
I'll never forget that.
Frank Zitzman:
55:22-55:23
I had another dear friend, his name was Joe McEwen.
Frank Zitzman:
55:24-55:26
He went into the prison ministry with me for years before Jeff came along.
Frank Zitzman:
55:26-55:27
And Jeff's a lot like him.
Frank Zitzman:
55:28-55:29
That's why I love Jeff so much.
Frank Zitzman:
55:29-55:30
I love Joe so much.
Frank Zitzman:
55:31-55:32
Joe died of a sudden heart failure.
Frank Zitzman:
55:34-55:35
And I'll never forget when that happened.
Frank Zitzman:
55:35-55:38
I was like, and one of the guys in the prison, this is what the prison was like.
Frank Zitzman:
55:38-55:45
We went into prison, I went into prison the next week, and one of the guys in the prison says to me, "Hey, tell us about your good God now.
Frank Zitzman:
55:45-55:46
It's your buddy.
Frank Zitzman:
55:46-55:54
What happened to your buddy?" You know, sometimes in the prison ministry, it was really hard for me to restrain myself.
Frank Zitzman:
55:55-55:56
In fact, that's why Joe was there.
Frank Zitzman:
55:57-55:59
And I really believe that's why Jeff came to my life too.
Frank Zitzman:
55:59-56:00
'Cause there was times I was telling
Pastor Jeff:
56:00-56:01
him, "Whoa."
56:02-56:02
And
Frank Zitzman:
56:02-56:06
I'm like, "Okay." And right away, the Lord's so good to me now.
Frank Zitzman:
56:06-56:07
God says.
Frank Zitzman:
56:08-56:09
So I said, "You know what?
Frank Zitzman:
56:10-56:13
I'm really glad you brought up about that God, that good God.
Frank Zitzman:
56:14-56:16
Because that guy, that guy you talked about, Joe, I said, "Do you know him?
Frank Zitzman:
56:17-56:19
"Did you know him really well?" Well, I knew he came in here.
Frank Zitzman:
56:19-56:21
I said, "No, I mean, do you know him really well?
Frank Zitzman:
56:22-56:25
"I mean, Joe McHugh wouldn't come in here "and take the shoes off his feet and give to you guys.
Frank Zitzman:
56:26-56:27
"He was a giver, man.
Frank Zitzman:
56:27-56:33
"I mean, he was so compassionate, he just gave everything." I said, "He came to a point in his life, "he had a bad heart.
Frank Zitzman:
56:34-56:39
"He's got to be a taker and not a giver." That would have been a living hell for Joe McHugh.
Frank Zitzman:
56:40-56:51
So what did my good God do? He says, "Hey Joe, you're done spending your gifts this time." So I'm glad you brought him up. Let's talk some more about him.
Frank Zitzman:
56:51-56:54
About what you need from that good God. It was a great night.
Frank Zitzman:
56:55-56:59
But the whole point of the Stephen principle is, you know what, God has a purpose for everybody.
Frank Zitzman:
57:00-57:05
So when anybody passes and you, I mean, you know what, that was God, God's gonna use, you just need to think.
Frank Zitzman:
57:06-57:08
God thoughts. Just gonna think God thoughts.
Frank Zitzman:
57:09-57:12
But see, usually when I share this message with people, I say, "You know what?
Frank Zitzman:
57:13-57:14
I'm talking to people that are Christians.
Frank Zitzman:
57:14-57:24
I want to believe everybody here knows the Lord, but I'm not so naive to think that everybody does." So all the things I told you about the sculpt, those are applicable to a Christian's life.
Frank Zitzman:
57:25-57:28
But if you're here today and you're not a Christian, I have something I want to share with you.
Frank Zitzman:
57:29-57:30
And it has to do with my son.
Frank Zitzman:
57:32-57:40
Whenever we were in a hospital and we first got there, they took us to this little room And Sue was just devastated.
Frank Zitzman:
57:41-57:46
I was devastated too, but to tell you the truth, I kind of felt in my heart, we drove past, we had to drive by the accident scene.
Frank Zitzman:
57:46-57:51
We saw the motorcycle smashed, book bag splattered over the pavement.
Frank Zitzman:
57:52-57:54
So I kind of figured that Troy was gone.
Frank Zitzman:
57:55-58:01
And I was praying the whole way from that scene to the hospital, God just give me the strength to hold my family together.
Frank Zitzman:
58:02-58:36
And we get there and they get us to the room and we're in the room and Sue's just begging the nurse is saying, "Hey, is my son, how is he?" And I said, "Ma'am, we can't say anything, the doctor ought to tell you." And Sue was just like, "Just tell me if he's alive, tell me if he's alive." Well, the doctor comes in the room and he walks in and we're both standing there and Sue's just, you know, tears, doctor looks and he says, he's standing there and he leans over to the nurse and he goes, "What was his name again?" I'm standing there thinking, "What kind of an idiot?" I'm, you know, that's just my flashback.
Frank Zitzman:
58:37-58:43
What kind of an idiot would come into a room with a grieving mother and father and not even know the boy's name?
Frank Zitzman:
58:44-58:45
But he wasn't done yet.
Frank Zitzman:
58:46-58:47
They said his name's Troy.
Frank Zitzman:
58:47-58:49
He looks at us, he goes, oh, Troy's dead, he died.
Frank Zitzman:
58:51-58:51
Just like that.
Frank Zitzman:
58:53-58:55
I'll tell you, soon she collapsed in my arms.
Frank Zitzman:
58:56-58:56
It's a good thing she did.
Frank Zitzman:
58:57-59:00
'Cause if she had not collapsed in my arms, the doctor would have probably collapsed on the floor.
Frank Zitzman:
59:00-59:02
'Cause I was ready to nail him, buddy.
Frank Zitzman:
59:02-59:03
I was like, you gotta be kidding me.
Frank Zitzman:
59:04-59:05
And I looked at the nurses, I said, you know what?
Frank Zitzman:
59:05-59:08
The best thing for you to do is to get this man out of here and get him out of here now.
Frank Zitzman:
59:09-59:10
So they took him out.
Frank Zitzman:
59:13-59:20
I share that story with you to let you know that, see that doctor, he had a message of death for me.
Frank Zitzman:
59:21-59:26
He had a message that was communicated to me very rudely, a life and death message.
Frank Zitzman:
59:28-59:34
Well, the Lord impressed upon my heart, he said, you know, Frank, You have the real life death message, the gospel.
Frank Zitzman:
59:36-59:39
And you don't wanna be rude like that doctor was to you.
Frank Zitzman:
59:40-59:42
And sometimes I have been, and I feel bad about that.
Frank Zitzman:
59:43-59:46
So if you're here today and you're not a Christian, I don't wanna be rude to you.
Frank Zitzman:
59:47-59:48
But I do want you to know something.
Frank Zitzman:
59:49-59:56
You need the God that I know, and you need him desperately, desperately.
Frank Zitzman:
59:56-59:57
And here's how you get him.
Frank Zitzman:
59:57-59:58
You need a sculpt.
Frank Zitzman:
59:59-01:00:00
You need to submit to God's sovereignty too.
Frank Zitzman:
01:00:00-01:00:01
You need to confess your sin.
Frank Zitzman:
01:00:02-01:00:10
You need to understand that God sent his son, his only begotten son, to pay for that sin, and then you need to turn away from self and put your trust in him.
Frank Zitzman:
01:00:10-01:00:14
And if you do, you will praise and testify to God as well.
Frank Zitzman:
01:00:15-01:00:17
Now for the final picture.
Frank Zitzman:
01:00:18-01:00:19
Isn't that great?
Frank Zitzman:
01:00:19-01:00:19
I love that picture.
Frank Zitzman:
01:00:20-01:00:26
People, when they see this picture, they usually say, "Oh, it's the lion laying down "with the lamb and the millennial and everything.
Frank Zitzman:
01:00:26-01:00:33
"In fact, there's a millennial theater "that they have this out in front of there "and everything." And everybody goes, "Oh yeah, it's the lion." If you do a little Bible search, you're gonna find out He talks about the lion and the lamb laying together.
Frank Zitzman:
01:00:35-01:00:38
Talks about the wolf and the lamb, but never says a lion and a lamb.
Frank Zitzman:
01:00:39-01:00:46
See, the reason I love it, we came to Kentucky, and I said, I have this at home, I pick it up when I do a presentation, when I have it with me, but I can't pick that up, so we'll get it up first.
Frank Zitzman:
01:00:46-01:00:50
I always tell people, praise the Lord for Hobby Lobby, 'cause I got that at Hobby Lobby.
Frank Zitzman:
01:00:51-01:00:55
But what I love about this picture is that it's a lion and a lamb.
Frank Zitzman:
01:00:56-01:01:02
See, Jesus came the first time as a lamb, In humility, offering salvation.
Frank Zitzman:
01:01:04-01:01:06
He's coming the second time as a lion.
Frank Zitzman:
01:01:08-01:01:10
In wrath, offering judgment.
Frank Zitzman:
01:01:11-01:01:13
I don't know how much you know about a lion or a lamb, but you don't want to meet a lion.
Frank Zitzman:
01:01:14-01:01:15
You want to meet a lamb.
Frank Zitzman:
01:01:16-01:01:21
So I encourage you here today, if you don't know Jesus, come to Him as a lamb.
Frank Zitzman:
01:01:22-01:01:25
Because I assure you, you will be coming to Him.
Frank Zitzman:
01:01:26-01:01:28
If you don't come to Him as a lamb, you're going to come to Him as a lion.
Frank Zitzman:
01:01:29-01:01:30
and you don't want to see him that way.
Frank Zitzman:
01:01:33-01:01:35
So, praise the Lord.
Frank Zitzman:
01:01:36-01:01:38
Thanks so much for this opportunity to share with you folks.
Frank Zitzman:
01:01:40-01:01:41
But let's pray, and I'll be done.
Frank Zitzman:
01:01:42-01:01:46
Almighty God and Father, what a blessing, Lord.
Frank Zitzman:
01:01:47-01:01:53
I'm so thankful to my brother Jeff for just giving me an opportunity, Lord, to go through all this information again for my own life.
Frank Zitzman:
01:01:54-01:02:04
Forgive me, Father, for the many times that I have forgotten all the things that I've encouraged and exhorted everybody else here to do, Lord, there's so many times when I get frustrated.
Frank Zitzman:
01:02:04-01:02:06
I don't think of Psalm 61 too like I should.
Frank Zitzman:
01:02:08-01:02:09
I get frustrated with my wife.
Frank Zitzman:
01:02:09-01:02:10
I don't treat her the way a lot of times I should.
Frank Zitzman:
01:02:12-01:02:17
Thank you, God, so much for your Word and the cleansing power that it has.
Frank Zitzman:
01:02:17-01:02:25
And I do pray, Lord, sincerely for all these people, that if they know you, God, that they grow deeper in your Word and fall deeper in love with you.
Frank Zitzman:
01:02:25-01:02:26
It makes all the difference.
Frank Zitzman:
01:02:26-01:02:36
don't know you God please burden their hearts Lord God use us Lord as a tool to reach them for your glorious kingdom it's in Jesus name I pray

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