All We Do Is Win

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Pastors CF and Nicole Rady are here to share the Word of God with you each week, helping you grasp the fullness of God's plan for your life.

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We're going to talk about this morning.

I just thought we'd just piggyback on this Super Bowl, right, take advantage of what's going on in the world to talk about a message of victory today.

And so the title of our message today is All we Do Is Win.

All we Do Is Win.

I know in Christ, we're going to see it here in a minute.

The Bible says All we Do Is Win.

In Christ, we appreciate how good the Chiefs have been recently as Kansas City fans, but how many know that's not all they do?

Right, you can go back to the 49ers Joe Montana, steve Young right, they were big winners.

I was a Cowboys fan when I was a little kid.

Right, and the 49ers were big winners, but that's not all they did.

Tom Brady's won all these championships, but that's not all he did.

I know he lost some games.

In fact, the weird thing is he couldn't beat Eli Manning in a Super Bowl.

Right, supposedly he was a better quarterback, better teams, but Eli Manning beat him in two Super Bowls.

Michael Jordan considered by most people to be the greatest basketball player of all time.

Michael Jordan won six NBA championships.

He won five season MVPs, six finals MVPs.

That means every final they won.

He was the MVP.

He scored almost 33,000 points in his career, made 28 game-winning shots in his career, made 28 game-winning shots 28 times.

They trusted Michael Jordan to take the last shot and 28 times he delivered.

But think about this Michael Jordan also says he missed 9,000 shots, lost nearly 300 games and 26 times was asked to take the game winner at the buzzer and missed and lost.

I know as great as he was, he didn't always win.

Sometimes he lost.

I know sometimes, just in yourself, you will lose, sometimes you'll win.

You ever have those moments where you win.

Right, you just feel real good about yourself.

I like it.

I'll be up here at church working during the week and I set a table up in there and I'll finish a bottle of water and I'll take it and I'll let it go, and every once in a while, right into the trash can, and I'm here by myself.

But I look around.

I think, man, that was 20 feet away.

That's a long ways away.

I'm like did I turn the security camera off?

Is it still filming?

I'd like to see that.

I watched it.

There's this video.

This old guy was throwing something away in a trash can and it kind of bounced out and he hit it and it fell and then he kicked, it, came up and he hit it again.

Then it went in the trash can.

It was on a security camera.

He's looking around like did someone see that it feels good to win?

Amen, but in yourself you will lose sometimes.

It's the importance of knowing Jesus as your Savior.

Let's go over to 2 Corinthians 2 and verse 14.

We're going to see how we are in Christ, because in him things change.

In Christ, your life is different.

2 Corinthians 2.14 says now thanks be to God, who always everybody say always who always leads us in triumph in Christ Jesus.

When does he lead us in triumph?

Always, always.

I was part of a really good basketball team.

I was a pretty small part of it.

I don't want to toot my own horn because I was a very small part of it my junior year of high school.

We have what I believe now most other people probably wouldn't, but I believe one of the best basketball teams Albany's had in the last 40 years.

We won our first 20 games in a row.

We were number one in state 20 and 0.

And we were to the point where, like, I don't think we'll ever lose again.

And we got a little full of ourselves and lost to Ravenwood in the championship of the Worth County Tournament.

A team we'd beat by like 30 earlier lost by like four points.

The guy that was leading that team I didn't really know him but I remembered him and then he later was coaching in the area and I remember seeing him at a game in my adulthood.

I'm like I remember that guy.

I mean he did nothing wrong, he just had the game of his life against this.

I'm just like I don't like that guy Ended up 25-2, lost in double overtime.

We were the smallest 2A school in the state.

Played Cameron in the district championship.

They were the largest 2A school in the state.

Lost in double overtime, 25-2,.

But I remember that season just thinking this is as good as it gets.

Growing up in Albany, if you remember, before they built the new addition, we used to eat down in the basement and there were pictures and stuff in school and I think they still have this picture, maybe in the trophy case outside the gym, but it's of this old football team from like the 1920s, and this football team in Albany went undefeated on the season.

You're like well, I've heard of that, okay, you've heard of that, but how about this?

No one scored on them.

360, some points to zero for the season.

Now, that is a winning.

That is like we just killed everybody.

And you see those pictures of those guys with no face mask and leather helmets.

I remember as a kid like junior high you'd be looking, you're like man, look at those guys.

In fact I think it was.

The coach was like, lived in our neighborhood, dale St John, lived down the road from us, and you're just like man.

Can you imagine being on a team that not only did you win every game, but no one even scored on you?

I mean, that's the type of team you're on when you get born again you win every time and no one even scores on you.

Amen.

Now, thanks be to God, who always leads me in triumph in Christ Jesus, and I like that.

Sometimes we need to read Bible verses and personalize it a little bit.

Right?

So Paul wrote this to the church at Corinth but what have you just said?

Because if you're in Christ, if you're born again.

What have you just said?

Now, thanks be to God, who always leads me in triumph in Christ Jesus.

Where's God going to lead me?

This morning I've been reading a book that was recommended by a friend of mine, by Pastor David Young-Yi Cho.

Right, that talks about the Holy Spirit.

Right is your partner.

And he says that this pastor he pastored one of the largest churches in the world in South Korea and David Young-Yi Cho, and he said he would wake up every morning.

He'd say Holy Spirit, where are we going today?

Partner with me, how are we going to do some things today?

Let's just go.

Well, guess what?

How's God going to lead you?

He's going to lead you in triumph in Christ Jesus, but you've got to allow him.

How many know he leads you in triumph in Christ.

He leads you in triumph in Christ.

That means what do you have to do?

Follow.

Where's God walking In triumph.

Where do you get in trouble when you're not following him?

You're like well, this doesn't feel like triumph, and God's like well, you haven't been following me for the last three days.

I know you get off, I know you can follow a path, but if you spend three days not following that path, how far off do you think you could get?

I remember I was teaching the youth one Sunday night and we were talking about people on ships.

Now they have satellite and navigation and all that stuff.

But remember, if you watch any movies on ships they would have a map and a compass and they would plot their course.

Well, you could be off half a degree, and if you're off half a degree in a day you may not notice much, but in a week you were off this much.

Now you're off this much.

Now you're off miles.

Now you're landing in North America instead of South America.

No, he leads me in triumph, which means I need to follow him.

Where Into triumph?

It's like those movies.

You see, those old war movies, the platoon leader whatever, follow me.

They grab their sword back in the old days.

They get on their horse, Follow me.

Where are we going?

We're going into triumph Every day.

Jesus on that white horse.

He's got the sword of the spirit in his hand.

He says follow me.

Where are we going?

We're going into triumph.

But the problem is you never get to triumph if you don't follow him.

But he always goes into triumph, amen.

Let's go over to 1 Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15 and verse 57.

Always leads me to triumph.

All I do is win in Christ.

That's all I do.

Man, you get in Christ and realize that you just get tired of winning.

I'm just tired of winning.

All I do is win.

Look at this Again.

We're thankful for it.

But thanks be to God who does what, who gives me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here's the greatest thing ever.

You don't have to earn the victory.

Jesus earned it for you.

You don't have to earn your way to heaven because you couldn't do it anyway.

Jesus gives us the.

You're part of a team, right, and someone wins and they say I'm just going to give you the trophy.

You're like I didn't even do anything.

I sat on the bench the whole time.

That junior year there was a lot of time.

I was just sitting on the bench the whole time.

I'm going to tell you right now it used to be they took it out of the trophy case, but it used to.

Our picture was in the trophy case.

They took it out of the trophy case but used to.

Our picture was in the trophy case there at Albany, outside the new gym, and I'm like, look, no one really knows, unless they were there.

But I'm right there in that picture.

Number 10 is right there in that picture.

Now you may look at that and say, oh, that kid didn't do anything.

He doesn't look like he did much.

Right?

You see the games like championship.

They're with the trophy.

At the end of a game, teams get together and get the trophy.

And I was the guy still wearing the warm-up.

I didn't have sweaty hair, I didn't have anything.

I'm like I'm going to take this warm-up off before I take this picture.

Get the water bottle squirted into your hair and get a little wet.

Feel like man.

That guy really works.

He's no warm up and wet hair.

But Jesus just said hey, I won the victory.

I'm just going to give it to you.

I'm just going to give you this victory.

But thanks be to God who gives it, doesn't say but thanks be to God who makes you work hard for the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

He says no, he just gives it to you.

We so complicate things in the body of Christ, we so complicate no, he gave it to us.

All we have to do is, by faith, just say okay, I receive it.

He's trying to give you the trophy.

Every morning he said I got a trophy for you, I got some wins for you, but you need to do this.

Thank you, lord, we'll move on.

Romans 8, verse 37.

Romans 8:37

Romans 8, 37.

Praise God for the Word, praise God for the Holy Spirit, because I can get off sometimes if I don't listen to the Holy Spirit.

You've been here for that.

Some of y'all, I think he's not listening.

Look at this.

So here's what's interesting.

So Paul's writing this.

Look at this.

So here's what's interesting.

So Paul's writing this.

So Paul writes a lot of things, and some of the things he writes.

He doesn't just tell you about all the good, he tells you about some of the stuff he had to deal with.

The very first time Paul preached, they tried to kill him.

How many of you would that have ended your preaching career?

I mean, I remember the first time I preached, no one tried to kill me.

I mean I've seen some stink eye given to me, right.

I've seen some people give me some looks, but no one's right.

I mean, literally Paul would preach and they'd be like kill him, murder him.

He's horrible and Jesus died for your sin.

Literally, they stoned him, they threw rocks at him, took him outside the city, stoned him, left him for dead.

He might have died, I don't know, but God raised him up and he just dusted himself off.

You know what he did.

He didn't run, he went back into the city.

How would you like to be there for the second?

That second service man.

We thought we stoned him at 9 am service.

He's back for 11.

I think I'm going to listen to this guy.

We thought he was dead.

He's just bloodied teeth out.

I think I'm going to listen to this guy Whipped.

He talks about how many times he's whipped, how many times he's been beaten with rods in prison, shipwrecked, snake bit.

I'm telling you, if we went through one of the things that Paul went through, we would have quit.

And I'm not just talking to preachers.

What if you came to church and someone whipped you because you came to church?

You get home they're like I'm going to whip you, go to church, whip your backside, teach you to go to church.

You're like okay, I'm not going to church anymore.

That's what happened with him.

And Paul says things like this.

Yet in all these things, everything I put up with, he'd preach the message like this All these things, everything I put up with, some of y'all I've had to put up with you he said I am more right.

Again, I'm going to make it personal.

He says we are more because he's trying to teach this.

But what if you just said I am more than a conqueror?

Through Jesus, who loved me, I am more than a conqueror.

I know being a conqueror would be great, but the Bible says you're not just a conqueror, you're more than a conqueror.

How?

Through Jesus, who loved me and gave me victory, I am more than a conqueror more than a conqueror.

Philippians, chapter 4 and verse 13.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

Thank you, lord.

Philippians 14.

If you notice all these, right?

2 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians, romans, philippians, these are all Paul, that guy, it's like you could not stop him.

He was like a preaching Terminator, right, they think they shot him, knocked him down.

Remember those Terminator movies?

Right, they're like man, I shot him, he's dead.

He just get back up.

No, we blew him up, we's got, we blew him up and he just keeps coming.

That's the way Paul was with the gospel, right.

And here he says look what he says, I can.

Everybody say I can.

You know what the problem most people is?

You say I can't a whole lot.

Well, I can't do that.

Well, we can't do that.

Well, we can't do that.

We talked about vision, right.

And we talked about dreaming bigger last week.

Probably most people, we can't do that.

I told you I've got kids, man, I've got kids.

I've got kids that just believe in all kinds of big stuff and their dad, daddy, you preached on Dream big.

Right, man, Olive will walk in our house, she'll walk in, she'll walk out into the living room and look out those windows facing west.

She looked down, she goes.

You know what.

We need An in-ground swimming pool, daddy.

I said, okay, olive, and this is where you get into trouble preaching.

Dream big and think big.

I said, okay, olive, how much do you think an in-ground swimming pool costs?

She goes I don't know $3,000.

I said, well, I don't think that's quite it.

Well then her mama's just encouraging her, she's looking up because I come up with a big number and Nicole's like, no, it costs this much.

Okay, I mean, that's the way we're supposed to be thinking, though it's not just about stuff.

You get what I'm saying.

But here Paul, with everything he dealt with.

He said I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

How many things could Paul do through Christ?

All things.

That's why Paul accomplished more than almost anyone else you see after Jesus in the Bible.

After Jesus left this earth, the one person we see in the Bible who probably accomplished more than most was Paul.

And here's the thing he didn't have a great start to things.

In fact, when Jesus was here, he was part of the people persecuting him.

He was there when they killed Stephen, holding people's coats.

He was arresting people because they went to church, had an experience with Jesus, and he decided it changes everything.

I know you can have an experience with Jesus and many people have.

I've seen people have an experience with Jesus right in this building and it didn't change anything.

But Paul allowed it to change things in his life and then look at what he did.

And then he got to a point in life he says you know what, you know what I think I can do.

People are like I don't know what you think you do.

He said I think I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

What's the common denominator In him?

In whom?

In Christ, through Christ, right, all you do is win.

How?

In Christ Jesus, when you get yourself outside of Jesus is when you start losing.

It's like a coach.

So you think of some great coaches.

Andy Reid's a great coach and, honestly, the last game they played the AFC Championship I watched it and I like to think I'm a bit of a student of the game and there were some formations and plays they ran that.

I'm like I've never seen them run that before.

Then I watched some shows later and people are like they've never run anything like that before, came up with a completely new offense and did something.

Bill Belichick, one of the greatest coaches.

You know how you win when you follow the game plan.

How are you going to win every day when you follow the game plan, when Christ leads you to do something, when you follow him?

And I've coached before.

I'll never forget.

I was thinking about this on my way up here today.

I was coaching.

It was my last year of coaching junior high boys and I had a great group of boys I mean a great group of boys.

I coached them football and basketball.

We undefeated.

It was a good time to give up coaching because we were really good and I'd have people say man, you should really come to this school and coach.

I said can I tell you something?

These boys make me look like a whole better coach than I am.

And so we were down at Gallatin.

I've told this story to my children and I've heard the story back from people that those kids shared.

We were down at Gallatin and we were not necessarily playing well and I had instructed them to do something I wanted them to do and they were not doing it.

They were not doing it.

And so if you've ever been to Gallatin our visiting locker room you walk up the stairs.

It's up in the weight room.

It's over on the right side, and so we're getting ready to go up there and we go up into the locker room and the team goes in.

I stand outside with my assistant coach, who was a young kid, he was a first-year teacher and I said I'm about tired of these boys not doing what I asked them to do, because if they'll do what I asked him to do, we'll win this game big.

And I can be a bit of a yeller, but I don't often lose my temper.

I said I'm going to light these boys up.

He looked at me and said what?

No, I said I yell, but I don't necessarily lose my temper when I yell.

And so I said I'm going to light these boys up.

He goes what?

And I said just watch.

And I walked in and I just tore into him.

I told you to do this.

You have not done that.

I'm tired of you not doing this.

And I took my clipboard and I threw that thing on the ground and the marker went flying and I flattened the edge of that clipboard.

And I had that clipboard for years and every time I'd show up I'd say see that flat edge.

I threw it one time.

I thought I'd broke it and I threw it and I said I don't even want to look at you guys anymore, get out of this locker room.

Their eyes got big and boy, they filed out of that locker room.

I stayed up there for a minute.

I looked at this.

I said you think that worked.

He goes.

I think they are scared.

And so what I wanted them to do was I wanted to work the ball inside out, let's go inside so we can come back outside, but they'd come down, they just chuck up shots.

Was I wanted to work the ball inside out, let's go inside so we can come back outside, but they'd come down, they'd just chuck up shots.

And we had some good players.

I mean, we had some good players.

We did.

We had a kid that hit seven three-pointers in the game as an eighth grader.

And so we come out.

I sit on that bench.

I didn't even talk to him when we got back down.

They go in I'll never forget Right in front of the bench.

Boy gets it, he looks at me, throws it inside.

They come down again.

They look at me, they throw it inside, won the game by like 20 some points.

But what was it?

God's trying to give you a game plan and his game plan is to help you win.

Now this boy, some of these boys, are thinking we don't need to do that, we can win our way.

Well, that's your problem.

You think you can win your way.

I know Patrick Mahomes.

Some of his first years he threw the ball all over the place and we won and did well.

But teams caught on to it and guess what.

He's learn to adjust.

But you have to follow the plan.

The problem with most Christians is God has the plan.

It's in His Word.

He shares it to you through the Holy Spirit, by prayer.

But most Christians just well, I got it, I can do this.

No, you can't.

No, you will win some fights on your own.

You will win some battles on your own, but you won't win them all.

Amen.

We're going to look at one more scripture here.

Actually, we're going to look at two more scriptures.

Let's go to the Gospel of John.

The Gospel of John, chapter 16, john 16 and verse 33.

John 16 · chapter mention

Follow the game plan and if you'll follow the game plan, all you will do is win.

John 16, 33.

Jesus, listen to what Jesus says.

Jesus said these things.

I have spoken to you.

That in me.

You may have trouble.

In the world, you will have trouble.

Anyone ever had trouble.

If you haven't had trouble, you just haven't been old enough to experience it yet.

No, in the world you'll have tribulation.

But he says cheer up because I've overcome the world.

He says you're going to have some trouble, but cheer up, I've already overcome that trouble.

All you've to do is, in me, receive right and be an overcomer, be a triumper, be more than a conqueror through Christ, who strengthens you.

Why?

Because he's already did it.

Now we're going to finish in 1 John, chapter 5.

1 John 5 · chapter mention

We're going to look at verses 4 and 5 in 1 John 5.

So this is some of the letters that John wrote.

That was the gospel of John.

Now we're going to 1 John 5.

I like what John says here.

We're going to look at verses 4 and 5.

And so, talking about the victory's already been provided.

Jesus provided victory through what?

Through his death, burial and resurrection.

Don't you know the enemy?

The devil thought he had Jesus beat when he died on the cross.

How surprised are you.

Do you ever think we get to heaven and we can watch movies of stuff Like there's a place we can go watch movies of stuff that happened in the past.

How surprised Wouldn't you like to see the movie the Ring Doorbell outside of hell when Jesus showed up after he thought he was dead and beat Ding dong?

When Jesus showed up after he thought he was dead and beat ding dong, devil's like who is it there?

I am making people's phones go off.

Devil goes who is it One of you demons?

Go see who it is.

They go look out the peephole.

They're like sir, remember how we thought we killed Jesus, the only God saying, yeah, he's dead, he's gone, we won, he's here.

And he says he wants the keys back.

How'd you like that?

Bible tells us he got the keys back, amen.

And so John right is telling us these things about victory, just like Paul did.

So look what it says.

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.

Let's concentrate there.

If you want to really be an overcomer in every area of your life, on a regular, daily basis, not just every once in a while, first thing you have to do is be born again.

Got to be born again.

Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

Got to be born again.

Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

Here's the amazing thing there are a lot of people good people, right Go to church, read the Bible, pray, do good things, are givers, are generous, are loving, are kind.

And they miss the point that the first thing I have to do to enter into this relationship with God on a more intimate basis right, because there are people that know God but they're not of God.

Right, they know who God is.

Are there people you have a relationship with?

How about this?

Are there people you are friends with online that, if someone asks, are you really friends with them?

In fact, are you friends with people that you're like I don't even know who they are, because you're a friend of a friend, of a friend of a friend?

Because, let's be honest, friends is a much smaller number than the 300, 400, 600, whatever you got online.

So, people who are friends with God, who really don't have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.

But John says whatever is born of God overcomes the world.

So if you're born again, you're automatically what An overcomer.

Now.

You'll grow in things, you'll mature in things spiritually, but you're automatically an overcomer.

Now look at what he says.

And this is the victory that has overcome the world.

You want to know what the victory is to overcome the world?

Right, if someone told you you want to know what the victory is that overcomes the world.

Most people say I want to know what it is.

What is it, our faith?

Well, I thought you said it was Jesus.

It is.

It is Jesus, he gave us the victory.

It is Jesus.

He gave us the victory, he paid the victory, he fought the victory, he won the victory.

But it's your faith that's going to receive it from him.

It doesn't just happen automatically.

You don't just win automatically.

You have to go do something.

The children of Israel had to go possess the land.

This is the victory that has overcome the world our faith.

Now look at verse 5.

We're going to finish here.

Who is he who overcomes the world?

Who is it that overcomes the world?

He who believes that Jesus is the son of God.

Again, it takes it back to who is born again.

You know who overcomers are Born again people.

You know why?

A lot of people in life they're on this roller coaster.

Nicole and I were talking about this the other day.

She's not a big fan of roller coasters.

I kind of still enjoy them, right.

But you know why you like.

Who in here likes roller coasters, right?

Okay, you know why you like them, because they're not five-hour rides, they're about 90 seconds most of them.

Can you imagine a five-hour roller coaster?

You would be so sick of it.

Can you imagine a five-hour roller coaster?

You would be so sick of it, you'd literally be sick.

So you enjoy just the ooh, that was fun.

But this there are a lot of people that aren't born again, that this is their life, and they have some moments that are really high, that are really good, and they're like, oh, I'm good, I don't need God in my life, I don't need to get born again.

Some moments that are really high, that are really good, and they're like, oh, I'm good, I don't need God in my life, I don't need to get born again, I'm good.

But then comes the corkscrew twisty up and over.

You're like, oh, I'm not good, no, who is he who overcomes the world?

He who believes that Jesus is the son of God.

Salvation is so important.

All we do is win in Christ Jesus.

Thank you for tuning in to the Lone Star Church podcast.

We hope this week's message strengthened your faith in God's word.

Remember, if you live in Northwest Missouri or Southern Iowa, we invite you to join us in person on a Sunday morning.

For more information about us, visit our website at lonestarchurchorg or follow us on Facebook, instagram or YouTube.