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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Eric Turner

The Single Secret to Succeeding in the Christian Walk

The title of this morning's sermon is, The Single Secret to Succeeding in the Christian Walk.

While I was contemplating if I wanted to stick with that title, I realized that's quite a statement for me to make.

Some kid standing in front of you saying that I have the secret, right, to succeed in this experience.

While I was thinking about this, it reminded me of a story.

And the story involves a gentleman by the name of Muhammad Ali.

Does anybody in here know who Muhammad Ali is?

His name is synonymous with many things, 1 of them not being humility.

So he was on an airplane, and I don't know if this is a true story or not, but it seems fitting.

He was on an airplane, and they got up to the cruising altitude, and they ran into some turbulence with a pilot called moderate turbulence.

And we know that moderate turbulence is not moderate.

Mild turbulence is quite scary, so moderate turbulence is kind of code word for if you believe in God you may want to start praying to him at this time.

But anyway, so they ran into this turbulence and the fasten your seatbelt sign came on, right?

So the stewardess went over and said, sir could you please buckle your seatbelt?

And he looked at her and said, Superman don't need no seatbelt.

And then bless her heart, she didn't miss a beat and she said, Superman don't need no airplane either.

And so I tell you this story because this is somewhat of a superman task for some kid to stand in front of you and say, I have the secret to this Christian walk.

You know, I'm no theologian, I'm no biblical scholar, you know, I'm just a medical student.

But I do know that this morning's message is impacting me dearly, and I know that God has a message for each 1 of you here this morning.

So my prayer has been that through the studying of God's Word and the reading of His Scriptures that the all-loving God that we serve will speak to sinners.

Now do you guys believe that God still does that?

Before I get into my sermon, I want to begin with a story.

Actually, I'm going to tell you half of a story.

Then I'm going to wait and tell you the other half at the end.

That way if the sermon doesn't go too well, nobody will be tempted to sneak out the back because you're going to want to wait and hear the story.

But anyways, it involves a man named Floyd Patterson.

Does anybody know who Floyd Patterson is?

He was nicknamed the gentleman of boxing and he had 2 records.

The first record was he was the youngest man ever to win the heavyweight championship of boxing.

1966, he was 21 years old, youngest man, he still holds a record to win the heavyweight championship of boxing.

But nevertheless, we would say that he was quite a successful boxer in any ranks.

This will make more sense when we come back to the story, but that's what we're going to be talking about today is how to be successful in this Christian walk.

But let's have a word of prayer before we get in our Bible study.

Father in heaven, we thank you so much for bringing us here today.

We thank you for the scriptures that you've given to us and the comfort that we can find in them.

I just pray that you can condescend to this room today and to teach us in your word and remind us that you are a very personal Savior that we can have a personal relationship with.

Now, does anybody here want to be successful in the Christian walk?

And 1 thing I love about the Christian walk is there's the emphasis on walk.

You never hear it referred to as the Christian jump or the Christian leap, always the Christian walk.

Now, if I were to ask the question, who in here thinks that they could jump 5 feet?

Who thinks they could jump 5 feet in here?

Either we're shy or we're a little bit modest.

Right, we could, a few of us in here, but with a running start, we could probably jump 10 feet.

Now, do you think that you could jump a mile?

You could probably even walk hundreds, maybe even thousands of miles given enough time and given the proper circumstances.

And I believe the Christian experience is not something that's accomplished all in 1 fell swoop or 1 instance, but rather something over time.

Now when I set out to preach, I was determined to preach something I knew the congregation would remember.

Many times I've heard sermons, I go home and tell my mom or my girlfriend Haley, say, you know, I was really blessed by today's message.

And I'll be like, I couldn't really remember, right?

I knew it was good, I knew I was blessed, but I couldn't really recall what it was.

So there will be no 10 steps or 3 steps or 2 things to remember.

I'm going to go so far as to say if we can remember and internalize this 1 thing and put it into your Christian experience, it will radically transform your life.

And may I be so bold to say that you will be saved.

We're going to go to the book of Luke, chapter 5.

Now in Luke chapter 5, starting in verse 36, we find 3 parables that Jesus tells.

3 fairly short parables, and all of them have to do with the inappropriate mingling of the old with the new.

The inappropriate mingling of the old with the new, and we're gonna hone in on the last 1 of these 3 parables.

And my Bible reads, starting in verse 36, and he, speaking of Jesus, was also telling them a parable.

No 1 tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment, otherwise he will both tear the new and the piece from the new will not match the old.

Notice that Jesus says that no 1 does that.

Verse 37, and no 1 puts new wine into old wineskins, otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out and the skins will be ruined.

Notice again, Jesus says that no 1 does that.

But new wine must be put into fresh wine skins.

In verse 39, the 1 that we're after this morning, it says, and no 1, after having drunk old wine, immediately desires new, for he is still convinced that the old is better." Notice that Jesus starts all 3 of these.

He's telling us that nobody does this, so we shouldn't expect to either.

He understands if you put a piece of new garment on an old 1, that the new piece will shrink and it will tear both.

He knows if you put new wine into old wine skins, it's going to ferment and expand and it's going to be ruined.

And now verse 39, I'll read it 1 more time, It says, And no 1, after having drunk old wine, immediately desires new, for he still is convinced that the old is better.

Now what is the operative word of this parable?

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The Single Secret to Succeeding in the Christian Walk

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