Elizabeth and Marshall Wareham
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Elizabeth and Marshall Wareham
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Elizabeth and Marshall Wareham
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Elizabeth and Marshall Wareham
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Good evening GYC!
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Tonight I had the amazing
privilege of introducing to you
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not only an
inspirational speaker,
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but a dear friend of mine.
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Over the last eight
years the Lord has used
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David Asscherick and his
ministry to touch my life
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in an amazing way.
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I know I would not be who
I am today if it were not for
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him and the
Ministry that he has had.
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The Lord has used him to
bring different people into our
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lives that have led me not
only to change the course of
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my life, but to Mission
College and different places
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where I know that
he is led of the Lord.
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My prayer for you tonight
as he preaches on The Relevancy
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of Crucifixion, is that
your heart and minds would be
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drawn not to the messenger,
but to the giver of the
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message and to the giver
of the Lord of David's life.
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May you all be blessed, Amen!
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Alright, thank you Laura,
I couldn't hear a word you
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said, good evening everyone.
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Happy new year
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Is the year 2010
going to be a great year?
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I'm determined it is going
to be my best, boldest, and
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most unashamed
of Jesus year yet.
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Anybody else want to say that?
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I'm on fire for the new
year, normally I treat the new
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year with ambivalence
mostly, but I don't know I feel
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very good about the new
year and I really like the idea
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of having the GYC
over the new year.
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Do you like that?
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I think it's the best
place frankly, one of the best
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places to usher in the new
year and my hope is that we
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don't have to do
too many more of these.
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Are you tracking with that?
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In other words, okay, great
I like you and you like me,
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this is all fine and good,
but it is going to be better
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in heaven. Amen!
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so I am all for the GYC,
love it and support it, enjoy
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it and what to spend the
New Year's here, but I will
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look forward to the
time when they are done.
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Amen!
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Well did you have a good
day today? Audience: Amen!
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Did you enjoy the
seminars? Audience: Amen!
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Did you learn
anything? Audience: Amen!
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Now the really important
question, are you going to
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apply any of it? Audience: Amen!
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Now that is where the
rubber meets the road.
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We have a lot we want to
talk about and we are going to
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be developing a series
of three presentations.
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I'm so happy I get
to preach three times.
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Listen, its one of those
things where typically I get
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asked to speak
somewhere and they say,
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what is your sermon title?
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I don't know, they're
asking months in advance.
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Some terrible thing could
happen, my life could change.
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How do I know what I
am going to preach four
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months from now?
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Usually, I usually don't
know what I'm going to preach
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on Thursday, they say do
you have your sermon title and
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your hymns and Scripture?
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I say no, I'll
know that tomorrow,
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Friday, the day before Sabbath.
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But somehow when I was asked
to speak at this year's GYC,
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Justin called, or whoever
it was that called, I just knew
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immediately, maybe even
instinctively, exactly what I
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was going to preach
and when I heard the theme,
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guys what's the theme
this year? Audience: Unashamed!
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It sounds so good
to hear you all say it.
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What is our theme this
year? Audience: Unashamed!
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While that sounds so good.
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When I heard the theme I
thought that's a great theme.
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I love the fact that it
is rooted in Romans chapter 1
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which is where we are
going to be spending our time
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tonight, without further
ado let us pray and then dive
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head-long into a
study of Scripture.
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Let's pray together.
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Father in heaven, we gather
here confessing that we are
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at times ashamed and yet
the longing desire of our heart
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is to be unashamed.
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Father this is not a confession
of strength when we say
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we want to be unashamed it
is an admission of weakness.
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But we are thrilled to
know that Your strength is made
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perfect in our weakness.
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Father as we open Your word
we need You to come and open
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us, we are in need of Your
Spirit, the infilling of Your
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Spirit because
spiritual things are spiritually
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understood and discerned
and tonight we come in need of
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Your inspiring, enlightening,
and instructing Spirit.
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Father we don't want to
hear just a good sermon, and I
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don't want to just
preach a good sermon.
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We want to
spend time with Jesus.
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We want to spend time with You.
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We want to be
revived. We want to go home.
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So Father tonight may this
be more than oratory, may this
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be more than elocution,
may what happens tonight be a
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supernatural transaction
in which the Spirit takes the
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preached word and applies
it, tailor makes it, to every
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circumstance,
personality, and situation.
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Father we need revival, I
need revival, so tonight we
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are crying out
for genuine revival.
00:09:08.43\00:09:12.76
Speak to us through the
message preached is our prayer
00:09:12.76\00:09:17.73
in Jesus Christ name.
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Let everyone say, Amen! Amen!
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So what it is our theme
everyone? Audience: Unashamed!
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It sounds so good.
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As I was reflecting on
what it means to be unashamed of
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Christ, I decided it wasn't
enough just to be unashamed
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of Christ in a general sense.
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The question that came to
my mind and what I am going to
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try and explain over the
course of our time together, is
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what does it mean specifically?
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What does it mean,
what word everyone?
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Audience: specifically!
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What does it mean
specifically for a Seventh-day
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Adventist Christian
living at this time in Earth's
00:10:01.83\00:10:04.50
history to be unashamed?
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Are you tracking with me?
00:10:06.53\00:10:08.23
In other words their have been
different periods, different
00:10:08.23\00:10:11.03
epochs, areas of time in
which to be unashamed of Christ
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meant something very specific.
00:10:15.20\00:10:17.83
What does it mean for me and
what does it mean for you as a
00:10:17.83\00:10:21.16
Seventh-day Adventist
Christian or perhaps you are not
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a Seventh-day Adventist
Christian you have just come and
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decided to hang out with us.
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As Bible believing
Christians what does it mean for
00:10:26.80\00:10:31.10
me to be unashamed of Christ?
00:10:31.10\00:10:33.13
I think it means three
things. How many things?
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Audience: three
things. David: three things.
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Well let's just
think of our name.
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We are seventh day
Adventist Christians.
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Let's say that together,
we are Seventh-day Adventist
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Christians, what
does that name mean?
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What does that name, Seventh-day
Adventist, communicate?
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Well I think it
communicates three things.
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First of all seventh day.
00:11:00.70\00:11:04.13
The seventh day is an
allusion to the Sabbath.
00:11:04.13\00:11:07.83
The Sabbath, scripturally
speaking, has two primary
00:11:07.83\00:11:13.36
theological significances.
00:11:13.36\00:11:15.70
Number one, Sabbath is
rooted in salvation and
00:11:15.70\00:11:19.50
redemption, can you
say Amen! audience: Amen!
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Right? Ezekiel chapter 28
and verse 12, "I am the Lord
00:11:22.60\00:11:25.40
"who sanctifies you and
the Sabbath is a sign that"
00:11:25.40\00:11:29.16
"I am the Lord
who sanctifies you. "
00:11:29.16\00:11:31.00
So when I tell someone I am
a Seventh-day Adventist, what
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I am saying part is I honor
and keep the Sabbath because
00:11:33.23\00:11:38.70
I believe God is my
Redeemer and God is my Savior.
00:11:38.70\00:11:42.40
Amen! audience: Amen!
00:11:42.40\00:11:44.36
So as a Seventh-day
Adventist Christian then, being
00:11:44.36\00:11:46.36
unashamed of Christ, for
me means, I'm unashamed of the
00:11:46.36\00:11:49.80
crucified
Christ, so far so good?
00:11:49.80\00:11:53.50
But the Sabbath has another
significance, the Sabbath is
00:11:53.50\00:11:56.43
also rooted in creation, we
are going to talk about that
00:11:56.43\00:11:58.93
tomorrow night.
00:11:58.93\00:12:00.33
We believe, just as
Chester did a very good job of
00:12:00.33\00:12:02.90
communicating, and Amy did
a good job of communicating
00:12:02.90\00:12:05.06
last night, we believe in
a literal six-day creation
00:12:05.06\00:12:09.33
that took place
in the recent past.
00:12:09.33\00:12:11.56
Can you say Amen! to that?
00:12:11.56\00:12:13.00
We will talk more about
that tomorrow night, but as a
00:12:13.00\00:12:15.00
Seventh-day Adventist
Christian I am also unashamed of
00:12:15.00\00:12:17.66
the creative Christ, Amen!
00:12:17.66\00:12:22.06
that is the Sabbath
day part, the Sabbath.
00:12:22.06\00:12:24.66
Unashamed of the crucified
Christ, unashamed of the
00:12:24.66\00:12:27.43
creative Christ and what is
the second part of our name?
00:12:27.43\00:12:30.53
Seventh-day Adventist
comes from Latin Adventist.
00:12:30.53\00:12:34.96
Adventist means arrival,
what does it mean everyone?
00:12:34.96\00:12:41.03
Audience: arrival
David: the arrival.
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We are waiting
for someone to come.
00:12:42.70\00:12:45.06
We are
anticipating someone's arrival.
00:12:45.06\00:12:48.60
I wonder who that might be?
00:12:48.60\00:12:49.86
Whose arrival
are we anticipating?
00:12:49.86\00:12:54.20
You tell me! Jesus Christ,
so what does it mean for me
00:12:54.20\00:12:59.10
David Asscherick, and
what does it mean for you John,
00:12:59.10\00:13:01.20
Mary, Tom or
whatever your name is.
00:13:01.20\00:13:03.00
What does it mean for you
to be an unashamed Seventh-day
00:13:03.00\00:13:06.50
Adventist Christian?
00:13:06.50\00:13:08.00
I think it means three things.
00:13:08.00\00:13:09.23
We are unashamed of
the crucified Christ.
00:13:09.23\00:13:12.10
We are unashamed of
the creative Christ.
00:13:12.10\00:13:14.83
And we are unashamed
of the coming Christ.
00:13:14.83\00:13:17.46
Can you say
Amen? Audience: Amen!
00:13:17.46\00:13:19.16
we are going to talk tonight
about being unashamed of the
00:13:19.16\00:13:21.90
crucified Christ, now it
is not insignificant and not
00:13:21.90\00:13:25.83
serendipitous that our name,
and the significance of our
00:13:25.83\00:13:30.16
name is actually rooted
in what many might call,
00:13:30.16\00:13:32.90
Magna Carta.
00:13:32.90\00:13:34.66
That is Revelation chapter
14, what we refer to colloquial
00:13:34.66\00:13:37.96
as the three Angels messages.
00:13:37.96\00:13:42.13
Maybe you would just
join me there briefly.
00:13:42.13\00:13:44.73
Where am I going?
Revelation chapter 14.
00:13:44.73\00:13:49.03
Here in Revelation chapter
14 we will talk more about
00:13:49.03\00:13:52.30
this tomorrow specifically
and certainly on Saturday.
00:13:52.30\00:13:56.56
But just take a look at
this, Revelation 14 beginning at
00:13:56.56\00:13:58.70
verse six, "John said I saw
another angel flying in the"
00:13:58.70\00:14:02.16
"midst of heaven," what is
the very first thing we learn
00:14:02.16\00:14:04.16
about this angel? Having
the what? Everlasting gospel!
00:14:04.16\00:14:09.86
The very first thing we
learn about the first angel that
00:14:09.86\00:14:12.23
is flying in the midst of
heaven, is that he has the
00:14:12.23\00:14:14.53
everlasting gospel.
00:14:14.53\00:14:16.23
Now notice what the angel
who has the everlasting Gospel
00:14:16.23\00:14:18.03
says, "to preach to those
that dwell on the earth, every"
00:14:18.03\00:14:21.80
"nation, tribe, tongue,
and people saying with a loud"
00:14:21.80\00:14:23.63
"voice dear God and give glory
to him for the hour of his"
00:14:23.63\00:14:27.00
"judgment has come. " So
this is a judgment hour message.
00:14:27.00\00:14:30.20
There is an urgency
here, "and worship him who,"
00:14:30.20\00:14:35.06
Who what? "Made the heaven,
the earth, the sea, and the
00:14:35.06\00:14:39.00
springs of water. "
00:14:39.00\00:14:40.16
That's creation, we will
talk about that tomorrow night.
00:14:40.16\00:14:41.90
Now notice that you then
have the second angel's message
00:14:41.90\00:14:44.26
in verse eight, and
the third angel message in
00:14:44.26\00:14:46.30
verse nine, 10, 11
and then you have 12.
00:14:46.30\00:14:48.60
Notice what happens in
verse 14, then I looked, this is
00:14:48.60\00:14:52.10
after the giving the messages,
"looked and behold a white"
00:14:52.10\00:14:54.80
"cloud and on the cloud sat
one like the Son of Man having"
00:14:54.80\00:14:58.10
"on his head a golden
crown, and in his hand a sharp"
00:14:58.10\00:15:01.90
"sickle, and another angel
came out of the temple crying"
00:15:01.90\00:15:04.90
"with a loud voice to him
who sat on the cloud, thrust in"
00:15:04.90\00:15:07.46
"your sickle and,"
What is the word everyone?
00:15:07.46\00:15:09.46
"Reap for the time has
come for you to reap for the"
00:15:09.46\00:15:13.00
"harvest of the earth is
ripe. So he who sat on the"
00:15:13.00\00:15:15.53
"cloud thrust his sickle on
the Earth and the Earth was,"
00:15:15.53\00:15:18.33
what? "Reaped!"
00:15:18.33\00:15:19.86
So in the three Angels messages
do we see the gospel? Yes!
00:15:19.86\00:15:23.40
Do we see creation?
Yes! Do we see coming? Yes!
00:15:23.40\00:15:26.36
That is why I am a
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:15:26.36\00:15:28.30
I'm a Seventh-day Adventist
because the message that
00:15:28.30\00:15:32.03
God has committed
to His last day people.
00:15:32.03\00:15:34.40
I think the name is a
great name, it could have been
00:15:34.40\00:15:36.73
called some other name,
but I think the Seventh-day
00:15:36.73\00:15:38.36
Adventist name is a great
name because it holds out at the
00:15:38.36\00:15:42.06
forefront the three central
prominent features of our
00:15:42.06\00:15:45.83
faith, seventh day, that's
redemption, that's creation.
00:15:45.83\00:15:49.26
Adventist, that's the arrival
of Jesus, it is all rooted,
00:15:49.26\00:15:52.76
totally, completely rooted
in the three Angels messages.
00:15:52.76\00:15:56.00
Can you say
Amen! Audience: Amen!
00:15:56.00\00:15:57.73
So we are going to talk
tonight about being unashamed of
00:15:57.73\00:15:59.80
the crucified Christ.
00:15:59.80\00:16:02.06
Unashamed of the crucified
Christ and we are going to go
00:16:02.06\00:16:05.93
of course to Romans
chapter 1, so join me there.
00:16:05.93\00:16:11.06
Our central text, our theme
text we will go to Romans 1.
00:16:11.06\00:16:17.03
Justin took us here last
night and hopefully many more
00:16:17.03\00:16:22.93
will be taken us there as well.
00:16:22.93\00:16:24.76
Romans chapter 1 beginning
in verse 16 the apostle Paul
00:16:24.76\00:16:29.76
is writing to the church
at Rome and he begins with the
00:16:29.76\00:16:33.56
word for, what is
the word everyone? For.
00:16:33.56\00:16:38.16
Take a look at the very
first word of verse 17 and tell
00:16:38.16\00:16:40.80
me what that word is? For.
00:16:40.80\00:16:42.76
Take a look at the very
first word of verse 18 and what
00:16:42.76\00:16:45.40
is that word? For.
00:16:45.40\00:16:46.86
How about the first
word of verse 20? For.
00:16:46.86\00:16:48.80
Paul is setting out a case.
00:16:48.80\00:16:51.76
He is setting
out a what did I say?
00:16:51.76\00:16:54.10
He's building his case.
00:16:54.10\00:16:56.26
Paul is very logical,
Paul is very linear and you may
00:16:56.26\00:17:00.36
even, and perhaps say
that Paul is clinical in his
00:17:00.36\00:17:03.33
setting forth of the gospel.
00:17:03.33\00:17:04.86
For this, for this, for
this, for this, in fact who
00:17:04.86\00:17:09.80
wrote the book of Acts?
Who wrote the book of Acts?
00:17:09.80\00:17:13.50
Luke wrote the book of Acts.
00:17:13.50\00:17:15.40
Listen to some of the
adjectives that Luke uses to
00:17:15.40\00:17:18.53
describe how Paul
presented the gospel.
00:17:18.53\00:17:21.80
In Acts 17:2, 18:4, and
19:24, 25 he says Paul reasoned.
00:17:21.80\00:17:29.43
What's the word
everybody? Reasoned!
00:17:31.20\00:17:33.66
In Acts chapter 17 he alleged.
00:17:33.66\00:17:36.03
In Acts chapter 9 verse
22 even go so far as to say,
00:17:36.03\00:17:39.80
come on and work with me.
00:17:46.76\00:17:49.70
So Luke said that he reasoned,
that he alleged, and that
00:17:49.70\00:17:54.60
he proved. Are
we together on that?
00:17:54.60\00:17:57.23
What is Luke saying, Luke is
saying that when Paul went into
00:17:57.23\00:18:00.33
the synagogue, Paul was
amidst a group of people, a
00:18:00.33\00:18:03.90
congregation of people
and was setting forth the case
00:18:03.90\00:18:06.66
for the Messiahship of
Jesus in a logical, scriptural,
00:18:06.66\00:18:10.70
and linear manner. Amen!
00:18:10.70\00:18:12.46
We find them doing
that here in Romans.
00:18:12.46\00:18:15.70
Look at what he says,
"not ashamed of the gospel of"
00:18:15.70\00:18:20.36
"Christ, for it is the
power of God to salvation for"
00:18:20.36\00:18:25.33
"everyone who believes, for
the Jew first, and also for"
00:18:25.33\00:18:29.23
"the Greek, for in it
the righteousness of God is"
00:18:29.23\00:18:32.30
"revealed from faith to
faith as it is written,"
00:18:32.30\00:18:34.96
"the just shall live by faith. "
00:18:34.96\00:18:37.86
You can have a case, it
would not be impossible or even
00:18:39.53\00:18:42.50
difficult particularly, to
make a case that these are two
00:18:42.50\00:18:45.70
of the most important
words in all of Scripture.
00:18:45.70\00:18:49.20
In fact you can
make a very strong case
00:18:49.20\00:18:54.26
Someone give me a hand held mic.
00:18:54.26\00:18:57.66
So whoever you are,
please bring me my sword.
00:18:57.66\00:19:02.06
Thank you sir, okay, alright!
00:19:05.90\00:19:10.13
Okay, you could make a
very persuasive case that the
00:19:13.03\00:19:18.50
entire bedrock foundation
of the Protestant Reformation
00:19:18.50\00:19:23.93
was founded on these two verses.
00:19:23.93\00:19:25.40
Martin Luther came across
that phrase, "the just shall
00:19:25.40\00:19:29.83
live by faith. "
00:19:29.83\00:19:32.70
Now I know these quotes
are from Habakkuk but he was
00:19:32.70\00:19:34.26
exposed to it the Romans.
00:19:34.26\00:19:35.93
Romans 16 and 17 we find
the apostle Paul setting forth
00:19:35.93\00:19:40.53
his case and he does so in
a very logical and very linear
00:19:40.53\00:19:45.13
even a very clinical manner.
00:19:45.13\00:19:46.86
I learned a new word
this week, I love words.
00:19:46.86\00:19:49.66
You might be able to tell.
00:19:49.66\00:19:51.03
I learned a new word this
week and I'm curious if anyone
00:19:51.03\00:19:54.13
does this word,
the word is litotes.
00:19:54.13\00:19:56.80
You were just using
that yesterday were you?
00:19:56.80\00:20:00.56
Litotes, does anyone
know what that word means?
00:20:00.56\00:20:04.30
I wouldn't expect
it, I didn't either.
00:20:04.30\00:20:08.70
The word litotes is actually
a very interesting word.
00:20:08.70\00:20:12.40
It's a rhetorical
device in which you derive an
00:20:12.40\00:20:16.30
affirmative by stating
the negation of the contrary.
00:20:16.30\00:20:20.50
It's crystal clear now isn't it?
00:20:24.83\00:20:27.40
You see you will be a using
it all the time now, litotes.
00:20:27.40\00:20:31.33
Basically Paul is actually
employing the litotes device.
00:20:31.33\00:20:34.96
What he is saying is that
he is stating his case in a
00:20:34.96\00:20:38.60
negative, he
says I am not ashamed.
00:20:38.60\00:20:42.90
Deriving an affirmative
by stating the negation of a
00:20:42.90\00:20:46.80
contrary, I am not ashamed.
00:20:46.80\00:20:49.63
You shame which is
something you would not want
00:20:49.63\00:20:52.50
to be and you
stated in the negative.
00:20:52.50\00:20:54.53
Why does he frame it this way?
00:20:54.53\00:20:56.96
Why does he purposely
frame the setting forth of his
00:20:56.96\00:21:01.10
argument, which is a
very systematic, very profound
00:21:01.10\00:21:04.96
argument, which begins
in Romans one and moves very
00:21:04.96\00:21:08.30
powerfully gaining momentum
all the way through into
00:21:08.30\00:21:11.60
the final chapters
of Romans, Romans 16.
00:21:11.60\00:21:14.23
Why does he set it
forth in the negative?
00:21:14.23\00:21:16.80
I am not ashamed, in fact
if you look up a variety of
00:21:16.80\00:21:21.10
English translations you
will find almost unanimously
00:21:21.10\00:21:25.00
every translation renders
this, I am not ashamed, I am
00:21:25.00\00:21:28.90
not ashamed, I am not
ashamed, I am not ashamed.
00:21:28.90\00:21:31.53
I came across only one
translation the CEV renders it
00:21:31.53\00:21:34.90
in the positive and it has
Paul saying I am proud of the
00:21:34.90\00:21:38.20
gospel, but it misses the point.
00:21:38.20\00:21:40.96
The reason almost all
translations render it in the
00:21:40.96\00:21:44.66
negative is that the underlying
Greek is framed in the
00:21:44.66\00:21:48.33
negative, and
my question is why?
00:21:48.33\00:21:50.96
Why not just state
it in the positive?
00:21:50.96\00:21:53.63
I am proud of the gospel.
00:21:53.63\00:21:55.46
Paul says I am not
ashamed of the gospel.
00:21:55.46\00:22:00.23
The answer is so simple
that you might have missed it.
00:22:00.23\00:22:02.93
The only reason that you
would state that you are not
00:22:02.93\00:22:05.90
ashamed of something, is
that there was probable cause
00:22:05.90\00:22:08.83
for you to be ashamed of it.
00:22:08.83\00:22:11.10
Are you tracking with me?
00:22:11.10\00:22:13.26
So he is coming out and
saying I am not ashamed, well
00:22:13.26\00:22:15.63
why frame it that way?
00:22:15.63\00:22:17.20
In the days of Paul there
would have been significant
00:22:17.20\00:22:21.10
shame associated with
the message he preached.
00:22:21.10\00:22:24.10
He says he is not ashamed
of the gospel, ashamed of the
00:22:24.10\00:22:28.76
what word everybody, the gospel.
00:22:28.76\00:22:31.33
Now the center of the gospel
is a man named Jesus Christ.
00:22:31.33\00:22:34.90
Jesus Christ was crucified.
00:22:34.90\00:22:37.40
Let's talk your
moment about crucifixion.
00:22:37.40\00:22:41.86
Let me just give
you two quotations.
00:22:41.86\00:22:44.00
Both semi-scholarly sources,
scholarly in one and popular one
00:22:44.00\00:22:49.53
The goal of Roman crucifixion
was not just to kill the
00:22:49.53\00:22:55.00
criminal, but also to
mutilate and dishonor the body.
00:22:55.00\00:22:59.83
What was that last word
there to? Dishonor the body of
00:22:59.83\00:23:04.63
the condemned.
00:23:04.63\00:23:05.93
In ancient traditions
an honorable death required
00:23:05.93\00:23:08.33
burial, leaving a body on
the cross was to mutilate it
00:23:08.33\00:23:11.83
and prevent it's
burial was a grave dishonor.
00:23:11.83\00:23:15.00
There it is again.
00:23:15.00\00:23:16.23
Under ancient Roman penal
practice Crucifixion was also
00:23:16.23\00:23:19.16
a means of exhibiting the
criminals low social status.
00:23:19.16\00:23:22.03
It was the most dis-
honorable death imaginable
00:23:22.03\00:23:26.20
originally
reserved only for slaves.
00:23:26.20\00:23:28.56
So what is the
recurrent word here?
00:23:28.56\00:23:30.86
What is the
recurrent word? Dishonorable!
00:23:30.86\00:23:33.00
It is easy to kill somebody,
just thrust a sword through
00:23:33.00\00:23:36.00
them, thrust a
spear through them.
00:23:36.00\00:23:37.40
Why go to all the
trouble of crucifying them?
00:23:37.40\00:23:40.06
Well sure there is more
pain, because it is torturous,
00:23:40.06\00:23:43.33
etc, but the primary reason
for inflicting crucifixion,
00:23:43.33\00:23:46.50
incidentally the Romans didn't
invent it, they likely got
00:23:46.50\00:23:49.60
it from the Persians or
the Carthaginians, but they
00:23:49.60\00:23:52.73
perfected it and
turned it into an art.
00:23:52.73\00:23:54.93
They kept a man balancing
ever so precariously between
00:23:54.93\00:23:59.03
being dead and being alive.
00:23:59.03\00:24:00.93
They like to suspend him there.
00:24:00.93\00:24:02.76
Historians tell us that
some people spent as many as
00:24:02.76\00:24:05.26
seven days on the cross.
00:24:05.26\00:24:08.43
It wasn't just for the
purpose of killing, that's easy.
00:24:08.43\00:24:11.83
The Romans were master
executionists and turned death
00:24:11.83\00:24:15.20
into an art.
00:24:15.20\00:24:16.53
The purpose of crucifixion,
it was reserved to dishonor.
00:24:16.53\00:24:21.23
What is the word
everyone? To dishonor.
00:24:21.23\00:24:24.53
The secondary source
here, the secondary quote.
00:24:24.53\00:24:26.10
Social stigma and disgrace
associated with crucifixion
00:24:26.10\00:24:30.10
in the ancient world
can hardly be overstated.
00:24:30.10\00:24:33.00
It was usually reserved
for slaves, criminals of the
00:24:33.00\00:24:36.50
worst sort, from the lowest
levels of society, military
00:24:36.50\00:24:39.96
deserters, and
especially traitors.
00:24:39.96\00:24:43.00
Among the Jews it carried
additional stigma because as
00:24:43.00\00:24:46.76
Deuteronomy 23:24 states,
a hanged Man is accursed by
00:24:46.76\00:24:49.96
God, and this was understood
by the Jews to mean that
00:24:49.96\00:24:53.60
the very method of death
brought a divine curse upon
00:24:53.60\00:24:57.20
the crucified.
00:24:57.20\00:24:59.23
Now think about this,
Paul is coming to Rome.
00:24:59.23\00:25:02.16
He is coming to the
regal city, the Imperial city,
00:25:02.16\00:25:04.93
all roads lead to Rome.
00:25:04.93\00:25:06.50
Rome wasn't built in a day.
00:25:06.50\00:25:08.00
When in Rome do
as the Romans do.
00:25:08.00\00:25:09.40
Paul is coming to Rome
and he is now writing of Rome
00:25:09.40\00:25:13.76
and he is going to be
preaching a gospel of good news
00:25:13.76\00:25:18.06
message that is
centered on a crucified Jew.
00:25:18.06\00:25:22.80
The whole purpose of
crucifixion was to stigmatize
00:25:25.46\00:25:30.53
the person that had
undergone the punishment.
00:25:30.53\00:25:33.86
Is there cause, contextually
and culturally for being
00:25:33.86\00:25:38.10
ashamed of this message
yes or no? Yes, absolutely!
00:25:38.10\00:25:42.30
The people in Paul's day would
have regarded the veneration
00:25:42.30\00:25:46.16
of a crucified
person, and furthermore a
00:25:46.16\00:25:48.96
faith system founded on a
crucified person as the height
00:25:48.96\00:25:53.03
of folly, I mean
you're kidding right?
00:25:53.03\00:25:57.63
You're going to tell us,
let me just get this right.
00:25:57.63\00:26:00.70
I want to be sure you I
heard you right, let me fix my
00:26:00.70\00:26:03.76
hearing aid, be, be, be.
00:26:03.76\00:26:04.80
Let me make sure
I heard you right.
00:26:04.80\00:26:06.03
You are going to tell me
about a crucified deliverer.
00:26:06.03\00:26:10.06
Just let that sink
in, crucified deliverer.
00:26:10.06\00:26:16.50
You are going to tell me
about someone who couldn't
00:26:16.50\00:26:19.10
deliver himself from
this hideous, ignominious,
00:26:19.10\00:26:21.63
stigmatized punishment
and he is going to deliver me?
00:26:21.63\00:26:26.80
There was a tremendous
stigma attached, this is why
00:26:26.80\00:26:31.90
Paul purposefully,
intentionally employed this
00:26:31.90\00:26:36.33
rhetorical device
litotes, he purposely states his
00:26:36.33\00:26:40.70
case in the negative.
00:26:40.70\00:26:43.13
I am, what are the
words everyone? Not ashamed!
00:26:43.13\00:26:47.06
Crucifixion communicated
two things in Paul's day.
00:26:47.06\00:26:50.96
High crime and
low social status.
00:26:50.96\00:26:54.23
High crime coupled
with social status.
00:26:54.23\00:26:57.60
Both were sources of shame
in Paul's time so he purposely
00:26:57.60\00:27:01.33
communicates it in the negative.
00:27:01.33\00:27:03.06
Now let me read to you a
fascinating little statement
00:27:03.06\00:27:07.80
here, this is from a
series of sermons by Dean Martin
00:27:07.80\00:27:11.30
Lloyd Jones who preached
on the book of Romans at
00:27:11.30\00:27:14.76
Westminster Chapel
every Friday afternoon
00:27:14.76\00:27:17.63
from 1955 to 1968.
00:27:17.63\00:27:21.83
It took in 13 years to get
through the book, Expositorily
00:27:21.83\00:27:25.33
Preaching on the Book of Romans.
00:27:25.33\00:27:27.40
Can you imagine, 13
years of sermons? Fascinating.
00:27:27.40\00:27:31.53
Listen to what he says,
"why then is it that the world"
00:27:31.53\00:27:35.56
"ridicules the gospel? It
is because the message which"
00:27:35.56\00:27:39.53
"the gospel conveys. The
Gospel proclaims, the preacher"
00:27:39.53\00:27:43.63
"of the Gospel has to proclaim
him who was born in utter"
00:27:43.63\00:27:48.16
"abject poverty. Born in a
stable, no room at the inn. "
00:27:48.16\00:27:51.96
"Brought up in a little village,
trained as a carpenter. "
00:27:51.96\00:27:55.23
"That is the One that we
preach. That is the One that we"
00:27:55.23\00:27:58.66
"hold before the world, One
who was crucified in apparent"
00:27:58.66\00:28:02.26
"weakness having made exalted
claims for Himself, He is"
00:28:02.26\00:28:05.56
"taken in utter helplessness
and He is nailed to a tree"
00:28:05.56\00:28:08.93
"and dies why the mob
jeers at Him. They derided Him"
00:28:08.93\00:28:12.50
"saying, He saved Himself,
He saved others let Him save"
00:28:12.50\00:28:16.06
"Himself if He be the
Christ, the chosen of God. "
00:28:16.06\00:28:18.33
"That is what we proclaim.
We proclaim a carpenter who"
00:28:18.33\00:28:21.70
"lived a life of poverty
and who died upon the cross. "
00:28:21.70\00:28:25.16
"Of course the world scoffs
at it and ridicules it in its"
00:28:25.16\00:28:28.40
"heart, but we assert that
this selfsame person is the"
00:28:28.40\00:28:31.60
"Savior of the world. "
00:28:31.60\00:28:34.90
"The Son of God, to the Jews
this was stumbling block. And "
00:28:34.90\00:28:41.30
" to the Greek the height
of foolishness. So the very "
00:28:41.30\00:28:44.73
"character of the message tends
to produce ridicule and as I"
00:28:44.73\00:28:48.70
"say man by nature doesn't like
being ridiculed so he's ashamed"
00:28:48.70\00:28:52.60
"of the gospel. "
00:28:52.60\00:28:53.66
"And this is the temptation. "
00:28:53.66\00:28:55.63
Paul frames his affirmation
of his confidence in Christ
00:28:55.63\00:29:01.00
in the negative purposefully
because he knew that the
00:29:01.00\00:29:05.66
promotion and the publishing,
widespread publishing of a
00:29:05.66\00:29:10.33
crucified deliverer
sounds almost oxymoronic.
00:29:10.33\00:29:14.23
Let me ask you a question?
00:29:14.23\00:29:16.10
Have you ever been
ashamed of the gospel?
00:29:16.10\00:29:21.63
Have you ever
been ashamed of Christ?
00:29:21.63\00:29:27.76
Well, yes or no?
Rah, rah, rah, rah, rah.
00:29:27.76\00:29:33.90
What is that?
00:29:33.90\00:29:35.46
Is there someone here who
will say, I've been totally
00:29:37.53\00:29:40.10
ashamed of Christ?
00:29:40.10\00:29:43.06
Yeah join the club, me too.
00:29:43.06\00:29:45.23
Incidentally, so probably
to was Paul's number one
00:29:45.23\00:29:51.56
understudy, a man
by the name of Timothy.
00:29:51.56\00:29:55.63
Join me in 2 Timothy
chapter 1 if you would.
00:29:55.63\00:29:59.63
2 Timothy chapter 1,
this word here ashamed occurs,
00:29:59.63\00:30:04.86
this particular Greek
word that is rendered ashamed
00:30:04.86\00:30:10.06
occurs some 11 times
in the New Testament.
00:30:10.06\00:30:13.40
We are going to
look at most of them.
00:30:13.40\00:30:19.23
2 Timothy 1:8,
Timothy was a young man.
00:30:19.23\00:30:25.00
Easy for us to remember his
name Timothy rhymes somewhat
00:30:27.33\00:30:34.26
with timidity, and this
was probably his struggle.
00:30:34.26\00:30:39.26
Paul writes to young
timid Timothy and says beginning
00:30:39.26\00:30:43.66
in verse 8, "therefore do
not be", what is the word?
00:30:43.66\00:30:48.00
"Ashamed of the
testimony of our Lord. "
00:30:48.00\00:30:51.46
What is he saying?
Don't be ashamed of Christ.
00:30:51.46\00:30:57.36
He continues, "do not be
ashamed of the testimony of our"
00:30:57.36\00:31:00.20
"Lord, nor of me his prisoner,
but share with me in the"
00:31:00.20\00:31:02.86
"sufferings of the gospel
according to the power of God"
00:31:02.86\00:31:05.63
"who has saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not"
00:31:05.63\00:31:08.13
"according to our works but
according to his own purpose"
00:31:08.13\00:31:10.56
"and grace which was
given to us in Christ Jesus"
00:31:10.56\00:31:12.90
"before time began. "
00:31:12.90\00:31:14.10
Look at the confidence he
is speaking with, "but now"
00:31:14.10\00:31:16.73
"he is being revealed by
the appearing of our Savior"
00:31:16.73\00:31:19.63
"Jesus Christ who has abolished
death, and brought life"
00:31:19.63\00:31:22.46
"and immortality to
light through the gospel:"
00:31:22.46\00:31:24.90
"which I was appointed a
preacher, and an apostle,"
00:31:24.90\00:31:27.13
"and the teacher
of the Gentiles. "
00:31:27.13\00:31:28.90
"For this reason I
also suffer these things:"
00:31:28.90\00:31:31.53
"nevertheless I
am not ashamed. "
00:31:31.53\00:31:36.20
Same language in Romans 1.
00:31:36.20\00:31:38.10
"Nevertheless I am not
ashamed: for I know whom I have"
00:31:38.10\00:31:41.36
"believed," can you say Amen!
00:31:41.36\00:31:43.70
"and am persuaded that he
is able to keep that which I"
00:31:43.70\00:31:46.20
"have committed unto
him against that day. "
00:31:46.20\00:31:47.90
Look what he now has to
say to Timothy, "hold fast the"
00:31:47.90\00:31:49.90
"pattern of sound words which
you have heard from me, in"
00:31:49.90\00:31:51.83
"faith and love which
are in Christ Jesus. "
00:31:51.83\00:31:54.03
"That good thing which was
committed unto you keep by"
00:31:54.03\00:31:56.73
"the Holy Spirit
who dwells in us. "
00:31:56.73\00:31:58.03
"This you know, that those in
Asia have turned away from me,"
00:31:58.03\00:32:01.50
" we think that Paul
was a popular guy. NO!
00:32:01.50\00:32:03.60
He said he went to Asia
and everyone abandoned me.
00:32:03.60\00:32:06.20
Everybody pretended like
they didn't know me when I went
00:32:06.20\00:32:09.76
to Asia, everyone
turned away from me.
00:32:09.76\00:32:12.30
"Among whom are
Phygellus and Hermogenes. "
00:32:12.30\00:32:14.76
"The Lord grant mercy into
the household of Onesiphorus;"
00:32:14.76\00:32:18.90
"for he often refreshed
me, and was not ashamed of my"
00:32:18.90\00:32:22.53
"chains: but when he arrived
in Rome, he sought me out"
00:32:22.53\00:32:26.16
"very zealously,"
apparently not like the others.
00:32:26.16\00:32:28.66
"And he found me. The Lord
grant to him that he may find"
00:32:28.66\00:32:31.53
"mercy of from the Lord in
that day; and you know very"
00:32:31.53\00:32:34.40
"well how many ways he
ministered to me at Ephesus. "
00:32:34.40\00:32:37.10
Three times, Paul is
beginning a second letter to
00:32:37.10\00:32:39.53
Timothy, he says
Timothy I know you're tempted to
00:32:39.53\00:32:41.90
timidity, I know you're
tempted to be ashamed, don't be
00:32:41.90\00:32:44.73
ashamed of the gospel, don't
be ashamed of the testimony
00:32:44.73\00:32:47.53
of our Lord, don't
be ashamed of my chains.
00:32:47.53\00:32:49.73
You are reminding me of
Hermogenes, you should be like
00:32:49.73\00:32:52.80
Onesiphorus, when he came
to town he couldn't wait to
00:32:52.80\00:32:55.90
find me, he knew I was in
chains and knew that I had been
00:32:55.90\00:32:59.33
rejected and that I preached
this crazy, wild, seemingly
00:32:59.33\00:33:02.73
insane message of
salvation to the world based
00:33:02.73\00:33:06.60
on a crucified Jew.
00:33:06.60\00:33:07.93
He said don't be ashamed.
00:33:07.93\00:33:10.10
Now, beloved, the only reason
that Paul would write these
00:33:10.10\00:33:13.96
things, not once, he doesn't
say casually, he doesn't say
00:33:13.96\00:33:17.83
off-the-cuff or
serendipitously, by the way.
00:33:17.83\00:33:21.00
He gives this counsel
because he knows that Timothy is
00:33:21.00\00:33:23.63
tempted to timidity.
00:33:23.63\00:33:25.03
He knows that Timothy
is tempted to be ashamed.
00:33:25.03\00:33:27.43
He knows that this is
a struggle for Timothy.
00:33:27.43\00:33:29.80
There is reason to believe,
and if I had time I could
00:33:29.80\00:33:34.43
develop what I
believe is the case.
00:33:34.43\00:33:35.83
A persuasive case that
Paul himself struggled with this
00:33:35.83\00:33:38.56
four a time, but he got the
victory over it which is why
00:33:38.56\00:33:41.56
he announces, with such
boldness to the church at Rome.
00:33:41.56\00:33:44.53
What does he say at
the onset? I'm not ashamed!
00:33:44.53\00:33:47.00
There would have been
significant cultural reasons for
00:33:49.36\00:33:52.33
Paul two have felt
shame, are you kidding?
00:33:52.33\00:33:54.56
Preaching the salvation of
the world from a crucified Jew
00:33:54.56\00:33:58.80
in Roman society.
00:33:58.80\00:34:01.10
The whole purpose of
crucifixion was to stigmatize.
00:34:01.10\00:34:04.40
The whole purpose of crucifixion
communicated high crime,
00:34:04.40\00:34:06.93
low social status, and you
are going to tell us about a
00:34:06.93\00:34:09.43
crucified deliverer?
00:34:09.43\00:34:11.90
Do you not hear
the inconsistencies
00:34:11.90\00:34:13.96
in that language?
00:34:13.96\00:34:16.43
Fascinatingly Jesus
used this word as well.
00:34:16.43\00:34:20.50
Go with me to Luke, chapter 9.
00:34:20.50\00:34:23.73
In Luke Chapter 9 he
actually uses also in the Mark
00:34:23.73\00:34:26.90
account, Mark 8, but we
are going to look at the Luke's
00:34:26.90\00:34:30.03
account, Luke 9:22.
00:34:30.03\00:34:34.53
It says, in verse 21,
"he strictly warned them and"
00:34:38.63\00:34:42.23
"commanded them to tell
this to no one saying, the son"
00:34:42.23\00:34:45.80
"of man must suffer
many things, and be,"
00:34:45.80\00:34:50.36
what is the word there everyone?
00:34:50.36\00:34:52.10
"And be rejected by the elders
and chief priests and the"
00:34:52.10\00:34:55.86
"scribes and be killed
and be raised the third day. "
00:34:55.86\00:35:00.06
Then he said to them, "if
anyone desires to come after"
00:35:00.06\00:35:04.06
"me, let him deny
himself and take up his," what?
00:35:04.06\00:35:07.13
Take-up his
what everyone? Cross!
00:35:07.13\00:35:10.30
So Jesus here
speaking about rejection.
00:35:10.30\00:35:13.10
Jesus here
speaking about being killed.
00:35:13.10\00:35:15.86
He is speaking about
suffering and then he says
00:35:15.86\00:35:17.73
if you're going to come
after me you will have to
00:35:17.73\00:35:19.56
take up your cross.
00:35:19.56\00:35:20.60
I will remind you
that Jesus was a man.
00:35:20.60\00:35:22.43
That Jesus was a man who
walked and talked in the same
00:35:22.43\00:35:25.50
way that you
and I walk and talk.
00:35:25.50\00:35:27.03
He learned the way that you
and I learn, yes He was God,
00:35:27.03\00:35:29.80
but at some level He
must've laid aside those divine
00:35:29.80\00:35:32.53
attributes and He
experienced life as you and I
00:35:32.53\00:35:35.36
experience life,
Jesus must have known.
00:35:35.36\00:35:37.60
Jesus must at some level
have known, whether God revealed
00:35:37.60\00:35:40.23
to Him, or with His
brilliant brain He just put it
00:35:40.23\00:35:43.83
together, that He was
going to die a hideous,
00:35:43.83\00:35:45.80
ignominious death at
the hands of the Jews.
00:35:45.80\00:35:47.93
He knew that the Jews
couldn't execute capital
00:35:47.93\00:35:50.03
punishment, they would
have to bring Him to the Romans
00:35:50.03\00:35:51.70
and He knew that they
would push for crucifixion.
00:35:51.70\00:35:53.83
So Jesus here, I
believe, anticipating,
00:35:53.83\00:35:56.90
He is aware that when He
dies He it almost certainly
00:35:56.90\00:36:00.60
will be a crucifixion.
00:36:00.60\00:36:02.20
So It basically says,
Fellows listen it is not always
00:36:02.20\00:36:05.30
going to be happy go lucky.
00:36:05.30\00:36:06.73
I'm going to be rejected,
I'm going to be crucified,
00:36:06.73\00:36:09.86
I'm going to be killed.
00:36:09.86\00:36:11.00
I can just imagine the
response of the disciples.
00:36:11.00\00:36:12.90
What's this guy talking about?
00:36:12.90\00:36:14.50
When we join the Messiah
club we couldn't wait to chop
00:36:14.50\00:36:16.50
the heads off of the Romans
and now He is talking about
00:36:16.50\00:36:18.50
getting killed, we
wanted to do a little killing
00:36:18.50\00:36:20.30
of our own.
00:36:20.30\00:36:21.46
Jesus must have sensed the
incredulity, He must have sensed
00:36:21.46\00:36:24.56
the surprise so It turns
them and says, I have news for
00:36:24.56\00:36:27.10
you, if you want to be My
follower, you are going to have
00:36:27.10\00:36:29.60
to pick up your own cross.
00:36:29.60\00:36:31.80
Take up your
cross and follow Me.
00:36:31.80\00:36:36.56
Now look at this, verse 24,
"whoever desires to save his"
00:36:36.56\00:36:39.03
"life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for my sake"
00:36:39.03\00:36:41.50
"will save it, for what
profit is it to a man if he"
00:36:41.50\00:36:44.10
"gains the world and is
himself destroyed or lost. "
00:36:44.10\00:36:47.00
Now look at verse 26, in
the immediate context of His
00:36:47.00\00:36:50.26
rejection, in the immediate
context of His crucifixion,
00:36:50.26\00:36:53.46
which He anticipates,
look at what He says.
00:36:53.46\00:36:56.30
"For whoever
is," What is the word?
00:36:56.30\00:36:58.86
"Ashamed of me, and my words. "
00:36:58.86\00:37:04.16
What words? Well the
words I'm going to be crucified.
00:37:04.16\00:37:05.90
"Whoever is ashamed of me
and my words of him, the son"
00:37:08.73\00:37:12.00
"of man will be ashamed
when he comes in his own glory"
00:37:12.00\00:37:15.20
"and of his father's,
and the holy angels. "
00:37:15.20\00:37:17.96
Beloved this word does not
appear that many times in the
00:37:17.96\00:37:19.86
New Testament, go look it up.
00:37:19.86\00:37:21.73
It's 11 times, we have
looked at 8 of them already.
00:37:21.73\00:37:26.20
When this word comes up,
with two exceptions, it is in
00:37:26.20\00:37:30.63
the context of a
crucified Messiah.
00:37:30.63\00:37:32.80
When this word is used,
with two exceptions, and we will
00:37:32.80\00:37:36.90
look at one of
them in just a moment.
00:37:36.90\00:37:38.10
It is in the context of a
crucified Messiah, so Paul says
00:37:38.10\00:37:40.56
"I'm not ashamed. "
00:37:40.56\00:37:42.06
He wrote to Timothy
three times and said, don't be
00:37:42.06\00:37:44.60
ashamed, others were
ashamed of me, don't you dare be
00:37:44.60\00:37:47.10
ashamed of the
testimony of our Lord.
00:37:47.10\00:37:48.56
Don't be ashamed.
00:37:48.56\00:37:49.80
Jesus is here, Fellows I
have news for you, I'm going to
00:37:49.80\00:37:52.16
Jerusalem and I'm
going to be betrayed.
00:37:52.16\00:37:54.00
I'm going to be rejected,
I'm going to suffer and He
00:37:54.00\00:37:56.40
anticipates
crucifixion, He knows is coming,
00:37:56.40\00:37:58.53
at some level, and I'd
like to think He just put it
00:37:58.53\00:38:00.96
together, He figured it
out, I'm going to be crucified.
00:38:00.96\00:38:03.43
He senses the incredulity,
He senses the surprise and
00:38:03.43\00:38:05.86
says, hey you
take up your cross.
00:38:05.86\00:38:07.93
Do not be ashamed, in fact
He goes so far as to say that
00:38:09.90\00:38:12.73
whoever is ashamed of
Me, the crucified Christ.
00:38:12.73\00:38:16.06
Here again, crucified
Christ, Christos, Messiah,
00:38:16.06\00:38:19.40
Anointed, the
crucified Deliverer.
00:38:19.40\00:38:22.56
You are kidding, right?
00:38:23.70\00:38:26.40
The crucified Deliverer,
if you are ashamed of Me the
00:38:26.40\00:38:29.83
crucified Deliverer, He
says, I will be ashamed of you.
00:38:29.83\00:38:33.73
Beloved, with two exceptions,
we have looked at every use
00:38:33.73\00:38:37.60
of this particular Greek word.
00:38:37.60\00:38:39.53
We have looked at them and
were going to come back to the
00:38:39.53\00:38:41.96
third in just a moment
because it is fascinating.
00:38:41.96\00:38:44.23
Is the message
clear so far? Yes or no!
00:38:44.23\00:38:48.00
Why would Paul
announce it in the negative?
00:38:48.00\00:38:51.73
Because there was a
cultural stigma attached to his
00:38:51.73\00:38:55.80
crazy message.
00:38:55.80\00:38:59.00
In fact it is imperative
for us to go very quickly to
00:38:59.00\00:39:02.36
1 Corinthians
chapter 1, join me there.
00:39:02.36\00:39:04.00
Here we get a feel for the
intensity of the radical-ness
00:39:05.63\00:39:15.00
of the message preached.
00:39:15.00\00:39:17.50
Look at what he says
here, very similar by the way.
00:39:17.50\00:39:20.06
Very, very similar. 1
Corinthians, Romans 1, many
00:39:20.06\00:39:22.60
of the same themes.
00:39:22.60\00:39:24.83
Romans chapter 1, "for
I'm not ashamed of the gospel"
00:39:24.83\00:39:26.63
"because it is
the power of God. "
00:39:26.63\00:39:28.36
The phrase "power of
God" 3 times in 1 Corinthians
00:39:28.36\00:39:31.26
chapter 1, the words
"saved", the word "faith" and
00:39:31.26\00:39:34.13
"believe", they
are very, very similar.
00:39:34.13\00:39:36.56
So check this out,
beginning there in 1 Corinthians
00:39:36.56\00:39:40.43
1:18, we are going to look
at the message of the cross.
00:39:40.43\00:39:44.30
What is the message everyone?
00:39:44.30\00:39:45.93
What's the message
everyone? Audience: the cross.
00:39:45.93\00:39:48.53
What is the message
over there, I can't hear you?
00:39:48.53\00:39:51.06
What is the
message? Audience: the cross.
00:39:51.06\00:39:53.06
It's the cross,
look at what he says.
00:39:53.06\00:39:55.00
"The message of the
cross," is what? "Foolishness".
00:39:55.00\00:39:59.10
"The message of the cross
is foolishness to those who"
00:39:59.10\00:40:03.16
"are perishing, but to
us who are being saved,"
00:40:03.16\00:40:05.43
say it with me, "it
is the power of God. "
00:40:05.43\00:40:08.30
That is what he
says in Romans chapter 1.
00:40:08.30\00:40:11.10
"For I am not ashamed of
the gospel because it is the"
00:40:11.10\00:40:14.50
"power of God. "
00:40:14.50\00:40:17.30
He says man, this is the
message we preach and they think
00:40:17.30\00:40:20.96
you are loony, you preach
that salvation of the world,
00:40:20.96\00:40:24.63
salvation for me, salvation
for my family comes through a
00:40:24.63\00:40:28.30
crucified Jew,
again I have to say it.
00:40:28.30\00:40:30.20
A crucified Deliverer,
you are kidding right?
00:40:30.20\00:40:35.26
Paul says the message of
the cross is foolishness.
00:40:35.26\00:40:39.76
It's out right folly, "but
to us who are being saved,"
00:40:39.76\00:40:42.96
"it's the power of God for
it is written I will destroy"
00:40:42.96\00:40:46.10
"the wisdom of the wise
and bring to nothing the"
00:40:46.10\00:40:48.70
"understanding of the prudent. "
00:40:48.70\00:40:50.03
Paul calls out
here rhetorically again.
00:40:50.03\00:40:52.23
Paul was a debater, he was
with depth, he was brilliant,
00:40:52.23\00:40:56.80
he was capable of using
rhetorical and forensic devices
00:40:56.80\00:41:01.33
to make his case.
00:41:01.33\00:41:03.66
Where is the wise, he says.
00:41:03.66\00:41:06.96
Almost
challenging, almost defining.
00:41:06.96\00:41:10.66
Corinth at the time was
certainly rival Athens, it may
00:41:10.66\00:41:14.06
have been the greatest
city in the Greek Empire at the
00:41:14.06\00:41:17.26
time, the greatest city in
Greece would be a more correct
00:41:17.26\00:41:20.43
way of saying it.
00:41:20.43\00:41:21.63
He is writing to the
Corinthians, where is the wise?
00:41:21.63\00:41:24.16
Where is the scribe?
Where is, your Bible says,
00:41:24.16\00:41:27.93
the disputer?
It's literally debater.
00:41:27.93\00:41:30.16
It is like he
is picking a fight.
00:41:30.16\00:41:32.53
Where is the
debater of this age?
00:41:32.53\00:41:34.86
"has not God made," what
is the word? "The foolishness"
00:41:34.86\00:41:38.96
"of this world, for since
in the wisdom of God the world"
00:41:38.96\00:41:42.40
"through wisdom did not know
God, it pleased God through"
00:41:42.40\00:41:45.76
"the foolishness of
the message we preach. "
00:41:45.76\00:41:48.50
Which he just told you
was the message of the cross.
00:41:48.50\00:41:49.80
"Pleased God through the
foolishness of the message we"
00:41:49.80\00:41:53.53
"preach to save those who
believe, for the Jews request"
00:41:53.53\00:41:58.60
"a sign, and the Greeks seek
after wisdom, but we preach,"
00:41:58.60\00:42:03.60
what do we preach?
Christ, that is Messiah, that is
00:42:03.60\00:42:10.50
Deliverer, that's Anointed,
we preach the Messiah crucified.
00:42:10.50\00:42:18.73
It is foolishness,
absolutely, totally, completely,
00:42:18.73\00:42:24.73
fool hearty, and Paul knew it.
00:42:24.73\00:42:26.43
In fact a little later
this epistle he says, we are all
00:42:26.43\00:42:29.30
going to be fools for someone,
00:42:29.30\00:42:30.66
I'm going to be
a fool for Christ.
00:42:30.66\00:42:32.10
We preach Christ crucified
to the Jews it is a stumbling
00:42:32.10\00:42:36.20
block, and to the Greeks
it's foolishness, but to those
00:42:36.20\00:42:40.30
who are called both Jews
and Greeks, Christ is the power
00:42:40.30\00:42:43.66
of God and the wisdom of
God because the foolishness of
00:42:43.66\00:42:46.56
God is wiser than men, and
weakness of God is stronger
00:42:46.56\00:42:49.46
than men, for you see your
calling brother that not many
00:42:49.46\00:42:52.30
wise, according to the flesh,
not many noble are called, but
00:42:52.30\00:42:56.00
God has chosen the foolish
things of this world to put to
00:42:56.00\00:42:58.96
shame the wise and God has
chosen the weak things of this
00:42:58.96\00:43:01.90
world to put the shame
the things that are mighty.
00:43:01.90\00:43:03.33
Weak, like a crucified person?
00:43:03.33\00:43:05.83
You can't get
any weaker than that.
00:43:05.83\00:43:08.33
And the base things of
the world, base, despised,
00:43:08.33\00:43:11.90
abominated.
00:43:11.90\00:43:13.46
The base things of this world
and things which are despised,
00:43:13.46\00:43:16.80
There it is. He is talking about
the cross and the things that
00:43:16.80\00:43:19.70
are despised God has chosen,
and the things which are not,
00:43:19.70\00:43:22.56
this is the way that the
ancients would speak with,
00:43:22.56\00:43:25.96
when they wanted to say
something that was lowly,
00:43:25.96\00:43:28.63
something beneath their
recognition, they would say,
00:43:28.63\00:43:31.30
things that are not.
00:43:31.30\00:43:33.93
It is thing that is not.
00:43:33.93\00:43:36.50
Paul said God has
taken those things.
00:43:36.50\00:43:38.90
Paul says that God is
taking the things that are not,
00:43:38.90\00:43:41.60
the things that are despised,
the things that are based,
00:43:41.60\00:43:44.56
and God has chosen to use
those things to confound the
00:43:44.56\00:43:47.50
wisdom of the worldly wise.
00:43:47.50\00:43:49.60
Paul was an unashamed preacher,
not just of the Christ,
00:43:49.60\00:43:53.26
not just of the coming
Christ, not just of the creative
00:43:53.26\00:43:56.90
Christ, anyone
can believe in that.
00:43:56.90\00:43:58.56
Creative Christ, that
is good news, that's power,
00:43:58.56\00:44:00.90
that's strength, that's a
might, that's majesty, that's
00:44:00.90\00:44:03.63
Christ, that's sword, that's
slaying, that's returning.
00:44:03.63\00:44:06.33
No, no, Paul was
preaching the crucified Christ.
00:44:06.33\00:44:09.46
In verse 29, "no flesh
should glory in his presence. "
00:44:12.96\00:44:15.40
"But of him you are in Christ
Jesus became for us wisdom "
00:44:15.40\00:44:18.50
"from God and righteousness and
sanctification and redemption:"
00:44:18.50\00:44:22.40
"that it is written that
he who glories let him glory,"
00:44:22.40\00:44:24.63
Where are we going to
glory? "In the Lord. "
00:44:24.63\00:44:27.43
Now look at this, jump
down to verse 2 of the next
00:44:27.43\00:44:30.10
chapter, "for I determined
not to know anything among"
00:44:30.10\00:44:33.46
"you," except here it comes
again, "Jesus Christ and him"
00:44:33.46\00:44:36.76
"crucified. " The
anointed Deliverer, crucified.
00:44:36.76\00:44:41.96
Some of you are attempted
to laughter, Paul anticipates
00:44:44.23\00:44:46.16
to everyone it is funny.
00:44:46.16\00:44:49.43
You are really going to
come to our town, you're going
00:44:51.90\00:44:54.06
to come to Rome,
you're coming to Greece?
00:44:54.06\00:44:55.83
What happened in Acts
17 when Paul goes through
00:44:55.83\00:44:58.10
Areopagus and Paul starts
promoting, you know some of
00:44:58.10\00:45:01.26
your Greek poets said this
and I bring a message to you
00:45:01.26\00:45:04.40
from the unknown God and
were not children groping
00:45:04.40\00:45:06.23
around in the dark.
00:45:06.23\00:45:07.36
Oh yeah this is good
stuff, because the world loves
00:45:07.36\00:45:09.73
philosophy, the world
loves intellectualism, the world
00:45:09.73\00:45:12.13
loves for people to stand
up and sound smart, and sound
00:45:12.13\00:45:14.80
good, and then he says I
preach to you Christ whom God
00:45:14.80\00:45:17.43
raised from the dead, and it's
like the record stops. zooop!
00:45:17.43\00:45:19.96
And then the
Amphibians look at one another,
00:45:19.96\00:45:23.10
are you kidding?
Who is this babbler?
00:45:23.10\00:45:26.26
The guy has lost his mind,
a crucified Jew is going to
00:45:26.26\00:45:30.40
save us? And you are
really, really going to come and
00:45:30.40\00:45:35.20
talk to us and tell us
that our salvation depends upon
00:45:35.20\00:45:39.93
a crucified Jew?
00:45:39.93\00:45:42.63
Paul says it is foolishness,
but he says when I came to
00:45:42.63\00:45:45.70
you, I decided, I made up
my mind that when I came to you
00:45:45.70\00:45:48.76
I was not going to know
anything among you except
00:45:48.76\00:45:51.70
Jesus Christ and him crucified.
00:45:51.70\00:45:56.80
The intellectual hostility
that Paul based is identical
00:45:56.80\00:46:01.00
to the intellectual
hostility that we face today.
00:46:01.00\00:46:03.20
That intellectual
hostility manifested itself with
00:46:03.20\00:46:05.40
religionist and secularist.
00:46:05.40\00:46:08.20
In Paul's day the religionist
would have been the Jews,
00:46:08.20\00:46:11.70
they would've said
you are kidding, right?
00:46:11.70\00:46:13.53
It was a scandal, and the
so-called secular assured they
00:46:13.53\00:46:16.80
were religious, but they
were religious only in the sense
00:46:16.80\00:46:20.60
of religion being part of
Greek society in very broad
00:46:20.60\00:46:24.33
strokes, they
were the secularist.
00:46:24.33\00:46:26.40
Not exactly akin to our
materialist but close enough.
00:46:26.40\00:46:29.66
Basically what he says is,
the religionist want a sign,
00:46:29.66\00:46:32.90
prove to me that what
you are saying is true.
00:46:32.90\00:46:35.26
The secularist, the
Greeks, they want wisdom.
00:46:35.26\00:46:37.56
That is what they
are seeking after.
00:46:37.56\00:46:38.66
Beloved, that is the
same kind of hostility
00:46:38.66\00:46:40.23
that we face today.
00:46:40.23\00:46:42.00
Because we are not as
wild as the Pentecostals.
00:46:42.00\00:46:45.83
I'm speaking in
tongues and God is doing...
00:46:45.83\00:46:48.30
We're just lowly
Seventh-day Adventist church.
00:46:48.30\00:46:51.86
We don't have all that
accouterments, and frankly don't
00:46:51.86\00:46:54.30
want them, we just
have a Bible and a message.
00:46:54.30\00:46:56.56
Audience: Amen!
00:46:56.56\00:46:59.10
That's it! I don't want
to have to work a miracle for
00:47:01.70\00:47:05.36
you to believe the gospel.
00:47:05.36\00:47:06.63
The gospel is
believable on its own terms.
00:47:06.63\00:47:09.40
The secularists say to us,
well it is not intellectually
00:47:09.40\00:47:12.40
credible, well my
response is Paul's response.
00:47:12.40\00:47:15.36
God has made foolish
the wisdom of this world.
00:47:15.36\00:47:18.23
Beloved, the apostle Paul
was in environment that was
00:47:18.23\00:47:24.56
far more hostile than ours.
00:47:24.56\00:47:27.60
In fact, let me just read
you some thing very interesting
00:47:27.60\00:47:29.76
here, this is from
Barnes on this very topic.
00:47:29.76\00:47:31.60
He says, "it is worthy of
remark also that to the ancient"
00:47:31.60\00:47:35.43
"philosophers this
doctrine would appear still"
00:47:35.43\00:47:38.70
"more contemptible than it
does to the people of modern"
00:47:38.70\00:47:41.86
"times. Everything that came
from Judea they looked upon"
00:47:41.86\00:47:45.00
"with contempt and scorn. They
would spurn above all things,"
00:47:45.00\00:47:49.80
" the doctrine that they were
to expect salvation only by the"
00:47:49.80\00:47:54.60
"crucifixion of a Jew.
Besides the account of the"
00:47:54.60\00:47:57.33
"crucifixion has now lost no
small part of its reputation"
00:47:57.33\00:48:00.83
of ignomy, even on the
cross there was conceived to be
00:48:00.83\00:48:03.60
no small" amount
of honor or glory. "
00:48:03.60\00:48:05.83
In other words he is saying,
because the world has become
00:48:05.83\00:48:08.80
so Christianize, we now regard
the cross in a positive light,
00:48:08.80\00:48:12.00
we think the cross,
self-sacrifice, the cross
00:48:12.00\00:48:16.43
magnanimity, the cross
selflessness, the cross.
00:48:16.43\00:48:19.60
We wear it, you don't, people
wear it around their neck.
00:48:19.60\00:48:23.03
They put on their cars,
and they hang it, the cross.
00:48:23.03\00:48:26.16
Beloved, in the first century
they didn't have all these
00:48:26.16\00:48:30.03
centuries, they did have
these centuries of venerating
00:48:30.03\00:48:33.90
the cross, and
the God of the cross.
00:48:33.90\00:48:35.83
Paul is walking around
and saying, yeah, the Messiah
00:48:35.83\00:48:38.80
was crucified and you
should believe in Him.
00:48:38.80\00:48:42.33
Somebody is saying,
what about the resurrection?
00:48:42.33\00:48:45.33
Beloved you couldn't
even get to the resurrection.
00:48:45.33\00:48:48.30
The records stopped
at Messiah. Squish...
00:48:48.30\00:48:51.50
"But to the ancients it
was connected with every idea"
00:48:54.86\00:48:58.40
"ignomy, with them therefore
the death of the cross was"
00:48:58.40\00:49:00.90
"associated with the
idea of all that is shameful"
00:49:00.90\00:49:03.80
"and dishonorable. "
00:49:03.80\00:49:04.93
There is our words again.
00:49:04.93\00:49:06.43
"And to speak of salvation
only by the sufferings and"
00:49:06.43\00:49:09.20
"death of a crucified Jew
was suited to excite in their"
00:49:09.20\00:49:11.96
"bosoms only unmingled scorn. "
00:49:11.96\00:49:15.70
Let's put that in
modern language, they
00:49:15.70\00:49:18.30
thought it was
stupid and they hated it.
00:49:18.30\00:49:20.86
Paul was in a more
intellectually hostile climate
00:49:23.63\00:49:27.13
then you are, are you hearing?
00:49:27.13\00:49:31.46
You think, I'm so afraid to
speak, people in my University
00:49:31.46\00:49:34.26
are going to think I'm weird.
00:49:34.26\00:49:35.83
The intellectual hostility
you face is less than half
00:49:38.33\00:49:41.66
of what Paul faced.
00:49:41.66\00:49:43.93
For a variety of reasons,
one of which is the point we
00:49:43.93\00:49:47.93
are making here and that
is the cross, the crucifixion.
00:49:47.93\00:49:51.90
The concept has
lost much of its stigma.
00:49:51.90\00:49:53.96
In fact, it is valued by
many as an object of veneration.
00:49:53.96\00:49:57.26
An object of selflessness.
00:49:57.26\00:50:00.16
Paul wrote to Timothy and
said, man when I showed up in
00:50:00.16\00:50:03.96
Asia people pretended
they didn't even know me.
00:50:03.96\00:50:06.70
For Phygellus and Hermogenes,
who are you running from?
00:50:06.70\00:50:13.33
Some of us are
like, here it goes.
00:50:15.56\00:50:20.60
God bless you!
00:50:25.76\00:50:27.20
Right? Isn't this us?
00:50:30.40\00:50:32.06
Isn't this us?
00:50:32.06\00:50:35.16
Tell me you can't relate?
00:50:37.60\00:50:39.43
You are in a restaurant,
00:50:39.43\00:50:41.20
thank you!
00:50:49.36\00:50:50.83
It's like trauma for us.
00:50:54.13\00:50:56.40
Paul comes marching into
cities, and he says can you show
00:50:56.40\00:50:59.93
me the most
prominent location please.
00:50:59.93\00:51:01.66
I've got a message, I've
got an urgent message that
00:51:01.66\00:51:03.80
everyone needs to
hear, gather round.
00:51:03.80\00:51:05.10
Oh, there is an urgent
message and he has traveled many
00:51:05.10\00:51:07.36
dozens and hundreds of miles.
00:51:07.36\00:51:09.03
There is an urgent
message, okay you're all gather
00:51:09.03\00:51:11.46
together, beloved I
preach to you Christ,
00:51:11.46\00:51:13.70
Jesus of
Nazareth a man crucified.
00:51:13.70\00:51:16.63
What! We're going to
beat the tar out of this guy.
00:51:21.63\00:51:25.80
We are done with him.
We're done with his babbling.
00:51:25.80\00:51:28.90
Beloved, you have this
vision and I had this vision of
00:51:28.90\00:51:31.86
Paul the hero striding
confidently through the cities
00:51:31.86\00:51:34.93
of Asia minor and riding
into Philippi and into Galatia.
00:51:34.93\00:51:38.03
People believing by the
hundreds and by the thousands.
00:51:38.03\00:51:40.80
Flocking to the great and
mighty, the only place that
00:51:40.80\00:51:43.56
happened was when they
thought he was Apollo's,
00:51:43.56\00:51:45.26
and thought the other was
Mercury and when they found
00:51:45.26\00:51:47.90
out he wasn't
they tried to kill him.
00:51:47.90\00:51:50.30
People hated this guy.
00:51:50.30\00:51:54.16
Reality check time.
00:51:54.16\00:51:57.96
We think we're going to go
gliding in because we got a
00:51:57.96\00:51:59.50
WWJD bracelet, yeah!
00:51:59.50\00:52:02.20
Unashamed baby.
00:52:02.20\00:52:07.03
Just tuck it up
under your sleeve.
00:52:07.03\00:52:11.36
Beloved you get the point
and I want to close with this.
00:52:14.90\00:52:17.30
The apostle Paul says
in Galatians chapter 6:14.
00:52:17.30\00:52:21.46
He says, "but God
forbid that I should boast. "
00:52:21.46\00:52:25.56
I want you to hear this.
00:52:25.56\00:52:29.33
Aw, Paul was a real
person and he didn't like to be
00:52:29.33\00:52:34.53
rejected, I think that
is why he is so affirmative.
00:52:34.53\00:52:39.70
I think that is why he is
so engaging right at the outset
00:52:39.70\00:52:42.00
of the Romans.
00:52:42.00\00:52:43.20
He says, I'm not ashamed!
00:52:43.20\00:52:44.60
So Paul writes and he
is a real person and says,
00:52:44.60\00:52:48.46
"God forbid that I should
boast except in the cross. "
00:52:48.46\00:52:52.96
Everybody is going
to look like a fool.
00:52:52.96\00:52:56.46
I'm going to look like
a fool for Jesus, he says.
00:52:56.46\00:52:59.03
Now I told you
there was 11 occurrences.
00:52:59.03\00:53:02.53
We have looked at most of
them, Romans 1, 2 Timothy 1,
00:53:02.53\00:53:06.43
we didn't look at Mark 8,
but it is very similar to Luke
00:53:06.43\00:53:09.30
chapter 19, but we have
been basically through all of
00:53:09.30\00:53:13.20
them, but let me show you
one of the ones that is not
00:53:13.20\00:53:17.10
related to the crucified Christ.
00:53:17.10\00:53:19.16
This term comes up,
it's almost always in the
00:53:19.16\00:53:21.00
context of the crucifixion.
00:53:21.00\00:53:22.46
Paul says I'm not
ashamed of the crucified Christ.
00:53:22.46\00:53:24.40
He says to
Timothy, don't be ashamed
00:53:24.40\00:53:26.00
of the crucified Christ.
00:53:26.00\00:53:27.23
Jesus says don't
be ashamed of Me,
00:53:27.23\00:53:29.00
I'm going to be crucified.
00:53:29.00\00:53:30.13
But let me show you one of
the two instances where this
00:53:30.13\00:53:32.20
does not, it is so thrilling.
00:53:32.20\00:53:36.30
Book of Hebrews, book of
Hebrews go there with me,
00:53:36.30\00:53:38.76
if you will.
00:53:38.76\00:53:39.93
We have a very good reason
to believe the apostle Paul
00:53:39.93\00:53:41.40
wrote it and I like
to think that he did.
00:53:41.40\00:53:43.10
But even if he
didn't, the point stands.
00:53:43.10\00:53:45.00
It is more
powerful still, if he did.
00:53:45.00\00:53:46.86
Hebrews chapter 2,
where are we going everyone?
00:53:46.86\00:53:49.66
Audience: Hebrews chapter 2.
00:53:49.66\00:53:52.16
Hebrews 2:9, look at
this, this is awesome.
00:53:52.16\00:54:00.56
"But we see Jesus, who was
made a little lower than the"
00:54:00.56\00:54:04.50
"angels," there are some
translations put it that He was
00:54:04.50\00:54:08.40
made lower than the
angels for a little while.
00:54:08.40\00:54:10.90
"We see Jesus that was made
a little lower than the angels"
00:54:10.90\00:54:13.83
"for the suffering of
death crowned with glory and"
00:54:13.83\00:54:17.50
"honor, that He, by the
grace of God, might taste death"
00:54:17.50\00:54:21.26
"for everyone. "
00:54:21.26\00:54:22.80
Hallelujah,
beloved that is the gospel.
00:54:22.80\00:54:26.00
That is the gospel
that Jesus died the death
00:54:26.00\00:54:30.30
that you deserved.
00:54:30.30\00:54:32.36
Jesus lived the life you
have not lived and Jesus'
00:54:32.36\00:54:37.30
resurrection is your
only hope is the future
00:54:37.30\00:54:39.43
resurrection, can you say Amen!
00:54:39.43\00:54:41.06
That is the gospel.
00:54:41.06\00:54:43.06
The gospel is not a philosophy
and it certainly isn't a
00:54:43.06\00:54:46.53
concept, the gospel is a person.
00:54:46.53\00:54:49.20
It is the good news, it is
a statement about facts about
00:54:49.20\00:54:51.36
a person, and
that person is Jesus.
00:54:51.36\00:54:53.43
Jesus is God, but
gospel is good news about God.
00:54:53.43\00:54:57.10
Look at verse 11.
00:54:57.10\00:55:00.06
"For both He who sanctifies
and those who are being"
00:55:00.06\00:55:03.16
"sanctified are all of
one," now this is complex in the
00:55:03.16\00:55:06.16
Greek but what he is
saying is, those that are being
00:55:06.16\00:55:08.83
sanctified, and those
that are sanctifying, that is
00:55:08.83\00:55:11.50
Jesus, are all
members of the same family.
00:55:11.50\00:55:16.50
Members of the same what?
That is basically the point.
00:55:16.50\00:55:19.36
"For both He who sanctifies
and those who are being
00:55:19.36\00:55:22.23
sanctified are all of
one" now look at this,
00:55:22.23\00:55:23.90
here it is, here it is.
00:55:23.90\00:55:25.10
"for which reason," because
he is a member of your family,
00:55:25.10\00:55:27.96
"for which reason,"
00:55:27.96\00:55:30.26
"He is not ashamed
to call them brethren. "
00:55:30.26\00:55:36.76
There it is right there,
same configuration my friends.
00:55:36.76\00:55:39.03
Same word, Woo,
hope you didn't miss it.
00:55:39.03\00:55:42.83
If you missed it you
weren't paying attention.
00:55:42.83\00:55:45.03
Paul says I'm going to live
my life on ashamed of Christ.
00:55:45.03\00:55:47.76
I'm going to exhort Timothy,
don't be ashamed of Christ.
00:55:47.76\00:55:50.03
We are going to be fools,
we are going to preach the
00:55:50.03\00:55:52.26
crucified Messiah,
the crucified Deliverer.
00:55:52.26\00:55:54.33
I'm going to go to Athens,
I'm going to Asia, and people
00:55:54.33\00:55:56.50
are going to hate me,
but I'm going to preach the
00:55:56.50\00:55:58.20
crucified Christ.
00:55:58.20\00:55:59.46
And we get to the book
of Hebrews, I love this,
00:55:59.46\00:56:01.00
you like to think that the
Spirit inspired Paul to write
00:56:01.00\00:56:03.73
it, Paul says, consider Jesus
who was made a little lower
00:56:03.73\00:56:06.43
than the angels so
that He could taste
00:56:06.43\00:56:08.10
death for every man.
00:56:08.10\00:56:09.53
And then He says some thing
fascinating, He who sanctified
00:56:09.53\00:56:12.70
and He who is being sanctified,
that is God and you, are all
00:56:12.70\00:56:16.70
members of the same family
and for that reason Christ is
00:56:16.70\00:56:20.66
not ashamed of Paul.
00:56:20.66\00:56:23.53
Paul was not ashamed
of the crucified Christ.
00:56:26.50\00:56:29.00
The crucified Christ is
not ashamed of the struggling
00:56:29.00\00:56:35.16
failing,
sometimes falling, Paul.
00:56:35.16\00:56:40.23
Christ glorified, not ashamed
of the un-glorified Paul.
00:56:40.23\00:56:49.33
So how is it, I asked you
at the outset, have you ever
00:56:59.73\00:57:05.76
been ashamed of Christ?
00:57:05.76\00:57:07.40
Silence, as if that
question needs to be asked.
00:57:07.40\00:57:13.80
There is not a person in
this room who hasn't been at
00:57:13.80\00:57:18.10
some fundamental level,
people are going to say that is
00:57:18.10\00:57:22.36
a manipulative
technique, blah, blah, blah.
00:57:22.36\00:57:24.53
Give me a break.
00:57:24.53\00:57:26.36
If we were not ashamed of
Christ in the way that we would
00:57:26.36\00:57:31.46
like to be and should be,
there wouldn't be a GYC 2009.
00:57:31.46\00:57:36.53
You say, you
can't read my heart.
00:57:40.23\00:57:42.00
I can't read your heart
but I can look at the evidence,
00:57:42.00\00:57:43.90
we are still stuck here.
00:57:43.90\00:57:45.46
That tells me that we have
to some degree taken our light
00:57:49.66\00:57:52.10
and put it under a bushel.
00:57:52.10\00:57:54.03
But I've decided for me
beloved, and I don't want my
00:57:54.03\00:57:56.76
promises and resolutions
to be like ropes of sand.
00:57:56.76\00:58:00.33
I am pleading with God to
make me a man like Paul in
00:58:00.33\00:58:03.90
2010 Lord, I want to be
bold, I want to be unashamed.
00:58:03.90\00:58:07.43
I want to be
hated for Christ sake.
00:58:07.43\00:58:11.60