Hello, friends. Welcome to
3ABN's Spring Camp Meeting.
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All of God's
people are gathered here
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and they want to
welcome you with a hearty Amen.
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Can you say that? Amen!
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We are gearing up
for Pastor John Bradshaw
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who's going to break again
the bread of life as we look at
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the second coming of
Christ: an in-depth look.
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If you're in the driving
area of southern Illinois,
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we surely do extend to
you a warm invitation to come
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and join us here in
Thompsonville, the biggest
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little city in the
world. Do we believe that?
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Everything is happening
here to impact the world.
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We do believe not only
in the beauty of the message
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of the second coming
but we believe that Jesus
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is coming soon. And so
join us here for this wonderful
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Camp Meeting weekend at
the 3ABN Worship Center.
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You can't miss it.
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Thompsonville is
only just so large.
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Now we have gathered
here today to praise the Lord.
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And before we go any further
in talking about our speaker
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for the hour... Matter of
fact, let me do that first
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and then we'll have
prayer, we'll have our music,
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and then we will have him come
out and break the bread of life.
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Pastor John
Bradshaw is Speaker/Director
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of It Is Written, and
what a powerful speaker he is.
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Animated... loves the Lord,
loves to proclaim the Word.
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And he's going to add to
our unfolding picture of the
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second coming of Christ. There
are more meetings this morning,
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this afternoon,
this evening, tomorrow.
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And it's going to go on until
Saturday evening, so you're not
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too late to come and to join us.
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But in preparation for the
message, I'd like to invite you
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to bow your heads as
we recognize the presence
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of the Lord
with us. Let us pray.
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Gracious Father in
heaven, what a blessing it is
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to turn our eyes
away from this world
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and turn our eyes upon Jesus.
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We do pray, Lord, that You
will anoint Your manservant.
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That you will come and
inhabit this place continually.
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That You will find the hearts
of those that are watching
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the program, listening to
the program, and that are here
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attending the program.
Unify us with the great joy
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of preparing for the soon return
of our Savior and our Lord.
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And for those who
don't know You, Father,
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speak to their hearts
that they might be a part
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of that redeemed
host that will soon ascend
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to meet Jesus in peace.
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For this we pray
in Jesus' name, Amen.
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You know, one of the
most wonderful things to do
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in preparation for
the coming of the Lord
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is to turn our eyes upon Jesus.
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As I sing this song I
pray that you will desire
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not just to look at the
Word of God but to get a glimpse
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of Christ. As we
turn our eyes upon Him now
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we will be filled with joy
to turn our eyes upon Him then.
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May God bless you.
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O soul,
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are you weary and troubled?
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No light
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in the darkness you see?
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There's light
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for a look at the Savior,
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and there's life more abundant
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and free! Want to sing
the chorus? Are you ready?
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Turn your eyes
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upon Jesus,
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Look full in
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His wonderful face;
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And the things of earth
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will grow strangely dim
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In the light
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of His glory
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and grace.
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His word
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will not fail you
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He promised;
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Believe it
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and all will be well:
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Then go to a world
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that is dying
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with His perfect salvation
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to tell!
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Turn your eyes
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upon Jesus,
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Look full in
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His wonderful face;
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And the things of earth
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will grow strangely dim
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in the light
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of His glory
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and grace...
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in the light of His
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glory
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and grace...
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in the light
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of His glory
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and grace.
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Well good morning everyone.
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Good morning.
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Unless of course it's
not morning where you are.
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In which case, good
afternoon or good evening or
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however you like it.
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But where we are we
say "good morning. "
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I'm glad to see you.
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I hope you're glad to be here.
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I expect you are. Excuse me...
We do this routinely. All right.
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Well, why don't we
start at the beginning?
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You know what I believe? I
believe that music is given
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by God at a time like this to
direct our minds toward heaven
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and prepare our hearts for
the reception of God's Word.
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I'd like to think the
music has done just that.
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So let's pray and move on.
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Our Father in heaven, we
thank you that we can be here
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for this weekend
gathering. We are together.
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We focus on that wonderful truth
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that Jesus is coming again.
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And not only coming
again but coming again soon.
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So we are thankful that
You are not going to leave us
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here forever and that
soon we'll be in Your presence.
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Verily, soon we'll be in that
place where the sea is of glass
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and the streets are of gold.
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Father, let that day
come soon is our prayer,
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but while we are still here...
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You have said:
"occupy till I come. "
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Let us be doing that.
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I thank you for the
presence of Your Spirit
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and I pray that now
every heart here... every heart
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and mind watching will
be touched by Your Spirit.
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We cannot afford to
be left alone by You.
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Come to us and mold us.
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Connect with us and speak to us.
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Lord, the Bible refers to
the foolishness of preaching,
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and I'm praying now
that You would take this
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foolishness and do something
with it that will be more
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than an hour well spent
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but instead will be
something that blesses us
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with eternity in view.
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We thank you and we
pray together in Jesus' name.
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Please say amen. Amen.
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If you're from New Zealand,
then you know this story.
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But seeing as you
aren't... then I'll tell you.
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1968 the Olympic
Games were in Mexico City.
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And a New Zealand
woman named Sylvia Potts
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represented New
Zealand in the 800 meters.
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She did not win. She
qualified for the semi-final,
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ran well, didn't make the final.
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An American woman named
Madeline Manning won the
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gold medal. Sylvia Potts
ran with distinction and we -
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the Kiwi's - were
proud. But two years later...
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two years later Sylvia Potts did
something that we remember her
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for still. As a matter of fact,
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she said: "That's all
OK. " But what bugged her
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and her husband is that Sylvia
is remembered for what she
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didn't do rather
than what she did.
00:10:08.90\00:10:11.12
Now she did pretty
well at the Olympic Games,
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but we don't
remember her for that.
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In fact, no one even remembers.
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But it's what she didn't do
that people remember her for.
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Now, in 1970 the
Commonwealth Games...
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That's like the Olympics, but
for countries that are members
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of the British Commonwealth.
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That's the United
Kingdom nations and Canada
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and New Zealand and
Australia and Kenya and Malawi
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and Nigeria and so on.
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About 42 countries gathered
together in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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And Sylvia was running in
the 1500 meters this time.
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And I don't think there was a
New Zealander who expected her
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to win, but 11,500
miles away from Edinburgh
00:10:55.23\00:10:58.82
back in New Zealand
we... well, not me... but they
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were watching on TV.
00:11:02.11\00:11:04.24
And New Zealanders were
happy to see the black singlet -
00:11:05.65\00:11:10.10
that's what we call
it... the black singlet -
00:11:10.40\00:11:12.79
of New Zealand
being worn by Sylvia Potts
00:11:13.09\00:11:15.69
right in
contention in the 1500 meters.
00:11:16.11\00:11:18.33
In fact, into the fourth
and final lap Sylvia was...
00:11:18.53\00:11:20.96
she was right there.
00:11:21.07\00:11:22.46
And into the home stretch...
I mean, what? We didn't expect
00:11:22.76\00:11:26.53
this! Sylvia Potts took the lead
00:11:26.63\00:11:30.46
and she was going to win
a gold medal for England!
00:11:30.67\00:11:32.86
She's running
down the home stretch.
00:11:33.17\00:11:34.97
I mean 50 meters left
to run. She's leading.
00:11:35.17\00:11:37.65
Behind her are
two British women...
00:11:37.75\00:11:39.21
two English
women and a Canadian.
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But that's all right.
Doesn't matter who's behind her.
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The beauty of it was
nobody was in front of her.
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With 10 meters left
to... Now I need to translate
00:11:47.12\00:11:51.24
that because you all
don't know what a meter is.
00:11:51.44\00:11:53.10
But 10 meters is about 30 feet.
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Is that far? When you've
run a mile, and 1500 meters is
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just 109 meters short of a mile,
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30 feet is nothing.
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And 30 feet left
to go in the race
00:12:08.21\00:12:11.80
Sylvia Potts is in front.
00:12:12.00\00:12:14.77
Nine meters... eight meters...
00:12:15.94\00:12:19.87
seven meters...
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I mean with 5 meters left to
run, 15 feet left in the race,
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she's in front. Ah, New
Zealanders. We could already
00:12:27.14\00:12:30.23
hear our national anthem
- God Defend New Zealand -
00:12:30.33\00:12:33.59
being played. We could already
see her standing on the victory
00:12:33.79\00:12:36.31
dais with the gold
medal around her neck.
00:12:36.41\00:12:38.28
She could feel it;
she could touch it;
00:12:38.58\00:12:41.00
she could taste it, man!
Fifteen feet from the finish.
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I mean, how can you lose?
00:12:44.58\00:12:46.36
Two meters left to run.
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That's this far...
fingertip to fingertip.
00:12:50.16\00:12:53.70
Six feet. Six
feet from the finish
00:12:53.93\00:12:58.05
Sylvia Potts is leading
and New Zealand is going to win
00:12:58.35\00:13:02.47
a gold medal.
00:13:02.50\00:13:04.29
And Sylvia Potts' legs could
not carry her an inch further.
00:13:11.54\00:13:16.35
Exhausted she fell to the track.
00:13:17.61\00:13:21.89
And I don't expect you
to Google it, but if you did
00:13:22.49\00:13:25.23
you would see a photograph
of Sylvia reaching towards the
00:13:25.43\00:13:28.68
finish line
looking up in anguish.
00:13:28.78\00:13:30.80
The British
runners were running by
00:13:32.18\00:13:33.96
and the Canadian and I
don't know how many others.
00:13:34.00\00:13:36.69
I don't know where she
finished... IF she finished.
00:13:37.98\00:13:40.94
Doesn't really
matter. There's no gold medal
00:13:41.14\00:13:42.83
for fourth or fifth.
There's no medal at all for...
00:13:42.93\00:13:45.28
You know, there's no medal
unless you're 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.
00:13:45.48\00:13:47.74
And Sylvia Potts
got about as close
00:13:48.04\00:13:53.51
as you can get to
winning a gold medal
00:13:53.71\00:13:57.09
without actually winning it.
00:13:57.29\00:13:59.38
Six feet...
00:13:59.78\00:14:02.12
and she fell over.
00:14:03.31\00:14:05.19
What's that saying?
So near and yet so far.
00:14:05.69\00:14:10.65
Now we see this from
time to time in sport,
00:14:11.05\00:14:12.90
and it doesn't
really matter, does it?
00:14:13.10\00:14:14.22
I mean, how
important is sport anyway?
00:14:14.63\00:14:16.59
Who won the last Super Bowl?
Now somebody's going to say
00:14:16.89\00:14:18.65
Seattle 'cause it
was just last year.
00:14:18.75\00:14:20.42
But who won the one before that?
00:14:20.62\00:14:21.96
Probably nobody here even knows.
00:14:23.56\00:14:25.15
So it's not really important...
even though at the time
00:14:25.35\00:14:27.07
advertisers were
paying 3.5 million dollars
00:14:27.27\00:14:29.13
or whatever it was to
get a 30-second spot on.
00:14:29.23\00:14:31.35
When the Olympics come
around the nation stops.
00:14:31.55\00:14:34.05
It's just
sport... it doesn't matter.
00:14:34.35\00:14:36.52
It's inconsequential.
00:14:36.92\00:14:38.36
No... but you see
these hard luck stories.
00:14:38.66\00:14:41.22
A Frenchman was playing
in the British golf open
00:14:41.42\00:14:43.78
some years ago, and
with one hole left to play
00:14:43.98\00:14:46.98
he was leading by three strokes.
00:14:47.18\00:14:48.92
I mean, how can
you lose? You can't.
00:14:49.12\00:14:51.41
The only thing you can
do to not win from there
00:14:51.61\00:14:53.41
is die just about.
00:14:53.61\00:14:55.59
And he didn't die, thank
God, but Jean van de Velde's
00:14:57.65\00:15:00.50
golf game died. He
triple bogeyed the hole.
00:15:00.70\00:15:04.09
Ended up in a
tie. Lost the playoff.
00:15:04.39\00:15:06.69
Another man who is
remembered not for what he did
00:15:07.19\00:15:09.76
but for what he didn't do.
00:15:09.86\00:15:11.16
So near and yet so far.
00:15:12.61\00:15:14.44
It doesn't matter... doesn't
matter 'cause it's only sport
00:15:14.54\00:15:16.86
and sport isn't
significant in the big picture.
00:15:16.96\00:15:20.03
But what if we applied
this "So near and yet so far"
00:15:21.05\00:15:25.45
theme to
something really important
00:15:25.79\00:15:29.07
like salvation?
00:15:30.13\00:15:33.01
Today we're talking about
preparing for the second coming.
00:15:33.51\00:15:36.52
The tragedy is
that a lot of people
00:15:36.82\00:15:39.82
are going to be
"almost ready... "
00:15:40.03\00:15:42.88
if you'll allow me
to say it that way.
00:15:43.08\00:15:45.24
I don't know that
there's actually a scale...
00:15:45.44\00:15:47.29
I think you're either
ready or not, but you understand
00:15:47.39\00:15:49.53
what I mean. A lot of
people are going to come close
00:15:49.63\00:15:53.24
to salvation without
being quite close enough.
00:15:53.34\00:15:58.58
We read about this in the
Bible. Jesus said in Matthew 25
00:15:58.78\00:16:02.19
verse 41 and on:
"Then He will say also
00:16:02.39\00:16:06.42
to those on the left
hand: 'Depart from Me you cursed
00:16:06.62\00:16:09.82
into the everlasting fire
prepared for the devil and his
00:16:09.92\00:16:12.15
angels. For I was
hungry and you gave Me no food.
00:16:12.25\00:16:15.63
I was thirsty, and you
didn't give Me any drink.
00:16:15.83\00:16:18.56
I was a stranger;
you did not take Me in.
00:16:18.76\00:16:21.51
Naked... you did not clothe Me.
00:16:21.71\00:16:23.61
Sick and in prison...
and you did not visit Me. ' "
00:16:23.91\00:16:27.03
Now the reaction is interesting.
00:16:27.23\00:16:28.77
"Lord, when did we see You
hungry or thirsty or a stranger
00:16:28.97\00:16:33.41
or naked or sick in prison
and did not minister to You? "
00:16:33.61\00:16:36.72
What? No! "And He
will answer them saying:
00:16:36.95\00:16:40.78
'Assuredly I say to you
00:16:41.08\00:16:42.94
inasmuch as you did not do
it to one of the least of these
00:16:43.14\00:16:46.17
My brethren you
did it not to Me. ' "
00:16:46.27\00:16:48.91
And they go away to
everlasting punishment
00:16:49.11\00:16:51.03
but the righteous
into eternal life.
00:16:51.23\00:16:53.00
And they are surprised.
"Huh? You mean we didn't?
00:16:53.31\00:16:55.99
When was that?
How can that be? "
00:16:56.19\00:16:58.02
They thought they were
more right than they were.
00:16:58.32\00:17:00.74
It seems to me that these
ones are surprised that they're
00:17:00.94\00:17:03.49
not going in. And we read in
Matthew chapter 7 and verse 21
00:17:03.59\00:17:07.88
and on a similar
thought. Jesus said:
00:17:08.08\00:17:10.45
"Not everyone who says to Me
'Lord, Lord' shall enter into
00:17:10.65\00:17:14.24
the kingdom of heaven
but he that doeth the will
00:17:14.34\00:17:17.96
of My Father
which is in heaven. "
00:17:18.06\00:17:19.83
Now by definition, if
somebody is calling Jesus Lord
00:17:20.13\00:17:23.29
that person must be
a Christian... surely.
00:17:23.49\00:17:27.49
So Jesus says: "Now Christians,
don't be making the mistake
00:17:28.81\00:17:32.46
of thinking that
because you're a Christian
00:17:32.66\00:17:34.48
this somehow automatically
qualifies you for entrance
00:17:34.68\00:17:37.69
into the kingdom
BECAUSE it doesn't. "
00:17:37.79\00:17:40.93
"Not everyone who
calls Me 'Lord, Lord. ' "
00:17:41.13\00:17:43.14
He's made a distinction between
those who make a profession
00:17:43.34\00:17:47.12
and those who have a
possession of Jesus Christ.
00:17:47.32\00:17:51.15
He said: "It's important that
you do the will of My Father
00:17:51.55\00:17:54.36
in heaven. " Now
we've got to be careful
00:17:54.46\00:17:55.75
that we don't devolve into
legalists and by the time we're
00:17:55.95\00:17:58.44
done we'll have
left all of that behind.
00:17:58.54\00:18:00.86
But Jesus is clear: "Not
everyone... Many will say to Me
00:18:01.16\00:18:04.87
at that day: 'Lord, Lord,
haven't we prophesied in Your
00:18:04.98\00:18:08.29
name? ' That's a
good thing to do.
00:18:08.39\00:18:09.98
'And in Your name
have cast out devils? '
00:18:10.28\00:18:12.13
That's good, too.
00:18:12.33\00:18:13.47
'And in Your name, haven't
we done many wonderful works? '
00:18:13.67\00:18:16.55
And then I will profess to
them... ' And this is sobering.
00:18:16.65\00:18:20.99
Not 'I don't know
you' but 'I never knew you.
00:18:21.12\00:18:24.76
Depart from Me ye
that worketh iniquity. ' "
00:18:25.06\00:18:29.67
Now we shouldn't rush by this.
00:18:30.07\00:18:32.39
When we think about preparing
for the second coming of Jesus
00:18:32.69\00:18:35.92
this ought to get our attention.
00:18:36.12\00:18:37.41
"Hold on, Lord... we've
done all the right things,
00:18:37.72\00:18:39.64
haven't we? " And
rather than being saved
00:18:39.84\00:18:43.29
they're absolutely lost.
00:18:43.49\00:18:46.45
This is an urgent and
vitally-important truth:
00:18:46.65\00:18:50.23
Jesus is coming
back to this world!
00:18:50.53\00:18:54.40
And I believe
He's coming back soon.
00:18:54.70\00:18:56.33
And closely related to
this urgent, important,
00:18:56.43\00:19:00.70
unavoidable truth
00:19:00.90\00:19:03.99
we are confronted
today with the thought that
00:19:04.49\00:19:07.91
when Jesus comes back a lot
of people will not be ready.
00:19:08.11\00:19:14.03
Revelation chapter 6
"The kings of the earth,
00:19:17.07\00:19:20.04
the great men, the rich men,
00:19:20.24\00:19:22.99
the commanders, the mighty men,
00:19:23.29\00:19:25.26
every bond man
and every free man
00:19:25.56\00:19:27.93
hid themselves in the caves and
in the rocks of the mountains
00:19:28.13\00:19:30.81
and said to the
mountains and the rocks:
00:19:31.11\00:19:33.36
'fall on us and hide
us from the face of Him
00:19:33.66\00:19:39.50
who sits on the throne
and from the wrath of the Lamb
00:19:39.63\00:19:41.62
for the great day
of His wrath has come
00:19:41.92\00:19:43.77
and who shall be
able to stand? ' "
00:19:44.08\00:19:46.97
And that's an
interesting situation, isn't it?
00:19:47.27\00:19:48.83
Because they're hiding
themselves from a Lamb.
00:19:49.13\00:19:52.70
I don't know what you know
about lambs, but lambs are cute
00:19:53.20\00:19:57.71
and they are
harmless and they are docile.
00:19:57.95\00:20:02.03
And here are people
hiding themselves from a Lamb.
00:20:02.33\00:20:07.95
It makes no sense... but that's
where they find themselves.
00:20:08.25\00:20:12.46
Isaiah 25 starting in verse 8:
00:20:12.70\00:20:14.96
"He will swallow up death
forever. " You ought to say
00:20:15.26\00:20:17.89
amen to that. "And the
Lord God will wipe away tears
00:20:17.99\00:20:21.40
from all faces. The rebuke
of His people He will take away
00:20:21.50\00:20:25.37
from all the earth
for the Lord has spoken.
00:20:25.47\00:20:28.73
And it will be said in
that day 'Lo, this is our God.
00:20:28.93\00:20:32.18
We have waited for
Him and He will save us.
00:20:32.48\00:20:34.47
This is the Lord!
We have waited for Him.
00:20:34.78\00:20:37.07
We will be glad and
rejoice in His salvation! "
00:20:37.27\00:20:41.55
But there's a flip side.
00:20:41.89\00:20:43.22
Remember when you used to
go to the record store and buy
00:20:43.42\00:20:45.24
singles? 45's? Now some of
you never had that experience...
00:20:45.34\00:20:50.22
but I remember. I remember
going to the record store
00:20:51.51\00:20:54.31
and buying Mull of
Kintyre by Paul McCartney.
00:20:54.51\00:20:58.23
How about that?
00:20:58.43\00:21:00.14
You know, that was
in a previous life.
00:21:00.54\00:21:03.29
And there was always
a B side... a flip side.
00:21:06.55\00:21:10.04
And I remember what
the flip side was...
00:21:10.64\00:21:12.73
song didn't make any sense.
00:21:12.93\00:21:14.01
I remember my brothers and
sisters, they would buy Beatles
00:21:14.31\00:21:16.96
records. The first song I
ever heard was "Hey Jude. "
00:21:17.06\00:21:20.06
And on the other
side was "Revolution. "
00:21:20.36\00:21:22.37
I mean, not that I care...
but that was quite a record!
00:21:22.57\00:21:26.79
There was a flip side, and
in Isaiah 25 you've got people
00:21:27.19\00:21:31.95
looking and saying:
"This is Jesus! Hallelujah! "
00:21:32.16\00:21:34.72
But there's a flip side.
00:21:35.02\00:21:37.33
You read in
Jeremiah 8 and verse 20
00:21:37.63\00:21:40.19
"The harvest is
past, the summer is ended
00:21:40.39\00:21:45.63
and we are not saved. "
00:21:45.93\00:21:50.62
Those are sad words,
aren't they? And yet John wrote:
00:21:50.82\00:21:54.67
"These things I have written
unto you that believe on the
00:21:54.87\00:21:56.80
name of the Son of God
that you may KNOW that you have
00:21:56.91\00:22:00.93
eternal life and that you
may believe on the name of the
00:22:01.03\00:22:03.21
Son of God. He that
hath the Son hath life. "
00:22:03.31\00:22:06.81
None of us ought
to be in any doubt.
00:22:07.11\00:22:09.21
God wants us to be confident.
00:22:09.51\00:22:10.95
We can be certain. Not
boastful... not proud...
00:22:11.25\00:22:14.32
not
lackadaisical... not arrogant
00:22:14.52\00:22:16.46
bit we may KNOW that
when we are connected to God
00:22:16.67\00:22:19.92
through faith in Jesus
Christ everlasting life is ours.
00:22:20.12\00:22:24.37
Now the fact of the matter
is there are many who will be
00:22:24.61\00:22:27.13
confident and they
will be wrongly confident.
00:22:27.23\00:22:30.33
There will be some
who won't be confident...
00:22:31.08\00:22:32.60
they just don't even
care. But the amazing thing is
00:22:32.80\00:22:35.95
for Christians today is that
there will be some who think
00:22:36.15\00:22:39.48
they are ready to meet
Jesus when He comes back
00:22:39.68\00:22:42.70
and they will not be ready.
00:22:42.90\00:22:45.15
I imagine, as a matter of fact,
they will find out before then
00:22:45.35\00:22:48.05
because the seven last plagues
will fall on all of those
00:22:48.25\00:22:51.84
who are not
ready to meet Christ.
00:22:52.04\00:22:53.36
And there will be people
saying: "Why these boils? "
00:22:53.66\00:22:56.24
"Why this water
turned into blood? "
00:22:56.44\00:22:58.70
"Why is this plague of darkness
affecting me this way? "
00:22:58.90\00:23:01.20
"Why is the sun
scorching me as it is? "
00:23:01.40\00:23:03.83
"I thought... I thought...
I thought... " And Jesus says:
00:23:04.03\00:23:08.17
"I never knew you.
" This is sobering.
00:23:08.47\00:23:11.56
And I don't think any of us
can afford to think that we are
00:23:13.03\00:23:15.28
beyond the reach of finding
ourselves in the wrong camp.
00:23:15.38\00:23:20.28
You know what I'm talking about.
00:23:20.48\00:23:21.61
And the truth is
every one of us by virtue
00:23:22.11\00:23:25.82
of the fact that we are
here today... whether here or
00:23:25.92\00:23:28.41
here on the other side of
the screen... every one of us
00:23:28.61\00:23:31.19
we are close. We are two
meters from the finish line.
00:23:31.49\00:23:36.38
The gold medal is
within our grasp... almost.
00:23:36.48\00:23:38.53
And it's not wrong
to put it like that
00:23:38.73\00:23:40.27
because Saint Paul when
he wrote about salvation
00:23:40.47\00:23:42.64
several times alluded to the
games... the precursor to the
00:23:42.95\00:23:46.98
modern games. And he
compared the Christian life
00:23:47.09\00:23:51.73
with these athletic events.
00:23:51.93\00:23:53.98
We are this close.
00:23:54.38\00:23:56.44
How do I say that?
00:23:56.64\00:23:57.67
Well because we're here gathered
around the Bible together.
00:23:57.74\00:24:00.07
I mean, we've got
the keys in our hands!
00:24:00.47\00:24:03.56
We own Bibles and good spiritual
books and we've attended church
00:24:03.86\00:24:08.33
or whatever the situation is.
00:24:08.53\00:24:11.36
Some are going to say:
"Well I never went to church. "
00:24:11.66\00:24:13.12
Yeah, but you live in a
land if you're in the free world
00:24:13.22\00:24:15.42
where the Bible is
literature's best-selling book.
00:24:15.62\00:24:19.69
So if you don't have one,
00:24:19.99\00:24:21.69
you have the
opportunity to have one.
00:24:21.79\00:24:24.31
You live in a place where
there are Christian television
00:24:24.71\00:24:27.22
programs all over. I
know, some people are put off
00:24:27.32\00:24:30.10
by the shenanigans of
some of these TV preachers.
00:24:30.30\00:24:32.64
I understand that.
00:24:32.84\00:24:33.87
But you don't say: "Man,
because some of those Christians
00:24:34.18\00:24:38.03
are hypocrites I don't
want to be a Christian. "
00:24:38.13\00:24:39.97
There are
Americans who are hypocrites.
00:24:40.18\00:24:42.09
Now you want to turn in
your citizenship and go live
00:24:42.29\00:24:44.23
in another
country? I don't think so.
00:24:44.33\00:24:46.05
There are doctors who
are hypocrites, so you're not
00:24:47.04\00:24:49.44
going to go see one
when you're sick? Oh no!
00:24:49.54\00:24:51.40
We take the good with the bad.
00:24:51.70\00:24:53.52
Masses of people...
they know about Jesus.
00:24:54.66\00:24:56.49
God knows they do because
He hears them using His name
00:24:56.79\00:24:59.03
all day long. We had
classmates who are Christians,
00:24:59.23\00:25:02.76
didn't we? Everyone heard about
that Noah movie and nobody said
00:25:02.96\00:25:06.32
"Who? " We know...
Noah, the guy in the Bible.
00:25:06.62\00:25:09.70
I mentioned to you my friend
and colleague at It Is Written
00:25:10.14\00:25:12.68
Ron Watts walking into a
village in India asking somebody
00:25:12.78\00:25:16.76
"Do you know Jesus Christ?
" And the answer he got was:
00:25:17.06\00:25:19.96
"Well, no. We haven't
heard of anybody by that name
00:25:20.36\00:25:23.50
living around here. " That might
be true in places like India.
00:25:23.60\00:25:27.12
In some parts of India.
00:25:27.42\00:25:30.01
Less and less by the grace
of God of places like India.
00:25:30.32\00:25:34.01
But where most of us
live God is a known quantity.
00:25:34.31\00:25:38.29
He may be a
misunderstood quantity
00:25:38.59\00:25:40.43
but we have this
idea that there is a God.
00:25:40.64\00:25:44.42
Every time something
happens that's tragic
00:25:44.72\00:25:47.66
what does the
person in the news say?
00:25:47.86\00:25:49.58
"Our thoughts and
prayers are with them. "
00:25:49.78\00:25:53.00
Always. Even if they're
not practicing Christians
00:25:53.40\00:25:56.33
they're kind enough to
say "thoughts and prayers. "
00:25:56.43\00:25:58.12
They are familiar with the idea.
00:25:58.32\00:26:00.04
Knowing what we
know, knowing who we know
00:26:00.44\00:26:04.70
it would be a tragedy
of immense proportions
00:26:04.81\00:26:06.83
were we not found ready to
meet Jesus when He comes back.
00:26:07.14\00:26:10.17
It's as though we can look
over into the Promised Land.
00:26:10.47\00:26:13.88
Now there's a world of
difference between looking over
00:26:14.28\00:26:16.52
and actually being there.
00:26:16.72\00:26:19.04
World of difference.
00:26:20.01\00:26:21.22
Just ask Moses.
00:26:21.62\00:26:23.64
God took Moses up to
the top of Mount Nebo.
00:26:24.04\00:26:26.74
He allowed him to look
over into the Promised Land.
00:26:27.04\00:26:29.26
"There's Jericho over
there and there's another land.
00:26:29.56\00:26:32.15
And look at this part
and look at that part.
00:26:32.35\00:26:34.05
Take a good look...
'cause you're not going in. "
00:26:34.35\00:26:36.91
And we know why.
00:26:38.31\00:26:39.96
There was Moses told by God:
"Go down there. Speak to the
00:26:40.46\00:26:43.56
rock. Water will come out. "
00:26:43.66\00:26:45.03
Moses was so mad
with those people.
00:26:45.43\00:26:47.39
And who can blame him?
00:26:47.60\00:26:48.81
He said: "Hear now you
rebels: must we fetch water out
00:26:49.95\00:26:52.77
of the rock? " Not
God... me... I'll do it.
00:26:52.87\00:26:54.63
"Have I got to get
water for you again
00:26:54.93\00:26:57.06
like I'm God? "
He struck the rock.
00:26:57.17\00:26:59.82
Oh, he lost his
temper. It wasn't good.
00:27:00.02\00:27:01.82
God said... Ah, and you
might say that was harsh
00:27:02.02\00:27:06.83
but it worked out OK.
Moses was ultimately resurrected
00:27:07.03\00:27:10.41
and taken to heaven.
But the point is he was not
00:27:10.51\00:27:13.75
permitted to go
into the Promised Land
00:27:13.95\00:27:15.64
because of... because of what?
00:27:15.95\00:27:19.38
It was because of sin.
00:27:19.78\00:27:21.72
Because of sin.
00:27:22.23\00:27:24.21
I know that somebody's
going to say: "No, no.
00:27:24.51\00:27:27.21
Sin isn't the problem.
Sin is merely symptomatic
00:27:27.51\00:27:32.79
of not having a good
relationship with Jesus. "
00:27:32.89\00:27:35.14
Well that's a very
spiritual way of looking at it
00:27:35.34\00:27:36.85
and I commend you for
that. I'm not going to tell you
00:27:37.05\00:27:38.90
you're wrong. But I have not
read in the Bible that the wages
00:27:39.10\00:27:42.01
of not having a good
relationship with Jesus
00:27:42.12\00:27:44.17
is death. God is pretty clear:
00:27:44.27\00:27:47.84
"The wages of sin is death. "
00:27:48.18\00:27:51.63
Now I'm going to
tell you two things
00:27:51.83\00:27:53.31
and I hope to explain both
of them to you before I'm done.
00:27:53.61\00:27:56.87
First, sin is the big problem
00:27:57.17\00:28:01.03
and secondly, sin
is not the problem.
00:28:01.43\00:28:05.16
Now I'll stitch this thing
back together before we're done
00:28:05.36\00:28:08.26
so hang in there with me.
00:28:08.46\00:28:09.82
If you stay with me
to the end, it'll be OK;
00:28:10.22\00:28:12.10
if you don't, you'll be confused
but good luck to you anyhow.
00:28:12.30\00:28:15.28
The Bible is clear
about sin. Clear... clear!
00:28:16.21\00:28:19.03
We ought to be clear about it.
00:28:19.13\00:28:20.44
Revelation 21:27: "But
there shall by no means
00:28:20.64\00:28:23.96
enter into it... " We're
talking about the New Jerusalem.
00:28:24.16\00:28:26.61
No one's going to go in
there or anything, rather,
00:28:26.91\00:28:29.72
that defiles or causes
an abomination or a lie!
00:28:29.92\00:28:35.84
Only those whose names
are written in the Lamb's
00:28:36.08\00:28:38.21
Book of Life. I mean
later on, Revelation 22
00:28:38.31\00:28:41.56
"Blessed are those
who do His commandments
00:28:41.76\00:28:43.80
that they may have
right to the Tree of Life
00:28:44.10\00:28:46.28
and enter in through
the gates into the city. "
00:28:46.48\00:28:48.50
That's good. "But
outside are dogs and sorcerers
00:28:48.60\00:28:51.47
and sexually immoral and
murderers and idolaters. "
00:28:51.67\00:28:55.45
Yeah, kick 'em out.
Get rid of all of them.
00:28:55.65\00:28:57.55
We don't want them in heaven.
00:28:57.65\00:28:58.71
But it goes even further:
00:28:58.92\00:28:59.98
"And whoever loves
and practices a lie. "
00:29:00.18\00:29:02.61
Oooh... You know, you
read in the Bible that pride
00:29:02.81\00:29:07.86
is an abomination to God.
00:29:08.06\00:29:10.07
Huh... it seems like God is
setting the bar pretty high.
00:29:10.47\00:29:14.37
I think it's time for God's
people to seriously get serious
00:29:14.47\00:29:17.67
about the
seriousness of sin. It's deadly!
00:29:17.77\00:29:21.11
Sin kills. The devil knows that.
00:29:21.44\00:29:24.47
That's why the Bible urges
us to be sober and vigilant
00:29:24.87\00:29:27.73
because "our adversary
the devil as a roaring lion
00:29:27.93\00:29:31.84
walketh about
seeking whom he may devour. "
00:29:32.04\00:29:35.11
He knows your name. He's
got a sin with your name on it,
00:29:35.31\00:29:38.44
something crafted for
you. The good news is you don't
00:29:38.64\00:29:41.51
have to fall... but
we'll come back to that.
00:29:41.61\00:29:43.48
He has been studying
human beings for 6,000 years.
00:29:43.68\00:29:47.76
He knows what makes us
tick; he knows our weaknesses.
00:29:48.06\00:29:51.00
He also knows that
in God we are strong.
00:29:51.30\00:29:54.79
He knows that but he walks
around trying to separate you
00:29:55.09\00:29:58.44
from God. Now again,
you don't need to be so
00:29:58.54\00:30:02.98
out of balance about this
that you chew your fingernails
00:30:03.59\00:30:07.11
and worry and shake.
00:30:07.31\00:30:08.73
And man, I think I may have
eaten one almond too many today.
00:30:08.93\00:30:12.74
Perhaps that was a sin.
And I wore this lovely skirt
00:30:13.04\00:30:16.94
today but my sister over here
tells me it's an inch too short
00:30:17.04\00:30:19.73
and so perhaps I'm
going to hell right now.
00:30:19.94\00:30:21.64
And you know that there are
some people who think that way.
00:30:21.94\00:30:24.09
God bless them...
they're an easy target.
00:30:24.50\00:30:26.29
I don't appreciate it
when preachers go after them
00:30:26.49\00:30:28.53
because they're just too easy.
00:30:28.63\00:30:30.03
But we don't
need to be like that.
00:30:30.53\00:30:32.04
Conscientiousness? Good.
00:30:32.44\00:30:34.45
But love God;
ask God to lead you;
00:30:34.65\00:30:37.76
follow His leading;
and get on with your life
00:30:37.96\00:30:40.49
not sweating about
whether there was vinegar
00:30:40.89\00:30:45.15
in the salad dressing.
00:30:45.35\00:30:47.03
Now if you don't want
to eat that, that's OK.
00:30:52.05\00:30:54.33
But if you did, don't go to
God and ask for forgiveness.
00:30:54.73\00:30:59.78
Don't start worrying that
maybe my name got taken out
00:31:00.38\00:31:04.02
the Book of Life. God has
bigger fish to fry than that.
00:31:04.13\00:31:08.90
If you love God, understand
that He's not lookin' at ya
00:31:09.30\00:31:14.52
with a magnifying glass trying
to lock you out of heaven.
00:31:14.72\00:31:18.24
He's doing everything
He can to get you in! Amen!
00:31:18.44\00:31:22.45
Thank the Lord for that.
00:31:22.69\00:31:24.43
No, no, no... don't be
lackadaisical. I don't mean that
00:31:24.73\00:31:26.52
and you know I don't mean that.
00:31:26.62\00:31:27.91
Jesus wants us to be
ready for Him to come back.
00:31:28.21\00:31:32.05
But sin will keep us from that.
00:31:32.25\00:31:34.04
Sin now. Isaiah said sin
separates a person from God.
00:31:34.44\00:31:38.09
And that's the
truth... it's true!
00:31:38.29\00:31:40.79
And if that's true, we don't
want to be casual about sin.
00:31:41.09\00:31:44.53
Understand we're
growing... we're growing.
00:31:44.83\00:31:47.04
And today there is something
that you're doing in your life
00:31:47.34\00:31:49.56
that tomorrow
you're going to say:
00:31:49.76\00:31:50.84
"I don't think that
was right. I'm growing. "
00:31:50.94\00:31:52.95
That's all right. So
now what I'm suggesting
00:31:53.25\00:31:55.89
not is that you go to
your brother and sister
00:31:55.99\00:31:58.01
and tell your
brother and sister to grow.
00:31:58.21\00:32:00.09
God will do that. Amen!
00:32:00.59\00:32:03.30
But it's time for me to sit
down and take a moral inventory
00:32:03.54\00:32:06.22
of my life. David did
that: "Search me, O God,
00:32:06.33\00:32:08.81
and know my heart. Try
me and know my thoughts.
00:32:08.91\00:32:10.75
See if there be
any wicked way in me
00:32:11.05\00:32:13.29
and lead me in
the way everlasting. "
00:32:13.49\00:32:15.23
Christ is coming back! This is
no time to be casual about sin
00:32:15.43\00:32:19.88
because "the
wages of sin is death. "
00:32:20.18\00:32:22.60
Listen to what Peter wrote
and I love this. This is in
00:32:22.80\00:32:25.84
II Peter: "The Lord is not
slack concerning His promise
00:32:26.04\00:32:28.67
as some count slackness but
is longsuffering towards us. "
00:32:28.77\00:32:32.45
There's a beautiful verse...
it says: "The longsuffering
00:32:32.65\00:32:35.38
of God is salvation. "
00:32:35.48\00:32:37.59
I mean where would you be
without God's patience, right?
00:32:37.79\00:32:40.31
And if you can hear
me as I mean to be heard
00:32:40.65\00:32:44.54
if God is willing
to be patient with you,
00:32:44.84\00:32:47.82
then you be patient with others
and patient with yourself.
00:32:48.22\00:32:52.51
Amen! Patient with
yourself. We are growing.
00:32:52.71\00:32:56.02
"But the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night
00:32:56.22\00:32:58.13
in which the heavens will
pass away with a great noise.
00:32:58.43\00:33:00.83
The elements will
melt with fervent heat.
00:33:01.03\00:33:02.95
Both the earth and
the works that are in it
00:33:03.15\00:33:04.95
will be burned up. Therefore,
00:33:05.05\00:33:06.92
seeing that all of these
things will be dissolved... "
00:33:07.12\00:33:09.63
Now here's a question:
00:33:09.83\00:33:11.28
"what manner of
persons ought ye to be
00:33:11.48\00:33:14.05
in all holy conduct and
conversation or godliness?
00:33:14.26\00:33:17.42
Looking for and hastening the
coming of the day of God... "
00:33:17.82\00:33:21.17
and so on. In the
context of the coming of Christ
00:33:21.37\00:33:25.00
God asks us this question:
"What manner of persons
00:33:25.20\00:33:28.28
ought ye to be? " John
answered it: I John 3 verse 3.
00:33:28.48\00:33:32.06
"Every man that hath this
hope in him purifies himself
00:33:32.36\00:33:37.19
even as He... "
God... "is pure. "
00:33:37.39\00:33:41.44
Isn't that something?
00:33:41.74\00:33:42.77
"Purifies himself
even as God is pure. "
00:33:44.47\00:33:47.27
You know, it's really
interesting that people say:
00:33:48.73\00:33:50.19
well some... I've heard it said.
00:33:50.22\00:33:51.66
I was in a conversation
with a man who told me this
00:33:51.76\00:33:53.88
with a straight face: "We
could never be like Jesus...
00:33:53.98\00:33:56.21
no... no way. " And
I understand that Jesus
00:33:56.42\00:33:58.75
and I aren't exactly the same.
00:33:58.95\00:34:02.22
That is, I have a lifetime
of having practiced sin.
00:34:02.42\00:34:04.90
Jesus never had that.
00:34:05.10\00:34:06.13
I understand that. But
the Bible does say that
00:34:06.31\00:34:08.99
Jesus was tempted in
all points like as we are.
00:34:09.19\00:34:11.31
Made of the seed of Abraham.
I mean, this seems pretty
00:34:11.71\00:34:14.87
straightforward to
me. It seems that way
00:34:14.97\00:34:17.42
but put Jesus... I
can't put it that way.
00:34:17.73\00:34:20.69
But let's
consider somebody else.
00:34:20.90\00:34:22.51
The Bible says that Elijah was
a man subject to like passions
00:34:22.91\00:34:27.13
such as we are.
Elijah was just like us
00:34:27.23\00:34:31.08
yet Elijah was taken to heaven,
translated without seeing death.
00:34:31.38\00:34:37.35
So if you feel for a moment
like: "Well I can't be like
00:34:37.65\00:34:40.97
Jesus" be like Elijah.
00:34:41.07\00:34:43.54
Because Elijah
evidently had it figured out.
00:34:45.60\00:34:47.62
And without a shadow
of a doubt, Elijah and you
00:34:47.82\00:34:50.95
are made from the same stuff.
00:34:51.15\00:34:53.59
You see this thing with
sin... there's power in sin.
00:34:53.89\00:34:56.22
Sin is deceptive...
sin appeals to self.
00:34:56.42\00:34:59.66
You can indulge sin
and get hooked on it
00:34:59.86\00:35:02.75
like an addict
gets hooked to drugs.
00:35:02.96\00:35:05.59
I was talking to a friend
recently about a man he knows
00:35:05.79\00:35:08.68
and I need to be
careful with this.
00:35:08.78\00:35:10.03
The man used to go from church
to church singing in a musical
00:35:10.23\00:35:12.83
group and the man is now doing
a 150-year prison sentence.
00:35:12.93\00:35:17.89
Christian. People
thought he was a good fellow.
00:35:18.95\00:35:21.06
I visited a man recently who
attended a Christian university
00:35:21.56\00:35:25.57
the name of which
you would recognize.
00:35:25.77\00:35:27.37
But I did not visit
with him at an alumni event.
00:35:27.77\00:35:30.28
I visited with him on death row
00:35:32.23\00:35:34.10
and he's sitting
in a penitentiary
00:35:35.19\00:35:36.89
with a death
sentence hanging over his head
00:35:36.99\00:35:38.50
just waiting to be executed.
00:35:38.60\00:35:40.18
And in each situation
both of these gentlemen
00:35:41.26\00:35:44.88
just started to indulge sin
00:35:45.08\00:35:47.57
until it got bigger and
bigger and more and more
00:35:47.97\00:35:51.56
and they got to the place
that they just couldn't say
00:35:51.66\00:35:53.46
no to sin
00:35:53.56\00:35:54.59
and sin was
guiding and governing
00:35:54.78\00:35:56.96
and driving their lives.
00:35:56.99\00:35:58.02
Man I want to tell
you: it starts this small.
00:35:58.11\00:36:01.28
No one's first sin is
drug dealing or mass murder.
00:36:01.48\00:36:04.88
That comes later.
00:36:05.08\00:36:06.87
As a matter of fact, at least
one of these gentlemen I was
00:36:07.27\00:36:09.27
telling you about got his start
00:36:09.37\00:36:11.59
looking at
inappropriate websites.
00:36:11.79\00:36:14.24
And you know if
you read the statistics
00:36:16.56\00:36:18.50
it's phenomenal how many
people look at these things.
00:36:18.70\00:36:22.24
And then if you say to yourself
00:36:22.54\00:36:24.27
"In truth the church is
a whole lot like the world"
00:36:24.47\00:36:28.80
then you know that that
problem permeates the church.
00:36:29.10\00:36:31.63
Have mercy.
00:36:33.15\00:36:34.62
Can you imagine where
that's going to lead people?
00:36:35.02\00:36:37.57
Can you imagine?
00:36:37.87\00:36:38.98
Now I don't mean for a moment
like anybody here's going to
00:36:39.18\00:36:40.90
end up in prison for the
term of their natural lives
00:36:41.00\00:36:42.95
or end up sitting on death row.
00:36:43.15\00:36:44.48
And I can tell you - thank
the Lord - in the case of both
00:36:44.78\00:36:46.55
of the people that
I spoke to or spoke of
00:36:46.65\00:36:48.84
both of them have
repented. They've claimed Jesus.
00:36:49.14\00:36:52.14
If we are to understand
the way salvation works,
00:36:52.34\00:36:54.50
we can expect to
see them in heaven.
00:36:54.70\00:36:56.78
Not to minimize sin but
to maximize the grace of God.
00:36:56.98\00:36:59.84
Hallelujah! And perhaps
using examples like that
00:36:59.94\00:37:03.36
are just so far out that you
say: "Ah, maybe it separates us
00:37:03.46\00:37:08.06
from that. " But sin
starts small and grows big
00:37:08.27\00:37:12.76
and we can
imagine that... we can.
00:37:12.96\00:37:16.55
Oh let me say
this first about sin.
00:37:16.79\00:37:18.68
No, let me say
that second about sin.
00:37:19.08\00:37:21.32
What's sobering about this
00:37:21.92\00:37:23.99
is that sin
doesn't just affect you.
00:37:24.19\00:37:26.18
It affects your
family; it affects the church.
00:37:26.38\00:37:30.25
We hold these series of meetings
and we want to preach the gospel
00:37:31.54\00:37:33.96
and we have a smaller
return than we might wish
00:37:34.26\00:37:37.90
and we wonder why. And
the church isn't praying.
00:37:38.98\00:37:42.04
And there's so much
sin in some of the churches
00:37:42.14\00:37:44.88
that God knows it's better for
people to leave them out there
00:37:45.08\00:37:47.99
than bring them in here.
00:37:48.19\00:37:49.41
And if you have any doubt
about that, think of Achan.
00:37:50.62\00:37:52.90
Achan stole from Jericho.
00:37:53.20\00:37:55.53
And because of that sin
when Israel went into battle
00:37:55.73\00:37:58.58
Israel was defeated.
And the parallel is clear
00:37:58.78\00:38:01.67
because the church
is in a war right now...
00:38:01.87\00:38:04.07
a battle known as
the great controversy.
00:38:04.18\00:38:06.68
And we would do a whole lot
better if we had a whole lot
00:38:06.98\00:38:10.44
less sin clogging up the ar-
teries of our spiritual hearts.
00:38:10.54\00:38:14.39
If we get that
out and get God in,
00:38:14.69\00:38:17.11
God can bless the church more.
00:38:17.41\00:38:19.79
There's a reason the
shaking is going to come.
00:38:20.10\00:38:22.70
You know when Jesus comes back
He will come back for a church
00:38:24.04\00:38:26.93
without spot or
wrinkle or any such thing.
00:38:27.03\00:38:30.38
Holy and without blemish. The
sin is going to be shaken out.
00:38:30.68\00:38:35.30
God... And I can
tell you for a fact
00:38:35.50\00:38:38.21
that if I am connected to that
sin I'll be shaken out with it!
00:38:38.42\00:38:41.94
And I don't want that to happen.
00:38:42.15\00:38:43.69
Now if you're feeling
awful about being a big sinner
00:38:44.09\00:38:46.23
right now: "Oh man, I
feel so bad because of
00:38:46.33\00:38:49.67
this and this and
this, " my response to you is
00:38:49.77\00:38:52.42
"Good... you ought to
feel awful about sin! "
00:38:52.72\00:38:55.64
Problem is we get
too casual about it.
00:38:56.97\00:38:59.08
But let me say this: the
Bible says blessed are they
00:38:59.48\00:39:02.48
that mourn; they
shall be comforted. "
00:39:02.59\00:39:05.44
Recognizing your sinfulness
is the first step in being able
00:39:05.64\00:39:08.99
to do something about
it. Jesus said He didn't come
00:39:09.09\00:39:11.95
for the righteous. He came
to call sinners to repentance.
00:39:12.05\00:39:15.30
If you
recognize you're a sinner,
00:39:15.60\00:39:17.11
then you are the
person that Jesus can save.
00:39:17.31\00:39:19.02
You see,
identifying sin is one thing,
00:39:19.32\00:39:22.01
but letting it be like
an avalanche that sweeps you
00:39:22.21\00:39:24.19
down the
mountainside... that's another.
00:39:24.29\00:39:26.28
Now somebody said that the
biggest battle that we ever
00:39:27.20\00:39:29.44
have to fight against is self.
00:39:29.54\00:39:31.14
You ever hear that?
00:39:31.44\00:39:32.67
I'll never forget that sweet
man talking about how he wanted
00:39:32.97\00:39:36.64
the ketchup but his
son grabbed the ketchup.
00:39:36.74\00:39:38.63
And he was going to take
the ketchup from his son.
00:39:38.83\00:39:40.55
There was only
enough for one person.
00:39:40.66\00:39:42.08
But he said: "No, no, that's
self and so I won't do that
00:39:42.48\00:39:45.66
and I will deny
self right now. "
00:39:45.86\00:39:47.26
God bless you. I mean,
if that's the biggest battle
00:39:47.56\00:39:49.67
you have to fight with
self, you've got one foot on the
00:39:49.77\00:39:52.07
sea of glass already.
00:39:52.17\00:39:53.56
In the Bradshaw family it
works altogether differently.
00:39:58.13\00:40:00.43
If there's ketchup for one
and my son reaches to get it,
00:40:01.52\00:40:06.01
dad says: "Are you
forgetting that there are adults
00:40:07.65\00:40:10.62
seated at the table? "
00:40:10.82\00:40:12.73
This becomes a teaching moment.
00:40:13.13\00:40:15.54
"Should you not at least
offer that to the adults? "
00:40:18.13\00:40:20.91
"Oh yeah... dad, want some? "
00:40:22.07\00:40:23.64
"Yes. "
00:40:24.99\00:40:27.43
If that's self for
you... I know, I need another
00:40:37.38\00:40:42.36
chocolate chip
cookie, whatever it is...
00:40:42.66\00:40:44.60
OK, that's your battle. Fine.
00:40:44.80\00:40:47.35
And that's not to minimize
that... well, no it is to
00:40:50.50\00:40:52.87
minimize that because what I'm
about to say I think is a whole
00:40:52.97\00:40:54.90
lot more important than that.
00:40:55.00\00:40:56.62
A bigger battle with self,
in my opinion, is the battle
00:40:58.36\00:41:00.66
that comes along when you hear
a preacher talking about sin
00:41:00.76\00:41:03.59
and you say: "You know
what? I'm just a hypocrite.
00:41:03.69\00:41:06.87
I guess I should just leave.
I should just leave the Camp
00:41:07.17\00:41:10.15
Meeting because I have secret
sin in my life that nobody knows
00:41:10.25\00:41:13.56
about. And that storm
last night was probably because
00:41:13.66\00:41:16.40
of me. And if I stay around,
Lord only knows who's going
00:41:16.50\00:41:20.31
to get struck by
lightning. So I need to leave
00:41:20.41\00:41:22.97
and I'll just have
my membership dropped
00:41:23.17\00:41:25.91
and done. Because I'm
55 years old and I've been
00:41:26.11\00:41:29.69
failing for as long
as I can remember. "
00:41:29.72\00:41:32.05
Now that, ladies
and gentlemen, is self.
00:41:33.68\00:41:36.61
And it's a deadly,
deadly, deadly version of
00:41:37.89\00:41:41.32
self-centeredness.
00:41:41.52\00:41:44.23
Those people who say: "Woe
is me. God couldn't save me"
00:41:44.83\00:41:48.06
they are self-centered.
00:41:48.26\00:41:49.97
They just are... self-centered.
00:41:50.27\00:41:53.02
Not just a person who spends all
morning looking in the mirror
00:41:53.25\00:41:55.89
enjoying what they see.
That's self-centeredness too.
00:41:55.99\00:41:58.92
But when you say
"God can't save me"
00:42:00.44\00:42:02.81
that's self-centeredness.
00:42:03.11\00:42:04.52
Why can't God save
you? Jesus died to save you
00:42:04.72\00:42:07.22
just like He died
to save anybody else.
00:42:07.42\00:42:09.02
You see, when you make
that mistake, here's what you're
00:42:09.95\00:42:11.83
doing: you are looking
not at Jesus but at yourself.
00:42:11.93\00:42:15.72
So if you have identified
sin and hypocrisy and whatever,
00:42:16.02\00:42:20.44
say: "Thank God I found it. Now
Lord, do something about it. "
00:42:20.64\00:42:24.87
And stop looking at your
sin and start looking at Jesus!
00:42:25.17\00:42:29.19
He is a great
Savior... mighty to save!
00:42:29.39\00:42:32.40
He can save - what does it
say in the book of Hebrews? -
00:42:32.80\00:42:34.86
"to the uttermost those
who come to God by Him. " Amen!
00:42:35.16\00:42:39.01
The worst you are? Bring
it because "where sin abounded
00:42:39.15\00:42:42.56
grace did much more abound. "
00:42:42.76\00:42:44.40
Don't you sit around having
a pity party worrying about
00:42:44.60\00:42:46.76
your sin. I don't
care how bad you are!
00:42:46.86\00:42:48.68
Moses was a murderer...
God took him to heaven.
00:42:48.88\00:42:51.30
David? "A man after
my own heart" God said.
00:42:51.80\00:42:53.95
And we struggle with
that because David was a mess
00:42:54.05\00:42:57.40
and yet God was able
to straighten out the mess
00:42:57.50\00:43:00.20
and clean that brother
up. What God did for David
00:43:00.40\00:43:02.79
and Solomon and
Hezekiah and Abraham
00:43:02.99\00:43:06.85
and all the rest of them
He can do for you - Amen! -
00:43:07.05\00:43:10.88
and for your children -
Amen! - your neighbor - Amen! -
00:43:11.08\00:43:14.25
some person you
think can never be saved.
00:43:14.55\00:43:16.64
I don't mind talking
about sin 'cause when I do
00:43:16.84\00:43:19.06
I will talk about the Savior.
"There is a balm in Gilead. "
00:43:19.27\00:43:22.00
Christ can save anyone from sin.
00:43:22.30\00:43:26.15
And that includes
you... praise the Lord!
00:43:26.38\00:43:28.47
We ought to be urgent
about it though... urgent.
00:43:28.77\00:43:30.69
Tell you something: I
don't think there's enough
00:43:30.99\00:43:34.30
urgency. I'll tell you why.
00:43:34.50\00:43:35.98
What happens when you get sick?
00:43:36.01\00:43:37.65
You go to a doctor
if you've got any sense.
00:43:37.85\00:43:39.80
Doctor says: "You are so
sick you need chemotherapy. "
00:43:40.20\00:43:45.37
And you say: "Well,
what's that going to do? "
00:43:45.78\00:43:47.51
"Well, we hope it's going
to get rid of the cancer. "
00:43:47.71\00:43:50.55
"Anything else? " "Oh,
yeah, you'll lose your hair. "
00:43:50.85\00:43:52.91
"Well, what else? "
"Well you'll have neuropathy. "
00:43:53.11\00:43:55.38
"Anything else? " Ah,
your ears will ring forever. "
00:43:55.58\00:43:57.62
"Oh, OK... what else? "
00:43:57.92\00:43:59.16
"Well, I mean you're going
to feel like you want to die. "
00:43:59.46\00:44:03.65
"Uh-huh. "
"You'll feel so tired.
00:44:03.85\00:44:05.93
You never
imagined being so tired. "
00:44:06.13\00:44:07.57
"OK... anything else? "
00:44:07.77\00:44:09.11
"Probably... " And you
say: "When can I start? "
00:44:09.31\00:44:14.16
"You are so sick,
lady, you need radiation. "
00:44:20.99\00:44:24.00
"Why what's that
going to be like? "
00:44:24.20\00:44:25.26
"It's going to be terrible.
00:44:25.46\00:44:26.49
You will be in some way
less for the rest of your life
00:44:26.66\00:44:30.05
than you are now. It
will burn you... maybe.
00:44:30.35\00:44:32.45
Doesn't burn everybody. It
will do this; it will do that.
00:44:32.59\00:44:34.78
Laundry list of side effects. "
00:44:35.08\00:44:37.38
And you say: "But you think
it's going to get the cancer. "
00:44:37.68\00:44:39.99
"We hope so. " "I'm in. "
00:44:40.19\00:44:41.75
"Ah... that diabetes is so bad
we have to take off your foot. "
00:44:48.27\00:44:51.37
"I don't want to lose my foot. "
00:44:51.67\00:44:52.71
"Well, we can let you keep it. "
00:44:52.91\00:44:55.45
"Well what then? "
"Well you'll die. "
00:44:55.65\00:44:57.45
"Oh... here it is. Take
it off! Take it off now! "
00:44:57.65\00:45:01.77
That famous actress?
She had a double mastectomy.
00:45:02.94\00:45:06.62
She didn't even have cancer.
00:45:06.92\00:45:09.10
It was to lower her
risk of getting cancer.
00:45:09.95\00:45:13.37
That's rad... I'm not
criticizing... that's radical!
00:45:14.37\00:45:16.93
But people do that stuff.
00:45:17.33\00:45:18.74
"Ask your doctor
about this medication.
00:45:19.14\00:45:22.17
Now the medication could cause
cancer, acid rain, deforestation
00:45:22.37\00:45:26.16
or cause global warming.
00:45:26.36\00:45:28.33
It could cause depression
and suicidal thoughts. "
00:45:31.61\00:45:33.86
And that's not funny.
00:45:33.96\00:45:35.31
"It can cause all of
these things. " And you go:
00:45:35.61\00:45:37.45
"Awesome! Doc, can
I have some of that? "
00:45:37.66\00:45:39.40
Why do people do that?
00:45:41.97\00:45:43.76
And the people say:
"Well from now on I will never
00:45:44.06\00:45:45.72
eat sugar for the rest of my
life and I'm only going to ever
00:45:45.82\00:45:47.48
eat raw food. And I'll
drink carrot juice every day
00:45:47.58\00:45:50.12
until Jesus comes back. " And
they go on these radical diets.
00:45:50.15\00:45:53.46
Why? People do this stuff
'cause they want to get well!
00:45:53.76\00:45:57.02
'Cause they think if they
don't, they might die. Right?
00:45:57.94\00:46:01.69
And you'll do anything
when your life is on the line.
00:46:02.09\00:46:06.48
Anything. Hopefully,
anything within reason.
00:46:06.78\00:46:10.37
And that's why
people do this stuff:
00:46:10.87\00:46:12.91
because they want to live.
00:46:13.11\00:46:15.08
Well I want to tell you
something: whether you've got
00:46:15.48\00:46:17.20
some disease or
not we're all sick!
00:46:17.30\00:46:20.78
The worst
disease... the disease of sin.
00:46:21.28\00:46:24.50
And it kills.
00:46:24.70\00:46:26.60
And for our health we have the
National Institutes of Health
00:46:27.00\00:46:30.42
and the CDC. And you've got that
guy out there on the West Coast
00:46:30.62\00:46:33.79
who gave a $500
million matching grant
00:46:33.99\00:46:37.70
to an Oregon university.
By the time they're done
00:46:37.90\00:46:39.77
a billion dollars
given for cancer research.
00:46:39.97\00:46:42.09
Ted Turner gave a billion
dollars to the United Nations
00:46:42.39\00:46:46.11
to eradicate polio
or some such thing.
00:46:46.31\00:46:48.37
Bill Gates and all of his
wealth... they're trying to get
00:46:48.57\00:46:50.68
rid of diseases. I mean...
00:46:50.78\00:46:54.30
Where's the institute for sin?
00:46:54.60\00:46:58.18
And I guess somebody could say:
"Well that's in our churches
00:46:59.02\00:47:00.87
and that's in our
theological institutions. "
00:47:01.07\00:47:02.91
All right. Perhaps...
perhaps... perhaps you're right.
00:47:03.21\00:47:06.09
We put so much energy
and money and time and effort
00:47:07.11\00:47:10.34
and resources into getting well.
00:47:10.44\00:47:13.44
That's OK.
00:47:13.74\00:47:15.60
We recognize easily the
urgency for getting over
00:47:16.20\00:47:19.54
illness so that we
can be healthy again.
00:47:19.74\00:47:21.36
But there is an illness,
man: sin. It will take you down
00:47:21.57\00:47:24.98
and take you out.
00:47:25.28\00:47:27.84
Worse than cancer or a stroke
or diabetes or heart disease.
00:47:28.34\00:47:31.88
Worse! Much worse.
00:47:32.08\00:47:34.78
Now God has a
remedy, thank the Lord.
00:47:35.18\00:47:36.95
He has a word for us
today; the word is repent.
00:47:37.25\00:47:39.67
Repent; repent.
Whether it is something dark
00:47:39.97\00:47:43.32
or something more fashionable
00:47:43.62\00:47:46.28
God says "Repent! "
00:47:46.48\00:47:48.50
We are this close to
entering into the kingdom.
00:47:48.70\00:47:52.43
If you stand on your tiptoes
and look, you can just about
00:47:52.76\00:47:55.73
see over the border
into the Promised Land.
00:47:55.83\00:47:57.52
Jesus is coming back
soon and yet what do we say?
00:47:57.92\00:48:02.06
"Well now be careful
around old Bob the deacon
00:48:02.16\00:48:03.86
because he's a bit irascible;
he's a little scratchy.
00:48:04.06\00:48:06.45
But that's OK. That's
just old Bob. We love him. "
00:48:06.65\00:48:09.04
Well it's good that we
love him but it's not OK.
00:48:09.34\00:48:11.11
Bob's got to get the victory.
00:48:12.12\00:48:13.38
"Well now that you're in this
church - and I hate to say this
00:48:14.25\00:48:16.10
but we do need to tell you -
00:48:16.20\00:48:17.36
be careful what you
say around old Mrs. Brown
00:48:17.56\00:48:19.29
because... hhhh...
she'll tell everybody.
00:48:19.49\00:48:23.28
But that's just Mrs.
Brown; we love her anyway. "
00:48:23.68\00:48:27.59
Well it's right to love her
but Mrs. Brown needs to quit
00:48:27.99\00:48:30.52
that gossip. And the
Bible talks about that
00:48:30.92\00:48:32.77
and it's wrong. God
wants us to live lives
00:48:32.97\00:48:36.05
that are above reproach.
00:48:36.25\00:48:37.62
They wanted to mess with Daniel.
00:48:37.92\00:48:39.16
They couldn't find anything
to trip him up on because
00:48:39.37\00:48:41.55
he lived such a
holy, committed life.
00:48:41.65\00:48:44.50
He purposed in his heart
that he would not dishonor
00:48:44.90\00:48:48.95
God. Now the remedy for sin...
00:48:49.15\00:48:51.61
I said sin is the problem.
00:48:51.81\00:48:53.95
Yes, that's the problem because
"the wages of sin is death. "
00:48:54.15\00:48:56.46
But sin is not the problem.
00:48:56.86\00:48:58.46
Let me talk about that
for just a moment here.
00:48:58.66\00:49:00.12
What's the remedy for
sin? You could say forgiveness.
00:49:00.52\00:49:03.42
You'd be right.
You could say grace.
00:49:03.62\00:49:05.69
You'd be right again.
00:49:06.09\00:49:07.49
You could say oneness with God.
00:49:07.69\00:49:09.99
Nothing wrong with that.
00:49:10.30\00:49:11.59
But if you want to be
most right you would say that
00:49:11.90\00:49:14.81
the remedy for sin is Jesus.
00:49:15.01\00:49:18.17
Jesus. Not
forgiveness from Jesus
00:49:19.11\00:49:23.02
but Jesus who brings
forgiveness into your life.
00:49:23.32\00:49:26.24
Not merely
righteousness from Christ
00:49:26.65\00:49:29.88
but the righteousness of
Christ that you don't receive
00:49:30.83\00:49:34.80
from Him but you receive in Him.
00:49:35.10\00:49:38.28
Jesus is the remedy.
00:49:38.68\00:49:41.37
One day they were dying
out there in the wilderness.
00:49:41.47\00:49:43.35
Snake bites had got them.
00:49:43.55\00:49:44.67
"Moses, make a snake out
of brass. Stick it on a pole.
00:49:44.87\00:49:47.75
Tell the people to look
and they'll be able to live. "
00:49:47.95\00:49:51.33
And miraculously
they looked at this snake
00:49:51.63\00:49:55.14
and they lived. If
you will look to Jesus,
00:49:55.34\00:49:58.82
what did we hear?
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
00:49:59.03\00:50:02.87
Look full in His
wonderful face. "
00:50:03.17\00:50:05.18
It's true that the things
of earth grow strangely dim
00:50:05.58\00:50:08.08
in the light of
His glory and grace.
00:50:08.18\00:50:10.58
Christ is the way out!
00:50:10.88\00:50:12.35
John wrote:
"Unto Him who loved us
00:50:12.65\00:50:14.39
and washed us from our
sins in His own blood. "
00:50:14.60\00:50:17.90
Look, if you've got a
dirty mind the Bible promises
00:50:18.10\00:50:21.00
that you can have
the mind of Christ.
00:50:21.20\00:50:23.24
If you've got a tongue
that operates without restraint,
00:50:23.44\00:50:25.94
God can touch that
and train it right away.
00:50:26.24\00:50:29.96
The dishonest can become honest.
00:50:30.26\00:50:31.82
The impure, pure. The
addict can be clean and sober.
00:50:32.02\00:50:34.99
The drunk can dry
out, and let me add
00:50:35.13\00:50:37.40
it's true that for some sins -
00:50:37.70\00:50:40.24
even though God
can forgive them all -
00:50:40.45\00:50:42.16
it's right in some
cases to get some help.
00:50:42.36\00:50:45.90
'Cause you end up
getting down here in this place.
00:50:48.81\00:50:51.28
You've got these
functions. You're messed up
00:50:51.48\00:50:53.14
and it's good sometimes
to get some people that help
00:50:53.24\00:50:56.24
you get
untangled from all of that.
00:50:56.44\00:50:58.83
But THE problem isn't sin
even though sin is THE problem.
00:51:00.30\00:51:04.71
Jesus told us
clearly what the problem is.
00:51:05.01\00:51:08.12
John 5 verse 40.
00:51:08.42\00:51:10.91
He said: "But you
will not come to Me
00:51:12.21\00:51:16.92
that you might have life. "
00:51:17.12\00:51:19.28
That's the problem.
The reason I say that is
00:51:19.78\00:51:21.37
the sin problem
has been taken care of.
00:51:21.67\00:51:23.61
We know it. Jesus
died for our sins.
00:51:24.01\00:51:26.47
The Bible says so.
00:51:26.77\00:51:27.82
We sing about it. "There is
a fountain filled with blood
00:51:28.02\00:51:30.59
drawn from Immanuel's veins.
00:51:30.62\00:51:32.21
Sinners plunged beneath
that flood lose all their guilty
00:51:32.41\00:51:36.36
stains. " So there! The sin
problem has been taken care of.
00:51:36.47\00:51:40.04
Question is: what are
you willing to do about it?
00:51:40.34\00:51:42.63
Will you come to Jesus
that you might have life?
00:51:43.83\00:51:46.19
Because there is life in
Jesus. Not death but life.
00:51:46.49\00:51:50.45
Life! Furthermore we
are told in Jude verse 24
00:51:50.58\00:51:54.29
"Now unto Him who is able
to keep you from falling. "
00:51:54.49\00:51:58.82
Praise the Lord for that!
00:51:59.12\00:52:01.00
There's power in Christ.
00:52:01.50\00:52:03.17
You don't have
to be what you were.
00:52:03.37\00:52:04.67
He can keep ya and make
you what you're not right now.
00:52:04.87\00:52:07.61
"There hath no temptation
taken you but such as is common
00:52:08.01\00:52:10.84
to man" Paul wrote
to the Corinthians.
00:52:10.94\00:52:12.66
"But God is faithful.
He will not allow you to be
00:52:12.86\00:52:15.64
tempted above
that which you are able
00:52:15.74\00:52:19.31
but will with the
temptation make a way to escape
00:52:19.61\00:52:21.99
that you may be
able to bear it. "
00:52:22.29\00:52:24.42
Oh, thank God for that.
00:52:24.72\00:52:26.04
Isn't that something?
00:52:27.28\00:52:28.61
Preparation for the
second coming of Jesus.
00:52:29.82\00:52:32.19
If we are serious about being
ready for the second coming,
00:52:32.49\00:52:35.63
we'll be praying
like we mean business.
00:52:36.04\00:52:39.47
Fasting when God
prods us to do so.
00:52:39.87\00:52:43.50
Reading our Bibles
00:52:44.00\00:52:46.25
with the fervor that we
check our Facebook page.
00:52:46.65\00:52:50.85
Hard to imagine, huh?
00:52:55.03\00:52:56.63
Memorizing scripture.
00:52:58.08\00:53:00.32
It'll be in our minds.
00:53:00.62\00:53:02.23
Of course we'll eat well
and do all of those things.
00:53:02.73\00:53:04.70
We will. I'm not down on that.
00:53:04.90\00:53:06.48
But if we are serious
about being ready for the second
00:53:08.03\00:53:10.41
coming of Jesus we
will not put the cart
00:53:10.51\00:53:14.41
before the horse.
00:53:14.71\00:53:16.03
Heaven awaits. It is
those who put Jesus first,
00:53:16.43\00:53:21.14
those who have come to Christ,
00:53:21.34\00:53:24.36
those who have
demanded that Jesus own them...
00:53:24.56\00:53:28.83
You know, in a certain sense
00:53:30.52\00:53:35.21
if sin is the problem
00:53:35.51\00:53:38.30
it's not your
problem... it's God's problem
00:53:39.82\00:53:44.41
because the only One who
can do anything about the sin
00:53:45.48\00:53:48.18
in your life is God.
00:53:48.28\00:53:50.99
All you can do is
give God permission
00:53:51.49\00:53:55.75
to come into your
life and do the work.
00:53:56.15\00:53:58.93
Then you cooperate with God.
00:53:59.43\00:54:01.30
But that's all part of
turning your life over to God
00:54:01.60\00:54:03.40
and giving Him the
permission to work.
00:54:03.60\00:54:05.54
Now you can take me
out of context if you like
00:54:05.85\00:54:07.76
but I trust you not to do that.
00:54:07.86\00:54:09.31
I say again: the sin
problem is God's problem.
00:54:09.81\00:54:13.78
He already paid the price.
Debt was cancelled at Calvary.
00:54:14.08\00:54:17.81
Whssh... done.
00:54:18.01\00:54:20.12
Now that's to be
worked out in your life.
00:54:20.42\00:54:22.25
That's God's work.
00:54:22.65\00:54:24.59
Now if you'll be
inpatient, God can work.
00:54:25.76\00:54:28.91
That is: "Lord,
let's get it done. "
00:54:29.11\00:54:32.34
"Lord, don't wait
a moment longer. "
00:54:33.57\00:54:37.46
"Lord, You've
got to clean me up. "
00:54:37.96\00:54:40.81
"Heavenly Father,
do not let my hand go
00:54:41.31\00:54:45.46
even for a moment. Lord,
on my own I cannot make it. "
00:54:45.66\00:54:49.26
But clothed in
Christ's righteousness
00:54:49.46\00:54:53.67
I can't fail to make it.
00:54:53.97\00:54:55.73
And these are things
that only God can do for us
00:54:56.23\00:54:58.79
so we ask God to
be God in our lives.
00:54:58.99\00:55:01.81
And will God fail
to answer that prayer?
00:55:02.01\00:55:03.75
All God wants us to
do is get out of His way
00:55:04.15\00:55:06.54
and let Him work.
00:55:06.84\00:55:07.87
That's all. To stop being God.
00:55:08.17\00:55:10.20
When we come to the fork in
the road we say: "All right,
00:55:10.34\00:55:12.60
which way? " When
we come to temptation
00:55:12.80\00:55:15.25
we pause. God is
prodding us to pause.
00:55:15.35\00:55:17.53
He's telling us to pause;
He's calling out to us to pause.
00:55:17.83\00:55:20.13
We stop. "All
right... which way? "
00:55:20.33\00:55:22.08
God will guide
us in the way to go.
00:55:22.38\00:55:24.44
He promises to do that.
00:55:24.64\00:55:27.37
Jesus is coming back
soon; He wants us to be ready.
00:55:28.61\00:55:31.80
No point being close
but not close enough.
00:55:32.10\00:55:36.96
Before Jesus comes back
the Bible paints this amazing
00:55:37.98\00:55:40.26
picture. In
Revelation chapter 20
00:55:40.37\00:55:42.67
the Holy City -
the New Jerusalem -
00:55:42.77\00:55:44.39
has come down
from God out of heaven.
00:55:44.49\00:55:46.28
Inside that thing is Christ
00:55:47.40\00:55:50.30
and all of the redeemed.
00:55:50.80\00:55:52.75
The walls - as best as I
can tell - are transparent.
00:55:53.25\00:55:57.15
And on the outside
are all of the lost.
00:55:57.55\00:56:01.63
And of course, we can't
know exactly what that situation
00:56:03.63\00:56:06.07
is going to be like,
but it seems right to assume
00:56:06.17\00:56:09.46
that those on the
outside can see in
00:56:09.66\00:56:11.82
and those on the
inside can see out.
00:56:12.02\00:56:13.48
Imagine coming up in
the second resurrection
00:56:13.88\00:56:16.36
having known Jesus,
having owned a Bible
00:56:16.66\00:56:19.23
and a phone with
Bible apps on it.
00:56:19.44\00:56:21.81
Having come to Camp Meeting.
00:56:22.63\00:56:24.58
Having gone to
church and been a deacon
00:56:24.88\00:56:26.63
and sung in the choir
and taken up the offering -
00:56:26.73\00:56:28.14
"Good day... lovely
to see you, brother" -
00:56:28.24\00:56:29.89
and having a heart
that was full of corruption
00:56:30.92\00:56:33.69
and was never yielded to God.
00:56:33.89\00:56:35.74
Preparation for the
second coming of Jesus:
00:56:38.01\00:56:40.45
Christ in the
heart; Christ in the life.
00:56:40.66\00:56:43.88
Jesus all and in all.
00:56:44.19\00:56:47.12
We must have that.
What do you say? Amen!
00:56:47.32\00:56:50.47
Pray with me. Let us
pray: Our Father and our God,
00:56:50.90\00:56:52.86
we know Jesus is coming
back soon and we are thankful.
00:56:53.07\00:56:55.59
And I pray today - we
pray today - take our hearts
00:56:57.40\00:57:00.05
for we cannot give them.
00:57:00.25\00:57:01.46
Keep them pure because
we cannot keep them for You.
00:57:01.66\00:57:04.00
Save us in spite of ourselves...
our weak, unChristlike selves.
00:57:04.20\00:57:07.53
Mold us, fashion us, raise us
into a pure and holy atmosphere
00:57:07.73\00:57:11.71
where the rich current of Your
love can flow through our souls.
00:57:12.01\00:57:14.90
Ready us for Jesus'
soon return, we pray
00:57:15.10\00:57:18.08
and we thank you
in Jesus' name, Amen.
00:57:18.18\00:57:23.24
Amen. God bless you.
00:57:23.44\00:57:26.76
The best truly is yet to come.
00:57:26.96\00:57:30.56