Hello and welcome to
3ABN Fall Camp Meeting
00:00:50.95\00:00:54.65
Homecoming, and we
are glad that you're here.
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We praise the Lord. People have
come from different parts of the
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United States. Anyone come from
outside of the United States?
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Raise your
hand. Outside, anyone?
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Well we don't see Sr. Julia
and the rest of our Russian
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team, but we
welcome every one of you
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for this opportunity to
come to the Lord and study
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His Word. Our
speaker during this hour
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is Pastor John
Carter, evangelist.
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And you know, when
I came in 1989 to 3ABN
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one of the speakers
was Pastor John Carter.
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I didn't know who he was then.
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But he was at a meeting and
there was this big spotlight
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following him wherever he went.
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Huge board, and he
was writing with chalk.
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A lot of people in the meeting.
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And I said: "Who is this guy?
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Well he has an accent
but he doesn't sound Hispanic
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so he must be
from another country. "
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So after listening for a while
I found out where he's from.
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And we praise the Lord
that the Lord has brought him
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here to the United States.
And he's a man of vision.
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Dares to step out in faith.
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And I've seen
throughout the years
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the Lord use him to bring
thousands to the Lord Jesus
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Christ. So during
this hour you will hear
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a message entitled
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The Rock, the Keys,
and the Gates of Hell
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by Pastor John Carter,
also the president and speaker
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of The Carter Report
which you can see on 3ABN
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and hear on 3ABN Radio.
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We want to encourage you to
stay with us during this hour
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and we want you to grab
your Bible and get ready
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to study God's Word together.
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Before that we
have Pastor C.A. Murray
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I call him doctor... doctor...
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distinguido... distinguished.
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He's a
distinguished child of God
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and I praise the Lord
for his ministry at 3ABN.
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He will not be preaching
this time... he will be singing.
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And the title of
the song is He Lifts Me.
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Praise the Lord.
Before we hear this song
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we're going to ask
you to join us in prayer.
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And if you will kindly stand
as we approach God's throne
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of grace we want to
ask for His blessing.
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Immediately after the
prayer I will leave you with
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Pastor C.A. Murray.
And immediately after that
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we will hear the
preaching of God's Word
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in the lips of Pastor John
Carter. Let us pray together.
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Our loving heavenly Father,
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we do thank you,
Lord, for Your mercy.
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All of us have been
blessed by Your mercy.
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Truly anyone that is
within the hearing of my voice
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has been extended Your
mercy and we thank you for it.
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And we ask, Father, that You
will speak through Your servant
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Pastor John Carter.
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Use him once again to bring
the message You have for us
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through him. And Father,
we pray that You will also
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bless Pastor Murray, and
that through him we ask for Your
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children to be blessed
all over the world as well.
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We thank you for
listening to our prayer
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for we ask it in the
mighty blessed name of Jesus,
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Amen; amen.
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Thank you. You may be seated.
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I'm actually pinch
hitting for Celestine Barry
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our church clerk. A
very beautiful person,
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a wonderful singer.
She is with her husband.
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He is in the
hospital in St. Louis.
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He's got some challenges.
He has some heart problems
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and we want to
remember him in prayer.
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A wonderful person and pianist.
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Member of this church family.
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And he's got some
very very big challenges
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but we know that our God is good
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and that when we lift up the
name of Jesus Jesus lifts us up
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which is the
message of this song.
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He lifts my burdens
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whenever I'm down;
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He gives me joy
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when I'm wearing a frown.
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He is my hope
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in the midst of despair
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and He... He is my comfort
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for He's always there.
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So I sing
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not because I feel like singing.
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And I praise Him
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though the end I may not see.
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For whenever
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I lift the name of Jesus
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Jesus reaches down
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and He lifts me.
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He is the music
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that makes my heart glad;
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He whispers peace
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whenever I'm sad.
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He is the sunshine
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that brightens my day
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and He... He is the lighthouse
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to show me the way.
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So I sing
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not because I feel like singing.
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And I praise Him
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though the end I may not see.
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For whenever I
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lift the name of Jesus
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Jesus reaches down
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and He lifts me.
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So I sing
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not because I feel like singing.
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And I praise Him
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though the end I may not see.
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For whenever I
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lift the name of Jesus
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Jesus reaches down,
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turns me around,
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and He plants my
feet on higher ground.
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He reaches down
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and He
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lifts me.
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Amen. Thank you, my friend.
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Pastor Murray, thank
you... you blessed us.
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How are you folks? Blessed!
Glad to see you here today.
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Hallelujah!
Um-hmm. I want you to know
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that nothing can
kill the church. Amen!
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Now today because the Pope
is visiting the United States
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of America I'm going to talk
about the Rock - the true Rock
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on which the church is built.
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We're going to talk
about the keys of the kingdom
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and we're also going to
talk about the gates of hell.
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I want you to know this:
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that when God made the church
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He put it upon a
Rock that was so solid
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that nothing
could move that church.
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Back in 1992 in the
midst of a very cold winter
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I traveled by
train with a little team
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down to the city
of Nizhny Novgorod.
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That's the town
of Dr. Julia Outkina
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who is here
today with us at 3ABN.
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That church had been
ravaged by the Communists.
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A little while before I had
gotten there, the Communists,
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the police - the KGB - had
gone down to our little church
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and they had
beaten up the believers
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and they had
smashed all the furniture.
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So I arrived and got
off this Russian train
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in the midst of
winter. It was very, very cold!
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I looked down into the
faces of about 4 or 5 people:
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Alexander, Vasilly, Vitali...
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they now are my great friends.
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They were the
survivors of the Holocaust...
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of the Communist Holocaust.
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A few days later I
preached in the church:
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just a little
company of believers.
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And as I started to
preach in that church
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they started to weep
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because I was
probably the first foreigner
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who'd ever preached
the Word of God to them.
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Just a little
group of believers.
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When we gave out
the offering baskets
00:11:17.37\00:11:20.58
we did not take up an offering.
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We put money in there so they
could take some money out of it.
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You know why?
They were so hungry.
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So little food.
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I remember I went downtown
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and there was a truck
there loaded up with fish.
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And the person was selling
the fish, and there was a
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tremendous line-up of people.
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So cold... and they were
buying little bits of fish.
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Everybody was so poor
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because the state had collapsed,
the government had collapsed.
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Communism was on its last legs;
it was in its death throes.
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And I was moved I
believe by the Spirit of God
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to go up, and I
said through a translator
00:12:06.22\00:12:08.59
"How much do you want
for the truck of fish? "
00:12:08.79\00:12:10.53
So we bought the
whole truck of fish.
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And then in the name of
Jesus we made an announcement.
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I got up on the back
of the truck. I said:
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"In the name of Jesus we
want to give you this fish
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because we've come here with
a message that God loves you
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and we love you, too. "
00:12:29.08\00:12:30.55
And then when we ran
a campaign in that city
00:12:31.68\00:12:34.28
we were told: "It
won't work; it can't work.
00:12:34.58\00:12:36.85
Nobody's going to come. "
00:12:37.05\00:12:38.45
But we saw 2,530 people
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baptized in the Volga river.
And then a little bit later
00:12:44.36\00:12:47.93
we saw another 500 baptized.
00:12:48.20\00:12:50.20
But I want you to
know this, my friend,
00:12:50.60\00:12:52.67
in spite of Communism,
00:12:52.87\00:12:55.04
in spite of the
powers of darkness
00:12:55.34\00:12:58.57
nothing can destroy
the church of God. Amen!
00:12:58.77\00:13:01.71
And that's what I'm going to
talk to you folks about today.
00:13:01.88\00:13:04.25
And I want you to
take your Bibles please
00:13:04.65\00:13:06.85
to Matthew chapter 16.
00:13:07.05\00:13:08.92
The topic is: The Church,
00:13:09.22\00:13:12.95
the Keys, the Rock,
and the Gates of Hell.
00:13:13.25\00:13:17.23
And I'm just so glad to
welcome the television audience;
00:13:17.33\00:13:21.10
I'm just so glad that
you're joining us today.
00:13:21.40\00:13:24.37
We're going to turn over
here to the text which is
00:13:24.67\00:13:26.63
Matthew chapter 16 and
verses 13 through to 19.
00:13:26.84\00:13:32.57
Matthew chapter 16
and verses 13 and onwards.
00:13:32.77\00:13:37.81
And these are the words of God.
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The Bible says: Matthew
16 and verse 13 and onwards:
00:13:41.25\00:13:46.39
"When Jesus came to the
region of Caesarea-Philippi
00:13:46.59\00:13:50.39
He asked His disciples: 'Who do
people say the Son of Man is? '
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They replied: 'Some
say John the Baptist.
00:13:56.60\00:13:59.47
Others say Elijah
and still others Jeremiah
00:13:59.77\00:14:03.20
or one of the prophets. '
00:14:03.51\00:14:04.84
'But what about you? ' He asked.
00:14:05.04\00:14:07.98
'Who do you say that I am? '
00:14:08.01\00:14:09.98
Simon Peter answered:
'You are the Christ...
00:14:11.08\00:14:14.55
the Son of the Living God. '
00:14:14.75\00:14:17.19
Jesus replied:
'Blessed are you, Simon,
00:14:17.69\00:14:21.12
son of Jonah, for this
was not revealed to you by man
00:14:21.32\00:14:25.09
but by My Father in heaven.
00:14:25.39\00:14:27.20
And I tell you
that you are Peter.
00:14:27.40\00:14:30.33
And on this Rock I
will build My church
00:14:30.63\00:14:34.24
and the gates of Hades... ' or
hell... 'will not overcome it.
00:14:34.54\00:14:38.64
I will give you the keys
of the kingdom of heaven.
00:14:38.94\00:14:42.18
Whatever you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven;
00:14:42.48\00:14:45.61
whatever you loose on earth
will be loosed in heaven. ' "
00:14:45.95\00:14:48.82
What does it mean?
00:14:49.95\00:14:51.49
So we're going to talk
today about the church,
00:14:51.89\00:14:55.59
the keys, the Rock,
00:14:55.89\00:14:58.19
and the gates of hell.
00:14:59.23\00:15:01.46
And I want to say to
my American audience -
00:15:02.00\00:15:05.13
and you are a great audience.
You know that, don't you? -
00:15:05.33\00:15:08.14
I want to say to you today
from my heart to your heart
00:15:09.94\00:15:13.58
this message is pertinent
for our times - Amen! -
00:15:13.88\00:15:18.61
because right
now the Pope of Rome
00:15:19.08\00:15:22.88
is visiting the
United States of America.
00:15:23.08\00:15:26.22
He's been addressing Congress
00:15:26.65\00:15:29.22
and telling us how we
ought to run our country.
00:15:29.42\00:15:32.16
He's been telling
people what they ought to do,
00:15:33.19\00:15:36.20
and even our president
called him holy father...
00:15:36.63\00:15:40.80
because so many
people are greeting this man
00:15:42.40\00:15:46.88
as though he were God.
00:15:47.08\00:15:49.18
Holy father. But I want
you folks to know something:
00:15:51.45\00:15:56.12
there is only one Holy Father
and He is not on this earth!
00:15:56.32\00:16:00.92
Amen! We have one Holy Father
00:16:01.22\00:16:04.16
and He is in heaven. Amen!
00:16:04.43\00:16:07.13
And we have one High Priest and
that is Jesus Christ the Lord.
00:16:07.40\00:16:12.87
Amen! And so today
we're going to talk about
00:16:13.07\00:16:16.91
the church and the keys,
00:16:17.21\00:16:20.18
the Rock, and the gates of hell.
00:16:20.41\00:16:24.58
Now let's talk about
the church for a start.
00:16:26.58\00:16:31.52
The word church in the
Bible is the Greek word
00:16:31.75\00:16:35.42
ekklesia and it
means called out.
00:16:35.62\00:16:40.63
This term church in the Bible
00:16:41.80\00:16:43.93
never refers to a building.
00:16:44.13\00:16:47.94
Now you say:
"This is my church. "
00:16:49.60\00:16:53.01
But I want you to
know the church is never
00:16:53.34\00:16:57.45
never a building. The
church is the people of God
00:16:57.65\00:17:02.95
and the Bible says
that they are called out.
00:17:03.25\00:17:07.49
Now God had a church in the
city of Corinth. You know that?
00:17:10.26\00:17:13.43
And that was a city
with idolatry, immorality,
00:17:14.73\00:17:18.50
and sexual perversion.
00:17:18.80\00:17:21.27
And the church was called out.
00:17:21.47\00:17:23.61
God had a church in
the ancient city of Rome.
00:17:24.21\00:17:27.58
Rome... with its
politics and politicians.
00:17:28.11\00:17:32.25
Its extravagance; its
corruption; its cruelty;
00:17:32.45\00:17:36.28
and its depravity.
00:17:36.48\00:17:38.65
And God had a
people who were called out
00:17:39.05\00:17:41.89
of that disgraceful
condition in the world in Rome.
00:17:42.09\00:17:47.83
God had a church in Jerusalem.
00:17:49.30\00:17:51.57
And those people were
called out of Jerusalem
00:17:54.00\00:17:57.64
with its phony religion,
00:17:57.84\00:18:00.14
man-made rules, and
pontificating priests.
00:18:00.34\00:18:04.08
God had a church in
Jerusalem. They were called out.
00:18:05.71\00:18:08.98
Not a building.
00:18:09.18\00:18:10.75
And God has a
church in Los Angeles
00:18:13.32\00:18:16.09
with its shallowness,
its lying, its cheating,
00:18:17.46\00:18:21.86
and its sexual perversions.
00:18:22.16\00:18:24.40
With Hollywood and the pornog-
raphy and all of those things.
00:18:24.90\00:18:29.10
God has a church and
the church is called out.
00:18:29.50\00:18:33.41
And God has got a
church here today.
00:18:33.91\00:18:36.28
I'm talking to the church.
00:18:37.48\00:18:39.28
And the Bible tells me this.
Listen to this very carefully:
00:18:39.58\00:18:42.92
The church is
called out of the world
00:18:43.42\00:18:46.52
to live lives of holiness. Amen.
00:18:46.76\00:18:50.23
I want you to take your
Bibles. You've got them there.
00:18:50.56\00:18:52.86
Turn with me now
to Ephesians chapter 2
00:18:53.06\00:18:55.93
and verses 1 down to 10
00:18:56.23\00:18:57.90
to the words of Saint
Paul. Ephesians chapter 2
00:18:58.93\00:19:03.94
and verses 1 and onwards.
00:19:04.34\00:19:06.34
Ephesians chapter 2
and verse 1 and onwards.
00:19:06.64\00:19:10.58
The Bible says...
have you got that text?
00:19:10.78\00:19:12.91
Amen. I want you to
see it, dear friends.
00:19:13.11\00:19:15.02
Ephesians 2: "As for you...
00:19:15.12\00:19:19.15
you were dead in your
transgressions and sins... "
00:19:19.45\00:19:22.96
That's how we are
without Christ... dead.
00:19:23.46\00:19:26.39
"in which you used to
live when you followed the ways
00:19:26.93\00:19:30.27
of this world and the
ruler of the kingdom of the air:
00:19:30.37\00:19:33.77
the spirit who is now at work
in those who are disobedient. "
00:19:34.17\00:19:38.57
This is not
talking about the church.
00:19:38.97\00:19:41.04
This is talking about
people before they became a part
00:19:41.54\00:19:44.78
of the church.
00:19:44.88\00:19:46.72
"All of us also lived
among them at one time,
00:19:47.12\00:19:50.39
gratifying the
cravings of our sinful nature
00:19:50.69\00:19:56.16
and following its
desires and thoughts.
00:19:56.36\00:19:59.39
Like the rest, were were
by nature objects of wrath
00:20:00.03\00:20:05.13
but because of
His great love for us
00:20:05.53\00:20:08.54
God, who is rich in mercy,
00:20:08.74\00:20:11.21
made us alive in Christ Jesus. "
00:20:11.41\00:20:14.18
And the Bible tells
us: "Even when we were dead
00:20:15.48\00:20:18.91
in our transgressions it is
by grace you have been saved.
00:20:19.11\00:20:24.99
And God raised us up with
Christ and seated us with Him
00:20:26.25\00:20:30.53
in the heavenly
realms in Christ Jesus
00:20:30.73\00:20:33.23
in order that in the
coming ages He might show
00:20:33.66\00:20:37.73
the incomparable
riches of His grace
00:20:37.93\00:20:41.77
expressed in His
kindness to us in Christ Jesus
00:20:41.97\00:20:45.81
for it is by grace you
have been saved through faith
00:20:46.01\00:20:50.48
and this not from yourselves...
it is the gift of God. "
00:20:50.88\00:20:56.22
And so the church is
not called to depravity.
00:20:57.05\00:21:01.86
The church is not
called to a life of sin.
00:21:03.09\00:21:07.86
The Bible tells me
the very Greek word
00:21:08.23\00:21:11.63
tells me that the
church is called out.
00:21:11.83\00:21:14.94
And the church is called
out saved by grace for holiness.
00:21:15.60\00:21:21.58
Now there's something
else I want you to know.
00:21:23.41\00:21:25.48
There's a lot of things
I want you to know today.
00:21:25.68\00:21:27.52
But the true church of
Jesus Christ is color blind.
00:21:28.02\00:21:33.02
Um-hmm. In the
book of Revelation
00:21:34.62\00:21:37.83
it describes the church
that is called out. And it says
00:21:37.93\00:21:43.13
it is a church from every
kindred, from every nation,
00:21:43.53\00:21:49.04
every color.
00:21:49.34\00:21:50.84
And so the church, my
friend, abhors the sin
00:21:51.71\00:21:57.48
of racism. In God's church
00:21:57.78\00:22:02.72
you've got people from Mexico
00:22:03.05\00:22:06.89
and from England and France
00:22:07.29\00:22:11.69
and Russia and China
and El Salvador and Cuba
00:22:12.09\00:22:17.97
and Africa. From every nation.
00:22:18.27\00:22:21.80
From India, from America,
from Canada and from Chile.
00:22:22.00\00:22:27.24
God's got people in
the church who are white
00:22:28.14\00:22:33.11
and He's got people in
the church who are black.
00:22:33.42\00:22:37.19
And He's got people in
the church who are brown
00:22:37.49\00:22:40.92
and in God's eyes
they are all equal
00:22:41.06\00:22:44.89
because they've been
washed by the blood of Jesus.
00:22:45.19\00:22:47.66
Amen! Hallelujah!
00:22:47.96\00:22:49.26
Now I'm going to
tell you folks something.
00:22:51.33\00:22:53.67
You've gotta hear this through.
00:22:54.70\00:22:57.54
Don't get mad at me
until I've told the story.
00:22:57.91\00:23:01.24
OK? Don't...
don't presume anything.
00:23:01.54\00:23:04.85
But I want you
folks... here it starts now:
00:23:05.15\00:23:08.22
I want you folks to know
there'll be no white people
00:23:08.62\00:23:11.92
in heaven. Amen! I
want you folks to know
00:23:12.12\00:23:16.32
there'll be no
black people in heaven.
00:23:16.62\00:23:19.63
The only people who
are going to be in heaven
00:23:22.00\00:23:24.37
are red people because they're
under the red blood of Jesus.
00:23:24.57\00:23:28.64
Amen! Praise the Lord!
00:23:28.94\00:23:31.24
Praise the Lord! And so we're
talking today about the church
00:23:31.54\00:23:34.41
that is called out. And in
the church of God, my friend,
00:23:34.81\00:23:38.75
there are no hierarchies.
00:23:38.95\00:23:41.52
Oh now... there
are no hierarchies.
00:23:41.82\00:23:45.52
We don't have a
pope in our church.
00:23:46.76\00:23:49.66
And in the Bible
church there was no pope!
00:23:51.63\00:23:54.93
There are people who
say: "But don't you know that
00:23:55.30\00:23:57.90
Peter was the first
pope? " No I don't know.
00:23:57.93\00:24:01.57
Umm. Peter never went to Rome.
00:24:02.07\00:24:05.27
There is no evidence
that Peter ever went to Rome.
00:24:05.57\00:24:09.98
The church has got one
head. He is not in Rome;
00:24:10.28\00:24:14.65
He is not in Washington.
00:24:14.85\00:24:17.69
The head of the
church, my friend, is in heaven
00:24:20.06\00:24:24.33
and His name is Jesus. Amen!
00:24:24.49\00:24:27.50
Now I want you to come over...
You're such a great audience,
00:24:27.76\00:24:30.43
you know. You really get me...
00:24:30.63\00:24:31.97
you sort of stir
me up a little bit.
00:24:32.00\00:24:34.47
I don't know if I could
take too much of you folks.
00:24:35.07\00:24:38.04
I think you'd
sort of wear me out.
00:24:38.34\00:24:40.84
Umm... Now would you come
over here to Galatians chapter 3
00:24:41.78\00:24:45.21
verses 28 and 29.
00:24:45.41\00:24:47.08
And really I tell you:
you are a very good audience.
00:24:47.58\00:24:50.65
I wish the people
watching in Australia,
00:24:51.02\00:24:53.15
any other place, I wish
you could be here and meet
00:24:53.36\00:24:56.39
with these great people.
This is a great audience.
00:24:56.49\00:24:58.86
Galatians 3:28-29.
00:24:59.56\00:25:02.60
Turn to the text: Galatians 3.
Having a good time here today.
00:25:04.93\00:25:08.40
Galatians 3:28-29. You ready?
00:25:09.30\00:25:13.24
"There is neither Jew nor Greek,
00:25:13.48\00:25:17.55
slave nor free,
00:25:17.68\00:25:20.35
male nor female
00:25:20.65\00:25:24.45
for you are all
one in Christ Jesus. "
00:25:24.65\00:25:27.96
In God's church the Bible says
00:25:28.16\00:25:31.56
there are no men
and there are no women
00:25:31.86\00:25:36.30
but they are all
equal in the sight of God.
00:25:36.50\00:25:40.04
Amen! And so God doesn't
have any second-class citizens.
00:25:40.34\00:25:45.04
And I've got a feeling
that for a long, long time
00:25:45.77\00:25:50.11
in the church - not talking
about this church here...
00:25:50.31\00:25:54.55
I'm covering myself a little
00:25:54.75\00:25:56.18
I want you to
know... but for a long time
00:25:57.89\00:26:00.92
in God's church women have
been second-class citizens.
00:26:01.12\00:26:06.96
All right... all right!
00:26:07.13\00:26:08.73
Have they never heard
of the blessed virgin Mary
00:26:09.06\00:26:12.43
who gave us our Lord?
00:26:12.83\00:26:15.60
And the great
saints like Mary Magdalene?
00:26:15.80\00:26:20.08
So the church is called out.
00:26:24.18\00:26:25.85
Sometimes we don't
get quite out, do we?
00:26:26.05\00:26:28.32
We bring a lot
of baggage with us.
00:26:28.82\00:26:31.45
Racism. Chauvinism.
00:26:31.65\00:26:35.79
Um-hmm.
00:26:36.29\00:26:38.03
I can't tell much more
'cause I'm running out of words.
00:26:38.33\00:26:41.03
Now I want to... I want
you to know something else.
00:26:44.27\00:26:49.97
The church is not perfect.
00:26:50.17\00:26:51.54
It's not sinless.
00:26:52.74\00:26:54.34
When our blessed Lord in
Matthew 13 gave the parables
00:26:55.54\00:26:59.51
you know He talked about
the wise man who went out
00:26:59.81\00:27:03.85
and sowed the good seed.
00:27:04.05\00:27:05.65
You know the story.
00:27:06.05\00:27:07.39
And the enemy who went out
and who sowed the bad seed.
00:27:08.22\00:27:12.43
And after a little
while the kingdom of God was
00:27:14.83\00:27:18.53
filled with good
seed and bad seed.
00:27:18.73\00:27:22.57
And Jesus said: "Don't root
'em up; let 'em grow together
00:27:22.87\00:27:27.21
until the harvest. "
00:27:27.31\00:27:28.64
And Jesus said:
"That's My church. "
00:27:29.61\00:27:32.65
There was a person
looking for a perfect church.
00:27:34.78\00:27:38.45
Said: "When I
find the perfect church
00:27:38.75\00:27:41.09
I'm going to join
the perfect church. "
00:27:41.19\00:27:43.29
Somebody said: "Don't do
that because if you join it
00:27:43.53\00:27:46.36
it won't be
perfect any longer. "
00:27:46.56\00:27:48.53
Now folks, there
are no perfect people
00:27:49.76\00:27:52.70
except those who are perfect
in the righteousness of Christ
00:27:52.90\00:27:57.94
and that is the gift of God.
00:27:58.24\00:28:00.51
And so God has got a church
00:28:01.04\00:28:03.58
but don't expect that it's
going to be a perfect church.
00:28:03.78\00:28:09.28
Now we had a
person in our church
00:28:09.52\00:28:14.49
who we believe
had a prophetic gift.
00:28:14.69\00:28:17.36
And that person -
Ellen White - said this:
00:28:18.23\00:28:21.40
"The church today is
not the church triumphant;
00:28:21.70\00:28:26.00
it is the church militant. "
00:28:26.20\00:28:29.50
It's not the church triumphant.
00:28:31.54\00:28:33.61
We are a church
of... wait for this...
00:28:33.81\00:28:38.41
We are a church or
the church is a collection
00:28:38.61\00:28:42.72
of saved sinners.
00:28:43.02\00:28:46.39
And in Revelation chapter 11
it talks about the true church
00:28:47.26\00:28:52.03
clothed in sackcloth and ashes.
00:28:52.23\00:28:57.13
That's Revelation chapter 11.
00:28:57.43\00:28:59.03
The church clothed
in sackcloth and ashes.
00:28:59.23\00:29:03.44
The true church
talks about Jesus;
00:29:03.67\00:29:06.71
a cult talks about itself.
00:29:06.91\00:29:09.64
Did you get that? A cult is
always talking about itself.
00:29:11.98\00:29:15.88
How good we are. My friend,
00:29:16.18\00:29:19.22
the church is composed...
it is a called out company
00:29:19.62\00:29:24.36
of people who've been
washed in the blood of the Lamb
00:29:24.56\00:29:28.13
but they're still sinners
00:29:31.27\00:29:33.37
saved by grace.
00:29:33.67\00:29:37.01
Martin Luther said these words.
We're going to talk about it
00:29:37.21\00:29:39.57
tonight. Luther
said these words:
00:29:39.81\00:29:43.35
"A Christian... " Now
some of you will find this hard
00:29:43.55\00:29:46.65
to understand... but not
if you know your own heart.
00:29:46.75\00:29:49.25
"A Christian is always a sinner,
00:29:49.75\00:29:52.32
always a penitent,
always right with God. "
00:29:52.72\00:29:58.06
What does it mean? A
Christian is always a sinner.
00:29:58.26\00:30:01.93
Does it mean he's
going out and stealing?
00:30:02.13\00:30:04.13
Committing
adultery? No, no, no, no, no.
00:30:04.47\00:30:08.40
But in our hearts we
know that we are stumbling
00:30:11.01\00:30:15.34
and falling and rising again.
00:30:15.54\00:30:18.18
We know that all have sinned
and continue to fall short
00:30:18.38\00:30:23.49
of the glory of God. If
you know your own heart,
00:30:23.69\00:30:28.06
you won't be so hard
on the people in the pews.
00:30:28.26\00:30:32.93
Or your spouse.
00:30:34.93\00:30:36.80
Or your children.
00:30:37.10\00:30:38.73
A Pharisee makes the
worst father or mother
00:30:39.83\00:30:43.34
because as I mentioned
last night he's got the religion
00:30:44.67\00:30:48.04
of do, do, do...
cock-a-doodle do.
00:30:48.24\00:30:50.48
You've got to
do, do, do, do, do.
00:30:51.01\00:30:52.91
And that's how we drive people
out of the kingdom of God.
00:30:53.21\00:30:55.72
You know, as the poet
said: "I would not work my soul
00:30:58.09\00:31:02.22
to save for this
my Lord has done.
00:31:02.42\00:31:05.76
But I would work like any slave
00:31:05.96\00:31:07.93
for the love of
God's dear Son. "
00:31:08.10\00:31:10.07
So I'm not saved by my works.
00:31:11.17\00:31:13.40
I'm saved by Christ's works.
00:31:13.60\00:31:16.04
And so the church
members recognize that they are
00:31:16.34\00:31:20.04
a company of penitent sinners.
00:31:20.24\00:31:23.85
Now... the Rock.
00:31:25.28\00:31:29.18
Now if you go and talk
to the Pope, he'll tell you
00:31:31.02\00:31:34.16
that the church
was built upon Peter.
00:31:34.59\00:31:37.59
The Pope is wrong! Um-hmm.
00:31:37.89\00:31:42.43
You say: "You know more
about the Bible than the pope? "
00:31:42.86\00:31:45.23
Yes I do.
00:31:45.43\00:31:47.10
Yes I do.
00:31:47.44\00:31:49.04
Of course I do.
00:31:49.24\00:31:50.57
Is this pride? No!
00:31:54.28\00:31:56.88
I know what the Bible teaches.
00:31:57.48\00:31:59.55
I don't think he does.
00:31:59.95\00:32:01.75
When Francis was made the Pope
00:32:04.29\00:32:07.29
they whispered to him...
they pronounced to him...
00:32:07.59\00:32:10.23
"Thou art Peter. "
00:32:10.43\00:32:13.40
And that is why this
man is being received
00:32:13.90\00:32:18.50
almost like God
00:32:18.70\00:32:21.74
by the Americans
00:32:22.60\00:32:25.11
who once were brought
up to believe the Bible.
00:32:25.61\00:32:28.91
But most of them know nothing
any more about the Bible.
00:32:29.21\00:32:33.18
Nothing!
00:32:33.45\00:32:34.95
"I say unto you that you
are Peter, and on this Rock
00:32:42.19\00:32:46.16
I will build My church. "
00:32:46.46\00:32:48.06
This is a great text for our
beloved Roman Catholic friends.
00:32:48.26\00:32:51.87
Let us make it very plain:
we love the Roman Catholics.
00:32:52.07\00:32:56.54
We love the
Roman Catholic church.
00:32:56.74\00:32:58.54
We love the Pope,
but we reserve the right
00:32:58.74\00:33:02.71
to preach the Bible
and say what we believe.
00:33:03.01\00:33:06.31
This is still America. Amen!
00:33:06.61\00:33:11.19
And there are some
who would take from you
00:33:11.62\00:33:14.99
the precious gift
of freedom of speech
00:33:15.19\00:33:18.13
and freedom of religion.
00:33:18.33\00:33:20.90
So who is this Rock?
00:33:24.50\00:33:26.63
Would you come in your Bibles
00:33:26.94\00:33:29.77
to Deuteronomy. And
if the Pope is watching
00:33:29.97\00:33:33.34
I'd like you, Francis, to
please go and get your Bible.
00:33:37.61\00:33:42.58
And if you don't have
one, write to me, John Carter,
00:33:44.82\00:33:47.76
P.O. Box 1900,
Thousand Oaks, CA,
00:33:47.96\00:33:50.49
and we will send you a Bible.
00:33:50.69\00:33:52.53
It's OK to laugh
in church, folks.
00:33:56.33\00:33:58.07
You know that? All right?
00:33:58.27\00:34:00.04
Deuteronomy 32:4.
00:34:01.37\00:34:03.71
He is the Rock. Deuteronomy.
00:34:03.91\00:34:07.18
Written by Moses,
the servant of God.
00:34:07.48\00:34:10.35
Deuteronomy.
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
00:34:11.68\00:34:14.52
Numbers, Deuteronomy.
00:34:14.72\00:34:16.28
The fifth book
of the Pentateuch.
00:34:16.79\00:34:18.95
"He is the Rock.
His works are perfect
00:34:20.66\00:34:24.39
and all His ways are just.
00:34:24.59\00:34:26.93
A faithful God who does
no wrong; upright and just
00:34:27.13\00:34:30.83
is He. " HE is the Rock.
00:34:30.97\00:34:33.40
God is the Rock. If you
read through the Old Testament
00:34:33.70\00:34:36.97
text after text it says
that God, the Almighty God
00:34:37.17\00:34:42.28
who made us, is the
Rock. He is the Rock of Ages.
00:34:42.38\00:34:45.25
Would you come over now
to I Corinthians chapter 10
00:34:45.55\00:34:47.72
and verse 3.
00:34:47.82\00:34:49.15
I Corinthians 10:3.
00:34:49.45\00:34:54.86
I Corinthians
chapter 10 and verse 3.
00:34:55.16\00:34:59.46
Some folks coming in.
We welcome them coming in.
00:34:59.76\00:35:02.26
Haven't they missed out on
a lot of good stuff, though?
00:35:02.56\00:35:05.07
Boy! We've been
having such a good time.
00:35:05.37\00:35:07.74
Don't tell them what
you've heard, though.
00:35:08.04\00:35:10.51
I Corinthians
chapter 10 and verse 3.
00:35:11.07\00:35:13.61
You folks ready to go?
00:35:13.81\00:35:15.64
"They all ate the
same spiritual food
00:35:15.94\00:35:19.01
and drank the
same spiritual drink
00:35:19.21\00:35:21.75
for they drank from the
spiritual Rock that accompanied
00:35:22.05\00:35:25.32
them and said: 'And
that Rock was Christ. ' "
00:35:25.52\00:35:30.03
Amen! Listen:
Christ is the Rock.
00:35:30.73\00:35:34.86
There's no other foundation
laid than that which is laid
00:35:36.20\00:35:39.63
which is Jesus Christ.
00:35:39.93\00:35:42.40
Christ is the Rock.
00:35:43.67\00:35:45.07
That was the teaching
of the Protestant reformers
00:35:45.27\00:35:48.78
who believed in sola Christus:
00:35:48.98\00:35:51.28
only Christ.
00:35:51.78\00:35:53.58
We have a High Priest.
00:35:55.62\00:35:57.69
We confess our sins
to our Priest every day.
00:35:58.59\00:36:01.82
Our Priest is Christ. Amen!
Sola Christus, sola scriptura.
00:36:02.12\00:36:06.86
Not the writings of the church.
00:36:07.23\00:36:09.80
Not the deliberations
of the church councils.
00:36:10.30\00:36:14.17
But this is the truth.
00:36:15.20\00:36:19.07
This is our guiding star.
00:36:19.37\00:36:21.94
This is our wisdom.
00:36:22.24\00:36:25.18
This is our authority: sola
scriptura... only scripture.
00:36:25.48\00:36:30.32
Sola gratia... only grace.
We're not saved by our works.
00:36:31.19\00:36:35.06
Sola gratia. Sola
fide... only faith.
00:36:35.39\00:36:38.16
That is the battle cry of
the Protestant Reformation.
00:36:38.66\00:36:43.10
Did you know that
sometimes I show a movie
00:36:45.97\00:36:49.80
on Martin Luther. And
many of the people who come
00:36:50.11\00:36:54.78
they say: "Wasn't he
the black man who was killed
00:36:54.98\00:36:58.71
in America? "
00:36:58.81\00:37:00.85
No! This is what people...
00:37:03.62\00:37:05.62
Most people today
have never heard of him!
00:37:05.85\00:37:08.32
There would have been no America
except for the Protestant
00:37:08.62\00:37:13.09
Reformation! Amen! Um-hmm.
00:37:13.29\00:37:16.33
Now Peter said...
Peter's confession:
00:37:19.43\00:37:22.87
"You are the Christ,
the Son of the Living God. "
00:37:23.17\00:37:27.38
It is upon that great
truth that the church is built.
00:37:28.41\00:37:33.08
Now listen to this: if
you want to know the truth,
00:37:33.42\00:37:36.28
and once again I hope
Pope Francis is watching today,
00:37:37.32\00:37:40.99
want to welcome you today...
00:37:41.39\00:37:43.83
Listen... listen to this:
00:37:44.86\00:37:47.20
The Bible tells me that when
you die you sleep in the grave
00:37:49.76\00:37:53.30
unconscious until
the resurrection. Amen!
00:37:53.50\00:37:56.34
The blessed virgin Mary... a
lot of people disagree with me
00:37:56.57\00:37:59.11
on this, but that's OK...
They have the right to be wrong.
00:37:59.31\00:38:01.78
But... but listen to me:
00:38:02.28\00:38:05.25
the Bible teaches that when
a person dies he sleeps in the
00:38:05.65\00:38:09.18
grave until the resurrection.
00:38:09.28\00:38:10.92
The blessed virgin
Mary is not in heaven.
00:38:11.09\00:38:13.89
The great saint
Paul is not in heaven.
00:38:14.19\00:38:18.69
The great saint
Peter is not in heaven.
00:38:19.09\00:38:22.26
They are waiting
the resurrection. Amen!
00:38:22.56\00:38:25.77
You hear what I'm saying? Yes!
00:38:25.90\00:38:28.37
Now, if the church
is built upon Peter
00:38:29.07\00:38:32.27
it is built upon a dead man.
00:38:32.47\00:38:35.58
I want you to know this:
00:38:38.21\00:38:40.62
a spiritually dead
church is built upon a dead man.
00:38:41.82\00:38:47.26
The false church is
built upon a dead man
00:38:47.99\00:38:51.86
but the true church is
built upon a living Christ!
00:38:52.06\00:38:56.36
Hallelujah! Amen!
00:38:56.67\00:38:58.70
The true church is
built not upon Peter;
00:38:59.10\00:39:03.30
it is built upon the Rock
00:39:03.64\00:39:06.71
and that Rock is Christ.
00:39:07.24\00:39:08.94
Therefore we look not
to man... however mighty...
00:39:11.01\00:39:17.02
but we look only to Christ.
00:39:17.32\00:39:21.29
We do not fall
down before any pontiff
00:39:21.59\00:39:24.99
and kiss his ring.
00:39:25.39\00:39:27.36
We fall down at the feet
00:39:30.30\00:39:33.74
of the Man whose hands
were pierced for you and me.
00:39:33.94\00:39:39.51
Yes! The church
has one foundation:
00:39:39.91\00:39:42.81
tis Jesus Christ her Lord.
00:39:43.21\00:39:45.68
She is His new creation
00:39:46.72\00:39:48.62
through water by the Word.
00:39:48.92\00:39:50.29
From heaven He
came and sought her
00:39:51.52\00:39:54.06
to be His holy bride.
00:39:54.42\00:39:56.29
With His own blood He bought her
00:39:57.63\00:40:00.00
and for her life He died.
00:40:00.90\00:40:03.00
The keys. "I give unto
you the keys of the kingdom. "
00:40:04.23\00:40:09.54
The keys. The Pope
teaches that this represents
00:40:09.97\00:40:15.91
some supernatural mystical power
00:40:16.11\00:40:19.21
and he can shut some
people out and let others in.
00:40:19.71\00:40:22.62
I would imagine after this
sermon today I'll probably be
00:40:23.22\00:40:26.09
shut out.
00:40:26.19\00:40:27.66
And millions have been
held in the fear of superstition
00:40:32.36\00:40:37.90
all their lives.
"Unless I forgive your sins
00:40:38.10\00:40:42.50
you will be shut out
and confined to hell! "
00:40:42.70\00:40:45.97
That doctrine is called
in scripture "the abomination
00:40:49.21\00:40:53.65
of desolation. "
00:40:53.85\00:40:55.45
What are the keys that
unlock the doors of paradise?
00:40:56.82\00:41:01.26
Would you come with
me to Luke 11 verse 52
00:41:01.86\00:41:04.56
to the words of
our blessed Lord.
00:41:07.13\00:41:10.57
We're turning to Luke chapter 11
00:41:13.13\00:41:18.64
in the holy Bible.
This is our authority.
00:41:19.97\00:41:24.58
Not some hierarchy... no.
00:41:24.98\00:41:28.08
Luke 11 verse 52.
00:41:28.38\00:41:30.55
Jesus, our blessed Lord,
said to the religious leaders
00:41:30.65\00:41:35.66
of His day these words:
00:41:35.86\00:41:38.13
"Woe to you experts in the law
00:41:38.43\00:41:41.03
because you have taken
away the key to knowledge.
00:41:41.53\00:41:46.80
Ye yourselves have not entered
and you have hindered those
00:41:48.20\00:41:52.01
who were entering. "
00:41:52.21\00:41:54.01
The knowledge... the key.
00:41:54.38\00:41:59.81
The keys of the kingdom: the
knowledge of the Word of God.
00:42:00.22\00:42:03.59
The knowledge of scripture.
00:42:04.75\00:42:07.46
The religious leaders
took it away from the people.
00:42:07.76\00:42:11.13
They would not go in themselves
00:42:11.43\00:42:13.80
and they stopped all
those who wanted to go in.
00:42:14.00\00:42:16.77
Jesus said: "Woe unto you. "
00:42:17.17\00:42:19.47
The keys. God gave to the church
00:42:21.14\00:42:25.57
the power to open
the gates of paradise
00:42:25.77\00:42:30.45
through the
preaching of the Word of God
00:42:30.85\00:42:34.82
and the gospel of Christ.
00:42:35.02\00:42:37.35
When I was a boy
going to Avondale College
00:42:40.06\00:42:43.59
I was 17 years of age
00:42:43.89\00:42:46.26
and there came a man.
He was a British preacher
00:42:46.86\00:42:51.60
and he preached in
the chapel for a week.
00:42:51.90\00:42:54.77
And one day he spoke
about the God-filled blank.
00:42:56.04\00:43:00.28
And he said: "In the heart
of every person there is a blank
00:43:00.78\00:43:04.85
and only God can fill it. "
00:43:05.05\00:43:06.65
I think he quoted the words
of the great Roman Catholic
00:43:08.25\00:43:11.42
theologian Saint Augustin.
00:43:11.72\00:43:14.32
And Saint Augustin or St.
Augustine said these words:
00:43:14.72\00:43:18.19
"Our souls were made for God
00:43:18.39\00:43:20.96
and they cannot rest
until they rest in Him. "
00:43:21.26\00:43:23.83
There's an emptiness inside you
00:43:25.10\00:43:27.60
if you don't have
Christ in your heart.
00:43:27.80\00:43:29.77
And you can try to
fill it up with everything.
00:43:30.51\00:43:32.54
You can try to fill it up
with illicit sex and drugs
00:43:32.74\00:43:36.81
and television.
00:43:37.01\00:43:39.58
Preach it now! I'm
trying to, ma'am...
00:43:40.88\00:43:42.75
I'm trying hard.
00:43:42.85\00:43:44.49
You folks watching this program,
you don't know what's really
00:43:46.72\00:43:49.72
going on here. But we're
just having a great time here.
00:43:49.82\00:43:54.20
We're having a little
talking back and forth here.
00:43:54.36\00:43:56.30
Now that lady who's there:
I'd take her with me anywhere.
00:43:57.97\00:44:01.44
You know, I'd put her on
my team just to have a comic.
00:44:02.80\00:44:06.44
You know what's happened?
00:44:10.65\00:44:11.98
I've forgotten what I
was going to tell you.
00:44:12.01\00:44:13.42
I now remember
it... I now remember.
00:44:13.92\00:44:16.08
I sat in that chapel.
I was a lost young boy.
00:44:16.28\00:44:20.46
And as that man
told me about Christ...
00:44:22.52\00:44:25.33
that God came down and
in the person of Christ
00:44:25.63\00:44:29.60
lived among us and was nailed
to the cross for our sins...
00:44:29.90\00:44:33.80
When he told me that
for the guilt of our sins
00:44:35.27\00:44:38.71
the nails drove in
when Him they crucified
00:44:39.01\00:44:42.28
it broke my heart.
00:44:42.48\00:44:44.21
I went about for days in a daze.
00:44:47.58\00:44:51.99
I would walk around the
campus of dear Avondale College
00:44:52.82\00:44:57.09
and I did not
know where I was going
00:44:57.39\00:45:00.13
because I was caught up
almost to the third heaven.
00:45:00.53\00:45:04.60
I'd seen a vision of
the King in all His glory
00:45:05.93\00:45:08.70
and my soul cried out:
"Glory, glory, glory. "
00:45:09.20\00:45:12.47
Amen! The birds
were singing sweeter.
00:45:12.51\00:45:16.61
They were... um-hmm.
00:45:16.95\00:45:18.81
The sky was bluer.
00:45:19.11\00:45:22.02
People were nicer... kinder.
00:45:22.52\00:45:27.89
They hadn't changed but
I had because I had seen
00:45:29.52\00:45:34.00
Christ on the cross. Amen.
00:45:34.20\00:45:35.86
That man had opened
the gates of paradise.
00:45:36.06\00:45:39.30
He'd put the key in the
door and he had turned the lock
00:45:39.50\00:45:44.17
and a door had opened up
and a sinner had come home.
00:45:44.44\00:45:48.51
The most important
work for the church...
00:45:50.75\00:45:54.08
listen to this... is not
to have committee meetings.
00:45:54.48\00:45:58.39
As you go around the world
00:46:00.69\00:46:02.62
how many monuments, pray tell
me, do you find to committees?
00:46:02.82\00:46:06.63
You don't.
00:46:08.86\00:46:10.67
Now committees on occasions
may do some good things...
00:46:12.47\00:46:15.20
on occasions.
00:46:15.50\00:46:16.84
But the work of the church
is not to talk and deliberate.
00:46:17.87\00:46:21.58
The work of the church is
to preach the gospel. Amen!
00:46:21.98\00:46:26.31
People say to me:
"Why do you keep going? "
00:46:26.61\00:46:28.35
Because there are two
things that a minister can't do:
00:46:28.75\00:46:31.39
he can't tell lies
and he can't retire!
00:46:31.59\00:46:34.86
That's what H.M.S. Richards said
00:46:37.03\00:46:38.93
my American friends.
00:46:39.13\00:46:40.60
And so God gave to the
church the awesome power
00:46:43.33\00:46:46.27
to save souls.
They are the keys.
00:46:46.47\00:46:50.17
Not some words of
gibberish spoken by some
00:46:50.47\00:46:55.21
religious cleric
to terrify people
00:46:55.41\00:46:59.78
that the church has got some
power to throw them into hell
00:46:59.88\00:47:03.18
or not. It is the
gospel of the Son of God.
00:47:03.28\00:47:09.19
It is the blood of Christ.
00:47:09.69\00:47:12.16
The greatest honor
that I have ever had,
00:47:16.77\00:47:19.47
the greatest privilege,
the greatest responsibility
00:47:20.84\00:47:24.11
the greatest authority is
the preaching of the gospel
00:47:24.67\00:47:28.84
of Christ and saving souls.
00:47:29.04\00:47:32.01
"I give unto you the
keys of the kingdom. "
00:47:32.21\00:47:34.65
The gates of
hell... what does it mean?
00:47:39.95\00:47:42.72
Come to Matthew
16 verse 18 again.
00:47:43.02\00:47:45.73
Matthew chapter 16 and verse 18.
00:47:47.93\00:47:52.90
What a passage of scripture!
00:47:53.10\00:47:54.67
Matthew 16 and verse 18.
00:47:55.94\00:47:58.37
"And I tell you that you
are Peter... " a little rock.
00:48:00.44\00:48:04.01
A little rolling pebble.
00:48:04.41\00:48:06.61
"And on this Rock...
" The Rock of Ages...
00:48:07.95\00:48:10.82
I will build My church.
00:48:11.92\00:48:14.69
And the gates of
hell... " The gates of Hades...
00:48:15.99\00:48:19.66
"will not overcome it. "
00:48:19.86\00:48:22.30
Now I'm reading
to you from the NIV.
00:48:23.57\00:48:26.20
The KJV says in a
very beautiful way
00:48:27.44\00:48:30.51
"the gates of hell.
" This translation says
00:48:30.74\00:48:35.04
more accurately
"the gates of Hades. "
00:48:35.24\00:48:39.35
Now Hades was believed by
the contemporaries of Christ
00:48:40.72\00:48:46.42
to be the abode of the dead.
00:48:46.76\00:48:49.79
When you read in the gospel of
Luke - I think it's chapter 16-
00:48:50.99\00:48:55.10
you read there of
the rich man and Lazarus
00:48:55.30\00:48:58.67
and how the rich man
went down into Hades.
00:49:00.07\00:49:04.04
It was a story that was believed
by the people back there
00:49:05.71\00:49:10.88
that there was a great expanse
00:49:11.08\00:49:14.65
where the dead lived.
00:49:16.58\00:49:18.75
Now Jesus says "the gates. "
00:49:21.92\00:49:27.86
This is very
interesting: the gates of Hades
00:49:28.03\00:49:33.54
are the gates of the grave.
00:49:33.84\00:49:36.71
The gates right at
the very commencement
00:49:36.81\00:49:41.21
of the vast abode of the dead.
00:49:41.41\00:49:44.25
Did you know that
the ancients believed
00:49:45.71\00:49:50.69
that was where the demons met?
00:49:50.89\00:49:53.09
Because in ancient cities -
and this is not speculation -
00:49:54.09\00:49:58.59
the elders of the
city would go to the gates
00:49:58.89\00:50:02.36
and they would talk and deliber-
ate and do their business deals.
00:50:02.56\00:50:06.60
They would also do
their scheming at the gates
00:50:08.44\00:50:13.11
of the city.
00:50:13.24\00:50:14.78
Now Jesus here is picturing
00:50:16.51\00:50:19.65
in His divine mind
00:50:21.38\00:50:24.25
the hoards of
demons led by Lucifer
00:50:24.62\00:50:28.02
sitting at the gates of death.
00:50:28.22\00:50:30.23
You know, in the
book of Hebrews it says
00:50:32.19\00:50:34.73
that this great demon -
Satan - has the power of death.
00:50:34.93\00:50:39.57
It says that in Hebrews.
00:50:39.97\00:50:41.80
The power over death.
00:50:42.10\00:50:44.07
But Jesus is saying: "I don't
care what the devil does. "
00:50:45.37\00:50:50.51
Because there's a real devil.
I don't care what the demons do.
00:50:50.71\00:50:55.62
I don't care what
their machinations are.
00:50:55.92\00:50:59.39
I don't care what
politicians even do here in the
00:50:59.69\00:51:05.39
United States of America
to insult God to His face.
00:51:05.49\00:51:09.50
I don't care that they
can throw the law of God
00:51:10.03\00:51:15.14
and the law of
marriage down into the gutter.
00:51:15.34\00:51:18.11
I don't care what these
people do. They may think
00:51:19.64\00:51:23.91
they are going to succeed
00:51:24.11\00:51:26.11
but nothing can
overthrow the church of God.
00:51:27.38\00:51:30.99
Amen! The gates of
hell shall not prevail.
00:51:31.29\00:51:36.79
I want you to know this, and
when you're having a bad day:
00:51:42.76\00:51:47.47
the gates of Hades - the grave -
00:51:50.84\00:51:55.64
shall have no
power over God's children
00:51:55.94\00:51:58.75
because Jesus
Christ conquered death
00:51:58.98\00:52:02.78
and He is Lord of all. Amen!
00:52:02.98\00:52:07.36
Amen! I want you to know that.
00:52:07.66\00:52:09.82
I believe in the
reality of the resurrection.
00:52:11.16\00:52:15.26
I don't believe in what
the great Oxford atheist and
00:52:16.67\00:52:21.20
antagonist says:
that this is just a fable
00:52:21.40\00:52:24.87
and a made-up story.
00:52:25.27\00:52:28.41
I believe that Jesus
Christ died on the cross.
00:52:29.41\00:52:33.62
I believe it is history.
00:52:33.82\00:52:35.25
I don't believe it
because it makes me feel good.
00:52:35.75\00:52:38.72
My faith is not
built upon fables.
00:52:40.42\00:52:44.66
My faith is
built upon the truth.
00:52:44.96\00:52:47.76
I believe it is the truth
that Christ lived among us.
00:52:49.46\00:52:53.37
Even Dawkins says:
"Yes, there was a Jesus. "
00:52:53.67\00:52:56.84
And on the Sunday the
unbeliever has a problem
00:52:59.11\00:53:03.38
if he doesn't want to
believe in the resurrection.
00:53:03.58\00:53:05.98
And he must ask the
question and answer the question
00:53:06.28\00:53:08.98
"What happened to the body? "
00:53:09.28\00:53:11.02
Think this through: what
happened to the body of Christ
00:53:13.36\00:53:15.99
if He were not raised?
00:53:16.73\00:53:18.73
There are three possibilities.
00:53:19.13\00:53:21.13
The Jews took the body.
00:53:22.20\00:53:23.93
But if the Jews had the
body why didn't they produce it
00:53:25.50\00:53:29.34
and destroy the church?
00:53:29.74\00:53:31.54
The best way to
kill the Christian church
00:53:31.84\00:53:34.24
is with a dead Christ.
00:53:34.38\00:53:36.31
The second possibility is that
the Roman soldiers got the body.
00:53:37.41\00:53:41.92
But the Romans were
the great antagonists
00:53:43.55\00:53:47.42
of the Christian church. They
too, like the Jews, would have
00:53:47.62\00:53:50.79
finished off the church
forever by producing a dead,
00:53:51.06\00:53:54.66
decaying Christ.
00:53:54.76\00:53:56.60
The third possibility is that
the disciples stormed the tomb,
00:53:58.60\00:54:04.11
attacked the Roman
soldiers, overcame them,
00:54:05.47\00:54:08.51
and got the body.
00:54:08.71\00:54:10.48
Nobody in his right mind
would believe that nonsense.
00:54:11.95\00:54:15.55
But there is another possibility
we have not discussed
00:54:16.62\00:54:19.85
and that is this: that the
body was nowhere to be found
00:54:20.06\00:54:22.82
because the body was
raised from the dead.
00:54:23.06\00:54:26.36
Amen! And the body
is safe home in glory.
00:54:26.70\00:54:29.13
Now years ago when I
conducted a great campaign
00:54:32.80\00:54:37.21
in Nizhny Novgorod we
had a magnificent choir.
00:54:37.31\00:54:41.71
It was led by a most beautiful
girl whose name was Anna
00:54:42.01\00:54:45.75
with long black hair.
00:54:46.05\00:54:47.58
And when I went back to Russia
six months after the campaign
00:54:49.92\00:54:52.59
to see how the people were doing
00:54:52.79\00:54:54.36
I was asked to go to the
hospital on a very cold, cold,
00:54:54.76\00:54:58.89
cold day and visit
Anna because Anna was dying.
00:54:59.09\00:55:03.13
Anna had just given
birth to two little girls.
00:55:03.67\00:55:07.04
One had lived. Her name
was Anna... the little baby.
00:55:07.54\00:55:10.91
But one little
baby girl had died.
00:55:11.27\00:55:14.18
I went into that ward
in that Russian hospital
00:55:15.38\00:55:17.88
and I discovered that
she could have been saved
00:55:18.08\00:55:21.55
for $5 worth of
drugs... which none of us had.
00:55:21.75\00:55:26.52
I held her hand as she died.
00:55:26.96\00:55:30.43
I buried her, as my Russian
brethren and sisters had dug
00:55:31.59\00:55:35.50
a hole in the hard, hard earth.
00:55:35.60\00:55:38.73
She was buried in a
cardboard box because
00:55:40.24\00:55:42.74
they had nothing else.
00:55:42.84\00:55:44.57
They painted flowers
on the side of the box.
00:55:44.87\00:55:47.54
I stood there in
this Russian cemetery
00:55:47.84\00:55:50.25
as the wind
moaned through the trees
00:55:50.45\00:55:53.48
and the church sang hymns.
00:55:53.88\00:55:56.45
Now a large
church. They sang hymns
00:55:56.75\00:56:00.39
and we talked about Christ
00:56:00.69\00:56:03.19
and that Christ is alive
00:56:03.49\00:56:05.79
and that Anna will live again.
00:56:07.13\00:56:09.73
She was buried with
her little baby girl...
00:56:10.07\00:56:12.67
holding her.
00:56:12.97\00:56:14.40
I told the people:
"This is not the end. "
00:56:14.90\00:56:17.94
Because Jesus said:
00:56:20.98\00:56:23.28
"You are Peter, and on this Rock
00:56:24.38\00:56:27.68
I will build My church
00:56:27.98\00:56:30.19
and the gates of hell
00:56:30.72\00:56:34.19
will not prevail against it. "
00:56:34.49\00:56:36.96
Amen and amen.
00:56:40.96\00:56:44.80
Let me bring you
to God in prayer.
00:56:45.20\00:56:47.10
Would you please bow your heads?
00:56:47.40\00:56:48.74
Oh my Father, we thank
you that the true church
00:56:50.77\00:56:55.38
of the Living God
is not built upon a man
00:56:55.58\00:56:58.45
or a dead saint.
00:56:59.85\00:57:01.98
But the true church is
built upon the living Christ.
00:57:02.48\00:57:06.15
And because He
lives we, too, shall live.
00:57:06.35\00:57:08.89
We thank you that God has
given to the church the keys -
00:57:10.29\00:57:13.53
the gospel - and today,
our Father, we accept Christ
00:57:13.73\00:57:18.23
as our Lord and our Savior.
00:57:18.33\00:57:20.24
And we do this in
Jesus' precious name,
00:57:20.54\00:57:25.47
Amen and amen
and thank you Jesus.
00:57:25.77\00:57:31.18