Good evening friends
and welcome to another
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evening here at
the 3ABN Worship Center
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in Thompsonville/
West Frankfort, Illinois.
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If you've been here before
you know that both of those
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major cities are
just a few feet away
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and you know they are not major
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by any stretch
of the imagination.
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One city has 600 people.
The other has maybe a little
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over 3,000 or under 4,000.
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But nonetheless we
know that the Lord inhabits
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the presence of 2
or 3. What do you say?
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Amen! And tonight we know that
the Lord is going to be here.
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He has been. Camp
Meeting began yesterday.
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Today has been a
wonderful blessing
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with the various
messages from our presenters.
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Shelley Quinn spoke
today. Pastor John Carter also
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this morning. And tonight he's
going to bring another message
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to us entitled Good,
Glad, and Merry Tidings.
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You know, no matter
how bad the world gets
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the gospel is always good
news. What do you say? Amen!
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And tonight we're going to
be blessed by that wonderful
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message. If you are within the
driving vicinity of southern IL,
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maybe Carbondale or closer
or even if you're in Kentucky
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tomorrow's going to be a
wonderful day filled with
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spiritual food that God is
preparing even now to bless
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our hearts and we
encourage you to come
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to the biggest
little city in the world.
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At least I believe
that. That's why a New Yorker
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is living in southern Illinois.
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Tonight we're going to be
blessed by two of my favorite
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singers. You know,
I've gotten to know them
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not only as singers but
individuals... people whose
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hearts are
genuine. They love the Lord
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and they have surely
dedicated their lives.
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They could have been making
millions in the secular world
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but they have dedicated their
lives to uplifting the name of
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Jesus. And the reason is clear.
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The song they are singing
communicates what they believe
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in their lives:
Great is Thy Faithfulness.
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Reggie and Ladye, come
and bless us at this time.
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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O God my Father.
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There is no shadow
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of turning with Thee.
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Thou changest not,
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Thy
compassions... they fail not.
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As Thou hast been
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Thou forever will be.
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Great is Thy faithfulness!
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Great is Thy faithfulness!
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Morning by morning
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new mercies I see.
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And all I have needed
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Thy hand hath
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provided.
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So great is Thy
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faithfulness
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Lord
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unto
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me.
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Summer and winter
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and springtime and harvest.
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And sun, moon, and stars
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in their courses above
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join with all nature
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in manifold witness
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to Thy great faithfulness,
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mercy, and love.
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Great is Thy faithfulness!
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Great is Thy faithfulness!
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Morning by morning
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new mercies I see.
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All I have needed
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Thy hand hath
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provided.
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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Lord unto me.
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Great is Thy faithfulness!
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Great is Thy faithfulness!
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Morning by morning
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new mercies I see.
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And all I have needed
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Thy hand hath provided.
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Great is Thy faithfulness!
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Great is Thy faithfulness!
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Great is Thy
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faithfulness
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Lord
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unto
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me.
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Amen!
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Reggie and Ladye Love.
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What beautiful music,
dear friends. Amen! Um-hmm.
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And now nice to see you tonight.
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The topic is... Well
thank you. Somebody said
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it's good to see me.
Thank you... that's nice.
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That's nice.
The topic tonight is
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Good, Glad, and Merry Tidings
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that makes a man's
heart to sing for joy
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and his feet to dance.
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Do you know who said that?
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Tyndale, the
great British reformer,
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who was one of the
people who gave us our Bible.
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And he was referring
to the book of Romans.
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It was the book of
Romans that got the church
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out of the Dark Ages
and gave birth to the great
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Protestant Reformation.
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I would suggest to you
tonight, my dear friend,
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if there had
been no book of Romans
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there would have
been no Reformation
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and there would
have been no America,
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no freedom, and none
of the great democracies.
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And therefore Tyndale
when he read this book he said
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"it is good, glad,
and merry tidings. "
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It was written
in the days of Rome
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and the Roman Empire:
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the world superpower.
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And God sent a
message to the church in Rome
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and I would
suggest to you, my friend,
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it is the most
ignored book in the Bible.
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I'll say it again:
it is the most ignored
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book in the Bible by Christians
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and Seventh-day
Adventist Christians...
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and yet this is the key to
the preaching of the gospel
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and the salvation of
souls in the last days.
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He sent this
message to the Roman church.
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It was a city, my
friend, of many contrasts.
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Rome was powerful, wealthy,
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obsessed with sex and sports.
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They had slaves and they
practiced corrupt practices.
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They had corrupt rulers and
they had a huge financial debt.
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What does it sound like?
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They had handouts
and entertainment.
00:10:10.57\00:10:14.31
They had sexual perversions and
they were continually at war.
00:10:15.61\00:10:21.42
And the reason they had
to be at war was to keep
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the dumb people on side.
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This was the great Roman Empire!
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And God sent a man
whose name was Paul,
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and He inspired the
writing of what some have said
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is the greatest book
that has ever been written.
00:10:42.27\00:10:44.94
Martin Luther said this is "the
chief part of the New Testament
00:10:45.14\00:10:50.38
and the purest gospel. "
00:10:50.58\00:10:53.65
And once again, Tyndale said:
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"It's good,
glad, and merry tidings
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that makes a man's heart to sing
for joy and his feet to dance. "
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I want you to take your Bible
and turn with me to the book
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of Romans. I'm going to
try to do something tonight
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and I said "God help me"
to take you through the...
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the most profound book
that has ever been written
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in the history of the human
race by the greatest of scholars
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and the greatest of preachers.
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Romans chapter 1 verses 1 to 7.
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Romans 1 and verses 1 down to 7.
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"Paul, a servant of Christ
Jesus, called to be an apostle
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and set apart for
the gospel of God... "
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The gospel
which means good news.
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"He promised
beforehand through His prophets
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in the holy
scriptures regarding His Son. "
00:11:47.10\00:11:50.64
Look at me.
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The gospel is
not about you or me.
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The gospel concerns you and me.
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If there is no gospel,
then eventually there will be
00:12:01.45\00:12:05.15
no you or me. But
the Bible tells me
00:12:05.35\00:12:09.42
that the gospel is
not about you and me.
00:12:09.62\00:12:12.26
It is the good news
about the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:12:12.46\00:12:15.20
Amen! And so that's what
we need to realize tonight.
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The gospel is not about
us because there is really
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no good news about
John Carter at all...
00:12:23.91\00:12:27.58
because he's a sinner
00:12:27.98\00:12:30.15
and he needs the continual out-
pouring of the grace of God.
00:12:30.35\00:12:35.92
And so the gospel
concerns me in the sense
00:12:36.42\00:12:40.92
that I need it, but
the gospel is not about me.
00:12:41.12\00:12:44.96
The Bible says: "Regarding
His Son, who in His human nature
00:12:45.36\00:12:51.27
was a descendant of David
and who through the spirit of
00:12:51.47\00:12:54.17
holiness... " the Bible
says... "was declared with power
00:12:54.37\00:12:58.14
to be the Son of God by
His resurrection from the dead
00:12:58.34\00:13:01.58
Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:13:01.78\00:13:06.35
Through Him and for His
name's sake we receive grace
00:13:06.55\00:13:09.08
and apostleship to call people
from among all the Gentiles
00:13:09.28\00:13:13.15
to the obedience
that comes from faith.
00:13:13.36\00:13:16.46
And you also are
among those who are called
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to belong to Jesus
Christ. To all in Rome
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who are loved by God
and called to be saints... "
00:13:24.87\00:13:29.44
And so this book starts with
this magnificent introduction
00:13:29.64\00:13:34.98
and it says the gospel is
about the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:13:35.28\00:13:41.25
Now who wrote it? I
mentioned it was Paul.
00:13:41.45\00:13:44.49
Paul the Pharisee.
Some scholars have said
00:13:45.82\00:13:49.02
that besides our
Lord - our blessed Lord -
00:13:49.22\00:13:51.86
Paul was the greatest
person who ever walked
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the face of the
earth. Paul was a Jew.
00:13:54.83\00:13:59.00
He had the mind of a
great jurist or a lawyer.
00:13:59.20\00:14:03.07
And there was a woman
by the name of Phoebe,
00:14:04.44\00:14:07.71
and she came from a little
town in Greece outside Corinth.
00:14:08.01\00:14:12.45
And we understand
from the writings of Paul
00:14:12.65\00:14:16.32
that she carried
this book as a scroll
00:14:16.52\00:14:19.65
under her cloak, and
she carried it to Rome.
00:14:19.85\00:14:23.53
And as she carried it to
Rome she carried the future
00:14:23.83\00:14:27.60
of the world and the
future of the church.
00:14:27.73\00:14:30.13
And thus it is called by
Tyndale, the great scholar,
00:14:32.77\00:14:36.24
"good, glad,
and merry tidings. "
00:14:36.44\00:14:39.01
Now let me just
give a tiny aside here.
00:14:39.51\00:14:45.08
We live in an
age of sound bites.
00:14:46.38\00:14:48.85
I live in Los Angeles. Been
there for 27 years or something.
00:14:49.05\00:14:54.62
We live in the age of Hollywood;
we live in the age of clichés
00:14:55.66\00:15:01.46
and one liners.
00:15:01.66\00:15:03.67
And so we elect presidents today
00:15:04.07\00:15:06.74
not because of the
wealth of their argumentation
00:15:06.94\00:15:11.11
but because of their witticisms
00:15:11.31\00:15:13.58
and because they can say
a few very good one liners
00:15:13.88\00:15:17.35
and they ring in our minds.
00:15:17.55\00:15:19.71
And the book of Romans is really
not written for those people.
00:15:21.22\00:15:24.89
It is a book that
explores the mind of God
00:15:26.32\00:15:31.13
and the human condition.
00:15:31.33\00:15:33.50
I have a saying that I've
been saying now all of my life
00:15:33.70\00:15:36.16
as a pastor, and people
say: "Why do you say it? "
00:15:36.36\00:15:40.50
I'll tell you what I say.
I say to people everywhere:
00:15:41.77\00:15:45.61
in Russia, in El
Salvador, in China
00:15:45.81\00:15:49.28
I say to you tonight: read
your Bible every day. Amen!
00:15:49.48\00:15:53.52
It is the Word of God...
00:15:54.72\00:15:56.55
it is the Word of
God that saves us.
00:15:56.75\00:15:59.55
But we live, my
friend... I know it. I live
00:15:59.75\00:16:02.82
in the most permissive and
the most superficial society
00:16:03.02\00:16:08.43
that has ever walked
the face of planet earth.
00:16:08.63\00:16:11.50
And we wonder... I was
talking to Pastor Lomacang
00:16:14.24\00:16:17.14
and we said: "America this
year has turned a corner. "
00:16:17.34\00:16:22.68
And there's only one
thing that will save the church,
00:16:24.25\00:16:27.12
and there's only one
thing that will save America
00:16:27.32\00:16:31.05
and that is a return to
the God of her fathers -
00:16:31.25\00:16:34.89
Amen - and a
return to the Word of God
00:16:35.29\00:16:38.66
and a return to the
study of the scriptures. Amen!
00:16:38.86\00:16:43.10
So I'm not here tonight
to entertain you, my friends,
00:16:43.33\00:16:45.93
or to tell you easy things
00:16:46.23\00:16:48.34
or smooth things
or to tickle your ears
00:16:48.54\00:16:52.14
or to make you say: "Wasn't
that a wonderful message? "
00:16:52.34\00:16:55.58
I'm not here for this reason.
00:16:55.78\00:16:57.21
I'm here to bear testimony
to the power of the Word of God.
00:16:57.61\00:17:02.15
Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord! Amen!
00:17:02.35\00:17:04.72
When the church was lost in
the wilderness - the Christian
00:17:05.72\00:17:08.89
church... When the church
- the Christian church in the
00:17:09.09\00:17:12.76
Middle Ages -
was sunk in the bog
00:17:12.96\00:17:15.90
in the pit of
sin God sent a man.
00:17:16.10\00:17:20.37
God always has His man at the
right time in the right place.
00:17:22.97\00:17:27.38
And God sent a man,
and he was a godly, fervent
00:17:29.58\00:17:34.22
Roman Catholic priest.
His name was Martin Luther.
00:17:34.42\00:17:38.19
And Martin Luther
came preaching basically
00:17:39.89\00:17:43.76
the book of Romans
00:17:43.96\00:17:47.30
which is the clearest
exposition of the way a person
00:17:48.36\00:17:53.20
can and must be saved.
00:17:53.40\00:17:56.97
And the fruitage of the
Protestant Reformation...
00:17:57.17\00:18:00.24
I told you this this morning,
I will tell it to you again.
00:18:00.44\00:18:04.28
I am completely unapologetic.
00:18:04.45\00:18:07.75
When people ask me
"What is your religion? "
00:18:08.05\00:18:11.02
I say: "By the grace
of God first and foremost
00:18:11.19\00:18:14.32
I am a Christian.
I follow Christ. "
00:18:14.52\00:18:20.03
And secondly I say -
and I'm not apologetic -
00:18:20.23\00:18:22.96
"I am a Protestant Christian. "
00:18:23.37\00:18:25.70
"What do you mean? " "Well I
believe in sola Christus, only
00:18:26.00\00:18:29.17
Christ. I believe
in sola scriptura. "
00:18:29.37\00:18:32.71
This is the authority of
the church... not some board
00:18:32.91\00:18:37.18
and not some
committee but the Word of God.
00:18:37.38\00:18:40.32
Do you hear what
I'm saying? Amen!
00:18:40.52\00:18:42.45
Sola gratia =
only grace. Sola fide.
00:18:42.65\00:18:44.99
That was the battle cry
of the Protestant Reformers.
00:18:45.29\00:18:49.42
What was the fruitage of that?
00:18:51.46\00:18:52.96
We have forgotten it
today largely in this fair and
00:18:54.00\00:18:57.70
wonderful land. But everything
that is great about America
00:18:57.90\00:19:03.07
goes back to the preaching
of the Protestant Reformers.
00:19:03.27\00:19:07.34
Praise God!
Hallelujah! It's the truth.
00:19:07.54\00:19:09.98
And as the Russians
would say: "Eku pravda. "
00:19:11.85\00:19:15.08
It is the truth.
00:19:15.68\00:19:17.62
The Reformation... freedom.
What a beautiful word: freedom!
00:19:19.59\00:19:25.03
Freedom of
religion; freedom of speech.
00:19:25.43\00:19:28.43
Freedom to preach.
Democracy; prosperity;
00:19:28.63\00:19:32.13
a new world.
00:19:32.33\00:19:34.04
It goes back to the
Protestant Reformation.
00:19:35.10\00:19:39.21
I recognize tonight that I'm al-
most attempting the impossible.
00:19:40.38\00:19:44.71
That I am certainly swimming
against the current because
00:19:45.88\00:19:51.09
I want to give you a synopsis
00:19:51.29\00:19:55.09
of the first eight
chapters of the book of Romans
00:19:55.29\00:20:00.00
because therein
is the power of God.
00:20:00.20\00:20:03.73
Did you know this?
John Wesley was a young man.
00:20:03.93\00:20:08.17
He came to America to
convert the Americans.
00:20:08.57\00:20:12.34
He was an Anglican priest.
00:20:12.54\00:20:15.28
5'2"... eyes of blue.
00:20:15.48\00:20:18.41
His hair came
down to his shoulders
00:20:18.91\00:20:23.55
and he also wore a wig.
00:20:23.95\00:20:27.42
We would not let him
into some of our churches.
00:20:27.62\00:20:30.13
John Wesley: a flame in
the hand of Almighty God.
00:20:30.93\00:20:35.90
He preached 42,000 sermons.
00:20:36.10\00:20:38.33
Traveled 360,000 miles
on the back of a horse.
00:20:38.73\00:20:42.24
But before this
happened he was a lost soul.
00:20:43.54\00:20:46.51
And he came back
from America and he said:
00:20:47.64\00:20:49.58
"Who is going to convert me? "
00:20:49.78\00:20:52.01
And one night he went
down to a little church
00:20:52.41\00:20:55.85
at Aldersgate Lane when
there was snow in the air
00:20:56.05\00:20:59.55
in the city of London
and he heard an unlettered
00:20:59.75\00:21:04.03
layman without a Ph.D. or a D.D.
00:21:04.23\00:21:06.70
read Martin Luther's
preface to the book of Romans.
00:21:08.00\00:21:11.03
Do you know the
story? You ought to know it.
00:21:11.23\00:21:14.24
And as this man was
reading Martin Luther's preface
00:21:15.64\00:21:18.87
to the book of Romans,
John Wesley, the reverend
00:21:19.07\00:21:23.41
John Wesley, dean of Oxford
University, got up and he said:
00:21:23.61\00:21:27.58
"Stop the meeting! " he said
00:21:27.78\00:21:30.19
as the brother was reading
Martin Luther's preface to the
00:21:30.89\00:21:34.49
book of Romans: "I felt
my heart strangely warmed
00:21:34.69\00:21:37.69
and I felt that I did
indeed trust in Christ.
00:21:40.06\00:21:43.30
And an assurance was given
me that He'd taken away my sin
00:21:43.70\00:21:47.50
and saved me from the
law of sin and death. "
00:21:47.70\00:21:49.57
Listen my friend:
John Wesley that night
00:21:49.77\00:21:52.17
got a revelation
from the throne of God.
00:21:52.37\00:21:54.38
The only way
that you can be saved,
00:21:55.74\00:21:58.91
the only way
that we can be saved
00:21:59.11\00:22:01.78
is by getting a revelation
from the throne of God.
00:22:01.98\00:22:07.26
May it happen to us tonight.
00:22:07.46\00:22:09.06
You know one of the biggest
problems in the world today?
00:22:09.56\00:22:12.03
Religion.
There's too much religion
00:22:12.33\00:22:16.20
but there's not
enough of Christ. Amen!
00:22:16.40\00:22:19.53
And religion will never get
a person home to the kingdom
00:22:19.73\00:22:22.37
of God. What we need tonight
00:22:22.57\00:22:27.71
is a John Wesley experience.
00:22:27.91\00:22:30.15
Look at Roman 1. Now
we're going to go fast.
00:22:30.45\00:22:33.48
This is
attempting the impossible.
00:22:33.88\00:22:36.22
Verses 16 and onwards he says:
00:22:36.42\00:22:38.69
"I am not ashamed of the
gospel... " the good news...
00:22:38.89\00:22:41.32
"because it is the power of God
for the salvation of everyone
00:22:41.72\00:22:44.96
who believes. First for
the Jew, then for the Gentile
00:22:45.16\00:22:48.20
saying the gospel of righteous-
ness from God is revealed.
00:22:48.50\00:22:52.13
A righteousness that is
by faith from first to last.
00:22:52.33\00:22:55.94
Just as it is written the
righteous will live by faith. "
00:22:57.27\00:23:00.98
When Martin Luther read
about the righteousness of God
00:23:02.11\00:23:05.31
do you know what he
said? The German scholar?
00:23:05.51\00:23:10.22
Dr. Luther said when he
read in the Bible about the
00:23:11.25\00:23:14.32
righteousness of God
he said: "I hate it! "
00:23:14.52\00:23:17.53
"I hate it! " Why? Because
Martin Luther was thinking.
00:23:18.56\00:23:22.13
When he confessed his
sins to the old confessor
00:23:23.53\00:23:26.23
he said: "Martin,
but you must love God? "
00:23:27.60\00:23:30.27
He said: "I don't
love God... I hate Him. "
00:23:30.47\00:23:31.91
He said: "Martin, you can't...
00:23:33.11\00:23:34.81
You're a priest...
you can't hate God. "
00:23:35.01\00:23:38.55
He said: "I hate Him
because He hates me. "
00:23:38.75\00:23:40.78
He said: "God is
righteous and I am a sinner. "
00:23:42.02\00:23:46.29
Think it through.
He said: "God demands
00:23:46.49\00:23:51.09
total and
absolute righteousness.
00:23:51.29\00:23:55.40
I can't go to heaven
if I'm almost good enough.
00:23:55.80\00:24:00.84
I can't go to heaven
with 99% of righteousness.
00:24:01.24\00:24:07.18
I can't go to heaven
if I'm like Jesus 99.9%. "
00:24:07.38\00:24:12.48
So he said: "I worked on. "
That's what Mother Teresa did.
00:24:13.52\00:24:17.32
"I worked on; I worked on. "
00:24:17.82\00:24:20.69
And the old priest said
to him: "Martin, Martin,
00:24:20.89\00:24:23.73
Martin, you must love
God? " He said: "I hate Him. "
00:24:23.93\00:24:26.80
The righteousness of
God. If you don't understand
00:24:28.36\00:24:33.03
the gospel then you too will
hate it and you will hate God
00:24:33.23\00:24:38.01
because God demands perfection.
00:24:38.41\00:24:41.01
God doesn't take 95%.
00:24:42.68\00:24:45.48
God wants absolute,
total sinless perfection
00:24:45.88\00:24:50.15
from every one of us.
00:24:50.35\00:24:52.22
And we're sinners and
none of us have got it.
00:24:52.52\00:24:55.99
Then Martin Luther, as he
studied the book of Romans
00:24:59.43\00:25:03.57
God gave him a
revelation and he discovered
00:25:03.77\00:25:08.00
that when the Bible talks
about the righteousness of God
00:25:08.20\00:25:10.71
it means the righteousness
that proceeds from God
00:25:10.91\00:25:16.04
as a free gift
and because of Calvary
00:25:16.24\00:25:20.85
is credited to the sinner.
00:25:21.05\00:25:24.72
Not because he deserves it but
because of the merit of Christ.
00:25:25.12\00:25:30.43
Amen!
00:25:30.69\00:25:32.16
That's the righteousness of God.
00:25:33.70\00:25:35.76
Now there has been a debate
in the church for many years
00:25:37.77\00:25:41.00
over the wrath of God.
00:25:41.30\00:25:43.20
And most people... many people
have come to the conclusion
00:25:45.17\00:25:48.34
that God is like a teddy bear.
00:25:48.54\00:25:51.05
He's kind; He's
loving; He's considerate.
00:25:51.45\00:25:54.62
He's very, very, very tolerant.
00:25:55.02\00:25:57.65
But Paul talks about the wrath
of God because God has wrath.
00:25:59.92\00:26:03.66
Look at Romans 1 verse 18.
00:26:04.79\00:26:06.93
"The wrath of God is
being revealed from heaven
00:26:07.13\00:26:10.40
against all the godlessness
and wickedness of men
00:26:10.60\00:26:13.54
who suppress the
truth by their wickedness. "
00:26:13.74\00:26:16.30
Now he's talking here
to the people in Rome.
00:26:16.71\00:26:19.71
He's talking to the
pagans and he says to the people
00:26:19.91\00:26:23.75
in Rome: "the wrath of
God is going to be revealed. "
00:26:23.95\00:26:27.88
I am here to testify
tonight that a righteous God
00:26:29.15\00:26:33.19
has got righteous wrath.
00:26:33.39\00:26:35.39
And it's a holy wrath.
00:26:36.83\00:26:38.76
But don't think
that God is Santa Claus.
00:26:39.16\00:26:42.33
Don't think God
is a namby-pamby.
00:26:42.73\00:26:46.57
Don't think God
is a big teddy bear.
00:26:47.00\00:26:50.67
God is a righteous God
00:26:50.87\00:26:53.74
and God demands righteousness.
00:26:54.14\00:26:57.25
Now read on what he says:
00:26:57.45\00:26:59.15
Verse 24: "Therefore God gave
them over in the sinful desires
00:27:01.55\00:27:06.62
of their hearts
to sexual impurity
00:27:06.82\00:27:09.56
for the degrading of
their bodies with one another.
00:27:09.96\00:27:12.49
They exchanged the
truth of God for a lie
00:27:12.69\00:27:15.66
and worshiped and
served created things
00:27:15.86\00:27:19.30
rather than the Creator
who is forever praised. Amen.
00:27:19.50\00:27:23.71
Because of this,
00:27:24.54\00:27:27.28
God gave them
over to shameful lusts.
00:27:29.21\00:27:32.91
Even their women
exchanged natural relations
00:27:33.21\00:27:37.92
for unnatural ones. In
the same way the men also
00:27:38.12\00:27:43.19
abandoned natural
relations with women
00:27:43.43\00:27:46.36
and were inflamed
with lust for one another.
00:27:46.80\00:27:50.53
Men committed
indecent acts with other men
00:27:50.93\00:27:56.47
and received in
themselves the due penalty
00:27:56.67\00:28:02.11
of their perversion. "
00:28:02.31\00:28:04.81
So in Romans chapter
1 he looks at America.
00:28:05.21\00:28:09.92
Um-hmm. And he
looks at Australia.
00:28:11.35\00:28:14.72
And he looks at
Europe and he says:
00:28:14.92\00:28:18.83
"the wrath of God. "
00:28:19.03\00:28:21.10
Now you can mock God.
00:28:23.16\00:28:27.64
You can say: "I'm going
to do what I want to do.
00:28:28.60\00:28:34.31
I am a free moral
agent. " But the Bible says
00:28:34.81\00:28:39.38
"the wrath of God. "
00:28:39.58\00:28:42.32
The wrath of
God is an indication
00:28:44.02\00:28:49.39
of the righteousness of God.
00:28:49.59\00:28:52.13
So Romans 1 says the Gentile
world, the world of the pagan
00:28:53.03\00:28:58.50
Romans, is lost and
under the wrath of God.
00:28:58.70\00:29:03.57
Then in Romans 2 he turns
to the people who go to church.
00:29:05.61\00:29:10.38
Did you know there
are two types of sinners?
00:29:10.68\00:29:14.42
There are respectable sinners
00:29:14.82\00:29:19.09
like me
00:29:19.49\00:29:21.69
and disrespectable sinners
00:29:22.29\00:29:25.16
like we read in Romans 1.
00:29:25.56\00:29:28.26
Romans 2: he talks and turns
to the respectable sinners.
00:29:30.97\00:29:36.84
Chapter 2 verse 1: "You
therefore have no excuse...
00:29:38.11\00:29:41.41
you who pass
judgment on someone else.
00:29:41.61\00:29:43.68
For whatever point you judge
the other you are condemning
00:29:43.88\00:29:47.72
yourself because you who
pass judgment do the same thing.
00:29:47.92\00:29:53.96
Now we know that God's judgment
against those who do such things
00:29:54.16\00:29:57.86
is based on truth. " Verse 12:
00:29:58.06\00:30:02.13
"All who sin
apart from the law... "
00:30:02.53\00:30:05.67
the people outside the church...
00:30:05.87\00:30:08.40
"will also perish
apart from the law.
00:30:08.80\00:30:12.01
And those who sin under the
law... " those in the church...
00:30:12.21\00:30:15.58
"will be judged by the law. "
00:30:15.78\00:30:18.61
And then verse 17: "Now
you, if you call yourself a Jew,
00:30:19.01\00:30:24.42
if you rely on the law and brag
about your relationship to God,
00:30:24.82\00:30:29.19
if you know His will and
approve of what is superior
00:30:29.59\00:30:33.26
because you are
instructed by the law... "
00:30:33.46\00:30:35.80
And he goes on to
say this... look at me.
00:30:36.10\00:30:38.13
Romans 1... the
pagan world is lost.
00:30:38.63\00:30:43.74
The world of Hollywood
is under the wrath of God.
00:30:44.77\00:30:49.34
Hmm. You say:
"No, no, no, no, no.
00:30:50.68\00:30:52.88
We... Makes us uncomfortable. "
00:30:53.08\00:30:55.22
Then let me make
you more uncomfortable.
00:30:55.42\00:30:58.09
The Gentile, the pagan
world, with all its depravity
00:30:59.59\00:31:04.23
and its perversions, I
want every person to know...
00:31:04.36\00:31:07.50
I want the world to
know that we believe
00:31:07.86\00:31:10.33
it is wrong and the Bible
says "under the wrath of God. "
00:31:10.53\00:31:14.10
Then in Romans chapter 2
God turns to the respectable
00:31:16.47\00:31:21.24
sinners - the Jews,
the churchy people -
00:31:21.44\00:31:24.58
and He says: "You
put on a great show
00:31:24.78\00:31:28.75
but really you're no better
00:31:29.15\00:31:31.85
because in your hearts
you are just as corrupt. "
00:31:33.32\00:31:38.29
You can read it
in Romans chapter 2.
00:31:39.59\00:31:42.83
Shall we notice another verse?
00:31:43.03\00:31:45.77
Verse 25: "Circumcision has
value if you observe the law
00:31:46.17\00:31:50.54
but if you break the law
you have become as though
00:31:51.04\00:31:54.71
you had not been circumcised. "
00:31:54.91\00:31:57.38
So number one, Romans 1:
the Gentile world is lost.
00:32:00.15\00:32:06.05
I meet people who
come to me all the time
00:32:06.92\00:32:09.32
and they say to me:
"Why do you do evangelism? "
00:32:09.62\00:32:12.73
I say: "I don't do a lot of it.
00:32:12.93\00:32:14.30
I can't afford to do it;
I don't have the money. "
00:32:14.46\00:32:16.40
I'm a pastor, but I believe that
people without Christ are lost.
00:32:17.97\00:32:23.37
That's what I believe.
People say: "Oh, no, no.
00:32:24.27\00:32:26.98
You're so naive.
These people are saved
00:32:27.18\00:32:30.81
because they're in darkness.
00:32:31.01\00:32:33.38
If they're in
darkness and if they're saved,
00:32:35.42\00:32:38.35
then let's keep
them in darkness. "
00:32:38.55\00:32:40.22
This is the logic.
00:32:42.22\00:32:44.23
So Romans 1: the
Gentiles are lost
00:32:45.46\00:32:49.90
and in Romans 2
the Jews are lost
00:32:50.10\00:32:53.40
because every person
has broken the law of God.
00:32:55.00\00:32:58.11
Then you come to Romans 3 and
you have the great therefore.
00:33:00.11\00:33:05.38
Romans 3 and verse
9. Look at the texts.
00:33:05.68\00:33:11.09
"What shall we conclude
then? Are we any better?
00:33:11.29\00:33:16.29
Not at all. We have
already made the charge
00:33:16.49\00:33:20.50
that Jews and Gentiles
alike are all under sin. "
00:33:20.70\00:33:24.83
My friend: what
chance is there for us?
00:33:27.00\00:33:31.04
The pagans are lost and
the churchy people are lost.
00:33:33.84\00:33:37.95
Romans chapter 3: Paul
has got the whole world
00:33:39.78\00:33:44.55
in the prisonhouse of sin.
00:33:44.75\00:33:47.32
And the law is the
jailor and he turns the key.
00:33:49.06\00:33:53.46
And the whole world is
under the wrath of Almighty God.
00:33:54.86\00:34:00.34
You say: "Martin
Luther taught this? " Yes.
00:34:01.94\00:34:04.37
This is what made America.
00:34:04.57\00:34:05.91
This is what made freedom
00:34:08.11\00:34:11.15
when people came to
understand the gospel.
00:34:11.35\00:34:14.48
Look in verse 11.
00:34:14.88\00:34:18.39
"There is no one who under-
stands, no one who seeks God.
00:34:18.69\00:34:22.06
All have turned away. They
have together become worthless.
00:34:22.26\00:34:25.73
There is no one who
does good... not even one. "
00:34:25.93\00:34:28.86
And then you know... If you
come down to verse 20 it says:
00:34:29.06\00:34:32.17
"Therefore no one will be
declared righteous in His sight
00:34:32.37\00:34:36.97
by observing the law.
Rather through the law
00:34:37.17\00:34:39.94
we become conscious of sin. "
00:34:40.14\00:34:43.35
Amen. Now look at me.
00:34:43.55\00:34:46.25
You can't be saved
by keeping the law.
00:34:48.22\00:34:52.05
You know why you can't
be saved by keeping the law,
00:34:53.09\00:34:55.69
my friend? Because
we've all broken it.
00:34:55.89\00:34:59.83
We've all broken the law.
00:35:01.93\00:35:04.27
We are all sinners.
00:35:04.67\00:35:06.74
The Bible says: "By
the deeds of the law
00:35:07.14\00:35:10.71
no person is
going to be saved. "
00:35:10.91\00:35:13.38
Then what a dilemma!
The Gentiles are lost
00:35:16.18\00:35:19.45
and the people... the
religious people are lost also.
00:35:19.65\00:35:25.09
And you can't be saved by your
obedience to the law of God.
00:35:25.49\00:35:30.36
When I was a young minister
I lived in North Queensland,
00:35:32.26\00:35:35.36
Australia, and they used
to grow sugar. They still do.
00:35:35.56\00:35:40.04
But many years
ago - 40 years ago -
00:35:40.34\00:35:42.67
they used to cut
the sugar cane by hand.
00:35:42.87\00:35:45.34
And when a sugar cane farmer
came in from a day slugging it
00:35:46.88\00:35:50.85
out out there in the hot sun
00:35:51.05\00:35:54.18
with all the sap from the sugar
cane, every person was covered
00:35:54.38\00:35:59.25
in black because they
used to burn the stuff first.
00:35:59.45\00:36:03.76
And so he'd be covered in black.
00:36:04.16\00:36:06.39
And so when he'd
come in from work
00:36:06.93\00:36:09.16
he was not allowed... the
women did not let them come
00:36:09.66\00:36:12.50
into the house
until they were clean.
00:36:12.70\00:36:16.27
And firstly, the farmer
would go and look in a mirror
00:36:16.81\00:36:21.14
and then he would wash. The
mirror did not make him clean.
00:36:21.34\00:36:27.32
The mirror is the law of God.
00:36:27.78\00:36:30.32
It is the bath
that made him clean.
00:36:32.62\00:36:35.49
Now read on. We come now to
a passage that some would say
00:36:37.53\00:36:43.06
is the high point of scripture.
00:36:43.26\00:36:46.20
I know it's difficult,
00:36:46.60\00:36:48.90
but the most important
things are difficult to attain.
00:36:49.30\00:36:52.81
Look at Romans
chapter 3 verse 21 and onwards
00:36:53.34\00:36:58.71
my friends. "But now
a righteousness from God
00:36:58.91\00:37:04.39
apart from law... " Look at me.
00:37:05.62\00:37:08.89
Do you believe this?
00:37:09.09\00:37:10.76
"But now a righteousness
from God apart from law... "
00:37:11.33\00:37:17.17
You say: "This is
hardly a practical subject. "
00:37:18.10\00:37:22.70
I was the pastor of a
very large church in Australia.
00:37:24.77\00:37:28.91
One young man could
not get this into his mind.
00:37:30.78\00:37:34.85
He believed that he
had to become perfect
00:37:35.45\00:37:39.05
before he could be saved.
00:37:40.36\00:37:42.12
I tried to show him
the scriptures and he said:
00:37:44.59\00:37:47.93
"No, no. It is too easy. "
00:37:48.10\00:37:51.47
Do you know what he
did? He committed suicide
00:37:53.20\00:37:58.31
because there's no hope.
00:37:58.84\00:38:01.04
I knew three who
committed suicide
00:38:01.44\00:38:04.11
because they said:
"We have tried so hard
00:38:05.31\00:38:08.78
and we want to be
perfect and we won't be saved
00:38:08.98\00:38:13.05
or get through the close of
probation until we're perfect. "
00:38:13.25\00:38:16.79
Three young men
gassed themselves.
00:38:18.39\00:38:23.26
So don't say to me:
"This is of no consequence. "
00:38:23.57\00:38:27.80
What I'm telling you
is not natural religion.
00:38:33.48\00:38:36.95
It's impossible to understand.
00:38:38.21\00:38:40.45
You can be a minister
and go to the seminary
00:38:40.85\00:38:43.92
and not understand
this. Think it through.
00:38:44.12\00:38:47.69
If I can't be saved
until I am personally perfect,
00:38:48.66\00:38:54.20
tell me... is that good news?
00:38:55.36\00:38:58.23
No. Goodness! Try harder?
00:38:58.43\00:39:03.17
Notice this. Ask God
for an understanding.
00:39:06.51\00:39:10.28
"But now a
righteousness from God
00:39:11.81\00:39:14.45
apart from law
has been made known
00:39:15.55\00:39:20.42
to which the law and
the prophets testify. "
00:39:20.82\00:39:23.59
Now the Bible
teaches it in other words.
00:39:23.99\00:39:27.23
The law and the
prophets: they all attest to it.
00:39:27.40\00:39:29.36
"This righteousness from
God comes through faith in Jesus
00:39:29.56\00:39:34.77
Christ to all who believe.
00:39:34.97\00:39:37.71
There is no
difference for all have sinned
00:39:39.04\00:39:43.45
and fall short... "
continue to fall short...
00:39:43.75\00:39:48.12
"of the glory of God
00:39:48.42\00:39:50.19
and are justified
freely by His grace
00:39:50.59\00:39:54.52
through the redemption
that came by Christ Jesus.
00:39:54.72\00:39:58.33
God presented Him as a
sacrifice of atonement. "
00:39:58.53\00:40:02.16
What does it mean?
00:40:02.76\00:40:04.60
The hardest verses in the Bible
00:40:05.00\00:40:08.30
and probably the
most important verses.
00:40:09.87\00:40:12.31
"But now a
righteousness from God... "
00:40:13.84\00:40:17.11
Apart from my success
in keeping the law of God.
00:40:18.15\00:40:22.75
"has been revealed
00:40:22.95\00:40:25.29
for all have sinned. "
Romans 1: the Gentiles.
00:40:26.45\00:40:31.13
Romans 2: the Jews.
00:40:31.53\00:40:33.90
"All have sinned.
" We've all sinned...
00:40:34.30\00:40:35.96
every Seventh-day
Adventist. Every Baptist.
00:40:36.16\00:40:38.90
Every Roman
Catholic. Every one of us...
00:40:39.10\00:40:40.87
we've all sinned.
And the Bible says
00:40:41.17\00:40:44.04
we fall short of
the glory of God.
00:40:44.24\00:40:46.44
That means we
continue to fall short.
00:40:46.64\00:40:49.21
You... "I can't believe this.
This goes against everything
00:40:49.98\00:40:54.25
I have believed. " I've
got to come to the place
00:40:54.42\00:40:58.19
where I'm as
sinless as God is. "
00:40:58.39\00:41:01.69
It says all
continue to fall short
00:41:03.26\00:41:08.20
of the glory of God.
00:41:08.50\00:41:10.67
And the Bible
says: "They are justified
00:41:11.83\00:41:16.44
freely by His grace through
the redemption that is found
00:41:16.67\00:41:20.54
in Christ Jesus. "
What on earth does it mean?
00:41:20.74\00:41:23.91
Justified! I'll tell
you what the Bible teaches,
00:41:25.81\00:41:29.98
what Martin Luther taught.
00:41:30.19\00:41:31.82
Justification does
not make me righteous.
00:41:32.72\00:41:37.33
Justification does not
make me righteous. Amen!
00:41:41.13\00:41:46.20
Justification is a
declaration from the judge
00:41:46.40\00:41:51.07
that because of Christ...
00:41:51.27\00:41:54.41
because of Christ I stand
in the sight of a holy God
00:41:55.51\00:42:01.32
sinless. Holy as the angels.
00:42:01.52\00:42:05.99
Completely perfect
from top down to my shoes.
00:42:06.69\00:42:12.63
I am declared
as righteous as God
00:42:12.83\00:42:17.17
because of Christ... not because
of me. Amen! That's right.
00:42:19.03\00:42:23.81
Um-hmm. This young man
said to me: "Pastor Carter,
00:42:24.01\00:42:29.48
I can't believe
it. Can't believe it. "
00:42:29.68\00:42:31.75
I said: "You can't believe
it because you don't want to
00:42:31.95\00:42:34.08
hear good news? "
This is good news.
00:42:34.28\00:42:37.49
It doesn't depend upon you.
00:42:37.89\00:42:39.75
It doesn't depend
upon your actions.
00:42:39.95\00:42:41.99
It doesn't depend
upon your prayers.
00:42:42.29\00:42:44.19
It doesn't
depend upon your works.
00:42:44.39\00:42:46.33
It depends upon what
Christ has already done for you
00:42:46.53\00:42:49.36
on the cross. Amen!
00:42:49.56\00:42:51.60
Have you heard of that
wonderful lady: Mother Teresa
00:42:52.00\00:42:56.27
whom we all respect?
00:42:56.57\00:42:58.37
All love? Worked so much
for the suffering in the world.
00:42:59.37\00:43:05.05
Did you know
that after her death
00:43:05.55\00:43:07.72
her letters that she
wrote to her Jesuit priest...
00:43:08.02\00:43:11.25
Friend, she was
trained by the Jesuits
00:43:11.45\00:43:13.96
and her letters
have been published.
00:43:14.29\00:43:17.03
Have you heard about this?
00:43:17.23\00:43:19.16
Well you can go online
and you can read the letters.
00:43:20.26\00:43:22.60
She says never
once in her entire life
00:43:23.00\00:43:27.44
did she have a
glimpse of the love of God.
00:43:27.64\00:43:30.27
She said her whole
life was filled with fear
00:43:31.21\00:43:35.21
because she felt
"I've got to struggle on. "
00:43:37.61\00:43:41.45
The Holy Spirit... "Oh Holy
Spirit, make me a little more
00:43:42.65\00:43:45.45
perfect today. "
"Oh Holy Spirit, make me
00:43:45.65\00:43:48.62
a little more perfect today. "
00:43:48.82\00:43:50.63
Listen to me. I'll
give you a little theology.
00:43:52.86\00:43:55.80
Have you heard of
the Council of Trent?
00:43:56.20\00:43:58.83
The Council of Trent
was set up by the Jesuits
00:43:59.50\00:44:02.97
to do away with the
Protestant Reformation.
00:44:03.17\00:44:05.64
Good for us to know a little
history, my beloved friends.
00:44:06.68\00:44:09.41
Um-hmm. The Council
of Trent taught this:
00:44:09.91\00:44:13.62
I'm going to say something:
00:44:13.92\00:44:15.48
that a person is
saved by Christ alone.
00:44:15.68\00:44:21.32
Good theology? This
is the Council of Trent.
00:44:21.72\00:44:24.53
The Jesuits. A person
is saved by Christ alone,
00:44:24.73\00:44:27.96
by grace alone,
through faith... plus
00:44:28.16\00:44:32.83
the works of the Holy
Spirit wrought in the heart.
00:44:33.03\00:44:36.87
You say: "That's
what I believe. "
00:44:39.31\00:44:41.91
That is Jesuit theology.
00:44:43.18\00:44:45.58
That's what
Martin Luther fought.
00:44:46.88\00:44:51.29
Big doors swing
on little hinges.
00:44:52.42\00:44:56.19
Think it through.
By faith plus the works
00:44:57.66\00:45:02.63
of the Holy Spirit
wrought in my heart.
00:45:02.83\00:45:05.83
How much do you have to
have before you're saved then?
00:45:06.03\00:45:09.87
Hence the necessity of
the doctrine of purgatory.
00:45:10.31\00:45:14.34
Because Rome knows that a
person is never good enough
00:45:15.31\00:45:19.21
in this lifetime. Can you under-
stand what I'm telling you?
00:45:19.41\00:45:22.45
And therefore the most sainted
person in the church of Rome
00:45:23.89\00:45:27.09
believes that when he dies
he's got to go to purgatory
00:45:27.29\00:45:31.06
because he's
not good enough yet.
00:45:31.26\00:45:33.53
But after a period
of time in purgatory
00:45:34.50\00:45:36.83
the justification
will be completed.
00:45:37.23\00:45:40.24
So justification
becomes a process.
00:45:40.44\00:45:44.17
But Martin Luther,
teaching from the Bible, said:
00:45:46.01\00:45:50.51
"Justification is not a process;
it happens in a moment. "
00:45:50.81\00:45:56.02
Amen! It is not a process.
00:45:56.22\00:46:00.12
It is not a work.
It is a declaration
00:46:00.32\00:46:04.49
from God that because of Christ
00:46:04.69\00:46:08.03
you are declared righteous, and
if you are declared righteous
00:46:08.43\00:46:13.10
you are ready to
look the devil in the face
00:46:13.34\00:46:16.81
and you are ready to
go home to glory. Amen!
00:46:17.01\00:46:21.51
Do some of you find
this hard to believe?
00:46:23.11\00:46:25.68
It was this
doctrine that was preached
00:46:30.19\00:46:34.39
that gave birth to America
00:46:34.59\00:46:36.93
and the best
countries in the world.
00:46:38.99\00:46:41.56
This is the truth.
00:46:41.76\00:46:43.43
These verses you should
memorize over and over again.
00:46:43.63\00:46:48.60
"Justified freely by His
grace through the redemption
00:46:48.80\00:46:52.77
that came by Christ Jesus.
God presented Him as a sacrifice
00:46:52.97\00:46:57.41
of atonement. "
Or a propitiation.
00:46:57.61\00:47:00.98
Look... let me try
to tell you something.
00:47:03.52\00:47:06.05
The Bible talks
about the wrath of God.
00:47:07.59\00:47:11.29
God has got holy wrath.
00:47:13.73\00:47:16.06
God has got holy
wrath against evil
00:47:17.57\00:47:21.00
and sin and promiscuity.
00:47:21.20\00:47:24.01
God has got holy
wrath because that's God.
00:47:24.47\00:47:27.71
That's what God
is... God is holy.
00:47:30.18\00:47:32.38
He can't tolerate sin.
00:47:32.91\00:47:35.52
Here was God's problem:
how can I save these rebels?
00:47:39.49\00:47:43.22
So God became a man
00:47:45.13\00:47:47.40
and on the cross Christ
endured the holy wrath of God.
00:47:48.50\00:47:54.34
When the sin of the
world was placed upon Christ
00:47:57.67\00:48:01.71
He panted in agony.
He died in six hours
00:48:03.41\00:48:08.15
when a man could live
on a cross for a week!
00:48:08.35\00:48:11.02
It was the holy wrath of
God against sin that killed Him.
00:48:15.46\00:48:19.59
Why on earth do you think
00:48:22.10\00:48:25.77
that the sinless Son of God
00:48:26.07\00:48:28.77
should cry out the
words of dereliction.
00:48:28.97\00:48:33.24
Think about it; ask God: "God
help me to understand this. "
00:48:33.48\00:48:36.11
"God, I'm so slow.
My mind is so closed. "
00:48:36.51\00:48:41.12
Why do you think
Christ, the sinless Son of God,
00:48:41.52\00:48:46.96
cried out and said:
"My God, My God, why
00:48:47.16\00:48:50.23
have You forsaken Me? "
00:48:50.43\00:48:52.03
The apostle Paul said:
"God made Him who knew no sin
00:48:53.70\00:48:57.43
to be sin for us
00:48:57.63\00:48:59.63
that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him. "
00:48:59.83\00:49:03.00
Because He
endured the wrath of God
00:49:03.20\00:49:07.51
I don't need to
fear the wrath of God.
00:49:07.71\00:49:10.11
And He gives me
His righteousness
00:49:10.41\00:49:13.45
not because I deserve it
but because of His goodness.
00:49:13.65\00:49:19.45
Amen!
00:49:19.72\00:49:21.09
Now if you and I can
get this into our heads
00:49:22.39\00:49:25.86
we're going to
be different people.
00:49:26.06\00:49:28.40
I know this is hard to preach:
preach the book of Romans.
00:49:32.30\00:49:35.87
It's hard. Let me pick
out some other pieces for you.
00:49:36.07\00:49:40.81
Romans 4. So Romans
3 says all are lost.
00:49:42.34\00:49:46.21
But there's a new
way... it's through Christ.
00:49:46.61\00:49:49.45
Not by your works.
00:49:49.85\00:49:51.59
And then Romans
4 the Pharisee said
00:49:52.19\00:49:55.89
"This is heresy. " But
Paul said: "It can't be heresy
00:49:56.09\00:49:59.46
because this is the
way Abraham was saved. "
00:49:59.66\00:50:01.73
Verse 3.. what does the scrip-
ture say? "Abraham believed God.
00:50:02.90\00:50:07.74
It was credited to
him as righteousness. "
00:50:08.14\00:50:11.77
Verse 5: "However, to
the man who does not work
00:50:12.17\00:50:16.24
but trusts God who
justifies the wicked... "
00:50:16.44\00:50:21.48
or the ungodly in
the King James version...
00:50:21.68\00:50:24.25
"his faith is
credited as righteousness. "
00:50:24.42\00:50:28.39
It's credited. Look at me.
00:50:28.59\00:50:31.66
See if God can
give us faith tonight.
00:50:35.46\00:50:37.63
Here comes a man
into this meeting.
00:50:39.80\00:50:41.97
He's a cheat, he's
a liar; he's a thief.
00:50:44.54\00:50:48.38
He never goes to church.
00:50:51.01\00:50:53.11
And as I'm preaching tonight
in his poor way, trying to
00:50:54.25\00:50:59.75
open up the book of Romans
00:51:00.06\00:51:02.26
which contains eternity
00:51:05.13\00:51:07.03
and I'm trying to
share it in a thimble
00:51:07.23\00:51:09.63
this man sees Christ
00:51:09.83\00:51:12.00
and he says: "Lord, I believe! "
00:51:13.30\00:51:16.71
"I believe; I trust in You. "
00:51:17.11\00:51:20.94
God says: "You are now
righteous in My sight. "
00:51:21.28\00:51:25.01
Amen! "You are saved. "
00:51:25.21\00:51:27.95
"You passed from death
unto life. " He stands up;
00:51:28.15\00:51:31.59
like John Wesley he says:
00:51:33.56\00:51:35.36
"I felt my heart
strangely warmed. "
00:51:35.56\00:51:38.36
Or perhaps somebody else
comes in. He is a church elder.
00:51:40.50\00:51:44.67
He's a righteous man. People
think he's a righteous man.
00:51:46.70\00:51:50.34
But God knows his heart:
that it's a pile of filth.
00:51:50.54\00:51:54.81
Like all of our hearts.
00:51:56.61\00:51:58.68
You say: "This is awful! "
00:51:58.88\00:52:00.62
You know who says: "This
is awful? This is not me. "
00:52:02.48\00:52:06.09
You know who says that.
That's the Pharisee inside us.
00:52:06.29\00:52:09.36
You don't have to go to
the seminary to learn to be
00:52:09.66\00:52:12.29
a Pharisee. We
are born Pharisees.
00:52:12.49\00:52:16.00
We are born in a state of sin.
00:52:16.40\00:52:18.47
And here comes this elder
Punctilius, always on time.
00:52:19.57\00:52:25.01
Always studying his lesson,
00:52:25.31\00:52:28.41
which he should do, but
never never understanding it.
00:52:28.61\00:52:32.88
And he comes into the meeting
and a miracle takes place.
00:52:33.08\00:52:37.59
And the light shines into
his soul and he sees himself -
00:52:37.89\00:52:41.89
pardon the word -
as a stinking sinner.
00:52:42.09\00:52:44.63
Um-hmm. And he falls down
and he says: "God be merciful
00:52:46.09\00:52:50.20
to me. " God says: "Done!
00:52:50.40\00:52:52.53
You're saved; you're
going home to glory. "
00:52:52.73\00:52:55.47
I'm going to quote Luther again.
00:52:58.77\00:53:01.48
Why do I quote Luther? Because
he gave us the Reformation
00:53:01.98\00:53:04.95
and the
Reformation gave us freedom.
00:53:05.35\00:53:07.52
Luther said: "A
Christian is always a sinner.
00:53:07.88\00:53:10.59
Always a penitent...
always right with God. "
00:53:11.79\00:53:14.82
Always a sinner? Put
your hand up here tonight
00:53:15.32\00:53:18.29
if you're not a sinner.
Of course we're all sinners.
00:53:18.49\00:53:22.10
We may not be willing
sinners but we are falling short
00:53:23.10\00:53:26.53
of the glory of God.
We're not as we ought to be.
00:53:26.74\00:53:30.17
We've come to another
text. I'm going to skip over
00:53:32.71\00:53:36.11
Romans 5... don't have time.
00:53:36.31\00:53:38.58
Romans 6 verse 1 says:
00:53:39.68\00:53:42.12
"What shall we say
then? Shall we go on sinning
00:53:42.52\00:53:45.19
so that grace may increase?
By no means. We died to sin;
00:53:45.39\00:53:49.49
how can we live
in it any longer?
00:53:49.79\00:53:52.39
Or don't you know that
all of us who were baptized
00:53:52.59\00:53:55.96
into Christ Jesus were
baptized into His death. "
00:53:56.16\00:54:00.14
Look at verse 8 and
you'll see something tonight
00:54:00.34\00:54:02.54
that you've never seen before.
00:54:02.74\00:54:04.51
"Now if we died with Christ
00:54:04.91\00:54:07.48
we believe that we
will also live with Him. "
00:54:07.64\00:54:10.58
What does that mean? Listen:
00:54:10.78\00:54:12.51
when Christ hung on the cross
00:54:14.48\00:54:17.75
I was there.
00:54:20.16\00:54:22.32
No. II Corinthians 5:21 says:
00:54:24.13\00:54:29.33
"If One died for
all, then all died. "
00:54:29.53\00:54:34.30
Legally would you like to
know the moment of my death?
00:54:35.34\00:54:39.31
Legally? Black
Friday... 3 o'clock
00:54:39.51\00:54:42.88
31 AD I died on the cross.
00:54:43.08\00:54:48.72
So I can't be condemned.
If I'm a dead man, I can't
00:54:50.55\00:54:54.22
be condemned. Can I?
00:54:54.39\00:54:57.09
The Bible says:
"Now as Christ was raised
00:54:57.39\00:55:02.53
walk in newness of life. "
00:55:02.73\00:55:05.70
Let me tell you what
breaks the power of sin.
00:55:08.37\00:55:11.37
It is the grace
of God in the heart
00:55:16.54\00:55:19.48
and an attitude of gratitude
that comes from the heart
00:55:21.35\00:55:25.42
of a saved sinner because
of the sheer mercy of God.
00:55:25.62\00:55:30.03
This kills sin in the life.
00:55:31.79\00:55:37.23
How can I enjoy
adultery and fornication
00:55:38.40\00:55:44.07
and stealing and all
of these malicious vices
00:55:44.27\00:55:48.68
if I know I put
Christ on the cross
00:55:50.71\00:55:53.18
and He loves me?
00:55:53.38\00:55:55.38
This truth received by faith
is the most liberating truth
00:55:59.92\00:56:03.12
in the world. When Martin
Luther discovered this truth
00:56:03.32\00:56:08.43
after a long and painful sojourn
00:56:08.63\00:56:11.03
he was found in the
church holding onto a crucifix.
00:56:11.43\00:56:17.31
And as he held into
the crucifix, Martin Luther
00:56:17.87\00:56:21.14
cried out: "For me... for me. "
00:56:21.34\00:56:23.58
"For me... for me. "
00:56:24.91\00:56:26.51
When you hold onto the cross
00:56:26.92\00:56:29.18
and cry out:
"Lord, for me... for me, "
00:56:30.22\00:56:33.36
you will feel your
heart strangely warmed.
00:56:35.49\00:56:38.99
It is this gospel
that saves the soul
00:56:39.69\00:56:44.17
and saves the world.
Amen! Would you pray with me?
00:56:45.70\00:56:49.80
Our Father, we've
tried to do the impossible.
00:56:52.01\00:56:54.94
We've tried to take the most
difficult book in the Bible:
00:56:55.14\00:56:57.85
the book of Romans.
Take the sea and condense it
00:56:58.05\00:57:02.05
in a thimble. But there
are some things that are clear
00:57:02.25\00:57:05.75
and that is how Christ hates sin
00:57:06.82\00:57:09.92
but on the cross
He took our place
00:57:10.69\00:57:13.29
and He bore our sin
00:57:13.73\00:57:16.10
so that if we
truly believe in Him
00:57:16.30\00:57:18.77
we will not perish but we
will have everlasting life.
00:57:19.57\00:57:23.61
Tonight, oh God, we do believe
00:57:23.81\00:57:27.28
and we thank you.
00:57:28.58\00:57:30.65