Welcome to 3ABN
Spring Camp Meeting 2017,
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Exposing the Counterfeit.
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Hello, friends,
welcome to 3ABN Camp Meeting.
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We have been so
tremendously blessed.
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Can we all say
amen to that? Amen.
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And the blessing continues.
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This has been...
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This continues to be
our Spring Camp Meeting
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here in Southern Illinois
at the 3ABN Worship Center.
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If you are in the vicinity,
it is not too late to drive by,
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we have another power-packed day
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coming up tomorrow.
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But tonight, I'm so
excited that my good friend,
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long time friend,
Pastor Doug Batchelor.
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We have known each
other for long time.
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I knew him when
my hair was black,
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and he knew me when...
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I knew him when he
had hair and he knew me
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when my hair was black.
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And praise the Lord,
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in 1987 I began
a pastoral ministry
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as his singing evangelist
and also Bible worker,
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and we have been
serving the Lord ever since.
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So tonight is a
wonderful privilege
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to be able to have him here.
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And whenever he comes,
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he brings a couple
of things with him.
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One, the Spirit of the Lord.
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Secondly, the
truth of God's Word.
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Amen someone? Amen.
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And tonight's topic is
one that I want you to hold on
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to your seats for.
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I know that he
has a lot of slides,
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and he says, "They
want me to make a plane,
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I'm gonna do that."
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Tonight's topic is,
Is Obedience Legalism...
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And the title is right
there, If You're Saved by Grace.
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But before he comes,
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I'm gonna give him
the privilege to pray.
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But before he comes,
another good friend of ours,
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Tim Parton, man,
blessed, a minister of music.
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And he is going to
set the tone tonight
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as he brings to us
the wonderful message
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that God has
placed on his heart.
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After Tim, the next
voice that you will hear
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will be that of
Pastor Doug Batchelor.
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Amen.
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Jesus is the
sweetest name I know
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And He's just the
same as His lovely name
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And that's the
reason why I love Him so
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For Jesus is the
sweetest name I know
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Amen.
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Good evening, everyone.
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Good evening. Good to see you.
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It's a delight to be back
with our 3ABN friends and family
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and especially
to be able to open
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the Word of God with you
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during this
important Camp Meeting weekend.
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We're gonna be talking about
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just some of the
most important themes
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in combating the counterfeit.
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And thank you, Tim, for
that beautiful music as well.
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Now I'm just gonna
tell you right now,
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I'm not gonna have
enough time to cover
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what I wanna talk about.
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But once we get
that out of the way...
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And if I put this
put this down here,
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then I can see you better.
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Once we get that out of the way,
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then I'll just relax
and do as well as I can.
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But before we
began, I'd like to pray.
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Loving Father in
Heaven, we just thank You
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that You have preserved
this opportunity for us
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to come
together as Your children
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to seek to know what is truth.
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We pray that You'll just bless
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every aspect of
this presentation
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that You and Your
Word will be glorified,
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and be with the
broadcast that is going out
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so that many
around the world will hear
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and hearts will be transformed.
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We pray in Jesus' name, amen.
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As John mentioned earlier,
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the title of our
presentation tonight...
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Oh, I guess we're having
some microphone problems.
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Switching mic.
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As John was sharing with you
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the title for our
presentation tonight
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is dealing with the subject
of Is Obedience Legalism?
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And if obedience is legalism,
are you still saved by grace?
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Now there's a lot
of theological things
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you could talk about
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that might mean a
change in your thinking,
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but not
understanding this subject
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can make the difference in
whether or not you are saved.
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And so there are few things
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that really are more
important than this issue.
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You ever heard about
compass interference?
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Years ago, they used to take
the compasses of these ships,
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you know, for
thousands of years,
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they've had primitive compasses,
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but they realized
that iron would interfere
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with reaction of the compass.
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And so they put them up,
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they case them in brass usually,
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they put them up on the mast
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so that there
wouldn't be any iron
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or worse thing of
all a magnet interfering
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with the pointing of a compass
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or you just would never
get to your designation.
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And I fly.
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I have had the same
plane for about 24 years.
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When I first get
ready to take off,
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I used to always calibrate
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all my
instruments by the compass.
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Now everybody uses GPS,
and all of that hard work
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I did getting my
license years ago
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where you had to
calculate the wind variation
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and all these weight
and balance measurements,
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and so many things,
the GPS does it all now.
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So your brains
just sort of get weak.
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But I remember hearing
about a pilot up in Alaska,
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that he went on a
trip cross country,
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and he adjusted
his attitude indicator
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by his compass
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and as he was
flying across country,
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he realized his
city he was going to
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did not appear below him.
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And he couldn't figure out,
then he looked up on his dash
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and he had thrown
a transistor radio
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upon his dash
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and the magnet in the speaker
had thrown off his compass.
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And when he moved the radio
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he saw the
compass needle correct.
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At this point, he
didn't even know where he was.
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There is no GPS back then.
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He ended up crash
landing, he survived,
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but he learned a
very valuable lesson.
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That just a little bit
of compass interference
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can leave you
completely disoriented.
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There is a teaching that
has become very prevalent
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within Christian churches
that basically says that,
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"When you are saved by
grace, you no longer need law."
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That is a lie. It is not true.
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There are some
verses in the Bible
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when they take
them out of context,
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it could leave you
with that impression.
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That's with the very
elementary look at it.
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Matter of fact,
I'd like to begin
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by inviting you to go...
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You're gonna
probably be surprised,
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I wanna talk to you
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about something
Peter says, 2 Peter 3:15.
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And I love to hear
people rustle their Bibles.
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2 Peter 3:15, "And
consider that the longsuffering
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of our Lord is salvation,
as our beloved brother Paul
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according to the wisdom
given him has written unto you.
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As also in all his epistles,
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speaking in them of these things
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in which are some
things hard to be understand."
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Now this is the only
time I know of in the Bible
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where one inspired Bible writer,
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speaking about another
inspired Bible writer says,
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"What he writes is inspired,
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but some of it is
difficult to understand."
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Listen, "In
which are some things
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hard to understood."
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Our beloved brother
Paul writes some things
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that are hard to understand.
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Can you say amen to that? Amen.
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"Which the untaught
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and unstable people twist
to their own destruction."
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Misunderstanding
these things can destroy you
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as they do the
rest of the scriptures.
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"You therefore, beloved,
since you know this beforehand,
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beware lest you also fall
from your own steadfastness
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being led away with
the error of the wicked."
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And that word wicked
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there is the
error of the lawless.
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What was happening
is they were taking
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some statements that Paul made.
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And because they did
not read it in context,
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they were twisting it
leaving people with the idea
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that it's okay to
live a lawless life.
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Even Paul
himself comments on this.
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You're looking Romans
3:8, "And why not say,
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'Let us do evil so
that good may come?'
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As we are slanderously reported,
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and as some affirm that we say.
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Their condemnation is just."
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Paul says,
"People are slandering
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what we say and interpreting
my teachings to imply
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that somehow by continuing
to sin graceful abound,
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'Do evil that good may come.'"
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And he said, "Their
condemnation is just."
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And Paul's saying,
"That's not what I'm saying."
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And so way back in the beginning
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of the new testimony
here, they were misunderstanding
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some of these things.
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Let me read some of the verses
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that will you an example
of what I'm talking about.
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For example, if you
read in 2 Corinthians 3:2,
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Paul said, "You are our
epistle written in our hearts,
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known and read by all men,
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clearly you are
an epistle of Christ
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ministered to by us
written not with ink,
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but the Spirit of living
God, not on tablets of stone,
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but on tablets of
flesh that is at the heart."
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And people say,
"See, we no longer need
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the tablets of stone
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because now we go by the Spirit,
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it's written in our hearts."
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You don't need the law anymore
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because we're
under the New Covenant.
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Have you heard that before?
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Galatians 2:19,
"For I, through the law,
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died to the law that
I might live to God."
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See, we're dead to the law,
we don't keep the law anymore.
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Or read Ephesians 2:15,
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"Having abolished the
law in his flesh the enmity
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that of the law of commandments
contained in ordinances.
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So to create in
himself one new man,
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from the two thus making peace."
00:12:01.02\00:12:03.22
He's abolished in
his flesh, the law.
00:12:03.25\00:12:06.42
And over and over,
Christ fulfilled the law.
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Have you heard that?
00:12:08.76\00:12:10.16
With that backdrop, the
conclusion people come to
00:12:10.23\00:12:13.80
is that New Testament Christians
00:12:13.83\00:12:15.13
are no longer
under an obligation
00:12:15.16\00:12:16.63
to keep the Ten Commandments.
00:12:16.67\00:12:18.70
And so my effort is gonna
be to try to explain to you
00:12:18.73\00:12:22.70
why it is so
important to understand
00:12:22.74\00:12:25.17
the right relationship
between law and grace.
00:12:25.21\00:12:28.91
And especially
in the last days...
00:12:28.94\00:12:31.31
Now first of all, we
should put the priority
00:12:31.35\00:12:33.15
where god puts the priority.
00:12:33.18\00:12:34.65
Amen.
00:12:34.68\00:12:36.52
You might give a greeting card
00:12:36.55\00:12:38.05
to somebody on a piece of paper.
00:12:38.09\00:12:40.42
Now people email cards.
00:12:40.46\00:12:42.79
But usually, tombstones
are not written on paper.
00:12:42.82\00:12:47.36
They are written on stone
because you want it to last.
00:12:47.40\00:12:52.17
Things written on stone
are meant to be enduring.
00:12:52.20\00:12:56.10
God wrote the
ordinances of Moses
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were written by the
hand of Moses on paper.
00:12:59.91\00:13:02.74
Ten Commandants
were spoken by God,
00:13:02.78\00:13:04.78
written by God's
finger, written on stone.
00:13:04.81\00:13:07.52
If God goes to those
lengths to prioritize the law,
00:13:07.55\00:13:11.42
we ought to realize
it's important to Him.
00:13:11.45\00:13:13.76
Now I wanna go to Revelation 14,
00:13:13.79\00:13:16.49
and just talking
about the two final groups
00:13:16.52\00:13:18.49
in the last days,
00:13:18.53\00:13:19.86
you'll see why
this can be an issue.
00:13:19.89\00:13:22.46
Revelation 14:9,
00:13:22.50\00:13:24.57
"Then a third
angel followed them,
00:13:24.60\00:13:26.23
saying with a loud voice,
00:13:26.27\00:13:28.00
'If anyone worships
the beast in his image,
00:13:28.04\00:13:30.87
and receives his mark on
his forehead or on his hand,
00:13:30.91\00:13:34.24
he himself will
also drink the wine
00:13:34.28\00:13:36.34
of the wrath of God
00:13:36.38\00:13:37.71
that is poured
out in full strength
00:13:37.75\00:13:39.71
into the cup of His indignation.
00:13:39.75\00:13:42.48
He will be tormented
with fire and brimstone
00:13:42.52\00:13:44.89
in the presence
of the holy angles
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and in the
presence of the Lamb.'"
00:13:46.96\00:13:49.32
And so here,
we're being told that
00:13:49.36\00:13:50.89
the most severe judgment
00:13:50.93\00:13:54.03
that you find in
the Bible is poured upon
00:13:54.10\00:13:56.23
those who worship
the beast and his image,
00:13:56.26\00:13:58.00
and receive the
mark of the beast.
00:13:58.03\00:13:59.57
Now that
contrasted, you read just down
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to verse 12 and
listen what it says.
00:14:02.00\00:14:04.01
Speaking of the saved,
00:14:04.04\00:14:05.54
"Here is the
patience of the saints,
00:14:05.57\00:14:07.61
here are those who
keep the commandments of God
00:14:07.64\00:14:10.15
and the faith of Jesus."
00:14:10.18\00:14:11.51
So on one hand, it contrasts
those who keep the commandments
00:14:11.55\00:14:15.48
against those who
worship the image.
00:14:15.52\00:14:17.49
Now what's wrong
with worshipping an image?
00:14:17.52\00:14:20.76
Is there a
commandment somewhere that says
00:14:20.79\00:14:22.42
something about idolatry?
00:14:22.46\00:14:24.23
Yes.
00:14:24.26\00:14:25.59
Do you find this
in the Old Testament
00:14:25.63\00:14:27.30
being an important issue?
00:14:27.30\00:14:29.90
You read in Revelation 13:15,
00:14:29.93\00:14:31.73
that's just the
New Testament still.
00:14:31.77\00:14:34.00
"He was given
power to give breath
00:14:34.04\00:14:37.81
to the image of the beast,"
00:14:37.84\00:14:39.47
this is idolatry,
"that the image of the beast
00:14:39.51\00:14:42.08
should both speak
00:14:42.11\00:14:43.45
and cause as many
as would not worship
00:14:43.51\00:14:45.25
the image of the
beast should to be killed."
00:14:45.28\00:14:47.38
A death decree on those who
do not bow down to the image.
00:14:47.42\00:14:50.99
This is drawn from a
story you find in Daniel 3
00:14:51.02\00:14:54.49
where
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon,
00:14:54.52\00:14:56.59
and in Revelation
17 talks about Babylon,
00:14:56.62\00:14:59.16
compares it to the beast.
00:14:59.19\00:15:02.40
Daniel 3, those
three Hebrew worthies
00:15:02.43\00:15:05.83
would not bow down to the image
00:15:05.87\00:15:07.97
and they were going to be killed
00:15:08.00\00:15:09.57
because of that, but
God stood up for them.
00:15:09.60\00:15:11.94
Why couldn't they bow down?
00:15:11.97\00:15:13.68
Because it was idolatry.
00:15:13.71\00:15:16.04
They had to choose
between the commandants of God
00:15:16.08\00:15:18.85
and the commandants of men.
00:15:18.88\00:15:20.62
Go to Daniel 6,
"Establish a royal statute
00:15:20.65\00:15:23.99
and to make a firm decree,
00:15:24.02\00:15:25.35
that whoever
petitions any god or man
00:15:25.39\00:15:27.49
for 30 days, expect you, O king,
00:15:27.56\00:15:29.56
will be cast into
the den of lions."
00:15:29.59\00:15:31.56
Here you've got a law that says
00:15:31.59\00:15:33.53
unless you break
the first commandment,
00:15:33.60\00:15:35.30
thou shall not have other
gods, you're going to die.
00:15:35.33\00:15:38.93
Daniel stands up for
God and God sends His Angel,
00:15:38.97\00:15:42.70
you know, Nebuchadnezzar
said God has sent His angel
00:15:42.74\00:15:45.11
to deliver them
in the fiery furnace.
00:15:45.14\00:15:47.08
King Darius, God sent His angel
00:15:47.14\00:15:49.28
to save Daniel
in the lions' den.
00:15:49.31\00:15:51.31
You go to Hebrews 11, it
says, "We are saved by faith,"
00:15:51.35\00:15:55.38
and it says, "Through faith
00:15:55.42\00:15:57.15
the mouths of lions were stopped
00:15:57.19\00:15:59.62
and through faith the violence
of the fire was quenched."
00:15:59.65\00:16:02.99
What do you think
Paul is talking about?
00:16:03.02\00:16:05.46
The faith of Daniel,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
00:16:05.49\00:16:08.83
because they put the
commandments of God first,
00:16:08.86\00:16:11.10
they had faith enough to obey.
00:16:11.13\00:16:13.84
Now there's the point.
00:16:13.87\00:16:15.77
We all believe
we're saved by faith,
00:16:15.80\00:16:17.71
how did Daniel
demonstrate his faith?
00:16:17.74\00:16:20.71
You know, when they took
Daniel out of the lion's den,
00:16:20.78\00:16:22.91
it says no manner of
hurt was found on him
00:16:22.94\00:16:24.75
because he believed in his God.
00:16:24.78\00:16:28.22
So what does it mean to believe?
00:16:28.25\00:16:30.19
Just to accept
mentally that Jesus is real
00:16:30.22\00:16:32.42
or does it
believe mean to be live.
00:16:32.45\00:16:35.42
Whoever believes in Him...
00:16:35.46\00:16:36.83
when Jesus says, "Follow me."
00:16:36.86\00:16:38.56
You say, "I believe you, Lord."
00:16:38.59\00:16:40.00
But you follow the
devil, you don't believe in Him.
00:16:40.03\00:16:45.37
All right, I'm gonna go through
a series of questions here.
00:16:45.40\00:16:47.20
First of all, I wanna
just lay some ground work.
00:16:47.24\00:16:50.27
Can God's moral law
or the Ten Commandments
00:16:50.31\00:16:53.98
ever be amended or repealed?
00:16:54.04\00:16:56.95
Can you get rid of it? No.
00:16:57.01\00:16:58.35
Psalm 89:34, "My
covenant will I not break,
00:16:58.38\00:17:01.92
nor alter nor change the thing
that is gone out of my lips."
00:17:01.95\00:17:06.69
God keeps His covenants.
00:17:06.72\00:17:08.46
Are the Ten
Commandments part of a covenant?
00:17:08.49\00:17:10.39
Yes. They are.
00:17:10.46\00:17:11.96
They are part of
the Old Covenant,
00:17:11.99\00:17:14.36
but they're part
of the New Covenant.
00:17:14.40\00:17:15.86
Follow me.
00:17:15.90\00:17:17.27
Psalm 11: 7 and 8,
00:17:17.30\00:17:19.00
"All of His
commandments are sure.
00:17:19.03\00:17:21.37
They stand fast
forever and ever."
00:17:21.40\00:17:24.01
For how long? Forever.
00:17:24.04\00:17:25.54
How many commandments? All.
00:17:25.57\00:17:27.28
All of His commandments.
00:17:27.31\00:17:29.08
He's talking about
the Ten Commandments.
00:17:29.11\00:17:30.75
And you might say, "Well,
there are some commandments
00:17:30.78\00:17:32.18
that are passing."
00:17:32.21\00:17:33.55
If there are any
laws that are not passing,
00:17:33.62\00:17:37.09
which ones would they be?
00:17:37.12\00:17:39.15
Certainly the Ten
Commandments, right?
00:17:39.19\00:17:41.46
Where God summarized
those the two great commandments
00:17:41.49\00:17:44.49
of love the Lord
00:17:44.53\00:17:45.86
and love your neighbor
are summarized in those ten.
00:17:45.89\00:17:49.56
Malachi 3:6, He says,
00:17:49.60\00:17:51.43
"For I am the
Lord, I don't change."
00:17:51.47\00:17:55.04
"Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today, and forever."
00:17:55.07\00:17:58.37
And that's Hebrew 13.
00:17:58.41\00:18:00.41
Now why is this
so important to us?
00:18:00.44\00:18:03.04
Because the law of
God is a reflection
00:18:03.08\00:18:07.05
of the character of God.
00:18:07.08\00:18:09.42
I want you to notice that
those who are suggesting that
00:18:09.45\00:18:11.82
we get rid of the law of God
00:18:11.85\00:18:13.39
are really trying
to get rid of God.
00:18:13.42\00:18:14.82
Yes.
00:18:14.86\00:18:16.19
Because I've
got some verses here
00:18:16.22\00:18:17.96
that will show you
the characteristics of God
00:18:17.99\00:18:20.83
are not only the
characteristics of God,
00:18:20.86\00:18:22.93
it's the
characteristics of the law.
00:18:22.96\00:18:25.17
For example, the Bible says
in Luke 18:19, "God is good."
00:18:25.20\00:18:30.61
Paul says, "The law is good."
00:18:30.64\00:18:33.14
Isaiah 5:16, "The law is holy."
00:18:33.17\00:18:36.38
Paul says Romans
7:12, "The law is holy."
00:18:36.41\00:18:39.75
Deuteronomy 32:4,
"The God is just."
00:18:39.78\00:18:43.05
Romans 7:12, "The law is just."
00:18:43.08\00:18:45.92
Matthew 5:48, "God is perfect."
00:18:45.95\00:18:48.52
Psalm 19:7,
"The law is perfect."
00:18:48.56\00:18:51.86
1 John 4:8, "God is love."
00:18:51.89\00:18:55.10
It says in Romans
13:10, "The law is love."
00:18:55.13\00:18:58.47
Now I don't even have time
to read you all the verses,
00:18:58.50\00:19:00.17
but the Bible
says, "God is righteous."
00:19:00.20\00:19:02.50
It says, "His law is righteous.
00:19:02.54\00:19:04.17
God is Truth. The law is truth.
00:19:04.24\00:19:06.57
God is pure. The law is pure.
00:19:06.61\00:19:08.71
God is spiritual.
The law is spiritual.
00:19:08.74\00:19:10.81
God is
unchangeable. God is eternal."
00:19:10.88\00:19:12.95
And these are the same
things it says about the law.
00:19:12.98\00:19:15.28
So when people
are making an effort
00:19:15.32\00:19:17.75
to get rid of the law of God.
00:19:17.79\00:19:20.82
They're really
trying to get rid of God
00:19:20.89\00:19:22.22
because the law of God is
an expression of who He is.
00:19:22.26\00:19:25.96
He is love.
00:19:25.99\00:19:28.20
And Paul said
all the commandment
00:19:28.23\00:19:29.70
can be summarized in love.
00:19:29.73\00:19:31.50
Amen.
00:19:31.53\00:19:32.87
Not because it's done
away with through love,
00:19:32.90\00:19:35.47
but love is the fulfilling
00:19:35.50\00:19:37.31
our filling full
of those commandments.
00:19:37.34\00:19:41.74
All right,
according to the Bible,
00:19:41.78\00:19:43.11
let's get to the
basics here, what is sin?
00:19:43.14\00:19:46.65
We have got a problem,
00:19:46.72\00:19:48.25
I remember Joe
Chris used to say,
00:19:48.28\00:19:49.68
"Every good sermon ought
to talk about two things,
00:19:49.72\00:19:52.65
problem and the answer."
00:19:52.69\00:19:55.09
Problem is sin,
answer is salvation.
00:19:55.12\00:19:59.26
So what is sin?
00:19:59.29\00:20:01.16
Romans 3:20, "By the law
is the knowledge of sin."
00:20:01.20\00:20:06.17
And again, 1 John 3:4,
00:20:06.20\00:20:07.94
"Sin is the
transgression of the law."
00:20:07.97\00:20:10.61
So anybody that
believes that we are saved
00:20:10.67\00:20:14.74
by Jesus from our
sin is really saying
00:20:14.78\00:20:17.51
we are saved
from our lawlessness.
00:20:17.55\00:20:21.82
So what is that
devil accomplishing
00:20:21.85\00:20:23.75
by trying to get rid of the law?
00:20:23.79\00:20:26.62
If you get rid of the
law, you get rid of sin,
00:20:26.65\00:20:29.52
you get rid of
the definition of sin,
00:20:29.56\00:20:31.19
and the people who are
not convicted of their sin,
00:20:31.23\00:20:33.16
then who's gonna need a savior?
00:20:33.19\00:20:35.40
So as attack on the law of God
00:20:35.43\00:20:37.13
is an attack on the
whole plan of salvation.
00:20:37.20\00:20:38.93
Amen.
00:20:38.97\00:20:40.30
But the sad thing
is many Christians
00:20:40.37\00:20:41.70
are leading the attack.
00:20:41.74\00:20:44.14
They're saying we
are now saved by grace,
00:20:44.17\00:20:46.21
we no longer need the law.
00:20:46.24\00:20:48.64
We'll get to that in a minute.
00:20:48.68\00:20:50.78
What law is the apostle
referring to in 1 John 3:4?
00:20:50.81\00:20:55.08
Well, you can read in
Romans 7:7, Paul said,
00:20:55.12\00:20:57.65
"I had not known
sin, except by the law,
00:20:57.69\00:21:00.29
the law showed me sin.
00:21:00.36\00:21:01.86
For I had not known
lust, except the law had said,
00:21:01.89\00:21:04.63
Thou shalt not covet."
00:21:04.66\00:21:05.99
What law says
Thou shalt not covet?
00:21:06.03\00:21:08.83
It's a set of ten
and this is the last one.
00:21:08.86\00:21:12.13
And he's summarizing it
00:21:12.17\00:21:13.50
'cause the law is
more specific about
00:21:13.54\00:21:14.87
what you're not
supposed to covet.
00:21:14.90\00:21:17.41
Do we have problems with
lawlessness in North America?
00:21:17.47\00:21:19.84
Yes.
00:21:19.87\00:21:22.28
US News World Report, and
this is not a news survey.
00:21:22.31\00:21:25.35
They said, "Every 100 hours
00:21:25.38\00:21:27.18
more youths die
in the US streets
00:21:27.22\00:21:29.55
than were killed in
the Persian Gulf warfare."
00:21:29.58\00:21:32.79
It's still true today that
you have far more fatalities
00:21:32.82\00:21:35.92
in North America with
youths dying in gang warfare
00:21:35.96\00:21:39.33
than you do in the Middle East
00:21:39.36\00:21:40.70
with soldiers deployed
everywhere in the world.
00:21:40.76\00:21:42.66
The whole US Military
00:21:42.70\00:21:44.63
that's deployed around the world
00:21:44.67\00:21:46.03
does not see as many casualties
00:21:46.07\00:21:47.90
as the youth in the major cities
00:21:47.94\00:21:50.37
of the United States,
that's 'cause of lawlessness.
00:21:50.44\00:21:54.54
The average 18-year old,
00:21:54.58\00:21:56.68
this is I think a
Kaiser Survey study
00:21:56.71\00:21:58.98
witnesses 200,000
violent acts by the time
00:21:59.01\00:22:03.32
they're 18 including
40,000 murders on television.
00:22:03.39\00:22:07.66
But now it's not
all in television,
00:22:07.69\00:22:10.13
it's on their phone,
00:22:10.16\00:22:11.99
it's on their
iPad, it's everywhere.
00:22:12.03\00:22:15.26
We're just
surrounded with screens.
00:22:15.30\00:22:17.83
Violence, immorality...
00:22:17.87\00:22:19.90
What was the condition
of the world before Jesus...
00:22:19.93\00:22:22.24
Before the flood came.
00:22:22.27\00:22:23.61
Jesus said, "It would
be like the days of Noah."
00:22:23.67\00:22:26.01
What was it like?
Violence filled the land.
00:22:26.04\00:22:28.34
Every thought of the
imagination of man's heart
00:22:28.38\00:22:30.41
was only evil continually.
00:22:30.45\00:22:33.15
Now people may not be doing it,
00:22:33.18\00:22:34.52
but they're
enjoying it vicariously.
00:22:34.55\00:22:37.19
And He said, "As it
was in the days of Noah."
00:22:37.25\00:22:41.22
In 2015, I guess
they had a website.
00:22:41.26\00:22:44.63
I promise I'd
never seen until I saw it
00:22:44.66\00:22:46.43
on the news
called, "Ashley Madison."
00:22:46.46\00:22:48.83
And their title is,
00:22:48.86\00:22:50.20
"Life is short. Have an affair."
00:22:50.23\00:22:52.80
And some people
that were outraged
00:22:52.83\00:22:54.27
what the purpose
of this site was,
00:22:54.30\00:22:55.77
they somehow hacked it,
00:22:55.80\00:22:57.94
they got all the
personal information
00:22:57.97\00:22:59.84
of 37 million people.
00:22:59.87\00:23:02.71
There's only 300
million in North America.
00:23:02.74\00:23:05.95
Thirty-seven million
people that had signed off,
00:23:05.98\00:23:09.05
at least curious about
00:23:09.08\00:23:10.59
the possibilities
of having an affair,
00:23:10.62\00:23:12.82
and they'd entered
their personal information.
00:23:12.85\00:23:15.42
I mention this to John
earlier, and he reminded me,
00:23:15.46\00:23:17.33
"Yeah, one pastor when
the stuff was released,
00:23:17.36\00:23:19.39
he committed suicide
00:23:19.43\00:23:20.90
'cause his name
was there in the list."
00:23:20.93\00:23:26.23
And they say...
00:23:26.27\00:23:27.60
I've done some studies that
when surveyed confidentially,
00:23:27.64\00:23:33.27
21% of men after
20 years of marriage
00:23:33.34\00:23:36.34
and 19% of women have admitted
to extramarital affairs.
00:23:36.38\00:23:41.42
Now I wonder if
this is connected with
00:23:41.45\00:23:43.02
what happened in
North America like 1964.
00:23:43.05\00:23:48.09
I remember and some of
you may still remember.
00:23:48.12\00:23:50.89
When I went to a
public school in California,
00:23:50.93\00:23:53.76
we had the Ten Commandments
on the wall in public school.
00:23:53.80\00:23:56.80
Anyone else remember that? Yes.
00:23:56.83\00:23:59.50
I guess they
figured separation of church
00:23:59.53\00:24:01.34
and state that somehow
that was an infringement.
00:24:01.37\00:24:04.67
And so they took it
out of the public schools,
00:24:04.71\00:24:07.28
you know, it was really
sad is when they started
00:24:07.31\00:24:08.81
taking it out of the churches.
00:24:08.84\00:24:10.75
The government
didn't require that.
00:24:10.78\00:24:13.65
But pastors began to
say, "Well, if we're teaching
00:24:13.72\00:24:16.28
the Ten
Commandments, it's legalism."
00:24:16.32\00:24:19.15
And we don't
want to be Pharisees.
00:24:19.19\00:24:20.76
And, you know,
when these young people
00:24:20.79\00:24:22.12
leave the churches
00:24:22.16\00:24:23.53
because we talk
so much about law,
00:24:23.56\00:24:24.89
they don't learn about love.
00:24:24.93\00:24:26.26
And there's some truth to that
if we have this out of balance,
00:24:26.29\00:24:29.36
that we don't want them
to feel guilty all the time,
00:24:29.40\00:24:31.83
we want to be
more grace oriented.
00:24:31.87\00:24:35.00
And because we want to
be more grace oriented,
00:24:35.04\00:24:37.61
let's not emphasize the
law, let's just look at Jesus.
00:24:37.64\00:24:41.11
Have you heard this before?
00:24:41.14\00:24:43.71
The whole idea of the law
00:24:43.75\00:24:45.08
is to get us to
see our need of Jesus.
00:24:45.11\00:24:46.51
Amen.
00:24:46.55\00:24:48.58
And so you end up with a society
00:24:48.62\00:24:51.32
that has a broken moral compass.
00:24:51.35\00:24:54.62
They've got some interference.
00:24:54.66\00:24:57.03
Now a Christian is
what? A follower of Christ.
00:24:57.09\00:25:01.36
Did Jesus believe in
keeping the Ten Commandments.
00:25:01.40\00:25:04.27
I mean, that's the bottom line.
00:25:04.30\00:25:06.74
John 15:10, He says,
00:25:06.77\00:25:08.10
"I have kept my
Father's commandments."
00:25:08.14\00:25:11.47
And again 1 Peter 2:22, it says,
00:25:11.51\00:25:14.31
"He committed no sin,
00:25:14.34\00:25:16.31
nor was deceit
found in His mouth."
00:25:16.34\00:25:18.88
Jesus believed in
keeping the commandments.
00:25:18.91\00:25:22.08
Matter of fact, a rich
young ruler came to Christ,
00:25:22.12\00:25:23.82
he said, "Good Master,
00:25:23.89\00:25:25.89
what good
things should I do that
00:25:25.92\00:25:27.26
I might have eternal life?"
00:25:27.29\00:25:29.29
And Christ said,
"Why do you call me good?
00:25:29.32\00:25:30.83
None is good, but
one and that is God.
00:25:30.86\00:25:32.49
But if you
would enter into life,
00:25:32.53\00:25:34.30
keep the commandments."
00:25:34.30\00:25:36.16
And the young man said, "Which?"
00:25:36.20\00:25:38.07
Because the Jews had many laws.
00:25:38.10\00:25:39.73
The word law was used
in a very general sense.
00:25:39.77\00:25:42.90
Jesus then
began to recite to him
00:25:42.94\00:25:44.84
from the Ten Commandments,
00:25:44.87\00:25:46.24
and He began to
quote to that young man
00:25:46.27\00:25:47.78
from the second table
of the Ten Commandments
00:25:47.81\00:25:50.81
because this man didn't
really love his brother,
00:25:50.85\00:25:52.35
he was hoarding his wealth.
00:25:52.38\00:25:54.35
And that's why Jesus said,
00:25:54.38\00:25:55.72
"Go share what you
have with the poor."
00:25:55.75\00:25:57.09
And he went away sad
00:25:57.15\00:25:58.49
because he had
great possessions.
00:25:58.52\00:25:59.85
But Jesus began to
quote the Ten Commandments.
00:25:59.89\00:26:02.16
He said, "If you want to
enter into life, keep the law.
00:26:02.19\00:26:05.79
Now a lot of people
when they hear that,
00:26:05.83\00:26:07.13
they get discouraged."
00:26:07.23\00:26:08.63
And they say, "Well,
Jesus told them about
00:26:08.66\00:26:10.00
keeping the commandments
00:26:10.07\00:26:11.40
so that we would all
know how impossible it is."
00:26:11.43\00:26:17.21
John and I did an
interview on television,
00:26:17.24\00:26:19.11
it must be over 20 years ago.
00:26:19.14\00:26:20.71
We're in Northern
California and this TV station
00:26:20.78\00:26:22.74
for the Bay Area.
00:26:22.78\00:26:24.35
We did a debate
with two other pastors.
00:26:24.38\00:26:27.62
And one of the subjects
was the subject along grace.
00:26:27.65\00:26:29.98
And he was very
friendly, but these pastors
00:26:30.02\00:26:31.92
were basically saying,
00:26:31.95\00:26:33.96
"We're saved from
the law by Christ,
00:26:33.99\00:26:35.46
we're no longer under the
law that's the old letter,
00:26:35.49\00:26:37.76
we're now led by the Spirit,
00:26:37.79\00:26:39.13
we no longer need
the Ten Commandments."
00:26:39.16\00:26:41.60
And I remember
during the discussion,
00:26:41.63\00:26:43.00
I asked him, I
wanted to ask him,
00:26:43.03\00:26:45.57
"Well, which ones
are you breaking?"
00:26:45.60\00:26:47.74
But I thought that
wouldn't be polite.
00:26:47.77\00:26:49.17
But I said, "Can you name a sin
00:26:52.17\00:26:55.51
that God cannot
help us overcome?"
00:26:55.54\00:26:58.75
And he couldn't.
00:26:58.78\00:27:00.75
Except, of course,
the unpardonable sin.
00:27:00.78\00:27:04.22
And I said, "Do you believe
that devil can tempt us to sin
00:27:04.25\00:27:07.29
or break God's law?"
00:27:07.32\00:27:08.66
Does everyone agree? Yes.
00:27:08.69\00:27:10.36
Most of us are
living proof of that.
00:27:10.39\00:27:12.56
No, all of us are
living proof of that.
00:27:12.59\00:27:16.97
Do you believe that
Jesus can keep us from sin?
00:27:17.00\00:27:20.04
Yes.
00:27:20.07\00:27:22.44
See, when you say
that we can't keep the law,
00:27:22.47\00:27:26.68
you're
basically saying the devil
00:27:26.71\00:27:28.68
is greater than Christ.
00:27:28.71\00:27:31.88
Because you're saying
the devil is powerful enough
00:27:31.91\00:27:33.85
to tempt you to sin, but
Jesus isn't powerful enough
00:27:33.92\00:27:36.69
to keep you from sin.
00:27:36.72\00:27:38.15
Now I tell you what,
it is a miracle of grace
00:27:38.19\00:27:42.06
when we obey.
00:27:42.09\00:27:43.43
That same grace that covers you
00:27:43.46\00:27:46.46
from your past
empowers you to live a new life.
00:27:46.49\00:27:50.37
Everyone talks about
the covering part of grace,
00:27:50.43\00:27:52.97
they don't talk about
the empowering part of grace.
00:27:53.00\00:27:56.34
Let me read some
other verses to you here.
00:27:56.37\00:27:59.31
This is real grace.
00:27:59.34\00:28:01.08
Titus 2:11,
00:28:01.11\00:28:03.48
"For the grace of God
that brings salvation,"
00:28:03.51\00:28:06.31
what kind of grace do you want?
00:28:06.35\00:28:08.52
I want that kind.
00:28:08.55\00:28:10.15
I want the grace of
God that brings salvation.
00:28:10.22\00:28:12.05
I wanna be saved, friends. Amen.
00:28:12.09\00:28:14.52
"The grace of God
that bring salvation
00:28:14.56\00:28:16.59
has appeared to
all men teaching,"
00:28:16.62\00:28:18.49
here's what the
grace teaches us,
00:28:18.53\00:28:20.43
"That denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts,
00:28:20.46\00:28:24.40
we should live
soberly, righteously,
00:28:24.43\00:28:26.63
and godly in this present age."
00:28:26.67\00:28:29.44
Would that be an
exaggeration to say
00:28:29.47\00:28:33.58
that grace will
empower you to be obedient?
00:28:33.61\00:28:39.51
Listen to what he says,
00:28:39.55\00:28:41.05
"Teaching us a
denying ungodliness
00:28:41.08\00:28:43.02
of self-denial
involved and worldly lust
00:28:43.05\00:28:45.65
that we should lives
soberly, righteously."
00:28:45.69\00:28:48.29
What is lawlessness?
00:28:48.32\00:28:49.66
It's the
opposite of righteousness,
00:28:49.69\00:28:51.03
it's wrong-teousness, right?
00:28:51.06\00:28:53.43
"And godly in the present age,
looking for the blessed hope
00:28:57.07\00:29:00.90
and the glorious appearing
00:29:00.97\00:29:02.30
of our Great God
and Savior Jesus Christ,
00:29:02.34\00:29:04.14
listen, who gave Himself for us
00:29:04.17\00:29:06.31
that He might redeem us
from every lawless deed,
00:29:06.34\00:29:11.15
and purify for Himself
00:29:11.18\00:29:13.18
His own special people
zealous of good works."
00:29:13.21\00:29:17.35
Paul was a legalist.
00:29:17.42\00:29:18.75
Listen to what he
says here in Titus.
00:29:18.79\00:29:21.52
But he begins by
saying, "It's the grace of God
00:29:21.56\00:29:23.46
that brings salvation
that helps to accomplish
00:29:23.49\00:29:25.59
those things in your life."
00:29:25.63\00:29:27.30
So people, when they object
to your preaching about the law
00:29:27.36\00:29:30.77
because they
said, "You have the law,
00:29:30.80\00:29:32.27
but I've got grace."
00:29:32.30\00:29:33.64
If they don't
believe in obedience,
00:29:33.67\00:29:35.00
they've got the
wrong kind of grace.
00:29:35.04\00:29:36.37
Amen.
00:29:36.40\00:29:37.74
'Cause biblical grace will help
you to live a new kind of life.
00:29:37.77\00:29:41.01
Romans 3:31, "Do we then
make void the law through faith?
00:29:41.04\00:29:45.95
God forbid,"
certainly not, on the contrary,
00:29:45.98\00:29:49.88
"We establish the law."
00:29:49.92\00:29:53.09
We fulfill it in our lives.
00:29:53.12\00:29:55.12
We show the
world what it's like.
00:29:55.16\00:29:58.03
I get passionate
about this because not that
00:29:58.06\00:30:00.63
I have a ride by any means,
but wow, I've come a long way,
00:30:00.70\00:30:04.27
take my word for it.
00:30:04.30\00:30:05.77
I've just seen the
grace of God in my life.
00:30:05.80\00:30:08.50
I mean, some of you out there,
00:30:08.54\00:30:09.87
you know what I'm talking about,
00:30:09.90\00:30:11.24
you maybe
struggle with drinking,
00:30:11.27\00:30:13.04
and you struggle with cursing,
and you struggle with drugs,
00:30:13.07\00:30:16.08
and you struggle with all kinds
of immorality and lawlessness,
00:30:16.11\00:30:19.78
and Jesus came in your heart,
00:30:19.81\00:30:21.58
and He began to
sanctify you and transform you.
00:30:21.62\00:30:24.29
And you know what it means
when we talk about a new birth,
00:30:24.32\00:30:26.82
and you know what it
means when we talk about,
00:30:26.86\00:30:28.59
"Old things are passed
away, all things are made new,"
00:30:28.62\00:30:31.56
and that's why I get upset
00:30:31.59\00:30:33.36
when I hear
Christians making excuses
00:30:33.40\00:30:35.90
for just staying in captivity
00:30:35.93\00:30:38.70
because the whole
purpose of the gospel
00:30:38.73\00:30:40.07
is Jesus came to set us free.
00:30:40.10\00:30:41.90
Amen. The truth
will set you free.
00:30:41.94\00:30:43.74
Amen.
00:30:43.77\00:30:45.11
And I'm surprised sometimes
00:30:45.14\00:30:46.71
that Christians
don't rise up in anger
00:30:46.74\00:30:50.91
at this these
doctrines of devils...
00:30:50.95\00:30:55.12
It is a doctrine of
devils that tells people
00:30:55.15\00:30:57.32
that Jesus wants
you to just continue
00:30:57.35\00:30:59.19
being a slave to lawlessness.
00:30:59.22\00:31:04.03
Obedience is not legalism. Amen.
00:31:04.06\00:31:08.00
1 Corinthians 15:10,
"By the grace of God,
00:31:08.03\00:31:11.27
I am what I am,
00:31:11.30\00:31:13.10
and His grace
towards me was not in vain,
00:31:13.13\00:31:15.30
but I labored more abundantly,"
00:31:15.34\00:31:16.71
because of the grace,
00:31:16.77\00:31:18.51
"He labors more
abundantly than all,
00:31:18.54\00:31:20.88
yet not I, but the
grace of God in me."
00:31:20.94\00:31:23.31
Grace doesn't take away effort.
00:31:23.35\00:31:26.72
That's the way
that it's been taught.
00:31:26.78\00:31:28.55
Now listen to the
verse everybody knows,
00:31:28.58\00:31:30.25
but read the whole thing.
00:31:30.29\00:31:32.52
Most of you know
this part, Ephesians 2:8,
00:31:32.55\00:31:35.52
"For by grace you have
been saved through faith,
00:31:35.56\00:31:38.86
not of yourselves,
it is a gift of God,"
00:31:38.89\00:31:41.40
praise God, "Not of works
lest any man should boast."
00:31:41.43\00:31:45.37
Continue reading the next verse.
00:31:45.40\00:31:48.80
"For we are His workmanship
00:31:48.84\00:31:51.04
created in Christ
Jesus for good works
00:31:51.07\00:31:54.58
which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them."
00:31:54.61\00:31:58.85
He saves us by His
grace through faith
00:31:58.88\00:32:02.68
for living in a
different kind of life.
00:32:02.72\00:32:04.52
Amen. Isn't that
what He's saying?
00:32:04.55\00:32:07.86
So how many people have sinned?
00:32:07.89\00:32:09.86
I don't want to
leave you hopeless
00:32:09.89\00:32:11.23
'cause you're gonna think,
00:32:11.26\00:32:12.59
"Oh, Pastor Doug
said resolved in the law,
00:32:12.63\00:32:14.00
and that makes me feel convicted
00:32:14.00\00:32:15.33
'cause there's
still things in my life."
00:32:15.36\00:32:16.70
Well, good.
00:32:16.73\00:32:18.80
If you have things that
need addressing, praise God.
00:32:18.83\00:32:22.27
Who wants a doctor, you
go and you see the doctor,
00:32:22.30\00:32:26.07
and he looks at some
irregularity on your skin,
00:32:26.11\00:32:31.08
and he kind of says,
00:32:31.11\00:32:33.58
"Well, I
wouldn't worry about it,
00:32:33.62\00:32:35.12
it may just be poison ivy."
00:32:35.15\00:32:38.99
Now he knows it's skin cancer,
but he doesn't wanna upset you.
00:32:39.02\00:32:42.82
And there's a surgery
that could deal with it,
00:32:42.86\00:32:44.49
and there's a
treatment that can deal with it,
00:32:44.53\00:32:45.86
but he knows
that's gonna be expensive.
00:32:45.89\00:32:47.30
So he thinks for at
least, you know, your ignorance,
00:32:47.36\00:32:49.23
you'll be in
bliss until you die.
00:32:49.26\00:32:52.53
You want that
kind of doctor? No.
00:32:52.57\00:32:54.60
Or do you want a doctor
00:32:54.64\00:32:55.97
that's gonna give
you the hard truth?
00:32:56.00\00:32:57.57
Amen.
00:32:57.61\00:32:58.94
You read the Bible
and it's very clear that
00:32:58.97\00:33:00.91
God tell us that,
00:33:00.98\00:33:02.84
"Turn ye, turn
ye, why will you die?"
00:33:02.88\00:33:05.81
Unless we turn,
unless we repent,
00:33:05.85\00:33:07.98
unless we are transformed,
00:33:08.02\00:33:09.55
we will perish,
isn't that right?
00:33:09.58\00:33:12.65
And believing in
Jesus means repenting...
00:33:12.69\00:33:15.32
First words out of Jesus' mouth
00:33:15.36\00:33:16.73
when He called
people to follow Him,
00:33:16.76\00:33:18.53
"Repent, the kingdom
of heaven is at hand."
00:33:18.56\00:33:20.90
First thing John
the Baptist said,
00:33:20.93\00:33:22.60
it was an exact echo of
that, "Repent," of what?
00:33:22.63\00:33:26.40
Sin. What is sin?
00:33:26.43\00:33:27.87
Lawlessness.
00:33:27.90\00:33:30.07
"For the kingdom
of heaven is at hand."
00:33:30.11\00:33:32.31
How many have sinned?
00:33:32.34\00:33:33.88
You know this, Romans
3:23, "All have sinned,
00:33:33.94\00:33:37.61
and come short of
the glory of God."
00:33:37.65\00:33:39.81
Isaiah 53:6, "All we
like sheep have gone astray,
00:33:39.85\00:33:43.95
everyone has
turned to his own way."
00:33:43.99\00:33:47.16
And what is the punishment
for living a life of sin?
00:33:47.22\00:33:50.73
Romans 6:23,
00:33:50.79\00:33:52.53
"For the wages of sin is death."
00:33:52.56\00:33:56.26
I used to always
think that should read
00:33:56.30\00:33:57.63
for the wages of sin are
death because it's plural,
00:33:57.67\00:33:59.57
wages would be many.
00:33:59.60\00:34:02.74
But I dropped out of school,
00:34:02.77\00:34:04.11
so don't pay
any attention to me.
00:34:04.14\00:34:06.37
Genesis 2:17, "He
said for in the day
00:34:06.41\00:34:09.98
that you eat of it
you will surely die."
00:34:10.05\00:34:13.11
All through the
Bible, it's pretty clear
00:34:13.15\00:34:14.52
the consequences
for living a life
00:34:14.55\00:34:16.22
of lawlessness and disobedience,
00:34:16.25\00:34:18.89
it's lethal, it's deadly.
00:34:18.92\00:34:21.96
Jesus came to
save us by His grace,
00:34:21.99\00:34:24.93
He wants to save
us from our sins.
00:34:24.96\00:34:28.50
Do the Ten
Commandments still apply
00:34:28.53\00:34:30.03
to New Testament Christians?
00:34:30.07\00:34:31.40
Some were saying,
"Well, Pastor Doug,
00:34:31.43\00:34:32.77
that was the old dispensation."
00:34:32.80\00:34:34.14
Yeah, it's true, God
had one way of saving Jews
00:34:34.17\00:34:37.37
and He's got a different
way of saving Gentiles.
00:34:37.41\00:34:40.64
I don't find the
Bible teaching that
00:34:40.68\00:34:42.68
everybody that is
saved is saved by faith.
00:34:42.71\00:34:45.18
Abraham believed God
and it was counted to him
00:34:45.21\00:34:48.18
for righteousness,
Abraham was saved by faith.
00:34:48.22\00:34:52.02
Do the Ten
Commandments still apply
00:34:52.05\00:34:53.42
to New Testament
Christians? Yeah.
00:34:53.46\00:34:54.89
Matthew 19:17, "If
you will enter into life,
00:34:54.92\00:34:59.03
keep the commandments."
00:34:59.06\00:35:01.83
Jesus said, Matthew 5,
00:35:01.86\00:35:03.77
"Think not that I have come
00:35:03.80\00:35:05.97
to destroy the
law and the prophets.
00:35:06.00\00:35:07.97
I have not come to
destroy, but to fulfill."
00:35:08.00\00:35:10.81
And some people say, "Well,
that means to do away with it."
00:35:10.84\00:35:14.74
Think about how ridiculous
00:35:14.78\00:35:16.24
it would be for
Jesus to say that.
00:35:16.28\00:35:18.21
If the word fulfill means
to do away with or abolish,
00:35:18.25\00:35:22.62
that would like Jesus saying,
00:35:22.65\00:35:23.99
"I did not come
to destroy the law,
00:35:24.02\00:35:25.35
but I came to do away with it."
00:35:25.39\00:35:28.62
"I did not come
to destroy the law,
00:35:28.66\00:35:30.03
but I came to abolish it.
00:35:30.06\00:35:31.93
If you wanna know
what a bible word means,
00:35:31.96\00:35:34.00
read it somewhere
else in its context.
00:35:34.00\00:35:36.36
Jesus comes to John the
Baptist and says, "Baptize me."
00:35:36.40\00:35:40.00
John protests, he said,
00:35:40.04\00:35:41.37
"Lord, you ought
to be baptizing me."
00:35:41.40\00:35:43.10
Jesus said,
"Suffer it to be so now,
00:35:43.14\00:35:45.21
for thus it becomes us to
fulfill all righteousness."
00:35:45.24\00:35:49.78
Was Jesus telling John,
00:35:49.81\00:35:51.68
"We're doing this to do
away with all righteousness?"
00:35:51.71\00:35:53.68
No. No.
00:35:53.72\00:35:56.12
Fulfill means what it
says to fill something full.
00:35:56.15\00:36:00.09
And Jesus came in his life,
00:36:00.12\00:36:01.86
He fulfilled the
righteousness of the law.
00:36:01.89\00:36:04.09
And if you're a
Christian, it says that,
00:36:04.16\00:36:05.99
"That same righteousness
can be fulfilled in us,
00:36:06.03\00:36:09.40
who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit."
00:36:09.43\00:36:12.70
Romans 8. John 14:15.
00:36:12.73\00:36:15.60
Is anyone keeping
count how many scriptures
00:36:15.64\00:36:17.11
I'm giving you?
00:36:17.14\00:36:19.97
"If you love me..."
00:36:20.01\00:36:23.01
Honk your horn.
00:36:23.04\00:36:25.61
Have y'all seen
that bumper sticker?
00:36:25.65\00:36:27.95
I wish it was that easy,
00:36:27.98\00:36:29.32
we'd all go around
honking all day long, right?
00:36:29.35\00:36:32.42
But it said, if
you love me, show me.
00:36:32.45\00:36:36.06
Now probably one of
the best illustrations
00:36:36.09\00:36:38.56
of how salvation works
00:36:38.59\00:36:41.20
is the story of the Exodus.
00:36:41.23\00:36:47.10
Did God save the
Children of Israel
00:36:47.14\00:36:49.14
from Egypt their obedience
and works or did He save them
00:36:49.17\00:36:53.68
because of grace?
00:36:53.74\00:36:56.18
Had they done any good works
when He led them out of Egypt?
00:36:56.21\00:36:59.11
No.
00:36:59.15\00:37:01.25
He comes to them and He says,
"Look, the angel of judgment
00:37:01.28\00:37:03.55
is going through the
land, and unless you have
00:37:03.62\00:37:05.95
the blood of the
Lamb over your door,
00:37:05.99\00:37:09.86
the firstborn in your
house is going to die."
00:37:09.89\00:37:12.39
You needed the blood of
the lamb or you would die.
00:37:12.43\00:37:15.20
He saved them on the grace
00:37:15.23\00:37:16.60
because of the
blood of the Lamb.
00:37:16.67\00:37:18.67
And then after He saves them,
00:37:18.70\00:37:22.64
they run out of
food in the wilderness,
00:37:22.67\00:37:24.77
God gives the manna from heaven,
00:37:24.81\00:37:26.78
they run out of
water, He gives them water,
00:37:26.81\00:37:28.48
they're attacked
by the Amalekites,
00:37:28.51\00:37:30.08
He gives them
victory through Joshua.
00:37:30.15\00:37:32.91
By the way, you and I say Jesus,
00:37:32.95\00:37:35.28
in Hebrew it's
Joshua, Yehoshu'a.
00:37:35.32\00:37:38.02
That's all a type of Christ.
00:37:38.05\00:37:39.85
After He does all
these things to deliver them,
00:37:39.89\00:37:42.79
they get to Mount Sinai...
00:37:42.82\00:37:45.03
And what's the first
of the Ten Commandments?
00:37:45.06\00:37:49.86
Now most of you said
what I thought you'd say.
00:37:49.90\00:37:52.50
It sound little
bit like Babylon,
00:37:52.53\00:37:53.90
but I think I heard out
there what you were saying.
00:37:53.94\00:37:58.21
You said, "Thou shall not
have other Gods before me."
00:37:58.24\00:38:00.74
That is technically the first,
00:38:00.81\00:38:02.34
but that's not
where the writing begins.
00:38:02.38\00:38:05.11
It says in Exodus 20,
"God spake all these words,
00:38:05.15\00:38:08.38
saying, 'I am the Lord your God
00:38:08.42\00:38:11.02
that brought you out
of the land of Egypt,
00:38:11.05\00:38:12.52
out of the house of bondage.
00:38:12.55\00:38:13.89
Thou shalt have no
other gods before me.'"
00:38:13.92\00:38:16.86
The preamble, the
first thing God says
00:38:16.89\00:38:18.56
in the Ten Commandments is,
00:38:18.59\00:38:19.93
"I am the God who
brought you out of slavery,
00:38:19.96\00:38:23.47
I am the God who saved you."
00:38:23.50\00:38:25.63
The implication is,
I've shown you, I love you,
00:38:25.67\00:38:29.24
I'm saving you by my grace, now,
00:38:29.27\00:38:31.61
"If you love me,
keep my commandments."
00:38:31.64\00:38:36.14
Don't miss this important point.
00:38:36.18\00:38:38.71
Not everybody saved from Egypt
made it to the Promised Land.
00:38:38.75\00:38:42.08
The Bible says they
fell in the wilderness
00:38:42.12\00:38:43.79
because of unbelief.
00:38:43.82\00:38:45.82
The ones who made
it all the way believed
00:38:45.85\00:38:47.66
that they could
make it all the way,
00:38:47.69\00:38:49.89
not very many of them.
00:38:49.92\00:38:51.89
Joshua and Caleb, don't despair.
00:38:51.93\00:38:54.86
It doesn't need to be said
bad statistics in the last days
00:38:54.93\00:38:57.13
if we can learn
from our mistakes.
00:38:57.17\00:39:00.07
But if we keep making
excuses, keep in mind,
00:39:00.10\00:39:03.20
who was it that brought back
00:39:03.24\00:39:04.57
the evil report to
the children of Israel?
00:39:04.61\00:39:08.31
They picked 12
of who they thought
00:39:08.34\00:39:10.18
would be the
best representatives
00:39:10.21\00:39:11.78
and they sent them out,
00:39:11.81\00:39:13.58
and those messengers
came back and gave a report.
00:39:13.65\00:39:16.15
Two of them said,
"Let us go up at once,
00:39:16.18\00:39:17.79
we are well able to overcome."
00:39:17.82\00:39:19.82
Ten of them said,
"We can't overcome."
00:39:19.85\00:39:23.46
And the ones that did not
believe they could overcome,
00:39:23.49\00:39:25.36
did not overcome they
died in the wilderness.
00:39:25.39\00:39:28.30
The ones who believed
that God could do what He said,
00:39:28.33\00:39:31.57
experienced all kinds
of miracles and victories
00:39:31.60\00:39:33.77
and they made it.
00:39:33.84\00:39:37.04
That's the whole
story right there, friends.
00:39:37.11\00:39:39.74
You've got messengers
not only in the world,
00:39:39.77\00:39:43.11
but even in the church,
00:39:43.14\00:39:44.91
that are
saying, "We can't obey."
00:39:44.95\00:39:47.72
And they got thousand excuses
and they can look at you and me
00:39:47.75\00:39:50.39
and point as I see
how many people fall.
00:39:50.42\00:39:53.05
And instead of
pointing to Christ
00:39:53.09\00:39:55.19
who is our example, they
point at all the failures.
00:39:55.22\00:39:58.53
They love to preach
about David's idolatry.
00:39:58.56\00:40:01.50
And then they'll talk
about the grace of God.
00:40:01.53\00:40:04.27
They don't talk a lot
about David spending seven days
00:40:04.30\00:40:06.53
on his phase repenting.
00:40:06.57\00:40:09.54
Lot of people
wanna sin like David,
00:40:09.57\00:40:10.97
but not too many
wanna repent like David.
00:40:11.01\00:40:15.98
But they don't talk
about Job being a perfect
00:40:16.01\00:40:18.41
and an upright man.
00:40:18.45\00:40:21.15
Or Zachariah and Elizabeth,
it says they were two people
00:40:21.18\00:40:23.15
that walked in all the
commandments of the God
00:40:23.18\00:40:25.05
of the Lord blameless.
00:40:25.09\00:40:27.16
Or people like Joseph,
who was faithful to the Lord
00:40:27.22\00:40:31.89
and then
surrounded by temptation,
00:40:31.93\00:40:33.66
or Daniel or Shadrach or Meshach
00:40:33.70\00:40:35.26
or Abednego or Elijah.
00:40:35.30\00:40:36.73
Well, Elijah had his episodes,
00:40:36.80\00:40:38.13
but he went to heaven
in a fiery chariot, right?
00:40:38.17\00:40:41.90
The Bible is filled
with examples of people
00:40:41.94\00:40:43.74
who were overcomers.
00:40:43.77\00:40:45.94
And that's how
Jesus begin Revelation.
00:40:45.97\00:40:48.78
"To him that overcomes,
to him that overcomes,"
00:40:48.81\00:40:50.48
seven times he says that.
00:40:50.51\00:40:51.85
Would Christ say that if
it wasn't possible for us
00:40:51.88\00:40:54.08
to be overcomers?
00:40:54.15\00:40:57.12
If you love me...
00:40:57.15\00:40:58.59
Now if we're
struggling with our obedience,
00:40:58.62\00:41:00.66
the answer might be more love.
00:41:00.69\00:41:04.33
And God gives us
grace for even that.
00:41:04.36\00:41:05.86
Revelation 22:14,
"Blessed are those
00:41:05.89\00:41:09.13
that do His commandments
00:41:09.16\00:41:11.07
that they might have a
right to the tree of life
00:41:11.10\00:41:12.90
and enter through
the gates of the city.
00:41:12.93\00:41:15.34
The dragon is
especially wroth with those
00:41:15.37\00:41:17.27
who keep the
commandments of God."
00:41:17.31\00:41:18.87
And I'd like to
illustrate something here.
00:41:18.91\00:41:20.84
And, John, will you come
out and help me for a second?
00:41:20.88\00:41:23.95
He was gonna bring me...
00:41:24.01\00:41:26.98
He probably fell
asleep during the sermon.
00:41:27.02\00:41:28.42
Oh, there he is.
00:41:28.45\00:41:29.88
Okay, I don't how to do this,
you have to hold my microphone.
00:41:33.76\00:41:37.53
I'll be glad to.
00:41:37.59\00:41:38.93
Or that way I got
to speak in your tie.
00:41:38.96\00:41:40.76
All right.
00:41:40.80\00:41:44.40
So if I would come
out and continue preaching
00:41:44.43\00:41:50.24
the sermon like this,
will you find this distracting?
00:41:50.27\00:41:52.21
Yes.
00:41:52.24\00:41:54.38
You would? Yeah.
00:41:54.41\00:41:56.28
Do you see something
wrong with my appearance?
00:41:56.31\00:41:58.08
Yes.
00:41:58.11\00:41:59.45
Would you ever go out of
the house looking like this?
00:41:59.48\00:42:01.58
No.
00:42:01.62\00:42:03.52
So if I tell you I
don't see anything wrong
00:42:03.59\00:42:05.22
with my appearance,
what would you recommend?
00:42:05.25\00:42:08.39
Look in the
mirror. Look in the mirror.
00:42:08.42\00:42:10.33
All right, so I feel fine now.
00:42:10.36\00:42:12.56
You know, I went
through all the normal regiment
00:42:12.59\00:42:14.30
of dressing and
hygiene and then...
00:42:14.30\00:42:16.06
"Oh, man," and
whenever I see this I think...
00:42:16.10\00:42:19.33
Probably some kid
watching out there that's going,
00:42:19.37\00:42:21.74
"Ma, Pastor
Doug's got the mark."
00:42:21.77\00:42:26.84
So I look at
this and I feel okay,
00:42:26.88\00:42:30.31
but I'm ready to go out the door
00:42:30.35\00:42:31.68
and then I look in this device,
00:42:31.71\00:42:34.35
and I go, "Oh, wow,
something's very wrong."
00:42:34.38\00:42:38.15
And then I felt fine
until I looked in the mirror.
00:42:38.19\00:42:44.13
So obviously this
gray mirror is the problem.
00:42:44.19\00:42:48.96
If I throw it away
everything is okay.
00:42:49.00\00:42:53.70
What does the Bible
say, "The law is a mirror."
00:42:53.77\00:42:56.74
Getting rid of the mirror
00:42:56.77\00:42:58.11
doesn't take you
out of the problem,
00:42:58.14\00:42:59.47
you need the mirror
because it helps us see.
00:42:59.51\00:43:01.31
If this is sin,
and this is the law,
00:43:01.34\00:43:05.88
if it shows me my sin,
00:43:05.91\00:43:08.45
then it obviously
ought to take it away, right?
00:43:08.48\00:43:10.29
So do I use the mirror to try...
00:43:10.32\00:43:11.72
I don't want to that here.
00:43:11.75\00:43:13.09
You know, don't
you like those people
00:43:13.12\00:43:14.46
that like get a bright light
00:43:14.49\00:43:15.82
and they shine
something in your face.
00:43:15.86\00:43:18.13
I get bored on
the airplane sometimes
00:43:18.16\00:43:19.69
and I notice a little white
bright spot of the sunshine
00:43:19.73\00:43:21.83
when it hits my watch,
00:43:21.86\00:43:23.33
and I just start
looking for people.
00:43:23.37\00:43:27.40
Okay, so I just
knew when I did that,
00:43:27.44\00:43:31.47
that the
cameras, the studios go,
00:43:31.51\00:43:33.01
"No, don't do that."
00:43:33.04\00:43:34.38
Anyway.
00:43:34.41\00:43:35.88
So would this take it off? No.
00:43:35.91\00:43:38.78
No, it's not gonna work.
00:43:38.81\00:43:43.12
Well, there goes
that illustration,
00:43:43.15\00:43:47.72
not supposed to take it off.
00:43:47.76\00:43:49.09
You know, what I used
to do is I used to mark
00:43:49.12\00:43:50.89
something very subtly,
yeah, I put a mark on my face
00:43:50.93\00:43:53.96
and I used to
use erasable marker
00:43:54.00\00:43:55.30
and I'd wipe it
off and everything.
00:43:55.33\00:43:56.90
Once someone handed
me a permanent marker.
00:43:56.93\00:44:00.84
This one, I can't keep it on,
that one I couldn't get it off.
00:44:00.87\00:44:04.67
So this is not
meant to take it off.
00:44:04.71\00:44:06.78
So what do I need?
00:44:06.81\00:44:08.14
Assuming this is dirt,
you need to wash it, right?
00:44:08.18\00:44:14.32
So what do you
think this represents?
00:44:14.35\00:44:16.18
Blood. Blood of the Lamb.
00:44:16.22\00:44:17.92
So I look at this
and I look at this,
00:44:17.95\00:44:20.66
and so it takes
you out of the problem.
00:44:20.69\00:44:23.22
I now have no problem
00:44:23.26\00:44:24.59
with this assuming
I think I look okay.
00:44:24.63\00:44:26.70
I have no problem with this
now as long as I've got this.
00:44:26.73\00:44:30.53
To keep things corrected.
00:44:30.57\00:44:32.50
And, you know, I
don't know about you,
00:44:32.53\00:44:33.90
but I use one of
these almost every day.
00:44:33.94\00:44:35.97
Now I don't want you to think
I use them too often, some do.
00:44:36.00\00:44:39.67
And that's also
true with the law.
00:44:39.71\00:44:41.81
Some people are little
hypersensitive to the law,
00:44:41.84\00:44:44.05
and they spend all the
time looking at their faults
00:44:44.11\00:44:46.05
and they don't look at Jesus.
00:44:46.08\00:44:48.08
You become like
what you look at.
00:44:48.12\00:44:49.58
Thank you very much,
John. You did that very well.
00:44:49.62\00:44:51.65
So I think
you're getting the point
00:44:56.06\00:44:58.23
about the relationship
between the law and grace.
00:44:58.26\00:45:02.06
Now here is the question
00:45:02.10\00:45:03.47
we really all
need the answer to.
00:45:03.50\00:45:06.20
How is it possible to
keep the commandments of God?
00:45:06.23\00:45:10.41
We know they're still in effect.
00:45:10.44\00:45:12.54
Romans 8:3, 4, "God
sending His own son Jesus,
00:45:12.57\00:45:17.28
condemned sin in the
flesh," first in His own flesh,
00:45:17.35\00:45:21.72
"That the
righteousness of the law
00:45:21.75\00:45:23.08
might be fulfilled in us."
00:45:23.12\00:45:25.49
Because He was victorious,
00:45:25.52\00:45:28.36
we can be
victorious in our lives,
00:45:28.39\00:45:30.56
who do not walk after the flesh,
00:45:30.63\00:45:32.66
but walk after the Spirit.
00:45:32.69\00:45:34.56
And again, Philippians 1:6,
00:45:34.60\00:45:36.77
"He which hath begun a good work
00:45:36.83\00:45:38.57
in you will perform,"
00:45:38.60\00:45:40.94
it is a work that it is ongoing,
00:45:40.97\00:45:43.10
"Until the day of Jesus Christ."
00:45:43.14\00:45:45.01
Now I don't know how you feel,
00:45:45.04\00:45:47.38
that is a very
encouraging verse to me.
00:45:47.44\00:45:49.71
"He has begun a work in you."
00:45:49.74\00:45:52.68
When you surrender to Jesus,
00:45:52.71\00:45:54.38
His Grace
continues to give you power,
00:45:54.42\00:45:57.19
it continues to help you
walk in a newness of life.
00:45:57.25\00:46:01.42
Philippians 4:13,
00:46:01.46\00:46:03.02
"I can do all
things through Christ
00:46:03.06\00:46:05.79
that strengthens me."
00:46:05.83\00:46:07.40
Holy Spirit could
probably show you in a moment
00:46:07.46\00:46:10.37
what things you're
struggling within your life
00:46:10.40\00:46:11.93
that are almost omnipresent,
you know what they are,
00:46:11.97\00:46:14.57
do you got the Holy
Spirit, He convicts you.
00:46:14.60\00:46:18.24
Take courage in that promise,
00:46:18.27\00:46:19.64
that through Christ
all things are possible.
00:46:19.67\00:46:22.24
Amen.
00:46:22.28\00:46:23.65
Some devils don't come out easy.
00:46:23.68\00:46:25.58
Sometimes it
requires a struggle,
00:46:25.61\00:46:28.08
sometimes you're wrestling,
not against flesh and blood,
00:46:28.12\00:46:32.42
the principalities and powers
00:46:32.45\00:46:33.99
and workers of
wickedness in high places.
00:46:34.06\00:46:36.29
Jesus says, "Sometimes
this kind is not come forth
00:46:36.32\00:46:38.59
except through
prayer and fasting."
00:46:38.63\00:46:41.66
This idea, there's no effort
involved in the Christian life.
00:46:41.70\00:46:44.17
I don't know
where people get that.
00:46:44.23\00:46:46.23
Bible says, "We war, we strive,
00:46:46.27\00:46:48.20
we run, we fight,
we have to hang on."
00:46:48.24\00:46:50.87
And say, "I will not let
thee go except you bless me."
00:46:50.91\00:46:54.34
But there is the
sloppy agape version
00:46:54.38\00:46:56.38
of Christianity out there
00:46:56.41\00:46:58.38
that takes away the
truth about what real grace is.
00:46:58.41\00:47:04.12
It's not just
grace to cover the past,
00:47:04.15\00:47:06.62
it's grace to give you power
to walk in newness of life.
00:47:06.65\00:47:11.93
What is the Old
Covenant? I wanna explain this.
00:47:11.96\00:47:15.56
And why did it fail?
00:47:15.60\00:47:17.77
Deuteronomy 4:13,
00:47:17.80\00:47:19.53
"He declared
unto you His covenant,
00:47:19.57\00:47:21.54
which He
commanded you to perform,
00:47:21.57\00:47:24.01
even Ten Commandments
00:47:24.04\00:47:25.97
and He wrote them on
two tables of stone."
00:47:26.01\00:47:28.74
No question about
it, the Old Covenant
00:47:28.78\00:47:30.38
was the Ten Commandments.
00:47:30.45\00:47:31.81
Now where do you
first find the New Covenant?
00:47:31.85\00:47:35.42
It's when Jesus
dies on the cross?
00:47:35.45\00:47:38.55
Who is saved by
the Old Covenant?
00:47:38.59\00:47:42.29
Nobody.
00:47:42.32\00:47:46.49
The New Covenant is
found in the Old Testament.
00:47:46.53\00:47:49.60
You find it in
Jeremiah 33:33, it says,
00:47:49.63\00:47:52.90
"A New Covenant I will make."
00:47:52.93\00:47:54.94
But everybody is saved by grace,
00:47:54.97\00:47:56.87
everybody is saved by
faith, nobody is saved by works,
00:47:56.91\00:48:00.11
nobody is gonna be in heaven.
00:48:00.14\00:48:02.04
And looked at
others in heaven and say,
00:48:02.08\00:48:03.41
"I'm here because of
works, you got in easy."
00:48:03.48\00:48:06.51
You got in by faith.
00:48:06.55\00:48:09.08
They were all saved by
faith because all of sin,
00:48:09.12\00:48:11.55
we almost depend
on the mercy of God.
00:48:11.59\00:48:14.76
Now with the Old Covenant,
00:48:14.79\00:48:16.12
just to give you
the history about
00:48:16.16\00:48:17.49
why it talks about all the new,
00:48:17.56\00:48:18.89
the word
covenant means agreement.
00:48:18.93\00:48:21.93
God spoke the Ten Commandments
to the children of Israel,
00:48:21.96\00:48:24.40
Exodus 20.
00:48:24.43\00:48:26.37
The people said all the
Lord has said we will do.
00:48:26.40\00:48:28.84
They made an agreement.
00:48:28.87\00:48:30.21
So here is my
law, obey and live.
00:48:30.24\00:48:32.91
They said, "All the
Lord has said we will do."
00:48:32.94\00:48:34.61
And while Moses goes up
to get the written copy,
00:48:34.64\00:48:37.75
they make the golden calf
00:48:37.78\00:48:39.11
and they break the
commandments of the Lord.
00:48:39.15\00:48:41.32
And then that's why you can read
00:48:41.35\00:48:42.68
where Paul says in Hebrews 8:8,
"Finding fault with them..."
00:48:42.72\00:48:47.59
That was the fault with
the law or with the people?
00:48:47.66\00:48:50.93
The law did not
break the covenant,
00:48:50.96\00:48:52.29
the people broke the covenant.
00:48:52.33\00:48:54.10
"Finding fault
with them, he said,
00:48:54.10\00:48:55.90
'I will make a New Covenant
with the house of Israel
00:48:55.93\00:48:58.27
and the house of Judah.'"
00:48:58.30\00:49:00.17
Is there anywhere
in the Bible that says
00:49:00.20\00:49:01.54
a New Covenant is
made with Gentiles?
00:49:01.57\00:49:06.47
No.
00:49:06.51\00:49:07.84
A lot of people that say
we're saved by the New Covenant
00:49:07.88\00:49:09.84
where New Testament
Christians will say,
00:49:09.88\00:49:11.31
"Show me where
there's a New Covenant
00:49:11.35\00:49:12.68
made with Gentiles."
00:49:12.71\00:49:14.88
The Old Covenant is
made with the Jewish people,
00:49:14.92\00:49:17.45
that's why you
have to be adopted in
00:49:17.52\00:49:20.49
and you become spiritual Jews.
00:49:20.52\00:49:23.22
It says, "I'll
make a New Covenant
00:49:23.26\00:49:24.59
with the house of
Israel and the house of Judah.
00:49:24.63\00:49:27.50
I'll write my
law in their hearts,
00:49:27.56\00:49:30.20
I'll take the stony
heart out of their flesh,
00:49:30.27\00:49:31.93
I'll give them
a heart of flesh."
00:49:31.97\00:49:33.94
Way back in the
days of Moses, He said,
00:49:33.97\00:49:35.57
"Circumcise therefore
the foreskin of your hearts."
00:49:35.60\00:49:38.57
Way back in the
first books of the Bible,
00:49:38.61\00:49:40.28
they understood
it was a hard change,
00:49:40.31\00:49:42.88
that's how we're saved.
00:49:42.91\00:49:44.45
Even in the Ten
Commandments, you know,
00:49:44.48\00:49:46.48
you find in the Ten Commandments
00:49:46.51\00:49:48.55
showing mercy and
the thousands of those
00:49:48.58\00:49:50.22
that love me and
keep my commandments.
00:49:50.29\00:49:52.72
How do we keep His commandments?
00:49:52.75\00:49:54.89
We love Him.
00:49:54.92\00:49:56.26
That's not a New
Testament concept,
00:49:56.29\00:49:57.89
it's an Old Testament concept.
00:49:57.93\00:49:59.63
Before Moses dies,
00:49:59.66\00:50:01.40
he tells the Children of Israel,
00:50:01.43\00:50:03.06
"I command you this day
to love the Lord your God."
00:50:03.10\00:50:08.27
It says in Hebrews chapter...
00:50:08.30\00:50:10.21
Ten, Upon what law is
the New Covenant based?
00:50:10.27\00:50:13.14
Hebrews 8:10,
00:50:13.17\00:50:14.78
"This is the covenant
I will make says the Lord
00:50:14.81\00:50:16.81
I'll put My laws in their minds
00:50:16.85\00:50:18.41
and I'll write
them in their hearts."
00:50:18.45\00:50:21.48
Someone might think, "But
doesn't living under grace
00:50:21.52\00:50:24.05
may keeping God's
law non-essential?"
00:50:24.09\00:50:26.92
Have any of you heard that?
00:50:26.96\00:50:28.96
Romans 6:15, "What then?
00:50:28.99\00:50:31.06
Shall we sin that
00:50:31.09\00:50:32.43
because we are
not under the law,
00:50:32.46\00:50:33.80
but under grace?
00:50:33.86\00:50:35.16
God forbid."
00:50:35.20\00:50:36.53
Romans 3:31,
00:50:36.56\00:50:37.90
"Do we then make void
the law through faith?
00:50:37.93\00:50:39.60
God forbid. We
establish the law."
00:50:39.63\00:50:43.44
So this whole concept
that God gives us permission
00:50:43.47\00:50:46.34
to change His Law.
00:50:46.37\00:50:48.14
Jesus says in Luke 16:17,
00:50:48.18\00:50:50.08
"It is easier
for heaven and earth
00:50:50.11\00:50:51.78
to pass away,
00:50:51.81\00:50:53.18
than for one tittle
of the law to fail."
00:50:53.21\00:50:57.12
If you believe
heaven is still there
00:50:57.15\00:50:58.49
and earth is still there,
00:50:58.52\00:50:59.85
you read
Revelation 11:19, it says,
00:50:59.89\00:51:01.99
"I saw the temple
of God open in heaven,
00:51:02.02\00:51:03.83
I saw the Ark of the Covenant."
00:51:03.86\00:51:06.09
He's got a copy
00:51:06.13\00:51:07.50
of the original there in heaven,
00:51:07.50\00:51:09.66
it's still a place of
honor, it's the Word of God.
00:51:09.70\00:51:13.90
Only part of the Word of God
00:51:13.94\00:51:15.87
the Lord would not
entrust the mortals,
00:51:15.90\00:51:17.94
but He wrote it
with His own finger.
00:51:17.97\00:51:21.14
I remember hearing a
story several years ago
00:51:21.18\00:51:24.25
about this man was driving
back home from shopping center
00:51:24.28\00:51:28.55
going through the suburbs,
00:51:28.58\00:51:30.45
went zipping on
through this stop sign
00:51:30.49\00:51:32.72
without stopping,
he was going too fast
00:51:32.75\00:51:34.76
and at an intersection,
policeman turned on his lights
00:51:34.79\00:51:38.43
and started to follow him.
00:51:38.46\00:51:40.46
And he looked at the
guys, he got out of his...
00:51:40.50\00:51:42.30
He pulled over.
00:51:42.33\00:51:43.70
And saw the guy as
he got out of his car.
00:51:43.73\00:51:46.53
He said, "Ah, it's
Bob, he goes to my church."
00:51:46.57\00:51:51.57
This doesn't look good,
not a very good example here,
00:51:51.61\00:51:54.01
I was speeding,
but he's a buddy,
00:51:54.04\00:51:55.38
he'll let me off the hook.
00:51:55.41\00:51:57.48
Bob comes over and
he caps on the window,
00:51:57.51\00:51:59.21
Jack rolls down
his window and he said,
00:51:59.25\00:52:02.42
"You realize
that you are doing 45
00:52:02.45\00:52:04.69
through a 25 mile an hour zone?"
00:52:04.72\00:52:07.79
He said, "Hey,
look, you know, I'm busy.
00:52:07.82\00:52:09.62
Just got some food,
we're going home to a barbecue,
00:52:09.66\00:52:11.59
haven't seen
the family all week,
00:52:11.63\00:52:12.96
you understand, Bob."
00:52:12.99\00:52:14.46
Just, he smiled,
kind of wink, wink,
00:52:14.50\00:52:15.86
you know, and he
said, "I'll be right back."
00:52:15.90\00:52:20.64
And he goes back
00:52:20.70\00:52:22.04
and he takes out his note
and his pad he starts to write.
00:52:22.07\00:52:24.27
Well, at that point
Jack is just thinking,
00:52:24.31\00:52:25.94
"Oh, come on, I
wasn't going that fast."
00:52:25.97\00:52:28.68
He just got madder and madder,
00:52:28.71\00:52:30.15
he thought how this
was ruining his day.
00:52:30.21\00:52:33.11
You know, worst thing about
00:52:33.15\00:52:34.48
when you get
pulled over for speeding,
00:52:34.52\00:52:35.85
it is then you have to
stop for the policemen,
00:52:35.88\00:52:37.25
then you're
later than ever, right?
00:52:37.29\00:52:39.42
It's really inconvenient.
00:52:39.45\00:52:41.86
And so he's just
getting madder and madder.
00:52:41.89\00:52:44.93
And finally Bob
comes over to the car
00:52:44.96\00:52:47.23
and Jack just rolls
down the window that far.
00:52:47.30\00:52:50.97
He said, "Could you
please do me a favor
00:52:51.00\00:52:52.37
and slow down."
00:52:52.40\00:52:53.77
And he wouldn't even
let him hand him the ticket,
00:52:53.80\00:52:55.20
he made him push
it in the window.
00:52:55.24\00:52:59.61
And then Jack realized,
00:52:59.64\00:53:01.04
"You know, he never
did ask for my license."
00:53:01.08\00:53:04.58
And as Bob was
walking back to his car
00:53:04.61\00:53:06.18
and he got in and he looked in,
00:53:06.21\00:53:07.55
it wasn't a ticket
at all it was a note.
00:53:07.62\00:53:11.49
And it said, "Jack, I
just need to let you know,
00:53:11.52\00:53:14.79
about six years ago,
00:53:14.82\00:53:16.83
a speeding driver hit
my three-year old girl
00:53:16.86\00:53:19.83
and killed her."
00:53:19.86\00:53:21.60
And he said, "And I've really
had a hard time forgiving."
00:53:21.63\00:53:25.50
He said, "I'm gonna try
one more time to forgive,
00:53:25.53\00:53:27.50
would you please slow down?"
00:53:27.54\00:53:30.87
He didn't give him a
ticket. He gave him grace.
00:53:30.91\00:53:34.58
Now here is the question.
00:53:34.61\00:53:37.05
When Jack pulls away,
00:53:37.11\00:53:40.08
is he gonna change his behavior?
00:53:40.12\00:53:44.59
He would think at
least for a while, right?
00:53:44.62\00:53:48.46
What's gonna make the change.
00:53:48.49\00:53:51.63
When he realizes how
much speeding can cost.
00:53:51.66\00:53:58.47
What brings about
the change in our lives?
00:53:58.50\00:54:00.67
What gives us the grace?
00:54:00.74\00:54:03.34
The Bible says,
"It's the goodness of God
00:54:03.41\00:54:05.47
that leads us to repentance."
00:54:05.51\00:54:08.54
Why do we love Him?
00:54:08.58\00:54:10.35
We love Him
because He first loved us.
00:54:10.38\00:54:13.55
Are you getting the point?
00:54:13.62\00:54:15.12
The key is when we
really get a picture
00:54:15.15\00:54:18.62
of how much God loves us,
00:54:18.65\00:54:21.09
when we understand
how much He's paid for us,
00:54:21.12\00:54:23.09
how much our
lawlessness cost Him.
00:54:23.12\00:54:25.86
See when you see
Jesus hanging on the cross,
00:54:25.89\00:54:29.60
He is there because of the sin.
00:54:29.63\00:54:33.10
So why would a Christian
that says they love the Lord,
00:54:33.13\00:54:37.17
want to live a
life that glorifies sin.
00:54:37.21\00:54:41.38
When we see that the
Lord is hanging on the cross
00:54:41.41\00:54:43.31
because of our
sinfulness and our lawlessness,
00:54:43.35\00:54:48.32
why would we want
to continue going back,
00:54:48.35\00:54:49.85
why wouldn't we
make every effort
00:54:49.88\00:54:52.29
to turn away from that
00:54:52.32\00:54:54.72
which made the Father
close His eyes to the Son.
00:54:54.76\00:54:59.26
When Jesus was
burying your sin and mine,
00:54:59.29\00:55:01.13
the Father turned away to
sin is so abhorrent to God.
00:55:01.16\00:55:05.53
Sin is ugly, sin is deadly.
00:55:05.57\00:55:09.37
And there's a
whole counterfeit gospel
00:55:09.40\00:55:12.54
that is being spread
around the world today,
00:55:12.57\00:55:16.11
it's even diluted
00:55:16.14\00:55:18.21
some of its
tentacles into our message.
00:55:18.25\00:55:21.78
This idea that God is
somehow tolerant of lawlessness,
00:55:21.82\00:55:27.56
that He is tolerant of sin.
00:55:27.59\00:55:30.33
The Ten Commandments
are still there, friends.
00:55:30.36\00:55:33.50
The Ten Commandments
did not need changing.
00:55:33.53\00:55:36.73
The reason for the
gospel is to change our hearts.
00:55:36.77\00:55:40.90
We need changing.
00:55:40.94\00:55:43.24
This is what it's
all about, friends.
00:55:43.27\00:55:45.21
Jesus said, "It would be easier
00:55:45.24\00:55:46.57
for heaven and
earth to pass away
00:55:46.64\00:55:48.98
than for one little
tittle of the law to fail."
00:55:49.01\00:55:51.98
And some people
when I talk like this,
00:55:52.01\00:55:54.02
they say, "Pastor Doug,
you're being legalistic."
00:55:54.08\00:55:55.75
Well, you're gonna have
to take it up with the Lord
00:55:55.78\00:55:57.45
'cause Jesus said,
00:55:57.49\00:55:59.45
"Whosoever, shall
break one of the least
00:55:59.49\00:56:02.36
of these commandments,
00:56:02.39\00:56:03.96
he will be called the
least in the Kingdom of Heaven."
00:56:03.99\00:56:06.86
He didn't say you'll be there.
00:56:06.93\00:56:08.53
He'll be spoken of
by those in the kingdom
00:56:08.56\00:56:10.37
as the lowest kind of person.
00:56:10.40\00:56:12.63
But whoever will do and teach
00:56:12.67\00:56:14.97
even the least of the
commandments Jesus said,
00:56:15.00\00:56:17.31
He will be called great
in the Kingdom of Heaven.
00:56:17.34\00:56:19.57
And I know in the
final, in the final analysis,
00:56:19.61\00:56:23.78
I need to answer to Jesus.
00:56:23.85\00:56:25.71
I want to make sure He's pleased
00:56:25.75\00:56:27.78
with what I do and what I say.
00:56:27.82\00:56:29.72
I don't want to have Christ come
00:56:29.75\00:56:32.29
and find out that I
followed a watered down gospel
00:56:32.32\00:56:35.22
that lost all its potency.
00:56:35.26\00:56:37.43
I want to know
what the truth is,
00:56:37.46\00:56:39.26
because the truth
will set you free.
00:56:39.29\00:56:41.33
Jesus will
provide grace for you,
00:56:41.36\00:56:43.53
He will give you grace to
cover all of your past sins,
00:56:43.57\00:56:47.34
and the Lord will give you grace
00:56:47.40\00:56:48.74
to live in a
newness of life every day.
00:56:48.77\00:56:51.37
That grace of God
that brings salvation
00:56:51.41\00:56:55.04
will invite us
then to deny ungodliness
00:56:55.08\00:56:58.25
and worldly lusts,
that we should live soberly,
00:56:58.28\00:57:01.58
righteously, and
godly in this present age.
00:57:01.62\00:57:04.42
And when Jesus has the
people that are doing that,
00:57:04.45\00:57:06.99
He will come again.
00:57:07.02\00:57:09.92
Would you like to
have that experience?
00:57:09.96\00:57:12.69
Can I pray for you
and with you tonight,
00:57:12.73\00:57:14.20
and you who are watching?
00:57:14.23\00:57:16.33
Loving Lord, we
pray that we will know
00:57:16.36\00:57:19.23
and experience in our lives
00:57:19.27\00:57:20.74
what it means to
have that saving grace.
00:57:20.77\00:57:23.41
We know it only comes
through the power of Jesus,
00:57:23.44\00:57:25.97
and we pray for
this in His name, amen.
00:57:26.01\00:57:28.51