by the friends of the
Amazing Facts ministry.
00:00:03.60\00:00:06.57
Doug Batchelor: At four feet
tall, the emperor penguin is
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the largest penguin
species in the world.
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Every spring, these majestic
birds travel up to 75 miles
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inland on the Arctic ice pack,
walking and sliding on their
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bellies to arrive at
one of the most desolate
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and remote places on earth.
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Once the female lays an egg, her
male companion quickly rolls it
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onto his feet and covers
it with a fold of his fat,
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feathery fur to keep it warm.
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While the females leave to
feed in the ocean for about two
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months, the males
huddle together in clusters for
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protection from the frigid wind,
incubating the eggs on their
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feet, while enduring the
brutally cold, dark winter.
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Emperor penguins demonstrate
some of the most patient
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devotion and warm love for
their young of any creatures.
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And they do this in the
coldest conditions on earth,
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where temperatures
can drop to 85 below zero.
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The Bible says in the last days,
because lawlessness will abound,
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the love of many will grow cold.
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But your love can stay
warm even in a cold world.
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As a Christian, are
you warming those around
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you with God's love?
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At the heart of all
of this is the question,
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is your Christianity real?
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Join me now, friends, as we look
at what the Bible has to say on
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this very important topic.
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Doug: I heard one time about
this mission organization that
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was placing missionaries in
different parts of the world.
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They had a unique way of
testing the missionaries.
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The candidate was told to arrive
at three in the morning for the
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exam, three in the morning.
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And so, this one candidate,
he came at three in the morning,
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he went to the room where he was
supposed to meet the examiner,
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and he waited there until five
in the morning, nobody there.
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So, he waited a little longer
until eight in the morning,
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finally the examiner came
in at eight in the morning.
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He said, "Can you please
spell the word 'baker' for me?"
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He said, "Baker, B-A-K-E-R."
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He said, "Very good."
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Said, "Now, can you please tell
me how much is two times two?"
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He said, "Four."
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He said, "Very good."
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He said, "I think that
the mission board is going to
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accept you as a missionary."
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And he got up and he left.
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That afternoon, the examiner
went and he met with the mission
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board, he said, "You
know, that candidate that I had
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an appointment with," he
said, "I think he's going
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to make a good missionary."
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Said, "I tested
him on self-denial.
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He got out of a warm bed on a
cold night while I know he was
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still tired, and he came.
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So, I tested him on patience.
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I made him then wait from three
in the morning until eight in
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the morning before I showed up.
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I then tested him on humility.
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I asked him questions that
any child would understand,
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and he was not offended.
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Then I asked him a
simple equation of addition,
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and he answered it
correctly and politely."
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And he said, "He's got what
it takes to be a missionary."
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It's going to
require self-denial,
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perseverance,
patience, humility.
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And so, they were tests.
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Well, there are
tests in the Bible.
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There--if you're
saying, "Doug, how do I know
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if my Christianity is real?
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I want to know, can I know?"
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Good news, there's a test.
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The Bible actually
gives you several tests.
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And so, we're going to ask that
very important question today,
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is my Christianity real?
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And is there a way to know?
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Well you know, the Bible tells
us that if we are going to do
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something about
counterfeit Christianity,
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or if our
Christianity isn't real,
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first you've got to
identify that, is that right?
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And so, there's
some preventative
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screening that happens.
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Now, I don't know if you've
been to the doctor for a regular
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checkup, but if you go for a
checkup, you don't always want
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to wait until you're sick
and then go to the doctor.
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As you get a little older,
they say you ought to go do
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some
preventative health screening.
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Something simple like
a blood pressure check,
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you could prevent death
by a simple test like that.
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A blood test that could
tell you about your blood sugar.
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Diabetes can kill a person,
you can slip into a coma.
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It could tell you about
your cholesterol levels,
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that could help you
prevent a heart attack.
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A whole scope of
different things can be
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determined by that, cancer.
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And so, doing some preventative
screening can save your life.
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How many of you have known
somebody and they came down with
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some terrible terminal disease,
and then somebody will say,
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"If they had only had
that checked a little sooner,
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they could have done something,
but they waited too long."
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You ever heard that?
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They waited
until it was too late.
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Right now, praise the Lord,
if you're alive and hearing my
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voice, you probably have not
grieved away the Holy Spirit and
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it's not too late for you to ask
those important and penetrating
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questions: is my
Christianity real?
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Because there will come a
time when it'll be too late.
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So, now's the time to find out.
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How sad it will be on that
day to find out that you are
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self-deceived, that you figured,
well, this was the world's
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standard of Christianity
and I measured up to the world's
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standard, and so I
thought I was going to make it.
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But to hear the words from Jesus
say, "I'm sorry, I don't know
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you," I can't think of anything
more frightening than that.
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And so, if you're going to
know, don't you want to know?
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And wouldn't you
want to know soon enough
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to make a difference?
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Now, some people get
angry when I talk like this.
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And they
reproach me and they say,
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"Pastor Doug, you are
so works behavior-oriented.
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We are not supposed to
be looking at ourselves.
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We're just supposed
to be looking at Jesus."
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And it is true, a
Christian principally wants to
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fix their eyes on Jesus.
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But what I'm
saying to you is biblical,
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and we're a Bible church.
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Listen to what Paul says.
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2 Corinthians 13:5,
"Examine yourselves as
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to whether you are in the faith.
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Test yourselves."
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There is a time for us to
scrutinize, to test, to examine.
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I'm going to come
back to this verse,
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but I want to show you it's not
the only one 'cause you need at
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least two or
three witnesses here.
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Lamentations 3:40, "Let us
search our and examine our ways,
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and turn back to the Lord."
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It's talking about a search.
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In the book of
Haggai chapter 1, verse 5,
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"Now therefore, thus
says the Lord of hosts,
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'Consider your ways.'"
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So, do I have your support
that there is a time, the Bible
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says that every now and then,
we ought to do a little bit of
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introspection and then
figure out if there needs
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to be some changes?
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Now, you don't want to be
driving a car looking in the
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rearview mirror all the time.
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The rearview mirror is
there and it's very important,
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but if you spend all your
time looking in the rearview
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mirror, you're
going to have an accident.
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You got to be
looking where you're going.
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So, principally a
Christian wants to be
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forward thinking, amen?
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You want to look ahead, you
want to keep your eyes on Jesus.
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You want to keep
your eyes on the goal.
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But every now and then,
you better check your mirrors.
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You better take--situational
awareness is what they call it.
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And make sure that you're
where you're supposed to be,
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you're not drifting into
the wrong lane or someone's not
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coming up behind you,
going to plow into you.
00:07:46.59\00:07:48.76
And so, there
needs to be a self test.
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The heart needs to be changed.
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We need to know
that we're converted.
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If our hearts are
changed, if we are born again,
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there'll be a difference.
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So, how do you know if
you're a real Christian?
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Number one, going to start right
with the most important, love.
00:08:03.08\00:08:08.62
Do you love the Lord supremely?
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What's the great commandment?
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Love the Lord with a
little bit of your heart.
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What percentage,
eighty-five percent?
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Isn't that greedy
that God would want 100%?
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Thou shalt love the
Lord with all of your heart,
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all of your
soul, all of your mind.
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And this is a test.
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Gospel of John chapter 14,
verse 23, Jesus said, "If anyone
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loves me, he will keep my word;
and my Father will love him, and
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we will come and
make our abode with him.
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He that does not love
me does not keep my word."
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So, what's one of the
criteria for loving the Lord?
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Keeping his word.
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1 John 2:15 and 16, "If anyone
loves the world," meaning more
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than Jesus, "the love
of the Father's not in him.
00:08:53.40\00:08:57.27
For all that's in the world,
the desires of the flesh and the
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desires of the eyes
and the pride of life,
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it's not from the Father,
but it's from the world."
00:09:02.90\00:09:05.87
James 4:4, "Do you not
know that friendship with the
00:09:05.91\00:09:09.18
world is enmity with God?
00:09:09.21\00:09:10.81
Whoever therefore wants to
be a friend of the world makes
00:09:10.85\00:09:13.15
himself an enemy of God."
00:09:13.18\00:09:16.32
So, we're going to have a
struggle going on, and one of
00:09:16.35\00:09:19.09
the principle tests
is, do we love the Lord?
00:09:19.12\00:09:21.76
Now, what if we
find, Lord, I don't
00:09:21.79\00:09:23.93
love you as much as I should?
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Or maybe some of
you are thinking,
00:09:25.29\00:09:27.83
"You know, I love the Lord,
but I used to love him more.
00:09:27.86\00:09:30.50
When I first became a Christian,
I was ready to do anything,
00:09:30.53\00:09:33.74
go anywhere
Jesus wanted me to go.
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I was so grateful
when I realized he died
00:09:35.80\00:09:37.31
for me on the cross."
00:09:37.34\00:09:39.14
Well, there's hope.
00:09:39.17\00:09:40.68
Jesus speaking to
the church in Ephesus,
00:09:40.71\00:09:42.44
he said in Revelation 2:4,
"Nevertheless I have something
00:09:42.48\00:09:46.01
against you in that
you've left your first love."
00:09:46.05\00:09:49.55
He didn't say you
don't love me anymore.
00:09:49.58\00:09:51.19
You just don't love
me the way you first did.
00:09:51.22\00:09:54.16
A lot of couples
might say that too.
00:09:54.19\00:09:56.73
Remember therefore,
so what's the solution?
00:09:56.76\00:09:59.46
"Remember from
where you have fallen.
00:09:59.49\00:10:01.43
Repent and do the first
works, or else I'll come to you
00:10:01.46\00:10:05.33
quickly and remove your
candlestick from its place."
00:10:05.37\00:10:09.04
Now, I want you
to notice something,
00:10:09.07\00:10:10.74
that in the verse that's really
the foundation for this whole
00:10:10.77\00:10:13.14
sermon, 2
Corinthians 13:5, he said,
00:10:13.17\00:10:16.64
"Examine yourself
to see if you're in the
00:10:16.68\00:10:19.35
faith, whether
you're in the faith."
00:10:19.38\00:10:20.68
What does that mean?
00:10:20.72\00:10:21.95
There's a possibility that you
might think you are and you're
00:10:21.98\00:10:24.65
not, so how do you know?
00:10:24.69\00:10:26.76
Tests.
00:10:26.79\00:10:28.09
Now, there's two words he uses,
examine and then he says test.
00:10:28.12\00:10:32.63
Doug: Don't go
anywhere, friends.
00:10:34.20\00:10:35.46
In just a moment,
we'll return for the
00:10:35.50\00:10:37.27
rest of today's presentation.
00:10:37.30\00:10:40.17
Did you know that aviation
engineers have studied the
00:10:40.20\00:10:43.44
bumblebee and determined with
their small wings and their fat,
00:10:43.47\00:10:47.64
hairy bodies, it
is aerodynamically
00:10:47.68\00:10:50.15
impossible for them to fly.
00:10:50.18\00:10:53.52
But fortunately, the bumblebees
have not read those reports yet,
00:10:53.55\00:10:56.65
so they keep on flying.
00:10:56.69\00:10:58.72
Sounds ridiculous, I know, yet
amazingly many Christians say
00:10:58.75\00:11:03.43
the same thing when
it comes to obeying God.
00:11:03.46\00:11:06.80
They say it's impossible for
Christians to really live a holy
00:11:06.83\00:11:10.43
life, but are they right?
00:11:10.47\00:11:12.77
To help get your answers,
Amazing Facts would like to send
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00:11:15.57\00:11:18.71
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00:11:22.41\00:11:24.71
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00:11:24.75\00:11:28.38
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00:11:28.42\00:11:31.55
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00:11:31.59\00:11:34.62
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00:11:50.47\00:11:52.84
Well now, let's get back to the
rest of today's presentation and
00:11:52.87\00:11:55.81
learn some more amazing
facts from the Word of God.
00:11:55.84\00:11:58.85
Doug: You ever shop for a car?
00:12:00.48\00:12:02.58
I don't know about
you, but when that happens,
00:12:02.62\00:12:04.32
half the fun of a new
car for me is shopping.
00:12:04.35\00:12:06.52
Before I even buy it, I
have fun doing the research.
00:12:06.55\00:12:09.42
Now you can get online, there's
all these tools that you can
00:12:09.46\00:12:11.49
line up all the different
models, there are comparisons.
00:12:11.53\00:12:14.20
You can find horsepower,
horsepower, gas economy, or
00:12:14.20\00:12:16.77
comforts, all the different--I
just love doing that stuff.
00:12:16.80\00:12:20.20
And then you go
and you walk around it.
00:12:20.24\00:12:22.27
And as soon as
you walk on a car lot,
00:12:22.30\00:12:24.14
you know, they're circling.
00:12:24.17\00:12:28.68
And you think, "Oh,
there's nobody here."
00:12:28.71\00:12:30.61
You get out of your
car, five people show up.
00:12:30.65\00:12:35.45
And they're very nice.
00:12:35.48\00:12:37.19
And you start asking
them a few questions,
00:12:37.22\00:12:39.59
then you walk around,
you kick the tires, you
00:12:39.62\00:12:41.49
look at the sticker, you
have a heart attack, right?
00:12:41.52\00:12:45.76
And then if you're really
interested, you don't walk in
00:12:45.79\00:12:49.86
and say, "Okay, let's
sign at the bottom line."
00:12:49.90\00:12:52.50
Even the salesman would
be shocked if you didn't say,
00:12:52.53\00:12:56.07
"Let's take it for a drive."
00:12:56.10\00:12:58.34
So, when you're
testing yourself,
00:12:58.37\00:13:00.64
the Word is talking
about really taking a serious,
00:13:00.68\00:13:05.91
honest look in and around your
heart and your life and find
00:13:05.95\00:13:10.89
out, am I measuring up?
00:13:10.92\00:13:12.45
So, one thing is, do
I really love the Lord?
00:13:12.49\00:13:15.09
Another test is not only
loving God, it's hating evil.
00:13:15.12\00:13:19.26
How did you know
Job was a man of God?
00:13:19.29\00:13:21.96
Says there was a
perfect and upright man,
00:13:22.00\00:13:23.63
so Job's a good example, right?
00:13:23.67\00:13:25.07
Job's going to be in heaven.
00:13:25.10\00:13:27.04
Says he loved the
Lord, he hated evil.
00:13:27.07\00:13:29.67
It's not just
loving the right things,
00:13:29.70\00:13:31.01
it's hating the wrong things.
00:13:31.04\00:13:33.04
And the longer you
walk with the Lord,
00:13:33.07\00:13:35.24
the more you will hate sin.
00:13:35.28\00:13:38.01
You've heard it said
before the longer I live,
00:13:38.05\00:13:40.38
the more I know I
don't know, right?
00:13:40.42\00:13:43.75
It's also true the
longer you walk with the Lord,
00:13:43.79\00:13:46.15
the more sinful sin will appear.
00:13:46.19\00:13:48.86
If you're drifting from
God, the more you begin to
00:13:48.89\00:13:52.13
accommodate and ignore sin.
00:13:52.16\00:13:55.20
So, does sin grieve
you is one of the tests.
00:13:55.23\00:14:00.24
The great
commandment, love the Lord,
00:14:00.27\00:14:01.57
love your
neighbor, love yourself.
00:14:01.60\00:14:03.24
Sin is the opposite of that.
00:14:03.27\00:14:04.57
Sin hurts God, it hurts
others, and it hurts you.
00:14:04.61\00:14:09.21
And so, you've got
to recognize sin as
00:14:09.24\00:14:11.78
an awful thing that it is.
00:14:11.81\00:14:13.55
Ezra, you ever read about this?
00:14:13.58\00:14:15.58
In Ezra chapter 9, verse 3, when
Ezra heard about the terrible
00:14:15.62\00:14:19.49
things that some of
the people were doing,
00:14:19.52\00:14:21.22
he said, "I tore my
garment and my robe.
00:14:21.26\00:14:24.36
I plucked out some of my
hair and sat down astonished."
00:14:24.39\00:14:29.20
He was so grieved, and
it wasn't even his sin,
00:14:29.23\00:14:31.87
it was the sin of the people.
00:14:31.90\00:14:34.04
David, when he realized
00:14:34.07\00:14:35.64
about his sin, he
said, "I have sinned."
00:14:35.67\00:14:36.97
It says therefore
he pleaded with God.
00:14:37.01\00:14:38.97
He fasted, he laid on
his face all night for
00:14:39.01\00:14:42.44
seven days because of the sin.
00:14:42.48\00:14:46.21
Now, we live in a
sin-saturated world.
00:14:46.25\00:14:50.25
And you can get used to
it, and that's dangerous.
00:14:50.29\00:14:55.59
Romans 7:13, Paul said,
"Sin, that it might appear sin,
00:14:55.62\00:15:01.40
was producing death in
me through what is good,
00:15:01.43\00:15:04.17
so that sin
through the commandment
00:15:04.20\00:15:06.10
might become
exceedingly sinful."
00:15:06.13\00:15:08.80
We want to
understand the--Paul said,
00:15:08.84\00:15:10.64
"You know,
before I was converted,
00:15:10.67\00:15:12.31
I thought I was
a great Pharisee.
00:15:12.34\00:15:13.81
And then sin revived and I died.
00:15:13.84\00:15:15.81
I saw myself for
what I really am."
00:15:15.84\00:15:18.28
Sometimes, it's only
in the light of the cross
00:15:18.31\00:15:19.98
we see how bad sin is.
00:15:20.02\00:15:21.45
And so, that, I
think, is an accurate test.
00:15:21.48\00:15:24.02
Another verse, Isaiah 33:15, "He
who walks righteously and speaks
00:15:24.05\00:15:29.36
uprightly, who despises
the gain of oppressions,
00:15:29.39\00:15:32.29
who gestures with his
hands, refusing bribes,
00:15:32.33\00:15:35.20
who stops his ears
from hearing of bloodshed,
00:15:35.23\00:15:38.03
he shuts his eyes
from seeing evil."
00:15:38.07\00:15:41.00
Sounds like a fanatic, but
listen to what Isaiah says,
00:15:41.04\00:15:43.54
"He will dwell on
high with the Lord."
00:15:43.57\00:15:47.21
The person who is
offended, plug their
00:15:47.24\00:15:49.34
ears, hearing of violence.
00:15:49.38\00:15:51.85
They shake their hands when
someone tries to bribe them.
00:15:51.88\00:15:54.72
They cover their
eyes from seeing evil.
00:15:54.75\00:15:56.99
You know what that's called?
00:15:57.02\00:15:58.45
That's trying to be
holy in a wicked world.
00:15:58.49\00:16:01.89
You'll have an attitude where
you'll understand something
00:16:01.92\00:16:04.63
about the sinfulness of sin.
00:16:04.66\00:16:06.26
So, as you continue to
walk closer with the Lord,
00:16:06.29\00:16:08.80
you may spot more and
more wrong with your life.
00:16:08.83\00:16:11.10
That doesn't
mean you're not saved.
00:16:11.13\00:16:13.60
Really, it's a test, are
you still sensitive about sin?
00:16:13.64\00:16:18.24
Or have you gotten where you're
just not bothered by it anymore
00:16:18.27\00:16:22.18
because too
over-exposed, you become numb?
00:16:22.21\00:16:24.75
It's like a person who lives by
the railroad track and they just
00:16:24.78\00:16:27.35
don't hear the
train anymore, right?
00:16:27.38\00:16:29.98
Or you're in the
flight path of an
00:16:30.02\00:16:32.19
airport, you don't even notice.
00:16:32.22\00:16:33.46
Friends are visiting, the whole
house is shaking as a jet comes
00:16:33.49\00:16:35.79
in for landing, and
you go, "What noise?"
00:16:35.82\00:16:38.89
You just don't hear it.
00:16:38.93\00:16:40.23
Or a teenager who learns to
sleep through the alarm clock.
00:16:40.26\00:16:42.13
It wakes up
everybody in the house,
00:16:42.16\00:16:45.23
but it doesn't wake them up.
00:16:45.27\00:16:47.84
It's kind of frightening, that's
where you get to the point where
00:16:47.87\00:16:49.74
you're grieving
away the Holy Spirit when
00:16:49.77\00:16:52.41
you're not convicted by sin.
00:16:52.44\00:16:55.51
It's a dangerous thing.
So, that's one of the tests.
00:16:55.54\00:16:59.08
And so, that's test number two.
00:16:59.11\00:17:00.75
Number three, do I
obey Jesus as Lord?
00:17:00.78\00:17:04.85
We often call him our Savior,
and some say Lord and Savior.
00:17:04.89\00:17:08.16
Well, what is a lord?
00:17:08.19\00:17:09.99
A lord is someone who gives
commands and you obey no matter
00:17:10.03\00:17:13.63
how difficult
those commands might be.
00:17:13.66\00:17:16.63
Now, this is a Bible test.
00:17:16.67\00:17:19.40
1 John 1:6, "If we say we have
fellowship with him and we walk
00:17:19.43\00:17:23.24
in darkness, we lie and we
do not practice the truth."
00:17:23.27\00:17:27.54
John 14:15, he said, "If
you love me," you know that,
00:17:27.58\00:17:31.11
"keep my commandments," amen?
00:17:31.15\00:17:33.72
1 John 2, verse 3 through
6, "Now by this we know him,
00:17:33.75\00:17:38.99
if we keep his
commandments, he who says,
00:17:39.02\00:17:41.09
'I know him,' and does not
keep his commandments is a liar,
00:17:41.12\00:17:43.39
and the truth is not in him.
00:17:43.43\00:17:45.09
But whoever keeps
his word, truly the
00:17:45.13\00:17:47.23
love of God is
perfected in him."
00:17:47.30\00:17:49.60
Now, what's the
reason for keeping it?
00:17:49.63\00:17:50.93
A love of God.
00:17:50.97\00:17:52.30
By this we know
that we are in him.
00:17:52.33\00:17:55.54
Notice the wording here.
00:17:55.57\00:17:57.41
Paul said, "Let us examine
ourselves whether we are in the
00:17:57.44\00:18:00.61
faith, whether we are in Christ.
00:18:00.64\00:18:03.51
John tells us here's a test.
00:18:03.55\00:18:05.28
By this we know
if we are in him.
00:18:05.31\00:18:08.05
He that says he
abides in him ought himself
00:18:08.08\00:18:11.55
to walk as he walked.
00:18:11.59\00:18:13.82
But what do you
get when you do that?
00:18:13.86\00:18:15.86
You get everything else.
00:18:15.89\00:18:17.63
Being a real Christian
means that you obey the Lord.
00:18:17.66\00:18:21.83
You're not just a
hearer of the Word.
00:18:21.86\00:18:23.37
James 1, chapter 1, verse
22, "But be doers of the word,
00:18:23.40\00:18:28.07
and not hearers only,
deceiving yourselves."
00:18:28.10\00:18:30.24
That's what I
don't want, friends.
00:18:30.27\00:18:32.91
I don't want to come and stand
before the Lord in that day,
00:18:32.94\00:18:35.04
what you think of me doesn't
00:18:35.08\00:18:36.38
matter at all, do you know that?
00:18:36.41\00:18:37.71
I mean, there's days
I care, but in the big
00:18:37.75\00:18:41.02
picture, it doesn't matter.
00:18:41.05\00:18:42.68
What's really going to
matter is what does he think.
00:18:42.72\00:18:46.96
Isn't that right?
00:18:46.99\00:18:48.39
What you promise
me doesn't matter.
00:18:48.42\00:18:50.79
What he promises
me is what matters.
00:18:50.83\00:18:53.29
And if I stand
before him and he says,
00:18:53.33\00:18:57.50
"I don't know you," because I've
deceived myself--James says,
00:18:57.53\00:19:00.64
"Here's one of the ways
you could deceive yourself is
00:19:00.67\00:19:02.47
thinking if I've got the
words, I don't need the deeds."
00:19:02.50\00:19:07.18
He said, "If you're not a doer
of the word and only a hearer,
00:19:07.21\00:19:10.31
you're deceiving yourself.
00:19:10.35\00:19:11.65
For anyone who is a hearer
of the word and not a doer,
00:19:11.68\00:19:14.72
he's like a man who
observes his face in a mirror;
00:19:14.75\00:19:17.25
he observes himself, and he goes
away and immediately forgets
00:19:17.29\00:19:19.99
what kind of man he is.
00:19:20.02\00:19:21.66
But he who looks into the
perfect law of liberty," meaning
00:19:21.69\00:19:25.16
the commandments,
"and continues in it,
00:19:25.19\00:19:27.96
not being a forgetful
hearer but a doer of the work,
00:19:27.96\00:19:31.83
this one will be," cursed?
00:19:31.87\00:19:33.87
No, he'll be blessed.
00:19:33.90\00:19:35.67
You want to be blessed?
00:19:35.70\00:19:37.01
There's also blessings
that come with the commandments.
00:19:37.04\00:19:39.54
Now, is God
asking us to keep 80%?
00:19:39.57\00:19:45.68
Do we get a 10%
discount and he just wants 90%?
00:19:45.71\00:19:48.38
Some churches think
90% is all you need.
00:19:48.42\00:19:51.75
Or does the Lord say,
Deuteronomy chapter 5,
00:19:51.79\00:19:54.99
I think it's verse 29, "Oh,
that my people would fear me and
00:19:55.02\00:19:59.56
keep all of my
commandments always that
00:19:59.59\00:20:02.20
it might be well with
them," that's a blessing,
00:20:02.23\00:20:04.73
"and their children forever."
00:20:04.77\00:20:07.64
He's calling us to
obey all that we know.
00:20:07.67\00:20:11.34
And he promises
you'll be blessed.
00:20:11.37\00:20:13.34
This is how you separate the
genuine from the counterfeit.
00:20:13.38\00:20:16.91
Now, I'm not saying that you're
not a real Christian if you sin.
00:20:16.95\00:20:21.15
Is that clear?
00:20:21.18\00:20:23.02
The Bible makes that clear.
00:20:23.05\00:20:24.45
You look at 1 John 1:8, the same
guy who said you need to be a
00:20:24.49\00:20:27.56
doer of the word
and obey, he said,
00:20:27.59\00:20:30.53
"If we say we have no
sin, we deceive ourselves."
00:20:30.56\00:20:33.76
Now, he's talking
to the church there.
00:20:33.80\00:20:35.70
But what's the difference
for the true Christian?
00:20:35.73\00:20:38.90
What has dominion?
00:20:38.93\00:20:41.27
Paul says, "Do
not let sin reign."
00:20:41.30\00:20:43.87
Reign is on the throne.
00:20:43.91\00:20:45.21
Do not let sin
have dominion over you.
00:20:45.24\00:20:47.44
Sin should not
control your life.
00:20:47.48\00:20:49.21
There should be no
area of your life where the
00:20:49.24\00:20:51.05
devil has a regular foothold.
00:20:51.08\00:20:53.75
It doesn't mean
that we don't fall,
00:20:53.78\00:20:55.32
it doesn't mean we
don't make mistakes.
00:20:55.35\00:20:58.15
You have to apply these
tests and you'll understand.
00:20:58.19\00:21:01.06
There are fruits of sin.
00:21:01.09\00:21:04.03
It's adultery,
fornication, uncleanness,
00:21:04.06\00:21:06.49
lewdness,
idolatry, sorcery, hatred,
00:21:06.53\00:21:09.60
contentions,
jealousy, outbursts of wrath,
00:21:09.63\00:21:12.70
you have an anger
problem, selfish ambitions,
00:21:12.73\00:21:15.84
dissensions,
heresies, evil, murders,
00:21:15.87\00:21:18.07
drunkenness,
revelry, and the like.
00:21:18.11\00:21:21.18
Those are called
the fruits of the flesh.
00:21:21.21\00:21:24.21
He says, "Let all fornication
and uncleanness or covetousness,
00:21:24.25\00:21:27.72
let it not even be
named once among you,
00:21:27.75\00:21:30.29
as fitting for saints."
00:21:30.32\00:21:32.35
So, there ought
to be a difference in
00:21:32.39\00:21:33.96
the life of the saints.
00:21:33.99\00:21:35.29
"Whoever says, 'I know
him,' and does not keep his
00:21:35.32\00:21:38.13
commandments,"
he says is a liar.
00:21:38.16\00:21:40.73
All right, test number four.
00:21:40.76\00:21:42.43
Talked about a loving God.
00:21:42.46\00:21:43.77
Who else are you
supposed to love?
00:21:43.80\00:21:46.20
Your neighbor. Do
you love your neighbor?
00:21:46.23\00:21:49.70
Jesus said that his
followers will be known by love.
00:21:49.74\00:21:52.21
"By this all people will
know that we are his disciples,
00:21:52.24\00:21:54.84
by our love for one another."
00:21:54.88\00:21:57.55
1 John 4:20, "If anyone says,
'I love God,' and he hates his
00:21:57.58\00:22:02.38
brother, he is a liar; for
he who does not love his brother
00:22:02.42\00:22:06.76
who he has seen, how can he
love God who he has not seen?
00:22:06.79\00:22:10.46
And this is the
commandment that we have of him.
00:22:10.49\00:22:12.83
Whoever loves God must
also love his brother."
00:22:12.86\00:22:16.16
So, is that clear
or is that ambiguous?
00:22:16.20\00:22:19.23
Or I should unambiguous?
00:22:19.27\00:22:21.67
Again, Jesus said, "Everyone
who is angry with his brother
00:22:21.70\00:22:25.07
without cause is
liable of judgment."
00:22:25.11\00:22:28.28
We're supposed to
love our brothers.
00:22:28.31\00:22:29.94
Matthew chapter 6, verse
14, "If you forgive men their
00:22:29.98\00:22:33.62
trespasses, your heavenly
Father will forgive you.
00:22:33.65\00:22:36.55
But if you do not
forgive men their trespasses,
00:22:36.58\00:22:39.12
neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses."
00:22:39.15\00:22:43.02
So, one of the tests is not
only do you just love people,
00:22:43.06\00:22:47.03
do you care about
the needs of others?
00:22:47.03\00:22:48.86
Do you have
sympathy and compassion
00:22:48.90\00:22:50.63
in your heart for others?
00:22:50.67\00:22:52.37
Do the crying need of poverty
and the problems in the world
00:22:52.40\00:22:57.41
when people
don't know the gospel,
00:22:57.44\00:22:59.04
do you feel concern
for your fellow man?
00:22:59.07\00:23:01.11
But have you forgiven people?
00:23:01.14\00:23:04.05
You know, Jesus said
that this is the benchmark.
00:23:04.08\00:23:06.48
He said if you're going to come
to my altar and ask for mercy,
00:23:06.51\00:23:09.65
but you've got anger
in your heart for someone
00:23:09.68\00:23:11.75
else, Jesus says what?
00:23:11.79\00:23:13.32
"Leave your gift at the altar.
00:23:13.36\00:23:15.66
Go be reconciled with your
brother, then bring your gift."
00:23:15.69\00:23:19.93
The Bible says you
should love your neighbor,
00:23:19.96\00:23:21.56
and the Bible says you
should love your enemy.
00:23:21.60\00:23:23.13
I think that it's interesting
that he says love your neighbor,
00:23:23.16\00:23:26.37
which is your nigh brother, and
then he says love your enemy.
00:23:26.40\00:23:28.87
And it is possible that's
because so often in the Bible,
00:23:28.90\00:23:31.57
your nigh brother
becomes your enemy.
00:23:31.61\00:23:35.58
You notice the
biggest problems in the Bible
00:23:35.61\00:23:37.35
was with friendly fire.
00:23:37.38\00:23:40.65
Joseph's brothers sell him.
00:23:40.68\00:23:42.75
David's son hunts him.
00:23:42.78\00:23:44.42
David's king tries to kill him.
00:23:44.45\00:23:46.96
You often find the
disciples are arguing among
00:23:46.99\00:23:49.36
themselves which of
them is the greatest.
00:23:49.39\00:23:50.69
Sometimes, it's those closest.
00:23:50.73\00:23:52.79
And there are people who are
married for years to people that
00:23:52.83\00:23:56.67
they feel like they're enemies.
00:23:56.70\00:23:59.33
What could be
closer than a spouse?
00:23:59.37\00:24:01.70
So, part of salvation
is loving and forgiving
00:24:01.74\00:24:04.37
those that are close to you.
00:24:04.41\00:24:07.04
That would be brothers
and sisters in the church.
00:24:07.08\00:24:08.88
What's going to do
the most for evangelism?
00:24:08.91\00:24:10.68
All men will know
you are my disciples
00:24:10.71\00:24:12.98
by your love for one another.
00:24:13.01\00:24:15.18
In the early
church, they would marvel,
00:24:15.22\00:24:16.82
they'd say, "See how
they love each other."
00:24:16.85\00:24:19.59
And so, this is
one of the criteria.
00:24:19.62\00:24:21.46
Do we have that
primitive Christian love?
00:24:21.49\00:24:24.09
Have we forgiven others?
00:24:24.13\00:24:26.33
You know, one of Abraham
Lincoln's early political rivals
00:24:26.36\00:24:30.43
was a man named Edwin Stanton.
00:24:31.10\00:24:34.04
And he was just absolutely
vicious in his attacks
00:24:34.07\00:24:39.04
of Lincoln for his politics.
00:24:39.07\00:24:41.14
He called Lincoln
an ape, a gorilla.
00:24:41.18\00:24:44.35
He called him terrible things.
00:24:44.38\00:24:46.68
Well, when
Lincoln became president,
00:24:46.72\00:24:48.22
he said, "I want Stanton
to be the secretary of war."
00:24:48.25\00:24:49.85
And everyone
said, "Are you kidding?
00:24:49.88\00:24:51.19
He's your worst enemy."
00:24:51.22\00:24:52.52
He said, "Yeah, but he's
the best man for the job,
00:24:52.55\00:24:53.99
and I've forgiven him."
00:24:54.02\00:24:57.26
You know who spoke
at Lincoln's funeral?
00:24:57.29\00:25:00.23
Stanton.
00:25:00.26\00:25:01.66
And he said, "Here lies the most
perfect ruler of men the world
00:25:01.70\00:25:05.47
has ever seen," because
Lincoln knew how to forgive.
00:25:05.50\00:25:10.04
And he knew that he put
into practice the things
00:25:10.07\00:25:13.31
that he saw in the Bible.
00:25:13.34\00:25:15.38
Another test.
00:25:15.41\00:25:17.18
This one you already
knew, what are the fruits?
00:25:17.21\00:25:20.45
Jesus said you'll
know them by the fruit.
00:25:20.48\00:25:21.82
What kind of fruit are
you bearing in your life?
00:25:21.85\00:25:24.85
Galatians 5:22,
"Love, joy, peace,
00:25:24.89\00:25:29.42
longsuffering,
kindness, goodness,
00:25:29.46\00:25:31.99
faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control."
00:25:32.03\00:25:34.86
You're not saved by your works,
but your fruit is going to tell
00:25:34.93\00:25:37.40
whether or not you are saved.
00:25:37.43\00:25:39.50
Do you have the
fruits of the Spirit?
00:25:39.53\00:25:40.84
If the Holy Spirit is
in your life, you're saved.
00:25:40.87\00:25:43.67
If you're being led by
the Spirit, you're saved.
00:25:43.71\00:25:45.97
And what is the fruit of the
Holy Spirit ruling in your life?
00:25:46.01\00:25:48.88
It's going to be
all those good things.
00:25:48.91\00:25:50.68
Galatians tells us that,
then Matthew chapter 7 said,
00:25:50.71\00:25:53.88
"Do men gather
figs from thistles?
00:25:53.92\00:25:57.22
Even so, every good
tree will bear good fruit."
00:25:57.25\00:26:00.59
You want to know
if you're real or not,
00:26:00.62\00:26:01.92
what kind of fruit?
00:26:01.96\00:26:03.26
"A bad tree has bad fruit.
00:26:03.29\00:26:05.73
A good tree
cannot bear bad fruit,
00:26:05.76\00:26:08.03
nor can a bad
tree bear good fruit.
00:26:08.06\00:26:10.40
By their fruits
you'll know them."
00:26:10.43\00:26:12.97
You ever heard the expression
if it swims like a duck,
00:26:13.00\00:26:18.07
if it waddles like a
duck, if it paddles like a duck,
00:26:18.11\00:26:21.48
if it flies like
a duck, if it quacks
00:26:21.51\00:26:24.08
like a duck, what is it?
00:26:24.11\00:26:26.85
It's a duck, isn't that right?
00:26:26.88\00:26:29.72
And so, you start applying
some of these tests and you say,
00:26:29.75\00:26:33.99
does he talk like a Christian?
00:26:34.02\00:26:36.46
Does he spend like a Christian?
00:26:36.49\00:26:37.86
Does he love like a Christian?
00:26:37.89\00:26:39.26
Does he or she
obey like a Christian?
00:26:39.29\00:26:42.43
That's a Christian.
00:26:42.46\00:26:44.80
Do you have the fruits?
00:26:44.83\00:26:46.13
You know what
else, Jesus doesn't just
00:26:46.17\00:26:47.60
say you're supposed to
have the right fruits, you're
00:26:47.64\00:26:48.94
supposed to have lots of them.
00:26:48.97\00:26:51.47
Says every branch that abides
in me will bear much fruit.
00:26:51.51\00:26:55.48
So, you might say,
"Well, I got a little love,
00:26:55.51\00:26:57.38
and I do make a
little donation, and I do--"
00:26:57.41\00:27:00.35
I mean, you know, even
the people in jail obey
00:27:00.38\00:27:03.25
God some of the time, so
you're going to find a little
00:27:03.28\00:27:05.49
bit of good in everything.
00:27:05.52\00:27:06.86
But Christians should have
much fruit in their lives, amen?
00:27:06.89\00:27:10.26
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