Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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The Truth As It Is In
Jesus with Ron Halvorsen.
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Hello friends and
welcome to Thompsonville,
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the biggest
little city in the world.
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At least I believe that.
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If you are a member of
the 3ABN family, you know that
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to be somewhat true, as
we cover most of the planet.
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As one of my favorite preachers
said, Pastor C.A. says,
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75% of the world
is covered by water
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and the rest of it
is covered by 3ABN.
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Thank you so much for
tuning into Anchors Of Truth.
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One of my favorite speakers
for a number of reasons.
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One most importantly
is, he is a man of God.
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Pastor Ron Halvorsen has
graced us last night as we've
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begun the series, The
Truth As It Is In Jesus.
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And tonight's
topic is particularly,
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The Truth About His Person.
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And as you know, the Lord always
has a message in store for
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one who's heart is
turned to the Lord.
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A man who's been on the
battlefield for more than
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40 to 50 years preaching
the gospel of the good news.
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The other thing I like
about him; he's also a native
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New Yorker,
something we share in common.
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Born in Brooklyn, New York.
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Which is, in fact,
a city all by itself.
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A man who understands the
streets, the tough streets.
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The Lord found him in a
gang, turned his life over,
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and made him a
warrior for the Lord.
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And what a warrior his
has been for many years
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of winning souls to Christ.
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You may have heard his
story in a book entitled,
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From Gangs To God.
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It tells how God
pulled him out of the streets
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of the city of New York.
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He was also a boxer, one
not just boxing spiritually,
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but boxing physically
as a light heavyweight.
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And what a
life, an amazing life.
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He has blessed us as he
divides the Word of truth.
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I'd like to also tell you he has
a wonderful book he has written
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entitled, Prayer Warriors.
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Now I do believe that a
person who preaches like he does
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and teaches as he does has
to have a connection with God.
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And that vital
connection is, in fact, through
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the power of prayer.
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If you've never had a copy of
this book, it's not just a book,
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it's also a
workbook walking you through.
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And as I looked at the
titles in the book, I said to
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Pastor Halvorsen, "It looks like
some of those titles have been
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born from your experiences on
the streets of New York City."
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For example, the first
chapter is entitled, War Zone.
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Very true about some
of the places in New York.
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Also, Knowing the Enemy.
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You've got to know the
enemy when you are praying
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and working for the Lord.
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You've got to understand
the way the enemy works.
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Another chapter
entitled, Arming for the Battle.
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Prayer is, in fact, one
of the strongest weapons
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in the spiritual battle.
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Then another chapter
entitled, Battle Skills.
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What do you do after you
get these weapons of warfare?
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What do you do after
God arms you with these
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spiritual weapons?
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How do you use them?
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Very important, he talks
about those battle skills.
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Then, Battleground.
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How to recognize
where the battle is,
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and where the battle is not.
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And finally, The
Secret of Prayer.
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In order to be able to
walk with the Lord daily,
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you have to have a
one to one relationship.
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You know, there are
prayer warriors, there are
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prayer websites.
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So much is said about prayer.
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But I want to say this.
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We don't believe also in
prayer, or just in prayer.
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But we specifically believe
in the One to whom we pray.
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And Pastor Halvorsen
has a wonderful connection
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with the Lord.
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So tonight, as we prepare
our hearts for the message,
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I'd like to invite you
to bow your heads with me
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as we go to the Lord and
invite the Spirit of God to
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come into this place.
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Let's pray together.
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Our gracious Father in
heaven, what a blessing it is to
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be able to stand before
this desk knowing that from
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this place You've chosen Your
manservant to be, not only an
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instrument, but to be the
conduit through which heaven
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comes down and
glory fills out soul.
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Tonight I pray a
special anointing on
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Pastor Ron Halvorsen
as he brings the message,
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the truth about His
person, the person of Jesus.
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Thank You so much, Father,
for revealing Yourself to us
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So anoint, not only
what he's written down,
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but anoint his mind that
he'll speak in such a way
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that we will know that he is
connected continually to Christ.
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And may those who are watching
and listening to this program
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feel the call from
Christ upon their lives.
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If they don't know Him
as their personal Savior,
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may they make that
decision to follow Him.
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So we thank You, Father,
for what we shall receive.
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In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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Before we have our
speaker come this evening,
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I'd like to introduce someone
who's a personal friend of mine.
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Someone who God has
blessed to begin this ministry
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more than 27 years ago.
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And he's going to
bless our hearts tonight.
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Brother Danny Shelton
is going to sing that song,
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Heaven Means Home To Me.
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I'm longing for a
place I've never been,
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but it's a place
that I call my home.
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Where the sun is the
light in the midst of the night,
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heaven means home to me.
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Heaven means home to me.
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Where Jesus is, I want to be.
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There's no dying up there,
this old earth can't compare.
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That's why
heaven means home to me.
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Well I've heard of a
beautiful city above,
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with streets that
are paved with pure gold.
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But my eyes are
fixed on Jesus my King.
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That's why
heaven means home to me.
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Heaven means home to me.
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Where Jesus is, I want to be.
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There's no dying up there,
this old earth can't compare.
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That's why
heaven means home to me.
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What a day that will be
when my Jesus I shall see.
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And I look upon His face, the
One who saved me by His grace.
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When He takes me by the hand
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and leads me
through that Promised Land.
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What a day,
glorious day, that will be.
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There's no dying up there,
this old earth can't compare.
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That's why
heaven means home to me.
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Thank you very much, Danny.
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A beautiful song.
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And he told me
just before he came out
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that he wrote that song.
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And that makes it
even more meaningful.
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Heaven is our home.
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We haven't been there
yet, but it's our home.
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It's our home.
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I want to welcome you
who are watching the program.
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This is a second in a
series on Anchored in the Truth
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As It Is In Jesus.
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Last night, we talked
about the birth of Christ,
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the incarnation, God coming
down with a baby in His arms,
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and that
salvation began in a crib.
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Tonight, I want to talk to you
about the personality of Christ,
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the person of Christ.
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I mean, I want to talk to
you about the unique Jesus;
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how unique He is, how different.
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Now tonight, we find
a culture in a crisis.
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Tonight we find a
culture searching for meaning,
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a culture tottering
on the brink of collapse.
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It's like a great ship adrift in
a stormy sea without a rudder.
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I mean, postmodern man
has all kinds of questions,
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but very few answers.
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Postmodern man has
all kinds of problems,
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but no solution.
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The world tottering,
the society tottering,
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on the brink of disaster.
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Perhaps you heard about
the policeman driving across
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the Brooklyn Bridge.
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And as he was driving across the
bridge, he notice someone on the
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super structure ready to take
a back dive into the East River.
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And so he pulled the patrol
car over and he jumped out.
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He climbed up and got close.
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The man said,
"Stop, I'm going to jump."
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He said, "No, you
don't want to jump.
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Life is too wonderful,
you don't want to jump."
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He said, "No, life is terrible.
I can't take any more of it.
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I'm going to jump."
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He said, "Oh no, please."
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He said, "Look, give me
ten minutes to tell you why
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life is worth living.
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And then I'll give you
ten minutes to tell me why
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life isn't worth living.
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And then you decide."
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So the man shook his head.
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And the patrolman, he waxed
eloquent about life and about
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the birds and the
flowers, which you don't see
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very much in Brooklyn.
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But anyway, he talked
about life and happiness and
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joy and family
and friends and jobs.
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I mean, he was going on
eloquently for ten minutes.
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And when he finished, he
said, "Now it's your turn."
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And the man went on,
he said, "I lost my job,
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I lost my family.
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I'm about to be
evicted from my home."
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And he went on and on.
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Ten minutes later, they
shook hands and both jumped.
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I mean, that's
kind of the situation we
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find ourselves in, isn't it.
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A culture about to jump.
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Politically,
economically, morally;
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it's about to collapse.
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In fact, I read a poem so
time ago about this culture
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in which we live,
about postmodern man.
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His search for meaning.
His search for God, actually.
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This is the age of
the half read page,
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the quick hash and the mad dash,
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the bright knight
with nerves tight,
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the plane hop and a brief stop,
the lamp tan in a brief span.
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I mean, the big
shot in the right spot,
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and a brain
strain and a heart pain,
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and the cat naps
till the spring snaps,
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and the fun is done.
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Now that may not be good poetry.
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But I believe it describes
the age in which you and I live.
00:12:59.31\00:13:01.69
I mean, this is the age of
dry eyes, hard noses, cold feet.
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It follows the
wind, it loves a vacuum.
00:13:07.50\00:13:09.37
It's beatitude is,
"Blessed are the mighty,
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for they shall make money."
00:13:11.46\00:13:13.21
It's beatitude is,
"Blessed are the smooth,
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for they shall
never get wrinkled."
00:13:16.30\00:13:18.38
I mean, it's beatitude
is, "Blessed are the cool,
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for they shall never sweat,"
00:13:21.50\00:13:23.13
I mean, this is the age
that sits around bragging about
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its accomplishments,
"Look, see what we have done."
00:13:25.70\00:13:28.54
Split atoms, split nations,
00:13:28.57\00:13:31.04
split homes,
split personalities.
00:13:31.07\00:13:33.41
That's our age, that's the
culture in which you and I live.
00:13:33.44\00:13:36.32
I mean, we send tons
of tin into outer space
00:13:36.35\00:13:38.83
and we don't know what to do
with the space we already have.
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We walk in space and we cannot
walk in some neighborhoods.
00:13:44.32\00:13:48.89
I mean, that's our dilemma.
00:13:49.24\00:13:50.45
I mean, what an age.
00:13:50.48\00:13:51.59
We talk about brotherhood,
but we're suspecting
00:13:51.62\00:13:53.78
there are more hoods
than there are brothers.
00:13:53.79\00:13:55.65
And down deep in the heart,
00:13:57.69\00:13:59.15
they're crying out.
00:14:01.65\00:14:02.97
What's the problem?
00:14:03.37\00:14:04.53
While you're trying to
decide what kind of TV dinner to
00:14:05.06\00:14:08.34
pop into the microwave,
20 new corpses show up
00:14:08.37\00:14:11.45
on the streets in America.
00:14:11.48\00:14:12.96
I mean, for no better
reason than someone took the
00:14:13.39\00:14:15.73
wrong turn in the wrong
neighborhood and got in the
00:14:15.74\00:14:17.98
wrong place at the wrong time,
and a bunch of unemployed kids
00:14:18.01\00:14:20.93
were going at it over another
block, a little piece of turf.
00:14:20.96\00:14:25.25
Or some innocent married
man jogging along the track.
00:14:25.97\00:14:29.53
And because one man
wants to know what it is
00:14:29.56\00:14:32.07
to fulfill a
fantasy, takes his life.
00:14:32.10\00:14:35.40
The films we watch
at night bring us to
00:14:35.91\00:14:38.78
what we see in the day.
00:14:38.81\00:14:40.19
There are more hoods
than there are brothers.
00:14:40.41\00:14:41.81
The culture in crisis.
00:14:41.84\00:14:42.94
It over eats, it over drinks,
it over plays, it over spends.
00:14:42.95\00:14:46.01
What a culture.
00:14:46.03\00:14:47.03
We think delicately, we think
slovenly, and we think dully.
00:14:47.06\00:14:51.51
I mean, we take a pill to
go to bed at night to sleep
00:14:51.52\00:14:53.61
and we take a pill to wake up.
00:14:53.64\00:14:55.04
And we talk about
overpasses and underpasses,
00:14:55.07\00:14:57.52
and we talk about bypasses.
00:14:57.55\00:14:59.32
That's our age.
00:14:59.35\00:15:00.89
He knows more about the
bomb than he does the Bible.
00:15:02.79\00:15:05.25
We have smart bombs
and we have dumb leaders.
00:15:06.00\00:15:09.04
And what a culture we live.
00:15:10.75\00:15:12.01
I mean, this is postmodern.
00:15:12.04\00:15:13.64
These are the people
that are suppose to solve the
00:15:13.67\00:15:15.74
problems of the world.
00:15:15.75\00:15:16.75
Grown men wrapped in
the swaddling clothes
00:15:16.76\00:15:18.82
of intellectualism.
00:15:18.84\00:15:20.10
Long sentences, long
words; short on meaning.
00:15:20.12\00:15:23.35
It's above all, an age, a
gadget filled age of paradise
00:15:24.48\00:15:28.73
suspended in the
hell of insecurity.
00:15:28.74\00:15:30.84
Above all, it's an age
of unexamined concepts and
00:15:30.87\00:15:34.05
limp images and limber lips.
00:15:34.08\00:15:36.15
It knows everything about
sex, but nothing about love.
00:15:36.18\00:15:38.77
That's our age.
00:15:38.78\00:15:40.78
And this is the
age of the fast buck,
00:15:41.10\00:15:43.16
the goof off, the fixed
price, the half done job.
00:15:43.79\00:15:48.88
It above all, a culture
on the brink of disaster.
00:15:48.91\00:15:51.51
It's world painted gray.
00:15:51.54\00:15:53.72
They tell us there is no
truth, there is no authority,
00:15:53.75\00:15:57.06
and there is no God.
00:15:57.09\00:15:58.41
The interim
ethic, the smooth cliché,
00:15:58.44\00:16:00.74
the bottomless relativism.
00:16:00.75\00:16:02.19
I mean, the new morality.
00:16:02.20\00:16:03.68
An age that has
limited vision of poverty,
00:16:03.71\00:16:06.14
but an unlimited
poverty of vision.
00:16:07.10\00:16:09.49
It's like in the old
days in the book of 1 Samuel.
00:16:09.52\00:16:12.16
The Bible tells us
in chapter 3 of 1 Samuel
00:16:12.58\00:16:15.31
and verse 1 these words:
00:16:15.34\00:16:17.40
There's no vision.
00:16:25.96\00:16:27.27
And added to all this,
it's an age where men wonder
00:16:27.58\00:16:30.22
around in a stupor wondering
what's wrong with them.
00:16:30.23\00:16:33.51
He knows so much
and yet cares so little.
00:16:34.36\00:16:38.71
He knows so much and
understands so little.
00:16:39.79\00:16:42.45
He's fearful, he's
frustrated, he's empty.
00:16:42.90\00:16:45.13
There's an
emptiness in his heart.
00:16:45.16\00:16:46.49
I mean, asking a
thousand questions that have not
00:16:46.52\00:16:48.95
substance nor purpose,
fulfilling the prophetic words
00:16:48.98\00:16:51.77
found in the book of
Romans when Paul wrote
00:16:51.80\00:16:54.36
to the Roman Christians.
00:16:54.39\00:16:55.65
He wrote these words in
the first chapter of Romans
00:16:55.68\00:16:58.25
and in verses 21 and 22.
00:16:58.28\00:17:00.16
What a text of
scripture to our age.
00:17:11.46\00:17:13.94
Knowing God, and yet
not glorifying this God.
00:17:15.60\00:17:22.58
Modern man trying
desperately to avoid,
00:17:23.14\00:17:25.66
trying desperately to avoid
an encounter with Jesus Christ,
00:17:25.69\00:17:29.19
the Jesus Christ of history.
00:17:29.22\00:17:31.08
He runs from the
only One who can save him.
00:17:31.48\00:17:35.81
Modern man runs from the only
One that can bring him peace,
00:17:36.33\00:17:39.50
the only One that
can lift his burden,
00:17:39.53\00:17:41.40
the only One that can
give him a great future.
00:17:41.43\00:17:44.01
He runs from the
only One that can give him
00:17:44.04\00:17:45.90
purpose in his life.
00:17:45.91\00:17:47.09
But you can't run
from Jesus Christ.
00:17:47.12\00:17:50.13
It's amazing isn't it?
00:17:51.28\00:17:52.28
People are still talking
about Jesus in this secular age.
00:17:52.31\00:17:55.41
I mean, in spite of
postmodernism, secularism,
00:17:55.44\00:17:58.41
humanism, determinism,
atheism, and other -ism's.
00:17:58.44\00:18:02.48
I mean, we're still
talking about Jesus.
00:18:02.51\00:18:04.37
His life still impacts ours.
00:18:04.40\00:18:06.36
You try to avoid Him, but
you run into Him every day.
00:18:06.39\00:18:10.14
I mean, amazing isn't
it, that after 2000 years,
00:18:10.17\00:18:13.72
people meet Him in every
conceivable spot on the earth,
00:18:13.75\00:18:17.49
and to honor and to respect Him.
00:18:17.52\00:18:19.92
I've traveled around the world.
00:18:20.34\00:18:21.95
I've been to the
darkest places of Africa.
00:18:21.98\00:18:24.19
I've been in Europe.
00:18:24.20\00:18:25.30
I've been in some of
the great cities of culture.
00:18:25.31\00:18:27.77
But everywhere I turn,
there is the face of Jesus.
00:18:27.80\00:18:30.23
If I go into the museums,
there it is, the art work
00:18:30.26\00:18:33.21
of Jesus of history, the
Christ who impacted the world.
00:18:33.22\00:18:36.74
I mean, everywhere you
look, Jesus is still the
00:18:36.77\00:18:39.12
center of the universe.
00:18:39.15\00:18:40.92
Books at our
library, you can't avoid Him.
00:18:42.03\00:18:44.26
Don't even go to the library.
00:18:44.29\00:18:45.96
I mean, the art adorns our
cathedrals and our art galleries
00:18:45.97\00:18:49.52
and reams of music
are written about Him.
00:18:49.55\00:18:52.05
Whole radio and television
stations, this station,
00:18:52.08\00:18:55.38
are dedicated, committed,
to uphold Jesus Christ.
00:18:55.41\00:18:59.69
Twenty-four hours a
day they sing about Him.
00:19:00.73\00:19:02.96
I mean, twenty-four
hours a day they honor Him.
00:19:02.99\00:19:05.40
Seven days a week.
00:19:05.43\00:19:07.32
At this very moment
somewhere in the world
00:19:07.35\00:19:09.60
He is being honored,
He's being worshiped,
00:19:09.63\00:19:12.14
He's being loved.
00:19:12.17\00:19:13.34
And what figure in history
is so honored than Jesus Christ.
00:19:13.37\00:19:17.83
And yet, you say
He doesn't exist?
00:19:18.57\00:19:21.49
Give me a break.
00:19:21.98\00:19:23.42
No other figure in
history is so revered.
00:19:24.42\00:19:28.17
I mean,
philosophies, political schemes,
00:19:28.20\00:19:31.82
religious movements,
have been arrayed against Him.
00:19:31.83\00:19:34.73
Enemies have tried to
defeat Him, destroy Him,
00:19:34.76\00:19:37.06
to push Him out of their
minds, but He still turns up.
00:19:37.09\00:19:39.93
He remains unvanquished; Jesus.
He remains undefeated; Jesus.
00:19:39.96\00:19:44.15
He remains unconquerable; Jesus.
00:19:44.18\00:19:46.91
And there's no one
anywhere foolish enough
00:19:48.75\00:19:52.66
to deny the impact He's
made upon our civilization,
00:19:53.06\00:19:56.25
upon our world, friends.
00:19:57.10\00:19:58.93
You can't get
away from Jesus Christ.
00:19:59.31\00:20:01.15
He is Messiah.
00:20:01.18\00:20:02.35
The Messiah of God.
00:20:03.25\00:20:04.55
In spite of all this,
there is still misconception
00:20:04.58\00:20:07.23
about Jesus Christ.
00:20:07.26\00:20:08.68
I mean, there are
still myths surrounding Him.
00:20:09.04\00:20:11.19
He's still being attacked.
00:20:11.22\00:20:12.57
I mean, some say He was
just an iconoclastic Jew,
00:20:12.60\00:20:15.52
just a man in history.
00:20:15.55\00:20:16.94
Others say, well He
was a revolutionary.
00:20:17.24\00:20:19.07
Just one revolutionary in
all the history of the world.
00:20:19.10\00:20:22.42
Some say He was
just a human being.
00:20:22.45\00:20:24.56
An attack on His person.
00:20:24.59\00:20:26.50
Hollywood paints Him in
the dark shades of wickedness,
00:20:26.53\00:20:30.78
their own wickedness.
00:20:30.81\00:20:32.37
And so they try
to put flaws in Him.
00:20:32.40\00:20:34.75
They try to make
weaknesses, sexual perversions.
00:20:34.78\00:20:38.68
They try to connect Him to their
own life and their own living.
00:20:38.71\00:20:43.43
But everything Jesus
was suppose to do, He did.
00:20:44.43\00:20:46.98
Why did they hate Him?
00:20:47.95\00:20:49.73
Because He
contradicts the scientific view.
00:20:49.76\00:20:52.13
He contradicts and says,
there is the supernatural,
00:20:52.16\00:20:55.39
there is a
power in the universe.
00:20:55.42\00:20:57.26
And that power is the
power that changes lives.
00:20:57.29\00:20:59.95
That when they're
impacted by this God of history,
00:20:59.98\00:21:02.59
this Christ of
history, He changes lives.
00:21:02.62\00:21:05.56
And He can change
yours, who are watching this
00:21:05.59\00:21:07.96
program right now.
00:21:07.99\00:21:09.03
He can change your life
right here in this place,
00:21:09.06\00:21:11.72
right at this moment.
00:21:11.85\00:21:13.10
Jesus impacts us.
00:21:13.40\00:21:15.28
I want to look at
this historical Jesus.
00:21:16.10\00:21:18.44
I call Him the
unique Son of God; Jesus.
00:21:19.00\00:21:21.58
If ever a culture
needed Christ, it's now.
00:21:23.17\00:21:25.68
I think of art, I
think of the sculpture.
00:21:26.19\00:21:28.93
Perhaps you're
familiar with that great statue
00:21:29.63\00:21:31.91
there at Rio de
Janeiro on that mountain.
00:21:31.94\00:21:34.19
It's called, the Redeemer.
00:21:34.61\00:21:36.02
The statue of the Redeemer.
00:21:36.68\00:21:39.00
Over the sprawling
city of Rio de Janeiro,
00:21:40.15\00:21:42.33
there on that mountain, there
is the "Christ the Redeemer"
00:21:42.34\00:21:45.37
with his arms out stretched.
00:21:45.40\00:21:46.98
And anyone who ever
goes to Rio de Janeiro
00:21:47.01\00:21:48.82
will make their way up
the mountain and stand before
00:21:49.22\00:21:51.80
that great statue, the Redeemer,
the statue of Jesus Christ.
00:21:51.83\00:21:56.29
But there are two
ironies about the statue.
00:21:56.39\00:21:58.32
Have you ever noticed there are
two ironies about this statue?
00:21:58.35\00:22:01.15
First of all, he has blind eyes.
00:22:01.18\00:22:03.69
And secondly, he
has a stony heart.
00:22:03.70\00:22:06.16
But you say, "Ron Halvorsen,
all statues have blind eyes."
00:22:06.67\00:22:09.95
But you see, the artist
intended them to be blind.
00:22:10.25\00:22:14.09
He didn't even put
pupils to suggest sight.
00:22:14.12\00:22:18.36
A blind redeemer
looking out with no sight
00:22:18.74\00:22:23.68
over the sprawling city of
7 million people sinning and
00:22:23.71\00:22:27.81
hurting and dying; human beings.
00:22:27.84\00:22:30.25
A blind eyed savior, redeemer.
00:22:30.28\00:22:35.02
The second is the stony heart.
00:22:35.64\00:22:37.64
It's a stone heart,
a valentine's heart,
00:22:37.67\00:22:39.98
on the outside of the cloak.
00:22:40.01\00:22:41.73
A heart not made of love,
a heart not filled with love.
00:22:42.99\00:22:45.70
But a heart filled with cement.
00:22:45.71\00:22:47.80
A heart made of stone.
00:22:49.44\00:22:50.96
Held together, not with passion
and love, but held together...
00:22:51.78\00:22:56.69
Listen to me.
00:22:56.70\00:22:57.70
...held together
with concrete and mortar.
00:22:57.71\00:22:59.86
What kind of redeemer
is this with blind eyes?
00:22:59.89\00:23:02.51
And what kind of redeemer
is this with a stony heart?
00:23:02.54\00:23:04.94
That's not the
Christ of the Scripture.
00:23:05.34\00:23:07.03
That's not the
Christ of the Bible.
00:23:07.13\00:23:08.97
That's not the Christ that
you and I have encountered,
00:23:09.00\00:23:11.52
who has changed our life.
00:23:11.55\00:23:13.46
This bronze Galilean who was
authenticated by eye witnesses.
00:23:13.49\00:23:19.03
Peter, the fisherman, saw
Him and preached about Him
00:23:19.06\00:23:21.70
and died for Him.
00:23:21.73\00:23:23.13
Matthew, the tax collector.
There was Luke, the doctor.
00:23:23.16\00:23:26.35
I mean, there was
Mark, the teenager.
00:23:26.38\00:23:28.16
In fact, they
write with pens dipped in
00:23:28.17\00:23:30.81
the ink of inspiration.
00:23:30.84\00:23:32.25
And those words stand to us
as the infallible Word of God,
00:23:32.29\00:23:35.73
even to this hour.
00:23:35.76\00:23:37.07
Biographies about
Jesus written a few years
00:23:39.12\00:23:42.64
after the resurrection.
00:23:42.65\00:23:44.05
Some place it in 40 AD.
00:23:44.54\00:23:46.58
Later, 70 AD.
00:23:46.61\00:23:48.51
But none the less, it's
substantiated by the events.
00:23:48.52\00:23:51.02
Three synoptic
gospels speak of this Jesus.
00:23:51.05\00:23:53.61
I mean, Paul's writings
and letters proceed the gospel
00:23:53.64\00:23:57.23
as eye witnesses through
the Damascus road encounter.
00:23:57.26\00:24:00.10
He encountered Jesus.
00:24:00.13\00:24:01.95
He saw Him with his eyes,
he felt Him with his heart.
00:24:01.98\00:24:04.55
At least seven
secular sources in history.
00:24:04.86\00:24:07.96
Early historians have
written about this Jesus.
00:24:07.99\00:24:10.66
He is a historical figure.
00:24:10.69\00:24:12.40
He did live.
00:24:12.43\00:24:14.08
And He did love.
00:24:14.11\00:24:15.80
And He was crucified
outside Jerusalem walls.
00:24:15.83\00:24:18.81
And the tomb is empty now, for
He is resurrected Lord in glory.
00:24:18.84\00:24:22.78
Listen to me.
00:24:23.79\00:24:24.79
Prophecy confirms it.
00:24:24.80\00:24:26.22
Push away man's petty arguments
and let us meet Him personally.
00:24:27.19\00:24:31.09
Jesus, the unique Son of God.
00:24:31.12\00:24:33.36
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians,
00:24:33.39\00:24:35.60
notice here in 2
Corinthians the 4th chapter.
00:24:35.63\00:24:38.93
The god of this
world blinded, blinded.
00:24:50.89\00:24:54.80
Later, Paul writes
to the Philippians.
00:24:55.16\00:24:57.48
He writes it in Philippians
2 verse 9 and verse 10.
00:24:57.51\00:25:01.27
Listen to the words.
00:25:01.28\00:25:02.28
Jesus highly exalted.
00:25:05.05\00:25:06.61
Wow.
00:25:18.94\00:25:20.10
God is exalted.
00:25:20.94\00:25:22.55
This preacher
tonight wants to exalt Him.
00:25:23.18\00:25:25.86
I mean, the Bible
tells us He is unique.
00:25:27.30\00:25:29.63
By the way, Jesus Christ
is the unique Son of God.
00:25:29.66\00:25:32.32
More than just a good man.
00:25:33.36\00:25:34.68
More than just a historical
figure like Washington or
00:25:34.71\00:25:38.00
Abraham Lincoln or Kennedy.
00:25:38.03\00:25:40.52
I mean, He was more than
just a historical person.
00:25:40.55\00:25:42.78
He is the Son of God.
00:25:42.79\00:25:43.79
And He is unique.
00:25:43.80\00:25:44.80
He is unique in His origin.
00:25:44.81\00:25:46.06
By the way, He is
unique in His name.
00:25:46.09\00:25:48.23
He is unique in His salvation.
00:25:48.26\00:25:49.96
And He is unique in His promise.
00:25:49.97\00:25:51.38
Let's look at that
together for these few moments.
00:25:51.41\00:25:53.90
First of all let me tell you,
Jesus is unique in His origin.
00:25:55.05\00:25:58.25
There never was another
00:25:58.93\00:26:00.93
who was a human Child
and also a divine Son.
00:26:01.70\00:26:05.71
Never.
00:26:05.72\00:26:06.72
There never was another
who was wounded by Satan,
00:26:06.73\00:26:09.47
yet at the same time
crushed him under His feet.
00:26:09.50\00:26:12.64
Never.
00:26:12.65\00:26:13.65
There never was
another who walked the earth
00:26:13.66\00:26:15.59
before He was born.
00:26:15.62\00:26:16.73
Never.
00:26:16.74\00:26:17.74
There never was another who
wrote the law, and 2000 years
00:26:17.75\00:26:20.80
later would come under
the dictates of that same law.
00:26:20.83\00:26:23.29
Never.
00:26:23.30\00:26:24.30
There never was
another who saved others,
00:26:24.31\00:26:26.52
Himself He could not save.
00:26:26.53\00:26:28.64
There never was
another who was King of glory,
00:26:31.28\00:26:35.76
but wore no earthly
crown but a crown of thorns.
00:26:36.60\00:26:39.57
Never.
00:26:39.58\00:26:40.58
Jesus Christ is
unique in His origin.
00:26:40.59\00:26:42.92
I mean, there never was another
who was Lord of the Sabbath,
00:26:42.95\00:26:45.48
yet was accused of
breaking the Sabbath.
00:26:45.51\00:26:47.65
I mean never.
00:26:47.66\00:26:48.67
There never was one
who was called truth,
00:26:48.68\00:26:50.95
yet at the same time called a
liar, a hypocrite, an imposter.
00:26:50.98\00:26:55.72
Who was as old as
His heavenly Father;
00:26:57.95\00:27:00.34
ages older than
His earthly mother.
00:27:01.06\00:27:04.47
There never
was, there never was.
00:27:04.50\00:27:07.62
But the Scripture
says He is the Creator,
00:27:07.65\00:27:09.81
He is the
Creature, He is the Servant.
00:27:09.84\00:27:12.25
I mean the Bible
says He is the Savior.
00:27:12.28\00:27:14.85
He is unique in
His origin; Jesus.
00:27:14.88\00:27:19.55
And that's why Paul
writes in Colossians,
00:27:20.56\00:27:22.98
he writes to the Colossian
church in chapter 1 verse 16
00:27:23.46\00:27:27.02
these words.
00:27:27.05\00:27:28.52
By who? By Jesus Christ.
00:27:30.25\00:27:32.26
The Bible says in Ephesians,
Paul picks up that theme.
00:27:43.47\00:27:46.67
And in the book of
Ephesians, he says:
00:27:46.70\00:27:49.82
Jesus Christ is unique.
00:27:56.91\00:27:58.60
It is He, Jesus, who poured
all the seas and the lakes
00:27:59.58\00:28:05.89
and the rivers and the
crystal chalice of eternity.
00:28:05.92\00:28:08.66
It was He on the
cross who cried, "I thirst."
00:28:08.69\00:28:12.67
Uniquely the living water...
00:28:14.66\00:28:16.38
...who thirsts, who thirsts.
00:28:17.39\00:28:21.13
It was He who spoke and
the green grass sprouted.
00:28:21.16\00:28:24.05
He spoke and the little flowers
blossomed, and the pine tree
00:28:24.08\00:28:26.75
pointed its finger to the sky,
and the oak spread out its arms,
00:28:26.76\00:28:29.47
and lakes curled down
in the huddles of the glen,
00:28:29.50\00:28:31.87
and rivers ran down to the sea.
00:28:31.90\00:28:34.60
He is inclusive...
00:28:40.37\00:28:41.85
...in His origin.
00:28:44.06\00:28:45.37
There has been no one like Him.
00:28:46.37\00:28:48.05
Because of His unique origin,
He is the end of all mystery.
00:28:49.96\00:28:52.83
Because of His unique
origin, He is the reason,
00:28:54.07\00:28:56.96
the
explanation, for all enigmas.
00:28:56.99\00:28:59.08
He is the only One from
eternity who is incarnated.
00:29:00.15\00:29:03.84
Born of a virgin.
00:29:04.59\00:29:06.20
Birthplace dictated
by the imperial senses.
00:29:06.79\00:29:10.22
And He is truly
unique in His origin.
00:29:10.87\00:29:14.22
But secondly, not only
is He unique in His origin,
00:29:15.14\00:29:18.72
but the Bible tells us
He's unique in His name.
00:29:19.12\00:29:21.80
I mean, Jesus' name
holds forever beauty.
00:29:22.30\00:29:24.81
Jesus' name
forever holds variety and
00:29:24.84\00:29:26.79
proportion and perfection.
00:29:26.82\00:29:28.60
He is the
Immanuel, He is God with us.
00:29:28.61\00:29:31.38
He is with us in our sorrows,
He is with us in our joy.
00:29:31.41\00:29:34.24
He's with us in lonely nights
and He's with us at the party.
00:29:34.25\00:29:37.57
He's with us
everywhere and every time.
00:29:37.58\00:29:39.53
God with us.
00:29:42.38\00:29:43.84
He's unique in His name.
00:29:44.77\00:29:48.91
Why?
00:29:52.08\00:29:53.12
Because He is God's eternal
purpose consummated; Jesus.
00:29:53.15\00:29:56.62
He is love's
eternal dream dramatized.
00:29:58.57\00:30:01.23
We see love
dramatized in the life of Jesus.
00:30:01.26\00:30:04.56
Why? Because He is
justice married to mercy.
00:30:05.83\00:30:09.97
And He is...
00:30:10.52\00:30:11.59
The Creator went
into His creation.
00:30:11.69\00:30:13.33
I mean, Jesus; there is none.
00:30:13.36\00:30:14.77
He is always the
unlike; Jesus Christ.
00:30:14.80\00:30:16.99
Even the name Immanuel
describes His unlikeness.
00:30:17.02\00:30:19.51
I went to the alphabet
to find His name; Jesus.
00:30:19.54\00:30:21.79
He was everywhere.
00:30:21.80\00:30:22.87
He is the Alpha and the Adam and
the Advocator and the Anointed
00:30:22.90\00:30:26.60
and the Author of faith.
00:30:26.61\00:30:27.83
He is the Amen of salvation.
00:30:27.86\00:30:29.88
I went to the alphabet to find
His name and His office; Jesus.
00:30:29.91\00:30:32.60
He is everywhere.
00:30:32.63\00:30:33.95
He is the Beginning and
the Begotten and the Beloved
00:30:33.98\00:30:36.53
and the Branch and the Bread
and the bright and morning Star.
00:30:36.56\00:30:40.15
I went to the
alphabet and I found His name.
00:30:40.18\00:30:42.39
He is everywhere.
00:30:42.40\00:30:43.62
He is the Creator and the
Counselor and the Comforter
00:30:43.65\00:30:46.35
and the Child
and the Cornerstone.
00:30:46.36\00:30:48.40
I went to the alphabet
to find His name; Jesus.
00:30:48.43\00:30:51.03
He is everywhere.
00:30:51.06\00:30:52.19
He is the Deliverer
and the Daystar and the
00:30:52.22\00:30:55.23
Desire of Nations and
the divine Son of God.
00:30:55.26\00:30:57.67
You can say amen, can't you?
00:30:57.70\00:30:59.96
I went to the alphabet
and I found His unique name.
00:31:01.67\00:31:06.67
He is the Eternal
One, He is the Emmanuel,
00:31:07.52\00:31:10.98
He is the Elect,
He is the Eternal,
00:31:11.01\00:31:12.58
He's the Everlasting One.
00:31:12.61\00:31:13.63
He is the Faithful and
the Father and the Friend
00:31:13.66\00:31:16.06
and the Faithful Witness.
00:31:16.09\00:31:17.31
He is the Good Shepherd
and the Governor and the Guide.
00:31:17.34\00:31:20.61
And He is glorious Lord.
00:31:20.64\00:31:22.77
I went to the alphabet
to find His unique name.
00:31:24.34\00:31:28.64
And He is everywhere.
00:31:30.00\00:31:31.87
He is Husbandman
and Help and Holy One
00:31:32.40\00:31:36.09
and Horn of Salvation
and the Heir of all things.
00:31:36.12\00:31:38.45
He is the Heavenly Priest.
00:31:38.48\00:31:39.61
I went to the alphabet.
00:31:39.62\00:31:40.60
He is the Immortal
One, the Invincible One,
00:31:40.63\00:31:42.52
the Invisible One.
00:31:42.53\00:31:43.53
He is the Judge and the Just
and the Jesus and the Jehovah.
00:31:43.56\00:31:47.47
He is King of
Glory, King of Israel,
00:31:49.77\00:31:54.03
and King of kings.
00:31:54.67\00:31:57.06
I went to the
alphabet and I found His name.
00:31:57.09\00:31:59.40
He was everywhere.
00:31:59.41\00:32:00.46
He is the Light and the Life.
00:32:00.49\00:32:02.05
He is the Love and the Lion
and the Lamb and the Lawgiver.
00:32:02.08\00:32:05.68
He is the
Mediator and the Master.
00:32:05.71\00:32:07.62
And He is the
Mighty God, this Jesus.
00:32:07.65\00:32:10.15
I went to the
alphabet to find His name.
00:32:10.18\00:32:12.17
He is everywhere.
00:32:12.20\00:32:13.60
He is the Omega,
the only Begotten,
00:32:13.63\00:32:15.62
the Offering, the Offerer.
00:32:15.63\00:32:17.04
He is the Passover and
the Potentate and the Prophet
00:32:17.07\00:32:19.77
and the Propitiation and
the Priest and the Physician.
00:32:19.80\00:32:22.84
I went to the
alphabet to find His name.
00:32:23.88\00:32:26.22
And He was everywhere.
00:32:27.85\00:32:29.65
For He is the Righteousness,
the Rabbi, the Ransom,
00:32:30.89\00:32:37.96
the Rest, the Root of Jesse.
00:32:38.36\00:32:40.67
He is the Rose of Sharon.
00:32:40.70\00:32:42.46
And He is the
Resurrection and the Life.
00:32:42.49\00:32:44.81
I went to the
alphabet to find His name.
00:32:44.84\00:32:46.53
He's everywhere.
00:32:46.54\00:32:47.54
He's the Ruler and
Redeemer and Rock of Ages.
00:32:47.55\00:32:49.73
He is the Stone and the
Shepherd and the Son of God
00:32:49.76\00:32:52.66
and the Savior.
00:32:52.69\00:32:53.67
He is the Truth and the
Tabernacle and the Testator.
00:32:53.70\00:32:56.27
He is the Witness
and the Word and the Way
00:32:56.30\00:32:58.38
and the Wisdom of God,
and He is the wonderful Jesus.
00:32:58.41\00:33:01.41
He is Yahweh forever.
00:33:01.44\00:33:03.32
The name above every name.
00:33:05.66\00:33:07.42
He was the perfect Son of God.
00:33:09.84\00:33:11.80
We have failed Him.
00:33:13.61\00:33:15.34
History past has
proved our failure.
00:33:16.71\00:33:19.30
Even our holiest of heroes.
00:33:19.98\00:33:21.79
Those people we study,
those people that we admire.
00:33:22.39\00:33:25.30
I mean, the prophets
and the priests and the
00:33:25.33\00:33:27.39
patriarchs and the apostles.
00:33:27.42\00:33:29.00
I mean, they failed us.
00:33:29.03\00:33:30.41
Some of the
stories from the Holy Bible
00:33:31.55\00:33:33.31
are more like adventures
from Sinbad the Sailor.
00:33:33.34\00:33:35.75
You know that.
00:33:35.78\00:33:36.80
That's why I love this Book.
00:33:37.85\00:33:38.86
It's authentic realism
and doesn't pull punches.
00:33:38.87\00:33:41.50
Everything in these
pages are not bubbling brooks
00:33:44.47\00:33:47.18
and happy days.
00:33:47.85\00:33:49.55
He tells us about raw living.
00:33:49.85\00:33:52.40
He talks about life and He talks
about being hounded by Satan.
00:33:52.43\00:33:56.03
He talks to us about
standing and then falling,
00:33:56.06\00:33:58.52
and getting up and stumbling
and falling and falling.
00:33:58.53\00:34:01.06
More falling than standing.
00:34:01.07\00:34:03.27
He talks about
these holy men of God.
00:34:03.30\00:34:05.08
Take a look at them and
see them as God sees them.
00:34:05.11\00:34:06.73
Adam...
00:34:06.76\00:34:08.11
Adorned with fig leaves.
00:34:09.13\00:34:11.01
Stains of
forbidden fruit on his lips.
00:34:12.30\00:34:14.49
Hiding behind a tree.
00:34:15.31\00:34:17.69
Not so perfect.
00:34:18.39\00:34:20.25
Not so perfect.
00:34:21.20\00:34:23.02
Then what makes you
think you are going to be?
00:34:23.05\00:34:25.51
Noah...
00:34:27.54\00:34:28.54
Master boat builder.
00:34:29.62\00:34:31.36
But not master of his habits.
00:34:31.93\00:34:33.63
He lies drunken and
naked before his children.
00:34:34.20\00:34:36.32
Come on now.
00:34:36.35\00:34:37.63
And the Bible says, "As it
was in the days of Noah, it will
00:34:38.42\00:34:40.66
be like that in the days of
the coming of the Son of Man."
00:34:40.67\00:34:43.20
Imperfect.
00:34:45.93\00:34:47.25
But thank God for perfect grace.
00:34:47.66\00:34:49.84
Which, by the way,
I'll talk about tomorrow.
00:34:50.28\00:34:52.13
That's a sermon if
you're going to stay away,
00:34:53.25\00:34:54.74
stay away tomorrow.
00:34:54.75\00:34:55.91
Because you may be
uncomfortable with it.
00:34:57.58\00:34:59.56
There's Moses throwing down
his staff in a temper tantrum.
00:35:00.56\00:35:03.68
Receiver of the law...
00:35:04.34\00:35:06.38
...and breaker of the law.
00:35:07.36\00:35:09.35
He saw God's back and he did
a few things behind God's back.
00:35:09.84\00:35:13.26
Come on now.
00:35:13.29\00:35:14.81
Aaron, right hand man of Moses.
00:35:15.55\00:35:17.80
I mean, witnessed the place.
00:35:17.83\00:35:19.16
He was on the
Red Sea expedition.
00:35:19.17\00:35:21.75
I mean, he was the
holy priest of God.
00:35:21.76\00:35:23.78
But if he's so holy,
what is he doing aerobics
00:35:23.79\00:35:26.31
before a golden calf?
00:35:26.34\00:35:28.85
That's our heroes.
00:35:31.87\00:35:33.41
There was David.
00:35:35.02\00:35:36.29
A man after God's own heart.
00:35:37.10\00:35:38.83
Giant slayer, song writer, poet.
00:35:39.77\00:35:41.91
A man after God's own heart.
00:35:41.94\00:35:43.65
And after a few other things.
00:35:43.66\00:35:45.38
Samson swooning
on Delilah's couch.
00:35:46.95\00:35:50.59
Come on.
00:35:50.60\00:35:51.81
Judge in Israel.
00:35:51.84\00:35:53.26
Drunk with wine.
00:35:54.01\00:35:55.69
Perfume, soft lights.
00:35:55.72\00:35:57.52
I mean, it looked
like a soap opera.
00:35:57.55\00:35:59.42
She leaves the room and
he's thinking to himself,
00:36:02.40\00:36:04.03
"Ah, she's getting into
something more comfortable."
00:36:04.06\00:36:05.96
She's saying, "Where
did I leave those scissors?"
00:36:06.25\00:36:08.77
Not so perfect.
00:36:11.58\00:36:12.98
Not so perfect.
00:36:13.83\00:36:15.27
The Old
Testament ends in failure.
00:36:16.04\00:36:18.09
The prophets
can't save the people.
00:36:19.14\00:36:20.84
The patriarchs
can't save the people.
00:36:22.09\00:36:24.23
The priests can
minister the sacrifice,
00:36:25.45\00:36:28.23
but they cannot save the people.
00:36:28.26\00:36:29.86
I mean, they cannot save.
00:36:29.89\00:36:31.71
They can get out of physical
bondage, but they could not
00:36:31.74\00:36:34.25
get them out of bondage to sin.
00:36:34.28\00:36:36.04
And then He enters; Jesus.
00:36:36.34\00:36:39.01
Unique in His
origin, unique in His name.
00:36:40.47\00:36:42.79
unique in His salvation.
00:36:42.82\00:36:44.24
He enters as a baby.
00:36:44.27\00:36:46.59
No fanfare, no trumpet
sounding, no great crowds.
00:36:47.22\00:36:51.70
He comes as a baby to a manger.
00:36:51.73\00:36:54.25
The only way He
could ever save us,
00:36:58.26\00:37:00.10
cleanse us,
00:37:01.82\00:37:03.55
is to touch us.
00:37:04.91\00:37:06.39
As we talked about last night.
00:37:06.42\00:37:08.61
He could not save us from
the far reaches of heaven.
00:37:10.10\00:37:12.51
He had to come down to earth.
00:37:14.20\00:37:16.58
He had to come down to show
us how we should have lived,
00:37:17.02\00:37:21.93
how we ought to live.
00:37:22.60\00:37:23.87
But how we can't
live; so that we might have
00:37:24.85\00:37:28.67
Him live within
us, the hope of glory.
00:37:28.68\00:37:33.16
He had to be tempted like we.
00:37:37.80\00:37:39.52
But even greater, let's face it.
00:37:40.05\00:37:41.50
Come on now.
00:37:41.53\00:37:43.09
I'm tempted to eat too
much bread, not to turn
00:37:43.59\00:37:45.72
stones into bread.
00:37:45.73\00:37:47.27
Come on now.
00:37:49.33\00:37:50.54
He had to feel
pain as we feel pain.
00:37:53.84\00:37:56.45
He had to suffer and be
killed for the son's of Adam.
00:37:57.91\00:38:02.35
And we, the son's of Adam, have
killed everything we've touched.
00:38:02.38\00:38:06.84
He comes, not that
we're worthy of that love,
00:38:10.23\00:38:12.22
not that we're
worthy of that care,
00:38:12.25\00:38:14.39
not that we're
worthy of that forgiveness,
00:38:14.42\00:38:16.18
but because we need it.
00:38:16.21\00:38:17.74
He comes to this
planet living in rebellion.
00:38:20.95\00:38:25.47
He comes to wicked hearts.
00:38:26.89\00:38:28.43
He comes to cruel minds,
00:38:30.36\00:38:32.31
to sinners.
00:38:33.22\00:38:34.52
And by the way, we don't all
sin alike, but alike we all sin.
00:38:34.97\00:38:38.19
He enters, even after
this planet in rebellion,
00:38:42.16\00:38:44.25
even after generations
have stripped Him naked.
00:38:44.28\00:38:47.00
And He enters to
save us, to die for us.
00:38:47.03\00:38:49.37
And He enters. And what to do.
00:38:49.40\00:38:51.09
We strip Him naked.
00:38:51.12\00:38:53.01
We lacerate His
incarnated flesh.
00:38:56.37\00:38:59.42
We place a crown
of thorns on His brow.
00:39:02.89\00:39:06.03
Blood in His eyes.
00:39:07.96\00:39:10.10
We lift the cross and drop
it with a thud into the earth
00:39:12.46\00:39:15.05
and it tears the
flesh of the Son of God.
00:39:15.08\00:39:17.11
Listen, what did we do to Him?
00:39:17.12\00:39:19.18
And when He dies, we say,
00:39:22.64\00:39:24.83
"Well, we
weren't there to do it."
00:39:24.86\00:39:26.84
It was your sin
that put Him there.
00:39:29.32\00:39:31.11
It was my sin
that put Him there.
00:39:32.03\00:39:33.78
You see, your sin and
my sin placed Him there.
00:39:35.16\00:39:42.28
Your sin and mine
pounded the nails in His hands.
00:39:42.84\00:39:44.99
I mean, it was your sin and
mine that lifted the cross and
00:39:45.02\00:39:47.63
dropped it with a
thud into the earth.
00:39:47.66\00:39:49.36
It was your sin and
mine. I mean, with a thud.
00:39:49.39\00:39:52.16
It is the sins of the
whole world and the sins of
00:39:52.17\00:39:54.76
our culture and postmodern
man, it fell upon Jesus.
00:39:54.79\00:39:58.24
Like Samson, He
pulled it down upon Him.
00:39:58.27\00:40:01.72
Then why does He die?
00:40:05.19\00:40:06.56
Not because we
have power over Him.
00:40:09.07\00:40:11.20
But He wants to give us power
00:40:13.92\00:40:15.58
to become son's
and daughter's of God.
00:40:16.94\00:40:19.11
Then why does He die?
00:40:21.30\00:40:22.65
Because He loved us.
00:40:25.23\00:40:26.79
"For God so loved the world
00:40:28.15\00:40:34.20
that He gave His
only begotten Son."
00:40:35.44\00:40:39.45
Love.
00:40:40.22\00:40:41.61
They say love is what
makes the world go around.
00:40:42.06\00:40:44.54
Love.
00:40:45.42\00:40:46.54
I remember when I met her.
00:40:46.57\00:40:48.33
My first real love.
00:40:49.71\00:40:50.78
Everything else was infatuation.
00:40:50.81\00:40:53.04
But my first love.
00:40:54.21\00:40:55.96
It was in health class at
AUC, Atlantic Union College.
00:40:56.50\00:40:59.56
I was just out of New York and
just a recent convert to Christ.
00:41:00.77\00:41:04.15
And I was rough on the edges.
00:41:05.11\00:41:07.01
Not only on the edges.
00:41:07.66\00:41:09.21
And I looked across
the room and there she was,
00:41:11.46\00:41:13.32
sitting across
the room, beautiful.
00:41:13.35\00:41:14.92
I could have
written a song about her,
00:41:14.95\00:41:16.44
"Across the Dusty
Room," or whatever.
00:41:16.47\00:41:18.91
So I told my friend, I
turned to my friend and I said,
00:41:22.29\00:41:24.34
"I'm going to ask her out."
00:41:25.51\00:41:26.55
He said, "Oh no, she's engaged."
00:41:26.58\00:41:27.98
I said, "Well,
she's not married."
00:41:28.01\00:41:29.57
So the bell rang, I got
to the door of the classroom
00:41:33.69\00:41:37.14
and she came out, and I
said, "Hi, I'm Ron Halvorsen."
00:41:37.17\00:41:39.26
And I reached out
and she looked at me.
00:41:39.67\00:41:41.74
I said, "You doing
anything Saturday night?
00:41:41.77\00:41:43.87
Would you like
to go out with me?"
00:41:43.90\00:41:44.91
She said, "I'm engaged." I
said, "You're not married."
00:41:44.94\00:41:48.31
And she went out.
00:41:53.38\00:41:54.72
Lucky girl, she
married me and not him.
00:41:56.20\00:41:58.59
I mean, love; you
know it the first time.
00:42:00.59\00:42:04.89
Come on, your heart beats.
00:42:06.17\00:42:07.84
I feel sorry for the kids today.
00:42:09.95\00:42:11.92
They don't go
through the stages.
00:42:12.57\00:42:14.46
Now it's, "Oh,
you have a red car.
00:42:15.47\00:42:17.48
I have a red car.
00:42:17.51\00:42:18.62
We have something in
common. Let's live together."
00:42:18.65\00:42:20.82
You know, I feel sorry for them.
00:42:20.85\00:42:22.42
They don't go through
the touch and the hug.
00:42:22.45\00:42:24.90
You know what I'm saying?
00:42:24.93\00:42:26.25
Remember that love.
00:42:30.10\00:42:31.72
When Jesus, the first
time He saw you, He loved you.
00:42:33.52\00:42:35.90
He loved you as a little embryo
00:42:37.71\00:42:39.82
in the womb of your mother.
00:42:40.80\00:42:42.27
That's the tragedy of abortion.
00:42:44.17\00:42:46.34
God was beginning to love
you as a tiny little embryo.
00:42:46.85\00:42:50.36
He loved you through
the passage into earth.
00:42:51.99\00:42:54.28
He loved you the moment
you cried the first cry.
00:42:54.31\00:42:57.07
He loved you.
00:42:57.10\00:42:58.16
He loved you to the last breath.
00:42:58.19\00:42:59.74
He loved you.
00:42:59.75\00:43:00.75
God so loved the
world and mankind and
00:43:00.76\00:43:03.52
womankind and childkind.
00:43:03.55\00:43:06.43
And He further proves it.
00:43:11.56\00:43:13.15
Because He laid down
His life for you and for me.
00:43:14.40\00:43:22.15
You see, God would
give up His only Son
00:43:22.88\00:43:25.26
before He would give up on you.
00:43:26.56\00:43:28.56
Amazing grace.
00:43:30.99\00:43:32.85
In the book, or
magazine, Christian Leader,
00:43:34.57\00:43:37.56
Don Ratzlaff retells a
story Vernon Grounds came across
00:43:38.81\00:43:44.52
in Ernest Gordon's,
Miracle On The River Kwai.
00:43:44.55\00:43:47.65
I don't know if
you've ever read it.
00:43:47.66\00:43:48.84
I just finished it
for the second time.
00:43:48.87\00:43:50.75
It's a marvelous book.
00:43:50.78\00:43:51.98
It's about Scottish soldiers who
were forced by their Japanese
00:43:53.22\00:43:57.91
captors to labor on a
jungle railroad going nowhere.
00:43:57.92\00:44:03.06
And those soldiers, in time of
depredation and time of hunger,
00:44:04.92\00:44:12.63
they turned on each other.
00:44:12.66\00:44:14.57
They were
suspicious of each other.
00:44:16.53\00:44:18.31
They stole from each other.
00:44:19.01\00:44:20.82
But one afternoon,
something happened.
00:44:22.27\00:44:26.30
One afternoon, a
shovel was missing.
00:44:27.79\00:44:30.34
A shovel.
00:44:30.37\00:44:31.94
And the officer in
charge, when he counted,
00:44:34.71\00:44:36.75
that shovel was gone.
00:44:38.73\00:44:40.04
He became enraged.
00:44:40.34\00:44:42.24
"Who took the shovel?
00:44:44.75\00:44:46.54
Who stole the shovel?"
00:44:48.43\00:44:50.48
He pulled out
his gun and he said,
00:44:52.07\00:44:53.08
"I'll kill every one of you."
00:44:53.10\00:44:54.63
"Who stole the shovel?"
00:44:55.98\00:44:58.24
It was obvious that
the officer meant it.
00:45:03.62\00:45:05.80
And then finally, one man...
00:45:07.66\00:45:09.38
brave Scottish soldier...
00:45:11.16\00:45:13.10
stepped out.
00:45:15.02\00:45:16.52
The officer so
enraged took a shovel
00:45:20.67\00:45:25.09
and beat him to death.
00:45:25.99\00:45:28.48
The Scottish prisoners
lifted him up to carry him
00:45:32.26\00:45:35.81
to the next station
where they counted the shovels.
00:45:35.84\00:45:39.28
And they discovered
that the officer had
00:45:39.31\00:45:43.36
miscounted the shovels.
00:45:43.39\00:45:45.40
They were all there.
00:45:46.15\00:45:47.68
But the Scottish
prisoners realized, the man who
00:45:49.77\00:45:53.39
stepped out
didn't steal the shovel.
00:45:53.42\00:45:56.00
He stepped out so
that he might give life,
00:45:56.72\00:45:59.83
he might lay down his life,
00:46:00.35\00:46:02.59
so that all the
others could live.
00:46:03.70\00:46:05.60
After that, there was a change
that came over the whole camp.
00:46:14.67\00:46:21.42
Survivors took the
bloody body and they buried it.
00:46:24.21\00:46:27.73
This has profound effect.
00:46:31.50\00:46:33.70
I mean, the men began to
treat each other like brothers.
00:46:33.73\00:46:36.58
And when the
victorious allies swept in,
00:46:38.04\00:46:41.33
the survivors,
human skeletons by then,
00:46:41.36\00:46:43.78
lined up in
front of their captors.
00:46:43.81\00:46:45.85
And instead of attacking
their captors, they insisted,
00:46:45.88\00:46:48.49
"No more hatred.
00:46:48.52\00:46:50.23
No more killing.
00:46:52.00\00:46:53.38
Now, what we need...
00:46:55.80\00:46:57.29
...is forgiveness."
00:46:59.80\00:47:01.69
The Bridge Over The River Kwai.
00:47:02.77\00:47:07.85
Christ, at Calvary...
00:47:10.19\00:47:11.81
...built a bridge.
00:47:13.49\00:47:15.01
There will be no more hatred.
00:47:19.09\00:47:20.86
No more killing.
00:47:22.52\00:47:23.95
And there would be
transforming power.
00:47:26.56\00:47:28.85
He is unique...
00:47:31.18\00:47:32.61
...in His promise.
00:47:34.82\00:47:36.23
The Bible says He
made a promise to Adam.
00:47:38.80\00:47:41.96
He said, "I will put enmity
between thee and the woman."
00:47:41.99\00:47:45.19
What is He saying?
00:47:45.22\00:47:46.23
He said, "I'll
take your place, Adam.
00:47:46.26\00:47:48.04
Come to Me."
00:47:48.07\00:47:50.45
He made a promise to Noah.
00:47:53.77\00:47:55.17
And He wrote it in the sky.
00:47:55.20\00:47:57.30
The rainbow coalition.
00:47:57.33\00:47:58.65
He made a promise.
00:48:03.70\00:48:05.28
And when we break our promises,
00:48:06.44\00:48:08.67
God doesn't break His.
00:48:11.55\00:48:17.18
When we forget,
He doesn't forget.
00:48:18.84\00:48:20.65
Except the things we
wish He would forget.
00:48:22.23\00:48:24.14
When we give up on ourselves,
00:48:26.59\00:48:28.33
or on those who we know
because they have feet of clay,
00:48:29.93\00:48:35.73
He doesn't give up.
00:48:37.37\00:48:38.79
Because He's
unique in His promise.
00:48:40.47\00:48:42.41
When Moses said,
"Here I am, send Aaron,"
00:48:43.01\00:48:47.01
when Samson
whispered to Delilah,
00:48:49.16\00:48:51.64
and Saul wrought against David,
00:48:52.55\00:48:55.06
and David schemed against Uriah,
00:48:56.24\00:48:58.60
God didn't give up.
00:48:59.56\00:49:02.03
When Peter denied Him, and John
and James fought over position,
00:49:02.84\00:49:06.74
and when Judas
kissed the kiss of death,
00:49:06.75\00:49:08.81
and Pilate washed
his hands of Jesus,
00:49:08.82\00:49:11.51
God did not give up.
00:49:11.54\00:49:13.37
Jesus made it possible...
00:49:19.35\00:49:21.09
when He came to a
poor man's crib...
00:49:22.98\00:49:25.22
and left in a rich man's crypt.
00:49:28.01\00:49:30.83
He came into the
world with swaddling clothes
00:49:32.70\00:49:34.59
and left the world
with death clothes.
00:49:34.62\00:49:36.74
A Joseph stood
beside Him at the manger,
00:49:39.02\00:49:41.30
and a Joseph stood
beside Him at the grave.
00:49:42.53\00:49:45.93
When He enters, the
Son of Man, the Son of God,
00:49:47.55\00:49:49.61
He enters the world
through the backdoor
00:49:49.64\00:49:51.56
amidst strife
and terror; amazing.
00:49:51.59\00:49:53.63
Eternity's embryo
in the womb of a woman.
00:49:53.66\00:49:56.75
And God stoops
as low as a stable.
00:49:59.19\00:50:01.76
Eternity's
Savior hangs on a cross.
00:50:03.83\00:50:06.57
Think of it; the
majesty and the mystery of it.
00:50:08.20\00:50:10.64
The first Adam
wounded in his side,
00:50:12.93\00:50:14.92
and there comes
forth the woman Eve.
00:50:16.44\00:50:18.44
The second Adam
wounded in His side,
00:50:19.85\00:50:23.79
and there comes
forth the new Eve,
00:50:24.57\00:50:26.31
the church of Jesus Christ.
00:50:26.32\00:50:28.06
The birth is consummated.
00:50:29.65\00:50:31.16
God in woman.
00:50:32.28\00:50:33.39
From that moment on, the
world could never blame God.
00:50:35.03\00:50:38.54
From that moment
on, we have no excuses.
00:50:40.19\00:50:44.82
From that moment on,
life was worth living.
00:50:45.81\00:50:52.17
The test is complete.
00:50:53.75\00:50:55.36
Perfect life lived...
00:50:56.65\00:50:58.05
...a perfect death.
00:50:59.62\00:51:01.17
A perfect glorious resurrection.
00:51:02.64\00:51:04.69
He without blemish.
00:51:08.58\00:51:10.09
And Hollywood, put all
the blemish you want in Him,
00:51:11.37\00:51:13.59
but He still comes out
with translucent character.
00:51:13.62\00:51:17.07
An atoning death.
00:51:19.25\00:51:21.00
And a resolute resurrection.
00:51:22.15\00:51:24.31
The womb of Mary,
and the incarnation.
00:51:26.46\00:51:30.82
The woman of the earth,
00:51:31.84\00:51:33.67
and redemption.
00:51:35.49\00:51:36.95
And He made a
promise to you and to me.
00:51:38.63\00:51:42.82
For those of you who are
looking right now at your
00:51:42.85\00:51:45.14
television screen,
wherever you are in this world,
00:51:45.17\00:51:47.53
He makes a promise,
"I am with you always."
00:51:49.52\00:51:57.49
When times get
hard, look to Jesus.
00:51:58.33\00:52:01.31
He made a promise.
00:52:03.03\00:52:04.40
When people don't
listen or care, look to Jesus.
00:52:04.70\00:52:07.26
He made a promise.
00:52:07.27\00:52:08.28
When tears come and
will not stop, look to Jesus.
00:52:08.31\00:52:10.85
He made a promise.
00:52:10.88\00:52:12.16
When you falter and
fail, look to Jesus.
00:52:12.17\00:52:14.52
He made a promise.
00:52:14.53\00:52:15.53
When you do all you can and
it's not enough, look to Jesus.
00:52:15.55\00:52:19.66
He made a promise.
00:52:22.69\00:52:24.73
For years I've been
holding evangelistic meetings
00:52:26.15\00:52:28.33
around the world.
00:52:28.34\00:52:29.34
Mostly in inner
cities of North America.
00:52:29.35\00:52:31.58
The brethren go
off to the Philippines.
00:52:32.58\00:52:34.07
They send me to Harlem.
00:52:34.10\00:52:35.55
I stand up somewhat
against the brethren,
00:52:37.14\00:52:38.68
but God will forgive me.
00:52:38.71\00:52:40.10
But anyway, I prayed
that I would go to an
00:52:40.11\00:52:43.11
exotic place sometime.
00:52:43.14\00:52:44.88
And one of my friends
became president in Hawaii.
00:52:46.16\00:52:48.97
And he called me up
one day and he said,
00:52:48.98\00:52:50.62
"Ron, would you like to come
and hold an evangelistic series
00:52:50.65\00:52:53.36
of meetings in
Oahu, in Honolulu?"
00:52:53.39\00:52:58.00
I said, "Let me pray about it."
00:52:59.25\00:53:00.41
"Thank You, Jesus."
00:53:00.42\00:53:01.42
That was one of those
instant prayer requests.
00:53:01.43\00:53:03.74
I told my wife, "Pack our
suitcase and our bathing suit.
00:53:05.56\00:53:09.10
We're going to Hawaii."
00:53:09.13\00:53:10.32
When I got to Hawaii, my
wife wanted to go shopping.
00:53:11.28\00:53:17.56
She always shops for the
grandkids, not for herself.
00:53:18.78\00:53:20.86
You know how it is.
00:53:20.87\00:53:21.87
She's from Venus,
I'm from Mars, you know.
00:53:21.89\00:53:23.56
So I kind of send her.
00:53:23.59\00:53:25.04
But when I go to
these cities, I prayer walk.
00:53:25.80\00:53:28.45
I follow the Joshua model with
prayer walking the perimeters.
00:53:28.48\00:53:31.41
In fact, I'm going to Las Vegas.
00:53:31.42\00:53:33.56
And there, I'm going to
be with Brother Bradford.
00:53:34.43\00:53:38.04
Bradshaw. Get me right here.
00:53:39.67\00:53:42.42
It Is Written.
00:53:42.94\00:53:44.04
And I'm going to
do the prayer walking.
00:53:44.97\00:53:47.94
And I'm organizing the
prayer walk as we're praying for
00:53:48.64\00:53:51.73
hundreds of prayer walkers to
begin to walk the city and pray
00:53:51.76\00:53:54.77
for the Holy Spirit of God
to fall on that wicked city.
00:53:54.80\00:53:57.28
I'm going to ask you
to pray for It Is Written.
00:53:57.29\00:53:59.12
They're taking
a great challenge.
00:53:59.15\00:54:01.29
It's a great challenge.
00:54:02.44\00:54:04.10
That wicked city, it's
like going up against Gomorrah.
00:54:04.62\00:54:07.93
But I was praying.
00:54:10.37\00:54:11.37
And I always pray for
tough people, you know.
00:54:11.38\00:54:14.13
I always pray for the worst
because they become the best,
00:54:14.16\00:54:16.05
by the way.
00:54:16.06\00:54:17.06
And one night, a family had
been coming to the meetings,
00:54:18.18\00:54:20.90
and he was a
marine, a sharp shooter.
00:54:20.93\00:54:23.79
The first Iraq war, he was
shooting people off the hills.
00:54:23.82\00:54:28.50
An expert at long distance.
00:54:29.40\00:54:31.75
And he was at a
bar with his wife.
00:54:32.93\00:54:36.08
And his wife got a
handbill and so she said,
00:54:36.11\00:54:38.27
"I'd really like to
go to these meetings."
00:54:38.30\00:54:39.69
So he said, "Well, I'll
take you to those meetings."
00:54:39.72\00:54:41.08
Because he noticed that
we give out a free Bible.
00:54:41.11\00:54:43.48
He said, "Maybe it
would be good I have a Bible."
00:54:43.83\00:54:45.39
So they came to the meetings.
00:54:46.90\00:54:48.40
And night after night,
they came to the meetings.
00:54:48.88\00:54:50.58
Night after night.
00:54:50.59\00:54:51.59
And it was the night he
was suppose to get his Bible,
00:54:51.87\00:54:54.88
he was in a long line
because many people came.
00:54:54.89\00:54:57.35
In fact, more people
came than we had Bibles.
00:54:57.38\00:54:59.86
Lack of faith.
00:54:59.89\00:55:01.28
And he came.
00:55:02.09\00:55:03.24
When he got up to the desk, they
said, "Oh, we're out of Bibles."
00:55:03.25\00:55:05.60
He said, "What's this?"
00:55:05.76\00:55:07.25
They said, "No,
we've ordered more.
00:55:07.28\00:55:09.04
They will be
here in a few days."
00:55:09.05\00:55:10.19
That happened twice.
00:55:10.20\00:55:11.69
And when I met
him, this drunk Marine,
00:55:13.06\00:55:16.44
tough Marine,
sharp shooter Marine.
00:55:16.69\00:55:19.97
And the Lord Jesus
spoke to his heart.
00:55:20.68\00:55:23.08
I mean, Jesus came
down and became real.
00:55:23.11\00:55:25.44
And he gave his life to Christ.
00:55:25.80\00:55:27.55
The second Iraq war,
he's not a sharp shooter.
00:55:30.49\00:55:34.44
The second Iraq
war, he's a Chaplain.
00:55:34.45\00:55:37.15
Our God can change your life.
00:55:41.63\00:55:47.03
He can bring you peace.
00:55:48.56\00:55:50.40
But you say, "More
convenient time, Ron.
00:55:52.33\00:55:54.28
I just need more time."
00:55:54.29\00:55:55.99
When will that time be?
00:55:58.32\00:55:59.86
When you have more money?
00:56:01.01\00:56:02.41
More free time?
00:56:04.22\00:56:05.49
More energy?
00:56:06.80\00:56:08.05
When your
husband or wife can come?
00:56:09.27\00:56:10.77
I mean, when you
get older and retire?
00:56:10.78\00:56:13.61
"It's not a convenient time."
00:56:13.64\00:56:15.59
It wasn't a convenient
time for Jesus to enter through
00:56:15.62\00:56:18.23
the womb of a virgin.
00:56:18.24\00:56:19.43
It wasn't a convenient
time for Jesus to lay in a crib.
00:56:19.44\00:56:22.41
It wasn't a convenient
time to hang on a cross.
00:56:22.42\00:56:25.65
Today, Christ wants to
grant you eternal life.
00:56:27.99\00:56:30.68
Right now, Christ wants to come
to you like He came to Mary.
00:56:33.10\00:56:37.69
To be incarnated in your
heart, to His divine love.
00:56:37.72\00:56:42.53
Right now, Jesus
Christ, the real Christ,
00:56:43.81\00:56:46.52
wants to reach down
and touch your heart
00:56:47.65\00:56:50.07
and give you eternal life.
00:56:51.12\00:56:55.60
Tonight, He wants
to lift your burden.
00:56:56.91\00:56:58.88
Don't wait until tomorrow night.
00:56:59.60\00:57:01.16
He wants to lift
your burden tonight.
00:57:02.21\00:57:06.63
Will you not say to
Jesus, "Take my heart."
00:57:07.36\00:57:12.67
Will you not say to
Jesus now, "Change my life."
00:57:14.75\00:57:20.77
Will you not say to
Jesus, "I'm Yours forever."
00:57:22.05\00:57:29.43
And He will
fulfill that promise.
00:57:29.86\00:57:31.96