Welcome to Anchors Of
Truth from Puerto Rico.
00:00:13.03\00:00:17.16
Resurrection with John Lomacang.
00:00:17.19\00:00:20.04
Well, we welcome you to
Puerto Rico where it is 8 pm.
00:00:20.71\00:00:25.44
So whatever time it
is wherever you are,
00:00:25.47\00:00:27.81
we're just letting you
know, at least at this time
00:00:27.83\00:00:30.89
with a live showing, it
is 8 pm in beautiful and warm
00:00:30.90\00:00:37.70
and nice Puerto Rico.
00:00:37.71\00:00:40.22
And we have found that the
people here are just as friendly
00:00:40.42\00:00:44.73
and warm as the good weather.
00:00:44.76\00:00:47.26
And we've enjoyed being
here these last few days.
00:00:47.29\00:00:50.60
And we're going to
enjoy the rest of this series.
00:00:50.63\00:00:53.43
And we hope that you'll be
with us for each and every one
00:00:53.46\00:00:59.55
of our presentations.
00:00:59.58\00:01:01.58
Tonight, our speaker is going
to be Pastor John Lomacang.
00:01:01.78\00:01:06.73
And as the announcer
told you, his subject will be
00:01:06.76\00:01:10.66
the resurrection.
00:01:10.69\00:01:12.22
What an
important subject that is.
00:01:12.83\00:01:15.54
Without the resurrection,
there would be no hope
00:01:15.84\00:01:19.83
for one single
one of us, none of us,
00:01:20.49\00:01:24.85
without that resurrection.
00:01:24.88\00:01:26.68
So important.
00:01:26.69\00:01:27.73
And we're going to look at
that in a really deep sense
00:01:27.76\00:01:32.63
with Pastor John Lomacang.
00:01:32.66\00:01:35.29
Before he comes to us,
though, we're going to invite
00:01:35.62\00:01:39.34
Ruby Villanueva to come and
to have our prayer this evening.
00:01:39.37\00:01:44.93
And she will just
come right on to the front.
00:01:45.23\00:01:48.04
We will ask you to bow your
heads as she leads us in prayer.
00:01:48.87\00:01:54.71
Our kind heavenly Father, we are
so thankful for the privilege
00:02:00.42\00:02:04.82
that we have here
tonight to worship You,
00:02:04.85\00:02:07.75
to praise Your name.
00:02:08.52\00:02:10.03
Lord, we know there are
so many in this world who
00:02:10.11\00:02:12.20
don't have that privilege.
00:02:12.23\00:02:13.45
They do so sometimes at
the loss of their own lives.
00:02:13.48\00:02:17.14
We thank You for all
Your wonderful blessings.
00:02:17.90\00:02:20.64
Send Your Holy Spirit
to teach us, to be with us,
00:02:21.41\00:02:24.86
to help us to do what we
should do so we'll always
00:02:25.34\00:02:27.80
be pleasing in Your sight.
00:02:27.83\00:02:29.34
We pray that Thou be
with our visitors, Lord.
00:02:29.77\00:02:32.31
Help them.
00:02:33.08\00:02:34.13
Some of them are
new to these messages.
00:02:34.16\00:02:36.18
We pray that You will open
their minds and their hearts
00:02:36.21\00:02:38.84
that they might
understand, that they might be
00:02:38.85\00:02:41.33
preparing for
Your soon coming, Lord.
00:02:41.36\00:02:43.64
Bless You, Father, for forgiving
us when we're so unworthy.
00:02:44.59\00:02:48.27
And thank You,
Jesus, for dying for us.
00:02:48.80\00:02:51.35
Because through Your death,
we know we have eternal life.
00:02:51.55\00:02:55.15
We ask these
things in Your name, amen.
00:02:55.71\00:02:59.19
Thank you so much.
00:03:01.99\00:03:03.58
Right now, I'm going to
invite Pastor C.A. Murray
00:03:04.70\00:03:07.37
to come and sing for us a song
that we've all learned to love.
00:03:07.40\00:03:10.99
Go Free.
00:03:11.68\00:03:13.57
Troubled soul, why are
you sad and down hearted?
00:03:30.12\00:03:39.04
Don't you know He
doesn't care where you started.
00:03:39.07\00:03:48.46
Yesterday can't change tomorrow,
00:03:48.49\00:03:54.19
so leave behind all your sorrow.
00:03:54.22\00:03:59.65
Go free, go free.
00:03:59.75\00:04:04.98
In the name of Jesus, go free.
00:04:05.01\00:04:10.84
Child of God, child adored,
00:04:10.87\00:04:17.47
come to the Lord and go free.
00:04:17.50\00:04:23.59
Tempted soul, I know
you're so tired of aching.
00:04:31.09\00:04:39.80
Don't you know Jesus
has cures for the taking?
00:04:39.83\00:04:49.41
His hand of mercy and healing
00:04:49.44\00:04:54.87
can untie the hurt
that you're feeling.
00:04:54.90\00:05:00.45
Go free, go free.
00:05:00.46\00:05:06.03
In the name of Jesus, go free.
00:05:06.06\00:05:11.84
Child of God, child adored,
00:05:11.87\00:05:18.40
come to the Lord and go free.
00:05:18.43\00:05:24.72
Trembling soul, I know
you're so tired of fighting.
00:05:32.06\00:05:40.89
Don't you know He sees
the wounds you've been hiding?
00:05:40.92\00:05:50.56
The battle that
rages is so strong
00:05:50.59\00:05:55.78
and you've been a
captive for too long.
00:05:55.81\00:06:02.86
Go free, oh
you've got to go free.
00:06:02.89\00:06:08.57
In the name of Jesus, go free.
00:06:08.60\00:06:14.38
Child of God, child adored,
00:06:14.40\00:06:20.91
come to the Lord and go free.
00:06:20.94\00:06:28.63
In the name of Jesus, go free.
00:06:28.66\00:06:34.63
Child of God, child adored,
00:06:34.66\00:06:41.35
come to the Lord and go free.
00:06:41.36\00:06:48.84
Go free, go free.
00:06:48.87\00:06:55.53
Now go free.
00:06:55.83\00:07:03.96
Good evening, everyone.
00:07:10.71\00:07:12.11
Good to see you here
on this Thursday evening.
00:07:13.40\00:07:16.27
Those of you who are joining us,
whether satellite or television
00:07:16.30\00:07:20.59
or internet, we praise the Lord
that we can get together tonight
00:07:20.62\00:07:24.33
to divide the word of truth.
00:07:24.36\00:07:26.19
And we are here
in warm Puerto Rico.
00:07:27.12\00:07:29.90
But the reality of it is, I'm
just about a half hour flight
00:07:29.93\00:07:32.74
away from my roots in St.
Thomas and the Virgin Islands.
00:07:32.75\00:07:37.27
And so if you're joining us from
the beautiful Virgin Islands,
00:07:37.30\00:07:40.14
St. Thomas, maybe Frenchtown,
I want to send a warm greeting
00:07:40.17\00:07:43.40
to you from 3ABN, and also
from your native son, John.
00:07:43.43\00:07:48.26
We look forward to being there,
if not soon, maybe later on.
00:07:48.29\00:07:51.93
But that's all in God's hands.
00:07:51.96\00:07:53.52
You heard the
title of the sermon.
00:07:54.32\00:07:55.99
It's called, The Resurrection.
00:07:56.02\00:07:57.81
But it's not
about the resurrection.
00:07:58.38\00:08:00.43
It's not about the
first resurrection,
00:08:01.09\00:08:03.11
and it's not about
the second resurrection.
00:08:03.86\00:08:06.08
It is about the resurrection
that the Lord wants to happen
00:08:06.46\00:08:09.28
before the first and
second resurrections.
00:08:09.31\00:08:12.74
And tonight, if you have your
Bibles, the story that we're
00:08:13.02\00:08:15.71
going to draw from is found in
the book of Ezekiel chapter 37.
00:08:15.73\00:08:21.05
And we're going to look at one
of the greatest resurrections;
00:08:21.74\00:08:24.45
the resurrection
before the resurrection.
00:08:26.05\00:08:28.87
Let's pray.
00:08:29.31\00:08:30.29
Father in heaven,
this is Your time.
00:08:31.22\00:08:33.13
I'm Your servant.
00:08:34.03\00:08:35.43
Take what I have written, what
You have given to me, Father,
00:08:35.46\00:08:38.64
and add to it the
power that You desire.
00:08:39.07\00:08:41.21
In Jesus name I pray, amen.
00:08:41.81\00:08:45.07
Now, you're turning to Ezekiel.
00:08:46.45\00:08:48.74
That's where our
story comes from tonight.
00:08:48.77\00:08:51.28
But I'm going to begin with a
text from Ephesians chapter 5,
00:08:52.16\00:08:55.67
and one single verse.
00:08:55.68\00:08:57.55
Ephesians
chapter 5 and verse 14.
00:08:57.97\00:09:01.90
Ephesians
chapter 5 and verse 14.
00:09:02.31\00:09:06.77
One very short and
to the point verse.
00:09:07.17\00:09:10.38
Paul writes, "Therefore He
says, 'Awake, you who sleep,
00:09:11.42\00:09:18.18
arise from the dead, and
Christ will give you light.'"
00:09:18.77\00:09:23.51
Ephesians 5 and verse 14.
00:09:24.11\00:09:27.63
Ezekiel was so
shocked by what he was shown.
00:09:28.54\00:09:32.40
It took more than 2000 years
to accomplish it, but it was.
00:09:33.59\00:09:37.50
It took more than 50 generations
for it to happen, but it did.
00:09:38.25\00:09:43.89
The nation entrusted
with the message for the world
00:09:44.46\00:09:48.53
was so completely diluted that
they ultimately rejected Jesus.
00:09:48.56\00:09:53.58
Satan reduced Israel
to nothing more than a
00:09:54.10\00:09:57.49
powerless spectacle.
00:09:57.52\00:10:00.10
But the good news tonight is,
there is no condition from which
00:10:00.78\00:10:05.13
God cannot resurrect His people.
00:10:05.16\00:10:07.58
No matter how bad things
get, God always has an answer
00:10:08.26\00:10:12.83
for our condition.
00:10:12.86\00:10:14.14
And so Ezekiel is shown
a picture that seems to be
00:10:14.63\00:10:17.52
impossible, a situation
that seems to be without remedy.
00:10:17.53\00:10:20.93
And he takes us now
to Ezekiel chapter 37
00:10:20.96\00:10:24.43
beginning with verse 1.
00:10:24.46\00:10:27.04
And the Bible says, "The
hand of the Lord came upon me
00:10:28.32\00:10:33.57
and brought me out in
the Spirit of the Lord,
00:10:35.12\00:10:38.04
and set me down in
the midst of the valley;
00:10:38.64\00:10:43.03
and it was full of..." What?
00:10:43.06\00:10:45.14
"...full of bones."
00:10:45.69\00:10:47.26
Ezekiel stood in a
valley of scattered bones.
00:10:47.73\00:10:51.70
Like casualties of war, bodies
were left where they fell.
00:10:52.18\00:10:56.49
As far as Ezekiel could
see, skeletons were no longer
00:10:57.37\00:11:01.76
in the closet.
00:11:01.79\00:11:02.98
The bones had been there for
some time, for the Bible says
00:11:03.50\00:11:06.68
for they were very dry.
00:11:06.71\00:11:08.07
There were arms, but
they could not embrace.
00:11:08.61\00:11:11.07
There were hands, but
they were unable to touch.
00:11:11.53\00:11:14.27
There were fingers, but
they could not give direction.
00:11:14.78\00:11:18.27
Intellect was
no longer a factor.
00:11:19.11\00:11:21.26
Opinions were
finally laid aside.
00:11:21.29\00:11:23.66
How you dressed and what
you ate was no longer an issue.
00:11:24.10\00:11:28.55
The rich and the poor finally
received the same treatment.
00:11:29.20\00:11:33.27
There were no signs
of life achievements.
00:11:33.52\00:11:35.93
No disputes
about race or status.
00:11:35.96\00:11:38.70
There were no
political disagreements.
00:11:38.99\00:11:40.91
Opposing parties were
finally merged together.
00:11:40.94\00:11:45.43
There were no more attitudes.
00:11:45.96\00:11:47.89
No more arguments.
00:11:47.92\00:11:49.23
There were
neither smiles nor frowns.
00:11:49.70\00:11:51.92
No separation, no disharmony,
no contending, no controversy.
00:11:52.12\00:11:58.24
Everyone was
finally on the same page.
00:11:58.54\00:12:02.14
Ezekiel sees a
valley of dry bones.
00:12:02.61\00:12:06.77
Finally, the
congregation was in one accord
00:12:07.07\00:12:10.40
and in one place.
00:12:10.75\00:12:12.31
As a matter of fact,
they had no desire to stray.
00:12:12.61\00:12:15.25
The reality of it is,
they had no desires at all.
00:12:15.89\00:12:18.66
All that was left was
a valley of dry bones.
00:12:18.69\00:12:23.60
But before we answer
the question; how can these
00:12:24.13\00:12:26.74
dead bones live, let's address
the issue; how did they die.
00:12:26.77\00:12:32.22
Paul the apostle, in 1
Corinthians chapter 10,
00:12:32.61\00:12:35.72
summarizes the history of
Israel, this very powerful
00:12:35.75\00:12:40.38
nation that God had chosen.
00:12:40.41\00:12:42.05
And he writes in 1 Corinthians
chapter 10 beginning with
00:12:42.51\00:12:44.95
verse 1, he says the following,
"Moreover, brethren, I do not
00:12:44.98\00:12:50.77
want you to be unaware
that all our fathers were
00:12:50.80\00:12:54.16
under the cloud..."
00:12:54.19\00:12:55.32
Notice the word "all."
00:12:55.33\00:12:56.88
"...all passed through
the sea, all were baptized
00:12:56.91\00:13:01.84
into Moses in the cloud and
in the sea, all ate the same
00:13:01.87\00:13:08.11
spiritual food, and all
drank the same spiritual drink.
00:13:08.14\00:13:13.83
For they drank of that spiritual
Rock that followed them,
00:13:14.34\00:13:18.12
and that Rock was Christ."
00:13:18.62\00:13:21.30
But the Bible goes on
to add one more verse that
00:13:21.91\00:13:24.02
changes the entire picture.
00:13:24.03\00:13:25.77
For it says in verse
5, "But with most of them
00:13:26.57\00:13:30.76
God was not well
pleased, for their bodies were
00:13:30.79\00:13:34.35
scattered in the wilderness."
00:13:34.38\00:13:37.16
As you follow the history
of Israel, not only that,
00:13:37.50\00:13:39.87
Israel also lined themselves
with leaders that did not
00:13:40.98\00:13:44.15
respect the truth of God
that God entrusted to them.
00:13:44.18\00:13:47.99
And I believe one of the
reasons why so many are not
00:13:48.97\00:13:51.06
preaching the Word as it
should be preached is this;
00:13:51.07\00:13:53.67
they don't respect the
truth because they don't rely
00:13:53.97\00:13:56.77
on the Holy Spirit.
00:13:56.80\00:13:59.04
Only the Spirit of God
can reveal the truth of God.
00:13:59.05\00:14:01.97
Can you say amen to that?
00:14:02.00\00:14:03.26
But the Bible tells us
that actions reveal conditions.
00:14:05.19\00:14:08.41
1 Corinthians 2 and
verse 14 says it this way,
00:14:08.76\00:14:11.58
"The natural man does
not receive the things of the
00:14:12.38\00:14:15.10
Spirit of God, for
they are foolishness to him;
00:14:15.13\00:14:18.49
nor can he know
them, because they are
00:14:18.52\00:14:21.64
spiritually discerned."
00:14:21.67\00:14:23.85
We often say, "Spiritual things
are spiritually discerned."
00:14:23.88\00:14:27.82
It takes a spiritual eye
to discern spiritual things.
00:14:27.85\00:14:31.92
And leaders that are not
concerned by the leading of
00:14:31.95\00:14:34.78
God's Spirit to
discover the truth of God's Word
00:14:34.79\00:14:37.29
are not discerning the
true condition of the people.
00:14:37.30\00:14:39.51
So they give them substitutes.
00:14:39.54\00:14:41.17
Because spiritual things
are spiritually discerned.
00:14:41.20\00:14:44.99
That's why I say,
don't preach philosophy.
00:14:45.02\00:14:48.06
Let's preach the Word.
00:14:48.09\00:14:49.68
Don't give them opinions.
00:14:50.08\00:14:51.57
Let's tell them
what God's Word says.
00:14:51.60\00:14:53.98
Don't modify it or alter it.
00:14:54.01\00:14:56.24
Preach the Word
as it is written.
00:14:56.27\00:14:59.81
There's no better
word than the Word of God
00:15:00.92\00:15:03.56
as it is written.
00:15:03.59\00:15:05.89
I remember growing up.
00:15:05.92\00:15:06.95
And one of the things
that I tell often times about
00:15:07.66\00:15:09.82
my story is, my father
was the kind of man that
00:15:09.85\00:15:13.22
taught me a lot of things.
00:15:13.25\00:15:14.68
He would give me
directions on how to fix things.
00:15:14.71\00:15:17.00
And just recently,
Brenda Walsh included my story
00:15:17.01\00:15:20.35
in her Bed Time Stories,
the Brenda Walsh stories.
00:15:20.38\00:15:23.90
And she has a story there
called, The Fireworks Surprise.
00:15:24.20\00:15:28.81
And she tells my story a little
different than I tell my story.
00:15:29.79\00:15:33.63
For the purpose of opening
the imagination of the children,
00:15:34.18\00:15:37.32
she tells it a
little more animated.
00:15:37.35\00:15:39.06
But I remember
the story very well.
00:15:39.09\00:15:40.73
Speaking about following
directions the way they
00:15:41.07\00:15:43.20
should be given, or the
way they ought to be followed.
00:15:43.23\00:15:46.04
My father taught
me how to fix wires.
00:15:46.38\00:15:52.88
And I remember very well,
one evening I got excited about
00:15:53.20\00:15:56.97
fixing a broken lamp.
00:15:57.00\00:15:58.37
And I had seen him fix
lamps so many times before
00:15:58.40\00:16:01.86
that I said, "I can
do this. I've got it.
00:16:01.89\00:16:03.80
I'll follow
exactly what you did.
00:16:04.11\00:16:05.66
I'll follow what
you told me to do."
00:16:05.69\00:16:08.10
And so I separated
the wires from the lamp.
00:16:08.36\00:16:10.74
Separated the
wires from the cord.
00:16:11.07\00:16:12.82
And I said, "The next thing
is tape the wires together."
00:16:13.17\00:16:15.63
He said, "That's what you do."
00:16:15.66\00:16:16.97
And I said, "Now
tape them together again."
00:16:17.16\00:16:19.00
He said, "That's what you do."
00:16:19.03\00:16:20.09
And then plug it in.
00:16:20.12\00:16:21.15
But what I forgot to do
is, when you tape the wires,
00:16:21.18\00:16:23.86
you tape them separately
before you tape them together.
00:16:23.89\00:16:27.27
And I taped them all
together and plugged it in.
00:16:29.00\00:16:32.04
And thus Brenda
Walsh has a story entitled,
00:16:32.07\00:16:34.35
Fireworks Surprise.
00:16:34.38\00:16:36.04
For a bolt of lightening
came out of the socket
00:16:36.42\00:16:38.83
because I didn't follow
my father's word the way
00:16:38.86\00:16:42.01
he told it to me.
00:16:42.04\00:16:43.59
In the very same way,
we've got to follow God's Word
00:16:43.83\00:16:47.29
the way He tells it to us.
00:16:47.32\00:16:48.56
What do you say?
00:16:48.59\00:16:49.63
That's why we can't
look to popular preachers.
00:16:50.14\00:16:52.09
The excuse is nowadays that
they are number one bestselling
00:16:52.71\00:16:56.52
authors or top selling authors.
00:16:56.55\00:16:58.52
But the truth of the matter
is, Jesus is the best Author.
00:16:58.55\00:17:03.74
He is the Author of salvation
to all of those who obey Him.
00:17:03.94\00:17:07.87
He is the Author and
Finisher of our faith.
00:17:08.87\00:17:11.71
And my father told me
something when I was growing up.
00:17:12.01\00:17:14.09
He said, "You have
to learn from people
00:17:14.46\00:17:16.87
that are where you want to be."
00:17:17.77\00:17:19.97
And Jesus is where I want to be.
00:17:20.00\00:17:22.53
So I'm going to
follow the words of Jesus
00:17:22.56\00:17:24.58
as they are written in His Word.
00:17:24.61\00:17:26.83
I'm lifting up the Author.
00:17:28.01\00:17:29.44
The only One that can save me.
00:17:29.75\00:17:31.53
The only One that
can give me direction.
00:17:31.56\00:17:33.50
The only One that
can give me eternal life.
00:17:33.53\00:17:36.66
That's why we have to be
very, very careful nowadays
00:17:36.69\00:17:39.01
who we follow.
00:17:39.02\00:17:40.03
There are a lot
of popular people.
00:17:40.06\00:17:41.53
A lot of people with
notoriety and status and power.
00:17:42.08\00:17:46.59
But if they don't
stand on the Word of God,
00:17:46.97\00:17:48.83
the Lord wants us to
follow this and not them.
00:17:48.86\00:17:52.19
I follow the Word
as it is in Jesus.
00:17:52.89\00:17:56.58
There are those who
are concerned about crowds.
00:17:57.06\00:17:59.62
But I suggest to you
tonight that the One that can
00:17:59.65\00:18:01.46
draw the best crowd is Jesus.
00:18:01.49\00:18:02.89
And He said, "If I be lifted up,
I'll draw all men unto Myself."
00:18:02.92\00:18:08.31
The only crowds that we
should be concerned about
00:18:08.86\00:18:11.49
are the crowds that are
being drawn by the power
00:18:11.52\00:18:14.86
and the presence that is
found in Christ and in His Word.
00:18:14.89\00:18:18.37
Can you say amen to that?
00:18:18.40\00:18:19.72
You know, there's a
danger in following men.
00:18:20.02\00:18:21.70
The danger is, you can hang
around people for so long that
00:18:21.73\00:18:25.02
don't believe the
way you do that you begin
00:18:25.05\00:18:27.29
believing the way they do.
00:18:27.32\00:18:28.86
You begin
thinking the way they do
00:18:30.10\00:18:31.92
and mimicking
the things they do.
00:18:32.36\00:18:34.17
And I was remembering
somebody just recently.
00:18:34.20\00:18:36.58
I got a call from one of
my friends and he said to me,
00:18:36.78\00:18:38.99
he listened to
a sermon recently.
00:18:39.02\00:18:40.62
And he said when
he heard this sermon,
00:18:40.93\00:18:43.52
one of his friends said
that they had heard that sermon
00:18:45.41\00:18:47.88
exactly almost
word for word before.
00:18:47.91\00:18:50.67
And they went to the
internet and found out that the
00:18:50.70\00:18:53.83
preacher that was
preaching at their church
00:18:53.86\00:18:55.97
had gone on the internet,
copied somebody's sermon
00:18:56.00\00:19:00.15
word for word.
00:19:00.18\00:19:01.34
Whether or not it was
true was not the concern.
00:19:01.91\00:19:03.93
Copied that sermon
word for word and preached
00:19:04.23\00:19:06.94
that sermon in their church.
00:19:06.97\00:19:08.00
And somebody who
had known the preacher
00:19:08.01\00:19:09.83
on the internet said,
"I've heard that sermon before."
00:19:09.84\00:19:12.60
The only sermon that
I want to follow is the
00:19:13.22\00:19:14.91
sermon's found in God's Word.
00:19:14.94\00:19:16.12
Can you say amen to that?
00:19:16.15\00:19:17.25
We are called
to preach the Word.
00:19:17.63\00:19:20.43
Paul told
Timothy, "Preach the Word.
00:19:21.06\00:19:24.08
Be instant in season."
00:19:24.74\00:19:26.66
Go to 2 Timothy chapter 4
with me and see what Paul says.
00:19:26.69\00:19:29.68
2 Timothy chapter 4
beginning with verses 2 and 3.
00:19:29.90\00:19:33.60
We are called
to preach the Word.
00:19:33.63\00:19:36.61
He says, "Preach the word!
00:19:36.99\00:19:39.26
Be instant in
season, out of season.
00:19:39.29\00:19:42.72
Reprove, rebuke, exhort with
all long suffering and doctrine.
00:19:42.73\00:19:48.38
For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine."
00:19:48.41\00:19:53.19
And the time has come.
00:19:53.22\00:19:54.91
Men do not
endure sound doctrine.
00:19:54.94\00:19:56.97
That's why as workers
of 3ABN, we are committed
00:19:57.00\00:20:00.97
to the undiluted
three angels messages.
00:20:01.00\00:20:03.38
If it's not from God's
Word and can't stand the test,
00:20:04.78\00:20:08.00
the acid test of
God's Word, we don't air it,
00:20:08.03\00:20:10.56
we don't preach it.
00:20:10.59\00:20:11.63
Because we're living in
the time when opinions of men
00:20:11.64\00:20:14.91
have replaced a
"thus saith the Lord."
00:20:14.94\00:20:18.53
The danger is, when
sound doctrine is rejected
00:20:18.92\00:20:21.65
there's a greater
evil that follows that.
00:20:21.68\00:20:24.14
You see, if you don't
want what I give you to eat,
00:20:24.17\00:20:26.89
then I won't
give it to you at all.
00:20:26.90\00:20:28.16
And Amos says in
Amos chapter 8...
00:20:28.46\00:20:31.37
Turn there with me.
00:20:31.40\00:20:32.68
If you don't like my
food, I won't give it to you.
00:20:32.71\00:20:34.94
Notice what God's Word says.
00:20:34.97\00:20:36.62
Amos chapter 8 verses 11 and 12.
00:20:36.65\00:20:40.46
Amos says, "'Behold, the
days are coming,' says God,
00:20:41.32\00:20:46.53
'that I will send
a famine in the land.
00:20:46.56\00:20:49.89
Not a famine of bread,
nor a thirst for water,
00:20:50.49\00:20:54.71
but of the hearing
of the words of God.'"
00:20:55.01\00:20:57.78
And notice how
bad it's going to get.
00:20:57.81\00:20:59.33
"They shall wander from sea
to sea, and from north to east,
00:21:00.08\00:21:05.81
they shall run to and fro
seeking the word of the Lord,
00:21:05.84\00:21:10.59
but they shall not find it."
00:21:10.62\00:21:13.28
Now is the time to hunger and
thirst after the Word of God.
00:21:13.29\00:21:18.34
Now is the time to hunger
and thirst after righteousness.
00:21:18.75\00:21:23.59
Now is the time to
desire to read the Word of God.
00:21:23.62\00:21:26.27
Because one day, as the Bible
says, one day the Word of God
00:21:26.30\00:21:30.47
is not going to be
available as it is today.
00:21:30.50\00:21:33.27
And right now on my
computer alone, I have about
00:21:33.30\00:21:35.67
fifteen different Bibles.
00:21:35.68\00:21:37.31
There are people that
have Bibles on their iPads and
00:21:37.61\00:21:39.49
on their
laptops, on their iPhones,
00:21:39.52\00:21:41.94
on their digital devices.
00:21:41.95\00:21:44.22
But they don't desire that Word,
so the Lord is saying to us,
00:21:44.25\00:21:46.91
one day the Word
that they don't desire
00:21:46.94\00:21:50.00
won't be able to be found.
00:21:50.03\00:21:51.72
Seek the Lord and His
word while it may be found.
00:21:51.75\00:21:55.64
The world is driven
by a thirst, but a thirst
00:21:56.50\00:21:59.47
that is not righteous.
00:21:59.50\00:22:00.88
The world is driven
by a thirst that is evil.
00:22:00.91\00:22:04.03
Not too long ago, I did a series
about the thirsts of the world.
00:22:04.58\00:22:08.62
It was called, Unclean Spirits.
00:22:08.65\00:22:10.63
And when you begin to examine
the things that the world makes
00:22:10.66\00:22:13.29
available to us, there
was a time I use to say
00:22:13.32\00:22:15.54
that the world
has nothing to offer.
00:22:15.57\00:22:17.06
But I've changed that tone.
00:22:17.09\00:22:18.88
The world has a lot to offer,
but when you're looking for
00:22:18.91\00:22:21.80
eternal life, you
can't find that in the world.
00:22:21.81\00:22:24.35
You only find
that in God's Word.
00:22:24.38\00:22:26.85
You only find that in Jesus.
00:22:27.05\00:22:29.04
The world has a lot to offer.
00:22:29.07\00:22:30.59
Just a few nights ago,
because of my research...
00:22:31.16\00:22:33.44
I want to qualify that.
00:22:33.45\00:22:34.45
Because of my research, I
decided to peek in on the news.
00:22:34.46\00:22:39.19
I was not in Thompsonville
when the Grammy Awards came on.
00:22:39.22\00:22:43.24
But I decided to go
ahead and look at the news and
00:22:43.27\00:22:45.98
find out the recap
of the Grammy Awards
00:22:46.01\00:22:49.21
just to get an idea of
the thirst that the world has.
00:22:49.24\00:22:53.45
And I want to
tell you, I heard songs
00:22:53.75\00:22:55.53
of people that
really couldn't sing.
00:22:56.32\00:22:58.13
The world has come to
the place where you don't
00:23:01.57\00:23:03.49
have to sing any more.
00:23:03.52\00:23:04.72
All you have to do is
make noise to be popular.
00:23:04.75\00:23:07.24
Not only that, they said,
for the first time there was a
00:23:09.38\00:23:13.05
full blown
exorcism done on television.
00:23:13.08\00:23:16.17
And that's the kind of
thing the world applauds.
00:23:18.14\00:23:20.10
That's the kind of
thing the world thirsts for.
00:23:20.30\00:23:22.59
It's a thirst, but
it's not for righteousness.
00:23:22.90\00:23:25.33
It's a thirst for
things that are evil.
00:23:25.36\00:23:27.82
We've got to hunger and
thirst after righteousness.
00:23:27.85\00:23:30.27
Can you say amen to that?
00:23:30.30\00:23:31.58
We're living at a time
when the admiration of man is
00:23:32.41\00:23:34.71
quickly replacing the
authority of the Word of God.
00:23:34.74\00:23:37.30
The problem is, God
can give directions without
00:23:37.60\00:23:40.51
the word of man, but
man cannot give directions
00:23:40.54\00:23:43.60
that are reliable
without the Word of God.
00:23:43.63\00:23:45.90
Seek the Lord
while He may be found.
00:23:46.81\00:23:49.67
So Ezekiel sees a
people that are reduced
00:23:49.78\00:23:52.34
to nothing more than a
pile of bones and dust.
00:23:52.37\00:23:56.48
And God asks him
the following question.
00:23:56.49\00:23:58.95
Ezekiel chapter 37,
look with me at verse 3.
00:23:58.98\00:24:02.65
The Lord asks Ezekiel,
"Can these dead bones live?"
00:24:03.50\00:24:09.90
And like any preacher with
common sense, Ezekiel says,
00:24:10.42\00:24:13.77
"O Lord God, only You know."
00:24:14.40\00:24:18.16
"O Lord God, only You know."
00:24:18.36\00:24:20.25
When God asks a question, we've
got to answer those questions
00:24:20.28\00:24:23.39
very carefully because
only God knows the outcome
00:24:23.42\00:24:27.03
of the issues of life.
00:24:27.06\00:24:28.64
Only God knows if anybody is
going to change for the better.
00:24:28.67\00:24:33.50
He looks at these
bones; disconnected, dislodged,
00:24:33.90\00:24:38.15
in a valley of dust, a
cemetery with no tombstones,
00:24:38.18\00:24:42.76
no funeral directors, and
God asks him whether or not
00:24:42.96\00:24:46.29
these bones can live.
00:24:46.30\00:24:48.23
And then God asks him
to preach to these bones.
00:24:48.24\00:24:50.56
Now sometimes God asks us to
do things that don't make sense.
00:24:50.59\00:24:53.75
But one of the prerogatives of
being God is, God is not to be
00:24:54.56\00:24:58.38
understood, but
God is to be trusted.
00:24:58.41\00:25:01.35
And so Ezekiel begins to
preach to these dead bones.
00:25:01.38\00:25:05.48
Look at verse 4.
00:25:05.51\00:25:06.81
The Bible says, "Prophesy"
or preach, "unto these bones and
00:25:07.11\00:25:11.72
say unto them, 'O ye dry bones,
hear the word of the Lord.'"
00:25:11.75\00:25:19.47
The world needs to
hear the Word of the Lord.
00:25:19.50\00:25:23.31
The world needs
the Word of the Lord.
00:25:23.83\00:25:27.30
You know that today, even
though it may not appear to be
00:25:27.95\00:25:31.46
that way, do you know the
Bible is still the number one
00:25:31.49\00:25:34.44
bestselling book in the world?
00:25:34.47\00:25:35.85
Can we say amen to that?
00:25:36.33\00:25:37.66
The Bible is still the
number one bestselling book
00:25:37.69\00:25:42.48
in the world.
00:25:42.51\00:25:43.68
Translations of every kind.
00:25:43.71\00:25:45.46
You can find it in Hebrew,
you can find it in Greek.
00:25:46.70\00:25:49.69
You can find it in
transliterated versions.
00:25:49.72\00:25:52.23
You can find the Septuagint.
00:25:52.26\00:25:54.04
You can find it in English and
Spanish and Latin and Brazilian.
00:25:54.37\00:25:58.84
But the problem is not
that we have more Bibles.
00:25:59.88\00:26:02.49
The problem is, people
don't read their Bibles.
00:26:02.52\00:26:05.55
They don't study their Bibles.
00:26:05.58\00:26:07.72
That's why it's easy to
accept anything that a man says.
00:26:07.73\00:26:10.77
Because it does not
come from the Word of God.
00:26:10.80\00:26:13.98
That's why Ezekiel is told
to preach the Word of the Lord.
00:26:14.01\00:26:19.02
To tell the people to
hear the Word of the Lord,
00:26:19.22\00:26:22.70
not the word of men.
00:26:22.73\00:26:24.28
Because the only hope of
bringing dry bones back to life
00:26:24.31\00:26:28.02
is preaching the
Word of the Lord.
00:26:28.05\00:26:30.87
Look at verse 5.
00:26:31.56\00:26:33.18
"Thus says the Lord
God to these bones..."
00:26:36.39\00:26:38.97
God is outlining His plan.
00:26:39.68\00:26:41.69
"Thus says the
Lord God to these bones,
00:26:41.72\00:26:44.77
'Surely I will cause
breath to enter into you,
00:26:44.80\00:26:50.63
and you shall live.'"
00:26:50.66\00:26:53.62
When the Word goes
out, the power comes in.
00:26:53.65\00:26:57.40
When the Holy Spirit
works in the preacher,
00:26:57.85\00:27:00.95
the Word comes out.
00:27:00.98\00:27:02.37
And when the Word
works on the people,
00:27:02.40\00:27:04.63
the Spirit comes in.
00:27:04.66\00:27:06.13
When the Word goes
out, the Spirit comes in.
00:27:06.14\00:27:09.25
The reason why the Spirit is not
coming in is, the Word is not
00:27:09.79\00:27:12.39
going out as God
intends for it to go out.
00:27:12.42\00:27:14.64
Matter of fact, I was in
Sam's Club the other day.
00:27:15.22\00:27:18.21
My wife and I went
to Sam's Club here today
00:27:18.24\00:27:20.24
to see if there were things
that were not in the Sam's Club
00:27:20.27\00:27:23.19
that we have in Thompsonville.
00:27:23.22\00:27:24.44
Actually not in Thompsonville,
but in southern Illinois.
00:27:24.47\00:27:27.63
Thompsonville is not big enough.
00:27:27.97\00:27:29.56
Matter of fact, all
of Thompsonville could
00:27:29.78\00:27:31.67
fit in Sam's Club.
00:27:31.70\00:27:33.59
But we stopped in
Sam's Club to see if things
00:27:35.08\00:27:37.44
were different there.
00:27:37.47\00:27:38.53
And we discovered,
the more things change,
00:27:38.56\00:27:41.32
the more they stay the same.
00:27:41.35\00:27:42.87
I was beginning to think
today that I could easily
00:27:43.23\00:27:45.26
live here in Puerto Rico.
00:27:45.29\00:27:46.62
Because much of what you
have here is what we have
00:27:46.82\00:27:49.70
in Thompsonville and
in southern Illinois.
00:27:49.73\00:27:52.08
The only problem is,
the language is different.
00:27:52.11\00:27:54.96
And I've been learning little
words here and there like,
00:27:55.61\00:27:57.97
poquito and buenas noches and
buenas tardes and buenos dias.
00:27:57.98\00:28:02.55
And sometimes I say
beunas noches in the morning
00:28:02.75\00:28:04.83
and buenas
tardes in the evening.
00:28:04.86\00:28:06.36
And I get mixed up.
00:28:06.74\00:28:08.24
And people look at me.
00:28:08.27\00:28:09.42
I go to the store sometimes
and I want to communicate.
00:28:09.43\00:28:11.90
And they're talking to me
in Spanish a thousand miles
00:28:11.93\00:28:13.79
a minute and I
just say, "Gracias."
00:28:13.82\00:28:15.36
I don't know what I
said "thank you" for.
00:28:15.39\00:28:17.19
But my point is this:
00:28:18.38\00:28:19.95
Unless we are speaking the same
language, we are just guessing.
00:28:21.23\00:28:25.34
When you begin with the Word of
God, there is no need to guess.
00:28:25.95\00:28:30.30
Because the Word of
God is the same yesterday,
00:28:30.33\00:28:33.39
today and forever.
00:28:33.40\00:28:34.40
What do you say to that?
00:28:34.43\00:28:35.46
So the Lord said to
Ezekiel, "Preach the Word."
00:28:36.50\00:28:39.19
And when you think
about it, the creation of man
00:28:39.22\00:28:41.38
and the resurrection of man
is just about the same thing.
00:28:41.41\00:28:44.02
Go to Genesis chapter 2 with me,
Genesis chapter 2 and verse 7,
00:28:44.05\00:28:47.59
and look at what the Bible
says about the creation of man.
00:28:47.71\00:28:50.95
This is very interesting.
00:28:50.98\00:28:52.31
Genesis 2 and verse 7.
00:28:52.86\00:28:54.28
The creation is parallel
to the resurrection of man.
00:28:55.13\00:28:58.87
The Bible says in
Genesis chapter 2 and verse 7,
00:29:00.05\00:29:02.41
"And the Lord God formed
man of the dust of the ground,
00:29:04.04\00:29:10.39
and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life;
00:29:10.49\00:29:14.85
and man became a living being."
00:29:14.88\00:29:17.37
Or living soul.
00:29:17.38\00:29:19.00
Now I want you to get this.
00:29:19.20\00:29:20.23
I'm not going to
run through this part.
00:29:20.26\00:29:21.40
It's very important.
00:29:21.43\00:29:22.64
Until God put the
breath of life in man,
00:29:22.67\00:29:26.48
he was just the form of man.
00:29:26.51\00:29:29.54
He had all the components.
00:29:30.89\00:29:32.04
He had the fingers, he had
the thumb, he had the face.
00:29:32.07\00:29:35.38
He probably had hair,
because when God does something,
00:29:35.41\00:29:38.20
the Bible says He
does it very good.
00:29:38.23\00:29:40.30
He had eyes.
00:29:40.33\00:29:41.38
He had everything that he
needed to have physically,
00:29:41.41\00:29:43.68
But until God put in
him the breath of life,
00:29:43.71\00:29:47.21
he was just a form.
00:29:47.24\00:29:49.42
He had all the
things on the outside.
00:29:51.54\00:29:53.52
But what was missing, what
was yet to be put on the inside,
00:29:54.46\00:29:57.32
God breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life.
00:29:57.35\00:30:00.44
And man became a living soul.
00:30:00.47\00:30:02.57
Now go quickly with me to
Psalm chapter 33 and verse 6.
00:30:02.60\00:30:06.09
Psalm 33 and verse 6.
00:30:06.12\00:30:09.04
Connecting it together,
the creation of man and the
00:30:09.59\00:30:12.35
resurrection of
man; similar components.
00:30:12.38\00:30:15.86
Similar components.
00:30:16.36\00:30:17.91
David the psalmist says
in Psalm 33 and verse 6,
00:30:18.52\00:30:22.15
"By the word of the
Lord were the heavens made,
00:30:22.18\00:30:27.28
and all the host of them
by the breath of His mouth."
00:30:27.31\00:30:32.17
And notice this.
00:30:32.20\00:30:33.32
God made the heavens, but He did
it by the breath of His mouth.
00:30:34.59\00:30:39.83
God formed man, but
He brought him to life
00:30:39.86\00:30:42.93
by the breath of His mouth.
00:30:42.96\00:30:44.61
You see, the church can have
all the forms of righteousness,
00:30:46.03\00:30:49.75
but unless God has breathed
into us the spirit of life,
00:30:49.78\00:30:54.33
we just have a form.
00:30:54.34\00:30:55.67
But we're actually
like the picture that
00:30:55.68\00:30:57.64
Ezekiel sees in the desert.
00:30:57.67\00:30:59.08
He sees them dead.
00:30:59.11\00:31:00.42
God does not want a
church that appears to be alive.
00:31:00.43\00:31:03.40
God want a church that is
filled by the breath of life
00:31:03.41\00:31:06.88
that comes from
God; the Holy Spirit.
00:31:06.91\00:31:10.61
Genesis chapter 1 and
verse 2 says it this way.
00:31:11.00\00:31:13.15
"And the earth was without
form, and void; and darkness
00:31:13.59\00:31:17.67
was upon the face of the deep.
00:31:17.70\00:31:20.33
And the Spirit of God moved..."
00:31:20.36\00:31:23.36
I'm going to stop right there.
00:31:23.39\00:31:24.71
"The Spirit of God moved..."
00:31:24.74\00:31:26.73
You see, a life without the
Word is a life without form.
00:31:26.76\00:31:31.65
When you have the Word,
the Word brings structure.
00:31:31.66\00:31:35.04
It brings form to your life.
00:31:35.07\00:31:37.45
When my wife and I
study our Word together,
00:31:37.48\00:31:39.42
it gives structure to our
day, structure to our lives.
00:31:39.45\00:31:43.34
Strength and
direction that we all need.
00:31:43.37\00:31:45.91
But without the Word, we
go out and live our lives
00:31:45.94\00:31:48.39
guessing as to
what God wants us to do.
00:31:48.42\00:31:50.51
But when you have the
Word of God, you've got
00:31:50.54\00:31:52.50
structure in your life.
00:31:52.53\00:31:54.20
A life without the
Word is a life without form.
00:31:55.40\00:31:59.70
Just like the world was
before God breathed on it,
00:31:59.73\00:32:02.93
before God called
life into existence.
00:32:02.96\00:32:06.60
Not only that, he says the
world was without form and void.
00:32:06.99\00:32:10.93
And I suggest to you,
a life without the Word
00:32:10.96\00:32:13.82
is a life that is void.
00:32:13.85\00:32:17.76
The Word fills
those empty places.
00:32:18.48\00:32:21.33
My wife and I, every now and
then, and every day we have a
00:32:21.53\00:32:24.20
study together, we
begin our day together,
00:32:24.23\00:32:26.41
at least with a devotional.
00:32:26.71\00:32:28.25
Sometimes the study at
night gets so good that my wife
00:32:28.53\00:32:31.76
falls asleep and I'm
up for two more hours.
00:32:31.79\00:32:33.73
But the good thing
about God's Word is this:
00:32:35.56\00:32:37.88
When your life is worn
down, when you have come to the
00:32:37.91\00:32:41.92
end of your rope and
you cannot find answers,
00:32:41.95\00:32:44.53
I would suggest to you
that there's nothing that can
00:32:44.56\00:32:47.58
fill you better than
simply opening God's Word
00:32:47.61\00:32:51.26
and let God fill those
empty places in your life.
00:32:51.27\00:32:54.63
The world was
without form, and void.
00:32:57.80\00:32:59.73
But there was one more
thing; there was darkness there.
00:33:00.16\00:33:02.89
A life without the Word of God
is a life that is in darkness.
00:33:03.48\00:33:08.14
The Word brings light.
00:33:08.17\00:33:10.39
The entrance of
God's Word brings light.
00:33:10.42\00:33:13.89
The Word of God is
a lamp unto our feet
00:33:13.92\00:33:16.63
and a light unto our paths.
00:33:16.66\00:33:18.83
But when Paul
writes about the last days,
00:33:23.00\00:33:25.06
he says, "In the last days there
will be a form of godliness,
00:33:25.09\00:33:29.85
but denying the power thereof."
00:33:29.88\00:33:32.51
There's a whole lot of
godliness, it looks that way.
00:33:33.12\00:33:35.96
A whole lot of
externals that look godly.
00:33:35.99\00:33:38.15
But unless there's
power on the inside,
00:33:38.18\00:33:39.97
it's simply a form of godliness.
00:33:40.00\00:33:43.78
But God puts a plan together to
replace the form with the power.
00:33:44.51\00:33:48.59
The diagnosis of
modern Christianity is this:
00:33:48.62\00:33:51.83
It has more form
than it has power.
00:33:51.86\00:33:55.05
It needs more
power than it needs form.
00:33:55.08\00:33:57.87
Notice Ezekiel 37 and verse 6.
00:33:57.90\00:34:00.48
God's plan for the
resurrection of His church.
00:34:01.02\00:34:03.89
Ezekiel 37 and verse
6, notice what God does.
00:34:07.00\00:34:10.30
He says, "I will
put sinews on you..."
00:34:10.33\00:34:17.76
I'll break that
down in a moment.
00:34:19.29\00:34:20.92
"...and bring flesh upon you.
00:34:21.33\00:34:25.13
I will cover you with
skin and put breath in you;
00:34:25.77\00:34:32.05
and you shall live.
00:34:32.08\00:34:34.95
Then..." There's that word.
00:34:34.96\00:34:37.32
"Then you shall
know that I am the Lord."
00:34:37.72\00:34:42.68
Notice, all those things
are vitally important for
00:34:42.71\00:34:45.31
somebody to know
that the Lord is the Lord.
00:34:45.34\00:34:48.27
Now let's break it down. Sinew.
00:34:48.74\00:34:50.39
I began to get intellectual
and I opened my dictionary
00:34:50.42\00:34:53.30
and began to look up this word.
00:34:53.33\00:34:54.56
Sinew is
another word for muscle.
00:34:54.59\00:34:56.93
What that simply
means is, there are many
00:34:57.23\00:35:00.09
spiritual
experiences without strength.
00:35:00.12\00:35:02.95
When we've got God in our lives
and He fills us with His Spirit,
00:35:02.98\00:35:07.09
He replaces lifeless
and weak Christianity
00:35:07.12\00:35:11.14
with
Christianity that has muscle.
00:35:11.17\00:35:13.70
The joy of the
Lord is our strength.
00:35:14.29\00:35:18.45
The experience
that we have has to have
00:35:20.06\00:35:22.17
something strong behind it.
00:35:22.18\00:35:23.80
Because if it's weak, it's
going to be revealed in time.
00:35:23.83\00:35:26.55
The Word of God brings
strength to our relationship.
00:35:26.58\00:35:29.82
It brings strength
to our walk with God.
00:35:29.85\00:35:32.90
Not only that, He said,
"I'll cover you with skin."
00:35:34.43\00:35:38.99
I discovered today, I
was reading a medical journal
00:35:39.02\00:35:43.42
on the internet, and
they said that our skin weighs
00:35:43.45\00:35:46.99
about six pounds.
00:35:47.00\00:35:48.96
Only six pounds.
00:35:49.55\00:35:50.90
Now I weigh about 175 pounds.
00:35:51.85\00:35:58.35
178 on good days.
00:35:58.38\00:36:00.09
Close to 180 after a
couple of apple turnovers.
00:36:00.56\00:36:03.42
If I weigh 176
pounds, the Bible is saying,
00:36:05.85\00:36:08.75
or medical science says that
only six pounds of me is skin.
00:36:08.85\00:36:14.58
And it may appear that
skin is not as important
00:36:14.61\00:36:17.63
if it's only six pounds.
00:36:17.66\00:36:19.17
But to show you
how important skin is,
00:36:19.20\00:36:21.44
skin holds
everything else together.
00:36:21.47\00:36:24.56
It's the wrapping,
it's the Saran Wrap.
00:36:25.90\00:36:28.36
It's the topping
on the apple pie.
00:36:28.39\00:36:30.52
It's the rubber on the tires.
00:36:30.53\00:36:32.40
It's the metal on
the frame of the car.
00:36:32.41\00:36:34.40
It holds everything together.
00:36:34.41\00:36:35.80
Can you say amen?
Aren't you glad you have skin?
00:36:35.83\00:36:38.03
We all need skin.
00:36:38.75\00:36:40.04
Smallest in weight, but
largest in territory covering.
00:36:40.07\00:36:46.97
Everybody needs skin.
00:36:47.30\00:36:49.89
The skin that the
Lord wants to cover us with
00:36:50.31\00:36:52.54
is His
righteousness, His character.
00:36:52.57\00:36:56.63
Not our
character, His character.
00:36:56.66\00:36:58.97
He wants to cover His
church with His righteousness.
00:36:59.00\00:37:03.22
But then thirdly
is something else.
00:37:03.36\00:37:06.70
He wants to bring flesh upon us,
00:37:06.71\00:37:09.64
add substance to
our Christianity.
00:37:09.67\00:37:11.66
He wants to put breath in us,
empower us with the Holy Spirit.
00:37:11.69\00:37:15.89
He wants to give us life.
00:37:15.92\00:37:17.33
He says, "And you shall live."
00:37:17.34\00:37:19.25
He wants to add
vitality to our walk with God.
00:37:19.35\00:37:23.28
You know, I believe
that Christianity ought to
00:37:23.31\00:37:25.38
make a difference, not
just on the weekend, but it
00:37:25.41\00:37:27.95
ought to make a difference
every day of your life.
00:37:27.98\00:37:30.17
It ought to make a difference
when you're in the mall.
00:37:30.63\00:37:32.81
Am I telling the truth?
00:37:33.66\00:37:34.86
It ought to make a
difference when you go to the
00:37:35.26\00:37:36.68
grocery store and when
you go to the video store.
00:37:36.69\00:37:38.63
It ought to make a difference
when you choose what you watch.
00:37:38.66\00:37:41.32
It ought to make a difference
when you decide how to dress.
00:37:43.37\00:37:46.22
It ought to make a difference
when you decide what to
00:37:47.19\00:37:49.10
listen to and what
songs to sing and what to buy.
00:37:49.13\00:37:52.98
Christianity is something that
the Lord wants to be vitalized,
00:37:53.37\00:37:56.44
not just one day a week, but
He wants us to have that power,
00:37:56.47\00:37:59.60
that vitality, that
substance, that righteousness,
00:37:59.63\00:38:03.68
and that strength every
day of our walk with God.
00:38:03.69\00:38:07.05
Every single day.
00:38:07.37\00:38:09.02
But look at verse 7
of Ezekiel chapter 37.
00:38:10.61\00:38:14.65
There's something
else He wants us to do.
00:38:15.58\00:38:18.79
He says, "So I
prophesied as I was commanded.
00:38:19.78\00:38:23.44
And as I prophesied, there was
a noise, and behold a shaking,
00:38:23.91\00:38:30.36
and the bones came
together, bone to his bone."
00:38:30.39\00:38:35.17
There are a lot of people
that put together this rhythmic
00:38:35.20\00:38:37.15
soliloquy of, you know,
"The ankle bone connected
00:38:37.18\00:38:39.37
to the knee bone, the knee bone
connected to the thigh bone."
00:38:39.38\00:38:41.48
That's not what I
want to talk about tonight.
00:38:41.51\00:38:43.12
I want to talk about
the fact that when God
00:38:43.54\00:38:45.24
puts us together, the brokenness
that he's talking about
00:38:45.27\00:38:47.97
that comes together, the
noise that is being heard,
00:38:48.00\00:38:50.69
the shaking that Ezekiel
sees is, broken lives are
00:38:50.72\00:38:54.70
being put back together.
00:38:54.73\00:38:55.99
What do you say tonight?
00:38:56.02\00:38:57.16
Those who are dead in
sin are now alive in Christ.
00:38:57.37\00:39:02.10
Hope is being restored
and despair is being buried.
00:39:02.13\00:39:06.29
Mouths that use to be used for
prying are now used for praying.
00:39:06.32\00:39:11.70
Arms that were used
for hurting become arms
00:39:11.73\00:39:15.03
employed for helping.
00:39:15.05\00:39:16.83
Feet that use to carry gossip
are now carrying the gospel.
00:39:16.86\00:39:20.64
Hearts that were
filled with love for the world
00:39:20.67\00:39:23.56
are now filled
with love for Jesus.
00:39:23.59\00:39:25.78
And a divided church
becomes a unified church.
00:39:25.81\00:39:30.38
That's what Ezekiel sees.
00:39:30.39\00:39:31.90
The noise and the
shaking is the coming together
00:39:31.93\00:39:34.85
of God's church.
00:39:34.86\00:39:36.93
And by the way, you
know that there's always been
00:39:37.54\00:39:39.16
noise in the church.
00:39:39.19\00:39:40.30
But when Christ comes
in, He changes the noise
00:39:40.63\00:39:43.58
from a battle
noise to a joyful noise.
00:39:43.61\00:39:46.46
What do you say?
00:39:46.49\00:39:47.58
We have heard the joyful sound,
"Jesus saves, Jesus saves."
00:39:47.61\00:39:53.59
That's the joyful sound.
00:39:53.62\00:39:54.69
There's a lot
of noise in church.
00:39:54.72\00:39:56.01
Sometimes we forget that
the Lord is in His holy temple
00:39:56.65\00:39:58.97
when we come to church
and we talk all service long.
00:39:59.00\00:40:01.64
We talk about our own things.
00:40:01.65\00:40:03.32
There's always
noise in the church.
00:40:03.33\00:40:04.46
But God wants to change
that noise from human noise
00:40:04.47\00:40:08.65
to divine transformation.
00:40:08.68\00:40:11.46
Bringing life
back to His church.
00:40:11.75\00:40:14.91
Not only that, when
the church is filled with
00:40:15.77\00:40:18.41
the sounds of life, that's
not the end of God's process.
00:40:18.44\00:40:21.61
Look at verse 8 and 9
of Ezekiel chapter 37.
00:40:21.64\00:40:25.03
Verse 8 and 9 of
Ezekiel chapter 37.
00:40:25.39\00:40:30.01
He said, "Indeed, as I
looked, the sinews and the flesh
00:40:30.78\00:40:37.20
came upon them, and
the skin covered over them;
00:40:38.29\00:40:44.47
but there was
no breath in them."
00:40:49.70\00:40:51.93
"Indeed, as I looked, the sinews
and the flesh came upon them,
00:40:55.45\00:40:59.12
and the skin covered over them;
00:40:59.15\00:41:01.00
but there was
no breath in them."
00:41:01.03\00:41:04.32
What he's saying is,
God's people looked the part
00:41:04.35\00:41:08.24
but they lacked the power still.
00:41:08.76\00:41:11.19
God put all the
programs together.
00:41:11.22\00:41:13.28
Let me make application.
00:41:13.29\00:41:14.74
You know, the last thing we need
as a church is another book.
00:41:14.77\00:41:18.01
We've got more books than
we can read until Jesus comes.
00:41:19.46\00:41:22.28
We've got more
buildings around the world.
00:41:23.09\00:41:24.91
We can build more
buildings; that's a good thing.
00:41:24.94\00:41:26.70
But if you look at all that God
has blessed us with as a church,
00:41:27.00\00:41:29.61
as a people; we've got
buildings, we've got hospitals,
00:41:29.62\00:41:32.64
we've got programs,
we've got universities.
00:41:32.67\00:41:34.89
We've got missionary
programs; we have ADRA
00:41:34.92\00:41:37.78
we have Maranatha, we
have 3ABN, Hope Channel.
00:41:37.81\00:41:40.24
We've got a whole
host of movements.
00:41:40.25\00:41:43.31
But God is saying those
are the bones coming together.
00:41:43.52\00:41:46.57
But even though all
those things are in place,
00:41:48.76\00:41:51.38
there's still something
else that God wants to do.
00:41:51.41\00:41:55.07
Follow me carefully.
00:41:55.85\00:41:56.97
By the way, my wife
works for 3ABN Radio.
00:41:59.64\00:42:02.03
Last week when
she drove to work,
00:42:02.80\00:42:04.78
she got two flat
tires at the same time.
00:42:07.21\00:42:10.37
How do you get two
flat tires at the same time?
00:42:10.97\00:42:13.61
My wife got two flat
tires at the same time.
00:42:14.29\00:42:17.47
And it just so
happened to happen on a day
00:42:18.58\00:42:20.86
that was very cold.
00:42:20.89\00:42:22.25
And guess what.
00:42:22.46\00:42:23.54
She called me to
fix her flat tires.
00:42:23.57\00:42:25.81
So I went over to 3ABN Radio and
I took with me a canister of air
00:42:26.52\00:42:32.59
to hopefully
fill the tire back up.
00:42:32.62\00:42:34.52
But these were truck tires.
00:42:35.12\00:42:37.13
Meaning, they were big tires.
00:42:37.16\00:42:39.15
And as fast as I put the
air in, the air came out.
00:42:39.18\00:42:43.06
So I said to my wife
as I looked at the tire,
00:42:43.66\00:42:47.22
I saw on one side of the
truck that there was a hole
00:42:47.25\00:42:50.17
made by a gravel stone on
one side, and there was a hole
00:42:50.20\00:42:54.11
made by a piece of glass.
00:42:54.14\00:42:55.96
Because when I was backing
out of the driveway at home,
00:42:55.99\00:42:57.99
I noticed there was all
this broken glass on the ground.
00:42:58.02\00:43:00.04
And I thought to myself, Angie
ran over the glass and broke it.
00:43:00.07\00:43:06.00
That was the first tire.
00:43:06.75\00:43:07.76
But when she got to Radio,
there's a road that goes down
00:43:07.79\00:43:10.62
to 3ABN Radio
that's covered by gravel.
00:43:10.65\00:43:12.66
And she ran over one of
those sharp gravel stones
00:43:12.69\00:43:15.03
that stabbed the other tire.
00:43:15.06\00:43:16.68
So here she is, two flat tires.
00:43:16.88\00:43:19.39
I brought my canister of air
trying my best to fix the tires.
00:43:19.42\00:43:23.11
But as fast as the air
went in, the air came out.
00:43:23.14\00:43:26.95
So I said to my wife, "Go
buy three cans of Fix-A-Flat."
00:43:27.63\00:43:31.61
You know what Fix-A-Flat is?
00:43:31.64\00:43:33.03
A little stuff
that's in a white can.
00:43:33.57\00:43:35.14
People that fix tires
don't like Fix-A-Flat.
00:43:35.17\00:43:37.54
So she went and
got three cans of Fix.
00:43:37.87\00:43:39.55
I said, now one is
pretty good. Two is really good.
00:43:39.58\00:43:42.08
But three is the ultimate.
00:43:42.11\00:43:43.78
So get three cans of Fix-A-Flat.
00:43:44.26\00:43:46.54
Well, she got the
three cans of Fix-A-Flat.
00:43:46.57\00:43:48.34
And when she came back,
I said, "Thank you, Lord.
00:43:48.35\00:43:50.27
I only have but so much
air left in this canister.
00:43:50.30\00:43:52.95
I'm going to hold that until
I fix the tires with Fix-A-Flat.
00:43:52.98\00:43:56.10
Then pump it up and take it to
the gas station to get it fixed.
00:43:56.13\00:44:00.30
But as fast as I pumped the
Fix-A-Flat in, it bubbled out.
00:44:03.54\00:44:08.89
You know why?
Because the holes were big.
00:44:09.42\00:44:11.86
New tires, expensive
tires. Had good tread.
00:44:14.25\00:44:18.82
But no matter how good
they looked on the outside,
00:44:19.02\00:44:21.48
the holes were big.
00:44:21.87\00:44:23.19
And until the holes were
closed up, there was no way
00:44:23.22\00:44:27.07
to fill it up.
00:44:27.10\00:44:28.14
Until the holes were closed up,
there was no way to fill it up.
00:44:28.66\00:44:33.16
Before God fills us up,
He's got to close us up.
00:44:33.35\00:44:37.56
There are lots of holes that
exist today in our walk with God
00:44:37.59\00:44:40.71
that has to be closed up.
00:44:40.74\00:44:42.18
God has to close up the hole
of compromise, and lack of love,
00:44:42.21\00:44:45.72
and division, and
worldliness, and competition.
00:44:45.75\00:44:48.68
God has to seal up the holes
of envy and jealousy and lust
00:44:48.71\00:44:53.27
and backbiting.
00:44:53.30\00:44:54.45
And when God seals us
up, then God can fill us up.
00:44:54.48\00:44:58.87
Ephesians 4 and
verse 30 says it this way.
00:44:59.98\00:45:02.57
Ephesians 4 and
verse 30 says it this way.
00:45:03.11\00:45:07.31
"And grieve not the Holy Spirit
of God, whereby ye are sealed
00:45:08.46\00:45:14.00
unto the day of redemption."
00:45:14.03\00:45:16.13
Well, you know what happened?
00:45:16.33\00:45:17.31
I need to end the
story about the tires.
00:45:17.32\00:45:19.34
I eventually made it
down to the gas station.
00:45:20.41\00:45:23.16
And when I got there
I was just, you know,
00:45:23.46\00:45:25.42
it was like bubbling tires.
00:45:25.43\00:45:26.90
You know that sound of
tires when they're almost flat.
00:45:26.91\00:45:29.11
I had just got there,
and as soon as I pulled in
00:45:29.14\00:45:31.97
I heard this sound, ssshhhh.
00:45:32.00\00:45:35.55
Flat as a pancake.
00:45:36.03\00:45:38.36
But the good news was, I took
it to where it could get fixed.
00:45:39.47\00:45:44.69
Here's my point.
00:45:46.49\00:45:47.79
If you bring people
who's lives are flat
00:45:48.54\00:45:51.59
to the place where
their lives can get fixed,
00:45:51.62\00:45:54.42
God can do the job.
00:45:54.45\00:45:56.11
God established the church
as a place to fix all those
00:45:56.14\00:46:00.10
lives that are flat.
00:46:00.12\00:46:01.12
What do you say?
00:46:01.13\00:46:02.19
You've got to bring them to the
place where they can get fixed.
00:46:02.45\00:46:04.53
You've got to bring
them to the altar of Christ.
00:46:04.54\00:46:06.33
You've got to Jesus.
00:46:06.36\00:46:08.17
The only place
where they can get fixed.
00:46:08.20\00:46:09.88
And the beautiful
story of it is, the next day
00:46:09.91\00:46:11.75
I went to get the tire.
00:46:11.78\00:46:12.85
And you know what?
00:46:12.86\00:46:13.88
After the tires were
fixed and filled up with air,
00:46:14.80\00:46:17.52
they looked like
they were never ever flat.
00:46:17.55\00:46:19.79
That's how completely
God can fix our lives.
00:46:19.80\00:46:22.94
When God fixes us up,
closes up all the openings
00:46:23.44\00:46:26.88
in our lives that
causes the life to seep out,
00:46:26.91\00:46:29.78
and then He fills us
up, we can appear as though
00:46:30.08\00:46:32.42
we never had a
problem in our lives.
00:46:32.43\00:46:35.90
"If any man be in
Christ, he is a new creation.
00:46:36.70\00:46:39.52
Old things have
passed away; behold..."
00:46:39.55\00:46:41.60
How many things?
00:46:41.63\00:46:42.63
"...all things become new."
00:46:42.66\00:46:44.56
God can fill us up,
but God has to seal us up.
00:46:44.59\00:46:48.41
And close us up.
00:46:48.83\00:46:50.30
That's why verse 10
is so vitally important.
00:46:50.33\00:46:52.45
Look at it with
me very carefully.
00:46:52.48\00:46:54.01
Verse 10, notice
what the Bible says.
00:46:54.94\00:46:58.09
Ezekiel 37 and verse 10.
00:46:58.37\00:47:01.31
Ezekiel said, "So I
prophesied as He commanded me,
00:47:04.11\00:47:07.21
and breath came into them."
00:47:07.24\00:47:09.57
"And breath came into them."
00:47:10.00\00:47:11.78
That's the Holy
Spirit came into them.
00:47:11.81\00:47:13.61
"...and they lived..."
00:47:13.64\00:47:14.65
Without the Holy
Spirit, the church has a form
00:47:14.68\00:47:18.09
but it's not alive.
00:47:18.12\00:47:19.28
We've got to
pray every day for the
00:47:19.31\00:47:20.95
infilling of God's Holy Spirit.
00:47:20.96\00:47:22.30
What do you say to that?
00:47:22.32\00:47:23.30
Every day we need the
infilling of God's Holy Spirit.
00:47:23.61\00:47:30.41
"...breath came into
them and they lived..."
00:47:31.80\00:47:33.92
And notice what happened.
00:47:35.27\00:47:36.55
Until the Spirit of
God comes in, they cannot
00:47:36.58\00:47:39.98
stand up on their feet.
00:47:40.21\00:47:42.24
I need to say this.
00:47:46.82\00:47:48.03
That may be the reason why
there is so much sitting down
00:47:48.43\00:47:51.36
rather than standing up.
00:47:51.96\00:47:53.46
If the Spirit of God were...
00:47:54.30\00:47:55.97
If people would pray for
the Spirit of God to fill them,
00:47:56.00\00:47:59.93
there would be more
people carrying the gospel
00:48:00.35\00:48:03.19
than just
listening to the gospel.
00:48:03.22\00:48:05.04
We were driving
down here in San Juan.
00:48:07.30\00:48:09.78
Or in Mayaguez
or in Bella Vista.
00:48:10.51\00:48:12.90
Wherever we are.
00:48:12.93\00:48:13.96
Puerto Rico.
00:48:14.08\00:48:15.09
Let's leave it there.
00:48:15.11\00:48:16.17
And there was a young
man with a backpack on.
00:48:16.26\00:48:18.98
And he had a whole
stack of cards in his hand.
00:48:19.53\00:48:23.76
And he would tap one card
and pass it out to the car
00:48:25.03\00:48:28.32
at the intersection.
00:48:28.35\00:48:29.68
When the light turned
red, he ran into the street,
00:48:29.71\00:48:32.08
tapped his card,
and passed to this car,
00:48:32.11\00:48:33.90
passed it to that car, passed
it to this car and that car.
00:48:33.93\00:48:37.18
He was passing out
all these little things.
00:48:37.19\00:48:38.92
And I looked at
what he was passing out.
00:48:38.95\00:48:40.33
I didn't ask for one.
00:48:40.34\00:48:41.34
I looked at what
he was passing out.
00:48:41.36\00:48:42.48
You know what
he was passing out?
00:48:42.51\00:48:43.51
He was passing out information
for people to party and gamble.
00:48:43.66\00:48:47.84
And I thought to
myself, what if...
00:48:48.52\00:48:51.11
Just think about this.
00:48:51.31\00:48:52.39
What if God's people
were so convinced that we had
00:48:52.42\00:48:57.09
the message that we would be
the one's at the traffic light
00:48:57.12\00:49:01.12
with our backpacks
filled with the gospel of God
00:49:01.59\00:49:05.25
passing it out to cars when
they come to the stop light?
00:49:05.28\00:49:07.91
What if God's church came to
the place where they accepted
00:49:07.94\00:49:11.40
the fact that God
has given us a message
00:49:11.43\00:49:13.86
just like He gave to Israel?
00:49:13.89\00:49:15.79
I believe there would be
more people on the street
00:49:16.34\00:49:18.03
than there are today.
00:49:18.06\00:49:19.36
I believe there would be people
in the mall passing out tracts,
00:49:19.77\00:49:22.39
people at the stop
lights passing out tracts,
00:49:22.42\00:49:24.82
people, when you
walk the streets,
00:49:24.85\00:49:26.56
giving something into our hands.
00:49:26.66\00:49:28.13
Because you know what, brethren,
even if you can't preach a
00:49:28.14\00:49:30.48
sermon,
everybody can go like this.
00:49:30.51\00:49:32.51
Amen?
00:49:34.03\00:49:35.16
Everybody can pass out a tract.
00:49:35.19\00:49:37.02
But notice what happened here.
00:49:38.22\00:49:39.38
Until the Spirit of God came
into them, they couldn't live
00:49:39.41\00:49:43.28
and they could not
stand up on their feet.
00:49:43.31\00:49:46.09
And what God needs today is
people that are less concerned
00:49:46.12\00:49:50.96
with sitting down and more
concerned with standing up.
00:49:51.61\00:49:55.48
As one preacher once
said, and I hope I get it right,
00:49:55.51\00:49:57.69
he says, "We ought
to get out of our seat
00:49:57.72\00:50:00.65
and hit the street
with the gospel beat."
00:50:00.68\00:50:03.47
Amen.
00:50:03.48\00:50:04.61
Walking for the Lord.
00:50:04.64\00:50:06.37
Walking with the Lord.
00:50:06.40\00:50:08.04
Giving out the truth
while people are still
00:50:08.07\00:50:10.13
open to accept what
is available to them.
00:50:10.16\00:50:14.47
But notice how the verse ended.
00:50:16.40\00:50:17.99
I'll read the
verse one more time.
00:50:18.96\00:50:20.52
"So I prophesied as He commanded
me, and breath came into them,
00:50:20.92\00:50:26.42
and they lived, and
stood upon their feet,
00:50:26.45\00:50:30.05
an exceedingly great army."
00:50:30.08\00:50:33.29
Here's the point
that I got out of that.
00:50:33.32\00:50:34.85
Until the church of God
is standing on its feet,
00:50:34.88\00:50:37.81
Satan will not be
afraid of this church.
00:50:37.84\00:50:40.57
Did you know
that we are in a war?
00:50:40.60\00:50:42.22
The Bible says, the dragon
went to make war with those who
00:50:43.57\00:50:48.50
keep the
commandments of God and have the
00:50:48.53\00:50:50.19
testimony of Jesus Christ.
00:50:50.22\00:50:51.41
We are in a war.
00:50:51.44\00:50:52.81
The only way that we can
be an exceedingly great army
00:50:52.84\00:50:55.28
is if we allow the
Spirit of God to come into us
00:50:55.31\00:50:57.74
and we get on our feet and hit
the street with the gospel beat
00:50:57.77\00:51:02.19
and share the word of God
while we have the opportunity.
00:51:02.20\00:51:05.25
We are in a war.
00:51:05.27\00:51:06.27
And what is our weapon?
00:51:06.30\00:51:07.42
The weapon is the Word of God.
00:51:07.45\00:51:08.78
We've got to put on
the whole armor of God.
00:51:09.14\00:51:10.62
And when we've done
that, we have to still pray.
00:51:10.65\00:51:12.44
We are in a war.
00:51:12.47\00:51:13.59
But the devil is never afraid
of a church that's content with
00:51:13.97\00:51:17.07
sitting down while everybody
else is out there on the street,
00:51:17.10\00:51:20.80
while everybody else in
the world is passing out things
00:51:21.43\00:51:23.31
that do not
pertain to eternal life.
00:51:23.34\00:51:25.15
The Lord wants to fill us
up and get us to stand up.
00:51:25.86\00:51:29.75
And then we can become
an exceedingly great army.
00:51:29.78\00:51:33.38
And until He fills us
up with the right thing,
00:51:33.41\00:51:36.50
we can never
make our destination.
00:51:36.81\00:51:38.96
A few years ago my wife and I
and family were down in Jamaica.
00:51:39.56\00:51:42.63
And I had a chance to speak
in Montego Bay on one weekend
00:51:43.27\00:51:47.51
and then in Kingston
on the other weekend.
00:51:47.52\00:51:50.39
And I was brave
enough to drive in Jamaica.
00:51:50.74\00:51:56.37
They drive on the opposite side
00:51:56.86\00:51:58.76
with the opposite
side steering wheel.
00:51:58.79\00:52:01.57
And to make it even
worse, the stick shift
00:52:02.52\00:52:05.38
was on the other side.
00:52:05.41\00:52:06.83
So I was sitting on this side,
steering wheel on this side,
00:52:07.15\00:52:10.67
stick shift on this side,
driving through the mountains
00:52:10.70\00:52:14.10
of Jamaica.
00:52:14.13\00:52:15.70
Made it all the way
through treacherous roads.
00:52:17.30\00:52:20.74
That's a hard
word, treacherous roads.
00:52:20.77\00:52:22.85
And on the last
Saturday night we were there,
00:52:23.53\00:52:26.17
I had a concert in Kingston
at the Andrews Memorial Church.
00:52:26.20\00:52:30.85
And my brother-in-law
had to be at the airport
00:52:31.05\00:52:34.16
the very next morning
very, very early; 5 o'clock.
00:52:34.19\00:52:37.46
And here it was getting close
to midnight and we were on the
00:52:37.49\00:52:40.49
other side, we were on
the southeast of Jamaica,
00:52:40.50\00:52:48.00
and we had to drive to the
northwest of Jamaica by morning
00:52:48.03\00:52:51.99
within five hours.
00:52:52.02\00:52:53.83
And they said to us,
"Now you may barely make it
00:52:54.78\00:52:58.42
if you leave at midnight."
00:52:58.45\00:52:59.98
Because we had to go through
treacherous mountain roads
00:53:00.36\00:53:03.33
in Jamaica with
an American driver.
00:53:03.36\00:53:06.73
We got to the gas station
and I said to the lady at the
00:53:09.08\00:53:12.92
gas station, "Now when you
fill it up, don't put diesel.
00:53:12.95\00:53:17.24
Put regular fuel."
00:53:17.27\00:53:19.04
And she said to me, "Okay."
00:53:19.23\00:53:21.47
I said, "Don't forget.
Regular fuel, not diesel."
00:53:22.23\00:53:24.61
She said, "Okay."
00:53:24.64\00:53:26.02
"Don't forget,
regular." "Okay, okay."
00:53:27.66\00:53:29.90
So she looked a little irritated
but I wanted to make sure
00:53:29.93\00:53:31.66
she put regular fuel.
00:53:31.69\00:53:32.84
And she filled
it all the way up.
00:53:32.87\00:53:35.54
And my brother-in-law, who had
to make the airport, he said,
00:53:37.93\00:53:39.96
"You know what, let me drive.
00:53:39.98\00:53:40.98
Because I'm the one who
has to get there at 5 o'clock.
00:53:41.01\00:53:42.71
I'm going to drive faster than
you would because if I don't
00:53:42.74\00:53:45.17
get there, I'm
going to miss my plane."
00:53:45.20\00:53:46.69
So he got into
the driver's seat.
00:53:46.72\00:53:48.39
The car is all
filled up with fuel.
00:53:49.22\00:53:52.27
He turned the key and we
only drove about 10 feet.
00:53:55.59\00:53:59.06
And the car began
to putter and smoke.
00:53:59.67\00:54:02.33
Black smoke was
coming everywhere.
00:54:02.54\00:54:04.21
And before we even made
it out of the gas station,
00:54:04.24\00:54:06.40
the vehicle died and just
coasted right into the street.
00:54:06.43\00:54:09.96
And you know what happened?
00:54:09.99\00:54:10.99
Then we discovered that
she filled that vehicle up
00:54:11.08\00:54:14.80
with diesel
instead of regular fuel.
00:54:15.22\00:54:17.44
And we went back and
said, "Now did you put in
00:54:17.71\00:54:19.34
regular gas or diesel?"
00:54:19.37\00:54:21.05
She said, "I put
in regular fuel."
00:54:21.08\00:54:22.91
I said, "I don't think so."
00:54:24.27\00:54:25.61
Here's my point.
00:54:25.62\00:54:26.63
If the right thing is on
the inside, we'll get the
00:54:26.94\00:54:29.27
right results on the outside.
00:54:29.30\00:54:30.50
What do you say?
00:54:30.51\00:54:31.51
The reason why we don't get
right results on the outside
00:54:32.01\00:54:34.24
is because the right
thing is not on the inside.
00:54:34.27\00:54:35.89
We've got to hunger and
thirst to be filled with
00:54:36.17\00:54:38.79
the righteousness of Christ.
00:54:38.80\00:54:40.47
If it fills us on the inside,
we'll have the right results
00:54:40.50\00:54:43.92
on the outside.
00:54:43.95\00:54:45.76
Well, the gas
station attendant said to us,
00:54:46.79\00:54:50.58
"Don't even touch
the key. Don't even move.
00:54:50.59\00:54:52.74
Don't even try
to start it again.
00:54:52.77\00:54:54.16
Because if you do, you
can mess up the carburetor
00:54:54.19\00:54:56.55
and the fuel lines.
00:54:56.58\00:54:57.82
And it will take us, we may
not be able to get that fixed."
00:54:57.85\00:55:00.09
And the other problem
was, the car rental company was
00:55:00.12\00:55:02.45
five hours away
on the other side.
00:55:02.48\00:55:03.86
And here we are stuck.
00:55:03.89\00:55:05.21
What do you do?
00:55:07.20\00:55:08.20
Well, I'll tell you
what Jesus would do.
00:55:09.29\00:55:11.10
He'd do what they did.
00:55:11.11\00:55:12.35
They said, "Don't even move."
00:55:12.84\00:55:14.01
So they pushed the car
back to the gas station.
00:55:14.04\00:55:16.42
They hoisted the
car up with their jacks.
00:55:18.11\00:55:23.61
And street mechanics
came with all their tools.
00:55:24.42\00:55:29.13
Took out all the gas
things, took the seats out.
00:55:29.16\00:55:31.94
Took the gas tank out.
00:55:31.97\00:55:33.15
And they stayed there
for two hours emptying fuel
00:55:33.16\00:55:38.08
out of that tank.
00:55:38.11\00:55:39.25
Two hours.
00:55:39.58\00:55:40.83
The gas station attendant
was so upset he was about to
00:55:41.40\00:55:43.38
fire the young lady
that had filled the car up.
00:55:43.41\00:55:46.20
They were going to
fire her that night, but we
00:55:46.23\00:55:47.87
pleaded for her case.
00:55:47.90\00:55:49.06
And we said, "It was a mistake.
00:55:49.09\00:55:51.21
Give her back her
job or give her a job.
00:55:51.22\00:55:53.56
Don't fire her."
00:55:53.59\00:55:54.58
The good news was, two
hours and fifteen minutes later
00:55:55.00\00:55:58.28
they filled us up.
00:55:58.30\00:55:59.30
Which meant we only had three
hours and forty-five minutes
00:55:59.31\00:56:01.53
to get to the airport.
00:56:01.56\00:56:02.56
Well I must say, my
brother-in-law, who's Jamaican,
00:56:04.82\00:56:07.54
drove like a Jamaican.
00:56:08.03\00:56:09.65
All through those mountains of
Jamaica, he got to that airport
00:56:10.63\00:56:13.66
in the time that he
needed to get there.
00:56:13.67\00:56:16.13
And you know how he made it?
00:56:16.16\00:56:17.36
Because the right
thing was on the inside.
00:56:17.39\00:56:19.39
What do you say tonight?
00:56:19.42\00:56:20.56
God doesn't want a church that
just looks like it has all the
00:56:20.73\00:56:23.56
right things on the outside.
00:56:23.59\00:56:24.77
God wants a church with all
the right things on the inside.
00:56:24.80\00:56:28.19
He wants to fill us
before the first resurrection
00:56:28.56\00:56:31.73
and before the
second resurrection.
00:56:31.76\00:56:33.66
The real resurrection is
the resurrection that the Lord
00:56:33.67\00:56:36.74
wants to take place in
our lives before He comes.
00:56:36.77\00:56:41.02
He says, "Awake, you who
sleep, arise from the dead,
00:56:41.53\00:56:45.75
and Christ will give you light."
00:56:45.78\00:56:48.88
Tonight, the Lord
wants to give you light.
00:56:48.91\00:56:51.94
Tonight, the Lord wants
to restore your relationship
00:56:51.97\00:56:54.60
and bring you to a
spiritual resurrection.
00:56:54.63\00:56:57.16
Tonight, the Lord
wants to give you a rebirth.
00:56:57.19\00:56:59.84
He wants to give you
reformation and revival.
00:56:59.99\00:57:03.01
He can do it if
you desire His Word,
00:57:03.27\00:57:05.94
if you desire to receive
those things that pertain to
00:57:06.93\00:57:10.19
God's plan of salvation.
00:57:10.22\00:57:11.78
He can do it if you have
your life emptied of the things
00:57:11.81\00:57:14.81
that are filling you now
and filled with the things
00:57:14.84\00:57:18.48
that will give you eternal life.
00:57:19.29\00:57:20.79
Tonight, friends,
thirst after righteousness,
00:57:20.82\00:57:24.14
hunger after righteousness,
00:57:24.17\00:57:26.65
and Jesus promises
you shall be filled.
00:57:26.68\00:57:31.38