Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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His Character
Counts with Hiram Rester.
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Hello and welcome to
Anchors Of Truth right here
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at the 3ABN worship facility.
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Thank you for joining us
as you do each and every day
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from around the world.
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Thank you for your love and your
prayers and financial support
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of 3ABN, as we endeavor
to take this great undiluted
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three angels
messages into all the world.
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For those if you who
have been watching, you know
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our pastor and evangelist,
Brother Hiram Rester.
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And we're so thankful
that he could be here.
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But today we have
something special.
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He doesn't know this is planned.
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I'm going to ask you at
home and those in the audience,
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I want you to
sing a special song.
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But I want Pastor John, if you
are over here, I'd like you to
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bring out Pastor Hiram.
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And Dr. Yvonne
Lewis, if you're over here,
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I want you to come on out.
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And we've got something special.
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Now you follow after me, okay?
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Happy birthday to
you, happy birthday to you.
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Happy birthday dear pastor.
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Happy birthday to you.
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Alright now, you
want to tell us how many,
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or is that just a guess
thing we're going to do?
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No.
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Okay well listen, it could
be worse, because Dr. Lewis
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is having her
birthday tomorrow and I said,
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"Hey, you guys are
about the same age."
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Or something like that.
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And he laughed, and she
said, "Why did you laugh?"
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And he said, "Because I thought
you were only 29," or something.
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He got out of it, anyway.
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You know how you do.
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Thank you, pastor. God bless.
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Dr Lewis, while you're
here, we appreciate you.
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Those of you who know Yvonne
Lewis, she's the manager of
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our Dare To Dream network
that's reaching the inner cities
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around America
and around the world.
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We appreciate so
much what you're doing
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and we appreciate your music.
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And what are you
singing for us today?
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In Christ Alone.
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Alright, love it. Thank you.
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In Christ alone
my hope is found;
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He is my light,
my strength, my song.
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This Cornerstone,
this solid ground;
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firm through the
fiercest drought and storm.
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What heights of
love, what depths of peace;
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when fears are
stilled and strivings cease.
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My Comforter, my All in All;
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here in the love
of Christ I stand.
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In Christ alone
who took on flesh;
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fullness of God
in a helpless Babe.
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This gift of love
and righteousness;
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scorned by the
ones He came to save.
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Still, on that
cross as Jesus died,
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the wrath of God was satisfied.
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For every sin on Him was laid;
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here in the
death of Christ I live.
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There in the
ground His body lay;
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light of the
world by darkness slain.
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Then bursting
forth in glorious day;
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up from the grave He rose again.
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And as He stands in victory;
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sin's curse has
lost its grip on me.
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For I am His and He is mine;
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bought with the
precious blood of Christ.
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No guilt in
life, no fear in death;
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this is the
power of Christ in me.
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From a life's first
cry to final breath;
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Jesus commands my destiny.
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No power in
hell, no scheme of man,
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can ever pluck me from His hand.
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Till He returns to take me home,
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here in the power
of Christ I stand.
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No power of
hell, no scheme of man,
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can ever pluck me from His hand.
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Here in the power of Christ
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I stand.
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Amen, thank you Dr.
Lewis. What a blessing.
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In Christ alone.
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What a powerful thought for us
today as we get into the Word.
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I would like to invite you
to open your Bibles to the book
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of Matthew chapter 26, as
we get into our message today
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in the series,
His Character Counts.
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The message title for this topic
is, The Crowd At The Cross.
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The Crowd At The Cross.
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Would you seek the
Lord with me once again
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in prayer as we get
into our message here today.
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Let us pray.
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Loving Father, we come
before You thanking You
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for Your mercy, Your
grace, and Your love.
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Lord, we thank You that
with chords of loving kindness,
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that You draw us.
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And that Your goodness
leads us to repentance.
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Lord, as we think of how good
You are to us and to everyone,
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those of us who do not
deserve it, for none of us do,
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Lord help us to be changed from
the inside out, and in gratitude
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be drawn to You because of the
beauty of Your loving character,
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and choose to serve You
here and now, and forever.
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In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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Matthew chapter 26, as we begin
for our message here today,
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The Crowd At The Cross.
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There was a church
that kept the Sabbath,
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paid their tithe,
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and crucified their Savior.
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There was a leader in
a position of judgment
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that said, "This is a just man.
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I find no fault in Him.
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Take Him and crucify Him."
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And there were soldiers who
put a crown upon a man's head,
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a kingly robe on His back,
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a supposed scepter in His hand,
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and then nailed
that hand to a cross.
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The cross of Christ.
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Where God showed His
best and man showed his worst.
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The sinful character of man is
most clearly seen at the cross.
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The selfish hateful
character of Satan is also most
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clearly seen there that day.
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But the others-centered
selfless love of a Savior
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who would die for His enemies,
each and every one of them,
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that would put those
that hate Him above Himself,
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is seen there that day too.
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Oh what love is this, that we're
drawn to such a loving God.
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Oh my soul, oh my
soul, what love is this.
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My friends, His
character counts.
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At the cross, we see a group
of perhaps thousands crying,
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"Crucify Him."
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But we hear a Savior
on the cross responding,
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"Father, forgive them."
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There was a church
that kept the Sabbath,
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paid their tithe,
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and crucified their Savior.
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Matthew 26 and verse
59, we read here, it says,
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"Now the chief priests, and
elders, and all the council,
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sought false witness against
Jesus, to put Him to death;
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but found none.
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Yea, though many false witnesses
came, yet found they none.
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At the last came two
false witnesses and said,
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'This fellow said, "I am able
to destroy the temple of God,
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and to build it in three days."'
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And the high priest
arose and said unto Him,
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'Answerest thou nothing?
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What is it which
these witness against thee?'
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But Jesus held His peace.
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And the high priest answered and
said unto Him, 'I adjure thee
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by the living God, that
thou tell us whether thou be
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the Christ, the Son of God.'"
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There was a church
that kept the Sabbath,
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paid a faithful tithe,
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and crucified their Savior.
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They were all
about keeping the law
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while they tried to get rid
of the One who gave the law.
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You see, they hated Jesus in
part because He had new ideas
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about old teachings.
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They weren't really new
ideas, but to them they were.
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They were ancient
perfect principles
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about who God
was at His very core.
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But because they
pictured God differently,
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and their distorted view;
they had been deceived, you see.
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Satan is constantly
trying to have his attributes
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projected on the
people's picture of what God is.
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And as they view
God as hard and stern,
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and while they would claim
He was loving, yet unloving
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at the same time, they
began to become the way
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they thought God was.
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And with those false
wrong ideas of who God was,
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they then are not ready to
accept the God-man Himself.
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He was radically different.
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Jesus was the most
radical teacher that the
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world has ever seen.
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And they rose up against Him.
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And they crucified
the Redeemer for religion.
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The Christ for their cause.
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He showed them love and
they had only hate to give.
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Those who lived, it
would seem, to keep the law
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killed the One who gave the law.
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They did not realize
that at the heart of it all
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is love to God
and love to others.
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In fact, they thought
the law was more important,
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their outward conformity
to it, their false view of it,
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than how you
relate to other people.
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But, my friends, you
can't separate the two
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scripturally speaking.
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Because how you treat other
people is the root of the law,
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the undergirding
of the truth in love.
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"Love thy neighbor as thyself."
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The leaders, the priests,
the ones who sacrificed lambs
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for the people, led the
people toward the sacrifice
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of the Lamb of God.
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They bought Him for
thirty pieces of silver
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as He purchased them
with His own precious blood.
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What a contrast.
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What powerful love is this?
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What is the value of a soul?
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What is the value of your soul?
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We see the loving
character of God brought out,
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and how God relates to the
sinner and how He would have
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come and laid down
His life for just one.
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The value of a soul.
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I've shared with you before.
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When I was 16 years old, I
had a bad automobile accident.
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I went head first through
the windshield of the car.
00:15:32.70\00:15:35.29
147 stitches from here to here.
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Plastic surgery.
00:15:39.32\00:15:40.75
I sometimes joke, I
thought they could have
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done better with that.
00:15:43.98\00:15:45.35
But my mom gave then a
picture of what I looked like
00:15:45.38\00:15:46.99
before the accident instead
of a better looking person.
00:15:47.02\00:15:49.71
And so this is what
I have to work with.
00:15:50.88\00:15:53.24
But as a result of that
accident, not only did it
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become providential in my
family learning more about
00:16:00.21\00:16:03.30
Bible truth, and I've
shared that with you previously,
00:16:03.33\00:16:06.51
but it also
resulted in my dad having to
00:16:06.81\00:16:09.26
buy himself another car.
00:16:09.29\00:16:12.41
It was his car I had wrecked
on the first day of spring break
00:16:12.85\00:16:16.17
when I was 16 years old.
00:16:16.63\00:16:18.43
And it meant I was not
going to get a car of my own
00:16:20.72\00:16:25.25
any time soon.
00:16:25.28\00:16:26.65
Because, you know, we don't just
buy multiple cars as a family.
00:16:26.68\00:16:29.53
We're not loaded, so to speak.
00:16:29.56\00:16:31.79
And so he said, "Son,
I'm going to have to buy
00:16:33.00\00:16:34.56
myself another car.
00:16:34.59\00:16:35.96
So, you know, I was
getting ready to try to help
00:16:35.99\00:16:37.36
you get one, but
no, can't do that now."
00:16:37.39\00:16:39.97
And so he bought
himself another car.
00:16:40.67\00:16:42.63
And then I got a job at
the age of 16 at Piggly Wiggly.
00:16:42.66\00:16:47.07
Actually already had the
job before the car wreck.
00:16:47.10\00:16:49.86
But after mom and dad taking
me to work and picking me up,
00:16:50.39\00:16:54.15
sometimes as late as
ten or eleven at night,
00:16:54.18\00:16:57.25
they started thinking, "You
know, we really need to get him
00:16:57.77\00:17:00.34
a way to get to and from the
grocery store where he works."
00:17:00.37\00:17:03.99
I said, "Dad, I really have
to have something to drive."
00:17:06.13\00:17:10.21
And I saw him look down at
the barn kind of wistfully.
00:17:10.41\00:17:13.51
There was an old Ford truck,
with stuff piled in the back
00:17:13.54\00:17:16.59
of it, that had not run
regular for a long time.
00:17:16.62\00:17:21.20
He said, "Son, we're
just going to have to
00:17:22.37\00:17:23.87
fix up that old Ford for you."
00:17:23.90\00:17:26.67
It was probably old when
my mom drove it back and forth
00:17:27.20\00:17:30.70
to the doctor when
she was pregnant with me.
00:17:30.73\00:17:33.05
To me, at the age of
16, it seemed ancient.
00:17:33.68\00:17:36.71
The floorboards
were rusted and you could
00:17:37.57\00:17:39.59
see the ground beneath.
00:17:39.62\00:17:41.49
In fact, where it sat, a
weed had successfully grown up
00:17:42.11\00:17:45.80
through the
floorboard and into the cab.
00:17:45.83\00:17:48.82
And I'm thinking, "Wow,
this could be a challenge."
00:17:50.83\00:17:54.91
I went down there and began to
work on it and to clean it out.
00:17:55.21\00:17:58.63
And we got a starter put on it.
00:17:58.66\00:18:00.49
Thankfully, you could
buy a rebuilt starter for an
00:18:00.52\00:18:03.59
old Ford 250 at
that time really cheap.
00:18:03.62\00:18:06.63
Because it had a problem
with the flywheel and it would
00:18:06.66\00:18:09.34
eat a starter
about every three months.
00:18:09.37\00:18:11.79
There were many times I parked
it on a hill to pop it into gear
00:18:12.92\00:18:16.51
because the starter was broke.
00:18:16.54\00:18:17.91
I would get it
rolling and put it in second,
00:18:17.94\00:18:20.05
and pop the clutch.
00:18:20.08\00:18:21.45
Vroom, vroom, vroom, you know.
00:18:21.48\00:18:22.85
That was my first vehicle.
00:18:23.63\00:18:25.59
It wouldn't go fast enough to
have the wreck I had in the car.
00:18:25.62\00:18:29.21
And for that, my
parents were thankful.
00:18:29.64\00:18:31.95
I got sheet metal and I put
sheet metal on the floorboards
00:18:32.38\00:18:36.31
so that you couldn't
see the ground beneath you
00:18:36.34\00:18:38.70
as you drove any long.
00:18:38.73\00:18:40.24
And it really
looked hodge podge.
00:18:40.27\00:18:42.81
But as I continued to
work on it, I started thinking,
00:18:43.67\00:18:46.80
"Yea, this is getting nicer."
00:18:46.83\00:18:48.76
It had sheet metal
screwed on the floor.
00:18:48.79\00:18:50.81
But I thought it
was looking good.
00:18:51.37\00:18:52.96
I had worked on
it, I got it fixed up.
00:18:52.99\00:18:55.20
Well, finally the time
came where I was going to have
00:18:56.57\00:19:01.72
potentially, I
thought, some dates.
00:19:02.50\00:19:05.22
You know, take a girl
out to eat or something.
00:19:05.25\00:19:07.86
Go to the mall.
00:19:07.89\00:19:09.52
I realized, as proud
as I was of my truck,
00:19:12.23\00:19:16.18
that the girls were
not the least bit impressed
00:19:16.82\00:19:19.50
with this old pickup.
00:19:20.38\00:19:21.75
So I went back to my dad.
00:19:21.78\00:19:23.15
"Dad, I've got to
get something different.
00:19:23.18\00:19:25.29
I've got to have something
I can take a girl out in."
00:19:25.68\00:19:28.07
And he didn't
really seem to think that
00:19:28.44\00:19:30.62
it was all that urgent.
00:19:30.65\00:19:32.02
And I'm like,
"Dad, surely, come on.
00:19:32.05\00:19:33.81
You're not that old, dad.
00:19:33.84\00:19:35.37
I mean, you know what
I'm dealing with here.
00:19:35.96\00:19:37.97
I mean, you've got
to help me here, pa."
00:19:38.00\00:19:39.76
I'm pleading to my father.
00:19:39.79\00:19:41.54
And he said,
"Okay, you've got a job.
00:19:41.57\00:19:43.68
Here's what we'll do.
00:19:44.38\00:19:45.75
We'll sell that old truck.
00:19:45.78\00:19:47.15
We'll take what you get
from it, we'll put it toward
00:19:47.34\00:19:50.29
another vehicle, and you can get
a little note down at the bank.
00:19:50.32\00:19:53.16
And you can start building
credit and pay off a vehicle.
00:19:53.19\00:19:56.18
So that's what we'll
do. How does that sound?"
00:19:56.21\00:19:58.01
And I said, "Oh, thank you.
00:19:58.04\00:19:59.41
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
00:19:59.44\00:20:00.81
How much do we
sell the truck for?"
00:20:00.84\00:20:02.21
He said, "Well, I don't know.
00:20:03.75\00:20:05.12
Go by the bank, okay, tomorrow
on the way home from school
00:20:05.15\00:20:08.32
and go in and talk to this lady
and tell her that you want her
00:20:08.35\00:20:11.91
to look up the Blue
Book value of the truck.
00:20:11.94\00:20:14.49
And it's a little book, it tells
you what the truck is worth.
00:20:14.52\00:20:17.27
And then that's
what we'll sell it for."
00:20:17.30\00:20:18.85
Okay, so I go by
the bank and I walk in.
00:20:19.94\00:20:22.17
I ask for the lady
he told me to ask for.
00:20:22.20\00:20:24.25
It's a small town, right?
00:20:24.28\00:20:25.65
Most folks know each other.
00:20:25.68\00:20:27.05
And she gets out the
book, she said, "Hiram, I'll be
00:20:27.15\00:20:31.39
glad to look that up for you."
00:20:31.42\00:20:32.79
And she opens up
the book and she said,
00:20:32.82\00:20:34.98
"Okay, it's Ford." "Yea."
00:20:35.01\00:20:36.48
"Okay, what kind?" "250."
00:20:36.51\00:20:38.48
"Okay, what year?"
00:20:38.51\00:20:39.95
And I told her, and she goes...
00:20:40.49\00:20:41.92
"The book doesn't
go back that far."
00:20:44.76\00:20:46.82
I said, "So
what's the truck worth?"
00:20:49.94\00:20:51.50
She said, "Well, I don't know."
00:20:51.53\00:20:52.94
So I go home and I ask my
dad, "What is the truck worth?"
00:20:53.40\00:20:57.18
And he said something that
didn't really seem all that
00:20:58.01\00:21:00.03
profound to me at that time.
00:21:00.06\00:21:02.27
In fact, it was rather
frustrating at that time.
00:21:02.66\00:21:04.67
But the words have stuck
in my memory all this time.
00:21:04.70\00:21:08.79
He said, "Son, it's
worth whatever someone is
00:21:08.99\00:21:12.60
willing to pay you for it."
00:21:12.63\00:21:14.26
That is really
the value of anything.
00:21:16.10\00:21:18.90
Yes or no?
00:21:18.93\00:21:20.30
So how valuable are you?
00:21:20.50\00:21:22.50
How valuable is a lost soul?
00:21:22.53\00:21:24.63
How valuable is the
harlot or the drunkard?
00:21:24.66\00:21:28.43
Or the Pharisee?
00:21:31.02\00:21:32.63
They're worth the price
that someone was willing to pay.
00:21:34.70\00:21:40.72
And while they, the
religious people of that day,
00:21:41.02\00:21:44.77
purchased Jesus for
thirty pieces of silver
00:21:44.80\00:21:48.98
he was paying for them
with His own precious blood.
00:21:49.01\00:21:55.71
Oh my.
00:21:56.54\00:21:58.20
There was a church
that kept the Sabbath,
00:21:58.56\00:22:01.16
paid their tithes,
00:22:01.66\00:22:03.33
and crucified their Savior.
00:22:03.82\00:22:06.47
They wanted a
Messiah to come and free them
00:22:06.90\00:22:10.40
from their hated Romans.
00:22:10.43\00:22:12.25
And when their Messiah
came, they begged the Romans
00:22:12.28\00:22:15.88
to nail Him to a tree.
00:22:15.91\00:22:18.23
Oh my.
00:22:19.17\00:22:21.24
When asked if this
Jesus, the King of kings
00:22:21.27\00:22:26.20
and Lord of lords,
was their King, they said,
00:22:26.23\00:22:28.80
"We have not king but Caesar."
00:22:28.83\00:22:31.66
This is so serious, my friends.
00:22:34.28\00:22:35.93
They had a bad
picture of what God was like.
00:22:35.96\00:22:39.26
And they had become more
and more, through the practice
00:22:41.78\00:22:45.66
of bad religion, what
they thought God was like.
00:22:45.69\00:22:50.52
They had become self
righteous and self centered.
00:22:51.59\00:22:55.83
And they were
critical and stern.
00:22:56.99\00:22:58.91
And the principles of
others-centered love that
00:22:58.94\00:23:02.30
Jesus came to teach were
absolutely foreign to them.
00:23:02.33\00:23:08.26
Oh my.
00:23:09.19\00:23:10.56
This church that kept the
Sabbath, paid their tithes,
00:23:11.22\00:23:14.14
and crucified their Savior.
00:23:14.17\00:23:15.54
There also was a leader
among the crowd at the cross,
00:23:15.57\00:23:20.76
you might say, in a
position of judgment
00:23:20.79\00:23:24.63
who said, "This is a just Man.
00:23:25.29\00:23:27.19
I find no fault in Him.
00:23:28.14\00:23:31.23
Take Him and crucify Him."
00:23:32.09\00:23:33.76
Pilate was in a
very unique position.
00:23:36.54\00:23:39.85
We'll talk about
that in just a moment.
00:23:40.57\00:23:42.11
Matthew 27 verse 17.
00:23:42.14\00:23:44.85
"Therefore when they
were gathered together,
00:23:45.37\00:23:47.36
Pilate said unto them, 'Whom
will ye that I release unto you?
00:23:47.39\00:23:52.99
Barabbas, or Jesus
which is called Christ?'
00:23:53.02\00:23:57.32
For he knew that for
envy they had delivered Him."
00:23:57.78\00:24:01.44
Now, for those of you that
have studied the sanctuary,
00:24:03.04\00:24:05.54
I'm not going to get into
this today, it's just kind of
00:24:05.57\00:24:08.11
a passing thought, but do you
consider that perhaps Barabbas
00:24:08.14\00:24:13.13
being released here has a type
or antitype dealing with the
00:24:13.16\00:24:19.07
scapegoat in the
sanctuary that would be let go;
00:24:19.10\00:24:23.07
one would die and
one would be released?
00:24:23.10\00:24:25.41
Just hang that on a hook in your
mind for study some other time.
00:24:25.44\00:24:28.43
It's not really in
line with our message today.
00:24:28.46\00:24:30.69
But every time I read
over it, I think of that.
00:24:30.72\00:24:32.84
So it just comes out.
00:24:32.87\00:24:34.72
Verse 19, "When he was set
down on the judgment seat..."
00:24:35.73\00:24:39.93
The what seat?
00:24:39.96\00:24:41.33
"...judgment seat, his
wife sent unto him, saying,
00:24:41.40\00:24:43.73
'Have thou nothing to
do with that just man.
00:24:43.76\00:24:45.87
For I have suffered
many things this day in a
00:24:45.90\00:24:48.40
dream because of Him.'"
00:24:48.43\00:24:49.98
Now, Matthew 27 and verse
20, "But the chief priests and
00:24:51.11\00:24:54.82
elders persuaded the..." Who?
00:24:54.85\00:24:58.02
The multitude, the crowd.
00:24:58.62\00:25:00.65
We're talking about
the crowd at the cross.
00:25:00.68\00:25:02.94
"But the chief
priests and elders..."
00:25:03.43\00:25:05.09
This is the church
folks, the church leaders.
00:25:05.12\00:25:07.34
"...persuaded the multitude,"
the crowd, "that they
00:25:07.37\00:25:10.02
should ask
Barabbas, and destroy Jesus."
00:25:10.05\00:25:13.81
Verse 21, "The governor
answered and said unto them,
00:25:14.28\00:25:16.91
'Whether of the twain will
ye that I release unto you?'
00:25:16.94\00:25:20.97
They said, 'Barabbas.'"
00:25:21.00\00:25:23.27
Verse 22, "Pilate saith
unto them, 'What shall I do then
00:25:25.12\00:25:28.23
with Jesus which
is called Christ?'
00:25:28.26\00:25:30.45
They all say unto him,
'Let Him be crucified.'
00:25:30.65\00:25:35.61
And the governor said,
'Why, what evil hath He done?'
00:25:37.15\00:25:40.74
But they cried out the more,
saying, 'Let Him be crucified.'
00:25:41.86\00:25:47.18
When Pilate saw that he could
prevail nothing, but rather
00:25:47.21\00:25:50.34
that a tumult was made, he
took water, and washed his hands
00:25:50.37\00:25:53.52
before the multitude, saying,
'I am innocent of the blood of
00:25:53.55\00:25:56.13
this just
person: see ye to it.'"
00:25:56.16\00:25:58.32
In other words, "Go do it."
00:25:59.04\00:26:00.56
There was a leader in
a position of judgment
00:26:02.36\00:26:04.25
who said, "This is a just man.
00:26:04.70\00:26:06.26
I find no fault in Him.
00:26:07.71\00:26:10.01
Take Him and crucify Him."
00:26:11.36\00:26:12.89
Pilate was in a
very unique position.
00:26:14.00\00:26:16.13
He judged the One
who will judge him.
00:26:17.48\00:26:22.78
He had opportunity
to stand for the right,
00:26:26.42\00:26:32.48
but he willingly chose to
compromise Christ for the crowd.
00:26:32.94\00:26:40.11
He could have been a
leader, instead he became
00:26:41.32\00:26:44.13
one of history's losers.
00:26:44.16\00:26:46.12
He could have exercised courage,
00:26:47.53\00:26:50.47
but instead he
chose to compromise.
00:26:50.77\00:26:54.19
Pilate offered the
crowd Jesus or Barabbas.
00:26:55.54\00:27:00.55
The Master or the murderer?
00:27:02.35\00:27:05.25
He washed his
hands in the water,
00:27:06.52\00:27:09.48
but it did not
cleanse his heart.
00:27:10.98\00:27:13.53
He said it was not on him,
but he was the one responsible.
00:27:16.08\00:27:20.89
And with authority
comes responsibility.
00:27:20.92\00:27:26.21
He said the death of
Jesus was not on his hands,
00:27:27.83\00:27:30.81
but he knew what was right.
00:27:30.84\00:27:33.29
But he
compromised for the crowd.
00:27:33.69\00:27:37.49
He's someone who said
one thing and did another.
00:27:39.47\00:27:43.56
There was a leader who
said, "This is a just man.
00:27:45.06\00:27:48.04
I find no fault in Him.
00:27:48.07\00:27:49.80
Take Him and crucify Him."
00:27:50.32\00:27:52.83
There were soldiers who
put a crown upon a man's head,
00:27:52.86\00:27:57.35
a kingly robe on His
back, a scepter in His hand,
00:27:57.38\00:28:02.09
and then nailed
that hand to a cross.
00:28:02.12\00:28:07.23
They placed a crown upon Jesus,
00:28:10.25\00:28:14.31
but did not make Him their King.
00:28:14.84\00:28:18.62
They adorned Him
in kingly attire,
00:28:19.78\00:28:23.13
but they were only pretending.
00:28:23.16\00:28:26.47
They issued words
of praise to Jesus,
00:28:29.45\00:28:34.07
but they did not
mean what they said.
00:28:35.42\00:28:38.61
These were words of a mockery.
00:28:39.62\00:28:42.88
They knelt before Him as
myriads of holy angels had done
00:28:44.60\00:28:51.42
from eternity past.
00:28:51.45\00:28:53.36
But it was only pretend.
00:28:54.59\00:28:58.13
They pretended to worship Jesus.
00:28:59.83\00:29:05.99
There was a church that kept
the Sabbath, paid their tithes,
00:29:07.01\00:29:10.91
and crucified their Savior.
00:29:10.94\00:29:12.31
There was a leader in
a position of judgment
00:29:12.34\00:29:14.53
who said, "This is a just
man, I find no fault in Him.
00:29:14.56\00:29:17.36
Take Him and crucify Him."
00:29:17.39\00:29:18.90
There were soldiers who
put a crown upon a man's head,
00:29:19.29\00:29:21.61
a kingly robe on His
back, a scepter in His hand,
00:29:21.64\00:29:24.22
and then nailed
that hand to a cross.
00:29:24.25\00:29:26.54
I'm kind of glad
it doesn't end there.
00:29:27.65\00:29:29.23
I'm very glad it
doesn't end there.
00:29:29.26\00:29:30.78
And there was a
Savior, beaten and rejected,
00:29:31.89\00:29:37.04
who died for them all.
00:29:37.24\00:29:40.32
Oh, that's right, my friends.
00:29:41.42\00:29:43.20
Jesus, who left the
heights of heaven above
00:29:44.46\00:29:49.51
and came down from His
glory down to a lowly manger,
00:29:49.54\00:29:56.03
He left the adoration of the
angels for the scorn of mankind.
00:29:56.54\00:30:03.11
From the
incarnation to the cross,
00:30:06.37\00:30:10.82
beyond that, from
creation to revelation,
00:30:11.59\00:30:15.01
we see the care, the compassion,
the love, the goodness,
00:30:15.65\00:30:23.28
the grace and mercy of our
God revealed in Christ Jesus.
00:30:24.61\00:30:31.79
This next part is a universal
principle that was shared
00:30:32.44\00:30:37.19
with me some months back
by my conference president
00:30:37.22\00:30:40.81
in the Iowa-Missouri
Conference; Elder Dean Coridan.
00:30:40.84\00:30:44.21
This is a very
important principle.
00:30:45.56\00:30:47.26
It really got my
attention when I saw it.
00:30:47.29\00:30:49.44
And that is, that relationship,
00:30:50.32\00:30:52.85
relationship almost
always follows commitment.
00:30:53.29\00:30:58.98
But in our society
today, people want relationship
00:30:59.82\00:31:03.77
without... What? Commitment.
00:31:03.80\00:31:06.94
It is shallow, it is weak.
00:31:06.97\00:31:09.14
It's likely not to last because
relationship almost always
00:31:09.17\00:31:14.09
follows commitment.
00:31:14.12\00:31:15.55
You have people shacking up.
00:31:15.85\00:31:17.30
One person starts talking
about getting more serious,
00:31:17.33\00:31:19.92
the other one doesn't like
it; packs their bags, moves out.
00:31:19.95\00:31:22.61
And so it goes.
00:31:23.23\00:31:24.67
But you have in
society arranged marriages
00:31:26.41\00:31:29.77
were the commitment
is 100% solid before
00:31:29.80\00:31:34.73
the relationship begins.
00:31:34.76\00:31:36.26
"We're committed to life.
00:31:36.29\00:31:37.66
Now let's build a
relationship here."
00:31:37.69\00:31:39.10
And there's a lower divorce
rate than in our western culture
00:31:40.72\00:31:44.16
with courtship and marriage.
00:31:45.12\00:31:46.49
Isn't that intriguing.
00:31:46.52\00:31:47.89
Now I kind of tell folks
that my wife, Libby, and I
00:31:48.14\00:31:50.57
had an arranged marriage.
00:31:50.60\00:31:51.99
I'm not really serious
about that when I say it, but
00:31:52.74\00:31:55.04
you know, kind of.
00:31:55.07\00:31:56.51
You see, her dad came
and did evangelistic meetings
00:31:58.00\00:32:00.71
in south Mississippi.
00:32:00.74\00:32:02.12
I was not yet officially
an Adventist Christian yet.
00:32:02.52\00:32:05.62
We were attending the
church doing Bible studies,
00:32:05.65\00:32:07.65
helping build the
church down there.
00:32:07.68\00:32:09.37
It was a new church
building at the time down
00:32:09.47\00:32:12.48
on the coast of Mississippi;
00:32:12.51\00:32:14.44
the Gulf Coast
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:32:14.47\00:32:16.71
And we were helping build it.
00:32:17.23\00:32:18.60
And this evangelist came to town
to do meetings; Steve DeLong.
00:32:18.63\00:32:22.33
He did a great
job with the meetings.
00:32:22.36\00:32:23.92
I sang in his meetings
special music, and helped.
00:32:23.95\00:32:27.19
And they didn't realize
we weren't church members.
00:32:27.22\00:32:29.39
We got down to the end of
the meetings and when we decided
00:32:29.42\00:32:31.73
to get baptized, my
family; my mom and dad,
00:32:31.76\00:32:34.09
my little brother, my
little sister was too young,
00:32:34.12\00:32:36.03
and we all got baptized, they
were surprised to learn that
00:32:36.06\00:32:38.59
we weren't members already.
00:32:38.62\00:32:39.99
Because we were there
for everything, right?
00:32:40.02\00:32:41.61
But in the course of that, I'd
gotten to know this evangelist
00:32:43.52\00:32:46.42
and his wife and
their son, Trent.
00:32:46.45\00:32:48.95
Great people, had a
wonderful time with them.
00:32:48.98\00:32:51.32
And I was learning so much
in the evangelistic meetings,
00:32:51.35\00:32:54.05
the prophecy seminar.
00:32:54.08\00:32:55.68
The dynamic
preaching of the Word of God,
00:32:55.71\00:32:58.12
the three angel's messages.
00:32:58.15\00:32:59.52
And it was changing my life.
00:32:59.55\00:33:00.92
But their daughter,
Libby, was not with them.
00:33:01.75\00:33:04.57
She was away at Weimar
College out in California.
00:33:04.60\00:33:08.37
And near the end of
the meetings, her mom
00:33:09.75\00:33:12.74
showed me, she goes, "You
ought to meet my daughter."
00:33:12.77\00:33:15.26
She started pulling out pictures
of Libby and showing them.
00:33:15.80\00:33:19.58
And I, you know,
I liked what I saw.
00:33:19.61\00:33:21.85
And I thought, "Okay.
This would be alright."
00:33:21.88\00:33:24.58
But, you know, then
the meeting was over
00:33:24.61\00:33:26.30
and these folks left town.
00:33:26.33\00:33:28.93
I didn't know if
I'd ever see them again.
00:33:29.13\00:33:31.12
Come Christmas time...
00:33:31.15\00:33:32.52
This was August, September.
00:33:32.55\00:33:34.64
Christmas time, she
was home from school in
00:33:34.67\00:33:37.81
California to
Tennessee, and they drove down
00:33:37.84\00:33:40.99
to south Mississippi to visit.
00:33:41.02\00:33:43.08
I didn't think that was odd.
00:33:43.56\00:33:45.45
I was, you know, just
coming into the church
00:33:45.48\00:33:48.28
and this was my first...
00:33:48.31\00:33:49.80
Well, I'd been to meetings with
Brian McMahon three years before
00:33:49.83\00:33:53.01
with Amazing Facts and
he did a phenomenal job.
00:33:53.04\00:33:56.77
But I'd just had the
car accident and I was at a
00:33:56.80\00:33:59.21
different place in my life.
00:33:59.24\00:34:00.71
And I left there, it started
me studying, but I left there
00:34:00.74\00:34:04.62
thinking, these
Adventists are good people, but
00:34:04.65\00:34:06.76
they don't eat anything
that taste good and they go to
00:34:06.79\00:34:09.07
church on the wrong day.
00:34:09.10\00:34:10.47
So I had to study for a while.
00:34:10.50\00:34:12.43
And so, finally
they came down to visit.
00:34:13.56\00:34:18.83
They brought Libby with them.
00:34:18.86\00:34:20.28
I didn't realize how
unusual it is for an evangelist,
00:34:20.31\00:34:23.45
on his time off, to go back
and visit with his whole family
00:34:23.48\00:34:28.38
where he had
evangelistic meetings that year.
00:34:28.69\00:34:30.85
After ten and a half
years of evangelism, I know
00:34:30.88\00:34:32.88
how rare it is now.
00:34:32.91\00:34:34.28
It doesn't happen.
00:34:34.31\00:34:35.68
You know, we always love
to go back, but that's not
00:34:36.75\00:34:38.85
your vacation
destination typically.
00:34:38.88\00:34:41.12
Unless you held your
meeting in Hawaii, or something.
00:34:41.15\00:34:43.12
Then, sure.
00:34:43.15\00:34:44.52
But they brought Libby down.
00:34:44.55\00:34:47.41
And I went and I gave
Steve, her dad, a big hug.
00:34:47.44\00:34:50.82
And Sue a big hug, her
mom. And Trent a big hug.
00:34:50.85\00:34:53.25
And then she's standing there,
00:34:53.28\00:34:54.65
so I just hug her
too as I meet her.
00:34:54.68\00:34:56.06
I thought that worked.
00:34:56.09\00:34:57.46
And anyway, we
hit it off that day.
00:34:57.50\00:35:01.99
I didn't know anything
about Adventist courtship and,
00:35:02.56\00:35:06.04
you know, taking
it extremely slow.
00:35:06.07\00:35:09.55
And when he caught me
kissing her on the back porch
00:35:10.26\00:35:12.76
that night, her dad that
is, I think he began to have
00:35:12.79\00:35:18.53
second thoughts about this
arrangement that he had set up.
00:35:18.56\00:35:22.09
But anyway, long
story short, we're married.
00:35:23.97\00:35:27.88
We have three precious kids.
00:35:27.91\00:35:30.22
And if there's ever
any issue with the in-laws,
00:35:31.75\00:35:35.06
I just say, "Hey, you
know, you all brought her down.
00:35:35.09\00:35:37.55
You all introduced her
to me. And here we are."
00:35:37.58\00:35:40.66
So I say we kind of
had an arranged marriage,
00:35:41.24\00:35:43.23
but that's not
really an arranged marriage.
00:35:43.26\00:35:45.26
But commitment and
relationship go together.
00:35:45.57\00:35:48.93
And with those
real arranged marriages,
00:35:48.96\00:35:51.69
they actually have a
lower divorce rate than through
00:35:51.72\00:35:54.80
courtship and marriage today.
00:35:54.83\00:35:56.61
I'm not saying that
I'm advocating that.
00:35:56.64\00:35:58.80
I'm just saying there
is a correlation between
00:35:58.83\00:36:03.33
commitment and relationship.
00:36:03.36\00:36:07.58
Now let's think about
this for just a moment.
00:36:08.12\00:36:10.58
What is the highest
form of human relationship?
00:36:10.61\00:36:14.41
Help me out here.
00:36:16.87\00:36:18.24
Okay, you jumped
right to it. Marriage.
00:36:18.68\00:36:21.34
The spouse, husband
and wife, relationship.
00:36:21.37\00:36:24.20
Highest
relationship under heaven, okay.
00:36:24.23\00:36:27.99
Now that makes sense.
00:36:28.48\00:36:31.27
There needs to be
a high commitment.
00:36:31.30\00:36:33.32
What is the highest
commitment you're going to make
00:36:33.35\00:36:35.96
to anyone on this earth?
00:36:35.99\00:36:38.23
Apart from our
relationship with God, you know,
00:36:40.73\00:36:43.07
"till death do us part."
00:36:43.10\00:36:45.18
Highest relationship,
highest commitment.
00:36:45.94\00:36:49.57
Okay, there's something there.
00:36:49.87\00:36:52.07
Okay, what is the lowest
relationship you're likely
00:36:52.10\00:36:55.89
to have with
anybody here on earth?
00:36:55.92\00:36:57.97
Is it going to be like Danny and
the guy he ran into in Chicago
00:37:00.36\00:37:03.30
that acted like he knew him
for a minute, but really didn't?
00:37:03.33\00:37:05.81
The person you don't know,
is that the lowest relationship?
00:37:06.58\00:37:12.22
What is a lower
relationship than that?
00:37:14.60\00:37:16.82
Stranger? Okay.
00:37:19.13\00:37:20.50
But what's a lower relationship,
00:37:20.53\00:37:21.90
believe it or
not, than a stranger?
00:37:21.93\00:37:23.30
Because you
typically have neutral feelings
00:37:23.33\00:37:24.86
toward a stranger.
00:37:24.89\00:37:26.26
An enemy.
00:37:28.19\00:37:29.56
That would be a
lower relationship.
00:37:29.90\00:37:32.38
Right?
00:37:32.41\00:37:33.78
Now, how did Jesus then relate
to those that were enemies?
00:37:34.40\00:37:40.36
You see, if you want to
change the relationship,
00:37:43.15\00:37:45.87
you raise the commitment.
00:37:47.34\00:37:50.44
Now it's not always going
to work, because love does not
00:37:52.80\00:37:55.13
force and you can't
make people respond.
00:37:55.16\00:37:57.50
And God doesn't either.
00:37:57.53\00:37:58.90
But to those of us who
are in rebellion to God,
00:37:58.93\00:38:02.42
God responds by raising
the bar to the highest level.
00:38:02.45\00:38:08.46
Look with me in
John 15:13, would you.
00:38:08.49\00:38:11.12
John chapter 15 and verse 13.
00:38:11.48\00:38:13.84
It says this, John 15
verse 13, "Greater love..."
00:38:14.04\00:38:18.58
John 15:13, I'll give
you a minute to get there.
00:38:19.08\00:38:21.50
Sorry. John 15 and verse 13.
00:38:21.53\00:38:23.74
"Greater love
hath no man than this;
00:38:23.77\00:38:27.80
that a man lay down
his life for his friends."
00:38:28.35\00:38:32.03
So what's the highest
commitment that you could have?
00:38:32.06\00:38:35.23
Someone giving their life.
00:38:36.33\00:38:38.26
And it says, "Greater
love hath no man than this;
00:38:39.40\00:38:41.97
that someone lay down
their life for a friend."
00:38:42.00\00:38:45.20
But with this thought
in mind, go with me to
00:38:45.40\00:38:46.79
Romans 5, would you.
00:38:46.82\00:38:48.19
Romans chapter 5.
00:38:48.22\00:38:49.59
We look here in
Romans chapter 5 verse 6.
00:38:50.60\00:38:54.62
Romans 5 and verse 6.
00:38:55.05\00:38:56.77
It says, "For when we
were yet without strength,
00:38:57.34\00:39:01.15
in due time Christ
died," the highest commitment,
00:39:01.35\00:39:06.19
"for the..." Who?
00:39:06.22\00:39:08.26
"...ungodly,"
lowest relationship.
00:39:08.85\00:39:11.57
You say, "Really?"
Because, yea, in verse 10.
00:39:11.60\00:39:13.18
We'll get there in a minute.
00:39:13.21\00:39:14.58
It refers to us
that we were considered
00:39:14.61\00:39:17.01
His enemies at that point.
00:39:17.04\00:39:18.51
You say, "What? He
considered us His enemies?"
00:39:20.37\00:39:22.58
My friends, Jesus
loves His enemies as much
00:39:22.61\00:39:26.05
as He does His friends.
00:39:26.08\00:39:27.47
We were enemies because of
the rebellion in our heart,
00:39:29.30\00:39:32.19
not because of His
attitude toward us.
00:39:32.22\00:39:34.41
He died, raised the bar
to the highest commitment,
00:39:37.11\00:39:42.04
for the ungodly; the sinner.
00:39:42.34\00:39:46.61
"For scarcely," verse 7, "for
a righteous man will one die:
00:39:47.92\00:39:52.47
yet peradventure for a good
man some would even dare to die.
00:39:52.93\00:39:56.95
But God commendeth His
love toward us, in that,
00:39:57.49\00:40:00.95
while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us."
00:40:00.98\00:40:09.89
"How much more then, being
now justified by His blood,
00:40:13.56\00:40:18.03
we shall be saved
from wrath through Him.
00:40:18.60\00:40:23.43
For if, when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God
00:40:26.15\00:40:30.83
by the death of His Son,
how much more, being reconciled,
00:40:30.86\00:40:34.64
we shall be saved by His life."
00:40:34.67\00:40:37.49
My friends, His death saves us.
00:40:38.41\00:40:40.36
But, my friends,
His life changes us.
00:40:40.39\00:40:42.92
Have you looked at the way Jesus
related to everyone that He met?
00:40:43.61\00:40:47.71
Now Jesus was no pushover.
00:40:48.06\00:40:49.86
He was very much,
very much, straight.
00:40:50.70\00:40:57.35
Jesus never lowered
His personal standards.
00:40:57.38\00:41:03.44
He never let people run over the
message He was trying to share.
00:41:03.47\00:41:09.21
But He was always loving.
00:41:09.80\00:41:14.18
And even for the
people attacking Him,
00:41:14.21\00:41:17.12
did what was best for them.
00:41:17.15\00:41:20.03
He was seeking to
reach them with the gospel.
00:41:21.85\00:41:26.20
They come at Him.
00:41:26.50\00:41:28.33
And as He hung there
between heaven and earth,
00:41:28.53\00:41:30.80
an old song from the Baptist
church I grew up singing,
00:41:30.90\00:41:33.47
"He could have
called ten thousand angels
00:41:33.50\00:41:36.08
to destroy the
world and set Him free.
00:41:36.11\00:41:38.62
He could have
called ten thousand angels,
00:41:38.65\00:41:40.96
but He died
alone for you and me."
00:41:40.99\00:41:43.77
My friends, they
came at Him to kill Him.
00:41:45.75\00:41:48.07
And no, they didn't kill
Him, He laid down His life.
00:41:48.10\00:41:50.96
But, my friends, they came at
Him as enemies with hostility.
00:41:50.99\00:41:55.53
And what did He do?
00:41:56.10\00:41:57.47
He laid down His life.
00:41:57.50\00:41:59.39
And, my friends, you
read in the Scriptures,
00:42:00.45\00:42:02.55
it didn't change them all.
00:42:02.58\00:42:04.50
But did it change some of them?
00:42:05.16\00:42:07.86
It did.
00:42:09.15\00:42:10.52
He did not exercise power over.
00:42:10.55\00:42:13.04
He did not dominate.
00:42:13.07\00:42:14.56
When He had all the power
of heaven, He washed feet.
00:42:14.59\00:42:18.65
That's the character of my God.
00:42:20.24\00:42:22.44
In fact, look with me, would
you now, in Matthew chapter 5.
00:42:23.31\00:42:27.49
Jesus countered the
lowest relationship, an enemy,
00:42:27.52\00:42:31.37
with the highest commitment.
00:42:31.40\00:42:33.73
He loved His enemies to
the point, He died for them.
00:42:33.76\00:42:38.55
Matthew chapter 5.
00:42:39.60\00:42:40.97
Let's not forget there was a
church that kept the Sabbath,
00:42:41.00\00:42:43.66
that paid their tithe,
and crucified their Savior.
00:42:44.06\00:42:47.01
There was a leader in
a position of judgment
00:42:47.21\00:42:49.48
who said, "This is a just
man, I find no fault in Him.
00:42:50.09\00:42:53.04
Take Him and crucify Him."
00:42:53.07\00:42:54.57
And there were soldiers who
put a crown upon a man's head,
00:42:54.87\00:42:57.47
a kingly robe on His
back, a scepter in His hand,
00:42:57.50\00:43:00.50
and then nailed
that hand to a cross.
00:43:00.53\00:43:04.89
Matthew chapter 5.
00:43:05.70\00:43:07.53
And we see it
here, Matthew chapter 5.
00:43:07.56\00:43:10.38
I want to look in verse 43.
00:43:10.41\00:43:13.15
"Ye have heard
that it hath been said,
00:43:13.46\00:43:15.34
'Thou shalt love thy
neighbor, and hate thine enemy.'
00:43:15.54\00:43:20.54
But I say unto you..." Do what?
00:43:22.14\00:43:25.23
"Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you,
00:43:25.64\00:43:28.91
do good to them that
hate you, and pray for them
00:43:28.94\00:43:32.85
which despitefully use
you and persecute you."
00:43:32.88\00:43:35.55
What?
00:43:35.58\00:43:36.95
This was radical teaching.
00:43:36.98\00:43:38.63
This was a
different way to behave.
00:43:39.43\00:43:43.13
This was a
different way to feel.
00:43:43.16\00:43:45.38
And though Jesus felt
this way to all of those who
00:43:47.69\00:43:50.97
condemned Him, they
certainly did not feel that way
00:43:51.00\00:43:54.39
toward Him, did they.
00:43:54.42\00:43:56.50
But did He respond in kind?
00:43:57.49\00:43:59.61
No.
00:44:00.18\00:44:01.55
And it goes against
every fiber of the carnal man
00:44:02.12\00:44:05.93
to surrender and love,
and pray for and lift up,
00:44:05.96\00:44:11.48
those that are opposed to us.
00:44:12.05\00:44:14.00
Jesus responds and continues
in verse 45, "That ye may be the
00:44:15.65\00:44:19.71
children of your
Father which is..." Where?
00:44:19.74\00:44:22.12
"...in heaven: for He maketh
the sun to rise on the evil and
00:44:22.15\00:44:26.55
on the good, and sendeth rain
on the just and on the unjust."
00:44:26.58\00:44:30.68
It rained last night.
00:44:31.26\00:44:33.42
And here in Franklin
County, there's probably some
00:44:34.28\00:44:38.34
more righteous than others.
00:44:38.37\00:44:40.14
But they all got a
good rain last night.
00:44:41.77\00:44:44.70
God loves everyone.
00:44:46.44\00:44:47.81
He sends the rain on
the just and on the unjust.
00:44:47.84\00:44:50.76
It's not that He's not
treating His children well and
00:44:53.61\00:44:57.59
that He's treating them
the same as His enemies.
00:44:57.62\00:45:00.12
It's that He's treating everyone
well and loving and good.
00:45:00.15\00:45:04.92
And His mercy and
grace is there for everyone.
00:45:04.95\00:45:07.77
Because God is no
respecter of persons.
00:45:07.80\00:45:11.74
The love that
flows forth from God.
00:45:13.39\00:45:15.47
Now Jesus is not just telling
us here how we should be.
00:45:15.50\00:45:18.88
He's telling us
what God is like.
00:45:19.18\00:45:21.50
And that He came to
show us what God is like.
00:45:22.15\00:45:25.41
And He said, "If ye have
seen Me, ye have seen..." Who?
00:45:25.61\00:45:29.72
"...the Father."
00:45:30.43\00:45:31.80
And we see in the life
and ministry of Jesus...
00:45:32.01\00:45:34.42
Oh there are people that
feel like Jesus loves them
00:45:34.45\00:45:36.40
and the Father doesn't.
00:45:36.43\00:45:37.80
The Father is more stern.
00:45:37.83\00:45:39.20
No, my friends.
00:45:39.23\00:45:40.60
They are the same.
00:45:40.63\00:45:42.00
He said, "If ye have seen
Me, ye have seen the Father."
00:45:42.03\00:45:44.61
Satan would have you think
that when you're trapped in sin,
00:45:44.64\00:45:48.16
and when you're down and
out, that God's mad at you.
00:45:48.19\00:45:51.66
But then you see how
Jesus related to people who were
00:45:51.69\00:45:54.46
trapped in sin and
who were down and out.
00:45:54.49\00:45:57.16
And you have to
conclude God does not have that
00:45:57.19\00:46:01.13
attitude toward you,
that negative, down on you,
00:46:01.16\00:46:04.31
mad at you attitude.
00:46:04.34\00:46:06.09
He has compassion.
00:46:06.12\00:46:07.57
He does not have
condemnation for you.
00:46:07.60\00:46:09.83
And He draws you
because of His desperate love.
00:46:09.86\00:46:13.12
And it's His loving
kindness that draws us.
00:46:13.44\00:46:16.20
It's His goodness that
leads us to repentance.
00:46:16.23\00:46:19.08
We read on.
00:46:21.06\00:46:22.43
Verse 46, "For if ye
love them which love you,
00:46:22.51\00:46:25.58
what reward have ye?
00:46:25.61\00:46:27.11
Do not even the
publicans the same?"
00:46:27.14\00:46:29.54
The Jewish leaders
did not like the publicans
00:46:33.20\00:46:35.86
and the tax collectors;
those cooperating with Rome,
00:46:35.89\00:46:39.00
with Rome's
dominion over Israel.
00:46:39.03\00:46:42.10
No, they didn't.
00:46:42.13\00:46:43.50
My friends, I could
say, if you're friends
00:46:43.70\00:46:48.01
and love those
that are your friends...
00:46:48.31\00:46:51.20
So what?
00:46:52.39\00:46:53.84
So do the beer
drinking good old boys.
00:46:55.24\00:46:58.11
And so do the heathens.
00:46:58.70\00:47:00.30
We all like those that like us.
00:47:01.80\00:47:03.88
Right?
00:47:04.72\00:47:06.09
We all show love to our friends.
00:47:06.12\00:47:07.60
We all help our friends.
00:47:07.63\00:47:09.00
But notice, Jesus
continues on in verse 47,
00:47:09.39\00:47:11.65
"And if ye salute
your brethren only,
00:47:11.68\00:47:13.24
what do ye more than others?
00:47:13.27\00:47:14.97
Do not even the
publicans the same?"
00:47:16.57\00:47:19.26
Verse 48, "Be ye therefore
perfect, even as your Father
00:47:20.47\00:47:24.83
which is in heaven is perfect."
00:47:24.86\00:47:26.45
That is a verse that is so
often taken out of context.
00:47:26.48\00:47:29.73
My friends, when it's
saying being perfect here;
00:47:31.34\00:47:33.60
number one, God is the
standard of that perfection.
00:47:33.63\00:47:36.04
Right?
00:47:36.07\00:47:37.44
But notice, it's not a checklist
religion that we tend to
00:47:38.28\00:47:41.08
fall into like
the Pharisees did.
00:47:41.11\00:47:43.32
It is a way we
love God and others.
00:47:44.09\00:47:47.69
You see, I think it is past
time that the context of a verse
00:47:49.73\00:47:55.83
becomes the
commentary for the verse.
00:47:55.86\00:47:58.13
The context is the commentary.
00:47:59.76\00:48:02.56
And what does it say?
00:48:03.02\00:48:04.48
Love your enemies.
00:48:05.08\00:48:06.45
Pray for them that are
against you and opposed to you,
00:48:07.18\00:48:10.16
that despise you, that use you.
00:48:10.19\00:48:12.01
And Jesus is perfect like that.
00:48:13.14\00:48:15.21
The Father is perfect like that.
00:48:15.24\00:48:18.21
And He's perfect
in every other way.
00:48:18.24\00:48:19.88
Don't get me wrong.
00:48:19.91\00:48:21.28
But, my friends,
you can have people...
00:48:21.31\00:48:24.01
Have you ever met them?
00:48:24.63\00:48:26.00
Occasionally, traveling
the world in evangelism,
00:48:26.03\00:48:27.82
I would meet them.
00:48:27.85\00:48:29.22
You've got to be
careful not to be judgmental.
00:48:29.25\00:48:31.23
We don't know
where anybody's heart is.
00:48:31.26\00:48:32.98
But you come across people that
seem to have the outward things
00:48:33.57\00:48:37.89
just right, but they're critical
and fault finding and negative
00:48:37.92\00:48:43.10
towards others.
00:48:43.13\00:48:44.54
They wouldn't eat something
they shouldn't on a bet.
00:48:45.09\00:48:47.36
They wouldn't wear something
they shouldn't on a bet.
00:48:47.39\00:48:50.15
They wouldn't say something
that they shouldn't on a bet.
00:48:51.16\00:48:55.24
But they're just mean and
hateful, and things like that.
00:48:56.79\00:49:01.64
Are they getting
close to being perfect?
00:49:03.14\00:49:05.07
Not if you study what the
Bible says about being perfect.
00:49:07.70\00:49:10.85
The Bible says Jesus
said, "Unless your righteousness
00:49:12.29\00:49:14.96
exceed that of the scribes
and Pharisees, ye shall not
00:49:14.99\00:49:18.20
enter the kingdom of heaven."
00:49:18.82\00:49:20.88
As we look here at the process
that Jesus is displaying,
00:49:21.89\00:49:28.19
this process of
revealing His character,
00:49:28.22\00:49:30.97
of revealing His love to
the world, when the relationship
00:49:31.00\00:49:36.94
was at its lowest,
Jesus was committed.
00:49:36.97\00:49:41.14
He gave the most commitment.
00:49:41.84\00:49:43.91
By the way, do you have
relationships in your life,
00:49:43.94\00:49:46.20
maybe with a
sibling, maybe with a spouse,
00:49:46.61\00:49:49.59
maybe with a
friend, maybe with an enemy,
00:49:49.62\00:49:53.68
that's not where
you want it to be?
00:49:54.14\00:49:56.54
You can't change that
person's heart, my friend,
00:49:57.47\00:49:59.50
but if you want to change that
relationship, and you want it to
00:49:59.53\00:50:02.21
change for the good,
check your commitment.
00:50:02.24\00:50:05.65
Check your commitment.
00:50:06.82\00:50:08.54
There was a church
that kept the Sabbath,
00:50:09.76\00:50:11.74
paid their tithe, and
crucified their Savior.
00:50:11.77\00:50:15.72
There was a leader in
a position of judgment
00:50:16.66\00:50:18.38
who said, "This is a just
man, I find no fault in Him.
00:50:18.41\00:50:22.45
Take Him and crucify Him."
00:50:22.48\00:50:25.69
And there were soldiers that
put a crown on a man's head,
00:50:25.72\00:50:28.03
a kingly robe on His
back, a scepter in His hand,
00:50:28.06\00:50:30.69
and then nailed
that hand to a cross.
00:50:30.72\00:50:33.59
All three groups
were there that day.
00:50:34.18\00:50:36.75
And, my friends, as I read
my Bible, at times in the past,
00:50:38.31\00:50:43.12
I've gotten angry at them.
00:50:43.15\00:50:44.52
I mean, how dare they
treat my King as a criminal.
00:50:44.55\00:50:46.42
How dare they crucify my Christ.
00:50:46.45\00:50:48.54
How dare they
blaspheme Him and mock Him
00:50:48.57\00:50:50.85
and beat Him and kill Him.
00:50:50.88\00:50:52.55
Then one day, the Holy
Spirit impressed upon my heart
00:50:53.86\00:50:56.63
that, "Hiram, you
were the one to blame.
00:50:56.66\00:51:00.79
You were the one
who was there that day."
00:51:00.82\00:51:03.82
Oh, not literally.
00:51:05.21\00:51:06.58
But as if the prophet
Nathan came to King David
00:51:06.61\00:51:10.26
and told him of the unjust deed.
00:51:10.29\00:51:12.46
And then when David got mad...
00:51:12.49\00:51:14.69
See it was a parable
that David was told by Nathan,
00:51:14.72\00:51:17.73
"You're the man.
00:51:17.76\00:51:19.36
I was talking about you."
00:51:20.76\00:51:23.02
You see, I had
been legalistic at times
00:51:23.42\00:51:25.54
and crucified the
Redeemer for religion.
00:51:25.57\00:51:28.81
I'd been a
compromiser in many situations
00:51:29.57\00:51:32.35
and crucified
Christ for the crowd.
00:51:32.38\00:51:35.75
I had knelt before
Him, but how many times
00:51:35.78\00:51:39.77
was I only fulfilling a
religious obligation and
00:51:39.80\00:51:42.70
going through the
motion and was only
00:51:42.73\00:51:44.83
pretending to worship my God?
00:51:44.86\00:51:46.99
I was represented
in the crowd that day.
00:51:50.94\00:51:52.99
And so were you.
00:51:53.02\00:51:54.42
Today, all three groups
are in Christianity at large,
00:51:56.38\00:51:59.20
and in the church in particular.
00:51:59.23\00:52:00.72
And just as all three
groups crucified Christ,
00:52:02.06\00:52:04.91
so all three groups
crucified the Son of God afresh
00:52:05.21\00:52:08.99
and put Him to an open shame.
00:52:09.02\00:52:10.39
A verse in Hebrews.
00:52:10.42\00:52:11.79
First, we consider
those who crucify the
00:52:12.58\00:52:14.86
Redeemer for religion.
00:52:14.89\00:52:16.41
Just like the Pharisees of
old, they get caught up in the
00:52:16.44\00:52:19.16
outward form of religion
and neglect the weightier
00:52:19.19\00:52:21.80
matters of the law of
mercy and judgment and love.
00:52:21.83\00:52:27.85
And judgment was for the
fatherless and for the widow
00:52:27.88\00:52:30.62
and showing love, you see.
00:52:30.65\00:52:32.02
Well, there's nothing
necessarily wrong with
00:52:34.13\00:52:37.20
what they do or do not
do, but their religion becomes
00:52:37.23\00:52:39.84
what they do, not what He did.
00:52:39.87\00:52:41.85
You see, their
religion is just that.
00:52:44.10\00:52:46.33
It's a religion
and not a relationship.
00:52:46.36\00:52:49.37
I've been there before
as well. What about you?
00:52:49.58\00:52:52.21
Second, we see those who
compromise Christ for the crowd.
00:52:52.59\00:52:56.11
They're just the
opposite of the first group.
00:52:56.14\00:52:58.00
And they usually despise
the first group, and vice versa.
00:52:59.05\00:53:01.51
You see, they know what
is right, but they don't take
00:53:01.54\00:53:03.50
a real stand.
00:53:03.53\00:53:04.90
They allow opinion
inside and outside of the church
00:53:04.93\00:53:07.09
to affect the stands
they take instead of standing
00:53:07.12\00:53:09.79
with Christ on the Word.
00:53:09.82\00:53:11.39
When it comes time for
decision, they willingly
00:53:11.59\00:53:13.77
waffle back and forth.
00:53:13.80\00:53:15.82
The compromise
Christ for the crowd.
00:53:16.76\00:53:19.53
They know that movie is
wrong, but everyone else
00:53:20.15\00:53:22.96
else wants to watch it.
00:53:22.99\00:53:24.36
They know it's the
Sabbath of the Lord thy God,
00:53:24.39\00:53:26.88
but everyone else
wants to go out to eat.
00:53:26.91\00:53:28.78
They know that
money is God's tithe,
00:53:28.81\00:53:31.40
but hey, there's a
lot of bills to pay.
00:53:31.43\00:53:33.13
And they follow the
crowd toward the broad gate.
00:53:33.16\00:53:35.96
You say, "You just
said a mouth full there."
00:53:36.53\00:53:38.12
Yes, sir.
00:53:38.15\00:53:39.52
Third, you have those
that, like the soldiers, pretend
00:53:41.05\00:53:43.79
Christ is their King.
00:53:43.82\00:53:45.30
He seems to be King at
church, but not at home.
00:53:45.33\00:53:48.74
He seems to be
King before believers,
00:53:49.33\00:53:51.86
but not at work or school.
00:53:51.89\00:53:53.92
These pretend Christ is
their King, but often times
00:53:55.95\00:54:00.19
they've just fallen in to
pretending to worship the Lord.
00:54:00.22\00:54:05.39
I've been there before as well.
00:54:05.91\00:54:08.21
What about you?
00:54:08.58\00:54:09.95
With group one, Jesus stood
before the group of religious
00:54:10.57\00:54:15.14
leaders, the Sanhedrin,
and He took their accusations
00:54:15.17\00:54:17.98
and their insults and their
mockery, and He loved them.
00:54:18.01\00:54:22.18
He looked at Pilate, as
Pilate let the crowd decide His
00:54:23.97\00:54:28.63
destiny, all that time
committed to die for Him had
00:54:28.66\00:54:35.88
he been the only one.
00:54:35.91\00:54:37.55
The soldiers mocked Him and beat
Him and plucked out His beard,
00:54:40.13\00:54:42.92
and He looked upon them
with compassion in His eyes.
00:54:42.95\00:54:46.21
And we may be legalistic.
00:54:46.65\00:54:49.10
Or we may be compromisers.
00:54:49.50\00:54:51.87
Or we may be pretenders.
00:54:52.10\00:54:54.44
And He loves us,
and He died for us,
00:54:54.74\00:54:57.04
and He has compassion on us.
00:54:57.07\00:54:59.06
Perhaps you're a Sabbath
keeping, tithe paying Christian.
00:55:00.56\00:55:07.82
But down inside, you know
that something is not right.
00:55:08.31\00:55:11.94
And today in your
heart, you want to say,
00:55:12.22\00:55:14.34
"Lord, take my religion
and give me a relationship."
00:55:14.37\00:55:20.28
Perhaps you struggle with
compromise and you make excuse,
00:55:22.12\00:55:28.13
maybe for entertainment, that
stifles your Christian growth.
00:55:28.16\00:55:31.47
Or perhaps that some
friendships, people you
00:55:32.32\00:55:34.96
need to be a witness to,
but they're not the right kind
00:55:34.99\00:55:38.05
of friends and you're
allowing them to pull you down,
00:55:38.08\00:55:40.55
and you need to make
some decisions and perhaps
00:55:40.58\00:55:42.69
pull back some.
00:55:42.72\00:55:44.09
Maybe there's a specific area
in your life of compromise that
00:55:44.47\00:55:48.16
the Holy Spirit is
impressing upon you right now,
00:55:48.19\00:55:51.71
and you know that God
has called you to this moment
00:55:51.74\00:55:54.71
to make a decision.
00:55:54.74\00:55:56.11
And you want to say,
"Lord, take my compromise
00:55:56.85\00:56:00.04
and give me courage."
00:56:00.07\00:56:01.96
Perhaps you're here
going through the motions,
00:56:03.79\00:56:06.28
fulfilling a religious
obligation and you know
00:56:06.31\00:56:11.20
that you're pretending,
but you remember a time
00:56:11.23\00:56:15.86
when your
relationship with God was real
00:56:16.95\00:56:21.80
and you want it back.
00:56:23.09\00:56:25.06
You want it to
be that way again.
00:56:25.46\00:56:28.23
And you want to say,
"Lord, take my pretend faith
00:56:28.51\00:56:32.55
and give me a
persevering faith."
00:56:33.06\00:56:35.87
Perhaps you've never
made Jesus the Lord and Savior
00:56:37.46\00:56:40.06
of your life and you want
to invite Him into your heart
00:56:40.09\00:56:43.70
right now, I
encourage you to do so.
00:56:43.73\00:56:46.02
There was a church
that kept the Sabbath,
00:56:47.25\00:56:50.41
paid their tithe,
00:56:51.35\00:56:52.85
and crucified their Savior.
00:56:53.45\00:56:55.24
There was a leader in
a position of judgment
00:56:56.36\00:56:59.34
who said, "This is a just
man, I find no fault in Him.
00:56:59.74\00:57:04.86
Take Him and crucify Him."
00:57:05.77\00:57:07.53
There were soldiers who
put a crown on a man's head,
00:57:08.91\00:57:12.38
a kingly robe on His
back, a scepter in His hand,
00:57:12.41\00:57:15.73
and then nailed
that hand to a cross.
00:57:15.76\00:57:19.34
And there was a
Savior, beaten and rejected,
00:57:19.69\00:57:23.95
who died for them all.
00:57:23.98\00:57:29.42