Welcome to Anchors Of Truth live
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
00:00:13.00\00:00:17.67
Get Ready, Get Ready, Get
Ready, with Frank Fournier.
00:00:17.70\00:00:21.91
Hello friends, and
welcome once again to the
00:00:22.90\00:00:24.84
3ABN Worship Center
where we have been blessed
00:00:24.87\00:00:27.68
from meeting to meeting
as brother Frank Fournier
00:00:27.71\00:00:31.34
has brought to us a
message with the theme,
00:00:31.37\00:00:33.81
Get Ready, Get Ready, Get Ready.
00:00:33.84\00:00:36.70
But this message
has a different meaning.
00:00:36.90\00:00:39.23
Actually the same theme, but
it's about the universal issue.
00:00:39.44\00:00:43.55
What is the universal
issue that people are going to
00:00:43.58\00:00:46.38
face in the last days?
00:00:46.41\00:00:47.55
I'm sure that when
the message is done,
00:00:47.58\00:00:49.33
you will know unmistakably
what that universal issue is.
00:00:49.63\00:00:52.97
But if you haven't heard
about Frank Fournier before,
00:00:53.20\00:00:55.93
you don't know him, he
is presently the president
00:00:55.96\00:00:58.71
of Eden Valley in Colorado.
00:00:58.74\00:01:00.96
He also is the president
of ASI, which is a worldwide
00:01:01.20\00:01:05.61
organization of
Adventist professionals
00:01:05.64\00:01:07.70
sharing Christ in the workplace.
00:01:07.90\00:01:10.51
I said to him a few days
ago that is was a pleasure to
00:01:10.54\00:01:14.20
have him here at
our 3ABN Worship Center.
00:01:14.23\00:01:16.34
Because every time I'd
see him, he was always busy.
00:01:16.51\00:01:19.99
And quite a busy man he is.
00:01:20.02\00:01:22.04
Not only ministering here
in the United States, but also
00:01:22.07\00:01:24.60
ministering around the world.
00:01:24.80\00:01:26.65
And I believe right after
this series, he's off to Africa.
00:01:26.88\00:01:30.05
So this morning I know your
heart is going to be blessed
00:01:30.25\00:01:32.47
as we expect the Word of
God to go forth with power
00:01:32.50\00:01:35.81
and with strength, and
pray also for the Spirit of God
00:01:35.84\00:01:39.17
to bless your heart.
00:01:39.20\00:01:40.89
Now normally I would
pray, but I'm going to allow
00:01:40.92\00:01:43.77
our brother Frank Fournier
to pray just before his message.
00:01:43.80\00:01:48.23
But this morning, I've
also been asked to sing a song.
00:01:48.43\00:01:51.15
And because we're
living in the last days,
00:01:51.35\00:01:53.52
the Lord encourages
us to search our lives,
00:01:53.94\00:01:57.22
search our hearts, and see what
the issues are in our own lives.
00:01:57.25\00:02:01.74
Jesus is soon to come.
00:02:01.77\00:02:03.56
Let the prayer of
David become our prayer,
00:02:03.77\00:02:06.22
"Search Me, Oh God."
00:02:06.25\00:02:08.29
Search me, O
God, reveal my heart;
00:02:19.77\00:02:25.76
expose my sin that
it may be confessed.
00:02:26.23\00:02:34.48
Search me, oh God,
unveil each thought;
00:02:37.49\00:02:43.08
and leave no
hidden motive unaddressed.
00:02:43.89\00:02:52.57
Uncover every
action born in pride;
00:02:55.11\00:03:03.93
show me the worldly
ways I still embrace.
00:03:03.96\00:03:12.78
May every anxious
thought be brought to light;
00:03:14.51\00:03:23.44
and each unspoken
fear with faith replaced.
00:03:23.47\00:03:32.65
Search me, oh
God, observe my life;
00:03:39.31\00:03:45.26
bring to my mind each
idle word that I speak.
00:03:45.81\00:03:53.64
Search me, oh
God, test my resolve;
00:03:56.88\00:04:03.21
and alert me
where You find it weak.
00:04:03.89\00:04:11.95
Reveal all weakened
walls within my soul;
00:04:14.32\00:04:23.48
show me potential
dangers unforeseen.
00:04:23.51\00:04:33.39
Then clothe my
conscience with Your holiness;
00:04:33.95\00:04:43.03
help me to guard it
well and make it clean.
00:04:43.06\00:04:52.56
Search me, oh God,
that I may walk in peace;
00:04:53.71\00:05:03.64
filled with the joy of
knowing that all is well.
00:05:03.67\00:05:12.95
My heart surrendered
and my conscience clean;
00:05:13.90\00:05:23.88
oh what a joy of
knowing all is well.
00:05:24.14\00:05:31.97
Oh what a joy my tongue
00:05:33.22\00:05:36.61
can scarcely tell.
00:05:36.64\00:05:45.42
Good morning, everyone.
00:06:10.90\00:06:12.34
A blessing to be
here this morning.
00:06:12.97\00:06:14.67
A blessing in my heart.
00:06:14.70\00:06:16.30
I hope that this morning you're
here to receive a blessing.
00:06:16.60\00:06:19.52
I hope also that you're
willing to use your Bibles,
00:06:19.55\00:06:21.89
because this morning
we're going to use our Bibles.
00:06:21.92\00:06:25.18
We'll be talking
about a universal issue.
00:06:25.21\00:06:27.62
Now you may have some
other thing in your mind
00:06:27.65\00:06:29.79
when you think in terms
of other, "universal issue,"
00:06:29.82\00:06:32.60
but we are speaking
about righteousness by faith
00:06:32.80\00:06:35.37
in relation to the
third angel's message.
00:06:35.40\00:06:37.69
And there is one issue that
everyone needs to grapple with.
00:06:37.89\00:06:42.05
There is one issue that
needs to come to your heart
00:06:42.08\00:06:44.43
that we need to
know how to deal with.
00:06:44.46\00:06:46.91
This is what we want to
speak about this morning.
00:06:46.94\00:06:49.09
And so before we get
started, I'm going to ask
00:06:49.29\00:06:52.13
everyone to bow their heads.
00:06:52.16\00:06:53.40
We're going to ask the
Lord to send His Holy Spirit
00:06:53.43\00:06:56.51
to communicate with our hearts.
00:06:56.54\00:06:57.84
This is what we need.
00:06:57.87\00:06:59.03
Heavenly Father,
Lord, we're looking to You.
00:06:59.34\00:07:02.86
You are God.
00:07:03.13\00:07:04.92
You know everyone's need.
00:07:05.16\00:07:07.41
You know our hearts, You know
the situations that we face.
00:07:07.51\00:07:11.77
We are so grateful
that You are there,
00:07:12.20\00:07:14.49
and that in every
difficulty You have Your way
00:07:14.59\00:07:17.41
prepared to bring relief.
00:07:17.44\00:07:19.22
We need relief from sin.
00:07:19.25\00:07:21.57
We need relief from
the thralldom of sin.
00:07:21.60\00:07:24.64
Please come this
morning as I speak.
00:07:24.84\00:07:27.19
I pray that You
would take possession,
00:07:27.22\00:07:28.90
that You would
speak to our hearts,
00:07:28.93\00:07:30.29
that You would
glorify Yourself this morning.
00:07:30.32\00:07:32.54
Because we cannot
do it without You.
00:07:32.74\00:07:34.72
We look to You,
we thank You for it.
00:07:34.75\00:07:36.98
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:07:37.01\00:07:39.53
I'll have you
turn in your Bibles to
00:07:40.21\00:07:41.95
1 Timothy chapter
4, 1 Timothy chapter 4.
00:07:42.16\00:07:45.74
But before we go
there, I can recite a verse
00:07:45.99\00:07:49.55
that you all know by heart.
00:07:49.58\00:07:50.82
This is John chapter 3 verse 16.
00:07:50.85\00:07:53.66
"God so loved the world..."
00:07:53.76\00:07:56.88
Now which world is
this talking about?
00:07:56.91\00:07:59.01
Is this talking about the
Christian world that God loves?
00:07:59.04\00:08:01.63
Well not doubt that
God loves that world.
00:08:01.66\00:08:03.83
Is this talking about the
Seventh-day Adventist world?
00:08:03.93\00:08:06.80
There's no doubt that
He loves that world too.
00:08:06.83\00:08:08.95
But this is not
what it's talking about.
00:08:08.98\00:08:10.94
God so loved every
individual in the world.
00:08:10.97\00:08:14.43
This is what it's talking about.
00:08:14.46\00:08:15.92
That He gave to
every individual His Son.
00:08:16.02\00:08:19.49
"That whosoever would believe
in Him should not perish,
00:08:19.52\00:08:22.28
but have eternal life."
00:08:22.31\00:08:24.19
Now I promised you that you
would need to use your Bible.
00:08:24.32\00:08:27.00
I had you turn to
1 Timothy chapter 4.
00:08:27.03\00:08:30.98
We're going to
look at verses 9 and 10.
00:08:31.01\00:08:33.42
This is 1 Timothy chapter
4, looking at verses 9 and 10.
00:08:33.45\00:08:38.10
And I want to emphasize
the fact that God loves
00:08:38.22\00:08:41.11
everyone in the world,
that He is dealing with
00:08:41.14\00:08:43.43
every soul in the world.
00:08:43.46\00:08:44.55
And when He gave a
gift to the world, it was
00:08:44.58\00:08:47.96
directly given from
individual to individual.
00:08:48.16\00:08:50.63
God gave you Jesus, His Son.
00:08:50.66\00:08:55.85
So we're in 1 Timothy chapter
4, we're looking at verse 9.
00:08:55.96\00:08:59.66
"This is a faithful saying
and worthy of all acceptation."
00:09:00.87\00:09:05.88
So we're going to read something
here that Paul demands that
00:09:05.91\00:09:08.98
we all should accept.
00:09:09.01\00:09:10.32
We want to accept this.
00:09:10.35\00:09:11.55
Verse 10, "For therefore we
both labour and suffer reproach,
00:09:11.58\00:09:15.84
because we trust in the living
God," now notice, "who is the
00:09:15.94\00:09:20.10
Savior of all men, especially
of those that believe."
00:09:20.13\00:09:25.21
Now everyone understands
that Jesus is the Savior
00:09:25.24\00:09:28.18
of those that believe.
00:09:28.21\00:09:29.77
We all know that.
00:09:29.97\00:09:31.23
But did you notice that
in the verse it says that
00:09:31.26\00:09:33.90
He is the Savior of
those that believe, but also
00:09:33.93\00:09:37.26
all men besides.
00:09:37.29\00:09:38.74
And so we begin to see
that in the plan of salvation,
00:09:38.93\00:09:42.82
God did not think only of
those who would call themselves
00:09:42.85\00:09:48.82
Christians, who
would adopt religion.
00:09:48.85\00:09:50.87
No, God considers
Himself the Savior of all men.
00:09:50.97\00:09:54.68
We can see that
also in 1 John chapter 2.
00:09:54.71\00:10:01.30
We're going to look at
verse 2 in 1 John chapter 2.
00:10:01.33\00:10:04.87
I want you to notice
what it says in this verse.
00:10:04.90\00:10:07.86
It says there that, "He is
the propitiation for our sins."
00:10:08.69\00:10:13.08
"The propitiation,"
that's a huge word.
00:10:13.11\00:10:15.10
It simply means, the atoning
sacrifice, talking about Jesus.
00:10:15.21\00:10:19.08
He is the atoning
sacrifice for our sins.
00:10:19.11\00:10:22.69
"And not for ours only, but for
the sins of the whole world."
00:10:22.72\00:10:28.28
When Jesus went to the
cross, He went to the cross
00:10:28.31\00:10:31.20
with the sins
of the whole world.
00:10:31.23\00:10:32.80
Every sin you have committed,
every sin every heathen has
00:10:32.83\00:10:35.81
committed, every sin that
every pagan has committed,
00:10:35.84\00:10:38.91
has gone to the
cross of Calvary.
00:10:38.94\00:10:40.95
Jesus is the Savior of all men.
00:10:40.98\00:10:43.94
We can go now
to Titus chapter 2.
00:10:44.11\00:10:46.69
Titus chapter 2.
00:10:46.72\00:10:48.36
You'll find that just before the
book of Philemon and Hebrews.
00:10:48.39\00:10:52.39
Titus chapter 2,
we're looking at verse 11.
00:10:52.42\00:10:55.75
"For the grace of
God that brings salvation
00:10:56.78\00:11:00.68
has appeared to all men."
00:11:00.71\00:11:03.74
Now for whom has Jesus
brought the grace of salvation?
00:11:03.84\00:11:07.78
To all men.
00:11:07.97\00:11:09.17
The grace has
appeared to all men bringing
00:11:09.39\00:11:11.85
the gift of salvation.
00:11:11.88\00:11:13.27
This is the gospel,
this is the good news.
00:11:13.55\00:11:16.21
And I wish everyone in
the world would know it.
00:11:16.32\00:11:19.02
Now the apostle Paul expands
on this in Romans chapter 8.
00:11:19.05\00:11:23.00
We're looking at verse
32 in Romans chapter 8.
00:11:23.03\00:11:27.91
Verse 32.
00:11:27.94\00:11:29.35
"He," talking about God
the Father, "that spared not
00:11:30.06\00:11:34.02
his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all..."
00:11:34.05\00:11:38.01
Notice for whom
Jesus was delivered.
00:11:38.04\00:11:40.38
It's for every
individual in the whole world.
00:11:40.41\00:11:43.43
Ah, but notice even more.
00:11:43.46\00:11:45.43
"...how shall he not with him
also freely give us all things?"
00:11:45.46\00:11:51.70
Do you know this morning
that you have all things?
00:11:51.73\00:11:54.41
Do you know that this
gift has been given to everyone
00:11:54.44\00:11:57.23
in the human race?
00:11:57.26\00:11:58.83
Now it's hard for people
in the human race to believe
00:11:58.86\00:12:01.77
that they have all things.
00:12:01.80\00:12:03.02
Because some of us seem
to be poor as opposed to
00:12:03.05\00:12:05.40
some of us seem to be rich.
00:12:05.43\00:12:06.84
Ah, but let me
tell you something.
00:12:06.87\00:12:08.29
The gift is given, and sometimes
the gift is not claimed
00:12:08.32\00:12:12.03
as it has been given.
00:12:12.35\00:12:13.69
A gift that can be
given can be refused also.
00:12:13.72\00:12:16.73
Or it can be neglected.
00:12:16.76\00:12:18.04
Or it could be that
there are some people
00:12:18.07\00:12:20.26
who really don't
know the gift of God.
00:12:20.29\00:12:22.83
They don't
understand that with His Son,
00:12:22.86\00:12:25.17
He has freely given
all of us all things.
00:12:25.20\00:12:28.21
I use to repine, I use
to pine away, thinking,
00:12:28.70\00:12:31.89
"Why is it that some
people are millionaires
00:12:31.92\00:12:34.64
and I am not?
00:12:34.67\00:12:35.70
Why can't I be a millionaire?
00:12:35.73\00:12:37.65
It seems to me that
it would be a blessing
00:12:37.68\00:12:39.47
if I could be a millionaire."
00:12:39.50\00:12:41.09
Well friends, I don't
complain about that any more.
00:12:41.12\00:12:44.42
Because I am a millionaire.
00:12:44.45\00:12:46.18
No, for sure, I don't have
that kind of money in my pocket.
00:12:46.21\00:12:49.42
And it's in my mind, it
use to be too bad that some
00:12:49.53\00:12:52.87
people had it that way.
00:12:52.90\00:12:53.95
Ah, but friends,
God is the Judge.
00:12:53.98\00:12:56.32
He is able to take a
lot of money and put it
00:12:57.04\00:12:59.25
in some people's pocket.
00:12:59.28\00:13:00.50
But it doesn't matter.
00:13:00.53\00:13:01.57
It doesn't mean
that I don't have it.
00:13:01.60\00:13:03.70
I have it in
trust in Jesus Christ.
00:13:03.81\00:13:06.17
And as far as I know, the
Bible says, "My God shall supply
00:13:06.38\00:13:10.37
all my needs."
00:13:10.57\00:13:12.38
Now is it true?
00:13:12.41\00:13:13.61
Will my God supply all my needs?
00:13:13.97\00:13:16.48
Is this promise true?
00:13:16.51\00:13:17.79
Well friends, if
I really believe it,
00:13:17.82\00:13:19.57
what would I worry about?
00:13:19.60\00:13:20.93
There would be absolutely
nothing to worry about,
00:13:20.96\00:13:23.44
because I know that my
God will supply all my needs.
00:13:23.47\00:13:27.87
Because with His Son, He's
freely given me all things.
00:13:27.98\00:13:31.58
He's prepared for any
eventuality in my life.
00:13:31.61\00:13:36.14
Now, if you really believe this
promise, what would you have?
00:13:36.17\00:13:40.82
Why, you would have all things.
00:13:41.52\00:13:43.12
Well if you had all things,
would that include eternal life?
00:13:43.15\00:13:47.03
Oh yes, it would.
00:13:47.55\00:13:48.88
Yes it would.
00:13:48.94\00:13:49.97
And I'll have you turn
now to 1 John chapter 5.
00:13:50.00\00:13:52.82
1 John chapter 5.
00:13:53.07\00:13:55.53
And I want you to see a verse
that the evangelical people,
00:13:55.80\00:13:59.15
they make hay with this verse.
00:13:59.87\00:14:01.59
And there's no doubt, there's
no reason why they shouldn't.
00:14:01.62\00:14:04.10
It's a fantastic verse.
00:14:04.13\00:14:05.93
We're looking at
1 John chapter 5,
00:14:05.96\00:14:08.24
and we're looking at verse 11.
00:14:08.27\00:14:09.98
"This is the record,
that God has given to us..."
00:14:11.19\00:14:14.88
Everyone in the human race.
00:14:14.91\00:14:16.54
"...God has given
to us eternal life;
00:14:16.57\00:14:20.24
and this life is in his Son."
00:14:20.27\00:14:23.24
"He that has the Son has life.
00:14:23.27\00:14:25.98
He that has not the
Son of God has not life."
00:14:26.21\00:14:30.37
"With His Son He's
freely given us all things."
00:14:30.40\00:14:33.12
And now we can
make the connection.
00:14:33.15\00:14:35.02
Because God so loved
the world, He gave His Son.
00:14:35.05\00:14:37.77
In His Son He has
given us all things.
00:14:37.80\00:14:39.86
And all things
include eternal life.
00:14:39.89\00:14:41.96
The gift is yours.
00:14:42.06\00:14:43.81
You may have it right now.
00:14:44.13\00:14:45.85
It is given to you.
00:14:45.88\00:14:47.04
And it's simply...
00:14:47.10\00:14:48.13
All that it demands is that
you receive it with gratitude;
00:14:48.16\00:14:51.69
and you have the
gift of eternal life.
00:14:51.72\00:14:54.56
To me, that's a tremendous
blessing to the individual
00:14:54.59\00:14:58.16
who understands it.
00:14:58.19\00:14:59.55
In the late 1980's
and the early 1990's,
00:15:02.83\00:15:09.47
the Valuegenesis survey
was conducted among young
00:15:09.67\00:15:13.12
Seventh-day Adventists.
00:15:13.15\00:15:14.46
I don't know how many
they did the survey with.
00:15:14.49\00:15:18.00
But they began to
find out that these young
00:15:18.03\00:15:20.34
Seventh-day Adventists did not
have the assurance of salvation.
00:15:20.37\00:15:24.62
Now they conducted this
survey, but they went around
00:15:24.73\00:15:28.20
scratching their heads
wondering why should it be
00:15:28.23\00:15:31.32
that young Seventh-day
Adventists don't have
00:15:31.35\00:15:33.91
the assurance of salvation.
00:15:33.94\00:15:35.61
And so in order to find out,
they decided that they would
00:15:35.75\00:15:38.67
conduct another survey.
00:15:38.70\00:15:39.98
They would go back to
the very same young people
00:15:40.01\00:15:42.27
and poll all of them
again just to find out
00:15:42.47\00:15:45.57
why in the world that they
felt that they could not have
00:15:45.60\00:15:50.12
the assurance of salvation.
00:15:50.15\00:15:51.76
So they went back to them
and the typical answer was this,
00:15:51.86\00:15:55.33
"Our behavior does not measure
up to what God requires."
00:15:55.53\00:16:00.24
Now wait a minute.
00:16:00.27\00:16:01.30
Why in the world
would these young people
00:16:01.33\00:16:03.87
think that their assurance
was based on their behavior?
00:16:03.90\00:16:07.65
Well it's not very hard to come
to a conclusion to this thing.
00:16:08.04\00:16:11.50
These young people were a
product of Adventist homes.
00:16:11.53\00:16:15.14
These young people were a
product of Adventist schools
00:16:15.27\00:16:18.28
and Adventist churches.
00:16:18.31\00:16:19.65
And I'm here to tell you today
that we, as leaders in this
00:16:19.68\00:16:23.46
church, have
failed our young people.
00:16:23.49\00:16:25.49
Because somehow we've
left them with the impression
00:16:25.52\00:16:28.62
that in order to have
the assurance of salvation,
00:16:29.51\00:16:32.64
they must look
to their behavior.
00:16:32.67\00:16:34.78
But friends, it isn't true.
00:16:34.81\00:16:36.71
As a matter of fact, I
would like to demonstrate
00:16:36.74\00:16:39.11
that this is
absolutely unreasonable
00:16:39.14\00:16:41.50
to go thinking in those terms.
00:16:41.53\00:16:43.38
If you'll turn
with me to Isaiah.
00:16:43.41\00:16:45.84
We're going to go
to Isaiah chapter 64,
00:16:46.31\00:16:49.47
to a verse that
everyone is familiar with.
00:16:49.50\00:16:51.69
We're going to look
at verse 6 in Isaiah 64.
00:16:51.72\00:16:54.80
And I intend to prove,
I intend to demonstrate,
00:16:54.83\00:16:58.19
that it is unreasonable to try
to find assurance of salvation
00:16:58.22\00:17:02.20
in our behavior.
00:17:02.23\00:17:03.43
Because it cannot
be found there, ever.
00:17:03.46\00:17:06.90
We're in Isaiah 64,
we're looking at verse 6.
00:17:06.93\00:17:11.00
"But we are all as
an unclean thing..."
00:17:11.58\00:17:15.27
Now, how many
people does that take in?
00:17:15.30\00:17:18.06
How many people are
as an unclean thing?
00:17:18.61\00:17:21.48
Well the Bible says
we're all as an unclean thing.
00:17:21.51\00:17:24.28
And I believe that this
means all the Christians,
00:17:24.39\00:17:26.72
and all the
heathens, and all the pagans,
00:17:26.75\00:17:28.55
and all the people in the world.
00:17:28.58\00:17:29.96
Because of the sin of Adam,
we are fallen human beings.
00:17:29.99\00:17:33.45
We are all as an unclean thing.
00:17:33.48\00:17:35.47
Well are you going to go
looking to an unclean thing
00:17:35.50\00:17:38.50
to find assurance of salvation?
00:17:38.53\00:17:40.97
You'll never find it
there because it isn't there.
00:17:41.00\00:17:43.90
Can you understand?
00:17:43.93\00:17:45.21
If you look at
the rest of the verse,
00:17:45.24\00:17:46.89
it emphasizes it even more.
00:17:46.92\00:17:48.96
"...and all our righteousness's
are as filthy rags..."
00:17:49.83\00:17:54.64
All our good behavior,
all our best good works,
00:17:55.28\00:18:00.27
are as filthy rags.
00:18:00.30\00:18:02.51
Can you see?
00:18:02.54\00:18:03.59
Are we going to go
looking to our behaviors to find
00:18:03.62\00:18:06.24
assurance of salvation?
00:18:06.27\00:18:07.53
Friends, when we go
looking at our behavior,
00:18:07.56\00:18:10.10
the only thing we're ever going
to find there is discouragement.
00:18:10.13\00:18:14.37
Because there isn't
anything else there.
00:18:14.45\00:18:16.66
We're supposed to be looking
to Jesus for the assurance
00:18:16.69\00:18:20.05
of our
salvation, and nowhere else.
00:18:20.08\00:18:23.14
Do not go looking at
your behavior thinking
00:18:23.27\00:18:25.97
that you're going to find
any kind of encouragement there.
00:18:26.00\00:18:29.62
The closer we come to
Jesus, the more faulty we will
00:18:29.85\00:18:32.87
appear in our own eyes.
00:18:32.90\00:18:35.70
Because the
closer we come to Jesus,
00:18:35.73\00:18:38.04
the closer we
come to perfection.
00:18:38.14\00:18:40.29
And the closer we
come to perfection,
00:18:40.32\00:18:42.43
the bigger the
contrast, of course.
00:18:42.46\00:18:44.49
Jesus being
perfect, we being sinful.
00:18:44.52\00:18:46.99
We cannot possibly look
to ourselves to find any, any
00:18:47.02\00:18:51.42
assurance of salvation.
00:18:51.45\00:18:53.93
That's for sure.
00:18:54.21\00:18:55.24
Now I would like to
share with you a quotation
00:18:55.27\00:18:59.20
that is going to help
us to understand that also,
00:19:00.12\00:19:03.47
I think, more clearly.
00:19:03.50\00:19:04.99
This is sixth
Bible Commentary, 1078.
00:19:05.09\00:19:08.38
Listen to this.
00:19:08.75\00:19:09.88
"Religious services..."
00:19:09.91\00:19:11.67
Now isn't that a good thing?
00:19:11.70\00:19:13.32
Oh yes, it's a good thing.
00:19:13.35\00:19:14.83
That's why people
are in church today.
00:19:14.86\00:19:16.75
"Religious services,
the prayers, the praise,
00:19:16.78\00:19:21.28
the penitent confession
of sin; all these good things
00:19:21.31\00:19:24.53
ascend from true believers."
00:19:24.56\00:19:26.26
I want you to notice here.
00:19:26.29\00:19:27.83
This is talking
about true believers.
00:19:27.86\00:19:29.61
This is talking about
the people who are saved.
00:19:29.64\00:19:31.80
This is talking about the people
who are going to be in the
00:19:31.83\00:19:34.55
kingdom of heaven for sure.
00:19:34.58\00:19:36.11
And they are praying,
and they are praising,
00:19:36.14\00:19:38.35
and they are confessing their
sins, they're going to church.
00:19:38.56\00:19:41.61
All these things are good.
00:19:41.64\00:19:43.36
The next word,
however, is, "But..."
00:19:44.10\00:19:46.99
Do you know what a "but" is?
00:19:47.28\00:19:49.06
This is a conjunction.
00:19:49.59\00:19:50.85
A "but" is always
a conjunction between
00:19:50.88\00:19:53.19
a positive and a negative.
00:19:53.22\00:19:54.83
If I say, "Tammy, you
have a beautiful face, but..."
00:19:54.93\00:19:58.49
Ah, then you know
that you're in trouble.
00:19:58.52\00:20:00.62
But if I say, "Ah, you
have a dirty car, but..."
00:20:01.40\00:20:04.69
Well then,
something is redeemable there.
00:20:04.72\00:20:06.97
Can you see that a
"but" is a conjunction between
00:20:07.00\00:20:09.32
a positive and a negative?
00:20:09.35\00:20:10.73
Well in this quotation here,
we saw all these positives.
00:20:10.93\00:20:14.59
People going to
church, confessing their sins,
00:20:14.62\00:20:16.74
praising the Lord,
praying, doing all these things
00:20:16.77\00:20:19.46
coming from
hearts of true believers.
00:20:19.49\00:20:21.55
"But..."
00:20:21.58\00:20:22.61
But what in the world.
00:20:22.79\00:20:24.00
What can be negative about that?
00:20:24.03\00:20:25.85
Watch.
00:20:25.88\00:20:26.94
"But passing through the
corrupt channels of humanity
00:20:27.42\00:20:33.11
they are so defiled
that unless purified by blood
00:20:33.67\00:20:37.41
they can never be
of value with God."
00:20:37.44\00:20:39.55
Can you see it?
00:20:39.58\00:20:40.61
Even a true believer,
his prayers, because he is
00:20:41.04\00:20:44.27
praying them, because his
prayers are going through a
00:20:44.30\00:20:47.74
corrupt channel,
become defiled and need to be
00:20:47.77\00:20:50.74
cleansed by the
blood of Jesus Christ.
00:20:50.77\00:20:52.88
Nothing gets into
heaven but by the cleansing
00:20:52.98\00:20:56.77
of the blood of Jesus Christ.
00:20:56.80\00:20:58.17
All our hope is in Jesus Christ.
00:20:58.20\00:21:00.79
All our hope is in
the cross of Calvary.
00:21:00.82\00:21:03.04
There is no other hope.
00:21:03.07\00:21:04.66
We cannot possibly
look at our behavior
00:21:04.69\00:21:06.97
and think that our behavior
will give us any assurance.
00:21:07.00\00:21:10.27
I am here to tell you that
no matter how perfect you live,
00:21:10.30\00:21:14.13
or how perfect you think you
live, it is still coming short
00:21:14.16\00:21:18.18
of the glory of God.
00:21:18.21\00:21:19.55
It is still corrupted by
going through a corrupt channel.
00:21:19.75\00:21:23.94
It is still not as
perfect as it might be.
00:21:23.97\00:21:26.62
And if it's not as
perfect as it could be,
00:21:26.65\00:21:28.53
then you would lose hope of
salvation if you look there.
00:21:28.56\00:21:32.24
Our hope of salvation can
only be found in one place.
00:21:32.27\00:21:36.23
And I believe it says that
in 1 Corinthians chapter 3.
00:21:36.26\00:21:39.82
Go with me to 1 Corinthians
chapter 3, a beautiful chapter.
00:21:40.02\00:21:43.82
We're going to look at verse 11.
00:21:43.85\00:21:46.49
"Other foundation..."
00:21:48.00\00:21:49.30
We're talking about the
foundation of assurance here.
00:21:49.33\00:21:51.77
We're talking about the
foundation of salvation here.
00:21:51.80\00:21:54.65
"Other foundation can no
man lay than that is laid,
00:21:54.68\00:21:57.96
which is Jesus Christ."
00:21:57.99\00:22:00.47
There is no other foundation.
00:22:00.50\00:22:03.04
There is no other
hope of salvation.
00:22:03.07\00:22:05.43
We cannot look at
ourselves, we cannot look at our
00:22:05.46\00:22:07.96
good works, and think
that we're going to find
00:22:07.99\00:22:10.23
assurance of salvation.
00:22:10.26\00:22:11.74
We need to look at Jesus
Christ and Him crucified.
00:22:11.84\00:22:15.52
He is the foundation.
00:22:15.99\00:22:18.20
His birth, His life, His
death, and His resurrection,
00:22:18.23\00:22:22.46
this whole package; Jesus
came here and took on our life
00:22:22.66\00:22:27.56
as we have to live it.
00:22:27.59\00:22:28.65
He had the same equipment.
00:22:28.68\00:22:30.07
He lived a perfect life
from the day that He was born
00:22:30.10\00:22:33.29
until the day that He
died my atoning death.
00:22:33.32\00:22:36.93
And then when He resurrected,
He resurrected victorious
00:22:37.35\00:22:40.49
over the second death.
00:22:40.52\00:22:41.74
He takes this
package, He ascends to heaven,
00:22:41.77\00:22:44.70
He goes to His Father
with this, presents it to Him.
00:22:44.73\00:22:47.68
And the Father looks at
it and says, "It is enough.
00:22:47.78\00:22:50.54
Give the human race
the gift of salvation.
00:22:50.57\00:22:54.86
Give it all to them."
00:22:54.89\00:22:56.28
Do you know that the
human race has it all
00:22:56.31\00:22:58.77
if only they knew Jesus Christ.
00:22:58.80\00:23:02.77
If only there were enough
missionaries in this world
00:23:03.08\00:23:06.08
that would go out
there and tell the world
00:23:06.11\00:23:09.44
the gift that they
have in the Son of God.
00:23:10.98\00:23:13.85
What a blessed gift
that it is and how we all
00:23:13.88\00:23:18.10
ought to be reveling in it.
00:23:18.13\00:23:20.01
If you'll turn with me
to Romans chapter 5 now.
00:23:20.71\00:23:23.73
We're going to see the
same thing again, only in
00:23:23.83\00:23:26.45
another verse in the Bible.
00:23:26.48\00:23:27.80
We're in Romans chapter 5,
we're going to look at verse 18.
00:23:27.83\00:23:31.64
The theologians, at
least some theologians,
00:23:31.83\00:23:34.22
say that Romans
chapter 5 is the most complete,
00:23:34.52\00:23:39.37
the most beautiful,
the most simple gospel
00:23:39.40\00:23:43.80
as it has been written.
00:23:44.28\00:23:45.72
I'm not so sure that's so.
00:23:45.75\00:23:47.52
Sometimes it's
quite controversial here.
00:23:47.55\00:23:49.61
Nevertheless, I can show
you something very simple.
00:23:49.64\00:23:52.32
We're looking at
Romans chapter 5,
00:23:52.35\00:23:54.92
we're looking at verse 18.
00:23:54.95\00:23:56.60
"Therefore as by
the offence of one..."
00:23:57.51\00:23:59.82
We're talking about
Adam here who offended.
00:23:59.92\00:24:02.49
"Therefore as by the offence
of one, judgment came upon
00:24:02.52\00:24:06.25
all men to condemnation."
00:24:06.28\00:24:08.84
And so, in Adam all
men are made sinners.
00:24:08.87\00:24:11.68
All men are condemned.
00:24:11.71\00:24:13.10
And all men must
die the second death.
00:24:13.13\00:24:15.95
So can see that in verse 12
if you want to look at verse 12.
00:24:15.98\00:24:18.96
"Wherefore, as by one man
sin entered into the world,
00:24:19.85\00:24:24.10
and death by sin; and so
death passed upon all men,
00:24:24.13\00:24:28.32
for that all have sinned."
00:24:28.35\00:24:30.27
This is what we get in Adam.
00:24:30.30\00:24:32.48
Now we go back to verse 18.
00:24:32.51\00:24:34.43
In the middle of the
verse in verse 18, it says,
00:24:34.46\00:24:37.52
"Even so..."
00:24:37.55\00:24:38.58
That is, by the same measure.
00:24:38.61\00:24:41.18
Watch now.
00:24:41.69\00:24:42.83
The second half of verse 18.
00:24:42.86\00:24:44.76
By the same measure, "by
the righteousness of one..."
00:24:44.79\00:24:48.62
Who is that one, do you think?
00:24:48.65\00:24:50.30
Ah friends, it's Jesus Christ.
00:24:50.77\00:24:52.94
"...by the righteousness
of one the free gift came upon
00:24:52.97\00:24:56.52
all men unto
justification of life."
00:24:56.55\00:25:00.93
So, by Christ, by one
act of righteousness at the
00:25:00.96\00:25:05.71
cross of Calvary, the
free gift comes upon all men.
00:25:05.74\00:25:09.92
What is the free gift?
00:25:09.95\00:25:11.39
Ah, you all know.
00:25:11.73\00:25:13.22
The wages of sin is death, and
the gift of God is eternal life.
00:25:14.23\00:25:19.30
And it comes to all men.
00:25:19.50\00:25:22.21
It's amazing.
00:25:22.61\00:25:23.64
If only all men
would receive it.
00:25:23.67\00:25:25.66
In first Selected Messages,
343, paragraph 1, it says,
00:25:25.97\00:25:30.17
"He.." Talking about Jesus.
00:25:30.61\00:25:32.40
"He took in His grasp the world
over which Satan claimed to
00:25:33.05\00:25:36.93
preside as his lawful territory,
and by His wonderful work
00:25:36.96\00:25:41.32
in giving His life," watch
now, "He restored the whole race
00:25:41.35\00:25:45.60
of men to favor with God."
00:25:45.63\00:25:48.79
Because Jesus went
to the cross of Calvary
00:25:48.82\00:25:51.93
and paid the penalty for every
sin that was ever committed,
00:25:51.96\00:25:55.17
then God from heaven
looks down and accepts the
00:25:55.37\00:25:58.52
whole race of men
in favor with Himself.
00:25:58.55\00:26:01.83
Oh, that does not mean that
everyone is going to be saved.
00:26:01.86\00:26:05.04
But it does mean that the
gift has been given to all.
00:26:05.60\00:26:08.43
And God loves every man so
much so that He gave His Son
00:26:08.46\00:26:12.55
so as to save all men.
00:26:12.58\00:26:14.42
Now I'd like to look more
closely at the plan of salvation
00:26:15.19\00:26:19.35
even yet if we can.
00:26:19.38\00:26:20.73
Turn with me to
Genesis chapter 2.
00:26:20.76\00:26:23.07
We're going to
Genesis chapter 2.
00:26:23.40\00:26:26.61
We're going to
start with verse 17.
00:26:28.32\00:26:30.32
As you know, God
created Adam and Eve and He put
00:26:31.29\00:26:34.52
Adam and Eve in the
garden paradise of God,
00:26:34.55\00:26:39.21
the Garden of Eden.
00:26:39.24\00:26:40.41
And there He gave
them absolutely everything
00:26:40.90\00:26:43.72
they could possible want.
00:26:43.75\00:26:45.00
They could need
absolutely nothing ever.
00:26:45.03\00:26:47.65
But there was a
problem with the situation.
00:26:47.68\00:26:49.94
And the problem was this.
00:26:49.97\00:26:51.45
Adam and Eve had no way to
demonstrate their love for God,
00:26:51.48\00:26:56.19
because they had
no choices to make.
00:26:56.22\00:26:58.19
They could not sin because
they knew nothing but good.
00:26:58.22\00:27:01.55
And the garden
afforded them no choice.
00:27:01.58\00:27:05.03
And so God decided to
give them a choice so that
00:27:05.23\00:27:08.12
they could show their love.
00:27:08.15\00:27:09.68
By the way, Jesus
said, "If you love Me,
00:27:09.71\00:27:11.90
keep My commandments."
00:27:11.93\00:27:13.16
So God said, "What
they need to show their love
00:27:13.19\00:27:15.66
is that they would
keep My commandments."
00:27:15.69\00:27:17.40
There was no
commandments there, except one.
00:27:17.43\00:27:20.28
He decided to tell them,
"Don't eat from this tree.
00:27:20.31\00:27:22.92
That's the only
commandment I give you.
00:27:22.95\00:27:24.57
You don't need this tree.
00:27:24.60\00:27:26.08
You've got everything
else you could possible want.
00:27:26.80\00:27:29.16
Don't eat from
there, you'll be fine."
00:27:29.19\00:27:31.01
Well, that's in verse 17.
00:27:31.27\00:27:33.15
Let's go to Genesis chapter
2, we're looking at verse 17.
00:27:33.18\00:27:37.23
"But of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil,
00:27:38.11\00:27:40.53
thou shalt not eat of it.
00:27:40.83\00:27:42.73
For in the day that you eat
thereof thou shalt surely die."
00:27:42.76\00:27:47.85
That was God's pronouncement.
00:27:47.88\00:27:50.03
He gave them the tree,
"Don't eat from that tree.
00:27:50.06\00:27:52.57
Because that very day
that you eat, you will die."
00:27:52.60\00:27:56.78
Now here's the question.
00:27:56.81\00:27:58.21
Did Adam and Eve
eat from the tree?
00:27:58.24\00:28:00.63
Oh yes, they did
eat from the tree.
00:28:01.19\00:28:03.42
But here's the real question.
00:28:03.45\00:28:05.04
Did they die in that day?
00:28:05.07\00:28:08.32
Now someone will say, "Well no."
00:28:08.98\00:28:12.15
"Well yes, they began to die."
00:28:12.18\00:28:14.08
"Well they died spiritually."
00:28:14.11\00:28:15.86
Do you know that those
three answers are all correct?
00:28:15.89\00:28:18.73
They did begin to die that day.
00:28:18.76\00:28:20.65
I believe the Hebrew
says, "In dying thou shalt die."
00:28:20.68\00:28:23.65
In other words, "You're
going to begin to die that day."
00:28:23.68\00:28:26.61
So Adam lived to be
930 years before he died.
00:28:27.12\00:28:32.63
Do you know that they
also died spiritually that day?
00:28:32.66\00:28:35.91
The book of Ephesians
chapter 2 says we are born dead.
00:28:35.94\00:28:39.06
Dead in sin and in trespasses.
00:28:39.09\00:28:41.48
We need to go from death to
life in order to be born again,
00:28:41.51\00:28:45.07
because we died that day.
00:28:45.10\00:28:47.58
Ah, but in the end
they did not die that day.
00:28:47.68\00:28:51.95
They did not die in the
fullest sense of the word.
00:28:51.98\00:28:54.14
When God told them,
"In the day that you eat,
00:28:54.44\00:28:56.83
you're going to
die," He meant He would
00:28:56.86\00:28:58.31
send them back
where He got them.
00:28:58.34\00:29:00.17
He would destroy them.
00:29:00.38\00:29:02.76
That's what He
meant, "that day."
00:29:02.87\00:29:04.75
But He didn't do it.
00:29:04.85\00:29:06.27
Now that leaves us
with a theological problem.
00:29:06.53\00:29:09.60
If God did not
destroy them that day,
00:29:10.48\00:29:13.95
does that make God a liar?
00:29:14.49\00:29:16.22
Didn't He say
that He would do it?
00:29:16.25\00:29:18.13
Why didn't He do it that day?
00:29:18.16\00:29:20.30
What changed?
00:29:20.33\00:29:21.81
The answer to that question is
found in Revelation chapter 13.
00:29:22.17\00:29:27.59
We're in Revelation chapter 13.
00:29:27.82\00:29:30.23
It's a strange place to go
for the answer to that question.
00:29:30.26\00:29:33.37
The question is
asked in Genesis chapter 2.
00:29:33.40\00:29:36.10
We go all the way to
Revelation chapter 13
00:29:36.13\00:29:39.50
where we find the beast,
and the mark of the beast,
00:29:39.53\00:29:42.13
and an image to his name,
and the number of his name,
00:29:42.16\00:29:44.30
and 666, and all of
these confusing symbols.
00:29:44.33\00:29:47.93
And in the middle of
this chapter, we find the
00:29:47.96\00:29:50.20
answer to our question.
00:29:50.23\00:29:52.08
Why did Adam and
Eve not die that day?
00:29:52.11\00:29:55.83
We're looking at verse 8.
00:29:56.62\00:29:58.05
"And all that dwell upon
the earth shall worship him,"
00:29:58.87\00:30:01.98
talking about the
beast of Revelation 13,
00:30:02.01\00:30:04.62
"whose names are not written
in the book of life," now watch,
00:30:04.98\00:30:09.61
"of the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world."
00:30:09.64\00:30:14.07
Who is the Lamb?
00:30:14.10\00:30:15.21
Ah friends, everyone knows that
the Lamb in the Bible is Jesus.
00:30:15.94\00:30:19.64
And it says here
that He was slain from the
00:30:20.36\00:30:22.40
foundation of the world.
00:30:22.43\00:30:23.61
Now wait a
minute, wait a minute.
00:30:23.64\00:30:24.78
I thought Jesus died
at the cross of Calvary
00:30:25.08\00:30:27.60
just 2000 years ago.
00:30:27.63\00:30:29.23
Oh friends, that's true.
00:30:29.26\00:30:30.61
Jesus died at the cross of
Calvary just 2000 years ago.
00:30:30.64\00:30:34.20
But the pain that He
suffered at the cross of Calvary
00:30:34.40\00:30:37.25
did not begin 2000 years ago.
00:30:37.28\00:30:39.48
But it began with the
very inception of sin.
00:30:39.70\00:30:43.06
You see, when Adam took
the fruit from Eve's hand
00:30:43.39\00:30:46.35
and took a bite out of it,
the blow was coming from heaven.
00:30:46.38\00:30:49.92
Adam would have been
destroyed except that Jesus
00:30:50.20\00:30:53.15
stood between Adam and the blow
that was coming from heaven,
00:30:53.60\00:30:56.70
took the blow upon Himself,
and became the Lamb slain
00:30:56.73\00:31:00.85
from the
foundation of the world.
00:31:00.88\00:31:03.60
Now here's the question.
00:31:04.75\00:31:06.32
Where would you be today
had Adam been killed that day?
00:31:07.06\00:31:12.54
Why, you wouldn't be today.
00:31:13.02\00:31:15.57
You wouldn't exist.
00:31:15.60\00:31:16.87
Can you see that the
only reason you have life
00:31:16.90\00:31:20.43
is because of
the cross of Calvary?
00:31:20.46\00:31:22.70
There is no other reason.
00:31:22.73\00:31:24.60
The only reason you have
life today, the only reason
00:31:24.99\00:31:28.27
any individual has life
today, is because of the cross
00:31:28.30\00:31:32.11
of Calvary.
00:31:32.14\00:31:33.39
I wish everyone in
the whole human race
00:31:33.42\00:31:35.80
would understand this, would
grasp the significance of this.
00:31:35.83\00:31:39.03
The only reason we
have any life today.
00:31:39.23\00:31:41.85
If Jesus had not gone to
the cross, we would not exist.
00:31:42.31\00:31:46.35
But it goes deeper than that.
00:31:46.80\00:31:48.27
Do you know that every
loaf of bread is stamped
00:31:48.30\00:31:51.04
with the cross of Calvary?
00:31:51.07\00:31:52.37
Do you know that every
water spring is stamped
00:31:52.47\00:31:54.73
with the cross of Calvary?
00:31:54.76\00:31:55.98
Do you know that every
ray of sunshine is stamped
00:31:56.08\00:31:58.62
with the cross of Calvary?
00:31:58.65\00:31:59.69
Do you enjoy anything?
00:31:59.72\00:32:01.39
Do you know that
when Adam and Eve sinned,
00:32:03.90\00:32:06.23
they forfeited every blessing.
00:32:06.43\00:32:08.65
Even life itself.
00:32:08.68\00:32:09.99
Including everything
that would come with life.
00:32:10.02\00:32:12.37
But we don't have to go to
Adam and Eve to look at that.
00:32:13.14\00:32:15.79
We can look at ourselves
and know that we have sinned.
00:32:15.82\00:32:18.41
And every time we sin,
we forfeit every blessing.
00:32:18.51\00:32:21.62
We forfeit life.
00:32:21.65\00:32:22.73
We forfeit every
blessing that we enjoy.
00:32:22.90\00:32:25.29
Ah, but did you eat today?
00:32:25.32\00:32:27.70
Are you married?
00:32:29.02\00:32:30.05
Do you have a wife?
Do you have a husband?
00:32:30.08\00:32:31.77
Do you have children?
Do you have grandchildren?
00:32:31.86\00:32:34.11
Do you enjoy the
house you live in?
00:32:34.14\00:32:35.81
Do you enjoy the car you drive?
00:32:35.84\00:32:37.37
Do you enjoy the clothes
that God has provided for you
00:32:37.47\00:32:40.07
and the food that He
has provided for you?
00:32:40.10\00:32:41.81
Friends, this world
is full of pleasure.
00:32:41.84\00:32:44.28
Full of innocent
legitimate pleasures.
00:32:44.31\00:32:47.83
And they're all blood
bought at the cross of Calvary.
00:32:47.93\00:32:50.76
Had there been no cross, there
would have been no pleasure.
00:32:50.97\00:32:54.22
Had there been no cross,
there would have been nothing
00:32:54.62\00:32:57.08
for us to enjoy, nothing.
00:32:57.11\00:32:59.33
But everything we enjoy
comes from the cross of Calvary.
00:32:59.72\00:33:02.75
Now doesn't it follow, if I
have forfeited every blessing,
00:33:02.94\00:33:08.98
including life; if I have
life, and if I have a car,
00:33:10.34\00:33:14.85
and if I have money in my
pocket, and if I have a wife,
00:33:14.88\00:33:17.44
and if I have children, and if
I have everything that I enjoy,
00:33:17.47\00:33:20.36
if God has given to
me all of these things,
00:33:20.39\00:33:23.20
seeing that I have
forfeited them all,
00:33:23.23\00:33:25.55
don't you suppose that
the gift of eternal life
00:33:25.58\00:33:28.20
is included in all of this?
00:33:28.23\00:33:29.91
Is He going to give
me all these blessings
00:33:29.94\00:33:32.23
and not give me the other?
00:33:32.26\00:33:33.61
Oh no, no.
00:33:33.64\00:33:34.95
God has already paid the price.
00:33:34.98\00:33:36.69
He's already given us the gift.
00:33:36.72\00:33:38.49
The gift is ours if
only we would understand.
00:33:38.52\00:33:43.23
Listen, if everyone here
today, if everyone here today,
00:33:44.01\00:33:49.68
understood what I am
trying to say, we would be
00:33:49.71\00:33:53.68
so filled with gratitude
that we would reciprocate
00:33:53.71\00:33:58.18
in such a way that we
would turn the world upside down
00:33:58.21\00:34:01.06
in no time at all.
00:34:01.09\00:34:02.63
Paul understood this.
00:34:02.66\00:34:04.40
If you go with me
to Galatians chapter 6,
00:34:04.82\00:34:08.07
Galatians chapter
6, we're going to see
00:34:08.10\00:34:11.92
how Paul exclaims what he
understands here in verse 14,
00:34:12.35\00:34:18.93
in Galatians chapter 6.
00:34:18.96\00:34:20.38
It's a fantastic verse.
00:34:20.41\00:34:21.72
And I keep thinking about it.
00:34:21.93\00:34:23.30
It just ruminates in my head
over and over and over again.
00:34:23.33\00:34:27.81
Galatians 6, we're
looking at verse 14.
00:34:28.27\00:34:30.82
"God forbid," he says, "that
I should glory, save in the
00:34:31.67\00:34:36.13
cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom the world is
00:34:36.16\00:34:40.40
crucified unto me,
and I unto the world."
00:34:40.43\00:34:43.58
Now really, friends, I
don't know what Paul understood.
00:34:43.61\00:34:48.34
But I can tell by looking
at the verse that he understood
00:34:48.68\00:34:52.23
something about the cross of
Calvary that I don't understand.
00:34:52.26\00:34:55.55
Because once he was
through understanding the
00:34:55.84\00:34:58.81
cross of Calvary, the
world meant nothing to him.
00:34:58.84\00:35:02.05
The whole world was eclipsed
by the cross of Calvary.
00:35:02.08\00:35:05.04
He wanted nothing to do with it.
00:35:05.07\00:35:07.52
Nothing to do with it.
00:35:07.55\00:35:08.61
And when he was not wanting
anything to do with the world,
00:35:08.64\00:35:11.45
the world turned around
and was repulsed by Paul
00:35:11.48\00:35:15.33
because he was so different.
00:35:15.36\00:35:16.73
He was just like Jesus.
00:35:16.76\00:35:18.25
You know that the world was
repulsed by Jesus, don't you?
00:35:18.28\00:35:21.29
Yeah.
00:35:21.93\00:35:23.00
Because He wouldn't sin.
00:35:23.20\00:35:24.61
Because He was so pure.
00:35:24.81\00:35:26.37
Because in His
presence they felt more faulty.
00:35:26.63\00:35:30.31
Because the
contrast was too great.
00:35:30.34\00:35:32.41
And the same experience was
going in through Paul's life.
00:35:32.44\00:35:35.74
And it was because
of the cross of Calvary.
00:35:36.03\00:35:39.14
He understood something
that I don't understand.
00:35:39.34\00:35:44.16
He understood something
that I want to understand.
00:35:44.95\00:35:47.85
Don't you want to understand?
00:35:47.88\00:35:49.48
Is it possible, do you
think that it would be possible
00:35:49.51\00:35:52.52
that if we got on our knees
today and we pleaded with God
00:35:52.55\00:35:56.24
to open our minds, to
unfold all that is found in the
00:35:56.27\00:36:00.64
cross of Calvary, that we would
be the same once we saw it?
00:36:00.67\00:36:04.70
Oh no.
00:36:04.73\00:36:05.81
But why is it that Paul
could see it and that we can't?
00:36:05.84\00:36:09.38
Do you think God wants
to communicate this thing?
00:36:10.17\00:36:12.79
I believe that He does and I
believe we should pray for it
00:36:12.82\00:36:15.81
every day, every day, every day.
00:36:15.84\00:36:18.50
Everyone should have
the assurance of salvation.
00:36:18.53\00:36:22.35
Because it is not
based on our behavior.
00:36:22.38\00:36:25.05
It is based on the birth,
and the life, and the death,
00:36:26.04\00:36:29.08
and the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
00:36:29.11\00:36:31.16
He did it for all
that all may enjoy it.
00:36:31.19\00:36:33.79
And there's no reason in
the world why every individual
00:36:33.82\00:36:37.34
in the world is not enjoying
perfect assurance of salvation.
00:36:37.37\00:36:42.59
Do you have it?
00:36:42.86\00:36:43.89
Oh, I hope so. Oh, I hope so.
00:36:44.31\00:36:47.20
Now at one time, I
preached this sermon and I ended
00:36:48.06\00:36:52.16
just right here.
00:36:52.19\00:36:53.45
Once I had ended, one
very good friend of mine
00:36:55.27\00:36:58.54
came to me and he
said, "You know, everything
00:36:58.57\00:37:00.95
that you're saying is true.
00:37:00.98\00:37:02.07
I really appreciate the sermon.
00:37:02.10\00:37:03.75
You did a good job.
00:37:03.78\00:37:05.05
But it's
incomplete, it's unbalanced.
00:37:05.25\00:37:08.45
You've spoken about what Jesus
has done for our salvation,
00:37:08.72\00:37:13.11
but you know it
doesn't end there.
00:37:13.34\00:37:15.21
In the book, Steps
To Christ, page 82,
00:37:15.24\00:37:17.63
it explained all of that
which you preached today.
00:37:17.66\00:37:20.98
But do you know what
the next paragraph says?
00:37:21.14\00:37:23.46
It says, 'But more than this,
Christ changes the heart.'"
00:37:23.49\00:37:28.20
Well friends,
that is more than this.
00:37:28.72\00:37:31.73
Christ does change the heart.
00:37:31.99\00:37:33.80
As a matter of fact,
I'm hoping one of these day
00:37:33.96\00:37:36.70
that I can
preach that message too.
00:37:36.73\00:37:38.71
And I'm going to
try right now to share
00:37:38.74\00:37:41.02
a little bit more with you.
00:37:41.05\00:37:42.16
If you'll turn with me
to 1 Corinthians chapter 3.
00:37:42.19\00:37:45.60
Is behavior
unimportant because we cannot
00:37:45.86\00:37:50.07
base our salvation on it?
00:37:50.17\00:37:51.97
Because we cannot find the
assurance of salvation there?
00:37:52.00\00:37:55.95
Ah friends, no, no.
00:37:55.98\00:37:57.50
Salvation is important.
00:37:57.53\00:37:59.13
And sanctification
is even more important.
00:37:59.41\00:38:03.74
It's important that
we know where to base
00:38:03.77\00:38:06.62
the assurance of our salvation.
00:38:06.65\00:38:08.24
And it is not in our behavior.
00:38:08.27\00:38:09.95
But that does not make
our behavior unimportant.
00:38:09.98\00:38:13.56
It doesn't. Oh
friends, it is important.
00:38:13.83\00:38:16.29
"Our sanctification
is God's object in all
00:38:16.62\00:38:20.76
His dealings with us."
00:38:20.79\00:38:22.31
That's a quotation from
third Selected Messages,
00:38:22.34\00:38:24.85
page 202, paragraph 2.
00:38:24.88\00:38:26.63
"Sanctification is God's object
in all His dealings with us."
00:38:27.27\00:38:32.46
Whether Jesus went to
the cross, it was the purpose
00:38:32.49\00:38:35.59
of sanctifying
to Himself a people.
00:38:35.79\00:38:38.70
When Jesus resurrected
from the grave, it was for the
00:38:38.90\00:38:41.74
purpose of
sanctifying to Himself a people.
00:38:41.77\00:38:44.28
Everything that Jesus
does in your life today.
00:38:44.31\00:38:46.55
Does He deal with you?
00:38:46.58\00:38:47.93
Oh yes, He has all kinds
of providences surrounding
00:38:48.09\00:38:51.40
your life because He
wants you to become more
00:38:51.43\00:38:54.53
and more and more like Jesus.
00:38:54.56\00:38:57.11
All of that is important.
00:38:57.14\00:38:58.67
Ah, but it's not
the door to heaven.
00:38:58.70\00:39:01.08
It's not the key that
opens the door either.
00:39:01.40\00:39:03.74
Our salvation is
based on Jesus alone.
00:39:04.02\00:39:07.26
We're in 1 Corinthians chapter
3 and we're looking at verse 11.
00:39:07.29\00:39:12.65
"For other foundation can
no man lay than that is laid,
00:39:13.42\00:39:17.26
which is Christ Jesus."
00:39:17.29\00:39:19.98
No other foundation.
00:39:20.01\00:39:21.55
The foundation of salvation,
the foundation of assurance,
00:39:21.66\00:39:24.91
is right there;
it's in Jesus alone.
00:39:24.94\00:39:26.90
There is no other.
00:39:26.93\00:39:27.96
But now we go on to look
at sanctification in verse 12.
00:39:28.14\00:39:32.01
"Now if any man build..."
00:39:32.31\00:39:34.38
We're talking about
character building now.
00:39:34.41\00:39:36.35
We're talking about changing,
we're talking about improving.
00:39:36.38\00:39:39.63
We're talking about becoming
more and more like Jesus.
00:39:39.66\00:39:43.21
"Now if any man
build," if any man become
00:39:43.41\00:39:46.62
more and more like
Jesus, he needs to build on the
00:39:46.65\00:39:49.39
foundation using gold,
silver, precious stones,
00:39:49.42\00:39:53.27
or wood, hay, or stubble.
00:39:53.30\00:39:55.92
Now the choices are ours.
00:39:55.95\00:39:59.76
What are we using to build
our character building with?
00:40:00.05\00:40:02.80
Is it precious
stones or is it hay?
00:40:03.05\00:40:06.23
Verse 13, "Every man's
work shall be made manifest."
00:40:07.00\00:40:11.52
It'll be revealed.
00:40:11.72\00:40:13.05
"For the day shall
declare it, because it shall be
00:40:13.23\00:40:16.49
revealed by fire; and the
fire shall try every man's work
00:40:16.52\00:40:21.23
to see what sort it is.
00:40:21.26\00:40:22.69
If any man's work abide
which he hath built thereupon,
00:40:22.92\00:40:27.27
he shall receive a reward."
00:40:27.30\00:40:30.72
Ah friends, listen,
we are saved by the life,
00:40:30.93\00:40:35.48
the birth, the death, the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
00:40:35.94\00:40:39.72
Ah, but we are rewarded
according to our behavior.
00:40:39.75\00:40:44.95
Isn't that great?
Isn't that something?
00:40:44.98\00:40:46.88
Yeah.
00:40:47.02\00:40:48.05
We do not build a
character in order to be saved.
00:40:48.08\00:40:51.38
We build because we are saved;
as a result of being saved.
00:40:51.98\00:40:55.15
The fruit of
salvation is that we become,
00:40:55.25\00:40:58.40
we have the power of
grace to become more and more
00:40:58.43\00:41:01.89
and more like Jesus.
00:41:01.92\00:41:03.70
Now a very
strange verse, verse 15.
00:41:03.98\00:41:06.28
That's the very next verse.
00:41:06.31\00:41:07.48
It says, "If any
man's work shall be burned,"
00:41:08.26\00:41:10.96
or destroyed, "he
shall suffer loss.
00:41:11.77\00:41:14.87
But he himself shall be
saved; yet so as by fire."
00:41:15.40\00:41:19.08
Isn't that weird?
00:41:19.11\00:41:20.58
Here's an individual with
no works, no good behavior,
00:41:21.81\00:41:25.57
no reward; but he ends up
standing on the foundation,
00:41:25.60\00:41:28.88
the rock Christ
Jesus, and he is still saved.
00:41:28.91\00:41:32.07
We're told by Ellen White that
Solomon was saved as by fire.
00:41:32.26\00:41:37.30
That's what she says.
00:41:37.33\00:41:38.36
This is what she's referring to.
00:41:38.39\00:41:39.82
Solomon had wasted his life.
00:41:39.90\00:41:41.78
Oh, he had begun as
a true child of God.
00:41:41.81\00:41:44.78
And he did a mighty
work for God for many years.
00:41:44.81\00:41:47.49
Then because of his wives he was
turned into a pagan worshiper
00:41:47.59\00:41:51.86
and he lost his way.
00:41:51.89\00:41:53.15
He came back at the
end, but he was saved by the
00:41:53.18\00:41:56.17
skin of his teeth.
00:41:56.20\00:41:57.32
He was saved as by fire.
00:41:57.35\00:41:59.44
Well friends,
I'll tell you what.
00:41:59.47\00:42:01.06
That isn't what I want.
00:42:01.16\00:42:02.52
No, no. No, no.
00:42:02.72\00:42:04.03
I want stars in
my crown. Don't you?
00:42:04.13\00:42:07.27
I want gold in my
character building.
00:42:07.68\00:42:10.43
I want to reflect
the love of Jesus Christ.
00:42:10.46\00:42:12.88
I want to reflect the
faith of Jesus Christ.
00:42:12.91\00:42:15.35
I want precious stones.
00:42:15.38\00:42:16.80
I want to shine
for Jesus. Don't you?
00:42:16.83\00:42:19.23
I do.
00:42:19.26\00:42:20.29
And I want all that,
not in order to be saved.
00:42:24.04\00:42:26.79
Because it
doesn't work that way.
00:42:26.82\00:42:28.61
I want all of that
because I want to glorify God.
00:42:28.72\00:42:33.52
I want to be a blessing.
00:42:34.44\00:42:35.96
I want to be a witness
to the people around me.
00:42:35.99\00:42:38.90
I want to be
instrumental in the hands of God
00:42:38.93\00:42:42.08
to bring about
Revelation chapter 18 verse 1
00:42:42.11\00:42:45.79
where it says that the
whole world will be lightened
00:42:45.82\00:42:49.47
with the glory
of God's character.
00:42:49.50\00:42:51.74
Where will this character be?
00:42:52.20\00:42:53.91
Ah, but it's going to be
in the persons of His saints.
00:42:53.94\00:42:57.39
There's going to be a
people, we know through the
00:42:57.67\00:43:00.32
three angels messages, that are
developed called the 144,000,
00:43:00.35\00:43:04.24
who are without fault
before the throne of God.
00:43:04.44\00:43:07.66
They have the character
of God in their foreheads.
00:43:07.69\00:43:10.09
They sing a new song.
00:43:10.12\00:43:11.77
They are without
guile in their mouth.
00:43:11.97\00:43:13.89
They are not corrupted
by false doctrine anywhere.
00:43:13.92\00:43:16.71
They are God's true people.
00:43:16.74\00:43:18.74
That's what I want.
00:43:18.77\00:43:19.93
I want that experience.
00:43:19.96\00:43:21.30
I want to be used
of heaven to preach the
00:43:21.33\00:43:23.63
gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:43:23.66\00:43:25.09
This is what I want.
00:43:25.12\00:43:26.16
I was thinking about that.
00:43:26.26\00:43:27.59
You know, I have a
personal mission statement
00:43:28.14\00:43:31.25
that I repeat to myself.
00:43:31.28\00:43:32.66
And I repeat it as often
as I can so that I can keep
00:43:32.69\00:43:35.51
myself in tune with it.
00:43:35.54\00:43:37.14
A personal mission statement,
and it goes like this.
00:43:37.66\00:43:40.12
"I aim to live, at all
expense to myself, to honor
00:43:40.15\00:43:46.22
and glorify God and to
bless and give joy to others."
00:43:46.25\00:43:51.43
That's my mission statement.
00:43:51.46\00:43:52.99
"I aim, at all expense
to myself, to honor and
00:43:54.13\00:43:58.57
glorify God and to
bless and give joy to others."
00:43:58.60\00:44:02.77
This is why I
live, this is why...
00:44:02.87\00:44:04.79
Now friends, that's a high bar.
00:44:04.82\00:44:06.90
I don't know if you can tell.
00:44:06.93\00:44:08.15
And I am not, I am not
deceived in this matter
00:44:08.60\00:44:12.43
thinking that I have
reached that high bar.
00:44:12.46\00:44:14.94
Oh no. No, no.
00:44:14.97\00:44:16.51
I am not at all,
in my own estimation,
00:44:16.54\00:44:19.23
feeling like I am like Jesus.
00:44:19.60\00:44:21.84
Ah, but never the
less, it is my goal in life.
00:44:21.87\00:44:25.28
This is my mission.
00:44:25.31\00:44:26.99
This is all I live for.
00:44:27.02\00:44:28.82
I want to be a
blessing to others and I want
00:44:28.85\00:44:31.49
to glorify God.
00:44:31.52\00:44:33.13
Do you?
00:44:33.18\00:44:34.30
Oh, I hope so.
00:44:34.66\00:44:35.95
Friends, there's no
other reason to be a Christian.
00:44:35.98\00:44:38.66
There's no other reason.
00:44:39.08\00:44:40.47
Now, I want to share something
with you that you might think
00:44:41.15\00:44:46.06
does not apply with
the rest of the sermon.
00:44:46.39\00:44:48.76
It's a quotation that
I'm going to share with you.
00:44:49.06\00:44:51.69
And you will think, "Well,
why is that coming in now?
00:44:52.52\00:44:55.64
It has nothing to
do with the subject."
00:44:55.67\00:44:57.17
I will disagree with you.
00:44:57.20\00:44:58.61
It has everything
to do with the subject.
00:44:58.64\00:45:00.62
And I believe we can
go there in a second.
00:45:00.65\00:45:02.96
This is second
Selected Messages, page 288,
00:45:03.06\00:45:05.81
paragraph 0.
00:45:05.84\00:45:07.21
"If the sick and suffering will
do only as well as they know
00:45:07.79\00:45:13.71
in regard to living out the
principles of health reform,
00:45:13.74\00:45:16.93
they will, in nine
cases out of ten, recover
00:45:16.96\00:45:20.30
from their ailment."
00:45:20.33\00:45:21.51
Did you catch
what I just said here?
00:45:21.55\00:45:23.45
If the sick and suffering
will only do as well as they
00:45:23.79\00:45:26.31
know to do in regard to health
reform, they will recover.
00:45:26.34\00:45:29.61
Nine cases out of ten.
00:45:29.64\00:45:30.98
Now isn't that
an amazing promise?
00:45:31.01\00:45:33.38
It's an amazing promise.
00:45:33.70\00:45:34.97
But friends, it's more
than an amazing promise.
00:45:35.00\00:45:37.14
It's a fantastic principle.
00:45:37.17\00:45:39.34
It's a principle and it works.
00:45:39.37\00:45:42.07
God isn't telling anyone
here how much they need to know.
00:45:42.27\00:45:45.59
There's a lot more
that we could know about
00:45:45.62\00:45:48.02
the principles of health reform.
00:45:48.05\00:45:49.73
What He's telling us here
is that if we would surrender
00:45:49.76\00:45:53.57
our lives to Him and live
out our lives to the best of our
00:45:53.60\00:45:57.20
ability, doing the best that
we know to do with what we know.
00:45:57.23\00:46:00.97
He's not saying we need to
know, we need to read the whole
00:46:01.62\00:46:04.50
encyclopedia of health
reform in order to be healthy,
00:46:04.53\00:46:07.81
in order to
recover from our ailments.
00:46:07.84\00:46:10.14
He says, "I'll work with you.
00:46:10.17\00:46:11.79
I'll work with you, if
you will only do as well
00:46:11.82\00:46:14.62
as you know to do.
00:46:14.65\00:46:15.83
I will see to it
that you recover."
00:46:16.13\00:46:18.47
Well friends, now
here's the question.
00:46:18.68\00:46:20.82
Would that work in
other aspects of life?
00:46:21.52\00:46:24.06
Would that work in
the marriage relationship?
00:46:25.08\00:46:27.49
Would that work if you
have financial problems?
00:46:28.29\00:46:31.28
Would that work if you were
fighting a spiritual battle?
00:46:31.31\00:46:34.28
Friends, this is the
secret of successful living.
00:46:34.31\00:46:37.44
But it isn't the
door to salvation.
00:46:37.47\00:46:39.56
It isn't the
key that lets us in.
00:46:39.59\00:46:42.03
Jesus said, "I am the door."
00:46:42.41\00:46:45.39
If any man gets in some other
way, he's a thief and a robber.
00:46:45.42\00:46:49.35
There's only one way
into the kingdom of heaven,
00:46:49.38\00:46:52.08
and that's through Jesus Christ.
00:46:52.11\00:46:54.00
It isn't through what we do.
00:46:54.10\00:46:55.69
It isn't through what
anybody else will do either.
00:46:55.72\00:46:58.96
Ah, but we can
live life successfully.
00:46:58.99\00:47:02.55
And what a blessing that is.
00:47:02.58\00:47:03.93
I would like to
succeed in life, wouldn't you?
00:47:03.96\00:47:06.89
I don't know anyone that
would like to fail in life.
00:47:07.72\00:47:10.18
I would like to succeed
at everything that I do.
00:47:10.28\00:47:12.56
In raising my children.
00:47:13.28\00:47:14.87
What does God say?
00:47:15.48\00:47:16.85
If you will do the
best that you know to do
00:47:16.88\00:47:19.87
in regard to
raising your children.
00:47:19.90\00:47:21.68
Search the counsel of God.
00:47:22.39\00:47:24.11
Read the book, Child Guidance.
00:47:24.14\00:47:25.82
And do the best
that you know how to do.
00:47:26.02\00:47:28.10
And God says, "In
nine cases out of ten,
00:47:28.13\00:47:30.14
I'll see your children through."
00:47:30.17\00:47:31.36
If we raise up a child in
the way that he should go,
00:47:31.39\00:47:33.91
God says, "When he is
old, he shall return to what
00:47:34.01\00:47:36.87
he has learned
when he was young."
00:47:36.90\00:47:38.47
And if we are in love
with a spouse and trouble comes
00:47:38.95\00:47:42.24
between us, is it
possible that if we will do the
00:47:42.27\00:47:45.56
best we know how to do;
read the book, Adventist Home,
00:47:45.59\00:47:49.08
do what God says, do
it with all your heart,
00:47:49.11\00:47:52.15
what does God promise?
00:47:52.83\00:47:54.23
In nine cases
out of ten, He says,
00:47:54.50\00:47:56.19
"I can recover this thing."
00:47:56.22\00:47:57.74
And so we could go to our
diet and even be like Jesus.
00:47:58.21\00:48:01.95
Oh friends, I
want to be like Jesus.
00:48:01.98\00:48:03.90
Read the Scriptures.
00:48:04.67\00:48:06.21
Read "Desire of Ages."
00:48:06.24\00:48:07.32
Read "Steps to Christ."
00:48:07.35\00:48:08.45
Read "Mount of Blessings."
00:48:08.48\00:48:09.51
Keep on reading;
keep imbibing Jesus.
00:48:09.54\00:48:12.35
The more and more you
will receive of Jesus,
00:48:12.59\00:48:15.47
the more and more you
will reflect His image.
00:48:15.50\00:48:18.14
This is how it works.
00:48:18.17\00:48:19.63
Do what you know to do
to the best of your ability,
00:48:19.66\00:48:24.26
and God promises, in
nine cases out of ten,
00:48:24.29\00:48:26.95
He can see us through.
00:48:26.98\00:48:28.52
Salvation is not by
faith through works,
00:48:28.55\00:48:32.90
or plus works.
00:48:33.37\00:48:34.94
Salvation is by grace
alone, through faith alone,
00:48:35.24\00:48:39.63
in Christ alone.
00:48:39.66\00:48:41.39
It is a gift from God.
00:48:41.42\00:48:43.47
Not of works, lest
any man should boast.
00:48:43.50\00:48:46.98
Works are the fruit
of that wonderful gift.
00:48:47.01\00:48:51.40
And then we are
rewarded accordingly.
00:48:52.42\00:48:55.25
And we're told in the
Scriptures in Matthew chapter 19
00:48:55.45\00:48:58.50
verse 28 and 29,
that we are saved by faith
00:48:58.53\00:49:02.83
and we are rewarded
according to our works
00:49:02.86\00:49:05.56
a hundred fold in
this world, it says.
00:49:05.59\00:49:08.28
And in the world
to come, eternal life,
00:49:08.31\00:49:10.91
eternal happiness,
eternal youthfulness,
00:49:10.94\00:49:14.24
eternal growth in Jesus Christ.
00:49:14.27\00:49:17.39
What a
blessing. What a blessing.
00:49:17.42\00:49:19.74
And I've seen this in action.
00:49:19.94\00:49:21.88
My wife and I went to Lesotho.
00:49:23.02\00:49:24.83
We had received a call in a
little country called Lesotho.
00:49:24.86\00:49:28.35
Now some of you may not
know where this country,
00:49:28.86\00:49:30.72
Lesotho, is found.
00:49:30.76\00:49:32.83
But if you went to South Africa,
you looked at the country of
00:49:32.93\00:49:36.05
South Africa, in the
very middle of South Africa
00:49:36.08\00:49:38.64
there's a little landlocked
country there called, Lesotho.
00:49:38.67\00:49:42.18
A doctor by the name of
Richard Lukens, and his wife,
00:49:42.56\00:49:45.96
Dr. Lorna Lukens, had
started a mission there
00:49:45.99\00:49:48.85
in a little valley where there
were 3000 indigenous people.
00:49:48.88\00:49:53.67
And they had started
a clinic in this valley.
00:49:53.70\00:49:56.67
Richard and Lorna
decided that they would
00:49:57.34\00:49:59.23
come back to
America and that they would
00:49:59.26\00:50:01.96
send their children to school.
00:50:01.99\00:50:03.20
They had to
come back to America.
00:50:03.23\00:50:04.40
So they gave us a call.
00:50:04.43\00:50:05.65
We went over there with our
teenagers because we thought
00:50:05.68\00:50:08.84
we needed to give
them an education also.
00:50:08.87\00:50:11.05
But a different
kind of education.
00:50:11.08\00:50:12.87
What a blessing
it is, both sides.
00:50:12.97\00:50:14.60
I don't say anything
wrong with either side.
00:50:14.63\00:50:16.77
By the way, my children
are still in the church;
00:50:16.90\00:50:19.61
Richard's children
are still in the church.
00:50:19.82\00:50:21.84
And so God works with us all.
00:50:21.87\00:50:23.97
Well, when we got there, the
chiefs decided to call a meeting
00:50:24.07\00:50:28.89
and they called us in.
00:50:28.92\00:50:30.16
And they said to
Richard Lukens, who is a doctor,
00:50:30.68\00:50:32.84
"Listen, the only reason we
allowed you to be in this valley
00:50:32.87\00:50:36.14
is so you could start a clinic.
00:50:36.17\00:50:38.95
And you started a
clinic, you've done a great job.
00:50:39.73\00:50:42.03
Now you're going away and you're
bringing in some other people.
00:50:42.06\00:50:44.79
Well, the only reason we
would accept these other people
00:50:45.39\00:50:48.77
is if they will
keep the clinic going."
00:50:48.80\00:50:51.01
Well, piece of cake.
00:50:51.11\00:50:52.24
My wife has a
grade 10 education,
00:50:52.54\00:50:54.48
I have a grade 10 education.
00:50:54.51\00:50:56.01
That's 20 years together.
00:50:56.04\00:50:57.52
I guess we can keep a
clinic going, can't we?
00:50:57.55\00:51:00.45
Well no, not exactly.
00:51:00.79\00:51:02.72
That's not how it works.
00:51:02.75\00:51:03.88
Well we did decide that we
would keep the clinic going.
00:51:03.91\00:51:06.61
And there were many
other circumstances.
00:51:06.64\00:51:09.45
We were in close
connection with Maluti Hospital
00:51:09.55\00:51:11.99
and we had doctors
helping us all the time.
00:51:12.02\00:51:14.18
And so, my wife...
00:51:14.38\00:51:15.81
And the one thing you
need to understand is, my wife
00:51:15.84\00:51:18.56
has huge aptitude
towards knowing what to do
00:51:18.59\00:51:22.82
in any kind of situation.
00:51:22.85\00:51:24.45
And so she was well
adapted to this situation.
00:51:24.56\00:51:27.52
Dr. Lukens stayed back four
months and he taught my wife
00:51:28.31\00:51:32.66
everything he could
teach her in four months.
00:51:32.69\00:51:34.90
How to pull teeth,
and how to suture wounds,
00:51:34.93\00:51:37.07
and how to dispense
medicine, and how to deal with
00:51:37.10\00:51:39.46
venereal diseases, and how to
deal with all kinds of things.
00:51:39.49\00:51:42.65
There was one thing he
didn't teach her, however.
00:51:42.68\00:51:44.85
And she had to learn
it in a different way.
00:51:44.88\00:51:47.61
One night, it was midnight,
we were in bed sleeping,
00:51:47.71\00:51:52.89
and all of a sudden we
heard a racket outside.
00:51:52.92\00:51:55.25
All kinds of noise.
00:51:55.28\00:51:56.64
Now you have to
understand, Lesotho is called,
00:51:56.67\00:51:59.91
the kingdom in the sky, because
it's built on top of mountains.
00:51:59.94\00:52:03.04
The Drakensberg mountains on
one side or the Maluti mountains
00:52:03.07\00:52:06.79
on the other side.
00:52:06.82\00:52:07.85
And my driveway was
up and down like this.
00:52:07.88\00:52:10.12
I had cemented two
tracks, cement tracks.
00:52:10.15\00:52:13.21
And what was happening
is, there was an ox cart
00:52:13.31\00:52:16.39
coming down this cement track.
00:52:16.42\00:52:18.20
It was making
all kinds of noise.
00:52:18.68\00:52:20.52
We went out to meet
them, whoever they were.
00:52:20.77\00:52:23.12
And when we got out
there, we found out that
00:52:23.24\00:52:25.72
there was a woman in the
ox cart ready to be delivered.
00:52:25.75\00:52:28.80
What to do?
00:52:29.78\00:52:30.94
The woman said to my wife,
"You must deliver my baby."
00:52:31.14\00:52:34.23
Well, Richard had
not had the opportunity
00:52:34.49\00:52:36.74
to teach her how
to deliver babies.
00:52:36.77\00:52:38.67
My wife said to the
woman, "But, but, but...
00:52:38.70\00:52:40.94
I don't know how
to deliver babies.
00:52:40.97\00:52:43.00
I don't know what to do.
00:52:43.03\00:52:44.08
There's a hospital
12 kilometers from here.
00:52:44.11\00:52:46.39
Why don't you go there and they
can deliver your baby for you."
00:52:46.42\00:52:50.24
But the woman said,
"Well, I'm in an ox cart.
00:52:50.49\00:52:53.91
I won't get there in time.
00:52:54.68\00:52:56.35
I am ready to deliver now.
00:52:56.68\00:52:58.45
You must deliver my baby."
00:52:58.48\00:53:00.91
Well I went down into
the little library that the
00:53:01.18\00:53:04.34
doctor had left
behind, and I found a book.
00:53:04.37\00:53:06.80
And amazingly, I
found a book with a chapter
00:53:06.83\00:53:09.77
on how to deliver babies.
00:53:09.87\00:53:12.49
And then I lit all the lanterns,
because we had no electricity.
00:53:13.55\00:53:17.10
And I boiled water in
order to deliver the baby.
00:53:17.13\00:53:19.85
Not knowing that you don't need
to boil water to deliver babies.
00:53:19.88\00:53:23.74
But they do it in the movies,
and so I boiled some water.
00:53:23.77\00:53:27.51
My wife came in
there, I gave her the book.
00:53:27.96\00:53:31.31
And with the book in one hand,
she delivered her very first
00:53:31.41\00:53:34.49
baby with the other hand.
00:53:34.52\00:53:37.03
But here's the issue.
00:53:37.06\00:53:38.31
My wife has delivered...
00:53:39.78\00:53:41.33
I can't tell you
because we never counted them.
00:53:41.53\00:53:43.78
My wife has delivered scores
of babies, scores of babies.
00:53:43.81\00:53:47.48
I don't know how many babies.
00:53:47.51\00:53:48.87
Maybe a hundred,
maybe more, babies.
00:53:48.90\00:53:50.74
And do you know that
my wife never lost one.
00:53:51.01\00:53:55.61
Not even one.
00:53:56.00\00:53:57.20
How can that be?
00:53:57.48\00:53:58.74
She delivered babies
in the back of pickups,
00:53:58.77\00:54:00.89
she delivered babies
on the ground outside,
00:54:00.92\00:54:02.89
she delivered
babies in smoky huts,
00:54:02.92\00:54:05.05
she delivered babies at
our house all over the place.
00:54:05.25\00:54:08.11
She delivered in
all kinds of situations.
00:54:08.31\00:54:10.05
She delivered
babies that were breach,
00:54:10.08\00:54:12.25
she delivered babies with the
cords wrapped around their neck.
00:54:12.28\00:54:14.86
She has delivered
babies that she had to give
00:54:14.89\00:54:17.75
artificial resuscitation to.
00:54:17.78\00:54:19.85
And she never lost one.
00:54:20.50\00:54:22.94
Do you know why
she never lost one?
00:54:22.97\00:54:25.45
Because she didn't
know how to deliver babies.
00:54:26.13\00:54:28.76
That's why.
00:54:28.79\00:54:29.82
Every time someone would
come to us in order to have
00:54:30.03\00:54:33.36
a baby delivered, my
wife would get on her knees
00:54:33.39\00:54:36.03
and she would say to God,
"Listen, I did not come here
00:54:36.06\00:54:39.83
to hurt anyone.
00:54:39.86\00:54:41.16
I came here to be a blessing.
00:54:41.19\00:54:43.20
Don't send me
anything that I can't handle."
00:54:43.23\00:54:45.64
Well friends, God
allowed all kinds of situations
00:54:45.67\00:54:49.06
to come to her.
00:54:49.09\00:54:50.35
And do you know
that she never lost one.
00:54:50.38\00:54:55.57
That's an illustration
of the plan of salvation.
00:54:55.92\00:54:58.42
Can you see it?
00:54:58.45\00:54:59.49
Can you see it?
00:55:00.10\00:55:01.30
She didn't know
how; she didn't lose one.
00:55:04.26\00:55:07.63
We cannot save ourselves.
00:55:08.00\00:55:09.74
We cannot heal ourselves.
00:55:09.77\00:55:11.70
We need not be lost.
00:55:11.73\00:55:15.44
God is willing to
work with what we give Him.
00:55:16.46\00:55:20.48
He says, "If you'll only do
as well as you know to do in any
00:55:21.68\00:55:25.57
given line, in nine cases out
of ten I'll see you through."
00:55:25.60\00:55:29.81
This is His plan.
00:55:30.23\00:55:31.64
The door to salvation
is in Jesus Christ alone.
00:55:32.03\00:55:35.62
There is no other door.
00:55:35.65\00:55:37.18
We find our assurance
in what Jesus has done
00:55:37.21\00:55:39.56
at the cross of Calvary.
00:55:39.59\00:55:41.00
We find our
assurance in His perfect life,
00:55:41.03\00:55:43.37
in His atoning death, in
His victorious resurrection.
00:55:43.40\00:55:46.92
He find our
salvation in Him alone.
00:55:46.95\00:55:49.12
There is no other salvation.
00:55:49.15\00:55:50.88
Ah, but once we have
grasped the salvation of God,
00:55:51.43\00:55:55.98
then we want to reciprocate.
00:55:56.59\00:55:59.15
Then we want to, out of
a heart full of gratitude,
00:55:59.18\00:56:02.44
we want to please God.
00:56:02.54\00:56:04.85
We want to be a
blessing in this world.
00:56:04.88\00:56:07.32
We want to be like Him.
00:56:07.80\00:56:09.64
We want to be a
witness in this world.
00:56:09.67\00:56:11.50
We want to be involved in the
last great warning to the world,
00:56:11.53\00:56:15.73
where the whole world
is lightened with the glory
00:56:15.76\00:56:18.71
of God's character.
00:56:18.74\00:56:20.36
Is there anyone in this
audience that would like to say,
00:56:20.39\00:56:24.40
"Yes, this is what I want.
00:56:24.43\00:56:26.58
I understand."
00:56:26.61\00:56:28.22
Ah friends, may God bless you.
00:56:28.83\00:56:31.01
May God bless all of you.
00:56:31.04\00:56:33.42
Shall we bow.
00:56:34.17\00:56:35.52
Heavenly Father,
thank You for Your love.
00:56:36.13\00:56:40.90
Thank You for the
plan of salvation.
00:56:41.32\00:56:44.15
Thank You for helping us
to see that our salvation
00:56:44.51\00:56:47.20
is in Jesus alone.
00:56:47.23\00:56:49.02
Ah, but we can grow
from there, eternally grow.
00:56:49.44\00:56:53.69
And we'll put no hope
in anything that we do,
00:56:53.72\00:56:56.81
but in only You.
00:56:56.84\00:56:57.98
Father, You are so good.
00:56:58.01\00:56:59.85
We thank You with
all of our hearts.
00:56:59.88\00:57:01.84
And we would like to ask
You that You would help us
00:57:01.87\00:57:04.94
to see as the apostle
Paul saw in that verse,
00:57:04.97\00:57:09.09
Galatians chapter 6 verse
14; to glory in nothing but
00:57:09.87\00:57:14.27
the cross, because at the cross
alone we can find the answer
00:57:14.30\00:57:18.19
to all the problems in life.
00:57:18.22\00:57:20.61
We want to have no
glory in the world.
00:57:20.64\00:57:23.38
We want the world not
to like us at all either.
00:57:23.41\00:57:27.84
Thank You. In Jesus' name, amen.
00:57:27.87\00:57:30.88