Hello, and welcome to
3ABN, "A Sharper Focus."
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My name is John Lomacang,
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I'll be your
host for this program,
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and I'd like to
once again welcome you
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to the first of our many
broadcasts of a Sharper Focus.
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Now, if you're
joining us via television,
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we welcome you,
if you're joining us
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via Internet or
radio or satellite,
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or whatever medium you're using,
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remember this
time and this station
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because right now
you're watching the only
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live prayer meeting
broadcast around the world
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from your station, Three
Angels Broadcasting Network.
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And all of us here
would like to welcome you
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with a hearty amen.
Can you say, "Amen?"
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You know, a few months ago,
the idea came to our president
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Pastor Jim Gilley, as to
how we can grow our channel,
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how we can be a
greater blessing to those
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who are members of our network
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and people that
support this ministry.
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And we thought, well you know,
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since Wednesday night
seems to be a dying blessing,
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so to speak, and that's an
oxymoron the dying blessing,
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but something that seems to
be fating away in many churches,
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not just the Adventist Church.
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And so, what better time
to recharge our batteries,
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revitalize our lives spiritually
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than in the middle of
the week as we get together
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as a people of God, to
study and pray together.
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And so remember, if
your church does not have
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Wednesday night prayer meeting,
even if you're living far away
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and you can't make it,
invite friends to your house,
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maybe you wanna videotape this.
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If you do have prayer meeting
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and share with your
friends and your families,
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as well as your church family.
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And for those pastors
that have many churches,
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this may, we
hope, be a help to you
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as you grow your
congregation spiritually.
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Before we go any further though,
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I'd like to invite you
to bow your heads with me
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as we invite the Lord's
presence to continue with us.
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Let us pray. Our
gracious Father in heaven,
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we thank you, Lord, so much
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that whenever we open Your word,
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we open up to our minds
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a treasure house that's deeper
than intellect can comprehend,
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but we also open ourselves
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to the working
of your Holy Spirit.
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And so tonight, as
we begin this program,
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as we begin, sort to
speak, this anchor program,
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we ask that You'll
guide us from the inception,
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and if it goes until
the day that You return,
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Father, giveth the
strength, and giveth the context
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and the meaning that You desire.
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But bless us with Your presence
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and with Your Holy Angels
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and with the power
of Your Holy Spirit
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in Jesus name we
pray, and God's people said-
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Amen! Amen. Amen!
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Now the question
that people may ask us,
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why the phrase
"A Sharper Focus?"
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Now I'm a person
that likes photography
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and our cameras here at 3ABN,
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particularly like
when things are in focus,
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but think about a
camera for a brief moment.
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A camera has a body,
it has a view finder,
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it also has a lens
with focusing capabilities.
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Now the camera
would be of no value,
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of absolutely no value unless
it has a subject to focus on.
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In other words, if
you brought a camera
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and never used it, you
might as well take it back,
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but when the lens is
pointed at the subject,
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the lens focuses to produce
a very, very clear picture.
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So here at, at our
topic on "A Sharper Focus,"
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our program on
the "A Sharper Focus,"
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we're taking topics in
the Bible that are not clear
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and we're focusing to make
those hopefully clearer to you.
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The Lord says, "Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet,
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and a light unto my paths."
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And the one thing I've
learned about photography,
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the more light that's
focused on the subject,
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the quicker it comes into focus,
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and the clearer and
brighter it appears.
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And so the word
of God is the light
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that we're
gonna be looking into,
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that's gonna shed a
brighter ray of divine light
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on whatever topic we cover.
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And there are a lot of topics
that are not very, very clear.
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And so here at
"A Sharper Focus,"
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there's a text in the
Book of Psalms 119 verse 130.
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You don't have to turn
that, I'll just read it to you.
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But it says, "The entrance
of your word gives light,
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it gives
understanding to the simple."
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So the Bible is
going to be the light
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that we're going to
share on every subject,
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and hopefully when we're done,
it will be brought into a--
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"A Sharper focus!" A--
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"A Sharper
focus!" "A Sharper focus!"
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Now the topic, we're gonna
begin with is one entitled,
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"How to Live a Spiritual
Life in a Natural Body."
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Now I once said,
"The hardest thing about
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being a Christian is
living the Christian life."
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It's one thing to be baptized,
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it's one thing
to join the church,
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but how to be victorious.
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It's like joining
a basketball team,
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joining a football
team, you don't win the game
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by joining the team,
you have to learn the rules,
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you have to learn the plays,
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you have to
focus on the opponent,
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you have to study
diligently to be victorious
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when the game
comes. And so here,
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what we're gonna do
is look at the topic
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of how to live a
victorious Christian life,
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and see what the Bible says,
in fact, is the foundation,
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the middle and the
top of what it means
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to be a victorious Christian.
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I have grown since
I've been a Christian.
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Anybody else here? Yes!
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We've all grown. But,
do we have growing left?
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Every one of us
is continuing to grow
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and the
confidence we have is this.
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The Lord says, "He who has begun
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a good work in
you will do, what?
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complete it until
the day of Jesus Christ."
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So where I used to be,
thank God I'm not there.
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But where I'm going
to be, I'm on my way.
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So if the Lord is gonna
reflect through my life,
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and if you see there
are changes in my life
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for the better,
give God the glory.
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But the reason why this
topic is so vitally important
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is because many
people join the church,
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and they often say, you know,
I've got the victory over drugs
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and alcohol and pornography
and cigarettes and gambling,
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and a bad temper,
over the big sins,
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but then they also
confess that they are struggling
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with little sins. That
seems kind of odd to me.
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If God could deliver
you from the big sins,
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surely God can deliver
you from the little sins.
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The other thing
is, sometimes we become
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members of a church and
don't know what to expect,
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and as a marriage
counselor I always say,
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"If you don't ask
for what you want,
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you have to
settle for what you get.
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But if you don't
ask for what you want,
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you don't know what to expect."
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So a lot of times people
become Christians and say,
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"Okay, great, I'm a
Christian now, I'm saved
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I'm baptized,
I'm in the church."
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Oh, I'm so happy
that battle is fought,
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it's over and
done, but you'll discover
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as we study this topic,
when you become a Christian,
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the battle begins.
Can you say amen to that?
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But so often, we don't focus on
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what we do after
we become Christians.
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If you think of
the life of Jesus
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there in Matthew Chapter 3,
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when He stepped down into
the Jordan and was baptized,
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we know He was
baptized to take away His sin.
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Praise God for that.
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But it was right after
His baptism that the devil
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came to Him in the
wilderness to tempt Him.
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And as long as
I've been a pastor,
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I always say to
people, "After you baptized,
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after you're
baptized into the church,
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you're going to have a
wilderness experience."
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Anybody had one of those? Amen!
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I could say
this publicly because
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my friend is
Pastor Doug Batchelor,
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because he said many years ago
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and God has
brought him a long way.
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But he said that
the day he got baptized,
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he spent that night in jail.
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So we don't go
from baptism to victory
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anymore than we go
from the first game
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of the season to the Superbowl,
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and that time
hasn't even come yet.
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But we're going to
unpack what it means
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to live a
victorious Christian life.
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And by the way, this
topic is very, very deep.
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There are a lot of
books written on it.
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You have "Steps to Christ."
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You have
"Christ's Object Lessons."
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There is another
book, a favorite of mine
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by a writer by the name
of Meade MacGuire called
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"The Life of Victory."
But what we're going to do is
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we're gonna take the Bible.
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And by the way, for
those of you who are joining us
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just a bit of very
important information.
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We also are going to ask
you to send your prayer requests
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and your
questions, and your comments.
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And we have a couple of places
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that you can get
that information.
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And by the way,
if you're joining us
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and you have access
to the Internet tonight,
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you can go to
our church's website,
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www.tvsdac.org and
download the lesson for tonight.
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You'll see there a link
entitled "A Sharper Focus."
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And you can download the lesson
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and follow us along in your home
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or wherever you join us from.
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That's once
again www.tvsdac.org.
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In the future,
you'll have a website there
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with the 3ABN
address, but for tonight,
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download the syllabus and
follow us along in the lesson.
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For your questions
and your prayer requests,
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and your comments, we
also have a page on Facebook,
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A Sharper Focus 3ABN.
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Put that in on
the search engine,
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and you'll find us on Facebook.
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Upload your
questions, your comments,
00:09:06.41\00:09:08.71
and your prayer requests.
00:09:08.71\00:09:09.94
Beginning next week we'll read
some of those prayer requests
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and your comments
also. And finally on Twitter.
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We might as well make
technology work for us,
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what do you say? Amen!
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Twitter, Facebook, the Internet,
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and if you have a cell-phone
that has the capability
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of watching us, don't
do it while you're driving,
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I encourage you. But tonight,
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I'd like to open the word of God
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and I will begin
with the question
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that's vitally important.
Our question number one,
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and if you have your Bibles,
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turn with us to the
scripture that you see there.
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The first question for
our series and for tonight is,
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what are we called to reflect?
What are we called to reflect?
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And for the answer, go
to the Book of Ephesians.
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What book did I say? Ephesians.
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Ephesians Chapter
4, Ephesians Chapter 4.
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And if you don't
have a Bible, that's okay,
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we have it on the screen also.
00:10:01.76\00:10:04.03
Ephesians Chapter
4, the question is,
00:10:04.03\00:10:06.00
what are we called to reflect?
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Ephesians
Chapter 4 and verse 13,
00:10:09.57\00:10:12.57
is where we find our answer.
00:10:12.57\00:10:14.88
And the Bible reads,
Till we all come to the, what?
00:10:14.88\00:10:19.75
Unity of the faith and of
the knowledge of the Son of God,
00:10:19.75\00:10:23.95
to a perfect man, to
the measure of the stature
00:10:23.95\00:10:27.86
of the fullness of Christ."
What do we called to reflect?
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We're called to
reflect the fullness of Christ,
00:10:32.99\00:10:36.73
not just Christ, but
the fullness of Christ.
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It's like going into a
hall, if the hall is not full,
00:10:39.43\00:10:42.60
it's an empty hall.
Sometimes you see a picture,
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you don't see the full
picture it's a partial picture.
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We are not called to
reflect a part of Christ,
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we're called to
reflect the fullness of Christ.
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And that's a process
as Ephesians 4 points out.
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We're called to
reflect the fullness of Christ.
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But let's follow along.
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So if the Lord calls us
to reflect His fullness,
00:11:02.26\00:11:05.76
what do you think Satan
is gonna be determined to do,
00:11:05.76\00:11:09.80
which takes us to
question number two?
00:11:09.80\00:11:11.63
Follow it. What
is Satan determined
00:11:11.63\00:11:15.87
to keep us from reflecting?
00:11:15.87\00:11:20.91
We know the answer is
the fullness of Christ,
00:11:20.91\00:11:22.78
but let's see
what the Bible says.
00:11:22.78\00:11:25.21
Let's see what the Bible says.
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And now we turn
to Second Corinthians
00:11:26.25\00:11:28.38
Chapter 4 verse 3 and 4.
This is a very vital topic.
00:11:28.38\00:11:32.22
And by the way,
what we don't know is,
00:11:32.22\00:11:35.42
as Christians we're called to be
00:11:35.42\00:11:37.19
representatives of
Jesus in the world.
00:11:37.19\00:11:39.43
Can you say amen to that? Amen.
00:11:39.43\00:11:41.63
Because the world
doesn't see Christ,
00:11:41.63\00:11:45.00
but if you spell
the word Christian,
00:11:45.00\00:11:46.70
what do you have at
the very beginning of that?
00:11:46.70\00:11:48.44
Christ. C-H-R-I-S-T, I-A-N,
00:11:48.44\00:11:54.18
we're called to give the world
00:11:54.18\00:11:56.48
a representation
of who Christ is.
00:11:56.48\00:11:58.98
But one of the great challenges
is to reflect to the world
00:11:58.98\00:12:02.98
who Christ is unless
we know what to reflect.
00:12:02.98\00:12:06.59
And by the way,
before we go to the answer.
00:12:06.59\00:12:09.39
There are a number of
reasons why it's not very easy
00:12:09.39\00:12:12.43
to reflect the image of Christ
00:12:12.43\00:12:13.90
when you first
become a Christian.
00:12:13.90\00:12:15.86
We'll talk about
that in just a moment.
00:12:15.86\00:12:17.30
We'll talk about the difference
between justification,
00:12:17.30\00:12:19.83
sanctification,
and glorification.
00:12:19.83\00:12:22.54
In other words,
when the race begins,
00:12:22.54\00:12:24.51
the race doesn't end.
00:12:24.51\00:12:25.57
There's a whole
lot of running to do,
00:12:25.57\00:12:27.58
a whole lot of growing
to do as we enter the race.
00:12:27.58\00:12:29.74
But notice what the
Paul the Apostles says,
00:12:29.74\00:12:32.11
"Satan is determined to
do." Second Corinthians 4,
00:12:32.11\00:12:35.42
beginning with verse 3 and 4.
00:12:35.42\00:12:37.42
It says, "But even
if our gospel is veiled,
00:12:37.42\00:12:40.89
or hidden as the
King James Version says,
00:12:40.89\00:12:43.16
it is veiled to
those who are what?
00:12:43.16\00:12:46.23
Perishing, whose minds the
God of this age has blinded,
00:12:46.23\00:12:50.83
who do not believe,
lest the light of the gospel
00:12:50.83\00:12:54.97
of the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God,
00:12:54.97\00:12:58.47
should do what? Shine!
00:12:58.47\00:12:59.91
Should shine on them."
Now just to emphasis this,
00:12:59.91\00:13:04.25
I think this fits right now.
00:13:04.25\00:13:06.08
There's a light shining on them.
00:13:06.08\00:13:07.68
If I step outside
the light, you'll know.
00:13:07.68\00:13:09.88
Now our guys
did a very good job,
00:13:09.88\00:13:11.32
but I'm doing
this intentionally.
00:13:11.32\00:13:12.59
The more step away from
the light the darker it gets.
00:13:12.59\00:13:14.79
Have you noticed that?
00:13:14.79\00:13:15.92
Now this is where we
are before we accept Christ.
00:13:15.92\00:13:19.13
And the Bible says, "He calls us
00:13:19.13\00:13:20.50
out of darkness
into His what? Marvelous!
00:13:20.50\00:13:22.86
Into His marvelous light."
00:13:22.86\00:13:24.37
Now lot of times we say the
marvelous light is His word,
00:13:24.37\00:13:27.94
but I have a different
approach to that because
00:13:27.94\00:13:29.67
Jesus is the light of the world.
00:13:29.67\00:13:32.57
And I would say that, He
is brighter than His word.
00:13:32.57\00:13:34.94
As a matter of fact,
this is the written word,
00:13:34.94\00:13:37.28
and the written word is not
brighter than the living word.
00:13:37.28\00:13:41.28
The reason I say
that is because the Bible
00:13:41.28\00:13:43.02
doesn't reveal
everything about the Lord.
00:13:43.02\00:13:45.69
I like the way that
John the Apostle put it.
00:13:45.69\00:13:48.49
He said, "If
everything that Jesus had done,
00:13:48.49\00:13:54.13
had been written in a book.
00:13:54.13\00:13:56.60
I supposed that the
world itself could not contain
00:13:56.60\00:13:59.53
all the things that He did."
00:13:59.53\00:14:00.67
Can you say amen to that? Amen.
00:14:00.67\00:14:02.17
So the Bible on the reveals,
00:14:02.17\00:14:03.67
what needs to be
revealed for our growth
00:14:03.67\00:14:06.07
and for salvation,
and for revealing Christ?
00:14:06.07\00:14:09.01
But God calls us out of darkness
00:14:09.01\00:14:10.75
into this marvelous light.
00:14:10.75\00:14:11.98
And it's Satan's determination
to keep the gospel of Christ,
00:14:11.98\00:14:17.92
who is the image of
God from shinning on us.
00:14:17.92\00:14:21.79
That's why often times
when you become a Christian--
00:14:21.79\00:14:24.26
Let me just ask the question.
00:14:24.26\00:14:25.36
When you wake up in the morning,
00:14:25.36\00:14:26.39
do you ever have
any battle between
00:14:26.39\00:14:27.96
what you should do
and what you want to do?
00:14:27.96\00:14:30.17
Yes or no? Everyone of us,
00:14:30.17\00:14:33.84
when you wake up in the morning,
00:14:33.84\00:14:34.97
I always say to people,
when you get up in the morning
00:14:34.97\00:14:36.47
guess who is waiting for you?
00:14:36.47\00:14:38.67
Guess who is--somebody tell
me guess who is waiting for you.
00:14:38.67\00:14:40.38
I don't know. No, you are.
00:14:40.38\00:14:43.48
You are waiting for you,
00:14:43.48\00:14:45.45
because the
challenge of being a Christian
00:14:45.45\00:14:47.38
is living a spiritual
life in a natural body.
00:14:47.38\00:14:51.59
We are not immortal. We
are not incorruptible yet.
00:14:51.59\00:14:55.36
The things that we used
to do, now I must confessed,
00:14:55.36\00:14:58.23
I used to be a disc
jockey, I used to gamble,
00:14:58.23\00:15:00.20
I was a pool
hustler. I remember,
00:15:00.20\00:15:02.50
I can go back to a
club, but you know, what?
00:15:02.50\00:15:04.33
God has taken for me the desire,
00:15:04.33\00:15:05.97
what do you say? Amen!
00:15:05.97\00:15:07.37
He does, those are victories.
00:15:07.37\00:15:09.57
And one of the
greatest evidences
00:15:09.57\00:15:11.41
that the plan
of salvation works,
00:15:11.41\00:15:13.58
is a victory in the
life of a Christian. Amen.
00:15:13.58\00:15:16.88
Now, can you
imagine, Paul the Apostle,
00:15:16.88\00:15:19.11
we'll read the story, how
Paul used to killed Christians.
00:15:19.11\00:15:22.12
Just say for example,
Paul was living in our day
00:15:22.12\00:15:25.69
and Paul was
preaching in our church
00:15:25.69\00:15:27.59
and Paul stood in
the pulpit, and said,
00:15:27.59\00:15:29.49
"You know, I'm still
battling with that that,
00:15:29.49\00:15:32.83
you know, that
that, that every now
00:15:32.83\00:15:35.26
and then I feel
like killing somebody.
00:15:35.26\00:15:36.60
I'm still battling that you
pray that are overcome day."
00:15:36.60\00:15:41.04
Wouldn't you have a hard
time listen to his sermon?
00:15:41.04\00:15:42.74
If you had a pastor
on the pulpit that says,
00:15:49.81\00:15:51.28
"You know, I'm
really struggling with that,
00:15:51.28\00:15:53.11
I'm trying to
overcome cigarettes and, man,
00:15:53.11\00:15:55.65
after the sermon I
got to get a drink."
00:15:55.65\00:15:59.05
Wouldn't you have a hard
time listen to that sermon?
00:15:59.05\00:16:02.16
And you would say, and
you would say as a person
00:16:02.16\00:16:05.36
who may not be looking
at yourself, you may say,
00:16:05.36\00:16:07.93
"How could he possibly stand
over there and preach a sermon
00:16:07.93\00:16:10.37
while he's still
struggling with alcohol
00:16:10.37\00:16:12.23
and cigarettes
and killing folk."
00:16:12.23\00:16:16.14
When in fact, the ones
that he's preaching to,
00:16:16.14\00:16:18.11
maybe struggling
with the very same things.
00:16:18.11\00:16:20.94
However, I must say,
there is a responsibility
00:16:20.94\00:16:25.01
to have standing in the desk,
00:16:25.01\00:16:26.01
so I'm not by any
means giving a license
00:16:26.01\00:16:28.32
to preach your sermon or
why you're still struggling
00:16:28.32\00:16:31.42
with alcohol and
cigarettes and smoking,
00:16:31.42\00:16:33.12
but a lot of
people live private lives.
00:16:33.12\00:16:35.42
But the greatest testament
that the plan of salvation
00:16:35.42\00:16:38.19
does work is when the
glory of God is shining on us.
00:16:38.19\00:16:43.00
But the question we
have to ask ourselves is,
00:16:43.00\00:16:44.97
where do we get?
00:16:44.97\00:16:46.57
Where we do we get
the image of God from?
00:16:46.57\00:16:49.00
That's question number three.
So if you're following along,
00:16:49.00\00:16:52.34
question number one, we
are called to reflect what?
00:16:52.34\00:16:55.68
The fullness of Christ.
00:16:55.68\00:16:56.88
What is Satan determined
to keep us from doing?
00:16:56.88\00:16:59.41
Reflecting the glory,
that light, the image of God.
00:16:59.41\00:17:03.12
He's determined to keep us from,
00:17:03.12\00:17:04.85
from reflecting
the image of God.
00:17:04.85\00:17:06.39
In other words,
sometimes, I heard a story
00:17:06.39\00:17:09.39
about a husband and wife,
and this is really amazing.
00:17:09.39\00:17:13.50
The son was behaving
very, very badly and,
00:17:13.50\00:17:16.46
and the wife and
husband got together to talk
00:17:16.46\00:17:18.03
about having to have
a teachers' conference.
00:17:18.03\00:17:20.47
And the wife said to the husband
00:17:20.47\00:17:21.87
while the kid is behaving badly.
00:17:21.87\00:17:24.24
You need to go to school
and take care of your son.
00:17:24.24\00:17:29.48
But when the child was
doing well, the wife said,
00:17:29.48\00:17:33.28
"That's my boy."
You get the point?
00:17:33.28\00:17:36.75
When the child was
doing badly that's your son.
00:17:36.75\00:17:40.36
But when the child was
doing well, that's my son.
00:17:40.36\00:17:43.36
We don't identify with failure,
00:17:43.36\00:17:45.16
we often identify
with success, am I right?
00:17:45.16\00:17:48.20
And so, in fact, for
Christ who identify with us
00:17:48.20\00:17:50.80
which brings us to
a thought in the Bible
00:17:50.80\00:17:52.30
about the story of Job.
00:17:52.30\00:17:53.50
Remember, when the devil was
talking with God and wondering
00:17:53.50\00:17:57.17
how far God will
let him go with the Job.
00:17:57.17\00:17:59.37
The Lord said to the devil,
00:17:59.37\00:18:01.34
"Have you
considered my servant, Job?
00:18:01.34\00:18:04.41
Now, you may not know
it, but on any given day
00:18:04.41\00:18:06.38
without any prior notice,
00:18:06.38\00:18:07.75
the devil and God maybe
having a conversation about you.
00:18:07.75\00:18:12.29
I mean, is that far fetched?
00:18:12.29\00:18:15.26
But I want the Lord to
be able to say about me.
00:18:15.26\00:18:16.99
Have ye considered my
servant, John? Amen. Amen.
00:18:16.99\00:18:20.23
In other words, my life,
00:18:20.23\00:18:21.23
your life
should be a reflection,
00:18:21.23\00:18:22.60
the fact that
the Lord can bring us
00:18:22.60\00:18:25.17
from one victory
to the other. Amen.
00:18:25.17\00:18:27.97
Here's the question,
question number three.
00:18:27.97\00:18:30.77
Where do we get
the image of God?
00:18:30.77\00:18:32.97
Where does it come from?
00:18:32.97\00:18:34.24
Where do we get
this image of God?
00:18:34.24\00:18:35.88
It's not something
that we naturally have.
00:18:35.88\00:18:37.98
Go with me in the Bible,
00:18:37.98\00:18:38.95
Genesis Chapter 1 and verse 26.
00:18:38.95\00:18:40.88
And those of you
who know your Bible,
00:18:40.88\00:18:41.95
you know exactly
where we're headed.
00:18:41.95\00:18:43.62
Genesis 1:26, and the
Bible reads as follows.
00:18:43.62\00:18:49.06
"Then God said --"
Let's read this together.
00:18:49.06\00:18:51.69
"Let Us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness."
00:18:51.69\00:18:57.63
One of the, one of the greatest,
00:18:57.63\00:18:59.87
and I'm using the
very light word here.
00:18:59.87\00:19:01.87
One of the greatest
mistakes in history was,
00:19:01.87\00:19:04.54
to believe that by transgression
00:19:04.54\00:19:07.01
we could reflect
the image of God.
00:19:07.01\00:19:12.15
Satan was successful in getting
Adam and Eve to think that
00:19:12.15\00:19:14.78
by disobedience the image of God
00:19:14.78\00:19:17.49
could be seen in humanity.
00:19:17.49\00:19:19.85
But when God made
them, He already made them
00:19:19.85\00:19:22.49
in His image
according to His likeness,
00:19:22.49\00:19:24.13
they were
reflecting the glory of God.
00:19:24.13\00:19:25.59
And that's why,
when they transgressed,
00:19:25.59\00:19:27.76
the light of the glory of God
that was shining around them,
00:19:27.76\00:19:31.60
that glory went out,
and they immediately knew
00:19:31.60\00:19:35.04
that they were naked. If
you read Genesis Chapter 2,
00:19:35.04\00:19:37.64
the end of Genesis Chapter says,
00:19:37.64\00:19:39.34
"The man and
his wife were naked,
00:19:39.34\00:19:41.31
and they were not ashamed."
00:19:41.31\00:19:42.98
But then after
sin entered the world,
00:19:42.98\00:19:44.51
the Bible says,
"They were both naked
00:19:44.51\00:19:46.05
and they even said to the Lord.
00:19:46.05\00:19:47.02
We were naked and
we hid ourselves."
00:19:47.02\00:19:49.98
So what happens is,
one of the first things
00:19:49.98\00:19:51.59
that sin does is, it
strips us the glory of God.
00:19:51.59\00:19:54.29
And there are many
people in the world
00:19:54.29\00:19:55.29
that don't have
the glory of God,
00:19:55.29\00:19:56.93
but those of us who
claim to have the glory of God,
00:19:56.93\00:19:59.26
the glory of God can
only be seen if we recognize
00:19:59.26\00:20:02.90
where the glory comes from.
00:20:02.90\00:20:04.63
It's not our own.
It belongs to God.
00:20:04.63\00:20:06.94
He gave it to us
in the very beginning
00:20:06.94\00:20:08.54
and He wants to restore that
glory to our lives. Amen Amen!
00:20:08.54\00:20:12.14
Let's go onto
number four, number four.
00:20:12.14\00:20:15.68
What has the fall of man
done to the image of God?
00:20:15.68\00:20:19.81
What has the fall of man
done to the image of God?
00:20:19.81\00:20:24.22
Romans 3 and verse 23.
00:20:24.22\00:20:29.69
I can hear somebody
quoting that right now.
00:20:29.69\00:20:32.09
Romans 3 verse 23.
00:20:32.09\00:20:33.83
You know, what's
amazing about this text?
00:20:33.83\00:20:36.53
Let's go to
Romans 3 and verse 23
00:20:36.53\00:20:38.00
and read as I
follow or follow as I read.
00:20:38.00\00:20:41.47
Here it is. The
Bible says, "For most--"
00:20:41.47\00:20:47.24
For almost everyone.
What's the next word?
00:20:47.24\00:20:50.65
"For all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God."
00:20:50.65\00:20:56.08
That's a humbling
text. Because you know,
00:20:56.08\00:20:58.09
after about 25 years
and I know Pastor Gilley
00:20:58.09\00:21:00.56
has been preaching a
whole lot longer than that,
00:21:00.56\00:21:02.62
been pastoring a
whole lot longer than that,
00:21:02.62\00:21:04.43
but the Bible is
in essence saying,
00:21:04.43\00:21:05.49
"No matter how
long you've been around,
00:21:05.49\00:21:06.90
no matter what your works,
00:21:06.90\00:21:07.76
no matter how many
sermons you preached,
00:21:07.76\00:21:09.50
how many songs you sang,
how many people you baptized.
00:21:09.50\00:21:12.40
Outside of Christ,
all of us have sinned
00:21:12.40\00:21:14.94
and fallen short
of the glory of God."
00:21:14.94\00:21:19.77
So at the base form, I
cannot reflect God's glory
00:21:19.77\00:21:23.21
because I don't
have it. Because of sin,
00:21:23.21\00:21:27.08
I cannot reflect the
glory of God in my natural form.
00:21:27.08\00:21:32.45
There is something that
needs to happen in order for me
00:21:32.45\00:21:34.86
to reflect the glory of God.
00:21:34.86\00:21:36.19
And the reason why this is
so vitally important is because,
00:21:36.19\00:21:38.63
there is a need for
more people to talk about
00:21:38.63\00:21:42.06
becoming victorious in
their lives over many things.
00:21:42.06\00:21:44.90
Amen. Am I right?
00:21:44.90\00:21:46.90
For a long time see,
I've been a church member
00:21:46.90\00:21:48.67
as one person may say, "I've
been in the way for 35 years
00:21:48.67\00:21:51.51
And that may
just be the problem.
00:21:51.51\00:21:52.57
I've been in the way.
00:21:52.57\00:21:53.68
I've been walking
in a way for 35 years.
00:21:55.21\00:21:57.05
I've been in the
way. God doesn't want us
00:21:57.05\00:21:58.88
to be church members,
He wants us to be those
00:21:58.88\00:22:02.25
whose lives do let the
world know that Jesus does live,
00:22:02.25\00:22:06.45
because there are
a lot of atheists.
00:22:06.45\00:22:08.29
There are a lot of
people that don't believe
00:22:08.29\00:22:09.59
that God really exists.
00:22:09.59\00:22:11.03
How can they
know that He exists,
00:22:11.03\00:22:12.76
because they see us as
we were before Christ B.C.
00:22:12.76\00:22:16.70
and how we are after Christ A.C.
00:22:16.70\00:22:19.87
I went back to
Brooklyn, New York,
00:22:21.34\00:22:23.10
a few years ago,
I go periodically.
00:22:23.10\00:22:25.54
And I remember,
turning the corner,
00:22:25.54\00:22:26.68
I always go back and
go to my neighborhood.
00:22:26.68\00:22:30.61
And there are a lot
of people that still
00:22:30.61\00:22:31.91
sit out on the steps.
00:22:31.91\00:22:33.35
In New York we
call them the stoops.
00:22:33.35\00:22:35.68
And so, sometimes I
drive to the neighborhood
00:22:35.68\00:22:38.15
to see if I recognize
people and every know and then
00:22:38.15\00:22:40.02
I run into
somebody that I've known,
00:22:40.02\00:22:41.79
that knew me since
I was a little bit,
00:22:41.79\00:22:43.63
little, little boy.
00:22:43.63\00:22:44.96
And some of the
people have gotten older.
00:22:44.96\00:22:47.76
Sorry, all of the
people have gotten older.
00:22:47.76\00:22:50.90
Well, some of them
look older. All right.
00:22:50.90\00:22:54.00
And I remember
having a conversation
00:22:54.00\00:22:56.54
with one of the dear
lady, ladies on the block there,
00:22:56.54\00:22:59.07
and she said--
She calls me Junior.
00:22:59.07\00:23:02.41
"Junior, you're looking good.
00:23:02.41\00:23:03.91
What you're doing for yourself."
00:23:03.91\00:23:05.18
And I said, "Well,
I've been a pastor."
00:23:05.18\00:23:07.58
Man, Lord really
brought you along,
00:23:07.58\00:23:09.18
but look at, just look at you.
00:23:09.18\00:23:11.25
She goes, just look at you.
00:23:11.25\00:23:12.95
And then I turned the
corner right at the pool
00:23:12.95\00:23:15.52
hall that I used to
gamble at, and one of the guys,
00:23:15.52\00:23:19.39
oh the world had taken
such a toll on his life.
00:23:19.39\00:23:22.13
And he said, "Hey, John,
could you lend me five dollars
00:23:22.13\00:23:26.07
'cause you look like
you're doing good for yourself."
00:23:26.07\00:23:28.20
And he says, "Is
that, is that you?
00:23:28.20\00:23:29.64
I said, "Well,
it's the same name,
00:23:29.64\00:23:32.11
but I'm not the
same that I used to be."
00:23:32.11\00:23:34.48
And there's a need
to let people know that,
00:23:34.48\00:23:36.24
yes, I maybe the same person,
00:23:36.24\00:23:37.91
DNA and my blood
type hasn't change,
00:23:37.91\00:23:40.48
and I'm the same
person structurally.
00:23:40.48\00:23:42.38
But Jesus does make a
difference in our lives
00:23:42.38\00:23:44.42
when He comes
in. What do you say?
00:23:44.42\00:23:45.89
He loves us as we all,
00:23:45.89\00:23:47.09
but He never leaves
us the way He finds us.
00:23:47.09\00:23:50.93
But often times we just,
you know, in the churches too,
00:23:50.93\00:23:53.43
and this is something
that, I want to pack this,
00:23:53.43\00:23:55.83
wanna let you know
that we don't have to rush
00:23:55.83\00:23:57.23
to the end of the
topic, we could pick it up
00:23:57.23\00:23:58.77
where we left off.
00:23:58.77\00:24:00.24
But often times, Sabbath morning
00:24:00.24\00:24:03.97
or Sunday morning, whoever you,
00:24:03.97\00:24:05.97
whatever church
you maybe attending.
00:24:05.97\00:24:07.91
Often times, when we walk
through the doors of the church
00:24:07.91\00:24:10.78
I think one songwriter said,
00:24:12.08\00:24:15.45
"Happy plastic people
under happy plastic steeples."
00:24:15.45\00:24:23.02
"Stained Glass Masquerade."
00:24:23.02\00:24:26.19
We come to church sometimes
00:24:26.19\00:24:27.76
and we try to
pretend that's altogether.
00:24:27.76\00:24:31.37
But in fact, we
know we're struggling
00:24:31.37\00:24:32.77
with the greatest
challenges in our lives
00:24:32.77\00:24:34.67
and we ought to feel the
freedom to come to church
00:24:34.67\00:24:37.81
and say to a
brother or a sister.
00:24:37.81\00:24:39.64
Can you pray with me
about a struggle I've had?
00:24:39.64\00:24:42.61
Or if somebody says to
you, "How is your life?"
00:24:42.61\00:24:44.35
Well, you know, I
really do need to pray
00:24:44.35\00:24:46.18
about a certain
issue in my life.
00:24:46.18\00:24:47.28
We got to be able
to pull somebody aside
00:24:47.28\00:24:49.18
and pray for those
things because every one of us
00:24:49.18\00:24:51.59
is in the journey of
growing to be more like Christ.
00:24:51.59\00:24:55.36
But sometimes you come to
the church on Sabbath morning
00:24:55.36\00:24:57.56
and we could hold
it together pretty well
00:24:57.56\00:24:59.63
for that hour and a half
or how ever long we're here,
00:24:59.63\00:25:02.60
but sometimes the
moment we leave the church
00:25:02.60\00:25:04.50
or the moment
the sermon is over,
00:25:04.50\00:25:05.57
we fall right back
into our same dialogue,
00:25:05.57\00:25:08.30
we fall right back
into our attitudes.
00:25:08.30\00:25:10.21
Sometimes we see a person
coming across the congregation
00:25:10.21\00:25:13.41
or across the sanctuary
or in the fellowship hall
00:25:13.41\00:25:16.04
and we change our spirit
and we even begin to talk
00:25:16.04\00:25:18.58
differently because
we haven't found victory
00:25:18.58\00:25:21.32
in certain areas of our lives.
00:25:21.32\00:25:23.62
And by the way, if we
have bad attitudes down here,
00:25:23.62\00:25:26.12
we're not taking
bad attitudes to heaven.
00:25:26.12\00:25:27.89
What do you say? Amen!
00:25:27.89\00:25:29.19
So we have to
overcome it down here, right?
00:25:29.19\00:25:32.69
So here's the question.
Look at question number five.
00:25:32.69\00:25:35.50
If you answer number
four, "All of us have sinned
00:25:35.50\00:25:37.97
everyone has fallen
short of the glory of God."
00:25:37.97\00:25:40.80
Question five, what did
God create man to reveal?
00:25:40.80\00:25:45.87
What did God
create man to reveal?
00:25:45.87\00:25:48.31
If you notice there,
I said scream quotation.
00:25:48.31\00:25:50.98
So you can turn to this,
00:25:50.98\00:25:51.98
but I'm gonna read
this for you on the screen.
00:25:51.98\00:25:54.02
A very important book
I've taken this quotation
00:25:54.02\00:25:56.28
from Review and
Herald, June 18, 1895.
00:25:56.28\00:26:00.89
"Man was the crowning
act of the creation of God,
00:26:00.89\00:26:04.56
made in the Image of God,
00:26:04.56\00:26:07.03
and designed to be
a counterpart of God."
00:26:07.03\00:26:10.77
And isn't that amazing?
Designed to be a counterpart,
00:26:10.77\00:26:13.74
that is to work
together with God.
00:26:13.74\00:26:15.37
Continuing, "Man
is very dear to God,
00:26:15.37\00:26:18.17
because he was formed
in what? His own image."
00:26:18.17\00:26:22.58
That's what, that's
what God's plans were to have
00:26:22.58\00:26:25.38
man to be a counterpart
with Him and Satan knew that,
00:26:25.38\00:26:28.55
so he broke the
connection between God and man,
00:26:28.55\00:26:31.02
and that was the image
that was created in man.
00:26:31.02\00:26:35.06
So that God had to
restore that before He could now
00:26:35.06\00:26:38.49
rely on us to be a counterpart.
00:26:38.49\00:26:40.56
In other words, God is
not gonna take somebody
00:26:41.93\00:26:43.43
that's living for
the world and say,
00:26:43.43\00:26:44.70
"There is my representative."
00:26:44.70\00:26:46.53
God's got to take
them from where they are,
00:26:46.53\00:26:49.20
bring them through
victory or continue His victory
00:26:49.20\00:26:52.27
and then put them on
display for the world.
00:26:52.27\00:26:53.98
Have you considered my servant?
00:26:53.98\00:26:56.01
But here's another
quotation from the book,
00:26:56.01\00:26:57.81
"Daughters of God,"
page 22, paragraph 1.
00:26:57.81\00:27:00.92
"Man was to bear God's image,
00:27:00.92\00:27:03.55
both in outward resemblance
and what? In character."
00:27:03.55\00:27:08.82
Meaning, on the outside
as well as on the inside.
00:27:08.82\00:27:12.33
Now you know, sometimes
look good on the outside,
00:27:12.33\00:27:14.36
but is there's
something wrong on the inside.
00:27:14.36\00:27:16.70
Yes. He was holy and happy
in bearing the image of God
00:27:16.70\00:27:22.30
in perfect
obedience to His will.
00:27:22.30\00:27:25.27
Now, I don't take service a lot,
00:27:25.27\00:27:27.91
but let me ask you to question.
00:27:27.91\00:27:29.28
How many of us are living
00:27:29.28\00:27:30.55
in perfect
obedience to God's will?
00:27:30.55\00:27:32.31
Raise your hand.
Very honest response.
00:27:32.31\00:27:37.12
How many believe by
the indwelling Christ
00:27:37.12\00:27:39.35
we could live in perfect
obedience to the will of God?
00:27:39.35\00:27:42.59
"I can do all things through
Christ which strengtheneth me."
00:27:43.79\00:27:47.50
That's what God
intense were to live
00:27:47.50\00:27:49.43
in perfect
obedience to His will.
00:27:49.43\00:27:51.43
So God does have a will.
A lot of times people say,
00:27:51.43\00:27:53.67
"You know, pastor,
if I can only find out
00:27:53.67\00:27:56.07
what God's will is for my life."
00:27:56.07\00:27:58.44
Well, you know, it's
not necessarily important
00:27:58.44\00:28:00.04
to find out
what that is because,
00:28:00.04\00:28:01.71
the Lord only knows that.
00:28:01.71\00:28:03.14
And so one of the reasons
why we ask that question.
00:28:03.14\00:28:05.08
We want to find out what
the will is and then do it,
00:28:05.08\00:28:07.88
but that's not
what the Bible says.
00:28:07.88\00:28:10.25
"For it is God who
works in you both to will
00:28:10.25\00:28:14.79
and to do of His good pleasure."
00:28:14.79\00:28:17.69
Let's take that to an example.
Can you imagine a glove?
00:28:17.69\00:28:20.43
A glove, what did I say?
00:28:20.43\00:28:21.50
A glove, laying down in
dealers, what's my purpose?
00:28:21.50\00:28:28.00
If it could talk,
what's my -- What have I,
00:28:28.00\00:28:30.07
what have I been create to do?
00:28:30.07\00:28:32.34
And somebody said,
00:28:32.34\00:28:33.38
"Well, to keeps
somebody's hands warmer,
00:28:33.38\00:28:35.21
open doors or drive cars
and steer steering wheels."
00:28:35.21\00:28:38.68
And that glove is
laying with all of its effort,
00:28:38.68\00:28:41.08
trying its best to get up
and do just that, but it can't.
00:28:41.08\00:28:44.52
Why? Somebody tell me.
00:28:44.52\00:28:46.22
Because there's no
power on the inside.
00:28:46.22\00:28:48.66
So in the very same
way, we may understand
00:28:48.66\00:28:51.19
what we've been created to do,
00:28:51.19\00:28:52.86
but unless there's power
on the inside we cannot do it.
00:28:52.86\00:28:57.20
Here's another
statement from the same book,
00:28:57.20\00:29:01.27
same page, second paragraph.
00:29:01.27\00:29:03.61
"The sinless pair wore
no artificial garments,
00:29:03.61\00:29:07.91
they were clothed
with a covering of what?
00:29:07.91\00:29:11.01
Light and glory,
such as the angels wear."
00:29:11.01\00:29:15.52
And here's the point.
00:29:15.52\00:29:16.79
"So long as they
lived in obedience to God,
00:29:16.79\00:29:20.29
this robe of light
continued to enshroud them."
00:29:20.29\00:29:24.93
So here's the part.
00:29:24.93\00:29:26.13
The most significant part of
that is not so much the robe,
00:29:26.13\00:29:28.86
or the light that
continued to enshroud them,
00:29:28.86\00:29:31.47
but here's the
part about victory.
00:29:31.47\00:29:33.50
So long as they
lived in obedience,
00:29:33.50\00:29:37.91
and that's a word that's been
00:29:37.91\00:29:39.27
put on the
endangered species list.
00:29:39.27\00:29:41.24
How many times do you hear
the sermons about obedience?
00:29:41.24\00:29:45.58
You don't really.
00:29:45.58\00:29:47.55
Matter of fact,
even wives sometimes say,
00:29:47.55\00:29:49.28
"Pastor, take that out of
00:29:49.28\00:29:50.29
the wedding vows
to love and to obey."
00:29:50.29\00:29:54.69
No, I'm not gonna --
What if he says something,
00:29:54.69\00:29:56.29
I don't want to obey.
I'm not gonna obey that.
00:29:56.29\00:29:59.13
Children, obey
your parents and Lord.
00:29:59.13\00:30:00.96
What if I don't
like my mom and my dad,
00:30:00.96\00:30:02.40
I'm not gonna obey them
00:30:02.40\00:30:03.87
and society is fighting
in the opposite direction.
00:30:03.87\00:30:06.63
In the very same way,
most of the sermons you hear
00:30:06.63\00:30:09.87
and I hope not in our church,
00:30:09.87\00:30:11.21
but most of the
sermons you hear about
00:30:11.21\00:30:12.57
how to have a
strong financial portfolio,
00:30:12.57\00:30:15.31
how to go to the next level,
how to get ready for the shift,
00:30:15.31\00:30:18.85
all these things outside of
00:30:18.85\00:30:20.48
how to live a
victorious Christian life.
00:30:20.48\00:30:22.85
There is a need for a
victorious Christian life
00:30:22.85\00:30:25.69
and I believe that
we can live in harmony
00:30:25.69\00:30:27.96
and in obedience to
the will of God, amen!
00:30:27.96\00:30:31.03
But here's the next question
because we're unpacking this.
00:30:31.03\00:30:34.23
We're unpacking this,
just at the foundation.
00:30:34.23\00:30:36.20
Question number six.
00:30:36.20\00:30:38.30
How much effort is
required to reflect God's glory?
00:30:38.30\00:30:44.24
How much effort is
required to reflect God's glory?
00:30:44.24\00:30:50.45
How much? This
is really important.
00:30:50.45\00:30:53.78
And I'll tell you a story after
the, after we read the text.
00:30:53.78\00:30:56.35
I share this with my audience
off the air a few weeks ago,
00:30:56.35\00:31:02.06
but it fit so
well unto the sermon
00:31:02.06\00:31:03.69
or the study that I'll
share it again tonight.
00:31:03.69\00:31:07.30
How much effort?
00:31:07.30\00:31:08.76
Listen to what
Matthew 5 and verse 16 says.
00:31:08.76\00:31:11.27
What's the very
first word in the text?
00:31:11.27\00:31:13.13
Let your light!
00:31:13.13\00:31:14.30
Let, let your light
-- We all know this all,
00:31:14.30\00:31:17.61
are you ready, here we go.
00:31:17.61\00:31:18.67
"Let your light
so shine before men,
00:31:18.67\00:31:22.21
that they may what?
00:31:22.21\00:31:23.35
See your good works
and glorify your Father,
00:31:23.35\00:31:28.68
where, which is in heaven."
00:31:28.68\00:31:31.22
But notice this.
What's the first word?
00:31:31.22\00:31:33.12
Let, L-E-T.
00:31:33.12\00:31:34.79
It's kind of like the text
that Paul has in Colossians.
00:31:34.79\00:31:37.59
"Let this mind be in you
which is also in Christ Jesus."
00:31:37.59\00:31:40.43
Do you know what?
00:31:40.43\00:31:41.43
All that has to,
all that we have to do
00:31:41.43\00:31:44.23
for our light to shine is let.
00:31:44.23\00:31:48.37
Few years ago, when
we drove to California
00:31:48.37\00:31:50.17
for the very
first time talking about
00:31:50.17\00:31:52.77
letting the
glorify of God be seen.
00:31:52.77\00:31:54.78
If the glory of God
is seen in our lives,
00:31:54.78\00:31:56.58
it's not very hard, it's
not very hard to be seen.
00:31:56.58\00:31:59.31
I didn't know
how, how the deserts
00:31:59.31\00:32:02.02
were there in Texas and
I want to make sure that
00:32:02.02\00:32:04.19
when we drove to California
that I could seen my way,
00:32:04.19\00:32:07.29
you know, as we
drove through the deserts
00:32:07.29\00:32:08.89
and Texas has
some large deserts.
00:32:08.89\00:32:11.03
As a matter of fact,
when we entered Texas,
00:32:11.03\00:32:12.53
I saw a mile marker, 880 miles,
00:32:12.53\00:32:16.06
which meant
that's how many miles
00:32:16.06\00:32:17.87
you have to go
to get out of Texas.
00:32:17.87\00:32:20.30
And I had never
driven that route before,
00:32:20.30\00:32:22.27
so we had an old
1976, Toyota Corona,
00:32:22.27\00:32:26.68
at its best it had
cancer, the fenders were,
00:32:26.68\00:32:28.98
you know, rotting
from being in New York City
00:32:28.98\00:32:31.18
and all the salt on the streets.
00:32:31.18\00:32:32.81
But I wanted my
headlights to work very well,
00:32:32.81\00:32:34.72
I needed to see where I'm going,
00:32:34.72\00:32:36.05
and I knew that's
somewhere along the way
00:32:36.05\00:32:38.02
I'll be driving in
the night, in the desert.
00:32:38.02\00:32:41.79
So I bought these
Hella halogen headlights.
00:32:41.79\00:32:44.26
Anybody remember that?
00:32:44.26\00:32:45.56
They still sell
them for racing vehicles.
00:32:45.56\00:32:48.23
Bright lights, I
mounted them on the front of my,
00:32:48.23\00:32:51.40
of my fender, bumper
whatever you want to call it,
00:32:51.40\00:32:55.44
got them hooked
up and tested them,
00:32:55.44\00:32:57.34
they worked really
well, and here we were
00:32:57.34\00:32:58.94
driving through Texas at
night, route 10 going west.
00:32:58.94\00:33:02.48
And I turned my
headlights on and I saw, I mean,
00:33:02.48\00:33:05.21
I was able to see -- Oh, it
seemed like a mile or an half,
00:33:05.21\00:33:08.12
it was bright, it was huge.
00:33:08.12\00:33:10.49
For the first time, I was
able to really see everything.
00:33:10.49\00:33:12.72
Dark desert,
bright lights, no problem.
00:33:12.72\00:33:16.06
And I saw way ahead
of me some flashlights,
00:33:16.06\00:33:18.19
and I thought, oh
please pull somebody over.
00:33:18.19\00:33:22.80
Well, the
lights were not moving.
00:33:22.80\00:33:24.17
They were getting
closer, and I was getting
00:33:24.17\00:33:25.87
closer and closer to the lights,
00:33:25.87\00:33:27.04
but I thought
somebody had been pulled over.
00:33:27.04\00:33:29.07
When I passed the
lights, it came in behind me
00:33:29.07\00:33:33.04
and he pulled me over.
00:33:33.04\00:33:34.18
He said, he didn't ask me
for license and registration.
00:33:34.18\00:33:37.31
And he said, "Would
you turn those lights off."
00:33:37.31\00:33:41.52
And I said, "Why?" He said,
00:33:41.52\00:33:42.58
"I could see those
things two miles down the road,
00:33:42.58\00:33:44.69
they were blinding me."
00:33:44.69\00:33:47.66
Well, my point is this.
00:33:47.66\00:33:48.82
If the glory of God is
shining from us at night,
00:33:48.82\00:33:52.16
somebody ought to be
able to see it. Amen.
00:33:52.16\00:33:54.20
This world is darker
than it's ever been before.
00:33:54.20\00:33:56.46
The glory of God will be seen
in the life that is reflecting
00:33:56.46\00:34:00.44
the glory of God, but
it cannot be reflected
00:34:00.44\00:34:04.01
unless God is
living on the where?
00:34:04.01\00:34:06.68
On the inside. So
it's very important.
00:34:06.68\00:34:09.54
So if you put an
answer there to question five,
00:34:09.54\00:34:11.85
what did God
create man to reflect?
00:34:11.85\00:34:15.32
God created man
to reflect His glory.
00:34:15.32\00:34:18.92
God created man
to reflect His glory.
00:34:18.92\00:34:21.86
But question number six.
And how does that happen?
00:34:21.86\00:34:24.76
By simply letting it happened.
How does it happen, friends?
00:34:24.76\00:34:27.36
By, what? Letting it happened.
00:34:27.36\00:34:29.53
If you just let the Lord do what
He wants to do in your life,
00:34:29.53\00:34:32.23
the glory of God will be seen.
00:34:32.23\00:34:34.00
There is no effort required
to reflect the glory of God.
00:34:34.00\00:34:36.77
If you just simply say,
"Lord, I give you my life,
00:34:36.77\00:34:39.54
I invite You to
come into my life."
00:34:39.54\00:34:41.24
Everyday you do
that, sooner or later
00:34:41.24\00:34:44.21
the light is
going to get brighter
00:34:44.21\00:34:45.61
and brighter and brighter,
and people are going to notice
00:34:45.61\00:34:48.15
the change because
the Lord, who is the light
00:34:48.15\00:34:51.22
cannot be hidden once
He's in our lives. Amen.
00:34:51.22\00:34:53.82
Question number seven.
00:34:53.82\00:34:55.49
Where does the light that the
Christian reflects come from?
00:34:55.49\00:34:57.73
Did I just tell you the answer?
00:34:57.73\00:35:00.20
Did I just tell you the answer?
00:35:00.20\00:35:01.73
Okay, let's see
what the Bible says.
00:35:01.73\00:35:03.47
This is very important,
although you know the answer,
00:35:03.47\00:35:05.93
don't tell me.
00:35:05.93\00:35:07.20
Let's go to John 8 and
verse 12, John 8 and verse 12.
00:35:07.20\00:35:11.24
Where does the light that the
Christian reflects come from?
00:35:11.24\00:35:14.78
It doesn't come from Walmart.
It doesn't come from Kmart.
00:35:14.78\00:35:19.95
It doesn't come
from a flashlight.
00:35:19.95\00:35:21.95
Listen to the words of Jesus.
00:35:21.95\00:35:24.29
"And Jesus spoke to them saying,
00:35:24.29\00:35:27.36
'I am the, what?
Light of the world.
00:35:27.36\00:35:30.06
He who follows
Me shall not what?
00:35:30.06\00:35:32.83
Walk in darkness, but
have the light of life.'"
00:35:32.83\00:35:36.93
No one passed that.
00:35:36.93\00:35:38.33
If you follow
Christ, what will you have?
00:35:38.33\00:35:42.27
You will have the light of life.
You will have the light of life.
00:35:42.27\00:35:46.57
So could it be that
we're not following Christ
00:35:46.57\00:35:49.64
that the light
is not being seen.
00:35:49.64\00:35:51.65
Now that's just
very important because
00:35:51.65\00:35:53.31
if you say you're a
Christian, the next question is,
00:35:53.31\00:35:55.52
okay, you have the label,
00:35:55.52\00:35:56.85
but are you following the
one with the light? all right?
00:35:56.85\00:36:00.79
Having the label is not
what that said, it says,
00:36:00.79\00:36:03.86
"I am the Light of the
world, he who follows Me
00:36:03.86\00:36:06.06
will not walk in the darkness,
00:36:06.06\00:36:07.73
but will have
the Light of life."
00:36:07.73\00:36:11.50
I believe it was 1960 something,
00:36:11.50\00:36:14.87
I can't remember the exact
date, but in New York City,
00:36:14.87\00:36:16.84
the first
blackout that they had.
00:36:16.84\00:36:19.14
I was a little
boy and I remember
00:36:19.14\00:36:20.68
Mr. Hahn's coming home.
00:36:20.68\00:36:23.45
The lights in New
York City went out.
00:36:23.45\00:36:24.91
The first great
blackout that they had.
00:36:24.91\00:36:27.32
And he was in the
subway on his way home,
00:36:27.32\00:36:29.48
the A train on
his way to Brooklyn
00:36:29.48\00:36:30.72
when the lights went out.
00:36:30.72\00:36:32.39
And for those of you
who know me very well,
00:36:32.39\00:36:34.52
you know, I like flashlights.
00:36:34.52\00:36:36.62
Isn't that right? I talk
about all my flashlights.
00:36:36.62\00:36:38.86
My wife has a flashlight.
00:36:38.86\00:36:40.20
I never traveled
without a flashlight.
00:36:40.20\00:36:41.43
I'm on the plane,
I have a flashlight
00:36:41.43\00:36:42.83
that hangs around my neck.
00:36:42.83\00:36:44.57
Little tiny one,
looks like a little ball.
00:36:44.57\00:36:47.57
Anybody on the plane
except me maybe in darkness.
00:36:47.57\00:36:51.64
I have a flashlight. I
have one that fits my bag,
00:36:51.64\00:36:54.08
one on the side of my bed.
00:36:54.28\00:36:55.68
I have a long
flashlight, a small flashlight,
00:36:55.68\00:36:57.71
I have a halogen flashlight,
00:36:57.71\00:36:59.71
and I have a two million
watt candle one that plugs
00:36:59.71\00:37:02.15
into my
cigarette lighter, my car.
00:37:02.15\00:37:05.62
But he told me
the story very well.
00:37:05.62\00:37:07.62
When the, when the train
broke down in the tunnels
00:37:07.62\00:37:10.26
of Brooklyn on its
way to Franklin Avenue.
00:37:10.26\00:37:15.36
He who worked as a
janitor at one of the buildings
00:37:15.36\00:37:18.07
in Wall Street, he
took out his flashlight.
00:37:18.07\00:37:21.00
When they had to
climb out of the train
00:37:21.00\00:37:22.27
and walk to the stop, he said,
00:37:22.27\00:37:25.67
"A lot of people were following
him because he had the light."
00:37:25.67\00:37:29.71
Those who are not following
him were walking in what?
00:37:29.71\00:37:32.15
Darkness. Darkness.
00:37:32.15\00:37:33.31
In the very same
way, when we follow Jesus.
00:37:33.31\00:37:36.92
I reiterate what he said,
"We will have the light of life.
00:37:36.92\00:37:41.09
We will not walk in darkness."
00:37:41.09\00:37:42.46
Now, why isn't so
vitally important?
00:37:42.46\00:37:44.39
Is because, often times and the
reason I'm gonna bring this out.
00:37:44.39\00:37:47.60
Remember that phrase,
"We'll have the light of life.
00:37:47.60\00:37:50.30
We'll not walk in darkness."
00:37:50.30\00:37:52.37
Matter of fact, let
me turn you to a text.
00:37:52.37\00:37:54.70
Go with me to the Book
of Ephesians, go there.
00:37:54.70\00:37:57.67
This is not on the screen,
every now and then we're gonna
00:37:57.67\00:37:59.61
break away from the script.
00:37:59.61\00:38:01.08
Is that all right? Amen!
00:38:01.08\00:38:02.91
Let me show you this.
00:38:02.91\00:38:03.91
Because there are,
there are works of light
00:38:03.91\00:38:08.22
and there are
works of darkness. Amen!
00:38:08.22\00:38:10.55
All right. Now, we know
about the works of light,
00:38:10.55\00:38:15.36
but--Okay, here we are.
00:38:15.36\00:38:22.86
Galatians Chapter 5,
did I say, Ephesians? Yeah!
00:38:22.86\00:38:25.77
You should be
listening carefully, Galatians.
00:38:25.77\00:38:31.24
Galatians 5, very important.
00:38:31.24\00:38:34.11
Remember, walking in
light, not in darkness.
00:38:34.11\00:38:37.38
So I'm gonna show you now.
00:38:37.38\00:38:38.41
Since we say, if
we walk on the light,
00:38:38.41\00:38:41.42
if we follow the
one in the light,
00:38:41.42\00:38:42.68
we will not be
walking in darkness.
00:38:42.68\00:38:44.95
We will not have darkness,
we will have the light of life.
00:38:44.95\00:38:48.06
It's not possible.
Now I want you to notice.
00:38:48.06\00:38:49.99
Everyone knows, where the
fruit of the spirit is listed.
00:38:49.99\00:38:53.86
Galatians 5 verse 22,
00:38:53.86\00:38:56.56
down to verse 20, 25, all right.
00:38:56.56\00:39:04.91
Very quickly, but the
fruit of the spirit is what?
00:39:04.91\00:39:07.18
Love, joy, peace,
long suffering, gentleness,
00:39:07.18\00:39:09.71
meekness,
patience, you know all that,
00:39:09.71\00:39:12.05
you got all that, right?
00:39:12.05\00:39:13.25
And by the way, we
make this particular point.
00:39:13.25\00:39:15.72
It's not the
fruits of the spirit,
00:39:15.72\00:39:17.59
it's the fruit, one fruit.
00:39:17.59\00:39:19.45
You get that, you
bite that one fruit,
00:39:19.45\00:39:20.79
there is love and joy
and peace and long suffering,
00:39:20.79\00:39:22.59
and gentleness
in that one fruit.
00:39:22.59\00:39:24.63
How many fruits did Eve
bite? One. There you go.
00:39:24.63\00:39:28.26
Now let's look at the
opposite side of that.
00:39:28.26\00:39:31.10
You remember now
the works of darkness.
00:39:31.10\00:39:33.50
Look at verse 19.
00:39:33.50\00:39:36.10
These are the
things that should not
00:39:36.10\00:39:38.31
show up in a Christian's life.
00:39:38.31\00:39:41.14
Are you ready?
Galatians 5 verse 19.
00:39:41.14\00:39:44.25
I'm reading the
New King James Version,
00:39:44.25\00:39:45.75
but whatever
version you have it's fine.
00:39:45.75\00:39:48.32
"Now the works of
the flesh are evident,
00:39:48.32\00:39:50.99
or as some transition say,
are these, which are, adultery,
00:39:50.99\00:39:55.46
fornication, uncleanness,
licentiousness, idolatry,
00:39:55.46\00:40:01.20
sorcery, hatred, contentions,
are they contentions,
00:40:01.20\00:40:06.03
jealousies, outbursts of wrath,
people loosing their temper,
00:40:06.03\00:40:10.67
selfish ambitions,
jealousies that is.
00:40:10.67\00:40:13.31
People want to take your place,
00:40:13.31\00:40:14.34
and you want to
take somebody else's.
00:40:14.34\00:40:15.94
Dissensions, that's
problems. Things can't go right.
00:40:15.94\00:40:19.81
Heresies, envy,
murder, drunkenness, revelries,
00:40:19.81\00:40:25.79
and the like of which
I tell you beforehand,
00:40:25.79\00:40:29.26
just as I also
told you in time past,
00:40:29.26\00:40:32.06
that those who practice
such things will not what?
00:40:32.06\00:40:36.00
"Will not inherit
the kingdom of God."
00:40:36.00\00:40:38.53
Those are the works of darkness.
00:40:38.53\00:40:40.04
Those are the
things that should not be
00:40:40.04\00:40:41.74
named in the Christian's life.
00:40:41.74\00:40:43.44
But I shamefully
say that many Christians
00:40:43.44\00:40:46.27
still struggle in those areas.
00:40:46.27\00:40:49.11
Now, do you think it's
God's plan for Christians
00:40:49.11\00:40:53.38
to struggle with
all that stuff? No.
00:40:53.38\00:40:57.79
We'll find out in
just a moment why?
00:40:57.79\00:40:59.55
It was never God's
plan for us to struggle
00:40:59.55\00:41:01.96
with those kinds of things.
00:41:01.96\00:41:03.49
Let's go to the next question
00:41:03.49\00:41:04.53
to see exactly
what I mean by that.
00:41:04.53\00:41:06.83
Question number
eight, question number eight.
00:41:06.83\00:41:11.07
Here it is. How
is the transaction
00:41:11.07\00:41:13.50
of accepting Jesus described?
00:41:13.50\00:41:15.67
How is he transaction of
accepting Jesus described?
00:41:15.67\00:41:19.24
There was a transaction
when you buy something.
00:41:19.24\00:41:22.01
If we are purchased
by the blood of Christ,
00:41:22.01\00:41:24.28
it's a transaction, but how does
00:41:24.28\00:41:26.38
the Bible
describe this transaction?
00:41:26.38\00:41:30.12
First Peter
Chapter 2 and verse 9.
00:41:30.12\00:41:32.85
This is one of my favorite
texts by the way, I love it.
00:41:32.85\00:41:35.79
Here we go, here's the answer.
00:41:35.79\00:41:40.20
"But you are a,
what kind of generation?
00:41:40.20\00:41:43.16
Chosen generation.
What kind of priesthood?
00:41:43.16\00:41:46.57
Royal priesthood, a holy nation,
00:41:46.57\00:41:49.70
His own special
people, that you may proclaim
00:41:49.70\00:41:53.91
the praises of Him who called
you out of, what?" Darkness.
00:41:53.91\00:41:57.95
"Darkness into
His marvelous light."
00:41:57.95\00:42:01.82
I mean, have you seen bright
light just a few nights ago?
00:42:01.82\00:42:04.15
I don't know how many of you
are at home a few nights ago,
00:42:04.15\00:42:06.82
I think Sunday night
when there was lightening
00:42:06.82\00:42:09.99
like I had not
seen in a longtime.
00:42:09.99\00:42:12.69
My wife and I
were driving together
00:42:12.69\00:42:14.30
and there were
many instances where
00:42:14.30\00:42:15.63
the lightening
actually hurt our eyes.
00:42:15.63\00:42:17.87
I started getting to the place
where I was driving like this.
00:42:17.87\00:42:20.87
I said, and I took
out, I got a--I took my,
00:42:20.87\00:42:24.14
my shades, sorry, my sunglasses.
00:42:24.14\00:42:26.78
Shades, is an
old fashioned word.
00:42:26.78\00:42:28.74
I took my sunglasses
out and began to drive
00:42:28.74\00:42:30.95
with my sunglasses at night
00:42:30.95\00:42:32.35
because the
lightening was bright.
00:42:32.35\00:42:33.95
It was actually hurting
my eyes. It was blue color.
00:42:33.95\00:42:37.05
It was very
blue, very, very blue.
00:42:37.05\00:42:39.59
And at points maybe
two or three seconds,
00:42:39.59\00:42:41.59
it looked like it
was full day time.
00:42:41.59\00:42:44.56
But here's the thing, God
hasn't called us into light.
00:42:44.56\00:42:47.83
He's called us
into what kind of light?
00:42:47.83\00:42:49.46
Marvelous. Marvelous light.
00:42:49.46\00:42:50.87
He calls us to reflect
His glory. We'll find out.
00:42:50.87\00:42:53.87
I'm laying the foundation
because we're gonna get
00:42:53.87\00:42:55.57
into some things that are
very important like Romans 5,
00:42:55.57\00:42:58.51
Romans 6, Romans 7,
00:42:58.51\00:43:00.08
the experience of Paul
after he accepted Christ.
00:43:00.08\00:43:03.85
God knows where we
are, but our God also knows
00:43:03.85\00:43:06.78
where He wants us to be.
00:43:06.78\00:43:08.28
So God calls us out of darkness
into His marvelous light.
00:43:08.28\00:43:11.49
And the text that we read there
in Galatians 5 verse 19 to 21,
00:43:11.49\00:43:16.39
talked about all the
things that should not be named
00:43:16.39\00:43:19.89
in the life of the Christian,
the works of darkness.
00:43:19.89\00:43:22.63
But here's the next question.
00:43:22.63\00:43:23.87
Question number
nine, question number nine.
00:43:23.87\00:43:27.57
How does the Bible describe
the character of mankind?
00:43:27.57\00:43:33.54
Are you all ready?
I'm gonna talk about you.
00:43:33.54\00:43:36.78
Well, let me rephrase that.
I'm gonna talk about us, right?
00:43:36.78\00:43:40.82
Are you ready? Can I hear, yes?
00:43:40.82\00:43:43.82
Yes! Okay, here we go.
00:43:43.82\00:43:45.29
Now you got to hold on because
I'm gonna talk about you,
00:43:45.29\00:43:48.02
I'm not gonna use my own words,
I'm gonna use the word of God.
00:43:48.02\00:43:52.19
He's gonna describe
the character of mankind.
00:43:52.19\00:43:55.76
How we were when
the Lord found us?
00:43:55.76\00:43:59.47
Isaiah 64 and verse
6 is our first passage.
00:43:59.47\00:44:03.97
Isaiah 64 and verse
6. This is a hard one.
00:44:03.97\00:44:11.61
"But we are all like, what,
00:44:11.61\00:44:16.52
an unclean thing, and
all our righteousness.
00:44:16.52\00:44:21.72
Try to say that 15 times.
Are like, what kinds of rags?
00:44:21.72\00:44:25.39
Filthy rags, we
all fade as a leaf,
00:44:25.39\00:44:28.50
and our iniquities like the
wind have what, taken us away."
00:44:28.50\00:44:32.63
No, you don't
want to run pass this,
00:44:32.63\00:44:33.64
we've read this a
thousand times, get it.
00:44:33.64\00:44:38.17
Our iniquities takes us away.
00:44:38.17\00:44:40.08
In other words, our iniquity,
the sin that we cherish
00:44:40.08\00:44:43.48
is what separates
between us and God.
00:44:43.48\00:44:45.65
In other words, a
righteous God will not have
00:44:45.65\00:44:48.02
a sinful man stand in
His presence or simple woman.
00:44:48.02\00:44:51.69
So if God is getting as
ready to stand this presence,
00:44:51.69\00:44:54.32
what does He have
to remove from us?
00:44:54.32\00:44:56.09
Here are some
things, the unclean things,
00:44:56.09\00:44:59.16
the filthy
things, our iniquities,
00:44:59.16\00:45:02.20
all the things
that cause us to fade.
00:45:02.20\00:45:04.60
Now there is a difference
between fading and reflecting
00:45:04.60\00:45:07.20
the marvelous
light, is there not? Yes!
00:45:07.20\00:45:10.21
So, God doesn't want
like an-- Matter of fact,
00:45:10.21\00:45:12.27
when your
headlights begin to dim,
00:45:12.27\00:45:13.98
you think your batteries dying
or your alternate is broke.
00:45:13.98\00:45:17.18
Just imagine a Christian with a,
00:45:17.18\00:45:18.38
a Christian with a
very, very dim light.
00:45:18.38\00:45:22.98
And strangely enough,
when people in the world
00:45:22.98\00:45:28.26
run into Christians
that lose their temper
00:45:28.26\00:45:30.16
in public or maybe at work,
the devil has it that moment
00:45:30.16\00:45:35.90
that they say, "I
thought you were a Christian."
00:45:35.90\00:45:38.57
Have you noticed that?
00:45:38.57\00:45:40.24
But don't you, aren't you,
but aren't you a Christian?
00:45:40.24\00:45:46.61
Kind of like Peter,
but aren't you connected
00:45:46.61\00:45:48.38
with Christ and what did He do.
00:45:48.38\00:45:50.25
He began to curse. He was not
yet where God wanted him to be.
00:45:50.25\00:45:55.92
And that's why,
Jesus said to him.
00:45:55.92\00:45:57.05
"When you are converted,
until you converted Peter,
00:45:57.05\00:46:00.62
you're not, no used to be.
00:46:00.62\00:46:01.72
When you are converted,
strengthen the brethren.
00:46:01.72\00:46:04.93
God looks for converted people.
00:46:04.93\00:46:06.36
What, what kind
of people did I say?
00:46:06.36\00:46:08.16
Converted. Converted!
00:46:08.16\00:46:09.63
Yes, He accepts us as we are,
00:46:09.63\00:46:10.90
but He never leaves
us the way He finds us.
00:46:10.90\00:46:13.87
Now let's go to the part
that's really gonna unpack this.
00:46:13.87\00:46:16.00
Question number ten.
00:46:16.00\00:46:17.67
And this may take us
to the end of our program,
00:46:17.67\00:46:19.81
maybe or maybe
not, but let's go ahead.
00:46:19.81\00:46:22.38
How reliable is our decision
making and reasoning center?
00:46:22.38\00:46:28.95
Now some of you
linguistics maybe saying,
00:46:28.95\00:46:30.69
"How reliable are our
decision making and reasoning?"
00:46:30.69\00:46:35.12
But I'm talking about one place.
00:46:35.12\00:46:37.93
How reliable is our decision
making and reasoning center?
00:46:37.93\00:46:41.13
There's a place
where we make decisions,
00:46:41.13\00:46:43.00
there's a place where we reason.
00:46:43.00\00:46:44.23
He reliable is that place?
00:46:44.23\00:46:46.63
Let's start with the central,
00:46:46.63\00:46:48.64
let's start with
the central location.
00:46:48.64\00:46:51.17
Are you ready? Jeremiah 17:9,
00:46:51.17\00:46:54.54
and I'd like us all to
read this together because
00:46:54.54\00:46:56.38
I don't want to be
inditing you about anything.
00:46:56.38\00:46:58.61
I want you to indite yourself.
Are you ready? Here we go.
00:46:58.61\00:47:02.15
"The heart is
deceitful above all things,
00:47:02.15\00:47:06.79
and desperately wicked."
00:47:06.79\00:47:09.26
And here's the
question. "Who can know it?"
00:47:09.26\00:47:11.43
Have you ever surprised
yourself with your reaction?
00:47:11.43\00:47:13.93
Come on, can I guess somebody--
Have you ever surprised?
00:47:13.93\00:47:16.40
You say, "Did I
say that? Was that me?"
00:47:16.40\00:47:20.74
Have you ever been kneeling
down while you're praying
00:47:20.74\00:47:22.57
and thoughts come in your
mind that you're wondering?
00:47:22.57\00:47:24.37
"Lord, where are
those thoughts coming from."
00:47:24.37\00:47:27.01
Or sometimes, you
walk in church and you say,
00:47:27.01\00:47:30.21
"Oh, what a beautiful Sabbath
morning and all of a sudden,
00:47:30.21\00:47:32.45
thoughts come into
your mind or words fall
00:47:32.45\00:47:35.15
off your tongue and
say, was that, was that me?"
00:47:35.15\00:47:38.72
That's what the Bible saying,
"The human heart is deceitful
00:47:38.72\00:47:41.79
above all things,
and desperately--"
00:47:41.79\00:47:43.56
We can even
predicted, we can predict it.
00:47:43.56\00:47:46.33
So, if we can control
it, do we need someone
00:47:46.33\00:47:51.57
that knows how to
control the human heart?
00:47:51.57\00:47:53.44
Yes or no? Yes.
00:47:53.44\00:47:55.34
We need a power outside
of ourselves and too often,
00:47:55.34\00:47:58.17
we rely on our own strength and
our own power to be victorious.
00:47:58.17\00:48:01.68
In other words, triumph --
00:48:01.68\00:48:04.28
And I've heard
preachers once, matter of fact,
00:48:04.28\00:48:06.05
there's a young lady
that came to a preacher
00:48:06.05\00:48:07.28
and she tell me about
this what he said to her.
00:48:07.28\00:48:09.68
She was asking for
help in a particular area.
00:48:09.68\00:48:11.29
And he said, "You know,
if you just pray harder,
00:48:11.29\00:48:15.32
if you just try
hard, you can do it.
00:48:15.32\00:48:17.99
Good, just try hard, just focus.
00:48:17.99\00:48:19.83
Salvation is not of works,
lest anyone should boast."
00:48:19.83\00:48:24.17
There's not a matter
of try hard to go into--
00:48:24.17\00:48:26.00
It's not a Twelve Steps process.
Now okay, try, how can I?
00:48:26.00\00:48:29.87
Say after me. I
can do it, I can do it.
00:48:29.87\00:48:33.21
What's the problem
there? Somebody tell me.
00:48:33.21\00:48:35.38
What? I, exactly.
00:48:35.38\00:48:38.28
It's a I problem, there you go.
00:48:38.28\00:48:39.45
The devil said, "I shall
be, I shall be, I shall be."
00:48:39.45\00:48:42.48
And if we thought, I can do it,
00:48:42.48\00:48:43.79
I can do it, I
know I'm struggling,
00:48:43.79\00:48:44.95
but I can do it, I can do it.
00:48:44.95\00:48:46.32
Focus, John, I can
do it. You can't do it.
00:48:46.32\00:48:48.62
Because the heart is
deceitful above all things,
00:48:48.62\00:48:50.53
and--We don't even
know what is gonna do next.
00:48:50.53\00:48:53.66
That's the
heart, the heart is bad.
00:48:53.66\00:48:55.16
So when people say to me,
understand me in the context.
00:48:55.16\00:48:58.20
When people say
to me, "You know,
00:48:58.20\00:49:00.64
I know a lot of people
who have really good hearts."
00:49:00.64\00:49:03.64
And I would say, "Show me them."
00:49:03.64\00:49:06.24
Because, you know what,
the fact that the matter is.
00:49:06.24\00:49:08.14
According to God's word
nobody has a good heart.
00:49:08.14\00:49:13.01
Just catch Him on the right
day, step on the right toe,
00:49:13.01\00:49:17.39
not the big one, get
Him on a really bad day,
00:49:17.39\00:49:22.79
and they will remind
you that they need Jesus
00:49:22.79\00:49:25.73
every moment of the
day, as we all know.
00:49:25.73\00:49:28.36
Isn't that right? But let's
keep going, let's keep going.
00:49:28.36\00:49:32.63
Psalms 14 verse
1, Psalms 14 verse 1.
00:49:32.63\00:49:36.40
And this is the reason why the
Bible uses the word fool there.
00:49:36.40\00:49:38.97
Foolishness
comes from the heart.
00:49:38.97\00:49:41.78
"The fool has said in his
heart, 'There is, what, no God.'
00:49:41.78\00:49:46.08
They, the Bible
says, are corrupt,
00:49:46.08\00:49:48.85
they have done abominable works,
there is none who does good."
00:49:48.85\00:49:53.92
How many of us do
good? Not a one of us.
00:49:53.92\00:49:56.52
Now God works through us.
00:49:56.52\00:49:58.86
And I want to put this in
context because you may say,
00:49:58.86\00:50:00.76
"Well, you know, I have some
people that are not Christians,
00:50:00.76\00:50:02.80
they help keep the
neighborhood clean,
00:50:02.80\00:50:04.80
their yards are
always perfectly manicured.
00:50:04.80\00:50:07.80
Whenever there's a project, they
come forth and they help out."
00:50:07.80\00:50:11.54
I'm not talking about
those kinds of things.
00:50:11.54\00:50:13.81
I'm talking about good
in reference to salvation.
00:50:13.81\00:50:17.71
I'm not talking about a person
who builds a great building
00:50:17.71\00:50:20.15
or paints or wonderful
house or knows how to really
00:50:20.15\00:50:23.25
manicure the lawn
and volunteers to do.
00:50:23.25\00:50:25.45
Those, those are good
deeds, but, but you know well,
00:50:25.45\00:50:28.16
by the deeds, nobody is
justified by their deeds.
00:50:28.16\00:50:31.96
Salvation is not
something that we do.
00:50:31.96\00:50:34.10
It's a process
that is done within us.
00:50:34.10\00:50:35.93
So when it comes to
comparing us to Christ,
00:50:35.93\00:50:39.23
there is none who does
good, no not, not one of us.
00:50:39.23\00:50:42.94
Let's continue to go on.
00:50:42.94\00:50:44.47
We talked about
the hard both times.
00:50:44.47\00:50:46.11
Let's talk about the tongue.
00:50:46.11\00:50:48.48
James 3 and verse
8, James 3 and verse 8.
00:50:48.48\00:50:55.95
There's a whole lot more
James says about the tongue,
00:50:55.95\00:50:58.42
but I'll just
narrow down to this.
00:50:58.42\00:51:01.52
Really, really
amazing, what he says.
00:51:01.52\00:51:03.19
Have you heard somebody
say, "I'm gonna bite my tongue?"
00:51:06.90\00:51:10.10
This tells you why,
all right. Here we go.
00:51:10.10\00:51:13.87
"But no man, how many man?
00:51:13.87\00:51:16.97
No man can, no man
can tame the tongue.
00:51:16.97\00:51:20.74
It is an unruly
evil, full of what,
00:51:20.74\00:51:25.48
deadly, deadly poison."
00:51:25.48\00:51:27.68
Now, how many of you
would give you a child
00:51:27.68\00:51:30.05
something to drink
that's describe this way?
00:51:30.05\00:51:34.46
Full of evil
and a deadly poison.
00:51:34.46\00:51:37.56
How many would do that?
00:51:37.56\00:51:39.36
But you know what,
that's what, that's what,
00:51:39.36\00:51:41.23
that's what
happens to the tongue
00:51:41.23\00:51:42.46
that is not under
the control of Christ.
00:51:42.46\00:51:44.13
That's what happens. James says,
00:51:48.10\00:51:50.47
"From that same tongue
comes blessings one day
00:51:50.47\00:51:54.61
to God be the glory."
00:51:54.61\00:51:56.01
Go home and lose his
tempering from that same tongue
00:51:56.01\00:51:58.81
comes cursing and blasphemy.
00:51:58.81\00:52:01.48
So all we're gonna go to
heaven with both functions
00:52:01.48\00:52:05.22
when we're in heaven. Yes or no?
00:52:05.22\00:52:06.72
You know, when we go to heaven,
00:52:06.72\00:52:07.69
we're not losing our
tempers and our tongues
00:52:07.69\00:52:09.26
and not going to be
a deadly poison because
00:52:09.26\00:52:10.66
the character of Christ will
be completely reproduced on us,
00:52:10.66\00:52:13.70
but down here, here's the
key between earth and heaven.
00:52:13.70\00:52:18.37
We've got to find out--
Let me put this together
00:52:18.37\00:52:21.07
and you'll see this as we go
to the next study, not tonight.
00:52:21.07\00:52:24.24
But here we are when Christ,
we're here when Christ finds us.
00:52:24.24\00:52:27.61
Let's just say this is us.
00:52:27.61\00:52:29.88
Then Christ, we're
moving in the journey.
00:52:29.88\00:52:31.98
This is justificate
Christ, we accept Christ
00:52:31.98\00:52:34.28
to comes into our lives.
00:52:34.28\00:52:35.35
He covers the
payment for our sin,
00:52:35.35\00:52:38.02
He pays for us to be redeemed,
He goes to the store of sin
00:52:38.02\00:52:42.29
and death and
degradation and he buys us,
00:52:42.29\00:52:45.63
and He redeemed us.
00:52:45.63\00:52:47.13
Justification, we'll
talk about that in detail.
00:52:47.13\00:52:49.03
Then we go to this
part, sanctification.
00:52:49.03\00:52:51.47
He begins the
process of restoring us.
00:52:51.47\00:52:53.27
Have you seen an old piece
of furniture completely restored
00:52:53.27\00:52:56.27
or a house completely restored?
00:52:56.27\00:52:58.41
You look at that thing.
00:52:58.41\00:52:59.67
And my wife and I like to watch
the HD TV channel where they,
00:52:59.67\00:53:03.58
you know, they get these
houses they look like nothing.
00:53:03.58\00:53:06.28
And they say, "Well, I
can fix that up for $30,000."
00:53:06.28\00:53:09.28
And the people say,
"No, not that house."
00:53:09.28\00:53:13.29
But people are
admired not by what happens
00:53:13.29\00:53:15.22
on the outside of the
house, by what happens where.
00:53:15.22\00:53:17.79
On the inside of the house.
00:53:17.79\00:53:19.89
'Cause the outside
doesn't change much outside
00:53:19.89\00:53:21.53
or maybe some paint
or an additional room.
00:53:21.53\00:53:24.90
But Christ
accepts us, He accepts us
00:53:24.90\00:53:27.30
and the process
begin, the project starts.
00:53:27.30\00:53:31.04
But we have to
remember where we started.
00:53:31.04\00:53:33.11
House messed,
wives all messed up,
00:53:33.11\00:53:35.51
tongue doesn't
work, bad attitudes,
00:53:35.51\00:53:38.78
could cuss at any moment,
tell somebody off at any moment,
00:53:38.78\00:53:42.02
facial expressions
change at any moment,
00:53:42.02\00:53:44.79
get angry at any
moment, 'cause you don't get
00:53:44.79\00:53:46.25
the position you want to
fight, somebody disrespects you,
00:53:46.25\00:53:49.22
you'll lose your temper,
cut people off at any moment.
00:53:49.22\00:53:52.99
So if we see those things
still spring forth in our lives,
00:53:52.99\00:53:56.67
either we haven't
fully surrendered ourselves
00:53:56.67\00:53:58.50
or there are
certain parts of our lives
00:53:58.50\00:54:00.57
that we still have to
give to Christ to be removed.
00:54:00.57\00:54:04.27
Look at this,
Romans 3 verse 10 to 12.
00:54:04.27\00:54:09.08
Romans 3 verse 10 to 12. Okay.
00:54:09.08\00:54:14.08
"As it is written,
'There is none righteous,
00:54:14.08\00:54:18.29
no, not one, there
is none who understands,
00:54:18.29\00:54:22.09
there is none
who seeks after God.
00:54:22.09\00:54:26.09
They have all turned aside,
they have together become,
00:54:26.09\00:54:28.96
what, unprofitable,
00:54:28.96\00:54:31.33
there is none who does
good together, no, not one.'"
00:54:31.33\00:54:37.21
Not even one. So,
how many of us do good?
00:54:37.21\00:54:40.91
Raise your hand. Now,
I'm not gonna leave you
00:54:40.91\00:54:45.65
discouraged, you're gonna
go home excited, all right.
00:54:45.65\00:54:48.48
But I want you to
see why we do need Jesus.
00:54:48.48\00:54:51.42
We don't need
another fundamental doctrine.
00:54:51.42\00:54:53.82
We don't need number 29.
00:54:53.82\00:54:55.49
Those are facts, no matter
whether you accept them or not.
00:54:55.49\00:54:58.29
But what I want,
what the Christ wants us,
00:54:58.29\00:55:00.06
for us to be victorious.
00:55:00.06\00:55:00.96
I don't want to live
a life of defeat in just
00:55:00.96\00:55:02.50
at the last minute, you know,
00:55:02.50\00:55:04.00
fall out of an alcohol
bottle right into heaven.
00:55:04.00\00:55:05.77
It's not gonna happen that way.
00:55:05.77\00:55:07.77
Christ wants me to
be a testament down here
00:55:07.77\00:55:09.47
that He can change
lives, that's the only hope
00:55:09.47\00:55:11.54
that the person who is hung
up on something has by seeing
00:55:11.54\00:55:14.31
the deliverance
that's present in my life.
00:55:14.31\00:55:17.18
Look at in other one.
00:55:17.18\00:55:18.21
Question number
eleven, question number eleven.
00:55:18.21\00:55:20.88
Go to this very quickly.
00:55:20.88\00:55:22.32
What did Jesus say is one of the
greatest Christian challenges,
00:55:22.32\00:55:25.59
one of the greatest
Christian challenges?
00:55:25.59\00:55:28.02
Matthew 15 verse
8, Matthew 15 verse 8.
00:55:28.02\00:55:32.19
One of the greatest
Christian challenges.
00:55:32.19\00:55:33.83
He said this. "These
people draw near to Me
00:55:33.83\00:55:41.64
with their, what, mouth,
honor Me with their lips,
00:55:41.64\00:55:46.51
but their heart
is, what, far from Me."
00:55:46.51\00:55:50.08
What do you,
what, what can you think
00:55:50.08\00:55:51.48
of when you think of, they draw
near to Me with their mouths.
00:55:51.48\00:55:55.25
Singing Christian
songs, preaching sermons,
00:55:55.25\00:55:57.52
giving your Bibles
that is talking about Jesus,
00:55:57.52\00:55:59.89
but the heart is a
problem and heart somewhere.
00:55:59.89\00:56:02.22
You know, friends,
Jesus is come to remedy,
00:56:02.22\00:56:04.56
not just what's
happening on the outside because
00:56:04.56\00:56:06.26
all those things are,
are just really good things.
00:56:06.26\00:56:08.60
And sometimes, if
we're not careful,
00:56:08.60\00:56:09.90
we can lead people to Christ
on ourselves be a cast toy,
00:56:09.90\00:56:12.93
what I'm talking
about is, God does not want
00:56:12.93\00:56:14.40
to cast us away,
He wants to hold, man,
00:56:14.40\00:56:16.67
He wants to save
all of us, amen. Amen!
00:56:16.67\00:56:18.94
And so, we begin this topic
by looking at where we are,
00:56:18.94\00:56:22.34
but where we can be in Christ,
00:56:22.34\00:56:25.38
where we begin and
where we're gonna end up.
00:56:25.38\00:56:27.38
It's gonna be
amazing, because you read about
00:56:27.38\00:56:29.18
heaven one day, each
of us is going to walk
00:56:29.18\00:56:31.62
through the gates
into the New Jerusalem.
00:56:31.62\00:56:33.62
Can you say amen to that? Amen!
00:56:33.62\00:56:34.99
But we're not gonna
walk on the other way
00:56:34.99\00:56:36.09
where we are right
now because there's a work
00:56:36.09\00:56:37.79
that still has to go on.
00:56:37.79\00:56:38.79
And when you go home,
you know very well more
00:56:38.79\00:56:41.00
than anybody else
that the work that Christ
00:56:41.00\00:56:43.30
is carrying on in your life,
00:56:43.30\00:56:45.80
is work that
Christ can complete.
00:56:45.80\00:56:47.97
Isn't that right? Amen!
00:56:47.97\00:56:48.97
He can complete that.
00:56:48.97\00:56:50.04
"I can do all things
through him who strengthens me."
00:56:50.04\00:56:52.77
We're gonna talk about
how that strength comes
00:56:52.77\00:56:55.18
and what it means,
and how we could know
00:56:55.18\00:56:58.08
on a day-by-day
basis that we have
00:56:58.08\00:57:00.32
that strength without guessing.
00:57:00.32\00:57:02.68
We can know, it'll be
on a shadow of a doubt
00:57:02.68\00:57:05.02
that Christ is
strengthening our lives.
00:57:05.02\00:57:07.86
You know, we want to
invite you to in join us
00:57:07.86\00:57:09.36
next week for the
continuation of this topic on
00:57:09.36\00:57:12.49
"How to Live a Spiritual
Life in a Natural Body."
00:57:12.49\00:57:15.76
If you want to send
us a question or comment,
00:57:15.76\00:57:18.10
you can go to Twitter and go to
00:57:18.10\00:57:20.84
"A Sharper Focus" on Twitter.
00:57:20.84\00:57:23.00
You can go to our Facebook
page "A Sharper Focus 3ABN."
00:57:23.00\00:57:26.21
Or you can go to our
church's webpage www.tvsdac.org,
00:57:26.21\00:57:31.21
where you can
download the syllabus
00:57:31.21\00:57:33.42
and follow along in the lesson.
00:57:33.42\00:57:35.58
Now let me encourage
you, if you have a copy
00:57:35.58\00:57:37.12
of the lesson, try to follow
it through as best you can,
00:57:37.12\00:57:41.12
so that when we
begin again on next week,
00:57:41.12\00:57:43.36
you can be ahead of the game,
00:57:43.36\00:57:44.89
and you can have
a lot of the answers
00:57:44.89\00:57:46.29
that we're gonna get to.
00:57:46.29\00:57:47.40
But invite your
friends and family members.
00:57:47.40\00:57:49.36
And once again,
if you've taped this,
00:57:49.36\00:57:51.47
be desire us to share
this with somebody else
00:57:51.47\00:57:54.20
because we do know
that if you follow Christ,
00:57:54.20\00:57:56.71
everything we do can
come into "A Sharper Focus."
00:57:56.71\00:58:00.44