Hello, friends.
00:00:20.05\00:00:21.38
Welcome to
another Wednesday night
00:00:21.42\00:00:22.75
Bible study here,
00:00:22.78\00:00:24.12
A Sharper Focus coming to you
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
00:00:24.15\00:00:27.06
If you are with us last
week, it was camp meeting,
00:00:27.09\00:00:29.29
but now we are back to,
if I could call it normal,
00:00:29.32\00:00:31.99
and we're back in our Bibles
00:00:32.03\00:00:33.73
and the people of
God are gathered here
00:00:33.76\00:00:35.60
waiting for the
blessing of the Lord.
00:00:35.63\00:00:37.10
Can we all say
amen to that? Amen.
00:00:37.13\00:00:39.03
And we hope you
have your Bibles.
00:00:39.07\00:00:40.80
We hope you have
your pens and also,
00:00:40.84\00:00:44.07
for this lesson you'll
always get an opportunity
00:00:44.11\00:00:46.14
to follow up long,
00:00:46.17\00:00:47.51
if you'd like a
copy of the new lesson
00:00:47.54\00:00:49.04
for tonight that
we hope to get to,
00:00:49.08\00:00:51.21
and I think there's
a great chance we will
00:00:51.25\00:00:52.88
because we're covering
just the last five questions
00:00:52.91\00:00:56.02
on lesson number six.
00:00:56.05\00:00:57.49
So go to this
website, ASF.3abn.org.
00:00:57.52\00:01:02.99
Don't put www.
You won't find it.
00:01:03.02\00:01:05.89
And download
lesson 006 and also 007
00:01:05.93\00:01:10.30
because we're gonna
start a new lesson tonight
00:01:10.33\00:01:12.07
entitled "In Christ."
00:01:12.10\00:01:14.74
But we thank you
for tuning in tonight.
00:01:14.77\00:01:16.24
And we know that
God is going to bless us
00:01:16.27\00:01:17.87
as we turn our hearts to Him.
00:01:17.91\00:01:19.81
So let's bow our heads together
and invite the presence of God
00:01:19.84\00:01:23.14
to continue with us.
00:01:23.18\00:01:25.45
Our heavenly
Father, we thank You, Lord,
00:01:25.48\00:01:26.82
in a wonderful and special way
00:01:26.85\00:01:28.18
that tonight Your
Holy Spirit really is here.
00:01:28.22\00:01:32.02
He's gonna guide
us and strengthen us
00:01:32.05\00:01:34.12
and the study of
Your word, Father,
00:01:34.16\00:01:35.92
He is going to lead
us through this book
00:01:35.96\00:01:38.86
that has been inspired by
His power and His strength.
00:01:38.89\00:01:42.86
Also, give us hearts
that will absorb the message
00:01:42.90\00:01:45.57
and give us also minds
00:01:45.60\00:01:47.00
that will be
willing to serve You
00:01:47.04\00:01:49.24
and to follow You.
00:01:49.27\00:01:50.81
In Jesus' name we pray.
00:01:50.84\00:01:52.17
Amen. Amen.
00:01:52.21\00:01:54.28
And as I reiterate, once again,
we are on lesson number six,
00:01:54.31\00:01:58.81
006 and we're
finishing the lesson entitled,
00:01:58.85\00:02:01.98
How to be willing and obedient.
00:02:02.02\00:02:03.89
What's the title?
00:02:03.92\00:02:05.39
How to be willing and obedient.
How to be willing and obedient.
00:02:05.42\00:02:08.12
Now we've talked about something
00:02:08.16\00:02:10.49
that I'd like to revisit.
00:02:10.53\00:02:12.09
We've talked about a man
by the name of James Cameron.
00:02:12.13\00:02:14.50
Remember those
pictures I've showed you?
00:02:14.53\00:02:16.87
He had an opportunity
00:02:16.90\00:02:18.40
just to be the
second individual in history
00:02:18.43\00:02:20.14
to travel to the deepest part,
the deepest place on earth,
00:02:20.17\00:02:24.67
or the lowest place on
earth, the Mariana's Trench,
00:02:24.71\00:02:29.54
very dark, very
deep underground.
00:02:29.58\00:02:31.98
He had the
opportunity to be there.
00:02:32.01\00:02:33.98
And what was amazing
about that journey is
00:02:34.02\00:02:37.25
he was able to
be in an environment
00:02:37.29\00:02:39.69
that's hostile to his existence.
00:02:39.72\00:02:43.76
So for him to go down there
00:02:43.79\00:02:45.13
and come back up
36,000 plus feet down,
00:02:45.16\00:02:48.43
for him to go
down and come back up,
00:02:48.46\00:02:49.80
he had to be in a capsule that
was designed to sustain life.
00:02:49.83\00:02:53.64
And that's why tonight's lesson
is gonna be a wonderful segue
00:02:53.67\00:02:56.64
because we're gonna talk about
00:02:56.67\00:02:58.01
what it means to be
in the person of Christ
00:02:58.04\00:03:00.91
that he is
designed to sustain life.
00:03:00.94\00:03:05.05
But the other
thing about his journey,
00:03:05.08\00:03:06.95
he had to be
willing to risk his life
00:03:06.98\00:03:09.65
because chances were, he said,
50/50 that he could down there
00:03:09.68\00:03:13.49
and lose
connection, lose communication
00:03:13.52\00:03:15.92
and then lose his life.
00:03:15.96\00:03:17.49
But we know the story
has a successful ending.
00:03:17.53\00:03:19.26
He went down and
came back up successfully.
00:03:19.29\00:03:21.66
So when we walk in
this Christian life,
00:03:21.70\00:03:23.23
this journey that we
have walking with Christ,
00:03:23.26\00:03:25.53
it's a journey
that requires of us
00:03:25.57\00:03:27.67
that we'd be
willing and obedient
00:03:27.70\00:03:29.64
and then that we abide
and continue in Christ.
00:03:29.67\00:03:32.74
In a hostile environment,
we need to be in the one
00:03:32.77\00:03:35.88
who can successfully keep us
00:03:35.91\00:03:39.01
as we journey in
this Christian journey.
00:03:39.05\00:03:41.45
So tonight we're gonna continue
with some of the benefits.
00:03:41.48\00:03:44.35
Some of the what? Benefits.
00:03:44.39\00:03:46.05
Benefits of the will of God.
00:03:46.09\00:03:49.72
Now last week we began
with question number 21.
00:03:49.76\00:03:52.99
But before we do anything,
that's right, we have a song.
00:03:53.03\00:03:55.80
We're gonna sing a
song, Victory In Jesus.
00:03:55.83\00:04:00.54
What's the song title?
00:04:00.57\00:04:01.90
Victory In
Jesus. Victory In Jesus.
00:04:01.94\00:04:03.27
So let's not rush
ahead of ourselves,
00:04:03.30\00:04:04.84
but join us as we sing this song
00:04:04.87\00:04:06.64
because this has
become the theme song
00:04:06.68\00:04:09.04
of our Wednesday
night, Victory In Jesus.
00:04:09.08\00:04:10.71
Follow us.
00:04:10.75\00:04:12.08
I heard an old, old story
00:04:19.35\00:04:23.16
How the Savior came from glory
00:04:23.19\00:04:26.96
How He gave His life on Calvary
00:04:27.00\00:04:30.63
To save a wretch like me
00:04:30.67\00:04:34.50
I heard about His groaning
00:04:34.54\00:04:38.27
Of His precious blood's atoning
00:04:38.31\00:04:42.01
Then I repented of my sins
00:04:42.04\00:04:45.78
And won the victory.
00:04:45.81\00:04:48.25
The chorus.
00:04:48.28\00:04:49.62
O victory in Jesus
00:04:49.65\00:04:53.36
My Savior, forever
00:04:53.39\00:04:57.23
He sought me and bought me
00:04:57.26\00:05:00.93
With His redeeming blood
00:05:00.96\00:05:04.70
He loved me ere I knew Him
00:05:04.73\00:05:08.50
And all my love is due Him
00:05:08.54\00:05:12.27
He plunged me to victory
00:05:12.31\00:05:16.08
Beneath the cleansing flood
00:05:16.11\00:05:19.85
I heard about a mansion
00:05:19.88\00:05:23.59
He has built for me in glory
00:05:23.62\00:05:27.42
And I heard about
the streets of gold
00:05:27.46\00:05:31.19
Beyond the crystal sea
00:05:31.23\00:05:34.90
About the angels singing
00:05:34.93\00:05:38.73
And the old redemption story
00:05:38.77\00:05:42.54
And some sweet
day I'll sing up there
00:05:42.57\00:05:46.31
The song of victory
00:05:46.34\00:05:50.05
O victory in Jesus
00:05:50.08\00:05:53.92
My Savior, forever
00:05:53.95\00:05:57.59
He sought me and bought me
00:05:57.62\00:06:01.42
With His redeeming blood
00:06:01.46\00:06:05.19
He loved me ere I knew Him
00:06:05.23\00:06:09.00
And all my love is due Him
00:06:09.03\00:06:12.73
He plunged me to victory
00:06:12.77\00:06:16.50
Beneath the cleansing flood
00:06:16.54\00:06:20.34
He plunged me to victory
00:06:20.38\00:06:24.11
Beneath the cleansing flood.
00:06:24.15\00:06:30.85
Amen. Amen.
00:06:30.89\00:06:32.59
Well, let's look
at our title tonight.
00:06:32.62\00:06:34.09
We're gonna continue
on question number 21.
00:06:34.12\00:06:36.42
How to be what?
Willing and obedient.
00:06:36.46\00:06:39.69
How to be willing and obedient?
00:06:39.73\00:06:44.00
Now this section,
these next five questions,
00:06:44.03\00:06:47.90
one two, three, four and
five come under the category
00:06:47.94\00:06:51.94
of the benefits
of the will of God.
00:06:51.97\00:06:54.08
Now a lot of people say,
00:06:54.11\00:06:55.44
"Well, if I
follow the will of God,
00:06:55.48\00:06:56.81
well, what
benefit is there for me.
00:06:56.85\00:06:59.05
Well, the will of God
has a lots of benefits.
00:06:59.08\00:07:01.58
Well, the ultimate
benefit is eternal life.
00:07:01.62\00:07:04.65
The ultimate benefit is
00:07:04.69\00:07:06.29
being completely
reformed in the image of Christ.
00:07:06.32\00:07:08.66
That's the ultimate benefit.
00:07:08.69\00:07:10.16
But there are other benefits
00:07:10.19\00:07:11.53
that are
wonderful as we continue.
00:07:11.56\00:07:13.29
So let's look at
question number 21.
00:07:13.33\00:07:16.00
And it begins
with this question.
00:07:16.03\00:07:17.73
How does accepting God's will
00:07:17.77\00:07:20.94
impact our
attitude towards His work?
00:07:20.97\00:07:25.51
How does accepting God's will
00:07:25.54\00:07:27.28
impact our
attitude towards His work?
00:07:27.31\00:07:30.48
Let's turn to 1 John
4:34. Oh, sorry, John.
00:07:30.51\00:07:37.95
I looked at the Roman numeral.
00:07:37.99\00:07:39.32
John 4:34 because
there're two parts there.
00:07:39.35\00:07:43.16
Thankfully you all
have your own lessons.
00:07:43.19\00:07:45.49
It really does make a
difference, doesn't it?
00:07:45.53\00:07:47.43
Okay.
00:07:47.46\00:07:48.96
That's why I have my glasses.
00:07:49.00\00:07:50.33
I'm trying my best
to do without them.
00:07:50.37\00:07:52.13
So if I come up with scriptures
that don't exist in the Bible,
00:07:52.17\00:07:54.54
you know I need my glasses.
00:07:54.57\00:07:56.40
All right. John 4:34.
00:07:56.44\00:07:59.04
And we'll find it on the screen.
00:07:59.07\00:08:00.41
Here it is.
00:08:00.44\00:08:02.01
"Jesus said to them,
00:08:02.04\00:08:03.75
'My food is to
do the will of Him
00:08:03.78\00:08:08.22
who,'" did what?
00:08:08.25\00:08:09.58
"Sent me and to
finish His work."
00:08:09.62\00:08:12.79
When we are abiding in Christ,
00:08:12.82\00:08:15.06
when we are
following the will of God,
00:08:15.09\00:08:17.66
you'll discover
that "Jesus says,
00:08:17.69\00:08:19.79
His food is to
do the will of Him
00:08:19.83\00:08:22.26
who sent him and
to finish His work."
00:08:22.30\00:08:24.17
Let me tell you
what that actually means.
00:08:24.20\00:08:26.47
Those who are living in Christ,
00:08:26.50\00:08:27.84
those who are walking in Christ,
00:08:27.87\00:08:29.20
they want to be
involved in the work of Christ,
00:08:29.24\00:08:31.84
not just hearing
the message of Christ.
00:08:31.87\00:08:34.54
You know, you could be involved,
00:08:34.58\00:08:36.14
there are some people that are
baseball fans all their lives
00:08:36.18\00:08:39.05
and they've
never played baseball.
00:08:39.08\00:08:40.72
I don't understand that.
00:08:40.75\00:08:42.85
I can't really cheer for sport
00:08:42.88\00:08:44.39
that I don't know anything about
00:08:44.42\00:08:45.75
or have never participated in.
00:08:45.79\00:08:47.49
Now I play baseball,
but I'm not a baseball fan.
00:08:47.52\00:08:49.69
I watch it every now
and then. I play basketball.
00:08:49.72\00:08:52.46
I'm a basketball
fan, not a fanatic.
00:08:52.49\00:08:54.90
Just want to make sure
that I'm separating the two.
00:08:54.93\00:08:57.53
I like the sport, but
I'm not crazy about it.
00:08:57.57\00:09:00.07
And but the reason
that is enjoyable to me
00:09:00.10\00:09:02.60
because I know
something about it.
00:09:02.64\00:09:04.61
Now I'm the kind of person
00:09:04.64\00:09:06.44
that can't sit on
the stands all the time.
00:09:06.47\00:09:08.24
I got to get
involved on the field somehow.
00:09:08.28\00:09:11.35
When you become a Christian,
00:09:11.38\00:09:12.71
you can't sit on
the stands all the time.
00:09:12.75\00:09:14.42
You got to get
involved in God's work, right?
00:09:14.45\00:09:16.65
Amen. Now the
simple reason is this.
00:09:16.69\00:09:18.49
He says, "He that is
not with me is" what?
00:09:18.52\00:09:20.99
"Against me." "Against me."
00:09:21.02\00:09:22.36
"He who is not
gathering with me is" what?
00:09:22.39\00:09:24.96
"Scattering abroad."
00:09:24.99\00:09:27.66
Down in
Atlanta, I think in 2010,
00:09:27.70\00:09:30.80
we were on our way to lunch.
00:09:30.83\00:09:32.50
And everybody got together,
00:09:32.53\00:09:33.87
we were all excited
about going to lunch.
00:09:33.90\00:09:35.50
And you know how it is
00:09:35.54\00:09:36.87
when everybody,
"Hey, get in that car."
00:09:36.91\00:09:38.24
"You get in that
car." "I get in that car."
00:09:38.27\00:09:39.61
"I'll follow
him." "You follow me."
00:09:39.64\00:09:40.98
"Okay." "We'll meet you at."
00:09:41.01\00:09:42.34
"You got the
restaurant?" "Yeah."
00:09:42.38\00:09:43.71
And we were all excited.
00:09:43.75\00:09:45.08
I've discovered that
whenever you break your pattern,
00:09:45.11\00:09:46.45
something
strange is gonna happen.
00:09:46.48\00:09:47.82
Have you ever noticed that? Yes.
00:09:47.85\00:09:49.18
When you're rushing,
00:09:49.22\00:09:50.55
that's when you forget
the thing you need the most.
00:09:50.59\00:09:51.92
We got on the car.
00:09:51.95\00:09:53.29
In the city of Atlanta,
00:09:53.32\00:09:54.66
I want to make
it very, very clear,
00:09:54.69\00:09:56.02
in the city of Atlanta,
00:09:56.06\00:09:57.39
we're driving through
the streets of Atlanta
00:09:57.43\00:09:58.76
on our way to a
Chinese restaurant.
00:09:58.79\00:10:01.63
We got to a highway over
past and for whatever reason,
00:10:01.66\00:10:04.87
I look at my rear view mirror
00:10:04.90\00:10:06.23
and I saw things
flying all over the place.
00:10:06.27\00:10:09.90
And it just dawned on me,
instantly the Lord said to me,
00:10:09.94\00:10:13.04
"John, that's your wallet."
00:10:13.07\00:10:17.51
"That's your wallet
with your per diem money
00:10:17.55\00:10:19.88
flying all over Atlanta.
00:10:19.91\00:10:22.85
I got my 3ABN per
diem, had the cash in my,
00:10:24.52\00:10:29.02
in my wallet, put
my wallet on the roof
00:10:29.06\00:10:32.06
and did not zip it up.
00:10:32.09\00:10:33.80
Now I'm glad I didn't zip it
up because had I zipped it up,
00:10:33.83\00:10:35.86
you know, what
would have happened?
00:10:35.90\00:10:37.23
My wallet would have rolled off,
00:10:37.27\00:10:38.60
there would be no
evidence, no indicator.
00:10:38.63\00:10:40.54
So what did I do? I
slammed on those breaks.
00:10:40.57\00:10:44.94
We had two other
cars following us,
00:10:44.97\00:10:46.78
they slammed on their breaks
00:10:46.81\00:10:48.38
and I instantly just ran
out without even waiting to see
00:10:48.41\00:10:51.21
whether or not traffic cleared.
00:10:51.25\00:10:52.58
And I said, Lord, my
wallet, my credit cards,
00:10:52.61\00:10:56.22
my driver's
license, phone numbers, cash
00:10:56.25\00:11:00.06
and was like the Lord instantly
stopped the wind from blowing.
00:11:00.09\00:11:05.89
And you know what,
not a single dollar,
00:11:05.93\00:11:07.86
not a single card,
00:11:07.90\00:11:09.23
not a single
credit card flew away.
00:11:09.26\00:11:10.60
Can you all say
amen to that? Amen.
00:11:10.63\00:11:12.27
And what was the
purpose of my story again?
00:11:12.30\00:11:14.70
Scatters abroad.
00:11:14.74\00:11:16.14
Right. Scatters abroad.
00:11:16.17\00:11:18.21
People ran out their cars
00:11:18.24\00:11:19.57
and just started
helping me pick these things up.
00:11:19.61\00:11:21.81
It wasn't a even a time
that I could give instructions.
00:11:21.84\00:11:24.51
I almost just said,
"Just follow, whatever I do,
00:11:24.55\00:11:26.58
just do the same thing."
00:11:26.61\00:11:28.35
And so some
people in the other cars
00:11:28.38\00:11:30.22
just got down, everybody
ran in different directions
00:11:30.25\00:11:32.59
gathering together.
00:11:32.62\00:11:34.26
Now it would have been terrible
00:11:34.29\00:11:35.62
if they all
just sat in their car
00:11:35.66\00:11:36.99
and here I am out
there all by myself.
00:11:37.03\00:11:38.89
But you know what they did?
00:11:38.93\00:11:40.26
They recognized
instantly there was something
00:11:40.30\00:11:41.96
that need to be
done right then and there
00:11:42.00\00:11:43.87
and they started
gathering with me.
00:11:43.90\00:11:46.13
In the very same way,
Jesus, if we follow His actions,
00:11:46.17\00:11:49.67
we end up gathering with
Him rather than just standing by
00:11:49.70\00:11:53.17
and watch things
get scattered abroad.
00:11:53.21\00:11:55.04
And so what's being said here is
00:11:55.08\00:11:56.41
when we live in the will of God,
00:11:56.44\00:11:57.78
we want to gather with Him.
00:11:57.81\00:11:59.15
There's no joy in just
watching the gathering.
00:11:59.18\00:12:02.38
The joy comes in being
involved in the gathering.
00:12:02.42\00:12:04.29
Amen. Look at the other part.
00:12:04.32\00:12:05.65
John 5:30, John 5:30.
00:12:05.69\00:12:08.49
The other benefit
of how the will of God
00:12:08.52\00:12:11.06
impacts our
lives toward His work.
00:12:11.09\00:12:13.06
John 5:30. Here
it is on the screen.
00:12:13.09\00:12:17.63
"I can of Myself do"
how much? "Do nothing.
00:12:17.67\00:12:21.10
As I hear, I judge, and
My judgment is righteous,
00:12:21.14\00:12:26.37
because I do
not seek My own will
00:12:26.41\00:12:29.04
but the will of the
Father who," did what?
00:12:29.08\00:12:32.51
"Sent Me." So
what is that saying?
00:12:32.55\00:12:35.08
Whose will are we seeking?
00:12:35.12\00:12:37.39
We're seeking the
will of the Father.
00:12:37.42\00:12:39.19
So what happens is now,
was Jesus able to do things?
00:12:39.22\00:12:44.13
Huh, yes or no? Yes.
00:12:44.16\00:12:45.83
But as it
relates to a divine work
00:12:45.86\00:12:49.06
in the form of humanity,
00:12:49.10\00:12:50.60
he had to rely on the Father
to accomplish anything divine.
00:12:50.63\00:12:54.07
So what we have
to keep in mind is
00:12:54.10\00:12:55.44
if we're gonna be
involved in the work of God,
00:12:55.47\00:12:57.14
we have to rely
on divine assistance,
00:12:57.17\00:13:00.74
divine power, divine
energy outside of ourselves
00:13:00.78\00:13:04.58
to be able to
accomplish the will of God
00:13:04.61\00:13:06.51
and we must say together,
"I cannot myself do" how much?
00:13:06.55\00:13:10.29
"Nothing."
00:13:10.32\00:13:11.65
Because what
happens, you go out there
00:13:11.69\00:13:13.02
and the efforts we put forth,
00:13:13.05\00:13:14.39
we may be able to scrape
up a spark here and there.
00:13:14.42\00:13:16.73
But without the power of God,
00:13:16.76\00:13:18.73
the accomplishment
is very, very minimal.
00:13:18.76\00:13:21.86
Let's look at number 22.
00:13:21.90\00:13:23.90
Number 22, now
the second part. Okay.
00:13:23.93\00:13:26.50
What message
does God's will convey
00:13:26.53\00:13:29.70
through those who know God?
00:13:29.74\00:13:31.84
This is a wonderful text.
00:13:31.87\00:13:33.48
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5,
00:13:33.51\00:13:38.01
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5.
00:13:38.05\00:13:41.68
Look at that very carefully.
00:13:41.72\00:13:43.12
And Paul the
Apostle talks about this
00:13:43.15\00:13:46.09
in a wonderful setting.
00:13:46.12\00:13:47.46
All right.
00:13:47.49\00:13:48.82
For those of you who are quick,
I think you're already there
00:13:48.86\00:13:50.26
but those of you who
want to follow along,
00:13:50.29\00:13:52.03
it's gonna be on the screen.
00:13:52.06\00:13:53.40
Here is the answer. All right.
00:13:53.43\00:13:56.67
"For this is the
will of God." What is it?
00:13:56.70\00:14:00.84
"Your sanctification: that
you should abstain from" what?
00:14:00.87\00:14:05.11
"Sexual immorality
that each of you should know
00:14:05.14\00:14:08.61
how to" do what?
00:14:08.64\00:14:10.31
"Possess his own
vessel in sanctification
00:14:10.35\00:14:13.21
and" what else?
00:14:13.25\00:14:14.58
"And honor, not
in passion of lust,
00:14:14.62\00:14:17.39
like the Gentiles
who do not know God."
00:14:17.42\00:14:21.79
Now what message
does God's will convey
00:14:21.82\00:14:23.79
to those who know God?
00:14:23.83\00:14:25.26
You know what it says,
00:14:25.29\00:14:26.63
God, those who serve
God are people that control,
00:14:26.66\00:14:30.43
people that possess their souls.
00:14:30.47\00:14:32.20
Do you know what it
means to possess your soul?
00:14:32.23\00:14:33.64
It doesn't mean to
be spirit possessed.
00:14:33.67\00:14:35.60
It means to
allow the Spirit of God
00:14:35.64\00:14:38.67
to live within you to
control your thoughts,
00:14:38.71\00:14:41.84
your actions, your patterns,
your lusts, your desires.
00:14:41.88\00:14:45.58
The word there lust
simply means your desires.
00:14:45.61\00:14:48.02
And what Paul was doing here,
00:14:48.05\00:14:49.52
he was comparing the
way the Gentiles live
00:14:49.55\00:14:53.12
to the way that those
who follow Christ lived.
00:14:53.15\00:14:55.09
He said there must
be a marked difference
00:14:55.12\00:14:56.79
between those who
are following Christ
00:14:56.83\00:14:59.09
and those who are
following the world.
00:14:59.13\00:15:00.46
Do you believe that?
00:15:00.50\00:15:01.83
There should be a difference,
should be a marked difference.
00:15:01.86\00:15:03.67
The Gentiles, quite
a different pattern.
00:15:03.70\00:15:05.33
Here is another one,
00:15:05.37\00:15:06.70
the second part of
question number 22.
00:15:06.74\00:15:09.34
1 Peter 4:1-3. 1
Peter 4:1-3. All right.
00:15:09.37\00:15:16.91
Once again, what
message does God's will convey
00:15:16.95\00:15:19.21
to those who know God?
00:15:19.25\00:15:21.45
I was doing a Bible
program earlier today
00:15:21.48\00:15:23.75
and I was
talking with the person
00:15:23.79\00:15:26.12
who is on the set with me,
00:15:26.15\00:15:27.69
James Rafferty
and we were talking
00:15:27.72\00:15:29.06
about how different it is,
00:15:29.09\00:15:30.96
how the Christians' life
should be markedly different
00:15:30.99\00:15:34.36
because in a world
that's just completely designed
00:15:34.40\00:15:36.56
for our destruction,
00:15:36.60\00:15:38.50
the Christian
although tempted should know
00:15:38.53\00:15:41.17
that that
temptation is not optional.
00:15:41.20\00:15:43.91
In other words, well,
as somebody once said,
00:15:43.94\00:15:45.87
it's better to
ask for forgiveness
00:15:45.91\00:15:47.24
than ask for permission, no.
00:15:47.28\00:15:48.61
The Christian has to understand
00:15:48.64\00:15:49.98
where the line that God
has drawn, where that line is.
00:15:50.01\00:15:52.78
And it is not safe
to walk across that line
00:15:52.81\00:15:55.08
that God has established.
00:15:55.12\00:15:56.58
It's not safe to do
that in a sanctified manner.
00:15:56.62\00:15:59.25
So Peter and Paul the
Apostle and other Bible writers
00:15:59.29\00:16:03.43
talk about how important
it is for the Christian
00:16:03.46\00:16:05.39
to exemplify his
life in the world.
00:16:05.43\00:16:08.03
And let me give some application
00:16:08.06\00:16:09.40
to the passage we just read
00:16:09.43\00:16:10.77
and the one we're
gonna read right now.
00:16:10.80\00:16:12.80
There are those of you,
00:16:12.83\00:16:14.17
now most of us work in
a sanctified environment.
00:16:14.20\00:16:16.44
We work at 3ABN, right?
00:16:16.47\00:16:18.57
But for those of you
that work in the real world,
00:16:18.61\00:16:23.91
now I'm not saying that
there are not challenges here.
00:16:23.95\00:16:27.32
But for those who work
in the everyday secular word
00:16:27.35\00:16:30.39
where the jokes are quite
different at the soda machine
00:16:30.42\00:16:33.92
or at the, you know,
when they have breakfast
00:16:33.96\00:16:36.62
or in the office or
at the photocopy machine.
00:16:36.66\00:16:39.53
We've got to,
we've got to make sure
00:16:39.56\00:16:40.90
that our minds don't
go down the very same path
00:16:40.93\00:16:43.47
that those around us
try to lead our minds down.
00:16:43.50\00:16:47.30
Or sometimes the conversations
get hot and bothered
00:16:47.34\00:16:50.17
and going in a
different direction.
00:16:50.21\00:16:52.64
We have to make sure that
we don't go down that path
00:16:52.67\00:16:55.38
because
sometimes Satan is like a,
00:16:55.41\00:16:57.35
he's like a person fishing.
00:16:57.38\00:16:58.71
He 's looking for
somebody to hook and to reel in.
00:16:58.75\00:17:02.48
So Paul is
establishing a principle
00:17:02.52\00:17:04.19
that must be important
for Christians to follow
00:17:04.22\00:17:06.39
and Peter does
the very same thing.
00:17:06.42\00:17:08.29
Look at the
verse, 1 Peter 4:1-3.
00:17:08.32\00:17:10.83
The Bible says, "Therefore,
since Christ suffered for us
00:17:10.86\00:17:14.00
in the flesh."
00:17:14.03\00:17:15.36
What's the next two words?
00:17:15.40\00:17:16.73
"Arm
yourselves." "Arm yourselves."
00:17:16.77\00:17:18.87
That's battle there.
00:17:18.90\00:17:20.27
"Arm yourselves
also with the" what?
00:17:20.30\00:17:22.84
"Same mind."
00:17:22.87\00:17:24.21
We have to have a warrior's mind
00:17:24.24\00:17:25.67
understanding we are in a war.
00:17:25.71\00:17:27.48
"For he who has
suffered in the flesh
00:17:27.51\00:17:30.48
has ceased from" what?
00:17:30.51\00:17:32.41
"Sin that he no longer should
live in the rest of his time
00:17:32.45\00:17:39.45
in the flesh for
the lusts of men,
00:17:39.49\00:17:42.42
but for the will of God.
00:17:42.46\00:17:45.29
For we have spent
enough of our past lifetime
00:17:45.33\00:17:47.96
in doing the
will of the Gentiles."
00:17:48.00\00:17:50.57
Let's not run past that.
00:17:50.60\00:17:52.03
But now here's how it finishes.
00:17:52.07\00:17:54.04
"When we walked in
lewdness, lusts, drunkenness,
00:17:54.07\00:17:57.61
revelries, drinking parties,
and abominable idolatries."
00:17:57.64\00:18:01.71
What Peter in
essence is saying is,
00:18:01.74\00:18:03.28
before you gave
your life to Christ,
00:18:03.31\00:18:04.81
you live that way, right?
00:18:04.85\00:18:07.78
How many of you remember that?
00:18:07.82\00:18:10.05
Okay. You see,
some of us admit it.
00:18:10.09\00:18:13.92
But you remember
the way the world,
00:18:13.96\00:18:15.86
coming from New York
City, I've got to admit,
00:18:15.89\00:18:17.76
the remember the
way of the world,
00:18:17.79\00:18:19.79
the way of the city.
00:18:19.83\00:18:21.23
One song I heard
it many years ago,
00:18:21.26\00:18:22.60
I think the guy
that wrote that song
00:18:22.63\00:18:24.13
Stevie Wonder,
Living For the City.
00:18:24.17\00:18:25.83
I was living for the
city, not living for the Lord.
00:18:25.87\00:18:28.40
So you remember that life.
00:18:28.44\00:18:29.77
You don't completely
forget it but what happens is
00:18:29.80\00:18:32.17
when you
disconnect yourself from it,
00:18:32.21\00:18:34.21
the strength of it
begins to be weakened,
00:18:34.24\00:18:36.88
weakened until it's lessened.
00:18:36.91\00:18:38.25
It's like, it's
like, think of it this way,
00:18:38.28\00:18:40.02
it's like taking a
very, very strong magnet
00:18:40.05\00:18:42.52
and moving it
further and further
00:18:42.55\00:18:43.89
and further and further
away from the metal object.
00:18:43.92\00:18:46.65
After a while it has
absolutely no impact.
00:18:46.69\00:18:49.26
That's why Bible
mean when it says
00:18:49.29\00:18:50.76
"Resist the devil."
00:18:50.79\00:18:52.13
You got to move
further and further and further
00:18:52.16\00:18:53.50
and further from those
things that will pull you in.
00:18:53.53\00:18:56.30
A magnet up close,
sin up close, same effect
00:18:56.33\00:19:01.30
so when you move away,
00:19:01.34\00:19:02.67
when you decide that
this is where Christ,
00:19:02.70\00:19:04.77
I'm gonna be there when it says,
00:19:04.81\00:19:06.68
"Draw nigh to God and
God will draw near to you."
00:19:06.71\00:19:09.74
"Resist the devil and
he will flee from you."
00:19:09.78\00:19:11.55
So you have to make sure
00:19:11.58\00:19:12.91
your life is moving
in the right direction.
00:19:12.95\00:19:14.68
And you move in
a right direction
00:19:14.72\00:19:16.08
by remembering where you are
00:19:16.12\00:19:18.59
when you have gone
in the wrong direction.
00:19:18.62\00:19:21.16
You say, "Wow,
can't live that life."
00:19:21.19\00:19:24.49
And expect to live in
the presence of Christ.
00:19:24.53\00:19:26.80
All right. Let's
look at number 23.
00:19:26.83\00:19:30.13
Number 23.
00:19:30.17\00:19:31.50
So if you look at those two,
00:19:31.53\00:19:32.87
what message does
the will of God convey
00:19:32.90\00:19:34.64
through those who know God?
00:19:34.67\00:19:36.20
We move in a
different direction.
00:19:36.24\00:19:39.17
That's the summary
of both of those texts.
00:19:39.21\00:19:40.78
We move in a
different direction.
00:19:40.81\00:19:43.28
We forget those
things which are behind us.
00:19:43.31\00:19:45.01
Thank you, honey.
00:19:45.05\00:19:46.38
Forgetting those
things which are behind us,
00:19:46.41\00:19:47.88
we press toward the goal
00:19:47.92\00:19:49.65
for the prize of the upper
call of God in Christ Jesus.
00:19:49.68\00:19:52.29
Notice he didn't
say the lower call
00:19:52.32\00:19:54.19
but the, what kind of call?
00:19:54.22\00:19:55.69
Upward call. You
always move higher.
00:19:55.72\00:19:57.89
You never give up anything
00:19:57.93\00:20:01.40
and get something
less from the Lord.
00:20:01.43\00:20:04.13
Everything you give up,
00:20:04.17\00:20:05.50
you're gonna get
something a lot better.
00:20:05.53\00:20:06.87
Remember Jesus says,
00:20:06.90\00:20:08.24
Jesus said about
the rich young ruler,
00:20:08.27\00:20:09.60
if he had given
up his possessions,
00:20:09.64\00:20:11.14
he would have had 100
times more in this life
00:20:11.17\00:20:14.38
and then he would
have had eternal life.
00:20:14.41\00:20:16.31
But he didn't know that
00:20:16.34\00:20:17.68
because he held on
to what he had, right?
00:20:17.71\00:20:19.85
Number 23, the next question.
00:20:19.88\00:20:23.02
How does the will of God affect
our attitude in all situations?
00:20:23.05\00:20:28.82
Okay, in all situations
00:20:28.86\00:20:30.63
how does it affect our
attitudes in all situations?
00:20:30.66\00:20:33.60
We're gonna go now
to 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
00:20:33.63\00:20:38.50
I must spend a
little time explaining this
00:20:38.53\00:20:39.93
because you know
sometimes people may say,
00:20:39.97\00:20:41.60
"Well, I may not
want to do that."
00:20:41.64\00:20:43.37
All right. Let's
look at this together.
00:20:43.41\00:20:45.74
1 Thessalonians 5:18.
All right. Here it is.
00:20:45.77\00:20:53.05
I'd like us to
read this one together.
00:20:53.08\00:20:54.85
It's on the screen.
Are we ready? Here we go.
00:20:54.88\00:20:56.75
"In everything give thanks,
for this is the will of God
00:20:56.79\00:21:02.42
in Christ Jesus for you."
00:21:02.46\00:21:04.89
King James Version
says, "Concerning you."
00:21:04.93\00:21:07.50
You see, at it pertains to us.
00:21:07.53\00:21:11.03
This is a hard scripture.
00:21:11.07\00:21:13.64
I want you to know
that this is not an easy one
00:21:13.67\00:21:15.47
because what is in
essence it's saying is,
00:21:15.50\00:21:18.97
in how many things?
00:21:19.01\00:21:20.51
In everything.
00:21:20.54\00:21:23.38
You got to couple
this with Romans 8:28
00:21:23.41\00:21:25.91
"For we know that all things."
00:21:25.95\00:21:27.82
Everything, all things.
00:21:27.85\00:21:29.88
"For we know that all
things work together for good."
00:21:29.92\00:21:33.39
It may not look
like it right away.
00:21:33.42\00:21:35.46
But if you know
that what God allows
00:21:35.49\00:21:38.23
is gonna have a
more beautiful ending
00:21:38.26\00:21:40.23
than it had in beginning,
then you begin to say,
00:21:40.26\00:21:42.40
"Okay, Lord, I don't
know what this is all about.
00:21:42.43\00:21:44.83
But I thank you for
keeping me sane through it
00:21:44.87\00:21:48.90
or keeping me
strong through it."
00:21:48.94\00:21:51.47
Or to be very real, sometimes
we go through the challenges
00:21:51.51\00:21:55.51
that come our way
with tears, don't we?
00:21:55.54\00:21:59.01
Or with interpretation,
or fear or deep concern
00:21:59.05\00:22:04.72
but what happens is we go
through it because we say,
00:22:04.75\00:22:08.29
"Lord, I don't
understand the end of this thing
00:22:08.32\00:22:11.53
but I'm still alive.
00:22:11.56\00:22:12.89
I thank you for that.
00:22:12.93\00:22:14.76
I'm awake everyday.
I thank you for that.
00:22:14.80\00:22:17.27
Don't know the end of it,
00:22:17.30\00:22:20.14
but I'm thanking
you for the blessings
00:22:20.17\00:22:21.64
that will come in spite of it."
00:22:21.67\00:22:23.77
So it says, "In
everything give thanks,
00:22:23.81\00:22:26.14
for this is the will of God."
00:22:26.17\00:22:27.51
You know when you
often give thanks,
00:22:27.54\00:22:28.88
when do you often give thanks?
00:22:28.91\00:22:31.11
Huh? After, right.
00:22:31.15\00:22:33.78
Well, Thanksgiving, yes.
But we often give thanks after.
00:22:33.82\00:22:38.05
What do we say
after? Thank God. It's over.
00:22:38.09\00:22:41.82
You see, that's when
the thanks really coming,
00:22:41.86\00:22:44.03
"Thank God. It's over."
00:22:44.06\00:22:47.03
But we don't now how
long it's going to last.
00:22:47.06\00:22:49.26
And it's good that we don't
00:22:49.30\00:22:50.63
because sometimes
you say, "Six months?"
00:22:50.67\00:22:53.74
"Really, Lord?" I
mean, really, six months?
00:22:53.77\00:22:57.31
Do you think I
could handle six months?"
00:22:57.34\00:22:58.84
And He says, "With me,
you can handle anything."
00:22:58.87\00:23:02.98
But so we have to learn
00:23:03.01\00:23:04.45
and let me just spend
a minute more on this.
00:23:04.48\00:23:07.22
One of the reasons why
this is so vitally important
00:23:07.25\00:23:09.68
is because this is in contrast
00:23:09.72\00:23:12.15
to what is often
recorded in the Bible
00:23:12.19\00:23:14.29
where the children of
Israel complained and murmured.
00:23:14.32\00:23:18.39
They couldn't see
the blessings of God.
00:23:18.43\00:23:20.46
Over and over and over again
00:23:20.50\00:23:22.13
God delivered them in
so many different ways
00:23:22.16\00:23:24.27
but whenever our new trial came,
00:23:24.30\00:23:26.33
what were they ready to do?
00:23:26.37\00:23:28.10
Throw their hands
up and give up on God.
00:23:28.14\00:23:30.01
So this is not
just a good scripture,
00:23:30.04\00:23:31.74
this is saying to us,
00:23:31.77\00:23:33.31
if God delivered you
in the past situation,
00:23:33.34\00:23:35.74
God is able to deliver
you in the present situation.
00:23:35.78\00:23:38.31
And He is able to
deliver in the what?
00:23:38.35\00:23:40.22
Future situation.
00:23:40.25\00:23:41.58
But if you complain
every time the cloud show up,
00:23:41.62\00:23:44.65
you know, like
here in Thompsonville,
00:23:44.69\00:23:46.15
whenever the siren goes off,
we're getting complacent now
00:23:46.19\00:23:49.39
so we have to be very
careful because we say,
00:23:49.42\00:23:51.09
"Uh, you know, the
tornado always goes around us."
00:23:51.13\00:23:54.60
Ain't that right?
00:23:54.63\00:23:55.96
Somebody said
"I've been living here
00:23:56.00\00:23:57.33
for X amount of
years, 20 years."
00:23:57.37\00:23:59.20
And John, he's 21 maybe.
00:23:59.23\00:24:00.87
I've been living here 21 years
00:24:00.90\00:24:02.24
and they always
split and go around us.
00:24:02.27\00:24:04.24
I know they're coming
right toward Thompsonville,
00:24:04.27\00:24:05.64
but it splits and goes
one left and one go right
00:24:05.67\00:24:07.31
and it joins back, it
goes, or it goes up over city,
00:24:07.34\00:24:09.28
it slows down.
00:24:09.31\00:24:10.65
You know, we get complacent
sometime but I want to say,
00:24:10.68\00:24:12.91
"Thank you, Lord that
you've been keeping it
00:24:12.95\00:24:14.58
from hitting us for 21 years,
more specifically 28 years."
00:24:14.62\00:24:18.75
God is good.
00:24:18.79\00:24:20.12
So whenever those
clouds start to gather again,
00:24:20.16\00:24:22.36
you say, "Lord, I don't know."
00:24:22.39\00:24:23.99
I was in a, we
were in Dallas, Texas.
00:24:24.03\00:24:27.80
Keene, Texas or wherever
it was and my phone went off.
00:24:27.83\00:24:32.37
And I have my phone programmed
00:24:32.40\00:24:34.44
so that whenever
severe weather comes to 62869,
00:24:34.47\00:24:39.54
my phone starts going...
00:24:39.57\00:24:41.21
You know like
the, what's that sound?
00:24:43.14\00:24:44.61
Siren. The tornado siren, right?
00:24:44.65\00:24:46.92
And it just kept
going off every 30 seconds.
00:24:46.95\00:24:49.62
And my wife says,
"What's wrong with your phone?
00:24:49.65\00:24:51.89
Oh, that sound
would drive me nuts."
00:24:51.92\00:24:54.26
Well, I said,
"Honey, it's driving us nuts
00:24:54.29\00:24:55.62
because we are in a quiet hotel
00:24:55.66\00:24:57.23
or walk in lobby
or in the elevator.
00:24:57.26\00:24:59.86
But let me see
what my phone is saying?
00:24:59.89\00:25:01.56
"Warning, warning,
seek low lying area.
00:25:01.60\00:25:04.47
Go to a lower floor,
get away from window."
00:25:04.50\00:25:07.10
You know storm, eminent,
you know tornado, eminent.
00:25:07.14\00:25:10.84
I called Gray.
00:25:10.87\00:25:12.34
I said, "Gray, my
phone is going crazy.
00:25:12.37\00:25:13.78
How is that out there?"
00:25:13.81\00:25:15.14
"Well, Pastor, it's
really bad. It's hailing.
00:25:15.18\00:25:17.25
I could see clouds in the east.
00:25:17.28\00:25:18.61
They are coming
toward Thompsonville.
00:25:18.65\00:25:19.98
It's really, really windy."
00:25:20.02\00:25:21.35
And I stayed on the
phone and talked with them
00:25:21.38\00:25:22.72
until the winds
just started dying down.
00:25:22.75\00:25:24.45
So why it just seems
like it's dying down?
00:25:24.49\00:25:26.96
Just before called
him, I called Danny.
00:25:26.99\00:25:28.32
I said, "Danny,
how does it look?"
00:25:28.36\00:25:29.69
"Oh, man, there's a tornado.
00:25:29.72\00:25:31.59
I heard West
Frankfurt is on his way here
00:25:31.63\00:25:33.66
50 miles an hour
and you know what,
00:25:33.70\00:25:36.30
the Lord sustained
us through it, amen.
00:25:36.33\00:25:37.83
Amen.
00:25:37.87\00:25:39.20
So what I'm saying by
all those anecdotal stories
00:25:39.23\00:25:41.67
is simply this.
00:25:41.70\00:25:43.04
Things may look
worse as they approach us
00:25:43.07\00:25:46.91
than they are
when they reach us.
00:25:46.94\00:25:49.84
So let's not shutter.
00:25:49.88\00:25:51.21
Let's remember, we got
to put more trust in God.
00:25:51.25\00:25:53.38
Give thanks for
this is the will of God.
00:25:53.42\00:25:56.05
God says I've got it handled.
00:25:56.08\00:25:58.55
Your fiery
furnace, your lion's den,
00:25:58.59\00:26:00.56
whatever the situation
maybe, learn how to give thanks.
00:26:00.59\00:26:03.43
Now let's look at the
next one. Number 24, number 24.
00:26:03.46\00:26:09.63
How does the will of God
affect our actions and choices?
00:26:09.66\00:26:14.74
How does the will of God
affect our actions and choices?
00:26:14.77\00:26:17.71
Okay.
00:26:17.74\00:26:19.07
And it says here in 1
Peter 2:15 is the text
00:26:22.14\00:26:25.18
where we're gonna be.
00:26:25.21\00:26:27.18
1 Peter 2:15. Here it is.
00:26:27.22\00:26:30.69
You all turned it. I
heard you turn it really fast.
00:26:30.72\00:26:32.79
By the way, you
guys can meet me there
00:26:32.82\00:26:34.16
because you know
where I'm heading.
00:26:34.19\00:26:35.59
You got a syllabus.
00:26:35.62\00:26:36.96
Hopefully, you
could race me there,
00:26:36.99\00:26:38.33
but here it is in the screen.
00:26:38.36\00:26:39.69
1 Peter 2:15, together.
00:26:39.73\00:26:42.00
"For this is the will
of God, that by" what?
00:26:42.03\00:26:46.43
"Doing good you
may put to silence
00:26:46.47\00:26:50.84
the ignorance of" what?
00:26:50.87\00:26:52.71
"Foolish men." You
know what that means?
00:26:52.74\00:26:55.68
I tell you, I
tell you, brethren,
00:26:55.71\00:26:57.78
there are those in the world
00:26:57.81\00:26:59.15
that are always looking
for ammunition to throw at God.
00:26:59.18\00:27:01.85
"So I thought
you are Christian."
00:27:04.95\00:27:08.12
"Where's your God now?"
00:27:08.16\00:27:10.83
Then in situations in the
city where people have said,
00:27:10.86\00:27:13.60
"Well, how did
your life get turned up.
00:27:13.63\00:27:14.96
I thought you were praying."
00:27:15.00\00:27:17.63
You know and they
give you that look.
00:27:17.67\00:27:19.43
So your car broke
down on the way to church.
00:27:19.47\00:27:21.67
Have you, I mean, I've
been in situations like that.
00:27:25.87\00:27:28.24
I could tell you the
story. This is really funny.
00:27:28.28\00:27:29.94
And I know, well, this
had nothing to do with God
00:27:29.98\00:27:32.61
but we had a Toyota.
00:27:32.65\00:27:34.32
It was my wife's car,
her brother gave it to her.
00:27:34.35\00:27:36.48
Actually she bought it at very,
00:27:36.52\00:27:38.29
next to nothing and
you'll understand why.
00:27:38.32\00:27:40.72
It only went forward.
00:27:40.76\00:27:42.96
It didn't have a reverse gear
and the gas needle didn't work.
00:27:42.99\00:27:46.83
So to find out how
much fuel was in the tank,
00:27:46.86\00:27:48.96
we had a hanger in our car.
00:27:49.00\00:27:51.10
So we'd always put
the hanger in the car
00:27:51.13\00:27:52.47
and like a dipstick.
00:27:52.50\00:27:54.50
Now you got to see
this. Here we are in the city.
00:27:54.54\00:27:56.10
I have my suit on and
I'm on my way to church.
00:27:56.14\00:27:57.77
I'm putting a
dipstick in the gas tank,
00:27:57.81\00:27:59.47
"Wait a minute, honey.
00:27:59.51\00:28:01.54
Yeah, we have about
few gallons in there."
00:28:01.58\00:28:05.61
I didn't know how
much we had in there.
00:28:05.65\00:28:07.32
Anyway one Sabbath
on our way from church
00:28:07.35\00:28:10.29
and the other
thing about this car,
00:28:10.32\00:28:12.29
the seat had springs
00:28:12.32\00:28:14.49
that had torn all
the way through the seat
00:28:14.52\00:28:16.56
so I put cardboard in the seat.
00:28:16.59\00:28:18.73
I have three suits
00:28:18.76\00:28:20.23
that I've had to re-sew
the left side of the suite
00:28:20.26\00:28:23.16
because three suits
got torn by the spring.
00:28:23.20\00:28:26.43
It always
reminds us of that car.
00:28:26.47\00:28:28.40
And I've since out on
a little bit more weight
00:28:28.44\00:28:31.37
and I don't fit in those suits.
00:28:31.41\00:28:32.74
However, I've kept
them just for reminder
00:28:32.77\00:28:35.88
of where we used to live.
00:28:35.91\00:28:37.81
But this one particular
Sabbath on our way from church,
00:28:37.85\00:28:41.18
crossing an
intersection in New York City,
00:28:41.22\00:28:44.55
as we got to the
end of the intersection,
00:28:44.59\00:28:46.62
the car coasted
the rest of the way...
00:28:46.65\00:28:48.49
Took that hanger
out, put in the gas tin
00:28:53.43\00:28:55.96
and it sounded
like an empty fruit can,
00:28:56.00\00:28:58.63
nothing there.
00:28:58.67\00:29:00.00
I said, "Honey,
guess what happened?
00:29:00.04\00:29:01.54
We ran out of fuel
on our way from church."
00:29:01.57\00:29:05.04
Now here I am,
Sabbath, got on my suit,
00:29:05.07\00:29:08.54
didn't even have a gas can.
00:29:08.58\00:29:10.85
Walking to the gas
station with no gas can.
00:29:10.88\00:29:13.18
I had to get a gas can.
00:29:13.21\00:29:14.78
And when I got
to the gas station,
00:29:14.82\00:29:16.95
"Well, what you
are dressed up for?"
00:29:16.99\00:29:21.19
"Coming from church."
"So how can I help you?"
00:29:21.22\00:29:23.93
"Do you have a gas can?"
"What you need a gas can for?"
00:29:23.96\00:29:28.76
"My car broke
down. It needs fuel."
00:29:28.80\00:29:31.23
"You let your car
breakdown coming from church."
00:29:31.27\00:29:34.17
It's New Yorker saying that.
00:29:34.20\00:29:35.70
And I'm thinking,
I'm thinking to myself,
00:29:35.74\00:29:37.91
just give me the gas can.
00:29:37.94\00:29:40.34
That had nothing to do with God
00:29:40.38\00:29:42.24
but the way that it was
coming from the attendant,
00:29:42.28\00:29:44.48
it was like,
"Your car broke down
00:29:44.51\00:29:46.58
coming from the church?"
00:29:46.61\00:29:47.98
And I'm thinking,
it's just, sometimes
00:29:48.02\00:29:50.82
and the reason
I'm telling the story,
00:29:50.85\00:29:52.29
sometimes God has nothing
to do with things like that.
00:29:52.32\00:29:55.26
Sometimes it's
just the issues of life.
00:29:55.29\00:29:57.49
Remember, Jesus
talks about that,
00:29:57.53\00:29:58.86
"The cares of this life."
00:29:58.89\00:30:00.50
Sometimes the cares of this life
00:30:00.53\00:30:01.90
can challenge you.
00:30:01.93\00:30:03.26
It has nothing to do with God.
00:30:03.30\00:30:04.70
It has nothing to
do with the devil.
00:30:04.73\00:30:06.10
Sometimes you
blame the devil for stuff
00:30:06.13\00:30:07.70
that we just complacent about.
00:30:07.74\00:30:09.64
Didn't check the
fuel the day before.
00:30:09.67\00:30:11.77
But it's moments like that
where you can either be patient
00:30:11.81\00:30:14.48
under the load of the challenge
00:30:14.51\00:30:16.58
and just simply get your
fuel, go back to where you were.
00:30:16.61\00:30:20.05
Eventually that car
broke down on us again,
00:30:20.08\00:30:22.58
crossing the
George Washington Bridge.
00:30:22.62\00:30:24.99
They also had a bad transmission
00:30:25.02\00:30:26.52
that's why it only forward.
00:30:26.55\00:30:28.29
It broke down in the middle
00:30:28.32\00:30:29.66
of the George Washington Bridge.
00:30:29.69\00:30:31.59
And as I paid the toll
and pressed the gas pedal,
00:30:31.63\00:30:35.06
I heard crunching metal.
00:30:35.10\00:30:37.10
And thankfully we were at
the pinnacle of the bridge
00:30:37.13\00:30:39.27
where, you know, guys, God has
brought us through a whole lot.
00:30:39.30\00:30:43.74
I just want you to know that.
00:30:43.77\00:30:45.27
God has brought us
through a whole lot.
00:30:45.31\00:30:46.64
Here we are on the
George Washington Bridge
00:30:46.68\00:30:49.04
toward the
evening, paid our toll,
00:30:49.08\00:30:53.25
pressed the gas pedal
00:30:53.28\00:30:54.65
and the attendant is
waiting for us to move.
00:30:54.68\00:30:56.72
"Go ahead."
00:30:56.75\00:30:58.09
And it gripped just
enough to get the car rolling,
00:31:01.96\00:31:05.29
five, six, seven, ten, fifteen.
00:31:05.33\00:31:09.56
God is good.
00:31:09.60\00:31:11.27
Thankfully, we were
not going up the bridge.
00:31:11.30\00:31:13.03
We were going down and
it eventually got to 35
00:31:13.07\00:31:16.27
and the grading, we got to 60.
00:31:16.30\00:31:18.87
And we were able to coast
all the way off the bridge,
00:31:18.91\00:31:21.81
all the way to a side tree
00:31:21.84\00:31:23.18
without ever
needing the gas pedal.
00:31:23.21\00:31:24.91
Wow.
00:31:24.95\00:31:26.95
And we sat there until our
family member came and got us.
00:31:26.98\00:31:30.09
But those are the issues of life
00:31:30.12\00:31:31.45
that sometimes you'll
say, "Where is God now?
00:31:31.49\00:31:33.25
I mean, why does He let
these things happen to us?"
00:31:33.29\00:31:37.33
So in those moments
you have to understand
00:31:37.36\00:31:39.26
that when you have
the chance to do evil
00:31:39.29\00:31:41.73
or say things
that are not correct,
00:31:41.76\00:31:43.77
you'll put a silence the
ignorance of foolish men.
00:31:43.80\00:31:46.57
And the reason I say
the ignorance of foolish men
00:31:46.60\00:31:48.30
is because
sometimes men don't understand
00:31:48.34\00:31:49.74
your connection to God.
00:31:49.77\00:31:51.44
And you can use
that moment as a chance
00:31:51.47\00:31:52.84
to give God the glory.
00:31:52.87\00:31:54.51
You can say it was my bad.
00:31:54.54\00:31:56.18
It was not God that
did this but it was--
00:31:56.21\00:31:58.15
Our car just
broke, things break down.
00:31:58.18\00:32:00.08
Things sometimes go bad.
00:32:00.12\00:32:01.45
Sometimes the check
doesn't get to the bank
00:32:01.48\00:32:02.82
as quickly as you
like that to get there.
00:32:02.85\00:32:04.55
But in those moments,
give God the glory anyway.
00:32:04.59\00:32:06.62
Amen. Amen.
00:32:06.65\00:32:07.99
Look at the last one here.
00:32:08.02\00:32:09.36
So how does the will of God
00:32:09.39\00:32:10.89
affect our
actions and our choices?
00:32:10.93\00:32:12.56
Simply, choose.
Simply choose to do good.
00:32:12.59\00:32:15.76
That's the answer for number 24.
00:32:15.80\00:32:17.13
Choose to do good.
God will be praised by it.
00:32:17.17\00:32:19.90
Question number 25.
00:32:19.93\00:32:22.00
What does the will of God
00:32:22.04\00:32:23.37
teach us in times of difficulty?
00:32:23.41\00:32:27.14
What does the
will of God teach us
00:32:27.18\00:32:28.71
in times of difficulty?
00:32:28.74\00:32:31.78
Okay. 1 Peter
4:19, 1 Peter 4:19.
00:32:31.81\00:32:39.15
This is one that Peter knows
00:32:39.19\00:32:42.42
as a result of
his own experience.
00:32:42.46\00:32:44.26
He knows this to be something
that is true in his own life
00:32:44.29\00:32:48.10
because the apostles
went through suffering.
00:32:48.13\00:32:50.17
But notice what he says.
00:32:50.20\00:32:53.80
"Therefore let those who
suffer according to the" what?
00:32:53.84\00:32:58.77
"Will of God commit their
souls to Him in doing good,
00:32:58.81\00:33:02.68
as to a what?
00:33:02.71\00:33:04.28
"Faithful Creator."
00:33:04.31\00:33:05.85
Now I don't know
if you've caught that.
00:33:05.88\00:33:07.35
Let those who suffer
according to the will of God.
00:33:07.38\00:33:09.78
The Bible says also, Paul says,
00:33:09.82\00:33:11.45
"If we suffer with
Him, we will also" what?
00:33:11.49\00:33:14.09
"Reign with Him."
00:33:14.12\00:33:15.46
And sometimes we
have this attitude
00:33:15.49\00:33:16.83
that the Christian
life is devoid of suffering,
00:33:16.86\00:33:19.06
like you know, once we
give our lives to Christ,
00:33:19.09\00:33:20.93
we're locked in a peanut
shell and nothing could get in.
00:33:20.96\00:33:23.37
No.
00:33:23.40\00:33:24.73
When you give
your life to Christ,
00:33:24.77\00:33:26.10
the world is now
already against you
00:33:26.13\00:33:27.87
and suffering will come.
00:33:27.90\00:33:29.37
But remember this, brethren.
00:33:29.40\00:33:31.07
Suffering is
the beginning of it,
00:33:31.11\00:33:32.74
joy is the end of it.
00:33:32.77\00:33:34.11
Amen.
00:33:34.14\00:33:35.48
So when, if God says okay,
00:33:35.51\00:33:36.85
this suffering
will come your way.
00:33:36.88\00:33:38.41
Did Job suffer
according to the will of God?
00:33:38.45\00:33:40.92
Yes or no? Yes or
no? Did God allow it?
00:33:40.95\00:33:45.55
Yes. Of course, He did.
00:33:45.59\00:33:46.92
God didn't bring the
suffering, but God allowed it
00:33:46.96\00:33:48.89
so that Job's life
could be a testament
00:33:48.92\00:33:50.66
in the moment of suffering.
00:33:50.69\00:33:52.03
And so there are many of us,
00:33:52.06\00:33:53.40
if you haven't had
suffering, Pastor C. A. said,
00:33:53.43\00:33:55.56
"If haven't gone through
it, it's coming." You see.
00:33:55.60\00:33:59.17
So never get to the
place where you think
00:33:59.20\00:34:00.84
that suffering is something
that's gonna allude you.
00:34:00.87\00:34:03.81
One person once
said, Paul says this
00:34:03.84\00:34:06.27
"But all that who
live godly in Christ Jesus
00:34:06.31\00:34:08.81
shall suffer" what?
00:34:08.84\00:34:10.18
Persecution.
And it's gonna come.
00:34:10.21\00:34:12.48
But there are some individuals.
00:34:12.51\00:34:13.85
I met somebody who
said, "I don't know.
00:34:13.88\00:34:16.58
Am I a good Christian
because I'm not suffering?
00:34:16.62\00:34:20.56
And I said, "how
old are you?" "I'm 22."
00:34:20.59\00:34:23.63
"Just wait." Right?
00:34:23.66\00:34:28.06
They figure that by
22, if I'm not suffering,
00:34:28.10\00:34:30.17
I'll never ever suffer.
00:34:30.20\00:34:32.13
Well, we all know
that it may come at 22
00:34:32.17\00:34:35.20
but it's gonna come.
00:34:35.24\00:34:36.74
And not that we welcome that
or not that we look forward it
00:34:36.77\00:34:39.77
but simply in this world
you will have tribulation.
00:34:39.81\00:34:43.24
John 16:33.
00:34:43.28\00:34:44.61
"But be of good cheer. I
have overcome the world."
00:34:44.65\00:34:47.38
So now that's the
end of lesson number six.
00:34:47.42\00:34:49.85
We're gonna
transition now and the new title
00:34:49.88\00:34:53.59
that is going to
be powerful here.
00:34:53.62\00:34:55.32
I doubt if we finish it
tonight but we are ready for it.
00:34:55.36\00:34:57.69
The new title
is How to be, what?
00:34:57.73\00:35:01.40
In Christ.
00:35:01.43\00:35:03.57
I really enjoyed
putting this one together.
00:35:03.60\00:35:06.94
This lesson
really thrilled my soul
00:35:06.97\00:35:09.44
and I believe it's
gonna do the same for you.
00:35:09.47\00:35:11.74
By the way, if
you're just tuning in
00:35:11.77\00:35:13.11
and you only
have question number
00:35:13.14\00:35:14.58
or lesson number
six in your possession,
00:35:14.61\00:35:16.31
simple go to ASF.3abn.org
00:35:16.34\00:35:19.88
and you can
download the syllabus
00:35:19.91\00:35:21.28
for lesson number seven.
00:35:21.32\00:35:22.72
How to be in Christ?
00:35:22.75\00:35:24.19
What does that
mean to be in Christ?
00:35:24.22\00:35:26.39
You know, there are
those who I remember years ago,
00:35:26.42\00:35:29.29
there are those who
would try to extend their lives
00:35:29.32\00:35:31.26
in various ways.
00:35:31.29\00:35:33.46
Some people have heard about
the Science of the Cryonics.
00:35:33.50\00:35:36.97
That's so to speak,
00:35:37.00\00:35:38.90
a scientific way of
freezing the body correctly
00:35:38.93\00:35:41.70
and thawing it out later.
00:35:41.74\00:35:45.57
Now brethren, what happens
00:35:45.61\00:35:47.01
if that thawing
out process goes bad?
00:35:47.04\00:35:50.35
You just be a soak. I
don't know what you'll be.
00:35:50.38\00:35:56.18
That's not the way
that I want to seek
00:35:56.22\00:35:57.65
to extend my life, right?
00:35:57.69\00:35:59.95
Then there are those who
live in pure oxygen chambers
00:35:59.99\00:36:04.39
you know,
breathe up your oxygen.
00:36:04.43\00:36:06.56
But I heard
there's something else now.
00:36:06.59\00:36:07.93
Don't go out and but
it because some of you,
00:36:07.96\00:36:10.27
if you want to
prevent the aging process.
00:36:10.30\00:36:11.63
I was listening to
the doctor last week
00:36:11.67\00:36:13.94
and he said, HGH,
Human Growth Hormones, HGH.
00:36:13.97\00:36:17.87
It slows down the aging process.
00:36:17.91\00:36:19.74
Many actors and
actresses use it.
00:36:19.77\00:36:21.58
It makes the
lines stay away longer.
00:36:21.61\00:36:23.95
It makes the face feel tighter
00:36:23.98\00:36:25.98
and the body,
more vibrant and vigor.
00:36:26.01\00:36:28.12
Don't leave yet, okay.
00:36:28.15\00:36:30.62
And they do that
to and they said,
00:36:30.65\00:36:33.92
in Hollywood, the
constant journey is
00:36:33.96\00:36:36.93
how to find the
fountain of the youth.
00:36:36.96\00:36:39.69
How to look younger longer.
00:36:39.73\00:36:41.60
And they always, just
like Elizabeth Taylor,
00:36:41.63\00:36:43.33
she had enough face
lifts to raise the Titanic.
00:36:43.37\00:36:47.07
Just over and over
and over and over again.
00:36:47.10\00:36:50.17
But that's not what
we're talking about.
00:36:50.21\00:36:52.27
We're not talking about
sustaining the physical man,
00:36:52.31\00:36:54.91
we're talking about
planning for eternal life.
00:36:54.94\00:36:57.51
So we begin with this question.
00:36:57.55\00:36:59.61
We begin with the
most important question,
00:36:59.65\00:37:01.72
question number one.
00:37:01.75\00:37:03.08
What does it
mean to be in Christ?
00:37:03.12\00:37:05.95
What does it
mean to be in Christ?
00:37:05.99\00:37:07.32
This is beautiful. All right.
00:37:07.36\00:37:08.79
We're gonna go to
2 Corinthians 5:17.
00:37:08.82\00:37:11.43
Those of you who
know your Bible well
00:37:11.46\00:37:12.79
know exactly
what this text says.
00:37:12.83\00:37:14.86
What does it
mean to be in Christ?
00:37:14.90\00:37:17.53
Okay. 2 Corinthians 5:17.
00:37:17.57\00:37:23.14
It's gonna be
on the screen here.
00:37:23.17\00:37:24.51
It's a wonderful passage.
00:37:24.54\00:37:25.87
You've heard this before
00:37:25.91\00:37:27.24
but I want to take
a little time with it
00:37:27.28\00:37:28.61
because sometimes we
could just run through things
00:37:28.64\00:37:29.98
that we've heard all
over and over and over again
00:37:30.01\00:37:32.35
and fail to get the
wonderful benefit from it.
00:37:32.38\00:37:34.85
All right. 2 Corinthians 5:17.
00:37:34.88\00:37:37.52
I want us to read this together.
00:37:37.55\00:37:39.49
You all ready?
00:37:39.52\00:37:40.86
"Therefore, if
anyone is in Christ,
00:37:40.89\00:37:44.89
he is a new creation,
old things have" what?
00:37:44.93\00:37:49.93
"Passed away, behold,
all things have become new."
00:37:49.96\00:37:56.00
"New."
00:37:56.04\00:37:57.61
Now you may not look new. Yeah.
00:37:57.64\00:38:03.38
Go with me to 1 John. All right.
00:38:03.41\00:38:06.48
We're gonna turn to the book.
00:38:06.51\00:38:07.85
So what does it
mean to be in Christ?
00:38:07.88\00:38:10.25
The answer is twofold.
"Old things passed away."
00:38:10.29\00:38:13.12
How many things are
new? Say it together.
00:38:13.15\00:38:14.99
"All things are new."
00:38:15.02\00:38:16.36
And you don't see
all those new things yet.
00:38:16.39\00:38:18.39
But if you stay
around long enough,
00:38:18.43\00:38:19.76
you begin to see those things.
00:38:19.79\00:38:21.23
What book did I
say we're going to?
00:38:21.26\00:38:22.60
1 John, right? Okay.
00:38:22.63\00:38:25.53
Wait.
00:38:25.57\00:38:26.97
I have so much
stuff in my Bible,
00:38:27.00\00:38:29.90
my Bible is like a file cabinet.
00:38:29.94\00:38:33.11
Okay here,
great. Put on glasses.
00:38:33.14\00:38:36.91
I heard a small
voice behind me say that.
00:38:36.95\00:38:40.48
Okay, here we are.
00:38:40.52\00:38:43.55
1 John Chapter 3
00:38:43.59\00:38:46.82
and we're gonna look at verse 2.
00:38:46.86\00:38:50.43
Verse 2. Speaking about
all things that become new.
00:38:50.46\00:38:53.40
1 John 3:2. Let's look
at that together. All right.
00:38:53.43\00:38:57.37
It begins with
the word "Beloved."
00:38:57.40\00:39:00.10
"Now we are" what?
00:39:00.14\00:39:02.54
"Children" when
are we children of God?
00:39:02.57\00:39:04.77
Now. Say now.
00:39:04.81\00:39:06.88
Right now, right now,
Hannah, you are a child of God.
00:39:06.91\00:39:09.64
Remember, Hannah told me that.
00:39:09.68\00:39:11.01
I remember when
she got baptized.
00:39:11.05\00:39:12.38
We had Bible studies
00:39:12.41\00:39:13.75
and we reviewed
those on the Friday
00:39:13.78\00:39:15.12
just before her
baptism and she came to me.
00:39:15.15\00:39:17.42
I think it was Monday or Tuesday
00:39:17.45\00:39:18.79
or maybe a prayer
meeting on Wednesday.
00:39:18.82\00:39:20.16
She said, "You
know what, Pastor."
00:39:20.19\00:39:21.52
She said, "Things
have changed now."
00:39:21.56\00:39:22.89
I said, she said,
"Remember last week,
00:39:22.92\00:39:27.26
I was a child of
Adam, but now," wasn't that?
00:39:27.30\00:39:31.07
That was Kayli.
That was Kayli said that.
00:39:31.10\00:39:33.84
She said, "Pastor, last
week I was a child of Adam.
00:39:33.87\00:39:36.84
Now I'm a child of
God." Ain't that wonderful?
00:39:36.87\00:39:39.81
Amen. Ten years old.
00:39:39.84\00:39:43.88
Last week I was a child of Adam.
00:39:43.91\00:39:45.61
But, Pastor, guess
what? Now I'm a child of God.
00:39:45.65\00:39:48.62
That's wonderful. She
understood this text here.
00:39:48.65\00:39:51.92
It says "Now we are
the children of God.
00:39:51.95\00:39:54.16
But let's go and look
at the new things now.
00:39:54.19\00:39:56.46
It says,
00:39:56.49\00:39:58.39
"And it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be,
00:39:58.43\00:40:03.43
but we know that
when He is revealed,
00:40:03.47\00:40:06.53
we shall be" what?
00:40:06.57\00:40:08.30
"Like Him, for we
shall see Him as He is."
00:40:08.34\00:40:14.71
For many, many
years before I met my dad,
00:40:14.74\00:40:17.31
and some of you know the story,
00:40:17.35\00:40:18.68
I always wondered
what my dad looked like.
00:40:18.71\00:40:21.48
I didn't know my dad
until I was 13 years old.
00:40:21.52\00:40:23.39
Didn't meet my mom
till I was almost 26,
00:40:23.42\00:40:25.85
my biological parents.
00:40:25.89\00:40:27.79
And when I found out that
00:40:27.82\00:40:29.66
I was not living with the people
00:40:29.69\00:40:31.03
that were natural
parents, I was wondering,
00:40:31.06\00:40:33.03
what does my dad look like,
what does my mom look like.
00:40:33.06\00:40:34.96
Do I have traits?
00:40:35.00\00:40:36.46
Am I walking past
them during the day of my,
00:40:36.50\00:40:39.10
on the train, is he
sitting across from me,
00:40:39.13\00:40:40.97
has my mom, have I seen her?
00:40:41.00\00:40:42.94
I always wonder
what the features were.
00:40:42.97\00:40:44.74
This text though,
kind of spells my story.
00:40:44.77\00:40:47.38
When I saw my dad, I thought,
00:40:47.41\00:40:49.91
Okay,
00:40:49.94\00:40:53.08
my nose is kind of like his,
00:40:53.11\00:40:55.82
well, oh, my ears are not.
00:40:55.85\00:40:57.69
His ears are smaller than mine
00:40:57.72\00:40:59.05
so I wonder where
I got my ears from.
00:40:59.09\00:41:00.92
I met my mom and I found out
the other half of the puzzle.
00:41:00.96\00:41:04.23
On the French Filipino side.
00:41:04.26\00:41:06.49
We've got those
rich people's ears
00:41:06.53\00:41:08.43
but we don't have the money.
00:41:08.46\00:41:10.10
Everybody in our family,
so you look at the traits
00:41:10.13\00:41:12.17
and for me, it was a discovery.
00:41:12.20\00:41:14.60
I didn't know but
when my father was revealed
00:41:14.64\00:41:18.01
I began to look at the physical.
00:41:18.04\00:41:19.37
Okay, I kind of stand up
little like him at times.
00:41:19.41\00:41:22.34
Okay, I see my grandmother.
00:41:22.38\00:41:23.71
Well, I'm lanky
like my grandmother.
00:41:23.75\00:41:26.11
When he was revealed,
00:41:26.15\00:41:27.48
when my family
pictures were revealed,
00:41:27.52\00:41:29.82
all of a sudden I realized
00:41:29.85\00:41:31.45
in so many ways I was like them.
00:41:31.49\00:41:33.39
What is in essence
saying is before we reach,
00:41:33.42\00:41:35.82
before we meet
our heavenly Father,
00:41:35.86\00:41:37.26
what we have to
come to grips with is,
00:41:37.29\00:41:39.33
even though we don't see
him, we are His children.
00:41:39.36\00:41:42.06
When? Now.
00:41:42.10\00:41:43.57
And when we see
Him, in His glory,
00:41:43.60\00:41:45.97
we will see Him
in His righteousness
00:41:46.00\00:41:48.14
and the beauty is
we're gonna be like him.
00:41:48.17\00:41:50.44
Now Moses couldn't see His
face but one of the blessings
00:41:50.47\00:41:53.81
and the benefits of
the children of God is
00:41:53.84\00:41:56.51
we will not only be with
Him but we will see His face.
00:41:56.54\00:42:00.55
And as the Heritage
Singers always used to sing
00:42:00.58\00:42:02.08
"And we will be like Him."
00:42:02.12\00:42:04.72
Praise the Lord for that.
00:42:04.75\00:42:06.09
Okay. Question number two.
00:42:06.12\00:42:07.56
So the answer to
question number one is,
00:42:07.59\00:42:09.89
what does it
mean to be in Christ?
00:42:09.92\00:42:11.26
Old things are behind
us, everything new has come.
00:42:11.29\00:42:15.43
And the word
passed away means died.
00:42:15.46\00:42:17.97
Okay. Number two.
00:42:18.00\00:42:20.60
How dependent on Christ are we
00:42:20.64\00:42:23.97
for our spiritual survival?
00:42:24.01\00:42:29.81
You ever had a
bad spiritual week?
00:42:29.84\00:42:31.41
Anybody want to
admit that in here.
00:42:31.45\00:42:33.48
Anybody have had a
bad spiritual week?
00:42:33.52\00:42:36.52
Not 15 hours, but
a bad spiritual week.
00:42:36.55\00:42:40.46
And you wondered
like after it passes by,
00:42:40.49\00:42:43.12
you'll ask yourself a question,
why didn't I do this sooner.
00:42:43.16\00:42:46.53
The thing that delivered
you from that bad spiritual week
00:42:46.56\00:42:49.03
is the thing that you
should've done earlier.
00:42:49.06\00:42:52.20
Look at this passage.
00:42:52.23\00:42:53.57
How dependent on Christ are
we for our spiritual survival?
00:42:53.60\00:42:57.17
Acts, we are in
Acts 17:28. Okay.
00:42:57.21\00:43:01.84
This is a wonderful passage.
I've heard it so many times.
00:43:01.88\00:43:04.71
It says, "For in
Him" let's go together.
00:43:04.75\00:43:07.22
"For in Him we" what?
00:43:07.25\00:43:08.75
"Live and move and" what else?
00:43:08.78\00:43:11.65
"Have our being."
00:43:11.69\00:43:13.39
That's a whole lot.
00:43:13.42\00:43:15.06
In Him we live, in Him
we move and in Him we what?
00:43:15.09\00:43:19.13
Have our being.
00:43:19.16\00:43:20.50
"As also some of
your own poets have said,
00:43:20.53\00:43:23.16
'For we are
also His offspring.'"
00:43:23.20\00:43:28.30
So when you
think about offspring,
00:43:28.34\00:43:30.44
where did I get my life from?
00:43:30.47\00:43:31.81
I'm my dad's offspring.
I'm my mom's offspring.
00:43:31.84\00:43:34.44
So in a physical
sense, in a paternal sense,
00:43:34.48\00:43:37.95
in a maternal
sense I'm able to move
00:43:37.98\00:43:40.92
because of what
my mom and dad did.
00:43:40.95\00:43:43.22
I'm able to
have physical emotion
00:43:43.25\00:43:45.19
because my mom and
dad joined together
00:43:45.22\00:43:48.52
and in the process of
birth, I'm able to have life.
00:43:48.56\00:43:51.79
So in the process of rebirth,
we are the offspring of Christ.
00:43:51.83\00:43:55.56
So we have to remember,
when we wake up in the morning,
00:43:55.60\00:43:58.57
in whom are we gonna live today,
00:43:58.60\00:44:00.57
in whom are we gonna move today,
00:44:00.60\00:44:02.64
in whom are we gonna
have our being today.
00:44:02.67\00:44:05.54
When you submit
yourself to Christ
00:44:05.57\00:44:07.14
and remember you are His child,
00:44:07.18\00:44:08.84
in Him, today, in Him
I live, in Him I move.
00:44:08.88\00:44:13.55
And when you move
and live in Christ,
00:44:13.58\00:44:15.52
your walk is a sure footed walk.
00:44:15.55\00:44:17.25
Isn't it right? Yes.
00:44:17.29\00:44:20.62
Because those
steps that he takes
00:44:20.66\00:44:24.09
are the very same
steps that you take.
00:44:24.13\00:44:26.59
Now it's really
important to remember that
00:44:26.63\00:44:28.06
because there's a narrow path.
00:44:28.10\00:44:29.76
What kind of path
did I say? Narrow.
00:44:29.80\00:44:32.07
The Bible
speaks about this path.
00:44:32.10\00:44:33.44
It's a narrow path.
00:44:33.47\00:44:34.80
It leads to eternal life
00:44:34.84\00:44:36.17
and the Bible says
very few find that path.
00:44:36.20\00:44:39.07
Now somebody tell me
why very few find that path.
00:44:39.11\00:44:43.01
Somebody tell me. Why
do very few find that path.
00:44:43.04\00:44:48.12
We choose to ignore it. Okay.
00:44:48.15\00:44:49.85
What else? On
along the same lines.
00:44:49.88\00:44:52.92
Why do very few find
that path? That's a key word.
00:44:52.95\00:44:56.89
They don't look.
Okay, they don't look.
00:44:56.93\00:45:00.40
Jeremiah, the prophet says,
00:45:00.43\00:45:01.76
"You will seek me
and you will find me
00:45:01.80\00:45:03.43
when you" do what?
00:45:03.47\00:45:04.80
"Search for me
with all your heart."
00:45:04.83\00:45:07.70
Can you imagine if you
drove to work without looking?
00:45:07.74\00:45:11.57
I'm just gonna drive.
I'll get to work eventually.
00:45:11.61\00:45:14.11
Huh?
00:45:17.11\00:45:18.51
Would you want to be in a cab?
00:45:18.55\00:45:20.15
I was in a cab once
00:45:20.18\00:45:21.68
and I had to stop
talking to the cab driver
00:45:21.72\00:45:23.22
because every
time I say something,
00:45:23.25\00:45:24.59
he'll look back
at me, "Hey, dude."
00:45:24.62\00:45:26.32
And I'm like,
"Look ahead of you."
00:45:26.35\00:45:29.12
You'll see people like that.
00:45:29.16\00:45:30.49
They always want to talk to you.
00:45:30.53\00:45:31.86
Sometimes when I'm
gonna call with people
00:45:31.89\00:45:33.73
that I'd like to talk
to me when I speak to them
00:45:33.76\00:45:36.30
and they are
driving, I choose not,
00:45:36.33\00:45:37.83
"Don't-- We'll
talk when you're done."
00:45:37.87\00:45:40.04
"That's okay, I could do this."
00:45:40.07\00:45:41.90
You know I had a,
we were in Bermuda
00:45:41.94\00:45:44.21
and a couple of years ago,
00:45:44.24\00:45:46.47
well, three,
four, five years ago,
00:45:46.51\00:45:48.98
and we got picked
up at the airport.
00:45:49.01\00:45:51.71
I hope he is not watching.
00:45:51.75\00:45:53.48
But if he is,
it's a funny story.
00:45:53.52\00:45:56.02
And the guy that picked
us up, I'll be very vague.
00:45:56.05\00:45:59.19
I won't tell
everything about him.
00:45:59.22\00:46:00.56
He was also a
driving instructor.
00:46:00.59\00:46:02.16
But he was one of those
guys I'd like to look at you
00:46:06.06\00:46:07.86
and he drives.
00:46:07.90\00:46:09.30
When you're talking to
him, every time he looked at me,
00:46:09.33\00:46:12.40
he would way over the lane.
00:46:12.43\00:46:15.27
He would way
over the yellow line,
00:46:15.30\00:46:17.94
he would.
00:46:17.97\00:46:19.31
I said, stop
looking at me and drive.
00:46:19.34\00:46:23.38
"I could, I teach
people how to drive."
00:46:23.41\00:46:25.35
I said, "Well, if you
teach people how to drive,
00:46:25.38\00:46:27.12
you should know that if
you're gonna use one hand,
00:46:27.15\00:46:30.09
don't hold the heaviest hand
00:46:30.12\00:46:31.62
at the top of the steering wheel
00:46:31.65\00:46:32.99
because the heavy hand...
00:46:33.02\00:46:34.36
He said, "Okay. I see.
00:46:34.39\00:46:35.72
What do you suggest?"
00:46:35.76\00:46:37.09
I said, "Do the 10
o'clock, 2 o'clock thing."
00:46:37.13\00:46:38.56
I'm telling to the
driving instructor.
00:46:38.59\00:46:40.50
Do the 10 o'clock, 2 o'clock
thing and you won't drift."
00:46:40.53\00:46:43.06
All right, I'll try that.
00:46:43.10\00:46:44.67
It does work."
00:46:44.70\00:46:46.53
I'm telling a
driving instructor.
00:46:46.57\00:46:48.37
He's got a big old
driving instructor sticker
00:46:48.40\00:46:50.37
on both sides of the car.
00:46:50.41\00:46:52.57
And I'm thinking, I am alive.
00:46:52.61\00:46:54.21
So we have to keep in mind,
00:46:54.24\00:46:55.58
we got to keep our
eyes fixed on Christ
00:46:55.61\00:46:57.68
because Christ, his
journey is a sure journey.
00:46:57.71\00:46:59.81
Am I right?
00:46:59.85\00:47:01.18
In Him we live, we move
and have our being everyday
00:47:01.22\00:47:03.52
because we are His offspring.
00:47:03.55\00:47:04.89
He's in charge. That's
simply what that means.
00:47:04.92\00:47:06.89
If Christ is in charge,
your journey and your feet
00:47:06.92\00:47:09.39
are gonna be in a
sure footed journey.
00:47:09.42\00:47:12.53
Number three, number three.
00:47:12.56\00:47:15.23
How does Paul
the Apostle describe
00:47:15.26\00:47:17.93
Christian righteousness?
00:47:17.97\00:47:21.94
Not just righteousness because,
00:47:21.97\00:47:23.94
you know, our
righteousness is as filthy rags.
00:47:23.97\00:47:26.68
I used the word there
Christian righteousness.
00:47:26.71\00:47:29.41
How does Paul
the Apostle describe
00:47:29.44\00:47:31.25
Christian righteousness?
00:47:31.28\00:47:32.85
We're looking
together at 2 Corinthians 5:21.
00:47:32.88\00:47:38.99
This is
beautiful. This is beautiful.
00:47:42.02\00:47:44.73
This is one of those
righteousness by faith texts.
00:47:44.76\00:47:47.33
"For He" that is the father,
"made Him," that is the Son,
00:47:50.83\00:47:57.61
"who knew no sin to be what?
00:47:57.64\00:48:00.68
"Sin for us."
00:48:00.71\00:48:02.48
But here is the trade off
00:48:02.51\00:48:03.98
"That we might become the
righteousness of God in Him."
00:48:04.01\00:48:10.19
In Jesus.
00:48:10.22\00:48:11.55
Is that, now, don't
run past that transaction.
00:48:11.59\00:48:14.72
Jesus knew no sin.
00:48:14.76\00:48:17.33
He know no sin.
00:48:17.36\00:48:19.19
The Father and the Son
00:48:19.23\00:48:22.96
put together a
transaction to save us.
00:48:23.00\00:48:26.07
He says I could imagine,
00:48:26.10\00:48:28.40
"But, Father, I don't know sin."
00:48:28.44\00:48:30.67
I mean, I know what it does
00:48:30.71\00:48:32.04
but I've never had
an experience with sin.
00:48:32.07\00:48:34.04
I mean, I don't
sin. I've never sinned.
00:48:34.08\00:48:37.81
And they decided together, okay.
00:48:37.85\00:48:39.71
In order for us to
save our children...
00:48:39.75\00:48:43.85
you got to
become just like them.
00:48:47.36\00:48:48.69
Now I don't know
00:48:51.49\00:48:52.86
how many of would jump
in a fire to save somebody
00:48:52.89\00:48:57.60
that you are connected with.
00:48:57.63\00:49:00.94
So Jesus decides to
become familiar with sin
00:49:03.87\00:49:10.48
that we might become
familiar with righteousness.
00:49:10.51\00:49:14.95
But even deeper than
that, Jesus became sin.
00:49:14.98\00:49:18.65
Now I want to see if
you're gonna catch that.
00:49:18.69\00:49:21.36
He didn't just become
familiar with it, He what?
00:49:21.39\00:49:24.79
Became sin.
00:49:24.83\00:49:26.49
He didn't say,
"Well, I'm familiar with it.
00:49:26.53\00:49:28.26
I'll go back now." He became it.
00:49:28.30\00:49:31.30
He became what we are that
we might become what He is.
00:49:31.33\00:49:35.64
So when we look at that
text and we ask the question,
00:49:35.67\00:49:39.64
how does Paul
the apostle describe
00:49:39.67\00:49:41.61
Christian righteousness?
00:49:41.64\00:49:43.14
Trading places.
00:49:43.18\00:49:44.95
Doing what? Trading places.
00:49:44.98\00:49:46.85
Now one day we're
gonna get a chance
00:49:46.88\00:49:48.65
to see the end
result of this transaction,
00:49:48.68\00:49:51.29
the Father and the Son deciding
00:49:51.32\00:49:53.09
that you have
to become like them
00:49:53.12\00:49:55.06
that they could become like you.
00:49:55.09\00:49:57.43
Now what I like about this
00:49:57.46\00:49:58.89
is Jesus took upon
Himself the sin of the world.
00:49:58.93\00:50:01.96
He didn't become
a sinner by action.
00:50:02.00\00:50:05.23
He took upon Himself
the sin of the world,
00:50:05.27\00:50:07.84
took that sin to the cross,
00:50:07.87\00:50:09.40
paid the penalty
for our redemption
00:50:09.44\00:50:11.74
so that one day we can
access the kingdom of glory
00:50:11.77\00:50:16.18
as a free gift.
00:50:16.21\00:50:18.68
It's a powerful text.
00:50:18.71\00:50:21.12
And I guess I could
illustrate the story.
00:50:21.15\00:50:26.09
One way I heard the
story about a young lady
00:50:26.12\00:50:29.19
who was on a college campus
00:50:29.22\00:50:30.56
and she was walking
in the college campus
00:50:30.59\00:50:32.29
and she had her arm
through another guy's arm
00:50:32.33\00:50:35.16
and his face was disfigured.
00:50:35.20\00:50:37.40
He had
experienced terrible burns.
00:50:37.43\00:50:41.50
And when she'd walk
past other girlfriends,
00:50:41.54\00:50:46.17
they would give her like,
00:50:46.21\00:50:49.71
who's that guy.
00:50:49.74\00:50:51.18
He is, "can't you find a
better looking guy than that?
00:50:51.21\00:50:54.95
I mean, all these
guys in the campus,
00:50:54.98\00:50:57.52
I mean, look at
yourself, look at him."
00:50:57.55\00:50:59.89
And she broke down one day
and she said, okay, all right.
00:50:59.92\00:51:02.62
Here is the deal.
00:51:02.66\00:51:04.19
The reason I'm with
that guy, that's my brother.
00:51:04.23\00:51:06.80
He went in a fire
00:51:06.83\00:51:08.90
when I was a baby
and saved my life.
00:51:08.93\00:51:11.33
So we never know what the Lord,
00:51:14.97\00:51:16.54
we never know the
value of the suffering
00:51:16.57\00:51:19.14
that was required to save us
00:51:19.17\00:51:21.54
until we understand that Jesus
was willing to go into the fire
00:51:21.58\00:51:25.38
to make sure that we
can come out of the fire
00:51:25.41\00:51:26.82
and survive that.
00:51:26.85\00:51:28.18
I try not to look a
text like this in one passage
00:51:28.22\00:51:29.68
because I've heard this
text so many times before,
00:51:29.72\00:51:31.79
haven't you?
00:51:31.82\00:51:33.15
Man, it's a very deep text
00:51:33.19\00:51:34.52
and I think throughout the
ceaseless ages of eternity,
00:51:34.56\00:51:36.96
he's gonna break
down in minutest ways
00:51:36.99\00:51:38.93
what that actually entailed.
00:51:38.96\00:51:40.60
So, Jesus, what
actually did you give up?
00:51:40.63\00:51:42.86
Well, let me tell you what
I used to do on a daily basis
00:51:42.90\00:51:44.97
before I broke my schedule down
00:51:45.00\00:51:47.34
and decided to come to the earth
00:51:47.37\00:51:48.70
and go through
what I went through.
00:51:48.74\00:51:50.17
You'll be amazed
and you'll think,
00:51:50.21\00:51:51.74
I don't know if I,
00:51:51.77\00:51:53.11
I don't know if I
would ever have done that.
00:51:53.14\00:51:54.81
But here we are in eternity
00:51:54.84\00:51:56.34
because He decided
to trade places with us
00:51:56.38\00:51:58.51
and become our
propitiation for sin.
00:51:58.55\00:52:00.95
Amen.
00:52:00.98\00:52:02.32
Number, number four, all right.
00:52:02.35\00:52:06.32
So if you answer the question,
00:52:06.35\00:52:07.69
how does Paul
the Apostle describe
00:52:07.72\00:52:09.22
Christian righteousness?
00:52:09.26\00:52:10.89
Christian righteousness is
the righteousness of Christ.
00:52:10.93\00:52:15.66
That's the
answer for number three.
00:52:15.70\00:52:17.03
Number four. Here it is.
00:52:17.07\00:52:19.33
What is the source of
our redemption and how?
00:52:19.37\00:52:23.91
Okay.
00:52:23.94\00:52:25.27
What is the source of
our redemption and how?
00:52:25.31\00:52:28.81
Question number five.
00:52:28.84\00:52:31.98
And we are turning to what text?
00:52:32.01\00:52:34.75
Ephesians...
00:52:34.78\00:52:37.75
Did I say question number five,
I mean, question number four.
00:52:37.79\00:52:40.66
That's right.
00:52:40.69\00:52:42.02
Question number four.
00:52:42.06\00:52:43.39
Ephesians 1:7.
00:52:43.43\00:52:44.76
What is the source of
our redemption and how?
00:52:44.79\00:52:49.36
Ephesians 1:7.
00:52:49.40\00:52:52.77
Okay, here it is.
00:52:52.80\00:52:55.44
What are the first two words?
00:52:55.47\00:52:56.81
In Him.
00:52:56.84\00:52:58.17
That are those
words again? In Him.
00:52:58.21\00:52:59.77
Now what I didn't stop.
00:52:59.81\00:53:01.71
I don't know if you guys
have been following along
00:53:01.74\00:53:03.71
but every text we've had so far
has had the phrase, "In Him."
00:53:03.75\00:53:09.22
In Him.
00:53:09.25\00:53:10.59
"Wherefore if
anyone is in Christ."
00:53:10.62\00:53:12.92
For in Him we live and move."
00:53:12.95\00:53:14.86
For He made Him who
knew no sin to become
00:53:14.89\00:53:16.86
so that we might become
00:53:16.89\00:53:18.23
the
righteousness of God in Him."
00:53:18.26\00:53:20.56
I want to get this
theme locked in, "In Him."
00:53:20.60\00:53:22.93
It is not in us, it's in Him.
00:53:22.96\00:53:25.87
If anyone be in Christ,
all these benefits come.
00:53:25.90\00:53:30.31
So look at this text again.
00:53:30.34\00:53:31.67
Now we zero in on
how important it is.
00:53:31.71\00:53:33.61
It starts together. Here it is.
00:53:33.64\00:53:35.61
"In Him we have" what?
00:53:35.64\00:53:37.41
"Redemption through His blood,"
00:53:37.45\00:53:40.05
what else?
00:53:40.08\00:53:41.42
"The forgiveness of sins,
00:53:41.45\00:53:43.49
according to the
riches of His grace."
00:53:43.52\00:53:46.99
I was so tempted and
this is a good temptation.
00:53:47.02\00:53:50.43
I was tempted when I
wrote this text down here
00:53:50.46\00:53:53.06
to begin to explain to
you the riches of God's grace.
00:53:53.09\00:53:57.63
And I thought to myself,
00:53:57.67\00:53:59.27
with all the Bible
verses in the Bible,
00:53:59.30\00:54:00.77
I still don't
know how rich He is.
00:54:00.80\00:54:05.17
You follow me?
00:54:05.21\00:54:06.54
He is only told me
about some of His riches.
00:54:06.57\00:54:09.04
He's told me about his riches
as it pertains to the earth.
00:54:09.08\00:54:11.98
For example, "He owns a
cattle on a thousand hills."
00:54:12.01\00:54:15.38
"The silver is His
and the gold is His."
00:54:15.42\00:54:18.12
"The earth is the Lord's
and the fullness thereof,
00:54:18.15\00:54:20.09
the world and they
that dwell therein."
00:54:20.12\00:54:21.62
He has given me
His financial portfolio
00:54:21.66\00:54:25.89
as it relates to the earth.
00:54:25.93\00:54:28.33
But I really don't
know how rich He is.
00:54:28.36\00:54:30.20
So I resisted the temptation
00:54:30.23\00:54:32.23
because if I try to
explain how rich God is,
00:54:32.27\00:54:34.97
I would fall for short.
00:54:35.00\00:54:38.01
So when we look at Bible,
when we look at this text,
00:54:38.04\00:54:39.97
we don't know until
we see Him face to face,
00:54:40.01\00:54:43.14
we would not understand
the riches of His grace.
00:54:43.18\00:54:46.08
Let's not get that mixed
up to the riches of His wallet
00:54:46.11\00:54:50.12
or the riches of
His bank account.
00:54:50.15\00:54:52.75
The riches of His grace,
00:54:52.79\00:54:54.72
the riches of His
grace is as follows.
00:54:54.76\00:54:56.86
"For by grace are
you saved through faith."
00:54:56.89\00:54:59.19
Now let me ask you the question,
00:54:59.23\00:55:00.56
is there enough grace
for everyone to be saved?
00:55:00.60\00:55:02.76
Yes. That's a lot of grace.
00:55:02.80\00:55:05.20
Okay.
00:55:05.23\00:55:06.57
"His grace is sufficient for us.
00:55:10.24\00:55:15.08
For in our weakness
His strength is made" what?
00:55:15.11\00:55:17.88
"Perfect."
00:55:17.91\00:55:19.25
Is there enough of God's grace
for those of us who are weak?
00:55:19.28\00:55:22.48
Yes.
00:55:22.52\00:55:23.85
So where does this
grace end? It doesn't end.
00:55:23.89\00:55:28.32
If the world has the
10 million more years,
00:55:28.36\00:55:31.46
it will still be true,
00:55:31.49\00:55:32.83
"For by grace are
you saved through faith."
00:55:32.86\00:55:35.26
So we don't know the extent
of the riches of His grace.
00:55:35.30\00:55:39.37
It's a whole lot of grace.
00:55:39.40\00:55:42.34
We wouldn't, I mean,
00:55:42.37\00:55:44.94
anyway, let's not
try to hurt ourselves
00:55:44.97\00:55:47.64
into putting that together.
00:55:47.68\00:55:49.01
That's a lot of grace.
00:55:49.04\00:55:50.38
So the answer.
00:55:50.41\00:55:51.95
What is the source of
our redemption and how?
00:55:51.98\00:55:54.48
The source of our
redemption is in Him.
00:55:54.52\00:55:58.19
And how?
00:55:58.22\00:55:59.72
Through His blood and what?
00:55:59.75\00:56:01.39
Through His
forgiveness and what else?
00:56:01.42\00:56:03.19
Through His grace.
00:56:03.22\00:56:04.56
Through His blood,
through His forgiveness
00:56:04.59\00:56:06.33
and through His grace.
00:56:06.36\00:56:08.70
He is the one that
brings this to our table.
00:56:08.73\00:56:11.30
Praise God for
that. Now number five.
00:56:11.33\00:56:14.44
And we have 18 questions.
00:56:14.47\00:56:18.31
I don't think there is anyway
we're gonna get to 18 questions
00:56:18.34\00:56:20.98
in a minute and 45 seconds.
00:56:21.01\00:56:22.94
So let's go ahead and
go to question number five.
00:56:22.98\00:56:25.58
Let's see what we
can do, all right.
00:56:25.61\00:56:28.18
This one starts with,
00:56:28.22\00:56:29.55
this starts to unfold
the riches of His grace.
00:56:29.58\00:56:33.59
When we have Christ,
00:56:33.62\00:56:35.26
how much more do we need?
00:56:35.29\00:56:38.39
When we Christ, how
much more do we need?
00:56:38.43\00:56:41.53
You know, sometimes people
say, "I need more, I need more."
00:56:41.56\00:56:43.83
"Give me some
more, give me some more."
00:56:43.87\00:56:45.20
And when we have Christ,
how much more do we need?
00:56:45.23\00:56:47.24
I'm moving up
pace now. Here we are.
00:56:47.27\00:56:49.40
Colossians 2:9, 10.
00:56:49.44\00:56:51.27
Here it is.
00:56:51.31\00:56:52.94
"For in Him dwells"
what's the next word?
00:56:52.97\00:56:56.64
"All the fullness
of the Godhead" how?
00:56:56.68\00:56:59.78
"Bodily." "Bodily."
00:56:59.81\00:57:01.15
That is, in the body of Christ.
00:57:01.18\00:57:02.88
When Jesus came to the earth,
00:57:02.92\00:57:04.45
in Him dwell all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily.
00:57:04.49\00:57:07.92
That's heavy. Yes.
00:57:07.96\00:57:11.06
So when the Bible says
"God with us," there He is,
00:57:11.09\00:57:13.46
all the fullness of the
Godhead bodily and completing it
00:57:13.50\00:57:16.77
"And you are complete in Him
00:57:16.80\00:57:18.77
who is the head
of all principality
00:57:18.80\00:57:21.87
and" what else?
00:57:21.90\00:57:23.24
"Power." That's power.
00:57:23.27\00:57:25.87
You are complete
in Him. Who is He?
00:57:25.91\00:57:28.78
He is the head
00:57:28.81\00:57:30.68
of all
principality and all power.
00:57:30.71\00:57:32.38
Is that deep?
00:57:32.41\00:57:33.95
So tonight as we begin
to unfold this passage,
00:57:33.98\00:57:36.08
I want you to take this home
00:57:36.12\00:57:37.45
and look at those passages again
00:57:37.49\00:57:38.82
because in Him is a
very magnificent motive.
00:57:38.85\00:57:42.52
It's something
that is far beyond
00:57:42.56\00:57:44.03
the comprehension of those of us
00:57:44.06\00:57:45.96
who just want to skim
through these passages.
00:57:45.99\00:57:48.30
Sometimes you open a
commentary and find out
00:57:48.33\00:57:50.17
what more you can find out
00:57:50.20\00:57:51.53
about the wonderful
blessing and the grace of Christ
00:57:51.57\00:57:54.74
and you'll discover,
friends, the gifts of Christ,
00:57:54.77\00:57:57.61
being in Christ is all about
00:57:57.64\00:57:59.81
going from a dull life to
a sharper focus in Christ.
00:57:59.84\00:58:03.55
God bless you.
00:58:03.58\00:58:04.91