Hello Friends,
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welcome to another
Wednesday night Bible Study here
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at "A Sharper Focus"
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thank you so much for tuning
in to our study continued on
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how to live a spiritual
life in a natural body,
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we are continuing on the topic
of what it means to be in Christ
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so get your
Bibles... get your pens,
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get your family members
stationed for the next hour
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as we walk through
the Word of God together
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and if you'd like to
get the copy of the lesson
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to follow along,
go to this website...
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don't put www but
put: ASF.3abn. org
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and download
Lesson Number 7, 007
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which will be
entitled, "In Christ"
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and you can follow along with us
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but we thank you because
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one of the things that
we've all discovered is,
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we need to know what
it means to be in Christ,
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can we all say "Amen" to that?
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Audience: Amen... amen.
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And so, tonight we're going
to once again continue our study
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opening the Word of God...
asking for the power of the Lord
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and asking for the Spirit of
God to open our hearts and minds
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as we lean upon
His mercy and His grace
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so, before we do anything
else, bow your heads with me
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as we invite the presence
of God to continue with us.
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"Our Father in heaven,
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we thank you
Lord... for your goodness,
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for your mercy
and for your grace,
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we do pray tonight, Lord,
as we open the Word of God
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that we would
also open our hearts...
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not just our ears...
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we pray that there will be a
connection made by your Spirit
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and that the power that
each one of us is in need of
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will be imparted to us,
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so, Lord, attend the meeting,
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speak to those
who are joining us
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and may your purpose
for each precious life
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covered by your blood
be accomplished tonight
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in Jesus' name we pray, amen. "
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Are you all ready to go?
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Audience: Amen, yes...
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Are you ready to go?
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Audience: Yes... yes...
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You know, just recently,
I... we were on the road...
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and I decided to
carry my little small camera
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because I have all
this camera equipment
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and I decided, "Well,
sometimes it gets cumbersome
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if all your camera equipment
is bigger than your backpack
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and... got a Cannon Camera
and interchangeable lenses...
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and for whatever
reason, I decided,
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you know, the last
couple of trips we went on...
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"I'm going to leave that home,
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let my wife to take her camera
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and I'll take my small, little,
flat digital Nikon with me
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and just take pictures
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and I think that
will be sufficient... "
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but all of a
sudden, one evening,
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the camera was out of
focus and it just wouldn't focus
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and I was wondering,
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"What on earth is
wrong with this camera?"
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I came to discover,
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the reason why
it was out of focus
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is because dust had
gotten into the camera
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and all of a sudden,
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this great gigantic
spiritual lesson was born
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which says to me,
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"If ever our
lives are out of focus,
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something has
gotten on the inside... "
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Audience: Agreeing...
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And I thought about that
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and I think that
gives even more support
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to the title of
our study tonight...
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"In Christ"
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Now, are we going to
have some music tonight?
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if you do... if we
are... then let me know
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so we could stop
anywhere along the way
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but we'll go ahead
to our lesson tonight
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but I want to
begin with a quotation...
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it's not going
to be on the screen,
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so I want you to prep your ears,
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listen very, very carefully,
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because one of the things
we have to keep in mind is that
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we are no different
than the apostles were
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in the day of Christ...
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we are no different
than the prophets were
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in the day of the Old Testament,
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each one of us fall
into the very same category
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because we are all
people, we're all... what?
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we're all people...
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filled by the power
of the Spirit of God.
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One of the things
I discovered is...
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as they also had to learn...
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is that unless they
had victory in Christ,
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there was no
victory apart from Christ,
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in the very same way
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we have to consider that
the victories that they had
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were because they were in Christ
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and the victories that
we are going to experience
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is because, we are... where?
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In Christ...
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So, let's begin
tonight with a song,
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right... "Victory in Jesus"
let's sing that song together
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and if you know the song
and you'd like to join with us
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as we sing that
here... here in Thompsonville,
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just go ahead and join with us,
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our words will
appear on the screen
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and for you,
there won't be any words
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but I think we'll sing loud
enough... so you can hear us,
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let's sing this song together.
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Music...
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I've heard an old, old story,
how the Savior came from glory
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How He gave His life on
Calvary to save a wretch like me
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I heard about His groaning,
of His precious blood's atoning
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Then I repented of my
sins and won the victory.
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Oh victory in
Jesus, my Savior forever
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He sought me and bought
me with His redeeming blood,
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He loved me 'ere I knew Him
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and all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
beneath the cleansing flood.
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I heard about a mansion
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He has built for me in glory
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And I heard about
the streets of gold
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Beyond the crystal sea
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About the angels singing
And the old redemption story.
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And some sweet
day I'll sing up there
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the song of victory.
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Oh victory in
Jesus, my Savior forever
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He sought me and bought
me with His redeeming blood
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He loved me 'ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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beneath the cleansing flood.
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He plunged me to victory
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beneath the cleansing flood.
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Amen.
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Now let's go back
to our title tonight
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and I want you to listen to
this quotation very carefully.
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You would think that
right after the day of Pentecost
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those who are
gathered there would be filled
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with continual power to be
victorious from day to day,
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wouldn't you think that?
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When you think of
the story in the Bible
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in the book of
Acts chapter 2 it says,
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"The Spirit of God
was poured out in power
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and 1,000s were being saved
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day by day, moment by moment,
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and you would think with
such a powerful experience
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such an evangelistic
attendance by the Spirit of God
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that those who were there
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would go from one victory
to the other to the other,
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but I read this
story and I discovered that
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the very same battles we face
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were the very same
battles that they faced.
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Pause...
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But also, the very
same victory that they had
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is the very same
victory available to us
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can you say, "Amen" to that?
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So, listen to this quotation,
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it's taken from the
book Acts of the Apostles
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and I don't have it on
the screen intentionally
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so that you can listen carefully
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it says, "Those who at Pentecost
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were endued with
the Spirit from on high,
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were not thereby free
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from further
temptations and trial. "
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In other words, when
the Spirit of God came down
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and filled their lives
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from that point on,
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they were not free from
further temptations and trials,
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listen very carefully,
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"As they witnessed for
truth and righteousness
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they were repeatedly
assailed by the enemy
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who sought to rob them of
their Christian experience. "
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Now, let me ask
you the question,
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"Is that your experience?"
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Come on, talk to me,
is that your experience?
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You know, I don't like quiet...
is that your experience?
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Audience: Yes.
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Exactly... that is the
battle every one of us faces
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on a day-by-day basis
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you may have a spiritual
high on the weekend and say,
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"Wow! what a powerful sermon,
what a powerful camp meeting,
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what a dynamic message,
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man! the place was
filled by the Spirit of God... "
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and all of a sudden
you go down into the valley
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where the battle all
of a sudden becomes real.
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Do you have real
battles every day?
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Audience: Yes.
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It says, "They were
not by any means freed...
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and the enemy
repeatedly assailed them
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and he sought to rob them of
their Christian experience. "
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But listen to this,
now... the question is,
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"What do they do to... to...
to face these challenges...
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what do we do to
face the challenges?"
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Listen to what they did,
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"They were compelled... "
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What word did I use?
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Audience: "Compelled. "
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Do you know what that
word "compelled" means?
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That word "compelled" means,
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they were
driven... they were pushed...
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they were urged...
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in other words, they realized
there is no other answer
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outside of me...
and making up my mind
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to go beyond
just... standing here
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failing and
faltering in the failures.
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They were compelled
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to strive with all
their God-given powers,
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with how much of their powers?
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Audience: All.
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You know what the
word strive means?
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Does anybody know
what football is all about?
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do you think that the
guy that has the football
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is going to get to the...
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is going to get to
the goal by saying,
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"I'm on my way,
move out of my way... "
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Laughter...
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Do you think he's
going to get there that way?
00:10:00.96\00:10:03.67
He's going to see
every power in that stadium
00:10:03.73\00:10:06.37
assailed against him...
00:10:06.40\00:10:07.90
and he knows that
just at any moment
00:10:07.94\00:10:09.94
"I have to
prepare for the impact. "
00:10:09.97\00:10:11.91
That's what it's like
in the Christian life,
00:10:11.94\00:10:14.01
the reason I want to
talk to you this way tonight
00:10:14.04\00:10:16.21
before I dive into...
00:10:16.24\00:10:17.58
you know, as Christians...
00:10:17.61\00:10:18.95
sometimes, we can
get caught in a rut,
00:10:18.98\00:10:20.62
you know what they say a rut is?
00:10:20.68\00:10:22.42
A rut is a grave
in the making, okay...
00:10:22.45\00:10:25.02
you just continue to
dig... all going back and forth,
00:10:25.05\00:10:26.79
back and forth till
you're too deep to get out
00:10:26.82\00:10:28.42
but what you have
to realize is that
00:10:28.46\00:10:31.23
the same things that you
face on a day-by-day basis
00:10:31.26\00:10:33.83
is exactly what
the disciples faced.
00:10:33.86\00:10:35.56
Think of who the disciples were,
Peter, James, John, Thomas...
00:10:35.60\00:10:39.97
Paul the apostle
came along later...
00:10:40.00\00:10:42.17
Barnabas, Timothy... they all
were assailed with temptations
00:10:42.20\00:10:46.57
and about Elijah it says,
"He was subject to like passions
00:10:46.61\00:10:50.11
just as we are. "
00:10:50.15\00:10:52.08
But it goes on, it
says, "They were compelled
00:10:52.11\00:10:55.72
to strive with all
their God-given power
00:10:55.78\00:10:58.29
to reach the measure of
the stature of men and women
00:10:58.35\00:11:03.66
in Christ Jesus. "
00:11:03.69\00:11:05.16
In other words, they
knew there was a measure here
00:11:05.19\00:11:07.13
that was in Christ,
00:11:07.16\00:11:08.50
they had to
look at that and say,
00:11:08.53\00:11:09.90
"Lord, if I'm
going to reach that,
00:11:09.93\00:11:11.47
I cannot face these
day-by-day battles and say,
00:11:11.53\00:11:13.97
'Satan, leave me alone... '"
00:11:14.04\00:11:15.90
I got to say,
"I've got to press... "
00:11:15.94\00:11:18.54
when Paul the apostle talks
about the Christian battle,
00:11:18.57\00:11:20.88
he talks about it in the
sense of a sports figure,
00:11:20.91\00:11:24.05
a runner... a football player...
00:11:24.08\00:11:26.88
a baseball
player running for home
00:11:26.92\00:11:29.62
as though that next run is
going to mean the World Series,
00:11:29.65\00:11:33.02
"I press toward... "
00:11:33.05\00:11:35.79
and so, when you
wake up in the morning,
00:11:35.82\00:11:38.09
you know what, what
many Christians need
00:11:38.13\00:11:40.36
is what the world has...
00:11:40.40\00:11:41.96
and that word...
I'm going to spell it
00:11:42.00\00:11:45.13
and you tell me
what it is, "PASSION."
00:11:45.17\00:11:48.30
Audience: Passion.
00:11:48.34\00:11:49.74
Passion... say the
word with me, what?
00:11:49.77\00:11:52.07
Passion... the
world lives with passion.
00:11:52.14\00:11:54.44
Now I may be fired
up and the reason is,
00:11:54.48\00:11:56.98
I just got back from New
York, a city of passion...
00:11:57.01\00:12:00.18
it's... it... it... it
radiates from the streets.
00:12:00.22\00:12:03.35
It's in the
traffic... it's in the stores...
00:12:03.39\00:12:06.02
it's in the Malls...
it's all over the city...
00:12:06.05\00:12:08.66
you go to Times Square at night
00:12:08.69\00:12:10.16
passion... the
lights are twinkling,
00:12:10.19\00:12:12.23
the sounds of salesmen,
00:12:12.29\00:12:14.53
the sounds of people buying,
people singing, people dancing,
00:12:14.56\00:12:18.77
people selling,
there's this passion...
00:12:18.83\00:12:22.10
but it's not a passion for
good, it's a passion for evil.
00:12:22.14\00:12:25.14
One thing that's lacking in
the Christian life is passion.
00:12:25.17\00:12:28.48
We... we... we live sometimes
for heaven as though it's like,
00:12:28.54\00:12:31.81
"I hope He'd hurry up,
I'm tired of waiting. "
00:12:31.85\00:12:35.62
Pause...
00:12:35.65\00:12:37.09
These men were compelled,
00:12:37.12\00:12:38.72
they... they used
their God-given powers...
00:12:38.75\00:12:43.39
and they pushed,
00:12:43.43\00:12:44.79
so, when you think
of the text, here it is,
00:12:44.83\00:12:47.50
"the gates of hell shall not
prevail against the church... "
00:12:47.53\00:12:50.57
I'm saying it a
little differently,
00:12:50.60\00:12:52.20
"the gates of hell will not
prevail against the church... "
00:12:52.23\00:12:54.37
when you listen to
that, what that means is,
00:12:54.40\00:12:56.40
the church is a
church driven by passion
00:12:56.44\00:12:58.34
which means, the gates of
hell are not strong enough
00:12:58.37\00:13:01.44
to resist the progress
of the church going forward,
00:13:01.51\00:13:04.98
but... if the church is
going forward on its tippy toes
00:13:05.01\00:13:08.48
rather than with
its feet fully planted,
00:13:08.52\00:13:10.52
then the gates of
hell could easily stop it
00:13:10.55\00:13:12.65
but it goes on,
00:13:12.69\00:13:14.02
It says, "Daily they prayed... "
00:13:14.06\00:13:15.79
They did... what... friends?
00:13:15.82\00:13:17.63
They prayed for
fresh supplies of grace,
00:13:17.66\00:13:22.13
let me make a point,
00:13:22.16\00:13:23.50
"The grace you have tomorrow
is not going to help you today"
00:13:23.53\00:13:26.37
and the grace you have today is
not going to help you tomorrow
00:13:26.40\00:13:29.24
any more than the
breakfast you had today
00:13:29.27\00:13:31.24
is not going to suffice for...
00:13:31.27\00:13:32.61
when you're hungry
tomorrow morning, right?
00:13:32.64\00:13:33.98
They prayed for...
00:13:34.01\00:13:36.14
"Daily they prayed for
fresh supplies of grace... "
00:13:36.21\00:13:40.12
why? "that they might reach
00:13:40.18\00:13:42.15
higher and still
higher toward perfection. "
00:13:42.18\00:13:45.75
I need this power that God
made available to me yesterday,
00:13:45.79\00:13:50.13
I need it again today, amen...
00:13:50.16\00:13:51.49
Audience: Amen.
00:13:51.53\00:13:52.86
So, the passion
that they prayed for,
00:13:52.89\00:13:55.03
the power that
God delivered to them
00:13:55.06\00:13:57.37
gave them impetus to say,
00:13:57.40\00:14:01.30
"Man! it was such a
sweet day of victory yesterday,
00:14:01.34\00:14:04.11
I need to have the same
kind of victory today. "
00:14:04.14\00:14:06.84
So they prayed for
fresh supplies of grace
00:14:06.88\00:14:09.81
that they might reach
higher and still higher
00:14:09.84\00:14:12.75
but where do they get it from?
00:14:12.78\00:14:14.18
Here's the next statement,
00:14:14.22\00:14:15.55
"Under the Holy
Spirit's working,
00:14:15.58\00:14:19.12
even the weakest by
exercising faith in God,
00:14:19.15\00:14:24.16
they learned to
improve their entrusted powers
00:14:24.19\00:14:29.90
and to become sanctified,
refined and ennobled... "
00:14:29.93\00:14:35.60
"Even the... "
what? "Weakest... "
00:14:35.64\00:14:37.41
Say the word "weakest... "
00:14:37.44\00:14:39.21
So, are you ever weak?
00:14:39.24\00:14:40.84
Audience: Yes sir.
00:14:40.88\00:14:42.21
Are we ever weak? Audience: Yes.
00:14:42.24\00:14:43.65
Yes, the Lord says,
"But in our weakness,
00:14:43.68\00:14:45.51
His strength is made perfect. "
00:14:45.55\00:14:46.88
So when you are assailed
00:14:46.92\00:14:48.92
and you feel temptations
are coming, you feel weak...
00:14:48.95\00:14:50.62
God is saying, "Hey,
now, you need to tap in
00:14:50.65\00:14:54.72
to what I'm making
available to you...
00:14:54.76\00:14:56.86
if you're weak, I
understand that... "
00:14:56.89\00:14:58.86
let's go on...
00:14:58.89\00:15:00.23
"The Lord made that
power available... "
00:15:00.26\00:15:03.13
and then it
says, "as in humility,
00:15:03.16\00:15:06.03
they submitted to the molding
influence of the Spirit... "
00:15:06.07\00:15:10.37
when they did that humbly,
00:15:10.41\00:15:12.04
"they received of the
fullness of the Godhead
00:15:12.07\00:15:16.01
and they were fashioned in
the likeness of the divine. "
00:15:16.04\00:15:20.08
Let me break that down,
00:15:20.12\00:15:21.45
when the Spirit of God
imparted power to them,
00:15:21.48\00:15:23.49
the Lord began to mold them
00:15:23.52\00:15:25.85
and all of a sudden,
they began to see themselves
00:15:25.89\00:15:28.16
the way that God
intended for them to be seen...
00:15:28.19\00:15:30.33
they began to see themselves
00:15:30.36\00:15:31.69
as divine sons and
daughters of God...
00:15:31.73\00:15:33.63
children of God...
00:15:33.70\00:15:35.03
they didn't see
themselves as failures anymore,
00:15:35.06\00:15:36.83
they saw themselves...
"Now, wait a minute...
00:15:36.87\00:15:38.60
wait a minute... I... I...
00:15:38.63\00:15:39.97
I... not just feel
like a child of God
00:15:40.00\00:15:41.80
but I am a child of God
because He's imparted to me
00:15:41.87\00:15:44.97
the power that I
didn't have yesterday. "
00:15:45.01\00:15:46.54
And lastly, I
could read all this...
00:15:46.57\00:15:49.74
but it says simply,
00:15:49.78\00:15:51.11
"The lapse of time
00:15:51.15\00:15:52.48
hath made no
change in Christ's promise
00:15:52.51\00:15:56.89
to send the Holy Spirit
as His representative. "
00:15:56.92\00:16:00.69
In other words,
"times have changed
00:16:00.72\00:16:03.09
but the promise of
Christ hasn't changed
00:16:03.12\00:16:05.03
if He sent the power to them
and the promise to them then,
00:16:05.06\00:16:08.03
the promise is made
available to us today... " amen.
00:16:08.06\00:16:10.07
And then it says,
and here's the key...
00:16:10.10\00:16:13.30
"If all were willing,
00:16:13.34\00:16:16.24
all would be
filled with the Spirit,
00:16:16.30\00:16:20.51
wherever the need
of the Holy Spirit
00:16:20.58\00:16:24.75
is a matter of little thought,
00:16:24.78\00:16:27.82
there is seen a
spiritual drought,
00:16:27.85\00:16:30.89
spiritual darkness,
00:16:30.92\00:16:32.49
spiritual
declension and then death. "
00:16:32.52\00:16:34.72
Whenever we don't
pray for the Holy Spirit
00:16:34.76\00:16:36.93
to come into our
lives day by day,
00:16:36.96\00:16:38.69
we have drought... darkness...
00:16:38.73\00:16:40.46
we start going down
00:16:40.50\00:16:41.83
and then death results
00:16:41.86\00:16:43.20
as a matter of that
continual downslide.
00:16:43.23\00:16:46.03
So, either way, going
on from victory to victory
00:16:46.07\00:16:48.84
or we're going down
from death to death.
00:16:48.87\00:16:50.97
So which way...
which one do we want?
00:16:51.01\00:16:53.07
Up to victory, right?
00:16:53.11\00:16:55.14
So, let's begin with
our first question tonight.
00:16:55.21\00:16:57.85
I had to lay the foundation
because a lot of times we think
00:16:57.88\00:17:00.85
and the reason I wanted
to begin with that statement
00:17:00.88\00:17:03.28
for those of you who
are watching and listening
00:17:03.32\00:17:04.65
to the Program...
00:17:04.69\00:17:06.02
the reason I began with
that is... we have to understand
00:17:06.05\00:17:07.69
what this next
Scripture really is all about,
00:17:07.72\00:17:09.32
this next Scripture is not
some shoebox kind of Scripture,
00:17:09.36\00:17:12.56
it's not, "If any shoe is
in the box, it's brand new. "
00:17:12.59\00:17:15.73
It's not that kind of Scripture,
00:17:15.76\00:17:17.87
here's the text,
here's the question,
00:17:17.90\00:17:19.63
first question,
00:17:19.67\00:17:21.00
"What does it mean
to be 'in Christ?'"
00:17:21.04\00:17:24.74
2nd Corinthians 5 verse 17,
00:17:24.77\00:17:26.91
"What does it mean
to be 'in Christ?'"
00:17:26.94\00:17:29.74
And notice, I led
into this by saying,
00:17:29.78\00:17:32.55
"This is not a shoebox text"
00:17:32.61\00:17:34.32
because all shoes
come in a box, right?
00:17:34.35\00:17:37.42
So we're not shoes in a
box, we're Christians in Christ,
00:17:37.45\00:17:41.39
"What does it mean
to be 'in Christ?'"
00:17:41.42\00:17:42.76
A shoe in a box is
dormant, it has no life,
00:17:42.79\00:17:45.63
that's why I said,
00:17:45.66\00:17:47.10
"This is not a
shoe-in-a-box type of Scripture"
00:17:47.13\00:17:49.36
because when we are in Christ,
we have everything but that...
00:17:49.40\00:17:52.93
here's what the Bible says,
00:17:52.97\00:17:54.30
and I want us all to read
this together with some passion,
00:17:54.34\00:17:57.27
are you ready?
00:17:57.31\00:17:58.64
Here we go, it's on the screen,
00:17:58.67\00:18:00.01
"Therefore... "
you're not reading...
00:18:00.04\00:18:01.78
"Therefore... " what?
00:18:01.81\00:18:03.14
"if anyone is in
Christ, he is a... " what?
00:18:03.18\00:18:06.28
"new creation... " pause...
00:18:06.31\00:18:08.58
"old things have... " what?
00:18:08.62\00:18:10.89
passed away, behold... " what?
00:18:10.92\00:18:13.02
"all things have... " what?
00:18:13.05\00:18:15.09
"become new. "
00:18:15.12\00:18:17.13
Let's get this together,
00:18:17.16\00:18:18.49
"if anyone is in Christ, he
is a... " what kind of creation?
00:18:18.53\00:18:20.50
New creation...
00:18:20.56\00:18:21.90
in other words, you
should begin to see yourself
00:18:21.93\00:18:23.77
as someone new in Christ,
00:18:23.80\00:18:25.13
don't see
yourself as an old warrior,
00:18:25.17\00:18:28.10
still on the battlefield
00:18:28.14\00:18:30.14
dying from one
failure to the other,
00:18:30.17\00:18:32.37
see yourself on
the battlefield new...
00:18:32.41\00:18:34.38
you know when the
football seasons begins,
00:18:34.41\00:18:36.28
or even when the
football game begins,
00:18:36.31\00:18:38.41
there are no
marks on the uniforms,
00:18:38.45\00:18:40.55
those helmets are shiny,
00:18:40.58\00:18:42.58
have you ever
looked at a football game?
00:18:42.62\00:18:43.95
when the light glistens
off of the football helmet,
00:18:43.99\00:18:45.99
it's shiny... it radiates
in all different directions
00:18:46.02\00:18:48.09
and if you're
joining from Australia,
00:18:48.12\00:18:49.69
I know you don't play
football with uniforms,
00:18:49.72\00:18:51.39
it's more like Rugby...
they don't have any uniforms,
00:18:51.43\00:18:54.40
as a
matter-of-fact, in Australia,
00:18:54.43\00:18:55.76
they say, "That's what
you call real football... "
00:18:55.80\00:18:57.30
they say, "Americans are weak,
we need all this protection... "
00:18:57.33\00:18:59.93
but... let's not
settle that issue right now,
00:18:59.97\00:19:03.77
but the bottom line is simple,
00:19:03.81\00:19:05.67
when the game
begins, there are no marks...
00:19:05.71\00:19:08.18
there are no scars... but
once the competition begins,
00:19:08.21\00:19:11.61
whether it is rugby or
whether it's American football,
00:19:11.68\00:19:15.08
the scratches show up,
00:19:15.12\00:19:16.52
the torn
uniforms begin to show up,
00:19:16.55\00:19:18.35
the stains in the
uniform begin to show up,
00:19:18.42\00:19:20.49
that's the same thing
in the Christian life.
00:19:20.56\00:19:22.49
So, if you're not on the
battlefield for the Lord,
00:19:22.52\00:19:25.76
you won't have any
marks on your uniform
00:19:25.79\00:19:27.83
but if you realize
00:19:27.86\00:19:29.20
that we are on the
battlefield for the Lord,
00:19:29.23\00:19:30.83
there are going to
some marks on our uniform,
00:19:30.87\00:19:32.93
there are going to be
some tears in our uniform,
00:19:32.97\00:19:35.20
there are going to be
some scars on our skin,
00:19:35.24\00:19:37.27
there are going to be
some bumps on our helmet
00:19:37.31\00:19:39.41
but, nonetheless, we've
got to keep clearly in vision,
00:19:39.44\00:19:44.51
that we are still new in Christ.
00:19:44.55\00:19:47.28
So, what's your answer?
00:19:47.32\00:19:49.58
What does it
mean to be "in Christ"
00:19:49.62\00:19:51.12
a new creation...
00:19:51.15\00:19:54.56
what has happened
to the old things?
00:19:54.59\00:19:56.93
What's another word...
00:19:56.96\00:19:59.16
what's another
phrase for "passed away"
00:19:59.19\00:20:00.63
what's another
word for "passed away?"
00:20:00.70\00:20:02.10
Audience: Dead.
00:20:02.13\00:20:03.47
Dead... exactly... when you say,
00:20:03.50\00:20:05.07
you know, "passed away"
00:20:05.10\00:20:07.10
that means "dead. "
00:20:07.14\00:20:09.07
So, that means, the things
in your past should be dead,
00:20:09.10\00:20:12.34
we should put them
to death willingly.
00:20:12.37\00:20:14.58
How frequently should we put
00:20:14.61\00:20:15.94
those things of
the past to death?
00:20:15.98\00:20:17.31
Everyday...
00:20:17.35\00:20:18.68
because they'll be
there, like that old man of sin,
00:20:18.71\00:20:20.45
he still lives on earth,
00:20:20.48\00:20:21.82
he's going to be there...
come and try to sell you
00:20:21.85\00:20:24.02
"old things in a new wrapper. "
00:20:24.05\00:20:25.79
So, day by day we
have to understand
00:20:25.82\00:20:29.12
that is the reality of the
battle in which we're living in
00:20:29.16\00:20:31.49
and we have to realize that,
"Okay, if I'm going to make it
00:20:31.53\00:20:33.86
successfully be in
Christ, I've got to... "
00:20:33.90\00:20:37.37
let me just... let
me re-phrase something,
00:20:37.40\00:20:38.83
Do you know how you know
what you need to put to death?
00:20:38.87\00:20:42.44
Here's how you'll know
what you need to put to death.
00:20:42.47\00:20:46.01
The very thing that tempts you
00:20:46.04\00:20:48.14
during your day
00:20:48.18\00:20:50.21
is the very thing
you need to put to death.
00:20:50.25\00:20:52.68
Not because in tempting you,
00:20:52.71\00:20:54.52
putting it to death really
doesn't impact your life at all,
00:20:54.55\00:20:57.12
in other words,
00:20:57.15\00:20:58.75
if a German
Shepherd's going to bite you,
00:20:58.79\00:21:00.46
no sense putting a
chain around a Chihuahua.
00:21:00.52\00:21:02.16
You get the point?
00:21:02.19\00:21:03.93
So, there are some people
that chain the things that
00:21:03.99\00:21:06.90
are not even a threat to them
00:21:06.96\00:21:08.60
and they boast about how
they're victorious about that,
00:21:08.63\00:21:10.67
but what I'm telling you is,
00:21:10.70\00:21:12.27
"Look for the German
Shepherds in your life... "
00:21:12.30\00:21:13.77
look for the things
that really scar you,
00:21:13.80\00:21:16.34
things that really are a battle,
00:21:16.37\00:21:18.44
the things that you
really cannot master
00:21:18.47\00:21:20.14
you say, "Lord, I need you
00:21:20.18\00:21:21.78
to put that German
Shepherd on the leash
00:21:21.81\00:21:23.75
because I can't
even handle it. "
00:21:23.78\00:21:25.11
Pause...
00:21:25.15\00:21:26.48
Until we get to the
place where we realize
00:21:26.51\00:21:28.28
we can't handle sin,
00:21:28.32\00:21:29.65
we'll boast about all
the Chihuahuas in our lives,
00:21:29.68\00:21:31.89
that are not a threat anymore.
00:21:31.92\00:21:33.25
Not only have those
old things passed away
00:21:33.29\00:21:36.96
but how many
things should become new?
00:21:36.99\00:21:40.80
Audience: All things.
00:21:40.83\00:21:42.16
You've got to have new...
and I wanted to do this tonight
00:21:42.20\00:21:44.83
because I'll do
this on the next study
00:21:44.90\00:21:46.50
when you use that
word "new" in the Bible,
00:21:46.53\00:21:49.07
you'll find that
"new" is a whole lot of
00:21:49.10\00:21:50.57
our Christian experience,
00:21:50.61\00:21:52.04
you know, we
are new creations...
00:21:52.07\00:21:54.11
"old things have passed away
00:21:54.14\00:21:55.74
and behold all
things have become new. "
00:21:55.78\00:21:57.31
We look forward to a new
heaven and a... what? New earth.
00:21:57.35\00:22:01.05
Everything about the
Christian life should be new
00:22:01.08\00:22:04.42
but until we realize that
we're putting things to death,
00:22:04.45\00:22:10.53
we would not have the
time and the appreciation
00:22:10.59\00:22:13.16
of those things that
Christ has given us anew
00:22:13.19\00:22:15.73
and how...
00:22:15.76\00:22:17.13
we're going to talk about
how to keep those things new
00:22:17.17\00:22:19.27
in just a moment.
00:22:19.30\00:22:20.64
So, what does it
mean to be in Christ?
00:22:20.67\00:22:22.67
Old things have passed away,
all things have become new,
00:22:22.70\00:22:25.61
all right, and we
are new creations.
00:22:25.64\00:22:27.54
Question number two,
00:22:27.58\00:22:34.75
"How dependent on Christ are
we for our spiritual survival?"
00:22:34.78\00:22:40.49
Acts chapter 17 verse
28 is where you're turning,
00:22:40.52\00:22:43.63
Acts chapter 17 and
verse 28 and by-the-way
00:22:43.66\00:22:46.53
if you downloaded the lesson,
you should be on Lesson Number 7
00:22:46.56\00:22:50.27
Question Number 2
00:22:50.30\00:22:52.50
and that lesson you
can find at ASF.3abn. org
00:22:52.53\00:22:56.64
don't put: www
00:22:56.67\00:22:58.74
and download that
syllabus to follow along
00:22:58.77\00:23:00.58
that is... if
you're just joining us.
00:23:00.61\00:23:02.64
Okay, how
dependent on Christ are we
00:23:02.68\00:23:04.71
for our spiritual survival?
00:23:04.75\00:23:06.72
Let's look at
this, it says, "For... "
00:23:06.75\00:23:09.12
what are the next two words?
00:23:09.15\00:23:10.82
"For in Him... " get this...
00:23:10.85\00:23:12.52
"if anyone is in Christ... "
00:23:12.55\00:23:14.02
so when you're in Christ,
00:23:14.06\00:23:15.46
what happens
when you're in Christ?
00:23:15.49\00:23:17.83
get this out...
"for where?" In Him...
00:23:17.86\00:23:20.16
"we... " what? "live"
00:23:20.20\00:23:21.63
and what else? "move"
00:23:21.66\00:23:23.03
and what else?
"have our being. "
00:23:23.06\00:23:25.20
If you're living and
moving outside of Christ,
00:23:25.23\00:23:27.67
you're not living and moving,
00:23:27.70\00:23:29.04
you've ever heard the
phrase, "movers and shakers?"
00:23:29.07\00:23:30.94
There are a lot of
"movers and shakers"
00:23:30.97\00:23:32.57
in the world,
00:23:32.64\00:23:33.98
money movers... money shakers...
00:23:34.01\00:23:35.34
financial movers...
financial shakers...
00:23:35.38\00:23:36.71
economic movers...
economic shakers...
00:23:36.75\00:23:38.08
music movers... you name it...
00:23:38.11\00:23:39.51
the categories go on
00:23:39.55\00:23:40.88
we need to be "movers
and shakers" in Christ.
00:23:40.92\00:23:43.89
It goes on by saying this,
00:23:43.92\00:23:46.55
"For in Him we live and
move and have our being,
00:23:46.59\00:23:50.49
as also some of your
own poets have said... "
00:23:50.53\00:23:54.40
and here's the reason why
00:23:54.43\00:23:55.76
we live and move and
have our being in Him...
00:23:55.80\00:23:57.13
"For we are also His... " what?
00:23:57.17\00:23:59.10
"we are His offspring. "
00:23:59.13\00:24:01.24
Use the word
that you understand,
00:24:01.27\00:24:02.77
we are children...
00:24:02.80\00:24:04.14
so if you're a child of
God, where should you be living?
00:24:04.17\00:24:07.38
"In Him... "
00:24:07.41\00:24:08.91
you know, those of
you who have parents,
00:24:08.94\00:24:11.68
when you're
broke, who do you call?
00:24:11.71\00:24:13.62
okay, "Mom, I need money... "
00:24:13.65\00:24:19.15
"Dad, I need money... "
00:24:19.19\00:24:21.32
"Mom, my stomach hurts... "
00:24:21.36\00:24:23.09
"Dad, I have a headache... "
00:24:23.12\00:24:24.79
"Mom, I need this... "
"Dad, I need that... " right?
00:24:24.83\00:24:28.13
If we would simply call on
the Lord in the very same way,
00:24:28.16\00:24:31.50
"For our spiritual needs...
00:24:31.53\00:24:35.54
then our spiritual
needs will be supplied. "
00:24:35.57\00:24:38.67
How much does God
promise to supply us?
00:24:38.71\00:24:42.04
"And my God
shall supply... " what?
00:24:42.08\00:24:45.31
"All our need
according to His... " what?
00:24:45.38\00:24:48.55
"Riches and glory... "
00:24:48.58\00:24:49.92
Unfortunately, we read that text
00:24:49.95\00:24:51.69
and apply
"financial supplies" to that,
00:24:51.72\00:24:53.49
we don't often provide...
00:24:53.52\00:24:56.12
we don't often look at that
text as "spiritual supplies"
00:24:56.16\00:24:58.46
so, what do you need more?
00:24:58.49\00:24:59.89
Financial supplies
or spiritual supplies?
00:24:59.93\00:25:02.13
Come on, somebody be
honest and say, "both. "
00:25:02.16\00:25:04.33
Audience: Both.
00:25:04.37\00:25:06.13
Okay, right...
00:25:06.17\00:25:07.87
but the one that's
going to make a difference is,
00:25:07.90\00:25:09.97
"spiritual supply"
00:25:10.01\00:25:11.51
because there are some
people that are wealthy
00:25:11.57\00:25:14.01
but they have a... they
are bankrupt spiritually.
00:25:14.08\00:25:16.44
We were in New York City
and we were just bedazzled by...
00:25:16.48\00:25:20.22
you know,
00:25:20.25\00:25:21.58
we had been out
of the city so long,
00:25:21.62\00:25:22.95
our eyes got re-acquainted
00:25:22.98\00:25:25.52
with the bedazzling sentiment
of the city of New York,
00:25:25.55\00:25:29.46
lots of things that
would keep your eyes busy,
00:25:29.49\00:25:32.36
lots of cars and
buildings and stores and...
00:25:32.39\00:25:35.26
gadgets of every description,
00:25:35.30\00:25:37.27
you cannot walk down
the streets of New York
00:25:37.30\00:25:41.00
and not be distracted...
00:25:41.04\00:25:42.94
your eyes will be somewhere,
00:25:42.97\00:25:44.91
you'll be seeing something
00:25:44.94\00:25:46.78
and the only way
you'll remember what you see
00:25:46.84\00:25:49.04
is when you get home and your
mind begins to play it back,
00:25:49.11\00:25:51.01
because you cannot
take it all in at one time
00:25:51.05\00:25:53.08
you know, if you look
at something long enough,
00:25:53.11\00:25:55.08
then you begin to record it,
00:25:55.12\00:25:56.65
but... but like a video camera,
00:25:56.69\00:25:58.19
you ever take videos
when you go someplace,
00:25:58.25\00:26:00.29
and you're
panning the entire horizon
00:26:00.32\00:26:02.12
and you see something
that your eyes don't remember
00:26:02.19\00:26:05.16
but the video remembered that.
00:26:05.19\00:26:06.53
In the very same way,
00:26:06.56\00:26:08.03
the spiritual life
is somewhat that way.
00:26:08.06\00:26:09.76
We are panning the horizon
00:26:09.80\00:26:12.33
but we're not being able
to pull in all the things
00:26:12.37\00:26:14.84
that the Spirit of
God has available for us
00:26:14.87\00:26:17.27
because the abundant provisions
of Christ are far greater
00:26:17.31\00:26:21.11
than the bedazzling of
provisions that you'll find
00:26:21.14\00:26:24.71
in any large city
00:26:24.75\00:26:26.08
but if we simply
look at the horizon
00:26:26.11\00:26:28.05
that... when we
say, "Okay, Lord,
00:26:28.08\00:26:29.98
how much can
you provide for me?"
00:26:30.02\00:26:31.85
I tell you what...
00:26:31.89\00:26:33.46
we're going to be
shocked when we get to heaven
00:26:33.49\00:26:35.02
and find out how much
was really available to us...
00:26:35.06\00:26:36.79
pause...
00:26:36.83\00:26:38.29
not just
spiritually... but physically
00:26:38.33\00:26:41.10
financially...
and every other way
00:26:41.13\00:26:43.93
but here, we
have to keep in mind
00:26:43.97\00:26:46.70
that "In Him, we live and
move and have our being... "
00:26:46.74\00:26:49.00
in other words,
Brothers and Sisters,
00:26:49.04\00:26:51.04
let's spend more time
in our Father's will...
00:26:51.07\00:26:54.21
in our Father's presence...
00:26:54.24\00:26:55.94
that's why it's so
important to study your Bible.
00:26:55.98\00:26:58.41
You know, people say,
00:26:58.45\00:27:00.48
"Well, how do you stay
in the presence of Christ?"
00:27:00.52\00:27:02.88
Well, first of all,
it starts in your mind,
00:27:02.92\00:27:05.62
because the Bible says,
00:27:05.65\00:27:07.42
"As a man
thinketh in his heart... "
00:27:07.46\00:27:08.79
what? "so is he... "
00:27:08.82\00:27:10.16
if your mind is not
where it's supposed to be
00:27:10.19\00:27:12.96
then your body can't be
where it's supposed to be.
00:27:12.99\00:27:15.80
You can put your body
where it's supposed to be
00:27:15.83\00:27:18.60
but if your mind is not there,
00:27:18.63\00:27:19.97
then your mind
is somewhere else.
00:27:20.00\00:27:21.34
God's people are in church and
their minds are somewhere else,
00:27:21.37\00:27:23.51
but if your mind...
00:27:23.54\00:27:24.87
if the mind of
Christ is in your mind,
00:27:24.91\00:27:27.54
by you studying the Word of God,
00:27:27.58\00:27:29.38
having a
relationship with Him...
00:27:29.41\00:27:31.21
then, all of a sudden,
00:27:31.25\00:27:32.58
your body and your
mind are in the same place.
00:27:32.61\00:27:35.42
So, day by day, this
has to be the foundation
00:27:35.45\00:27:38.42
upon which we find our strength
00:27:38.45\00:27:40.46
because as Paul
describes it very carefully,
00:27:40.49\00:27:43.26
God wants to impart to us
00:27:43.29\00:27:44.89
something that
we don't yet have.
00:27:44.93\00:27:46.70
Notice how He does this.
00:27:46.76\00:27:48.90
Question number 3:
00:27:48.93\00:27:50.27
So if you put the
answer to number 2,
00:27:50.30\00:27:52.50
I hope you wrote it in,
00:27:52.53\00:27:53.87
because I think, the
question was very clear
00:27:53.90\00:27:55.24
but Question number 3:
00:27:55.27\00:28:01.88
"How does Paul the apostle
00:28:01.91\00:28:03.55
describe
Christian righteousness?"
00:28:03.58\00:28:08.92
2nd Corinthians
5 and verse 21...
00:28:08.95\00:28:12.39
turn in your Bibles there...
00:28:12.42\00:28:15.86
it's Question number 3,
00:28:15.89\00:28:17.23
here's the answer on the screen.
00:28:17.26\00:28:19.63
Speaking of Christ, it says,
00:28:19.69\00:28:22.13
"For He made Him... "
00:28:22.16\00:28:23.73
that is... "God made Christ...
00:28:23.77\00:28:26.00
who knew no sin...
to be... " what Friends?
00:28:26.03\00:28:29.10
"sin for us... " but
look at the exchange...
00:28:29.17\00:28:31.97
"that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him. "
00:28:32.01\00:28:37.35
This text has a transaction,
00:28:37.38\00:28:39.48
the Father and the
Son decided together
00:28:39.51\00:28:42.22
"Okay, You've got
to be where they are...
00:28:42.25\00:28:44.92
so they could
be where You are. "
00:28:44.95\00:28:47.29
That's an amazing transaction.
00:28:47.32\00:28:49.59
"Until You are where they are,
they won't be where You are. "
00:28:49.62\00:28:53.46
You get he connection?
00:28:53.50\00:28:55.40
"So, until I am where Trinity is
Trinity won't be where I am. "
00:28:55.43\00:28:59.93
"Until I am where David is,
David won't be where I am. "
00:28:59.97\00:29:04.11
Thus, you get that
promise that Jesus says.
00:29:04.14\00:29:07.21
"I go to
prepare a place for you,
00:29:07.28\00:29:09.74
and if I go and
prepare a place for you,
00:29:09.78\00:29:12.41
I will come again and
receive you unto myself... "
00:29:12.45\00:29:15.15
do you know the
rest of the text?
00:29:15.18\00:29:16.52
"that where I am,
there you may be also. "
00:29:16.55\00:29:20.06
Now, let's get
the connection here,
00:29:20.12\00:29:21.89
"that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him... "
00:29:21.92\00:29:26.03
until we become that...
00:29:26.06\00:29:27.43
He's not coming
back to take us anywhere.
00:29:27.50\00:29:29.70
Pause...
00:29:29.73\00:29:31.40
Because in order for
us to be where He is,
00:29:31.43\00:29:33.50
He has to be in us,
00:29:33.54\00:29:36.04
He has to be with us.
00:29:36.07\00:29:38.54
In other words,
00:29:38.57\00:29:39.97
we have to become the
righteousness of God in Him...
00:29:40.01\00:29:42.84
and I'm going to get these,
00:29:42.88\00:29:44.21
I don't know if you're
underlining these texts at all,
00:29:44.25\00:29:45.68
but so far, the
first three texts
00:29:45.71\00:29:47.88
we've had... in... in... in...
00:29:47.92\00:29:49.98
"if anyone is in
Christ... in Him...
00:29:50.02\00:29:51.92
we live and move
and have our being... "
00:29:51.95\00:29:53.76
"Righteousness of
God... in Him... "
00:29:53.79\00:29:55.56
it's all about
being "in Christ... "
00:29:55.59\00:29:57.33
the title of our Study,
00:29:57.36\00:29:58.69
"What does it mean
to be a Christian?"
00:29:58.73\00:30:00.10
"How does it
mean to be victorious
00:30:00.13\00:30:02.03
over the trials
of our daily life...
00:30:02.06\00:30:03.77
over the battles
of our daily life?"
00:30:03.80\00:30:05.87
Let's say this
together, "In Him"
00:30:05.90\00:30:07.90
together... "in Him"
00:30:07.94\00:30:11.04
"in Him... "
00:30:11.07\00:30:12.57
the submarine...
00:30:12.61\00:30:14.04
pause...
00:30:14.08\00:30:15.64
Christ can take you to
depths of righteousness
00:30:15.68\00:30:18.25
that nothing else can take you.
00:30:18.31\00:30:19.65
No one else can take you
00:30:19.68\00:30:21.02
but if we're not in Him,
00:30:21.05\00:30:22.38
we're not going to
have that experience.
00:30:22.42\00:30:23.75
So, what's the answer?
00:30:23.79\00:30:25.55
How does Paul
the Apostle describe
00:30:25.59\00:30:27.69
Christian righteousness?
00:30:27.72\00:30:29.79
The righteousness of God.
00:30:29.82\00:30:31.99
The righteousness of God...
00:30:32.03\00:30:34.10
We don't have any righteousness,
00:30:34.16\00:30:36.23
pause...
00:30:36.26\00:30:37.73
I know right away
your minds are going...
00:30:37.77\00:30:39.43
you're thinking
about your righteousness...
00:30:39.47\00:30:41.04
and what are you thinking?
00:30:41.07\00:30:42.40
What are you thinking?
00:30:42.44\00:30:43.77
It is as... what? "Filthy rags"
00:30:43.81\00:30:45.44
we don't have
any righteousness...
00:30:45.47\00:30:47.38
it's amazing,
00:30:47.41\00:30:49.61
so, the Christian
righteousness comes from Christ.
00:30:49.64\00:30:53.85
Okay, Question number 4:
00:30:53.88\00:30:57.79
Oh... I kind of...
went ahead of myself...
00:30:57.82\00:31:00.76
Question number 4:
00:31:00.79\00:31:09.03
Ephesians 1 and verse 7.
00:31:09.06\00:31:11.93
"What is the source of
our redemption and how?"
00:31:11.97\00:31:16.14
Before we answer that,
00:31:16.17\00:31:17.51
I want to just talk
about redemption really briefly
00:31:17.57\00:31:19.57
because sometimes,
we think of that word...
00:31:19.61\00:31:21.44
and say...
"redeemed... redeemed...
00:31:21.48\00:31:22.84
redeemed by the
blood of the Lamb. "
00:31:22.88\00:31:24.21
Well, on many Army Bases,
they have something called
00:31:24.25\00:31:29.68
"a pawn shop... " P A W N...
00:31:29.72\00:31:32.35
pawn... what do they do?
00:31:32.39\00:31:34.92
They pawn things...
00:31:34.96\00:31:36.29
you know, because they say,
00:31:36.32\00:31:37.66
"There's nobody more
broke than a soldier... "
00:31:37.69\00:31:39.79
that's why they're
always close to Army Bases...
00:31:39.83\00:31:41.86
Airforce Bases...
00:31:41.93\00:31:43.26
you know, "I'm going
away for a six-week leave
00:31:43.30\00:31:46.30
or six-month leave,
00:31:46.33\00:31:47.67
I'm going to... kind
of sell my television,
00:31:47.70\00:31:49.44
I need some extra cash...
00:31:49.47\00:31:50.81
you know, I'm in
Iraq... really...
00:31:50.84\00:31:52.34
or wherever I'm
going, I need extra cash... "
00:31:52.37\00:31:55.08
so they pawn their
television, pawn their stereo,
00:31:55.11\00:31:57.58
pawn their bed...
pawn their couch...
00:31:57.61\00:31:59.71
and what happens is,
they get this little ticket...
00:31:59.75\00:32:03.12
they get this little ticket,
well, that's not a ticket...
00:32:03.15\00:32:06.12
well, they get
this little ticket,
00:32:06.15\00:32:07.59
sometimes it's a
little orange ticket,
00:32:07.66\00:32:08.99
a little yellow
ticket, a little green ticket
00:32:09.02\00:32:10.99
and that ticket has a
value, it has a... what?
00:32:11.03\00:32:13.33
It has a value...
00:32:13.36\00:32:14.70
but you know what
that value is called?
00:32:14.73\00:32:16.26
It's called a redemption value.
00:32:16.30\00:32:18.57
You've ever won
something and they say,
00:32:18.60\00:32:21.70
"Your price is
redeemable at the nearest... "
00:32:21.74\00:32:25.27
and they mention the store...
00:32:25.31\00:32:26.78
so, what happens is,
when Jesus Christ came,
00:32:26.81\00:32:29.84
you got to get
this, this is powerful...
00:32:29.88\00:32:32.75
He came with "redemption value"
00:32:32.78\00:32:35.85
that's why Peter said,
00:32:35.88\00:32:37.85
"We're not bought
by corruptible things,
00:32:37.89\00:32:41.39
like gold and silver...
00:32:41.42\00:32:43.16
but with the
precious blood of Christ...
00:32:43.19\00:32:47.70
as of a spotless Lamb...
00:32:47.73\00:32:50.47
so the redemption
value is His blood.
00:32:50.50\00:32:52.83
We're not bought
by gold and silver,
00:32:52.87\00:32:55.04
we're not bought by economies...
00:32:55.07\00:32:57.21
but... but in the
world that we live today,
00:32:57.24\00:32:59.51
there's so much
talk about economy...
00:32:59.54\00:33:00.94
economic instability,
real estate instability,
00:33:00.98\00:33:03.35
rising and falling gas prices,
00:33:03.38\00:33:04.81
our minds are
focused so much on that
00:33:04.85\00:33:06.82
that sometimes we
are eclipsed and forget,
00:33:06.85\00:33:09.22
"Hey, wait a minute,
00:33:09.25\00:33:10.59
the most valuable resource in
the entire existence of humanity
00:33:10.62\00:33:14.96
was expended to buy us back. "
00:33:14.99\00:33:17.63
So, let me go ahead
and finish the picture,
00:33:17.66\00:33:19.66
the devil sold you
00:33:19.69\00:33:21.50
and put you in a
pawn shop somewhere
00:33:21.53\00:33:23.43
and Christ says,
"Wait, I've come to claim you"
00:33:23.47\00:33:26.37
so there you're on a shelf
00:33:26.40\00:33:27.80
and it appears...
like somebody says,
00:33:27.84\00:33:30.27
"One man's junk is
another man's... " what?
00:33:30.31\00:33:32.07
treasure...
00:33:32.11\00:33:33.61
We may be junk to the
devil but we are treasures
00:33:33.64\00:33:35.51
in the sight of
God... "Amen" for that...
00:33:35.54\00:33:36.88
Audience: Amen.
00:33:36.91\00:33:38.25
So the Lord comes...
00:33:38.28\00:33:39.61
Jesus Christ comes in
with redemption value...
00:33:39.65\00:33:41.45
He buys us back...
00:33:41.48\00:33:43.79
He buys us back... and
are added to the family of God
00:33:43.82\00:33:49.42
as sons and daughters of God
00:33:49.49\00:33:51.19
redeemed by a price that we
will never be able to estimate
00:33:51.23\00:33:55.60
I would say,
00:33:55.63\00:33:57.47
maybe through the
ceaseless ages of eternity
00:33:57.50\00:33:59.50
but what did Paul say?
00:33:59.53\00:34:01.00
What is our answer...
00:34:01.04\00:34:02.44
Ephesians 1 verse 7,
here's what the Bible says,
00:34:02.47\00:34:05.67
now there it goes again,
00:34:05.71\00:34:07.18
what are the
first two words we read?
00:34:07.21\00:34:08.98
"In Him... " we have what?
00:34:09.01\00:34:11.68
"redemption
through His blood... "
00:34:11.71\00:34:14.88
get this now,
what else do we get?
00:34:14.92\00:34:18.02
"the forgiveness of
sins, according to... " what?
00:34:18.05\00:34:21.76
"the riches of His grace. "
00:34:21.79\00:34:25.79
Not His bank...
00:34:25.83\00:34:27.60
we think "bank...
" He thinks "grace"
00:34:27.63\00:34:30.00
how much grace does God have?
00:34:30.03\00:34:31.37
Come on, does anybody know?
00:34:31.40\00:34:32.73
Pause...
00:34:32.77\00:34:34.10
Paul was sitting
down counting it one day
00:34:34.14\00:34:38.31
and he got so tired, he said,
00:34:38.34\00:34:40.54
"Okay, your grace
is sufficient for me. "
00:34:40.58\00:34:42.61
He couldn't count it.
00:34:42.64\00:34:44.51
Let me just even...
00:34:44.55\00:34:46.38
I got really
blown away by this idea
00:34:46.41\00:34:49.08
somebody said, I
hope I get it right...
00:34:49.12\00:34:51.69
"A billion dollars is so much...
a billion dollars is so much"
00:34:51.72\00:34:58.76
that if I said,
which one I'll pick on,
00:34:58.79\00:35:07.87
I get you all mixed up,
00:35:07.90\00:35:09.24
what's your name?
00:35:09.27\00:35:10.61
Corbana, you want
a billion dollars?
00:35:10.64\00:35:14.38
Isn't it your birthday today
00:35:14.41\00:35:17.11
and you don't
want a billion dollars?
00:35:17.15\00:35:18.55
Would five
dollars be sufficient?
00:35:18.58\00:35:20.88
okay... okay...
you'll take it... right?
00:35:20.92\00:35:23.15
It's your birthday and you
don't want a billion dollars
00:35:23.18\00:35:25.22
but here, I'll give
you a billion dollars
00:35:25.25\00:35:27.12
but there's one condition,
00:35:27.16\00:35:28.72
you have to count it.
00:35:28.76\00:35:30.09
Laughter...
00:35:30.13\00:35:33.93
You wouldn't live
long enough to count it.
00:35:34.00\00:35:36.36
If you... if you
counted a billion dollars...
00:35:36.40\00:35:38.77
I forgot what
they told me how long
00:35:38.80\00:35:40.14
it would take you to
count a billion dollars,
00:35:40.17\00:35:41.50
something like 3,000 years
00:35:41.54\00:35:42.87
if you did nothing but
just sat down and counted it
00:35:42.90\00:35:45.01
and did nothing else...
24 hours a day 7 days a week
00:35:45.04\00:35:47.31
you couldn't live long enough
to count a billion dollars.
00:35:47.34\00:35:49.54
So, if somebody says,
"I'll give you a billion dollars
00:35:49.58\00:35:51.75
on the
condition... you count it... "
00:35:51.78\00:35:53.18
say, "No... give it
to me with no conditions"
00:35:53.21\00:35:55.18
come one say, "amen" somebody...
00:35:55.22\00:35:56.55
Audience: Amen.
00:35:56.58\00:35:57.92
But a billion dollars
is nothing in God's economy
00:35:57.95\00:36:01.22
because when you
think about His grace,
00:36:01.29\00:36:03.83
He has enough grace to
cover every sinner from Adam
00:36:03.86\00:36:07.06
to the
present... and the future.
00:36:07.10\00:36:09.90
So, when he says,
"the riches of His grace"
00:36:09.93\00:36:13.44
from age to age, men
have tried to count it
00:36:13.47\00:36:16.94
and they couldn't.
00:36:17.01\00:36:18.34
Noah started...
"Noah found... " what?
00:36:18.37\00:36:20.78
"Grace in the
eyes of the Lord... "
00:36:20.81\00:36:23.18
and it extended through
Noah and Paul the apostle says,
00:36:23.21\00:36:25.85
"Man! He's got a whole lot,
00:36:25.88\00:36:27.22
I guess, His grace
is sufficient for me. "
00:36:27.25\00:36:29.52
And from Paul... as
Paul was laid to rest...
00:36:29.55\00:36:31.85
today...
still... we read this text
00:36:31.92\00:36:34.16
and this text is
in the Present Tense,
00:36:34.19\00:36:36.36
it's not Past Tense,
I want you to get that,
00:36:36.39\00:36:38.13
this text is in
the Present Tense
00:36:38.16\00:36:39.79
which means, right
today... we have redemption,
00:36:39.83\00:36:43.50
we have forgiveness
00:36:43.53\00:36:44.87
because of the
riches of His grace.
00:36:44.90\00:36:47.80
"For by grace are you
saved through faith. "
00:36:47.84\00:36:53.88
What that means is,
00:36:53.94\00:36:55.34
you have to come
to the realization...
00:36:55.38\00:36:57.11
by the... "Hey, if I'm going to
be saved by grace through faith,
00:36:57.15\00:36:59.71
I got to realize there's
enough grace to save me. "
00:36:59.75\00:37:02.55
And I want to
give you the good news,
00:37:02.58\00:37:04.45
there's enough grace to save
all of us... what do you say?
00:37:04.49\00:37:06.86
Audience: Amen.
00:37:06.89\00:37:08.52
So, the source...
00:37:08.56\00:37:10.13
you got to get
this... the source...
00:37:10.19\00:37:12.09
they tried to...
as a matter of fact...
00:37:12.13\00:37:14.10
I heard about this massive
magma lake... below Yellowstone
00:37:14.13\00:37:20.94
it's called the Super Volcano,
00:37:20.97\00:37:23.87
and Geologists and Seismologists
00:37:23.91\00:37:26.78
have tried to estimate
00:37:26.81\00:37:28.14
how much magma is really
down in those magma chambers
00:37:28.18\00:37:31.01
below Yellowstone National Park,
00:37:31.05\00:37:33.72
well, what really blew me
away is... usually they say...
00:37:33.75\00:37:36.99
this is the largest
volcano in the world,
00:37:37.02\00:37:38.69
it's called the "super volcano"
00:37:38.72\00:37:40.12
and we pray that it
does not erupt in our day
00:37:40.16\00:37:42.46
Pause...
00:37:42.49\00:37:44.03
because it's the
largest volcano...
00:37:44.09\00:37:45.89
they say... it will erupt
for many, many, many years
00:37:45.93\00:37:48.73
because it's connected by
chambers to other volcanos,
00:37:49.06\00:37:51.40
but here's my point,
00:37:51.43\00:37:53.17
just to have some
fun, when you go home,
00:37:53.20\00:37:56.10
ah...
00:37:56.14\00:37:57.81
the mouth of a volcano
00:37:57.87\00:37:59.64
is usually something
that you could see, right,
00:37:59.67\00:38:01.21
when you look at the
volcano, it's like this,
00:38:01.24\00:38:02.78
you see the mouth of the
volcano because there's...
00:38:02.81\00:38:04.78
Audience: A large hole...
00:38:04.81\00:38:06.58
Right... you can see
the mouth of most volcanos,
00:38:06.61\00:38:08.45
Yellowstone... if
you stand by the lake
00:38:08.48\00:38:13.05
or some of those mineral pools,
00:38:13.12\00:38:15.56
you're in a valley,
00:38:15.59\00:38:17.09
well, if you stand
there and you begin to look...
00:38:17.13\00:38:18.69
if you turn around
360 degrees and look...
00:38:18.73\00:38:21.26
and you see the
rim of the mountains
00:38:21.30\00:38:23.23
as far as your eyes can see,
00:38:23.26\00:38:24.60
that... you're standing
in the mouth of the volcano.
00:38:24.63\00:38:29.24
Pause...
00:38:29.27\00:38:30.91
It's inestimable...
00:38:30.94\00:38:32.74
they can estimate
it from side to side
00:38:32.77\00:38:35.11
but you're looking
in the great distance...
00:38:35.14\00:38:36.85
"Oh, I see the tip of the
rim of those... that mountain...
00:38:36.88\00:38:39.31
and I see the rim of that...
I see the rim of that... "
00:38:39.35\00:38:41.68
Seismologists would say,
00:38:41.72\00:38:43.69
"If you see the rim
and it's all around you...
00:38:43.75\00:38:45.89
that means you're in
the mouth of the volcano. "
00:38:45.95\00:38:48.02
Pause...
00:38:48.06\00:38:49.59
They say, "We have no
idea how much magma is there,
00:38:49.62\00:38:52.33
it's inestimable... "
00:38:52.36\00:38:54.36
When I think
about that, I think,
00:38:54.40\00:38:55.86
"But that's
just Yellowstone... "
00:38:55.90\00:38:57.33
if you think about
the grace of God...
00:38:57.37\00:38:59.43
there's enough grace of God for
planets far beyond our size...
00:38:59.47\00:39:03.97
far beyond our limited space on
this little ball called "earth"
00:39:04.01\00:39:07.71
His grace is sufficient...
and it has no depth...
00:39:07.74\00:39:10.35
"Amen" to that...
00:39:10.38\00:39:11.71
Audience: Amen.
00:39:11.75\00:39:13.08
No depth... no
depth whatsoever...
00:39:13.11\00:39:14.68
that is... no bottom to it.
00:39:14.72\00:39:16.38
The grace of God
has a depth so great
00:39:16.42\00:39:19.42
that we will never
exhaust its supply.
00:39:19.45\00:39:22.42
Question number... so
what do you put for Number 4?
00:39:22.46\00:39:25.59
What is the source
of our redemption...
00:39:25.63\00:39:27.83
What's the source
of our redemption?
00:39:27.86\00:39:30.00
Audience: God...
00:39:30.07\00:39:32.30
The riches of His grace.
00:39:32.33\00:39:34.50
The riches of His grace...
00:39:34.54\00:39:36.14
we know it's Christ...
00:39:36.17\00:39:37.71
but... the riches of
His grace is the source.
00:39:37.74\00:39:40.78
That's why I'm
talking about the source.
00:39:40.81\00:39:42.48
How rich is the source?
00:39:42.51\00:39:44.91
You cannot estimate it.
00:39:44.95\00:39:47.28
The supply is just far beyond
00:39:47.32\00:39:49.68
the value that we
can ever estimate.
00:39:49.72\00:39:52.29
Number 5... is
that where we are?
00:39:52.32\00:39:54.82
Number 5... let's go on...
00:39:54.86\00:39:56.49
"When we have Christ,
how much more do we need?"
00:39:56.52\00:40:02.10
Don't rush ahead
of yourself, okay,
00:40:02.16\00:40:04.67
we're going to
turn to Colossians 2
00:40:04.70\00:40:07.14
and we're going to
look at verse 9 and 10.
00:40:07.17\00:40:11.71
Colossians 2 verse 9 and 10,
00:40:11.74\00:40:14.01
I laid the
foundation with Yellowstone
00:40:14.04\00:40:16.08
and tried to talk about
00:40:16.11\00:40:18.38
all the supplies that I could
even muster up in my mind...
00:40:18.41\00:40:21.62
but this text is really going
to open it up really wide...
00:40:21.68\00:40:24.85
it's going to blow
it open so to speak,
00:40:24.89\00:40:26.25
all right...
00:40:26.29\00:40:27.62
Colossians 2 verse 9 and
10, in answer to the question,
00:40:27.66\00:40:31.03
"When we have Christ,
how much more do we need?"
00:40:31.06\00:40:33.23
Here is the verse.
00:40:33.26\00:40:34.60
Colossians 2
verse 9 and 10, it says,
00:40:34.63\00:40:37.27
there it is again, "For... "
00:40:37.30\00:40:39.27
what's the next
two words Brethren?
00:40:39.30\00:40:41.00
"in Him dwells... "
00:40:41.04\00:40:42.67
what's the next word?
00:40:42.70\00:40:44.31
"all the fullness of
the Godhead... " how?
00:40:44.34\00:40:49.84
"bodily; and you
are complete in Him,
00:40:49.88\00:40:53.68
who is the head of all
principality and power. "
00:40:53.72\00:40:59.45
I could spend another 15 minutes
on this one... but I won't...
00:40:59.52\00:41:03.12
I'll suffice it to simply say,
00:41:03.16\00:41:04.53
"In Christ
dwells all the fullness"
00:41:04.56\00:41:08.46
dwells all the...
what? "fullness... "
00:41:08.50\00:41:11.13
It's amazing how all of
that... and you got to...
00:41:11.17\00:41:15.84
you got to hear
me out briefly here,
00:41:15.87\00:41:19.74
all of that...
00:41:19.77\00:41:21.68
we're talking
about... it cannot be...
00:41:21.71\00:41:23.58
if we decided to store
God's fullness in the earth,
00:41:23.61\00:41:27.12
pause...
00:41:27.15\00:41:29.08
there wouldn't be room...
00:41:29.12\00:41:30.45
yet, the beauty of this text is,
00:41:30.49\00:41:35.52
this God... who in Him all
the fullness of the Godhead
00:41:35.56\00:41:40.66
dwells in Christ,
00:41:40.70\00:41:42.26
He's saying, "I could still
dwell inside of your life...
00:41:42.30\00:41:46.60
I could still dwell
in this human frame,
00:41:46.63\00:41:50.11
I can still come
and live in your life
00:41:50.14\00:41:53.58
and in your heart... I
can still abide in you... "
00:41:53.61\00:41:56.28
in the very same way,
to put this together...
00:41:56.31\00:41:59.38
let's all take
a breath together,
00:41:59.41\00:42:01.12
inhale... are you
ready? On the count of three...
00:42:01.15\00:42:02.88
one... two... three... inhale...
00:42:02.92\00:42:04.62
now, where did that come from?
00:42:04.65\00:42:06.29
Where did that come from?
00:42:06.32\00:42:08.16
Pause...
00:42:08.19\00:42:09.52
Where did that come from?
00:42:09.56\00:42:10.89
Is there... is there... H...
00:42:10.93\00:42:13.19
not... I say, it's just water...
00:42:13.23\00:42:15.36
co2... that's carbon
and two parts oxygen...
00:42:15.43\00:42:18.47
okay, that's what
we're breathing...
00:42:18.50\00:42:19.83
where is it?
00:42:19.87\00:42:21.20
Somebody tell me,
give me an answer,
00:42:21.24\00:42:22.87
where is it?
Let's try that again,
00:42:22.90\00:42:24.61
one, two,
three... let's inhale...
00:42:24.64\00:42:26.31
where is it coming from?
00:42:26.34\00:42:29.11
Where is it?
Somebody tell me, huh...
00:42:29.14\00:42:32.11
now, where is it?
00:42:32.15\00:42:33.85
Where is the source?
00:42:33.88\00:42:35.52
Huh, come on... help me out...
00:42:35.58\00:42:39.39
we know... you got...
00:42:39.45\00:42:40.79
don't get theological...
get obvious... where is it?
00:42:40.82\00:42:42.79
It's all around us...
00:42:42.82\00:42:44.33
it's a... now can
you run fast enough
00:42:44.36\00:42:46.46
so that there's a
place that you can get to
00:42:46.49\00:42:48.40
where you can't breath?
00:42:48.43\00:42:49.76
No, because
everywhere you run to
00:42:49.80\00:42:51.60
there's going to
be breath, right?
00:42:51.63\00:42:53.44
So what if you were
the fastest man on earth,
00:42:53.47\00:42:55.20
can you run beyond
the speed of breath?
00:42:55.24\00:42:57.87
Or the speed of the...
00:42:57.91\00:42:59.27
everywhere around us,
there's that supply existing...
00:42:59.31\00:43:04.48
I'm trying to find
something to compare
00:43:04.51\00:43:06.75
all the fullness
of the Godhead with.
00:43:06.78\00:43:08.98
This entire planet... every
place you go on this planet,
00:43:09.02\00:43:12.65
you're going to
be able to breathe...
00:43:12.69\00:43:14.42
pause...
00:43:14.46\00:43:15.92
because it's everywhere.
00:43:15.99\00:43:17.49
The fullness of God
00:43:17.53\00:43:19.59
dwells completely in the
body of the person Christ Jesus.
00:43:19.66\00:43:23.43
Now, when Jesus
walked this earth,
00:43:23.47\00:43:25.53
in the form of a man
00:43:25.57\00:43:27.14
we looked at him like we'd
look at Brother John Dinzey,
00:43:27.17\00:43:30.31
Brother Dick
Hutchinsen, Brother Glen...
00:43:30.34\00:43:33.78
and we look at this...
we look at this human frame
00:43:33.81\00:43:37.25
and we look at Him and think...
00:43:37.28\00:43:39.75
"Is it possible that all
the fullness of the Godhead
00:43:40.02\00:43:43.65
could dwell in
that short space?"
00:43:43.69\00:43:45.82
Pause...
00:43:45.85\00:43:47.62
Is that trying to estimate
the power of a nuclear weapon?
00:43:47.66\00:43:51.03
It's small but it's powerful...
00:43:51.06\00:43:53.66
yet in Christ...
00:43:53.70\00:43:55.03
there's a greater
power that resides in Him,
00:43:55.06\00:43:57.97
the fullness of righteousness,
the fullness of godliness,
00:43:58.00\00:44:02.10
the fullness of victory,
00:44:02.14\00:44:03.71
the fullness of deliverance,
00:44:03.74\00:44:05.24
it all dwells in Christ...
the fullness is there...
00:44:05.27\00:44:08.24
so, now, let's ask the question,
00:44:08.28\00:44:10.01
well, let me just
tell you the story,
00:44:10.05\00:44:11.58
in the West Indies,
00:44:11.61\00:44:15.75
in the country of
Trinidad there's a pitch lake,
00:44:15.78\00:44:17.55
pause...
00:44:17.59\00:44:18.92
you know what pitch is?
00:44:18.95\00:44:20.29
Does anybody know what pitch is?
00:44:20.32\00:44:22.09
Let me use the
American word, "Tar... "
00:44:22.12\00:44:23.73
okay... because I saw
the look... it went...
00:44:23.76\00:44:26.76
"pitch?"
00:44:26.80\00:44:28.13
Not pitching... but pitch...
00:44:28.16\00:44:30.27
and for years, people had
been scooping out this pitch...
00:44:30.30\00:44:35.14
and exporting it
all over the world
00:44:35.17\00:44:37.24
what happens when
they go back the next day?
00:44:37.27\00:44:40.48
Filled up again...
00:44:40.54\00:44:42.64
the hole that was dug
yesterday filled up again...
00:44:42.71\00:44:46.72
they don't know
where the supply...
00:44:46.75\00:44:48.45
they don't know the
extent of the supply...
00:44:48.48\00:44:49.88
but that's in this
little small earth.
00:44:49.92\00:44:52.25
We have oil supplies
00:44:52.29\00:44:53.76
that we don't know
the extent of that supply,
00:44:53.79\00:44:55.49
we have pitch...
we have bauxite...
00:44:55.52\00:44:58.26
the earth is so
rich with minerals,
00:44:58.29\00:45:00.96
yet, this earth is too small
00:45:01.00\00:45:03.37
when it comes to be
dimensionally the place that
00:45:03.40\00:45:07.10
the fullness of God can dwell
00:45:07.14\00:45:08.94
because David the Psalmist said,
00:45:09.00\00:45:10.47
"Wait a minute... wait a minute,
00:45:10.51\00:45:11.91
if I go to the uttermost
parts of the heaven... "
00:45:11.94\00:45:14.74
what did he say?
00:45:14.78\00:45:16.11
"You are there... "
00:45:16.14\00:45:17.48
"If I make my
bed in the grave... "
00:45:17.51\00:45:19.78
what... "You're... "
00:45:19.81\00:45:21.15
"If I go to the
depths of the sea... "
00:45:21.18\00:45:22.52
what? "You're there... "
00:45:22.55\00:45:23.89
now if you go to
the depths of the sea,
00:45:23.92\00:45:25.25
you're not going
to find pitch there,
00:45:25.29\00:45:26.62
you're not going
to find gold there...
00:45:26.65\00:45:27.99
if you go to the
uttermost parts of the earth...
00:45:28.02\00:45:29.36
you're not going
to find pitch there,
00:45:29.39\00:45:30.73
here's my... here's the story
now, I want you to get this,
00:45:30.76\00:45:32.09
wherever you go...
00:45:32.13\00:45:33.46
the grace of God
is available to you...
00:45:33.50\00:45:35.76
wherever you go,
00:45:35.80\00:45:37.13
the power of God is
available to you, why?
00:45:37.17\00:45:39.03
Because all the fullness of God
00:45:39.07\00:45:41.00
dwells in the person of Christ
00:45:41.07\00:45:42.94
and He's trying to
make that available to us.
00:45:42.97\00:45:44.84
So, let's narrow that
down to your day-by-day life,
00:45:44.87\00:45:47.38
let's make it practical...
00:45:47.41\00:45:48.74
let's go to the: "A's" and "B's"
and "C's" of where we live.
00:45:48.78\00:45:51.48
when you wake up
tomorrow morning,
00:45:51.51\00:45:53.31
how much of the power
of God is available to you?
00:45:53.35\00:45:56.89
Somebody tell me... how much?
00:45:56.92\00:45:59.12
Why is it that we don't have it?
00:45:59.15\00:46:01.52
Why is it that
we don't have it...
00:46:01.59\00:46:03.89
Come on, tell me
again, we don't ask...
00:46:03.93\00:46:07.60
Didn't Matthew
say, "We have... "
00:46:07.63\00:46:09.70
well, James...
00:46:09.73\00:46:11.43
"We have not because
we... " what? "ask not... "
00:46:11.47\00:46:13.77
And when we ask,
00:46:13.80\00:46:15.14
he said, "we ask
for the wrong reason"
00:46:15.17\00:46:16.81
that we may spend it
in ways that are some...
00:46:16.84\00:46:20.14
we say, "Lord, I need money... "
00:46:20.18\00:46:21.51
I wish we would plead
for God's righteousness
00:46:21.54\00:46:23.71
like we would plead for money...
00:46:23.75\00:46:25.08
"Lord, I need a place to
live, Lord, I need a job... "
00:46:25.11\00:46:28.02
If we would plead for
God for spiritual things
00:46:28.05\00:46:30.85
as we do for temporal things,
we would have that experience,
00:46:30.89\00:46:34.06
we would have
that deliverance...
00:46:34.09\00:46:35.46
do you wake up in the morning...
00:46:35.49\00:46:36.83
now, what if God said,
00:46:36.86\00:46:38.66
"I'm just going to supply you
enough air for you to pray. "
00:46:38.69\00:46:40.96
Audience: Laughter...
00:46:41.03\00:46:42.80
"And when you pray, you've
got to ask me for more air
00:46:42.83\00:46:44.60
and I'll send it to you... "
00:46:44.63\00:46:45.97
how many of you will pray,
come on, raise your hand...
00:46:46.00\00:46:47.80
we'd all pray...
00:46:47.84\00:46:49.87
okay, now, the
reason I said that
00:46:49.90\00:46:51.71
"Prayer... " Ellen White says,
00:46:51.74\00:46:53.58
"is the breath of the soul"
00:46:53.64\00:46:55.38
it's more valuable
than your bread you eat,
00:46:55.44\00:47:00.38
so, if God says,
00:47:00.42\00:47:01.75
"Every morning I'm going to give
you enough breath to pray...
00:47:01.78\00:47:03.62
you've got 15 seconds... "
00:47:03.65\00:47:05.32
"I ain't praying... " Feep...
00:47:05.35\00:47:08.49
"Oh, Dave died
because he wouldn't pray... "
00:47:08.52\00:47:11.86
Now we're smiling but
that's why many of us die
00:47:11.89\00:47:15.00
because we don't pray.
00:47:15.06\00:47:17.00
We don't ask
God for the supplies
00:47:17.03\00:47:20.04
so we struggle
in our own humanity
00:47:20.07\00:47:22.80
because it's just a breath away.
00:47:22.84\00:47:27.14
The supply of
God is a breath away.
00:47:27.18\00:47:31.41
"Ask and it shall be
given, seek and you will find,
00:47:31.45\00:47:35.58
knock and the
door will be... " what?
00:47:35.62\00:47:37.15
"opened... "
00:47:37.19\00:47:38.52
as a matter of fact, God
takes it to the next level,
00:47:38.55\00:47:40.46
He says, "You may be knocking
00:47:40.49\00:47:42.16
but I've been knocking long
before you started knocking,
00:47:42.19\00:47:44.46
'Behold I stand at the
door and... '" what? "knock... "
00:47:44.49\00:47:46.73
He said, "I have more
of a desire to have...
00:47:46.76\00:47:49.26
I have more of a burning desire
00:47:49.30\00:47:50.83
to have a relationship with you
00:47:50.87\00:47:52.37
than you have a burning
desire to have one with me
00:47:52.40\00:47:54.54
so since you're not
going to knock... I'll knock. "
00:47:54.60\00:47:56.71
Amen...
00:47:56.74\00:47:58.07
That tells me that we have a
Savior that is not sufficiently
00:47:58.11\00:48:01.61
waiting to have a
relationship with Him,
00:48:01.64\00:48:03.18
He wants to have one with us
00:48:03.21\00:48:04.61
and while we have to really
put this effort into practice,
00:48:04.65\00:48:08.88
because we're living
under the last church...
00:48:08.92\00:48:10.32
the church of Laodicea
00:48:10.35\00:48:11.69
and one of the conditions
of the church of Laodicea...
00:48:11.72\00:48:14.06
it's a compiled condition...
00:48:14.09\00:48:16.02
we are wretched,
miserable, poor, blind and naked
00:48:16.06\00:48:20.83
and you know
what's sad about that is,
00:48:20.86\00:48:22.40
we don't even know it
00:48:22.46\00:48:23.80
and when you think
of Revelation chapter 3,
00:48:23.83\00:48:25.33
the last church...
when you get down to,
00:48:25.37\00:48:26.90
"Behold I stand at
the door and knock... "
00:48:26.94\00:48:28.44
what the Lord is
necessarily saying...
00:48:28.47\00:48:29.94
it's not just the
personal invitation
00:48:29.97\00:48:31.57
to open the door and come in...
00:48:31.61\00:48:32.94
but what He's saying
to His last-day church,
00:48:32.97\00:48:34.48
he's saying, "You guys
think you got it all together,
00:48:34.51\00:48:37.31
but if you let me in,
00:48:37.35\00:48:39.35
you'll really find out
how to get it all together. "
00:48:39.38\00:48:42.12
It's really an indictment,
Revelation 3 verse 20 and 21
00:48:42.15\00:48:44.89
is really an indictment
to the last-day church
00:48:44.92\00:48:47.02
a church that's so prosperous...
has so much materialistically
00:48:47.06\00:48:51.29
so much provisionally,
00:48:51.33\00:48:52.69
so much fame and
fortune and earthly coverage
00:48:52.73\00:48:55.73
that we fail to realize
00:48:55.76\00:48:58.23
that our need is
right here on Ground Zero.
00:48:58.30\00:49:00.17
Ain't that true?
00:49:00.20\00:49:01.77
Our need is right
here on Ground Zero,
00:49:01.80\00:49:04.01
so, if we only had
enough breath to pray
00:49:04.04\00:49:07.01
for more breath...
would we pray? Yes.
00:49:07.04\00:49:10.01
Let me encourage you,
that's how we find our source
00:49:10.05\00:49:13.38
by asking for it and
God will impart to us
00:49:13.42\00:49:16.75
exactly what we need
00:49:16.79\00:49:18.12
because in Him
dwells all the fullness,
00:49:18.15\00:49:20.89
we don't have it
because we don't ask.
00:49:20.92\00:49:23.76
Question Number 6:
let's go on to this one.
00:49:23.79\00:49:32.53
"What test has
the Lord established
00:49:32.57\00:49:35.14
to prove that we are in Him?"
00:49:35.17\00:49:36.54
And by-the-way,
00:49:36.57\00:49:37.91
proving it is...
proving it to us,
00:49:37.94\00:49:39.27
not to Himself
because He already knows.
00:49:39.31\00:49:41.04
All right... what test?
00:49:41.08\00:49:43.45
We're turning to the book
of 1st John 2 and verse 5,
00:49:43.48\00:49:48.45
okay, 1st John,
chapter 2 and verse 5.
00:49:48.48\00:49:52.95
Here it is on the screen
if you are following along
00:49:52.99\00:49:56.93
with your
syllabus or your lesson,
00:49:56.96\00:49:59.66
1st John 2 verse
5, reads as follows,
00:49:59.69\00:50:02.36
"But whoever... " does what?
00:50:02.40\00:50:05.23
"keeps His word,
00:50:05.27\00:50:06.94
truly the love
of God is... " what?
00:50:06.97\00:50:10.04
"perfected in him.
00:50:10.07\00:50:11.51
By this we know that we are... "
00:50:11.57\00:50:13.68
what? "in Him... "
00:50:13.71\00:50:15.04
Now, let's not run past that,
I can't run past any of them
00:50:15.08\00:50:17.75
what does the Bible
say, how do we know...
00:50:17.78\00:50:21.78
how do we know that
we are abiding in Christ?
00:50:21.82\00:50:25.75
If we do what... if we do what?
00:50:25.79\00:50:28.12
If we keep His Word.
00:50:28.16\00:50:29.69
Keeping His
Commandments is added on to that
00:50:29.72\00:50:34.00
but it says,
"whoever keeps His Word...
00:50:34.03\00:50:36.20
truly the love of God
is perfected in Him. "
00:50:36.23\00:50:38.80
What that is necessarily saying,
00:50:38.83\00:50:40.64
it's not that
you should love God,
00:50:40.67\00:50:42.44
but the love of God
is just... so... it's...
00:50:42.47\00:50:45.14
when something is
perfected, it's complete.
00:50:45.17\00:50:48.74
If the love of God
is... is abiding in us...
00:50:48.81\00:50:51.38
you know what that
in essence is saying?
00:50:51.41\00:50:53.92
Let me give you
an illustration...
00:50:53.98\00:50:55.32
whatever you love,
you're going to make time for
00:50:55.35\00:50:57.25
that's what that's saying.
00:50:57.29\00:50:59.72
Fault will say, "I've got to go
00:50:59.75\00:51:02.19
my show is coming
on, I've got to go...
00:51:02.22\00:51:03.56
I'll talk to you
later, I've got to go... "
00:51:03.59\00:51:04.93
We have a guy that
plays basketball till 8:30...
00:51:04.96\00:51:06.39
he never goes beyond 8:30...
00:51:06.46\00:51:07.80
"I got to go, my
show is coming on... "
00:51:07.86\00:51:09.20
"Come on, one more game... "
00:51:09.23\00:51:10.57
"I've got to go... "
00:51:10.60\00:51:11.93
He is loyal to that
show... he's in and out...
00:51:11.97\00:51:14.74
"Whatever we're going to
do, hurry up, I've got to go...
00:51:14.77\00:51:16.74
8:25... I'm done... "
00:51:16.77\00:51:18.24
"One more game... " got to go...
00:51:18.27\00:51:19.67
Laughter...
00:51:19.74\00:51:21.91
Would to God that we
had the same dedication...
00:51:21.94\00:51:24.68
"Got to go... got to go...
it's time for me to pray...
00:51:24.71\00:51:26.61
I've got to
go... I've got to go,
00:51:26.65\00:51:27.98
I need to pray... "
00:51:28.02\00:51:30.02
"I've got to go...
I've set a schedule with God
00:51:30.09\00:51:35.32
and it's time
for my Bible Studies
00:51:35.36\00:51:36.73
because I'm getting
weak, I've got to go. "
00:51:36.76\00:51:38.86
That's what that is saying,
00:51:38.89\00:51:41.16
"If God's love is
abiding in our soul,
00:51:41.20\00:51:44.13
then, we could keep His Word. "
00:51:44.17\00:51:48.20
But we read this text by
saying, "If we keep His Word,
00:51:48.24\00:51:50.81
then the love of God
is perfected in us... "
00:51:50.84\00:51:52.47
no, that's not what it's saying,
00:51:52.51\00:51:53.84
it says, "If we
are so filled by God,
00:51:53.88\00:51:55.74
we can't wait to hear what
He has to say to us next. "
00:51:55.78\00:51:59.05
Like people can't
wait... "Oh, my show...
00:51:59.08\00:52:02.32
oh, this is the
finale... " phew...
00:52:02.35\00:52:04.89
And so the devil puts the finale
on... on Wednesday nights,
00:52:04.92\00:52:08.19
"Season closer...
two hours tonight... "
00:52:08.22\00:52:13.09
"When does it come on?"
00:52:13.13\00:52:14.56
"From 6:00 to 8:00... "
00:52:14.60\00:52:15.96
And for those of
you who don't record it,
00:52:16.00\00:52:18.83
you say, "Oh, I ain't
going to Prayer Meeting tonight,
00:52:18.87\00:52:20.30
because this is the finale... "
00:52:20.34\00:52:21.67
"Desperate Housewives"
00:52:21.70\00:52:23.71
Laughter...
00:52:23.74\00:52:25.61
And then we become
desperate Christians
00:52:25.64\00:52:28.18
watching that foolishness.
00:52:28.21\00:52:30.01
We got to realize that
we are in desperate straits
00:52:30.05\00:52:33.18
without spending
time with the Lord
00:52:33.21\00:52:35.52
and I'm talking to myself too
00:52:35.58\00:52:36.92
because sometimes
we all get so busy,
00:52:36.95\00:52:38.39
you know, we're doing God's work
00:52:38.42\00:52:39.82
but we fail to realize that
God wants to do something in us.
00:52:39.85\00:52:42.79
He doesn't just want
us to have good records...
00:52:42.82\00:52:44.56
"Lord, I've
passed out 64 tracts...
00:52:44.59\00:52:46.39
50 visits this week...
00:52:46.46\00:52:48.46
you know... I...
00:52:48.50\00:52:49.83
Wednesday night Prayer Meeting,
I prayed... my sermon... did...
00:52:49.86\00:52:51.63
you know, I had
Sabbath School...
00:52:51.67\00:52:53.00
I taught Sabbath School...
did Communion Service. "
00:52:53.03\00:52:54.40
"Ah... pretty good resume of
all the things you did for me...
00:52:54.44\00:52:56.91
now...
00:52:56.94\00:52:58.27
you didn't give me a chance
for me to do anything for you
00:52:58.31\00:53:00.38
because while you're so
busy working in my vineyard,
00:53:00.41\00:53:03.24
I didn't have time
to work in your life. "
00:53:03.28\00:53:04.65
Pause...
00:53:04.68\00:53:06.45
This whole lesson is
about us being in Christ...
00:53:06.51\00:53:09.08
not Christ...
just being in us...
00:53:09.12\00:53:10.45
"Christ in us" is the
hope of glory... yes...
00:53:10.49\00:53:13.05
but "us in Christ" is the
hope of "fitting in glory"
00:53:13.09\00:53:16.42
so Christ doesn't just want us
to be involved in His activity,
00:53:16.46\00:53:19.69
He wants to be
involved in our lives.
00:53:19.73\00:53:21.86
He wants to be there,
molding us and shaping us
00:53:21.90\00:53:24.73
and fitting us
for that eternal abode
00:53:24.80\00:53:26.97
which in the simple language,
00:53:27.00\00:53:29.37
"He wants us to get
ready for the kingdom
00:53:29.40\00:53:31.67
but it starts on a
day-by-day, daily basis. "
00:53:31.71\00:53:34.44
That's the ABCs of what
it means to be in Christ
00:53:34.48\00:53:37.21
and I tell you...
00:53:37.25\00:53:38.58
if the love to Christ
is so brimming over in us,
00:53:38.61\00:53:40.62
we'll make time
to provide ourselves
00:53:40.65\00:53:43.02
that diet that we
need... that spiritual diet
00:53:43.05\00:53:45.55
because I tell you what...
00:53:45.59\00:53:46.92
the natural man will
look for the natural diet,
00:53:46.96\00:53:48.62
but the man that
wants to be spiritual...
00:53:48.66\00:53:50.43
the young woman who
wants to be spiritual...
00:53:50.46\00:53:52.16
will look for
that spiritual diet.
00:53:52.19\00:53:54.40
Let's go to the next question,
00:53:54.43\00:53:55.76
so, "What has
the Lord established
00:53:55.80\00:53:57.37
to prove that we are in Him?"
00:53:57.40\00:53:58.73
That's Question number 6:
00:53:58.77\00:54:00.10
and I'll tell you
this as the answer...
00:54:00.14\00:54:01.50
you may think,
"because we keep His Word... "
00:54:01.54\00:54:03.30
No... if He... if
He is abiding in us...
00:54:03.34\00:54:06.24
if He is perfected in us...
00:54:06.27\00:54:08.31
if He is residing in us...
00:54:08.34\00:54:10.21
then we can keep His Word...
00:54:10.25\00:54:11.81
so why don't you put there,
00:54:11.85\00:54:13.31
"What test has
the Lord established
00:54:13.35\00:54:14.82
to prove that we are in Him?"
00:54:14.85\00:54:16.18
"If He is in us...
00:54:16.22\00:54:17.69
if He is in us,
00:54:17.72\00:54:19.25
if He is in us...
" because you know,
00:54:19.29\00:54:22.22
Christian activity
is one thing pray...
00:54:22.26\00:54:25.16
the Pharisees thought
they had it all down...
00:54:25.19\00:54:27.16
"I pay tithe of everything...
I... mint and anise... I...
00:54:27.20\00:54:30.03
I just... I... I
do all the stuff... "
00:54:30.07\00:54:32.63
Even the rich young ruler said,
00:54:32.67\00:54:34.00
"I've done all this
since I was a young person... "
00:54:34.04\00:54:35.37
the Lord said, "You still
haven't got it together yet. "
00:54:35.40\00:54:37.41
"What do I yet lack?"
00:54:37.44\00:54:39.91
He said, "One thing... "
00:54:39.94\00:54:42.34
what's separating us from
Christ, come on everybody...
00:54:42.38\00:54:45.71
let's confess...
00:54:45.75\00:54:47.12
one thing...
00:54:47.15\00:54:48.48
and I can guarantee you,
00:54:48.52\00:54:50.52
that one thing has
everything you need
00:54:50.55\00:54:52.72
usually... it's
prayer and Bible Study...
00:54:52.75\00:54:54.82
and they're not
separate fruits...
00:54:54.86\00:54:56.56
they go
together... hand in hand.
00:54:56.59\00:54:58.23
Number 7... okay,
question number 7...
00:54:58.29\00:55:07.57
"What does living in
Christ demand of us?"
00:55:07.60\00:55:13.07
Oooh... this one is
going to kind of wake us up,
00:55:13.11\00:55:17.85
"What does living in
Christ demand of us?"
00:55:17.88\00:55:19.85
1st John 3:3...
00:55:19.88\00:55:21.65
let's try to fit this in, we
have 2 minutes and 40 seconds
00:55:21.68\00:55:23.72
before we are off the screen...
00:55:23.75\00:55:26.15
and... for those
of you watching...
00:55:26.19\00:55:28.22
next week we begin
Vacation Bible School...
00:55:28.26\00:55:30.53
for Kids' Time it's
going to be right here
00:55:30.56\00:55:32.53
at the same
location... same time...
00:55:32.59\00:55:34.26
so we'll be back on
the week following that.
00:55:34.30\00:55:36.73
Okay, 1st John
3:3 reads as follows,
00:55:36.77\00:55:39.57
let's read this together,
are we ready... passion...
00:55:39.60\00:55:42.07
"And everyone who has this
hope in Him... " does what?
00:55:42.10\00:55:46.94
"purifies himself, just
as He is... " what? "pure"
00:55:46.98\00:55:51.78
that almost seems ironic,
00:55:51.81\00:55:53.15
how can you purify
yourself if you are pure?
00:55:53.18\00:55:55.42
It's like, let me
give you an illustration,
00:55:55.45\00:55:57.89
mother cleans the
house and she says,
00:55:57.92\00:55:59.29
"Keep it clean... "
00:55:59.35\00:56:00.69
Christ cleans us up
and He says... what?
00:56:00.72\00:56:03.89
"Keep it clean... "
00:56:03.93\00:56:05.26
How do we keep it clean?
00:56:05.29\00:56:06.63
By our choices...
00:56:06.66\00:56:08.16
by the things we
know we must do...
00:56:08.20\00:56:12.00
He cleans us
up... justification...
00:56:12.03\00:56:15.80
but sanctification
is... keeping it clean...
00:56:15.84\00:56:18.87
staying clean...
00:56:18.91\00:56:20.24
we're at the sanctification
part in our studies,
00:56:20.28\00:56:22.38
we want to know how...
not just to be cleaned up...
00:56:22.41\00:56:24.55
I preached a sermon...
00:56:24.58\00:56:25.91
you may want to ask for a copy
if you contact our church at
00:56:25.95\00:56:28.08
tvsdac. org
00:56:28.12\00:56:30.25
very quick...
quick advertisement...
00:56:30.29\00:56:32.32
that's our church website...
00:56:32.35\00:56:33.69
it's called... "filled up...
fixed up... and filled up. "
00:56:33.72\00:56:37.73
Christ doesn't just
want to fix us up...
00:56:37.79\00:56:39.79
He wants to do what,
Friends? Fill us up...
00:56:39.83\00:56:42.46
so, the purifying aspect...
00:56:42.50\00:56:44.57
why is it so vitally important?
00:56:44.60\00:56:46.67
Simple illustration...
00:56:46.70\00:56:48.70
would you put
Kool-Aid in a dirty glass?
00:56:48.74\00:56:51.77
Audience: People are
shaking their heads...
00:56:51.81\00:56:54.78
And give it to
somebody to drink?
00:56:54.84\00:56:56.75
Laughter...
00:56:56.78\00:56:58.15
No...
00:56:58.18\00:56:59.65
have you ever been to
people's house or a restaurant
00:56:59.68\00:57:01.02
and you see... you know,
you got a knife and a fork
00:57:01.05\00:57:02.48
on the table there
and it has spots on it
00:57:02.52\00:57:04.35
and you say, "Could
you give me a new glass?"
00:57:04.39\00:57:06.22
And it's not
terribly dirty but you know
00:57:06.25\00:57:08.02
you don't want to
put anything in that
00:57:08.06\00:57:09.82
because you see spots.
00:57:09.86\00:57:11.19
Well, Brethren... the
Lord is looking at our lives
00:57:11.23\00:57:13.70
and He says, "There
are some spots there... "
00:57:13.73\00:57:15.06
I want to put my
Holy Spirit in you,
00:57:15.10\00:57:17.07
I want to fill your life
up on a day-by-day basis,
00:57:17.13\00:57:19.20
if we do the essentials...
00:57:19.23\00:57:20.57
as you're listening here
tonight if we do the essentials
00:57:20.60\00:57:22.40
by beginning our day
with one powerful thing,
00:57:22.44\00:57:25.64
prayer and Bible Studies...
00:57:25.67\00:57:27.58
end our day...
prayer and Bible Studies...
00:57:27.61\00:57:30.48
I was told by my dear brother...
00:57:30.51\00:57:32.48
Elder T. Marshall Kelly said...
00:57:32.51\00:57:34.38
when he traveled
with Elder Cleveland...
00:57:34.42\00:57:36.52
Elder E. E. Cleveland...
00:57:36.58\00:57:37.95
every hour on the hour...
00:57:37.99\00:57:39.32
Elder Cleveland... no
matter if he was driving
00:57:39.35\00:57:41.42
or wherever he was, he'd stop...
00:57:41.46\00:57:42.86
every hour on the
hour it's time to pray...
00:57:42.92\00:57:45.63
he said, "You're a
brilliant person... "
00:57:45.69\00:57:48.36
he said, "No,
I'm not brilliant...
00:57:48.43\00:57:49.76
it's Christ in me that causes
all these things to show... "
00:57:49.80\00:57:52.37
so, friends, if
Christ is in your life,
00:57:52.40\00:57:54.57
everything that's out of focus
00:57:54.60\00:57:56.34
will be brought
into a sharper focus
00:57:56.37\00:57:58.34
if Christ is there...
00:57:58.37\00:57:59.84
God bless you... let us pray.
00:57:59.87\00:58:02.38