Participants: Pr. John Lomacang
Series Code: ASHF
Program Code: ASHF000024
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01:26 Guidance tonight.
01:27 And we know that the Lord 01:28 will never disappoint us, isn't that right? 01:31 And so as we pray then we're gonna sing a song 01:35 together and we're gonna began 01:36 with a very interesting story. 01:38 Let's bow our heads and ask the God 01:40 that we love and serve to be with us tonight. 01:43 Heavenly Father, thank you Lord, 01:44 for the opportunity of studying Your word. 01:47 Thank You for the topic in Christ. 01:51 We know Lord that whenever we call on Your Holy Spirit, 01:54 He will guide us and He will lead us. 01:56 And tonight, we need Your guidance 01:59 and we need Your leading. 02:00 Bless those who are tuning in and make Your word clear, 02:05 we pray in Jesus name, amen. 02:08 Now we're gonna sing a song tonight, 02:10 it's gonna be on the screen here locally 02:11 but those of you who know it, it's called "Victory in Jesus." 02:14 And that's the only place 02:15 that we can have victory, isn't that right? 02:17 So as you hear the song tonight, 02:19 sing along with me, "Victory in Jesus." 02:21 The word will appear on our screen. 02:32 I heard an old, old story 02:36 How the Savior came from glory 02:40 How He gave His life on Calvary 02:43 To save a wretch like me 02:47 I heard about His groaning 02:51 Of His precious blood's atoning 02:55 Then I repented of my sins 02:59 And won the victory 03:01 The chorus. O victory in Jesus 03:06 My Savior, forever 03:10 He sought me and bought me 03:14 With His redeeming blood 03:17 He loved me ere I knew Him 03:21 And all my love is due Him 03:25 He plunged me to victory 03:29 Beneath the cleansing flood 03:33 I heard about a mansion 03:36 He has built for me in glory 03:40 And I heard about the streets of gold 03:44 Beyond the crystal sea 03:48 About the angels singing 03:52 And the old redemption story 03:55 And some sweet day I'll sing up there 03:59 The song of victory 04:03 O victory in Jesus 04:07 My Savior, forever 04:10 He sought me and bought me 04:14 With His redeeming blood 04:18 He loved me ere I knew Him 04:22 And all my love is due Him 04:26 He plunged me to victory 04:29 Beneath the cleansing flood 04:33 He plunged me to victory 04:37 Beneath the cleansing flood. 04:44 Amen. Now that is the truth outside of the cleansing flood 04:50 and the blood of Christ 04:52 none of us can find victory, isn't that true? Amen. 04:55 Now tonight I want to begin with a story, 04:56 I have a letter by the way 04:57 I'm gonna share with you I have it on my iPad here. 05:00 I'm excited when people respond, 05:03 we have a Facebook page, we have a Twitter page. 05:07 And we have an e-mail when you go to our website asf.3abn.org. 05:11 You can click on either the Twitter 05:14 or the Facebook page and send your prayer request. 05:17 And you can also send your comments and somebody did. 05:20 Matter of fact, that the person's name is Catherine, 05:22 if you're watching tonight thank you for you comment 05:24 that's encouraging, it read as follows. 05:27 "Dear Pastor Lomacang, I just began watching 05:30 'A Sharper Focus' study plan and I really, really like it. 05:35 I am new to the church and want to be baptized soon." 05:37 Isn't that amazing, not baptized yet. 05:40 "I greatly appreciate it. 05:42 It is really helping me to understand God's holy word, 05:46 thank you, Catherine." 05:48 And thank you Catherine for that comment, there are others. 05:51 But we don't want to take all the time 05:53 to go through just the comments, 05:55 we want to thank those who are tuning in and watching. 05:57 And let me also encourage you invite your friends, 06:00 because this is the study not necessarily about the Sabbath 06:04 or the State of the Dead or other doctrinal truth 06:07 which will come in the future. 06:09 But this is about the most fundamental 06:10 thing about Christianity, how to live a victorious life? 06:14 How to live a spiritual life and what kind of body? 06:17 In a natural body. Everybody here knows that. 06:20 But tonight I want to begin with the story 06:22 that's pretty interesting. 06:23 You'll see this picture on the screen right here locally. 06:25 And how many you have seen this picture before? 06:30 Now somebody gave me a gift, a little Russian doll 06:36 and I want you to see that picture 06:37 as it appears on your screen, 06:39 because this illustrates a story very well. 06:40 This little Russian doll is in my office. 06:43 The first time I saw one of these, I wonder what it was. 06:46 And somebody said, "Well, things are not necessarily 06:49 the way they appear to be." 06:51 And I said, "What do you mean? 06:52 It's just a--you know, cardboard or wooden Russia doll." 06:56 And they said, "No, look on the inside." 06:58 So I look on the inside and I discovered 07:00 it was not just one but there was what? Two. 07:03 So the next picture should show you what's happening 07:05 as we continue unfolding. 07:06 There was another one on the inside of that and when I open 07:09 that one there was a third one on the inside of that. 07:13 And they said, "Well keep going." 07:14 And I opened it again and there was a forth one 07:17 on the inside of that. 07:18 And they said, "Don't stop now." 07:20 And I opened it one more time and they said, 07:21 "There's a fifth one inside of that." 07:24 And I thought to myself you mean to tell me all that, 07:26 all of that is inside of that one structure. 07:29 And they said, "Yes, that's exactly how it is." 07:32 And I thought about that as I was thinking 07:34 of the very interesting way to illustrate 07:36 what it means to be in Christ. 07:39 Now you can't really tell 07:41 what's on the inside of that until you open it up. 07:44 And when we think about our walk 07:46 in our lives that are in Christ. 07:50 Paul says in First Corinthians, 07:51 actually Second Corinthians 5:17, 07:54 "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new," what? 07:57 Creature or creation. 07:58 "Old things that passed away, behold," How many things? 08:02 "All things have become new." 08:04 I've to get used to this microphone 08:05 because I'm from New York, I talk with my hands. 08:08 And I feel like I'm handcuffed, 08:09 but I'll get used to the microphone. 08:11 So as I thought about that, I said, "Okay, how will people 08:14 see us if we are in Christ?" 08:17 And I thought about this doll. 08:19 And this doll illustrates how people see us, 08:25 because as I opened it the smaller doll 08:28 look just like the bigger doll and the next smaller doll 08:33 look just like the next size and they all look the same. 08:38 And I thought about that for a moment 08:39 and it came to me that when people, 08:41 when we are in Christ, people see Christ. 08:45 We should look like Christ 08:47 when we are living in Christ, isn't that right? 08:51 So what does that mean, do we look like Christ physically? 08:53 Obviously not every one of us looks different. 08:55 But when people look at us, 08:56 they should see the Christian virtues. 08:59 As a matter of fact, when you talk about living in the spirit. 09:02 We're not talking about somebody walking around 09:03 in a ghostly body or in a mist 09:07 or in something that rises from hot tea kettle. 09:09 We're talking about people that are reflecting 09:11 the characteristics that are connected 09:14 to the spirit of Christ. 09:15 So let's ask what those are. 09:17 The food of the spirit is what? 09:19 Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, 09:24 gentleness, meekness, patience. 09:27 And Paul says again such there is no law which means 09:30 there's nothing preventing, 09:33 there's nothing preventing those qualities 09:35 and those gifts from showing up in our lives 09:37 if we are truly living in Christ. 09:39 So when you think about living 09:41 a spiritual life in a natural body. 09:43 We still have the same body 09:44 that we gonna have until the Lord transforms us. 09:47 But the victory that we can have 09:49 is only as we are in Christ. 09:51 Now I had a slide, I was gonna show you next, 09:54 but I want you to turn with me 09:55 to the Book of Colossians. 09:57 This is not the question, but go to Colossians. 10:01 This is in the New Testament, look at that. 10:03 One turn and I went to the Book of Colossians, 10:06 I didn't plan that, but that's how it happens 10:08 sometime, Colossians 3:3. 10:12 Now in order to become a Christian 10:14 what has to happen with the old life, aha? 10:19 It has to die. 10:20 Okay, so now if we plan on living, 10:26 if we plan on living after the old life dies 10:32 where does the new life come from? 10:38 Where does the new life come from? 10:41 It comes from Christ. 10:43 Let's look at the cemetery illustration, 10:45 because the Bible uses this in Paul's writings quite a bit. 10:48 In Romans 5, 6, and 7, Paul talks about death quite a bit. 10:53 Specifically in Romans Chapter 6, 10:55 I'm gonna lay the foundation before we read the text, 10:57 because when you read it, people have misinterpreted 11:00 that text and given it a meaning that is not really illustrated 11:03 by what Paul is saying to the people of Colossians. 11:06 But when you go to a cemetery, 11:10 you often go because of what? 11:15 Somebody's died, you're there for a funeral. 11:18 I'm gonna try to pull it out of you. 11:19 You go to a cemetery because you're there for a-- Funeral. 11:22 And that person that has died is gonna be-- 11:25 Buried. And when you leave 11:27 are they gonna go home with you? No. 11:29 I hope they don't, never--I hope they never go home with you. 11:33 But if they hope to have life beyond the grave, 11:38 are those who are dead in a grave 11:40 going to have life beyond the grave? 11:45 How? How? 11:48 Okay, thank you, in the resurrection. 11:51 So there--but now in the resurrection 11:53 how are they gonna have that life? 11:56 Through Christ. Who's gonna give them life? 11:59 Okay, the Lord is going to bring them back to life. 12:02 But when Paul talks about death in the Book of Romans, 12:07 he talks about it synonymous with baptism. 12:11 He talks about the man, 12:13 the old life being put in the watery grave 12:16 being buried with Christ in baptism 12:19 then coming forth to walk in the newness of life. 12:22 Now let's put this together correctly. 12:25 If we laid the old life down and buried the old life 12:29 how are we going to be able to live this new life? 12:33 Somebody tell me. In Christ. 12:38 It's not the hard question, 12:39 but I just want to get the point very, very clear. 12:41 So when you read this text 12:44 think of it in a context of the illustration 12:46 I just pointed out. 12:47 All of these dolls that were smaller than the largest one 12:49 were on the inside, they were there but you couldn't see them 12:53 because they were on the inside. 12:55 Look at this text Colossians 3 and verse 3. 12:59 And it read as follows, 13:02 for--let's say the first three words together, 13:05 "For you" what? 13:07 "For you died", let's stop there, "and you life is" what? 13:12 "Hidden with Christ," where? In God. 13:16 So now when you think about this, 13:17 Paul is not talking about the physical death, 13:21 he's talking about the spiritual death, 13:23 because when you go further down, 13:25 let me put on my glasses. 13:27 When you go further down he begins to talk about 13:30 how this transformation is gonna take place. 13:32 Look at verse 4, it says, "When Christ, 13:34 who is your life appears, 13:35 then you also will appear with Him in glory. 13:38 Therefore, put to death your members 13:41 which are on the earth 13:43 and he talks about them, "fornication, 13:45 uncleanness, passion, evil desire, 13:49 and covetousness, which is idolatry." 13:52 And so go to verse 8, "But now you must put off, 13:56 you must also put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, 14:01 blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth." 14:05 Now so when we die, when that old life is put to death, 14:08 these are the things that should be put to death. 14:11 Come on somebody say, amen. Amen. 14:12 So if these things survives and you hear these things 14:16 coming out of the mouth of the person 14:17 came to be alive in Christ, 14:19 then wait a minute something hasn't died. 14:22 Or that person is still living in the old life 14:25 or that old man has moved back in. 14:28 This is really important, 14:30 because you know, you talk about, "Well, I am a Christian." 14:32 Somebody told me a story I think I won't mention particularly. 14:35 But somebody told me a story 14:36 how they had gone to a church 14:37 and they had been invited for the preacher 14:41 to put his hand on them and they said, 14:43 "It's not gonna work." But he put his hand on them 14:44 and they were so to speak 'slain in the spirit.' 14:47 And they didn't believe it, but some kind of force 14:49 came over them and knocked them off their feet. 14:51 But when they woke up, they said, 14:53 "Now was that experience what people told me being slain 14:57 in a spirit or being or the Holy Spirit coming down on me." 15:01 He thought to himself that's exactly 15:02 what that must have been, because 15:04 it's never happen to me before. 15:06 But he went outside the church building 15:08 and he said he noticed other people 15:09 that had been so to speak 'slain in the spirit' 15:12 and they were cursing, they were smoking, 15:18 they were talking about filthy topics 15:21 and talking about fornication and he said, "Wait a minute." 15:26 So what happen to me, he says, "Because 15:28 I came out of there having the same desires 15:31 as I had before that experience." 15:33 So therefore he concluded 15:35 that what had happened to him was not really 15:37 the Holy Spirit, but it was some kind of spirit 15:40 that he opened himself up to. 15:41 And the reason this topic is so vitally 15:43 important is because if we're really dead in Christ 15:46 these things that Paul talked about in Colossians 15:49 need to be left in the grave. 15:52 And then we come forth to walk in the newness of life. 15:55 Now let's go to see what the newness of life is. 15:58 I want to get these in comparison. 15:59 Go with me now, let me turn there very quickly 16:03 and I'll tell you exactly what page. 16:06 Okay, almost there. 16:09 Here I am Galatians Chapter 5, Galatians Chapter 5, 16:14 laying some foundation, we don't want to run 16:17 to the question right away, but lay some foundation. 16:19 If you have your Bibles, go to Galatians chapter 5, 16:21 what book did I say? 16:23 Chapter 5. Okay, here we are, you're gonna see once again. 16:30 When you come forth, you come forth in a different walk, 16:34 walk in the newness of life. 16:36 That newness of life brings about a change in the way 16:40 the person lives and this illustration 16:43 that we used in these Bible texts 16:45 are more than illustrations, these are sighting 16:48 the evidences of a person that's now living in Christ. 16:51 Now let's look at the comparisons. 16:53 All right, let's start with verse 22, Galatians 5 verse 22. 16:58 Now what's the first word in verse 22? 17:00 Okay, the word 'But' is used to transition 17:04 from something that was opposite 17:06 to it in the verses before that. 17:08 Before we read this "The fruit of the Spirit 17:10 or the food of the spirit," let's start with verse 19. 17:15 Verse 19, "Now the works of the flesh are evident 17:20 or are these" which are, look at the list 17:24 "Adultery, fornication." 17:27 And I am reading from the New King James version, 17:29 "uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, 17:36 contentions, jealousies, outburst of wrath, 17:41 selfish ambition, dissension, heresies." 17:44 You almost want to stop Paul and say, "Enough already." 17:47 But he's gonna keep going. 17:48 Look at verse 21, "Envy, murders, drunkenness, 17:53 revelries, and the like of which I tell you beforehand, 17:57 just as I also told you in time past, 17:59 that those who practice such things will not" what? 18:03 "Inherit the kingdom of God." 18:04 So all those things from verse 19 to 21 18:06 including Colossians 3, all those things have to die. 18:11 In order for us to survive this new life 18:13 those things have to die. 18:14 But let me ask you a question, 18:16 how many of you have experienced 18:19 the old life attempting to come back to life in new? 18:24 Come on somebody raise their hand, 18:26 because as long as you're in the flesh, 18:28 as long as you still have this mortal body, 18:30 there's a battle that's gonna be confronting you every day 18:33 that's why Paul says, "In order for me to live in Christ 18:35 how often do I have to die?" 18:37 Every single day. We've got a-- 18:39 because the battles are going to come to you. 18:41 You don't even have to go to the battles, 18:43 they sometimes come to you. 18:45 You show up at work the battle is there, you come to church 18:47 the battle is there, it's in your family. 18:50 It sometimes brought on by your children 18:52 or maybe your spouse or people that you run into. 18:55 And if we don't put to death the deeds of the flesh 18:59 they're gonna come back to the surface. 19:02 Let's go, now look at the other--the opposite of that, 19:05 "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, 19:07 longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 19:10 gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law." 19:13 In verse 24 and this is the key. 19:16 "And those who are Christ have done" what? 19:20 "Crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." 19:24 And here's the transition, "If we do" what? 19:27 "Live in the Spirit, let us also" do what? 19:30 "Walk in the Spirit." 19:33 Which now gives us the foundation 19:35 to go to question number eight. 19:38 Our topic tonight is 'How to live in Christ?' 19:43 Question number eight will appear on the screen. 19:46 If you have your papers you can fill that in. 19:48 Now here's the question, "How will we know if someone 19:53 who claims to be in Christ really is?" 19:58 How will we know if someone who claims 20:00 to be in Christ really is? 20:04 All right, First John Chapter 3 and verse 24. 20:11 First John Chapter 3 and verse 24. 20:15 Okay, I know you're waiting for the answer, 20:17 so I might as well give it to you. 20:19 All right, are you ready? 20:22 Here we go, "Now he who keeps His" what? 20:29 "Commandments abides in Him, and He in him. 20:35 And by this we know that He abides" how? 20:40 "In us, by the spirit whom he had given us." 20:45 Now let me break this down. 20:46 First of all the first part you want to put down 20:47 there is how will we know that person 20:50 live by the commandments of Christ, 20:51 that person live by commandments of Christ. 20:54 But there's another portion in here that may seem to be foggy, 20:57 because you see on the fourth line it says 21:00 "And by his we know that He abides in us," 21:03 now that's not the capital 'US' 21:06 That mean he's not talking about abiding just in Christ, 21:09 that's the context of the verse. 21:11 But there's an abiding here that this text 21:14 talks about that doesn't naturally happen. 21:17 Let me explain what this means. 21:19 Well not Paul, but John the apostle, 21:21 what he's talking about here is do you know 21:23 or how many of you have heard 21:25 of Christians abiding in each other? 21:29 Now follow this very carefully. 21:32 If you go to First John 1 verse 9, the Bible says, 21:37 "If we confess our sins, he is" what? 21:39 "Faithful and just to do" what? 21:41 "Forgive of our sins and cleans us from" what? 21:43 "All unrighteousness." But then it also says 21:46 "if we walk in the light, 21:48 as he is in the light, we have fellowship with" who? 21:52 "One another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, 21:56 cleanses us from" how much sin? 21:58 "All sin." The fellowship that we desired 22:01 to have cannot be had unless we abide in Christ. 22:06 When we're obedient to what Christ has outlined 22:09 as following him only then can we have a fellowship 22:13 that is referred to in this scripture as abiding in us. 22:16 Because John the apostle is talking about how important 22:18 it is for Christians to abide together? 22:21 How important it is for Christians to experience unity? 22:24 But he could not have that unity, he is saying, 22:26 "It's not possible if we're not obedient to commandments of God. 22:30 And the last part, "If we're not lead by the spirit 22:33 whom he gives us." 22:35 So the spirit of Christ, the last part, 22:37 you want to put how will we know 22:39 if someone who claims to be a Christian really is 22:41 or claims to be in Christ really is? 22:43 He's keeping the commandments of God 22:44 and trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit. 22:48 Only then can you have what we hope to have 22:51 that's an abiding relationship in each other. 22:55 Now is fellowship the same as the friendship? 22:58 Yes or no. 23:02 Is fellowship the same as the camaraderie? Yes or no. 23:06 What's the difference between a fellowship and friendship? 23:11 Somebody said, "Relationship," what else? 23:15 Okay, unity I believe, okay that's pretty good. 23:25 Okay, okay I could handle that. 23:28 The difference between fellowship and friendship. 23:32 Let me ask, let me break it down even more, 23:34 I want you to get this I'm teaching tonight. 23:36 Do you have friends? How many of you have friends? 23:39 Do you have friends that are not in the church? 23:41 Okay, now let me just ask the question again, 23:43 what's the difference between friendship and fellowship? 23:50 Say it again. 23:51 Okay, now I'm gonna expand on that. 23:55 You could be friends with anybody, 23:57 you can be friend with the guy that works at the grocery store 23:59 or the person who fix your car, the guy that you met on the bus, 24:03 the person that's not yet a Christian 24:05 who's still living in a world, you say, 24:06 "Oh, he's a good friend but I'm praying for him." 24:09 The difference between friendship and--friendship 24:11 is you can have that with anybody, fellowship 24:13 is something you can only have with like Christians, 24:17 with those who are in Christ. 24:20 That word fellowship is broader 24:22 than the English word fellowship, 24:23 its 'koinonia' which simply means 24:25 in the broader experience 'oneness in Christ.' 24:29 You can't have oneness in Christ with a person 24:31 that's not living for Christ. 24:33 But when you're living for Christ 24:34 then the oneness happens, you're following? 24:38 So what's the difference between friendship and fellowship? 24:42 Christ or living in Christ. 24:44 If you're living in Christ and he's living in Christ, 24:47 we have fellowship with one and other, because the text says, 24:50 "If we walk in the light-- if we, that's collectively, 24:53 walk in the light as Christ is in the light 24:56 then we do have fellowship with one and other. 24:59 So what do you have to have for fellowship? 25:04 A relationship with Christ. 25:06 And what's the second one? 25:07 I said it three times already. 25:13 Christ living in us. Okay, by the Holy Spirit. 25:16 You dancing around the circle. 25:22 Could I-shall I say it one more time you will catch it? 25:25 If we walk in the light, if we walk in the light 25:30 what do we have to do? 25:31 Walk in the light because what fellowship 25:34 does darkness have with light? 25:38 Are you coming along with me now? 25:40 We claimed to have fellowship. 25:42 You can't have fellowship with those who live in darkness. 25:44 You can have a friendship 25:46 but I tell you what be careful because friendships 25:48 with those who live in darkness 25:50 can pull those who want to have fellowship 25:52 back into just friendship. 25:54 A lot of people go to church who want to have friendship, 25:56 but Jesus didn't establish the church for friendship, 25:58 He establish the church for fellowship. 26:01 You got to walk in the spirit. 26:03 You got to walk in the light. 26:06 Can two walk together except they be agreed, no. 26:10 I don't want to keep doing this because my ears 26:11 already large enough. 26:13 But can we walk together unless we be agreed, no. 26:16 So you got to walk in the light 26:18 and you got to walk in the spirit 26:19 and you got to live in Christ, did you get that? 26:23 Okay, so there's a difference 26:24 between friendship and fellowship, is there not? 26:26 Yes. Okay, let's go to the next question. 26:28 Well I have to pull that one out, 26:29 that's like pulling out a-- pulling out a root canal. 26:33 Okay, here we go. 26:34 Number nine, "What level of importance 26:38 does the Bible place on being in Christ?" 26:41 I hope you can see those little Russian dolls 26:43 in your head because we all in there. 26:46 And when God looks at that doll, 26:50 which is his son, we're hidden in Christ. 26:54 We are all in Christ and we bear the image of the son 26:57 only as we are in Him, did you get that? 27:00 All those dolls look just like the big one. 27:02 We look like our big brother Christ Jesus. 27:04 Colossians 1 verse 27 is the answer. 27:07 What level of importance does the Bible 27:09 place on being in Christ? 27:10 Here is the answer, Colossians 1 verse 27. 27:14 Okay, it says, "To them God willed 27:17 to make known what are the riches of the glory 27:23 of this mystery among the Gentiles, 27:27 which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." 27:32 Okay, what level of importance 27:33 does the Bible place on being in Christ? 27:36 You tell me the answer. 27:38 I remember we had a theological professor, 27:41 actually Dr. Bill Evers, as I could say the name. 27:44 He is a very well known man. 27:46 And we had a pastor's conference 27:48 and he was standing in front 27:49 and when he opened his briefcase, 27:51 he took out a big gigantic pot spoon. 27:54 And he laid it on the desk and he held it up he said. 27:57 "I am not gonna be using this, I am not spoon feeding you." 28:00 You've got to give me the answers. 28:02 So if I had a pot spoon, it will be laying on the desk, 28:05 I want you to give me the answers. 28:06 What level of importance does this text, 28:09 let us know is placed on being in Christ? 28:13 What level of importance? 28:17 How important is it to be in Christ? 28:19 Okay, that's a good answer. 28:21 But according to this text, 28:23 how important if we were not in Christ, 28:26 what will we not have? 28:29 Okay, say it again, Karen. 28:31 We will not have the hope of glory. 28:35 We will not have the hope of glory. 28:37 So is that important? 28:39 What glory does this mean? 28:41 This is twofold, this is twofold. 28:44 Go with me to Isaiah 60. 28:46 We will not have the hope of glory, because a lot of times 28:48 we read that text and we only apply one thing to that. 28:50 We apply the hope of being in heaven, 28:53 but it is broader than that, it's broader than that. 28:57 We're turning to what book now? Isaiah. 29:01 It's broader than the hope of glory as in heaven. 29:07 Something else that can happen. 29:11 Did I say Isaiah Chapter 60? 29:13 Yes, I think I did but I know Isaiah Chapter 60 29:16 is where we headed. All right, okay. 29:22 The hope of glory. 29:26 I hope from this day forth, 29:27 you see the hope of glory in a different light 29:29 or in an additional light. 29:31 Because it's not just the hope of heaven, 29:32 all of us wants that, everyone one of us 29:34 want to have the hope of heaven, 29:36 everyone one of us want to have the hope of living eternally, 29:39 but there is something else that God wants us 29:40 to experience other than just being in heaven. 29:45 Real Christianity is first lived on earth 29:48 before it's lived in heaven. 29:51 Now it will be a lot easy to be a Christian 29:53 if we're all in heaven right away 29:55 after we got baptized, wouldn't it? 29:57 But real Christianity is first lived on earth. 30:00 This is the training ground. 30:01 This is the get ready ground. 30:04 What more does it impart to us? 30:08 This hope of glory, look at Isaiah Chapter 60. 30:12 All right, and starting with verse 1, 30:14 "Arise, shine, for your light has come, 30:18 and the glory of the Lord" is what? 30:22 "Risen upon you, for behold the darkness 30:25 shall cover the earth and deep or gross darkness the people, 30:28 but the Lord will arise over you and his" what? 30:33 "Glory will be seen upon you." 30:34 My brothers and my sisters, it's not just the hope of glory 30:37 but what does the world need? 30:40 They need to see His glory risen on His people. 30:45 That quotation in the Book of Evangelism, 30:47 you may not have it but the last message of mercy 30:51 to be given to the world is a revelation of the character 30:55 of God's love as revealed in his people. 30:59 Okay, now get this, the revelation 31:02 of the character of God's love as revealed in His people. 31:05 If somebody says, "I am a Christian," 31:07 the fruit that we talked about 31:09 in Galatians 5 should be visible, 31:12 the glory of God should be visible. 31:15 But the glory of God is not just hallelujah, thank you Jesus 31:19 and the songs we sing, but it's the life we live outside 31:22 of the sanctuary where those songs are sung. 31:25 So when you're in the midst of the battle, 31:27 somebody need to be able to look at you and say, 31:31 "There's something about--there's something 31:33 about her that just doesn't give in 31:38 to the circumstances that surround her." 31:40 Can I tell you a personal story? 31:42 My wife and I were in San Francisco 31:44 at one of the hospital, I was there getting a checkup. 31:46 And as I walk, I was in this long line. 31:49 Finally got to the front of the desk, 31:50 you know how long lines are in hospitals. 31:52 You've to take all your results to the counter. 31:54 And I've got to the counter 31:55 and they said, "Do you have this, have this?" 31:57 And they asked me for one thing I didn't have. 31:58 And they said, "Did you bring that with you?" 32:00 And I said, they said, 32:02 "You have to go back up to the fifth floor." 32:03 Now I've been on line like 20 minutes. 32:06 "Go back up to the fifth floor 32:07 and when you get it, just come to the front of the line." 32:10 Well, I got there as quickly as I could, went up 32:13 to the fifth floor, got the paperwork that I was to get. 32:16 And as I was running to the front of the line 32:18 three ladies ran in front of me. 32:24 Don't answer the question. 32:26 How many of you would want to say, "Excuse me." 32:30 they told me to come to the front of the line, 32:33 that's the human side, right? 32:35 Three ladies ran in front of me and I thought, 32:38 "Okay, she told me I could come to the front of the line, 32:40 so I could actually with her authority 32:42 get this thing taken care of right away." 32:44 I can say, "The lady told me to come to the front of the line 32:46 so could you please move." 32:50 I just stood there. 32:53 And I already have been in line for a long time. 32:56 First lady went, second lady went, third lady went, 33:02 and I finally got to the counter. 33:04 And my wife is in back talking to some of the nurses 33:06 and they said, "Is your husband a Christian?" 33:12 They said, "Because normal people wouldn't go for that." 33:19 That's what I'm talking about. 33:20 Now I'm not using just me, but I hope 33:22 that some of you in situations where you can loose your mind 33:26 or give somebody a piece of your mind, 33:28 or tell them what you have the authority to tell them. 33:31 I hope that you understand that is in those moments 33:34 that the glory of the Lord wants to be risen on you. 33:38 That the dark earth needs to see the glory of God 33:43 seen upon you and the glory of Lord will be seen on you. 33:48 That's why they said of Jesus, "Never man spoke as this man." 33:51 Because it's not just what He said 33:52 but how he lived to back up what He said. 33:55 People don't care what Christian say, 33:57 but how do we live to backup what we say. 33:59 This whole thing about being in Christ 34:00 is a whole lot more than just the songs we sing, 34:04 the doctrines we hold. 34:06 That's why this text is so vitally important, 34:07 the hope of glory. 34:09 And so remember this not just the hope of eternal glory, 34:12 but the hope of the glory of Christ being revealed in us. 34:14 So, on your paper next to that one, 34:16 on your paper next to Colossians 1:17 write down Isaiah 60. 34:21 All right, verse 1 down to verse 3. 34:25 I left verse 3 for this portion as I lay the foundation. 34:28 You know, what happens when the glory 34:29 of God is risen on you? 34:31 Verse 3 begins to happen. 34:33 Verse 3 will never happen. 34:35 Verse 3 will never be an experience to you 34:37 unless the glory of God 34:39 is being seen in your life day by day. 34:41 Look at verse 3 in Isaiah 60, 34:43 "The Gentiles, the sinners 34:48 shall come to" whose light? 34:53 "Your light, and the kings 34:55 to the brightness of" whose shining? 34:57 "Or your shining or your rising." 35:00 Didn't Jesus say? I thing it's Matthew 5:17, 35:02 "Let your light so shine before men, 35:06 that they may see your good works, and" do what? 35:09 "Glorify your Father which is in heaven." 35:11 So here is the practical application of that. 35:13 Unless you're in a situation where your glory, 35:15 where the glory of God is being tested, 35:17 darkness will overtake that 35:19 if you don't understand that at that moment. 35:21 This is where you have to say, "Lord, 35:23 let your glory be seen in my life." 35:25 That's the practical application of Christianity. 35:28 Because there're a lot of people that claim Christianity, 35:30 but lot of people that--just frankly. 35:33 I tell you what, as a pastor of the number of years. 35:37 One of the hardest things to do is to preach to a congregation 35:40 that you know really well and try to get them to put away 35:44 their anger and their hostility towards one and other. 35:47 One of the greatest battles that pastors 35:48 have is saying to their congregation 35:51 that a member he knows of has something 35:54 against another member. 35:55 The hardest thing to say, "You need to settle 35:57 that with sister so and so or brother so and so." 36:00 And they say, "Pastor, now you know better." 36:03 No, no, that's not an excuse 36:06 because as long as we nurture division 36:08 the glory of God will never be revealed upon us 36:10 and there'll never be a conversion because people 36:13 won't see by your life that Christ is really abiding in you. 36:17 I've heard people say, somebody one said to me, 36:19 "One of the reasons why"--and I always 36:21 this to them when they do this. 36:22 "These is one of the reasons why I don't really 36:23 want to became a Christian is because I see so many hypocrites 36:26 that say they're Christians." 36:28 And I said please do me a favor, don't look at the hypocrites, 36:30 look at those who are really living for Jesus, right? 36:32 Amen. That's the difference. 36:34 When the glory of Christ has being revealed in you 36:36 then people would say, "Wait a minute, 36:38 what is there about Jerry." 36:41 What is there about David?" 36:43 I can go through the names of all of you, 36:44 what is there about Linda that-- 36:46 there's something different 36:47 I know that on the normal circumstances 36:50 I let him have it, but she just stood there. 36:54 Let's go to the next question, number 10. 36:56 We're gonna get through these, I promise you. 36:58 "More than being "In Christ", 37:02 "More than being "In Christ", 37:04 what must we continue? 37:07 Okay, John 15:4, John 15:4. 37:15 I always look at this and say, we only have 10 questions 37:17 and I think, "We'll get through that." 37:19 But man, it gets it's deeper than I think it is. 37:23 The Bible is like a bottomless well, 37:27 filled with rich water from the word of God. 37:30 The answer is John 15, for more than being 37:32 "In Christ", what must we continue? 37:34 Here's the answer. 37:35 Let's read this together, "Abide in me, and I in you. 37:40 As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it" does what? 37:45 "Abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you" do what? 37:49 "Abide in me." I must follow this up with the question. 37:53 How often does the world crowd itself in where you hardly 37:57 get time to really abide in the word 38:01 so that you can abide in Christ? 38:04 You know, for those of us who live 38:06 in this busy metropolis called Thompsonville. 38:11 People that live in New York City 38:12 or in San Francisco or Los Angles or overseas, 38:15 they may say, "Man, I wish I was in a town of only 600 people, 38:17 I'll be able to have all the time 38:19 in the world to study my Bible. 38:20 Those of who live here know that's not true, 38:22 isn't that right? Amen. 38:24 Because you can't just say, "I'll have more time, 38:27 you got to make time." Amen. 38:29 You got to--some people I know and I always wondered 38:32 why they do this but I'm coming to find out why. 38:34 We have some members that go to bed at 8 O'clock, 38:38 as a New Yorker it's impossible 38:41 to go to bed at 8 O'clock. I can't do it. 38:43 Because they say, "Pastor." 38:44 I said, "What time do you get up?" 38:46 4, 4:30. I'm just turning over to be cooked 38:49 on the other side of 4:30. 38:51 You know, what I'm talking about? 38:52 I'm just being flipped over. 38:54 I'm on the second side of the pan cake at 4:30 38:57 but some people are up and you know what? 38:59 I have to learn, I guess somehow. 39:00 My wife is trying to get me to bed by 10 O'clock, 39:02 that's hard for me too. 39:04 She often say, "You know, whenever you go away off 39:06 or you on the road somewhere I go to bed at 9 O'clock." 39:09 So I am the one that keeps her up late. 39:11 But the things that I learned from those people 39:15 that go to bet at 8 O'clock is they get up at 4 O'clock 39:18 and spend an hour in the Bible. 39:21 And they go out like solders in the midst of this battlefield. 39:25 And so for those of us who get up later, 39:28 we got to chisel out that time. 39:30 We've got to not turn that cell phone on until 39:33 we get into with the Lord. 39:35 We've got to find a way to get the ammunition 39:38 we need, because I tell you what? Here's the reality 39:41 if you get up at 4 O'clock or you get up at 8 O'clock 39:43 or you get up at 9 O'clock 39:44 you're gonna still have breakfast. 39:45 And Ellen White tells us that "Studying the word of God 39:48 is more important than our physical food." 39:50 Because when you're in the midst of indigestion 39:53 that's when the battle is going to come, 39:55 and if you don't have something more than that food 39:57 that's about to disappear. 40:00 The bread of life if it's not in there 40:02 you're not gonna have any strength and you will be tested. 40:05 And I tell you there are two people waiting for you 40:07 when you wake up, the devil and you. 40:11 And often times, the devil don't have to do much, 40:13 because the longer we stay from, 40:15 the longer we stay away from the bread of life 40:17 ingesting the bread of life the weaker, 40:19 the weaker we get and by four or five days 40:23 the devil don't even have to visit us. 40:24 We self destruct, am I telling the truth? Yes. 40:28 Well, you get busy, you could self destruct. 40:30 You could be busy doing the Lord's work 40:32 and not even crack the pages of the Bible 40:35 because you're doing God's work, 40:37 that's where that Matthew 7 verse 21 to 23 40:40 many will say, "Lord, Lord, I've never been in you. 40:44 I'm doing your work but I don't even know who you are." 40:49 Let's go the next one, so what's the answer? 40:51 More than being "In Christ", what must we do? 40:53 Let's say together, "Abide in Him" 40:55 and if you don't abide in Him what can you do? 40:58 The fruit won't show up, 41:02 the fruit won't show up. 41:05 Colossians 5 verse 22. 41:06 That's where the fruit of the spirit is located. 41:09 But if you're not abiding in Christ that love, joy, peace, 41:11 longsuffering, gentleness 41:12 is not gonna show up, it's just not. 41:17 Disconnected from the vine, no fruit is gonna show up. 41:20 Number 11, let's go on. 41:22 "What does the Bible instruct us to do about our spiritual life?" 41:26 About our spiritual life. 41:27 Yes, there's something we have to do. 41:30 Okay, you guys are gonna like this one 41:32 and when you read it don't look around 41:35 because this gonna tell you where to look. 41:38 Are you ready, I got to go to this one, 41:39 I'm gonna move on real fast. 41:40 Here it is, Second Corinthians-- oh did I--oh here. 41:45 Let me go there--okay, did I go ahead of myself, 41:48 did I miss a text? 41:51 Did I just pass number 11? 41:53 Okay, well, let's go to it here, 41:55 I have two texts, all right. 41:58 Second Corinthians, go in your Bible, 42:00 I forgot to put that slide there 42:01 but we have Bibles, don't we? 42:03 Let's go there. Second Corinthians 13:5 42:06 and it reads as follows, what are the first two words? 42:09 Examine who? Yourself. 42:12 Get near the mirror in the morning and instead 42:13 of just brushing your teeth and combing your hair, 42:15 get your spiritual mirrors. Get your, what? 42:19 Your spiritual mirrors out. 42:21 What does the Bible instruct us to do about ourselves? 42:23 Examine ourselves. 42:26 Examine ourselves to see whether or not we are in the faith. 42:32 It goes further, what's the next two words? 42:35 Test yourselves. 42:37 Examine yourselves and test yourselves. 42:39 And then it goes on to say, "Do you not know yourselves 42:44 that Jesus Christ is in you unless, indeed" you are what? 42:48 "Disqualified." You know what that word 'disqualified' means? 42:53 Let me use a story. 42:54 If you pick up a glass and you have guests 42:57 and there's a little ant in that glass, is that glass qualified 43:02 for you to give your guests some to drink? 43:04 That's my point. 43:05 If there's anything in your life that shouldn't be there, 43:08 the Lore is saying, "Check out what's on the inside, 43:11 test yourselves, examine yourselves. 43:15 Because if we're not examining ourselves, 43:16 if we're spending our time examining just everybody else, 43:20 then we remain disqualified. 43:22 We have to examine ourselves. 43:23 Just kind of like, just before you go out, 43:25 people that like to dress up, you know they. 43:30 I have this habit of straightening people's ties. 43:33 And good suit, and I go. 43:38 But sometimes you go out, I saw a commercial 43:40 long time ago there was, 43:41 it was really funny there was a executive, 43:43 cooperative executive, he was about to meet people 43:45 that were coming to the company. 43:46 And as he was walking on the hallway, 43:48 they straighten his collar, they pull up his pant like-- 43:50 do you all remember that commercial. 43:52 And he's walking, they straight his tie just before 43:54 he met the guest, just before he met the other client 43:56 tell at you, and he smiled 43:58 and there was a big old broccoli right there. 44:01 You know, why? Because he didn't examine himself. 44:04 Fool could only see curtains things. 44:05 But if you're examining yourselves 44:07 you know where to look. 44:08 Those things will show up if you don't examine yourselves. 44:11 And it's embracing, that's why I always say to my friends, 44:13 if you're my friend, what do I say, "honey?" 44:16 You'd tell me if there's something in my teeth. Yes. 44:19 See, and you know what? 44:21 That's why Jesus said in Ecclesiastes, 44:23 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, 44:26 but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." 44:29 You see brothers and sisters your friends 44:30 that are close to you, you can tell your real condition, 44:32 they will say, "Honey, you need Jesus, 44:35 you need to read your Bible." 44:37 You need to not just have that Bible under your arm. 44:39 It needs to be in your heart. 44:41 And sometimes it hurts, 44:43 but faithful are the wounds of a friend, 44:45 that's why Jesus said to his disciples, 44:47 "I'm not gonna--you will no longer call me Lord, 44:50 but we're just gonna call each other friends." 44:52 And that was the fellowship, the koinonia that they have 44:54 because Christ was abiding in them. 44:56 Let me go to the next one. 44:57 So what do we do, examine ourselves and do what else? 45:00 Test ourselves. If we don't do that we're disqualified. 45:03 Question number 12. Let me go to question 12. 45:06 You know what? I have a text but I didn't change, 45:09 that's what I-- I had the text 45:10 but I didn't change the reference. 45:12 I had the right text, but I didn't change 45:14 the reference, okay. Let's move on beyond that. 45:16 Now question number 12, question number 12. 45:20 "How does Christian life change our standing with God?" 45:25 "How does Christian life change our standing with God?" 45:32 I would've put the word 'the' but it didn't have enough space 45:34 but let's go on and this is now Romans 8. Romans 8. 45:40 Okay, here it is. 45:42 How does it change our standing with God? 45:45 I like this one. I mean I like them all, 45:48 but this one is really encouraging, 45:49 "There is therefore now no," what? 45:52 "Condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." 45:55 But the reason why the second part of this text 45:58 is so vitally important, 46:00 because there's something you have to do. 46:01 "Who do not walk according to the flesh, 46:03 but according to the Spirit." 46:05 There are two roads in the morning 46:06 you got to decide, flesh on the left spirit on the right. 46:11 If you don't read your Bible, 46:12 you're gonna make the flesh turn, you know why? 46:14 Because the flesh road is gonna lineup 46:17 with your fleshy desires. 46:20 But to get the right directions you got to pull out 46:22 a spiritual map and say, "Okay, if I rely on my mind 46:27 and my heart which is deceitful above all things 46:29 and desperately wicked, 46:30 it's gonna go to the flesh journey. 46:32 But if I open the word of God, 46:33 it's gonna say, "A right turn, right turn." 46:38 And this text says, "There's no condemnation," 46:40 but what do you have to do? 46:41 "You got to walk not according to the flesh, 46:43 but according to the" what? 46:45 According to the spirit," 46:47 the self examination everyday, the word of God. 46:49 And you know what? 46:51 When my wife and I get together and read our Bibles, 46:53 you know sometimes we have to fight through the feeling. 46:56 You know I'm talking about fight thought he feeling, 46:58 because you don't always feel like 47:00 you want to read your Bible, am I telling the truth? 47:03 You don't have the feeling, it's not like somebody sits 47:05 on a nice hot sandwich in front of you and you could say, 47:08 "Oh, you know, I can't wait to taste it." 47:10 It's not like Thanksgiving where you can't wait, 47:13 when is the food gonna be ready? 47:14 In three hours and you're dying. 47:16 But when you open the word of God, 47:18 when you open the word of God sometimes, 47:21 and you know why that happens? 47:22 Let me just be very real with you, the reason why it's hard 47:24 in this day and age to just naturally open the Bible 47:28 and read it is because we live in an instant world, 47:31 we live in nano-seconds society. 47:33 We press our cell phone. 47:34 We want to get the newest cell phone, 47:35 because it's faster than the other one. 47:37 How many mega-hertz is that computer? 47:38 Well it's--we want to get the faster processor, 47:41 we want to get the faster video card, 47:43 we want to get the faster mega-hertz 47:45 but I tell you everything is fast 47:47 but the word of God is not a speed book. 47:50 It's a book that you have to sit down and digest. 47:53 You got to eat that loaf slowly, 47:56 ingest it, chew it up and digest it. 48:00 For those who want it instantly, you won't really get it. 48:02 But I tell you when we fight past 48:03 the feeling it gets to the place where we have to stop ourselves. 48:07 Because sometimes we want to read 48:08 the whole book at one sitting. 48:10 It gets so good. What am I saying? 48:12 You have to taste and see that the Lord is good. 48:16 The practical application of Christianity 48:18 is not just singing the songs, going to Christian places, 48:22 Christian fellowship. 48:24 The basic element is the word of God 48:26 abiding in our lives everyday then we will know how to walk. 48:31 Then the flesh won't have preeminence 48:33 and then we won't feel condemned. 48:36 Take it in reverse, walking on the spirit 48:38 the flesh will not have preeminence 48:40 and then we won't feel condemned. 48:43 Now the N.I.V. at-- that's one of the reasons 48:45 this particular text in the N.I.V, 48:46 they take out the second part 48:47 which I don't really like. 48:49 "Who do not walk according to the flesh 48:50 but according to the Spirit", 48:51 that's been omitted completely. 48:54 Which almost says, "Doesn't really matter 48:55 how you walk there's no condemnation." 48:57 Brethren that it does matter how you walk, am I right? 49:00 Amen. It matters how you walk, 49:01 now once saved always saved. 49:02 That almost denotes "the once saved always saved." 49:04 You're not condemned 49:06 but how you walk in is the real question. 49:08 Now what number are we up to? 49:09 Number 13. We have about eight minutes, we can do it. 49:14 If you guys don't slow me down. 49:17 "What is one of the residual benefits of being in Christ?" 49:22 "What is one of the residual benefits of being in Christ?" 49:24 Here it is, number 13. 49:27 And we're gonna go to John Chapter 16 49:31 and we're gonna look at verse 33. 49:32 One of the residual, and that word residual is probably 49:36 not the best word because it almost sounds like a residue. 49:38 What I'm actually saying, "What are one of the benefits." 49:42 Residual mean there's a lot of benefits, here's one of them. 49:45 Let's look at the answer. 49:46 John 16:33, here's what the Bible says, 49:50 "These things I have spoken to you, 49:52 that in Me you may have" what? 49:54 "Peace." Oh I tell you, they're looking for world peace 49:57 but we can have individual peace. 49:58 "In the world you will have" what? 50:00 "Tribulation," don't look for the peace in the world, 50:03 look for peace in Jesus. "But be of" what? 50:05 "Good cheer, I have" done what? 50:07 "Overcome the world." 50:08 One of the residual benefits is--say it, "Peace." 50:14 We want no tribulation, God say, 50:16 "You're gonna get that." 50:18 Denial, you're gonna be in lion's den, 50:21 you are gonna be in lion's den. 50:23 But Lord why? "You gonna be in lion's den 50:26 but I gonna be in there with you." Amen? Amen. 50:28 So somebody said, "Don't pray for God to remove the trial, 50:31 pray for Him to give you a strong back to bear the burden." 50:34 "Hebrews, you're gonna be in the fire." 50:36 In that furnace? 50:37 You mean the one that heat at 70-- 50:38 "You're gonna be in it, but I'm gonna be in it with you." Amen? 50:42 You will have tribulation, don't pray for the tribulation 50:45 to be removed all the time because what happens 50:47 is if you are a soldier, you got to expect the battle. 50:50 Can you imagine? I just been trained six weeks, 50:53 I'm going now over to Vietnam. 50:55 And somebody said, "Why you're going to Vietnam?" 50:56 Well, that's where the war used to be. 51:00 And I didn't get a chance to go in 60s 51:02 but I'm going now, I asked to be transferred 51:04 last week to Vietnam. 51:06 There's no war in Vietnam but I just want to say I was there. 51:09 You know what I'm saying? 51:10 Some of us want to live in a warless environment 51:13 so we can prove the strength of our Christianity. 51:15 It is in the environment of tribulation 51:17 that your Christianity is affirmed, is validated. 51:23 Daniel really is a Christian. 51:25 Because see--I'm gonna go, he could deliver me 51:30 but even if he doesn't. 51:31 What am I saying? I'm gonna trust Him. 51:34 The residual benefit is 'peace in Christ.' 51:38 Number 14, let's see if we could do it. 51:42 "How does abiding in Christ impact our prayer life?" 51:48 Oh man. You're ready? 51:52 I'm just gonna go to it, I'm just gonna try to move 51:54 as fast as I can, because I know you can keep up with me. 51:57 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, 52:02 you will ask what you desire, and" what? 52:05 "It shall be" what? "Done." 52:08 You know what's the worst thing is to kneel down 52:10 before the God we serve and wonder 52:13 whether or not He's gonna answer our prayer. 52:17 Now if you pick something on the menu 52:19 in a restaurant you go to, are you gonna picked up by saying, 52:23 "I know it's on the menu but do you have it?" 52:27 You know, they will say, "Is that on the menu?" 52:29 One of those, you know, cantankerous way, 52:32 'is it on the menu?' Well then we have it. 52:35 Is it in God's word? 52:37 Come on, is it in God's word? Amen. 52:38 Then we have it, that's what you got to believe. 52:41 If it's not in God's word don't ask for, 52:43 but if it's in there you have it, 52:46 that's what this will be-- 52:47 "If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, 52:51 you will ask what you desire and" what? 52:54 "It shall be done for you." 53:00 You will never open God's word 53:02 and you'll never say to you, "I'm out of that." 53:04 That's what He was saying. 53:05 Sometimes they say, "They're out of that." 53:07 Yeah, sometimes they get--we would try to get-- 53:09 anyway no more time for stories just keep moving on. 53:11 Abide in the word and you'll never get to the point 53:13 where God says, "Oh, talk to me next week 53:17 we're getting our fresh supply." 53:19 He will supply all of our need according to what? 53:21 His riches in glory. 53:23 I tell you how deep is God's riches. 53:25 Number 15, moving by along. 53:27 "To what extent do Christians 53:29 have access to blessings?" 53:32 It's all about--we read a lot about in Christ, 53:34 "To what extent do Christians have access to blessings?" 53:37 Ephesians 1, Ephesians 1 and verse 3 and here it is. 53:43 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 53:47 who has blessed us with most spiritual blessing." 53:54 Oh, don't slow me down. "Who has blessed us with" what? 53:57 "Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places of Christ." 54:04 Is heaven huge? Is big enough for me? 54:09 Can you imagine, what's in the storehouse of God? 54:12 When you read that book, Malachi, and He says, 54:15 "I will open for you the windows of heaven 54:17 and pour you out a blessing, 54:19 that there shall not be room enough to receive it." 54:21 We've got to believe that there are blessings in heaven. 54:24 As I heard the story once, I can't remember 54:26 if it's an illustration of something 54:28 Ellen White said, but it fits right here. 54:30 I got to get clarification on this. 54:32 But the point was many will get to heaven 54:35 and notice all these blessings that were never claimed. 54:42 Because we think of God sometimes as He's out of stock, 54:45 God is never out of stock. 54:46 Every spiritual blessing, but you have to remember 54:48 where it comes from, where does it comes from? 54:50 In heavenly places. 54:51 Don't look for it always from somebody else 54:54 or from an earthly source. 54:56 If you put your request before God, 54:58 He will open the windows of heaven and give you the blessing 55:00 you need according to your ability to receive it. 55:05 He'll never give you more than you need 55:07 and He'll never give you things to overwhelm you 55:09 and push you out of His will. 55:11 All right, number 16, 2 minutes and 49 seconds 55:16 but we could do it. 55:17 I'm not gonna rush if I have to wait till the next time, 55:19 to save the rest of them, I will. 55:21 "When facing battles and challenges how do we conquer?" 55:25 "When facing battles and challenges how do we conquer?" 55:29 And here is the answer my brethren. 55:31 Second Corinthians 2 and verse 14, 55:33 "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph" how? 55:38 "In Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance 55:42 of His knowledge in" what? "Every place." 55:45 You know, when we trust in Christ, 55:47 we even smell good to other people. 55:51 The fragrance, I remember Pastor C.A. 55:53 once preached a sermon, "How do you smell?" 55:55 And I said, "What? What does he talking about? 55:59 How do we smell?" 56:00 He's talking about when Christ is in your life, 56:02 we diffuse the fragrance. 56:03 You know what? Because Christ is the rose of sharing. 56:07 People ought to--you ought to have a fragrance 56:09 of Christ in your life, amen? Amen. That's what happens. 56:13 We diffuse. You know what diffuse means? 56:15 It's like you open a perfume bottle 56:17 and sprinkle it everywhere. 56:19 The fragrance fills the room 56:20 and that fragrance is in fact Christ. 56:22 Number 17, "What is the greatest benefit 56:24 that comes from being in Christ?" 56:27 I know you want to know this one. 56:29 First John 5:11, we could do it. 56:33 First John 5:11, here it is, "And this is the testimony 56:39 that God has given us eternal life, and this life in is" what? 56:44 "In His Son." The greatest blessing is what my brothers? 56:47 Eternal life. But it's not outside, it's in His Son. 56:51 My ending quotation, here it is, "What does being in Christ 56:55 confronts us with on a daily basis?" 56:58 We must realize that we are in the school, Christ school 57:01 not to learn how we may esteem ourselves, 57:03 how we shall conduct ourselves so as to receive honor of men 57:07 but how we may cherish the meekness of Christ. 57:10 Self and selfishness will be ever stirring, 57:13 striving for the mastery. 57:15 It is a fight we must have with ourselves 57:18 that self shall not have the victory, 57:20 through Christ you may triumph, 57:22 through Christ you may conquer. 57:25 Can you say, amen' to that. Amen. 57:27 Brothers and sisters this was a rapid fire, 57:29 you got the answers. 57:30 Now take the time to savor that meal. 57:33 Can we have victory in Christ? Amen. 57:36 Can we have our prayers answered? Amen. 57:37 Can we have daily strength to face the battles of life? Amen. 57:42 Do we want it? Yes. 57:43 So how can we live a victorious life? 57:46 In Christ, if any man is in Christ, 57:48 friends he is a new creation. 57:50 We will continue our track studying the word of God. 57:53 But let me encourage you in this respect, 57:55 live your life in Christ, 57:56 in the moments of trials and discouragement, 57:59 Christ will be there and He will be your strength. 58:02 God bless you until we see you again. Let's pray. |
Revised 2014-12-17