Hello, friends.
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Welcome to another "A
Sharper Focus" broadcast
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coming to you live
from the 3ABN Worship Center
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here in Thompsonville, Illinois
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right across the county line
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or the city line
is 3ABN main building,
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West Frankfort, just
about a few feet apart.
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But we are glad that
you've chosen to tune it night
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for our weekly Bible study
on how to live a spiritual life
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in a what kind of body?
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In a natural body.
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That's the challenge that
God has given to all of us
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because that's the challenge
we are all going to have
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until Jesus remakes us over
like unto His glorious body.
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We are called to be spiritual
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while living in
this natural body
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and we're
continuing our topic tonight
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on "How to Grow in Christ."
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So if you like to invite
your friends and family members
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to sit down for
the next hour or so
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as we can study
God's word together.
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If you like a
copy of the lesson,
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go to this website.
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Don't put www,
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just type in ASF.3abn.org
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and download lesson 008 or 008A
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which is the spiritual
lesson for tonight's topic
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on "How to Grow in Christ."
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And then make sure you
have your Bibles and your pens
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and you can follow
along tonight with us
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as we invite God to be with us.
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Want to say hello to those
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that are down there in
Life Institute in Florida,
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in Lady Lake, Florida
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who are joining
us via the internet
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and also want to
say hi to David Butler
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who is normally here
and he is down there,
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one of our church members
who just recently enrolled.
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We are praying for you
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and we want to
just say hello to you
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as you tune in with your friends
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and fellow
colleagues down there.
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But before we go any further,
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we always like to
invite the Lord's presence
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to continue with us,
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so let's bow our heads together.
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Our gracious Father in heaven,
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tonight is an opportunity for us
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to invite the Spirit of
God to come and be our teacher,
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to open our hearts and
minds to the study of Your word.
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Lord, everyone of
us needs more strength
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and there is a famine coming
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that the world does not know of.
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Men are planning in,
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storing things that are physical
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and transient and temporary.
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But tonight, Lord,
we turn to Your word
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and we pray that You
will bury it in our hearts
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that we may be prepared
for the days ahead of us.
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So abide in our presence
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we ask tonight in
Jesus' name, amen.
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Now before we
go into our lesson,
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we are gonna sing a song,
it has become our theme song,
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the song is "Victory in Jesus"
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and we are gonna
sing that locally.
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If you know the
song, you can sing with us.
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Are you ready?
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I heard an old, old story
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How the Savior came from glory
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How He gave His life on Calvary
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To save a wretch like me
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I heard about His groaning
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Of His precious blood's atoning
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Then I repented of my sins
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And won the victory
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O victory.
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O 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
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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 Key change.
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O 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 And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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. Amen.
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Well, tonight out topic
is "How to Grow in Christ."
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Not just how to grow,
"How to Grow in Christ."
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I made a statement a moment ago
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and I believe I use
the same illustration
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for our last study
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when we began
studying this particular lesson
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entitled "How
to Grow in Christ."
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A lot of the
world doesn't know it,
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but there is a famine coming.
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And it's not a famine
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because of a lack of
money in the stock market.
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It's not a famine for oil
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but, you know, the word famine
is always associated with food.
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There is a famine coming
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the Bible says
in the Book of Amos.
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There's a famine coming
not for bread or for water
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but for the
hearing of the Word of God.
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And today if I
could take a survey
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on how many Bibles are sold,
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I'm sure the
numbers will be millions
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because the Bible is still
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the number one
selling book of all time.
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But that's not the survey
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that's gonna help
us in the last days.
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If we could take a survey
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of how many people
study their Bibles,
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how many people read
their Bibles every day,
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how many people
meditate on the Word of God,
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then we will know
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how many people
are getting ready
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for the famine that's coming.
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So tonight's
study is not so much
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about how many people buy Bibles
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or how many people owns Bibles
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or how many homes
have a Bible in it.
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David didn't say, thy
word have I hid in my cupboard,
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that I might not
sin against thee.
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David said, "Thy
word have I hid" where?
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"In my heart, that I
might not sin against thee."
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And you will discover
today as we study this lesson,
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we've covered
quite a bit of things,
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I think one of the things
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we talked about
in our last lesson
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is faith comes by hearing
and hearing by the Word of God.
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So if you want to
strengthen your faith,
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you've got to have a source
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and the source
is the Word of God.
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You will also
discover that the Word of God
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effectively works in
those who believe it.
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The Word of God
is like ingredients
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in a well baked bread
or ingredients in a cake.
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You can have
all the ingredients,
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but if you don't put it in it,
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if you don't put
the ingredients together
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before you put the cake
or the bread in the oven,
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it's not gonna do anything.
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The Word of God
is like divine yeast,
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but it doesn't
work outside of us,
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it works when
it's planted in us.
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And, you know,
unfortunately in our world today
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where the challenge is
sitting down and finding time
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to study the Word of God
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because our minds are
pulled in every direction.
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Even down here in
quiet old Southern Illinois.
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I was mentioning to my wife
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and someone else when
I came into this evening
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that I've been so busy
every night of the week,
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waking up early in the
mornings and putting my mind
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and get up for the
challenges of the day.
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You've got to
really chisel out time
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to study the Word of God.
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You've got to chisel out time
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to lay before
you the Word of God
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and find out that
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unless you spend that
thoughtful hour with God,
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doesn't have to be an hour,
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but an hour will
go by very quickly
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when you are
studying God's word.
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Sometimes many hours will go by,
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but don't forget if
you study in the morning,
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try not to make your study
late and make you late for work.
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Because there are
not many employees
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or employers would say,
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"So you studied your
Bible, that's why you are late."
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Make sure you
choose your time wisely.
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But tonight, we are gonna begin
as we go to question number 11.
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We've covered
question numbers one to ten.
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And if you
download the syllabus,
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you should have a syllabus
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that takes you all the
way to question number 29.
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Question number 29,
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the study of the Word of God
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and we are gonna look
at question number 11.
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And by the way,
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this is leading
into the last thought
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we had in 1 Thessalonians 2:13
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that talks about those
who study the Word of God,
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those who are of Thessalonica,
they study the Word of God,
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not as the word of men
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but in fact as it
is the Word of God.
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You know, lot of people
say, "Who wrote the Bible?"
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And somebody would say,
"Well, men wrote the Bible."
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But we also know that
holy men of God wrote,
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holy men of God spoke
as they were moved by who?
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By the Holy Spirit.
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So the author of the
Bible is the Holy Spirit,
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the penmen are men
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that God choose
that are holy men,
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not corrupt men,
not men that were tipsy,
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not men that were inebriated,
not men that were carnal,
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not men that were worldly.
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God choose men that
he imbued with His spirit
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and let them to
write to be the penmen
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as the Holy Spirit was the
one that affected the thought
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that is in the Word of God.
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And let me just
add one more thing
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before we go to
question number 11.
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Lot of times people say,
"Which translation is best?"
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Just want to ask that
question very quickly.
00:10:12.21\00:10:14.18
Now, one of the
oldest translations
00:10:14.21\00:10:16.14
is the King James Version
00:10:16.18\00:10:18.11
and some people
are more comfortable
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with the King James Version.
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I use both but in our study
00:10:21.32\00:10:22.75
we usually use mostly
the New King James Version.
00:10:22.78\00:10:26.35
Some of the
thoughts have been sharpened
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and some of the words
that were not effectively
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are translated in the King James
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were correctly in
the proper context
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in the New King James Version
and some people use the NIV.
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I don't strongly recommend that
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because a lot of the
verses have been cut short
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and sometimes
omitted altogether.
00:10:43.67\00:10:45.74
But here's the key
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and this is what I
want to communicate
00:10:48.21\00:10:49.54
on the basis of the thought.
00:10:49.58\00:10:51.11
When the Spirit of God
communicated to men and women
00:10:51.15\00:10:54.68
that were included
in the Word of God.
00:10:54.72\00:10:56.82
There were no
women writers by the way.
00:10:56.85\00:10:58.49
When the Bible was
written by these holy men,
00:10:58.52\00:11:01.32
the thought like
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
00:11:01.36\00:11:04.06
they write about
the same experience
00:11:04.09\00:11:05.76
but sometimes they use
slightly different wording.
00:11:05.79\00:11:08.53
But if you look at the thought,
00:11:08.56\00:11:09.90
the thought is exactly the same.
00:11:09.93\00:11:11.83
So if you stand at
the corner of an accident
00:11:11.87\00:11:14.17
and there are four
men on four corners
00:11:14.20\00:11:16.60
and the accident is
in the intersection,
00:11:16.64\00:11:18.61
each of them is gonna
give a different perspective
00:11:18.64\00:11:21.21
of what happened
in that intersection.
00:11:21.24\00:11:23.28
But if you look at the thought,
00:11:23.31\00:11:24.68
make sure the thought
is in the proper context
00:11:24.71\00:11:27.92
of the entire
picture that is given there
00:11:27.95\00:11:30.89
which we often
refer to as the context.
00:11:30.92\00:11:33.42
Now as we lead
into question number 11,
00:11:33.46\00:11:35.99
this is about a
man that came to Jesus,
00:11:36.02\00:11:38.26
a man by the name of Nicodemus.
00:11:38.29\00:11:40.30
What was his name? Nicodemus.
00:11:40.33\00:11:41.96
He was a wealthy man,
00:11:42.00\00:11:43.70
but he was afraid to come
to Christ during the day time,
00:11:43.73\00:11:45.80
so he came to Him by night.
00:11:45.83\00:11:47.94
And one thing he learned is
what each of us needs to know
00:11:47.97\00:11:51.27
and let's go to
the question first.
00:11:51.31\00:11:53.21
Question number 11,
00:11:53.24\00:11:55.21
"What is necessary for mankind
00:11:55.24\00:11:57.35
to have access to eternal life?"
00:11:57.38\00:11:59.41
"What is necessary for mankind
00:11:59.45\00:12:02.28
to have access to eternal life?"
00:12:02.32\00:12:04.65
The answer is found in John
3:3 and you will begin to see
00:12:04.69\00:12:08.46
how this leads into the very
foundation of the Word of God.
00:12:08.49\00:12:13.29
John 3:3 is where you
are turning for the answers.
00:12:13.33\00:12:16.23
Get your pens out
so you would write in.
00:12:16.26\00:12:18.67
"What is necessary for mankind
00:12:18.70\00:12:20.07
to have access to eternal life?"
00:12:20.10\00:12:21.60
John 3:3 reads as follows
00:12:21.64\00:12:23.47
and this is Jesus
speaking to Nicodemus.
00:12:23.51\00:12:25.14
So when you see the
word him, it's Nicodemus.
00:12:25.17\00:12:27.94
"Jesus answered and said to him,
00:12:27.98\00:12:30.98
'Most assuredly, I say
to you, unless one is..."
00:12:31.01\00:12:34.68
What is the next two words?
00:12:34.72\00:12:36.62
"Born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God.'"
00:12:36.65\00:12:40.92
Let's not run
past that too quickly.
00:12:40.96\00:12:43.32
In order for
your eyes to be sharp
00:12:43.36\00:12:45.29
and to see the things
that God want you to see.
00:12:45.33\00:12:48.03
Some people would read the Bible
00:12:48.06\00:12:49.46
like they read a regular novel
00:12:49.50\00:12:51.90
or like they read a magazine
or like they read a book
00:12:51.93\00:12:55.10
that they bought in or
rented from a local store
00:12:55.14\00:12:58.54
or borrowed
from a local library.
00:12:58.57\00:13:00.91
You can't read
the Bible that way,
00:13:00.94\00:13:03.28
because the Bible is saying
unless a man is born again.
00:13:03.31\00:13:07.52
What's the phrase?
00:13:07.55\00:13:08.95
"Born again, he cannot..."
00:13:08.98\00:13:11.55
What's the next word?
00:13:11.59\00:13:12.92
"Cannot see."
00:13:12.95\00:13:14.29
So what we have to do
is not just be born again,
00:13:14.32\00:13:16.76
but you will
discover in just a moment
00:13:16.79\00:13:19.09
what that born
again is all about.
00:13:19.13\00:13:21.13
You can't just
say I'm born again.
00:13:21.16\00:13:23.47
Born again is not a phrase
00:13:23.50\00:13:24.83
that we say,
"Well, I'm born again."
00:13:24.87\00:13:26.67
You got to be born of something
00:13:26.70\00:13:29.60
and in order for
us to be able to see,
00:13:29.64\00:13:32.91
we have to be born again.
00:13:32.94\00:13:34.28
So somebody may look
at the Bible text and say,
00:13:34.31\00:13:35.88
"Well, I don't see that."
00:13:35.91\00:13:37.51
Well, you know,
what I often say,
00:13:37.55\00:13:38.88
"Well, maybe you
are not born again."
00:13:38.91\00:13:41.65
Because a natural person
00:13:41.68\00:13:43.49
doesn't receive
the things of God
00:13:43.52\00:13:45.35
for they are
spiritually discerned.
00:13:45.39\00:13:48.06
So in order for us to benefit
00:13:48.09\00:13:49.56
from the study
of the Word of God,
00:13:49.59\00:13:51.33
let me even go to another level.
00:13:51.36\00:13:53.03
Sometimes we have
professors and I was in a,
00:13:53.06\00:13:56.16
when I was taking the
electronics in school,
00:13:56.20\00:13:59.13
I had a professor
that used to be a priest
00:13:59.17\00:14:02.80
and then he became an atheist.
00:14:02.84\00:14:07.11
And we had discussions
in our class sometimes
00:14:07.14\00:14:09.31
about things that
didn't even make any sense.
00:14:09.34\00:14:11.55
For example he says,
"What if I can recreate,
00:14:11.58\00:14:13.98
what if the black hole
00:14:14.02\00:14:16.38
can be recreated one
mile above earth's atmosphere,
00:14:16.42\00:14:20.42
he said then we can go
light years into the past
00:14:20.46\00:14:23.46
and light years into the future
00:14:23.49\00:14:24.89
if we can go
through the black hole."
00:14:24.93\00:14:26.49
You know, the class sat
with their mouth wide open.
00:14:26.53\00:14:29.26
And I thought,
"Oh, great speculation."
00:14:29.30\00:14:31.87
So I said to him,
"Doctor, can I ask you now."
00:14:31.90\00:14:35.10
I don't want to say his name.
00:14:35.14\00:14:36.81
"But can I ask you--
00:14:36.84\00:14:38.31
Let's talk about something
that makes more sense to me.
00:14:38.34\00:14:40.81
Why do people die?"
00:14:40.84\00:14:42.18
And he said "Well, all machinery
00:14:42.21\00:14:43.85
eventually breaks down."
00:14:43.88\00:14:45.75
And I thought, okay, I
see where this is heading,
00:14:45.78\00:14:47.22
I said, doctor, are
you and he is an atheist.
00:14:47.25\00:14:50.12
I said, "Are you married?"
He said, "Yes, I'm married."
00:14:50.15\00:14:52.12
I said, "Why are you married."
00:14:52.15\00:14:54.36
And he said, "What do you mean?"
00:14:54.39\00:14:55.72
I said, "Well, why do
you have to be married?"
00:14:55.76\00:14:59.33
And he kind of said,
"Well, it's a good thing to do."
00:14:59.36\00:15:02.46
And I said, "Who said?"
00:15:02.50\00:15:04.73
And he said, "Okay."
00:15:04.77\00:15:07.00
And I said, now I
got really pointed.
00:15:07.04\00:15:08.60
I said, "Now, doctor, what if,
00:15:08.64\00:15:10.74
what if I committed
adultery with your wife,
00:15:10.77\00:15:13.51
is that a bad or good thing?"
00:15:13.54\00:15:15.08
He said, "That's a bad thing."
00:15:15.11\00:15:16.44
I said, "Who said?"
00:15:16.48\00:15:18.85
Now I wanted to shock him.
00:15:18.88\00:15:21.92
You know, when you hear that,
that's a shocking statement
00:15:21.95\00:15:23.65
especially when you include
yourself in the scenario.
00:15:23.69\00:15:26.39
And so he, he with
the class were shocked.
00:15:26.42\00:15:29.22
I said, "Well, who said?"
00:15:29.26\00:15:31.09
And, you know, he was stunted.
00:15:31.13\00:15:33.43
And we continued for
about 40 to 45 minutes.
00:15:33.46\00:15:35.86
We had a two
and half hour class.
00:15:35.90\00:15:37.80
We had this back and
forth and he entertained
00:15:37.83\00:15:39.47
that he likes a
challenge and I'm a New Yorker,
00:15:39.50\00:15:42.60
so that kind of
fits into that scenario.
00:15:42.64\00:15:45.41
But what I'm saying here
00:15:45.44\00:15:46.78
is that those things
that he was talking about
00:15:46.81\00:15:49.58
that were natural
didn't make sense to me
00:15:49.61\00:15:51.85
because my mind is
focused spiritually.
00:15:51.88\00:15:54.22
Those things that I
talked about spiritually
00:15:54.25\00:15:55.68
didn't make sense to him
00:15:55.72\00:15:57.05
because his mind
is focused naturally.
00:15:57.09\00:15:58.95
So here is the first parameter,
00:15:58.99\00:16:01.42
what you want to
write down for number 11.
00:16:01.46\00:16:03.79
What is necessary?
00:16:03.83\00:16:05.16
You must be born again.
00:16:05.19\00:16:08.13
Must be born again.
00:16:08.16\00:16:09.50
And in your
study you want to put,
00:16:09.53\00:16:11.47
unless you cannot see.
00:16:11.50\00:16:14.10
If you are not born
again you can't see.
00:16:14.14\00:16:16.50
So some people may
study the Sabbath said,
00:16:16.54\00:16:18.17
"I can't see that."
00:16:18.21\00:16:19.54
Well, there is the answer.
00:16:19.57\00:16:21.31
When you are born again,
your eyes will be opened.
00:16:21.34\00:16:26.35
Now let's go to number 12.
00:16:26.38\00:16:28.28
Let's go to number 12
because being born again
00:16:28.32\00:16:30.75
is not enough,
you have to understand
00:16:30.79\00:16:32.12
the context of being born again.
00:16:32.15\00:16:33.82
What does it
mean to be born again?
00:16:33.86\00:16:35.42
Question number 12, here it is.
00:16:35.46\00:16:37.46
"What is the context of
our new birth experience?"
00:16:37.49\00:16:41.90
"What is the context of
our new birth experience?"
00:16:41.93\00:16:44.63
The conversation
continues with Nicodemus
00:16:44.67\00:16:47.07
as Jesus answers the question.
00:16:47.10\00:16:49.40
He says in verse 5,
00:16:49.44\00:16:50.77
"Jesus
answered, 'Most assuredly,
00:16:50.81\00:16:53.81
I say to you, unless
one is born of the..."
00:16:53.84\00:16:57.05
Oh, let me go to the text.
00:16:57.08\00:16:58.41
"One is born of the
water and the Spirit,
00:16:58.45\00:17:01.62
he cannot enter
the kingdom of God."
00:17:01.65\00:17:04.95
You have to be born of the water
00:17:04.99\00:17:06.99
and of the Spirit.
00:17:07.02\00:17:08.36
Let's break that down briefly.
00:17:08.39\00:17:09.72
Water is baptism.
00:17:09.76\00:17:12.09
That's the death,
00:17:12.13\00:17:13.50
the burial and the resurrection
to walk in the newness of life.
00:17:13.53\00:17:16.56
But you have to
be born of the water
00:17:16.60\00:17:18.23
and of the spirit.
00:17:18.27\00:17:19.60
Now why?
00:17:19.63\00:17:20.97
Because without having
the spiritual new birth,
00:17:21.00\00:17:23.20
you cannot have
spiritual eyesight.
00:17:23.24\00:17:25.74
So let's go back to
tying it down to the text.
00:17:25.77\00:17:27.61
And you will see why
that was relevant to question
00:17:27.64\00:17:31.55
lead in to the very
next question that's coming.
00:17:31.58\00:17:35.28
The spirit does something
that cannot happen naturally.
00:17:35.32\00:17:39.75
Let me give you
my own experience.
00:17:39.79\00:17:41.12
Sometimes I'm studying the Bible
00:17:41.16\00:17:43.29
and I'm able to go, I
look at a particular text
00:17:43.32\00:17:46.13
that I've read
many, many times before
00:17:46.16\00:17:48.26
but on this particular occasion
00:17:48.30\00:17:50.07
I said, "Lord, I
really want to understand
00:17:50.10\00:17:52.33
and so I spend
little more time in prayer."
00:17:52.37\00:17:56.27
And when I get up off my knees
00:17:56.30\00:17:57.67
and I read that, all of a sudden
00:17:57.71\00:17:59.77
it's like I have--
00:17:59.81\00:18:01.81
I start seeing things
that I never saw before.
00:18:01.84\00:18:06.01
And I stand back and
even to my amazement,
00:18:06.05\00:18:08.32
sometimes when
I'm doing my seminar,
00:18:08.35\00:18:09.68
I would go to my wife and say,
00:18:09.72\00:18:11.12
"Honey, let me
read this text to you
00:18:11.15\00:18:12.49
but we read this a
thousand times before
00:18:12.52\00:18:14.62
but listen to it
in a different way."
00:18:14.66\00:18:17.43
And I said, I
just didn't see that.
00:18:17.46\00:18:21.30
And it's not that
I wasn't born again
00:18:21.33\00:18:22.66
but sometimes when you really
plead for the Spirit of God,
00:18:22.70\00:18:26.37
He responds by
giving you that anointing
00:18:26.40\00:18:29.60
opening your eyes
as the Revelation says,
00:18:29.64\00:18:32.47
Revelation Chapter 3 says,
"We have to pray this prayer.
00:18:32.51\00:18:37.11
Anoint my eyes with
eyesalve that I may see."
00:18:37.15\00:18:41.65
So sometimes our eyes are
open but they are not anointed.
00:18:41.68\00:18:44.99
So you have to pray not
just for your eyes to be opened
00:18:45.02\00:18:47.26
but for your eyes to be what?
00:18:47.29\00:18:48.72
Anointed.
00:18:48.76\00:18:50.09
Because in this day
and age our eyes are--
00:18:50.13\00:18:51.83
You know, if you walk down
the streets of New York City,
00:18:51.86\00:18:53.90
particularly in Times Square,
your eyes are everywhere.
00:18:53.93\00:18:57.57
I would challenge anybody
to try to study your Bible
00:18:57.60\00:18:59.87
while they sit in Times Square.
00:18:59.90\00:19:01.24
You couldn't do it
00:19:01.27\00:19:02.60
because your
eyes are distracted.
00:19:02.64\00:19:03.97
But as we're going to lead in,
00:19:04.01\00:19:05.41
born again, born of the
water and of the spirit.
00:19:05.44\00:19:08.11
Now let's go to
question number 13
00:19:08.14\00:19:10.25
to see why this
is so significant.
00:19:10.28\00:19:13.25
Why this is so significant.
00:19:13.28\00:19:14.62
So if you want to add in
the answer for number 12.
00:19:14.65\00:19:16.95
What is the
context of our new birth?
00:19:16.99\00:19:19.15
What are you gonna write down?
00:19:19.19\00:19:21.59
Water, baptism,
spirit, spiritual.
00:19:21.62\00:19:27.66
When it says spirit, that
means you are now spiritual.
00:19:27.70\00:19:30.70
You're walking
in a spiritual life.
00:19:30.73\00:19:32.87
You're walking in a
spiritual relationship.
00:19:32.90\00:19:35.07
You are not walking in
a natural relationship,
00:19:35.10\00:19:37.21
you are walking in the spirit.
00:19:37.24\00:19:39.34
And let me just emphasize that
00:19:39.37\00:19:40.94
because a lot
of times people say
00:19:40.98\00:19:42.31
I'm in the spirit, right.
00:19:42.34\00:19:44.81
You know, that's
so simple to say,
00:19:44.85\00:19:48.02
but if you say
you are in the spirit,
00:19:48.05\00:19:49.62
you have to understand that.
00:19:49.65\00:19:51.05
If you are in the
spirit and you read the Bible,
00:19:51.09\00:19:54.06
nothing you read
should offend you.
00:19:54.09\00:19:57.49
Can you say amen to that? Amen.
00:19:57.53\00:19:59.09
If you read, if you love
me, keep my commandments.
00:19:59.13\00:20:01.13
Let's go there.
00:20:01.16\00:20:02.50
I want to show you something.
00:20:02.53\00:20:03.87
John 14, John Chapter 14,
I want you to see something.
00:20:03.90\00:20:07.30
Show you how the
Spirit of God works.
00:20:07.34\00:20:10.67
John Chapter 14,
00:20:10.71\00:20:12.04
this is not in the
syllabus but that's all right.
00:20:12.07\00:20:16.34
Look at how the spirit works.
00:20:16.38\00:20:20.42
John 14:15,
00:20:20.45\00:20:24.39
all right.
00:20:24.42\00:20:26.32
It's good to start at verse 14
00:20:26.35\00:20:27.86
because it kind
of leads into that.
00:20:27.89\00:20:29.22
Lot of times people wonder
00:20:29.26\00:20:30.59
why their
prayers are not answered.
00:20:30.63\00:20:31.96
Let's look at verse
14 and 15 and 16 it says,
00:20:31.99\00:20:35.30
"If you ask
anything in My name..."
00:20:35.33\00:20:37.17
What does Jesus say?
00:20:37.20\00:20:38.93
"I will do it.
00:20:38.97\00:20:40.30
If you love Me..."
00:20:40.34\00:20:41.67
What did He say?
00:20:41.70\00:20:43.04
"Keep My commandments."
00:20:43.07\00:20:44.41
Look at the continuing thought.
00:20:44.44\00:20:45.77
And if you're keeping
His commandments He says,
00:20:45.81\00:20:47.71
"And I will pray the Father,
00:20:47.74\00:20:49.98
and He will give you another
comforter or another Helper,
00:20:50.01\00:20:53.62
that He may
abide with you for..."
00:20:53.65\00:20:55.52
How long? Forever."
00:20:55.55\00:20:57.29
That who is that comforter?
00:20:57.32\00:20:58.85
Look at the very next verse.
00:20:58.89\00:21:00.86
"Even the Spirit of truth,
00:21:00.89\00:21:03.99
whom the world cannot receive,
00:21:04.03\00:21:08.36
because it neither
sees Him nor knows Him,
00:21:08.40\00:21:13.23
but you know Him, for He
dwells with you and will be..."
00:21:13.27\00:21:17.14
Where? "In you."
00:21:17.17\00:21:18.54
So what happens is now,
00:21:18.57\00:21:19.91
if the spirit of God is abiding
in your life, he is there,
00:21:19.94\00:21:22.88
because you are obedient.
00:21:22.91\00:21:24.55
You are what? You are obedient.
00:21:24.58\00:21:26.78
Go with me to Acts Chapter
5, want to tie this together.
00:21:26.82\00:21:29.72
So if somebody
says I love the Lord
00:21:29.75\00:21:32.15
but they don't want
to keep His commandments
00:21:32.19\00:21:33.92
and they are not ignorant
of the Commandments of God
00:21:33.96\00:21:37.93
then there is a problem there.
00:21:37.96\00:21:40.10
Acts Chapter 5
00:21:40.13\00:21:43.73
and we are gonna
look together at verse 32.
00:21:43.77\00:21:47.37
Acts 5:32
00:21:47.40\00:21:49.77
I want to dive into this
the work of the Spirit of God
00:21:49.80\00:21:52.27
very effectively here not
just in the study of God's word
00:21:52.31\00:21:55.38
but notice what the apostle says
00:21:55.41\00:21:57.71
in verse 32 of Acts Chapter 5.
00:21:57.75\00:22:00.92
And it says, "And
we are His witnesses,
00:22:00.95\00:22:03.79
that is of these things,
00:22:03.82\00:22:05.85
and so also is the Holy Spirit
00:22:05.89\00:22:09.39
whom God has
given to those who..."
00:22:09.42\00:22:11.93
Do what? "Obey Him."
00:22:11.96\00:22:14.53
So you don't just
say I'm in the spirit.
00:22:14.56\00:22:18.43
You are in the
spirit if you are obedient.
00:22:18.47\00:22:21.00
You don't say I want the spirit.
00:22:21.04\00:22:24.61
The spirit
works in various ways.
00:22:24.64\00:22:26.07
One to convict us,
00:22:26.11\00:22:27.71
the second one to give
us that new birth experience
00:22:27.74\00:22:30.65
and the third one to empower us
00:22:30.68\00:22:33.05
with the gifts of
God's Holy Spirit.
00:22:33.08\00:22:37.65
But He is not just
gonna abide in your life
00:22:37.69\00:22:39.32
if you say, "Well, I
just want to read God word,
00:22:39.35\00:22:41.36
God's word and I
will pick and choose
00:22:41.39\00:22:43.02
what I want to accept,
00:22:43.06\00:22:44.69
in what I want to
live in obedience too."
00:22:44.73\00:22:46.73
He would not empower your mind,
He would not empower your life
00:22:46.76\00:22:49.83
because He gives, He
has given to those who obey.
00:22:49.86\00:22:53.77
Those who obey.
00:22:53.80\00:22:55.14
Now look at question
number 13, all right.
00:22:55.17\00:22:57.91
Question number 13
00:22:57.94\00:23:00.48
and we have 29 questions,
00:23:00.51\00:23:01.84
we may not get
to them all tonight
00:23:01.88\00:23:03.21
but that's what wonderful
about a continuing study.
00:23:03.24\00:23:06.21
"What other
component is necessary
00:23:06.25\00:23:09.38
for the new
birth to be effected?"
00:23:09.42\00:23:12.95
"For the new
birth to be effected?"
00:23:12.99\00:23:16.29
Not effective but effected.
00:23:16.32\00:23:17.93
In other words or
the new birth to happen,
00:23:17.96\00:23:19.73
for it's really be
something that you experience.
00:23:19.76\00:23:22.73
What is necessary?
00:23:22.76\00:23:24.63
What are the
necessary components--
00:23:24.67\00:23:26.07
We are look at the
text here in 1 Peter 1:23,
00:23:26.10\00:23:31.21
1 Peter 1:23.
00:23:31.24\00:23:33.48
Now remember, so
far we have discovered
00:23:33.51\00:23:35.78
we are born of the
water and of the spirit, okay.
00:23:35.81\00:23:39.65
But that's not
the end of your birth.
00:23:39.68\00:23:41.82
See this topic is
about how to grow in Christ.
00:23:41.85\00:23:44.19
If that's all you
are born of the water--
00:23:44.22\00:23:46.15
In other words, I'm baptized
but I'm walking in the spirit.
00:23:46.19\00:23:49.66
The Lord says,
that's not the end of it.
00:23:49.69\00:23:51.03
You got to walk
in something else.
00:23:51.06\00:23:52.83
You have to understand
00:23:52.86\00:23:54.20
that your birth is
far beyond just baptism,
00:23:54.23\00:23:58.10
far beyond just saying
Holy Spirit come into my life.
00:23:58.13\00:24:01.30
The evidence of
the spirit of God
00:24:01.34\00:24:02.97
coming into your
life is encapsulated
00:24:03.00\00:24:05.34
in this very next verse.
00:24:05.37\00:24:06.94
Look at 1 Peter 1:23,
00:24:06.98\00:24:09.24
the Bible says, having
been, read that with me.
00:24:09.28\00:24:13.08
"Having been..." What?
00:24:13.11\00:24:14.52
"Born again, not of
corruptible seed but..."
00:24:14.55\00:24:18.49
Of what?
00:24:18.52\00:24:19.85
"Incorruptible,
through the word of God
00:24:19.89\00:24:23.86
which lives and abides forever."
00:24:23.89\00:24:27.43
Now get this.
00:24:27.46\00:24:28.80
What is being said here,
00:24:28.83\00:24:30.17
Peter is saying that
the incorruptible seed
00:24:30.20\00:24:34.30
is made available to us
through the Word of God.
00:24:34.34\00:24:37.61
Now remember the
Parable of the Sower?
00:24:37.64\00:24:40.18
It's in Matthew Chapter 13.
00:24:40.21\00:24:42.14
What was the sower sowing? Seed.
00:24:42.18\00:24:45.55
What did the seed represent?
00:24:45.58\00:24:47.65
The Word of God.
00:24:47.68\00:24:49.75
Get it now.
00:24:49.78\00:24:51.12
The seed, there is
nothing wrong with the seed
00:24:51.15\00:24:54.16
but if you remember the parable
in Matthew 13 very carefully.
00:24:54.19\00:24:57.96
Some seed fell on good ground
00:24:57.99\00:25:01.10
but some seed
fell on shallow ground.
00:25:01.13\00:25:04.03
Some that is stony ground.
00:25:04.07\00:25:06.00
Some seed fell on thorny ground
00:25:06.03\00:25:08.34
and some seed
fell on shallow ground.
00:25:08.37\00:25:11.54
What happened is
the thorny ground
00:25:11.57\00:25:13.51
the cares of this
life chocked the word.
00:25:13.54\00:25:16.88
Some seed fell
on shallow ground.
00:25:16.91\00:25:19.68
Let me make the application.
00:25:19.71\00:25:21.05
There is some people that
listen to the Word of God.
00:25:21.08\00:25:22.62
They heard the
word of God preached
00:25:22.65\00:25:24.22
and one week they are
completely in the world,
00:25:24.25\00:25:26.39
the next week they are fired up
00:25:26.42\00:25:27.76
and ready to do anything for God
00:25:27.79\00:25:29.86
but they go out
like fire cracker,
00:25:29.89\00:25:33.36
because the Word of
God hasn't taken root way
00:25:33.40\00:25:35.40
down inside of them.
00:25:35.43\00:25:37.80
The third
category is the other one
00:25:37.83\00:25:40.00
sometimes that I
say shallow ground,
00:25:40.04\00:25:42.27
thorny ground and stony ground
00:25:42.30\00:25:46.51
that means
00:25:46.54\00:25:47.88
what happens if you
try to put seed in stone,
00:25:47.91\00:25:49.44
does it go through?
00:25:49.48\00:25:51.75
Now, this is
where as a preacher,
00:25:51.78\00:25:53.38
I've come to the
point of acceptance.
00:25:53.42\00:25:55.42
I can preach God's word
for the next two millenniums
00:25:55.45\00:25:58.85
and there are some people
00:25:58.89\00:26:00.22
whose heart I
will never penetrate.
00:26:00.26\00:26:02.99
And the Lord is saying
one of the hardest jobs
00:26:03.02\00:26:04.96
of teaching God's word,
00:26:04.99\00:26:06.86
preaching God's word
and sharing God's word
00:26:06.90\00:26:09.36
is there are those
whose hearts are like stone
00:26:09.40\00:26:14.47
and it will never penetrate
00:26:14.50\00:26:16.81
because they have
not been born again.
00:26:16.84\00:26:18.91
Remember the prayer
in Psalms Chapter 51,
00:26:18.94\00:26:22.31
the Lord said to David,
00:26:22.34\00:26:23.68
I'm gonna take out
your heart of stone
00:26:23.71\00:26:25.78
and give you a heart of what?
00:26:25.81\00:26:27.28
Flesh.
00:26:27.32\00:26:28.75
When the heart is softened,
then the seed can penetrate,
00:26:28.78\00:26:32.05
then the seed can have
roots that are tapped down deep.
00:26:32.09\00:26:35.86
But right here we are finding
00:26:35.89\00:26:37.26
that the incorruptible
seed comes from the Word of God.
00:26:37.29\00:26:40.56
The point of the matter is
00:26:40.60\00:26:41.93
there is nothing
wrong with the Word of God.
00:26:41.96\00:26:43.77
Can you say amen to that? Amen.
00:26:43.80\00:26:45.53
There is nothing,
there is nothing wrong
00:26:45.57\00:26:46.97
with God's word,
00:26:47.00\00:26:48.34
the problem is the
condition of the heart.
00:26:48.37\00:26:50.31
So if you answer the question
00:26:51.94\00:26:54.11
"What other
component is necessary
00:26:54.14\00:26:55.74
for the new
birth to be effected?"
00:26:55.78\00:26:57.65
That is the what?
00:26:57.68\00:26:59.48
That is the incorruptible
seed- the Word of God.
00:26:59.51\00:27:05.99
The incorruptible seed
00:27:06.02\00:27:07.59
because when the
sower was sowing,
00:27:07.62\00:27:09.02
if you read that
story in Matthew 13,
00:27:09.06\00:27:10.53
the sower was sowing just fine.
00:27:10.56\00:27:12.89
There is nothing
wrong with the seed,
00:27:12.93\00:27:14.93
but it was where
the seed was falling
00:27:14.96\00:27:16.40
and the sad reality
is in the statistics
00:27:16.43\00:27:19.17
that are listed
here in that chapter,
00:27:19.20\00:27:21.20
if you come away with that story
00:27:21.24\00:27:22.57
being an application
even in a parabolic setting,
00:27:22.60\00:27:26.17
you discover that 75 percent,
00:27:26.21\00:27:29.18
75 percent of
those who heard the word,
00:27:29.21\00:27:33.11
it did not affect any
change in their lives.
00:27:33.15\00:27:36.35
So if you look at
the churches nowadays
00:27:36.38\00:27:38.12
and you say,
"Well, what's happening?"
00:27:38.15\00:27:40.06
This is sad.
00:27:40.09\00:27:41.42
This is sad but I
don't like to apply it
00:27:41.46\00:27:43.53
but it's saying
chances are 75 percent of those
00:27:43.56\00:27:48.46
who ever hear the
Word of God in their life,
00:27:48.50\00:27:52.53
75 percent of those
according to that parable,
00:27:52.57\00:27:55.97
there will be no change
effected in their lives.
00:27:56.00\00:27:58.84
There maybe a momentary
change like the shallow ground
00:27:58.87\00:28:02.84
but you will discover no roots.
00:28:02.88\00:28:05.15
And when the trial
comes, boom, they are gone.
00:28:05.18\00:28:09.68
So we have to
understand the Word of God,
00:28:09.72\00:28:11.19
there is nothing
wrong with the Word of God,
00:28:11.22\00:28:12.59
all right.
00:28:12.62\00:28:13.96
Number 14, number 14,
00:28:13.99\00:28:17.03
"How does the Bible convey
00:28:17.06\00:28:19.19
the victorious
strength of the Word?"
00:28:19.23\00:28:24.20
"How does the Bible convey
00:28:24.23\00:28:25.73
the victorious
strength of the Word?"
00:28:25.77\00:28:28.20
1 John 2:14 is
where we are turning.
00:28:28.24\00:28:31.04
"How does the Bible convey
00:28:31.07\00:28:32.41
the victorious
strength of the Word?"
00:28:32.44\00:28:35.64
You know, the
Word of God is a book
00:28:35.68\00:28:37.01
that has victory in it
00:28:37.05\00:28:39.11
and when you
apply it to your life,
00:28:39.15\00:28:40.48
it's like, I'm
gonna give you an example.
00:28:40.52\00:28:43.08
We have in the
3ABN Worship Center
00:28:43.12\00:28:45.39
in the back of our stage,
00:28:45.42\00:28:46.76
we have a big box
00:28:46.79\00:28:49.22
that has to have about
300 batteries in it at least,
00:28:49.26\00:28:53.40
and there are
batteries added every week.
00:28:53.43\00:28:55.16
But you know what?
00:28:55.20\00:28:56.53
They don't look any different
from the brand new batteries
00:28:56.56\00:28:58.30
that we buy.
00:28:58.33\00:28:59.90
Now we used to sort
in a little container
00:28:59.93\00:29:02.40
and that container had
label on it bad and good.
00:29:02.44\00:29:06.91
And I always noticed that
there were more bad batteries
00:29:06.94\00:29:09.21
than there were good batteries.
00:29:09.24\00:29:11.61
But let me just make this point.
00:29:11.65\00:29:13.42
You couldn't tell by the outside
00:29:13.45\00:29:15.88
because it said
Alkaline Energizer or Duracell,
00:29:15.92\00:29:19.79
they both have the
same external label.
00:29:19.82\00:29:22.32
So it's impossible by looking
at a person from the exterior
00:29:22.36\00:29:26.09
to determine what's
happening on the inside.
00:29:26.13\00:29:29.10
Why were those
batteries bad, somebody tell me?
00:29:29.13\00:29:31.13
Why were those
batteries labeled as bad?
00:29:31.17\00:29:35.30
Ran out of juice or
what's happening, what else?
00:29:35.34\00:29:38.07
What's the word,
another word for juice?
00:29:38.11\00:29:40.78
Okay.
00:29:40.81\00:29:42.81
No energy.
00:29:42.84\00:29:44.18
Okay.
00:29:44.21\00:29:45.68
Useless. Okay.
00:29:45.71\00:29:47.25
Running or ran out of power.
00:29:47.28\00:29:49.48
It didn't have
enough power to get the task
00:29:49.52\00:29:52.69
that it was
designed for accomplish.
00:29:52.72\00:29:55.22
So you can put, you can put,
00:29:55.26\00:29:56.93
well, I don't know if
you could this in series
00:29:56.96\00:29:59.06
but that battery no
matter how much you say,
00:29:59.09\00:30:00.86
"Come on,
batteries, let's do it.
00:30:00.90\00:30:03.16
Let's come on, you look
like just any other battery.
00:30:03.20\00:30:05.07
Let's try it again."
00:30:05.10\00:30:06.43
You put that battery in...
00:30:06.47\00:30:09.24
Brothers and sisters, it's
not how we look on the outside
00:30:09.27\00:30:12.54
so much as we are empowered
00:30:12.57\00:30:15.44
by the Spirit of
God from the inside.
00:30:15.48\00:30:18.41
Born of the water
and of the spirit.
00:30:18.45\00:30:20.28
So let's look at the answer
here to question number 14.
00:30:20.32\00:30:22.38
"How does the Bible convey
00:30:22.42\00:30:23.82
the victorious
strength of the Word?"
00:30:23.85\00:30:25.59
Here's the answer, 1 John 2:14,
00:30:25.62\00:30:29.92
"I have written to you, fathers,
00:30:29.96\00:30:32.43
because you have known
Him who is from the beginning.
00:30:32.46\00:30:36.16
I have written
to you, young men,
00:30:36.20\00:30:38.83
because you are..." What?
00:30:38.87\00:30:40.50
"Strong, and the
word of God abides in you,
00:30:40.54\00:30:46.01
And you have
overcome the wicked one."
00:30:46.04\00:30:51.18
"How does the Bible convey
00:30:51.21\00:30:52.68
the victorious
strength of the God's Word?"
00:30:52.71\00:30:55.38
How does it convey it?
00:30:55.42\00:30:58.05
Look at that text.
00:30:58.09\00:30:59.42
How does it convey it?
00:30:59.45\00:31:00.79
The Word of God abides in you.
00:31:02.46\00:31:06.49
Now...
00:31:06.53\00:31:07.86
I'm using some crude
illustrations here tonight.
00:31:10.53\00:31:12.90
Nobody is
afraid of an empty gun.
00:31:12.93\00:31:15.70
The devil is not
afraid of an empty Christian.
00:31:15.74\00:31:18.11
That is, if your
mind is not equipped
00:31:18.14\00:31:19.67
by the Word of God,
00:31:19.71\00:31:21.04
remember now, when Jesus
was faced by the tempter.
00:31:21.08\00:31:24.05
When Satan came
and tempted Jesus,
00:31:24.08\00:31:26.15
Jesus didn't
say, "Leave me alone."
00:31:26.18\00:31:28.32
Say it again,
Dan. It is written.
00:31:30.22\00:31:32.19
That's right. It is written.
00:31:32.22\00:31:33.96
Now, if Jesus needed
that to defeat the enemy
00:31:33.99\00:31:38.13
because the enemy is not
concerned about our words.
00:31:38.16\00:31:40.53
That's why I say to people
whenever I'm having studies,
00:31:40.56\00:31:43.40
I say, well,
somebody once said to me
00:31:43.43\00:31:47.97
"Why is it that every
time I ask you a question
00:31:48.00\00:31:50.34
you say the Bible says?
00:31:50.37\00:31:52.24
Can't you just
tell me what you think?"
00:31:52.27\00:31:54.28
And I said to them,
"What I think doesn't matter."
00:31:54.31\00:31:56.21
Isn't that right.
00:31:56.24\00:31:57.61
My word has no authority at all.
00:31:57.65\00:31:59.21
I can say, well, and
that's the problem nowadays,
00:31:59.25\00:32:01.65
lot of times people
put authority on the man,
00:32:01.68\00:32:03.82
on the word of man and
not on the Word of God.
00:32:03.85\00:32:06.72
The key here is
what overcomes the world,
00:32:06.76\00:32:09.22
what overcomes the wicked one
00:32:09.26\00:32:10.83
is the fact that
the Word of God abides
00:32:10.86\00:32:13.16
and in this particular context
when the apostle says that
00:32:13.19\00:32:17.87
God spoke to the fathers
and he speaks to the young men,
00:32:17.90\00:32:21.20
he is saying that you both
will overcome the wicked one
00:32:21.24\00:32:24.77
because the Word
of God abides in you.
00:32:24.81\00:32:27.44
So here's the key.
00:32:27.48\00:32:28.81
If we are gonna be victorious
on our day by day basis,
00:32:28.84\00:32:30.91
where does the
Word of God have to be?
00:32:30.95\00:32:33.58
In us.
00:32:33.62\00:32:35.25
In us living and
abiding and powerful
00:32:35.28\00:32:39.09
and quick as we found out
in Hebrews Chapter 4 last week.
00:32:39.12\00:32:42.06
"The Word of God
is powerful and quick,
00:32:42.09\00:32:44.13
sharper than any
two-edged sword."
00:32:44.16\00:32:47.86
So the enemy when he
comes and he sees that sword,
00:32:47.90\00:32:50.43
that flashing towards
so he can't go any further.
00:32:50.47\00:32:54.14
That two-edged sword
that the enemy is afraid of
00:32:54.17\00:32:56.87
is the living and
abiding Word of God.
00:32:56.91\00:32:59.41
But it doesn't
abide on your shelves,
00:32:59.44\00:33:01.61
it doesn't abide in your iPad
or your iPod or on your laptop,
00:33:01.64\00:33:04.71
it abides where?
00:33:04.75\00:33:06.08
In us, inside of us.
00:33:06.11\00:33:07.48
And how does that happen?
00:33:07.52\00:33:08.85
You got to chisel out that
time to read the Word of God.
00:33:08.88\00:33:11.72
Now if you don't
have an entire hour,
00:33:11.75\00:33:14.42
spend at least sometime.
00:33:14.46\00:33:15.86
Get yourself a Bible text.
00:33:15.89\00:33:18.49
Get something in there
00:33:18.53\00:33:20.13
because if you put the
Word of God in your mind,
00:33:20.16\00:33:23.73
that means it's
less room for the devil.
00:33:23.77\00:33:25.80
And he can't really
find a whole lot of space
00:33:30.54\00:33:33.14
because the Word of God as
I mentioned to you earlier,
00:33:33.17\00:33:35.24
the Word of God is
kind of like yeast.
00:33:35.28\00:33:37.45
When it enters the
bread what happens?
00:33:37.48\00:33:40.48
It expands.
00:33:40.52\00:33:42.22
And you will find
that throughout the day,
00:33:42.25\00:33:44.05
sometimes that text
that you read in the morning,
00:33:44.09\00:33:46.69
you discover
how it all of sudden
00:33:46.72\00:33:48.29
pops up in the
relevant situations of your life
00:33:48.32\00:33:51.39
during the day.
00:33:51.43\00:33:52.76
But if it's not
there, you can't recall that.
00:33:52.79\00:33:55.63
And by the way, the
Holy Spirit promises
00:33:55.66\00:33:57.93
to bring back to our remembrance
00:33:57.97\00:33:59.90
what we have learned.
00:33:59.93\00:34:01.27
So in other words,
00:34:01.30\00:34:02.64
if there is no
money in the bank,
00:34:02.67\00:34:04.24
you can't take it out, right.
00:34:04.27\00:34:07.21
Don't go to the bank and
say, I like to get $200 out.
00:34:07.24\00:34:11.01
And they say do you
have an account here?
00:34:11.05\00:34:12.38
I sure do.
00:34:12.41\00:34:13.75
Can I see your card?
00:34:13.78\00:34:15.12
Could you swipe your card?
00:34:15.15\00:34:16.48
Could you put your
pin number and show?
00:34:16.52\00:34:17.85
Oh, your balance is zero.
00:34:17.89\00:34:19.72
But I do have an account, right.
00:34:19.75\00:34:21.09
Yeah, but you don't
have anything in it.
00:34:21.12\00:34:23.32
So you may have a mind
00:34:23.36\00:34:24.69
but unless there
is something in it,
00:34:24.73\00:34:26.06
you are not getting
anything out, right.
00:34:26.09\00:34:27.43
The Spirit of
God is that teller.
00:34:27.46\00:34:30.13
The Spirit of God is that person
00:34:30.17\00:34:31.63
that's behind that
financial institution.
00:34:31.67\00:34:33.94
Let me put the
application together.
00:34:33.97\00:34:36.60
God has a financial institution,
00:34:36.64\00:34:39.27
financial institution,
00:34:39.31\00:34:41.78
financial institution,
that is never broke.
00:34:41.81\00:34:44.78
Can you say amen to that? Amen.
00:34:44.81\00:34:47.25
But He promises that
if you deposit in that,
00:34:47.28\00:34:50.92
if you put your money there,
00:34:50.95\00:34:52.82
when the time
comes to draw it out,
00:34:52.85\00:34:54.89
there will be something there.
00:34:54.92\00:34:56.69
In other words, if you
invest in your mind His money,
00:34:56.73\00:35:01.50
His divine investments,
when the time comes,
00:35:01.53\00:35:04.87
you can withdraw something.
00:35:04.90\00:35:06.74
Kind of round about way
00:35:06.77\00:35:08.10
but I think you
got the point, right.
00:35:08.14\00:35:10.31
The Word of God
must abide in us.
00:35:10.34\00:35:12.87
Now number 15, number 15.
00:35:12.91\00:35:15.01
We are moving at a good pace.
00:35:15.04\00:35:17.05
Number 15,
00:35:17.08\00:35:19.81
"What can the
Word of God accomplish
00:35:19.85\00:35:22.32
when we consume it?"
00:35:22.35\00:35:24.55
My good friend Pastor
Batchelor few years ago,
00:35:24.59\00:35:28.42
and by the way I
want to encourage you
00:35:28.46\00:35:29.82
to tune in tomorrow
night for 3ABN Live.
00:35:29.86\00:35:32.13
This is a live program
00:35:32.16\00:35:33.70
and Thursday night live
00:35:33.73\00:35:35.10
Pastor Batchelor
is going to be here
00:35:35.13\00:35:37.07
but he wants, you know,
00:35:37.10\00:35:38.43
when he talked about the
word devour in Revelation
00:35:38.47\00:35:40.04
"fire came down
from God out of heaven,
00:35:40.07\00:35:43.04
and devoured them."
00:35:43.07\00:35:44.51
The word devour and
consume are synonymous
00:35:44.54\00:35:46.37
and he said if you want to
find out what devour means,
00:35:46.41\00:35:48.71
invite me over
and have Mexican food.
00:35:48.74\00:35:52.15
So and in the very same way,
00:35:52.18\00:35:56.55
you know, we can,
00:35:56.58\00:35:57.99
we are people in America
00:35:58.02\00:35:59.35
that look
forward to Thanksgiving.
00:35:59.39\00:36:03.93
Thanksgiving is
not too far away.
00:36:03.96\00:36:06.96
Thanksgiving, this word consume
00:36:07.00\00:36:08.40
really comes into
relevance, doesn't it.
00:36:08.43\00:36:11.33
People eat until
they can't eat any longer.
00:36:11.37\00:36:13.94
But the question tonight is,
00:36:13.97\00:36:15.60
we have natural food
and we have spiritual food
00:36:15.64\00:36:18.54
and there is a difference.
00:36:18.57\00:36:19.91
Look at the answer
00:36:19.94\00:36:21.28
here in Psalms
119:9 to the question,
00:36:21.31\00:36:24.78
"What can the Word of God
accomplish when we consume it?"
00:36:24.81\00:36:27.68
It says, "How can a
young man cleanse his way?
00:36:27.72\00:36:32.09
By taking heed according to..."
00:36:32.12\00:36:34.26
What? "Your word."
00:36:34.29\00:36:36.12
Now when you
look at the question,
00:36:36.16\00:36:37.69
"What can the Word of God
accomplish when we consume it?"
00:36:37.73\00:36:41.26
What does it do?
00:36:41.30\00:36:43.20
Cleanse. Cleanse.
00:36:43.23\00:36:46.67
Cleanse. The Word
of God is a cleanser.
00:36:46.70\00:36:50.51
"How can a young
man cleanse his way?
00:36:50.54\00:36:52.37
By taking heed according to..."
00:36:52.41\00:36:54.08
How? "Your word."
00:36:54.11\00:36:55.44
Now, this is particularly
speaking to the young men
00:36:55.48\00:36:57.85
in the context,
00:36:57.88\00:36:59.21
but do you think it
applies to every one of us?
00:36:59.25\00:37:01.02
It applies to every one of us
00:37:01.05\00:37:02.38
because the Word
of God is a cleanser.
00:37:02.42\00:37:04.05
You know what that means?
00:37:04.09\00:37:06.15
This is a powerful illustration,
00:37:06.19\00:37:07.69
I must say so
myself and here it is.
00:37:07.72\00:37:10.73
We naturally, our minds
naturally are magnets to things
00:37:10.76\00:37:14.43
that are not clean...
00:37:14.46\00:37:15.93
right.
00:37:17.67\00:37:19.20
Our hearts are
corrupt, our minds are corrupt.
00:37:19.23\00:37:22.24
Our righteousness is as what?
00:37:22.27\00:37:23.77
Filthy rags.
00:37:23.81\00:37:25.14
We are like vacuum
cleaners and we suck in dust
00:37:25.17\00:37:27.71
and none of that dust is good.
00:37:27.74\00:37:29.54
It's a natural thing,
it's a natural process.
00:37:29.58\00:37:31.61
We hold on to
things that are not clean.
00:37:31.65\00:37:33.52
So the Lord says,
00:37:33.55\00:37:34.88
"Hey, I've got a way to
clean out your thoughts.
00:37:34.92\00:37:38.22
If you put My word in
there, it will clean it out."
00:37:38.25\00:37:40.96
Isn't that wonderful?
00:37:40.99\00:37:42.32
If you put the scouring
pad of God's word in your mind,
00:37:42.36\00:37:46.43
you will discover,
00:37:46.46\00:37:47.80
you couldn't
even say those words
00:37:47.83\00:37:49.46
that used to be there
00:37:49.50\00:37:51.20
or think those
thoughts that used to be there.
00:37:51.23\00:37:52.93
Why?
00:37:52.97\00:37:54.30
Because you are
storing up good things
00:37:54.34\00:37:56.04
and it's pushing
out the bad things.
00:37:56.07\00:37:58.51
Think of the Word
of God as a long tube,
00:37:58.54\00:38:00.68
if you push in the
good things in one end,
00:38:00.71\00:38:02.74
it's gonna push the
bad things out the other.
00:38:02.78\00:38:05.28
So the cleansing
process that all of us needs
00:38:05.31\00:38:07.72
is not so much say, "Ah, man,
00:38:07.75\00:38:10.79
why am I sitting here in church
00:38:10.82\00:38:12.39
and my mind is everywhere else?"
00:38:12.42\00:38:14.99
I can almost guarantee you
00:38:15.02\00:38:16.36
that those who
are not spending time
00:38:16.39\00:38:17.73
storing God's
word in their minds,
00:38:17.76\00:38:20.10
their minds tend
to wander a lot more
00:38:20.13\00:38:22.63
on things that don't
pertain to God's word
00:38:22.66\00:38:24.73
than a person whose
mind is so has been trained
00:38:24.77\00:38:28.20
to continue studying God's word.
00:38:28.24\00:38:29.97
If you think,
now think about it,
00:38:30.01\00:38:31.34
if you read computer
books everyday all day,
00:38:31.37\00:38:34.44
work on a
computer, service computers,
00:38:34.48\00:38:36.31
what would you think about
00:38:36.34\00:38:37.68
when you are
walking around the streets?
00:38:37.71\00:38:39.05
Computers, right.
00:38:39.08\00:38:40.62
If you had a regimen
of studying God's word,
00:38:40.65\00:38:42.42
not necessarily
not doing anything else
00:38:42.45\00:38:44.59
but if you had a regimen
00:38:44.62\00:38:45.95
of studying
God's word day by day,
00:38:45.99\00:38:47.49
you know what happening?
00:38:47.52\00:38:48.86
You are storing this
word, you are storing this word,
00:38:48.89\00:38:52.39
you are putting your stock
and it's increasing day by day
00:38:52.43\00:38:55.10
and what happens
you will discover
00:38:55.13\00:38:57.00
that those thoughts that
used to be there naturally,
00:38:57.03\00:39:00.70
they are not even
allowed to come in.
00:39:00.74\00:39:04.54
Now look at this illustration,
00:39:04.57\00:39:06.14
the Word of God is
sharper than any two edge what?
00:39:06.17\00:39:08.31
Sword.
00:39:08.34\00:39:09.68
What happened
when Adam and Eve sin,
00:39:09.71\00:39:11.15
what did the Lord used to
keep them out of the garden?
00:39:11.18\00:39:13.18
Sword.
00:39:13.21\00:39:14.85
Sword keeps sin out.
00:39:14.88\00:39:16.89
The sword of God'
word keeps sin out.
00:39:16.92\00:39:20.59
That's why the angel use,
00:39:20.62\00:39:21.96
the angel didn't
just stand there.
00:39:21.99\00:39:24.16
When Jesus comes
back, what is he gonna have?
00:39:24.19\00:39:28.03
What's gonna
come out of his mouth?
00:39:28.06\00:39:29.56
The Word of God.
00:39:29.60\00:39:30.93
Is this gonna be a
sword the Bible says.
00:39:30.97\00:39:32.77
And the sword is
what? The Word of God.
00:39:32.80\00:39:34.60
Sword in the garden,
sword in the Word of God,
00:39:34.64\00:39:38.67
sword in fact in
Revelation that sharp sword,
00:39:38.71\00:39:42.11
that is the Word of God.
00:39:42.14\00:39:43.48
So if you want to, if you
want to have your ways cleansed,
00:39:43.51\00:39:46.78
you got to have your mind
filled by the Word of God.
00:39:46.82\00:39:49.98
Because, you know,
what I tell you what?
00:39:50.02\00:39:51.39
It's hard to read
God's word one minute
00:39:51.42\00:39:53.99
and be profaned the next.
00:39:54.02\00:39:56.12
It's not possible.
00:39:56.16\00:39:57.49
It's hard to read
God's word one minute
00:39:57.53\00:39:59.09
and think
terrible thoughts the next.
00:39:59.13\00:40:01.63
It's hard to read God's word
00:40:01.66\00:40:03.00
about how to treat
your brother and your sister
00:40:03.03\00:40:04.87
and then treat your
brother and your sister
00:40:04.90\00:40:06.60
opposite to what you
just read a moment ago.
00:40:06.63\00:40:08.87
Because the Word
of God is living,
00:40:10.87\00:40:12.34
the Spirit of God is
working in your life.
00:40:12.37\00:40:14.38
He is abiding in you
00:40:14.41\00:40:15.74
and He will activate
like yeast is activated,
00:40:15.78\00:40:18.01
whatever is in your
life will be activated
00:40:18.05\00:40:19.91
and you will find
that your thoughts.
00:40:19.95\00:40:21.55
How can a young
man cleanse his way?
00:40:21.58\00:40:24.02
We will find that our
ways are being cleansed.
00:40:24.05\00:40:26.72
But if we are saying
away from the Word of God,
00:40:26.76\00:40:28.36
what's happening to our ways?
00:40:28.39\00:40:30.09
What's the
opposite of being cleansed?
00:40:30.13\00:40:33.70
Corrupted, that's
right. Corruptible.
00:40:33.73\00:40:35.93
See, the word of God
is an incorruptible seed
00:40:35.96\00:40:38.67
and what does it do?
00:40:38.70\00:40:40.04
It cleanses our way.
00:40:40.07\00:40:42.00
You get that?
Nothing wrong with it.
00:40:42.04\00:40:43.77
But the reason why there is
so much corruption in the word
00:40:43.81\00:40:46.37
is because the
Word of God is omitted.
00:40:46.41\00:40:48.04
Number 16,
00:40:51.71\00:40:54.32
"What evidence
does the Bible give
00:40:54.35\00:40:55.72
to reveal the
power of God's Word?"
00:40:55.75\00:40:58.75
"What evidence
does the Bible give
00:40:58.79\00:41:00.12
to reveal the
power of God's Word?"
00:41:00.16\00:41:04.23
I talked about this a moment ago
00:41:04.26\00:41:05.63
and some of you are
already on top of this.
00:41:05.66\00:41:07.60
So I'm just gonna go and
turn there Psalms 119:11.
00:41:07.63\00:41:10.07
You theologians
already know the answers.
00:41:10.10\00:41:12.13
You want to read
the text with me?
00:41:12.17\00:41:13.50
Are you ready? Here we go.
00:41:13.54\00:41:14.87
Psalms 119:11 the Bible
says, "Your word have I..."
00:41:14.90\00:41:18.61
What?
00:41:18.64\00:41:19.97
"Hid in my heart,
that I might not..."
00:41:20.01\00:41:21.48
What? "Sin against You."
00:41:21.51\00:41:24.31
We are the quoting
the King James Version.
00:41:24.35\00:41:25.71
"Thy word have I
hid in mine heart,
00:41:25.75\00:41:27.45
that I might not
sin against thee."
00:41:27.48\00:41:30.02
I know that by heart.
00:41:30.05\00:41:31.52
But thy word, your word
have I hidden in my heart.
00:41:31.55\00:41:35.86
The word hidden there is
not concealed but stored.
00:41:35.89\00:41:41.13
That's the difference.
00:41:41.16\00:41:42.50
You don't want
to hide God's word,
00:41:42.53\00:41:43.87
you want to store God's word.
00:41:43.90\00:41:46.17
So when people
come around and say,
00:41:46.20\00:41:47.54
"Man, doesn't seem like
you have whole lot of food."
00:41:47.57\00:41:49.74
I said, don't get fooled,
00:41:49.77\00:41:51.44
you are looking
for physical food,
00:41:51.47\00:41:52.81
but I got a whole
lot of spiritual food.
00:41:52.84\00:41:55.81
And the reason why
that's widely important
00:41:55.84\00:41:57.41
because we began by
saying a famine is coming.
00:41:57.45\00:42:00.18
If a famine for the
Word of God is coming,
00:42:00.22\00:42:01.85
you better make sure you have
a lot of Word of God stored up
00:42:01.88\00:42:05.32
because when the famine comes
00:42:05.35\00:42:07.06
and you're not
allowed to carry your Bibles.
00:42:07.09\00:42:09.19
Like it happened in
Paris, France in the 1700s
00:42:09.22\00:42:12.56
where the Word
of God was banned.
00:42:12.59\00:42:14.33
It happened during the Dark Ages
00:42:14.36\00:42:16.30
where the Word of God was
taken from the common man.
00:42:16.33\00:42:18.60
If it happened
during the Dark Ages
00:42:18.63\00:42:21.10
and people were put to death
for having the Word of God.
00:42:21.14\00:42:23.57
If it happened in France
00:42:23.61\00:42:25.57
where the Word
of God was outlawed
00:42:25.61\00:42:27.04
and burned in bundles.
00:42:27.08\00:42:28.84
If it happened
in communist Russia
00:42:28.88\00:42:30.28
which is now no longer communist
00:42:30.31\00:42:32.21
where the Word of
God was prohibited,
00:42:32.25\00:42:34.35
it's gonna happen again
00:42:34.38\00:42:35.82
but this time on
a worldwide scale.
00:42:35.85\00:42:38.95
Every country, every continent,
00:42:38.99\00:42:40.79
that's why this
is a critical hour.
00:42:40.82\00:42:42.49
We are doing what
God wants us to do
00:42:42.52\00:42:44.46
by studying God's
word together, amen.
00:42:44.49\00:42:47.10
We are storing it up.
00:42:47.13\00:42:49.23
Okay, number 17
that's where we are.
00:42:49.26\00:42:54.14
"How was the Christian church
strengthened at its inception?"
00:42:54.17\00:42:58.84
"How was the Christian church
00:42:58.87\00:43:00.48
strengthened at its inception?"
00:43:00.51\00:43:03.98
All right.
00:43:04.01\00:43:05.35
We're gonna turn to
the Book of Acts 20:32,
00:43:09.08\00:43:13.39
Acts 20:32 question number 17.
00:43:13.42\00:43:17.66
"How was the Christian church
strengthened at its inception?"
00:43:17.69\00:43:21.23
Now I want you to get this.
00:43:21.26\00:43:22.60
The way that it was
strengthened at its inception
00:43:22.63\00:43:24.63
is the way that
it's gonna be strengthen
00:43:24.67\00:43:26.30
just before the
church triumphant.
00:43:26.33\00:43:29.10
What they need,
what the church needed
00:43:29.14\00:43:30.74
when it started is what
the church still needs today.
00:43:30.77\00:43:32.94
Am I right?
00:43:32.97\00:43:34.78
Here's the answer, Acts 20:32.
00:43:34.81\00:43:37.38
I like to hear
those pages turning
00:43:37.41\00:43:38.95
even thought we
have it on the screen.
00:43:38.98\00:43:41.08
Acts 20:32 the
Bible reads as follows,
00:43:41.12\00:43:44.85
"So now, brethren,
00:43:44.89\00:43:46.42
I commend you to God and
to the word of His grace,
00:43:46.45\00:43:52.69
which is able to..."
00:43:52.73\00:43:54.06
Do what?
00:43:54.10\00:43:55.43
"Build you up and give you
an inheritance among all those
00:43:55.46\00:44:00.57
who are..." What?
00:44:00.60\00:44:01.94
"Sanctified."
00:44:01.97\00:44:03.44
What is the Word
of God able to do?
00:44:03.47\00:44:06.11
Sanctify you and do what else?
00:44:06.14\00:44:08.54
Build you up.
00:44:08.58\00:44:10.88
I'm...
00:44:10.91\00:44:12.25
You know,
bodybuilding is one thing
00:44:14.38\00:44:16.52
but spiritual bodybuilding
is something all together
00:44:16.55\00:44:18.92
that last a lot longer.
00:44:18.95\00:44:20.32
You don't have to
look like Mr. Universe
00:44:20.36\00:44:21.82
because the
strength comes not from you
00:44:21.86\00:44:23.79
but the
strength comes from what?
00:44:23.83\00:44:25.39
The Word of God which
lives and abides forever.
00:44:25.43\00:44:28.63
So if the Word of God
built up the early church
00:44:28.66\00:44:31.00
and you know
some of the stories,
00:44:31.03\00:44:32.50
you know, when the Bereans,
the Bereans studied God's word,
00:44:32.53\00:44:36.87
the Thessalonican's
study God's word.
00:44:36.91\00:44:38.61
And matter of fact,
whenever the word was preached,
00:44:38.64\00:44:40.94
they didn't take
what the preachers said.
00:44:40.98\00:44:42.61
What did they do?
00:44:42.64\00:44:44.41
They went home
and checked it out.
00:44:44.45\00:44:48.35
Okay, I heard what you said
00:44:48.38\00:44:49.92
but let me make sure
it's in God's word, right.
00:44:49.95\00:44:52.42
But that doesn't happen
in a whole lot nowadays.
00:44:52.45\00:44:54.82
You see, you will discover that
00:44:54.86\00:44:56.19
whenever the Word of
God is the measuring point,
00:44:56.22\00:44:58.43
whenever the Word of God is
the place that people examine
00:44:58.46\00:45:02.20
what is being
said publicly against.
00:45:02.23\00:45:04.83
When you measure
what a person says,
00:45:04.87\00:45:06.87
and I always encourage people,
don't take my word for granted.
00:45:06.90\00:45:10.57
Measure it by the Word of God.
00:45:10.61\00:45:11.94
When the Word of God
is the measuring rod,
00:45:11.97\00:45:14.61
12 inches is always 12
inches, it doesn't vary at all.
00:45:14.64\00:45:18.11
Three feet always three feet.
00:45:18.15\00:45:20.12
The Word of God
is the measuring rod,
00:45:20.15\00:45:21.78
that's why when you get
down to Revelation Chapter 11,
00:45:21.82\00:45:24.19
you find this
phrase, you find this phrase,
00:45:24.22\00:45:26.99
"Measure the temple
00:45:27.02\00:45:28.79
and those that
worship in there."
00:45:28.82\00:45:30.96
What are they measuring them?
00:45:30.99\00:45:32.33
How they measuring them?
00:45:32.36\00:45:33.70
They are measuring
them by the standards
00:45:33.73\00:45:35.70
that are divine.
00:45:35.73\00:45:37.07
They are
measuring those that worship
00:45:37.10\00:45:38.60
by a divine standard.
00:45:38.63\00:45:41.64
We are not being measured.
00:45:41.67\00:45:43.41
We are not being
measured by human standards.
00:45:43.44\00:45:45.81
We are being measured by what?
00:45:45.84\00:45:47.28
Divine standards.
00:45:47.31\00:45:49.34
Measure the temple
00:45:49.38\00:45:50.71
and those that
worship there, okay.
00:45:50.75\00:45:53.65
The Word of God.
00:45:53.68\00:45:55.02
Now let's go to number 18.
00:45:55.05\00:45:56.82
So if you want to put the answer
00:45:56.85\00:45:58.19
"How was the Christian church
strengthened at its inception?"
00:45:58.22\00:46:00.86
What did you put down?
00:46:00.89\00:46:02.62
By the word of God that
was able to build them up,
00:46:02.66\00:46:06.29
revealed His
grace and also sanctify.
00:46:06.33\00:46:10.23
It built them up,
00:46:10.27\00:46:11.60
revealed His grace
and also sanctified.
00:46:11.63\00:46:15.64
By the way the
word sanctified means
00:46:15.67\00:46:17.37
it set them apart.
00:46:17.41\00:46:19.11
They were not
like everybody else.
00:46:19.14\00:46:21.31
You will discover that...
00:46:21.34\00:46:22.78
You will discover that
those who study their Bible
00:46:25.95\00:46:28.02
are often in good company
00:46:28.05\00:46:30.52
when they are
around other people
00:46:30.55\00:46:31.89
that studied their Bible.
00:46:31.92\00:46:34.39
I won't tell you who
this story is told up
00:46:34.42\00:46:36.42
but I remember
somebody telling me the story
00:46:36.46\00:46:38.66
that when they were
growing up, they were rebellious
00:46:38.69\00:46:40.90
and their rebellion
let them out of the church
00:46:40.93\00:46:44.50
and they hung
around with friends
00:46:44.53\00:46:45.87
of a different
denomination and their friends,
00:46:45.90\00:46:50.14
you know, when the
Word of God is in your life,
00:46:50.17\00:46:51.81
you can't really run
away from God's word.
00:46:51.84\00:46:53.94
When God's word is
there, been planted there,
00:46:53.98\00:46:55.64
there are very few
things that you can do
00:46:55.68\00:46:57.38
against the Word of God.
00:46:57.41\00:46:58.85
And the friends that
they were hanging around
00:46:58.88\00:47:00.65
that was of a
different denomination
00:47:00.68\00:47:02.55
has said to this person,
00:47:02.58\00:47:04.72
"You need to go
back to your church
00:47:04.75\00:47:06.09
because you don't fit in."
00:47:06.12\00:47:07.46
You know what happens?
00:47:09.02\00:47:10.36
I know growing up
there were certain things
00:47:10.39\00:47:11.73
I was taught in my mind
00:47:11.76\00:47:13.43
even though there was no
one to tell me do or not do.
00:47:13.46\00:47:16.73
One particular example was,
00:47:16.77\00:47:18.23
I was, on Sabbath I was trying
to go off a baseball practice
00:47:18.27\00:47:21.57
when I was in high
school in New York City.
00:47:21.60\00:47:24.04
And I hid my
baseball glove over my face
00:47:24.07\00:47:27.21
because I was on the bus
00:47:27.24\00:47:28.58
where most of the
people that go to church
00:47:28.61\00:47:30.18
travel on that city bus.
00:47:30.21\00:47:31.65
Most people in New
York don't have cars
00:47:31.68\00:47:33.38
so they were
traveling on the city bus
00:47:33.42\00:47:34.75
and I had to take two
buses and both of those buses
00:47:34.78\00:47:37.15
would go through
all the neighborhoods
00:47:37.19\00:47:38.52
where people,
Adventists were going to church
00:47:38.55\00:47:41.59
and I said, "I
can't let them see me"
00:47:41.62\00:47:43.66
so I hid my face with
a glove, baseball glove.
00:47:43.69\00:47:47.83
When I got to my destination
00:47:47.86\00:47:49.93
it was what had been
hidden in my mind from young,
00:47:49.96\00:47:53.54
that Saturday which
was a Saturday to me
00:47:53.57\00:47:55.77
which really was God's
Sabbath and I knew different,
00:47:55.80\00:47:58.07
I couldn't hit the ball,
00:47:58.11\00:47:59.44
I couldn't
swing, I couldn't catch,
00:47:59.47\00:48:00.94
I couldn't run, I
was tumbling over myself
00:48:00.98\00:48:03.24
because what was in here
00:48:03.28\00:48:04.91
had so built a defense
against what I was doing
00:48:04.95\00:48:08.02
that I couldn't
deny what was in here.
00:48:08.05\00:48:09.38
So I just went
home and said, forget,
00:48:09.42\00:48:10.75
I'm not gonna try that again.
00:48:10.79\00:48:12.85
And there was no one
to tell me not to do it.
00:48:12.89\00:48:14.56
When our football, we
had a football dinner,
00:48:14.59\00:48:17.73
I know I don't look like it
00:48:17.76\00:48:19.09
but I played
football for short time,
00:48:19.13\00:48:21.03
in the short time that's
why I still have my faculties
00:48:21.06\00:48:24.30
but I remember going to--
00:48:24.33\00:48:25.67
I was invited to our
school's football dinner
00:48:25.70\00:48:27.40
which was held on Friday night.
00:48:27.44\00:48:28.77
There was no one
to tell me not to go
00:48:28.80\00:48:31.04
but I couldn't do it
00:48:31.07\00:48:32.41
because of what was in here.
00:48:32.44\00:48:34.64
It's amazing.
00:48:34.68\00:48:36.01
Basketball dinner.
00:48:36.04\00:48:37.38
I never got my
basketball jacket,
00:48:37.41\00:48:38.75
never got my basketball
school emblem on my jacket.
00:48:38.78\00:48:40.82
Why?
00:48:40.85\00:48:42.18
Because I just
couldn't go, my feet couldn't go
00:48:42.22\00:48:44.35
because what was in here.
00:48:44.39\00:48:45.72
That's why it's so important
00:48:45.75\00:48:47.09
to hide God's word
in your head, amen.
00:48:47.12\00:48:48.46
Amen.
00:48:48.49\00:48:49.82
Wonderful. Wonderful.
00:48:49.86\00:48:51.19
Look at number 18,
00:48:51.23\00:48:52.56
"What else has God designed
00:48:52.59\00:48:53.93
the study of His
word to accomplish?"
00:48:53.96\00:48:55.56
"What else has God designed
00:48:55.60\00:48:58.03
the study of His
word to accomplish?"
00:48:58.07\00:49:02.30
He has designed
the study of His word
00:49:02.34\00:49:03.71
to accomplish many
things but what else?
00:49:03.74\00:49:06.64
Not just build us
up but something else.
00:49:06.68\00:49:09.81
And we touched on
this in the last text
00:49:09.84\00:49:12.08
but we will see it right here.
00:49:12.11\00:49:13.45
Okay? Ready?
00:49:13.48\00:49:14.92
Here's the answer.
00:49:14.95\00:49:16.58
We all know this text by heart.
00:49:16.62\00:49:18.22
"Sanctify them by..."
00:49:18.25\00:49:19.75
What?
00:49:19.79\00:49:21.12
"Your truth.
Your word is truth."
00:49:21.16\00:49:24.49
You know, that
word truth is a word
00:49:24.53\00:49:26.03
that's not used a lot nowadays.
00:49:26.06\00:49:28.83
People say that's
your interpretation.
00:49:28.86\00:49:32.20
People say, well, that's
what your church teaches.
00:49:32.23\00:49:34.54
But I tell you what, if
you study the Word of God,
00:49:34.57\00:49:37.71
whatever you study in
the Word of God is truth.
00:49:37.74\00:49:40.01
It's what? T-R-U-T-H, truth.
00:49:40.04\00:49:43.81
So when people
say, "Well, you know,
00:49:43.85\00:49:45.18
our church is nondenominational,
00:49:45.21\00:49:46.55
we don't teach doctrines."
00:49:46.58\00:49:47.92
You know what I always ask?
00:49:47.95\00:49:49.28
Do you use the Bible?
00:49:49.32\00:49:50.65
Oh, yeah, we use the Bible.
00:49:50.69\00:49:52.02
Then you cannot be a church
that doesn't teach doctrine.
00:49:52.05\00:49:54.76
Because anything you
teach in the Word of God,
00:49:54.79\00:49:57.09
the word doctrine
simply means teachings,
00:49:57.13\00:49:59.69
that's all it means.
00:49:59.73\00:50:01.23
So if you are
teaching from the Word of God,
00:50:01.26\00:50:03.13
you are teaching doctrines
00:50:03.16\00:50:04.57
because everything you
teach in the Word of God
00:50:04.60\00:50:06.97
says something
about the character of God
00:50:07.00\00:50:10.27
and the life of Christ.
00:50:10.31\00:50:12.17
And there's no such thing
as studying the Word of God
00:50:12.21\00:50:15.44
and not teaching doctrine.
00:50:15.48\00:50:17.41
So if you are going to a church
00:50:17.45\00:50:18.78
that say they
don't teach doctrine,
00:50:18.81\00:50:20.28
run for your
life, run for your life.
00:50:20.32\00:50:23.69
If they say they
are nondenominational
00:50:23.72\00:50:25.42
we teach, you know,
00:50:25.45\00:50:27.22
when I hear that
phrase nondenominational,
00:50:27.26\00:50:29.09
it's like buckshot.
00:50:29.12\00:50:30.66
You know, whatever
you want, it's here.
00:50:30.69\00:50:33.03
It's kind of like
going to a bank and say,
00:50:33.06\00:50:34.40
"I would like to
have $100 in change."
00:50:34.43\00:50:36.77
You know they ask
you, what do they ask you?
00:50:36.80\00:50:39.97
"What denomination?"
00:50:40.00\00:50:41.44
And you say, "No denomination."
00:50:41.47\00:50:43.04
Does it make sense? No.
00:50:45.41\00:50:47.94
No, what do you
mean no denomination?
00:50:47.98\00:50:49.41
I just want $100 in change.
00:50:49.44\00:50:50.88
What
denomination? No denomination.
00:50:50.91\00:50:53.31
Please give me
nondenominational change.
00:50:53.35\00:50:55.78
You are not gonna
get anything back.
00:50:55.82\00:50:57.15
Am I telling you the truth?
00:50:57.19\00:50:58.52
They say, "Sir,
here's your $100 bill
00:50:58.55\00:50:59.89
would you please leave?"
00:50:59.92\00:51:01.26
Because whatever we give,
00:51:01.29\00:51:02.62
it's gonna be in
some denomination.
00:51:02.66\00:51:03.99
Am I right?
00:51:04.03\00:51:05.36
$50, $20, $10, $5,
$1 and then quarters,
00:51:05.39\00:51:07.80
half a dollars all
way down to one penny,
00:51:07.83\00:51:09.70
but there is some denomination.
00:51:09.73\00:51:11.87
The Word of God is
there not to confuse you
00:51:11.90\00:51:13.94
but to establish
you on the truth.
00:51:13.97\00:51:15.94
"Sanctify them by Your truth.
00:51:15.97\00:51:17.51
Your word is in fact truth."
00:51:17.54\00:51:19.71
Now let me share
with you this quotation.
00:51:19.74\00:51:21.21
It's not in your lesson.
00:51:21.24\00:51:22.58
It's not there, it's
between question 17 and 18.
00:51:22.61\00:51:25.08
It's solely on
the screen tonight,
00:51:25.11\00:51:26.72
so those of you who are viewing
00:51:26.75\00:51:28.25
and if you are
listening by radio,
00:51:28.28\00:51:29.88
listen very carefully.
00:51:29.92\00:51:31.25
This comes from a
devotional book called
00:51:31.29\00:51:33.56
"A Call to Stand Apart" page 69.
00:51:33.59\00:51:37.49
Listen to this quotation.
It's a powerful quotation.
00:51:37.53\00:51:39.39
It says,
00:51:39.43\00:51:40.76
"There is nothing more
calculated to energize the mind
00:51:40.80\00:51:44.53
and strengthen the
intellect than the..."
00:51:44.57\00:51:47.20
What?
00:51:47.24\00:51:48.57
"Study of the Word of God."
00:51:48.60\00:51:51.77
Get this.
00:51:51.81\00:51:53.14
"No other book is so
potent, that's powerful,
00:51:53.17\00:51:58.01
to elevate the thoughts,
00:51:58.05\00:52:00.32
to give vigor, that is life,
00:52:00.35\00:52:03.22
to the faculties,
awaken the faculties,
00:52:03.25\00:52:05.85
as the broad,
ennobling truths of the Bible."
00:52:05.89\00:52:11.06
No other book.
00:52:11.09\00:52:12.43
"If God's Word were
studied as it should be,
00:52:12.46\00:52:17.10
men would have
a breadth of mind,
00:52:17.13\00:52:19.57
that is they will
be spiritually deep,
00:52:19.60\00:52:21.87
a nobility of character,
00:52:21.90\00:52:23.94
and a stability of purpose
00:52:23.97\00:52:26.21
that are rarely
seen in these times."
00:52:26.24\00:52:29.91
You want to find
somebody that's well furnished.
00:52:29.94\00:52:31.78
You want to find somebody
00:52:31.81\00:52:33.15
that's not just
intellectual but sound.
00:52:33.18\00:52:35.85
I was talking to my wife today
00:52:35.88\00:52:37.29
about how uncouth I
was when I was younger
00:52:37.32\00:52:41.16
and I look back on my life
and some of the things I did
00:52:41.19\00:52:43.89
and some of the
things I said and I said,
00:52:43.93\00:52:45.86
"Honey, man, boy,
I've come a long way."
00:52:45.89\00:52:48.66
And, you know,
it's important for us
00:52:48.70\00:52:50.03
sometimes to take
inventory as to where we were
00:52:50.07\00:52:52.73
and where we are.
00:52:52.77\00:52:54.10
I'm not talking
about a month ago
00:52:54.14\00:52:55.47
or week ago or year ago
00:52:55.50\00:52:56.84
but go away back
sometimes and say,
00:52:56.87\00:52:58.61
"Man, look at where I'm now
00:52:58.64\00:53:01.54
compared to where I used to be."
00:53:01.58\00:53:03.65
And you know what
has made the difference?
00:53:03.68\00:53:05.08
The study of God's word.
00:53:05.11\00:53:07.58
The entrance of
God's word gives light.
00:53:07.62\00:53:11.72
Now I think we
will maybe able to cover
00:53:11.75\00:53:13.62
one or two more tonight
00:53:13.66\00:53:14.99
but let's move on
to the very next one.
00:53:15.02\00:53:17.46
Number 19, number 19.
00:53:17.49\00:53:21.63
So if you want to
be ennobling and strong
00:53:21.66\00:53:23.60
and have a stable
character and a diligent mind
00:53:23.63\00:53:27.10
and a purpose that is something
that is rarely seen in society,
00:53:27.14\00:53:31.31
study God's word and
live by what it says.
00:53:31.34\00:53:34.78
Question number 19,
00:53:34.81\00:53:36.14
"How does Jeremiah describe
00:53:36.18\00:53:38.45
the experience of
studying God's Word?"
00:53:38.48\00:53:41.78
How does he describe
00:53:41.82\00:53:43.62
the experience of
studying God's Word?
00:53:43.65\00:53:48.89
Jeremiah 15:16,
00:53:48.92\00:53:53.29
Jeremiah 15:16.
00:53:53.33\00:53:57.13
This is a beautiful text.
00:53:57.17\00:53:58.50
This is the young
Jeremiah by the way.
00:53:58.53\00:53:59.87
When we think of
the word Jeremiah
00:53:59.90\00:54:01.24
and we think of
85-years-old, 75 years.
00:54:01.27\00:54:03.51
No, Jeremiah was a young man.
00:54:03.54\00:54:06.04
He was a young man.
00:54:06.07\00:54:07.41
Look at what he
says in his youth.
00:54:07.44\00:54:08.78
He says, "Your
words were found..."
00:54:08.81\00:54:11.68
In other words, he
picked up God's word
00:54:11.71\00:54:13.58
and what did he do?
00:54:13.62\00:54:14.95
He said, "I ate them,
00:54:14.98\00:54:16.99
and Your words was to me the joy
00:54:17.02\00:54:21.19
and rejoicing of my heart,
00:54:21.22\00:54:23.76
for I am called by Your
name, O Lord God of hosts."
00:54:23.79\00:54:28.06
You know, what he
is in essence saying,
00:54:28.10\00:54:29.43
if we reverse that he said,
00:54:29.46\00:54:30.80
because I love You so
much and love Your name,
00:54:30.83\00:54:33.03
I realize that eating
Your word is the only thing
00:54:33.07\00:54:36.50
that's gonna give me
joy and make me rejoice.
00:54:36.54\00:54:39.87
You know, what he
in essence saying,
00:54:39.91\00:54:41.24
he says, I say, I know
You and I bear Your name
00:54:41.28\00:54:43.95
but I'm trying to find,
00:54:43.98\00:54:45.31
if I try to find
joy and rejoicing
00:54:45.35\00:54:46.78
outside of Your word,
I'm not gonna find it.
00:54:46.82\00:54:49.02
So here's what he says and
let's just break this down.
00:54:49.05\00:54:51.65
Okay, I'm called by Your name
00:54:51.69\00:54:55.22
and You are the Lord of host
00:54:55.26\00:54:58.73
and I have been trying
to find joy and rejoicing
00:54:58.76\00:55:01.26
every place else
but I couldn't find it.
00:55:01.30\00:55:05.63
But when I found Your word,
00:55:05.67\00:55:08.24
go to the context
now, Your words were found.
00:55:08.27\00:55:11.44
I was looking every place
else but I couldn't find it.
00:55:11.47\00:55:14.91
But Your words were
found and what did I do?
00:55:14.94\00:55:18.15
I ate them.
00:55:18.18\00:55:19.51
And Your words
was to me the what?
00:55:19.55\00:55:22.08
Joy and rejoicing of my heart.
00:55:22.12\00:55:26.89
People spend so
much time on things
00:55:26.92\00:55:28.72
that you don't have to spend,
00:55:28.76\00:55:30.99
people spend money on things
00:55:31.03\00:55:32.36
that don't really
bring satisfaction,
00:55:32.39\00:55:34.33
don't bring joy and rejoicing.
00:55:34.36\00:55:36.16
God is saying the
word is free right now.
00:55:36.20\00:55:39.43
We handle the free Word of God
00:55:39.47\00:55:42.30
as though it
doesn't have any value
00:55:42.34\00:55:44.77
and we pay
large money for things
00:55:44.81\00:55:46.24
that don't have any value.
00:55:46.27\00:55:48.54
When in fact, Jeremiah says,
00:55:48.58\00:55:50.05
"Man, this stuff tastes
good and it brings me joy
00:55:50.08\00:55:53.35
and it makes me rejoice."
00:55:53.38\00:55:54.72
Amen, to that.
00:55:54.75\00:55:56.08
I think one more,
one more, number 20.
00:55:56.12\00:55:59.89
This is a short one.
00:55:59.92\00:56:01.26
This is last one
for tonight, number 20.
00:56:01.29\00:56:03.59
"What
description does David give
00:56:03.63\00:56:05.66
to planting God's
Word in our minds?"
00:56:05.69\00:56:08.80
What description does
he give, Psalms 126:5, 6.
00:56:08.83\00:56:12.93
Psalms 126:5, 6.
00:56:12.97\00:56:18.11
I hear the pages turning.
00:56:18.14\00:56:19.64
Psalms 126:5, 6,
here's what the Bible says.
00:56:19.67\00:56:23.81
David says,
00:56:23.85\00:56:25.18
"Those who sow in
tears shall reap in joy.
00:56:25.21\00:56:28.92
He who continually
goes forth weeping,
00:56:28.95\00:56:32.15
bearing seed for sowing,
00:56:32.19\00:56:34.62
shall doubtless come
again with rejoicing,
00:56:34.66\00:56:38.96
bringing his sheaves with him."
00:56:38.99\00:56:40.90
I don't want you to miss this.
00:56:40.93\00:56:42.50
This is like the evangelist.
00:56:42.53\00:56:43.93
Those of you that
are joining us from Life
00:56:43.97\00:56:46.03
or anyone of these schools
00:56:46.07\00:56:47.40
where you are
studying your Bible
00:56:47.44\00:56:48.77
or colleges or universities
00:56:48.80\00:56:50.41
if you are studying God's
word what is being said here
00:56:50.44\00:56:53.04
is "Do not be
weary in well doing,
00:56:53.07\00:56:56.61
for in due time you will
reap, if you do not faint."
00:56:56.64\00:57:00.35
If you are sowing God's word,
00:57:00.38\00:57:01.75
He is saying one day
it's gonna produce the harvest
00:57:01.78\00:57:04.15
that you never
thought it will produce
00:57:04.19\00:57:06.29
and it says and you
00:57:06.32\00:57:07.66
because of your diligent
label will come rejoicing
00:57:07.69\00:57:10.96
and the harvest of souls
00:57:10.99\00:57:13.06
will come
bringing in the sheaves.
00:57:13.09\00:57:16.67
So let me
encourage you, friends,
00:57:16.70\00:57:18.03
those of you that are tuning in,
00:57:18.07\00:57:19.40
those of you that are
watching and listening,
00:57:19.43\00:57:21.50
let me encourage you.
00:57:21.54\00:57:22.87
The study of
God's word is something
00:57:22.90\00:57:24.24
that you cannot overestimate.
00:57:24.27\00:57:26.31
It is the book
that will bring light.
00:57:26.34\00:57:28.54
It is the book
that will bring joy.
00:57:28.58\00:57:30.95
It is the book that
will bring rejoicing.
00:57:30.98\00:57:33.08
It is the book
that will bring hope.
00:57:33.11\00:57:35.02
It is the book
that will transformed,
00:57:35.05\00:57:37.15
it will give you depth of
mind, nobility of character.
00:57:37.19\00:57:40.99
You will be able to
walk in society today
00:57:41.02\00:57:42.36
and people will say,
00:57:42.39\00:57:43.73
"Now there is a
trustworthy individual.
00:57:43.76\00:57:45.53
There is a person
whose mind is balanced.
00:57:45.56\00:57:48.00
There is a
person whose life tells
00:57:48.03\00:57:49.56
that he is more
than just what he says
00:57:49.60\00:57:52.10
but he lives his testimony."
00:57:52.13\00:57:54.47
So continue studying God's word
00:57:54.50\00:57:56.40
and you will
discover when you do that,
00:57:56.44\00:57:58.11
the truth of God
and the life of Christ
00:57:58.14\00:57:59.94
will come into a sharper focus.
00:57:59.97\00:58:02.74
God bless you.
00:58:02.78\00:58:04.11
Let's pray together.
00:58:04.15\00:58:05.48