Hello, friends, and welcome
to another Wednesday night
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A Sharper Focus Bible study
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here in Thompsonville, Illinois,
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at the 3ABN Worship Center.
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I know, if you've been tuning
in before you may have heard.
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I thought they
were in West Frankfort.
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Well, they are.
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And, but the church
is in Thompsonville.
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If you lived here,
that's just about a breath away
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across just simply one street.
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But thank you for
tuning in tonight.
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We have a wonderful continual
study on the "Power of Prayer."
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And then we're gonna
dive into a lesson entitled,
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"Face the Challenges."
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There are lots of
challenges in our world today.
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And what we need to
know is where we stand
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in the light of
God's measurement.
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And we will
discover that the challenges
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that we face are minimal
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compared to what
God can do in our lives.
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So for the next
hour, get your Bibles,
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get your friends,
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get your family,
and get your pens,
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and sit down,
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and go through
the study with us.
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If you'd like a
copy of the lesson,
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go to asf.3abn.org,
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don't put www.
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You won't find it.
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Just asf.3abn.org and
download lesson number 10
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and then lesson number 11,
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which catches
you up to the lesson
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we're gonna cover
right after we finished
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the one on the Power of Prayer.
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We only have three questions
remaining in the lesson
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that we continued
from on our last broadcast.
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And we promise you that
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with the
presence of the Lord here,
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we're gonna have a
wonderful study tonight.
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So let's invite
the Lord's presence
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by bowing our heads.
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Father in heaven tonight,
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we thank You so
much for Your goodness,
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for Your mercy.
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We thank You for Your Word.
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Every time we open the Bible,
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we always come away
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with a deeper
understanding than we had
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when we peered into its pages.
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And so, Lord, tonight
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as we look through
that small slice of time
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into the Word of God
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that is really beyond
our complete comprehension.
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We pray that Your Holy
Spirit will be our teacher,
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and our guide.
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And as You open
our hearts and minds,
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may our
understanding be expanded.
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May our dedication
to You be increased.
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In Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen.
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We also sing our song,
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our theme song is
"Victory in Jesus"
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because we're
talking about still,
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how to live a spiritual
life in what kind of body?
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In a natural body.
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That's what we are called to do
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until the Lord comes
and changes this vile body
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into His glorious body.
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We all have to
live a spiritual life
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in a natural body.
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So tonight join us
if you know the song,
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we're gonna sing our
song, "Victory in Jesus."
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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 sin
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And won the victory
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Kind of victory.
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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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
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Chorus.
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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Isn't that wonderful? Amen.
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Tonight we're gonna talk
about The Power of Prayer.
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I'm a New Yorker
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and I can't hide from
that reality, that fact.
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I remember,
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my sister, I speak
to her almost every day
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and she works for
the City of New York.
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And every now and
then I get a glimpse
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of the New World Trade
Centers that are going up.
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In our mindful of the fact
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that when the World
Trade Centers were hit,
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communication for a large
part was completely wiped out.
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In Manhattan, that is
by far many cell phones
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just ceased to work.
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Whatever tower was listed,
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was built on the top
of the World Trade Center
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instantly ceased to function.
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And communication
was naturally cut off.
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Even police
radios to a large degree
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couldn't
communicate with each other
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because the
communication devices,
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the antennas on the top
of the World Trade Center,
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as you know, were
damaged, destroyed,
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especially when the
buildings came down.
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And people had
devices in their hands
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but they just
couldn't get through.
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They couldn't
communicate with each other.
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They made phone
calls, they did everything,
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they did the day before,
but nothing went through.
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Because the central
point of communication,
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the World Trade
Center's building
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was brought down to the ground.
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And when you think
about communication,
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today, we all rely on
communication devices.
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I think we're the most
connected generation ever.
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We are, I would refer
to as the iGeneration.
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At least that's what
Apple wants us to think.
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The iGeneration, the
iPhone, the iPad, the iPad Mini,
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the I, I, I, I.
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On the other side,
they're the droiders,
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sounds like a word
from another planet,
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the droid, the generation.
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So the communication
races between the droiders,
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and the iPaders,
and the iPhoners.
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But people wanna communicate,
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that's the most
natural thing to do nowadays.
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People are texting.
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People are making phone calls.
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People are messaging each other.
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People live on the internet,
they wanna communicate.
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We have
Facebook, we have MySpace,
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we have the Twitter generation
word that did not exist
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not too long ago, twit, a Tweet,
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tweet, it was
something that a bird did,
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not what humans did.
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And so we are in this generation
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where we just wanna communicate.
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But I'm glad to report
tonight that there is no damage
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in the World Trade
Centers of the universe.
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That's where Jesus
is, can you say amen?
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There's no damage there.
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There's been an
attack long time ago,
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but Satan was
ineffective in bringing down
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God's major
communication device.
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So there's this
open communication
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between us and God,
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which gives us the assurance
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that when we call on God,
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we will get our prayers through.
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Now when you think about
God's communication device,
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I wanna go to our first question
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for tonight.
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And when I say first question,
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we are actually
starting on question number 17.
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Question number 17.
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And we're gonna
look and see why,
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why the communication center
of heaven is still functioning?
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There's a way that we
get our prayers through
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that Satan is
completely ineffective
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to block, to bar, to hinder.
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Let's look at
question number 17,
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which begins as follows.
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How can we have the assurance
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that our prayers will be heard?
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Even in my local home phone,
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sometimes I'm calling someone
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and if I fail to dial 618,
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this operator comes on and says,
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if you'd like to make a call,
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please check the
number and dial again
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or check the area code number.
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And so even though we all live
in the 618 area code down here,
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just a matter of distance away,
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you have to either
not included or included.
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And so it gets
kind of discombobulated
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when you think about
it, but when we pray,
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you don't have to add a prefix.
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You don't have to add a suffix,
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you don't have to
go back to the days
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that some of our
older members may remember,
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sad to see I remember too.
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I don't know what's happening
to me, I must be aging.
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But back then, when we used
to put St's first two letters,
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Sterling 7 or Sterling 9,
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before we had the actual numbers
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that were there.
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But the Lord has put in
place a system that makes sure
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that our prayers get through.
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And we find that in Romans 8:26.
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Let's look at that together.
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Romans 8:26, is
where the answer is found.
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And here it is.
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The Bible says,
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"Likewise," the who?
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"The Spirit also
helps in our," what?
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"Weaknesses.
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For we do not know
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what we should
pray for as we ought,
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but
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the Spirit Himself
makes intercession for us
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with groanings
which cannot be," what?
00:10:08.84\00:10:11.67
"Cannot be uttered."
00:10:11.71\00:10:13.04
In other words, the Holy Spirit
has a way of communicating
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with the Godhead
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that we are
incapable of duplicating.
00:10:16.58\00:10:19.05
So you think
about somebody says,
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and I heard a communication,
00:10:21.02\00:10:22.38
a professor one say
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that if we could use a
device that will allow us
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to see all the waves
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that are going through the air.
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I forgot what they
call those devices,
00:10:29.72\00:10:31.19
they're able to
see the infrared waves,
00:10:31.23\00:10:33.43
the blue waves, the
green waves, all kind.
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They said, if we
will see all the waves
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that are traveling
through the air right now
00:10:37.87\00:10:39.47
we'd duck
00:10:39.50\00:10:41.20
and try to pace ourselves
as close to the flow as we can
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because it's coming at
us from every direction.
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If you turn your radio on,
00:10:47.21\00:10:49.24
and you start
flipping through the channels,
00:10:49.28\00:10:51.31
they all start
coming in eventually.
00:10:51.35\00:10:53.38
If you program in your
car, you're a Sirius satellite,
00:10:53.42\00:10:56.89
you could be
driving 75 miles an hour,
00:10:56.92\00:10:58.79
and it's following
you wherever you go.
00:10:58.82\00:11:01.56
And that's how prayer is.
00:11:01.59\00:11:03.09
There's no place where we are
that we are out of reach of God
00:11:03.12\00:11:07.43
when it comes to prayer. Amen?
00:11:07.46\00:11:09.23
Because the Holy Spirit,
00:11:09.26\00:11:11.07
who knows not only our hearts,
00:11:11.10\00:11:13.03
but knows the heart of God,
00:11:13.07\00:11:14.90
He intercedes with groanings
00:11:14.94\00:11:17.01
which cannot be uttered.
00:11:17.04\00:11:18.37
In other words,
have you ever prayed?
00:11:18.41\00:11:19.74
Let me ask the
question, and maybe
00:11:19.77\00:11:21.11
you can answer the
question, but answered at home.
00:11:21.14\00:11:24.91
How many times have you prayed
and your mind is so confused,
00:11:24.95\00:11:28.52
that you pray and
you finish your prayers?
00:11:28.55\00:11:30.72
I don't even know if
God's gonna hear that
00:11:30.75\00:11:32.29
'cause I mean, I don't even know
00:11:32.32\00:11:33.66
what I asked Him for.
00:11:33.69\00:11:35.02
We some time are challenged
by what we're praying for,
00:11:35.06\00:11:37.09
especially when
we're in a crisis moment,
00:11:37.13\00:11:39.66
especially when we're
in a moment of illness,
00:11:39.69\00:11:42.46
especially when somebody
that we care about and love
00:11:42.50\00:11:45.43
is in a crisis.
00:11:45.47\00:11:46.80
And we come to their
aid instantly, we say,
00:11:46.84\00:11:48.60
well, let's just pray.
00:11:48.64\00:11:50.11
And you try to
gather your thoughts.
00:11:50.14\00:11:52.14
But what we have
here the assurance is,
00:11:52.17\00:11:53.94
the Holy Spirit is there.
00:11:53.98\00:11:56.18
And as we pray as
we open our hearts
00:11:56.21\00:11:57.78
and begin to pray,
00:11:57.81\00:11:59.15
the Holy Spirit
helps in our weaknesses.
00:11:59.18\00:12:01.52
That means when
our prayers are weak,
00:12:01.55\00:12:05.55
that means in our human frailty,
00:12:05.59\00:12:08.39
our prayers can't get any higher
00:12:08.42\00:12:09.92
than the ceiling.
00:12:09.96\00:12:11.29
But the Holy
Spirit takes those prayers
00:12:11.33\00:12:13.23
and puts with a
divine ingredient
00:12:13.26\00:12:16.46
that man cannot include.
00:12:16.50\00:12:18.43
That's why it
says with groanings,
00:12:18.47\00:12:21.07
which cannot be uttered.
00:12:21.10\00:12:24.57
And then he sends that forth.
00:12:24.61\00:12:26.94
I refer to that as a knee-mail.
00:12:26.98\00:12:29.98
Since that forth,
00:12:30.01\00:12:31.45
as we bow our knees before,
00:12:31.48\00:12:33.05
since that forth,
00:12:33.08\00:12:34.42
and heaven receives it.
00:12:34.45\00:12:36.12
And I remember many years ago,
00:12:36.15\00:12:39.09
somebody told me
about this movie,
00:12:39.12\00:12:41.22
I never saw it.
00:12:41.26\00:12:42.72
But they told me about.
00:12:42.76\00:12:44.09
Oh, I forgot the name of it.
00:12:44.13\00:12:46.03
I didn't see it
'cause, you know,
00:12:46.06\00:12:47.53
when I heard the title of it,
00:12:47.56\00:12:48.90
I didn't want
to watch it anyway.
00:12:48.93\00:12:50.67
It's about
somebody claiming to be God,
00:12:50.70\00:12:54.34
I forgot that funny
comedian actor's name.
00:12:54.37\00:12:58.34
Carrey,
00:12:58.37\00:13:01.11
Jim Carrey, he's
supposed to be God,
00:13:01.14\00:13:02.58
and he was
answering all these emails.
00:13:02.61\00:13:04.08
Something Almighty.
00:13:08.18\00:13:09.55
When I heard the
title, I thought, you know,
00:13:09.58\00:13:10.92
that's not what
I'm gonna be watching
00:13:10.95\00:13:12.42
Bruce Almighty
00:13:12.45\00:13:13.79
'cause it's God Almighty, right?
00:13:13.82\00:13:15.86
It is certainly you
just don't watch, right?
00:13:15.89\00:13:18.29
I mean, lowering God to
the standard of a comedian.
00:13:18.33\00:13:21.43
But somebody had told me, "Man,
you should have seen that."
00:13:21.46\00:13:23.16
I said, "Well, what
was so funny about?"
00:13:23.20\00:13:24.53
He said, "He's
answering everybody's prayers."
00:13:24.57\00:13:26.17
I said, "How was he doing that?"
00:13:26.20\00:13:28.77
Just hit the computer
00:13:28.80\00:13:30.14
respond and the
world just got chaotic
00:13:30.17\00:13:33.11
because he was
answering everybody's prayers.
00:13:33.14\00:13:35.38
He didn't answer it
according to their needs.
00:13:35.41\00:13:36.78
He just answered it
00:13:36.81\00:13:39.28
because he got so overwhelmed.
00:13:39.31\00:13:41.38
And I thought to myself,
00:13:41.42\00:13:43.02
that's not how God is.
00:13:43.05\00:13:44.39
When the Holy
Spirit hears our prayers,
00:13:44.42\00:13:46.29
not only does He
help our weaknesses,
00:13:46.32\00:13:48.42
but He allows that
prayer to be answered,
00:13:48.46\00:13:50.93
according to our
N-E-E-D. What does that spell?
00:13:50.96\00:13:54.63
According to our need.
00:13:54.66\00:13:56.00
So it says, I
know what you mean,
00:13:56.03\00:13:57.60
just like a child
00:13:57.63\00:13:58.97
when he cries out
or like Chernobyl,
00:13:59.00\00:14:01.97
you know, we have
some church members,
00:14:02.00\00:14:04.74
little daughter, you
could tell wherever she is,
00:14:04.77\00:14:06.34
you hear that scream.
00:14:06.37\00:14:07.88
And she's a little small thing,
00:14:07.91\00:14:09.31
probably a few ounces.
00:14:09.34\00:14:10.95
But she's got a scream
that's about 50 pounds heavy.
00:14:10.98\00:14:14.42
And she could
communicate wherever she is.
00:14:14.45\00:14:16.85
And that's how God is,
wherever His children cry out,
00:14:16.89\00:14:20.26
He can hear us
00:14:20.29\00:14:21.62
and the Holy
Spirit packages that
00:14:21.66\00:14:23.53
and gets us
through with groanings
00:14:23.56\00:14:25.63
which cannot be uttered.
00:14:25.66\00:14:27.00
It has that divine connection.
00:14:27.03\00:14:28.50
So that's the
assurance that we have
00:14:28.53\00:14:30.07
that our prayers will be heard.
00:14:30.10\00:14:31.67
The assurance is
not the human element.
00:14:31.70\00:14:34.00
But the assurance
is the divine element.
00:14:34.04\00:14:37.44
All right, let's
go to the next one.
00:14:37.47\00:14:40.14
Number 18.
00:14:40.18\00:14:42.54
What simple
instruction are we given
00:14:42.58\00:14:45.61
concerning the
frequency of prayer?
00:14:45.65\00:14:48.85
Now we're not talking
about AM and FM frequency,
00:14:48.88\00:14:51.39
we're talking about
the regularity of prayer.
00:14:51.42\00:14:54.22
Okay, what simple
instruction are we given?
00:14:54.26\00:14:56.52
We're gonna go to
1 Thessalonians 5:17.
00:14:56.56\00:15:00.10
In this case, the question
is longer than the answer.
00:15:00.13\00:15:04.73
For those of you,
you know, what frequency?
00:15:04.77\00:15:06.74
In other words, how
often should we pray,
00:15:06.77\00:15:08.50
you read in the
Bible, that Daniel,
00:15:08.54\00:15:10.14
at least
according to his pattern,
00:15:10.17\00:15:12.24
prayed how many times a day?
00:15:12.27\00:15:13.88
He prayed three times a
day. That was his pattern.
00:15:13.91\00:15:16.75
I would say that,
00:15:16.78\00:15:18.11
that was his
morning, his afternoon,
00:15:18.15\00:15:20.42
and his evening prayer.
00:15:20.45\00:15:21.78
Those were
traditional in his life,
00:15:21.82\00:15:23.69
but they were not the run
in the mill kind of prayer.
00:15:23.72\00:15:26.29
They were sincere prayers.
00:15:26.32\00:15:27.76
He didn't just say, okay,
00:15:27.79\00:15:29.29
like some people
will pray in the morning,
00:15:29.32\00:15:31.76
at the noon
time, in the afternoon.
00:15:31.79\00:15:33.19
But I'm sure that Daniel
also prayed before he ate.
00:15:33.23\00:15:36.03
But the reason why I
pointed out those prayers
00:15:36.06\00:15:38.40
is because those were
the prayers that were on...
00:15:38.43\00:15:41.40
Those were the
prayer aspects of his life
00:15:41.44\00:15:44.27
that were a
pattern, his daily prayer.
00:15:44.31\00:15:46.94
And if you pray at
least three times a day,
00:15:46.98\00:15:48.31
you get answers.
00:15:48.34\00:15:49.71
You'll stay in touch with God.
00:15:49.74\00:15:51.11
If somebody called you
at least three times a day,
00:15:51.15\00:15:55.48
now no young people do that.
00:15:55.52\00:15:57.69
Young girls can call
their friends all day long.
00:15:57.72\00:16:00.29
Every time they call
and they have something new
00:16:00.32\00:16:01.66
to talk about.
00:16:01.69\00:16:03.02
Right?
00:16:03.06\00:16:04.39
Communication, texting all day,
00:16:04.43\00:16:05.76
I see kids with
their texting sometimes,
00:16:05.79\00:16:07.63
who you talking to,
00:16:07.66\00:16:09.00
the same person they
talked to four hours ago,
00:16:09.03\00:16:10.93
and see what else
do they come up with.
00:16:10.97\00:16:13.07
But somehow they come
up with something new.
00:16:13.10\00:16:15.37
But when you think
about the frequency of people,
00:16:15.40\00:16:16.81
if people can text all day long,
00:16:16.84\00:16:19.77
and people can make
phone calls sometimes
00:16:19.81\00:16:21.54
to the same person all day long.
00:16:21.58\00:16:23.98
What simple instruction
are we given concerning
00:16:24.01\00:16:25.95
the frequency of our prayers?
00:16:25.98\00:16:28.05
Let's read this
together. It's a very long text.
00:16:28.08\00:16:31.05
I hope you can get
over. Are we ready?
00:16:31.09\00:16:33.66
Here we go on
the count of three.
00:16:33.69\00:16:35.02
One, two, three.
What does it say?
00:16:35.06\00:16:36.52
Pray without ceasing.
00:16:36.56\00:16:40.10
When you think
of this world today,
00:16:40.13\00:16:41.70
that's a good bit of advice.
00:16:41.73\00:16:44.50
In other words, God is
saying, I wanna hear from you
00:16:44.53\00:16:46.20
as often as I possibly can.
00:16:46.23\00:16:47.97
So let me put it this way.
00:16:48.00\00:16:49.90
So that God assures
that he hears from us
00:16:49.94\00:16:51.74
as often as he can,
00:16:51.77\00:16:53.11
he doesn't always
stop every challenge
00:16:53.14\00:16:54.48
that comes our way
00:16:54.51\00:16:55.84
because the reason why we pray
00:16:55.88\00:16:58.41
is not just
because we wanna talk.
00:16:58.45\00:17:01.02
But the reason why we pray
00:17:01.05\00:17:02.48
is we should
have an innate desire
00:17:02.52\00:17:05.29
to talk to our Heavenly Father.
00:17:05.32\00:17:07.59
When you love somebody,
00:17:07.62\00:17:08.96
don't you wanna talk to them?
00:17:08.99\00:17:11.26
The more you love them,
00:17:11.29\00:17:12.63
the more you wanna talk to them.
00:17:12.66\00:17:14.00
I remember, when I was dating
when my wife and I were dating,
00:17:14.03\00:17:16.20
and she's visiting with her mom
in Orlando, Florida right now.
00:17:16.23\00:17:19.10
So she's speaking in.
00:17:19.13\00:17:20.47
"Hello, honey."
00:17:20.50\00:17:22.10
But when we were dating,
00:17:22.14\00:17:24.07
we talk all day
long on the phone.
00:17:24.11\00:17:26.27
And as soon as I got home,
00:17:26.31\00:17:27.88
phone would ring.
00:17:27.91\00:17:29.61
My dad would say,
"Who's calling this late?"
00:17:29.64\00:17:32.51
And he picked up
the phone and answers,
00:17:32.55\00:17:33.88
he says, Angie, he said,
00:17:33.92\00:17:35.25
"What on earth do you
guys have to talk about?"
00:17:35.28\00:17:37.59
And the beauty of it
is when you love somebody,
00:17:37.62\00:17:40.62
you wanna do what?
00:17:40.66\00:17:42.02
You wanna
communicate, you wanna talk
00:17:42.06\00:17:43.73
and God is the kind of
God sometimes people say,
00:17:43.76\00:17:46.29
"Well, what do I
have to pray about?"
00:17:46.33\00:17:49.46
Let me give you
advice everything.
00:17:49.50\00:17:51.50
Right?
00:17:51.53\00:17:52.87
What is it? Prayer
without ceasing me.
00:17:52.90\00:17:54.24
Talk to me about everything.
00:17:54.27\00:17:55.60
Sometimes people say,
well, that's important.
00:17:55.64\00:17:56.97
I've talked to God about that
00:17:57.01\00:17:58.34
but why do I have to talk to God
00:17:58.37\00:17:59.71
about buying it television?
00:17:59.74\00:18:01.61
Well, you may be
standing at the counter,
00:18:01.64\00:18:03.51
Lord, should I be doing this,
00:18:03.55\00:18:04.95
and a phone call comes in
00:18:04.98\00:18:06.31
that interrupts
you from buying that
00:18:06.35\00:18:07.68
and you find out later on.
00:18:07.72\00:18:09.05
It was $60 less at
the next door store.
00:18:09.08\00:18:10.99
And you say if that
phone call didn't come in,
00:18:11.02\00:18:14.06
I would have purchased
that thing right there.
00:18:14.09\00:18:15.89
Have you ever
had that experience?
00:18:15.92\00:18:17.43
Where something
interrupts the flow
00:18:17.46\00:18:18.79
of what you're about to do do.
00:18:18.83\00:18:20.16
And then later on,
00:18:20.20\00:18:21.53
I believe that when
we get to the kingdom,
00:18:21.56\00:18:22.90
we're gonna see
that God has intervened
00:18:22.93\00:18:24.30
in strange and
unusual ways into the...
00:18:24.33\00:18:27.57
When I get to the stores
00:18:27.60\00:18:29.20
and we live so
far from Carbondale.
00:18:29.24\00:18:30.57
Here I am.
00:18:30.61\00:18:31.94
I'm from New York and
I call Carbondale far.
00:18:31.97\00:18:35.84
The longer you live down here,
the harder it is to leave town,
00:18:35.88\00:18:38.11
have you noticed that like,
00:18:38.15\00:18:40.48
I know what people
are like down here now,
00:18:40.52\00:18:42.52
for those of you
who are in the big city
00:18:42.55\00:18:43.92
bear with us,
00:18:43.95\00:18:45.29
but we live in a small town,
00:18:45.32\00:18:46.72
the science says
600, barely that.
00:18:46.76\00:18:48.92
And then West Frankfort,
maybe 3000 or so people,
00:18:48.96\00:18:52.43
but the longer you live
in these small communities,
00:18:52.46\00:18:54.46
it seems like things get farther
00:18:54.50\00:18:56.13
and farther away.
00:18:56.16\00:18:58.33
But the key is as
you stay in touch,
00:18:58.37\00:19:01.44
my point is when
I go to Carbondale
00:19:01.47\00:19:03.71
sometimes I'm standing there.
00:19:03.74\00:19:05.94
And I get caught in
a gadgetarian moment.
00:19:05.97\00:19:09.01
Which means this
new gadget comes out.
00:19:09.04\00:19:11.21
And I'm, I must
admit, I'm a gadgetarian.
00:19:11.25\00:19:13.65
And by the way, that phrases,
00:19:13.68\00:19:15.52
that phrase is trademark,
00:19:15.55\00:19:16.89
so don't use it.
00:19:16.92\00:19:18.79
Really. So I'm standing there.
00:19:18.82\00:19:21.22
And I've discovered a
way to keep the salesperson
00:19:21.26\00:19:24.83
from forcing me to buy something
00:19:24.86\00:19:26.29
that I don't wanna buy
00:19:26.33\00:19:27.66
because they've been trained
00:19:27.70\00:19:29.26
to make it easy for you,
00:19:29.30\00:19:30.63
you know, have noticed that?
00:19:30.67\00:19:32.00
And so what I always do
when they get to that moment
00:19:32.03\00:19:34.24
where it's just about agreeing
to one of the payment plans,
00:19:34.27\00:19:37.41
or one of the discounted prices,
00:19:37.44\00:19:39.27
they say if you find it
lower, somebody says, well,
00:19:39.31\00:19:41.14
we promise to
refund the difference.
00:19:41.18\00:19:44.31
They make it almost
impossible to say no.
00:19:44.35\00:19:48.02
And, you know, how I know
00:19:48.05\00:19:49.42
how to get them to just
00:19:49.45\00:19:50.79
not go beyond their last appeal.
00:19:50.82\00:19:53.12
I say to them, yeah,
I got to pray about it.
00:19:53.15\00:19:55.06
How many times have
you told the salesperson,
00:20:00.96\00:20:03.23
you got to pray about it?
00:20:03.26\00:20:04.67
I have to pray about it,
00:20:04.70\00:20:06.03
my wife and I
have to pray about it.
00:20:06.07\00:20:07.40
They're not
trained to respond to that.
00:20:10.47\00:20:13.58
They're not, really.
00:20:13.61\00:20:15.71
When you pray about everything,
00:20:15.74\00:20:17.08
when you get to the place
00:20:17.11\00:20:18.45
where you're
accustomed to praying,
00:20:18.48\00:20:19.81
when we get in our cars
before we leave the driveway,
00:20:19.85\00:20:21.95
what should you do?
00:20:21.98\00:20:23.32
Pray 'cause you
may know how to drive,
00:20:23.35\00:20:24.72
but there's another guy
that may not know how to drive.
00:20:24.75\00:20:27.32
Matter of fact,
I read a statistic
00:20:27.36\00:20:28.86
that really is very alarming.
00:20:28.89\00:20:31.23
How many young people 35,000,
00:20:31.26\00:20:35.13
35,000...
00:20:35.16\00:20:37.43
young people die a year
00:20:41.30\00:20:43.94
through
automobile related accidents.
00:20:43.97\00:20:46.68
And the higher
percentage of that
00:20:46.71\00:20:48.04
is 18 between
17 to 19 years old.
00:20:48.08\00:20:51.71
And what were they doing?
00:20:51.75\00:20:55.48
Communicating.
00:20:55.52\00:20:57.29
Now if they put the
phone down and talk to God,
00:20:57.32\00:20:59.15
I think some of
them will still be alive.
00:20:59.19\00:21:01.59
Don't wanna be
insensitive about that.
00:21:01.62\00:21:03.69
But I'm saying is the
desire to communicate.
00:21:03.73\00:21:08.40
Well, I don't
wanna go down that path.
00:21:08.43\00:21:09.76
I don't wanna change the
theme of the title tonight.
00:21:09.80\00:21:11.53
But simply this,
00:21:11.57\00:21:12.90
if we communicate with God
00:21:12.93\00:21:14.27
as much as we should,
00:21:14.30\00:21:16.47
then we will find that life's
decisions are a lot easier.
00:21:16.50\00:21:20.34
Because we have the assurance
not only will He hear us,
00:21:20.38\00:21:23.31
but He will impress upon us.
00:21:23.35\00:21:24.88
He will guide us by His Word
00:21:24.91\00:21:26.75
about the decisions
that we have to make.
00:21:26.78\00:21:28.95
And so just don't get pressed
00:21:28.98\00:21:30.35
into the similitude of humanity,
00:21:30.39\00:21:32.89
get pressed into
the similitude of God.
00:21:32.92\00:21:34.46
In other words,
00:21:34.49\00:21:35.82
be more desirous to be like Him.
00:21:35.86\00:21:37.79
All right, let's
look at the next one.
00:21:37.83\00:21:40.03
Number 19. Number 19.
00:21:40.06\00:21:43.30
It says, "Why are we instructed
to stay connected to God
00:21:43.33\00:21:47.64
through prayer?"
00:21:47.67\00:21:49.40
Why is that instruction
so vitally important?
00:21:49.44\00:21:52.01
Why are we instructed
to stay connected to God
00:21:52.04\00:21:55.04
through prayer?
00:21:55.08\00:21:58.61
When my wife and I
are away from home,
00:21:58.65\00:21:59.98
we talk more on the
phone, we call all day long.
00:22:00.02\00:22:03.62
Sometimes my phone goes trrr
00:22:03.65\00:22:05.45
and it's a text from her,
00:22:05.49\00:22:06.82
"Love you honey.
00:22:06.86\00:22:08.19
How's it going?
00:22:08.22\00:22:09.56
Don't forget my watch."
00:22:09.59\00:22:12.09
You know, whatever she may
need is just we stay in touch.
00:22:12.13\00:22:15.46
Okay, is
everything set for tonight.
00:22:15.50\00:22:17.23
She called me before I came,
00:22:17.27\00:22:18.60
is everything
already for tonight.
00:22:18.63\00:22:19.97
Yes. It's all set.
00:22:20.00\00:22:21.60
Okay, don't
forget, don't forget that.
00:22:21.64\00:22:24.44
Where is it? It's in
that closet over there.
00:22:24.47\00:22:26.88
We stay in touch.
00:22:26.91\00:22:28.61
But this question which is so
00:22:28.64\00:22:30.55
such a vitally
important question,
00:22:30.58\00:22:32.11
why are we instructed
to stay connected to God
00:22:32.15\00:22:33.88
through prayer?
00:22:33.92\00:22:35.38
It reveals the very
magnificent human element
00:22:35.42\00:22:39.15
in the everyday
world in which we live.
00:22:39.19\00:22:42.12
There's a human
element that we cannot deny.
00:22:42.16\00:22:45.43
And as we transition tonight,
00:22:45.46\00:22:46.80
we're gonna look
at that human element.
00:22:46.83\00:22:48.33
In the next lesson that we're
gonna start in just a moment
00:22:48.36\00:22:50.57
here call face the challenges.
00:22:50.60\00:22:52.97
There's a human
element that if we ignore
00:22:53.00\00:22:55.57
that human element,
00:22:55.60\00:22:56.94
then we find ourselves
in a greater predicament
00:22:56.97\00:22:58.74
than if we paid
attention to that human element?
00:22:58.77\00:23:01.64
So why are we
instructed to stay connected
00:23:01.68\00:23:03.14
to God through prayer?
00:23:03.18\00:23:04.51
Look at Mark 14:38.
00:23:04.55\00:23:07.32
Now notice, I
wanna break this down.
00:23:07.35\00:23:08.75
Here it is.
00:23:08.78\00:23:10.12
The Bible says, "Watch,"
00:23:10.15\00:23:12.32
what's the next thing?
00:23:12.35\00:23:13.69
"And pray,
00:23:13.72\00:23:15.22
lest you enter into temptation.
00:23:15.26\00:23:18.66
The spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is weak."
00:23:18.69\00:23:23.53
Let's not run past that.
00:23:23.57\00:23:24.93
What two things
we're told to do?
00:23:24.97\00:23:26.87
First thing is say
together, what is it?
00:23:26.90\00:23:28.94
Watch, and what's
the next one? Pray.
00:23:28.97\00:23:31.37
Now let me
emphasize the word watch.
00:23:31.41\00:23:33.98
You wanna see people watch?
00:23:34.01\00:23:35.68
Bottom of the ninth inning,
00:23:35.71\00:23:37.98
Busch Stadium,
00:23:38.01\00:23:39.61
St. Louis Cardinals,
two ball holes, two strikes,
00:23:39.65\00:23:43.99
two outs,
00:23:44.02\00:23:45.39
and one of the home
run hitters are up, I bet.
00:23:45.42\00:23:48.22
Everybody's watching,
00:23:48.26\00:23:50.56
shall we say
they're praying also.
00:23:50.59\00:23:52.99
All right. I
remember that so well.
00:23:53.03\00:23:54.86
October 27, 2011,
00:23:54.90\00:23:57.37
St. Louis Cardinals.
00:23:57.40\00:24:00.27
The Texas Rangers
were one strike away
00:24:00.30\00:24:02.10
from their first World Series.
00:24:02.14\00:24:05.81
And the St. Louis Cardinals
fans refuse to stop praying.
00:24:05.84\00:24:10.41
I'm sure somebody prayed
00:24:10.45\00:24:12.15
'cause they go
through all kinds of rituals.
00:24:12.18\00:24:14.28
Now, I'm not into
that category where,
00:24:14.32\00:24:16.85
you know, if you
pray that they win
00:24:16.89\00:24:18.22
that God's gonna make them
win and make the other guy lose.
00:24:18.25\00:24:20.09
I don't put God
into sports like that.
00:24:20.12\00:24:22.59
But I know of a story
where there was a town,
00:24:22.62\00:24:26.46
I'm not gonna
tell where it was is,
00:24:26.49\00:24:27.83
it's down here
in Southern Illinois
00:24:27.86\00:24:29.20
where they wanted
their local team to pray.
00:24:29.23\00:24:30.93
And they got together at
one of the local churches,
00:24:30.97\00:24:33.27
I don't wanna talk
about what denomination was,
00:24:33.30\00:24:35.07
and they have one of
the local pastors pray
00:24:35.10\00:24:36.71
that that team will win.
00:24:36.74\00:24:38.24
Well, then what's
he actually praying
00:24:38.27\00:24:39.61
for that the
other team would lose?
00:24:39.64\00:24:41.81
And that's kind of a
precarious position to be in.
00:24:41.84\00:24:44.41
What if, on both the
teams, you have church members,
00:24:44.45\00:24:48.35
and one play for this team
00:24:48.38\00:24:49.72
and the other
play for that team.
00:24:49.75\00:24:51.09
So he's saying to
one church member,
00:24:51.12\00:24:52.45
I'm praying that you lose
00:24:52.49\00:24:53.82
'cause I'm
praying that she wins.
00:24:53.86\00:24:55.99
So God is not into the
precarious aspects of life,
00:24:56.02\00:24:58.13
but it says, watch and pray
00:24:58.16\00:24:59.89
'cause now here's
the human element,
00:24:59.93\00:25:02.30
lest you enter into what?
00:25:02.33\00:25:04.20
Temptation.
00:25:04.23\00:25:05.57
Are we in a world of temptation?
00:25:05.60\00:25:07.67
What's the next aspect?
00:25:07.70\00:25:11.07
Now when it says
spirit here, it's the small s,
00:25:11.11\00:25:13.51
meaning the
spirit indeed is willing,
00:25:13.54\00:25:15.54
meaning we have a
desire to overcome temptation,
00:25:15.58\00:25:20.15
we have a desire to face
this temptation with success.
00:25:20.18\00:25:23.95
But what's
happening? What's wrong with us?
00:25:23.99\00:25:25.75
The spirit indeed
is what? We're willing.
00:25:25.79\00:25:28.69
Help me, Lord.
00:25:28.72\00:25:30.26
But what's the problem?
00:25:30.29\00:25:32.26
The flesh is weak.
00:25:32.29\00:25:35.30
So if you notice
the last two questions,
00:25:35.33\00:25:36.97
it talks about the weaknesses.
00:25:37.00\00:25:38.33
We can't get prayer
through in our human element,
00:25:38.37\00:25:40.84
but the Spirit of God can.
00:25:40.87\00:25:43.00
In this aspect, it
talks about the human spirit,
00:25:43.04\00:25:45.57
compared to the Spirit of God.
00:25:45.61\00:25:47.08
The Spirit of God is capable,
00:25:47.11\00:25:48.51
but the human spirit is willing
00:25:48.54\00:25:49.88
but not able,
00:25:49.91\00:25:51.58
weak.
00:25:51.61\00:25:54.08
That's right, like Romans 7.
00:25:54.12\00:25:55.68
There's a battle going on.
00:25:55.72\00:25:57.15
O wretched man that I
am, who will deliver me.
00:25:57.19\00:25:59.25
Matter of fact, very good point.
00:25:59.29\00:26:00.62
Let's go to Romans 7.
00:26:00.66\00:26:01.99
Very good. Very
good observation.
00:26:02.02\00:26:06.33
Romans Chapter
7, Paul the Apostle
00:26:06.36\00:26:08.66
makes that very clear.
00:26:08.70\00:26:10.03
He talks about this
battle that we all face,
00:26:10.07\00:26:12.93
this consistent
battle that shows us
00:26:12.97\00:26:16.77
that no matter how
great our intentions are,
00:26:16.81\00:26:21.38
sometimes we fall short
of wanting to accomplish.
00:26:21.41\00:26:26.31
Let me start with verse 14.
00:26:26.35\00:26:32.05
Okay, here is it
revealing the issue again,
00:26:32.09\00:26:34.66
Romans 7:14,
00:26:34.69\00:26:36.46
is if you have your Bible
turn there with us, it says,
00:26:36.49\00:26:38.93
"For we know that
the law is," what?
00:26:38.96\00:26:41.53
"Spiritual," but here's
the human element again,
00:26:41.56\00:26:43.67
"but I am," what?
00:26:43.70\00:26:45.07
"Carnal, sold under sin."
00:26:45.10\00:26:47.70
And here it is now,
"For what I am doing,
00:26:47.74\00:26:50.81
I just don't understand.
00:26:50.84\00:26:54.11
For what I will to do,
that I do not practice,
00:26:54.14\00:26:58.95
but what I hate,
00:26:58.98\00:27:01.68
that I do.
00:27:01.72\00:27:03.35
If, then, I do
what I will not to do,
00:27:03.39\00:27:09.09
I agree with the
law that it is good."
00:27:09.12\00:27:11.59
In other words,
what is being said,
00:27:11.63\00:27:13.56
then I wanna stop briefly
00:27:13.60\00:27:15.36
as we just read in verse 15
00:27:15.40\00:27:19.93
and verse 16.
00:27:19.97\00:27:22.34
If I do what I will not do,
00:27:22.37\00:27:24.61
in other words,
sometimes we're in a situation
00:27:24.64\00:27:26.31
where we don't want to do that.
00:27:26.34\00:27:28.44
But according to what
Mark said, "What's the element,
00:27:28.48\00:27:31.45
our flesh is weak."
00:27:31.48\00:27:33.68
We're at the
place where the flesh
00:27:33.72\00:27:35.12
is driving the moment.
00:27:35.15\00:27:37.19
And the flesh is battling
with the spiritual stand.
00:27:37.22\00:27:40.86
How to live a spiritual
life in a natural body?
00:27:40.89\00:27:44.53
You are in that position
where the battle is raging
00:27:44.56\00:27:46.86
and you wanna make
the right decision.
00:27:46.90\00:27:48.60
And so you're saying,
00:27:48.63\00:27:50.17
in my will, I
don't wanna do that.
00:27:50.20\00:27:52.83
That's why prayer.
00:27:52.87\00:27:54.20
That's why prayer aligns itself
00:27:54.24\00:27:57.64
with what you
know you shouldn't do.
00:27:57.67\00:28:01.31
It aligns itself
00:28:01.34\00:28:02.71
and gives you
that divine element
00:28:02.74\00:28:05.75
that allows you
to not do continually
00:28:05.78\00:28:08.45
what you don't want to do
00:28:08.48\00:28:10.22
because the spirit is
willing, but the flesh is weak.
00:28:10.25\00:28:12.69
So it says here,
00:28:12.72\00:28:14.29
and it shows you
what the issue is,
00:28:14.32\00:28:15.99
I'm gonna just
go down to verse 17.
00:28:16.02\00:28:19.09
"But now, it is no
longer I who do it,
00:28:19.13\00:28:21.30
but sin that dwells," where?
00:28:21.33\00:28:22.96
"In me."
00:28:23.00\00:28:24.33
That contributes to
the weakness of the flesh,
00:28:24.37\00:28:26.37
the sin that dwells in us.
00:28:26.40\00:28:28.27
Want to give you
a bit of good news
00:28:28.30\00:28:29.64
because sometimes we
look at that text and we say,
00:28:29.67\00:28:31.17
well, then what hope is there.
00:28:31.21\00:28:34.21
What hope is
there, the hope is down
00:28:34.24\00:28:35.58
to verse 1 of Chapter 8.
00:28:35.61\00:28:38.11
The hope is down at
verse 1 of Chapter 8 of Romans.
00:28:38.15\00:28:42.28
"There is
therefore now no condemnation
00:28:42.32\00:28:44.55
to those who
are in Christ Jesus,
00:28:44.59\00:28:47.12
who do not walk
according to the flesh,
00:28:47.16\00:28:49.62
but according to the spirit."
00:28:49.66\00:28:51.46
There it is again,
if the spirit is one
00:28:51.49\00:28:53.90
who takes our
prayers and gets it through,
00:28:53.93\00:28:56.06
then we've got to
walk in the spirit
00:28:56.10\00:28:58.23
so that we don't
fulfill the lust of the flesh.
00:28:58.27\00:29:00.90
So how you walk every day
00:29:00.94\00:29:02.27
and how you pray
every day is significant
00:29:02.30\00:29:04.04
whether or not you
overcome that temptation.
00:29:04.07\00:29:06.74
So is it
important for us to pray,
00:29:06.78\00:29:09.04
not just to pray,
00:29:09.08\00:29:10.41
but what else?
00:29:10.45\00:29:11.78
Watch.
00:29:11.81\00:29:14.25
Yeah, you got to watch,
you got to watch where you go
00:29:14.28\00:29:15.88
because sometimes
think of it in the context
00:29:15.92\00:29:17.82
of the Eve situation.
00:29:17.85\00:29:20.96
If she was watching,
00:29:20.99\00:29:22.32
she would not
have been at the tree
00:29:22.36\00:29:25.43
that she should
not have been at.
00:29:25.46\00:29:26.86
But the weakness of the flesh
00:29:26.90\00:29:30.77
was the vehicle
that led to the tree.
00:29:30.80\00:29:33.47
And a lot of times, if we
go by the vehicle of our flesh,
00:29:33.50\00:29:36.87
it will lead us to
places that we don't want to be.
00:29:36.91\00:29:39.97
So recognizing
that the flesh is weak,
00:29:40.01\00:29:42.48
we've got to pray in the spirit.
00:29:42.51\00:29:44.58
But we also
have to do what else?
00:29:44.61\00:29:46.82
According to what we just read,
00:29:46.85\00:29:48.18
we have to not
just pray in the spirit,
00:29:48.22\00:29:49.55
but we have to do what else?
00:29:49.58\00:29:51.62
Walk.
00:29:51.65\00:29:54.26
But who walk not
according to the flesh,
00:29:54.29\00:29:56.59
but according to
the spirit, Romans 8:1.
00:29:56.62\00:30:00.86
So you see clearly
the power of prayer.
00:30:00.90\00:30:03.93
The importance of prayer
00:30:03.97\00:30:05.50
in our daily lives
cannot be overestimated.
00:30:05.53\00:30:08.80
We've got the Spirit of God
00:30:08.84\00:30:10.17
who's willing to
partner with us and say,
00:30:10.21\00:30:12.41
I know you can't
do it, but I can.
00:30:12.44\00:30:14.68
You just go ahead and pray
and I'll package that prayer.
00:30:14.71\00:30:18.31
And it will be acceptable
to your heavenly Father,
00:30:18.35\00:30:21.08
then you recognize the
reason why you must pray
00:30:21.12\00:30:23.59
is because although you
are willing to do what's right,
00:30:23.62\00:30:26.15
your flesh is not willing,
00:30:26.19\00:30:27.66
your flesh is
gonna fight against you,
00:30:27.69\00:30:29.42
your flesh is going to
say this is what I wanna do.
00:30:29.46\00:30:31.56
And sometimes and
I've talked to people
00:30:31.59\00:30:33.09
that are just battling with,
00:30:33.13\00:30:34.90
you know, coming off of smoking
or some kind of addiction,
00:30:34.93\00:30:37.93
whether it's
alcoholism, or smoking,
00:30:37.97\00:30:40.60
or whatever the
addiction may be.
00:30:40.64\00:30:43.47
Anytime a person is
trying to free themselves
00:30:43.51\00:30:45.44
from this addiction,
00:30:45.47\00:30:46.81
what's completely in
control is the flesh.
00:30:46.84\00:30:48.98
They got to get
entered into the battle.
00:30:49.01\00:30:54.38
There's a
battle that's going on,
00:30:54.42\00:30:55.98
the flesh against the spirit.
00:30:56.02\00:30:57.85
That's why Paul says,
00:30:57.89\00:30:59.45
I find that there's another law,
00:30:59.49\00:31:01.86
warring against
the law of my mind,
00:31:01.89\00:31:03.89
and bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin and death.
00:31:03.93\00:31:07.20
That law of sin and
death is that human nature.
00:31:07.23\00:31:09.66
It's fighting us there.
00:31:09.70\00:31:11.03
So when we know
that all these elements
00:31:11.07\00:31:12.40
are arrayed against us,
00:31:12.43\00:31:14.70
we have to then walk forward,
00:31:14.74\00:31:16.84
ready to face the challenges.
00:31:16.87\00:31:20.14
See the transition there.
00:31:20.18\00:31:21.81
We're going to
the next lesson now,
00:31:21.84\00:31:23.55
Facing the Challenges.
00:31:23.58\00:31:25.51
How do you face the challenges?
00:31:25.55\00:31:28.75
Face the Challenges,
00:31:28.78\00:31:30.55
leading right into
the importance of prayer,
00:31:30.59\00:31:33.12
we're armed by the spirit.
00:31:33.15\00:31:34.76
But now in order for
us to face the challenges
00:31:34.79\00:31:37.49
we've got to understand fully.
00:31:37.53\00:31:40.36
And some of these questions
were in our prior lesson.
00:31:40.40\00:31:45.63
But what I'm doing tonight,
00:31:45.67\00:31:47.70
is we have covered a
number of lessons so far,
00:31:47.74\00:31:50.11
we've had a
number of broadcasts.
00:31:50.14\00:31:52.37
And so what I'm doing
tonight is kind of reminding us
00:31:52.41\00:31:55.04
of the journey we took together.
00:31:55.08\00:31:58.18
To live this spiritual
life in the natural body
00:31:58.21\00:32:00.05
we have to understand
00:32:00.08\00:32:01.85
what this natural
body is really capable of.
00:32:01.88\00:32:04.99
Right?
00:32:05.02\00:32:06.35
Sometimes we forget that.
00:32:06.39\00:32:07.72
We got to remember what
this natural body is capable of.
00:32:07.76\00:32:09.49
I know the person.
00:32:09.52\00:32:10.99
I no longer look at animals
00:32:11.03\00:32:13.60
and determine what they
can do by how they look.
00:32:13.63\00:32:17.60
That is if I see a
puppy, that's cute.
00:32:17.63\00:32:20.34
I naturally assume
now that I'm wiser,
00:32:20.37\00:32:23.20
that puppy could
be a Doberman Pinscher
00:32:23.24\00:32:25.17
in disguise.
00:32:25.21\00:32:28.28
I learned that the hard way.
00:32:28.31\00:32:30.15
We have church
member in California
00:32:30.18\00:32:31.71
who had a beautiful little
all white poodle name, Samson.
00:32:31.75\00:32:38.25
That should have
told me something.
00:32:38.29\00:32:39.95
Right?
00:32:39.99\00:32:41.32
When you name a poodle, Samson.
00:32:41.36\00:32:43.66
You know, when
they call poodle, Pixie?
00:32:43.69\00:32:47.36
Harmless and cute.
00:32:47.40\00:32:48.93
Some people have
dogs that, you know,
00:32:48.96\00:32:50.67
that dog will bark all his life.
00:32:50.70\00:32:52.33
But nobody that the
thief would run away.
00:32:52.37\00:32:54.87
But this poodle
was named Samson.
00:32:54.90\00:32:57.51
I should have known.
00:32:57.54\00:32:59.04
Read into the name,
00:32:59.07\00:33:00.54
the strongest
poodle right there.
00:33:00.58\00:33:03.35
So I no longer try
to classify animals
00:33:03.38\00:33:07.25
by how they look.
00:33:07.28\00:33:08.62
On the other side of that,
you have Doberman Pinschers
00:33:08.65\00:33:11.32
that look mean.
00:33:11.35\00:33:12.69
Some people say
all you got to do
00:33:12.72\00:33:14.16
is get yourself a Doberman.
00:33:14.19\00:33:16.32
People won't question
00:33:16.36\00:33:17.69
whether or not
that dog can bite.
00:33:17.73\00:33:19.76
It just has that
look, doesn't it?
00:33:19.79\00:33:22.26
German Shepherd.
00:33:22.30\00:33:23.63
It just has that look.
00:33:23.67\00:33:25.00
Some German Shepherds
are just as cuddly as Pixie,
00:33:25.03\00:33:28.60
the poodle,
00:33:28.64\00:33:29.97
and they wouldn't
bite you no matter what.
00:33:30.01\00:33:31.47
But how they
look says a whole lot.
00:33:31.51\00:33:35.08
Well, I got to finish
the story with Samson.
00:33:35.11\00:33:37.25
You may have heard it before.
00:33:37.28\00:33:38.61
But I want to pet Sampson
00:33:38.65\00:33:39.98
and I chose the
wrong time to pet Samson
00:33:40.02\00:33:42.12
is during the
time he was eating.
00:33:42.15\00:33:44.32
And I don't know
how dogs can sense it.
00:33:44.35\00:33:45.99
But as my hand got closer
00:33:46.02\00:33:47.62
I heard the small poodle growl.
00:33:47.66\00:33:51.13
And as I got closer,
00:33:51.16\00:33:52.49
he turned around
and grip my pinky.
00:33:52.53\00:33:53.93
And he was so little I
couldn't shake him off.
00:33:53.96\00:33:55.53
So I actually, had him
this high off the ground,
00:33:55.56\00:33:58.07
trying to get him off my pinky.
00:33:58.10\00:33:59.43
Thankfully, it
was just the poodle
00:33:59.47\00:34:01.37
because had been another
dog or another kind of breed,
00:34:01.40\00:34:03.54
I would have been in trouble.
00:34:03.57\00:34:04.91
He did rip my pinky
down a little ways in.
00:34:04.94\00:34:06.71
But it was not so bad
that I had to get any surgery.
00:34:06.74\00:34:09.51
But the point of the matter is,
00:34:09.54\00:34:11.61
the reason why facing
the challenges this section
00:34:11.65\00:34:13.78
is so vitally
important is we cannot,
00:34:13.82\00:34:16.79
we cannot enter into a
battle and determine that
00:34:16.82\00:34:21.12
based on what we see,
00:34:21.16\00:34:22.66
we can immediately classify
00:34:22.69\00:34:24.89
what the battle
is going to be like.
00:34:24.93\00:34:27.30
Let me even add
another component to that.
00:34:27.33\00:34:29.56
We cannot classify that, okay,
00:34:29.60\00:34:32.27
since that person
claims to be a Christian,
00:34:32.30\00:34:34.47
then that person has no
battles in his or her life.
00:34:34.50\00:34:37.87
Or since that person
claims to be a Christian,
00:34:37.91\00:34:40.14
that person must have victory
00:34:40.18\00:34:41.61
after victory after victory
after victory after victory.
00:34:41.64\00:34:46.01
And that's what
the Pharisees did.
00:34:46.05\00:34:48.05
They looked at
those who were harlots,
00:34:48.08\00:34:50.62
and publicans,
and tax collectors,
00:34:50.65\00:34:52.15
and sinners.
00:34:52.19\00:34:53.52
And they thought
they were well more able
00:34:53.56\00:34:56.09
than those
individuals to face temptations
00:34:56.12\00:34:58.69
and to face the challenges
00:34:58.73\00:35:00.06
and succeed in those challenges,
00:35:00.10\00:35:01.43
but they fail to consider
what those challenges were.
00:35:01.46\00:35:05.13
So we're gonna take the time,
if you're following us along,
00:35:05.17\00:35:09.80
you should have
lesson number 11.
00:35:09.84\00:35:11.54
If you're just joining us,
00:35:11.57\00:35:12.91
you can go and
download that asf.3abn.org,
00:35:12.94\00:35:17.55
just download lesson number 11.
00:35:17.58\00:35:20.02
And we're gonna walk through
some of these challenges.
00:35:20.05\00:35:22.22
If you notice, as
you download that,
00:35:22.25\00:35:24.09
and if you already have,
00:35:24.12\00:35:25.55
we have two
particular categories,
00:35:25.59\00:35:28.42
first, the human condition,
00:35:28.46\00:35:30.63
and then the divine
change, you notice that.
00:35:30.66\00:35:34.46
Two subs, we're gonna
begin with the human condition,
00:35:34.50\00:35:36.80
we're gonna start
with the human condition.
00:35:36.83\00:35:38.70
Once you
understand your condition,
00:35:38.73\00:35:41.37
you know, as one person said,
00:35:41.40\00:35:44.81
"If you're
caught in an earthquake,
00:35:44.84\00:35:46.47
another coat of
paint is not gonna help."
00:35:46.51\00:35:49.44
Don't take out a can of paint
in the middle of an earthquake
00:35:49.48\00:35:51.35
and start painting the
walls, it's just not gonna help.
00:35:51.38\00:35:53.68
Right?
00:35:53.72\00:35:55.05
If you have a tumor, a
pill is not gonna help.
00:35:55.08\00:35:57.82
You get my point?
00:35:57.85\00:35:59.19
Understand the challenges.
00:35:59.22\00:36:00.56
If your house is on
fire, don't get a cup of water
00:36:00.59\00:36:02.42
and start spitting at it.
00:36:02.46\00:36:04.03
Understand the challenges.
00:36:04.06\00:36:05.39
So what we're gonna
do is we're gonna walk
00:36:05.43\00:36:06.76
through the challenges.
00:36:06.80\00:36:08.13
And these challenges
are native to all of us.
00:36:08.16\00:36:10.83
These challenges are
native to every one of us.
00:36:10.87\00:36:13.34
So when we talk
about these challenges,
00:36:13.37\00:36:15.27
try your best to resist
the temptation of saying,
00:36:15.30\00:36:18.44
I know who
should have heard that.
00:36:18.47\00:36:20.78
I know exactly
who that applies to,
00:36:20.81\00:36:22.78
just wanna let you
know before we dive into it.
00:36:22.81\00:36:24.85
These challenges
apply to everyone
00:36:24.88\00:36:26.85
that's on this planet.
00:36:26.88\00:36:28.82
And by the way,
just wanna add to that,
00:36:28.85\00:36:30.95
for those of you who
think that we are being visited
00:36:30.99\00:36:33.46
from other worlds.
00:36:33.49\00:36:35.29
If I lived on another world,
00:36:35.32\00:36:36.66
I wouldn't wanna come down here,
00:36:36.69\00:36:38.06
okay.
00:36:38.09\00:36:39.43
Am I risking robbed or beat up.
00:36:39.46\00:36:41.93
Here people on unfallen worlds
are now visiting us down here.
00:36:41.96\00:36:45.30
If we're in a mess,
00:36:45.33\00:36:46.67
and we're gonna
discover that how much of a mess
00:36:46.70\00:36:48.74
we really are in
00:36:48.77\00:36:50.11
but before we go
to the first question,
00:36:50.14\00:36:51.51
let's go to Isaiah.
00:36:51.54\00:36:53.98
I want you to see Isaiah.
00:36:54.01\00:36:57.18
We're going to Isaiah.
00:36:57.21\00:36:59.15
Now we're going to
go to Isaiah Chapter 24.
00:36:59.18\00:37:01.28
And we're gonna
look at verse 1...
00:37:09.46\00:37:10.96
down to verse 5,
00:37:15.36\00:37:18.93
since we're talking about earth.
00:37:18.97\00:37:20.34
And the Bible reads as follows,
00:37:25.01\00:37:26.34
"Behold, the Lord
makes the earth empty
00:37:26.37\00:37:29.54
and makes it waste."
00:37:29.58\00:37:33.35
This is talking
about the judgments.
00:37:33.38\00:37:35.68
"Distorts its surface
00:37:35.72\00:37:37.09
and scatters
abroad its inhabitants.
00:37:37.12\00:37:40.62
And it shall be
as with the people,
00:37:40.66\00:37:43.83
so with the priests,
00:37:43.86\00:37:46.09
as with the
servants, so with the master,
00:37:46.13\00:37:49.23
as with the maid,
so with the mistress,
00:37:49.26\00:37:52.30
as with the buyer,
so with the seller,
00:37:52.33\00:37:55.10
as with the lender,
so with the borrower,
00:37:55.14\00:37:58.31
as with the
creditor, so with the debtor."
00:37:58.34\00:38:01.14
You notice right
now, nobody is left out.
00:38:01.18\00:38:03.24
Whatever happens down
here applies to everyone.
00:38:03.28\00:38:06.61
That's why this
section to human condition
00:38:06.65\00:38:08.22
is gonna be so interesting.
00:38:08.25\00:38:09.78
What happens on this
planet applies to everyone.
00:38:09.82\00:38:12.79
When judgments come,
it comes to the debtor,
00:38:12.82\00:38:15.56
it comes to the creditor,
it comes to the borrower,
00:38:15.59\00:38:17.96
it comes to the lender.
00:38:17.99\00:38:19.63
But now look at verse 3.
00:38:19.66\00:38:23.06
"The land shall
be entirely emptied
00:38:23.10\00:38:25.57
and utterly plundered.
00:38:25.60\00:38:27.77
For the Lord has
spoken this word."
00:38:27.80\00:38:31.01
And it tells you why,
the condition is as it is.
00:38:31.04\00:38:34.44
"The earth
mourns and fades away,
00:38:34.48\00:38:37.18
the world
languishes and fades away,
00:38:37.21\00:38:39.98
the haughty people
of the earth languish."
00:38:40.02\00:38:43.25
And here's why.
00:38:43.28\00:38:45.12
"The earth also is defiled...
00:38:45.15\00:38:48.92
The earth is also
defiled under its," what?
00:38:48.96\00:38:53.43
"Inhabitants."
00:38:53.46\00:38:55.10
Are you an inhabitant?
00:38:55.13\00:38:56.73
You an inhabitant?
Are you an inhabitant?
00:38:56.77\00:38:59.37
"The earth is defiled
under its inhabitants,
00:38:59.40\00:39:03.20
because they have,"
what's the next word?
00:39:03.24\00:39:06.04
"Transgressed the laws,
00:39:06.07\00:39:08.98
changed the ordinances,
00:39:09.01\00:39:11.15
broken the
everlasting covenant."
00:39:11.18\00:39:15.35
And you'll see
in the next verse,
00:39:15.38\00:39:16.72
"Therefore the earth is cursed."
00:39:16.75\00:39:18.25
So what's gonna happen?
00:39:18.29\00:39:19.62
What we're gonna uncover
in this very next section,
00:39:19.65\00:39:21.59
is we're gonna
uncover the human condition,
00:39:21.62\00:39:25.39
the condition that
affects every one of us.
00:39:25.43\00:39:28.16
Okay, now, let's start
with question number one.
00:39:28.20\00:39:30.97
Let's see how much
we can cover tonight.
00:39:31.00\00:39:32.87
Question number one.
00:39:32.90\00:39:34.34
Here it is.
00:39:34.37\00:39:35.70
What does the Bible reveal
that applies to all of us?
00:39:35.74\00:39:40.38
What does the Bible reveal
that applies to all of us?
00:39:40.41\00:39:44.58
Romans 3:23.
00:39:44.61\00:39:46.01
And by the way,
00:39:46.05\00:39:47.38
you can turn there before
00:39:47.42\00:39:48.75
I asked for it because
as you have the lesson,
00:39:48.78\00:39:50.12
you'll see the
natural progression
00:39:50.15\00:39:51.92
from 1 to 19 chronologically,
00:39:51.95\00:39:55.42
right?
00:39:55.46\00:39:58.49
Romans 3:23,
00:39:58.53\00:40:00.13
I want us to read this together
00:40:00.16\00:40:01.50
because the first
two words are inclusive,
00:40:01.53\00:40:04.37
it's an inclusive statement.
00:40:04.40\00:40:06.90
Are we ready?
00:40:06.94\00:40:08.64
"For all have done," what?
00:40:08.67\00:40:12.31
"Sinned and fall
short of the glory of God."
00:40:12.34\00:40:18.61
So how many of us
are included in that?
00:40:18.65\00:40:21.72
That's right.
Everyone, all of us.
00:40:21.75\00:40:25.52
One of the things that
is so vitally important,
00:40:25.55\00:40:28.06
I'm saying this,
00:40:28.09\00:40:29.42
I think mostly,
our viewing audience
00:40:29.46\00:40:31.36
is probably made
up of many Christians,
00:40:31.39\00:40:33.53
there's
probably somebody viewing
00:40:33.56\00:40:34.90
that's not a Christian,
00:40:34.93\00:40:36.26
and this applies to you too.
00:40:36.30\00:40:37.63
But if you're a Christian,
00:40:37.67\00:40:39.00
don't exclude
yourself from this verse.
00:40:39.03\00:40:41.87
Because the
Christian and the non-Christian
00:40:41.90\00:40:43.54
is included in this verse,
00:40:43.57\00:40:44.97
"For all have sinned
00:40:45.01\00:40:46.34
and fall short of
the glory of God."
00:40:46.37\00:40:47.71
Now what does
that actually mean?
00:40:47.74\00:40:49.08
What that means is
we inherited something
00:40:49.11\00:40:51.05
that we had nothing to do with.
00:40:51.08\00:40:53.45
But we just inherited that.
00:40:53.48\00:40:55.25
In other words, in Adam's will,
he passed on to us His nature,
00:40:55.28\00:40:59.79
we had nothing to do
with that. We had no decision.
00:40:59.82\00:41:01.72
Matter of fact,
00:41:01.76\00:41:03.09
children cannot
choose who their parents are.
00:41:03.12\00:41:05.86
Right?
00:41:05.89\00:41:07.23
So we can only pass on
what our father gave to us.
00:41:07.26\00:41:10.00
What our mother gave.
00:41:10.03\00:41:11.37
Adam and Eve sinned,
00:41:11.40\00:41:13.47
we know Eve was deceived,
00:41:13.50\00:41:14.97
Adam walked into it
with his eyes wide open.
00:41:15.00\00:41:18.81
Right?
00:41:18.84\00:41:20.18
But we have this
condition that was passed on.
00:41:20.21\00:41:22.54
And as Romans 5,
00:41:22.58\00:41:23.91
look at Romans 5
very quickly here.
00:41:23.95\00:41:25.75
We're gonna do
some additional texts
00:41:25.78\00:41:27.35
because this is Romans 3.
00:41:27.38\00:41:28.95
But if you go to Romans 5,
00:41:28.98\00:41:31.82
I want you to
see this verse here.
00:41:31.85\00:41:33.42
You'll see
exactly the inclusion,
00:41:40.46\00:41:42.26
the inclusion
aspects of this verse,
00:41:42.30\00:41:43.70
Romans 5:12, Romans 5:12.
00:41:43.73\00:41:47.64
Right?
00:41:47.67\00:41:49.20
"Therefore, just
as through," how many?
00:41:49.24\00:41:52.47
"One man sin entered the world,
00:41:52.51\00:41:56.04
and death through sin,
00:41:56.08\00:41:58.31
and thus death
spread to," the next word?
00:41:58.35\00:42:02.22
"All men, because all sinned."
00:42:02.25\00:42:05.95
So you have all
sinful, for all have sinned,
00:42:05.99\00:42:09.99
and fall short
of the glory of God.
00:42:10.03\00:42:12.73
So you have this
condition that lets us know,
00:42:12.76\00:42:15.70
on your best day,
00:42:15.73\00:42:17.07
you still fall
into this category.
00:42:17.10\00:42:19.37
No matter, what you do,
00:42:19.40\00:42:20.74
no matter how you try to
change your circumstances,
00:42:20.77\00:42:22.64
you've got to
wake up at the reality
00:42:22.67\00:42:24.04
that I'm in that category,
00:42:24.07\00:42:25.97
as God is continuing to
reform me and remake me,
00:42:26.01\00:42:28.84
never get to the place
00:42:28.88\00:42:30.21
where we fool ourselves and say,
00:42:30.25\00:42:31.58
I'm no longer in that category.
00:42:31.61\00:42:33.15
Let me tell you why
you're still in that category.
00:42:33.18\00:42:35.18
Until this vile body is
made over to be fashioned
00:42:35.22\00:42:39.42
like unto His glorious body,
00:42:39.45\00:42:41.92
we've got a
flesh battle every day,
00:42:41.96\00:42:44.33
am I telling the truth?
00:42:44.36\00:42:45.86
And it manifests
itself in different ways.
00:42:45.89\00:42:48.23
So never get to the
place where you say,
00:42:48.26\00:42:49.60
"Well, you
know, I've been a man,
00:42:49.63\00:42:50.97
I've been a
Christian for 35 years."
00:42:51.00\00:42:52.50
Now praise God,
00:42:52.53\00:42:53.94
there are
victories in our lives.
00:42:53.97\00:42:55.30
Truly, they are.
00:42:55.34\00:42:56.67
I would hope that
if you were struggling
00:42:56.71\00:42:58.04
with tobacco, or alcohol,
or whatever, promiscuity,
00:42:58.07\00:43:00.98
whatever was that
you were battling with
00:43:01.01\00:43:02.78
before you gave
your life to Christ.
00:43:02.81\00:43:04.28
I'm hoping that as we
mature and grow in Christ,
00:43:04.31\00:43:07.22
that we've
overcome those things.
00:43:07.25\00:43:09.08
But the reason
why we shouldn't boast
00:43:09.12\00:43:10.45
about the big
things we overcome,
00:43:10.49\00:43:11.95
is because
sometimes the little things
00:43:11.99\00:43:13.59
just hang on a whole lot longer.
00:43:13.62\00:43:15.86
Have you noticed that?
00:43:15.89\00:43:17.23
It's easier to take a
basketball off your shoulders
00:43:17.26\00:43:19.39
than it is to
remove a piece of lint.
00:43:19.43\00:43:22.63
Am I telling the truth?
00:43:22.66\00:43:24.23
And you don't
necessarily see it.
00:43:24.27\00:43:26.47
Sometimes people come up to me
00:43:26.50\00:43:27.84
and they just stick
their hand and go like this.
00:43:27.87\00:43:30.51
And I look, what was it?
00:43:30.54\00:43:31.87
You had a lint on your
jacket, I didn't see it.
00:43:31.91\00:43:33.88
And that's how sin
is, it's like lint,
00:43:33.91\00:43:36.58
you could just
get that lint brush
00:43:36.61\00:43:38.71
and roll all over that jacket.
00:43:38.75\00:43:41.55
You could be there all day long
because every time you roll it,
00:43:41.58\00:43:44.32
what else you're gonna get?
00:43:44.35\00:43:45.85
You're still gonna get lint.
00:43:45.89\00:43:48.19
In the very same way,
it's a part of the human DNA,
00:43:48.22\00:43:51.39
the very fabric of our lives.
00:43:51.43\00:43:53.53
We've inherited it from
a man who passed down to us
00:43:53.56\00:43:56.20
the best he could,
for as an Adam all die.
00:43:56.23\00:43:58.73
1 Corinthians 15:22.
00:43:58.77\00:44:00.64
So that's why we
have this issue here.
00:44:00.67\00:44:02.00
All have sinned.
00:44:02.04\00:44:03.37
So if you're
answering the question,
00:44:03.41\00:44:04.74
what does the Bible reveal
that is true about all of us?
00:44:04.77\00:44:07.38
What's the answer?
00:44:07.41\00:44:08.74
All have sinned.
00:44:08.78\00:44:12.15
Don't even have
to put the other part
00:44:12.18\00:44:13.52
because if you
sinned, you fall short.
00:44:13.55\00:44:15.78
All have sinned.
00:44:15.82\00:44:17.65
I'm gonna hold you
out over the flames
00:44:23.63\00:44:25.49
until we get down to
question number eight
00:44:25.53\00:44:28.16
'cause some people
says, man, this is depressing.
00:44:28.20\00:44:31.23
It show me who I really am.
00:44:31.27\00:44:32.97
Until we know
what our condition is,
00:44:33.00\00:44:35.17
we never know what our need is.
00:44:35.20\00:44:37.31
See, you got
understand your condition.
00:44:37.34\00:44:39.71
I've known people that
struggle with toothaches.
00:44:39.74\00:44:42.38
And I say, you
okay, because they just,
00:44:42.41\00:44:44.95
"you okay," let's continue."
00:44:44.98\00:44:47.55
You all right?
00:44:47.58\00:44:48.92
I've toothache.
00:44:48.95\00:44:50.29
Well, can't be that bad.
00:44:50.32\00:44:51.65
Oh, it's terrible.
00:44:51.69\00:44:53.02
My head is just
aching over here.
00:44:53.05\00:44:54.39
And standing right
next to me, I said, like,
00:44:54.42\00:44:56.49
have you heard of a dentist
00:44:56.52\00:44:57.86
they've been invented years ago.
00:44:57.89\00:44:59.79
And there's some people
that will struggle with sin
00:44:59.83\00:45:01.80
and not know the
remedy is right there,
00:45:01.83\00:45:04.07
a prayer away.
00:45:04.10\00:45:05.50
The remedy is Christ.
00:45:05.53\00:45:06.87
So this verse says,
00:45:06.90\00:45:08.24
the reason why we
need to understand
00:45:08.27\00:45:09.87
who the remedy is,
00:45:09.90\00:45:11.24
who the problem solver is,
00:45:11.27\00:45:12.61
is because every one
of us is in the category,
00:45:12.64\00:45:14.58
for all have sinned.
00:45:14.61\00:45:15.94
All right.
00:45:15.98\00:45:17.31
Let's go to question number two.
00:45:17.35\00:45:19.08
Question number two.
00:45:19.11\00:45:22.02
How does the Bible describe
00:45:22.05\00:45:24.59
the internal
condition of humanity?
00:45:24.62\00:45:27.82
How does the Bible describe
00:45:27.86\00:45:30.73
the internal
condition of humanity?
00:45:30.76\00:45:34.03
All right.
00:45:34.06\00:45:35.40
Let's look at that one.
00:45:35.43\00:45:37.03
That's found in Jeremiah 17:9,
00:45:37.07\00:45:39.50
those of you who are theologians
00:45:39.53\00:45:40.97
know exactly
what that text says.
00:45:41.00\00:45:43.91
Right? The internal condition.
00:45:43.94\00:45:47.21
Sometimes whenever I'm
going on long distance,
00:45:47.24\00:45:49.94
you know, what I always do.
00:45:49.98\00:45:51.61
Even though my
car is fairly new,
00:45:51.65\00:45:53.01
it's four years old now,
00:45:53.05\00:45:54.65
I still check the oil.
00:45:54.68\00:45:57.69
I check the fluids, I
check the brake fluid,
00:45:57.72\00:46:00.92
I check the oil,
00:46:00.96\00:46:02.56
I check the hydraulic fluid,
00:46:02.59\00:46:04.69
I check the radiator, balance,
make sure that is at that line,
00:46:04.73\00:46:07.73
the minimal line at least
00:46:07.76\00:46:09.60
because I've seen some
beautiful cars broken down
00:46:09.63\00:46:13.13
on the side of the road.
00:46:13.17\00:46:14.94
And the other day, my
wife and I were driving.
00:46:14.97\00:46:17.87
And I saw an Audi on the
side of the road, I thought,
00:46:17.91\00:46:20.71
that car looks really brand new,
00:46:20.74\00:46:22.48
practically new.
00:46:22.51\00:46:24.05
But I've known
people that have bought cars
00:46:24.08\00:46:25.95
and ignored the
warning of checking your oil,
00:46:25.98\00:46:29.88
take it in the first service,
00:46:29.92\00:46:32.45
they ignore all those things,
00:46:32.49\00:46:33.82
make a run a brand new car
into the ground really fast.
00:46:33.86\00:46:36.93
All it takes for
you to kill a car
00:46:36.96\00:46:39.53
is not put oil in
it for seven months.
00:46:39.56\00:46:42.86
No matter how much you
pay for it is gonna, what?
00:46:42.90\00:46:45.23
It's gonna what?
00:46:45.27\00:46:46.60
It's gonna die.
00:46:46.63\00:46:47.97
That engine will cease
00:46:48.00\00:46:49.44
just as surely as
there's no oil in it.
00:46:49.47\00:46:53.27
We have to understand
the internal condition.
00:46:53.31\00:46:54.84
Our lives are
sometimes are ceased
00:46:54.88\00:46:57.45
because we don't take
care of the internal condition.
00:46:57.48\00:47:00.22
What is the internal condition?
00:47:00.25\00:47:01.78
Jeremiah 17:9,
00:47:01.82\00:47:03.55
it reads as follows.
00:47:03.59\00:47:05.45
We went to from the whole life.
00:47:05.49\00:47:07.29
Now we're going down
to the intricate parts.
00:47:07.32\00:47:09.59
What does it say,
"The heart is," what?
00:47:09.62\00:47:11.99
"Deceitful above," what?
00:47:12.03\00:47:14.10
"All things,
00:47:14.13\00:47:16.23
and kind of wicked,
00:47:16.26\00:47:19.73
desperately wicked,
00:47:19.77\00:47:21.44
who can know it?"
00:47:21.47\00:47:24.01
I know that we don't
fall into that category.
00:47:24.04\00:47:25.61
But sometimes,
00:47:25.64\00:47:26.98
we will do things
that even will surprise us.
00:47:27.01\00:47:30.18
Right?
00:47:30.21\00:47:31.55
Isn't that's true?
00:47:31.58\00:47:32.91
Sometimes we do
things that surprise us.
00:47:32.95\00:47:34.28
That's why you have to really,
00:47:34.32\00:47:35.65
you got to kind of,
00:47:35.68\00:47:37.02
I like that text
in where Paul says,
00:47:37.05\00:47:38.95
examine
yourselves, examine yourselves,
00:47:38.99\00:47:42.59
we've got to
examine our conversation,
00:47:42.62\00:47:44.86
we've got to
examine our viewing habits,
00:47:44.89\00:47:47.66
we've got to
examine our reading habits,
00:47:47.70\00:47:49.46
we've got to examine the things
that we expose ourselves to
00:47:49.50\00:47:52.63
because what happens is
we're either contributing
00:47:52.67\00:47:54.84
to the freedom of our condition,
00:47:54.87\00:47:56.40
or we're
contributing to the degradation
00:47:56.44\00:47:58.04
of our condition.
00:47:58.07\00:47:59.44
I mean, you cannot
ignore any of the warnings
00:47:59.47\00:48:01.08
or the manufacturer's
suggested procedures
00:48:01.11\00:48:04.88
to follow in your car.
00:48:04.91\00:48:06.72
You can't ignore any of that
00:48:06.75\00:48:08.15
and expect your car to
run as well as it does.
00:48:08.18\00:48:10.69
Sometimes it could be something
00:48:10.72\00:48:12.05
as simple as your tire pressure.
00:48:12.09\00:48:13.72
Have you ever
wondered about that?
00:48:13.76\00:48:15.09
They're driving and you
will just keeps going like that,
00:48:15.12\00:48:16.96
and you wonder,
what's wrong with my car.
00:48:16.99\00:48:19.33
I mean, I vacuumed it out,
00:48:19.36\00:48:20.70
I washed it,
what's wrong with the car,
00:48:20.73\00:48:22.56
something bigger than dust,
00:48:22.60\00:48:24.77
something worse than dirt.
00:48:24.80\00:48:26.67
And you pull up in
the service station.
00:48:26.70\00:48:28.87
And what happens
is the tire pressure,
00:48:28.90\00:48:30.97
I know somebody who...
00:48:31.01\00:48:33.17
Won't tell you who it is,
00:48:33.21\00:48:34.54
but they were driving,
00:48:34.58\00:48:36.75
they drove from
home to work at 3ABN
00:48:36.78\00:48:40.18
with only three pounds of
air pressure in their tire.
00:48:40.22\00:48:43.18
Now for those of you
who know what that means,
00:48:43.22\00:48:45.45
that's practically a flat tire,
00:48:45.49\00:48:47.22
sorry, that is a flat tire,
00:48:47.26\00:48:49.36
you get three pounds just
from friction on the road.
00:48:49.39\00:48:52.89
But they didn't check.
00:48:52.93\00:48:55.46
And thankfully,
there was a divine element.
00:48:55.50\00:48:57.07
You see, sometimes God
takes care of those of us.
00:48:57.10\00:48:59.23
Sometimes God watches
us in our ignorant moments,
00:48:59.27\00:49:02.17
when we are honestly
ignorant about something.
00:49:02.20\00:49:04.87
The hand of God
is still merciful.
00:49:04.91\00:49:06.37
Every morning,
there's new mercy, right?
00:49:06.41\00:49:08.68
So in that situation,
00:49:08.71\00:49:10.05
God was watching out
that nothing happened.
00:49:10.08\00:49:11.41
Nothing critical happened,
00:49:11.45\00:49:12.78
no accident,
nothing of the sort.
00:49:12.81\00:49:14.32
However, when it comes
to the human condition,
00:49:14.35\00:49:17.49
it is within our responsibility
00:49:17.52\00:49:20.49
to check out our condition
00:49:20.52\00:49:21.99
because either we're
contributing to our hearts
00:49:22.02\00:49:24.53
for the good,
00:49:24.56\00:49:25.89
or we're
contributing to the heart
00:49:25.93\00:49:27.30
to maintain the evil
stance that already has.
00:49:27.33\00:49:30.30
And I wanna tell you this,
00:49:30.33\00:49:31.67
you could make
your heart more wicked,
00:49:31.70\00:49:34.80
it's already desperately wicked.
00:49:34.84\00:49:36.81
But it could
become even more wicked,
00:49:36.84\00:49:39.31
'cause you read
the Book of Genesis.
00:49:39.34\00:49:40.68
I think it's Genesis
Chapter 6 where the Bible says,
00:49:40.71\00:49:43.45
"The thoughts and
intents of their hearts
00:49:43.48\00:49:45.08
were only evil," how long?
00:49:45.11\00:49:47.15
"Continually."
00:49:47.18\00:49:48.68
So you get this evil heart.
00:49:48.72\00:49:50.09
It's like getting a
wicked dog, say getting a dog,
00:49:50.12\00:49:52.75
that just like a horse
00:49:52.79\00:49:54.12
that just
doesn't wanna be broken.
00:49:54.16\00:49:56.09
And so you just
leave it out in the yard,
00:49:56.12\00:49:57.63
it's gonna get broken?
00:49:57.66\00:49:58.99
No.
00:49:59.03\00:50:00.36
People that break horses,
00:50:00.40\00:50:01.73
and they know you have to
do work to break a horse in.
00:50:01.76\00:50:04.53
In the very same way
00:50:04.57\00:50:05.90
the human heart has to be worked
00:50:05.93\00:50:07.44
to break that heart in.
00:50:07.47\00:50:10.11
God can do it in a
way that no man can do it.
00:50:10.14\00:50:12.67
And there are
things that we can do
00:50:12.71\00:50:14.04
by prayer, by study,
00:50:14.08\00:50:15.84
by committing
ourselves to Christ.
00:50:15.88\00:50:17.55
I would say there
be less broken hearts.
00:50:17.58\00:50:19.68
There will be
00:50:19.71\00:50:21.05
if there are more
people willing to worship
00:50:21.08\00:50:22.72
and study their Bibles
00:50:22.75\00:50:24.19
and get together in fellowship
00:50:24.22\00:50:25.69
and get together into study
of the Word moments like these.
00:50:25.72\00:50:28.72
Less desperately wicked hearts,
00:50:28.76\00:50:30.89
more hearts being
freed moment by moment.
00:50:30.93\00:50:33.16
That's the
condition of the heart.
00:50:33.19\00:50:34.56
Let's look at
question number three.
00:50:34.60\00:50:35.96
I think that's where
we are, isn't that right?
00:50:36.00\00:50:38.40
Question number three.
00:50:38.43\00:50:39.77
So if you put the, how
does the Bible describe
00:50:39.80\00:50:41.80
the internal
condition of humanity?
00:50:41.84\00:50:45.01
What you put there?
00:50:45.04\00:50:48.31
That's right,
00:50:48.34\00:50:49.68
heart is deceitful
and desperately wicked.
00:50:49.71\00:50:51.81
And when it says
heart, it's not just saying,
00:50:51.85\00:50:54.22
if your heart is bad,
your thoughts are bad.
00:50:54.25\00:50:57.82
The Bible speaks
about them interchangeably.
00:50:57.85\00:50:59.35
But sometimes the Bible
speaks about them as separate.
00:50:59.39\00:51:01.92
And it often uses the
phrase or the word heart,
00:51:01.96\00:51:04.73
to mean the deep
seated issues of life,
00:51:04.76\00:51:07.40
for out of the
abundance of the heart,
00:51:07.43\00:51:09.73
the mouth speaks.
00:51:09.76\00:51:11.57
In the heart
00:51:11.60\00:51:12.93
is where the
issues of life are stored
00:51:12.97\00:51:15.00
because when we say I heart you,
00:51:15.04\00:51:16.97
we don't say I mind you.
00:51:17.01\00:51:18.64
Right?
00:51:18.67\00:51:20.01
Because I mean, I'm
just thinking about you,
00:51:20.04\00:51:21.38
but when we say
heart you, that means what?
00:51:21.41\00:51:22.91
I love you.
00:51:22.94\00:51:24.28
That's the seed
of all affections.
00:51:24.31\00:51:25.78
Okay, remember that?
00:51:25.81\00:51:27.15
So let's...
00:51:27.18\00:51:28.52
What are we told
about our natural desires?
00:51:28.55\00:51:29.95
Question three.
00:51:29.98\00:51:31.32
What are we told
about our natural desires
00:51:31.35\00:51:32.75
to do what is right?
00:51:32.79\00:51:34.92
What are we told
about our natural desires
00:51:34.96\00:51:36.29
to do what is right?
00:51:36.32\00:51:37.66
Psalm 14:3.
00:51:37.69\00:51:39.59
Psalm 14:3,
00:51:39.63\00:51:41.63
is where we find the answer.
00:51:41.66\00:51:44.53
Sometimes people think
it's natural to do right.
00:51:44.57\00:51:46.23
That's why I often say,
00:51:46.27\00:51:47.60
don't get content to just
hang around spiritual places,
00:51:47.64\00:51:51.47
you've got to have
a spiritual experience
00:51:51.51\00:51:53.74
because you
won't turn into a horse
00:51:53.78\00:51:55.48
by hanging out into a barn
00:51:55.51\00:51:57.48
anymore than you
turn into a Christian
00:51:57.51\00:51:58.85
by hanging out into a church.
00:51:58.88\00:52:00.98
We're hanging out in a church.
00:52:01.02\00:52:02.45
You can eat right, you
can sing the right songs,
00:52:02.48\00:52:05.75
you can go to
church on the right day
00:52:05.79\00:52:07.46
that is the holy day of worship,
00:52:07.49\00:52:08.89
you can go to church every day.
00:52:08.92\00:52:11.89
But being in the right place
and singing the right songs,
00:52:11.93\00:52:17.00
we have to come
and face the reality
00:52:17.03\00:52:18.73
that there's something about us
00:52:18.77\00:52:20.10
that is not natural.
00:52:20.14\00:52:21.47
And that thing that
is not natural about us
00:52:21.50\00:52:23.04
is doing right.
00:52:23.07\00:52:24.64
We don't
naturally wanna do right.
00:52:24.67\00:52:27.84
That's why when you
see children doing wrong,
00:52:27.88\00:52:29.94
don't ever think
they're gonna grow out of it.
00:52:29.98\00:52:31.91
Children don't grow out of evil,
00:52:31.95\00:52:33.31
they grow into
it even more deeply.
00:52:33.35\00:52:36.48
Do you know that
if you're a parent?
00:52:36.52\00:52:37.85
Do you know that, right?
00:52:37.89\00:52:39.22
Children don't grow
out of evil, they grow.
00:52:39.25\00:52:40.62
And so if it's cute
when they're little,
00:52:40.66\00:52:42.82
it's gonna become ugly
00:52:42.86\00:52:44.19
when they be turned to teenager,
00:52:44.23\00:52:45.56
you got to work on that
thing when they're young
00:52:45.59\00:52:47.03
'cause children
don't grow out of evil,
00:52:47.06\00:52:48.43
they grow into it.
00:52:48.46\00:52:49.80
So here's what the Bible says.
00:52:49.83\00:52:51.67
What are we told
about our natural desire
00:52:51.70\00:52:53.03
to do what is right?
00:52:53.07\00:52:54.40
Psalm 14:3, reads as follows.
00:52:54.44\00:52:56.50
Speaking about us, and
what I want you to notice
00:52:56.54\00:52:58.37
this continual thread here,
00:52:58.41\00:52:59.74
the word all, all, all
shows up all night long.
00:52:59.77\00:53:03.38
Here's what it says.
00:53:03.41\00:53:04.75
"They have all done," what?
00:53:04.78\00:53:06.61
"Turned aside,
00:53:06.65\00:53:08.32
they have
together become corrupt,
00:53:08.35\00:53:12.72
there is none who
does good, no, not one."
00:53:12.75\00:53:18.43
Okay, so now let
me ask a question.
00:53:18.46\00:53:19.89
I'm gonna do a survey now.
00:53:19.93\00:53:21.26
Those of you who are at home,
00:53:21.30\00:53:22.63
send pictures of your responses,
00:53:22.66\00:53:24.40
you can email them,
not really I need that.
00:53:24.43\00:53:26.74
But how many of
us have done good,
00:53:26.77\00:53:29.60
raise your hand?
00:53:29.64\00:53:33.44
Now you want to
ask, you want to ask.
00:53:33.48\00:53:35.01
So how is good being done?
00:53:35.04\00:53:37.08
"For it is God who works in you
00:53:37.11\00:53:40.18
both to will and to
do of His good pleasure."
00:53:40.22\00:53:44.32
Amen to that.
00:53:44.35\00:53:45.72
When you become a
Christian, you realize,
00:53:45.75\00:53:47.26
wait a minute, wait a minute.
00:53:47.29\00:53:50.76
I naturally wouldn't
help people like that.
00:53:50.79\00:53:53.19
So what happened?
00:53:53.23\00:53:54.56
When we start noticing
00:53:54.60\00:53:55.93
the good
showing up in our lives,
00:53:55.96\00:53:57.30
we have to remember
00:53:57.33\00:53:58.67
that the word
good is God extended,
00:53:58.70\00:54:01.20
G-O-O, God is G-O-D.
00:54:01.24\00:54:05.74
Good is G-O-O-D,
00:54:05.77\00:54:07.94
the extension of God is good.
00:54:07.98\00:54:11.31
And as Pastor C.A said,
00:54:11.35\00:54:13.28
when you will discover
God is not good all the time.
00:54:13.31\00:54:17.49
In bad times God is great.
00:54:17.52\00:54:19.69
See, I like that.
00:54:19.72\00:54:21.72
I appreciate it
when he said that.
00:54:21.76\00:54:23.09
Kind of got me nervous
00:54:23.12\00:54:24.46
when he preached that, he said,
00:54:24.49\00:54:25.83
I don't say that God is
good all the time anymore
00:54:25.86\00:54:27.20
'cause he's not.
00:54:27.23\00:54:28.56
Any pause right
there just about,
00:54:28.60\00:54:30.17
people want to stand up and say,
00:54:30.20\00:54:31.53
"Now, Pastor C.A.,
don't go down that road."
00:54:31.57\00:54:34.37
I don't know where you
gonna go with that next.
00:54:34.40\00:54:35.74
But be careful
what you say about God
00:54:35.77\00:54:37.31
'cause He is good.
00:54:37.34\00:54:38.67
He said, "No, God
is great in bad times."
00:54:38.71\00:54:41.04
Isn't that right?
00:54:41.08\00:54:42.64
Kind of, He turns the heat up.
00:54:42.68\00:54:44.55
He turns up his love
00:54:44.58\00:54:45.91
when we really need it
when we are fairly cold,
00:54:45.95\00:54:47.65
He puts that heating blanket
of divinity all around us.
00:54:47.68\00:54:50.99
And we see that God is good.
00:54:51.02\00:54:52.35
But it says here,
00:54:52.39\00:54:53.72
"God is good all the time,
00:54:53.76\00:54:55.39
but God is great in bad times."
00:54:55.42\00:54:57.43
But what about us?
00:54:57.46\00:54:58.79
What about me, Lord?
00:54:58.83\00:55:00.53
Sorry, none that does good.
00:55:00.56\00:55:04.07
Put your finger
down. No, not one.
00:55:04.10\00:55:07.44
So every one of us is in need.
00:55:07.47\00:55:08.80
So we're looking at
the human condition.
00:55:08.84\00:55:10.34
We've so far
discovered we've all sinned,
00:55:10.37\00:55:12.61
we have a wicked heart.
00:55:12.64\00:55:13.98
None of us have
done anything good.
00:55:14.01\00:55:15.44
We've all gone at
different directions.
00:55:15.48\00:55:18.28
We're gonna dive
down to the next one now,
00:55:18.31\00:55:19.65
number four.
00:55:19.68\00:55:21.02
So if you put the
questions answer there,
00:55:21.05\00:55:22.65
what are we told
about our natural desire
00:55:22.68\00:55:24.29
to do what is right?
00:55:24.32\00:55:25.65
What's our natural desire?
00:55:25.69\00:55:27.22
We don't have one.
00:55:27.26\00:55:28.59
Our natural desire is
not to do what's right.
00:55:28.62\00:55:30.49
Our natural desire
is to do what's wrong.
00:55:30.53\00:55:33.83
None of us like to do good.
00:55:33.86\00:55:35.90
That's why some people,
00:55:35.93\00:55:38.13
you know, when they're
at home, and you could ask,
00:55:38.17\00:55:42.10
it happens in church.
00:55:42.14\00:55:44.14
Would you love
to study the Bible?
00:55:44.17\00:55:46.37
Sure.
00:55:46.41\00:55:48.11
But I'm not
coming out to do that.
00:55:48.14\00:55:51.61
Look at number
four. Look at number four.
00:55:51.65\00:55:55.58
Okay, and the question is.
00:55:55.62\00:55:58.69
How does the Bible
describe our longing for God?
00:55:58.72\00:56:05.13
How does the Bible
describe our longing for God?
00:56:05.16\00:56:09.66
I'm gonna say
our natural longing,
00:56:09.70\00:56:11.60
I'm gonna go to this
one, almost immediately.
00:56:11.63\00:56:15.50
We don't have a...
00:56:15.54\00:56:17.71
So far if you're looking at us
00:56:17.74\00:56:19.37
the way we are born,
00:56:19.41\00:56:20.74
if the condition
I'm revealing to you
00:56:20.78\00:56:22.68
is the condition that
we were inheritors of,
00:56:22.71\00:56:26.41
from the time we were born,
00:56:26.45\00:56:28.12
and so far,
there's nothing good.
00:56:28.15\00:56:29.85
So if you look
at your family tree,
00:56:29.88\00:56:31.22
your family tree
should have been cut down
00:56:31.25\00:56:32.59
a long time ago.
00:56:32.62\00:56:33.96
Nothing good there,
bad roots, bad fruits.
00:56:33.99\00:56:39.13
But what has
happened with our...
00:56:39.16\00:56:40.53
What about our
desire for longing for God?
00:56:40.56\00:56:44.10
Here's what the
Bible says, Isaiah 53:6,
00:56:44.13\00:56:47.54
together, what's
the first word, Greg?
00:56:47.57\00:56:50.17
"All we like
sheep have gone astray,
00:56:50.21\00:56:54.51
we have turned,"
what's the next phrase?
00:56:54.54\00:56:56.54
"Everyone, to his own way,
00:56:56.58\00:56:59.95
and the Lord has laid
on Him the iniquity of us."
00:56:59.98\00:57:04.05
Oh, that verse began
with all, ended with all.
00:57:04.09\00:57:06.89
How many of us are in problems?
00:57:06.92\00:57:08.56
All of us.
00:57:08.59\00:57:09.92
How many of us
have gone our own way?
00:57:09.96\00:57:11.49
All of us.
00:57:11.53\00:57:12.86
How many of us need help?
00:57:12.89\00:57:14.23
All of us.
00:57:14.26\00:57:15.76
How many of us
need that divine element
00:57:15.80\00:57:17.77
to change our lives?
00:57:17.80\00:57:19.13
Say it again? All of us.
00:57:19.17\00:57:20.67
So you see,
00:57:20.70\00:57:22.04
when we think about the fact
00:57:22.07\00:57:23.47
that this verse
included one hopeful word,
00:57:23.51\00:57:26.11
and that hopeful word is sheep.
00:57:26.14\00:57:29.08
If you're a sheep,
you got a shepherd.
00:57:29.11\00:57:31.11
If you can say what
David the Psalmist says,
00:57:31.15\00:57:33.11
"The Lord is my shepherd."
00:57:33.15\00:57:36.28
So there's some
hope for the sheep.
00:57:36.32\00:57:37.65
They go astray, they
can't find their way.
00:57:37.69\00:57:40.02
They get cold in
the dark of night.
00:57:40.06\00:57:42.06
That's why here
at A Sharper Focus
00:57:42.09\00:57:43.43
we believe that
focusing on the things
00:57:43.46\00:57:45.23
that really do matter is
where we find our strength,
00:57:45.26\00:57:48.73
where we find our encouragement
00:57:48.76\00:57:50.23
and where we truly do find a way
00:57:50.27\00:57:53.34
to live a spiritual
life in a natural body.
00:57:53.37\00:57:55.04
So continue studying,
00:57:55.07\00:57:56.50
we'll continue this
topic on a later date.
00:57:56.54\00:57:58.81
But keep studying God's
Word and what you can understand
00:57:58.84\00:58:01.28
will come into A Sharper Focus.
00:58:01.31\00:58:03.88
God bless you.
00:58:03.91\00:58:05.25