Hello, friends, and welcome
00:00:20.65\00:00:21.98
to another
Wednesday night Bible study
00:00:22.02\00:00:23.75
here in Thompsonville, Illinois
at the 3ABN Worship Center.
00:00:23.79\00:00:27.52
Thank you so much for tuning in.
00:00:27.56\00:00:29.69
We pray that you have
your Bibles, your pens,
00:00:29.72\00:00:32.26
your family, your friends,
00:00:32.29\00:00:33.86
all of those individuals
that want to join you
00:00:33.90\00:00:36.20
and as right now as we
study the Bible together.
00:00:36.23\00:00:39.03
I'm always excited
about Wednesday night
00:00:39.07\00:00:40.40
because it's not a
sermon, it's a teaching time,
00:00:40.44\00:00:43.17
and I believe that teaching
is vitally important for us
00:00:43.20\00:00:46.24
to understand
not just what said,
00:00:46.27\00:00:48.38
but how it applies to our lives,
00:00:48.41\00:00:50.15
and how we can benefit
not only intellectually
00:00:50.18\00:00:52.91
but spiritually.
00:00:52.95\00:00:54.38
And as we study the
theme of the cross tonight
00:00:54.42\00:00:57.12
it's so vitally important
00:00:57.15\00:00:58.49
because we say so many
things about the cross,
00:00:58.52\00:01:01.49
and I'll discuss
that a little further
00:01:01.52\00:01:03.39
what actually is the
message of the cross.
00:01:03.43\00:01:06.70
If you'd like a copy
of the lesson tonight,
00:01:06.73\00:01:08.43
go to the website ASF.3ABN.org
and download lesson number 12,
00:01:08.46\00:01:14.70
entitled Carry My Cross.
00:01:14.74\00:01:16.81
How to carry my cross?
00:01:16.84\00:01:18.71
And if you're busy,
00:01:18.74\00:01:20.28
just take the
next 57 minutes or so,
00:01:20.31\00:01:22.84
and this lesson
will go by as quickly
00:01:22.88\00:01:24.58
as you can possibly imagine,
00:01:24.61\00:01:26.35
but the blessings are abundant.
00:01:26.38\00:01:29.02
Before we do anything,
before we even sing tonight,
00:01:29.05\00:01:30.92
let's have a word of prayer.
00:01:30.95\00:01:32.29
Bow your heads with me.
00:01:32.32\00:01:33.99
Heavenly Father, thank
You, Lord, that tonight,
00:01:34.02\00:01:35.76
we can open Your Word
and as we open the book,
00:01:35.79\00:01:38.93
we pray that
You'll open our book,
00:01:38.96\00:01:40.53
read our hearts, read our lives,
00:01:40.56\00:01:43.16
help us to see
Jesus more clearly,
00:01:43.20\00:01:45.33
and where we
stand in our journey,
00:01:45.37\00:01:48.30
and our relationship with Him.
00:01:48.34\00:01:50.54
May this message about the cross
00:01:50.57\00:01:53.48
be very clear
tonight, but, Lord,
00:01:53.51\00:01:55.61
also we pray that You'll hide us
00:01:55.64\00:01:56.98
under the shadow of the cross
00:01:57.01\00:01:58.68
and help us to walk
in the newness of life.
00:01:58.71\00:02:00.35
We pray in Jesus' name.
00:02:00.38\00:02:02.42
Amen.
00:02:02.45\00:02:04.29
Now we always like
to sing our theme song,
00:02:04.32\00:02:06.05
it's Victory in Jesus,
00:02:06.09\00:02:08.09
the words will
appear on our screen.
00:02:08.12\00:02:09.52
And if you tune in
before, you like to sing,
00:02:09.56\00:02:12.13
just turn your volume
up and sing along with us
00:02:12.16\00:02:15.10
as we speak about the theme song
00:02:15.13\00:02:17.23
of where our victory is found.
00:02:17.27\00:02:18.60
Let's sing together.
00:02:18.63\00:02:19.97
I heard an old, old story
00:02:27.91\00:02:31.61
How the Savior came from glory
00:02:31.65\00:02:35.38
How He gave His life on Calvary
00:02:35.42\00:02:39.22
To save a wretch like me
00:02:39.25\00:02:42.99
I heard about His groaning
00:02:43.02\00:02:46.70
Of His precious blood's atoning
00:02:46.73\00:02:50.47
Then I repented of my sin
00:02:50.50\00:02:54.37
And won the victory
00:02:54.40\00:02:58.07
O victory in Jesus
00:02:58.11\00:03:01.84
My Savior, forever
00:03:01.88\00:03:05.65
He sought me and bought me
00:03:05.68\00:03:09.38
With His redeeming blood
00:03:09.42\00:03:13.19
He loved me ere
00:03:13.22\00:03:15.12
I knew Him
00:03:15.16\00:03:16.93
And all my love is due Him
00:03:16.96\00:03:20.76
He plunged me to victory
00:03:20.80\00:03:24.57
Beneath the cleansing flood
00:03:24.60\00:03:28.34
I heard about a mansion
00:03:28.37\00:03:32.07
He has built for me in glory
00:03:32.11\00:03:35.91
And I heard about
the streets of gold
00:03:35.94\00:03:39.65
Beyond the crystal sea
00:03:39.68\00:03:43.42
About the angels singing
00:03:43.45\00:03:47.26
And the old redemption story
00:03:47.29\00:03:50.96
And some sweet day
00:03:50.99\00:03:52.99
I'll sing up there
00:03:53.03\00:03:54.76
The song of victory
00:03:54.80\00:03:58.50
O victory in Jesus
00:03:58.53\00:04:02.37
My Savior, forever
00:04:02.40\00:04:06.11
He sought me and bought me
00:04:06.14\00:04:09.84
With His redeeming blood
00:04:09.88\00:04:13.65
He loved me ere
00:04:13.68\00:04:15.58
I knew Him
00:04:15.62\00:04:17.49
And all my love is due Him
00:04:17.52\00:04:21.32
He plunged me to victory
00:04:21.36\00:04:25.06
Beneath the cleansing flood
00:04:25.09\00:04:28.83
He plunged me to victory
00:04:28.86\00:04:32.57
Beneath the cleansing flood
00:04:32.60\00:04:39.54
Can we say amen to that?
00:04:39.57\00:04:40.91
Amen.
00:04:40.94\00:04:42.28
That song has become
a favorite song of those
00:04:42.31\00:04:45.81
who tune into the program
00:04:45.85\00:04:47.35
because it really is
all about the victory
00:04:47.38\00:04:49.25
that we find in Jesus.
00:04:49.28\00:04:51.29
Tonight, our topic is
"How to Carry My Cross."
00:04:51.32\00:04:54.79
Let's say that together,
"How to Carry My Cross."
00:04:54.82\00:04:59.69
Now I want to begin
tonight in a very different way
00:04:59.73\00:05:02.76
because the topic
of the cross, we say...
00:05:02.80\00:05:05.93
There's a song I enjoy
singing "The Old Rugged Cross."
00:05:05.97\00:05:10.41
And that song has
been sung by so many.
00:05:10.44\00:05:12.14
I think it's a very,
very, very famous song.
00:05:12.17\00:05:14.98
Then there's another one
00:05:15.01\00:05:16.34
"The Old Rugged
Cross Made The Difference."
00:05:16.38\00:05:18.21
And so much is
focused on the cross.
00:05:18.25\00:05:21.98
But oftentimes,
00:05:22.02\00:05:23.35
when trials come our way
and difficulties come our way,
00:05:23.39\00:05:26.42
people say,
"Well, that's the cross
00:05:26.45\00:05:27.79
that I have to bear."
00:05:27.82\00:05:29.26
"Well, there's my cross is."
00:05:29.29\00:05:31.49
And oftentimes, we
apply the message of the cross
00:05:31.53\00:05:35.50
to incidents in our lives
00:05:35.53\00:05:37.50
that are not necessarily
applicable to the cross.
00:05:37.53\00:05:41.00
So I want to
really make it very clear
00:05:41.04\00:05:42.64
what it means
to carry our cross.
00:05:42.67\00:05:46.68
Let's begin by
showing you some pictures.
00:05:46.71\00:05:48.94
These are some
familiar pictures.
00:05:48.98\00:05:50.71
When you see this picture,
00:05:50.75\00:05:52.08
it opens to your
mind these three crosses,
00:05:52.11\00:05:54.78
we think about the crucifixion.
00:05:54.82\00:05:57.59
One thief, another criminal,
and Jesus in the middle.
00:05:57.62\00:06:03.86
The man on the cross,
the man in the middle.
00:06:03.89\00:06:07.36
I think this is probably one
of the most famous renditions
00:06:07.40\00:06:10.83
of the cross, especially,
00:06:10.87\00:06:12.77
during the time of year
00:06:12.80\00:06:14.14
when people talk about
the resurrection of Christ.
00:06:14.17\00:06:16.64
They always have three crosses.
00:06:16.67\00:06:18.67
But if you think of the...
00:06:18.71\00:06:20.18
If you think of
the jewelry industry,
00:06:20.21\00:06:23.14
crosses have been
abused, have been misused,
00:06:23.18\00:06:26.25
have been reinterpreted,
00:06:26.28\00:06:28.35
in the occult world they
turn the cross upside down,
00:06:28.38\00:06:31.65
in the occult world they had
00:06:31.69\00:06:33.02
so many other
dimensions to the cross
00:06:33.05\00:06:34.69
which really does not
apply to the Bible at all.
00:06:34.72\00:06:37.09
It takes the meaning of
the cross and dilutes it
00:06:37.13\00:06:39.19
and distorts it and, at best,
00:06:39.23\00:06:42.23
misinterprets the
message of the cross.
00:06:42.26\00:06:44.37
So as I thought
about putting this
00:06:44.40\00:06:47.07
presentation together,
00:06:47.10\00:06:48.44
I said, "Well, let
me show them a cross
00:06:48.47\00:06:50.17
that people wear
around their neck."
00:06:50.21\00:06:52.44
Well, when I think about that,
I'm reminded of the phrase,
00:06:52.47\00:06:56.14
my good friend, Doug Batchelor
said to somebody who asked,
00:06:56.18\00:07:00.25
"Is it okay to wear a cross?"
00:07:00.28\00:07:02.15
He said, "Well,
if you could find
00:07:02.18\00:07:04.29
support of the Bible,
00:07:04.32\00:07:05.65
because the Lord
didn't say, wear a cross,
00:07:05.69\00:07:07.32
the Lord said what?
00:07:07.36\00:07:08.82
"Bear a cross."
00:07:08.86\00:07:10.39
And so we've seen crosses,
and people often wear that,
00:07:10.43\00:07:13.43
you've seen cross
earrings and cross tattoos.
00:07:13.46\00:07:16.43
Sometimes you've seen crosses
on back of a leather jacket
00:07:16.46\00:07:19.37
with the skull
in the middle of it.
00:07:19.40\00:07:21.40
And the cross has been
so misused and so abused
00:07:21.44\00:07:24.07
but that's probably one of
the most famous renditions.
00:07:24.11\00:07:26.64
However, I'm kind of...
00:07:26.68\00:07:28.24
I take to this one,
00:07:28.28\00:07:29.61
this next one because this one
is found in Southern Illinois.
00:07:29.64\00:07:34.18
Some people may have
heard about the Bald Knob Cross.
00:07:34.22\00:07:37.12
Now this cross is 116 feet tall,
00:07:37.15\00:07:39.85
and I have not necessarily
seen this one, I heard about it.
00:07:39.89\00:07:43.73
So I chose
tonight to share this one.
00:07:43.76\00:07:45.76
Southern Illinois boasts
one of the biggest crosses
00:07:45.79\00:07:47.93
in the nation.
00:07:47.96\00:07:49.56
And I want to say it's
bigger than the next cross
00:07:49.60\00:07:51.40
I'm going to
show you but sometimes
00:07:51.43\00:07:52.77
if you're driving
down the Highway 57,
00:07:52.80\00:07:55.07
where 57 and 70 meets, do
you know what city that is?
00:07:55.10\00:07:57.84
Okay.
00:08:01.21\00:08:02.54
Ha? Effingham.
00:08:02.58\00:08:03.91
Effingham.
00:08:03.95\00:08:05.28
We're right in
the City of Effingham
00:08:05.31\00:08:06.65
just before you get there,
you see this massive tall,
00:08:06.68\00:08:08.28
tall cross.
00:08:08.32\00:08:11.19
Right. A big old metal cross.
00:08:11.22\00:08:14.12
Well, this one is bolstering
a higher height than that one,
00:08:14.16\00:08:18.66
the Bald Knob Cross.
00:08:18.69\00:08:20.60
But this is probably
00:08:20.63\00:08:22.26
one of the most
famous cross images.
00:08:22.30\00:08:25.30
The cross of
Christ and Christ Himself
00:08:25.33\00:08:28.44
are there on the hills
00:08:28.47\00:08:29.90
over that great City
of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
00:08:29.94\00:08:34.64
So when we
think about the cross,
00:08:34.68\00:08:37.05
depending on where you are,
many images come to your mind.
00:08:37.08\00:08:40.55
You could be in a church
where cross is very popular,
00:08:40.58\00:08:43.59
some churches have
crosses on their steeple,
00:08:43.62\00:08:45.85
some churches have
crosses right in the center
00:08:45.89\00:08:48.22
as the person walks into church,
00:08:48.26\00:08:50.09
and some people
in their religion
00:08:50.13\00:08:51.46
they always make
the sign of the cross.
00:08:51.49\00:08:53.26
The cross means a lot to
a lot of different people.
00:08:53.29\00:08:56.20
The cross means a lot to
people that are religious,
00:08:56.23\00:08:58.63
people that are Christians,
00:08:58.67\00:09:00.37
and people that are
not necessarily Christians.
00:09:00.40\00:09:03.24
Sometimes, you'll see a
rock group wearing a cross,
00:09:03.27\00:09:05.37
and you say, but their music,
it doesn't match the symbol.
00:09:05.41\00:09:08.91
But a lot of people don't
know that in the occult world,
00:09:08.94\00:09:11.08
one of the reasons why
rockers wear that cross
00:09:11.11\00:09:13.42
is because they take
pride as Satan worshippers
00:09:13.45\00:09:16.38
to wear the symbol upon
which Jesus was crucified.
00:09:16.42\00:09:20.12
They're not wearing it
because they are religious,
00:09:20.16\00:09:22.89
they're wearing
it, bolstering that,
00:09:22.92\00:09:24.53
"We crucified
Him on this cross."
00:09:24.56\00:09:27.23
Then you see the
cross upside down,
00:09:27.26\00:09:28.90
which is a distortion of
the message of the cross.
00:09:28.93\00:09:32.83
And then, as I said
earlier, sometimes people say,
00:09:32.87\00:09:36.04
"Life is just so
difficult for me.
00:09:36.07\00:09:37.87
I guess this is the
cross, I'm called to bear."
00:09:37.91\00:09:41.71
But I want you to go with
me right now to Matthew 27
00:09:41.74\00:09:44.11
before we go to
question number one.
00:09:44.15\00:09:46.45
Matthew 27.
00:09:46.48\00:09:47.82
Matthew 27,
00:09:54.29\00:09:55.62
and we are going to look
00:09:55.66\00:09:58.99
at probably one of
the most moving stories
00:09:59.03\00:10:01.13
in the Bible,
00:10:01.16\00:10:03.06
"The crucifixion of Jesus."
00:10:03.10\00:10:05.73
All right, let me just cut down
how much I was going to read.
00:10:09.97\00:10:14.84
Let me start with verse 21.
00:10:14.88\00:10:17.15
Verse 21.
00:10:17.18\00:10:18.51
This is where Barabbas is freed,
00:10:23.28\00:10:26.55
and they choose
to crucify Christ,
00:10:26.59\00:10:29.69
and let Barabbas go free.
00:10:29.72\00:10:32.66
"The governor..."
00:10:32.69\00:10:34.03
And I'm reading in the
New King James Version.
00:10:34.06\00:10:35.40
"The governor
answered and said to them,
00:10:35.43\00:10:38.33
'Which of the two do you
want me to release to you?'
00:10:38.37\00:10:42.70
They said, "who, 'Barabbas!'"
00:10:42.74\00:10:47.34
And by the way,
00:10:47.38\00:10:48.98
when you think of
00:10:49.01\00:10:50.35
who the question
is being asked to,
00:10:50.38\00:10:52.65
it's being asked to those
who should have chosen Jesus,
00:10:52.68\00:10:54.88
the people that have
been carrying His message,
00:10:54.92\00:10:58.35
the chief priest.
00:10:58.39\00:10:59.82
"Who do you want?
00:10:59.85\00:11:01.19
Barabbas?"
00:11:01.22\00:11:02.56
And he thought this
would be a no-brainer.
00:11:02.59\00:11:04.63
"Who do you want
this criminal over here
00:11:04.66\00:11:07.36
or this man that
really you have nothing
00:11:07.40\00:11:09.60
to convict Him of?
00:11:09.63\00:11:10.97
Who do you want?"
00:11:11.00\00:11:12.33
And they chose a
criminal over Jesus.
00:11:12.37\00:11:16.37
Pilate said to them in verse 22.
00:11:16.40\00:11:20.84
"What then shall I do with Jesus
00:11:20.88\00:11:23.85
who is called Christ?"
00:11:23.88\00:11:25.58
"What I'm going to do with Him?"
00:11:25.61\00:11:27.18
"They all said to
him, 'Let Him be,' what?"
00:11:27.22\00:11:30.49
'Crucified!'
00:11:30.52\00:11:31.85
Then the governor said,
"'Why, what evil has He done?'
00:11:31.89\00:11:36.52
But they cried out
all the more, saying,
00:11:36.56\00:11:38.86
'Let Him be crucified!'
00:11:38.89\00:11:41.56
When Pilate saw that he
could not prevail at all,
00:11:41.60\00:11:45.03
but rather that a
tumult was rising,
00:11:45.07\00:11:48.24
he took water
and washed his hands
00:11:48.27\00:11:50.21
before the multitude, saying,
00:11:50.24\00:11:52.17
'I am innocent of the
blood of this just Person.
00:11:52.21\00:11:56.14
You see to it.'"
00:11:56.18\00:11:57.65
Well, actually he had
the power to release Him
00:11:57.68\00:11:59.58
so putting water on his hands
didn't change his standing,
00:11:59.61\00:12:02.88
did not change his decision.
00:12:02.92\00:12:05.02
And says in verse 25.
00:12:05.05\00:12:07.12
"And all the
people answered and said,
00:12:07.16\00:12:09.29
'His blood be on us
and on our children.'"
00:12:09.32\00:12:13.66
If you follow the history
of those who rejected Christ,
00:12:13.70\00:12:17.27
there is an
appointment that they have.
00:12:17.30\00:12:19.83
It's talked about
in Revelation 1:7.
00:12:19.87\00:12:22.44
"Every eye shall see Him,
00:12:22.47\00:12:24.17
and those also
that pierced Him."
00:12:24.21\00:12:27.08
That appointment was
made on this occasion
00:12:27.11\00:12:29.58
because when they mocked Christ,
00:12:29.61\00:12:30.95
and they reviled Him,
and they rejected Him,
00:12:30.98\00:12:34.22
and they said to Him,
00:12:34.25\00:12:35.82
"If you're the
Christ, save yourself."
00:12:35.85\00:12:37.55
They adjured Him to
confess that He was the Christ.
00:12:37.59\00:12:40.82
He says, "I am, and
you will see me again
00:12:40.86\00:12:44.13
coming in the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory."
00:12:44.16\00:12:47.40
So the good news
tonight before we go any further
00:12:47.43\00:12:49.40
is the cross was not
the defeat for Christ,
00:12:49.43\00:12:51.80
the cross was the place
of victory for all of us.
00:12:51.83\00:12:54.97
It was not the place
of defeat for Christ,
00:12:55.00\00:12:58.14
but you'll find it
exactly why He had to go there.
00:12:58.17\00:13:01.04
And finally, go
down to verse 26.
00:13:01.08\00:13:04.21
And I'm going to
go very quickly here
00:13:04.25\00:13:05.68
because I want to cover it.
00:13:05.71\00:13:07.05
"Then they
released Barabbas to them."
00:13:07.08\00:13:08.45
Verse 26.
00:13:08.48\00:13:10.25
"And when he had scourged Jesus,
00:13:10.29\00:13:13.79
he delivered
Him to be crucified.
00:13:13.82\00:13:16.06
Then the
soldiers of the governor
00:13:16.09\00:13:17.43
took Jesus into the praetorium
00:13:17.46\00:13:19.76
and gathered the
whole garrison around Him.
00:13:19.79\00:13:23.37
And they stripped Him and
put a scarlet robe on Him."
00:13:23.40\00:13:28.04
Verse 29.
00:13:28.07\00:13:29.70
"When they had
twisted a crown of thorns,
00:13:29.74\00:13:32.64
they put it on His head,
and a reed in His right hand."
00:13:32.67\00:13:37.78
And they bowed
the knee before Him
00:13:37.81\00:13:40.88
and mocked Him, saying,
00:13:40.92\00:13:42.78
"Hail, King of the Jews!"
00:13:42.82\00:13:44.52
I don't know if you caught that,
00:13:44.55\00:13:45.89
the next time they bow
their knees before Him,
00:13:45.92\00:13:47.72
it's going to be
quite a different story,
00:13:47.76\00:13:49.09
what do you say?
00:13:49.12\00:13:50.46
"Every knee will bow,
00:13:50.49\00:13:51.93
every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord."
00:13:51.96\00:13:56.00
But I'm giving you
the picture of the cross
00:13:56.03\00:13:57.37
before we dive into it.
00:13:57.40\00:13:59.17
In verse 30.
00:13:59.20\00:14:00.74
"Then they spat on Him,
00:14:00.77\00:14:02.84
and took the reed and
struck Him on the head.
00:14:02.87\00:14:06.78
Then when they had mocked
Him, they took the robe off Him,
00:14:06.81\00:14:11.68
put His own clothes on Him,
00:14:11.71\00:14:14.28
and led Him away
to be crucified."
00:14:14.32\00:14:18.22
And finally, verse 32.
00:14:18.25\00:14:20.46
"Now as they came out,
they found a man of Cyrene,
00:14:20.49\00:14:23.79
Simon by name.
00:14:23.83\00:14:25.59
Him they compelled
to bear His cross."
00:14:25.63\00:14:30.83
You find when
you read the gospels,
00:14:30.87\00:14:32.83
when you read
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
00:14:32.87\00:14:34.24
you only find two
examples or two instances
00:14:34.27\00:14:36.47
where it talks
about, "Bearing His cross."
00:14:36.50\00:14:39.11
But you'll never find a place
in the writings of the gospels
00:14:39.14\00:14:42.61
where Jesus ever
said the cross was His.
00:14:42.64\00:14:47.28
Jesus never
claimed the cross was His.
00:14:47.32\00:14:50.25
Because what was the
purpose of the cross?
00:14:50.29\00:14:51.72
Somebody tell me?
00:14:51.75\00:14:53.09
What was the
purpose of the cross?
00:14:53.12\00:14:55.32
Crucifixion.
00:14:55.36\00:14:56.69
That was the
purpose of the cross.
00:14:56.73\00:14:58.06
The cross, that cruel
act of taking a person's life
00:14:58.09\00:15:02.20
was brought into
existence by the Persians,
00:15:02.23\00:15:05.40
the Medo-Persians,
00:15:05.43\00:15:06.87
then it was later
adopted by the Romans,
00:15:06.90\00:15:09.37
and they refined the process
00:15:09.40\00:15:14.21
of persecution on the cross.
00:15:14.24\00:15:16.48
They made it so that,
00:15:16.51\00:15:17.85
whoever was
persecutor on the cross,
00:15:17.88\00:15:19.21
they could get the
maximum amount of pain
00:15:19.25\00:15:21.32
before that person
expired or before they died.
00:15:21.35\00:15:25.25
But when you find out
tonight about the cross,
00:15:25.29\00:15:28.06
this was the mission of Jesus.
00:15:28.09\00:15:31.66
"For God so loved the world
00:15:31.69\00:15:33.03
that He gave His
only begotten Son,
00:15:33.06\00:15:34.40
that whoever believeth
in Him should not perish,
00:15:34.43\00:15:35.86
but have," what?
00:15:35.90\00:15:37.23
"Everlasting life."
00:15:37.27\00:15:38.60
Jesus had to come to
perish that we don't perish.
00:15:38.63\00:15:41.77
Jesus had to come to die
00:15:41.80\00:15:43.64
so that we can
have eternal life.
00:15:43.67\00:15:46.51
And this cruel act that we
see, when you go to Isaiah 53,
00:15:46.54\00:15:51.51
the Bible says,
"He was wounded for,"
00:15:51.55\00:15:53.08
whose transgression,
"our transgressions."
00:15:53.11\00:15:56.15
When you look at the whipping,
He was bruised for our, what?
00:15:56.18\00:15:59.05
Inequity.
00:15:59.09\00:16:00.42
The chastisement of
our peace is upon Him.
00:16:00.46\00:16:03.09
In other words,
what that means is,
00:16:03.12\00:16:04.93
you're getting the peace,
and He's getting the lashing,
00:16:04.96\00:16:08.63
it should be the
other way around.
00:16:08.66\00:16:10.37
The reason why you have peace
00:16:10.40\00:16:12.03
is because He's
taking the lashing for us.
00:16:12.07\00:16:14.54
The reason why we have peace
00:16:14.57\00:16:16.17
is because He's
taking what we deserve,
00:16:16.20\00:16:18.21
we're literally trading places.
00:16:18.24\00:16:21.14
I want you to get that
in your mind, we are what?
00:16:21.18\00:16:23.95
Trading places.
00:16:23.98\00:16:25.31
In other words where
He should be is where...
00:16:25.35\00:16:28.95
We should be.
00:16:28.98\00:16:31.75
I want you to keep that thought
in mind, we are trading places.
00:16:31.79\00:16:36.19
Now let's dive into
question number one.
00:16:36.22\00:16:39.59
We are trading places, okay?
00:16:39.63\00:16:44.60
Question number one.
00:16:44.63\00:16:47.04
What condition does Jesus attach
00:16:47.07\00:16:50.97
to being a follower of Christ?
00:16:51.01\00:16:54.98
Matthew 10:38.
00:16:55.01\00:16:57.98
In our last broadcast,
00:16:58.01\00:16:59.35
we began here but just to give
00:16:59.38\00:17:01.72
the complete
picture of the lesson,
00:17:01.75\00:17:03.08
I want to start
with this tonight
00:17:03.12\00:17:04.45
because this is a
very important text
00:17:04.49\00:17:06.19
as it relates to
laying the foundation
00:17:06.22\00:17:08.19
for the verses
that come after that.
00:17:08.22\00:17:10.26
What did Jesus say is
imperative the condition
00:17:10.29\00:17:13.40
for being a follower of Christ.
00:17:13.43\00:17:14.76
Matthew 10:38 reads as follows.
00:17:14.80\00:17:16.80
Let's read this
first one together.
00:17:16.83\00:17:18.70
Are you ready? Here we go.
00:17:18.73\00:17:20.07
"And he who does
not take his cross
00:17:20.10\00:17:24.07
and follow after Me
is not worthy of Me."
00:17:24.11\00:17:29.64
Now I want you
to get this picture.
00:17:29.68\00:17:31.55
Here it is the
day of crucifixion,
00:17:31.58\00:17:33.52
and Jesus is on
His way to the cross.
00:17:33.55\00:17:35.95
Now what we didn't catch
00:17:35.98\00:17:38.02
when I read that
verse in Matthew 27 is,
00:17:38.05\00:17:42.52
they chose a man to
carry the cross of Christ
00:17:42.56\00:17:47.50
because in reality
what was being illustrated
00:17:47.53\00:17:50.13
there is this very verse.
00:17:50.17\00:17:53.50
Simon was carrying the cross,
00:17:53.54\00:17:56.71
and he was following Jesus.
00:17:56.74\00:18:00.64
And what we didn't catch
in that very illustration?
00:18:00.68\00:18:02.64
If you look at Matthew 27:32,
"They found a man from Cyrene,
00:18:02.68\00:18:07.32
Simon by name.
00:18:07.35\00:18:09.05
Him they compelled
to bear His cross."
00:18:09.08\00:18:12.59
They applied the cross to Jesus,
00:18:12.62\00:18:14.16
but the first illustration
of the journey to the cross
00:18:14.19\00:18:17.33
was not Jesus
carrying the cross,
00:18:17.36\00:18:19.13
but who carrying
across? Simon carried the cross.
00:18:19.16\00:18:25.67
Oftentimes, you see
in these illustrations
00:18:25.70\00:18:28.60
quite a different, you
know, movies do a lot of things.
00:18:28.64\00:18:31.27
But Simon, when
they got to Golgotha,
00:18:31.31\00:18:33.71
Simon was the one
that took it there
00:18:33.74\00:18:35.91
because in reality Matthew 10:38
00:18:35.94\00:18:38.01
was being illustrated
very carefully off the bat.
00:18:38.05\00:18:41.48
"If anyone will come after
Me, let him take his cross and,"
00:18:41.52\00:18:45.55
do what?
00:18:45.59\00:18:46.92
"Follow Me."
00:18:46.96\00:18:48.29
Simon was carrying the
cross that belonged to Simon,
00:18:48.32\00:18:50.96
it didn't belong to Jesus.
00:18:50.99\00:18:53.16
He was going to
be crucified on it,
00:18:53.19\00:18:55.86
but it really was Simon's cross.
00:18:55.90\00:18:57.77
Simon was the
first man to follow Jesus
00:18:57.80\00:19:01.84
that carried his cross.
00:19:01.87\00:19:04.77
So Simon was
living this verse out in
00:19:04.81\00:19:08.04
order for you to get to the life
00:19:08.08\00:19:09.94
that I have in store for you,
00:19:09.98\00:19:12.25
you've got to carry the
cross that belongs to you.
00:19:12.28\00:19:16.12
So right away, I
want you to put this down
00:19:16.15\00:19:18.02
in response to the question,
00:19:18.05\00:19:20.52
what condition does Jesus attach
00:19:20.56\00:19:22.06
to being a follower of Christ?
00:19:22.09\00:19:24.09
Carry your cross.
00:19:24.13\00:19:27.13
Write that down.
00:19:27.16\00:19:28.63
We must carry our cross.
00:19:28.66\00:19:30.90
I want you to make it personal,
00:19:30.93\00:19:32.27
"Carry my cross. I
must carry my cross."
00:19:32.30\00:19:36.40
Outside of
being wrongly accused,
00:19:40.48\00:19:43.45
everyone that went to
the cross was a criminal.
00:19:43.48\00:19:45.78
If you checked
out Jesus' record,
00:19:45.81\00:19:47.98
did He have any crimes?
00:19:48.02\00:19:49.85
None at all.
00:19:49.88\00:19:51.49
So how was He deemed a criminal?
00:19:51.52\00:19:54.56
How was He deemed a criminal?
00:19:54.59\00:19:56.12
Oh, say it again, honey?
00:19:59.86\00:20:01.56
Our sins. Our sins.
00:20:01.60\00:20:05.17
He was bruised for our iniquity.
00:20:05.20\00:20:08.60
In the judgment hour,
00:20:08.64\00:20:09.97
He was beaten
for something we did.
00:20:10.01\00:20:13.07
He was about to be
crucified for something
00:20:13.11\00:20:14.74
we were guilty of.
00:20:14.78\00:20:16.34
So if you really want
to think about this thing
00:20:16.38\00:20:17.91
about salvation by works,
00:20:17.95\00:20:19.61
there are some
places around the world,
00:20:19.65\00:20:20.98
and I can say this,
00:20:21.02\00:20:22.35
you know, so my roots
are from the Philippines
00:20:22.38\00:20:24.75
but yearly around
the time of Easter
00:20:24.79\00:20:29.29
so many people in
foreign countries,
00:20:29.32\00:20:31.79
there's a
tradition in some places,
00:20:31.83\00:20:33.16
and I saw some of the video.
00:20:33.19\00:20:35.66
This happens in
portions of the Philippines
00:20:35.70\00:20:37.93
where some young men
00:20:37.97\00:20:39.30
find it a great honor to
put hooks in their backs,
00:20:39.33\00:20:42.30
some of them
find it a great honor
00:20:42.34\00:20:43.67
to literally be
nailed through their hand
00:20:43.71\00:20:46.44
and hung up on the cross.
00:20:46.47\00:20:47.81
They find it a great honor.
00:20:47.84\00:20:50.05
They jostle for that position.
00:20:50.08\00:20:51.78
They want to be literally nailed
00:20:51.81\00:20:53.42
to the cross.
00:20:53.45\00:20:54.78
They want those
nails to be pierced.
00:20:54.82\00:20:56.62
Some of them would
just serve the purpose
00:20:56.65\00:20:59.35
of just having
multiple hooks in their backs,
00:20:59.39\00:21:01.79
and they will
be lifted up slowly
00:21:01.82\00:21:03.22
like a fish being
taken out of the water
00:21:03.26\00:21:05.49
and just hang there to receive
the accolade of his willing
00:21:05.53\00:21:09.93
to be crucified like Christ.
00:21:09.96\00:21:12.27
I want to say at
the very beginning,
00:21:12.30\00:21:14.04
I'm glad that's not
what Jesus wants us to do.
00:21:14.07\00:21:18.57
Amen? Amen.
00:21:18.61\00:21:22.34
What He wants us
to do is far more,
00:21:22.38\00:21:24.91
far more difficult than that.
00:21:24.95\00:21:29.15
Did you get what I just said?
00:21:29.18\00:21:31.22
That's easy to do.
00:21:31.25\00:21:33.09
What He wants us to
do is far more difficult
00:21:33.12\00:21:35.22
than having nails
driven through our hands
00:21:35.26\00:21:38.16
once a year or having
fishhooks in our backs
00:21:38.19\00:21:40.93
that are going to
eventually be healed.
00:21:40.96\00:21:42.60
He wants us to do something
a lot more effective than that.
00:21:42.63\00:21:46.10
Let's go to question number two.
00:21:46.13\00:21:48.04
Let's go to question number two
00:21:48.07\00:21:49.40
and find out how
relevant this is.
00:21:49.44\00:21:51.74
Question number
two reads as follows.
00:21:51.77\00:21:54.28
What was the principle
that led Jesus to the cross?
00:21:54.31\00:21:56.85
There was a principle
that was applied there.
00:21:56.88\00:21:59.11
What was that principle?
00:21:59.15\00:22:01.55
And we're going to
turn to Philippians 2:8.
00:22:01.58\00:22:04.49
Philippians 2:8.
00:22:04.52\00:22:07.22
You know, the
bearing of the cross
00:22:07.26\00:22:08.79
is very principle based,
00:22:08.82\00:22:10.23
it's not
necessarily emotional based.
00:22:10.26\00:22:13.29
I was sitting in
the NRB convention,
00:22:13.33\00:22:16.10
my wife was there,
00:22:16.13\00:22:17.57
Pastor Batchelor was there,
00:22:17.60\00:22:18.93
and number of
other pastors was there,
00:22:18.97\00:22:20.30
it was a massive
interdenominational
00:22:20.34\00:22:22.87
gathering that happens
00:22:22.90\00:22:24.24
at the National Religious
Broadcasters Convention,
00:22:24.27\00:22:26.91
the year one when the
movie The Passion came out,
00:22:26.94\00:22:30.95
and they had a preview of it.
00:22:30.98\00:22:32.31
And there was, oh, few
thousand people in there.
00:22:32.35\00:22:35.62
That place was
packed from side to side
00:22:35.65\00:22:37.19
when they decided tonight
00:22:37.22\00:22:38.55
they're going to
preview this showing
00:22:38.59\00:22:40.29
to all these religious leaders.
00:22:40.32\00:22:42.86
And you can hear
a pin drop in there.
00:22:42.89\00:22:46.09
But then over the
quietness of the crowd,
00:22:46.13\00:22:47.86
you can hear people weeping in
different corners of that room.
00:22:47.90\00:22:53.67
Weeping for the cross
is an easy thing to do,
00:22:53.70\00:22:59.44
being nailed on the
cross is an easy thing to do.
00:22:59.47\00:23:03.55
I want you to see
what was the principle
00:23:03.58\00:23:05.41
that led Jesus to the cross.
00:23:05.45\00:23:07.22
Philippines 2:8.
00:23:07.25\00:23:09.22
Okay, look at this again.
00:23:09.25\00:23:11.45
"And being found in
appearance as a man..."
00:23:11.49\00:23:16.26
What are the next two words?
00:23:16.29\00:23:17.86
He did what?
00:23:17.89\00:23:19.53
"Humbled Himself
00:23:19.56\00:23:21.96
and became obedient
to the point of death,
00:23:22.00\00:23:27.84
even the death of the cross."
00:23:27.87\00:23:31.61
Now let me spend a
little bit of time on that.
00:23:31.64\00:23:33.68
When you read
Fox's Book of Martyrs,
00:23:33.71\00:23:35.68
probably one of the
hardest books to read,
00:23:35.71\00:23:37.48
it's not a book that you want
to read if you cannot handle
00:23:37.51\00:23:39.81
the atrocities
that were perpetrated
00:23:39.85\00:23:41.35
on Christians
during the Dark Ages.
00:23:41.38\00:23:43.79
And it's very descriptive.
00:23:43.82\00:23:46.45
But if you look at this verse
and you begin to understand
00:23:46.49\00:23:49.02
why Christians went
through what they went through,
00:23:49.06\00:23:51.86
they in many cases
were willing to experience
00:23:51.89\00:23:55.20
the death of the cross
00:23:55.23\00:23:56.56
because they
refused to be disobedient.
00:23:56.60\00:24:00.44
See, obedience
requires something.
00:24:00.47\00:24:03.51
It requires a humble heart,
00:24:03.54\00:24:05.17
and a person
willing to be obedient.
00:24:05.21\00:24:07.68
My wife and I,
every now and then,
00:24:07.71\00:24:11.21
we saw this broadcast,
00:24:11.25\00:24:12.58
I think it's on HD television,
00:24:12.61\00:24:14.25
they talk about
Million Dollar Rooms.
00:24:14.28\00:24:16.45
I got to share this
Million Dollar Rooms.
00:24:16.48\00:24:18.85
And we were
looking at this program
00:24:18.89\00:24:21.22
Million Dollar Rooms,
00:24:21.26\00:24:22.59
not million dollar
houses, Million Dollar Rooms.
00:24:22.62\00:24:28.20
Wrap your head around that.
00:24:28.23\00:24:30.00
Twenty thousand
square foot houses,
00:24:30.03\00:24:32.20
palatial in every respect,
00:24:32.23\00:24:34.30
and I sat on
the edge of the bed,
00:24:34.34\00:24:35.70
and I sat there, and I
got more and more disgusted
00:24:35.74\00:24:39.44
every Million Dollar Room I saw.
00:24:39.47\00:24:42.34
And I was thinking to myself,
00:24:42.38\00:24:43.71
"This is just a new
version of the lifestyles
00:24:43.75\00:24:45.78
of the rich and famous."
00:24:45.81\00:24:47.78
And I'm sitting there
on the edge of my bed...
00:24:47.82\00:24:49.58
And I'm thinking,
00:24:52.72\00:24:54.06
"This is sick, this is torture."
00:24:54.09\00:24:57.33
But all of a
sudden, the Lord, Cynthia,
00:24:57.36\00:25:00.76
the Lord dropped a little drop
of heavenly wisdom in my mind,
00:25:00.80\00:25:05.97
and he said,
"That's nothing compared
00:25:06.00\00:25:07.74
to what I have
in store for you."
00:25:07.77\00:25:09.94
Okay?
00:25:09.97\00:25:11.71
That's nothing.
00:25:11.74\00:25:13.51
And I thought to myself,
00:25:13.54\00:25:14.88
"Honey, let's cut that
off and let's read our Bible."
00:25:14.91\00:25:18.45
And I opened...
00:25:18.48\00:25:20.28
We opened up
Ellen White's writings
00:25:20.32\00:25:22.08
and began to read
the scriptures of heaven.
00:25:22.12\00:25:24.69
And she said, "When I
got a glimpse of heaven,
00:25:24.72\00:25:28.52
I had to lay my pen down
00:25:28.56\00:25:30.46
because words cannot
describe what my eyes saw."
00:25:30.49\00:25:37.00
You know how they
do the gold fixtures,
00:25:37.03\00:25:39.20
"These fixtures are
made of 24-carat gold,
00:25:39.23\00:25:41.04
and they're..."
00:25:41.07\00:25:42.40
This chandelier was
imported from Italy,
00:25:42.44\00:25:47.54
and this countertop
was made from a hard...
00:25:47.58\00:25:51.91
What do they call that stuff?
00:25:51.95\00:25:53.28
"Granite that was
hewn out of a rock
00:25:53.31\00:25:55.68
that has to be centuries old
00:25:55.72\00:25:57.45
because you see the
fossilization in the rock.
00:25:57.49\00:26:00.09
And these tiles on the floor,
my wine cellar in the basement
00:26:00.12\00:26:03.89
are all from the
streets of Bethlehem,
00:26:03.93\00:26:06.96
they must be at
least 2,000 years old,
00:26:07.00\00:26:08.96
and chances are
Jesus and His disciples
00:26:09.00\00:26:11.23
walked on these cobblestones."
00:26:11.27\00:26:13.90
And he puts them
in a wine cellar.
00:26:13.94\00:26:17.54
And I'm thinking,
"Okay, okay. Next?"
00:26:17.57\00:26:20.64
Then a guy shows a movie theater
00:26:20.68\00:26:22.01
he had in his house,
00:26:22.04\00:26:23.38
$2 million movie
theater in his house,
00:26:23.41\00:26:25.91
$600,000 sound system.
00:26:25.95\00:26:27.45
You know, if
you've got money like that
00:26:27.48\00:26:28.85
and you want to waste
it and stand before God
00:26:28.88\00:26:30.65
to give accountability
of how you wasted money
00:26:30.69\00:26:32.65
when there are
millions of people starving,
00:26:32.69\00:26:34.52
that's up to you.
00:26:34.56\00:26:35.96
However, I just had enough of it
00:26:35.99\00:26:38.43
and I have to
turn it off pastor.
00:26:38.46\00:26:40.43
I did turn it off and
say, "Let's get into Bible."
00:26:40.46\00:26:42.93
And I said to my wife,
"Honey, have you noticed,
00:26:42.96\00:26:46.03
none of those houses
00:26:46.07\00:26:48.04
had any golden
floors from end to end?"
00:26:48.07\00:26:52.47
They were all built
on concrete foundations,
00:26:52.51\00:26:55.71
not 12 foundations
made of 12 precious stones.
00:26:55.74\00:27:00.78
I had not seen a single
gate on any of those properties,
00:27:00.82\00:27:03.35
Marlene, that was
made of one pearl.
00:27:03.39\00:27:05.55
Come on somebody had to
see what I'm heading with it.
00:27:05.59\00:27:08.09
And I thought to myself,
00:27:08.12\00:27:09.46
"Jesus died so that
we could live there,
00:27:09.49\00:27:13.83
and we don't have
to pay a penny for it."
00:27:13.86\00:27:15.33
Amen? Amen.
00:27:15.36\00:27:16.70
Oh, but there is
something we have to pay,
00:27:16.73\00:27:19.03
we've got to be obedient,
we've got to be humble.
00:27:19.07\00:27:23.47
The first thing
I want to point out
00:27:23.51\00:27:24.84
about the message of the cross,
00:27:24.87\00:27:26.21
the message of the
cross doesn't need display.
00:27:26.24\00:27:28.91
You don't need to get
a big old gigantic cross.
00:27:28.94\00:27:30.75
And I've seen
people they get crosses,
00:27:30.78\00:27:32.51
some guys get these
big old honking crosses,
00:27:32.55\00:27:34.48
big old massive gold chains,
00:27:34.52\00:27:36.25
and they're walking around
with a cigar in their mouth
00:27:36.28\00:27:38.35
and big old golden cross,
"You know, I'm a Christian."
00:27:38.39\00:27:41.96
I don't think that is not
what bear the cross means.
00:27:41.99\00:27:46.03
Or it's on the back of a
jacket or on the side of a house
00:27:46.06\00:27:47.96
or spray painted on the building
00:27:48.00\00:27:49.33
that's not what the
message of the cross is.
00:27:49.36\00:27:51.57
The message of the
cross is humbling ourselves,
00:27:51.60\00:27:54.70
humbling ourselves,
00:27:54.74\00:27:56.07
being obedient
even if it means dying.
00:27:56.10\00:27:59.41
Why did Jesus die?
00:27:59.44\00:28:00.78
Because He was
obedient to the point of death.
00:28:00.81\00:28:04.55
So here is the first
message of the cross,
00:28:04.58\00:28:06.51
I want you to get this.
00:28:06.55\00:28:07.88
I didn't give you
space to write this down
00:28:07.92\00:28:09.25
but here it is.
00:28:09.28\00:28:10.62
The message of the
cross calls us to be
00:28:10.65\00:28:14.02
so willing to be obedient
that if it costs us our lives,
00:28:14.06\00:28:18.09
we're willing to go that far.
00:28:18.13\00:28:21.76
That's huge.
00:28:21.80\00:28:23.57
Because when the time comes
00:28:23.60\00:28:25.73
for persecution to
arise again in places
00:28:25.77\00:28:28.94
where we find it so
customary to just go to church
00:28:28.97\00:28:31.74
out of traditional habit,
00:28:31.77\00:28:33.48
you'll find that
Christianity is going
00:28:33.51\00:28:34.84
to be really
whittle down to those
00:28:34.88\00:28:36.98
who are willing to die,
00:28:37.01\00:28:38.35
and those who just
were there for the choir,
00:28:38.38\00:28:40.55
over there for
the palatial palaces.
00:28:40.58\00:28:42.92
It's going to be a
time those who stayed around
00:28:42.95\00:28:45.25
and followed
Jesus after that point.
00:28:45.29\00:28:47.16
That's why the
disciples were hiding,
00:28:47.19\00:28:49.39
that's why they were hiding
on the first day of the week.
00:28:49.42\00:28:51.83
They were not
having a church service,
00:28:51.86\00:28:53.19
they were hiding
for fear of the Jews,
00:28:53.23\00:28:54.76
they thought they were next
00:28:54.80\00:28:56.83
because they knew
if their master died,
00:28:56.87\00:29:00.44
they're just a few steps away
00:29:00.47\00:29:02.47
from themselves
also giving their lives.
00:29:02.50\00:29:04.54
Why do you think
Peter denied Jesus?
00:29:04.57\00:29:06.91
Because he was
not willing to die.
00:29:06.94\00:29:09.01
Didn't he say,
"I'll even die for You."
00:29:09.04\00:29:11.08
But when the
test came down to it,
00:29:11.11\00:29:13.62
Peter was
unwilling to give his life,
00:29:13.65\00:29:15.95
he was going to
his verbal accolade.
00:29:15.98\00:29:19.45
"I'll support, You Lord,
and I'll even die for You."
00:29:19.49\00:29:24.46
"You will? All right."
00:29:24.49\00:29:27.76
Do you know Jesus?
00:29:27.80\00:29:29.83
Well, I'm getting
into preacher now.
00:29:29.86\00:29:33.40
Excuse me if I'm preaching.
00:29:33.44\00:29:35.00
The point of the
matter is the cross requires
00:29:35.04\00:29:37.24
humble obedience.
00:29:37.27\00:29:38.94
It means how
willing and how obedient
00:29:38.97\00:29:42.54
are you willing to be is
it to the point of death,
00:29:42.58\00:29:45.85
even the death of the cross.
00:29:45.88\00:29:47.68
Now I want to expand this
00:29:47.72\00:29:49.05
because the Lord
is not saying to you,
00:29:49.08\00:29:50.42
"Honey, I'm willing, I'm
obedient get some nails."
00:29:50.45\00:29:53.92
No.
00:29:53.96\00:29:55.29
It's a far deeper than that.
00:29:55.32\00:29:57.36
Let's go to
question number three,
00:29:57.39\00:29:58.86
far deeper than that.
00:29:58.89\00:30:01.06
Number three.
00:30:01.10\00:30:03.03
Okay.
00:30:03.06\00:30:04.40
"How does the Bible describe
those that were crucified?
00:30:04.43\00:30:09.64
How does it describe
those that were crucified?
00:30:09.67\00:30:15.68
We're going to
look at Galatians 3:13.
00:30:15.71\00:30:19.41
Galatians 3:13.
00:30:19.45\00:30:23.05
Lot of times, we
think of Galatians...
00:30:26.05\00:30:30.66
Galatians is a powerful book.
00:30:30.69\00:30:34.23
I mean, they're all powerful,
but Galatians is a book...
00:30:34.26\00:30:36.53
Lot of times people say,
"Well, I'm going to study
00:30:36.56\00:30:37.90
the Book of Romans."
00:30:37.93\00:30:39.27
Romans will mess you up
if you're not deep enough,
00:30:39.30\00:30:41.90
but Galatians...
00:30:41.94\00:30:43.27
What we're going to say?
00:30:43.30\00:30:44.64
One of the
quarterly. That's right.
00:30:47.41\00:30:48.74
Study the Book of Galatians,
00:30:48.78\00:30:50.11
that was a beautiful
quarterly by the way,
00:30:50.15\00:30:51.48
very imperative
to study that one.
00:30:51.51\00:30:53.38
But Galatians 3:13 is
where we're going to start first
00:30:53.42\00:30:55.78
for the answer here.
00:30:55.82\00:30:57.15
All right, how did the Bible
00:30:57.19\00:30:58.82
describe those
that were crucified?
00:30:58.85\00:31:00.22
Here's the answer.
00:31:00.26\00:31:01.89
Galatians 3:13 reads,
00:31:01.92\00:31:03.93
"Christ has redeemed us
from the curse of the law,
00:31:03.96\00:31:09.20
having become a," what?
00:31:09.23\00:31:11.40
"Curse for us for it is written,
00:31:11.43\00:31:14.97
'Cursed is everyone
who hangs on a tree.'"
00:31:15.00\00:31:19.64
Now follow this carefully.
00:31:19.67\00:31:21.98
The curse?
00:31:22.01\00:31:23.35
What's the
curse? What's the curse?
00:31:23.38\00:31:28.22
Well, it may even
goes deeper than that?
00:31:28.25\00:31:31.25
This is quite deep here.
00:31:31.29\00:31:33.86
Let's all put on our scuba gear,
00:31:33.89\00:31:36.42
we're going in.
00:31:36.46\00:31:38.19
When we were born,
00:31:38.23\00:31:40.63
we were born in a bad condition.
00:31:40.66\00:31:43.60
1 Corinthians 15:22.
00:31:43.63\00:31:45.33
"As in Adam," how many die?
00:31:45.37\00:31:47.54
"All die."
00:31:47.57\00:31:48.90
So we were born
cursed, cursed to die.
00:31:48.94\00:31:54.58
And at that point, we
didn't do anything wrong.
00:31:54.61\00:31:57.78
But if we stayed
around long enough,
00:31:57.81\00:32:00.15
we'd realize
00:32:00.18\00:32:01.52
what bad
predicament we really are in.
00:32:01.55\00:32:03.45
We were born cursed.
00:32:03.49\00:32:05.29
We were born with this nature
00:32:05.32\00:32:06.65
that we couldn't
do anything with.
00:32:06.69\00:32:09.29
So we were born
in a bad situation.
00:32:09.32\00:32:12.03
I don't use the
phrase original sin
00:32:12.06\00:32:13.93
that has different connotations,
00:32:13.96\00:32:15.56
but we were born with a nature
00:32:15.60\00:32:16.93
that was out of
harmony with the nature
00:32:16.97\00:32:19.83
that we need to be
inhabitants of heaven,
00:32:19.87\00:32:22.14
couldn't go on with that.
00:32:22.17\00:32:23.51
That's why the Bible
says, "Flesh and blood
00:32:23.54\00:32:25.21
cannot inherit the
kingdom of heaven."
00:32:25.24\00:32:26.98
That's human flesh,
that's sinful flesh,
00:32:27.01\00:32:29.44
that's carnal,
00:32:29.48\00:32:30.81
that's a carnal
nature could not.
00:32:30.85\00:32:32.58
So now the cross then
being the symbol of death,
00:32:32.61\00:32:39.15
the law, the
wages of sin is death.
00:32:39.19\00:32:43.66
So where there is no
law, there is no sin.
00:32:43.69\00:32:48.20
Where there is no sin,
there is no need of death.
00:32:48.23\00:32:52.10
So where there is
a law, there is sin.
00:32:52.13\00:32:54.84
The curse of the law
means the law condemns you.
00:32:54.87\00:33:00.64
The law does
what? Say that again.
00:33:00.68\00:33:02.08
Condemns us.
00:33:02.11\00:33:03.45
So when the Bible says,
"The Lord has redeemed us
00:33:03.48\00:33:06.55
from the curse of the law,
00:33:06.58\00:33:08.38
the law says, 'Mike,
you're going to die.'"
00:33:08.42\00:33:13.09
And Jesus says, "Wait a minute.
00:33:13.12\00:33:15.32
Mike, you don't
have to die on the cross,
00:33:15.36\00:33:18.39
I already did that."
00:33:18.43\00:33:21.73
And so Mike
accepts what Christ did
00:33:21.76\00:33:27.27
because Christ
took what Mike did.
00:33:27.30\00:33:31.97
He took on that,
He became that curse,
00:33:32.01\00:33:35.41
having become a curse for
us, He took on that nature,
00:33:35.44\00:33:39.21
He came to the earth,
and took on that nature.
00:33:39.25\00:33:41.65
Now go with me
to 1 Corinthians 15.
00:33:41.68\00:33:43.59
I want you to get this because
00:33:43.62\00:33:44.95
your minds are opening up.
00:33:44.99\00:33:46.79
And while it's
open, I want to fill it
00:33:46.82\00:33:49.62
with some really good stuff.
00:33:49.66\00:33:51.89
1 Corinthians.
00:33:51.93\00:33:54.70
All right?
00:33:54.73\00:33:56.73
And chapter 15.
00:33:56.77\00:33:58.10
Okay?
00:34:06.51\00:34:09.34
Okay, now we're
going to go to...
00:34:09.38\00:34:14.95
We're going to talk
about the two natures.
00:34:14.98\00:34:16.38
Start with verse 43.
00:34:16.42\00:34:17.75
I'm going to dive
into the little ways.
00:34:17.79\00:34:19.15
Verse 43.
00:34:19.19\00:34:22.39
Talking about
this whole concept of
00:34:22.42\00:34:24.69
why are we cursed,
00:34:24.73\00:34:26.53
why is that the cross
00:34:26.56\00:34:28.83
or the law
sends us to the cross,
00:34:28.86\00:34:30.40
why is that there is a
curse that comes upon us
00:34:30.43\00:34:32.97
because of the law.
00:34:33.00\00:34:34.57
Look at the two conditions here.
00:34:34.60\00:34:37.21
Verse 43 is what I said
00:34:37.24\00:34:38.91
speaking of the two conditions
that we are faced with.
00:34:38.94\00:34:44.75
Let's look at the first one.
00:34:44.78\00:34:46.15
"It is sown in dishonor,"
00:34:46.18\00:34:48.88
that is the natural,
00:34:48.92\00:34:51.02
"it is raised in," what? "Glory.
00:34:51.05\00:34:53.76
It is sown in," what? "Weakness,
00:34:53.79\00:34:56.16
it is raised in," what? "Power."
00:34:56.19\00:34:59.33
Verse 44.
00:34:59.36\00:35:00.70
"It is sown a,"
what? "Natural body,
00:35:00.73\00:35:03.50
it is raised a,"
what? "Spiritual body.
00:35:03.53\00:35:06.63
There is a natural body,
and there is a spiritual body."
00:35:06.67\00:35:11.37
Notice that.
00:35:11.41\00:35:12.74
Now verse 45.
00:35:12.77\00:35:14.11
"And so it is written,
00:35:14.14\00:35:16.31
'The first man Adam
became a living being.'
00:35:16.34\00:35:21.75
The last Adam became
a life-giving spirit.'"
00:35:21.78\00:35:26.22
Look at the two conditions,
we have this natural side,
00:35:26.25\00:35:28.76
we have this spiritual side,
00:35:28.79\00:35:30.69
we have this
side of this dishonor.
00:35:30.73\00:35:33.03
But then we have
the side of glory,
00:35:33.06\00:35:35.23
we have the side of weakness,
we have the side of power.
00:35:35.26\00:35:38.70
Now the cross
being in the middle,
00:35:38.73\00:35:41.47
you have the dishonor
and the weakness here,
00:35:41.50\00:35:44.24
then you have the cross here,
00:35:44.27\00:35:46.01
then after the cross
you don't have the dishonor,
00:35:46.04\00:35:48.34
you have the
glory and the power.
00:35:48.38\00:35:50.58
What did Jesus
say when He was risen?
00:35:50.61\00:35:54.38
"All power is given unto Me
00:35:54.42\00:35:58.85
in heaven and in earth."
00:35:58.89\00:36:01.72
But let's keep going.
00:36:01.76\00:36:03.63
Verse 46.
00:36:03.66\00:36:04.99
"However, the spiritual is...?"
00:36:05.03\00:36:07.56
What is the very next word?
00:36:07.60\00:36:09.06
"Not first."
00:36:09.10\00:36:10.43
So when you're
born, what's first?
00:36:10.47\00:36:12.93
The natural is first,
the dishonor is first,
00:36:12.97\00:36:17.14
the corruption is
first, the weakness is first.
00:36:17.17\00:36:21.11
All that is what
we are born with,
00:36:21.14\00:36:24.61
we're born with corruption,
we are born with weakness.
00:36:24.65\00:36:26.75
We're born in
that natural condition.
00:36:26.78\00:36:28.68
And no matter how hard you try,
00:36:28.72\00:36:30.09
no matter how
difficult you put effort forth,
00:36:30.12\00:36:33.36
you cannot work your
way out of that condition
00:36:33.39\00:36:36.29
because that
condition according to this text
00:36:36.32\00:36:38.76
that condition is the cursed.
00:36:38.79\00:36:40.30
That's the reason
why you got to die.
00:36:40.33\00:36:43.30
So you ask
yourself the question,
00:36:43.33\00:36:44.67
"How am I going to fix this?
How am I going to fix this?"
00:36:44.70\00:36:49.40
Look at verse 47.
00:36:49.44\00:36:51.57
"The first man was of the earth,
00:36:51.61\00:36:54.08
made of dust.
00:36:54.11\00:36:55.61
The second Man is
the Lord from heaven."
00:36:55.64\00:36:59.01
And I lover verse 48.
00:36:59.05\00:37:01.12
"As was the man of dust,
00:37:01.15\00:37:03.32
so also are those
who are made of," what?
00:37:03.35\00:37:05.99
"Dust." Are we made of dust?
00:37:06.02\00:37:08.09
Yes.
00:37:08.12\00:37:09.46
How to live a spiritual life?
00:37:09.49\00:37:10.83
That's the natural
body but get this now.
00:37:10.86\00:37:12.63
"And as is the heavenly Man,
00:37:12.66\00:37:15.76
so also are
those who are," what?
00:37:15.80\00:37:18.87
"Heavenly.
00:37:18.90\00:37:20.24
And as we have borne the
image of the man of dust,
00:37:20.27\00:37:22.47
we shall also bear the
image of the heavenly Man.
00:37:22.50\00:37:27.31
Now this I say,
brethren, that flesh and blood
00:37:27.34\00:37:30.05
cannot inherit
the kingdom of God
00:37:30.08\00:37:33.11
nor does corruption
inherit incorruption."
00:37:33.15\00:37:35.72
One of the greatest reasons
00:37:35.75\00:37:37.09
why you should give
people this text is because
00:37:37.12\00:37:39.02
when people say, "You
die and go to heaven."
00:37:39.05\00:37:40.69
You can't because
you're still in the natural,
00:37:40.72\00:37:43.59
you're still in the weakness,
00:37:43.63\00:37:44.96
you're still in
the corruptible side,
00:37:44.99\00:37:46.59
you can't, you
got to be changed.
00:37:46.63\00:37:48.46
And that's where verse
51 to 54 really comes in.
00:37:48.50\00:37:50.77
That's the
context of verse 51 to 54.
00:37:50.80\00:37:54.14
We often think,
"Well, all of a sudden
00:37:54.17\00:37:55.50
there's going to
be this changed light
00:37:55.54\00:37:56.87
when Jesus comes."
00:37:56.91\00:37:58.24
Oh, what a big mistake.
00:37:58.27\00:38:00.08
The biggest mistake is to think
00:38:00.11\00:38:01.44
that the change is going
to happen when Jesus comes.
00:38:01.48\00:38:03.78
The last change is going
to happen when Jesus comes
00:38:03.81\00:38:06.65
is the changing of the body
00:38:06.68\00:38:08.95
but not the
changing of the nature.
00:38:08.98\00:38:10.62
Do I need to move my
ears out any further?
00:38:14.36\00:38:17.76
The nature is
what gets changed now,
00:38:17.79\00:38:20.70
the nature is what
gets taken to the cross now.
00:38:20.73\00:38:24.83
You're not gonna get up.
00:38:24.87\00:38:26.20
Now, obviously,
00:38:26.23\00:38:27.57
we're going to have
the character of Christ,
00:38:27.60\00:38:28.97
but that cross is now,
00:38:29.00\00:38:30.61
there's going to
be no cross in heaven,
00:38:30.64\00:38:32.34
that cross is on earth.
00:38:32.37\00:38:33.88
When Jesus comes,
He's going to say,
00:38:33.91\00:38:35.24
"Oh, did you get baptized?
00:38:35.28\00:38:36.61
Well, let's do
this real quickly,
00:38:36.64\00:38:37.98
so I could help you
and give you a new nature."
00:38:38.01\00:38:39.38
That's the final product.
00:38:39.41\00:38:41.18
That's the glory part.
00:38:41.22\00:38:43.49
The
justification, accepting Christ,
00:38:43.52\00:38:46.49
sins being forgiven,
00:38:46.52\00:38:47.86
sanctification,
growing in Christ,
00:38:47.89\00:38:49.72
being saved from
the power of sin,
00:38:49.76\00:38:52.63
but glory being saved
from the presence of sin.
00:38:52.66\00:38:56.87
Did you get the picture now?
00:38:56.90\00:38:58.23
So by the time,
00:38:58.27\00:38:59.60
you are changed from
corruptible to incorruptible,
00:38:59.63\00:39:01.84
from mortal to immortal,
00:39:01.87\00:39:03.30
that's the last phase,
that's not the beginning of it.
00:39:03.34\00:39:06.47
Amen.
00:39:06.51\00:39:07.84
The beginning is now.
00:39:07.88\00:39:09.41
Let's go to the next question.
00:39:09.44\00:39:11.31
Question number
four. The beginning is now.
00:39:11.35\00:39:16.08
How does the
Bible further explain
00:39:16.12\00:39:17.75
the transaction of the cross?
00:39:17.79\00:39:20.06
There's a transaction there.
00:39:20.09\00:39:23.96
That's right.
00:39:23.99\00:39:25.59
Number three the
answer to that is.
00:39:25.63\00:39:26.96
Thank you.
00:39:27.00\00:39:28.33
Number three,
the answer is cursed.
00:39:28.36\00:39:29.70
That was the condition of
those that were crucified.
00:39:29.73\00:39:32.47
They get that
because they're cursed.
00:39:32.50\00:39:34.57
Last place you want
to end up is on a cross.
00:39:34.60\00:39:36.74
But question number four
takes us to 2 Corinthians 5:21.
00:39:36.77\00:39:41.28
How does the
Bible further explain
00:39:41.31\00:39:43.01
the transaction of the cross?
00:39:43.04\00:39:47.52
You need to see this chapter
00:39:47.55\00:39:48.88
that we just
read before this verse
00:39:48.92\00:39:50.25
really jumps out at you.
00:39:50.29\00:39:51.75
2 Corinthians
5:21 reads as follows.
00:39:51.79\00:39:53.92
Here it is on the screen.
00:39:53.96\00:39:55.72
"For He made Him
00:39:55.76\00:39:58.49
who knew no sin to be," what?
00:39:58.53\00:40:01.36
"Sin for us."
00:40:01.40\00:40:02.76
That's the first side.
00:40:02.80\00:40:04.63
"That we might become
00:40:04.67\00:40:06.74
the
righteousness of God in Him."
00:40:06.77\00:40:11.84
Now if you want to put a comma,
00:40:11.87\00:40:13.21
a good place to put a comma
00:40:13.24\00:40:14.58
would have been
right after the word God
00:40:14.61\00:40:15.94
because if any
man be in Christ...
00:40:15.98\00:40:17.95
2 Corinthians 5:17.
00:40:17.98\00:40:19.91
"If any man be in
Christ, he is a new creation.
00:40:19.95\00:40:22.82
Old things had,"
what? "Passed away.
00:40:22.85\00:40:24.65
Behold, all
things had become," what?
00:40:24.69\00:40:26.19
"New." So what passes away?
00:40:26.22\00:40:27.82
Here's what passes away.
00:40:27.86\00:40:29.19
I want you get what passes away.
00:40:29.22\00:40:30.76
The dishonor passes
away, the weakness passes away,
00:40:30.79\00:40:34.20
the natural body passes away,
00:40:34.23\00:40:35.93
all of that stuff
00:40:35.96\00:40:37.30
that we were
born with passes away.
00:40:37.33\00:40:39.87
And by faith now, I
want you to catch this,
00:40:39.90\00:40:42.27
by faith who are we?
00:40:42.30\00:40:44.04
By faith who are we?
00:40:44.07\00:40:46.74
I just read the text.
00:40:46.78\00:40:48.11
I just quoted it.
00:40:48.14\00:40:49.48
"If anyone is in
Christ, he is a," what?
00:40:49.51\00:40:51.61
"New creation."
00:40:51.65\00:40:54.25
So who are we in Christ?
00:40:54.28\00:40:55.68
Let's say it
again, a new creation.
00:40:55.72\00:40:59.29
That means if you
walk around the house
00:40:59.32\00:41:01.56
looking for the old creation
00:41:01.59\00:41:03.79
by faith,
00:41:03.83\00:41:05.16
we can say, "I'm new in Christ."
00:41:05.19\00:41:06.73
When a person gives
his or her life to Christ
00:41:06.76\00:41:09.16
and is baptized and comes forth.
00:41:09.20\00:41:11.33
They come forth...
00:41:11.37\00:41:12.70
Let's go to Romans 6.
00:41:12.73\00:41:14.07
They come forth to a
different kind of life
00:41:14.10\00:41:16.40
that's why it's so
important for us...
00:41:16.44\00:41:19.27
That's why it's so
important, Romans 6.
00:41:19.31\00:41:22.48
Okay?
00:41:22.51\00:41:23.85
That's why it's so
vitally important for us
00:41:26.58\00:41:29.08
that we understand what
happens when we're baptized.
00:41:29.12\00:41:31.55
Lot of people say,
"I'm a member now."
00:41:31.59\00:41:33.42
If all you are is a member,
00:41:33.46\00:41:34.79
then you're really no
different than what you were.
00:41:34.82\00:41:36.66
You could be a member
00:41:36.69\00:41:38.93
but there's
something bigger here,
00:41:38.96\00:41:40.40
this cross has
made a difference.
00:41:40.43\00:41:41.86
When I say thank You, Lord...
00:41:41.90\00:41:43.70
That's why it's so
important to understand
00:41:43.73\00:41:45.90
what happens when you go
down in the watery grave.
00:41:45.93\00:41:48.84
Romans 6.
00:41:48.87\00:41:50.21
And let's look
together at verse 4, okay?
00:41:50.24\00:41:53.94
Romans 6:4.
00:41:53.98\00:41:56.85
Well, verse 2.
00:41:56.88\00:41:58.21
Romans 6:2.
00:41:58.25\00:42:00.28
Well, Romans 6:1.
00:42:00.32\00:42:02.28
You got to get the context.
00:42:02.32\00:42:03.69
Is that okay?
00:42:03.72\00:42:05.05
Okay, "What shall we say then?
00:42:05.09\00:42:06.42
Shall we continue in
sin that grace may abound?"
00:42:06.45\00:42:08.42
What's the answer?
00:42:08.46\00:42:09.79
"Certainly not!
00:42:09.82\00:42:11.16
How shall we who,"
what is the next word?
00:42:11.19\00:42:12.96
"Died to sin
live any longer in it?
00:42:12.99\00:42:15.56
Or do you not know..."
00:42:15.60\00:42:17.07
Paul is asking,
00:42:17.10\00:42:18.43
"Don't you know
00:42:18.47\00:42:19.80
that as many of us as
were baptized into Christ Jesus
00:42:19.83\00:42:22.04
were baptized into His death?"
00:42:22.07\00:42:23.97
When you're baptized,
00:42:24.01\00:42:25.34
you're baptized into that death.
00:42:25.37\00:42:27.68
That's where Galatians
2:20 comes in but let's go on.
00:42:27.71\00:42:31.35
"Therefore, we
were buried with Him
00:42:31.38\00:42:33.11
through baptism into death,
00:42:33.15\00:42:35.98
that just as Christ
was raised from the dead
00:42:36.02\00:42:40.59
by the glory of the Father,
00:42:40.62\00:42:43.89
even so we also
should walk in," the what?
00:42:43.93\00:42:47.30
"Newness of life."
00:42:47.33\00:42:49.93
Some got killed,
00:42:49.96\00:42:51.30
you can't have a new life
unless the first one is gone.
00:42:51.33\00:42:54.40
That's why the
next verse is beautiful.
00:42:54.44\00:42:56.27
"For if we have
been united together
00:42:56.30\00:42:58.91
in the likeness of His death,"
00:42:58.94\00:43:01.11
what's the next word?
00:43:01.14\00:43:02.48
"Certainly we shall be
00:43:02.51\00:43:04.25
in the likeness
of His resurrection."
00:43:04.28\00:43:06.45
Well, how do I know that?
00:43:06.48\00:43:07.82
"Knowing that this,
that our old man was," what?
00:43:07.85\00:43:14.59
"Crucified with Him,
00:43:14.62\00:43:15.96
that the body of sin
might be done away with,
00:43:15.99\00:43:18.39
that we should
no longer be," what?
00:43:18.43\00:43:20.30
"Slaves to sin.
00:43:20.33\00:43:21.80
For he who has died
has been freed from sin."
00:43:21.83\00:43:25.90
Now, ah, pause,
and you're thinking.
00:43:25.93\00:43:31.07
Is there sin in the world still?
00:43:31.11\00:43:33.51
Is there still
temptation in the world?
00:43:33.54\00:43:35.71
So what sin have
you been freed from?
00:43:35.74\00:43:37.51
You've been freed
from the penalty of sin.
00:43:42.32\00:43:46.19
Come on say it again.
00:43:46.22\00:43:48.26
The curse.
00:43:48.29\00:43:49.72
What was a curse?
00:43:49.76\00:43:51.33
Death.
00:43:51.36\00:43:52.69
You've been
taken off a death roll,
00:43:52.73\00:43:54.66
can I get an amen anywhere?
00:43:54.70\00:43:56.03
Amen.
00:43:56.06\00:43:57.40
So you no longer...
00:43:57.43\00:43:58.77
So there is no fear...
00:43:58.80\00:44:00.20
There should be no fearfulness
of the coming judgment
00:44:00.24\00:44:03.17
because the penalty of sin
00:44:03.20\00:44:04.64
no longer reigns
over the head of anyone
00:44:04.67\00:44:06.31
who gives his or
her life to Christ.
00:44:06.34\00:44:08.01
That's no longer over you.
00:44:08.04\00:44:10.01
You have been freed from that.
00:44:10.05\00:44:11.38
That is, you now
00:44:11.41\00:44:12.75
in the likeness
of His resurrection.
00:44:12.78\00:44:14.65
Was Jesus fearful of dying again
00:44:14.68\00:44:16.18
in the likeness
of His resurrection?
00:44:16.22\00:44:17.55
Absolutely not.
00:44:17.59\00:44:18.92
He came forth with
the glory and the power,
00:44:18.95\00:44:22.06
the very thing that
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15
00:44:22.09\00:44:24.23
is on the other side.
00:44:24.26\00:44:25.83
The glory, shown
dishonor raised in glory.
00:44:25.86\00:44:29.86
See, the glory comes after.
00:44:29.90\00:44:32.63
So if we don't have
the message of the cross,
00:44:32.67\00:44:35.37
if we don't have the
experience of the cross,
00:44:35.40\00:44:38.47
if we don't take
our sin to the cross
00:44:38.51\00:44:40.88
and die with Christ,
00:44:40.91\00:44:42.38
we can't live with Christ.
00:44:42.41\00:44:45.51
If we don't accept His death,
00:44:45.55\00:44:47.52
we surely can't
accept His resurrection
00:44:47.55\00:44:49.58
because what comes
first, death or resurrection?
00:44:49.62\00:44:52.69
Death comes first.
00:44:52.72\00:44:54.06
You've got to be in the death
00:44:54.09\00:44:55.42
before you be in
the resurrection.
00:44:55.46\00:44:56.96
So often people get baptized
00:44:56.99\00:44:58.53
because they
understand 28 fundamentals,
00:44:58.56\00:45:01.66
and they don't
understand the cross.
00:45:01.70\00:45:04.00
So they go in
ignorant of the teachings,
00:45:04.03\00:45:07.24
come out intellectually
sound of the teachings,
00:45:07.27\00:45:10.81
but they don't understand
the transaction of the cross.
00:45:10.84\00:45:13.58
Something happened here,
00:45:13.61\00:45:15.28
"He made Him who knew no
sin to become sin for us,"
00:45:15.31\00:45:17.51
transaction that we might become
00:45:17.55\00:45:19.88
the righteousness of God in Him
that's how we do it in Christ.
00:45:19.91\00:45:24.19
Amen?
00:45:24.22\00:45:25.55
Without Jesus in the mix,
then we're just very educated,
00:45:25.59\00:45:28.29
very well-tuned people
00:45:28.32\00:45:30.99
that understand what
the 28 fundamentals mean.
00:45:31.03\00:45:33.70
"I believe the
message of the cross.
00:45:33.73\00:45:35.40
Well, I
understand all the teachings.
00:45:35.43\00:45:36.77
Yes, you die and go to the grave
00:45:36.80\00:45:38.37
and all the other stuff
that comes along with that."
00:45:38.40\00:45:40.40
The message of the
cross is far deeper than that.
00:45:40.44\00:45:43.00
And let me tell you why
this is important to me,
00:45:43.04\00:45:46.11
and why it should be
important to every one of us.
00:45:46.14\00:45:48.11
When you really
understand what happens there,
00:45:48.14\00:45:50.15
you should not live a
fearful Christian life.
00:45:50.18\00:45:52.41
You shouldn't
walk around and say...
00:45:52.45\00:45:54.85
I know what
you're going to send me,
00:45:54.88\00:45:56.22
you're going to write
me and send me that text.
00:45:56.25\00:45:58.49
Oh, that
quotation from Ellen White
00:45:58.52\00:45:59.85
where we say we should
never say we are saved.
00:45:59.89\00:46:02.52
But that's only one
portion of what she said,
00:46:02.56\00:46:04.63
but she also points that
we should have that assurance.
00:46:04.66\00:46:07.73
C.D.
00:46:07.76\00:46:09.10
Brooks, I like the way he says,
"I am saved, I'm being saved,
00:46:09.13\00:46:13.47
and I'll be saved."
00:46:13.50\00:46:15.40
Right?
00:46:15.44\00:46:16.77
I'm saved from death,
00:46:16.81\00:46:18.17
I'm being saved
from the power of sin,
00:46:18.21\00:46:20.11
I will be saved
from the presence of sin.
00:46:20.14\00:46:22.98
That's a salvation is,
00:46:23.01\00:46:24.41
not a one-time, once saved,
00:46:24.45\00:46:25.78
always saved
because there's still sin
00:46:25.81\00:46:27.98
that's why I asked
you, is there still sin?
00:46:28.02\00:46:29.55
So what have
you been saved from?
00:46:29.58\00:46:30.95
If somebody
says, "Are you saved?"
00:46:30.99\00:46:32.45
Say, "Yes, I am, I'm
being, and I will be.
00:46:32.49\00:46:35.32
They'll get so confused,
they'll say, "I'll be back."
00:46:35.36\00:46:38.76
Not only let me help
you understand what I mean.
00:46:38.79\00:46:41.00
And so I asked, "Are you saved?"
00:46:41.03\00:46:43.16
They say, "Yes." I
said, "Saved from what?"
00:46:43.20\00:46:46.60
"Well, I accepted Jesus
when I was 16 years old,
00:46:46.63\00:46:48.80
1923 on 2 o'clock
in the afternoon."
00:46:48.84\00:46:51.57
You ever hear that?
00:46:51.61\00:46:53.04
"I remember when
I was 22 years old,
00:46:53.07\00:46:54.41
I accepted Jesus, and
He came into my life."
00:46:54.44\00:46:56.54
"Okay, are you saved?" "Yes."
00:46:56.58\00:46:57.91
"From what?"
00:46:57.95\00:46:59.28
Help them understand that
00:46:59.31\00:47:00.92
because too often people
00:47:00.95\00:47:02.52
are exercising a
faith of the Christian life
00:47:02.55\00:47:06.76
but continuing
to mumble, bumble,
00:47:06.79\00:47:08.76
and stumble failing to realize
00:47:08.79\00:47:10.99
what is really
made available to them.
00:47:11.03\00:47:12.59
That power, that glory,
that's on the other side,
00:47:12.63\00:47:14.90
it's important
for every one of us.
00:47:14.93\00:47:16.36
I need it too.
00:47:16.40\00:47:17.73
Amen for that.
00:47:17.77\00:47:20.37
He took what belongs to us
00:47:20.40\00:47:21.87
so that we can
receive what belongs to Him.
00:47:21.90\00:47:24.67
That's question number four.
00:47:24.71\00:47:26.04
Number five.
Let's move on quickly.
00:47:26.07\00:47:27.44
We have a lot of questions here.
00:47:27.48\00:47:29.68
Number five, what does
Isaiah the prophet tell us
00:47:29.71\00:47:34.18
the cross accomplished?
00:47:34.22\00:47:36.08
What does Isaiah tell
us the cross accomplished?
00:47:36.12\00:47:38.09
We quoted that earlier.
We can go right to that.
00:47:38.12\00:47:40.39
That one is a
very familiar passage
00:47:40.42\00:47:41.99
but don't let the
familiar understanding of that
00:47:42.02\00:47:45.29
cause you to miss its message.
00:47:45.33\00:47:47.00
Isaiah 53:5.
00:47:47.03\00:47:49.23
I want to go right to this one
00:47:49.26\00:47:51.20
not just in the
interest of time,
00:47:51.23\00:47:52.57
but I want you to see this
00:47:52.60\00:47:53.97
we talked about earlier
00:47:54.00\00:47:55.34
and this is to reiterate.
00:47:55.37\00:47:57.17
What does Isaiah the prophet
tell us the cross accomplished?
00:47:57.21\00:48:01.91
"But He was wounded
for our transgressions,
00:48:01.94\00:48:04.71
He was bruised
for our iniquities,
00:48:04.75\00:48:07.55
the chastisement,"
00:48:07.58\00:48:08.92
that word chastisement,
the whipping He took,
00:48:08.95\00:48:10.99
"for our peace was upon Him,
00:48:11.02\00:48:13.19
and by His
stripes we are," what?
00:48:13.22\00:48:15.22
"Healed." What did
the cross accomplish?
00:48:15.26\00:48:20.06
Say it again,
Bud, who said heal?
00:48:20.10\00:48:24.33
Okay, Dan.
00:48:24.37\00:48:26.84
Healing.
00:48:26.87\00:48:30.24
If you think of all the healing
00:48:30.27\00:48:31.61
that Jesus
extended to the multitudes,
00:48:31.64\00:48:36.38
He didn't just
healed them physically,
00:48:36.41\00:48:38.65
He healed them mentally.
00:48:38.68\00:48:42.65
Lot of times, we're
locked into the vacuum there.
00:48:42.68\00:48:48.26
You see clearly,
00:48:48.29\00:48:49.62
the healing that
the stripes brought
00:48:49.66\00:48:51.49
was the healing
that was far deeper
00:48:51.53\00:48:53.33
than anything
they could imagine.
00:48:53.36\00:48:54.96
It wasn't just the
taken up off the bat,
00:48:55.00\00:48:56.97
but they went
away with rejoicing
00:48:57.00\00:48:59.00
healed by His stripes.
00:48:59.03\00:49:01.14
So if you answer the
question here to number five,
00:49:01.17\00:49:04.37
what does Isaiah the prophet
tell us the cross accomplished?
00:49:04.41\00:49:06.44
It accomplished, what?
00:49:06.47\00:49:08.38
Healing.
00:49:08.41\00:49:09.74
Healing from the sin,
00:49:09.78\00:49:11.11
as well as the
condition of the sin.
00:49:11.15\00:49:14.12
The condition of
it was the impact
00:49:14.15\00:49:15.98
not just on the
destiny but on the daily life,
00:49:16.02\00:49:22.22
not just the destiny
but on the daily life.
00:49:22.26\00:49:25.06
All right.
00:49:25.09\00:49:27.13
Okay, number six.
00:49:27.16\00:49:31.57
Okay, here it is.
00:49:35.14\00:49:36.47
We went ahead of ourselves,
00:49:40.18\00:49:41.54
but I want to go back there
00:49:41.58\00:49:43.88
because it was
important to get that.
00:49:43.91\00:49:46.18
What does the Bible describe
00:49:46.21\00:49:48.35
as our first place
of unity with Christ?
00:49:48.38\00:49:53.42
What does it describe
00:49:53.46\00:49:54.79
as our first place
of unity with Christ?
00:49:54.82\00:49:59.09
Go back to Roman 6:5.
00:49:59.13\00:50:03.40
Say that again, honey?
00:50:03.43\00:50:05.13
Our first place
00:50:05.17\00:50:06.50
that we are united
with Christ is in death.
00:50:06.53\00:50:10.14
Before you could be
united with Him in life,
00:50:10.17\00:50:12.87
you have to be
united with Him in what?
00:50:12.91\00:50:14.78
Death.
00:50:14.81\00:50:16.14
That sounds very unusual.
00:50:16.18\00:50:18.21
Well, what good is there for me?
00:50:18.25\00:50:20.48
Well, if you think about
what Satan was put out of,
00:50:20.52\00:50:24.82
what Lucifer when
he lost his estate
00:50:24.85\00:50:28.06
because sin could not abide
00:50:28.09\00:50:30.13
in the glorious
courts of heaven.
00:50:30.16\00:50:32.69
So it was either
00:50:32.73\00:50:35.46
remain in the
character that I created you in
00:50:35.50\00:50:38.00
but if you
change your character,
00:50:38.03\00:50:39.50
then this is not the place
that you can continue to abide.
00:50:39.53\00:50:42.64
So why is he
abiding in death now?
00:50:42.67\00:50:44.47
Why is he waiting for
his day of destruction?
00:50:44.51\00:50:46.61
Why is he looking
forward to the second death,
00:50:46.64\00:50:48.44
not looking forward to it,
00:50:48.48\00:50:49.81
but why is that his appointment?
00:50:49.84\00:50:51.18
It's because he did
not accept the place
00:50:53.88\00:50:55.35
that Christ had placed
him in that perfect character,
00:50:55.38\00:50:57.75
in that perfect
unity with Christ.
00:50:57.79\00:50:59.85
As a result of that now,
00:50:59.89\00:51:01.59
our unity with Christ
first begins in death.
00:51:01.62\00:51:05.59
Let's look at that again.
00:51:05.63\00:51:07.56
"For if we have
been united together
00:51:07.60\00:51:11.63
in the likeness of His death,
00:51:11.67\00:51:17.57
"For if we have
been united together
00:51:17.61\00:51:19.41
in the likeness of His death,
00:51:19.44\00:51:22.34
certainly we also shall be
00:51:22.38\00:51:24.78
in the likeness
of His resurrection."
00:51:24.81\00:51:28.05
Now not to run
past that too quickly,
00:51:28.08\00:51:31.42
but I want to
ask a few questions.
00:51:31.45\00:51:35.36
It was a long
time before I realized
00:51:35.39\00:51:38.66
who my dad was but...
00:51:38.69\00:51:41.16
I'd always wondered
what he looked like.
00:51:41.20\00:51:43.93
I always wondered
if I walked past him
00:51:43.97\00:51:45.30
that I would notify,
00:51:45.33\00:51:46.67
if I would recognize
anybody as being my father,
00:51:46.70\00:51:49.77
because I didn't even
know who he was naturally.
00:51:49.80\00:51:52.74
In the very same way,
00:51:52.77\00:51:54.58
when we are
identified with Christ,
00:51:54.61\00:51:56.34
when we are
connected with Christ,
00:51:56.38\00:51:57.71
when Christ becomes our father,
00:51:57.75\00:51:59.35
there's a connection there
00:51:59.38\00:52:01.68
that brings with in more than
just the benefits of the life
00:52:01.72\00:52:07.32
but there should
be some evidences
00:52:07.36\00:52:08.79
of our connection, right?
00:52:08.82\00:52:12.36
Some people say, "You know,
00:52:12.39\00:52:13.73
you have your father's eyes."
00:52:13.76\00:52:15.10
Or, "Your voice
sounds like your dad."
00:52:15.13\00:52:19.17
Or, "Your handwriting,
it's like your mom's."
00:52:19.20\00:52:21.50
There are some evidences there.
00:52:21.54\00:52:23.17
Go with me.
00:52:23.20\00:52:25.37
Let me turn, then I'll
tell you where it is, okay?
00:52:25.41\00:52:31.58
Okay, here we are.
00:52:31.61\00:52:32.98
Galatians 5.
00:52:33.01\00:52:36.69
Galatians 5.
00:52:47.43\00:52:48.76
And let's look
together at verse 16.
00:52:52.47\00:52:57.97
Galatians 5 and
starting with verse 16.
00:53:03.51\00:53:08.18
Well, could I just give
you verse 13 very quickly,
00:53:08.22\00:53:10.85
verse 13, it gives
me the context of it.
00:53:10.89\00:53:13.49
You know, lot of times,
00:53:13.52\00:53:14.86
if you read just
the verse itself,
00:53:14.89\00:53:16.22
you don't get what's
before and what's after it.
00:53:16.26\00:53:17.59
Let's start with verse 13.
00:53:17.63\00:53:20.53
It says, "For you, brethren,
have been called to," what?
00:53:20.56\00:53:25.00
"Liberty."
00:53:25.03\00:53:26.37
That's freedom, another
word for liberty is freedom.
00:53:26.40\00:53:28.94
"Only do not use liberty
00:53:28.97\00:53:32.44
as an opportunity for the flesh,
00:53:32.47\00:53:36.44
but through love
serve one another."
00:53:36.48\00:53:40.55
How to live a spiritual
life in a natural body?
00:53:40.58\00:53:43.49
After the Lord frees us,
00:53:43.52\00:53:44.85
we still have this natural body.
00:53:44.89\00:53:46.22
But He said,
"You've been set free.
00:53:46.25\00:53:47.76
But now that
you've been set free
00:53:47.79\00:53:49.12
don't use that as...
00:53:49.16\00:53:51.13
Since you're not
on death row any more,
00:53:51.16\00:53:52.59
don't feel that you
could do what you did before
00:53:52.63\00:53:55.30
and not mess up
this relationship.
00:53:55.33\00:53:59.10
Don't feel that
since you're not fearful
00:53:59.13\00:54:01.00
that there's a
death date set for you
00:54:01.04\00:54:02.57
when you were on death row
00:54:02.60\00:54:03.94
that you're now
going to live anyway
00:54:03.97\00:54:05.31
and there's no
consequences to that."
00:54:05.34\00:54:06.78
He said, "Don't use your freedom
00:54:06.81\00:54:08.14
to mess up your life."
00:54:08.18\00:54:09.51
That's why when
people quote this text,
00:54:09.54\00:54:11.38
you might see my mouth moving...
00:54:11.41\00:54:13.31
Let's quote it together.
00:54:13.35\00:54:14.68
"He who the Son sets
free is free indeed."
00:54:18.59\00:54:25.39
But if you go to John
00:54:25.43\00:54:26.76
and you read the text,
00:54:26.80\00:54:28.13
"For if the Son,
00:54:31.13\00:54:32.47
therefore shall make you free,
00:54:32.50\00:54:35.70
you shall be," what?
00:54:35.74\00:54:37.14
"Free indeed."
00:54:37.17\00:54:38.54
If you go to John 8,
00:54:38.57\00:54:39.91
I want you to see
this very quickly.
00:54:39.94\00:54:41.28
We have about...
00:54:41.31\00:54:42.64
We're going to get this.
00:54:42.68\00:54:44.01
John 8:36.
00:54:50.55\00:54:57.53
Okay, "Therefore, if
the Son makes you free,
00:55:04.00\00:55:08.14
you shall be, " what?
00:55:08.17\00:55:09.50
"Free indeed."
00:55:09.54\00:55:10.87
And verse 32.
00:55:10.91\00:55:12.94
"And you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall," what?
00:55:12.97\00:55:17.58
How many times that we say set?
00:55:17.61\00:55:20.82
The truth shall set you free.
00:55:20.85\00:55:24.29
Setting me free
and making me free
00:55:24.32\00:55:26.96
is not the same thing.
00:55:26.99\00:55:29.06
When people are
set free from prison,
00:55:29.09\00:55:31.23
you know, they have this
big, old, high technical word,
00:55:31.26\00:55:34.70
it's called recidivism rate.
00:55:34.73\00:55:38.37
Write that one down.
00:55:38.40\00:55:40.27
Recidivism rate, you
know what that means?
00:55:40.30\00:55:42.74
That means the
percentage of those
00:55:42.77\00:55:44.77
who end up back where they were.
00:55:44.81\00:55:46.88
The recidivism
rate is very high, why?
00:55:46.91\00:55:49.48
Because they've
been set free physically,
00:55:49.51\00:55:52.01
they have not
been set free, what?
00:55:52.05\00:55:53.78
Mentally.
00:55:53.82\00:55:55.15
They've still got
a prisoner's mind.
00:55:55.18\00:55:56.72
There's some people
that have been bound
00:55:56.75\00:55:58.09
for so long, they say,
00:55:58.12\00:55:59.45
"You know, I'm a whole
lot more comfortable in there,
00:55:59.49\00:56:02.89
than I am out here."
00:56:02.92\00:56:04.66
And in the very same way,
00:56:04.69\00:56:06.63
"For those who are
set free spiritually..."
00:56:06.66\00:56:09.26
Some people have
lived in sin so long
00:56:09.30\00:56:11.63
that unless they understand
00:56:11.67\00:56:13.07
what that freedom and
that liberty is all about,
00:56:13.10\00:56:15.34
their recidivism rate is huge,
00:56:15.37\00:56:17.91
they go back to that
00:56:17.94\00:56:19.27
because they have not learned,
00:56:19.31\00:56:21.21
they have not
learned the life of freedom.
00:56:21.24\00:56:24.75
That's why it's
important when a person
00:56:24.78\00:56:26.28
gives his or her life to Christ,
00:56:26.31\00:56:27.92
they begin to
practice differently
00:56:27.95\00:56:29.78
and live differently
00:56:29.82\00:56:31.45
and speak differently
and think differently
00:56:31.49\00:56:37.63
because as I was
going to read in Galatians,
00:56:37.66\00:56:39.46
you see that the
flesh in the spirit
00:56:39.49\00:56:42.43
it talks about all
the sins of the flesh,
00:56:42.46\00:56:44.67
but then it says,
00:56:44.70\00:56:46.03
but now the fruit
of the Spirit is, what?
00:56:46.07\00:56:47.40
Love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, gentleness,
00:56:47.44\00:56:49.17
meekness, patience,
all that other good stuff.
00:56:49.20\00:56:51.34
If we don't begin to
learn that other side
00:56:51.37\00:56:53.17
that comes after the cross,
00:56:53.21\00:56:54.84
then we have
this recidivism rate
00:56:54.88\00:56:56.38
that's going to be high.
00:56:56.41\00:56:57.75
And after we accept all
this intellectual knowledge,
00:56:57.78\00:56:59.68
we say,
00:56:59.71\00:57:01.05
"I understand
what the message is
00:57:01.08\00:57:02.98
but no change in the life."
00:57:03.02\00:57:04.35
And we end up back there
and wonder how do we get there
00:57:04.39\00:57:07.26
because we haven't understand
that there's a process
00:57:07.29\00:57:09.62
that not just sets us free
00:57:09.66\00:57:11.89
but that makes us free.
00:57:11.93\00:57:13.26
And the message of the cross
00:57:16.13\00:57:18.27
takes us to the cross as
the first place of unity,
00:57:18.30\00:57:21.57
not just the
likeness of His death,
00:57:21.60\00:57:24.41
but the likeness
of His resurrection.
00:57:24.44\00:57:27.21
I don't want to
be just set free,
00:57:27.24\00:57:29.88
I want to be made free.
00:57:29.91\00:57:32.51
I don't want to go
back to where I was before,
00:57:32.55\00:57:35.08
I want to stay on this side,
00:57:35.12\00:57:37.19
the life that the person
00:57:37.22\00:57:39.52
who has been set free
in Christ experiences.
00:57:39.55\00:57:42.26
So if you're
studying this lesson
00:57:42.29\00:57:43.63
about what freedom really is
00:57:43.66\00:57:45.39
about the message of the cross,
00:57:45.43\00:57:47.36
how to carry your cross.
00:57:47.40\00:57:48.96
The message is simply this,
00:57:49.00\00:57:50.50
carry your cross day by day,
00:57:50.53\00:57:53.47
putting self to
death day by day,
00:57:53.50\00:57:56.34
living in the power,
00:57:56.37\00:57:58.31
and the wonder of the cross,
00:57:58.34\00:57:59.91
and then your life
will be in Sharper Focus.
00:57:59.94\00:58:02.98
God bless you.
00:58:03.01\00:58:04.35