Hello friends,
and welcome to another
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Wednesday Night Bible study
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here in Thompsonville, Illinois.
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Welcome to a Sharper Focus
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where we're going to
open the Word of God together
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and study together.
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So get your
Bibles, get your pens,
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invite your
friends and family members
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to sit down for the
next 57 or so minutes.
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And we're going to
study the Word of God together
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as we finalize the
topic how to carry my cross
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or carrying my cross,
that is lesson number 12.
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And then we hopefully
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may start into a
new lesson tonight,
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lesson number 13,
the transformed life.
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What does it mean
to be transformed?
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And so if you like
a copy of the lesson,
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go to this website.
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Don't put www asf.3abn.org,
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and download the
lesson syllabus for tonight.
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Once again, asf.3abn.org
and download the lesson.
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And also at that website,
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if you want to let
other family members know
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or friends, they can go ahead
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and download
all the past lessons
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and look at all
the past broadcasts.
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So we thank you for tuning in.
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The overall theme is
how to live a spiritual life
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in a natural body
which is what all of us
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have been called to do.
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And so tonight, we hope
that you'll be strengthened
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by the power of
the indwelling Christ,
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and the Holy Spirit is
ready to transform your life.
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So join us as we
begin our lesson,
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let's begin that with prayer.
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Let's pray.
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Heavenly Father, we
thank You for the opportunity
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to study tonight
for the Holy Spirit
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who is standing ready,
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to inhabit our minds and hearts,
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to transform our lives.
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And so, Lord,
speak to us in a way
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that we will
not only understand,
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but that we will see
the need for leaning upon
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the only one who
is our righteousness,
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and that is Christ Jesus.
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Speak to us through Your Word,
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those who are joining
whether by television,
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by radio, by
internet whatever medium,
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Lord, connect us together
with a common bond to love
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and serve the Lord.
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In Jesus name we pray, amen.
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Now we like to sing
our song Victory in Jesus
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which is our theme song.
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And, Lori, are
you ready to sing?
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She's ready to sing.
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So you join us and Lori,
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and we're going to
sing our theme song
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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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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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Key change.
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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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Can you say amen? Amen.
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Well, you guys sang tonight.
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You must, like
the weather has gotten
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a little warmer today,
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so the tongues of those of
us who are here in Thompsonville
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have been loosed or
shall I say defrosted,
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and it's almost
60 degrees today.
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What a blessing to be able
to study God's Word together.
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And so tonight, I want
to just put a brief plug in.
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Since this is a live program,
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there's a
difference in our audience
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between last week and this week,
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one of our dear members,
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right after
prayer meeting was over,
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we met right after and
talked about the lesson,
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he was excited about it,
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drove out of the
church parking lot,
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that is made an attempt to do so
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and didn't even make it
out of the church parking lot
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before he died,
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before he just
fell asleep in Jesus.
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And so our prayers are
with the Hayworth family,
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Budd has been so much
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a part of our church fellowship,
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we are really going to miss him
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but we are thankful
that he was faithful.
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He was here.
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I said to him, "I
could set my watch by you
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because you're always here."
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And so before he
left, he said to me,
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"Pastor, I'll see
you next Sabbath."
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So when we make it
to the kingdom together,
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I'll say to
Budd, "Happy Sabbath."
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So what an appointment we have
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to know that when
someone falls asleep,
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they fall asleep in Jesus.
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Blessed are the dead
that die in the Lord.
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From henceforth
that they may rest
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from their labors and
their works do follow them.
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So do pray, and we're
having the funeral tomorrow,
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and we pray that God
will be glorified and more
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will come to the
knowledge of a saving grace.
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What a way to have
your chapter closed?
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What a way to have the
life that you live close
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when the remembering
that will come to your mind
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when you awake in the kingdom.
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You'll remember, the
last thing you did was
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you were at prayer meeting.
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And he also stopped by my desk,
there was a picture of Jesus
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on the cross.
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Show that.
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And I wish.
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I should put on
the screen tonight,
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it was about...
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It was called "the
Jerusalem obituary, "
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and Jesus is on the
cross, the date of his death,
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and then there was
another caption there,
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"He paid our
debt," in smaller caption.
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And so, he said,
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"I'm looking
forward to taking this home,
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put this on my den wall,
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and when I wake
up in the morning,
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I like to look at that."
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And so when he
wakes up in the morning,
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he won't have to
look at Jesus on the wall,
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he'll look at
Jesus face to face.
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Amen.
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So what a way to have
your life chapter close.
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If we had spoken for
maybe five more minutes,
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he may have been
able to get help,
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but the Lord knows well.
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The Lord's way is
always the way of hope,
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and so we look
forward to seeing Budd again
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when Jesus comes.
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Tonight, the topic is
one that is encouraging
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because it
talks about the cross.
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You know one of the
things that concerned me
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is that not many people today
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know what it
means to follow Christ,
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to take up that
day-by-day cross.
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We're living in a day and age,
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and as I was
speaking to someone today,
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we're living in a day and age
where people are more concerned
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about the aroma of Christianity.
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How does it
draw me by its aroma?
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How does Christianity taste
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rather than the
life of Christianity?
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And in America in particular,
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our Christianity has been
turned into an enterprise.
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It's one of the quickest ways
to make money in this country,
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just get a church, open
the doors, sell product,
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make it exciting,
lights, camera, action, music,
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and you have all the
earmarks of Christianity
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but what Jesus really wants
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is that life that
has been transformed
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by the crucified Savior,
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and He wants us to live
not only the crucified life
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but the risen life.
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And so that's why the
topic tonight is important.
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Those who live the
crucified and risen life
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are those who
look forward to coming
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into the presence of Christ
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to look forward to meeting Jesus
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face to face in peace.
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Tonight, I'd like to
jump right into the lesson
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because after this one,
we'll go to our new lesson
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which is about
the transformed life.
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What does it mean
to be transformed?
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I want to go down that road next
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but let's start with
question number 16 tonight,
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and if you've downloaded
the syllabus from our website,
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you should have
that in front of you.
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Question number
16 is as follows.
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What is the
obligation of those that accept
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the death of the cross?
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What is the
obligation of those that accept
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the death of the cross?
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Question number 16.
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And if you have it with
you, the answer is found
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in the Book of Romans.
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Romans chapter 6, we're going
to look together at verse 19.
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Romans 6:19 is where
we'll find the answer.
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What is the
obligation of those that accept
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the death of the cross?
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There's an obligation,
it's not just to say,
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"Oh, I'm wearing my cross.
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Oh, I have a
picture of the cross,
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or I have a cross artwork."
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The obligation
is very important.
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Okay.
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Now let's look at that together.
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I'll go to that question here.
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Here it is.
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And the answer will
first appear on the screen.
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Let's look at that together.
00:10:05.97\00:10:07.70
Paul the Apostle says,
speaking about the obligation,
00:10:07.74\00:10:10.61
"I speak in human
terms because of the," what?
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"Because of the
weakness of your flesh."
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Romans 6:19.
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All right?
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"I speak in human terms
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because of the
weakness of your flesh.
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For just as you
presented your members
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as slaves of uncleanness
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and of more lawlessness
leading to more lawlessness,
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so now present your
members as slaves of, " what?
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"Righteousness for," what?
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"For holiness."
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So if you ask...
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If the answer that you put...
00:10:46.74\00:10:49.64
The answer that
you should put is
00:10:49.68\00:10:52.05
what is the
obligation of those that accept
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the death of the cross
that we should do what?
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Present our members as what?
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Slaves of righteousness,
present our members.
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Now when we say
members, we're not talking about
00:11:03.46\00:11:05.53
church members.
00:11:05.56\00:11:07.46
The Bible talks about
our hearts, our hands,
00:11:07.50\00:11:09.93
our mind, our
life, present those,
00:11:09.96\00:11:12.53
allow those to be
instruments of righteousness.
00:11:12.57\00:11:15.64
You know, you can hit
somebody with your hand
00:11:15.67\00:11:17.81
but you can also
embrace them with your hand.
00:11:17.84\00:11:20.44
You can push somebody
with your arms and your hand
00:11:20.48\00:11:23.55
or you can help
bear their burden,
00:11:23.58\00:11:25.45
carry their load.
00:11:25.48\00:11:27.02
You can use your
mouth to praise or to curse.
00:11:27.05\00:11:30.35
The Bible warns us of
that in the Book of James.
00:11:30.39\00:11:33.05
We can use our minds to be
the place where Christ abides
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or where the world is corrupting
00:11:36.42\00:11:38.69
by its influences.
00:11:38.73\00:11:40.26
So the Lord is, in
essence, saying to us
00:11:40.30\00:11:41.63
in a very, very real way
00:11:41.66\00:11:43.83
that we should
sanctify our hands,
00:11:43.87\00:11:46.33
sanctify our
hearts, sanctify our minds,
00:11:46.37\00:11:50.07
sanctify our tongues,
everything about our members.
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Even the feet, the
direction that we walk,
00:11:54.24\00:11:56.95
the thoughts that we think,
00:11:56.98\00:11:58.91
everything should be sanctified.
00:11:58.95\00:12:00.45
So it's broader than
just presenting your members.
00:12:00.48\00:12:05.05
But I want you to
see the word slaves
00:12:05.09\00:12:06.89
because it has a
negative connotation
00:12:06.92\00:12:09.02
to some degree,
00:12:09.06\00:12:10.59
but what it means is
one you present your members
00:12:10.63\00:12:12.89
to Christ for the
purpose of righteousness,
00:12:12.93\00:12:16.83
they are connected to Him.
00:12:16.87\00:12:18.97
And does a slave
have the freedom to do
00:12:19.00\00:12:22.60
what he or she chooses?
00:12:22.64\00:12:23.97
Yes or no? No.
00:12:24.01\00:12:25.34
No.
00:12:25.37\00:12:26.71
So what that is
in essence saying
00:12:26.74\00:12:28.08
is when you say to the
Lord, "I want to be Your slave."
00:12:28.11\00:12:31.75
You're saying, I
want to do everything
00:12:31.78\00:12:33.52
that You want me to do.
00:12:33.55\00:12:34.88
An amen to that? Amen.
00:12:34.92\00:12:36.25
So and that
connotation is not negative.
00:12:36.28\00:12:38.02
This is simply
saying, "Lord, not my will
00:12:38.05\00:12:40.56
but Your will be done."
00:12:40.59\00:12:42.22
And the word there
slave is another other word,
00:12:42.26\00:12:43.99
if you want to
use a lighter word,
00:12:44.03\00:12:45.66
"I want to be the
one who serves you."
00:12:45.69\00:12:49.36
We never think of the people
00:12:49.40\00:12:50.73
in the restaurant as our slaves,
00:12:50.77\00:12:52.73
but they are servants.
00:12:52.77\00:12:54.14
See?
00:12:54.17\00:12:55.50
But in fact, why they are there?
00:12:55.54\00:12:56.87
Why do they work there?
00:12:56.91\00:12:59.21
To serve us.
00:12:59.24\00:13:00.58
In the very same way,
00:13:00.61\00:13:02.41
the Christian lives to do, what?
00:13:02.44\00:13:04.38
To serve the Lord.
00:13:04.41\00:13:06.15
The Christian lives
to serve one another.
00:13:06.18\00:13:10.19
And right, and there are
many who live to serve Satan.
00:13:10.22\00:13:12.85
There's the kingdom of light
00:13:12.89\00:13:14.22
and there is the
kingdom of darkness.
00:13:14.26\00:13:16.02
We've got to make sure that
00:13:16.06\00:13:17.39
whoever we serve
is going to be the one
00:13:17.43\00:13:19.43
that has our lives.
00:13:19.46\00:13:21.46
Now question number 17,
00:13:21.50\00:13:24.23
question number 17.
00:13:24.27\00:13:27.07
What is the "Daily Cross"
00:13:27.10\00:13:29.14
that we must
submit ourselves to?
00:13:29.17\00:13:32.47
We're in the same
book, Romans 6:11,
00:13:32.51\00:13:38.01
Romans 6:11.
00:13:38.05\00:13:39.75
What is the Daily Cross
00:13:39.78\00:13:41.12
that we must
submit ourselves to?
00:13:41.15\00:13:45.69
Paul said in
Romans that he died daily.
00:13:45.72\00:13:49.12
Well, what did that mean?
00:13:49.16\00:13:51.03
Verse 11, all right?
00:13:51.06\00:13:54.06
Here is the answer, verse 11.
00:13:54.10\00:13:57.40
"Likewise,"
00:13:57.43\00:13:59.03
this is a
continuation of a statement
00:13:59.07\00:14:00.40
made before in verse 10.
00:14:00.44\00:14:01.80
He says, "Likewise,
00:14:01.84\00:14:04.37
you also reckon
yourselves to be," what?
00:14:04.41\00:14:08.21
"Dead indeed to sin,
00:14:08.24\00:14:11.78
but alive to God in
Christ Jesus our Lord."
00:14:11.81\00:14:16.75
So if you ask the
question or answer the question,
00:14:16.79\00:14:19.25
what is the Daily Cross
00:14:19.29\00:14:20.62
that we must
submit ourselves to,
00:14:20.66\00:14:22.72
the cross of what?
00:14:22.76\00:14:25.89
What's the purpose of the cross?
00:14:25.93\00:14:27.26
Say that again.
00:14:30.30\00:14:31.63
Crucify. Right.
00:14:31.67\00:14:33.00
The cross was...
00:14:33.03\00:14:34.84
The only purpose for
the cross was to crucify.
00:14:34.87\00:14:38.07
Cross is not a
garden instrument,
00:14:38.11\00:14:40.38
the cross was to serve
the purpose of crucifixion.
00:14:40.41\00:14:42.14
So if the cross is the one
00:14:42.18\00:14:43.68
that you are
going to bear daily,
00:14:43.71\00:14:45.35
that means you're
going to be dead daily.
00:14:45.38\00:14:47.08
And according to this,
00:14:47.12\00:14:48.45
you're going to
be dead to, what?
00:14:48.48\00:14:50.35
To sin, day by day.
00:14:50.39\00:14:52.82
When we think of the fact,
00:14:52.85\00:14:54.19
and this is the
beauty of this study
00:14:54.22\00:14:57.16
and of this very challenge.
00:14:57.19\00:14:59.06
When we think of what
we're getting ready for,
00:14:59.09\00:15:02.33
we're getting
ready for eternity.
00:15:02.36\00:15:04.40
We're not getting
ready for our church picnic.
00:15:04.43\00:15:07.00
We're not getting
ready to go to the beach.
00:15:07.04\00:15:08.37
We're not getting ready
for a Christmas cantata.
00:15:08.40\00:15:10.54
We're getting ready for, what?
00:15:10.57\00:15:12.24
Say it again, eternity.
Say that with me, eternity.
00:15:12.27\00:15:15.38
We're getting ready
00:15:15.41\00:15:16.85
to live in the
presence of a sinless God,
00:15:16.88\00:15:21.35
a God who hates sin so much...
00:15:21.38\00:15:23.49
that all the angels
that sin had to be...
00:15:26.99\00:15:30.99
I'm going to use
a different word,
00:15:31.03\00:15:32.36
I know cast out, were evicted,
00:15:32.39\00:15:35.20
He could not allow
sin to continue there.
00:15:35.23\00:15:38.00
And you know, even that
act was an act of love for us
00:15:38.03\00:15:41.60
because he says, "There's no way
00:15:41.64\00:15:44.64
that I'm going to
maintain a sinful environment
00:15:44.67\00:15:47.41
if I'm going to get this
place ready for My children
00:15:47.44\00:15:49.18
to live with Me eternally."
00:15:49.21\00:15:50.58
So when you think about a person
00:15:50.61\00:15:52.65
that's inviting
you over for dinner,
00:15:52.68\00:15:54.62
if you came over, and you know,
00:15:54.65\00:15:56.79
all the dishes were
dirty and the table was dirty
00:15:56.82\00:15:59.42
that you're eating on and...
00:15:59.45\00:16:02.09
There's stuff on your fork,
there's stuff on my fork too.
00:16:02.12\00:16:05.59
And everybody says,
"Can I get another fork?
00:16:05.63\00:16:08.56
Can I get another
knife? Can I get another spoon?
00:16:08.60\00:16:10.30
My napkin has a stain
on it. My plate is broken.
00:16:10.33\00:16:12.23
There's some stuff on
the bottom of my plate."
00:16:12.27\00:16:14.34
Can you imagine going through
all that, and the person says,
00:16:14.37\00:16:17.14
"Oh, don't worry about it.
00:16:17.17\00:16:18.51
It's just probably
just stuff from my kids,
00:16:18.54\00:16:21.18
it's probably not harmful.
00:16:21.21\00:16:23.45
Don't worry about
it, you'll be okay.
00:16:23.48\00:16:24.81
I mean, if you get cold, I mean,
00:16:24.85\00:16:26.85
it probably wouldn't kill you."
00:16:26.88\00:16:28.75
You think, "Boy!"
00:16:28.78\00:16:30.59
They invited me
into germ headquarters.
00:16:30.62\00:16:33.62
Well, we don't want to go
to heaven to germ headquarters.
00:16:33.66\00:16:36.73
We don't want to
go to a sinful place.
00:16:36.76\00:16:38.36
So the Bible says in
Revelation chapter 22,
00:16:38.39\00:16:40.96
"Nothing is going to
enter into heaven that defiles."
00:16:41.00\00:16:44.90
So what does that mean?
00:16:44.93\00:16:46.63
He that has this hope
in himself purifies himself
00:16:46.67\00:16:49.90
even as he is pure.
00:16:49.94\00:16:53.01
Now people have put
a different emphasis
00:16:53.04\00:16:54.98
on the 'even as he is pure'.
00:16:55.01\00:16:56.54
Christ has purified
us, and he's saying to us,
00:16:56.58\00:16:58.88
"Now, what I want
you do is maintain,
00:16:58.91\00:17:01.28
maintain that purity
that I placed you in."
00:17:01.32\00:17:04.05
And is it easy? No.
00:17:04.09\00:17:06.69
That's why the death
is important to have,
00:17:06.72\00:17:08.52
how often?
00:17:08.56\00:17:10.73
Daily.
00:17:10.76\00:17:12.86
Every moment. Every moment.
00:17:12.89\00:17:14.23
I'll just see if
you guys can get it.
00:17:14.26\00:17:16.00
Thank you.
00:17:16.03\00:17:17.37
Every moment,
because the challenge is,
00:17:17.40\00:17:19.23
you may feel great
when you leave your house.
00:17:19.27\00:17:22.50
Fifteen miles later,
you may not feel so great.
00:17:22.54\00:17:25.11
It could be a phone call
00:17:25.14\00:17:26.47
that takes you
from great to ugh.
00:17:26.51\00:17:27.84
You could go to work
00:17:30.31\00:17:31.68
and somebody can just give
you a look like, "So whatsoever!
00:17:31.71\00:17:34.98
So why are you so happy?"
00:17:35.02\00:17:36.35
And all of a sudden,
00:17:36.38\00:17:37.82
you can say hi
to somebody at work,
00:17:37.85\00:17:39.19
and they say, "So
you're talking to me now?"
00:17:39.22\00:17:42.09
And it can just
throw you into a tailspin.
00:17:42.12\00:17:44.23
So it's so vitally
important that you not allow
00:17:44.26\00:17:47.96
all the fiery darts of
the wicked one to stick.
00:17:48.00\00:17:54.50
Because that's what happens,
00:17:54.54\00:17:55.87
the devil's
trying to figure out,
00:17:55.90\00:17:57.24
"Which dart could
I hit to shake you?
00:17:57.27\00:17:59.31
Which dart could I
hit, annoy you with today?"
00:17:59.34\00:18:03.18
None, if we have
the shield of faith,
00:18:03.21\00:18:05.55
that's what the
purpose of it is by the way.
00:18:05.58\00:18:07.32
If we have the shield of faith
and commit ourselves to Christ,
00:18:07.35\00:18:09.48
we have to not worry.
00:18:09.52\00:18:10.85
We don't have to worry
about all those things.
00:18:10.89\00:18:12.72
So day by day,
when we die to sin,
00:18:12.75\00:18:16.73
we are alive
because when you die,
00:18:16.76\00:18:19.93
the only way that
you could have life
00:18:19.96\00:18:21.30
is if you have life,
00:18:21.33\00:18:22.73
and that life source
comes from somebody else
00:18:22.76\00:18:24.97
and that is from Christ.
00:18:25.00\00:18:26.33
All right.
00:18:26.37\00:18:27.70
Number 18, moving
right along, number 18.
00:18:27.74\00:18:31.07
What has the death of
the cross delivered us from?
00:18:31.11\00:18:37.85
What has the death of
the cross delivered us from?
00:18:37.88\00:18:43.12
Very important question.
00:18:43.15\00:18:44.69
We've been delivered from what?
00:18:44.72\00:18:47.26
All right.
00:18:47.29\00:18:48.62
Galatians 6:14 is where
we find this next answer,
00:18:48.66\00:18:51.23
Galatians 6:14.
00:18:51.26\00:18:53.80
What has the death of
the cross delivered us from?
00:18:53.83\00:18:58.87
The writings of Paul the Apostle
00:19:01.60\00:19:03.67
are so concentrated.
00:19:03.71\00:19:08.51
They're like a...
00:19:08.54\00:19:09.88
They're like a
16-ounce-can of Hawaiian Punch.
00:19:09.91\00:19:14.78
Just don't try to
drink it unless you add
00:19:14.82\00:19:17.49
six cups of water to it
'cause it will, at best,
00:19:17.52\00:19:20.82
send you into a diabetic coma.
00:19:20.86\00:19:23.26
It's so sweet.
00:19:23.29\00:19:24.79
But if you break that
down, if you dilute it,
00:19:24.83\00:19:28.36
and you take it
a little at a time,
00:19:28.40\00:19:29.76
you'll be able to ingest it
given the right period of time.
00:19:29.80\00:19:33.17
That's how the words
of the Apostle Paul are.
00:19:33.20\00:19:34.94
And sometimes, the
unjust thing is sometimes,
00:19:34.97\00:19:37.67
Paul has been
pitted against Christ,
00:19:37.71\00:19:40.31
or the Book of Galatians
00:19:40.34\00:19:42.18
has been pitted
against the Book of Romans,
00:19:42.21\00:19:44.61
or 2 Corinthians has been
pitted against 1 Corinthians.
00:19:44.65\00:19:48.45
One of the examples, you
have the scripture there,
00:19:48.48\00:19:51.29
"To be absent from the body
00:19:51.32\00:19:52.65
is to be present with the Lord."
00:19:52.69\00:19:54.36
In 2 Corinthians chapter
5, I think around verse 8.
00:19:54.39\00:19:58.09
Well, that's true, but the
one who wrote that also wrote,
00:19:58.13\00:20:01.76
"And this mortal
must put on immortality."
00:20:01.80\00:20:04.93
And so if you read
the whole caption from,
00:20:04.97\00:20:07.67
I think, verse 8 all
the way down to verse 11,
00:20:07.70\00:20:09.57
he says the hope he had was that
00:20:09.60\00:20:12.01
mortality would be
swallowed up in life.
00:20:12.04\00:20:14.48
So he believes, "Yes,
00:20:14.51\00:20:15.84
one day, we will be
absent from this body."
00:20:15.88\00:20:17.98
How many of you
are happy for that?
00:20:18.01\00:20:19.35
Amen.
00:20:19.38\00:20:20.92
Right, Brother Rick.
00:20:20.95\00:20:22.28
Your knee won't
be hurting anymore.
00:20:22.32\00:20:24.42
One day, you'll be
absent from the body,
00:20:24.45\00:20:25.85
the question is when?
00:20:25.89\00:20:28.12
Not when you die, but
when the trumpet sounds?
00:20:28.16\00:20:31.63
Putting on that immortality,
putting on that incorruption,
00:20:31.66\00:20:35.60
then, then we are ready to
take our journey to heaven.
00:20:35.63\00:20:39.53
But let's look at
this, Galatians 6:14,
00:20:39.57\00:20:42.00
here it is on the screen.
00:20:42.04\00:20:43.37
Are you ready, Dave? Here we go.
00:20:43.41\00:20:45.07
The question once again is...
00:20:45.11\00:20:46.74
what has the death of
the cross delivered us from?
00:20:49.78\00:20:51.61
Here it is.
00:20:51.65\00:20:52.98
"But God forbid
that I should boast
00:20:53.01\00:20:56.25
except in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:20:56.28\00:20:59.42
by whom the
world has been," what?
00:20:59.45\00:21:02.06
"Crucified to me
and I to the world."
00:21:02.09\00:21:06.09
So once again, crucifixion.
00:21:06.13\00:21:08.03
If you look at these things
that we are being cut off from,
00:21:08.06\00:21:10.37
in other words
crucifixion, okay,
00:21:10.40\00:21:12.73
what has also been
taken to the cross,
00:21:12.77\00:21:14.47
not just you but
the Lord is also saying,
00:21:14.50\00:21:17.27
"Take the world to the
cross and get rid of that too.
00:21:17.31\00:21:19.81
Crucify that too."
00:21:19.84\00:21:21.18
And so Paul is,
in essence, saying,
00:21:21.21\00:21:22.64
"This post cross
life excludes the world.
00:21:22.68\00:21:28.28
This post cross
life excludes the world.
00:21:28.32\00:21:32.29
I've been crucified
not only to the sinful life
00:21:32.32\00:21:36.49
but I've been crucified
to the ways of the world."
00:21:36.52\00:21:40.10
And so if you ask the question,
00:21:40.13\00:21:41.53
what has the
cross delivered us from?
00:21:41.56\00:21:45.07
What two words
would you put down?
00:21:45.10\00:21:47.40
The world. The world.
00:21:47.44\00:21:49.57
Now go with me to Isaiah 25.
00:21:49.60\00:21:51.91
Isaiah 25...
00:22:00.88\00:22:02.42
the ultimate deliverance.
00:22:05.75\00:22:07.26
This text is only for those
00:22:15.36\00:22:18.03
who know they
don't belong down here.
00:22:18.07\00:22:20.24
All right.
00:22:20.27\00:22:21.60
This text is only for those
00:22:21.64\00:22:22.97
who know they
don't belong down here.
00:22:23.00\00:22:24.41
You really wouldn't be glad
to be delivered from the world
00:22:24.44\00:22:27.64
if you think you
belong down here,
00:22:27.68\00:22:29.88
but if you know
you don't belong here,
00:22:29.91\00:22:31.88
think of this as the...
00:22:31.91\00:22:35.85
During the World War
00:22:35.88\00:22:37.29
where America went
to prisoner of war camps
00:22:37.32\00:22:43.63
and delivered all those
who had been taken captive.
00:22:43.66\00:22:46.29
Think of it that way.
00:22:46.33\00:22:48.06
And they could
hear the planes coming,
00:22:48.10\00:22:51.00
they could hear
the tanks coming,
00:22:51.03\00:22:52.83
they could hear
the sound of vehicles
00:22:52.87\00:22:55.34
that they identify
as American vehicles.
00:22:55.37\00:22:57.77
And think of
this as you read that.
00:22:57.81\00:23:00.01
"And it will be said in
that day they could hear.
00:23:00.04\00:23:03.91
But in this case, it's
God, "Behold, this is our God."
00:23:03.95\00:23:07.02
Isaiah 25:9,
"Behold, this is our God.
00:23:07.05\00:23:10.85
We have waited for
Him, and He will do" what,
00:23:10.89\00:23:14.46
"save us, this is the
Lord, we have waited for Him,
00:23:14.49\00:23:19.96
we will be" what,
00:23:20.00\00:23:21.33
"glad and rejoice
in His salvation."
00:23:21.36\00:23:24.43
When you realize that
we were not transformed
00:23:24.47\00:23:27.74
or saved to stay in
this world the way it is,
00:23:27.77\00:23:30.71
you'll be glad
when deliverance comes.
00:23:30.74\00:23:34.31
Isn't that true?
00:23:34.34\00:23:35.68
When you realize,
00:23:35.71\00:23:37.05
"I've been
looking forward to this, "
00:23:37.08\00:23:38.41
and I know I've told you guys
about this a number of times
00:23:38.45\00:23:40.25
and even those who are
maybe listening to the program
00:23:40.28\00:23:42.55
right now.
00:23:42.58\00:23:43.92
I've talked about the
fact that I enjoy astronomy,
00:23:43.95\00:23:46.62
not astrology, astronomy.
00:23:46.65\00:23:48.66
And I am often taken back
by how much space is out there
00:23:48.69\00:23:52.86
and how little and
insignificant our planet is.
00:23:52.89\00:23:55.56
I don't know about this
00:23:55.60\00:23:56.93
but, Hannah, do you agree
that there's a whole lot more
00:23:56.97\00:23:59.33
that we want to see
that we haven't seen yet?
00:23:59.37\00:24:00.80
Oh, you bet.
00:24:00.84\00:24:02.17
I mean, when you look
at the stars at night,
00:24:02.20\00:24:04.31
those stars, keep in mind,
not any one of those stars,
00:24:04.34\00:24:08.18
not any of one of those stars
00:24:08.21\00:24:09.74
is within the circumference
of the nine planets which is,
00:24:09.78\00:24:13.75
"my very educated mother
just served us nine pickles."
00:24:13.78\00:24:17.82
Okay.
00:24:17.85\00:24:19.45
That's the way you remember it.
00:24:19.49\00:24:20.82
My, Mars, Very Venus,
Educated Earth, Mother Mercury.
00:24:20.86\00:24:26.83
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,
00:24:26.86\00:24:31.17
Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Pluto.
00:24:31.20\00:24:36.10
My very educated mother
just served us nine pickles,
00:24:36.14\00:24:39.84
that's how you
remember the planet.
00:24:39.87\00:24:41.21
Did you know that?
00:24:41.24\00:24:42.58
Okay, now I just help
you with your astronomy.
00:24:42.61\00:24:45.21
When you pass the test,
give me some of those points.
00:24:45.25\00:24:48.05
But that's how
we remembered that.
00:24:48.08\00:24:49.42
And then the sun is
always in the middle,
00:24:49.45\00:24:51.59
the sun is always in the middle.
00:24:51.62\00:24:52.95
When you look up
at stars at night,
00:24:52.99\00:24:54.92
none of those
stars are within those
00:24:54.96\00:24:56.46
rotating nine
planets, none of them.
00:24:56.49\00:24:59.13
They're all so far out,
00:24:59.16\00:25:01.46
yet our world is
so insignificant.
00:25:01.50\00:25:03.03
When you go to Pluto,
our world is so invisible
00:25:03.06\00:25:06.43
just that Pluto.
00:25:06.47\00:25:07.80
And by the way, I heard that...
00:25:07.84\00:25:11.17
This is probably a sad story,
00:25:11.21\00:25:12.74
I heard that Pluto was no
longer a planet that counts.
00:25:12.77\00:25:16.58
It's been taken
out of the chain,
00:25:16.61\00:25:18.51
but it's still out
there, so I'll still count it.
00:25:18.55\00:25:21.38
But they said, "It's so far."
00:25:21.42\00:25:22.88
Scientists are saying
it really has no relevance
00:25:22.92\00:25:25.25
to the balance of
our rotating planets,
00:25:25.29\00:25:28.46
but my point is God
wouldn't allow it to be there
00:25:28.49\00:25:32.19
if it didn't serve a purpose.
00:25:32.23\00:25:34.50
But my point I'm making
is, I can't wait to one day
00:25:34.53\00:25:37.30
we go beyond all
these nine planets,
00:25:37.33\00:25:39.77
and then we are
finally out there.
00:25:39.80\00:25:42.00
Did you see the guy
that jumped out of that...
00:25:42.04\00:25:44.84
He did the skydive.
How high was it again?
00:25:44.87\00:25:47.31
Does anybody
remember? Four miles?
00:25:47.34\00:25:49.58
Twenty four
miles above the earth.
00:25:49.61\00:25:50.95
Twenty four
miles above the earth.
00:25:50.98\00:25:52.31
It looked beautiful.
00:25:52.35\00:25:53.68
I have the video, I
look at it periodically.
00:25:53.72\00:25:56.02
He must have stood there
for a brief moment and said,
00:25:56.05\00:25:58.55
"Man, so this
is what it's like."
00:25:58.59\00:26:01.06
But he couldn't
survive out there
00:26:03.43\00:26:05.09
without all of that apparatus.
00:26:05.13\00:26:08.13
Yet when Jesus comes,
00:26:08.16\00:26:10.37
all we're going
to need to survive
00:26:10.40\00:26:12.63
is that transformed life.
00:26:12.67\00:26:14.80
So these texts
00:26:14.84\00:26:16.17
that we're talking about tonight
00:26:16.20\00:26:17.54
is helping us get
ready for the world to come.
00:26:17.57\00:26:23.58
So when it
sounds like I'm kind of
00:26:23.61\00:26:24.95
being a little difficult,
00:26:24.98\00:26:27.02
you won't get upset
with me when Jesus comes.
00:26:27.05\00:26:29.88
I guarantee you.
00:26:29.92\00:26:31.65
We're saying, "Come on,
guys, get ready, get packed.
00:26:31.69\00:26:34.42
We're just about
getting ready to leave here."
00:26:34.46\00:26:37.46
There's a favorite song I had
00:26:37.49\00:26:38.83
from the Heritage singers.
00:26:38.86\00:26:40.26
It won't be long then
we'll be leaving here.
00:26:40.30\00:26:43.97
It won't be long
we'll be going home.
00:26:44.00\00:26:46.63
That's what this
topic is all about.
00:26:46.67\00:26:48.00
It's not about
theology, it's about, "Come on.
00:26:48.04\00:26:50.47
Let's get this thing together.
00:26:50.51\00:26:51.84
We're about to get out of here."
00:26:51.87\00:26:53.21
And all the world has
tried to give us to substitute
00:26:53.24\00:26:55.41
it cannot even begin
to dent the imagination
00:26:55.44\00:27:00.28
when we think about
what God has in store
00:27:00.32\00:27:02.68
for those that love Him.
00:27:02.72\00:27:05.12
I mean, if there's so
much in just one galaxy,
00:27:05.15\00:27:07.62
and scientists
are saying there are
00:27:07.66\00:27:09.22
hundreds of
billions of galaxies,
00:27:09.26\00:27:11.49
now do you ask the question
why do we need eternity.
00:27:11.53\00:27:13.93
Anyway, let me get
back on the lesson.
00:27:16.00\00:27:17.87
So much for the
astronomy but that's something
00:27:17.90\00:27:20.37
to get your mind
out of this world.
00:27:20.40\00:27:22.77
If you go to the
chapter right before that,
00:27:22.80\00:27:24.31
let me tell you
why it's important
00:27:24.34\00:27:25.94
to get ready to get out of here.
00:27:25.97\00:27:27.94
Look at Isaiah chapter 24,
00:27:27.98\00:27:30.78
I want you to see a
couple of verses here.
00:27:30.81\00:27:32.15
All right.
00:27:32.18\00:27:33.52
Isaiah 24:1, since I started
on that line of thinking,
00:27:33.55\00:27:38.19
let me give you
something to consider to ponder.
00:27:38.22\00:27:40.62
See, no matter how nice
the place where you live is,
00:27:40.66\00:27:45.23
even if you
lived on the 69th floor
00:27:45.26\00:27:47.56
in a
4.5-million-dollar apartment
00:27:47.60\00:27:50.87
overlooking the bay in Miami,
00:27:50.90\00:27:55.57
and that's a view.
00:27:55.60\00:27:57.31
Even if you lived up there,
00:27:57.34\00:27:58.91
it's insignificant compared
00:27:58.94\00:28:00.31
to what Christ
has in store for us
00:28:00.34\00:28:02.08
because the problem is
not so much the nice view
00:28:02.11\00:28:04.21
but this text
tells you the reason
00:28:04.25\00:28:05.61
why we need to get ready
to get out of this world.
00:28:05.65\00:28:07.92
Here it is.
00:28:07.95\00:28:09.32
Verse 4, "Behold...
00:28:09.35\00:28:10.92
Isaiah 24:1,
00:28:10.95\00:28:14.76
"Behold, the Lord
makes the earth empty
00:28:14.79\00:28:17.39
and makes it waste,
distorts its surface,
00:28:17.43\00:28:21.03
and scatters
abroad its inhabitants,
00:28:21.06\00:28:24.30
and it shall be
as with the people
00:28:24.33\00:28:25.93
so with the priests,
00:28:25.97\00:28:27.34
as with the
servant so with his master,
00:28:27.37\00:28:29.90
as with a maid so
with her mistress,
00:28:29.94\00:28:31.91
as with the
borrower so with the seller,
00:28:31.94\00:28:34.51
as with the lender
so with the borrower."
00:28:34.54\00:28:37.65
I said borrow,
but I meant buyer.
00:28:37.68\00:28:39.78
"As with the
creditor so with the debtor,
00:28:39.81\00:28:42.85
the land shall
be entirely emptied
00:28:42.88\00:28:46.09
and utterly plundered.
00:28:46.12\00:28:48.79
For the Lord has
spoken this word.
00:28:48.82\00:28:53.29
The earth mourns and fades away,
00:28:53.33\00:28:55.46
the world
languishes and fades away.
00:28:55.50\00:28:58.43
The hearty people
of the earth languish.
00:28:58.47\00:29:01.30
The earth is also
defiled under its inhabitants
00:29:01.34\00:29:04.61
because they have
transgressed the laws,
00:29:04.64\00:29:07.21
changed the ordinance,
00:29:07.24\00:29:09.01
broken the everlasting covenant.
00:29:09.04\00:29:11.45
Therefore, the curse
has devoured the earth
00:29:11.48\00:29:14.35
and those who
dwell in it are desolate.
00:29:14.38\00:29:17.09
Therefore, the inhabitants
of the earth are burned
00:29:17.12\00:29:19.79
and few men are left."
00:29:19.82\00:29:21.52
One day, that prophecy
is going to come to pass
00:29:21.56\00:29:23.29
in such stark
contrast to what seems to be
00:29:23.32\00:29:26.19
a relative
environment of peace and safety.
00:29:26.23\00:29:28.76
But if you're getting ready
for the coming of the Lord,
00:29:28.80\00:29:30.63
you would not be upset
when those circumstances
00:29:30.67\00:29:33.44
begin to manifest
themselves around us
00:29:33.47\00:29:35.34
because you'll say, "Hey,
00:29:35.37\00:29:36.74
I'm not going to
be down here anyway.
00:29:36.77\00:29:38.11
I'm getting ready
to get out of here,
00:29:38.14\00:29:39.47
I'm getting ready to leave."
00:29:39.51\00:29:41.24
Amen for that? Amen.
00:29:41.28\00:29:42.81
Question number 19,
is that where we are?
00:29:42.84\00:29:46.18
What specifically are we to
put to death on a daily basis?
00:29:46.21\00:29:50.32
What specifically
are we to put to death
00:29:53.49\00:29:55.76
on a daily basis?
00:29:55.79\00:29:57.39
I like the fact that I use
the word specifically there,
00:29:57.43\00:29:59.63
because sometimes
people say, "Okay.
00:29:59.66\00:30:01.30
I die daily.
00:30:01.33\00:30:02.66
I ask the Lord to put my
sinful ways to death today."
00:30:02.70\00:30:07.04
But in fact, what
does that actually mean?
00:30:07.07\00:30:09.34
What is really
being put to death?
00:30:09.37\00:30:11.81
All right.
00:30:11.84\00:30:13.17
Colossians 3:5 to 7,
00:30:13.21\00:30:16.14
Colossians 3:5 to 7.
00:30:16.18\00:30:20.35
Okay.
00:30:20.38\00:30:21.72
Wow.
00:30:21.75\00:30:24.35
Just apply this spiritually,
do not apply this literally.
00:30:24.39\00:30:28.72
"Therefore put to
death your members
00:30:28.76\00:30:32.23
which are on the earth."
00:30:32.26\00:30:33.96
Not church members but your...
00:30:34.00\00:30:37.40
Okay?
00:30:37.43\00:30:38.77
Your members.
00:30:38.80\00:30:40.14
Look at them, look at the things
00:30:40.17\00:30:41.50
that fight against us.
00:30:41.54\00:30:44.44
"Which are on the
earth," together, what are they?
00:30:44.47\00:30:48.64
"Fornication, uncleanness,
passion, evil desire,
00:30:48.68\00:30:54.95
and covetousness
which is idolatry.
00:30:54.98\00:30:59.95
Because of these
things the wrath of God
00:30:59.99\00:31:03.09
is coming upon the
sons of disobedience,
00:31:03.12\00:31:06.36
in which you yourselves
00:31:06.39\00:31:08.70
once walked when
you lived in them."
00:31:08.73\00:31:11.70
Isn't that right?
00:31:11.73\00:31:13.07
That's how we used to be.
00:31:13.10\00:31:14.90
He said, "This
is what I need you
00:31:14.94\00:31:16.27
to get rid of every day.
00:31:16.30\00:31:17.64
Since you may not have been...
00:31:17.67\00:31:19.01
"Okay, what do you
want me to do, Lord."
00:31:19.04\00:31:20.38
He says, "Okay, let's go
over that list one more time."
00:31:20.41\00:31:22.34
"What do you want me to do?"
00:31:22.38\00:31:24.68
"Get fornication
out of your mind,
00:31:24.71\00:31:26.15
get all that stuff is
unclean out of your mind.
00:31:26.18\00:31:28.25
Make sure that your
passion is a passion for good.
00:31:28.28\00:31:30.72
Get those evil desires out.
00:31:30.75\00:31:32.59
If you're covetous,
stop being covetous.
00:31:32.62\00:31:34.96
Don't be an idolatrous person."
00:31:34.99\00:31:38.33
That also means, I'm
going to add to that,
00:31:38.36\00:31:39.69
"Don't be an idle person."
00:31:39.73\00:31:41.06
You know what happens?
00:31:41.10\00:31:42.43
Satan find work
for idle hands to do.
00:31:42.46\00:31:45.40
If you're doing
nothing, the devil says,
00:31:45.43\00:31:47.04
"Oh, you don't have a job?
00:31:47.07\00:31:48.64
I'll give you a job."
00:31:48.67\00:31:50.11
And more people get in trouble
00:31:50.14\00:31:51.47
because they have nothing to do
00:31:51.51\00:31:54.11
than those who
have too much to do.
00:31:54.14\00:31:56.95
And then he says,
"Therefore put, therefore...
00:31:56.98\00:32:00.98
Let me go back.
00:32:01.02\00:32:02.35
"Therefore put to
death your members
00:32:02.38\00:32:03.89
which are on the
earth," put them to death.
00:32:03.92\00:32:05.99
Make sure that they are dead.
00:32:06.02\00:32:07.52
Make sure that when
you leave the house,
00:32:07.56\00:32:09.22
these things are in
the back yard, buried in.
00:32:09.26\00:32:11.36
You're not going to
go out there and get them
00:32:11.39\00:32:12.73
when you come back.
00:32:12.76\00:32:15.03
Right?
00:32:15.06\00:32:16.40
So what's the answer now?
00:32:16.43\00:32:17.77
What specifically
are we to put to death
00:32:17.80\00:32:19.33
on a daily basis?
00:32:19.37\00:32:22.40
Sinful members.
00:32:22.44\00:32:25.27
And by the way,
let me just put this,
00:32:25.31\00:32:26.78
let me add this.
00:32:26.81\00:32:28.14
I'm going to put this back
in the context of the text.
00:32:28.18\00:32:29.51
It says, "Put to
death your members."
00:32:29.54\00:32:31.01
Now, what is the
overall theme of our study?
00:32:31.05\00:32:34.88
How to live a...
00:32:34.92\00:32:36.25
Spiritual life.
00:32:36.28\00:32:37.62
In a natural body.
00:32:37.65\00:32:39.49
The natural body
is still something
00:32:39.52\00:32:41.92
we have to contend with.
00:32:41.96\00:32:44.43
It's this tent.
00:32:44.46\00:32:46.73
It's this house
that Paul talked about
00:32:46.76\00:32:49.66
that we have to deal
with on a day-by-day basis
00:32:49.70\00:32:51.67
because really,
you're a Christian
00:32:51.70\00:32:53.20
but have you forgotten
the things you used to do?
00:32:53.23\00:32:56.24
Have you forgotten?
00:32:56.27\00:32:57.67
Have you forgotten, David?
00:32:57.71\00:32:59.04
Anybody forgot
what you used to do?
00:32:59.07\00:33:00.41
Anybody? I wish I could.
00:33:00.44\00:33:03.14
Aren't there certain
things you wish you never did?
00:33:03.18\00:33:04.88
Come on. Can I get an amen?
00:33:04.91\00:33:06.35
There's certain things you wish
you never said or never seen,
00:33:06.38\00:33:08.62
a place you wish
you'd never been,
00:33:08.65\00:33:10.12
'cause it's like a
computer hard drive
00:33:10.15\00:33:13.29
that you just cannot clean.
00:33:13.32\00:33:15.86
Matter of fact,
you know what they say?
00:33:15.89\00:33:17.23
There's a forensic
condition going on in our heads.
00:33:17.26\00:33:19.59
Some people try to
wipe their hard drive clean,
00:33:19.63\00:33:21.43
but scientists are
able to forensically recall
00:33:21.46\00:33:23.33
all the things that are there.
00:33:23.37\00:33:24.70
That's how sin is, it
has a forensic nature to it.
00:33:24.73\00:33:27.24
It buries itself way
00:33:27.27\00:33:29.17
into the faculties of your mind.
00:33:29.20\00:33:31.47
And when you think
that you are all delivered,
00:33:31.51\00:33:34.14
something happens that day
00:33:34.18\00:33:35.94
that remind you
of four years ago,
00:33:35.98\00:33:39.41
that remind you of
how much we really do need
00:33:39.45\00:33:41.68
to keep leaning on Christ.
00:33:41.72\00:33:43.79
So every day, we can say,
00:33:43.82\00:33:45.49
"Okay, now what do I
want to do bad today?"
00:33:45.52\00:33:48.69
We can even ask that question.
00:33:48.72\00:33:50.29
Don't even go
down the inventory.
00:33:50.33\00:33:51.86
And let me make
another suggestion.
00:33:51.89\00:33:54.46
Sometimes,
00:33:54.50\00:33:56.60
if you are the kind of person
that's continuing to pray,
00:33:56.63\00:33:59.03
"Lord, help me
with my cigarettes."
00:33:59.07\00:34:01.80
That's today.
00:34:01.84\00:34:03.17
Tomorrow, "Lord, help
me with my cigarettes."
00:34:03.20\00:34:05.87
That's the next day,
00:34:05.91\00:34:07.24
"Lord, help me
with my cigarettes."
00:34:07.28\00:34:09.68
You know what that's called?
00:34:12.21\00:34:14.15
If you think about
the psychological impact,
00:34:14.18\00:34:16.25
you are continuing to
dig this groove in your mind
00:34:16.28\00:34:19.72
and the groove is
riding on your hard drive,
00:34:19.75\00:34:22.32
cigarettes,
cigarettes, cigarettes,
00:34:22.36\00:34:24.73
cigarettes,
cigarettes, cigarettes.
00:34:24.76\00:34:28.03
Instead of
saying, "Lord, thank you
00:34:28.06\00:34:29.90
for the victory
over cigarettes."
00:34:29.93\00:34:32.10
The word that is,
00:34:32.13\00:34:33.47
the powerful word
is going to be victory,
00:34:33.50\00:34:34.84
victory, victory, victory.
00:34:34.87\00:34:36.77
"Thank you for the victory.
00:34:36.81\00:34:38.14
Thank you for the victory."
00:34:38.17\00:34:39.51
That's what Paul says
in 1 Corinthians 15:57,
00:34:39.54\00:34:42.78
"But thanks be to God
who gives us the victory."
00:34:42.81\00:34:47.82
I don't know if
this is all tight there,
00:34:47.85\00:34:50.29
this is not scriptural
00:34:50.32\00:34:51.65
but I've been
told by a psychologist.
00:34:51.69\00:34:53.72
He says, "When people continue
to repeat the negative things,
00:34:53.76\00:34:57.79
even if they
are asking for help.
00:34:57.83\00:34:59.49
Like people say,
"Man, I need some help."
00:34:59.53\00:35:01.66
And they are making
00:35:01.70\00:35:03.26
no concerted
effort on their part
00:35:03.30\00:35:06.20
to even
cooperate with the agencies
00:35:06.23\00:35:08.67
that can bring them deliverance,
00:35:08.70\00:35:10.54
they are simply
reiterating the thoughts
00:35:10.57\00:35:12.47
that will become the
very chain that binds them."
00:35:12.51\00:35:17.78
Did you get that?
00:35:17.81\00:35:19.25
By that negative reinforcement,
they are creating chains
00:35:19.28\00:35:23.45
that are so strong
that all their minds
00:35:23.49\00:35:25.92
are going to remember
of all the negative things
00:35:25.95\00:35:28.16
that they continue to
pray for rather than saying,
00:35:28.19\00:35:31.23
"Heavenly Father,
00:35:31.26\00:35:33.33
I thank You that
You set me free today.
00:35:33.36\00:35:35.93
Help me by Your grace
to live in that liberty
00:35:35.96\00:35:39.97
that I've received for this day.
00:35:40.00\00:35:41.80
I'm going to walk out of here,
00:35:41.84\00:35:43.17
Lord, and I'm going
to walk in Your freedom.
00:35:43.20\00:35:45.24
And make sure
that where my feet go,
00:35:45.27\00:35:47.94
You clear the path so I find
no contact with those things
00:35:47.98\00:35:52.38
that will bring a
temptation in my way."
00:35:52.41\00:35:54.55
Do you know when the Lord...
00:35:54.58\00:35:55.92
When you ask that
prayer, do you know
00:35:55.95\00:35:57.29
what Jesus says in
1 Corinthians 10:13?
00:35:57.32\00:36:01.56
"No temptation
has overtaken you,
00:36:01.59\00:36:05.09
but such as is common to man.
00:36:05.13\00:36:08.26
But God is faithful
who will not allow you
00:36:08.30\00:36:14.17
to be tempted
beyond which you are able,
00:36:14.20\00:36:17.07
but with the
temptation make a way of escape
00:36:17.11\00:36:20.88
that you may be
able to bear it."
00:36:20.91\00:36:23.68
So when a temptation comes,
I tell you today, I prayed,
00:36:23.71\00:36:27.35
I got in my car out of
specific meeting today.
00:36:27.38\00:36:29.32
I prayed from the
time I left the house
00:36:29.35\00:36:31.25
to the time I got
to my destination,
00:36:31.29\00:36:33.12
and I had a good old
audible conversation with God.
00:36:33.15\00:36:37.33
You ever talked to God?
00:36:37.36\00:36:39.03
I'm talking about out loud.
00:36:39.06\00:36:40.80
Heavenly Father,
I am so glad, Lord,
00:36:40.83\00:36:44.77
that I am on Your mission today.
00:36:44.80\00:36:46.87
Father, go with me,
00:36:46.90\00:36:49.14
send Your
angels to accompany me.
00:36:49.17\00:36:52.04
Give me a mind to
know that You are at work.
00:36:52.07\00:36:55.11
Father, I'm going
not to defend You,
00:36:55.14\00:36:57.75
You need no defending,
00:36:57.78\00:36:59.21
I'm just going to go and
witness to Your goodness,
00:36:59.25\00:37:01.58
witness to Your truth.
00:37:01.62\00:37:03.18
And, Father, help me
to be humble about it,
00:37:03.22\00:37:05.69
help me that You may
be seen and may Your truth
00:37:05.72\00:37:09.02
and Your Word prevail.
00:37:09.06\00:37:10.43
May You even speak
to the heart of the one
00:37:10.46\00:37:13.53
that I'm going to meet with.
00:37:13.56\00:37:15.23
And when it's over, Father,
may You get all the glory.
00:37:15.26\00:37:18.30
You know what, it's
like, I felt like a soldier
00:37:18.33\00:37:21.47
going to the battlefield
with every weapon I ever had.
00:37:21.50\00:37:26.17
I knew the enemy wouldn't
even want to be in my path
00:37:26.21\00:37:28.94
but I remembered,
00:37:28.98\00:37:30.55
I'm still not able with all
that weaponry to be effective.
00:37:30.58\00:37:35.32
That's why the Lord
even says, "I'll surround you
00:37:35.35\00:37:37.69
but I'll also fight
the battle for you."
00:37:37.72\00:37:40.59
So these things that
are the great weapons
00:37:40.62\00:37:43.19
that we deal with
on a day-by-day basis,
00:37:43.22\00:37:45.19
these great
weapons, fornication,
00:37:45.23\00:37:46.83
uncleanness, passion,
evil desire, covetousness
00:37:46.86\00:37:49.50
which is idolatry, these
things are day-by-day remnants,
00:37:49.53\00:37:53.30
they are the
residue in the sinful nature
00:37:53.34\00:37:55.60
that as time
goes on, if we choose,
00:37:55.64\00:37:58.24
if we stop yielding
to that, as time goes on,
00:37:58.27\00:38:02.64
we won't even
remember how to be covetous.
00:38:02.68\00:38:06.51
Because truly,
00:38:06.55\00:38:07.88
if you are yielding
to Christ every day,
00:38:07.92\00:38:10.15
there should be continual
deliverance in your life.
00:38:10.19\00:38:12.45
Am I telling the truth?
00:38:12.49\00:38:14.09
You should not be a
Christian for 15 or 20
00:38:14.12\00:38:16.12
or however long, and say,
00:38:16.16\00:38:17.96
"Man, you know,
I'm still struggling."
00:38:17.99\00:38:19.59
My question is,
do you really believe
00:38:19.63\00:38:23.00
that He is able to
save you from your sins?
00:38:23.03\00:38:26.20
And if you really
believe that, why does it seem
00:38:26.23\00:38:28.90
that you are incapable of
experience and that victory?
00:38:28.94\00:38:32.87
There's not any
fault on His part,
00:38:32.91\00:38:34.91
but maybe like the guy
that one day we pray for a guy.
00:38:34.94\00:38:37.58
He said, "I need prayer
00:38:40.48\00:38:42.15
to overcome my
addiction to cigarettes."
00:38:42.18\00:38:44.49
"Okay, great.
00:38:44.52\00:38:45.85
Let's get the elders together
and we're going to anoint you
00:38:45.89\00:38:47.22
and pray for you."
00:38:47.26\00:38:49.12
When the prayer was done,
00:38:49.16\00:38:51.26
I said, "Do you have
any more cigarettes?"
00:38:51.29\00:38:52.89
He said, "I got one pack left."
00:38:52.93\00:38:55.30
I said, "Where is it?"
He said, "In my truck."
00:38:55.33\00:38:56.67
I said, "Go, get it."
He said, "Wait a minute.
00:38:56.70\00:38:58.03
That's my last pack."
00:38:58.07\00:38:59.40
I said, "But you ask us to
pray for you to be delivered
00:39:01.10\00:39:05.31
but you don't
want to deliverance
00:39:05.34\00:39:06.68
until after your last pack."
00:39:06.71\00:39:08.91
Now that sounds hilarious
00:39:08.94\00:39:10.88
but what if a
thief asked for prayer?
00:39:10.91\00:39:14.95
"Thank you for praying for me,
but I have just one more bank
00:39:14.98\00:39:17.52
that I'm going to rob today."
00:39:17.55\00:39:18.89
But let's go further.
00:39:21.36\00:39:22.92
The murderer, "I'm
tired of killing people
00:39:22.96\00:39:25.46
but I had just one more
hit after you pray for me,
00:39:25.49\00:39:28.53
and then I'll be okay." I
mean, this really gets dark.
00:39:28.56\00:39:32.03
So we can't even see
sin in hilarious light
00:39:32.07\00:39:34.97
because if you pray,
the Lord will deliver you,
00:39:35.00\00:39:36.94
but the thing that
we are told here to do
00:39:36.97\00:39:39.54
is put to death your members,
put to death that desire
00:39:39.57\00:39:44.68
to want to
stick with that thing.
00:39:44.71\00:39:48.08
And when you do
that, you'll find a freedom
00:39:48.12\00:39:49.98
that you say,
00:39:50.02\00:39:51.35
"You mean to tell me it
was that easy all along?"
00:39:51.39\00:39:54.26
If you put that thing...
00:39:54.29\00:39:55.62
Anything that's been
put to death can't live.
00:39:55.66\00:39:59.26
If it's been put to death,
it has no more power over you.
00:39:59.29\00:40:02.70
Go to the next
question, question number 20,
00:40:02.73\00:40:06.27
question number 20.
00:40:06.30\00:40:09.34
How should we daily approach
our new life walk in Christ?
00:40:09.37\00:40:16.34
Some of these questions
almost sound redundant,
00:40:16.38\00:40:19.08
but they are not.
00:40:19.11\00:40:20.95
They're just
looking at the same accident
00:40:20.98\00:40:22.65
from different angles.
00:40:22.68\00:40:24.12
They're looking at the same life
00:40:24.15\00:40:25.69
but from different perspectives.
00:40:25.72\00:40:27.06
All right.
00:40:27.09\00:40:28.42
How should we daily approach
our new life walk in Christ?
00:40:28.46\00:40:31.53
We're in the New
Year now, this is 2013.
00:40:31.56\00:40:33.73
And sometimes, people say,
00:40:33.76\00:40:35.10
"Lord, I want to be
successful this year."
00:40:35.13\00:40:37.83
That is so general
that the Lord says,
00:40:37.87\00:40:39.53
"Successful, how?
What do you need?"
00:40:39.57\00:40:42.87
You have to be specific.
You have to be specific.
00:40:42.90\00:40:45.57
"Lord, help me to
have a more dedicated life,
00:40:45.61\00:40:48.71
help me day-by-day to
study more of Your Word,
00:40:48.74\00:40:51.71
help me when the
opportunities come
00:40:51.75\00:40:54.12
to be there in the fellowship,
00:40:54.15\00:40:55.75
to study the
Word of God together."
00:40:55.78\00:40:57.49
People don't
set spiritual goals.
00:40:57.52\00:40:59.55
If people were as tenacious
about their spiritual goals
00:40:59.59\00:41:02.26
as they are about
their financial goals,
00:41:02.29\00:41:05.13
that's neither here nor
there because some people are so
00:41:05.16\00:41:07.63
not tenacious about
their financial goals,
00:41:07.66\00:41:09.63
right, Brother Rick?
00:41:09.66\00:41:11.00
But if we would set
goals and give dates to them,
00:41:11.03\00:41:13.94
if we would say, "Okay,
by such and such a date,"
00:41:13.97\00:41:16.67
watch this, "by such and such
a date, we'll be debt-free."
00:41:16.71\00:41:19.77
Have you ever
had people say that?
00:41:19.81\00:41:22.21
Wouldn't it be
nice if somebody said,
00:41:22.24\00:41:23.58
"By such and such a
date, I'll finish my Bible."
00:41:23.61\00:41:28.22
That was a great chance
for an amen right there.
00:41:28.25\00:41:29.88
Amen.
00:41:29.92\00:41:31.25
"By such and such a date,
00:41:31.29\00:41:32.65
I would have been
attending church every Wednesday
00:41:32.69\00:41:35.76
for X amount of
months in a row."
00:41:35.79\00:41:38.29
We don't set spiritual goals.
00:41:38.33\00:41:40.60
This year what I
want to do differently is
00:41:40.63\00:41:42.03
I want to study my
Sabbath School lesson
00:41:42.06\00:41:43.40
one page a day.
00:41:43.43\00:41:45.33
It won't take me about
15 minutes maybe the tops.
00:41:45.37\00:41:48.30
You'll discover
when you do that,
00:41:48.34\00:41:49.67
all of a sudden, your
taste buds start shifting
00:41:49.70\00:41:52.17
and you start thinking,
"Man, that's really good."
00:41:52.21\00:41:54.68
And my wife and I
talked about this.
00:41:54.71\00:41:56.04
We have this new Bible program
called 'Bible is' on the iPad.
00:41:56.08\00:41:59.75
You can listen
to 15 or 16 chapters
00:41:59.78\00:42:02.68
before you know it,
and you're drawn in.
00:42:02.72\00:42:06.76
I said to my wife the other day,
00:42:06.79\00:42:08.82
because after we
turned on the news, Jill.
00:42:08.86\00:42:11.03
They show some
actors that are...
00:42:14.70\00:42:16.26
You know, everybody is
crazy over Justin Bieber
00:42:16.30\00:42:17.73
and I thought, "Oh, no."
00:42:17.77\00:42:19.27
What we just
read, this is crazy.
00:42:21.74\00:42:25.34
Why are we
wasting time with people
00:42:25.37\00:42:26.71
that want to be idolized?
00:42:26.74\00:42:28.54
"Turn it off.
00:42:28.58\00:42:29.91
Let's get back into the word."
00:42:29.94\00:42:31.28
When your mind
00:42:34.42\00:42:36.32
is focusing on eternal things...
00:42:36.35\00:42:39.05
As a songwriter says,
00:42:39.09\00:42:40.42
the things of
this earth grows, what?
00:42:40.46\00:42:42.56
Strangely dim.
00:42:42.59\00:42:44.66
And people that don't focus
on those same things, said...
00:42:44.69\00:42:46.96
They call you and say,
"Have you seen American Idol?"
00:42:47.00\00:42:48.76
And I said, "Look,
there is no more American Idol
00:42:48.80\00:42:52.10
in my future.
00:42:52.13\00:42:53.47
There's no more The Voice,
there's no more Can You Sing,
00:42:53.50\00:42:56.24
there's no more can you
sing a note on the key."
00:42:56.27\00:42:59.07
I mean, I don't
really care who wins anymore
00:42:59.11\00:43:01.01
because I want to
win my life in Christ.
00:43:01.04\00:43:02.78
Amen? Amen.
00:43:02.81\00:43:04.18
But this world has such
a way of pulling you down.
00:43:04.21\00:43:06.01
And people get together,
"Hey, did you get the new...
00:43:06.05\00:43:08.58
Did you get the new, what?
00:43:08.62\00:43:10.19
Ask me, did you get
a new life in Christ?
00:43:10.22\00:43:13.86
It would be nice if some
of those kinds of questions
00:43:13.89\00:43:15.59
come forth from Christians mouth
00:43:15.62\00:43:16.96
rather than,
did you get the new,
00:43:16.99\00:43:18.63
and then they
mention some device
00:43:18.66\00:43:20.13
that's going to lose
interest in about two months.
00:43:20.16\00:43:23.50
Well, here's the answer.
00:43:23.53\00:43:25.43
"Not that I have
already attained, "
00:43:28.90\00:43:30.64
how many of you have attained?
00:43:30.67\00:43:32.47
"Or am I am already perfect?"
00:43:32.51\00:43:34.51
Are we perfect yet?
No, but here is the point.
00:43:34.54\00:43:37.18
Don't say that
because when you say,
00:43:37.21\00:43:38.61
"I'm not perfect, "
you're giving a license to sin.
00:43:38.65\00:43:41.08
"But I," do what?
00:43:41.12\00:43:42.75
Together, "press on
that I may lay hold of that
00:43:42.78\00:43:46.69
for which Christ
Jesus has laid hold of me.
00:43:46.72\00:43:52.03
Brethren, I do not count
myself to have apprehended,
00:43:52.06\00:43:56.06
but one thing I do,"
let's read this together,
00:43:56.10\00:43:58.63
"forgetting those
things which are," where?
00:43:58.67\00:44:01.40
"Behind," and what else?
00:44:01.44\00:44:03.51
"Reaching
forward to those things
00:44:03.54\00:44:06.01
which are" what?
00:44:06.04\00:44:07.38
"Ahead."
00:44:07.41\00:44:08.74
With some oomph now,
00:44:08.78\00:44:10.11
"I press toward the goal
for the prize of the upward
00:44:10.15\00:44:14.58
call of God in Christ Jesus."
00:44:14.62\00:44:18.49
Not enough people are pressing.
00:44:18.52\00:44:21.12
If you want to know
what it's like to press,
00:44:21.16\00:44:22.49
get on the train to
New York City at rush hour.
00:44:22.52\00:44:25.23
That's what they do, they press.
00:44:25.26\00:44:27.90
I also saw that in
Japan in the subway stations.
00:44:27.93\00:44:32.23
They have subway
attendants with white gloves.
00:44:32.27\00:44:37.11
And the art on
the trains in Japan,
00:44:37.14\00:44:39.97
it's not that
you're not concerned
00:44:40.01\00:44:41.94
if anybody's going to be next
00:44:41.98\00:44:43.31
because you are
sardine packed in.
00:44:43.35\00:44:45.45
They literally...
00:44:45.48\00:44:46.82
You just see it.
00:44:46.85\00:44:48.58
They stand and they push you in
00:44:48.62\00:44:50.35
like they're
packing sardines in a can
00:44:50.39\00:44:52.42
that's about to be
shipped to America.
00:44:52.45\00:44:54.62
That's what...
00:44:54.66\00:44:56.02
They do that.
00:44:56.06\00:44:57.39
So you don't ask questions,
00:44:57.43\00:45:00.86
"Whose leaning on me?"
00:45:00.90\00:45:02.83
The entire city of
Japan is leaning on you.
00:45:02.86\00:45:07.47
That's what the word press mean.
00:45:07.50\00:45:09.84
If you want to
know what press is,
00:45:09.87\00:45:11.21
look at a football player
that just got an interception,
00:45:11.24\00:45:15.68
and they only have 15 seconds.
00:45:15.71\00:45:17.61
You want to see
somebody pressing?
00:45:17.65\00:45:19.98
He is running like he has
never run in his life before.
00:45:20.02\00:45:23.89
A person who is
trying to not drown.
00:45:23.92\00:45:25.95
You want to see a
person that's pressing...
00:45:25.99\00:45:27.66
a person being
chased by an angry dog.
00:45:30.13\00:45:31.79
You want to see
somebody that's pressing,
00:45:31.83\00:45:34.06
I tell you, we don't
have enough Christians
00:45:34.10\00:45:35.96
that are pressing for the
goal, of what kind of call?
00:45:36.00\00:45:41.24
Upward call.
00:45:41.27\00:45:42.70
So here's the answer.
00:45:42.74\00:45:44.07
How should I daily approach
our new life walk in Christ?
00:45:44.11\00:45:47.24
Come on. Here it is.
00:45:47.28\00:45:48.74
Press toward the
goal. Write that down.
00:45:48.78\00:45:51.61
Together, press toward the goal.
00:45:51.65\00:45:54.82
Not enough people
have the spiritual goal.
00:45:54.85\00:45:56.89
And you know what,
00:45:56.92\00:45:58.25
I'm convinced some
people are lethargic and happy.
00:45:58.29\00:46:00.09
There are those people
that set their watches for noon.
00:46:03.19\00:46:06.29
Let me not go down
that road right now.
00:46:09.16\00:46:12.20
But some people have
00:46:12.23\00:46:13.57
so little spiritual
activity in their lives.
00:46:13.60\00:46:15.34
I wonder,
00:46:15.37\00:46:17.04
how are they going
to make it in heaven?
00:46:17.07\00:46:20.61
"I'm ready to go back to earth,
enough of this praise stuff.
00:46:20.64\00:46:23.61
Can I go?"
00:46:23.65\00:46:24.98
I mean, that's not even going
to be the case, we know that.
00:46:27.05\00:46:30.32
So we've got to develop...
00:46:30.35\00:46:32.05
We've got to develop an appetite
00:46:32.09\00:46:33.49
for spiritual things,
00:46:33.52\00:46:34.86
we've got to set some goals.
00:46:34.89\00:46:36.22
It's 2013, this is January.
00:46:36.26\00:46:39.09
This is our,
00:46:39.13\00:46:40.50
second or first
broadcast in January?
00:46:40.53\00:46:43.57
Second, right, second one.
00:46:43.60\00:46:45.03
Set some goals for January.
00:46:45.07\00:46:47.40
Set some goals,
some spiritual goals.
00:46:47.44\00:46:49.94
Don't just be a
person ever learning,
00:46:49.97\00:46:51.94
never able to come to
the knowledge of the truth.
00:46:51.97\00:46:54.08
Set some goals, don't be
just a library of information
00:46:54.11\00:46:56.95
because everything you learn,
you'll be held accountable
00:46:56.98\00:46:58.98
for whether or not
00:46:59.01\00:47:00.35
you've applied
that to your life.
00:47:00.38\00:47:01.72
Set some spiritual goals.
00:47:01.75\00:47:03.59
Press, because
God has an upward call
00:47:03.62\00:47:06.29
on all of our lives,
and with it comes a prize.
00:47:06.32\00:47:10.59
All right?
00:47:10.63\00:47:11.96
And number 21, number 21.
00:47:11.99\00:47:16.20
Why must we make
the daily commitment
00:47:16.23\00:47:19.43
to die to the flesh?
00:47:19.47\00:47:24.64
Why must we make
00:47:24.67\00:47:26.01
the daily
commitment to die to the flesh?
00:47:26.04\00:47:31.31
Okay, why?
00:47:31.35\00:47:33.65
Philippians
3:10, and this is huge,
00:47:33.68\00:47:37.85
this text is huge.
00:47:37.89\00:47:39.39
It's one of those,
are you ready' texts.
00:47:39.42\00:47:41.96
All right.
00:47:41.99\00:47:43.32
Now
00:47:43.36\00:47:45.36
somebody says, "Okay, the
curtain's about to begin."
00:47:45.39\00:47:48.63
Have you ever waited
outside till it was time
00:47:48.66\00:47:51.13
to enter into something?
00:47:51.17\00:47:52.83
I remember, we used
to live on the West Coast
00:47:52.87\00:47:56.67
and you had in
the amusement parks.
00:47:56.71\00:47:58.57
You know, every now and then,
00:47:58.61\00:47:59.94
show at 3:15,
another one at 3:45,
00:47:59.97\00:48:02.21
another one at
4:15, another one at 4:45,
00:48:02.24\00:48:05.21
and you're running to the park,
and you get to the curtain,
00:48:05.25\00:48:07.12
and say, "Oh, it's too late."
00:48:07.15\00:48:08.75
And you stand
outside, and you get in line,
00:48:11.15\00:48:12.69
and you're waiting.
00:48:12.72\00:48:14.06
Or you're waiting for a ride
to begin, you're in the line,
00:48:14.09\00:48:15.86
and then you're right there.
00:48:15.89\00:48:17.23
"Are you ready to go?
00:48:17.26\00:48:18.59
Are you ready? No turning back.
00:48:18.63\00:48:21.16
Now when you go in,
you're going to learn things
00:48:21.20\00:48:22.66
that you've never known before.
00:48:22.70\00:48:24.03
Are you ready?"
00:48:24.07\00:48:25.40
And the curtain
goes up and you go in.
00:48:25.43\00:48:27.24
And then you are amazed
for the time you're there.
00:48:27.27\00:48:30.41
But my point is this.
00:48:30.44\00:48:31.97
Unless you are willing to
make that commitment to go in,
00:48:32.01\00:48:34.08
you'll never learn
what it's like to be in.
00:48:34.11\00:48:36.71
Unless you make that commitment
00:48:36.75\00:48:38.08
to dive into the Christian life,
00:48:38.11\00:48:39.45
you'll never know
what it's like to be in.
00:48:39.48\00:48:41.55
We talk about the power
00:48:41.58\00:48:42.92
but unless you
make the commitment,
00:48:42.95\00:48:44.29
you'll never know what
that power is all about.
00:48:44.32\00:48:46.96
So look at the answer.
00:48:46.99\00:48:48.32
Philippians
3:10, to the question,
00:48:48.36\00:48:50.09
why must we make
the daily commitment
00:48:50.13\00:48:51.83
to die to the flesh?
00:48:51.86\00:48:53.76
I love this.
00:48:53.80\00:48:55.63
Together, "That I may
know Him and the," what?
00:48:55.66\00:49:01.50
"Power of His
resurrection and the," what?
00:49:01.54\00:49:04.67
" Fellowship of," what?
00:49:04.71\00:49:07.04
"His suffering being
conformed to His death."
00:49:07.08\00:49:12.05
That almost, if you
listen to the only word death,
00:49:12.08\00:49:15.85
it sounds bad.
00:49:15.88\00:49:17.22
But you know what
happened after Jesus died?
00:49:17.25\00:49:19.29
Come on, somebody tell me.
00:49:19.32\00:49:21.09
He rose.
00:49:21.12\00:49:22.46
And what did He
say on the other side,
00:49:22.49\00:49:24.23
"All power, all
authority is given to Me."
00:49:24.26\00:49:28.06
You will never know that
00:49:28.10\00:49:30.43
unless you're willing to
be conformed to His death.
00:49:30.47\00:49:33.57
You'll never know the
power of His resurrection
00:49:33.60\00:49:35.80
unless you're
saying, "Okay, okay.
00:49:35.84\00:49:37.87
I'm willing to die."
00:49:37.91\00:49:40.91
Because this body
is not doing any good,
00:49:40.94\00:49:42.84
this life I've lived
is not doing any good.
00:49:42.88\00:49:45.28
Matter of fact, we've had
some of the best transformations
00:49:45.31\00:49:47.28
in this church by
people that have come
00:49:47.32\00:49:49.18
to the end of
their rope and said,
00:49:49.22\00:49:50.55
"Pastor, if I don't get help,
00:49:50.59\00:49:52.35
I don't think I'm going
to make it another week."
00:49:52.39\00:49:54.62
We've got members
now that are very active,
00:49:54.66\00:49:56.46
on fire for the Lord,
very active in ministry,
00:49:56.49\00:49:58.63
in the church.
00:49:58.66\00:50:00.00
Jill knows about that.
00:50:00.03\00:50:01.36
But they came to a
point in their lives
00:50:01.40\00:50:02.96
where they saw the uselessness
of the life they lived.
00:50:03.00\00:50:06.50
But they realized, "How
long have I been smoking?
00:50:06.53\00:50:09.70
How long have I
been living like this,
00:50:09.74\00:50:11.57
drinking, and carousing,
and running after drugs,
00:50:11.61\00:50:14.78
and crime, and
women, and frivolous things?
00:50:14.81\00:50:18.28
Man, look at me.
00:50:18.31\00:50:20.02
I feel worn out, I
feel like nothing's left."
00:50:20.05\00:50:23.99
The good news is
00:50:24.02\00:50:25.35
when you're at
the end of your rope,
00:50:25.39\00:50:26.72
Jesus has some more rope.
00:50:26.76\00:50:28.49
And this time, it's not
for you to hang yourself
00:50:28.52\00:50:31.23
but for Him to
draw you to Himself.
00:50:31.26\00:50:33.80
So you never had a
place where you can start over
00:50:33.83\00:50:35.70
all over again but
once again, the emphasis is,
00:50:35.73\00:50:38.53
that I may know the, what?
00:50:38.57\00:50:40.74
Power.
00:50:40.77\00:50:42.34
There's a power
there that's available.
00:50:42.37\00:50:44.27
And unless your
life is transformed,
00:50:44.31\00:50:46.57
you'll never
know what it's like.
00:50:46.61\00:50:48.94
Now let's go to a few questions
about the transformed life.
00:50:48.98\00:50:53.01
I lead all the way up to it,
now you have your new syllabus.
00:50:53.05\00:50:56.08
Unless you know about the
power of His resurrection,
00:50:56.12\00:50:58.62
you'll never know
about the transformed life.
00:50:58.65\00:51:03.12
How to live a transformed life?
00:51:03.16\00:51:06.66
Transformed...
00:51:06.70\00:51:08.60
Years ago, a new toy came out.
00:51:08.63\00:51:11.27
I had not heard about it
until I saw a kid bend his car
00:51:11.30\00:51:14.37
into a robot.
00:51:14.40\00:51:15.94
And I thought, "What is that?"
00:51:15.97\00:51:17.37
Little kid is walking
around, and I just see him.
00:51:17.41\00:51:20.28
And by the time he was
done, this car was a robot,
00:51:20.31\00:51:22.24
and then he twisted
the robot back into a car.
00:51:22.28\00:51:23.85
And I said, "What is that?"
00:51:23.88\00:51:25.21
"It's transformer," he said.
00:51:25.25\00:51:27.28
Well, I took electronics.
00:51:27.32\00:51:30.12
That was my study
in School of New York,
00:51:30.15\00:51:32.79
and I have a degree in that.
00:51:32.82\00:51:35.22
A transformer to me is something
00:51:35.26\00:51:36.59
that has power in it, right?
00:51:36.62\00:51:38.43
Or used to either
step up or step down power.
00:51:38.46\00:51:41.96
And there's step up transformer,
00:51:42.00\00:51:43.33
there's step down transformers,
00:51:43.37\00:51:44.73
but this guy had this
car that turned into a robot.
00:51:44.77\00:51:46.84
And I thought,
00:51:46.87\00:51:48.20
"Oh, so that's
also a transformation."
00:51:48.24\00:51:50.34
And I said,
"Actually, he's right."
00:51:50.37\00:51:52.87
If we transformed,
00:51:52.91\00:51:55.24
we could be
changed from what we were
00:51:55.28\00:51:58.11
into what we never was,
00:51:58.15\00:52:00.05
into what we never were.
00:52:00.08\00:52:01.75
So we could be a
sinful human being
00:52:01.78\00:52:04.89
touched by the hand of
God and He'll bend our life.
00:52:04.92\00:52:07.46
And before you know,
00:52:07.49\00:52:08.82
we have a different
appearance altogether.
00:52:08.86\00:52:11.09
He shapes us and molds us,
00:52:11.13\00:52:13.53
like the Bible says
In Jeremiah, the Potter,
00:52:13.56\00:52:15.46
He shapes us and molds us.
00:52:15.50\00:52:17.27
And we begin to appear in a way
that we never appeared before.
00:52:17.30\00:52:22.20
Now I want to
begin with the text
00:52:22.24\00:52:25.04
that each one of
us knows very well.
00:52:25.07\00:52:27.04
This is going to be
our catapulting text.
00:52:27.08\00:52:29.21
Romans chapter 12.
00:52:29.24\00:52:32.08
Does anybody not
know where I'm going?
00:52:32.11\00:52:34.78
I mean, if we're
talking of the word transformed,
00:52:34.82\00:52:36.95
do you not know where I'm going?
00:52:36.99\00:52:38.95
Where am I going, Dan?
00:52:38.99\00:52:40.32
Romans 12, right?
00:52:40.36\00:52:42.52
It is the national
anthem of transformation.
00:52:42.56\00:52:48.66
This is how
transformation takes place.
00:52:48.70\00:52:51.43
Okay.
00:52:51.47\00:52:52.80
What's the verses,
honey? Verse 2, 1 and 2.
00:52:52.83\00:52:54.57
Verse 1 and 2.
00:52:54.60\00:52:55.94
This is the national
anthem for transformation.
00:52:55.97\00:52:59.77
Okay.
00:52:59.81\00:53:01.41
Listen to the
appeal by the Apostle Paul.
00:53:01.44\00:53:04.61
"I beseech you
therefore, brethren,
00:53:04.65\00:53:08.22
by the mercies of God
that you present your," what?
00:53:08.25\00:53:13.09
"Bodies,"
another word for members,
00:53:13.12\00:53:15.82
"that you present your bodies,"
and what kind of sacrifice?
00:53:15.86\00:53:18.79
"Living sacrifice."
00:53:18.83\00:53:20.83
What does God want from us?
00:53:20.86\00:53:22.66
He wants us to be, what?
00:53:22.70\00:53:24.03
Together, holy, and what?
00:53:24.07\00:53:25.97
Acceptable to God
00:53:26.00\00:53:28.10
which is your
reasonable service.
00:53:28.14\00:53:30.14
The NIV, I like
the way it says there,
00:53:30.17\00:53:31.97
which is your
spiritual act of worship,
00:53:32.01\00:53:34.38
that's how that ends here.
00:53:34.41\00:53:35.74
But now let's go to the verse.
00:53:35.78\00:53:38.35
Verse 2.
00:53:38.38\00:53:40.22
"And do not be
conformed to," what?
00:53:40.25\00:53:43.12
"This world but be," what?
00:53:43.15\00:53:45.75
"Transformed by the
renewing of your mind
00:53:45.79\00:53:50.76
that you may prove
00:53:50.79\00:53:52.53
what is that good and
acceptable and," what?
00:53:52.56\00:53:55.73
"Perfect will of God."
00:53:55.76\00:53:57.60
Do you know why people don't...
00:53:57.63\00:53:59.37
This text is a huge text.
00:53:59.40\00:54:00.97
If you try to talk to somebody
who is so deep in the world
00:54:01.00\00:54:03.41
about things of Christ,
00:54:03.44\00:54:04.77
it's like trying to speak
Greek to a guy from Japan.
00:54:04.81\00:54:08.54
The best you can do is...
00:54:11.48\00:54:12.81
You just might hum a song
because that just as good.
00:54:15.82\00:54:18.75
Am I telling the truth?
00:54:18.79\00:54:20.19
If a person is so
deep in the world,
00:54:20.22\00:54:24.09
I could share about this
whole story with my sister.
00:54:24.13\00:54:27.33
You know, I love my sister well,
00:54:27.36\00:54:28.70
and even if she heard this,
I wouldn't be ashamed about it.
00:54:28.73\00:54:31.10
She put a will together
00:54:31.13\00:54:33.30
and she's going to send
me her will, and she says,
00:54:33.34\00:54:35.80
"I know my
brother is responsible,
00:54:35.84\00:54:37.24
he will carry out my wishes,
00:54:37.27\00:54:38.61
and you know I want my ashes
to be sprinkled in the ocean
00:54:38.64\00:54:41.34
in St Thomas in
the Virgin Islands,
00:54:41.38\00:54:42.71
and I know you'll
carry on my wishes
00:54:42.74\00:54:44.41
from our property being...
00:54:44.45\00:54:46.25
And at my funeral,
00:54:46.28\00:54:47.62
I want my funeral
to be like a party."
00:54:47.65\00:54:50.95
Yeah, I want Whitney Houston
or I want Luther Vandross
00:54:50.99\00:54:53.69
at my funeral.
00:54:53.72\00:54:55.06
I said, "No, no, no,
no, no. Wait a minute."
00:54:55.09\00:54:57.66
Before I said no, I said,
00:54:57.69\00:55:00.53
"There are certain
things about your will
00:55:00.56\00:55:01.90
that will not be
carried out by me.
00:55:01.93\00:55:04.30
So you put that in there,
00:55:04.33\00:55:05.67
that will not be
carried out by me.
00:55:05.70\00:55:07.07
So you're talking about
your ashes bring sprinkled,
00:55:07.10\00:55:09.14
I'm not
concerned about your ashes,
00:55:09.17\00:55:10.67
I'm concerned
about your salvation.
00:55:10.71\00:55:13.27
So let me add a
part to that will
00:55:13.31\00:55:14.64
that you have not included,
00:55:14.68\00:55:16.01
here's the part I
want to add to that will
00:55:16.04\00:55:17.38
that you may be baptized
into the Lord before you die."
00:55:17.41\00:55:20.95
I told her that.
00:55:20.98\00:55:22.32
Some of us don't
tell our relatives
00:55:22.35\00:55:23.69
how we feel
about their salvation.
00:55:23.72\00:55:25.49
We have loved ones
that we're praying for
00:55:25.52\00:55:26.96
but we never tell them
we're praying for them.
00:55:26.99\00:55:29.19
We never tell them
00:55:29.22\00:55:30.56
how we feel
about their eternity.
00:55:30.59\00:55:31.96
Some people have
relatives that they,
00:55:31.99\00:55:33.60
or in the way we act, and
sometimes you have friends,
00:55:33.63\00:55:35.33
the way you act,
00:55:35.36\00:55:36.70
it's almost like you say,
00:55:36.73\00:55:38.17
"I don't care if
my friends are lost."
00:55:38.20\00:55:40.57
If you really love
people like Jesus does,
00:55:40.60\00:55:42.87
you will wrestle with them.
00:55:42.90\00:55:44.77
"Look, I rather
wrestle with you,
00:55:44.81\00:55:46.14
and you get upset
with me, and you be saved,
00:55:46.17\00:55:48.11
than me saying
nothing, you remain my friend,
00:55:48.14\00:55:50.31
and you'll be lost.
00:55:50.35\00:55:52.55
Because
Ecclesiastes, a beautiful text,
00:55:52.58\00:55:55.78
"Faithful are the
wounds of a friend
00:55:55.82\00:55:59.02
but the kisses of an
enemy are deceitful."
00:55:59.05\00:56:01.52
So I rather said to my
sister, "No, no, no, no, no, no.
00:56:01.56\00:56:04.19
What? So I'm...
00:56:04.23\00:56:05.56
By God's grace, I said,
"When I come to New York,
00:56:05.59\00:56:08.26
we're going to
have a conversation."
00:56:08.30\00:56:10.17
So God's working it out.
00:56:10.20\00:56:12.53
Because, see, I'm
going to be preaching,
00:56:12.57\00:56:14.40
we're going to New
York for a funeral,
00:56:14.44\00:56:15.77
I'm going to be preaching
that Sabbath at a church
00:56:15.80\00:56:19.71
where she said she's
bringing, she's coming
00:56:19.74\00:56:21.94
and all her friends are there.
00:56:21.98\00:56:24.85
My sermon is about
00:56:24.88\00:56:26.38
getting ready
for the Lord to come.
00:56:26.41\00:56:28.38
Because I tell
you, I told my sister.
00:56:28.42\00:56:32.49
I said like CD Brooks
00:56:32.52\00:56:35.06
and women are
getting too far in this
00:56:35.09\00:56:36.52
but I'm laying some foundation.
00:56:36.56\00:56:38.33
CD Brooks said, "A man
said to his son one day,
00:56:38.36\00:56:40.80
'Son, what are you doing
to get ready for eternity?'
00:56:40.83\00:56:44.83
And the son just didn't pay
much attention to the father.
00:56:44.87\00:56:49.04
He said, "I just
want you to know,
00:56:49.07\00:56:50.41
I'm going to miss
you but not always.
00:56:50.44\00:56:54.58
I am going to shed tears
over your lost but not always."
00:56:54.61\00:57:00.48
And I said heaven is
going to be a beautiful place
00:57:00.52\00:57:02.05
but how much more beautiful
my time there is going to be
00:57:02.08\00:57:05.69
if I can spend
it with my sister.
00:57:05.72\00:57:07.66
We've gone
through so much together.
00:57:07.69\00:57:09.72
It doesn't make sense
for me to be in eternity
00:57:09.76\00:57:12.19
and you not be there.
00:57:12.23\00:57:13.56
We've struggled
so hard together,
00:57:13.60\00:57:14.93
we've gone
through so much together.
00:57:14.96\00:57:16.87
How beautiful it would be
00:57:16.90\00:57:19.17
for us to spend
eternity together.
00:57:19.20\00:57:21.47
So I know we're not going
to get to a question tonight,
00:57:21.50\00:57:23.20
but I'm just letting you know,
00:57:23.24\00:57:24.57
this transformed
life is more than just,
00:57:24.61\00:57:26.57
"Oh, we're
going to have a party,
00:57:26.61\00:57:28.08
we're going to have a good time.
00:57:28.11\00:57:29.44
This is about a good
time that will never end
00:57:29.48\00:57:31.85
because at the
right hand of our Lord
00:57:31.88\00:57:34.48
are joys for evermore."
00:57:34.52\00:57:38.15
And so, friends if
you tune in next week,
00:57:38.19\00:57:40.49
we'll continue on our study.
00:57:40.52\00:57:41.86
As a matter of fact, next week,
00:57:41.89\00:57:43.22
we start with one
of our anchors series.
00:57:43.26\00:57:46.09
I believe it's
going to be Ty Gibson.
00:57:46.13\00:57:48.33
So tune in for that
00:57:48.36\00:57:49.70
and then we'll
continue our study
00:57:49.73\00:57:51.07
the week after that.
00:57:51.10\00:57:52.43
But let me just say it this way,
00:57:52.47\00:57:53.80
the Lord has a
plan for your life
00:57:53.84\00:57:55.17
if you continue
studying the Word of God.
00:57:55.20\00:57:58.11
One day,
everything that you've studied
00:57:58.14\00:57:59.84
will come into a sharper focus.
00:57:59.87\00:58:03.04
God bless you. Let us pray.
00:58:03.08\00:58:05.55