Hello friends and welcome to another Wednesday night 00:00:19.38\00:00:22.05 Bible Study here in Thompsonville, Illinois at the 00:00:22.08\00:00:24.39 3ABN Worship Center. Thank you for tuning in and thank you for 00:00:24.42\00:00:27.69 taking the time to study with us. We are always blessed by 00:00:27.72\00:00:30.93 you joining us and we always know that by joining together 00:00:30.96\00:00:34.93 the Spirit of God will unite our hearts not only in purpose 00:00:34.96\00:00:38.43 but in study of His word. So get your Bibles, get your pens 00:00:38.47\00:00:42.10 invite your family and your friends; did not intend to 00:00:42.14\00:00:45.37 rhyme that and also if you'd like a copy of our lesson 00:00:45.41\00:00:48.04 tonight to follow along go to this website ASF.3abn.org 00:00:48.08\00:00:53.92 don't put www. Download lesson number 13, titled 00:00:53.95\00:00:58.72 The Transformed Life and then you can follow along with the 00:00:58.75\00:01:02.22 questions and the answers, as well as following those 00:01:02.26\00:01:04.89 questions and answers that will appear on your screen tonight 00:01:04.93\00:01:07.40 But before we do anything we'd like to always invite the 00:01:07.43\00:01:10.17 presence of God to continue with us so let's bow and pray 00:01:10.20\00:01:13.13 together. Our heavenly Father we thank you tonight for your 00:01:13.17\00:01:16.57 goodness and for Your word. We all need to be transformed 00:01:16.60\00:01:20.21 tonight as we study this very important topic. But You'll 00:01:20.24\00:01:23.98 speak to our hearts about how You are remaking us and molding 00:01:24.01\00:01:28.58 us and how you are shaping us to become more like Christ 00:01:28.62\00:01:32.65 So Lord take Your Word and bring it to light that we may 00:01:32.69\00:01:36.86 understand, that we may comprehend and that we may 00:01:36.89\00:01:40.60 take hold of the power to transform our lives, in Jesus 00:01:40.63\00:01:43.97 name, Amen. Before we do anything though we always like 00:01:44.00\00:01:48.40 to sing our song. The song is Victory in Jesus, and that's 00:01:48.44\00:01:52.34 the only way that we can find victory so if you know the song 00:01:52.37\00:01:55.38 or if you've heard it sung before and would like to join us 00:01:55.41\00:01:57.81 we'll sing that song right now. Victory in Jesus 00:01:57.85\00:02:00.42 I heard an old, old story How the Savior came from glory 00:02:07.99\00:02:15.56 How He gave His life on Calvary To save a wretch like me 00:02:15.60\00:02:23.47 I heard about His groaning And the precious blood atoning 00:02:23.51\00:02:30.65 Then I repented of my sin and won the victory 00:02:30.68\00:02:38.35 On victory in Jesus, my Savior forever 00:02:38.39\00:02:46.26 He sought me and bought me With His redeeming blood 00:02:46.29\00:02:53.64 He loved me ere I knew Him And all my love is to Him 00:02:53.67\00:03:01.18 He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood 00:03:01.21\00:03:08.95 I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory 00:03:08.98\00:03:16.19 And I heard about the streets of gold, beyond the crystal sea 00:03:16.22\00:03:23.73 About the angels singing, The old redemption story 00:03:23.77\00:03:31.21 And some sweet day I'll sing up there, the song of victory 00:03:31.24\00:03:39.08 Oh victory in Jesus My Savior forever 00:03:39.11\00:03:46.59 He sought me and bought me With His redeeming blood 00:03:46.62\00:03:53.96 He loved me ere I knew Him And all my love is to Him 00:03:54.00\00:04:01.64 He plunged me to victory Beneath the cleansing flood 00:04:01.67\00:04:09.04 Amen. We are talking about transformation. Tonight the 00:04:20.09\00:04:26.46 title is How to live a what kind of life? Transformed Life 00:04:26.49\00:04:33.07 Now we've heard about transformation and transformers 00:04:33.10\00:04:37.24 and what it means to be transformed. A number of years 00:04:37.27\00:04:41.04 ago something started in America that I think may have 00:04:41.08\00:04:44.31 taken hold around the world. A toy was made, I don't know 00:04:44.35\00:04:51.05 if they're still around or not because I never bought one 00:04:51.09\00:04:53.99 Matter of fact I was too old at that time to buy any toys 00:04:54.02\00:04:58.19 but I heard about these toys called transformers 00:04:58.23\00:05:02.03 And the whole gist of it was it had two different appearances 00:05:02.06\00:05:07.34 one completely different from the other. 00:05:07.37\00:05:09.80 And the reason why I'm gonna choose to begin with this 00:05:09.84\00:05:12.71 tonight, I'm going to show you some pictures actually 00:05:12.74\00:05:14.08 If you go to the screen here's a picture of what the transformer 00:05:14.11\00:05:16.54 often looked like. It started looking like a car, a jeep or 00:05:16.58\00:05:22.08 so to speak a military style jeep but I guess obviously some 00:05:22.12\00:05:26.19 kind of machine gun on top of that. And when the car was 00:05:26.22\00:05:30.03 transformed this is what it looked like. 00:05:30.06\00:05:32.99 And it's hard to think when you look at one 00:05:33.03\00:05:36.80 how you can get this out of the other and I think of the 00:05:36.83\00:05:40.87 manufacturers, they had to be geniuses, what do you think? 00:05:40.90\00:05:43.77 I mean to be able to fit that to get that out of something 00:05:43.81\00:05:48.31 that was completely shaped, totally differently. You could 00:05:48.34\00:05:51.78 never look at this image and think that it would originally 00:05:51.81\00:05:55.45 be a jeep with a Gatling gun on top of it, it really wouldn't 00:05:55.48\00:05:59.52 make any sense. And they began to take hold all around the 00:05:59.55\00:06:02.52 world. You'd see little kids with green ones and red ones 00:06:02.56\00:06:05.63 blue ones and whatever the color of the vehicle was 00:06:05.66\00:06:08.16 that was the color of the transformer, the robot. 00:06:08.20\00:06:12.53 But the gist of the story tonight is as follows: 00:06:12.57\00:06:16.50 We don't yet appear what we're gonna look like, matter of fact 00:06:17.77\00:06:22.48 go with me in the Bible, I want you to see this just before I 00:06:22.51\00:06:24.31 go to the next slide because I have another picture of the 00:06:24.35\00:06:26.51 transformation. We don't yet appear, as a matter of fact I'll 00:06:26.55\00:06:30.09 let my television production crew, I want to go to the next 00:06:30.12\00:06:34.09 slide before I read this Scripture. I want to go to the 00:06:34.12\00:06:38.06 next slide before I read this Scripture because it's very 00:06:38.09\00:06:41.73 interesting to see how we're going to be as compared to how 00:06:41.76\00:06:46.94 we are. Here's another picture one I think we're more familiar 00:06:46.97\00:06:51.37 with. The whole process of a caterpillar to a butterfly 00:06:51.41\00:06:56.11 You go from, in some cases, a kind of odd looking, crawling 00:06:56.14\00:07:02.52 creature to a beautiful looking, flying creature and this picture 00:07:02.55\00:07:08.19 actually follows the processes. Caterpillar decides to hang out 00:07:08.22\00:07:11.66 that's how it all begins, by hanging out. Then it goes inside 00:07:11.69\00:07:16.33 puts a coat on, builds around themself and you begin to see 00:07:16.36\00:07:19.20 the process as it goes all the way through. And it's called 00:07:19.23\00:07:22.50 transformation or the real word is metamorphosis 00:07:22.54\00:07:26.68 So in other words a transformation is metamorphosis 00:07:26.71\00:07:31.21 We go through a process. We begin one way and we end up 00:07:31.25\00:07:35.82 another way. It's called transformation. So how we are 00:07:35.85\00:07:39.55 now, the good news is, we're not gonna look like this in eternity 00:07:39.59\00:07:44.39 can somebody say Amen? And the Bible says here 00:07:44.43\00:07:47.83 I'm gonna look at it right now Okay, oh, 1 John. Did I say 00:07:47.86\00:07:54.94 turn to 1 John? Yes 1 John 00:07:54.97\00:07:58.17 Ok 1 John chapter 3 verse 2 1 John 3:2 00:08:00.14\00:08:05.71 This text fits right into what we saw on the screen. 00:08:05.75\00:08:09.05 So the encouraging thing is this. You may have a family 00:08:09.08\00:08:12.65 member that just joined the church, just became a Christian 00:08:12.69\00:08:15.46 and you're wondering they have so many bad habits how on earth 00:08:15.49\00:08:19.13 are they gonna get from that to what Christ intends for them to 00:08:19.16\00:08:22.10 be. Here's the encouraging text. 1 John chapter 3 verse 2 00:08:22.13\00:08:26.84 It says, Beloved, what is the next word? Now we are children 00:08:26.87\00:08:33.58 of God. When are we children of God? The moment you accept 00:08:33.61\00:08:37.41 Christ, the moment that justification happens we are 00:08:37.45\00:08:39.98 children of God. But notice the process. 00:08:40.02\00:08:42.92 It has not yet been revealed what we shall be 00:08:43.72\00:08:48.82 but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him 00:08:49.42\00:08:54.53 for we shall, together, see Him as He is. 00:08:54.56\00:08:59.63 So right now, the King James Version says it does not yet 00:08:59.67\00:09:04.07 appear, or it has not been revealed. In other words 00:09:04.11\00:09:07.58 you can go home and stand in front of the mirror for the next 00:09:07.61\00:09:09.91 two years, who you see is not how you're gonna look in 00:09:09.94\00:09:14.05 eternity, am I right? Because it has not yet been revealed. 00:09:14.08\00:09:18.09 It does not yet appear, we don't even know. 00:09:18.12\00:09:20.32 So you can look at that transformer truck or that 00:09:20.36\00:09:23.36 whole process from the transformer truck to the robot 00:09:23.39\00:09:26.49 or from the caterpillar all the way to the butterfly 00:09:26.53\00:09:29.23 and the butterfly probably when it came out saw the caterpillars 00:09:29.26\00:09:33.60 crawling along the ground and said what's that? 00:09:33.64\00:09:36.71 Not knowing he used to be one of those things. 00:09:36.74\00:09:39.74 And so what happens is the Lord is saying to us as we lay the 00:09:40.21\00:09:43.01 foundation for this lesson about transformation is, 00:09:43.04\00:09:46.01 transformation is so complete and so amazingly hard to imagine 00:09:46.05\00:09:52.85 that the Lord is saying you cannot imagine what I'm going to 00:09:52.89\00:09:56.52 make you out to be. So don't get discouraged by what you see 00:09:56.56\00:10:00.43 So how we are now Larry is not going how we're going to be 00:10:01.86\00:10:04.93 eternally. Amen for that. So let's begin by diving in. 00:10:04.97\00:10:08.64 To the first question tonight: Question Number 1 00:10:09.27\00:10:12.44 Question No. 1. This is a powerful Scripture 00:10:13.31\00:10:16.51 Will you go with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and 00:10:23.18\00:10:28.09 we're going to look at a couple of verses here. 2 Cor 3:18 00:10:28.12\00:10:32.83 That's the one that's gonna be on the screen, or on your screen 00:10:32.86\00:10:37.20 and let's read this together. Since this is the first one 00:10:37.23\00:10:39.90 I'd like us to walk through it together. 00:10:39.93\00:10:41.67 And those of us who are here let's follow along as I lead 00:10:41.70\00:10:45.11 So how does the Bible describe the new life? 00:11:05.86\00:11:08.53 We're being transformed. Write that down - we are being 00:11:08.56\00:11:11.73 transformed. Now there's a certain part of the Scripture 00:11:11.77\00:11:14.80 that I want to spend a little bit of time on. And it's 00:11:14.84\00:11:17.84 actually if I go back to the beginning of the verse 00:11:17.87\00:11:20.64 it says, but we all with unveiled, what the King James 00:11:20.68\00:11:26.11 or other translations say, open face, unveiled face 00:11:26.15\00:11:31.59 in other words there's nothing covering our sight 00:11:32.82\00:11:38.26 and so what I want to spend a few moments on is to dig out 00:11:38.29\00:11:41.73 the beauty of this phrase unveiled face 00:11:41.76\00:11:45.70 Now follow along. If you've heard about the Sanctuary 00:11:45.73\00:11:50.54 the Temple, the portable Temple that was erected as the children 00:11:50.57\00:11:53.44 of Israel traveled through the wilderness. There was a Holy 00:11:53.48\00:11:57.48 Place and then there was the Most Holy Place 00:11:57.51\00:12:01.82 and between the two there was a what? A veil. 00:12:01.85\00:12:05.72 And we know, let's follow carefully what happened 00:12:05.75\00:12:09.46 when Jesus died. According to Matthew 27:51, the veil was 00:12:09.49\00:12:15.16 torn in two from top to bottom. Now the High Priest that went 00:12:15.20\00:12:21.90 behind the veil, what condition did he have to be in, or in 00:12:21.94\00:12:26.84 other words what provision did he have to make before he went 00:12:26.88\00:12:29.04 behind the veil. He had to make sure of what? 00:12:29.08\00:12:33.31 Well not a lot. He had to make sure his sins were confessed 00:12:33.92\00:12:37.39 and there was a sacrifice for his sins. Or so to speak, 00:12:37.42\00:12:41.86 an atonement. He had to go back there making sure that 00:12:41.89\00:12:46.03 before he went into the presence as we see in this text 00:12:46.06\00:12:50.93 the glory of the Lord, before he was in the very presence of 00:12:50.97\00:12:54.74 God which is the glory of the Lord, his sins had to be atoned 00:12:54.77\00:12:58.81 for. Or else what would happen? He'd die. So he couldn't go 00:12:58.84\00:13:03.38 into the presence of God unless his sins were confessed 00:13:03.41\00:13:06.48 and atoned for. So you had the Holy Place and you had the 00:13:06.51\00:13:10.19 Most Holy Place. Now when Jesus died what was the purpose 00:13:10.22\00:13:15.72 of this curtain being torn from top to bottom? 00:13:15.76\00:13:18.69 Ah in other words the earthly high priest, his job had ended 00:13:20.20\00:13:24.30 now transferred to our heavenly high priest who's who? Christ 00:13:24.33\00:13:28.64 And when Jesus left He entered into the Holy and then later on 00:13:28.67\00:13:36.44 into the Most Holy, alright? What I'm gonna point out is a 00:13:36.48\00:13:41.48 couple of Scriptures in the book of Hebrews. Go with me to 00:13:41.52\00:13:43.99 Hebrews. I want you to see the beauty of this because what 00:13:44.02\00:13:46.99 happened, Paul talks about this in Ephesians and also in 00:13:47.02\00:13:50.33 Colossians. He says, having removed the middle wall of 00:13:50.36\00:13:53.93 partition. There's a middle wall of partition that was 00:13:53.96\00:13:57.47 removed. So therefore could anyone go behind that curtain 00:13:57.50\00:14:01.90 or just the high priest? So what happened when that curtain 00:14:01.94\00:14:05.67 was removed? Was it open for all to see? 00:14:05.71\00:14:12.08 So therefore there was no need to hide what was behind that 00:14:12.11\00:14:15.22 The glory of God was now no longer hidden. 00:14:15.25\00:14:18.69 Correct? Ok, follow along. I said go to Hebrews, didn't I? 00:14:19.42\00:14:22.59 So why am I in 1 John? Here we are. Hebrews chapter 6 00:14:22.62\00:14:27.06 This is such a beautiful way of seeing this. 00:14:30.90\00:14:34.20 Ok. Hebrews chapter 6, verse 19 and verse 20 00:14:34.80\00:14:41.21 This hope we have an anchor of the soul. We have this anchor 00:14:46.11\00:14:55.46 that keeps the soul. Notice how it says, both sure and steadfast 00:14:55.49\00:15:00.83 I want to follow the hymn, steadfast and sure 00:15:00.86\00:15:03.20 and which enters the presence behind the what? behind the veil 00:15:05.07\00:15:10.27 where the forerunner is entered for us, even Jesus having 00:15:12.27\00:15:18.48 become a priest forever according to the order of the 00:15:18.51\00:15:22.58 high priest forever according to the order of who? 00:15:22.62\00:15:26.25 Melchizedek. Now Melchizedek's priesthood was not the Levitical 00:15:26.29\00:15:30.33 priesthood. Melchizedek's priesthood as the Bible speaks 00:15:30.36\00:15:32.99 about, Thou art a priest forever according to the order of 00:15:33.03\00:15:36.20 Melchizedek. It was not established in the Levitical 00:15:36.23\00:15:39.17 priesthood. It was not temporary like the Levitical priesthood 00:15:39.20\00:15:42.50 So Christ is now being compared to Melchizedek, King of Salem 00:15:42.54\00:15:46.81 And so now let's go to chapter 10. Because what's happening now 00:15:47.91\00:15:51.58 is this veil, we've gotta understand what this veil is 00:15:51.61\00:15:54.68 What is this veil that we could now see because the veil is 00:15:54.72\00:15:59.15 no longer hidden, our faces are unveiled. 00:15:59.19\00:16:01.26 We saw by faith into the Holy of Holies. But now there's 00:16:01.29\00:16:08.53 something that's been established for our faith 00:16:08.56\00:16:13.03 to be even strengthened by the removal of this veil 00:16:13.07\00:16:17.81 Let's go now, I'm trying not to give you too much. 00:16:17.84\00:16:20.61 Let me go to chapter 10 and I'll give you the last 2 verses 00:16:20.64\00:16:23.68 Chapter 10 verses 19-22. 00:16:23.71\00:16:30.72 How, what is this veil that we had an opportunity to see 00:16:30.75\00:16:36.42 This is speaking about by faith. For those who lived in the time 00:16:37.49\00:16:40.93 of Christ this is an actuality. Hebrews 10:19, Therefore 00:16:40.96\00:16:46.80 brethren having boldness to enter the holiest by the 00:16:46.84\00:16:51.41 blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he consecrated 00:16:51.44\00:16:56.71 for us, read the rest, through the veil that is His flesh 00:16:56.75\00:17:03.42 and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw 00:17:03.45\00:17:09.96 near with a what kind of heart? true heart, in what? full 00:17:09.99\00:17:14.76 assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil 00:17:14.80\00:17:20.10 conscience and our bodies washed with what? pure water 00:17:20.14\00:17:25.37 Now the last part. Hebrews chapter 4, verse 16. 00:17:25.41\00:17:29.58 And then we'll put it all together. 00:17:30.21\00:17:33.01 You see, this altar, the um 00:17:37.05\00:17:44.99 where the Shekinah glory was continued to be displayed 00:17:46.73\00:17:51.30 the Ark of the Covenant was the place where because our sins 00:17:51.33\00:17:56.04 were being atoned for, the grace of God was found there. 00:17:56.07\00:17:59.54 But we couldn't go because we were not the High Priest 00:17:59.57\00:18:03.65 But now because of our brother Christ who is our High Priest 00:18:03.68\00:18:09.58 He has now become the one who removed the veil because the new 00:18:11.02\00:18:16.42 veil is His flesh. What kind of flesh does He have? 00:18:16.46\00:18:21.70 Someone tell me. 00:18:21.73\00:18:24.37 Pure, glorified. After the resurrection He made it very 00:18:25.43\00:18:29.44 clear. Pure, glorified. All power is given unto me. So now 00:18:29.47\00:18:33.98 through Christ there is no need for an earthly priest. There is 00:18:34.01\00:18:38.31 no, there's no barrier there between us and God. We could 00:18:38.35\00:18:42.05 now come into the presence of God through Christ. So after 00:18:42.08\00:18:45.59 that veil was removed, what kind of encouragement were we 00:18:45.62\00:18:48.79 given? How are we told to come into the presence of Christ? 00:18:48.82\00:18:51.49 Hebrews 4 verse 16. Ok 00:18:54.76\00:18:57.50 Well I gotta read verse 14 because you know it really fits 00:18:59.13\00:19:02.57 it all together. Because let us therefore in verse 16 kinda 00:19:02.60\00:19:06.27 completes the sentence. It says, seeing then that we have 00:19:06.31\00:19:09.08 a great High Priest. Not just a High Priest, great High Priest 00:19:09.11\00:19:13.68 who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God 00:19:13.72\00:19:17.75 Let us do what? Hold fast to our confession, for we do not 00:19:17.79\00:19:22.52 have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses 00:19:22.56\00:19:25.93 but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin 00:19:25.96\00:19:30.17 Now here it is, therefore let us come, how? Boldly to the 00:19:30.20\00:19:35.37 throne of grace that we may obtain what? mercy and find 00:19:35.40\00:19:39.51 grace to help in what? time of need. When that veil was 00:19:39.54\00:19:43.14 removed, the glory of the Lord as it says, but we all with 00:19:43.18\00:19:46.51 unveiled faces beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord 00:19:46.55\00:19:51.19 when we see the glory of the Lord what does that glory do? 00:19:51.22\00:19:54.16 it transforms. It is the transforming glory of God 00:19:54.89\00:20:00.86 that was only visible to the High Priest, but now that glory 00:20:00.90\00:20:05.33 is revealed to us through who? Through Jesus. That's why when 00:20:05.37\00:20:09.84 He was with His disciples and they said show us the Father 00:20:09.87\00:20:12.24 He said, have I been with you so long and you haven't seen 00:20:12.27\00:20:16.58 the Father. He came to reveal the glory of the Father. He is 00:20:16.61\00:20:21.18 the express image of the Father. He came to reveal that 00:20:21.22\00:20:24.29 So now there was no longer, to come into the presence of 00:20:24.32\00:20:27.66 God, what was Jesus called when they spoke of His birth? 00:20:27.69\00:20:32.13 Called His name Jesus, called His name Immanuel meaning 00:20:33.03\00:20:38.83 God with us. He bridged the gap. There was no longer a gap 00:20:38.87\00:20:44.57 Now He's our mediator between us and God but now we could see 00:20:45.37\00:20:48.81 in Christ the very express image of the very glory of 00:20:48.84\00:20:52.21 the Father. One day, now this is the good part of it, we'll see 00:20:52.25\00:20:55.38 it as we get close to the end of the lesson, if we get to 00:20:55.42\00:20:58.42 the end of the lesson tonight, but I want to make this very 00:20:58.45\00:21:01.06 very clear there's a glory that is yet to be revealed 00:21:01.09\00:21:04.49 that comes at the end of this process of sanctification 00:21:04.53\00:21:06.86 that we have not yet seen, but by faith tonight because of 00:21:06.90\00:21:10.37 Christ we can come boldly before the throne of Grace 00:21:10.40\00:21:13.50 through our Brother Christ. So now that transforming grace 00:21:13.54\00:21:18.41 is the reason why the veil is no longer there. 00:21:18.44\00:21:23.08 That veil has been removed. Christ came to remove the 00:21:23.11\00:21:26.82 partition between us and the Father and connect us 00:21:26.85\00:21:29.85 through Himself. Alright? Question Number 2 00:21:29.88\00:21:33.25 Lemme see, Question No. 2 is on the screen 00:21:33.29\00:21:36.36 And we're looking at 1 Corinthians 2:2 00:21:49.44\00:21:51.84 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and we're going to look together 00:21:52.51\00:21:56.58 at verse 2. 00:21:56.61\00:21:58.75 Through what method? 00:22:00.58\00:22:03.82 Here's what the apostle Paul says. He says: 00:22:05.59\00:22:08.62 The method of transformation is accomplished through Jesus 00:22:17.67\00:22:21.60 Christ. But not just through Jesus Christ because had He 00:22:21.64\00:22:26.34 not been crucified the transformation couldn't take 00:22:26.37\00:22:29.24 place. That's why the Devil tried to defeat Him before 00:22:29.28\00:22:32.21 the Cross. That's why he tried to defeat Him on the cross 00:22:32.25\00:22:35.32 because if that sacrifice wasn't acceptable the transformation 00:22:35.35\00:22:39.45 could not take place. So you find not only to know Christ 00:22:39.49\00:22:43.86 there are many people that know Jesus Christ but get this 00:22:43.89\00:22:46.83 there are many people that don't know the crucified life. 00:22:46.86\00:22:49.90 I want you to hear this very carefully. We talked about 00:22:49.93\00:22:52.57 carrying my cross before this The carrying of the cross 00:22:52.60\00:22:56.67 was a part of the journey to the transformation stage 00:22:56.71\00:23:01.31 Jesus couldn't say all power is given unto me except 00:23:01.34\00:23:06.61 first the carrying of the cross the crucifixion, the cross 00:23:06.65\00:23:12.69 the burial, the resurrection, the glory. 00:23:12.72\00:23:15.82 So I want you to follow the transformation process 00:23:15.86\00:23:20.03 Unless we carry our cross we cannot be crucified with Christ 00:23:20.06\00:23:25.27 If we're not crucified with Christ we're still alive 00:23:25.30\00:23:28.77 But if we're crucified with Christ, Galatians 2:20 00:23:28.80\00:23:31.81 it's no longer us who live but Christ who lives in us. 00:23:31.84\00:23:34.54 So in other words in order for this glory to be revealed 00:23:34.58\00:23:37.78 that will be revealed when Christ comes 00:23:37.81\00:23:39.98 in us, we've got to live that daily life. We have to be 00:23:40.72\00:23:43.82 willing as Paul says, how frequently do we have to go 00:23:43.85\00:23:46.45 to the cross? Somebody tell me. Everyday. When you wake up 00:23:46.49\00:23:49.86 in the morning there's still the factor that reminds us 00:23:49.89\00:23:52.06 we need to go to the cross and what is the factor? 00:23:52.09\00:23:54.40 Good, pinch it. What is the factor? the flesh. 00:23:56.77\00:24:01.07 How to live a spiritual life in what kind of a body? 00:24:01.10\00:24:04.21 natural body. So Jeff we still have this to contend with. 00:24:04.24\00:24:07.21 Even though we accept Jesus we still got this problem 00:24:07.24\00:24:10.81 right here. It's gonna be with us until we are transformed 00:24:10.85\00:24:14.12 I don't wanna go ahead of myself, alright? 00:24:14.15\00:24:16.99 We may get to it next week, but one day these bodies 00:24:17.02\00:24:19.19 are gonna be transformed that they may be fashioned like 00:24:19.22\00:24:22.69 unto His glorious body. But the glory of Christ can, and here is 00:24:22.72\00:24:27.23 here's what I want you to catch. The glory of Christ 00:24:27.26\00:24:33.47 is so powerful that He wants to reveal that glory through 00:24:35.04\00:24:39.47 human flesh. He wants to say to the world 00:24:39.51\00:24:45.75 Has anyone considered my servant Job? 00:24:46.28\00:24:49.28 He wants to say to the world, look, look, look 00:24:49.88\00:24:54.39 lot of people say, well how do you know that Jesus lives? 00:24:54.42\00:24:59.09 The best testimony you can give is a transformed life. 00:25:00.93\00:25:04.43 Somebody may say, well ok I'm not gonna tell you by facts that 00:25:05.07\00:25:09.97 Jesus lives but you knew me when? Look at me. 00:25:10.01\00:25:14.81 Somebody says, yeah that's. When I go back to Brooklyn, NY 00:25:14.84\00:25:17.88 I've gone there a few times. When I go back to Brooklyn, NY 00:25:18.81\00:25:21.65 I remember this distinct encounter I had with one of my 00:25:21.68\00:25:24.12 hangout friends that I used to play pool with. 00:25:24.15\00:25:27.22 And the club is still there and everybody's still hanging out 00:25:27.26\00:25:30.03 in front of the pool hall and as I go by and the door opened 00:25:30.06\00:25:33.13 I can hear and I can see the smoke and I can hear the music 00:25:33.16\00:25:35.30 and I can see some of the same guys in there, almost 00:25:35.33\00:25:38.27 synchronis synchronization let's try not to get too deep here 00:25:38.30\00:25:43.07 with some amazing timing Dan one of our friends came out 00:25:43.81\00:25:46.94 he says, Hey Jun Jun, that's what they used to call me 00:25:46.98\00:25:49.11 Lend me 5 bucks. I mean I know when you say lend in the city 00:25:50.98\00:25:54.48 you're not gonna get it back. And he said, Hey John you look 00:25:54.52\00:25:58.95 like you're doing good for yourself. Is that you? And I 00:25:58.99\00:26:00.86 said, well in DNA it is but No I'm not the same person 00:26:00.89\00:26:06.43 cause I was able to walk past that pool hall, walk past the 00:26:06.46\00:26:09.56 life I lived and not even have a tinge of temptation 00:26:09.60\00:26:13.34 to wanna participate in that. So the best evidence of 00:26:13.37\00:26:17.07 transformation is that the glory of Christ is being 00:26:17.11\00:26:19.57 revealed in us now and the complete, perfect image of God 00:26:19.61\00:26:25.21 through Christ will be revealed in us when He comes. 00:26:25.25\00:26:27.92 When the immortal, you know the whole thing mortal will put on 00:26:27.95\00:26:30.62 immortality and so on and so forth. So how Paul is saying 00:26:30.65\00:26:33.82 here is not enough to know Jesus Christ, that's the problem 00:26:33.86\00:26:37.03 with the Christian church nowadays. Paul didn't just 00:26:37.06\00:26:40.00 wanna know Jesus Christ, he wanted to know Him crucified 00:26:40.03\00:26:43.63 Because even atheists know about Jesus else they wouldn't 00:26:44.70\00:26:49.50 be campaigning for us to forget Him. 00:26:49.54\00:26:52.44 It's not enough to know Jesus but we need to know the 00:26:52.47\00:26:55.81 crucified life. That's where the new life starts. 00:26:55.84\00:27:00.45 Are you following? So don't minimize that text. 00:27:00.98\00:27:04.19 People say I know Jesus, what do you know Him crucified? 00:27:04.22\00:27:07.22 Is the crucified life the life you're living? 00:27:07.26\00:27:09.52 Because when you look at Romans go there very quickly with me 00:27:09.56\00:27:14.23 when you look at Romans, Romans puts it together 00:27:14.26\00:27:16.67 right like that. Romans lays it out. Romans chapter 6 00:27:16.70\00:27:20.10 it lays it out. 00:27:20.14\00:27:23.30 It lays it out, ok 00:27:23.34\00:27:27.54 Romans 6:4, this is why baptism is so important for people to 00:27:29.08\00:27:32.48 understand. People say well I want to become a member 00:27:32.51\00:27:34.15 Well membership is 1/10th of what baptism's all about 00:27:34.18\00:27:37.85 Transformation is 9/10ths of what it's all about 00:27:37.89\00:27:40.86 It says, therefore, in verse 4 well verse 3, do you not know 00:27:42.52\00:27:47.50 that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were 00:27:47.53\00:27:50.13 baptized into His death. That's what baptism is all about 00:27:50.17\00:27:53.84 baptized into that death. Therefore we were buried with 00:27:53.87\00:27:57.04 Him through what? baptism into death. The death that's talked 00:27:57.07\00:28:01.04 about is the death on the cross. That just as Christ was raised 00:28:01.08\00:28:05.61 from the dead by the glory of the Father, we just read that 00:28:05.65\00:28:10.15 in verse 18 of 2 Timothy chapter 3, by the glory of the Father 00:28:10.19\00:28:14.69 even so we also should walk in what? Newness of life. 00:28:14.72\00:28:20.80 For if we have been united together in the likeness of 00:28:20.83\00:28:24.90 His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of 00:28:24.93\00:28:28.80 His what? Resurrection. There it is. Christ crucified 00:28:28.84\00:28:33.31 Then the resurrection. He comes forth with greater power 00:28:33.34\00:28:37.58 than when He went in. What people have to understand is 00:28:37.61\00:28:39.71 baptism is so beautiful that when you go in you should come 00:28:39.75\00:28:42.88 out with greater power than when you went in. That's God's plan 00:28:42.92\00:28:45.45 To go in, as someone says, we don't fully understand what's 00:28:45.49\00:28:49.36 expected in the baptismal process we can go as a dry 00:28:49.39\00:28:52.63 sinner come out a wet sinner! and no change made 00:28:52.66\00:28:56.50 there's an intention to transform our lives. Amen 00:28:56.53\00:28:59.53 Question number 3, question number 3. 00:29:00.24\00:29:03.30 So if you've put down the answer to number 2 00:29:03.34\00:29:04.74 through what method is the transformation accomplished? 00:29:04.77\00:29:07.51 Christ and Him crucified. That's the key. 00:29:08.58\00:29:12.31 Not just knowing Jesus. I know Jesus, but are you living a 00:29:12.35\00:29:16.42 crucified life, okay? Here it is. 00:29:16.45\00:29:20.09 What difference should it make to the believer. 00:29:24.39\00:29:28.43 2 Corinthians 13:4. What difference should it make 00:29:28.46\00:29:33.00 to the believer? You know nowadays I sit down every now 00:29:33.03\00:29:36.24 and then, I'm driving or I'm on a plane or and I have so many 00:29:36.27\00:29:39.94 thoughts going through my mind Johnny that I was thinking of 00:29:39.97\00:29:43.88 and I'm always thinking but I just don't even have time to 00:29:43.91\00:29:45.81 think of other projects but I do pastor, I think of other 00:29:45.85\00:29:49.92 projects and I'm thinking of a book that starts with this 00:29:49.95\00:29:53.12 particular phrase, What has happened to Christianity? 00:29:53.15\00:29:56.93 What, with a question. What has happened to Christianity 00:29:56.96\00:30:01.40 It is now a religion that thinks less than any other religion 00:30:01.43\00:30:06.60 on the earth. It is now the entertainment religion 00:30:06.63\00:30:09.40 It is now a religion that wants to be entertained, wants to be 00:30:09.44\00:30:13.54 in other words we're entertained wants to, the least amount of 00:30:13.58\00:30:18.25 thinking possible is the new brand of Christianity 00:30:18.28\00:30:21.75 It has been, oh yeah. It is no longer intellectualized 00:30:22.25\00:30:25.89 it has now been socialized. That's the new form of 00:30:25.92\00:30:29.92 Christianity. People don't want to think and when you make them 00:30:29.96\00:30:32.39 think somehow it gets to many where they're not happy about 00:30:32.43\00:30:37.17 the fact that they must think and study the Word of God. 00:30:37.20\00:30:40.24 It was never intended by Jesus for Christianity just to be 00:30:40.27\00:30:43.67 socialized because He said, As a man thinks, what? 00:30:43.71\00:30:48.81 so is he. So now, the answer to the question what difference 00:30:48.84\00:30:52.11 should a crucified life make to a believer. Here it is 00:30:52.15\00:30:55.55 2 Corinthians 13:4. 00:30:55.58\00:30:58.55 I want you to get this. What is the weak part? 00:31:19.37\00:31:21.68 It says, for we also are weak in Him. That kinda makes you 00:31:21.71\00:31:24.35 wonder what does that mean? What does that mean, weak in Him 00:31:24.38\00:31:28.42 Ok, say it again Larry. We're weak. The Spirit is willing 00:31:28.98\00:31:34.79 but the flesh is weak. You gotta get that. If you think 00:31:34.82\00:31:38.56 that somehow your flesh is strong you're in trouble. 00:31:38.59\00:31:41.70 The flesh is the weak factor we must deal with until these 00:31:41.73\00:31:45.20 bodies are replaced. But the beauty of being weak is to 00:31:45.23\00:31:50.41 recognize, as Paul went on to say, for I know that in my flesh 00:31:50.44\00:31:55.58 for I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good 00:31:55.61\00:31:58.31 thing. He understood that the flesh was weak and so there's 00:31:58.35\00:32:00.62 nothing good in it so I can't trust in it. 00:32:00.65\00:32:03.25 But even though we're weak, we're in Him and with Him 00:32:03.28\00:32:09.02 the power of God is revealed. The power of God is being 00:32:09.06\00:32:13.06 revealed through weak vessels, through earthen vessels 00:32:13.09\00:32:17.60 Now if the power of God is being revealed through earthen 00:32:17.63\00:32:20.24 vessels just imagine how beautiful we're going to appear 00:32:20.27\00:32:23.71 how much power will be resident in us when our bodies are fully 00:32:23.74\00:32:27.04 transformed. So right now the beauty of the Gospel is 00:32:27.08\00:32:30.08 in essence being said that I don't have to make them perfect 00:32:30.11\00:32:33.82 yet but my transforming grace and my daily power to live 00:32:33.85\00:32:39.05 above sin is so magnificent that I could still reveal 00:32:39.09\00:32:41.72 myself through the weakest vessel. And we've heard the 00:32:41.76\00:32:44.46 phrase, the weakest saint... can you continue it? 00:32:44.49\00:32:50.37 when the weakest saints pray not even the strongest evil 00:32:50.40\00:32:56.30 angel can cause that person to fall. 00:32:56.34\00:32:58.71 When the weakest saint draws near to God and God draws near 00:32:58.74\00:33:04.81 to him the devil cannot come into the presence of God because 00:33:04.85\00:33:09.78 the weakest saint has that instant divine protection 00:33:09.82\00:33:13.69 So even though we are weak in the flesh sense, we are strong 00:33:13.72\00:33:17.49 by the power of God through Jesus Christ. 00:33:17.53\00:33:20.76 So here's the answer: What difference should the crucified 00:33:20.80\00:33:23.33 life make to the believer? 00:33:23.37\00:33:27.47 What difference? 00:33:27.84\00:33:29.94 The power of God. The difference should be the power of God 00:33:30.51\00:33:34.84 revealed. The power of God revealed. 00:33:34.88\00:33:38.38 It can only be revealed through the crucified life. 00:33:38.41\00:33:41.88 Let's go to question number 4 00:33:44.32\00:33:46.12 We're going to the book of Ezekiel. What decision is 00:33:57.57\00:34:02.80 is involved in dying to self and living the daily crucified life? 00:34:03.64\00:34:08.81 You have to make a decision. Like you make, what am I gonna 00:34:08.84\00:34:11.41 eat today? What am I gonna wear today? What are my plans for 00:34:11.45\00:34:14.55 today? You gotta make spiritual plans, spiritual decisions 00:34:14.58\00:34:17.39 because on the heel of that decision there's a result that 00:34:17.42\00:34:21.19 awaits. But if we make no spiritual decisions, or if we 00:34:21.22\00:34:24.89 don't make any decisions at all then we cannot expect results 00:34:24.93\00:34:28.16 that have not been forethought in our own lives. 00:34:28.20\00:34:31.37 What difference, what decision is involved? 00:34:31.40\00:34:34.47 Ezekiel 18. Look at the decision that is involved. 00:34:34.50\00:34:38.41 Right, are you ready? Ezekiel 18 verse 31 00:34:39.57\00:34:44.85 The Lord says in His word, what are the first 2 words? 00:34:46.08\00:34:49.65 Do you like the way he says that? Daily we have to make 00:35:03.16\00:35:07.44 the decision to cast away the transgression and then He has 00:35:07.47\00:35:10.31 two new things for us - a new heart and a new spirit 00:35:10.34\00:35:14.61 How many of us need new hearts? David said, create in me a clean 00:35:14.64\00:35:19.48 heart, a new heart. Create in me a clean heart and renew 00:35:19.51\00:35:23.15 a right spirit or steadfast spirit. The heart and the Spirit 00:35:23.18\00:35:28.59 are interchangeable. And now why the heart? Because the 00:35:28.62\00:35:31.16 heart is the place of, the seat of affections. You never 00:35:31.19\00:35:33.43 see, whenever you see I heart you that means what? 00:35:33.46\00:35:37.20 And then kids nowadays have this thing, they go like this 00:35:37.77\00:35:40.24 I've seen this new thing, they go like this 00:35:40.27\00:35:43.10 You know they can't yell it so they make this little heart 00:35:43.14\00:35:45.94 symbol, right? and that's the seat of affection. 00:35:45.97\00:35:49.74 So if our affections are on Christ and His Spirit is working 00:35:49.78\00:35:54.32 in us that's where the transformation comes in. By 00:35:54.35\00:35:56.62 the way let me make it very, very clear. In order for us to 00:35:56.65\00:35:59.02 want to cast away our transgressions we have to pray 00:35:59.05\00:36:02.26 for God to give us the heart to want to do that. 00:36:02.29\00:36:04.39 You can't just make an intellectual decision, well 00:36:05.53\00:36:07.86 today I need a new heart and a new spirit, so I'm gonna 00:36:07.90\00:36:10.77 use my own human reasoning to cast away my transgressions 00:36:10.80\00:36:14.40 You couldn't do that because human reasoning is in harmony 00:36:14.44\00:36:17.11 with your transgressions. The human reasoning says 00:36:17.14\00:36:19.67 that's what I want to do. What should we do? Well let's do that 00:36:19.71\00:36:23.18 and then ask for forgiveness and then ask for this new heart 00:36:23.21\00:36:26.08 and new spirit. It doesn't work that way. You gotta have 00:36:26.11\00:36:28.22 in essence, a new heart and a new spirit to want to cast away 00:36:28.25\00:36:32.59 from you all the transgressions which you have committed 00:36:32.62\00:36:35.89 And the context of this simply is, the Lord is looking at the 00:36:36.59\00:36:39.76 children of Israel and He's saying to them, Look at your 00:36:39.79\00:36:42.80 past. Look how littered it is with sin and transgression 00:36:42.83\00:36:46.63 I have something that I want to do in your life. I'll give 00:36:47.27\00:36:50.24 you a new heart and a new spirit and all those transgressions 00:36:50.27\00:36:53.88 will be cast away from you. That's the only that way we can 00:36:53.91\00:36:58.25 desire to get rid of those things. 00:36:58.28\00:36:59.61 Okay, so what decision is involved? Cast away 00:36:59.65\00:37:03.22 if you want to use that phrase cast away all your transgression 00:37:03.25\00:37:06.42 Okay, let's go on. In the book of Ezekiel continually here 00:37:10.33\00:37:14.10 Question No. 5. 00:37:14.13\00:37:18.73 Ezekiel chapter 11. We're moving at a good pace tonight 00:37:24.74\00:37:28.81 We're actually down to, we're at Question No. 5. 00:37:28.84\00:37:32.31 That's amazing. We only have 16 more to do in 20 minutes 00:37:32.35\00:37:39.29 Stay tuned for Part II. Ezekiel 11:19-20 00:37:41.19\00:37:45.89 How does God desire to bless and change our lives? 00:37:45.93\00:37:48.86 Here it is. 00:37:48.90\00:37:50.33 You notice the transformation there. Something has to be 00:38:18.96\00:38:21.33 removed in order for something to come in. He takes out the 00:38:21.36\00:38:24.93 stony heart gives them a heart of flesh, and the word there 00:38:24.97\00:38:28.57 flesh means a heart that can feel. Because you know what 00:38:28.60\00:38:31.74 happens to sin, it hardens the heart. You know what happened 00:38:31.77\00:38:34.78 to Pharaoh, the reason why he continued to deny the power 00:38:34.81\00:38:38.78 of God? Because God hardened his heart. And God did not say 00:38:38.81\00:38:42.65 I wanna destroy him so I'm going to make his heart hard 00:38:42.68\00:38:45.62 but it's continual rebellion against the commands of God 00:38:45.65\00:38:51.03 was what made his heart hard. And you know what? That reminds 00:38:51.06\00:38:55.53 me of what Paul says in 2 Thessalonians, where he says 00:38:55.56\00:38:59.20 because they received not the love of the truth that they 00:38:59.23\00:39:01.60 might be saved, God sent them a strong delusion that they 00:39:01.64\00:39:04.61 will believe a lie that they may all be condemned who believe not 00:39:04.64\00:39:08.34 the truth but has pleasure in unrighteousness. 00:39:08.38\00:39:11.61 Pharaoh pleasured in unrighteousness. He enjoyed 00:39:11.65\00:39:14.98 enslaving the people of God. So God said, payback time 00:39:15.02\00:39:19.29 Let them go that they may serve me, if you choose not to 00:39:19.75\00:39:22.42 this is Plan B and Pharaoh's heart was hardened 00:39:22.46\00:39:25.36 But God desires to give us a new heart, a new spirit 00:39:25.39\00:39:29.00 and what happens then, notice the relationship connection 00:39:29.03\00:39:31.43 then there is this God and people relationship. Point of 00:39:31.47\00:39:38.07 the matter is we cannot have a relationship with God with old 00:39:38.11\00:39:42.38 stony hearts, can't. That heart has to be softened. There's some 00:39:42.41\00:39:49.22 people, I mean I cringe at some of the things I used to do 00:39:49.25\00:39:51.79 Any of you? 00:39:51.82\00:39:54.86 I told a story once and I felt embarrassed because I talked 00:39:55.62\00:39:59.36 about how I used to live and I felt embarrassed and I thought 00:39:59.39\00:40:02.33 did I actually do that? I did do that. And I talked about it 00:40:02.36\00:40:06.07 I shared it as a testimony, as an example in a sermon 00:40:06.10\00:40:08.50 and I thought why am I sharing that? That sounds horrible. 00:40:08.54\00:40:11.67 Pick another story. And what happens, we come to the 00:40:11.71\00:40:14.74 realization of who we were before this new heart 00:40:14.78\00:40:17.38 and who we are after this new heart, and then this is where 00:40:17.41\00:40:20.72 the, this is where the consciousness comes in 00:40:20.75\00:40:24.75 we have to keep in mind that if we think we are at the place 00:40:24.79\00:40:28.16 where we have become good enough then that old man comes 00:40:28.19\00:40:32.13 back to life. Not gradually, but amazingly he comes back full 00:40:32.16\00:40:38.07 strength in a time lapse that we cannot imagine. The Bible 00:40:38.10\00:40:42.40 says, 7 more demons worse than the other one can come in 00:40:42.44\00:40:45.61 So we have to keep in mind that the safety that we have in 00:40:45.64\00:40:48.51 Christ is because we desire to continue to give ourselves 00:40:48.54\00:40:52.48 to Him. Ok, we're up to number what now? 00:40:52.51\00:40:56.92 Number 6? Okay. 00:40:57.35\00:41:00.26 Well I actually, let me just give you the answer 00:41:01.89\00:41:04.59 according to the Bible where does the new heart come from 00:41:04.63\00:41:06.93 Christ's grace. 00:41:07.73\00:41:12.03 Well on the screen, just follow Number 6. According to the 00:41:14.40\00:41:17.67 Bible where does the new heart come from? 00:41:17.71\00:41:19.41 Oh on Number 5, let me give you Number 5 very quickly 00:41:22.18\00:41:25.11 How does God desire to change our lives? 00:41:25.15\00:41:27.32 The answer to Number 5, He gives us a what? 00:41:27.35\00:41:30.25 Heart of flesh, He gives us a what? A new spirit 00:41:31.49\00:41:34.99 He takes out the heart that is of stone and gives us a new 00:41:35.92\00:41:39.39 heart. Ok? Now let's go to the screen again. Number 6 00:41:39.43\00:41:42.70 According to the Bible where does the new heart come from? 00:41:43.33\00:41:47.60 Where does the new heart come from? 00:41:47.64\00:41:49.60 Go to Psalms 51 verse 10. Psalms 51, verse 10. 00:41:49.64\00:41:53.54 It's on our screen slide, I didn't include it in mine here 00:41:55.24\00:41:57.91 We'll go to that in the Bible. I just actually gave you the 00:41:57.95\00:42:01.15 answer, I quoted it didn't I? 00:42:01.18\00:42:04.29 Do we need to go there? Of course we do. Let's say it 00:42:05.45\00:42:07.69 together. Psalms 51 and verse 10 00:42:07.72\00:42:13.83 The little kids used to say, you get there first read it 00:42:14.40\00:42:16.97 Okay, are we ready? Create in me a what? 00:42:21.10\00:42:24.57 So where does a new heart come from? God is the one 00:42:30.28\00:42:33.48 that creates it. Create in me a clean heart. 00:42:33.52\00:42:36.55 Renew, I like the, the word steadfast is nice 00:42:36.58\00:42:40.79 but I like the phrase "a right spirit". Because the spirit 00:42:40.82\00:42:45.69 was wrong before that. When God came and replaced it He took out 00:42:45.73\00:42:50.23 the stony one and put in the heart of flesh. He took out that 00:42:50.27\00:42:53.80 carnal spirit and put in a spiritual spirit. So what was 00:42:53.84\00:42:57.91 wrong was made right. Renew a right spirit within us. 00:42:57.94\00:43:02.74 So the answer to Question No. 6 where does the heart come from? 00:43:02.78\00:43:05.95 It comes from God. Now Number 7. Okay, Number 7. 00:43:05.98\00:43:10.75 What happens to us if we try to change apart from the power 00:43:12.75\00:43:19.83 Jeremiah 2:22. 00:43:24.20\00:43:28.80 What happens to us if we try to change apart from the power 00:43:32.27\00:43:37.28 of God? A text you may not have read before but it's a, 00:43:37.31\00:43:42.75 it speaks to the issue. Jeremiah 2:22 reads as follows 00:43:42.78\00:43:48.42 Now what kind of righteousness is he talking about here? 00:44:00.47\00:44:03.54 The kind of righteousness that we try to get for ourselves 00:44:03.57\00:44:06.88 They go so far, no I wouldn't do this, don't try this at home 00:44:06.91\00:44:11.61 they wash themselves with lye and use a lot of soap 00:44:11.65\00:44:15.05 He says, even if you did that you could not wash away your 00:44:15.08\00:44:18.52 transgressions. So what happens if we try to remove our 00:44:18.55\00:44:22.16 transgressions apart from the power of God? 00:44:22.19\00:44:24.33 What happens Larry? Nothing. You couldn't scrub away sin 00:44:24.36\00:44:28.20 because the transformation is not external only but it's first 00:44:28.23\00:44:31.40 where? Internal. According to Psalms 51:10, first the right 00:44:31.43\00:44:35.57 heart and the right spirit brings about the external change 00:44:35.60\00:44:38.77 This is really important because a lot of times we feel that if 00:44:38.81\00:44:42.04 a person could look right on the outside they must be right 00:44:42.08\00:44:44.55 on the inside. Isn't that right? That's why we have phrases 00:44:44.58\00:44:48.45 like, well you know you look like a Christian. 00:44:48.48\00:44:50.75 I could imagine when the Lord Jesus first chose these 00:44:51.65\00:44:54.92 fishermen and these boisterous, I should call them uh 00:44:54.96\00:44:59.29 the dynamic dozen, problems galore! 00:45:00.73\00:45:05.93 You study their lives, terrible. 00:45:06.47\00:45:10.21 Fishermen. I know my brother's a fisherman down in the Virgin 00:45:10.24\00:45:13.11 Islands and I know you hang out with other fishermen 00:45:13.14\00:45:16.11 they sure don't have English degrees. 00:45:16.91\00:45:20.12 Saying it plainly. And these men struggled with some of 00:45:20.15\00:45:22.98 the same issues. You had a converted tax collector that 00:45:23.02\00:45:26.09 was at best a thief, hiking up prices just to pad his own 00:45:26.12\00:45:29.29 pockets and all kinds of replete situations. You have a guy that 00:45:29.32\00:45:32.09 couldn't talk and a guy had no faith. I mean there was so much 00:45:32.13\00:45:35.50 You had two brothers who just loved, Sons of Thunder, they 00:45:35.53\00:45:38.00 were louder than Peter but they weren't talked about very much 00:45:38.03\00:45:41.60 because I think Peter was always the pre-eminent one. He always 00:45:41.64\00:45:45.44 wanted to say something. His mind and his heart were not on 00:45:45.47\00:45:48.71 the same gear. But the change that took place on the inside 00:45:48.74\00:45:55.42 took a little while to show up on the outside. 00:45:55.45\00:45:58.39 Right? Even after being with Christ in ministry they still 00:45:59.32\00:46:02.92 denied Him during the time of the cross. 00:46:02.96\00:46:05.03 But He said to them, to Peter when you're converted, 00:46:05.06\00:46:09.10 strengthen the brethren. So He knew that the conversion was 00:46:09.13\00:46:11.97 coming later. The transformation is a gradual process 00:46:12.00\00:46:15.57 Now we're justified instantly but we have to keep in mind 00:46:15.60\00:46:18.41 as we have learned to do evil we have to now begin a whole 00:46:18.44\00:46:22.31 new life process. Sometimes people want to transfer us 00:46:22.34\00:46:26.01 or transform us overnight. 00:46:26.05\00:46:29.08 Matter of fact, not even the Lord transforms us overnight 00:46:29.12\00:46:31.82 It is we are being transformed Remember the first text, we are 00:46:31.85\00:46:35.22 being transformed. We are ceasing to do evil, we're 00:46:35.26\00:46:39.76 learning to do good, right? But the one thing that give us 00:46:39.79\00:46:45.17 courage is that, John we read earlier, 1 John 3, verse 2 00:46:45.20\00:46:51.01 says that we are children of God now while the transformation 00:46:51.04\00:46:55.21 is taking place we're children of God now Glen, we're not 00:46:55.24\00:46:58.48 going to be after the transformation is done 00:46:58.51\00:47:00.42 When you plant a seed in a plant pot is it a plant? 00:47:00.45\00:47:02.82 What is it? 00:47:09.39\00:47:10.93 What kinda pot is it in? 00:47:11.36\00:47:13.06 What kind of pot is it in? 00:47:14.86\00:47:16.33 A plant pot. Why put a seed in a plant pot if you, if it can't 00:47:17.00\00:47:23.10 become a plant? Right? My point is you see what it's going to be 00:47:23.14\00:47:28.38 long before it gets there. The Lord puts us in Him, 00:47:28.41\00:47:32.25 little seeds. He continues watering us, nurturing us 00:47:32.28\00:47:36.32 every day until we grow into that beautiful plant which is 00:47:36.35\00:47:39.35 His righteousness that's the point I want to make. 00:47:39.39\00:47:41.72 We put a seed in a plant pot, is it a plant yet? 00:47:41.76\00:47:44.46 No. We do that because we know that that's our intention 00:47:44.49\00:47:48.26 and we nurture that, water it nourish it to make sure that it 00:47:48.30\00:47:53.03 comes to the completion stage and it grows, and it grows 00:47:53.07\00:47:58.31 and one day we look back and say 00:47:58.34\00:48:00.08 can't imagine that's the seed my grandmother gave me 00:48:02.01\00:48:03.75 Look what it turned out to be. It's amazing what God can do 00:48:03.78\00:48:07.52 in our lives if we commit to the transforming process, but don't 00:48:07.55\00:48:11.09 fool yourself and try to think, try to change yourself 00:48:11.12\00:48:14.29 The reason that's important is there's a lot of people that are 00:48:14.32\00:48:16.19 watching the program and some of them may have said, well 00:48:16.22\00:48:18.83 you know when I get it together I'll go back to church 00:48:20.16\00:48:23.03 Read the text, you can't get it together. 00:48:23.06\00:48:25.53 Even if you start washing yourself now with lye and use 00:48:26.60\00:48:29.14 a whole lotta soap you can't get it together. 00:48:29.17\00:48:31.11 You gotta go back. It's like a person who's deathly ill and 00:48:31.14\00:48:35.04 says when I get it together I'll go to the hospital. 00:48:35.08\00:48:36.75 No. 911, prayer, Jesus help me. 00:48:37.58\00:48:41.02 Then He'll do the transforming change, amen. 00:48:41.05\00:48:43.85 Try not to do it yourself. Okay, number 8 00:48:43.89\00:48:47.22 What happens to us if we try to change apart from the power 00:48:56.20\00:48:58.53 of God, for Number 7 put We Fail. 00:48:58.57\00:49:01.74 You can't do it even if you just, you can't do it. 00:49:03.41\00:49:07.04 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, you can't do it. 00:49:07.81\00:49:10.15 Leopard, his spots, You can't do it. 00:49:10.18\00:49:11.58 I know you know the answer, I just wanna give you a Scripture 00:49:20.32\00:49:23.29 See Job 14:4 00:49:24.43\00:49:27.36 This is a continuation of what we just read a moment ago 00:49:32.50\00:49:34.77 That text in Jeremiah 2:22. This is a continuation of this 00:49:35.77\00:49:38.77 but this is in the book of Job everybody has a statement to 00:49:38.81\00:49:41.64 make about how we cannot save ourselves. Look at what Job says 00:49:41.68\00:49:44.91 Let's read this together. 00:49:44.95\00:49:46.31 If we gave it our best effort we couldn't do it. 00:49:57.29\00:50:00.60 Because the change needs to take place in the heart. 00:50:00.63\00:50:04.43 Can, now this will give you a kind of a deeper understanding 00:50:04.47\00:50:07.90 Has anyone ever performed a heart surgery on themselves? 00:50:07.94\00:50:12.04 We can no more change ourselves Lorraine than a doctor can give 00:50:15.28\00:50:20.62 himself a heart transplant. He could be the best surgeon 00:50:20.65\00:50:25.15 on earth. He cannot give himself a heart transplant. 00:50:25.19\00:50:29.56 Because you literally have to die to get a new heart. 00:50:30.89\00:50:34.83 Only through the miracles of medicine do they keep the heart 00:50:35.50\00:50:38.50 alive while the person is literally dead. 00:50:38.53\00:50:41.94 Now we know all the other stuff, don't get technical. We know 00:50:41.97\00:50:44.57 about the blood and all that, that's now what I'm talking 00:50:44.61\00:50:46.64 about. But in other words, when that heart is out he's not 00:50:46.68\00:50:49.38 get up and going anywhere until he gets a new heart 00:50:49.41\00:50:51.48 That's the point. In the spiritual life until the new 00:50:51.51\00:50:54.08 heart is in there, we're not going anywhere. 00:50:54.12\00:50:56.82 So that's a very simple, to the point answer. 00:50:58.19\00:51:00.82 If we give it our best effort how much change can we make? 00:51:00.86\00:51:04.23 The answer is nothing. No one can do it. 00:51:04.26\00:51:09.66 That's why it's not good, let me put a caution here 00:51:09.70\00:51:12.23 that's why it's not good to idolize any Christian and say 00:51:12.27\00:51:16.40 you know what, I wanna be like him. 00:51:16.44\00:51:18.81 I used to wanna be like Jill until she confessed one day 00:51:22.91\00:51:25.51 she had problems. Jill has problems? 00:51:25.55\00:51:29.35 Unbelievable! She said there was 5 people she didn't like 00:51:29.38\00:51:33.52 I would have never fathomed that. My point is every one of 00:51:33.56\00:51:37.76 us has problems, right? Now there's people that are really 00:51:37.79\00:51:41.33 nice I've heard people say, Oh if sister so and so prays things 00:51:41.36\00:51:45.37 happen. And everybody wants to call sister so and so like, 00:51:45.40\00:51:49.07 you know, prayers are us. God answers your prayers 00:51:49.10\00:51:53.17 He answers the prayers of those who simply say, Lord save me 00:51:53.21\00:51:57.08 If you could do that, you get results. A heart, a sincere 00:51:58.18\00:52:01.65 heart, a heart in the time of trouble, He says you will call 00:52:01.68\00:52:04.69 me and I will answer you. So let's not make man our idol 00:52:04.72\00:52:08.56 That's why it's important. Nobody is clean, nobody is 00:52:08.59\00:52:11.49 cleaner than Christ. Let's make Him the object of our affections 00:52:11.53\00:52:16.06 Number 9. We're really doing good tonight, don't you think? 00:52:16.10\00:52:20.30 This is amazing. Something's got a hold of me. 00:52:20.34\00:52:23.94 Even with a long, lengthy question no. 1 we're up to 00:52:25.07\00:52:28.98 Number 9. Okay. 00:52:29.01\00:52:30.65 Romans 8 verse 8-9. 00:52:48.40\00:52:54.47 Okay, here's the answer. 00:52:54.50\00:52:56.37 A second aspect of transformation is not just a 00:53:25.13\00:53:28.54 new heart but a new spirit. Want to spend some time on the Spirit 00:53:28.57\00:53:33.21 because you know we pray some times, Lord give me strength 00:53:33.24\00:53:36.18 today to do what's right, live right, to be kind to people 00:53:36.21\00:53:38.68 but you know we all, what we should also pray? 00:53:38.71\00:53:41.68 Lord fill me with Your Holy Spirit. 00:53:41.72\00:53:45.65 Because the Holy Spirit is the one who's the active agent 00:53:46.12\00:53:49.12 the Holy Spirit is the active power in our lives 00:53:49.16\00:53:52.43 However, when He the Spirit of Truth is come, He will lead you 00:53:52.46\00:53:56.13 and guide you into all truth. The Spirit cannot be left out 00:53:56.16\00:53:59.30 of the equation. The Father sent the Son, the Son sent the 00:53:59.33\00:54:02.84 Spirit. Jesus left, He sent the Comforter. Now day by day 00:54:02.87\00:54:06.88 and didn't Jesus say and I believe the text was read today 00:54:06.91\00:54:09.74 I think it was today, it's so nice to know that you've heard 00:54:10.61\00:54:15.25 so many Scriptures read during the week that you can't tell 00:54:15.28\00:54:17.52 what day it is or remember, isn't that good? But simply put 00:54:17.55\00:54:22.32 if we being evil know how to give good gifts, how much more 00:54:23.53\00:54:28.56 will our Father in heaven give the Spirit to those who ask? 00:54:28.60\00:54:31.77 So day by day our prayers should not just be Father 00:54:32.37\00:54:35.00 help me, but Father I'm weak I can't do it, fill me with 00:54:35.04\00:54:39.57 Your Spirit. For it is God who works in us both to will 00:54:39.61\00:54:43.75 and to do of His good pleasure. Let the power come in. 00:54:43.78\00:54:46.72 It's like a little, it's like an electric shaver praying 00:54:46.75\00:54:49.62 I need just two volts, two volts that's all I need 00:54:49.65\00:54:53.32 When all you gotta do is just plug it in, right? 00:54:53.82\00:54:57.03 Can you imagine? 00:54:57.46\00:54:59.49 We've got to connect ourselves day by day to a power beyond 00:54:59.53\00:55:03.50 ourselves. When we connect to a power beyond ourselves 00:55:03.53\00:55:06.47 we don't walk away with just enough power. We walk away with 00:55:06.50\00:55:10.84 all the power we need and then some. Because it's not our 00:55:10.87\00:55:15.11 power, it's the power of God. 00:55:15.14\00:55:17.95 The power of God unto salvation. Paul said that. He's unashamed 00:55:17.98\00:55:22.32 for it is the power of God unto salvation. That power is through 00:55:22.35\00:55:25.69 the Holy Spirit. Lot of people say they're in the Spirit 00:55:25.72\00:55:28.96 but he's not talking about jumping in the Spirit, he's 00:55:28.99\00:55:31.53 talking about living in the Spirit, walking in the Spirit 00:55:31.56\00:55:34.36 and when you walk in the Spirit Paul says in Romans 7, when you 00:55:34.96\00:55:37.93 walk in the Spirit you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh 00:55:37.97\00:55:40.60 why? Because you're not in control. The Holy Spirit is in 00:55:40.64\00:55:44.17 control, any more than a glove can pick up what it wants 00:55:44.21\00:55:47.48 A glove can't pick up what it wants. Who does the picking up? 00:55:49.14\00:55:52.35 You and the glove gets the credit for touching it first. 00:55:52.38\00:55:55.58 See, that's how it is with Christ. The glove represents us 00:55:56.65\00:56:00.99 The hand, the whole body behind it, the force behind that hand 00:56:01.02\00:56:05.19 the movement, the power all comes from the active agent 00:56:05.23\00:56:08.40 that abides in us. Christ in you, the hope of glory. 00:56:08.43\00:56:12.20 And let me see, do I want to go to 10 tonight? 00:56:12.23\00:56:14.90 No, I don't actually want to go to 10 tonight 00:56:14.94\00:56:16.91 I have about a minute and 47 seconds 00:56:16.94\00:56:18.37 I'll let you peek at it just to get your taste buds ready 00:56:18.41\00:56:22.78 for the next study. Let's just look at Question No 10 for 00:56:22.81\00:56:25.35 the night and we'll use this as a springboard into the next 00:56:25.38\00:56:30.72 lecture. Question No. 10 00:56:30.75\00:56:33.29 I think I could give you the answer. We have about a minute 00:56:46.87\00:56:48.60 or so. You want the answer? Ok, let's go to that. 00:56:48.64\00:56:51.57 Matthew 16:25. There's some people that won't get a chance 00:56:51.61\00:56:54.18 to tune in next week but will be able to get this on the 00:56:54.21\00:56:56.38 website: asf.3abn.org Here it is. How does it differ? 00:56:56.41\00:57:01.28 For whoever desires to save his life will what? lose it. 00:57:01.32\00:57:05.25 But whoever loses his life for my sake will what? Find it. 00:57:05.29\00:57:09.62 The difference is you gotta be willing to lose you 00:57:09.66\00:57:12.59 to gain Christ. And you know what's so nice about that 00:57:12.63\00:57:16.10 Just like Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac 00:57:16.13\00:57:18.80 he was able to keep his son Isaac and became the father of 00:57:18.83\00:57:22.24 a blessed nation. God wouldn't take from us what's for our 00:57:22.27\00:57:25.44 best. God would not rob us of the blessing He intends to give 00:57:25.47\00:57:29.54 us. If you really want to preserve your life you gotta 00:57:29.58\00:57:33.25 be willing to give your life. If you want to give your life 00:57:33.28\00:57:36.12 then the Lord will transform it and give you back a better life 00:57:36.15\00:57:40.12 than you gave to Him. The difference between the 00:57:40.16\00:57:43.83 transformed life is God finds us where we are but never 00:57:43.86\00:57:47.43 leaves us the way He finds us. So when people say 00:57:47.46\00:57:50.77 The Lord loves you just as you are, that's true. But does He 00:57:50.80\00:57:53.80 leave you as you are? What's the answer? Absolutely not 00:57:53.84\00:57:56.74 Continue studying God's Word and what doesn't make sense 00:57:56.77\00:57:59.67 will one day come into a sharper focus. 00:57:59.71\00:58:02.38 God bless You. 00:58:02.41\00:58:03.75