Participants: Pr. John Lomacang
Series Code: ASHF
Program Code: ASHF000044
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00:01 Music...
00:18 Hello Friends, and welcome to another Wednesday night 00:21 Bible Study here in Thompsonville, Illinois 00:25 at the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:26 We thank you for taking the time to tune in 00:28 and we're going to continue tonight in our topic, 00:31 "How to Live... " 00:33 let me... let me check our local audience, 00:35 "How to Live a Spiritual Life in a... " 00:37 Audience: Natural Body... 00:38 Pastor: In a natural body. 00:40 That's what we have to do until the Lord comes 00:41 and changes our bodies but thank you for tuning in. 00:44 If you'd like to follow along with us tonight, 00:47 let me give you the website very quickly. 00:49 Go to ASF.3abn. org 00:52 and download Lesson Number 14. 00:54 Now, some of you may have already downloaded that 00:57 and you may say, "I already have it... " 00:58 well, you have Questions Number 1 to 9 01:00 but tonight there are 10 to 16 so if you want to follow along, 01:03 download Lesson Number 14, "The Empowered Life" 01:08 and you can follow along with us. 01:10 Now, whatever you're doing right now, take the time 01:13 because this is not just a... this is not a sermon... 01:15 this is a Bible Study 01:17 so get your Bibles and get your pens... 01:19 get a lesson and follow along tonight 01:21 so you can find out how to live that empowered life. 01:25 Now, we always sing but before we sing, 01:27 we begin with prayer so let's bow our heads together. 01:29 "Our heavenly Father, 01:31 we thank you for the opportunity tonight to open your Word 01:34 and find in it a power outside of ourselves... 01:38 beyond ourselves... 01:40 and Lord we begin tonight by thanking you for that power 01:44 for without it we can absolutely accomplish nothing 01:48 and so Lord, lead us tonight 01:49 not only to understand intellectually, 01:52 but to connect to the power that converts... 01:55 the power that transforms... 01:58 and also, that empowers us to live that sanctified life, 02:03 we pray in Jesus' name, amen. " 02:05 Are you guys ready to sing? 02:07 Well, tonight we sing the song, "Victory in Jesus" 02:11 it's our theme song by-the-way 02:12 and if you would like to join us as we sing it, 02:16 you are welcome to do so, let's sing the song tonight, 02:18 "Victory in Jesus. " 02:19 Music... 02:27 I heard an old, old story, 02:30 How the Savior came from glory, 02:34 How He gave His life on Calvary 02:38 To save a wretch like me; 02:42 I heard about His groaning, 02:45 of His precious blood's atoning 02:49 Then I repented of my sins; 02:53 And won the victory. 02:57 O victory in Jesus, 03:01 My Savior, forever. 03:04 He sought me and bought me 03:08 With His redeeming blood; 03:12 He loved me ere I knew Him, 03:16 And all my love is due Him, 03:19 He plunged me to victory, 03:23 Beneath the cleansing flood. 03:27 I heard about a mansion 03:31 He has built for me in glory. 03:34 And I heard about the streets of gold 03:38 Beyond the crystal sea; 03:42 About the angels singing, 03:46 And the old redemption story, 03:49 And some sweet day I'll sing up there 03:54 The song of victory. 03:57 O victory in Jesus, 04:01 My Savior, forever. 04:05 he sought me and bought me 04:08 With His redeeming blood, 04:12 He loved me ere I knew Him 04:16 And all my love is due Him, 04:20 He plunged me to victory, 04:24 Beneath the cleansing flood. 04:27 He plunged me to victory, 04:33 Beneath the cleansing flood. 04:37 Now, what do you say? 04:39 Audience: Amen. 04:40 Well, tonight as we get into our lesson... 04:43 the lesson is entitled, "The Empowered Life" 04:45 "How to Live the Empowered Life. " 04:49 Now, power is a very amazing resource to have. 04:54 We need power for everything. 04:56 Every device in your house that has a plug or battery 05:00 needs some kind of power to be able to function 05:04 and so, when we think about power tonight, 05:07 I want you to think about it in a practical sense... 05:09 in a sense that without power we cannot operate. 05:13 As a matter of fact, our modern society is probably 05:16 at one of its most crippling stages in its existence 05:20 because now more than ever before, we rely on what? 05:23 Or what word am I using tonight? 05:26 We rely on power... without power... 05:31 if there was as some scientists predict, 05:34 if there was ever a sun flare... 05:36 most of us will be in the Dark Ages in a matter of seconds 05:40 because each of us needs power. 05:42 If the sun flare happened in the 1700s... no problem... 05:45 just blow the candle out and go to bed. 05:47 Audience: Laughter... 05:48 But now-a-days, it's quite a bit more complicated than that 05:51 and with remote devices and infra-red devices 05:55 and Bluetooth devices... 05:56 power resounds in all manners and all forms 06:01 in our modern society today 06:03 but tonight, I want to lead with the quotation... 06:05 it's not on the screen, I want to share with you... 06:08 just so I don't get you distracted, 06:09 it's from Abraham Lincoln 06:11 and I chose to... to select this quotation 06:14 because it really makes a lot of sense to me. 06:17 You've heard the one before, "Power corrupts... 06:20 and absolute power corrupts... " how? 06:23 "absolutely" 06:24 so, I didn't want to use that one 06:25 because that's a one that we've heard before 06:27 but this one... you may have heard of it before 06:29 but hear it anyway. 06:31 "Nearly all men can stand adversity, 06:35 but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. " 06:39 Pause. 06:41 "Nearly all men can stand adversity 06:44 but if you want to test a man's character, give him power" 06:46 and then the other one comes in, 06:48 "If he can't handle it, power corrupts... 06:50 and absolute power corrupts... " how? 06:52 "Absolutely. " 06:54 People are tested when power is connected 06:57 to whatever they want to do. 06:59 In fact, when you read the Bible, 07:00 all throughout the Old Testament, 07:03 I'd like to encourage you to do a word study. 07:04 Just put in the word "Power" 07:06 it's a five-letter word 07:07 but when you think of all the things 07:09 that God was able to accomplish through His power, 07:12 when you think of all the things that God was able to prevent 07:15 by His power, 07:16 when you think of all the things that were done wrongly 07:19 and the abuse of power... 07:21 or things that were not able to be accomplished 07:25 in the absence of power, 07:26 you begin to understand that power is vitally important 07:29 but tonight, 07:30 the context in which we're going to talk about power 07:32 is living the Christian life. 07:33 Is living... what? 07:35 Audience: Christian life. Pastor: Living the Christian life. 07:36 Every one of us needs power and the reason for that is 07:38 because we don't do anything on our own strength. 07:42 The Bible says, "Without me... " 07:44 without Christ, we can do... how much? 07:47 We can do absolutely nothing. 07:48 So, in order for us to live this life that is not our life, 07:52 as a matter-of-fact, go with me tonight to Galatians 2:20 07:55 I was going to go to Question Number 6 07:57 but I want to begin with Galatians 2 and verse 20. 08:00 Galatians 2 and verse 20, okay, 08:05 this text really spells it well 08:09 because the Christian life is a life that begins with death. 08:15 It begins with... what? Death... 08:17 it begins with not physical death 08:19 but it begins with spiritual death. 08:21 In other words, until we die, as the Lord says, 08:25 "Except a grain of wheat falls in the ground and dies, 08:29 it abides alone. " 08:31 The Christian life is a life is a life that begins with death. 08:33 It begins with the necessity of death, 08:36 that's what baptism symbolizes 08:38 death to the old life... 08:40 burial of the old life 08:42 and a resurrection to walk in the newness of life, 08:44 now, here's question before we read the text, 08:46 "If you're going to be able to live after you die, 08:50 isn't it natural to conclude 08:53 that the life has to come from somewhere else?" 08:54 Pause. 08:56 Right... 08:57 if you expect to live after you die, 09:00 then the power to live again has to come from somewhere else. 09:06 Right? 09:07 It can't come from you. 09:09 As a matter-of-fact, I have a battery at home 09:10 when the winter comes, 09:11 I take the battery out of one of... 09:13 one of my old cars I have a car that's... 09:14 John knows that I've had it since 1995... a Nissan Maxima 09:19 and it has its issues 09:21 but I don't leave the battery in during the winter time 09:23 because cold weather tends to kill a battery 09:25 and the battery is fairly new 09:27 but what I've discovered... 09:28 and this is something that has a spiritual application too, 09:31 what I've discovered is... 09:32 if you don't keep a battery continually charged, 09:35 it even dies... 09:37 and so, the same way in the Christian life... 09:39 unless we have been replenished every day, 09:41 that which we have will seep out 09:44 and because we're not getting a re-charge 09:47 from a divine connection, what we have will die. 09:50 There'll be no activity and I always say, 09:52 "The most expensive car won't go anywhere 09:54 without a $50 battery. " 09:56 Or whatever it costs... all right... 09:59 without a battery... even a Bentley... 10:02 give me a Toyota with a battery 10:05 over a Bentley without a battery. 10:07 Am I right? 10:08 But look at the text, Galatians 2 and verse 20 10:10 talking about dying... 10:13 talking about the entrance into the Christian walk 10:17 and it talks about it in the context of death 10:19 because when you go to the cross, you will die. 10:21 Together... "I have been... " what? 10:23 "crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who... " what? 10:28 "lived... lives... but Christ lives... " where? 10:31 "In me... " pause... 10:34 "and the life which I now live in the... " what? 10:37 "flesh" what kind of flesh? 10:39 Pause. 10:40 What kind of flesh? 10:42 Mortal flesh... 10:43 the life that I now live in the flesh as mortal flesh... 10:47 I live by faith in the Son of God who did... what? 10:51 loved me and gave Himself for me. 10:55 So, before we dive into all the questions and answers, 10:57 let's conclude tonight 10:58 that if we don't have life outside of ourselves, 11:00 we're not going to be able to live the life 11:03 that Christ intends for us to live. 11:05 In other words, Pastor, 11:06 we can't just say we're Christians... 11:08 that power to live that Christian life 11:10 has to come from Christ 11:11 because the Christian is a follower of Christ. 11:15 A disciple is a disciple of Christ. 11:17 A person who's living the new life, 11:20 cannot live the new life 11:22 if that power doesn't come from another source 11:25 and when we are in Christ, 2nd Corinthians 5 and verse 17, 11:29 "Old things have passed away 11:31 behold all things have become... " what? 11:32 Audience: New. 11:33 So, we need new batteries after we become Christians 11:36 because the "Adam battery" has been taken out 11:39 and we've got to get the "Jesus battery" on the inside, 11:42 am I right? Audience: Yes. 11:43 Okay now, let's go to Question Number 6 for tonight, 11:45 Question Number 6, 11:46 this is how we get the "Jesus battery. " 11:48 Question Number 6, here it is, 11:52 "After we commit our lives to Jesus, 11:55 what gift does He impart to us?" 11:58 "What gift does He impart to us?" 12:01 And for most of you, you know the text already 12:04 but we're going to go there, 12:05 we're going to go to Acts chapter 1 and verse 8 12:08 to find the answer to the question. 12:10 "After we commit our lives to Jesus, 12:13 what gift does He impart to us?" 12:16 All right... 12:18 Acts chapter 1 and verse 8 is where we'll find the answer. 12:21 Acts chapter 1 and verse 8, 12:23 okay, let's read this first one together, 12:25 It's on the screen, are you all ready? 12:27 Here we go, "But you shall receive" what? 12:31 "power when the Holy Spirit has... " what? 12:34 "come upon you 12:36 and you shall be witnesses to me... " in where? 12:40 "Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, 12:44 and to the end of the earth. " 12:47 Or the ends of the earth... so what do we... 12:49 what do we receive as a gift 12:51 after we commit our lives to Christ? 12:54 Say it Gwen... power... right? 12:56 In other words, we're submitting our... 12:59 and this is a kind of an unusual way to look at that... 13:03 but if you're walking... 13:06 if you're aiming to walk in Christ, 13:08 you've got to enter the relationship with Christ 13:11 through a grave... 13:13 am I telling the truth? 13:16 you got to enter that new life... 13:19 you got to enter it through a grave... 13:21 we call it "the watery grave" 13:23 and whatever goes down in the grave, 13:26 we hope... what? we hope it stays down there 13:29 because if it comes up, we're in trouble. 13:32 As a matter-of-fact 13:33 the only thing that comes up from the watery grave... 13:36 let me just ask the question... 13:37 somebody tell me... what comes up from the watery grave, 13:40 what survives the death... 13:42 what comes up... what survives... 13:45 what doesn't change? 13:47 pause 13:50 aah... come on say it... our mortality... 13:53 my friend is here tonight, John Stanton, 13:56 by-the-way, for those of you who watch 3ABN, 13:58 you know we do a Bible Program together... 13:59 right... right... John: Right. 14:03 We do a Bible Program together but now, he's in the audience, 14:05 pause 14:07 if he stood up here, 14:08 you'll see how really ridiculously short I am 14:11 compared to somebody who's 6... 10... 14:15 He always says, 6... 9-1/2 14:16 but he's never barefoot when he comes to 3ABN 14:19 but good to have you here tonight, John, 14:22 so, I'll tell you... that life that... 14:26 the thing that survives the grave is mortality... is what? 14:30 Mortality... it survives the grave... 14:34 so... so when we come up, 14:37 we come up to walk in the newness of life 14:39 but in that new walk, we bring something old with us. 14:42 That's why power is so vitally important. 14:45 The power that we get though 14:47 is not to empower us to live like we used to... 14:50 go with me to Romans chapter 6, 14:52 it's not to empower us to live like we used to... 14:56 and I tell you, this is where the battle comes in, 15:00 Paul the apostle... when you look at the book of Romans, 15:04 the book of Romans is a book that will grab you by your ears 15:08 and it will be very easy for me... 15:09 grab you by your ears and speak into it and say, 15:13 "This is the life that you must rely on me to live. " 15:17 Look at this... Romans chapter 6, 15:21 all right... and I'm going to look together 15:24 at verse 4 down to verse 7, 15:29 it says, "Therefore, we were... " 15:32 and the next word, "buried with Him through baptism. " 15:36 into what? "death 15:38 that just as Christ was raised from the dead 15:42 by the glory of the Father, 15:43 even so we also walk in the... " what? 15:46 Audience: Newness of life. 15:48 Pastor: "We also should walk in the newness of life. 15:50 For if we have been united together 15:53 in the likeness of His death, 15:55 certainly we shall be in the likeness of His resurrection" 15:59 and how? Look at the next verse, verse 6. 16:02 "Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, 16:09 that the body of sin might be done away with, 16:12 that we should no longer be... " what? 16:14 "slaves to sin. For he who as died has been... " 16:18 what? "freed from sin. " 16:21 And I must add verse... I must add verse 8... 16:24 "For if we died with Christ, 16:25 we believe that we shall also" what? 16:28 "live with Christ. " 16:29 And this is not just talking about 16:31 "live with Him in the sweet by and by" 16:34 this is talking about living with Christ... when? 16:36 Now... every day... here and now... 16:38 that's the life that He wants us... 16:39 He wants us to live with Him now... 16:41 and I'll tell you what? 16:42 How much easier would it be 16:44 if Jesus would just show up at our house in the morning 16:46 and say, "Hey, Brother Dick, good morning, 16:48 good to have you here, 16:49 hey, why don't you live your... live your day with me?" 16:52 How many of us would really like that? 16:54 Wouldn't that be nice? 16:55 If we had a visible... He's in the car talking with us 16:58 about the glories that shall be hereafter 17:00 and when He is with us when the temptation comes, 17:02 He says, "Hey, remember, ah... don't do that" 17:05 I mean, I... wouldn't that be amazing? 17:08 Audience: Yes. 17:10 Well, what we don't know is He is with us... 17:12 He says, "I'll never leave you nor forsake you" 17:14 but when you walk that... when you walk that faith walk, 17:17 when you're living that faith walk... 17:19 you are in the presence of Christ 17:20 how often during the day? 17:22 Audience: Continuously. Pastor: Continuously, 17:24 so in the morning, we've got to... 17:25 we've got to put this picture in our mind, 17:29 when we wake up in the morning, 17:30 the Lord is right there 17:31 and He says, "Good morning, Marlena, 17:33 how was your rest?" 17:35 Audience: Laughing. 17:36 "Good morning who...?" 17:38 "Good morning, Marlena... " 17:40 "Good morning Cynthia, how's it going?" 17:43 "Ahh... I was tossing and turning... " 17:46 "Don't worry about it, 17:47 My mercies are new every morning. " 17:49 "Good morning Dave, how is it?" 17:52 "Man, I had some bad dreams. " 17:54 "Don't worry about it, it's a new day. " 17:55 Wouldn't it be nice 17:56 if we had that kind of connection in the morning? 17:58 Well, you know what? You can... 18:00 Audience: Amen. 18:01 If you keep your Bible by your bed, 18:02 the Lord will talk to you in the morning, wouldn't He? 18:05 You got to have the power nearby because... 18:09 I got to tell you this story... 18:10 my wife and I replaced our ceiling lamp in our home, 18:13 we did some refurbishing... 18:14 we had a fan that didn't work at all 18:16 and so she said, "Well, if you get a new one... 18:19 don't spend a lot on it but I want one with a remote. " 18:22 Audience: Laughter. 18:24 And Greg, yesterday... was it today? 18:28 it was today... 18:29 we woke up this morning... 18:33 you know when you wake up you're just lying there... 18:36 but you haven't gotten out of the bed yet 18:39 and the light came on... 18:41 and I thought she turned it on 18:42 and she thought I turned it on 18:44 and I said, "Why did you turn the light on?" 18:46 She said, "Why did you turn the light on?" 18:48 and I'm looking on my dresser 18:50 and I have the remote on my side but I haven't moved. 18:53 I'm thinking, "You didn't turn it on?" 18:54 "No... " I didn't turn it on either, 18:56 and I want to think pure thoughts and so I said, 18:58 "Maybe God turned it on. " 19:00 See, because in the morning 19:02 there's a light available when you wake up, right? 19:04 And the light is in His Word. 19:05 I didn't give any life to that because some people will say, 19:08 "Well, Honey, if you didn't turn it on, 19:10 then what's in our house?" 19:11 See, I don't want to go down that dark road... 19:13 I said, "Maybe the Lord turned it on 19:15 to wake us up this morning. " 19:16 Because I don't believe in all that stuff, 19:18 we know there's evil in the world 19:19 but I don't give any light to that 19:21 and so, when you think about the text we just read, 19:22 when we come into that walk with Christ, 19:24 the reason why we need that light 19:26 or that power as He says we will receive, 19:28 is because we don't have the power that we used to have. 19:31 As long as that old man stays dead... 19:33 as long as we make sure he has died... 19:36 pause... 19:37 we're going to need the power from somewhere else, right? 19:40 So, what answer do you put there... Number 6... 19:42 "After we commit our lives to Jesus, 19:44 what gift does He impart to us?" 19:45 Put the word there... what? Power... p-o-w-e-r 19:49 Dunamis... from which we get the word... what? 19:52 Dynamite... very powerful... 19:55 Question Number 7... 19:57 Question Number 7, 19:59 "What is one of the benefits of the power of the Holy Spirit?" 20:05 Romans 15 and verse 13... one of the benefits. 20:08 now there are... there are many, many benefits 20:10 but I want to tell you this, 20:12 it's important not to connect yourself to Christ 20:14 for the materialistic benefits 20:16 because if you connect yourself to Christ 20:18 for the materialistic benefits, 20:19 then we find ourselves becoming people that want to horde... 20:22 want to keep Christ like a Bank Account or an ATM Machine. 20:26 All those things are transient, all those things are temporary 20:30 the power that He wants to entrust to us 20:33 is far abounding... far greater in benefits 20:36 than temporary things that we can buy 20:37 because you know what? 20:39 I don't know if any of you experienced this 20:40 but I have a lot of gadgets 20:42 and when I first bought some of these gadgets... 20:44 I mean I had gadgets... 20:45 I can't wait till spring to have a yard sale 20:47 because hopefully my junk will be somebody else's treasure. 20:50 Am I right? 20:52 And how we get excited about our gadgets... 20:54 as time goes on... that thing that thrilled our hearts 20:58 not just takes up space and becomes non-functional 21:02 but when you get the power from Christ, 21:04 it's never non-functional. 21:06 so look at one of the benefits. 21:07 Romans 15 verse 13... and the Bible reads as follows. 21:10 "Now may the God of hope... " what are the next two words? 21:16 "fill you... 21:18 with all joy and peace in believing, 21:22 that you may abound in hope" how? 21:26 by the power of the Holy Spirit. " 21:29 Now I want you not to run past that 21:32 because what that's in essence saying to us 21:35 is... without the power of the Holy Spirit, 21:37 we can't even have hope. 21:38 Have you seen people that are hopeless? 21:41 Do they look powerful? 21:43 People that are hopeless... they are bent over... 21:46 their countenance changes... they look lethargic... 21:49 pause 21:51 am I right? 21:53 you never see a person, "Hey, I am hopeless!" 21:56 Audience: Laughter. 21:58 Do you ever see that? 21:59 You never see that. 22:00 People that are hopeless... there is a power drain, 22:02 it starts showing up... "Are you okay?" 22:05 "I'm fine... " 22:07 "You're all right... did you get rest?" 22:10 "Yeah. " 22:11 And then, they have this commercial 22:14 that always talks about... I hope I get it right... 22:17 Newnesta... 22:18 I don't know if I'm right or not but 22:20 don't... don't quote me on that... 22:22 but it talks about people who deal with... you know, they... 22:24 they're just like going through the battles of life... 22:27 and they need a... a boost 22:30 and then, when they get that boost 22:32 which in some cases is very necessary, 22:34 it connects them now to a spiritual power 22:37 that keeps the power going 22:40 and so the Lord's in essence saying here, 22:42 you look at that... "all joy and peace in believing" 22:46 believing is the thing that connects you... 22:49 that belief in a God who you cannot see 22:51 connects you to the power source that's readily available to us. 22:57 "that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" 23:02 so here is the answer... 23:03 what is one of the benefits of the power of the Holy Spirit? 23:06 What would you put? 23:08 pause... 23:09 Greg: Boost... boost... 23:11 Pastor: Ah... you got to pick one Bob... 23:13 let's... you can put as many as you like 23:15 but there are many answers there, 23:17 but... but the one that I want to get... 23:18 "you may abound in hope" 23:20 that's what I want to give you, 23:21 the one that you benefit from is hope... 23:24 people need hope... 23:27 they have joy and peace... we've heard that a lot... 23:30 but hope... that you may abound in hope 23:33 is what I want to focus on tonight. 23:35 One of the benefits is hope... we all need hope in our lives. 23:39 as a matter of fact, when hope dies... 23:40 no matter what you have, 23:44 it just doesn't make any sense anymore. 23:45 You lose interest in the very things in your house... 23:47 you could look at your television... 23:50 you don't turn it on... 23:51 the radio is turned off... the curtains are shut... 23:53 you don't really want to eat 23:55 because you've lost hope, 23:57 but if you have hope, 23:59 joy and peace is going to accompany that, right? 24:03 Number 8... Number 8... 24:06 "How does Paul the apostle describe his transformation?" 24:13 How does he describe his transformation? 24:17 Ephesians 3 and verse... let me check... 24:20 I have 7 and I have 17... 24:22 I want to make sure that I am correct, 24:25 Ephesians 3 24:27 pause 24:30 and we're going to look at verse 7... 24:34 ignore your lesson, cross out the 1... 24:38 it's Ephesians 3 and verse 7, 24:40 I have it correct on the screen, Ephesians 3 and verse 1, 24:44 all right... 24:45 okay, the question is, 24:47 "How does Paul the apostle describe his transformation?" 24:51 And by-the-way, as you read the answer 24:52 it is also our transformation. 24:54 All right, here it is. 24:56 The answer is here... 24:57 Ephesians 3 and verse 7, 24:59 he speaks of which... 25:01 "Of which I became a minister 25:06 according to the gift of the grace of God 25:10 given to me by the effective working of.. " who? 25:15 "His power. " 25:17 I want you to get this because to be a minister... 25:19 and by-the-way, let me just say something, 25:21 every one of us is a minister, can you say, "Amen" to that? 25:23 Audience: Amen. 25:24 People say, "Well, is the minister here?" 25:26 I... well if you're here and you're a Christian... 25:30 the minister is here. 25:32 Each one of us is ministers 25:33 we've got to get that in our reality... 25:35 we've got to connect to that, 25:36 each one of us is called to be a minister. 25:38 Pause. 25:39 But we cannot be ministers without the power of God 25:44 and Paul was such a minister, that's why he was able to say, 25:48 "Man! this power of God is effective. " 25:51 He used the phrase, 25:52 "The effective working of His power. " 25:56 I have a... I have a battery charger... 25:59 anybody has a battery... 26:01 anybody have battery chargers? 26:02 Okay, you don't really have to have one, 26:04 but you notice how much you need it when something dies. 26:08 So, I have a battery charger 26:10 and in specifics... 26:12 the one I'm talking about is a car-battery charger, 26:15 so when the season comes up, I have to charge my lawnmower, 26:18 charge my car battery... and you set on that thing, 26:21 you just plug... analyze... 26:23 you set with the "analyze" button, Cathy, 26:25 it sits here and analyzes the battery 26:27 and determines how much power it needs. 26:29 Now, every day, not all of us... 26:32 need the same amount of power to get our day going 26:37 but whatever power we need is made available through whom? 26:44 through Jesus Christ. 26:46 So, Bob may be farther ahead 26:51 than some others in their Christian walk 26:53 and some may be brand-new Christians 26:55 just trying to get going 26:56 and Bob is on a good stride in his walk with Christ, 27:00 so... but the power that he needs 27:02 and the power that you need 27:04 is going to come from the same source... the same power... 27:06 and God doesn't measure it... 27:08 there's no measurement of his power, 27:10 but what he does and I want to make this clear, 27:12 God... between us and God, 27:14 there's something I call a "step-down transformer" 27:17 have you ever seen that before? 27:18 Because if God connected Himself directly to us, 27:21 we'll go up in smoke... 27:22 am I right? 27:24 Our God is a consuming fire 27:27 as I did, whenever we go to Australia, I finally learned... 27:31 Janice, I finally learned... 27:33 so, when I go to Australia, I don't take my... 27:37 my shaver that I use, 27:39 you know that little shaver that you 27:40 kind of edge out your mustache and your... 27:42 I've... I've blown two of them 27:44 and I thought, "Oh, maybe my... 27:46 maybe my converter wasn't strong enough. " 27:48 I had one of those 240 to 120 converters 27:50 but still was not enough 27:52 because the power in Australia is amazing... 27:53 burned out two... 27:55 so, what I do now, so I take a battery-powered one 27:57 right, and then I bought a... 28:00 purchased a blow dryer so when I go over to Australia, 28:02 I don't take my American blow dryer... 28:04 for whatever reason, 28:05 our appliances are not made well enough 28:07 to handle the power in Australia. 28:10 Australia is a lot more powerful than us... 28:12 in some senses they are but here's the point, 28:15 without that transformation... without that transformer between 28:19 that's why the lesson before this 28:20 was "The Transformed Life. " 28:22 There has to be a transformation before there's an empowerment. 28:25 The Lord knows exactly what kind of transformation is necessary 28:29 for us to be able to connect to that power. 28:31 So, the answer you put here is, 28:33 "How does Paul the Apostle describe his transformation? 28:36 Effective working of His power... 28:40 effective working of His power, all right... 28:44 and by-the-way, 28:46 you could put many of the components of the Scripture, 28:49 you can also say the gift of the grace of God, 28:51 but what I want to focus on because of the topic, 28:54 "The Empowered Life" 28:55 is the effective working of His power. 28:58 So, here is what I want to emphasize even further, 29:00 when you wake up in the morning and you think, 29:02 "Well, am I going to be able to get the power I need?" 29:05 If you read your Bible you will. 29:07 If you pray you will 29:09 and if it doesn't come quickly, go back to your Bible 29:13 and pray again 29:14 because I tell you, 29:15 you cannot spend an effective amount of time in your Bible 29:18 and walk away lethargic and weak 29:21 as you did when you first opened your Bible. 29:23 Really, because there's no other book on the earth 29:26 that's a living book. 29:28 If you can see the Bible... if you can look at the Bible, 29:31 you don't see it but there's a... 29:33 there's an invisible connection between the words in here 29:37 and our heavenly Father. 29:39 Right? The mind... the heart... 29:43 but, the living Word... "the Word became flesh" 29:51 the living Word... 29:52 this is the only book that you can read the same statement 29:55 over and over and over again 29:57 and all of a sudden, one day, it makes sense. 29:59 Like... we were... we were... we had a Bible Program 30:02 that we were working on the other day, John and I... 30:04 and we were talking about, 30:05 "If you love me, keep my commandments. " 30:08 And all of a sudden it dawned on us, 30:10 that it's not just an act of keeping the commandments, 30:14 but we are finally at the place where the Lord feels safe 30:17 to entrust His commandments to us, 30:18 so He says to us, "Okay, now that you're converted 30:21 I can give you my commandments because now you can keep them. " 30:25 Did you get that? 30:27 Now that you're converted, I can give you my commandments 30:30 because now you'll keep them, you won't throw them away. 30:34 So, folk that are not converted He won't... 30:36 He won't entrust them to him... to that individual... 30:40 because they won't keep them... 30:41 and when you hear people say, 30:42 "We can't keep the commandments of God" 30:44 well, He won't... He won't entrust them to you 30:46 but you will be responsible for them 30:48 because even though He doesn't physically extend 30:50 tables of stone, 30:52 where are they located? Come on... 30:54 mind and heart. 30:56 So, when you say, "We can't keep the commandments" 30:59 it's like you got a power source in your head 31:01 that you don't even understand 31:03 is vital to your daily existence. 31:05 "If you love me... keep it... " 31:07 I don't want to say too much about that 31:09 because I may be developing... developing a sermon... 31:11 so John also will be developing a sermon on that revelation 31:15 and it was so amazing... we almost spoke simultaneously, 31:18 we said, "What a revelation!" 31:20 And we said, "Wow! that was a divine moment" 31:23 but it's one of those things, 31:25 only the Bible has that kind of power 31:27 but you'll never know it unless you read it 31:29 so, I'm suggesting here today, 31:31 if your life is a life that is devoid of power, 31:34 I would strongly suggest... I can guarantee you 31:37 a person that does not spend time studying God's Word 31:41 will be a person that is missing out on the power of God. 31:44 Really it is... 31:47 because the Bible also refers to the Word of God as bread. 31:49 "Man shall not live by bread alone" 31:53 what happened in the journey of the children of Israel, 31:56 every morning they had manna from heaven. 31:58 You've ever heard of that phrase at camp meetings... 32:00 when they get up at 6:30 in the morning 32:03 what do they call it? "Early morning manna" 32:06 because the Word of God is there 32:09 and by-the-way, you cannot get early-morning manna at noon. 32:13 Audience: Laughter... Amen. 32:15 Right? 32:17 You can't make up at noon for the Bible Study you missed 32:20 when you woke up in the morning. 32:21 If you don't get some of this in there, 32:23 you may get all your cereal, 32:25 you may get your seven vitamins, 32:27 you may get your medication, 32:29 you may get all the things you need in the physical world 32:32 but without the spiritual institution, 32:35 without the spiritual injection, 32:37 you'll be a healthy sinner 32:40 am I right? 32:42 Empowered to do nothing. 32:44 Let's go to Question Number 9, 32:47 Question number 9, 32:50 here it is, "What was the driving passion 32:56 in the life of the Apostle Paul?" 32:59 What was the driving passion in the life of the Apostle Paul? 33:04 You know what? If you don't have a passion 33:06 get one... 33:07 did you hear what I said? 33:10 and make sure that passion is divinely led. 33:13 Can you say, "Amen" to that? 33:15 Because passion is a bad thing when it's not divinely led. 33:19 It could destroy your life really quickly. 33:22 Everyone has a passion 33:24 but not everyone has a passion for good. 33:27 Every one of us has a passion... something drives every one of us. 33:31 If that's not the case, then you are barely existing. 33:36 If you don't have any hope when you wake up in the morning, 33:39 if nothing thrills you to wake up in the morning, 33:41 if there's nothing waiting for you on the other side 33:43 of your daily resurrection, 33:46 then, what a boring life, that's why some people say, 33:51 "If you're going to do this for the rest of your life, Janeck, 33:55 at least do something that you enjoy. " 33:57 Am I right? 33:58 Some people go to work and they walk through the doors 34:02 and they're saying to themselves everyday, 34:05 "What am I doing here?" 34:07 Pause. 34:10 And to those people I say, "Quick, find a passion, 34:13 go to the Virgin Islands and stay there for a month 34:16 and pray. " 34:18 Isn't that a great place to pray? 34:21 Get some sun on your face 34:23 lie on the beach... get your toes wet... 34:26 and say, "Lord, give me a passion or take my life. " 34:30 No, don't pray that one... 34:31 but give me a passion to live my life 34:34 and as Martin Luther King Jr. said, 34:37 pause 34:39 "Those who will not die for what they believe 34:42 are not fit to live. " 34:43 So if you don't have something that you're willing to... 34:47 to invest yourself in, 34:49 then your life is just a daily existence 34:52 and how boring 24 hours a day can be 34:54 and by-the-way, even if you go to the other extreme, 34:57 there are some people that don't have a job 35:00 and... some people think it's a blessing, they use the System 35:03 I know a guy that didn't have a job 35:05 and he just waited for that monthly check to come 35:09 from Social Services and he was excited about it 35:13 and he had a motorcycle 35:15 and if he wasn't on his motorcycle, 35:16 he was playing video games all day long 35:18 if he wasn't playing video games and on his motorcycle, 35:20 he was just walking down the streets aimlessly 35:22 and I thought to myself, "What a boring life!" 35:24 See, God has never intended for us 35:26 to live our lives unto ourselves, 35:28 when we read that text a few moments ago 35:30 that talks about a minister, 35:31 if our lives are not lived for the benefit of someone else, 35:34 then our lives are meaningless 35:36 and the Lord never calls a Christian 35:38 to live a meaningless life 35:39 and the Lord never calls a Christian 35:42 to live life unto himself or herself. 35:46 It's always for the edification and benefit of somebody else. 35:50 Let's look at the driving passion of Paul the Apostle 35:52 Philippines 3 and verse 10, 35:54 you already turned there right? 35:56 And some of you already read it but here it is, 35:57 I like this, he says, "That I may know Him 36:03 and the... " what? 36:04 power of His resurrection, 36:07 and the fellowship of His sufferings, 36:10 being... " what? 36:11 "conformed to His death. " 36:14 The passion that drove Paul... 36:17 he says, "that I may know the power of His resurrection. " 36:19 when Jesus came forth from the grave and said, 36:22 "All power is given unto Me" 36:25 it didn't really make a whole lot of sense 36:28 to those who tried to prevent Him 36:30 but just to give you an amplified understanding 36:33 of the power, 36:34 no matter how many Roman Centurions 36:36 they tried to guard that tomb with, 36:38 there was not enough Roman Centurions 36:40 to keep Jesus from coming forth from the grave. 36:42 Right? 36:43 I mean, even if all Rome... huh... 36:47 just... can you imagine angels came by and said, 36:52 "Roll away the stone" 36:55 and by-the-way if the... Jesus could have done it. 36:57 He said I have power to lay down My life 37:01 and I have power to do... what? Take it again. 37:03 But there was not enough power in all of Rome... 37:06 there was not enough power in all of the kingdom of darkness 37:08 to prevent Jesus coming forth from that grave 37:11 that's why when He came forth... and I tell you... 37:13 we won't understand the power of this statement 37:16 or the implications of the statement 37:18 until we see the world re-created. 37:21 I want to be there, what about you Pastor? 37:23 I want to see what the Bible meant when it said, 37:28 "By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made. " 37:33 Audience: Amen. 37:34 "And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. " 37:37 "He spake and it was done, 37:39 He commanded and it stood fast. " 37:42 And then you go on top of that, 37:44 He has so much power, He knows all the stars by name. 37:46 Pause. 37:49 Don't think on that too long... 37:53 but Paul was allowed 37:55 and each one of us is, by-the-way, allowed 37:57 to have the... 38:00 to understand and know the powers of His resurrection 38:02 the fellowship of His suffering 38:04 as we are being conformed to His death 38:07 being conformed to His death 38:09 because it is by entering that death 38:11 that we now are available... 38:13 that the power of God is now made available to us 38:16 so, we put the answer down for Question Number 9, 38:19 what was the driving passion in the life of the Apostle Paul? 38:23 he wanted to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, 38:27 he wanted to know Him and the power of His resurrection. 38:30 And by-the-way, you don't just want to have power 38:33 because power without a personal relationship with Christ 38:37 is useless... 38:38 what do you need power for? To do what? 38:41 Pause. 38:43 To live the empowered life 38:46 and that empowered life is to give you a relationship 38:49 one with another... that relationship with Christ 38:52 and I tell you, one of the things 38:53 we have to prevent against is getting too busy 38:56 because the busy life could drain the essential elements 39:01 from the empowered life... 39:02 we can sometimes get so busy working for God 39:05 that we don't get connected to God. 39:08 See... 39:10 as a worker... 39:13 sometimes... I heard a story about a worker 39:14 that was packing the shelves... packing the shelves... 39:16 he kept getting a call... 39:18 "Come to... come to Human Resources 39:21 come to Human Resources" 39:23 and he's busy packing the shelves... 39:25 he's busy packing the shelves and he.. 39:27 the announcement, "Come to Human Resources... 39:30 come to Human Resources... " 39:31 and the announcement goes out again, 39:33 he says, "Wait, I'm packing the shelves 39:35 and I get paid by how many boxes I put on the shelves" 39:37 and the announcement again, "Come to Human Resources, 39:40 come to Human Resources... " 39:41 and what he didn't know 39:43 was the boss was so impressed by his work 39:45 that he was going to give him a bonus. 39:47 Here he is working his head off 39:50 and there's a gift waiting for him in Human Resources 39:53 and on that day, 39:55 it wasn't dependent on how many boxes he put on the shelves, 39:58 sometimes, God wants to empower us and give us a gift 40:01 and we're working... so busy for Him 40:04 that we don't stop and listen to the voice, 40:06 "Come to Divine Resources... 40:09 come to Divine Resources... there's a gift waiting for you, 40:12 come... " 40:13 so don't ever get too busy for Christ 40:15 that we forget to respond to the voice of Christ, amen. 40:19 Knowing Him and the power of His resurrection... 40:22 now, let's go to Number 10. 40:24 Number 10... okay... 40:29 "How does Paul describe the essence 40:33 of the Gospel?" 40:35 How does Paul describe the essence of the Gospel? 40:38 You know, when somebody asks you, 40:40 "Okay, what's the essence of the gospel?" 40:42 Well, we know who the focal point of the gospel is 40:45 and the focal point of the gospel is Christ 40:48 but when you use the word "Essence" 40:51 I could use another word in the sense... 40:55 well, if I use the other word, I'm going to give it away. 40:57 so let's read the... read the Scripture... 40:59 we're going to go to Romans chapter 1 and verse 16 41:01 talking about the essence of the gospel 41:03 in other words... let me think of... 41:05 let's think of the essence in some sense like the spark plug. 41:08 You know we say, "Well, what's wrong with the car?" 41:10 And I remember when I rebuilt my car years ago 41:14 in Orlando, Florida and I put the... 41:16 put everything back... 41:19 I had never rebuilt an engine before, 41:20 finally rebuilt this engine... 41:22 put all the Piston Rings back finally... 41:29 and by-the-way, when I did this... 41:31 having never done it before, David, 41:32 when I took that engine apart, I was terrified 41:35 so what I did is... everything that I took out, 41:38 I put a piece of white tape around it and numbered it. 41:42 Number 15 on this tape... 41:44 and where it came from, I wrote, Number 15. 41:47 So it was like putting a puzzle back together, 41:49 you see, Number 15 goes to Number 15... 41:51 I think I've told you this story... 41:53 when I was done, I had two extra screws left. 41:55 Pause... 41:58 and what happened was... speaking about the power... 42:02 I put everything back together but I forgot to align... 42:07 you know those line-up marks 42:08 they say you've got to line up top-dead center 42:11 and you got to make sure that all that stuff is correct... 42:14 Audience: Timing marks... 42:16 Pastor: The timing marks... 42:17 I was off by just a little degree 42:19 and no matter how many times I tried to get... brrr... 42:22 brrr... and I discovered years later 42:27 that that's how it is sometimes if we're not aligned with Christ 42:31 you can try your best... your efforts may be ever so pure 42:35 but unless you are aligned with Christ, 42:37 the power keeps evading you. 42:39 So in the morning, we have to align ourselves with Christ, 42:41 you know, "Lord, take my life for I cannot give it... 42:45 empower me... for I have no power of my own" 42:49 Ellen White has a beautiful prayer about that... 42:50 dedicating ourselves to Christ every day... 42:52 make that the first work of the day... 42:54 but what was the essence of the gospel 42:56 according to the Apostle Paul? 42:58 Here it is, Romans 1 and verse 16, 43:01 look at what he says, 43:02 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ" 43:07 for it is the what? "power of God to salvation 43:13 for everyone who... " does what? 43:15 "believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. " 43:19 So, what was the essence of the gospel? 43:22 the essence of the gospel, huh... 43:25 the power of God... 43:27 the power of God to salvation, 43:31 the essence of the gospel is the power of God to salvation. 43:34 We got to think about that in the sense... 43:36 what... what leads me... and by-the-way, let me just... 43:39 let me amplify... amplify this a little further 43:41 because we say, 43:42 "Okay, the power of God to salvation. " 43:44 You got to look at this in the context of justification, 43:46 sanctification and glorification. 43:49 In other words, you are saved... 43:51 you're being saved... and you will be saved. 43:55 What propels you forward... 43:57 the power of God to salvation 44:00 keeps you moving towards the perfect image of Christ. 44:04 You don't just get justified and stay there 44:06 you get... you get justified... 44:09 daily you are being sanctified... 44:11 by what? The power of God for salvation 44:15 and then, finally at the very end 44:16 you are what? Glorified... 44:18 the power of God to salvation... 44:20 in other words, this sounds really strange 44:22 but don't misunderstand what I'm saying. 44:25 Every day we're becoming more and more... 44:27 at least we should... 44:28 be becoming more and more 44:30 like the image of Jesus, am I right? 44:32 We should be because we're not standing still 44:34 the Christian life is not a static life 44:37 you begin some place but you got a goal. 44:39 Paul says, "I've pressed more the goal of the prize 44:43 for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. " 44:45 So, if you're standing still... 44:46 if you're content with just being justified... 44:48 it's a measly existence. 44:51 Every day I want to be stronger than the day before, right? 44:54 and surely if I've been a Christian for 15 years, 44:56 I should be well on my way 44:59 to becoming more like Christ 15 years later 45:02 struggling with less things 15 years later 45:05 than I was, 15 years earlier. 45:06 That's how you know. 45:08 I remember once... somebody once said, 45:11 "If the things that you used to do 45:14 begin showing up in your life, 45:15 you're going backward... 45:18 can I tell you a story? 45:20 Pause... 45:21 Because you guys didn't get that that quickly. 45:24 We left Texas on our way to California 45:27 when we were moving out there for the first time, 45:30 we stopped in Texas 45:31 because you can't drive through Texas in one day. 45:34 It's 880 miles from end to end 45:36 unless you have nothing else to do, 45:39 so we stopped mid-way in Texas 45:41 got up in the morning 45:43 with our trailer 45:46 pulling ourselves on the way to California. 45:50 Fifteen minutes into the drive, Angie said, 45:54 "Wow, that restaurant looked familiar" 45:57 I said, "Well, Honey, this is Highway 10, 46:00 there are probably many of them. 46:02 "That hotel looked familiar. " 46:04 Well, maybe it's part of a chain" 46:07 I was in denial for 25 minutes 46:10 what I didn't know and I... I learned then... 46:13 I didn't learn... 46:14 I learned this because that was not... 46:16 that was probably our second time 46:18 but I didn't catch... 46:20 see what you don't know is if the mile markers... 46:22 I learned this... if the mile markers are going up, 46:25 which direction are you moving? 46:26 Huh? 46:29 East... 46:32 if the mile markers are going down, 46:34 what direction you're going? West. 46:36 The mile markers were going up and I didn't realize it, 46:40 I had been going in the wrong direction for 25 minutes. 46:44 Thus... thus the story... 46:47 if the things that you used to do 46:49 start showing up in your life again... 46:52 you're going in the wrong direction. 46:55 All right... so when you're justified, 46:57 you're being sanctified... 46:59 you have to pray that the things that you used to do 47:00 or struggle with... are not showing up in your life again 47:02 because that's an indication 47:04 you're going in the wrong direction and you know what? 47:06 It happens sometimes ever so imperceptibly 47:08 and sometimes it happens when you're completely honest 47:11 because you think you're going in the wrong direction 47:15 thus the phrase, 47:16 "There's a way that seems right unto a man 47:18 but in the end thereof is the way of... " what? "death. " 47:21 I think that's Proverbs 16:25 or Psalms... 47:25 check it out for me somebody, don't quote me on that one 47:27 but I know it's in the Bible more than once, all right. 47:31 So, the answer here is according to Question Number 10, 47:34 "How does Paul the apostle 47:35 describe the essence of the gospel?" 47:38 The power of God to salvation... 47:40 the power of God to salvation. 47:43 All right, look at Number 11, Number 11... 47:47 here we are... 47:49 Number 11... 47:50 ready Enoria, check this out, Number 11, 47:52 pause 47:54 "What does the Bible describe as the 'Message of the Cross?'" 47:58 What does the Bible describe as the "Message of the Cross?" 48:03 pause 48:05 What does the Bible describe as the "Message of the Cross?" 48:07 Go to 1st Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 18, 48:10 the message of the cross... 48:12 Audience: That verse is in Proverbs 16:25. 48:15 Okay, praise the Lord, it's Proverbs 16:25... 48:18 that's what came to my mind, all right. 48:21 What does the Bible describe as the message of the cross? 48:26 Now, let me tell you, when we... when we... 48:29 when we go to this answer, 48:30 let me tell you why this answer is so vitally important, 48:32 this is not just to give you information, 48:34 but if somebody says to you, 48:36 well, let me just put this in a... in a testimony, 48:40 there's nothing that is a better testimony or evidence 48:43 that there is a power outside of ourselves 48:46 than a changed life. 48:48 Than a... what kind of life? 48:50 Audience: Changed life. 48:51 Somebody said, "Okay, how do you know that God exists?" 48:54 Say to the people that knew you, "Look at me... 48:58 I mean, really, we hung out together right? 49:02 We partied together, didn't we? 49:04 We drank together, didn't we? 49:06 We smoked together, didn't we? 49:08 We robbed stores together, didn't we? 49:10 We were criminals together, didn't we?" 49:12 Okay now, what could you possibly 49:14 attribute the change to? 49:15 Pause... 49:19 Not to anything on our part 49:21 because human nature cannot bring that kind of change. 49:23 Right? 49:24 So, look at this, the message of the cross, 49:26 in other words, when you speak to somebody about the cross, 49:29 you got to have something that they desire to have 49:32 and will be encompassed in the life that you live, 49:35 notice what Paul says here 49:36 in 1st Corinthians 1 and verse 18 49:38 he says, "For the message of the cross... " is what? 49:42 "foolishness to those who are perishing, 49:46 but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. " 49:54 So, what is the message of the cross? 49:56 The message of the cross is the power of God. 50:01 At the cross... at the cross where I first saw the light 50:05 and the burdens of my heart rolled away... 50:07 at the cross the power was being made available to us 50:11 but Jesus had to die that death to take us to the cross with Him 50:15 then bury us in that watery grave with Him 50:18 that we can come forth from the grave 50:21 and experience the power of God 50:23 so when you say, "Well, what is the message of the cross?" 50:27 In a nutshell, the message of the cross is the power of God. 50:30 Pause. 50:32 Now for people that are being lost, it's foolishness, 50:34 they say, "What do you mean the message of the cross?" 50:36 But when you... when you commit yourself to Christ, 50:38 all of a sudden, that which appeared to be foolish 50:41 when you were in... walking in the flesh, 50:43 is now a joy to those who are now walking in the... 50:48 to walking in the... walking in the Spirit. 50:52 It now makes sense to those who are walking in the Spirit. 50:55 For those who are walking in the flesh, it's foolishness 50:58 because people that have money, they say, "Money is power. " 51:01 Other people say, "Knowledge is power" 51:04 so what do they do? 51:05 They get degree after degree after degree 51:07 because they think power is intellectual 51:09 there are other people who have bank accounts 51:11 and they have multiple millions and some billions 51:14 because they say that money is power 51:17 but I say, the gospel is power, right? 51:21 It is the only... it is the only transforming grace, 51:24 it is the only transforming experience that we will have 51:28 because money... it transforms people 51:30 but not necessarily for eternal life. 51:32 Right? 51:33 Intellectual stimulation transforms people 51:37 but not necessarily for eternal life. 51:39 There are going to be some very intellectual... 51:41 very wealthy people that are going to be lost 51:43 because they rely on their riches and their intellect 51:47 rather than the power of God which is to salvation 51:50 so Paul says, "Man! it's not foolishness to me any longer, 51:54 it's the message of the cross. " 51:57 Go with me to Romans chapter 1, we... I think we read that... 52:01 yeah, we read that already, it was Question Number 10 52:04 or was it Question Number 10, let me go back 52:07 I want to make sure that... 52:09 Audience: It was Romans 1:16. 52:10 Okay, let's go to Romans chapter 1, all right, 52:13 pause... 52:20 more pause 52:25 okay, we read Romans 1 verse 16 but I want to... 52:30 I want to read verse 17, I did not include that, 52:34 it's a very important verse to include in the... 52:38 in the... 52:41 in the gamut of understanding this very carefully 52:44 because he says in verse 16, 52:47 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: 52:50 for it is the power of God to salvation 52:52 for everyone who believes" 52:54 and when you go back to that and you begin to see this... 52:56 it goes... it goes back and makes sense, 52:59 it is the power of God to salvation 53:01 and then we just read, 53:02 it is the message of the cross is the power of God... 53:06 not just the power of God 53:07 but the power of God to salvation 53:09 and notice verse 17, "For in it... for in it... 53:13 the righteousness of God is... " what? 53:17 "revealed... " from what? "Faith to faith 53:21 therefore, the just shall live by... " how? "Faith... " 53:26 that faith walk is what makes available to us 53:28 the power of God 53:29 because you can't see it 53:31 but you can experience it if you connect yourself 53:34 in that daily relationship with Christ. 53:37 You can know it's there 53:38 if you connect yourself in a daily relationship with Christ 53:41 and for those of us who sometimes get busier 53:44 than we need to be, 53:46 it's imperative that we slow down 53:49 and connect ourselves to the only source 53:51 that will keep us going beyond our activity. 53:54 When the evening comes, 53:55 I'm going to miss my wife for this... 53:58 and now I've got to download it for myself 54:00 because every evening... 54:01 my wife is now visiting her mom in Florida, 54:04 every evening we... this is no commercial 54:07 but for those of you that have Androids or iPhones or iPads, 54:14 no matter what system you're on, 54:15 there's a beautiful App called Bible. is 54:19 you can get it for free 54:21 whether you have an Android device 54:22 or whether you have an Apple device 54:24 and what we do every night 54:25 is we listen to the Bible together. 54:29 We're now in the book of Deuteronomy 54:32 and we made this kind of contract 54:35 so while you're away, don't listen to the... 54:38 keep up with me... don't go too far ahead of me, 54:40 let me know how many chapters you listened to tonight 54:43 so, we could stay together in pace... 54:44 you know why that's so important? 54:46 Because sometimes, at the end of our day 54:48 we could be exhausted. 54:50 Anybody get exhausted? 54:51 At the end of the day, do you really want to... 54:54 I mean, let's get real... 54:55 how many of you want to get into a concentrated Bible Study 54:58 late at night? 54:59 Now, I want to confess here, 55:02 sometimes, when we're reading the Bible... 55:03 I could be tired but my wife... or I would read a text 55:07 and that's two more hours for me 55:09 because while she's falling asleep, 55:11 she'd say, "John, turn the light off" 55:13 I'd say, "Well, Honey, I just found something, 55:14 I can't let it go, I've got to... " 55:16 and I stay up about an hour and a half more 55:18 writing all the things that God reveals in my heart 55:21 but on the human side of that, 55:23 on the frail side of that, 55:24 sometimes we're exhausted at night. 55:26 My good friend, Doug Batchelor, 55:27 he still does this to this very day, 55:29 When we were on the road back then 55:32 when they had cassette tapes 55:33 he said... we'd pray together 55:35 and then, he'd put on this little cassette tape 55:39 with... Scourby... what's this guy's name? 55:42 Audience: Alexander Scourby... 55:44 Alexander Scourby... "Matthew chapter 5" 55:48 and while we're falling asleep, 55:50 we'd hear him reading the Bible in the background. 55:53 Now what's so wonderful about that? 55:55 Isn't it wonderful to fill your mind 55:58 with things that you can meditate on 56:00 even while you're sleeping 56:01 and you wake up in the morning, you say, 56:03 "I don't know who said it 56:04 but I think there's a verse in Matthew... I remember that. " 56:07 The last voice you heard was the Word... 56:09 the last... the last connection you had 56:12 was the power of God's Word before you went to bed, 56:15 but you know, so many of us go to bed 56:17 and the last thing we saw was the news 56:19 or the last thing we read was a magazine... 56:21 or the last thing we heard 56:23 was a terrible bit of news on television 56:28 or we saw a show that got our blood so agitated 56:30 that we can't sleep for another hour 56:32 and one psychologist said, 56:35 "You should not have the television on 56:38 on things that are highly exciting 56:41 two hours before you go to bed" 56:44 because you can't 56:46 the body has to slow itself down 56:49 and get into the cadence and the rhythm 56:50 for you to get a good night's rest. 56:52 So... 56:54 Audience: Bible... what? 56:55 Pastor: Bible. is 56:56 Bible. is 57:00 okay, we just did Question Number 11, right? 57:02 I'm not going to go on to question number 12 tonight 57:05 but I'll just read it for you 57:07 so we can have a lead-in for the next one. 57:09 All right... I'll I have a lead-in 57:11 so that when we continue this study next week, 57:14 you could see that we've laid the foundation 57:16 through Question Number 12. 57:18 So, tonight, let me ask you the question, 57:20 is there any doubt in your mind 57:22 that we are all in need of a power outside of ourselves, 57:25 yes or no? Audience: Yes. 57:26 And the power is from where? 57:28 The power is from Christ. 57:30 "I am the vine, you are the branches, 57:34 if you abide in me, you can bear fruit 57:38 for without me, you can do... how much? 57:41 You can do absolutely nothing 57:43 and so, Friends, here at A Sharper Focus 57:45 and here at 3ABN 57:46 our commitment is to the study of God's Word... 57:49 to the empowerment that is found in God's Word 57:52 and we encourage you to study 57:54 and understand what God has in store for you 57:56 and when you continually study God's Word, 57:59 one day... what is not clear will come into a sharper focus. 58:02 God bless you. |
Revised 2018-11-15