Welcome to a Sharper Focus.
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Our Wednesday night
Bible study coming to you live
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from the Thompsonville
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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in Thompsonville, Illinois.
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We want to welcome
our viewing audience,
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and we want to
invite you if you are local,
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please do feel free
to come down and join us
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right here in our classroom.
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Our address is 3577, Angel Lane,
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Thompsonville, Illinois 62890.
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So you can google that.
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If you're in the
area, come on down.
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And I want to
welcome my classroom.
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Welcome, everybody.
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Thanks for joining us tonight.
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I'm actually filling
in for the pastor tonight
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because Pastor Lomacang just
recently got back from India
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and as you can
imagine with all the travels,
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he is thoroughly exhausted.
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So I'll be filling
in for him tonight.
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Now remember, if for some reason
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we go off the air,
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we are experiencing
crazy weather around here.
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All afternoon there
has been a tornado watch,
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not a warning, a
warning is worse,
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but we've been
on a tornado watch.
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So if we go off the
air, please do pray for us.
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You don't want us to be
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spinning around in
the clouds somewhere
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looking at
flying cows and houses.
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So please do pray for us.
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And hopefully, the
airwaves will stay open
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because I
believe tonight's topic
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is going to be
a blessing to you.
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Why don't we open up
with a word of prayer?
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Father, we do want to
thank You so much for life.
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We want to thank You for Jesus,
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and we want to thank
You, Lord, for salvation.
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We want to thank You for
all that You have done for us,
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all that You have
promised to do for us,
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and just to know, Lord,
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that as we lay down our
heads on our pillows at night
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and find rest,
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we too can find
rest in our Savior
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and be sure that He will
see us through to the end.
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We thank You for
these things tonight, Lord,
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and we just ask all these
things inviting Your presence
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in Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen.
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The question we
want to answer tonight
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is a very important question.
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Can we have
assurance of salvation?
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Yes.
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A pretty important
question, isn't it?
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Now several
dictionaries define assurance,
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in fact, a lot
of dictionaries do,
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and one thing they
all have in common is that
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very simply put
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assurance is freedom from doubt,
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and some dictionary say
freedom from self-doubt.
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But in the Christian experience,
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self-doubt is
actually a good thing.
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So we just want
freedom from doubt.
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Is that not correct?
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Amen. Amen.
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You know, we all want
certainty in our lives.
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When we get in the
car in the morning,
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we're just going to
hope as it starts, right?
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We're hoping that
when we turn that key,
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that car is going to fire it up.
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When we get our paychecks
at the end of the week,
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we want assurance that
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not only will we have
enough money to pay the bills,
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but we want the assurance that
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we're also going to
have a little bit of money
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to put some food in the fridge.
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Our children, as parents,
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parents want assurance
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that their kids
when they grow up
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are going to make
wise decisions, right?
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We get a lot of calls
in the pastoral department
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from parents who are worried,
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sick about the
choices their kids are making,
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so we want assurance.
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Assurance is a very good thing.
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Assurance, kind of,
sound like insurance,
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but I guess assurance is
kind of like insurance too.
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But, you know, we all
want assurance of good health.
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You know, when
your health fails,
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it just seems like
everything falls apart.
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So we want
assurance of good health.
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And it's no different
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when it comes to
our eternal salvation.
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In a world where everything
seems as unpredictable
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as the shifting
sands on the seashore,
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there is one thing
above every other thing
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we want assurance of.
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And that's our salvation.
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Now I want to ask the question
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what causes us to
doubt our salvation.
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What causes these
dark foreboding feelings
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that we have about the future?
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And I'm not talking
about the events of this world,
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we know that things
eventually in this world
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are going to go belly up.
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I'm talking about
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what causes us to doubt
our assurance in Christ.
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Where does the problem lie?
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Well, I'm going
to tell you right now
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where the problem lies.
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It lies right here, right here.
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This is the problem.
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I'm the problem, right?
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And if you were to ask
yourself that question,
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you wouldn't be pointing at me,
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you'd be pointing
hopefully back at you, right?
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So the problem about
assurance when we don't have it,
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I'm proposing to you
tonight is right here.
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The problem lies
in our own experience.
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Now with that in mind,
please do turn with me to
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1 Corinthians
Chapter 13 in your Bibles,
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I hope you all have them.
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And I would like to
remind our viewing audience,
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we have a lot of scriptures
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we're going to
go through tonight.
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So please grab a
paper, grab a pencil or pen,
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write down these scriptures,
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you're going to want
to keep track of them
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because assurance is such
a, not only a precious thing,
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but a most sought
after thing indeed.
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1 Corinthians 13:1,
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Paul says,
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"Though I speak with the
tongues of men and of angels,
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but have not love,
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I have become sounding
brass or a clanging cymbal."
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You tell them, Paul, right?
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"And though I have
the gift of prophecy,
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and understand all
mysteries and all knowledge,
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and though I have all faith,
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so that I could
remove mountains,
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but I have not
love, I am nothing."
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Preach it, Paul.
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You know, we as
church members sometimes,
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when we read the Bible,
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we're like,
"Preach it, brother."
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And sometimes when the
guy's sitting next to us
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in the pew and we feel like
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they're the ones who
need to be convicted,
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we're like,
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"That's right, Paul.
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You're reading it?"
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You know, we don't
want to look at ourselves.
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We want the next guy
over to be convicted.
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So preach it, Paul.
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That's our attitude so often.
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And Paul goes on,
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"And though I bestow all
my goods to feed the poor,
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and though I give
my body to be burned,
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but have not love,
it profits me nothing."
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Amen. You tell them, Paul.
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Sick that
spiritual dog on that, right?
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"Love suffers long and is kind,
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does not parade itself..."
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Boy, I wasn't very
kind to my wife this week
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when she said that little thing
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that just kind
of got on my nerves.
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Uh-oh!
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"Love does not parade itself."
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Okay, I got no
problem with that.
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I'm not a look
at me kind of guy.
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"Love is not puffed up,
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love does not behave rudely..."
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Yeah, that's right.
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I called I came
in the other day.
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That guy wanted to argue about
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the second coming in
all the events I had.
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It kind of got on
my nerves a little bit,
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and I just fired back
all the scripture texts,
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you know.
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I'm not doing too good now.
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"Love does not seek its
own, does not behave rudely,
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does not provoke,
that thinks no evil."
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Verse 6, "Does not
rejoice in iniquity,
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but rejoices in the truth."
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Amen.
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Amen to that.
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"Bears all things,"
God bear all things,
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"believes all
things, hopes all things,
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endures all things.
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Love never fails.
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But whether
there are prophecies,
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they will fail,
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whether there are
tongues, they will cease,
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whether there is knowledge,
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it will vanish away."
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Now I was doing
pretty good in the beginning
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because Paul was
preaching above the crowd.
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But when I got to
all the expressions of
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what love really...
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About how love
really expresses itself,
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something happened in me
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where I suddenly my
confidence just kind of crumble.
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Why?
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Why did my confidence crumble?
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Because now I'm not
looking at everybody else,
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I'm looking at my works, right?
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I mean, when I compare
myself to 1 Corinthians 13,
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all of sudden I'm not
fairing too good, am I?
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And I'm thinking to myself
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if only I could
master these traits,
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I could say to
myself, I'm saved, right?
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If only I can master this,
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if only I could somehow
reflect this 1 Corinthians 13
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in my own life,
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then I can have the
assurance that I'm saved.
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If I could mirror this,
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then I could have the assurance
that God accepts me, right?
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But herein lies the problem.
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Remember, the
problem is right here.
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Because the
problem with this thinking
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is called
righteousness by works.
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You see, for some
reason on some level,
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I've come to
believe in my experience,
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and reason I share this 'cause
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I think there's a lot
of other people out there
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who feel the same way.
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On some level,
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I have come to believe that
my good works merit salvation.
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You know, it's like a
stack of golden coins.
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You know, the more
better things I do,
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the more good things I do,
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and all the things
that I know to be right,
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the more I do is
like that stack of coins
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just kind of gets
higher and higher and higher.
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And then one day when I
get to the Pearly Gates,
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I'm just going to
go to little coin slot,
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and hopefully, I'm
going to have enough coins
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to pop in there, right?
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And then the gate
is going to creak open.
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I may have just enough.
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And if that gate
just gets open enough,
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I'm going to slip
on through, right?
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Crazy, isn't it?
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But, you know what, a lot of
us have this kind of thinking,
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if we could just be good enough.
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Many feel like they're standing
with God is like a door.
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You know, you
do a few good deeds
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and the door is wide open.
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You do few bad deeds,
and the door slam shut.
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Repent, doors back open,
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mess up, doors
shut again, right?
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I mean, a lot of
people have this concept
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of their relationship with God.
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Some feel like in the end,
00:10:01.93\00:10:03.26
Jesus is going to take
out His behavior scale, right?
00:10:03.30\00:10:07.60
And He's going to take
all of Dick's good deeds,
00:10:07.64\00:10:11.64
all the good things
Dick has done in his life,
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and He's going to put
them on one side of the scale,
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and then on the
other side of the scale,
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He's going to take all those
bad things that Dick has done,
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and He's going to
put them on both sides,
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and then we're going
to look at the scale,
00:10:22.32\00:10:23.65
Dick's going to
look at that scale
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and if it just tips above
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and if the good just goes
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a little further
down than the bad,
00:10:28.76\00:10:30.73
Dick is safe, right,
00:10:30.76\00:10:32.09
'cause he's got more good
works than bad works, right?
00:10:32.13\00:10:35.86
But if for some reason,
00:10:35.90\00:10:37.23
he's got more bad
deeds than good deeds,
00:10:37.27\00:10:39.00
then that scale's
going to tip the other way.
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Sorry, Dick, you're out of here.
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You know, crazy, isn't it? Yeah.
00:10:44.41\00:10:46.47
But don't so many
of us think like this?
00:10:46.51\00:10:50.35
Or, you know, and I'm
using myself as an example.
00:10:50.38\00:10:52.61
It's almost like we
imagine the book of life.
00:10:52.65\00:10:55.38
You know, the angels
leaning over the book of life,
00:10:55.42\00:10:57.32
and he's got the
pencil in his hand.
00:10:57.35\00:10:59.52
You know, and he's
leaning over there,
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and Kevin wakes up,
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remember, I'm using
myself as an example.
00:11:02.72\00:11:04.33
Kevin wakes up.
00:11:04.36\00:11:05.69
You know, it's a
beautiful day outside.
00:11:05.73\00:11:07.06
I mean, it's sunny,
the birds are singing.
00:11:07.10\00:11:09.53
You know, the air is
clean and smells great.
00:11:09.56\00:11:13.13
I can see the
mountains in the background.
00:11:13.17\00:11:14.84
Kids are quiet.
00:11:14.87\00:11:16.37
You know, my
wife's in a great mood,
00:11:16.40\00:11:18.11
she woke up on the
right side of the bed,
00:11:18.14\00:11:19.47
I woke up on the
right side of the bed.
00:11:19.51\00:11:21.11
You know, and
it's just a good day,
00:11:21.14\00:11:22.74
and I get in my car,
00:11:22.78\00:11:24.11
and I'm heading
down to the gas station
00:11:24.15\00:11:25.48
to put some gas in the car.
00:11:25.51\00:11:27.15
And as I get to the gas station,
00:11:27.18\00:11:28.52
I notice there's a homeless man
leaning against the dumpster.
00:11:28.55\00:11:32.85
And I decide to hop out,
and I got to help this guy.
00:11:32.89\00:11:36.79
You know, so I run
into the gas station,
00:11:36.83\00:11:38.43
I get him sandwich.
00:11:38.46\00:11:39.89
Now my angel yells
up to the other angel
00:11:39.93\00:11:42.36
over the book of life and says,
00:11:42.40\00:11:44.27
"Kevin is buying a
sandwich for the homeless guy."
00:11:44.30\00:11:48.27
And the angel says, "Good man.
00:11:48.30\00:11:51.27
Keep that name there."
00:11:51.31\00:11:53.01
But then all of a
sudden Kevin comes out
00:11:53.04\00:11:54.38
and the angel
looks at the sandwich,
00:11:54.41\00:11:55.74
he says, "Wait a minute.
00:11:55.78\00:11:57.11
It's got ham on it.
00:11:57.15\00:11:58.78
It's got ham on the sandwich."
00:11:58.81\00:12:01.02
Now the angel's like,
"Oh, no, ham on the sandwich.
00:12:01.05\00:12:04.45
What do I do about that, Lord?
00:12:04.49\00:12:05.85
Doing something good, but
he's got ham on the sandwich."
00:12:05.89\00:12:09.02
And then I go over
to the homeless guy,
00:12:09.06\00:12:10.73
and I give him the sandwich.
00:12:10.76\00:12:12.63
And the guy thanks me.
00:12:12.66\00:12:14.00
Well, I gave him the sandwich.
00:12:14.03\00:12:15.36
So okay, I'm about to,
wait a minute, wait a minute,
00:12:15.40\00:12:17.40
the ham slipped
out of the sandwich
00:12:17.43\00:12:18.77
and it fell in Kevin's foot.
00:12:18.80\00:12:20.14
Now he's
muttering under his breath.
00:12:20.17\00:12:21.50
He looks real mad.
00:12:21.54\00:12:22.87
Well, I mean, that went easy.
00:12:22.90\00:12:24.24
Let me just erase
his name again, right?
00:12:24.27\00:12:27.61
Man, come on,
Kev, get it together.
00:12:27.64\00:12:30.45
And on the way back
home, as I'm driving back home,
00:12:30.48\00:12:32.68
I notice there's an old
lady getting out of a car
00:12:32.71\00:12:34.12
and she's struggling,
00:12:34.15\00:12:35.48
and I decide to go over
and help her out, right?
00:12:35.52\00:12:37.65
Now I'm going over to the car
00:12:37.69\00:12:39.25
and the angels
smile and he sees me
00:12:39.29\00:12:40.89
and I'm helping the old lady,
and I help her into the house.
00:12:40.92\00:12:42.72
And God bless
you, I go back home.
00:12:42.76\00:12:44.76
And angel says,
00:12:44.79\00:12:46.13
"Kevin just helped an
old lady out of the car.
00:12:46.16\00:12:48.00
Wow. Praise the Lord. I
put his name back in there.
00:12:48.03\00:12:51.13
Man, I wish he just
get it together though
00:12:51.17\00:12:52.50
'cause I'm running
out of erasers here.
00:12:52.53\00:12:54.40
You know, and honestly
if that's how it really was,
00:12:54.44\00:12:58.31
then he would run out on eraser
00:12:58.34\00:12:59.81
because when I
look at my experience,
00:12:59.84\00:13:03.01
you know, it seems sometimes
like such a rollercoaster ride,
00:13:03.04\00:13:07.08
and as funny as
that is and it is funny.
00:13:07.12\00:13:10.89
But the sad part about
that is do you know that
00:13:10.92\00:13:13.02
there are millions in this world
00:13:13.05\00:13:15.96
who view their
relationship with God like that.
00:13:15.99\00:13:19.19
You know, it's a
constant roller coaster of
00:13:19.23\00:13:21.20
save, lost,
save, lost, save, lost,
00:13:21.23\00:13:23.37
door open, door
shut, door open, door shut.
00:13:23.40\00:13:25.27
You know, name in
the book, name erased,
00:13:25.30\00:13:26.94
name in the book, name erased.
00:13:26.97\00:13:29.00
So the problem is us, right?
00:13:29.04\00:13:33.14
It's righteousness by works.
00:13:33.17\00:13:34.64
What kind of
assurance can you have
00:13:34.68\00:13:36.01
if you're constantly
looking at your behavior?
00:13:36.04\00:13:38.08
Turn with me to our
second scripture today.
00:13:38.11\00:13:40.55
Ephesians 2,
everybody knows this scripture.
00:13:40.58\00:13:44.55
Ephesians 2:8.
00:13:44.59\00:13:46.92
We've got a lot
to cover tonight.
00:13:46.96\00:13:48.52
I hope we can.
00:13:48.56\00:13:49.89
This is just one of those topics
00:13:49.92\00:13:51.69
that not only does it open
up a can of worms sometimes,
00:13:51.73\00:13:56.03
but it brings up so many
other issues in the process
00:13:56.06\00:13:58.73
that you just
can't cover everything.
00:13:58.77\00:14:00.10
I'm going to do my best
00:14:00.14\00:14:01.47
to cover the most
important aspects of it,
00:14:01.50\00:14:03.71
touch base on a
couple other ones.
00:14:03.74\00:14:05.14
And if we are able
to deal with this again,
00:14:05.17\00:14:07.58
maybe we can
spend some more time.
00:14:07.61\00:14:08.94
But anyway, go
to Ephesians 2:8-9,
00:14:08.98\00:14:12.11
and we all know this text.
00:14:12.15\00:14:15.45
And the Bible
says, "For by grace
00:14:15.48\00:14:17.75
you have been
saved through faith,
00:14:17.79\00:14:21.92
and that not of yourselves,
00:14:21.96\00:14:24.23
it is the gift of God,
00:14:24.26\00:14:26.26
not of works, lest
anyone should boast."
00:14:26.29\00:14:31.60
If we want
assurance of salvation,
00:14:31.63\00:14:33.90
it seems to me
00:14:33.94\00:14:35.60
that the first
thing we need to do
00:14:35.64\00:14:37.94
is to realize that
we can't save ourselves.
00:14:37.97\00:14:43.41
Is that not true?
00:14:43.45\00:14:45.08
I mean, the text is so clear.
00:14:45.11\00:14:48.25
It's by grace
that we've been saved.
00:14:48.28\00:14:49.88
What is the definition of grace?
00:14:49.92\00:14:51.25
Unmerited favor,
everybody knows that, right?
00:14:51.29\00:14:53.25
The definition of
grace is unmerited favor.
00:14:53.29\00:14:56.76
And we have been
saved through faith, right?
00:14:56.79\00:14:59.53
Faith is belief.
00:14:59.56\00:15:00.90
You choose to
believe, that's faith.
00:15:00.93\00:15:02.56
It is the gift of God.
Can you purchase a gift?
00:15:02.60\00:15:06.27
I mean, wouldn't you feel hurt
00:15:06.30\00:15:07.64
if you went to your loved
one and you gave them a gift
00:15:07.67\00:15:09.50
and they said, "Let me
give you 50 bucks for that."
00:15:09.54\00:15:11.74
You know, I mean, if I bought
my dad a shirt for his birthday
00:15:11.77\00:15:14.31
and he sent me in a
check a mail for $35,
00:15:14.34\00:15:16.88
I mean, I feel kind
of insulted, wouldn't I?
00:15:16.91\00:15:19.21
"Dad, what is wrong with you?"
00:15:19.25\00:15:21.92
This is a gift.
00:15:21.95\00:15:23.28
You can't purchase a gift.
00:15:23.32\00:15:25.15
It is the gift of God it says,
00:15:25.19\00:15:27.42
and then it goes on
to even more profound,
00:15:27.46\00:15:30.53
"not of works, lest
anyone should boast."
00:15:30.56\00:15:33.56
If salvation was of
works, I could walk around
00:15:33.60\00:15:37.23
and look at all
my good deeds, right?
00:15:37.27\00:15:40.04
And probably, I'm
looking at my good deeds
00:15:40.07\00:15:41.40
and have that forgetful memory,
that selective memory thing,
00:15:41.44\00:15:43.54
forget all my bad deeds.
00:15:43.57\00:15:45.04
If we could do that,
we'd be walking around,
00:15:45.07\00:15:46.54
saying, "Yeah, I'm safe.
00:15:46.57\00:15:47.91
I don't know about Bob,
00:15:47.94\00:15:49.28
I saw him get upset
with that guy the other day."
00:15:49.31\00:15:50.65
You know, and you imagine
what kind of relationships
00:15:50.68\00:15:52.11
we have with each
other if it was by works?
00:15:52.15\00:15:55.95
"Not of works, lest
anyone should boast."
00:15:55.98\00:15:58.09
Paul is extremely clear.
00:15:58.12\00:16:01.12
You know, in the garden,
00:16:01.16\00:16:02.49
Adam and Eve, when they sinned,
00:16:02.52\00:16:04.96
what's the first thing they did?
00:16:04.99\00:16:07.70
They grabbed the
fig leaves, right?
00:16:07.73\00:16:09.43
And they try to
make themselves coverings
00:16:09.46\00:16:11.30
because they
knew they were naked.
00:16:11.33\00:16:13.47
And what does the
Bible say a little bit later?
00:16:13.50\00:16:15.64
It says that God made
tunics out of animal skins,
00:16:15.67\00:16:20.38
so the covering that Adam
and Eve made for themselves
00:16:20.41\00:16:24.18
was not sufficient, correct?
00:16:24.21\00:16:26.61
That's right.
00:16:26.65\00:16:27.98
So God had to intervene
00:16:28.02\00:16:29.35
and make something
that was sufficient,
00:16:29.38\00:16:31.05
not of works, lest
anyone should boast.
00:16:31.09\00:16:35.22
Amen.
00:16:35.26\00:16:37.69
Turn to Romans 3:10.
00:16:37.73\00:16:39.39
Romans 3:10.
00:16:45.63\00:16:51.27
Going to delve a
little deeper into
00:16:51.31\00:16:52.64
why we can't save ourselves.
00:16:52.67\00:16:55.51
Why salvation is a gift?
00:16:55.54\00:16:58.08
Okay, Romans 3:10.
00:16:58.11\00:17:00.35
It says,
00:17:00.38\00:17:02.82
Paul's writing,
"As it is written,
00:17:02.85\00:17:05.85
'There is none
righteous, no, not one.
00:17:05.89\00:17:09.49
None who understands," verse 11,
00:17:09.52\00:17:12.39
"There is none
who seeks after God."
00:17:12.43\00:17:15.50
Now turn over to Romans 3:23,
00:17:15.53\00:17:19.00
Romans 3:23.
00:17:19.03\00:17:23.10
"For all have sinned,"
the Bible says, Romans 3:23,
00:17:23.14\00:17:26.91
"and fall short
of the glory of God."
00:17:26.94\00:17:31.21
We've got a fundamental
problem here, don't we?
00:17:31.25\00:17:34.45
Turn to Isaiah 64:6.
00:17:34.48\00:17:38.42
Same lines, we're talking
about the human condition here.
00:17:38.45\00:17:41.99
Isaiah 64:6.
00:17:42.02\00:17:48.16
Isaiah says,
00:17:48.20\00:17:49.73
"But we are all
like an unclean thing,
00:17:49.76\00:17:55.40
and all our righteousness
are as filthy rags.
00:17:55.44\00:17:59.17
We all fade as a leaf,
00:17:59.21\00:18:00.91
and our
iniquities, like the wind,
00:18:00.94\00:18:03.04
have taken us away."
00:18:03.08\00:18:05.31
"Hey, Dick, I got a runny
nose, can I have a tissue?"
00:18:05.35\00:18:06.75
"Yeah, sure, Kevin, here you go.
00:18:06.78\00:18:08.12
I just used it
couple of minutes ago."
00:18:08.15\00:18:10.52
Dirty rag.
00:18:10.55\00:18:12.52
It's disgusting, right?
00:18:12.55\00:18:14.52
All of our
righteousness is like that,
00:18:14.56\00:18:17.53
a filthy rag.
00:18:17.56\00:18:19.66
And this is the
human predicament.
00:18:19.69\00:18:22.23
We are not inherently righteous.
00:18:22.26\00:18:25.73
I mean, this is the
most fundamental thing
00:18:25.77\00:18:27.90
about the plan
of salvation, right?
00:18:27.94\00:18:29.70
It's the fact that
we can't save ourselves.
00:18:29.74\00:18:32.91
The fact that God had
to step in and do something
00:18:32.94\00:18:34.98
that we could
never have done, right?
00:18:35.01\00:18:38.31
And the Bible says in
the verses we just read that
00:18:38.35\00:18:40.15
we don't naturally
seek after the Lord.
00:18:40.18\00:18:43.05
So I guess that means that
00:18:43.08\00:18:44.42
even when I am
seeking after the Lord,
00:18:44.45\00:18:46.05
I'm thinking I'm
doing pretty good,
00:18:46.09\00:18:47.42
I wake up, I read my
devotionals every morning
00:18:47.46\00:18:50.79
and we start to think that
00:18:50.83\00:18:52.29
we've got this thing down pat.
00:18:52.33\00:18:55.16
But if we don't
naturally seek after the Lord,
00:18:55.20\00:18:57.67
then who is doing the prompting?
00:18:57.70\00:18:59.43
God is.
00:18:59.47\00:19:00.80
So even at our best
00:19:00.84\00:19:02.17
when we're doing our
Bible studies in the morning
00:19:02.20\00:19:03.91
or reading the text during
the day and we're praying,
00:19:03.94\00:19:05.64
it's still God
that is prompting us
00:19:05.67\00:19:07.14
to do all those
things because Isaiah says,
00:19:07.18\00:19:09.48
we don't
naturally seek after God.
00:19:09.51\00:19:11.28
There's none who
understand, right?
00:19:11.31\00:19:14.02
And this is the
beautiful thing about
00:19:14.05\00:19:16.08
understanding the fundamental
human condition of sin.
00:19:16.12\00:19:21.42
You see, if I accept the fact
00:19:21.46\00:19:25.49
that I cannot save myself,
00:19:25.53\00:19:28.30
I am released
from the inconsistent,
00:19:28.33\00:19:31.70
unpredictable trail
that I have in my life
00:19:31.73\00:19:36.20
of good works
and bad works, right?
00:19:36.24\00:19:39.91
If I accept that
fundamental fact,
00:19:39.94\00:19:41.31
then I am free from the
burden of looking at my behavior
00:19:41.34\00:19:45.25
to gain assurance.
00:19:45.28\00:19:47.78
Good works that are
manifest in my experience
00:19:47.82\00:19:50.05
and then negated by bad works,
00:19:50.09\00:19:51.49
like constant rollercoaster.
00:19:51.52\00:19:53.12
Now let's turn to a
parable that Jesus...
00:19:53.15\00:19:55.39
Actually, it
wasn't really parable...
00:19:55.42\00:19:56.76
But let's turn to Luke 18:9.
00:19:56.79\00:20:01.23
Oh, my, our time flies.
00:20:01.26\00:20:03.20
Luke 18:9.
00:20:03.23\00:20:06.90
Luke Chapter 18.
00:20:06.94\00:20:08.27
I thought I was
going to talk really slow
00:20:11.67\00:20:13.98
but as I'm looking at the clock,
00:20:14.01\00:20:16.54
I may have to
hit my normal speed
00:20:16.58\00:20:17.91
and hopefully, I
won't be going too fast.
00:20:17.95\00:20:20.25
Okay, Luke 18:9.
00:20:20.28\00:20:22.65
Okay, "Jesus also
spoke this parable
00:20:22.68\00:20:25.85
to some who
trusted in themselves,"
00:20:25.89\00:20:27.22
we're in verse 9 of Luke 18,
00:20:27.26\00:20:29.56
"that they were righteous."
00:20:29.59\00:20:30.93
Luke right off the bat doesn't
even wait for the discussion
00:20:30.96\00:20:36.73
that Jesus gives to explain us.
00:20:36.77\00:20:38.30
He just says right off the bat.
00:20:38.33\00:20:39.80
Jesus said this
because of this, right?
00:20:39.83\00:20:44.27
For those who
trusted in themselves.
00:20:44.31\00:20:46.68
"Two men went up to
the temple to pray,"
00:20:46.71\00:20:48.61
Jesus says,
00:20:48.64\00:20:49.98
"one a Pharisee and
the other a tax collector.
00:20:50.01\00:20:52.35
The Pharisee stood and
prayed thus with himself..."
00:20:52.38\00:20:55.68
interestingly enough,
he prayed with himself,
00:20:55.72\00:20:57.05
he didn't pray
with the Lord, right?
00:20:57.09\00:20:59.05
Praying with himself.
00:20:59.09\00:21:01.16
He stood far off
and prayed thus...
00:21:01.19\00:21:02.89
I mean, "Stood and
prayed thus with himself,
00:21:02.92\00:21:04.89
'God, I thank You that
I am not like other men,
00:21:04.93\00:21:07.56
the extortioners...'"
00:21:07.60\00:21:08.93
Oh, yeah, we compare
ourselves with extortioners,
00:21:08.96\00:21:10.33
we came up pretty good, right?
00:21:10.37\00:21:13.00
"Adulterers,"
00:21:13.03\00:21:14.37
I've been faithful in
my marriage to my wife.
00:21:14.40\00:21:15.74
When I compared myself to
00:21:15.77\00:21:18.11
one of the guys who
is cheating on his wife,
00:21:18.14\00:21:19.84
I'd fair pretty well, right?
00:21:19.87\00:21:21.21
Thank God, I'm
not like that guy.
00:21:21.24\00:21:23.41
You know,
00:21:23.45\00:21:24.78
"Adulterers, or even
as this tax collector."
00:21:24.81\00:21:28.08
Remember, the tax collector
was at the bottom of the heap.
00:21:28.12\00:21:30.22
I mean, if you come
after the list of extortioners
00:21:30.25\00:21:33.46
and adulterers and
then as the tax collector,
00:21:33.49\00:21:35.69
you know how they
felt about tax collectors.
00:21:35.72\00:21:37.76
You know it wasn't
tax collector first
00:21:37.79\00:21:39.13
and then it get worse and worse,
00:21:39.16\00:21:40.50
he was the last dude.
00:21:40.53\00:21:41.86
Mentioned, okay,
"I fast twice a week,"
00:21:41.90\00:21:43.67
looking at the good works,
00:21:43.70\00:21:45.03
"I give tithes of
all that I possess,"
00:21:45.07\00:21:47.14
all that I posses.
00:21:47.17\00:21:48.50
You know, I don't only
give tithes of my income,
00:21:48.54\00:21:50.41
but if I have 50 oranges,
Lord, I will always give you 5.
00:21:50.44\00:21:52.94
You know, if I
get 150 grapefruits,
00:21:52.97\00:21:54.44
Lord, I'll give you 15.
00:21:54.48\00:21:56.18
You know, so I tithe
in all that I possess.
00:21:56.21\00:21:59.65
"But the tax collector,"
00:21:59.68\00:22:01.52
Jesus makes it the contrasts,
00:22:01.55\00:22:03.49
"standing afar off,
00:22:03.52\00:22:04.85
would not so much as
raise his eyes to heaven,
00:22:04.89\00:22:06.55
but beat on his breast, saying,
00:22:06.59\00:22:07.92
'God, be
merciful to me a sinner!'"
00:22:07.96\00:22:10.43
And what is Jesus' conclusion
about the whole thing?
00:22:10.46\00:22:13.66
I tell you this, we
lost the lights here.
00:22:13.70\00:22:16.56
"I tell you, this man
went down to his house
00:22:16.60\00:22:19.40
justified rather than the other.
00:22:19.43\00:22:22.40
For everyone who exalts
himself will be humbled,
00:22:22.44\00:22:25.14
and he who humbles
himself will be exalted."
00:22:25.17\00:22:29.04
Let there be light.
00:22:29.08\00:22:30.98
Amen.
00:22:31.01\00:22:32.75
So Jesus gives an
example of two guys.
00:22:32.78\00:22:36.15
The first guy's
trusting in his works, right?
00:22:36.18\00:22:38.82
And by all external appearances,
00:22:38.85\00:22:40.19
he looks pretty good.
00:22:40.22\00:22:41.89
But Jesus says,
00:22:41.92\00:22:43.56
his attitude is
what matters, okay?
00:22:43.59\00:22:46.43
He's looking at himself,
he's looking at what he's done
00:22:46.46\00:22:48.43
and he's saying,
I've got it under control.
00:22:48.46\00:22:50.23
Meanwhile, the tax
collector is standing afar off
00:22:50.27\00:22:52.83
beating on his breast, saying,
00:22:52.87\00:22:54.80
Lord, have mercy on me
00:22:54.84\00:22:57.31
because when I look at
my own life, I'm a mess.
00:22:57.34\00:23:00.38
And Jesus says that
00:23:00.41\00:23:01.74
that's the one who
went down justified.
00:23:01.78\00:23:05.51
If we like the tax collector,
00:23:05.55\00:23:08.18
come humbly to Jesus and
recognize our predicament,
00:23:08.22\00:23:11.75
the predicament we just read
about in Isaiah and in Romans,
00:23:11.79\00:23:14.56
and say, God be
merciful to me, a sinner.
00:23:14.59\00:23:18.19
I can't save myself, Lord.
00:23:18.23\00:23:20.10
I can't lift myself
up on my own bootstraps.
00:23:20.13\00:23:23.10
God who is plunges in
mercy will show us mercy,
00:23:23.13\00:23:25.83
is that not beautiful?
00:23:25.87\00:23:27.20
Praise God.
00:23:27.24\00:23:28.57
Okay, another
scripture, Titus 3.
00:23:28.60\00:23:30.31
Turn to Titus.
00:23:30.34\00:23:33.41
Titus is that one
you always fly right over
00:23:33.44\00:23:35.11
when you're trying to find it.
00:23:35.14\00:23:37.51
Right before Hebrews.
00:23:37.55\00:23:39.21
Sneaky little,
00:23:39.25\00:23:41.38
sneaky little book hiding
between Timothy and Hebrews.
00:23:41.42\00:23:44.45
Okay, Titus 3:3.
00:23:44.49\00:23:49.59
Titus 3:3,
00:23:49.62\00:23:53.43
"For we ourselves
were once also foolish,
00:23:53.46\00:23:56.00
disobedient, deceived, serving
various lusts and pleasures,
00:23:56.03\00:23:59.87
living in malice and envy,
00:23:59.90\00:24:02.97
hateful and hating one another.
00:24:03.00\00:24:04.87
But when the kindness
00:24:04.91\00:24:06.24
and the love of God our
Savior toward man appeared,
00:24:06.27\00:24:09.74
not by works of righteousness
00:24:09.78\00:24:12.51
which we have done,
but according to His..."
00:24:12.55\00:24:15.68
What?
00:24:15.72\00:24:17.05
"His mercy He saved us,
00:24:17.09\00:24:19.32
through the
washing of regeneration
00:24:19.35\00:24:20.92
and renewing of
the Holy Spirit..."
00:24:20.96\00:24:22.49
Not by works of righteousness,
which we have done,
00:24:22.52\00:24:25.09
we've got to stop looking
at our past efforts and actions
00:24:25.13\00:24:29.46
to try to find
assurance of our salvation.
00:24:29.50\00:24:32.17
True?
00:24:32.20\00:24:34.17
Because any time our assurance,
00:24:34.20\00:24:37.07
and confidence, and salvation
00:24:37.11\00:24:38.44
is based on a
review of our good works,
00:24:38.47\00:24:40.64
like the Pharisees,
00:24:40.68\00:24:42.74
it's false assurance, right?
00:24:42.78\00:24:46.08
Isn't that the
parable that Jesus said?
00:24:46.11\00:24:47.52
It's false assurance.
00:24:47.55\00:24:49.15
If you're looking at your life
00:24:49.18\00:24:50.52
and you're
saying, "You know what?
00:24:50.55\00:24:51.89
I line up pretty good
with the Word of God."
00:24:51.92\00:24:54.12
It's false assurance
because salvation is a gift.
00:24:54.16\00:24:58.33
It's a gift.
00:24:58.36\00:24:59.69
You know, I mean,
we may help the poor,
00:24:59.73\00:25:02.46
we might encourage others,
00:25:02.50\00:25:03.90
we might pray three
times a day, like Daniel did,
00:25:03.93\00:25:06.10
and we might even eat
rice and beans every day
00:25:06.13\00:25:07.87
so that our neighbors
can have food on their table,
00:25:07.90\00:25:10.24
but all these
things as good as they are
00:25:10.27\00:25:12.14
and they are good
things, they are good deeds,
00:25:12.17\00:25:14.58
they can never merit salvation.
00:25:14.61\00:25:17.45
It's false assurance, right?
00:25:17.48\00:25:19.58
I mean, at the
very best these works
00:25:19.61\00:25:23.15
are indicators of an evidence
00:25:23.18\00:25:25.72
and evidence of a great
relationship with the Lord.
00:25:25.75\00:25:27.66
And sometimes when I
didn't have indicators of that
00:25:27.69\00:25:29.49
because you've got all kinds
of wealthy people in the world
00:25:29.52\00:25:31.39
who are pouring
millions of dollars into,
00:25:31.43\00:25:34.20
you know, help
the children funds
00:25:34.23\00:25:35.56
and all these other things
00:25:35.60\00:25:36.93
trying to outdo the other guy.
00:25:36.97\00:25:38.30
You know, I know
they're not all like that,
00:25:38.33\00:25:39.67
I don't want to
say all wealthy people
00:25:39.70\00:25:41.04
who are helping
the poor are corrupt
00:25:41.07\00:25:42.40
and doing it
for selfish motives.
00:25:42.44\00:25:44.41
You know, but the fact is
there are a lot of people.
00:25:44.44\00:25:46.14
So good works are
never an indication
00:25:46.17\00:25:49.14
of your status
with God, correct?
00:25:49.18\00:25:50.81
Amen.
00:25:50.85\00:25:52.18
Now if you're a Christian
there should be evidence
00:25:52.21\00:25:55.28
of a growing relationship.
00:25:55.32\00:25:57.59
And I need to say
something real quick about that.
00:25:57.62\00:25:59.75
Good works, we always
say that as Christians,
00:25:59.79\00:26:02.22
it's fruit, right?
00:26:02.26\00:26:04.69
And so we should
have fruit in our lives.
00:26:04.73\00:26:07.20
Turn with me
real quick to John 15.
00:26:07.23\00:26:09.50
We want to just
briefly touch base on this
00:26:09.53\00:26:12.00
because good
works are important.
00:26:12.03\00:26:16.17
John, I'm going wrong way.
00:26:16.20\00:26:17.54
John 15, what did Jesus say?
00:26:20.58\00:26:23.11
John 15:5,
00:26:23.14\00:26:25.88
"I am the vine,
00:26:25.91\00:26:27.65
and you are the
branches," right?
00:26:27.68\00:26:30.69
"He who abides in Me, and
I in him, bears much fruit,
00:26:30.72\00:26:33.39
for without Me
you can do nothing."
00:26:33.42\00:26:34.79
Wow, there it is again.
00:26:34.82\00:26:36.16
Without me, you can do nothing.
00:26:36.19\00:26:37.73
So if we're doing something,
00:26:37.76\00:26:39.09
it's not because of us
because we can't do anything,
00:26:39.13\00:26:40.53
it's because of Jesus who
is doing it through us, right?
00:26:40.56\00:26:42.96
So the good works that
we are doing as a result of
00:26:43.00\00:26:46.17
God's Spirit in our life
still can't merit salvation.
00:26:46.20\00:26:49.80
You know, as good
as those words are,
00:26:49.84\00:26:52.64
you can't stack them
up, throw them in a bag,
00:26:52.67\00:26:54.44
and when you get to
the Pearly Gates, say,
00:26:54.48\00:26:56.31
"Here's my good
works. Please, let me in."
00:26:56.34\00:26:59.35
Because ultimately
how do we bear fruit?
00:26:59.38\00:27:01.78
We're just branches, right?
00:27:01.82\00:27:03.15
We're not the
stalk. We're not the root.
00:27:03.18\00:27:04.52
So it's the root that causes
the branches to bear fruit.
00:27:04.55\00:27:07.76
Okay, enough said on that.
00:27:07.79\00:27:11.46
You know, the Lord told Israel
00:27:11.49\00:27:13.06
a lot of things
in the Old Testament.
00:27:13.09\00:27:16.73
You know, what was
one of the warnings
00:27:16.77\00:27:18.30
that the Lord gave
Israel in the Old Testament?
00:27:18.33\00:27:20.97
Well, He gave them a
lot of warnings, didn't He?
00:27:21.00\00:27:23.10
Lots of warnings.
00:27:23.14\00:27:24.47
And like us, there are
always fumbling around.
00:27:24.51\00:27:26.31
But there's one in particular
00:27:26.34\00:27:27.68
we want to check out real quick.
00:27:27.71\00:27:29.04
It's Deuteronomy 8:11.
00:27:29.08\00:27:34.12
It seems like I'm
catching up with myself here,
00:27:34.15\00:27:35.65
moving a little faster.
00:27:35.68\00:27:37.02
Okay, Deuteronomy 8:11.
00:27:37.05\00:27:40.06
You're going to
get there before I do.
00:27:40.09\00:27:42.12
Deuteronomy, Numbers.
00:27:42.16\00:27:43.49
Look at that, the students get
there quicker than the teacher.
00:27:48.60\00:27:51.73
Numbers, Deuteronomy,
00:27:51.77\00:27:53.10
I always get
those guys confused.
00:27:53.13\00:27:54.64
Deuteronomy 8:11.
00:27:54.67\00:27:57.31
Once again, I'm
going to kind of read fast
00:27:57.34\00:27:58.67
'cause it's one of those verses
we got to read not just one,
00:27:58.71\00:28:01.51
but you kind of got to
read the surrounding parts.
00:28:01.54\00:28:03.45
Deuteronomy 8:11,
00:28:03.48\00:28:05.68
"Beware that you do not
forget the Lord your God
00:28:05.71\00:28:07.62
by not keeping His commandments,
00:28:07.65\00:28:08.98
His judgments, and His statutes
00:28:09.02\00:28:10.35
which I command you today,
00:28:10.39\00:28:11.82
lest, when you
have eaten and are full,
00:28:11.85\00:28:13.56
and have built beautiful
houses and dwell in them,"
00:28:13.59\00:28:16.09
I'm still trying
to work on that one,
00:28:16.12\00:28:17.56
"and when your herds
and your flocks multiply,
00:28:17.59\00:28:19.69
and your silver and
your gold are multiplied,
00:28:19.73\00:28:21.53
and all that you
have is multiplied,
00:28:21.56\00:28:23.67
when your heart is lifted up,
00:28:23.70\00:28:25.80
and you forget the Lord your God
00:28:25.83\00:28:28.10
who brought you out
of the land of Egypt,
00:28:28.14\00:28:30.21
from the house of bondage,
00:28:30.24\00:28:31.57
who led you through that
great and terrible wilderness,"
00:28:31.61\00:28:34.48
oh, that's mouthful,
00:28:34.51\00:28:35.84
"in which were fiery
serpents and scorpions
00:28:35.88\00:28:38.28
and thirsty land
where there was no water,
00:28:38.31\00:28:42.68
who brought water for
you out of the flinty rock,
00:28:42.72\00:28:45.65
who fed you in the
wilderness with manna,
00:28:45.69\00:28:47.66
which your fathers did not know,
00:28:47.69\00:28:49.59
that He might humble you
00:28:49.62\00:28:52.19
and that He might test
you, to do good in the end,"
00:28:52.23\00:28:56.90
I got to think about this one,
00:28:56.93\00:28:58.53
"then you say in your
heart, 'My power and my mind,"
00:28:58.57\00:29:03.44
I mean, "the might of my hand
have gained me this wealth.'"
00:29:03.47\00:29:07.01
And the most critical
verse is verse 18 right here.
00:29:07.04\00:29:10.15
"And you shall remember
the Lord your God," why?
00:29:10.18\00:29:13.62
"For it is He who gives
you power to get wealth,
00:29:13.65\00:29:18.25
that He may
establish His covenant
00:29:18.29\00:29:20.22
which He swore to your
fathers, as it is this day."
00:29:20.26\00:29:23.56
And don't we have a
problem with that sometimes?
00:29:23.59\00:29:26.66
You know, for those of
us who have nice houses,
00:29:26.70\00:29:28.16
those of us who have good jobs,
00:29:28.20\00:29:29.53
those of us who
have savings accounts.
00:29:29.56\00:29:32.43
You know, I
mean, the temptation,
00:29:32.47\00:29:34.57
I would assume the temptation
00:29:34.60\00:29:35.94
it's because I
won't have those things.
00:29:35.97\00:29:38.71
I'm happy with what I have,
00:29:38.74\00:29:40.08
let me just say
that off the record.
00:29:40.11\00:29:41.51
But the temptation is the thing
00:29:41.54\00:29:43.41
and there are so
many people who do this.
00:29:43.45\00:29:44.78
I've worked my
whole life for this.
00:29:44.81\00:29:46.15
You know, I worked my
whole life for this savings
00:29:46.18\00:29:48.98
and because of a lot of things
are going in the government
00:29:49.02\00:29:50.79
sometimes, they're gone,
00:29:50.82\00:29:52.65
and they feel how dare
you, I worked, and true.
00:29:52.69\00:29:55.32
Yes, obviously,
effort was there,
00:29:55.36\00:29:57.43
and the strength was
exercised by that person.
00:29:57.46\00:30:00.40
But what does the Bible say?
00:30:00.43\00:30:02.26
It's God who gives us strength
to get wealth to do good
00:30:02.30\00:30:06.33
and all these
other things, right?
00:30:06.37\00:30:07.90
And the same thing
is true for salvation,
00:30:07.94\00:30:10.17
it's God who gives us
strength to do these things.
00:30:10.21\00:30:14.34
Boy, Israel really
needed to learn that one, huh?
00:30:14.38\00:30:16.88
And don't we all ourselves.
00:30:16.91\00:30:18.98
If we are seeking assurance
in our walk with Christ,
00:30:19.01\00:30:21.82
we need to stop
looking at our good works
00:30:21.85\00:30:26.29
and stop trying
to find assurance
00:30:26.32\00:30:28.89
based on our behavior.
00:30:28.92\00:30:31.29
And I know what some of
you are thinking out there.
00:30:31.33\00:30:33.19
You're saying,
00:30:33.23\00:30:34.56
I hope you say
something about...
00:30:34.60\00:30:36.03
We'll get there, don't worry
00:30:36.06\00:30:38.70
'cause that's a scary
subject sometimes for people.
00:30:38.73\00:30:41.57
Anyway, you know,
00:30:41.60\00:30:43.87
so we can't look at our
good works and find assurance.
00:30:43.91\00:30:47.91
And if you don't
have any good works,
00:30:47.94\00:30:49.28
you're going to be
discouraged anyway.
00:30:49.31\00:30:50.65
You're going to be depressed
00:30:50.68\00:30:52.01
because they would be
throwing dust and ashes
00:30:52.05\00:30:53.38
on your head all the time.
00:30:53.42\00:30:54.75
You know, 'cause
you've got nothing to even
00:30:54.78\00:30:56.12
put in that little arsenal
00:30:56.15\00:30:57.49
where you're trying
to find confidence from.
00:30:57.52\00:30:59.29
Okay, we need to transition.
00:30:59.32\00:31:00.72
Do we all agree that
we can't save ourselves?
00:31:00.76\00:31:02.89
Amen. Okay.
00:31:02.92\00:31:04.26
We all agree that
00:31:04.29\00:31:05.63
assurance is built on
what God does, correct?
00:31:05.66\00:31:08.46
Through us,
it's never ourselves.
00:31:08.50\00:31:10.77
Okay, let's transition.
00:31:10.80\00:31:13.64
A word about a...
00:31:13.67\00:31:15.47
Something I want to
say about assurance.
00:31:15.50\00:31:18.31
Assurance in any situation
00:31:18.34\00:31:22.01
is always built
up on the credentials
00:31:22.04\00:31:25.51
of the one who has
promised to do something.
00:31:25.55\00:31:28.98
Would you agree? Right.
00:31:29.02\00:31:30.92
If I tell my kids in my
house that in the summer,
00:31:30.95\00:31:34.29
some point in the summer,
we are going to go on vacation,
00:31:34.32\00:31:37.09
Garrett, right?
00:31:37.13\00:31:39.53
That we are
going to go on vacation
00:31:39.56\00:31:41.96
Garrett can have assurance, why?
00:31:42.00\00:31:45.53
Because I said it, right?
00:31:45.57\00:31:48.24
My kids can have assurance
00:31:48.27\00:31:49.60
that at some point in the summer
00:31:49.64\00:31:50.97
we're going to
go on vacation, why?
00:31:51.01\00:31:52.34
Because my word
carries the most authority
00:31:52.37\00:31:55.88
in the house, true?
00:31:55.91\00:31:57.71
Well, there are times
00:31:57.75\00:31:59.48
where my wife's word
overrides my authority,
00:31:59.51\00:32:02.72
but usually in
good circumstances.
00:32:02.75\00:32:05.22
You know, somebody wants...
00:32:05.25\00:32:06.59
I think, some sweet lady,
00:32:06.62\00:32:08.12
See I was
preaching a sermon somewhere
00:32:08.16\00:32:09.66
and we're talking
about this and some lady said
00:32:09.69\00:32:12.73
that's true, the husband
is the head of the house,
00:32:12.76\00:32:15.63
but the life is the neck
and the life and the neck
00:32:15.66\00:32:19.67
always turns the
head wherever it goes,
00:32:19.70\00:32:21.70
wherever it wants to.
00:32:21.74\00:32:23.07
So kind of silly but
sometimes it's true, you know.
00:32:23.10\00:32:25.04
And that's okay, if
you got a good marriage
00:32:25.07\00:32:26.81
and your wife
loves the Lord, right?
00:32:26.84\00:32:28.31
Okay, I don't mind that.
00:32:28.34\00:32:29.68
As long as my wife loves
Lord, as long as she is doing,
00:32:29.71\00:32:31.65
making me do is not
crazy or irrational.
00:32:31.68\00:32:34.62
So anyway,
00:32:34.65\00:32:36.02
but the assurance my
son and my kids can have
00:32:36.05\00:32:39.65
is because I
have said it, right,
00:32:39.69\00:32:41.92
because my word has
the greatest authority,
00:32:41.96\00:32:44.09
not because some
church member told him that
00:32:44.13\00:32:45.56
we might go on
vacation in the summer,
00:32:45.59\00:32:47.10
not because some guy
on the street told them,
00:32:47.13\00:32:48.90
but because I told them,
00:32:48.93\00:32:50.80
that's why they can
have assurance, correct?
00:32:50.83\00:32:53.67
Okay, so assurance is
always based on the authority
00:32:53.70\00:32:56.14
and the
credentials of the person
00:32:56.17\00:32:58.21
who gives that promise.
00:32:58.24\00:32:59.57
Now we got to ask ourselves
a very elementary question,
00:32:59.61\00:33:01.84
it's almost the no-brainer.
00:33:01.88\00:33:03.21
You know, who is
the author of salvation?
00:33:03.24\00:33:06.41
Jesus, right?
00:33:06.45\00:33:08.08
Hebrews 12:2,
looking unto Jesus,
00:33:08.12\00:33:11.12
you don't need to turn
there, looking unto Jesus,
00:33:11.15\00:33:13.66
the author and the
finisher of our faith, right?
00:33:13.69\00:33:16.39
Okay, so Jesus is
the author of salvation.
00:33:16.42\00:33:20.16
So if we want to have assurance,
00:33:20.20\00:33:21.63
we need to have that
assurance come from the person
00:33:21.66\00:33:24.30
who's got the credentials
00:33:24.33\00:33:25.67
to deal with our
assurance of salvation, right?
00:33:25.70\00:33:27.70
And since Jesus
is the author of it,
00:33:27.74\00:33:29.77
we got to hear what Jesus
has to say about it, right?
00:33:29.80\00:33:33.07
That's right.
00:33:33.11\00:33:34.44
Because we can't have
confidence on our own words
00:33:34.48\00:33:36.14
so it's got to be
based on something else.
00:33:36.18\00:33:38.31
We're getting a
little further along
00:33:38.35\00:33:39.71
in the road to having assurance.
00:33:39.75\00:33:42.28
What is this book called
that I'm holding in my hand?
00:33:42.32\00:33:44.55
Holy Bible.
00:33:44.59\00:33:45.92
The Holy Bible. That's correct.
00:33:45.95\00:33:47.72
But we also call it what?
00:33:47.76\00:33:50.96
The Word of God, right?
00:33:50.99\00:33:54.10
The Word of God,
right, that's the Bible.
00:33:54.13\00:33:56.60
But we call it
the Word of God, why?
00:33:56.63\00:33:58.23
Because holy men of old
spoke as they were moved upon
00:33:58.27\00:34:01.60
by the Holy Ghost, right?
00:34:01.64\00:34:02.97
This is just no ordinary book
that you pull out of your shelf
00:34:03.00\00:34:04.61
and read it for a good time.
00:34:04.64\00:34:05.97
This is the Word of
God. It's God's word for us.
00:34:06.01\00:34:08.34
It's God's
thoughts for us. Okay, good.
00:34:08.38\00:34:10.75
Now what does Peter
say about the Bible.
00:34:10.78\00:34:12.35
Obviously, they didn't
have the Bible in Peter's day,
00:34:12.38\00:34:13.92
but what did he say
about what was available,
00:34:13.95\00:34:17.25
all the scrolls and the
letters that are being written.
00:34:17.29\00:34:20.56
Turn to 2 Peter 1:2-4.
00:34:20.59\00:34:23.46
2 Peter 1:2-4.
00:34:28.13\00:34:30.60
Thanks for praying for
us by the way, audience.
00:34:30.63\00:34:32.93
We're still here.
00:34:32.97\00:34:34.30
And the storm has
not unleashed its fury.
00:34:34.34\00:34:37.77
So that is a good thing.
00:34:37.81\00:34:39.54
We are looking
for at the Book of
00:34:39.57\00:34:41.44
2 Peter 1:2-4.
00:34:41.48\00:34:48.28
Okay, what does Peter
say about the Word of God?
00:34:48.32\00:34:50.09
Right. Okay.
00:34:54.59\00:34:55.92
"Grace and peace be multiplied
to you in the knowledge of God
00:34:55.96\00:34:58.83
and of Jesus our Lord,"
sometimes I talk too fast,
00:34:58.86\00:35:03.30
"as His divine power
has given to us all things
00:35:03.33\00:35:05.97
that pertain to
life and godliness,"
00:35:06.00\00:35:07.70
praise the Lord,
00:35:07.74\00:35:09.07
"through the knowledge of Him
00:35:09.10\00:35:10.44
who called us by
glory and virtue,
00:35:10.47\00:35:12.51
by which have been given to us
00:35:12.54\00:35:14.64
exceedingly great
and precious promises,
00:35:14.68\00:35:18.71
that through these you may be
partakers of the divine nature,
00:35:18.75\00:35:21.18
having escaped the
corruption in the world
00:35:21.22\00:35:22.85
that is through lust."
00:35:22.88\00:35:24.29
Jesus is the
author of salvation,
00:35:24.32\00:35:27.39
Peter being
inspired by the Holy Spirit.
00:35:27.42\00:35:29.62
You know, sometimes we trip up
over the actual author saying,
00:35:29.66\00:35:32.53
"Oh, Peter said
this, Paul said that."
00:35:32.56\00:35:34.43
And yes, those are the
ones who wrote the book,
00:35:34.46\00:35:35.80
but ultimately who said it?
00:35:35.83\00:35:37.63
God said it,
right? Jesus said it.
00:35:37.67\00:35:39.73
So when we're
reading Peter's words,
00:35:39.77\00:35:41.30
we don't need to
think, oh, Peter said it,
00:35:41.34\00:35:43.04
did he really mean that,
00:35:43.07\00:35:44.41
if God was
speaking through Peter,
00:35:44.44\00:35:45.87
and what does the Lord
say about his own book?
00:35:45.91\00:35:48.28
It's full of
precious promises, true?
00:35:48.31\00:35:50.68
Yes. That's good news.
00:35:50.71\00:35:52.35
This book is a book
full of precious promises.
00:35:52.38\00:35:55.45
You know, and if
you're discouraged,
00:35:55.48\00:35:57.22
anybody knows
00:35:57.25\00:35:59.25
who has gone through
trial and trouble in their life
00:35:59.29\00:36:02.49
and sorrow and
the loss of loved one
00:36:02.52\00:36:05.19
who has in that deep remorse
00:36:05.23\00:36:08.46
and grieving
pulled out this book.
00:36:08.50\00:36:12.00
Everybody can testify that
00:36:12.03\00:36:13.50
it's full of
precious promises, right?
00:36:13.54\00:36:16.60
Because there is nothing
that gets you through a bad time
00:36:16.64\00:36:19.27
like God's word, God's word can.
00:36:19.31\00:36:22.24
Okay, now this book is
full of precious promises.
00:36:22.28\00:36:26.11
Now I'm not going to talk
about the word faith tonight,
00:36:26.15\00:36:28.28
even though faith,
00:36:28.32\00:36:29.65
we will find is really
synonymous with assurance.
00:36:29.68\00:36:32.59
You know, it's really,
they're intrinsically linked,
00:36:32.62\00:36:34.62
you can't separate
faith from assurance.
00:36:34.66\00:36:37.03
Keep saying insurance.
00:36:37.06\00:36:38.39
You can't separate them.
00:36:38.43\00:36:39.76
Let's turn to Philippians 1:6.
00:36:39.79\00:36:42.86
That clock is scaring me again.
00:36:42.90\00:36:44.53
All right, Philippians 1:6.
00:36:44.57\00:36:48.37
"Being confident
of this very thing..."
00:36:48.40\00:36:50.81
What is God's
word full of? Promises.
00:36:50.84\00:36:53.81
What is a
promise for us tonight?
00:36:53.84\00:36:55.44
"Being confident of
this very thing that
00:36:55.48\00:36:57.68
He who has begun a good
work in you will complete it
00:36:57.71\00:37:00.22
until the day of Jesus Christ."
00:37:00.25\00:37:02.18
So what does God
tell us through Paul?
00:37:02.22\00:37:05.25
Be confident that the good work
00:37:05.29\00:37:07.52
I've begun in your life,
I'm faithful to complete.
00:37:07.56\00:37:10.13
You know,
there's a lot of projects
00:37:10.16\00:37:11.49
that I've begun in my life.
00:37:11.53\00:37:12.86
Anybody started a
project and not finished it?
00:37:12.89\00:37:15.76
Yeah, Greg.
00:37:15.80\00:37:17.13
He knows what I'm talking about.
00:37:17.17\00:37:18.50
When my wife and I
were living in New York,
00:37:18.53\00:37:20.20
we bought an old farmhouse.
00:37:20.24\00:37:21.57
It was a big old farmhouse.
00:37:21.60\00:37:23.41
It was built in 1860.
00:37:23.44\00:37:24.77
You know, we like
the old houses, you know.
00:37:24.81\00:37:27.41
And we bought it
because we have a lot of vision.
00:37:27.44\00:37:30.15
You know, the Bible says,
00:37:30.18\00:37:31.51
without vision,
the people perish.
00:37:31.55\00:37:32.88
But sometimes you
have too much vision.
00:37:32.91\00:37:34.68
And in this case, we
have too much vision.
00:37:34.72\00:37:36.35
The outside looked great,
the inside need a lot of work.
00:37:36.38\00:37:38.39
We knew it, we had vision.
00:37:38.42\00:37:39.85
So we went
forward, we bought it.
00:37:39.89\00:37:41.72
Would you know that at one point
00:37:41.76\00:37:43.09
I have the whole
entire kitchen ripped apart,
00:37:43.12\00:37:45.06
totally got in,
00:37:45.09\00:37:46.43
I had the wood floors
00:37:46.46\00:37:47.80
on the process of
redoing the wood floors.
00:37:47.83\00:37:50.07
I had half of
the barn demolished,
00:37:50.10\00:37:51.93
the part that was rotten.
00:37:51.97\00:37:53.30
We had a huge barn in the back.
00:37:53.34\00:37:54.80
I was redoing the closet.
00:37:54.84\00:37:56.91
We have a larger garden
we're trying to tend to,
00:37:56.94\00:37:58.97
all these things.
00:37:59.01\00:38:00.34
You think I
finished all those projects?
00:38:00.38\00:38:02.21
No.
00:38:02.24\00:38:03.98
No, because I got
overwhelmed, you know.
00:38:04.01\00:38:07.28
Maybe part of the problems
00:38:07.32\00:38:08.65
I had too many irons
in the fire as they say,
00:38:08.68\00:38:11.45
but I didn't
finish those projects
00:38:11.49\00:38:14.42
because I got overwhelmed.
00:38:14.46\00:38:15.79
Do you think the
Lord gets overwhelmed
00:38:15.82\00:38:17.16
when He is working on us?
00:38:17.19\00:38:18.53
No.
00:38:18.56\00:38:19.89
Well, if I was working on me,
I would be overwhelmed, right?
00:38:19.93\00:38:22.53
But God says, be
confident of this one thing
00:38:22.56\00:38:25.67
that He, I, the Lord,
00:38:25.70\00:38:27.74
who has begun a good work in you
00:38:27.77\00:38:29.14
is faithful to complete it.
00:38:29.17\00:38:31.17
Does that sound
like assurance? Yes.
00:38:31.21\00:38:33.01
You better believe it
sounds like assurance.
00:38:33.04\00:38:34.38
Amen.
00:38:34.41\00:38:35.74
You should get
excited about that.
00:38:35.78\00:38:37.11
Amen.
00:38:37.15\00:38:38.48
God is faithful to
complete His good work.
00:38:38.51\00:38:39.85
Jesus says in John 10:27-28,
00:38:39.88\00:38:42.95
"My sheep hear My
voice, and they follow Me.
00:38:42.98\00:38:46.15
And I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish,"
00:38:46.19\00:38:49.02
that's John 10:27-28,
00:38:49.06\00:38:51.83
"neither shall any
pluck them out of My hand."
00:38:51.86\00:38:54.56
Wow, sounds
pretty good to me, right?
00:38:54.60\00:38:56.97
Now the only person
00:38:57.00\00:38:58.33
who can pluck out of
Jesus' hand is us, right?
00:38:58.37\00:39:02.44
In fact, we can't
even pluck ourselves,
00:39:02.47\00:39:03.81
or we're going to jump
out, you can't pluck yourself.
00:39:03.84\00:39:05.97
But we're the only
people who can walk
00:39:06.01\00:39:07.71
out of covenant relationship
with the Lord, true?
00:39:07.74\00:39:10.85
Amen.
00:39:10.88\00:39:12.21
1 John 5:13, and this is...
00:39:12.25\00:39:14.95
Wow, this is just
such a great verse.
00:39:14.98\00:39:17.02
1 John 5:13.
00:39:17.05\00:39:20.82
Feel like I'm
talking 100 miles an hour,
00:39:24.06\00:39:25.89
forgive me.
00:39:25.93\00:39:27.30
1 John 5, we just
got so much to cover.
00:39:27.33\00:39:30.10
1 John 5:13,
00:39:30.13\00:39:35.40
"These things I
have written to you..."
00:39:35.44\00:39:36.77
Who is writing these things?
00:39:36.81\00:39:38.14
John, the beloved disciple,
the one whom Jesus loved,
00:39:38.17\00:39:40.38
but really it's the
Lord speaking through John.
00:39:40.41\00:39:42.58
"These things I
have written to you
00:39:42.61\00:39:43.95
who believe in the name of
the Son of God that you may,"
00:39:43.98\00:39:46.88
doubt that you
"have eternal life?"
00:39:46.92\00:39:48.25
No.
00:39:48.28\00:39:49.62
That you should
double question it? No.
00:39:49.65\00:39:51.35
He says, "That you may know
that you have eternal life."
00:39:51.39\00:39:55.26
Sounds like John wants us
to be confident, doesn't he?
00:39:55.29\00:39:58.26
It sounds like John is
confident himself, right?
00:39:58.29\00:40:00.93
I mean, and maybe
that's part of the problem,
00:40:00.96\00:40:03.23
actually that is one
of the biggest problems.
00:40:03.26\00:40:05.03
When you don't have
assurance of salvation,
00:40:05.07\00:40:07.04
how can you share
the Lord with someone
00:40:07.07\00:40:09.84
who doesn't know the Lord,
00:40:09.87\00:40:11.21
when you're not even sure
00:40:11.24\00:40:12.67
if you're in a covenant
relationship with Him, right?
00:40:12.71\00:40:16.14
Miserable.
00:40:16.18\00:40:17.51
Doesn't work. Right.
00:40:17.55\00:40:19.08
I mean, you can
tell all the facts,
00:40:19.11\00:40:20.88
and a lot of people
are good at telling facts.
00:40:20.92\00:40:22.48
I mean, you can read the Bible,
00:40:22.52\00:40:23.85
you can study and
you get all the facts.
00:40:23.89\00:40:25.22
Yes, Jesus is this...
00:40:25.25\00:40:27.06
You know, and they would maybe
00:40:27.09\00:40:29.16
because the Word of
God is living and powerful
00:40:29.19\00:40:31.13
and God's grace and mercy,
00:40:31.16\00:40:32.49
you know, it
might do them some good.
00:40:32.53\00:40:35.06
But ultimately, what
really wins people's hearts
00:40:35.10\00:40:37.57
is when they see that
00:40:37.60\00:40:39.10
you do have a
connection with the Lord,
00:40:39.13\00:40:40.47
you are confident
of this one thing,
00:40:40.50\00:40:42.40
you know I'm confident that
00:40:42.44\00:40:43.91
when Jesus comes
as Job said, you know.
00:40:43.94\00:40:46.47
My redeemer
lives in at last day,
00:40:46.51\00:40:48.58
you know, I shall
see Him in my flesh.
00:40:48.61\00:40:51.75
Right, John is confident.
00:40:51.78\00:40:53.48
John 14:1-3, lot of verses
here but they're important.
00:40:53.52\00:40:57.19
This is Bible study, right?
00:40:57.22\00:40:59.65
Maybe that's why we
have so many verses.
00:40:59.69\00:41:01.56
John 14:1-3,
00:41:01.59\00:41:06.19
John 14, one of
my favorite passages.
00:41:06.23\00:41:08.93
John 14:1-3.
00:41:08.96\00:41:11.13
The disciples have one
doubt, they're getting the sense
00:41:11.17\00:41:13.54
that something bad
is about to happen.
00:41:13.57\00:41:15.20
You know, Jesus has shed
a little light on the road
00:41:15.24\00:41:17.94
that he is about to travel.
00:41:17.97\00:41:19.31
He senses it and what
does Jesus say to him,
00:41:19.34\00:41:21.34
"Let not your heart
be troubled," John 14:1,
00:41:21.38\00:41:25.15
"you believe in
God, believe also in Me.
00:41:25.18\00:41:28.28
In My Father's
house are many mansions.
00:41:28.32\00:41:29.95
If it were not so,
I would have told you.
00:41:29.98\00:41:32.69
I go to prepare a place for you.
00:41:32.72\00:41:35.09
And if I go, I will come again."
00:41:35.12\00:41:38.96
It sounds like
the Lord wanted them
00:41:38.99\00:41:40.33
to be have assurance, right?
00:41:40.36\00:41:42.10
Didn't the Lord want them
to be sure to have confidence?
00:41:42.13\00:41:46.20
Amen.
00:41:46.23\00:41:48.20
Now do we have any biblical
examples of the characters
00:41:48.24\00:41:53.38
who had assurance?
00:41:53.41\00:41:55.08
I mean, that'd be
a bumbler if we don't
00:41:55.11\00:41:56.44
because it seems like the
whole thing will break down.
00:41:56.48\00:41:57.81
Well, if you can't find
an example in the Bible,
00:41:57.85\00:42:00.02
you know, then it seems like
00:42:00.05\00:42:01.38
the whole thing
would just break down.
00:42:01.42\00:42:03.39
Well, two dudes, two
guys, forgive me, dudes.
00:42:03.42\00:42:06.25
Two guys I want to consider.
00:42:06.29\00:42:08.02
My son calls me dude
sometimes, I don't know if I...
00:42:08.06\00:42:11.36
Maybe it's because I talks
sometimes about my old days
00:42:11.39\00:42:14.30
skating the ramps and stuff.
00:42:14.33\00:42:15.80
But anyway, two
guys, Paul and Peter, okay.
00:42:15.83\00:42:20.97
Now let's turn
quickly to Romans 7,
00:42:21.00\00:42:25.51
in fact, yeah, Romans 7.
00:42:25.54\00:42:27.71
Everybody knows this chapter.
00:42:27.74\00:42:29.08
Paul is considering
the human condition,
00:42:29.11\00:42:31.08
the condition that
we talked about earlier
00:42:31.11\00:42:33.08
in the beginning part
of the Book of Romans.
00:42:33.11\00:42:35.75
Paul is
considering the human condition
00:42:35.78\00:42:37.92
and he realizes,
what does he say,
00:42:37.95\00:42:39.79
the things I
want to do, I don't.
00:42:39.82\00:42:41.26
The things I don't want to do,
I do, I can't figure this out.
00:42:41.29\00:42:44.43
He says, I find them
because of these things
00:42:44.46\00:42:47.06
that there is a law
within me at war against my...
00:42:47.10\00:42:49.96
Allow my members at war against
the law of my mind, right?
00:42:50.00\00:42:53.30
And what does he conclude
00:42:53.34\00:42:54.80
after this horrible assessment
of the human condition?
00:42:54.84\00:42:58.87
Romans 7:24,
00:42:58.91\00:43:00.68
"O wretched man that I am!
00:43:00.71\00:43:03.18
Who will deliver me
from the body of this death?"
00:43:03.21\00:43:05.38
Doesn't sound too
confident, does he?
00:43:05.41\00:43:06.82
No.
00:43:06.85\00:43:08.18
And we can argue with
00:43:08.22\00:43:09.55
post-conversion, pre-conversion,
00:43:09.58\00:43:10.92
but the point is
Paul felt that way.
00:43:10.95\00:43:12.99
Okay, Paul felt that way.
00:43:13.02\00:43:14.76
1 Timothy 1:15, we
don't have time to turn there,
00:43:14.79\00:43:17.03
we got to move
little bit faster here.
00:43:17.06\00:43:18.59
Turn 1 Timothy 1:15,
Paul says to Timothy,
00:43:18.63\00:43:21.66
"This is a faithful saying
and worthy of all acceptance,
00:43:21.70\00:43:24.60
that Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners,
00:43:24.63\00:43:27.44
of whom I am chief."
00:43:27.47\00:43:29.10
Right?
00:43:29.14\00:43:30.47
Paul felt this
way about himself,
00:43:30.51\00:43:32.71
post-conversion, right?
00:43:32.74\00:43:34.74
I am chief, he
didn't say I was chief,
00:43:34.78\00:43:37.18
I was chief sinner when I was
persecuting all the Christians,
00:43:37.21\00:43:39.55
he said I am chief.
00:43:39.58\00:43:40.92
I mean, this is after
all the missionary work
00:43:40.95\00:43:42.28
that Paul has done, right?
00:43:42.32\00:43:43.89
All the good deeds
that Paul has done.
00:43:43.92\00:43:46.29
I'm chief of sinners, Paul says.
00:43:46.32\00:43:48.32
Doesn't sound too
confident, does he?
00:43:48.36\00:43:50.09
But then we get to 2 Timothy.
00:43:50.13\00:43:52.19
Let's look at 2 Timothy 4:7-8.
00:43:52.23\00:43:59.00
2 Timothy 4:7-8.
00:43:59.03\00:44:01.24
In the midst of all
this, view himself in life,
00:44:01.27\00:44:04.87
what does he say
in 2 Timothy 4:7-8.
00:44:04.91\00:44:09.38
He says, you know,
00:44:09.41\00:44:10.75
he is renewing
the end of his life,
00:44:10.78\00:44:12.11
he is writing to Timothy,
00:44:12.15\00:44:13.48
"I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the race,"
00:44:13.52\00:44:15.28
okay, good so far, yeah, okay,
00:44:15.32\00:44:16.72
he might be confident,
"I have kept the faith."
00:44:16.75\00:44:18.89
Sounds confident to me.
00:44:18.92\00:44:20.26
"Finally, there
is laid up for me
00:44:20.29\00:44:21.92
the crown of righteousness,
00:44:21.96\00:44:23.29
which the Lord,
the righteous Judge,
00:44:23.32\00:44:24.66
will give me on that
Day, and not to me only
00:44:24.69\00:44:27.60
but also to all who
have loved His appearing."
00:44:27.63\00:44:31.07
That's a big claim.
00:44:31.10\00:44:32.43
There is laid up for
me the crown in heaven,
00:44:32.47\00:44:34.14
not I hope there is.
00:44:34.17\00:44:35.94
I hope after all this work,
after all this self-sacrifice
00:44:35.97\00:44:38.47
that there might be a crown
for me when I get up there,
00:44:38.51\00:44:40.51
would be big disappointment.
00:44:40.54\00:44:41.88
He says, there is a
crown laid up for me.
00:44:41.91\00:44:43.88
Paul had assurance, right?
00:44:43.91\00:44:46.45
Okay, what about Peter?
00:44:46.48\00:44:48.08
Good old Peter, you know.
00:44:48.12\00:44:49.82
Peter who denied
his Lord three times
00:44:49.85\00:44:52.05
in front of all the
other wicked men, right,
00:44:52.09\00:44:54.29
something we say we
would never have done
00:44:54.32\00:44:55.66
but the truth is that
if we're in Peter shoes,
00:44:55.69\00:44:57.69
we probably would have
done the same thing, you know.
00:44:57.73\00:45:00.16
Peter who denied
his Lord, okay, well,
00:45:00.20\00:45:02.53
we understand that
Peter didn't have confidence
00:45:02.56\00:45:05.13
then he needed
conversion, right?
00:45:05.17\00:45:06.77
That's right.
00:45:06.80\00:45:08.14
And then Peter
does get converted
00:45:08.17\00:45:09.50
because the Lord
not only brings him
00:45:09.54\00:45:10.87
back into the buddies,
00:45:10.91\00:45:12.34
brings back into
the, you know, the group,
00:45:12.37\00:45:14.44
but Peter gets converted,
does some great stuff,
00:45:14.48\00:45:18.51
Peter have a perfect record.
00:45:18.55\00:45:20.45
No.
00:45:20.48\00:45:21.82
And some would say, well,
00:45:21.85\00:45:23.18
you know, this is
pre-conversion, Peter.
00:45:23.22\00:45:26.59
Of course, he wasn't confident
00:45:26.62\00:45:28.02
after all that
nonsense, you know.
00:45:28.06\00:45:31.06
But if I remember
correctly there was a story
00:45:31.09\00:45:32.93
in Galatians 2:11
00:45:32.96\00:45:35.40
where Paul had an
issue with Peter, right?
00:45:35.43\00:45:37.70
Yeah, that's right.
00:45:37.73\00:45:39.07
He says, "When Peter
had come to Antioch,"
00:45:39.10\00:45:41.20
Paul is writing,
00:45:41.24\00:45:42.57
"I withstood him face to face,
because he was to be blamed."
00:45:42.60\00:45:45.41
Okay, this is Galatians 2:11-13.
00:45:45.44\00:45:49.01
"For certain men
would come from James,
00:45:49.04\00:45:51.65
and he would eat
with the Gentiles."
00:45:51.68\00:45:53.01
So Peter is eating with
all his gentile buddies,
00:45:53.05\00:45:54.95
yeah, it's great, love the Lord.
00:45:54.98\00:45:56.32
Good time, you know.
00:45:56.35\00:45:57.69
I love the Lord.
00:45:57.72\00:45:59.05
And when the other Jews show up,
00:45:59.09\00:46:01.49
Paul says, "But when they came,
00:46:01.52\00:46:05.39
he withdrew himself
and separated himself,
00:46:05.43\00:46:07.30
fearing those of
the circumcision."
00:46:07.33\00:46:08.66
So when the Jews showed
up, all of a sudden Peter,
00:46:08.70\00:46:11.20
"Hey, what am I doing here?"
00:46:11.23\00:46:12.57
You know, he runs over
and sits with the Jews.
00:46:12.60\00:46:14.90
And Paul basically,
00:46:14.94\00:46:16.27
he got really
upset about it, right?
00:46:16.30\00:46:17.64
He said he played the hypocrite.
00:46:17.67\00:46:19.27
This is
post-conversion Peter, correct?
00:46:19.31\00:46:22.51
Okay.
00:46:22.54\00:46:23.88
Well, what does
Peter say in 1 Peter 5:1?
00:46:23.91\00:46:27.58
Is Peter
confident of his salvation
00:46:27.62\00:46:30.25
in light of not a
perfect track record?
00:46:30.29\00:46:32.49
1 Peter 5:1,
00:46:32.52\00:46:35.19
"The elders who
are among you I exhort,
00:46:35.22\00:46:37.33
I who am a fellow elder
00:46:37.36\00:46:38.89
and a witness of the
sufferings of Christ,
00:46:38.93\00:46:41.23
and also a partaker of the glory
00:46:41.26\00:46:43.63
that will be revealed."
00:46:43.67\00:46:45.00
Amen.
00:46:45.03\00:46:46.37
How do you partake of something
that hasn't been revealed?
00:46:46.40\00:46:49.47
That's called assurance.
00:46:49.50\00:46:51.54
I'm a partaker of something
00:46:51.57\00:46:52.91
that hasn't even
been revealed yet.
00:46:52.94\00:46:54.71
Peter's saying he's
partaker of the glory
00:46:54.74\00:46:56.48
that hasn't even
been revealed, right?
00:46:56.51\00:46:59.15
Exactly. Faith.
00:46:59.18\00:47:02.78
Faith and assurance,
they're hand in hand,
00:47:02.82\00:47:04.85
you can't separate the two.
00:47:04.89\00:47:06.42
Okay, we got to move on here.
00:47:06.45\00:47:09.49
We ran a bunch of
promises, didn't we?
00:47:09.52\00:47:11.56
We read a bunch of
promises from the Word of God,
00:47:11.59\00:47:14.03
but you're feeling a
little more confident?
00:47:14.06\00:47:16.46
Are you feeling like you have
a little bit more assurance?
00:47:16.50\00:47:19.07
Okay, why?
00:47:19.10\00:47:20.44
Because we can't save ourselves.
00:47:20.47\00:47:21.80
Why?
00:47:21.84\00:47:23.17
Because we're dependent
on the merits of a crucified
00:47:23.20\00:47:24.64
and risen savior.
00:47:24.67\00:47:27.18
Is that enough to be
confident and have assurance?
00:47:27.21\00:47:30.15
Probably, but I'm gonna say no
00:47:30.18\00:47:32.81
because there's one more thing.
00:47:32.85\00:47:34.48
There's a lot of things
00:47:34.52\00:47:35.85
you need to really
look into the subject,
00:47:35.88\00:47:37.22
but there's a biggie that I see,
00:47:37.25\00:47:39.49
you can't have
assurance without.
00:47:39.52\00:47:41.79
It's called prayer, you know?
00:47:41.82\00:47:43.96
I mean, you can know all
about what the Lord did for you.
00:47:43.99\00:47:46.80
You can know all from A to
Z, the whole plan of salvation.
00:47:46.83\00:47:49.36
You can know it in
theory in your head
00:47:49.40\00:47:51.67
called
existential knowledge, right?
00:47:51.70\00:47:54.07
It's knowledge that is
just kind of like out there.
00:47:54.10\00:47:56.97
You figure it out, okay?
00:47:57.01\00:47:58.34
You know you know
it, you can recite it,
00:47:58.37\00:48:00.38
but you don't really
know the person of Jesus
00:48:00.41\00:48:04.45
just because you
know about him, right?
00:48:04.48\00:48:06.55
So prayer is what animates
the facts of the gospel, true?
00:48:06.58\00:48:12.75
Prayer brings to life
00:48:12.79\00:48:14.12
what would otherwise be
merely existential knowledge.
00:48:14.16\00:48:18.96
And I'm not saying that prayer
00:48:18.99\00:48:20.33
in and of
itself has power, okay?
00:48:20.36\00:48:22.86
Prayer does not in
and of itself have power.
00:48:22.90\00:48:25.33
It's not like the act of
prayer has some inherent power.
00:48:25.37\00:48:28.37
Someone called prayer,
the breath of the soul.
00:48:28.40\00:48:31.61
I'd like to read my
famous quote about prayer
00:48:31.64\00:48:33.74
and this comes
from a little mini book
00:48:33.78\00:48:35.11
called Steps to Christ.
00:48:35.14\00:48:36.71
All of us in
here know that book.
00:48:36.75\00:48:39.61
She says, Ellen White says,
00:48:39.65\00:48:40.98
"Prayer is the
opening of the heart
00:48:41.02\00:48:42.35
to God as to a friend.
00:48:42.38\00:48:44.19
Not that it is necessary
in order to make known to God
00:48:44.22\00:48:46.12
what we are,
00:48:46.15\00:48:47.49
but in order to
enable us to receive Him.
00:48:47.52\00:48:50.69
Prayer does not
bring God down to us,
00:48:50.73\00:48:52.73
but brings us up to God."
00:48:52.76\00:48:55.73
Prayer.
00:48:55.76\00:48:57.10
So how can you have assurance
00:48:57.13\00:48:58.60
if you're not spending time
00:48:58.63\00:49:00.14
with the Lord of
salvation, right?
00:49:00.17\00:49:02.10
And that's what prayer is.
00:49:02.14\00:49:03.47
It's the opening of the heart,
00:49:03.51\00:49:04.84
opening of the heart
to God as to a friend.
00:49:04.87\00:49:08.34
So you can know all
the facts of the gospel,
00:49:08.38\00:49:11.01
but if you don't
have a prayer life
00:49:11.05\00:49:12.38
and spending time with Him,
00:49:12.41\00:49:14.08
then those facts are just facts.
00:49:14.12\00:49:16.32
They're lifeless facts.
00:49:16.35\00:49:17.82
You know, I know the Word of God
00:49:17.85\00:49:19.19
is living and
powerful, blah, blah.
00:49:19.22\00:49:20.56
True.
00:49:20.59\00:49:21.92
But as far as our
experience is concerned,
00:49:21.96\00:49:23.29
they're just facts, right?
00:49:23.32\00:49:26.09
We've got to have a prayer life.
00:49:26.13\00:49:28.43
When my wife and I got
married, we had our vows.
00:49:28.46\00:49:31.43
Everybody does when
they get married, right?
00:49:31.47\00:49:33.84
For richer, for
poorer, for better, for worse
00:49:33.87\00:49:35.57
till death do us part.
00:49:35.60\00:49:36.94
You know, these days it seems
like anything does us part,
00:49:36.97\00:49:39.77
you know, until I see
another prettier woman
00:49:39.81\00:49:41.24
going down the
street that does your part
00:49:41.28\00:49:43.38
or the woman sees a good man
00:49:43.41\00:49:44.75
who is richer than
the current husband,
00:49:44.78\00:49:46.11
that'll do them
apart, you know, right?
00:49:46.15\00:49:48.05
But the real vow
is supposed to be
00:49:48.08\00:49:50.45
until death do us part, right?
00:49:50.49\00:49:52.52
So these are the vows my wife
and I took when we got married.
00:49:52.55\00:49:56.29
What?
00:49:56.32\00:49:58.09
How can I find?
00:49:58.13\00:49:59.46
How can I have
assurance in these vows?
00:49:59.49\00:50:01.00
The only way I
can have assurance
00:50:01.03\00:50:02.36
about the vows we
took way back when
00:50:02.40\00:50:04.37
is to spend
time with her, right?
00:50:04.40\00:50:06.23
Because the more
time I spend with my wife,
00:50:06.27\00:50:08.37
the more I realized that
the vows we made are living.
00:50:08.40\00:50:11.54
You know, she does love me.
00:50:11.57\00:50:13.14
She has chosen to be with me
till death do us part, right?
00:50:13.17\00:50:17.08
That's right.
00:50:17.11\00:50:18.45
And so it's not just facts,
00:50:18.48\00:50:21.95
they've got to
have time and experience
00:50:21.98\00:50:24.45
and time with the Lord
and experience with the Lord,
00:50:24.49\00:50:27.16
otherwise these are just facts
00:50:27.19\00:50:29.99
and you won't have assurance.
00:50:30.03\00:50:31.63
And the more time
you spend with the Lord,
00:50:31.66\00:50:33.40
the sweeter it is.
00:50:33.43\00:50:35.10
One of my favorite hymns
00:50:35.13\00:50:36.83
is called sweet
hour of prayer, right?
00:50:36.87\00:50:39.00
And real briefly
to read the one verse.
00:50:39.03\00:50:42.40
It says... Sweet hour of prayer!
00:50:42.44\00:50:43.77
Sweet hour of prayer!
00:50:43.81\00:50:45.14
Thy wings shall my petition bear
00:50:45.17\00:50:47.64
To Him whose
truth and faithfulness
00:50:47.68\00:50:50.48
Engage the waiting soul to bless
00:50:50.51\00:50:53.55
And since He
bids me seek His face
00:50:53.58\00:50:56.38
Believe His Word
and trust His grace
00:50:56.42\00:50:59.25
Unmerited favor.
00:50:59.29\00:51:00.62
I'll cast on Him my every care
00:51:00.66\00:51:02.62
And wait for thee,
sweet hour of prayer!
00:51:02.66\00:51:05.66
Is that not beautiful?
00:51:05.69\00:51:07.03
Spending time with the
Lord. That's what makes it real.
00:51:07.06\00:51:09.56
There's another
promise. John 5:24.
00:51:09.60\00:51:11.53
John 5:24.
00:51:15.50\00:51:17.61
Six minutes.
00:51:22.74\00:51:24.08
Okay, John 5:24.
00:51:24.11\00:51:26.41
Not a lot of time left.
00:51:26.45\00:51:27.78
"Most assuredly, I say to you,
00:51:27.82\00:51:29.55
he who hears My
word and believes in Him
00:51:29.58\00:51:31.15
who sent Me has
everlasting life,
00:51:31.19\00:51:34.36
and shall not
come into judgment,
00:51:34.39\00:51:35.72
but has passed
from death to life."
00:51:35.76\00:51:40.06
If you believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:51:40.10\00:51:41.96
if you have chosen
to make Him your Savior,
00:51:42.00\00:51:43.67
if you seek Him daily,
00:51:43.70\00:51:45.90
you can have assurance
00:51:45.93\00:51:47.27
that your name is written
in the Lamb's book of life.
00:51:47.30\00:51:49.30
Anybody know why it's
called the Lamb's book of life?
00:51:49.34\00:51:52.74
Because it's the
Lamb's book of life, right?
00:51:52.77\00:51:56.04
It's not Abraham's book of life.
00:51:56.08\00:51:57.85
It's not Sarah's book of life,
00:51:57.88\00:51:59.88
it's not the
Jeroboam's book of life,
00:51:59.91\00:52:01.68
it's not Gabriel's book of life,
00:52:01.72\00:52:03.25
it's the Lamb's book of life.
00:52:03.28\00:52:04.89
And Jesus knows
those who are His.
00:52:04.92\00:52:07.36
That's assurance to me.
It's the Lamb's book of life.
00:52:07.39\00:52:10.19
To know there's
not an angel up there
00:52:10.23\00:52:11.99
writing my name
and scribbling it out,
00:52:12.03\00:52:13.36
writing it in, erasing it out.
00:52:13.40\00:52:14.93
You know, it's the
Lamb's book of life.
00:52:14.96\00:52:18.97
We are nearing the end,
00:52:19.00\00:52:20.50
and I have to say
something about this
00:52:20.54\00:52:22.44
because somebody's griping
on the other end and I know it.
00:52:22.47\00:52:25.81
There is a
problem with assurance.
00:52:25.84\00:52:28.54
Anybody know
what that problem is?
00:52:28.58\00:52:29.91
Well, it's us, but
within us it's sin, right?
00:52:29.94\00:52:35.52
There is one
obstacle to having assurance
00:52:35.55\00:52:39.05
in your relationship with God,
00:52:39.09\00:52:41.82
and it's called cherished sin.
00:52:41.86\00:52:46.13
Cherished sin, we
know this term, right?
00:52:46.16\00:52:48.46
We can never have assurance
in our relationship with God
00:52:48.50\00:52:51.63
if we have cherished sin.
00:52:51.67\00:52:54.70
You know
cherished sin, what is that?
00:52:54.74\00:52:56.74
It's the sin you
don't want to give up.
00:52:56.77\00:52:58.97
It's not the sin...
00:52:59.01\00:53:00.41
And I need to
be very clear here.
00:53:00.44\00:53:01.91
It's not the smoker
who can't stand smoking
00:53:01.94\00:53:04.38
and they want to give up
but they're addicted to it
00:53:04.41\00:53:06.41
and drive them
crazy and are praying
00:53:06.45\00:53:07.92
and they're begging
God to deliver them.
00:53:07.95\00:53:09.88
That's not cherished sin.
00:53:09.92\00:53:12.09
It's not the alcoholic
00:53:12.12\00:53:13.46
who has the same problem, right?
00:53:13.49\00:53:15.92
It's not even the guy
addicted to pornography
00:53:15.96\00:53:18.26
who has the same problem.
00:53:18.29\00:53:19.63
At least if they, if they
desire to be released from it,
00:53:19.66\00:53:23.00
but they're so addicted to
it, they find within themselves
00:53:23.03\00:53:25.57
that they are
powerless to deliver themselves.
00:53:25.60\00:53:27.30
No, cherished sin is
00:53:27.34\00:53:28.90
when I know all the
facts of the gospel,
00:53:28.94\00:53:30.91
I have, I know the Lord, I
knew the Lord at one point,
00:53:30.94\00:53:33.61
but for some reason I'm
saying, Lord, I want salvation.
00:53:33.64\00:53:37.81
I believe everything you say,
but I just can't give this up.
00:53:37.85\00:53:41.52
That's cherished sin
00:53:41.55\00:53:43.02
and you're never going to
have assurance of salvation
00:53:43.05\00:53:46.45
if you're cherishing sin.
00:53:46.49\00:53:49.06
Now, how do you overcome?
00:53:49.09\00:53:50.79
I've got to say this real quick
00:53:50.83\00:53:52.36
because a lot of
people want victory over sin
00:53:52.39\00:53:55.53
because it's that cherish,
it's that struggle with sin
00:53:55.56\00:53:58.03
that gets in the
way of assurance, right?
00:53:58.07\00:54:00.10
Absolutely.
00:54:00.14\00:54:01.47
So in the most
simplistic form I can put it.
00:54:01.50\00:54:04.67
If I put a bowl
of candy over here
00:54:04.71\00:54:06.27
and a bowl of lima beans,
00:54:06.31\00:54:08.08
I hate lima beans.
00:54:08.11\00:54:09.78
Actually, I don't
hate them as much as
00:54:09.81\00:54:11.15
I used to when I was a kid.
00:54:11.18\00:54:12.51
And I put them right there
and I told my six year old boy,
00:54:12.55\00:54:13.88
pick one.
00:54:13.92\00:54:15.45
What do you think
he's going to pick?
00:54:15.48\00:54:16.99
The candy. Why?
00:54:17.02\00:54:19.05
Simply because he likes candy
more than lima beans, correct?
00:54:19.09\00:54:22.69
Absolutely.
00:54:22.72\00:54:24.06
How do you get victory
over your life over sin?
00:54:24.09\00:54:27.30
You focus on the Word of God.
You focus on the cross, right?
00:54:27.33\00:54:30.77
What does Paul
say about the cross
00:54:30.80\00:54:32.13
in 1 Corinthians 1:18?
00:54:32.17\00:54:34.10
The message of the
cross is foolishness
00:54:34.14\00:54:35.57
to those who are perishing,
00:54:35.60\00:54:36.94
but to us who are
being saved, it is what,
00:54:36.97\00:54:39.31
the power of God.
00:54:39.34\00:54:41.34
The love of God is the
power we need in our lives.
00:54:41.38\00:54:43.85
And I guarantee you,
if you look at the cross,
00:54:43.88\00:54:46.55
if you contemplate the cross,
00:54:46.58\00:54:47.92
if you contemplate the depths
of the love of God long enough,
00:54:47.95\00:54:51.95
you're going to like lima
beans more than candy, right?
00:54:51.99\00:54:57.23
I mean, candies will
give him once a while,
00:54:57.26\00:54:58.59
I'm not saying candies a sin,
but you know what I'm saying?
00:54:58.63\00:55:01.16
The more you
contemplate the love of Christ,
00:55:01.20\00:55:03.50
eventually it's
going to outweigh itself.
00:55:03.53\00:55:05.83
You're going to
love Christ so much
00:55:05.87\00:55:07.54
because you have a recognition
of what He's done for...
00:55:07.57\00:55:10.91
We would have recognition
of what He's done for us,
00:55:10.94\00:55:13.17
that sin that you're
struggling with so much,
00:55:13.21\00:55:14.68
it's going to look so
heinous and so disgusting
00:55:14.71\00:55:17.48
in the light of Jesus' love
00:55:17.51\00:55:19.55
that you're going to
gravitate toward Christ
00:55:19.58\00:55:21.25
and eventually
you'll get the victory.
00:55:21.28\00:55:22.62
I mean, it's
most simplistic form.
00:55:22.65\00:55:24.15
That is the truth of
the gospel, is it not?
00:55:24.19\00:55:26.86
Absolutely is.
00:55:26.89\00:55:29.19
I wish we could
spend more time on that.
00:55:29.22\00:55:30.56
I mean, that's just a
totally different study.
00:55:30.59\00:55:32.76
But you want victory
in your life over habits,
00:55:32.79\00:55:36.30
look at Christ.
00:55:36.33\00:55:37.67
No one can pull themselves
up by their own bootstraps,
00:55:37.70\00:55:40.10
even Jesus said,
00:55:40.14\00:55:41.47
who of you by worrying can
add one measure to a stature.
00:55:41.50\00:55:44.11
You know, stop looking at
the problem and look at Christ
00:55:44.14\00:55:47.98
and let the love of Christ
pervade your experience so much
00:55:48.01\00:55:50.98
that you don't want to
have anything to do with it.
00:55:51.01\00:55:53.05
You know, the hymn
says, how does the hymn go?
00:55:53.08\00:55:57.32
Look full in his wonderful face
00:55:57.35\00:55:59.32
and the things of
earth will grow strangely dim
00:55:59.35\00:56:02.49
in the light of His
glory and grace, right?
00:56:02.52\00:56:04.46
Same principle.
00:56:04.49\00:56:06.33
Okay, we got to wrap up.
00:56:06.36\00:56:08.86
We all want
assurance, do we not?
00:56:08.90\00:56:10.87
We desperately desire assurance
because we should have it.
00:56:10.90\00:56:15.07
The Lord has done so much
00:56:15.10\00:56:16.44
to pay for the
price of our redemption.
00:56:16.47\00:56:17.81
Why shouldn't we have assurance?
00:56:17.84\00:56:20.01
Okay,
00:56:20.04\00:56:21.41
and a sincerity really
is what God wants, right?
00:56:21.44\00:56:24.65
If you're struggling with
sin, God just want sincerity.
00:56:24.68\00:56:27.05
If you're
sincere, it's not going to.
00:56:27.08\00:56:28.58
He knows you're sincere.
00:56:28.62\00:56:29.95
He knows that if you
had the power within you,
00:56:29.98\00:56:31.35
you dropped that
that sin from your life,
00:56:31.39\00:56:34.79
and so He offers power.
00:56:34.82\00:56:37.96
Okay.
00:56:37.99\00:56:40.50
Love is power.
00:56:40.53\00:56:43.77
It is God who works in
us both to will and to do
00:56:43.80\00:56:46.37
according to His good pleasure.
00:56:46.40\00:56:48.94
Closing thought.
00:56:48.97\00:56:51.61
I don't want to make it
sound like reading the Bible,
00:56:51.64\00:56:55.18
praying and recognizing that
00:56:55.21\00:56:58.21
we cannot save
ourselves is works
00:56:58.25\00:57:00.98
because some people
will even look at that.
00:57:01.02\00:57:02.35
I mean, the sticklers.
00:57:02.38\00:57:03.79
You know, well, you're
still saying you're doing work,
00:57:03.82\00:57:05.32
so he's got to pray this, no,
00:57:05.35\00:57:07.36
those are not worth
that merit salvation.
00:57:07.39\00:57:09.32
They facilitate
assurance, correct?
00:57:09.36\00:57:11.39
Amen.
00:57:11.43\00:57:12.76
Okay, so we got to get
our eyes off of ourselves.
00:57:12.79\00:57:15.36
Put our eyes on Jesus.
00:57:15.40\00:57:16.97
Then we'll find assurance.
00:57:17.00\00:57:19.57
There is a phrase. I
don't know who did it.
00:57:19.60\00:57:23.07
I don't know who said it.
00:57:23.10\00:57:24.44
I think I heard
CA say at one time,
00:57:24.47\00:57:25.81
and it just clicked and
I've never forgotten it.
00:57:25.84\00:57:28.01
It's a simple, simple phrase
00:57:28.04\00:57:30.85
and it goes something like this.
00:57:30.88\00:57:33.88
It says, when I look at myself,
00:57:33.92\00:57:40.36
I don't see how I can be saved.
00:57:40.39\00:57:44.89
But when I look at Jesus,
00:57:44.93\00:57:49.56
I don't see how I can be lost.
00:57:49.60\00:57:53.30
Is that not the
truth of the gospel?
00:57:53.34\00:57:56.37
Get our eyes off of ourselves
00:57:56.40\00:57:58.37
and look full in
His wonderful face.
00:57:58.41\00:58:00.81
Look full in His wonderful face.
00:58:00.84\00:58:02.18
God bless you.
00:58:02.21\00:58:03.55
Thank you so much for
joining us this evening.
00:58:03.58\00:58:04.91