Hello, friends.
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Welcome to another
Wednesday Night Bible Study,
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here in Thompsonville, Illinois.
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You know, we say Thompsonville,
we say West Frankfort.
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Well, if you've
ever visited 3ABN,
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they're just one thin line apart
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in two different little towns.
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But this is the
3ABN Worship Center
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and we thank you
for tuning in tonight
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to continue
with us in our study,
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how to live a spiritual
life in a natural body,
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and we're going to be
transitioning into a new series
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and it is entitled,
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"How to know the
truth about the truth."
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And you probably tilted your
head to the side like a puppy
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huh.
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What does he mean by that?
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Well, you'll find
out when we get there,
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but tonight if
you'd like to follow along
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with our lesson,
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go to this website
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asf.3abn.org
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and download lesson number 17
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as well as lesson number 18.
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Now our attempt will
be to finish lesson 17
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and transition to lesson 18.
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But in the event that we
don't, you'll be ahead of us.
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And that is, you'll be able
to study out lesson number 18
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and be prepared
for the next broadcast.
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But invite your
friends and family members
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to sit down with us
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for a thoughtful hour
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as we walk through
our Bibles together.
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Can we say amen to that? Amen.
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It's no better thing
to do than to spend time
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in the Word of God.
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And we'd like to thank you for
tuning in from around the world
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to make this broadcast as
special as we believe it is,
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from the Word of God,
led by His Holy Spirit.
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So tonight,
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let's bow our heads and invite
God's presence to be with us.
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Our Heavenly Father, we
thank You for Your goodness,
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for Your mercy and
always for Your grace,
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for we discover that Your grace
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truly is sufficient for us
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and we also know
Lord that in our weakness,
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your strength is
truly made perfect.
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Tonight, Father,
as we open Your Word,
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we pray that
You'll open our hearts
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and our minds and
unite us around the world
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together in the
study of Your Word,
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and may Your Holy Spirit
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who promises to lead us
and guide us into all truth,
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prepare us for the
reception of truth.
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In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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Well, you know we'd
like to sing our theme song
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and you'd like to
join us if you can.
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Now you know our theme
song is victory in Jesus,
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the words is on our...
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The words will be on our
screen, won't be on yours,
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but I know that many
of you have joined us
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as we sing the song.
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So let's sing our song tonight,
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"Victory in Jesus."
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I heard an old,
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old story
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How the Savior came from glory
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How He gave His life on Calvary
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To save a wretch like me
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I heard about His groaning
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Of His precious blood's atoning
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Then I repented of my sins
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And won the victory Together
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O victory in Jesus My Savior,
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forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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I heard about a mansion
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He has built for me in glory
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And I heard about
the streets of gold
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Beyond the crystal sea
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About the angels singing
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And the old redemption story
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And some sweet day
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I'll sing up there
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The song of victory
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Key change. Are you ready?
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O victory in Jesus My Savior,
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forever He
sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere
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I knew Him And
all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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Amen.
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Amen.
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We are about to get a
flood here in Southern Illinois,
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we've been
getting a lot of rain.
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And I don't know
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if it was like this
in the days of Noah,
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because they had
never had rain before.
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But at the sight of clouds,
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those who live in places like
Oklahoma, in Texas, in Kentucky
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and Tennessee and Illinois,
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we kind of hunker down
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because we know that
it could bring with it
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a lot of other things, and even
forecasted possibility of hail,
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strong winds,
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but the only wind that
we're waiting for tonight
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is the wind of
God's Holy Spirit.
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Amen? Amen.
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And we are here,
though not many in number,
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we are glad that you
are making up the difference
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as we joined
together around the world.
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We have been studying the
topic how to become a Christian.
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And that may seem strange
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because those of
us who are studying
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are 'Christians', at
least in our labels we are,
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but there's a lot more that
pertains to being a Christian
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than just having the label
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whether the
denomination is a small one,
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or a large one,
the most confused place
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in the world today
is among Christians.
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That's why I'm beginning
a new series on the heels,
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heels of this one call,
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how to know the
truth about the truth.
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Because when I study, you
know, different religions,
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I don't spend a
ton of time on that.
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But sometimes you think
of, and I'm going to be kind,
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but I talk, I think about
the 1.2 billion Catholics.
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And I think for the most part,
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they all believe the same thing,
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that is, you know, you
have charismatic Catholics
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and you have other
branches, but for the most part,
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the 1.2 billion
members of the Catholic Church
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whether infants or adults,
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tend to be under one creed,
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one banner,
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and one set of beliefs found in
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The Convert's
Catechism of Catholic Doctrines.
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But then, when you
mention the word Christian,
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people say what flavor?
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What brand?
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Or what denomination?
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Because the word
Christian doesn't mean
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what it did in the Bible.
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The word Christian in the
Bible meant there was one Lord,
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one faith, one baptism,
one God, one Father of all,
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one set of
beliefs that were unifying
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all Christians together.
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They were just
Jews and Gentiles.
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There was just truth.
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There was just error and truth.
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There was
falsehood, and there was light,
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there was no massive diversity.
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And in the context of
Christianity nowadays,
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people say, "Well, I'm Christian
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and to me that really
doesn't mean anything."
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Because Christianity is a lot
larger than just having a label
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and that's why the next
series is going to really
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put a great highlight on
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the importance of knowing
the truth about the truth.
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Now people may say, okay,
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sounds like a
redundant statement
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to know the
truth about the truth.
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But let me just go
ahead and give you a preview
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so that you can
prepare yourself.
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And tonight we'll see
it also fit into this topic
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on how to become a Christian
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or what it means
to be a Christian.
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I mentioned to you
the word Christian.
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What is a
Christian, somebody tell me?
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Let's say this
together, what is a Christian?
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A follower of Christ.
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That's the easy definition,
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the most appropriate definition,
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the true definition,
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a Christian is a
follower of Christ.
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And Jesus mentioned in Matthew
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Chapter 7,
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that the way that
leads to eternal life
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is a narrow path, and
few there be that find it.
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But He also in
that very same context,
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I thought it was not
unusual, but how appropriate,
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in the passage
where he mentions,
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you will know
them by their fruits.
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He mentioned the road
to eternal life is narrow.
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Then He also said, not
everyone that says to me,
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Lord, Lord will enter
the kingdom of heaven.
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Only those who do the will
of My Father which is in heaven.
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So what He in
essence is saying is,
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there's a lot more
to being a Christian
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than just saying
you're a Christian,
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but He wants those who
are willing to do the will
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of His Father in heaven.
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And then when Jesus came,
He says, I came into My own,
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and My own did not receive me.
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And we'll find out, I
don't want to jump ahead.
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I'm just kind of
holding the brakes,
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because it's just flowing over.
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I don't want to go to the books
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that I've put in the new lesson.
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But you'll discover that,
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how to become a Christian
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brings with a
tremendous benefit.
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So our topic tonight,
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although it's our theme is
how to live a spiritual life
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in a natural body.
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Our topic is how
to become a Christian.
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And we left off on
question number 12.
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So that means tonight,
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we're going to go ahead
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and begin with
question number 13,
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setting this stage and
this question is as follows.
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It's on our screen,
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and you will see it
also on your screen.
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The question is,
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what major change will there
be after I become a Christian?
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What major change will there
be after I become a Christian?
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And we're going to
go to the Book of John,
00:10:04.93\00:10:06.40
what book did I say?
00:10:06.43\00:10:07.77
John.
00:10:07.80\00:10:09.14
My book.
00:10:09.17\00:10:10.51
John 17 and we're going
to look together at verse 3.
00:10:10.54\00:10:14.54
You know, John
is a powerful book.
00:10:14.58\00:10:17.95
In that, there's John,
00:10:17.98\00:10:20.82
there is first, second, third
John, then there's Revelation.
00:10:20.85\00:10:24.25
And a lot of people
look at the Book of John
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as the book from the one
that was most beloved by Christ.
00:10:27.16\00:10:31.83
He was the
youngest of the disciples,
00:10:31.86\00:10:33.36
yet he was one of
the sons of Thunder.
00:10:33.40\00:10:35.96
Meaning He was loud.
00:10:36.00\00:10:38.53
But He learned how to tone
it down and allow Jesus to...
00:10:38.57\00:10:42.44
I'll not refer to anybody in my
presence here, we have brother.
00:10:42.47\00:10:44.74
It's okay to be loud
for Jesus, isn't that right?
00:10:47.78\00:10:50.28
As long as you're
thundering the gospel,
00:10:50.31\00:10:52.51
but in essence, he
learned to love Jesus.
00:10:52.55\00:10:55.42
He learned to
communicate with tones of love.
00:10:55.45\00:10:58.45
He was the one that was
the last disciple to die,
00:10:58.49\00:11:01.29
and he died of natural causes,
00:11:01.32\00:11:03.53
because God as
Pastor Doug Batchelor says,
00:11:03.56\00:11:06.70
until God is finished,
finished with you there,
00:11:06.73\00:11:08.80
you are immortal.
00:11:08.83\00:11:10.17
That is,
00:11:10.20\00:11:11.53
nobody could do
anything to take your life
00:11:11.57\00:11:14.14
until God has done with you.
00:11:14.17\00:11:15.50
That's the immortal sense,
not that you have immortality.
00:11:15.54\00:11:18.51
But then if
anything happens to you,
00:11:18.54\00:11:20.14
you have the
gift of immortality,
00:11:20.18\00:11:22.58
which we'll all put
on when Jesus comes.
00:11:22.61\00:11:24.75
But let's look at what
the major change will be
00:11:24.78\00:11:27.22
after we become Christians?
00:11:27.25\00:11:28.98
John 17:13.
00:11:29.02\00:11:31.72
And the answer is,
verse 3, John 17:3.
00:11:31.75\00:11:36.39
Thankfully, you all have
your lessons in your Bibles.
00:11:36.42\00:11:38.83
And let's read the
first one together.
00:11:38.86\00:11:40.73
And it reads as
follows: "And this is" what?
00:11:40.76\00:11:43.70
"Eternal life,
that they may know You,
00:11:43.73\00:11:47.64
the only true
God and Jesus Christ
00:11:47.67\00:11:51.04
whom You have sent."
00:11:51.07\00:11:53.61
Now this verse brings into
view two persons of the Godhead,
00:11:53.64\00:11:58.98
the Father and the Son.
00:11:59.01\00:12:00.98
So when the Bible says,
and this is life eternal,
00:12:01.02\00:12:03.42
that they may know You,
00:12:03.45\00:12:06.35
the only true
God and Jesus Christ
00:12:06.39\00:12:09.72
whom You have sent,
00:12:09.76\00:12:12.39
it's hard for
anybody to think of Jesus
00:12:12.43\00:12:15.16
in or God in
three manifestations.
00:12:15.20\00:12:18.07
You know, there is this belief
00:12:18.10\00:12:19.43
that God manifests
Himself in different ways,
00:12:19.47\00:12:21.97
or God metamorphosized
from God, the Father,
00:12:22.00\00:12:25.14
then he metamorphosized
like a butterfly into God,
00:12:25.17\00:12:27.38
the Son,
00:12:27.41\00:12:28.74
and then He left
His shell like an aphid
00:12:28.78\00:12:31.41
and left behind the Holy Spirit.
00:12:31.45\00:12:33.88
There are those who believe
in three manifestations of God,
00:12:33.92\00:12:36.85
rather than the persons
of the Godhead, the Father,
00:12:36.89\00:12:39.55
the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
00:12:39.59\00:12:41.32
So what this text is,
in essence, is saying to us
00:12:41.36\00:12:43.36
and I'll go ahead and show you
00:12:43.39\00:12:44.76
the answer, you
could write it down.
00:12:44.79\00:12:46.70
The answer is,
00:12:46.73\00:12:48.43
you have a personal
relationship with God.
00:12:48.46\00:12:51.80
And you have that
personal relationship
00:12:51.83\00:12:53.47
with God through whom?
00:12:53.50\00:12:55.60
Somebody tell me, through whom?
00:12:55.64\00:12:57.41
Through Jesus,
00:12:57.44\00:12:58.81
because you're no longer,
00:12:58.84\00:13:00.21
you're no longer
coming straight to God.
00:13:00.24\00:13:02.64
But as Jesus says,
00:13:02.68\00:13:04.01
"No one comes to the
Father except through Me."
00:13:04.05\00:13:07.75
Go with me to the
Book of John Chapter 10.
00:13:07.78\00:13:09.88
You're putting the answer down,
00:13:09.92\00:13:11.59
you have a personal relationship
00:13:11.62\00:13:14.36
with God.
00:13:14.39\00:13:16.22
In other words,
the door is open now,
00:13:16.26\00:13:18.56
for us to have
access to the Father.
00:13:18.59\00:13:21.36
There's only one
way to the Father,
00:13:21.40\00:13:23.80
and that's through
the Son Christ Jesus.
00:13:23.83\00:13:26.60
That's not a very
popular statement nowadays
00:13:26.63\00:13:29.44
because people think
there are many different ways,
00:13:29.47\00:13:33.04
but there's only
one way to the Father.
00:13:33.07\00:13:36.64
Okay, John Chapter 10.
00:13:36.68\00:13:38.91
And
00:13:38.95\00:13:41.18
I want to look at verse 1,
00:13:41.22\00:13:46.59
verse 1, I'm not going
to read too many of them,
00:13:46.62\00:13:48.06
but I'll select the
verses that are most appropriate
00:13:48.09\00:13:51.49
to the point I'm trying to make.
00:13:51.53\00:13:53.19
Because Jesus is the way,
00:13:53.23\00:13:54.66
Jesus is the one that
connects us to the Father.
00:13:54.70\00:13:56.53
John Chapter 10,
00:13:56.56\00:13:57.90
and I'm reading from
the New King James Version,
00:13:57.93\00:13:59.90
but the translation is
really not that important.
00:13:59.93\00:14:02.47
It says, "Most
assuredly, I say to you,
00:14:02.50\00:14:04.77
he who does not enter
the sheepfold by the door,
00:14:04.81\00:14:09.34
but climbs up some other
way, the same is a" what?
00:14:09.38\00:14:13.68
"Thief and a robber.
00:14:13.72\00:14:16.15
But he who enters by the door
is the shepherd of the sheep.
00:14:16.18\00:14:22.36
To him, the doorkeeper opens,
and the sheep hear his voice.
00:14:22.39\00:14:27.30
And he calls his own sheep
by name, and leads them out."
00:14:27.33\00:14:32.10
You should rejoice
when you read that text
00:14:32.13\00:14:33.57
because Revelation 18 talks
about another call coming out,
00:14:33.60\00:14:36.04
"Come out of her My people."
00:14:36.07\00:14:38.37
And the only way that
He's going to lead them out
00:14:38.41\00:14:40.04
is by them hearing His voice,
00:14:40.08\00:14:41.68
that's so instrumental in
the topic that's coming up.
00:14:41.71\00:14:44.91
And he goes and says in verse,
00:14:44.95\00:14:48.38
verse 4,
00:14:48.42\00:14:51.32
"And when he
brings out his own sheep,
00:14:51.35\00:14:54.02
he goes before them
and the sheep follow him,
00:14:54.06\00:14:56.93
for they know his voice."
00:14:56.96\00:14:58.96
They not only know him,
but they even know his voice.
00:14:58.99\00:15:02.13
And those of you
who get phone calls,
00:15:02.16\00:15:03.70
sometimes you get a phone call
00:15:03.73\00:15:05.23
and maybe somebody you haven't
heard from in a long time,
00:15:05.27\00:15:08.44
but the moment you hear
their voice, you say, "No.
00:15:08.47\00:15:13.44
Tell me this is not Jeffrey."
00:15:13.48\00:15:16.08
"Yup, this is Jeffrey."
00:15:16.11\00:15:17.45
You say, "You
sound a little older,
00:15:17.48\00:15:18.81
but I could never
forget that voice."
00:15:18.85\00:15:20.18
Have you ever had
that experience before?
00:15:20.22\00:15:21.55
Sometimes you talk to
people that you haven't heard
00:15:21.58\00:15:22.92
from in a long time.
00:15:22.95\00:15:24.69
And you say,
00:15:24.72\00:15:26.05
I can't believe this
is who I think it is.
00:15:26.09\00:15:28.49
Is this and you
mentioned their name?
00:15:28.52\00:15:30.36
And how do you know them?
00:15:30.39\00:15:32.23
How do you know them
over the phone, by their?
00:15:32.26\00:15:33.60
Voice.
00:15:33.63\00:15:34.96
By their voice unless you
have one of those new phones
00:15:35.00\00:15:36.67
that have video,
but for the most part,
00:15:36.70\00:15:38.77
and the very same thing happened
00:15:38.80\00:15:40.24
with Mary when she
waited in the garden
00:15:40.27\00:15:42.27
for the resurrection morning.
00:15:42.30\00:15:43.64
She thought that
Jesus was the gardener
00:15:43.67\00:15:45.31
until He said her name.
00:15:45.34\00:15:47.41
And then she
thought, "Wait a minute,
00:15:47.44\00:15:49.84
is this who I think it is?"
00:15:49.88\00:15:52.21
She identified
Jesus by His voice.
00:15:52.25\00:15:54.38
Very important
point I'm making here.
00:15:54.42\00:15:56.15
You see, a lot of people think
00:15:56.18\00:15:57.52
that the voice
of God is audible,
00:15:57.55\00:15:59.25
but the voice is
God is also written.
00:15:59.29\00:16:01.82
Amen?
00:16:01.86\00:16:03.36
God spoke these words,
00:16:03.39\00:16:07.76
holy men of God
00:16:07.80\00:16:10.10
spake as they were
moved by the Holy Spirit.
00:16:10.13\00:16:14.40
These words was spoken.
00:16:14.44\00:16:17.01
These words were written,
00:16:17.04\00:16:18.67
but they came
forth from the Father,
00:16:18.71\00:16:20.64
they came forth from the Christ,
00:16:20.68\00:16:22.11
they came forth through
the work of the Holy Spirit.
00:16:22.14\00:16:25.35
These words were not born
in the minds and lives of men.
00:16:25.38\00:16:28.72
It was communicated
through their experiences,
00:16:28.75\00:16:32.12
but these are the words of God.
00:16:32.15\00:16:34.46
And we'll find out
that in just a moment,
00:16:34.49\00:16:36.76
but let me go and finish this,
I wanna end the point here.
00:16:36.79\00:16:40.73
Let's go down to
verse 7 of John Chapter 10.
00:16:40.76\00:16:44.17
Jesus said to them,
"Most assuredly, I say to you,"
00:16:44.20\00:16:48.77
what's those four words?
00:16:48.80\00:16:50.77
I am the door.
00:16:50.81\00:16:53.68
"I am the door of the sheep.
00:16:53.71\00:16:58.91
And whoever came before
me, are thieves and robbers,
00:16:58.95\00:17:03.92
but the sheep did not hear them.
00:17:03.95\00:17:06.15
I am the door.
00:17:06.19\00:17:07.52
If anyone enters by
Me, he will be," what?
00:17:07.56\00:17:10.76
"Saved, and will go in
and out and find pasture."
00:17:10.79\00:17:16.97
So we see right away
this personal relationship
00:17:17.00\00:17:19.03
that we have with the
Lord is very important.
00:17:19.07\00:17:21.84
Because if you have
this personal relationship,
00:17:21.87\00:17:23.54
you're not just
in a relationship
00:17:23.57\00:17:25.04
with Him by name.
00:17:25.07\00:17:26.41
There's some
people, you heard of people
00:17:26.44\00:17:27.78
that are called name callers,
you ever know people like that?
00:17:27.81\00:17:31.88
When you mention
it, yeah I know him.
00:17:31.91\00:17:34.08
So what's his nickname.
00:17:34.12\00:17:36.08
I do that.
00:17:36.12\00:17:37.45
And somebody did that once.
00:17:37.49\00:17:39.02
And I show you about
a personal relationship.
00:17:39.05\00:17:41.62
Not that we want to
minimize Jesus in any way.
00:17:41.66\00:17:44.19
But usually if
you say to somebody,
00:17:44.23\00:17:46.09
oh, I know. I know.
00:17:46.13\00:17:49.13
And you mentioned
the person's name.
00:17:49.16\00:17:50.50
I want to be vague so
I don't really bring out.
00:17:50.53\00:17:52.80
Okay, let me use
myself as an example.
00:17:52.83\00:17:57.67
I know this is going
to, this is going to happen
00:17:57.71\00:17:59.27
when I go all over the world,
people start calling me this.
00:17:59.31\00:18:02.21
If anybody ever
calls me, Junior,
00:18:02.24\00:18:06.92
they have to
know me from way back
00:18:06.95\00:18:08.85
when I was a little boy.
00:18:08.88\00:18:10.72
They had to know me from
Madison Street in Brooklyn.
00:18:10.75\00:18:14.09
Now, let me even go further.
00:18:14.12\00:18:15.46
If anyone calls me
Junjun, they had to know me
00:18:15.49\00:18:17.83
when I was a
little boy, a tiny tyke,
00:18:17.86\00:18:21.23
because that was
what my sister called me
00:18:21.26\00:18:23.23
before she was able to say John.
00:18:23.26\00:18:25.63
She would say Junjun.
00:18:25.67\00:18:27.00
And I discovered
that was not an accident,
00:18:27.04\00:18:31.01
but it's traditional
in some Filipino families.
00:18:31.04\00:18:33.94
The name Junjun is very common.
00:18:33.98\00:18:35.81
But, so Junjun,
00:18:35.84\00:18:37.71
when a little boy
Junior, growing up,
00:18:37.75\00:18:40.62
but John as an adult.
00:18:40.65\00:18:42.38
I remember somebody, one day,
00:18:42.42\00:18:43.82
my sister was with
us and somebody said,
00:18:43.85\00:18:47.82
as they saw me as a
pastor, and they said, Junior,
00:18:47.86\00:18:50.39
she said, he's a pastor
now, you need to call him John.
00:18:50.43\00:18:54.93
He's not Junior
anymore. He's grown up.
00:18:54.96\00:18:56.43
He's a pastor now,
you need to call him John.
00:18:56.46\00:18:58.73
There's some connection to that.
00:18:58.77\00:19:02.80
Jesus had such a personal
relationship with His disciples
00:19:02.84\00:19:06.34
that He said,
00:19:06.37\00:19:08.14
let's kind of get off of
this master thing, disciple.
00:19:08.18\00:19:11.58
Let's call each other friends.
00:19:11.61\00:19:13.62
See, He referred to,
00:19:13.65\00:19:15.02
they referred to Him as friends.
00:19:15.05\00:19:17.15
And they're
those, my good friend,
00:19:17.19\00:19:20.26
Pastor Dwight Nelson
00:19:20.29\00:19:21.62
always speaks
about the forever friend,
00:19:21.66\00:19:24.13
Jesus our forever
friend, a friendship with Jesus.
00:19:24.16\00:19:27.76
So that's where that
personal relationship comes in.
00:19:27.80\00:19:29.93
You know, why is this important?
00:19:29.96\00:19:31.50
If you have a personal
relationship with Christ,
00:19:31.53\00:19:33.50
you are never in the dark,
00:19:33.54\00:19:36.47
because friends stay in touch.
00:19:36.50\00:19:38.64
The best way to stay in touch
with Jesus is through prayer,
00:19:38.67\00:19:43.14
through the reading of His Word,
00:19:43.18\00:19:44.65
and through the listening
to hear Him speak to us.
00:19:44.68\00:19:47.82
When I read the
Bible, I study the Bible.
00:19:47.85\00:19:50.45
You'll find many references
to after people had prayed,
00:19:50.49\00:19:54.09
they waited to
hear from the Lord.
00:19:54.12\00:19:56.93
They waited for the
Spirit of God to guide them
00:19:56.96\00:19:59.43
and lead them and
impress them strongly
00:19:59.46\00:20:01.33
on what they had
studied in the Word of God.
00:20:01.36\00:20:03.23
So having a personal
relationship with God
00:20:03.26\00:20:05.17
is extremely important.
00:20:05.20\00:20:06.90
That's number 13.
00:20:06.94\00:20:08.27
Now, number 14,
let's go to that one.
00:20:08.30\00:20:10.17
Number 14.
00:20:10.21\00:20:11.74
Why is it important to have
more than the Christian label?
00:20:11.77\00:20:15.74
Why it is important?
00:20:15.78\00:20:17.11
Why is it important to have
more than the Christian label?
00:20:17.15\00:20:20.32
Let's go to Titus 1:16.
00:20:20.35\00:20:22.98
Titus 1:16.
00:20:23.02\00:20:25.79
Okay.
00:20:25.82\00:20:27.92
This Christian label.
00:20:27.96\00:20:29.29
I mean, I've met people that
nowadays actually, sometimes,
00:20:29.32\00:20:33.50
we talked about flavor,
hey, what flavor are you?
00:20:33.53\00:20:36.43
Christianity
nowadays has been reduced down
00:20:38.23\00:20:40.50
to a brand of cereal,
00:20:40.54\00:20:42.70
and then but the challenge
that's going to come out
00:20:42.74\00:20:45.87
in the next
topic we talked about.
00:20:45.91\00:20:47.71
The problem with that is,
00:20:47.74\00:20:50.01
people minimize their beliefs
00:20:50.05\00:20:54.52
and they
maximize the word Jesus.
00:20:54.55\00:20:58.89
Now, let me take
a minute on that.
00:20:58.92\00:21:01.36
They minimize what they believe,
00:21:01.39\00:21:04.26
but they maximize
00:21:04.29\00:21:06.29
the fact that we
all have the same God.
00:21:06.33\00:21:08.70
You've heard them say that,
you've heard people say that,
00:21:08.73\00:21:11.53
but Jesus taps them
on the shoulder and say,
00:21:11.57\00:21:13.87
wait a minute, are
you talking about Jesus?
00:21:13.90\00:21:16.37
You all have Jesus in common?
00:21:16.40\00:21:18.24
Yeah, yeah, we
have Jesus in common.
00:21:18.27\00:21:20.84
Well, aren't we
all called by his name?
00:21:20.88\00:21:23.24
Are you seeing where I'm headed?
00:21:23.28\00:21:24.71
And as therefore
one says, wait a minute.
00:21:24.75\00:21:27.65
But you have your
own, Jesus would say,
00:21:27.68\00:21:29.35
but you have your own bread.
00:21:29.38\00:21:31.52
You have your own, you
have your own doctrines
00:21:31.55\00:21:32.89
that are not connected.
00:21:32.92\00:21:34.26
You have your own apparel,
00:21:34.29\00:21:35.76
your own method
of righteousness.
00:21:35.79\00:21:37.69
But all you really
want from me is my name,
00:21:37.73\00:21:40.06
and that's not enough.
00:21:40.10\00:21:41.43
That's why when
we do the series on
00:21:41.46\00:21:43.00
how to know the
truth about the truth,
00:21:43.03\00:21:45.07
it's going to
open your mind to see,
00:21:45.10\00:21:47.30
it's not just important
to emphasize the fact that,
00:21:47.34\00:21:51.54
oh, we all didn't
really matter what we believe,
00:21:51.57\00:21:53.58
you know we all love Jesus.
00:21:53.61\00:21:57.85
James, James completely
obliterated that ideology
00:21:57.88\00:22:02.32
that all you
have to do is believe.
00:22:02.35\00:22:04.09
Because he said,
even the devil's believe,
00:22:04.12\00:22:06.35
and what did they do?
00:22:06.39\00:22:08.19
They are more
convinced that there is a God
00:22:08.22\00:22:09.79
than many of us are.
00:22:09.82\00:22:11.83
They're so convinced that
00:22:11.86\00:22:13.19
He exists that they're
warring against Him every day.
00:22:13.23\00:22:16.46
And some of us are so
convinced that He exists,
00:22:16.50\00:22:19.13
we don't even
call on Him every day.
00:22:19.17\00:22:21.87
So let's see.
00:22:21.90\00:22:23.24
Why is it important to have
more than a Christian label?
00:22:23.27\00:22:26.17
Titus 1:16.
Look at what it says.
00:22:26.21\00:22:29.48
It says, "They
profess to," what?
00:22:29.51\00:22:31.71
"Know God, but in
works they," what?
00:22:31.75\00:22:34.42
"Deny Him, being abominable,
00:22:34.45\00:22:38.19
disobedient and disqualified
for every good work."
00:22:38.22\00:22:43.36
Isn't that amazing?
00:22:43.39\00:22:44.73
That's a powerful passage.
00:22:44.76\00:22:46.09
They profess to know God.
00:22:46.13\00:22:47.46
Somebody once was on the radio
00:22:47.50\00:22:49.43
on I forgot what channel it was,
00:22:49.46\00:22:50.87
but I was driving in the car,
00:22:50.90\00:22:52.93
and whatever the
talk show host was.
00:22:52.97\00:22:56.20
Whoever the talk show host was,
00:22:56.24\00:22:57.77
they were talking about people
00:22:57.81\00:22:59.14
that say they
know Michael Jordan.
00:22:59.17\00:23:01.11
And he said, well,
what does that really mean?
00:23:01.14\00:23:06.08
He said, okay, if
you first meet him,
00:23:06.11\00:23:07.78
you don't call him Mike,
00:23:07.82\00:23:09.52
because you're not
on that basis with him.
00:23:09.55\00:23:11.62
You say, Mr. Jordan,
or Mr. Michael Jordan,
00:23:11.65\00:23:15.06
you address him at
the point of respect.
00:23:15.09\00:23:18.23
And then if you go further,
00:23:18.26\00:23:19.89
you can say if he
lets you in the circle,
00:23:19.93\00:23:21.56
you could say, Mike, and
then if you go any further,
00:23:21.60\00:23:24.63
he said, you can call him Boo.
00:23:24.67\00:23:27.30
Whatever nickname he
has, people are like that.
00:23:27.34\00:23:30.51
Each of us are known
in our family circles
00:23:30.54\00:23:32.24
with different names.
00:23:32.27\00:23:34.14
So if somebody
professes to know somebody,
00:23:34.18\00:23:36.34
you say, okay, if
you know him that well,
00:23:36.38\00:23:38.65
okay, could you
get us into this event?
00:23:38.68\00:23:40.98
Could you get us
into this gala event?
00:23:41.02\00:23:42.82
Could you get
us into this party?
00:23:42.85\00:23:44.65
Well, I don't
know him on that level.
00:23:44.69\00:23:46.65
See, so the Lord is
saying in this verse,
00:23:46.69\00:23:48.86
people profess to know God,
00:23:48.89\00:23:51.49
but if you look
at their actions,
00:23:51.53\00:23:53.36
their actions
don't connect to somebody
00:23:53.40\00:23:56.13
that claims to have that
kind of connection with God.
00:23:56.16\00:23:59.57
So here is why it's important
to have more than a label.
00:23:59.60\00:24:02.64
The answer, our works must what?
00:24:02.67\00:24:06.64
Match our profession.
00:24:06.68\00:24:09.58
Our works must
match our profession,
00:24:09.61\00:24:13.58
the answer to number 14.
00:24:13.62\00:24:16.02
So the works, which
is how we live our lives
00:24:16.05\00:24:19.72
must be in harmony
with what we profess
00:24:19.75\00:24:21.72
to believe or
who we profess to be.
00:24:21.76\00:24:23.93
Ain't that right?
00:24:23.96\00:24:25.59
Okay, let's go on.
00:24:25.63\00:24:26.96
Let's try to get as
much as we can in tonight,
00:24:27.00\00:24:29.16
and hopefully
transition to the next one.
00:24:29.20\00:24:31.23
I'm just so excited about it.
00:24:31.27\00:24:33.10
I don't want to be next
year before I get to that one.
00:24:33.13\00:24:35.50
You know, how that goes.
00:24:35.54\00:24:37.97
Okay.
00:24:38.01\00:24:39.37
Number 15.
00:24:39.41\00:24:41.31
What must we
include in our lives
00:24:41.34\00:24:43.21
after becoming Christians?
00:24:43.24\00:24:45.31
What must we
include in our lives
00:24:45.35\00:24:47.95
after becoming Christians?
00:24:47.98\00:24:50.39
Lot of people are
Christians, but not really.
00:24:50.42\00:24:54.12
Okay, now let me get
down to the nitty-gritty.
00:24:54.16\00:24:56.52
We're taken our shoes off.
00:24:56.56\00:24:58.23
We're taken our socks off.
00:24:58.26\00:24:59.59
We're walking on ground,
00:24:59.63\00:25:00.96
you can't tell if
the ground is hot or cold
00:25:01.00\00:25:02.80
if you have on shoes and socks,
00:25:02.83\00:25:05.40
but if you take your
socks off and your shoes off,
00:25:05.43\00:25:07.80
you are where the
foot meets the road.
00:25:07.84\00:25:11.24
This text or this question
00:25:11.27\00:25:14.78
brings the foot in
touch with the road.
00:25:14.81\00:25:17.11
In other words, it
brings the label Christian
00:25:17.15\00:25:20.35
in touch with whether or
not you're really walking
00:25:20.38\00:25:22.72
that Christian life.
00:25:22.75\00:25:24.09
Question again.
00:25:24.12\00:25:25.45
What must we
include in our lives
00:25:25.49\00:25:26.82
after becoming Christians?
00:25:26.86\00:25:28.72
John 9:4, turn there with me,
00:25:28.76\00:25:30.96
John 9:4,
00:25:30.99\00:25:34.56
John 9:4.
00:25:34.60\00:25:37.50
There's something
that must be in our lives
00:25:37.53\00:25:39.30
after we become Christians.
00:25:39.33\00:25:41.74
I remember when I
joined the baseball team
00:25:41.77\00:25:43.10
in high school,
00:25:43.14\00:25:44.57
it'd years ago.
00:25:44.61\00:25:45.94
I was so skinny in high school,
00:25:45.97\00:25:47.31
they gave me a baseball uniform.
00:25:47.34\00:25:48.68
I was trying to
find a small one,
00:25:48.71\00:25:50.08
but they gave me
a baseball uniform
00:25:50.11\00:25:51.45
that was so oversized
00:25:51.48\00:25:53.25
that I had to
sew up the end seams
00:25:53.28\00:25:55.92
just so I didn't look
like I had on pajamas,
00:25:55.95\00:25:58.99
but follow what I'm saying.
00:25:59.02\00:26:00.72
Once you join the
team, you got the equipment,
00:26:00.76\00:26:03.99
you got the
uniform, you got the emblem,
00:26:04.03\00:26:07.20
you got your number,
00:26:07.23\00:26:08.56
you were assigned to
a particular position
00:26:08.60\00:26:10.73
to fill.
00:26:10.77\00:26:13.13
And then you were
included in the game.
00:26:13.17\00:26:16.60
You follow me?
00:26:16.64\00:26:18.07
So if you are on
the baseball team,
00:26:18.11\00:26:20.38
what a lot of our
guys in schools say,
00:26:20.41\00:26:22.11
hey, let me see your cleats,
00:26:22.14\00:26:24.45
what kind of cleats did you get?
00:26:24.48\00:26:25.81
Let me see your uniform.
00:26:25.85\00:26:27.18
Let me see your glove.
What kind of glove do you have?
00:26:27.22\00:26:29.38
They look for evidences that
you are connected to the team.
00:26:29.42\00:26:33.22
So if I said, "I'm on
the team." they'd say,
00:26:33.25\00:26:34.72
"Where's your uniform?"
"Well, I don't have a uniform."
00:26:34.76\00:26:36.32
"Well, then
you're not on the team.
00:26:36.36\00:26:37.99
What position are you playing?"
00:26:38.03\00:26:39.36
"Well, I haven't
gotten a position yet."
00:26:39.39\00:26:40.73
"Then you're not on the team."
00:26:40.76\00:26:42.26
Anybody on any team has
been assigned a position.
00:26:42.30\00:26:46.43
If they don't have a position,
they're not on the team.
00:26:46.47\00:26:50.21
Right?
00:26:50.24\00:26:51.57
Then you also have practices.
00:26:51.61\00:26:53.34
When is your
basketball practice?
00:26:53.38\00:26:55.01
I don't even know.
Aren't you on the team?
00:26:55.04\00:26:56.81
Yeah, but everybody
else has a schedule.
00:26:56.85\00:26:58.65
How come you
didn't get a schedule?
00:26:58.68\00:27:00.02
Well, I am on the team,
but I didn't get a schedule.
00:27:00.05\00:27:03.79
Now everybody
got their schedule,
00:27:03.82\00:27:05.92
so you're not on the team.
00:27:05.95\00:27:07.29
We used to say in the
city, you're fronting,
00:27:07.32\00:27:09.06
that means you're
not telling the truth.
00:27:09.09\00:27:11.89
Well, let me say something here
00:27:11.93\00:27:13.26
and this is a
very powerful point.
00:27:13.29\00:27:14.63
To say that we are Christians,
00:27:16.77\00:27:18.93
there's something we
must include in our lives
00:27:18.97\00:27:20.94
after becoming Christians,
00:27:20.97\00:27:22.84
or else by not
including this we are saying,
00:27:22.87\00:27:25.24
we are not on the team.
00:27:25.27\00:27:29.58
It's not, you've got to
play if you're on the team.
00:27:29.61\00:27:34.55
And if you're on the
team, you can get on the field.
00:27:34.58\00:27:38.62
And those who
are not on the field
00:27:38.65\00:27:40.36
are not getting any
championship trophies.
00:27:40.39\00:27:42.86
They're not getting any paycheck
00:27:42.89\00:27:44.26
when the championship happens.
00:27:44.29\00:27:45.73
They're not getting any
remuneration of any kind,
00:27:45.76\00:27:47.93
because they're just
sitting in the stands.
00:27:47.96\00:27:50.00
I think I laid
enough foundation.
00:27:50.03\00:27:51.57
Here's the answer
to John, in John 9:4.
00:27:51.60\00:27:55.14
Here's the answer.
00:27:55.17\00:27:56.94
John 9:4.
00:27:56.97\00:27:58.87
Let's read this together.
00:27:58.91\00:28:00.28
"I must work the
works of Him who," did what?
00:28:00.31\00:28:05.31
"Sent Me while it is day," why?
00:28:05.35\00:28:08.58
"The night is coming
when no one can work."
00:28:08.62\00:28:15.02
Okay, perfect
timing for this one
00:28:15.06\00:28:18.59
because the
basketball season just ended.
00:28:18.63\00:28:21.46
So if anybody says to me,
00:28:21.50\00:28:23.00
they're going to an
NBA basketball game,
00:28:23.03\00:28:25.03
I'm going to say,
00:28:25.07\00:28:26.63
you need to go back
to bed and wake up again
00:28:26.67\00:28:28.84
because there are no
NBA basketball games.
00:28:28.87\00:28:31.87
There are none till way down
in the later part of September.
00:28:31.91\00:28:36.34
If anybody says, "I got
tickets to a basketball game,
00:28:36.38\00:28:38.48
do you want to go with me?"
00:28:38.51\00:28:39.85
I'd say, "Which
basketball game?"
00:28:39.88\00:28:42.28
There are no games happening
until later on in the year.
00:28:42.32\00:28:45.92
Here's my point.
00:28:45.95\00:28:47.66
There is a work that God
has chosen every one of us
00:28:47.69\00:28:50.33
to be involved in
if we are Christians.
00:28:50.36\00:28:53.63
Notice the word.
00:28:53.66\00:28:55.00
Notice the second
word in this statement.
00:28:55.03\00:28:56.43
What's the second
word? Somebody tell me.
00:28:56.46\00:28:59.43
Does it say you should?
00:28:59.47\00:29:01.70
Does it say you
should think about it?
00:29:01.74\00:29:03.77
What does this say?
00:29:03.81\00:29:05.67
Say it with some
gusto, what does it say?
00:29:05.71\00:29:07.58
Must,
00:29:07.61\00:29:08.94
you must work the works of Him
00:29:08.98\00:29:11.88
who sent me while it is day.
00:29:11.91\00:29:15.28
Anybody that say
they are Christians
00:29:15.32\00:29:17.42
and not involved in working
for God is not a Christian.
00:29:17.45\00:29:22.42
Can I say that with authority?
00:29:22.46\00:29:24.13
You cannot be a Christian
00:29:24.16\00:29:26.33
and not be working for
the person that has hired you.
00:29:26.36\00:29:30.70
He didn't hire you
to listen to sermons.
00:29:30.73\00:29:33.97
He didn't hire you
to be parts of socials,
00:29:34.00\00:29:37.24
or just to be
involved in sitting down.
00:29:37.27\00:29:40.01
You know, we call it,
00:29:40.04\00:29:41.38
one writer said if there's a fog
00:29:41.41\00:29:42.88
and if there's a
mist in the pulpit,
00:29:42.91\00:29:44.45
there's a fog in the pews.
00:29:44.48\00:29:46.11
You know, you
know, the frozen chosen,
00:29:48.38\00:29:52.02
the inactive, active.
00:29:52.05\00:29:53.89
I mean, there's no such thing.
00:29:53.92\00:29:55.26
The Christian
world is the only place
00:29:55.29\00:29:56.83
where you can do nothing
and expect to go to heaven.
00:29:56.86\00:30:00.83
Ain't that terrible?
00:30:00.86\00:30:02.50
Go with me to
Revelation Chapter 22.
00:30:02.53\00:30:04.03
I don't want to start preaching,
00:30:04.07\00:30:05.40
but I just might.
00:30:05.43\00:30:08.07
Look at Revelation Chapter 22.
00:30:08.10\00:30:09.87
Very powerful verse.
00:30:09.90\00:30:11.24
We gotta realize
God hasn't chosen us
00:30:11.27\00:30:13.44
how to become a Christian.
00:30:13.48\00:30:14.81
I'm a Christian,
but what are you doing
00:30:14.84\00:30:16.18
for the Kingdom of God?
00:30:16.21\00:30:17.55
Nothing.
00:30:17.58\00:30:18.91
I'm just waiting for Him
to come, I'm at the bus stop.
00:30:18.95\00:30:20.28
I'm waiting for
the train to come.
00:30:20.32\00:30:21.65
I'm waiting for
the cloud support.
00:30:21.68\00:30:23.22
That's why people
that are inactive.
00:30:23.25\00:30:25.12
This is an amazing thing.
00:30:25.15\00:30:26.49
People that are often
inactive doing nothing,
00:30:26.52\00:30:28.36
they get tired of waiting.
00:30:28.39\00:30:30.39
So those are
the people that say,
00:30:30.43\00:30:31.76
I can't wait till Jesus comes.
00:30:31.79\00:30:34.30
Well, that's all
you've been doing is waiting.
00:30:34.33\00:30:37.73
Haven't been doing anything.
00:30:37.77\00:30:39.23
And then you ask
people who do stuff,
00:30:39.27\00:30:40.97
ah, I don't know.
00:30:41.00\00:30:45.01
You do that same thing at work?
00:30:45.04\00:30:46.37
Your boss asked
you to do something.
00:30:46.41\00:30:48.48
I don't know.
00:30:48.51\00:30:50.75
You don't know?
00:30:50.78\00:30:52.11
I've hired you.
00:30:52.15\00:30:53.48
I'm paying you.
00:30:53.52\00:30:54.85
You're going to
tell me you don't know?
00:30:54.88\00:30:58.09
Well, look at the word,
00:30:58.12\00:30:59.59
Revelation 22
00:30:59.62\00:31:01.89
and we're going
to look at verse 12.
00:31:01.92\00:31:04.73
We're going to look at verse 12,
00:31:04.76\00:31:06.09
verse 12, verse 12, completely.
00:31:06.13\00:31:08.20
I've adopted this word tonight
00:31:08.23\00:31:10.27
completely obliterates the idea
00:31:10.30\00:31:12.47
that Christians
should be inactive.
00:31:12.50\00:31:15.17
Look at what Jesus says.
00:31:15.20\00:31:18.07
And behold, I am coming quickly.
00:31:18.11\00:31:21.51
And my reward is what?
00:31:21.54\00:31:24.15
With me to give to
everyone according to His?
00:31:24.18\00:31:27.58
Work.
00:31:27.62\00:31:28.95
According as his work shall
be in the King James Version.
00:31:28.98\00:31:31.32
You're going to get a
reward according to your work.
00:31:31.35\00:31:34.22
In other words, no work.
00:31:34.26\00:31:38.09
Say it again,
no work, no reward.
00:31:38.13\00:31:41.16
It's like you don't
go to work and on Friday,
00:31:41.20\00:31:43.06
you show up and stand in line.
00:31:43.10\00:31:45.73
I used to
remember those pictures
00:31:45.77\00:31:47.10
at construction sites.
00:31:47.14\00:31:48.47
You know construction
site is a strange thing.
00:31:48.50\00:31:49.84
There's no really
established office.
00:31:49.87\00:31:52.04
But on Friday, all the
guys take their hard hats off
00:31:52.07\00:31:54.34
and they're all standing in line
00:31:54.38\00:31:55.71
in front of the
foreman's shelter.
00:31:55.74\00:31:57.35
You know how that is,
they are standing in line
00:31:57.38\00:31:59.31
and somebody turns up and says,
00:31:59.35\00:32:00.68
hey, Mike I
haven't seen you all week.
00:32:00.72\00:32:02.62
Been sick.
00:32:02.65\00:32:04.09
So, do you know
what line this is?
00:32:04.12\00:32:05.72
It's the paycheck line, yeah.
00:32:05.75\00:32:07.09
So why are you
standing in this line?
00:32:07.12\00:32:09.02
Oh that's what this...
00:32:09.06\00:32:10.39
And you get to
the front of the line
00:32:10.43\00:32:11.76
and the foreman says,
00:32:11.79\00:32:13.16
Hey, Mike, good to see you.
00:32:13.19\00:32:15.26
Why are you here?
00:32:15.30\00:32:17.03
Well, everybody
else got a check.
00:32:17.07\00:32:18.60
Mike, we pay people
for the work they do.
00:32:18.63\00:32:24.77
This may sound like
a revolutionary idea.
00:32:24.81\00:32:27.51
But God calls Christians
to work, amen, somebody?
00:32:27.54\00:32:30.45
Amen.
00:32:30.48\00:32:31.81
I'm just tired
of this whole idea.
00:32:31.85\00:32:34.18
I'm tired of this
whole idea of Christians
00:32:34.22\00:32:37.12
that just don't
want to do anything.
00:32:37.15\00:32:38.85
And they're,
well I'm a Christian,
00:32:38.89\00:32:40.66
and they mention
their denomination.
00:32:40.69\00:32:43.46
Anyway, John 14:12,
00:32:43.49\00:32:46.59
my good buddy, he was on
the battlefield for the Lord
00:32:46.63\00:32:49.96
told me look at John 14:12.
00:32:50.00\00:32:51.90
Look up John 14:12.
00:32:51.93\00:32:54.04
Okay, that's right.
00:32:54.07\00:32:56.64
What good one, see
you could, he just been,
00:32:56.67\00:32:59.14
anyway I'm gonna put
that up little higher,
00:32:59.17\00:33:01.04
but he has been in the
church little more than a year
00:33:01.08\00:33:03.71
and out there on the
field working for the Lord.
00:33:03.75\00:33:05.31
That's why these texts
are popping out at him.
00:33:05.35\00:33:07.62
John 14:12.
00:33:07.65\00:33:08.98
Notice what it says,
00:33:09.02\00:33:10.35
Jesus speaking to His disciples.
00:33:10.39\00:33:12.35
He's comforting
them and telling them,
00:33:12.39\00:33:14.09
I'm leaving now,
00:33:14.12\00:33:15.46
but there's
something you must do.
00:33:15.49\00:33:16.83
Verse 12, "Most
assuredly, I say to you,
00:33:16.86\00:33:19.79
He who believes in me,
00:33:19.83\00:33:23.83
the works that I do,
00:33:23.87\00:33:25.37
he will do also
and greater works
00:33:25.40\00:33:29.07
than these he will do."
00:33:29.10\00:33:30.44
Why? "Because I
go to My Father."
00:33:30.47\00:33:32.77
In other words,
the Lord is saying,
00:33:32.81\00:33:34.14
I'm getting out of the way.
00:33:34.18\00:33:35.51
But you know
what you are gonna do
00:33:35.54\00:33:36.88
while I'm gone?
00:33:36.91\00:33:38.25
You're gonna do what
I've done and even more.
00:33:38.28\00:33:40.82
In other words,
I'm just one man.
00:33:40.85\00:33:43.49
But there are 12 of you.
00:33:43.52\00:33:45.02
And after the day of Pentecost,
00:33:45.05\00:33:46.39
there's gonna be a
whole lot more and you know,
00:33:46.42\00:33:48.32
the rest of the
story, 3000, 5000
00:33:48.36\00:33:51.19
and the church clerk lost it
00:33:51.23\00:33:52.56
and couldn't even
keep up with the numbers
00:33:52.59\00:33:54.36
and just wrote down
the word multitudes,
00:33:54.40\00:33:57.50
that's how God does it, right?
00:33:57.53\00:33:59.53
Just multitudes,
but why did the gospel
00:33:59.57\00:34:01.77
get to the world
then in only 34 years?
00:34:01.80\00:34:03.71
You know why?
00:34:03.74\00:34:05.07
Because they believe so
much in the coming of the Lord.
00:34:05.11\00:34:07.91
They got together and worked
00:34:07.94\00:34:09.58
in preparation for
the coming of the Lord.
00:34:09.61\00:34:12.28
They said, even John,
00:34:12.31\00:34:13.88
as he was on the Isle of Patmos,
00:34:13.92\00:34:15.25
he was so diligent
to finish his work.
00:34:15.28\00:34:16.89
He wrote, even
so come Lord Jesus.
00:34:16.92\00:34:20.46
'Cause he know he was
busy working for the Lord.
00:34:20.49\00:34:22.82
You got me in
prison, but you can't stop me
00:34:22.86\00:34:24.69
from writing the
Book of Revelation.
00:34:24.73\00:34:27.16
They worked in prison,
00:34:27.20\00:34:28.70
Paul and Silas
in prison singing.
00:34:28.73\00:34:30.87
They had a choir
rehearsal at midnight.
00:34:30.90\00:34:33.64
They broke, God
broke them out of jail,
00:34:33.67\00:34:35.57
and they baptized the jailer.
00:34:35.60\00:34:38.37
I mean, they were so...
00:34:38.41\00:34:39.87
They didn't even stop them.
00:34:39.91\00:34:41.24
And then somebody said,
Paul, if you do this again,
00:34:41.28\00:34:42.98
we're gonna whip you.
00:34:43.01\00:34:44.35
That's okay. I've
been whipped already.
00:34:44.38\00:34:46.92
So he says, he says,
00:34:46.95\00:34:49.18
I must press toward the mark
00:34:49.22\00:34:51.29
for the prize
of the high calling
00:34:51.32\00:34:53.62
of God which is in Christ Jesus.
00:34:53.66\00:34:55.26
He pressed, he didn't
sit, he pressed, he had a goal,
00:34:55.29\00:34:58.76
and so many people
could become Christians
00:34:58.79\00:35:01.26
and the evidence of a Christian,
00:35:01.30\00:35:02.63
here's the point
I want to bring up.
00:35:02.66\00:35:04.00
We must involve ourselves
in working for the Lord.
00:35:04.03\00:35:08.00
This ideology that
we could be Christians,
00:35:08.04\00:35:09.67
just wait for Jesus to come.
00:35:09.70\00:35:11.27
It's insipid.
00:35:11.31\00:35:12.64
It's like warm milk.
00:35:12.67\00:35:15.44
Can you imagine
drinking milk in a container
00:35:15.48\00:35:17.95
that's been left
outside on 100 degree day?
00:35:17.98\00:35:21.12
We don't drink milk as it is.
00:35:21.15\00:35:22.72
Even if it's rice
milk, it tastes bad.
00:35:22.75\00:35:25.59
Oh, you know,
warm, where's the milk?
00:35:25.62\00:35:27.62
In the back of your car?
00:35:27.66\00:35:28.99
My wife whenever
we go to the airport,
00:35:29.02\00:35:30.36
we put extra
bottles of water in the car,
00:35:30.39\00:35:32.19
because we know we're gonna,
00:35:32.23\00:35:33.56
you know how it is
when you leave home,
00:35:33.60\00:35:34.93
you get thirsty like
halfway to the airport.
00:35:34.96\00:35:37.20
So we put like four bottles,
drink two on the way going.
00:35:37.23\00:35:40.20
We'll have two in the
car coming back at least.
00:35:40.24\00:35:42.17
So she said,
00:35:42.20\00:35:43.54
but while the
cars at the airport
00:35:43.57\00:35:45.11
it's gonna get warm.
00:35:45.14\00:35:46.47
I said honey, we're
coming back at night.
00:35:46.51\00:35:48.38
So it might be cooler, at least
it will be room temperature.
00:35:48.41\00:35:53.21
Lord have mercy if you
come back during the day
00:35:53.25\00:35:55.05
in the summer,
00:35:55.08\00:35:56.42
because no one wants warm
water when you're thirsty.
00:35:56.45\00:36:00.79
You see, Jesus has the very
same position about Christians
00:36:00.82\00:36:04.19
that just don't do anything.
00:36:04.23\00:36:05.99
He says, I'm
gonna, I can't drink you.
00:36:06.03\00:36:07.90
I can't even
digest your profession.
00:36:07.93\00:36:10.57
The only thing I can do
is spit you out of my mouth
00:36:10.60\00:36:12.43
because you're not hot.
00:36:12.47\00:36:13.90
You're not
doing anything for Me.
00:36:13.94\00:36:15.27
You're not cold.
00:36:15.30\00:36:16.64
You're not even against Me.
00:36:16.67\00:36:18.01
You just taking up space.
00:36:18.04\00:36:20.78
And we got all these
Christians taking up space.
00:36:20.81\00:36:24.21
And I'm just looking pretty,
waiting for Jesus to come.
00:36:24.25\00:36:26.61
This is the Bible
study, not a sermon.
00:36:29.72\00:36:32.25
But I'm making the points here.
00:36:32.29\00:36:33.66
That's what it's all about.
00:36:33.69\00:36:35.02
Those of you, who are watching,
00:36:35.06\00:36:36.39
get involved in
your church's mission.
00:36:36.42\00:36:38.19
Do not get uninvolved
00:36:38.23\00:36:40.03
thinking that
somehow when God comes back,
00:36:40.06\00:36:41.66
he's going to
say, you know what,
00:36:41.70\00:36:43.73
I'm gonna let you pass.
00:36:43.77\00:36:45.20
I'm going to
give you eternal life
00:36:45.23\00:36:46.57
even though you did nothing.
00:36:46.60\00:36:48.50
Oh, that's not why He calls us.
00:36:48.54\00:36:51.17
Ephesians 2:10,
00:36:51.21\00:36:53.01
"For we are His workmanship
created in Christ Jesus
00:36:53.04\00:36:56.11
for good works,
00:36:56.14\00:36:57.88
which God prepared beforehand
00:36:57.91\00:37:01.52
that we should
walk through therein."
00:37:01.55\00:37:02.88
He's got all these positions,
00:37:02.92\00:37:04.25
but He's looking
for people to hire.
00:37:04.29\00:37:05.85
What did he say to Isaiah?
00:37:05.89\00:37:07.22
He was talking about,
man, there's so many people,
00:37:07.26\00:37:09.19
I need, we got so much
to do, who shall I send?
00:37:09.22\00:37:12.23
And Isaiah said,
what did he said?
00:37:12.26\00:37:14.30
Here I am, Lord, send me.
00:37:14.33\00:37:17.03
And then Jesus, Old
Testament and New Testament,
00:37:17.07\00:37:19.73
He said to His disciples,
00:37:19.77\00:37:21.10
I send you forth
as lambs among wolves.
00:37:21.14\00:37:24.51
He doesn't call us to sit
down, He calls us to send us,
00:37:24.54\00:37:27.51
calls us, trains
us sends us, right?
00:37:27.54\00:37:30.95
Number 16.
00:37:30.98\00:37:32.38
I'm having a sneaky feeling
00:37:32.41\00:37:33.75
we might not get to
the next lesson tonight.
00:37:33.78\00:37:35.62
'Cause somehow
this has transitioned
00:37:35.65\00:37:36.99
into an exciting study.
00:37:37.02\00:37:39.15
Question number 16. Here it is.
00:37:39.19\00:37:40.82
How do we declare to the church
00:37:40.86\00:37:44.36
that we are connected to Christ?
00:37:44.39\00:37:47.60
How do we declare to the church
00:37:47.63\00:37:49.56
that we are connected to Christ?
00:37:49.60\00:37:51.50
How do we declare that?
00:37:51.53\00:37:53.30
This is another one.
00:37:53.34\00:37:54.90
I'm just really
swinging tonight.
00:37:54.94\00:37:58.81
Not from a lamp,
00:37:58.84\00:38:00.18
but I'm swinging
in the Holy Spirit.
00:38:00.21\00:38:01.81
Just you know though,
you know that winnowing tool
00:38:01.84\00:38:03.91
that God had in His hand,
00:38:03.95\00:38:05.35
swept away all the
tares, gathering the wheat.
00:38:05.38\00:38:08.82
How do we know?
00:38:08.85\00:38:10.19
Malachi 3:10 is
where we're all turning.
00:38:10.22\00:38:12.59
Malachi 3:10, how do we declare
00:38:12.62\00:38:14.49
to the church that we
are connected to Christ?
00:38:14.52\00:38:17.89
This one has always
baffled me and my brother.
00:38:17.93\00:38:19.96
You know where
I'm headed, right?
00:38:20.00\00:38:21.33
So I'm not going
to get there yet.
00:38:21.36\00:38:22.70
We're going to wait
till we read the text
00:38:22.73\00:38:24.07
and we're going
to make reference.
00:38:24.10\00:38:25.43
But here it is, Malachi 3:10.
00:38:25.47\00:38:27.00
This is called
minimal Christianity.
00:38:27.04\00:38:29.74
What's the word that I used?
00:38:29.77\00:38:31.11
Minimal.
00:38:31.14\00:38:32.47
This is the minimal requirement
00:38:32.51\00:38:34.51
of a person who says
they're connected to Christ.
00:38:34.54\00:38:36.28
This is the bare minimum.
00:38:36.31\00:38:38.35
This is not the maximum,
this is what you got to do.
00:38:38.38\00:38:41.78
This is what you must do
as you connect with Christ.
00:38:41.82\00:38:44.49
Here it is,
together, Malachi 3:10,
00:38:44.52\00:38:47.56
"Bring all the
tithes into the," what?
00:38:47.59\00:38:50.99
"Storehouse,
00:38:51.03\00:38:52.36
that there may be
food or meat in my house
00:38:52.39\00:38:55.36
and prove me now
or try me now in this,
00:38:55.40\00:38:57.73
says the Lord of hosts,
00:38:57.77\00:38:59.10
if I will not open for
you the windows of heaven
00:38:59.13\00:39:02.27
and pour you out such a blessing
00:39:02.30\00:39:04.34
that there shall
not be room enough"
00:39:04.37\00:39:05.71
to do what?
00:39:05.74\00:39:07.08
"To receive it."
00:39:07.11\00:39:08.44
I know that in the
King James Version by heart,
00:39:08.48\00:39:09.81
that there shall not be
room enough to receive it.
00:39:09.84\00:39:11.75
A lot of people think
of as tithing as well,
00:39:11.78\00:39:13.95
okay?
00:39:13.98\00:39:15.32
I'm going to pay my tithes.
00:39:15.35\00:39:16.69
No, no, no, cut,
00:39:16.72\00:39:19.42
you don't pay tithe,
you return it, right?
00:39:19.45\00:39:25.33
Because God owns everything.
00:39:25.36\00:39:27.30
Somebody once said,
Lord, if you then I will.
00:39:27.33\00:39:29.53
How could you
bargain with somebody
00:39:29.56\00:39:30.90
when you don't own anything
to bargain it with Him with?
00:39:30.93\00:39:34.64
God, if you do this for
me, I'll do that for you.
00:39:34.67\00:39:37.14
It's like an
ant saying to a big,
00:39:37.17\00:39:39.11
a big 18 wheeler,
00:39:39.14\00:39:40.84
If you do this for
me, I'll clean your tires.
00:39:40.88\00:39:44.75
I mean, think about that.
00:39:44.78\00:39:46.11
An ant, an ant
compared to an 18 wheeler
00:39:46.15\00:39:49.42
is not even a good comparison
00:39:49.45\00:39:50.79
because we're smaller than that
00:39:50.82\00:39:52.15
when it comes
to compared to God.
00:39:52.19\00:39:55.76
It's like an ant trying to
take an 18 wheeler on his back
00:39:55.79\00:39:58.29
and say, well, we need
some more ants to do this.
00:39:58.33\00:40:00.86
No matter how many ants you get,
00:40:00.90\00:40:02.23
you are not going
to move an 18 wheeler,
00:40:02.26\00:40:04.07
no matter how many
of us joined together,
00:40:04.10\00:40:05.43
we cannot move God.
00:40:05.47\00:40:07.90
But the point of the matter
00:40:07.94\00:40:09.27
is a lot of Christians nowadays,
00:40:09.30\00:40:10.74
what they have what's called,
00:40:10.77\00:40:12.11
and let me just put
the answer on the board
00:40:12.14\00:40:13.48
while I'm
emphasizing the important point.
00:40:13.51\00:40:17.68
We must support
the work financially.
00:40:17.71\00:40:20.08
We must support
the work financially.
00:40:20.12\00:40:22.48
You notice how this is different
00:40:22.52\00:40:23.85
from all the other topics.
00:40:23.89\00:40:25.22
We talked about sanctification,
00:40:25.25\00:40:26.59
justification, glorification,
00:40:26.62\00:40:28.29
we talked about
pressing toward the goal.
00:40:28.32\00:40:29.66
We talked about
studying our Bibles,
00:40:29.69\00:40:31.43
all the facets of Christianity
00:40:31.46\00:40:33.16
and the important aspects to it.
00:40:33.19\00:40:34.96
But this is now saying, okay,
00:40:35.00\00:40:36.33
let's get down to
the brass tacks of it.
00:40:36.36\00:40:37.97
You are a Christian,
00:40:38.00\00:40:39.33
do you support the
church financially?
00:40:39.37\00:40:42.24
Well, whenever I
have money to, well,
00:40:42.27\00:40:46.37
you know, the reason why
you may not have money to,
00:40:46.41\00:40:48.54
is because that's
not a part of your heart.
00:40:48.58\00:40:50.58
The Bible says
where your treasure is,
00:40:50.61\00:40:51.95
there will your what?
00:40:51.98\00:40:53.31
Heart be also.
00:40:53.35\00:40:54.68
You know, God has a
habit of multiplying
00:40:54.72\00:40:56.05
what we give to Him.
00:40:56.08\00:40:58.45
So if you give a little,
00:40:58.49\00:41:00.86
He'll take it and multiply it
00:41:00.89\00:41:04.13
and you will have much.
00:41:04.16\00:41:06.90
Now, let's go
ahead and qualify that.
00:41:06.93\00:41:09.96
God is not going to say
I am an investment project.
00:41:10.00\00:41:13.60
But God promises as
David the Psalmist says,
00:41:13.64\00:41:18.67
I was young,
00:41:18.71\00:41:21.18
now I am old,
00:41:21.21\00:41:23.18
and I have never seen
the righteous forsaken,
00:41:23.21\00:41:27.15
nor their seed
begging for bread.
00:41:27.18\00:41:30.82
Paul, Philippians 2,
00:41:30.85\00:41:33.56
I believe it's verse 12.
00:41:33.59\00:41:35.06
He says, "And my God
shall supply all my needs,
00:41:35.09\00:41:38.43
according to his riches," where?
00:41:38.46\00:41:41.16
In glory through Christ Jesus,
00:41:41.20\00:41:43.40
this God's got a bank.
00:41:43.43\00:41:44.90
We always worry
about the economy,
00:41:44.93\00:41:46.50
I'm not worried
about the economy.
00:41:46.53\00:41:48.30
Not at all.
00:41:48.34\00:41:49.67
You know, my retirement
may go up and down but then,
00:41:49.70\00:41:53.27
the government hasn't
been making a difference
00:41:53.31\00:41:54.81
in my life to this point.
00:41:54.84\00:41:56.48
God has been
supplying all my need.
00:41:56.51\00:41:58.25
When Elijah was out there
running from Ahab and Jezebel,
00:41:58.28\00:42:01.05
God sent him air mail.
00:42:01.08\00:42:02.62
God sent him Federal
Express food, a raven,
00:42:02.65\00:42:06.09
brought him his lunch
00:42:06.12\00:42:07.46
all the time he was out there.
00:42:07.49\00:42:09.42
He had, air mail
coming in every day.
00:42:09.46\00:42:13.50
He never starved.
00:42:13.53\00:42:15.80
Ain't that right? So we gotta.
00:42:15.83\00:42:17.47
We gotta show people,
00:42:17.50\00:42:18.83
we got to show the
church and the Lord,
00:42:18.87\00:42:20.74
by our actions.
00:42:20.77\00:42:22.10
Let's go to the
next one, number 17.
00:42:22.14\00:42:23.91
Gotta support your
church financially.
00:42:23.94\00:42:26.14
I was amazed and I point
to my brother Richard here.
00:42:26.17\00:42:30.85
How, as treasurer in Fairfield,
00:42:30.88\00:42:34.05
and he's been my
head elder for many years.
00:42:34.08\00:42:36.58
And also now he's
over here in Thompsonville,
00:42:36.62\00:42:40.96
the percentage of members
00:42:40.99\00:42:42.82
that literally
support the church
00:42:42.86\00:42:45.19
hovers around 25% to 30%.
00:42:45.23\00:42:49.13
That's in tithing.
00:42:49.16\00:42:50.77
And then some of them tithe,
00:42:50.80\00:42:52.87
this is the other thing
that really blows me away,
00:42:52.90\00:42:54.74
some members tithe
00:42:54.77\00:42:56.10
because they know in
the Adventist Church,
00:42:56.14\00:42:58.01
that all that money goes
directly to the conference,
00:42:58.04\00:43:00.78
but they won't give
offering because they don't like
00:43:00.81\00:43:03.24
what the church does.
00:43:03.28\00:43:05.48
So they, I'm only
gonna give offering
00:43:05.51\00:43:08.35
if I like the sermons
or if I like the members.
00:43:08.38\00:43:14.02
Well, let me tell you something,
00:43:14.06\00:43:15.39
you don't do
that, you could do it
00:43:15.42\00:43:16.76
because you love the Lord.
00:43:16.79\00:43:18.13
Amen, somebody? Amen.
00:43:18.16\00:43:19.49
Will a man rob God?
00:43:19.53\00:43:21.63
And they had the
audacity to ask God,
00:43:25.63\00:43:28.57
how, in what way
have we robbed Thee?
00:43:28.60\00:43:30.87
He said in
tithes and in offerings.
00:43:30.91\00:43:35.14
The curse comes to
you not at the church,
00:43:35.18\00:43:37.58
God will sustain His
church, ain't that right?
00:43:37.61\00:43:40.05
So for those of you who
think that, you know, okay,
00:43:40.08\00:43:42.18
if I must do it, I'll do it.
00:43:42.22\00:43:44.29
But let's look at
this next question.
00:43:44.32\00:43:45.79
How would our Christian walk
become acceptable to the Lord?
00:43:45.82\00:43:48.82
How will our Christian walk
become acceptable to the Lord?
00:43:48.86\00:43:51.59
2 Corinthians 9:7,
it is a good lesson,
00:43:51.63\00:43:55.26
there's a sermon right here.
00:43:55.30\00:43:56.97
2 Corinthians 9:7.
00:43:57.00\00:44:00.40
I said 11, I think
but I mean verse 7,
00:44:00.44\00:44:03.24
2 Corinthians 9:7.
00:44:03.27\00:44:06.07
How does your Christian walk
become acceptable to the Lord?
00:44:06.11\00:44:09.68
Because God
doesn't need anything.
00:44:09.71\00:44:14.72
But He is established a system
whereby the church on earth
00:44:14.75\00:44:17.75
will have all of its
needs provided, that is,
00:44:17.79\00:44:21.12
through the people
that are members of it.
00:44:21.16\00:44:23.43
But He always
relies on the heart.
00:44:23.46\00:44:26.19
God doesn't say, Okay,
now that you're a member,
00:44:26.23\00:44:28.16
give me your
1040, give me your 1099,
00:44:28.20\00:44:30.63
give me, give me a W2.
00:44:30.67\00:44:32.63
So I'll figure
out how much you make
00:44:32.67\00:44:34.00
and I have direct deposit.
00:44:34.04\00:44:35.37
No, God doesn't do that.
00:44:35.40\00:44:36.74
If you want to do that you can.
00:44:36.77\00:44:38.11
But God says, "Wait a minute,
00:44:38.14\00:44:39.47
I'm gonna see
where your heart is."
00:44:39.51\00:44:42.08
I wanna see where your heart is,
00:44:42.11\00:44:43.61
like a mother who
give us some 10 oranges,
00:44:43.65\00:44:45.88
and he goes to school,
00:44:45.91\00:44:47.25
and one of the kids
asked for one, he said,
00:44:47.28\00:44:48.62
"No, these are my oranges."
00:44:48.65\00:44:52.25
You think you're
gonna lose vitamin C
00:44:52.29\00:44:54.12
by giving away
one orange, really?
00:44:54.16\00:44:57.29
We think somehow that,
00:44:57.33\00:44:59.46
and you know what?
00:44:59.49\00:45:00.83
God is better
than all the stores.
00:45:00.86\00:45:03.40
God is better
than the restaurants,
00:45:03.43\00:45:04.87
they want 15%
gratuity, ain't that right?
00:45:04.90\00:45:08.07
But look what kind
of heart God looks for.
00:45:08.10\00:45:10.37
2 Corinthians 9:7,
00:45:10.41\00:45:12.34
here it is on the screen,
00:45:12.37\00:45:14.01
2 Corinthians 9:7.
00:45:14.04\00:45:17.95
"So let each one
give as he," what?
00:45:17.98\00:45:21.72
"Purposes in his heart,
not grudgingly or of necessity
00:45:21.75\00:45:28.69
for God" together,
"loves a cheerful giver."
00:45:28.72\00:45:33.13
That word cheerful
00:45:33.16\00:45:34.50
is a powerful word in the Greek.
00:45:34.53\00:45:35.86
In other words,
people are happy to give.
00:45:35.90\00:45:38.33
What else can I do, Lord?
00:45:38.37\00:45:39.80
What can I give Thee,
00:45:39.83\00:45:41.37
for all Thy benefits towards me?
00:45:41.40\00:45:43.30
Anything else I
can do, Lord? Sure.
00:45:43.34\00:45:45.34
You know what I
love as a pastor,
00:45:45.37\00:45:46.71
I like people that
have a good attitude
00:45:46.74\00:45:48.24
when he asked
them to do something.
00:45:48.28\00:45:51.01
And I'm thinking even the people
00:45:51.05\00:45:52.38
that have bad attitudes,
00:45:52.41\00:45:53.75
like other people
to have good attitudes
00:45:53.78\00:45:55.12
when they ask
them to do something.
00:45:55.15\00:45:56.92
Did you get that?
00:45:56.95\00:45:58.29
Some people have a bad attitude,
00:45:58.32\00:45:59.65
but they want people
to have a good attitude
00:45:59.69\00:46:01.02
when they ask for something.
00:46:01.06\00:46:02.39
You know, I gotta go home.
00:46:05.13\00:46:07.20
What do you need?
00:46:07.23\00:46:09.46
Never mind, go home.
00:46:09.50\00:46:11.03
I got it.
00:46:11.07\00:46:12.73
I sometimes,
remember once a night here,
00:46:12.77\00:46:14.54
I'm a once walking
00:46:14.57\00:46:15.90
and I was just
like so loaded down,
00:46:15.94\00:46:18.14
trying to get
the church door open,
00:46:18.17\00:46:20.04
and I got an
umbrella, I got my briefcase,
00:46:20.08\00:46:23.91
I got my backpack, my
Bible and it is raining
00:46:23.95\00:46:26.21
and the rain is pulling sideways
00:46:26.25\00:46:27.88
and on my clothes I'm
trying to keep from getting wet.
00:46:27.92\00:46:30.45
And I'm standing at the
door of this particular entrance
00:46:30.49\00:46:33.19
and I'm trying to
find a way to get in
00:46:33.22\00:46:34.89
and there are people standing
on the other side of the door
00:46:34.92\00:46:36.52
looking at me,
is he gonna do it?
00:46:36.56\00:46:38.69
Is he gonna do it?
00:46:38.73\00:46:40.76
But, I got, I got five
dollars he's not gonna do it.
00:46:40.80\00:46:43.37
It looked like
they were betting on
00:46:43.40\00:46:44.73
to see weather
and I walked through,
00:46:44.77\00:46:46.30
almost slipped on,
the floor's totally wet.
00:46:46.33\00:46:48.77
And I'm thinking,
what were you thinking?
00:46:48.80\00:46:52.27
And that's what
Jesus meant when He says,
00:46:52.31\00:46:53.64
he that is not with me is what?
00:46:53.68\00:46:55.14
Against me.
00:46:55.18\00:46:56.51
He who was not
gathering with me is what?
00:46:56.54\00:46:58.98
Scattering abroad.
00:46:59.01\00:47:00.38
God doesn't need anything,
if you don't like to do it,
00:47:00.42\00:47:02.72
God says forget it.
00:47:02.75\00:47:04.09
I get somebody else to do it.
00:47:04.12\00:47:06.29
God didn't need
Judas, Judas needed God.
00:47:06.32\00:47:10.83
You see, he thought, well, Lord,
00:47:10.86\00:47:12.46
I'm the treasurer of the group.
00:47:12.49\00:47:14.76
That's why you're in trouble,
00:47:14.80\00:47:17.03
because you don't
see your need of me.
00:47:17.07\00:47:19.23
And that's an amazing thing.
00:47:19.27\00:47:20.60
God wants cheerful givers.
00:47:20.64\00:47:21.97
So here's the answer.
It's kind of a long one.
00:47:22.00\00:47:24.77
We will have a positive attitude
00:47:24.81\00:47:26.54
about giving to the Lord
00:47:26.57\00:47:28.21
and notice I didn't just
say giving money to the Lord,
00:47:28.24\00:47:30.48
but giving our
time, giving our talent,
00:47:30.51\00:47:33.98
giving our testimony,
and also giving our treasure.
00:47:34.02\00:47:37.32
That's the fourth T,
00:47:37.35\00:47:38.69
time, talent,
testimony and treasure.
00:47:38.72\00:47:43.59
Why say testimony?
00:47:43.63\00:47:44.96
Some people, if it's
up to some Christians,
00:47:44.99\00:47:46.83
the world will never know
00:47:46.86\00:47:48.20
that anybody has
done anything for us.
00:47:48.23\00:47:50.50
Because some people never test
00:47:50.53\00:47:51.87
about testify
about God's goodness.
00:47:51.90\00:47:53.84
Some people never say that
God has done anything for them.
00:47:53.87\00:47:57.51
And the Bible says
00:47:57.54\00:47:58.87
let the redeemed
of the Lord say so.
00:47:58.91\00:48:01.54
So somebody said,
what has God done for you?
00:48:01.58\00:48:03.61
And it's like,
00:48:07.72\00:48:09.05
has he done anything for
you in the last three weeks?
00:48:09.08\00:48:11.52
They go back to 17 years ago.
00:48:11.55\00:48:15.29
Is that the last
thing he did for you?
00:48:15.32\00:48:18.59
What has God done
for you yesterday?
00:48:18.63\00:48:21.43
If all you can
say is He woke me up,
00:48:21.46\00:48:25.23
He gave me a mouth to eat,
00:48:25.27\00:48:28.50
and a tongue to taste
it when I swallow my food.
00:48:28.54\00:48:31.81
My legs are working.
00:48:31.84\00:48:33.17
He woke me up
and I'm functioning.
00:48:33.21\00:48:35.31
Although I don't have
as much as I'd like to,
00:48:35.34\00:48:37.25
everything that I
have I'm thankful for it
00:48:37.28\00:48:39.41
because of somebody else, see.
00:48:39.45\00:48:41.75
That's right.
00:48:41.78\00:48:43.12
That's right and my honey say,
00:48:43.15\00:48:44.49
any day above the
ground is a good day,
00:48:44.52\00:48:45.85
ain't that right?
00:48:45.89\00:48:47.49
People gotta learn.
00:48:47.52\00:48:48.86
Yeah, my wife says we must
educate our lips to praise God.
00:48:48.89\00:48:54.13
But some people,
you wait for testimony.
00:48:54.16\00:48:57.20
And while people are listening,
hey, that's the point.
00:48:57.23\00:49:00.94
They want to hear what
the Lord has done for you.
00:49:00.97\00:49:03.20
There may be
somebody across the room
00:49:03.24\00:49:04.57
or in the other
side of the church
00:49:04.61\00:49:05.94
that needs to hear,
00:49:05.97\00:49:07.31
Oh, boy, I know that
brother was struggling.
00:49:07.34\00:49:08.94
God.
00:49:08.98\00:49:10.31
If God did that for
him, I'm going to trust God
00:49:10.35\00:49:13.08
to do what He
needs to do for me.
00:49:13.11\00:49:15.35
But when you
don't talk about it,
00:49:15.38\00:49:17.12
God does not
need silent majority.
00:49:17.15\00:49:19.02
You know in the world,
you walk into the mall,
00:49:19.05\00:49:20.66
you don't even ask for
it, you walk in the mall,
00:49:20.69\00:49:22.16
and the music is
piped into your ears.
00:49:22.19\00:49:24.36
You don't even ask for it.
00:49:24.39\00:49:25.73
You hit the stoplight
00:49:25.76\00:49:27.10
and there's
profanity coming from the car
00:49:27.13\00:49:28.46
or the vehicle next to
you, you don't ask for it.
00:49:28.50\00:49:30.87
That's why I like
what my good friend
00:49:30.90\00:49:32.23
Doug Batchelor,
and I've taken this up
00:49:32.27\00:49:33.60
ever since he
told me that years ago.
00:49:33.64\00:49:35.77
If you're next to somebody
00:49:35.80\00:49:37.14
and they're
blasting their music,
00:49:37.17\00:49:39.47
turn up yours.
00:49:39.51\00:49:40.84
But make sure it's Christian.
00:49:40.88\00:49:42.21
Amen.
00:49:42.24\00:49:43.58
One day Doug
Batchelor was at the light
00:49:43.61\00:49:44.95
and he heard
this car next to him
00:49:44.98\00:49:46.31
and he opened his
window and C.D. Brooks
00:49:46.35\00:49:47.68
is preaching it away.
00:49:47.72\00:49:49.05
And C.D. Brooks says, repent!
00:49:49.08\00:49:51.22
He said, perfect timing.
00:49:51.25\00:49:53.49
We've got to
educate ourselves to,
00:49:53.52\00:49:55.82
you know we got to educate
our lips to praise the Lord,
00:49:55.86\00:49:57.49
am I telling you the truth?
00:49:57.53\00:49:58.99
The world is not afraid,
00:49:59.03\00:50:00.86
the world is not afraid
of the garbage that's there.
00:50:00.90\00:50:04.80
Yet Christians are so quiet.
00:50:04.83\00:50:06.77
Are there
Christians in your community?
00:50:06.80\00:50:08.37
I have no idea.
00:50:08.40\00:50:10.01
They never knocked on my door.
00:50:10.04\00:50:12.14
I don't know, I see
somebody going in other houses,
00:50:12.17\00:50:14.54
that a Christian?
00:50:14.58\00:50:15.91
I guess so.
00:50:15.94\00:50:18.15
We must have a love for
the people even around us,
00:50:18.18\00:50:20.12
right?
00:50:20.15\00:50:21.92
We will have a positive attitude
00:50:21.95\00:50:23.65
about giving to the Lord.
00:50:23.69\00:50:25.02
You want to write this down,
00:50:25.05\00:50:26.39
time is the
hardest thing to give,
00:50:26.42\00:50:29.22
people could give money,
00:50:29.26\00:50:30.59
that's the last
thing on the list.
00:50:30.63\00:50:32.16
Your time, valuable.
00:50:32.19\00:50:34.16
The most important
commodity God gives us is time,
00:50:34.20\00:50:36.63
ain't that right?
00:50:36.67\00:50:38.00
Give your time, your talent.
00:50:38.03\00:50:40.37
Don't ever think
that your talent,
00:50:40.40\00:50:42.07
you could put your
talent on hold for the next year
00:50:42.10\00:50:44.34
because you're
tired of working for God.
00:50:44.37\00:50:46.68
You know what to say to
people when they say that?
00:50:46.71\00:50:48.21
Quit your job?
00:50:48.24\00:50:49.78
Say to your boss, I'm tired.
00:50:49.81\00:50:52.01
I'm tired every
day 7:30 to 5:30,
00:50:52.05\00:50:55.55
I'm tired.
00:50:55.58\00:50:56.92
I'm quitting for
the next two years.
00:50:56.95\00:50:58.29
You just keep
paying me, I'll figure out,
00:50:58.32\00:51:02.46
I'll figure out
when I need to come back.
00:51:02.49\00:51:04.86
But I ain't
working for the next year
00:51:04.89\00:51:06.39
because I've been
doing this for 17 years.
00:51:06.43\00:51:07.93
There's some people that have
that attitude about God's work.
00:51:07.96\00:51:10.47
Pastor, do I
have to do this again?
00:51:10.50\00:51:13.74
And I'm thinking,
who do you work for?
00:51:13.77\00:51:15.77
It's not me,
00:51:15.80\00:51:17.14
because I don't
have a dime to give you
00:51:17.17\00:51:18.51
at the end of this road.
00:51:18.54\00:51:20.04
But when I think about the Lord,
00:51:20.08\00:51:21.41
He's going to be standing
there with a crown and say,
00:51:21.44\00:51:23.01
this is what I want to hear.
00:51:23.04\00:51:24.38
I want to hear
well done thou good
00:51:24.41\00:51:25.75
and faithful servant.
00:51:25.78\00:51:27.12
Don't you want to hear that?
00:51:27.15\00:51:28.48
That's what I want
to hear. But well done.
00:51:28.52\00:51:29.85
What did you have?
What have you done?
00:51:29.88\00:51:31.85
Nothing.
00:51:31.89\00:51:33.22
But I want to be in heaven.
00:51:33.25\00:51:34.59
What have you done? Nothing.
00:51:34.62\00:51:36.49
Although we're
not saved by works,
00:51:36.52\00:51:39.06
we deny Him by our works.
00:51:39.09\00:51:42.86
And where there is no works,
there is tremendous denial.
00:51:42.90\00:51:46.23
I'm glad I'm on your team,
00:51:46.27\00:51:47.60
but don't ask me to do anything.
00:51:47.64\00:51:50.01
Well have a positive attitude
about giving to the Lord.
00:51:50.04\00:51:53.21
Look at the next one.
00:51:53.24\00:51:54.58
The next one, number 18.
00:51:54.61\00:51:59.25
Okay,
00:51:59.28\00:52:00.62
what is the
difference about the Christian
00:52:03.15\00:52:05.12
when compared to the world?
00:52:05.15\00:52:06.55
I was typing so fast.
00:52:06.59\00:52:07.92
The word the was too
short for me to wait.
00:52:07.96\00:52:10.33
What is the
difference about the Christian
00:52:10.36\00:52:12.89
when compared to the world?
00:52:12.93\00:52:15.93
Okay?
00:52:15.96\00:52:18.23
What's the difference?
What's the difference?
00:52:18.27\00:52:20.77
Colossians 3:2,
00:52:20.80\00:52:22.90
Colossians 3:2.
00:52:22.94\00:52:27.38
Okay, look at that one,
00:52:27.41\00:52:29.71
Colossians 3:2.
00:52:29.74\00:52:32.65
I'm ahead of the curve.
00:52:32.68\00:52:34.02
I don't think I'm gonna
get to the next lesson tonight.
00:52:34.05\00:52:35.62
But that's okay.
00:52:35.65\00:52:36.99
You can still do
it in preparation
00:52:37.02\00:52:38.35
for the next broadcast.
00:52:38.39\00:52:39.72
Colossians 3:2. Here we are.
00:52:39.75\00:52:42.72
Even though I have
it right in front of me,
00:52:42.76\00:52:44.09
I like to turn to
because there's some extra stuff
00:52:44.13\00:52:45.49
in there that you
don't want to miss.
00:52:45.53\00:52:47.70
But okay, Colossians
3:2, reads as follows.
00:52:47.73\00:52:51.33
Let's read this
short one together.
00:52:51.37\00:52:52.83
Are you ready?
00:52:52.87\00:52:54.40
"Set your mind on things above,
00:52:54.44\00:52:58.54
not on things on the earth."
00:52:58.57\00:53:03.24
Some people say,
you're so heavenly minded
00:53:04.78\00:53:06.61
that you're no earthly good.
00:53:06.65\00:53:07.98
That's not my concern sometimes.
00:53:08.02\00:53:09.58
Sometimes people
are so earthly minded
00:53:09.62\00:53:11.45
that they are no heavenly good.
00:53:11.49\00:53:13.49
You see the Lord is saying
the challenge in the church
00:53:13.52\00:53:15.16
in the last days,
00:53:15.19\00:53:16.52
is it going to
be so earthly minded
00:53:16.56\00:53:18.29
that they're no heavenly good.
00:53:18.33\00:53:20.60
I have not met very many people
that are so heavenly minded,
00:53:20.63\00:53:24.00
that they're no earthly good.
00:53:24.03\00:53:25.40
I've met people that
are so earthly minded
00:53:25.43\00:53:27.40
that they're no heavenly good.
00:53:27.44\00:53:31.31
And they're so
concerned about the world
00:53:31.34\00:53:33.24
so concerned and so
enamored by the world
00:53:33.27\00:53:35.51
that God even if
you try to use them,
00:53:35.54\00:53:37.55
they're like, you
know, like a cog out of tune.
00:53:37.58\00:53:40.75
They're like a piston
that's chamber has been blown.
00:53:40.78\00:53:43.52
They just have no connection.
00:53:43.55\00:53:44.95
It's like they've missed
their connection with God.
00:53:44.99\00:53:47.92
But when we said, I like
the way the King James says it,
00:53:47.96\00:53:50.33
it sets your affections.
00:53:50.36\00:53:53.26
What does affection mean?
00:53:53.29\00:53:54.63
When you say somebody
is an affectionate person,
00:53:54.66\00:53:56.30
what do you mean?
00:53:56.33\00:53:57.83
Huh?
00:53:57.87\00:53:59.20
Loving.
00:53:59.23\00:54:00.57
That means it's
not just in their head.
00:54:00.60\00:54:02.04
It's not them, it's not
them saying I like John Dinzey,
00:54:02.07\00:54:04.21
you say, you know, I
really like John Dinzey,...
00:54:04.24\00:54:06.88
man I Boy, I appreciate John.
00:54:06.91\00:54:08.94
That's affection.
00:54:08.98\00:54:10.38
You know when you say
to your wife, I like you.
00:54:10.41\00:54:13.25
Any guy could say that.
00:54:13.28\00:54:14.62
But you say, Honey I, oh,
00:54:14.65\00:54:16.89
my affections are
wrapped up in you.
00:54:16.92\00:54:19.05
When the Lord says
set your affections
00:54:19.09\00:54:21.02
on things above, you
know what he's saying,
00:54:21.06\00:54:22.96
Get your mind set for
the place you're headed.
00:54:22.99\00:54:26.06
When we go on
vacation, you know what we do?
00:54:26.09\00:54:28.46
Man, when we finally
figure out where we're staying,
00:54:28.50\00:54:30.93
we look at that brochure.
00:54:30.97\00:54:32.80
And when we get
there and we come back to,
00:54:32.83\00:54:34.74
you should have
seen where we were.
00:54:34.77\00:54:38.41
When people get
excited about vacation,
00:54:38.44\00:54:39.97
don't they tell other people?
00:54:40.01\00:54:42.01
Don't they have a
smile on their face?
00:54:42.04\00:54:44.11
Ah, I'm gonna miss you guys,
00:54:44.15\00:54:46.01
but I'm not gonna
be thinking about you
00:54:46.05\00:54:47.38
'cause I'm gonna be gone.
00:54:47.42\00:54:49.12
I'm gonna relax.
00:54:49.15\00:54:50.65
I'm not going to do my hair.
00:54:50.69\00:54:52.32
I don't use hairspray
when I go on vacation.
00:54:52.35\00:54:54.79
I have no sandals
on, I mean the sandals.
00:54:54.82\00:54:57.73
You know, I go to the,
00:54:57.76\00:54:59.09
I don't go to Alaska
for vacation neither.
00:54:59.13\00:55:00.80
I go where it's warm.
00:55:00.83\00:55:02.16
But the point of the matter
is my affections are altered
00:55:02.20\00:55:04.93
when it's on the
place I'm headed.
00:55:04.97\00:55:07.37
That's what's
happening here in this text.
00:55:07.40\00:55:09.10
If your mind is on heaven,
00:55:09.14\00:55:10.97
it ought to alter
the way you think.
00:55:11.01\00:55:14.41
You ought to say
now, Jesus is coming.
00:55:14.44\00:55:16.85
You know what? I
think I should get to work.
00:55:16.88\00:55:20.32
Amen.
00:55:20.35\00:55:21.68
I think I should do
something, He's coming.
00:55:21.72\00:55:23.85
Didn't the Lord say?
00:55:23.89\00:55:26.49
Blessed is a servant,
who when the master comes,
00:55:26.52\00:55:30.36
he finds doing.
00:55:30.39\00:55:32.39
Right?
00:55:32.43\00:55:33.76
Then He'll say blessed is the...
00:55:33.80\00:55:35.80
Hold, Lord,
00:55:35.83\00:55:37.37
I'm almost done
this Bible study,
00:55:37.40\00:55:38.73
wait a few seconds.
00:55:38.77\00:55:40.67
We should be so excited
about the coming of the Lord
00:55:40.70\00:55:42.60
that we're working
up to the very moment.
00:55:42.64\00:55:44.54
Come on, sir accept Jesus
00:55:44.57\00:55:46.31
I mean, I can tell by
the rumblings of the world
00:55:46.34\00:55:48.64
they're not going to be long.
00:55:48.68\00:55:50.98
Get excited about
the coming of Lord,
00:55:51.01\00:55:52.78
set your
affections on things above
00:55:52.81\00:55:54.72
and here's the
answer to that one, 18,
00:55:54.75\00:55:56.95
our focus is on things
that please, that do what?
00:55:56.99\00:56:01.29
Please the Lord.
00:56:01.32\00:56:02.99
So many people are
into pleasing themselves.
00:56:03.02\00:56:06.13
We've got to be more
connected to pleasing the Lord,
00:56:06.16\00:56:08.36
ain't that right?
00:56:08.40\00:56:10.57
Man, I don't know
what happened to me,
00:56:10.60\00:56:12.80
I must have, the Lord guided me,
00:56:12.83\00:56:14.67
I prayed, and the
Holy Spirit jumped in.
00:56:14.70\00:56:17.47
And that's why I'm
so fired up about this.
00:56:17.51\00:56:20.11
Number 19,
00:56:20.14\00:56:21.48
number 19. Here it is.
00:56:21.51\00:56:22.84
Let's try to get this one in.
00:56:22.88\00:56:24.21
Number 19.
00:56:24.25\00:56:25.58
How do fellow
Christians experience
00:56:25.61\00:56:27.02
the change in our lives?
00:56:27.05\00:56:29.48
How do fellow Christians
00:56:29.52\00:56:31.32
experience the
change in our lives?
00:56:31.35\00:56:33.42
You know, your life
ought to mean something
00:56:33.46\00:56:35.16
to somebody else.
00:56:35.19\00:56:36.52
Ain't that
right? You shouldn't be.
00:56:36.56\00:56:38.56
There's no such thing
as disconnected Christians.
00:56:38.59\00:56:40.70
When you read the Book of Acts,
the Book of Acts is a powerful,
00:56:40.73\00:56:43.97
is a powerful blueprint
for how Christians ought to be,
00:56:44.00\00:56:48.04
you know, they
all have possessions,
00:56:48.07\00:56:49.50
but nobody considered
his possessions his own.
00:56:49.54\00:56:52.57
If somebody else had a
need, they said, you got it.
00:56:52.61\00:56:55.54
If somebody, if
they didn't have a need,
00:56:55.58\00:56:57.41
if they had a need,
somebody else gave up,
00:56:57.45\00:56:58.78
somebody else
had a need they gave.
00:56:58.81\00:57:00.42
They considered everybody had,
00:57:00.45\00:57:02.12
they were disconnected
from all those things.
00:57:02.15\00:57:04.29
Let's get the
last text for tonight.
00:57:04.32\00:57:06.19
How do fellow Christians
00:57:06.22\00:57:07.56
experience a
change in our lives?
00:57:07.59\00:57:08.92
Here's the answer,
00:57:08.96\00:57:10.29
read that together,
00:57:10.33\00:57:11.66
bear one another's
burdens and so, what?
00:57:11.69\00:57:14.46
Fulfill the law of Christ.
00:57:14.50\00:57:17.20
Oh man, I'd tell you this.
00:57:17.23\00:57:19.13
This is an inspired lesson here.
00:57:19.17\00:57:20.94
I'm gonna use this for a sermon
00:57:20.97\00:57:22.30
but I'm not gonna tell you when.
00:57:22.34\00:57:23.84
But I tell you this is
gonna be a Bible study sermon,
00:57:23.87\00:57:25.97
we should understand
that the presence of Christ
00:57:26.01\00:57:29.21
in our lives should
alter our affections,
00:57:29.24\00:57:31.98
should alter our
love for the Lord,
00:57:32.01\00:57:33.98
should also activate
our desire to do something
00:57:34.02\00:57:36.28
for the
advancement of His Kingdom,
00:57:36.32\00:57:38.19
for the saving of souls,
00:57:38.22\00:57:39.72
for the lifting of
one another's burdens.
00:57:39.75\00:57:42.39
But the one thing
you don't want to do,
00:57:42.42\00:57:44.06
you don't want
to be a Christian,
00:57:44.09\00:57:46.09
and just sit down
and have no use to heaven
00:57:46.13\00:57:49.80
and no use to earth.
00:57:49.83\00:57:52.20
That's not what
Jesus is coming back for.
00:57:52.23\00:57:53.94
So, friends,
keep on trusting God,
00:57:53.97\00:57:56.24
focus on what
He's called you to do.
00:57:56.27\00:57:58.04
And one day
whatever is not clear
00:57:58.07\00:57:59.67
will come into a sharper focus.
00:57:59.71\00:58:02.64
God bless you.
00:58:02.68\00:58:04.25