Hello, friends, welcome
to another Wednesday night
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Bible study here at A Sharper
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Focus at the
3ABN Worship Center.
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We thank you for
taking the time to tune in,
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and to get together
with us for the next hour
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or so to enjoy a
wonderful Bible study.
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We have been
studying on the theme
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"How to Live a Spiritual
Life in a Natural Body."
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And tonight, I
think we just have
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about two more
questions left on that theme.
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And then we're
going to transition into
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"How to Know the
Truth about the Truth"
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in which we're
gonna be dealing with
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quite a number
of different topics.
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Some of the
tough doctrinal topics
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that tend to make a difference
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between whether the
picture of Christ is clear
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or whether it is fuzzy.`
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And since our program
is called A Sharper Focus,
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we wanna make
sure that everything
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that is taught
`about Christ is clear.
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Can you all say amen to that?
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That it is a sharp focus,
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that it's not
something that's blurry,
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and something that
really doesn't make much sense
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to those who are studying.
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So get your friends
together your family members,
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if you're
joining us from a church,
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welcome to those of you
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who are sitting
down in a group setting
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or if you're home by yourself,
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hey, glad to have
you, but you need a Bible.
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And also if you'd
like a copy of the lesson,
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go to this website asf.3abn.org
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and download lesson number 18.
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That's the one we're
gonna be covering tonight.
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Our new lesson,
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but we're finishing
up lesson number 17.
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So we only have
two questions there.
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Download 17 if you
don't have that one,
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and 18 which is
gonna be the new one.
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We're gonna be
beginning tonight.
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But before we
sing our theme song,
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which is "Victory in Jesus."
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Let's bow our heads
together as we invite
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the Lord's
presence to be with us.
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Our Father in heaven, we
thank You for Your goodness.
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Tonight, we thank
You for Your grace.
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We know that the
study of Your Word
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is of vital importance.
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And we now pray
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that You will
come into our hearts
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and minds to be our guide.
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We know that Your Holy
Spirit will be our teacher,
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but not only impress
upon our minds what we study,
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but may it impact
our lives for Your honor.
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In Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen.
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Well, are you all ready to sing?
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Don't sound like it.
Are you ready to sing?
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Amen.
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Let's sing the song
together our theme song
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"Victory in Jesus."
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And if you know the
words join along with us.
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I heard an old, old story
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How the Savior came from glory
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How He gave His life on Calvary
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To save a wretch like me
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I heard about His groaning
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Of His precious blood's atoning
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Then I repented of my sin
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And won the victory The chorus.
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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I heard about a mansion
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He has built for me in glory
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And I heard about
the streets of gold
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Beyond the crystal sea
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About the angels singing
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And the old redemption story
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And some sweet
day I'll sing up there
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The song of victory Key change.
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood.
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Amen.
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I said amen by myself.
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We have been studying the topic
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How to Become a Christian
under the continual title
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of How to Live a Spiritual
Life in a Natural Body.
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And tonight, what
we're gonna discover
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is that there is in fact,
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a couple of
very important points
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that we want to keep,
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and bring it to a
special focus tonight.
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One of those is how many of us
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believe the commandments
of God need to be kept?
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Let's raise our
hands locally here.
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And I know if you're watching,
I know you'd say, of course,
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the commandments
of God should be kept.
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But the Bible brings out
some very important principles
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on what it means to
keep the commandments of God,
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intellectually,
also, what it means
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to keep the commandments
of God, experientially,
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and we're just
covering two questions tonight.
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Number 20 and number
21 on lesson number 17,
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and then we're gonna
transition to lesson number 18.
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Now there are those that say,
well, if you keep the Sabbath,
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you are a commandment keeper.
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If you do not steal, you
are a commandment keeper.
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If you do not
bear false witness,
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do not commit
adultery, do not covet,
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you are a commandment keeper
and vetted, that is correct.
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All those things are true.
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But there's another component
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that James the Apostle
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pulls together
in the Faith Book.
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And by the way,
James is the Faith Book.
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You know, Hebrews 11
is the Faith chapter.
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James is the Faith Book.
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James pulls
together in James Chapter 2,
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a very important question.
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Actually, he brings the answer
to a very important question
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that I'd like to
consider at this very moment.
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So if you have
your lessons with you,
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let's look at the question,
question number 20 tonight.
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Question number 20.
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And the question is,
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In what way does
helping others fulfill the Law?
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In what way does
helping others fulfill the Law?
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So let's go to James Chapter 2.
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What book did I say?
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James. Don't get quiet on me.
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Now you guys can get quiet
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on everybody else but not on me.
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I'm a New Yorker. I
like to hear some reaction.
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What book did I say?
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James. James. That's right.
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And those of you who
are at home a little loud,
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I can't hear you.
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James Chapter 2.
Let's look at this together.
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And we're gonna look
together at verse 8 and verse 9.
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James 2:8-9.
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And I'll show you...
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I'm gonna also
emphasize something
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that you'll find
in this scripture,
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in what way does
helping others fulfill the law?
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All right, let's
look at verse 8 and 9.
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And here's what we
have on our screen.
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The Bible says, let's
read this as our first text.
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"If you really fulfill
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the royal law
according to the Scripture,
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which is 'You shall love
your neighbor as yourself,
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you do well, but if
you show partiality,
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you commit sin,
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and are convicted by
the law as, "a what?"
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As a transgressor."
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So if you answer the question,
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in what way does
helping others fulfill the law?
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What would you put down?
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Love your neighbor as yourself.
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See, Jesus tied the
commandments together
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in two wonderful bows.
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Or some often say,
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He hung the
commandments on two nails.
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The first nail is love the Lord.
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Love the Lord with
how much of your heart?
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All your heart, all
your soul, all your mind.
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And then the second one,
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the second nail is love
your neighbor as yourself.
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He did not get rid
of the commandments
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but the answer is,
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"You love your
neighbor as you love yourself."
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If you're
writing the answer down,
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you love your
neighbor as you love yourself.
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That's the answer
that we get tonight
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out of James Chapter 2.
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And the reason why
this is so vitally important
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is people think of
love as an ethereal thing.
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Or, you know, they say,
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"Well, I love that meal
or I love the way you cook."
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Which is true about Sister Zita.
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"Or I love that
outfit, or I love that car."
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We use the word
love in a very broad,
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in a very, you know, we apply it
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to so many things
that are temporary.
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But 1 John 4:8
says, "God is love.
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He that loveth not knoweth
not God, for God is love."
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So anything that
is connected to love
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is definitely connected to God
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or anything that requires love
requires the presence of God.
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So when you think
about becoming a Christian,
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if you really are a Christian
and God abides in your life,
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the Lord abides in your heart.
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Jesus is your Savior
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and the Holy
Spirit is working in you,
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you know that one of the
fruits of the Spirit is love.
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Matter of fact,
the first one mentioned
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is the fruit of
the Spirit is love.
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Love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, gentleness,
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meekness, patience.
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So love is one of
the first evidences
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that Christ is in our lives,
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loving our
neighbor as ourselves.
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And the question
would be really carefully,
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who is your neighbor?
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Who's your neighbor?
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Everyone.
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Everyone, that's not
you is your neighbor.
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That's the classic
way of remembering that.
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If you are not
applying this to yourself,
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anyone that is outside
of you is your neighbor.
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So to fulfill the royal law.
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Now I wanna emphasize
that really quickly royal law.
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Now what, the reason
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why James calls
it the royal law,
00:10:48.21\00:10:51.58
is because we are
part of a holy nation,
00:10:51.61\00:10:54.12
a royal priesthood.
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So if you are part
of that priesthood,
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the law applies to you.
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We are a holy nation.
00:11:01.22\00:11:02.99
We are a royal priesthood.
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Say that phrase,
royal what is it?
00:11:05.23\00:11:07.53
Priesthood.
00:11:07.56\00:11:08.90
We are part of
that royal priesthood.
00:11:08.93\00:11:10.60
So somebody would
say, "Are you a Christian?"
00:11:10.63\00:11:12.37
Yes, you are part
of a royal priesthood.
00:11:12.40\00:11:14.77
So what's your obligation?
00:11:14.80\00:11:16.14
To fulfill the royal law.
00:11:16.17\00:11:19.07
And why is it royal?
00:11:19.11\00:11:20.54
Because we serve the King
of kings and Lord of lords,
00:11:20.58\00:11:23.68
cannot be any
more royal than that.
00:11:23.71\00:11:25.95
Really can't.
00:11:25.98\00:11:27.95
So if you are a
Christian, then you are royal,
00:11:27.98\00:11:32.29
and you also live
according to the royal law.
00:11:32.32\00:11:35.12
And that is love
your neighbor as yourself.
00:11:35.16\00:11:37.36
And as someone once
said, "How can you love God
00:11:37.39\00:11:40.40
who you don't see
00:11:40.43\00:11:42.46
if you refuse to
love your neighbor
00:11:42.50\00:11:44.07
who you do see."
00:11:44.10\00:11:45.53
Now let's even add a
broader statement to that.
00:11:45.57\00:11:48.64
The Bible...
00:11:48.67\00:11:50.01
If you look at Paul's
admonition to husbands,
00:11:50.04\00:11:53.44
love your wives.
00:11:53.48\00:11:56.81
Children, obey your parents
and also love your parents.
00:11:56.85\00:12:01.92
So as we operate
in the royal setting
00:12:01.95\00:12:05.15
of those who are
following Christ,
00:12:05.19\00:12:07.26
the royal law is
very much a part of that.
00:12:07.29\00:12:10.23
I'm excited
about the next study.
00:12:10.26\00:12:11.63
So let's go ahead
and finish this one up.
00:12:11.66\00:12:12.99
Are you ready?
00:12:13.03\00:12:14.36
Let's look at
question number 21.
00:12:14.40\00:12:16.20
Question number 21.
00:12:16.23\00:12:18.47
Okay, hmm, this
is really wonderful.
00:12:18.50\00:12:22.40
This fits right into the context
00:12:22.44\00:12:24.47
of what we just read.
00:12:24.51\00:12:25.84
But here's the question,
00:12:25.87\00:12:27.24
"What is the
ultimate measurement
00:12:27.28\00:12:30.78
of a person's Christianity?"
00:12:30.81\00:12:33.82
What is the ultimate measurement
00:12:33.85\00:12:35.65
of a person's Christianity?
00:12:35.68\00:12:37.72
A lot of times people say,
"Well, it's how good I sing."
00:12:37.75\00:12:42.09
Is it that?
00:12:42.12\00:12:43.66
What's the answer to that?
00:12:43.69\00:12:45.03
No, it's not. Is
it how good I preach?
00:12:45.06\00:12:47.96
No, it's not that either.
00:12:48.00\00:12:50.27
There's a measurement
that comes in being a Christian
00:12:50.30\00:12:52.77
and this text,
00:12:52.80\00:12:54.14
Jesus points this text
out very, very carefully.
00:12:54.17\00:12:57.01
Go to Matthew 25:40.
00:12:57.04\00:12:59.71
Matthew 25:40.
00:12:59.74\00:13:01.24
What is the ultimate measurement
00:13:01.28\00:13:03.51
of a person's Christianity?
00:13:03.55\00:13:07.02
The ultimate measurement
of a person's Christianity.
00:13:07.05\00:13:09.38
Matter of fact,
go with me there.
00:13:09.42\00:13:11.72
I know you're returning there.
00:13:11.75\00:13:13.15
I'm on my way.
00:13:13.19\00:13:15.06
Okay, here we are.
00:13:15.09\00:13:16.79
I am there.
00:13:16.83\00:13:19.49
All right.
00:13:19.53\00:13:20.86
I want to go ahead before
we just give that last answer.
00:13:20.90\00:13:23.23
Before we give the verse...
00:13:23.26\00:13:25.30
Well, let's read verse 40.
00:13:25.33\00:13:26.67
And then I'll
add some more to it.
00:13:26.70\00:13:28.54
Here's the answer.
00:13:28.57\00:13:30.54
"And the King will
answer and say to them,
00:13:30.57\00:13:33.41
'Assuredly, I say to
you, inasmuch as you did it
00:13:33.44\00:13:39.55
to one of the least
of these My brethren,
00:13:39.58\00:13:42.58
you did it," what?
00:13:42.62\00:13:44.02
"To Me.'" So the
service to others.
00:13:44.05\00:13:46.42
So here's the answer.
00:13:46.45\00:13:47.79
I'll just put this on
the screen very carefully.
00:13:47.82\00:13:49.46
We treat others as
we would treat Christ.
00:13:49.49\00:13:52.99
Now does that add a
great responsibility
00:13:53.03\00:13:55.66
to our Christianity?
00:13:55.70\00:13:57.47
If Christ were
here, what would you do?
00:13:57.50\00:14:00.07
Would you say good morning?
00:14:00.10\00:14:01.94
Would you say good evening?
00:14:01.97\00:14:06.51
Would you treat
Him with kindness?
00:14:06.54\00:14:10.61
Would you get upset with
Him if He didn't agree with you?
00:14:10.65\00:14:14.45
I mean, all these
questions I'm asking,
00:14:14.48\00:14:15.82
these are kind of silent answers
00:14:15.85\00:14:17.19
because each of you may
answer it in different way.
00:14:17.22\00:14:20.26
But the point of the matter is,
00:14:20.29\00:14:22.09
if we would treat
Christ a certain way,
00:14:22.12\00:14:24.56
He is saying to us,
00:14:24.59\00:14:25.93
if that's the
way you'll treat Me,
00:14:25.96\00:14:27.43
that's the way that I
want you to treat others.
00:14:27.46\00:14:29.36
Amen to that.
00:14:29.40\00:14:30.80
However, we
treat Christ is the way
00:14:30.83\00:14:32.97
He wants us to treat others.
00:14:33.00\00:14:35.30
And a lot of the stumblings
that we have oftentimes
00:14:35.34\00:14:37.74
as Christians is that we say,
00:14:37.77\00:14:39.27
but I don't necessarily
agree with that person
00:14:39.31\00:14:41.84
or we don't see
everything eye to eye.
00:14:41.88\00:14:43.78
He didn't say, always agree.
00:14:43.81\00:14:47.22
He says treat them.
00:14:47.25\00:14:49.28
But also this text...
00:14:49.32\00:14:50.69
Let me go ahead and give
the broader picture to it.
00:14:50.72\00:14:52.69
Matthew 25 and let's see
what He meant by verse 40.
00:14:52.72\00:14:57.86
All right, look at verse 41.
00:14:57.89\00:15:01.16
Wow!
00:15:01.20\00:15:03.97
"Then He will also say
to those on the," what hand?
00:15:04.00\00:15:07.44
"Left hand, 'Depart
from Me, you cursed,
00:15:07.47\00:15:10.44
into everlasting fire
prepared for the devil
00:15:10.47\00:15:13.48
and his angels.'"
00:15:13.51\00:15:14.84
Before I go any further,
00:15:14.88\00:15:16.21
when I first
discovered that text
00:15:16.24\00:15:17.58
many, many years ago,
00:15:17.61\00:15:18.95
I thought, "Well, hell
was not prepared for people,
00:15:18.98\00:15:21.02
it was just prepared for
the devil and his angels.
00:15:21.05\00:15:23.12
Why do we wanna
break in on that party?"
00:15:23.15\00:15:26.05
Right, think about it.
00:15:26.09\00:15:27.42
Why do we wanna
be involved in that
00:15:27.46\00:15:28.92
when the Lord
didn't even prepare hell
00:15:28.96\00:15:30.53
for anybody He created?
00:15:30.56\00:15:32.13
That is not for His
children, not for anybody
00:15:32.16\00:15:34.70
that is given his or
her life to the Lord.
00:15:34.73\00:15:36.77
So if it's just for
the devil and his angels,
00:15:36.80\00:15:38.83
we don't need to be
a part of that, right?
00:15:38.87\00:15:41.24
But look at the next part.
00:15:41.27\00:15:42.97
He says, "For I was
hungry," this is the treatment.
00:15:43.00\00:15:45.74
"For I was hungry
and you gave Me no food,
00:15:45.77\00:15:48.81
I was thirsty and you gave Me,"
00:15:48.84\00:15:50.71
how much drink?
00:15:50.75\00:15:52.15
"No drink, I was a stranger
and you did not take Me in,
00:15:52.18\00:15:57.09
naked and you did not clothe Me,
00:15:57.12\00:15:59.32
sick and in prison
and you did not visit Me.'
00:15:59.35\00:16:04.19
'Then they will also...
00:16:04.23\00:16:05.76
Then they will
answer Him, saying,
00:16:05.79\00:16:07.56
'Lord, when did we
see You hungry or thirsty
00:16:07.60\00:16:11.07
or a stranger or
naked or sick or in prison,
00:16:11.10\00:16:15.60
and did not minister to You?'"
00:16:15.64\00:16:16.97
When do we see that?
00:16:17.01\00:16:18.71
"Then He will answer
them, saying, 'Assuredly,
00:16:18.74\00:16:22.14
I say to you, in as
much as you did not do
00:16:22.18\00:16:25.48
to one of the least of these,
you did not do it to Me.'"
00:16:25.51\00:16:28.68
And so you see
the principle there,
00:16:28.72\00:16:30.15
there are only two
categories, those who did it
00:16:30.19\00:16:32.35
and those who didn't do it.
00:16:32.39\00:16:34.26
Those who treated others
as they would treat Christ
00:16:34.29\00:16:36.56
or those who saw others in need,
00:16:36.59\00:16:38.53
and thought it
doesn't really matter.
00:16:38.56\00:16:39.93
And one of the
greatest examples we have
00:16:43.53\00:16:44.93
of that is the
story of the Samaritans,
00:16:44.97\00:16:47.20
the good Samaritans
or the good Samaritan.
00:16:47.24\00:16:51.47
The Jewish leaders were
on their way to synagogue,
00:16:51.51\00:16:54.08
the Pharisee was on
his way to synagogue.
00:16:54.11\00:16:55.94
It was the Sabbath day.
00:16:55.98\00:16:59.25
And so they figured, you know,
00:16:59.28\00:17:01.32
if I stop now would
make up at Sabbath School.
00:17:01.35\00:17:03.95
Or if I stopped now I surely
would make up at the sermon.
00:17:03.99\00:17:06.45
And so they passed
by a person in need.
00:17:06.49\00:17:08.36
And so here you
are, as those who believe
00:17:08.39\00:17:11.69
that we are part of
the royal nation obligated.
00:17:11.73\00:17:16.60
I was gonna say another word,
00:17:16.63\00:17:18.60
but my tongue is
getting twisted right now.
00:17:18.63\00:17:22.24
I'm on Australian time still.
00:17:22.27\00:17:24.77
I should be
sleeping right now actually.
00:17:24.81\00:17:27.54
But as we are
obligated to keep the royal law
00:17:27.58\00:17:30.41
because we are part
of the royal priesthood.
00:17:30.45\00:17:33.38
We are part of a holy nation.
00:17:33.42\00:17:35.12
We should look at
everyone as Christ does.
00:17:35.15\00:17:38.62
Can I get an amen to that?
00:17:38.65\00:17:40.89
He's the King of kings.
00:17:40.92\00:17:42.46
He is the ultimate
royalty, but He has children.
00:17:42.49\00:17:45.69
And He wants His
children to treat others
00:17:45.73\00:17:47.63
as He would treat them.
00:17:47.66\00:17:49.46
And so we find
here if we're hungry,
00:17:49.50\00:17:51.93
and we pray, Lord,
provide food for me.
00:17:51.97\00:17:54.24
Would He provide that food?
00:17:54.27\00:17:56.00
And the Bible says David said,
00:17:56.04\00:17:57.37
"I've never seen
the righteous forsaken
00:17:57.41\00:17:59.34
nor their seed
begging for bread."
00:17:59.37\00:18:01.84
So clearly we see
that if we have a need,
00:18:01.88\00:18:04.51
we know God is
going to provide it.
00:18:04.55\00:18:06.51
In the very same measurement
as we see a person with a need.
00:18:06.55\00:18:12.72
We may not have
the option to say,
00:18:12.75\00:18:14.76
"Well, I'm not sure
00:18:14.79\00:18:16.12
whether or not I
could provide that need."
00:18:16.16\00:18:18.86
Thus we have the
example of Elijah and the widow.
00:18:18.89\00:18:23.10
Was she adequately
supplied to provide the need
00:18:23.13\00:18:26.97
that Elijah had?
00:18:27.00\00:18:28.90
Did she have enough supply?
00:18:28.94\00:18:30.97
No, but
according to God, she did.
00:18:31.01\00:18:33.27
You see, look
at another example,
00:18:33.31\00:18:35.11
the young man with
his loaves and fishes.
00:18:35.14\00:18:37.15
Did he have enough as
he looked at what he had
00:18:37.18\00:18:39.55
to supply all
that hungry multitude
00:18:39.58\00:18:41.68
of 5000 or 4000 people?
00:18:41.72\00:18:43.32
Did he have enough? Yes or no.
00:18:43.35\00:18:45.29
But did he have enough
as far as God was concerned?
00:18:45.32\00:18:47.72
And so here's the
reason I'm emphasizing
00:18:47.76\00:18:49.89
much on this
particular point is this.
00:18:49.92\00:18:52.46
The Lord will bless
and He would multiply
00:18:52.49\00:18:57.10
what is in our possession
if we think about the need
00:18:57.13\00:19:00.00
and the concerns of
others over ourselves.
00:19:00.04\00:19:03.20
So what in essence is being said
00:19:03.24\00:19:05.17
is we cannot not
afford to help somebody,
00:19:05.21\00:19:08.91
we cannot not give
somebody what they need.
00:19:08.94\00:19:12.48
We cannot say, "Well, you know,
only have enough for one meal."
00:19:12.51\00:19:16.38
That's what the
woman said to Elijah,
00:19:16.42\00:19:18.85
the widow said to Elijah.
00:19:18.89\00:19:20.76
And he said, "If
you give to me first,
00:19:20.79\00:19:24.26
God will bless
you tremendously."
00:19:24.29\00:19:26.09
And so when we look at
this particular principle,
00:19:26.13\00:19:28.46
what I wanna emphasize
by telling you that story
00:19:28.50\00:19:31.63
and given those
examples is doing unto others
00:19:31.67\00:19:35.30
is never based
on your inventory.
00:19:35.34\00:19:37.64
It's always based on your
love for that other person.
00:19:37.67\00:19:40.74
It's not based on your
ability to furnish that need.
00:19:40.78\00:19:44.61
You'll say, Lord, okay,
I see the person in need.
00:19:44.65\00:19:48.85
Please give me
the faith to reach out
00:19:48.88\00:19:51.99
to provide that person's need.
00:19:52.02\00:19:53.66
And the Lord said, "Give,
and it will be given unto you,
00:19:53.69\00:19:57.69
pressed down, shaken
together, and," what?
00:19:57.73\00:20:01.06
"Running over."
00:20:01.10\00:20:02.60
So the Lord is
saying, everything's a test.
00:20:02.63\00:20:05.03
We've said to so many people,
00:20:05.07\00:20:07.57
when you live
your Christian walk,
00:20:07.60\00:20:08.94
think about it,
everything is a test,
00:20:08.97\00:20:11.64
ain't that right?
00:20:11.67\00:20:13.01
Never think of any
situation is not a test,
00:20:13.04\00:20:16.31
you know, the
person you see that hasn't,
00:20:16.34\00:20:18.05
that doesn't have
what that person is needed.
00:20:18.08\00:20:19.98
It's a test.
00:20:20.02\00:20:21.35
And God wants to provide
you to see whether or not
00:20:21.38\00:20:23.95
you're at the place
00:20:23.99\00:20:25.32
where you are willing to
provide that person's need.
00:20:25.35\00:20:28.56
All right, we have ended
00:20:28.59\00:20:31.49
lesson number
18, lesson number 17.
00:20:31.53\00:20:35.00
And now we are
transitioning into...
00:20:35.03\00:20:38.53
First I wanna show
you the theme here.
00:20:38.57\00:20:40.77
The theme for this next series
00:20:40.80\00:20:42.77
that we're gonna
be doing is entitled,
00:20:42.80\00:20:44.97
and it's on your screen,
00:20:45.01\00:20:46.44
"How to know the
truth about the Truth."
00:20:46.47\00:20:50.78
And you'll notice
00:20:50.81\00:20:52.15
that there is a small
"t" and there's a large "T"
00:20:52.18\00:20:58.35
and in particular
the topic tonight is
00:20:58.39\00:21:01.69
"How to Know the Truth."
00:21:01.72\00:21:03.76
Now the reason why
00:21:03.79\00:21:05.13
there is a small
"t" and a large "T"
00:21:05.16\00:21:09.46
is that one of the boasts
that each denomination has.
00:21:09.50\00:21:14.24
And I think everyone has a copy.
00:21:14.27\00:21:16.07
One of the boast that
each denomination has is this.
00:21:16.10\00:21:19.07
People say, what
we have certain truths
00:21:19.11\00:21:22.01
that identify our denomination.
00:21:22.04\00:21:24.35
We have 28 of them, right?
00:21:24.38\00:21:26.31
We call them
fundamentals, 28 fundamentals,
00:21:26.35\00:21:29.78
and each of them is the
truth about the Word of God.
00:21:29.82\00:21:33.32
But what I wanna
point out very carefully is
00:21:33.36\00:21:36.89
in the need package of the 28,
00:21:36.93\00:21:41.40
they don't come before the one.
00:21:41.43\00:21:44.60
Now I want you to
notice on the screen,
00:21:44.63\00:21:46.13
I'm gonna go back just
for our own audience here.
00:21:46.17\00:21:48.70
The little t-r-u-t-h
would be the 28 fundamentals.
00:21:48.74\00:21:54.31
All right, the big T-R-U-T-H.
00:21:54.34\00:21:58.68
We're gonna find out
what that is in just a moment
00:21:58.71\00:22:01.65
because until you are
at the large T-R-U-T-H,
00:22:01.68\00:22:07.52
the small
t-r-u-t-h doesn't really have
00:22:07.56\00:22:11.03
any bearing on
your relationship.
00:22:11.06\00:22:14.36
All right.
00:22:14.40\00:22:15.73
We're gonna see
that very carefully.
00:22:15.76\00:22:17.20
So when we talk
about knowing the truth
00:22:17.23\00:22:19.57
or how to know the truth,
00:22:19.60\00:22:20.94
before we get into
the doctrinal issues,
00:22:20.97\00:22:23.61
we wanna start at
the very pinnacle point
00:22:23.64\00:22:27.54
of this study.
00:22:27.58\00:22:29.04
We're gonna start
at the highest point
00:22:29.08\00:22:32.01
before you know all
these doctrinal things.
00:22:32.05\00:22:35.82
What is the most important thing
00:22:35.85\00:22:37.19
to know right away?
00:22:37.22\00:22:38.99
All right, so
let's dive into it.
00:22:39.02\00:22:40.69
Let's just go ahead.
00:22:40.72\00:22:42.06
Headfirst.
00:22:42.09\00:22:43.43
Are you ready?
00:22:43.46\00:22:45.33
We're going to look
at question number one,
00:22:45.36\00:22:49.36
and here it is.
00:22:49.40\00:22:51.57
Okay.
00:22:51.60\00:22:54.30
"What does the Bible
teach us about the truth?"
00:22:54.34\00:22:58.27
What does the Bible
teach us about the truth?
00:22:58.31\00:23:01.94
And in the context of
what I just mentioned,
00:23:01.98\00:23:04.28
I should have actually
had a capital "T" right there
00:23:04.31\00:23:06.95
because that's where I'm headed.
00:23:06.98\00:23:08.32
All right.
00:23:08.35\00:23:09.68
What does the Bible
teach us about the truth?
00:23:09.72\00:23:11.22
Go to the Book of John.
00:23:11.25\00:23:14.16
The Book of John,
and we are going to look
00:23:14.19\00:23:17.59
together at Chapter 14.
00:23:17.63\00:23:20.93
John Chapter 14 is
where we're headed.
00:23:20.96\00:23:24.77
All right.
00:23:24.80\00:23:27.10
John 14, and we're gonna
look together at verse 6.
00:23:27.14\00:23:31.61
All right.
00:23:31.64\00:23:33.34
Let's look at this together.
00:23:33.38\00:23:34.71
It's on the screen.
00:23:34.74\00:23:36.68
And the question is,
00:23:36.71\00:23:38.05
what does the Bible
teach us about the truth?
00:23:38.08\00:23:39.75
Let's read this together.
00:23:39.78\00:23:41.22
"Jesus said to
him, 'I am the way,
00:23:41.25\00:23:44.72
the truth, and the life.
00:23:44.75\00:23:47.59
No one comes to the
Father except through Me.'"
00:23:47.62\00:23:51.83
Now let's take up a
minute or so with this one.
00:23:51.86\00:23:54.33
Who's the truth,
somebody tell me?
00:23:54.36\00:23:56.20
Jesus is.
00:23:56.23\00:23:57.57
So we're gonna see
00:23:57.60\00:23:59.00
that you can't
get to the Father,
00:23:59.03\00:24:00.94
except you go through Jesus.
00:24:00.97\00:24:02.80
But let me go to the next level.
00:24:02.84\00:24:04.31
You can't get to
the Father except
00:24:04.34\00:24:05.91
you go through the truth.
00:24:05.94\00:24:08.71
Okay, would you get that
because if Jesus is the truth,
00:24:08.74\00:24:11.91
and you can't get to the Father
00:24:11.95\00:24:13.28
except you go through Jesus,
00:24:13.31\00:24:14.75
you can't get to
the Father except
00:24:14.78\00:24:16.72
you go through the truth.
00:24:16.75\00:24:19.69
So it's not just
Jesus the person,
00:24:19.72\00:24:22.49
but Jesus also the principle.
00:24:22.52\00:24:25.56
You cannot
separate truth from Jesus.
00:24:25.59\00:24:28.00
And I wanna go
to John Chapter 4,
00:24:28.03\00:24:29.80
go there with me.
00:24:29.83\00:24:31.67
This is a challenge
in modern Christianity
00:24:31.70\00:24:34.77
because modern Christianity
00:24:34.80\00:24:36.14
has kind of
kicked the truth out,
00:24:36.17\00:24:38.27
and somebody may say,
"We really haven't done so."
00:24:38.31\00:24:40.91
But if you meet people that say,
00:24:40.94\00:24:42.28
it doesn't really
matter what you believe,
00:24:42.31\00:24:43.65
as long as we, as long
as we believe in Jesus.
00:24:43.68\00:24:45.81
That's not what this
text just said, am I right?
00:24:45.85\00:24:49.35
We cannot get to the
Father except through Jesus
00:24:49.38\00:24:51.92
and Jesus is the truth.
00:24:51.95\00:24:53.29
So therefore, we've got to go
00:24:53.32\00:24:54.86
through the
truth to get to Jesus.
00:24:54.89\00:24:57.39
You cannot get to
Jesus through a lie.
00:24:57.43\00:25:02.23
Can't, cannot.
00:25:02.26\00:25:03.67
So if it's not
true, you're not going...
00:25:03.70\00:25:06.13
You can't go
through that to the Father.
00:25:06.17\00:25:09.37
You can't do it.
00:25:09.40\00:25:10.74
And by the way,
the reason why we read
00:25:10.77\00:25:12.11
John Chapter 14,
00:25:12.14\00:25:13.48
is Jesus, in fact,
was returning to heaven
00:25:13.51\00:25:16.28
to prepare a
place for His disciples,
00:25:16.31\00:25:18.21
for all of those He's
gonna come back to receive
00:25:18.25\00:25:20.45
when He returns.
00:25:20.48\00:25:22.08
But He says...
00:25:22.12\00:25:23.45
So the question is,
how are we gonna get there?
00:25:23.49\00:25:25.59
And they said,
"You know the way,
00:25:25.62\00:25:28.42
but you can go right now."
00:25:28.46\00:25:30.03
So let me just tell you
how you're gonna get there.
00:25:30.06\00:25:32.43
First of all, I am the way
and I'm going to the Father
00:25:32.46\00:25:36.13
and you can't
get there right now.
00:25:36.16\00:25:37.57
But if you're gonna get
there, you got to go through Me
00:25:37.60\00:25:40.27
and you got to go
through the truth, right?
00:25:40.30\00:25:44.67
But the problem with
modern Christianity nowadays,
00:25:44.71\00:25:47.11
everything has been
modified down to worship style,
00:25:47.14\00:25:51.65
worship
experience, worship atmosphere,
00:25:51.68\00:25:55.55
worship music,
and I wanna show you
00:25:55.58\00:25:58.49
what worship really is.
00:25:58.52\00:25:59.85
John Chapter 4.
00:25:59.89\00:26:01.46
Let's go to worship.
00:26:01.49\00:26:02.86
John 4:22, 23, and 24.
00:26:02.89\00:26:09.06
This is what Jesus
I suppose would say,
00:26:09.10\00:26:11.63
if He were walking
around from city to city,
00:26:11.67\00:26:14.90
going to churches that they say,
00:26:14.94\00:26:16.57
"Well, we teach the truth."
00:26:16.60\00:26:18.34
And this very
conversation would come up.
00:26:18.37\00:26:21.08
Notice what Jesus said.
00:26:21.11\00:26:22.44
And by the way,
this is between Jesus
00:26:22.48\00:26:24.38
and the woman at the
well, the Samaritan woman,
00:26:24.41\00:26:28.02
or the woman of Samaria.
00:26:28.05\00:26:31.45
He said to her,
00:26:31.49\00:26:33.89
"You worship
what you do not know,
00:26:33.92\00:26:37.83
we know what we worship,
00:26:37.86\00:26:39.53
for salvation is of the Jews."
00:26:39.56\00:26:41.40
Jesus is in
essence, saying, as you read
00:26:41.43\00:26:43.53
in the Book of Acts Chapter
13, He said it was necessary
00:26:43.57\00:26:47.44
that the gospel
first be given to the Jews,
00:26:47.47\00:26:49.70
and that there will be
a light to the Gentiles,
00:26:49.74\00:26:51.94
and to the
uttermost parts of the earth.
00:26:51.97\00:26:53.68
So at this particular point,
00:26:53.71\00:26:55.04
the message that God
entrusted to the Jews
00:26:55.08\00:26:57.05
was still among the
Jews, but they were talking...
00:26:57.08\00:26:59.31
We have a
different place to worship.
00:26:59.35\00:27:01.12
And Jesus says, "You
worship what you do not know."
00:27:01.15\00:27:03.52
But notice what He went on
further to say in verse 23.
00:27:03.55\00:27:06.86
He says, "But
the hour is coming,
00:27:06.89\00:27:08.92
and now is, when the,"
what kind of worshiper?
00:27:08.96\00:27:15.23
"True worshiper will worship
the Father in spirit and truth,
00:27:15.26\00:27:21.40
for the Father
is seeking, looking,
00:27:21.44\00:27:24.64
searching for
such to worship Him.
00:27:24.67\00:27:27.38
God is Spirit, and
those who worship God
00:27:27.41\00:27:30.11
should worship in
spirit and truth."
00:27:30.15\00:27:34.32
What's the word?
00:27:34.35\00:27:35.68
Say it together.
00:27:35.72\00:27:37.05
Must.
00:27:37.09\00:27:38.42
He didn't say should, or could,
or might, or that's a good idea
00:27:38.45\00:27:42.76
because people today...
00:27:42.79\00:27:44.26
Satan has so blinded
the minds of many leaders
00:27:44.29\00:27:47.73
in the Christian
world, that they say,
00:27:47.76\00:27:49.53
"Well, if that works
for you, this works for me."
00:27:49.56\00:27:52.97
I had a pastor once say
to me, "I have my truth.
00:27:53.00\00:27:55.60
You have your truth.
00:27:55.64\00:27:56.97
I have my text.
00:27:57.01\00:27:58.34
You have your texts."
00:27:58.37\00:27:59.81
You have your text to
back up what you believe.
00:27:59.84\00:28:02.08
I have my text to
back up what I believe.
00:28:02.11\00:28:03.88
And I said to him,
"In all due respect,
00:28:03.91\00:28:05.91
you don't have any text,
and neither do I have any text,
00:28:05.95\00:28:08.75
it's God's Word."
00:28:08.78\00:28:10.12
Amen?
00:28:10.15\00:28:11.49
And the Bible does
not contradict itself.
00:28:11.52\00:28:15.09
But you'll discover
the reason why we are
00:28:15.12\00:28:16.83
where we are
today is no surprise.
00:28:16.86\00:28:18.66
Go with me to
the Book of Daniel 8.
00:28:18.69\00:28:20.56
Daniel 8, where we
are today is no surprise.
00:28:20.60\00:28:23.06
The Lord knew we would get here.
00:28:23.10\00:28:25.60
He knew that in the last days
00:28:25.63\00:28:28.74
the lukewarm
condition of the church
00:28:28.77\00:28:33.48
will make the truth
of God of optional origin
00:28:33.51\00:28:37.25
rather than of necessity,
00:28:37.28\00:28:39.18
but the truth of
God is necessary,
00:28:39.21\00:28:40.65
isn't it necessary?
00:28:40.68\00:28:42.12
The truth of God is not optional
00:28:42.15\00:28:43.89
because Jesus is
the way and the truth,
00:28:43.92\00:28:45.75
you cannot
disconnect Jesus from the truth.
00:28:45.79\00:28:48.56
Look at Daniel 8.
00:28:48.59\00:28:50.66
Daniel 8, I wanna see verse 12.
00:28:50.69\00:28:53.43
Okay.
00:28:53.46\00:28:55.30
Talking about the little
horn, and the little horn
00:28:55.33\00:28:57.77
we know represents
the voice of papal Rome
00:28:57.80\00:29:01.30
in this particular prophecy,
but look at one of the things
00:29:01.34\00:29:04.51
that this horn would do.
00:29:04.54\00:29:06.91
It says, "Because of," what?
00:29:06.94\00:29:08.98
"Transgression."
00:29:09.01\00:29:10.35
Now let me just
stop before you read
00:29:10.38\00:29:11.71
the rest of the verse.
00:29:11.75\00:29:13.08
That's the reason why
truth is being pushed out
00:29:13.11\00:29:14.75
because of
transgression, because of sin.
00:29:14.78\00:29:17.02
Let's go on further.
00:29:17.05\00:29:18.39
It says,
"Because of transgression,
00:29:18.42\00:29:20.32
an army was
given over to the horn
00:29:20.36\00:29:23.76
to oppose the daily sacrifices,"
00:29:23.79\00:29:28.50
and what did He do?
00:29:28.53\00:29:30.53
"He cast truth
down to the ground.
00:29:30.57\00:29:35.57
And He did all
this and prospered."
00:29:35.60\00:29:38.77
So you look at the
prosperity nowadays
00:29:38.81\00:29:40.71
that many
Christian churches have,
00:29:40.74\00:29:42.68
and you say, the
prosperity gospel
00:29:42.71\00:29:45.68
and what have they done?
00:29:45.71\00:29:47.05
They've cast truth
down to the ground,
00:29:47.08\00:29:49.52
and they've replaced it
with the prosperity gospel.
00:29:49.55\00:29:52.52
Isn't that an amazing text?
00:29:52.55\00:29:54.22
It brings us right up to today.
00:29:54.26\00:29:56.06
Satan was doing
this from the entrance
00:29:56.09\00:29:58.19
of the Dark Ages.
00:29:58.23\00:29:59.56
As a matter of fact,
way further back than that,
00:29:59.59\00:30:02.00
from the Garden of
Eden, he told a lie.
00:30:02.03\00:30:04.37
And Jesus said,
"He's the father of lies."
00:30:04.40\00:30:07.40
And in heaven he told a lie.
00:30:07.44\00:30:08.94
Thank you very much, honey.
00:30:08.97\00:30:10.31
That was, honey is
my wife by the way.
00:30:10.34\00:30:13.41
Since it's on air,
yes, he lied in heaven.
00:30:13.44\00:30:17.28
He misrepresented God there.
00:30:17.31\00:30:19.25
He misrepresented the
truth of God in the earth.
00:30:19.28\00:30:21.58
He misrepresented God
in the Garden of Eden.
00:30:21.62\00:30:23.85
And through this
power that's foretold here.
00:30:23.89\00:30:26.35
It's amazing how the
casting down of the truth
00:30:26.39\00:30:29.02
is also connected
with temporary prosperity.
00:30:29.06\00:30:32.23
So thus we have nowadays
this thing in Christianity
00:30:32.26\00:30:34.50
called the prosperity gospel.
00:30:34.53\00:30:36.97
And it really
pains me when I hear them
00:30:37.00\00:30:39.23
use Bible verses
to their own benefit.
00:30:39.27\00:30:42.94
For example, just a
moment ago, I used one, given,
00:30:42.97\00:30:45.57
it shall be given unto you.
00:30:45.61\00:30:46.94
Didn't I use that?
00:30:46.98\00:30:48.41
Pressed down, shaken
together, running over,
00:30:48.44\00:30:50.35
but many use that
just for personal gain.
00:30:50.38\00:30:53.18
So they say, if you
give to this ministry,
00:30:53.21\00:30:55.48
God will double and triple.
00:30:55.52\00:30:57.45
And the reason
why you don't have is
00:30:57.49\00:30:58.89
because you don't
sow the seed of faith.
00:30:58.92\00:31:02.32
And I thought,
if I hear the word
00:31:02.36\00:31:04.36
sow the seed again,
which is in fact in the Bible,
00:31:04.39\00:31:07.26
but used in a self-serving way,
00:31:07.30\00:31:09.46
it just kind of makes
you upset when people are
00:31:09.50\00:31:11.90
casting the truth to the ground
00:31:11.93\00:31:16.07
and still
talking about prosperity.
00:31:16.10\00:31:18.07
It's amazing, that text fit
00:31:18.11\00:31:19.51
so much into the
context of today.
00:31:19.54\00:31:22.04
And so what happens is we see
00:31:22.08\00:31:23.51
the financially
prosperous side of Christianity.
00:31:23.55\00:31:26.41
And we often connect`
00:31:26.45\00:31:27.78
the legitimate
scriptural side to that.
00:31:27.82\00:31:31.65
You can be a good businessman,
but not embrace the truth.
00:31:31.69\00:31:37.03
We have Fortune 500 companies.
00:31:37.06\00:31:39.69
We have companies
00:31:39.73\00:31:41.06
that are
multibillion dollar companies.
00:31:41.10\00:31:44.00
You got Toyota, and
Microsoft, and Apple,
00:31:44.03\00:31:46.43
and the list goes on
and on and on and on.
00:31:46.47\00:31:48.34
They're not teaching
Bible at their companies,
00:31:48.37\00:31:51.01
but they're very prosperous.
00:31:51.04\00:31:52.37
So you don't have to have
a prosperous business model.
00:31:52.41\00:31:55.38
Or matter of fact,
let me say it again.
00:31:55.41\00:31:57.01
Even if you have a
prosperous business model,
00:31:57.05\00:31:59.58
it does not necessarily mean
you're lifting the truth up.
00:31:59.61\00:32:04.75
The Lord knew
that we would get here.
00:32:04.79\00:32:06.35
Look at another text, Isaiah 59.
00:32:06.39\00:32:09.02
Isaiah 59.
00:32:09.06\00:32:12.76
He knew we would
be at this place.
00:32:12.79\00:32:14.43
That's why before we
dive into the T-R-U-T-H-S,
00:32:14.46\00:32:19.40
I want us to get
to the T-R-U-T-H.
00:32:19.43\00:32:22.30
Isaiah 59.
00:32:22.34\00:32:24.61
And let's see.
00:32:24.64\00:32:28.74
Okay, yeah.
00:32:28.78\00:32:31.21
Isaiah 59, look at verse 14.
00:32:31.25\00:32:34.38
These prophets
knew where we would be.
00:32:34.42\00:32:39.15
And I wanna show you once again,
00:32:39.19\00:32:40.52
just like we read, in
Daniel 8, we're gonna see
00:32:40.56\00:32:44.49
that the foundation of this text
00:32:44.53\00:32:46.63
again is about transgression.
00:32:46.66\00:32:48.56
Look at verse 12, Isaiah 59:12.
00:32:48.60\00:32:53.80
Then we're gonna
jump down to verse 14.
00:32:53.84\00:32:56.44
All right.
00:32:56.47\00:32:57.81
It says, "For our," what?
00:32:57.84\00:33:00.38
"Transgressions are
multiplied before You,
00:33:00.41\00:33:03.11
and our sins," do what?
00:33:03.14\00:33:04.95
"Testify against us,
00:33:04.98\00:33:06.68
for our
transgressions are with us,
00:33:06.72\00:33:09.48
and as for our
iniquities, we know them.
00:33:09.52\00:33:12.39
In
transgression and," what else?
00:33:12.42\00:33:14.76
"Lying against the Lord,
and departing from our God,
00:33:14.79\00:33:19.43
speaking oppression and
revolt, conceiving and uttering
00:33:19.46\00:33:24.53
from the heart words of," what?
00:33:24.57\00:33:27.10
"Falsehood."
00:33:27.14\00:33:28.47
Look at the result.
00:33:28.50\00:33:30.41
"Justice is turned back,
00:33:30.44\00:33:32.41
and
righteousness stands afar off,
00:33:32.44\00:33:35.34
for truth is," what?
00:33:35.38\00:33:37.11
"Fallen in the streets,
and equity cannot enter.
00:33:37.15\00:33:41.78
So truth fails,
and he who departs
00:33:41.82\00:33:44.69
from evil makes himself a prey.
00:33:44.72\00:33:47.42
Then the Lord saw
it, and it displeased Him
00:33:47.46\00:33:50.36
that there was no justice."
00:33:50.39\00:33:53.03
So you begin to see
here that the reason for this
00:33:53.06\00:33:55.10
what happens with
the truth, it's what?
00:33:55.13\00:33:58.07
It's fallen in the street.
00:33:58.10\00:34:00.40
In what streets?
00:34:00.44\00:34:01.77
The streets of
spiritual Babylon.
00:34:01.80\00:34:03.67
Babylon is fallen,
all these institutions
00:34:03.71\00:34:06.57
around the world that claim
00:34:06.61\00:34:08.11
to have a
connection with Christ,
00:34:08.14\00:34:10.35
if they are not
standing on the truth,
00:34:10.38\00:34:12.28
the Bible in essence is saying
00:34:12.31\00:34:14.05
is the truth has been cast down.
00:34:14.08\00:34:16.32
The truth is
fallen in the streets.
00:34:16.35\00:34:18.52
So is truth important,
with a hearty amen say yes.
00:34:18.55\00:34:22.46
It's important.
00:34:22.49\00:34:24.29
And somebody may
say, "Well, I mean,
00:34:24.33\00:34:25.93
I know what you're
saying your denomination.
00:34:25.96\00:34:27.30
I know that.
00:34:27.33\00:34:28.66
I know that not everybody
who watches this program
00:34:28.70\00:34:30.10
is a Seventh-day Adventist."
00:34:30.13\00:34:31.53
But somebody may
say, "I love the Lord."
00:34:31.57\00:34:33.17
Matter of fact, we met
a young lady in Australia,
00:34:33.20\00:34:38.71
and I'm kind of be
vague on the story.
00:34:38.74\00:34:40.88
But she's a traditional.
00:34:40.91\00:34:45.78
She's connected to a
church that was started
00:34:45.81\00:34:47.72
in her family generations ago.
00:34:47.75\00:34:50.15
And when she met my wife,
00:34:50.19\00:34:51.72
she said, her
husband's a member of the church
00:34:51.75\00:34:56.02
and she's a
member of another church.
00:34:56.06\00:34:57.73
And she said, "Well,
I'll never be an Adventist."
00:34:57.76\00:35:00.40
I mean, I'll just
never be an Adventist.
00:35:00.43\00:35:03.00
Why?
00:35:03.03\00:35:04.37
And I said to her,
"Why would you say that?"
00:35:04.40\00:35:05.93
When she said,
"Well, I had a family member
00:35:05.97\00:35:07.87
that started a church years ago.
00:35:07.90\00:35:10.24
And it's been in my family."
00:35:10.27\00:35:11.61
I said, "Well, how
long has that church,
00:35:11.64\00:35:13.61
how long ago was
that church started?"
00:35:13.64\00:35:15.14
She said, "More
than 100 years ago.
00:35:15.18\00:35:17.21
And it was passed
on from generation
00:35:17.25\00:35:18.61
to generation to generation."
00:35:18.65\00:35:20.22
I said, "More
than 100 years ago.
00:35:20.25\00:35:22.58
Do you drive the same car that
00:35:22.62\00:35:23.95
that member
drove 100 years ago?"
00:35:23.99\00:35:25.95
No.
00:35:25.99\00:35:27.32
Are you getting
run on horse and buggy?
00:35:27.36\00:35:28.69
No.
00:35:28.72\00:35:30.06
Did they have an
internet connection?
00:35:30.09\00:35:31.43
Did they have a laptop? No.
00:35:31.46\00:35:32.79
I said, "Things change."
00:35:32.83\00:35:34.16
You cannot say that.
00:35:34.20\00:35:35.53
What they were accountable
00:35:35.56\00:35:36.90
for is what you are
also accountable for,
00:35:36.93\00:35:39.57
you know more now than they did.
00:35:39.60\00:35:42.17
I said, "Do you
believe in the Holy Spirit."
00:35:42.20\00:35:43.54
She said, "Well,
of course, I do."
00:35:43.57\00:35:45.21
I said, "If you say
you'll never be an Adventist."
00:35:45.24\00:35:49.18
I said, "I'm not
saying that you need to be an
00:35:49.21\00:35:51.01
"Adventist" first."
00:35:51.05\00:35:52.85
I said, "You need
to follow the truth."
00:35:52.88\00:35:55.18
And if it lead you
to be an Adventist,
00:35:55.22\00:35:57.15
that's where
God wants you to be.
00:35:57.19\00:35:58.52
I said, "Well,
personally that sounds
00:35:58.55\00:36:00.49
like a prejudicial statement
because I am an Adventist.
00:36:00.52\00:36:03.32
But I wouldn't be
00:36:03.36\00:36:04.69
if this was not
where the truth was."
00:36:04.73\00:36:06.06
Can anybody else say amen?
00:36:06.09\00:36:07.43
I wouldn't be this
00:36:07.46\00:36:08.86
if this is not
where the truth was.
00:36:08.90\00:36:10.70
As my good friend
Doug Batchelor said,
00:36:10.73\00:36:12.50
"I am not
interested in joining a church.
00:36:12.53\00:36:14.54
I'm looking for the truth.
00:36:14.57\00:36:16.50
And this is the
place where I found it.
00:36:16.54\00:36:18.04
That's why I'm here."
00:36:18.07\00:36:19.41
So I said to her,
not promised but I said,
00:36:19.44\00:36:22.08
"I want you to think
about this very carefully
00:36:22.11\00:36:23.68
because the Holy Spirit
00:36:23.71\00:36:25.05
who you say you
believe in his job,
00:36:25.08\00:36:27.02
and John 16:13, is to lead you
00:36:27.05\00:36:29.25
and guide you into all truth."
00:36:29.28\00:36:33.52
So if you say you
believe in the Holy Spirit,
00:36:33.56\00:36:36.62
I said, "Do you
believe in the Sabbath?"
00:36:36.66\00:36:38.16
Well, kind of
dance around that one.
00:36:38.19\00:36:40.90
Well, you know, I love the Lord.
00:36:40.93\00:36:42.93
I tell you, if I could
hit a person on the forehead
00:36:42.96\00:36:46.33
with a rubber mallet
every time I heard that,
00:36:46.37\00:36:48.47
there'd be a lot of
dizzy people in the world.
00:36:48.50\00:36:51.27
I love the Lord, beep.
00:36:51.31\00:36:53.24
Let me ask you
the question again.
00:36:53.27\00:36:55.34
Do you believe in the truth?
00:36:55.38\00:36:56.78
Well, I love the Lord.
00:36:56.81\00:36:58.45
Well, if you love the Lord
would you the hate the truth?
00:36:58.48\00:37:02.42
You cannot.
00:37:02.45\00:37:04.25
You cannot love the
Lord and not like the truth.
00:37:04.29\00:37:06.99
You cannot.
00:37:07.02\00:37:08.36
It just doesn't even make sense.
00:37:08.39\00:37:10.79
Let's go on and see why?
00:37:10.83\00:37:13.03
Let's go on and see why?
00:37:13.06\00:37:14.40
Question number two.
00:37:14.43\00:37:15.76
You can't love the
Lord and not love the truth.
00:37:15.80\00:37:17.13
It just doesn't make sense.
00:37:17.17\00:37:18.50
It almost says,
so you love the Lord,
00:37:18.53\00:37:22.40
and you don't love the truth.
00:37:22.44\00:37:23.77
Nah, you don't love the
Lord, you just saying that.
00:37:23.81\00:37:27.88
There are those
00:37:27.91\00:37:29.24
who have a love
relationship with Christ.
00:37:29.28\00:37:31.25
And what I'm
appealing to them for is this.
00:37:31.28\00:37:36.42
Pray this prayer.
00:37:36.45\00:37:37.79
As I did a number of years ago,
00:37:37.82\00:37:39.15
I encouraged a lady
00:37:39.19\00:37:40.52
whose husband
was getting baptized
00:37:40.56\00:37:41.89
and she had already attended
00:37:41.92\00:37:43.26
the church for many, many years.
00:37:43.29\00:37:44.66
And she said to me,
"Pastor, I love the Lord."
00:37:44.69\00:37:47.20
And I said, "You know
what? I know you love the Lord.
00:37:47.23\00:37:49.70
That's why He's allowed
the truth to come to you now."
00:37:49.73\00:37:53.67
And she said, "But I don't think
00:37:53.70\00:37:56.40
the Sabbath is
that much of an issue.
00:37:56.44\00:37:57.91
I mean, I've been
serving the Lord for..."
00:37:57.94\00:38:00.11
And she mentioned
how many years, I said,
00:38:00.14\00:38:01.81
"But the reason why
God has brought this to you
00:38:01.84\00:38:04.68
is because He
knows you love Him."
00:38:04.71\00:38:07.55
There are those who
sincerely love the Lord.
00:38:07.58\00:38:09.48
But pray this prayer.
00:38:09.52\00:38:10.85
Lord, Lord, teach me to love You
00:38:10.89\00:38:14.82
and love Your Word.
00:38:14.86\00:38:16.19
Amen, somebody.
00:38:16.22\00:38:18.16
Don't just say I love
you only up to John 14:14.
00:38:18.19\00:38:25.03
I don't love you
up to John 14:15.
00:38:25.07\00:38:28.67
I love You till John 14:14.
00:38:28.70\00:38:30.74
But when you get to John
14:15, if you love me what?
00:38:30.77\00:38:33.88
Keep My commandments.
Ah, don't give me that one.
00:38:33.91\00:38:37.15
I read that text to
somebody once and he said,
00:38:37.18\00:38:39.01
"Well, that's
your interpretation."
00:38:39.05\00:38:41.72
I said, "You read it."
00:38:41.75\00:38:44.15
Read it. Tell me
what you get out of it.
00:38:44.19\00:38:45.72
Read it slowly.
00:38:45.75\00:38:48.29
And they
couldn't get anything out
00:38:48.32\00:38:49.89
of but what the Bible says,
00:38:49.92\00:38:51.26
isn't that one so short.
00:38:51.29\00:38:53.56
If you love Me, come
on how do you say that?
00:38:53.60\00:38:57.10
Keep My commandments.
00:38:57.13\00:38:58.47
He didn't say
keep My commandments
00:38:58.50\00:38:59.83
and then you love Me.
00:38:59.87\00:39:01.20
If you love Me,
keep My commandments.
00:39:01.24\00:39:02.64
So it's a wonderful thing.
00:39:02.67\00:39:04.67
Look at the
question, second question,
00:39:04.71\00:39:06.64
"What importance
does the Bible connect
00:39:06.68\00:39:10.08
to knowing the Truth?
00:39:10.11\00:39:11.48
And by the way, I put it
in the right context now,
00:39:11.51\00:39:13.82
the capital T.
00:39:13.85\00:39:15.38
We're gonna go to John 8:32.
00:39:15.42\00:39:17.99
John 8:32.
00:39:18.02\00:39:20.39
That's where we're gonna go.
00:39:20.42\00:39:22.52
We talked about
victory in Jesus.
00:39:22.56\00:39:23.96
There's also something else
you find in Jesus, John 8:32.
00:39:23.99\00:39:28.23
Are you all there?
00:39:28.26\00:39:29.93
Okay, let's look
at the text together.
00:39:29.96\00:39:32.33
All right, the Bible says,
"And you shall know the truth,
00:39:32.37\00:39:37.87
and the truth shall," do what?
00:39:37.91\00:39:40.14
"Make you free."
00:39:40.18\00:39:42.94
Now, when Jesus was
speaking this to the Jews,
00:39:42.98\00:39:48.12
they were saying to Him,
00:39:48.15\00:39:50.52
"You know, we are
Abraham's descendants.
00:39:50.55\00:39:53.99
We have never been slaves."
00:39:54.02\00:39:57.69
And He kind of
said, "Well, just because
00:39:57.73\00:40:01.46
you said that you are
slaves, they were connecting
00:40:01.50\00:40:04.93
their freedom to a man Abraham."
00:40:04.97\00:40:08.67
Jesus was saying,
freedom comes in Me.
00:40:08.70\00:40:12.67
Freedom is not found in a man.
00:40:12.71\00:40:15.48
Freedom is not
found in an institution.
00:40:15.51\00:40:18.25
Freedom is found in who?
00:40:18.28\00:40:20.62
Found in Jesus.
00:40:20.65\00:40:21.98
But notice what He says,
"You shall know the truth
00:40:22.02\00:40:24.35
and the truth shall," do what?
00:40:24.39\00:40:26.86
Let's make sure
and use the word make
00:40:26.89\00:40:28.66
because the word is not set.
00:40:28.69\00:40:31.19
You see, set and make
is two different things.
00:40:31.23\00:40:36.16
Let me give you some examples.
00:40:36.20\00:40:37.90
There are many people
that were incarcerated,
00:40:37.93\00:40:40.44
and they were set free.
00:40:40.47\00:40:42.84
That's a singular act,
00:40:42.87\00:40:44.31
but because they
were not made free
00:40:44.34\00:40:46.61
in their behavior,
00:40:46.64\00:40:47.98
and in their
walk, and in their life,
00:40:48.01\00:40:50.45
they ended up in bondage again.
00:40:50.48\00:40:52.45
Jesus didn't come
00:40:52.48\00:40:53.82
just to save us in a single act.
00:40:53.85\00:40:57.22
He came to keep us
in that walk with Him,
00:40:57.25\00:41:00.49
He came to keep us in
the relationship with Him
00:41:00.52\00:41:02.62
so that we're not just saved,
00:41:02.66\00:41:04.66
sanctified, and
filled with the Holy Ghost.
00:41:04.69\00:41:07.03
But we walk with Him.
00:41:07.06\00:41:08.73
We have a made
free relationship.
00:41:08.76\00:41:11.20
And when you think about,
the Bible says thus the heavens
00:41:11.23\00:41:14.94
and the earth were finished,
and all the hosts of them.
00:41:14.97\00:41:19.34
In six days the Lord made?
00:41:19.37\00:41:21.21
He did what?
00:41:21.24\00:41:22.58
Did He set the
heavens and the earth
00:41:22.61\00:41:23.95
or did He make the
heavens and the earth?
00:41:23.98\00:41:25.88
He made them.
00:41:25.91\00:41:27.25
It's a process
from the first day
00:41:27.28\00:41:29.45
to the sixth day He made.
00:41:29.48\00:41:31.65
On the seventh day He completed.
00:41:31.69\00:41:35.86
It's an entire process.
00:41:35.89\00:41:37.23
So to be made free is a process.
00:41:37.26\00:41:39.69
It has a beginning
point, it has a continuation
00:41:39.73\00:41:42.33
and the ending point
is when the Lord comes
00:41:42.36\00:41:43.97
and seals us in
His righteousness.
00:41:44.00\00:41:46.33
So when you know the
truth, the truth makes you free.
00:41:46.37\00:41:49.74
And here's what
I'm talking about that.
00:41:49.77\00:41:51.14
There are those
who have come to...
00:41:51.17\00:41:52.97
Well, let me give a
wonderful example here.
00:41:53.01\00:41:54.64
We were having an
evangelistic series
00:41:54.68\00:41:56.88
in Vallejo, California, it
was years ago, this is 1987.
00:41:56.91\00:42:01.48
And there was a man that sat
on the front row every night.
00:42:01.52\00:42:05.22
He was a member of a
different denomination.
00:42:05.25\00:42:07.06
And when we got to the topic,
guess what the subject was?
00:42:07.09\00:42:10.69
Somebody guess.
00:42:10.73\00:42:12.16
No, we always think is that one.
00:42:12.19\00:42:14.10
I just can't. I
want you to see that.
00:42:14.13\00:42:16.06
The topic was about hellfire.
00:42:16.10\00:42:19.30
The topic was about hellfire.
00:42:19.33\00:42:22.44
And he had been taught
that the wicked burn forever.
00:42:22.47\00:42:27.94
And he had a friend
that died in a terrible way,
00:42:27.98\00:42:32.78
died in a gun battle
with police officers.
00:42:32.81\00:42:35.28
And he said, "Oh."
00:42:35.32\00:42:36.65
He said, "I've since
then become a Christian.
00:42:36.69\00:42:38.25
But I'm so...
00:42:38.29\00:42:40.22
I mean, my friend has
been in the fires of hell,
00:42:40.26\00:42:43.06
ever since he died."
00:42:43.09\00:42:45.26
And when that
topic was completed,
00:42:45.29\00:42:48.06
he came to Pastor
Batchelor and I and he said,
00:42:48.10\00:42:52.27
you know, tonight I was,
I felt a sense of freedom
00:42:52.30\00:42:55.54
that I never felt before.
00:42:55.57\00:42:57.54
And we said what?
00:42:57.57\00:42:58.91
He said, "For the first time
00:42:58.94\00:43:00.28
the pain in my
heart for my friend
00:43:00.31\00:43:02.94
that I have been thinking
was in the fires of hell
00:43:02.98\00:43:05.05
has been removed.
00:43:05.08\00:43:07.85
Because I discovered
tonight that the wicked are
00:43:07.88\00:43:09.98
not in hell right now burning
00:43:10.02\00:43:12.05
and they will not
be burning forever
00:43:12.09\00:43:14.29
and ever and ever."
00:43:14.32\00:43:16.22
And he said, "That
is oh, man that makes me
00:43:16.26\00:43:18.96
feel so much different."
00:43:18.99\00:43:20.50
You know what
happened that night?
00:43:20.53\00:43:21.86
He was made free,
free of the burden.
00:43:21.90\00:43:25.00
And there are some people.
00:43:25.03\00:43:26.37
Matter of fact, a man
00:43:26.40\00:43:27.74
by the name of Robert Ingersoll,
00:43:27.77\00:43:29.10
one of the reasons
he became an atheist
00:43:29.14\00:43:30.47
because of that very
teaching, that infants,
00:43:30.51\00:43:33.38
this was taught that
infants were tormented
00:43:33.41\00:43:35.71
if they were not
set free from limbo.
00:43:35.74\00:43:37.85
If they did not remove
them from limbo for 30 days,
00:43:37.88\00:43:40.35
as was taught
during the Dark Ages,
00:43:40.38\00:43:41.78
that infant would burn
endlessly in the fires of hell.
00:43:41.82\00:43:46.35
And he said,
00:43:46.39\00:43:47.72
"How could a loving God
torment babies endlessly."
00:43:47.76\00:43:52.56
He said, "That is
God I will never serve."
00:43:52.59\00:43:55.93
But I'm glad to know
00:43:55.96\00:43:57.30
that the truth is
when we are in Christ,
00:43:57.33\00:43:58.93
we are made free.
00:43:58.97\00:44:00.30
Amen.
00:44:00.34\00:44:01.67
So here's, why do we
have 28 fundamentals?
00:44:01.70\00:44:04.41
Every
fundamental that you learn,
00:44:04.44\00:44:06.78
that's connected to
Bible, you are made free,
00:44:06.81\00:44:09.81
you are made free.
00:44:09.84\00:44:11.48
You are made free.
00:44:11.51\00:44:13.31
Your entire walk with Christ
00:44:13.35\00:44:14.75
is the walk that makes you free.
00:44:14.78\00:44:16.72
He said, "I no longer have
to worry about my loved ones
00:44:16.75\00:44:19.32
in heaven now
looking down on me,
00:44:19.35\00:44:21.06
oh, I'm so free right now.
00:44:21.09\00:44:22.96
Because mom is really
upset if she's watching
00:44:22.99\00:44:24.63
my life right now."
00:44:24.66\00:44:25.99
The truth of the matter is
she's resting in her grave.
00:44:26.03\00:44:27.80
Amen?
00:44:27.83\00:44:29.16
And so that's why
we're tackling these topics.
00:44:29.20\00:44:31.03
First of all,
the truth is Jesus.
00:44:31.07\00:44:33.13
But then He also says,
"You cannot get to the Father
00:44:33.17\00:44:34.80
except you go through Me
and you go through the truth.
00:44:34.84\00:44:37.67
If you know the
truth, you are made free."
00:44:37.71\00:44:39.81
And what we are attempting
to do in this upcoming series
00:44:39.84\00:44:42.84
or the series that
we just began tonight,
00:44:42.88\00:44:45.28
is to free individuals.
00:44:45.31\00:44:46.65
Say that word free.
00:44:46.68\00:44:48.48
There are a lot of people
that are bound in darkness.
00:44:48.52\00:44:52.72
But they need to be
set free and the only thing
00:44:52.75\00:44:55.29
that could set them
free, as Jesus says,
00:44:55.32\00:44:57.86
"You shall know the truth
and the truth shall," what?
00:44:57.89\00:45:00.53
"Make you free."
Jesus sets us free.
00:45:00.56\00:45:03.37
The truth makes us free.
00:45:03.40\00:45:07.50
A freedom, a
victory found in Christ.
00:45:07.54\00:45:09.77
Look at the third one.
00:45:09.80\00:45:11.14
Question number three.
00:45:11.17\00:45:15.11
"Where are we told that
00:45:15.14\00:45:16.48
we must look to find the truth?"
00:45:16.51\00:45:19.01
Where are we told that we
must look to find the truth?
00:45:19.05\00:45:23.79
Okay.
00:45:23.82\00:45:26.79
This is beautiful.
00:45:26.82\00:45:28.62
This is wonderful.
00:45:28.66\00:45:29.99
Go to John 1.
00:45:30.03\00:45:32.69
John 1.
00:45:32.73\00:45:34.06
And by the way, what importance
00:45:37.87\00:45:39.20
does the Bible
connect to knowing the truth?
00:45:39.23\00:45:40.94
Freedom.
00:45:40.97\00:45:42.30
Write that down. Freedom.
00:45:42.34\00:45:44.14
Freedom.
00:45:44.17\00:45:47.94
What importance does
the Bible connect to truth?
00:45:47.98\00:45:50.98
Freedom.
00:45:51.01\00:45:53.25
Yeah, knowing the
truth makes you really clear
00:45:53.28\00:45:54.88
in your mind, your mind is free.
00:45:54.92\00:45:58.22
Okay, here it is.
00:45:58.25\00:46:00.76
John 1, question
is, where we told that
00:46:00.79\00:46:04.09
we must look to find the truth?
00:46:04.13\00:46:06.09
Here it is.
00:46:06.13\00:46:08.03
And the Bible says,
"And the Word became," what?
00:46:08.06\00:46:10.77
"Flesh and," did what?
00:46:10.80\00:46:13.74
"Dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory,
00:46:13.77\00:46:17.87
the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father,"
00:46:17.91\00:46:22.54
and I want us to
say this one together,
00:46:22.58\00:46:24.35
what is He full of?
00:46:24.38\00:46:25.71
"Full of grace
and," what else? "Truth."
00:46:25.75\00:46:28.62
You know what that says there,
00:46:28.65\00:46:29.98
instead of saying He's
full of grace and truth,
00:46:30.02\00:46:32.32
you know, a glass
could be full of juice.
00:46:32.35\00:46:34.12
That's not what this is saying.
00:46:34.16\00:46:35.72
Oh, you get this is huge.
00:46:35.76\00:46:37.09
This is massive.
00:46:37.13\00:46:38.46
Let me tell the story.
00:46:38.49\00:46:39.83
In Trinidad,
there's a Pitch Lake.
00:46:39.86\00:46:42.06
What did I say? Pitch.
00:46:42.10\00:46:43.43
You know, pitch is, the
stuff that you tar streets with,
00:46:43.47\00:46:45.97
you know, all the blacktop.
00:46:46.00\00:46:47.67
And every time
they dig from this pit,
00:46:47.70\00:46:50.77
it just fills back up.
00:46:50.81\00:46:52.77
And they've been taking pitch.
00:46:52.81\00:46:54.14
If you're in Trinidad, you
know what I'm talking about.
00:46:54.18\00:46:55.61
They've been
taking pitch from this,
00:46:55.64\00:46:57.45
from this Pitch
Lake for it seems like
00:46:57.48\00:46:59.78
generations, possibly centuries.
00:46:59.81\00:47:02.75
Every time they
dig it, what happens?
00:47:02.78\00:47:04.65
It fills back up.
00:47:04.69\00:47:06.45
That's what this text
means, full of grace and truth.
00:47:06.49\00:47:09.56
That means Jesus is the
source of grace and truth.
00:47:09.59\00:47:13.26
He doesn't have a cup
00:47:13.29\00:47:14.96
where somebody
poured grace into Him
00:47:15.00\00:47:16.77
or poured truth in Him,
He is the very source of it.
00:47:16.80\00:47:19.33
Can you say amen to that?
00:47:19.37\00:47:21.00
He's a source of it.
00:47:21.04\00:47:22.37
In other words,
it comes from Him.
00:47:22.40\00:47:24.37
It originated from Him.
00:47:24.41\00:47:26.44
So here's the
beautiful thing about that text.
00:47:26.47\00:47:28.64
We are saved by what?
00:47:28.68\00:47:30.75
Grace. So Jesus
is full of grace.
00:47:30.78\00:47:35.15
"The grace of God
that bringeth salvation
00:47:35.18\00:47:38.79
has appeared to all men."
00:47:38.82\00:47:41.86
How could the grace
of God appear to all men?
00:47:41.89\00:47:44.13
Like the Pitch Lake,
00:47:44.16\00:47:45.49
every time somebody needs grace,
00:47:45.53\00:47:46.86
there's more available, right?
00:47:46.90\00:47:50.47
Every time somebody needs grace,
00:47:50.50\00:47:52.00
there's more available.
00:47:52.03\00:47:53.37
You can never get to the place
00:47:53.40\00:47:54.74
where God doesn't
have any grace left.
00:47:54.77\00:47:56.50
You will never get to
the Pitch Lake and say,
00:47:59.64\00:48:01.38
is there any more pitch?
00:48:01.41\00:48:03.24
Oh, I don't know.
00:48:03.28\00:48:04.65
And it seems like some
people have said to me,
00:48:04.68\00:48:07.72
when they harvest
or excavate the pitch
00:48:07.75\00:48:10.95
from the lake, given about two
00:48:10.99\00:48:12.62
or three days they
go back to the spot
00:48:12.65\00:48:13.99
where they took the pitch from
and it's just right back up.
00:48:14.02\00:48:18.83
Like there was never a
dent because they have no idea
00:48:18.86\00:48:22.86
how deep into the
earth, the sources actually go.
00:48:22.90\00:48:26.33
In the very same way
we have no idea how deep,
00:48:26.37\00:48:30.21
how deep in Christ the truth is,
00:48:30.24\00:48:33.14
how deep in Christ
the grace is so embedded,
00:48:33.17\00:48:37.11
He is the source of it.
00:48:37.15\00:48:38.91
You can't break off His grace.
00:48:38.95\00:48:41.05
You can't break off the truth.
00:48:41.08\00:48:42.48
You cannot separate
truth and grace from Christ.
00:48:42.52\00:48:44.79
For those who
are saved by grace,
00:48:44.82\00:48:46.65
I want you to also add this
because some person may say,
00:48:46.69\00:48:49.12
"Well, I'm saved by grace.
00:48:49.16\00:48:50.56
Why do I need the truth?"
00:48:50.59\00:48:52.96
Bulletin, look at the text.
00:48:52.99\00:48:55.86
Christ is not
just full of grace,
00:48:55.90\00:48:57.57
but He's also full of what?
00:48:57.60\00:48:58.93
Truth.
00:48:58.97\00:49:00.30
Once again, where we told that
we must look to find the truth?
00:49:00.34\00:49:03.77
Write down, Jesus.
00:49:03.81\00:49:06.21
And notice what it
says the Word became flesh,
00:49:06.24\00:49:08.24
we look to Christ,
we look to His Word,
00:49:08.28\00:49:11.38
the Word became flesh,
00:49:11.41\00:49:13.05
the word, it is not
just the spoken word,
00:49:13.08\00:49:15.82
but it's also the what?
00:49:15.85\00:49:17.65
The written Word.
00:49:17.69\00:49:19.99
He spake and it was done,
00:49:20.02\00:49:21.46
He commanded, and it stood fast.
00:49:21.49\00:49:24.09
It was not the,
just a visible word
00:49:24.13\00:49:27.23
that was involved in creation,
but He spoke the spoken word,
00:49:27.26\00:49:31.10
and also from the
spoken word, we have the what?
00:49:31.13\00:49:33.64
Written Word, right?
00:49:33.67\00:49:36.34
You cannot find the
truth outside of Christ.
00:49:36.37\00:49:38.84
And you cannot find
00:49:38.87\00:49:40.48
that the Word of
God is not important.
00:49:40.51\00:49:42.61
The Word of God
is the foundation.
00:49:42.64\00:49:44.51
It is the place
where we find truth today,
00:49:44.55\00:49:46.88
first in Christ,
then in His Word,
00:49:46.92\00:49:49.52
and then when
you look in the Word,
00:49:49.55\00:49:51.22
what do you find there?
00:49:51.25\00:49:52.72
What do you find there?
00:49:52.75\00:49:54.09
I wanna just
extract a little bit
00:49:54.12\00:49:55.46
more from the text.
00:49:55.49\00:49:56.83
What do you find
00:49:56.86\00:49:58.19
when you keep your
mind set on the word?
00:49:58.23\00:50:00.00
What do you see?
00:50:00.03\00:50:03.03
Say it, I heard somebody say it.
00:50:03.06\00:50:05.73
You begin to see
the glory of God.
00:50:05.77\00:50:08.84
If you look in the Word of
God, what is the message today,
00:50:08.87\00:50:11.57
fear God and give what?
00:50:11.61\00:50:13.44
Glory to Him.
00:50:13.48\00:50:14.81
You find the glory of
God is revealed in His Word.
00:50:14.84\00:50:18.31
It's magnificent.
00:50:18.35\00:50:19.68
Matter of fact, when people
are battling with darkness,
00:50:19.71\00:50:22.35
the story is told about
a man who had been locked
00:50:22.38\00:50:24.22
in solitary confinement
00:50:24.25\00:50:25.59
for an
indefinite period of time.
00:50:25.62\00:50:27.69
And when they opened the cell,
he was still in his right mind,
00:50:27.72\00:50:30.63
and they wondered
how that happened.
00:50:30.66\00:50:32.69
And what they noticed
on the wall of the cell,
00:50:32.73\00:50:35.53
all they saw was scriptures.
00:50:35.56\00:50:37.07
He just found a
little stone in the cell.
00:50:37.10\00:50:39.63
And he just wrote
all the Bible verses
00:50:39.67\00:50:41.44
he could remember.
00:50:41.47\00:50:42.80
And he read them over
00:50:42.84\00:50:44.17
and over and
over and over again.
00:50:44.21\00:50:46.47
Can you say amen to that?
00:50:46.51\00:50:47.98
You see, even in
solitary confinement,
00:50:48.01\00:50:50.15
the Word of God
can keep you sane.
00:50:50.18\00:50:53.08
The Word of God can
keep your mind clear.
00:50:53.11\00:50:56.92
So don't ever say
that I'm saved by grace,`
00:50:56.95\00:50:59.75
but I don't need the
truth, if you're saved by grace
00:50:59.79\00:51:02.46
that is by grace
through faith in Christ alone,
00:51:02.49\00:51:05.36
but with that package of grace
00:51:05.39\00:51:07.16
comes a package of truth.
00:51:07.20\00:51:09.33
So it really does matter.
00:51:09.36\00:51:11.03
So the answer is,
00:51:11.07\00:51:13.13
where are we told that
we must look to find truth?
00:51:13.17\00:51:15.80
In God's Word and look to Jesus.
00:51:15.84\00:51:18.04
You cannot look to
Jesus or look to His Word.
00:51:18.07\00:51:20.91
You have to look
to Jesus and His word
00:51:20.94\00:51:23.38
because He is
the Word personified.
00:51:23.41\00:51:26.15
All right, number
four, let's go to that one.
00:51:26.18\00:51:29.68
Number four.
00:51:29.72\00:51:31.95
Okay, beautiful now.
00:51:31.99\00:51:35.79
"How are Christians supposed
to relate to the truth?"
00:51:35.82\00:51:39.59
Well, I'm getting hungry.
00:51:39.63\00:51:43.73
I'm getting
hungry for the truth,
00:51:43.77\00:51:45.73
but I'm getting
hungry for physical food.
00:51:45.77\00:51:47.67
Because my body clock
is like all over the place.
00:51:47.70\00:51:50.34
What time is it supposed to be?
00:51:50.37\00:51:51.71
Well, let's
say, forget about it,
00:51:51.74\00:51:53.07
if you're in Australia,
you know what I mean, right?
00:51:53.11\00:51:55.44
Here we are.
00:51:55.48\00:51:56.81
How are Christians
supposed to relate to the truth?
00:51:56.85\00:52:00.65
All right, John 5:33.
00:52:00.68\00:52:04.09
And most of you
are already there.
00:52:04.12\00:52:06.19
That's why you
sitting there quiet.
00:52:06.22\00:52:08.19
Wait for me.
00:52:08.22\00:52:09.56
Here we are. Here
it is on the screen.
00:52:09.59\00:52:13.50
"You have sent to
John, and he has," done what?
00:52:13.53\00:52:18.53
"Borne," what?
00:52:18.57\00:52:20.37
Witness to the truth.
00:52:20.40\00:52:24.31
See, now, you know the answer.
00:52:24.34\00:52:29.61
How are Christians
supposed to relate to the truth?
00:52:29.64\00:52:32.91
We are to do what,
my brothers and sisters?
00:52:32.95\00:52:35.22
Witness to the
truth. Witness to the truth.
00:52:35.25\00:52:40.36
I sat down with the pastor once
and he kept asking questions
00:52:40.39\00:52:43.19
and I'd always
answer the questions
00:52:43.22\00:52:44.79
with a Bible verse.
00:52:44.83\00:52:46.66
And he would say to me,
00:52:46.70\00:52:48.03
"Could you just
give me your answer?"
00:52:48.06\00:52:49.40
And I said, "No, I
can't give you my answer.
00:52:49.43\00:52:51.33
I got to give
you the Bible." Amen.
00:52:51.37\00:52:53.23
Because that's where
the foundation of authority
00:52:53.27\00:52:55.10
comes from.
00:52:55.14\00:52:56.47
You cannot give our answers.
00:52:56.50\00:52:57.84
So the reason why
we use the Word of God,
00:52:57.87\00:53:00.44
I also know, I was just
speaking to a young Asian girl
00:53:00.48\00:53:03.68
who had been involved
in a search for the truth.
00:53:03.71\00:53:08.58
She was an intense partier.
00:53:08.62\00:53:10.92
She comes from an Asian family
00:53:10.95\00:53:12.45
in which nobody
else in her family
00:53:12.49\00:53:15.36
has accepted the truth.
00:53:15.39\00:53:16.93
She tried to find
her place in the world,
00:53:16.96\00:53:19.56
and God deeply
involved in the nightlife
00:53:19.59\00:53:21.63
and the partying,
looking for satisfaction,
00:53:21.66\00:53:24.13
and it just would never satisfy.
00:53:24.17\00:53:26.57
And so, she was so
much enjoyed that world.
00:53:26.60\00:53:29.40
She tried to go
from church to church
00:53:29.44\00:53:31.11
to denomination to
denomination to find that
00:53:31.14\00:53:33.48
if she can find a
church, and I understand that
00:53:33.51\00:53:35.84
because that's what I did.
00:53:35.88\00:53:37.21
Try to find a
place where she could
00:53:37.25\00:53:38.58
still live her own life
00:53:38.61\00:53:40.25
and still be saved.
00:53:40.28\00:53:42.15
And the thing that
really opened her mind was,
00:53:42.18\00:53:44.12
she said, whenever
she would ask a question,
00:53:44.15\00:53:46.29
or she would
hear a question asked,
00:53:46.32\00:53:48.22
people would give
their own opinion.
00:53:48.26\00:53:50.83
But once she was
invited to an Adventist Church
00:53:50.86\00:53:53.83
and she noticed whenever
the questions were asked,
00:53:53.86\00:53:58.60
they would open the Bible
00:53:58.63\00:54:00.34
and they would
answer the question
00:54:00.37\00:54:01.80
from the Bible.
00:54:01.84\00:54:03.67
And then she went home.
00:54:03.71\00:54:05.04
Matter of fact, to
be specific about it,
00:54:05.07\00:54:07.04
David Asscherick was
preaching a sermon on Daniel 2.
00:54:07.08\00:54:11.15
And she was at that,
she was sitting in the back,
00:54:11.18\00:54:13.85
she didn't really
wanna get too involved,
00:54:13.88\00:54:15.82
her friend had just
persuaded her to go.
00:54:15.85\00:54:20.16
And David Asscherick
was preaching on Daniel 2,
00:54:20.19\00:54:21.82
the prophecies
of Daniel Chapter 2.
00:54:21.86\00:54:24.03
And he went from prophecy
to prophecy to prophecy,
00:54:24.06\00:54:27.53
from point to point to point
in everything in the Bible,
00:54:27.56\00:54:30.40
all the references,
everything from Bible
00:54:30.43\00:54:33.40
and also extra
biblical resources,
00:54:33.44\00:54:36.07
and she was writing them
down as fast as he said them.
00:54:36.10\00:54:39.01
And she went
home being a teacher,
00:54:39.04\00:54:41.38
she went home
and did her research.
00:54:41.41\00:54:43.71
She went on the internet
and searched all the sources
00:54:43.75\00:54:46.01
and she said
everything he said was right.
00:54:46.05\00:54:50.25
And then she said, "Okay,
00:54:50.29\00:54:51.62
I found it, this is
where I'm supposed to be."
00:54:51.65\00:54:53.42
You know, why?
00:54:53.46\00:54:54.79
Not because they
had a great choir
00:54:54.82\00:54:56.16
because all the other
places that she had gone
00:54:56.19\00:54:57.69
had wonderful programs,
wonderful community outreach
00:54:57.73\00:55:00.50
and we also ought to be
involved in community outreach.
00:55:00.53\00:55:04.27
But community
outreach or a nice edifice
00:55:04.30\00:55:06.10
or wonderful music
program, or great daycare
00:55:06.13\00:55:08.70
is not the reason why
we join a particular place.
00:55:08.74\00:55:11.27
We joined it because
00:55:11.31\00:55:12.64
that's where the truth is found.
00:55:12.67\00:55:14.01
That's where the, what is found?
00:55:14.04\00:55:15.38
The truth is found.
00:55:15.41\00:55:16.75
When you find the truth,
00:55:16.78\00:55:18.11
all those things
should accompany that.
00:55:18.15\00:55:19.48
That's why
earlier, in Matthew 25,
00:55:19.51\00:55:21.38
those who are
involved in the truth
00:55:21.42\00:55:23.05
would feed the
hungry, clothe the naked,
00:55:23.08\00:55:25.62
visit the sick, be
involved in prison ministry,
00:55:25.65\00:55:28.02
and all these things are true
about those who are following
00:55:28.06\00:55:30.53
in the
footsteps of Jesus, right?
00:55:30.56\00:55:33.03
But those
things are not omitted.
00:55:33.06\00:55:35.33
And this is why I
wanna make this point
00:55:35.36\00:55:36.70
very carefully.
00:55:36.73\00:55:38.40
Some people may
say, "We've been feeding
00:55:38.43\00:55:40.64
the homeless for 25 years.
00:55:40.67\00:55:43.81
So don't come in here
talking about the truth.
00:55:43.84\00:55:46.44
We've been living
out our Christianity."
00:55:46.47\00:55:48.41
That's wonderful.
00:55:48.44\00:55:49.78
That's beautiful.
00:55:49.81\00:55:51.15
But go with me to
Matthew Chapter 7.
00:55:51.18\00:55:53.21
That's beautiful.
00:55:53.25\00:55:54.58
That's what the
Lord wants us to do.
00:55:54.62\00:55:56.18
But don't ever think
that your works are sufficient
00:55:56.22\00:55:59.82
to omit the truth of God's Word,
00:55:59.85\00:56:02.06
am I telling the truth?
00:56:02.09\00:56:03.86
And I've kind of like a...
00:56:03.89\00:56:05.79
Oh, you got it.
Look at Matthew 7.
00:56:05.83\00:56:08.83
It's important to be
involved in good works.
00:56:08.86\00:56:10.60
And by the way,
00:56:10.63\00:56:11.97
the answer to
question number four is,
00:56:12.00\00:56:13.34
we should witness to the truth.
00:56:13.37\00:56:15.10
we should be
witnesses of the truth.
00:56:15.14\00:56:17.37
But here's why it's important
not to just be content.
00:56:17.41\00:56:20.58
Matthew 7:21-23.
00:56:20.61\00:56:23.08
It's important
not just to be content
00:56:23.11\00:56:24.88
with great programs,
00:56:24.91\00:56:26.58
but you have to
have the great programs
00:56:26.61\00:56:28.78
in the context of
not omitting the truth,
00:56:28.82\00:56:33.92
as it is taught
in the Word of God.
00:56:33.96\00:56:35.56
Here it is. Jesus said this.
00:56:35.59\00:56:37.89
He says, "Not
everyone who says to Me,
00:56:37.93\00:56:39.49
'Lord, Lord,' shall
enter the kingdom of heaven,"
00:56:39.53\00:56:41.90
verse 21, "but
he who does," what?
00:56:41.93\00:56:45.03
"Does the will of
My Father in heaven.
00:56:45.07\00:56:48.10
Many will say
to Me in that day,"
00:56:48.14\00:56:50.17
this is the
community service verse.
00:56:50.21\00:56:52.67
"Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in Your name?"
00:56:52.71\00:56:55.31
Lot of people call
themselves prophets,
00:56:55.34\00:56:58.05
"And cast out
demons in Your name."
00:56:58.08\00:57:00.35
Lot of people say
they could cast out demons,
00:57:00.38\00:57:03.02
"And done many wonderful works."
00:57:03.05\00:57:04.59
The list goes on
and on and on and on,
00:57:04.62\00:57:06.05
community services,
outreach, missionary projects,
00:57:06.09\00:57:09.36
building
centers, putting up tents,
00:57:09.39\00:57:11.29
building schools
and churches for people
00:57:11.33\00:57:13.03
that are less fortunate.
00:57:13.06\00:57:14.40
Yes, you've done all that stuff,
00:57:14.43\00:57:15.76
and you've done it in My name.
00:57:15.80\00:57:17.17
But what did He say?
00:57:17.20\00:57:19.13
"Then I will declare to
them, 'I never knew you,
00:57:19.17\00:57:21.74
depart from Me, you
who practice lawlessness!'"
00:57:21.77\00:57:24.34
Why did He say
they never knew Him?
00:57:24.37\00:57:26.24
Because you cannot know
Jesus and not know the truth.
00:57:26.27\00:57:30.05
Because He says, I am the
way and what else, my friends?
00:57:30.08\00:57:32.88
The truth and the life.
00:57:32.91\00:57:34.88
You cannot say I know Jesus,
00:57:34.92\00:57:36.79
but I don't need
to know the truth.
00:57:36.82\00:57:38.75
So I guess you
can see right now,
00:57:38.79\00:57:40.16
this is gonna be
an exciting series
00:57:40.19\00:57:42.02
because we're
basing it on knowing Jesus
00:57:42.06\00:57:44.66
and knowing the truth,
00:57:44.69\00:57:46.29
not only the truth, Jesus,
00:57:46.33\00:57:47.80
but the truth about Jesus.
00:57:47.83\00:57:50.37
And as you stay with us
and we go from topic to topic,
00:57:50.40\00:57:53.27
you'll discover that
00:57:53.30\00:57:54.64
if it doesn't
make sense right now,
00:57:54.67\00:57:56.00
if it doesn't seem
clear enough to you,
00:57:56.04\00:57:57.37
if it doesn't seem important,
hang around long enough,
00:57:57.41\00:57:59.94
and it will come
into A Sharper Focus.
00:57:59.97\00:58:02.51
God bless you.
00:58:02.54\00:58:03.88