Hello friends, and
welcome to another Bible study
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here at the 3ABN Worship Center.
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This is, A Sharper Focus.
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And we thank you
for tuning in tonight
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for the
beginning of a new topic.
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And we'll introduce
that topic in just a moment.
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But sometimes we want to know
where you're tuning in from.
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I'll give you the
web page in just a moment
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where you can do
a couple of things.
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One, get a copy of the lesson,
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and also access to
videos and the prior lessons
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and the prior videos, and
also you can send us emails.
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You can also visit our web page
as well as our Facebook page
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and send your requests
or your questions to us.
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But for the next 57 minutes
or so we're going to have a time
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studying the Word together,
and we do pray that you'll
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get your Bibles and your family.
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If you're
joining us from a church,
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if you're joining us
from within the United States
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or around the world, we
do welcome you again also.
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But let's begin with a
word of prayer before we open
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the Word of God this evening.
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Let's pray.
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Loving Father in heaven, we
thank You for the goodness of
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Your mercy toward
us, for Your grace,
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for Your blessing, and
Lord, also for the strength
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that each of us receives when
we call upon Your holy name.
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Tonight as we open
Your Word to study together,
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we pray that Your Spirit will
connect us across the airwaves
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and that our minds will
be furnished with knowledge
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necessary, as well as
the strength to live in
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harmony with that knowledge.
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We pray and thank
You in Jesus' name.
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Everyone said...
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- Everyone said? ~ Amen.
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There you go. There you go.
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The website that you'd like to
go to get a copy of the lesson
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is the following website:
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That's where you can
download lesson number 35.
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What number did I say?
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Number 35.
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And that is entitled, The Truth
About the Christian Obligation.
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The Truth About the
Christian Obligation
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Now at that very same
website you can also access
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the videos and
the prior lessons.
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And if you want to follow
along a wonderful Bible study
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at your home, or
your church, or wherever,
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go to the video first.
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And then from the video,
at the very introductions,
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it will tell you what lesson
to download to follow along.
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Now before we go
into our lesson though,
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we always like to
sing our theme song.
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And our theme song
is, Victory In Jesus.
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Let's sing this
theme song tonight.
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I heard an old, old story,
how the Savior came from glory,
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how He gave His life on Calvary
to save a wretch like me.
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I heard about His groaning,
of His precious blood's atoning;
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then I repented of my
sins and won the victory.
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O victory in
Jesus, my Savior forever.
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He sought me and bought
me with His redeeming blood.
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He loved me ere I knew
Him, and all my love is due Him.
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He plunged me to victory
beneath the cleansing flood.
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I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory,
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and I heard about the streets
of gold beyond the crystal sea;
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about the angels singing
and the old redemption story.
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And some sweet day I'll sing
up there the song of victory.
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O victory in
Jesus, my Savior forever.
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He sought me and bought
me with His redeeming blood.
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He loved me ere I knew
Him, and all my love is due Him.
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He plunged me to victory
beneath the cleansing flood.
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He plunged me to victory
beneath the cleansing flood.
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Amen.
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Tonight the topic is a new one.
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Let's read that
topic title together.
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It's on the screen.
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Now you know I always enjoy
laying foundation for this.
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The word, "obligation,"
is a very binding word.
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It is not the truth
about the Christian option,
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or the truth about
the Christian choices,
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but the truth about
the Christian obligation.
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Now we live in a
world today where people
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have credit cards.
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And is it an obligation
to pay your credit card?
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Come on, talk to me.
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Is it an obligation
to pay your house note?
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Or your car note?
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Or your light bill?
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Well the answer is,
"yes," over and over,
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and over, and over again.
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Any bill you have,
it is an obligation,
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it is a binding connection
between you and the person
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providing the service, or the
thing that you have purchased,
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or the things that
are on time payments.
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Now, "obligation,"
also, according to Webster's
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Dictionary is an act or course
of action to which a person
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is morally and legally
bound; a duty of commitment.
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A duty of what?
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A duty of commitment.
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Morally and legally bound.
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Now, let me go
ahead and segue that
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into the Christian world today.
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You know, when we think
about a bill that's due at the
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end of the month, one of
the reasons why Christians
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sometimes choose not to
give God an honest tithe
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is because they think
of their other obligations
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above the
obligation to the Lord.
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So God, when you think
about the Christian life,
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and I'm using this
analogy, first to the Christian,
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because the world doesn't have
any obligation to God at all.
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Unless you give your life to the
Lord, talking about obligation
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is of no value.
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It's like saying to
a husband or a wife,
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"It is your
obligation to treat me well,"
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and somebody said, "Excuse me,
I'm not even married to you."
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That's in the
husband/wife relationship.
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But also the church
member to the church member,
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or person to person.
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Each of us has an
obligation to the other person.
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The Bible says, "Love
your neighbor as yourself."
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But now going to the
obligation portion of it,
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usually, unless you sign
a contract, you are under no
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obligation to stick to the
conditions of the contract.
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Somebody recently told me,
they said that they went to
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purchase a car, and before
they even looked at the car,
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the car dealer said
to them, "Sign this."
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And they said, "What is that?"
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They said, "Well that is
a confidentiality clause."
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They said, "Why would I
need a confidentiality clause?"
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They said, "Well, as
you look for cars we want to
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keep your
information confidential."
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And they person
says, "What information?"
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What they came to find out
is, before they even go to look
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at what car, the
dealer, many of the car dealers,
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had them sign a credit app
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so they could look into
their credit to determine
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whether or not
they could even afford
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or whether or not
this person is qualified
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to even purchase a car.
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Well, this person that already
had their financing said,
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"I'm not going
to sign that paper."
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They said, "You
have to sign it."
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They said, "No I
don't have to sign it."
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They said, "Well
if you don't sign it,
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we can't sell you a car."
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They said, "Bye, bye."
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And they went to
another dealership,
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and another
dealership said the same thing.
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And another
dealership, the same.
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They all had the scheme of
running credit checks on you.
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And what many people don't know
is, when you run a credit check
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the credit bureaus begin to
say, "All these credit checks
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begin to lower
your credit score."
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So this person, concerned
about that and understanding,
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she said, "I
did all my homework,
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made sure I knew how
they played the game,
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and I got my own financing.
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So I was not
obligated to sign anything
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because I had
already made my obligation
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to the company or the bank that
was going to finance my car."
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When it comes to the Christian
life, there are many things that
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people choose to do.
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Let me give you some examples.
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In the world today some
Christians choose to go to
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church on Sunday.
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Others choose to go on Saturday.
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The question is,
what is the obligation?
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Is it a choice?
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I'm not going to talk about
the Sabbath or Sunday tonight.
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We've talked about
that in prior lessons.
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Some people choose to
have a foot washing service
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in their churches,
other people choose not to.
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Well what's the obligation?
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Some people choose
to smoke as Christians,
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others choose to drink.
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And they say, in moderation.
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But what is our obligation?
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Some people eat anything,
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some people eat
only clean foods,
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some people are
only vegetarians,
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some people are vegans.
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What is our obligation?
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And so when you think
about the life of the Christian,
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tonight we're going to
talk about the obligation that
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each one of us has.
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And I want to begin with a
text that's not on our lesson.
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Go with me to Psalm
116, and we're going to look
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at a beautiful verse, verse 12,
that really lays the foundation
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for the obligation.
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Now when you think of
the word, "obligation,"
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it's kind of like a parent
saying, "Clean up your room."
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I don't want this topic to
be a, "Clean up your room,"
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"Go wash the
dishes," "Take out the trash,"
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kind of topic.
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I want this to be on a
solid foundation of our
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love relationship with the Lord.
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Alright?
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Let's look at Psalm 116:12.
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And the psalmist
asks the question,
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"What shall I render to
the LORD for all His..." What?
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"...benefits toward me?"
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In other words,
when you think of...
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And I look back at my
life growing up in a house
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where I didn't have
to pay the light bill,
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didn't have to pay rent.
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That's one of the reasons why
whenever my dad and I disagreed,
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the man raising me, I
would always let him win.
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Because I was not about
to mess up a good thing.
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He said, "I pay the light, I
pay the gas, I pay the rent."
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I mean, the mortgage.
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And so if he
said do it, I did it.
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Because my
obligation was to be obedient
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to the one who's providing
all these benefits toward me.
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But the way that the psalmist
pens this is in a loving way.
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In other words, to say, "Lord,
You've done so much for me,
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what can I do for You?
00:11:30.09\00:11:31.45
What would You want me to do?"
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So tonight we're
going to dive into the topic
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by looking at, we've
talked about the commandments
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of God before, but
we're going to look at them
00:11:39.46\00:11:41.46
from a completely
different perspective.
00:11:41.50\00:11:44.07
We're not going to look at them
as to what each of them says,
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or a number of other aspects
of the commandments of God.
00:11:47.87\00:11:51.34
The day of the
Sabbath, and honor your father
00:11:51.37\00:11:54.21
and your mother, and thou
shalt not commit adultery,
00:11:54.24\00:11:55.58
thou shalt not steal;
we're not looking at all that
00:11:55.61\00:11:57.35
in particulars,
but we're looking at it
00:11:57.38\00:11:59.61
in a total picture.
00:11:59.65\00:12:00.98
In other words, the
last obligation I think that
00:12:01.05\00:12:03.75
Christians often sidetrack
is not because they want to
00:12:03.79\00:12:07.69
sidetrack it, but
because in many denominations
00:12:07.72\00:12:10.56
ministers and teachers
say, "According to this,
00:12:10.99\00:12:15.40
you're not obligated
to honor the law of God."
00:12:15.66\00:12:19.67
So today if you're not obligated
to honor the law of God,
00:12:19.87\00:12:23.91
then you can choose
to do whatever you want.
00:12:24.07\00:12:26.31
But let's see
what the Bible says.
00:12:27.01\00:12:28.54
Let's go to
question number one tonight.
00:12:28.58\00:12:30.65
Question number one.
00:12:31.21\00:12:32.85
And here it is.
00:12:32.88\00:12:34.22
What does the Bible list
as the Christian obligation?
00:12:35.22\00:12:39.25
We're going to go to
the book of Ecclesiastes 12,
00:12:43.93\00:12:46.93
and we're going to
look together at verse 13
00:12:47.66\00:12:51.93
and verse 14, alright?
00:12:53.07\00:12:55.70
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
00:12:56.74\00:13:01.34
And some of you
are already there.
00:13:01.71\00:13:03.38
And if you've been following,
if you did download lesson 35,
00:13:03.91\00:13:07.48
you probably know where
we're going to be going next,
00:13:07.85\00:13:10.25
and next, and next, and next.
00:13:10.29\00:13:11.85
But let's look at
what the Bible says.
00:13:12.19\00:13:13.56
What does the Bible list
as the Christian obligation?
00:13:13.59\00:13:16.29
Let's read this
first one together.
00:13:16.56\00:13:17.89
Are you all ready?
00:13:17.93\00:13:19.26
Let's read this. Here we go.
00:13:19.29\00:13:20.63
That's Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
in the King James Version.
00:13:44.59\00:13:49.22
Now if you look at verse 12
again, or verse 13, that is,
00:13:49.26\00:13:52.79
you'll see it says, "For
this is the whole duty of man."
00:13:52.99\00:13:57.87
In the phrase,
"whole duty of man,"
00:13:58.57\00:14:01.07
what single
word can you give me?
00:14:01.10\00:14:02.77
Think about it, what
single word can you give me?
00:14:03.81\00:14:05.54
Oh, it's in the
title of our subject.
00:14:07.64\00:14:10.55
Oh, no.
00:14:11.91\00:14:13.25
Obligation.
00:14:13.62\00:14:15.22
If I could read that again.
00:14:15.58\00:14:16.92
"Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter:
00:14:16.95\00:14:18.29
Fear God, and
keep his commandments,
00:14:18.32\00:14:19.75
for this is man's obligation."
00:14:20.09\00:14:22.29
It's the whole duty of man.
00:14:22.69\00:14:24.69
God said, "This
is man's obligation."
00:14:24.83\00:14:26.56
So write that down.
00:14:26.59\00:14:27.93
What does the Bible list
as the Christian obligation?
00:14:27.96\00:14:30.37
And here it is. What?
00:14:30.63\00:14:32.03
Keeping the commandments of God.
00:14:32.23\00:14:34.74
The conclusion.
00:14:35.54\00:14:36.87
If you preached a long
sermon or a short sermon,
00:14:36.91\00:14:40.31
if you gave a ten week
series or a two day series,
00:14:40.41\00:14:43.38
or a one hour presentation, and
you came down to the conclusion,
00:14:43.48\00:14:47.18
the Lord is saying, at the
end of all that you've said,
00:14:47.22\00:14:49.55
the conclusion is we've got
to keep the commandments of God.
00:14:49.75\00:14:52.95
Because whether it is
secret or whether it is open,
00:14:53.52\00:14:56.69
whether it is good
or whether it is evil,
00:14:56.73\00:14:59.23
everything that we
do will be brought into
00:14:59.26\00:15:01.70
an obligatory investigation.
00:15:01.90\00:15:04.20
An obligatory investigation.
00:15:04.60\00:15:06.03
Now let me tell you
what I mean by that.
00:15:06.07\00:15:07.40
Follow me carefully.
00:15:07.57\00:15:08.90
An obligatory investigation
is, when you get a phone call
00:15:09.24\00:15:13.41
from a bill collector.
00:15:14.04\00:15:15.51
I won't ask if
you've ever gotten one.
00:15:16.81\00:15:18.28
But if you've ever
gotten a phone call,
00:15:18.95\00:15:20.78
and you don't
identify the number...
00:15:20.82\00:15:22.85
I've known people
through the years that said,
00:15:22.88\00:15:24.32
"If I don't
identify the number..."
00:15:24.52\00:15:26.09
What? "...I don't pick it up.
00:15:26.12\00:15:28.29
I don't answer it."
00:15:28.49\00:15:29.82
Because people
sometimes try to avoid their...
00:15:30.16\00:15:33.46
...avoid their obligations.
00:15:34.86\00:15:37.20
So they figure, if
they don't answer the phone,
00:15:37.23\00:15:40.30
that they don't
have to pay the bill.
00:15:40.70\00:15:42.40
Now is that true or false?
00:15:42.44\00:15:43.97
That's false.
00:15:44.11\00:15:45.44
Whether you
answer the phone or not,
00:15:45.47\00:15:47.28
the bill is due.
00:15:47.48\00:15:48.81
And then they answer the
phone and the bill collector
00:15:49.04\00:15:51.41
would say, "We've
sent you three letters,
00:15:51.45\00:15:54.52
we have left messages, and
you say, 'She's not home.'"
00:15:55.88\00:16:01.26
Some people try to avoid,
00:16:02.69\00:16:04.36
some people try to
avoid their obligations.
00:16:04.69\00:16:07.60
But an obligation is
something that is unavoidable.
00:16:07.83\00:16:10.43
When you think of
the commandments of God,
00:16:10.97\00:16:12.47
according to the
Scriptures they are unavoidable.
00:16:12.70\00:16:15.97
Now, let me ask you the question
before we go to the next one.
00:16:16.20\00:16:19.24
Since the person making
the phone call cannot see me,
00:16:23.95\00:16:28.75
am I still
obligated to pay the bill?
00:16:28.78\00:16:31.25
Okay.
00:16:32.02\00:16:33.36
Since I can't see them,
am I obligated to pay them?
00:16:33.39\00:16:37.29
Okay, I'm trying to
find a way to hook you guys,
00:16:38.89\00:16:40.80
but you're staying with me.
00:16:40.83\00:16:42.16
So whether we see them
or not, we are obligated.
00:16:43.16\00:16:47.37
Am I telling the truth?
00:16:47.40\00:16:48.74
Doesn't really matter whether
you see the person or not.
00:16:48.87\00:16:50.74
Sometimes one of the
hardest things to do is...
00:16:51.21\00:16:55.68
And let's put this
in a different context.
00:16:56.18\00:16:57.95
If you go to Wal-Mart...
00:16:57.98\00:16:59.41
That's our superstore
down here in southern Illinois.
00:16:59.95\00:17:02.65
...and all your groceries
or all the items you purchased
00:17:04.09\00:17:07.36
are now checked out,
and the cashier says,
00:17:07.39\00:17:10.86
"That will be
$72.41," do you say to them,
00:17:10.89\00:17:15.56
"I'm leaving. I am not paying.
00:17:15.80\00:17:17.97
I'm taking all my
groceries and I'm leaving."
00:17:18.00\00:17:20.00
Now why don't we say that?
00:17:21.07\00:17:22.40
Why don't we say that?
00:17:22.74\00:17:24.07
Because we see them.
00:17:24.64\00:17:26.14
They're face to face.
00:17:26.34\00:17:27.94
We feel the moment
that they tell us the total,
00:17:28.14\00:17:31.01
we're going to write
a check, pay it in cash,
00:17:31.21\00:17:33.72
swipe our debit card
or swipe our credit card.
00:17:33.75\00:17:36.08
Because we're face to face.
00:17:36.12\00:17:37.45
There's something about
a face to face connection
00:17:37.49\00:17:39.45
that gives us the
sense of obligation.
00:17:39.65\00:17:41.89
But there's
something about being absent,
00:17:42.49\00:17:44.59
there's something
about the invisibility.
00:17:44.63\00:17:46.39
So as we think
about the invisibility,
00:17:46.59\00:17:49.40
not being face to face with God,
00:17:49.43\00:17:51.33
let's look at why it
is still our obligation
00:17:51.37\00:17:54.04
to honor the
commandments of God.
00:17:54.24\00:17:55.57
Look at question
number two. Here it is.
00:17:55.60\00:17:57.04
Let's go to Hebrews 4:13.
00:18:05.35\00:18:07.65
How does the Bible
describe the reason
00:18:07.68\00:18:10.05
why we must give an account?
00:18:10.09\00:18:13.46
Okay. Hebrews 4:13
00:18:14.69\00:18:16.86
This is really an amazing thing.
00:18:17.06\00:18:18.69
A wonderful text.
00:18:19.19\00:18:20.53
Because in the...
00:18:20.56\00:18:22.23
Well let me go ahead and
read the text first before we
00:18:23.10\00:18:25.17
run ahead of ourselves.
00:18:25.27\00:18:26.67
Here it is.
00:18:26.90\00:18:28.24
So, according to the
first text, whether it is good
00:18:44.95\00:18:50.29
or whether it is evil,
we will give an account.
00:18:50.33\00:18:52.53
Whether it is open to
the eyes of man or not,
00:18:52.93\00:18:56.53
it is always open
to the eyes of God.
00:18:56.73\00:18:59.23
In other words, there
is no hiding from God.
00:18:59.73\00:19:03.24
So let's put the
answer down here.
00:19:03.91\00:19:06.47
How does the Bible
describe the reason
00:19:06.51\00:19:08.04
why we must give an account?
00:19:08.08\00:19:09.68
If you could summarize
it, what would you say?
00:19:10.45\00:19:12.31
God sees it all,
God knows it all.
00:19:13.52\00:19:16.89
You can't hide
anything from God.
00:19:17.52\00:19:19.22
Use whatever kind of phrase that
you'd like to put down there
00:19:19.25\00:19:22.56
for your answer.
00:19:22.59\00:19:23.93
God knows it
all, God sees it all.
00:19:23.96\00:19:25.99
Do you think God
has night vision?
00:19:26.46\00:19:28.03
Huh?
00:19:28.93\00:19:30.27
Of course He does?
00:19:30.57\00:19:31.93
Nothing is
hidden from His sight.
00:19:32.13\00:19:34.97
"But all things are naked
and open to the eyes of Him
00:19:35.00\00:19:37.44
to whom we must
give an account."
00:19:37.87\00:19:39.61
Matter of fact, God sees so
well, His word is a discerner
00:19:39.64\00:19:44.41
of the thoughts and
intentions of our hearts.
00:19:44.45\00:19:48.65
If you look at
the life of Jesus...
00:19:49.25\00:19:50.59
Matter of fact, in
the book of Hebrews...
00:19:50.62\00:19:52.32
Okay, I'm going to turn there.
00:19:53.12\00:19:54.46
However, it's on the screen.
00:19:54.49\00:19:55.82
But I'll go
ahead and turn there.
00:19:55.86\00:19:57.19
Jesus met many
occasion where He looked at the
00:19:58.39\00:20:02.56
religious people of His
day, and He said to them,
00:20:02.60\00:20:06.47
let's look at verse 12,
00:20:06.50\00:20:07.90
let's look at
verse 12 of Hebrews 4,
00:20:07.94\00:20:10.57
He said to them, "Why do
you think that in your heart?"
00:20:10.67\00:20:13.88
Can you look at
somebody sometimes
00:20:14.68\00:20:16.21
and tell what they're thinking?
00:20:16.24\00:20:17.65
Have you been able to do that?
00:20:17.81\00:20:19.15
Now you wouldn't look
across the room and say,
00:20:19.18\00:20:21.25
"I know what she's thinking."
00:20:21.28\00:20:22.62
But if you're interacting
with someone and you say,
00:20:22.65\00:20:24.45
"Could you go to the
store of me," and they go...
00:20:24.65\00:20:25.99
"Never mind. I'll do it myself."
00:20:30.53\00:20:32.79
"Can you go to
the store for me?"
00:20:33.23\00:20:34.56
"Sure."
00:20:35.66\00:20:37.00
"Here's what I
would like you to get."
00:20:37.03\00:20:38.37
Facial expressions says a lot.
00:20:38.40\00:20:40.10
What's the phrase we have?
00:20:40.14\00:20:41.47
A picture is
worth a thousand words.
00:20:41.64\00:20:44.57
And the face, I
tell you, the expressions
00:20:44.81\00:20:47.21
of the human is amazing.
00:20:47.24\00:20:48.84
It's detectable.
00:20:48.88\00:20:50.21
But look at
verse 12 of Hebrews 4.
00:20:50.25\00:20:52.65
"For the word of God is living,"
or quick, "and powerful,
00:20:53.08\00:20:56.38
and sharper than
any two-edged sword,
00:20:56.42\00:20:58.55
piercing even to the
division of soul and spirit,
00:20:58.59\00:21:03.93
and of joints and
marrow, and is a discerner
00:21:04.13\00:21:07.66
of the thoughts and
intents of the heart."
00:21:07.70\00:21:10.67
When it says, "soul and spirit,"
it means, man's intellect
00:21:10.70\00:21:14.90
as well as man's actions.
00:21:14.94\00:21:16.60
Man's intellect as
well as his actions.
00:21:16.94\00:21:19.67
So whether you do it or
not, if you're thinking it,
00:21:19.71\00:21:22.41
the Lord knows.
00:21:22.44\00:21:23.78
The thoughts of man are
not hidden from the Lord.
00:21:24.05\00:21:27.48
He is the discerner of
the thoughts and intentions
00:21:27.52\00:21:30.75
of our hearts.
00:21:30.95\00:21:32.29
Alright, let's
go to number three.
00:21:32.32\00:21:33.92
So far we've seen that
one of the reasons why we must
00:21:33.96\00:21:37.99
live in harmony with
the commandments of God is,
00:21:38.26\00:21:40.10
hey, we cannot hide from them.
00:21:40.20\00:21:42.60
Look at question number three.
00:21:43.43\00:21:45.90
James 2:12
00:21:54.18\00:21:55.81
James 2:12
00:21:57.08\00:21:59.38
Now what you're going to
see so far is, we talked about
00:21:59.68\00:22:02.52
hidden things.
00:22:02.88\00:22:04.32
We talked about things
that are clothed or naked,
00:22:05.29\00:22:09.49
if it's in the night
or if it's in the day.
00:22:09.52\00:22:11.96
If we can't see it
all, if we can't see it,
00:22:11.99\00:22:14.23
God still has access to it.
00:22:14.26\00:22:16.70
Now we're going to
bring out another component
00:22:16.90\00:22:19.43
that has to do with
the commandments of God.
00:22:20.40\00:22:22.50
James 2:12
00:22:22.54\00:22:23.91
Here it is.
00:22:23.94\00:22:25.27
So let's look at the things.
00:22:35.68\00:22:37.05
Thoughts,
intentions; speaking, and doing.
00:22:37.45\00:22:41.92
Thoughts and
intentions, speaking and doing.
00:22:42.69\00:22:48.06
Another place in the
Bible, the Bible says,
00:22:48.26\00:22:50.90
"As a man
thinketh, so is..." What?
00:22:50.93\00:22:52.63
"...so is he."
00:22:52.67\00:22:54.00
So we often respond in
harmony with our actions.
00:22:54.04\00:22:56.60
We do things in harmony
with what we desire to do.
00:22:56.64\00:23:00.51
That's why Paul the
apostle talked about
00:23:01.01\00:23:02.48
that struggle he had.
00:23:02.51\00:23:03.98
He said, "I want to do
this, but I do that instead."
00:23:04.15\00:23:07.35
I don't want to do
that, and I want to do this."
00:23:07.38\00:23:11.49
See, he had that difficulty.
00:23:11.59\00:23:13.25
We're going to show
you, not only the obligation,
00:23:13.36\00:23:15.42
but we're going to also reveal
to you how you get the power
00:23:15.52\00:23:18.56
to live in harmony
with God's obligations.
00:23:18.79\00:23:20.93
Alright, let's go to
question number four.
00:23:21.06\00:23:22.93
So what else does
the Bible describe
00:23:22.96\00:23:24.60
as a standard of accountability?
00:23:24.63\00:23:26.20
The law of what?
00:23:26.23\00:23:27.57
The law of
liberty. The law of liberty.
00:23:27.84\00:23:30.57
The reason why it
says, "liberty," is,
00:23:30.61\00:23:32.87
liberty is freedom.
00:23:33.24\00:23:35.24
Is liberty freedom, yes or no?
00:23:36.21\00:23:37.81
Liberty is freedom.
00:23:38.15\00:23:39.48
The Statue of Liberty.
00:23:39.51\00:23:41.85
We call her, Lady Liberty.
00:23:42.38\00:23:44.49
Now if the Statue of
Liberty is a symbol of freedom,
00:23:44.52\00:23:48.26
why is it taught
today that God's law
00:23:48.49\00:23:51.59
is a symbol of bondage?
00:23:51.79\00:23:53.50
You get the point?
00:23:54.53\00:23:55.86
So one of the
reasons why many Christians
00:23:56.13\00:23:58.13
don't honor the commandments
of God is because they're taught
00:23:58.40\00:24:01.44
by their clergy, "If
you keep the commandments,
00:24:01.47\00:24:03.81
you're in bondage."
00:24:03.84\00:24:05.17
But that's not what James said.
00:24:05.21\00:24:06.84
He said, the law
of what? Liberty.
00:24:07.31\00:24:09.64
And he sighted adultery,
he sighted covetousness,
00:24:09.68\00:24:14.75
or, "Thou shall not kill."
00:24:14.78\00:24:16.12
He sighted two of the
commandments out of the ten.
00:24:16.25\00:24:18.95
And he called it,
the law of liberty.
00:24:18.99\00:24:20.96
Now when you
drive down the highway
00:24:21.22\00:24:22.79
and you see the yellow line,
00:24:22.82\00:24:24.53
and you're going west, do
you say, "You know, I'm so
00:24:26.29\00:24:29.40
tired of that yellow line.
00:24:29.43\00:24:31.00
I'm going to go
in the other lane."
00:24:31.03\00:24:32.43
You might be able to
violate that yellow line
00:24:33.34\00:24:35.30
for a few minutes,
00:24:35.34\00:24:37.07
until you meet somebody
who decides to live in harmony
00:24:37.67\00:24:40.58
with the law.
00:24:40.61\00:24:41.94
You cannot
really break God's law.
00:24:42.21\00:24:44.78
You'll discover that
it's impossible to break.
00:24:45.61\00:24:48.45
Because the wages
of sin is what? Death.
00:24:48.58\00:24:51.22
Now somebody once said,
00:24:51.35\00:24:52.85
as a matter of fact it was an
illustration somebody put out,
00:24:53.92\00:24:55.82
they said, "If you think you
can violate the law of gravity,
00:24:56.02\00:24:59.69
jump out of a
100 story building."
00:25:00.20\00:25:02.50
Now don't do this.
00:25:02.53\00:25:03.87
But if you jump out
of a 100 story building,
00:25:04.93\00:25:06.50
you might think the law of
gravity has been suspended.
00:25:06.53\00:25:11.07
It has not been suspended.
00:25:11.91\00:25:13.41
You'll think so for 99 floors.
00:25:13.44\00:25:16.44
But the last floor will
remind you, you can't suspend
00:25:18.35\00:25:21.25
the law of gravity.
00:25:21.28\00:25:22.62
Not on earth.
00:25:22.65\00:25:23.99
You cannot violate...
00:25:24.02\00:25:25.35
You cannot break, I should say.
00:25:25.39\00:25:27.26
You can violate, but you cannot
break the commandments of God.
00:25:27.29\00:25:31.19
Alright. Let's
go to number four.
00:25:31.66\00:25:33.70
Number four.
00:25:33.73\00:25:35.06
Okay.
00:25:35.60\00:25:36.93
Wow!
00:25:38.03\00:25:39.37
Some question that we
have to ask ourselves is here.
00:25:39.57\00:25:41.84
Now the reason why
this is important is because
00:25:49.18\00:25:52.51
when you understand that the law
of God has a specific function,
00:25:53.11\00:25:57.92
when you understand
what that function is,
00:25:57.95\00:26:00.09
then you'll come to the
conclusion, "Wait a minute.
00:26:00.12\00:26:02.29
I really do need
to live in harmony.
00:26:02.59\00:26:03.93
I am really
obligated to honor it."
00:26:03.96\00:26:06.56
When you know that something
is there for your good,
00:26:07.16\00:26:09.63
then you say, "Wait, I
need to live in harmony.
00:26:09.66\00:26:12.07
My obligation to this
law needs to stay intact."
00:26:12.30\00:26:16.07
Right?
00:26:16.10\00:26:17.44
Romans 3:20
00:26:17.47\00:26:18.81
Romans 3:20 Let's
look at that together.
00:26:18.84\00:26:21.18
The Bible says as follows...
00:26:22.48\00:26:24.15
So let's look at something now.
00:26:38.39\00:26:39.96
How many of you have
mirrors in your house?
00:26:40.43\00:26:42.30
Okay, some of you
don't have mirrors.
00:26:44.03\00:26:45.70
That's okay.
00:26:45.73\00:26:47.07
I remember going to a friend's
house, family member's house.
00:26:48.04\00:26:51.24
And...
00:26:51.97\00:26:53.31
I won't say it.
00:26:53.34\00:26:54.68
Okay, my brother-in-law.
00:26:55.01\00:26:56.34
I remember years ago...
00:26:56.38\00:26:57.71
This was before he,
his wife, and family
00:26:57.75\00:26:59.31
moved into their new house.
00:26:59.35\00:27:00.68
But when they were
in their former house
00:27:00.95\00:27:02.72
I went over there and
said, "You don't have mirrors."
00:27:02.92\00:27:05.65
And the only place, I found
a mirror just in this room.
00:27:06.59\00:27:09.06
And I said, "You
guys need mirrors."
00:27:09.09\00:27:10.89
And I'm always
comfortable when I can...
00:27:11.79\00:27:15.36
Like, when we go to
hotels or motels where we stay,
00:27:15.56\00:27:18.03
it always frustrates me when the
only mirror is in the bathroom.
00:27:18.50\00:27:22.20
I'm thinking, "Don't they know
we need a mirror in the bedroom?
00:27:23.17\00:27:25.67
Wouldn't it be nice
to have a mirror on the
00:27:25.77\00:27:27.41
sliding closet door?"
00:27:27.44\00:27:28.98
And I'm always excited
when there's a mirror on the
00:27:29.01\00:27:31.45
closet door in the
bedroom and in the bathroom.
00:27:31.48\00:27:34.72
Because sometimes,
you know, the bathroom,
00:27:34.88\00:27:38.32
you shower and it's all steamy.
00:27:38.35\00:27:40.09
The last thing to try to
do is to try to use a mirror
00:27:40.29\00:27:43.36
after the bathroom
is already steamed.
00:27:43.39\00:27:45.09
But it's not that I
like to look at myself.
00:27:45.39\00:27:47.36
That's not the point.
00:27:47.40\00:27:48.73
The point is, the mirror
shows you your condition.
00:27:48.76\00:27:52.63
Sometimes people go out
and they're like, you know,
00:27:53.10\00:27:55.24
they say, "How you doing?"
00:27:55.27\00:27:56.74
And nothing irritates me
more than a guy on television
00:27:56.77\00:28:00.08
and his collar is like that.
00:28:00.34\00:28:01.68
And you say, "Didn't he
look in the mirror today?"
00:28:01.71\00:28:03.85
Can you imagine if I
did that, they'd say,
00:28:03.88\00:28:05.81
"Didn't he look in
the... Did somebody...
00:28:05.85\00:28:07.18
Would somebody tell
him his collar is bent?"
00:28:07.22\00:28:09.55
"Oh, my collar is bent. Okay."
00:28:09.78\00:28:12.89
You know.
00:28:12.92\00:28:14.26
Like the guy that was, there
was a commercial a few years ago
00:28:14.29\00:28:16.99
where this corporate executive,
00:28:17.29\00:28:19.56
he was meeting
with some clients.
00:28:19.66\00:28:22.06
And as he was walking
to the foyer to meet with
00:28:22.80\00:28:24.80
these clients, he
passed each person and they
00:28:24.83\00:28:27.34
straightened his
collar, straightened his tie.
00:28:27.37\00:28:29.60
His jacket was folded,
they pulled his pocket out.
00:28:30.07\00:28:34.61
And they figured he was
all ready to meet the clients.
00:28:34.88\00:28:38.38
And he smiled, and there was a
big broccoli right in his teeth.
00:28:38.41\00:28:41.38
And it was so funny.
00:28:44.02\00:28:45.45
It was so funny.
00:28:45.59\00:28:46.92
Because the fact of the matter
is, if he had only looked in the
00:28:47.19\00:28:51.06
mirror, he would
have seen his condition.
00:28:51.36\00:28:54.43
And there's nothing as
embarrassing as going home,
00:28:54.86\00:28:58.23
after you've had
many conversations,
00:28:59.63\00:29:02.00
and you go home and say,
"Oh man, nobody told me."
00:29:02.74\00:29:06.24
And you go like this.
00:29:06.51\00:29:07.84
It could be after fellowship
lunch, it could be at work,
00:29:07.88\00:29:11.81
you're talking to people.
00:29:11.85\00:29:13.18
So I have a saying.
00:29:13.21\00:29:14.55
If you're really my friend,
00:29:14.58\00:29:15.92
you'll tell me if
something is in my teeth.
00:29:15.95\00:29:17.89
Amen?
00:29:17.92\00:29:19.25
That's my statement.
00:29:19.39\00:29:21.19
So the point of the matter is...
00:29:22.09\00:29:23.43
That's my pet
peeve. That's right.
00:29:24.63\00:29:26.03
Make sure that wherever you go,
00:29:26.13\00:29:28.13
carry an extra
toothbrush with you.
00:29:28.43\00:29:30.07
Don't just find yourself in a
situation where you'll discover
00:29:30.10\00:29:33.13
when you get home, "Oh
man, they didn't tell me.
00:29:33.17\00:29:35.30
Now I know why they
were looking at me that way."
00:29:35.34\00:29:37.51
The Lord looks at us.
00:29:39.54\00:29:41.41
The reason why He
created the law is, He wants us
00:29:43.85\00:29:47.18
to see our condition
as He sees our condition.
00:29:47.22\00:29:52.12
Isn't that right?
00:29:52.19\00:29:53.52
He sees our condition, but He
wants us to see our condition.
00:29:54.06\00:29:58.46
Now let's go ahead and
take that same illustration
00:29:58.56\00:30:00.66
to the final completion.
00:30:00.70\00:30:02.36
If I decide to cover
all the mirrors in my house,
00:30:02.80\00:30:07.20
because I'm predisposed or I
have a phobia for reflections,
00:30:07.24\00:30:10.77
I will look a mess
when I go into society.
00:30:13.27\00:30:15.71
Right?
00:30:16.24\00:30:17.58
Ladies, they do everything
they can to get that stray
00:30:18.01\00:30:21.38
piece of hair put
back in line, or...
00:30:21.42\00:30:24.15
The stories can go on and on.
00:30:25.45\00:30:27.32
If we only had a
mirror, there are many things
00:30:27.36\00:30:29.62
that we could have avoided.
00:30:29.66\00:30:30.99
The law does not...
00:30:31.39\00:30:33.63
Now let me take
it to the next level.
00:30:33.73\00:30:35.40
The mirror doesn't
fix your condition.
00:30:35.60\00:30:39.03
It just reveals your condition.
00:30:39.27\00:30:41.40
It does what?
00:30:41.74\00:30:43.07
Reveals our condition.
00:30:43.10\00:30:45.17
The law of God
reveals our condition.
00:30:45.24\00:30:48.28
So when we say the
obligation of the Christian
00:30:48.44\00:30:51.31
is to live in
harmony with the law of God,
00:30:51.35\00:30:53.05
I would say the obligation
of the actor is to look
00:30:53.25\00:30:55.48
in the mirror
before he goes on stage.
00:30:55.52\00:30:58.25
Or the newscaster, male
or female, to go and check
00:30:58.29\00:31:01.09
himself out or herself
before they go in public.
00:31:01.12\00:31:03.56
Me, you know.
00:31:04.99\00:31:06.70
What if I came out here
and my jacket was buttoned
00:31:06.73\00:31:08.86
all the way the
other way, like this.
00:31:08.90\00:31:10.27
I've seen people do that.
00:31:10.30\00:31:11.63
You know, they button
their jacket like that.
00:31:11.97\00:31:13.37
They're on television.
00:31:13.74\00:31:15.07
And they do the whole, I've seen
a pastor do the whole sermon.
00:31:15.10\00:31:17.51
And I'm just losing my mind.
00:31:17.97\00:31:20.54
Because I'm
saying, "His jacket!"
00:31:21.54\00:31:23.81
And he doesn't feel it.
00:31:24.41\00:31:25.75
And I say...
00:31:26.51\00:31:27.85
And I'm trying to...
00:31:28.98\00:31:30.32
Have you seen that before?
00:31:32.05\00:31:33.39
I had one example like that.
00:31:33.92\00:31:35.66
And my good friend
Pastor John Stanton
00:31:36.66\00:31:40.26
and his wife Rochelle were
the only ones that noticed it.
00:31:40.66\00:31:43.83
I was preaching in one of
my churches in California.
00:31:44.37\00:31:46.27
In Fairfield. I
remember that very well.
00:31:46.30\00:31:48.17
I had on a black
suit, or so I thought.
00:31:48.44\00:31:50.94
When I stepped on the rostrum
I thought I had on a black suit.
00:31:51.57\00:31:54.31
She said at the
end of the sermon,
00:31:54.34\00:31:55.98
"You wore blue pants today."
00:31:56.18\00:31:57.91
"I have on what color? Blue?
00:31:58.48\00:32:00.25
I have on blue pants?"
00:32:00.78\00:32:02.12
I thought I had on a black suit.
00:32:02.82\00:32:04.45
Evidently I did
not look in the mirror.
00:32:04.85\00:32:07.76
That's what often happens
when you ignore the mirror.
00:32:07.79\00:32:10.29
And sometimes, oh this
is another illustration,
00:32:10.56\00:32:12.86
sometimes your house is so dark
that even the mirror can't help.
00:32:12.89\00:32:16.93
You see, the world is so dark
that the mirror won't do much
00:32:17.57\00:32:21.24
for people that
are living in the dark.
00:32:21.27\00:32:22.84
You need light for
the mirror to work.
00:32:23.57\00:32:26.01
Amen, someone?
00:32:26.04\00:32:27.38
So let's go and
get this answer down.
00:32:27.41\00:32:29.28
Question number four, what is
the major function of God's law?
00:32:29.31\00:32:32.68
To show us our sin.
00:32:33.35\00:32:35.65
To show us our condition.
00:32:35.85\00:32:37.95
It's not going to fix
it, it's going to show it.
00:32:38.32\00:32:41.42
But if you get rid
of all the mirrors...
00:32:41.46\00:32:43.12
So I feel kind of badly
for people that are taught
00:32:43.16\00:32:45.89
that they don't
need a mirror anymore.
00:32:45.93\00:32:48.30
In other words, they
don't need God's law anymore.
00:32:48.33\00:32:50.43
Get rid of the mirror
and you'll be just fine.
00:32:50.63\00:32:52.90
One of the dangers in
that is thinking you're fine
00:32:52.93\00:32:55.80
when everybody sees
your real condition.
00:32:55.94\00:32:58.04
Okay, let's go to number five.
00:32:58.84\00:33:00.38
Number five. Wow!
00:33:00.81\00:33:03.14
Very important question.
00:33:07.68\00:33:09.02
Let's go to Exodus 31:18.
00:33:20.16\00:33:23.00
Exodus 31:18
00:33:23.03\00:33:25.00
Now this is a very
interesting approach
00:33:25.50\00:33:29.24
to understanding God's law.
00:33:29.44\00:33:32.07
Let's look at the answer.
00:33:32.27\00:33:34.34
Exodus 31:18. And here it is.
00:33:34.38\00:33:37.11
Have you ever had to have
something notarized before?
00:33:58.10\00:34:01.67
You know what
that is? Notary Public.
00:34:02.27\00:34:04.01
You know, some people
say, "Well I want to buy this
00:34:04.37\00:34:07.01
lawn mower from you."
00:34:07.04\00:34:08.38
And you say, "Okay, final
sale. You cannot return it.
00:34:09.11\00:34:13.38
For 'X' amount of dollars."
00:34:13.62\00:34:15.08
And if it's only your signature,
then sometimes it won't
00:34:15.38\00:34:20.32
stand up in court.
00:34:20.36\00:34:21.69
But if you sign it, and he
signs it, and it gets notarized,
00:34:21.92\00:34:25.39
all of a sudden the
notary's signature with the seal
00:34:25.49\00:34:28.83
makes that document a
legal one, and a binding one.
00:34:28.86\00:34:31.77
Do you think that the
commandments of God are binding?
00:34:32.67\00:34:35.00
And what makes the
commandments of God binding?
00:34:35.04\00:34:37.54
Tell me, what do
you see on the screen?
00:34:37.57\00:34:38.97
What's in yellow?
00:34:39.61\00:34:40.94
Written with the finger of God.
00:34:41.98\00:34:43.95
In other words,
the notary is God.
00:34:44.05\00:34:47.35
What makes the commandments
of God, what sets it apart from
00:34:47.48\00:34:50.79
other portions of the
Bible is, 2 Peter 1:21,
00:34:50.82\00:34:54.46
"Holy men of God
spake as they were moved
00:34:54.49\00:34:58.06
by the Holy Ghost."
00:34:58.09\00:34:59.59
But there was something
in the Bible that God did not
00:35:00.06\00:35:02.23
leave to anybody else.
00:35:02.26\00:35:03.77
The commandments.
00:35:04.43\00:35:05.77
The commandments.
00:35:06.30\00:35:07.64
God put His own finger to that.
00:35:07.80\00:35:11.01
He inspired men to write.
00:35:11.57\00:35:13.51
But God didn't say to Moses,
00:35:13.54\00:35:15.94
"Why don't you write
the commandments down.
00:35:16.14\00:35:17.55
I'll tell you what to write."
00:35:17.58\00:35:18.91
You know, if God had done
that, we would have easily said,
00:35:18.95\00:35:22.35
"Moses wrote the
Ten Commandments.
00:35:22.65\00:35:25.19
So it's Moses' commandments."
00:35:25.55\00:35:28.12
Moses was instructed by God
to write the ceremonial laws,
00:35:28.52\00:35:32.19
the laws of diet,
the laws of relationship,
00:35:33.23\00:35:36.06
the laws of cleansing and
different kinds of ordinances.
00:35:36.10\00:35:39.37
But God did not
give Moses the obligation
00:35:39.40\00:35:41.44
to write the commandments.
00:35:41.47\00:35:42.80
He said, "This is
written by My finger."
00:35:42.84\00:35:44.31
So, if somebody sends you
a check, and it's not signed,
00:35:44.34\00:35:48.84
can you cash it?
00:35:48.88\00:35:50.21
Don't do it.
00:35:51.28\00:35:52.61
Don't do it.
00:35:54.02\00:35:55.35
Some people
might do it, you know.
00:35:55.72\00:35:58.35
Like the person that
said, "I can't be broke.
00:35:58.39\00:35:59.85
I have more checks."
00:35:59.89\00:36:01.22
You get that the next program.
00:36:02.66\00:36:03.99
Some people will put
their signature to a check
00:36:05.33\00:36:10.37
in somebody else's name.
00:36:11.10\00:36:12.43
What is that called?
00:36:12.47\00:36:13.80
Forgery.
00:36:14.30\00:36:15.64
The commandments of God
were not forged by Moses.
00:36:16.47\00:36:19.37
They were written
by the finger of God.
00:36:19.47\00:36:21.28
If somebody sends you
something, and the agreement is,
00:36:21.41\00:36:24.38
"John Lomacang... God."
00:36:24.95\00:36:28.45
Jehovah is the next line.
00:36:28.65\00:36:30.22
And he says, "Okay, here.
00:36:30.25\00:36:31.59
I want you to live
in harmony with that."
00:36:32.95\00:36:34.62
"Well who's the authority?
00:36:35.56\00:36:36.89
Oh okay, I see."
00:36:36.93\00:36:38.26
Now I'm going to give you
some good news in a moment.
00:36:38.46\00:36:40.40
Because now where
we are in our study is,
00:36:40.43\00:36:43.53
you're painfully aware
of the commandments of God,
00:36:43.73\00:36:45.93
but you're also painfully aware
of the fact that you're human.
00:36:46.74\00:36:50.34
You've got an obligation.
00:36:51.84\00:36:53.41
And you've seen in
Scripture, the children of God,
00:36:53.91\00:36:57.05
the children of Israel,
the New Testament apostles,
00:36:57.08\00:36:59.65
the disciples,
00:36:59.68\00:37:01.02
all the way down to all
those who wrote in the Bible.
00:37:01.05\00:37:04.15
Solomon.
00:37:04.19\00:37:05.52
He had issues with
living in harmony with
00:37:05.85\00:37:07.66
the commandments of God.
00:37:07.69\00:37:09.02
That's probably the
understatement of the century.
00:37:09.06\00:37:11.16
When you have 700 wives,
that's an understatement.
00:37:11.66\00:37:13.86
David and
Bathsheba; he had an issue.
00:37:15.26\00:37:18.20
Elijah. Well Elijah...
00:37:20.00\00:37:21.87
No, not Elijah.
00:37:21.90\00:37:23.24
Jezebel and Ahab;
Ahab had an issue.
00:37:24.11\00:37:26.74
Abraham; he had an issue.
00:37:27.74\00:37:29.98
His wife made suggestions,
he saw nothing wrong with it.
00:37:30.01\00:37:33.15
And so you go through the Bible,
00:37:33.78\00:37:35.18
you find one
man after the other;
00:37:35.28\00:37:38.49
and somewhere along the
way, his human inability
00:37:38.62\00:37:41.96
clashed or was confronted
by the perfect law of God.
00:37:42.06\00:37:47.43
So we talk about this
obligation, and we say,
00:37:48.00\00:37:49.63
"Okay, well how could we live
in harmony with the law of God
00:37:49.66\00:37:53.37
if we can't keep it?"
00:37:53.90\00:37:55.57
Let's go to the next question.
00:37:56.30\00:37:57.77
Let's unfold this carefully.
00:37:57.81\00:37:59.31
Question number six.
00:37:59.77\00:38:01.21
So question five,
what sets God's law apart
00:38:02.01\00:38:04.75
from the other
portions of the Bible?
00:38:04.78\00:38:06.51
God wrote it.
00:38:07.05\00:38:08.38
God wrote it with His finger.
00:38:08.48\00:38:10.12
Number six, here it is.
00:38:10.59\00:38:12.05
Okay. Beautiful.
00:38:31.01\00:38:34.04
You know, when you think
about the beauty of God's law...
00:38:34.08\00:38:36.71
Here it is.
00:38:36.75\00:38:38.08
When you think about
the beauty of God's law,
00:38:38.65\00:38:40.32
you think to yourself, "I don't
have any issues with the law..."
00:38:40.52\00:38:46.82
Well let me not
jump ahead of myself.
00:38:48.09\00:38:49.42
Let's read this.
00:38:49.46\00:38:50.79
I was going to reveal something
that is after my next thought.
00:38:50.83\00:38:53.43
Here it is.
00:38:53.63\00:38:54.96
The Lord
instructing His children.
00:38:56.33\00:38:58.37
The Lord is saying, "If
you just live in harmony
00:39:22.89\00:39:25.73
with the commandments,
the land that I'm giving you,
00:39:25.93\00:39:28.36
it is going to be just fine."
00:39:28.40\00:39:30.63
Now, let me ask you a question.
00:39:30.83\00:39:32.80
I don't often ask questions.
00:39:33.17\00:39:34.57
I've asked a lot today, but
that's not my normal pattern.
00:39:34.90\00:39:38.77
Wouldn't you love to
live in a community where
00:39:39.64\00:39:42.04
all your neighbors
live in harmony with the
00:39:42.08\00:39:44.85
rules and
regulations of your community?
00:39:44.88\00:39:46.92
Let me give you some examples.
00:39:47.95\00:39:49.28
Do not rebuild your
engine in front of the house.
00:39:50.59\00:39:53.92
Now that may not be a
law in southern Illinois.
00:39:56.39\00:39:58.39
But in some places I've
lived they had restrictions.
00:39:59.56\00:40:02.50
In California you cannot
park in front of your house
00:40:02.53\00:40:06.47
for more than 24 hours.
00:40:06.50\00:40:08.27
In New York, alternate side of
the street parking regulation.
00:40:09.07\00:40:13.14
And in some communities
you get a fine if your car
00:40:14.01\00:40:17.38
is up on, what
are those, the jacks.
00:40:17.41\00:40:20.02
If you jacked up your
car and there are car parts
00:40:20.35\00:40:22.68
on the ground, you can
get fined heavily for that.
00:40:22.72\00:40:26.02
If your lawn is
not kept manicured.
00:40:26.25\00:40:30.59
They have HOA in some
communities where they don't
00:40:31.09\00:40:33.43
even ask you,
they do it for you.
00:40:33.46\00:40:35.76
Because in some
communities, they've discovered
00:40:35.80\00:40:38.00
that people won't really cut
their lawns when it should be.
00:40:38.03\00:40:41.40
So they pay HOA or they
pay the lawn service to do it.
00:40:41.44\00:40:45.87
These are obligations.
00:40:45.97\00:40:47.41
Wouldn't you like to live in
a community where your neighbor
00:40:47.44\00:40:49.91
is so desirous of maintaining
the value of your house
00:40:50.01\00:40:54.22
that he doesn't depreciate your
value by what he does next door?
00:40:54.48\00:40:59.59
The scenario,
did you follow that?
00:41:01.12\00:41:02.92
Because somebody once
said, you can lose the value
00:41:03.02\00:41:05.33
of your house by what
somebody next to you does.
00:41:05.36\00:41:08.73
See, in the very
same way, the way we live
00:41:09.53\00:41:13.47
can impact the
person next to us.
00:41:13.94\00:41:16.10
The Lord didn't
say, "I want you to live
00:41:16.30\00:41:18.67
so that everything
will be fine with you."
00:41:18.71\00:41:21.48
He said, "with you
and your children."
00:41:21.51\00:41:23.95
How you live is going
to impact your children.
00:41:23.98\00:41:27.28
How Christians live
impact other Christians.
00:41:27.32\00:41:30.59
No man is an island.
00:41:30.62\00:41:33.62
So let's put the answer down.
00:41:33.96\00:41:35.29
How do we benefit from
obedience to God's commandments?
00:41:35.59\00:41:38.49
How do we benefit?
00:41:39.43\00:41:40.76
That you'll live long.
00:41:42.06\00:41:43.83
It will be well
with you and your family.
00:41:43.87\00:41:45.93
That you live a long life.
00:41:45.97\00:41:48.40
He will bless us and
satisfy us with a long life
00:41:48.77\00:41:52.57
if we live in harmony
with the principles that He has
00:41:52.87\00:41:56.28
established for healthy living.
00:41:56.31\00:41:58.71
That is, for a healthy
relationship with one another
00:41:59.05\00:42:02.88
and with the Lord.
00:42:03.08\00:42:04.42
But now let's go to
question number seven.
00:42:04.52\00:42:06.72
Question number seven.
00:42:06.92\00:42:08.26
So if you put that down.
00:42:08.29\00:42:09.62
I'll let you go ahead and
paraphrase for your own benefit.
00:42:09.66\00:42:13.09
But when we live in
harmony with God's law,
00:42:13.40\00:42:16.10
other people are
blessed by our obedience.
00:42:16.13\00:42:19.00
Number seven. Alright.
00:42:19.70\00:42:22.90
Alright. Let's look at that.
00:42:35.42\00:42:37.55
Psalm 19:7
00:42:37.72\00:42:39.52
Psalm 19:7 Wow!
00:42:40.16\00:42:44.19
Okay.
00:42:45.26\00:42:46.59
I think we may have
read this one before.
00:42:46.90\00:42:48.76
I want us all to
read this together.
00:42:49.93\00:42:52.00
Because I've been giving
you a break earlier tonight,
00:42:52.03\00:42:54.24
but this is a beautiful one.
00:42:54.27\00:42:55.94
Are we ready? Here we
go. It's on the screen.
00:42:55.97\00:42:57.71
"The law of the Lord is.." What?
00:42:57.97\00:42:59.97
"...perfect,
converting the soul..."
00:43:00.14\00:43:03.48
Wow!
00:43:08.65\00:43:09.98
"The law of the Lord is.." What?
00:43:10.02\00:43:11.65
Perfect.
00:43:11.85\00:43:13.19
It is what? Perfect.
00:43:13.22\00:43:14.96
There's nothing
wrong with the law of God.
00:43:14.99\00:43:17.99
I saw a sign once, it was
in one of the books that I
00:43:18.03\00:43:21.80
often take illustrations from.
00:43:22.10\00:43:24.00
There was a church, there
was a Sabbath keeping church
00:43:24.43\00:43:27.97
that was very particular
about honoring the Sabbath,
00:43:29.14\00:43:32.17
but they
wouldn't cut their lawn.
00:43:32.27\00:43:34.28
And they had a sermon title on
the screen was, The Law of God.
00:43:35.84\00:43:39.85
One of the
neighbors, during the night,
00:43:40.42\00:43:42.98
went up to the
marquee with a black marker
00:43:43.82\00:43:46.09
and added an "n"
to the word, "law."
00:43:46.19\00:43:48.82
And they said, "What
about the lawn of God?"
00:43:49.22\00:43:51.39
They said, "You can
preach the law of God,
00:43:55.80\00:43:57.27
but look at your lawn."
00:43:57.30\00:43:58.63
So everything we do attests
to what we say we should do.
00:43:59.50\00:44:05.44
So if you house
is... If you yard is...
00:44:06.07\00:44:10.21
And you're talking
about living in harmony.
00:44:10.25\00:44:12.25
I know there's a statement that
we all wish was in the Bible.
00:44:12.65\00:44:15.02
Cleanliness is next to...
00:44:15.05\00:44:16.82
We all wish that was in...
00:44:17.72\00:44:19.05
We quote that so much.
00:44:19.09\00:44:20.42
But to some degree it's true.
00:44:20.46\00:44:22.22
But when you look at God's
law, it does something to us.
00:44:22.82\00:44:25.49
The benefit of
God's law, David says.
00:44:25.53\00:44:27.90
What does it do to
the soul? What does it do?
00:44:27.93\00:44:30.37
It converts.
00:44:31.53\00:44:32.87
Now how does it do that?
00:44:32.90\00:44:34.24
It shows you the
perfect path of life.
00:44:34.44\00:44:38.01
And if you follow
that path of life,
00:44:38.11\00:44:40.58
it is like, let me go
back to the illustration,
00:44:40.78\00:44:42.54
it is like a bright yellow
line on a very curvy highway.
00:44:42.74\00:44:46.28
If you follow that, you're safe.
00:44:46.45\00:44:48.48
But if you can't see that line,
at best you'll need fog lamps
00:44:49.08\00:44:54.69
or your vision
needs to be better.
00:44:54.89\00:44:56.99
But as you follow God's law,
something happens to your life.
00:44:57.03\00:45:00.23
It brings into you, it converts
you from the way you thought
00:45:00.53\00:45:04.23
to the way you should think,
00:45:04.27\00:45:05.70
from the way you lived
to the way you should live,
00:45:05.73\00:45:08.74
from the things you did
to the things you should do,
00:45:08.77\00:45:12.01
from the kind of person you were
00:45:12.37\00:45:14.24
to the kind of person
you can become in Christ.
00:45:14.28\00:45:16.64
Not only that, it
does something else.
00:45:16.68\00:45:19.11
The last part of
this, what does it do?
00:45:19.61\00:45:21.08
It makes you
what? It makes you wise.
00:45:21.12\00:45:23.59
You know what wisdom is?
00:45:24.22\00:45:25.55
Wisdom is
something we don't have.
00:45:25.82\00:45:27.56
The Bible says, if
you lack it, ask God.
00:45:28.09\00:45:30.46
When you look at
His commandments,
00:45:30.56\00:45:31.89
when you live in
harmony with His law,
00:45:31.93\00:45:33.29
He says it makes you wise.
00:45:33.33\00:45:34.83
Now how can the commandments
of God make us wise?
00:45:34.86\00:45:37.70
Well when you look at those
ten commandments broken down,
00:45:38.13\00:45:40.77
the first four are obligation to
God, our relationship with Him,
00:45:41.17\00:45:44.81
the last six are our
relationship to one another.
00:45:45.21\00:45:47.68
When you live in
harmony with that, people say,
00:45:47.98\00:45:50.05
"Wow, that person seems to
have a very good character,
00:45:50.08\00:45:55.08
an upstanding
citizen, a good Christian."
00:45:55.28\00:45:57.65
You know, they've been made wise
after their obligation to God.
00:45:57.69\00:46:01.29
They've been made wise as to how
they should treat one another.
00:46:01.39\00:46:05.29
And so it's not so
much that we've come up with
00:46:05.66\00:46:07.96
this ethereal wisdom, but we
have seen the principles of God
00:46:08.76\00:46:12.80
perfectly outlines in His law.
00:46:13.13\00:46:14.97
And we now know we
operate in harmony with that.
00:46:15.00\00:46:17.74
And therefore, people may
consider, "What wise people!"
00:46:17.94\00:46:21.34
No, we're informed,
therefore wisdom is now in place
00:46:21.38\00:46:26.45
where it was not before.
00:46:26.48\00:46:28.38
So how does David describe the
blessings of honoring God's law?
00:46:28.48\00:46:32.72
It brings conversion
and it brings wisdom.
00:46:33.52\00:46:35.92
It brings conversion
and it brings wisdom.
00:46:36.32\00:46:39.09
It's amazing.
00:46:40.40\00:46:41.73
Why would you
argue with something
00:46:41.76\00:46:43.10
that could make you wise?
00:46:43.13\00:46:44.60
Why would you want
to get rid of something
00:46:45.07\00:46:46.53
that is a part
of your conversion?
00:46:46.57\00:46:48.47
Unless you have foreign money,
you don't understand conversion.
00:46:49.40\00:46:52.14
But if you've
had foreign currency,
00:46:54.08\00:46:55.81
you understand the
importance of conversion.
00:46:56.18\00:46:58.41
You want to get the
most. You want to get the most.
00:46:58.71\00:47:02.32
It reminds me of
when I found 100 pesos.
00:47:02.82\00:47:06.25
I was working at Bank of America
00:47:06.72\00:47:08.42
many years ago in New York.
00:47:08.96\00:47:10.86
I found 100 pesos.
00:47:12.03\00:47:14.00
One hundred pesos.
00:47:14.70\00:47:16.90
And I said, "Today, while
everyone else is gone to lunch,
00:47:18.13\00:47:21.30
I'm going to go to
the currency exchange.
00:47:21.34\00:47:24.11
A hundred pesos?
I need the money."
00:47:24.57\00:47:26.88
So I'm standing in line...
00:47:27.84\00:47:29.18
Got 45 minutes left.
00:47:32.18\00:47:34.35
40 minutes left.
00:47:35.18\00:47:36.52
I don't mind losing some lunch
time because I've got 100 pesos.
00:47:36.55\00:47:39.35
When I convert that,
I'll have me some money.
00:47:39.39\00:47:42.36
So I finally got to the window.
00:47:43.93\00:47:45.86
And the lady, I was
waiting for her to ask me,
00:47:46.66\00:47:48.76
"What denominations
would you like this in?"
00:47:49.30\00:47:51.50
You know, when
you break it down.
00:47:51.77\00:47:53.10
So she said to me, "Sir,
this is worth five cents."
00:47:53.34\00:47:58.44
I said, "Not so loud.
00:48:02.14\00:48:03.55
Just give it back.
00:48:05.11\00:48:06.45
I'm leaving."
00:48:06.48\00:48:07.82
And I crawled out of
there, proverbially with
00:48:07.85\00:48:11.19
my tail between my legs.
00:48:11.22\00:48:12.99
And I just said, "Well I'll
just keep it as a souvenir."
00:48:13.39\00:48:16.32
I lost 35 minutes on my
lunch hour thinking that this
00:48:16.56\00:48:19.76
100 pesos meant 100 dollars.
00:48:19.79\00:48:21.90
I learned that
conversion is important.
00:48:22.20\00:48:26.37
You better know
what conversion is.
00:48:26.40\00:48:28.20
Because I wasn't
wise about conversion.
00:48:28.47\00:48:31.07
I had one idea, but
the lady behind the glass
00:48:31.17\00:48:34.54
had the knowledge.
00:48:34.91\00:48:36.24
So conversion is important.
00:48:36.58\00:48:37.98
The commandments of God
helps you understand conversion.
00:48:38.01\00:48:41.48
It gives you, not a false
estimation, but it gives you
00:48:42.28\00:48:46.29
the true estimation of
the righteousness of God.
00:48:46.32\00:48:49.32
God's righteousness is never
down here and ours is up here.
00:48:49.72\00:48:52.73
God's righteousness is
always higher than ours.
00:48:52.83\00:48:55.70
Can you say amen?
00:48:55.73\00:48:57.07
Conversion.
00:48:57.10\00:48:58.43
"The law of the Lord is
perfect, converting the soul."
00:48:58.47\00:49:01.17
So now let's look at
question number eight.
00:49:01.20\00:49:03.27
Question number eight.
00:49:03.91\00:49:05.24
In what way does the apostle
Paul speak about God's law?
00:49:05.27\00:49:09.78
In what way does the apostle
Paul speak about God's law?
00:49:10.55\00:49:14.65
We're going to
go to Romans 7:12.
00:49:14.68\00:49:17.49
Romans 7:12. Okay.
00:49:17.92\00:49:23.46
I always tell me people to turn.
00:49:24.09\00:49:25.66
I'm over there.
00:49:26.16\00:49:27.50
Even though I have it in front
of me, I'll turn there too.
00:49:28.46\00:49:31.30
Because there's something
else I might want to bring out.
00:49:31.33\00:49:33.07
Alright. Romans 7:12
00:49:33.64\00:49:35.74
In what way does the apostle
Paul speak about God's law?
00:49:36.37\00:49:38.67
Here it is. He says...
00:49:38.71\00:49:40.38
So now let's look at that.
00:49:48.65\00:49:49.98
Holy...
00:49:50.89\00:49:52.22
Holy, just, good.
00:49:54.19\00:49:57.46
Holy, just, and good.
00:49:58.39\00:50:00.40
Let's go back to
our mirror illustration.
00:50:01.03\00:50:03.43
Have any of you ever...
00:50:03.63\00:50:04.97
In an amusement park
years ago called, Coney Island,
00:50:05.00\00:50:08.64
in Brooklyn, I use to
love to go to Coney Island.
00:50:08.67\00:50:12.94
Have you ever stood
in front of those mirrors
00:50:13.31\00:50:14.68
that are concave and convex?
00:50:14.71\00:50:16.51
You know what I mean?
00:50:16.54\00:50:17.88
It's either curved this
way or it's curved this way.
00:50:17.91\00:50:20.08
Or it's curved like this.
00:50:20.35\00:50:22.02
And when you stand there, if you
stand in front of the concave
00:50:22.55\00:50:26.32
like this, your body
seems like you're 14 feet tall.
00:50:26.55\00:50:30.39
When you stand in
front of the convex,
00:50:30.93\00:50:32.59
it seems like
you're two feet tall.
00:50:32.63\00:50:34.16
It shrinks you.
00:50:34.20\00:50:35.53
When you stand in
front of the concave/convex,
00:50:36.06\00:50:38.37
your legs are really short,
00:50:38.60\00:50:39.93
but the top of your
body is really long.
00:50:39.97\00:50:42.04
That's why no one buys
a concave or convex mirror
00:50:44.67\00:50:48.54
to look at him or
herself in the morning.
00:50:48.64\00:50:51.05
Because you get a
distorted view of who you are.
00:50:51.61\00:50:54.22
When you buy something,
you want it to be good.
00:50:54.85\00:50:57.82
And good and just.
00:50:58.22\00:51:01.42
The law of God is
not concave or convex,
00:51:01.46\00:51:06.09
or concave/convex.
00:51:06.13\00:51:07.60
It is clear.
00:51:07.66\00:51:09.10
So when we look into
it, we have to conclude
00:51:09.13\00:51:11.63
there's nothing
wrong with the mirror.
00:51:11.67\00:51:13.34
Where is the problem?
00:51:13.37\00:51:14.70
If there's nothing
wrong with the mirror,
00:51:14.74\00:51:16.07
where is the problem?
00:51:16.10\00:51:17.44
Us. Us.
00:51:17.47\00:51:19.34
The issue is not the law of God.
00:51:19.77\00:51:21.74
So when somebody says,
"Well, you're not obligated
00:51:22.08\00:51:24.51
to keep the law of
God,: it's a dangerous thing.
00:51:24.55\00:51:27.22
Because what happens is, you
have no standard of measurement.
00:51:27.25\00:51:30.72
And therefore, now you're
living your Christian life
00:51:30.99\00:51:33.19
based on what
you call, feel good.
00:51:33.29\00:51:35.72
Oh, it sounds good,
feels good, tastes good.
00:51:36.09\00:51:40.20
In moderation.
00:51:40.56\00:51:41.90
You begin to
establish your own standards of
00:51:41.93\00:51:44.30
what is right and what is wrong.
00:51:44.33\00:51:46.00
But the law of God, the
apostle Paul says it's good.
00:51:46.63\00:51:49.80
There's nothing wrong with it.
00:51:49.84\00:51:51.17
And in that very same chapter
he said, "The issue is me.
00:51:51.21\00:51:53.91
I am the problem."
00:51:53.94\00:51:55.41
Let's look at this
in an expanded view.
00:51:55.74\00:51:57.65
Okay, let's go to number nine.
00:51:58.11\00:51:59.95
Number nine.
00:51:59.98\00:52:01.38
This is a wonderful question.
00:52:02.05\00:52:03.45
Number nine.
00:52:04.05\00:52:05.39
What impact...
00:52:07.79\00:52:09.16
And I put the word,
"impact," in yellow.
00:52:09.19\00:52:11.09
Let's to go 1 Kings 18:18.
00:52:20.84\00:52:22.74
Very interesting story.
00:52:22.77\00:52:25.24
You know, if you
spend time in the Bible
00:52:25.61\00:52:27.81
and ignore a lot
of the Old Testament,
00:52:28.01\00:52:29.54
you miss some beautiful stories.
00:52:29.88\00:52:31.55
The challenge to Ahab.
00:52:32.88\00:52:34.85
The challenge to Ahab.
00:52:35.65\00:52:37.39
Well you know, the issue was,
00:52:37.65\00:52:38.99
Elijah, God's man,
was considered the one
00:52:39.02\00:52:43.46
that is the troublemaker.
00:52:43.49\00:52:44.83
And a contingency was
put together to find Elijah
00:52:45.39\00:52:48.63
and snuff him out.
00:52:48.93\00:52:50.30
Kill him. Get rid of him.
00:52:50.33\00:52:51.67
So Elijah all of
a sudden shows up...
00:52:53.54\00:52:56.44
...in the courts of Ahab,
and he says to the servant,
00:52:59.57\00:53:03.04
"Go tell Ahab I'm here."
00:53:03.38\00:53:05.95
And he says, "Do you realize how
long he's been looking for you?
00:53:07.42\00:53:11.95
And you want me to
go tell him you're here.
00:53:12.69\00:53:15.59
And when I come back,
you're gone, and I get killed.
00:53:16.29\00:53:19.16
Oh no.
00:53:19.19\00:53:20.53
That's not an arrangement
I'm comfortable with."
00:53:20.56\00:53:22.86
And Elijah said, "I
promise you, I promise you..."
00:53:22.96\00:53:26.97
Let's look at that.
00:53:28.70\00:53:30.04
Let's look at that.
00:53:30.41\00:53:31.74
Okay, let's look at that.
00:53:34.84\00:53:36.24
1 Kings 18
00:53:36.28\00:53:37.61
We're going to
wind up with this one.
00:53:37.65\00:53:38.98
1 Kings 18:12
00:53:39.01\00:53:41.38
Well, verse 11.
00:53:41.42\00:53:42.75
"And now you
say..." Well, verse 10.
00:53:43.32\00:53:45.55
"As the LORD your God lives,
there is no nation or kingdom
00:53:46.25\00:53:49.76
where my master has not
sent someone to hunt for you;
00:53:49.96\00:53:53.06
and when they
said, 'He is not here,'
00:53:53.26\00:53:55.00
he took an oath from
the kingdom or nation
00:53:55.20\00:53:57.97
that they could not find you.
00:53:58.00\00:54:00.37
And now you say, 'Go, tell
your master, "Elijah is here"'!
00:54:00.57\00:54:05.31
And it shall come to pass,
as soon as I am gone from you
00:54:06.11\00:54:08.88
that the Spirit of the
LORD will carry you to a place
00:54:08.91\00:54:12.08
I do not know; so
when I go and tell Ahab,
00:54:12.38\00:54:15.52
and he cannot find
you, he will kill me.
00:54:15.55\00:54:19.85
But I your servant have
feared the LORD from my youth.
00:54:20.26\00:54:23.76
Was it not reported to my
lord what I did when Jezebel
00:54:24.39\00:54:28.40
killed the prophets of the
LORD, how I hid one hundred men
00:54:28.43\00:54:31.77
of the LORD's
prophets, fifty to a cave,
00:54:31.97\00:54:34.17
and fed them
with bread and water?"
00:54:34.20\00:54:35.90
In other words,
he's saying to him,
00:54:36.44\00:54:37.97
"Don't you know I
did some good things?
00:54:38.51\00:54:39.84
Why are you trying to set me up?
00:54:39.87\00:54:41.21
Don't you see I've been good?
00:54:41.94\00:54:43.28
Why are you trying to set me up?
00:54:43.31\00:54:44.65
You trying to get me killed?
00:54:44.68\00:54:46.01
I've always done what
the Lord wanted me to do.
00:54:46.05\00:54:48.22
Why are you setting me up?
00:54:48.25\00:54:49.58
I know that if I go
tell him, you won't be here."
00:54:49.62\00:54:51.32
And look at verse 14.
00:54:51.52\00:54:53.46
"And now you say, 'Go, tell
your master, "Elijah is here."'
00:54:53.49\00:54:55.76
He will kill me!"
00:54:55.86\00:54:57.19
"Then Elijah said, 'As
the LORD of hosts lives,
00:54:57.23\00:55:01.46
before whom I stand,
I will surely present
00:55:01.56\00:55:04.80
myself to
him...'" When? "...today."
00:55:04.83\00:55:07.67
"So Obadiah went to
meet Ahab, and told him;
00:55:08.27\00:55:13.07
and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
00:55:13.27\00:55:14.84
Then it happened..."
00:55:15.28\00:55:16.61
We're going to get our answer
in verse 18 and 19, verse 18.
00:55:16.64\00:55:18.95
"Then it happened,
when Ahab saw Elijah,
00:55:19.25\00:55:21.68
that Ahab said to him, 'Is that
you, O troubler of Israel?'"
00:55:21.72\00:55:26.55
"You're the troublemaker."
00:55:26.89\00:55:28.52
And the question
again, just so we get it:
00:55:28.82\00:55:30.59
What impact does disobedience to
the commandments of God reveal?
00:55:30.63\00:55:33.60
Let's look at the
answer in verse 18.
00:55:33.70\00:55:35.06
Here it is. Bring
it up on the screen.
00:55:35.10\00:55:36.46
"You followed after Baal."
00:55:53.01\00:55:54.92
Here is the point
that I want to make.
00:55:54.95\00:55:56.55
In the Christian world,
when the commandments of God
00:55:57.52\00:56:00.86
are forsaken and
ignored, it might look like
00:56:00.89\00:56:04.59
those who honor it
are the troublemakers.
00:56:04.63\00:56:06.90
You get my point?
00:56:07.66\00:56:09.00
If somebody is
honoring the Sabbath,
00:56:09.03\00:56:10.53
and the majority of
the Christians are not,
00:56:10.57\00:56:12.63
they might say, "You're the
one that's causing the trouble."
00:56:12.73\00:56:15.40
Like they did to Elijah.
00:56:16.54\00:56:17.97
Elijah said, "I am not the
troublemaker, but you are."
00:56:18.34\00:56:21.61
Whenever the commandments
of God are forsaken,
00:56:21.91\00:56:24.85
let's put the answer,
what impact does disobedience
00:56:24.88\00:56:28.22
to the
commandments of God reveal?
00:56:28.25\00:56:29.58
Trouble.
00:56:29.75\00:56:31.09
It causes trouble.
00:56:31.49\00:56:33.39
You get in trouble when you
ignore the commandments of God.
00:56:35.12\00:56:38.86
So here's what's happening.
00:56:38.96\00:56:40.30
There's a direction
I'm taking with this.
00:56:40.33\00:56:42.10
Because in Revelation
we read that Satan is upset
00:56:42.36\00:56:44.90
with those who keep
the commandments of God.
00:56:44.93\00:56:47.04
Well now, if Satan is
upset with those who keep
00:56:47.64\00:56:50.27
the commandments of
God, Revelation 12:17,
00:56:50.31\00:56:52.61
and he's going to war with them,
he's going to point to those who
00:56:52.64\00:56:56.04
keep the
commandments of God and say,
00:56:56.08\00:56:58.01
he's going to point to those
who keep the commandments of God
00:56:58.41\00:57:00.62
and say, "They're the ones
that are causing the trouble."
00:57:00.65\00:57:03.25
And those who are
honoring the commandments of God
00:57:03.65\00:57:05.65
are going to say, "We
are not the troublemakers.
00:57:05.69\00:57:08.62
But those who have
forsaken the commandments of God
00:57:08.72\00:57:11.33
are the troublemakers."
00:57:11.63\00:57:12.96
So here's the point, as I
wind up this lesson for today.
00:57:12.99\00:57:15.30
The obligation of
the Christian is to honor
00:57:16.56\00:57:19.00
the commandments of God.
00:57:19.03\00:57:20.50
How many of
them? Somebody tell me.
00:57:20.94\00:57:22.57
All ten. There are only ten.
00:57:22.90\00:57:24.54
Written by the finger of God.
00:57:24.81\00:57:26.94
And we'll find out that not
only are they written by the
00:57:28.04\00:57:30.65
finger of God, and not only were
they placed on tables of stone,
00:57:30.68\00:57:33.78
they are some place today
that we cannot get rid of them.
00:57:34.02\00:57:37.19
We'll find out in our
next study where they are
00:57:37.22\00:57:39.49
so we cannot get rid of them.
00:57:39.89\00:57:41.46
When you live in harmony
with the commandments of God,
00:57:41.79\00:57:43.66
you're not the troublemaker.
00:57:43.86\00:57:45.19
Don't ever think that obedience
to the commandments of God
00:57:45.23\00:57:47.80
causes trouble.
00:57:48.00\00:57:49.33
It causes trouble to
those who don't honor it.
00:57:49.50\00:57:52.00
Don't ever think obedience
is trouble in your life.
00:57:52.03\00:57:54.34
If you don't believe
that, keep studying, my friends.
00:57:54.64\00:57:56.97
And one day it will
come into a sharper focus.
00:57:57.01\00:58:00.28
God bless you.
00:58:00.54\00:58:01.88