Hello friends, and welcome
to another Wednesday night
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Bible Study here at
the 3ABN Worship Center.
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Welcome to A Shaper Focus.
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We welcome you
with a hearty Amen.
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Can we say Amen tonight? Amen!
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And we have gathered with our
Bibles, our pens, our lessons,
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and our friends, and
we're going to walk together
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through the Word of God.
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In just a minute I'll tell you
how to get a copy of the lesson.
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But if you're joining us
from wherever in the world,
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I want to say a special
hello tonight to Lorraine.
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Lorraine Like is at
home recovering from surgery,
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and that kind of
time stamps our program,
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but that's okay, there are
so many more. But just welcome.
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We know that if she
could be here she will be.
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But tonight get
your Bibles together.
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We're going to ask for
the Lord to be in our midst,
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and bless us as
we study His Word.
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So before we go
into all the specifics
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of our program
tonight, and our theme song,
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let's begin with
a word of prayer.
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Loving Father in heaven,
we thank You so much for the
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goodness that
we receive from our
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relationship with You, Father.
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We thank You for the beauty of
Your Word, for the living Word,
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to become the written Word.
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And as it enters our minds and
hearts, we pray that we could
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find strength to
live in harmony with it.
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And so tonight, as
we continue our topic,
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The Christian Obligation, we do
pray that you'll speak to those
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who are watching this program,
and that Your Spirit will have
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His way in our lives.
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We ask in Jesus' name, Amen.
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Now to get a
copy of the lesson...
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Each of you has a
copy of the lesson.
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But for those of you
that are watching the program,
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go to this website to
download a copy. It is
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Download lesson 35, The Truth
About the Christian Obligation.
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At that same website you
can find the prior lessons,
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you can find, also, the videos
that are there from the very
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first day up until the present.
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I think there's more
than a hundred videos.
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And if you want to find
out how to coordinate the two,
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go to the video first, and
any video at the very beginning
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will tell you what
lesson that refers to.
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Then you can download the
lesson, and have a wonderful
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study in your home, or even
for that matter, in your church.
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Now tonight we're going to
sing our theme song together.
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Our theme song
is, Victory In Jesus.
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Let's sing that
theme song together.
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You can join us
if you'd like to.
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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
sin, and won the victory.
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Oh 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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Key change. Oh 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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Amen! Let us
repeat the topic tonight.
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And it's on the screen.
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Let me lay some foundation.
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You know, when you think
of obligation, paying a credit
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card is an obligation.
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Monthly paying your rent, or
your mortgage is an obligation.
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And when you think of
obligation, you think of things
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that are
sometimes not delightful.
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I have to go to
work: an obligation.
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I've got to take
care of somebody's
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children for the
weekend: an obligation.
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I've got to clean up
my garage: an obligation.
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You often think
of things that are
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obligations as not delightful.
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But the reason why I use
the word Christian is because
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the Christian's obligation
is based on love for God.
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And there was an
article that I read.
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I actually perused through it.
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It wasn't a very long
article, and it had the title,
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Are You Loving
God Out of Obligation?
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And if you're loving God out
of obligation, sometimes you can
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think, well, do I
have to go to church?
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Do I have to wear that?
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Do I have to give up that?
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Do I have to stop doing that?
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And we often get into these
obligations. and it sounds like
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And it sounds like the
Christian life becomes a burden,
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and it becomes
difficult, and it becomes hard,
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and it's no longer a delight.
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But serving the
Lord is a delight.
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Can you say amen to that?
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It's a delight. It's a pleasure.
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So let's look at a couple
of Scriptures in the Bible
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that shows you that serving
God is not a sour obligation,
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but it falls
under this category.
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Go with me to Psalm, Psalm 116.
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Many Psalms, but let's
look at the 116th Psalm,
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and let's look at
verse 12 together.
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When you think about this verse,
you would think of it in a
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context of somebody whose son...
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I heard this story
many years ago, and many
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evangelists use the story.
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They talked about a son who
used to dive, and they would
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dive for, you know,
lobsters, and oysters,
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and things of that nature.
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And the story is
told of a young man.
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He dived, and he went
beyond the normal depth.
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And on his way up, he had come
up so quickly he got the bends,
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and as a result
he lost his life.
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But he got an oyster, and in
this oyster was a huge pearl.
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And his father put the
oyster pearl on display.
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And people offered him so many
different sums of money for this
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oyster, and he
said, No, no, I cannot.
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My son lost his
life for that oyster.
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And then the connection was more
than a task his son had done,
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but the value of the son's life,
and the benefit that came to him
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as a result of his
son losing his life.
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So when you think about
the Christian obligation,
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I like the way that
David the Psalmist writes it
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here in Psalm 116:12.
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Let's look at that together.
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Look at how he
asks the question.
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What shall I render to
the Lord for all His what?
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benefits towards me?
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Now when you think of...
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Let's go ahead and go back into
the realm of paying our bills,
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and the credit
card, and all of that.
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Now if you think of,
Well, what's the benefit?
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A lot of credit card
companies nowadays are saying,
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Well, if you pay
your credit card on time,
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you get a
certain percentage back.
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They call those
incentives, or benefits.
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And some companies say,
Well, I remember there's a water
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company out here,
Corinth Water District.
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They said, Well, if you pay your
water bill six months in a row
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on time, you get
your deposit back.
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That's a motivating benefit.
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Okay, I sure do
want my benefits.
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So if I follow the obligations,
there's a benefit toward that.
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Well, you know, in the Christian
life the benefit is God has done
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so much for us already, has
He not? that when you think of
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the things that the Lord asks us
to do, all you've got to do is
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list, Well, what
has God done for me?
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And then you come
to the conclusion, Wow!
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Let's go to 1 John 4:19.
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Let's look at the
context of this text.
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The context, I believe, and
matter of fact, if I told you
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the term, but I'll
just read it myself.
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In this same Psalm 116, if you
look at the verse 1, David said,
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I love the Lord
because He has heard my voice,
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and my supplications.
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Because He has inclined His
ear to me, therefore I will call
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upon Him as long as I live.
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So he said, I love the
Lord, because He heard me
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when I called on Him.
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So, therefore, if the Lord heard
you when you called on Him,
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should we hear Him
when He calls on us?
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The answer is, Yes.
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Let's look at the context of
that; that kind of relationship.
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What did I say? 1 John 4:19?
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Look at this. It's very short.
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Let's read this together.
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We love Him because
He what? first loved us.
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When you think about that, a
lot of times people will say,
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Why should I love you?
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Now we don't say to
our husband, or our wife...
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I don't say to my wife, You love
me because I first loved you.
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You know, that's a
competition in that respect.
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The context of this is
long before we were even born,
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God's love was
extended to humanity.
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I mean, what's
the text we all know?
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For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son.
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He loved us in that in
that while we were yet sinners
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Christ did what? died for us.
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So He... All these benefits
were in place, and He says,
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If you simply do what I ask,
all these benefits are yours.
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So we're looking at
it in that context today.
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Because really, when you think
about it, Christianity only
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works when you are
in love with Jesus.
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Let me say that again:
Christianity can only work
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if you're in love with Jesus.
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If you're not in
love, it's an obligation.
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Do I have to go to
church on the Sabbath?
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Can I go on the day I choose?
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You know, do I have to
give up pork? It tastes so good!
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I mean, we go on these...
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It's all about us in many cases.
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But this lesson is really
focusing us on, it's about God,
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it's not about us. Amen.
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So let's dive into that
tonight about the obligations.
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Because at the heart of the
obligation is something today
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that has been minimized
in the Christian world,
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and that is God's law.
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You know why? We think of law...
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Let's go put
some foundation there.
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The law is... And we
think of the laws of the land as
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obligations,
because we don't know the
00:12:07.29\00:12:10.46
guys who wrote the laws.
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We really could care less about
the guys who wrote the laws,
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or the committees
that wrote the laws.
00:12:14.73\00:12:16.36
We find out ways to violate
the laws for our own benefit.
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But when you think about God,
you don't really want to do that
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because you love Him.
00:12:23.81\00:12:25.34
And the motivation to be in
harmony with His will is really
00:12:26.98\00:12:30.95
because of a love relationship.
00:12:30.98\00:12:32.31
So let's look at something that
makes a very significant impact
00:12:32.35\00:12:35.35
on how we respond to
our obligation, which is out
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of love for the Lord.
00:12:38.89\00:12:40.22
Let's go to question No. 8.
00:12:40.26\00:12:42.82
Let's look at that together.
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The Apostle Paul, very, very
interesting Bible personality.
00:12:54.40\00:13:01.54
When we think of
character, we often think of a
00:13:01.58\00:13:04.35
guy playing a
role, but Paul was doing
00:13:04.38\00:13:06.85
anything but playing a role.
00:13:06.88\00:13:08.35
He was a person just
like us, in a different time,
00:13:08.48\00:13:11.45
and a different
place, and God called him for
00:13:11.52\00:13:13.76
a particular purpose.
00:13:13.79\00:13:15.12
Romans 7:12 is where
we go to find our answer.
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What does the Apostle
Paul, how does the Apostle Paul,
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or in what way does
he speak about God's law?
00:13:21.90\00:13:23.97
Let's look at this together.
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Therefore the law is what?
holy, and the command is what?
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holy and what else?
just, and what else? good.
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Look at all the beauties
of that: holy, just, good.
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What if you had a puppy that was
good, even if you had a puppy
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that was bad... Let me put this
terrible picture in your mind.
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Are you ready for it?
00:13:53.60\00:13:54.93
Here this cute, six week
old, white little poodle,
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who's covered in fluffy hair...
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Oh, just pick him up now
and cuddle him, if you have one.
00:14:02.74\00:14:07.38
And he wets on the carpet.
00:14:07.41\00:14:11.15
Do you take him by his collar
and just kick him out the house?
00:14:11.18\00:14:15.42
Get out of here! Don't
you ever do that again!
00:14:15.45\00:14:18.12
Did you feel that? It's like,
if you're not a puppy lover,
00:14:18.15\00:14:23.49
you might not really care.
00:14:23.53\00:14:25.06
But I like puppies.
00:14:25.09\00:14:27.56
I like pets. And there are some
of you who might be in my camp.
00:14:27.60\00:14:33.23
If you don't like pets,
well, I can't expect too
00:14:33.27\00:14:35.84
much pathos from you.
00:14:35.87\00:14:37.47
But anyone that is good,
and just, and holy, you really
00:14:37.51\00:14:46.35
wouldn't find reason to get rid
of anyone like that, would you?
00:14:46.41\00:14:49.18
Now you know why the law
is holy, and just, and good?
00:14:49.22\00:14:52.72
Who can tell me?
Because God is what?
00:14:52.75\00:14:57.93
holy, and just, and good.
00:14:57.96\00:15:00.73
It is the
transcript of His character.
00:15:00.80\00:15:03.26
So it's not something hanging
out there by itself like a speed
00:15:03.30\00:15:06.80
limit on a metal
pole, but it really comes
00:15:06.84\00:15:10.11
from the heart of God.
00:15:10.14\00:15:11.47
It is the
parameter of a beautifully
00:15:11.51\00:15:13.64
developing relationship.
00:15:13.68\00:15:15.04
So when you have that
kind of connection with God...
00:15:15.08\00:15:17.45
Let's put the answer down.
00:15:17.48\00:15:18.81
In what way does the Apostle
Paul speak about God's law?
00:15:18.85\00:15:21.32
Put those three words down.
00:15:21.35\00:15:22.68
It is holy, it is what else?
just, and what else? it is good.
00:15:22.72\00:15:27.39
Wow! Nothing
wrong with a good thing!
00:15:27.46\00:15:30.96
And why would anybody want
to get rid of a good thing?
00:15:30.99\00:15:34.26
But today in the Christian
world, for some reason,
00:15:34.30\00:15:37.47
Christians are taught, in some
churches, that God's law has
00:15:37.53\00:15:41.07
been nailed to the cross.
00:15:41.10\00:15:42.44
It's been done away with.
00:15:42.47\00:15:43.81
It's no longer our obligation.
00:15:43.84\00:15:45.77
The only thing we have
to do is love everybody.
00:15:45.81\00:15:48.71
Is do what? Let's go to that.
00:15:48.74\00:15:51.35
Let's try that out.
00:15:51.38\00:15:52.71
Go with me, before we
go to the next question.
00:15:52.75\00:15:54.08
Go with me to Romans,
to the book of Romans.
00:15:54.12\00:15:56.92
Okay. And I'm
going to go to Romans 13.
00:15:56.95\00:16:00.46
Let's go to Romans 13.
00:16:00.49\00:16:02.49
Ha! This is
beautiful, this is beautiful.
00:16:02.52\00:16:07.06
You're going to see the context
that the Bible puts love in.
00:16:07.93\00:16:13.70
Romans 13, and I want
to start with verse 8.
00:16:13.74\00:16:17.21
Romans 13:8.
Notice what it says.
00:16:17.24\00:16:21.21
Owe no one anything except
to do what? love one another.
00:16:21.24\00:16:27.75
For he who loves another
has done; fulfilled the law.
00:16:27.78\00:16:34.32
Now notice that. If you love
someone else, the Bible says
00:16:34.36\00:16:37.99
you've fulfilled the law.
00:16:38.03\00:16:39.53
Now does
fulfill mean get rid of?
00:16:39.56\00:16:41.76
What does it mean to
be in harmony with it.
00:16:42.73\00:16:45.93
It means it is brought
to fruition in your life.
00:16:46.00\00:16:49.17
It comes to
completion in your life.
00:16:49.20\00:16:51.27
But now, just in case a person
doesn't understand what that
00:16:51.34\00:16:54.71
means, notice how the
Lord classically refers to two
00:16:54.74\00:16:59.45
commandments to
make sure that you
00:16:59.48\00:17:00.98
understand what He's saying.
00:17:01.02\00:17:02.35
Look at verse 9. For the
commandment, you shall not
00:17:02.38\00:17:05.02
commit what? adultery, verse 9.
00:17:05.05\00:17:07.79
You shall not murder.
00:17:07.82\00:17:10.03
He goes to another one.
00:17:10.06\00:17:11.39
You shall not steal.
00:17:11.43\00:17:12.76
Another one: You shall
not bear false witness.
00:17:12.79\00:17:15.73
Another one:
You shall not covet.
00:17:15.76\00:17:18.07
He's referring to
the ten commandments.
00:17:18.10\00:17:19.90
And He says, And if
there is any other commandment,
00:17:19.93\00:17:23.20
are all summed up in the saying
namely together, You shall...
00:17:23.24\00:17:30.08
Come on, talk to me.
00:17:30.15\00:17:31.48
You shall what? love
your neighbor as yourself.
00:17:31.51\00:17:35.72
Notice the...
Notice what He says.
00:17:35.78\00:17:37.45
He makes that clear.
00:17:37.49\00:17:38.82
And then He says in verse 10,
Love does no harm to a neighbor.
00:17:38.85\00:17:44.36
Therefore love is the
what? fulfillment of the law.
00:17:44.39\00:17:48.60
So when you look
at that, He says, Yes!
00:17:48.63\00:17:50.80
Now if somebody says, Your
obligation is not to kill me.
00:17:50.83\00:17:56.30
You wouldn't have to tell
me that if I love you, right?
00:17:59.81\00:18:03.45
Don't shoot me! You
wouldn't have to tell
00:18:03.48\00:18:05.31
me that if I love you.
00:18:05.35\00:18:06.68
Don't steal from...
Don't commit adultery.
00:18:06.72\00:18:09.52
Don't lie on me.
Don't bear false...
00:18:09.55\00:18:11.25
You wouldn't have to
tell me that if I have a love
00:18:11.29\00:18:14.16
relationship with you.
00:18:14.19\00:18:15.52
But if I don't, then
those things are in danger,
00:18:15.56\00:18:18.16
because where
there is no relationship,
00:18:18.19\00:18:20.06
there is no
obligation. You get that?
00:18:20.10\00:18:23.70
Where there is a relationship
there's an obligation.
00:18:23.73\00:18:26.97
Don't put the word obligation
as a, You've got to do this!
00:18:27.00\00:18:31.27
But love fulfilled
the obligation out of
00:18:31.31\00:18:37.91
love for one another.
00:18:37.95\00:18:39.48
Love over here, love
over here, and the bridge is
00:18:39.51\00:18:43.52
built in all the ways.
and that's why the Bible says,
00:18:43.55\00:18:45.12
And that's why the Bible
says, Love the Lord your God,
00:18:45.15\00:18:48.59
with how much of your
heart? all your heart,
00:18:48.62\00:18:50.93
all of your
soul, all of your mind.
00:18:50.96\00:18:53.43
This is the first and
the greatest commandment.
00:18:53.46\00:18:55.60
Love your neighbor as yourself.
00:18:55.63\00:18:57.87
So when you do these things
you find that the love is the
00:18:57.90\00:19:00.67
whole circumference; it's
the foundation, it's the roof,
00:19:00.70\00:19:03.17
it's the
content, it's the middle.
00:19:03.20\00:19:04.77
Love makes all the
difference in the world.
00:19:04.81\00:19:07.08
Let's go to the next one, No. 9.
00:19:07.11\00:19:09.48
This is interesting.
00:19:09.51\00:19:11.28
1 Kings 18:18. Let's
first use the question.
00:19:11.31\00:19:15.12
Here's the question: What
impact does disobedience to the
00:19:15.15\00:19:19.89
commandments reveal?
00:19:19.92\00:19:21.52
1 Kings 18:18. Okay, great!
00:19:25.39\00:19:32.57
And this is an amazing
story because you'll find such
00:19:32.60\00:19:36.14
beautiful stories
in 1st and 2nd Kings.
00:19:36.17\00:19:38.51
These are Elijah and Elisha
books, and I'm sure you've read
00:19:38.54\00:19:44.01
this story before, but let's go
ahead and look at it together.
00:19:44.05\00:19:47.55
Wow! Ha ha, what impact.
00:19:47.58\00:19:51.85
Okay, here it is.
I'm going to read it.
00:19:51.89\00:19:53.25
It's on the screen.
00:19:53.29\00:19:54.62
Now what's the impact?
00:20:10.47\00:20:11.81
What is the impact?
00:20:11.84\00:20:15.94
What impact does it have?
00:20:15.98\00:20:18.31
Turning away from the Lord.
00:20:23.02\00:20:24.49
The impact, if you
look at this, forsaken the
00:20:24.52\00:20:27.72
commandments of God.
00:20:27.76\00:20:29.09
The impact is on the house,
on the house, the entire house.
00:20:29.12\00:20:34.03
The impact is on
the entire family.
00:20:34.06\00:20:37.40
I have not troubled Israel,
but you and your father's house.
00:20:37.43\00:20:42.27
The impact is on entire family.
00:20:42.30\00:20:45.24
When you look at the
commandments of God in the
00:20:45.27\00:20:47.88
Old Testament; in Deuteronomy
the Lord said, I want you to
00:20:47.91\00:20:52.21
bind these as frontlets between
your eyes, on the doorposts
00:20:52.25\00:20:56.35
of your house, that it
may be well with you and
00:20:56.38\00:20:58.35
your children forever.
00:20:58.39\00:21:00.09
He says, If you live by this,
there will be no difficulty
00:21:00.12\00:21:03.22
in your father's house.
00:21:03.26\00:21:04.59
But the impact here, write
that down, what impact does the
00:21:04.63\00:21:07.10
disobedience to the commandments
reveal? the entire family.
00:21:07.13\00:21:11.00
The entire family
structure falls apart.
00:21:11.03\00:21:13.97
You and your father's house.
00:21:14.00\00:21:15.94
What has happened?
You have forsaken the
00:21:15.97\00:21:18.84
commandments of the Lord.
00:21:18.87\00:21:20.21
You see, the trouble
that was coming to Elijah.
00:21:20.24\00:21:24.61
He was considered the
one that was causing trouble,
00:21:24.65\00:21:28.65
but he was obedient.
00:21:28.68\00:21:31.05
Never consider obedience
as a factor of trouble.
00:21:31.09\00:21:34.22
It might get you in trouble
by other people, but I have a
00:21:34.26\00:21:37.26
saying that goes this way:
I'd rather be persecuted by man
00:21:37.29\00:21:41.53
than prosecuted by God.
00:21:41.56\00:21:43.50
I'd rather be persecuted by
man than prosecuted by God for
00:21:43.53\00:21:48.17
not doing what's right. Amen?
00:21:48.20\00:21:50.97
Let's got to the
next one, No. 10.
00:21:51.01\00:21:52.94
Have you ever been
caught by a speed trap?
00:21:59.51\00:22:02.28
Anybody in here? Come on!
00:22:02.32\00:22:03.65
Can I get an Amen if you have?
00:22:03.69\00:22:05.12
Okay, I'll say,
Amen, since we're all not
00:22:07.32\00:22:10.79
one to confess today.
00:22:10.83\00:22:12.16
I was driving down the freeway
the other day and my radar
00:22:12.19\00:22:18.73
detector went: laser, laser.
00:22:18.77\00:22:21.44
And do you know what that means?
00:22:22.47\00:22:23.81
That means there's somebody
in a tree somewhere pointing a
00:22:23.84\00:22:28.31
laser straight at your car.
00:22:28.34\00:22:29.88
I remember going 57 once,
and when I heard that go off,
00:22:29.91\00:22:34.62
I saw the highway patrolman
on the overpass on the far left,
00:22:34.65\00:22:43.49
in the other side of the
lane, hiding behind a pole,
00:22:43.53\00:22:46.63
and all I saw was just a part of
his body, and his laser detector
00:22:46.66\00:22:51.97
aiming down their
freeway, and the thing is going:
00:22:52.00\00:22:54.24
laser, laser, and I'm thinking,
Man, no matter what you do,
00:22:54.27\00:23:00.88
you can't evade the speed traps.
00:23:00.91\00:23:04.15
Now follow me
carefully, this is, this is,
00:23:04.18\00:23:07.15
I'm going somewhere with this.
00:23:07.18\00:23:09.02
Except you have
a radar detector.
00:23:09.05\00:23:13.19
Now, is there any good
for the radar detector?
00:23:13.22\00:23:17.56
It lets you know
when you are in trouble.
00:23:17.59\00:23:21.00
Come on, am I telling the truth?
00:23:21.03\00:23:22.86
It lets you know that you
are about, you're about to get
00:23:22.90\00:23:27.30
in trouble if you don't adjust
what you're doing right now.
00:23:27.34\00:23:30.61
Now I don't know if
you've ever heard it this way.
00:23:30.64\00:23:34.01
Maybe you might want to
send me an e-mail and correct my
00:23:34.04\00:23:36.44
application, but the Holy
Spirit is a radar detector;
00:23:36.48\00:23:40.62
lets you know when
you're about to get in trouble.
00:23:40.65\00:23:44.15
And he says, Remember,
remember, don't go there!
00:23:44.19\00:23:50.93
Slow it down; you're
about to cross the line,
00:23:50.96\00:23:54.56
and you're going to get stopped.
00:23:54.60\00:23:56.33
The Holy Spirit is
bringing that conviction.
00:23:56.36\00:23:58.43
And you know when you hear
the, when you hear the thing
00:23:58.47\00:24:00.54
goes off, laser! When
you hear, beep, beep, beep!
00:24:00.57\00:24:02.70
You... Does it
do something to you?
00:24:02.74\00:24:04.51
Oh, it brings a feeling
that you shouldn't have,
00:24:04.54\00:24:08.01
because you know you're
almost to get in trouble.
00:24:08.04\00:24:10.35
Now I don't want you to raise
your hand, but I'm sure that if
00:24:10.38\00:24:12.51
you're watching
the program you may...
00:24:12.55\00:24:13.88
My head elder in California
once, at a few churches back,
00:24:13.92\00:24:17.62
he had not had a, he had never
had a ticket in his whole life.
00:24:17.65\00:24:23.29
And he was driving over one
of the overpasses in California,
00:24:23.32\00:24:27.80
coming down the back way
to go to Antioch, California,
00:24:27.83\00:24:31.43
and not Brother Hutchinson,
because he was one of my head
00:24:31.47\00:24:34.04
Elders in California.
00:24:34.07\00:24:35.40
And he came over the overpass,
and there was a Highway
00:24:35.44\00:24:41.18
Patrolman; pulled him over,
and he said, You were speeding.
00:24:41.21\00:24:44.78
He said, Officer,
officer, I've never had a
00:24:44.81\00:24:50.55
speeding ticket in my life!
00:24:50.59\00:24:52.92
Please don't give
me a speeding ticket!
00:24:52.95\00:24:57.89
The officer said, Well,
I see it a different way.
00:24:57.93\00:25:01.23
It's my privilege to be
the first one to give you a
00:25:01.26\00:25:05.23
speeding ticket, so let's
not make this too painful.
00:25:05.27\00:25:08.47
And when he came to church
on Sabbath he went like this:
00:25:08.50\00:25:10.71
I got my first speeding ticket!
00:25:10.74\00:25:13.48
After driving all... And
he was like 67 at the time.
00:25:13.51\00:25:18.15
I never had... I
said, It's not that bad.
00:25:18.18\00:25:20.85
He said, Oh, I
almost had a perfect record!
00:25:20.88\00:25:24.32
The Lord sometimes catches us.
00:25:24.35\00:25:26.09
And he said, So we
see it differently.
00:25:26.12\00:25:28.36
He said, Please
don't mess up my record.
00:25:28.39\00:25:30.53
The highway patrolman said,
It's my privilege to be the
00:25:30.56\00:25:33.36
first one to give... And,
you know what I'm talking about!
00:25:33.40\00:25:37.27
Okay. But anyway, so why
is it impossible to obey the
00:25:37.30\00:25:40.80
commandments of God?
00:25:40.84\00:25:42.17
Let's look at this together.
00:25:42.20\00:25:43.54
Hebrews 10:16.
Why is it impossible?
00:25:43.57\00:25:46.14
Look at what the Lord did.
00:25:46.17\00:25:48.74
Hebrews 10:16. There are things
you... You know the thing...
00:25:48.78\00:25:52.85
The reason why this lesson
is so important to me is because
00:25:52.88\00:25:55.22
to try to get away
from what you can't get
00:25:55.25\00:25:59.75
away from is insanity.
00:25:59.79\00:26:01.82
To try to get away
from what you can't get
00:26:01.86\00:26:04.99
away from is insanity.
00:26:05.03\00:26:06.80
Look at Hebrews
10:16. Here it is.
00:26:06.83\00:26:08.76
So can you get
away from God's law?
00:26:24.48\00:26:27.12
Can you run
faster than your mind?
00:26:28.38\00:26:30.52
Can you run faster
than your heart? No!
00:26:30.55\00:26:34.39
You know what happens
when you try to? guilt.
00:26:34.42\00:26:37.43
You know what happens
when you try to violate the law
00:26:37.46\00:26:41.40
of your mind? guilt.
00:26:41.43\00:26:43.77
Go to Romans. Look at this.
00:26:43.80\00:26:45.93
Write that down. What
makes the commandments of God
00:26:45.97\00:26:48.37
impossible to evade?
00:26:48.40\00:26:49.74
They're in our
minds and in our hearts.
00:26:49.77\00:26:52.44
If you can run faster
than your heart and your mind,
00:26:52.47\00:26:54.51
then you're an
exception to the rule.
00:26:54.54\00:26:56.41
But let me show you what
happened to a person that
00:26:56.44\00:26:58.51
cannot run faster than his mind.
00:26:58.65\00:27:01.08
Romans 7. Let's
look what happens.
00:27:01.12\00:27:04.69
Let's look at the
experience of a man who could
00:27:04.72\00:27:07.72
not outrun his mind. Alright?
00:27:07.76\00:27:10.79
Here, look at what happens.
00:27:10.83\00:27:12.89
Romans 7, and let's
start with verse 14.
00:27:12.93\00:27:21.74
Ah, well, that's a long
way, but let's go to verse 22.
00:27:21.77\00:27:28.08
I don't want to
take too much time.
00:27:28.11\00:27:30.08
Verse 22, he says in verse 22,
Paul says, For I delight in the
00:27:30.11\00:27:35.45
what? law of God according
to the inward... I delight,
00:27:35.48\00:27:40.59
according to that, but, verse
23, I see another law in my
00:27:40.62\00:27:45.16
members warring against
the law of my what? my mind,
00:27:45.19\00:27:50.13
and bringing me into
captivity to the law of sin,
00:27:50.17\00:27:53.13
which is in my members.
00:27:53.17\00:27:54.97
And then he confesses, verse
24, Oh, wretched man that I am,
00:27:55.00\00:27:59.74
who will deliver me
from the body of this death?
00:27:59.77\00:28:02.84
or from this body of death?
00:28:02.88\00:28:04.71
He says, I love God's law!
00:28:04.75\00:28:07.38
But in my mind there's
something else going on.
00:28:07.55\00:28:13.12
There's another war going
on against the law of my mind,
00:28:13.15\00:28:18.36
the law that's in my mind.
00:28:18.39\00:28:20.00
We saw how it got there.
00:28:20.03\00:28:21.66
God put it in his mind.
00:28:21.70\00:28:23.30
But Paul had sinful character
traits, like we all do, fighting
00:28:23.33\00:28:30.54
against what
God put in his mind.
00:28:30.57\00:28:33.14
And you know what? the
Lord does that so that we could
00:28:33.17\00:28:35.54
remember that
there's no place we can run,
00:28:35.58\00:28:37.81
that we can outrun God's law.
00:28:37.85\00:28:39.65
So what is the answer?
00:28:39.68\00:28:41.02
What makes the commandments
of God impossible to evade?
00:28:41.05\00:28:43.18
They are where? in our
hearts, and in our minds.
00:28:43.22\00:28:46.45
Stay in Romans. We're going to
to go to the very next question,
00:28:46.49\00:28:48.92
Question 11. They're in
our hearts, and they are
00:28:48.96\00:28:52.13
surely in our minds.
00:28:52.16\00:28:53.90
We're going to go to Romans
8, and we're going to look
00:29:07.24\00:29:11.48
at verse 3 and 4. Romans 8:3, 4.
00:29:11.51\00:29:16.62
Now, it's wonderful that
we just looked at Romans 7,
00:29:16.65\00:29:20.62
because in Romans 7 Paul
is at this impossible impasse,
00:29:20.66\00:29:24.43
and he's saying, I'm wretched.
00:29:24.46\00:29:25.96
I'm miserable. Who
is going to deliver me?
00:29:25.99\00:29:28.96
And then Romans 8 begins
with this wonderful declaration,
00:29:29.00\00:29:32.73
with this wonderful declaration,
There is therefore now no
00:29:32.77\00:29:38.07
condemnation, Romans 8:1, to
those who are in Christ Jesus,
00:29:38.11\00:29:42.54
who do not walk according
to the flesh, but according to
00:29:42.58\00:29:45.01
the what? the Spirit.
00:29:45.05\00:29:46.41
So how you walk determines
the kind of emotional state
00:29:46.45\00:29:51.75
you're going to be in; the
kind of Spiritual state you're
00:29:51.79\00:29:54.02
going to be in; how you walk.
00:29:54.06\00:29:55.42
You can decide, as the
Bible says, there are two
00:29:55.46\00:29:57.89
roads: life and
blessings to the right,
00:29:57.93\00:30:00.90
death and cursing's to the left.
00:30:00.93\00:30:02.26
If you walk on a road
of death and cursing's
00:30:02.30\00:30:04.13
you're going to be wretched,
but if you walk on the road of
00:30:04.17\00:30:07.44
life and blessings,
you're going to find joy.
00:30:07.47\00:30:09.84
No condemnation at all.
00:30:09.87\00:30:11.51
You have to make this decision.
00:30:11.54\00:30:13.14
Every morning you wake up
you have to decide, how are you
00:30:13.17\00:30:15.41
going to walk today?
00:30:15.44\00:30:16.78
That's the Christian obligation.
00:30:16.81\00:30:18.45
How am I going to walk today?
00:30:18.48\00:30:20.08
The Bible says that we
are to walk as Jesus walked.
00:30:20.12\00:30:23.59
So often we think of
the Christian life as
00:30:23.62\00:30:26.19
our weekend activity.
00:30:26.22\00:30:27.92
That's the
doctrine of the Nicolaitans.
00:30:27.96\00:30:31.33
The doctrine of the Nicolaitans
in Revelation, the Bible says,
00:30:31.36\00:30:34.53
the Lord says, I hate the
doctrine of the Nicolaitans.
00:30:34.56\00:30:36.97
Do you know what they meant?
00:30:37.00\00:30:38.33
They believed that they, they
believed that their secular life
00:30:38.37\00:30:41.50
and their
spiritual life was separate.
00:30:41.54\00:30:43.91
And no matter what
they did, the two will
00:30:43.94\00:30:46.61
never impact each other.
00:30:46.64\00:30:47.98
So they lived sensuality
on one side, and they tried
00:30:48.01\00:30:50.58
Spirituality on the other.
00:30:51.08\00:30:52.51
And the Lord said, I hate
the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,
00:30:52.55\00:30:55.45
because both are
blended together. Amen somebody?
00:30:55.48\00:30:58.42
You can't evade the two.
00:30:58.45\00:30:59.79
You can't say, Okay,
Monday through Friday,
00:30:59.82\00:31:02.89
Monday, Sunday through Friday,
road left, Saturday road right.
00:31:02.92\00:31:08.26
Ha ha! You can't do it!
00:31:08.40\00:31:11.13
In the river or on the banks.
00:31:11.17\00:31:13.20
You can't do it. You're going to
get caught on one of those roads
00:31:13.23\00:31:15.47
at the wrong time, and you
don't want to go down that path.
00:31:15.50\00:31:18.27
So let's look at
what happens now.
00:31:18.31\00:31:19.97
How do we... Through what
method are we able to live in
00:31:20.01\00:31:23.28
harmony with God's law?
00:31:23.31\00:31:24.65
Romans 8:3. Let's start there.
00:31:24.68\00:31:26.65
Let's start
there. And, by the way,
00:31:26.68\00:31:29.55
I'll explain after
we read it. It says,
00:31:29.58\00:31:31.99
That means the law wasn't
weak, but the flesh was weak.
00:31:39.06\00:31:41.83
The law couldn't really do
much because humanity was weak.
00:31:41.86\00:31:44.70
Notice what the Lord did.
00:31:44.73\00:31:46.27
This is a beautiful passage.
00:32:10.59\00:32:12.26
First of all it says, You put
a perfect law in an imperfect
00:32:12.29\00:32:17.43
body, what are you
going to get? wretchedness.
00:32:17.47\00:32:20.14
You put a perfect, holy, just
law in a wretched, sinful flesh;
00:32:20.17\00:32:26.21
what are you going to
get? wretchedness, misery.
00:32:26.24\00:32:30.88
But the Lord sent His Son, in
the likeness of the same flesh,
00:32:32.61\00:32:37.22
and He condemned sin through
the same flesh, so that now that
00:32:37.25\00:32:44.19
we walk in the Spirit, the
flesh won't have dominance,
00:32:44.23\00:32:48.20
and create the same conflict
that it once did when it was
00:32:48.23\00:32:52.40
out of harmony with God's law.
00:32:52.43\00:32:54.10
Jesus came in the same human
flesh, faced sin the way we
00:32:54.14\00:33:00.88
would have to face it.
00:33:00.91\00:33:02.24
He was victorious over it, and
then by the indwelling Spirit,
00:33:02.28\00:33:07.35
who now abides in us, who do
not walk according to the flesh,
00:33:07.38\00:33:11.65
but according to the Spirit.
00:33:11.69\00:33:13.96
That simple word walk
makes all... It empowers.
00:33:13.99\00:33:19.69
When you decide where you're
going to walk, when you decide
00:33:19.73\00:33:23.30
where you're going to
walk, the Spirit now is
00:33:23.33\00:33:25.60
in complete control.
00:33:25.63\00:33:27.60
And, by the way,...
Let's go to Philippians.
00:33:27.64\00:33:32.74
Let me show you that
it's not just when you decide.
00:33:32.77\00:33:35.64
Philippians, because you know,
you can make this a human thing.
00:33:35.68\00:33:40.28
I want to show you it's
not just when you decide,
00:33:40.32\00:33:43.18
but when you put the
Lord in complete control.
00:33:43.22\00:33:46.09
It's not when you decide.
00:33:46.12\00:33:48.29
Now here we are. Oh, okay.
00:33:48.32\00:33:53.93
Okay, here we are. Hum,
it's not just when you decide,
00:33:54.86\00:34:01.24
but when you
allow Jesus to come in.
00:34:01.27\00:34:03.30
Let's look at this, alright?
00:34:03.34\00:34:05.51
Philippians
2:13, Philippians 2:13.
00:34:05.54\00:34:12.08
Now Philippians 2,
there are two elements there,
00:34:12.11\00:34:15.65
two verses in there that really
pulls this whole thing together,
00:34:15.68\00:34:18.05
that empowers you to
live in harmony with the
00:34:18.09\00:34:20.56
Christian obligation.
00:34:20.59\00:34:21.92
Philippians 2:13.
Notice what it says.
00:34:21.96\00:34:25.09
For it is God who works
where? in you, both to will,
00:34:25.13\00:34:33.44
and then what else? to
do of His good pleasure.
00:34:33.47\00:34:37.57
That's huge! It is not us who
wills, but who does the willing?
00:34:37.61\00:34:42.31
God, when the Lord comes in.
00:34:42.34\00:34:45.01
And how does He do it?
00:34:45.05\00:34:46.92
This is powerful because
what I want to show you here,
00:34:46.95\00:34:49.12
is first of all, let's
put the pieces together.
00:34:49.15\00:34:51.35
Hebrews 10:16, God
put the law in our heart,
00:34:51.39\00:34:55.46
and where else?
in our what? mind.
00:34:55.49\00:34:57.69
And Paul says, I delight,
according to the law of God,
00:34:57.73\00:35:01.50
the law of God, but there's
another law warring against
00:35:01.53\00:35:05.70
the law that is in my mind.
00:35:05.73\00:35:08.04
Now notice what happens.
00:35:08.07\00:35:09.87
When the Lord comes in
and changes us, what happens?
00:35:09.90\00:35:14.88
Look at verse
5. Look at verse 5.
00:35:14.91\00:35:17.81
What's the
first word in verse 5?
00:35:17.85\00:35:20.32
Philippians 2:5. What's
the first word together?
00:35:20.35\00:35:25.19
One more time! let.
00:35:25.22\00:35:28.06
Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus.
00:35:28.09\00:35:35.90
And now, now wait a minute!
00:35:35.93\00:35:38.07
Let? Do you let the
sun shine every day?
00:35:38.10\00:35:41.50
Who lets the sun shine?
00:35:41.54\00:35:42.87
Who decides whether the
sun's going to shine or not?
00:35:42.90\00:35:45.07
Do you let your blood flow?
00:35:45.11\00:35:47.71
Who decides whether your
bloods going to flow or not?
00:35:47.74\00:35:49.34
Do you let your nose breathe?
00:35:49.38\00:35:51.45
Come on let's go! Do
you let your eyes bat?
00:35:51.48\00:35:55.05
Can you think
your eyes into stop?
00:35:55.08\00:35:57.62
Let's try it.
It's not going to work.
00:35:57.65\00:36:00.12
But God puts in place certain
cadences that will happen
00:36:00.16\00:36:04.99
if you just what? let them.
00:36:05.03\00:36:07.60
When the Spirit of God
comes into your life it is not,
00:36:07.63\00:36:11.10
Oh, do I have to
let God lead today?
00:36:11.13\00:36:14.07
Because your mind has been
so transformed that the mind
00:36:14.10\00:36:18.14
of Christ is in you.
00:36:18.17\00:36:19.51
It is no longer a
battle. You simply let.
00:36:19.54\00:36:22.51
What's another letter
in the Bible that we have?
00:36:22.54\00:36:24.25
Let your light so what? shine.
00:36:24.28\00:36:27.72
Do you have to stoke a
fire to get it to shine?
00:36:27.78\00:36:33.22
Do you have to really shake the
candle for its wick to shine?
00:36:33.25\00:36:36.42
No, you just ignite it.
00:36:36.46\00:36:38.53
When the Spirit of
God comes into our lives,
00:36:38.56\00:36:40.66
these things that we look at
as obligations, are no longer
00:36:40.70\00:36:43.53
fights any longer, because
the mind has been transformed
00:36:43.57\00:36:47.57
by the indwelling Christ.
00:36:47.60\00:36:49.34
The Spirit is there to power us,
and then we realize God is the
00:36:49.40\00:36:54.34
One who wills it,
and then He does it.
00:36:54.38\00:36:56.81
But you need another text.
00:36:59.88\00:37:01.55
I can see it on your faces.
00:37:01.58\00:37:03.22
You need another text.
00:37:03.25\00:37:04.59
Go to Galatians 2:20 now,
Galatians, let's see this.
00:37:04.62\00:37:08.96
I've got to make sure
that you guys are clear.
00:37:08.99\00:37:11.03
Galatians, Galatians... See,
the reason why this passage,
00:37:11.06\00:37:16.20
this chapter is so important...
I'm giving you extra stuff
00:37:16.23\00:37:19.30
that's no in the lesson.
00:37:19.33\00:37:20.67
We'll go to the
ones that are here.
00:37:20.70\00:37:22.24
But the reason I'm giving you
this is because the Christian
00:37:22.27\00:37:25.34
life is often seen as things
we do, and things we don't do;
00:37:25.37\00:37:29.28
places we go, and
places we don't go.
00:37:29.31\00:37:31.75
It's so work oriented.
00:37:31.78\00:37:33.98
Things we eat and
things we don't eat.
00:37:34.02\00:37:36.38
Songs we sing and
songs we don't sing.
00:37:36.42\00:37:38.92
It's such a do
and don't environment.
00:37:38.95\00:37:40.96
But what you have to keep in
mind is have you ever gone to a
00:37:40.99\00:37:44.33
funeral, and the
person who had been laid to
00:37:44.36\00:37:49.46
rest follows you home?
00:37:49.50\00:37:51.43
Think about that.
Have they ever? No.
00:37:51.47\00:37:57.61
It's never, ever happened.
00:37:57.64\00:37:59.77
But now have you read in
the Bible where people have been
00:37:59.81\00:38:04.88
resurrected? Yes or no?
00:38:04.91\00:38:06.51
Did Jesus ever
resurrect somebody?
00:38:06.55\00:38:09.75
Who did the
resurrecting? Jesus did.
00:38:09.78\00:38:12.89
Do they come forth in their
own power, or in His power?
00:38:12.92\00:38:16.39
Okay. I just want to
get you to think that way.
00:38:16.42\00:38:19.19
Because now when you
decide to become a Christian,
00:38:19.23\00:38:21.96
something happens
that we often overlook.
00:38:22.00\00:38:26.00
We think of church membership
rather than thinking of entering
00:38:26.03\00:38:30.27
the Christian
life as we just died.
00:38:30.31\00:38:32.81
You've got to die to
enter the Christian life.
00:38:32.84\00:38:35.34
And if you die, have you
seen a dead person do anything
00:38:35.38\00:38:38.28
before, Pastor Dinzey? No!
00:38:38.31\00:38:40.42
Have you, Terry?
Have you seen dead...
00:38:40.45\00:38:42.88
Anybody seen a
dead person do anything?
00:38:42.92\00:38:45.32
No they... Dead
people can't do anything.
00:38:45.35\00:38:47.76
Now let's look at this now.
00:38:47.79\00:38:49.12
If you really died to who you
were, let's look and see who's
00:38:49.16\00:38:52.79
in charge of your life.
00:38:52.83\00:38:54.16
Galatians 2:20. Look at this.
00:38:54.20\00:38:55.73
Look at this.
Romans 6 backs it up.
00:38:55.76\00:38:59.07
Galatians 2:20. I
have been crucified with...
00:38:59.10\00:39:04.04
together... Christ.
00:39:04.07\00:39:05.51
It is no longer
I who what? live,
00:39:05.54\00:39:09.98
but Christ lives where? in me.
00:39:10.01\00:39:13.62
So now if He's living in you,
now you can see it is God who
00:39:13.65\00:39:17.09
works in you both to will
and to do of His good pleasure.
00:39:17.12\00:39:20.49
He's living in you. You're dead.
00:39:20.52\00:39:22.72
Janeck died
when he got baptized;
00:39:22.76\00:39:24.39
came forth in a
newness of life, Romans 6.
00:39:24.43\00:39:26.70
But Christ lives in me.
00:39:26.73\00:39:28.66
And now get this:
this is the road now.
00:39:28.70\00:39:31.83
This is where the road comes in.
00:39:31.87\00:39:33.37
And the life which I what?
now live in the what? flesh,
00:39:33.40\00:39:38.44
I live by faith in the Son
of God who did what? loved me,
00:39:38.47\00:39:45.11
and gave Himself for me.
00:39:45.15\00:39:48.08
So now He loved you.
00:39:48.12\00:39:49.55
And then we go
back to 1 John 4:17,
00:39:49.58\00:39:51.95
We love Him
because He first loved us.
00:39:51.99\00:39:54.19
See, that's all based
on a love relationship.
00:39:54.22\00:39:56.59
When you love the Lord,
it's no longer obligations.
00:39:56.62\00:39:59.56
Somebody... When people ask
me, What do I have to give up
00:39:59.59\00:40:01.83
to become a
member of your church?
00:40:01.86\00:40:03.47
You know what I
used to say to them?
00:40:03.50\00:40:04.83
You need to die. Huh?
00:40:04.87\00:40:08.44
You've got to give up your life!
00:40:08.47\00:40:10.64
What do I have to
do to become a member?
00:40:10.67\00:40:14.18
You have to die! We
want your whole life!
00:40:14.21\00:40:17.81
I am not joining
that church! Not me!
00:40:17.85\00:40:21.45
Now think about it,
that's what the Lord is saying.
00:40:22.42\00:40:24.75
To make it to the kingdom,
if anyone will deny himself,
00:40:24.79\00:40:28.79
let him take up his what? cross.
00:40:28.82\00:40:31.36
It's the cross of denial,
nailing yourself to the cross.
00:40:31.39\00:40:35.23
How often did Paul say
he had to die? how often?
00:40:35.26\00:40:38.07
Every day! Do you notice that?
00:40:38.10\00:40:40.57
What happens on the days
that you choose not to die?
00:40:40.60\00:40:43.51
Oh wretched man
that I am! Right?
00:40:43.54\00:40:47.11
See, this is not
just about obligation.
00:40:47.14\00:40:49.01
I want you to get the whole idea
here that the Christian life
00:40:49.04\00:40:51.81
is not this humdrum
list of do's and don'ts:
00:40:51.85\00:40:55.65
28 fundamentals
in this denomination;
00:40:55.68\00:40:57.65
72 in that denomination;
how many times I pray every day;
00:40:57.69\00:41:01.66
how many times I do the Torah.
00:41:01.69\00:41:03.02
Oh, when Jesus is not in
it, and when you're still alive,
00:41:03.06\00:41:06.56
it's an obligation.
00:41:06.59\00:41:07.93
But when you die, God is
the One working in you to
00:41:07.96\00:41:10.87
accomplish His will. Amen.
00:41:10.90\00:41:12.27
So the righteous requirements
that we just read about here
00:41:12.30\00:41:15.64
in question No. 11, Through what
method are we able to live in
00:41:15.67\00:41:21.84
harmony with God's
law? through what method?
00:41:21.88\00:41:24.95
Walking according to the Spirit.
00:41:24.98\00:41:32.09
That's the answer. Walking
how? according to the Spirit.
00:41:32.12\00:41:36.89
When you don't walk
according to the Spirit,
00:41:36.93\00:41:38.59
you abide in death.
00:41:38.63\00:41:39.96
When you abide in death nothing
that you know you are obliged
00:41:40.00\00:41:46.20
to do becomes a
delight any longer.
00:41:46.23\00:41:48.54
It becomes like, Ah,
man, do I have to do that?
00:41:48.57\00:41:53.11
No you don't have to do it.
00:41:53.14\00:41:55.18
Because the
Bible says in Romans,
00:41:55.21\00:41:57.98
to be
spiritually minded is life.
00:41:58.01\00:42:00.65
To be carnally minded is
what? death. That's the battle.
00:42:00.68\00:42:05.19
You just decide. What kind
of a mind do you want to have?
00:42:05.22\00:42:07.59
the left mind or the right mind?
00:42:07.62\00:42:09.52
Okay, let's go to No. 12.
00:42:09.56\00:42:12.39
We're going now to Romans 6.
00:42:22.17\00:42:26.04
Romans... What freedom do
we find when we rely on Jesus
00:42:26.07\00:42:32.35
to honor His law? Romans 6.
00:42:32.38\00:42:39.25
And we're going to look
at Verse 14, and Verse 15.
00:42:39.29\00:42:47.46
Okay, okay, great! What freedom
do we find when we rely on Jesus
00:42:47.50\00:42:53.54
to honor His
law? Romans 6:14, 15.
00:42:53.57\00:42:56.81
Okay. Here it is:
00:42:56.84\00:43:01.24
Let's just break that
text down for a brief moment.
00:43:20.70\00:43:23.37
This is often the text that's
used to say to Christians,
00:43:23.40\00:43:26.84
You don't have
to keep God's law,
00:43:26.87\00:43:29.17
because you're not under law.
00:43:29.20\00:43:31.44
Misunderstanding the Greek here
is saying, you are not under the
00:43:31.47\00:43:35.98
condemnation of the law.
00:43:36.01\00:43:37.71
What are you
under? What are you under?
00:43:37.75\00:43:40.52
What are you under?
00:43:40.55\00:43:41.98
Look at the text.
What are you under?
00:43:42.02\00:43:44.45
You are not under the law,
but under what? Okay, okay.
00:43:44.49\00:43:49.46
Let's get this now. If
you're not under the law,
00:43:49.49\00:43:52.16
but you're under grace; let's
go back to the police scenario.
00:43:52.19\00:43:55.10
My good friend who got the first
ticket, the police officer he
00:43:55.13\00:44:00.47
was hoping would say,
Okay, I'm going to extend to you
00:44:00.50\00:44:03.00
grace to keep your
record spotless. Right?
00:44:03.04\00:44:07.71
Now if the law, if the officer
extended grace, does that make
00:44:07.74\00:44:13.45
him innocent of
speeding? Yes or no? No!
00:44:13.48\00:44:18.32
We don't need
grace if we are innocent.
00:44:18.35\00:44:23.26
We need grace
because we are what? guilty.
00:44:23.29\00:44:26.13
When we are
guilty we need grace.
00:44:26.16\00:44:29.03
A person that's guilty
never asks for justice.
00:44:29.06\00:44:33.17
They ask for
mercy, and for grace.
00:44:33.20\00:44:36.14
If you are guilty, you don't say
to the judge, I demand justice!
00:44:36.17\00:44:40.51
He said, okay,
you're going to get hanged.
00:44:40.54\00:44:43.21
You do the
crime? You want justice?
00:44:43.24\00:44:45.61
We're going to hang you, or
you're going to prison for life.
00:44:45.65\00:44:48.35
But if you're standing before
the judge, and you know you're
00:44:48.38\00:44:51.65
guilty, you don't
say, I want justice!
00:44:51.69\00:44:53.42
You'd say, Please, I need grace!
00:44:53.46\00:44:55.26
So now, get this,
"Well, have mercy!"
00:44:55.29\00:44:57.79
Exactly! Have, please...
00:44:57.83\00:44:59.76
You know what this
phrase in the judicial system?
00:44:59.79\00:45:02.10
Throw yourself on
the mercy of the court.
00:45:02.13\00:45:06.70
That's why it amazes me when
these criminals have their last
00:45:06.74\00:45:09.94
statement before they get
sentenced, the ones that are
00:45:09.97\00:45:12.61
cocky and never
apologize. What do they do?
00:45:12.64\00:45:16.14
They throw the book at em!
00:45:16.18\00:45:17.51
You're going to
get 27 life sentences.
00:45:17.55\00:45:21.12
And if you come back on a
28th you're going back to jail.
00:45:21.15\00:45:23.72
Can you imagine that?
00:45:23.75\00:45:25.25
I don't know how they do that.
00:45:25.29\00:45:26.62
But when you don't ask
for mercy, you don't get it.
00:45:26.65\00:45:30.19
When you don't
acknowledge your crime,
00:45:30.23\00:45:31.63
You'll never get
the mercy of God.
00:45:31.66\00:45:33.09
Now, here's the key: grace.
00:45:33.13\00:45:34.73
Do we need grace, yes or no?
00:45:34.76\00:45:36.10
For the fact that we need grace,
for the fact that the guy that
00:45:36.13\00:45:39.80
was speeding asks for
grace, means the speed limit
00:45:39.83\00:45:42.57
has not been cancelled.
00:45:42.60\00:45:43.94
For the fact that we
live under God's grace
00:45:43.97\00:45:46.14
means the law is still there.
00:45:46.17\00:45:47.64
What it meant in this
text is when you are in Jesus,
00:45:47.68\00:45:51.11
the condemnation
has been removed.
00:45:51.15\00:45:53.75
Didn't we just read that?
00:45:53.78\00:45:55.28
There is therefore
now no what? condemnation.
00:45:55.32\00:45:58.82
That's been removed.
00:45:58.85\00:46:00.19
The condemnation has
been removed, not the law.
00:46:00.22\00:46:03.16
Would you want to live in a...
00:46:03.19\00:46:04.53
Would you want to live on
an earth where there's no law?
00:46:04.56\00:46:07.43
where there is nothing
that is against the law to do?
00:46:07.46\00:46:10.40
Can you imagine,
Brother Hutchinson?
00:46:10.43\00:46:12.40
If all of a sudden we got
a notice on the CNN tonight:
00:46:12.43\00:46:15.74
There is no law against murder,
theft, stealing, adultery,
00:46:15.77\00:46:20.78
killing, suicide bombers.
00:46:20.81\00:46:23.01
If you want to do it,
our new law in America is,
00:46:23.04\00:46:26.61
Do what thou wilt.
Only the strong survive.
00:46:26.65\00:46:29.78
Can you imagine the
pandemonia that would
00:46:29.82\00:46:31.45
ensue in this country?
00:46:31.49\00:46:32.82
That's not what
this text is saying.
00:46:37.96\00:46:39.29
It's not saying that
God got rid of His law.
00:46:39.33\00:46:41.20
It's saying He got
rid of the condemnation
00:46:41.23\00:46:45.70
that we were once under.
00:46:45.73\00:46:47.07
And by His grace we
are no longer condemned.
00:46:47.10\00:46:50.14
Praise God for that, Amen?
00:46:50.17\00:46:51.57
So let's put the answer.
00:46:51.61\00:46:53.11
What freedom do we
find when we rely on
00:46:53.14\00:46:55.54
Jesus to honor His law?
00:46:55.58\00:46:57.08
What do we find? Come
on, it's very powerful.
00:46:57.11\00:47:00.95
It's in there twice.
00:47:00.98\00:47:02.42
What do we find? grace!
00:47:02.45\00:47:05.25
Write it down; we find grace.
00:47:05.29\00:47:07.52
That's right. That's why the
Lord says, Come boldly before
00:47:07.56\00:47:12.43
the throne of mercy,
that you may find grace
00:47:12.46\00:47:17.40
to help in time of need.
00:47:17.43\00:47:19.50
He says, When you're
messing up, run, run, run here.
00:47:19.53\00:47:23.27
Don't crawl
here. Don't walk here.
00:47:23.30\00:47:25.71
Run to Me, and you'll get the
grace and mercy that you need.
00:47:25.74\00:47:28.91
What a loving
God! What a loving God!
00:47:28.94\00:47:31.91
That's why when I present this
topic, and I think about the
00:47:31.95\00:47:34.35
commandments of
God, I'm trying to...
00:47:34.38\00:47:36.32
I'm putting the commandments
of God in the proper light.
00:47:36.35\00:47:39.59
I'm not putting the commandments
of God in the first four
00:47:39.62\00:47:42.62
obligations,
last six obligations.
00:47:42.66\00:47:43.99
I'm putting the commandments
of God in a love relationship.
00:47:45.49\00:47:48.23
When you love God, you
won't take His name in vain.
00:47:48.26\00:47:51.50
You won't make idols before Him.
00:47:51.53\00:47:53.03
You won't, you
know, worship other gods.
00:47:53.07\00:47:56.67
You won't violate the Sabbath.
00:47:56.71\00:47:59.34
You wouldn't do any of that.
00:47:59.37\00:48:00.98
And then in the same
way, you'll honor your
00:48:01.01\00:48:02.68
father and your mother.
00:48:02.71\00:48:04.05
You won't kill, steal,
lie, cheat, commit adultery,
00:48:04.08\00:48:05.61
bear false witness.
00:48:05.65\00:48:06.98
You won't do... covet.
00:48:07.02\00:48:08.35
You won't do any
of that, if you love.
00:48:08.38\00:48:09.85
But if you don't love
you say, Do I have to?
00:48:09.88\00:48:14.19
And that's the unfortunate part.
00:48:14.22\00:48:17.03
So much of Christianity
today is in the, Do you have to?
00:48:17.06\00:48:20.33
So we've got these denominations
that say, You don't have to.
00:48:20.36\00:48:23.70
You can be saved.
You don't have to.
00:48:23.73\00:48:26.30
You don't have to do that.
00:48:26.33\00:48:28.40
See, we are a, we are
a... Ah, what's the word here?
00:48:28.44\00:48:33.98
We are... It will
come to me in a moment.
00:48:34.01\00:48:37.78
We are a grace fellowship.
00:48:37.81\00:48:40.88
That means you don't
have to keep anything.
00:48:40.92\00:48:43.52
It's grace to everybody.
00:48:43.55\00:48:45.35
Here's the other ones that
say, Free, we are freewill.
00:48:45.39\00:48:49.09
It's whatever
you will. It's free!
00:48:49.12\00:48:52.16
In all these denominations;
we kind of separate down God's
00:48:52.19\00:48:56.06
requirements to find one
that will fit your size shoe.
00:48:56.10\00:49:00.80
And then that one
will get you there.
00:49:00.84\00:49:02.97
No! There's only one way,
and that's through Jesus, Amen?
00:49:03.00\00:49:06.71
Let's look at No. 13.
00:49:06.74\00:49:08.31
Look at No. 13. Is it
really possible to keep
00:49:08.34\00:49:15.45
the commandments of God?
00:49:15.48\00:49:17.22
Is it really possible to
keep the commandments of God?
00:49:17.25\00:49:21.72
For those of you that are
theologians, you know the text.
00:49:21.76\00:49:24.46
Philippians 4:13. I
won't hold it out too long,
00:49:24.49\00:49:28.03
because you might
start repeating it.
00:49:28.06\00:49:29.46
Okay. Here it is. I
can do what? all things.
00:49:29.50\00:49:36.17
I can do what? all
things. Bring a text up.
00:49:36.44\00:49:40.58
Or strengtheneth me, if you
have the King James Version.
00:49:46.21\00:49:48.85
Where does the
strength come from? from Christ.
00:49:48.88\00:49:52.39
You see, a Christ centered
message is a message of hope.
00:49:52.42\00:49:54.86
It's taken the
obligation off of you.
00:49:54.89\00:49:56.83
If it's God who first...
If you're no longer alive,
00:49:56.86\00:50:00.50
and Jesus lives in you,
and He wills, and then does,
00:50:00.53\00:50:06.40
and then strengthens.
00:50:06.43\00:50:09.00
Well, on who is the obligation?
00:50:09.07\00:50:12.37
It's on Him, not on us,
because He's the One in charge.
00:50:12.41\00:50:17.15
When you live your Christian
life, and you're you charge,
00:50:17.18\00:50:21.88
Ah, what do I have to
do today to remain saved?
00:50:21.92\00:50:26.32
But if you get up in the morning
and you say, I've got to die
00:50:26.35\00:50:29.49
today so that I can continue
in this saving relationship,
00:50:29.52\00:50:32.73
then the Lord takes over,
and you have a successful day.
00:50:32.76\00:50:35.90
Isn't that right? But now let's
look at a couple of other things
00:50:35.93\00:50:38.93
here, because these are the...
I'm using some of the texts,
00:50:38.97\00:50:41.77
I'm approaching this also from
the perspective of some of the
00:50:41.80\00:50:45.81
statements that have been made.
00:50:45.84\00:50:47.48
For example, some of you
may have heard that, some of you
00:50:47.51\00:50:50.51
may have been taught that,
Well, the reason why you don't
00:50:50.55\00:50:53.52
have to keep the
commandments is because they
00:50:53.55\00:50:55.48
were just for the Jews.
00:50:55.52\00:50:57.42
And since you're not Jewish...
00:50:57.45\00:51:00.29
Let's look at No. 14.
00:51:00.96\00:51:02.42
1 Corinthians 7:19. Now you
all know the answer is what?
00:51:14.44\00:51:17.61
Say it to me. What's the answer?
00:51:17.64\00:51:19.34
No. The answer is no.
00:51:19.37\00:51:20.71
But let's look at
what the Bible says.
00:51:20.74\00:51:22.61
Now the reason why
this is such a weak...
00:51:22.64\00:51:24.55
And do you know why?
00:51:24.58\00:51:25.95
Do you know why they
often get that statement?
00:51:25.98\00:51:27.48
Do you know why pastors
tell their members that the
00:51:27.52\00:51:29.82
commandments are
just for the Jews?
00:51:29.85\00:51:31.25
Because they lock
it down to the Sabbath.
00:51:31.29\00:51:33.32
They say, Ah, there's
one commandment in there.
00:51:33.36\00:51:37.19
If we can tie that one to a
nation, then you don't have to
00:51:37.23\00:51:40.60
keep it, because you're
not a part of that nation.
00:51:40.63\00:51:42.26
Well, in the same way that the
other nine commandments are not
00:51:42.30\00:51:45.37
for any particular
nation, neither is that one.
00:51:45.40\00:51:47.67
And let me tell you why the
fourth commandment about the
00:51:47.70\00:51:49.64
Sabbath is not just for
a nation, because it says,
00:51:49.67\00:51:52.77
in six days the Lord made
heaven and earth, the sea,
00:51:52.81\00:51:55.91
and all that in them is.
00:51:55.94\00:51:57.28
That means man and woman.
00:51:57.31\00:51:59.31
If you were not made
during the six days of creation,
00:51:59.35\00:52:02.78
then you don't have
to keep the commandments.
00:52:02.82\00:52:04.55
Isn't that easy? If you
were not a part of creation,
00:52:04.59\00:52:09.06
you don't have to
keep the commandments.
00:52:09.09\00:52:10.86
Let's just see the...
00:52:10.89\00:52:12.23
Anyone who is not a part
of creation send me an e-mail.
00:52:12.26\00:52:15.10
If you were not a
part of God's creation,
00:52:15.13\00:52:17.50
send me an e-mail. I
won't even look for it.
00:52:17.53\00:52:20.77
Because each one of
us is a product of God's
00:52:20.80\00:52:23.41
creative ability. Amen?
00:52:23.44\00:52:24.77
He made male,
and He made female.
00:52:24.81\00:52:28.18
So the only way that you
can be isolated from honoring
00:52:28.21\00:52:33.05
the commandments of God is if
you were not a part of creation.
00:52:33.08\00:52:35.28
Let's look at the answer
the Apostle Paul puts here.
00:52:35.32\00:52:38.39
Here it is: He says on
this very issue. Together:
00:52:38.42\00:52:43.49
That was a Jewish rite.
00:52:46.83\00:52:48.16
What do you say? He said, It
doesn't matter whether you're
00:52:55.50\00:52:58.31
a Jew or a Gentile.
00:52:58.37\00:53:00.24
It doesn't matter
whether you are a Greek or Jew.
00:53:00.28\00:53:02.91
It doesn't matter whether
you are a Corinthian or Roman.
00:53:02.94\00:53:06.05
That's not the issue here.
00:53:06.11\00:53:07.65
You're not
locked onto a ceremony.
00:53:07.68\00:53:09.48
Circumcision of the heart, that
sinful heart, that's what the
00:53:09.52\00:53:13.82
Lord wanted to get rid of,
not circumcision of the flesh.
00:53:13.86\00:53:16.52
In the ceremonial system it was
required of males to participate
00:53:16.56\00:53:21.20
in circumcision, but not when
it comes to commandments of God.
00:53:21.23\00:53:25.83
Not necessary. The ten
commandments of God is in a
00:53:25.87\00:53:30.71
relationship between Jesus and
His saints, between those who
00:53:30.77\00:53:35.28
accept Christ, and those
who decide to follow Christ.
00:53:35.31\00:53:38.55
So circumcision had
nothing to do with that.
00:53:38.58\00:53:40.82
The obligation was here...
00:53:40.85\00:53:42.88
Keeping the commandments
of God is what matters.
00:53:42.92\00:53:46.39
So write that
down. What matters?
00:53:46.42\00:53:48.42
Aren't the ten
commandments for the Jews?
00:53:48.46\00:53:50.76
What's the answer? Put it down
very quickly; two letters: No.
00:53:50.79\00:53:53.96
No, not at all. Absolutely not.
00:53:54.00\00:53:56.77
Let's go to No. 15., No. 15.
00:53:57.33\00:54:00.37
Here's another reason why
the commandments of God have
00:54:00.40\00:54:02.57
often been referred to
as unnecessary, unnecessary.
00:54:02.60\00:54:06.91
Question 15 is:
00:54:06.98\00:54:10.18
Well, hum, and the reason I
bring this one up is because
00:54:22.72\00:54:26.39
of Romans, obviously.
00:54:26.43\00:54:29.26
Romans 5:8, 9, 10. It says:
For by grace you have been saved
00:54:29.30\00:54:34.80
through faith, and
that not of yourselves.
00:54:34.87\00:54:36.64
It is the gift of God, not of
works lest anyone should boast.
00:54:36.67\00:54:39.87
Lest anyone
should do what? boast.
00:54:39.91\00:54:42.51
So are we saved
by grace? Yes or no?
00:54:42.54\00:54:45.41
Was saved by
grace through faith.
00:54:45.45\00:54:48.25
Now does this faith
relationship, since we're saved
00:54:48.28\00:54:50.79
by grace through faith, does it
say, Now since you're saved by
00:54:50.82\00:54:53.52
grace through faith, that
all the obligations of obedience
00:54:53.56\00:54:56.46
are now put out the window?
00:54:56.49\00:54:57.83
It actually doesn't.
00:54:57.86\00:54:59.53
Look at Romans 3:31.
00:54:59.56\00:55:00.96
Here is the question.
00:55:01.00\00:55:02.33
There is the question, and
here is the answer. It says:
00:55:02.36\00:55:06.20
What's the answer?
00:55:10.31\00:55:11.71
Or God forbid, right?
00:55:12.77\00:55:14.81
I like the King
James Version, God forbid!
00:55:14.84\00:55:18.11
Have you heard of a
law abiding citizen?
00:55:23.22\00:55:25.72
That's what this means.
00:55:25.75\00:55:27.09
A neighbor that you
don't have to worry about.
00:55:27.12\00:55:29.86
You might say to
your neighbor, I'll be out
00:55:29.89\00:55:31.29
of town for two weeks.
00:55:31.36\00:55:32.69
He's not going to
break into your house.
00:55:32.73\00:55:34.20
He's a law abiding citizen.
00:55:34.23\00:55:36.87
He's not going to
steal your chickens.
00:55:36.90\00:55:38.73
He's not going to steal
the feed out of your barn.
00:55:38.77\00:55:42.04
I'm speaking in country
language, as you can tell.
00:55:42.07\00:55:44.14
We're in the country.
00:55:44.21\00:55:45.54
He's not going to
break into your house.
00:55:45.57\00:55:47.14
He's not going to
steal your television,
00:55:47.18\00:55:49.01
if you're in the city.
00:55:49.04\00:55:50.38
He's not going to
do anything that...
00:55:50.41\00:55:51.81
You could say, My neighbor
is trustworthy, because he,
00:55:51.85\00:55:56.38
through his life,
lives in harmony with
00:55:56.42\00:55:58.79
the laws of the land.
00:55:58.82\00:56:00.16
The law is
established in his life.
00:56:00.19\00:56:01.96
That's why people
like gated communities.
00:56:01.99\00:56:05.86
That's why people
like applications to move
00:56:05.89\00:56:08.13
into this community.
00:56:08.16\00:56:09.50
Have you ever been a felon?
00:56:09.53\00:56:11.93
Yes? Well, we don't rent to
former felons or present felons.
00:56:11.97\00:56:16.81
That's what's
happening in America.
00:56:16.84\00:56:18.71
There's no grace. See,
have you been a sinner? come on!
00:56:18.74\00:56:22.88
Answer. Have you been a sinner?
00:56:22.91\00:56:24.35
Yes. Okay, God brings us
into relationship with Him,
00:56:24.41\00:56:29.15
even when we were
sinful, living that life. Amen?
00:56:29.18\00:56:32.95
He brings us out of it, removes
the condemnation from it,
00:56:32.99\00:56:36.59
and says, You can
move into My neighborhood.
00:56:36.62\00:56:38.76
Now you understand why the
angels sometimes get nervous?
00:56:38.79\00:56:41.40
They looked down here on this
earth and said, Ah, are they
00:56:41.43\00:56:45.07
moving up here anytime soon?
00:56:45.10\00:56:46.87
Yeah, but I'm not done yet.
00:56:46.90\00:56:48.60
The beauty of the relationship
with Jesus is, He who has begun
00:56:48.64\00:56:53.31
a good work in us will do
what? He's going to complete it.
00:56:53.34\00:56:56.44
So when the angels
look at the people that
00:56:56.48\00:56:58.91
they are assigned to...
00:56:58.95\00:57:01.05
I don't want to ask
you how tough your life is.
00:57:01.08\00:57:03.15
How much does your angel
get paid to keep up with you?
00:57:03.18\00:57:06.76
I mean when you think about
the life that each of us lives,
00:57:06.79\00:57:10.06
we have to remember that this
faith based relationship is not
00:57:10.09\00:57:13.29
a relationship that
removes from us the obligation
00:57:13.33\00:57:16.60
of obedience to the Lord.
00:57:16.63\00:57:18.00
When you think of the
obedience being removed,
00:57:18.03\00:57:20.80
then it's no longer
a faith relationship;
00:57:20.84\00:57:23.41
it's a relationship
based on, Do I have to?
00:57:23.47\00:57:25.97
Well I remember growing
up, my mother never asked me,
00:57:26.01\00:57:28.44
Do you want to go to church?
00:57:28.48\00:57:29.98
I never even thought about it.
00:57:30.05\00:57:31.48
She used to say to me,
As long as you're breathing,
00:57:31.51\00:57:34.88
and you're not deathly ill, you
will be in church this Sabbath.
00:57:34.92\00:57:39.32
Get your clothes ready.
00:57:39.35\00:57:41.09
Iron them before sunset, cause
there'll be no ironing on...
00:57:41.12\00:57:45.13
She'd really pull me together.
00:57:45.16\00:57:46.80
But you will be in church.
00:57:46.86\00:57:48.43
So friends, here's the
point: if you have a faith based
00:57:48.46\00:57:51.57
relationship with Jesus, don't
think of the things of God's
00:57:51.60\00:57:55.24
Word as an
obligation that brings burdens.
00:57:55.27\00:57:58.07
Keep loving the Lord, and one
day whatever doesn't make sense,
00:57:58.11\00:58:01.68
will surely come
into a sharper focus.
00:58:01.71\00:58:04.51
God bless you!
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