Good evening, everyone,
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and welcome to our
Wednesday night Bible study
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here at the 3ABN Worship Center.
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Thank you for taking the
time to tune in to join us
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as we continue the topic on
The Anatomy of Righteousness.
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And all you need for
this program is a Bible,
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and we'll tell
you in just a moment
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where you can get
a copy of the lesson
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and how you can
follow along with us.
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But this is an exciting topic
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because it talks
about righteousness.
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You know, many people live
in a world of dos and don'ts.
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"What should I do?
What shouldn't I do?"
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And even sometimes in sermons,
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we tell people what
to do and what not to do,
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but tonight, we're
going to talk about
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the secret of how to
allow the will of God
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to be produced in our lives,
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and so we talk
about the anatomy.
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You know, if
you've taken anatomy
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and physiology in class,
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you know that there
is a head, the shoulders.
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I am so not
medical, the skeletal system
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that holds up
everything on the inside,
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if we didn't
have a skeletal system
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on the inside,
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everything will fall apart.
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And so in the very same way,
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there is a skeletal
system of righteousness
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that holds the
Christian together.
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We're going to
talk about that tonight.
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But before I
tell you how to find
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a copy of the lesson and
where to download the copy,
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we always begin
with a word of prayer.
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Let's pray together.
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Our loving Father
in heaven, we thank you
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for Your precious opportunity.
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Whenever You present
this opportunity to us,
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we know that we will be blessed
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when we ask for
the Spirit of God
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to guide in our
hearts, in our minds.
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Lord, tonight, we
submit our will to You
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that You may work in
us both to will and to do
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of your good pleasure.
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Bless us, Lord, as
we ask for the Spirit
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to be our teacher this evening,
we pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
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Good evening,
everyone. Can you say amen?
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Amen.
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So good to have
you here tonight.
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We are going to
give you an opportunity.
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This is the
website that you go to
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to get a copy of the lesson.
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Go to the following
website, ASF.3ABN.org,
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and download lesson number 38.
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Lesson number 38,
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and then we will be able
to walk through that together.
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If you've already
downloaded the lesson,
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then we're going to begin
on question number 13 tonight,
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but before we do that,
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we always begin
with our theme song.
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And what is our theme
song, it's on the screen,
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what is it called?
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Victory in Jesus.
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Let's sing this song together.
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I heard an old, old story
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How the Savior came from glory
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How He gave His life on Calvary
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To save a wretch like me
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I heard about His groaning
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Of His precious blood's atoning
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Then I repented of my sins
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And won the victory
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Oh, victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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I heard about a mansion
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He has built for me in glory
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And I heard about
the streets of gold
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Beyond the crystal sea
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About the angels singing
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And the old redemption story
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And some sweet
day I'll sing up there
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The song of victory
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Key change.
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Oh, victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood.
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Amen. Amen.
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The Anatomy of Righteousness
is our topic for tonight.
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We're going to be continuing
from question number 13.
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And when we began this
study, we talked about,
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we began with the
definition of what is sin.
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And we know that sin is
the transgression of the...
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Sin is the
transgression of the law.
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Also others have
said it this way,
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whatever is not
of faith is of sin.
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And James also says,
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"To him that knows to
do good and does not do it,
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to him, it is sin."
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So sin has a
number of components.
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But in short, sin is to
go in the opposite direction
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of the will of God.
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The will of God
says go to the right,
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sin says go to the left.
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The will of God says do
this, and as Satan, we say,
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"But I will, I will, I will."
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And tonight, I want to begin
as we go to question number 13,
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I want to begin by asking you,
before we go to this question,
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to go with me to
the Book of Romans.
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What book did I say? Romans.
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Romans, let's go
to Romans chapter 6.
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I have been really enjoying
the study of the Word of God,
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and there was a
picture that jumped out at me
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in a beautiful way
that helps me to see
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that it is not just so much
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learning a list of things to do,
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but to understand to
whom we are connected.
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I'm going to read Romans 6:16,
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then we're going to
go to John chapter 15.
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I'm going to read Romans 6:16,
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then we're going to
go to John chapter 15.
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Matter of fact...
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No, I want to do
the opposite way around.
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Can I confuse you?
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Okay, let's go
to John chapter 15.
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We're going to go to
question number 13 first.
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This actually has a
better cadence to it.
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If we go to
question number 13 first,
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and then we will be able
to go to Romans chapter 6.
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So question 15,
oh, it's question 13,
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takes us to John chapter 15.
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But here's the question.
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How will the Lord
produce righteousness in us?
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How will the Lord
produce, what in us?
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Righteousness in us.
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Let's go to John chapter 15.
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John chapter 15.
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Okay.
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Now John chapter 15 is a
chapter on relationships,
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relationships of
believers to Christ,
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relationships of
believers to each other,
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and the relationships of
the believers to the world.
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It's all about relationships.
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And John chapter 15 starts
with a very wonderful parallel.
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By the way, I'm going to
answer the question first,
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and let's look at John 15:5,
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then we're going to walk
through John a little bit more
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to get some
more specifics on it.
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So the question is,
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how will the Lord
produce righteousness in us?
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Look at John 15:5.
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Let's read this one together
since it is the first one.
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"I am the vine,
you are the branches.
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He who abides in Me,
and I in him, bears," what,
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"much fruit, and without
Me, you can do," how much?
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So how much can
we do without Christ?
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Zero. We can't do anything.
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So when you say to a person,
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now I want you to
really tune into that.
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When you say to a person,
"This is what you ought to do,
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this is what
you should be doing,
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this is how you
should be living,
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this is what you
ought to be doing."
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When we put together a
list of dos and don'ts,
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before we get
connected to Christ,
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it is the most
frustrating experience
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you can ever have.
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If you don't know the Lord,
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if you're not
connected to Christ,
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"Without Me, you
can do," how much?
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So write that down.
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How will the Lord
produce righteousness in us?
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By being connected to
him, by being connected.
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If you're not
connected to the Lord,
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you cannot do anything.
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And one of the
challenges is to have
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a whole lot of
knowledge and no connection.
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A whole lot of
knowledge and no connection.
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And unfortunately, in many cases
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and in some circles,
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Paul the apostle, I believe
was the one who said this,
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"Your much study
has made you mad."
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And then Paul also says,
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"Zeal but not
according to knowledge."
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So you have...
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On one end, you have people
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that are busy, busy, busy, busy,
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and then you have
people that are not busy,
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they study, study, study, study.
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And in both cases,
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one is so excited
but has no knowledge.
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The other one is so intellectual
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but is going mad
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because study without
being led by the Holy Spirit
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is a futile exercise.
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People that are
highly intellectual
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are not highly spiritual.
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So it's not about intellect
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because Lucifer
was one of the most
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intellectual of angels.
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It's not about intellect.
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I want you to know tonight,
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and this is going to be
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something very
carefully studied.
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It is about your connection.
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It is about your,
what? Your connection.
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"Without Me,
you can do nothing."
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Now let's look at this.
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Let's look at some
of the examples here.
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And in the earlier studies
I talked about, you know,
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if you go to an orange tree,
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you don't yell at
the orange tree and say,
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"You need to produce oranges."
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What is it going to produce?
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Come on, talk to me. Oranges.
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As long as the
tree is connected,
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roots in ground, the nurturing,
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nutritions of the
soil, the sun, the water,
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all those combinations together,
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then the fruit
are going to show up.
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But if you cut off the
branch just before the fruit,
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where the
fruit's supposed to be,
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the fruit will not show up.
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You'll have the entire structure
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but if there's a severing
00:11:09.63\00:11:10.97
between the branch and the tree,
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the fruit will never show up.
00:11:13.00\00:11:14.47
If there's a severing
between us and Christ,
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will the fruit show up?
00:11:17.31\00:11:18.64
Yes or no?
00:11:18.67\00:11:20.01
And it's amazing how the
Bible used the word fruit
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for the analogy
00:11:22.24\00:11:23.58
because it only
took one fruit for Eve
00:11:23.61\00:11:25.15
to lead Adam into sin.
00:11:25.18\00:11:27.85
And then the Bible says
the fruit of the Spirit,
00:11:27.88\00:11:31.09
not the fruits of the Spirit.
00:11:31.12\00:11:33.19
So you don't get
bananas, peaches, and orange,
00:11:33.22\00:11:34.92
and apples, and plums.
00:11:34.96\00:11:36.29
And each one of them
is a different character.
00:11:36.32\00:11:38.69
One fruit produces in us love,
joy, peace, long suffering,
00:11:38.73\00:11:42.50
gentleness,
meekness, and patience.
00:11:42.53\00:11:44.47
But the connection
is so vitally important.
00:11:44.50\00:11:46.57
Now I'm going to
take a little deeper.
00:11:46.60\00:11:48.40
Are you ready to
go little deeper?
00:11:48.44\00:11:51.84
Who's subject to whom?
00:11:51.87\00:11:55.08
Is the tree under
the control of the fruit,
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or the fruit under
the control of the tree?
00:11:59.35\00:12:03.55
Who's in control? Tree.
00:12:03.59\00:12:05.42
The tree.
00:12:05.45\00:12:07.09
So what happens as the
sap is going through the tree,
00:12:07.12\00:12:10.73
the tree controls what shows up.
00:12:10.76\00:12:14.23
The fruit doesn't say to
the tree, "I need oranges."
00:12:14.26\00:12:19.50
The tree will say,
00:12:19.53\00:12:20.87
"But I am an orange
tree, what else can I produce?"
00:12:20.90\00:12:24.31
And an orange cannot
say to an apple tree,
00:12:24.34\00:12:28.14
"I need oranges."
00:12:28.18\00:12:29.51
The apple tree will say,
00:12:29.54\00:12:30.88
"You're not get
any oranges here,
00:12:30.91\00:12:32.25
I'm an apple tree."
00:12:32.28\00:12:33.62
So what shows up
00:12:33.65\00:12:37.25
is under the control
of what the tree produces.
00:12:37.29\00:12:40.02
So who is producing,
the vine or the branch?
00:12:40.06\00:12:45.43
Think carefully
before you answer.
00:12:45.46\00:12:46.90
Who's producing,
the vine or the branch?
00:12:46.93\00:12:51.23
The vine is producing,
the branch is presenting.
00:12:51.27\00:12:56.00
The branch presents
what the vine produce.
00:12:56.04\00:12:57.87
"I am the vine,
you are the branches.
00:12:57.91\00:13:01.08
Without me, you can do nothing."
00:13:01.11\00:13:03.61
Now so in the
slave-master relationship,
00:13:03.65\00:13:08.48
which one is the slave,
which one is the master?
00:13:08.52\00:13:12.32
Is the fruit the
slave or the master?
00:13:12.35\00:13:15.32
The slave.
00:13:15.36\00:13:16.69
Is the tree the
master or the slave?
00:13:16.73\00:13:19.06
The tree is the
master. Now this is huge.
00:13:19.09\00:13:21.26
I mean, because this is...
00:13:21.30\00:13:24.30
Thank you, Lord.
00:13:24.33\00:13:25.67
After being a
pastor as long as I have,
00:13:25.70\00:13:28.37
I revisited this topic
by praying for the Lord
00:13:28.40\00:13:31.74
to open my eyes
even wider than they were
00:13:31.77\00:13:34.41
and to give me a
spiritual understanding.
00:13:34.44\00:13:36.51
You know, have you ever
read the Bible sometimes
00:13:36.54\00:13:38.68
and something eludes
you and all of a sudden,
00:13:38.71\00:13:40.38
one day, it just clicks,
00:13:40.42\00:13:42.52
that shows the fact
that when you say...
00:13:42.55\00:13:45.62
As David prayed the
prayer, "Open Thou mine eyes
00:13:45.65\00:13:48.02
that I may behold
wonderful things."
00:13:48.06\00:13:50.69
And that's what the Lord did.
00:13:50.73\00:13:52.06
So now let's go to Romans 6:16,
00:13:52.09\00:13:53.43
we're talking about
the connection here.
00:13:53.46\00:13:55.26
We are talking
about the connection.
00:13:55.30\00:13:56.90
And when you
understand the connection,
00:13:56.93\00:13:59.13
you begin to be able to see
00:13:59.17\00:14:01.27
why the following
questions are so relevant.
00:14:01.30\00:14:03.87
A lot of times,
we have been told,
00:14:03.91\00:14:05.64
I mean, we have
relatives, every one of us,
00:14:05.67\00:14:07.31
if you're watching the program,
00:14:07.34\00:14:08.68
every one of you has a relative
or many relatives that you say.
00:14:08.71\00:14:13.05
You are old enough to do
right, why don't you do right?
00:14:13.08\00:14:17.12
Well, doing right has
nothing to do with age.
00:14:17.15\00:14:22.02
It has nothing to do
00:14:22.06\00:14:23.39
with how long a
person is been around,
00:14:23.43\00:14:24.89
but I go back to,
once again, saying,
00:14:24.93\00:14:26.76
it has to do with to
whom you are submitted
00:14:26.80\00:14:30.40
and to whom you are connected.
00:14:30.43\00:14:31.93
Now this is another principle.
00:14:31.97\00:14:34.14
Romans 6:16 is not only a fact
00:14:34.17\00:14:37.27
but it is a
principle of production.
00:14:37.31\00:14:39.87
Now in Matthew
chapter 7, Jesus says,
00:14:39.91\00:14:42.11
"By their
fruits," finish it with me.
00:14:42.14\00:14:44.31
"You'll know
them." "You'll know them."
00:14:44.35\00:14:46.05
So by the fruit,
you'll know them.
00:14:46.08\00:14:47.92
Not by the tree,
but by the fruit.
00:14:51.29\00:14:53.76
When it shows
up, you'll know them.
00:14:53.79\00:14:57.29
But this passage
is going to tell us
00:14:57.33\00:15:00.26
how it shows up.
00:15:00.30\00:15:03.26
Let's look at Romans 6:16.
00:15:03.30\00:15:05.93
I'm reading in the New King
James Version, the Bible says,
00:15:05.97\00:15:08.34
"Do you not know to
whom you present yourselves,"
00:15:08.37\00:15:12.74
as what, "slaves," or servants
depending on the translations,
00:15:12.77\00:15:17.41
"slaves to obey,
you are that one's slave
00:15:17.45\00:15:22.18
whom you obey,
00:15:22.22\00:15:23.69
whether of sin leading to death,
00:15:23.72\00:15:28.02
or of obedience
leading to righteousness?"
00:15:28.06\00:15:31.33
So sin leads to, what, death.
00:15:31.36\00:15:33.83
Obedience leads to,
what, righteousness.
00:15:33.86\00:15:36.63
Now we've all
heard about slaves,
00:15:36.67\00:15:39.87
we've seen movies about
slaves, Egyptian slaves,
00:15:39.90\00:15:44.47
African-American slaves.
00:15:44.51\00:15:46.24
I mean, we've
seen movies of slaves
00:15:46.27\00:15:47.71
in all different nationalities.
00:15:47.74\00:15:49.58
And the one thing we know
00:15:49.61\00:15:51.01
is that the slave
never tells the master
00:15:51.05\00:15:53.92
what the slave wants to do.
00:15:53.95\00:15:56.42
Have you noticed that?
00:15:56.45\00:15:58.09
The slave never
says to the master,
00:15:58.12\00:15:59.45
"Today, I'm not
going to plough the fields.
00:15:59.49\00:16:01.66
I'm not digging any holes.
00:16:01.69\00:16:04.79
No, I'm not doing that,"
00:16:04.83\00:16:07.30
because the master is
always in control of the slave.
00:16:07.33\00:16:09.66
Now this is huge.
00:16:09.70\00:16:11.53
When you think
about the connection here,
00:16:11.57\00:16:14.37
who's telling whom what to do?
00:16:14.40\00:16:18.17
The master is
telling the slave what to do.
00:16:18.21\00:16:20.51
So anything that the slave does,
00:16:20.54\00:16:22.24
this is really powerful,
anything that the slave does,
00:16:22.28\00:16:25.41
the slave could
say, "I'm only doing this
00:16:25.45\00:16:27.22
because the
master told me to do it."
00:16:27.25\00:16:31.35
So the master gives
instruction to the slave.
00:16:31.39\00:16:34.62
Now you only have two outcomes.
00:16:34.66\00:16:36.46
You have righteousness,
and you have death,
00:16:36.49\00:16:41.66
sin to death,
obedience to righteousness.
00:16:41.70\00:16:45.13
So when you think
of who is in charge,
00:16:45.17\00:16:49.70
all we've got to do,
and this is something else,
00:16:49.74\00:16:52.27
because the slave, each day,
00:16:52.31\00:16:54.98
has to wake up
with this mentality,
00:16:55.01\00:16:57.05
"If I want to survive, I
better serve the master."
00:16:57.08\00:17:01.98
I mean, is that true?
00:17:02.02\00:17:04.22
If you've ever seen movies
or documentaries about slaves,
00:17:04.25\00:17:07.56
you know that the
slave that decides
00:17:07.59\00:17:09.22
to willingly serve the master
will have another day of life.
00:17:09.26\00:17:13.90
Now I'm not saying
that the Lord will kill us
00:17:13.93\00:17:15.63
if we decide not to serve him,
00:17:15.66\00:17:17.17
but the end result
will be, what, death.
00:17:17.20\00:17:19.57
The wages of
sin is, what, death.
00:17:19.60\00:17:21.60
So sin to death or
obedience to righteousness.
00:17:21.64\00:17:24.27
So when you choose who to serve,
00:17:24.31\00:17:26.27
when you choose who to serve,
00:17:26.31\00:17:28.31
what happens in your life
00:17:28.34\00:17:30.25
is the result of the instruction
00:17:30.28\00:17:32.01
of the master.
00:17:32.05\00:17:33.38
But that's not the only thing.
00:17:33.42\00:17:35.15
I want to go to the next level.
I want to go to the next level.
00:17:35.18\00:17:38.02
Remember that,
keep that in mind,
00:17:38.05\00:17:39.39
what happens in your life
00:17:39.42\00:17:40.76
happens as a
result of the instruction
00:17:40.79\00:17:42.69
and the guidance that
comes from the master,
00:17:42.72\00:17:44.86
but it's going to get
even more empowering than that.
00:17:44.89\00:17:47.33
Let's go to the next question,
00:17:47.36\00:17:48.70
and then I'll reveal that to you
00:17:48.73\00:17:50.07
through another
couple of questions.
00:17:50.10\00:17:52.30
Question number 14,
question number 14, all right?
00:17:52.33\00:17:57.27
Here it is.
00:17:57.31\00:17:58.81
Why is human nature helpless
00:17:58.84\00:18:01.38
when it comes
to controlling sin?
00:18:01.41\00:18:04.15
Why is human nature helpless
00:18:04.18\00:18:06.15
when it comes
to controlling sin?
00:18:06.18\00:18:08.35
You know, you look
at this and you think,
00:18:08.38\00:18:10.02
"Yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no.
00:18:10.05\00:18:11.55
Don't give me that
excuse. You are helpful.
00:18:11.59\00:18:13.46
You can control sin."
00:18:13.49\00:18:15.29
No, you cannot anymore than
00:18:15.32\00:18:19.39
the slave can tell
the master what to do.
00:18:19.43\00:18:24.17
This is maybe
revolutionary to some of you
00:18:24.20\00:18:25.67
but follow me carefully
00:18:25.70\00:18:27.04
because I wouldn't say anything
that I don't have support for.
00:18:27.07\00:18:30.17
And I'll share with you
00:18:30.21\00:18:31.54
some quotations in just a moment
00:18:31.57\00:18:32.91
to give you further
understanding of that.
00:18:32.94\00:18:34.54
But let's look
at Romans chapter 7,
00:18:34.58\00:18:36.54
Romans chapter 7,
00:18:36.58\00:18:37.91
the next chapter
after Romans chapter 6.
00:18:37.95\00:18:39.88
'Cause Paul talks
about the very fact
00:18:39.91\00:18:42.25
that one of his great
desires was to do right.
00:18:42.28\00:18:46.22
And Romans chapter 7 was written
00:18:46.25\00:18:48.06
after Paul's conversion.
00:18:48.09\00:18:50.16
He used to be
Saul, but now he's Paul.
00:18:50.19\00:18:52.66
Look at the question,
why is human nature helpless
00:18:52.69\00:18:54.70
when it comes
to controlling sin?
00:18:54.73\00:18:56.40
Here it is Romans chapter
7, Paul says, "But sin," what,
00:18:56.43\00:19:01.57
"taking
opportunity by the commandment,
00:19:01.60\00:19:04.97
produced in me," what,
00:19:05.01\00:19:06.68
"all manner of
evil," what, "desire.
00:19:06.71\00:19:11.68
For apart from the
law sin was," what?
00:19:11.71\00:19:15.15
So here, let me
before we go to the next one,
00:19:15.18\00:19:17.09
take that off the
screen for a moment,
00:19:17.12\00:19:18.45
before we go to the
next one, Paul says,
00:19:18.49\00:19:20.59
"When I didn't know
about the commandments,
00:19:20.62\00:19:22.12
I was fine.
00:19:22.16\00:19:24.23
When I did,
00:19:24.26\00:19:25.59
didn't have any
relevance to me of whatsoever
00:19:25.63\00:19:28.26
because I didn't
have anything to tell me
00:19:28.30\00:19:29.96
that's right or that's wrong.
00:19:30.00\00:19:31.87
But the moment that
I saw the commandments,
00:19:31.90\00:19:34.70
and they appeared to me
like the speed limit in America
00:19:34.74\00:19:38.14
for a German who
drives on the autobahn,
00:19:38.17\00:19:40.88
the moment I saw 55 or 65
or 70 and I'm doing 95 or 100,
00:19:40.91\00:19:46.65
I was feeling fine till I
saw an American police officer
00:19:46.68\00:19:50.69
on the side of the
road, and the speed limit 70,
00:19:50.72\00:19:53.05
and I'm looking
down, I'm doing 105.
00:19:53.09\00:19:56.22
I can't say I'm
a German citizen,
00:19:56.26\00:19:57.83
so it's okay."
00:19:57.86\00:19:59.19
Right?
00:19:59.23\00:20:00.56
Because the environment
determines what is right
00:20:00.60\00:20:02.66
and what is wrong in that sense.
00:20:02.70\00:20:04.43
In the same way, Paul
says, "I was doing fine
00:20:04.47\00:20:08.00
until all of a sudden the
law of God appeared to me.
00:20:08.04\00:20:11.01
And then all of a sudden,
it defined to me what sin is.
00:20:11.04\00:20:15.54
And then I realized
that what's happening in me."
00:20:15.58\00:20:18.91
His sin has taken
occasion by the commandment.
00:20:18.95\00:20:25.59
But it doesn't stop there.
00:20:25.62\00:20:27.39
Look at verse 18, what
realization did Paul have,
00:20:27.42\00:20:31.56
he says,
00:20:31.59\00:20:34.30
"For I know that in me
that is, in my," what, "flesh,"
00:20:34.33\00:20:38.63
how much good dwells,
"nothing good dwells,"
00:20:38.67\00:20:42.27
and this is huge,
00:20:42.30\00:20:43.64
"for to will is present with me,
00:20:43.67\00:20:47.94
but how to perform
what is good," what,
00:20:47.98\00:20:51.08
"I do not find."
00:20:51.11\00:20:52.45
So as an essence, saying,
00:20:52.48\00:20:53.82
"Man, to will is present with me
00:20:53.85\00:20:56.79
but how to do it,
00:20:56.82\00:20:58.15
I just cannot
find how to do it."
00:20:58.19\00:20:59.95
And then he goes
down to verse 20,
00:20:59.99\00:21:01.89
and I'm going to
come back to this.
00:21:01.92\00:21:03.26
Look at verse 20, he says,
00:21:03.29\00:21:05.06
"Now if I do
what I will not to do,
00:21:05.09\00:21:10.40
it is no longer I
who do it, but," what,
00:21:10.43\00:21:13.60
"sin that dwells in me."
00:21:13.64\00:21:15.80
And I'm going to break this down
00:21:15.84\00:21:17.17
because he said, "Now if
I do what I will not to do,
00:21:17.21\00:21:21.28
it is no longer I who do
it, but sin that dwells in me."
00:21:21.31\00:21:24.48
Now we know the story,
00:21:24.51\00:21:25.88
we've heard the
anatomy of Satan's fall
00:21:25.91\00:21:28.22
or Lucifer who became Satan.
00:21:28.25\00:21:30.49
We know that all of a
sudden, the Bible says
00:21:30.52\00:21:32.89
iniquity was
found, where, in him,
00:21:32.92\00:21:36.29
inequity was found in him.
00:21:36.32\00:21:38.59
And that iniquity
being found in him
00:21:38.63\00:21:41.53
now became the
controlling factor
00:21:41.56\00:21:44.27
in what he continued to do.
00:21:44.30\00:21:46.60
And there's a phrase
00:21:46.63\00:21:47.97
that is
repetitive in the desire.
00:21:48.00\00:21:50.47
You see, when Lucifer continued
following his own will,
00:21:50.51\00:21:56.01
it took him down the path.
00:21:56.04\00:21:57.45
Let's look at that path
00:21:57.48\00:21:58.81
and let's go to
Isaiah chapter 14.
00:21:58.85\00:22:00.65
It took him down a path,
00:22:00.68\00:22:02.02
and I want you to
see this comparison.
00:22:02.05\00:22:05.12
It took him down the path
and began to produce in him,
00:22:05.15\00:22:10.43
a constitution that
God never put there,
00:22:10.46\00:22:13.86
that God never put there.
00:22:13.90\00:22:18.20
Isaiah chapter 14...
00:22:18.23\00:22:19.67
and by the way, we talked about
the anatomy of righteousness,
00:22:24.01\00:22:26.91
this really is the
anatomy, these passages here
00:22:26.94\00:22:29.44
that I'm going to read
now is the anatomy of sin,
00:22:29.48\00:22:31.81
how do we get into doing wrong,
and this is an amazing thing.
00:22:31.85\00:22:37.02
Verse 13, "For you have
said," where, "in your heart,"
00:22:37.05\00:22:43.02
now that's where it
starts, the seed of affection,
00:22:43.06\00:22:45.69
you make your determination.
00:22:45.73\00:22:47.06
You have said, what, "I
will ascend into heaven,
00:22:47.10\00:22:50.40
I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God,
00:22:50.43\00:22:53.13
I will also sit on the
mount of the congregation
00:22:53.17\00:22:55.70
on the farthest
sides of the north.
00:22:55.74\00:22:57.74
I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds,
00:22:57.77\00:23:00.01
I will be like the Most High."
00:23:00.04\00:23:02.24
Notice what you've
seen repeated five times?
00:23:02.28\00:23:04.45
What frames did
you see five times?
00:23:04.48\00:23:06.75
I will, over, and over,
and over, and over again.
00:23:06.78\00:23:11.02
He determined in his
will, remember, Paul says,
00:23:11.05\00:23:14.52
"To will is present
with me," but how do I do it.
00:23:14.56\00:23:20.90
I can't figure out how to do it.
00:23:20.93\00:23:22.86
And when you look
at this comparison
00:23:22.90\00:23:27.17
between obedience
leading to righteousness
00:23:27.20\00:23:31.17
or sin leading to death
00:23:31.21\00:23:33.21
or disobedience
leading to death,
00:23:33.24\00:23:34.94
you have to ask
yourself the question,
00:23:34.98\00:23:36.51
"Who am I going
to put in control
00:23:36.54\00:23:38.55
at this very moment?"
00:23:38.58\00:23:40.62
Lucifer chose not to yield
his will to the will of God.
00:23:40.65\00:23:43.79
So all of a sudden, it became,
00:23:43.82\00:23:45.15
"I will, I
will, I will, I will."
00:23:45.19\00:23:48.42
And Paul, looking at the fact
that sin is residing in him,
00:23:48.46\00:23:52.56
he says, "I want to
do this but I can't,"
00:23:52.59\00:23:56.16
because sin
took occasion in him,
00:23:56.20\00:23:59.07
and bound him and
the condition he was in.
00:23:59.10\00:24:01.84
His mind was one place,
00:24:01.87\00:24:04.17
but he could not
find how to do it, okay?
00:24:04.21\00:24:08.11
Now I'm going to
go slowly on this
00:24:08.14\00:24:11.18
because I want to
give you piece by piece.
00:24:11.21\00:24:12.61
Let's go to question number...
00:24:12.65\00:24:14.08
So write down
under question number 14,
00:24:14.12\00:24:16.18
why is human nature helpless
00:24:16.22\00:24:18.02
when it comes
to controlling sin?
00:24:18.05\00:24:19.82
What answer would you put?
00:24:19.85\00:24:21.19
Why is human nature helpless?
00:24:25.39\00:24:27.26
That's the key
is in the question,
00:24:27.30\00:24:29.20
why is human nature helpless
00:24:29.23\00:24:31.63
when it comes to
controlling sin, why,
00:24:31.67\00:24:33.37
because it's what
nature, human nature.
00:24:33.40\00:24:36.57
The nature that Adam gave to us,
00:24:36.60\00:24:38.47
I Corinthians 15:22,
"As in Adam, all die."
00:24:38.51\00:24:42.21
So the nature is in
control of what gets produced.
00:24:42.24\00:24:45.01
The tree
produces oranges or apples
00:24:45.05\00:24:47.08
because the tree
is an orange tree
00:24:47.12\00:24:48.48
or an apple tree.
00:24:48.52\00:24:49.85
You'll never get anything
00:24:49.88\00:24:51.22
other than what
the tree produces.
00:24:51.25\00:24:53.96
Can you? Yes or no? You cannot.
00:24:53.99\00:24:56.76
Let's go now to
question number 15.
00:24:56.79\00:25:01.06
I'm metering this
out a little at a time.
00:25:01.10\00:25:04.57
Question 15 is as follows,
00:25:04.60\00:25:08.04
"What is the
only hope that we have
00:25:08.07\00:25:12.41
to be victorious
over the sin nature?"
00:25:12.44\00:25:17.05
"What is the
only hope that we have
00:25:17.08\00:25:19.41
to be victorious
over the sin nature?"
00:25:19.45\00:25:20.98
Yes, okay.
00:25:21.02\00:25:22.35
I Corinthians 15:57,
00:25:22.38\00:25:24.62
let's go there and
look at that together.
00:25:24.65\00:25:26.96
All right, I Corinthians 15:57.
00:25:26.99\00:25:31.29
Okay, here it is,
and reading together,
00:25:31.33\00:25:34.00
"But thanks be to
God, who," does what,
00:25:34.03\00:25:37.17
"gives us the victory," how,
00:25:37.20\00:25:40.84
"through our Lord Jesus Christ."
00:25:40.87\00:25:45.27
Now it didn't say
through our Savior Jesus Christ,
00:25:45.31\00:25:48.61
it said through our Lord.
00:25:48.64\00:25:50.91
What word did I just
say? Through our, what, Lord.
00:25:50.95\00:25:54.02
Now why Lord, why not
savior, why not king, why Lord?
00:25:54.05\00:25:58.99
Because the Lord signifies
the one who is in charge.
00:25:59.02\00:26:03.46
If you've ever
lived in an apartment,
00:26:03.49\00:26:05.93
have you heard
the phrase landlord?
00:26:05.96\00:26:08.33
Now can you do anything
00:26:08.36\00:26:09.70
other than with the
approval of the landlord?
00:26:09.73\00:26:12.87
Well, in some cases
you can but you better not
00:26:12.90\00:26:17.64
because it
wouldn't yield good results
00:26:17.67\00:26:19.51
because the landlord would say,
00:26:19.54\00:26:21.38
"Did I tell you
that you could do that?"
00:26:21.41\00:26:24.91
See, Jesus uses the phrase
00:26:24.95\00:26:26.72
and He uses this
in the Book of Luke,
00:26:26.75\00:26:28.28
"Why call me Lord, Lord,
00:26:28.32\00:26:31.42
and do not do the
things which I say?"
00:26:31.45\00:26:36.19
Once again, the master is
in control of the servant.
00:26:36.22\00:26:41.43
If you call him Lord,
00:26:41.46\00:26:42.96
that is a clear declaration
that He is in charge.
00:26:43.00\00:26:47.34
Amen somebody?
00:26:47.37\00:26:49.90
So when we say He's our Lord,
00:26:49.94\00:26:51.77
lot of people
want Him as a Savior,
00:26:51.81\00:26:53.38
or lot of people
want Him as the king,
00:26:53.41\00:26:55.21
or lot of us want
Him as our provider.
00:26:55.24\00:26:57.25
We love to say, "God
will supply all our needs
00:26:57.28\00:26:59.58
according to His
riches in glory."
00:26:59.61\00:27:01.15
But calling Him Lord
means we take our relationship
00:27:01.18\00:27:04.15
to another level and we say,
00:27:04.19\00:27:06.12
"I cannot do
anything except through You.
00:27:06.15\00:27:09.26
I can't accomplish
anything except through You.
00:27:09.29\00:27:14.96
And I'm putting You
in control of my life."
00:27:15.00\00:27:18.23
Now I want to
take you another place
00:27:18.27\00:27:20.00
after this question.
00:27:20.04\00:27:21.37
Write the answer down.
00:27:21.40\00:27:22.74
So what do we do?
What does the Lord do?
00:27:22.77\00:27:25.87
According to this
passage, what does the Lord do?
00:27:25.91\00:27:28.98
Thanks be to God who does,
what, gives us the victory.
00:27:29.01\00:27:32.88
So if He gives us the victory,
00:27:32.91\00:27:34.95
who wins the victory, Him or us?
00:27:34.98\00:27:37.82
No, no. He gives us the victory.
00:27:41.19\00:27:44.93
Say it again, Dan. He won it.
00:27:44.96\00:27:46.49
He won it, but He
just gives it to us.
00:27:46.53\00:27:49.80
It's like going to
the Olympics and it says,
00:27:49.83\00:27:52.43
"John Dinzy, gold medal."
00:27:52.47\00:27:54.70
And you'd say, "But
I didn't run the race."
00:27:54.74\00:27:58.41
"Oh, no. You don't have to run.
00:27:58.44\00:27:59.97
We're just
giving you the victory."
00:28:00.01\00:28:02.01
See, it shows
00:28:02.04\00:28:04.78
that it's not an
act on your part,
00:28:04.81\00:28:06.98
it is an act on whose part?
00:28:07.02\00:28:08.58
His part.
00:28:08.62\00:28:10.42
Now, we are not automatons
00:28:10.45\00:28:11.79
where we have no
participation at all.
00:28:11.82\00:28:13.82
I'm going to show you
00:28:13.86\00:28:15.19
where our
participation comes in.
00:28:15.22\00:28:16.56
I talked about the slave
and the master relationship
00:28:16.59\00:28:19.03
which is simply, He's in charge.
00:28:19.06\00:28:20.90
I talked about
the vine and branch,
00:28:20.93\00:28:22.50
He's in charge or
producing the fruit.
00:28:22.53\00:28:24.33
But I'm going to go
00:28:24.37\00:28:25.70
and now take you to
the practicalities of it.
00:28:25.73\00:28:28.50
Go with me to Joshua 24,
00:28:28.54\00:28:34.91
Joshua 24.
00:28:34.94\00:28:38.71
What does Joshua have
to do with this topic?
00:28:38.75\00:28:42.92
You would say,
"Man, why not Galatians?"
00:28:42.95\00:28:45.89
You're going to find
there's a particular motif
00:28:45.92\00:28:47.86
in the Bible that's
repetitive, and it's beautiful.
00:28:47.89\00:28:52.23
You find this in
the Book of Exodus,
00:28:52.26\00:28:55.63
you find this in Deuteronomy,
you find this in Daniel,
00:28:55.66\00:28:59.73
and you find it
throughout the bible,
00:28:59.77\00:29:02.04
in the Book of Revelation,
beautiful passages, all right?
00:29:02.07\00:29:06.11
I'm going to go ahead
and put a little search here
00:29:06.14\00:29:07.98
so that I could
bring this up very quickly.
00:29:08.01\00:29:10.81
Wonderful, got it, okay.
00:29:14.35\00:29:15.98
So yes,
00:29:16.02\00:29:21.19
in Joshua chapter 24,
00:29:21.22\00:29:23.29
Joshua is a very
powerful passage.
00:29:23.32\00:29:25.49
As a matter of fact,
00:29:25.53\00:29:26.86
my wife and I
read this together.
00:29:26.90\00:29:28.23
And I want to encourage you.
00:29:28.26\00:29:29.60
If you've ever had a
journey with the Lord,
00:29:29.63\00:29:31.03
Joshua, by the way,
00:29:31.07\00:29:32.50
is the one who took
over when Moses died.
00:29:32.53\00:29:36.00
When the Lord led the
children of Israel out of Egypt,
00:29:36.04\00:29:39.14
those who are adults,
many of them by the time,
00:29:39.17\00:29:41.84
Joshua took over,
00:29:41.88\00:29:43.24
and then Joshua
became an old man,
00:29:43.28\00:29:45.78
many of them died
off in the wilderness.
00:29:45.81\00:29:48.05
They were in the
journey for 40 years.
00:29:48.08\00:29:49.98
And many of the children
that came out of the Egypt,
00:29:50.02\00:29:51.99
little kids running around
00:29:52.02\00:29:53.36
like our little kids
running around the church,
00:29:53.39\00:29:54.82
they didn't have a clue,
00:29:54.86\00:29:56.19
they just with
their moms and dads
00:29:56.22\00:29:57.63
when the Lord
delivered them out of Egypt.
00:29:57.66\00:29:59.49
They didn't understand anything,
00:29:59.53\00:30:00.86
when the commandments
were given to the adults,
00:30:00.90\00:30:02.43
the kids had no clue about
what the commandments were.
00:30:02.46\00:30:04.93
So Exodus, the second Exodus
is the Book of Deuteronomy.
00:30:04.97\00:30:08.87
Deuteronomy was written to
remind the older people now
00:30:08.90\00:30:12.14
who are children
about the obligations
00:30:12.17\00:30:14.81
that were given to
their fathers and mothers
00:30:14.84\00:30:16.54
when they came out of Egypt.
00:30:16.58\00:30:17.91
So when you read in
Deuteronomy chapter 5,
00:30:17.95\00:30:19.71
the Ten Commandments again,
00:30:19.75\00:30:21.08
it's not because the Bible
just wants to reiterate it,
00:30:21.12\00:30:23.18
it's written out
for a new generation.
00:30:23.22\00:30:25.62
It's saying, "In Exodus
20, your folks had this.
00:30:25.65\00:30:29.16
Now that you've grown up,
00:30:29.19\00:30:30.53
here are the same
commandments for you.
00:30:30.56\00:30:32.46
Since you didn't understand
00:30:32.49\00:30:33.83
when they got it,
here it is for you."
00:30:33.86\00:30:36.00
And so Joshua now is
advancing in the years
00:30:36.03\00:30:39.97
and he's recounting the journey
of the children of Israel.
00:30:40.00\00:30:43.67
He's going all the
way back to Abraham.
00:30:43.71\00:30:45.74
He's going back
to the call of God,
00:30:45.77\00:30:47.14
and he's reminding them
that every step of the way,
00:30:47.18\00:30:49.74
every victory that they had was
00:30:49.78\00:30:51.31
because God brought
them through that victory.
00:30:51.35\00:30:53.98
Can we all say
amen to that? Amen.
00:30:54.02\00:30:55.62
God brings us to the victories.
00:30:55.65\00:30:57.35
But then, after he says,
00:30:57.39\00:30:59.39
"When they were
on the other side,
00:30:59.42\00:31:01.22
when they were in
Egypt, this is how they lived,
00:31:01.26\00:31:03.53
these are the
gods that they served,"
00:31:03.56\00:31:05.63
but when you look
at the goodness of God
00:31:05.66\00:31:07.56
and all the
things He did for you,
00:31:07.60\00:31:09.80
He said the choice
is simple, verse 15.
00:31:09.83\00:31:13.77
"And if it seems
evil to you to do," what,
00:31:17.74\00:31:20.81
"serve the Lord,"
00:31:20.84\00:31:22.38
let's read this
together, are you ready,
00:31:22.41\00:31:24.35
"choose for yourselves," what,
00:31:24.38\00:31:27.02
"this day whom you will serve,
00:31:27.05\00:31:30.29
whether the gods
00:31:30.32\00:31:33.52
which your fathers served
00:31:33.56\00:31:35.46
that were on the
other side of the river
00:31:35.49\00:31:37.66
of the gods of the Amorites
in whose land you dwell,
00:31:37.69\00:31:41.60
but as for me and
my house together,"
00:31:41.63\00:31:44.80
we will, do what,
"we will serve the Lord."
00:31:44.83\00:31:48.70
Now I'm going to go ahead
00:31:48.74\00:31:50.14
and hit you with a
very powerful point.
00:31:50.17\00:31:53.07
He didn't say,
00:31:53.11\00:31:58.31
"Choose, you, this
day what you will do."
00:31:58.35\00:32:02.75
He said, "Choose,
you, this day," what,
00:32:02.78\00:32:05.25
"whom you will serve."
00:32:05.29\00:32:07.69
Now when you go
back to Romans 6:16
00:32:07.72\00:32:10.13
depending on the translation,
depending on the translation,
00:32:10.16\00:32:13.96
the New King James
Version uses the word slaves,
00:32:14.00\00:32:16.63
I think the King James
Version uses the word servant.
00:32:16.67\00:32:19.13
Correct me if I'm incorrect,
00:32:19.17\00:32:20.50
it uses the word servant, right?
00:32:20.54\00:32:21.87
The key connection
00:32:21.90\00:32:23.47
is when you choose who to serve,
00:32:23.51\00:32:26.21
they are immediately in charge.
00:32:26.24\00:32:29.98
So Joshua didn't say,
00:32:30.01\00:32:31.88
and the Lord never said
to Moses to tell Pharaoh...
00:32:31.91\00:32:36.69
Thank you, Lord,
for this Revelation
00:32:36.72\00:32:38.05
in our studies together.
00:32:38.09\00:32:39.42
The Lord didn't
say, "Tell Pharaoh,
00:32:39.45\00:32:41.39
'Let the
children of Israel go that
00:32:41.42\00:32:43.19
they may keep the Sabbath.'"
00:32:43.22\00:32:45.36
He didn't say, "Tell Pharaoh,
00:32:45.39\00:32:47.56
'Let the children of Israel go
that I may change their diet.'"
00:32:47.60\00:32:51.93
He never said
that. What did He say?
00:32:51.97\00:32:54.64
"Let them go that
they may do," what?
00:32:54.67\00:32:56.40
Serve. "Serve me."
00:32:56.44\00:32:59.67
So in serving the Lord,
00:32:59.71\00:33:02.68
He presented to them
after they chose to serve Him,
00:33:02.71\00:33:07.08
He presented to them
00:33:07.12\00:33:10.05
His requirements of service.
00:33:10.09\00:33:13.46
My wife and I
were in a restaurant,
00:33:13.49\00:33:16.49
and you'll understand this
00:33:16.52\00:33:17.86
more in the
contemporary context.
00:33:17.89\00:33:21.43
Now you never call the person
00:33:21.46\00:33:23.63
that attends to
your table a slave.
00:33:23.67\00:33:25.93
Don't ever do that, by the way.
00:33:25.97\00:33:27.47
It's not going to
get you many good results
00:33:27.50\00:33:29.67
'cause you won't like
00:33:29.70\00:33:31.81
probably what they
bring out of the kitchen.
00:33:31.84\00:33:34.04
But when you go
to the restaurant,
00:33:34.08\00:33:35.94
you have a menu.
00:33:35.98\00:33:37.85
And you ask for them politely,
00:33:37.88\00:33:40.18
"This is what I'd
like on the menu."
00:33:40.22\00:33:41.78
What if they bring
you what you don't want?
00:33:41.82\00:33:43.89
What would you
say? Take it back.
00:33:43.92\00:33:45.75
Say it again. Take it back.
00:33:45.79\00:33:47.12
Take it back.
00:33:47.16\00:33:48.52
Some of us would...
00:33:48.56\00:33:50.46
Would you just
go ahead and eat it?
00:33:50.49\00:33:52.46
No.
00:33:52.49\00:33:53.83
You'd say in a polite way,
"This is not what I ordered.
00:33:53.86\00:33:56.50
This is not what I
want. Could you change it?"
00:33:56.53\00:33:59.17
And even if it is
00:33:59.20\00:34:00.54
what you ordered
and you didn't like it,
00:34:00.57\00:34:01.90
what do they normally do?
00:34:01.94\00:34:03.27
They, what,
00:34:03.30\00:34:04.64
"Is there something
else that I can get for you?"
00:34:04.67\00:34:06.84
At that very moment,
00:34:06.88\00:34:08.21
you are the master,
they are the servant.
00:34:08.24\00:34:11.31
They want to please you
00:34:11.35\00:34:13.05
because they
know in pleasing you,
00:34:13.08\00:34:16.08
it's going to hike up
00:34:16.12\00:34:17.49
the attendance
at their restaurant,
00:34:17.52\00:34:19.35
the news is going to get around.
00:34:19.39\00:34:21.29
And most cases, we say,
"They have great service."
00:34:21.32\00:34:27.50
But we like to say
they have good food too.
00:34:27.53\00:34:29.46
Sometimes you'll say,
"Man, the food is not so good,
00:34:29.50\00:34:31.30
but, man, the service is great."
00:34:31.33\00:34:36.07
When you choose
00:34:36.10\00:34:39.87
who you're going to serve,
00:34:39.91\00:34:41.84
they tell you
00:34:41.88\00:34:43.85
how they want you to serve them.
00:34:43.88\00:34:46.51
When we are servants of Christ,
00:34:46.55\00:34:49.82
He tells us how He
wants us to serve Him.
00:34:49.85\00:34:54.42
And when you look
through the bible,
00:34:54.46\00:34:55.79
this is repeated over
and over and over again.
00:34:55.82\00:34:57.59
Let me give you a
couple more examples.
00:34:57.63\00:35:00.70
When the Hebrews
were in the fiery furnace,
00:35:00.73\00:35:03.16
and Nebuchadnezzar stood there
00:35:03.20\00:35:04.63
and surprised and
saw four men walking.
00:35:04.67\00:35:07.50
He said to the Hebrew worthies,
00:35:07.54\00:35:11.17
"The God whom you serve
is able to deliver you."
00:35:11.21\00:35:16.88
Right?
00:35:16.91\00:35:18.78
They didn't say...
00:35:18.81\00:35:20.92
Lord, help me
say this correctly.
00:35:20.95\00:35:23.25
They didn't say, "The Sabbath
I keep is able to deliver me."
00:35:23.28\00:35:27.42
They didn't say,
00:35:27.46\00:35:28.79
"The diet that we had in
Israel is able to deliver me."
00:35:28.82\00:35:32.86
Now did they
violate the diet? Yes or no?
00:35:32.89\00:35:37.03
You got the example in Daniel 1,
00:35:37.07\00:35:38.43
they refused to
violate their diet.
00:35:38.47\00:35:40.40
You know why?
00:35:40.44\00:35:41.77
Because they already
knew who they served.
00:35:41.80\00:35:43.67
They have been serving the Lord
00:35:43.71\00:35:45.04
before they
became slaves in Egypt.
00:35:45.07\00:35:46.78
And they said,
00:35:46.81\00:35:48.14
"Even in our
slavery to this kingdom,
00:35:48.18\00:35:51.55
we're going to still
follow the principles."
00:35:51.58\00:35:55.18
And they did it in such a way
00:35:55.22\00:35:56.55
that Nebuchadnezzar
joined forces with them
00:35:56.58\00:35:58.95
because it proved
that this kind of diet
00:35:58.99\00:36:01.46
was best for their leadership
in the kingdom of Babylon.
00:36:01.49\00:36:05.66
But the point I want to make is,
00:36:05.69\00:36:07.06
when Nebuchadnezzar saw
them in the fiery furnace,
00:36:07.10\00:36:09.26
he said, "The God whom you serve
00:36:09.30\00:36:10.97
is able to deliver you."
00:36:11.00\00:36:12.33
Now let me ask you a question,
00:36:12.37\00:36:13.70
and I'm going to
read a quotation here
00:36:13.74\00:36:15.07
that's powerful.
00:36:15.10\00:36:16.44
Is the God whom we serve
able to deliver us from sin?
00:36:16.47\00:36:19.44
Yes or no? Yes.
00:36:19.47\00:36:23.48
Yes. Yes.
00:36:23.51\00:36:25.58
I just paused
to take in the yes,
00:36:25.61\00:36:28.82
and I say amen to that.
00:36:28.85\00:36:31.75
When Daniel was
in the lion's den,
00:36:31.79\00:36:33.86
have you ever felt that
you were in the lion's den?
00:36:33.89\00:36:36.56
Yes. Thank you.
00:36:36.59\00:36:39.23
All of us have kittens
00:36:39.26\00:36:40.60
but one gentleman
has the lion's den.
00:36:40.63\00:36:42.56
We've all been
in the lion's den.
00:36:42.60\00:36:44.10
The Bible says,
00:36:44.13\00:36:45.47
"For the devil walks
about like a roaring," what,
00:36:45.50\00:36:47.50
"lion seeking
whom he may devour."
00:36:47.54\00:36:49.24
That's just it.
We are on his menu.
00:36:49.27\00:36:51.71
We are the focal point
of his desire to devour.
00:36:51.74\00:36:54.58
He wants to
devour us through sin.
00:36:54.61\00:36:57.71
He wants to
have us yield to him.
00:36:57.75\00:37:01.75
And in the
process, get devoured.
00:37:01.78\00:37:04.05
Daniel chose again to
pray as he often would,
00:37:04.09\00:37:08.56
three times a day,
00:37:08.59\00:37:09.96
and when Daniel was
put in the lion's den,
00:37:09.99\00:37:12.19
the king came in the morning,
00:37:12.23\00:37:13.56
he said, "Daniel, Oh, Daniel,
00:37:13.60\00:37:16.87
is the God whom you
serve able to deliver you?"
00:37:16.90\00:37:22.30
And he had enough time to
say, "Oh, King, live forever.
00:37:22.34\00:37:24.94
Having a great time down here.
00:37:24.97\00:37:27.01
The God whom I serve
00:37:27.04\00:37:28.51
has sent His angel
and has done," what,
00:37:28.54\00:37:31.75
"shut the lion's mouth,"
00:37:31.78\00:37:33.48
as evidence that the God
00:37:33.52\00:37:34.85
whom he serves is
able to deliver him.
00:37:34.88\00:37:37.79
Now follow me carefully.
00:37:37.82\00:37:39.32
We often apply that to,
00:37:39.35\00:37:40.79
you know, Daniel
in the lion's den,
00:37:40.82\00:37:42.69
the Hebrews in the fire,
the Israelites in battle,
00:37:42.72\00:37:47.30
but in our fire of
trial, in our battle with sin,
00:37:47.33\00:37:52.13
in our den,
00:37:52.17\00:37:53.50
when wickedness
wants to devour us,
00:37:53.54\00:37:55.57
if we choose to serve God...
00:37:55.60\00:37:58.87
there's nothing when
you choose to serve God,
00:38:03.61\00:38:06.11
there's nothing
that the enemy can do
00:38:06.15\00:38:09.98
to make you break
your allegiance to God.
00:38:10.02\00:38:13.09
And you have to ask
yourself the question now, why?
00:38:13.12\00:38:17.33
Because your allegiance to God,
00:38:17.36\00:38:19.09
and I'm going to
make this very clear,
00:38:19.13\00:38:20.46
your allegiance to God
00:38:20.50\00:38:24.03
is not dependent on what you do.
00:38:24.07\00:38:26.70
It's dependent
on who you choose.
00:38:26.74\00:38:29.77
"Choose, you, this
day whom you'll serve."
00:38:29.80\00:38:32.07
Now have you ever heard
anybody ask the question,
00:38:32.11\00:38:37.25
what is God's will for my life?
00:38:37.28\00:38:39.21
Have you ever
asked that question?
00:38:39.25\00:38:40.58
Come on, let's all...
00:38:40.62\00:38:41.95
I believe all had.
00:38:41.98\00:38:43.32
If I could find out what
God's will is for my life,
00:38:43.35\00:38:45.05
you know, young
people ask that question,
00:38:45.09\00:38:46.62
people have been in
the church for many years,
00:38:46.65\00:38:48.02
"What is God's
will for my life?"
00:38:48.06\00:38:49.79
In other words,
00:38:49.82\00:38:51.16
"If I can figure out God's will,
00:38:51.19\00:38:52.53
maybe I could do it."
00:38:52.56\00:38:53.90
Go with me to Romans 12:2.
00:38:53.93\00:38:56.00
Romans 12:2.
00:38:56.03\00:38:57.73
And we're going to
get back to questions here
00:38:57.77\00:38:59.10
because it's very
vitally important,
00:38:59.13\00:39:00.70
and I'm gonna share with you
00:39:00.74\00:39:02.37
a quotation
here in just a moment
00:39:02.40\00:39:04.91
that the Lord revealed to me.
00:39:04.94\00:39:06.84
Praise God for
that. Okay, here it is.
00:39:06.88\00:39:11.01
I'm going to
bring that back up here.
00:39:11.05\00:39:12.71
And I tell you,
00:39:12.75\00:39:14.32
when the Lord
speaks, His word is clear.
00:39:14.35\00:39:17.22
Okay, good.
00:39:17.25\00:39:19.32
Okay, what did I
say? Romans 12:2, right?
00:39:19.35\00:39:22.32
Okay, let's go
to Romans chapter 12
00:39:22.36\00:39:24.23
and we're going to
look together at verse 2.
00:39:24.26\00:39:29.63
"And do not be
conformed to this world,
00:39:29.66\00:39:31.40
but be
transformed by the," what,
00:39:31.43\00:39:34.27
"renewing of your
mind, that you may prove
00:39:34.30\00:39:37.07
what is that good and acceptable
00:39:37.11\00:39:39.27
and," what else,
"perfect will of God."
00:39:39.31\00:39:42.08
Notice, as you're
able to prove what it is.
00:39:42.11\00:39:47.35
What it didn't say is
00:39:47.38\00:39:49.32
you're able to
perform what it is.
00:39:49.35\00:39:51.52
He says you're able
to prove what it is.
00:39:51.55\00:39:54.16
When you're transformed,
you are able to prove.
00:39:54.19\00:39:57.49
Now what I want to go
even deeper on now is,
00:39:57.53\00:40:00.23
now go with me to
the Book of Philippians.
00:40:00.26\00:40:05.10
What book did I
say? Philippians.
00:40:05.13\00:40:10.57
Wow.
00:40:10.61\00:40:14.31
Yes, Lord, yes. Okay.
00:40:14.34\00:40:18.38
Okay, I'm here.
00:40:18.41\00:40:19.91
I was looking at my
quotation to share with you
00:40:19.95\00:40:21.95
in just a moment here.
00:40:21.98\00:40:23.55
This is a powerful quotation.
00:40:23.59\00:40:24.95
In the future, I'll
put it on the screen.
00:40:24.99\00:40:26.99
All right. Okay.
00:40:27.02\00:40:30.93
Okay, Philippians 2.
00:40:30.96\00:40:33.96
And we're going to
read verse 12 and 13.
00:40:41.90\00:40:45.94
Okay.
00:40:45.97\00:40:47.98
Oftentimes, we read verse 12,
00:40:48.01\00:40:50.48
disconnect it from 13,
and 13 disconnected from 12,
00:40:50.51\00:40:53.68
but let's look at them together.
00:40:53.72\00:40:55.28
"Therefore, my brethren,
as you have always obeyed,
00:40:55.32\00:40:58.49
not as in my presence
only, but now much more in my,"
00:40:58.52\00:41:02.86
what, "absence,"
00:41:02.89\00:41:04.49
and this is the part
that throws us sometimes,
00:41:04.53\00:41:07.33
"work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling."
00:41:07.36\00:41:11.80
We read that and we say,
00:41:11.83\00:41:13.17
"Man, how long do I
have to work it out?"
00:41:13.20\00:41:17.74
And then we hear the phrase,
00:41:17.77\00:41:19.11
"Sanctification is
a work of lifetime."
00:41:19.14\00:41:21.08
And we say,
00:41:21.11\00:41:22.44
"Man, I wonder how much time
I need to be fully sanctified
00:41:22.48\00:41:26.31
so that I can have the
assurance of salvation."
00:41:26.35\00:41:30.29
But how do you work out
00:41:30.32\00:41:31.89
your own salvation
with fear and trembling?
00:41:31.92\00:41:34.22
Look at how you do at verse 13.
00:41:34.26\00:41:36.89
Here it is, "For it
is God who," does what?
00:41:36.93\00:41:40.83
"Works in you both to will
00:41:40.86\00:41:42.46
and to do for
His good pleasure."
00:41:42.50\00:41:44.30
Both to will...
00:41:44.33\00:41:45.67
for it is God who
works in you both to will
00:41:45.70\00:41:48.87
and to do of His good pleasure.
00:41:48.90\00:41:51.91
Notice the two things
he does that we cannot do.
00:41:51.94\00:41:58.81
He says work out
your own salvation.
00:41:58.85\00:42:00.72
But in reality,
it is God who works.
00:42:00.75\00:42:04.22
Who works?
00:42:04.25\00:42:06.25
Now why is this
so vitally important?
00:42:06.29\00:42:08.12
Are you ready?
00:42:08.16\00:42:09.92
Here's the
beautiful aspect of it.
00:42:09.96\00:42:11.29
Remember,
remember, it is God who works
00:42:11.33\00:42:13.29
because if you were
working out your salvation,
00:42:13.33\00:42:15.33
you wouldn't need God.
00:42:15.36\00:42:17.27
Is that true?
00:42:17.30\00:42:18.97
But if God is the one working...
00:42:19.00\00:42:20.37
sorry, not if,
00:42:20.40\00:42:21.74
but because God
is the one working
00:42:21.77\00:42:23.54
in you both to will and to do.
00:42:23.57\00:42:28.18
Then you're not
working, you want the evidence?
00:42:28.21\00:42:31.78
For by grace, are
you saved through faith,
00:42:31.81\00:42:35.08
and that not of yourselves,
it is a gift of God, not of...
00:42:35.12\00:42:39.92
Come on, not of? Works.
00:42:39.95\00:42:41.39
Works, lest any
man should boast.
00:42:41.42\00:42:43.86
So when you read the phrase,
00:42:43.89\00:42:45.66
when you read the scripture,
work out your own salvation.
00:42:45.69\00:42:48.36
It doesn't say, "Yannick,
00:42:48.40\00:42:50.73
you got a lot of
work ahead of you."
00:42:50.77\00:42:53.17
And oftentimes, as Christians,
00:42:53.20\00:42:56.67
we think, "Man, I got a
lot of work ahead of me."
00:42:56.71\00:43:01.38
And we say this,
"When I look at myself,
00:43:01.41\00:43:03.58
I don't know how
I could be saved."
00:43:03.61\00:43:06.41
But I'm so glad we
had the other part.
00:43:06.45\00:43:09.32
"When we look at Jesus,
00:43:09.35\00:43:10.69
I don't know how
I could be lost."
00:43:10.72\00:43:14.16
And why are we so
encouraged by that?
00:43:14.19\00:43:17.56
Because if God is working,
00:43:17.59\00:43:19.69
if God is working,
is He reliable, Marlena?
00:43:19.73\00:43:22.76
Yes, He is. He's reliable.
00:43:22.80\00:43:24.13
Is He reliable, Yana?
00:43:24.17\00:43:25.77
Is He reliable,
everyone? Yes, He is.
00:43:25.80\00:43:28.37
So if God works out,
00:43:28.40\00:43:30.44
'cause, you know,
Matthew talks about
00:43:30.47\00:43:32.87
how they are
projects in our lives,
00:43:32.91\00:43:37.05
that some people
don't count the cost,
00:43:37.08\00:43:39.88
and they can't finish.
00:43:39.91\00:43:42.45
And some people lose
00:43:42.48\00:43:43.82
their
encouragement in Christianity
00:43:43.85\00:43:45.19
because they think,
00:43:45.22\00:43:46.55
"Man, I've been a
Christian for X amount of years,
00:43:46.59\00:43:48.66
and it just seems like
it's just not working right.
00:43:48.69\00:43:50.83
No matter what I
do, I just can't get it.
00:43:50.86\00:43:56.26
No matter how much I
pray, I just can't do it."
00:43:56.30\00:44:01.24
When all we have to do
00:44:01.27\00:44:04.74
is choose who to serve.
00:44:04.77\00:44:08.81
And God will both will
and do of His good pleasure.
00:44:08.84\00:44:15.25
How do I know that?
00:44:15.28\00:44:16.75
Who's working?
00:44:16.79\00:44:18.95
Who's working in us? God.
00:44:18.99\00:44:20.82
Who's working on you? God is.
00:44:20.86\00:44:23.69
If I had to work on myself,
now you know how it would be.
00:44:23.73\00:44:25.99
If we had to work on
ourselves, we would say now...
00:44:26.03\00:44:29.56
That's why people boast
about the things they overcome,
00:44:29.60\00:44:31.53
they don't tell you the things
00:44:31.57\00:44:32.90
they were still struggling with.
00:44:32.93\00:44:34.64
Right?
00:44:34.67\00:44:36.00
"I used to be a
smoker, I don't smoke anymore.
00:44:36.04\00:44:38.44
I can't even be tempted.
00:44:38.47\00:44:39.91
I was an alcoholic,
two, three bottles a day,
00:44:39.94\00:44:42.31
twelve beers a week,
00:44:42.34\00:44:43.68
doesn't even bother me anymore."
00:44:43.71\00:44:45.05
They are boasting
about what they've overcome,
00:44:45.08\00:44:46.65
but they're not telling you
what they are struggling with.
00:44:46.68\00:44:50.39
And as Meade MacGuire said,
00:44:50.42\00:44:51.75
"How is it that we boast
00:44:51.79\00:44:53.12
of all these
gigantic deliverances,
00:44:53.15\00:44:54.72
but then we tolerate
the little sins in our lives
00:44:54.76\00:44:57.13
as though they don't
matter for eternity."
00:44:57.16\00:44:59.13
They do matter for eternity.
00:44:59.16\00:45:00.80
But the question you
have to ask yourself,
00:45:00.83\00:45:02.30
"If God is now the one working,
is He going to work it out?"
00:45:02.33\00:45:05.67
Come on, is He
going to work it out?
00:45:05.70\00:45:07.30
He is the one
working in you both to will
00:45:07.34\00:45:09.14
and to do of His good pleasure,
00:45:09.17\00:45:10.51
and here's the confidence
you have, Philippians 1:6.
00:45:10.54\00:45:12.77
Philippians 1:6,
00:45:12.81\00:45:14.81
He knows what needs
to be out of our lives
00:45:14.84\00:45:17.88
and that's why we are told,
00:45:17.91\00:45:19.25
"Do not despise the
chastening of the Father."
00:45:19.28\00:45:22.22
Don't despise it.
00:45:22.25\00:45:23.59
If the Lord has to beat
us up every now and then,
00:45:23.62\00:45:25.12
and I say beat us
up to discipline us.
00:45:25.15\00:45:28.62
He does it only
because He loves His children.
00:45:28.66\00:45:32.33
And He does not
want us to be saved.
00:45:32.36\00:45:33.80
If He has to put us
00:45:33.83\00:45:35.16
in the fire
sometimes to get the...
00:45:35.20\00:45:37.40
He doesn't want us to be lost.
00:45:37.43\00:45:38.77
He doesn't want us to be
lost. Thank you very much.
00:45:38.80\00:45:40.14
He wants us to be
saved. My wife helps me out.
00:45:40.17\00:45:42.04
She's editing my sermons.
I appreciate that so much.
00:45:42.07\00:45:44.97
He does not want us to be
lost. He wants us to be saved.
00:45:45.01\00:45:49.64
So whatever does
not resemble Him,
00:45:49.68\00:45:51.78
He is going to work it
out. Can we get an amen to that?
00:45:51.81\00:45:54.25
Amen.
00:45:54.28\00:45:55.68
But look what he
says, Philippians 1:6,
00:45:55.72\00:45:58.69
"Being
confident," what is confident?
00:45:58.72\00:46:02.99
Is another word
for confident, assure?
00:46:03.02\00:46:05.39
Yes. Isn't it assurance?
00:46:05.43\00:46:08.23
"Being confident
of this very thing,
00:46:08.26\00:46:12.23
that He who has begun
a," what kind of work,
00:46:12.27\00:46:15.80
"good work in
you will," do what,
00:46:15.84\00:46:18.47
will complete it,
or will perform it
00:46:18.51\00:46:20.71
until the day of Jesus Christ.
00:46:20.74\00:46:23.21
Amen. Amen.
00:46:23.24\00:46:24.71
So He says,
00:46:24.75\00:46:27.88
"You're not yet
where you need to be
00:46:27.92\00:46:29.85
to be in the
kingdom, but I'm working."
00:46:29.88\00:46:34.86
And I want to tell
you, He's working on you,
00:46:34.89\00:46:37.59
He's working on
me. He's working on us.
00:46:37.63\00:46:40.16
Amen.
00:46:40.20\00:46:41.53
Do we know that
to be true? Amen.
00:46:41.56\00:46:43.43
Because He wants us
to be in the kingdom.
00:46:43.47\00:46:45.03
And let me give you another text
00:46:45.07\00:46:46.40
so you don't get discouraged.
00:46:46.43\00:46:47.77
Because sometimes,
00:46:47.80\00:46:49.14
we look at ourselves and we say,
00:46:49.17\00:46:50.51
"Lord, I don't know.
00:46:50.54\00:46:51.87
I don't know."
00:46:51.91\00:46:53.24
He said, "My
children, don't get discourage.
00:46:53.27\00:46:56.78
You cannot see
00:46:56.81\00:46:59.08
how it's going to turn
out but just give me time."
00:46:59.11\00:47:01.98
Right?
00:47:02.02\00:47:03.35
How much time did the
thief on the cross need?
00:47:03.39\00:47:06.29
Evidently, he
didn't need very much
00:47:06.32\00:47:08.36
'cause the Lord imputed
to him His righteousness.
00:47:08.39\00:47:11.33
He imparted to him His...
00:47:11.36\00:47:13.36
how can you get that
gift at that very moment?
00:47:13.40\00:47:15.86
Because the Lord
loved him so much,
00:47:15.90\00:47:17.60
He qualified him out
of a repentant heart,
00:47:17.63\00:47:20.20
you know why,
00:47:20.24\00:47:21.57
because at the moment
of the life and death,
00:47:21.60\00:47:23.07
he chose Christ.
00:47:23.10\00:47:28.64
But now let's go
to I John. I John.
00:47:28.68\00:47:32.88
And I'm going to read
a quotation that is huge.
00:47:32.91\00:47:37.69
My wife and I, together,
have been studying this topic,
00:47:37.72\00:47:41.39
and it just has made
life so much more beautiful
00:47:41.42\00:47:46.09
because we've been
able to get the victory
00:47:46.13\00:47:50.13
over those
statements that we heard
00:47:50.17\00:47:53.10
as we were growing
up as early Christians.
00:47:53.13\00:47:55.90
You know, we said,
00:47:55.94\00:47:57.84
"Well, you go to church,
00:47:57.87\00:47:59.24
and the preacher spends
all the time beating you up
00:47:59.27\00:48:01.31
'cause you ain't living
right, you ain't doing this,
00:48:01.34\00:48:03.08
and you ain't doing that."
00:48:03.11\00:48:04.81
And you leave more frustrated
00:48:04.85\00:48:06.61
than encouraged
because it's true.
00:48:06.65\00:48:09.42
But when we uplift Jesus
00:48:12.45\00:48:16.09
and point the hopeless
sinner to the helpful Savior,
00:48:16.12\00:48:21.06
they walk away not discouraged.
00:48:21.10\00:48:23.77
Even Jesus didn't
come to condemn us.
00:48:23.80\00:48:26.43
We've got to preach
Christ and Him crucified, amen?
00:48:26.47\00:48:28.27
Amen.
00:48:28.30\00:48:29.64
So people that are
already in the lost condition
00:48:29.67\00:48:31.87
would not feel even
more lost after a sermon
00:48:31.91\00:48:36.64
but will know
beyond a shadow of a doubt
00:48:36.68\00:48:38.58
where they can find
help and deliverance.
00:48:38.61\00:48:41.15
So remember now,
00:48:41.18\00:48:43.02
this is in the
context of God working in us.
00:48:43.05\00:48:46.09
Okay, now get this.
00:48:46.12\00:48:49.06
Here it is,
"Beloved," well, sorry.
00:48:49.09\00:48:52.06
I John chapter
3, I John chapter 3.
00:48:52.09\00:48:57.87
And we're going to
start with the verse 1.
00:48:57.90\00:49:00.47
The Bible says,
00:49:00.50\00:49:02.57
"Behold what manner of love
the Father has bestowed on us,
00:49:02.60\00:49:08.94
that we should be called,"
00:49:08.98\00:49:10.31
what, "sons of God
or children of God.
00:49:10.35\00:49:14.35
Therefore the
world does not know us,
00:49:14.38\00:49:16.69
because it did not know Him."
00:49:16.72\00:49:18.32
You know why it doesn't know us,
00:49:18.35\00:49:19.75
because we don't look like it,
00:49:19.79\00:49:21.66
we don't live like it
00:49:21.69\00:49:23.02
because God is in
us living, and moving,
00:49:23.06\00:49:26.16
and carrying out His will.
00:49:26.19\00:49:28.70
And when God is doing that,
00:49:28.73\00:49:30.07
the world
doesn't recognize people
00:49:30.10\00:49:31.47
that are on God's side.
00:49:31.50\00:49:33.80
But look at the
next two passages.
00:49:33.84\00:49:36.34
"Beloved," what is
the very next word,
00:49:36.37\00:49:39.07
"now are we, or we
are the children of God,"
00:49:39.11\00:49:42.88
when are we the
children of God, now.
00:49:42.91\00:49:45.58
And this is the part.
00:49:45.61\00:49:46.95
Remember the work He's
doing, He didn't finish it,
00:49:46.98\00:49:49.48
but He's going to complete it.
00:49:49.52\00:49:51.22
"And it has not
yet been revealed
00:49:51.25\00:49:52.85
what we shall be,"
00:49:52.89\00:49:55.76
but don't get discouraged
00:49:55.79\00:49:57.13
because He's going
to finish the work,
00:49:57.16\00:49:59.06
"but we know that
when He is revealed,
00:49:59.09\00:50:02.06
we shall be," what, "like Him,
for we shall see Him as He is."
00:50:02.10\00:50:07.77
And then verse 3,
00:50:07.80\00:50:09.77
"And everyone who
has this hope in Him
00:50:09.80\00:50:13.01
purifies himself,
just as He is pure."
00:50:13.04\00:50:16.14
Now what is it
mean purifies himself?
00:50:16.18\00:50:19.41
Who is the
purifier? Somebody tell me.
00:50:19.45\00:50:22.82
You've got to lean
00:50:22.85\00:50:24.82
in the direction of the only one
00:50:24.85\00:50:27.22
that can cleanse us,
00:50:27.26\00:50:29.12
He purifies us.
00:50:29.16\00:50:31.19
And James says it,
John the revelator says it,
00:50:31.23\00:50:35.46
"Blessed is he
that keeps his garment,
00:50:35.50\00:50:37.20
lest he walks naked
and they see his shame."
00:50:37.23\00:50:39.53
We maintain that day by
day. Let me ask you a question.
00:50:39.57\00:50:43.00
I think you know the answer.
00:50:43.04\00:50:44.37
How often should we
yield our will to Christ?
00:50:44.41\00:50:47.01
Daily.
00:50:47.04\00:50:49.74
How often? Continually.
00:50:49.78\00:50:52.11
How, moment by moment by moment,
00:50:52.15\00:50:55.45
test by test by test.
00:50:55.48\00:50:58.49
Moment by moment,
00:51:01.79\00:51:03.12
we are not safe
for a single moment.
00:51:03.16\00:51:04.79
But I want to read
this quotation to you.
00:51:04.83\00:51:07.23
And this is from
the Education, page 289.
00:51:07.26\00:51:10.23
If you don't know
what the book Education is,
00:51:10.27\00:51:12.70
you can contact us here at 3ABN,
00:51:12.73\00:51:14.44
and we'll make sure
00:51:14.47\00:51:15.80
that we can give
you the resource,
00:51:15.84\00:51:17.17
that number is 618-627-4651,
00:51:17.21\00:51:21.48
you can contact us
00:51:21.51\00:51:22.84
if you don't know
what the book Education is.
00:51:22.88\00:51:24.21
It's a beautiful resource,
00:51:24.25\00:51:25.58
and it says this,
speaking about the will,
00:51:25.61\00:51:28.25
"The will is the governing power
00:51:28.28\00:51:30.55
in the nature of man,"
00:51:30.59\00:51:32.19
the book Education,
page 289, paragraph 1.
00:51:32.22\00:51:35.92
"The power of
decision, or choice.
00:51:35.96\00:51:39.19
Every human being
possessed of reason
00:51:39.23\00:51:42.03
has power to choose the right.
00:51:42.06\00:51:45.07
In every experience of
life, God's word to us is,
00:51:45.10\00:51:48.80
'Choose you this day
whom you will serve.'"
00:51:48.84\00:51:54.74
Everyone may place his will
on the side of the will of God,
00:51:54.78\00:51:59.01
and may choose to obey Him,
00:51:59.05\00:52:00.98
and by thus linking himself
00:52:01.02\00:52:02.88
with divine
agencies," this is huge,
00:52:02.92\00:52:07.26
"he may stand
00:52:07.29\00:52:08.62
where nothing can
force him to do evil."
00:52:08.66\00:52:14.00
Amen? Amen.
00:52:14.03\00:52:15.70
So what happens?
00:52:15.73\00:52:17.50
Didn't Peter say,
"Draw near to God,
00:52:17.53\00:52:20.54
and God will draw near to you."
00:52:20.57\00:52:22.57
Resist the devil and he will do,
00:52:22.60\00:52:23.94
what, flee from you.
00:52:23.97\00:52:25.77
So there is no such thing as...
00:52:25.81\00:52:27.14
many years ago,
Flip Wilson said it,
00:52:27.18\00:52:29.28
and some of you are too
young to even know who that is,
00:52:29.31\00:52:31.65
don't waste your
time looking him up.
00:52:31.68\00:52:33.01
He was an old
comedian that said,
00:52:33.05\00:52:34.38
"The devil made me do it."
00:52:34.42\00:52:35.75
No.
00:52:35.78\00:52:37.12
But when you
choose who to serve,
00:52:37.15\00:52:38.49
remember Romans 6:16,
00:52:38.52\00:52:39.85
when you choose who to serve,
00:52:39.89\00:52:41.22
immediately you
become that one's slave.
00:52:41.26\00:52:43.93
And the slave
never tells the master
00:52:43.96\00:52:45.76
what he wants to do and
what he doesn't want to do.
00:52:45.79\00:52:49.46
Paul was the evidence of that.
00:52:49.50\00:52:50.97
He said, "What I
don't want to do,
00:52:51.00\00:52:52.33
that's exactly what I'm doing.
00:52:52.37\00:52:53.70
What I want to do,
00:52:53.74\00:52:55.07
that's exactly what I can't do."
00:52:55.10\00:52:57.11
And he declared
his wretchedness,
00:52:57.14\00:52:59.71
"Oh, wretched man that I am,"
and then he asked the question,
00:52:59.74\00:53:03.98
"Who will deliver me?"
00:53:04.01\00:53:07.42
We need deliverance. But
how do you get delivered?
00:53:07.45\00:53:13.56
Let's go to Isaiah 1.
00:53:13.59\00:53:15.86
I'm giving you a little
bit more than the lesson
00:53:15.89\00:53:18.99
because we've covered a
number of these questions.
00:53:19.03\00:53:21.73
And in our next broadcast,
we're not going to do it today.
00:53:21.76\00:53:24.57
In our next broadcast,
00:53:24.60\00:53:26.23
we will be able to answer
00:53:26.27\00:53:27.60
some of those questions
that we have not yet addressed,
00:53:27.64\00:53:29.74
so be patient
because the beauty of it is,
00:53:29.77\00:53:32.77
we don't have to finish
it all in one broadcast.
00:53:32.81\00:53:36.01
Okay, Isaiah
chapter 1, Isaiah chapter 1,
00:53:36.04\00:53:41.95
we begin with verse 18 and 19.
00:53:41.98\00:53:45.85
We go to verse 18 to 20.
00:53:45.89\00:53:48.29
But we start with
verse 18. Isaiah 1:18.
00:53:48.32\00:53:52.26
This is such a welcoming
way that the Bible says this.
00:53:52.29\00:53:54.60
I like the way,
00:53:54.63\00:53:55.96
you know, the Lord shows Himself
00:53:56.00\00:53:57.33
to be a person
00:53:57.37\00:53:58.70
who invites you
into His presence,
00:53:58.73\00:54:00.07
He says, "Come now,
and let us," do what,
00:54:00.10\00:54:01.54
"Let us reason
together, says the Lord."
00:54:01.57\00:54:03.54
And look at the comparisons,
00:54:03.57\00:54:04.91
"Though your sins
00:54:04.94\00:54:06.27
are like scarlet, they
shall be as white as snow,
00:54:06.31\00:54:10.05
though they are
red like crimson,
00:54:10.08\00:54:11.95
they shall be as," what, "wool."
00:54:11.98\00:54:14.25
And look at how
it happens, verse 19,
00:54:14.28\00:54:18.19
"If you are, "
together, "willing and,"
00:54:18.22\00:54:21.49
what else, "obedient, "
00:54:21.52\00:54:23.73
you got to be
willing to be willing.
00:54:23.76\00:54:27.50
You'll look at
the miracles of Jesus.
00:54:27.53\00:54:33.00
Jesus was placed in a position
00:54:33.03\00:54:34.64
where He was told by
the one needing deliverance
00:54:34.67\00:54:37.67
by the one needing healing.
00:54:37.71\00:54:39.54
They said, "Lord,
if You are willing,
00:54:39.57\00:54:41.24
You could heal us."
00:54:41.28\00:54:42.61
And the Lord
says, "I am willing."
00:54:42.64\00:54:44.88
And Jesus was at
the point of choosing
00:54:44.91\00:54:48.35
to bend to the
pain of human nature
00:54:48.38\00:54:50.52
and the agony of the cross,
00:54:50.55\00:54:52.69
or to go through
the agony of the cross,
00:54:52.72\00:54:55.19
and bend to the
will of the Father.
00:54:55.22\00:54:57.19
The devil says I will,
Jesus says not my will,
00:54:57.23\00:55:01.66
but Thine be done.
00:55:01.70\00:55:05.37
"If you are
willing and obedient,
00:55:05.40\00:55:07.24
you shall eat
the good of the land.
00:55:07.27\00:55:09.34
But if you refuse and rebel,
00:55:09.37\00:55:11.67
you shall be
devoured by the sword
00:55:11.71\00:55:14.74
for the mouth of
the Lord has spoken."
00:55:14.78\00:55:18.61
I want to also give
you another quotation.
00:55:18.65\00:55:21.52
This is just so beautiful.
00:55:21.55\00:55:24.29
Can I give another quotation?
00:55:24.32\00:55:26.35
Listen to this
one. Wow. Here it is.
00:55:26.39\00:55:30.96
Okay, temperance, once again,
00:55:30.99\00:55:33.60
the phone
number that I gave you,
00:55:33.63\00:55:34.96
if you don't have this book,
00:55:35.00\00:55:36.33
Temperance, page
112, paragraph 3,
00:55:36.36\00:55:40.14
"God has given us
the power of choice."
00:55:40.17\00:55:42.44
What has God given
us, the power of, what,
00:55:42.47\00:55:44.67
He's given us all
the power of choice.
00:55:44.71\00:55:46.04
Choose, you, this day,
00:55:46.07\00:55:47.41
choose life, two
roads, life and death.
00:55:47.44\00:55:49.41
Life and
blessings, death and cursings,
00:55:49.44\00:55:50.78
he says choose
life, we can all choose.
00:55:50.81\00:55:53.72
God has given us
the power of choice.
00:55:53.75\00:55:56.15
It is ours to
exercise. So get this.
00:55:56.18\00:56:00.39
When you exercise
the power to choose,
00:56:00.42\00:56:03.66
then you now become the
servant of the one you choose.
00:56:03.69\00:56:06.70
And then that servant now,
00:56:06.73\00:56:08.20
that one who is in charge of you
00:56:08.23\00:56:10.37
begins to work out his will
00:56:10.40\00:56:12.07
and to do of
his pleasure in you.
00:56:12.10\00:56:14.47
James says that,
00:56:14.50\00:56:15.97
"We are taken captive
by Satan to do his will.
00:56:16.00\00:56:19.97
When we submit to Christ,
00:56:20.01\00:56:21.38
we're taken captive
by him to do his will.
00:56:21.41\00:56:24.61
Listen to this.
00:56:24.65\00:56:27.48
"We cannot control our hearts,
we cannot control our thoughts,
00:56:27.52\00:56:32.22
our impulses, our affections.
00:56:32.25\00:56:35.16
We cannot make ourselves
pure, fit for God's service.
00:56:35.19\00:56:40.63
But we can choose to serve
God, we can give Him our will,
00:56:40.66\00:56:46.43
then He will work
in us to will and to do
00:56:46.47\00:56:51.01
according to His good pleasure.
00:56:51.04\00:56:53.84
We can give Him our will,
00:56:53.88\00:56:56.61
and then He will work
in us to will and to do
00:56:56.64\00:56:58.98
according to His good pleasure."
00:56:59.01\00:57:01.05
And it ends by saying this,
00:57:01.08\00:57:02.48
"Thus the whole nature
00:57:02.52\00:57:05.12
will be brought under
the control of Christ."
00:57:05.15\00:57:08.92
Can I get an amen? Amen.
00:57:08.96\00:57:10.53
So when you choose to yield,
00:57:10.56\00:57:12.69
the vine begins to
send sap to the branches
00:57:12.73\00:57:15.96
and fruit shows up.
00:57:16.00\00:57:17.60
It's not...
00:57:17.63\00:57:18.97
the fruit doesn't
send sap to the vine,
00:57:19.00\00:57:21.00
the vine sends sap to the fruit.
00:57:21.04\00:57:22.90
So every day,
here's what you have to do.
00:57:22.94\00:57:24.71
You got to wake
up in the morning.
00:57:24.74\00:57:26.44
You got to put some
living Word in your mind.
00:57:26.47\00:57:29.58
You got to say, "Lord Jesus,
I cannot give you my heart,
00:57:29.61\00:57:32.75
I want you to take it.
00:57:32.78\00:57:34.15
I cannot exercise my
will except to choose You,
00:57:34.18\00:57:37.15
I want to choose You to
be the Lord of my life."
00:57:37.19\00:57:40.99
And when we link
our selves up with him,
00:57:41.02\00:57:43.59
we are told, when we
yield our will to His,
00:57:43.63\00:57:46.09
He immediately
takes possession of us
00:57:46.13\00:57:48.86
and works in us to will
and to do of His good pleasure.
00:57:48.90\00:57:51.53
How man of you want
God to will and to do
00:57:51.57\00:57:52.90
of His good
pleasure in your life?
00:57:52.93\00:57:54.27
Amen? Amen.
00:57:54.30\00:57:55.64
Well, friends, if
it doesn't make sense
00:57:55.67\00:57:57.01
keep on
studying because one day,
00:57:57.04\00:57:58.51
it will surely come
into a sharper focus.
00:57:58.54\00:58:02.28
God bless you.
00:58:02.31\00:58:03.75