Hello friends, welcome to
Wednesday night Bible study
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here at the 3ABN
Worship Center, A Sharper Focus.
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We thank you for
taking the time to tune in
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as we continue our study in,
The Anatomy of Righteousness.
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In just a moment I'll tell
you where to get a copy of the
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lesson and how to
follow along with us.
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But all you need is
your Bible, your pen,
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and whatever
questions you might have.
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We'll give you a
website in just a moment
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where you can send those to us.
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But we thank you for tuning in.
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Can we all say amen to that?
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And we are asking
the Lord to reveal to us
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in His Word tonight what
it means to be righteous.
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How to walk in the
righteousness of Jesus.
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How to know that we have that
connection and relationship.
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We're going to also
study in the beginning
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the science of
what sin really is.
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You know, we talk about
sin and we say that sin is the
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transgression of the law.
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But we need to know
the practicalities of it.
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And we'll talk
about that tonight.
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But before we go any
further, before we even sing our
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theme song, let's
begin with a word of prayer.
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Loving Father in
heaven, we thank You tonight
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for opening our
hearts as we open Your Word.
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Come and speak to us, we pray,
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that the purpose of
Jesus might be accomplished,
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that Your name may be glorified.
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In Christ's name we pray, amen.
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Now we're on lesson number 38.
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We're going to begin
from question number 19.
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And each one of us has
a syllabus in front of us,
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but to get a copy of yours,
go to the following website:
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And download lesson number 38.
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And it's a total of 29
questions that you'll be able to
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follow along with us
as we cover the topic.
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But before we do
anything else, we're going to
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sing our theme song.
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And our theme songs
is, Victory in Jesus.
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Let's sing this song together.
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I heard an old, old story
how the Savior came from glory,
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how He gave His life on Calvary
to save a wretch like me.
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I heard about His groaning,
of His precious blood's atoning.
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Then I repented of my
sins and won the victory.
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O victory in
Jesus, my Savior forever.
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He sought me and bought
me with His redeeming blood.
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He loved me ere I knew
Him, and all my love is due Him.
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He plunged me to victory
beneath the cleansing flood.
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I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory,
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and I heard about the streets
of gold beyond the crystal sea,
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about the angels singing
and the old redemption story.
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And some sweet day I'll sing
up there the song of victory.
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O victory in
Jesus, my Savior forever.
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He sought me and bought
me with His redeeming blood.
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He loved me ere I knew
Him, and all my love is due Him.
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He plunged me to victory
beneath the cleansing flood.
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He plunged me to victory
beneath the cleansing flood.
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Amen.
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The topic is, or the overall
theme is, The Truth About
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the Anatomy of Righteousness.
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Say that with me.
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Now I'm going to dive
right in tonight because
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I want to
illustrate some things that,
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you know, when we talk
about sin, we don't often
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talk about it in the
sense of A, B, C, D E:
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how it happens,
how we get to the place
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where we do things we
never thought we could do,
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where we do things we
never thought we would do.
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And then when we enter the
Christian life, we do things
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we never thought we could do.
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So let me say that again.
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Sin makes you do things
you never thought you would do.
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And righteousness enables you
to do things you never thought
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you could do.
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But I want to talk
about that tonight.
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And I have a few slides
that come before we dive
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into question number 19.
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But I want to ask our
audio visual team to bring the
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slide up, and I'm going
to just walk with you briefly
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through this slide
that's called, Sin Is.
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And look at this with me.
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Sin is an enslaving power.
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Bring that up for
our audience to see that.
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Sin is an enslaving power.
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And then, sin is
a controlling power.
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Say that with me. Sin is a what?
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...enslaving power.
Then sin is what else?
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Controlling power.
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In other words, in
the picture you see,
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you see a person in chains.
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Because sin,
before it controls you,
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it has to enslave you.
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It has to bind you first.
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And then after it
binds you, it controls you.
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But it cannot control you
until it first enslaves you.
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And that's why the Bible uses
the phrase, Paul uses the phrase
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in Romans 6:16, "slave."
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He says, "When we yield ourself
we become that one's slave
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whom we obey, whether
of sin leading to death,
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or of obedience
leading to righteousness."
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But it begins in
an enslaving capacity.
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And it's amazing that he
uses the word, "slave," for both
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righteous as well as for sin.
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For living a good life
and living an evil life.
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And if you go further,
let's look at this passage here.
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I'm going to bring
it up on the screen.
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Romans 7:17
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And I've hi-lighted
certain words so you can see
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exactly what I'm talking about.
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Because a lot of
times when we fall into sin,
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or when we yield to sin, very
few times do you fall into sin.
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Sin is a choice.
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In many cases, sin is a choice.
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Now when a person is
deceived, like Eve was deceived,
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then her eyes were
opened and then he finds herself
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in a place where she
should not have been.
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But that's deception.
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But outside of deception,
sin is often a choice.
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Sin is a choice to
yield or not to yield.
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To go left or not to go left.
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And that's why Paul says this.
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So after we yield,
notice what happens.
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After sin enslaves us,
notice Romans 7:17, here it is.
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Paul says...
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"It is not longer I who do it."
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So when you look at this,
in fact, when you look at the
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enslaving capacity, and I'm
going to give you an example
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in the Bible which
you are fully aware of,
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sin doesn't care
how strong you are.
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Once it binds you,
it will control you.
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Let's go to Judges
very quickly with me.
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"It is no longer I who do it."
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So when sin binds you, it
now begins to control you.
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And then as Paul said
so wonderfully in Romans 7,
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he says, "What I
want to do, I'm not doing.
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What I don't want to do,
that's exactly what I'm doing."
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In other words, I can't
control what's happening.
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Because when sin
enslaves, it then controls.
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Now go to Judges 16, look
at an example very quickly.
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And the reason why I
led into this by saying
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it doesn't matter
how strong you are,
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I'm going to use the
example of the strongest man
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that ever lived,
outside of Jesus.
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Judges 16:21
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Now you know the
scenario very well.
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Sampson and Delilah.
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Delilah continued to egg him on.
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And here is a very
important spiritual note.
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The devil does not
attack us at our weak point.
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He goes for our strong point.
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Because if he can break
you at your strongest point,
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everything else
is going to crumble.
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If he breaks you at
your strongest point.
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Remember the question
that Delilah asked Sampson?
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She said, "Tell me
wherein your strength lies."
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She never said, "Tell
me where you're weak."
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She said, "Tell me
where you're strong."
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Now unlike the program that
was on the air many years ago,
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it says, "We're only as
strong as our weakest link."
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That's in human terms.
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But the Lord granted
Sampson the ability by obedience
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to be strong.
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And that's why we
are told by Paul again,
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"Be strong in the Lord and
in the power of His might."
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We're never strong
in our own strength.
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Because we are by nature
sinful weak human beings.
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That's the nature
that Adam gave to us.
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But if you look at Judges
16:21, look at what happens when
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Delilah finally breaks through
and Sampson reveals his heart.
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This is not on the screen.
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Just walk with me
through your Bible.
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The Bible says, "Then
the Philistines took him
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and put out his eyes..."
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Something else sin
does: it blinds you.
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"...and brought
him down to Gaza."
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You never go up after
you sin. You always go down.
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If you look at the
Bible, any time a person is
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running from God or in
sin, the word, "down," is often
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introduced into the scenario.
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Then after he loses his
eyesight, he's going down.
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What's the next thing?
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They did what?
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"...bound him
with bronze fetters,
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and he became a
grinder in the prison."
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Notice the four things
that happened in that verse.
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Took out his
eyes: lost his sight.
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The other one, he went down.
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His life was going down.
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Once you lose your sight,
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once you lose your spiritual
sight, you are going down.
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That's why the Bible
says to the Laodiceans,
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"Anoint my eyes with
eye salve that I may see."
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One of the sins of this age is,
we are so increased with goods
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we can't see our real condition.
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Lost his eyesight, went down.
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Then after he lost his
eyesight, was on his way down
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in the wrong
direction, they bound him.
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And then what? He
became a grinder in the what?
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Prison. That's what sin does.
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After you're bound,
you're going to go to prison.
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But look at the next verse.
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That actually pulls
the whole thing together.
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I'll just leave it right there.
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That pulls the whole
thing together, verse 21.
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Because we know
the rest of the story.
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They took him down, he was
grinding, and he lost his hair.
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And the Lord gave him
grace when he begged the Lord,
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"Please, bless me
this one more time."
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And we know the
rest of the story.
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He killed more in his
death than he did in his life.
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But I want you to see something.
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Was Sampson considered
a strong man, yes or no?
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He was.
00:12:07.59\00:12:08.92
Now go to Matthew 12:29.
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This is not on the screen again.
00:12:10.39\00:12:11.73
We're giving you a
chance to use your Bible.
00:12:11.76\00:12:13.73
I want you to see how it works.
00:12:13.93\00:12:15.36
Matthew 12:29
00:12:15.93\00:12:17.40
Because the question is,
if two innocent perfect beings
00:12:17.47\00:12:23.14
in the garden
can be led into sin,
00:12:23.17\00:12:26.94
then our only
safety is to be in Christ.
00:12:29.01\00:12:31.51
Now you see the strongest
man that ever lived: Sampson.
00:12:32.35\00:12:34.95
Lost his eyesight,
went down, got bound,
00:12:35.38\00:12:38.65
and became a prisoner.
00:12:38.69\00:12:40.06
Alright?
00:12:40.39\00:12:41.72
Matthew 12:29
00:12:41.76\00:12:43.09
"Or how can one
enter a..." What?
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"...strong man's house
and plunder his goods..."
00:12:46.93\00:12:51.53
And get this.
00:12:51.57\00:12:52.90
"...unless he first..." What?
00:12:52.93\00:12:55.04
"...binds the strong man?
00:12:55.47\00:12:57.71
And then he will
plunder his house."
00:12:57.74\00:13:00.64
No matter how strong
you are, in order for you
00:13:00.68\00:13:04.05
to be rendered incapacitated,
00:13:04.25\00:13:07.45
rendered helpless,
rendered no longer in control,
00:13:08.48\00:13:12.12
you've got to be bound first.
00:13:12.15\00:13:14.06
So sin is first
an enslaving power.
00:13:14.26\00:13:17.03
Then it is a what?
00:13:17.06\00:13:18.39
Controlling power.
00:13:18.43\00:13:19.76
But the text we
read in Romans 7:17,
00:13:19.79\00:13:22.70
Paul says when sin binds you,
"It is no longer I who do it,
00:13:22.73\00:13:27.34
but sin that
dwells..." Where? "...in me."
00:13:27.37\00:13:29.40
Now let me give
you some good news.
00:13:29.54\00:13:31.71
You know they say, "I've got
bad news and I've got good news.
00:13:31.74\00:13:33.48
I'll give you
the bad news first."
00:13:33.51\00:13:34.91
Let me show you the
beauty of living your life
00:13:34.94\00:13:36.98
in yielding to Christ.
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Go to the next one,
this is on the screen.
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Here it is.
00:13:40.98\00:13:42.32
Galatians 2:20.
Here it is, follow along.
00:13:42.48\00:13:49.86
Galatians 2:20, Paul says...
00:13:50.23\00:13:52.06
And look at the phrases.
I hi-lighted them again.
00:13:55.13\00:13:57.20
You're taken
out of the equation.
00:13:59.83\00:14:01.20
Isn't that wonderful?
00:14:15.82\00:14:17.15
Now what I'm going to
pull together now in the next
00:14:17.19\00:14:18.69
slide here is, we're going
to begin with the power of sin.
00:14:18.72\00:14:20.96
Let's look at this very
next one, because I want to
00:14:20.99\00:14:22.36
show you a side
by side comparison.
00:14:22.39\00:14:24.16
Before we bring it up,
once again, when sin enters,
00:14:24.26\00:14:27.00
when we yield to sin, we
are rendered incapacitated.
00:14:27.10\00:14:30.17
We are rendered incapable.
00:14:30.20\00:14:31.53
We cannot free ourselves.
00:14:31.57\00:14:32.90
And look at this graphic.
00:14:32.93\00:14:34.34
It says...
00:14:34.67\00:14:36.00
But what is now controlling?
00:14:40.34\00:14:41.84
Once it gets in, once we
let it in, once we yield to it,
00:14:44.28\00:14:47.35
it comes in and
it first enslaves us.
00:14:47.38\00:14:50.19
And then it does
what? Controls us.
00:14:50.39\00:14:53.09
And that's why people have said,
when they've been set free,
00:14:53.12\00:14:55.26
"I don't believe I did that."
00:14:55.46\00:14:56.83
And we see people,
we know them before
00:14:58.29\00:15:01.46
and we see them after.
00:15:01.50\00:15:03.16
And we look at them
in the after affect,
00:15:03.20\00:15:05.17
and we say, "I
can't believe that's you."
00:15:05.20\00:15:07.84
Because I'm going to
tell you, sin may be powerful,
00:15:08.74\00:15:11.44
but Jesus is even more powerful.
00:15:11.47\00:15:13.41
Look at the next graphic.
00:15:14.21\00:15:15.54
The side by side comparison.
00:15:15.84\00:15:17.41
I'm going to add the
power of Christ to it.
00:15:17.45\00:15:19.85
Let's look at this. Here it is.
00:15:19.88\00:15:21.78
Now leave it up there,
because I want you to see this.
00:15:28.72\00:15:30.83
The power of sin.
00:15:30.86\00:15:32.19
On both cases, I want
you to get off the hook,
00:15:32.23\00:15:34.40
"It is no longer I..."
00:15:34.43\00:15:36.70
You are not in control.
00:15:37.17\00:15:38.63
But once you
yield, you lose control.
00:15:38.67\00:15:41.20
But the good news is,
once you yield to Christ,
00:15:41.64\00:15:43.84
He is in control.
00:15:43.87\00:15:45.67
Amen?
00:15:45.71\00:15:47.04
Once you yield to
sin, sin is in control.
00:15:47.08\00:15:50.15
But notice, look at them both.
00:15:51.21\00:15:53.01
"...who do it..."
00:15:53.11\00:15:54.45
"...who lives..."
00:15:54.48\00:15:55.82
And then, "...but
sin...", when you are in sin.
00:15:55.85\00:15:58.99
And when we are in
Christ, "...but Christ..."
00:15:59.02\00:16:01.66
And when we are in
sin, sin dwells in me.
00:16:01.69\00:16:05.26
But when we yield to
Christ, Christ lives in me.
00:16:05.29\00:16:08.80
See the difference?
00:16:09.13\00:16:10.47
It's an amazing comparison.
00:16:10.53\00:16:12.10
How amazing Paul uses
in Romans and in Galatians
00:16:12.13\00:16:15.70
the phrases that
are almost identical.
00:16:15.80\00:16:17.51
The comparisons
are almost identical.
00:16:17.54\00:16:19.44
"It is no longer I who do
it, but sin that dwells in me."
00:16:19.47\00:16:22.74
"It is no longer who lives,
but Christ who lives in me."
00:16:22.78\00:16:26.25
What a comparison!
00:16:26.28\00:16:27.68
So now we think about
this tonight, and we think,
00:16:27.88\00:16:30.35
so the question to us,
when we are led out of sin,
00:16:30.39\00:16:35.46
if we are bound by sin, then how
are we going to get the victory?
00:16:36.62\00:16:42.33
Go with me to another
text that's not on the screen.
00:16:43.10\00:16:44.97
1 Corinthians 15:57
00:16:45.00\00:16:46.63
This will be on the
screen for those of you
00:16:46.97\00:16:48.40
who are watching at home,
but it's not in our syllabus.
00:16:48.44\00:16:51.51
I just want to lay
some important foundation.
00:16:51.74\00:16:53.88
Where are we going
to get the victory?
00:16:54.28\00:16:56.64
Look at this.
00:16:56.68\00:16:58.01
Where are we going
to get the victory?
00:16:58.05\00:16:59.38
Look at 1 Corinthians
15:57. Read it together with me.
00:16:59.41\00:17:01.85
Here it is.
00:17:01.88\00:17:03.22
Amen?
00:17:14.30\00:17:15.63
So where do we get the victory?
00:17:15.66\00:17:17.00
Do we win the victory?
00:17:17.23\00:17:19.07
Or does Christ win it
and give us the victory?
00:17:19.10\00:17:22.30
He wins it and He
gives us the victory.
00:17:23.14\00:17:25.34
You see, the emancipation
proclamation, the release of
00:17:25.97\00:17:28.74
slaves was, the emancipation
was already signed and ratified.
00:17:28.78\00:17:33.62
And the slaves, all they had
to do was accept the fact that
00:17:33.88\00:17:36.15
they had been set free.
00:17:36.18\00:17:37.52
That's why the Bible
says, "He that believeth..."
00:17:38.52\00:17:41.19
That's where salvation comes in.
00:17:41.89\00:17:43.39
"All things are possible
to the one who believes..."
00:17:43.43\00:17:45.86
"Whosoever believeth in Me..."
00:17:45.89\00:17:47.76
When we yield, when we yield
to Christ and accept this gift.
00:17:48.23\00:17:52.40
"For by grace are
you saved through faith,
00:17:52.50\00:17:55.00
and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God,
00:17:55.04\00:17:59.97
not of works, lest
anyone should boast."
00:18:00.18\00:18:03.88
And the beauty of it is,
Jesus remembered His mission.
00:18:04.25\00:18:07.12
Let's look at one more before
we go to question number 19.
00:18:07.15\00:18:09.75
Isaiah 61:1
00:18:09.78\00:18:15.92
Let's look at that one together.
00:18:15.96\00:18:17.29
The mission of Jesus.
00:18:17.33\00:18:18.66
The mission of Jesus.
00:18:18.96\00:18:20.36
This is not on the screen.
00:18:20.40\00:18:21.76
But since you have your Bibles,
I know you're following along.
00:18:21.80\00:18:24.97
Isaiah 61:1
00:18:25.27\00:18:27.80
Praise the Lord.
00:18:28.64\00:18:29.97
Jesus recited this when
He spoke in the book of Luke.
00:18:31.97\00:18:35.28
But here it is in Isaiah 61.
00:18:35.31\00:18:38.15
"The Spirit of the
Lord GOD is upon Me,
00:18:38.41\00:18:41.65
because the LORD has
anointed Me to preach..." What?
00:18:42.32\00:18:45.12
"... good tidings to the poor;
00:18:45.52\00:18:47.16
He has sent Me to
heal the brokenhearted,
00:18:47.19\00:18:50.33
to proclaim
liberty to the captives..."
00:18:50.36\00:18:52.59
And look at this.
00:18:52.63\00:18:53.96
"...and the opening of the
prison to those who are bound."
00:18:54.03\00:19:00.40
"...to those who are bound."
00:19:00.80\00:19:02.14
You read the story of Peter.
00:19:02.17\00:19:03.51
When Peter was thrown in prison,
00:19:03.84\00:19:05.47
the Lord not
only broke the chains,
00:19:06.88\00:19:09.04
but He opened all the gates
that was between Peter's freedom
00:19:09.38\00:19:13.92
and Peter's complete freedom.
00:19:14.02\00:19:15.72
And as I said before
in the sermon called,
00:19:15.75\00:19:17.42
Breaking the Chains,
freedom is a process.
00:19:17.45\00:19:20.46
Peter's chains were broken,
but he was still in prison.
00:19:20.76\00:19:23.53
The Lord broke his chains,
lead him past the first gate,
00:19:24.03\00:19:27.36
the second gate,
and then the iron gate.
00:19:27.70\00:19:30.53
And it was not until
Peter was in the street
00:19:30.67\00:19:32.97
that the Bible says the
angel of the Lord left him.
00:19:33.00\00:19:36.44
Now many people might think,
00:19:36.50\00:19:37.84
"Wow, why would
the Lord leave Peter?"
00:19:37.87\00:19:39.31
It says the angel left him.
00:19:39.34\00:19:40.88
It didn't say the
Holy Spirit left him.
00:19:40.91\00:19:42.98
Alright?
00:19:43.55\00:19:44.88
Because Jesus said, "I'll
ever leave you nor forsake you."
00:19:44.91\00:19:46.51
The Spirit will come and
He will abide with you always.
00:19:46.55\00:19:48.82
Very important to understand.
00:19:48.98\00:19:50.32
So I want to lay
that foundation because
00:19:50.35\00:19:51.85
when you talk about the
anatomy of righteousness,
00:19:51.89\00:19:53.99
we have to make it very,
very clear in the beginning
00:19:54.19\00:19:56.79
that this thing
called righteousness is not
00:19:57.46\00:20:00.93
something we perpetrate,
but we simply yield to Christ.
00:20:00.96\00:20:05.43
And, Philippians 1:6,
"He who has begun a good work
00:20:06.30\00:20:10.21
in you will complete it."
00:20:10.24\00:20:12.54
"Christ in you,
the hope of glory."
00:20:12.97\00:20:15.64
But sometimes we get
discouraged when we don't
00:20:18.05\00:20:19.58
see results quickly enough.
00:20:19.61\00:20:21.18
So let's go now to
question number 19.
00:20:21.22\00:20:24.19
Alright, here we are.
00:20:24.22\00:20:25.72
Question number 19.
00:20:26.22\00:20:27.56
Romans 7:22-23
00:20:40.10\00:20:43.24
And now that we
have the foundation,
00:20:43.81\00:20:46.04
we know one of the
reasons why there is a war
00:20:46.07\00:20:48.38
is because the war starts only
when we come to the realization
00:20:48.78\00:20:52.18
that there's good and bad.
00:20:52.21\00:20:53.75
There's never a war when we
only are living for the bad.
00:20:53.78\00:20:57.02
That's why people
that are living in sin,
00:20:57.05\00:20:59.65
they look like
they're having it easy.
00:20:59.75\00:21:01.42
They don't look like
they have difficulty.
00:21:01.82\00:21:03.43
But when they become
aware of the responsibility
00:21:03.66\00:21:07.50
of being obedient, and
they face the law of God,
00:21:07.53\00:21:10.77
then the war begins.
00:21:10.93\00:21:12.27
Here it is.
00:21:12.30\00:21:13.64
Romans 7:22-23,
the Bible says...
00:21:13.67\00:21:16.07
"...the inward man..."
That's the spiritual life.
00:21:19.71\00:21:22.44
Notice the captivity.
00:21:35.96\00:21:37.29
Paul is saying, now this is
a very important analogy here,
00:21:37.49\00:21:40.90
Paul the apostle wrote
this after his experience.
00:21:41.40\00:21:48.00
He didn't write
this when he was Saul.
00:21:48.54\00:21:50.67
He wrote this when he was Paul.
00:21:50.71\00:21:52.87
He acknowledged that,
"Now that I'm in the way
00:21:53.17\00:21:58.18
of Christ, there's
this battle going on in me."
00:21:58.21\00:22:02.22
See, when we face
the responsibility,
00:22:02.52\00:22:05.59
the parameters of
our walk with Christ,
00:22:05.62\00:22:07.66
and we recognize that
this battle taking place
00:22:08.66\00:22:13.53
in me is present, the only
thing that we could contribute
00:22:13.56\00:22:17.90
that too is the law of
sin which is in my members.
00:22:17.93\00:22:21.84
The law of sin does what?
00:22:21.87\00:22:23.20
It controls.
00:22:23.24\00:22:24.57
It fights
against the law of God.
00:22:25.04\00:22:28.41
And it brings us into captivity
to the law of sin and death,
00:22:28.78\00:22:31.48
which is in our members.
00:22:31.51\00:22:32.85
So let's write that down.
00:22:32.88\00:22:34.22
Let's give the
answer very quickly,
00:22:34.25\00:22:35.58
and we're going to
walk through that together.
00:22:35.62\00:22:37.19
So how does the
apostle Paul describe the war
00:22:37.22\00:22:39.39
that causes sin?
00:22:39.49\00:22:40.99
The law of sin.
00:22:41.02\00:22:42.62
The law of sin.
00:22:43.66\00:22:45.93
And the law of sin, by the
way, is not five commandments,
00:22:46.63\00:22:50.13
or three commandments,
or ten commandments
00:22:50.17\00:22:51.90
that are violated.
00:22:51.93\00:22:53.27
The law of sin is the nature of
Adam that rules in this flesh.
00:22:53.30\00:22:58.71
The nature of Adam
that rules in this flesh.
00:22:59.31\00:23:02.84
But there's some good news.
00:23:02.94\00:23:04.45
But there's some good news.
00:23:04.91\00:23:06.25
We're going to use
the bad news first,
00:23:06.28\00:23:08.48
then we'll give
you the good news.
00:23:08.82\00:23:10.15
Okay, question number 20.
00:23:10.19\00:23:11.85
Question number 20.
00:23:12.15\00:23:13.49
Here it is.
00:23:14.32\00:23:15.66
Go with me to Romans
7:24, just the next verse.
00:23:23.00\00:23:26.03
We don't even
have to turn anywhere.
00:23:26.33\00:23:27.84
The very next verse.
00:23:28.37\00:23:31.11
Look at what
Paul's realization is.
00:23:31.14\00:23:33.41
And by the way,
you'll know in the analogy,
00:23:33.44\00:23:35.71
I alluded to this
earlier, Paul says,
00:23:35.74\00:23:38.31
"This is what I want to do,
00:23:38.91\00:23:40.52
but this is what I'm doing.
00:23:41.65\00:23:43.02
This is not what I want to do,
00:23:43.05\00:23:45.05
but this is what I can't do."
00:23:45.25\00:23:46.82
So something has to be broken.
00:23:48.56\00:23:50.06
And so when I talked about
it earlier, when I showed you
00:23:50.16\00:23:52.76
the power of sin
and the power of Christ,
00:23:53.06\00:23:55.73
you might say,
"Well, are we robots?
00:23:55.96\00:23:58.37
Do we just stand still, and sin
does this and Christ does that?"
00:23:58.40\00:24:02.90
No, there's
something that we must do
00:24:02.94\00:24:06.51
to fall as
benefactor of righteousness
00:24:06.84\00:24:09.78
or victim of sin.
00:24:09.81\00:24:11.31
Something we have to do.
00:24:11.35\00:24:12.68
So, here, where do we end up?
00:24:12.71\00:24:14.18
Look at what the
Bible says in Romans 7:24.
00:24:14.22\00:24:16.92
"O wretched man that I am..."
00:24:17.19\00:24:19.19
Or the boy of this death.
00:24:26.39\00:24:28.16
Depending on which
translation you have.
00:24:28.20\00:24:29.83
"Who will deliver me?"
00:24:29.86\00:24:31.20
So let me ask you the question,
what do each of us need?
00:24:31.23\00:24:34.97
Say it again.
00:24:35.97\00:24:37.31
Deliverance.
00:24:37.34\00:24:38.67
Each of us needs deliverance.
00:24:38.71\00:24:40.88
Jesus came to deliver.
00:24:41.41\00:24:43.31
Matthew 1:21
00:24:43.51\00:24:44.85
"He shall save His
people..." What's the next word?
00:24:45.48\00:24:49.88
"...from their sin."
00:24:49.92\00:24:52.12
"Behold, the Lamb of God
that taketh away the..." What?
00:24:52.15\00:24:54.86
"...sin of the world."
00:24:54.89\00:24:56.22
Jesus came on a
delivery mission.
00:24:56.26\00:24:58.53
And I want to just say
what He didn't come on.
00:24:59.29\00:25:01.06
Jesus didn't come on a
mission of condemnation.
00:25:02.16\00:25:05.53
He came on a
mission of reconciliation.
00:25:05.57\00:25:08.17
So often our
preaching is condemnation.
00:25:08.64\00:25:10.71
But John 3:16 is a favorite
verse that we all know by heart.
00:25:11.14\00:25:14.24
Don't we all know it by heart?
00:25:14.28\00:25:15.61
But John 3:17
describes who Jesus is.
00:25:16.11\00:25:18.75
"For God sent not
his Son into the world
00:25:19.08\00:25:21.58
to condemn the world;
00:25:21.62\00:25:23.55
but that the world
through him might be..." What?
00:25:23.75\00:25:25.55
"...saved."
00:25:25.59\00:25:26.92
Why didn't He send His
Son to condemn the world?
00:25:26.96\00:25:28.52
You know why? Because
we're already condemned.
00:25:28.56\00:25:30.79
You don't have to tell a
prisoner he's a prisoner.
00:25:31.56\00:25:33.60
You don't have to tell a
criminal he's a criminal.
00:25:34.93\00:25:36.67
He knows that.
00:25:36.70\00:25:38.03
What he wants is, when
he stands before the judge,
00:25:38.07\00:25:40.30
you know what they
say, when you're guilty
00:25:40.34\00:25:41.67
you don't ask for justice.
00:25:41.70\00:25:43.04
You ask for mercy.
00:25:43.07\00:25:44.41
When you're
innocent, you ask for justice.
00:25:44.44\00:25:46.24
But when you're
guilty, you ask for mercy.
00:25:46.61\00:25:48.44
A criminal...
And this is amazing.
00:25:48.88\00:25:50.65
In America, we use
the word, "alleged."
00:25:50.68\00:25:52.21
When they've got the video tape.
00:25:52.65\00:25:53.98
They see him
blowing people away,
00:25:54.02\00:25:55.35
they see the guy, they see
his face right up on the camera,
00:25:55.38\00:25:57.35
they say, "alleged."
00:25:57.39\00:25:58.72
In other words, they say, "You
are innocent until proven..."
00:25:58.75\00:26:00.86
What? "...guilty."
00:26:00.89\00:26:02.22
Well in the reality
of sin, you are guilty
00:26:02.26\00:26:05.73
till you are made innocent.
00:26:05.76\00:26:07.76
We are born guilty,
00:26:08.46\00:26:09.83
and we are made innocent
by the blood of the Lamb.
00:26:10.40\00:26:12.67
Praise God for that.
00:26:13.44\00:26:14.77
So Paul sees himself
in a wretched condition
00:26:14.80\00:26:16.74
and he wants to be delivered.
00:26:16.77\00:26:18.11
Unless you know what
your true condition is,
00:26:18.14\00:26:20.98
you will think
yourself as being a good person.
00:26:21.01\00:26:23.65
And I've met people that said,
"Well I don't hurt anybody.
00:26:23.68\00:26:26.31
I've never stolen
anything, I'm a good neighbor,
00:26:26.35\00:26:28.62
I keep my lawn in good shape.
00:26:28.65\00:26:30.19
I donate to the boy scouts,
girl scouts, the pathfinders.
00:26:30.22\00:26:33.36
I'm a community activist,
00:26:33.39\00:26:34.82
I stand for all
the good causes."
00:26:34.86\00:26:36.32
No matter what you do, you
cannot remedy the condition
00:26:36.36\00:26:39.73
that you were born in.
00:26:39.76\00:26:41.10
1 Corinthians 15:22
"...as in Adam all die..."
00:26:41.33\00:26:45.10
Romans 5:12
00:26:45.13\00:26:46.47
"...just as through one
man sin entered the world,
00:26:46.60\00:26:49.94
and death through sin,
and thus death spread to all
00:26:49.97\00:26:55.51
because all have sinned."
00:26:55.54\00:26:57.31
In other words, Adam
gave us this DNA of sin.
00:26:58.11\00:27:00.65
So you can't remedy that,
00:27:00.68\00:27:02.35
any more than the Ethiopian
can change his skin color
00:27:03.08\00:27:07.06
and the leopard can
get rid of his spots.
00:27:07.09\00:27:09.02
You're born in that condition.
00:27:09.39\00:27:10.73
But let's go to the good news.
00:27:12.33\00:27:13.66
Now the answer to number
20, where do we usually end up?
00:27:13.70\00:27:15.70
We usually end up wretched.
00:27:15.73\00:27:17.60
Begging for deliverance.
00:27:18.00\00:27:19.33
But here's the key.
00:27:19.37\00:27:20.70
If you think
yourself as a good person,
00:27:20.74\00:27:22.37
you'll never desire deliverance.
00:27:22.40\00:27:24.07
And you'll come to the
day of judgment and realize,
00:27:24.11\00:27:26.14
"Wait a minute, I'm not
good enough to be saved.
00:27:26.17\00:27:28.68
Now I'm wretched."
00:27:28.71\00:27:30.05
That's why the Bible
says there will be weeping
00:27:30.61\00:27:32.18
and gnashing of teeth.
00:27:32.21\00:27:33.55
Some people think that they're
good enough, wealthy enough,
00:27:33.58\00:27:36.48
educated enough, kind
enough, done enough to be saved.
00:27:36.52\00:27:41.72
No. There's no
salvation by works.
00:27:41.76\00:27:43.79
It's always by grace
through faith in Jesus.
00:27:43.83\00:27:46.09
Question number 21.
00:27:46.49\00:27:47.90
Question number 21.
00:27:48.60\00:27:49.93
Alright. This is beautiful.
00:27:50.10\00:27:52.33
This is a powerful question.
00:28:00.78\00:28:02.11
Romans 8:2
00:28:10.42\00:28:12.62
The Bible describes the freedom.
00:28:12.65\00:28:14.76
And here's the key.
00:28:15.12\00:28:16.46
Jesus didn't
come to set us free.
00:28:16.49\00:28:18.89
He came to do what?
00:28:18.93\00:28:20.26
Say that.
00:28:21.76\00:28:23.10
He came to make us free.
00:28:23.13\00:28:25.73
There's a lot of people
that get set free from prison,
00:28:26.30\00:28:28.40
but they fall into what
they call, the recidivism rate.
00:28:28.44\00:28:31.47
They go back, because they may
have been physically set free,
00:28:31.51\00:28:34.24
but spiritually and
mentally they are still bound.
00:28:34.28\00:28:36.95
In their mind
they still practice
00:28:36.98\00:28:38.31
the things of a prisoner.
00:28:38.35\00:28:39.68
They come into a
society of those who are free,
00:28:39.71\00:28:41.88
but they never get acclimated
to the life of a free person.
00:28:41.92\00:28:44.55
We have to be
made free in our minds.
00:28:44.79\00:28:46.52
And here's what Paul says.
00:28:46.55\00:28:47.89
Romans 8:2, notice
how the Bible says this.
00:28:47.92\00:28:50.39
Notice, I led
into this by saying,
00:29:02.54\00:29:04.97
Jesus didn't
come to set us free.
00:29:05.01\00:29:06.81
He came to what? Make us free.
00:29:06.84\00:29:08.94
And the law of
the Spirit of life.
00:29:09.11\00:29:11.58
What is that law?
00:29:11.68\00:29:13.01
What is that law
of the Spirit of life?
00:29:13.05\00:29:14.68
Now, in the
benefit of putting the text
00:29:15.02\00:29:18.45
in the order that I want them...
00:29:18.49\00:29:19.85
And you might say, "Well
why did he go to Romans 8:2
00:29:19.89\00:29:21.76
before he went to Romans 8:1?"
00:29:21.79\00:29:23.49
Because I have a specific
science I want to reveal to you.
00:29:24.29\00:29:27.36
"The law of the Spirit
of life in Christ Jesus
00:29:29.93\00:29:34.50
has made me free from
the law of sin and death."
00:29:34.54\00:29:37.81
What is the law of
the Spirit of life?
00:29:38.01\00:29:40.61
Let's go to Romans.
00:29:41.98\00:29:43.31
Now put that down
for question number 21.
00:29:43.68\00:29:46.38
But now let's go
to question number 22.
00:29:47.28\00:29:49.18
What responsibility do we
have in maintaining freedom
00:29:49.22\00:29:55.76
from sin's law?
00:29:55.86\00:29:58.49
Before I dive into
that, I'm just going to go
00:30:04.53\00:30:07.04
for the answer
here in just a moment,
00:30:07.07\00:30:08.40
before I dive into that,
yes, before I dive into that
00:30:08.44\00:30:11.91
I want to just go back to,
"the law of the Spirit of life."
00:30:12.21\00:30:17.65
Do you know...
00:30:17.75\00:30:19.08
When Jesus appointed His
disciples to a life of ministry,
00:30:20.42\00:30:24.35
even when Jesus was baptized...
00:30:24.75\00:30:27.16
This is very important.
00:30:27.26\00:30:28.62
A lot of people
get baptized by water,
00:30:28.66\00:30:31.19
but they don't get
baptized by the Spirit.
00:30:31.59\00:30:33.90
The Spirit is where the
enabling power comes from.
00:30:34.90\00:30:38.37
The Spirit doesn't
plant Himself in us,
00:30:38.57\00:30:41.60
He plants Christ in us.
00:30:42.24\00:30:44.47
Because Jesus said
Himself, "When the Spirit comes,
00:30:45.47\00:30:49.64
He will not speak
on His own authority.
00:30:49.68\00:30:51.48
Whatever He hears, He'll speak
00:30:51.51\00:30:53.48
and He'll show
you things to come.
00:30:53.52\00:30:54.98
He will glorify Me."
00:30:55.02\00:30:56.35
The Spirit
doesn't glorify Himself.
00:30:56.38\00:30:58.42
That's why we are told, "Fear
God and give glory to Him."
00:30:58.92\00:31:02.42
Some people are
glorifying the Holy Spirit.
00:31:02.46\00:31:04.49
No, we're told to
give glory to God.
00:31:04.53\00:31:06.29
Not even the Holy
Spirit glorifies Himself.
00:31:06.33\00:31:08.60
He glorifies Christ.
00:31:08.63\00:31:10.33
And we are told to
give God the glory.
00:31:10.53\00:31:12.13
"Whether you eat or
drink, or whatever you do,"
00:31:12.17\00:31:14.00
1 Corinthians 10:31, "do
all to the glory of God."
00:31:14.30\00:31:18.17
But the law of the Spirit
of life, when the Spirit of God
00:31:18.67\00:31:21.71
comes into our
hearts, when the Spirit of God
00:31:21.74\00:31:25.38
comes into our hearts,
there's a power that takes over.
00:31:25.41\00:31:28.12
Go with me to, go with me to...
00:31:28.15\00:31:30.49
Well let's answer this
question, then we'll go.
00:31:30.79\00:31:32.59
Since I've already
asked the question,
00:31:32.62\00:31:33.96
let's go to the
answer to number 22.
00:31:34.09\00:31:36.02
And then I'll turn
you to the scripture
00:31:36.06\00:31:37.39
that I'm talking about.
00:31:37.43\00:31:38.76
What responsibility do we
have in maintaining freedom
00:31:38.79\00:31:41.46
from sin's law?
00:31:41.50\00:31:42.83
Look at Romans 8:1. Here it is.
00:31:42.86\00:31:45.80
The Bible says...
00:31:46.90\00:31:48.24
Here is our responsibility.
00:31:58.51\00:32:00.45
It's the walk.
00:32:06.29\00:32:07.62
It's the walk that we begin.
00:32:07.76\00:32:09.49
You know,
repentance is an amazing thing.
00:32:09.72\00:32:11.89
Repentance means you no longer
walk in the same direction.
00:32:11.93\00:32:15.10
Repentance means a turn.
00:32:15.23\00:32:17.17
Well repentance also means
that you acknowledge your sin.
00:32:18.30\00:32:21.37
As David says, "My
sin is ever before me."
00:32:21.40\00:32:23.61
But he prayed, "Take not
your Holy Spirit from me.
00:32:23.64\00:32:27.98
Restore to me the
joy of your salvation."
00:32:28.01\00:32:31.18
He knew.
00:32:31.28\00:32:32.61
As people said,
"Well, the Holy Spirit wasn't
00:32:32.65\00:32:34.62
given until the New Testament."
00:32:34.65\00:32:36.15
That is, to work through
the lives of the disciples.
00:32:37.12\00:32:39.69
But the Spirit of
God was always active.
00:32:39.72\00:32:41.82
David said, "Do not take
Your Holy Spirit from me."
00:32:41.86\00:32:45.16
Because He knew the
secret to repentance
00:32:45.19\00:32:47.50
and now living above
the sin he had caused,
00:32:47.53\00:32:50.07
or had perpetrated,
or had been involved in,
00:32:50.10\00:32:52.90
was the Spirit of God
coming back into his life
00:32:52.93\00:32:55.77
and he's now no longer
living according to the old way.
00:32:55.80\00:32:59.04
So David had to
make a choice though.
00:32:59.07\00:33:00.94
He couldn't just say,
"Free me and forgive me."
00:33:00.98\00:33:03.98
But David had to
change the way he walked.
00:33:04.78\00:33:07.22
And so when we come into
this relationship with Jesus
00:33:07.75\00:33:11.45
after He sets us free, let's
go back to the prisoner example,
00:33:11.49\00:33:14.69
when he comes out...
00:33:14.72\00:33:16.06
I've seen enough prison shows
to know in some of the scenarios
00:33:16.09\00:33:20.06
some of the prisoners
say, "See you next month."
00:33:20.10\00:33:23.20
It's terrible because they know.
00:33:24.90\00:33:26.63
Some people have
been in prison so long
00:33:26.67\00:33:28.44
some of them say, "I don't know
any other life but prison life."
00:33:28.47\00:33:30.87
And they taunt their friends.
00:33:32.77\00:33:34.11
They taunt them,
"See you next month."
00:33:34.14\00:33:35.88
"See you next week."
00:33:35.91\00:33:37.25
"Oh we'll see you soon."
00:33:37.28\00:33:38.61
And some of the
prison guards say,
00:33:38.65\00:33:39.98
"You're going to be back."
00:33:40.28\00:33:41.62
You know why?
00:33:41.88\00:33:43.22
Because they haven't
changed the way they walk.
00:33:43.25\00:33:47.09
So look at Romans 8:1.
00:33:47.79\00:33:49.19
Did we just read it?
00:33:49.59\00:33:50.93
"There is
therefore now no condemnation
00:33:51.46\00:33:53.33
to those who are in
Christ Jesus, who do not walk
00:33:53.36\00:33:58.30
according to the flesh,
but according to the..." What?
00:33:58.33\00:34:02.47
"...according to the Spirit."
00:34:02.57\00:34:04.01
Now they're walking differently.
00:34:04.04\00:34:05.67
And how are they able to
walk according to the Spirit?
00:34:05.71\00:34:11.05
This is a very powerful point.
00:34:11.08\00:34:12.91
How do we get to the place where
we walk according to the Spirit?
00:34:12.95\00:34:16.15
Now remember I said earlier
that salvation is a gift.
00:34:16.18\00:34:19.25
Right? Is it not a gift?
00:34:19.29\00:34:20.62
"Thanks be to God who
giveth us the victory."
00:34:20.79\00:34:23.63
He gets the victory,
then He gives it to us.
00:34:24.19\00:34:26.33
But now if I'm
giving you a victory,
00:34:26.36\00:34:28.30
and you don't receive it,
then you don't have the victory.
00:34:28.70\00:34:32.43
If I've paid the
penalty for your sin
00:34:33.03\00:34:36.37
and rose in giving you the
example to now walk as I walk,
00:34:36.91\00:34:41.71
in giving you the
power to live above sin,
00:34:42.08\00:34:44.15
but you don't receive the gift,
then you're really not free.
00:34:44.18\00:34:47.98
Go with me to John chapter 1.
00:34:48.38\00:34:50.05
Go to John chapter 1.
00:34:50.69\00:34:52.45
We are going to
look at two comparisons.
00:35:04.63\00:35:06.80
Wow!
00:35:09.57\00:35:10.91
Okay, we'll start with...
00:35:14.81\00:35:17.18
We'll just go to
verses 11 and 12,
00:35:20.68\00:35:24.05
just to gives ourselves some
room to continue to go through
00:35:24.09\00:35:27.82
the next questions we have.
00:35:27.86\00:35:29.19
John 1:11-12.
What did Jesus say?
00:35:29.92\00:35:32.96
He said, "He came to His
own, and His own..." What?
00:35:32.99\00:35:38.73
"...did not receive Him."
00:35:38.77\00:35:41.77
Now let's look at
that very carefully.
00:35:41.80\00:35:44.07
One of the reasons why the
Pharisees, scribes, the Jews,
00:35:44.11\00:35:47.74
those who rejected
Jesus and didn't receive Him
00:35:48.14\00:35:52.15
continually were in
conflict with Him is because
00:35:52.48\00:35:55.88
they had no power.
00:35:55.92\00:35:57.82
When you don't receive
Him, you don't receive the gift.
00:35:58.05\00:36:02.29
When you don't receive Christ,
00:36:02.32\00:36:03.86
you have nothing
by which to live.
00:36:03.89\00:36:06.16
Because the natural man cannot
live according to the Spirit.
00:36:06.29\00:36:10.63
The natural man sets his
mind on the things of the flesh.
00:36:10.90\00:36:14.64
But the spiritual man sets
his mind on the things of God.
00:36:14.67\00:36:18.14
But now look at the comparison.
00:36:18.51\00:36:20.18
I'm talking about
the power. Alright?
00:36:20.21\00:36:22.54
And I'm reading in the
New King James Version,
00:36:22.74\00:36:24.81
but I'm going to substitute
a particular word when I
00:36:24.85\00:36:27.15
get down to the word, "right."
00:36:27.18\00:36:28.82
Because the King James Version,
I like the way it says it.
00:36:29.25\00:36:31.32
It says, "But as many as
received Him, to them He gave
00:36:31.35\00:36:35.96
power to become
the children of God,
00:36:36.93\00:36:40.90
to those who
believe in His name."
00:36:40.93\00:36:43.40
There's a power that He gives.
00:36:43.47\00:36:45.93
To them He gave what?
00:36:45.97\00:36:47.57
Say it together.
What did He give them?
00:36:47.60\00:36:49.24
He gave them the right, as
the New King James Version says.
00:36:49.97\00:36:52.57
But the King James
says, He gave them power.
00:36:52.61\00:36:55.28
What did He give the apostles
on the day of Pentecost?
00:36:55.94\00:36:58.61
He gave them what? Power.
00:36:58.65\00:37:00.68
What did He say when
He rose, in Matthew 28,
00:37:01.05\00:37:04.55
"All power is give unto Me."
00:37:04.59\00:37:08.79
A life that is not
filled by the power of Christ
00:37:08.82\00:37:12.19
is filled by the power of sin.
00:37:12.23\00:37:14.60
Did you get the comparison now?
00:37:14.70\00:37:16.03
We go full circle.
00:37:16.06\00:37:17.40
If your life is not
filled by the power of Christ,
00:37:17.43\00:37:19.77
it's filled by the power of sin.
00:37:19.80\00:37:21.87
And if I could go back
to that chart, I would say,
00:37:21.90\00:37:24.21
when your life is
filled by the power of sin
00:37:24.24\00:37:26.31
you are not in control.
00:37:26.61\00:37:28.34
Sin will do what it
wants, when it wants,
00:37:28.38\00:37:31.01
and you have no choice.
00:37:31.05\00:37:33.18
You might say,
"Wait a minute, pastor.
00:37:37.22\00:37:38.55
You just said I
don't have any choice."
00:37:38.59\00:37:39.92
Your choice came
before you chose sin.
00:37:40.92\00:37:43.73
Now anywhere along the way
you can choose to no longer
00:37:45.69\00:37:49.26
continue in sin.
00:37:49.30\00:37:50.63
Because Paul asked
the question in Romans 6,
00:37:50.67\00:37:54.37
"Shall we continue in
sin that grace may abound?"
00:37:54.57\00:37:58.74
And what did he say?
00:37:59.07\00:38:00.44
"Certainly not!"
00:38:00.98\00:38:02.48
Don't continue that
way because there's grace.
00:38:02.94\00:38:06.01
Some people say, and I
heard a commentator once say,
00:38:06.18\00:38:09.08
"It's better to
ask for forgiveness
00:38:09.12\00:38:11.32
than it is to
ask for permission."
00:38:11.79\00:38:14.26
That's the worse
thing to think about.
00:38:15.12\00:38:16.96
So when you
decide to receive Christ,
00:38:17.33\00:38:21.33
you receive power to
become sons or children of God.
00:38:21.36\00:38:25.90
And the power is
only made available to you
00:38:26.03\00:38:28.84
when you receive Him.
00:38:28.87\00:38:30.61
Is Jesus all
powerful, yes or no?
00:38:31.31\00:38:33.04
Yes, He said, "All
power is given to Me."
00:38:33.31\00:38:35.04
So when you receive
Christ, now get this,
00:38:35.08\00:38:37.01
you receive Christ...
00:38:37.05\00:38:38.38
Think about a battery.
00:38:38.41\00:38:39.75
I was going
through the house today.
00:38:39.78\00:38:41.12
I have a TENS unit.
00:38:41.15\00:38:42.52
You know, I'm a tall man.
00:38:42.55\00:38:44.02
And every now and then
I have tall man's disease.
00:38:44.05\00:38:45.92
Which means, my lower back.
00:38:45.95\00:38:47.29
And I played two hours of
basketball the other night.
00:38:47.32\00:38:49.29
And I don't take pills, I
don't wear knee pads for aches,
00:38:49.49\00:38:52.89
and I don't take anything
for elbow pains, or nothing.
00:38:52.93\00:38:55.86
But sometimes I
really, really run intense.
00:38:55.90\00:38:57.90
And I come home and my
wife says, "Where's it hurting?"
00:38:57.93\00:39:00.97
"Uh, right there."
00:39:03.30\00:39:04.64
And in the dark last
night she's massaging my back.
00:39:04.67\00:39:06.88
"Is it right there?"
"Yeah, it's right there."
00:39:06.91\00:39:08.44
"Maybe if I lay flat
I'll feel really good."
00:39:08.48\00:39:11.31
If I just... I'm... I'm...
00:39:11.91\00:39:13.25
To the right
side, to the left side.
00:39:13.55\00:39:15.58
Because the pain is there.
00:39:15.62\00:39:16.95
And I looked around
the house today for this
00:39:19.35\00:39:21.19
TENS unit I know I have.
00:39:21.22\00:39:22.86
You know, when you
go to the chiropractor
00:39:23.22\00:39:24.86
they put those
little diodes on there.
00:39:24.89\00:39:26.36
And they go...
00:39:26.56\00:39:27.96
And it kind of
works the muscles out.
00:39:29.50\00:39:31.27
I found the
unit. I found the bag.
00:39:31.70\00:39:34.17
It had five batteries.
00:39:34.40\00:39:36.14
Every single one was dead.
00:39:36.17\00:39:38.34
So after we'd done that,
00:39:39.51\00:39:40.84
I'm going to go
get me some batteries.
00:39:40.88\00:39:42.21
Because I had the TENS unit.
00:39:42.54\00:39:43.88
I had all the
electrodes to connect.
00:39:43.91\00:39:46.28
I had the wires.
Everything looked so good.
00:39:46.31\00:39:48.52
No power.
00:39:48.78\00:39:50.32
Some of us are really
good-looking Christians
00:39:53.49\00:39:56.09
with no power.
00:39:56.76\00:39:58.49
So don't ever, and
this is the deception,
00:40:00.70\00:40:04.03
don't ever decide whether a
person is or is not a Christian
00:40:04.07\00:40:07.37
by how they look.
00:40:07.57\00:40:08.90
You don't decide
by how they look,
00:40:09.00\00:40:10.44
you decide by their fruit.
00:40:10.47\00:40:12.01
"By their fruit
you will know them."
00:40:12.37\00:40:13.71
Amen, someone?
00:40:13.74\00:40:15.08
But you have to choose.
00:40:15.14\00:40:16.48
The power that Christ
gives, John 1:12, the power that
00:40:16.51\00:40:19.38
comes into our lives, get
this, it is an enabling power
00:40:19.41\00:40:25.29
and it is a controlling power.
00:40:25.55\00:40:28.29
"It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me."
00:40:28.89\00:40:31.29
The power of Christ captures us.
00:40:31.46\00:40:33.90
Now let me ask you a question.
00:40:33.93\00:40:35.26
The word is used...
Let's go to the next question.
00:40:35.30\00:40:37.17
Here's where it
is. Question number 23.
00:40:37.20\00:40:39.83
I'm going to illustrate what
is in the very next question,
00:40:39.93\00:40:41.87
so let me just go
to the next question.
00:40:41.90\00:40:43.51
Question 23.
00:40:43.81\00:40:45.14
Romans 6:16 Romans 6:16
00:40:55.08\00:40:59.15
Wow!
00:41:00.56\00:41:01.89
Wow! Two choices.
00:41:02.02\00:41:03.63
And these choices are
good before you mess up.
00:41:04.13\00:41:07.33
And even if you mess
up, let me just tell you,
00:41:09.30\00:41:11.27
"If anyone sin, he has an
Advocate with the Father."
00:41:11.77\00:41:15.00
Come on, can we say amen?
00:41:15.04\00:41:16.37
So I don't want
to sound hopeless,
00:41:16.81\00:41:19.21
but I want to tell you,
every day when you wake up
00:41:19.37\00:41:22.28
God's mercies are
new every morning.
00:41:22.31\00:41:24.35
But look at Romans 6:16.
00:41:25.11\00:41:26.65
This is how we fall into
the left box, the power of sin,
00:41:26.68\00:41:29.88
or the right box,
the power of Christ.
00:41:29.92\00:41:32.02
Here it is.
00:41:32.05\00:41:33.39
The Bible says...
00:41:33.42\00:41:34.76
"...present yourselves..."
00:41:38.13\00:41:39.53
The King James
version says, "yield."
00:41:39.56\00:41:41.76
So what's the word there?
00:42:02.38\00:42:03.72
I want to use the word...
00:42:03.75\00:42:05.09
What are the two choices that we
have to determine our actions?
00:42:05.19\00:42:08.36
Sin leading to death,
00:42:10.86\00:42:12.73
obedience
leading to righteousness.
00:42:13.29\00:42:15.90
We have to yield in
one direction or the other.
00:42:15.93\00:42:18.20
We have to yield in
one direction or the other.
00:42:18.97\00:42:21.44
And I don't know very
many people that would say...
00:42:21.47\00:42:23.67
My wife and I went to Garden
of the Gods the other day.
00:42:24.57\00:42:26.94
It's a beautiful place down...
00:42:27.38\00:42:28.71
We don't have
mountains in southern Illinois.
00:42:28.74\00:42:30.45
We have canyons.
00:42:30.48\00:42:31.81
We have little rocks.
00:42:31.85\00:42:33.18
Whenever we see a
hill in southern Illinois,
00:42:33.21\00:42:34.68
we get excited.
00:42:34.72\00:42:36.05
We went to the Garden
of the Gods the other day.
00:42:36.89\00:42:38.75
And it's about
45 miles from here.
00:42:38.79\00:42:41.02
Beautiful, nice; so good
to see some rolling hills.
00:42:41.06\00:42:44.03
And I have a drone.
00:42:44.49\00:42:46.96
And I'm flying my drone;
I want to just see what I
00:42:47.16\00:42:48.86
can't see with my natural eyes.
00:42:48.90\00:42:50.53
And my wife wants to see down.
00:42:50.73\00:42:53.80
You know, when
you're standing on the rocks
00:42:53.84\00:42:55.24
and it has a good
plummet, she wants to see down.
00:42:55.27\00:42:58.17
Yeah, at the top
rock. She wants to see down.
00:42:58.84\00:43:01.41
And every time she gets
close to the edge, I say,
00:43:01.44\00:43:03.11
"Honey, no. Come back."
00:43:03.14\00:43:04.81
She says, "But I
just want to see down."
00:43:04.85\00:43:06.55
I say, "But you
don't know that the rock...
00:43:06.58\00:43:08.52
You get to a certain point
and the rock just curves off.
00:43:08.55\00:43:11.02
And knowing you, your
momentum is going to carry you
00:43:11.05\00:43:13.15
right over the edge."
00:43:13.19\00:43:14.52
She said, "But I just
want to see over the edge."
00:43:14.86\00:43:16.62
I said, "Honey, you are not."
00:43:16.66\00:43:18.99
And I grabbed her
arm, I wouldn't let her go.
00:43:19.09\00:43:21.00
She said, "But I'm
just going to look."
00:43:21.03\00:43:22.36
I said, "You're not
even going to look."
00:43:22.40\00:43:23.87
"I'm not letting you get
close to the edge of that rock."
00:43:25.63\00:43:28.14
"But it's just right there."
00:43:28.17\00:43:29.50
I said, "Honey,
no. We're right here.
00:43:29.54\00:43:30.91
You're not going to the edge."
00:43:31.24\00:43:32.81
Because you know what?
00:43:32.84\00:43:34.18
When you yield, sin
has a momentum to it.
00:43:34.21\00:43:38.61
It carries you
the rest of the way.
00:43:39.95\00:43:43.08
It has a momentum to it.
00:43:43.65\00:43:45.29
It's deceiving.
00:43:45.85\00:43:47.19
The deception of
sin is its momentum.
00:43:47.49\00:43:49.99
When you yield
to the point of...
00:43:50.03\00:43:52.43
And I've used this
illustration before.
00:43:52.46\00:43:54.13
I might not be able to do it.
00:43:54.43\00:43:55.76
Because, you know, it's live.
00:43:55.80\00:43:57.87
And nothing ever happens
the way it's supposed to...
00:43:57.90\00:43:59.47
Oh man, look at that.
00:43:59.50\00:44:01.27
I've been trying this
for so long with other pens,
00:44:01.80\00:44:03.87
but I guess this is the one.
00:44:03.91\00:44:05.24
I have reached the fulcrum point
in this pen, this digital pen.
00:44:05.64\00:44:10.21
Meaning, it's
perfectly balanced.
00:44:10.25\00:44:11.81
But if I move it
one way or the other,
00:44:12.58\00:44:15.52
you know what's going to happen?
00:44:15.55\00:44:17.22
I don't have to move
very far for this pen
00:44:17.65\00:44:19.52
to lose its balance.
00:44:19.55\00:44:21.29
That's how our daily...
00:44:21.76\00:44:23.09
That's when we wake up in the
morning, we wake up like this.
00:44:23.12\00:44:26.43
And if we don't wake up in
the morning and accept Christ
00:44:26.73\00:44:28.56
in our lives, we
are out of balance.
00:44:28.60\00:44:30.70
Now I'm not saying
live with sin on one side
00:44:31.43\00:44:33.44
and righteousness on the other.
00:44:33.47\00:44:35.17
I'm saying, those
are the two choices.
00:44:35.27\00:44:37.24
You can go left
or you can go right.
00:44:37.27\00:44:39.41
But when you yield in the
morning to Christ, you go right.
00:44:39.84\00:44:42.51
And let me just show you this.
00:44:42.54\00:44:43.88
Now this is the side
that's righteousness.
00:44:43.91\00:44:45.68
See, when you go to the right...
00:44:46.55\00:44:48.45
...sin just drops off.
00:44:50.62\00:44:52.49
When you go to the
left, righteousness drops off.
00:44:53.15\00:44:56.22
But when you decide in the
morning to yield to Christ,
00:44:57.29\00:45:01.06
sin loses its power,
00:45:01.36\00:45:03.57
and Christ is
completely in charge.
00:45:04.40\00:45:06.53
So when you wake up in
the morning and you think,
00:45:08.04\00:45:09.70
"How is my day going to go?"
00:45:09.74\00:45:11.57
wake up and say,
"Lord, you know me."
00:45:12.01\00:45:15.11
There's only two
people that really know you:
00:45:16.11\00:45:17.45
you and the Lord.
00:45:17.48\00:45:18.81
That really
know your capability.
00:45:19.41\00:45:22.72
And you can wake up in
the morning and fool yourself
00:45:23.35\00:45:25.59
and think that you're
going to go into the day
00:45:25.62\00:45:27.06
without inviting
Christ to come in.
00:45:27.09\00:45:29.12
And you'll find yourself
just like the apostle Paul,
00:45:29.62\00:45:32.06
"O wretched man that I am."
00:45:32.09\00:45:34.10
And you'll find yourself
falling in the wrong category.
00:45:34.56\00:45:37.93
The power of sin will take over
00:45:37.97\00:45:39.83
and will
completely wreck your day.
00:45:39.93\00:45:42.27
But as I said...
00:45:42.57\00:45:43.91
Let me go now and
pull this into the category
00:45:44.41\00:45:46.98
of helping us to see.
00:45:47.54\00:45:49.91
Now, I'm going to take
it to another platform.
00:45:49.94\00:45:52.58
When you become a
Christian, the battle continues.
00:45:55.95\00:46:00.36
Does it not?
00:46:00.92\00:46:02.26
Now the battle
doesn't continue...
00:46:02.36\00:46:04.19
Here's where the
battle has already been won.
00:46:04.79\00:46:07.50
Follow me carefully,
because I talked about a battle,
00:46:07.93\00:46:10.23
then Jesus gives us the victory.
00:46:10.27\00:46:11.97
So how could I say
that the battle continues?
00:46:12.00\00:46:14.24
If Paul the apostle
didn't recognize that the
00:46:14.27\00:46:16.34
battle continues, he
wouldn't say, "I die daily."
00:46:16.37\00:46:21.18
Because there's
one thing that survives
00:46:21.74\00:46:23.71
committing our lives to Christ.
00:46:23.75\00:46:25.31
And what is it?
00:46:25.41\00:46:26.75
Come on, what am I putting on?
00:46:27.38\00:46:29.18
The flesh.
00:46:29.22\00:46:30.55
This ole wrecked computer.
00:46:30.59\00:46:32.75
It's going to be
replaced one day.
00:46:33.76\00:46:35.82
You can't defrag this computer.
00:46:35.86\00:46:37.96
Every one of us has
enough memories of our past
00:46:38.73\00:46:41.90
that could mess us up
if we spend all our time
00:46:42.40\00:46:44.77
thinking about the past.
00:46:44.80\00:46:46.13
So when we are in
this, as Paul says,
00:46:49.57\00:46:53.41
"O wretched man that I am,
who will deliver me from the
00:46:53.44\00:46:56.04
body of this death," we
have this flesh to contend with.
00:46:56.08\00:46:58.55
So where was the power,
where was the victory won?
00:46:58.58\00:47:01.35
The victory was won
when Jesus delivered us first
00:47:02.32\00:47:06.65
from the penalty of sin.
00:47:06.69\00:47:10.49
What did I say? The what?
00:47:10.86\00:47:12.39
Penalty of sin.
00:47:12.79\00:47:14.20
So when a prisoner is set free
and he's no longer in prison,
00:47:14.23\00:47:17.47
the penalty is no
longer hanging over his head.
00:47:17.83\00:47:22.17
So why do we need
further deliverance?
00:47:24.17\00:47:26.14
Because there are two other
things that are still remaining.
00:47:26.88\00:47:29.61
After we're delivered
from the penalty of sin
00:47:29.64\00:47:32.05
there are two
things still remaining.
00:47:32.08\00:47:33.58
My wife knows the answer.
00:47:33.62\00:47:34.95
The next thing that
still exists is the what?
00:47:34.98\00:47:37.22
Power of sin.
00:47:37.75\00:47:39.99
And the final thing that
we'll be delivered from when
00:47:40.29\00:47:42.29
Jesus comes,
Isaiah I think it's 8:25,
00:47:42.32\00:47:47.93
Isaiah 25:9, you can
check it out in a moment,
00:47:49.66\00:47:53.70
the last think that we're
going to be delivered from
00:47:53.74\00:47:55.70
is the presence of sin.
00:47:55.74\00:47:57.84
So we have
already been delivered,
00:47:58.01\00:48:00.11
when we accept Christ, we have
been delivered from the penalty.
00:48:00.14\00:48:03.58
Say the word, "penalty."
00:48:03.61\00:48:04.95
Penalty.
00:48:04.98\00:48:06.31
Every day we need to be
delivered from the power of sin.
00:48:06.35\00:48:09.92
When Jesus comes
back, Isaiah says,
00:48:10.09\00:48:12.79
"It shall be said in that
day, 'Lo, this is our God;
00:48:14.06\00:48:17.66
we have waited for
Him, and He will save us.
00:48:17.69\00:48:21.13
This is our
Lord; we shall rejoice
00:48:21.33\00:48:25.07
and be glad is His...'" What?
00:48:25.10\00:48:27.17
"...salvation."
00:48:27.20\00:48:28.84
Salvation from what?
00:48:28.87\00:48:30.71
From the presence of sin.
00:48:30.81\00:48:33.38
We have already been delivered.
00:48:33.64\00:48:35.34
"Thanks be to God who
gives us the victory."
00:48:35.38\00:48:37.15
We have already been
delivered from the penalty.
00:48:37.18\00:48:39.71
Amen?
00:48:39.75\00:48:41.08
So I'm not waking up in
the morning, I'm not waking up
00:48:41.12\00:48:43.62
every day as a Christian,
as a pastor, fearful of dying,
00:48:43.65\00:48:47.82
fearful of going to hell.
00:48:47.96\00:48:49.29
Amen.
00:48:50.53\00:48:51.86
If you are a Christian
and you wake up every day
00:48:53.06\00:48:54.86
terrified of being lost,
then there's something wrong.
00:48:54.90\00:48:57.47
You cannot wake up
terrified of being lost,
00:48:58.60\00:49:00.64
lest you wake up
every day choosing to not
00:49:00.67\00:49:02.94
accept Jesus in your life.
00:49:02.97\00:49:04.51
And you know what happens?
00:49:04.64\00:49:05.97
You're sliding
slowly, sliding slowly back
00:49:06.01\00:49:08.84
into where you were before.
00:49:08.88\00:49:10.21
And that's a dangerous thing.
00:49:10.55\00:49:12.05
But if you take hold of
the power of Christ every day,
00:49:12.18\00:49:14.55
you're going to see.
00:49:14.62\00:49:15.95
Let's go to question number 24.
00:49:15.98\00:49:17.32
If you take hold of the
power of Christ every day,
00:49:17.49\00:49:19.12
you're going to see
something that you're going to
00:49:19.15\00:49:20.49
be amazed by.
00:49:20.52\00:49:22.12
Question number 24, here it is.
00:49:22.89\00:49:24.59
You know, the Bible
says, "The spirit is willing,
00:49:30.67\00:49:33.44
but the flesh is weak."
00:49:33.47\00:49:35.77
That's the truth.
00:49:35.80\00:49:37.14
The spirit is
willing. The spirit is...
00:49:37.17\00:49:38.67
When the Bible says
that the spirit is willing,
00:49:38.71\00:49:40.58
that means the Holy Spirit
wants to do and He's able to do
00:49:40.61\00:49:43.55
exceedingly abundantly
above all that we ask or think.
00:49:43.58\00:49:45.88
We have to daily die to self
00:49:45.91\00:49:47.78
for the Spirit to
continue living in us.
00:49:47.82\00:49:49.78
But notice this.
00:49:50.15\00:49:51.49
What happens when we
realize that we are weak?
00:49:51.52\00:49:53.22
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
00:49:53.76\00:49:57.23
Here it is, the good news.
00:49:57.26\00:49:58.73
"And He said to
me..." What did He say?
00:49:59.33\00:50:01.76
That the power of who? Christ.
00:50:21.08\00:50:22.88
Remember that chart earlier?
00:50:22.92\00:50:24.59
The power of sin,
the power of Christ.
00:50:24.62\00:50:26.99
When I say, "I am
weak, but Thou art strong..."
00:50:27.02\00:50:35.20
When we say, "I am
weak, but though art strong,"
00:50:36.06\00:50:39.43
what do we say?
"Jesus keep me from all harm.
00:50:40.74\00:50:43.67
I'll be satisfied as
long as I walk close to Thee."
00:50:43.77\00:50:49.14
I won't to sing it.
00:50:49.24\00:50:50.58
But if we say, "I'm strong,"
00:50:50.61\00:50:53.88
then we have taken
the power from Christ and
00:50:55.18\00:50:57.62
put it on ourselves.
00:50:57.65\00:50:59.05
Paul the apostle never
talked about personal strength.
00:50:59.35\00:51:02.26
He said, "Be strong in the Lord
and in the power of His might."
00:51:02.29\00:51:07.66
Put on how much of the armor?
00:51:07.70\00:51:09.63
The whole armor of God.
00:51:09.66\00:51:11.63
So the answer, what
transaction takes place
00:51:11.67\00:51:14.37
when we realize
that we are weak?
00:51:14.40\00:51:16.14
What happens when
we realize we are weak?
00:51:16.17\00:51:18.67
His grace is sufficient for us.
00:51:19.87\00:51:21.81
Now I'm going to talk
about grace for a moment here.
00:51:21.84\00:51:24.11
Very important.
00:51:24.58\00:51:25.95
We don't grow into grace.
00:51:26.68\00:51:29.22
The Bible never
says, "grow into race."
00:51:30.12\00:51:31.82
What does it say?
00:51:31.85\00:51:33.19
Grow in grace.
00:51:33.39\00:51:35.62
Why do we need grace?
00:51:35.66\00:51:37.56
Because at our
best, our righteousness
00:51:37.59\00:51:42.53
is as what? Filthy rags.
00:51:42.56\00:51:45.07
How good are we?
00:51:45.10\00:51:46.43
"There is none that
is good, no not one."
00:51:46.47\00:51:50.11
But are we the
children of God, yes or no?
00:51:50.54\00:51:52.81
Yes. When are we
the children of God?
00:51:52.84\00:51:54.61
Now.
00:51:54.64\00:51:55.98
So our Father,
looking at us lovingly,
00:51:56.01\00:51:58.25
has started a work in us
that He promises to complete.
00:51:58.28\00:52:01.45
Amen?
00:52:01.48\00:52:02.82
Promises to complete it.
00:52:02.85\00:52:04.19
So He takes us as we are.
00:52:04.52\00:52:06.09
But pastors, would you
say, leaders, would you say,
00:52:06.12\00:52:09.06
don't just say, "Jesus
loves you like you are."
00:52:09.26\00:52:11.79
Keep going and say,
"He never leaves you
00:52:11.83\00:52:14.30
the way He finds you."
00:52:14.33\00:52:15.96
"Jesus loves you
just as you are."
00:52:16.63\00:52:18.03
Heard that so much
it just irritates me.
00:52:18.07\00:52:19.93
Let's say,
there's another verse,
00:52:19.97\00:52:21.54
"But He never leaves
you the way He finds you."
00:52:21.57\00:52:23.87
He never does.
00:52:24.37\00:52:25.71
He cleans up that life.
00:52:25.74\00:52:27.08
Because we cannot come to Jesus.
00:52:27.11\00:52:29.08
Any time you see a story:
Isaiah, He cleaned up his lips,
00:52:29.18\00:52:34.08
gave him a turban; Joshua,
took off his filthy garments;
00:52:34.12\00:52:38.25
the valley of dry bones, He
filled them with His Spirit,
00:52:38.55\00:52:41.46
put on new flesh,
new spirit, new attitude.
00:52:41.49\00:52:44.29
He never leaves us
the way He finds us.
00:52:44.33\00:52:47.03
Broken down as we are, when
we say to Jesus, "I am weak,"
00:52:47.93\00:52:51.80
He says, "But My grace
is sufficient for you."
00:52:52.10\00:52:54.57
This text is saying this.
00:52:54.60\00:52:57.24
While we are
walking in this flesh,
00:52:57.84\00:53:00.91
that's still our
daily battle. "I die daily."
00:53:00.94\00:53:03.31
While we're walking in
this flesh, the Lord is saying,
00:53:03.35\00:53:06.51
"There are going to be
days that you might stumble.
00:53:06.61\00:53:08.72
And now let Me
show you something.
00:53:10.52\00:53:12.02
The difference between
stumbling and practicing sin
00:53:12.05\00:53:15.19
is the difference between
a trespass sin and iniquity.
00:53:15.29\00:53:19.59
Study that in the Old Testament.
00:53:19.63\00:53:21.16
It says, "Forgive
us our trespasses."
00:53:22.13\00:53:27.10
The Bible never says,
"Forgive us our iniquities."
00:53:27.14\00:53:30.11
Iniquity is that
cherished sin practiced
00:53:30.81\00:53:34.24
over and over, and
over, and over, and over.
00:53:34.28\00:53:36.44
It became a love to us.
00:53:36.48\00:53:38.11
"Forgive us our trespasses,
00:53:38.55\00:53:40.45
as we forgive those
who trespass against us."
00:53:40.48\00:53:43.25
And here's the point.
00:53:43.28\00:53:44.62
Sometimes people will stumble...
00:53:44.65\00:53:45.99
Well let me ask you the
question, has anybody...
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Well let me go deeper.
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Have you ever met a
Christian that irritated you?
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Have you ever
met a Christian that
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did something you didn't like?
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Yes. Yes.
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Come on, speak to me. Yes.
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Exactly.
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They stumble in their weakness.
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But don't let their weakness
become the reason why you
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cast each other away.
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Because every one of
us is growing in grace.
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And He says, "My grace,
Tracy, My grace, Bonnie,
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My grace is sufficient for thee.
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In your
weakness..." And I love this.
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"In your weakness
My strength is made..."
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Come on, say it. "...perfect."
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Okay, wait. Now this is huge.
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Can we be perfect in Christ?
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I'm going to ask that again.
Can we be perfect in Christ?
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Yes.
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Because His strength is what?
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Perfect.
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At what point is
His strength perfect?
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Every second of every minute
of every hour of every day
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of every week of
every month of every year.
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His strength is always perfect.
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So when we think that
His strength is not perfect,
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we will fall back in our laurels
and think, "I've got this."
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Don't ever think as a
Christian you've got it.
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Because you will get it...
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...if you ever think that
you can make it without Christ.
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Let me hit you with...
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And I'm going to
continue the text.
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Verse 10, bring verse 10 up for
me, because I didn't finish it.
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Here it is. Paul continues...
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Let's read the
last part together.
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So when Paul faced infirmities,
people reproach him,
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he has needs that
don't seem to be met,
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he's going through
persecution, he's in distress,
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he says, "I'm
not even sweating it.
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Because when I am
weak, then I am strong."
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There's a reason why John
the apostle, the disciple,
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leaned on the breast of Jesus.
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Because that's
where his strength lies.
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That's why Jesus
said to Mary of Martha,
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Martha of Mary,
"She's found the best place."
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At the feet of Jesus.
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Now let's hit one
more before we go.
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Number 25.
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The answer to number 24 is...
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What transaction
takes place when we realize
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that we are weak?
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His grace. His grace.
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His grace is always perfect.
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His strength is always perfect,
His grace is always available.
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Look at this. Number 25.
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Look at this. John 8:36
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And I'm going to go
ahead, in the interest of time,
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we're going to
read this together.
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If He makes you
free, are you free?
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Come on, say something.
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Yes.
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Are you almost free? No.
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Are you free part of the way?
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No. You are free indeed.
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Chains dropped off Peter.
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"Get up, Peter. Put
on your garment, Peter.
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Follow me, Peter."
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And he follows
Jesus, he follows the angel
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out the prison.
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Then the light is shining,
so Peter is following the light.
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He's back in the light.
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Then the Lord opens
one gate; done there.
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Opens another gate; done there.
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And then the last
gate is the iron gate.
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He opens the iron gate, leads
him out to complete freedom,
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and Peter goes on
preaching his heart out
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because now Jesus set him free.
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See, friends, we can
all be free in Christ.
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If you don't believe it,
keep studying the Word of God.
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Because one day it will
come into a sharper focus.
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Let us pray.
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