Hello and welcome
to A Sharper Focus.
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It's Wednesday night,
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we thank you so much for
taking the time to tune in.
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And wherever
you're tuning in from,
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we are here at the
3AB Worship Center.
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We hope that
you have your Bibles
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and your pads,
it's that time to walk
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through the Word
of God together again.
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And we welcome you
with a hearty amen.
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Can we all say amen? Amen.
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Because we have our
Bibles and our pens,
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and we are going
to continue tonight
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in the topic of
Our Greatest Need,
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the truth about
our greatest need.
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What is our greatest need?
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Well, we'll get into
that topic in just a moment.
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We always begin with prayer.
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After the prayer, I'll tell you
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where you can get
a copy of the lesson,
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and then we'll
have our theme song,
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and then we will begin our walk
through God's Word together.
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Let us pray.
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Our loving Father in heaven,
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we thank You that
tonight we can turn our hearts
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in the
direction of Your kingdom,
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that we can ask
for Your Holy Spirit
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to guide our
minds and our hearts.
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Today as we study, we can
find in Your Word the answers
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to the most urgent need
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that we have in
our walk with You.
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May Your Word come alive
as Your Holy Spirit guide us.
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We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
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Now if you need a
copy of the lesson,
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go to this following
website, ASF.3ABN.org,
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and download
lesson number 39 entitled
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Our Greatest Need,
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and then follow
along with us from there.
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We're going to begin
tonight on question number 11.
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But before we do anything,
we always have our theme song,
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and our theme song is what?
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Victory in Jesus.
Let's sing the 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 Together.
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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I heard about a mansion
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He has built for me in glory
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And I heard about
the streets of gold
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Beyond the crystal sea
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About the angels singing
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And the old redemption story
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And some sweet day
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I'll sing up there
The song of victory
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Key change.
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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Amen.
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The title is
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the Truth About
Our Greatest Need.
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Let's say that together,
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the Truth About
Our Greatest Need.
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Now it is quite unusual
to think that in a world
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where there are so
many materialistic things
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that we could own,
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we might wonder
what do we need the most.
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And the reality of it
is no matter what you own,
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you cannot take it
to heaven with you.
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Nothing materialistic.
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It could be the size
of the head of a pin,
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you cannot take it
to heaven with you.
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So when we talk about
the topic Our Greatest Need,
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what would that need be?
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Well, let me lay
the story this way.
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Whatever we need to do
to qualify for the kingdom,
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that is our greatest need.
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Amen?
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Whatever can prevent us
from making it to the kingdom
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is the very thing
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that we must remedy
in order to be prepared
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for the kingdom
when the kingdom comes.
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So that in fact
is our greatest need.
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Go with me to
the Book of Luke 13.
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I want to go ahead and show you
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how Jesus often
approached the topic.
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Matter of fact,
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when His ministry began
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right after His baptism,
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Jesus began to do
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what John the Baptist was doing.
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John the Baptist did it first
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that is in his earthly ministry.
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John the Baptist being
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how many months
older than Jesus?
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Six months older.
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That is but even though
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he was six
months older than Jesus,
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Jesus existed from eternity.
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But in his earthly life,
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he was six
months older than Jesus.
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So to make the way
for Jesus, he preached,
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"Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand."
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Matthew 3:2, that's
what he talked about,
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"Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven
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is at hand."
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Then he baptized Jesus
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and then Jesus, in Matthew 4:7,
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began to preach,
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"Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand."
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So in order for us to be
ready for the kingdom of heaven,
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what do you think,
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according to what
John the Baptist preached
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and what Jesus preached,
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what do you think is
necessary to be ready
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for the kingdom of
heaven that is at hand?
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What did they both
say? What's the word?
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Repent. Let's say
it together. Repent.
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And thank you, honey.
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Years ago and Pastor Batchelor
was the first to say this,
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so I don't want to
sound like I'm original here,
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but years ago, Pastor Batchelor
was driving by a church
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and on a sign,
it had this caption,
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"Repent now and avoid the rush."
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Everybody at one point or
another is going to repent.
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It's better to do it
now than to wait till
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that repentance is
of absolutely no value.
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Now it's not to
say that there's a time
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that the Lord won't
accept your repentance
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but it's good to do it
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when we are
cognizant and aware, of what,
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and how important repentance is.
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A matter of fact to show
you how important it is, Luke3,
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Luke 3, and look again, Luke 13.
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Sorry, did I say 3? I
heard myself saying 3.
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Luke 13.
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And we're going to
notice the words of Christ.
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Right?
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Verse 1, "They were
present at that season..."
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And that's when Jesus
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was warning of the
cost of discipleship.
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"There were
present at that season,
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some who told him
about the Galileans
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whose blood Pilate had
mingled with their sacrifices.
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And Jesus
answered and said to them,
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'Do you suppose
that these Galileans
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were worst sinners
than all other Galileans
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because they
suffered such things?'"
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In other words, before
I go to the next verse,
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He is saying, some
people suffer things and we say,
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"Well, boy, they suffer that
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because they're
worst sinners than us."
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And they were
describing the torment,
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the torture that these
Galileans went through.
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But look what he says
in the verse that follows.
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"I tell you no."
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In other words,
let me make the point.
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There is no sinner
worse than the other sinner.
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That's what He's
in essence saying.
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Do you suppose
that because they went
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through that kind of punishment,
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they're worse than
the other Galileans?
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And Jesus says, "I tell you no."
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What was the connection
between the two groups?
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In verse 3, "I tell you no."
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Read this together,
"But unless you do..."
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What?
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"Repent, you will
all likewise perish."
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So He's in essence saying to us,
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"No matter what the sin,
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we sometimes
categorize sin as a big sin,
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a little sin but sin is sin."
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And Jesus was saying to
those who were taken back
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by the punishment the Galileans
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had suffered at
the hand of Pilate.
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And He says, "So do you
think that what they did
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makes the other
Galileans better than them?"
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He said, "No, not at all."
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So when we look at
that, Jesus made it clear,
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He went about
preaching repentance
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for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand.
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Matter of fact, go
to another one with me.
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Go to Acts 2,
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Acts 2,
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Acts 2,
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and let's look at
this verse together.
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Just laying the foundation
for the thought of repentance.
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Acts 2.
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And we're going to look together
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at verse 38,
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a man who knows
what repentance is Peter,
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who denied his Lord
before the crucifixion.
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Peter, who had
turned his back on his Lord,
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and even said he didn't have
any association with Him at all
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after claiming to be
one of His disciples.
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The Lord gave him forgiveness
and chose Peter to be
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the spokesperson on
the day of Pentecost.
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Notice these words in Acts 2:38.
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And the question
was asked to Peter.
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In verse 37,
matter of fact, verse 36.
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"Therefore, let all the
house of Israel know assuredly
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that God has made this Jesus
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whom you crucified
both Lord and Christ.
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Now when they heard this,
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they were cut to the
heart and said to Peter
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and the rest of the apostles,
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'Men and brethren,
what shall we do?'"
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And Peter responded to
them, let's read this together.
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What did he say?
00:11:08.83\00:11:10.20
"Repent and let every
one of you be baptized
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in the name of Jesus
for the remission of sins
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and you shall receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit."
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He said, "Repent."
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So now let's go
to the next stage.
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What is necessary to receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit?
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What must precede that? Say it.
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Repentance and
what else? Baptism.
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Repentance and baptism.
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What that means is to go
into the new life with Christ
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to receive the gift
of the Spirit of God,
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we have to not only
repent of how we lived
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but we have to make
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that outward declaration
of an inward commitment,
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and then the gift
comes, the gift comes.
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Without the
repentance, there is no gift.
00:11:58.85\00:12:02.58
And there are many
people that want the gift
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but they don't
want the repentance.
00:12:04.72\00:12:06.19
And today, unfortunately,
in many Christian circles,
00:12:06.22\00:12:09.06
membership is seen more than...
00:12:09.09\00:12:11.09
Membership is talked
about more than repentance.
00:12:11.13\00:12:14.76
But we have to bring back
00:12:14.80\00:12:16.36
because the only
thing that can keep us
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from the kingdom outside of sin,
00:12:18.43\00:12:21.20
sin is a terrible thing,
00:12:21.24\00:12:22.90
but repentance is
more powerful than sin.
00:12:22.94\00:12:26.44
Amen.
00:12:26.47\00:12:27.81
Repentance more
powerful than sin if you repent.
00:12:27.84\00:12:33.05
Let's look at one more, Luke 17.
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Luke 17, and then
we're going to roll
00:12:36.62\00:12:38.62
through these
questions together.
00:12:38.65\00:12:41.12
Luke 17.
00:12:41.16\00:12:42.49
More powerful than sin is
repentance and forgiveness.
00:12:48.03\00:12:53.13
Luke 17. Okay.
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And we're going to
start with verse 3...
00:12:58.64\00:13:02.24
"Jesus said, 'Take
heed to yourselves.'"
00:13:07.48\00:13:10.39
Take heed to who?
00:13:10.42\00:13:12.15
If you would put
that in today's language,
00:13:12.19\00:13:14.16
check, examine yourself.
00:13:14.19\00:13:16.29
Examine yourself.
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He said, "If your
brother sins against you..."
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What should we do? Rebuke him.
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"And if he repents..."
00:13:24.93\00:13:26.43
Do what? Forgive him.
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"And if he you sins
against you seven times in a day
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and seven times in a day returns
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to you saying, 'I repent...'"
00:13:34.68\00:13:36.48
What shall you do? Forgive him.
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Notice what He's saying here.
What's the act of word here?
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If he repents, forgive him.
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If he repents seven
times in a day, do what?
00:13:45.69\00:13:48.52
Forgive him. Now why?
00:13:48.56\00:13:50.29
Because if we
repent and God forgives us,
00:13:50.33\00:13:56.00
and our brother repents
and we refuse to forgive him,
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then we have a higher demand
00:14:00.20\00:14:04.67
than God does.
00:14:04.71\00:14:07.74
And that's what Jesus
is talking about here,
00:14:07.78\00:14:09.51
Jesus' teaching on offences.
00:14:09.54\00:14:12.75
But there's one more thing
00:14:12.78\00:14:14.12
that I want to also
add before we go on.
00:14:14.15\00:14:15.82
Go to Acts 3,
and look at verse 19.
00:14:15.85\00:14:20.02
Acts 3.
00:14:20.06\00:14:22.39
One more before we go
to question number 11.
00:14:22.42\00:14:25.53
And these are just foundational
thoughts about repentance.
00:14:25.56\00:14:29.13
We must never make our price
00:14:29.16\00:14:30.77
for repentance
higher than Jesus does.
00:14:30.80\00:14:35.00
Acts 3:19.
00:14:35.04\00:14:39.61
Remember, Peter said,
00:14:39.64\00:14:40.98
"Repent and let every
one of you be baptized."
00:14:41.01\00:14:43.31
But Peter continues
preaching his second sermon.
00:14:43.35\00:14:47.25
The first sermon was
repent and be baptized.
00:14:47.28\00:14:49.18
He said it to the
Jews who recognized that
00:14:49.22\00:14:51.15
they were guilty
of the death of Jesus.
00:14:51.19\00:14:52.72
Now his second
sermon and verse 19.
00:14:52.75\00:14:58.23
He says again,
"Repent, therefore..."
00:14:58.26\00:15:01.03
And what?
00:15:01.06\00:15:02.46
"Be converted that your
sins may be blotted out,
00:15:02.50\00:15:06.50
so that times of
refreshing may come
00:15:06.53\00:15:09.80
from the presence of the Lord."
00:15:09.84\00:15:11.61
You know what refreshing means?
00:15:11.64\00:15:13.48
Refreshing is like
a cool glass of water
00:15:13.51\00:15:17.55
on a very, very hot day.
00:15:17.58\00:15:19.45
It brings relief.
00:15:19.48\00:15:21.78
When we know that
we had been forgiven,
00:15:21.82\00:15:24.92
when we repent
and we are converted,
00:15:24.95\00:15:27.92
the Lord is saying
our sins are blotted out.
00:15:27.96\00:15:30.79
Now while you notice
what we've said so far,
00:15:30.83\00:15:32.86
repentance is
necessary before baptism
00:15:32.89\00:15:38.63
and receiving the
gift of the Holy Spirit.
00:15:38.67\00:15:41.14
Repentance is necessary
00:15:41.17\00:15:43.64
before we are converted
and our sins are blotted out.
00:15:43.67\00:15:47.38
So here, let's
go, put that together,
00:15:47.41\00:15:49.38
no repentance, no
gift of the Holy Spirit.
00:15:49.41\00:15:52.68
No baptism means
absolutely nothing.
00:15:52.71\00:15:55.68
No repentance, no conversion,
00:15:55.72\00:15:58.52
and your sins
are not blotted out.
00:15:58.55\00:16:00.96
No repentance, you're not ready
00:16:00.99\00:16:02.79
for the kingdom of
heaven that is at hand.
00:16:02.82\00:16:05.19
So when you
really narrow it down,
00:16:05.23\00:16:06.83
it is not the
death of Jesus Christ,
00:16:06.86\00:16:08.96
the death of Jesus
Christ is the greatest act
00:16:09.00\00:16:11.50
toward the sinner.
00:16:11.53\00:16:13.90
But it is of no value
except the sinner accepts
00:16:13.94\00:16:18.57
what Christ has done
and repents to be covered
00:16:18.61\00:16:22.78
by his righteousness,
and then what comes in?
00:16:22.81\00:16:26.92
Your sins are
forgiven, you are converted,
00:16:26.95\00:16:31.62
your sins will be blotted out
00:16:31.65\00:16:33.59
when the time of
refreshing comes.
00:16:33.62\00:16:35.76
Not just
forgiven, but blotted out.
00:16:35.79\00:16:40.00
And then you will receive
the gift of the Spirit of God
00:16:40.03\00:16:42.96
in harmony
00:16:43.00\00:16:44.33
with your outward
profession through baptism.
00:16:44.37\00:16:47.64
So repentance,
can we say by an amen,
00:16:47.67\00:16:51.24
repentance is important?
00:16:51.27\00:16:52.64
Amen.
00:16:52.67\00:16:54.01
It's probably at
the highest point
00:16:54.04\00:16:56.18
of the list.
00:16:56.21\00:16:57.55
Now if repent...
00:16:57.58\00:16:58.91
Let's just add one
more text. Go to Acts 17.
00:16:58.95\00:17:02.65
Because somebody might say,
00:17:02.68\00:17:04.02
"Well, they need repentance
but I don't repentance too."
00:17:04.05\00:17:07.62
Acts 17.
00:17:10.83\00:17:13.60
What the apostles
did, and by the way,
00:17:13.63\00:17:17.57
their messages were so potent
because one of the first things
00:17:17.60\00:17:23.51
they did was they
went to those Israelites
00:17:23.54\00:17:26.37
who had this message
for thousands of years
00:17:26.41\00:17:29.41
but ended up rejecting Jesus.
00:17:29.44\00:17:31.01
They had to get
them to the place
00:17:31.05\00:17:32.38
where the Lord can use them.
00:17:32.41\00:17:33.75
So they said,
00:17:33.78\00:17:35.12
"All that your fathers had done,
00:17:35.15\00:17:36.48
all the prophets
you have persecuted
00:17:36.52\00:17:38.39
through the centuries,
all that you have done
00:17:38.42\00:17:40.86
to lead to the
crucifixion of Jesus,
00:17:40.89\00:17:42.36
you need to repent of that,
or also as the house of Israel,
00:17:42.39\00:17:46.43
you would have no positive end."
00:17:46.46\00:17:49.96
And as we know,
eventually, Jesus even said,
00:17:50.00\00:17:55.67
"How I would have
loved to have gathered you
00:17:55.70\00:17:57.94
as a hen gather its chicks,
but you wouldn't come to me.
00:17:57.97\00:18:00.91
But notice what Peter
says here again, Paul sorry,
00:18:00.94\00:18:06.41
says here again.
00:18:06.45\00:18:07.78
Acts 17:30.
00:18:07.82\00:18:10.69
Okay. Are we there?
00:18:14.92\00:18:18.59
And the Bible says,
00:18:18.63\00:18:19.96
"Truly, these
times of ignorance,
00:18:20.00\00:18:23.33
God but overlooked or
winked at, but now..."
00:18:23.37\00:18:27.97
Notice what he does.
00:18:28.00\00:18:29.40
"He commands all
men everywhere..."
00:18:29.44\00:18:32.97
To do what?
00:18:33.01\00:18:34.54
"To repent because
he has appointed a day
00:18:34.58\00:18:39.95
on which He will judge the world
00:18:39.98\00:18:41.85
and righteousness by the
man whom He has ordained.
00:18:41.88\00:18:46.89
He has given assurance of
this to all by raising him
00:18:46.92\00:18:51.69
from the dead."
00:18:51.73\00:18:54.46
And we know the
rest of the story
00:18:54.50\00:18:56.40
when the Sadducees
heard this message about Jesus
00:18:56.43\00:19:00.04
being raised from
the dead, they were mad
00:19:00.07\00:19:02.00
because they did not
believe in the resurrections
00:19:02.04\00:19:03.84
but the Pharisees did.
00:19:03.87\00:19:05.47
And later on the Apostle
Peter, even the Apostle Peter,
00:19:05.51\00:19:10.35
understanding how difficult
it was seeing his persecution,
00:19:10.38\00:19:14.22
he chose to side
with the Pharisees
00:19:14.25\00:19:17.22
against the Sadducees.
00:19:17.25\00:19:18.62
But the point I'm
making here, how many of us,
00:19:18.65\00:19:21.52
how many of us are
commanded to repent?
00:19:21.56\00:19:26.49
Where? Everywhere.
00:19:26.53\00:19:29.20
Just men in America?
00:19:29.23\00:19:31.77
"Command all men
everywhere to repent."
00:19:31.80\00:19:35.30
Why?
00:19:35.34\00:19:37.54
Because that is what prepares us
00:19:37.57\00:19:40.98
for the kingdom of
heaven that is at hand.
00:19:41.01\00:19:43.61
Let's look at
question number 11.
00:19:43.65\00:19:45.11
Repentance is a
huge act on our part,
00:19:45.15\00:19:49.28
but we'll find out
in our story tonight
00:19:49.32\00:19:52.39
how repentance occurs
00:19:52.42\00:19:54.22
because repentance for the sake
of repentance is of no value.
00:19:54.26\00:19:57.33
We will find out
00:19:57.36\00:19:58.69
how repentance actually happens.
00:19:58.73\00:20:00.56
Question number 11,
00:20:00.60\00:20:02.83
"Why did Jesus take
00:20:02.86\00:20:05.30
on the form of human flesh?"
00:20:05.33\00:20:09.90
Why did Jesus take on
the form of human flesh?
00:20:09.94\00:20:14.51
Hebrews 2:14-15.
Let's look at that together.
00:20:14.54\00:20:18.81
Hebrews 2:14-15.
00:20:18.85\00:20:23.18
Okay, here we are.
00:20:23.22\00:20:24.55
The Bible says,
00:20:24.59\00:20:26.45
"Inasmuch then as the
children have partaken
00:20:26.49\00:20:30.53
of flesh and blood..."
00:20:30.56\00:20:32.33
By the way we are the children.
00:20:32.36\00:20:34.73
"The children have
partaken of flesh and blood..."
00:20:34.76\00:20:37.30
That is the sinful nature.
00:20:37.33\00:20:38.70
"He Himself
likewise shared in the same,
00:20:38.73\00:20:42.30
that fall in flesh,
00:20:42.34\00:20:45.07
that through death
he might destroy him
00:20:45.11\00:20:48.61
who had the power of
death that is" together,
00:20:48.64\00:20:52.65
"the devil, and release
those who through fear of death,
00:20:52.68\00:20:57.55
were all their
lifetime subject to bondage."
00:20:57.59\00:21:02.29
You know what that means?
00:21:02.32\00:21:03.86
That means there were those
00:21:03.89\00:21:07.60
through fear of
death thinking that,
00:21:07.63\00:21:10.73
and when you put this together,
00:21:10.77\00:21:12.53
thinking that
somehow the worst thing
00:21:12.57\00:21:14.70
that could happen was death.
00:21:14.74\00:21:16.60
But the worst thing
00:21:16.64\00:21:17.97
that could happen
is death without Jesus.
00:21:18.01\00:21:22.24
It's terrible when a person dies
00:21:22.28\00:21:23.61
without Jesus, but
they were fearful of death.
00:21:23.65\00:21:26.75
But Jesus took
on that human flesh,
00:21:26.78\00:21:29.38
the flesh that
the nature that Adam
00:21:29.42\00:21:31.52
had after Adam had
fallen, he took it on
00:21:31.55\00:21:34.92
so that he could
identify with us,
00:21:34.96\00:21:36.79
took on the flesh and blood,
00:21:36.83\00:21:38.39
the same flesh and
blood that you and I have,
00:21:38.43\00:21:41.00
that the children have.
00:21:41.03\00:21:42.90
"As the children have
partaken of flesh and blood,
00:21:42.93\00:21:45.07
He Himself shared in the same.
00:21:45.10\00:21:47.37
And then He took that,
I want you to follow this,
00:21:47.40\00:21:49.24
then he took
that nature of Adam,
00:21:49.27\00:21:51.67
that fallen nature,
and then the Bible says,
00:21:51.71\00:21:54.94
"Through death that
he might destroy him
00:21:54.98\00:21:59.85
who had the power of death."
00:21:59.88\00:22:01.62
So He took that
nature, took it to the cross,
00:22:01.65\00:22:04.55
and it died there.
00:22:04.59\00:22:05.92
Can we say amen?
00:22:05.95\00:22:07.76
But let me tell
you what that means.
00:22:07.79\00:22:09.62
That means if
Jesus took the nature
00:22:09.66\00:22:12.36
that controls us to the
cross and it died there.
00:22:12.39\00:22:17.03
When we put him on,
00:22:17.07\00:22:18.40
we don't put on
that nature any more.
00:22:18.43\00:22:20.70
We put on what
nature? We put on His nature.
00:22:20.74\00:22:25.04
Let me use a different word.
00:22:25.07\00:22:26.64
He took the character
00:22:26.68\00:22:28.01
we had to the
cross and killed it,
00:22:28.04\00:22:30.61
it died with Him.
00:22:30.65\00:22:32.35
But when He was raised,
00:22:32.38\00:22:33.72
He was raised by
the glory of His Father,
00:22:33.75\00:22:36.55
He was raised in a
perfect sinless condition.
00:22:36.58\00:22:41.26
So when we put Him on,
00:22:41.29\00:22:42.96
what character
are we putting on?
00:22:42.99\00:22:45.59
Christ's character, a
perfect sinless condition.
00:22:45.63\00:22:48.23
But not only that,
it is that direction,
00:22:48.26\00:22:50.77
it is that act that releases us
00:22:50.80\00:22:54.44
from all of our
fear and the bondage
00:22:54.47\00:22:57.41
that He was talking
about, is bondage to the devil.
00:22:57.44\00:23:00.54
And how does the
devil hold us bondage?
00:23:00.58\00:23:02.68
Now I must pause
here to just say this.
00:23:02.71\00:23:06.38
The devil holds us bondage
through our sinful nature...
00:23:06.41\00:23:09.38
Because this
nature subjects us to him
00:23:13.82\00:23:18.46
as our controlling master.
00:23:18.49\00:23:21.56
But if we allow that nature
to be killed as Christ took it
00:23:21.60\00:23:25.90
to the cross
00:23:25.93\00:23:27.27
and we put on another
nature, what does it do?
00:23:27.30\00:23:29.64
It releases us, who
through fear of death
00:23:29.67\00:23:33.11
were all our
lifetime subject to bondage.
00:23:33.14\00:23:35.94
Now why does the
Bible say fear of death?
00:23:35.98\00:23:37.98
Because they
knew, let me get it,
00:23:38.01\00:23:40.12
the wages of sin is death.
00:23:40.15\00:23:42.92
So that means, they were fearful
00:23:42.95\00:23:44.75
that they had to pay
the price for their own sin.
00:23:44.79\00:23:48.96
But since Jesus
took on our character,
00:23:48.99\00:23:53.29
took it to the cross
and killed it, buried it,
00:23:53.33\00:23:57.13
and came forth from the
grave with a perfect character,
00:23:57.17\00:24:00.94
we don't have to
be fearful any longer.
00:24:00.97\00:24:03.30
Amen.
00:24:03.34\00:24:05.07
If we simply put
on His character.
00:24:05.11\00:24:07.11
And then what happens,
00:24:07.14\00:24:08.48
we are released
from that fear of death.
00:24:08.51\00:24:11.75
In other words, we
don't fear death any longer
00:24:11.78\00:24:14.15
because He releases from it
00:24:14.18\00:24:16.28
through the death that He took.
00:24:16.32\00:24:18.02
So why did Jesus take
on the form of human flesh?
00:24:18.05\00:24:22.72
I just gave you the answer.
00:24:22.76\00:24:26.26
First of all, to
destroy the devil,
00:24:26.29\00:24:28.20
and then to do what?
00:24:28.23\00:24:30.07
What word am I
circling here? Release.
00:24:30.10\00:24:32.30
Release who?
00:24:32.33\00:24:35.00
Let's get rid of the
word those, release us, right?
00:24:35.04\00:24:40.14
Because you can
easily look at it,
00:24:40.18\00:24:41.51
you can easily drive past...
00:24:41.54\00:24:43.01
The other day we were driving,
00:24:43.04\00:24:44.91
we stopped on the highway
coming back from the airport
00:24:44.95\00:24:48.52
and we pulled off
00:24:48.55\00:24:49.88
because I was tired and I
said, "Angie, would you drive?"
00:24:49.92\00:24:52.95
And we pulled off
00:24:52.99\00:24:54.32
and discovered a
correctional facility
00:24:54.36\00:24:55.96
that we didn't even
know was on Highway 64,
00:24:55.99\00:25:00.43
didn't even know it was there.
00:25:00.46\00:25:02.73
And it's easy for us to say,
"Boy, they are incarcerated,
00:25:02.76\00:25:06.60
people are
incarcerated in there."
00:25:06.63\00:25:09.00
And just like the Galileans
who did not get crucified,
00:25:09.04\00:25:12.77
it's easy to say,
00:25:12.81\00:25:14.64
"Boy, those guys
must be criminals."
00:25:14.68\00:25:17.08
When Jesus would say to us,
00:25:17.11\00:25:18.91
"Unless you repent
like they need to repent,
00:25:18.95\00:25:22.02
you both are going to perish."
00:25:22.05\00:25:23.82
He doesn't differentiate between
00:25:23.85\00:25:25.19
those who are behind the bars
00:25:25.22\00:25:27.26
and those who are
in front of the bars
00:25:27.29\00:25:29.29
because how many
of us must repent?
00:25:29.32\00:25:31.33
All of us.
00:25:31.36\00:25:32.73
But those who...
00:25:32.76\00:25:34.10
There are some
people that are on death row
00:25:34.13\00:25:36.30
that are more
free than some people
00:25:36.33\00:25:38.33
that are not on death row
because they found Christ.
00:25:38.37\00:25:42.34
And some people that
are walking into churches
00:25:42.37\00:25:43.94
every day, every
week, singing songs,
00:25:43.97\00:25:47.24
and living the Christian
life are still bound in fear
00:25:47.28\00:25:51.11
because they had not
accepted the only one
00:25:51.15\00:25:53.58
that can release
them from that fear.
00:25:53.62\00:25:55.68
So the answer is,
00:25:55.72\00:25:57.05
why did Jesus take on
the form of human flesh?
00:25:57.09\00:25:59.42
To destroy the devil
00:25:59.45\00:26:00.79
and release us,
that's the answer.
00:26:00.82\00:26:03.29
Destroy the
devil and release us.
00:26:03.32\00:26:05.76
Amen?
00:26:05.79\00:26:07.73
That's what He did.
00:26:07.76\00:26:09.76
And He had to do that
00:26:09.80\00:26:11.13
because we could not
do it with what we had.
00:26:11.17\00:26:15.30
We couldn't do it.
00:26:15.34\00:26:16.91
Okay, question number 12,
00:26:16.94\00:26:18.97
to destroy the
devil and release us.
00:26:19.01\00:26:22.44
Question number 12,
"What is there about us...
00:26:22.48\00:26:26.11
What is there about us
that we need to be saved from?"
00:26:26.15\00:26:30.25
What is there about us
that we need to be saved from?
00:26:30.29\00:26:33.56
Don't all of you
start answering me
00:26:33.59\00:26:34.92
at the same time.
00:26:34.96\00:26:37.43
But let's go to Romans 7.
00:26:37.46\00:26:40.76
What is there about us
that we need to be saved from?
00:26:40.80\00:26:44.53
Okay, Romans 7:18. Here it is.
00:26:44.57\00:26:47.87
Are you ready for it?
Let's read this together.
00:26:47.90\00:26:51.34
"For I know that in
me, that is in my flesh."
00:26:51.37\00:26:55.74
Let's read that
together. That is in my what?
00:26:55.78\00:26:58.18
Flesh.
00:26:58.21\00:26:59.55
"Nothing good dwells, for
to will is present with me,
00:26:59.58\00:27:05.05
but how to perform
what is good I do not find."
00:27:05.09\00:27:10.26
So that means...
00:27:10.29\00:27:12.56
Okay, if you raise your
hand at home, I'll see it.
00:27:12.59\00:27:16.36
How many of you have ever tried
00:27:16.40\00:27:17.73
to do something good and failed?
00:27:17.77\00:27:22.24
Okay, some of you
don't want to admit it.
00:27:22.27\00:27:25.21
Every one of us.
00:27:25.24\00:27:26.68
You know why
00:27:26.71\00:27:28.04
because there's
something weird in us,
00:27:28.08\00:27:33.05
in us that doesn't
have the ability to do good.
00:27:33.08\00:27:39.39
Going back to the passage
we read in Hebrews 2:14-15.
00:27:39.42\00:27:43.22
That's why Jesus
took that nature in us
00:27:43.26\00:27:48.06
that couldn't do
good to the cross,
00:27:48.10\00:27:53.94
killed it and gave us a nature
00:27:53.97\00:27:56.77
or a character
that can only do good.
00:27:56.81\00:28:01.04
And that's the nature
that we have to each day...
00:28:01.08\00:28:03.78
Each day we have to
commit ourselves to living
00:28:03.81\00:28:06.85
in that place with Christ.
00:28:06.88\00:28:08.42
Why?
00:28:08.45\00:28:09.78
Because we still have something
that is hanging around.
00:28:09.82\00:28:13.99
What in this...
00:28:14.02\00:28:15.36
What in this passage you
see that's still hanging around?
00:28:15.39\00:28:17.79
Okay, there it is
right there, flesh.
00:28:17.83\00:28:20.33
'Cause in our
brains we have things
00:28:20.36\00:28:22.20
that we've done
we can never forget,
00:28:22.23\00:28:24.43
we have places we've
been we never forget.
00:28:24.47\00:28:26.94
Sometimes, we will
smell a cologne or perfume
00:28:26.97\00:28:29.20
and we will remember
something connected to it.
00:28:29.24\00:28:32.01
Has it ever happened to you?
00:28:32.04\00:28:33.38
Years ago, there was a
perfume called Wind Song,
00:28:33.41\00:28:36.75
and the commercial was
"Wind Song stays on my mind."
00:28:36.78\00:28:40.35
And there was perfume
I remember smelling once,
00:28:40.38\00:28:42.82
and it took me all the
way back to second grade
00:28:42.85\00:28:46.15
'cause that's what my
second grade teacher wore.
00:28:46.19\00:28:49.12
And I actually saw
her in her blue jacket.
00:28:49.16\00:28:53.70
She'd always wear a
blue jacket and white pants.
00:28:53.73\00:28:56.63
And in the second
grade I remember that
00:28:56.67\00:28:58.47
just from the
scent of that perfume
00:28:58.50\00:29:01.84
because our flesh has memory.
00:29:01.87\00:29:03.67
Another way we say
it, muscle has memory.
00:29:03.71\00:29:05.77
We remember things.
00:29:05.81\00:29:07.24
But this flesh that cannot
do anything good, so let's say,
00:29:07.28\00:29:10.28
what is there about us
that we need to be saved from?
00:29:10.31\00:29:15.38
Personally, my flesh,
00:29:15.42\00:29:18.19
my nature, my nature,
00:29:18.22\00:29:21.79
we've got to be saved from that.
00:29:21.82\00:29:24.13
And by the way,
00:29:27.66\00:29:29.00
when you wake up in the morning
00:29:29.03\00:29:30.37
that fleshes wakes up with you,
00:29:30.40\00:29:34.07
that's why Paul said
he had to die every day.
00:29:34.10\00:29:36.17
How often he had
to die? Every day.
00:29:36.20\00:29:38.71
Because muscle has
memory, we remember things.
00:29:38.74\00:29:42.54
But the power that is
there when we choose to die
00:29:42.58\00:29:46.31
will live in and through us.
00:29:46.35\00:29:48.22
"It is no longer I who live
but Christ who lives in me."
00:29:48.25\00:29:51.35
Look at the next
question, question number 13.
00:29:51.39\00:29:54.19
"Why is it so important for us
00:29:54.22\00:29:56.66
to be saved from
our corrupt nature?"
00:29:56.69\00:29:59.59
Why is it so
important for us to be saved
00:29:59.63\00:30:02.13
from our corrupt nature?
00:30:02.16\00:30:06.03
All right. Question number 13.
00:30:06.07\00:30:08.90
And let's go to Romans
8:8. Romans 8 and Romans 8:8.
00:30:08.94\00:30:14.74
Let's go there together.
00:30:14.78\00:30:16.14
Why is it so
important for us to be saved
00:30:16.18\00:30:18.65
from our corrupt nature?
00:30:18.68\00:30:22.22
Have you ever...
00:30:22.25\00:30:24.25
I know many of you
don't drink milk at all,
00:30:24.29\00:30:25.79
but maybe there was a time
00:30:25.82\00:30:27.16
that some of you did drink milk.
00:30:27.19\00:30:28.69
Do any of you remember
what spoiled milk smells like?
00:30:28.72\00:30:33.60
Do any of you remember
what spoiled milk tastes like?
00:30:33.63\00:30:38.23
We were in a country...
00:30:38.27\00:30:41.07
I'll be very kind and
not say which country it was,
00:30:41.10\00:30:42.90
it was somewhere in Africa,
and we were having dinner
00:30:42.94\00:30:47.84
and they poured
spoiled milk in our cups.
00:30:47.88\00:30:52.58
And you could
hear it chunking down
00:30:52.61\00:30:55.58
in the splashes,
and I was eating.
00:30:55.62\00:31:00.66
And immediately my taste left
00:31:00.69\00:31:06.53
and I thought,
00:31:06.56\00:31:07.90
I looked at my
wife and I was like.
00:31:07.93\00:31:10.67
And she looked at
me and she was like.
00:31:10.70\00:31:13.27
And they said,
"You don't want any."
00:31:13.30\00:31:16.04
There are certain things
00:31:16.07\00:31:17.41
you don't have to
wait to think about right.
00:31:17.44\00:31:19.54
Do you want any? No.
00:31:19.57\00:31:21.18
Do you have any juice or water?
00:31:21.21\00:31:24.45
Anything but spoiled milk?
00:31:24.48\00:31:27.42
And they said,
00:31:27.45\00:31:29.55
"In our country,
this is a delicacy."
00:31:29.58\00:31:33.36
I said, "I'm from
America, in our country..."
00:31:33.39\00:31:36.76
I don't want to embarrass them
00:31:36.79\00:31:38.13
but I said, "Well,
it's not a delicacy
00:31:38.16\00:31:39.49
in our country."
00:31:39.53\00:31:40.86
You know, sometimes,
you have to be diplomatic.
00:31:40.90\00:31:42.60
Well, it is not a
delicacy in our country.
00:31:42.63\00:31:44.63
In our country, and I
stopped short of saying,
00:31:44.67\00:31:46.60
"In our country,
00:31:46.63\00:31:47.97
when the milk
gets to that point,
00:31:48.00\00:31:49.34
we throw it out."
00:31:49.37\00:31:50.71
And they said, "Do you know
00:31:50.74\00:31:52.07
that when the athletes
00:31:52.11\00:31:53.44
come back from the
Olympics, at the airport
00:31:53.48\00:31:56.18
we wave with them
00:31:56.21\00:31:57.88
with a big cup of spoiled milk?"
00:31:57.91\00:32:02.18
And she said,
00:32:02.22\00:32:03.95
"Well, you do
the same in America."
00:32:03.99\00:32:05.32
I said, "No, we don't."
00:32:05.35\00:32:06.69
She said, "Have you
ever had yogurt before?
00:32:06.72\00:32:09.52
Have you ever had
cottage cheese before?"
00:32:09.56\00:32:11.69
From that day on,
00:32:11.73\00:32:13.70
I never had
yogurt or cottage cheese.
00:32:13.73\00:32:17.17
So I realized, they got a point.
00:32:17.20\00:32:20.47
And, you know, I
was not pleased by it
00:32:20.50\00:32:23.64
because I knew
00:32:23.67\00:32:25.01
what it represented, and
to me, it was not a delicacy.
00:32:25.04\00:32:29.64
But, you know, for some of us...
00:32:29.68\00:32:33.88
For those who don't know God,
00:32:33.92\00:32:35.82
sin appears to be a delicacy
00:32:35.85\00:32:41.06
'cause sin doesn't
upset certain people.
00:32:41.09\00:32:43.29
When you don't know the Lord,
00:32:43.32\00:32:44.66
sin does not make
you go home and say,
00:32:44.69\00:32:46.43
"I shouldn't have done that."
00:32:46.46\00:32:48.23
Sin makes you go home and say,
00:32:48.26\00:32:49.60
"I'm going to do
it again tomorrow.
00:32:49.63\00:32:51.27
I'm going to do it
again the next day."
00:32:51.30\00:32:53.57
But when we understand
sin the way God sees it,
00:32:53.60\00:32:57.44
it will putrefy us
00:32:57.47\00:32:59.67
and we will not even
want to partake in it.
00:32:59.71\00:33:01.44
That's why the question
was so vitally important.
00:33:01.48\00:33:03.31
Romans 8:8.
00:33:03.35\00:33:04.68
Why is it so
important for us to be saved
00:33:04.71\00:33:06.05
from our corrupt nature?
00:33:06.08\00:33:07.42
Look at Romans
8:8. Here's the answer.
00:33:07.45\00:33:09.25
Together.
00:33:09.28\00:33:10.62
"So then those who
are in the flesh..."
00:33:10.65\00:33:12.15
What?
00:33:12.19\00:33:13.52
"Cannot please God."
00:33:13.56\00:33:15.09
In other words, as Americans
00:33:15.12\00:33:16.66
won't
intentionally drink spoiled milk
00:33:16.69\00:33:19.56
when it gets to the point
00:33:19.59\00:33:20.93
where it's
clumping and plopping.
00:33:20.96\00:33:24.60
And she just took a spoon,
00:33:24.63\00:33:26.23
and what made it
worse to try to convince us
00:33:26.27\00:33:29.80
that it was okay,
00:33:29.84\00:33:31.41
everybody else around the
table was from the same country
00:33:31.44\00:33:34.38
and they all drink it together.
00:33:34.41\00:33:36.61
And I looked at them
00:33:36.64\00:33:37.98
and I went,
internally I went, "Yuck!"
00:33:38.01\00:33:41.95
And they said, "It's
good. It tastes good."
00:33:41.98\00:33:46.96
I said, "Not to me."
00:33:46.99\00:33:49.49
So my intent is
not to offend you
00:33:49.52\00:33:51.96
if you're from that country.
00:33:51.99\00:33:53.76
I'm just saying what
may be good at some place
00:33:53.80\00:33:56.73
is not good at other places.
00:33:56.77\00:33:58.47
It's the norms.
00:33:58.50\00:33:59.83
I'm using that
only as an example,
00:33:59.87\00:34:01.20
not saying that
spoiled milk is sin.
00:34:01.24\00:34:03.41
But some people have
developed a taste for sin
00:34:03.44\00:34:06.88
and it pleases them.
00:34:06.91\00:34:09.08
We're with God, if
we get to that place
00:34:09.11\00:34:12.81
where sin pleases us,
00:34:12.85\00:34:14.38
we are in the flesh
and we cannot please God.
00:34:14.42\00:34:18.49
That was the
purpose of the analogy.
00:34:18.52\00:34:20.62
Sometimes, sin is pleasing to us
00:34:20.66\00:34:24.93
but it is not pleasing to God.
00:34:24.96\00:34:26.56
So we have to
get rid of the flesh
00:34:26.59\00:34:28.06
because we cannot please God
00:34:28.10\00:34:29.46
if we are in that
kind of relationship.
00:34:29.50\00:34:32.20
Number 14, is
that where we're going?
00:34:32.23\00:34:34.34
So why is it so
important to be saved
00:34:34.37\00:34:35.74
from our corrupt nature?
00:34:35.77\00:34:37.31
We cannot please
God with it. Cannot.
00:34:37.34\00:34:39.77
It's not possible.
It is not possible.
00:34:39.81\00:34:43.24
Okay, here's the reason why.
00:34:43.28\00:34:45.51
Question number
14. Question number 14.
00:34:45.55\00:34:49.18
"What are the only
two options we have...
00:34:49.22\00:34:52.25
What are the only two
options we have in salvation?"
00:34:52.29\00:34:57.03
What are the only
two options we have?
00:34:57.06\00:34:59.86
And that's based on my question,
00:34:59.89\00:35:01.23
but I know there
are more options.
00:35:01.26\00:35:02.60
But a leading question,
this is a legal question.
00:35:02.63\00:35:07.17
Let's go to Romans 8:13.
00:35:07.20\00:35:09.00
These are the two
categorical responses.
00:35:12.71\00:35:14.98
Okay, Romans 8:13.
00:35:15.01\00:35:16.54
And here's what the Bible says,
00:35:16.58\00:35:18.28
"For if you live
according to the flesh..."
00:35:18.31\00:35:21.58
Together the next three words.
00:35:21.62\00:35:23.35
"You will die,
00:35:23.39\00:35:24.75
but if by the
Spirit you put to death,
00:35:24.79\00:35:28.89
the deeds of the body..."
00:35:28.92\00:35:31.03
What? "You will
live." So get it now.
00:35:31.06\00:35:34.00
We want to live. Do
we not want to live?
00:35:34.03\00:35:35.66
Yes.
00:35:35.70\00:35:37.03
So I pointed out
that the repentance aspect
00:35:37.07\00:35:41.74
which is not
specified in this verse.
00:35:41.77\00:35:45.71
"When you put into
death, the deeds of the body,
00:35:45.74\00:35:48.84
it is through repentance
that that takes place."
00:35:48.88\00:35:53.45
It is through
repentance that takes place.
00:35:53.48\00:35:57.49
Repentance, the turning away.
00:35:57.52\00:36:02.39
Repentance is a
change of direction.
00:36:02.42\00:36:07.36
Reformation is not only...
00:36:07.40\00:36:09.76
Repentance is the
change of direction.
00:36:09.80\00:36:12.23
Reformation is to
now live differently.
00:36:12.27\00:36:15.40
We'll talk about
that in another topic.
00:36:15.44\00:36:17.17
But right now, we're talking
00:36:17.21\00:36:18.54
about the
importance of repentance.
00:36:18.57\00:36:20.38
You can either live according
to the flesh and you will die,
00:36:20.41\00:36:23.71
or live according to the spirit
00:36:23.75\00:36:27.42
by putting to death
the deeds of your body,
00:36:27.45\00:36:31.25
the things you like to
do and then you will live.
00:36:31.29\00:36:34.52
How many of us want to
live? We all want to live.
00:36:34.56\00:36:37.39
Nobody wants to die.
00:36:37.43\00:36:38.76
It's amazing to me
00:36:38.79\00:36:40.13
that people are dying every day.
00:36:40.16\00:36:42.26
You know, a sad reality,
we just lost a family member.
00:36:42.30\00:36:46.30
And people are dying every
day. We're not unique to that.
00:36:46.33\00:36:50.24
But people are
dying all the time.
00:36:50.27\00:36:52.87
And when people die,
00:36:52.91\00:36:54.54
the only question
that we often have,
00:36:54.58\00:36:56.81
the only thing that
lurks in the atmosphere
00:36:56.85\00:36:58.91
at the funerals
of Christians is,
00:36:58.95\00:37:01.48
"I wonder if they're saved.
00:37:01.52\00:37:03.79
I wonder if
they're going to make it."
00:37:03.82\00:37:05.89
And while we cannot answer
the question, we could only,
00:37:05.92\00:37:09.02
based on what we
see, hope and pray
00:37:09.06\00:37:12.73
that that individual
will be in the kingdom.
00:37:12.76\00:37:15.60
But the reason why,
00:37:15.63\00:37:16.97
we read earlier,
examine yourself,
00:37:17.00\00:37:19.60
is because we need
to have the assurance
00:37:19.63\00:37:22.60
that if we were to
die, we would be saved.
00:37:22.64\00:37:24.91
Amen?
00:37:24.94\00:37:26.27
I don't need to know
00:37:26.31\00:37:27.64
whether or not
Tracey's going to be saved
00:37:27.68\00:37:29.01
or Bonnie or our teacher
Jodi, I don't need to know that.
00:37:29.04\00:37:31.78
What I need to know
is that I am going to be.
00:37:31.81\00:37:34.92
It's me.
00:37:34.95\00:37:36.28
I need to take here, numero uno,
00:37:36.32\00:37:38.75
and make sure that
I'm in the right place
00:37:38.79\00:37:40.46
with the Lord.
00:37:40.49\00:37:41.82
Okay, what are
the only two options?
00:37:41.86\00:37:44.46
Die or live. That's it.
00:37:44.49\00:37:46.96
The only two...
00:37:47.00\00:37:48.33
There's no third category.
00:37:48.36\00:37:49.70
And by the way,
for those who think
00:37:49.73\00:37:51.07
there's a third
category, you're already dead.
00:37:51.10\00:37:54.27
You're already dead.
00:37:54.30\00:37:56.07
You were born in sin,
00:37:56.10\00:37:57.44
you're already on
the road to death.
00:37:57.47\00:37:59.01
But when you
accept Jesus Christ,
00:37:59.04\00:38:00.41
you're on the road to life.
00:38:00.44\00:38:03.55
We're already dead.
00:38:03.58\00:38:05.28
That's why, "For God
so loved the world..."
00:38:05.31\00:38:08.02
Matter of fact, look
at John 3:17 very quickly.
00:38:08.05\00:38:10.89
Not John 3:16, John 3:17.
00:38:10.92\00:38:13.39
We're going to see this.
00:38:20.23\00:38:21.56
Okay.
00:38:25.93\00:38:27.27
Okay.
00:38:36.11\00:38:38.55
Yes, got the word
here, good. Here it is.
00:38:38.58\00:38:42.12
John 3:17. Okay.
00:38:42.15\00:38:44.72
Had one letter
there that I missed.
00:38:44.75\00:38:48.06
This is a beautiful
passage. Okay, here it is.
00:38:48.09\00:38:50.99
Okay. John 3:17.
00:38:51.03\00:38:54.46
"For God did not send His
Son into the world to do..."
00:38:54.50\00:38:57.70
What?
00:38:57.73\00:38:59.07
"To condemn the world,
00:38:59.10\00:39:00.84
but that the world
through Him might be..."
00:39:00.87\00:39:02.67
What?
00:39:02.70\00:39:04.04
"Saved."
00:39:04.07\00:39:05.41
Why didn't He send
His Son into the world
00:39:05.44\00:39:09.54
to condemn the world?
00:39:09.58\00:39:10.91
Tell me somebody.
00:39:14.62\00:39:15.95
Okay, here it is.
00:39:19.89\00:39:21.62
Because we are
condemned already.
00:39:21.66\00:39:25.09
We are...
00:39:25.13\00:39:26.46
Say it together.
"Condemned already."
00:39:26.49\00:39:29.90
"He that
believeth and is baptized
00:39:29.93\00:39:31.80
shall not be
condemned, but he that believeth
00:39:31.83\00:39:34.34
not is condemned already."
00:39:34.37\00:39:38.27
We're born condemned. I
want to find that passage.
00:39:38.31\00:39:42.11
Okay ALREADY.
00:39:42.14\00:39:45.75
Here it is. John
3:18. The very next passage.
00:39:45.78\00:39:48.95
I'm looking for it
00:39:48.98\00:39:50.32
and it's right
in the next verse.
00:39:50.35\00:39:53.09
"He who believes in
Him is not condemned.
00:39:53.12\00:39:57.23
But he who does
not believe is..."
00:39:57.26\00:39:59.26
What?
00:39:59.29\00:40:00.63
"Condemned already."
00:40:00.66\00:40:02.00
So there are
some people who say,
00:40:02.03\00:40:03.37
"Well, I'm not a believer."
00:40:03.40\00:40:04.73
You know what? You're condemned.
00:40:04.77\00:40:07.17
Isn't that simple?
It's fairly simple.
00:40:07.20\00:40:09.74
If you're a believer in Jesus,
you're not condemned that is
00:40:09.77\00:40:14.48
if you've taken the
active avenue of belief
00:40:14.51\00:40:17.01
'cause it's not
just intellectual assent
00:40:17.05\00:40:19.65
that I believe
that there's a Jesus,
00:40:19.68\00:40:21.78
but it is the turning
over of your life to Him.
00:40:21.82\00:40:24.19
But if you do not believe
you are condemned already.
00:40:24.22\00:40:26.45
The world is condemned already.
00:40:26.49\00:40:28.06
Jesus saw the
world in the condition
00:40:28.09\00:40:29.46
that it's already in.
00:40:29.49\00:40:30.83
So our greatest need
is to not be condemned,
00:40:30.86\00:40:34.53
this is where
repentance comes in.
00:40:34.56\00:40:36.63
Did you follow?
You follow carefully?
00:40:36.67\00:40:38.43
Okay, let's look
at the next four...
00:40:38.47\00:40:40.90
The next four rapid-fire ones.
00:40:40.94\00:40:43.67
Question number15.
Question number 15.
00:40:43.71\00:40:47.91
"What are the essentials
00:40:47.94\00:40:50.05
that we need in a
saving relationship?"
00:40:50.08\00:40:54.15
What are the essentials?
00:40:54.18\00:40:55.52
Whenever you have a relationship
00:40:55.55\00:40:56.89
with the Lord,
00:40:56.92\00:40:58.25
you have to
have some essentials.
00:40:58.29\00:40:59.62
It's called
tools to the carpenter,
00:40:59.65\00:41:01.52
to the pilot, it's
his maps, to the person
00:41:01.56\00:41:04.36
who is a professional fisherman,
00:41:04.39\00:41:06.46
it's his tackle, to the bowler,
00:41:06.49\00:41:08.83
to the professional
bowler, it's his bowling balls,
00:41:08.86\00:41:11.27
to the baseball players,
it's his bats and gloves.
00:41:11.30\00:41:13.34
And everybody
has essential tools
00:41:13.37\00:41:15.40
in the avenue that
they choose to occupy.
00:41:15.44\00:41:18.74
To the computer geek, computers,
00:41:18.77\00:41:22.01
to the electronic
geek, electronics.
00:41:22.04\00:41:24.35
That is long as
it pertains to his
00:41:24.38\00:41:26.48
or her vocation.
00:41:26.51\00:41:29.95
What are the essentials
00:41:29.98\00:41:31.32
that we need in a
saving relationship?
00:41:31.35\00:41:32.82
2 Timothy 3:15 is the first one.
00:41:32.85\00:41:35.62
2 Timothy 3:15.
00:41:35.66\00:41:37.36
And the Bible says,
"And that from childhood..."
00:41:37.39\00:41:42.53
Look at that scripture.
00:41:42.56\00:41:43.90
"That from childhood,
00:41:43.93\00:41:45.53
you have known
the Holy Scriptures
00:41:45.57\00:41:49.20
which are able to do..."
00:41:49.24\00:41:50.64
What?
00:41:50.67\00:41:52.01
"To make you wise for salvation
00:41:52.04\00:41:54.28
through faith which
is in Christ Jesus."
00:41:54.31\00:41:57.21
Read that
scripture one more time,
00:41:57.25\00:41:59.51
"And that from childhood..."
00:41:59.55\00:42:01.98
2 Timothy 3:15,
"And that from childhood,
00:42:02.02\00:42:06.19
you have known
the Holy Scriptures
00:42:06.22\00:42:08.62
which are able to
make you wise for salvation
00:42:08.66\00:42:12.19
through faith which
is in Christ Jesus."
00:42:12.23\00:42:14.70
So what is the first
aspect of our essentials
00:42:14.73\00:42:18.37
that we need in a
relationship with Christ?
00:42:18.40\00:42:20.24
What is it? What is it?
00:42:20.27\00:42:22.74
The Bible. The
Bible. I have Bibles.
00:42:22.77\00:42:26.27
I have different sized Bibles.
00:42:26.31\00:42:28.98
This Bible is heavy
00:42:29.01\00:42:30.45
and, you know,
there's a weight limit
00:42:30.48\00:42:32.95
when you travel on the plane.
00:42:32.98\00:42:34.62
Well, my wife has a heavy
Bible and so I said to her,
00:42:34.65\00:42:37.75
"Honey, you need to
get a travel Bible."
00:42:37.79\00:42:39.55
I have a travel Bible
and I have this heavy...
00:42:39.59\00:42:41.92
This is my home Bible, and
I have another travel Bible
00:42:41.96\00:42:44.33
that's a little
thinner and lighter,
00:42:44.36\00:42:45.86
fits in my backpack,
it wouldn't weigh me down.
00:42:45.89\00:42:48.36
My wife always carries a
pulley because she can't...
00:42:48.40\00:42:51.53
Give me your Bible.
00:42:51.57\00:42:52.90
Because she cannot...
00:42:52.93\00:42:55.57
She cannot leave
her 28 pound Bible home.
00:42:55.60\00:43:00.54
You know, it's not
really that heavy, but she said,
00:43:00.58\00:43:02.24
"I don't feel
comfortable without my Bible."
00:43:02.28\00:43:06.15
Anybody else feel the same way?
00:43:06.18\00:43:08.38
And I know what she
means because in that Bible...
00:43:08.42\00:43:11.15
Her Bible is
different from everybody else's,
00:43:11.19\00:43:13.46
not the content,
00:43:13.49\00:43:14.82
but she's got
catalogues in her Bible,
00:43:14.86\00:43:17.33
pictures of
family members, programs,
00:43:17.36\00:43:21.23
all programs
that I have gone on.
00:43:21.26\00:43:23.03
It's just her Bible.
00:43:23.06\00:43:24.90
And so it's a good
thing, but you know what,
00:43:24.93\00:43:27.67
wherever we go,
we read our Bibles.
00:43:27.70\00:43:31.11
Whenever I'm speaking somewhere,
00:43:31.14\00:43:32.91
she doesn't want
to go without a Bible,
00:43:32.94\00:43:34.28
she wants to
open to her own Bible.
00:43:34.31\00:43:36.81
And that's a beautiful thing
00:43:36.85\00:43:38.18
because the
Bible is an essential
00:43:38.21\00:43:40.25
in our relationship with Christ.
00:43:40.28\00:43:41.92
Look at another
one. Look at another one.
00:43:41.95\00:43:44.65
Isaiah 45:22.
00:43:44.69\00:43:47.22
What's the other essential
in the saving relationship?
00:43:47.26\00:43:49.79
Isaiah 45:22.
00:43:49.82\00:43:53.46
Very direct into the point,
very direct into the point.
00:43:53.50\00:43:57.27
Isaiah 45:22.
00:43:57.30\00:43:59.33
The prophet Isaiah says to us.
00:43:59.37\00:44:03.71
He says to us,
"Look to me and be..."
00:44:03.74\00:44:05.67
What?
00:44:05.71\00:44:07.04
"Be saved, all
you ends of the earth!
00:44:07.08\00:44:10.51
For I am God and
there is no other."
00:44:10.55\00:44:14.55
Now there are a lot of
people that would like to be God
00:44:14.58\00:44:17.69
or think they are God
00:44:17.72\00:44:19.32
or think they
are smarter than God.
00:44:19.35\00:44:21.82
But the Lord is saying to
us, "Look to me and be saved."
00:44:21.86\00:44:24.93
It's like you'll say to a child,
00:44:24.96\00:44:27.06
"Focus on me.
00:44:27.10\00:44:28.43
Focus on daddy. Focus on mommy.
00:44:28.46\00:44:31.10
Just look right over here."
00:44:31.13\00:44:33.13
I've seen children
jump off of dressers
00:44:33.17\00:44:36.77
into the arms of their dad.
00:44:36.81\00:44:39.21
And I thought,
"I'd never do that."
00:44:39.24\00:44:41.91
You know why
00:44:41.94\00:44:43.28
because when
they are like children
00:44:43.31\00:44:44.98
they trust their
father implicitly.
00:44:45.01\00:44:47.62
But you drop them once,
they'll never do it again
00:44:47.65\00:44:52.05
because they have memory.
00:44:52.09\00:44:53.46
You got to really
rebuild to have that memory.
00:44:53.49\00:44:57.06
And you know what?
00:44:57.09\00:44:58.43
Jesus is saying,
00:44:58.46\00:44:59.79
"If you look to
Him, He'll never drop us.
00:44:59.83\00:45:01.20
Amen, somebody?
He'll never disappoint us.
00:45:01.23\00:45:04.33
He'll never fail us.
00:45:04.37\00:45:05.97
We will find that
when we look to Him,
00:45:06.00\00:45:07.34
we can be saved.
00:45:07.37\00:45:08.87
So here, the second essential
is keep your eyes on the Lord.
00:45:08.90\00:45:14.64
Write that down, Isaiah 45:22,
00:45:14.68\00:45:17.25
"Keep your eyes on the Lord."
00:45:17.28\00:45:20.18
Why?
00:45:20.22\00:45:21.55
Because you'll be
greatly discouraged
00:45:21.58\00:45:22.95
if your attention
is on something else.
00:45:22.98\00:45:25.35
And in the world
that we live in today,
00:45:25.39\00:45:27.82
you could be focusing all
your attention on politics,
00:45:27.86\00:45:30.23
very discouraging.
00:45:30.26\00:45:32.49
You could be focusing on
the instability in Korea,
00:45:32.53\00:45:35.06
very discouraging.
00:45:35.10\00:45:36.87
You could be focusing
on anything in society,
00:45:36.90\00:45:39.40
the influenza season
00:45:39.43\00:45:40.77
where many
people lost their lives,
00:45:40.80\00:45:43.00
very discouraging.
00:45:43.04\00:45:44.37
But if you focus on the
Lord, if you find in Him,
00:45:44.41\00:45:47.74
you look at Him,
00:45:47.78\00:45:49.21
you will never find
a discouragement there.
00:45:49.24\00:45:51.15
"Look to me and be saved."
00:45:51.18\00:45:53.42
And by the way, when
He says, "And be saved,"
00:45:53.45\00:45:55.95
it means, there
is only one place
00:45:55.98\00:45:58.25
where salvation is found.
00:45:58.29\00:46:00.16
Neither is their
salvation in any other name.
00:46:00.19\00:46:04.46
The only name by
which we can be saved
00:46:04.49\00:46:06.49
is the name of Jesus.
00:46:06.53\00:46:09.30
Let's look at
the third essential.
00:46:09.33\00:46:11.53
Look at the third essential.
00:46:11.57\00:46:15.30
Romans 1:16. Romans 1:16.
00:46:15.34\00:46:21.28
Here it is.
00:46:21.31\00:46:24.28
"For I am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ,
00:46:24.31\00:46:28.32
for it is the power of
God to salvation for everyone
00:46:28.35\00:46:32.95
who does, what,
believes for the Jew first
00:46:32.99\00:46:37.33
and also for the Greek."
00:46:37.36\00:46:40.06
When the apostle
spoke these words,
00:46:40.10\00:46:43.00
he was preaching
to Jews and Greeks.
00:46:43.03\00:46:46.97
He was speaking to Gentiles.
00:46:47.00\00:46:48.34
But in the context
here, the Jews had a while
00:46:48.37\00:46:51.27
that took them a long time
00:46:51.31\00:46:52.81
before they got to the
place where they believed
00:46:52.84\00:46:54.38
that everybody else
had access to the gospel,
00:46:54.41\00:46:56.95
when Paul said, I'm not ashamed.
00:46:56.98\00:46:58.51
So what is it?
What's the third essential?
00:46:58.55\00:47:00.48
What is the third essential
that we need in our lives?
00:47:00.52\00:47:03.45
Okay, yes, it
is, the power of God
00:47:09.39\00:47:12.23
which comes through the gospel.
00:47:12.26\00:47:13.96
The power of God
which is the only method
00:47:14.00\00:47:18.47
whereby we can
lead this Christian,
00:47:18.50\00:47:20.90
we could lead
this Christian life,
00:47:20.94\00:47:23.17
the power of God.
00:47:23.20\00:47:24.77
Because when the
power comes from you,
00:47:24.81\00:47:26.91
are we capable
in our own strength
00:47:26.94\00:47:29.61
to do anything?
00:47:29.64\00:47:31.21
But what are we
told in Philippians 4:13,
00:47:31.25\00:47:32.68
you all know it,
00:47:32.71\00:47:34.05
"I can do all
things through Christ..."
00:47:34.08\00:47:36.05
Who does what? "Strengthens me."
00:47:36.08\00:47:37.69
So where does
the power come from?
00:47:37.72\00:47:39.29
The power comes from Him.
00:47:39.32\00:47:40.66
When Jesus rose, He said,
"All power is given unto Me."
00:47:40.69\00:47:45.29
We need the power of God.
00:47:45.33\00:47:46.66
And the gospel,
00:47:46.70\00:47:48.03
the gospel is an
emancipation message.
00:47:48.06\00:47:52.53
Let me explain
what I mean by that.
00:47:52.57\00:47:54.80
When slavery was abolished,
00:47:54.84\00:47:57.24
there were many
slaves that did not know
00:47:57.27\00:47:59.51
that slavery had been ended.
00:47:59.54\00:48:01.88
The Emancipation Freedom
Proclamation was declared,
00:48:01.91\00:48:06.38
and those who heard it,
00:48:06.41\00:48:07.75
embraced it and walked
off of their plantations.
00:48:07.78\00:48:10.69
Other slaves that didn't hear it
00:48:10.72\00:48:12.22
saw slaves walking
past their plantation,
00:48:12.25\00:48:16.59
"Where you going?"
00:48:16.62\00:48:17.96
"Hey, slavery
has been abolished."
00:48:17.99\00:48:20.50
They said, "We never heard it,
therefore, we're not leaving."
00:48:20.53\00:48:24.63
You know why
00:48:24.67\00:48:26.00
because they were in bondage
00:48:26.03\00:48:27.70
all their lives through fear,
00:48:27.74\00:48:30.74
held in bondage all their lives,
00:48:30.77\00:48:33.24
they were in fear,
00:48:33.27\00:48:34.61
they were all
subjected to death.
00:48:34.64\00:48:36.01
Slavery is
something that enslaves you,
00:48:36.04\00:48:38.65
holds you in bondage,
00:48:38.68\00:48:40.15
and makes you fearful
of death making you think
00:48:40.18\00:48:42.85
that if you try to break away,
00:48:42.88\00:48:44.22
the only thing that
will happen is death.
00:48:44.25\00:48:46.35
But when the
gospel brings to light
00:48:46.39\00:48:48.42
that we can be free in
Christ, all of a sudden,
00:48:48.46\00:48:51.66
the power that was not available
00:48:51.69\00:48:53.56
before is available now
00:48:53.60\00:48:55.56
and we can break away
from any circumstance,
00:48:55.60\00:48:58.27
any situation by
the power of God.
00:48:58.30\00:49:00.87
Amen.
00:49:00.90\00:49:02.47
You cannot
breakaway from anything
00:49:02.50\00:49:04.11
in your own power.
00:49:04.14\00:49:05.47
But the gospel brings
to light the power of God,
00:49:05.51\00:49:08.14
for it is the power
of God which we all need.
00:49:08.18\00:49:11.91
A lot of people have
heard the gospel preach
00:49:11.95\00:49:13.85
but because
they don't accept it,
00:49:13.88\00:49:16.92
the power of God is
never active in their lives.
00:49:16.95\00:49:21.26
Therefore, they
never tasted salvation.
00:49:21.29\00:49:24.16
They just heard
the gospel, that's it.
00:49:24.19\00:49:26.63
Look at the fourth
essential, the fourth essential.
00:49:26.66\00:49:30.93
Okay.
00:49:30.97\00:49:33.57
Hebrews 9:28.
00:49:33.60\00:49:36.54
Okay. The fourth essential.
00:49:36.57\00:49:39.04
"So Christ was offered once
00:49:45.48\00:49:49.82
to bear the sins of many.
00:49:49.85\00:49:54.12
To those who
eagerly wait for Him,
00:49:54.16\00:49:57.63
he will appear..."
00:49:57.66\00:49:58.99
When?
00:49:59.03\00:50:00.36
"A second time, apart from sin,
00:50:00.40\00:50:03.60
for salvation
or unto salvation."
00:50:03.63\00:50:06.53
The last
aspect, you might think,
00:50:06.57\00:50:09.34
"Well, aren't we already saved?"
00:50:09.37\00:50:10.87
Yeah, we're saved
from the penalty of sin,
00:50:10.91\00:50:14.71
daily from the power of sin,
00:50:14.74\00:50:16.28
but this text is
talking about being saved
00:50:16.31\00:50:17.91
from the presence of sin.
00:50:17.95\00:50:19.88
So what's the fourth
essential do you find here?
00:50:19.91\00:50:23.35
What's the fourth
essential do you find here?
00:50:23.39\00:50:25.45
Say it again, Yannick.
00:50:29.39\00:50:30.73
Salvation. Salvation.
00:50:30.76\00:50:33.43
Salvation.
00:50:33.46\00:50:35.26
Salvation.
00:50:35.30\00:50:36.63
The gospel brings
to light salvation,
00:50:36.67\00:50:38.83
but when Christ comes,
00:50:38.87\00:50:41.14
He's appearing a
second time for salvation.
00:50:41.17\00:50:46.27
If He's appearing a
second time for salvation,
00:50:46.31\00:50:49.54
that is He's appearing
a second time for those
00:50:49.58\00:50:51.68
who are in a saving relationship
00:50:51.71\00:50:53.62
with Him.
00:50:53.65\00:50:55.05
Essential, one, the Word of God.
00:50:55.08\00:50:58.42
Secondly, to look to the Lord.
00:50:58.45\00:51:00.56
Thirdly, the power of God.
00:51:00.59\00:51:02.16
Fourthly, salvation.
00:51:02.19\00:51:03.79
All these
essentials in preparing
00:51:03.83\00:51:05.73
to meet the Lord in peace.
00:51:05.76\00:51:07.53
Amen? Let's try
to get to number 16.
00:51:07.56\00:51:10.67
I think we have enough time.
00:51:10.70\00:51:12.37
I think we are
doing pretty good,
00:51:12.40\00:51:14.04
try to move right along.
00:51:14.07\00:51:16.10
Question number 16.
00:51:16.14\00:51:18.84
"What is necessary
00:51:18.87\00:51:21.74
to be forgiven of sin?"
00:51:21.78\00:51:25.65
What is necessary
to be forgiven of sin?
00:51:25.68\00:51:31.25
This is 1 John 1:9.
00:51:31.29\00:51:32.99
Most of you theologians
already know this by heart.
00:51:33.02\00:51:36.16
But just for
the benefit of those
00:51:36.19\00:51:37.53
who are listening or
watching the program,
00:51:37.56\00:51:39.76
we're going to allow
the Bible to speak, okay?
00:51:39.79\00:51:42.76
Since we all know it,
let's read it together.
00:51:42.80\00:51:44.90
"If we confess
our sins, He is..."
00:51:44.93\00:51:47.07
What?
00:51:47.10\00:51:48.44
"Faithful and just
to forgive us our sins
00:51:48.47\00:51:51.54
and to cleanse us from..."
00:51:51.57\00:51:52.91
How much? "All."
00:51:52.94\00:51:55.84
Highlight, underline, bold,
00:51:55.88\00:51:58.21
do whatever you want
to do with that word all.
00:51:58.25\00:52:00.45
He is able to
cleanse us from how much?
00:52:00.48\00:52:03.18
All unrighteousness.
00:52:03.22\00:52:06.29
That's a
hallelujah. All unrighteousness.
00:52:06.32\00:52:10.69
We had a chance
to look at houses,
00:52:10.73\00:52:13.36
my wife and I like to do that.
00:52:13.40\00:52:14.76
You know, whenever
you kind of get sick
00:52:14.80\00:52:17.53
of how messy your house
looks, go look at a model home.
00:52:17.57\00:52:20.54
Anybody know what I'm talking...
00:52:20.57\00:52:21.90
You know, it's a backlash
00:52:21.94\00:52:23.27
because you go to
these model homes,
00:52:23.30\00:52:24.71
they're so perfect,
all the colors match,
00:52:24.74\00:52:27.41
everything is so perfect,
there's not a spot on the,
00:52:27.44\00:52:29.58
even the glasses are perfect,
00:52:29.61\00:52:30.95
and on the
glasses they have glue
00:52:30.98\00:52:32.31
but it looks like water.
00:52:32.35\00:52:34.68
Everything's so perfect,
00:52:34.72\00:52:36.05
everything is so
wonderfully designed,
00:52:36.08\00:52:37.42
and then you go back
home you think to your house,
00:52:37.45\00:52:38.89
"Blow it up.
00:52:38.92\00:52:40.26
Burn it up. Knock it
down. I'm sick of it."
00:52:40.29\00:52:44.86
What that does though,
00:52:44.89\00:52:46.23
it shows you what you can
be as compared to what you are.
00:52:46.26\00:52:51.53
And some of us
are like messy houses,
00:52:51.57\00:52:54.54
but you walk into that house
and once or twice we've said...
00:52:54.57\00:52:57.84
We saw some house and we said,
00:52:57.87\00:52:59.27
"Wouldn't it be nice to
buy it with everything in it?"
00:52:59.31\00:53:03.68
'Cause you know those
designers are amazing.
00:53:03.71\00:53:06.35
We walked into this
house that had tile, white,
00:53:06.38\00:53:09.48
shiny tile floors, and I said,
00:53:09.52\00:53:12.79
"Boy, this house is so clean up,
00:53:12.82\00:53:14.16
I'd be afraid
to spill anything."
00:53:14.19\00:53:16.96
And but it was beautiful.
00:53:16.99\00:53:20.30
I was like, "Wow!
00:53:20.33\00:53:21.66
If you live in this house,
00:53:21.70\00:53:23.03
you have to where
suit all day long."
00:53:23.06\00:53:25.47
It just looks so clean,
00:53:25.50\00:53:27.24
like when people
come over to visit us,
00:53:27.27\00:53:28.94
you could say, "Good evening."
00:53:28.97\00:53:30.71
Have somebody
that's very esoteric
00:53:30.74\00:53:32.17
to answer the door.
00:53:32.21\00:53:33.54
It just looked too clean.
00:53:33.58\00:53:35.18
And I say, "It's really pretty."
00:53:35.21\00:53:36.54
And when you're in
the door, you want it,
00:53:36.58\00:53:37.91
but then you go
to the next house
00:53:37.95\00:53:39.28
and you think, "Now
this looks like a home
00:53:39.31\00:53:40.65
and it feels warm."
00:53:40.68\00:53:42.05
But when we look at ourselves,
the way God looks at us,
00:53:42.08\00:53:47.72
He says, "If you
just confess your sin,
00:53:47.76\00:53:50.03
I could clean up your house
00:53:50.06\00:53:53.43
and I won't leave
a stain of the past."
00:53:53.46\00:53:57.80
Amen, somebody? He
will cleanse from how much?
00:53:57.83\00:54:02.10
All unrighteousness.
00:54:02.14\00:54:04.34
And in those houses that
nobody has ever lived in before,
00:54:04.37\00:54:07.38
I'm kind of
unusual 'cause I know,
00:54:07.41\00:54:09.78
if you really want to
tell was the house is clean,
00:54:09.81\00:54:11.41
just look at the very corner
where the two corners meet,
00:54:11.45\00:54:14.35
that's usually where
the dirt kind of hides
00:54:14.38\00:54:16.22
in the corner
00:54:16.25\00:54:17.59
'cause you don't
sweep the corner to corner.
00:54:17.62\00:54:19.42
But you look at
those model homes
00:54:19.45\00:54:21.06
and it's like,
00:54:21.09\00:54:22.42
"Man, this house
has no dirt anywhere."
00:54:22.46\00:54:25.76
And we had a lady
that we used to visit,
00:54:25.79\00:54:27.93
once she say to my wife,
00:54:27.96\00:54:29.96
"Don't bring Pastor with you
00:54:30.00\00:54:31.43
because he's going to
look on the top of my fridge,
00:54:31.47\00:54:33.70
he's so tall."
00:54:33.74\00:54:35.97
She can't see on top
of the fridge, she said,
00:54:36.00\00:54:37.51
"Wait till I
clean my refrigerator."
00:54:37.54\00:54:39.87
And I would not look
as we just were friends,
00:54:39.91\00:54:41.74
I'm not looking at the
top of your refrigerator.
00:54:41.78\00:54:44.08
The beauty of it
is the Lord knows
00:54:44.11\00:54:45.68
where the dirt is in our lives.
00:54:45.71\00:54:47.05
Does He not?
00:54:47.08\00:54:48.42
But He says, "If you
confess, I am faithful
00:54:48.45\00:54:52.25
and just to
forgive you of your sins
00:54:52.29\00:54:54.39
and to cleanse you
from all unrighteousness."
00:54:54.42\00:54:57.09
Amen to that?
That is so necessary.
00:54:57.13\00:55:00.80
So necessary for forgiveness.
But let's look at one more now.
00:55:00.83\00:55:04.07
Let's look at another one.
00:55:04.10\00:55:05.97
What is
necessary to be forgiven?
00:55:06.00\00:55:07.34
One, first one,
confess. Confess.
00:55:07.37\00:55:11.37
But not just
confess, whoever confesses...
00:55:11.41\00:55:14.44
Well, whoever
confesses and forsakes,
00:55:14.48\00:55:17.25
don't just
confess it but forsake it.
00:55:17.28\00:55:19.85
Stop it by the power of God.
00:55:19.88\00:55:22.32
Don't you say I did
it, confess and forsake it.
00:55:22.35\00:55:24.62
But look at
Psalm 32:5. Psalm 32:5.
00:55:24.65\00:55:28.79
Right here it is.
00:55:28.82\00:55:30.36
The Psalmist David's
a prayer of confession.
00:55:30.39\00:55:36.26
He said, "I
acknowledge my sin to you,
00:55:36.30\00:55:39.20
that is to the Lord,
00:55:39.23\00:55:40.74
and my iniquity
I have not hidden.
00:55:40.77\00:55:43.61
I said I will do..."
00:55:43.64\00:55:44.97
What?
00:55:45.01\00:55:46.34
Confess my
transgressions to the Lord..."
00:55:46.37\00:55:49.24
And what did he say?
00:55:49.28\00:55:50.71
"And you forgave
the iniquity of my sin."
00:55:50.75\00:55:54.98
You know what that meant?
00:55:55.02\00:55:56.35
They didn't mean
00:55:56.38\00:55:57.72
just that the Lord
forgave David stumblings,
00:55:57.75\00:56:00.32
He forgave David
of the very thing
00:56:00.36\00:56:02.22
that David enjoyed to do.
00:56:02.26\00:56:04.96
That's what iniquity is,
iniquity is a cherished sin.
00:56:04.99\00:56:08.56
He forgave David of the iniquity
00:56:08.60\00:56:10.63
of the thing
that he loved to do.
00:56:10.67\00:56:13.07
The Lord forgave him
of that. Amen, someone?
00:56:13.10\00:56:16.57
So it's beautiful that
we can have the connection
00:56:16.60\00:56:22.21
with the Lord that
is so important for us
00:56:22.24\00:56:24.45
to find that
complete forgiveness.
00:56:24.48\00:56:27.75
Let's try to do it.
00:56:27.78\00:56:29.12
If we don't get to
it, question number 17.
00:56:29.15\00:56:31.39
Let's go ahead and
try to put that in there.
00:56:31.42\00:56:33.79
Acknowledge your sin,
you have to acknowledge it.
00:56:33.82\00:56:36.93
Question 17, here it is.
00:56:36.96\00:56:39.29
"How does the Bible describe
00:56:39.33\00:56:40.66
the process of
receiving God's mercy?"
00:56:40.70\00:56:43.16
I'm going to go right to
it. It is in Proverbs 28:13.
00:56:43.20\00:56:48.20
Proverbs 28:13.
00:56:48.24\00:56:49.57
How does the Bible describe
00:56:49.60\00:56:51.41
the process of
receiving God's mercy?
00:56:51.44\00:56:53.71
Here it is.
00:56:53.74\00:56:57.91
"He who covers
his sin will not..."
00:56:57.95\00:57:00.68
What? "Will not prosper.
00:57:00.72\00:57:04.89
But whoever stayed
with me, confesses..."
00:57:04.92\00:57:08.02
And what else?
00:57:08.06\00:57:09.39
"Forsakes them will have mercy."
00:57:09.42\00:57:14.10
As I've heard
people say, have mercy.
00:57:14.13\00:57:16.80
You will if you
confess and forsake.
00:57:16.83\00:57:20.64
Don't just acknowledge
but confess it and forsake it,
00:57:20.67\00:57:24.07
and you will have mercy.
00:57:24.11\00:57:26.37
Do we all need mercy? Yes.
00:57:26.41\00:57:28.78
Confess and forsake.
00:57:28.81\00:57:30.15
You see this whole
thing about repentance,
00:57:30.18\00:57:31.78
we've talked on essentials
and not about repentance.
00:57:31.81\00:57:34.45
And so often, people
think, "Well, I'm a member now."
00:57:34.48\00:57:39.52
But we have to
examine our hearts
00:57:39.55\00:57:40.89
and our lives to see
00:57:40.92\00:57:42.26
what's going on
the inside of us,
00:57:42.29\00:57:43.99
to see what room
needs to be cleaned out,
00:57:44.03\00:57:46.09
to examine the
shelves of our lives,
00:57:46.13\00:57:48.60
to examine the
mindset of our lives.
00:57:48.63\00:57:51.23
And when we confess and forsake,
00:57:51.27\00:57:54.14
when we
acknowledge what we've done,
00:57:54.17\00:57:55.50
the Lord will bless us.
00:57:55.54\00:57:56.87
Well, friends,
keep studying God's Word
00:57:56.91\00:57:58.37
because one day
I know it will come
00:57:58.41\00:58:00.38
into a sharper focus.
00:58:00.41\00:58:02.54
God bless you.
00:58:02.58\00:58:04.21