I'm John Carter in Moscow. 00:00:02.10\00:00:04.67 In Havana, Cuba. 00:00:04.70\00:00:07.30 Now in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. 00:00:07.34\00:00:10.64 I'm John Carter in Petra. 00:00:10.67\00:00:13.54 Right here in Communist China. 00:00:13.58\00:00:16.48 Reporting from India. 00:00:16.51\00:00:18.61 Hi, I'm John Carter in the Solomon Islands. 00:00:18.65\00:00:21.58 I'm John Carter in Soweto. 00:00:21.62\00:00:24.12 From El Salvador. 00:00:24.15\00:00:26.45 I'm John Carter in Sydney, Australia. 00:00:26.49\00:00:29.19 In this message, John Carter explains 00:00:29.22\00:00:31.43 why there is hope for the worst of sinners. 00:00:31.46\00:00:36.97 Just so glad to see you here today. 00:00:37.00\00:00:40.50 I want to send special greetings 00:00:40.54\00:00:42.14 to the Sabbath Grace Fellowship Church 00:00:42.17\00:00:46.17 in Pennsylvania. 00:00:46.21\00:00:48.11 Want to thank you so much for your partnership 00:00:48.14\00:00:50.31 in the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. 00:00:50.35\00:00:53.72 We appreciate your support tremendously at this time 00:00:53.75\00:00:57.09 because we're planning to go to the great city of Manila 00:00:57.12\00:01:00.82 for a great city wide campaign 00:01:00.86\00:01:02.72 in the Philippine International Convention Center, 00:01:02.76\00:01:05.69 this great theater, best part of Manila. 00:01:05.73\00:01:09.10 We're going to be starting there in March, 00:01:09.13\00:01:11.30 and we just need your prayers. 00:01:11.33\00:01:13.64 We need your support. 00:01:13.67\00:01:15.27 Has anybody here, I don't know if anybody has... 00:01:15.30\00:01:18.91 Anybody here said this, 00:01:18.94\00:01:21.44 "God could never, never save me 00:01:21.48\00:01:24.91 because of all the wicked things I've done." 00:01:24.95\00:01:28.38 God could never ever save so and so 00:01:28.42\00:01:32.72 because of all the wicked things he does. 00:01:32.75\00:01:35.92 Now, the topic today is hope, not just for the worst, 00:01:35.96\00:01:40.13 but for the very worst of sinners. 00:01:40.16\00:01:44.90 And today, we're gonna talk about 00:01:44.93\00:01:47.20 the most wicked man in the Bible, 00:01:47.24\00:01:49.90 or let's say, let's make it little broader, 00:01:49.94\00:01:52.57 the most wicked man or woman in the Bible. 00:01:52.61\00:01:56.34 Now there are a number of candidates. 00:01:56.38\00:02:00.82 Would you say just off the top of your head 00:02:00.85\00:02:04.62 that Judas is the most wicked man in the Bible? 00:02:04.65\00:02:08.92 Now, Judas did something incredibly evil. 00:02:08.96\00:02:13.80 He betrayed the Lord of Glory. 00:02:13.83\00:02:18.50 I don't think he was the most wicked man in the Bible. 00:02:18.53\00:02:21.04 I think Judas was sort of just a very ordinary person. 00:02:21.07\00:02:26.27 But as somebody has pointed out, 00:02:26.31\00:02:27.98 the greatest crimes in history have been committed 00:02:28.01\00:02:31.25 by very ordinary persons. 00:02:31.28\00:02:34.48 Most of the Nazis and the Germans 00:02:34.52\00:02:36.38 have sent the Jews to the Holocaust 00:02:36.42\00:02:40.92 were our neighbors. 00:02:40.96\00:02:43.79 People who went to church, 00:02:43.83\00:02:45.83 Roman Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, 00:02:45.86\00:02:49.20 other denominations, very ordinary sort of people. 00:02:49.23\00:02:53.57 I think Judas who did a terrible crime 00:02:53.60\00:02:56.91 was an ordinary man. 00:02:56.94\00:02:59.51 What about Eve? 00:02:59.54\00:03:02.64 Or she's the most wicked person in the Bible? 00:03:02.68\00:03:07.15 I don't think Eve in itself was a very wicked person at all. 00:03:07.18\00:03:12.29 I think she was innocents abroad. 00:03:12.32\00:03:15.79 And her big sin was to believe the devil's lies. 00:03:15.82\00:03:21.76 She caused havoc, of course, 00:03:21.80\00:03:23.37 but I don't think she was 00:03:23.40\00:03:24.73 the most wicked person in the Bible. 00:03:24.77\00:03:26.87 I don't think Adam was the most wicked person in the Bible. 00:03:26.90\00:03:32.07 Adam, as you know, was very, very inexperienced. 00:03:32.11\00:03:36.24 Until Eve had sinned, 00:03:36.28\00:03:37.85 there was no such thing as sin in the garden. 00:03:37.88\00:03:43.35 But Adam committed a tremendous sin 00:03:43.39\00:03:46.25 and brought havoc upon the human race. 00:03:46.29\00:03:48.86 And we're in the midst of this today. 00:03:48.89\00:03:51.93 But I don't think Adam... 00:03:51.96\00:03:54.10 I don't think he was the most wicked person in the Bible. 00:03:54.13\00:03:57.33 I'll tell you who was a wicked person 00:03:57.37\00:03:58.97 who's mentioned in the Bible. 00:03:59.00\00:04:00.64 He's a Caesar and that's Nero. 00:04:00.67\00:04:04.61 Nero who lived in the days of the Apostle Paul, 00:04:04.64\00:04:08.24 he murdered his own mother 00:04:08.28\00:04:11.71 because he saw her as a threat. 00:04:11.75\00:04:14.78 He started the fire of Rome. 00:04:14.82\00:04:19.15 But when you think about it, 00:04:19.19\00:04:21.09 you can't expect too much of Nero. 00:04:21.12\00:04:24.09 He was a depraved and deluded pagan. 00:04:24.13\00:04:27.90 He didn't make any perfection of God or Christianity. 00:04:27.93\00:04:34.34 The ancient history encyclopedia 00:04:34.37\00:04:36.91 says this about Nero. 00:04:36.94\00:04:38.91 He reigned from 54 to 68 AD. 00:04:38.94\00:04:43.08 And then it says, he was self indulgent. 00:04:43.11\00:04:46.95 He was cruel and violent, 00:04:46.98\00:04:49.02 as well as a cross dressing exhibitionist. 00:04:49.05\00:04:54.02 He had his mother stabbed to death. 00:04:54.06\00:04:56.39 He saw her as a threat. 00:04:56.42\00:04:59.29 He had his first wife murdered, 00:04:59.33\00:05:02.80 and he kicked his second wife to death. 00:05:02.83\00:05:05.63 Now, he was indeed 00:05:05.67\00:05:08.27 very wicked, wicked man. 00:05:08.30\00:05:09.94 He started the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD 00:05:09.97\00:05:14.48 that lasted for six days. 00:05:14.51\00:05:17.81 And the Christians were blamed for the fire, 00:05:17.85\00:05:20.72 especially the Apostle Paul. 00:05:20.75\00:05:24.95 When the crowd came after him, 00:05:24.99\00:05:27.86 he tried to commit suicide, 00:05:27.89\00:05:30.03 but he was such a pathetic character, 00:05:30.06\00:05:34.36 that he couldn't stick the knife in himself. 00:05:34.40\00:05:36.97 He had to have assistance to kill himself. 00:05:37.00\00:05:41.54 A pathetic, evil, wicked man 00:05:41.57\00:05:46.17 was the Nero of the New Testament. 00:05:46.21\00:05:50.75 But I think the most wicked man in the Bible is the man 00:05:50.78\00:05:54.75 who was mentioned in 1 Kings Chapter 21. 00:05:54.78\00:06:00.49 And I want you to take your Bibles, 00:06:00.52\00:06:02.19 1 Kings 21:25 00:06:02.22\00:06:08.96 and 26. 00:06:09.00\00:06:11.23 In the Bible look at the text, 1 Kings verse 25 and 26. 00:06:11.27\00:06:16.50 "But there was no one like Ahab... 00:06:16.54\00:06:22.34 who sold himself to do wickedness 00:06:22.38\00:06:24.61 in the sight of the Lord." 00:06:24.65\00:06:27.32 Notice why? 00:06:27.35\00:06:29.82 "Because Jezebel his wife stirred him up." 00:06:29.85\00:06:34.62 I guess he wasn't the first or the last. 00:06:34.66\00:06:38.19 "And he behaved very abominably in following idols, 00:06:38.23\00:06:43.03 according to all that the Amorites had done, 00:06:43.06\00:06:46.23 whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel." 00:06:46.27\00:06:51.57 So he was a very, very bad man. 00:06:51.61\00:06:56.54 You know the story 00:06:56.58\00:06:58.95 of a good man the righteous man 00:06:58.98\00:07:00.72 that had the vineyard, don't you? 00:07:00.75\00:07:02.82 His name was Naboth. 00:07:02.85\00:07:04.65 You can read that in 1 Kings Chapter 21. 00:07:04.69\00:07:07.96 "Ahab went to Naboth and said, 'I want your vineyard.' 00:07:07.99\00:07:12.69 He said, 'I'll give you a better one 00:07:12.73\00:07:15.53 or else I'll pay you a good price." 00:07:15.56\00:07:17.40 And Naboth said, "I can't do it, 00:07:17.43\00:07:20.60 because this is a part of my sacred inheritance." 00:07:20.64\00:07:24.64 I'll tell you what a wretched person Ahab was. 00:07:24.67\00:07:28.08 He went home, and the Bible says, 00:07:28.11\00:07:30.91 he turned his face 00:07:30.95\00:07:32.78 to the wall and he sulked. 00:07:32.81\00:07:37.09 Boo, he's crying away. 00:07:37.12\00:07:40.46 And his wife Jezebel comes in and says, 00:07:40.49\00:07:43.29 "What's wrong, sweetie pie. 00:07:43.32\00:07:48.26 What's wrong, darling? 00:07:48.30\00:07:51.63 What's the problem?" 00:07:51.67\00:07:53.00 He says, "Naboth won't give me the vineyard." 00:07:53.03\00:07:55.94 She says, "Leave it to me." 00:07:55.97\00:07:58.24 She said, "I'll get you the vineyard." 00:07:58.27\00:08:00.98 And she did. 00:08:01.01\00:08:03.51 She had a plot, 00:08:03.55\00:08:04.91 Naboth was accused of high crimes, 00:08:04.95\00:08:08.22 and blasphemies, and rebellion, 00:08:08.25\00:08:11.05 and they set him on high 00:08:11.09\00:08:12.49 and they found him guilty, and he was murdered. 00:08:12.52\00:08:16.29 Then Jezebel goes and sees 00:08:16.32\00:08:21.03 Ahab and she says, 00:08:21.06\00:08:22.63 "I told you so, go get it." 00:08:22.66\00:08:26.33 I think if there is a despicable character, 00:08:26.37\00:08:29.97 it is a man who is manipulated by his wife 00:08:30.01\00:08:34.28 and who sobs to get something. 00:08:34.31\00:08:38.81 Generally speaking, men should not be sobers. 00:08:38.85\00:08:43.72 It's appropriate on occasions for a man to weep 00:08:43.75\00:08:47.59 for a very good reason. 00:08:47.62\00:08:49.42 Jesus wept, but a man who was weeping all the time, 00:08:49.46\00:08:53.70 especially to manipulate people 00:08:53.73\00:08:59.83 is a very, very bad man. 00:08:59.87\00:09:02.50 Not only bad, but a very, very weak man. 00:09:02.54\00:09:07.38 Have you met some of them? 00:09:07.41\00:09:09.48 Well, I have. 00:09:09.51\00:09:13.01 This man Ahab with the help 00:09:13.05\00:09:15.55 of his sweet little wife Jezebel 00:09:15.58\00:09:19.15 set up the worship of Baal 00:09:19.19\00:09:21.52 and carried out the persecution 00:09:21.56\00:09:23.83 of the prophets of Yahweh Elohim. 00:09:23.86\00:09:28.26 You can read this in 1 Kings Chapter 16, 00:09:28.30\00:09:31.53 now come back 00:09:31.57\00:09:32.90 down to 33. 00:09:39.07\00:09:42.64 "Now Ahab the son of Omri 00:09:42.68\00:09:45.71 did evil in the sight of the Lord..." 00:09:45.75\00:09:48.85 All those who were before him, so this is a bad man 00:09:48.88\00:09:52.92 because the people who preceded him were bad too. 00:09:52.95\00:09:56.36 "And it came to pass, 00:09:56.39\00:09:57.73 as though it had been a trivial thing for him 00:09:57.76\00:10:00.13 to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, 00:10:00.16\00:10:04.43 that he took his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, 00:10:04.47\00:10:10.34 king of the Sidonians, and he went and served Baal 00:10:10.37\00:10:14.08 and worshiped him. 00:10:14.11\00:10:16.91 Then he set up an altar for Baal 00:10:16.95\00:10:18.95 in the temple of Baal, 00:10:18.98\00:10:20.88 which he had built in Samaria. 00:10:20.92\00:10:24.12 And Ahab made a wooden image. 00:10:24.15\00:10:27.29 Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger 00:10:27.32\00:10:31.63 than all the kings of Israel who were before him." 00:10:31.66\00:10:36.13 And so, at least up to that time, 00:10:36.16\00:10:38.37 he is the worst man in the Bible. 00:10:38.40\00:10:43.71 Let's talk a little bit, shall we about Baal? 00:10:43.74\00:10:47.91 Who was Baal? 00:10:47.94\00:10:49.64 The word means Lord. 00:10:49.68\00:10:52.41 He was the God of the Canaanites. 00:10:52.45\00:10:54.92 He had a consort whose name was Asherah, 00:10:54.95\00:10:58.49 who was the great prostitute. 00:10:58.52\00:11:01.36 And during the times of Ahab, 00:11:01.39\00:11:03.99 and he was the leader of the people of God 00:11:04.03\00:11:07.70 for crying out loud. 00:11:07.73\00:11:10.40 He's the leader of the church. 00:11:10.43\00:11:13.70 And so he leads all the Israel in the prostitution 00:11:13.74\00:11:18.07 of their own souls, 00:11:18.11\00:11:20.41 and in the worship of Baal and Asherah. 00:11:20.44\00:11:24.85 During the times of Ahab, Baal worship became 00:11:24.88\00:11:28.58 the national religion of Israel. 00:11:28.62\00:11:31.19 He built a temple to Baal in Samaria. 00:11:31.22\00:11:35.59 The word Baal, as I mentioned, means Lord. 00:11:35.62\00:11:39.63 And He was god of the storms, god of the rain, 00:11:39.66\00:11:43.16 god of fertility, and god of justice. 00:11:43.20\00:11:47.67 They had holy prostitutes, both male and female. 00:11:47.70\00:11:53.31 And the Bible says, 00:11:53.34\00:11:54.68 "They made their sons to pass through the fire." 00:11:54.71\00:11:59.41 Can you think of anything worse 00:11:59.45\00:12:02.12 than a blazing fire in the belly of the beast Baal, 00:12:02.15\00:12:06.19 and their sons, their children are sacrificed. 00:12:06.22\00:12:10.39 Think of the cries of the children. 00:12:10.43\00:12:13.09 And he is the leader of the people of God. 00:12:13.13\00:12:18.90 He was the leader of the nation 00:12:18.93\00:12:22.24 and the leader of the church. 00:12:22.27\00:12:26.21 Of course, 00:12:26.24\00:12:28.01 we are far too sophisticated today 00:12:28.04\00:12:30.75 to have Baal worship. 00:12:30.78\00:12:33.98 And the Bible tells us that he had a meeting 00:12:34.02\00:12:36.25 with the Prophet Elijah, the man of God, 00:12:36.28\00:12:39.59 1 Kings 18:17 00:12:39.62\00:12:44.33 and 18, 00:12:44.36\00:12:46.90 "Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, 00:12:46.93\00:12:49.56 that Ahab said to him, 00:12:49.60\00:12:51.07 'Is that you, O troubler of Israel?' 00:12:51.10\00:12:54.90 " The good people invariably are blamed for the problems 00:12:54.94\00:12:59.37 that come upon the church and the nation. 00:12:59.41\00:13:02.24 "Is that you, O troubler of Israel?' 00:13:02.28\00:13:06.05 And he answered, 'I have not troubled Israel, 00:13:06.08\00:13:08.32 but you and your father's house have, 00:13:08.35\00:13:11.55 in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord 00:13:11.59\00:13:14.46 and have followed the Baals.'" 00:13:14.49\00:13:17.26 So the people have completely given up on God, 00:13:17.29\00:13:21.10 and the worship of God and the keeping 00:13:21.13\00:13:23.63 of the commandments of God, 00:13:23.67\00:13:25.37 and they are worshiping the gods of the Canaanites 00:13:25.40\00:13:30.27 led by their king. 00:13:30.31\00:13:32.14 How many false prophets? Verse 19 gives us a clue. 00:13:32.17\00:13:36.34 Verse 19 says, 00:13:36.38\00:13:39.28 "Now therefore, send and gather all Israel 00:13:39.31\00:13:42.02 to me on Mount Carmel, 00:13:42.05\00:13:44.59 the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, 00:13:44.62\00:13:47.46 and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, 00:13:47.49\00:13:49.76 which eat at Jezebel's table." 00:13:49.79\00:13:51.99 Look at me, let me tell you something. 00:13:52.03\00:13:54.83 Truth has never, never been in the majority. 00:13:54.86\00:14:00.70 Truth is usually a lone voice crying in the wilderness. 00:14:00.74\00:14:06.47 That was the voice of Elijah. 00:14:06.51\00:14:08.44 That was the voice of John the Baptist. 00:14:08.48\00:14:10.98 He was a man standing for God. 00:14:11.01\00:14:13.45 And they were hundreds and hundreds of false priests 00:14:13.48\00:14:17.49 and false prophets. 00:14:17.52\00:14:21.82 And the delightful couple 00:14:21.86\00:14:24.23 who led them all was Ahab and Jezebel. 00:14:24.26\00:14:29.70 Asherah, who is she? 00:14:29.73\00:14:32.60 She is the goddess of the Canaanites. 00:14:32.63\00:14:36.60 I have seen the statues going through the Middle East, 00:14:36.64\00:14:41.04 places like the high place in Petra, 00:14:41.08\00:14:43.75 where you see symbols of Asherah 00:14:43.78\00:14:47.65 which are tied up, of course, with licentiousness, 00:14:47.68\00:14:52.32 and the debasing of the soul, and the debasing of the body. 00:14:52.35\00:14:58.03 And the person who was fighting the prophets of God, 00:14:58.06\00:15:01.63 fighting Elijah, and fighting the truth of God 00:15:01.66\00:15:04.90 and leading Israel down to the very fires of hell. 00:15:04.93\00:15:10.91 His name is Ahab. 00:15:10.94\00:15:14.08 But there's an amazing story. 00:15:14.11\00:15:15.58 And if I had written the Bible, 00:15:15.61\00:15:19.31 which fortunately I didn't, 00:15:19.35\00:15:21.78 but in 1 Kings 21:25 and 29, 00:15:21.82\00:15:27.09 you have this amazing story about Ahab. 00:15:27.12\00:15:31.56 I say it's amazing 00:15:31.59\00:15:33.03 because it goes against our sense of justice, 00:15:33.06\00:15:38.93 because bad people need to be punished. 00:15:38.97\00:15:42.97 "But there was no one like Ahab 00:15:43.00\00:15:44.71 who sold himself to do wickedness 00:15:44.74\00:15:46.51 in the sight of the Lord, 00:15:46.54\00:15:48.78 because Jezebel his wife stirred him up." 00:15:48.81\00:15:51.48 She's just stirring him on, 00:15:55.65\00:15:57.85 but she had a reason, she was a pagan princess. 00:15:57.89\00:16:00.36 He was a child of God. 00:16:00.39\00:16:04.99 And he behaved very abominably in following idols, 00:16:05.03\00:16:08.20 according to all of the Amorites had done, 00:16:08.23\00:16:10.70 whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. 00:16:10.73\00:16:14.60 So it was, 00:16:14.64\00:16:17.21 when Ahab heard these words that he, 00:16:17.24\00:16:19.67 "the words of the prophet, 00:16:19.71\00:16:21.68 "when Ahab heard these words, those words, 00:16:21.71\00:16:24.78 that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, 00:16:24.81\00:16:29.08 and fasted and lay in sackcloth, 00:16:29.12\00:16:32.25 and went about mourning." 00:16:32.29\00:16:34.06 Sackcloth is a symbol of repentance. 00:16:34.09\00:16:40.96 "And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 00:16:41.00\00:16:45.77 'See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? 00:16:45.80\00:16:49.97 Because he has humbled himself before Me, 00:16:50.01\00:16:52.27 I will not bring the calamity in his days." 00:16:52.31\00:16:55.01 I will, not gonna do anything to him. 00:16:55.04\00:16:59.01 "In the days of his son 00:16:59.05\00:17:00.42 I will bring the calamity on house." 00:17:00.45\00:17:02.78 But he said, you see, Ahab. 00:17:02.82\00:17:04.82 Ahab has repented. 00:17:08.39\00:17:11.79 Therefore, what I said I was going to do today, 00:17:11.83\00:17:13.96 I'm not going to do. 00:17:14.00\00:17:17.83 Which leads me to the conclusion 00:17:17.87\00:17:21.84 that Ahab had found mercy in the sight of God. 00:17:21.87\00:17:27.61 And that God had saved and forgiven Ahab. 00:17:27.64\00:17:33.31 So my argument is this today, 00:17:33.35\00:17:35.02 and it's to everybody watching the telecast around the world 00:17:35.05\00:17:37.89 and across these great United States. 00:17:37.92\00:17:42.22 If you think God can't save you, 00:17:42.26\00:17:44.59 I want you to think again. 00:17:44.63\00:17:47.10 Because if God could save a scoundrel, 00:17:47.13\00:17:53.40 and a rotter, 00:17:53.44\00:17:55.90 and a profligate sinner like Ahab. 00:17:55.94\00:17:58.64 If God could save Ahab, 00:17:58.67\00:18:02.58 I think he can save us. 00:18:02.61\00:18:04.05 This is sort of... 00:18:07.65\00:18:09.52 This is sort of amazing. 00:18:09.55\00:18:13.25 When my old father discovered this truth, 00:18:13.29\00:18:16.16 he said, "It isn't right." 00:18:16.19\00:18:20.23 He said, "It isn't right. It isn't right." 00:18:20.26\00:18:23.73 But I said to my father, 00:18:23.77\00:18:25.87 "God's grace is greater than all of our sins." 00:18:25.90\00:18:32.67 And there's a text, I want to read it to you. 00:18:32.71\00:18:36.14 We got to read it over and over and over again, Romans 5:20. 00:18:36.18\00:18:41.48 Romans, the greatest book in the New Testament 00:18:41.52\00:18:44.45 as far as the gospel is concerned, 00:18:44.49\00:18:46.55 and righteousness through faith. 00:18:46.59\00:18:48.36 Romans 5:20, 00:18:48.39\00:18:51.09 "Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound." 00:18:51.13\00:18:54.80 Why does the law exist? 00:18:54.83\00:18:57.33 The law exists so that I will see myself 00:18:57.37\00:19:00.70 as a stinking sinner, 00:19:00.74\00:19:03.87 deserving of the wrath of Almighty God. 00:19:03.91\00:19:08.38 The law of God cannot save me. 00:19:08.41\00:19:10.75 The law of God comes to me with a whip. 00:19:10.78\00:19:15.28 And the whip has got 10 parts to it. 00:19:15.32\00:19:19.32 And each one is freighted with eternity, 00:19:19.35\00:19:23.83 the Ten Commandments. 00:19:23.86\00:19:25.23 The law of God does not save. 00:19:25.26\00:19:27.70 The law of God shows that I am undeserving, 00:19:27.73\00:19:33.77 and I'm on my way to hell. 00:19:33.80\00:19:37.01 So the Bible says, 00:19:37.04\00:19:38.54 "Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. 00:19:38.57\00:19:43.35 But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." 00:19:43.38\00:19:47.28 That's almost too hard to believe 00:19:52.39\00:19:53.86 where sin did abound. 00:19:53.89\00:19:56.26 Put up, here it is, where sin did abound, 00:19:56.29\00:19:58.73 where sin did abound. 00:19:58.76\00:20:00.60 Where the sin of Ahab did abound, 00:20:00.63\00:20:02.43 the grace of God did abound much more. 00:20:02.46\00:20:07.54 When I was a boy, just a little boy, 00:20:07.57\00:20:11.44 I went to the Brisbane Town Hall 00:20:11.47\00:20:13.38 in Queensland. 00:20:13.41\00:20:14.74 I was about four or five years of age. 00:20:14.78\00:20:17.38 I'll never forget it. 00:20:17.41\00:20:19.45 It's after the Second World War, 00:20:19.48\00:20:22.32 and the Australians had invited out an American preacher. 00:20:22.35\00:20:27.96 His name was Clifford Reeves. 00:20:27.99\00:20:29.49 After all those years, 00:20:29.52\00:20:31.16 I can still see, he wore a white suit. 00:20:31.19\00:20:35.76 And he was a good preacher. 00:20:35.80\00:20:37.40 And when you go inside the Brisbane Town Hall, 00:20:37.43\00:20:40.50 there is a tremendous pipe organ 00:20:40.54\00:20:42.54 that goes up to the ceiling. 00:20:42.57\00:20:43.91 It's a beautiful, wonderful place. 00:20:43.94\00:20:47.31 And in front of the great pipes, 00:20:47.34\00:20:50.15 and I've stood under those pipes 00:20:50.18\00:20:51.85 and listened to the boom of those tremendous pipes. 00:20:51.88\00:20:55.08 Listen to the rush of the wind. 00:20:55.12\00:20:58.05 And there was a choir that was singing it. 00:20:58.09\00:20:59.69 It was a big choir, 00:20:59.72\00:21:01.06 seem to be hundreds in my boy's mind, 00:21:01.09\00:21:03.63 and they were singing this song. 00:21:03.66\00:21:05.76 It has stayed with me all these years, 00:21:05.79\00:21:08.03 sing it over and over again. 00:21:08.06\00:21:12.33 Still hear the choir sing it. Sing it over and over again. 00:21:12.37\00:21:16.60 I can still hear the choir. 00:21:16.64\00:21:18.37 Sing it over and over again. 00:21:18.41\00:21:20.68 Christ receives the sinful men. 00:21:20.71\00:21:24.15 Make the message clear and plain, 00:21:24.18\00:21:28.82 Christ receives the sinful men. 00:21:28.85\00:21:33.12 So Paul says, 00:21:33.15\00:21:35.22 "Where sin did abound, grace did much more abound." 00:21:35.26\00:21:39.96 If I'm talking to somebody out here 00:21:40.00\00:21:42.03 in the television world 00:21:42.06\00:21:43.47 and you say, "You got no idea what I've done." 00:21:43.50\00:21:46.23 No, I don't. 00:21:46.27\00:21:47.80 You may say, "I have no chance of being saved." 00:21:47.84\00:21:50.51 No, you don't, 00:21:50.54\00:21:53.01 except for the grace of God. 00:21:53.04\00:21:55.48 And the Bible says, 00:21:55.51\00:21:58.48 "The grace of God when received by faith 00:21:58.51\00:22:03.92 is greater than all my sin." 00:22:03.95\00:22:06.55 Grace has an immeasurable and limitless source. 00:22:06.59\00:22:12.09 It is the love of God. 00:22:12.13\00:22:15.26 Grace does not send love, love sends grace. 00:22:15.30\00:22:20.14 I'm sure you know this. 00:22:20.17\00:22:21.67 You know this wonderful hymnal poem, 00:22:21.70\00:22:23.71 but I wanted to try to break it up 00:22:23.74\00:22:25.87 and explain it in case you missed some points. 00:22:25.91\00:22:28.54 The love of God is greater far 00:22:28.58\00:22:31.25 than tongue or pen can ever tell. 00:22:31.28\00:22:34.45 You can't write about it enough. 00:22:34.48\00:22:37.59 It goes beyond the highest star 00:22:37.62\00:22:41.66 and reaches to the lowest hell. 00:22:41.69\00:22:45.56 The guilty pair, who were they? 00:22:45.59\00:22:50.40 Adam and Eve. 00:22:50.43\00:22:51.77 Bowed down with care, 00:22:51.80\00:22:54.00 God gave His Son to win, 00:22:54.04\00:22:57.01 His erring child He reconciled and pardoned from his sin. 00:22:57.04\00:23:02.34 Now, I believe that Adam and Eve 00:23:02.38\00:23:04.75 are going to be in the kingdom of God 00:23:04.78\00:23:06.48 because God Himself killed those animals 00:23:06.51\00:23:09.85 carried out a sacrifice, and covered their nakedness 00:23:09.88\00:23:13.56 with the skins of animals 00:23:13.59\00:23:15.42 which is a symbol of the blood of Christ. 00:23:15.46\00:23:17.99 And once you're under the blood of Christ, 00:23:18.03\00:23:19.83 nothing can touch you, nothing can harm you. 00:23:19.86\00:23:24.07 So the guilty pair, then the next verse says, 00:23:24.10\00:23:27.60 Could we with ink the ocean fill... 00:23:27.64\00:23:29.80 Think about this, the ocean, 00:23:29.84\00:23:32.07 seven or eight miles deep, fill it up with ink. 00:23:32.11\00:23:35.88 Were the skies of parchment made... 00:23:35.91\00:23:37.98 The skies, will turn all the skies into paper 00:23:38.01\00:23:43.82 where every stock on earth a quill, 00:23:43.85\00:23:46.82 you know what a quill, don't you? 00:23:46.86\00:23:48.69 Old English word for pen. 00:23:48.72\00:23:50.49 Every stalk, every blade of grass 00:23:50.53\00:23:52.93 is going to be transformed into a pen, 00:23:52.96\00:23:57.43 and every man has a scribe by trade. 00:23:57.47\00:23:59.90 Every person on the earth has got a quill. 00:23:59.93\00:24:02.70 He's got the pen. 00:24:02.74\00:24:04.07 And every person on the earth, his trade is to write. 00:24:04.11\00:24:09.18 And the ocean has been turned into ink, 00:24:09.21\00:24:11.75 and the sky has been turned into paper. 00:24:11.78\00:24:14.45 Look at the words, 00:24:14.48\00:24:16.55 to write the love of God 00:24:16.58\00:24:18.22 above would drain the ocean dry. 00:24:18.25\00:24:22.36 Nor could the scroll contain the whole 00:24:22.39\00:24:25.09 though stretched from sky to sky. 00:24:25.13\00:24:30.57 Not enough ink. 00:24:30.60\00:24:32.03 Not enough paper. 00:24:32.07\00:24:33.97 Not enough paint. 00:24:34.00\00:24:35.40 There's a person I admire immensely. 00:24:35.44\00:24:37.61 That is Sir Ernest Shackleton, 00:24:37.64\00:24:41.71 British explorer, with Irish roots like me. 00:24:41.74\00:24:46.98 He went down to the Antarctic. 00:24:47.02\00:24:49.38 He took a ship that was called the Endurance. 00:24:49.42\00:24:56.26 And the ice got around the Endurance and crushed it. 00:24:56.29\00:25:00.33 So they had to get out on the ice flow 00:25:00.36\00:25:02.73 and then get on this little 20 foot boat. 00:25:02.76\00:25:05.20 And they sailed with great skill 00:25:05.23\00:25:07.34 to Elephant Island, 00:25:07.37\00:25:10.54 and then Shackleton left them there. 00:25:10.57\00:25:12.44 And with a couple of other men, 00:25:12.47\00:25:13.88 they sailed to South Georgia Island. 00:25:13.91\00:25:17.08 Then they climbed, would you believe it, 00:25:17.11\00:25:19.21 they climbed over a mountain, 00:25:19.25\00:25:21.35 they climbed over a mountain for days. 00:25:21.38\00:25:25.29 And they came down upon a whaling station, 00:25:25.32\00:25:28.22 and they got a rescue party. 00:25:28.26\00:25:30.19 And Shackleton went back for his men 00:25:30.23\00:25:33.23 who were freezing and dying on Elephant Island. 00:25:33.26\00:25:36.20 And when he appeared, his men said, 00:25:36.23\00:25:40.97 "We knew you would come, Brother." 00:25:41.00\00:25:45.97 So God leaves glory, and He comes to this earth, 00:25:46.01\00:25:50.68 dies on the cross. 00:25:50.71\00:25:53.18 And when we look at Him, we say, 00:25:53.21\00:25:55.62 "We knew You would come, Brother." 00:25:55.65\00:25:59.99 That is grace. More very soon. 00:26:00.02\00:26:03.59 Hello, friend. I'm John Carter. 00:26:21.88\00:26:24.35 Behind me is the great city of Manila, 00:26:24.38\00:26:28.48 the capital of the Philippines. 00:26:28.52\00:26:30.82 Did you know, this is quite amazing. 00:26:30.85\00:26:32.65 There are more people living in this area 00:26:32.69\00:26:34.86 than in New York City. 00:26:34.89\00:26:36.89 And Christ died for these people. 00:26:36.93\00:26:39.59 We came here, oh, long time ago back in 1984. 00:26:39.63\00:26:45.67 What's that, 34, 35 years ago, 00:26:45.70\00:26:48.64 and we came here with a team of young people 00:26:48.67\00:26:50.97 and we came to the PICC. 00:26:51.01\00:26:54.11 It is our intent to come here, 00:26:54.14\00:26:56.54 hire the biggest hall that's available, 00:26:56.58\00:26:58.61 the greatest outdoor stadium, whatever it takes. 00:26:58.65\00:27:02.98 You've got more than 20 million souls out here. 00:27:03.02\00:27:07.92 And I say it again. 00:27:07.96\00:27:09.29 These are people for whom Christ died. 00:27:09.32\00:27:12.03 I'm asking you to pray 00:27:12.06\00:27:13.40 for the people of the Philippines. 00:27:13.43\00:27:15.60 Please pray for the people here in Metro Manila. 00:27:15.63\00:27:19.50 And please write to me, 00:27:19.53\00:27:20.87 John Carter, P.O. Box 1900, 00:27:20.90\00:27:23.94 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 00:27:23.97\00:27:27.38 In Australia, write to me at Terrigal, 00:27:27.41\00:27:29.98 at the address that is now showing on the screen. 00:27:30.01\00:27:35.58 We're back in Manila, 00:27:35.62\00:27:37.59 and we're back with a message from God, 00:27:37.62\00:27:40.36 that message is, Christ died for you. 00:27:40.39\00:27:45.53 And Christ is coming again soon. 00:27:45.56\00:27:50.87 Please support us. 00:27:50.90\00:27:52.23 Write to me today, 00:27:52.27\00:27:53.60 P.O. Box 1900, Thousand Oaks, California. 00:27:53.64\00:27:57.21 And also write to me at Terrigal in Australia. 00:27:57.24\00:28:01.28 Thank you for your support. 00:28:01.31\00:28:03.81 And God bless you. 00:28:03.85\00:28:05.51 For a copy of today's program, 00:28:20.00\00:28:22.03 please contact us at P.O. Box 1900, 00:28:22.06\00:28:25.60 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 00:28:25.63\00:28:29.74 Or in Australia, contact us at P.O. Box 861, 00:28:29.77\00:28:34.74 Terrigal, New South Wales 2260. 00:28:34.78\00:28:39.15 This program is made possible 00:28:39.18\00:28:41.05 through the generous support of viewers like you. 00:28:41.08\00:28:43.89 We thank you for your continued support. 00:28:43.92\00:28:46.92 May God richly bless you. 00:28:46.96\00:28:48.59