I'm John Carter in Moscow. 00:00:02.06\00:00:04.67 In Havana, Cuba. 00:00:04.70\00:00:07.20 Now in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. 00:00:07.24\00:00:10.54 I'm John Carter in Petra. 00:00:10.57\00:00:13.48 Right here in Communist China. 00:00:13.51\00:00:16.51 Reporting from India. 00:00:16.54\00:00:18.58 Hi, I'm John Carter in the Solomon Islands. 00:00:18.61\00:00:21.45 I'm John Carter in Soweto. 00:00:21.48\00:00:23.92 From El Salvador. 00:00:23.95\00:00:26.35 I'm John Carter in Sydney, Australia. 00:00:26.39\00:00:29.02 In this message, John Carter explains 00:00:29.06\00:00:31.43 why there is hope for the worst of sinners. 00:00:31.46\00:00:36.87 Welcome back. 00:00:36.90\00:00:38.23 We're talking today about hope 00:00:38.27\00:00:39.60 for the very worst of sinners. 00:00:39.63\00:00:42.50 We're talking about the fact that the grace of God 00:00:42.54\00:00:45.97 is greater than all of our sins. 00:00:46.01\00:00:49.61 When I was a kid, I was taught the song 00:00:49.64\00:00:52.01 and it just stays in my mind, 00:00:52.05\00:00:54.58 Grace that is greater than all my sin, 00:00:54.62\00:00:58.82 love for us all, how can it be? 00:00:58.85\00:01:03.76 In the first part of our program, 00:01:03.79\00:01:05.16 we talked about Ahab, 00:01:05.19\00:01:07.13 probably the most wicked man in all the Bible. 00:01:07.16\00:01:10.83 But the Bible tells us that Ahab found grace. 00:01:10.87\00:01:14.24 And if he found grace 00:01:14.27\00:01:15.60 and he found forgiveness and mercy. 00:01:15.64\00:01:19.64 One of my favorite characters in history and I guess, 00:01:19.67\00:01:23.31 one of the most favorite characters of all people 00:01:23.35\00:01:26.78 in the Western world, is Winston Churchill. 00:01:26.82\00:01:30.65 When England was being bombed by the Nazis, by the Germans, 00:01:30.69\00:01:35.32 Churchill made a tremendous speech. 00:01:35.36\00:01:37.99 And standing before the House of Commons, 00:01:38.03\00:01:40.06 he said, with his lip stuck out, 00:01:40.10\00:01:43.53 he said, "Never give up. 00:01:43.57\00:01:47.00 Never give up. 00:01:47.04\00:01:48.94 Never give up." 00:01:48.97\00:01:51.44 Now, I wanna use those words in a different way today. 00:01:51.47\00:01:54.98 We're not fighting the Nazis or the Germans, 00:01:55.01\00:01:57.08 but we are fighting the devil. 00:01:57.11\00:01:59.35 And I want you to know this, never give up. 00:01:59.38\00:02:01.78 Never give up on yourself. 00:02:01.82\00:02:04.19 Never come to the place where you think, 00:02:04.22\00:02:06.12 I'm going to be lost because nobody cares about me, 00:02:06.15\00:02:09.32 because God hasn't given up on you. 00:02:09.36\00:02:12.73 And you may have a loved one, you may have a son or daughter, 00:02:12.76\00:02:15.86 member of the family. 00:02:15.90\00:02:17.53 And that person seems to be going down, 00:02:17.57\00:02:19.70 down, down, down. 00:02:19.73\00:02:21.34 I want to say to you, never give up, 00:02:21.37\00:02:23.57 because the grace of God 00:02:23.61\00:02:25.51 is greater than all of our sins. 00:02:25.54\00:02:29.58 There is hope for the very worst of sinners. 00:02:29.61\00:02:33.58 If God could save Ahab, He can save you and me. 00:02:33.62\00:02:37.65 I want you to turn to Luke 15:1 and 2, 00:02:37.69\00:02:42.79 I want you to turn to it sitting here in the studio, 00:02:42.82\00:02:46.26 the great audience out there, 00:02:46.29\00:02:47.63 I want you to follow along with me. 00:02:47.66\00:02:50.40 "Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near, 00:02:50.43\00:02:54.54 near to Him, to hear him. 00:02:54.57\00:02:57.24 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, 00:02:57.27\00:02:59.44 saying 'This man receives sinners 00:02:59.47\00:03:04.28 and eats with them." 00:03:04.31\00:03:07.02 And Jesus said to the Pharisees, 00:03:07.05\00:03:09.48 "Well, for the first time guys in your lives, you're right. 00:03:09.52\00:03:15.06 Because I do receive sinners, and I do go to eat with them." 00:03:15.09\00:03:20.00 The gospel, my friend, 00:03:20.03\00:03:21.86 is not for innocent, sinless people. 00:03:21.90\00:03:25.13 The gospel is for sinners. 00:03:25.17\00:03:27.70 And the Bible says, this man receives sinners. 00:03:27.74\00:03:31.27 Then in this chapter, Jesus gives three stories. 00:03:31.31\00:03:36.75 Not going to go through it right now. 00:03:36.78\00:03:38.31 He tells the story of the lost sheep, 00:03:38.35\00:03:42.58 it's one of 100 and it wanders away. 00:03:42.62\00:03:45.05 And the father, the shepherd, leaves the security of home 00:03:45.09\00:03:49.86 and he goes, and he finds the lost sheep. 00:03:49.89\00:03:52.33 And when he finds it, he doesn't pick it 00:03:52.36\00:03:55.26 but he kisses it. 00:03:55.30\00:03:57.20 That's how God treats sinners. 00:03:57.23\00:03:59.67 Then there's the story of the last coin, 00:03:59.70\00:04:02.40 the coin that is lost in the very house of God. 00:04:02.44\00:04:06.88 People are lost in the church. 00:04:06.91\00:04:09.74 And the woman who symbolizes the church 00:04:09.78\00:04:12.55 goes looking for the coin. 00:04:12.58\00:04:15.42 And when she finds the coin, she says, 00:04:15.45\00:04:17.75 "Thank God, hallelujah, I found the last coin." 00:04:17.79\00:04:23.19 That's how God treat sinners. 00:04:23.22\00:04:25.63 Young people in the church, who may be despised 00:04:25.66\00:04:28.50 because they're doing things that they shouldn't be doing. 00:04:28.53\00:04:30.87 But they are coins to be saved 00:04:30.90\00:04:33.30 for the treasury of the kingdom. 00:04:33.34\00:04:36.34 And then there is a third story. 00:04:36.37\00:04:38.41 It is the Parable of the Lost Boy. 00:04:38.44\00:04:42.91 And the boy who goes away from home, 00:04:42.94\00:04:45.18 he's this ungrateful fellow. 00:04:45.21\00:04:47.42 He says to his father, "Give me what belongs to me." 00:04:47.45\00:04:50.79 He can't wait until his father's dead 00:04:50.82\00:04:53.09 but he says, "Give me my share of the inheritance." 00:04:53.12\00:04:56.69 And the Bible tells us he goes off 00:04:56.73\00:04:58.86 and he wastes his money, 00:04:58.89\00:05:00.50 his father's money in riotous living. 00:05:00.53\00:05:03.50 His elder brother said, 00:05:03.53\00:05:04.93 "He wasted his money with the harlots." 00:05:04.97\00:05:08.10 But the Bible tells us here is a bad boy. 00:05:08.14\00:05:11.27 Don't be too soft on this boy, he's a bad boy. 00:05:11.31\00:05:14.68 But this boy, the Bible tells me, 00:05:14.71\00:05:16.95 he comes to himself. 00:05:16.98\00:05:19.38 And when he comes to himself, 00:05:19.41\00:05:21.05 and he goes to the father's house, 00:05:21.08\00:05:23.12 the father runs out. 00:05:23.15\00:05:25.05 This old man runs out and throws his arms around him, 00:05:25.09\00:05:29.09 and hugs him and kisses him, and puts a ring on his finger. 00:05:29.12\00:05:34.26 Oh, he puts a ring on his finger, 00:05:34.30\00:05:37.33 and sandals on his feet, and a robe to cover the filth. 00:05:37.37\00:05:42.67 It's amazing. 00:05:42.70\00:05:45.64 This man receives sinners. 00:05:45.67\00:05:48.24 So the Bible teaches that where sin did abound, 00:05:48.28\00:05:52.68 grace did much more abound. 00:05:52.71\00:05:55.42 And you may feel completely unworthy, 00:05:55.45\00:05:58.35 I want you to know this. 00:05:58.39\00:06:00.02 This man receives sinners. 00:06:00.06\00:06:04.63 Want to tell you a few stories. 00:06:04.66\00:06:07.60 You know about Nebuchadnezzar. 00:06:07.63\00:06:10.47 In Daniel Chapter 4, is a story, 00:06:10.50\00:06:12.53 he's proud, he's arrogant 00:06:12.57\00:06:15.14 and he is the supreme egotist. 00:06:15.17\00:06:19.67 He deserves to go to hell. 00:06:19.71\00:06:22.81 But Christ saves him. 00:06:22.84\00:06:24.41 I believe from Scripture, that King Nebuchadnezzar, 00:06:24.45\00:06:29.08 the potentate of the great Babylonian Empire 00:06:29.12\00:06:32.89 is going to be in the kingdom of God with Ahab. 00:06:32.92\00:06:38.86 People say, "It's not right." 00:06:38.89\00:06:40.23 No, no, it's called grace. 00:06:40.26\00:06:42.96 Grace that is greater than all of our sins. 00:06:43.00\00:06:45.97 Then you know the story of David and Bathsheba. 00:06:46.00\00:06:51.91 Not only does he commit adultery 00:06:51.94\00:06:54.41 was this seductive, beautiful woman 00:06:54.44\00:06:59.18 who was the wife of Uriah the Hittite. 00:06:59.21\00:07:03.65 But he lies about it and he murders Uriah. 00:07:03.69\00:07:08.19 Does he deserve to go to heaven? 00:07:08.22\00:07:10.99 David deserves to go to hell. 00:07:11.03\00:07:16.60 But in Scripture, you read the amazing story 00:07:16.63\00:07:19.60 that David repents, 00:07:19.63\00:07:22.34 is told in Psalm 51, people say, 00:07:22.37\00:07:24.77 "I can't believe that he could go to heaven." 00:07:24.81\00:07:30.65 And Jesus is called the son of David 00:07:34.35\00:07:40.26 through David and Bathsheba. 00:07:40.29\00:07:44.46 Amazing. 00:07:44.49\00:07:45.83 Then there's Peter, you know about Peter, 00:07:45.86\00:07:49.16 who denied that he knew Jesus. 00:07:49.20\00:07:50.93 What a terrible sin? 00:07:50.97\00:07:52.30 When Jesus needed a buddy, 00:07:52.33\00:07:54.74 when Jesus needed a friend, 00:07:54.77\00:07:57.54 when Jesus needed somebody to stand beside Him, 00:07:57.57\00:08:01.74 Peter said when Jesus was standing alone 00:08:01.78\00:08:05.35 and feeling terribly alone, 00:08:05.38\00:08:08.28 when the Son of man, He was the Son of man, 00:08:08.32\00:08:11.05 not only the Son of God, He had a heart that felt pain. 00:08:11.09\00:08:15.99 And when He's standing alone, Peter says, "I don't know Him." 00:08:16.02\00:08:20.10 But later on, Jesus sent a message. 00:08:20.13\00:08:23.16 He said, "Tell My disciples and Peter." 00:08:23.20\00:08:27.44 Peter was redeemed. 00:08:27.47\00:08:29.74 Peter was saved. 00:08:29.77\00:08:31.37 Peter will be in the kingdom. 00:08:31.41\00:08:33.44 Then there was Paul St. Paul we call him, 00:08:33.48\00:08:36.21 but he didn't start out as St. Paul. 00:08:36.24\00:08:38.41 Paul was the great Pharisee, 00:08:38.45\00:08:40.62 who was a persecutor of the saints, 00:08:40.65\00:08:43.32 and whose garments were sprinkled 00:08:43.35\00:08:46.45 with the blood of Stephen, can you think about this? 00:08:46.49\00:08:50.03 Does anybody here had his garments 00:08:50.06\00:08:52.49 sprinkled with the blood 00:08:52.53\00:08:54.33 of one of the great saints of God. 00:08:54.36\00:08:55.93 And then he went to Damascus to arrest the Christians 00:08:59.17\00:09:02.47 and drag them back to Jerusalem. 00:09:02.50\00:09:05.57 But he found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 00:09:05.61\00:09:09.11 And he repented, and he was saved. 00:09:09.14\00:09:14.32 When I was running a campaign in the great city of Kiev, 00:09:14.35\00:09:19.55 in Ukraine, and man came after this great baptism 00:09:19.59\00:09:23.29 we had one day, 00:09:23.32\00:09:24.69 and he was a full ranking Colonel. 00:09:24.73\00:09:27.03 And we had baptized him 00:09:27.06\00:09:28.80 that very morning in the Dnieper River. 00:09:28.83\00:09:31.70 And he told me the story 00:09:31.73\00:09:33.13 that he was in charge of the indoctrination 00:09:33.17\00:09:36.50 of all the soldiers 00:09:36.54\00:09:38.14 in that part of the world into atheism. 00:09:38.17\00:09:41.18 He taught them there is no God. 00:09:41.21\00:09:45.65 Here he was baptized 00:09:45.68\00:09:47.02 because he came as a penitent to Christ. 00:09:47.05\00:09:49.62 That is why I believe that where sin did abound, 00:09:49.65\00:09:53.42 grace did much more abound. 00:09:53.46\00:09:58.06 It is not so much the sin question 00:09:58.09\00:10:01.30 as it is the Son question. 00:10:01.33\00:10:05.50 And if you and I will believe in the Son, 00:10:05.53\00:10:08.07 we will not perish, 00:10:08.10\00:10:09.57 but we will have everlasting life. 00:10:09.60\00:10:11.27 Therefore, as Churchill said, 00:10:11.31\00:10:13.38 "Never, never, never give up 00:10:13.41\00:10:16.51 on any person, especially yourself." 00:10:16.54\00:10:21.88 In Russia, I've been privileged to see things 00:10:21.92\00:10:24.59 that very few people have seen. 00:10:24.62\00:10:26.45 When I tell them these stories, 00:10:26.49\00:10:28.02 they can't believe these stories, 00:10:28.06\00:10:29.86 because they know so little of the power of God. 00:10:29.89\00:10:32.39 It was Ildar, the Russian mafia man. 00:10:32.43\00:10:36.13 He had an army of 400 soldiers with machine guns. 00:10:36.16\00:10:41.90 He told me how he personally would fill people's bellies 00:10:41.94\00:10:46.74 with lumps of lead, throw it up with guns. 00:10:46.78\00:10:49.74 He said, I knew how to shoot them 00:10:49.78\00:10:51.58 so they would live. 00:10:51.61\00:10:53.25 He said, I filled up one man's belly 00:10:53.28\00:10:55.65 with five bullets, 00:10:55.68\00:10:57.69 and the man said, "You're killing me." 00:10:57.72\00:11:00.26 He said, "No, if I was killing you, 00:11:00.29\00:11:01.82 I wouldn't be shooting you there. 00:11:01.86\00:11:03.73 I'd be shooting you in the head." 00:11:03.76\00:11:07.63 But this man by the grace of God, 00:11:07.66\00:11:09.63 and I give glory to God, 00:11:09.66\00:11:11.67 this man received our videos of a full evangelistic series. 00:11:11.70\00:11:18.14 This is why I believe in evangelism. 00:11:18.17\00:11:21.54 People who don't believe in evangelism, 00:11:21.58\00:11:24.28 do not believe in the power of God 00:11:24.31\00:11:26.55 because they've never seen it. 00:11:26.58\00:11:28.65 It doesn't operate in their own lives. 00:11:28.68\00:11:31.52 They're playing a game which is called church, 00:11:31.55\00:11:35.86 but they know nothing of the grace of God. 00:11:35.89\00:11:40.73 Ildar received our videos, 00:11:40.76\00:11:42.96 and after watching the first one, 00:11:43.00\00:11:44.43 he was immediately converted. 00:11:44.47\00:11:46.43 You say, it's impossible. 00:11:46.47\00:11:48.40 Impossible for man, but not impossible for God. 00:11:48.44\00:11:52.11 He went out and shared his message 00:11:52.14\00:11:55.31 with his team of Russian mafia soldiers, 00:11:55.34\00:11:59.78 and they gave their lives to Christ, 00:11:59.81\00:12:01.82 and they built a temple for the glory of God, 00:12:01.85\00:12:04.95 which I've been in. 00:12:04.99\00:12:06.86 I know it's true. 00:12:06.89\00:12:08.22 There was Vasily, his lieutenant. 00:12:08.26\00:12:11.16 These are some of my mafia guys. 00:12:11.19\00:12:13.63 If you look at, we've got this camouflage. 00:12:13.66\00:12:15.90 But if you looked at Vasily's face, 00:12:15.93\00:12:17.83 there's a scar that runs from here, 00:12:17.87\00:12:19.77 right down to here 00:12:19.80\00:12:21.14 where a bullet passed through his eye 00:12:21.17\00:12:22.50 and came out here. 00:12:22.54\00:12:24.97 These men now had become real preachers of the gospel, 00:12:25.01\00:12:29.48 and yet they were murderers. 00:12:29.51\00:12:33.05 Why? 00:12:33.08\00:12:35.48 Because of grace, 00:12:35.52\00:12:37.85 that is greater than all of our sins. 00:12:37.89\00:12:39.65 Sergei, one of three gangsters 00:12:39.69\00:12:42.69 who came to our meetings in Nizhny Novgorod, 00:12:42.72\00:12:45.59 three came and they're all threatened 00:12:45.63\00:12:48.20 by the mafia. 00:12:48.23\00:12:49.56 We're going to murder you unless you give up this faith. 00:12:49.60\00:12:52.73 They said, at least, Sergei said, 00:12:52.77\00:12:56.24 "Then shoot me because I cannot give it up." 00:12:56.27\00:12:59.14 The other two whom we had baptized 00:12:59.17\00:13:00.98 gave up the faith. 00:13:01.01\00:13:02.74 Not all stand for Christ. 00:13:02.78\00:13:06.72 When it gets hot, many people give up the faith. 00:13:06.75\00:13:11.45 But Sergei said, "Never, never, never." 00:13:11.49\00:13:14.52 And the mafia was so impressed with the faith of this man, 00:13:14.56\00:13:19.29 with his passion and his devotion 00:13:19.33\00:13:22.06 that they said, "And then if God has forgiven you, 00:13:22.10\00:13:25.03 then so will we." 00:13:25.07\00:13:27.50 So they forgave him 00:13:27.54\00:13:29.14 for the sin of leaving the mafia. 00:13:29.17\00:13:31.71 You've all heard, I'm sure of Corrie ten Boom, 00:13:31.74\00:13:37.71 that Dutch lady. 00:13:37.75\00:13:41.82 They had a jewelry shop and a house, 00:13:41.85\00:13:45.15 and they took in Jews 00:13:45.19\00:13:46.82 and they hid the Jews in secret compartments, 00:13:46.86\00:13:52.06 and they were betrayed by a neighbor. 00:13:52.09\00:13:57.83 How despicable 00:13:57.87\00:14:00.57 to betray your own country, 00:14:00.60\00:14:02.30 but to betray God's people 00:14:02.34\00:14:05.77 and to betray refugees. 00:14:05.81\00:14:09.08 How satanic. 00:14:09.11\00:14:10.45 So Corrie, young Corrie, 00:14:14.18\00:14:18.39 old Corrie, central concentration camp, 00:14:18.42\00:14:21.99 her father died, of course, 00:14:22.02\00:14:25.03 beaten to death by the Nazis, 00:14:25.06\00:14:28.03 these evil people, these evil racists, 00:14:28.06\00:14:33.20 these God deniers. 00:14:33.23\00:14:36.84 They were made up of all the religions of Germany. 00:14:36.87\00:14:39.67 No. 00:14:39.71\00:14:41.04 These folks were crazy. No. 00:14:41.08\00:14:44.71 They were anti-Christians, 00:14:44.75\00:14:47.25 but they belonged to all of the church, 00:14:47.28\00:14:49.75 the Lutheran Church, the Catholic Church, 00:14:49.78\00:14:53.76 the Baptist Church, 00:14:53.79\00:14:55.59 all the churches said Sieg Heil. 00:14:55.62\00:14:59.59 You know why? 00:14:59.63\00:15:01.76 Because they had never, never known Christ. 00:15:01.80\00:15:07.80 They followed the church, they didn't follow God. 00:15:07.84\00:15:12.34 What about you? 00:15:12.37\00:15:15.58 After Corrie got out miraculously 00:15:15.61\00:15:18.08 from the concentration camp, her sister died, 00:15:18.11\00:15:22.15 starved to death, beaten by death, 00:15:22.18\00:15:24.19 her father died. 00:15:24.22\00:15:26.45 She was let out by a mistake. 00:15:26.49\00:15:31.13 She was giving a meeting somewhere in Holland. 00:15:31.16\00:15:35.60 And she spoke about how she had decided 00:15:35.63\00:15:39.57 to forgive the German Nazis 00:15:39.60\00:15:43.34 and her Dutch neighbors who had betrayed her. 00:15:43.37\00:15:48.01 You say, "Oh, that's not hard to do." 00:15:48.04\00:15:49.44 No, because you never had to do it. 00:15:49.48\00:15:52.51 If you can't forgive people, don't expect to be saved. 00:15:52.55\00:15:56.32 If you can't forgive your enemies, 00:15:56.35\00:15:57.99 don't expect to be saved, Jesus said. 00:15:58.02\00:16:02.49 One night after she had the meeting, 00:16:02.52\00:16:04.66 a big German came down the front and said, 00:16:04.69\00:16:07.63 "Corrie, do you remember me?" 00:16:07.66\00:16:10.70 She said, "No. 00:16:10.73\00:16:13.84 Yes, you were my jailor." 00:16:13.87\00:16:17.57 The man who had been responsible 00:16:17.61\00:16:19.37 for the death of her sister. 00:16:19.41\00:16:23.41 He said, "How about a hug?" 00:16:23.45\00:16:27.08 How about a hug? 00:16:27.12\00:16:29.48 He said, "Corrie, can you forgive me?" 00:16:29.52\00:16:32.19 And she did. 00:16:36.73\00:16:38.06 That is called grace. 00:16:40.80\00:16:43.30 How you treat your enemies or people who hurt you, 00:16:43.33\00:16:48.70 shows whether you are in the grace of God or not. 00:16:48.74\00:16:54.51 But if God could forgive Ahab, 00:17:00.45\00:17:03.79 I imagined He could forgive her jailor. 00:17:03.82\00:17:09.12 There are conditions of salvation. 00:17:09.16\00:17:10.83 Today, I'm not talking about cheap grace. 00:17:10.86\00:17:13.76 I'm talking about free grace, but not cheap grace. 00:17:13.80\00:17:16.53 And notice this, 00:17:16.56\00:17:17.90 so you don't go out from this meeting 00:17:17.93\00:17:19.80 under some cloud of darkness and misunderstanding. 00:17:19.83\00:17:26.68 Number one, I must believe in God. 00:17:26.71\00:17:30.35 This grace is for those who believe 00:17:30.38\00:17:33.55 and believe with their hearts 00:17:33.58\00:17:36.08 and their minds. 00:17:36.12\00:17:37.65 Number two, it is for those who trust in Christ. 00:17:37.69\00:17:41.42 To trust in Christ means 00:17:41.46\00:17:43.19 that I will not trust in my good works. 00:17:43.22\00:17:45.69 I will not trust in my own merits. 00:17:45.73\00:17:47.96 I will trust in the merits of Christ, 00:17:48.00\00:17:51.07 because I have no merits of my own. 00:17:51.10\00:17:54.90 Number three, now it gets difficult. 00:17:54.94\00:17:57.31 I will acknowledge my sins. 00:17:57.34\00:17:58.97 I will acknowledge my sins, 00:18:02.61\00:18:04.78 and this will lead to repentance 00:18:04.81\00:18:07.38 whereby I will say after I acknowledge my sins. 00:18:07.42\00:18:11.09 Number four, the next point, I will repent. 00:18:11.12\00:18:15.42 And repentance should not be forced upon anybody. 00:18:15.46\00:18:18.89 Repentance is the gift of God. 00:18:18.93\00:18:21.63 And it comes because in our hearts, 00:18:21.66\00:18:23.97 we are contrite, 00:18:24.00\00:18:25.33 and we are sorry for our sins. 00:18:25.37\00:18:27.20 And there is no mercy 00:18:30.24\00:18:31.61 and no forgiveness without repentance. 00:18:31.64\00:18:35.54 And that is why Ahab clothed himself in sackcloth, 00:18:35.58\00:18:40.45 which is a symbol of repentance. 00:18:40.48\00:18:44.32 The people who find it the hardest to repent 00:18:44.35\00:18:46.86 are people who go to church. 00:18:46.89\00:18:50.89 Because generally speaking, 00:18:50.93\00:18:52.26 they are the most self righteous. 00:18:52.29\00:18:55.73 And remember, the people 00:18:55.76\00:18:57.40 who put Christ on the cross were the religious people. 00:18:57.43\00:19:03.17 I don't believe that you say. 00:19:03.20\00:19:04.94 Obviously you haven't read the scriptures. 00:19:04.97\00:19:08.54 Repentance is saying, I'm sorry. 00:19:08.58\00:19:11.51 And number five, it gets even more difficult. 00:19:11.55\00:19:14.38 The Bible says, "You should make restitution." 00:19:14.42\00:19:16.42 People say, "No, no, no." 00:19:16.45\00:19:17.79 Well, let me turn it around. 00:19:17.82\00:19:19.15 If somebody stole $10,000 from you, 00:19:19.19\00:19:21.56 would you want it back? 00:19:21.59\00:19:24.73 You'd say yes, if the person is sincere, 00:19:24.76\00:19:26.36 he'll pay it back. 00:19:26.39\00:19:27.73 Of course. 00:19:27.76\00:19:29.90 Sincere repentance is followed by sincere restitution, 00:19:29.93\00:19:34.60 like the man in Taree, 00:19:34.64\00:19:35.97 a little town in North New South Wales in Australia, 00:19:36.00\00:19:39.07 whom I baptized, 00:19:39.11\00:19:40.58 who before the baptism used to go down 00:19:40.61\00:19:42.44 to where the train stopped at the bottom of his paddy 00:19:42.48\00:19:45.08 and steal the top. 00:19:45.11\00:19:46.45 Stole the tarpaulins from the runway. 00:19:46.48\00:19:49.78 He said, "What am I going to do?" 00:19:49.82\00:19:51.39 I said, "It's very simple. 00:19:51.42\00:19:52.82 You've got to return them." 00:19:52.85\00:19:56.62 Many folks would say, "No, I would never return them." 00:19:56.66\00:19:58.86 Then if you cannot return them, 00:19:58.89\00:20:00.66 you have not repented and you cannot be saved. 00:20:00.70\00:20:03.90 This is the clear teaching of the Bible. 00:20:07.54\00:20:10.97 And number six, to be saved by nothing except salvation. 00:20:11.01\00:20:14.48 It is a gift. 00:20:14.51\00:20:16.88 We are not talking about cheap grace 00:20:16.91\00:20:19.71 that is preached in so many pulpits here 00:20:19.75\00:20:23.49 in America and around the world. 00:20:23.52\00:20:27.09 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, you know him, 00:20:27.12\00:20:30.56 he was one of the great Germans of the Second World War, 00:20:30.59\00:20:34.13 and he stood out against Hitler 00:20:34.16\00:20:36.93 and received or refused to give the Sieg Heil 00:20:36.97\00:20:39.80 or follow him. 00:20:39.83\00:20:41.47 Bonhoeffer was a pastor and a theologian. 00:20:41.50\00:20:46.81 One of the tiny minority. 00:20:46.84\00:20:48.34 The British gave him sanctuary in London. 00:20:48.38\00:20:52.45 But when the persecutions became intense, he said, 00:20:52.48\00:20:55.38 "I must return to Germany and be with my people." 00:20:55.42\00:20:59.32 He was a Lutheran. 00:21:02.76\00:21:04.39 He wrote this, "Cheap grace is the grace 00:21:04.43\00:21:06.93 we bestow on ourselves." 00:21:06.96\00:21:09.60 Get that? 00:21:09.63\00:21:11.40 "Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness 00:21:11.43\00:21:13.44 without requiring repentance, 00:21:13.47\00:21:15.37 baptism without church, discipline, 00:21:15.40\00:21:17.97 communion without confession. 00:21:18.01\00:21:20.31 Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, 00:21:20.34\00:21:24.38 grace without the cross, 00:21:24.41\00:21:28.05 grace without Jesus Christ, 00:21:28.08\00:21:30.85 living and incarnate." 00:21:30.89\00:21:33.42 Because he had true grace in the end, 00:21:33.46\00:21:35.72 they came for him, and he was hung up, 00:21:35.76\00:21:39.79 put to death by the Nazis. 00:21:39.83\00:21:42.16 We're not talking counterfeit Christianity, 00:21:42.20\00:21:44.13 not cheap grace, but costly grace. 00:21:44.17\00:21:46.67 Grace, it reaches down from the cross of Christ 00:21:46.70\00:21:49.10 and redeems. 00:21:49.14\00:21:50.47 It is grace that forgives. 00:21:50.51\00:21:51.84 It is grace that transforms. 00:21:51.87\00:21:54.08 I'm now back in Brisbane 00:21:54.11\00:21:55.64 and the choir is singing, the mission choir, 00:21:55.68\00:21:58.65 "Sinners Jesus will receive: 00:21:58.68\00:22:01.38 Sound this word of grace to all 00:22:01.42\00:22:04.22 who their heavenly pathway leave, 00:22:04.25\00:22:06.72 all who linger, all who fall." 00:22:06.76\00:22:10.16 Sing it over and over again, 00:22:10.19\00:22:12.66 Christ receiveth sinful men. 00:22:12.69\00:22:15.70 Make the message clear and plain. 00:22:15.73\00:22:19.63 Christ receiveth sinful men, 00:22:19.67\00:22:21.94 anybody who will come and repent and believe. 00:22:21.97\00:22:28.08 So come now, there is hope for the worst sinner. 00:22:28.11\00:22:30.18 There's hope for you. 00:22:30.21\00:22:31.55 And there's hope for you and there's hope for me. 00:22:31.58\00:22:35.08 But I must feel my need. 00:22:35.12\00:22:38.65 Some years ago, as you folks, some of you know, 00:22:38.69\00:22:40.89 we're going to Manila for a big city wide campaign. 00:22:40.92\00:22:46.03 I don't like to use the term crusade 00:22:46.06\00:22:48.03 because of its connotations in the Dark Ages. 00:22:48.06\00:22:51.43 In Australia, we never called it an effort, 00:22:51.47\00:22:54.57 what a terrible word that is, 00:22:54.60\00:22:56.00 I'm going to have an effort. 00:22:56.04\00:22:57.81 Talk about, I mean, that's odious. 00:22:57.84\00:23:00.14 We called it a mission. 00:23:00.18\00:23:01.94 So we're going to have a mission to Manila. 00:23:01.98\00:23:05.25 And when I went there many, many years ago 00:23:05.28\00:23:08.42 when I was a young man, 00:23:08.45\00:23:11.42 and I had some fire in my preaching, 00:23:11.45\00:23:14.69 and I had some energy. 00:23:14.72\00:23:18.83 I was taken into this high security jail 00:23:18.86\00:23:21.16 and I preached a sermon, 00:23:21.20\00:23:22.53 my first one I've ever preached on death row. 00:23:22.56\00:23:25.70 These young men, 00:23:25.73\00:23:27.07 men were going to be executed in the electric chair. 00:23:27.10\00:23:30.51 You know what I preached on, 00:23:30.54\00:23:32.47 Christ in the electric chair, 00:23:32.51\00:23:34.64 Christ on the cross, Christ on the gallows. 00:23:34.68\00:23:38.38 And as I made an appeal, they broke down, they cried, 00:23:38.41\00:23:41.48 they came, stood around, held on to the bars. 00:23:41.52\00:23:44.92 Then Dr. Graeme Bradford, my old buddy, 00:23:44.95\00:23:46.96 and I took them into an adjoining room, 00:23:46.99\00:23:49.62 and there was a tank of water. 00:23:49.66\00:23:52.03 And we took these young men, 00:23:52.06\00:23:55.13 these young convicts down into the water 00:23:55.16\00:23:59.10 and we baptized them in the name of the Father, 00:23:59.13\00:24:01.30 and the Son, and the Holy Spirit 00:24:01.34\00:24:03.27 on death row. 00:24:03.30\00:24:04.64 So if Jesus can save murderers, 00:24:08.71\00:24:13.18 and adulterers, and fornicators, 00:24:13.21\00:24:18.29 somebody said, He can even change, 00:24:18.32\00:24:19.95 He can even save self righteous church members. 00:24:19.99\00:24:23.99 They're the hardest to save. 00:24:24.03\00:24:26.70 I've been a pastor for more than 50 years, 00:24:26.73\00:24:28.90 I know what I'm talking about. 00:24:28.93\00:24:31.87 Nobody is too hard for Jesus. 00:24:31.90\00:24:38.84 Grace that is greater than all my sin. 00:24:38.87\00:24:44.65 Sing it again I say to the choir 00:24:44.68\00:24:47.28 at five years of age, 00:24:47.32\00:24:49.52 "Sinners Jesus will receive 00:24:49.55\00:24:53.25 even me with all my sin." 00:24:53.29\00:24:57.59 Sing it over and over again, 00:24:57.63\00:25:02.93 Christ receiveth sinful men. 00:25:02.96\00:25:09.37 See my servant. 00:25:09.40\00:25:10.91 See Ahab, 00:25:10.94\00:25:12.27 he's in sackcloth. 00:25:15.04\00:25:17.61 Therefore I will not do to him what I said I was going to do. 00:25:17.65\00:25:21.35 My message to you is this, 00:25:21.38\00:25:23.35 whoever you are, 00:25:23.39\00:25:26.25 whatever you have done, my friend. 00:25:26.29\00:25:31.09 Are you listening to me, whoever you are, 00:25:31.13\00:25:34.43 whatever you have done, 00:25:34.46\00:25:38.63 there is mercy, and forgiveness, 00:25:38.67\00:25:42.17 and heaven for you. 00:25:42.20\00:25:44.94 Because where sin did abound, 00:25:44.97\00:25:48.74 grace did much more abound. 00:25:48.78\00:25:52.78 And we say, glory to the Father, 00:25:52.81\00:25:56.89 and to the Son, 00:25:56.92\00:25:59.32 and to the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ our Lord. 00:25:59.35\00:26:04.49 Amen and amen. Amen. 00:26:04.53\00:26:06.73 Hello, friend. 00:26:16.30\00:26:17.77 I'm John Carter. 00:26:17.81\00:26:19.14 Behind me is the great city of Manila, 00:26:19.17\00:26:22.94 the capital of the Philippines. 00:26:22.98\00:26:25.18 Did you know, this is quite amazing. 00:26:25.21\00:26:27.08 There are more people living in this area 00:26:27.12\00:26:29.32 than in New York City. 00:26:29.35\00:26:31.39 And Christ died for these people. 00:26:31.42\00:26:34.09 We came here, 00:26:34.12\00:26:35.52 oh, long time ago back in 1984. 00:26:35.56\00:26:40.20 What's that, 34, 35 years ago, 00:26:40.23\00:26:43.13 and we came here with a team of young people 00:26:43.16\00:26:45.50 and we came to the PICC. 00:26:45.53\00:26:48.60 It is our intent to come here, 00:26:48.64\00:26:50.97 hire the biggest hall that's available, 00:26:51.01\00:26:53.11 the greatest outdoor stadium, whatever it takes. 00:26:53.14\00:26:57.48 You've got more than 20 million souls out here. 00:26:57.51\00:27:02.38 And I say it again. 00:27:02.42\00:27:03.75 These are people for whom Christ died. 00:27:03.79\00:27:06.52 I'm asking you to pray 00:27:06.55\00:27:07.89 for the people of the Philippines. 00:27:07.92\00:27:10.13 Please pray for the people here in Metro Manila. 00:27:10.16\00:27:13.96 And please write to me, John Carter, 00:27:14.00\00:27:16.40 P.O. Box 1900, 00:27:16.43\00:27:18.43 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 00:27:18.47\00:27:21.90 In Australia, write to me at Terrigal, 00:27:21.94\00:27:24.44 at the address that is now showing 00:27:24.47\00:27:27.04 on the screen. 00:27:27.08\00:27:30.05 We're back in Manila, 00:27:30.08\00:27:32.08 and we're back with a message from God, 00:27:32.11\00:27:34.78 that message is, Christ died for you. 00:27:34.82\00:27:40.06 And Christ is coming again soon. 00:27:40.09\00:27:45.39 Please support us. 00:27:45.43\00:27:46.76 Write to me today, P.O. Box 1900, 00:27:46.80\00:27:49.66 Thousand Oaks, California. 00:27:49.70\00:27:51.60 And also write to me at Terrigal in Australia. 00:27:51.63\00:27:55.67 Thank you for your support. 00:27:55.70\00:27:58.04 And God bless you. 00:27:58.07\00:27:59.41 For a copy of today's program, 00:28:14.69\00:28:16.79 please contact us at P.O. Box 1900, 00:28:16.83\00:28:20.36 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 00:28:20.40\00:28:24.57 Or in Australia, contact us at P.O. Box 861, 00:28:24.60\00:28:29.64 Terrigal, New South Wales 2260. 00:28:29.67\00:28:33.94 This program is made possible 00:28:33.98\00:28:35.64 through the generous support of viewers like you. 00:28:35.68\00:28:38.71 We thank you for your continued support. 00:28:38.75\00:28:41.68 May God richly bless you. 00:28:41.72\00:28:43.45