As the world lurches
from one disaster to another,
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politicians seemed frozen
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in a state of
impotency and confusion.
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Some even questioned
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the very
existence of the church,
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while others ask, is
there a word from the Lord?
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Is there a
solution to the problems
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that are tearing society apart?
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Today, John Carter
will answer those questions
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but first, we
must begin by asking
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the most
important question of all,
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what matters most.
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You can have all the silver
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You can have all the gold
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Just give me Jesus
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You can have all the wisdom
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This earth can hold
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Just give me Jesus
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Give me Jesus
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When I'm lonely
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And I've nowhere to go
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Give me Jesus
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He's the only one who love me so
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Give me Jesus love
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Jesus is all I need
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You can have all the spotlights
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You can have all the fame
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Just give me Jesus
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You can have all the success
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Have you and will know name
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Just give me Jesus
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Give me Jesus
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Jesus
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When I'm lonely
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And I'm nowhere to go
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Give me Jesus
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Jesus
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He's the only
one who loves me so
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Give me Jesus love
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Jesus is all I need
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He's my closest friend
when no one seemed to care
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"What matters most,
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and how
important is social action
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in bringing
about a better world."
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Hello, friend.
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I'm John Carter,
here in Australia,
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which is, of course,
the place of my birth.
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I'm trying to get
back to the United States
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but because of COVID-19,
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the Australian government
has sealed the borders.
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So please say a
little prayer for me.
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What matters most how
important is social activity.
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It's an alarming fact
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that Australia is
no longer predominantly
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a believing nation.
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Twenty five years ago,
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75% of Aussies believed in God.
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Today,
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the Australian
government tells me
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that number is down to 49%.
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So Christianity apparently
is in a state of decline
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in the great land down under.
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And this, of course,
once upon a time was a country
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where 100% of the
people believed in God,
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and probably 95% of them
believed in Jesus Christ.
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But today, only 49% of Aussies
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believe in God.
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So what matters most?
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Social action is that important?
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I'm sure it's important.
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I'm sure changes in society
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are needed and are called for.
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But the question
today is a burning question.
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It is a question
with great force.
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What really matters?
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What matters most?
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Now the Church
of England in Sydney
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has elected our new archbishop.
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He's a gentleman from Sri Lanka.
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His name is Kanishka
Raffel from Sri Lanka.
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Once upon a time,
he was a Buddhist,
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but somebody gave him a
copy of the Gospel of John.
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And he read it through
and when he read it through
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he discovered what matters most.
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And he became a
believer in Christ.
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And they've elected
him as the archbishop
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of the Church of
England in Sydney.
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Now, as some of you would know,
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the Great Church of
England has got two wings,
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you've got the low church
that's Evangelical, and free,
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and believes in the gospel,
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not too much ceremony.
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But then you've
got the high church,
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which is, forgive me,
very stiff, and starchy,
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and has lots of ceremonies,
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and not a lot of gospel.
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And so he's come
into this position
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as archbishop
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of the Great Church of England,
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in the great city of
Sydney, in Australia,
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where only 49% of the
people now believe in God.
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It's amazing, isn't it?
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And when he gave
his opening speech,
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he spoke on what matters most.
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I'm going to read you the speech
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later on in this talk today.
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But going back a long time
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back to 1982.
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That's before most
of you folks were born.
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1982, the Carter
Report conducted a tremendous,
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glory be to God,
evangelistic campaign
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in the great Sydney Opera House.
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It didn't go for
five days or five weeks.
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It went for five
months, every weekend.
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And we talked
about what matters most.
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At that time or
just after the lectures
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in the Sydney Opera House,
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I did a television program
with Channel Nine in Sydney.
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Now Channel Nine in those
days may still be the same,
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was the most prestigious,
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the most
influential television station
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in the whole of Australia.
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My special guest was
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the Reverend Fred Nile.
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For 40 years, he's just retired,
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for 40 years,
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Mr. Nile was an advocate
for the truth of the Bible,
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and the truth of Christianity.
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He fought same-sex marriage.
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Why?
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Because quite frankly
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he believes in
freedom of speech,
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and he believes
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that the Bible doesn't teach it,
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the Bible is against it.
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But if you were to ask
the Reverend Fred Nile,
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who was the
longest-serving member
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of the New South
Wales Parliament,
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what matters most,
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he would not say social action
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or the work of Parliament.
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He would say the preaching
of the Gospel of Christ,
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which is the most potent force
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in society.
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"Have you seen the
movie Amazing Grace?
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What motivated
the main character
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William Wilberforce
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to bring about legislation
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that abolished the slave trade?"
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Well, the story of Wilberforce
is a fantastic story.
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Yes, I have seen
the movie Amazing Grace,
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I would recommend that
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every person go watch
that all go, get the video,
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or download or somehow
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but see the
movie, Amazing Grace.
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It's about the
abolition of the slave trade.
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It's a fantastic movie.
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And he was a member of
the British Parliament.
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And he was a
tremendous voice for reason,
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sanity, and truth, and liberty.
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It's interesting how Wilberforce
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became a Christian.
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He was influenced
to become a Christian
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and to advocate
against the slave trade
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by none other than John Newton.
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Now, John Newton was the man
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who wrote the
tremendous hymn Amazing grace,
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how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me.
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Now John Newton had been
the captain of a slave ship.
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Did you know this?
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But then he heard the
preaching of John Wesley.
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I bless your heart.
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John Wesley was a flame
in the hand of Almighty God,
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I'm telling you today.
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He preached 42,000 sermons,
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traveled 360,000 miles
on the back of a horse,
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wrote books, preach the gospel,
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and saved England
from such a revolution
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as almost destroyed
the great land of France,
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the bloody French Revolution
00:09:56.46\00:09:58.73
and so it was through
the preaching of John Wesley,
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who founded the
Methodist Church,
00:10:03.73\00:10:06.10
that Wilberforce
became a Christian
00:10:06.13\00:10:09.27
because it was
from Wesley to Newton,
00:10:09.30\00:10:12.61
and then to Wilberforce
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and Wilberforce was
burning in his soul,
00:10:15.58\00:10:20.22
because of this
infamous iniquitous
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slave trade.
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And he wrote these
words, I'm going to see,
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I've got a quote from
Wilberforce on slavery,
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my dear friends, listen up.
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The realities of
slave transport reveal
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its inhumanity:
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600 to 700 people in
tight spaces, beaten,
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abused, and even
forced to entertain the crew.
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The death rate is appalling:
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12.5% die in the
Atlantic crossing,
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4.5% more die of disease onshore
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before they are sold.
00:11:02.66\00:11:05.23
Upon the whole, however,
00:11:05.26\00:11:08.20
there is a
mortality rate of about 50%
00:11:08.23\00:11:12.77
within the first year
of being in the New World."
00:11:12.80\00:11:17.31
So Newton who gave us
the hymn Amazing Grace
00:11:20.41\00:11:24.71
led Wilberforce to Christ.
00:11:24.75\00:11:27.42
And it was John Wesley,
00:11:27.45\00:11:29.52
his tremendous preaching
00:11:29.55\00:11:31.49
that saved the soul
of the old slave trader,
00:11:31.52\00:11:34.46
John Newton.
00:11:34.49\00:11:36.39
And so this whole
movement to release the slaves
00:11:36.42\00:11:39.73
was not an atheistic thing.
00:11:39.76\00:11:41.73
It was not something
that came from the humanist
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because they've
given nothing to the world.
00:11:44.30\00:11:48.14
It was a God thing.
00:11:48.17\00:11:50.24
It came through the preaching
00:11:50.27\00:11:52.81
of the powerful
Gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:11:52.84\00:11:57.38
Now I want to
tell you something,
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you can have all
this social activity
00:11:59.51\00:12:01.55
in the world,
00:12:01.58\00:12:02.98
a lot of that social
activity may be very good.
00:12:03.02\00:12:06.29
You can have all
00:12:06.32\00:12:07.66
the political
agitation in the world,
00:12:07.69\00:12:10.13
you can preach politics
until the cows come home,
00:12:10.16\00:12:14.40
my dear friend,
00:12:14.43\00:12:16.40
but the greatest
force for the regeneration
00:12:16.43\00:12:19.57
of the human race is
not found in pure politics.
00:12:19.60\00:12:23.77
It is found in
the Gospel of Christ
00:12:23.81\00:12:27.24
because the Gospel of Christ
00:12:27.28\00:12:29.91
is what matters most.
00:12:29.94\00:12:34.78
"Should the
church and Christians
00:12:34.82\00:12:37.42
be involved in
lobbying Washington
00:12:37.45\00:12:39.82
to change society?"
00:12:39.85\00:12:43.73
Congressmen and senators
are to vote their conscience.
00:12:43.76\00:12:48.93
Conscience ought to
be above party politics.
00:12:48.96\00:12:53.57
Now, a lot of senators
and congressmen say today,
00:12:53.60\00:12:56.57
I belong to such and
such a party do or die.
00:12:56.60\00:13:01.48
I belong to this
wing of the party,
00:13:01.51\00:13:04.58
and therefore I
vote what my party says.
00:13:04.61\00:13:09.42
But a Christian,
first and foremost,
00:13:09.45\00:13:11.75
now hear me in this, my friend,
00:13:11.79\00:13:13.66
listen up very carefully.
00:13:13.69\00:13:15.36
A Christian first and foremost
00:13:15.39\00:13:18.89
is true to God and
true to his conscience.
00:13:18.93\00:13:24.87
And a Christian
if he's in the Senate
00:13:24.90\00:13:27.14
or in the Congress,
00:13:27.17\00:13:28.50
or in the New
South Wales Parliament
00:13:28.54\00:13:31.24
or the Australian
Parliament, in Canberra,
00:13:31.27\00:13:35.18
ought to vote his
conscience and be true to God
00:13:35.21\00:13:39.55
and his religious convictions.
00:13:39.58\00:13:45.05
May I remind you,
00:13:45.09\00:13:47.46
that Christians were involved
with Dr. Martin Luther King,
00:13:47.49\00:13:52.83
in his march for freedom?
00:13:52.86\00:13:55.23
What a disgrace was slavery.
00:13:55.26\00:13:58.37
And most of the
nations of the world
00:13:58.40\00:14:00.10
had been involved in slavery,
00:14:00.14\00:14:02.07
including the African nations.
00:14:02.10\00:14:04.34
You say no, no, no.
00:14:04.37\00:14:05.71
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
00:14:05.74\00:14:08.21
The African nations were
a part of the slave trade,
00:14:08.24\00:14:11.65
as well as
America and Great Britain,
00:14:11.68\00:14:17.45
and the Muslims and
the Roman Catholics.
00:14:17.49\00:14:23.43
It took a man who was converted
00:14:23.46\00:14:25.23
through the great
preaching of John Wesley,
00:14:25.26\00:14:28.66
John Newton, and Wilberforce
00:14:28.70\00:14:31.43
to bring down the
slave trade in Great Britain.
00:14:31.47\00:14:35.07
Glory be to God.
00:14:35.10\00:14:38.04
And should a Christian
be involved in politics?
00:14:38.07\00:14:42.14
If by politics you mean
trying to change the world
00:14:42.18\00:14:46.15
by legislation
00:14:46.18\00:14:47.65
that is going to make
this world a better place?
00:14:47.68\00:14:50.02
Of course, we want to
make this world a better place.
00:14:50.05\00:14:54.09
But today, I'm talking
about what matters most
00:14:54.12\00:14:57.99
and I believe
00:14:58.03\00:14:59.36
it is the
preaching of the gospel
00:14:59.39\00:15:01.06
as done by John Wesley,
00:15:01.10\00:15:02.73
and John
Newton, and Wilberforce,
00:15:02.76\00:15:05.63
and other great preachers.
00:15:05.67\00:15:07.00
I believe it is that
preaching that matters most.
00:15:07.04\00:15:12.34
That's what America
needs more than anything else.
00:15:12.37\00:15:14.94
That's what Australia
needs more than anything else.
00:15:14.98\00:15:18.28
Some would say that
the Christian church
00:15:18.31\00:15:20.58
in Australia has largely
become a cozy literal club,
00:15:20.62\00:15:26.29
where people go
to be entertained,
00:15:26.32\00:15:29.06
or better still to go to sleep.
00:15:29.09\00:15:32.73
But the church is not
called to be a cozy social club.
00:15:32.76\00:15:37.87
It is called to
be a mighty army.
00:15:37.90\00:15:42.77
But to get back
to your question,
00:15:42.80\00:15:45.91
may I tell you that
many Christians marched
00:15:45.94\00:15:49.01
with Dr. Martin Luther King.
00:15:49.04\00:15:52.81
And Martin Luther King,
00:15:52.85\00:15:54.18
I want to tell
my humanist friends,
00:15:54.22\00:15:56.75
my atheist friends.
00:15:56.79\00:15:58.92
He was not an atheist.
00:15:58.95\00:16:00.29
He was not a humanist.
00:16:00.32\00:16:02.02
Martin Luther King
00:16:02.06\00:16:03.96
was a Baptist preacher.
00:16:03.99\00:16:08.43
You say, "Is it true?"
00:16:08.46\00:16:09.80
I was talking to a
person not very long ago,
00:16:09.83\00:16:12.90
who very strongly told me
00:16:12.93\00:16:15.74
that this great civil
rights movement was a thing
00:16:15.77\00:16:18.74
that was brought
about by the humanists.
00:16:18.77\00:16:21.21
The humanists
say, "There's no God
00:16:21.24\00:16:23.14
and man is the
center of everything."
00:16:23.18\00:16:25.08
I told her that's
absolute balderdash.
00:16:25.11\00:16:27.85
That's nonsense.
00:16:27.88\00:16:29.85
Every great
movement to better people,
00:16:29.88\00:16:33.66
lift up women, help children,
00:16:33.69\00:16:37.56
defend the
homeless, defend the unborn,
00:16:37.59\00:16:42.63
to release the slaves.
00:16:42.66\00:16:45.13
Every one of
those great movements
00:16:45.17\00:16:47.47
has been a movement
00:16:47.50\00:16:49.37
that was led by God
through the Holy Scriptures,
00:16:49.40\00:16:52.37
and the preaching of
the Gospel of Christ.
00:16:52.41\00:16:54.31
That's a fact.
00:16:54.34\00:16:56.21
It is the truth.
00:16:56.24\00:16:58.51
I was amazed to
discover only yesterday
00:16:58.55\00:17:00.95
that in the world today,
00:17:00.98\00:17:02.52
there are still
50 million slaves
00:17:02.55\00:17:07.86
in Africa,
00:17:07.89\00:17:09.39
even slaves
00:17:09.42\00:17:10.89
in the United States of America,
00:17:10.93\00:17:13.29
certainly all through Asia,
00:17:13.33\00:17:15.90
and in China, and other places.
00:17:15.93\00:17:19.70
And the greatest
liberator of the slave
00:17:19.73\00:17:22.80
is the preaching of
the Gospel of Christ
00:17:22.84\00:17:25.71
may God raise up today,
00:17:25.74\00:17:27.48
I say, for the glory of God,
00:17:27.51\00:17:29.64
John Wesleys,
and Martin Luthers,
00:17:29.68\00:17:33.95
and Wilberforces,
00:17:33.98\00:17:36.69
men who will go
forth with a flame,
00:17:36.72\00:17:41.36
a flame coming
out of their mouths,
00:17:41.39\00:17:43.66
it is a flame of
the Gospel of Christ
00:17:43.69\00:17:47.23
because the gospel matters most.
00:17:47.26\00:17:52.20
"Do you believe
00:17:52.23\00:17:53.57
in the union of
church and state?
00:17:53.60\00:17:55.50
And what are the
consequences of such a union?"
00:17:55.54\00:18:00.41
Thank you, Wayne.
00:18:00.44\00:18:01.78
That is a great question.
00:18:01.81\00:18:03.71
We are delighted to have you
00:18:03.75\00:18:05.28
as our partner
in these programs.
00:18:05.31\00:18:07.52
Wayne, thank you.
00:18:07.55\00:18:09.22
Okay, there's a text over here
00:18:09.25\00:18:11.25
in the Book of
Revelation Chapter 17.
00:18:11.29\00:18:13.79
I want to read a
bit of it to you.
00:18:13.82\00:18:16.73
It's found in the
Apocalypse, it says,
00:18:16.76\00:18:19.46
"I'll show you the
judgment of the great harlot
00:18:19.49\00:18:21.53
who sits on many waters."
00:18:21.56\00:18:23.00
In Bible prophecy, listen,
00:18:23.03\00:18:26.00
a harlot is the corrupt church.
00:18:26.03\00:18:29.20
There are two
churches in the Bible,
00:18:29.24\00:18:31.24
the pure church
and the harlot church,
00:18:31.27\00:18:36.28
and says, "The great harlot
00:18:36.31\00:18:39.41
with whom the kings of the earth
00:18:39.45\00:18:41.22
committed fornication,
00:18:41.25\00:18:43.02
the kings of the
earth, married the church.
00:18:43.05\00:18:47.56
So he carried me away
00:18:47.59\00:18:48.92
in the Spirit
into the wilderness.
00:18:48.96\00:18:50.49
I saw a woman
sitting on a scarlet beast.
00:18:50.53\00:18:54.03
Woman was arrayed
in purple and scarlet,
00:18:54.06\00:18:57.60
adorned with gold
and precious stones,
00:18:57.63\00:19:00.37
and so forth."
00:19:00.40\00:19:02.17
Revelation Chapter 17,
00:19:02.20\00:19:06.27
dear friend of mine, is
a picture of Antichrist.
00:19:06.31\00:19:12.15
Are you listening?
00:19:12.18\00:19:15.02
Antichrist, in its very essence,
00:19:15.05\00:19:18.05
is a union of church and state.
00:19:18.09\00:19:21.66
It is where the church
00:19:21.69\00:19:25.03
dominates the state
00:19:25.06\00:19:27.26
and enforces religious laws.
00:19:27.30\00:19:31.43
You say, "Has
this ever happened?"
00:19:31.47\00:19:33.47
Of course, it has.
00:19:33.50\00:19:35.90
Have you not heard
00:19:35.94\00:19:38.01
of the bloody
Spanish Inquisition?
00:19:38.04\00:19:41.34
That's when the Church
of Rome ruled the world.
00:19:41.38\00:19:44.01
This is just history.
00:19:44.05\00:19:45.95
You can go online,
00:19:45.98\00:19:47.32
you can read
about it, my friend.
00:19:47.35\00:19:49.28
Hundreds of thousands
of people were tortured,
00:19:49.32\00:19:51.99
and they were put to death.
00:19:52.02\00:19:54.02
That's what happens
00:19:54.06\00:19:55.39
when the church takes control
of the power of the state.
00:19:55.42\00:19:59.26
I have people tell me
in America all the time,
00:19:59.29\00:20:01.70
isn't going to be wonderful
00:20:01.73\00:20:03.50
when the church is in
charge of the government,
00:20:03.53\00:20:05.97
and Jesus is
the King of America.
00:20:06.00\00:20:11.74
When Jesus is "king of America,"
00:20:11.77\00:20:17.01
America will have
become the Antichrist,
00:20:17.05\00:20:21.72
because the union of church
00:20:21.75\00:20:23.42
and state is the very
essence of Antichrist.
00:20:23.45\00:20:27.19
I've been into
museums in Europe, in Russia,
00:20:27.22\00:20:31.69
where I've seen
the Inquisition set up.
00:20:31.73\00:20:35.10
It's an infernal thing.
00:20:35.13\00:20:36.83
It's a thing that came
from the very pit of hell.
00:20:36.87\00:20:41.17
So I don't believe in the
union of church and state.
00:20:41.20\00:20:43.54
Having said that, listen,
00:20:43.57\00:20:46.14
I believe that the church
00:20:46.17\00:20:47.64
ought to have a
tremendous influence
00:20:47.68\00:20:50.15
in society,
00:20:50.18\00:20:51.81
for the good of society.
00:20:51.85\00:20:54.08
Now, let me
read you a statement,
00:20:54.12\00:20:56.25
the First Amendment of
the great US Constitution,
00:20:56.28\00:21:01.29
one of the greatest documents
ever written in the history
00:21:01.32\00:21:04.83
of the human race.
00:21:04.86\00:21:06.96
It says, "Congress
shall make no law respecting
00:21:07.00\00:21:12.03
an establishment of religion,
00:21:12.07\00:21:15.60
or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof."
00:21:15.64\00:21:19.94
Congress cannot set
up a state religion,
00:21:19.97\00:21:23.31
and it can't stop the people
00:21:23.35\00:21:24.78
who are setting up
their own religions.
00:21:24.81\00:21:27.52
That's, this is
the genius of America.
00:21:27.55\00:21:30.25
Some people would
do away with this.
00:21:30.29\00:21:32.89
The humanists
would do away with this.
00:21:32.92\00:21:35.82
Foolish people
would do away with this.
00:21:35.86\00:21:38.09
It says, "Or
abridging the freedom of speech,
00:21:38.13\00:21:41.76
or of the press,
00:21:41.80\00:21:43.40
or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble,
00:21:43.43\00:21:46.74
and to petition the government
for a redress of grievances."
00:21:46.77\00:21:50.94
Now listen to me, my friend.
00:21:50.97\00:21:52.54
This is the genius of America,
00:21:55.54\00:21:58.68
no state church.
00:21:58.71\00:22:01.92
But the state has got no right
to try to muzzle the church.
00:22:01.95\00:22:07.62
And if the church comes out
and preaches strongly against
00:22:07.66\00:22:10.99
what the government is doing,
00:22:11.03\00:22:13.19
that is the
God-given right of that church.
00:22:13.23\00:22:18.00
I believe in freedom of speech.
00:22:18.03\00:22:20.50
I'm a Christian minister.
00:22:20.54\00:22:23.30
I have the right,
not from the government,
00:22:23.34\00:22:26.61
but from God,
because God made me.
00:22:26.64\00:22:31.18
I'm a child of God.
00:22:31.21\00:22:32.68
I don't believe I
think humanists believe
00:22:32.71\00:22:35.42
that I'm something nothing.
00:22:35.45\00:22:38.72
I know where I came from.
00:22:38.75\00:22:40.12
I'm not an accident.
00:22:40.16\00:22:41.49
I'm not a cosmic accident.
00:22:41.52\00:22:43.86
The humanist says that
man is simply an accident,
00:22:43.89\00:22:47.26
he came from nothing.
00:22:47.30\00:22:49.06
What absolute nonsense, I say.
00:22:49.10\00:22:52.23
I believe that man
came from the hand of God,
00:22:52.27\00:22:55.64
and man has got
certain unalienable rights,
00:22:55.67\00:23:01.21
as it says, in the Constitution,
00:23:01.24\00:23:03.58
the right to liberty.
00:23:03.61\00:23:06.18
And I believe in
the freedom of speech.
00:23:06.21\00:23:08.15
And I believe
that I have the right
00:23:08.18\00:23:10.05
to disagree with the government
00:23:10.09\00:23:11.89
on same-sex
marriage, on abortion,
00:23:11.92\00:23:14.62
or anything else
because that is my privilege,
00:23:14.66\00:23:18.06
not just as a
citizen of the United States
00:23:18.09\00:23:20.90
or of Australia,
00:23:20.93\00:23:22.26
but as a child of God.
00:23:22.30\00:23:27.90
"Is there a better
way to change the world
00:23:27.94\00:23:30.24
without politics?"
00:23:30.27\00:23:34.11
Is there a better
way to change the world
00:23:34.14\00:23:37.15
without politics?
00:23:37.18\00:23:40.72
Let me say this,
00:23:40.75\00:23:42.65
you can't legislate morality
00:23:42.68\00:23:46.89
and this is what
is so frustrating.
00:23:46.92\00:23:49.92
And so people are
all the time in Congress,
00:23:49.96\00:23:53.16
fighting to get more laws
through to make people better.
00:23:53.19\00:23:58.50
You don't make people
better by legislation.
00:23:58.53\00:24:02.54
They say we're
going to have legislation
00:24:02.57\00:24:04.27
so that we do
away with all racism.
00:24:04.31\00:24:08.61
Well, that's fine.
00:24:08.64\00:24:10.08
That's good. God bless you.
00:24:10.11\00:24:12.68
But let me tell
you, folks, something.
00:24:12.71\00:24:14.98
And please listen to me.
00:24:15.02\00:24:17.19
There's something
which is far more important
00:24:17.22\00:24:19.69
than legislation.
00:24:19.72\00:24:22.02
And that is
changing people's hearts,
00:24:22.06\00:24:25.03
you see.
00:24:25.06\00:24:26.39
It is only the Gospel of Christ
00:24:26.43\00:24:28.53
that can change
a person's heart.
00:24:28.56\00:24:31.77
And that is why I
believe what matters most
00:24:31.80\00:24:34.54
is the preaching of
the Gospel of Christ
00:24:34.57\00:24:37.14
that changes people's hearts.
00:24:37.17\00:24:40.21
Now, I've got some
amazing truths to tell you.
00:24:40.24\00:24:44.71
Now listen to this
00:24:44.75\00:24:46.08
because most
people don't know this.
00:24:46.11\00:24:48.38
Most people have
never studied this.
00:24:48.42\00:24:49.95
Most people are
completely ignorant
00:24:49.98\00:24:51.85
of the great facts of history.
00:24:51.89\00:24:55.92
There was a time
00:24:55.96\00:24:57.29
when Europe went
down into the Dark Ages.
00:24:57.33\00:25:01.00
They call it the
Dark Ages because it was.
00:25:01.03\00:25:04.57
It was a time when the church
00:25:04.60\00:25:06.07
and the state
ruled the world together,
00:25:06.10\00:25:08.14
the church dominated the state.
00:25:08.17\00:25:10.51
And the church persecuted people
00:25:10.54\00:25:13.31
and put millions
of people to death
00:25:13.34\00:25:15.51
because they were individuals.
00:25:15.54\00:25:19.71
They were dissidents,
they thought for themselves,
00:25:19.75\00:25:22.58
I say, hooray for the dissident,
00:25:22.62\00:25:26.86
but then there came the great
00:25:26.89\00:25:28.66
Protestant Reformation.
00:25:28.69\00:25:30.56
People say, "What on earth
00:25:30.59\00:25:31.93
was this
Protestant Reformation?"
00:25:31.96\00:25:33.76
Well, there came a
man who was sent from God,
00:25:33.80\00:25:36.97
and his name was Martin Luther.
00:25:37.00\00:25:39.87
And he was a great
Roman Catholic priest,
00:25:39.90\00:25:43.30
a doctor of theology.
00:25:43.34\00:25:44.84
And as he read his Bible,
00:25:44.87\00:25:48.58
he made some
amazing discoveries.
00:25:48.61\00:25:53.15
He discovered that our
problem is basically spiritual
00:25:53.18\00:25:57.89
and that we are
not saved by the Pope
00:25:57.92\00:26:00.66
and we're not
saved by the church,
00:26:00.69\00:26:02.69
but we are saved
by Jesus Christ alone.
00:26:02.72\00:26:08.46
This great
movement started in Germany
00:26:08.50\00:26:12.47
and then it spread
across the channel,
00:26:12.50\00:26:15.50
and went to Great Britain.
00:26:15.54\00:26:17.84
And then it
spread around the world.
00:26:17.87\00:26:20.28
And the countries
that accepted the teachings
00:26:20.31\00:26:23.18
of the Protestant Reformation
00:26:23.21\00:26:25.28
became the most prosperous
countries in the world.
00:26:25.31\00:26:29.08
You say, "Oh no,
this is sort of racism."
00:26:29.12\00:26:31.92
No, no, no, it's not racism.
00:26:31.95\00:26:33.79
It's history.
00:26:33.82\00:26:35.42
We're interested in
facts in this program.
00:26:35.46\00:26:38.23
We're not
interested in opinions.
00:26:38.26\00:26:40.76
You remember Jesus
said, you'll know the truth,
00:26:40.80\00:26:44.23
and the truth
will make you free.
00:26:44.27\00:26:47.90
And so the countries
00:26:47.94\00:26:49.27
that accepted
the truth of freedom,
00:26:49.30\00:26:53.48
the truth of the gospel,
00:26:53.51\00:26:56.41
which says that
Christ died for me,
00:26:56.44\00:27:00.28
and I am saved when I
give my life to Christ,
00:27:00.32\00:27:03.95
and my soul is not in
the hands of the Vatican
00:27:03.99\00:27:08.99
or any other church.
00:27:09.02\00:27:11.13
These people became
tremendously liberated.
00:27:11.16\00:27:14.73
Those countries became,
there's no question about it,
00:27:14.76\00:27:18.83
they became the most prosperous,
00:27:18.87\00:27:20.94
the most healthy,
00:27:20.97\00:27:23.14
the most amazing
countries in the world.
00:27:23.17\00:27:27.48
I can mention them to
you, Great Britain or Germany,
00:27:27.51\00:27:33.35
United States of America.
00:27:33.38\00:27:35.55
America is America
00:27:35.58\00:27:37.55
because she accepted the
teachings of the Puritans.
00:27:37.59\00:27:41.16
Who were the Puritans?
00:27:41.19\00:27:43.49
The Puritans were Protestants
00:27:43.53\00:27:45.69
who had discovered
the truth of the gospel.
00:27:45.73\00:27:47.93
What matters
most you'd asked me,
00:27:47.96\00:27:49.63
I will tell you very plainly.
00:27:49.66\00:27:51.60
It is the preaching
00:27:51.63\00:27:52.97
of the Gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ
00:27:53.00\00:27:55.40
that liberates
and saves the soul
00:27:55.44\00:27:58.34
and saves society.
00:27:58.37\00:28:00.41
For a copy of today's program,
00:28:14.02\00:28:15.99
please contact
us at P.O. Box 1900,
00:28:16.02\00:28:19.53
Thousand Oaks, California 91358
00:28:19.56\00:28:23.63
or in Australia,
00:28:23.67\00:28:25.50
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00:28:25.53\00:28:28.80
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00:28:28.84\00:28:33.07
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00:28:33.11\00:28:35.01
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00:28:35.04\00:28:37.98
We thank you for
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00:28:38.01\00:28:40.95
May God richly bless you.
00:28:40.98\00:28:42.75