Participants: Pr. John Carter
Series Code: CR
Program Code: CR100019
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00:01 Some of the largest crowds, in the history of Christianity
00:03 attended "The Carter Report" in the Sir John Guise Stadium, 00:07 Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. 00:10 Who were these people? 00:11 Well, they were earnest seekers for truth, 00:14 with hearts strangely warmed by the love of God. 00:18 They came hungry for God 00:20 and they listened to His word with a holy awe, 00:23 mingled with a divine excitement. 00:26 When the invitation to accept 00:27 Christ as Lord and Savior was given, 00:29 thousands surged forward. 00:32 The fervency and devotion of these seekers 00:34 displayed the miracle-working power 00:36 of the Holy Spirit in their lives. 00:39 You are now invited to join this mighty congregation 00:43 as Pastor John Carter forthrightly proclaims a message 00:46 "hot from the heart of God." 00:48 Welcome to "The Carter Report" 00:50 in the Sir John Guise National Stadium, 00:53 Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. 01:02 So now let's talk for little bit tonight 01:05 about the unpardonable sin. 01:07 The sin that not even Almighty God can forgive. 01:13 Is it murder? Is it adultery? 01:18 Is it lying? Is it cursing the name of God? 01:22 What a terrible sin it is to blaspheme the name of God. 01:27 Is it a perverted sexual practice? 01:31 Is it stealing? Is it violence? 01:35 What is the sin that not even a loving God, 01:38 an Almighty God can forgive? 01:41 I want you know, this that there is no sin 01:44 too bad for the God of the Bible. 01:48 There is no sin too bad for God if that sin is repented off. 01:57 Paul the evangelist says in the Bible 02:00 that "God will finish His work 02:01 and cut it short in righteousness." 02:04 The Prophet Joel says, 02:05 "God will pour out His spirit in the last days, 02:08 and signs and wonders will follow." 02:10 The Carter Report believes that we are now in the end times 02:14 and His spirit is moving mightily. 02:17 During the Port Moresby campaign, 02:19 we testified that we saw the power of God revealed. 02:23 More than 100,000 God hungry souls 02:25 could not get enough of the word of the Lord 02:28 as at creation the Spirit of God 02:31 moved upon the face of the waters 02:33 and God brought cosmos out of chaos. 02:37 Souls were recreated in the image of the creator. 02:41 Instead of hate, there was love. 02:43 Instead of despair, there was hope. 02:45 Instead of sorrow, there was joy. 02:47 And in the place of death, God gave life. 02:51 One night, as John Carter preached 02:53 on the person and work of the Holy Spirit 02:55 the image of a white bird was flashed on the screens. 02:58 That moment a great white bird flew low 03:02 over the astonished congregation. 03:04 Cries of joy filled the air as the audience recognized 03:07 that God had visited His people. 03:10 A mighty surge of Pentecostal power 03:12 swept the audience of 120,000 souls 03:16 and everyone present felt the warm 03:18 comforting presence of God. 03:21 The Carter Report team invites you, my dear viewer, 03:24 to be a partner in this work. 03:26 Soldiers of the cross are wanted. 03:29 Faith partners are needed. 03:31 Write to us now here at the Carter Report, 03:34 PO Box 1900, Thousand Oaks, CA 91358 03:40 or in Australia, at PO Box 861, 03:44 Terrigal, NSW 2260. 03:47 You may also contact us online at cartereport.org 03:51 or email us at info@cartereport.org. 04:00 I want you to know, 04:02 God will forgive every sin that is confessed, 04:07 but God cannot forgive a sin that is not confessed. 04:13 And we're going to see tonight 04:15 that the unpardonable sin is unpardonable 04:20 because it is not repented off 04:25 and it is not confessed. 04:29 Now Jesus spoke about the unpardonable sin. 04:33 And if you and I turn in the holy scriptures 04:36 to Matthew 12:31-32, 04:43 we read these words. 04:45 Matthew 12:31-32, 04:50 Jesus said, "And so I tell you, 04:53 every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men." 04:58 That gives us hope, that gives us light, 05:01 that gives an opportunity to be saved. 05:05 "And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy 05:08 will be forgiven men, 05:10 but the blasphemy against the Spirit 05:13 will not be forgiven." 05:15 If you and I sin against the Holy Spirit, 05:18 we've got nothing but hellfire. 05:23 Anyone who speaks a word 05:25 against the Son of Man will be forgiven, 05:29 but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit 05:33 will not be forgiven 05:35 either in this age or in the age to come. 05:40 The unpardonable sin my friend 05:43 is the sin against the third person 05:47 of the godhead, the blessed Holy Spirit. 05:54 Tonight we're going to tell you, 05:56 how a person can sin against the Holy Spirit. 06:00 I want you to listen tonight. 06:02 I want you to pray with me tonight. 06:04 I want you to say as I'm talking up here tonight. 06:08 Oh, Holy Spirit... 06:12 oh, Holy Spirit come into this meeting tonight. 06:16 I'm saying this tonight to the person 06:19 way over there watching on the other screen. 06:22 We set up another screen because the audience is so vast. 06:28 I'm saying it to people 06:30 who're standing on the roofs of their cars 06:34 and they're listening. 06:35 They can't see but they're listening. 06:39 I want you to pray tonight 06:41 that the Holy Spirit will come into our hearts 06:45 and the Holy Spirit will convict us of sin 06:50 and lead us to Christ and salvation. 06:57 How do I sin against the Holy Spirit-- 06:59 firstly who is the Holy Spirit? 07:03 Jesus said, in Matthew 28:19. 07:06 The Bible says, the word of God says. 07:10 Here it is, Matthew 28, 07:12 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations." 07:16 We're here because we're doing what Jesus told us to do. 07:19 "Baptizing them in the name of the Father 07:22 and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.'' 07:26 I believe in the blessed trinity. 07:30 The Bible talks about God the Father. 07:33 The Bible talks about God, the Son. 07:35 And the Bible talks about God, the Holy Spirit. 07:40 The Holy Spirit is a real person. 07:43 He is not just an influence that comes from the Father. 07:48 He is not just a power, the Holy Spirit is a person. 07:54 I want you to notice the words of the great Paul 07:57 in Romans 8:28. 08:01 Romans 8:28 look at these words on the screen. 08:06 Romans 8:27, here we go, 08:12 "And he who searches our hearts." 08:16 Do you feel tonight that your heart is being searched? 08:20 If you feel tonight that your heart is being searched, 08:23 there is hope that you can be saved, 08:26 because you haven't committed the unpardonable sin. 08:30 If you feel tonight that your heart is being searched. 08:35 "And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit." 08:39 He has got a mind. 08:43 Electricity is a power, but it doesn't have a mind. 08:48 The Holy Spirit is not simply a power, 08:52 the Holy Spirit-- I tell you 08:55 on the authority of the word of God, 08:57 the Holy Spirit is a person. 09:02 "The mind of the Spirit, 09:04 because the Spirit intercedes for the saints 09:07 in accordance with the will of God." 09:12 The Holy Spirit comes into a meeting like this 09:16 and in our hearts. 09:17 He struggles with us and he intercedes 09:22 according to the will of Almighty God. 09:26 And then the text that is so famous, 09:30 John 16:7-14. 09:34 John 16:7 onwards-- 09:39 the words of our blessed Lord. 09:43 But I tell you, this is Jesus. 09:48 When Jesus speaks, 09:50 he speaks with the authority of Almighty God, 09:55 "But I tell you the truth, 09:58 it is for your good that I'm going away. 10:02 Unless I go away the Counselor will not come to you. 10:07 But if I go, I will send him to you." 10:10 The Counselor is the Holy Spirit. 10:13 When he comes, he will convict 10:16 the world of guilt in regard to sin 10:21 and righteousness and judgment." 10:24 When the Holy Spirit of God comes into a meeting like this, 10:29 he convicts us of sin. 10:33 He convicts us of righteousness 10:35 and the coming judgments of Almighty God. 10:39 He is here tonight. 10:43 I can sense that he is here tonight. 10:46 I want to say Holy Spirit 10:48 you're welcome in this place tonight. 10:52 We welcome you here tonight. 10:56 We want you to work on our hearts tonight. 11:00 We're not going to be stubborn in this meeting tonight. 11:03 We say you're welcome in this place. 11:08 Convict us. 11:12 You convict us according to "sin, 11:18 righteousness and judgment, in regard to sin, 11:23 because men do not believe in me, 11:28 in regard to righteousness, because I'm going to the Father, 11:34 where you can see me no longer, in regard to judgment 11:38 because the prince of this world, 11:40 the devil now stands condemned. 11:45 I have much more to say to you, much more than you can now bear. 11:49 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, 11:52 he will guide you into all truth. 11:56 He will not speak on his own, 11:59 he will speak only what he hears, 12:01 and he will tell you what is to come. 12:06 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine 12:10 and making it known to you." 12:13 Listen to me in the name of God. 12:19 The Spirit of God is here tonight. 12:23 You can sense that he is here tonight. 12:27 When he comes, he convicts us of our sins. 12:33 He convicts us of God's righteousness 12:36 that we spoke about last night. 12:38 He convicts us of judgment to come. 12:44 And then the Spirit of God moves upon our hearts 12:49 to lead us into the truth of God. 12:55 Some people say, but I'm hearing things 12:58 that my church did not teach me. 13:00 We're not here tonight to condemn any church. 13:04 We love all of the churches. 13:07 We love our friends, the Roman Catholics, 13:10 and the Methodists, and the Baptists 13:12 and all of them. We love them all. 13:14 But we're not here tonight 13:16 to talk about the teachings of the churches. 13:19 We're here tonight glory to talk about the truth of God. 13:25 And the Bible says, "He will lead you into all truth." 13:30 And somebody may say, 13:32 but that is not what my church teaches. 13:35 My friend, it is not a case of what your church teaches, 13:39 it is a case of what the word of God says. 13:45 And if what I believe is not taught in the Bible, 13:50 then by the grace of God I've got to let it go. 13:56 And I got to walk in the light 13:58 and I've got to open up my heart to the Holy Spirit. 14:02 Sometimes this brings about a great struggle in the soul. 14:08 And the Bible says "The great sin 14:11 that God cannot forgive 14:14 is when we sin against the Holy Spirit." 14:18 And so I say tonight, Holy Spirit you are here 14:22 and you are welcome in this place. 14:27 Now listen to me, I want you to come now to 1 John. 14:32 Look at it on the screen, 1 John 3:4. 14:39 And then you're going to see where I'm going. 14:45 Here it is 1 John 3:4, 14:51 the Bible says, 14:54 "Sin is the transgression of the Lord." 14:59 That's what it says. Sin is breaking the law. 15:06 There it is, hallelujah. 15:08 "Everyone who sins breaks the law, 15:12 in fact sin is lawlessness." 15:16 Or as the King James Version says, 15:19 "Sin is the transgression of the law." 15:25 If you and I break the commandments of God, 15:29 we're committing spiritual suicide 15:33 because sin is breaking the law of God. 15:39 Now, I'm going to come over here to the blackboard 15:42 and I'm going to put up a little illustration. 15:47 I want the-- a camera. 15:48 I want the camera to come with me. 15:50 And this is going to go up on the giant screen. 15:55 Over here, we've got the lowlands of despair 16:00 and lawlessness. 16:03 This is the place of death, 16:07 where people break the commandments of God, 16:11 because the Bible says, 16:13 "the wages of sin is death." 16:21 And so here is a man tonight or a woman 16:24 and he is down here in the lowland of sin 16:28 but he comes to a meeting like this. 16:31 And the Spirit of God comes into the meeting 16:34 and he says, "Surely the presence of the Lord 16:40 is in this place." 16:42 And he opens his heart up. 16:44 He does not fight the Spirit of God. 16:47 When the preacher says, I want you to come forward 16:51 and be baptized. 16:52 He doesn't holdback, but he runs down to front, 16:55 because he is obedient to God. 16:58 He is not in spiritual rebellion. 17:02 So this person over here, bring back the camera. 17:07 Here he is down in the lowland of despair, 17:12 the place of death. 17:14 And the Spirit of God comes to him 17:16 and the Spirit of God leads him to the cross. 17:22 And when he comes to the cross 17:24 and when he looks up at Christ dying on the cross, 17:28 he repents of his sins. 17:31 And last night we talked about justification by faith. 17:37 And we discovered that when a person 17:40 comes to Christ in true penitence and in faith, 17:45 he is declared righteous. 17:49 To justify means to declare righteous 17:53 and this person now has a new standing with God. 17:58 He is passed from death unto life. 18:01 He is no longer down here in the land of rebellion. 18:08 He is saved. 18:10 And now he is on the uplands 18:14 going home to glory. 18:18 He is born again. 18:20 He is regenerated 18:22 by the supernatural agency of the Holy Spirit. 18:28 And God writes the law upon his heart. 18:33 There is a text over here in Hebrews 8:10. 18:40 Hebrews 8:10 and it tells us 18:45 what God does is quite remarkable. 18:47 It tells us "This is the covenant 18:50 I will make with the house of Israel after that time, 18:54 declares the Lord. 18:55 I will put my laws in their minds 18:58 and write them on their hearts. 19:00 I will be their God, and they will be my people." 19:04 Back in the Old Testament, 19:05 God wrote the Ten Commandments on stone tablets. 19:13 But under the new covenant, 19:15 when a person is saved by the blood of Jesus, 19:18 when a person is saved by the grace of God, 19:21 God writes the law upon the hearts. 19:25 And now he wants to obey God because the heart is soft 19:30 and he wants to run in the ways of God. 19:35 Now listen my friend. 19:38 Maybe tonight there are people here, 19:42 but I want you to know there is no sin 19:44 too bad for Jesus, bring the camera. 19:47 There is no sin too bad for Jesus. 19:49 There is no sin too bad for Jesus. 19:52 There is no sin too bad for Jesus, hallelujah. 19:57 But there may be people down here tonight 20:00 and they are breaking the commandments of God. 20:02 They' are breaking the commandments that says, 20:05 "You shall not commit adultery." 20:07 The breaking of the commandment that says, 20:09 you shall have no other God's before me. 20:11 They're breaking the commandment that says, 20:13 remember the Sabbath day and by keeping it holy. 20:20 And so the Spirit of the Lord comes 20:23 and he leads those people to the cross 20:28 and those people fall down at the cross 20:31 and they cry out, Lord have mercy upon me. 20:35 And Jesus says, you're declared righteous and innocent. 20:41 You have now the gift of everlasting life. 20:45 Hallelujah, what a truth. 20:48 And then the Bible says, God works a miracle. 20:55 There is a total transformation, 20:59 God changes the heart, 21:02 He makes it into a soft heart. 21:08 And He writes upon that heart 21:11 the words of the holy law of God. 21:15 Listen to me there was a little girl 21:19 lost in the great city of London. 21:22 She was found by a British bobby, a policeman. 21:28 She was crying. He said, where do you live. 21:32 She couldn't remember her address, the little dear. 21:36 Well, do you live in that are? No, I don't know. 21:39 Do you know that place? 21:41 No, I don't know that, I want my mommy. 21:45 Then after sometime he said, you know the great church. 21:50 The great church in the centre of the great city, 21:53 St. Paul's Cathedral, the one with a great cross. 21:58 And a face stood up and she cried out, 22:00 oh, yes. I know the cross. 22:03 Take me to the cross and then I can go home. 22:12 If you and I tonight would come to the cross, 22:18 we will find our way home. 22:22 Who lives at the cross? Romans were there. 22:29 The Jews, the good, bad and the ugly, 22:35 hypocrites, priests, thieves, 22:39 Jesus, Mary, the holy woman. 22:47 And if we'll gather around the cross 22:50 and look into the face of the dying Son of God, 22:55 we will find our way home, I tell you tonight. 23:03 Listen... 23:07 Holy Spirit work on our hearts. 23:11 The work of the Holy Spirit 23:13 is to lead from sin to repentance. 23:18 But you ask the question 23:21 how important is it to obey God's law. 23:27 There's a text 1 John 2:3-4. 23:34 1 John 2:3-4 it says, 23:41 "We know that we have come to know him, 23:45 if we obey his commands. 23:49 The man who says 'I know him, 23:53 ' but does not do what he commands is a liar, 24:01 and the truth is not in him." 24:04 There will be no liars in heaven unless they repent. 24:11 And the person who says, I know God, 24:16 while he breaks the commandments of God. 24:20 The Bible says, "is a liar 24:25 and the truth is not in him." 24:29 There is another text, 24:31 James 2:10-12. 24:38 I want you to notice this. 24:41 James 2:10-12, 24:48 I beseech you, read the text, 24:54 "For whoever keeps the whole law 25:00 and yet stumbles at just one point 25:04 is guilty of breaking all of it. 25:11 For he who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' 25:14 also said, 'Do not murder.' 25:18 If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, 25:22 you have become a lawbreaker. 25:28 Speak and act as those who are going to be 25:32 judged by the law that gives freedom." 25:38 Now listen, Bible says, 25:43 "If I keep nine of the commandments, 25:46 but if I break one of them, 25:49 I'm guilty of breaking 25:53 the entire law of Almighty God." 26:01 There was many years ago in the United States of America 26:05 a great preacher and his name was Moody. 26:11 We're going to bring the camera over here 26:13 and I'm going to put up an illustration 26:16 that Mr. Moody gave us. 26:19 He said there are ten links, 26:23 2, 3, 4, 5, 26:30 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. 26:37 And Mr. Moody said, 26:42 there is the hell of fire. 26:45 If somebody says to me if you believe in hell? 26:48 Of course, I do. 26:50 Jesus taught hell as the place of judgment. 26:56 Moody said, we are hanging over hell 27:01 by a chain of ten links. 27:06 Which link do you want to get rid of? 27:10 May be, the fourth commandment. 27:17 It is the work of the Holy Spirit 27:21 to come and convict us of sin 27:24 and lead us from the lowlands of death and despair 27:29 to the cross of Christ 27:31 where the Ten Commandments 27:34 are written on our renewed hearts. 27:41 And that is why the Holy Spirit comes, 27:44 talks to us. 27:47 Want to tell you a story from Australia. 27:50 There was a beautiful young woman, 27:53 she went to India. 27:56 There she went into a bizarre 27:59 and she saw there a beautiful dagger. 28:02 She bought it, took it back to Australia. 28:07 The years went by and she did what most girls do. 28:11 She got married. 28:14 And the time went by and she had a little baby boy. 28:18 And he grew into a little boy 28:22 that she loved with all her heart. 28:25 She doted on him. 28:28 One day he found the dagger. She said to him. 28:35 My boy you must never play with the dagger, 28:41 because it could kill you. 28:44 But little boys love knives. They love toy guns. 28:50 I don't know why? 28:52 The little boys love to play with those things. 28:55 One day his mother was outside as they do in Australia 29:00 pegging out the clothes on the clothes line. 29:05 Such a civilized thing to do. 29:08 So she is pegging out the clothes. 29:11 And inside her little boy went into her bedroom 29:16 and found the knife in the drawer, 29:20 in the cupboard. 29:22 Like a big soldier he was soon 29:25 marching around with the knife, the dagger. 29:31 Then he heard his mother coming 29:34 and he ran on those little feet to put the knife back 29:38 and as he ran he stumbled and fell 29:43 and the knife pierced his heart. 29:51 After the funeral, the police returned the knife 29:59 and the mother cried with her heart 30:02 bursting with sorrow and despair. 30:06 She said, "Take the awful thing away. 30:11 It caused the death of my only son." 30:18 I want you to know this. 30:21 When our heavenly Father looks at Calvary 30:24 and sees His Son bearing your sin and my sin. 30:31 When He looks at sin, 30:33 He says, "Take the dreadful thing away, 30:37 it caused the death of my only Son." 30:45 Listen to me. 30:48 God wants you in heaven, but not with your sin. 30:52 God wants me in heaven, but not with my sin. 30:58 God wants me to be saved, but not while I'm 31:03 willingly breaking any of the commandments of God. 31:07 I know we all stumble and fall. 31:11 I understand this, but I want you to know. 31:18 Heaven is not a place for people 31:22 who are going to come dragging into the glory land, 31:27 the daggers 31:31 that took the life of God's only Son. 31:38 How does the Spirit of God work? 31:42 Please listen. 31:44 Genesis 6:3 gives us an insight. 31:51 How the Spirit works, 31:52 Genesis 6:3, "Then the Lord said, 31:57 'My Spirit will not contend or strive with man forever, 32:03 for he is mortal, 32:05 his days will be a hundred and twenty years.'" 32:07 God said, I will not strive with men and women forever. 32:12 I will not beg them forever. 32:14 I will not work on their hearts forever. 32:17 God sends, God the Father sends God the Holy Spirit. 32:22 And the Holy Spirit comes and he strives with our hearts. 32:26 And you may be sitting in this meeting tonight 32:29 and a voice is striving. 32:32 It is not my voice. 32:37 He may be striving with you way back there 32:40 half a mile away in this vast audience. 32:45 And he's saying to you, you go to stop this adultery. 32:50 You got to stop this fornication. 32:53 You got to stop this lying. You got to stop this cheating. 32:57 You got to stop breaking the Sabbath. 33:01 And you got to start living for Christ. 33:04 You got to start by being baptized 33:06 and He strives with our hearts. 33:11 You know it. I know it. 33:17 And may be He will lead me to a step I don't want to take, 33:22 that's why I don't come forward in an article perhaps. 33:26 May be I can't get down, 33:27 but may be there is another reason. 33:31 But God is very, very patient. 33:33 Thank God, He is. 2 Peter 3:9 says these words. 33:39 2 Peter 3:9, it talks about the patience of God. 33:45 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, 33:47 as some understand slowness. 33:50 He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, 33:56 but everyone to come to repentance." 33:58 God is patient. 34:01 He is patient because He loves you. 34:05 He knows that if some of you died tonight, 34:07 you'd be lost and you'd wake up in hell, 34:11 in the resurrection of damnation. 34:13 He knows that, you know that. 34:16 And so He sends you to a meeting like this. 34:18 You haven't come to this meeting tonight to hear me. 34:23 This is a supernatural event. 34:24 You've come to this meeting 34:26 because the Holy Spirit has brought you to this meeting. 34:29 Because you know, that the Spirit of God 34:31 is working through the word and you can't stay away. 34:35 The Spirit of God is drawing you to Christ 34:38 and that's why you come. 34:42 God is very, very patient. 34:47 There was an atheist who went down to High Park. 34:51 There he had a vast crowd of people nothing like this. 34:55 But he took off his watch 34:57 and he said ladies and gentlemen, 34:58 I'm going to prove to you said the proud man. 35:01 I'm going to prove to you that there is no God. 35:05 And he took off his watch and he said, 35:08 if there is a God I challenge you 35:13 to strike me dead in the next 60 seconds. 35:19 He held up his watch, he counted off the 60 seconds 35:24 and when the minute had gone, 35:26 he turned with a broad smile to the audience 35:30 and he said ladies and gentlemen, 35:32 I have just proven to you there is no God. 35:38 There was an old Christian sitting down in the front seat. 35:41 He got off and he said, the poor fool 35:47 he thinks he can exhaust 35:50 the patience of God in 60 seconds. 35:54 He's got a lot to learn, hasn't he? 35:59 Ladies and gentlemen, you'll not exhaust 36:02 the patience of God in 60 seconds. 36:08 A skeptic many years ago 36:11 wrote to the editor of an American newspaper 36:15 in a Christian district. 36:16 He said ask your Christian readers 36:21 to explain this. 36:25 I ploughed on Sabbath like some of you do. 36:30 I planted on Sabbath. I worked on the Sabbath. 36:34 I harvested on the Sabbath 36:39 and I got the best crop of potatoes in May. 36:46 And a Christian wrote back and said, dear editor, 36:51 please tell the potato man 36:56 that God doesn't settle all his accounts in May. 37:03 God does not settle all his accounts in May 37:07 or in June or in July or in August. 37:11 But there is one thing you need to know tonight. 37:14 God does settle his accounts and we are judgment bell. 37:26 So in Port Moresby in this vast stadium, 37:32 with this vast crowd. 37:36 You know, the local newspaper of today said that 37:40 when we had the meeting on the Mark of the Beast. 37:42 This is what the local newspaper said. 37:44 They said a 120,000 people were here, 37:47 inside and outside. 37:49 I don't know because I can't count that many. 37:54 But I want you to know 37:57 the Holy Spirit of the living God is here. 38:00 And the Holy Spirit is here to lead us into truths... 38:06 before judgment day. 38:09 I want you to notice a text 38:11 in Ephesians 4:30 and 18-19. 38:17 I'm just going to read it real slow and relaxed 38:21 and I wanted to sync down 38:23 into the molecules of your minds. 38:28 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God 38:33 with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." 38:37 Don't grieve him. 38:40 It talks about people who sin against the Holy Spirit. 38:43 "They're darkened in their understanding 38:47 and separated from the life of God 38:50 because of the ignorance that is in them 38:53 due to the hardening of their hearts." 38:56 The unpardonable sin is the hardening of the heart. 39:00 So we don't confess our sins. 39:03 "Having lost all sensitivity they have given themselves 39:08 over to sensuality so as to indulge 39:12 in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more." 39:19 And more and more and more. 39:25 Bible says, "Don't grieve the Holy Spirit." 39:31 There was a boy, he had a little dove, pet dove. 39:36 He held out some grains for the bird. 39:39 The bird came but he closed his hand 39:42 and he pulled it away. 39:44 He did it over and over again. 39:46 And each time the dove would come 39:49 to take some grains out of his hand 39:52 and each time the foolish boy pulled his hand away. 39:56 And then finally the dove came 39:58 when he put out his hand ever so slowly 40:03 afraid of rejection. 40:08 And when the bird came he held out his hand 40:13 and the bird stretched out its neck 40:15 and he pulled his hand away. 40:17 And the bird flew away. 40:21 He grieved the dove. He grieved the dove. 40:27 There are people who grieve the dove of God, 40:32 the Holy Spirit, because when the Holy Spirit comes 40:36 and struggles with them. 40:38 They keep saying no, no, no, 40:42 they've hardened their hearts. 40:44 They hear a call for baptism and they say no, no, no. 40:50 and they hardened their hearts. 40:54 What should we do? 40:57 We should say yes Jesus. 41:00 When Beverly and I were first married 50 years ago. 41:07 We lived in a town in Australia called Wagga Wagga. 41:12 We lived almost on the railway track right next to it. 41:19 And every night at 1 O'clock in the morning 41:21 the great Southern Aurora, a great steam train 41:27 would come thundering down the track 41:30 and it would start to blast 41:33 and the sound would fill our little house 41:37 and we would almost jump out of our skin. 41:43 It happened the first night. The second night we woke up. 41:48 The third night we woke up. The fourth night we woke up. 41:52 And the fifth night we didn't know the train went past. 41:58 What had happened? Had the train changed? 42:03 No, we had changed. 42:08 When I hear the Spirit of God for the first time 42:11 in a meeting like this, 42:12 it's like the roar of the Southern Aurora. 42:21 Night by night this voice, 42:23 this loud and clear and distinct, 42:26 but if I hardened my heart by refusing to say yes to God, 42:32 the time will come 42:34 when the voice of the Spirit of God 42:37 will be constant and loud. 42:39 God will speak with a voice of thunder. 42:44 And I won't even hear it. 42:49 My soul becomes callous. 42:56 My hands because of my work did not have too many calluses 43:01 though I like to get outside with my little tractor and work. 43:08 When I work sometimes or some months outside, 43:13 my hands will become hard. 43:16 Right now, if you got a pin and touch my hand, 43:19 I'd to say ouch. 43:23 But if I have calluses you can jab me with the pin 43:26 and I will not even feel it. 43:32 I commit the unpardonable sin 43:35 by building calluses on my heart 43:40 and God speaks to me and He touches me. 43:47 But I'm indifferent. Now listen, here it is. 43:54 What is the unpardonable sin? 43:58 Any sin persisted in 44:01 can lead to the unpardonable sin. 44:07 Because the unpardonable sin 44:10 is the sin that is not confessed. 44:15 I don't feel any need to confess it. 44:19 Once I wanted to obey God. 44:22 Once I heard the voice of the Southern Aurora. 44:26 Once I heard the voice of God, 44:30 but I hardened my heart what should I do. 44:34 What should I do? 44:35 I should say whenever God talks to me 44:37 and says get baptized, keep My commandments 44:40 I should not put it off, 44:42 I should say, yes dear Jesus, yes dear Jesus. 44:48 I will do it tonight. 44:50 Yes dear Jesus, I'm coming tonight. 44:54 I'm coming tonight, dear Jesus. 44:59 Waiting too long can lead to the unpardonable sin. 45:04 That's why in the word of God. 45:06 God says do it today, don't put it off to tomorrow 45:12 because tomorrow never comes my dear ones. 45:19 In North America, number of years ago 45:22 there was a man who set out to climb 45:24 one of America's great peaks. 45:26 It was spring time and the ice was just about ready to go. 45:33 No snow around so he was climbing up 45:35 to stay in the mountain. 45:38 He didn't even dress for arctic conditions 45:42 because the sun was warm and the ice was melting. 45:47 And the little streams were staring to run down to the sea. 45:55 Then all of a sudden late in the day 45:58 there came some big clouds 46:01 and a blizzard came in, completely unexpected. 46:06 There was a white out, 46:08 he stopped then he started to freeze. 46:11 So he thought to himself. 46:14 It would be best if I kept going 46:16 because if I stop, I'll surely freeze to death. 46:19 If I stopped I will die. 46:23 If I go on I may fall over the side of the mountain, 46:26 I will die. 46:27 But if I stay here I will surely die. 46:30 If I go ahead I have a chance, my friend, always go ahead. 46:35 Never stop, always go ahead. 46:38 In the providence of God he found a little cave. 46:43 Crawled into the little cave but he was freezing, 46:47 he was wet he's freezing cold. 46:53 He looked in his pocket, oh goodness. 46:58 He had three matches, only three matches. 47:04 Here is a man on a mountain 47:06 in a blizzard in a cave and the night is coming on. 47:11 And he is a man with three matches or three opportunities. 47:17 And so he found a few twigs. 47:21 Got them together and he got the match 47:28 and he struck it and it blazed up 47:32 and he put it under the moss and so forth. 47:38 And it went out. 47:42 Now he has got two matches left. 47:45 He is a man on a mountain 47:48 in a blizzard with night coming on. 47:51 And he has got two matches left 47:53 and if he doesn't start the fire, 47:55 he is going to be dead before morning. 47:59 So he sits down and he gets little more wood 48:02 and so forth, some shaving 48:04 and he strikes the match and puts it under. 48:09 And there comes a puff of wind 48:15 and it goes out. 48:18 Now, he is man on a mountain 48:24 and night is coming on. 48:26 He is in the midst of a blizzard and he has one match left, 48:31 one last opportunity. 48:34 So he takes off his thin coat and he makes a wind break 48:39 and he finds some paper in his pockets 48:42 and he makes a little heap of shavings 48:47 and some little bits of timber and he puts the paper there. 48:52 And this time he gets down and he says oh mighty God 48:55 what a fool I have been. 48:58 Here I'm I've got myself into this situation. 49:02 I have got a wife and children I don't want to die God. 49:05 But I'm a man on a mountain and night is coming on 49:09 and I have got one match left. 49:11 Some people here in this great arena, 49:14 I like that man. He got one match left. 49:20 So he gets down. 49:22 He goes through all the precautions. 49:25 And he strikes the match 49:28 and it flames up and he gets it going. 49:32 And the paper burns and it goes up 49:37 and there's a flame and he gets more wood 49:40 and soon he's got a burned fire and he is saved. 49:49 I would remind you tonight, in the name of God, 49:57 we're all men on a mountain and night is coming on. 50:06 And God has given us opportunity after opportunity. 50:09 You've come to these meetings 50:11 and God has given you opportunity to accept Christ. 50:18 He says, today, if you will hear His voice, 50:24 harden not your hearts. 50:28 You see there comes a time 50:30 when I say no once too often, 50:37 and the fire goes out. 50:40 That is the unpardonable sin. 50:44 Not because God has changed, but because I have. 50:51 So what should I do tonight? 50:55 Well, I'm going to do something 50:56 that I have done everywhere around the world, 50:59 'cause I realize how weak I'm tonight. 51:02 I cannot help anybody. 51:05 I say Holy Spirit take over the meeting now. 51:11 I say my blessed Father 51:14 who gave Your blessed Son Jesus. 51:19 Please come tonight by the Holy Spirit into the meeting 51:23 and save those whom You've called to be saved. 51:29 I'm going to pray now. 51:31 I don't want this to be an ordinary pray. 51:35 But I want you to stand now. 51:38 I don't want anybody to move except as you stand. 51:46 Then I'm going to pray with you. 51:49 That tonight we will decide 51:55 that we're going to follow Jesus. 52:00 We're going to say yes to God. 52:03 We're going to say yes, I'm going to follow Christ. 52:08 I'm going to come to His cross tonight. 52:12 I'm going to have my sins washed away 52:14 in the blood of the lamb. 52:16 I'm going to ask for this 52:17 to happen tonight for every person here. 52:20 I don't want anybody to move 52:23 and insult the Holy Spirit tonight. 52:27 My friend, I would remind you tonight 52:31 you're no longer dealing with a man. 52:35 You're dealing with God. 52:38 The third person of the Godhead who is here tonight. 52:43 Can I see the hands of those here tonight, 52:46 who will say I want to follow Jesus. 52:50 I want to keep His commandments. 52:51 I want to go all the way with Christ. 52:54 Could you raise your hand tonight 52:55 if that is your prayer? 52:57 Way over there half a mile away. 53:00 Way over there, where we've set up 53:02 another screen outside this huge stadium. 53:06 Thousands, so many thousands and thousands of people. 53:12 It may seem a blur from here 53:15 but you're not, every person 53:17 as an individual for whom Jesus died. 53:20 Raise your hands if you will over in the balcony 53:22 and say I will follow Christ. 53:25 I will keep His commandments. 53:28 I will do what He tells me to do tonight. 53:32 We're going to bow our heads now and close our eyes. 53:36 And I want you to pray in your heart as I pray-- 53:40 every body praying now. 53:45 Dear Father God, we thank you tonight 53:50 that the Spirit of the Lord is in this place. 53:53 I can feel tonight the anointing of the Spirit of God upon me. 54:00 As I came to preach tonight Lord, 54:02 I felt the Spirit of the Lord fall upon me. 54:07 I can feel the presence of the Lord 54:09 in this vast auditorium, moving upon our hearts. 54:12 And we say thank you Jesus. 54:16 Lord, there are people here tonight, 54:19 who are going to make decisions for time 54:21 and for eternity in this meeting? 54:24 They're going to say yes, I'm going to follow Christ. 54:28 I'm going to come to His cross. I'm going to repent of my sins. 54:33 I'm going to keep by the blood of the Lamb. 54:37 The commandments of God. 54:38 I'll need the blood of the Lamb 54:40 because there is no righteousness in me. 54:43 But I will follow my Christ 54:45 and I will keep His commandments. 54:48 I will read my Bible. 54:51 And I'll be baptized on the Sabbath. 54:54 if God is calling me to do this. 54:57 I'm asking tonight if you'll say yes I'll follow Christ. 55:02 I'll keep His commandments. 55:06 And if you haven't been baptized as Jesus was. 55:09 I'm going to ask you to quietly come down in the front now. 55:14 This is a call to follow Jesus 55:18 and people are coming. 55:22 We're going to have a great baptism 55:24 on the Sabbath down on the ocean. 55:26 It's going to be beautiful. 55:30 And there are some here tonight 55:32 may be thousands who want to be in that baptism. 55:35 And if you want to be in that baptism, 55:37 you'll need to come down tonight. 55:40 And remember the text. 55:43 My spirit shall not always strive with man. 55:48 God is striving with our hearts tonight. 55:52 I can feel Him striving. 55:55 And I'm going to give to every person here tonight 56:00 the last opportunity tonight to come down 56:04 and say, I'm going to follow Jesus. 56:09 I'm going to keep His commandments. 56:11 I'm going to be His child. And I'm going to be baptized. 56:17 Let us pray. 56:21 Dear Father, we thank You for this wonderful salvation. 56:27 We thank You for this wonderful Christ. 56:30 We thank You for your wonderful love. 56:35 We thank You that by the grace of God, 56:39 when Jesus comes in glory, 56:42 we're going home with Him to the kingdom 56:45 and we're going to live forever. 56:48 We thank You tonight that you've washed our sins away 56:52 in the blood of Jesus. 56:54 And the Spirit of God is coming to taken up 56:57 his home in our hearts. 57:00 And so our Father as we stand here, 57:03 we worship you, we bless you, 57:07 we praise you, we thank you. 57:11 We give you glory, in Jesus name. 57:18 Amen and amen. 57:22 Thank you for joining us today. 57:24 To become a faith partner with Pastor John Carter, 57:26 and to receive our monthly newsletter 57:28 write to us here at the Carter Report, 57:30 P.O. Box 1900, Thousand Oaks CA 91358 57:36 or in Australia at P.O. Box 861, 57:40 Terrigal, NSW 2260. 57:43 You may also contact us online at carterreport.org. 57:48 Remember Jesus said, "You will know the truth 57:51 and the truth will set you free." |
Revised 2014-12-17