Participants: Pr. Chris Buttery
Series Code: CSH
Program Code: CSH021422
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00:01 (MUSIC)
00:45 >>WELCOME TO SACRAMENTO CENTRAL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 00:48 WHEREVER YOU ARE AND HOWEVER YOU ARE JOINING US - WHETHER IT'S 00:52 THROUGH TELEVISION OR YOU'RE AN ONLINE VIEWER, WE WELCOME YOU. 00:56 WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL HYMNS THIS MORNING, AS WE DO EVERY WEEK. 01:01 I HOPE YOU HAVE YOUR HYMNALS OUT. WE'LL START WITH HYMN #92 - 01:06 'THIS IS MY FATHER'S WORLD' THIS COMES AS A REQUEST FROM MELANIE 01:10 IN BELIZE, EUNICE AND LEONE IN NEW YORK, JOHN OR JEAN IN ITALY, 01:17 AND ELENA, ANDREA, BIANCA, AND DEMETAR IN BULGARIA. 01:22 THIS IS AN OLD SONG BUT A REALLY, REALLY GOOD ONE AND IT 01:25 TALKS ABOUT GOD'S SECOND BOOK - NATURE. SO LET'S SING THE FIRST 01:29 - ACTUALLY, ALL THREE VERSES. LET'S SING ALL THREE VERSES. 01:32 (MUSIC) 03:54 >>THIS IS OUR FATHER'S WORLD AND WHY SHOULD MY HEART BE SAD? 03:59 THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN BUT - THAT ARE BAD AND 04:04 THAT WOULD REALLY CAUSE US TO FORGET WHOSE WORLD IT REALLY IS, 04:08 AND I'M THANKFUL THAT WE KNOW WHOSE IT IS. 04:14 IF YOU HAVE A SPECIAL REQUEST, YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY SONG IN THE 04:19 HYMNAL AND VISIT US AT 'WWW.SACCENTRAL.ORG'. 04:25 IF YOU CLICK ON THE 'CONTACT US' LINK, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO HEAR 04:27 FROM YOU. OUR NEXT HYMN - OUR NEW HYMN - WE'RE GETTING REALLY, 04:32 REALLY FAR IN THE HYMNAL. I'M VERY EXCITED. 04:35 THIS LAST SONG - HYMN #104 - IT'S CALLED 04:42 'MY SHEPHERD WILL SUPPLY MY NEED'. 04:45 IT'S THE LAST SONG IN THE SECTION OF THE HYMNAL THAT 04:49 TALKS ABOUT THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD. 04:52 IT'S ACTUALLY THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM SO IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD 04:56 THIS VERSION AND YOU LOVE SAYING AND RECITING THE TWENTY-THIRD 05:01 PSALM IN YOUR DEVOTION OR YOUR EARLY MORNING WORSHIP, TRY 05:05 SINGING IT THIS WAY AS WE LEARN IT THIS MORNING. 05:08 THIS COMES AS A REQUEST FROM MIKE IN NEW YORK, RALPH AND 05:12 VARIETY IN THE BAHAMAS, DOUG IN AUSTRALIA, AND STEVEN IN 05:16 GRENADA. SO LET'S SING ALL THREE VERSES - 05:19 'MY SHEPHERD WILL SUPPLY MY NEED'. 05:22 (MUSIC) 08:50 >>LET'S PRAY. DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH 08:56 THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS WITH US, WHETHER WE WALK THROUGH 09:02 THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, LORD, WE KNOW THAT YOU 09:05 WILL BE WITH US, GUIDING US, CONVICTING US, MAKING SURE THAT 09:13 WHEREVER WE GO, WHEREVER WE MIGHT FALL, YOU WILL LIFT US UP. 09:22 WE'RE HAPPY FOR YOUR SABBATH DAY, DEAR LORD, AND WE ASK THAT 09:25 YOUR SPIRIT BE WITH US AS WE LEARN AND LISTEN TO YOUR HOLY 09:29 WORD THIS MORNING. AND WE ASK FOR A SPECIAL 09:33 BLESSING WITH OUR SPEAKER. WE LOVE YOU. 09:38 IN JESUS' NAME I PRAY, AMEN. OUR LESSON STUDY TODAY WILL BE 09:44 BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR CHRIS, OUR SENIOR PASTOR AT SACRAMENTO 09:48 CENTRAL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 09:55 >>GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE THIS MORNING AND THANK YOU CHORISTERS 09:58 FOR LEADING US THROUGH THOSE BEAUTIFUL SONGS. 10:01 ISN'T IT NICE JUST TO SING SOME - FOR SOME OF US THEY MIGHT BE 10:06 OLD FAVORITES. FOR SOME OF US THEY MIGHT BE, 10:08 ACTUALLY, NEW SONGS THAT WE ARE LEARNING TOGETHER, BUT WHAT AN 10:14 ABSOLUTE DELIGHT TO JUST SING TOGETHER. 10:18 AND NOW, LET'S STUDY GOD'S WORD TOGETHER. 10:21 I TRUST YOU'VE HAD A GOOD WEEK AND WE CERTAINLY WELCOME YOU, 10:24 EACH ONE, AND ALL THOSE WHO ARE JOINING US ALSO VIA SATELLITE OR 10:28 WHETHER YOU'RE WATCHING THIS FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN 10:31 HOME - TELEVISION OR COMPUTER - WE WELCOME YOU AS WELL. 10:34 WE ALSO WANT TO - WHILE WE'RE TALKING TO OUR ONLINE VIEWERS 10:38 AND THOSE THAT ARE JOINING US BY TV, WE ALSO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW 10:44 WE HAVE A SPECIAL OFFER YOU WANT TO CALL IN FOR. 10:46 IT'S A FREE OFFER. IT'S THE LITTLE BOOKLET WRITTEN 10:49 BY JOE CREWS, 'RICHES OF GRACE'. IT'S OFFER #152. 10:55 YOU CAN CALL IN TO 1-866-788-3966 OR 11:00 1-866-STUDY-MORE. AND IT'S, AGAIN, OFFER #152. 11:06 WELL, WE ARE HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME STUDYING THROUGH THIS 11:10 SABBATH SCHOOL QUARTERLY, AREN'T WE? 11:12 THIS IS A FABULOUS STUDY TALKING ABOUT CHRIST AND HIS LAW AND 11:17 WE'VE GOT LOTS TO GET INTO AGAIN HERE TODAY. PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE 11:25 YOUR LESSON OPEN - OPEN YOUR LESSON - WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT 11:28 OUR MEMORY TEXT HERE, IT'S JOHN CHAPTER 1 AND VERSE 17. 11:32 WE'LL START WITH THE MEMORY TEXT HERE THIS MORNING. 11:36 IT SAYS, "FOR THE LAW WAS GIVEN BY MOSES, BUT GRACE AND TRUTH 11:40 CAME BY" - WHO? - "JESUS CHRIST." 11:44 THE KEY THOUGHT TO THIS STUDY - AND I JUST WANT TO - WE'LL START 11:47 WITH THIS - THE KEY THOUGHT TO THIS STUDY IS THAT GOD'S LAW AND 11:50 GOD'S GRACE, BOTH OF THEM PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE - 11:55 POWERFUL EVIDENCE FOR GOD'S LOVE FOR US - FOR YOU AND FOR ME - 11:58 AND HIS DESIRE, OF COURSE, TO SAVE US INTO HIS ETERNAL 12:01 KINGDOM. THIS IS THE THRUST - THE 12:05 SUMMARY, REALLY OF THE STUDY HERE AND, HOPEFULLY, THAT'S WHAT 12:09 WE GET WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH OUR TIME TOGETHER. 12:13 NOW YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO, AND YOU'VE PROBABLY READ SOME 12:16 BOOKS OR SOME THINGS THAT HAVE STATED SOME PRETTY QUIRKY LAWS 12:21 THAT EXIST HERE, EVEN HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. 12:26 AND NOW A LOT OF THEM SPIN AROUND THE INTERNET AND WE'RE 12:28 NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE, WITH SOME OF THEM, WHETHER THEY'RE 12:31 ALL THAT LEGITIMATE. SOME OF THEM WE DO KNOW AREN'T. 12:34 SOME ARE FABRICATED. 12:36 SOME ARE JUST SIMPLY TAKING A LAW THAT DOES EXIST BUT REMOVING 12:39 IT OUT OF THE CONTEXT AND SO IT SOUNDS VERY OBSCURE TO US. 12:42 FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE THAT IT'S ILLEGAL TO RIDE 12:46 AN UGLY HORSE IN WILBUR, WASHINGTON. 12:50 SO DON'T BE RIDING AN UGLY HORSE IN WILBUR, WASHINGTON. 12:53 I'M NOT EVEN SURE I KNEW THERE WAS AN UGLY HORSE, DID YOU? 12:55 THEY ALL LOOK PRETTY GOOD TO ME. IN QUITMAN, GEORGIA CHICKENS ARE 13:00 NOT ALLOWED TO CROSS THE ROAD. IN MOHAVE COUNTY, ARIZONA, IF 13:05 ANYONE IS CAUGHT STEALING SOAP THAT PERSON MUST WASH HIMSELF OR 13:09 HERSELF WITH THE SOAP UNTIL THE BAR IS COMPLETELY GONE. 13:13 AND THEN, IN KANSAS, WHEN TWO TRAINS MEET AT A CROSSING - NOW 13:18 LISTEN TO THIS - BOTH SHALL COME TO A FULL STOP AND NEITHER SHALL 13:23 START UP AGAIN UNTIL THE OTHER HAS GONE. 13:26 NOT QUITE SURE HOW TO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT. 13:30 NOW IN ALMOST EVERY COUNTRY WE PROBABLY FIND ODD LAWS OR OLD 13:34 LAWS THAT ARE STILL ON THE BOOKS BECAUSE - AND TO NOW THEY 13:37 PROBABLY APPEAR VERY STRANGE TO US AND EVEN RIDICULOUS AT TIMES. 13:41 THIS IS PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T ADDRESS A REAL ISSUE TODAY 13:46 IN OUR CURRENT CULTURE. AT ONE TIME THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY 13:49 NEEDED AND THEY WERE - IT LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS 13:53 PARTICULAR LAW. CAN IT BE SAID THAT GOD'S LAW IS 13:57 OLD OR ODD OR OUTDATED OR IRRELEVANT? 14:03 NOW, IF IT IS ANY OF THOSE - ODD, OLD, OUTDATED, OR 14:07 IRRELEVANT, COULD IT BE SAID THAT GOD IS OUT OF TOUCH AND 14:11 DISTANT FROM HUMANITY, TO GIVE US SOMETHING PASSE? 14:15 IT WOULD MAKE SENSE, WOULDN'T IT? WHAT DOES THIS TYPE OF 14:17 THINKING SAY ABOUT A PERSON'S VIEW ABOUT THE NATURE OF GOD 14:22 AND HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORD OF GOD? 14:27 SO IN THE AVERAGE CHRISTIAN'S MIND - AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE 14:30 REALLY GOING TO BE DEALING WITH HERE TODAY, THERE'S A CONFLICT 14:33 THAT EXISTS BETWEEN GOD'S LAW AND HIS GRACE. 14:37 THERE'S A CONFLICT THERE. THE TWO ARE AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER. 14:42 THERE'S A CONFLICT BETWEEN GOD'S WILL AND THE CROSS. 14:45 THERE'S A CONFLICT BETWEEN THE WORD OF GOD AND GOD'S WILL AND 14:49 THE GOSPEL OF GOD. AND WE KNOW THAT THERE IS NO 14:52 CONFLICT EXISTING BETWEEN THE TWO. INSTEAD, THERE IS PERFECT 14:56 HARMONY THAT EXISTS BETWEEN THE TWO. 14:59 AND WE'LL UNPACK THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE AS WE MOVE ALONG IN OUR 15:03 LESSON. I WANT TO INVITE YOU OVER TO 15:04 SUNDAY'S LESSON HERE - SUNDAY'S LESSON - 'SIN AND THE LAW'. 15:09 AND YOU WANT TO TURN IN YOUR BIBLES WITH ME TO ROMANS CHAPTER 15:11 7, IF YOU'D BE SO KIND, AND WE'RE GOING TO LOOK HERE AT 15:14 VERSES 7 THROUGH 12. ROMANS CHAPTER 7, VERSES 7 THROUGH 12. 15:19 WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING A LOOK AT THE HEALTHY TENSION THAT 15:22 EXISTS BETWEEN GOD'S LAW AND GOD'S GRACE AND WHY THE TWO 15:27 EXIST. WHY THE TWO ARE NECESSARY FOR 15:31 OUR SALVATION AND ANSWER THE QUESTION, NOT JUST 15:35 THEOLOGICALLY, BUT ALSO PRACTICALLY. 15:37 WHAT PRACTICAL APPLICATION IT HAS FOR US IF THE LAW SOMEHOW IS 15:42 OBSOLETE AND NOT RELEVANT AND WE'RE JUST MERELY LIVING UNDER 15:48 GRACE, SO TO SPEAK. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS AS WE MOVE ALONG. 15:52 SO WE START HERE IN ROMANS 7 AND WE COME TO A VERY INTERESTING 15:55 QUESTION THAT PAUL ASKS IN ROMANS CHAPTER 7 AND VERSE 7. 15:59 LET'S READ TOGETHER. PAUL SAYS, "WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN? 16:03 IS THE LAW SIN?" - AND HE SAYS - "GOD FORBID." 16:10 - NOW, IF YOU READ THE PREVIOUS VERSES, FOLK HAVE HAD SOME 16:13 CHALLENGES WITH THESE SIX VERSES PRECEDING VERSE 7 BECAUSE IT 16:18 SEEMS AS THOUGH PAUL IS SUGGESTING THAT THE LAW IS NOT 16:23 VALID OR WE'VE BEEN DELIVERED FROM THE LAW. 16:26 LOOK AT VERSE 6 - HE SAYS, "BUT NOW WE ARE DELIVERED FROM THE 16:28 LAW," - AND SO SOME FOLK COME ALONG AND THEY'RE SAYING, 'WELL, 16:32 LISTEN, RIGHT THERE PAUL'S SAYING WE'RE DELIVERED FROM THE 16:33 LAW. WE NO LONGER NEED GOD'S LAW. 16:35 IT'S NO LONGER NECESSARY, IT'S OBSOLETE.' PAUL SAYS IN VERSE 7, 16:42 "WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN? IS THE LAW SIN? GOD FORBID." 16:47 WHY IS PAUL ASKING THIS QUESTION? 16:51 WHY IS PAUL ASKING, 'IS THE LAW SIN?' WHY IS HE ASKING THAT? 16:55 BECAUSE IN HIS PREVIOUS VERSES AND IN SOME OTHER PLACES EVEN IN 16:58 ROMANS, IN PAUL'S MIND SIN AND LAW ARE VERY CLOSELY RELATED. 17:05 VERY CLOSELY RELATED. IN WHAT WAYS WOULD SIN AND LAW 17:10 BE CLOSELY RELATED? IN THE SAME WAY IN WHICH 17:13 CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIME ARE RELATED, YOU SEE. 17:16 SOMETHING IS CRIMINAL ONLY WHEN WHAT DEPICTS IT AS SUCH? 17:21 A LAW. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. 17:23 IF A LAW DEPICTS IT, IT'S A CRIME. 17:26 YOU BREAK THE LAW, NATURALLY YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE BOOK 17:29 THROWN AT YOU, AREN'T YOU? YEAH. 17:31 IT'S A CRIME BECAUSE THE LAW SAYS SO. 17:36 IF I'M DRIVING OUT HERE AND I'M GOING 55 MILES AN HOUR ON HOWE 17:40 AVENUE, AM I BREAKING THE LAW? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. 17:47 YEAH, I WOULD BE BREAKING THE LAW. 17:49 WHAT'S THE SPEED LIMIT OUT THERE? 17:51 40 ISN'T IT? YEAH, IT'S 40 - EXACTLY. 17:54 SO THE LAW SAYS 40 - THE SPEED LIMIT IS 40 - I'M GOING 55 - I'M 17:58 BREAKING THE LAW. THERE'S A LAW THAT SAYS GOING 18:02 55 IN A 40-MILE-AN-HOUR ZONE IS ILLEGAL AND SO IT'S CRIMINAL, 18:06 SO TO SPEAK, AND I'M COMMITTING A CRIME. 18:08 THIS IS THE WAY LAW AND SIN ARE RELATED IN PAUL'S MIND. 18:13 IF YOU'RE BREAKING - OF COURSE, NATURALLY YOU'RE BREAKING THE 18:16 LAW, YOU'RE COMMITTING SIN. AND PAUL DRAWS A VERY CLOSE 18:20 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LAW OF GOD AND SIN SO THAT IT 18:24 NECESSITATES HIM ASKING THE QUESTION, 'AM I SAYING LAW IS 18:28 SIN?' AND HE SAYS, WHAT? "GOD FORBID." 18:34 'GOD FORBID.' WHAT WAS PAUL'S ACTUAL VIEW OF THE LAW? 18:37 WAS HE SAYING THE LAW WAS BAD? THE LAW WAS NOT NECESSARY? 18:41 THE LAW WAS OBSOLETE? WHAT WAS HIS VIEW OF THE LAW? 18:43 LOOK AT VERSE 12. LOOK AT VERSE 12 HERE, IT SAYS, 18:46 "WHEREFORE THE LAW IS" - WHAT? - "HOLY, AND THE COMMANDMENT 18:50 HOLY, AND JUST, AND GOOD." THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. 18:56 YOU KNOW, LAWS ARE AS LAWMAKERS ARE. LAWS ARE AS LAWMAKERS ARE. 19:04 THEY REFLECT THE MENTALITY - THE MINDSET, THE HEART, THE 19:09 CHARACTER OF THE ONE ISSUING THE LAW. 19:12 AND THIS LAW, PAUL SAYS, THE LAW OF GOD IS HOLY. 19:15 NOW JUST JUMP BACK WITH ME TO VERSE 7, BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE 19:18 SURE WE UNDERSTAND THAT PAUL'S ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT THE TEN 19:20 COMMANDMENTS - THE LAW OF GOD - THE GREAT MORAL CODE FOR 19:24 HUMANITY. HE SAYS THERE IN VERSE 7, 19:26 "WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN? IS THE LAW SIN? GOD FORBID. 19:29 NAY, I HAD NOT KNOWN SIN, BUT BY THE LAW: FOR I HAD NOT KNOWN 19:32 LUST, EXCEPT THE LAW HAD SAID," - WHAT? - 19:35 "THOU SHALT NOT COVET." WHAT LAW SAYS THAT? 19:38 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS - THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. 19:40 SO PAUL SAYS - PAUL IS REFERRING HERE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND 19:43 HE'S SAYING THAT THEY ARE HOLY, AND JUST, AND GOOD. 19:46 THEY ARE HOLY BECAUSE, WELL, IN BEING HOLY THEY DEMAND HOLINESS 19:51 AND IT IS HOLY BECAUSE IT IS AGREEABLE - THE LAW IS HOLY 19:56 BECAUSE IT IS AGREEABLE WITH THE HOLY WILL OF GOD. AND, OF 20:00 COURSE, IT IS JUST BECAUSE IT IS COMPATIBLE WITH EQUITY AND WITH 20:06 RIGHT - WITH RULES OF EQUITY AND WITH OF WHAT IS RIGHT. 20:09 AND THEN, IT IS GOOD BECAUSE IT WAS GIVEN FOR THE GOOD OF 20:13 MANKIND - FOR THE CONSERVATION OF PEACE AND ALSO FOR ORDER IN 20:18 THE WORLD - SO IT MAKES THE OBSERVERS ALSO GOOD. 20:22 THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE LAW - IT MAKES THEM GOOD AS WELL. 20:25 THE INTENTION OF THE LAW WAS TO REFORM AND TO BETTER MANKIND. 20:30 ONE WRITER SAID, 'WHEREVER THERE IS TRUE GRACE' - AND WE'RE 20:35 TALKING ABOUT LAW AND GRACE HERE THIS MORNING - 'WHEREVER THERE 20:38 IS TRUE GRACE, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE AN ASSENT TO THIS FACT:' - 20:43 WHAT FACT? THAT THE LAW - THE COMMANDMENT - 20:45 IS HOLY AND JUST AND GOOD. THAT'S - WHEN SOMEONE 20:51 ACKNOWLEDGES THAT, THERE IS TRUE GRACE BEING REVEALED. 20:56 WELL, WHAT ADVANTAGES DID PAUL FIND IN THE LAW OF GOD? 21:00 INSOMUCH THAT HE SAID IT WAS HOLY AND JUST AND THAT IT WAS 21:04 GOOD? LOOK AT VERSE 7 WITH ME AGAIN - 21:06 LOOKING AT VERSE 7 IN ROMANS 7 - HE SAID, "WHAT SHALL WE SAY 21:10 THEN? IS THE LAW SIN? GOD FORBID. 21:13 NAY, I HAD NOT KNOWN SIN BUT BY THE LAW;" AND SO, FOR PAUL, THE 21:20 LAW WAS REVEALING - THE LAW WAS REVEALING. 21:23 THIS WAS ONE OF THE BENEFITS - THE ADVANTAGES - THAT PAUL FOUND 21:26 IN THE LAW. IT REVEALED THE FACTS. 21:29 LOOK AT VERSE 17 - VERSE 13 - "WAS THEN THAT WHICH IS GOOD 21:34 MADE DEATH UNTO ME? GOD FORBID. BUT SIN, THAT IT MIGHT" - WHAT? 21:40 - "APPEAR SIN, WORKING DEATH IN ME BY THAT WHICH IS GOOD; THAT 21:43 SIN BY THE COMMANDMENT MIGHT BECOME EXCEEDING SINFUL." 21:48 YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT IS STRAIGHT DISCOVERS OR REVEALS 21:52 SOMETHING THAT IS CROOKED. ISN'T THAT RIGHT? 21:55 YEAH, AND IF YOU LOOKED IN THE MIRROR THIS MORNING WHEN YOU GOT 21:58 UP IT JUST TOLD YOU THE TRUTH, DIDN'T IT? 22:01 DID THAT MAKE THE MIRROR BAD? NO, THE MIRROR IS ACTUALLY 22:06 FULFILLING ITS PURPOSE AND ITS FUNCTION, CORRECT? 22:09 NOW IF YOU GO SEE THE DOCTOR, THE DOCTOR PRESSES HERE. 22:12 THE DOCTOR ASKS YOU TO STICK YOUR TONGUE OUT AND GO 'AHHHH'. 22:14 HE LOOKS DOWN THERE AND HE SAYS, 'YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM.' DOES 22:17 THAT MAKE THE DOCTOR BAD BECAUSE HE'S POINTED OUT A PROBLEM? 22:20 NO, IT'S ACTUALLY FULFILLING HIS FUNCTION, HIS PURPOSE. 22:23 THAT'S WHY HE'S THERE. THE LAW OF GOD REVEALS SOMETHING 22:26 AND WHAT THE LAW OF GOD REVEALS TO YOU AND I IS THAT WE ARE 22:31 SINNERS IN NEED OF A SAVIOR. THAT'S WHAT IT ACTUALLY REVEALS. 22:35 YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR IN THE MORNING, THE HAIR'S KIND 22:38 OF DISCOMBOBULATED, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A LITTLE DROOL OR 22:40 SOMETHING GOING ON AND 'I'VE GOT TO CLEAN UP. 22:43 I'VE GOT TO GET THE BRUSH. I'VE GOT TO WASH MY FACE. 22:45 I'VE GOT TO DO THOSE THINGS.' THE MIRROR'S FUNCTION IS TO TELL 22:50 YOU THE TRUTH. I DON'T KNOW TOO MANY FOLK THAT 22:52 GET UP AND THEY LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND THEY GO, 22:54 'OH, HOW COULD YOU? HOW COULD YOU TELL ME THE 22:57 TRUTH?' AND RIP THAT MIRROR OFF THE WALL 22:59 AND THEN THROW IT DOWN ON THE GROUND? 23:01 NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. AREN'T YOU GRATEFUL FOR THE 23:03 MIRROR THAT TELLS YOU WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE IN THE MORNING? 23:05 BECAUSE WHEN YOU LEAVE YOUR HOUSE AND YOU'VE GOT A PIECE OF 23:08 - I DON'T KNOW - FROM THAT GREEN SMOOTHIE JUICE YOU HAD IN THE 23:11 MORNING - STUCK RIGHT THERE AND YOU'RE SMILING ALL THROUGHOUT 23:14 CHURCH - ALL THROUGHOUT THE DAY. 23:15 NO ONE'S GOING TO TELL YOU IT'S THERE. YOU CAN BE SURE OF THAT. 23:19 BUT THE MIRROR, HE'S YOUR FRIEND. 23:21 HE'S GOING TO TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT'S THERE AND MAKE SURE THAT 23:25 YOU FLOSS OR DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT PROBLEM. 23:29 SO PAUL SAYS THAT ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES THAT PAUL FOUND IN 23:31 THE LAW WAS THAT IT WAS REVEALING. 23:34 AND THAT WAS A GOOD THING. THAT WAS A GOOD THING. 23:37 HE SAID, 'I HAD NOT KNOWN SIN BUT BY THE LAW, FOR I HAD NOT 23:42 KNOWN LUST EXCEPT THE LAW HAD SAID, 'THOU SHALT NOT COVET.' 23:47 IT'S INTERESTING THAT PAUL USES THAT ONE - THAT COMMANDMENT - 23:50 THE LAST COMMANDMENT - TO REFER TO - REFERENCE THE LAW HE'S 23:58 TALKING ABOUT. WHY DID HE NOT REFER TO THE ONE 24:02 THAT SAID, 'THOU SHALT NOT KILL?' 24:04 OR THE ONE THAT SAID, 'THOU SHALT NOT STEAL'? 24:07 THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF REASONS FOR THAT. 24:11 WHEN YOU - I THINK THE AVERAGE PERSON RECOGNIZES THAT MURDERING 24:16 AND STEALING IS PRETTY WRONG. BUT PERHAPS THE AVERAGE PERSON 24:20 DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THAT WANTING SOMETHING ISN'T THAT BAD WHEN 24:26 COMPARED TO MURDERING AND STEALING OR COMMITTING ADULTERY, 24:29 SO TO SPEAK. BUT GOD THINKS IT'S BAD AND 24:34 EQUALLY AS BAD, AND HE WANTS US TO THINK SO TOO, YOU SEE. 24:39 PERHAPS ANOTHER REASON WHY PAUL HIGHLIGHTED THIS PARTICULAR 24:43 COMMANDMENT WAS, NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT HAD TO DO WITH THOSE 24:50 ITEMS THAT THE COMMANDMENT TALKS ABOUT: COVETING YOUR NEIGHBOR'S 24:53 WIFE OR YOUR NEIGHBOR'S GOODS, BUT ANYTHING - ANYTHING THAT 24:57 GOD'S WILL PROHIBITS. IT TAKES ON A BROADER 25:04 PERSPECTIVE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY. 25:07 THIS IS A COMMANDMENT OR A SIN THAT LAYS AT THE FOUNDATION OF 25:14 MOST SINS - THE UNHOLY DESIRE FOR SOMETHING - 25:19 THE UNWANTON DESIRE FOR SOMETHING 25:21 THAT WE OUGHT NOT HAVE. FOR EVE, SHE WAS TOLD NOT TO 25:26 TAKE OF THE FRUIT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, 25:29 BUT SHE WANTED IT BAD ENOUGH SO SHE WENT AFTER IT. 25:32 GOD SAID, 'DON'T. THOU SHALT NOT COVET.' IT LAY AT 25:35 THE FOUNDATION OF - IT LAYS AT THE FOUNDATION OF MOST SINS. 25:38 IT BROUGHT SIN AND WOE INTO THIS WORLD. 25:41 AND SO, PAUL IS TALKING TO THIS ONE BECAUSE HE RECOGNIZES ALSO 25:46 THAT IT'S NOT JUST - IT'S NOT JUST THE LETTER OF THE LAW. 25:49 YOU KNOW, PAUL WAS A PRETTY GOOD GUY. 25:51 I MEAN, FROM ALL ACCOUNTS, IF YOU LOOKED AT HIM, APART FROM 25:54 THE FACT THAT HE WAS MURDERING CHRISTIANS, IF YOU LOOKED AT HIS 25:56 GENERAL LIFE AS A RELIGIOUS TEACHER HE WAS A PHARISEE OF THE 25:59 PHARISEES - HE WAS A PRETTY GOOD GUY AND AS FAR AS THE LETTER OF 26:04 THE LAW WAS CONCERNED - KEEP THE SABBATH AND TITHING AND ALL OF 26:06 THESE THINGS - HE LOOKED PRETTY GOOD TO THE UNTRAINED EYE OR TO 26:11 THE HUMAN EYE AT LEAST. BUT THIS COMMANDMENT REVEALS - 26:16 IT GOES TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER. 26:18 IT GOES BEYOND THE SURFACE. IT GOES DIRECTLY TO THE HEART - 26:23 THE THINGS - THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTS OF THE HEART. 26:26 IT'S NOT JUST THE ACTION BUT IT'S THE SPIRIT, YOU SEE, AND 26:30 THIS IS WHY PAUL IS FOCUSING ON THIS COMMANDMENT AS WELL. 26:34 NOW I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER, AS WELL. 26:36 YOU KNOW, WE CAN BE APPEARING TO BE KEEPING THE LAW - THE RICH 26:40 YOUNG RULER CAME TO JESUS AND SAID, 'WHAT SHALL I DO TO 26:43 INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?' WELL JESUS SAID, 'KEEP THE LAW.' 26:45 'WELL, I'VE KEPT IT FROM MY YOUTH UP.' AND JESUS SAID, 26:47 'WELL, GO SELL EVERYTHING YOU HAVE AND THEN COME FOLLOW ME.' 26:50 DID HE GO SELL EVERYTHING HE HAD? WHY? 26:53 BECAUSE HE COVETED WHAT HE HAD. HE DIDN'T PUT GOD FIRST YOU SEE. 26:59 FROM THE SURFACE HE LOOKED LIKE A PRETTY GOOD GUY, BUT ON THE 27:02 INSIDE THERE WAS - HIS HEART WASN'T CONNECTED TO THE HEART OF 27:05 CHRIST FULLY AND COMPLETELY. AND SO THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT 27:09 LESSON FOR US TO UNDERSTAND AND TO LEARN. 27:12 YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME THAT WOULD SUGGEST - AND THEY TURN 27:16 THAT CONCEPT ON ITS HEAD AND THEY GO TO ANOTHER EXTREME AND 27:22 SAY THAT THE SPIRIT MATTERS ONLY, BUT THE LETTER OF THE LAW 27:25 - OBEYING THE LETTER OF THE LAW DOESN'T REALLY MATTER. 27:29 A FRIEND OF MINE WHO'S TRAVELING AROUND WITH HIS WIFE - HE MEETS 27:33 ALL TYPES OF INDIVIDUALS AND HE'S ALWAYS TRYING TO ENGAGE 27:35 THEM IN BIBLE STUDY AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT GOD'S WORD AND THE 27:38 TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD AND TALK ABOUT JESUS AND IN HIS 27:43 ENCOUNTERS HE OFTEN MEETS WITH INDIVIDUALS WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT 27:45 THE SABBATH AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD AND THE OBEDIENCE FROM A MOTIVE 27:51 OF LOVE. HE ALWAYS GETS - ALWAYS GETS - MANY TIMES GETS 27:54 THE RESPONSE, 'WELL, KEEPING THE LAW DOESN'T REALLY MATTER, IT'S 27:59 THE SPIRIT. YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS IT'S IN 28:04 YOUR HEART IT'S OKAY.' I FIND THAT KIND OF ODD. 28:09 I FIND IT VERY ODD THAT YOU CAN BE KEEPING IT IN YOUR 28:12 HEART BUT NOT KEEPING IT EXTERNALLY. 28:17 I'M DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD - I'M ON HOWE - I USE A LOT OF CAR 28:20 ILLUSTRATIONS, I DON'T SPEED NORMALLY, BUT HERE YOU'RE 28:24 DRIVING DOWN HOWE 55 MILES AN HOUR, A POLICEMAN PULLS YOU 28:28 OVER, 'WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? 28:30 THIS IS 40 MILES AN HOUR?' 'OFFICER, FORGIVE ME. 28:34 IT WAS IN MY HEART TO OBEY.' DO YOU THINK HE'S GOING TO LOOK AT 28:39 YOU AND SAY, 'I UNDERSTAND SON. IT'S OKAY. OFF YOU GO. 28:42 BE ON YOUR WAY. HAVE A HAPPY DAY. 28:45 AS LONG AS IT'S IN YOUR HEART TO OBEY, THAT'S ALL THAT REALLY 28:48 MATTERS.' DO YOU THINK HE'S GOING TO SAY THAT? NO. 28:52 MAYBE WE TRIED THAT BEFORE. IT DIDN'T WORK, DID IT? 28:54 YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS DON'T WORK. 'HONEY, I LOVE YOU. 28:59 IT'S IN MY HEART TO LOVE YOU, BUT I'M GOING TO GO VISIT 29:03 SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, SHE'S AN OLD GIRLFRIEND FROM WAY BACK. 29:06 BUT IT'S IN MY HEART TO LOVE YOU. 29:08 I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW.' DO YOU THINK YOUR WIFE'S GOING TO 29:10 ACCEPT THAT? DO YOU THINK SHE'S GOING TO BE 29:12 CONTENT AND HAPPY OR 'IT'S OKAY, AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME IN YOUR 29:16 HEART YOU CAN FOOL AROUND WITH ANYONE YOU WANT.' DO YOU THINK 29:21 SHE'S GOING TO SAY THAT? HANG ON A SECOND. 29:24 I THINK I DESERVE A BIT OF A STRONGER RESPONSE THERE. 29:26 DO YOU THINK SHE'S GOING TO SAY THAT? NO - NO, DEFINITELY NOT. 29:31 AND IF SHE SAYS SOMETHING CONTRARY, THERE'S A PROBLEM. 29:34 WE NEED TO SIT DOWN AND WE CAN VISIT TOGETHER. 29:36 IF IT'S IN YOUR HEART TO OBEY, GUESS WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO? 29:41 YOU'RE GOING TO OBEY. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. 29:45 AND SO DON'T BE FOOLED INTO THIS IDEA THAT IT'S THE SPIRIT OF THE 29:48 LAW THAT MATTERS ONLY, NOT THE KEEPING OF THE LETTER OF THE 29:51 LAW. IF IT'S IN YOUR HEART TO OBEY, 29:53 YOU'RE GOING TO BE OBEYING. YOU'RE GOING TO BE FULFILLING 29:55 THE LETTER OF THE LAW, BY GOD'S GRACE, OF COURSE. 29:57 NOW, SO FOR PAUL - I WANT TO MOVE ALONG BECAUSE WE HAVE TO 30:00 GET TO THE OTHER DAYS BUT, FOR PAUL, HE WAS THANKFUL FOR THE 30:04 LAW. THE ADVANTAGES HE FOUND IN THE 30:06 LAW - ONE WAS BECAUSE IT WAS REVEALING. 30:08 NUMBER TWO - IT WAS HUMBLING - IT WAS HUMBLING. 30:12 VERSE 9 - LET'S LOOK AT THAT - ROMANS 7, VERSE 9. 30:16 HE SAYS, "FOR I WAS ALIVE WITHOUT THE LAW ONCE: BUT WHEN 30:20 THE COMMANDMENT CAME, SIN REVIVED, AND I DIED." 30:25 WHAT'S HE TALKING ABOUT HERE? WHAT'S HE TALKING ABOUT HERE? 30:29 JUST PICTURE THAT GUY CRUISING DOWN THE STREET IN HIS CORVETTE 30:33 OR IN HIS MUSTANG AND HE'S DRIVING DOWN - AND HE'S JUST 30:37 SWERVING IN AND OUT OF TRAFFIC, CRUISING AT SPEEDS UNBEKNOWNST 30:40 TO - WELL JUST SPEEDS - CRAZY SPEEDS - HIGH SPEEDS. 30:45 HE'S JUST HAVING A GOOD TIME AND HE THINKS HE IS ALIVE. 30:50 ALL OF A SUDDEN, OUT OF THE CORNER OF HIS EYE, HE SEES A 30:53 SIGN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THAT SAYS, 'SPEED LIMIT 40' AND 30:58 HE'S GOING 65. HE'S GETTING FASTER AND FASTER, 31:01 ISN'T HE, THIS GUY? BUT HE'S GOING 65. 31:04 WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN TO HIS MIND? 31:06 IT'S SUPPOSED TO ALERT HIM TO THE FACT THAT HE IS OUTSIDE OF 31:09 THE LAW - HE'S BREAKING THE LAW. HE WAS CRUISING. HE WAS ALIVE - 31:13 HE THOUGHT HE WAS ALIVE, AT LEAST, WITHOUT THE LAW. 31:17 BUT WHEN THE COMMANDMENT CAME SIN REVIVED. 31:19 HE RECOGNIZED THAT HE WAS DOING THE WRONG THING. 31:22 AND SO, FOR PAUL IT WAS HUMBLING, YOU SEE. 31:25 THE LAW MAKES A GOOD MAN LOOK PRETTY BAD. THAT'S THE TRUTH. 31:32 THE LAW MAKES A GOOD MAN LOOK PRETTY BAD. 31:37 AN INDIVIDUAL MAY HAVE - MAY BE KEEPING THE LETTER OF THE LAW ON 31:40 THE OUTSIDE, BUT ON THE INSIDE THERE'S NOTHING REALLY GOING ON. 31:44 IT'S JUST MOTIONS. THERE'S THE SHELL, BUT THERE'S 31:46 NO KERNEL, SO TO SPEAK. THE LAW MAY BE IN THE HAND AND 31:51 IT MAY BE IN THE HEAD, BUT THE LAW'S NOT IN THE HEART, YEAH. 31:57 THERE'S A NOTION OF THE LAW BUT THERE'S NOT THE POWER OF IT IN 32:02 THE LIFE, YOU SEE. AND SO FOR PAUL IT WAS A HUMBLING 32:06 EXPERIENCE. THAT WAS ONE OF THE BENEFITS HE 32:09 FOUND IN THE LAW OF GOD. THAT'S A GOOD BENEFIT IF IT 32:11 LEADS YOU TO SEEK THE ONE WHO CAN HELP YOU, AMEN? SURE. 32:16 ALRIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO MONDAY'S LESSON HERE. 32:18 LET'S CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LAW AND 32:22 GRACE - THE LAW AND ISRAEL - THE LAW AND ISRAEL. 32:27 DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 30, VERSES 15 TO 18. LET'S GO THERE. 32:31 AND I HAVE SOMEONE READING DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 6 32:33 AND VERSE 2. WHO WOULD HAVE THAT? 32:35 JUST RAISE YOUR HAND. DEUTERONOMY 6 AND VERSE 2 - 32:38 THANKS, MIKE. AND WE'LL COME TO YOU IN JUST A 32:40 MOMENT. LET'S GO TO DEUTERONOMY 32:41 CHAPTER 30 AND WE'RE GOING TO READ VERSES 15 TO 18. 32:46 YOU KNOW, GOD CHOSE ISRAEL TO BE HIS SPECIAL PEOPLE - HIS CHOSEN 32:53 REPRESENTATION - REPRESENTATIVES ON THE EARTH. 32:56 WHY DID GOD CHOOSE ISRAEL AMONG THE NATIONS? 33:01 TO BE A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS AND A HOLY NATION - AND REVEAL HIS LAW 33:07 TO THEM. WHY DID HE DO THAT? 33:09 DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 30 AND VERSES 15 THROUGH 18. 33:14 BY THE WAY, IN EXODUS 19 AND VERSE 6 - THIS IS WHERE GOD 33:18 DECLARES HIS PEOPLE AS HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE - A HOLY NATION OF 33:21 PECULIAR PEOPLE, SO TO SPEAK. THAT WAS JUST BEFORE HE ISSUED 33:26 THE LAW, THERE IN EXODUS CHAPTER 20. 33:29 WHY DID GOD CHOOSE ISRAEL FROM AMONG THE NATIONS TO BE A 33:32 KINGDOM OF PRIESTS AND A HOLY NATION? 33:34 AND WHY DID HE GIVE THE LAW TO THEM? WHY? 33:36 DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 30 AND VERSES 15 THROUGH 18. 33:40 IT SAYS, "SEE, I HAVE SET BEFORE THEE THIS DAY LIFE AND GOOD, AND 33:45 DEATH AND EVIL; IN THAT I COMMAND THEE THIS DAY TO LOVE 33:48 THE LORD THY GOD, TO WALK IN HIS WAYS, AND TO KEEP HIS 33:51 COMMANDMENTS AND HIS STATUTES AND HIS JUDGMENTS, THAT THOU 33:54 MAYEST LIVE AND MULTIPLY: AND THE LORD THY GOD SHALL BLESS 34:00 THEE IN THE LAND WITHER THOU GOEST TO POSSESS IT. 34:04 BUT IF THINE HEART TURN AWAY, SO THAT THOU WILT NOT HEAR, BUT 34:08 SHALT BE DRAWN AWAY, AND WORSHIP OTHER GODS, AND SERVE THEM; I 34:11 DENOUNCE UNTO YOU THIS DAY, THAT YE SHALL SURELY PERISH, AND THAT 34:15 YE SHALL NOT PROLONG YOUR DAYS UPON THE LAND, WITHER THOU 34:17 PASSEST OVER JORDAN TO GO TO POSSESS IT. 34:19 I CALL HEAVEN AND EARTH TO RECORD THIS DAY AGAINST YOU, 34:23 THAT I HAVE SET BEFORE YOU LIFE AND DEATH, BLESSING AND CURSING: 34:27 THEREFORE CHOOSE LIFE, THAT BOTH THOU AND THY SEED MAY LIVE:" SO 34:35 GOD PUTS BEFORE HIS PEOPLE BLESSINGS AND CURSES, 34:37 LIFE OR DEATH. LIFE IF YOU KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. 34:41 IS THERE ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THE COMMANDMENTS IF THEY PRODUCE 34:43 LIFE AND LONGEVITY? NOTHING BAD ABOUT THEM THAT WAY 34:46 - ABSOLUTELY NO WAY - VERY GOOD - NOTHING BAD ABOUT THEM AT ALL. 34:50 GOD GAVE HIS LAW TO HIS PEOPLE. WHY DID HE CHOOSE THEM? 34:54 BECAUSE HIS ELECTION WAS BASED UPON MISSION. 34:58 IT WAS MISSION DRIVEN. HE RAISED UP THIS PEOPLE. 35:01 GOD'S PURPOSE IN BLESSING ABRAHAM - BRINGING HIM THESE 35:07 PROMISES OF BLESSING AND TO MAKE - SO THAT ABRAHAM WOULD MAKE 35:11 GOD'S WILL AND HIS BLESSINGS BE MADE KNOWN TO OTHERS WAS FOR 35:16 THAT REASON: TO SHOWCASE GOD'S GRACE AND HIS LIFESTYLE TO 35:20 NATIONS - AS THEY EXALTED GOD'S NAME, YOU SEE. 35:24 YOU CAN READ ABOUT THAT IN DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 28, 35:26 VERSES 1 AND 10. HE DIDN'T CHOOSE THEM BECAUSE 35:28 THEY WERE BIGGER. HE DIDN'T CHOOSE THEM BECAUSE 35:29 THEY WERE PRETTIER. HE DIDN'T CHOOSE THEM BECAUSE 35:31 THEY WERE THE BEST. HE CHOSE THEM BECAUSE HE MADE A 35:34 PROMISE WITH ABRAHAM AND ABRAHAM'S CHILDREN AND THAT, 35:38 THROUGH THEM, THEY WOULD BE A BLESSING TO THE ENDS OF THE 35:41 EARTH. AND THEY WOULD BE A BLESSING ONLY IF THEY OBEYED 35:44 GOD'S LAW. ONLY IF THEY KEPT GOD'S LAW. 35:47 VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND. 35:51 THERE'S NOTHING IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL THAT PITS GOD'S LAW 35:55 AGAINST HIS GRACE. THERE'S NOTHING - THERE'S NOTHING. 35:58 GOD'S GRACE WAS AVAILABLE TO WRITE THAT LAW UPON THE HEARTS 36:02 AND MINDS OF HIS PEOPLE AND THEY WERE TO KEEP IT AND TO LIVE IT 36:07 AND, IN SO DOING, MAN, WHAT A BLESSING. WHAT A HUGE BLESSING 36:11 THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN IF THEY HAD FOLLOWED THROUGH. 36:13 GOD'S PLAN WAS FOR THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL TO EXPAND BEYOND THE 36:17 BORDERS GOD HAD GIVEN THEM AND FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO GROW 36:20 ON EARTH - TO ENCOMPASS, PERHAPS, EVEN THE ENTIRE WORLD. 36:24 HIS PLANS AND EXPECTATIONS FOR HIS PEOPLE WERE HIGH. 36:27 HE SAID, 'IF YOU DO THIS YOU'LL BE THE HEAD AND NOT THE TAIL.' 36:30 INCREDIBLE BLESSINGS ARE IN STORE FOR GOD'S PEOPLE WHO KEEP 36:33 HIS WORD AND KEEP HIS LAW. DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 6 AND 36:37 VERSE 2, WE'LL READ THAT AT THIS TIME. THANKS MIKE. 36:41 >>DEUTERONOMY 6:2, "THAT YOU MAY FEAR THE LORD YOUR GOD, TO KEEP 36:46 ALL HIS STATUES AND HIS COMMANDMENTS WHICH I COMMAND 36:49 YOU, YOU AND YOUR SON AND YOUR GRANDSON, ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR 36:54 LIFE, AND THAT YOUR DAYS MAY BE PROLONGED." 36:58 >>ALRIGHT, SO GOD'S INTENTION - THANK YOU - 37:00 GOD'S INTENTION FOR HIS PEOPLE IN KEEPING THE LAW WAS THAT 37:03 THEIR LIFE MIGHT BE WHAT? PROLONGED. 37:06 WHAT A BLESSING - TO BE A BLESSING FOR THEM AND SO THEY 37:10 WOULD, IN TURN, BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS. 37:13 YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE CONSIDER GOD'S LAW TO BE VERY 37:16 RESTRICTIVE AND CONFINING, BUT IF WE VIEW GOD'S LAW, PERHAPS AS 37:21 A FORTRESS TO THE SOUL - TO THE HEART - 37:25 PROTECTING US FROM THE ENEMY WHO IS THE DEVIL. 37:28 AND THOSE TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE TEN SOLID GATES KEEPING THE 37:34 ENEMY OUT, WOULD WE VIEW, THEN, THE COMMANDMENTS AS BEING 37:37 RESTRICTIVE AND INHIBITIVE AND A CURSE? 37:40 NO, AS A MATTER OF FACT, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN READING. 37:44 THE COMMANDMENTS WERE DESIGNED TO BE A BLESSING AND TO PRESERVE 37:47 GOD'S PEOPLE ALIVE AND TO PROLONG THEIR DAYS. 37:50 TALK ABOUT GRACE. TALK ABOUT WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL 37:54 GRACE - YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY - THERE I GO AGAIN, 37:58 DRIVING - I LIKE DRIVING. I HOPE YOU DO TOO. 38:01 YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THESE WINDING ROADS GOING UP TO THE 38:03 SIERRAS - NOT DOWN THE WINDING ROADS, YOU'RE GOING UP THE 38:07 WINDING ROADS - GOING UP TO THE SIERRA, BUT YOU'VE GOT 38:09 GUARD RAILS IN SOME PLACES. I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DON'T HAVE 38:12 THEM IN OTHER PLACES, BUT YOU'VE GOT GUARD RAILS IN SOME PLACES. 38:14 ARE THOSE THERE JUST FOR GOOD LOOKS? 38:16 ARE THEY THERE TO ENSURE THAT YOUR DRIVING EXPERIENCE IS LESS 38:24 THAN IDEAL AND TO ENSURE THAT YOUR DRIVING EXPERIENCE IS 38:27 MISERABLE? IS THAT WHAT THE GUARD RAILS ARE THERE FOR? 38:30 NO, WHAT ARE THEY THERE FOR? TO PROTECT YOU. 38:34 TO PRESERVE YOUR LIFE. IF A SHEPHERD BROUGHT HIS SHEEP 38:38 INSIDE THE SHEEP PEN AND INSIDE THE GATE, IS HE LOCKING THEM IN 38:44 OR LOCKING THE PREDATOR OUT? IT'S FOR THEIR GOOD, ISN'T IT? 38:48 KEEPING THE ENEMY OUT - KEEPING THE WOLVES OUT - 38:50 KEEPING THE WILD DOGS OUT, YOU SEE. 38:52 GOD'S LAW WAS GIVEN TO PRESERVE LIFE AND TO BE A BLESSING. 38:56 YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL, IT IS VERY 39:00 INTERESTING AND I WON'T GET INTO IT TOO MUCH HERE BUT, YOU KNOW, 39:04 DURING THE TIMES - PRIMARILY DURING THE OLD TESTAMENT PERIOD, 39:07 PRIOR TO THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY - 39:11 GOD'S PEOPLE - GOD'S PEOPLE HAD A PROBLEM. 39:15 THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THEY WEREN'T AN INFLUENCE - OR A 39:18 POSITIVE INFLUENCE - TO THE PAGAN NATIONS AROUND THEM. 39:22 THEY WEREN'T EXERTING A POSITIVE INFLUENCE AT ALL. 39:26 THEY WERE INFLUENCED, INSTEAD, BY THE NATIONS - BY THEIR WAYS. 39:31 THEY WERE INFLUENCED BY THOSE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO WIN AND BY 39:34 BEING INFLUENCED BY THEM, THEY DIDN'T WIN ANYBODY, 39:37 TECHNICALLY. AFTER THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY, 39:42 GOD'S PEOPLE KIND OF GOT THE MESSAGE. 39:44 THEY SAID, 'LOOK, IF WE'RE GOING TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING 39:47 AGAIN THESE NATIONS COMING IN AND ENCROACHING UPON OUR 39:52 FREEDOMS AND TAKING US - DISPERSING US AMONGST THEIR 39:54 NATION OR TAKING US CAPTIVES OR BURNING AND DESTROYING OUR 39:58 NATION - OUR CITIES - THEN WE NEED TO KEEP GOD'S LAW.' 40:02 AND SO THAT'S WHAT THEY STARTED DOING. 40:05 NEHEMIAH STARTED THIS AND DURING THE INTERTESTIMENTAL PERIOD, 40:09 SOME THINGS BEGAN TO CHANGE. SO DURING MOST OF THE OLD 40:13 TESTAMENT THEY WERE INFLUENCED BY THE NATIONS AROUND THEM, 40:16 BUT THEN THEY CAME TO SHUN THE NATIONS AROUND THEM SO THAT THEY 40:22 COULD BE LAWKEEPERS, SO TO SPEAK AND, THEREFORE, THEY WON NOBODY 40:26 THAT WAY EITHER. TWO EXTREMES. YOU SEE THE EXTREMES HERE? 40:31 ONE EXTREME: BEING INFLUENCED BY THOSE AROUND YOU. 40:35 THEY MINGLED, BUT MINGLED TO THEIR DETRIMENT. 40:38 AND THEN THE OTHER: THEY BLOCKED PEOPLE OUT. 40:41 THEY BUILT UP A HEDGE - A WALL - AROUND THEM SO THEY COULD 40:43 PRESERVE THEIR OWN INTEGRITY AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S LAW, BUT IN 40:49 DOING SO THEY SHUT PEOPLE OUT FROM BECOMING PARTICIPANTS OF 40:54 THAT GREAT LAW THAT GOD HAD GIVEN HIS PEOPLE TO SHARE WITH 40:57 THE NATIONS. SO THE QUESTION IS: HOW DO WE 41:00 KEEP A HEALTHY TENSION FOR US? HOW COULD ISRAEL DO IT? 41:04 HOW CAN WE DO IT? HOW CAN WE KEEP A HEALTHY 41:05 TENSION BETWEEN LIVING A HOLY LIFE - BEING A HOLY NATION - AND 41:10 BEING A PRIESTLY PEOPLE THAT ARE CALLED TO SERVE AND TO TEACH 41:14 OTHERS? HOW IS IT POSSIBLE? HOW CAN WE DO THAT? 41:19 HOW CAN WE PRESERVE OUR INTEGRITY WHILE MINGLING WITH 41:24 THE WORLDLY AND THE UNGODLY, ALL THE WHILE TRYING TO WIN THEM, 41:28 BUT NOT BE INFLUENCED BY THEM? HOW DO WE KEEP THAT TENSION 41:33 HEALTHY? BECAUSE THERE IS A TENSION THERE 41:36 AND IT HAS TO BE MAINTAINED AT A HEALTHY TIGHTNESS, SO TO SPEAK. 41:41 IF YOU THINK ABOUT ISAIAH CHAPTER 2, VERSE 3 - LET'S TURN 41:43 THERE REAL QUICK - ISAIAH 2:3 - LOOK AT GOD'S PROMISE TO HIS 41:46 PEOPLE - ISAIAH CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 3. 41:54 YOU KNOW, EVEN THE EARLY CHURCH WAS PRONE TO THIS PROBLEM. 41:59 THEY WERE SEEKING TO SHUT OFF - CLOSE THEMSELVES IN FROM THE 42:04 SURROUNDING PEOPLE SO THAT THEY COULD PRESERVE THE PURITY OF THE 42:10 GOSPEL AND GOD KIND OF MESSED WITH THEIR PLANS AND BROUGHT 42:16 PERSECUTION ON THE CHURCH AND SO THEY ACTUALLY ENDED UP LEAVING 42:19 JERUSALEM AND ENDED UP SPREADING THE GOSPEL INTO REGIONS THAT, 42:23 PERHAPS, MAY NOT HAVE GONE IF THE PERSECUTION DIDN'T COME. 42:28 BUT THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN THIS IDEA OR THIS DESIRE - AND IT'S A 42:33 GOOD DESIRE TO PRESERVE YOUR CONNECTION WITH CHRIST. 42:36 YOU NEED TO DO THAT, BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT OF LEAVING OFF THE 42:42 OPPORTUNITY IN SHARING CHRIST WITH OTHER PEOPLE. 42:45 SOME FOLK SHUT THEMSELVES IN, READ THEIR BIBLES, SPIRIT OF 42:51 PROPHECY - THEY SHUT THEMSELVES IN AND - IN ORDER TO KEEP 42:55 THEMSELVES HOLY AND PURE AND, ALL THE WHILE, NOT WINNING 42:58 ANYONE. SOME, UNDER THE NAME OF WINNING OTHERS, GO ALL TYPES OF 43:02 DIFFERENT PLACES - NOT SO MUCH TO WIN PEOPLE, JUST IN THE NAME 43:08 TO WIN PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ENJOY GOING TO SOME OF THESE PLACES 43:10 AND IT'S A TRAP AND CAUSES PEOPLE TO COME UNDONE AND FALL 43:15 INTO SOME GROSS SIN - SIN THAT PROBABLY THEY HAD GIVEN UP 43:18 BEFORE BUT HAVE FALLEN BACK INTO. 43:20 SO HOW DO WE MAINTAIN THIS HEALTHY TENSION? 43:22 LOOK AT ISAIAH CHAPTER 2, VERSE 3, "AND MANY PEOPLE SHALL GO AND 43:26 SAY, 'COME YE, AND LET US GO UP TO THE MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD, TO 43:30 THE HOUSE OF THE GOD OF JACOB; AND HE WILL TEACH US OF HIS 43:33 WAYS, AND WE WILL WALK IN HIS PATHS: FOR OUT OF ZION SHALL GO 43:38 FORTH THE LAW, AND THE WORD OF THE LORD FROM JERUSALEM." 43:43 GOD HAD A PROMISE FOR HIS PEOPLE, HE SAID, 'IF YOU ARE MY 43:46 HOLY PEOPLE - IF YOU'RE MY PECULIAR PEOPLE, KEEP MY LAW. 43:50 I'M GOING TO BLESS YOU AND FOLK FROM AFAR ARE GOING TO COME TO 43:52 YOU.' BECAUSE THEY'VE SEEN THE WORD OF THE LORD - THE LAW OF 43:55 GOD - BEING TAUGHT FROM THIS PLACE AND THEY'RE GOING TO WHAT? 43:58 COME. SO WE OUGHT TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE LAW. 44:02 WE OUGHT TO BE OBEDIENT TO THE LAW. THIS IS A GOOD THING - 44:08 A VERY GOOD THING. AND THEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT 44:11 LITTLE YOUNG LADY - THAT LITTLE YOUNG GIRL WHO WAS TAKEN AWAY 44:16 FROM HER PARENTS BY THE SYRIANS WHEN THEY WERE RUNNING BORDER 44:21 RAIDS IN THESE SMALL VILLAGES ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF ISRAEL. 44:25 THEY TOOK THIS YOUNG MAID INTO THE CAPTAIN OF THE SYRIAN ARMY'S 44:30 HOUSE AND SHE WAS SERVANT TO NAAMAN'S WIFE. 44:34 AND HERE SHE WAS IN THE MIDST OF PAGANISM AND DEBAUCHERY AND 44:40 FOOLISHNESS, REALLY. AND HERE SHE WAS IN THE MIDDLE 44:43 OF THAT AND STILL PRESERVED HER INTEGRITY. I MEAN, A YOUNG GIRL 44:47 - TALK ABOUT POWERFUL PARENTAL INFLUENCE IN THAT LIFE. 44:52 IT WAS A GIRL WHO WASN'T JUST - DOING THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE 44:55 HER PARENTS WERE AROUND OR HAD THEIR EYE ON HER. 44:58 SHE WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING IRRESPECTIVE - EVEN TAKEN AWAY. 45:04 HOW DID SHE PRESERVE HER INTEGRITY? 45:06 HOW DID SHE PRESERVE THE LAW OF GOD IN HER HEART IN THE MIDST OF 45:09 A LAWLESS SOCIETY - IN EVEN A LAWLESS HOUSE? I MEAN, 45:13 YOU THINK ABOUT THE STORY AND YOU KNOW THE STORY VERY WELL. 45:15 NAAMAN ENDED UP, TO SOME EXTENT, MAKING SOME ADJUSTMENTS IN HIS 45:19 LIFE WHERE HE WASN'T GOING TO BOW DOWN TO, PER SE, THESE 45:23 IMAGES, BUT WORSHIP THE LIVING GOD. 45:26 THAT'S A POWERFUL INFLUENCE, ISN'T IT? A POWERFUL INFLUENCE. 45:30 SHE PRESERVED HER INTEGRITY. SHE KEPT CLOSE TO GOD. 45:35 HIS LAW WAS IN HER HEART. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE? 45:39 OF COURSE SPENDING TIME WITH GOD - THESE THINGS WE KNOW - BUT 45:42 SPENDING TIME WITH GOD AND TRUE TIME WITH HIM, IN ALLOWING HIM 45:46 TO WRITE HIS LAW IN OUR HEARTS AND IN OUR MINDS, ISN'T IT? 45:49 YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY, IT'S GOING TO BE HARD FOR ANY OF US TO BE 45:52 SAVED IF WE'RE NOT HELPING SOMEBODY ELSE. 45:56 ULTIMATELY WE BECOME VERY NARROW, VERY SELFISH, IF WE'RE 46:00 NOT REACHING OUT AND HELPING AND BLESSING OTHERS. 46:04 I THINK WE UNDERSTAND WHERE I'M COMING FROM ON THAT. 46:07 AND SO WE MUST BE SHARING. HOW DO WE PRESERVE OUR INTEGRITY 46:11 DURING THAT? WE KEEP OUR EYES ON JESUS. 46:14 WE SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH HIM BEFORE WE LEAVE OUR HOUSE FOR 46:18 THE DAY. WE'RE LIVING IN THE ATTITUDE OF 46:21 PRAYER THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WE'RE LOOKING TO JESUS AND 46:26 TRUSTING IN HIS GOODNESS AND HIS GRACE. 46:29 SO GOD'S PLAN FOR HIS PEOPLE ISRAEL, FAILED BECAUSE THEY WERE 46:35 INFLUENCED BY THE NATIONS OR THEY WERE - THEY, TO PRESERVE 46:41 THEIR INTEGRITY, KEPT THE NATIONS AWAY. 46:45 AND YET, GOD'S PEOPLE TODAY CERTAINLY CAN'T BE FALLING INTO 46:49 THE SAME TRAP, CAN WE? THERE'S TWO DITCHES HERE AND 46:51 WE'VE GOT TO BE STEERING INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. 46:54 WE'VE GOT TO BE DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD HERE AND 46:56 MAKING SURE THAT GOD'S LAW REMAINS IN OUR HEARTS AND IN OUR 47:00 MINDS AND WE'RE EFFECTIVE WITNESSES IN BRINGING PEOPLE TO 47:03 A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUE GOD AND HIS GRACE AND HIS GOSPEL FOR 47:07 THEM. WELL, WE GO TO TUESDAY HERE AND 47:11 'THE LAW AND THE NATIONS'. IN THE VERSES WE'VE BEEN GIVEN 47:22 IN ACTS CHAPTER 10, VERSES 34 AND 35, IN ACTS 17:26 AND 27, 47:28 ROMANS 1:2 AND 2:14, GOD IS BASICALLY SAYING THAT THERE ARE 47:35 SOME FOLK WHO ARE NOT EXPOSED TO HIS LAW AND YET THERE REMAINS A 47:43 WITNESS FOR THEM OF THE TRUE GOD AND YOU CAN READ THAT IN ROMANS 47:48 CHAPTER 1, VERSE 20. LET'S LOOK AT THAT. 47:53 HOW COULD THESE NATIONS WHO WERE NOT EXPOSED TO GOD'S LAW OR DID 47:58 NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH ISRAEL, FIND A REVELATION OF GOD? 48:03 ROMANS CHAPTER 1 AND VERSE 20 - NOTICE WHAT PAUL SAYS HERE: HE 48:07 SAYS, "FOR THE INVISIBLE THINGS OF HIM" - LET ME START AGAIN - 48:10 "FOR THE INVISIBLE THINGS OF HIM FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD 48:13 ARE CLEARLY SEEN, BEING UNDERSTOOD BY THE THINGS THAT 48:16 ARE MADE, EVEN HIS ETERNAL POWER AND GODHEAD; SO THAT THEY ARE 48:19 WITHOUT EXCUSE:" SO GOD SAYS THERE IS A POWERFUL TESTIMONY OF 48:24 THE CREATOR GOD IN CREATION AND PEOPLE CAN COME TO A KNOWLEDGE 48:29 OF THE CREATOR GOD BY THE THINGS THAT THEY SEE IN NATURE. 48:32 NOW, WE UNDERSTAND THAT NATURE IS NOT THE WAY IT USED TO BE - 48:36 IT'S BEEN PERVERTED BY SIN - BY THE EFFECTS OF SIN AND SO ON. 48:38 BUT GOD SAYS, 'STILL, THERE'S A GOOD ENOUGH WITNESS THERE IN THE 48:41 CREATION OF THE WORLD - IN NATURE - THAT TESTIFIES TO THERE 48:45 BEING A CREATOR GOD.' ONE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO BE PRETTY 48:49 IGNORANT TO NOT SEE THAT IT TAKES AN ARTIST - 48:53 A MAKER - AN INTELLIGENT DESIGNER TO BRING 48:57 ABOUT WHAT WE SEE TODAY IN THE WORLD. 49:01 AND SO GOD HAS GIVEN NATURE AS ANOTHER REVELATION OF HIMSELF. 49:05 THERE'S THE WORD OF GOD - SOME PEOPLE WERE NOT PRIVY TO THE 49:09 LAW OF GOD AND GOD SAYS, 'THERE IS A TESTIMONY OF ME IN NATURE.' 49:14 SO NATURE DIRECTS PEOPLE TO GOD - INSTILLS IN THEM A DESIRE TO 49:17 KNOW GOD AND BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH HIM BECAUSE OTHER THINGS 49:20 JUST DON'T SATISFY - FAME AND POWER AND DRUGS AND MUSIC AND 49:25 MONEY AND SEX AND THOSE THINGS. THOSE THINGS DON'T SATISFY. 49:30 THERE IS A STANDARD. THERE IS A JUDGMENT AND THE LAW 49:35 WILL BE THE STANDARD OF THE JUDGMENT. 49:38 THE WRITTEN LAW WILL BE THE STANDARD AND THE LAW OF 49:40 CONSCIENCE, DEVELOPED BY LISTENING TO THE VOICE OF GOD, 49:43 WILL BE THE STANDARD FOR SOME. THIS POSES AN INTERESTING 49:46 QUESTION TOO: IF GOD IS SPEAKING - SPEAKS TO EVERYONE THROUGH 49:50 NATURE, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF MISSIONARIES AND EVANGELISTS? 49:54 WELL FIRST, GOD HAS TOLD US TO GO, HAS HE NOT? IT'S A COMMAND. 50:01 SO IT'S NOT A SUGGESTION, WE'RE TOLD TO GO. 50:02 SO GOD KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING, NUMBER ONE. 50:04 IF HE'S TOLD US TO GO, WE OUGHT TO GO - WE OUGHT TO SHARE. 50:06 NUMBER 2 - PERHAPS IT'S A LITTLE SIMILAR TO, PERHAPS, A STUDENT 50:10 WHO'S BEEN GIVEN A TEXTBOOK IN SCHOOL - TO READ IT AND STUDY IT 50:13 FOR THEMSELVES AND FIGURE IT OUT. AND, YOU KNOW, SOME CAN DO 50:18 PRETTY GOOD WITH THAT, BUT MOST CANNOT - MOST CANNOT. 50:22 A STUDENT WHO'S BEEN GIVEN SOMETHING TO READ - TO LEARN - 50:25 VERSUS A TEACHER COMING ALONG AND GIVING A LESSON ON THAT 50:30 PARTICULAR THING THAT'S BEEN READ - THERE'S A 50:33 MASSIVE DIFFERENCE. YOU KNOW, THE LIGHT GOES ON - YOU REMEMBER 50:36 BACK IN THE SCHOOL DAYS - SOME OF YOU ARE STILL IN SCHOOL. 50:38 THE TEACHER GETS UP - LECTURER - PROFESSOR - GETS UP, TEACHES, 50:42 SHARES. IT'S LIKE, 'MAN, I WAS READING 50:44 THAT AND I JUST COULDN'T QUITE GET IT. 50:45 BUT NOW I UNDERSTAND THAT BETTER. 50:47 I SEE IT FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE.' 50:49 YOU KNOW, THE LIGHT WENT ON, SO TO SPEAK. 50:50 I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IN US GOING AND IN US SHARING AND 50:53 EVANGELIZING AND BEING MISSIONARIES AND SHARING THE 50:56 GOSPEL - THE LAW OF GOD - THE GRACE OF GOD - WITH OTHERS WHO 50:59 MAY NOT KNOW IT - GIVING FOLK OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THE 51:03 FULL - THE FULL LIGHT OF GOD'S TRUTH, NOT JUST GUESSES AND 51:09 GLIMPSES THROUGH NATURE. SO GOD WANTS HIS TRUTH TO GO, YOU SEE. 51:14 SO THERE'S REALLY NOT AN EXCUSE FOR US TO SIT BACK AND SAY, 'YOU 51:17 KNOW, THERE'S A TESTIMONY OF GOD IN NATURE. NATURE IS SPEAKING. 51:20 I'LL HOLD MY PEACE.' THAT'S NOT THE IDEA, RIGHT? 51:22 THINK ABOUT, JUST FOR A MOMENT, THE EXPERIENCE OF 51:25 THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH. YOU REMEMBER 51:26 HE WAS IN HIS CHARIOT - HE WAS DRIVING - AND HE WAS READING AND 51:30 IT SEEMS LIKE HE WAS READING ISAIAH CHAPTER 53. 51:33 PHILIP HAPPENED TO BE IN THAT AREA AND HE WAS ONE OF THE 51:36 DEACONS OF THE EARLY CHURCH AND HE ASKED, 'DO YOU UNDERSTAND 51:39 WHAT YOU'RE READING THERE?' AND WHAT DID THE ETHIOPIAN - 51:41 WHAT DID THE EUNUCH SAY? DO YOU REMEMBER? 51:42 HE SAID, 'HOW CAN I EXCEPT SOMEBODY HELP ME - TEACH ME? 51:48 AND SO PHILIP TAUGHT HIM. THAT DAY HE WAS BAPTIZED. 51:51 IN A MOMENT PHILIP WAS WHISKED AWAY - ALL OF A SUDDEN ENDED UP 51:56 IN ANOTHER TOWN SOMEWHERE - MIRACLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - 51:58 JUST 'POOF!' - GONE - SPREADING THE GOSPEL. AMAZING. 52:02 BUT HERE WAS A MAN WHO WAS EVEN STUDYING THE SCRIPTURES BUT 52:05 NEEDED SOMEBODY TO HELP HIM UNDERSTAND IT TO A FULLER 52:08 EXTENT, YOU SEE. AND SO WE HAVE A COMMISSION. 52:10 WE HAVE A MISSION TO THE WORLD - TO THE NATIONS - TO PEOPLES OF 52:14 EVERY NATION, KINDRED, TONGUE, AND PEOPLE. 52:16 LET'S GO TO WEDNESDAY, 'GRACE AND TRUTH'. 52:18 NOW I'M GOING TO SEE IF I CAN BLEND WEDNESDAY'S AND THURSDAY'S 52:21 TOGETHER HERE - 'THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL' AND 'GRACE AND TRUTH'. 52:24 LET'S SEE HOW WE DO HERE. 52:26 JOHN CHAPTER 1 AND VERSE 17 - WE GO BACK TO OUR MEMORY VERSE HERE 52:28 - AND I ALSO HAVE A TEXT FOR SOMEONE TO READ FOR US: 52:33 EPHESIANS 2, VERSES 8 THROUGH 10. WHO'S GOT THAT ONE FOR US? 52:36 EPHESIANS 2, VERSES 8 THROUGH 10? OKAY, BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU. 52:39 ALRIGHT. JOHN CHAPTER 1 AND VERSE 17, 52:43 LET'S READ THAT TOGETHER. IT SAYS HERE, "FOR THE LAW WAS 52:49 GIVEN BY MOSES, BUT GRACE AND TRUTH CAME BY JESUS CHRIST." 52:52 NOW SOME WOULD PROBABLY HAVE US BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS PITTING 52:56 JESUS GIVING LAW - OR GIVING TRUTH AND GRACE AGAINST WHAT 53:02 MOSES GAVE AND THAT IS THE LAW OF GOD. 53:06 WHAT'S ACTUALLY MEANT BY THIS STATEMENT? 53:09 THE LAW WAS GIVEN BY MOSES BUT GRACE AND TRUTH CAME BY JESUS 53:11 CHRIST. JESUS IS NOT - IS NOT UNDERMINING THE VALIDITY OF THE 53:16 LAW. WHAT IS HE ACTUALLY DOING? WHAT IS HE SAYING? 53:19 HE'S SAYING, IN ESSENCE, WHAT JESUS DID HERE IS BROUGHT LIGHT 53:25 - THE LIGHT OF TRUTH - AND GIVES A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF 53:29 GRACE. THAT'S WHAT HE'S SAYING. 53:32 HE'S NOT SAYING JESUS CAME TO BRING GRACE AND TRUTH AND, 53:36 THEREFORE, THE LAW MOSES GAVE IS OBSOLETE AND IRRELEVANT AND NOT 53:41 NECESSARY, HE'S SIMPLY SAYING THAT HE CAME TO BRING LIGHT - OF 53:49 A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF THE GRACE OF GOD. AND THAT'S WHAT 53:52 JESUS DID, DID HE NOT? HE CAME TO FULFILL THE LAW. 53:55 HE CAME TO MAGNIFY THE LAW, ACCORDING TO ISAIAH. 53:58 JESUS CAME TO MAGNIFY THE LAW AND TO MAKE IT GREAT. 54:01 SO WHAT DOES GRACE DO? WHAT DOES GRACE ACTUALLY DO? 54:05 I MEAN, WE ARE - THERE'S NO DOUBT WE ARE IMPACTED BY SIN. 54:08 THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. ROMANS 6:23 SAYS, 54:11 "FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS" - WHAT? - "DEATH." 54:13 NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. IN ROMANS CHAPTER 7, VERSE 24, 54:17 PAUL CRIES OUT - HE SAYS, "WRETCHED MAN THAT I AM, WHO 54:19 SHALL BE ABLE TO DELIVER ME FROM THIS BODY OF DEATH?" WRETCHED - 54:23 SIN - WAGES OF SIN - DEATH. EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2, VERSE 1 54:27 TELLS US THAT WE ARE LIKE DEAD MEN WALKING. 54:30 WE'RE DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SIN. 54:32 THAT'S OUR STATE, YOU UNDERSTAND. 54:36 HOLLYWOOD HAS RECEIVED A LOT OF MONEY POPULARIZING THE NOTION OF 54:40 ZOMBIES AND HALF - PEOPLE HALF DEAD, HALF ALIVE OR DEAD LIVING 54:45 - WALKING. THEY DIDN'T NEED TO DO THAT, 54:48 THERE ARE PLENTY OF FOLK WALKING AROUND TODAY THAT ARE ZOMBIES. 54:51 WE ARE - IN OUR NATURAL STATE WE ARE LIKE DEAD MEN WALKING, 54:55 YOU SEE. WHAT DOES GRACE DO? 54:57 EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2, VERSES 8 THROUGH 10. 55:00 >>"FOR BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH; AND THAT NOT OF 55:05 YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD: NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANY MAN 55:09 SHOULD BOAST. FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, 55:13 CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS UNTO GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD HATH 55:17 BEFORE ORDAINED THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM." 55:21 >>ALRIGHT, AMEN. SO GRACE NOT ONLY FREES US FROM 55:24 THE CONDEMNATION OF THE LAW THAT COMES TO US WHEN WE BREAK GOD'S 55:27 LAW, BUT IT ENABLES US - GRACE ENABLES US TO KEEP GOD'S LAW. 55:32 IN OTHER WORDS, GOD'S GRACE IS BOTH PARDON AND POWER, WHICH 55:38 EQUALS COMPLETE RESTORATION. THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF LAW AND 55:43 GRACE. THAT'S THE GOSPEL PACKAGE. 55:45 YOU CAN'T HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER. 55:47 LAW HIGHLIGHTS OUR NEED OF A SAVIOR. 55:50 WE FLEE TO CHRIST AND CHRIST FORGIVES US AND BRINGS US OUT 55:54 FROM UNDERNEATH THE CONDEMNATION OF THE LAW. 55:56 WE ARE JUSTIFIED - TREATED AS IF WE'VE NOT SINNED - AND WE'RE 56:00 GIVEN THE HOLY SPIRIT. THIS IS CALLED GRACE. 56:02 IT FORGIVES US AND, GIVEN THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE'RE NOW GIVEN 56:04 POWER TO WALK IN THE DICTATES OF THAT LAW. 56:09 THAT LAW IS NOW FULFILLED IN US AND THROUGH US BY THE HOLY 56:12 SPIRIT. THIS IS GRACE. 56:13 AND ANYTHING SHORT OF THIS IS NOT GRACE. 56:18 IF IT'S JUST HALF OF THAT IT'S NOT GRACE. 56:20 BIBLICAL GRACE IS RESTORATIVE. IT BRINGS US BACK TO OUR 56:24 ORIGINAL STATE. FORGIVENESS? YES. 56:28 ABILITY TO LIVE RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. PARDON AND POWER. 56:31 THIS IS THE GOSPEL PACKAGE. WELL, WE'VE GOT TO WRAP UP AND 56:37 WE'VE COME TO THE END OF OUR STUDY HERE TODAY. 56:39 REMEMBER THAT GOD'S LAW, TOGETHER WITH HIS GRACE, 56:43 PROVIDES POWERFUL EVIDENCE OF HIS LOVE FOR HUMANITY AND THE 56:47 DESIRE TO SAVE US INTO HIS ETERNAL KINGDOM. 56:48 BOTH THESE THINGS REVEAL GOD'S INCREDIBLE LOVE FOR US AND HE 56:52 WANTS US SAVED AT LAST, AMEN? NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. 56:55 AGAIN, FOR THOSE THAT ARE VIEWING US, YOU WANT TO CALL IN 56:57 AND PICK UP YOUR FREE OFFER. IT'S OFFER #152. 57:00 CALL IN AT 1-866-STUDY-MORE OR 1-866-788-3966. 57:07 WE'RE SO GLAD YOU JOINED US TODAY AND GOD BLESS 57:09 EACH ONE OF YOU. 57:12 >>DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM? 57:16 OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND 57:19 PROBABLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. 57:23 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST DAY EVENTS OF 57:26 REVELATION, 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM' IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN 57:30 EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. ENHANCE YOUR 57:33 KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER TO GOD'S WORD. GO DEEPER. 57:38 VISIT THE AMAZING BIBLE TIMELINE AT 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM'. 57:44 >>IN SIX DAYS GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. 57:49 FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS MAN HAS WORSHIPED GOD ON THE SEVENTH DAY 57:52 OF THE WEEK. NOW, EACH WEEK MILLIONS OF 57:55 PEOPLE WORSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY. WHAT HAPPENED? 57:59 WHY DID GOD CREATE A DAY OF REST? 58:01 DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHAT DAY WE WORSHIP? 58:04 WHO IS BEHIND THIS GREAT SHIFT? DISCOVER THE TRUTH BEHIND GOD'S 58:07 LAW AND HOW IT WAS CHANGED. VISIT 'SABBATHTRUTH.COM'. 58:15 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2014-12-17