Participants: Pr. Mike Thompson
Series Code: CSH
Program Code: CSH021430
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00:01 (MUSIC)
00:45 >>WELCOME TO SACRAMENTO CENTRAL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 00:48 WE ARE SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE TUNING IN, WHETHER YOU'RE 00:51 LISTENING ON THE RADIO, WATCHING LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE AT 00:54 'SACCENTRAL.ORG' OR ON THE VARIOUS TELEVISION NETWORKS. 00:58 FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD WE KNOW THAT 01:01 YOU ARE JOINING WITH US AND WE'RE SO EXCITED TO SING SONGS 01:04 AND OPEN UP GOD'S WORD TOGETHER AND TODAY IS NO EXCEPTION. 01:08 WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE SINGING THROUGH THE HYMNAL AND FIRST 01:11 WE'RE GOING TO SING A GOOD OLD FAVORITE, 'WILL YOUR ANCHOR 01:14 HOLD?' - SO TURN WITH US - #534 - FIRST AND FIFTH. 01:18 (MUSIC) 02:53 >>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT REQUEST. 02:55 AND IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SING WITH US 02:57 ON AN UPCOMING PROGRAM, IT'S VERY, VERY SIMPLE. 03:00 YOU JUST GO TO OUR WEBSITE AT 'SACCENTRAL.ORG', YOU CLICK ON 03:03 THE 'CONTACT US' LINK AND YOU CAN SEND IN ANY SONG THAT IS 03:07 RIGHT HERE IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST HYMNAL AND WE WILL DO 03:10 OUR BEST TO SING THAT FOR YOU ON AN UPCOMING PROGRAM. 03:15 FATHER IN HEAVEN, IT IS YOUR GRACE AND YOUR MERCY THAT WE ARE 03:19 SO THANKFUL FOR TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LOVING US, 03:27 FOR SHOWERING US WITH BLESSINGS THAT WE DON'T DESERVE, BUT WE 03:31 THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS. 03:34 I PRAY YOU BE WITH US AS WE OPEN UP YOUR WORD AND WE STUDY 03:37 TOGETHER TODAY. PLEASE BE WITH OUR SPEAKER AND 03:40 OUR EXTENDED FAMILY AROUND THE WORLD. BE WITH EACH ONE. 03:43 WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING EACH OTHER ON THE SEA OF GLASS AND 03:47 THE STREETS OF GOLD. IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 03:51 AT THIS TIME OUR LESSON STUDY IS GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO US BY 03:56 PASTOR MIKE THOMPSON. HE IS OUR HEALTH AND VISITATION 03:58 PASTOR HERE AT SACRAMENTO CENTRAL. 04:02 >>THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYBODY AND GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL. 04:06 THANK YOU MICHAEL. WE'RE BLESSED INDEED, AREN'T WE, 04:10 TO BE ABLE TO SIT HERE TODAY IN THE HOUSE OF GOD AND BE ABLE TO 04:12 OPEN HIS WORD AND NOT GET THROWN IN JAIL. THINGS MAY CHANGE. 04:20 BUT IT'S STILL A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. 04:24 WE WON'T BE HERE LONG BECAUSE JESUS IS COMING SOON. 04:27 BUT I'D STILL RATHER LIVE HERE IN THE GOOD OLD UNITED STATES 04:30 THAN A LOT OF OTHER PLACES, EVEN THOUGH I CAME FROM ENGLAND. 04:34 ANYWAY, TODAY THERE'S A SPECIAL OFFER - OFFER #109 - AND IF YOU 04:41 CALL 866-788-3966 OR 866-STUDY-MORE, AMAZING FACTS 04:49 WILL SEND THIS TO YOU FREE. IT'S ACTUALLY LESSON #3 IN THEIR 04:54 BIBLE STUDY GUIDES. IT'S CALLED 'RESCUE FROM ABOVE'. 04:58 IT'S A VERY BASIC, FUNDAMENTAL - BUT IT'S A GROUND FLOOR 05:03 FOUNDATION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN. 05:07 DO YOU KNOW JESUS? DO YOU KNOW WHY HE CAME? 05:10 WHAT HE DID WHEN HE WAS HERE? WHAT IS HE DOING NOW? 05:13 AND ABOVE ALL ELSE, HOW CAN JESUS LIVE IN YOUR HEARTS 05:16 BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE HIM IN A STAINED GLASS WINDOW IN MANY OLD 05:19 CHURCHES, ESPECIALLY IN EUROPE, BUT HE NEEDS TO BE INSIDE, 05:24 RIGHT? SO THIS IS A VERY GOOD LITTLE LESSON. 05:27 THEY'LL SEND IT TO YOU FREE AND WE'LL GIVE YOU THE NUMBER AGAIN 05:29 AT THE END, BEFORE WE CONCLUDE TODAY. 05:33 AND WE'RE LOOKING AT LESSON NUMBER - THE WEEKS FLY - 05:36 LESSON #4. IT'S CALLED 'SALVATION' - ONE WORD BUT IT'S 05:41 ACTUALLY LOADED WITH MEANING. THERE IS A MEMORY VERSE. 05:46 IT'S ONE THAT SHOULD BE WELL KNOWN TO ALL OF US - JOHN 3:16 - 05:50 IT SAYS, "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN 05:55 SON THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE 06:01 EVERLASTING LIFE." 06:03 AND IN THE INTRODUCTION ON THE FIRST PAGE, WHICH IS LIKE FOR 06:09 SABBATH AFTERNOON REVIEW, I'M GOING TO READ THE LAST PARAGRAPH 06:13 JUST AS AN INTRO TO THE REST OF THE MATERIAL. 06:17 IT SAYS, "THIS WEEK WE WILL CONSIDER JESUS' SAVING WORK. 06:22 FIRST, OUR ATTENTION WILL FOCUS ON THE BASIS OF OUR SALVATION 06:26 AND LATER ON THE RESULTS OF IT. THE BIBLE IS CLEAR. 06:32 WE HAVE ONLY TWO CHOICES REGARDING OUR SINS. 06:36 EITHER WE PAY FOR OUR SINS IN THE LAKE OF FIRE OR WE ACCEPT 06:40 CHRIST'S PAYMENT FOR THEM ON THE CROSS." AND I DON'T HAVE TO ASK 06:45 YOU WHICH YOU WOULD PREFER, I'M SURE. 06:47 AS WE REVIEW THE GENEROUS GIFT OF GOD'S GRACE THROUGH CHRIST, 06:52 LET US, ONCE AGAIN, HUMBLY RENEW OUR FAITH IN JESUS AS OUR 06:56 PERSONAL SAVIOR. SO I WANT TO BEGIN. 07:00 I WANT TO BEGIN IN SUNDAY'S LESSON HERE AND THE TITLE IS A 07:05 SUBTITLE: 'SALVATION IS A GIFT FROM GOD.' AND OUR MEMORY VERSE, 07:09 WHICH WE JUST READ, 'FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY 07:12 BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT 07:16 PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.' HOPEFULLY THIS VERSE WILL 07:20 HELP US TO GRASP SOMETHING WHICH WE REALLY NEED TO GRASP FROM THE 07:25 GET-GO HERE; SOMETHING VERY PROFOUND AND IMPORTANT ABOUT GOD 07:29 AND HIS LOVE TOWARD US. IT IS BECAUSE GOD ALREADY LOVED 07:34 US AND LOVES US THAT HE GAVE JESUS TO DIE FOR US IN THE FIRST 07:40 PLACE. HE GAVE HIS SON. 07:44 AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE AND I THINK, HONESTLY, I 07:49 CAN HONESTLY SAY I'VE BEEN THERE IN THE PAST SO I'LL SPEAK FOR 07:53 MYSELF. I KIND OF HAD THE IDEA, SOMEHOW, 07:56 THAT GOD LOVES ME SO MUCH BECAUSE JESUS CAME AND JESUS 08:01 DIED FOR ME SO I'M KIND OF WORTH A LOT MORE NOW. 08:05 SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HAD THAT THOUGHT IN YOUR MIND. 08:08 IT'S BECAUSE GOD ALREADY LOVED YOU INFINITELY THAT JESUS CAME. 08:14 IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GRASP THAT. 08:17 AND THAT'S A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL TRUTH. 08:20 BUT, IN TURN, OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND TO THIS AMAZING, 08:25 MYSTERIOUS, FATHOMLESS OCEAN OF DIVINE LOVE - OUR ABILITY TO 08:30 RESPOND TO THAT GIFT OF SALVATION - IT CAN REALLY ONLY 08:36 BE IN PROPORTION TO THE MEASURE OF OUR UNDERSTANDING AND OUR 08:40 ABILITY TO GRASP AND COMPREHEND THAT. 08:44 DOES THAT KIND OF MAKE SENSE? THE MORE YOU APPRECIATE 08:46 SOMETHING, THE MORE YOU CAN GIVE, HOPEFULLY, A BIGGER 08:49 'THANK YOU'. BUT HOW DO YOU, KIND OF, 08:54 QUANTIFY SOMETHING WHICH IS ABSTRACT, LIKE LOVE, 08:58 YOU KNOW? I WAS WONDERING THE OTHER WEEK, 09:01 YOU KNOW, HOW BIG IS A TRILLION DOLLARS? 09:04 YOU HEAR ABOUT THE DEBT - SO I WENT ON THE INTERNET AND LO AND 09:06 BEHOLD A TRILLION DOLLARS ILLUSTRATION - BANG - THERE IT 09:09 IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF A TRILLION DOLLARS. 09:12 IT SHOWS YOU IN ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS - IF YOU HAD 09:16 PALLETS - TWO PALLETS HIGH - SIX FOOT - AND THERE'S A PICTURE OF 09:20 A LITTLE GUY AND THERE'S THIS HUGE BLOCK OF PALLETS - BIGGER 09:23 THAN COSTCO WAREHOUSE. I THOUGHT, 'THAT'S HOW BIG A 09:27 TRILLION DOLLARS IS. AND I THINK WE'RE ONLY 17 09:29 TRILLION IN DEBT, RIGHT? BUT ANYWAY, BUT NONETHELESS MY 09:33 LITTLE MIND WAS ABLE TO GRASP THAT. 09:35 BUT HOW DO YOU QUANTIFY SOMETHING LIKE LOVE? 09:38 EVEN HUMAN LOVE - IT'S HARD TO PUT IT IN A BOX. 09:42 'OH, I SEE HOW BIG IT IS.' NOW IT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN 09:46 EXPERIENCE BUT IF HUMAN LOVE IS HARD ENOUGH TO KIND OF QUANTIFY, 09:51 HOW DO YOU QUANTIFY DIVINE LOVE? 09:54 ESPECIALLY - I MEAN, EVEN ANGELS CAN'T GRASP IT FULLY. 10:00 YOU READ IN 'DESIRE OF AGES' THAT EVEN ANGELS - THE CROSS 10:04 WILL BE THE SCIENCE OF THE ANGELS THROUGHOUT ALL ETERNITY. 10:07 SO HOW DO WE, IN OUR FALLEN STATE, WITH THESE TINY LITTLE 10:12 CRUMMY DARK MINDS - HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY GRASP IT? 10:17 MICHAEL, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I DON'T GET VERY FAR. 10:22 SO WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME HELP. THAT'S REASONABLE, RIGHT? 10:28 WE'VE GOT TO HAVE SOME HELP. 'LORD, I HAVE TO TELL YOU I 10:30 THINK IT'S WONDERFUL THAT JESUS LOVES ME THIS I KNOW 'CAUSE THE 10:33 BIBLE TELLS ME SO.' BUT I JUST DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW BIG 10:38 THAT IS SO WE NEED SOME HELP. AND GOD WILL GIVE US HELP. 10:43 SO THAT EVEN IN THIS LIFE - EVEN IN THIS LIFE - AS FAR AS IT IS 10:49 HUMANLY POSSIBLE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO GRASP THE LENGTH, THE 10:56 BREADTH, THE DEPTH AND THE HEIGHT OF THE LOVE OF GOD THAT 11:00 WAS ALL PACKAGED, IF I CAN USE THAT CHEAP TERM, IN THE GIVING 11:07 OF THE GIFT OF A SAVIOR WHO POURED HIMSELF OUT ON A CROSS 11:10 AND EVEN THEN, IN THIS LIFE, AT BEST WE'RE JUST SCRATCHING THE 11:13 SURFACE. SO GOD WILL GIVE US HELP IF WE ASK HIM. 11:17 IN 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 2, VERSES 9 AND 10, THERE'S A VERSE 11:23 HERE - IT'S REALLY A PRINCIPLE THAT, I BELIEVE, WE CAN APPLY TO 11:25 THIS ABILITY TO HAVE GOD HELP US UNDERSTAND SOMETHING THAT IS FAR 11:28 BEYOND US. IT SAYS, "EYE HATH NOT SEEN NOR EAR HEARD" - 11:35 YOU KNOW THIS - "NEITHER HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MEN 11:39 THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THEM 11:42 THAT LOVE HIM." BUT WHAT DOES THE NEXT VERSE SAY? 11:46 "BUT GOD HATH REVEALED THEM UNTO US BY HIS SPIRIT." 11:51 AND I BELIEVE WE CAN TAKE THIS - THE PRINCIPLE APPLIES - AND SAY, 11:55 'LORD, YOU REVEAL CERTAIN THINGS TO ME THROUGH YOUR SPIRIT. 11:59 I REALLY WANT TO GET A BIGGER GRASP OF HOW GREAT IS THIS GIFT 12:05 OF SALVATION. SHOW ME THROUGH YOUR SPIRIT' 12:10 AND GOD WILL DO THAT. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT. 12:14 THIS WONDROUS MYSTERY. IT'LL START TO UNFOLD TO US. 12:17 BUT WE DO HAVE A PART TO PLAY. WE CAN'T JUST SIT THERE AND SAY, 12:20 'LORD, LET'S PUT A DVD IN THE MACHINE AND LET ME JUST SIT 12:24 BACK, YOU KNOW, WITH SOME POPCORN AND WATCH THIS WHOLE 12:26 THING. NO, WE HAVE A PART TO PLAY. 12:28 WE HAVE AN INVESTMENT. WE HAVE TO INVEST OUR TIME. 12:33 'OH, BUT I'M BUSY.' WELL, HOW MUCH IS ETERNAL LIFE WORTH TO 12:36 YOU. 'OKAY LORD, I THINK I HAVE THE TIME. 12:41 WE HAVE TO INVEST THE TIME - THE PRIME TIME - AT THE BEGINNING OF 12:46 THE DAY WHEN EVERY VOICE IS HUSHED, HOPEFULLY. 12:50 NOW, I KNOW IF YOU HAVE KIDS I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT. 12:52 WE RAISED TWO. I KNOW IT'S HARD. 12:56 BUT SOMEWHERE, SOMEHOW, GOD WILL HELP YOU FIND SOME TIME IN YOUR 13:02 DAY WHEN YOU CAN GO ASIDE AND SPEND THAT TIME AND INVEST THAT 13:07 TIME TOTALLY THERE TO SAY, 'LORD, I'M HERE. 13:11 I'M HERE TO CONTEMPLATE AND TO THINK AND TO PONDER. 13:16 SO WE NEED TO INVEST THAT TIME. WE NEED TO INVEST OUR HEART AND 13:20 MEET WITH GOD DAILY IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE. 13:23 HE'LL BE THERE WAITING. IN FACT, HE'LL LEAD YOU THERE. 13:27 YOU'VE GOT TO SOMEHOW MAKE TIME TO MEET WITH GOD BY THE CROSS. 13:30 JUST YOU AND GOD AND JESUS. YOU SAY, 'FATHER, HELP ME 13:35 UNDERSTAND.' HE'LL PUT HIS ARM AROUND YOU AND SAY, 'WELL, 13:39 LISTEN TO ME.' AND HE'LL EXPLAIN IT TO YOU. 13:43 AND IT'S IN THOSE SUBLIME MOMENTS AND I KNOW THERE'S THOSE 13:50 OF YOU SITTING IN HERE THAT ARE TRYING TO GRASP THIS AND I KNOW 13:54 SOME OF YOU WELL ENOUGH THAT YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M GOING TO 13:56 TALK ABOUT. IT'S IN THOSE MOMENTS WHERE 14:01 SUDDENLY AS YOU KIND OF BECOME LOST IN PRAYER. 14:05 THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES - AND I'VE EXPERIENCED THIS AND I'M JUST AN 14:10 ORDINARY PERSON. I'VE EXPERIENCED THIS WHERE 14:14 CERTAINLY YOU DON'T SEE LIGHTS FLASH. 14:17 YOU DON'T HEAR BELLS RING, BUT SUDDENLY IT'S LIKE YOUR MIND IS 14:21 ABLE TO SUDDENLY GRASP THINGS AS THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS TO 14:26 YOU THE WONDER OF GOD'S LOVE AND SALVATION. 14:31 AND THE CROSS - EVERYTHING TAKES ON A CLARITY AND SUDDENLY IN 14:35 YOUR HEART AND YOUR MIND IT'S LIKE, 'OH, I SEE IT LORD.' IT'S 14:40 AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. EVEN THEN WE'RE JUST SCRATCHING 14:45 THE SURFACE, BUT WHAT WE SEE IS SO BIG BUT THERE'S SO MUCH 14:48 LEFT IN STORE FOR US TO PONDER THROUGH ALL ETERNITY. 14:53 BUT GOD WILL REVEAL THAT TO US IN A MOST MYSTERIOUS AND 14:56 WONDROUS WAY. AND THIS IS WHERE WE START. 14:59 WE'VE GOT TO START GRASPING THE DIMENSIONS AND IT WILL ENLARGE 15:04 OUR PERCEPTIONS AND OUR ABILITIES TO UNDERSTAND. 15:06 IN FRIDAY'S SECTION I'M GOING TO READ ONE LITTLE PASSAGE HERE AND 15:10 - ACTUALLY, THEY'RE BOTH FROM 'DESIRE OF AGES' - PAGE 661 - 15:17 BUT THERE - IF YOU GO TO FRIDAY'S SECTION, FIRST 15:19 STATEMENT THERE FROM 'DESIRE OF AGES' THIS APPLIES TO OUR 15:23 ABILITY TO COMPREHEND. 15:24 IT SAYS, "LOOKING UPON THE CRUCIFIED REDEEMER WE MORE FULLY 15:30 COMPREHEND" - COMPREHEND, YOU SEE - "THE MAGNITUDE AND MEANING 15:36 OF THE SACRIFICE MADE BY THE MAJESTY OF HEAVEN" - THE MAJESTY 15:41 - THE MAJESTY OF HEAVEN - FOR YOU. 'JUST ME, LORD? 15:47 I'M JUST A LITTLE SHRIMP AND YOU'RE THE MAJESTY OF HEAVEN.' 15:51 'YES, BUT THIS SACRIFICE WAS MADE FOR YOU.' WHEN YOU GRASP 15:58 THAT, IT DOES SOMETHING TO YOU. AND THAT SOMETHING IT DOES, 16:03 WE'LL LOOK AT IN THE NEXT SECTION. 16:05 IT SAYS, "THE PLAN OF SALVATION IS GLORIFIED BEFORE US. 16:10 IT LIGHTS UP AND THE THOUGHT OF CALVARY AWAKENS LIVING AND 16:14 SACRED EMOTIONS IN OUR HEARTS. PRAISE TO GOD AND THE LAMB WILL 16:19 BE ON OUR HEARTS AND ON OUR LIPS." I'M GOING TO READ THIS. 16:23 IT SAYS, "FOR PRIDE AND SELF-WORSHIP CANNOT FLOURISH IN 16:26 THE SOUL THAT KEEPS FRESH IN MEMORY THE SCENES OF CALVARY." 16:32 ESPECIALLY WHEN THOSE SCENES COME HOME AND THEY BECOME REAL. 16:38 SO REAL THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO STOP PRAYING. 16:41 SO REAL THAT YOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO THINK OF SAYING, 'AMEN' AND 16:44 GETTING IN YOUR CAR AND GOING OUT. 16:46 YOU JUST WANT TO STAY THERE. THAT'S THE EXPERIENCE GOD WANTS 16:50 US TO HAVE AND IT'S WAITING FOR US. ANYWAY, I HAVE TO MOVE ON. 16:55 EVERY LITTLE SECTION IS LIKE A - IT'S LIKE A SERMON IN ITSELF. 16:59 BUT GOD IS WAITING FOR THOSE TIMES WHEN OUR HEARTS CAN BURN 17:02 WITHIN US AS THE PLAN OF SALVATION IS OPEN TO OUR MIND 17:06 THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. OKAY MONDAY'S SECTION 'GOD'S 17:11 INITIATIVE' - AND I'M GOING TO READ FROM JOHN 6, VERSE 44. 17:17 JESUS SAID, "NO MAN CAN COME TO ME, EXCEPT THE FATHER WHICH HATH 17:23 SENT ME DRAW HIM: AND I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY." 17:30 I WANT US TO GRASP THIS PICTURE IF WE CAN. 17:32 WHAT IS JESUS SAYING HERE? 17:33 HE SAYS, 'NO MAN CAN COME TO ME' - THE POINT IS WE DON'T HAVE THE 17:37 DESIRE TO COME TO HIM AND WE'LL LOOK AT THAT - 'NO MAN CAN COME 17:40 TO ME EXCEPT THE FATHER WHICH HATH SENT ME DRAW HIM:' SO THERE 17:47 IS SOME DRAWING HERE ON GOD'S PART. 17:51 HE HAS TAKEN THE INITIATIVE THAT WE MIGHT BE ATTRACTED TO HIM. 17:56 SO WE SEE THIS PICTURE - ACTUALLY, OUR GOD SEEKS US - WE 18:01 OFTEN - AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, 18:03 SOMETIMES WE GET A DESIRE TO PRAY AND WE THINK, 'OH, I CAME 18:06 UP WITH THAT THOUGHT.' WE KIND OF TAKE CREDIT FOR IT. 18:09 'OH, I'M SO SPIRITUAL I CAME UP WITH THIS THOUGHT OF GOING TO 18:11 PRAY.' NO YOU DIDN'T. DON'T LIE. IT WAS GOD THAT PUT THAT IN YOUR 18:17 HEART, NOT YOU. IT'S GOD CALLING YOU. 18:21 AND SO BE ENCOURAGED: IF YOU THINK YOU'RE LOST IN SIN BUT YOU 18:24 GET THESE LITTLE SPARKS, 'OH I'D LOVE TO GO TO CHURCH. 18:26 OH, I'D LOVE TO READ MY BIBLE. 18:28 I'D LOVE TO PRAY BUT GOD WON'T ACCEPT ME.' THAT IS GOD ALREADY 18:30 CALLING YOU SAYING, 'COME ON, I WANT YOU BACK.' SO WHEN WE SEE 18:38 THIS PICTURE OF HOW EARNESTLY GOD IS SO EXTRAVAGANTLY IN HIS 18:43 UNQUENCHABLE LOVE POURED OUT - THAT THIS LOVE OFFERING - THIS 18:46 GIFT, BY ULTIMATELY SENDING HIS SON TO BE THE MEANS OF OUR 18:52 SALVATION AND AT THE SAME TIME OF WOOING US - DRAWING US INTO 18:56 HIS ARMS. WE NEED TO SEE THAT PICTURE. 18:59 LADIES, DID YOUR HUSBAND - BEFORE YOU GOT MARRIED AND 19:02 HOPEFULLY EVEN AFTERWARDS - DID HE WOO YOU? 19:05 DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS TO BE WOOED? 19:07 DIANA'S SMILING. THAT'S A GOOD SIGN. 19:12 MEN, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN - HAS A LADY EVER WOOED YOU? 19:15 DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? IT MEANS YOU LOOK AND, 19:20 HOPEFULLY, YOU SEE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL AND SHE SHOULD BE 19:25 BEAUTIFUL. BUT IT'S NOT JUST HER BEAUTY. 19:27 THERE'S A PERSONALITY. THERE'S A SOUND OF A VOICE. 19:32 JUST THAT LITTLE LAUGH, YOU KNOW? 19:34 THOSE LITTLE THINGS. I WON'T GET TOO CARRIED AWAY 19:37 HERE BUT THOSE THINGS - AND IT JUST STEALS YOUR HEART. 19:42 MY WIFE DID THAT TO ME FORTY-SOMETHING YEARS AGO. 19:46 AND YOU KNOW, SHE STILL DOES. 19:48 I'VE GOT MY LITTLE NAMES FOR HER. 19:50 I'M NOT GOING TO TELL THEM HERE, SHE'D KILL ME. 19:52 BUT IT'S ALL PART - THE WOOING EXPERIENCE SHOULD CONTINUE. 19:57 AND WHAT GOD DOES IS HE WOOS US, YOU SEE, HE TOOK THE INITIATIVE. 20:00 WHY DID HE TAKE THE INITIATIVE? 20:04 BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE SO HARD, SO INSENSITIVE, SO UNFEELING, 20:14 THAT LEFT TO OURSELVES WE'D JUST BE LIKE A ROCK. 20:20 HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO WOO A ROCK? 20:25 WELL, YOU COULD GET AN ILLUSTRATION THERE, I SUPPOSE. 20:27 I'M SURE THERE'S SOME MEN YOU'VE BEEN IN LOVE WITH A LADY AND 20:30 IT'S LIKE TRYING TO WOO A ROCK. NOT THAT SHE'S NOT NICE, BUT SHE 20:32 JUST DOESN'T LOVE YOU, OKAY? BUT GOD - GOD WOOS US. 20:38 SO LET'S TAKE THAT PICTURE THEN CONTRAST THAT PICTURE OF GOD 20:41 WOOING US WITH THE PICTURE OF HOW WE ARE. 20:44 WE DO NOT NATURALLY SEEK HIM. I ALREADY SAID THAT. 20:48 IT'S JUST NOT - WE DO NOT NATURALLY - WE'RE NOT NATURALLY 20:50 SPIRITUAL BEINGS. WE DON'T GO LOOKING FOR GOD. 20:54 BECAUSE HERE'S THE THING, YOU SEE, ACTUALLY LET ME READ YOU 20:58 THIS HERE - IN ROMANS 3:10 AND 11 IT SAYS, "AS IT IS WRITTEN, 21:03 THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE:" - PAUL, HERE, IS QUOTING 21:08 FROM ISAIAH AND HE CONTINUES -"THERE IS NONE THAT 21:12 UNDERSTANDETH, THERE IS NONE THAT SEEKETH AFTER GOD." 21:16 BECAUSE IT'S JUST THE WAY - IT'S THE EFFECTS OF SIN, YOU SEE. 21:19 BEFORE ADAM SINNED HE WAS JUST LIKE THAT WITH GOD, NATURALLY, 21:24 'OH, GOD, I LOVE YOU.' AND THERE WAS A SEEKING IN BOTH 21:27 DIRECTIONS. BUT BECAUSE OF SIN, WHICH IS NOT 21:30 JUST AN ACT - WELL, SIN IS AN ACT OF REBELLION BUT IT HAS THIS 21:33 WOEFUL EFFECT UPON US. IT DARKENS THE MIND. 21:39 IT ROBS US OF OUR ABILITY TO DISCERN AND UNDERSTAND SPIRITUAL 21:42 THINGS, WHICH IS WHAT WE LOOKED AT IN THE FIRST PART, AND IT 21:46 DISTORTS AND CORRUPTS AND DESTROYS EVERY GOOD PICTURE OF 21:49 GOD SO THAT WE SEE GOD, IF WE SEE HIM AT ALL, AS NOTHING TO BE 21:54 DESIRED AND HE IS NOTHING TO BE SOUGHT AFTER. 21:57 THAT'S WHAT SIN DOES AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE LIKE WE ARE. 21:59 AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, SATAN TAKES ADVANTAGE OF OUR FALLEN 22:03 STATE - OF OUR FALLEN HUMANITY - AND HE GOES AND HE BOMBARDS THE 22:07 SENSES TO ALIENATE US EVEN FURTHER FROM GOD BECAUSE HE 22:11 DOESN'T WANT US CONNECTING. HE WANTS GOD TO REMAIN TOTALLY 22:14 UNDESIRABLE AND UGLY IN OUR EYES. 22:17 AND HE'S SO SUCCESSFUL WITH SO MANY PEOPLE. 22:20 MIKE, CAN I HAVE MY BOOK PLEASE? THANK YOU. 22:22 I WANT TO READ FROM 'DESIRE OF AGES'. 22:25 THIS IS THE CHAPTER 'THE FULLNESS OF TIME' AND WE'RE 22:29 LOOKING HERE 2,000 YEARS AGO. THIS WAS THE STATE OF HUMANITY. 22:34 EVEN GOD'S PEOPLE - THIS WAS THE STATE OF GOD'S 22:37 PEOPLE JUST AT THE TIME WHEN JESUS CAME. 22:43 AND THEN WE WONDER WHY IT IS NOBODY SEEKS AFTER GOD. 22:48 IT SAYS, "THE DECEPTION OF SIN HAD REACHED ITS HEIGHT" - DESIRE 22:52 OF AGES' - PAGE 36 GOING ON TO 37 - IT'S A PARAGRAPH ABOUT THIS 22:56 BIG SO I HOPE YOU'LL BEAR WITH ME. 22:59 "THE DECEPTION OF SIN HAD REACHED ITS HEIGHT. 23:02 ALL THE AGENCIES FOR THE DEPRAVING OF THE SOULS OF MEN 23:06 HAD BEEN PUT IN OPERATION. THE SON OF GOD, LOOKING UPON THE 23:11 WORLD, BEHELD SUFFERING AND MISERY WITH PITY. 23:17 HE SAW HOW MEN HAD BECOME VICTIMS OF SATANIC CRUELTY. 23:22 HE LOOKED WITH COMPASSION UPON THOSE WHO HAD BEEN CORRUPTED, 23:26 MURDERED, AND LOST. THEY HAD CHOSEN A RULER WHO 23:29 CHAINED THEM TO HIS CAR AS CAPTIVES. 23:33 BEWILDERED AND DECEIVED THEY WERE MOVING ON IN GLOOMY 23:36 PROCESSION TOWARD ETERNAL RUIN. TO DEATH IN WHICH IS NO HOPE OF 23:41 LIFE. TOWARD NIGHT TO WHICH COMES NO MORNING." 23:46 - JUST GET THIS HERE - "SATANIC AGENCIES WERE INCORPORATED WITH 23:51 MEN. THE BODIES OF HUMAN BEINGS, MADE 23:56 FOR THE DWELLING PLACE OF GOD HAD BECOME THE HABITATION OF 23:59 DEMONS. THE SENSES, THE NERVES, THE 24:05 PASSIONS, THE ORGANS OF MEN WERE WORKED BY SUPERNATURAL AGENCIES 24:10 IN THE INDULGENCES OF VILEST LUST." 24:15 IS ANYTHING NEW? IT'S LIKE THAT TODAY, ISN'T IT? 24:19 AND THEN WE WONDER - WHAT DOES IT SAY? 'THERE IS NONE THAT 24:23 UNDERSTANDETH; THERE IS NONE THAT SEEKETH AFTER GOD.' BECAUSE 24:27 WE'RE SO VILE. "THE VERY STAMP OF DEMONS WAS 24:31 IMPRESSED UPON THE COUNTENANCES OF MEN. 24:34 HUMAN FACES REFLECTED THE EXPRESSION OF THE LEGIONS OF 24:40 ANGELS WITH WHICH THEY WERE POSSESSED" - EVIL ANGELS - "SUCH 24:45 WAS THE PROSPECT UPON WHICH THE WORLD'S REDEEMER LOOKED. 24:50 WHAT A SPECTACLE FOR INFINITE PURITY TO BEHOLD." 24:56 - GOING DOWN TO THIS DARKENED PLANET WHERE NOBODY EVEN DESIRED 25:00 YOU - "SIN HAD BECOME A SCIENCE AND 25:05 VICE WAS CONSECRATED AS A PART OF RELIGION. 25:10 REBELLION HAD STRUCK ITS ROOT DEEP INTO THE HEART AND THE 25:13 HOSTILITY OF MEN WAS MOST VIOLENT AGAINST HEAVEN. 25:18 IT WAS DEMONSTRATED BEFORE THE UNIVERSE THAT APART FROM GOD, 25:23 HUMANITY COULD NOT BE UPLIFTED." THAT'S EXACTLY THE 25:28 POINT HERE. GOD HAD TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND HE DID. 25:34 LAST SENTENCE: "A NEW ELEMENT OF LIFE AND POWER MUST BE IMPARTED 25:38 BY HIM WHO MADE THE WORLD." THANK YOU MICHAEL. 25:45 AND THAT NEW ELEMENT WAS WHAT? IT WAS THE COMING OF JESUS. 25:51 THAT NEW ELEMENT - GOD TOOK THAT INITIATIVE AND JESUS CAME DOWN 25:57 HERE. AND THEN WE HAD THAT WONDROUS 26:01 GREATER UNFOLDING OF THE LOVE OF GOD. 26:05 THOSE WHO LOOKED UPON HIM SAW THIS MYSTERY UNFOLDED AND YET 26:11 SOME COULD LOOK UPON HIM AND JUST TURN AWAY AND GO THE OTHER 26:14 DIRECTION. I HAVE TO ASK YOU TODAY: WHAT IS 26:20 YOUR GREATEST DESIRE IN LIFE? YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER ME 26:24 VERBALLY - JUST IN YOUR OWN HEART. 26:26 WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST DESIRE? IS IT TO MAKE THIS WORLD YOUR 26:31 HOME? BECAUSE THE MORE YOU MAKE THIS 26:33 WORLD YOUR HOME, THE LESS DESIRABLE JESUS WILL LOOK AND 26:38 THE LESS YOU'LL WANT TO SEEK AFTER HIM. 26:40 OR DO YOU WANT A HOME OUTSIDE OF THIS WORLD WHERE THERE'S NO MORE 26:46 TEMPTER - NO MORE SIN. 26:49 YOU CAN WAKE UP - IF YOU DECIDE YOU WANT TO SLEEP - AND YOU'RE 26:54 JUST NATURALLY LIKE THAT WITH GOD. I WANT THAT. 26:58 IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT - IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT, THEN YOU 27:03 CAN HAVE THAT NO MATTER HOW FALLEN YOU ARE. 27:07 IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT THEN YOU'RE THE KIND OF PERSON WHO 27:09 LOOKS AT JESUS AND YOU SEE THAT BEAUTY AND YOU SAY, 27:11 'I WANT THAT. 27:12 I WANT TO SEEK AFTER THAT.' WELL YOU CAN, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO 27:15 LOOK TOO FAR BECAUSE HE ALREADY SOUGHT YOU FIRST. 27:17 HE'S RIGHT THERE. HE'S ALREADY GOT HIS HAND OUT. 27:20 BUT WHAT A WONDERFUL GIFT - THAT NEW ELEMENT IN JESUS CHRIST. 27:24 AND SO, WHILE WE HAD NEITHER THE STRENGTH, NOR DESIRE, GOD TOOK 27:29 THE INITIATIVE TO SEEK US AND TO SAVE US IN CHRIST HIS SON. 27:34 ROMANS 5:8 SAYS, "BUT GOD COMMENDETH HIS LOVE TOWARD US, 27:40 IN THAT," - WHAT DOES IT SAY? - 27:41 "WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS," - HE TOOK THE INITIATIVE WHILE WE 27:46 WERE SINNERS - WHILE WE WERE ENEMIES - GOD TOOK THE 27:48 INITIATIVE AND "CHRIST DIED FOR US." 27:51 AND IN ROMANS 5, VERSE 10, "...WHEN WE WERE ENEMIES, WE 27:57 WERE RECONCILED TO GOD BY THE DEATH OF HIS SON." 28:00 - WHY? BECAUSE WHILE WE WERE ENEMIES, 28:02 GOD TOOK THE INITIATIVE AND SENT JESUS. 28:05 AND THEN, AS WE - IN THE FIRST PART WE LOOKED AT HOW WE COULD 28:10 START SEEING MORE, INTELLECTUALLY, IF YOU LIKE, 28:13 WITH THE MIND'S EYE, THE WONDER OF GOD'S LOVE. 28:15 IT WILL REVEAL IT TO US. 28:16 BUT THEN, AS WE GO TO THE CROSS, WE GET THAT VISION BUT NOT JUST 28:20 MORE - THEN IT STARTS DOING SOMETHING INSIDE HERE AND HERE'S 28:24 WHERE SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE AND TAKE PLACE AND IT IS THE 28:28 DAILY CONTEMPLATION OF GOD'S GREAT SACRIFICE, MADE FOR US 28:32 WHEN WE DESERVED IT THE LEAST - WHEN WE WERE STILL ENEMIES - 28:35 WHEN WE WERE ALIENATED FROM HIM - IT IS THIS THAT WONDROUSLY 28:38 AND MYSTERIOUSLY DRAWS US TO JESUS. 28:42 HE SAYS, IN JOHN 12, HE SAYS, "AND I, IF I BE LIFTED UP FROM 28:47 THE EARTH" - HE MEANS WHEN HE'S LIFTED UP ON A CROSS. 28:49 HE SAID, "I WILL DRAW ALL MEN UNTO ME." WHAT DID HE MEAN? 28:52 HE SAID - JESUS MEANT, 'IF YOU WILL GO TO CALVARY IN YOUR 28:55 MIND'S EYE AND YOU SEE ME ON THAT CROSS AND YOU WILL STAY 28:58 THERE AND YOU WILL PRAY THAT PRAYER, 'FATHER, HELP ME TO 29:03 UNDERSTAND WHAT AM I LOOKING AT HERE?' 29:06 'MY FATHER WILL HELP YOU TO SEE WHO I AM AND WHAT I'VE DONE AND 29:11 I, IN TURN, I WILL DRAW YOU.' DOES IT WORK? 29:17 YOU BET IT WORKS. I WAS LISTENING TO A MAN ON THE 29:22 RADIO A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, WHO HAD BEEN IN A PRISONER OF WAR 29:25 CAMP DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. 29:28 AND HIS CAPTOR - ONE OF HIS CAPTORS WAS JUST A PSYCHOPATH - 29:34 CRUEL MAN - CRUEL. LONG STORY SHORT, THE WAR ENDED 29:39 AND THIS MAN CAME HOME. HE'S AN OLD MAN NOW. HE WAS BEING 29:43 INTERVIEWED ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE AND THE INTERVIEWER 29:46 SAID, 'WELL, TELL ME HOW YOU FELT ABOUT YOUR CAPTOR. 29:48 DID YOU FORGIVE HIM?' AND HE SAID, 'OH YEAH.' HE SAID 29:52 - AND HE JUST STARTED DESCRIBING HIS CONVERSION EXPERIENCE - HE 29:57 SAID, 'I GOT ON MY KNEES' - HE SAID - 'AND I PRAYED TO GOD' - 30:02 AND HE SAID - 'I ASKED JESUS CHRIST TO COME INTO MY HEART.' 30:07 THIS MUST HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY JUST AFTER THE WAR - A COUPLE OF 30:09 YEARS AFTER THE WAR - HE SAID HE CAME IN AND HE SAID, 'I THOUGHT 30:14 ABOUT THIS CAPTOR' AND HE SAID, 'THE FORGIVENESS, IT JUST FLOWED 30:17 INTO ME.' - HE SAID - 'I DIDN'T HATE HIM ANYMORE.' HE SAID, 30:20 'YEAH, SURE I FORGAVE HIM.' - HE SAYS, 'IN THAT FIRST NIGHT AFTER 30:23 THIS CONVERSION EXPERIENCE - FOR THE FIRST NIGHT IN TWO YEARS - I 30:26 NEVER HAD A NIGHTMARE AND I'VE NEVER HAD ANY SINCE.' SO WHEN 30:30 JESUS DRAWS YOU HE DOES SOMETHING. 30:34 SOMETHING VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY WONDERFUL AND HEARTS ONCE 30:37 HARDENED IN SIN, DEFIANT, REBELLIOUS, INDIFFERENT, BECOME 30:44 BROKEN, MELTED, AND ACTUALLY SORROWFUL. 30:47 FOR SINNERS THE WARM SWEET FRAGRANT LOVE OF JESUS INVADES 30:55 TO CONQUER, TO CONVERT AND SET FREE THE HEART ONCE BOUND IN 31:01 EVIL TO THE POWER OF SATAN. THAT IS CONVERSION. 31:07 YOU DON'T BRING THAT ABOUT AND NEITHER DO I, BUT I KNOW 31:11 SOMEBODY WHO DOES IT AND THAT'S GOD. 31:15 THERE'S A SECOND STATEMENT FROM 'DESIRE OF AGES' - THE FIRST ONE 31:18 WAS HOW WE CAN KIND OF UNDERSTAND IT, THE SECOND ONE IS 31:21 HOW IT AFFECTS IT ONCE WE DO UNDERSTAND IT. 31:24 THIS IS IN FRIDAY'S SECTION, "HE WHO BEHOLDS THE SAVIOR'S 31:27 MATCHLESS LOVE WILL BE ELEVATED IN THOUGHT, PURIFIED IN HEART, 31:35 TRANSFORMED IN CHARACTER." THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL CONVERSION. 31:42 AND WHO DOES IT? GOD DOES IT. 31:45 BUT YOU HAVE TO INVEST THAT TIME AND GO AND RECEIVE IT AND YOU 31:49 SHALL, INDEED. SO LET US, INDEED, THANK GOD. 31:55 FOR IF HE HAD NOT TAKEN THE INITIATIVE TO SEEK US FIRST, WE 31:58 WOULD NEVER HAVE RECEIVED THE INCENTIVE, IN TURN, TO SEEK HIM 32:03 AND FIND SALVATION IN RETURN. 32:07 OKAY, I WANT TO MOVE ON TO TUESDAY. 'THE REQUIRED DEATH' - 32:14 SOME THINGS IN LIFE ARE REQUIRED AND AS FAR AS SIN IS 32:17 CONCERNED, DEATH IS REQUIRED. SO EITHER YOU, FOR YOUR SINS OR 32:23 JESUS DYING FOR YOU. IT'S JUST A GIVEN. 32:26 THAT'S WHY IT SAYS IN ROMANS 6, VERSE 23, "THE WAGES OF SIN IS 32:33 DEATH." RIGHT? THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH. 32:38 AND GOD MADE THIS VERY CLEAR RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING WHEN HE 32:41 DECLARED TO ADAM AND EVE THERE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, 'IF YOU 32:45 EAT THIS FRUIT YOU SHALL SURELY DIE. WELL, WE KNOW WHAT 32:52 HAPPENED, OF COURSE, THEY DID - THEY DID EAT THE FRUIT. 32:56 ADAM AND EVE BOTH SINNED AND THE MOMENT THEY DID, DIVINE JUSTICE 32:59 DEMANDED THEIR LIVES. IT WAS A REQUIREMENT. DONE. REQUIRED. 33:06 AND THE DEATH OF THE OFFENDER BECAME THE REQUIRED PUNISHMENT 33:11 FOR BREAKING GOD'S SACRED AND HOLY LAW. 33:14 AND THIS VERY SOMBER AND CARDINAL TRUTH WAS DEPICTED TIME 33:20 AFTER TIME FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS FROM WHEN GOD FIRST SACRIFICED 33:25 FOR ADAM AND EVE THAT FIRST VICTIM - THAT INNOCENT LAMB 33:30 OR WHATEVER IT WAS THERE, RIGHT? 33:33 FOR ALL THOSE HUNDREDS OF YEARS THROUGH THE TIME OF ABRAHAM, THE 33:36 PATRIARCHS, THROUGH THE TIME OF THE KINGS AND THE BUILDING OF 33:39 THE TEMPLE - SOLOMON'S TIME - RIGHT UP - ALL THOSE - RIGHT 33:43 THROUGH THE TIME OF JESUS ON THE CROSS, THIS WHOLE THING THAT 33:48 DEATH IS THE REQUIRED CONSEQUENCE OF SIN WAS SEEN 33:53 EVERY TIME THOSE INNOCENT ANIMALS WERE SLAIN UPON THE 33:57 ALTAR. BUT THERE, FINALLY, THERE 34:02 FINALLY CAME THE FULFILLMENT OF WHAT THOSE SYMBOLS REPRESENTED. 34:08 THERE AT CALVARY TYPE MET ANTITYPE AND, AGAIN, THERE 34:12 AGAIN, THERE WAS THIS PICTURE SHOWN OF TWO THINGS - TWO THINGS 34:17 WERE SHOWN AT CALVARY: HOW BAD IS SIN AND HOW GOOD IS GOD? 34:24 FIRST OF ALL, HOW BAD IS SIN? IT WAS SHOWN THAT SIN IS SO BAD 34:29 THAT THE ONLY WAY THAT EVEN GOD - EVEN GOD AND JESUS CHRIST 34:33 COULD SAVE US WAS TO SUFFER AND DIE THROUGH THE MOST 34:35 UNIMAGINABLE MEANS. NOT JUST THE PHYSICAL THINGS - 34:40 I THINK IT WAS LAST TIME WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS - THERE WAS 34:43 THE WRATH OF GOD AND THE REMORSE AND GUILT THAT JESUS FELT. 34:47 THERE WERE LAYERS OF SUFFERINGS. HE WENT THROUGH ALL THIS. 34:52 IT WAS JUST TERRIBLE BUT THAT'S THE PRICE HE HAD TO PAY. 34:56 AND WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT - WHEN YOU GO TO THE CROSS AND YOU 34:58 SAY, 'LORD, HELP ME UNDERSTAND.' YOU START SEEING THESE 35:00 SUFFERINGS AND THEN YOU SEE HOW BAD IS SIN. 35:04 IT IS AWFUL, FRIENDS. NOW OUR PROBLEM IS WE LOVE IT SO 35:06 MUCH - WE HAVE SO MUCH SYMPATHY FOR EVIL. WE DO. 35:12 WE'RE SO QUICK TO FEEL SORRY FOR IT. IT'S A DASTARDLY THING. 35:17 BUT IT'S ONLY AT THE CROSS YOU'LL LEARN TO HATE IT AND IT'S 35:21 ONLY AT THE CROSS YOU'LL RECEIVE THE POWER TO FIGHT AGAINST IT 35:25 AND TO TREAD IT DOWN. THAT'S WHY JESUS SAID, 'IF I'M 35:29 LIFTED UP.' IT ALL STARTS RIGHT THERE AT THE CROSS. 35:36 BUT WHILE, AGAIN, I SAY WE SEE HOW BAD IS SIN AND THE REQUIRED 35:39 SUFFERINGS AND THE DEATH OF JESUS, WE ALSO SEE HOW GOOD IS 35:46 GOD TOWARD US IN THE FACT THAT GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE - 35:52 HE GAVE. AND THE WORLD - THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT GOD WAS IN 35:56 CHRIST RECONCILING THE WORLD TO HIMSELF. 35:59 SO JESUS WAS NOT SOME REMOTELY CONTROLLED THING ON GOD'S PART 36:06 WHILE GOD SAT ON THE THRONE WITH HIS, YOU KNOW, DOING HIS THING 36:09 HERE AND JESUS WAS DOING HIS STUFF DOWN THERE. 36:13 'HOW'S IT GOING SON?' 'IT'S A BIT ROUGH TODAY.' 'OKAY, 36:16 I'M WATCHING YOU. HANG IN.' GOD WAS IN CHRIST 36:21 RECONCILING THE WORLD UNTO HIM. WHAT JESUS FELT, GOD FELT. 36:25 BUT HE GAVE HIM NONETHELESS BECAUSE HE LOVES US. 36:34 IT JUST ROLLS OFF THE TONGUE, DOESN'T IT? 36:35 HE DID IT BECAUSE HE LOVES US. UNTIL WE GRASP HOW MUCH HE LOVES 36:41 US, WE WON'T LOVE HIM AS WE SHOULD. BUT WE CAN. WE CAN. 36:46 MATTHEW 20, VERSE 28, "EVEN AS THE SON OF MAN CAME NOT TO BE 36:53 MINISTERED UNTO, BUT TO MINISTER, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE A 37:00 RANSOM FOR MANY." HE CAME. WHEN JESUS CAME HE DIDN'T COME 37:06 EXPECTING ACCOLADES. HE KNEW HE'D GET NO PRAISE. 37:11 HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS COMING FOR BUT HE CAME BECAUSE HE LOVES US. 37:18 HE GAVE HIMSELF. AND IN JOHN 10 - WE HAVE ANOTHER 37:23 VERSE HERE - JOHN 10, VERSE 11, JESUS SAID, "I AM THE GOOD 37:35 SHEPHERD: THE GOOD SHEPHERD GIVETH HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP." 37:43 A GOOD SHEPHERD. IT'S SO EASY, IN A SUPERFICIAL 37:46 WAY, TO THINK OF A SHEPHERD, 'OH THAT'S NICE - WITH HIS SHEEP. 37:49 AND THAT'S CUTE. SEE THE LITTLE LAMB SKIPPING BEHIND.' BUT 37:55 UNDERSTAND WHAT KIND OF A SHEPHERD THIS IS AND WHAT KIND 37:58 OF A SHEEP WE ARE. WE'RE A NASTY LITTLE BUNCH BUT 38:03 HE CAME AND HE POURED HIMSELF OUT BECAUSE HE LOVES US. 38:10 I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT BUT I'M WORKING ON IT. 38:14 AND HE REVEALS IT TO ME. I'M NOT THERE YET BUT HE LOVES ME. 38:19 AND THOUGH I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE, AT THIS POINT, TO PLUMB ANY 38:22 DEEPER THE DEPTHS AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF THAT MYSTERIOUS 38:24 LOVE OF GOD, I BELIEVE IT AND I'M THANKFUL FOR IT BECAUSE I 38:31 KNOW I HAVE A FATHER IN HEAVEN WHO CARES FOR ME. 38:34 EVEN WHEN I FALL HE DOESN'T CAST ME OFF. 38:37 DO I HURT HIM WHEN I DO IT? YEAH, SURE I HURT HIM. 38:40 AND I WANT TO FEEL BAD EVERY TIME I SIN. 38:43 BUT I KNOW HE DOESN'T CAST ME OFF. 38:46 HE PUTS HIS HAND DOWN, 'MICHAEL.' 'YES.' 'I SAW IT.' 'I 38:50 KNOW YOU DID, LORD.' 'COME ON SON, LET'S GO.' 'I'M SORRY, 38:54 LORD.' 'I FORGIVE YOU.' 'DID I HURT YOU?' 38:57 'WELL, YOU KNOW YOU HURT ME. SURE IT HURTS ME. 39:00 I'VE NEVER GOTTEN USED TO SIN BUT I STILL LOVE YOU. 39:03 SO COME ON. LET'S GO.' SO YOU GO. 39:05 HE'S THE BEST FRIEND YOU'LL EVER HAVE. 39:10 AND SO JESUS SAID, 'I'M THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 39:13 THE GOOD SHEPHERD GIVETH HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP.' AND SO GOD 39:17 GAVE AND JESUS ALSO PERMITTED HIMSELF TO BE GIVEN TO US AS A 39:25 SACRIFICE - SOMETHING WE DON'T DESERVE BUT WE GOT IT. 39:28 I WAS TALKING ABOUT THIS JUST THIS LAST TUESDAY DOWN AT THE 39:32 JAIL - JUST DOWN THERE AT 'I' STREET AND I WENT IN THERE AND 39:37 THIS WEEK THERE WAS - THROUGH THE GLASS ON THE OTHER PART - 39:41 THERE WAS THE WORLD CUP AND I THOUGHT, 'OH NO.' AND THE TV WAS 39:45 ON LOUD AND I'M THINKING, 'I'VE GOT TO TELL THESE PEOPLE ABOUT 39:47 JESUS AND THE WORLD CUP'S BLAZING AWAY ON THIS TELEVISION 39:50 HERE AND - BUT ANYWAY, THESE GENTLEMEN CAME OUT. 39:53 THERE WERE 25 OF THEM. THEY SAT AROUND AND - I JUST 39:59 LOVE THOSE MEN. I MEAN, I REALLY DO. 40:02 YOU LOOK IN SOME OF THOSE FACES - YOU LOOK IN ALL OF THOSE FACES 40:05 AND SOME HAVE PROBABLY DONE SOME BAD STUFF. 40:07 THERE'S PROBABLY SOME PEOPLE THAT HATE THEM. 40:09 THAT'S WHY THEY'RE LOCKED UP. 40:11 BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'VE DONE BECAUSE I 40:13 CAN COME IN AND I CAN LOVE THEM AND I KNOW THAT GOD LOVES 40:15 THEM. BUT THESE MEN ARE SITTING THERE 40:18 AND I START TELLING THE STORY ABOUT THE LOST COIN AND THE LOST 40:21 SHEEP AND THERE'S THE WORLD CUP PLAYING. 40:24 AND, YOU KNOW, SOME WEEKS, SOME OF THEM THEIR EYES ARE RIVETED 40:27 - MOST OF THEM ARE WATCHING YOU. 40:28 SOMETIMES YOU SEE THEM WANDERING AROUND - THEY'RE JUST GLAD TO 40:30 BE OUT OF THEIR CELL AND YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE. 40:33 BUT WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE CRUCIFIXION - ABOUT WHAT IT WAS 40:37 ACTUALLY LIKE. AND OVER IN ONE CORNER THERE'S A 40:41 COUPLE OF GUYS - THEY WOULDN'T COME IN OUR GROUP. 40:42 THEY'D BE OVER THERE, YOU KNOW, DOING THEIR PUSH UPS AND THIS 40:45 KIND OF STUFF AND THEY'RE ALL TATTOOED ALL OVER THE PLACE - 40:48 JUST TOUGH GUYS - AND THEY DO THEIR OWN THING BUT EVEN THEY 40:50 DRIFTED OVER. IT'S NOTHING I WAS DOING. 40:53 I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT THE CROSS. 40:55 BUT I STARTED TALKING ABOUT THAT CROSS. 40:58 I SAID, 'YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T ANYTHING SMOOTHLY PLANED AND 41:01 VARNISHED.' I SAID THEY GOT A COUPLE OF BIG TREE TRUNKS AND 41:04 THEY JUST HACKED OUT THAT UPRIGHT AND THEY GOT THAT 41:07 CROSSBAR AND THEY JUST TIED IT ON THERE. 41:11 AND I SAID THEY BROUGHT JESUS TO BE CRUCIFIED AND I SAID, 'THERE 41:15 WERE THOSE ROMAN GUARDS - THOSE TOUGH ROMAN MARINES' - I SAID - 41:17 'THEY WERE 20-YEAR VETERANS. 41:19 THEY'D BEEN IN WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR. 41:21 THEY WERE JUST HARD.' AND I SAID, 'WHEN MEN CAME TO BE 41:24 EXECUTED - ESPECIALLY CRUCIFIED - NOBODY WANTED IT SO MEN WOULD 41:28 STRUGGLE FOR THEIR LIVES.' AND I SAID, 'THOSE BIG, TOUGH MARINES' 41:32 - ROMAN MARINES - I SAID 'THEY WERE STANDING BY READY TO GRAB 41:34 JESUS AND GET HIM DOWN ON THAT FLOOR, PUT THEIR KNEES IN HIS 41:38 SHOULDERS AND ON HIS ARMS - PIN HIM DOWN AND JUST BANG THOSE 41:40 NAILS IN. THEY WERE READY. THAT'S WHAT USUALLY HAPPENED. 41:45 THESE MEN WERE SITTING THERE - EVEN THE BIG GUYS, ALL TATTOOED 41:48 - THEY WERE LISTENING AND I SAID, 'YOU KNOW WHAT?' 41:52 I SAID, 'JESUS CAME AND THERE WAS THAT CROSS - THAT HORRIBLE 41:58 LOOKING THING.' I SAID, 'THEN JESUS CAME' AND I SAID 'HE JUST 42:03 LAID DOWN. HE JUST LAID DOWN ON THE CROSS, PUT HIS ARMS OUT. 42:10 THE OTHER ARM. PUT HIS FEET DOWN. NOT A WORD. 42:17 I SAID, 'THOSE SOLDIERS ARE GETTING READY TO WRESTLE HIM 42:19 DOWN BUT HE JUST LAID DOWN.' AND I'M WATCHING THESE MEN. 42:24 THEN THEY PUT HIS ARM OUT AND ONE CAME WITH A HAMMER AND NAILS 42:28 AND BANG. I SAID, 'DID HE SCREAM?' NOT A WORD. 42:34 I SAID, 'THEN THE OTHER ARM - BANG! DID IT HURT?' 42:38 'YES.' 'DID HE SCREAM?' NOT A WORD. 42:42 AND I WAS TELLING THEM - I MEAN, IT'S ONLY WHAT I'VE READ IN 42:44 'DESIRE OF AGES.' IT'S ALL RIGHT THERE. 42:46 I SAID, 'THOSE STRONG GUYS, THEY GOT THAT CROSS AND THEY 42:50 LIFTED IT UP AND THEY DROPPED IT DOWN INTO THAT SOCKET IN THE 42:53 EARTH - BOOM!' AND JESUS WAS HANGING ON THOSE 42:57 NAILS. AND THESE MEN WERE WATCHING. 43:01 I KID YOU NOT, IT WAS A VERY POWERFUL, POWERFUL MOMENT. 43:05 I WAS TELLING OUR STAFF EARLIER THIS WEEK. 43:07 THERE'S MELISSA OVER THERE. IT WAS A POWERFUL MOMENT. 43:11 IT WAS THESE BIG TOUGH GUYS. YOU KNOW WHAT? 43:15 WHEN PEOPLE GET A GLIMPSE OF JESUS - I DON'T CARE HOW TOUGH 43:19 THEY ARE - YOU SEE BEHIND ALL THOSE TATTOOS AND THAT TOUGH 43:23 EXTERIOR THERE'S A HEART THERE. 43:26 NO MATTER HOW HARD IT MIGHT BE AT THIS POINT, IT CAN BE 43:28 SOFTENED AND IT CAN BE BROKEN. AND I SAW SOME OF THAT. 43:34 AND SO WE WENT THROUGH THIS WHOLE SCENARIO AND, YOU KNOW, 43:37 THE WORLD CUP WAS PLAYING - I NEVER HEARD IT. 43:39 I COULD TELL BY LOOKING AT THEIR FACES, NEITHER DID THEY. 43:44 IT'S A POWERFUL, POWERFUL THING AND WE SHOULD, INDEED, MARVEL 43:51 THAT GOD WAS IN CHRIST RECONCILING THE WORLD UNTO 43:58 HIMSELF. AND I WANT TO CONCLUDE THIS 44:01 LITTLE BIT HERE - I KIND OF LOST MYSELF A BIT THERE BUT - 44:04 FINALLY, I WANT TO GO TO ISAIAH 53, VERSE 7 - ISAIAH 53, VERSE 7 44:11 - JESUS ACCEPTED THIS AND HE CAME DOWN AND HE CAME DOWN SO 44:16 UNCOMPLAININGLY KNOWING HOW HE WOULD BE TREATED AS HE CAME TO 44:23 DIE THIS REQUIRED DEATH FOR US. BUT HE DIDN'T COMPLAIN IN HEAVEN 44:30 AND HE DIDN'T COMPLAIN WHEN HE GOT DOWN HERE. 44:33 ISAIAH 53, VERSE 7, IT SAYS, "HE WAS OPPRESSED AND HE WAS 44:43 AFFLICTED YET HE OPENED NOT HIS MOUTH: HE IS BROUGHT AS A LAMB 44:50 TO THE SLAUGHTER, AND AS A SHEEP BEFORE HER SHEARERS IS DUMB, SO 44:56 HE OPENETH NOT HIS MOUTH." ISN'T THAT SOMETHING? 45:01 NOT A WORD. NOT A PEEP. NOT A SWEAR WORD. NOT A CURSE. 45:09 QUIETLY HE COMES TO PAY THE REQUIRED PRICE SO THAT YOU AND I 45:14 COULD HAVE SALVATION. ARE YOU THANKFUL THIS MORNING? 45:21 ARE YOU THANKFUL OR WHAT? AS THEY SAY. 45:24 'FREE FROM SIN' - WE'RE GOING TO READ FROM JOHN CHAPTER 8 - JOHN 45:31 8, VERSES 34 THROUGH 36 - JOHN 8:34 - 36, "JESUS ANSWERED THEM, 45:44 'VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU, WHOSOEVER COMMITTETH SIN IS THE 45:50 SERVANT OF SIN. AND THE SERVANT ABIDETH NOT IN 45:54 THE HOUSE FOR EVER: BUT THE SON ABIDETH EVER. 45:58 IF THE SON THEREFORE SHALL MAKE YOU FREE, YE SHALL BE FREE 46:03 INDEED.'" WE'RE ON ABOUT FREEDOM HERE FROM SIN AND JOHN CHAPTER 8 46:09 TEACHES A VERY IMPORTANT TRUTH ABOUT SERVANTHOOD AND FREEDOM 46:16 AND HERE IT IS IN THIS PASSAGE AND IF WE GET TIME, I WANT TO GO 46:18 ACROSS TO ANOTHER EARLIER PART IN THE PASSAGE AND YOU'LL SEE 46:22 HOW THERE'S A DOVETAILING OF TWO OR THREE OTHER VERSES THAT 46:27 DOVETAIL WITH THESE IN VERSES 34 AND 36. 46:32 SO IT TEACHES A VERY IMPORTANT LESSON ABOUT SERVANTHOOD AND 46:35 FREEDOM. IN JOHN 8, VERSE 34, AS WE JUST 46:42 READ, JESUS SAID, "VERILY, VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, WHOSOEVER 46:47 COMMITTETH SIN IS THE SERVANT OF SIN." SO WHOEVER - 46:50 IF YOU SIN, YOU'RE A SERVANT OF SIN. SIMPLE AS THAT. 46:54 PAUL ALSO REPEATED THIS TRUTH IN ROMANS 6, VERSE 16. 46:59 HE SAYS, "KNOW YE NOT, THAT TO WHOM YE YIELD YOURSELVES 47:04 SERVANTS TO OBEY, HIS SERVANTS YE ARE TO WHOM YE OBEY; WHETHER 47:09 OF SIN UNTO DEATH, OR" - THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN - "OF 47:14 OBEDIENCE UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS?" WE'RE NOT SERVANTS OF BOTH, 47:19 WE'RE SERVANTS OF ONE OR THE OTHER - EITHER SERVANTS OF SIN 47:22 OR SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. THERE'S NO MIDDLE GROUND. 47:25 THERE'S NO SWITZERLAND - YOU'VE HEARD THAT TERM BEFORE. 47:28 AND IN THE ISSUE OF THE GREAT CONTROVERSY AND THE WORKING OUT 47:31 OF OUR OWN ETERNAL SALVATION, WE CANNOT FUNCTION AS INDEPENDENT 47:36 AGENTS. WE'RE ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER. 47:40 THERE'S NO NEUTRAL PLACE. JESUS SAID, 'HE WHO IS NOT WITH 47:42 ME IS' - WHAT?" 'IS AGAINST ME.' THAT'S RIGHT. 47:47 SO WE ALIGN OUR LOYALTIES WITH EITHER CHRIST OR SATAN AND 47:50 ULTIMATELY RECEIVE THE CORRESPONDING REWARD OF ETERNAL 47:54 LIFE OR ETERNAL DEATH. SO THE ONLY RIGHT AND THE ONLY 47:59 SAFE THING FOR ANY OF US THEN, IS TO SEEK FREEDOM FROM THE 48:04 SERVANTHOOD TO SIN. WOULD YOU AGREE? 48:07 THAT MAKES SENSE, RIGHT? WE NEED TO BE FREE FROM SIN. 48:09 AND THAT CAN ONLY BE REALIZED THROUGH THE FREEDOM AND 48:13 DELIVERANCE THAT JESUS ALONE CAN BRING TO US AS WE RECEIVE HIM 48:16 INTO OUR LIVES. AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT 48:17 THIS ALREADY THIS MORNING. THAT'S WHY HE SAID, 'IF THE SON 48:20 THEREFORE SHALL MAKE YOU FREE, YOU SHALL BE FREE INDEED.' NOW I 48:24 WANT US TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING VERY SIGNIFICANT HERE AND 48:27 IMPORTANT - WHAT JESUS IS SPEAKING ABOUT IN THIS PASSAGE - 48:31 HE'S MAKING THE POINT THAT HE IS ABLE TO MAKE US FREE - WHEN HE 48:34 SAYS 'FREE FROM SIN' - FROM THE VERY PRACTICE OF SIN. 48:38 NOT JUST FREE FROM THE GUILT OF SIN. 48:40 IN OTHER WORDS, SIN AND LIVE THEOLOGY - THAT KIND OF A THING. 48:43 'WE'LL KEEP SINNING UNTIL JESUS COMES. 48:45 JESUS WILL JUST SET ME FREE FROM THE CONDEMNATION OF SIN WHILE 48:49 I'M STILL COMMITTING IT.' NO, IT'S NOT TEACHING THAT AT ALL. 48:52 SO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE JESUS IS GOING HERE WITH THIS. 48:56 AND IT IS ONLY AS WE ENTER THIS EXPERIENCE THAT HE OFFERS AND 49:00 THAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT - 'I WILL SET YOU FREE, INDEED.' IT'S 49:04 ONLY AS WE ENTER INTO THIS EXPERIENCE, THROUGH GRACE ALONE, 49:07 THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO TO LIVE IN HEAVEN WITH HIM. 49:10 BECAUSE IT SAYS HERE, 'THOSE WHO CONTINUE IN SIN, CONTINUE TO 49:14 REMAIN THE SERVANTS OF SIN.' AND AS JESUS SAID IN CHAPTER 8, 49:17 VERSE 35, SUCH A SERVANT "ABIDETH NOT IN THE HOUSE FOR 49:21 EVER." SO YOU CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN AND 49:23 LIVE IN GOD'S HOUSE IF YOU'RE A SERVANT OF SIN. 49:26 YOU HAVE TO BECOME A SERVANT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. 49:28 DID I EXPLAIN THAT CLEAR ENOUGH? OKAY. 49:32 NOW SOMEBODY MIGHT ASK, 'PASTOR MIKE, WHY DO YOU ALWAYS KEEP 49:38 MAKING - WHY DO YOU ALWAYS KEEP GOING ON ABOUT THIS - 49:40 ABOUT VICTORY OVER SIN? 49:42 ABOUT WE HAVE TO OVERCOME IT THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST.' I'LL 49:46 GIVE YOU THE SHORT ANSWER FOR THAT - IT'S BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT 49:48 THE BIBLE TEACHES AND I WANT TO TEACH THE BIBLE. 49:52 AND I TEACH THIS BECAUSE THERE IS A DIFFERENT GOSPEL OUT THERE 49:57 AS YOU KNOW TOO WELL. WE'VE MENTIONED THIS MANY TIMES 50:00 FROM THE PULPIT, WHEN IT'S UP HERE DURING THE CHURCH SERVICE 50:03 AND EVEN DOWN HERE DURING THE SABBATH SCHOOL. 50:05 THERE'S OTHER VERSIONS OF THE GOSPEL OUT THERE AND ONE THAT IS 50:08 NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT JESUS IS SAYING HERE IN JOHN 8. 50:12 WHEN THE SON MAKES YOU FREE FROM THE VERY PRACTICE OF SIN, YOU 50:16 SHALL BE FREE INDEED. THERE ARE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES TO 50:22 ACCEPTING THE OTHER VERSION OF THE GOSPEL, WHICH IS NOT IN THE 50:27 WORD OF GOD AND JESUS NEVER TAUGHT IT. 50:30 IN JOHN 8:36, WHICH I JUST READ, JESUS SAID HE'S THE ONE WHO CAN 50:38 MAKE YOU FREE, INDEED. JOHN 8:36 - JESUS IS THE ONE WHO 50:41 CAN MAKE YOU FREE INDEED - FROM SIN. 50:45 NOW IF YOU LOOK IN JOHN 8:31, HE'S ALSO CONTRASTING THOSE WHO 50:50 ARE FREE - WHO HE'LL MAKE, INDEED, FREE FROM SIN WITH THOSE 50:53 WHO ARE HIS DISCIPLES INDEED. 50:55 NOT TRYING TO PLAY ON WORDS HERE, BUT THESE TWO 'INDEEDS' GO 50:58 TOGETHER AND I WANT US TO NOTICE THIS. 51:03 8:31, JESUS SAID - "THEN SAID JESUS TO THOSE JEWS WHICH 51:07 BELIEVED ON HIM, 'IF YE CONTINUE IN MY WORD, THEN ARE YE MY 51:12 DISCIPLES INDEED.'" 'IF YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES INDEED' IN VERSE 31 51:18 - VERSE 36 'THEN I WILL SET YOU FREE FROM SIN, INDEED.' SO 51:25 THERE'S NOT A QUESTION HERE. JESUS' DISCIPLES, HE SAYS, ARE - 51:31 VERSE 31 - "THEN SAID JESUS TO THOSE JEWS WHICH BELIEVED ON 51:35 HIM, 'IF YE CONTINUE IN MY WORD, THEN ARE YE MY DISCIPLES 51:38 INDEED.'" JESUS' DISCIPLES ARE THOSE WHO CONTINUE IN HIS WORD. 51:45 AND FOR US TO REMAIN HIS DISCIPLES - AND I TRUST WE WANT 51:48 TO BE HIS DISCIPLES, IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE CONTINUE IN 51:52 THE WORD OF GOD - IN THE WORD OF CHRIST THAT WAS GIVEN TO US IN 51:57 THE EARLY DAYS OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS MOVEMENT - 52:00 THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH - AND IT'S ONLY AS WE CONTINUE 52:04 IN THE TRUTH OF THE SANCTUARY AND THE THIRD ANGELS' MESSAGES 52:08 AND THESE THINGS, THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO US, WILL WE CONTINUE TO 52:11 BE HIS TRUE DISCIPLES AS WE CONTINUE TO WALK IN THE LIGHT 52:15 AND ONLY AS WE DO THAT WILL WE THEN, ULTIMATELY, BE FREE FROM 52:19 SIN THIS SIDE OF THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS. 52:22 DO YOU GET THE POINT? BECAUSE THERE ARE THOSE - AND I 52:30 KNOW THEY MEAN WELL - VERY NICE PEOPLE - PRAY FOR THEM - VERY 52:35 KIND PEOPLE - BUT THERE'S A LOT THEY DON'T GET IT. 52:39 THEY IMBIBE THESE CATHOLIC AND EVANGELICAL IDEAS OF THE GOSPEL 52:44 AND IT GETS THEM OFF TRACK TO THE GOSPEL HERE THAT JESUS IS 52:48 PREACHING - 'I WILL SET YOU FREE FROM THE VERY PRACTICE OF SIN 52:52 THIS SIDE OF MY SECOND COMING.' THEY GET SIDE-TRACKED AND 52:56 THEY'RE BRINGING THESE OTHER THINGS AND A DIFFERENT 52:58 DEFINITION OF SIN AND, YOU KNOW, JESUS WILL SAVE YOU IN YOUR SIN. 53:02 THAT IS A LIE. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO GO DOWN THAT 53:04 PATH. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE IN HIS WORD. 53:08 IF YOU IMBIBE THESE OTHER THINGS IT DOES TWO THINGS, ACTUALLY. 53:11 IT SKEWS OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD'S LAST MESSAGE TO LAODICEA 53:15 AND WE'RE TOLD IN 'TESTIMONIES' THAT THE MESSAGE TO LAODICEA - 53:17 THE DESTINY OF THE CHURCH HANGS UPON THE RECEPTION OF THE 53:20 MESSAGE TO LAODICEA, WHICH IS FROM REVELATION 3, WHICH IS THE 53:25 LAST CHURCH IN THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION, AND 53:27 EVERY ONE OF THOSE - THE THEME - THE ULTIMATE THEME - THE 53:30 ULTIMATE BOTTOM LINE IS TO BE AN OVERCOMER, RIGHT? 53:34 AND TO LAODICEA - AND TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH WILL I GRANT TO 53:36 SIT WITH ME ON MY THRONE EVEN AS I ALSO OVERCAME AND HAVE SAT 53:40 DOWN WITH MY FATHER ON HIS THRONE. 53:42 WE MUST CONTINUE IN HIS WORD AND UNDERSTAND WE MUST BE OVERCOMERS 53:49 AND HE SAYS HERE IN JOHN HE SAYS, 'I TELL YOU IF THE SON 53:53 THEREFORE SHALL SET YOU FREE, YOU SHALL BE FREE INDEED.' SO IF 53:57 WE GO ON THIS OTHER TRACK WE GET A SKEWED UNDERSTANDING OF THE 54:00 DOCTRINE TO LAODICEA - THAT'S GOD'S LAST MESSAGE TO US. 54:04 AND THEN HOW, IN TURN, WILL THAT AFFECT GOD'S MESSAGES THAT HE'S 54:07 GIVEN US TO GIVE TO THE WORLD, THAT IS, THE THIRD ANGEL'S 54:09 MESSAGE THAT GOES DOWN THE TUBES AS WELL. 54:13 I HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE. 54:15 BUT WHAT WAS THE THEME ON WEDNESDAY? 54:17 'FREE FROM SIN.' ONE STATEMENT IN 'THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY' - I 54:22 DON'T HAVE THE REFERENCE BUT IT SAYS, 'THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE 54:24 FAITH ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THAT JESUS CAN KEEP THEM FROM SIN 54:28 WILL NOT HAVE A PLACE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 54:31 IF YOU WANT TO E-MAIL ME I'LL FIND IT FOR YOU AND I'LL SEND IT 54:35 TO YOU. OKAY, OUR TIME IS GONE. WE HAVE TO CLOSE. 54:39 I THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION. 54:43 >>EVERY DAY WE MAKE HUNDREDS OF DECISIONS. 54:46 SOMETIMES THESE CHOICES ARE MUNDANE. WHAT WILL YOU HAVE FOR 54:49 BREAKFAST? OR WHAT WILL YOU WEAR FOR WORK? 54:51 BUT SOMETIMES THESE DECISIONS CAN HAVE AN ETERNAL IMPACT: LIKE 54:55 WHEN YOU SET UP AN ESTATE PLAN THAT SUPPORTS GOD'S WORK. 55:00 WE NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY, FRIENDS, TO ENSURE AS MANY SOULS 55:04 AS POSSIBLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR CHRIST. 55:08 AND WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO INCLUDE YOUR EVANGELISM VALUES IN YOUR 55:11 ESTATE PLAN TODAY, AMAZING FACTS CAN DO EVEN MORE TO EXPAND GOD'S 55:16 KINGDOM THROUGH YOUR FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP. 55:18 I'D LIKE TO OFFER YOU A FREE GIFT ENTITLED, 'PROVIDE AND 55:22 PROTECT' WHICH IS A TREMENDOUS RESOURCE TELLING ABOUT LIFE AND 55:25 DEATH DECISIONS CONNECTED WITH YOUR ESTATE PLAN. 55:29 CONTACT OUR PLANNED GIVING DEPARTMENT AT 800-436-2695 OR 55:34 VISIT 'ENDURINGLEGACY.ORG' AND YOU CAN HAVE THE PEACE OF MIND 55:40 THAT COMES FROM KNOWING YOUR HOUSE IS IN ORDER. 55:43 >>AMAZING FACTS HAS IMPACTED MY LIFE. 55:46 >>I JUST PRAISE GOD FOR AMAZING FACTS. 55:48 >>AMAZING FACTS ACTUALLY DID HAVE AN IMPACT ON MY LIFE. 55:50 >>IT'S ALL A PROCESS, GETTING TO WHERE I AM TODAY. 55:52 >>AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN - >>I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT - 55:55 >>I BEGAN READING THE BIBLE. 55:57 I GOT BAPTIZED INTO THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST - 56:00 >>I REALIZED THAT THERE HAD TO BE MORE TO LIFE. 56:02 >>GOD IS REALLY DOING THIS. >>THIS MESSAGE WAS SO POWERFUL. 56:08 >>AMAZING FACTS - MORE THAN 45 YEARS OF PROCLAIMING GOD'S 56:13 MESSAGE AROUND THE WORLD. 56:15 >>AND THEN THE LOGO POPS ACROSS - AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS. 56:19 I'VE LISTENED TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT MINISTERS, BUT HE WAS 56:21 - THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE'S ACTUALLY SAYING SOMETHING 56:24 WHERE I HAD TO GRAB MY BIBLE AND ACTUALLY PICK IT UP - AND I'VE 56:27 NEVER HEARD THIS BEFORE LET ME - LET ME LOOK THROUGH AND 56:31 FIND THIS. I JUST COULDN'T GET ENOUGH. 56:32 >>AND SO I STARTED DOING BIBLE STUDIES. 56:35 EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE GUYS STARTED BEING CHANGED - 56:38 INCLUDING MYSELF. 56:40 >>MY QUESTION WAS 'WHY DID THAT HAPPEN TO ME, GOD?' 56:43 THE LORD WAS ABLE TO REACH OUT AND - AND I ACTUALLY SAW HIM AS 56:46 A FATHER. >>I LOST EVERYTHING AND THAT 56:50 WAS WHEN I REALIZED THAT IT WAS GOD MISSING IN MY LIFE. 56:53 >> I WENT TO A PROPHECY SEMINAR WHICH KNOCKED ME OUT. 56:57 THIS MESSAGE WAS SO POWERFUL AND SO IRREFUTABLE AND I JUST WENT 57:01 'THIS IS REAL. THIS IS - THIS IS AMAZING.' 57:07 >>DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM? 57:10 OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND 57:14 PROBABLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. 57:17 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST DAY EVENTS OF 57:20 REVELATION, 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM' IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN 57:24 EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. 57:28 ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER TO GOD'S 57:31 WORD. GO DEEPER. 57:33 VISIT THE AMAZING BIBLE TIMELINE AT 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM'. 57:39 >>IN SIX DAYS GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. 57:43 FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS MAN HAS WORSHIPED GOD ON THE SEVENTH DAY 57:46 OF THE WEEK. NOW, EACH WEEK MILLIONS OF 57:49 PEOPLE WORSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY. WHAT HAPPENED? 57:53 WHY DID GOD CREATE A DAY OF REST? 57:56 DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHAT DAY WE WORSHIP? 57:58 WHO IS BEHIND THIS GREAT SHIFT? DISCOVER THE TRUTH BEHIND GOD'S 58:02 LAW AND HOW IT WAS CHANGED. VISIT 'SABBATHTRUTH.COM'. 58:09 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2014-12-17