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It's been 2000 years since
the glorious light of the cross
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illuminated the world veiled in
darkness and confusion about the
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character of God. And
still today the greatest need of
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mankind is a revelation of
God's love as revealed in the
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life of Christ. Amazing Facts
presents the everlasting gospel
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with Pastor Doug Batchelor
coming to you each week from
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Sacramento Central Church
in sunny California. Discover
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hidden treasures
in God's word today.
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Thank you for letting me be
your pastor. It is a privilege.
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We get together as a staff each
week and I tell the pastors, I
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say, boy we are so thankful.
We've got a great church here
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and it is a blessing to be here.
I just want to thank you again
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personally for that privilege.
So thankful for a staff and the
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hard work they all do. This
morning I'd like to talk to you
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about a message I thought
was something important to think
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about at the beginning of a
new year and it's the subject of
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your conscience but more
specifically the care and
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the feeding of your conscience.
I couldn't find a photograph of
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a conscience so I used the brain
That was the closest think I
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could find. If you have one of
the conscience you could e-mail
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me, I'd like to use that. But
maybe I should begin introducing
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this with a true-to-life story.
You've heard people talk before
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about committing the
perfect crime. Well back in 1993
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somebody thought they had
committed the perfect crime.
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Matter of fact the FBI thought
the perfect crime had been
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committed. Somebody stole an
armored truck with about three
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million dollars in it in Las
Vegas. They vanished then. Ten
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years went by. It appeared that
they had committed the perfect
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crime. Well at least one
of those two people that were
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involved in this crime
was living a double life in
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Amsterdam. The money was gone.
They realized, of course, that
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they were on the FBI's
most wanted list. Her name was
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Heather Katherine Tall Chief. At
this point now she was a mother,
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still a young lady; committed
the crime in her 20's and now
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she was in her early 30's and
had a son about 10 or 11 years
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old and just got where,
even though she was free, no one
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suspected what she was guilty
of, that she was on the FBI's
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most wanted list. She was
living in Amsterdam and had to
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jobs just for cash. She got to
where she couldn't take it any
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more. Her conscience was
bothering her. Who would want to
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go turn themselves in to the
FBI when you're on the 10 most
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wanted list and spend who knows
how many years in prison when
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you're free? Someone asked her
that question and this was her
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response. Because you get very
tired of running. This is not a
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life. Because I have been
assuming someone else's life
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that is not my life. If you're
living in a prison mentally
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then what is a box, a room,
in other words, compared to
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going to a prison cell,
the prison I'm in now mentally
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because of my tormented
conscience. It's nothing. What
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is a box with restricted
privileges. It's nothing
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compared to what I've already
been through. I truly feel like
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I'm setting myself free. And
so in September 2005 she turned
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herself in to Federal
authorities in Las Vegas, has
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subsequently been tried and
I think they only gave her five
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years because she cooperated
so much and basically turned
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herself in. Now I'm not weighing
in on whether or not she got the
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just sentence or not. The reason
I mention this story is it's one
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of many I could tell you. I
can't remember the name of the
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lady who was involved in
the murder of a policeman during
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the hippie movement in the 60's.
She lived on the lam for 30
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years, had a family, restaurant
business; nobody knew who she
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was. She couldn't take it
any more, turned herself in. You
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remember who I'm talking about?
You hear about this often. Why?
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Their conscience was tormenting
them. The Bible tells us that
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God is inviting us to
live before him with a clear
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and a pure conscience. Jesus
came to save us from guilt and
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he came to save us from one of
the side effects of guilt which
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is a guilty conscience. He wants
us to live before him with a
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pure conscience. And before I
dive very deep in this message
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I think it's a good time to get
a definition. Conscience: The
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word conscience actually comes
from the combining... This is
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how I learned to spell it...
of con science. Science means
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knowledge or the study of. It's
a knowledge or understanding of
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the study of yourself and
what your values are. Dictionary
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definition is: A. Motivation
deriving logically from ethical
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or moral principles that govern
a person's thoughts and actions.
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B. Conscience is conformity
to one's own sense of right
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conduct. That's a simple
definition I like. C. A feeling
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of shame when you do something
immoral. D. The awareness of a
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moral or ethical aspect to one's
conduct together with the urge
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to prefer right over wrong. E.
The part of our mind that judges
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the ethical nature of one's
actions and thoughts and then
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processes such determinations
for consideration. I was looking
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with my son Stephen last
night. We were going through the
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internet, a bunch of
dictionaries, thesauruses and
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encyclopedias. You would
not believe how much there is on
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just trying to define what
is the conscience. What is this
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inner voice in people that
governs them that you can't find
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with a scalpel? But it's there
isn't it. It's this guiding
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voice, this urge. Now to
some extent, you have to listen
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carefully to everything
I'm going to say, we all come
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factory equipped with an element
of conscience to some extent.
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It is standard equipment. I'm
telling you that being raised
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basically an atheist. I had
a sense, as far back as I can
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remember that certain things
were just wrong and just right
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and I don't remember when
anyone along the way taught me.
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Matter of fact, indeed the
examples I had were contrary
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in my life with my parents. But
I knew some things were wrong
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and I knew some things
were right. I don't mean to be
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disrespectful, but my mother
would take me out shoplifting.
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And she'd say oh they got plenty
of money. They charge too much.
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She would justify and
rationalize it. Never saw her
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get caught. And you wonder how
I ended up a thief. My father,
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millions of dollars, I watched
him engage in petty theft more
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than once. And he laughed.
He thought aha I got away with
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something. So I did not have
that kind of example. But you
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know what? I always knew it was
wrong. I knew lying was wrong.
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And yet my mother would tell
me to be a good actor, Doug, (my
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mother was an actress). She'd
say, you gotta be a good liar.
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Huh, it's an interesting
philosophy because your trying
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to purportedly be something or
somebody you're not. So I wasn't
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raised with the appropriate
morals, but I always had an
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inner voice that said this
is right and this is wrong. The
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Holy Spirit does speak to even
pagans. Let me give you a verse
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on that. Romans 2 verses 14
and For when the gentiles who do
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not have the law of God by
nature do the things in the law
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these, although not having the
law, are a law to themselves,
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who show the work of the law
written in their hearts. Their
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conscience also bearing witness
and between themselves their
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thoughts accusing or else
excusing them. Now we come
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factory equipped with an
element of conscience, but that
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conscience is not perfect. It's
not complete without the word
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of God. Somebody has likened
to the difference between true
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north and magnetic north. Some
of you, especially if you're
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pilots or you do a lot of hiking
you know if you use a compass
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it will give you the direction
of magnetic north but it is not
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the rotational north pole of our
planet. They're not the same and
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I have it here on the map. You
can see the north pole that the
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earth rotates on, that's the
yellow star. Magnetic north and
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that's actually magnetic north
for the year 2000. It's actually
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moving from Canada now off into
the ocean. It drifts northwest.
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It vacillates with the magnetic
molten core in the earth that
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has these currents. It's moving.
It's typically somewhere in the
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north but it's not exactly north
A lot of us have a conscience
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but that conscience is imperfect
because our conscience is, let's
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face it, can be taught and
trained to think some things are
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wrong that may be wrong and some
things are right that may be
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wrong. Have you met people that
have a conscience that's out of
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whack. I mean you and I know
of people who will say something
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careless, hurt somebody's
feelings and they can't sleep
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at night because they said
something inconsiderate and
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then there are other people who
can commit murder and sleep like
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a baby. Some of it is the
way that they've trained their
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conscience. We've got to be
careful that our consciences are
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governed by the word of God.
That's how you get true north
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and not just magnetic north
because if you do your flying
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and your hiking based on
magnetic north you might head in
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roughly the right direction but
you'll never get to the north
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pole. So you need to be guided
by the word of God. How many
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times have you heard a person
say, trust your conscience, just
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trust your conscience. You can't
always trust your conscience
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because sometimes people think
it's their conscience and it's
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their feelings and temptation
can twist your conscience.
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It's amazing how we can end
up rationalizing things that are
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not right because we think it's
this inner voice and it's not
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really what is right, it's what
we want to be right. The world
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says let your conscience be
your guide. Have you heard that
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before? Well in some matters, if
your conscience is governed by
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the Holy Spirit, you're safe.
But a conscience like a compass
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must be calibrated by the
word of God and the Holy Spirit.
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Whenever we crank up the
air plane, part of your run-up
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procedure is you set your
heading indicator. It must be
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calibrated. Because every time
you turn off the power wherever
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you park the plane that's where
it stops. It needs to constantly
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be adjusted. And even
while you're flying, check your
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compass and you heading
indicator. They've got to be
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calibrated because they drift.
We need to make sure that the
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Holy Spirit and the word of God
are guiding. I've heard a lot of
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people blame the Holy Spirit for
things. You know what the most
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common one I hear is.
Happened this last week, happens
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frequently. A couple take a
shine to each other. One is a
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Christian, one is not or
they might be Christians of a
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different denomination. The word
of God is extremely clear in
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those situations that you should
not be unequally yoked. Please
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say amen. You don't need a
feeling to make that decision.
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And people will say but we feel
the Spirit. My conscience tells
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me it's okay. There is a
thin line between conscience and
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hormones and a person might
sometimes think that it's their
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conscience, I feel so strongly,
it's the Holy Spirit. It's not
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the Holy Spirit. It's something
else. It must be governed by the
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word of God. A conscience
can be trained. One guy thinks
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something is totally right,
someone else thinks it's totally
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wrong and they both say my
conscience tells me it's okay.
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So can you really always
trust what you think is your
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conscience? John chapter 8 verse
9. These men brought this woman
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who was caught in the act of
adultery to Jesus. Now these are
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men who are plotting to kill
Jesus. How much conscience would
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they have left? Well evidently
they still had some. Even the
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wicked can have a sense of guilt
We just talked about a lady who
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committed armed robbery or
stole an armored car who had a
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conscience. And they're pointing
to this woman and they're saying
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Master she's been caught in the
act of adultery. The law says
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she should be killed. They're
making this pretense of really
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caring about the law and
here they're wanting to trap and
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execute Jesus who's the Messiah,
the author of the law. And so
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Christ ignores them. He begins
to write down in the dust of the
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temple floor. And there's a
lot of speculation about what he
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wrote, but I'm fairly confident
that he either wrote the law
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again or wrote their sins more
specifically and they could be
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very close to the same thing.
And as he's writing out, I mean,
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they're saying the law says such
and such. They're claiming to
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care about the law and so he
starts writing out the areas of
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the law they're breaking. And
then he gets up and says he that
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is without sin among you let
him cast the first stone and he
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stoops down and keeps
on chronicling their sins.
00:14:01.57\00:14:03.71
And what does the Bible say
there in John chapter 8 verse
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Then those who heard
it, being convicted by their
00:14:07.29\00:14:12.04
conscience they went out one
by one beginning with the oldest
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even to the last. That could
be because the oldest have the
00:14:16.43\00:14:21.00
longest record of things that he
had marked down there. I don't
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know. Certainly the longer
we live the longer our record of
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sin. But their conscience
was bothering them and they
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realized, I have no right
to condemn this woman. For one
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thing they were accomplices
in that they set her up to use
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her to trap Jesus. A person's
conscience can be affected by
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their culture, by faith,
misplaced faith. I remember
00:14:48.34\00:14:55.85
hearing the story about an
evangelist who recently passed
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away. He was in Africa. And
he said that there was this one
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tribe and the people had
such complete faith in the local
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witch doctor. On one occasion,
I'm paraphrasing this story,
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someone had been stealing the
chief's eggs during the night
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and devouring them, someone
in the village. They didn't know
00:15:18.61\00:15:22.14
who it was. So the witch doctor
gathered everybody together in
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the village and said if you
confess the chief will forgive
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you. If you do not confess your
hands will begin to itch and
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burn before the week is
up. Well before the week was up
00:15:33.18\00:15:37.45
somebody had hives all
over their hands and they were
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scratching and burning and
in great pain and they finally
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confessed that they were the
one. Now did that witch doctor
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have the power to give them
hives or is it possible that the
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placebo affect took over
and their guilty conscience and
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their faith, pretty soon
they started feeling their hands
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burning and itching? So it
may have had nothing to do with
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anything physiological or even
the Bible and the Holy Spirit,
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but sometimes a person, their
conscience can be trained to
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behave a certain way because
they think a certain thing is
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going to happen or is right or
wrong. The Holy Spirit is what
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we need to guide us. John
chapter 16 verse 13: However
00:16:22.62\00:16:27.30
when He the Spirit of Truth is
come he will guide you into all
00:16:27.34\00:16:31.52
truth. You know a conscience is
something like a thermostat in
00:16:31.56\00:16:35.71
your house but it must be
adjusted and it must be the
00:16:35.74\00:16:39.64
Holy Spirit that adjusts that
thermostat. Now how many of us
00:16:39.67\00:16:43.96
would like to have a clear
conscience. Would you like a
00:16:43.99\00:16:48.21
really clear conscience or would
you like to just think you've
00:16:48.25\00:16:51.97
got a clear conscience? Is there
a difference? Are there people
00:16:52.00\00:16:55.89
who are guilty that think they
have got a clear conscience?
00:16:55.92\00:17:00.69
Well I want a really clear
conscience. The wicked do not
00:17:00.73\00:17:05.43
have real peace. You can read in
the Bible, Isaiah 57 verse 21:
00:17:05.46\00:17:10.95
There is no peace says my God
for the wicked. Now you might be
00:17:10.99\00:17:15.31
thinking, Pastor Doug, I mean
there are people like Saddam
00:17:15.35\00:17:19.25
Hussein and others who might be
guilty of mass murder and they
00:17:19.29\00:17:23.13
seem to sleep at night. We've
heard about serial killers that
00:17:23.17\00:17:27.14
they can look coldly into the
camera and just smile and act
00:17:27.18\00:17:31.08
like they have no problem at
all. Cold blooded. Conscience
00:17:31.12\00:17:36.33
seared with a hot iron. But in
most cases the wicked know that
00:17:36.37\00:17:41.02
their wicked and they tremble
and it bothers them. The most
00:17:41.05\00:17:44.63
dangerous thing is when you
don't have any compunctions.
00:17:44.66\00:17:48.17
Hebrews chapter 13 verse 8, Paul
says, Pray for us for we are
00:17:48.20\00:17:53.75
confident that we have a
good conscience in all things
00:17:53.78\00:17:57.73
desiring to live honorably.
You notice that having a good
00:17:57.76\00:18:00.97
conscience is something that
is ongoing. It represents an
00:18:01.01\00:18:04.14
ongoing desire to life honorably
Somebody said one time, a bad
00:18:04.18\00:18:10.01
conscience embitters the
sweetest comforts. A good
00:18:10.04\00:18:14.14
conscience sweetens the
bitterest crosses. That's like
00:18:14.17\00:18:18.20
Heather Tall Chief. It doesn't
matter if you've got a million
00:18:18.24\00:18:22.89
dollars and a guilty conscience.
Proverbs many times talks about
00:18:22.93\00:18:27.55
how much better it is to
have a handful with peace than a
00:18:27.58\00:18:32.15
houseful of treasure with strife
Jesus said in John chapter 16
00:18:32.19\00:18:37.86
verses 7 and 8: Nevertheless I
tell you the truth. It's to your
00:18:37.89\00:18:43.36
advantage that I go away, for
if I do not go away, the helper
00:18:43.40\00:18:47.96
will not come to you. But if I
depart, I will send him to you.
00:18:48.00\00:18:53.09
Now listen to this. Who's the
helper? Holy Spirit. And when he
00:18:53.12\00:18:58.18
has come he will
convict the world of sin and of
00:18:58.22\00:19:02.77
righteousness and of judgment.
One of the gifts of the Holy
00:19:02.81\00:19:07.66
Spirit is to bring conviction.
You know there's been a lot of
00:19:07.69\00:19:12.99
talk in our culture and I think
some of it's from the devil,
00:19:13.02\00:19:18.68
not to feel guilty about
anything. Freud sort of had that
00:19:18.71\00:19:23.08
at his foundation that all guilt
is learned and you shouldn't
00:19:23.11\00:19:26.83
feel guilt and guilt is what's
bad and guilt is what makes
00:19:26.86\00:19:29.77
people sick and there may
be some truth to guilt making
00:19:29.81\00:19:32.65
people sick. But guilt is a good
thing if you're guilty. How many
00:19:32.68\00:19:38.48
are not wanting to feel guilty
when they are guilty? And this
00:19:38.52\00:19:43.27
is what society and kind of
the psychobabble of the day is.
00:19:43.31\00:19:47.23
They're all trying to make
everybody feel good about being
00:19:47.26\00:19:51.96
bad. Where God is saying, No,
you should feel bad if you are
00:19:52.00\00:19:56.66
bad. What do you do if
you've got a child that is a
00:19:56.70\00:20:00.18
kleptomaniac and has no guilt
about it? Would that worry you?
00:20:00.22\00:20:04.17
I mean don't you want your
children to have a conscience of
00:20:04.20\00:20:08.06
what is right and wrong. And yet
we're being told over and over
00:20:08.10\00:20:11.92
in our culture, we're being
trained by the devil to think
00:20:11.96\00:20:16.24
that bad is good and good is
bad. It's very dangerous when it
00:20:16.27\00:20:20.68
gets to that place. Well, on the
subject of conscience, the Bible
00:20:20.72\00:20:25.10
talks about a pure conscience.
A lot of people sometimes are
00:20:25.13\00:20:28.86
plagued with something for years
and they want to get it dealt
00:20:28.90\00:20:32.59
with. I mean they're
living Godly lives but there's
00:20:32.63\00:20:34.63
something little that's
bothering them and they just
00:20:34.67\00:20:36.60
want to have a pure conscience.
The Brooklyn Library reported
00:20:36.64\00:20:40.28
that they came to the front
steps one day in New York City
00:20:40.31\00:20:44.55
and they found a big old stack
of books that was left that
00:20:44.59\00:20:52.05
someone had checked out in 1935.
The late fees totaled $5521.
00:20:52.08\00:20:58.69
On the box it said better late
than never. They had checked
00:20:58.73\00:21:03.42
out the books in 1935. Maybe
they were moving. They found
00:21:03.46\00:21:08.60
them all and they felt guilty
and they needed to take them
00:21:08.63\00:21:13.74
back. Did you ever find
something you borrowed from
00:21:13.78\00:21:17.26
somebody a long time ago and you
had forgotten that you borrowed
00:21:17.30\00:21:21.34
it? I've got a book on my
shelf and it hurts my conscience
00:21:21.37\00:21:25.22
whenever I see it. Somebody lent
it to me. They made it clear
00:21:25.26\00:21:28.64
that they were lending it to
me and they said, I want it back
00:21:28.67\00:21:31.24
when you're done and I don't
know how to reach them but I've
00:21:31.28\00:21:33.81
still got the book. Then,
of course, there are a lot of
00:21:33.85\00:21:37.00
people that I've lent books
to and I never got them back.
00:21:37.03\00:21:41.21
It works both ways. Does your
conscience bother you. You know
00:21:41.24\00:21:45.26
you want to keep your conscience
sensitive. You don't want to get
00:21:45.30\00:21:49.28
to the place where you don't
have that feeling of guilt when
00:21:49.32\00:21:52.15
you've done something wrong. You
know what's dangerous is when we
00:21:52.18\00:21:55.68
get to the place where we say
ah it's just a little thing and
00:21:55.72\00:21:59.18
the little things don't
bother us. We want to have a
00:21:59.21\00:22:01.41
conscience that is pure.
Somebody said, A good conscience
00:22:01.45\00:22:04.98
makes a soft pillow. It makes it
easier to sleep at night. Paul
00:22:05.01\00:22:08.65
said, and this is the verse I
especially want you to underline
00:22:08.69\00:22:14.85
Acts 24 verse 16: And herein do
I exercise myself to have always
00:22:14.88\00:22:19.82
...what does exercise mean?
Is exercise lying down or is it
00:22:19.85\00:22:24.76
active? He says I'm actively
always working to have a
00:22:24.79\00:22:29.43
conscience void of offense
towards God and man. There are
00:22:29.46\00:22:32.99
offenses toward God and
there are offenses toward men.
00:22:33.03\00:22:36.49
Borrowed my neighbor's ladder
a couple of weeks ago. Said I
00:22:36.53\00:22:39.57
wanted to clean our windows.
We have a two story section of
00:22:39.60\00:22:42.39
the house and I can't reach them
He was nice enough to lend me
00:22:42.42\00:22:45.17
his ladder. My conscience
bothers me when I have
00:22:45.21\00:22:48.08
something that belongs to
somebody else. I hope there are
00:22:48.12\00:22:51.19
others here that are wired this
way. I don't feel complete peace
00:22:51.23\00:22:54.96
until I've given it back in good
condition. It bothers me and I
00:22:55.00\00:22:58.29
think it should. We should
respect other people's property.
00:22:58.33\00:23:01.75
Doesn't it bother you if someone
borrows something of yours and
00:23:01.79\00:23:05.18
they don't return it or
they bring it back broken and it
00:23:05.22\00:23:07.08
doesn't bother them. We ought to
be training people. Some people
00:23:07.11\00:23:10.32
have no compunctions about that.
Our conscience should tell us.
00:23:10.36\00:23:13.31
Well I couldn't get all the
windows done in one day and so
00:23:13.34\00:23:16.04
the next day it was cold and
I didn't want to do them right
00:23:16.08\00:23:18.68
then and get out on that ladder.
But I said, No I've got to get
00:23:18.72\00:23:21.92
John's ladder back. I have his
ladder. So I cleaned it. He was
00:23:21.95\00:23:25.05
not home and I put it over the
fence very carefully so he would
00:23:25.09\00:23:28.21
see it right away. I just wanted
to get it back to him. I've also
00:23:28.24\00:23:31.33
found as soon as you borrow
something from somebody, it'll
00:23:31.36\00:23:34.49
break. I remember the pastor who
baptized me. Putting in a garden
00:23:34.53\00:23:41.72
Pastor Joe Phillips. He had
a Rototiller, a Merrytiller, I
00:23:41.75\00:23:45.31
still remember it, Briggs and
Stratton engine. And I said we
00:23:45.34\00:23:48.36
are trying to put in a garden.
It was new ground. It had never
00:23:48.39\00:23:51.06
been broken up. He said, Well
borrow my rototiller. And I said
00:23:51.10\00:23:53.47
I'm afraid just as soon as I
borrow it something's going to
00:23:53.51\00:23:56.41
go wrong. He said, Oh it's the
most dependable rototiller. I've
00:23:56.45\00:23:59.31
had it for 30 years. You won't
have any problems. Part of was
00:23:59.35\00:24:04.08
because I probably didn't know
what I was doing, but I don't
00:24:04.12\00:24:08.99
think I plowed one furrow before
I sheared the key pin on the
00:24:09.02\00:24:13.86
crankshaft which is a major
repair. And I don't think it
00:24:13.89\00:24:17.93
ever ran for that pastor again.
I felt so bad. See it still
00:24:17.97\00:24:21.58
bothers me today. So I'm real
sensitive about getting stuff
00:24:21.62\00:24:25.16
back to people. And you, some of
you, some of you are watching,
00:24:25.20\00:24:29.95
I'm pointing at you too. You'll
send me a manuscript and you'll
00:24:29.99\00:24:34.05
say this is our original copy.
Please read it and send it back
00:24:34.09\00:24:38.57
to me. Don't do that to me. Then
I think, O man, I'm so afraid.
00:24:38.60\00:24:42.51
I've got their only handwritten
copy of this manuscript they've
00:24:42.54\00:24:45.33
written and they want me to read
it and I don't always have time.
00:24:45.36\00:24:47.84
I try to read it and then I'm
afraid I'm going to forget about
00:24:47.87\00:24:50.73
it and lose it. I had one fellow
say, I sent you my only copy. I
00:24:50.76\00:24:54.54
had to rewrite. I misplaced it.
Don't do that to me. I can see
00:24:54.57\00:24:58.41
what my judgment's going to look
like. I'll stand before the Lord
00:24:58.44\00:25:01.35
and the Lord's going to tapping
his foot and this bit old stack
00:25:01.38\00:25:04.25
of tapes and videos and
manuscripts people have given
00:25:04.29\00:25:07.00
me. He'll say, Doug, these
weren't yours but they were in
00:25:07.03\00:25:11.11
your stuff when you perished.
Some of you here know. You've
00:25:11.15\00:25:14.41
handed something to me and you
say Doug I want you to listen to
00:25:14.44\00:25:17.11
tape. And you know what I always
say, What's the first thing I
00:25:17.15\00:25:20.83
say? Do you want it back? I do.
And I say, if you want it back
00:25:20.87\00:25:24.30
make a copy you don't want back
and give that to me. Don't give
00:25:24.33\00:25:28.24
me your original. It makes
me very nervous. Now I know I've
00:25:28.27\00:25:31.24
got some stuff that some of
you have lent me and I'll get it
00:25:31.28\00:25:34.78
back to you. You better write
your name on it. But that ought
00:25:34.81\00:25:37.74
to bother us. I mean, we ought
to have a conscience about that
00:25:37.77\00:25:43.99
because you know what it's
called? Stealing. I'm trying to
00:25:44.03\00:25:49.55
train our kids. We should all
do that. To be on time. Time is
00:25:49.58\00:25:54.42
the stuff that life is made of.
If you tell someone you're going
00:25:54.45\00:25:57.94
to be somewhere at a certain
time and they're waiting for you
00:25:57.98\00:26:01.31
and you're late because of
carelessness, sometimes things
00:26:01.35\00:26:04.36
happen, but if your late
because of carelessness, you are
00:26:04.39\00:26:07.82
stealing a piece of their time
and time is life and you are
00:26:07.85\00:26:10.83
taking some of their life. I
think Christians ought to try to
00:26:10.86\00:26:13.93
be on time. I don't think
we should be casual about being
00:26:13.97\00:26:17.54
late. Our conscience ought
to bother us. If I'm driving
00:26:17.57\00:26:21.04
somewhere and I'm late it
makes me a little uncomfortable.
00:26:21.08\00:26:25.54
It should if you have a
conscience. Right? It's when we
00:26:25.58\00:26:29.97
get to the place where we're so
used to doing things wrong we've
00:26:30.01\00:26:33.86
got two choices. We either
get comfortable having a bad
00:26:33.90\00:26:37.00
conscience so bad things don't
bother us anymore or we change
00:26:37.03\00:26:41.22
and try and do the right things.
A conscience is a blessing.
00:26:41.25\00:26:45.41
You know what it's like.
It's like your nerve endings.
00:26:45.44\00:26:47.66
You know what leprosy is? I
used to think when I was a kid I
00:26:47.69\00:26:51.27
heard these stories about lepers
losing their fingers and their
00:26:51.30\00:26:54.84
toes and I thought leprosy
was a disease where you're just
00:26:54.88\00:26:57.36
walking along one day and all
of a sudden a finger falls off.
00:26:57.39\00:27:00.77
That's leprosy. Then I came
to learn, no, what happens is it
00:27:00.80\00:27:04.54
affects the nerves where
they stop feeling and if you are
00:27:04.58\00:27:07.92
touching something you feel
it and if your finger's being
00:27:07.95\00:27:10.97
pinched you instinctively
feel or if it's being burned.
00:27:11.01\00:27:14.87
But lepers lose their sensation
in the extremities and they
00:27:14.90\00:27:18.32
injure their fingers and their
nose and their toes and their
00:27:18.36\00:27:21.61
extremities. They don't
know that they're being burnt or
00:27:21.65\00:27:25.10
crushed and they lose them
largely through injury. Pain is
00:27:25.13\00:27:28.51
a blessing. If you get where you
don't feel pain anymore you've
00:27:28.54\00:27:34.17
got leprosy. You conscience
is supposed to stay sensitive.
00:27:34.21\00:27:38.91
II Timothy 1:3: I thank God whom
I serve with a pure conscience.
00:27:38.95\00:27:45.08
God wants us to serve him with
a pure conscience following what
00:27:45.11\00:27:50.79
we know is right. I Peter 3:16:
Having a good conscience that
00:27:50.82\00:27:55.43
when they defame you as evil
doers those who revile your good
00:27:55.46\00:28:00.04
conduct in Christ might
be ashamed. Now if you are
00:28:00.07\00:28:05.50
persecuted and you are abused
verbally for doing what's right,
00:28:05.53\00:28:08.88
as long as your conscience is
good. It's unfortunate but you
00:28:08.92\00:28:11.56
know what? You don't need
to lose any sleep. If you know
00:28:11.60\00:28:14.17
that what you're doing is right
others might deride you for it
00:28:14.21\00:28:18.67
but you've got to live with
yourself. Right? It's really a
00:28:18.71\00:28:23.07
question of there are three
parties involved: the world and
00:28:23.10\00:28:27.30
people in it, God and yourself.
Who are you going to please?
00:28:27.33\00:28:31.26
If you make up your mind that
you're going to live in a way to
00:28:31.30\00:28:35.48
please God, live in the sight
of God, and not try and please
00:28:35.52\00:28:39.60
people not even try and please
yourself but if you put God
00:28:39.63\00:28:43.31
first it will end up giving you
a clear conscience and you'll
00:28:43.35\00:28:47.95
be serving yourself in that
respect. Do you know that the
00:28:47.98\00:28:52.18
government has what they call
a conscience fund? It's been
00:28:52.22\00:28:56.39
around over 100 years. It's a
conscience fund. Someone a long
00:28:56.42\00:28:59.62
time ago started sending checks
to the government and they said
00:28:59.65\00:29:02.81
you know I cheated on my
taxes and it's bothering me.
00:29:02.85\00:29:07.27
They especially noticed
that after Billy Sunday or Billy
00:29:07.30\00:29:10.58
Graham, the two evangelists,
would go through town all of a
00:29:10.61\00:29:13.76
sudden the government would
get a surge of checks for the
00:29:13.80\00:29:17.03
conscience fund. And they would
say something like, you know,
00:29:17.06\00:29:20.24
I cheated on my taxes, or I held
something back or I failed to
00:29:20.28\00:29:23.36
report it. It's bothering me and
I'd rather be at peace with God
00:29:23.40\00:29:26.70
than keep this money, whatever
the amount is. And I heard about
00:29:26.74\00:29:30.01
one letter they got: It said,
please accept this check for
00:29:30.05\00:29:34.60
$50 of funds I have failed to
pay. I've been unable to sleep.
00:29:34.63\00:29:42.20
If I still can't sleep, I'll
send the balance. Now the Bible
00:29:42.23\00:29:49.76
tells us... While we're
talking about the care and
00:29:49.80\00:29:51.92
feeding of our conscience, it's
not just our conscience we need
00:29:51.96\00:29:55.84
to think about. The Bible
tells me that I also need to be
00:29:55.87\00:29:59.77
concerned about your conscience.
You know if a person is living
00:29:59.80\00:30:04.13
with a guilty conscience it's
hard for them to be saved. There
00:30:04.17\00:30:08.46
are some people who have a
guilty conscience that really
00:30:08.49\00:30:11.21
shouldn't even be guilty. But
they think they have a guilty
00:30:11.25\00:30:14.67
conscience and the Bible says
without faith it's impossible to
00:30:14.70\00:30:18.09
please God. So you want to
encourage people to live with
00:30:18.12\00:30:21.37
a clear conscience. Let me
give you an example of what I'm
00:30:21.41\00:30:24.48
talking about. Back in Bible
times, you'll read a lot about
00:30:24.52\00:30:28.65
this in the New Testament,
the orthodox Jews were extremely
00:30:28.68\00:30:33.82
sensitive about eating even
clean meat, sheep, goat, that
00:30:33.85\00:30:38.57
had been offered to a pagan
god. The butchers throughout the
00:30:38.60\00:30:43.28
Greek and Roman empires,
whenever they butchered any
00:30:43.32\00:30:45.02
animal, chicken, sheep, goat,
it could have even been in the
00:30:45.05\00:30:47.59
clean animal category, they
never killed an animal without
00:30:47.63\00:30:50.10
having one of these idols there.
How many of you have gone to a
00:30:50.13\00:30:52.86
Chinese restaurant and there's
a little Buddha there when you
00:30:52.90\00:30:55.56
there when you walk in the door?
Well the orthodox Jews would not
00:30:55.60\00:30:59.93
eat in that restaurant
because they feel like we're
00:30:59.96\00:31:02.72
contributing to idolatry. Now I
shouldn't have said that because
00:31:02.76\00:31:04.60
some of you now feel guilty
about that. Paul says you have
00:31:04.64\00:31:08.13
a weak conscience. He
does. He talks about those whose
00:31:08.16\00:31:11.59
conscience is weak. They're
afraid, they're hypersensitive.
00:31:11.62\00:31:15.57
So they would not eat any meat
that had been offered by the
00:31:15.60\00:31:19.25
seller or butcher to a pagan
god even though you're buying it
00:31:19.28\00:31:23.39
you're not offering it to a
pagan god. I mean by that logic
00:31:23.42\00:31:26.97
you can't buy anything at Wal
Mart that might have been made
00:31:27.01\00:31:30.96
by some Buddhist in China. That
kind of narrows your options
00:31:30.99\00:31:34.87
doesn't it. I mean, you can take
this to extremes. You can't put
00:31:34.91\00:31:38.53
your money in Wells Fargo
Bank because they happen to buy
00:31:38.57\00:31:41.16
stocks in unethical things. Well
what do you think they do with
00:31:41.20\00:31:45.21
your money? They invest it and
some of the things they invest
00:31:45.25\00:31:48.59
in I can guarantee you would not
approve of. Might invest in R.J.
00:31:48.63\00:31:52.13
Reynolds tobacco. So now some of
you are going to go take all of
00:31:52.16\00:31:55.63
your money out of Bank
of America and Wells Fargo.
00:31:55.67\00:31:57.74
Do you see what I am saying?
Some people's consciences are so
00:31:57.77\00:32:01.10
sensitive that they are
constantly living in fear.
00:32:01.14\00:32:04.84
Well Paul was saying look
the idol is nothing, you didn't
00:32:04.88\00:32:09.44
offer it to the idol. But there
were people who were sensitive.
00:32:09.48\00:32:14.58
Now let me let Paul speak for
himself. I Corinthians 10:27:
00:32:14.61\00:32:18.84
If any of those who do not
believe invites you to dinner
00:32:18.87\00:32:22.23
and you desire to go, eat
whatever things are before you
00:32:22.27\00:32:25.83
asking no questions for
conscience sake. Don't say was
00:32:25.86\00:32:29.35
this offered to an idol? If you
don't know your clear, right?
00:32:29.39\00:32:33.68
Probably was but don't ask is
what he's saying. But if anyone
00:32:33.72\00:32:37.75
says to you this was offered to
idols don't eat it for the sake
00:32:37.79\00:32:41.46
of the one who told you and for
conscience's sake for the earth
00:32:41.50\00:32:45.14
is the Lord's in all its
fullness. Conscience I say not
00:32:45.18\00:32:48.40
your own but that of another
for why is my liberty judged by
00:32:48.44\00:32:53.01
another man's conscience. Now
let me see if I could make that
00:32:53.05\00:32:57.03
more modern. Periodically at
our Bible answer program someone
00:32:57.06\00:33:00.80
calls in and we get a question.
Pastor Doug, I Corinthians 11
00:33:00.83\00:33:04.83
talks about a woman and cutting
her hair. And you know the jury
00:33:04.87\00:33:08.22
is out in most churches about
what to do with that one place
00:33:08.26\00:33:11.52
where Paul talks about women
and the length of their hair.
00:33:11.56\00:33:14.79
And I'm not even altogether
clear on that. I don't
00:33:14.83\00:33:18.42
understand everything in the
Bible. But a lady will call and
00:33:18.46\00:33:21.15
she'll say you know I feel
really convicted I shouldn't cut
00:33:21.19\00:33:23.80
my hair, Pastor Doug. And I say
well I may not agree with your
00:33:23.84\00:33:26.84
convictions, but obviously
you're not going to be punished
00:33:26.87\00:33:29.95
by the Lord for having your
hair grow, the women that is.
00:33:29.99\00:33:33.46
The Bible says it's a shame
for men to have long hair so I'm
00:33:33.49\00:33:36.79
separating the two. And so I
said, Look if that's how your
00:33:36.82\00:33:40.79
conscience feels then grow
your hair. I don't want to say
00:33:40.82\00:33:45.09
anything that will have a
person violate their conscience.
00:33:45.12\00:33:49.55
Periodically I'll have somebody
call and they'll say, I'm not
00:33:49.59\00:33:53.38
comfortable with women wearing
pants of any sort at any time
00:33:53.41\00:33:58.49
for any occasion. And I'll say
well then don't. I don't have
00:33:58.53\00:34:03.72
a burden to convince you to
violate your conscience because
00:34:03.75\00:34:07.92
I think that I need to be
careful not to encourage someone
00:34:07.95\00:34:12.04
to violate. And I'm not the Holy
Spirit. Sometimes the Lord might
00:34:12.08\00:34:16.37
be telling somebody to
do something that I don't
00:34:16.41\00:34:19.27
understand that's different.
They might be in a different
00:34:19.30\00:34:21.87
place. And so certain things are
in that category. I remember one
00:34:21.91\00:34:26.25
time I went to a restaurant I'd
been to many times before. I was
00:34:26.28\00:34:31.71
with a person who had a very
hypersensitive conscience and I
00:34:31.75\00:34:37.13
ordered vegetable fajitas.
And they were going to order the
00:34:37.16\00:34:41.08
vegetable fajitas but they
wanted to know is that grill
00:34:41.11\00:34:44.96
the same grill that you cook
your pork on. And they looked at
00:34:44.99\00:34:49.08
him and they said, Well yes.
And he said, Oh I can't eat that
00:34:49.12\00:34:52.58
because it says you're not
even to touch that which is...
00:34:52.61\00:34:56.00
I said well I change my order. I
said all right I'll have a salad
00:34:56.03\00:35:00.70
I didn't want to hurt their
conscience. They ruined it for
00:35:00.74\00:35:04.80
me. I'd never thought to
ask that before. Y'all know what
00:35:04.84\00:35:09.07
I'm talking about? So you need
to be sensitive to where other
00:35:09.11\00:35:13.14
people are at. You don't want to
make anybody stumble. And this
00:35:13.18\00:35:16.82
is what Paul is talking about
when he says paraphrased version
00:35:16.85\00:35:20.30
is I become all things to
all men that I might win some to
00:35:20.33\00:35:23.35
Christ. We need to care about
where other people are with the
00:35:23.38\00:35:27.77
Lord. Now that doesn't mean that
we should wink at a person who
00:35:27.80\00:35:32.16
has a conscience that is
misinformed. There are some
00:35:32.19\00:35:35.96
people who think well you know
my pastor tells me that once I'm
00:35:35.99\00:35:38.77
saved I'm saved and it doesn't
matter how I live. I do have a
00:35:38.81\00:35:41.79
burden to change that person's
mind because they're wrong and
00:35:41.82\00:35:44.77
they're on the road to
destruction if they don't
00:35:44.81\00:35:46.31
believe the truth. They've
got to know what the truth is.
00:35:46.34\00:35:49.09
So you don't say, Well as long
as you're sincere you can keep
00:35:49.12\00:35:51.65
on living in sin as long as
you believe you're saved because
00:35:51.69\00:35:54.50
you went to the altar when you
were 10 years old. They're wrong
00:35:54.53\00:35:58.69
They conscience has been badly
trained and that false teaching
00:35:58.72\00:36:02.47
is deadly. How long your hair is
or whether or not you get your
00:36:02.51\00:36:06.11
vegetable fajitas cooked on the
same grill. That's not the stuff
00:36:06.15\00:36:09.71
that is going to determine
eternal destiny. Y'all hear what
00:36:09.75\00:36:13.50
I'm saying. We need to be
intelligent about what the
00:36:13.54\00:36:16.91
differences are and where do
you draw the line. So we need to
00:36:16.94\00:36:19.31
care about another
person's conscience. An injured
00:36:19.34\00:36:22.86
conscience. Some people have
damaged their conscience through
00:36:22.89\00:36:28.55
abuse. Titus 1 verse 15: To the
pure all things are pure, but to
00:36:28.58\00:36:34.20
those who are defiled and
unbelieving nothing is pure,
00:36:34.24\00:36:36.97
but even their mind
and conscience is defiled.
00:36:37.00\00:36:41.66
Ellen White said in the
book Acts of the Apostles,
00:36:41.69\00:36:46.28
Temptations confuse the
conscience. How many times have
00:36:46.31\00:36:53.53
you know somebody they want
to do something bad enough that
00:36:53.56\00:36:56.91
they can rationalize just about
anything. People in the past
00:36:56.95\00:37:01.30
have rationalized adultery and
murder and stealing and you can
00:37:01.33\00:37:04.91
find a rationalization for
almost anything if you want to.
00:37:04.94\00:37:10.38
Temptation will confuse the
conscience. Mark Twain said, An
00:37:10.42\00:37:15.79
uneasy conscience is like a hair
in the mouth. He had a way with
00:37:15.82\00:37:22.23
words didn't he. I Timothy 4:2:
Paul here says: Speaking lies
00:37:22.26\00:37:28.63
and hypocrisy, talking to
the lost, having their own
00:37:28.66\00:37:31.86
conscience seared with a hot
iron. You know sometimes you can
00:37:31.90\00:37:35.19
have a part of your body badly
burned and it kills the nerves
00:37:35.22\00:37:39.00
and you never feel on that spot
again. Some people have damaged
00:37:39.03\00:37:42.87
their conscience through abuse.
An Indian man put it this way:
00:37:42.90\00:37:46.86
He said your conscience is
like a triangular wheel in your
00:37:46.89\00:37:51.48
heart and when you're obeying
it's stationary and you're at
00:37:51.51\00:37:55.82
peace. When you do something
wrong it begins to turn and it
00:37:55.85\00:37:59.82
hurts, the edges hurt.
That little triangle goes around
00:37:59.86\00:38:03.39
and it cuts in your heart.
If you ignore it and keep doing
00:38:03.43\00:38:06.70
what's wrong you wear the
corners off and it doesn't hurt
00:38:06.74\00:38:11.49
anymore. I thought that's an
interesting perspective on the
00:38:11.52\00:38:15.43
conscience. I was reading
this week about one of the great
00:38:15.47\00:38:20.39
infamous pirates of the past.
Pirate Charles Gibb, guilty of
00:38:20.43\00:38:25.32
killing 400 people. He
was finally apprehended by the
00:38:25.36\00:38:30.14
British and brought to justice.
Before he was executed he told
00:38:30.17\00:38:34.19
at his interview, The first time
I plundered another ship and I
00:38:34.22\00:38:37.79
had to kill some of the crew I
had never killed anyone before.
00:38:37.83\00:38:41.36
He said I was in torment.
I could not sleep at night.
00:38:41.40\00:38:46.55
it bothered me so I was wretched
but as I continued in my life of
00:38:46.58\00:38:51.86
piracy it got to the place where
I could take a ship, take all
00:38:51.90\00:38:56.98
it's possessions, slaughter
the entire crew and sleep like a
00:38:57.02\00:39:02.17
baby at night. He'd killed his
conscience. You've heard stories
00:39:02.20\00:39:06.94
of people that have done that.
The danger is this is where you
00:39:06.98\00:39:12.22
start to border on the sin
against the Holy Spirit. I might
00:39:12.25\00:39:16.43
talk about that real quick.
Matthew 12 verses 31 and 32:
00:39:16.47\00:39:20.76
Wherefore I say unto you
all manner of sin and blasphemy
00:39:20.80\00:39:24.57
shall be forgiven unto men,
but blasphemy against the Holy
00:39:24.60\00:39:28.39
Spirit shall not be forgiven and
whoever speaks a word against
00:39:28.43\00:39:32.18
the Son of Man it will
be forgiven him, but whoever
00:39:32.22\00:39:34.64
speaketh against the Holy Ghost,
it will not be forgiven him,
00:39:34.68\00:39:38.24
neither in this world nor in the
world to come. I'd like to offer
00:39:38.28\00:39:41.81
to you that blasphemy against
the Holy Spirit is when you
00:39:41.84\00:39:45.98
resist the work of the Spirit
on cleaning up your conscience.
00:39:46.02\00:39:51.13
It's very dangerous. Often
someone will in their youth sit
00:39:51.17\00:39:55.70
through an appeal where the
pastor is making an altar call.
00:39:55.73\00:39:59.64
They want to surrender or they
want to return to the Lord but
00:39:59.67\00:40:03.97
they say not now. They resist.
Something holds them back and as
00:40:04.00\00:40:07.89
the years go by it gets easier
and easier to put it off where
00:40:07.93\00:40:11.78
they can finally get to
the place where they just don't
00:40:11.82\00:40:13.87
feel the urge to go forward any
more. Somebody told me that if
00:40:13.90\00:40:18.55
you take some of these migratory
birds that have this strong
00:40:18.58\00:40:23.24
migration urge and you put them
in a cage at the peak of the
00:40:23.27\00:40:27.26
migration season they will
beat themselves against the cage
00:40:27.30\00:40:31.22
trying to escape and go to their
breeding grounds. But once that
00:40:31.25\00:40:35.64
season is passed they stop
and they sit complacent. You can
00:40:35.67\00:40:39.88
even open the cage and they'll
stay. They've missed the season
00:40:39.91\00:40:44.08
and they've lost the drive.
There's a time in our lives
00:40:44.12\00:40:48.84
when God calls us. It's very
dangerous, especially for young
00:40:48.88\00:40:52.86
people to think ah you know I do
believe in the Bible, I want to
00:40:52.89\00:40:56.19
go to heaven, I want to serve
Jesus but there's some sins I'd
00:40:56.23\00:41:00.12
really like to try out before
it gets too late, before I get
00:41:00.16\00:41:04.56
old and maybe later in my life
then I'll repent. You have no
00:41:04.60\00:41:08.96
guarantee that that urge
is going to be available then.
00:41:09.00\00:41:12.54
You have no guarantee that the
conviction will be there. Today
00:41:12.57\00:41:16.73
if you hear his voice don't
harden your heart. Now is the
00:41:16.77\00:41:20.58
time of salvation the Bible says
Resisting that altar call can
00:41:20.62\00:41:25.51
get easier over time and then
a person can come to the place
00:41:25.55\00:41:30.41
where they commit
the unpardonable sin.
00:41:30.45\00:41:32.21
Romans 9 verse 1: I tell the
truth in Christ, I am not lying.
00:41:32.25\00:41:37.00
My conscience also bearing
me witness in the Holy Spirit.
00:41:37.03\00:41:40.39
You notice in case you've
wondered, is the conscience
00:41:40.43\00:41:43.72
different from the Holy Spirit.
Yes. It's the difference between
00:41:43.75\00:41:46.93
true north and magnetic north.
Paul makes a distinction here.
00:41:46.96\00:41:50.38
My conscience bearing witness
in the Holy Spirit. Through the
00:41:50.41\00:41:53.80
Holy Spirit guiding my
conscience. Paul knew he was
00:41:53.83\00:41:56.76
safe. That's the only way you're
really safe. Otherwise you can
00:41:56.79\00:42:01.13
get to the place where your
conscience isn't bothered with
00:42:01.17\00:42:04.40
something that is bad because
through overexposure we can get
00:42:04.43\00:42:08.63
to where we think it's good.
Aesop the fable teller told a
00:42:08.66\00:42:12.49
story one time with a good point
to it about this wealthy man
00:42:12.53\00:42:16.12
that brought property next
door to this other man who had a
00:42:16.15\00:42:19.67
tanning factory; tanning leather
in these big vats and it stinks.
00:42:19.71\00:42:23.54
I've been by a tanning
center before and it sends out a
00:42:23.57\00:42:27.67
terrible stench, animal skins
and chemicals. And the man said
00:42:27.70\00:42:33.88
look you got to move your
operation to the other side of
00:42:33.91\00:42:36.81
your property. I just can't
stand it anymore. And he said,
00:42:36.85\00:42:40.96
Soon, soon. And as time went by
he'd say soon. Pretty soon the
00:42:41.00\00:42:44.45
man who owned the property next
door, the wealthy man, never
00:42:44.48\00:42:47.62
asked him anymore. He'd just
gotten used to the smell and
00:42:47.65\00:42:52.02
that's sometimes what happens.
Christians sometimes damage
00:42:52.05\00:42:57.58
their conscience by exposing
their souls to that which is
00:42:57.61\00:43:05.58
vile in television, videos,
movies, magazines and at one
00:43:05.62\00:43:11.08
point when we first see that
we say oh how could... Let's
00:43:11.12\00:43:15.69
face it friends. Those of
you who have been alive a little
00:43:15.73\00:43:21.58
longer, you know that people
living in the 50s and 60s would
00:43:21.62\00:43:26.90
have risen up in outrage if
all of a sudden, overnight, the
00:43:26.94\00:43:30.97
current programming had shown
up on their television sets even
00:43:31.01\00:43:35.19
in black and white. Do you
agree? The stuff that passes as
00:43:35.23\00:43:39.29
legitimate and appropriate today
there would have been a riot
00:43:39.33\00:43:43.44
50 years ago. But little by
little, the culture has become
00:43:43.48\00:43:47.52
accustomed to the stink so that
it's like living by the railroad
00:43:47.55\00:43:51.57
tracks or in the path of the
airport. You get where you just
00:43:51.60\00:43:54.89
don't even hear the roar of the
planes and the trains anymore.
00:43:54.92\00:43:58.64
And our conscience starts being
seared. Things we'd never dream
00:43:58.67\00:44:03.23
of doing we do vicariously by
watching others do them. I say
00:44:03.26\00:44:06.62
this frequently because I really
believe it's one of the most
00:44:06.65\00:44:11.91
dangerous influences spiritually
on God's church today is many
00:44:11.95\00:44:16.92
are injuring their consciences
by being entertained through the
00:44:16.96\00:44:22.76
sins of others through the
media. We all need to pray that
00:44:22.80\00:44:28.57
God'll give us the victory over
that very dangerous element.
00:44:28.61\00:44:31.41
In caring for your conscience
I want to close by a couple of
00:44:31.44\00:44:36.73
points. One - Be honest with
yourself. The most dangerous
00:44:36.76\00:44:41.16
thing you can do is where you
begin to convince yourself that
00:44:41.19\00:44:45.98
bad is good and good is bad.
Isaiah 5 verse 20: Woe to those
00:44:46.02\00:44:50.10
who call evil good and good evil
who put darkness for light and
00:44:50.13\00:44:54.18
light for darkness, who put
bitter for sweet and sweet for
00:44:54.21\00:44:57.61
bitter. You know, I've tried,
and I think God has helped me
00:44:57.65\00:45:00.66
with this. God has blessed
me because this is one of my
00:45:00.70\00:45:03.64
attitudes. If I think something
is wrong, I might not be ready
00:45:03.68\00:45:07.35
to give it up but I'll say
Lord I know it's wrong, help me.
00:45:07.38\00:45:10.88
Don't start to rationalize that
it's right as long as you know
00:45:10.91\00:45:14.37
it's wrong. Whenever I
was trying to quit smoking, I
00:45:14.41\00:45:18.46
frequently fell, but I never
got to the place that I said all
00:45:18.49\00:45:20.59
right, well I guess it's
okay and started defending it.
00:45:20.63\00:45:22.81
I said Lord I know it's
wrong. I'm not ready now but...
00:45:22.85\00:45:25.77
Be honest with yourself. If
there's something in your life
00:45:25.80\00:45:28.69
and you know it's not
appropriate, admit it. Say Lord
00:45:28.72\00:45:31.76
I'm not ready, I don't have the
strength, whatever you want to
00:45:31.80\00:45:35.48
say, but identify it. Don't
begin to rationalize it. Because
00:45:35.51\00:45:39.30
that's speaking against the
Holy Spirit isn't it? That's
00:45:39.33\00:45:42.89
when you begin to get on
the borders of committing the
00:45:42.92\00:45:47.63
unpardonable sin. Your
conscience is something like a
00:45:47.67\00:45:52.31
guard rail in your back yard
protecting you from a chasm, a
00:45:52.34\00:45:57.58
big old hole. And when you
begin to pull down that guard
00:45:57.62\00:46:01.41
rail, when you take up
that fence, one night you'll be
00:46:01.45\00:46:04.19
walking in your back yard,
you're going to fall in that
00:46:04.23\00:46:07.83
hole. It's there to keep
you safe from that. Don't lie to
00:46:07.86\00:46:11.39
yourself. If you get comfortable
telling half-truths a whole lie
00:46:11.43\00:46:16.03
is not far away. The truth
is the truth is the truth. We've
00:46:16.07\00:46:19.26
got to be honest about the
little things and it's in the
00:46:19.30\00:46:22.46
little things that we ultimately
gain the victory in the big
00:46:22.50\00:46:26.87
things. Now I can't stop
without at least addressing some
00:46:26.91\00:46:30.40
people's conscience is bothering
them and it shouldn't be.
00:46:30.44\00:46:34.49
God has forgiven you and you
won't forgive yourself. You've
00:46:34.52\00:46:38.16
got to learn to take God at his
word. Ah, but pastor, I think
00:46:38.19\00:46:41.34
about what I did and I feel
so guilty. Well you asked God to
00:46:41.37\00:46:44.14
forgive you. Do you believe
he will? Are you going to set
00:46:44.18\00:46:46.88
yourself up as a higher tribunal
than the Almighty. If God says
00:46:46.92\00:46:50.36
look I've forgiven you. Now
what right do you have to say my
00:46:50.39\00:46:53.49
judgment is better than God's
judgment. You've got to learn to
00:46:53.53\00:46:57.31
forgive yourself. I understand
that if a person has a limb
00:46:57.34\00:47:01.03
amputated or they lose a limb
sometimes they can feel what's
00:47:01.06\00:47:05.15
called phantom pain. They
may have lost their leg but they
00:47:05.18\00:47:08.79
still feel their toe itch. The
toe's not even there but they
00:47:08.83\00:47:12.33
feel it itch. It's as real
to them as if it was there, but
00:47:12.37\00:47:15.45
it's not there and they've got
to come to terms with the fact
00:47:15.49\00:47:18.65
that it's not their toe itching.
It is just the nerve endings
00:47:18.68\00:47:22.69
that think the toe is there.
Some of us still feel guilty
00:47:22.73\00:47:25.81
because we have not forgiven
ourselves. You need to base your
00:47:25.84\00:47:29.87
feelings on the word of God.
Conscience cleansing. How do we
00:47:29.91\00:47:36.86
get a pure conscience? I John
1:9: If we confess our sins he
00:47:36.90\00:47:42.72
is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us
00:47:42.75\00:47:47.53
from all unrighteousness.
Is there something in your life
00:47:47.57\00:47:52.31
your conscience is bothering
you about. Confess it to God.
00:47:52.34\00:47:55.40
Be honest with him. Say Lord,
I need help. By God's grace
00:47:55.44\00:47:58.78
forsake it. There may be some
area where you need to restore
00:47:58.81\00:48:01.94
the pledge, return what is
robbed, go to someone, apologize
00:48:01.97\00:48:06.23
make the wrongs right as far
as humanly possible and then ask
00:48:06.27\00:48:10.37
for God's mercy and then believe
that he forgives you. Hebrews
00:48:10.40\00:48:14.32
9:13: For if the blood of bulls
and goats and the ashes of a
00:48:14.35\00:48:18.15
heifer sprinkling the unclean
sanctifies for the purifying of
00:48:18.19\00:48:21.27
the flesh... Back in the Old
Testament they would feel relief
00:48:21.31\00:48:24.16
in their conscience from the
blood of a lamb, from the blood
00:48:24.20\00:48:26.99
of a goat. They'd feel better
when they sacrificed a goat
00:48:27.03\00:48:29.75
because their religion taught
them that the blood of that goat
00:48:29.79\00:48:33.46
somehow would be a symbol of
their forgiveness and they felt
00:48:33.50\00:48:37.38
better. Paul is saying if that
made them feel better how much
00:48:37.42\00:48:41.09
more shall the blood of Christ
who through the Eternal Spirit
00:48:41.13\00:48:45.90
offered himself without spot
to God cleanse your conscience
00:48:45.93\00:48:50.32
from dead works to serve the
living God. The blood of Christ
00:48:50.36\00:48:54.38
can not only cleanse you from
the past sins, it can cleanse
00:48:54.41\00:48:58.54
you to serve the living
God. That's what I want. Hebrews
00:48:58.58\00:49:02.64
10:22, last verse. Let us draw
near with a true heart in full
00:49:02.67\00:49:07.18
assurance of faith having our
hearts sprinkled from an evil
00:49:07.21\00:49:10.94
conscience and our bodies washed
with pure water. That was our
00:49:10.97\00:49:15.03
opening verse. Let us draw near.
Friends, God wants you to have a
00:49:15.07\00:49:18.82
clear conscience before him. It
doesn't always come right away.
00:49:18.86\00:49:22.58
It must be trained by the
word of God, guided by the Holy
00:49:22.61\00:49:25.38
Spirit. I read
something interesting this week.
00:49:25.41\00:49:28.91
Our family in one of our
journeys we went to visit a
00:49:28.94\00:49:34.45
submarine, the U.S. Nautilus,
the first American nuclear
00:49:34.49\00:49:37.73
submarine and it was really
something because until the
00:49:37.77\00:49:41.11
Nautilus they couldn't stay
under long enough to go under
00:49:41.14\00:49:45.53
the north pole. Not only that,
they frequently had to surface
00:49:45.56\00:49:49.91
because they had primitive
navigation equipment and so
00:49:49.95\00:49:52.63
these submarines would every
now and then have to come up at
00:49:52.67\00:49:54.35
night, check the stars,
see where they were, go under.
00:49:54.39\00:49:56.60
That's very dangerous for a
submarine. Supposed to operate
00:49:56.63\00:49:59.64
in stealth. Well when they
developed the Nautilus, not only
00:49:59.68\00:50:03.21
did it because of nuclear have
the ability to stay under for
00:50:03.25\00:50:06.74
months, now these
boomer submarines they could
00:50:06.78\00:50:10.23
theoretically stay under till
they run out of food. Filter the
00:50:10.27\00:50:13.66
air, filter the water. We have
someone working at Amazing Facts
00:50:13.69\00:50:17.05
that was an engineer on
a submarine. It's a very
00:50:17.08\00:50:18.79
interesting story. The Russians
became very nervous when they
00:50:18.83\00:50:23.12
discovered that America now
had the technology to go from
00:50:23.15\00:50:28.58
California to their coast
under the ice because they could
00:50:28.61\00:50:33.52
navigate. They used something
called an internal magnetic
00:50:33.56\00:50:38.40
gyro navigational system. Very
sophisticated piece of equipment
00:50:38.44\00:50:42.30
that enabled them to navigate
without a compass under water
00:50:42.33\00:50:46.48
and know exactly where they
were. It was something internal.
00:50:46.51\00:50:49.66
Even though they could not
see the sun, moon or stars, they
00:50:49.69\00:50:53.52
could not see the light. You
can't look out the windows on a
00:50:53.55\00:50:57.26
submarine and find out where we
are. There are no windows in a
00:50:57.30\00:51:00.98
submarine. I always
thought that's sort of cheating.
00:51:01.01\00:51:02.78
Wouldn't you like to at least
look out a window and see a
00:51:02.81\00:51:05.60
coral reef or something, but
no windows. They're guided by
00:51:05.63\00:51:09.63
something within that was giving
them a constant. God's word
00:51:09.66\00:51:14.31
guided by the Holy Spirit
will refine and calibrate your
00:51:14.35\00:51:18.87
conscience to help you know
where you are and where you need
00:51:18.90\00:51:22.89
to go. That means we need to
stay in God's word. New Year.
00:51:22.92\00:51:26.84
I hope you're on a Bible reading
program. I spoke at the Academy
00:51:26.88\00:51:30.83
yesterday encouraging the
young people to get into a Bible
00:51:30.86\00:51:35.07
reading program. Read the word.
Pray for God's Spirit and he
00:51:35.10\00:51:38.56
will guide you, he will lead
you. He's got a path for you.
00:51:38.60\00:51:41.65
I want to live before God with
a pure conscience. Don't you
00:51:41.69\00:51:44.95
friends. I want to claim the
blood of Christ to cleanse my
00:51:44.99\00:51:48.19
conscience. Is that your prayer?
Why don't we turn to our closing
00:51:48.22\00:51:51.44
hymn. He Leadeth Me. What
number is that, Debbie? 537.
00:51:51.48\00:51:56.51
Let's stand
together as we sing this.
00:51:56.55\00:51:58.43
¤ ¤
00:51:58.46\00:52:11.37
He leadeth me,
O Blessed thought,
00:52:11.40\00:52:17.19
O words with
Heavenly comfort fraught.
00:52:17.23\00:52:22.64
What-e're I do, Where-e're I be,
00:52:22.68\00:52:28.73
Still 'tis God's
hand that leadeth me.
00:52:28.76\00:52:36.86
He leadeth me, He leadeth me.
00:52:36.90\00:52:42.33
By His own hand He leadeth me;
00:52:42.36\00:52:48.12
His faithful
follower I would be,
00:52:48.16\00:52:54.21
For by his hand he leadeth me.
00:52:54.25\00:53:00.23
Before we sing verse 3 I'd
like to make an appeal to you.
00:53:00.27\00:53:08.20
Some of you maybe have had areas
in your life where you have been
00:53:08.23\00:53:11.71
resisting the voice of the
Spirit speaking through your
00:53:11.75\00:53:14.32
conscience and you know there's
a risk of that voice growing
00:53:14.36\00:53:18.69
dull and quiet. Some of the
edges on the wheel are getting
00:53:18.73\00:53:23.51
worn off. That urge to migrate
toward God is growing weak.
00:53:23.55\00:53:28.65
But you still hear him, it's
still there. Have you made a
00:53:28.68\00:53:33.71
complete surrender of your heart
to the Lord. It's a new year,
00:53:33.74\00:53:36.46
first Sabbath of the New Year.
Maybe there are some of you who
00:53:36.50\00:53:39.19
have never yet made
your decision to be baptized.
00:53:39.22\00:53:41.11
And there might be some who you
need to be rebaptized. But I'd
00:53:41.15\00:53:45.74
like to make an appeal. I'd like
to open the church to you and
00:53:45.77\00:53:50.25
say that as we sing verse 3 and
the Holy Spirit speaks to your
00:53:50.29\00:53:53.76
heart, if there are some here
who need to come to the Lord for
00:53:53.80\00:53:57.07
the first time or some your
conscience is telling you there
00:53:57.10\00:53:59.54
is something that needs to
be made right and you want to
00:53:59.57\00:54:02.78
return to the Lord and ask
that the Lord will upgrade your
00:54:02.82\00:54:05.88
conscience, that he will train
your conscience that you can
00:54:05.91\00:54:08.52
live with a pure conscience
through the blood of Christ
00:54:08.56\00:54:11.59
before God. We want to have
prayer for you. Come as we sing
00:54:11.62\00:54:14.62
verse 3 together.
We'll pray together.
00:54:14.65\00:54:19.12
Lord, I would
clasp my hand in thine,
00:54:19.15\00:54:23.58
nor ever murmur nor repine
00:54:23.62\00:54:29.55
Content, whatever lot I see.
00:54:29.59\00:54:36.39
For 'tis my God that leadeth me.
00:54:36.43\00:54:43.22
He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
00:54:43.25\00:54:49.84
By his own hand he leadeth me.
00:54:49.87\00:54:56.17
His faithful
follower I would be,
00:54:56.21\00:55:03.84
For by his hand He leadeth me.
00:55:03.87\00:55:11.44
I just would like to ask the
church at large. New year. Nice
00:55:11.47\00:55:15.62
Bible number, 2007. Would you
like to say, Lord, by your grace
00:55:15.66\00:55:19.47
I want to rededicate myself
to follow wherever you lead this
00:55:19.51\00:55:23.28
new year. As a church we
recommit ourselves to follow
00:55:23.32\00:55:27.31
where God leads. He's doing
great things for this church and
00:55:27.34\00:55:30.46
I think it's going to happen as
each individual says we want to
00:55:30.49\00:55:33.91
be consecrated to God. Is that
your prayer? Let's sing verse 4
00:55:33.95\00:55:37.34
together
00:55:37.37\00:55:39.09
And when my task
on earth is done,
00:55:39.13\00:55:44.64
When by Thy grace
the victory's won,
00:55:44.68\00:55:50.32
E'en death's cold
wave I will not flee,
00:55:50.36\00:55:57.34
Since God through
Jordan leadeth me.
00:55:57.37\00:56:04.31
He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
00:56:04.35\00:56:10.90
By His own hand He leadeth me;
00:56:10.94\00:56:17.02
His faithful
follower I would be,
00:56:17.06\00:56:25.14
For by His hand He leadeth me.
00:56:25.18\00:56:33.19
Amen. Father in heaven, thank
you very much for the message
00:56:33.23\00:56:38.84
from your word which reminds us
to keep our conscience without
00:56:38.88\00:56:44.46
offense before you and our
fellow men. Lord we have all
00:56:44.50\00:56:48.56
violated our conscience at
times. Forgive us. We pray Lord
00:56:48.60\00:56:52.79
that you will file away the
callus that has grown in places
00:56:52.83\00:56:57.12
Help us to have a conscience
that is clear, calibrated and
00:56:57.16\00:57:01.16
acute to the voice of the Holy
Spirit. Help us Lord to have a
00:57:01.20\00:57:05.90
conscience that is guided and
led by your word. Lord if there
00:57:05.93\00:57:09.79
are any areas in our lives
where we have been living and
00:57:09.82\00:57:13.61
going against what we know to
be right, we pray that you will
00:57:13.64\00:57:17.16
help us to confess what the
truth is. Do not let us rest
00:57:17.20\00:57:21.74
do not let us feel right about
doing wrong. We pray Lord that
00:57:21.78\00:57:26.09
you will trouble us. Bring that
gift of conviction and then I
00:57:26.13\00:57:30.41
pray that we'll find peace
that comes from surrender and
00:57:30.44\00:57:34.17
cleansing. Lord I also want to
pray for those who are troubled
00:57:34.20\00:57:38.03
when they should not be.
They are struggling to forgive
00:57:38.06\00:57:41.23
themselves when the blood
of Jesus is provided to cleanse
00:57:41.27\00:57:44.37
them from all sin. Help them to
find peace. Help them to accept
00:57:44.40\00:57:48.23
the promise that you have
forgiven them, that they can be
00:57:48.26\00:57:51.17
new creatures. I pray that
our conscience will be governed
00:57:51.21\00:57:55.11
by your Spirit and led by your
word, not by the world, not by
00:57:55.14\00:57:59.01
others. And so bless us
Lord that we might live in your
00:57:59.04\00:58:02.41
presence. Be with this church in
the year before us. I pray that
00:58:02.44\00:58:07.07
we can do great things for
your cause. It's in Jesus name
00:58:07.11\00:58:10.10
we ask, Amen.
00:58:10.14\00:58:11.87