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 mankind is
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a revelation of God's love as
revealed in the life of Christ.
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Amazing Facts presents the
everlasting gospel with Pastor
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Doug Batchelor coming to
you each week from Sacramento
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Central Church in sunny
California. Discover hidden
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treasures in God's word today.
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I want to talk about something
that I believe is probably one
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of the most important things
that we can speak about as
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Christians in a church. As a
springboard for what I'm going
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to be sharing with you please
turn in your Bibles to the
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gospel of Mark, last chapter,
16. Mark chapter 16 verse 15.
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These of course are the closing
words of Jesus that you find
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in the gospel of Mark. And he
says: Go into all the world and
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preach the gospel to every
creature. Now I'm going to stop
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right there. Who is this command
given to? Just the 12 apostles
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or to every believer. Every
believer. We're all given the
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mandate, the commission of the
Lord to go everywhere sharing
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the gospel, but I've come to
the conclusion that in years of
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ministry and doing evangelism
very few Christians know how
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to make a gospel presentation.
As a matter of fact, there are
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a lot of people who have been
in the church for years or all
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their lives, they may even
be baptized and they don't know
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what the gospel is. Some join
the church because they grow up
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in the church and there's a
time when those in their class
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get baptized and they figure
it's time. If you were to say
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please explain the gospel to
me they'd begin to stammer and
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stutter and try and find the
words. I thought, you know, it
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would probably be a good idea
if I took one message and I just
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went through simply with
you what is the essence of the
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gospel and that's the title of
today's message. The word gospel
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means good news. It comes
from the Greek word ellugion or
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euanglion. It means a good
message. The gospel is good news
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I remember hearing a story one
time. Back in the 16th century
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as near as they can figure
an Indian in the Peruvian jungle
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was lost and burning up with
malarial fever. Staggering along
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through the jungle, exhausted
thirsty, he finally found a
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puddle of water there in the
jungle. He fell down and began
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to drink some of the water.
Immediately he realized that the
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water was bitter and he saw it
was by a tree called the quinie
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quinie tree. They believed that
that was poisonous, the bark of
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that tree and some bark had
fallen in the water but he was
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so thirsty and at first gulp
though bitter felt so good he
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sat there and he drank his fill
from this puddle in the jungle.
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As he lay there by the pool
he noticed a few hours later the
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fever subsided, his strength
began to return. He went back to
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his village and began to share
how this bark from the quinie
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quinie tree had healed him
of his malaria which had been of
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course an epidemic anywhere
there are mosquitoes in the
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world. Gradually that
news spread to missionaries.
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The missionaries shared it with
the Spanish who brought it back
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to Europe and it was spread
down to Africa. You've heard of
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quinine water, sometimes called
tonic water, they still make it
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today. For years it was the only
cure even though it was not a
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total cure for malaria. Well
when that native got back to his
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village and he had found a cure
for malaria, that was good news.
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He shared it with everyone. That
news began to spread all over
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the world. Some doctors have
estimated that one out of two
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people that has died through
history has died from malaria,
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many of them children. So having
a cure for that would be called
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very good news. Well the gospel
is good news and in the gospel
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you have the serum for the
sin and disease of the world.
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That's good news. Now we're
going to start at the beginning
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here in this presentation. Very
simply you're here and you're
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alive. You may want to take
a mirror and put it up to your
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mouth and see if it forms any
mist meaning you're breathing.
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Then you next would say we're
here. Where did we come from?
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Genesis chapter 1. We're
going to go to the Bible for our
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answers. So God created man in
his own image, in the image of
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God he created him, male and
female he created them. There is
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a purpose for life. We have
been created by God in his own
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image. We did not evolve from
rocks over millions of years.
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Ephesians 3 verse 9: God who
created all things, a few more
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details here, through Jesus.
Hebrews 11 verse 3: By faith we
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understand that the worlds were
framed by the word of God so
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that the things that are seen
were not made of things which
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are visible. You know, it's
the word of God that has this
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creative power. I understand
back in 2003 cosmologists, I
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don't know how they did the
study or how they found out but
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they were studying what was it
that caused creation. They call
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it the big bang and they believe
now it was sound waves. How many
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of you have heard that? Sound
waves. Well you know I think
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that's interesting because the
Bible says through the word of
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God and I would think the word
of God would have some pretty
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powerful sound waves. This is
what the Bible teaches that the
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word has inherent creative power
all things were made. You know,
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there's only a couple of options
Either you're here by design.
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There's a plan. There's an all
powerful God that has made you
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and there is a purpose for
your life. There is somebody in
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control or everything is just
a spontaneous accident and there
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is no purpose to life and
it's all evolved. Well you know
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there are a lot of people that
believe that. In my opinion,
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that's very tragic to
have that kind of a fatalistic,
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purposeless understanding of why
we're here. I believe we've been
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made in the image of God and
there was a great purpose for
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man. But something went wrong.
We have a problem. The problem
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is that for one thing we know
we're dying. We're terminal.
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Somebody else estimated that all
creatures have about the same
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number of heart beats. An
elephant's heart beats about
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30 times a minute. They
typically live longer than
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people. Your heart beats about
60 times a minute. A rabbit 200
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times a minute. Based on how
quick your heart beats you've
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got so many heart beats. From
the time you were born we know,
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we don't like to think about it,
but it's true you are all on a
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conveyor belt towards the grave.
Happy thought. But you need to
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think about that. You're here
for a little while. What do you
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do with your life? We've got a
problem. We're dying. We need to
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know what the purpose is. How
sad to wait until your life's
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nearly over to figure out what
am I doing here anyway. So we've
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got to ask that question, what
is the purpose of life? We know
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that our time is limited and
we also know we have no control
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over tomorrow. I do not know
that I'll be here tomorrow. You
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don't know if you're going to
be here. I don't know if you're
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going to be here and you don't
know if I'm going to be here.
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We don't know exactly what's
going to happen tomorrow. We can
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plan some things, some things
will happen with a certain
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amount of regularity, but
we can't control the future.
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We're powerless. We're dying.
That's a problem. We've got this
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disease of sin, can't even
control what we want to think or
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do. Now before we get more
specifically into the answer we
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need to introduce some of the
main players. We've talked about
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where we came from. God created
all things. He spoke and it came
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to be. Who is God? Well
according the Bible God is three
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beings that make up one entity.
God the Father, the Son and the
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Spirit are pure, all powerful,
loving, perfect and eternal.
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They have existed through
eternal ceaseless ages. I can't
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explain who made God. If you
could explain that, you'd be God
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but one thing we do know is that
there are things in the world
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today that require intelligence.
The organization, the
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interworking systems, the design
the miracles, the beauty that
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you see in the world around you
did not happen spontaneously by
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things just burping out of
primeval ooze, by accident.
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There's an intelligent God,
there is a purpose to life and
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he loves you. God is good.
Psalm 93 verse 2: Thy throne is
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established of old thou art from
everlasting. From everlasting to
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everlasting thou art God. But
the very fact that I've got to
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explain the basics of God here
is because we can't see God.
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We are separated from God. What
causes this separation? It's in
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your Bibles. Isaiah chapter
59 verse 2: But your iniquities
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have separated you from your God
and your sins have hidden his
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face from you that he will not
hear. Habakkuk chapter 1 verse
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13 puts it this way and I'm just
giving you a few high points of
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the scriptures. You are of
purer eyes than to behold evil
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and you cannot look on
wickedness. God is perfectly
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holy. God is light, in him is
no darkness and his light is so
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bright that darkness is
automatically dispelled by
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his brightness. It's something
like germs cannot exist in
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bleach. As soon as you drop them
into the bleach they expire.
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The reason we're separated from
God is because he loves us and
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if we with our sin were brought
into his holy, brilliant, pure
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presence with our sin it would
annihilate us. So out of love
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for us he has quarantined this
planet while he works out the
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cure. That's the good news.
I'll get to it in just a minute.
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Well we've got this problem
called sin. Our sins have
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separated us from God. We need
to be more specific. What is
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sin? I John chapter 3 verse
4 and these are not all the
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definitions: However commits sin
transgresseth also the law for
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sin is the transgression of the
law. More specifically, sin is
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the transgression of the 10
commandments. When we break the
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law of God, it's called a sin.
You can also read I John 5:17
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that says, all unrighteousness
is sin. Anything that you do
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wrong, that's unrighteousness,
that's sin. And again, anything
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that is not of faith is sin,
Paul says. James 4 verse 17:
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Therefore to him who knows to do
good and does not do it, to him
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it is sin. When we go against
our conscience of what we know
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to be right that's sin.
Everything we deliberately
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say, do or think knowingly is
sin. Our sins have separated us
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from God. We are all sinful.
Because our first parents
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acquired this disease of sin,
it has been transferred to every
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son and daughter of Adam and
Eve from creation to the present
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day. It is in our genes. It is
in our DNA and every human born
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is born with these
sinful selfish tendencies. Man
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originally was made in God's
image. God is love. Man was
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motivated by love. Everything
was made good but because of the
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sin of Adam and Eve, because
they listened to the temptations
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of the devil and disobeyed
God then our genes were damaged.
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We went from love to selfishness
and we are all naturally selfish
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It is only through a work of
grace that we can learn to love.
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This separates us from God and
in case you missed it, who has
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sinned? Everybody has sinned.
Romans 3 verse 23: For all have
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sinned and fallen short of the
glory of God. All have sinned.
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Ecclesiastes 7 verse 20: There
is not a just man upon the earth
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does good and sinneth not. We're
all guilty of sin. We have all
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broken the law, probably not
just the letter of the law, but
00:14:06.30\00:14:10.14
we've all certainly broken the
spirit of the law. The letter of
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law says, Do not kill. The
spirit of the law says do not be
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angry with your brother or
sister without cause. You don't
00:14:17.70\00:14:21.09
want to assassinate them in your
minds and we've all done that.
00:14:21.13\00:14:24.32
Do not commit adultery.
That's the letter of the law.
00:14:24.35\00:14:28.51
The spirit of the law says if
you look on the opposite sex and
00:14:28.55\00:14:32.87
lust in your heart then you're
guilty of adultery. So these
00:14:32.90\00:14:37.19
selfish, conniving,
impure thoughts also constitute
00:14:37.22\00:14:42.05
sin and we've all sinned. Now it
gets serious. We know our bodies
00:14:42.09\00:14:48.77
are terminal but we're also
under a verdict of execution.
00:14:48.80\00:14:55.59
What is the penalty for sin?
Ezekiel 18 verse 20: The soul
00:14:55.63\00:15:02.35
who sins shall die. It's a death
penalty. Romans 6:23, just going
00:15:02.39\00:15:09.11
read the first part of that
verse right now: The wages, the
00:15:09.14\00:15:13.64
just and deserving wages for
sin are death. Sin is a deadly
00:15:13.68\00:15:17.18
contagious disease. Now I
remember when I first read this
00:15:17.21\00:15:20.19
in the Bible it didn't
make sense to me and I thought
00:15:20.23\00:15:23.14
why would God pronounce such a
severe penalty on the human race
00:15:23.18\00:15:27.75
for sin? I mean, after all
everybody sins. Just didn't seem
00:15:27.79\00:15:32.33
fair. Let me see if I
could explain that with a faulty
00:15:32.36\00:15:37.83
parable. Suppose for a moment
that you and your beautiful
00:15:37.87\00:15:43.28
spouse live on an Eden-like
island out in the Pacific ocean,
00:15:43.31\00:15:48.19
a paradise and you've got a
dozen children. You're like that
00:15:48.22\00:15:52.29
Swiss family Robinson except
a lot more kids. And you're all
00:15:52.33\00:15:56.93
very happy. And just a perfect
climate. You spend your day
00:15:56.97\00:16:01.50
just doing wonderful activities
and the climate is great and you
00:16:01.54\00:16:04.69
get along great will all the
creatures. You know that every
00:16:04.72\00:16:09.14
now and then this swarm of
devil flies goes from island to
00:16:09.18\00:16:12.58
island and you've got to watch
out for those swarms of flies
00:16:12.61\00:16:18.29
because if they bite you it's
terminal. One bite from one of
00:16:18.32\00:16:24.41
these little devil flies,
and they're ugly flies too, very
00:16:24.44\00:16:31.96
contagious, long, painful death
in great agony. And if you're
00:16:32.00\00:16:39.49
exposed to somebody who is
bitten by one of these little
00:16:39.52\00:16:43.72
devil flies, just 24 hours of
exposure and you catch it. You
00:16:43.75\00:16:47.92
don't have to be bitten.
Now you're on the island, your
00:16:47.95\00:16:51.40
family is very happy. A swarm
of devil flies comes through and
00:16:51.44\00:16:54.98
you bring all the children and
you get them all into the cabin
00:16:55.01\00:16:58.81
in time waiting for the wind to
carry the flies away and one of
00:16:58.85\00:17:02.62
the children has left the
family baby in its bassinette
00:17:02.65\00:17:05.94
out under a coconut tree and by
the time you get out there it's
00:17:05.98\00:17:09.88
too late. You see the
devil fly biting the baby.
00:17:09.91\00:17:14.95
You're horrified. You bring
the fly in and the whole family
00:17:14.99\00:17:18.26
looks and they realize what do
we do. We all live on an island.
00:17:18.29\00:17:21.53
The baby will not survive
without care. If you keep the
00:17:21.56\00:17:25.95
baby in the family with other
members of the family others
00:17:25.98\00:17:29.66
will be exposed. The baby is
getting ready to experience a
00:17:29.70\00:17:34.04
long, terrible, painful death.
You're on an island. You keep
00:17:34.08\00:17:38.39
the baby. It's so small
within 24 hours if you don't do
00:17:38.42\00:17:42.01
something about that baby you're
all going to die. Wouldn't that
00:17:42.05\00:17:47.50
be a terrible decision to make.
This is what God is faced with.
00:17:47.53\00:17:53.09
You might think it's a little
severe to say I need to put that
00:17:53.13\00:17:57.65
baby on a little raft and push
it out to sea in order to save
00:17:57.68\00:18:03.13
the other 11 children or all of
them will die. I realize this is
00:18:03.16\00:18:07.28
an imperfect illustration but
I'm just trying to show you what
00:18:07.31\00:18:10.83
God is faced with. He's got this
planet of creatures that are his
00:18:10.87\00:18:14.72
children that he loves. They've
got this deadly disease of sin.
00:18:14.76\00:18:18.58
We're quarantined from
the unfallen worlds and angels
00:18:18.61\00:18:21.49
because of our disease except
God has developed a plan where
00:18:21.53\00:18:27.98
we cannot only be healed but
saved from this disease of death
00:18:28.02\00:18:34.44
and be reintroduced to the
family. That's good news when
00:18:34.47\00:18:38.70
you consider what we're faced
with. One more point I need to
00:18:38.74\00:18:43.12
establish. You and I cannot save
ourselves any more than that
00:18:43.15\00:18:48.16
baby could save itself. We
are helpless to save ourselves.
00:18:48.20\00:18:54.23
We need outside help. You're
works cannot save you. The good
00:18:54.27\00:18:58.47
works, the good deeds that
you might do trying to right the
00:18:58.51\00:19:02.07
wrongs that you have committed
through your life, that cannot
00:19:02.11\00:19:06.47
save you. And yet a lot of
people try. I remember one time
00:19:06.50\00:19:10.68
I had a new computer and I was
devastated because I ordered it
00:19:10.71\00:19:14.26
and bought it right out of the
box, a Dell computer, exactly
00:19:14.30\00:19:17.85
what I wanted. I was so excited.
Couldn't wait to plug it in and
00:19:17.88\00:19:22.17
turn it on. And I plugged it in
and I turned it on and nothing
00:19:22.20\00:19:25.34
happened. I turned it off. I
turned it on. I looked in the
00:19:25.37\00:19:28.47
instructions. I made sure I
had the right power switch and I
00:19:28.51\00:19:31.24
tried and tried and it just
wouldn't come on and I was so
00:19:31.27\00:19:35.04
disappointed. Well I finally
thought it is plugged in. Sure
00:19:35.07\00:19:38.95
enough it was plugged into the
power strip. Y'all know what a
00:19:38.98\00:19:42.83
power strip is? It's one
of those bars that's got about
00:19:42.86\00:19:46.13
six or eight outlets on it. It's
got a cable you plug into the
00:19:46.17\00:19:49.78
wall. Well you know what this
dingaling had done? I'd plugged
00:19:49.81\00:19:53.39
the power switch into
itself along with the computer.
00:19:53.42\00:19:57.69
(Laughter) You're not going
to get anything to happen like
00:19:57.73\00:20:02.60
that. Now I'm glad to know I'm
not the first one that's done
00:20:02.64\00:20:07.31
that. Some of you are laughing
because you're going (grimaces).
00:20:07.34\00:20:13.07
Some of us do that trying to
save ourselves. You cannot plug
00:20:13.11\00:20:17.86
the power strip into itself
and expect any power. You cannot
00:20:17.90\00:20:22.00
save yourself, your good words
cannot save you. You can only
00:20:22.04\00:20:26.83
be saved by power outside of
yourself. So this is part of the
00:20:26.86\00:20:31.53
gospel. You've got to know you
are helpless to save yourself.
00:20:31.57\00:20:36.55
Oh I want to give you those
verses. Isaiah 64 verse 6: We
00:20:36.59\00:20:40.72
are all like an unclean thing
and our righteousness is like
00:20:40.76\00:20:44.86
filthy rags. No matter how
many good works you do your
00:20:44.89\00:20:47.62
righteousness will not be
adequate. And again, Jesus said
00:20:47.65\00:20:52.36
in John 15 verse 5: Without
me you can do nothing. We're
00:20:52.39\00:20:57.03
helpless without him. Now we've
talked about the problem. We're
00:20:57.07\00:21:02.26
terminal. We've got this disease
and we can't save ourselves.
00:21:02.30\00:21:06.84
That just describes everybody
in the world and everybody here.
00:21:06.88\00:21:13.35
Here's the good news. Here's the
answer. God loves you. Got who
00:21:13.39\00:21:18.30
made you, the God who made you,
the God who is all powerful, who
00:21:18.34\00:21:23.21
created you. He loves you and he
loves you desperately. John 16
00:21:23.24\00:21:28.72
verse 27: Jesus said, for the
Father himself loves you because
00:21:28.75\00:21:34.20
you have loved me and believe
that I came forth from God.
00:21:34.23\00:21:39.76
God loves you. He loves you
infinitely more than any earthly
00:21:39.80\00:21:44.09
parent loves their children.
And you know most normal parents
00:21:44.13\00:21:49.58
love their children. Even in
the animal world you can see a
00:21:49.61\00:21:53.76
mother bear will lay down her
life to save her cubs and even
00:21:53.80\00:21:58.41
a chicken. And you know what
you call a person that has no
00:21:58.44\00:22:02.06
courage. Call them a chicken.
But have you ever seen a hen
00:22:02.10\00:22:05.54
lay down its life to save its
chicks? They'll do it. It's not
00:22:05.58\00:22:08.97
really fair to call a chicken
a chicken like that. (Laughter.)
00:22:09.00\00:22:13.82
You know what I mean. So even
in the animal world parents will
00:22:13.86\00:22:18.65
die for their children. I
remember years ago living in
00:22:18.68\00:22:25.34
the panhandle of Texas hearing
on the news about a gas station
00:22:25.38\00:22:30.75
that something went wrong
and one of the pumps the gas was
00:22:30.78\00:22:35.47
exposed to a flame. The father
had stopped there with his son.
00:22:35.51\00:22:40.17
His son went inside to the
little convenience part of it
00:22:40.20\00:22:42.92
and the whole place burst into
flames and the boy was trapped
00:22:42.96\00:22:47.00
inside and the father could hear
him screaming and the father
00:22:47.03\00:22:51.04
tried to run into the burning
flames to save his son and
00:22:51.07\00:22:53.62
others had to stop him and he
fought with all he had to go in
00:22:53.66\00:22:57.92
and he certainly would have died
But he didn't care. He thought
00:22:57.96\00:23:01.66
it would be easier to die with
my son trying to save him than
00:23:01.69\00:23:05.31
the remember the rest of my life
that I did nothing. That's one
00:23:05.34\00:23:08.84
of the thousand stories I could
site of parents who have laid
00:23:08.88\00:23:12.34
down their lives to save
their children. Earthly parents,
00:23:12.38\00:23:16.03
sinful parents, selfish parents
that would die to save their
00:23:16.07\00:23:21.09
children. And God loves us
infinitely more. He is willing
00:23:21.12\00:23:26.11
to not only die but to
experience the death of a
00:23:26.14\00:23:30.14
child to save these children.
So just take the love of a
00:23:30.18\00:23:35.80
parent, multiply it and square
it a few times and you still
00:23:35.83\00:23:41.38
don't come up to the love of God
for humanity. The very fact you
00:23:41.42\00:23:44.93
are alive since the penalty for
sin is death is proof that God
00:23:44.97\00:23:48.45
loves you. Why aren't you
dead yet? Because he has bought
00:23:48.48\00:23:54.16
probationary time for you to
accept the good news. Even the
00:23:54.19\00:23:59.80
wicked, even the secular in the
world that do not believe in God
00:23:59.84\00:24:03.28
are alive by virtue of
God's grace. God loves you.
00:24:03.31\00:24:10.90
I John 4:8: He that does not
love does not know God for God
00:24:10.94\00:24:15.02
is love. The single easiest
word you can use to define the
00:24:15.05\00:24:19.55
essence of who God is, God is
love. It's at the foundation of
00:24:19.59\00:24:23.76
everything he does. Now we've
talked a little about God the
00:24:23.79\00:24:27.89
Father, the supreme authority in
the universe who made everything
00:24:27.93\00:24:32.02
through God the Son. Who
is Jesus? Now Jesus as we know
00:24:32.05\00:24:39.82
him is a little different than
he was before he came to earth.
00:24:39.86\00:24:44.36
Christ tells us that before
Abraham was I Am. Jesus existed
00:24:44.40\00:24:48.08
before he came to the world.
He was the Son of God. Maybe not
00:24:48.12\00:24:51.66
known by the name Jesus back
then, but the eternal Son of
00:24:51.69\00:24:55.16
God existed. That's why you
read in Genesis, God says Let us
00:24:55.19\00:25:00.99
make man in our image. Mark 15
verse 39 when Christ dies on the
00:25:01.02\00:25:05.90
cross even a Roman centurion
standing there declared, Truly
00:25:05.94\00:25:12.04
this man was the son of God,
and he wasn't even a Jew and he
00:25:12.08\00:25:17.25
recognized that God came to
earth and took on the form of a
00:25:17.28\00:25:22.42
man in order to save us.
I Peter 2 verse 22: It says:
00:25:22.45\00:25:29.98
Who committed no sin. Jesus came
to earth in the form of a man.
00:25:30.02\00:25:35.13
God came to earth, God the Son.
He was incarnate. Carne means
00:25:35.16\00:25:39.91
flesh. Incarnate means he took
on human flesh. He became a man
00:25:39.94\00:25:45.80
to save men. Who committed no
sin nor was deceit found in his
00:25:45.83\00:25:50.73
mouth. Everything he said was
true. The eternal Son of God is
00:25:50.77\00:25:55.84
the hero in the gospel story and
then I John 3 verse 5: And you
00:25:55.88\00:26:00.35
know that he was manifest to
take away our sins. He came into
00:26:00.39\00:26:05.98
the world to take away our sins.
In him there is no sin. He lived
00:26:06.02\00:26:11.58
a sinless life. So, Jesus came
to this world to save us from
00:26:11.61\00:26:17.10
our sins and to connect us with
God. Now some maybe have seen
00:26:17.14\00:26:21.77
the gospel illustrated in a very
simple diagram, they call it the
00:26:21.81\00:26:25.81
bridge diagram and it works for
that purpose and so I want to
00:26:25.85\00:26:29.66
thank Cheryl for helping me
put this on the screen. But just
00:26:29.70\00:26:32.81
very simply, look on the
screen you'll see a very simple
00:26:32.84\00:26:36.42
illustration. Here you've got
man. Man is dying. We're under
00:26:36.45\00:26:40.67
a death sentence. Man can do
nothing to save himself. All of
00:26:40.70\00:26:45.55
our good works will not cross
the span. We are separated from
00:26:45.58\00:26:51.14
God who is life by this chasm
called sin. There is a great
00:26:51.18\00:26:56.81
gulf fixed, in the words
of Jesus, between us and God.
00:26:56.84\00:27:02.40
We cannot get across that span.
We're separated, we're separated
00:27:02.44\00:27:06.79
from God, we're separated from
the hope of everlasting life by
00:27:06.82\00:27:12.03
this fixed chasm. But God so
loved the world he said I will
00:27:12.06\00:27:17.27
come to earth, I will become
a man. He is the anointed one.
00:27:17.30\00:27:22.12
That's what the word Christ
means. Jesus comes, let's go to
00:27:22.15\00:27:27.05
the next slide and he is
the answer. The cross of Christ
00:27:27.08\00:27:31.91
creates a bridge through which
we can cross from where we are
00:27:31.95\00:27:37.01
to God. The sin that separates
us was taken by Christ within
00:27:37.05\00:27:42.40
himself. Jesus provides the
bridge by his sacrifice. There's
00:27:42.44\00:27:46.60
only one way for us to get
across the bridge. What's that
00:27:46.64\00:27:51.74
word at the top? It's that
simple friends. The gospel is
00:27:51.77\00:27:56.60
that God has provided a way
to close the gap, to cross the
00:27:56.64\00:28:01.40
gulf of separation between us.
It's crossing from death to life
00:28:01.44\00:28:06.70
and that cross is the
cross. That bridge is the cross.
00:28:06.73\00:28:13.65
We cross it by believing. There
is something you need to do to
00:28:13.69\00:28:19.21
be saved. You need to believe.
Whosoever believes will not
00:28:19.24\00:28:24.18
perish but have everlasting
life. Jesus came into the world
00:28:24.21\00:28:29.65
as a man. Why did Christ become
a man? Well there are three
00:28:29.68\00:28:34.30
principle reasons that we're
going to talk about. God the
00:28:34.34\00:28:38.41
Father, God the Son and God
the Spirit agreed in the plan of
00:28:38.45\00:28:42.26
salvation that God the Father
would send the Son. You might
00:28:42.29\00:28:45.20
be thinking, well that's a
little brutal for God the Father
00:28:45.24\00:28:47.79
to say well all right I'll send
you. I don't really want to die
00:28:47.83\00:28:50.35
on the cross, so I'm going
to send you. What was harder?
00:28:50.38\00:28:52.90
For God the Father to suffer
himself on the cross or to watch
00:28:52.94\00:28:57.87
his Son suffer. I believe it was
harder for God to watch his Son
00:28:57.90\00:29:02.80
suffer. And Jesus knew how much
it would hurt his Father. That's
00:29:02.83\00:29:07.31
why you have the Father and the
Son, this great communication
00:29:07.35\00:29:11.06
going on where Jesus says, My
Father why have you forsaken me?
00:29:11.10\00:29:14.64
They had never been separated
through eternity. God the Father
00:29:14.68\00:29:18.19
withdrew his protection. He
separated himself from Jesus
00:29:18.22\00:29:23.14
because Christ took our
separation for us. And that's
00:29:23.17\00:29:28.02
what broke his heart even more
than the physical suffering.
00:29:28.06\00:29:31.09
He also took the physical
punishment that we all deserved.
00:29:31.13\00:29:34.29
Penalty for sin is not only
death, it's punishment for your
00:29:34.32\00:29:37.45
specific sins and then
death. Every man is going to be
00:29:37.48\00:29:43.74
rewarded according to his works
among the lost and there are
00:29:43.78\00:29:48.24
even varying rewards among
the saved. And so Jesus took the
00:29:48.27\00:29:52.58
suffering and the death and the
separation from the Father for
00:29:52.62\00:29:57.02
you and me. He paid it in fill
and because he's the creator
00:29:57.06\00:30:00.50
and all things were made through
Christ, he was able to pay it
00:30:00.53\00:30:03.83
not just for you as though you
are the only one who ever lived,
00:30:03.86\00:30:08.09
but he paid it for the entire
world. He died for the sins of
00:30:08.13\00:30:11.53
the whole world. You and I can't
even comprehend how much that
00:30:11.56\00:30:14.93
would be. So why did Jesus
become a man? Three principle
00:30:14.96\00:30:19.15
reasons that Jesus came to earth
Number one: He came to show us
00:30:19.19\00:30:23.83
what God is like. This world is
totally in the clouds. We're all
00:30:23.87\00:30:28.56
fogged up about who God is and
what God is like. Jesus said, He
00:30:28.59\00:30:32.82
that has seen me has seen the
Father. He is all the fullness
00:30:32.85\00:30:37.05
of the Godhead perfectly
revealed. He came to show us
00:30:37.08\00:30:40.00
what God is like. I get these
questions every now and then.
00:30:40.04\00:30:43.41
People say you know it
seems like the God in the
00:30:43.44\00:30:45.32
Old Testament is a little harsh
and severe, but Jesus is so
00:30:45.36\00:30:48.71
loving and kind. One reason that
Jesus came is to show us that he
00:30:48.75\00:30:52.24
is the same God as you see in
the Old Testament. He is loving
00:30:52.27\00:30:57.01
and kind and yet he is just.
And not only do you have plagues
00:30:57.04\00:31:00.61
in the Old Testament, you've got
plagues in the New Testament.
00:31:00.64\00:31:03.55
Not only do you have mercy
in the New Testament, you've got
00:31:03.59\00:31:06.26
mercy in the Old Testament.
People who have the idea there
00:31:06.29\00:31:08.52
are two different Gods, they
just don't know their Bibles.
00:31:08.56\00:31:12.53
It's the same God. And Jesus
came to be a reflection of God.
00:31:12.57\00:31:16.51
He is full of
compassion, he is full of mercy,
00:31:16.54\00:31:22.28
he's longsuffering to
usward. I'm quoting from the Old
00:31:22.32\00:31:25.70
Testament now. So he came to
demonstrate what God is like.
00:31:25.73\00:31:30.02
Second reason Jesus came.
To give us an example of how to
00:31:30.05\00:31:34.27
live. He became a man and lived
among men. The first 30 years of
00:31:34.31\00:31:39.45
his life he lived a kind of life
a perfect life to demonstrate
00:31:39.48\00:31:44.39
that through his power when your
hearts are made new you can live
00:31:44.42\00:31:48.87
according to God's will. That's
right. He came as an example.
00:31:48.90\00:31:53.32
The Bible tells us, I Peter
chapter 2 verse 21: Because
00:31:53.35\00:31:57.84
Christ has also suffered for us,
leaving us an example, that you
00:31:57.88\00:32:02.54
should follow in his steps. And
especially once the ministry of
00:32:02.57\00:32:06.22
Christ began. It begins with
baptism, which is something that
00:32:06.25\00:32:10.25
we should follow. He lived a
life of service. He spent his
00:32:10.29\00:32:14.26
life healing others,
teaching others, feeding others,
00:32:14.29\00:32:18.13
forgiving others, demonstrating
how we should interact with
00:32:18.17\00:32:22.86
one another. So notice, Jesus
came, the cross is up and down,
00:32:22.89\00:32:27.55
to show us what the Father
is like. The cross is also
00:32:27.58\00:32:32.83
horizontal to show us how we
should live among one another.
00:32:32.87\00:32:40.00
And then we came also to
connect God with man. Two great
00:32:40.03\00:32:45.61
commandments: love the Lord
with all your heart, love your
00:32:45.64\00:32:51.15
neighbor as yourself. The cross
is really telling us about love.
00:32:51.19\00:32:56.96
It's that bridge. The
third reason he came is as our
00:32:56.99\00:33:00.46
substitute, to take our place.
Isaiah chapter 53, this was part
00:33:00.50\00:33:05.70
of our scripture reading this
morning: All we like sheep have
00:33:05.73\00:33:10.16
gone astray. How many? All
we like sheep have gone astray,
00:33:10.20\00:33:14.74
we've turned every one, to his
own way. Selfishness. All done
00:33:14.77\00:33:18.43
our own thing. Instead of God's
will we've been living for our
00:33:18.46\00:33:22.54
own will and that will never
satisfy you. And the Lord laid
00:33:22.58\00:33:27.78
upon him the iniquity of
all. The sin, the iniquity, the
00:33:27.82\00:33:32.95
punishment of all of us who are
here, all of us who are watching
00:33:32.99\00:33:36.37
was laid upon Jesus. Whether you
accept it or not, whether you
00:33:36.40\00:33:39.75
believe it or not, that's
what happened. He came as our
00:33:39.78\00:33:42.12
substitute. Basically, he made
a great exchange. It's something
00:33:42.16\00:33:47.42
like the parable of the good
Samaritan, I trust that you have
00:33:47.46\00:33:52.69
read. This man falls
among thieves. He's robbed, he's
00:33:52.72\00:33:56.00
naked, he's wounded, he's dying.
He's passed by a couple of his
00:33:56.04\00:34:00.74
own religious people. Finally
a Samaritan comes by, has
00:34:00.77\00:34:07.53
compassion on him, takes some
of his own clothes and tears it
00:34:07.57\00:34:12.94
up and binds his wounds. Takes
his own wine and washes his
00:34:12.97\00:34:17.65
wounds, takes his oil and
anoints his wounds, puts him
00:34:17.69\00:34:22.30
on his own beast. He says look
I'm going to take you to the
00:34:22.34\00:34:26.88
inn. I will pay your hotel bill.
He makes this big exchange.
00:34:26.92\00:34:30.95
He basically says I will give
you what is mine, I will let you
00:34:30.99\00:34:35.65
ride, I'll walk. This is the
gospel. It's the great exchange.
00:34:35.69\00:34:40.54
Jesus took our weakness that
he might give us his strength.
00:34:40.58\00:34:45.82
He took our sin that he might
give us his purity. He took our
00:34:45.85\00:34:51.07
guilt that he might give us his
peace. He takes everything that
00:34:51.10\00:34:56.29
is bad in us, our badness, and
he gives us his righteousness.
00:34:56.33\00:35:00.86
He makes this big exchange with
us and how do we get across that
00:35:00.90\00:35:06.41
bridge, how do we accept that?
Believe, trust him. All things
00:35:06.44\00:35:12.35
are possible if you believe.
What it means is Christ has paid
00:35:12.39\00:35:19.80
the penalty for your sins fully.
You know sometimes I go to
00:35:19.84\00:35:24.40
dinner with friends and they
say look let me get the bill.
00:35:24.43\00:35:27.63
No I'll get the bill. I feel
guilty, I want to contribute.
00:35:27.66\00:35:32.09
I say well I'll do the tip.
But Jesus says look I've got the
00:35:32.13\00:35:36.79
bill, you don't get to say I'll
cover the tip. He says no I've
00:35:36.83\00:35:41.86
got the whole thing. He pays
the entire penalty for our sin.
00:35:41.89\00:35:47.63
You don't pay any part of it.
We are saved by grace through
00:35:47.66\00:35:52.83
faith. It's a gift of God, not
of works, lest any man should
00:35:52.86\00:35:58.75
boast. Mark chapter 10 verse 45:
For even the Son of Man did not
00:35:58.78\00:36:04.13
come to be served but to serve
and to give his life a ransom
00:36:04.16\00:36:09.09
for many. He gave his life as
a ransom for your sin. He poured
00:36:09.12\00:36:13.57
out his life to take your place
with his life. What a shame.
00:36:13.61\00:36:19.13
How tragic it would be to have
the Son of God lay down his life
00:36:19.17\00:36:24.66
to provide a way for you to
cross the gulf to have peace
00:36:24.69\00:36:30.22
in this life and live forever
and you not do it. To offer to
00:36:30.25\00:36:34.86
pay that price and then say no
I refuse. I'm still going to pay
00:36:34.90\00:36:38.37
it myself even though you've
already signed the credit card
00:36:38.41\00:36:41.89
receipt. For me to insist on
paying even after it's already
00:36:41.92\00:36:46.45
been paid. What a waste. He did
pay and you must believe it to
00:36:46.49\00:36:52.55
receive and to be transformed
by that power. God loves you and
00:36:52.59\00:36:58.62
he wants and intimate
relationship with you. He not
00:36:58.65\00:37:00.94
only wants to save you, he wants
a personal relationship with you
00:37:00.98\00:37:04.00
That's why the Lord says in the
Bible: Come now let us reason
00:37:04.04\00:37:07.27
together. It doesn't matter
whether you're five years old
00:37:07.31\00:37:10.47
or 95 years old, the Lord enjoys
communicating with you. He wants
00:37:10.51\00:37:15.42
to be your friend. He wants to
be part of your life. He wants
00:37:15.45\00:37:21.05
to walk with you every day
because he loves you. How do I
00:37:21.08\00:37:26.61
respond now? I've talked about
the bad news, I've talked about
00:37:26.65\00:37:32.59
the good news. What do we do?
The answer, accept it. You must
00:37:32.63\00:37:37.17
do something about it. It
will not benefit you unless you
00:37:37.20\00:37:40.73
accept it. Some are listening
that maybe have been in church
00:37:40.77\00:37:43.55
for years and they've never
really thought through what the
00:37:43.59\00:37:47.86
gospel is or accepted it. Accept
his gift of life, believe.
00:37:47.90\00:37:52.27
Romans 6:23: For the wages of
sin is death but, that's a very
00:37:52.31\00:37:56.72
important three letter word.
On one side you've got death.
00:37:56.76\00:38:01.10
But the gift of God, a gift is
something that is to be accepted
00:38:01.14\00:38:07.16
is eternal life in Jesus Christ
our Lord. In order for a pardon
00:38:07.20\00:38:12.69
to be effective it must be
accepted. I understand there was
00:38:12.73\00:38:18.11
a president back in the
1800s that issued a pardon to a
00:38:18.15\00:38:22.25
political prisoner who had
been accused of treason and the
00:38:22.29\00:38:26.04
sentence was death. There were
some extenuating circumstances
00:38:26.08\00:38:30.66
so the president said so
you know, we're going to issue a
00:38:30.70\00:38:34.07
pardon. Well this fellow, I
guess, was pretty cantankerous
00:38:34.10\00:38:36.86
and he told the president when
they brought his pardon to him
00:38:36.90\00:38:40.43
he said, I don't want it. And
they'd never had anyone refuse
00:38:40.46\00:38:43.92
a pardon before. So they took it
back to the courts and they said
00:38:43.96\00:38:47.35
what do we do about this.
The president's issued a pardon,
00:38:47.38\00:38:52.43
he's on death row for treason,
death by hanging, what happens
00:38:52.46\00:38:56.61
now? And they talked about it.
They said a pardon that is not
00:38:56.65\00:39:02.43
accepted and received is invalid
He was executed I presume.
00:39:02.46\00:39:08.21
In order for this pardon
that Jesus has provided to be
00:39:08.24\00:39:12.66
appreciated, you must accept it.
You see the penalty of sin is
00:39:12.70\00:39:16.97
death. This is why Christ poured
out his blood. Without the
00:39:17.00\00:39:20.96
shedding of blood there is no
remission of sin. That's why it
00:39:21.00\00:39:24.03
talks about us being washed in
the blood. Of course, that's a
00:39:24.06\00:39:27.17
symbol of all of our sins
being washed away because of the
00:39:27.21\00:39:31.32
sacrifice that Christ made in
our behalf. I heard an amazing
00:39:31.35\00:39:35.20
story. You've heard of yellow
fever. I remember when I went
00:39:35.24\00:39:39.99
to Africa, before I left, I got
a shot for yellow fever and I
00:39:40.03\00:39:44.07
had a card that wrote down that
I got this shot and Bonnie said
00:39:44.11\00:39:47.24
stick it in your passport, you
are going to need it. I'd forgot
00:39:47.28\00:39:50.12
all about that because weeks
went by. I finally took the trip
00:39:50.15\00:39:52.96
and I got off the plane.
They were speaking in French.
00:39:52.99\00:39:54.54
I didn't know what they were
saying. Pretty soon they grabbed
00:39:54.58\00:39:56.91
me and they pulled me into this
little area cordoned off right
00:39:56.94\00:40:00.36
in the airport terminal with a
little white curtain and someone
00:40:00.40\00:40:03.53
there was dressed in kind of
blue smock, pulled out a needle,
00:40:03.56\00:40:07.20
a big needle, and I started
to yell for a translator. What's
00:40:07.24\00:40:10.61
going on here? They said you got
to get your yellow fever shot.
00:40:10.64\00:40:13.98
Oh I've already got it. They
said you need proof and so I
00:40:14.01\00:40:17.20
showed them my proof. Man! I
was so thankful I had had it at
00:40:17.23\00:40:21.16
a clinic in the U.S. You start
getting a used needle in Africa
00:40:21.20\00:40:26.19
you get a little worried. Well
the amazing fact is back in 1927
00:40:26.23\00:40:31.19
when there was a terrible
outbreak of yellow fever there
00:40:31.22\00:40:34.95
was a humble native by the name
of Abasai who contracted yellow
00:40:34.99\00:40:39.09
fever but because of his natural
resistance he survived it.
00:40:39.13\00:40:43.65
They took a sample of Abasai's
blood. They processed it and
00:40:43.68\00:40:47.33
they put it into mice and
chicken embryos and eventually
00:40:47.36\00:40:50.94
they developed a strain from his
blood that they used to make a
00:40:50.98\00:40:56.18
vaccine. It was taken to
the Rockefeller foundation where
00:40:56.21\00:41:00.34
processed it and through
exponential multiplication
00:41:00.37\00:41:04.19
they made vaccine after vaccine
and people all over the world
00:41:04.23\00:41:09.07
have been receiving the vaccine
from the strain of this one
00:41:09.11\00:41:13.88
man's blood and to this very day
it can all be traced back to the
00:41:13.92\00:41:18.36
blood of that one native. Isn't
that amazing. Well anybody and
00:41:18.40\00:41:22.81
everybody who is going to
be in heaven, Old Testament or
00:41:22.84\00:41:26.04
New Testament, Christian
or otherwise, you might be
00:41:26.07\00:41:29.55
surprised, there might be some
people there that didn't know
00:41:29.59\00:41:31.29
about Jesus, are all
there because of his sacrifice.
00:41:31.32\00:41:37.74
It's only the blood of Christ
that makes it possible. Well is
00:41:37.78\00:41:41.02
there something I'm supposed to
do? Yes, you believe. After you
00:41:41.05\00:41:45.11
accept it, first you must
accept by faith that it's true.
00:41:45.14\00:41:49.13
God then gives you a gift of
his Spirit. Part of that will
00:41:49.16\00:41:52.79
enable you to repent and to
confess. Now you need to get
00:41:52.82\00:41:56.37
this right. You can't even
repent without God. The Bible
00:41:56.41\00:41:59.62
says in Acts chapter 2 it is
God that gives repentance unto
00:41:59.65\00:42:02.71
Israel. It is a gift of the
Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings
00:42:02.75\00:42:05.61
conviction into your heart.
You're not going even know what
00:42:05.64\00:42:08.76
to confess without the
Holy Spirit because who here can
00:42:08.79\00:42:11.84
remember every sin they've ever
committed. God is not asking you
00:42:11.88\00:42:14.72
to confess every sin you've
ever committed because you can't
00:42:14.76\00:42:17.57
remember them all. But
you can start with the general
00:42:17.60\00:42:22.66
categories. Most of us
can confess to being liars or
00:42:22.69\00:42:27.68
confess to pride. Maybe you've
murdered in your heart and I
00:42:27.72\00:42:33.30
won't go through them all. You
know what they are. The deceit,
00:42:33.34\00:42:39.58
the stealing, the impurity.
You know the categories. You can
00:42:39.61\00:42:44.15
come before the Lord, you
repent and you confess. You say
00:42:44.18\00:42:48.65
why confess, doesn't God already
know? It's not for him, it's for
00:42:48.69\00:42:52.07
you. He already knows. I might
hurts somebody's feelings and I
00:42:52.11\00:42:55.15
know I've hurt them but they
expect me to say you know I'm
00:42:55.18\00:42:58.00
sorry. They know it and I know
it but you still tell them you
00:42:58.04\00:43:00.45
are sorry. We've offended a holy
God, we've broken his law, we
00:43:00.48\00:43:03.26
broken his law. We should
confess. One of the first things
00:43:03.30\00:43:06.05
a good attorney will tell you
if you've broken a law and you
00:43:06.08\00:43:09.30
know you've broken it when you
go in before the judge admit it.
00:43:09.34\00:43:12.74
Say I did something wrong and I
am sorry. If he's going to have
00:43:12.77\00:43:16.14
mercy on you, you first must
admit it. Repent and confess.
00:43:16.17\00:43:20.63
There's more to that than
you might think. Luke chapter 13
00:43:20.66\00:43:25.72
verse 5, Jesus is speaking:
Unless you repent you will all
00:43:25.76\00:43:30.79
likewise perish. So how
important is this part of the
00:43:30.82\00:43:34.40
Gospel? The kingdom began,
John the Baptist, repent for the
00:43:34.44\00:43:38.65
kingdom of heaven is at
hand. Jesus began repent for the
00:43:38.68\00:43:42.82
kingdom of heaven is at hand.
It is crucial that we repent to
00:43:42.86\00:43:47.36
God for our sins. Acts 3:19:
Repent and be converted that
00:43:47.39\00:43:51.37
your sins may be blotted out.
He gives us through his Spirit
00:43:51.40\00:43:54.94
when we accept Jesus, he gives
us the Spirit to help us repent.
00:43:54.97\00:44:00.12
I John 1:9: If we confess our
sins, this is the verbal side of
00:44:00.16\00:44:04.45
repentance, he is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins and,
00:44:04.49\00:44:08.83
I like this part, to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness. Now
00:44:08.87\00:44:12.59
when you confess your sins
to the Lord, you repent of your
00:44:12.62\00:44:16.73
sins, he promises that he is
faithful, you can depend on him,
00:44:16.76\00:44:20.84
and he is just, meaning he has
a right to, he's the judge, he
00:44:20.87\00:44:24.42
made the law. If he says he's
got a right, he's got a right.
00:44:24.45\00:44:28.31
To forgive you for all of your
sins. So if all of your sins are
00:44:28.35\00:44:32.18
forgiven what is your condition.
To cleanse you from all
00:44:32.21\00:44:36.51
sin. If you've been cleansed
from all sin because you've
00:44:36.54\00:44:39.40
repented and you've confessed
how much sin do you have?
00:44:39.43\00:44:42.22
In God's eyes you are pure, in
God's eyes you're forgiven, in
00:44:42.26\00:44:46.88
God's eyes you're a saint.
That's good news. You can go
00:44:46.91\00:44:50.19
from death to life right there
through faith. That's good news!
00:44:50.23\00:44:55.63
You know, I think it's so
important for us to understand
00:44:55.66\00:44:57.68
this. Let me read one more thing
to you here. Ezekiel 33:15,16:
00:44:57.72\00:45:05.73
Speaking with repentance. No
I want to start with Proverbs
00:45:05.76\00:45:10.06
28:13: He that covers his sin
will not prosper. Be honest with
00:45:10.09\00:45:13.99
God. But whoever confesses and
forsakes them will have mercy.
00:45:14.03\00:45:17.58
Repentance is not just being
sorry, it's being sorry enough
00:45:17.61\00:45:22.04
to be different. Amen? Saying
Lord, I want to live a new life.
00:45:22.07\00:45:25.60
Don't worry how you're going
to do it tomorrow. Except the
00:45:25.63\00:45:29.09
gospel today and then you have
the power to do the impossible.
00:45:29.12\00:45:33.96
Now, this is so important. Some
people at this point is where
00:45:34.00\00:45:37.75
they choke, they stumble, they
fall, they turn back, they quit,
00:45:37.78\00:45:42.66
they get confused. If you come
before the Lord and you repent
00:45:42.69\00:45:47.03
of your sins and you confess
your sins, that news is so good
00:45:47.06\00:45:51.36
that you believe I've
done what God asked me to do.
00:45:51.39\00:45:55.20
He's cleansed me from all
unrighteousness. I now have
00:45:55.23\00:45:58.96
accepted the cross. I believe
I have eternal life. Once you
00:45:59.00\00:46:04.59
really believe you have eternal
life, you become righteous by
00:46:04.62\00:46:09.84
faith. That righteousness by
faith then empowers you to want
00:46:09.87\00:46:15.05
to live a different life.
Because if you know right now
00:46:15.08\00:46:17.70
you've got eternal life how much
lure and temptation is sin when
00:46:17.73\00:46:21.78
you now have left the whole life
of sin, you are on your way to
00:46:21.82\00:46:25.25
the kingdom and the devil tries
to wave his favorite temptation
00:46:25.28\00:46:28.68
in front of you, you are
empowered now by the Spirit of
00:46:28.71\00:46:31.93
God and the desire for the
kingdom. You've been adopted
00:46:31.96\00:46:35.10
into a new family. God gives you
a new heart. Those things don't
00:46:35.14\00:46:39.91
have the same attraction they
had. Some people never really
00:46:39.94\00:46:43.03
believe they're forgiven so they
don't act like they're forgiven.
00:46:43.07\00:46:45.61
When you really believe
you're forgiven the actions are
00:46:45.65\00:46:49.50
different. There's a joy in your
heart. You might be thinking,
00:46:49.54\00:46:55.50
will Jesus accept me? You know
we've all had earthly parents
00:46:55.53\00:47:01.20
at one time or another that we
felt rejected. You know we just
00:47:01.23\00:47:05.55
couldn't please them. Some of us
maybe had parents that were just
00:47:05.58\00:47:09.86
always perfectionistic. Nothing
was ever good enough and we
00:47:09.90\00:47:13.46
transfer that idea about our
earthly parent to our heavenly
00:47:13.50\00:47:16.56
parent and we think you know
I've been such a sinner, how
00:47:16.60\00:47:20.40
could God ever forgive me.
Well you look in the Bible.
00:47:20.43\00:47:24.39
You'll find that he forgave
David of murder. He forgave
00:47:24.42\00:47:28.82
Moses of murder, David of
adultery too. You are not a
00:47:28.85\00:47:33.24
bigger sinner than God is a
savior. Don't be so proud and
00:47:33.28\00:47:37.59
arrogant to think that you do
a better job of sinning than God
00:47:37.63\00:47:42.04
does of forgiving. Don't think
that you have your black belt in
00:47:42.07\00:47:46.50
sinning and God has only got his
brown belt in forgiving. I mean
00:47:46.53\00:47:50.55
that's how some of us really
come at it. When God says look,
00:47:50.58\00:47:54.40
if I can die for the sin of the
whole world, I can die for your
00:47:54.43\00:47:57.97
sin. If my sacrifice was potent
enough to cover the sins of the
00:47:58.00\00:48:01.98
whole world then don't think
you're so special. He can reach
00:48:02.02\00:48:06.29
unto the uttermost. The Bible
promise is that he can reach
00:48:06.32\00:48:11.91
everybody. John 6:37: All,
what's that word? All that the
00:48:11.95\00:48:16.49
Father gives me shall come
to me and he that comes to me I
00:48:16.52\00:48:20.78
will in no wise cast out.
It doesn't matter how dirty or
00:48:20.81\00:48:25.00
sordid your past might have been
if you come to Jesus he will not
00:48:25.03\00:48:29.56
cast you out. He accepts you.
John 3:16: For God so loved the
00:48:29.60\00:48:34.49
world he gave his only begotten
Son that whosoever... Now who
00:48:34.52\00:48:38.78
would that include? Whosoever
believes... What is the key?
00:48:38.82\00:48:44.01
Whosoever believes will
not perish but have... Do they
00:48:44.04\00:48:48.83
possess it? Everlasting
life. That's good news. And then
00:48:48.87\00:48:53.59
you can go to Revelation 22:17:
And the Spirit and the bride say
00:48:53.62\00:48:58.09
come... Last chapter in the
Bible. Let him who hears come.
00:48:58.12\00:49:02.55
Let him who is athirst come.
Whoever desires, let him come
00:49:02.59\00:49:06.99
and take the water of
life freely. What is it that
00:49:07.02\00:49:09.97
qualifies me to receive
this. Your own desperate need.
00:49:10.01\00:49:12.89
Matter of fact, Jesus seems to
demonstrate that those that look
00:49:12.93\00:49:16.19
the most hopeless are the ones
he delights in saving. Even the
00:49:16.23\00:49:19.46
ones that humanity gave up
on like Mary Magdalene, Jesus
00:49:19.49\00:49:22.50
delights in saving. So who will
he accept? Whoever comes to him.
00:49:22.54\00:49:28.10
That means that if you do not
come to him, don't blame him.
00:49:28.14\00:49:31.72
You've got the freedom to
accept and to believe that he'll
00:49:31.75\00:49:35.26
forgive even you. What will God
do for you when you accept him?
00:49:35.30\00:49:42.26
Ezekiel 36:26: I will give him a
new heart, I will give you a new
00:49:42.30\00:49:47.81
heart. I will put a new Spirit
within you. I'll take away that
00:49:47.85\00:49:52.29
heart of stone... that selfish
heart out of your flesh, that
00:49:52.32\00:49:56.43
dead heart, and I'll give you
a heart of flesh. I will put my
00:49:56.46\00:50:00.63
Spirit within you and cause you
to walk in my statutes. That's
00:50:00.66\00:50:04.01
the good news. You say ah Lord
I can't do it. He says I'll give
00:50:04.05\00:50:07.74
you a new heart and I cause you.
I give you the power to walk in
00:50:07.78\00:50:11.44
my statutes and to keep
my judgments and to do them.
00:50:11.48\00:50:18.31
I Corinthians 2 verse 9: But as
it is written, eye has not seen
00:50:18.34\00:50:22.67
nor ear heard, neither has
entered into the heart of man
00:50:22.70\00:50:26.22
the things that God has prepared
for those that love him.
00:50:26.26\00:50:29.47
Well what if I don't love
you very much, Lord? Start where
00:50:29.51\00:50:32.50
you're at. You know that he
loves you and the more that you
00:50:32.53\00:50:35.86
see how much he loves you it
will inspire within you love for
00:50:35.90\00:50:39.02
him. The Bible tells us we love
him because he first loved us.
00:50:39.06\00:50:42.30
It's the goodness of God that
leads us to repentance. When we
00:50:42.33\00:50:46.22
see what he's done for us then
it touches our hearts. It tugs
00:50:46.25\00:50:50.10
something within. The Spirit
stirs us and we want to be
00:50:50.14\00:50:55.65
forgiven. So what's required?
You need to make a decision.
00:50:55.68\00:51:00.58
The gospel requires a decision.
Now I'm going to invite you to
00:51:00.62\00:51:05.15
make a decision. I've tried my
best to very simply explain the
00:51:05.19\00:51:08.92
gospel. Matter of fact, I've
taken a little more time than
00:51:08.95\00:51:13.22
you really even need to take.
I elaborated and I'm hoping that
00:51:13.26\00:51:17.12
you will make a decision to
accept the gospel and if nothing
00:51:17.15\00:51:21.27
else take this program, study
the basics and you'll understand
00:51:21.30\00:51:25.08
how you can share the gospel
with someone. But a person must
00:51:25.11\00:51:29.09
be brought to a decision. When
you present the gospel, don't
00:51:29.12\00:51:33.06
walk away. At that point
ask them now do you want to do
00:51:33.10\00:51:37.52
something about it, a tangible
decision. Matthew chapter 27:22:
00:51:37.56\00:51:43.52
Pilot said, What then shall I do
with Jesus who is called Christ?
00:51:43.56\00:51:49.36
Not enough just to talk about
it. You must choose. You've got
00:51:49.40\00:51:55.23
three choices really. Choice
number one, you can say yes I
00:51:55.26\00:52:00.11
accept the gospel. I'm going
to pray, I'm going to receive
00:52:00.14\00:52:04.92
Christ. Choice number two is you
say no I don't believe, I don't
00:52:04.95\00:52:09.64
accept it. Then some have
an imaginary third choice.
00:52:09.67\00:52:14.63
That third choice is not
right now, I'm going to wait.
00:52:14.67\00:52:19.56
Well, you don't know if you'll
be alive tomorrow. You don't
00:52:19.60\00:52:22.60
know if the Holy Spirit's going
to move on your heart tomorrow.
00:52:22.63\00:52:27.63
So choosing to say no to Jesus
now is really going back to the
00:52:27.67\00:52:32.63
second option which is just
plain no. Postponing is a no
00:52:32.67\00:52:36.99
choice. Now granted God
is merciful and sometimes the
00:52:37.03\00:52:41.28
Holy Spirit stirs a person later
in their life but you're really
00:52:41.31\00:52:45.22
gambling with eternity. That's
a dangerous form of Russian
00:52:45.26\00:52:50.13
roulette. So if today you hear
his voice, do not harden your
00:52:50.16\00:52:54.99
heart. II Corinthians
6:2: Behold now is the accepted
00:52:55.03\00:53:04.00
between two crosses. There were
two thieves, both under death
00:53:04.04\00:53:09.58
sentence. They represent
everybody here, everybody who's
00:53:09.61\00:53:12.84
watching or listening. The
one on the right hand could do
00:53:12.87\00:53:16.03
nothing to save himself but he
looked to Jesus and he believed.
00:53:16.07\00:53:19.53
He said Lord remember me. I
believe you're a King. I want to
00:53:19.56\00:53:22.99
be in your kingdom. Jesus
promised that he would be.
00:53:23.02\00:53:26.16
He died in peace. The one on the
left, he said he wanted to be
00:53:26.19\00:53:31.94
saved but he never accepted
Christ. One died saved, one died
00:53:31.97\00:53:36.42
lost. You might even say of
those three crosses on the hill
00:53:36.45\00:53:40.83
one died to sin, one died in sin
and Jesus in the middle died for
00:53:40.87\00:53:48.10
sin. Everybody is making a
decision one way or the other.
00:53:48.13\00:53:53.24
What will you decide? I'd like
to ask you to make a decision
00:53:53.27\00:53:58.02
right now. Matter of fact, I'd
like to have you pray with me
00:53:58.05\00:54:02.76
right now. If you would like
to accept the gospel and accept
00:54:02.80\00:54:06.29
Jesus, I'm going to lead you
in a very simple prayer and I'd
00:54:06.32\00:54:09.31
like for you to pray it out loud
and you may have been in church
00:54:09.35\00:54:13.06
all your life, I'm going to pray
it again; I'd invite you to pray
00:54:13.10\00:54:16.77
it. As a matter on the screen
and I hope you'll be praying
00:54:16.81\00:54:21.66
from your heart. Would you
like to say this prayer with me?
00:54:21.69\00:54:26.51
Now you have just gone through
the first and most important
00:56:06.06\00:56:08.98
step in crossing that bridge
through belief and accepting
00:56:09.02\00:56:11.87
Christ's sacrifice. He promises
to do his part. He promises to
00:56:11.91\00:56:16.52
give you a new heart. If you
prayed that prayer in faith then
00:56:16.56\00:56:21.14
you become his child. He
says he cleanses you from all
00:56:21.17\00:56:24.67
unrighteousness. That's good
news. You've gone from death
00:56:24.70\00:56:28.59
to life; you've gone from sick
to well; you've gone from fear
00:56:28.62\00:56:32.47
to peace; you've gone from
meaninglessness to purpose.
00:56:32.51\00:56:37.05
That's the gospel, friends.
I just wanted you to hear the
00:56:37.08\00:56:41.30
simple gospel one more time.
It's that wonderful old story
00:56:41.33\00:56:44.89
that we've heard before but
it hasn't lost its power has it?
00:56:44.93\00:56:48.46
And I hope that you will share
this with others and lead them
00:56:48.49\00:56:51.99
to Christ as God
gives you opportunity.
00:56:52.02\00:56:54.23
Thank you for joining us for
this broadcast. If you've missed
00:56:54.26\00:56:57.18
any of our Amazing Facts
programs visit our web site at
00:56:57.22\00:57:00.11
amazingfacts.org. There you'll
find an archive of all our
00:57:00.15\00:57:03.37
television and radio programs
including Amazing Facts Presents
00:57:03.40\00:57:06.59
Central Study Hour, The
Everlasting Gospel, Bible
00:57:06.63\00:57:09.76
Answers Live and Wonders in
the Word. You'll also find a
00:57:09.79\00:57:13.14
storehouse of biblical resources
geared toward answering some of
00:57:13.18\00:57:16.09
your most difficult questions.
And our on-line Bible school is
00:57:16.12\00:57:19.00
just a click away. One
location, so many possibilities.
00:57:19.03\00:57:23.92
A web site whose roots date
back to the beginning of time
00:57:23.96\00:57:27.87
SabbathTruth.com is the
definitive resource for Bible
00:57:27.91\00:57:31.76
light on the Lord's day. Clear
Bible answers for every question
00:57:31.79\00:57:35.51
you've ever had about the
Sabbath. Seven key topic heads
00:57:35.54\00:57:39.09
guide you through the purpose
of the Sabbath, which day is the
00:57:39.13\00:57:42.21
Lord's day, the Sabbath in
prophecy, questions about the
00:57:42.25\00:57:45.11
Sabbath, how to keep it holy,
the Sabbath in history and many
00:57:45.15\00:57:48.76
Sabbath resources. Visit
SabbathTruth.com today and share
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your new found
treasure with a friend.
00:57:53.09\00:57:55.74