It's been 2,000
years since the glorious
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light of the cross illuminated
the world veiled in darkness
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and confusion about
the character of God.
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And still today, the
greatest need of mankind
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is a revelation of God's love
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as revealed in
the life of Christ.
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Amazing Facts
presents the Everlasting Gospel
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with Pastor Doug Batchelor,
coming to you each week
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from Sacramento Central
Church in sunny California.
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Discover hidden
treasures in God's Word today.
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We've been doing a
series of meetings here--
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not a sequential series
but really with an emphasis
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on reviewing the
basics of Christianity
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and today is gonna be
in keeping with that theme
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and the subject today is dealing
with a faith that really works.
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The relationship,
understanding the relationship
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between faith and works.
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It is so important. If I
were to talk to you about,
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you know what do you think
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are some of the pivotal
doctrines in Christianity
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or what are
some of the doctrines
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that are being undisputed?
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Well, there's lot of
dispute that goes evolves around
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the covenants and that
often relates to the Sabbath
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and the covenants,
speaking in tongues, baptism,
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whether it should be by
immersion or sprinkling,
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or what name do you baptize
in, and Christian churches
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are divided over all
plethora, different doctrines
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and what are the truths
of these different doctrines.
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Of all the different
things that we could talk about
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the subject today is probably
one of the most important
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that we understand
correctly, the relationship
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between faith and works and
how it relates to salvation.
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If you get this wrong
its not like misunderstanding
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the seven
trumpets of the 144,000,
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but you know
there's a lot of doctrines
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that there's some debate over,
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they're not as crucial to
salvation as understanding
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my behavior, my
choices in relation to my faith
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in accepting the Jesus,
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understanding the
relationship of faith in works.
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We're saved by grace
but we're judged by works.
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And you'd be
surprised how much confusion
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there is on this subject.
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So we've touched on
these different times
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before but I wanted
to dedicate sometime
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very specifically talking
about rightly understanding
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this relationship
from a Bible perspective,
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that's what we
believe, right the bible.
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I may share some
things with you today
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that will shock you.
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You may think
it's even outrageous
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but I want to honest with you.
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You want the word of God?
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Well, I'm gonna
share the Bible with you.
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Now let me begin by
telling you something
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that is hard for me to
say, I was once on welfare,
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I'm not proud of that.
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It's humbling for
me to tell you that.
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It's been 25-30
years ago a difficult time,
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son was diagnosed
with spinal meningitis,
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I was laid off, I was
in the logging business,
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working on logging
trucks, it wasn't that glorious.
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Got laid off,
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it's a seasonal
work, hadn't got back
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into the firewood business,
had to apply for unemployment.
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It was a humiliating
process because you have to go
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through all this proof
that you're trying to find work,
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small town, there was
a depression in the town,
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had no money for hospital bills,
had to apply for Medicaid,
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son was in the
hospital for 10 days,
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had no income,
spent all the money
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going back and
forth making deposits,
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had to apply for food
stamps, it was mortifying to me.
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Didn't belong to the church yet,
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you see before I
was a baptized member,
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so I was too proud
to tell the church,
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too proud to tell my
father and it was humiliating.
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I realized where
that money comes from,
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because when I was
working, they took, you know,
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certain government expenses
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out of your paycheck for
taxes and for social security.
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That's why I knew
that during that time,
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it was only matter of months
that I was getting food stamps
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and WIC and Medicaid
that I was really accepting
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eemergency
relief from other people
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who were working,
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that were
contributing to my help,
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that's how it works, right.
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And so as soon as I could I
get off it, praise the Lord,
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I've never
needed that help again,
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God has blessed and
we've come a long way
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and very grateful for
that. I think God allowed me
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to go through that
so I can never be proud
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and snobby and say,
"I've never been on welfare,"
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because I have. And
I've waited in the lines
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and gone through the process,
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I know how would people
go through and it's terrible.
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But some people-- and I
had friends who did this,
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figured out how
the system worked
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and they abuse the system.
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Matter of fact in 1976,
Ronald Reagan gave a speech
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when he was
campaigning and he described
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somebody who was
known a Welfare Queen
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and it was sort of a
composite of a number of people
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that were generally
women who would claim
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that they had many
more children than they had,
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in some cases, they had none.
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They had many different names.
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They would go to
these welfare departments,
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sometimes in different cities
going under different names,
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sometimes 30 different addresses
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claiming eight
different husbands
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that were
supposed to be veterans
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that were all deceased
and getting their benefits
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for multiple
children, and it became a word
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that was coined those
that are welfare queens
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into this very date are people
who are guilty of welfare fraud.
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They just manipulate the system.
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Now when you hear
that, I think most of us
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ehave a certain
amount of indignation
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because what's
happening is there are people,
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some of them have
made as much as a hundred--
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well, let me just make
sure I get my figures right,
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I heard of one case
where this one lady was getting
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$150,000 a month.
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I mean, you show up in Mercedes
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to collect your
welfare and go through
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all the paper work.
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And you just, you
could see, yeah, this is,
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you know that different states
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have their
different welfare queens.
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They're not all
queens but that was the term
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that was coined.
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Now the reason I bring that up
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as because I
think to some extent,
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God's church has
become a welfare queen.
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Let me explain.
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I'm not talking about appealing
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through the state for benefits.
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I'm talking
about abusing the mercy
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and the grace of Jesus sacrifice
so it's taken for granted.
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It ought to be hard for
us when we get on our knees,
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when we confess
our sins and apply
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ethe blood of Jesus
knowing how much it costs,
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not wanting to abuse that
sacrifice and continue saying,
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oh, well, Jesus
is freely offering
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His blood to cover our sins
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so let's continue to
sin, let's not do any work,
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let's not worry about obedience,
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let's just
exploit the mercy of God
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and the blood of
Christ in many churches
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have become a welfare queen.
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You see where
I'm going with this?
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It's not
designed, the grace of God
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is not designed
for us to abuse it,
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it's designed to save us
so that we can be sanctified
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and live
different kinds of lives.
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Now I want to
start at the beginning
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and just establish some facts
and I want to try to lead you
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logistically through with using
your reason how salvation works
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and the relationship between
obedience and faith in works.
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First of all, the reason Jesus
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came is not to
save us in our sin,
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but to save us from our sin.
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Matthew 1:21, this is
what the angel said to Mary.
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"You will bring forth a son,
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and you will
call His name Jesus.
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Yeshua which
means He always saves
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and He will save His
people from their sins."
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There's a different
between being saved from sin,
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being saved in
sin, and yet I admit,
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you can come to
Jesus with your sin
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but He loves you too much
so leave you with your sin.
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He wants to save
you from your sins.
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And yet more and
more I'm hearing pastors
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and teachers
and theologians say,
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basically, we're
saved in our sin,
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but that's not
what the bible says.
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If you know verses
and I can give you a lot.
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Acts 3:26, Peter
speaking, "Unto you first God,
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having raised up his Son
Jesus, sent him to bless you,
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in turning away every one
of you from his iniquities."
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So when Jesus
offers forgiveness,
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is that where it stops or does
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He want to turn us
away from our inequities?
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That's what repentance
is. It's a turning away from.
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It's a different kind
of life and yet the idea of
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so many is that you just stand
there at the welfare counter
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and continually
exploit the sacrifice of Jesus
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with no intention of
turning away from sin.
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God wants to
save us from our sins.
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More scripture, Titus
2:14, "Who gave himself for us
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that he might redeem us
from every lawless deed,"
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not just the sin,
lawless is the sinful deeds.
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He saves us from
our lawless deeds and,
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"purifies for himself
His own special people
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zealous of
enthusiastic about good works."
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Saves us from the
bad works and makes up
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people zealous of good works.
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Proverbs 5:22,
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"The wicked is
beholden by his inequities,"
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he's taken--I'm sorry,
00:10:42.22\00:10:43.81
"His own iniquities
shall take the wicked himself,
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he shall beholden by
the cords of his sin."
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And so Jesus came to
save us from our sins.
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Those who're not
saved from those sins
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are imprisoned or
holden by these cables of sin.
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So if Jesus just says, I'm
gonna give you a declaration
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of forgiveness
but He doesn't save us
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from the
practical deeds in our life
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that cause all of our problems,
00:11:08.61\00:11:10.77
is that really
complete salvation?
00:11:10.80\00:11:14.58
Another simple
point, stay with me,
00:11:14.61\00:11:17.74
don't storm out.
Sinners do not go to heaven.
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You know bible says that
Satan was cast out for sinning.
00:11:23.76\00:11:27.44
If he's cast out for
sinning, we don't go in sinning.
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Listen
carefully to these verses.
00:11:30.21\00:11:32.26
1 Corinthians 6:9, 10,
these are just the few of many.
00:11:32.29\00:11:36.50
"Do you not know" Paul says,
00:11:36.53\00:11:39.49
"that the unrighteous will
not inherit the kingdom of God?
00:11:39.52\00:11:43.79
Do not be deceived."
Now who is Paul speaking to?
00:11:43.82\00:11:47.41
The church. Why
would Paul even need
00:11:47.44\00:11:49.16
to say something
like this to the church
00:11:49.19\00:11:50.75
'cause the church had
the same problem back then
00:11:50.78\00:11:52.88
as we have today?
00:11:52.91\00:11:55.75
Don't be deceived he
says, "Neither fornicators,
00:11:55.78\00:11:58.44
nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor homosexuals,
00:11:58.47\00:12:02.09
nor sodomites, nor thieves,
nor covetous, nor drunkards,
00:12:02.12\00:12:05.93
nor revilers, nor
extortioners will inherit
00:12:05.96\00:12:08.80
the kingdom of God." They won't.
00:12:08.83\00:12:10.88
Now God saves sinners
but He saves us from our sin.
00:12:10.91\00:12:14.56
So when we're going
to the kingdom of God,
00:12:14.59\00:12:16.11
we're not sinners anymore,
we're saints. Is that right?
00:12:16.14\00:12:19.90
More verses, Revelation 21:27,
00:12:19.93\00:12:23.09
"There shall no
wise enter into it"
00:12:23.12\00:12:25.97
speaking of the city of
God, "any thing that defiles."
00:12:26.00\00:12:30.32
Galatians 5:19, " Now the
works of the flesh are evident,
00:12:30.35\00:12:34.69
which are these,
adultery, fornication,
00:12:34.72\00:12:37.12
uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry,
sorcery, hatred, contentions,
00:12:37.15\00:12:41.27
jealousies, outbursts of wrath"
that's losing your temper,
00:12:41.30\00:12:44.30
"selfish ambitions,
selfishness, dissensions,
00:12:44.33\00:12:47.83
heresies, envy,
murders, drunkenness, revelries,
00:12:47.86\00:12:50.56
and the like, of
which I tell you beforehand,
00:12:50.59\00:12:53.20
just as I also
told you in time past,"
00:12:53.23\00:12:54.96
listen, "those who
practice such things
00:12:54.99\00:12:58.52
will not inherit
the kingdom of God."
00:12:58.55\00:13:01.71
If we're practicing
the works of the flesh
00:13:01.74\00:13:05.25
we cannot go to
the kingdom of God.
00:13:05.28\00:13:08.05
He not only saves us
from our record of sin,
00:13:08.08\00:13:10.79
from the stigma of
sin, but He saves us
00:13:10.82\00:13:13.50
from the works of
sin and they're replaced
00:13:13.53\00:13:16.21
with the works of the
Spirit, the fruit of the spirit.
00:13:16.24\00:13:20.95
I'll get you one more verse.
00:13:20.98\00:13:23.14
Ephesians 5:5, 6,
00:13:23.17\00:13:26.53
"For this you
know, that no fornicator,
00:13:26.56\00:13:29.05
unclean person,
nor covetous man,
00:13:29.08\00:13:31.16
who is an idolater,
00:13:31.19\00:13:32.22
has any inheritance in
the kingdom of Christ and God.
00:13:32.25\00:13:36.01
Let no one deceive
you with empty words"
00:13:36.04\00:13:39.06
they had the same problem
back there 2,000 years ago.
00:13:39.09\00:13:41.76
People were talking in
the church with empty words
00:13:41.79\00:13:44.11
promising eternal life to people
00:13:44.14\00:13:45.63
who continued
living lives of sin.
00:13:45.66\00:13:48.82
He came to save us from our sin.
00:13:48.85\00:13:52.50
I got my token and for my wife,
00:13:52.53\00:13:55.74
I appreciate that but
that's the truth that the church
00:13:55.77\00:13:59.90
should give a
resounding amen too.
00:13:59.93\00:14:01.85
Amen.
00:14:01.88\00:14:03.20
He--I mean I
don't know about you,
00:14:03.23\00:14:06.03
but most of my problems are sin.
00:14:06.06\00:14:08.18
I want to be saved from that.
00:14:08.21\00:14:09.94
Oh, you know I've now used
this story before many times,
00:14:12.70\00:14:15.67
I can't think of a better
one so let me use it again.
00:14:15.70\00:14:19.24
I picked up a hitchhiker, I
like to pick up hitchhikers,
00:14:19.27\00:14:22.27
and witness to them.
This fellow happened to be
00:14:22.30\00:14:25.21
wearing a whole bunch
of crosses and I remember,
00:14:25.24\00:14:28.89
actually we stopped,
I got something to eat,
00:14:28.92\00:14:30.61
we stopped and we were eating
00:14:30.64\00:14:31.90
and he found
that I was a Christian
00:14:31.93\00:14:33.53
and I was looking
for a way to witness.
00:14:33.56\00:14:35.58
And he said I'm
a Christian, too.
00:14:35.61\00:14:36.98
He said, you see all my crosses.
00:14:37.01\00:14:39.72
So this cross
came from this person,
00:14:39.75\00:14:42.00
and this cross from this person,
00:14:42.03\00:14:43.10
so and so prayed over this cross
and I was thinking to myself,
00:14:43.13\00:14:45.97
it's a lot easier to wear
the cross and bear the cross.
00:14:46.00\00:14:48.55
And he said well,
you know I'm a Christian
00:14:48.58\00:14:49.80
but I'm not a
practicing Christian.
00:14:49.83\00:14:53.03
I said what does that mean?
Well, we got back in the car
00:14:53.06\00:14:56.37
and we started
driving and he was telling me
00:14:56.40\00:14:58.53
about all the
problems in his life.
00:14:58.56\00:15:01.71
You know matter of fact,
he just gotten out of jail
00:15:01.74\00:15:03.60
and he was
separated from his wife
00:15:03.63\00:15:06.32
and he was having
drinking problems,
00:15:06.35\00:15:08.23
and all of these
things were going on his life
00:15:08.26\00:15:09.65
that were related
to sin in his life,
00:15:09.68\00:15:11.03
it was very obvious.
00:15:11.06\00:15:12.09
And so he said,
well, I'm a Christian
00:15:12.12\00:15:13.41
just not a practicing Christian.
00:15:13.44\00:15:14.52
I said is there such a thing?
So you know I came forward
00:15:14.55\00:15:17.19
when I was nine years old,
00:15:17.22\00:15:18.59
I accepted Christ so I'm saved.
00:15:18.62\00:15:21.08
And once you're
saved, you're saved.
00:15:21.11\00:15:23.69
It doesn't matter what you
do. It was his implication.
00:15:23.72\00:15:27.52
I said, what
exactly is it that's causing
00:15:27.55\00:15:30.30
all these problems in your life?
00:15:30.33\00:15:32.60
Well, sin. I said, doesn't Jesus
want to save you from your sin?
00:15:32.63\00:15:38.05
I think I required
these. He started to think
00:15:38.08\00:15:39.56
but he said I guess
I'm not a Christian,
00:15:39.59\00:15:41.16
there's no such thing as
a non practicing Christian.
00:15:41.19\00:15:46.03
Non practicing
Christian is a non Christian.
00:15:46.06\00:15:50.49
Isn't that what that
means? Now before I lose you,
00:15:50.52\00:15:56.55
I want to explain and
ratify, we're saved by grace.
00:15:56.58\00:16:01.42
Salvation is a gift.
00:16:01.45\00:16:04.49
Ephesians 2:8, "For
by grace you have been
00:16:04.52\00:16:08.64
saved through faith,
that not of yourselves,
00:16:08.67\00:16:11.39
it is the gift of
God, not of works,
00:16:11.42\00:16:13.43
lest anyone should boast."
00:16:13.46\00:16:16.17
Nobody can get to
heaven and boast and say,
00:16:16.20\00:16:18.10
I'm here because
of my good works.
00:16:18.13\00:16:20.35
Nobody is saved by their works.
00:16:20.38\00:16:22.81
I understand that L.L. Bean
00:16:22.84\00:16:24.05
sent out an
email before Christmas
00:16:24.08\00:16:26.59
and a lot of
people were fooled by it.
00:16:26.62\00:16:28.97
It said, "Double coupon
dollars our gift to you."
00:16:29.00\00:16:32.79
That was the title
of the L.L. Bean email
00:16:32.82\00:16:37.12
and lot of people felt
for the marketing campaign
00:16:37.15\00:16:41.45
and they opened it up.
00:16:41.48\00:16:42.76
It said, "Our gift to
you double coupon dollars."
00:16:42.79\00:16:45.27
And the first thing it
says in the heading is,
00:16:45.30\00:16:46.68
"Here's how you can earn
your double coupon dollars."
00:16:46.71\00:16:52.23
So evidently, they
want you to earn the gift.
00:16:52.26\00:16:55.25
Is it a gift if
you got to earn it?
00:16:55.28\00:16:58.63
So salvation is a
gift, free gift for you,
00:16:58.66\00:17:02.23
its free to you but
it's a very expensive gift.
00:17:02.26\00:17:04.74
Just because someone
gives you a free gift,
00:17:04.77\00:17:06.07
doesn't mean it was worthless.
00:17:06.10\00:17:08.81
If someone gives you
a free worthless gift
00:17:08.84\00:17:10.56
it's not worth much, right?
00:17:10.59\00:17:12.52
The gift was a
very expensive gift.
00:17:12.55\00:17:16.41
And let me pause on
that point for a moment.
00:17:16.44\00:17:20.38
If you give a book to somebody,
00:17:20.41\00:17:23.24
and you say, yes,
we're part of this project,
00:17:23.27\00:17:26.51
we're giving away
50,000 books and we got 50,000
00:17:26.54\00:17:28.77
and other them
lined up in the semis
00:17:28.80\00:17:30.34
and we'd like
to give one to you,
00:17:30.37\00:17:32.24
and the cost us 18
cents a piece to print.
00:17:32.27\00:17:35.04
You say, thank you very much
00:17:35.07\00:17:36.18
but you might use
it as a paper weight
00:17:36.21\00:17:37.85
or you start a fire or
throw it in the garbage
00:17:37.88\00:17:40.43
because you just say,
00:17:40.46\00:17:41.49
well, that's you
know mass produced,
00:17:41.52\00:17:43.59
so many people got this
book, not very expensive.
00:17:43.62\00:17:47.12
But if someone hands
a book to you and says,
00:17:47.15\00:17:50.09
look, I'm giving you
a collector's edition,
00:17:50.12\00:17:52.54
there's only three
other like it in the world,
00:17:52.57\00:17:54.12
it's worth $10,000
and it's changed the life
00:17:54.15\00:17:57.07
of everybody that reads
it. It's the exact same book,
00:17:57.10\00:18:02.87
but because of your value that
you've attached to the book,
00:18:02.90\00:18:06.87
how much more
likely are you to read it?
00:18:06.90\00:18:09.64
How much more likely are you
to treat it with some respect?
00:18:09.67\00:18:13.51
Because you
know the value of it.
00:18:13.54\00:18:15.54
Because Jesus offers
salvation to the whole world,
00:18:15.57\00:18:17.72
some people think that
it's cheap and worthless.
00:18:17.75\00:18:20.13
It's extremely expensive
and it's extremely valuable
00:18:20.16\00:18:25.13
and it should not be abused.
00:18:25.16\00:18:27.78
It costs a lot
for those who have it.
00:18:27.81\00:18:30.69
It's free but it
costs him something.
00:18:30.72\00:18:33.77
It's free to you
but it's not worthless.
00:18:33.80\00:18:36.94
So since we are saved by grace,
00:18:36.97\00:18:42.33
since we are
saved without any works,
00:18:42.36\00:18:47.55
can we lose our
salvation through bad works?
00:18:47.58\00:18:51.88
What is the role of works?
00:18:51.91\00:18:54.62
Since we are not
saved by our good works
00:18:54.65\00:18:57.16
can we be lost by our bad works?
00:18:57.19\00:18:59.90
If we are saved
by grace can we be
00:18:59.93\00:19:02.23
lost through disobedience?
00:19:02.26\00:19:04.45
That question is a
very important question.
00:19:04.48\00:19:07.54
I think you'd be
surprised how many pastors,
00:19:07.57\00:19:11.56
some even in our church,
00:19:11.59\00:19:12.87
I'm sure would
answer that wrong.
00:19:12.90\00:19:16.93
They would say since
we are saved by grace
00:19:16.96\00:19:19.96
and since our works have nothing
to do with our being saved,
00:19:19.99\00:19:23.12
our works have nothing
to do with our being lost.
00:19:23.15\00:19:25.35
That's not true.
00:19:25.38\00:19:27.62
Now I'm gonna give
you some Bible stories
00:19:27.65\00:19:30.36
and I've given you
some plain scriptures
00:19:30.39\00:19:31.62
and God teaches theology
through the stories in the Bible
00:19:31.65\00:19:34.00
to help illustrate this.
00:19:34.03\00:19:38.87
First of all, Jesus
said you'll know them
00:19:38.90\00:19:40.61
by their by fruits.
00:19:40.64\00:19:43.13
If someone is genuine
or not the fruits will be
00:19:43.16\00:19:45.24
evident in their life.
And what are fruits mean?
00:19:45.27\00:19:47.22
Their behavior.
When we say works,
00:19:47.25\00:19:49.17
we're talking
about actions, deeds,
00:19:49.20\00:19:51.28
that's what we're talking
about. Works is a term for that.
00:19:51.31\00:19:54.25
Jesus said, "Let your
light so shine your faith,
00:19:54.28\00:19:56.79
so shine before
men, that they may see,"
00:19:56.82\00:19:59.62
What? Your faith or your works?
00:19:59.65\00:20:04.24
I mean that's what
James was talking about,
00:20:04.27\00:20:05.97
anybody could
say I've got faith,
00:20:06.00\00:20:07.23
but how do you
demonstrate faith?
00:20:07.26\00:20:09.21
By saying faith, faith, faith
00:20:09.24\00:20:11.75
or do you demonstrate
faith by life of action?
00:20:11.78\00:20:16.70
He says, "So let
your light shine before me
00:20:16.73\00:20:19.08
that they might
see your good works
00:20:19.11\00:20:20.79
and glorify your
Father in heaven."
00:20:20.82\00:20:22.42
You don't do it to glorify you,
you don't do it to be saved,
00:20:22.45\00:20:25.69
you do it because you
are saved to glorify Him.
00:20:25.72\00:20:28.04
That's the big difference.
00:20:28.07\00:20:30.07
Now before Sodom and
Gomorrah were punished
00:20:30.10\00:20:35.69
with the judgment of God,
Sodom and Gomorrah were saved.
00:20:35.72\00:20:40.23
They were saved by
grace, did you know that?
00:20:40.26\00:20:43.83
Sodom and Gomorrah
were carried away captive
00:20:43.86\00:20:47.44
because of their sin
by the kings of the North,
00:20:47.47\00:20:51.21
tells us about
Abraham army and his servants
00:20:51.24\00:20:53.57
and with the confederacy
of some of the other nomads.
00:20:53.60\00:20:55.77
They went up to the north,
they attacked Chedorlaomer
00:20:55.80\00:20:58.90
and his kings of
the north by Damascus.
00:20:58.93\00:21:01.38
They rescued a Lot in his family
and all the people in Sodom.
00:21:01.41\00:21:06.88
They didn't deserve
it, they didn't earn it,
00:21:06.91\00:21:08.95
matter of fact the king
of Sodom tried to pay Abraham
00:21:08.98\00:21:11.37
for his
deliverance and Abraham said
00:21:11.40\00:21:12.77
I won't take
anything, it's a gift.
00:21:12.80\00:21:15.81
Now I'm telling
you just assuming
00:21:15.84\00:21:17.17
you know your
Bibles a little bit,
00:21:17.20\00:21:18.61
we don't have time to
read all the references.
00:21:18.64\00:21:21.79
Saved by grace
would not accept payment
00:21:21.82\00:21:25.68
but they went back
to Sodom, they said,
00:21:25.71\00:21:27.04
well, that was nice
being rescued like that.
00:21:27.07\00:21:30.23
God must really love
us and so they figured
00:21:30.26\00:21:33.49
that that was a license to
return to their wicked living.
00:21:33.52\00:21:36.64
And instead of
repenting like the Ninevites
00:21:36.67\00:21:38.75
and changing ways as a nation,
00:21:38.78\00:21:40.34
they went right
back in with both hands
00:21:40.37\00:21:42.28
to their lives of the base sin.
00:21:42.31\00:21:46.16
And after saving them by
grace and not allowing them
00:21:46.19\00:21:49.12
to pay for the salvation,
00:21:49.15\00:21:50.62
God said, look, it
hasn't touched their hearts
00:21:50.65\00:21:52.78
I now need to
visit them in judgment.
00:21:52.81\00:21:55.06
You can read
about this in Jude 1:7.
00:21:55.09\00:21:58.23
"As Sodom and Gomorrah,
00:21:58.26\00:21:59.58
and the cities around
them in a similar manner,
00:21:59.61\00:22:02.11
having given themselves
over to sexual immorality
00:22:02.14\00:22:04.65
and going after strange flesh,
00:22:04.68\00:22:05.99
they are set
forth as an example,
00:22:06.02\00:22:08.21
suffering the
vengeance of eternal fire."
00:22:08.24\00:22:10.91
They were saved by grace
but then their bad behavior
00:22:10.94\00:22:14.25
after they were
saved brought on judgment.
00:22:14.28\00:22:17.69
That's one example but
you don't look convinced.
00:22:17.72\00:22:21.03
King David had a
son named Absalom.
00:22:21.06\00:22:24.53
Absalom murdered
his brother Amnon.
00:22:24.56\00:22:28.15
Now Amnon sort of
deserved it because that Amnon
00:22:28.18\00:22:31.59
had abused Absalom sister.
00:22:31.62\00:22:36.64
And David hadn't
done anything about it,
00:22:36.67\00:22:38.19
so after Absalom killed
Amnon, Absalom left town.
00:22:38.22\00:22:43.92
For a several years, he
was out of town basically
00:22:43.95\00:22:45.71
staying with grandma and
grandpa in another country.
00:22:45.74\00:22:50.42
And Joab interceded
with the king and said,
00:22:50.45\00:22:53.47
show mercy on your
son, forgive Absalom,
00:22:53.50\00:22:57.19
bring him back to Jerusalem.
00:22:57.22\00:23:01.60
And so that king
said to Joab, all right,
00:23:01.63\00:23:03.69
this is 2 Samuel 14:21,
"I have granted this thing.
00:23:03.72\00:23:08.62
Go therefore, bring
back the young man Absalom.
00:23:08.65\00:23:11.77
And when he'd
called for Absalom,
00:23:11.80\00:23:13.34
he came to the king
and he bowed on his face
00:23:13.37\00:23:16.30
to the ground before the king
00:23:16.33\00:23:17.69
and the king kissed Absalom."
00:23:17.72\00:23:19.48
So here you've got
a story in the bible
00:23:19.51\00:23:21.19
where Absalom had left
town, he murdered his brother,
00:23:21.22\00:23:25.39
he had been
separated from his father
00:23:25.42\00:23:27.70
like the sinner is separated.
00:23:27.73\00:23:29.94
Joab intercedes,
David says I'll forgive him,
00:23:29.97\00:23:34.16
let him come back.
00:23:34.19\00:23:35.22
He humbles
himself before his father,
00:23:35.25\00:23:37.31
his father embraces
him, he is accept that
00:23:37.34\00:23:39.80
he's living back in Jerusalem.
00:23:39.83\00:23:41.48
So this is sort of a
scenario of salvation.
00:23:41.51\00:23:45.24
He was forgiven.
He was brought back.
00:23:45.27\00:23:47.79
He was given his status again.
00:23:47.82\00:23:50.05
But you know what he did after
he was received back again?
00:23:50.08\00:23:53.00
He began to think, you know,
00:23:53.03\00:23:54.69
I can get away
with almost anything.
00:23:54.72\00:23:57.08
David is so merciful.
00:23:57.11\00:23:58.83
I bet I could
even rebel against him
00:23:58.86\00:24:00.98
and try and take his throne
00:24:01.01\00:24:02.08
and he won't do
it anything about it.
00:24:02.11\00:24:05.17
And he began to abuse
his father's patience.
00:24:05.20\00:24:07.92
He started standing
in the gate and say,
00:24:07.95\00:24:09.57
oh, my dad's not
a very good king,
00:24:09.60\00:24:10.98
he's not a very good
judge. But if I was in charge,
00:24:11.01\00:24:12.87
things would be a lot better.
00:24:12.90\00:24:15.20
And little by little, he
stole the hearts of the people.
00:24:15.23\00:24:17.22
He incited a
rebellion and broke out
00:24:17.25\00:24:19.02
into an open war and in
the result, what happened?
00:24:19.05\00:24:24.02
Absalom was slain in the word,
00:24:24.05\00:24:25.49
Joab who had mercy
on him the first time,
00:24:25.52\00:24:27.72
said no mercy the second time.
00:24:27.75\00:24:31.81
He died suspended
between heaven and earth
00:24:31.84\00:24:36.35
hanging by his beautiful
locks of hair from a tree.
00:24:36.38\00:24:40.22
I don't ever have to worry
about that happening to me.
00:24:40.25\00:24:44.42
And he was
pierced through the heart
00:24:44.45\00:24:47.33
and the Bible
says, they took Absalom,
00:24:47.36\00:24:48.81
this is 2 Samuel 18:17,
00:24:48.84\00:24:53.36
"Cast him into a
large pit in the woods,
00:24:53.39\00:24:55.56
and laid a very large
heap of stones over him."
00:24:55.59\00:24:59.10
Saved by grace,
restored to the father
00:24:59.13\00:25:01.61
but he did not
change his ways, judged,
00:25:01.64\00:25:05.55
placed in a pit.
00:25:05.58\00:25:06.81
By the way that's a scenario
00:25:06.84\00:25:08.34
what's gonna
happen to the devil.
00:25:08.37\00:25:09.98
The devil was like
that beautiful prince
00:25:10.01\00:25:13.27
and he began to steal the
hearts of the other angels,
00:25:13.30\00:25:16.06
he incited to rebellion
and it says about Satan.
00:25:16.09\00:25:18.56
You shall be brought to
the pit, never shall you be,
00:25:18.59\00:25:21.57
you will be a terror and
never shall you be anymore.
00:25:21.60\00:25:24.89
In similar to what's
gonna happen to the lost.
00:25:24.93\00:25:28.19
You remember the
parable of Jesus,
00:25:28.22\00:25:29.49
we're still talking
about this principle,
00:25:29.52\00:25:30.80
I want to restate,
00:25:30.83\00:25:31.86
want to put up
on the screen there.
00:25:31.89\00:25:33.59
If we're not
saved by our good works,
00:25:33.62\00:25:35.52
can we be lost by our bad works?
00:25:35.55\00:25:38.40
I'm telling the answer is
yes. It's a way definite, yes.
00:25:38.43\00:25:42.39
You're not saved by your works
00:25:42.42\00:25:43.76
but you can be lost by bad works
00:25:43.79\00:25:45.42
'cause bad works indicate
you've not been converted.
00:25:45.45\00:25:49.36
Bad works indicate that
your heart has not been renewed
00:25:49.39\00:25:52.25
and maybe you're unsaved.
00:25:52.28\00:25:56.04
Jesus tells a parable
of an unmerciful debtor.
00:25:56.07\00:25:58.79
This is one of the
most clear examples
00:25:58.82\00:26:00.30
of how the principle works.
00:26:00.33\00:26:03.30
He says,
there's this certain man
00:26:03.33\00:26:05.41
who was brought before king
00:26:05.44\00:26:07.41
and he owed 10,000
talents and he could not pay.
00:26:07.44\00:26:10.78
So the king
commanded him to be sold in all
00:26:10.81\00:26:13.69
that he had that
payment might be made.
00:26:13.72\00:26:15.66
He felled down before the king,
00:26:15.69\00:26:17.09
this is from Matthew Chapter
18 and he begged for mercy.
00:26:17.12\00:26:21.56
He said have patience with
me and I will pay thee all.
00:26:21.59\00:26:24.35
And the king had
compassion on him
00:26:24.38\00:26:26.14
and he forgive
him the whole debt.
00:26:26.31\00:26:27.60
You noticed something
here, this unmerciful debtor
00:26:27.63\00:26:30.53
that's just the
name in the parable
00:26:30.56\00:26:31.81
that's used for
him, he asked the king
00:26:31.84\00:26:34.78
for forgiveness, he
says I'll pay you back
00:26:34.81\00:26:36.34
and the king says,
look, forget about it.
00:26:36.37\00:26:37.72
I'm forgiving the whole
debt and the king forgives him.
00:26:37.75\00:26:42.77
But in his mind, he thought
it was a payment program.
00:26:42.80\00:26:46.40
He said I'm gonna
pay it. I'm gonna pay it.
00:26:46.43\00:26:47.87
He went out not realizing
00:26:47.90\00:26:49.53
he'd been freely
and totally forgiven.
00:26:49.56\00:26:53.26
Because he did not understand
00:26:53.29\00:26:54.83
that he'd been totally forgiven,
00:26:54.86\00:26:57.44
he went out and thought
00:26:57.47\00:26:58.50
that he had to get the
money to payback to king.
00:26:58.53\00:27:01.09
He found a fellow
servant that owed him like $40,
00:27:01.12\00:27:05.24
he takes him by
the throat, he says,
00:27:05.27\00:27:07.45
pay me what you owe me.
00:27:07.48\00:27:09.16
The fellow servant falls down
00:27:09.19\00:27:10.64
before him just like he
had done before the king,
00:27:10.67\00:27:14.05
said have patience with
me and I'll pay thee all,
00:27:14.08\00:27:16.26
and a lot more likely
he can payback that $42
00:27:16.29\00:27:20.89
but he would not have
mercy and he delivered him
00:27:20.92\00:27:25.41
to the tormentors
$42, his fellow servant.
00:27:25.44\00:27:29.56
He had just been
forgiven 10,000 talents
00:27:29.59\00:27:32.22
which is like $52
million depending on
00:27:32.25\00:27:35.18
whether they're talents
of silver, talents of gold.
00:27:35.21\00:27:38.55
Well, the
servants of the king hear
00:27:38.58\00:27:41.06
what this man had done
00:27:41.09\00:27:42.57
who'd just been
forgiven this phenomenal amount
00:27:42.60\00:27:44.71
they bring word
back to the king.
00:27:44.74\00:27:46.65
They say, you
know that accountant
00:27:46.68\00:27:48.73
that had plundered your account
00:27:48.76\00:27:50.46
that he'd
mismanaged and extorted
00:27:50.49\00:27:51.93
all that money that you forgave,
00:27:51.96\00:27:53.77
he just went out and he cast
00:27:53.80\00:27:55.56
one of our fellow
servants into prison for $42.
00:27:55.59\00:27:59.49
The kind was incensed.
Said bring him here to me.
00:27:59.52\00:28:02.74
"Then his master,
after he had called him in"
00:28:06.27\00:28:08.22
I'm in Matthew 18:32,
00:28:08.25\00:28:12.10
"He said to him,
'You wicked servant!
00:28:12.13\00:28:14.49
I forgave you all that
debt because you begged me.
00:28:14.52\00:28:18.64
Should you not
have also had compassion
00:28:18.67\00:28:21.29
on your fellow servant,
just as I had pity on you?'
00:28:21.32\00:28:24.68
And his master was angry,
00:28:24.71\00:28:27.09
and delivered
him to the torturers,
00:28:27.12\00:28:29.14
the tormenters,
until he should pay
00:28:29.17\00:28:31.16
all that was due to him.
00:28:31.19\00:28:33.02
So My heavenly
Father also will do to you
00:28:33.05\00:28:37.45
if each of you, from your heart,
00:28:37.48\00:28:39.81
he does not forgive his
brother his trespasses."
00:28:39.84\00:28:43.69
Now I want to dwell on this
00:28:43.72\00:28:45.22
because this parable
really helps sum it up.
00:28:45.25\00:28:47.58
We're not done with other
examples of the principle.
00:28:47.61\00:28:52.80
You know the only
comment that Jesus makes
00:28:52.83\00:28:54.64
on the Lord's Prayer
is the part of the prayer
00:28:54.67\00:28:57.34
where it says
"Forgive us our debts
00:28:57.37\00:28:59.92
as we forgive our debtors.
00:28:59.95\00:29:01.66
Forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those
00:29:01.69\00:29:03.75
who trespass against them."
00:29:03.78\00:29:05.31
And then Jesus says at
the end of the Lord's prayer,
00:29:05.34\00:29:08.57
"If you do not
forgive men their trespasses,
00:29:08.60\00:29:10.52
neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses."
00:29:10.55\00:29:14.03
That's very important.
00:29:14.06\00:29:16.12
In other words, who
does the first forgiving?
00:29:16.15\00:29:21.06
The servant or the father?
00:29:21.09\00:29:23.36
The king, the father forgives.
00:29:23.39\00:29:25.77
He says now that
I've forgiven you,
00:29:25.80\00:29:27.90
now that I've
shown mercy on you,
00:29:27.93\00:29:29.96
I want you to go and live
out that mercy in your life.
00:29:29.99\00:29:34.14
I freely
forgiven you, Jesus says,
00:29:34.17\00:29:36.17
freely you receive freely give.
00:29:36.20\00:29:38.07
He's not just
talking about money.
00:29:38.10\00:29:39.90
I mean if He
gives you that freely,
00:29:39.93\00:29:41.27
we hope you give it freely too.
00:29:41.30\00:29:42.98
He's talking about mercy.
00:29:43.01\00:29:45.13
I freely shown you
mercy, be merciful to others.
00:29:45.16\00:29:48.17
I mean God is willing to
forgive us 10,000 talents
00:29:48.20\00:29:51.86
and we're not willing
to forgive each other $42.
00:29:51.89\00:29:56.05
Someone once
compared that to the distance
00:29:56.08\00:29:57.91
between the sun and
the earth, 93 million miles
00:29:57.94\00:30:00.65
that God is
willing to forgive us
00:30:00.68\00:30:01.93
and we won't
forgive each other one foot.
00:30:01.96\00:30:03.86
Don't miss a
very important point.
00:30:06.48\00:30:07.89
That servant when he
became before the king,
00:30:07.92\00:30:10.44
he said have patience
with me and I will pay.
00:30:10.47\00:30:13.47
He thought he was earning it,
00:30:13.50\00:30:15.12
he didn't
understand that it was grace.
00:30:15.15\00:30:17.08
When we understand that
we're forgiven by grace,
00:30:17.11\00:30:20.04
that grace does
something in our hearts,
00:30:20.07\00:30:22.95
where we didn't
want to be different,
00:30:22.98\00:30:25.75
we then want to
give grace to others.
00:30:25.78\00:30:27.75
When we understand
what our forgiveness cost,
00:30:27.78\00:30:31.05
what our sins cost
we don't want to go away
00:30:31.08\00:30:33.31
from the king's
presence and go right back
00:30:33.34\00:30:35.41
to squandering his resources.
00:30:35.44\00:30:37.61
The thief on the
cross, will he be in heaven?
00:30:38.65\00:30:41.35
Oh, yeah, good
point, which of the thieves?
00:30:43.25\00:30:44.71
I didn't say which one, did I?
00:30:44.74\00:30:46.07
They're two of them there.
00:30:46.10\00:30:47.13
Now I'm talking about the
one that had that dialogue
00:30:48.19\00:30:49.65
with Jesus where he
said, Lord, remember me.
00:30:49.68\00:30:52.09
And Jesus said,
barely I saved you today,
00:30:52.12\00:30:54.78
you'll be with Me in paradise.
00:30:54.81\00:30:56.34
Will he be in
the kingdom? He will.
00:30:56.37\00:30:59.05
Based on his
works or based on faith?
00:30:59.08\00:31:01.30
Based on faith.
00:31:01.33\00:31:03.08
Do his works have
anything to do with it?
00:31:03.11\00:31:05.18
Did he have any works?
00:31:06.45\00:31:08.29
Yeah, there's one work.
00:31:08.32\00:31:10.18
There's one work that everybody
needs to be involved in
00:31:12.00\00:31:16.29
and so I heard
somebody saying my answer here.
00:31:16.32\00:31:18.83
Don't give it away.
00:31:18.86\00:31:20.05
John 6:28, 29, the
Jews came to Jesus,
00:31:20.08\00:31:26.40
they said, "What shall we do,
00:31:26.43\00:31:28.48
that we may work
the works of God?"
00:31:28.51\00:31:31.07
Here is the one
work that everybody
00:31:31.10\00:31:32.85
needs to do to be saved.
00:31:32.88\00:31:34.33
"This is the work of
God, that you believe
00:31:34.36\00:31:37.96
in Him whom He sent."
00:31:37.99\00:31:40.12
So there's a work
involved in believing.
00:31:40.15\00:31:43.68
Now we're gonna dwell on
this with our next example,
00:31:44.86\00:31:48.10
the children of Israel.
00:31:48.13\00:31:49.86
When the Lord brought
the children of Israel
00:31:53.05\00:31:54.95
out of Egypt did they
begin their journey out of Egypt
00:31:54.98\00:31:58.87
based on faith or works?
00:31:58.90\00:32:00.81
What was the
launching pad for their journey?
00:32:00.84\00:32:04.38
Was it the law
or was it the lamb?
00:32:04.41\00:32:07.18
How well do you know
your Exodus chronology?
00:32:09.38\00:32:12.54
Before they left
Egypt, they're still in Egypt,
00:32:12.57\00:32:16.00
what was it that gave them,
00:32:16.03\00:32:18.47
what did they do before
they began their journey?
00:32:18.50\00:32:22.31
Did they receive the law,
did they receive the lamb?
00:32:22.34\00:32:24.71
First thing they did was
they applied the blood of lamb.
00:32:26.46\00:32:29.10
But they need to do something?
00:32:29.13\00:32:30.25
They needed to
sacrifice the lamb
00:32:30.28\00:32:31.85
and they needed to
apply the blood to the door
00:32:31.88\00:32:33.61
and that lamb
began their journey.
00:32:33.64\00:32:36.26
That lamb provided freedom
to them from their prison.
00:32:36.29\00:32:41.23
They were
liberated from their prison.
00:32:41.26\00:32:44.47
They were saved from
their life of bondage
00:32:44.50\00:32:47.33
because of the
blood of the lamb.
00:32:47.36\00:32:48.74
You are still
with me, am I right?
00:32:48.77\00:32:50.96
After they were saved,
oh, they then get hungry,
00:32:50.99\00:32:55.44
God gives them
bread, they get thirsty,
00:32:55.47\00:32:57.02
He gives them
water, they get attacked,
00:32:57.05\00:32:58.64
He gives them victory.
00:32:58.67\00:32:59.91
He does all this for them
before they go to Mount Sinai.
00:32:59.94\00:33:03.03
Then He brings
them to Mount Sinai
00:33:04.05\00:33:05.79
and He begins
the Ten Commandments.
00:33:05.82\00:33:07.74
What's the first commandment?
00:33:07.77\00:33:09.14
Well, first commandment,
I heard some of you say it,
00:33:14.74\00:33:17.38
I shall not have other Gods,
00:33:17.41\00:33:18.44
that is part of
the First Commandment
00:33:18.47\00:33:19.83
but the commandment
begins with it says,
00:33:19.86\00:33:21.55
God speak all
these Words saying.
00:33:21.58\00:33:23.72
Meaning here's what
the-- when God wrote with his
00:33:23.75\00:33:27.01
finger on the stone, this
is where the writing begins.
00:33:27.04\00:33:29.83
I'm the Lord your
God that brought you
00:33:29.86\00:33:32.43
out of the house of bondage,
out of the house of slavery,
00:33:32.46\00:33:35.91
the land of
Egypt, thou shalt have
00:33:35.94\00:33:37.98
no other gods before Me.
00:33:38.01\00:33:39.61
In other Words, he
starts the Ten Commandments
00:33:39.64\00:33:41.42
by saying, I saved you.
00:33:41.45\00:33:45.18
Now if you love
Me, here's My law,
00:33:45.21\00:33:47.80
that's the implication.
00:33:47.83\00:33:49.53
He doesn't give them the
law and after He completely
00:33:49.56\00:33:53.46
saves them out of Egypt.
00:33:53.49\00:33:55.42
After they are saved,
00:33:55.45\00:33:57.53
He then says
here's My will, obey Me.
00:33:57.56\00:34:00.56
Matter of fact, in
the Ten Commandments,
00:34:00.59\00:34:02.34
it says in the commandment
dealing with idolatry
00:34:02.37\00:34:05.09
showing mercy
unto thousands of them
00:34:05.12\00:34:06.65
that love Me and
keep My commandments.
00:34:06.68\00:34:09.46
You need to love God
to keep His commandments.
00:34:09.49\00:34:11.21
But He saves them first.
00:34:11.24\00:34:13.48
So do they make it
immediately from Egypt
00:34:13.51\00:34:18.20
to the Promised Land or
does He saved them from Egypt,
00:34:18.23\00:34:21.34
He brings them
to Mount of Sinai?
00:34:21.37\00:34:23.25
Says here's My will,
obey Me, is that what he said?
00:34:23.28\00:34:27.50
He says this is My
covenant I'm making with you,
00:34:27.53\00:34:30.33
gives them the table
of stones, here's My law,
00:34:30.36\00:34:33.76
the new
covenant is the same law,
00:34:33.79\00:34:36.24
it's now written on
the heart, same law.
00:34:36.27\00:34:38.59
And how many of them
made it to the Promised Land?
00:34:41.37\00:34:43.94
Those above 20 that
began the journey out of,
00:34:45.54\00:34:49.40
you know, a million, they
were above 20, two made it.
00:34:49.43\00:34:54.57
Does that scare you?
00:34:54.60\00:34:56.64
You know why?
00:34:59.37\00:35:00.71
Because this piece of
theology misunderstood is fatal.
00:35:00.74\00:35:05.63
If--they say,
well, you know after all
00:35:05.66\00:35:07.91
the Lord did all these miracles
00:35:07.94\00:35:09.11
to save us from
the land of Egypt,
00:35:09.14\00:35:10.29
He's just gonna keep putting up
00:35:10.32\00:35:11.39
with our bad behavior all
the way to the Promised Land.
00:35:11.42\00:35:13.89
No, He wanted to not
only save them from Egypt,
00:35:13.92\00:35:16.81
He wanted to save them from sin.
00:35:16.84\00:35:18.40
That's the whole reason
they built the sanctuary
00:35:18.43\00:35:21.25
so that they would
not only be justified,
00:35:21.28\00:35:23.64
He wanted them to be sanctified,
00:35:23.67\00:35:26.41
to be different
people, to live by faith.
00:35:26.44\00:35:30.14
Now, what does
it mean to believe?
00:35:30.17\00:35:33.69
So many people
say it doesn't matter
00:35:33.72\00:35:35.75
what your works are, it just
matters what your belief is.
00:35:35.78\00:35:39.17
Do you have faith?
00:35:39.20\00:35:40.92
And so they built
this whole theology
00:35:42.47\00:35:46.14
that all you have to
do is just mental assent,
00:35:46.17\00:35:51.55
whoever calls in
the name of the Lord
00:35:51.58\00:35:53.07
will be saved, and they neglect
00:35:53.10\00:35:54.52
all the evidence in
the scripture that says
00:35:54.55\00:35:56.20
God wants you to be holy people
with a different behavior.
00:35:56.23\00:35:59.28
Now I haven't
seen it but I heard
00:36:02.01\00:36:03.94
that Al Gore put out a
movie on the environment called
00:36:03.97\00:36:07.81
"An Inconvenient Truth"
and I'm not vying on the movie
00:36:07.84\00:36:10.83
'cause I haven't seen
it but I've heard about it
00:36:10.86\00:36:12.37
and I guess it caused a lot
of stir but I liked the title,
00:36:12.40\00:36:16.46
"An Inconvenient Truth."
00:36:16.49\00:36:19.21
Some truths are inconvenient.
00:36:20.53\00:36:23.72
You know one of the
examples in more modern times
00:36:23.75\00:36:27.11
that illustrates that people
00:36:27.14\00:36:29.31
who don't want to
believe something,
00:36:29.34\00:36:30.71
who can't afford
to believe something
00:36:30.74\00:36:31.77
will refuse to believe it
no matter what the evidence is.
00:36:31.80\00:36:34.56
In 1994, a number
of tobacco executives
00:36:36.30\00:36:41.04
stood before a federal enquiry
00:36:41.07\00:36:45.82
and there was a
department of justice lawsuit
00:36:45.85\00:36:49.45
because all these
lawsuits began to stockpile
00:36:49.48\00:36:51.63
about people who
were dying of lung cancer,
00:36:51.66\00:36:53.31
they sued the tobacco companies.
00:36:53.34\00:36:54.84
I've got a problem with that,
00:36:54.87\00:36:56.07
it's like suing McDonalds
00:36:56.10\00:36:57.14
when you eat too
many cheeseburgers.
00:36:57.17\00:36:59.02
Well, I mean but
anyway and they started
00:36:59.05\00:37:01.30
suing for their
medical expenses and everything
00:37:01.33\00:37:03.31
and the tobacco executives
00:37:03.34\00:37:05.76
have to get up and
they were testifying.
00:37:05.79\00:37:08.36
You know, we really not sure
00:37:08.39\00:37:10.63
that there any health
problems connected with smoking.
00:37:10.66\00:37:13.61
We are not sure
that you can draw a line
00:37:14.77\00:37:16.97
between nicotine and cancer.
00:37:17.00\00:37:20.13
We're not marketing to children,
00:37:20.16\00:37:23.86
and they just began to blatantly
00:37:23.89\00:37:26.19
lie and raise
their hands and swear,
00:37:26.22\00:37:28.39
we didn't know
there's something wrong,
00:37:28.42\00:37:30.34
they said, we have no idea.
00:37:30.37\00:37:31.82
Because after all, I mean,
00:37:33.22\00:37:35.02
finally most of them
have complained, after all,
00:37:35.05\00:37:38.14
how can you be an
executive in a tobacco company
00:37:38.17\00:37:42.43
raking in all those
money on selling something
00:37:42.46\00:37:45.09
that's killing
people, making people sick,
00:37:45.12\00:37:47.43
number one health problem,
00:37:47.46\00:37:51.30
it contributes to
heart disease and cancer
00:37:51.33\00:37:54.43
and health problems as much as
00:37:54.46\00:37:56.70
just about anything
else next to alcohol
00:37:56.73\00:37:58.29
I believe in North America.
00:37:58.32\00:38:00.62
Without lying to yourself,
00:38:00.65\00:38:03.89
and say, well, I
didn't know, is really--?
00:38:03.92\00:38:06.93
No, it's not proven yet,
00:38:06.96\00:38:08.59
we haven't seen
hard enough evidence.
00:38:08.62\00:38:10.15
It was an inconvenient truth,
00:38:11.66\00:38:12.76
they couldn't
afford to admit it.
00:38:12.79\00:38:15.04
Well, you know what's happened?
00:38:16.41\00:38:17.73
I've seen it in the church
where--this is how it works.
00:38:17.76\00:38:21.89
Christ wants to
save us from sin.
00:38:21.92\00:38:23.64
We are justified but then
let's go to the next step,
00:38:24.77\00:38:28.03
He wants to be victorious
and to live holy lives
00:38:28.06\00:38:32.52
but we look around and we
say who can dare claim holiness?
00:38:32.55\00:38:39.32
Look at all the sin not
only in the world in the church.
00:38:39.35\00:38:42.75
Statistically,
there's just about as much
00:38:42.78\00:38:46.28
the worse in the church
as you see in the world.
00:38:46.31\00:38:49.06
And so we think, well, since
00:38:49.09\00:38:53.34
there's so few
examples of victory,
00:38:53.37\00:38:55.24
we better change
our theology no matter
00:38:55.27\00:38:57.50
what the Bible says because
it's an inconvenient truth
00:38:57.53\00:39:00.43
that God wants
us to stop sinning.
00:39:00.46\00:39:02.25
Did you know that?
00:39:04.19\00:39:06.25
He wants you to stop sinning.
00:39:06.28\00:39:07.97
He didn't want you cut down,
00:39:09.91\00:39:12.22
He doesn't want you to
use the patch tape her off,
00:39:12.25\00:39:15.26
He wants you to quit.
00:39:15.29\00:39:17.12
And He doesn't want you to quit
00:39:18.99\00:39:20.23
when you get used to it,
when it's convenient for you,
00:39:20.26\00:39:23.58
He wants to quit now
00:39:23.61\00:39:25.43
because every time
you sin, it hurts you.
00:39:25.46\00:39:27.63
Now it's strange that
you shall have to apologetic
00:39:29.59\00:39:31.94
about saying stuff
like that in a church.
00:39:31.97\00:39:33.98
When Jesus talked
to Mary Magdalene,
00:39:34.01\00:39:36.21
she was caught in
the very act of adultery,
00:39:36.24\00:39:38.65
He said, go and cut back on sin.
00:39:38.68\00:39:41.60
Is that what He said?
He said go and sin no more.
00:39:43.22\00:39:46.76
And then everybody says,
well, what did He mean by sin?
00:39:47.81\00:39:50.73
Is, is, is...
00:39:50.76\00:39:52.47
But what does that mean?
00:39:55.65\00:39:57.72
Well, the very
fact that he didn't
00:39:57.75\00:39:59.84
go to great lengths
to define what sin means
00:39:59.87\00:40:02.53
and that passage means,
00:40:02.56\00:40:03.74
it means the same thing
it means everywhere else.
00:40:03.77\00:40:06.24
Does that make sense?
00:40:06.27\00:40:07.76
Sin was why she
was about to be stone,
00:40:08.92\00:40:11.01
and He says don't
do that anymore, right.
00:40:11.04\00:40:14.62
He didn't say Mary,
I want you to go try
00:40:15.70\00:40:17.11
and reduce the
events, keep her off.
00:40:17.14\00:40:22.60
Sin is what was killing her.
00:40:25.14\00:40:26.55
Does God want us to be hearers
00:40:28.11\00:40:30.91
or doers of the Word?
00:40:30.94\00:40:32.84
Romans 12-- I'm
sorry Romans 2:13,
00:40:34.54\00:40:38.33
Paul is speaking
here and people take
00:40:38.36\00:40:39.97
to the writings of
Paul as much as anybody
00:40:40.00\00:40:41.50
to abuse for
this Paul's theology.
00:40:41.53\00:40:44.80
"For not the hearers of the law
are just in the sight of God,
00:40:44.83\00:40:49.01
but the doers of the
law will be justified."
00:40:49.04\00:40:52.12
But why do the Lord, does
He want us to hear it or do it?
00:40:53.63\00:40:56.84
What did James say?
00:40:56.87\00:40:59.00
James 1:25, "But he who looks
00:40:59.03\00:41:01.75
into the perfect law of liberty"
00:41:01.78\00:41:03.89
by the way if you
read this in context,
00:41:03.92\00:41:05.98
he names through
the Ten Commandments
00:41:06.01\00:41:07.52
before this verse.
00:41:07.55\00:41:08.87
"But he who looks into
the perfect law of liberty
00:41:08.90\00:41:11.51
and continues in it,
being not a forgetful hearer
00:41:11.54\00:41:15.03
but a doer of the work,
this man will be blessed."
00:41:15.06\00:41:18.93
Why does God want us to do it?
00:41:18.96\00:41:20.43
Because we're
blessed when we are,
00:41:20.46\00:41:24.02
you are blessed and
your children are blessed
00:41:24.05\00:41:25.46
and your church is blessed.
00:41:25.49\00:41:26.93
In other Words, God's speaking
to the children of Israel,
00:41:26.96\00:41:29.71
Deuteronomy 5:29,
00:41:29.74\00:41:31.99
"Oh, that they had
such a heart in them
00:41:32.02\00:41:35.24
that they would fear Me always
00:41:35.27\00:41:37.65
and keep all of My commandments,
00:41:37.68\00:41:40.72
that it might be well with them
and their children forever."
00:41:40.75\00:41:43.94
Oh, I said that wrong.
00:41:46.07\00:41:47.54
"Oh, that they had
such a heart in them
00:41:47.57\00:41:50.13
that they would
fear Me and always keep
00:41:50.16\00:41:52.80
all of My commandments."
00:41:52.83\00:41:55.10
How many commandments?
00:41:55.13\00:41:56.74
What percentage would that be?
00:41:56.77\00:41:58.43
How often? All the time.
00:41:58.46\00:42:01.44
Pastor Doug, are you
reading this out of context?
00:42:01.47\00:42:04.72
No.
00:42:04.75\00:42:05.78
But that's the Old Testament,
00:42:05.81\00:42:06.84
it doesn't apply anymore.
00:42:06.87\00:42:08.41
Have you heard that one?
00:42:08.44\00:42:10.08
It's still true today, friends.
00:42:11.93\00:42:13.66
He wants us to keep
all of them all the time
00:42:13.69\00:42:15.33
that it might be well with us
00:42:15.36\00:42:16.94
because think about if that's
not true what does that mean?
00:42:16.97\00:42:20.72
What if God should
say to you, you know,
00:42:20.75\00:42:23.69
you can fudge a little,
that has two meanings, isn't it?
00:42:23.72\00:42:27.67
You didn't get that.
00:42:30.80\00:42:31.95
Some people sin is fudge,
00:42:33.67\00:42:36.52
but they say, oh, it
doesn't matter that much.
00:42:36.55\00:42:38.63
You know, just a
little sin, what if God said,
00:42:38.66\00:42:43.86
a little
adultery, we're all human.
00:42:43.89\00:42:46.88
If He was to say anything
other than perfect holiness,
00:42:46.91\00:42:50.64
He becomes unaccomplished.
00:42:50.67\00:42:53.34
Our God in the New Testament,
00:42:53.37\00:42:54.89
in the Old Testament
does not talk that way.
00:42:54.92\00:42:57.97
Christ is our example,
He's a perfect example.
00:42:58.00\00:43:00.27
And think about
what we're really
00:43:00.30\00:43:02.02
saying as a church
when nobody ever argues
00:43:02.05\00:43:05.34
if the devil
can't tempt us to sin.
00:43:05.37\00:43:06.75
I don't hear any
preacher ever arguing say
00:43:06.78\00:43:09.16
devil can't ever make anyone sin
00:43:09.19\00:43:12.48
or the devil can't
tempt anyone to sin.
00:43:12.51\00:43:15.80
You never hear a
pastor saying that.
00:43:15.83\00:43:18.22
The devil can't
tempt you to sin.
00:43:18.25\00:43:19.76
You never hear a pastor saying
00:43:19.79\00:43:21.05
there's no such thing as sin.
00:43:21.08\00:43:23.43
Nobody argues with
the reality of sin,
00:43:23.46\00:43:25.56
you know they argue
with the reality of holiness.
00:43:25.59\00:43:28.79
We all believe the
devil can tempt us to sin.
00:43:30.34\00:43:34.32
Why do have such a hard time
00:43:34.35\00:43:35.52
believing God
can keep us from sin?
00:43:35.55\00:43:37.66
If we find it easy
to believe the devil
00:43:37.69\00:43:40.47
can make us fall
but we don't believe
00:43:40.50\00:43:43.47
that Jesus can make us
stand then what we're really
00:43:43.50\00:43:46.67
saying is our devil is
more powerful than our God.
00:43:46.70\00:43:49.19
Is that caveman
logic does it hold up?
00:43:50.40\00:43:53.67
If we think the
devil can tempt us to sin
00:43:55.01\00:43:57.26
but we don't believe the
Lord can keep us from sin
00:43:57.29\00:43:59.41
then who's
stronger in your thinking?
00:43:59.44\00:44:01.10
The--and that's why
the devil says, look,
00:44:03.88\00:44:05.99
if I got them on this
point, grace, salvation,
00:44:06.02\00:44:10.37
faith and works, so
they just take the faith part
00:44:10.40\00:44:13.12
from sin they don't take the
holy living part, I got them.
00:44:13.15\00:44:16.79
Because the big acquisition
that Satan makes against God
00:44:16.82\00:44:20.48
is you're unfair, you're
expecting these creatures
00:44:20.51\00:44:24.69
that you've made
to do the impossible,
00:44:24.72\00:44:26.78
they can't do it.
00:44:26.81\00:44:28.16
You're unreasonable for
punishing them for sinning
00:44:28.19\00:44:30.67
because they can't
do anything but sin.
00:44:30.70\00:44:32.38
In order for you and
I to bring glory to God
00:44:33.38\00:44:35.12
and vindicate God
from that acquisition,
00:44:35.15\00:44:37.91
He wants us to live your lives.
00:44:37.94\00:44:40.05
You know what bothers
the devil more than anything?
00:44:41.11\00:44:43.38
Is when somebody
who is a drunk, cursing,
00:44:44.41\00:44:47.94
vile adultery is converted
00:44:47.97\00:44:50.19
and they give up their drinking,
00:44:50.22\00:44:52.28
they don't drink anymore,
00:44:52.31\00:44:54.54
they don't
commit adultery anymore,
00:44:54.57\00:44:55.89
they don't curse anymore,
they don't steal anymore,
00:44:55.92\00:44:58.00
He saves them from those sins,
00:44:58.03\00:44:59.45
that drives the devil mad.
00:44:59.48\00:45:01.18
He's already mad
but makes it worse.
00:45:01.21\00:45:03.13
Because their lives
are living testimony
00:45:04.28\00:45:06.72
the Jesus can save
them from their sins.
00:45:06.75\00:45:09.42
You know, I always
like to ask a question
00:45:10.98\00:45:13.44
if you're struggling with this,
00:45:13.47\00:45:14.94
then what sin is it
that He can't save you from?
00:45:14.97\00:45:18.07
That's the one that you
won't confess or repent of
00:45:19.40\00:45:22.53
but you can't
name any specific sin
00:45:22.56\00:45:24.23
that God can't give
you the victory over.
00:45:24.26\00:45:26.37
He can save you from everything.
00:45:26.40\00:45:29.21
I believe Jesus can.
00:45:30.58\00:45:31.97
Let me read a
couple of quotes to you.
00:45:35.26\00:45:37.31
Francis Bacon said,
"It's not what men eat
00:45:37.34\00:45:41.08
but what they digest
that makes them strong.
00:45:41.11\00:45:44.01
It's not what we
gain but what we save
00:45:44.04\00:45:47.05
that makes us rich.
00:45:47.08\00:45:48.83
It's not what we
read but what we remember
00:45:48.86\00:45:52.23
that makes us learned.
00:45:52.26\00:45:53.95
It's not what we preach
or pray but what we practice
00:45:53.98\00:45:56.96
and believe that
makes us Christians."
00:45:56.99\00:45:59.88
And a lot of us
are, we're long and big
00:46:00.91\00:46:03.34
on the preaching part
and the profession part,
00:46:03.37\00:46:06.53
but when it
comes to the practice,
00:46:06.56\00:46:08.65
it becomes an
inconvenient truth.
00:46:08.68\00:46:11.34
Spurgeon put it this
way and this is a Baptist.
00:46:12.97\00:46:15.24
"We must keep our Lord's command
00:46:16.83\00:46:18.65
if we would bask in His love.
00:46:18.68\00:46:20.38
If we live in sin, we cannot
live in the love of Christ.
00:46:20.41\00:46:24.20
Without the
holiness which pleases God,
00:46:24.23\00:46:26.52
we cannot please Jesus.
00:46:26.55\00:46:28.50
He who cares
nothing for holiness
00:46:28.53\00:46:30.63
knows nothing of
the love of Jesus."
00:46:30.66\00:46:33.31
That's why John said
if we say we love Him
00:46:33.34\00:46:35.74
and we live in sin we're liars
00:46:35.77\00:46:37.41
and the truth
does not abide in us.
00:46:37.44\00:46:39.38
God is calling us-- why
there's so quite in here
00:46:40.81\00:46:42.89
when you talk
about these things?
00:46:42.92\00:46:44.76
Pastor Doug, we didn't
expect to come to church
00:46:44.79\00:46:46.33
and haven't talk about sin.
00:46:46.36\00:46:48.00
Sin no more.
00:46:53.85\00:46:55.97
How many believe when we
get to heaven we'll sin no more?
00:46:56.00\00:46:58.38
100% of the hands, it's obvious,
00:47:00.36\00:47:02.23
no problem be in heaven then,
00:47:02.26\00:47:03.48
have a new bodies then.
00:47:03.51\00:47:05.07
I won't ask you to raise
your hands for the next one,
00:47:06.49\00:47:08.59
but I bet in our hearts
of hearts that not everybody
00:47:08.62\00:47:12.12
here believes
that we're supposed
00:47:12.15\00:47:13.54
to have that
experience before Jesus comes.
00:47:13.57\00:47:16.25
I believe we are.
00:47:17.28\00:47:19.46
I believe that the
Lord is wanting to raise up
00:47:19.49\00:47:21.91
a unique people
in these last days
00:47:21.94\00:47:24.69
that have been
saved from their sins,
00:47:24.72\00:47:27.02
they are living
sanctified lives.
00:47:27.05\00:47:28.79
Well, what does that mean, Doug?
00:47:28.82\00:47:30.34
Well, I'll tell
you what it means.
00:47:30.37\00:47:33.09
It means we've got the
same kind of relationship
00:47:33.12\00:47:35.56
with the Lord that Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego had.
00:47:35.59\00:47:39.92
When the king said
either you break the law of God
00:47:39.95\00:47:42.90
or you break my law, you either
sin against the government,
00:47:42.93\00:47:46.90
you sin against God, you
lay your life on the line.
00:47:46.93\00:47:49.09
And they said, you know what?
00:47:49.12\00:47:50.31
We love the Lord
with all our hearts.
00:47:50.34\00:47:53.94
We would rather die
than willingly disobey Him.
00:47:53.97\00:47:57.56
That's the kind of
experience we need to have.
00:47:57.59\00:48:00.33
It's the same kind
of experience Daniel had
00:48:00.36\00:48:02.70
when he said I'd
rather go to the lion's den
00:48:02.73\00:48:07.53
than dishonor my God
by closing my windows
00:48:07.56\00:48:09.68
and hiding my prayers.
00:48:09.71\00:48:11.39
He said I love God that much.
00:48:12.60\00:48:14.48
In the last days,
those who don't worship
00:48:14.51\00:48:16.11
the beast and his
image, they can't buy or sell,
00:48:16.14\00:48:18.48
they're gonna
be put on the line.
00:48:18.51\00:48:19.67
Do we all obey
the laws of the beast
00:48:19.70\00:48:21.59
or the law of God?
00:48:21.62\00:48:23.13
And we're gonna need
to have a relationship
00:48:23.16\00:48:24.63
where we have built
up our faith by saying
00:48:24.66\00:48:26.93
I'm going to be
a doer of the Word
00:48:26.96\00:48:28.69
and not a hearer only.
00:48:28.72\00:48:29.94
Even if it means I lose my job,
00:48:29.97\00:48:31.55
I can't buy or sell or
I get in prison or killed.
00:48:31.58\00:48:35.84
You think that
experience is gonna come to us
00:48:35.87\00:48:37.94
the day that some
crazy law is passed
00:48:37.97\00:48:40.00
or do we need to be developing
00:48:40.03\00:48:41.10
an experience of
submission and obedience now?
00:48:41.13\00:48:44.76
If you're gonna
pass the final exam
00:48:44.79\00:48:46.70
then we need to start learning
00:48:46.73\00:48:47.90
how to win a few
quizzes along the way,
00:48:47.93\00:48:51.93
in daily submission
to Christ and obedience.
00:48:51.96\00:48:58.16
John 5:14, not only did
Jesus say to Mary Magdalene,
00:48:58.19\00:49:01.53
neither do I
condemn you or forgiven,
00:49:01.56\00:49:03.88
go and sin no more.
00:49:03.91\00:49:05.21
You notice how it works?
00:49:05.24\00:49:06.27
Forgiven by
grace, but then after
00:49:06.30\00:49:08.87
we are forgiven says now
live a different kind of life.
00:49:08.90\00:49:11.78
Jesus healed
another man from sickness
00:49:11.81\00:49:13.48
and after He
found him in the temple.
00:49:13.51\00:49:14.79
This is John
5:14, He said to him,
00:49:14.82\00:49:17.24
"See, you've been made well.
00:49:17.27\00:49:19.20
Sin no more, lest the
worse thing come upon thee."
00:49:19.23\00:49:23.46
Worse than the beginning.
00:49:23.49\00:49:25.89
Romans 6:1, 2 and you
can also read in Romans 6:13,
00:49:25.92\00:49:30.24
"What shall we save then?
00:49:30.27\00:49:31.43
Shall we continue in
sin that grace may abound?"
00:49:31.46\00:49:35.24
Isn't that abusing
God's grace? "God forbid!
00:49:35.27\00:49:39.07
How shall we who are dead to
sin live any longer therein?"
00:49:39.10\00:49:44.99
So why do we obey Him,
00:49:45.02\00:49:46.62
to be saved or
because we're saved?
00:49:46.65\00:49:49.28
Why does an
avocado tree make avocados?
00:49:49.31\00:49:51.93
To prove it's an
avocado tree because it is one.
00:49:51.96\00:49:55.95
Why does a
Christian have good works?
00:49:55.98\00:49:58.28
In order to earn salvation
or because they're all saved.
00:49:58.31\00:50:01.90
So if the works aren't there,
then the salvation isn't there.
00:50:01.93\00:50:05.90
The heart has
not been surrendered.
00:50:05.93\00:50:08.57
John Wesley said, "Good men
avoid sin from love of virtue,
00:50:08.60\00:50:13.92
wicked men avoid sin
from fear of punishment."
00:50:13.95\00:50:18.48
We need to be doing the
right thing not to be saved
00:50:18.51\00:50:20.82
but for the right
reason to bring glory to God
00:50:20.85\00:50:22.86
because we love Him.
00:50:22.89\00:50:26.30
Hebrews 10:26, "If we
continue to sin willfully
00:50:26.33\00:50:31.54
after we have received
the knowledge of the truth,
00:50:31.57\00:50:34.64
there remains no
more sacrifice for sins."
00:50:34.67\00:50:37.03
Matter of fact, I
want you to turn to that,
00:50:37.06\00:50:38.35
I want to read that
whole passage with you.
00:50:38.38\00:50:42.40
I'm looking at the
clock but I think I have time.
00:50:42.43\00:50:44.98
Hebrews 10, and I'm
gonna start with verse 26.
00:50:45.01\00:50:48.00
"For if we sin
willfully" now you see
00:50:51.86\00:50:54.91
a difference
between willful sin,
00:50:54.94\00:50:57.48
presumptuous sin
and accidental sin?
00:50:57.51\00:51:01.62
Yeah, there is, it's the intent.
00:51:01.65\00:51:04.58
Even in our courts,
you've got delivered
00:51:04.61\00:51:06.27
first degree
murder and then you've got
00:51:06.30\00:51:07.76
manslaughter or
someone might die accidentally
00:51:07.79\00:51:09.97
because of your carelessness.
00:51:10.00\00:51:12.89
"If we sin willfully,
after we have received
00:51:12.92\00:51:15.80
the knowledge of the truth"
00:51:15.83\00:51:17.32
also notice that
once a person knows
00:51:17.35\00:51:19.27
they're more accountable
than before they know.
00:51:19.30\00:51:22.26
"There is no longer
a sacrifice for sins."
00:51:22.29\00:51:25.94
That's talking about if we
choose to live a sinful life
00:51:25.97\00:51:27.88
after we know what God's
will is, what more can He do.
00:51:27.91\00:51:32.07
All they've got then is,
00:51:32.10\00:51:33.13
"a certain fearful
expectation of judgment,
00:51:33.16\00:51:36.02
and fiery indignation that
will devour the adversaries.
00:51:36.05\00:51:39.70
Anyone who
rejected Moses' law died
00:51:39.73\00:51:42.55
without mercy on the testimony
of two or three witnesses."
00:51:42.58\00:51:45.86
Paul's right here, here the
writer of Hebrews New Testament,
00:51:45.89\00:51:49.14
is making a connection between
Moses' law and Jesus law.
00:51:49.17\00:51:54.60
Some people
think well, Moses' law,
00:51:54.63\00:51:55.85
that was severe,
that's Old Testament.
00:51:55.88\00:51:58.26
It's actually more
severe in the New Testament
00:51:58.29\00:52:01.80
to neglect the sacrifice of
Jesus and the blood of Jesus
00:52:01.83\00:52:04.23
and the blood of goats and
lambs in the Old Testament.
00:52:04.26\00:52:07.99
This is what he says.
00:52:08.02\00:52:09.60
"Anyone who
rejected Moses' law died
00:52:09.63\00:52:11.32
without mercy on the testimony
of two or three witnesses.
00:52:11.35\00:52:13.77
Of how much worse or
more severe punishment,
00:52:13.80\00:52:18.44
do you suppose,
will he be thought worthy
00:52:18.47\00:52:20.28
who has trampled the
Son of God underfoot,"
00:52:20.31\00:52:23.32
become a welfare queen
00:52:23.35\00:52:27.81
"and counted the
blood of the covenant
00:52:27.84\00:52:29.45
by which he was
sanctified a common thing,
00:52:29.48\00:52:32.52
and insulted the
Spirit of grace?"
00:52:32.55\00:52:34.86
By taking
advantage of, by presuming,
00:52:34.89\00:52:36.78
by exploiting God's grace
00:52:36.81\00:52:38.78
and not been
willing to live a new life,
00:52:38.81\00:52:41.28
that's very serious.
00:52:41.31\00:52:42.70
That's abusing the
sacrifice of Christ.
00:52:42.73\00:52:46.18
We need to repent of our sins
00:52:46.21\00:52:48.63
and as God to save us
from our sins, friends, amen.
00:52:48.66\00:52:53.19
You know, God wants
us to be not just hearers
00:52:53.22\00:52:57.62
but doers of the Word.
00:52:57.65\00:52:59.68
We need the faith of Jesus.
00:52:59.71\00:53:02.36
I want to jump ahead and
talk about that real quick.
00:53:02.39\00:53:05.47
We're saved by grace
through faith, right?
00:53:05.50\00:53:07.74
What kind of faith?
00:53:07.77\00:53:10.10
Let me read this to
you, Revelation 14:12,
00:53:10.13\00:53:13.21
speaking of those who're saved,
00:53:13.24\00:53:14.95
"Here is the
patience of the saints,
00:53:14.98\00:53:17.01
here are those who
keep the commandments of God
00:53:17.04\00:53:20.31
and the faith of Jesus."
00:53:20.34\00:53:23.38
What kind of faith
did the redeemed have?
00:53:23.41\00:53:25.66
The faith of Jesus.
00:53:25.69\00:53:27.12
What kind of
faith that Jesus have?
00:53:27.15\00:53:29.17
Did Jesus have this
faith where He just exploited
00:53:29.20\00:53:32.44
the Father's grace and
continued a life of sin,
00:53:32.47\00:53:35.09
or was Jesus faith a faith
00:53:35.12\00:53:37.01
that resulted in a
different kind of life?
00:53:37.04\00:53:40.22
Did He keep His
Father's commandments?
00:53:40.25\00:53:42.95
So if we've got
the faith of Jesus,
00:53:42.98\00:53:45.07
how do we live?
00:53:45.10\00:53:47.35
Obedient lives.
00:53:47.38\00:53:49.65
People say belief
and for some reason
00:53:49.68\00:53:53.24
the Word is changed.
00:53:53.27\00:53:56.44
You know, 50 years
ago, you could say,
00:53:56.47\00:53:58.63
oh, boy, today I'm
just really happy and gay.
00:53:58.66\00:54:01.40
We don't say that anymore.
00:54:01.43\00:54:03.10
The Words taken on new meaning.
00:54:03.13\00:54:06.48
When you say the Word belief
00:54:06.51\00:54:08.58
you know how most
people hear that these days?
00:54:08.61\00:54:11.37
They don't hear it
the way they heard it
00:54:11.40\00:54:13.00
in the time of Christ.
00:54:13.03\00:54:14.56
When Jesus said
if you believe in Me,
00:54:14.59\00:54:16.91
what He meant by
that Word was you believe
00:54:16.94\00:54:20.96
and you're going
to live what I say.
00:54:20.99\00:54:23.96
Whoever believes
in Him, to just say,
00:54:23.99\00:54:27.53
I'm with you,
Lord, I believe You.
00:54:27.56\00:54:29.30
Yes, Sir. I
accept your sacrifice
00:54:29.33\00:54:31.67
and then you go
live like the devil,
00:54:31.70\00:54:34.17
that's not belief,
that's not Bible belief.
00:54:34.20\00:54:36.83
Yet so many the Word has come
to mean something different,
00:54:36.86\00:54:39.29
they just think, you know,
00:54:39.32\00:54:40.40
James said that devils
also believe and tremble.
00:54:40.43\00:54:43.45
They got that kind of belief.
00:54:43.48\00:54:46.16
The real belief is the
belief where you're willing
00:54:46.19\00:54:49.22
to live what He says.
00:54:49.25\00:54:52.42
That's the ultimate evidence
that you believe in Jesus,
00:54:52.45\00:54:54.86
that you want to
live by His word.
00:54:54.89\00:54:56.13
Am I right?
00:54:56.16\00:54:59.27
You probably heard this
story before but it's true,
00:54:59.30\00:55:02.52
of a daredevil who was
just one of the trendsetters
00:55:02.55\00:55:06.85
for an age to come
called the Great Blondin.
00:55:06.88\00:55:09.86
He was from
France, and came to America
00:55:09.89\00:55:12.13
and he was known for the feats,
00:55:12.16\00:55:13.55
he walked back and
forth between buildings.
00:55:13.58\00:55:15.46
He died at old age
amazingly he could think,
00:55:15.49\00:55:17.72
those guys would
have a short lifespan.
00:55:17.75\00:55:20.05
And he was the first
one you heard about it,
00:55:20.08\00:55:22.39
he walked across
Niagara Falls on a tight rope,
00:55:22.42\00:55:27.84
that was pretty flimsy
compared to our later examples
00:55:27.87\00:55:31.12
and he was called a showman.
00:55:31.15\00:55:32.74
He'd get up there on the post
00:55:32.77\00:55:34.28
and the crowds were
gathered all around,
00:55:34.31\00:55:36.04
they'd be watching
and they even had a bridge
00:55:36.07\00:55:38.80
at that point they want to cross
00:55:38.83\00:55:39.90
so they can
watch from the bridge.
00:55:39.93\00:55:41.45
And he'd say, how many
think I can walk across
00:55:41.48\00:55:43.36
with the wind and the
spray with the nothing?
00:55:43.39\00:55:46.56
And they would
say, we believe you can,
00:55:46.59\00:55:48.08
we believe you can.
00:55:48.11\00:55:49.24
He walked across
and he walked back.
00:55:49.27\00:55:51.25
And then he would
say, how many believe
00:55:51.28\00:55:54.46
that I can go
across Niagara Falls now
00:55:54.49\00:55:56.87
without my balance
stick pushing a wheelbarrow?
00:55:56.90\00:56:00.58
And the crowd
wanted to see him to do it.
00:56:00.61\00:56:01.78
So they say we
believe you can do it,
00:56:01.81\00:56:03.34
you can do it, we believe.
00:56:03.37\00:56:04.52
And then he said,
00:56:04.55\00:56:05.58
how many are willing
to get in the wheelbarrow?
00:56:05.61\00:56:11.38
And the account that I read said
00:56:11.41\00:56:13.84
you could have heard a pin drop,
00:56:13.87\00:56:14.90
all you heard was the wind
and the roar from the falls.
00:56:14.93\00:56:17.47
Total silence, no hands went up.
00:56:17.50\00:56:20.83
They all said we
believe you can do it
00:56:20.86\00:56:22.17
with somebody
else but not with me.
00:56:22.20\00:56:25.88
You know another story about
the Great Blondin is he said,
00:56:25.91\00:56:30.23
how many of you
believe that I could go
00:56:30.26\00:56:31.71
across the Falls
with a man on my back?
00:56:31.74\00:56:34.97
Nobody thought
he could believe it,
00:56:35.00\00:56:36.83
finally his
manager said I believe it
00:56:36.86\00:56:41.29
and he raises hand,
he went out and he--
00:56:41.32\00:56:44.26
and this is an actual photograph
00:56:44.29\00:56:45.68
of he's carrying his manager
00:56:45.71\00:56:47.75
on his back
across Niagara Falls.
00:56:47.78\00:56:51.63
How many of you well,
that make you nervous?
00:56:51.66\00:56:54.66
How much confidence
would you have to have
00:56:54.69\00:56:56.51
in the Great
Blondin to get on his back
00:56:56.54\00:56:58.80
and go across the Falls?
00:56:58.83\00:57:00.93
He must have had
an awful lot of faith
00:57:00.96\00:57:03.24
that he had good balance.
00:57:03.27\00:57:05.48
So when Jesus says
surrender your life to Me,
00:57:05.51\00:57:09.02
obey Me, trust Me,
that it would be better,
00:57:09.05\00:57:12.82
you will thrive,
you'll have abundant life,
00:57:12.85\00:57:15.62
threw Me you can do all things.
00:57:15.65\00:57:17.60
Are you willing to
believe that we can do this?
00:57:17.63\00:57:21.31
And some people
say, yeah, Jesus,
00:57:21.34\00:57:22.58
I believe but I'm not
getting into the barrow.
00:57:22.61\00:57:25.78
I'm not getting on your back.
00:57:25.81\00:57:27.21
You want Me to
really like do what we talk
00:57:27.24\00:57:29.26
about at church during the week?
00:57:29.29\00:57:33.06
Yes, that's what it
means to be a Christian.
00:57:33.09\00:57:37.60
We are--this is the kind
of faith that really works.
00:57:37.63\00:57:40.79
It's the kind where
you live it in your life.
00:57:40.82\00:57:43.10
It's the only kind
you're gonna be happy with.
00:57:43.13\00:57:44.71
It's the only kind of faith
where you're gonna have peace
00:57:44.74\00:57:47.84
and this is what it
means to really believe,
00:57:47.87\00:57:50.01
to really trust the Lord.
00:57:50.04\00:57:52.03
And you might say I don't
know how I'm gonna do that,
00:57:52.06\00:57:54.63
well, you can't do without
Him, but moment by moment
00:57:54.66\00:57:57.27
you can live a new
life through Jesus,
00:57:57.30\00:57:58.81
through His
blood, through His power.
00:57:58.84\00:58:00.50