Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG002808
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00:09 It's been 2,000 years since the glorious
00:11 light of the cross illuminated the world veiled in darkness 00:14 and confusion about the character of God. 00:17 And still today, the greatest need of mankind 00:19 is a revelation of God's love 00:21 as revealed in the life of Christ. 00:24 Amazing Facts presents the Everlasting Gospel 00:26 with Pastor Doug Batchelor, coming to you each week 00:30 from Sacramento Central Church in sunny California. 00:32 Discover hidden treasures in God's Word today. 00:39 We've been doing a series of meetings here-- 00:42 not a sequential series but really with an emphasis 00:45 on reviewing the basics of Christianity 00:50 and today is gonna be in keeping with that theme 00:54 and the subject today is dealing with a faith that really works. 01:00 The relationship, understanding the relationship 01:04 between faith and works. 01:07 It is so important. If I were to talk to you about, 01:11 you know what do you think 01:12 are some of the pivotal doctrines in Christianity 01:16 or what are some of the doctrines 01:17 that are being undisputed? 01:19 Well, there's lot of dispute that goes evolves around 01:23 the covenants and that often relates to the Sabbath 01:27 and the covenants, speaking in tongues, baptism, 01:31 whether it should be by immersion or sprinkling, 01:34 or what name do you baptize in, and Christian churches 01:38 are divided over all plethora, different doctrines 01:42 and what are the truths of these different doctrines. 01:46 Of all the different things that we could talk about 01:48 the subject today is probably one of the most important 01:52 that we understand correctly, the relationship 01:57 between faith and works and how it relates to salvation. 02:02 If you get this wrong its not like misunderstanding 02:07 the seven trumpets of the 144,000, 02:10 but you know there's a lot of doctrines 02:13 that there's some debate over, 02:14 they're not as crucial to salvation as understanding 02:21 my behavior, my choices in relation to my faith 02:25 in accepting the Jesus, 02:26 understanding the relationship of faith in works. 02:29 We're saved by grace but we're judged by works. 02:32 And you'd be surprised how much confusion 02:34 there is on this subject. 02:36 So we've touched on these different times 02:39 before but I wanted to dedicate sometime 02:41 very specifically talking about rightly understanding 02:45 this relationship from a Bible perspective, 02:48 that's what we believe, right the bible. 02:50 I may share some things with you today 02:51 that will shock you. 02:53 You may think it's even outrageous 02:58 but I want to honest with you. 02:59 You want the word of God? 03:01 Well, I'm gonna share the Bible with you. 03:06 Now let me begin by telling you something 03:08 that is hard for me to say, I was once on welfare, 03:16 I'm not proud of that. 03:20 It's humbling for me to tell you that. 03:22 It's been 25-30 years ago a difficult time, 03:27 son was diagnosed with spinal meningitis, 03:29 I was laid off, I was in the logging business, 03:32 working on logging trucks, it wasn't that glorious. 03:35 Got laid off, 03:36 it's a seasonal work, hadn't got back 03:40 into the firewood business, had to apply for unemployment. 03:44 It was a humiliating process because you have to go 03:47 through all this proof that you're trying to find work, 03:50 small town, there was a depression in the town, 03:54 had no money for hospital bills, had to apply for Medicaid, 03:58 son was in the hospital for 10 days, 04:00 had no income, spent all the money 04:02 going back and forth making deposits, 04:04 had to apply for food stamps, it was mortifying to me. 04:11 Didn't belong to the church yet, 04:13 you see before I was a baptized member, 04:15 so I was too proud to tell the church, 04:17 too proud to tell my father and it was humiliating. 04:22 I realized where that money comes from, 04:27 because when I was working, they took, you know, 04:29 certain government expenses 04:30 out of your paycheck for taxes and for social security. 04:35 That's why I knew that during that time, 04:37 it was only matter of months that I was getting food stamps 04:40 and WIC and Medicaid that I was really accepting 04:47 eemergency relief from other people 04:48 who were working, 04:50 that were contributing to my help, 04:51 that's how it works, right. 04:55 And so as soon as I could I get off it, praise the Lord, 04:57 I've never needed that help again, 05:00 God has blessed and we've come a long way 05:01 and very grateful for that. I think God allowed me 05:03 to go through that so I can never be proud 05:07 and snobby and say, "I've never been on welfare," 05:11 because I have. And I've waited in the lines 05:13 and gone through the process, 05:15 I know how would people go through and it's terrible. 05:18 But some people-- and I had friends who did this, 05:22 figured out how the system worked 05:25 and they abuse the system. 05:29 Matter of fact in 1976, Ronald Reagan gave a speech 05:32 when he was campaigning and he described 05:35 somebody who was known a Welfare Queen 05:39 and it was sort of a composite of a number of people 05:43 that were generally women who would claim 05:47 that they had many more children than they had, 05:49 in some cases, they had none. 05:53 They had many different names. 05:55 They would go to these welfare departments, 05:57 sometimes in different cities going under different names, 06:00 sometimes 30 different addresses 06:02 claiming eight different husbands 06:04 that were supposed to be veterans 06:05 that were all deceased and getting their benefits 06:08 for multiple children, and it became a word 06:14 that was coined those that are welfare queens 06:17 into this very date are people who are guilty of welfare fraud. 06:21 They just manipulate the system. 06:23 Now when you hear that, I think most of us 06:27 ehave a certain amount of indignation 06:30 because what's happening is there are people, 06:32 some of them have made as much as a hundred-- 06:35 well, let me just make sure I get my figures right, 06:38 I heard of one case where this one lady was getting 06:40 $150,000 a month. 06:44 I mean, you show up in Mercedes 06:46 to collect your welfare and go through 06:47 all the paper work. 06:49 And you just, you could see, yeah, this is, 06:51 you know that different states 06:53 have their different welfare queens. 06:55 They're not all queens but that was the term 06:58 that was coined. 06:59 Now the reason I bring that up 07:01 as because I think to some extent, 07:04 God's church has become a welfare queen. 07:08 Let me explain. 07:10 I'm not talking about appealing 07:12 through the state for benefits. 07:13 I'm talking about abusing the mercy 07:17 and the grace of Jesus sacrifice so it's taken for granted. 07:22 It ought to be hard for us when we get on our knees, 07:26 when we confess our sins and apply 07:28 ethe blood of Jesus knowing how much it costs, 07:30 not wanting to abuse that sacrifice and continue saying, 07:36 oh, well, Jesus is freely offering 07:39 His blood to cover our sins 07:41 so let's continue to sin, let's not do any work, 07:46 let's not worry about obedience, 07:48 let's just exploit the mercy of God 07:52 and the blood of Christ in many churches 07:54 have become a welfare queen. 07:57 You see where I'm going with this? 08:00 It's not designed, the grace of God 08:04 is not designed for us to abuse it, 08:07 it's designed to save us so that we can be sanctified 08:11 and live different kinds of lives. 08:14 Now I want to start at the beginning 08:17 and just establish some facts and I want to try to lead you 08:20 logistically through with using your reason how salvation works 08:27 and the relationship between obedience and faith in works. 08:30 First of all, the reason Jesus 08:33 came is not to save us in our sin, 08:36 but to save us from our sin. 08:39 Matthew 1:21, this is what the angel said to Mary. 08:42 "You will bring forth a son, 08:44 and you will call His name Jesus. 08:46 Yeshua which means He always saves 08:51 and He will save His people from their sins." 08:55 There's a different between being saved from sin, 08:58 being saved in sin, and yet I admit, 09:01 you can come to Jesus with your sin 09:03 but He loves you too much so leave you with your sin. 09:05 He wants to save you from your sins. 09:08 And yet more and more I'm hearing pastors 09:11 and teachers and theologians say, 09:13 basically, we're saved in our sin, 09:16 but that's not what the bible says. 09:18 If you know verses and I can give you a lot. 09:22 Acts 3:26, Peter speaking, "Unto you first God, 09:26 having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, 09:30 in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." 09:35 So when Jesus offers forgiveness, 09:38 is that where it stops or does 09:40 He want to turn us away from our inequities? 09:45 That's what repentance is. It's a turning away from. 09:48 It's a different kind of life and yet the idea of 09:51 so many is that you just stand there at the welfare counter 09:55 and continually exploit the sacrifice of Jesus 09:59 with no intention of turning away from sin. 10:03 God wants to save us from our sins. 10:04 More scripture, Titus 2:14, "Who gave himself for us 10:09 that he might redeem us from every lawless deed," 10:14 not just the sin, lawless is the sinful deeds. 10:18 He saves us from our lawless deeds and, 10:21 "purifies for himself His own special people 10:24 zealous of enthusiastic about good works." 10:30 Saves us from the bad works and makes up 10:33 people zealous of good works. 10:36 Proverbs 5:22, 10:39 "The wicked is beholden by his inequities," 10:42 he's taken--I'm sorry, 10:43 "His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, 10:46 he shall beholden by the cords of his sin." 10:49 And so Jesus came to save us from our sins. 10:53 Those who're not saved from those sins 10:55 are imprisoned or holden by these cables of sin. 11:00 So if Jesus just says, I'm gonna give you a declaration 11:04 of forgiveness but He doesn't save us 11:06 from the practical deeds in our life 11:08 that cause all of our problems, 11:10 is that really complete salvation? 11:14 Another simple point, stay with me, 11:17 don't storm out. Sinners do not go to heaven. 11:23 You know bible says that Satan was cast out for sinning. 11:27 If he's cast out for sinning, we don't go in sinning. 11:30 Listen carefully to these verses. 11:32 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, these are just the few of many. 11:36 "Do you not know" Paul says, 11:39 "that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? 11:43 Do not be deceived." Now who is Paul speaking to? 11:47 The church. Why would Paul even need 11:49 to say something like this to the church 11:50 'cause the church had the same problem back then 11:52 as we have today? 11:55 Don't be deceived he says, "Neither fornicators, 11:58 nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, 12:02 nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, 12:05 nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit 12:08 the kingdom of God." They won't. 12:10 Now God saves sinners but He saves us from our sin. 12:14 So when we're going to the kingdom of God, 12:16 we're not sinners anymore, we're saints. Is that right? 12:19 More verses, Revelation 21:27, 12:23 "There shall no wise enter into it" 12:26 speaking of the city of God, "any thing that defiles." 12:30 Galatians 5:19, " Now the works of the flesh are evident, 12:34 which are these, adultery, fornication, 12:37 uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, 12:41 jealousies, outbursts of wrath" that's losing your temper, 12:44 "selfish ambitions, selfishness, dissensions, 12:47 heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, 12:50 and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, 12:53 just as I also told you in time past," 12:54 listen, "those who practice such things 12:58 will not inherit the kingdom of God." 13:01 If we're practicing the works of the flesh 13:05 we cannot go to the kingdom of God. 13:08 He not only saves us from our record of sin, 13:10 from the stigma of sin, but He saves us 13:13 from the works of sin and they're replaced 13:16 with the works of the Spirit, the fruit of the spirit. 13:20 I'll get you one more verse. 13:23 Ephesians 5:5, 6, 13:26 "For this you know, that no fornicator, 13:29 unclean person, nor covetous man, 13:31 who is an idolater, 13:32 has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 13:36 Let no one deceive you with empty words" 13:39 they had the same problem back there 2,000 years ago. 13:41 People were talking in the church with empty words 13:44 promising eternal life to people 13:45 who continued living lives of sin. 13:48 He came to save us from our sin. 13:52 I got my token and for my wife, 13:55 I appreciate that but that's the truth that the church 13:59 should give a resounding amen too. 14:01 Amen. 14:03 He--I mean I don't know about you, 14:06 but most of my problems are sin. 14:08 I want to be saved from that. 14:12 Oh, you know I've now used this story before many times, 14:15 I can't think of a better one so let me use it again. 14:19 I picked up a hitchhiker, I like to pick up hitchhikers, 14:22 and witness to them. This fellow happened to be 14:25 wearing a whole bunch of crosses and I remember, 14:28 actually we stopped, I got something to eat, 14:30 we stopped and we were eating 14:31 and he found that I was a Christian 14:33 and I was looking for a way to witness. 14:35 And he said I'm a Christian, too. 14:37 He said, you see all my crosses. 14:39 So this cross came from this person, 14:42 and this cross from this person, 14:43 so and so prayed over this cross and I was thinking to myself, 14:46 it's a lot easier to wear the cross and bear the cross. 14:48 And he said well, you know I'm a Christian 14:49 but I'm not a practicing Christian. 14:53 I said what does that mean? Well, we got back in the car 14:56 and we started driving and he was telling me 14:58 about all the problems in his life. 15:01 You know matter of fact, he just gotten out of jail 15:03 and he was separated from his wife 15:06 and he was having drinking problems, 15:08 and all of these things were going on his life 15:09 that were related to sin in his life, 15:11 it was very obvious. 15:12 And so he said, well, I'm a Christian 15:13 just not a practicing Christian. 15:14 I said is there such a thing? So you know I came forward 15:17 when I was nine years old, 15:18 I accepted Christ so I'm saved. 15:21 And once you're saved, you're saved. 15:23 It doesn't matter what you do. It was his implication. 15:27 I said, what exactly is it that's causing 15:30 all these problems in your life? 15:32 Well, sin. I said, doesn't Jesus want to save you from your sin? 15:38 I think I required these. He started to think 15:39 but he said I guess I'm not a Christian, 15:41 there's no such thing as a non practicing Christian. 15:46 Non practicing Christian is a non Christian. 15:50 Isn't that what that means? Now before I lose you, 15:56 I want to explain and ratify, we're saved by grace. 16:01 Salvation is a gift. 16:04 Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace you have been 16:08 saved through faith, that not of yourselves, 16:11 it is the gift of God, not of works, 16:13 lest anyone should boast." 16:16 Nobody can get to heaven and boast and say, 16:18 I'm here because of my good works. 16:20 Nobody is saved by their works. 16:22 I understand that L.L. Bean 16:24 sent out an email before Christmas 16:26 and a lot of people were fooled by it. 16:29 It said, "Double coupon dollars our gift to you." 16:32 That was the title of the L.L. Bean email 16:37 and lot of people felt for the marketing campaign 16:41 and they opened it up. 16:42 It said, "Our gift to you double coupon dollars." 16:45 And the first thing it says in the heading is, 16:46 "Here's how you can earn your double coupon dollars." 16:52 So evidently, they want you to earn the gift. 16:55 Is it a gift if you got to earn it? 16:58 So salvation is a gift, free gift for you, 17:02 its free to you but it's a very expensive gift. 17:04 Just because someone gives you a free gift, 17:06 doesn't mean it was worthless. 17:08 If someone gives you a free worthless gift 17:10 it's not worth much, right? 17:12 The gift was a very expensive gift. 17:16 And let me pause on that point for a moment. 17:20 If you give a book to somebody, 17:23 and you say, yes, we're part of this project, 17:26 we're giving away 50,000 books and we got 50,000 17:28 and other them lined up in the semis 17:30 and we'd like to give one to you, 17:32 and the cost us 18 cents a piece to print. 17:35 You say, thank you very much 17:36 but you might use it as a paper weight 17:37 or you start a fire or throw it in the garbage 17:40 because you just say, 17:41 well, that's you know mass produced, 17:43 so many people got this book, not very expensive. 17:47 But if someone hands a book to you and says, 17:50 look, I'm giving you a collector's edition, 17:52 there's only three other like it in the world, 17:54 it's worth $10,000 and it's changed the life 17:57 of everybody that reads it. It's the exact same book, 18:02 but because of your value that you've attached to the book, 18:06 how much more likely are you to read it? 18:09 How much more likely are you to treat it with some respect? 18:13 Because you know the value of it. 18:15 Because Jesus offers salvation to the whole world, 18:17 some people think that it's cheap and worthless. 18:20 It's extremely expensive and it's extremely valuable 18:25 and it should not be abused. 18:27 It costs a lot for those who have it. 18:30 It's free but it costs him something. 18:33 It's free to you but it's not worthless. 18:36 So since we are saved by grace, 18:42 since we are saved without any works, 18:47 can we lose our salvation through bad works? 18:51 What is the role of works? 18:54 Since we are not saved by our good works 18:57 can we be lost by our bad works? 18:59 If we are saved by grace can we be 19:02 lost through disobedience? 19:04 That question is a very important question. 19:07 I think you'd be surprised how many pastors, 19:11 some even in our church, 19:12 I'm sure would answer that wrong. 19:16 They would say since we are saved by grace 19:19 and since our works have nothing to do with our being saved, 19:23 our works have nothing to do with our being lost. 19:25 That's not true. 19:27 Now I'm gonna give you some Bible stories 19:30 and I've given you some plain scriptures 19:31 and God teaches theology through the stories in the Bible 19:34 to help illustrate this. 19:38 First of all, Jesus said you'll know them 19:40 by their by fruits. 19:43 If someone is genuine or not the fruits will be 19:45 evident in their life. And what are fruits mean? 19:47 Their behavior. When we say works, 19:49 we're talking about actions, deeds, 19:51 that's what we're talking about. Works is a term for that. 19:54 Jesus said, "Let your light so shine your faith, 19:56 so shine before men, that they may see," 19:59 What? Your faith or your works? 20:04 I mean that's what James was talking about, 20:06 anybody could say I've got faith, 20:07 but how do you demonstrate faith? 20:09 By saying faith, faith, faith 20:11 or do you demonstrate faith by life of action? 20:16 He says, "So let your light shine before me 20:19 that they might see your good works 20:20 and glorify your Father in heaven." 20:22 You don't do it to glorify you, you don't do it to be saved, 20:25 you do it because you are saved to glorify Him. 20:28 That's the big difference. 20:30 Now before Sodom and Gomorrah were punished 20:35 with the judgment of God, Sodom and Gomorrah were saved. 20:40 They were saved by grace, did you know that? 20:43 Sodom and Gomorrah were carried away captive 20:47 because of their sin by the kings of the North, 20:51 tells us about Abraham army and his servants 20:53 and with the confederacy of some of the other nomads. 20:55 They went up to the north, they attacked Chedorlaomer 20:58 and his kings of the north by Damascus. 21:01 They rescued a Lot in his family and all the people in Sodom. 21:06 They didn't deserve it, they didn't earn it, 21:08 matter of fact the king of Sodom tried to pay Abraham 21:11 for his deliverance and Abraham said 21:12 I won't take anything, it's a gift. 21:15 Now I'm telling you just assuming 21:17 you know your Bibles a little bit, 21:18 we don't have time to read all the references. 21:21 Saved by grace would not accept payment 21:25 but they went back to Sodom, they said, 21:27 well, that was nice being rescued like that. 21:30 God must really love us and so they figured 21:33 that that was a license to return to their wicked living. 21:36 And instead of repenting like the Ninevites 21:38 and changing ways as a nation, 21:40 they went right back in with both hands 21:42 to their lives of the base sin. 21:46 And after saving them by grace and not allowing them 21:49 to pay for the salvation, 21:50 God said, look, it hasn't touched their hearts 21:52 I now need to visit them in judgment. 21:55 You can read about this in Jude 1:7. 21:58 "As Sodom and Gomorrah, 21:59 and the cities around them in a similar manner, 22:02 having given themselves over to sexual immorality 22:04 and going after strange flesh, 22:06 they are set forth as an example, 22:08 suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." 22:10 They were saved by grace but then their bad behavior 22:14 after they were saved brought on judgment. 22:17 That's one example but you don't look convinced. 22:21 King David had a son named Absalom. 22:24 Absalom murdered his brother Amnon. 22:28 Now Amnon sort of deserved it because that Amnon 22:31 had abused Absalom sister. 22:36 And David hadn't done anything about it, 22:38 so after Absalom killed Amnon, Absalom left town. 22:43 For a several years, he was out of town basically 22:45 staying with grandma and grandpa in another country. 22:50 And Joab interceded with the king and said, 22:53 show mercy on your son, forgive Absalom, 22:57 bring him back to Jerusalem. 23:01 And so that king said to Joab, all right, 23:03 this is 2 Samuel 14:21, "I have granted this thing. 23:08 Go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom. 23:11 And when he'd called for Absalom, 23:13 he came to the king and he bowed on his face 23:16 to the ground before the king 23:17 and the king kissed Absalom." 23:19 So here you've got a story in the bible 23:21 where Absalom had left town, he murdered his brother, 23:25 he had been separated from his father 23:27 like the sinner is separated. 23:29 Joab intercedes, David says I'll forgive him, 23:34 let him come back. 23:35 He humbles himself before his father, 23:37 his father embraces him, he is accept that 23:39 he's living back in Jerusalem. 23:41 So this is sort of a scenario of salvation. 23:45 He was forgiven. He was brought back. 23:47 He was given his status again. 23:50 But you know what he did after he was received back again? 23:53 He began to think, you know, 23:54 I can get away with almost anything. 23:57 David is so merciful. 23:58 I bet I could even rebel against him 24:01 and try and take his throne 24:02 and he won't do it anything about it. 24:05 And he began to abuse his father's patience. 24:07 He started standing in the gate and say, 24:09 oh, my dad's not a very good king, 24:11 he's not a very good judge. But if I was in charge, 24:12 things would be a lot better. 24:15 And little by little, he stole the hearts of the people. 24:17 He incited a rebellion and broke out 24:19 into an open war and in the result, what happened? 24:24 Absalom was slain in the word, 24:25 Joab who had mercy on him the first time, 24:27 said no mercy the second time. 24:31 He died suspended between heaven and earth 24:36 hanging by his beautiful locks of hair from a tree. 24:40 I don't ever have to worry about that happening to me. 24:44 And he was pierced through the heart 24:47 and the Bible says, they took Absalom, 24:48 this is 2 Samuel 18:17, 24:53 "Cast him into a large pit in the woods, 24:55 and laid a very large heap of stones over him." 24:59 Saved by grace, restored to the father 25:01 but he did not change his ways, judged, 25:05 placed in a pit. 25:06 By the way that's a scenario 25:08 what's gonna happen to the devil. 25:10 The devil was like that beautiful prince 25:13 and he began to steal the hearts of the other angels, 25:16 he incited to rebellion and it says about Satan. 25:18 You shall be brought to the pit, never shall you be, 25:21 you will be a terror and never shall you be anymore. 25:24 In similar to what's gonna happen to the lost. 25:28 You remember the parable of Jesus, 25:29 we're still talking about this principle, 25:30 I want to restate, 25:31 want to put up on the screen there. 25:33 If we're not saved by our good works, 25:35 can we be lost by our bad works? 25:38 I'm telling the answer is yes. It's a way definite, yes. 25:42 You're not saved by your works 25:43 but you can be lost by bad works 25:45 'cause bad works indicate you've not been converted. 25:49 Bad works indicate that your heart has not been renewed 25:52 and maybe you're unsaved. 25:56 Jesus tells a parable of an unmerciful debtor. 25:58 This is one of the most clear examples 26:00 of how the principle works. 26:03 He says, there's this certain man 26:05 who was brought before king 26:07 and he owed 10,000 talents and he could not pay. 26:10 So the king commanded him to be sold in all 26:13 that he had that payment might be made. 26:15 He felled down before the king, 26:17 this is from Matthew Chapter 18 and he begged for mercy. 26:21 He said have patience with me and I will pay thee all. 26:24 And the king had compassion on him 26:26 and he forgive him the whole debt. 26:27 You noticed something here, this unmerciful debtor 26:30 that's just the name in the parable 26:31 that's used for him, he asked the king 26:34 for forgiveness, he says I'll pay you back 26:36 and the king says, look, forget about it. 26:37 I'm forgiving the whole debt and the king forgives him. 26:42 But in his mind, he thought it was a payment program. 26:46 He said I'm gonna pay it. I'm gonna pay it. 26:47 He went out not realizing 26:49 he'd been freely and totally forgiven. 26:53 Because he did not understand 26:54 that he'd been totally forgiven, 26:57 he went out and thought 26:58 that he had to get the money to payback to king. 27:01 He found a fellow servant that owed him like $40, 27:05 he takes him by the throat, he says, 27:07 pay me what you owe me. 27:09 The fellow servant falls down 27:10 before him just like he had done before the king, 27:14 said have patience with me and I'll pay thee all, 27:16 and a lot more likely he can payback that $42 27:20 but he would not have mercy and he delivered him 27:25 to the tormentors $42, his fellow servant. 27:29 He had just been forgiven 10,000 talents 27:32 which is like $52 million depending on 27:35 whether they're talents of silver, talents of gold. 27:38 Well, the servants of the king hear 27:41 what this man had done 27:42 who'd just been forgiven this phenomenal amount 27:44 they bring word back to the king. 27:46 They say, you know that accountant 27:48 that had plundered your account 27:50 that he'd mismanaged and extorted 27:51 all that money that you forgave, 27:53 he just went out and he cast 27:55 one of our fellow servants into prison for $42. 27:59 The kind was incensed. Said bring him here to me. 28:06 "Then his master, after he had called him in" 28:08 I'm in Matthew 18:32, 28:12 "He said to him, 'You wicked servant! 28:14 I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 28:18 Should you not have also had compassion 28:21 on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' 28:24 And his master was angry, 28:27 and delivered him to the torturers, 28:29 the tormenters, until he should pay 28:31 all that was due to him. 28:33 So My heavenly Father also will do to you 28:37 if each of you, from your heart, 28:39 he does not forgive his brother his trespasses." 28:43 Now I want to dwell on this 28:45 because this parable really helps sum it up. 28:47 We're not done with other examples of the principle. 28:52 You know the only comment that Jesus makes 28:54 on the Lord's Prayer is the part of the prayer 28:57 where it says "Forgive us our debts 28:59 as we forgive our debtors. 29:01 Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those 29:03 who trespass against them." 29:05 And then Jesus says at the end of the Lord's prayer, 29:08 "If you do not forgive men their trespasses, 29:10 neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." 29:14 That's very important. 29:16 In other words, who does the first forgiving? 29:21 The servant or the father? 29:23 The king, the father forgives. 29:25 He says now that I've forgiven you, 29:27 now that I've shown mercy on you, 29:29 I want you to go and live out that mercy in your life. 29:34 I freely forgiven you, Jesus says, 29:36 freely you receive freely give. 29:38 He's not just talking about money. 29:39 I mean if He gives you that freely, 29:41 we hope you give it freely too. 29:43 He's talking about mercy. 29:45 I freely shown you mercy, be merciful to others. 29:48 I mean God is willing to forgive us 10,000 talents 29:51 and we're not willing to forgive each other $42. 29:56 Someone once compared that to the distance 29:57 between the sun and the earth, 93 million miles 30:00 that God is willing to forgive us 30:01 and we won't forgive each other one foot. 30:06 Don't miss a very important point. 30:07 That servant when he became before the king, 30:10 he said have patience with me and I will pay. 30:13 He thought he was earning it, 30:15 he didn't understand that it was grace. 30:17 When we understand that we're forgiven by grace, 30:20 that grace does something in our hearts, 30:22 where we didn't want to be different, 30:25 we then want to give grace to others. 30:27 When we understand what our forgiveness cost, 30:31 what our sins cost we don't want to go away 30:33 from the king's presence and go right back 30:35 to squandering his resources. 30:38 The thief on the cross, will he be in heaven? 30:43 Oh, yeah, good point, which of the thieves? 30:44 I didn't say which one, did I? 30:46 They're two of them there. 30:48 Now I'm talking about the one that had that dialogue 30:49 with Jesus where he said, Lord, remember me. 30:52 And Jesus said, barely I saved you today, 30:54 you'll be with Me in paradise. 30:56 Will he be in the kingdom? He will. 30:59 Based on his works or based on faith? 31:01 Based on faith. 31:03 Do his works have anything to do with it? 31:06 Did he have any works? 31:08 Yeah, there's one work. 31:12 There's one work that everybody needs to be involved in 31:16 and so I heard somebody saying my answer here. 31:18 Don't give it away. 31:20 John 6:28, 29, the Jews came to Jesus, 31:26 they said, "What shall we do, 31:28 that we may work the works of God?" 31:31 Here is the one work that everybody 31:32 needs to do to be saved. 31:34 "This is the work of God, that you believe 31:37 in Him whom He sent." 31:40 So there's a work involved in believing. 31:44 Now we're gonna dwell on this with our next example, 31:48 the children of Israel. 31:53 When the Lord brought the children of Israel 31:54 out of Egypt did they begin their journey out of Egypt 31:58 based on faith or works? 32:00 What was the launching pad for their journey? 32:04 Was it the law or was it the lamb? 32:09 How well do you know your Exodus chronology? 32:12 Before they left Egypt, they're still in Egypt, 32:16 what was it that gave them, 32:18 what did they do before they began their journey? 32:22 Did they receive the law, did they receive the lamb? 32:26 First thing they did was they applied the blood of lamb. 32:29 But they need to do something? 32:30 They needed to sacrifice the lamb 32:31 and they needed to apply the blood to the door 32:33 and that lamb began their journey. 32:36 That lamb provided freedom to them from their prison. 32:41 They were liberated from their prison. 32:44 They were saved from their life of bondage 32:47 because of the blood of the lamb. 32:48 You are still with me, am I right? 32:50 After they were saved, oh, they then get hungry, 32:55 God gives them bread, they get thirsty, 32:57 He gives them water, they get attacked, 32:58 He gives them victory. 32:59 He does all this for them before they go to Mount Sinai. 33:04 Then He brings them to Mount Sinai 33:05 and He begins the Ten Commandments. 33:07 What's the first commandment? 33:14 Well, first commandment, I heard some of you say it, 33:17 I shall not have other Gods, 33:18 that is part of the First Commandment 33:19 but the commandment begins with it says, 33:21 God speak all these Words saying. 33:23 Meaning here's what the-- when God wrote with his 33:27 finger on the stone, this is where the writing begins. 33:29 I'm the Lord your God that brought you 33:32 out of the house of bondage, out of the house of slavery, 33:35 the land of Egypt, thou shalt have 33:38 no other gods before Me. 33:39 In other Words, he starts the Ten Commandments 33:41 by saying, I saved you. 33:45 Now if you love Me, here's My law, 33:47 that's the implication. 33:49 He doesn't give them the law and after He completely 33:53 saves them out of Egypt. 33:55 After they are saved, 33:57 He then says here's My will, obey Me. 34:00 Matter of fact, in the Ten Commandments, 34:02 it says in the commandment dealing with idolatry 34:05 showing mercy unto thousands of them 34:06 that love Me and keep My commandments. 34:09 You need to love God to keep His commandments. 34:11 But He saves them first. 34:13 So do they make it immediately from Egypt 34:18 to the Promised Land or does He saved them from Egypt, 34:21 He brings them to Mount of Sinai? 34:23 Says here's My will, obey Me, is that what he said? 34:27 He says this is My covenant I'm making with you, 34:30 gives them the table of stones, here's My law, 34:33 the new covenant is the same law, 34:36 it's now written on the heart, same law. 34:41 And how many of them made it to the Promised Land? 34:45 Those above 20 that began the journey out of, 34:49 you know, a million, they were above 20, two made it. 34:54 Does that scare you? 34:59 You know why? 35:00 Because this piece of theology misunderstood is fatal. 35:05 If--they say, well, you know after all 35:07 the Lord did all these miracles 35:09 to save us from the land of Egypt, 35:10 He's just gonna keep putting up 35:11 with our bad behavior all the way to the Promised Land. 35:13 No, He wanted to not only save them from Egypt, 35:16 He wanted to save them from sin. 35:18 That's the whole reason they built the sanctuary 35:21 so that they would not only be justified, 35:23 He wanted them to be sanctified, 35:26 to be different people, to live by faith. 35:30 Now, what does it mean to believe? 35:33 So many people say it doesn't matter 35:35 what your works are, it just matters what your belief is. 35:39 Do you have faith? 35:42 And so they built this whole theology 35:46 that all you have to do is just mental assent, 35:51 whoever calls in the name of the Lord 35:53 will be saved, and they neglect 35:54 all the evidence in the scripture that says 35:56 God wants you to be holy people with a different behavior. 36:02 Now I haven't seen it but I heard 36:03 that Al Gore put out a movie on the environment called 36:07 "An Inconvenient Truth" and I'm not vying on the movie 36:10 'cause I haven't seen it but I've heard about it 36:12 and I guess it caused a lot of stir but I liked the title, 36:16 "An Inconvenient Truth." 36:20 Some truths are inconvenient. 36:23 You know one of the examples in more modern times 36:27 that illustrates that people 36:29 who don't want to believe something, 36:30 who can't afford to believe something 36:31 will refuse to believe it no matter what the evidence is. 36:36 In 1994, a number of tobacco executives 36:41 stood before a federal enquiry 36:45 and there was a department of justice lawsuit 36:49 because all these lawsuits began to stockpile 36:51 about people who were dying of lung cancer, 36:53 they sued the tobacco companies. 36:54 I've got a problem with that, 36:56 it's like suing McDonalds 36:57 when you eat too many cheeseburgers. 36:59 Well, I mean but anyway and they started 37:01 suing for their medical expenses and everything 37:03 and the tobacco executives 37:05 have to get up and they were testifying. 37:08 You know, we really not sure 37:10 that there any health problems connected with smoking. 37:14 We are not sure that you can draw a line 37:17 between nicotine and cancer. 37:20 We're not marketing to children, 37:23 and they just began to blatantly 37:26 lie and raise their hands and swear, 37:28 we didn't know there's something wrong, 37:30 they said, we have no idea. 37:33 Because after all, I mean, 37:35 finally most of them have complained, after all, 37:38 how can you be an executive in a tobacco company 37:42 raking in all those money on selling something 37:45 that's killing people, making people sick, 37:47 number one health problem, 37:51 it contributes to heart disease and cancer 37:54 and health problems as much as 37:56 just about anything else next to alcohol 37:58 I believe in North America. 38:00 Without lying to yourself, 38:03 and say, well, I didn't know, is really--? 38:06 No, it's not proven yet, 38:08 we haven't seen hard enough evidence. 38:11 It was an inconvenient truth, 38:12 they couldn't afford to admit it. 38:16 Well, you know what's happened? 38:17 I've seen it in the church where--this is how it works. 38:21 Christ wants to save us from sin. 38:24 We are justified but then let's go to the next step, 38:28 He wants to be victorious and to live holy lives 38:32 but we look around and we say who can dare claim holiness? 38:39 Look at all the sin not only in the world in the church. 38:42 Statistically, there's just about as much 38:46 the worse in the church as you see in the world. 38:49 And so we think, well, since 38:53 there's so few examples of victory, 38:55 we better change our theology no matter 38:57 what the Bible says because it's an inconvenient truth 39:00 that God wants us to stop sinning. 39:04 Did you know that? 39:06 He wants you to stop sinning. 39:09 He didn't want you cut down, 39:12 He doesn't want you to use the patch tape her off, 39:15 He wants you to quit. 39:18 And He doesn't want you to quit 39:20 when you get used to it, when it's convenient for you, 39:23 He wants to quit now 39:25 because every time you sin, it hurts you. 39:29 Now it's strange that you shall have to apologetic 39:31 about saying stuff like that in a church. 39:34 When Jesus talked to Mary Magdalene, 39:36 she was caught in the very act of adultery, 39:38 He said, go and cut back on sin. 39:43 Is that what He said? He said go and sin no more. 39:47 And then everybody says, well, what did He mean by sin? 39:50 Is, is, is... 39:55 But what does that mean? 39:57 Well, the very fact that he didn't 39:59 go to great lengths to define what sin means 40:02 and that passage means, 40:03 it means the same thing it means everywhere else. 40:06 Does that make sense? 40:08 Sin was why she was about to be stone, 40:11 and He says don't do that anymore, right. 40:15 He didn't say Mary, I want you to go try 40:17 and reduce the events, keep her off. 40:25 Sin is what was killing her. 40:28 Does God want us to be hearers 40:30 or doers of the Word? 40:34 Romans 12-- I'm sorry Romans 2:13, 40:38 Paul is speaking here and people take 40:40 to the writings of Paul as much as anybody 40:41 to abuse for this Paul's theology. 40:44 "For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, 40:49 but the doers of the law will be justified." 40:53 But why do the Lord, does He want us to hear it or do it? 40:56 What did James say? 40:59 James 1:25, "But he who looks 41:01 into the perfect law of liberty" 41:03 by the way if you read this in context, 41:06 he names through the Ten Commandments 41:07 before this verse. 41:08 "But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty 41:11 and continues in it, being not a forgetful hearer 41:15 but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed." 41:18 Why does God want us to do it? 41:20 Because we're blessed when we are, 41:24 you are blessed and your children are blessed 41:25 and your church is blessed. 41:26 In other Words, God's speaking to the children of Israel, 41:29 Deuteronomy 5:29, 41:32 "Oh, that they had such a heart in them 41:35 that they would fear Me always 41:37 and keep all of My commandments, 41:40 that it might be well with them and their children forever." 41:46 Oh, I said that wrong. 41:47 "Oh, that they had such a heart in them 41:50 that they would fear Me and always keep 41:52 all of My commandments." 41:55 How many commandments? 41:56 What percentage would that be? 41:58 How often? All the time. 42:01 Pastor Doug, are you reading this out of context? 42:04 No. 42:05 But that's the Old Testament, 42:06 it doesn't apply anymore. 42:08 Have you heard that one? 42:11 It's still true today, friends. 42:13 He wants us to keep all of them all the time 42:15 that it might be well with us 42:16 because think about if that's not true what does that mean? 42:20 What if God should say to you, you know, 42:23 you can fudge a little, that has two meanings, isn't it? 42:30 You didn't get that. 42:33 Some people sin is fudge, 42:36 but they say, oh, it doesn't matter that much. 42:38 You know, just a little sin, what if God said, 42:43 a little adultery, we're all human. 42:46 If He was to say anything other than perfect holiness, 42:50 He becomes unaccomplished. 42:53 Our God in the New Testament, 42:54 in the Old Testament does not talk that way. 42:58 Christ is our example, He's a perfect example. 43:00 And think about what we're really 43:02 saying as a church when nobody ever argues 43:05 if the devil can't tempt us to sin. 43:06 I don't hear any preacher ever arguing say 43:09 devil can't ever make anyone sin 43:12 or the devil can't tempt anyone to sin. 43:15 You never hear a pastor saying that. 43:18 The devil can't tempt you to sin. 43:19 You never hear a pastor saying 43:21 there's no such thing as sin. 43:23 Nobody argues with the reality of sin, 43:25 you know they argue with the reality of holiness. 43:30 We all believe the devil can tempt us to sin. 43:34 Why do have such a hard time 43:35 believing God can keep us from sin? 43:37 If we find it easy to believe the devil 43:40 can make us fall but we don't believe 43:43 that Jesus can make us stand then what we're really 43:46 saying is our devil is more powerful than our God. 43:50 Is that caveman logic does it hold up? 43:55 If we think the devil can tempt us to sin 43:57 but we don't believe the Lord can keep us from sin 43:59 then who's stronger in your thinking? 44:03 The--and that's why the devil says, look, 44:06 if I got them on this point, grace, salvation, 44:10 faith and works, so they just take the faith part 44:13 from sin they don't take the holy living part, I got them. 44:16 Because the big acquisition that Satan makes against God 44:20 is you're unfair, you're expecting these creatures 44:24 that you've made to do the impossible, 44:26 they can't do it. 44:28 You're unreasonable for punishing them for sinning 44:30 because they can't do anything but sin. 44:33 In order for you and I to bring glory to God 44:35 and vindicate God from that acquisition, 44:37 He wants us to live your lives. 44:41 You know what bothers the devil more than anything? 44:44 Is when somebody who is a drunk, cursing, 44:47 vile adultery is converted 44:50 and they give up their drinking, 44:52 they don't drink anymore, 44:54 they don't commit adultery anymore, 44:55 they don't curse anymore, they don't steal anymore, 44:58 He saves them from those sins, 44:59 that drives the devil mad. 45:01 He's already mad but makes it worse. 45:04 Because their lives are living testimony 45:06 the Jesus can save them from their sins. 45:10 You know, I always like to ask a question 45:13 if you're struggling with this, 45:14 then what sin is it that He can't save you from? 45:19 That's the one that you won't confess or repent of 45:22 but you can't name any specific sin 45:24 that God can't give you the victory over. 45:26 He can save you from everything. 45:30 I believe Jesus can. 45:35 Let me read a couple of quotes to you. 45:37 Francis Bacon said, "It's not what men eat 45:41 but what they digest that makes them strong. 45:44 It's not what we gain but what we save 45:47 that makes us rich. 45:48 It's not what we read but what we remember 45:52 that makes us learned. 45:53 It's not what we preach or pray but what we practice 45:56 and believe that makes us Christians." 46:00 And a lot of us are, we're long and big 46:03 on the preaching part and the profession part, 46:06 but when it comes to the practice, 46:08 it becomes an inconvenient truth. 46:12 Spurgeon put it this way and this is a Baptist. 46:16 "We must keep our Lord's command 46:18 if we would bask in His love. 46:20 If we live in sin, we cannot live in the love of Christ. 46:24 Without the holiness which pleases God, 46:26 we cannot please Jesus. 46:28 He who cares nothing for holiness 46:30 knows nothing of the love of Jesus." 46:33 That's why John said if we say we love Him 46:35 and we live in sin we're liars 46:37 and the truth does not abide in us. 46:40 God is calling us-- why there's so quite in here 46:42 when you talk about these things? 46:44 Pastor Doug, we didn't expect to come to church 46:46 and haven't talk about sin. 46:53 Sin no more. 46:56 How many believe when we get to heaven we'll sin no more? 47:00 100% of the hands, it's obvious, 47:02 no problem be in heaven then, 47:03 have a new bodies then. 47:06 I won't ask you to raise your hands for the next one, 47:08 but I bet in our hearts of hearts that not everybody 47:12 here believes that we're supposed 47:13 to have that experience before Jesus comes. 47:17 I believe we are. 47:19 I believe that the Lord is wanting to raise up 47:21 a unique people in these last days 47:24 that have been saved from their sins, 47:27 they are living sanctified lives. 47:28 Well, what does that mean, Doug? 47:30 Well, I'll tell you what it means. 47:33 It means we've got the same kind of relationship 47:35 with the Lord that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had. 47:39 When the king said either you break the law of God 47:42 or you break my law, you either sin against the government, 47:46 you sin against God, you lay your life on the line. 47:49 And they said, you know what? 47:50 We love the Lord with all our hearts. 47:53 We would rather die than willingly disobey Him. 47:57 That's the kind of experience we need to have. 48:00 It's the same kind of experience Daniel had 48:02 when he said I'd rather go to the lion's den 48:07 than dishonor my God by closing my windows 48:09 and hiding my prayers. 48:12 He said I love God that much. 48:14 In the last days, those who don't worship 48:16 the beast and his image, they can't buy or sell, 48:18 they're gonna be put on the line. 48:19 Do we all obey the laws of the beast 48:21 or the law of God? 48:23 And we're gonna need to have a relationship 48:24 where we have built up our faith by saying 48:26 I'm going to be a doer of the Word 48:28 and not a hearer only. 48:29 Even if it means I lose my job, 48:31 I can't buy or sell or I get in prison or killed. 48:35 You think that experience is gonna come to us 48:37 the day that some crazy law is passed 48:40 or do we need to be developing 48:41 an experience of submission and obedience now? 48:44 If you're gonna pass the final exam 48:46 then we need to start learning 48:47 how to win a few quizzes along the way, 48:51 in daily submission to Christ and obedience. 48:58 John 5:14, not only did Jesus say to Mary Magdalene, 49:01 neither do I condemn you or forgiven, 49:03 go and sin no more. 49:05 You notice how it works? 49:06 Forgiven by grace, but then after 49:08 we are forgiven says now live a different kind of life. 49:11 Jesus healed another man from sickness 49:13 and after He found him in the temple. 49:14 This is John 5:14, He said to him, 49:17 "See, you've been made well. 49:19 Sin no more, lest the worse thing come upon thee." 49:23 Worse than the beginning. 49:25 Romans 6:1, 2 and you can also read in Romans 6:13, 49:30 "What shall we save then? 49:31 Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" 49:35 Isn't that abusing God's grace? "God forbid! 49:39 How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer therein?" 49:45 So why do we obey Him, 49:46 to be saved or because we're saved? 49:49 Why does an avocado tree make avocados? 49:51 To prove it's an avocado tree because it is one. 49:55 Why does a Christian have good works? 49:58 In order to earn salvation or because they're all saved. 50:01 So if the works aren't there, then the salvation isn't there. 50:05 The heart has not been surrendered. 50:08 John Wesley said, "Good men avoid sin from love of virtue, 50:13 wicked men avoid sin from fear of punishment." 50:18 We need to be doing the right thing not to be saved 50:20 but for the right reason to bring glory to God 50:22 because we love Him. 50:26 Hebrews 10:26, "If we continue to sin willfully 50:31 after we have received the knowledge of the truth, 50:34 there remains no more sacrifice for sins." 50:37 Matter of fact, I want you to turn to that, 50:38 I want to read that whole passage with you. 50:42 I'm looking at the clock but I think I have time. 50:45 Hebrews 10, and I'm gonna start with verse 26. 50:51 "For if we sin willfully" now you see 50:54 a difference between willful sin, 50:57 presumptuous sin and accidental sin? 51:01 Yeah, there is, it's the intent. 51:04 Even in our courts, you've got delivered 51:06 first degree murder and then you've got 51:07 manslaughter or someone might die accidentally 51:10 because of your carelessness. 51:12 "If we sin willfully, after we have received 51:15 the knowledge of the truth" 51:17 also notice that once a person knows 51:19 they're more accountable than before they know. 51:22 "There is no longer a sacrifice for sins." 51:25 That's talking about if we choose to live a sinful life 51:27 after we know what God's will is, what more can He do. 51:32 All they've got then is, 51:33 "a certain fearful expectation of judgment, 51:36 and fiery indignation that will devour the adversaries. 51:39 Anyone who rejected Moses' law died 51:42 without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses." 51:45 Paul's right here, here the writer of Hebrews New Testament, 51:49 is making a connection between Moses' law and Jesus law. 51:54 Some people think well, Moses' law, 51:55 that was severe, that's Old Testament. 51:58 It's actually more severe in the New Testament 52:01 to neglect the sacrifice of Jesus and the blood of Jesus 52:04 and the blood of goats and lambs in the Old Testament. 52:08 This is what he says. 52:09 "Anyone who rejected Moses' law died 52:11 without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 52:13 Of how much worse or more severe punishment, 52:18 do you suppose, will he be thought worthy 52:20 who has trampled the Son of God underfoot," 52:23 become a welfare queen 52:27 "and counted the blood of the covenant 52:29 by which he was sanctified a common thing, 52:32 and insulted the Spirit of grace?" 52:34 By taking advantage of, by presuming, 52:36 by exploiting God's grace 52:38 and not been willing to live a new life, 52:41 that's very serious. 52:42 That's abusing the sacrifice of Christ. 52:46 We need to repent of our sins 52:48 and as God to save us from our sins, friends, amen. 52:53 You know, God wants us to be not just hearers 52:57 but doers of the Word. 52:59 We need the faith of Jesus. 53:02 I want to jump ahead and talk about that real quick. 53:05 We're saved by grace through faith, right? 53:07 What kind of faith? 53:10 Let me read this to you, Revelation 14:12, 53:13 speaking of those who're saved, 53:14 "Here is the patience of the saints, 53:17 here are those who keep the commandments of God 53:20 and the faith of Jesus." 53:23 What kind of faith did the redeemed have? 53:25 The faith of Jesus. 53:27 What kind of faith that Jesus have? 53:29 Did Jesus have this faith where He just exploited 53:32 the Father's grace and continued a life of sin, 53:35 or was Jesus faith a faith 53:37 that resulted in a different kind of life? 53:40 Did He keep His Father's commandments? 53:42 So if we've got the faith of Jesus, 53:45 how do we live? 53:47 Obedient lives. 53:49 People say belief and for some reason 53:53 the Word is changed. 53:56 You know, 50 years ago, you could say, 53:58 oh, boy, today I'm just really happy and gay. 54:01 We don't say that anymore. 54:03 The Words taken on new meaning. 54:06 When you say the Word belief 54:08 you know how most people hear that these days? 54:11 They don't hear it the way they heard it 54:13 in the time of Christ. 54:14 When Jesus said if you believe in Me, 54:16 what He meant by that Word was you believe 54:20 and you're going to live what I say. 54:23 Whoever believes in Him, to just say, 54:27 I'm with you, Lord, I believe You. 54:29 Yes, Sir. I accept your sacrifice 54:31 and then you go live like the devil, 54:34 that's not belief, that's not Bible belief. 54:36 Yet so many the Word has come to mean something different, 54:39 they just think, you know, 54:40 James said that devils also believe and tremble. 54:43 They got that kind of belief. 54:46 The real belief is the belief where you're willing 54:49 to live what He says. 54:52 That's the ultimate evidence that you believe in Jesus, 54:54 that you want to live by His word. 54:56 Am I right? 54:59 You probably heard this story before but it's true, 55:02 of a daredevil who was just one of the trendsetters 55:06 for an age to come called the Great Blondin. 55:09 He was from France, and came to America 55:12 and he was known for the feats, 55:13 he walked back and forth between buildings. 55:15 He died at old age amazingly he could think, 55:17 those guys would have a short lifespan. 55:20 And he was the first one you heard about it, 55:22 he walked across Niagara Falls on a tight rope, 55:27 that was pretty flimsy compared to our later examples 55:31 and he was called a showman. 55:32 He'd get up there on the post 55:34 and the crowds were gathered all around, 55:36 they'd be watching and they even had a bridge 55:38 at that point they want to cross 55:39 so they can watch from the bridge. 55:41 And he'd say, how many think I can walk across 55:43 with the wind and the spray with the nothing? 55:46 And they would say, we believe you can, 55:48 we believe you can. 55:49 He walked across and he walked back. 55:51 And then he would say, how many believe 55:54 that I can go across Niagara Falls now 55:56 without my balance stick pushing a wheelbarrow? 56:00 And the crowd wanted to see him to do it. 56:01 So they say we believe you can do it, 56:03 you can do it, we believe. 56:04 And then he said, 56:05 how many are willing to get in the wheelbarrow? 56:11 And the account that I read said 56:13 you could have heard a pin drop, 56:14 all you heard was the wind and the roar from the falls. 56:17 Total silence, no hands went up. 56:20 They all said we believe you can do it 56:22 with somebody else but not with me. 56:25 You know another story about the Great Blondin is he said, 56:30 how many of you believe that I could go 56:31 across the Falls with a man on my back? 56:35 Nobody thought he could believe it, 56:36 finally his manager said I believe it 56:41 and he raises hand, he went out and he-- 56:44 and this is an actual photograph 56:45 of he's carrying his manager 56:47 on his back across Niagara Falls. 56:51 How many of you well, that make you nervous? 56:54 How much confidence would you have to have 56:56 in the Great Blondin to get on his back 56:58 and go across the Falls? 57:00 He must have had an awful lot of faith 57:03 that he had good balance. 57:05 So when Jesus says surrender your life to Me, 57:09 obey Me, trust Me, that it would be better, 57:12 you will thrive, you'll have abundant life, 57:15 threw Me you can do all things. 57:17 Are you willing to believe that we can do this? 57:21 And some people say, yeah, Jesus, 57:22 I believe but I'm not getting into the barrow. 57:25 I'm not getting on your back. 57:27 You want Me to really like do what we talk 57:29 about at church during the week? 57:33 Yes, that's what it means to be a Christian. 57:37 We are--this is the kind of faith that really works. 57:40 It's the kind where you live it in your life. 57:43 It's the only kind you're gonna be happy with. 57:44 It's the only kind of faith where you're gonna have peace 57:47 and this is what it means to really believe, 57:50 to really trust the Lord. 57:52 And you might say I don't know how I'm gonna do that, 57:54 well, you can't do without Him, but moment by moment 57:57 you can live a new life through Jesus, 57:58 through His blood, through His power. |
Revised 2014-12-17