Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021548A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:10 >>TODAY'S SMART PHONES ARE A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE OF 00:12 INFORMATION THAT FITS IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND. 00:15 IT'S A GOOD THING WE HAVE OPPOSABLE THUMBS! 00:17 WITH IT YOU CAN BUY YOUR GROCERIES, TAKE CARE OF YOUR 00:21 EXERCISE REGIME, WATCH A VIDEO, LISTEN TO MUSIC, YOU CAN SURF 00:25 THE INTERNATIONAL WORLD-WIDE WEB, WHICH MAY NOT ALWAYS BE A 00:29 GOOD THING. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE IS MORE 00:31 COMPUTER PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY AND POWER IN A LITTLE SMART 00:34 PHONE TODAY THAN WAS USED BY NASA TO PUT A MAN ON THE MOON. 00:39 AND I ALMOST FORGOT, YOU CAN ALSO USE THESE TO MAKE A PHONE 00:41 CALL, BUT WHO DOES THAT ANYMORE? TODAY COMMUNICATION IS 00:45 NOT IN COMPLETE SENTENCES. IT'S ALL ABOUT SHORT MESSAGE 00:48 SERVICING OR SMS TEXTING. THAT'S RIGHT, THERE ARE ABOUT 00:53 2.5 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TODAY THAT ARE COMMUNICATING 00:57 WITH THEIR FELLOW HUMANS IN SHORT BYTES CALLED TEXTING. 01:00 THAT'S MORE DATA THAT IS BEING USED THAN THOSE WHO ARE SURFING 01:04 THE WEB OR EVEN PLAYING VIDEO GAMES. 01:06 AND, FRIENDS, NOWHERE IS THIS MORE TRUE THAN RIGHT HERE IN THE 01:09 PHILIPPINES. EVEN THOUGH THE PHILIPPINES HAS 01:11 ABOUT 100 MILLION PEOPLE, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LARGEST 01:15 NUMBER OF TEXT MESSAGES OF ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. 01:18 THEY'RE THE TWELFTH-LARGEST COUNTRY, BUT THEY SEND 400 01:21 MILLION TEXT MESSAGES EVERY DAY. WOW, THAT'S A LOT 01:26 OF FINGER FATIGUE. EVEN THOUGH THE GREATEST NUMBER 01:29 OF TEXTERS IS HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES, THE RECORD FOR THE 01:32 FASTEST TEXTER IN THE WORLD IS FROM BRAZIL. 01:34 A YOUNG MAN BY THE NAME OF MARCEL FERNANDES FILHO - HE WAS 01:37 ABLE TO TEXT 25 VERY COMPLICATED WORDS IN A LITTLE MORE THAN 18 01:41 SECONDS. WOW, IT TAKES ME LONGER THAN 01:44 THAT TO JUST SAY 'I LOVE YOU' TO MY WIFE AND PRESS SEND. 01:48 ALL THUMBS. ONE OF THE NEAT THINGS ABOUT 01:51 TEXTING IS YOU CAN TEXT JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE. 01:53 IF YOU'RE SURROUNDED WITH PEOPLE AND YOU WANT TO SEND A PERSONAL 01:55 MESSAGE, YOU TEXT. YOU'RE IN A CROWDED SUBWAY 01:58 OR AN AIRPORT, YOU CAN TEXT. IF YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY NOISE 02:01 OR NOSEY PEOPLE, YOU CAN TEXT - JUST DON'T TEXT 02:05 WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING. THAT'S WHAT'S SO WONDERFUL, 02:07 FRIENDS, YOU CAN ALWAYS TEXT GOD A MESSAGE OF PRAYER 02:10 FROM YOUR HEART. WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING 02:12 'WHAT SCHOOL DO I GO TO?' 'WHAT JOB DO I TAKE?' 02:15 'WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO DATE THAT MAY BE A FUTURE LIFE PARTNER?' 02:18 YOUR PRAYERS DON'T HAVE TO BE LONG. 02:20 THE SHORTEST PRAYER IN THE BIBLE IS THREE WORDS - WHEN PETER 02:22 PRAYED, 'LORD SAVE ME.' AND JESUS ANSWERED HIS PRAYER. 02:26 IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW FAST YOU CAN TEXT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO 02:29 GOD, HE'LL KNOW WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR AND HEAR YOUR PRAYER 02:32 BEFORE YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO SAY 'AMEN' AND PRESS THE SEND 02:35 BUTTON. IN FACT, FRIENDS, YOU'LL BRING 02:37 JOY TO GOD WHEN YOU SEND HIM REGULAR MESSAGES FROM 02:40 YOUR HEART TO HIS. SO WHY DON'T YOU TALK 02:42 TO HIM RIGHT NOW? >>I REALLY WANTED TO START A NEW 02:55 DEVOTIONAL HABIT BUT LIFE GOT IN THE WAY. 02:58 NEXT THING I KNOW, WE'RE A MONTH INTO THE NEW YEAR AND I'M LIKE, 03:01 'WHAT'S THE POINT OF STARTING?' THEN I SAW '365 AMAZING ANSWERS 03:05 TO BIG BIBLE QUESTIONS'. EACH DAY IS A SINGLE STUDY SO 03:08 YOU CAN START ANYWHERE ON ANY DAY AND NOT MISS A THING. 03:11 THEY'RE CRISP, CLEAR, AND ENLIGHTENING. 03:15 >>GET YOURS TODAY BY CALLING 800-538-7275 OR VISIT 03:21 'AFBOOKSTORE.COM'. (MUSIC) 03:40 >>WELL, I'VE PICKED AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK THIS MORNING 03:44 AND, HOPEFULLY, YOU ARE ABLE TO FIGURE THAT OUT JUST FROM THE 03:48 SERMON TITLE. I'M GOING TO ATTEMPT TO TALK 03:51 ABOUT THE HOLINESS OF GOD AND RIGHT AT THE OUTSET YOU NEED 03:57 TO EXPLAIN THAT THAT WORD 'HOLINESS' IS SOMETHING THAT 04:02 REALLY EXPLAINS SOMETHING THAT CAN'T BE EXPLAINED. 04:06 IT'S BEYOND OUR COMPREHENSION. AND SO MY TASK TO YOU IS TO TALK 04:12 ABOUT SOMEONE AND A LIFE THAT IS ALMOST BEYOND COMPREHENSION. 04:16 SO PRAY FOR ME BECAUSE YOU REALLY ARE ATTEMPTING THE 04:19 IMPOSSIBLE TO HELP PEOPLE GET A CONCEPT OF THE HOLINESS OF GOD 04:23 BECAUSE ANYTHING THAT I MIGHT SAY - THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS 04:26 TOO FEEBLE AND IS CERTAINLY GOING TO FALL SHORT, BUT I'M 04:30 GOING TO TRY. GOD HAS CALLED US TO LIVES OF HOLINESS AND PURITY. 04:38 I SUPPOSE YOU CAUGHT IT IN THE SCRIPTURE READING WE JUST HAD. 04:42 PETER IS ACTUALLY QUOTING THE OLD TESTAMENT WHEN HE SAID, 'BE 04:45 YE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY.' THE ENCOURAGING THING ABOUT WHAT 04:49 PETER SAID IS, WHENEVER YOU FIND THE WORD 'BE' IN A STATEMENT OF 04:54 GOD, THERE'S CREATIVE POWER IN THAT. 04:58 IT'S LIKE WHEN GOD SAID, 'LET THERE BE A HEAVENS. 05:02 LET THERE BE LIGHT.' WHEN HE SAID LET THERE BE SOMETHING, 05:05 THAT MEANS IT'S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE FOR IT TO HAPPEN 05:08 BECAUSE THERE IS CREATIVE POWER IN GOD'S WORD. 05:11 SO WHEN GOD SAYS, 'BE YE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.' IT'S LIKE WHEN 05:16 JESUS SAID TO THE LEPER, 'BE YE CLEAN.' AND HE WAS. 05:21 AND SO THE VERY FACT THAT GOD IS CALLING US TO BE SOMETHING MEANS 05:25 THAT THERE'S CREATIVE DYNAMICS IN THE WORD ITSELF. 05:30 YOU KNOW, THERE IS A SPIDER THAT LIVES IN EUROPE AND ASIA THAT IS 05:36 CALLED THE DIVING BELL SPIDER - AN INTERESTING CREATURE - 05:41 EVOLUTIONISTS CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW THIS HAPPENED - IT'S A 05:44 SPIDER AND, YOU KNOW, INSECTS BREATHE THROUGH THEIR SKIN AND 05:48 INSECTS WILL DROWN WHEN THEY'RE PLUNGED IN WATER. 05:52 BUT THIS SPIDER LIVES UNDER WATER. 05:56 IT HAS FINE HAIRS ALL OVER ITS BODY SO THAT WHEN IT GOES UP TO 06:00 THE SURFACE, IT CAPTURES AIR IN ITS HAIRS AND WHEN IT GOES 06:04 UNDERNEATH THE WATER, THE HAIRS HOLD THE OXYGEN BUBBLE AROUND 06:09 ITS BODY. IT WEAVES A WEB ON SOME OF THE 06:12 PLANTS - AND HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF ONE - THAT GROW IN THE RIVERS 06:15 AND THE LAKES, AND THEN IT SCRAPES THE HAIRS OFF OF ITS 06:19 BODY AND BEGINS TO FILL UP THIS BELL OF AIR. 06:23 AND THEN IT GOES BACK TO THE SURFACE AND GETS MORE AND IT 06:26 CONTINUES THROUGH THE DAY TO REFRESH ITS SUPPLY OF AIR. 06:31 AND THAT SPIDER LIVES IN THIS BUBBLE UNDER THE WATER, 06:35 SURROUNDED BY ANOTHER WORLD, AND IT FEEDS AND IT MATES AND IT 06:39 DOES - IT LIVES ITS LIFE AND IT EATS THERE IN THIS BUBBLE. 06:43 IT'S ITS HOME. BUT IT HAS TO CONSTANTLY BE 06:46 RETURNING TO THE SURFACE FOR THE ATMOSPHERE FROM ABOVE IN ORDER 06:52 TO LIVE IN THE WORLD BELOW. YOU KNOW, JESUS HAS CALLED US TO 06:56 BE IN THE WORLD, BUT NOT OF THE WORLD. 06:58 CHRISTIANS HAVE AN INTERESTING CHALLENGE. 07:01 HE IS ASKING US TO BE HOLY IN AN UNHOLY ENVIRONMENT. 07:06 AND THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN DO THAT IS BY MAKING FREQUENT TRIPS TO 07:10 THE SURFACE AND GETTING THAT HEAVENLY ATMOSPHERE AND BRINGING 07:15 IT WITH YOU. AND YOU NEED TO CONTINUE TO RETURN. 07:20 AND SO RIGHT HERE AT THE BEGINNING I'M SHARING WITH YOU 07:22 WHAT I THINK IS THE SECRET TO LIVING A HOLY LIFE. 07:25 IT'S BY STAYING IN TOUCH WITH HEAVEN. 07:28 I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT WHEN I TRAVEL I LIKE GOING TO SEE 07:32 SOME OF THE GREAT SITES, YOU KNOW, GO AND SEE THE STATUE OF 07:36 LIBERTY IF YOU GO TO NEW YORK OR, YOU KNOW, YOU GO TO SOME OF 07:39 THESE NATURAL WONDERS, BUT WHAT I REALLY LIKE WHEN I TRAVEL IS I 07:43 LIKE TO GO TO THE PLACES WHERE VERY FEW PEOPLE GO. 07:47 I LIKE GOING TO SEE THINGS THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE SEEN. 07:51 AND WHEN WE WERE JUST IN FIJI IT WAS FUN BECAUSE YOU LAND ON THE 07:54 MAIN ISLAND AND THEN WE WENT TO A SMALLER ISLAND AND TOOK A BOAT 07:57 TO ANOTHER ISLAND AND THEN WE TOOK A TRUCK AND WE DROVE TO A 07:59 ROAD AND WE HIKED UP A TRAIL AND WE SAW THE MOST BEAUTIFUL 08:02 WATERFALL. I THINK I SHOWED A PICTURE TO YOU LAST WEEK. 08:06 TO SEE THESE BEAUTIFUL PLACES YOU HAVE TO GO A LITTLE FURTHER. 08:13 IT'S A LITTLE HARDER TO GET THERE. 08:15 BUT YOU SEE THINGS THAT ARE JUST WONDROUS, AND I LIKE ADVENTURE. 08:22 NOW, FRANKLY, IT'S A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING TO ME WHEN YOU 08:27 COME TO CHURCH AND YOU ONLY HEAR ABOUT THE INTRODUCTION OF 08:34 CHRISTIANITY, WHICH IS A HOLINESS THAT YOU RECEIVE 08:37 THROUGH JUSTIFICATION, BUT IT'S REALLY - IT'S THE STARTING 08:41 POINT. THE LORD PRIMES YOUR PUMP IN THE 08:44 CHRISTIAN LIFE BY JUSTIFYING YOU WHEN YOU COME TO HIM 08:48 JUST LIKE YOU ARE. THE THIEF ON THE CROSS WHO 08:52 TURNED TO JESUS WAS FORGIVEN AND JUSTIFIED AND JESUS - WHEN HE 08:56 SAID, 'LORD, REMEMBER ME' AND HE CONFESSED THAT HE WAS A SINNER, 08:59 HE SAID, 'YOU'LL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.' JESUS FORGAVE HIM, HE 09:03 WAS JUSTIFIED, HE WAS DECLARED TO BE HOLY ENOUGH FOR HEAVEN 09:07 EVEN THOUGH HE DIDN'T DO ANY GOOD WORKS. 09:11 I MEAN, OTHER THAN BELIEVING IN CHRIST - THAT WAS THE WORK HE 09:13 DID. HE WITNESSED FOR CHRIST FROM THE 09:17 CROSS, WHICH IS MORE THAN SOME OTHERS WERE DOING THAT DAY, BUT 09:21 HE'S GOING TO BE IN HEAVEN. HE WAS JUSTIFIED. 09:25 HE WAS SAVED BASED ON HIS JUSTIFICATION. 09:27 HE DID NOT HAVE LONG ENOUGH TO THEN TRY TO PROVE THAT HE HAD 09:32 BEEN JUSTIFIED BY FAITH BY NOW LIVING. 09:36 AND I ALWAYS WONDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF, BY SOME QUIRK 09:39 OF FATE, PONTIUS PILATE HAD SAID, 'YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO 09:45 LET THAT GUY OFF BEFORE HE DIES. INSTEAD OF TELLING THE SOLDIER 09:48 TO BREAK HIS LEGS, GET A CROWBAR, PULL THE NAILS OUT, 09:52 HEAL UP HIS HANDS, AND LET HIM GO.' HOW WOULD HE HAVE LIVED? 09:57 AFTER HE HEARD JESUS SAY, 'I'M DECLARING YOU FORGIVEN.' WOULD 10:01 HE HAVE BEEN - WOULD HE HAVE GONE BACK TO STEALING? 10:04 WOULD HE HAVE CONTINUED TO BE A REBEL? 10:07 WOULD HE HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT? AND SO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT 10:11 HOLINESS, THE VERY FIRST THING I NEED TO ESTABLISH IS I'M NOT 10:14 TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT BEGINS OUTSIDE OF CHRIST. 10:19 ANY REAL HOLINESS HAS TO BEGIN WITH JESUS. 10:23 IF YOU DON'T GET THE CENTER RIGHT ON A WHEEL, IT ROLLS OUT 10:27 OF BALANCE. AND THE CENTER OF ANY REAL 10:31 CHRISTIAN SUCCESS IS GOING TO BE THE CROSS. 10:35 BUT ONCE YOU COME TO CHRIST AND YOU ACCEPT THE HOLINESS THAT HE 10:40 OFFERS THROUGH JUSTIFICATION - YOU COME TO HIM JUST LIKE YOU 10:43 ARE AND YOU TRUST IN HIM - HE FORGIVES YOU, HE DECLARES YOU TO 10:48 BE HOLY, THEN YOU MUST GO FROM THERE AND LIVE A SANCTIFIED 10:52 LIFE. YOU NEED TO START LIVING DIFFERENTLY. 10:55 FOR ME - I, FRANKLY, GET BORED WITH PEOPLE THAT STOP TALKING - 11:02 THEY JUST - THEY GO AS FAR AS GRACE - THEY TALK ABOUT 11:06 JUSTIFICATION AND THEY NEVER GO ON TO THE REAL ADVENTURE OF 11:10 CHRISTIANITY, WHERE A PERSON LIVES A HOLY LIFE. 11:15 AND I'M CONVINCED THE EYES OF THE LORD RUN TO AND FRO THROUGH 11:18 THE EARTH LOOKING FOR CHRISTIANS THAT REALLY WANT TO BE 11:21 CHRISTIANS - THAT WANT TO LIVE LIKE CHRIST AND BE HOLY. 11:26 C.S. LEWIS SAID, 'HOW LITTLE PEOPLE 11:28 KNOW WHO THINK THAT HOLINESS IS DULL. 11:31 WHEN SOMEONE MEETS THE REAL THING, IT IS IRRESISTIBLE.' ONE 11:36 REASON THAT A MESSAGE ABOUT HOLINESS AND PURITY IS NOT VERY 11:40 POPULAR, IS BECAUSE IT'S FRIGHTENING. 11:43 YOU'RE DELVING IN A REALM THAT IS UNNATURAL. 11:48 NOW, IF YOU WANT, I CAN TALK TO YOU ABOUT HOW TO SIN. 11:50 I CAN TELL YOU ALL HOW TO SIN, BUT THE TRUTH BE KNOWN, NONE OF 11:55 YOU NEED ANY INSTRUCTION. WE'RE ALL REALLY GOOD AT IT. 12:00 SOME ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS, BUT MOST OF YOU ARE NATURALS, RIGHT? 12:07 AND THERE'S A LOT OF CHURCHES THAT WILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE 12:09 GRACE OF GOD, THAT WILL COVER YOUR SIN AND YOU JUST COME NEXT 12:12 WEEK AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT JUSTIFICATION, BUT THEY'RE NOT 12:17 REALLY TALKING TO YOU ABOUT DOING SOMETHING UNNATURAL, WHICH 12:20 IS 'LIVE A HOLY LIFE NEXT WEEK.' TRY AND LIVE LIKE JESUS WOULD. 12:26 ASK GOD TO - TO CHANGE YOUR THINKING SO THAT YOU'RE PURE. 12:32 NOW THAT'S CRUCIAL BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THE PURE IN 12:34 HEART WILL SEE GOD. AND I WANT TO SEE HIM SOMEDAY. 12:38 I LIKE GOING WHERE PEOPLE DON'T GO. 12:41 THE REASON THAT KAREN AND I STUDY SCUBA DIVING - YOU'VE GOT 12:46 TO TAKE CLASSES AND YOU'VE GOT TO GET CERTIFIED - IS BECAUSE 12:48 IT'S DANGEROUS TO LIVE UNDER WATER. YOU'RE NOT NORMALLY 12:53 DESIGNED TO DO THAT, BUT YOU CAN DO IT, BUT IT TAKES SOME STUDY. 12:58 YESTERDAY I WENT FOR A FLIGHT WITH PASTOR JOHN Q AND EMMA - 13:04 EMMA'S GETTING HER PILOT'S LICENSE AND SHE GOT IT - OH YEAH 13:08 - WELL, SHE - SHE GOT MORE HOURS YESTERDAY. 13:10 ANYWAY, WE WENT UP BECAUSE HE HELPED ME DO MY ANNUAL - I SAID, 13:13 'I'LL TAKE YOU UP.' AND SO WE WENT FOR A FLIGHT. 13:15 BUT WE NORMALLY DON'T LIVE UP THERE. 13:20 IT TAKES SOME EFFORT TO GET THE UNDERSTANDING AND THE EQUIPMENT 13:24 TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT. 13:26 YOU AND I ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO LIVE IN HEAVEN - IT'S A FOREIGN 13:32 ENVIRONMENT - WITHOUT HOLINESS. SO IF YOU WANT TO LIVE THERE 13:37 THEN, YOU'VE GOT TO DEVELOP THE SKILL, THROUGH WALKING WITH 13:40 CHRIST NOW, TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN A HOLY ENVIRONMENT. 13:44 GOD IS HOLY. THE REASON THE DEVIL WAS CAST 13:46 OUT OF HEAVEN IS BECAUSE OF HIS UNHOLINESS. 13:50 WE ARE NOT GOING IN DOING WHAT THE DEVIL WAS CAST OUT FOR. 13:53 >>AMEN. >>SO JESUS FORGIVES US, BUT 13:58 HE SAVES US FROM OUR SINS. GOD IS A HOLY GOD. 14:02 OSWALD CHAMBERS SAID SOMETHING THAT I THINK NEEDS REPEATING. 14:05 HE SAID, 'THE DESTINED END OF MAN IS NOT HAPPINESS NOR HEALTH, 14:12 BUT HOLINESS. GOD'S ONE AIM IN THE PRODUCTION 14:16 OF - GOD'S ONE AIM IS THE PRODUCTION OF SAINTS. 14:19 HE IS NOT AN ETERNAL BLESSING MACHINE FOR MEN. 14:22 HE DID NOT COME TO SAVE THEM OUT OF PITY, HE CAME TO SAVE MEN 14:26 BECAUSE HE'S CREATED THEM TO BE HOLY. 14:29 WE THINK, THE WAY SOME PREACHERS PORTRAY IT IS THAT GOD IS A BIG 14:33 HEAVENLY SLOT MACHINE. WE PRAY AND PULL THE HANDLE 14:36 AND OUT THE GUMBALL COMES - OR WHATEVER IT IS YOU NEED. 14:39 AND HE EXISTS THAT, IF YOU FOLLOW A FEW RULES, HE IS JUST 14:42 GOING TO POUR ALL THESE BLESSINGS ON YOU. 14:44 THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE FOR OUR EXISTENCE IS TO GLORIFY GOD 14:50 THROUGH HOLINESS. HE'S CALLED US TO HOLINESS. 14:53 NOW, YOU'LL NEVER BE HAPPY UNLESS YOU ARE HOLY, AND SO YOU 14:56 WILL END UP HAVING AN ABUNDANT LIFE, BUT IF YOU SEEK HAPPINESS 15:01 AS THE END, YOU WON'T HAVE EITHER. 15:03 JESUS SAID, 'IF YOU LOSE YOUR LIFE, YOU'LL FIND IT.' BUT IF 15:07 YOU SEEK JUST TO LIVE FOR YOUR OWN HAPPINESS, YOU LOSE 15:10 EVERYTHING. IT'S ALL ABOUT HOLINESS. GOD IS HOLY. 15:14 HE'S CALLED US TO BE HOLY BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT'S WHERE 15:17 YOU'RE GOING TO FIND REAL HAPPINESS, IN LIVING THAT 15:21 OUTRAGEOUS, ADVENTUROUS LIFE THAT IS SO RARE - YES, EVEN 15:25 AMONG CHRISTIANS. MAYBE I SHOULD BEGIN 15:28 WITH A DEFINITION. THE HEBREW WORD FOR HOLY IS 15:31 'QADOSH' - THE GREEK WORD, 'AGIOS'. 15:34 THE DEFINITION MEANS SOMETHING BELONGING TO OR ASSOCIATED WITH 15:39 A DIVINE POWER; SACRED OR, MORE SPECIFICALLY, SEPARATE. 15:44 WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT HOLY MATRIMONY, THESE PEOPLE ARE NOW 15:47 SEPARATED FROM THE GENERAL POPULATION AND THEY ARE MAKING A 15:53 COVENANT THAT SEPARATES THEM. THE BIBLE IS CALLED THE HOLY 15:57 BIBLE BECAUSE IT IS SEPARATE FROM OTHER BOOKS - IT'S 16:01 UNIQUE - IT STANDS APART. AND WHEN WE TRY TO DESCRIBE THE 16:05 HOLINESS OF GOD, ALL WE CAN DO, IN GREEK AND HEBREW, IS 16:08 TO SAY, 'HE IS SEPARATE. HE IS SO FAR OUT AND DIFFERENT 16:13 FROM ANYTHING WE UNDERSTAND.' IT MEANS BELONGING TO OR ASSOCIATED 16:18 WITH A DIVINE POWER; SACRED, REGARDED AS WORTHY OF WORSHIP 16:21 OR VENERATION; TO BE REVERED, SPECIFIED, OR SET APART FOR 16:25 RELIGIOUS PURPOSE; REGARDED OR DESERVING SPECIAL 16:28 RESPECT OR REVERENCE. YOU CAN HAVE A HOLY PLACE, A 16:32 HOLY BOOK, A HOLY PERSON - OH, CAN I SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU? 16:37 THIS WAS A WAREHOUSE. IT WAS AN OFFICE BUILDING. 16:43 I SAW IT BEFORE THE OLD CARPET WAS TORN UP, RIGHT AFTER IT WAS 16:47 PURCHASED, AND THERE WERE WORK STATION SPACES DRILLED IN THE - 16:50 AND MANY THINGS HAVE HAPPENED HERE AND SOME DAY IT MAY BE 16:53 ANOTHER WAREHOUSE, BUT IT'S BEEN DEDICATED FOR A HOLY PURPOSE NOW 16:59 IN WORSHIPING GOD. AND I KNOW OTHER THINGS HAPPEN 17:02 IN HERE, BUT LIKE WHEN WE - CHURCH IS OVER AND WE HAVE 17:07 POTLUCK OR WHEN WE'RE VISITING OUT IN THE FOYER, THE KIDS 17:10 SHOULD NOT BE RUNNING AROUND IN HERE OR JUMPING OFF THE STAGE 17:14 AND - >>AMEN. 17:15 >>AND YOU KNOW WHY? NOT JUST TO PROTECT THEM AND 17:19 PROTECT US FROM A LAWSUIT, BUT BECAUSE YOU WILL BE TEACHING 17:23 THEM THAT THERE ARE PLACES THAT ARE HOLY AND THERE IS SOMETHING 17:27 THAT HAPPENS HERE BECAUSE WE MEET WITH GOD HERE AND YOU TREAT 17:32 IT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PLACES. >>AMEN. 17:35 >>AND SO, PARENTS - AND HEY, I REMEMBER WE HAD TO TELL OUR 17:38 KIDS, SO WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER - MAKE SURE AND HERD 17:41 THEM OUT AND YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF 17:46 TIMES PASTOR DOUG AND KAREN AND OTHERS ARE HAVING TO TELL THE 17:49 KIDS 'DON'T RUN AROUND. THIS IS NOT A PLAYGROUND. 17:52 THIS IS A HOLY PLACE. WE MEET WITH GOD IN HERE.' 17:55 THIS IS A HOLY BOOK. IN OUR HOUSE, THE ONLY THING 18:00 WE PUT ON THE BIBLE IS ANOTHER BIBLE. 18:03 AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A STACK ON THE SHELF THAT'S DIFFERENT, 18:07 BUT I'M JUST SAYING TREAT IT DIFFERENTLY. 18:09 I CRINGE - I'VE BEEN TO PEOPLE'S HOUSE FOR A BIBLE STUDY AND I 18:12 SEE THEM SET A COFFEE CUP ON THEIR BIBLE. 18:15 AND I - OH - I SAY, 'PLEASE DON'T DO THAT. 18:18 PEOPLE DIED FOR THIS BOOK. IT'S A HOLY BOOK.' SO WHEN 18:23 THINGS ARE HOLY - NOW WHAT MAKES THIS A HOLY BOOK? GOD. 18:27 BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY. WHAT MAKES THIS A HOLY PLACE? 18:30 GOD. BECAUSE WE MEET WITH GOD HERE. 18:33 WHAT MAKES YOU A HOLY PERSON? GOD. 18:37 BECAUSE YOU INVITE JESUS INTO YOUR LIFE. 18:40 WHAT, DON'T YOU KNOW THAT YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF GOD? 18:44 THAT THE ALMIGHTY - THINK OF THE MOST POWERFUL THING YOU CAN 18:49 THINK OF. WHATEVER THAT IS, IF IT'S NOT 18:52 GOD, HE MADE IT AND HE'S MORE POWERFUL. 18:54 THINK ABOUT THE BIGGEST THING YOU CAN THINK OF. 18:57 WHATEVER THAT IS, IT'S NOT BIGGER THAN GOD. 19:00 AND SO, THAT'S WHY I SAID WHAT I'M DOING IS ATTEMPTING THE 19:02 IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE GOD IS MORE POWERFUL. 19:05 HE'S MORE HOLY. HE'S BIGGER. HE'S STRONGER. 19:08 HE'S MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN ANYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE AND 19:12 THAT INDIVIDUAL SAYS, 'I AM WILLING TO LIVE IN YOUR LIFE.' 19:15 YOU KNOW, I USED TO WONDER, 'WHY DO WE BURY PEOPLE? 19:19 WHY DON'T WE JUST CREMATE EVERYBODY?' NOW I'M NOT MAKING A 19:22 STATEMENT ON CREMATION AS OPPOSED TO BURIAL. 19:25 AND I READ ONE PASTOR SAY THE REASON THAT MOST CHRISTIANS BURY 19:29 AS OPPOSED TO CREMATION, WHICH IS WHAT MOST OF THE PAGANS DO IF 19:34 YOU GO TO INDIA, IS BECAUSE THEY FIGURE THAT MAN BEING MADE IN 19:39 THE IMAGE OF GOD, EVEN THE FORM WAS TO BE RESPECTED. 19:44 AND THAT WAS THE ARGUMENT THAT I HEARD. 19:47 AND SO THEY LAID THE BODY IN THE GRAVE BECAUSE - MADE IN THE 19:51 IMAGE OF GOD - EVEN MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, THERE'S SOMETHING 19:54 SUPER SACRED ABOUT THAT. WELL, WE ARE HOLY. 20:00 JESUS IS HOLY, WHICH IS WHAT MAKES US HOLY BECAUSE WE INVITE 20:03 CHRIST INTO OUR LIVES. THIS TIME OF YEAR YOU'RE GOING 20:07 TO START HEARING MORE MESSAGES ON THE FIRST COMING OF CHRIST. 20:10 LUKE 1:35, "AND THE ANGEL ANSWERED AND SAID TO HER, 'THE 20:16 HOLY SPIRIT WILL COME UPON YOU, AND THE POWER OF THE HIGHEST 20:20 WILL OVERSHADOW YOU; THEREFORE, ALSO, THAT HOLY ONE WHO IS TO BE 20:25 BORN WILL BE CALLED THE SON OF GOD.'" THE HOLY SPIRIT - HE'S 20:29 CONCEIVED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. HE IS CALLED THE HOLY ONE. 20:32 YOU KNOW, EVEN THE DEVILS, WHEN THEY IDENTIFY JESUS, THEY SAID - 20:37 LUKE 4:34, "...I KNOW WHO YOU ARE - THE HOLY ONE OF GOD!" 20:42 EVEN THE DEVILS KNOW THAT JESUS WAS THE HOLY ONE OF GOD - 20:47 AND THAT WAS BEFORE HIS INCARNATION. 20:50 ACTS 3, VERSE 14, PETER SAID, "BUT YOU DENIED THE HOLY ONE AND 20:54 THE JUST, AND ASKED FOR A MURDERER TO BE GRANTED TO YOU" - 20:59 THAT'S WHY THE PEOPLE SAID, 'WOE IS US.' HEBREWS 7:26, "FOR SUCH 21:04 A HIGH PRIEST (CHRIST) WAS FITTING FOR US, WHO IS HOLY, 21:09 HARMLESS, UNDEFILED, SEPARATE FROM SINNERS" - WHAT DOES THE 21:13 WORD 'HOLY' MEAN? SEPARATE. HE WAS SEPARATE FROM SINNERS AND 21:17 HE HAS BECOME HIGHER THAN THE HEAVENS. HIS LAW IS HOLY. 21:22 HE'S ASKED US TO KEEP A HOLY LAW. 21:24 THAT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE, UNLESS HE KEEPS IT IN US. 21:27 ROMANS 7:12, "THEREFORE THE LAW IS HOLY, AND THE COMMANDMENT 21:32 HOLY AND JUST AND GOOD." AND DO YOU KNOW THE WORD HOLY - 21:36 HOW MANY TIMES DOES IT APPEAR IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS? 21:39 >>ONCE. >>ONE TIME. COME ON - GOOD 21:42 ADVENTISTS - SOME OF YOU HERE - WHAT COMMANDMENT? 21:45 >>FOURTH. >>'REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY TO 21:47 KEEP IT' - >>HOLY. 21:48 >>HOLY. IT'S AMAZING TO ME THAT SOME 21:51 CHRISTIANS WANT TO GET RID OF THE ONE COMMANDMENT WHERE YOU 21:53 FIND THE WORD HOLY IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 21:55 IT IDENTIFIES THAT HE IS ALSO A HOLY GOD AND THERE IS HOLY TIME. 22:01 THERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS TIME. 22:03 WHY? ONLY GOD CAN MAKE A BOOK HOLY 22:07 AND HE MAKES A PLACE HOLY AND HE CAN MAKE TIME HOLY. 22:10 HE SAID, 'I HAVE SET THIS TIME APART SEPARATE AND DISTINCT FROM 22:13 OTHER TIME AND IF I HAVE RECOGNIZED IT THIS WAY, I WANT 22:17 YOU TO REMEMBER WHAT I HAVE DONE.' AND SO HE HAS EVERY RIGHT 22:21 TO ASK US TO KEEP A SPECIFIC TIME HOLY. 22:25 AND HE SAYS, 'I WANT THE SEVENTH DAY TO BE HOLY.' WE REALLY HAVE 22:28 NO RIGHT TO SAY, 'WELL, YOU MAY WANT IT TO BE THE SEVENTH TIME, 22:31 BUT I WANT IT TO BE THE THIRD DAY.' NO, GOD TELLS US. 22:34 HE'S HOLY. HE MAKES THE RULES. HIS LAW IS HOLY. 22:39 SO HE SET THAT ASIDE. 2 PETER 2:21, "FOR IT WOULD HAVE 22:42 BEEN BETTER FOR THEM NOT TO HAVE KNOWN THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 22:45 THAN HAVING KNOWN IT, TO TURN FROM THE HOLY COMMANDMENT 22:48 DELIVERED TO THEM." GOD, IN GIVING US THE TEN 22:51 COMMANDMENTS, HE'S GIVING US A HOLY TRUTH. 22:54 YOU KNOW, HIS NAME IS HOLY. THOMAS WATSON SAID, 'HOLINESS IS 22:59 THE MOST SPARKLING JEWEL IN HIS CROWN. 23:01 IT IS THE NAME BY WHICH HE IS KNOWN.' ABOVE THE HEAD OF THE 23:05 HIGH PRIEST THERE WAS A LITTLE PLACARD THAT HE'S WEAR. 23:08 WHAT DID IT SAY? >>HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 23:10 >>HOLINESS TO THE LORD. THE NAME OF THE LORD IS HOLY. 23:15 EXODUS 39:30 - THEY MADE THIS PLATE AND THEY PUT AN ENGRAVING 23:20 ON THE SIGNET: HOLINESS TO THE LORD . 23:22 PSALM 111, VERSE 9, "...HOLY AND AWESOME IS HIS NAME." 23:28 NOW I COULD STOP RIGHT HERE AND TAKE A DETOUR AND I COULD LAUNCH 23:32 ONTO SERMON #46 TALKING ABOUT THE NAME OF GOD, AND PEOPLE WANT 23:38 TO KNOW 'WHAT NAME DO YOU USE WHEN YOU ADDRESS GOD?' 23:41 AND YOU'LL SEE IN THE BIBLE SOME ARE GOING TO SAY CAPITAL 'L' - 23:43 SMALL 'O-R-D'. SOME'LL SAY CAPITAL 'L', CAPITAL 23:46 'O', CAPITAL 'R', CAPITAL 'D'. THOSE, TYPICALLY, ARE A 23:50 TRANSLATION OF YAHWEH OR JEHOVAH. 23:53 WE'RE NOT EVEN EXACTLY SURE WHAT THE ANCIENT PRONUNCIATION WAS 23:56 BECAUSE THE ANCIENT JEWS WERE AFRAID TO SAY IT BECAUSE THE 23:59 NAME OF GOD WAS SO HOLY THEY WOULD NOT UTTER IT. 24:02 AND WHEN THEY WERE WRITING OUT THE SCRIPTURES THEY HAD A 24:04 SEPARATE PEN SO THAT WHENEVER THEY CAME TO THE NAME OF GOD, 24:07 THEY WOULD PUT DOWN THE REGULAR PEN AND THEY WOULD PICK UP THE 24:10 HOLY PEN AND THEY WOULD WRITE THE NAME OF GOD WITHOUT THE - 24:14 THE VOWELS IN THERE - YAHWEH - AND THEN THEY'D SAY A PRAYER AND 24:20 THEY'D PICK UP THE REGULAR PEN. I MEAN, SUCH TREATMENT FOR THE 24:22 NAME OF GOD THAT THEY WERE AFRAID TO EVEN WRITE IT. 24:27 AND YOU SEE THE WORD - CAPITAL 'L-O-R-D' AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE 24:32 DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A WORD TO PUT IN THERE. 24:36 BUT HIS NAME IS NOT JUST YAHWEH OR JEHOVAH OR EL SHADDAI, IT'S 24:42 THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE, THE BREAD - I MEAN, GOD HAS MANY 24:46 NAMES HE GOES BY. THESE ARE LIKE ALL FACETS THAT 24:48 REFLECT DIFFERENT PARTS OF HIS CHARACTER IN THE BIBLE. 24:52 HE'S CALLED THE MIGHTY ONE OF ISRAEL, THE LORD OF HOSTS, 24:55 WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER - SO THE 24:58 NAMES OF GOD ARE MANY IN THE BIBLE, BUT WHEN YOU SPEAK OF GOD 25:06 - DOES IT MAKE YOU CRINGE IF YOU HEAR A FRIEND USE GOD'S NAME IN 25:09 VAIN? IT SHOULD. AND I DON'T MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD 25:14 REPROVE THEM WHENEVER THIS HAPPENS. 25:16 IF THEY'RE CLOSE FRIENDS YOU MIGHT GIVE THEM AN ELBOW AND 25:18 SAY, 'YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE FRIENDS, I OUGHT TO TELL 25:21 YOU THAT THAT REALLY TROUBLES ME BECAUSE HIS NAME IS SO PRECIOUS 25:24 TO ME.' AND THEY'LL PROBABLY RESPECT YOU AND BE MORE 25:28 CONSCIOUS. AND YOU MIGHT EVEN BRING A 25:30 LITTLE CONVICTION INTO THEIR LIFE WHEN YOU EXALT 25:33 THAT WHICH IS HOLY. BUT IT IS SO COMMON. 25:39 AND THEN PEOPLE TEXT EACH OTHER, YOU KNOW? 25:42 WHAT IS THAT TEXTING THEY ALL DO? 25:44 'O-M-G' - EVERYBODY'S O-M-G-ING EVERYBODY. 25:51 AND TELEVISION PROGRAMS - EVERYBODY SAYS GOD'S NAME IN 25:56 VAIN. I WON'T REPEAT IT. GOOD PEOPLE - INNOCENT PEOPLE 26:00 - THEY DON'T EVEN REALIZE WHAT THEY'RE DOING. BUT HE SAYS, 26:03 'MY NAME IS HOLY.' >>AMEN. 26:05 >>IF THERE IS ANY NAME - IF THERE IS ANY WORD THAT IS HOLY, 26:09 WHAT WOULD IT BE OTHER THAN THE ONE THAT IDENTIFIES THE HOLIEST 26:12 BEING? THAT'S WHY HE SAYS, 'THOU SHALT 26:15 NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN. 26:17 THE LORD WILL NOT HOLD HIM GUILTLESS THAT TAKES HIS NAME IN 26:19 VAIN.' THAT'S SERIOUS BUSINESS. AND THEN I HEAR CHRISTIANS - 26:25 KIDS - THEY SAY, 'GOSH.' I HAD TO SAY IT JUST SO YOU 26:30 KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING. THAT'S A DERIVATIVE OF GOD'S 26:33 NAME BUT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SAY IT SO THEY SAY IT A LITTLE 26:35 DIFFERENT OR THEY SAY 'GEE WHIZ'. 26:38 THAT'S A DERIVATIVE OF SAYING JESUS' NAME. 26:41 I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD SAY ANYTHING THAT EVEN HAS THE 26:44 FLAVOR OF UTTERING THE NAME OF GOD OR ANY OF ITS FORMS OR 26:49 DERIVATIVES. IT'S A HOLY NAME. 26:51 DO YOU MIND ME TELLING YOU THE TRUTH LIKE THIS? 26:53 >>NO. >>I'VE GOT TO MAKE HIM HAPPY. 26:55 I WANT TO MAKE YOU HAPPY TOO BUT HE'S MORE IMPORTANT. 26:59 LUKE 1:49, "FOR HE WHO IS MIGHTY HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR ME, 27:05 AND HOLY IS HIS NAME." REVELATION 15:4, "WHO SHALL NOT 27:10 FEAR YOU, O LORD, AND GLORIFY YOUR NAME? 27:12 FOR YOU ALONE ARE HOLY." ISAIAH 57:15, "FOR THUS SAYS THE 27:18 HIGH AND LOFTY ONE WHO INHABITS ETERNITY, WHOSE NAME IS HOLY." 27:25 JESUS SAID - JOHN 17:11 - "HOLY FATHER, KEEP THROUGH YOUR NAME 27:30 THOSE WHOM YOU HAVE GIVEN ME, THAT THEY MAY BE ONE AS WE ARE." 27:36 NOW WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT THE HOLY NAME OF GOD? 27:40 WHAT ARE THE 144,000 KNOWN BY? LET ME READ IT - REVELATION 27:46 - BECAUSE WE ARE CALLED TO HOLINESS. 27:49 REVELATION 14:1, "THEN I LOOKED, AND BEHOLD, A LAMB STANDING ON 27:54 MOUNT ZION, AND WITH HIM ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FOUR THOUSAND, 27:58 HAVING HIS FATHER'S NAME WRITTEN ON THEIR FOREHEADS." 28:03 THE ONES WHO ARE SAVED WHEN JESUS COMES HAVE A CONCEPT OF 28:06 THE HOLINESS OF GOD. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE SIGNS THAT 28:11 THERE'S REVIVAL IN THE CHURCH IS THAT THERE WILL BE A GROWING 28:15 APPRECIATION FOR THE SINFULNESS OF SIN AND THE HOLINESS OF GOD. 28:21 WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THE SINFULNESS OF SIN IN THE LIGHT 28:24 OF THE CROSS - WHEN YOU SEE WHAT JESUS SUFFERED FOR OUR SINS - IT 28:27 HELPS SIN APPEAR EXCEEDINGLY SINFUL, AS PAUL SAYS. 28:31 AND WE DON'T JUST START - WHITE WASH IT ALL THE TIME AND SAY, 28:34 'OH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LITTLE THING. 28:35 DON'T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUS.' YOU CAN'T HAVE A 28:38 THOROUGH REPENTANCE IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND SIN IS DEADLY - THAT 28:42 IT'S TOXIC - THAT IT WILL KILL - THAT WE CAN'T ENTER HEAVEN 28:46 UNLESS HE HAS CLEANSED US FROM OUR SINS. 28:49 NOW I'M NOT SAYING THIS TO SCARE YOU. 28:51 I'M SAYING THIS BECAUSE I WISH IT WOULD EXCITE YOU LIKE IT DOES 28:52 ME. I LIKE TO SEE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL 28:54 SIGHTS BUT YOU'VE GOT TO GO A LONG WAY IF YOU WANT TO SEE 28:56 THEM. AND I WANT TO REALLY GET A PICTURE OF GOD. I WANT TO REALLY 29:01 SEE GOD SOME DAY. THE PURE IN HEART WILL SEE GOD. 29:06 AND SO GOD'S CALLING US TO HOLINESS, BUT IT DOESN'T SCARE 29:09 ME BECAUSE GOD WILL NEVER ASK YOU TO DO SOMETHING YOU CAN'T DO 29:13 AND I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST THAT STRENGTHENS ME. 29:16 AND SO I DON'T GET DISCOURAGED BECAUSE IT'S SANCTIFICATION AND 29:22 THAT TAKES TIME. WE ARE CALLED THE HOLINESS . 29:25 LET ME GIVE YOU SOME MORE VERSES ON THAT. 29:27 1 THESSALONIANS 4:7, "FOR GOD DID NOT CALL US TO UNCLEANNESS, 29:32 BUT IN HOLINESS." - HE CALLED US TO HOLINESS - 29:37 "THEREFORE, HE WHO REJECTS THIS DOES NOT REJECT MAN, BUT GOD, 29:41 WHO HAS ALSO GIVEN US HIS HOLY SPIRIT." 29:43 THERE IS NO REAL HOLINESS WITHOUT CHRIST. 29:48 2 TIMOTHY 1:8 AND 9, BY "THE POWER OF GOD, WHO HAS SAVED US 29:53 AND CALLED US WITH A HOLY CALLING." 29:56 THESE ARE THE WRITINGS OF PAUL. 29:58 PEOPLE ALWAYS TURN TO PAUL TO EMPHASIZE JUSTIFICATION, BUT 30:02 PAUL IS ALSO THE ONE WHO TALKS ABOUT SANCTIFICATION. 30:05 GOD HAS CALLED US TO A HOLY LIFE. 30:07 LUKE 1:74, THIS IS WHEN ZACHARIAS SAID WHEN HIS MOUTH 30:13 WAS OPENED AND HE'S PRAISING GOD AND THIS GREAT SPIRIT-FILLED 30:16 PRAYER - HE SAYS, "TO GRANT US THAT WE, BEING DELIVERED FROM 30:20 THE HAND OF OUR ENEMIES," - THAT'S THE DEVIL - "MIGHT SERVE 30:23 HIM WITHOUT FEAR, IN HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS BEFORE HIM ALL 30:28 THE DAYS OF OUR LIFE." THROUGH THE COMING OF THE 30:31 MESSIAH WE MIGHT SERVE GOD - BE DELIVERED FROM OUR ENEMY THE 30:35 DEVIL - AND SERVE HIM WITHOUT FEAR IN HOLINESS AND 30:39 RIGHTEOUSNESS BEFORE HIM ALL THE DAYS OF OUR LIFE. 30:42 CAN WE DO THAT? THAT'S EXCITING. 30:46 I WANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE NORM. 30:50 BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE NORMAL. YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT. I WANT 30:56 TO BE SUPERNATURAL. THROUGH GOD, I WANT THE HOLY SPIRIT. 31:03 AND THIS IS OUR VERSE THAT WE STARTED WITH, 1 PETER 1:14, "AS 31:07 OBEDIENT CHILDREN, NOT CONFORMING YOURSELVES TO THE 31:11 FORMER LUSTS," - NOW IS THAT CLEAR THAT GOD DOESN'T JUST 31:15 JUSTIFY US, BUT HE DOES NOT WANT US TO ANY LONGER CONFORM 31:20 OURSELVES TO THE FORMER LUSTS? THAT MEANS THERE'S A FORMER - 31:24 BEFORE CHRISTIAN - AND THERE'S AN AFTER. 31:27 YOU COME TO CHRIST AND YOU BECOME A NEW CREATURE. 31:29 OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY. ALL THINGS ARE MADE NEW. 31:32 DO YOU HAVE THINGS IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU ARE CONSCIOUSLY 31:37 STRIVING FOR TO BE MORE LIKE CHRIST - TO BE MORE HOLY? 31:41 >>AMEN. >>IN YOUR THINKING, IN THE WAY 31:44 YOU SPEND YOUR TIME, IN YOU MEANS, WHAT YOU EAT? 31:47 IN EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE - GOD IS CALLING US TO LIVES OF 31:49 HOLINESS. AND THAT MEANS YOU'RE DOING 31:52 THINGS DIFFERENTLY THAN THE WORLD DOES THEM - IN AN 31:55 ATTRACTIVE WAY SO THAT YOU CAN WIN OTHERS TO THAT HOLY LIFE. 32:00 OH, I DIDN'T FINISH - 1 PETER 1:14 - "AS OBEDIENT CHILDREN, 32:03 NOT CONFORMING YOURSELVES TO THE FORMER LUSTS, AS IN YOUR 32:06 IGNORANCE; BUT AS HE WHO CALLED YOU IS HOLY, YOU ALSO BE HOLY IN 32:12 ALL YOUR CONDUCT, BECAUSE IT IS WRITTEN, 'BE HOLY, FOR I AM 32:16 HOLY.'" NOW, DON'T BE DISCOURAGED. 32:19 SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE CHURCH FOR YEARS AND YOU JUST 32:21 DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE MAKING ANY PROGRESS. 32:23 BE CONCERNED, BUT DON'T BE DISCOURAGED. 32:26 YOU OUGHT TO MAKE PROGRESS. ALTHOUGH WE BECOME CHRISTIANS 32:32 INSTANTANEOUSLY BY FAITH IN CHRIST, SANCTIFICATION 32:36 IS A GRADUAL PROCESS. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS. 32:39 IT TAKES TIME TO BE HOLY. FROM THE BOOK ACTS OF 32:42 THE APOSTLES PAGE 560, "SANCTIFICATION IS NOT THE WORK 32:47 OF A MOMENT, AN HOUR, A DAY, BUT OF A LIFETIME." 32:51 YOU ARE JUSTIFIED JUST LIKE YOU ARE WHEN YOU COME TO JESUS, BUT 32:55 THEN THE GREATEST YEARNING OF YOUR LIFE WILL BE TO BE LIKE 32:58 CHRIST AND THERE OUGHT TO BE A RADICAL TRANSFORMATION OF 33:01 HOLINESS. USUALLY IT BEGINS WITH VERY 33:04 CLEAR, PROMINENT, OUTWARD THINGS. 33:07 THE BIG, MORE VISIBLE THINGS. I MEAN, IF YOU'RE A THIEF 33:11 ALL STEALING SHOULD BE DONE. IF YOU'RE A DRUG ADDICT, YOU 33:15 NEED TO GET THE VICTORY OVER THOSE THINGS. 33:17 I MEAN, THERE'S JUST - DRAMATIC CHANGES OUGHT TO HAPPEN RIGHT 33:18 AWAY. BUT THEN WHEN YOU COME TO CHRIST YOU START NOTICING THAT 33:22 SOMETIMES THERE'S HYPOCRISY IN THE HEART. 33:24 THERE'S PRIDE. THERE'S SELFISHNESS. 33:27 IT'S ALL SO NATURAL FOR US. IT'S THE CARNAL MAN. 33:30 IT'S THE FLESH - AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE STRIVING AGAINST 33:33 THAT AS LONG AS YOU HAVE FLESH. BUT YOU CAN LIVE A 33:37 HOLY LIFE IN THE FLESH. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY 33:42 CALLED JOHN THE BAPTIST? A HOLY MAN. 33:46 ELIJAH - THE HOLY PROPHETS. AND THEN THE BIBLE TELLS US 33:50 THESE WERE PEOPLE THAT HAD THE SAME NATURES THAT WE HAVE AND 33:54 YET THEY LIVED THESE KIND OF LIVES. 33:56 HEBREWS 12:14, "PURSUE PEACE" - NOW THIS IS ONE THAT YOU OUGHT 34:00 TO MAKE A NOTE OF, IF YOU'RE MAKING ANY NOTES, THIS IS A VERY 34:02 IMPORTANT VERSE - "PURSUE PEACE" - PURSUING IS SOMETHING YOU GO 34:06 AFTER, RIGHT? PURSUE ISN'T LIKE THAT. 34:09 PURSUE IS LIKE THIS - OKAY, NOW NOT ONLY YOU'RE PURSUING PEACE, 34:14 LET'S READ THE REST OF THE VERSE - "PURSUE PEACE WITH ALL PEOPLE, 34:17 AND HOLINESS," - PURSUE HOLINESS. 34:20 THAT'S WHAT THIS MESSAGE IS ALL ABOUT - A LIFE WHERE YOU'RE IN 34:23 THE PURSUIT OF HOLINESS. "PURSUE PEACE WITH ALL PEOPLE, 34:28 AND HOLINESS" - NOTICE THIS - "WITHOUT WHICH NO 34:31 ONE" - HOW MANY? - >>NO ONE. 34:33 >>"NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD" - NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD UNLESS 34:39 WE EXPERIENCE THE HOLINESS THAT CHRIST IS OFFERING US, AMEN? 34:44 I JUST DON'T WANT TO FOOL YOU, FRIENDS. 34:46 I THINK THAT YOU NEED TO BE STRAIGHT THAT GOD IS CALLING US 34:50 TO LIVES OF HOLINESS. YOU'LL GET IT INSTANTLY WHEN YOU 34:52 COME TO JESUS, BUT THEN, IF YOU REALLY LOVE HIM, YOU'RE GOING TO 34:55 CLAIM THAT POWER EVERY DAY AND WANT TO BE CONTINUALLY 34:59 TRANSFORMED INTO HIS IMAGE. THE PURE IN HEART ARE THE 35:02 ONES THAT WILL SEE GOD. WITHOUT HOLINESS NO 35:04 ONE WILL SEE GOD. THESE ARE THE WORDS OF CHRIST. 35:07 1 THESSALONIANS 4:3 THROUGH 5, "FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD, 35:12 YOUR SANCTIFICATION: THAT YOU SHOULD ABSTAIN FROM SEXUAL 35:15 IMMORALITY; THAT EACH OF YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW TO POSSESS HIS 35:19 OWN VESSEL IN SANCTIFICATION AND HONOR, NOT IN PASSION OF LUST, 35:23 LIKE THE GENTILES WHO DO NOT KNOW GOD." 35:26 YOU KNOW WHAT ONE OF THE BEST TOOLS IS? 35:30 ONE OF THE BEST TRICKS - POWERS - TO HOLINESS? 35:35 IS HOLINESS. WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT THE LORD 35:41 HAS GIVEN YOU THE GIFT OF HOLINESS THROUGH JUSTIFICATION - 35:45 HE DECLARES YOU HOLY - IT MAKES YOU WANT TO HANG ON TO IT. 35:49 YOU HEARD ABOUT KING ARTHUR'S KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE? 35:53 I'M STARTING TO LOSE YOU; I NEED TO TELL A STORY. 35:56 (LAUGHTER) I CAN LOOK AT YOUR FACES. 35:58 (LAUGHTER) AND YOU - YOU'VE HEARD OF, LIKE, SIR LANCELOT, 36:04 YOU KNOW, HE HAD THE TORRID AFFAIR WITH GUINEVERE, WHO WAS 36:07 MARRIED TO ARTHUR. NOW I'VE REALLY GOT YOU. 36:10 BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE OF THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE, 36:12 ACCORDING TO THIS ANCIENT LORE, HIS NAME WAS GALAHAD AND HE 36:16 SAID, 'I'VE GOT THE STRENGTH OF TEN MEN BECAUSE MY HEART IS 36:19 PURE.' AND THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT WHEN YOU KNOW YOU HAVE 36:24 ETERNAL LIFE AND WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR SALVATION HAS COST AND 36:29 THAT JESUS HAS DECLARED YOU HOLY, YOU DON'T WANT TO SQUANDER 36:32 THAT EXPERIENCE. THE ATTRACTION OF MOST SIN IS 36:36 LOST BECAUSE YOU THINK, 'I HAVE SO MUCH MORE. 36:40 I HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.' BUT THE REASON WE SO QUICKLY FALL IS 36:44 PEOPLE DON'T REALLY GET THE ORIGINAL WHEN THEY COME TO 36:48 CHRIST IN JUSTIFICATION. THE WAY THAT WE'RE CALLED 36:52 TO WALK IS A HOLY WALK. IT'S A HOLY WAY. 36:56 ISAIAH 35:8, "A HIGHWAY SHALL BE THERE, AND A ROAD, AND IT SHALL 37:01 BE CALLED THE HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS. 37:03 THE UNCLEAN SHALL NOT PASS OVER IT." 37:06 THIS IS THE STRAIGHT, NARROW WAY THAT GOD HAS CALLED US TO 37:11 HEAVEN. IT'S A DIFFERENT WALK. 37:13 WE'RE CALLED TO WALK EVEN AS HE WALKED, THE BIBLE SAYS, AND HOW 37:17 DID JESUS WALK? WHO DID NO SIN - HE LIVED A HOLY LIFE. 37:21 JOHN 14:6 - AND WHAT IS THAT WALK? 37:24 JESUS SAID, "I AM THE WAY" - THIS IS THE HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS 37:27 - "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. 37:30 NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME." 37:33 HE IS THE ROAD ITSELF. >>AMEN. 37:36 >>NOW ONE REASON THIS IS AN EXCITING MESSAGE FOR ME IS THE 37:41 WORLD IS LONGING TO SEE REAL CHRISTIANITY. 37:46 YOU WILL SEE - YOU KNOW WHY THE GOSPEL WENT SO FAR SO FAST IN 37:49 ONE GENERATION? BECAUSE THE EARLY CHURCH 37:53 UNDERSTOOD THE CONCEPT OF WHAT IT MEANT TO BE HOLY. 37:57 THEY UNDERSTOOD THE CONCEPT OF WHAT IT - THE HIGH CALLING - 38:01 BECAUSE THEY HAD JESUS - THEY HAD EXHIBIT A OF JESUS LIVING 38:05 AMONG THEM FOR YEARS. THEY SAW HIM LIVING IT OUT AND 38:09 WHEN HE LEFT, THEY WANTED TO LIVE HIS KIND OF LIFE. 38:12 AND SO THE EARLY CHURCH, THE APOSTLES AND THE DISCIPLES BACK 38:15 THEN, THEY WERE LIVING A DIFFERENT KIND OF LIFE. 38:18 AND IT WAS SO ATTRACTIVE THAT THE CHURCH JUST WENT LIKE 38:22 WILDFIRE BECAUSE CHRISTIANS LIVED LIKE - AH - CHRISTIANS. 38:27 THEY LOVED EACH OTHER. THEY WERE GENEROUS. 38:30 THEY LIVED DIFFERENTLY. THEY WERE HOLY. 38:33 THERE WAS A PURITY IN THE WAY THEY LIVED. AND ALL THE PAGANS 38:36 SAID, 'WOW, THEY'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT'S EXCITING. 38:40 THEY'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT'S ATTRACTIVE' - AND IT WAS 38:42 EVANGELISTIC IN WHAT IT DID. EVERYBODY THOUGHT, 'IT'S REAL! 38:47 ALL THESE OTHER GODS' - AND SOME OF THEIR WORSHIP WAS EXTREMELY 38:50 DEGRADING - BUT THE GOD THAT THEY WORSHIPED WAS A PURE AND A 38:55 HOLY GOD. THERE WAS SOMETHING LOFTY ABOUT IT. 38:58 THINK ABOUT, FOR A MOMENT, SOME OF THE GREATEST WITNESSES IN 39:02 HISTORY: DANIEL IN BABYLON LIVED A HOLY LIFE. 39:08 DO YOU AGREE? >>AMEN. 39:10 >>CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT ANY BIG FALL OR SIN OF DANIEL'S? 39:13 NO. I'M SURE HE SINNED BECAUSE ALL 39:16 HAVE SINNED, OTHER THAN JESUS, BUT HE LIVED A HOLY LIFE. 39:20 THE ANGELS CAME AND SAID, 'DANIEL, YOU ARE GREATLY 39:22 BELOVED. BECAUSE OF DANIEL'S CONSISTENT, 39:25 HOLY LIFE, THE KING OF PERSIA MADE A DECREE THAT WENT TO THE 39:30 THEN-KNOWN WORLD, TO WORSHIP THE GOD OF HEAVEN. 39:34 AND DANIEL JUST LIVED HIS LIFE AND PRAYED HIS PRAYER AND 39:37 BECAUSE HE PRAYED AND HE OPENED HIS WINDOW, AND HE LIVED THAT 39:39 LIFE, HE SURVIVED THE LIONS' DEN AND THE WHOLE WORLD SAW DANIEL 39:43 ON THE FRONT PAGES SAYING, 'NOW HERE IS A REAL GOD.' 39:46 BECAUSE HE LIVED A HOLY LIFE. 39:48 SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO WERE IN BABYLON SURROUNDED BY 39:52 PAGANS ALL BOWING DOWN TO A FALSE IMAGE. 39:55 THEY DECIDED TO PUT GOD FIRST AND LIVE A HOLY LIFE. 39:58 BECAUSE THEY DID, KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR SENT OUT THE 40:01 HEADLINES AROUND THE EMPIRE - AROUND THE WORLD - THAT SAID 40:04 'THERE IS NO GOD LIKE THE GOD OF SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO. 40:08 THEY SAID VERY LITTLE, BUT THEY DIDN'T BOW DOWN WHEN EVERYONE 40:12 ELSE BOWED DOWN. AND WHAT DID IT DO 40:14 EVANGELISTICALLY? IT DID MORE TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL 40:17 BECAUSE GOD WAS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE THAT WOULD STAND UP FOR 40:21 HIM AND HE DID WONDERFUL THINGS. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE 40:26 OPPORTUNITIES TO STAND UP FOR GOD IN THE FUTURE. 40:30 1 PETER 2:9, "BUT YOU ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL 40:35 PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION," - NOW THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM GOD 40:39 TO YOU, THE CHURCH. ISN'T THAT WHO HE'S TALKING TO? 40:42 - YOU ARE A HOLY NATION - WHAT KIND OF NATION? A HOLY NATION. 40:46 "HIS OWN SPECIAL PEOPLE" - WE ARE SEPARATE - SET APART - "THAT 40:50 YOU MAY PROCLAIM THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO CALLED YOU OUT OF 40:53 DARKNESS" - THE SINS OF THE WORLD - "INTO HIS MARVELOUS 40:57 LIGHT;" - IT'S A NEW KIND OF LIFE. 40:59 IT'S AN EXCITING LIFE. THAT'S THE KIND OF LIFE 41:04 THAT'S ATTRACTIVE TO ME. IT'S WHY I WANTED 41:06 TO BE A CHRISTIAN. I TRIED ALL THESE DIFFERENT 41:07 RELIGIONS - IT ALL SEEMED SO EMPTY AND VAIN AND HYPOCRITICAL. 41:12 I'D MET SO MANY COUNTERFEIT CHRISTIANS, WHEN I SAW JESUS I 41:15 SAID, 'WOW, HERE'S THE REAL THING.' IT'S EVANGELISTIC. 41:21 BILLY GRAHAM SAID, 'WHEN REVIVAL COMES, I EXPECT TO SEE TWO 41:25 THINGS THAT I'VE NOT SEEN YET: FIRST, A NEW SENSE OF THE 41:28 HOLINESS OF GOD ON THE PART OF CHRISTIANS, AND SECONDLY, A NEW 41:32 SENSE OF THE SINFULNESS OF SIN ON THE PART OF CHRISTIANS. 41:35 JOB FEARED GOD AND HE HATED EVIL AND GOD DID WONDERFUL THINGS 41:40 THROUGH HIM. PSALM 51 - LISTEN TO DAVID'S 41:43 PRAYER - VERSE 11, "DO NOT CAST ME AWAY FROM YOUR PRESENCE, AND 41:48 DO NOT TAKE YOUR HOLY SPIRIT FROM ME. 41:50 RESTORE UNTO ME THE JOY OF YOUR SALVATION, AND UPHOLD ME BY YOUR 41:54 GENEROUS SPIRIT. THEN I WILL TEACH TRANSGRESSORS 41:57 YOUR WAYS, AND SINNERS SHALL BE CONVERTED TO YOU." 42:01 NOTICE, HE SAYS THE HOLY SPIRIT TWICE. HE CALLS IT THE GENEROUS 42:04 SPIRIT AND THE HOLY SPIRIT - HE SAID, 'DO NOT CAST ME AWAY FROM 42:07 YOUR PRESENCE' - SO YOU'VE GOT THE HOLY SPIRIT TWICE AND JOY - 42:11 'THEN SINNERS WILL BE CONVERTED'. 42:15 IF GOD'S PEOPLE HAD THE HOLY SPIRIT - IF WE WERE LIVING HOLY 42:18 LIVES, FORGIVEN FROM OUR SINS - DAVID HAD JUST COMMITTED A 42:22 TERRIBLE SIN AND YET HE SAYS, 'LORD, IF YOU WILL FORGIVE ME - 42:25 IF YOU WILL CLEANSE ME - DO NOT CAST ME AWAY. 42:28 GIVE ME YOUR HOLY SPIRIT. SINNERS WILL BE CONVERTED 42:30 TO YOU.' >>AMEN. 42:33 >>YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SEND OUT ENOUGH HANDBILLS FOR AN 42:36 EVANGELISTIC MEETING TO CONVERT AS MANY PEOPLE AS WILL BE 42:39 CONVERTED BY A HOLY LIFE. THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S GOING 42:43 TO SEND THE GOSPEL FASTER. THERE'S ALL THESE MACHINES THAT 42:46 PEOPLE ARE THINKING, 'OH, IF I HAD THIS NEW DUCAINE MACHINE I 42:49 COULD DO EVANGELISM.' ANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE DUCAINE MACHINE? 42:52 NO ONE REMEMBERS THE DUCAINE MACHINE. 42:55 SOME OF YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT - THANK YOU, 42:58 LUKE. YOU REMEMBER THE DUCAINE - THEY COST $300.00. 43:01 I THOUGHT, 'HOW CAN I AFFORD THIS?' 43:02 'BUT IT'LL WIN SOULS. BETTER MACHINE' - IT WAS A SLIDE 43:04 MACHINE WITH THE AUDIOTAPE THAT YOU PUT IN IT THAT DID 43:06 AN EVANGELISTIC MEETING. THEY WERE GREAT. 43:11 I SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON EVANGELISTIC EQUIPMENT. 43:15 I HAD, ONE TIME, NINE PROJECTORS - NO, NO, I HAD THREE PROJECTORS 43:21 - YEAH, I HAD THREE PROJECTORS AND A COMPUTER AND I HAD A 43:24 CAROUSEL - THREE CAROUSELS OF SLIDES FOR EVERY EVANGELISTIC 43:28 PRESENTATION AND THEY ALL INTERSPERSED AND I HAD ALL THIS 43:31 EQUIPMENT AND SCREENS AND - KEN COX - HE HAD LIKE TWELVE 43:36 PROJECTORS BEHIND - PEOPLE WOULD COME TO HIS MEETINGS. 43:41 MAYBE WHAT WE NEED IS MORE MACHINES AND WE COULD DO BETTER 43:44 EVANGELISM. MAYBE IF WE HAD MORE MONEY. 43:48 AT AMAZING FACTS WE SEND OUT APPEAL LETTERS EVERY MONTH 43:51 BECAUSE WE KNOW IF WE HAD MORE MONEY WE COULD BROADCAST THE 43:53 MESSAGE MORE AND, THEORETICALLY, HAVE MORE BAPTISMS. 43:57 AND THOSE THINGS DO HELP - DON'T MISUNDERSTAND. 43:59 WHY DO WE MAKE OFFERING APPEALS HERE? 44:01 WE TAKE UP EVANGELISM - IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 44:03 NONE OF IT COMES NEAR - THE MONEY, THE MACHINES - THE 44:07 METHODS DO NOT COME NEAR THE EVANGELISM YOU WILL SEE IF YOU 44:11 HAD BETTER MEN AND WOMEN. >>AMEN. 44:14 >>IF THERE WAS A HOLINESS IN THE LIVES OF GOD'S PEOPLE. 44:17 THE GOSPEL WOULD JUST - IT WOULD EXPLODE. IT WOULD TAKE OFF AND 44:20 GO LIKE CRAZY. SO WHAT'S GOING TO 44:23 MAKE THE DIFFERENCE? HOW DO WE LIVE HOLY LIVES? 44:27 WELL, VERY SIMPLY, TURN YOUR EYES ON JESUS. 44:32 WALKING WITH CHRIST, BEING IN COMMUNION WITH CHRIST - YOU 44:36 KNOW, IT'S HARD TO SIN IF JESUS IS STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO YOU. 44:39 NOW, BY THE WAY, HE IS, YOU JUST FORGET. 44:43 IT'S HARD TO SIN WHEN YOU KNOW AND YOU REMEMBER - IF YOU COULD 44:46 SEE HIM - HE SAYS, 'I'LL NEVER LEAVE YOU.' 44:49 BUT WE ALL WITH UNVEILED FACE - 2 CORINTHIANS 3:18 - 44:53 "BUT WE ALL, WITH UNVEILED FACE, BEHOLDING AS IN 44:56 A MIRROR THE GLORY OF THE LORD, ARE BEING TRANSFORMED" - I LIKE 45:00 HE SAID 'ARE BEING' - IT'S A PROCESS. 45:03 BUT AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK UPON THE LORD - TO STUDY THE LIFE OF 45:08 JESUS, YOU BECOME LIKE WHAT YOU LOOK AT. 45:12 OUR SOULS ARE ALL SOMETHING LIKE A PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATE. 45:15 YOU EVER SEE ANY OF THOSE OLD BLACK AND WHITE PICTURES? 45:18 I JUST WAS LOOKING AT THIS THING ON THE CIVIL WAR AND YOU SEE ALL 45:20 THESE CIVIL WAR PICTURES AND THEY USED TO STAND - THEY WOULD 45:23 ACTUALLY PROP PEOPLE UP BECAUSE THEY WOULD OPEN THE APERTURE 45:25 AND IF THE PEOPLE MOVED AT ALL IT WAS BLURRY. 45:28 AND THEY HAD TO FREEZE - AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE ALL FROWNING, 45:30 BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T HOLD A SMILE THAT LONG - THOSE OLD 45:32 PICTURES. THEY WERE PROBABLY HAPPIER THAN THEY LOOKED. 45:36 BUT THEY'D FREEZE AND THEY'D TAKE THIS PICTURE AND THEY'D 45:38 ACTUALLY BURN GUNPOWDER FOR AWHILE TO GET IT BRIGHT ENOUGH. 45:42 AND THEY KNEW THAT THEY WOULD IMPRESS THAT IMAGE ON THE PLATE. 45:45 WELL, YOU KNOW, OUR SOULS ARE LIKE THOSE PLATES IN THAT YOU 45:50 BECOME LIKE WHAT YOU LOOK AT. AND THAT'S - THAT'S ONE OF THE 45:55 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I COULD SAY TO YOU: IF YOU WANT TO HAVE 45:58 HOLINESS AND PURITY, BE REALLY CAREFUL WHAT YOU LOOK AT BECAUSE 46:03 YOU ARE GOING TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO WHAT YOU LOOK AT. 46:06 THAT'S WHY GOD WAS SO DOWN ON IDOLATRY, BECAUSE IT LOWERED THE 46:09 CONCEPTION OF WHO HE WAS BY MAKING THE LORD LOOK LIKE A 46:14 LITTLE PLASTIC FIGURINE OR A FISH OR A COW OR THE THINGS THAT 46:19 THEY WOULD WORSHIP - TOTALLY DESTROYED THE CONCEPT OF THE 46:22 HOLINESS, THE LOFTY, EXALTED NATURE OF WHO GOD IS. 46:27 THINK ABOUT HOW BIG SPACE IS - IT'S MIND-BOGGLING. 46:31 YOU CAN'T COMPREHEND HOW YOU REACH THE END OF ETERNITY. 46:35 IF YOU COULD FLY A BILLION TIMES THE SPEED OF LIGHT, LIKE A 46:37 MISSILE, STRAIGHT OUT INTO SPACE - YOU NEVER REACH THE END OF 46:40 GOD'S DOMINION. AND HE SAID, 'I AM WILLING 46:43 TO ABIDE WITH YOU.' WHAT A PRIVILEGE. THAT'S HOLY. 46:47 HE'S SEPARATE. HE'S BEYOND OUR COMPREHENSION. 46:49 SO WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THE FRIVOLOUS, GOOFY, UGLY THINGS IN 46:54 THE WORLD AND YOU CONTINUE TO GAZE UPON THOSE THINGS, IT JUST 46:58 DEGRADES THE CALLING OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE. 47:02 AND YOU AND I ARE SURROUNDED BY SCREENS RIGHT NOW. 47:05 YOU'VE PROBABLY GOT A COMPUTER SCREEN, MOST OF YOU. 47:09 SOME OF YOU HAVE GOT TV SCREENS, MANY OF THEM. 47:13 YOU'VE GOT PHONE SCREENS - HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE A PHONE SCREEN? 47:18 I WAS AT THE GAS STATION NOT LONG AGO, PUMPING GAS. 47:20 AND I HEARD THIS NOISE AND THERE WAS A TV SCREEN - IT WAS PLAYING 47:24 A COMMERCIAL. I COULDN'T EVEN PUMP MY GAS 47:26 WITHOUT A COMMERCIAL PLAYING. SO WE'RE JUST SURROUNDED BUT, 47:31 YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST ABSOLUTELY DROWNING IN MESSAGES - 47:35 UNLIKE ANY OTHER GENERATION. THE DEVIL IS SO AFRAID THAT GOD 47:39 WOULD RAISE UP A LAST GENERATION THAT GOD WOULD WANT TO BE HOLY, 47:43 THAT HE IS BOMBARDING US WITH A BLIZZARD OF WICKED MESSAGES. 47:47 AND SOME OF IT YOU CAN'T CONTROL BECAUSE IT'S JUST AROUND YOU 47:50 EVERYWHERE. I GOT ON THE PHONE THE OTHER DAY 47:53 AND HAD TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE BACKGROUND MUSIC IN THE 47:55 RESTAURANT I WAS IN. I THOUGHT 'THEY'RE GOING TO 47:57 WONDER, 'WHERE IS PASTOR DOUG?'' (LAUGHTER) AND I SAID, 'I KNOW 48:00 THIS MUSIC'S AWFUL' - I SAID - 'I CAN'T HELP IT. 48:02 I'M ORDERING HERE IN LINE.' BUT SO IT'S EVERYWHERE. 48:08 BUT THERE'S A LOT OF IT THAT WE WELCOME INTO OUR LIVES. 48:12 WE INVITE IT INTO OUR LIVES. AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN MAKE 48:15 A DIFFERENCE WITH - AND IT'S AFFECTING US. 48:19 AND A LOT OF THAT TIME THAT WE WASTE ON THE GOBBLEDYGOOK OF THE 48:22 WORLD WE COULD BE FILLING OUR MINDS WITH THE WORD OF GOD - 48:27 SURROUNDING OURSELVES WITH THE MESSAGES OF CHRIST. 48:30 AND YOU NEED TO WORK REALLY HARD TO COMPENSATE FOR THE 48:32 BOMBARDMENT THAT - YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DO NOW WHEN 48:36 YOU WANT TO CONQUER AN ENEMY? 48:37 YOU JUST BOMBARD THEM UNTIL THEY JUST - THEY GET SHELL-SHOCKED 48:40 AND THEY COME OUT WITH THEIR HANDS UP. 48:43 AND THAT'S WHAT THE DEVIL IS DOING TO OUR CULTURE RIGHT NOW 48:45 IS THE CHRISTIANS IN THE WORLD ARE BEING SO BOMBARDED BY THESE 48:50 DIABOLICAL MESSAGES, THAT WE'RE JUST THROWING UP OUR HANDS OR WE 48:53 SAY, 'I'M GLAD I'M JUSTIFIED. FORGET ABOUT SANCTIFICATION. 48:56 IT IS SUCH A WICKED WORLD.' BUT WE'VE GOT TO LEARN CHRIST IS 49:00 CALLING US - YES, EVEN IN THIS WICKED LAST GENERATION - TO LIVE 49:05 HOLY LIVES. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PROMISE: 49:08 'WHERE SIN ABOUNDS, GRACE ABOUNDS'. 49:10 THINGS ARE WORSE THAN THEY'VE EVER BEEN, AS FAR AS SIN. 49:13 THEY REALLY ARE, I MEAN, OH, MAYBE BAD AS THE DAYS OF SODOM 49:17 OR LOT AND NOAH, BUT THAT'S HOW JESUS SAID IT WOULD BE, BUT 49:20 WHERE SIN ABOUNDS, GRACE ABOUNDS. 49:22 THAT MEANS THAT, YES, IT IS WORSE THAN IT'S EVER BEEN AND 49:24 JESUS SAID, 'I WILL GIVE YOU MORE GRACE THAN YOU'VE EVER 49:27 NEEDED TO LIVE HOLY LIVES IN THIS GENERATION. 49:32 BUT CHRIST HAS TO BE THE MIDDLE OF OUR FOCUS. 49:35 WE'RE TRANSFORMED BY BEHOLDING. 49:37 YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ME SHARE THE STORY BEFORE ABOUT THIS OLD GUY, 49:41 WILBUR, HE WAS A RETIRED BATCHELOR, NEVER MARRIED, LIVED 49:45 BY HIMSELF AND HE'D GO, ONCE A DAY, HE'D WALK DOWNTOWN AND MEET 49:49 WITH HIS FRIENDS AT THE COFFEE SHOP. 49:51 THEY'D HAVE LUNCH TOGETHER AND THAT WAS SORT OF HIS RITUAL, BUT 49:53 ONE DAY HE NOTICES - HE WALKED BY THE ANTIQUE STORE ON HIS WAY 49:56 TO THE COFFEE SHOP - THEY HAD PUT THIS BEAUTIFUL VASE IN THE 49:59 WINDOW, AND IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN, BUT IT WAS JUST, SORT 50:03 OF, IT WAS LIKE BLOWN GLASS WITH ALL THE COLORS OF A RAINBOW - 50:07 KIND OF LIKE A HUMMINGBIRD'S THROAT - ALL THESE DIFFERENT 50:09 COLORS AND IT KIND OF SHIMMERED AND SHINED AND IT WAS VERY 50:13 CAREFULLY DESIGNED AND HAD EXQUISITE PATTERNS AND THE GLASS 50:17 SHAPES THEY PUT ON IT. AND HE SAW THAT AND IT JUST 50:20 STRUCK HIM AS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING HE'D EVER SEEN. 50:22 HE STOPPED AND HE STARED AT IT. THEN HE WENT ON TO THE COFFEE 50:25 SHOP AND ATE WITH HIS FRIENDS AND ON THE WAY HOME HE 50:26 STOPPED AGAIN AND HE LOOKED. THIS WENT ON FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. 50:29 FINALLY THE PROPRIETOR OF THE ANTIQUE STORE CAME TO HIM AND 50:32 SAID, 'WILBUR, YOU STOP EVERY DAY AND YOU STARE AT THE VASE.' 50:36 HE SAID, 'YOU LIVE BY YOURSELF, YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF 50:38 EXPENSES, WHY DON'T YOU BUY IT AND YOU CAN LOOK AT IT EVERY 50:41 DAY?' HE SAID, 'LOOK, I'LL MAKE YOU A DEAL.' HE SAID, 'OH, I 50:47 NEVER CONSIDERED.' HE SAID, 'ALL RIGHT, I'LL BUY IT.' SO HE 50:50 BOUGHT THE VASE AND HE BRINGS IT HOME. 50:53 NOW HE'D BEEN LIVING BY HIMSELF FOR A LONG TIME. 50:55 HE HADN'T CHANGED OR REDECORATED HIS HOUSE IN 50 YEARS. 50:59 HE'S A BATCHELOR, THERE'S NO NEED TO, RIGHT? 51:02 AND EVERYTHING WAS DUSTY AND FRUMPY AND THE FADED CURTAINS - 51:05 AND HE'S GOT LITTLE PAPERS LAYING EVERYWHERE AND - SO HE 51:09 CLEARED A SPOT ON THE MANTLE ABOVE THE FIREPLACE AND HE PUT 51:12 THE VASE THERE AND HE SAT BACK IN HIS CHAIR AND HE LOOKED AT IT 51:15 AND HE THOUGHT, 'WOW, YOU KNOW, IT IS BEAUTIFUL BUT I HAD NO 51:18 IDEA HOW BAD THE PAINT WAS ON THAT WALL BEHIND IT. 51:23 AND ALL THE DUST.' AND SO HE SAID, 'I'VE GOT TO' - HE TOOK IT 51:26 DOWN AND HE DECIDED TO PAINT THE WALL AND CLEAN THE SHELF OFF AND 51:30 THEN HE PUT IT THERE AND HE SAT DOWN AND SAID, 'WOW, THAT THING 51:33 IS SPECTACULAR. WHEN THE LIGHT COMES THROUGH THE 51:35 WINDOW' - AND THEN THE LOOKED AT THE WINDOW AND HE THOUGHT, 'BOY 51:37 THOSE WINDOWS - I'VE NEVER - I DIDN'T REALIZE I HAVEN'T CLEANED 51:40 THOSE THINGS IN 20 YEARS.' AND THE CURTAINS WERE FADED. 51:43 HE SAID, 'I'VE GOT TO - I GUESS I'D BETTER DO SOMETHING ABOUT 51:45 THAT. I WONDER WHAT PEOPLE THINK.' SO 51:47 HE GOT OUT AND HE CLEANED HIS WINDOWS AND HE THOUGHT - HE GOT 51:51 SOME LADY IN CHURCH TO HELP HIM AND HE GOT SOME NEW CURTAINS 51:54 - HUNG UP SOME NEW CURTAINS, PAINTED, SAT DOWN IN HIS CHAIR 51:57 - WHEN HE WALKED IN THE ROOM, THOUGH, HE NOTICED THE CHAIR. 51:59 THE SPRINGS WERE STICKING OUT OF THE CHAIR. 52:01 HE HADN'T DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT, HE JUST GOT USED TO THE 52:04 SPRINGS POKING HIM AND HE THOUGHT, 'YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY 52:07 NEED A NEW CHAIR.' HE BOUGHT A NEW CHAIR, NEW CARPET - WHEN THE 52:12 INSIDE GOT SO CLEAN HE CLEANED UP THE KITCHEN AND THOUGHT - 52:16 COMPARED TO THAT THE WEEDS WERE GROWING WHERE FLOWERS ONCE GREW 52:21 IN THE BACKYARD AND HE FIXED THE BROKEN-OVER FENCE IN THE FRONT - 52:25 YOU GET THE POINT. 52:27 WILBUR'S WHOLE HOUSE WAS COMPLETELY RENOVATED BECAUSE HE 52:32 INTRODUCED SOMETHING THAT LOOKED PURE SO THAT EVERYTHING ELSE WAS 52:36 BEING CONDEMNED BY THE PURITY OF THE VASE. 52:43 AND WHEN WE INVITE CHRIST INTO OUR LIVES, IT CREATES A TOTAL 52:48 MAKEOVER. >>AMEN. 52:50 >>ALL OF A SUDDEN HE STANDS THERE AND, IN HIS PURITY, BY 52:53 CONTRAST, IT MAKES EVERY SPOT OF DEFILEMENT PAINFULLY DISTINCT 52:58 AND YOU SAY, 'OH, THAT NEEDS TO GO. 53:01 THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED. THAT NEEDS TO BE PAINTED.' AND 53:04 LITTLE BY LITTLE THE WHOLE LIFE IS TRANSFORMED AND IT COMES BY 53:08 KEEPING THE FOCUS ON CHRIST IN OUR LIFE. 53:12 SO I'VE GOT A LOT MORE I COULD SAY, BUT I THINK THAT KIND OF 53:16 GIVES YOU THE IDEA. GOD IS CALLING US TO LIVES OF PURITY. 53:22 HE'S CALLING US TO LIVES OF HOLINESS. 53:24 WE CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT KEEPING OUR EYES FIXED ON JESUS. 53:28 I HEARD ABOUT THESE TWO GUYS THAT WERE VISITING ON THE ROOF 53:32 ONE DAY IN ST. LOUIS AND ONE OF THE GUYS HE - I - PEOPLE DON'T 53:36 DO IT MUCH ANYMORE, THEY USED TO DO IT WHEN I GREW UP IN NEW YORK 53:38 CITY - THEY HAD HOMING PIGEONS - CARRIER PIGEONS - YOU KNOW, THE 53:42 - AND THEY'D RAISE THEM. NOT THE REGULAR NEW YORK 53:44 CITY PIGEONS, THESE ARE VERY EXPENSIVE BRED PIGEONS. 53:47 AND THEY WOULD TIE LITTLE NOTES ON THEM, AND THEY WOULD 53:49 TRANSPORT THEM BY VEHICLE AND THEN THEIR FRIEND 53:52 WOULD LET IT GO AND THEY WOULD FLY BACK AND THEY'D 53:54 BRING THESE MESSAGES. THEY ACTUALLY USED THEM DURING 53:56 THE WAR IN WORLD WAR I AND IN WORLD WAR II, BELIEVE IT OR 54:00 NOT, THEY USED THESE PIGEONS. AND THIS GUY WAS STANDING ON HIS 54:04 ROOF TALKING TO HIS FRIEND AND RIGHT THEN THIS BEAUTIFUL WHITE 54:07 PIGEON - AND, YOU KNOW, A DOVE IS REALLY A PIGEON - FLEW IN. 54:12 AND HIS FRIEND SAID, 'WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT?' 54:14 HE SAID, 'THIS BIRD JUST FLEW 500 MILES.' AND HIS FRIEND SAID, 54:18 'HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU KNOW THAT IT FLEW 500 MILES?' 54:22 HE SAID, 'WELL, I KNOW THAT MY PARTNER THAT'S 500 MILES AWAY IN 54:27 MISSOURI, HE LET IT GO FROM HIS COOP.' AND HE SAID, 'I CAN LOOK 54:32 AT ITS FEET, I CAN LOOK AT ITS WINGS, I CAN LOOK AT ITS TAIL 54:35 AND SEE THAT IT'S NOT LANDED. THERE'S NO POLLEN. 54:37 THERE'S NO DIRT.' HE SAID, 'ALL IT COULD THINK ABOUT WAS GETTING 54:41 TO ME.' AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE KEY FOR US, IS WHEN WE KEEP 54:47 OUR EYES FIXED ON JESUS AND WE WANT TO BE WITH HIM, IT KEEPS US 54:51 FROM LANDING AND GETTING DISTRACTED WITH THE THINGS OF 54:53 THE WORLD. AND YOU CAN LIVE IN A NEW ENVIRONMENT. 54:57 THE LORD IS CALLING US TO LIVES OF HOLINESS. 54:59 GOD WILL NOT ASK YOU TO DO SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE DONE. 55:02 HE SAID, 'BE YE HOLY.' YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THAT UP 55:05 WITH THE LORD IF YOU DON'T THINK IT'S POSSIBLE BECAUSE THAT'LL 55:08 MEAN YOU THINK YOUR DEVIL IS BIGGER THAN YOUR CHRIST. 55:11 AND IF GOD CALLS YOU TO DO SOMETHING, I CAN DO ALL THINGS 55:14 THROUGH JESUS. HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO 55:16 SAY, 'LORD, PLEASE SANCTIFY ME. HELP ME TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE.'? 55:21 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 55:24 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE 55:26 TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY 55:31 AT 'AFTV.ORG'. AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY 55:36 VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL 55:40 FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR 55:44 COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 55:51 >>AMAZING FACTS HAS IMPACTED MY LIFE. 55:53 >>AND I JUST PRAISE GOD FOR AMAZING FACTS. 55:55 >>AMAZING FACTS ACTUALLY DID HAVE AN IMPACT ON MY LIFE. 55:58 >>THIS WHOLE PROCESS - GETTING WHERE I AM TODAY - I FELT GOOD 56:01 ABOUT THAT. I DIDN'T FEEL CONDEMNED. 56:03 >>I BEGAN READING THE BIBLE AND - 56:05 >>I GOT BAPTIZED INTO A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST - 56:07 >>I REALIZED THAT THERE HAD TO BE MORE TO LIFE. 56:10 >>GOD IS REALLY DOING THIS. >>THE LIFE THAT HE'S GIVEN ME. 56:12 >>THIS MESSAGE WAS SO POWERFUL. 56:14 >>I'LL FOLLOW CHRIST WHEREVER HE GOES. 56:16 >>AMAZING FACTS. MORE THAN 45 YEARS OF 56:20 PROCLAIMING GOD'S MESSAGE AROUND THE WORLD. 56:23 >>AND THEN THE LOGO POPS ACROSS AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS. 56:27 I'VE LISTENED TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT MINISTERS, BUT THIS 56:29 WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE'S ACTUALLY SAYING SOMETHING WHERE 56:32 I HAD TO GRAB MY BIBLE AND ACTUALLY PICK IT UP 56:35 AND I'VE NEVER HEARD THIS BEFORE. 56:37 LET ME - LET ME LOOK THROUGH AND FIND THIS. 56:39 >>THAT I JUST COULDN'T GET ENOUGH. 56:40 >>AND SO I STARTED DOING BIBLE STUDIES. 56:42 EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE GUYS STARTED BEING CHANGED, INCLUDING 56:46 MYSELF. >>MY QUESTION WAS, 'WHY DID 56:49 THAT HAPPEN TO ME, GOD?' THE LORD WAS ABLE TO REACH OUT 56:52 AND - AND I ACTUALLY SAW HIM AS A FATHER. 56:55 >>I LOST EVERYTHING AND THAT WAS WHEN I REALIZED THAT IT WAS GOD 56:59 MISSING IN MY LIFE. >>I WENT TO A PROPHECY 57:02 SEMINAR, WHICH KNOCKED ME OUT. THIS MESSAGE WAS SO POWERFUL AND 57:07 SO IRREFUTABLE, I JUST WENT, 'THIS IS REAL. 57:10 THIS IS - THIS IS AMAZING.' 57:15 >>DID YOU KNOW THIS BOAT COULD SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH 20,000 57:17 PEOPLE? (BIRDS SQUAWKING) OR A CAR LIKE 57:19 THIS ONE COULD REACH 10,000 SOULS SEEKING HOPE IN JESUS. 57:23 (HORN HONKING) IF YOU HAVE A VEHICLE YOU'RE NOT USING AND 57:26 WOULD LIKE TO REACH HEARTS FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD, PRAYERFULLY 57:29 CONSIDER DONATING YOUR VEHICLE TO AMAZING FACTS TODAY. 57:33 IT'S EASY TO TURN YOUR UNNEEDED CAR, BOAT, RV, MOTORCYCLE - EVEN 57:38 ATVS AND JET SKIS - INTO A SOUL-WINNING VEHICLE FOR CHRIST 57:42 AND GET A TAX DEDUCTION. 57:44 AMAZING FACTS WILL ARRANGE TO PICK UP YOUR VEHICLE AND PROVIDE 57:47 YOU WITH A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE RECEIPT. 57:50 THE PROCEEDS FROM THE RESALE WILL BE USED TO SHARE GOD'S 57:53 TRUTH WITH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. 57:56 DON'T LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE COLLECTING DUST. 58:00 USE IT TO TRANSFORM LIVES THROUGH AMAZING FACTS. 58:03 CONTACT US TODAY AND LET US HELP TURN YOUR CAR, BOAT, RV, OR 58:07 MOTORCYCLE INTO LIVES SAVED FOR CHRIST. 58:14 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-04-20