Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021603A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:15 >>WE'RE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH A DIFFICULT 00:17 SUBJECT, BUT AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT. 00:20 IT'S ONE THAT ACTUALLY MAKES PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS. 00:23 WHEN YOU USE THE WORDS 'PERFECT' AND 'CHRISTIAN' IN THE SAME 00:25 SENTENCE IT CAN STIR UP A LOT OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS. 00:30 BUT I THOUGHT, 'I LIKE TO HIT THINGS HEAD ON AND JUST GO AHEAD 00:34 AND ASK THE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS'. 00:36 AND REALLY WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT 'WHAT DOES THE 00:38 LORD EXPECT FROM US?' HOW PERFECT MUST A CHRISTIAN BE? 00:44 TO BEGIN WITH, WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH SOME - JUST SOME 00:48 UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT HOW HOLY MUST WE 00:52 BE. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD 'PERFECT' IN THE 00:55 BIBLE? HOW DO WE APPLY THAT TO OUR LIVES? NOBODY FEELS PERFECT. 00:59 THE VERY WORDS 'PERFECT CHRISTIAN' IN OUR MINDS, IT 01:02 CONJURES UP IMAGES OF SUPERHUMANS - SOME KIND OF 01:07 STERILIZED STAINLESS-STEEL ROBOTS THAT HAVE ANTENNAE AND 01:11 THEY RECEIVE REMOTE CONTROL SIGNALS FROM GOD. 01:15 DO WE HAVE OUR FREE WILL? NOW THERE'S SO MUCH FLAW AND SIN 01:22 IN OUR WORLD TODAY, AND WE SENSE IT IN OURSELVES. 01:25 THE WORLD IS OBVIOUSLY PLAGUED WITH A FLAWED PERFECTION. 01:30 I REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AGO I WAS AT A PARTICULAR HOTEL THAT I HAD 01:35 A TOUGH NIGHT'S SLEEP. FOR ONE THING, I THINK THERE WAS 01:38 A TIME CHANGE INVOLVED, WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO SLEEP. 01:41 THERE'S A LOT OF STREET NOISE THAT WAS COMING UP AND THERE 01:44 WERE SMELLS IN THE ROOM I DIDN'T CARE MUCH FOR AND THERE WAS 01:46 NOISE THAT WAS COMING FROM THE ROOMS AROUND ME AND AN ELEVATOR 01:50 AND - AND I FORGET, IT WAS TOO HOT OR COLD AND I JUST 01:54 DIDN'T SLEEP WELL. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, DURING THE NIGHT I KIND OF 01:58 TOSSED AND TURNED AND, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T - SOME HOTELS THE 02:03 SHEETS JUST AREN'T BIG ENOUGH TO TUCK THEM IN - THEY'RE JUST 02:07 BARELY TUCKED IN. AND SO, BY THE TIME I WOKE UP I HAD TWISTED THE 02:12 SHEETS UP AND JUST PULLED THEM OFF THE MATTRESS, WHICH EXPOSED 02:16 THE CORNER OF THE MATTRESS AND I READ THERE IN THE MORNING, WHEN 02:19 I FIRST SAT UP, I HAD BEEN SLEEPING THAT NIGHT ON A SERTA 02:23 PERFECT SLEEPER MATTRESS. AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS EARLY IN 02:27 THE MORNING, I COULDN'T HELP BUT CHUCKLE. 02:30 I THOUGHT, 'PERFECT SLEEPER, HUH?' 02:32 I SAID, 'THAT WAS NOT A PERFECT NIGHT'S SLEEP.' AND IT SEEMS 02:37 LIKE IT'S THAT WAY WITH SO MUCH IN THE WORLD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE 02:41 WANT THE IDEAL BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE FALL SHORT. 02:46 BUT A CHRISTIAN IS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST AND JESUS CERTAINLY WAS 02:52 PERFECT 'WHO DID NO SIN.' HE WAS HOLY. AND THEN CHRIST CALLS US 02:58 TO FOLLOW HIM AND HE SAYS, IN MATTHEW 5:48 - THIS IS ONE OF 03:03 THE MOST TROUBLING COMMANDS: "BE YE THEREFORE PERFECT EVEN 03:08 AS YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT." NOT ONLY TO FOLLOW 03:11 CHRIST, BUT TO BE AS PERFECT AS OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN. 03:15 WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT I SHOULD MENTION RIGHT AWAY IS 03:18 THAT VERSE OR A FORM OF THAT VERSE IS FOUND TWICE. 03:21 YOU FIND IT IN MATTHEW AND YOU ALSO FIND IT IN LUKE 6:36. 03:24 IN MATTHEW HE'S TALKING ABOUT DON'T BE LIKE THE PHARISEES AND 03:29 HOW THEY TREAT EACH OTHER. HE SAID, 'BUT BE PERFECT'. 03:35 IN LUKE HE SAYS, 'BE YE THEREFORE MERCIFUL EVEN AS YOUR 03:40 FATHER IN HEAVEN IS MERCIFUL.' SO GOD IS LOOKING FOR A PERFECT 03:44 LOVE AND MERCY FROM US. IN EPHESIANS 5:1, "THEREFORE 03:49 BE IMITATORS OF GOD AS DEAR CHILDREN. 03:53 AND WALK IN LOVE AS CHRIST ALSO HAS LOVED US" - HOW DO WE WALK 03:56 IN LOVE? AS CHRIST. WHO DO WE IMITATE? GOD - WHO "HAS LOVED US 04:01 AND GIVEN HIMSELF FOR US." CHRISTIANS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE 04:04 FOLLOWERS OF THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST. 04:06 AND LET'S FACE IT, THAT IF MORE CHRISTIANS REALLY DID TRY TO 04:09 LIVE AND ACT LIKE JESUS FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS, CHRISTIANITY 04:13 WOULD HAVE A BETTER REP IN THE WORLD - A BETTER REPUTATION. 04:18 JOHN 13:15, "FOR I HAVE GIVEN YOU AN EXAMPLE," - JESUS SAID - 04:23 "THAT YOU SHOULD DO AS I HAVE DONE TO YOU." 04:26 CHRIST HAS COME TO BE AN EXAMPLE FOR US. 04:29 WE FOLLOW HIM. WE FOLLOW HIS TEACHINGS. 04:32 I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A LOT OF VERSES IN THIS MESSAGE, SO I 04:34 HOPE I DON'T RATTLE THEM TOO QUICKLY. 04:37 ANOTHER ONE: IN 2 - I'M SORRY, 1 PETER 2:21, "FOR TO THIS YOU 04:42 WERE CALLED, BECAUSE CHRIST ALSO SUFFERED FOR US, LEAVING US AN 04:47 EXAMPLE, THAT YOU SHOULD FOLLOW HIS STEPS" - "THAT WE SHOULD 04:51 WALK EVEN AS HE WALKED" WHICH IS MY NEXT VERSE - 1 JOHN 2:5 AND 04:56 6, "BUT WHOEVER KEEPS HIS WORD, TRULY THE LOVE OF GOD IS 05:00 PERFECTED IN HIM." NOW WHAT IS THAT PERFECT - PERFECTION? 05:03 I MENTIONED IT EARLIER - PERFECT LOVE - PERFECT MERCY - "WHOEVER 05:08 KEEPS HIS WORD, TRULY THE LOVE OF GOD IS PERFECTED IN HIM. 05:12 BY THIS WE KNOW THAT WE ARE IN HIM. 05:14 HE WHO SAYS HE ABIDES IN HIM OUGHT HIMSELF ALSO TO WALK JUST 05:18 AS HE WALKED." SO BEFORE WE GO ANY FARTHER, 05:21 LET ME JUST TALK ABOUT THE WORD 'PERFECT' AND LOOK 05:24 AT A DEFINITION. IF - AND WHAT I DID IS I SORT 05:27 OF CO-MINGLED SOME OF THE DEFINITIONS YOU'D FIND 05:29 IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT DICTIONARIES. 05:33 PERFECT - CONFORMING ABSOLUTELY TO THE DEFINITION OF AN IDEAL 05:38 TYPE; SOMETHING THAT IS EXCELLENT OR COMPLETE; BEYOND 05:42 PRACTICAL OR THEORETICAL IMPROVEMENT. 05:45 EXACTLY FITTING THE NEED IN A CERTAIN SITUATION OR FOR A 05:49 CERTAIN PURPOSE; ENTIRELY WITHOUT ANY FLAWS, DEFECTS, OR 05:53 SHORTCOMINGS; ACCURATE, EXACT, OR CORRECT IN EVERY DETAIL. 05:59 AND THEN THE LORD SAYS, 'BE YE THEREFORE PERFECT.' WELL, THAT'S 06:03 GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT NOBODY'S 06:07 PERFECT. AT LEAST, WE'VE ALL SINNED. 06:11 LET ME GIVE YOU SOME OF THOSE VERSES. 06:13 JOB 5:7, "YET MAN IS BORN TO TROUBLE, AS THE SPARKS FLY 06:19 UPWARD." WE ARE NATURALLY PRONE FOR TROUBLE. ISAIAH 53:6, "ALL 06:26 WE LIKE SHEEP" - HOW MANY? - "ALL WE LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE 06:30 ASTRAY; WE HAVE TURNED, EVERY ONE," - HOW MANY? 06:34 - "EVERY ONE TO HIS OWN WAY; AND THE LORD HAS LAID ON HIM THE 06:37 INIQUITY OF US ALL." YOU CAN LOOK IN PSALM 119:176, 06:41 "I HAVE GONE ASTRAY LIKE A LOST SHEEP". 06:44 1 KINGS 8:46 - SOLOMON, IN HIS DEDICATION PRAYER, HE SAYS, 06:49 "WHEN THEY SIN AGAINST YOU" - YOU KNOW, HE DOESN'T SAY 'IF 06:53 THEY SIN AGAINST YOU', HE SAYS, "WHEN THEY SIN AGAINST YOU (FOR 06:56 THERE IS NO ONE WHO DOES NOT SIN), AND YOU BECOME ANGRY WITH 06:59 THEM" - IF THEY PRAY TOWARDS THIS PLACE. 07:01 BUT YOU NOTICE HOW HE SAID THAT - "THERE IS NOT ONE WHO DOES NOT 07:04 SIN" PSALM 14:2 AND 3, "THE LORD LOOKS DOWN FROM HEAVEN UPON THE 07:08 CHILDREN OF MEN, TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY WHO UNDERSTAND, WHO SEEK 07:12 GOD. THEY HAVE ALL TURNED ASIDE, THEY 07:14 HAVE TOGETHER BECOME CORRUPT; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES 07:17 GOOD, NO, NOT ONE." YOU KNOW THAT SONG 'NO 07:21 NOT ONE, NO NOT ONE'? ECCLESIASTES 7:20, "FOR THIS NOT 07:26 A JUST MAN ON EARTH WHO DOES GOOD AND DOES NOT SIN." 07:31 ROMANS 3:23, AND PAUL IS QUOTING FROM THE VERSE IN PSALMS WE JUST 07:35 READ, "FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF 07:39 GOD." JEREMIAH 13:23, "CAN THE 07:43 ETHIOPIAN CHANGE HIS SKIN OR THE LEOPARD ITS SPOTS? 07:46 THEN MAY YOU ALSO DO GOOD WHO ARE ACCUSTOMED TO DO EVIL." 07:50 SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS BARRAGE OF VERSES - AND IT'S NOT ALL I 07:53 COULD QUOTE TO YOU, THE BIBLE DOES GIVE A PRETTY CLEAR PICTURE 07:57 THAT WE HAVE A CHRONIC PROBLEM. WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM WITH 08:00 SELFISHNESS IN OUR NATURES THAT, LEFT TO OURSELVES, WE TEND TO 08:06 SIN. WE ARE SELFISH. WE ARE UNLOVING AND THERE ARE NO 08:11 EXCEPTIONS - WELL, ONE - JESUS. OTHERWISE, ALL HAVE SINNED. 08:18 BUT YOU DO HAVE EXAMPLES IN THE BIBLE OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE GODLY 08:23 LIVES. NOW LET'S LOOK AT THOSE FOR A SECOND. 08:27 THERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF GODLINESS. 08:28 GENESIS 6:9, "NOAH WAS A JUST MAN, PERFECT IN HIS GENERATIONS. 08:35 NOAH WALKED WITH GOD." NOW, OF COURSE, THERE WAS THAT 08:38 EPISODE WHERE NOAH GOT DRUNK AND HE STUMBLED AROUND IN HIS TENT, 08:43 BUT THE GENERAL TENURE OF HIS LIFE IS HE WAS A GODLY MAN. 08:48 HE FOUND GRACE IN THE EYES OF THE LORD. 08:49 NOT ONLY DOES IT SAY THAT NOAH WALKED WITH GOD, YOU CAN READ IN 08:52 CHAPTER 5 OF GENESIS 24, "AND ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD" - AND HE 08:56 WAS SO CLOSE TO GOD IT SAYS, "GOD TOOK HIM. HE WAS NOT." 09:00 HE GOT BEAMED UP BEFORE HE EVER DIED - FIRST PERSON, YOU COULD 09:05 SAY, ENOCH IS REALLY THE OLDEST MAN WHO EVER LIVED. 09:08 METHUSELAH WOULD BE THE OLDEST MAN WHO EVER DIED. 09:12 BUT ENOCH NEVER DIED. HE'S STILL ALIVE, RIGHT? 09:15 WHATEVER GOD IS ASKING FOR US, WE KNOW THAT ENOCH DID IT - AND 09:20 WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. WALKING WITH GOD - EXODUS - I'M 09:24 SORRY, GENESIS 17:1, GOD SAID TO ABRAHAM, "I AM ALMIGHTY GOD; 09:29 WALK BEFORE ME AND BE THOU PERFECT." 09:31 THERE YOU HAVE IT AGAIN. OLD TESTAMENT AND NEW TESTAMENT. 09:35 GOD SAYS TO ABRAHAM, "WALK BEFORE ME AND BE THOU PERFECT." 09:38 NOW, I OUGHT TO PAUSE HERE AND JUST ASK A PRACTICAL QUESTION. 09:42 AND I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT YOUR ANSWER. 09:47 WILL GOD EVER ASK US TO DO OR BE SOMETHING WE CANNOT DO OR BE? 09:53 WHAT WOULD YOU THINK OF A PARENT THAT ASKS THE IMPOSSIBLE OF 09:57 THEIR CHILD AND THEN PUNISHES THEM FOR NOT DOING IT? 10:02 I MEAN, WE ALL KNOW THAT THE LOST ARE GETTING A PRETTY SEVERE 10:05 PUNISHMENT. AND SO, IF GOD IS ASKING US TO 10:08 DO SOMETHING AND WE CAN'T DO IT AND THEN HE PUNISHES US FOR NOT 10:11 BEING ABLE TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE, IS THAT JUST? 10:15 SO THE VERY FACT THAT THERE IS A PUNISHMENT FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT 10:19 FOLLOW GOD, MEANS THAT IT MUST BE POSSIBLE TO DO WHAT HE'S 10:23 ASKING US TO DO. NOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE, DON'T YOU 10:27 WANT TO BE ONE OF THOSE WHO WOULD EXPERIENCE 10:28 WHAT'S POSSIBLE? >>AMEN. 10:31 >>SO OFTEN IT SEEMS LIKE THE EMPHASIS IN THE CHURCH IS WE 10:34 READ THE VERSES THAT TALK ABOUT THE WEAKNESS OF MAN, AND WE 10:38 DON'T READ THE VERSES THAT TALK ABOUT WHAT MAN CAN DO THROUGH 10:42 GOD'S HELP. BUT ABRAHAM DID IT. GENESIS 26:5, "BECAUSE ABRAHAM 10:48 OBEYED MY VOICE AND KEPT MY CHARGE, MY COMMANDMENTS, 10:52 MY STATUTES, AND MY LAWS." AND THEN - I KNOW, SOME OF YOU 10:56 ARE THINKING, 'WHAT ABOUT THE TIME HE LIED AND SAID 10:59 SARAH WAS HIS WIFE?' WELL, MAYBE WHITE LIES ARE OKAY 11:02 BECAUSE SHE WAS HIS HALF-WIFE AND HALF-SISTER - YOU CAN'T 11:05 BE A HALF-WIFE, CAN YOU? YOU CAN'T BE A HALF-SISTER. 11:09 WHAT ABOUT THE TIME THAT HE TOOK ONE EXTRA WIFE? 11:14 SORT OF A SURROGATE WIFE FOR - NAMED HAGAR - GET IT? 11:17 SARAH-GATE WIFE. NOW YOU GOT IT. I CAN TELL. 11:27 BUT IT SAYS, "ABRAHAM WALKED BEFORE ME." 11:30 DEUTERONOMY 18:13, "THOU SHALT BE PERFECT WITH THE LORD THY 11:35 GOD." IT'S NOT JUST JESUS IN MATTHEW 5. 11:39 GOD WAS CALLING PEOPLE TO FOLLOW HIM WITH A PERFECT HEART. 11:43 JOB 2:3 - THE LORD SAID TO SATAN - NOW GOD IS SAYING THIS 11:47 - GOD SAID TO SATAN, "HAVE YOU CONSIDERED MY SERVANT JOB, THAT 11:50 THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM ON THE EARTH, A BLAMELESS AND UPRIGHT 11:55 MAN, ONE WHO FEARS GOD AND SHUNS EVIL?" THAT WORD 'BLAMELESS' 11:59 THERE IS THE SAME WORD THAT YOU HEARD TRANSLATED 'PERFECT' 12:02 IN THESE OTHER VERSES. IT'S THE SAME WORD. 12:04 NOW IN HEBREW THE WORD FOR PERFECT IS 'TAMIM' AND IT MEANS 12:09 'TO BE ENTIRE; INTEGRITY; NO CRACKS; WITHOUT BLEMISH; 12:14 COMPLETE; FULL; PERFECT; UNDEFILED'. 12:17 IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE WORD FOR PERFECT APPEARS ABOUT 42 12:20 TIMES AND IT COMES FROM A WORD IN GREEK 'TELEIOS' MEANING 12:25 'COMPLETE IN LABOR, GROWTH, MENTAL, AND MORAL CHARACTER; OF 12:28 FULL AGE OR SOMETHING THAT IS RIPE; PERFECT' AND GOD IS 12:32 CALLING US TO BE TAMIM AND TELEIOS. 12:36 HE WANTS US TO BE COMPLETE IN HIM. 12:39 NOW ARE THERE EXAMPLES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT OF PEOPLE LIKE 12:41 ABRAHAM AND ENOCH AND NOAH AND JOB? 12:45 YOU CAN READ ABOUT ZACCHARIAS AND ELIZABETH - LUKE 1 - "THEY 12:49 WERE BOTH RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD, WALKING IN ALL THE COMMANDMENTS 12:54 AND ORDINANCES OF THE LORD BLAMELESS." 12:56 BUT DID ZACCHARIAS HAVE DOUBTS WHEN THE ANGEL SAID, 'YOU'RE 13:00 GOING TO HAVE A SON'? AND HE WAS STRUCK DUMB FOR THAT. 13:03 BUT YET, GOD SAYS HE WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN. 13:05 SO WHAT IS THE LORD TALKING ABOUT? 13:08 TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE FLAWLESS OR PEOPLE WHO ARE 13:11 CONSISTENT IN FOLLOWING HIM. PHILIPPIANS 3:15, "LET US 13:17 THEREFORE, AS MANY AS BE PERFECT, BE THUS MINDED." 13:22 JAMES 3:2, "IF ANY MAN OFFEND NOT IN WORD, THE SAME IS A 13:26 PERFECT MAN," - BECAUSE OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART THE 13:29 MOUTH SPEAKS AND IF YOUR HEART IS TRANSFORMED, YOUR WORDS WILL 13:32 BE TRANSFORMED AND IF YOU'VE GOT YOUR WORDS UNDER CONTROL, YOU 13:35 ARE A PERFECT MAN. THAT'S WHAT JAMES IS SAYING. 13:39 REVELATION 22:14 - LAST CHAPTER IN THE BIBLE - "BLESSED ARE 13:45 THOSE WHO DO HIS COMMANDMENTS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE A RIGHT TO 13:47 THE TREE OF LIFE AND ENTER THROUGH THE GATES OF THE CITY." 13:51 JOHN 17, JESUS SAID, "I IN THEM AND YOU IN ME THAT THEY MAY BE 13:57 PERFECT IN ONE." NOW THERE YOU HAVE IT. JESUS TALKS ABOUT WHAT 14:01 IT MEANS TO HAVE THAT PERFECT RELATIONSHIP: 'I IN THEM, 14:05 FATHER, AS YOU ARE IN ME.' AS JESUS WAS A PERFECT 14:09 REPRESENTATION OF THE FATHER IN THE WORLD, CHRIST SAYS, 'I, 14:13 THROUGH THE SPIRIT, WILL FILL YOU AND YOU WILL BE A PERFECT 14:18 REPRESENTATION OF GOD TO THE WORLD. 14:21 YOU REMEMBER, AFTER THE DISCIPLES RECEIVED THE HOLY 14:23 SPIRIT AND THEY WERE PREACHING - THEY WERE ACTUALLY DEFENDING 14:25 THEMSELVES BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN AND THEY SPOKE BOLDLY ABOUT 14:29 CHRIST AND IT SAYS THEIR ENEMIES LOOKED AT THEM AND THEY MARVELED 14:32 AND SAID, 'AREN'T THESE UNLEARNED MEN? 14:34 THEY TOOK KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAD BEEN WITH JESUS.' THEY WERE 14:37 ACTING LIKE JESUS AND THEY COULD TELL. 14:41 THE EARLY CHURCH EXPLODED WITH PHENOMENAL UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH 14:44 BECAUSE THE MEMBERS - THE BELIEVERS FILLED WITH THE HOLY 14:48 SPIRIT LOVED JESUS SO MUCH THEY WANTED TO BE LIKE HIM AND THEY 14:51 REFLECTED THE LIFE OF JESUS IN THE WORLD. 14:55 THAT OUGHT TO BE THE DESIRE OF EVERY CHRISTIAN - 14:57 >>AMEN. >>BECAUSE WE LOVE HIM, 14:59 WE WANT TO BE LIKE HIM. COLOSSIANS 1:27, "...CHRIST 15:04 IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY." YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I THINK 15:09 WE ALL WANT IS TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE. 15:11 NOW, THAT'S NOT THE WHOLE MESSAGE THAT'S BEING TOLD TO THE 15:15 CHURCH TODAY - AND I'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL HOW I SAY THIS: IF WE 15:20 EMPHASIZE GRACE AS SIMPLY A COVER UP FOR SIN AND WE DON'T 15:26 UNDERSTAND THAT GOD GIVES US GRACE TO BE MADE PERFECT IN 15:30 CHRIST, THEN WE'RE MISAPPLYING WHAT THE GRACE OF GOD IS ABOUT. 15:35 I AM THANKFUL FOR GOD'S GRACIOUSNESS TO US. 15:38 I AM THANKFUL FOR HIS AMAZING GRACE AND HIS MERCY THAT HE 15:42 FORGIVES THAT WHOSOEVER COMES TO HIM, THAT HE'S WILLING TO 15:46 FORGIVE ALL MANNER OF BLASPHEMY AND SIN. 15:49 YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ALWAYS WANT TO FOCUS ON THE UNPARDONABLE SIN - 15:51 THEY BECOME VERY PREOCCUPIED WITH 'WHICH SIN IS THAT?' 15:54 THEY MISS THE WONDERFUL PART OF THAT VERSE THAT SAYS, 'ALL 15:56 MANNER OF SIN AND BLASPHEMY WILL BE FORGIVEN UNTO MEN.' ALL 16:00 MANNER - DOES THE LORD FORGIVE MURDER? 16:03 >>YES. >>DOES HE FORGIVE LYING AND 16:06 ADULTERY - AND YOU CAN ALL THINK OF SOME SAVORY CHARACTERS IN 16:09 THE BIBLE THAT REPRESENT THOSE THINGS THAT WE KNOW GOD FORGAVE. 16:12 PETER, WHO DENIED HIM - WE'RE ALMOST ENCOURAGED BY LOOKING AT 16:16 THEIR FALL IN THE BIBLE, BECAUSE IT GIVES US HOPE IF THEY MADE 16:20 IT, BUT ALL OF THEM REPENTED OF THEIR SINS AND CHANGED AND THE 16:28 TENDENCY IS, IN THE CHURCH TODAY, THAT WE WANT TO LIVE IN 16:31 THEIR FALLEN CONDITION. WE LOOK AT ABRAHAM'S LIE AND WE 16:37 SAY, 'I GUESS LYING'S OKAY.' OR WE LOOK AT PETER'S DENIAL OR 16:41 DAVID'S ADULTERY AND WE SAY, 'WELL, THEY WERE SAVED SO GOD'S 16:45 GOING TO GIVE ME GRACE TO CONTINUE LIVING THIS WAY.' 16:48 THAT'S NOT WHAT THE GRACE OF GOD IS ABOUT. 16:50 THE GRACE OF GOD IS TO FORGIVE YOU FROM THAT AND TRANSFORM YOU 16:55 BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND THAT WE MIGHT BE NEW CREATURES 16:59 AND NOT BE HELD CAPTIVE TO THE OLD - THE OLD SINS. 17:02 THIS IS THE BIG LIE OF THE DEVIL. THE DEVIL IS NOT 17:06 THREATENED BY OUR GOING TO CHURCH IF WE NEVER 17:08 HEAR THE TRUTH. 17:10 IF NOMINAL CHRISTIANS CAN BE DRUGGED WITH A FALSE ASSURANCE 17:14 OF SALVATION, THEY'LL NEVER STRIVE TO FIND THE TRUTH. 17:19 AND THERE ARE A LOT OF CHURCHES IN THE COUNTRY - AND THE DEVIL 17:22 IS JUST TICKLED PINK TO HAVE PEOPLE GOING THERE BECAUSE IF 17:25 THEY GO THERE AND THEY CAN AT LEAST GET THE ILLUSION OF BEING 17:28 SAVED WHILE THEY CONTINUE DELIBERATELY IN KNOWN SIN, THE 17:32 DEVIL IS HAPPIER HAVING THEM IN CHURCH AND ASLEEP. 17:37 HE WANTS THEM TO GO TO CHURCH WHERE THEY DON'T HEAR THE TRUTH, 17:40 AND THEY WILL BE HYPNOTIZED INTO THIS DEATH SLEEP WHERE THEY'RE 17:45 LOST IN CHURCH. BUT WHAT THE LORD REALLY WANTS 17:50 IS FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SIN IS - THAT HE WANTS US TO 17:52 RECOGNIZE OUR SIN AND REPENT OF OUR SIN. NOW, THAT'S 17:56 UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE WHEN THAT HAPPENS THERE'S CONVICTION 18:02 INVOLVED. LET ME GIVE YOU A FEW MORE VERSES. MATTHEW 7:21, 18:07 "NOT EVERYONE WHO SAYS TO ME, 'LORD, LORD,' SHALL ENTER THE 18:10 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN," - JESUS SAID, "BUT HE WHO HEARS THE 18:13 WILL OF MY FATHER"? - YOU SIT IN CHURCH ONCE OR 18:16 TWICE A WEEK AND HEAR IT? "HE WHO DOES THE WILL 18:19 OF MY FATHER IN HEAVEN." JESUS SAID, 'I HAVE COME TO DO 18:21 MY FATHER'S WILL.' IT MEANS DOING WHAT JESUS DID. 18:25 "MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY" - NOT A FEW, MANY - THE 18:27 MAJORITY - "LORD, LORD" - THEY KNOW HIS NAME - "'HAVE WE NOT 18:31 PROPHESIED IN YOUR NAME AND IN YOUR NAME CAST OUT DEVILS AND IN 18:34 YOUR NAME DONE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS?' 18:36 AND I'LL DECLARE 'I NEVER KNEW YOU. 18:38 DEPART FROM ME YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'" THE LORD WANTS US 18:43 TO BE OBEDIENT, NOT LIVE LIVES OF LAWLESSNESS. 18:46 1 JOHN 3:4, "WHOEVER COMMITS SIN ALSO COMMITS LAWLESSNESS, AND 18:51 SIN IS LAWLESSNESS." SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE 18:54 LAW AND WE KNOW THAT HE WAS MANIFESTED TO TAKE AWAY OUR SINS 18:58 AND TAKE AWAY OUR LAWLESSNESS. IN HIM THERE IS NO SIN. 19:01 WHOEVER ABIDES IN HIM DOES NOT SIN. 19:04 SO IT'S TALKING ABOUT THIS ABIDING RELATIONSHIP WHERE WE'RE 19:06 IN CHRIST AND CHRIST IS IN US. NOW WHAT DID IT SAY? 19:10 'WHOEVER ABIDES IN HIM DOES NOT SIN.' DO YOU WANT THAT 19:14 RELATIONSHIP? DOESN'T GOD SAY - MATTHEW - I'M SORRY, JOHN 19:18 CHAPTER 15 - THAT UNLESS WE ABIDE IN HIM WE WILL NOT BRING 19:22 FORTH FRUIT AND IF WE DON'T BRING FORTH FRUIT, WE'RE GOOD 19:24 FOR NOTHING EXCEPT TO BE CUT - PRUNED OFF, CAST, AND BURNED. 19:28 WE NEED TO HAVE AN ABIDING RELATIONSHIP WHERE WE HAVE A 19:31 LIVING, VITAL, CONNECTION WITH JESUS EVERY DAY. REVELATION 19:36 3:5, "HE WHO OVERCOMES" - IS IT POSSIBLE TO OVERCOME? 19:41 OTHERWISE, WHY WOULD JESUS SAY, SEVEN TIMES IN REVELATION, 'TO 19:43 HIM THAT OVERCOMES I MAKE THESE PROMISES'? 19:45 - "HE WHO OVERCOMES SHALL BE CLOTHED IN WHITE GARMENTS, AND I 19:49 WILL NOT BLOT OUT HIS NAME FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE; BUT I WILL 19:52 CONFESS HIS NAME BEFORE MY FATHER AND BEFORE HIS ANGELS." 19:54 SO, HE'S SAYING, 'IF YOU OVERCOME YOU'LL BE SAVED. 20:02 IF YOU DO NOT OVERCOME' - AND HE'S WRITING TO THE CHURCH - 20:05 'YOUR NAME IS BLOTTED OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE.' YOU MEAN A PERSON 20:07 COULD CLAIM TO FOLLOW JESUS - HAVE THEIR NAME IN THE BOOK OF 20:10 LIFE, BUT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT OVERCOME THEIR NAMES ARE BLOTTED 20:13 OUT. AM I MISINTERPRETING THIS OR IS 20:16 THAT A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HE'S SAYING? 20:20 AND IF HE DOES - IF WE DO FOLLOW HIM HE SAYS, 'I CONFESS YOUR 20:23 NAME BEFORE MY FATHER AND HIS ANGELS.' LIKE HE DID WITH JOB. 20:28 SO IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIVE WITHOUT SINNING? 20:34 YOU KNOW, JOE CREWS WROTE A BOOK BY THAT - EVEN THE VERY TITLE 20:36 FRIGHTENS PEOPLE. WELL, WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT 20:39 SIN IS - WHAT IS SIN IN ONE WORD? 20:43 >>LAWLESSNESS. >>SELFISHNESS. 20:46 I KNOW I JUST TOLD YOU A DEFINITION: LAWLESSNESS BUT, IN 20:49 A WORD THAT'S A LITTLE CLOSER TO HOME, SIN IS SELFISHNESS. 20:54 IF YOU WERE TO DEFINE GOD IN ONE WORD, WHAT WORD WOULD YOU USE? 20:58 LOVE - YOU GOT THAT RIGHT. GOD IS LOVE. GOD IS LIGHT. 21:05 IF WE HAVE CHRIST'S SPIRIT AND IF WE HAVE THE LOVE OF GOD SHED 21:09 ABROAD IN OUR HEARTS, YOU DO NOT HAVE THE LOVE OF GOD AND 21:13 SELFISHNESS - THEY DO NOT COEXIST. 21:17 YOU KNOW, ON MY PHONE I'VE GOT A FEATURE WHERE I CAN BRIGHTEN THE 21:23 SCREEN OR DULL THE SCREEN AND IT DEPENDS ON HOW BRIGHT OR DARK IT 21:27 IS OUTSIDE. THE BRIGHTER IT IS OUTSIDE, THE 21:29 BRIGHTER I NEED MY SCREEN, BY CONTRAST, TO BE ABLE TO READ IT. 21:33 IT'S NOT THAT WAY WITH LOVE AND SELFISHNESS, WHERE YOU CAN KIND 21:37 OF COMINGLE THEM. IF YOU REALLY HAVE THE LOVE OF 21:41 GOD DWELLING IN YOU, IT KILLS SELFISHNESS. IT'S LIKE TURNING 21:48 ON LIGHT EXPELS THE DARKNESS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. 21:52 WE NEED A RELATIONSHIP WHERE WE REALLY KNOW - MOST OF US ARE 21:55 TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS WITH SELFISH HEARTS. 21:58 AND YOU KNOW, THE BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL ACTUALLY APPEALS TO 22:01 THE SELFISHNESS IN US. 'DON'T FOLLOW ME - YOU'RE GOING 22:05 TO PERISH. FOLLOW ME - GOLDEN STREETS - LIVE FOREVER. 22:09 THAT'S APPEALING TO A SELFISH HEART, ISN'T IT? 22:12 AND THAT MIGHT BE A STARTING POINT, BUT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE 22:14 WAY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE A MATURE CHRISTIAN, YOU NEED TO BE 22:17 MOTIVATED BY LOVE AND NOT BY SELFISHNESS, WHERE I WANT TO DO 22:21 IT, NOT JUST BECAUSE I WON'T BE SAVED IF I DON'T AND I WILL BE 22:26 SAVED IF I DO, I WANT TO DO IT BECAUSE I LOVE GOD, REGARDLESS 22:28 OF WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE EXAMPLES 22:32 OF THE REAL MATURE BELIEVERS IN THE BIBLE WHEN MOSES SAYS, 22:35 'LORD, TAKE MY NAME OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE. 22:37 I LOVE YOU SO MUCH I AM WILLING TO BE LOST THAT OTHERS MIGHT BE 22:41 SAVED.' THAT'S PERFECT LOVE. WHEN PAUL SAYS, 'I WOULD BE 22:46 WILLING TO BE LOST THAT ISRAEL MIGHT BE SAVED.' HE'S NOT 22:50 SAYING, 'WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?' THAT'S PERFECT LOVE. 22:54 THAT'S THE KIND OF LOVE I THINK THE LORD WANTS US TO HAVE. 22:56 WE'D ALL GET ALONG A LOT BETTER IF WE HAD THAT KIND OF LOVE IN 22:59 OUR LIVES WHERE WE SAID, 'NOT I BUT CHRIST.' LOVING THE LORD - 23:04 WHAT DOES IT MEAN 'LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART'? 23:06 ISN'T THAT THE GREAT COMMAND? 23:08 LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF - IT'S TOTALLY SELFLESSNESS. 23:14 GOD - IS HE ASKING US TO SIN NO MORE? 23:16 NOW, IF YOU'RE GOD AND YOU NEEDED TO TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN 23:20 ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY COULD SIN, HOW MUCH WOULD YOU TELL THEM? 23:24 'TRY AND SIN A LITTLE LESS.' GOD IS HOLY. GOD IS PERFECT. 23:31 HOW CAN HE TELL US ANYTHING OTHER THAN NO SIN? 23:36 IF SIN IS KILLING US THEN HOW MUCH SIN WOULD GOD ALLOW? 23:41 IF, ON YOUR WEDDING DAY - FOR THOSE THAT ARE MARRIED OR 23:45 THOSE THAT PLAN ON GETTING MARRIED SOMEDAY - YOU STOOD AT 23:47 THE ALTAR AND YOU'RE SAYING YOUR VOWS AND THE PASTOR SAYS, 'DO 23:54 YOU JOHN, PROMISE TO FORSAKE ALL OTHERS, KEEPING JANE SOLELY UNTO 23:59 YOURSELF AS LONG AS YOU BOTH SHALL LIVE?' AND HE SAID, 24:04 'HOW MANY DAYS IN A YEAR?' '365.' 'HOW ABOUT 358?' 24:11 I'D LIKE ONE WEEK A YEAR WHERE I COULD SEE SOME OF MY OLD 24:14 GIRLFRIENDS - JUST ONE WEEK.' AND SHE LOOKS AT HIM WITH 24:19 INDIGNATION - AGHAST THAT HE WOULD SUGGEST SUCH A THING - AND 24:22 HE SAYS TO HER, 'NOW COME ON, JANE, LET'S NOT BE EXTREME. 24:26 ARE YOU WANTING A HUNDRED PERCENT OF MY LOVE? 24:31 I CAN'T HAVE A GIRLFRIEND - I MEAN, IF YOU'VE GOT ME 358 DAYS, 24:37 ISN'T THAT ENOUGH?' IS THERE ANY WOMAN THAT WOULD 24:42 SAY - I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY MAN THAT WOULD SAY IT EITHER - 24:46 'WELL, NINETY-NINE PERCENT IS OKAY. 24:50 YOU CAN GIVE YOUR LOVE TO SOMEONE ELSE ONCE A YEAR.' 24:54 DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS WITH LOVE? 24:57 SO, WHEN YOU SAY, 'WHAT DOES GOD WANT FROM ME?' 25:00 HE WANTS ALL OF YOUR HEART AND THAT MEANS HE DOESN'T WANT ANY 25:05 SIN IN YOUR LIFE, BECAUSE SIN IS A RESULT OF YOUR NOT GIVING GOD 25:09 ALL YOUR HEART. ARE WE STILL TOGETHER? 25:13 >>YEAH. >>THAT MAKE SENSE? 25:14 ALRIGHT, NO MORE SIN. JOHN 5 - YOU REMEMBER WHEN JESUS 25:19 HEALED THE MAN AT THE POOL OF BETHESDA? 25:22 LATER - MAN HADN'T WALKED IN 38 YEARS - JESUS FOUND HIM IN THE 25:25 TEMPLE AND HE SAYS TO HIM, 'SEE, YOU HAVE BEEN MADE WELL. 25:29 SIN NO MORE LEST A WORSE THING COME UPON YOU.' NOW YOU KNOW WHY 25:35 THIS IS A DIFFICULT SUBJECT? BECAUSE WHENEVER YOU PREACH IT - 25:39 I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE THOUGHT IT TO YOURSELF OR YOU THOUGHT IT 25:41 ABOUT ME, BUT YOU SAY, 'PASTOR DOUG, IF YOU'RE TEACHING 25:46 SINLESSNESS, ARE YOU CLAIMING THAT YOU'RE SINLESS? ARE YOU? 25:51 NO. NO, NONE OF US WOULD DARE DO THAT. MATTER OF FACT, I THINK 25:56 YOU NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR PEOPLE THAT CLAIM IT. 25:58 'SO HOW CAN YOU PREACH A MESSAGE THAT YOU CAN'T POINT TO ANYBODY 26:01 WHO'S EXPERIENCED THAT?' 26:03 WELL, BUT I DID POINT TO SOME PEOPLE. 26:05 I SAID ABRAHAM IS GOING TO HEAVEN, ENOCH'S ALREADY THERE, 26:09 MOSES IS GOING - AND MANY OTHERS I COULD CITE. 26:12 IN SPITE OF THEIR FAILING, WE NEED TO AT LEAST HAVE THE 26:15 EXPERIENCE THEY HAD. WHAT DID THEY HAVE? 26:18 THEY LOVED THE LORD WITH ALL OF THEIR HEARTS. 26:20 WHEN THEY DID SIN, THEY REPENTED. 26:23 NOW I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF. 26:24 SO HE SAYS 'SIN NO MORE.' YOU KNOW THE STORY OF JESUS WITH 26:28 MARY MAGDALENE - OR THE WOMAN CAUGHT IN ADULTERY? 26:32 'WHEN HE RAISED HIMSELF UP' - JOHN CHAPTER 8 - 'HE SAW NOBODY 26:35 BUT THE WOMAN. AND TO THE WOMAN HE SAID, 26:38 'WHERE ARE YOUR ACCUSERS? HAS NO MAN CONDEMNED YOU?' 26:41 SHE SAID, 'NO ONE, LORD.' HE SAID, 'NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU. 26:44 GO. YOU'RE FREE - AND SIN NO MORE.' 26:47 WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT HIM TO SAY TO THIS WOMAN? 26:50 'TRY TO CUT BACK ON YOUR ADULTERY.' I MEAN, WOULD YOU 26:53 EVER PICTURE JESUS SAYING THAT? 26:56 OF COURSE HE HAS TO SAY 'SIN NO MORE.' AND THAT'S WHAT THE 27:00 LORD'S SAYING TO EACH ONE OF US. SIN HURTS YOU. 27:03 SIN IS LETHAL. IT'S DANGEROUS. 27:06 YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS YOUNG, MY GRANDPARENTS WERE THE 27:11 FIRST ONES THAT TAUGHT ME THE PRAYER - AND THEY WERE JEWISH - 27:14 'NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP. I PRAY THE LORD MY SOUL TO KEEP. 27:19 AND IF I DIE BEFORE I WAKE...' AND SO YOU'RE - YEAH, I PRAY THE 27:23 LORD MY SOUL TO TAKE. I THINK TONY CAMPOLO - AND HE 27:27 PRAYED THE LORD - HE PRAYED THAT PRAYER. 27:28 HE SAID, 'LORD, WAKE ME UP BEFORE I DIE!' 27:32 HE SAID, 'IF YOU'RE GOING TO PRAY, INSTEAD OF SAYING, 'IF I 27:34 DIE BEFORE I WAKE' - WAKE ME UP BEFORE I DIE! 27:38 BUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY, 'WELL, PASTOR DOUG, I FOLLOW THE 27:42 LORD, BUT SOMETIMES I FALL AND I'M SO AFRAID THAT WHAT IF I 27:46 DRIVE OFF THE ROAD AND I HAVE A CAR WRECK RIGHT AFTER I WAS 27:50 LISTENING TO THE WRONG SONG ON THE RADIO AND I DIDN'T HAVE TIME 27:53 TO REPENT? OR YOU CAN FILL IN THE BLANKS, 27:57 YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? PEOPLE ARE SAYING, 'WHAT 27:59 IF I DON'T REPENT IN TIME?' I THINK YOU'RE LOOKING 28:03 AT IT THE WRONG WAY. FIRST OF ALL, GOD IS NOT UP 28:05 THERE IN THE SKY TRYING TO CATCH YOU WHILE YOU'RE DOWN. 28:10 SO THE IDEA THAT GOD IS GOING TO TRY AND FIND THE RARE MOMENT 28:13 WHEN YOU HAVE FALLEN AND SAY, 'HA, HA, NOW I'M GOING TO TAKE 28:15 HIM OUT.' THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU NEED TO BECOME PRESUMPTUOUS OR 28:19 RECKLESS ABOUT OBEDIENCE OR HOLINESS AND SAY, YOU KNOW, 'I'M 28:23 GOING TO PLAN ON SINNING AND I'LL JUST REPENT BEFORE I HAVE 28:26 AN ACCIDENT.' OR 'I'LL DRIVE VERY CAREFUL UNTIL I REPENT.' 28:30 THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO THINK. 28:32 YOU WANT TO TRY TO DO ALL YOU CAN TO LIVE FOR JESUS DAY BY DAY 28:36 BECAUSE YOU LOVE HIM, NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU. 28:39 WELL, YES, GOD IS CALLING US TO LIVES OF HOLINESS. 28:44 1 CORINTHIANS 15, AND THIS IS VERSE 34 - 1 CORINTHIANS 15:34, 28:50 "AWAKE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND DO NOT SIN; FOR SOME DO NOT HAVE 28:54 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. I SPEAK THIS TO YOUR SHAME." 28:57 SO DON'T TAKE THIS THAT SOMEONE'S GOING TO LISTEN TO 28:58 THIS MESSAGE AND SAY, 'PASTOR DOUG IS PERFECTIONISTIC.' 29:01 WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE VERSES THAT I'M READING? 29:05 I'M TRYING TO GIVE YOU A BALANCED PICTURE AS I'VE STUDIED 29:08 THIS - THIS THEME FOR YEARS BECAUSE YOU START THINKING ONE 29:12 WAY, YOU THINK THERE'S NO HOPE. AND YOU THINK THE OTHER WAY AND 29:15 IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S MAKING A CONCESSION FOR SIN. 29:18 THE KEY IS IN 'WHAT IS REPENTANCE?' 29:20 ALRIGHT, HAVE WE ESTABLISHED ALL SIN - ALL - LET ME SEE YOUR 29:24 HANDS - ALL OF YOU FALL IN THAT CATEGORY? 29:26 ALL HAVE GONE ASTRAY LIKE SHEEP? WE'VE ALL SINNED, RIGHT? 29:29 SO WE REPENT OF OUR SINS SO WE CAN GET A CLEAN SLATE TO FILL UP 29:35 WITH SIN FOR ANOTHER DAY. IS THAT THE RIGHT ATTITUDE? 29:39 OR SHOULD WE BE PRAYING, WHEN WE REPENT OF OUR SINS, THAT GOD 29:44 WILL THEN CHANGE OUR HEARTS AND KEEP US? 29:46 DO YOU WANT TO SEE VICTORY AND CHANGE? 29:50 LET ME WORD IT TO YOU THIS WAY: IS THERE ANY SIN YOU CAN THINK 29:56 OF THAT GOD CANNOT DELIVER A PERSON FROM? 30:01 YOU NAME A SIN. THINK OF ANY SIN. DRINKING? 30:06 DO WE ALL KNOW PEOPLE THAT SOMETIMES STRUGGLE WITH ALCOHOL? 30:09 HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW PEOPLE THAT HAVE GOTTEN THE VICTORY OVER 30:11 ALCOHOL EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE DESPERATE ALCOHOLICS? 30:15 WHY DO - I CAN NAME MANY NAMES FOR YOU. SMOKING, ADULTERY, 30:22 IMPURITY, PORNOGRAPHY - ALL KIND OF IN THE SAME BASKET. 30:26 PRIDE - CAN THE LORD - DOES HE KNOW HOW TO HUMBLE US? 30:29 TAKE A PROUD PERSON AND MAKE THEM HUMBLE? 30:32 MATERIALISM - WORKAHOLICS - YOU PICK WHATEVER IT IS, AND IF YOU 30:38 CAN NAME A SIN, I CAN POINT TO SOMEBODY OUT THERE THAT, BY THE 30:41 GRACE OF GOD, THEY HAVE GAINED THE VICTORY OVER SIN. 30:44 WHEN WE START DEVELOPING A MENTAL ATTITUDE THAT GOD IS 30:49 GOING TO JUST EXPECT US TO CONTINUE GOING ON IN SIN WITHOUT 30:53 GAINING VICTORY AND STILL GET TO HEAVEN, WHAT YOU DO, REALLY, IS 30:57 YOU PAVE THE WAY FOR DEFEAT. IF YOU BELIEVE THAT GOD CANNOT 31:02 KEEP YOU FROM SIN AND YOU BELIEVE THE DEVIL CAN TEMPT YOU 31:05 TO SIN, YOU BELIEVE THE DEVIL IS MORE POWERFUL THAN GOD. 31:09 LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT A STORY IN THE BIBLE. 31:12 WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOOK IT UP, BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHERE IT IS - 31:14 NUMBERS CHAPTERS 13 AND 14 - CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SEND TWELVE 31:18 SPIES TO GO SCOUT THE PROMISED LAND. 31:21 AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, TEN OF THEM, THEY JUST LOOKED AT ALL 31:25 THE PROBLEMS - AND THERE WERE PROBLEMS! 31:27 THERE WERE SEVEN OTHER NATIONS THERE. 31:29 ISRAEL WAS ONE NATION AND THEY WEREN'T EVEN THE BIGGEST. 31:32 THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER NATIONS, THEY HAD BIG WALLS, 31:34 THEIR CITIES FORTIFIED TO HEAVEN, THEY WERE WELL ARMED, 31:37 THEY WERE TRAINED IN WAR - THE ISRAELITES WERE NOT. 31:40 THEY SAW ALL OF THESE OBSTACLES. TWO OF THEM SAW ALL THE PROMISE. 31:44 THEY SAW ALL THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY. 31:46 THEY SAW THE LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY AND THE FRUIT AND 31:50 THE BEAUTIFUL - IT WAS MUCH BETTER THAN IT IS TODAY IN 31:53 ISRAEL. IT'S CHANGED OVER THE YEARS. THEY COME BACK. 31:57 THEY SAY, 'TELL US WHAT'S AHEAD OF US.' TEN OF THE SPIES SAID, 32:02 'UH, WE'RE IN TROUBLE. WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT.' 32:06 TWO OF THE SPIES - WHAT WERE THEIR NAMES? 32:08 >>CALEB AND JOSHUA. >>CALEB AND JOSHUA. 32:10 CAN YOU NAME ANY OF THE TEN SPIES FOR ME? 32:14 NAME ONE OF THEM. ANYBODY. HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT THE NAMES OF 32:21 THE TEN SPIES HAVE GONE DOWN INTO HISTORY WITH OBSCURITY 32:25 AND INFAMY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE GOD WAS ABLE? 32:29 BUT THE ONES WHO HAD FAITH, THEIR NAMES HAVE BEEN 32:32 IMMORTALIZED AS THEY WILL BE IMMORTALIZED? 32:37 NOW, NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE: JOSHUA AND CALEB BOTH SAID, 'WE 32:41 CAN MAKE IT.' MATTER OF FACT, THE WORDS THEY SAID ARE, 'WE ARE 32:44 WELL ABLE.' THE TEN SPIES THAT DIDN'T BELIEVE, THEY SAID, 'THE 32:48 PROBLEMS ARE TOO BIG. WE ARE NOT ABLE.' THE ONES WHO 32:51 DID NOT BELIEVE THEY WERE ABLE, WERE NOT ABLE. 32:54 DO YOU KNOW, ALL OF THEM WERE CHURCH MEMBERS? 32:57 WEREN'T THEY? THEY WERE ALL MEMBERS OF ISRAEL. MATTER OF 33:01 FACT, THEY WERE ALL LEADERS. AND HERE YOU'VE GOT - I DON'T 33:04 KNOW WHAT THE EXACT PERCENTAGE IS WHERE YOU'VE GOT 33:06 TWO OUT OF TWELVE. SOMEONE'LL TELL ME LATER. 33:11 BUT THE MAJORITY OF THEM SAID, 'YOU CAN'T MAKE IT'. 33:13 TWO OF THEM SAID, 'YOU CAN MAKE IT'. 33:15 THE TWO WHO SAID, 'YOU CAN MAKE IT' ALMOST GOT STONED TO DEATH, 33:18 IF GOD HADN'T INTERVENED, BY THE ONES WHO SAID, 'YOU CAN'T MAKE 33:21 IT'. SO THE ONES WHO SAID, 'YOU CAN'T MAKE IT' THEY WERE VERY 33:23 AGGRESSIVELY PUSHING THAT YOU CAN'T MAKE IT. 33:27 COULD THAT HAPPEN IN A CHURCH? 33:29 IN A DENOMINATION WHERE PEOPLE - WHY WERE THEY SO THREATENED? 33:33 BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT THE BATTLE. 33:36 JOSHUA AND CALEB SAYS, 'YES, WE CAN MAKE IT.' THERE'LL BE 33:38 BATTLES, BUT WE BELIEVE GOD'LL GIVE US THE VICTORY. 33:42 NOW, EVEN THOUGH THEY BELIEVED, WHEN JOSHUA AND CALEB SURVIVED 33:47 THE WILDERNESS WANDERING, AND THEY DID MAKE IT TO THE PROMISED 33:51 LAND, WERE THERE BATTLES WHEN THEY ENTERED THE PROMISED LAND? 33:55 WERE THE BATTLES OVER IN ONE DAY? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE THEM? 34:00 YOU KNOW, WHEN JOSHUA WAS OLD AND HE WAS DYING, JOSHUA LIVED 34:04 TO A HUNDRED AND TEN, AND JOSHUA, HE SAID, 'GOD'S GIVEN US 34:08 THE LAND, BUT THERE ARE STILL BATTLES TO FIGHT'. 34:12 EVEN ON HIS DEATH BED, HE SAID, 'YOU STILL HAVE TERRITORY TO 34:14 CONQUER'. YOU KNOW, I HEARD THAT STORY AND 34:17 THAT ENCOURAGED ME BECAUSE THEY HADN'T COMPLETELY CONQUERED, 34:21 BUT THEY WERE FIGHTING. AND HE - JOSHUA SAID, 'DON'T 34:24 STOP FIGHTING.' YOU KNOW WHAT HE WAS AFRAID OF? 34:26 HE SAID, 'IF YOU TAKE THE PROMISED LAND AND YOU BECOME 34:29 COMFORTABLE WITH SOME OF THESE PERRIZITES OR AMMONITES OR 34:35 JEBUZITES OR ALL THE ITES - TERMITES - IF YOU BECOME 34:38 COMFORTABLE WITH THEM AND YOU BEGIN TO GET USED TO THEM, 34:43 THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE COMPLETELY EXPELLED FROM THE 34:47 LAND. IT SAYS THEY'RE GOING TO START 34:49 BEING THORNS IN YOUR EYES - PROBLEMS FOR YOU. 34:53 AS SOON AS YOU BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH SIN IN YOUR 34:56 LIFE, IT'LL START BRINGING YOU DOWN AND THE COUNTRIES THAT THEY 35:01 DID NOT OVERCOME, LATER ENSLAVED THEM. 35:05 DID YOU HEAR THAT? WERE THERE BATTLES? YES. 35:08 DID THEY OVERCOME IN ONE DAY? NO. 35:10 CAN YOU BE VICTORIOUS? YES, YOU CAN. 35:13 DON'T GIVE THE DEVIL MORE CREDIT THAN YOU GIVE GOD. 35:16 >>AMEN. >>DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF 35:18 THOSE FAITHLESS SPIES AND LOOK AT ALL THE PROBLEMS. 35:20 DID THEY OVERCOME BY THEIR POWER? 35:24 OR DID THEY OVERCOME BY THE POWER OF GOD? 35:27 IT IS A MIRACLE TO LIVE A CHRISTIAN LIFE AND THAT, I 35:30 THINK, IS A VERY IMPORTANT POINT, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE 35:33 REAL REPENTANCE. THE BIBLE SAYS, 'HE THAT COVERS 35:37 HIS SIN WILL NOT PROSPER, BUT WHOEVER CONFESSES AND FORSAKES' 35:41 - IT DOESN'T SAY JUST FOREVER CONFESS THE SAME THING. 35:44 NOW, IF YOU MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE MANY TIMES, AS I HAVE - 35:46 AND I KNOW YOU HAVE, SO I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT ME BECAUSE YOU'RE 35:48 IN THE SAME BOAT. IF YOU MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE 35:51 AGAIN AND AGAIN, REMEMBER, THE BIBLE SAYS, 'A RIGHTEOUS MAN 35:54 FALLS SEVEN TIMES AND RISES AGAIN. 35:57 MARY MAGDALENE, OUT OF WHOM GOD CAST SEVEN DEVILS - DON'T GET 36:00 DISCOURAGED. KEEP PRESSING ON. 36:04 IT SAYS IN PROVERBS 28:13, "HE WHO COVERS HIS SINS WILL NOT 36:08 PROSPER, BUT WHOEVER CONFESSES AND FORSAKES THEM..." 36:11 1 JOHN 1:9, "IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST 36:16 TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL 36:19 UNRIGHTEOUSNESS." HOW MUCH UNRIGHTEOUSNESS DOES 36:21 GOD WANT TO SAVE YOU FROM? >>ALL. 36:24 >>ALL OF IT. SO HOW DO YOU KNOW IF 36:26 YOU'RE A REAL CHRISTIAN? IS IT THE OCCASIONAL 36:29 MISDEED OR GOOD DEED? YOU KNOW, IT SAYS IN THE BOOK 36:33 STEPS TO CHRIST , "IT'S NOT THE OCCASIONAL MISDEED OR GOOD DEED 36:37 THAT DETERMINES WHOSE SIDE WE'RE ON, IT'S WHAT ARE THE HABITUAL 36:40 WORDS AND ACTS OF THE LIFE? SO IF YOU FALL IT DOESN'T 36:45 MEAN YOU AREN'T A CHRISTIAN. REPENT, CONFESS IT TO GOD 36:49 AND GET BACK UP AGAIN. DON'T BECOME COMPLACENT 36:51 ABOUT MAKING THAT MISTAKE. AND THERE'S A STRUGGLE 36:54 INVOLVED SOMETIMES. THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT STRIVING 36:57 AGAINST SIN UNTO BLOOD. SO WHO'S IN CHARGE? 37:02 THAT'S THE QUESTION. WHO REIGNS IN YOUR LIFE? 37:05 ROMANS 6:12, "THEREFORE DO NOT LET SIN REIGN IN YOUR MORTAL 37:10 BODY, THAT YOU SHOULD OBEY IT IN ITS LUSTS." 37:12 YOU MAY STRUGGLE WITH IT, BUT DOES IT REIGN? 37:16 ROMANS 6:14, "FOR SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU..." 37:20 AND, AGAIN, THESSALONIANS - 1 THESSALONIANS 4:3 AND 5, "FOR 37:25 THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD, YOUR SANCTIFICATION: THAT YOU SHOULD 37:29 ABSTAIN FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY; THAT EACH OF YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW 37:33 TO POSSESS HIS OWN VESSEL IN SANCTIFICATION AND HONOR, NOT IN 37:37 PASSION OF LUST, LIKE THE GENTILES WHO DO NOT KNOW GOD." 37:41 NOW, WE ARE ALL WELDED TO THESE BODIES AND THESE BODIES HAVE 37:45 PHYSICAL NEEDS AND THEY GET TIRED AND WE'VE GOT PRIDE AND WE 37:47 ALL HAVE A CARNAL NATURE. THERE IS A FLESHLY SIDE - 37:51 THERE'S THE OLD ANIMAL PASSIONS - ALL OF US HAVE THIS. 37:55 AND THEN THERE'S THE SPIRITUAL ATTRACTION. 37:58 SOME OF YOU REMEMBER A MAN - MARK CHAPTER 2 - HE'S CARRIED TO 38:01 THE HOUSE WHERE JESUS IS PREACHING - HE'S ON A BED. 38:04 HE'S PARALYZED. THEY CAN'T GET HIM THROUGH THE DOOR. 38:08 THEY CAN'T GET HIM THROUGH THE WINDOW. 38:09 FINALLY THEY GET HIM UP ON THE ROOF AND THEY LOWER HIM DOWN, 38:13 INTO THE PRESENCE OF JESUS, ON HIS BED. 38:15 HIS BED WAS JUST A LITTLE BETTER THAN A MAKESHIFT HAMMOCK/COT. 38:19 AND THERE HE IS, ON HIS BED, AND JESUS HEALS HIM. 38:24 HE SAYS, 'YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN. 38:26 TAKE UP YOUR BED AND WALK.' AND BEFORE EVERYBODY, HIS BODY 38:33 OBEYED, HIS LIMBS WERE STRAIGHTENED OUT. 38:36 HE STOOD UP IN PERFECT HEALTH, HE PICKED UP HIS BED AND HE 38:39 WALKED OUT THE DOOR - CAME THROUGH THE WINDOW AND WALKED 38:41 OUT THE DOOR. I DOUBT HE WENT BACK OUT THE 38:42 ROOF - CAME THROUGH THE ROOF WENT OUT THE DOOR. 38:45 NOW HE CAME TO JESUS WITH A BED. HE LEFT WITH A BED. 38:49 BUT THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE: WHEN HE CAME TO JESUS, THE BED 38:52 CARRIED HIM. WHEN HE LEFT JESUS, 38:55 HE CARRIED THE BED. THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. 39:00 SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU. 39:02 THERE WILL BE SIN IN THE WORLD. YOU'RE GOING TO BE 39:04 FACING TEMPTATION. YOU MAY FALL. 39:07 BUT DOES IT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU? 39:10 DO NOT LET SIN REIGN. THERE MIGHT BE A FLARE-UP OR 39:14 REBELLION IN THE KINGDOM, BUT THE REBELS AREN'T TO REIGN. 39:18 AND SO, IF GOD IS REIGNING IN YOUR HEART AND YOU LOVE HIM, AND 39:24 YOU'RE PROGRESSING IN YOUR GROWTH - IF YOU CAN LOOK AND 39:27 SAY, 'I'VE GOT A WAYS TO GO BUT, PRAISE THE LORD, AS I LOOK BACK, 39:30 I CAN SEE THAT THERE'S PROGRESS - THAT I'M BECOMING MORE LIKE 39:34 CHRIST.' DO NOT SETTLE DOWN LIKE THE ISRAELITES DID AND BECOME 39:38 COMFORTABLE WITH THE CANAANITES LIVING AROUND YOU. 39:41 OR THEY ARE GOING TO BE A PROBLEM FOR YOU. 39:42 THEY WILL END UP ENSLAVING YOU IN THE END. 39:46 IF YOU GET TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU SAY, 'WELL, THANK THE LORD 39:48 FOR THE GRACE OF GOD, SO I'M JUST GOING TO GET USED TO THE 39:50 SIN IN MY LIFE AND I'M DESTINED FOREVER TO HAVE THESE SINS.' 39:53 YOU'RE UNDERESTIMATING THE POWER OF GOD. THE DEVIL WILL BE HAPPY 39:57 TO LEAVE YOU RIGHT THERE, BECAUSE HE'S GOT YOU. 40:00 AND YOU MIGHT THINK THINGS ARE GOING ON GREAT. 40:02 IT'S JUST YOU'VE GOTTEN USED TO BEING A CAPTIVE AND YOU'RE 40:06 COMFORTABLE WITH IT. EVEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, 40:09 THEY SAID, 'LET'S GO BACK TO EGYPT. 40:11 THEY'D FORGOTTEN WHAT IT WAS LIKE. 40:13 YOU KNOW, THEY SAY IF YOU'RE IN PRISON FOR VERY LONG AND THEN 40:16 YOU GET OUT, YOU MIGHT START MISSING PRISON BECAUSE YOU 40:19 BECOME INSTITUTIONALIZED - YOU BECOME USED TO IT. 40:21 THAT'S WHY THERE'S SUCH A VERY HIGH RECIDIVISM AMONG PRISONERS. 40:26 I THINK, WITHIN TWO YEARS, THE AVERAGE PRISONER IS BACK IN 40:28 PRISON. AND SOME OF THEM JUST START 40:30 MISSING IT BECAUSE THEY JUST GOT USED TO IT AND THEY'RE 40:33 BEING ENSLAVED. IT'S A LOT EASIER TO SAY, 'WE 40:36 CAN'T MAKE IT.' BE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. 40:39 NOW, I KNOW A MESSAGE LIKE THIS CAN SOMETIMES MAKE PEOPLE 40:44 UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE - AND THAT'S GOOD. 40:47 ONE OF THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS IT BRINGS CONVICTION. 40:50 JESUS SAID THAT. AND IT MIGHT HURT. 40:54 TITUS 2:14, GOD, "WHO GAVE HIMSELF OF US, THAT HE MIGHT 40:58 REDEEM US FROM EVERY LAWLESS DEED" - HOW MANY? 41:01 - "AND PURIFY FOR HIMSELF HIS OWN SPECIAL PEOPLE, ZEALOUS FOR 41:05 GOOD WORKS." I DON'T KNOW IF YOU EVER HEARD ABOUT THE LONDON, 41:10 TEXAS EXPLOSION. BACK IN 1937 THERE WAS A SCHOOL 41:15 IN A LITTLE TOWN CALLED LONDON, TEXAS. 41:18 I KNOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE A CONTRADICTION - LONDON AND TEXAS 41:20 SEEM LIKE AN OXYMORON, DON'T THEY? 41:23 BUT THE SCHOOL BOARD, TRYING TO SAVE SOME MONEY, THEY TALKED TO 41:28 A NEARBY PETROLEUM STATION AND ASKED IF THEY COULD SIPHON SOME 41:34 NATURAL GAS FOR THE SCHOOL TO HEAT THE BUILDING AND THE GAS 41:38 COMPANY WAS HAPPY TO OBLIGE. BUT WHOEVER HOOKED IT UP IN THE 41:42 BASEMENT OF THE BUILDING DIDN'T REALIZE THEY DIDN'T GET IT 41:45 SEALED PROPERLY AND THERE WAS A LEAK. AND ONE MORNING, AS SCHOOL 41:49 WAS GOING, THEY REALIZED IT WAS COLD IN THE BUILDING. 41:51 SOMEONE WENT DOWN TO LIGHT THE FURNACE AND ALL THIS GAS HAD 41:56 SETTLED IN THE BASEMENT AND IT JUST BLEW THE SCHOOL SKY HIGH. 42:00 THREE - TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY-THREE PEOPLE WERE KILLED. 42:04 THAT WAS A MAJOR - I MEAN, RIGHT NOW THERE'S THREE HUNDRED 42:07 MILLION PEOPLE IN NORTH AMERICA. BACK THEN THERE WAS NOT QUITE AS 42:10 MANY AND THAT WAS DEVASTATING. IT BASICALLY TOOK A GENERATION 42:14 OUT OF A TOWN BECAUSE MOST OF THEM WERE CHILDREN. 42:17 THE REASON IT HAPPENED IS A CUSTODIAN HAD NO IDEA THERE WAS 42:21 A NATURAL GAS LEAK, BUT BECAUSE BEFORE THE LONDON, TEXAS 42:24 ACCIDENT, NATURAL GAS DID NOT HAVE AN ODORANT ADDED TO MAKE IT 42:30 SMELL. NATURAL GAS HAS NO SMELL. 42:34 IF YOU WALK INTO A MOTOR HOME OR YOUR HOUSE AND YOU SMELL THAT 42:38 SULPHURIC PROPANE SMELL, IT'S BECAUSE IT'S ADDED NOW. 42:43 AND THE ONLY GOOD THING THAT CAME OUT OF THIS DISASTER IS 42:45 THEY DECIDED TO START ADDING AN ODOR TO MAKE IT STINK SO PEOPLE 42:51 WOULD KNOW WHEN THEY WERE IN DANGER OF BLOWING UP. 42:55 SO IF YOU WALK IN A DOOR AND YOU SNIFF AND YOU SMELL THAT SMELL - 43:02 SOME OF YOU HAVE GOT PILOT LIGHTS THAT DON'T WORK ON YOUR 43:04 STOVE AND YOU LIGHT IT WITH A MATCH. I KNOW, THAT'S DANGEROUS. 43:09 SOMEONE MIGHT TURN THAT KNOB AND FILL UP THE HOUSE AND - BUT 43:12 HOPEFULLY YOU'LL SMELL IT BEFORE A SPARK FINDS IT. 43:16 WELL, THAT'S THEY WAY THE HOLY SPIRIT IS. SOMETIMES HE HAS TO 43:21 MAKE US REALIZE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT STINKS IN OUR 43:23 LIFE BEFORE IT BECOMES FATAL SO THAT GOD CAN CLEANSE US FROM OUR 43:29 SINS. THERE NEEDS TO BE A SORROW FROM SIN AND A TURNING AWAY FROM 43:32 IT. THE BIBLE SAYS HEBREWS 12:4, "YOU HAVE NOT YET RESISTED TO 43:37 BLOODSHED, STRIVING AGAINST SIN." WE MUST NOT GET TO THE 43:42 PLACE WHERE WE BECOME COMPLACENT. 43:44 NOW, HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS: IF WE SIN, IT SAYS WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE 43:48 WITH THE FATHER, AMEN? >>AMEN. 43:50 >>AND JESUS, IN THE LORD'S PRAYER, DO YOU REMEMBER THAT 43:52 PART? FORGIVE - HE SAYS 'GIVE US OUR DAILY BREAD AND FORGIVE US 43:55 OUR TRESPASSES'. WHY DOES HE SAY 'DAILY BREAD'? 43:58 BECAUSE YOU NEED TO EAT EVERY DAY. 44:00 WHY DOES HE SAY 'FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES? 44:02 IT MIGHT BE YOU NEED FORGIVENESS EVERY DAY. 44:05 BUT YOU SHOULDN'T BE COMMITTING THE SAME THING EVERY DAY. 44:09 PHILIPPIANS 3:12 - EVEN PAUL SAID, "NOT THAT I HAVE ALREADY 44:13 ATTAINED, OR AM ALREADY PERFECTED; BUT I PRESS ON," - 44:18 DON'T YOU FIND THAT ENCOURAGING? 44:20 PAUL, WHO WROTE NEARLY HALF THE NEW TESTAMENT? 44:22 "NOT THAT I'VE ALREADY ATTAINED OR AM ALREADY PERFECTED;" - BUT 44:25 I'M COMFORTABLE TO STAY WHERE I'M AT - WHAT WAS PAUL'S 44:28 ATTITUDE? "I PRESS ON" - I PRESS ON. 44:32 ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH SIN IN YOUR LIFE? 44:35 HAVE YOU GOTTEN TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU SAY, 'WELL, I AM SO 44:36 MUCH BETTER THAN OTHERS AROUND ME.' WE COMPARE OURSELVES AMONG 44:40 OURSELVES BY OURSELVES - AND THAT BECOMES THE STANDARD. 44:42 WHO IS THE ONE WE ARE TO COMPARE TO? 44:44 >>JESUS. >>TO JESUS. 44:48 "...I PRESS ON THAT I MAY LAY HOLD OF THAT FOR WHICH JESUS HAS 44:50 ALSO LAID HOLD OF ME." NOW, THIS IS WHAT HE 44:53 SAYS IN PHILIPPIANS. YOU KNOW WHAT HE 44:54 SAYS IN 2 TIMOTHY? 'I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT. 44:57 I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE. I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH. 45:01 NOW I KNOW - I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED IN. 45:04 I AM PERSUADED HE IS ABLE TO KEEP THAT WHICH I'VE COMMITTED 45:07 TO HIM AGAINST THAT DAY. I KNOW THERE IS A CROWN LAID UP 45:10 FOR ME.' PAUL, WHEN HE CAME TO THE PLACE WHERE HE WAS GOING 45:14 TO FACE THE EXECUTION, HE HAD COMPLETE CONFIDENCE THAT GOD HAD 45:19 CLEANSED HIM FROM ALL OF HIS SINS AND THAT HE HAD FOLLOWED 45:22 THE LORD WITH HIS LIFE. NOW THERE'S SANCTIFICATION. 45:26 THERE'S GROWTH. AND WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE IT. 45:31 WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE CHANGES THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE IN YOUR 45:34 LIFE, DO YOU EVER GET DISCOURAGED? 45:36 YOU THINK, 'PASTOR DOUG, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST ONE THING 45:38 WITH ME, IT'S JUST A LOT OF AREAS. 45:40 I'VE GOT - HOW CAN I BE COMPLETELY OBEDIENT? 45:44 IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S JUST ONE COMMANDMENT, THERE'S SEVERAL 45:46 THAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH.' WELL, YOU DO IT ONE MOMENT AT A TIME. 45:53 >>AMEN. >>AND YOU SURRENDER YOURSELF. 45:55 THE MORE YOU LOVE THE LORD, THE MORE YOU'RE GOING TO HATE SIN. 45:58 FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS. SPEND MORE TIME WITH CHRIST. 46:01 YOU'RE GOING TO FIND VICTORIES ARE GOING TO BE MORE FREQUENT. 46:05 I REMEMBER GOING TO VISIT A YOUNG MOTHER ONE TIME AND SHE 46:08 WAS SO DISCOURAGED - SHE WAS SO DEPRESSED. 46:10 SHE HAD THREE OR FOUR CHILDREN AND SHE HADN'T BEEN TO CHURCH 46:14 LATELY AND I WALKED IN THE HOUSE AND - I'LL TRY AND SAY THIS 46:20 NICELY - SHE WASN'T A HOARDER SO BAD SHE WOULD HAVE MADE THE 46:23 TELEVISION PROGRAM, BUT THINGS WERE REALLY PILED UP AND SHE WAS 46:28 EMBARRASSED TO LET ME IN BECAUSE SHE KNEW THAT THE PLACE WAS A 46:32 DISASTER. IT WASN'T LIKE THERE WERE JUST A 46:33 FEW DISHES IN THE SINK. I MEAN, JUST STUFF WAS EVERYWHERE. 46:36 AND IT'S HARD - YOUNG MOTHER AND SHE WAS TRYING TO WORK AND HAD 46:39 ALL THESE KIDS AND SHE JUST STARTED CRYING AND SHE SAID, 46:44 'YOU KNOW, JUST MY LIFE IS SO OUT OF CONTROL AND THE HOUSE IS 46:46 SUCH A MESS AND THE KIDS ARE OUT OF CONTROL' AND SHE SAID, 'I 46:48 DON'T KNOW HOW - I GET DISCOURAGED AND I DON'T EVEN 46:50 TRY. IT'S GOTTEN SO FAR OUT OF HAND 46:53 THAT I JUST - I KIND OF DO AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.' 46:57 I SAID, 'WELL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY?' 47:01 NOW, YOU KNOW, SOME PASTORS WOULD JUST SAY, 'WELL, LET ME 47:03 PRAY FOR YOU.' BUT I'M A CONTROL FREAK - I WANT TO HELP FIX 47:06 EVERYTHING. SO I SAID, 'SISTER, LET ME GIVE 47:09 YOU SOME ADVICE.' - I SAID, 'IF YOU WANT YOUR LIFE TO GET 47:13 BETTER, SOMETIMES YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE CONTROL. 47:17 BUT DON'T WORRY ABOUT TAKING OVER THE HOUSE. 47:20 I SAID, 'PICK A CORNER. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A BIG 47:23 CORNER.' I SAID, 'YOU NEED TO ASK GOD TO GIVE YOU GRACE TO 47:27 CONQUER A CORNER.' I SAID, 'SEE THAT CORNER RIGHT THERE?' 47:30 - I SAID, 'DO YOU THINK THAT YOU COULD CLEAN THAT CORNER IN A 47:32 DAY? FOUR FEET BY FOUR FEET.' SHE 47:35 SAID, 'OH YEAH, OF COURSE.' I SAID, 'ALRIGHT, CONQUER THAT 47:37 CORNER AND THEN DON'T EVER GIVE IT UP AGAIN. 47:41 AND THEN YOU FIND ANOTHER THREE FEET AND ANOTHER THREE FEET AND 47:44 YOU WILL FIND YOU WILL BE ENCOURAGED. 47:47 AND IF YOU GET DISCOURAGED, LOOKING AT THE REST OF THE 47:48 HOUSE, YOU WALK BACK IN THAT ROOM' - I SAID - 'YOU LOOK AT 47:50 THAT CORNER YOU CONQUERED AND THEN YOU GO BACK AND YOU TAKE ON 47:53 ANOTHER CORNER. AND YOU'LL REALIZE THAT - 47:56 YOU KNOW HOW AN ANT EATS AN ELEPHANT? ONE BIT AT A TIME. 48:01 YOU'VE HEARD THAT BEFORE, RIGHT? 48:03 AND SOMETIMES IT'S THAT WAY WHEN WE FIRST COME TO THE LORD AND 48:05 WE'VE GOT ALL THESE PROBLEMS AND ALL THIS SIN AND YOU'VE JUST GOT 48:09 TO DO IT MOMENT BY MOMENT, DAY BY DAY, TRUSTING THE LORD, AND 48:14 YOU EXPERIENCE SANCTIFICATION. HOW DID THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL 48:17 TAKE THE PROMISED LAND? ONE BATTLE AT A TIME. 48:21 ONE DAY AT A TIME. ACRE BY ACRE - AND THAT'S WHAT 48:25 IT'S LIKE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. DO NOT BECOME COMPLACENT, 48:29 THOUGH, SAYING, 'I'M SO THANKFUL FOR THE GRACE OF GOD. 48:31 I'M NOT GOING TO WORRY ABOUT OVERCOMING. 48:34 THERE WILL BE SANCTIFICATION AND GROWTH. 48:37 ISAIAH 1:16, "WASH YOURSELVES, MAKE YOURSELVES CLEAN; PUT AWAY 48:41 THE EVIL OF YOUR DOINGS...CEASE TO DO EVIL, LEARN TO DO GOOD'. 48:45 YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? LIVING A HOLY LIFE IS 48:48 A LEARNING PROCESS. IF YOU LEARNED HOW TO SIN, YOU 48:52 NEED TO LEARN HOW TO OBEY. AND YOU DON'T LEARN IN ONE 48:54 DAY - AT LEAST MOST THINGS. YEAH, SOME PEOPLE ARE REALLY 48:58 GIFTED AND THEY CAN PICK STUFF UP JUST LIKE THAT. 49:01 I REMEMBER KAREN AND I WENT TO CHINA AND WE BOUGHT A - A GOURD 49:06 FLUTE - IT'S A FLUTE MADE OUT OF A GOURD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT - 49:10 FOR NATHAN AND WE DISCOVERED NATHAN HAD A GIFT FOR MUSIC. 49:16 HE HAD NEVER PLAYED A GOURD FLUTE BEFORE. 49:17 WE GAVE IT TO HIM AND IN A FEW MINUTES HE WAS PLAYING AMAZING 49:19 GRACE . AND IT WAS GREAT, BECAUSE WE 49:21 WERE AFRAID WE WERE GOING TO LOSE HIM IN THE CROWD, AND THE 49:23 REST OF THE DAY WE KNEW EXACTLY WHERE NATHAN WAS BECAUSE HE JUST 49:27 - BUT SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST HAVE A KNACK. 49:29 BUT MOST OF US IT TAKES TIME TO LEARN THOSE THINGS. 49:35 JESUS SAID, 'LORD,' - JOHN 17 - 'I DON'T PRAY THAT YOU TAKE HIM 49:38 OUT OF THE WORLD, BUT YOU SHOULD KEEP THEM FROM THE EVIL ONE. 49:41 SANCTIFY THEM BY YOUR TRUTH. YOUR WORD IS TRUTH.' 49:45 SO WHAT SANCTIFIES US? HIS WORD. IT'S THROUGH HIS WORD. 49:50 IS HOLINESS POSSIBLE? >>YES. 49:52 >>YOU'RE GOING TO FIND PEOPLE THAT WILL SAY THERE ARE TOO MANY 49:57 CANAANITES IN THE LAND. YOU CANNOT LIVE A HOLY LIFE. 49:59 YOU CANNOT BE WHAT GOD WOULD CALL A PERFECT OR COMPLETE 50:02 BLAMELESS CHRISTIAN. YOU CAN ALSO NOT WALK ON WATER, 50:10 BUT IF JESUS TELLS YOU TO COME TO HIM ON THE WATER, HE'S GOING 50:13 TO HELP YOU WALK ON WATER - IF YOU KEEP YOUR EYES ON HIM. 50:17 THE ONLY WAY THEY COULD CONQUER THE PROMISED LAND WAS THROUGH 50:19 MIRACLES AND GOD FOUGHT MANY BATTLES FOR THEM. 50:22 THEY WENT FORWARD - SOME BATTLES THEY DIDN'T EVEN NEED TO FIGHT. 50:24 GOD MADE THE SUN STAND STILL. HE SENT HAIL ON THE ENEMIES. 50:28 IN SOME CASES HE SENT HORNETS AFTER THEM. 50:31 HE FOUGHT FOR THEM. AND SO, IF YOU ARE WILLING 50:35 TO FOLLOW THE LORD AND BE COURAGEOUS AND SAY, 'LORD, I 50:38 DON'T WANT THE DEVIL TO HAVE ANY POSSESSION IN MY LIFE. 50:42 YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU GIVE THE DEVIL TERRITORY HE, ACCORDING TO 50:47 MANY LAWS, IF SOMEBODY OWNS A SQUARE FOOT OF LAND INSIDE YOUR 50:53 ACRE OF LAND, THEY HAVE ACCESS ACROSS YOUR ACRE TO GET TO THEIR 50:56 FOOT. AND IF YOU GIVE THE DEVIL A 50:59 FOOTHOLD IN YOUR HEART, THEN HE ENDS UP TRAMPLING OVER ALL OF 51:03 IT TO GET TO HIS TERRITORY. YOU DON'T WANT TO 51:06 GIVE HIM A FOOTHOLD. YOU WANT THE LORD TO HAVE 51:08 COMPLETE POSSESSION OF YOUR LIFE. 51:10 DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? >>AMEN. 51:12 >>GOD WANTS US TO HAVE A CONSISTENT OBEDIENCE - TO HAVE 51:15 THE EXPERIENCE OF DANIEL. IT SAYS, 'YOUR GOD WHO 51:18 YOU SERVE CONTINUALLY'. I WANT TO HAVE THAT 51:19 KIND OF EXPERIENCE. JOHN BEVERE, IN HIS BOOK DRIVEN 51:24 BY ETERNITY , HE WROTE THIS: "WE'VE TAUGHT THAT GRACE IS 51:28 GOD'S BLANKET OF PROTECTION FOR THE DISOBEDIENT LIFESTYLES. 51:32 YOU CAN HEAR THIS MINDSET OFTEN, BY MANY IN THE CHURCH, WITH 51:35 COMMON STATEMENTS SUCH AS, 'I KNOW I'M NOT LIVING THE WAY I 51:38 SHOULD, BUT THANK GOD FOR HIS GRACE.' THIS IS A SERIOUS 51:42 DECEPTION. SCRIPTURE DOESN'T TEACH THAT 51:43 GRACE IS A BIG BAND-AID BUT, RATHER, GOD'S EMPOWERING 51:47 PRESENCE WITHIN TO DO WHAT THE TRUTH DEMANDS OF US." 51:52 THAT'S WHAT GRACE IS ALL ABOUT. DR. A.J. GORDON 51:55 SAID, "WE GRAVELY FEAR THAT MANY CHRISTIANS MAKE THE 51:58 APOSTLES' WORD - IF WE SAY WE HAVE NO SIN, WE DECEIVE 52:01 OURSELVES - THE UNCONSCIOUS JUSTIFICATION FOR A LOW STANDARD 52:06 OF CHRISTIAN LIVING. IT WERE ALMOST BETTER FOR ONE TO 52:08 OVERSTATE THE POSSIBILITIES OF SANCTIFICATION IN HIS EAGER 52:13 GRASP OR ACT OR HOLINESS THAN TO UNDERSTATE THEM IN HIS 52:17 COMPLACENT SATISFACTION WITH A TRADITIONAL UNHOLINESS. 52:21 IF WE REGARD THE DOCTRINE OF SINLESS PERFECTION A HERESY, WE 52:25 REGARD THE DOCTRINE OF CONTENTMENT WITH SINFUL 52:28 IMPERFECTION A GREATER HERESY." DID YOU GET ALL THAT? 52:32 THAT WAS GOOD. I HOPE YOU GOT IT. 52:34 I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU ONE MORE. THIS IS WRITTEN BY ADAM CLARK 52:37 AND YOU'VE HEARD ME QUOTE HIM BEFORE. I'VE GOT GREAT RESPECT 52:39 FOR DR. CLARK. HE WAS THE - BASICALLY, THE RIGHT-HAND MAN OF 52:44 JOHN WESLEY - SPOKE SEVERAL LANGUAGES - HEBREW, GREEK, 52:47 ITALIAN - OR LATIN AND JUST A DEDICATED CHRISTIAN. 52:53 ON CHRISTIAN PERFECTION, HERE'S WHAT HE WROTE: "IF MEN WOULD 52:56 SPEND AS MUCH TIME IN FERVENTLY CALLING UPON GOD TO SANCTIFY 53:00 THEM AS THEY SPEND DECRYING CHRISTIAN PERFECTION, WHAT A 53:03 GLORIOUS STATE THE CHURCH WOULD SOON WITNESS. 53:06 THIS MOMENT, WE CAN BE EMPTIED OF SIN, FILLED WITH HOLINESS, 53:11 AND BECOME TRULY HAPPY. 53:13 THE PERFECTION OF THE GOSPEL SYSTEM IS NOT THAT IT MAKES AN 53:16 ALLOWANCE FOR SIN, BUT IT MAKES AN ATONEMENT FOR IT. 53:19 NOT THAT IT TOLERATES SIN, BUT THAT IT DESTROYS IT. 53:22 LET THOSE WHO RETAIN THE APOSTOLIC DOCTRINE PRESS EVERY 53:25 BELIEVER TO GO ON TO PERFECTION AND EXPECT TO BE SAVED, WHILE 53:29 HERE BELOW, IN THE FULLNESS OF BLESSING OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS. 53:33 ART THOU WEARY OF THE CARNAL MIND WHICH IS ENMITY TO GOD? 53:37 CAN YOU BE HAPPY WHILE YOU ARE UNHOLY? ARISE THEN. 53:40 BE BAPTIZED WITH GREATER EFFUSION OF THE HOLY GHOST. 53:43 READER, IT IS THE BIRTHRIGHT OF EVERY CHILD OF GOD TO BE 53:47 CLEANSED FROM ALL SIN, TO KEEP HIMSELF UNSPOTTED FROM THE 53:50 WORLD, AND SO TO LIVE AS TO NEVERMORE OFFEND HIS MAKER. 53:54 ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM THAT BELIEVES BECAUSE ALL THINGS 53:58 ARE POSSIBLE TO THE INFINITELY MERITORIOUS BLOOD AND ENERGETIC 54:02 SPIRIT OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST." 54:05 WELL THERE IS SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES. 54:07 SO THE QUESTION IS ARE WE ABLE? ARE WE ABLE? 54:12 YOU KNOW, FRIENDS, I JUST THINK THIS IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE - I 54:16 DON'T EVEN NEED TO TELL YOU WHY. I THINK YOU GET IT. 54:19 WE'RE HEARING DIFFERENT MESSAGES IN THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, IN 54:23 CHRISTIANITY AT LARGE, AND EVEN WITHIN OUR OWN CHURCH, THAT WE 54:26 SHOULD BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH LIVES OF SIN AND JUST TURN TO 54:31 THE PROMISES OF GOD'S GRACE AND MISUNDERSTAND THINKING THAT 54:37 GRACE IS TO EMPOWER US TO SIN - OR TO PERMIT US TO SIN. 54:40 IT'S TO GIVE US VICTORY OVER SIN. 54:42 IT'S TO TRANSFORM US. CHRISTIANS ARE 54:45 NOT JUST FORGIVEN. WE ARE FORGIVEN. 54:47 BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT BUMPER STICKER USED TO SAY, 'CHRISTIANS 54:49 AREN'T PERFECT, JUST FORGIVEN.' ANY OF YOU EVER SEE THAT ONE? 54:54 NO, CHRISTIANS ARE TO BE TRANSFORMED. 54:56 WE ARE TO BE CHRIST LIKE. AND IT SAYS 'IF THE THIEF STOPS 55:01 STEALING, IF THE ADULTERER STOPS COMMITTING ADULTERY, IF THE 55:05 SINNER STOPS DOING WHAT IS WRONG AND DOES WHAT IS RIGHT, ALL OF 55:08 HIS SINS WILL BE FORGIVEN AND HE WILL HAVE LIFE. 55:11 BUT IF THE RIGHTEOUS MAN TURNS FROM HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND DOES 55:14 ACCORDING TO ALL THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE WICKED, ALL 55:16 OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IS FORGOTTEN AND IN HIS SIN, WHICH 55:20 HE HAS SINNED, HE SHALL DIE.' I THINK THAT'S EZEKIEL 18. 55:23 JESUS WANTS TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS. 55:25 SIN IS OUR PROBLEM. DON'T BE COMFORTABLE THINKING 55:29 THAT AS CHRISTIANS, IF WE'RE LITTLE BETTER THAN THE CULTURE 55:31 AROUND US, WE CAN PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK. 55:33 ARE WE BEING LIKE CHRIST? AND WHEN THE CHURCH IS REALLY 55:37 FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR LIVES, LET 55:40 EVERY MAN SEARCH AND EXAMINE HIMSELF. 55:42 WE'LL STRIVE TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE THAT WE CAN ALL ENJOY 55:47 - THE JOY OF HAVING A VICTORIOUS LIFE. 55:50 FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT JUST THE - THE BASICS OF 55:53 THE GOSPEL HERE TODAY, THAT YOU CAME INTO THE WORLD NOT TO SAVE 55:57 US IN OUR SIN, BUT TO SAVE US FROM OUR SIN. WHEN WE LOOK AT 56:02 OUR LIVES WE THINK, 'WOE AM I FOR I AM UNDONE' AND WE WONDER 56:06 HOW COULD WE EVER HAVE THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE. 56:09 BUT THEN WE LOOK AT JESUS AND WE BELIEVE YOUR WORD THAT IF YOU 56:12 ASK US TO FOLLOW YOU - IF YOU ASK US TO WALK ON THE WATER, ALL 56:16 THINGS ARE POSSIBLE IF WE KEEP OUR EYES ON YOU. 56:19 AND MOST OF ALL, LORD, HELP US TO KNOW YOU BETTER SO THAT WE 56:22 LOVE YOU MORE AND WE SERVE YOU BETTER. 56:26 WE THANK YOU AND WE PRAY THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 56:30 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 56:33 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE 56:36 TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY 56:40 AT 'AFTV.ORG'. AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY 56:46 VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL 56:50 FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR 56:54 COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 57:01 >>DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM? 57:04 OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND 57:08 PROBABLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. 57:11 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST-DAY EVENTS OF 57:14 REVELATION, 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM' IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN 57:18 EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. 57:22 ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER TO GOD'S 57:25 WORD. GO DEEPER. 57:27 VISIT THE AMAZING BIBLE TIME LINE AT 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM'. 57:33 >>IN SIX DAYS GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. 57:37 FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS MAN HAS WORSHIPED GOD ON THE SEVENTH DAY 57:41 OF THE WEEK. NOW, EACH WEEK, MILLIONS OF 57:44 PEOPLE WORSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY. WHAT HAPPENED? 57:47 WHY DID GOD CREATE A DAY OF REST? 57:50 DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHAT DAY WE WORSHIP? 57:53 WHO WAS BEHIND THIS GREAT SHIFT? DISCOVER THE TRUTH BEHIND GOD'S 57:56 LAW AND HOW IT WAS CHANGED. VISIT SABBATHTRUTH.COM. 58:03 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM . 58:09 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2019-10-18