Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021612A
|
00:04 >>AMAZING FACTS, CHANGED LIVES.
00:12 >>I'D HAVE TO SAY THAT I HAD A WONDERFUL CHILDHOOD. 00:15 GROWING UP, I WENT TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL UP UNTIL THE SEVENTH 00:18 GRADE - UNTIL JUNIOR HIGH. I BELIEVE IT WAS AT THAT POINT, 00:21 IN JUNIOR HIGH, THAT MY LIFE BEGAN TO CHANGE. 00:26 GOING FROM A CHRISTIAN EDUCATION TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL WAS A BIG 00:30 DIFFERENCE. THERE WAS A LOT OF SECULAR 00:33 INFLUENCE - PEER PRESSURE - AND, FOR ME, IT WAS MUSIC. 00:39 I STARTED LISTENING TO HEAVY METAL MUSIC. 00:41 EVERY CONCERT THAT WOULD COME TO TOWN I WAS THERE. 00:43 IT HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON ME. I STARTED USING MARIJUANA, 00:48 PROBABLY AT THE AGE OF 14. I STARTED DRINKING - USING A 00:53 LOT OF COCAINE AND THAT LED TO METHAMPHETAMINE AND THAT 00:56 COMPLETELY CHANGED MY LIFE. I DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL MY 01:01 SOPHOMORE YEAR AND WENT TO WORK. I WOULD GET OFF OF WORK AND WE'D 01:06 GO IN THE BAR UNTIL 2:00 IN THE MORNING AND I'D GET BACK UP AT 01:09 5:00 AND GO BACK AT IT AGAIN - SIX, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. 01:17 AT THE AGE OF 20, I LOST MY DAD TO A HEART ATTACK. 01:22 I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THE LOSS SO I TRIED TO MASK MY PAIN 01:26 WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUGS. I GOT THREE DUIS IN ONE YEAR. 01:30 I WAS ARRESTED. THEY GAVE ME ONE YEAR IN THE 01:34 COUNTY JAIL AND THE MOMENT I GOT OUT I WENT BACK TO DOING THE 01:38 SAME THING, HANGING WITH THE SAME PEOPLE - THE SAME CROWD. 01:42 I WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT-AND-RUN MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT AND I WAS 01:44 CHARGED WITH A FELONY DUI. EVEN THOUGH AT THE TIME OF THE 01:47 ACCIDENT I WAS NOT UNDER THE INFLUENCE, I STILL HAD 01:50 METHAMPHETAMINE IN MY SYSTEM. AT MY SENTENCING DATE I LEFT 01:55 THE COURTROOM AND I DIDN'T COME BACK. 01:58 AND THAT LEFT ME WITH A FELONY WARRANT. 02:01 AND I HAD FALLEN ASLEEP AT A PARK AND I WOKE UP TO A PARK 02:05 RANGER KNOCKING ON MY WINDOW. I KNEW THAT I WAS WANTED AND I 02:09 KNEW THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO JUST TURN MYSELF IN. 02:14 I TURNED TO HIM AND I MADE THE COMMENT, 'NOT TODAY.' AND I TOOK 02:17 OFF. I LED FIVE DIFFERENT AGENCIES ON 02:20 ABOUT A 35-MINUTE CHASE AND I REALIZED AT ONE POINT THAT I 02:25 WASN'T GOING TO GET AWAY AND THIS WAS GOING TO END UP EITHER 02:27 ME KILLING SOMEBODY OR MYSELF. AND SO I MADE A DECISION TO PULL 02:32 OVER. AT THAT POINT, EVERYTHING 02:35 THAT I HAD, I LOST. I WAS SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN 02:39 STATE PRISON AND IT WAS THERE THAT GOD GOT AHOLD OF ME. 02:46 AND IT WAS THROUGH AMAZING FACTS MINISTRIES. 02:49 I REMEMBER LISTENING ON MY RADIO TO PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. 02:53 I WANTED TO GET TO KNOW THE BIBLE. 02:55 I WANTED TO KNOW GOD. AND SO MY AUNT MARILYN SENT ME 03:00 THE AMAZING FACTS STUDY GUIDES AND IT WAS THERE THAT MY 03:06 RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST BEGAN. I HAD CALLED HOME AND I KNEW MY 03:12 MOTHER WASN'T DOING WELL, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT 03:17 SHE HAD CANCER. SHE HAD ABOUT A 30-PERCENT 03:23 CHANCE OF MAKING IT THROUGH HER SURGERY. 03:26 SHE HAD TOLD THE DOCTORS THAT SHE WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE CHEMO 03:28 AND SHE WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE RADIATION. 03:29 THAT, IF HER GOD WAS GOING TO SAVE HER, THEN HE WOULD 03:31 SAVE HER. I REMEMBER HANGING UP THE PHONE 03:36 TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY LAST CONVERSATION WITH MY MOM. 03:41 I TURNED AROUND, I GOT DOWN ON MY KNEES, AND I PRAYED TO GOD. 03:46 I SAID, 'GOD, IF YOU'RE THERE, PLEASE SAVE MY MOTHER. 03:50 WHEREVER YOU LEAD ME IN LIFE, WHATEVER YOU WANT ME TO DO, I AM 03:55 YOURS.' AND I HAD A FEELING OF 03:58 SUCH PEACE, THAT I KNEW THAT MY MOTHER WAS GOING TO BE OKAY 04:03 AND THAT MY LIFE WAS GOING TO CHANGE. 04:06 THERE ARE NO WORDS THAT I CAN ADEQUATELY EXPRESS TO AMAZING 04:10 FACTS AND PASTOR DOUG - TO SAY, 'THANK YOU' TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE 04:13 WHO SUPPORT THE MINISTRY. I AM A PRODUCT OF YOUR SUPPORT. 04:18 MY LIFE IS CHANGED BECAUSE OF THIS MINISTRY AND I THANK YOU 04:24 FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. 04:28 (MUSIC) 04:44 >>A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO KAREN AND I WERE AT AN ASI 04:49 MEETING - I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT CITY IT WAS BECAUSE THEY - IT 04:52 JUMPS AROUND FROM, YOU KNOW, ONE MAJOR CITY TO ANOTHER - BUT 04:55 THEY'LL GET THE CONVENTION CENTER IN THE CITY. 04:58 AND AFTER THE MORNING MEETING SABBATH MORNING, EVERYBODY THEN 05:02 GOES FROM THE ASSEMBLY HALL - AND THERE ARE SOMETIMES 05:04 THOUSANDS THAT ARE THERE - THEY GO TO LUNCH. 05:07 WELL, AT THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION - THE PLACE FOR LUNCH, 05:11 EVERYBODY HAD TO GO UP THE ESCALATOR. 05:14 NOW WE WERE ALL HUNGRY. THE PROGRAM HAD GONE LONG. 05:16 I DIDN'T EAT BREAKFAST. I WAS VERY HUNGRY. 05:18 AND, AS WE CAME POURING OUT, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE - THOUSANDS 05:21 OF PEOPLE - CAME POURING OUT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER INTO THIS 05:25 BIG FOYER. WE SAW AN ESCALATOR - ONE ESCALATOR - LEADING UP TO 05:30 WHERE LUNCH WOULD BE ON THE NEXT FLOOR. 05:33 AND THERE WAS A BOTTLENECK AND ALL THESE PEOPLE WERE GATHERED 05:38 AROUND TRYING TO GO SINGLE FILE UP THE ESCALATOR. 05:42 AND I LOOKED AT IT FOR JUST A MOMENT AND I SAID TO KAREN, 'I 05:45 THINK I SEE A QUICKER WAY UP.' NOBODY WAS GOING DOWN - NOBODY 05:51 WAS GOING UP THE DOWN ESCALATOR. IT WAS COMPLETELY OPEN. 05:54 (LAUGHTER) AND I THOUGHT, 'I THINK I CAN GET UP THERE.' SO I 06:03 SAID, 'I'LL MEET YOU AT THE TOP.' AND I TOOK OFF AND I WENT 06:07 TO THE STEPS AND - NOW, TO KNOW - YOU CAN GET UP THE DOWN 06:10 ESCALATOR. QUICK QUIZ: IF YOU STAND STILL 06:16 ON A DOWN ESCALATOR, WHAT DIRECTION DO YOU GO? 06:18 >>DOWN. >>IF YOU WALK UP A DOWN 06:21 ESCALATOR WHERE DO YOU GO? >>SAME PLACE. 06:24 >>PRETTY MUCH STATIONARY. 06:25 HOW DO YOU GET UP A DOWN ESCALATOR? 06:27 >>YOU RUN. >>YOU'VE GOT TO BOOGIE. 06:31 (LAUGHTER) YOU'VE GOT TO - YOU'VE GOT TO WORK AT IT. 06:33 AND SO, I TOOK OFF AND I JUST WENT 06:34 BOP-BOP-BOP-BOP-BOP-BOP-BOP-BOP - SLOWLY PASSING THE PEOPLE THAT 06:37 ARE GOING UP NEXT TO ME - BOP-BOP-BOP-BOP - AND THEY'RE 06:39 LOOKING AT ME LIKE I'M CRAZY - I'M IN MY SABBATH SUIT - AND 06:42 THEN I HEAR A PITTER PATTER BEHIND ME AND I LOOK BACK AND 06:44 KAREN IS BEHIND ME NOW IN HER HIGH HEELS - 06:48 BA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA - I STARTED WORRYING ABOUT HER. 06:50 (LAUGHTER) WE MADE IT TO THE TOP AND PEOPLE STILL TELL US THEY'LL 06:56 NEVER FORGET HOW HUNGRY WE WERE THAT DAY. 07:02 BUT STRAIGHT IS THE GATE AND NARROW IS THE WAY. 07:06 YOU'VE HEARD THAT BEFORE? AND FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT. 07:10 IT'S NOT THAT IT CAN'T BE FOUND, BUT FOR SOME REASON, A LOT OF US 07:14 SORT OF THINK IN A HERD MENTALITY AND WE JUST GO DOWN 07:18 THE BROAD ROAD WITH EVERYBODY ELSE. 07:21 IS IT EASIER TO BE SAVED OR LOST? 07:27 WELL, FIRST, I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT GOOD AND BAD COMES TO 07:30 EVERYBODY IN LIFE. THERE ARE STRUGGLES FOR EVERYBODY. 07:34 WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT IS LIFE HARD OR EASY, BECAUSE LIFE IS 07:38 DIFFICULT AND THERE ARE PROBLEMS THAT JESUS SAID - MATTHEW 5, 07:43 VERSE 45 - "FOR HE MAKES HIS SUN RISE ON THE EVIL AND ON THE 07:48 GOOD, AND SENDS RAIN ON THE JUST AND ON THE UNJUST." 07:52 THERE IS GOING TO BE RAIN AND THERE IS GOING TO BE SUNSHINE - 07:56 IT'LL COME IN CYCLES - IN THE LIFE OF THE GOOD AND THE BAD. 08:00 EVERYBODY'S GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH. 08:03 JOB, WHEN TRIALS CAME INTO HIS LIFE AND HE WAS A PERFECT AND 08:06 UPRIGHT MAN. IT SAYS, 'SHALL WE INDEED ACCEPT 08:08 GOOD FROM THE LORD AND SHALL WE NOT ACCEPT ADVERSITY?' 08:12 YOU WILL HAVE GOOD AND YOU WILL HAVE ADVERSITY IN YOUR LIFE. 08:15 EVERYBODY'S GOING TO HAVE SOME TRIALS. 08:18 BUT PEOPLE ARE WONDERING, IS IT EASIER TO BE SAVED OR LOST? 08:23 A LOT OF FOLKS GET DISCOURAGED. THEY SAY, 'I'D LIKE TO BE A 08:25 CHRISTIAN BUT IT'S SO HARD.' AND THEN YOU HAVE THESE STATEMENTS 08:30 - ARE FEW OR MANY SAVED? WHERE'S THE MAJORITY GOING? 08:35 LUKE 13:23 - THEY SPECIFICALLY ASKED THE LORD, "LORD, ARE THERE 08:40 FEW WHO ARE SAVED?" NOW THAT'S DIRECT AND TO THE POINT. 08:43 IT CAN'T BE MISUNDERSTOOD AND JESUS SAID TO THEM, "STRIVE TO 08:49 ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW GATE, FOR MANY, I SAY TO YOU, WILL 08:53 SEEK TO ENTER AND WILL NOT BE ABLE." 08:56 SO HERE YOU'VE GOT ALL THESE PEOPLE TRYING TO ENTER AND THEY 08:58 CAN'T, WHY? IT MUST BE HARDER. THEN YOU'VE GOT MATTHEW 7:13 - 09:05 WE ALLUDED TO - "WIDE IS THE GATE AND BROAD IS THE WAY THAT 09:08 LEADS TO DESTRUCTION; MANY THERE BE THAT GO IN THEREIN. 09:12 BUT STRAIGHT IS THE GATE AND NARROW IS THE WAY THAT LEADS TO 09:16 LIFE AND FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT." 09:18 MAKES IT SOUND LIKE IT'S HARDER TO BE SAVED THAN TO BE LOST. 09:23 WELL, CERTAINLY, JESUS IS CLEAR: THE MAJORITY WILL BE LOST; A 09:29 MINORITY WILL BE SAVED. THAT MUST MEAN IT'S HARDER 09:33 TO BE SAVED THAN LOST. OR MAYBE NOT. 09:38 FIRST OF ALL, LET'S JUST REMEMBER - AND I TOUCHED ON THIS 09:42 - THERE ARE TRIBULATIONS IN LIFE FOR EVERYBODY. 09:45 THERE ARE TRIALS. THERE ARE STRUGGLES THAT COME. 09:48 ACTS 14:22 - PAUL SAID "WE MUST THROUGH MANY TRIBULATIONS ENTER 09:53 THE KINGDOM OF GOD." YOU NOTICE - AND THIS TODAY IS 09:57 NOT POPULAR BECAUSE THE CHURCH AT LARGE - MANY EVANGELICAL 10:01 CHURCHES - TEACH THAT GOD LOVES US TOO MUCH TO ALLOW US 10:04 TO SUFFER TRIBULATION. THAT, IF YOU HAVE FAITH, YOU'RE 10:07 GOING TO BE HEALTHY AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE WEALTHY, AND YOU'RE 10:09 GOING TO BE WISE AND YOU WON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS AND IF YOU 10:11 DO, YOU JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH. 10:12 AND BECAUSE THE LORD LOVES US, THE GREAT TRIBULATION THE BIBLE 10:15 TALKS ABOUT, WE WON'T EXPERIENCE THAT. 10:17 WE WILL ALL BE CAUGHT UP. IF YOU DON'T HAVE FAITH 10:20 YOU'RE LEFT BEHIND. WE'LL BE CAUGHT UP 10:21 BEFORE THE TRIBULATION. OF COURSE, THAT'S NOT 10:24 WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES. GOD DOESN'T SAY HE SAVES 10:26 US FROM TRIBULATION. DO YOU NOTICE WHAT PAUL SAID? 10:29 IT IS THROUGH - NOW THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING SAVED 10:32 FROM IT AND BEING SAVED THROUGH IT. 10:34 WAS NOAH SAVED FROM THE FLOOD OR THROUGH THE FLOOD? 10:39 WAS DANIEL SAVED FROM THE LION'S DEN OR THROUGH IT? 10:42 >>THROUGH IT. >>HOW ABOUT SHADRACH, 10:43 MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO? DID GOD, BECAUSE HE LOVED THEM, 10:45 SAVE THEM FROM THE FURNACE? HE WENT THROUGH THE 10:49 FURNACE WITH THEM. GOD SAID, 'WHEN YOU PASS THROUGH 10:51 THE FIRES, WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THE WATERS, I WILL GO WITH YOU.' 10:55 BUT HE DOESN'T PROMISE THAT HE'S GOING TO SAVE US FROM TROUBLE. 10:58 PAUL SAID IT IS THROUGH TRIBULATION WE ENTER THE KINGDOM 11:01 OF GOD. JESUS SAID, 'HE THAT ENDURES TO 11:04 THE END WILL BE SAVED.' CHRIST SAID, MARK 13:13, "AND YOU WILL 11:09 BE HATED BY ALL FOR MY NAME'S SAKE. 11:12 BUT HE WHO ENDURES TO THE END SHALL BE SAVED." 11:14 THERE'S ENDURANCE THAT IS INVOLVED. 11:17 AND JOHN 16:33, "THESE THINGS I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU, THAT IN ME 11:23 YOU MAY HAVE PEACE. IN THE WORLD YOU WILL HAVE 11:25 TRIBULATION; BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER, I HAVE 11:28 OVERCOME THE WORLD." AND SO THE LORD IS MAKING VERY 11:31 CLEAR THAT BELIEVERS WILL HAVE TRIBULATION, BUT CHEER UP, 11:35 UNBELIEVERS HAVE TRIBULATION TOO. LIFE IS TOUGH. 11:40 HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HAD TRIALS IN YOUR LIFE? 11:44 ANYONE TRIAL FREE? NOW I LOOK AT THE TRIALS SOME 11:46 PEOPLE GO THROUGH AND I THINK I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS. 11:50 YOU KNOW, AFTER I COME BACK FROM ONE OF THESE TRIPS TO INDIA OR 11:53 AFRICA AND YOU SEE THE SHANTIES AND THE PEOPLE SLEEPING ON THE 11:58 STREET AND JUST LIVING FROM HAND TO MOUTH - AND I - THEN I THINK 12:02 ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW A FLAT TIRE RUINS MY DAY AND, IN 12:07 PERSPECTIVE, I THINK 'WOW, IT'S REALLY NOT THAT BAD.' AND 12:11 SOMEONE SAYS, 'OH, I HAD TRIALS THIS WEEK. 12:12 I HAD A FLAT TIRE.' 'DID YOU HAVE A SPARE?' 12:15 'YEAH, BUT I HAD TO CHANGE MY TIRE.' (LAUGHTER) AND SO, YOU 12:19 KNOW, IN OUR WAY OF THINKING, THOSE ARE TRIALS. 12:23 MOST OF US DON'T HAVE - SOME OF US HAVE MORE SERIOUS TRIALS. 12:27 WE'VE GOT A TERMINAL DISEASE OR SOMEONE WE LOVE HAS A TERMINAL 12:30 DISEASE OR WE'RE GOING THROUGH TERRIBLE HEALTH PROBLEMS OR YOU 12:33 MIGHT HAVE TREMENDOUS FINANCIAL REVERSES AND STRUGGLES AND 12:36 STRESS AND - SOMEONE YOU LOVE IS LOST - THERE'S ALL KINDS OF 12:40 TRIALS. BUT IF YOU LIVE LONG ENOUGH, 12:43 YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE PROBLEMS. SO THE QUESTION IS NOT, 'DO THE 12:47 SAVED HAVE PROBLEMS AND THE LOST DON'T?' OR 'DO THE LOST HAVE 12:51 PROBLEMS AND THE SAVED DON'T?' EVERYBODY'S GOT PROBLEMS. 12:55 BUT IS IT EASIER TO BE SAVED THAN LOST? 12:59 PAUL, TALKING ABOUT THIS IN THE TRIALS, 2 CORINTHIANS 4:8, "WE 13:03 ARE HARD-PRESSED ON EVERY SIDE, YET NOT CRUSHED; WE ARE 13:07 PERPLEXED, BUT NOT IN DESPAIR; PERSECUTED, BUT NOT FORSAKEN; 13:11 STRUCK DOWN, BUT NOT DESTROYED - ALWAYS CARRYING ABOUT IN THE 13:15 BODY THE DYING OF THE LORD JESUS, THAT THE LIFE OF JESUS 13:19 ALSO MAY BE MANIFESTED IN OUR BODY." 13:21 PAUL HAD A TOUGH TIME. YOU EVER READ SOME OF 13:24 WHAT HE SAYS IN GALATIANS? 'I'VE BEEN BEATEN A HUNDRED 13:27 TIMES, SHIPWRECKED FIFTY TIMES' - I'M EXAGGERATING. 13:30 I MEAN, BUT PAUL REALLY HAD - STONED? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE 13:33 BEEN STONED TO DEATH? AND HE LIVED THROUGH IT. 13:38 JUST SO, I MEAN, PAUL, HE REALLY STRUGGLED. 13:41 OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, PAUL WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT TWICE OF 13:44 GOING INTO A MUSLIM COUNTRY AND PREACHING CHRIST, YOU KNOW, 13:47 AND HE JUST WAS DEALING WITH A LOT OF OPPOSITION. 13:53 SO, BY ANALOGY, IS IT EASIER TO BE SAVED OR LOST? 13:56 IS IT EASIER TO BE SICK OR HEALTHY? 14:01 THAT SEEMS LIKE A - IT SEEMS LIKE AN EASY QUESTION. 14:05 OH, I DON'T KNOW. TO BE HEALTHY - DOES THAT MEAN, 14:10 LIKE, I'VE GOT TO WASH MY HANDS EVERY NOW AND THEN? 14:13 DOES IT MEAN I'VE GOT TO EAT RIGHT? THAT'S HARD. 14:16 (LAUGHTER) DO I HAVE TO EXERCISE TO BE HEALTHY? 14:22 THAT'S HARD. SO WHICH IS EASIER? 14:24 BEING SICK - IT'S EASIER, JUST BE SICK. 14:28 WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'RE LAUGHING, BUT IN REALITY 14:30 THERE IS A HEALTH CRISIS IN NORTH AMERICA BECAUSE PEOPLE 14:33 THINK IT'S TOO HARD TO BE HEALTHY. 14:35 AND SO, DOING THE THINGS THEY NEED TO MAINTAIN THEIR HEALTH - 14:38 THEY SAY, 'OH, THAT'S HARD.' AND SO THEY'RE SICK. 14:43 LISTEN TO HOW ISAIAH DESCRIBES IT: "WHY SHOULD YOU BE STRICKEN 14:47 AGAIN? YOU WILL REVOLT MORE AND MORE. 14:50 THE WHOLE HEAD IS SICK, AND THE WHOLE HEART FAINTS. 14:52 FROM THE SOLE OF THE FOOT EVEN TO THE HEAD, THERE IS NO 14:56 SOUNDNESS [NO HEALTH] IN IT, BUT WOUNDS AND BRUISES AND 14:59 PUTREFYING SORES; THEY HAVE NOT BEEN CLOSED OR BOUND UP, OR 15:03 SOOTHED WITH OINTMENT." HE SAID, 'WHY WILL YOU BE SICK?' 15:08 BUT YET, SOMETIMES WE THINK IT'S EASIER TO BE SPIRITUALLY SICK 15:13 THAN TO BE WELL. AND THE DEVIL'S DECEIVED PEOPLE. 15:17 IT'S NOT TRUE. I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW MORE 15:20 VERSES HERE BEFORE WE'RE DONE. IS IT EASIER TO BE 15:24 LOST OR TO BE AT HOME? YOU EVER BEEN LOST? 15:29 I MEAN, TO FIND YOUR WAY HOME YOU NEED TO, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW 15:33 DIRECTIONS, YOU NEED TO STAY ON THE RIGHT ROAD, YOU'VE GOT TO 15:36 PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE YOU'RE GOING. 15:37 YOU EVER BEEN OUT IN THE WOODS LOST? 15:39 YOU'VE GOT TO LEAVE CRUMBS OR SOMETHING. 15:45 WHAT ABOUT THE PRODIGAL SON? LUKE 15:15 - HERE'S A BOY THAT 15:49 THOUGHT, 'I WANT TO GET AS FAR AWAY FROM HOME AS POSSIBLE. 15:51 I WANT TO FORGET ABOUT HOME. I WANT TO FORGET ABOUT MY 15:54 FATHER. I'M GOING TO DO MY OWN THING.' 15:58 IT SAYS HE ENDED UP IN A COUNTRY WHERE THERE WAS A FAMINE. 16:02 HE HAD TO FARM HIMSELF OUT TO A PIG FARMER AND HE'S FEEDING PIGS 16:07 AND HE'S STARVING AND HIS CLOTHES HAVE TURNED TO RAGS AND 16:10 HE SMELLS LIKE PIGS, AND FINALLY HE COMES TO HIS SENSES - AND 16:14 THIS IS LUKE 15 - HE'S STARVING FOR THE FOOD THE PIGS EAT AND HE 16:20 SAYS, "HOW MANY OF MY FATHER'S HIRED SERVANTS HAVE BREAD ENOUGH 16:24 AND TO SPARE, AND I PERISH WITH HUNGER! 16:27 I WILL ARISE AND GO TO MY FATHER," - 'I'M GOING TO GO 16:30 HOME. THIS BEING LOST IS TOUGH.' HE, 16:35 AT FIRST, THOUGHT 'IT'S HARD TO SERVE DAD. 16:39 IT'S HARD TO LIVE HERE ON THE FAMILY FARM. 16:42 I'VE BEEN HERE - I WANT TO GO DO SOMETHING EXCITING. 16:44 I'M GOING TO GET OUT THERE IN THE WORLD. 16:47 IT'LL BE EASIER. I'LL BE FREE.' AND HE FINALLY 16:50 GETS WHAT HE WANTS AND WHAT DOES HE DISCOVER? 16:52 'THIS ISN'T SO EASY. THIS IS HARD. 16:55 BEING LOST IS HARD. MY FATHER'S SERVANTS - AND I 16:59 DIDN'T KNOW IT UNTIL I LEFT HOME - MY FATHER'S SERVANTS WERE 17:02 BETTER OFF THAN I WAS' - NO - 'MY FATHER'S SERVANTS ARE BETTER 17:07 OFF THAN I AM NOW AND I WAS A SON!' 17:12 SO, WHICH IS EASIER, BEING HOME OR BEING LOST? 17:16 BEING HOME. IS IT EASIER TO WIN OR TO LOSE? 17:24 WELL, HOW MANY OF YOU LIKE LOSING? 17:27 JESUS ASKED THIS QUESTION - MATTHEW 16:26 - "FOR WHAT PROFIT 17:33 IS IT TO A MAN IF HE GAINS THE WHOLE WORLD, AND LOSES HIS OWN 17:37 SOUL? OR WHAT WILL A MAN GIVE IN 17:40 EXCHANGE FOR HIS SOUL?" I REMEMBER READING, BACK DURING 17:44 THE STOCK MARKET CRASH IN - WHAT WAS IT - 1928? 17:49 SOME PEOPLE - OH, '29 - AND THEY OVERNIGHT LOST THEIR FORTUNES 17:53 AND IT WAS, I GUESS, FAIRLY COMMON, DAY AFTER DAY, PEOPLE 17:57 WERE - THESE PEOPLE WHO HAD GREAT WEALTH LOST IT ALL AND 18:01 THEY WERE JUMPING FROM THE WINDOWS BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT 18:04 THAT IT ALL - BECAUSE THEY'D LOST THEIR EARTHLY TREASURE, 18:07 THEY LOST EVERYTHING - THEY KILLED THEMSELVES, BELIEVING 18:10 THEIR LIVES HAD NO MEANING. THERE WAS A MAN IN THE NEWS - 18:17 VERY WEALTHY MAN IN CHARGE OF AN ENERGY COMPANY THAT WAS INDICTED 18:23 AND THE DAY AFTER THE INDICTMENT HE DROVE HIS CAR - IT WAS BY 18:29 HIMSELF - VERY QUICKLY INTO A CONCRETE ABUTMENT AND, AT FIRST, 18:33 THEY COULDN'T SAY WHAT IT WAS, BUT THEY SUSPECT IT WAS SUICIDE. 18:38 HE WAS WAITING TO TURN HIMSELF OVER TO THE AUTHORITIES TO BE 18:40 IMPRISONED AND HE DESPAIRED OF LIFE. 18:44 HE HAD LIVED A VERY SUCCESSFUL - VERY POPULAR, VERY FAMOUS, 18:47 WEALTHY MAN - KILLED HIMSELF. SO LOSING CAN BE HARD. 18:54 SOME PEOPLE TAKE IT PRETTY HARD. MATTHEW 13, "THE KINGDOM OF 18:59 HEAVEN IS LIKE A MERCHANT SEEKING BEAUTIFUL PEARLS, WHO, 19:02 WHEN HE HAD FOUND ONE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE, WENT AND SOLD ALL 19:06 THAT HE HAD AND BOUGHT IT." BECAUSE THAT'S PROFITABLE - 19:10 WILLING TO SACRIFICE EVERYTHING FOR THAT WHICH LASTS FOREVER. 19:14 NOW, PROBABLY, ONE OF THE BEST ANALOGIES IF YOU'RE TRYING TO 19:17 DECIDE 'IS IT EASIER TO BE SAVED OR LOST?' 19:20 IS FROM THE STORY OF ISRAEL AND THE EXODUS. 19:24 MY QUESTION WOULD BE IS IT EASIER TO BE A SLAVE OR TO BE 19:27 FREE? PEOPLE WOULD SAY, 'OF COURSE 19:30 IT'S EASIER TO BE FREE!' IS IT? 19:33 DO YOU KNOW HOW YOU GET FREEDOM? DOES FREEDOM EVER COME EASY? 19:38 DO YOU KNOW WHY WE HAVE WHAT FREEDOM WE HAVE LEFT? 19:41 IT'S BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DIED FOR IT AND THEY SPILT THEIR 19:45 BLOOD AND THEY SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES. 19:48 SO, YES, WE WANT TO BE FREE, BUT FREEDOM COSTS A LOT. 19:55 AND AS WE ARE WILLING TO SACRIFICE OUR FREEDOMS, ONE BY 19:57 ONE I THINK WE FORGET WHAT SLAVERY IS. 20:00 THERE'S A WHOLE NATION OF SLAVES CALLED THE ISRAELITES AND, AFTER 20:05 BEING SAVED FROM THEIR SLAVERY, THEY FORGOT HOW HARD IT WAS AND 20:08 THEY WANTED TO GO BACK TO EGYPT. IT'S AMAZING - 'OH MAN, THIS 20:12 GOING THROUGH THE WILDERNESS WITH GOD IS TOUGH. 20:14 I WISH I WAS BACK IN EGYPT.' AND THEY FORGOT, BACK IN EGYPT, 20:18 THEY'RE SERVING A KING THAT HATES THEM, THEY'RE WORKING FOR 20:22 HIS GLORY, THEY'RE NOT GETTING PAID - LISTEN TO HOW MOSES 20:26 DESCRIBES IT - DEUTERONOMY 26, VERSE 6, "BUT THE EGYPTIANS 20:31 MISTREATED US, AFFLICTED US, AND LAID HARD BONDAGE ON US. 20:38 THEN WE CRIED OUT TO THE LORD GOD OF OUR FATHERS, AND THE LORD 20:41 HEARD OUR VOICE AND LOOKED ON OUR AFFLICTION AND OUR LABOR AND 20:45 OUR OPPRESSION. SO THE LORD BROUGHT US OUT OF 20:48 EGYPT WITH A MIGHTY HAND AND WITH AN OUTSTRETCHED ARM, WITH 20:51 GREAT TERROR AND WITH SIGNS AND WONDERS." 20:53 - AND POWER OF GOD - "HE HAS BROUGHT US TO THIS PLACE AND HAS 20:56 GIVEN US THIS LAND, 'A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY';" 21:00 SO WHICH IS EASIER, BEING A SLAVE OF THE PHARAOH OR BEING A 21:04 SERVANT OF GOD? WOULDN'T YOU THINK - I MEAN, 21:08 IF YOU COULD LOOK AT THE TWO OPTIONS, WOULDN'T YOU 21:11 THINK IT WOULD BE EASIER? 'WELL, I'M GOING TO THE PROMISED 21:13 LAND.' BUT WHY DID THEY KEEP WANTING TO GO BACK? 21:18 THEY SAID, 'GOING THROUGH THE WILDERNESS IS HARD.' THEY HAD 21:22 HOPE. GOD FED THEM FROM HEAVEN. 21:25 THEY GOT HUNGRY BEFORE THEY CRIED FOR BREAD. 21:27 HE GAVE THEM WATER OUT OF A ROCK. 21:29 THEY GOT THIRSTY BEFORE THEY GOT THE WATER. 21:32 THEY WERE ATTACKED BY THEIR ENEMIES. 21:34 HE GAVE THEM VICTORY OVER THEIR ENEMIES - THE AMALEKITES. 21:38 SO THEY DID HAVE STRUGGLES IN THE WILDERNESS, BUT THEY WON. 21:41 IN EVERY CASE GOD TOOK CARE OF THEM. 21:44 THEY WERE ON THE WAY TO A LAND THAT WAS THEIRS - TO FREEDOM. 21:49 BUT IN THE TRANSITION IT WAS HARD. 21:52 SO, WOULD YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO EGYPT OR WOULD YOU WANT TO GO TO 21:55 THE PROMISED LAND? NOW, IN PRACTICAL TERMS FOR WHAT 21:59 WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT - WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WHETHER 22:01 WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO EGYPT. YOU DON'T WANT TO GO THERE NOW. 22:05 AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT GOING ON A DESERT TRIP, ALTHOUGH 22:08 THE MEN IN THE CHURCH ARE GOING TO GO ON A 4-WHEELER TRIP IN THE 22:10 DESERT LATER THIS YEAR. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SLAVERY TO SIN. 22:16 IS IT HARDER TO BE SAVED OR LOST? 22:19 IS IT HARDER TO BE ENSLAVED TO THE DEVIL OR TO SERVE JESUS? 22:24 I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU THAT THE BIBLE, I THINK, IS PRETTY CLEAR 22:27 IT IS MUCH HARDER - AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE - TO BE A 22:30 SLAVE TO THE DEVIL THAN TO BE A SERVANT OF GOD. 22:34 >>AMEN. >>I SPENT YEARS ENSLAVED - 22:40 PEOPLE ARE ENSLAVED BY THEIR HABITS AND THEIR ADDICTIONS 22:42 AND THEIR PROBLEMS. THEN, WHEN YOU'RE FINALLY SET 22:45 FREE - I KNOW A MAN - ATTENDS HERE EVERY NOW AND THEN - 22:51 ALCOHOLIC FOR YEARS AND OH, IT MUST BE TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, 22:56 GOD GAVE HIM VICTORY OVER ALCOHOL. 22:58 BUT HE STRUGGLED WITH THAT SLAVERY FOR SO LONG THAT HE 23:01 CAN'T STOP PRAISING JESUS FOR SETTING HIM FREE. 23:04 YOU TALK TO HIM - EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN YEARS - BECAUSE HE 23:06 HASN'T FORGOTTEN WHAT IT WAS LIKE. 23:10 IF YOU KNOW WHAT SLAVERY IS, THERE'S NO QUESTION IT'S EASIER 23:14 TO FIGHT FOR YOUR FREEDOM. AND THERE MIGHT BE A FIGHT, BUT 23:18 IT'S WORTH IT, AS OPPOSED TO BEING A SLAVE. 23:21 >>AMEN. >>NOW, THAT APPLIES TO 23:24 PATRIOTISM AS WELL AS CHRISTIANITY. 23:26 JESUS SAID - AND THIS WAS OUR MEMORY VERSE - OUR SCRIPTURE 23:29 READING - MATTHEW 11:28, "COME TO ME, ALL YOU WHO...ARE 23:33 HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST." 23:37 - AS OPPOSED TO THE SERVING THE PHARAOH WITH RIGOR - "TAKE MY 23:41 YOKE UPON YOU" - JESUS DOESN'T SAY THERE'S NO SERVICE INVOLVED, 23:44 A YOKE IS AN INSTRUMENT OF BURDEN - "TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU 23:48 AND LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE AND LOWLY IN HEART, AND 23:52 YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 23:55 FOR MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT." 23:59 AS COMPARED TO WHAT? NOW THERE'S THE QUESTION. 24:03 JESUS SAYS, 'MY YOKE IS EASY. MY BURDEN IS LIGHT.' HIS 24:05 YOKE COMPARED TO WHOSE YOKE? >>SATAN'S. 24:08 >>THERE'S ONLY TWO MASTERS. JESUS SAID, 'EITHER YOU'RE 24:10 WITH ME OR YOU'RE AGAINST ME. IT'S MY YOKE OR 24:12 THE DEVIL'S YOKE. IT'S MY SERVICE OR HIS SERVICE.' 24:16 AND JESUS TELLS US 'MY YOKE IS EASY AS COMPARED TO HIS.' HE 24:20 DIDN'T SAY THERE AREN'T TRIALS - IT IS EASY COMPARED TO THE DEVIL 24:23 - 'MY BURDEN IS LIGHT' COMPARED TO THE DEVIL. 24:27 AND IT'S EITHER GOING TO BE ONE OR THE OTHER. 24:29 PROVERBS 13:15, "GOOD UNDERSTANDING GAINS FAVOR, BUT 24:35 THE WAY OF THE TRANSGRESSOR IS HARD." 24:38 IS IT EASIER TO BE SAVED OR TO BE LOST? 24:41 THE WAY OF THE TRANSGRESSOR IS HARD. 24:45 AND THEY MAY NOT KNOW IT RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE THERE ARE PLEASURES 24:48 OF SIN FOR A SEASON, BUT YOU STAY IN THE WAY OF THE 24:51 TRANSGRESSOR AND IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH. THE WAY IS HARD. 24:56 ECCLESIASTES 8:12 - NOW THIS IS SOLOMON'S OBSERVATION ALSO - 25:00 "THOUGH A SINNER DOES EVIL A HUNDRED TIMES, AND HIS DAYS ARE 25:04 PROLONGED," - OH, HE'S BEEN SINNING, NOTHING BAD HAPPENED. 25:09 LOOKED LIKE THINGS ARE GOING OKAY. 25:11 I MEAN, THEY ASKED THIS QUESTION IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 25:13 JOB SAYS, 'HAVEN'T YOU EVER NOTICED THAT SOMETIMES YOU'LL 25:15 SEE SINNERS AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEIR KIDS ARE HEALTHY AND THEIR 25:18 FLOCKS ARE BREEDING AND THEIR CROPS ARE FULL AND IT SEEMS LIKE 25:23 EVERYTHING'S FINE AND THEY'RE PROSPERING. 25:26 BUT IT DOESN'T STAY THAT WAY. "THOUGH A SINNER DOES EVIL A 25:31 HUNDRED TIMES, AND HIS DAYS ARE PROLONGED, YET I SURELY KNOW 25:35 THAT IT WILL BE WELL WITH THOSE WHO FEAR GOD, WHO 25:38 FEAR BEFORE HIM. BUT IT WILL NOT BE WELL WITH THE 25:40 WICKED; NOR WILL HE PROLONG HIS DAYS, WHICH ARE AS A SHADOW, 25:44 BECAUSE HE DOES NOT FEAR BEFORE GOD." 25:47 YOU KNOW, IN THE END OF ECCLESIASTES HE SAYS, 'LET'S 25:49 HEAR THE CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE MATTER: FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS 25:52 COMMANDMENTS FOR THIS IS THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN. 25:56 FOR GOD WILL BRING EVERY WORK INTO JUDGMENT WITH EVERY SECRET 25:58 THING WHETHER IT BE GOOD OR EVIL. 26:00 HE SAID, 'IN THE END YOU'RE GOING TO BE BETTER IF YOU FEAR 26:04 GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. ROMANS 8:18 - PAUL SAYS, "FOR I 26:10 CONSIDER THAT THE SUFFERINGS OF THIS PRESENT TIME ARE NOT WORTHY 26:15 TO BE COMPARED WITH THE GLORY WHICH SHALL BE REVEALED IN US." 26:20 SO, IN THE BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL, AND IN THE BATTLE THAT 26:23 YOU FEEL IN YOUR HEARTS BETWEEN CHRIST AND THE DEVIL, WHAT'S 26:26 EASIER? WHAT'S EASIER, GOING DOWN OR GOING UP? 26:33 WHY DON'T YOU CRAWL INSTEAD OF WALKING ON TWO LEGS? 26:37 YOU THINK CRAWLING WOULD BE EASIER. 26:39 WELL, NO, EVENTUALLY IT STARTS TO HURT YOUR KNEES. 26:44 IT'S A LOT EASIER TO WALK AND A LOT FASTER. 26:47 IT'S MUCH SLOWER TO CRAWL. WHO IS STRONGER? 26:51 JESUS SAID - 1 JOHN 4:4 - IT'S ACTUALLY THE APOSTLE JOHN - "YOU 26:55 ARE OF GOD, LITTLE CHILDREN, AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM, BECAUSE HE 27:01 WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD." 27:05 WHO'S STRONGER? >>JESUS. 27:09 >>HOW MUCH STRONGER? IS IT LIKE JESUS REPRESENTS A 27:15 HUNDRED PERCENT STRENGTH AND SATAN IS NINETY 27:17 PERCENT STRENGTH? IS IT LIKE JESUS HAS GOT, YOU 27:21 KNOW, A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT THE DEVIL IS EIGHTY PERCENT? 27:26 IS, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT TWO-THIRDS GOOD ANGELS - 27:28 ONE-THIRD BAD ANGELS AND SO GOD IS TWO-THIRDS STRONGER THAN THE 27:31 DEVIL? HOW MUCH STRONGER IS GOD THAN 27:35 SATAN? STRONG AS HE NEEDS TO BE 27:38 BECAUSE HE'S INFINITE. HE IS INFINITELY STRONGER. 27:42 WHICH IS STRONGER, THE CREATOR OR THE CREATION? 27:46 AND SO, IF YOU THINK THE DEVIL'S STRONG, THE LORD CAN MAKE A GOOD 27:50 ANGEL TEN TIMES STRONGER THAN THE DEVIL. 27:53 THERE'S NO COMPARISON AND WE FORGET THAT SOMETIMES. 27:56 IT'S NOT ONLY GREATER IS HE IN YOU THAN HE THAT IS IN THE 27:58 WORLD, HE IS A LOT GREATER THAN THE ONE WHO'S IN THE WORLD. 28:04 SOMETHING ELSE, WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT, WOULD YOU 28:09 PAY A GREAT PRICE FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU NEVER COULD REALLY 28:13 POSSESS? HAVE YOU EVER BEEN RIPPED OFF? 28:20 WHERE YOU BOUGHT SOMETHING AND THE PRODUCT WAS NEVER DELIVERED 28:23 AND YOU PAID DEARLY FOR IT? AND - OR YOU PAID TOO MUCH FOR 28:27 IT? HOW MANY OF YOU WANT TO GET 28:31 DECENT VALUE WHEN YOU PAY A GOOD PRICE FOR SOMETHING? 28:38 WHEN GOD PAID SUCH A HIGH PRICE THAT YOU MIGHT BE SAVED, WOULD 28:43 HE HAVE DONE IT IF IT WASN'T POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE SAVED? 28:48 IF JESUS' SACRIFICE IS ADEQUATE TO SAVE ALL OF THE LOST IN THE 28:53 WORLD - AND DID I JUST SAY SOMETHING TRUE? 28:56 DID HE DIE FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD? 28:57 >>YES. >>DID HE ONLY DIE FOR A FEW 28:59 OR THOSE WHO WOULD BELIEVE? OR DID HE DIE FOR EVERYBODY? 29:02 HE DIED FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD. 29:06 THEN HE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE SAVED. 29:09 >>AMEN. >>HOW MUCH IS POSSIBLE WITH GOD? 29:13 ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD. 29:15 SO IT'S NOT - WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT IS IT POSSIBLE FOR 29:18 YOU TO BE SAVED? OF COURSE IT'S POSSIBLE. 29:19 THE QUESTION IS: IS IT EASIER? WELL, WHEN THE ONE WHO'S WITH 29:24 YOU IS STRONGER THAN THE ONE WHO IS AGAINST YOU, YEAH, IT'S 29:30 EASIER THAN - THE WAY OF THE TRANSGRESSOR IS HARD. 29:32 IT'S HARD BEING LOST. NOW SATAN'S POWERFUL. 29:35 WE ALL KNOW THAT. WE'VE SEEN HIS ENSLAVING 29:38 INFLUENCE THAT HE EXERCISES IN THE LIFE OF THE SINNER. 29:40 BUT WHEN CHRIST BANISHES THE DEVIL FROM THE SINNER'S CONTROL 29:44 IN THE LIFE, THE POWER FOR GOOD IS GREATER THAN THAT OF EVIL. 29:50 THE ONE WHO WANTS HIS LOVE TO SAVE YOU IS STRONGER THAN THE 29:53 DEVIL'S LOVE TO DESTROY YOU. SO WHY ARE SO MANY LOST? 29:58 WHY IS THE MAJORITY LOST? MOSES SAID, 'DO NOT FOLLOW A 30:03 MULTITUDE TO DO EVIL.' PEOPLE SEEM TO THINK LIKE LEMMINGS. 30:08 THE DEVIL HYPNOTIZES PEOPLE INTO THINKING 'WE'RE NEVER GOING TO 30:11 MAKE IT' AND THOSE WHO DON'T BELIEVE THEY CAN MAKE IT WON'T 30:14 MAKE IT. IF YOU BELIEVE, YOU'LL MAKE IT. 30:17 IT'S LIKE THE SPIES THAT WENT INTO THE PROMISED LAND AND TEN 30:19 OF THEM SAID, 'OH MAN, THE PROBLEMS ARE TOO BIG.' TWO OF 30:22 THEM SAID, 'OH, GOD BROUGHT US THIS FAR, HE CAN BRING US ALL 30:24 THE WAY.' THE ONES WHO BELIEVED MADE IT - CALEB AND JOSHUA - ALL 30:28 THE WAY. THE ONES WHO DIDN'T BELIEVE, 30:30 THEY DIED IN THE WILDERNESS. SO WHAT'S EASIER? 30:34 I WOULD THINK LIVING IS EASIER THAN DYING. I WOULD THINK BEING 30:37 SAVED IS EASIER THAN BEING LOST - IF YOU BELIEVE. 30:43 YOU KNOW, I THINK IF WE GET THIS MESSAGE, FRIENDS, IT'LL 30:46 ENCOURAGE US. WE'VE GOT GOD ON OUR SIDE. 30:49 ROMANS 5:20, "WHERE SIN ABOUNDS" - AND LET'S ADMIT IT, SIN 30:53 ABOUNDS - IT ABOUNDS IN US, IT ABOUNDS IN THE WORLD. 30:55 BUT WHEREVER IT ABOUNDS, GOD'S GRACE MUCH MORE ABOUNDS. 30:59 THAT'S WHAT PAUL SAYS. 31:00 NOW, SOMETIMES THEY CALL IT THE HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE. 31:06 I GUESS THAT'S WITH BASKETBALL, BUT THE PRINCIPLE'S TRUE 31:08 PROBABLY WITH FOOTBALL OR WITH BASEBALL. 31:11 THEY SAY THAT STATISTICALLY, WHEN YOUR TEAM - THIS IS NOT 31:16 ADVOCATING FOR SPORTS, I'M JUST USING AN ILLUSTRATION SO DON'T 31:19 CORNER ME LATER - WHEN YOUR TEAM IS PLAYING ON THEIR HOME TURF 31:26 AND THEY HAVE THE MAJORITY OF THEIR FRIENDS CHEERING FOR THEM, 31:30 STATISTICALLY THEY'VE PROVEN THAT THEY WILL PERFORM BETTER. 31:33 THEY CALL IT THE HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE. 31:35 YOU ALL KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THEY'VE GOT ALL - THEY'RE IN 31:37 THEIR HOME COURT. THEY KNOW THE COURT. THEY'VE GOT ALL THEIR 31:40 FANS THAT KNOW THEM. THEY'RE ALL CHEERING AND THE 31:43 CHEERS, HOPEFULLY, OUTNUMBER THE BOOS AND IT INSPIRES THEM. 31:50 AND JUST THE MORALE IS HIGHER - THEY'VE GOT THE HOME-COURT 31:53 ADVANTAGE. WHO HAS MORE ANGELS, GOD OR THE DEVIL? 31:58 >>GOD. >>WHOSE WORLD IS IT? 32:01 THIS IS MY FATHER'S WORLD. AND JESUS - THE DEVIL WAS THE 32:04 PRINCE OF THE WORLD, BUT CHRIST BOUGHT IT BACK. 32:07 SO NOW, AT LEAST FROM THE CROSS, WE HAVE THE HOME-COURT 32:10 ADVANTAGE. SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO WIN. 32:14 AND WHO'S ON OUR TEAM? JESUS. DID HE EVER LOSE A BATTLE 32:19 WITH THE DEVIL? SO THE QUESTION IS: ARE WE 32:23 TAPPING INTO THE POWER THAT HE'S MADE AVAILABLE? 32:28 YOU'VE READ BEFORE - LOOKING AT THE CLOCK I THINK I HAVE TIME. 32:32 GO WITH ME QUICK TO THE BOOK OF ROMANS, PLEASE - ROMANS CHAPTER 32:35 7 AND WE'RE GOING TO TOUCH ON ROMANS 8 - AND THIS IS WHERE 32:42 PAUL DESCRIBES THE STRUGGLE. HE SAYS, IN VERSE 18 OF ROMANS 32:48 7, "FOR I KNOW THAT IN ME (THAT IS, IN MY FLESH) NOTHING GOOD 32:51 DWELLS; FOR TO WILL IS PRESENT WITH ME," - I WANT TO DO WHAT'S 32:54 RIGHT - "BUT HOW TO PERFORM WHAT IS GOOD I DO NOT FIND. 32:57 FOR THE GOOD THAT I WILL TO DO, I DO NOT DO; BUT THE EVIL I WILL 33:01 NOT TO DO, THAT I PRACTICE. NOW IF I DO WHAT I WILL NOT TO 33:06 DO, IT IS NO LONGER I WHO DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLS IN ME. 33:10 I FIND THEN A LAW, THAT EVIL IS PRESENT WITH ME, THE ONE WHO 33:15 WILLS TO DO GOOD. FOR I DELIGHT IN THE LAW OF GOD 33:18 ACCORDING TO THE INWARD MAN." - IN MY SPIRIT AND MY MIND I 33:20 DELIGHT IN THE LAW OF GOD - "BUT I SEE ANOTHER LAW IN MY 33:24 MEMBERS," - IN MY FLESH - THE CARNAL NATURE - "WARRING AGAINST 33:28 THE LAW OF MY MIND, AND BRINGING ME INTO CAPTIVITY" - IT'S SO 33:31 HARD - "TO THE LAW OF SIN WHICH IS IN MY MEMBERS." 33:36 THEN HE DECLARES, "O WRETCHED MAN THAT I AM! 33:38 WHO WILL DELIVER ME FROM THIS BODY OF DEATH?" 33:41 - AND THAT'S THE END, RIGHT? 33:44 WERE THERE CHAPTERS AND VERSES IN THE BIBLE OR DOES HE ANSWER 33:46 HIS OWN QUESTION IN THE NEXT VERSE? 33:48 CHAPTER 8, VERSE 1 - FIRST OF ALL, PAUL, IN WHAT HE DESCRIBES 33:53 HERE IN CHAPTER 7, IS NOT DESCRIBING THE CONDITION OF THE 33:57 SAVED. NEVER WOULD PAUL SAY THE 34:01 CONDITION OF THE SAVED IS 'O WRETCHED MAN' - A 34:03 WRETCHED CONDITION - NO! SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME - WE'RE 34:07 NOT WRETCHES ANYMORE, WE'RE SAVED FROM THAT WRETCHEDNESS. 34:10 HE SAYS, "THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION TO THOSE WHO ARE 34:14 IN CHRIST JESUS, WHO DO NOT WALK ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, BUT 34:19 ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT. FOR THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF 34:23 LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS HAS MADE ME FREE FROM THE LAW 34:27 OF SIN AND DEATH." - THE LAW - THE POWER OF 34:31 CHRIST IN OUR LIFE CHANGES US. THE POWER OF LOVE - IT FREES US 34:36 - "FOR WHAT THE LAW COULD NOT DO IN THAT IT WAS WEAK THROUGH THE 34:39 FLESH, GOD DID BY SENDING HIS OWN SON IN THE LIKENESS" - YES, 34:44 WE'RE WEAK - WITHOUT CHRIST IT'S EASIER TO BE LOST THAN SAVED. 34:48 BUT THROUGH CHRIST IT'S EASIER TO BE SAVED THAN LOST. 34:52 "WHAT THE LAW COULD NOT DO IN THAT IT WAS WEAK THROUGH THE 34:54 FLESH, GOD DID BY SENDING HIS OWN SON IN THE LIKENESS OF 34:58 SINFUL FLESH, ON ACCOUNT OF SIN: HE CONDEMNED SIN IN THE FLESH," 35:02 - AND IN US - "THAT THE RIGHTEOUS REQUIREMENT OF THE LAW 35:05 MIGHT BE FULFILLED IN US WHO DO NOT WALK ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, 35:09 BUT THOSE WHO ARE LIVING ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT." 35:11 THAT'S GOOD NEWS. HE DESCRIBES A STRUGGLE BUT SO MANY CHRISTIANS 35:14 STAY IN THAT ROMANS 7 AREA - 'I DO WHAT I DON'T WANT TO DO. 35:20 I'M JUST A SLAVE. I'M STILL A SLAVE. 35:23 O WRETCHED MAN.' THE SAD THING IS, I HEAR MORE AND MORE PASTORS 35:26 SAYING THIS IS DESCRIBING THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE. 35:29 THE CONSTANT WRETCHED ENSLAVEMENT OF NOT DOING - JUST 35:33 SERVING GOD WITH YOUR MIND BUT THE REST OF YOUR LIFE YOU'RE 35:36 ENSLAVED. REALLY? HOW PATHETIC. 35:40 I DON'T THINK - THAT'S NOT BEEN MY EXPERIENCE. 35:42 I THINK THE LORD HAS SAVED ME FROM THINGS - AND I PRAISE GOD. 35:45 THESE ADDICTIONS HE SAVES YOU FROM - HE CHANGES YOU - HE SETS 35:48 YOU FREE. AND YOU DON'T WANT TO GO BACK. 35:52 AND IT'S SO MUCH EASIER TO BE FREE. 35:54 IT IS EASIER TO BE SOBER THAN HUNG OVER. 35:57 LET ME TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, FRIENDS, IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW 35:59 THAT. IT'S EASIER TO BE HEALTHY THAN TO BE SICK. 36:05 IT IS EASIER TO HAVE A VICTORY AND WIN THAN DEFEAT AND GUILT. 36:14 AH, BUT THERE'S MORE. LUKE 11:20, JESUS SAID, "BUT 36:19 IF I CAST OUT DEMONS WITH THE FINGER OF GOD, SURELY THE 36:21 KINGDOM OF GOD HAS COME UPON YOU. WHEN A STRONG MAN," - THEY 36:25 WERE ACCUSING JESUS OF CASTING OUT DEVILS THROUGH THE DEVIL 36:29 AND HE SAID, 'NO, IF SATAN RISES AGAINST SATAN HIS HOUSE IS GOING 36:32 TO FALL. BUT JESUS - AND YOU LISTEN CAREFULLY - BE CAREFUL 36:35 NOT TO GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT - 'IF I'M CASTING OUT DEMONS WITH 36:38 THE FINGER OF GOD' - WHEN A DEMON'S CAST OUT THAT MEANS 36:40 YOU'RE SET FREE FROM THE DEVIL - 'IF I'M DOING IT WITH THE FINGER 36:43 OF GOD, THE KINGDOM OF GOD HAS COME UPON YOU. 36:46 YOU CAN EXPERIENCE - YOU CAN BE A CITIZEN OF THAT KINGDOM.' - 36:48 "WHEN A STRONG MAN, FULLY ARMED, GUARDS HIS OWN PALACE, HIS GOODS 36:52 ARE IN PEACE. BUT WHEN A STRONGER THAN HE 36:55 COMES UPON HIM AND OVERPOWERS HIM, HE TAKES FROM HIM ALL HIS 36:58 ARMOR IN WHICH HE TRUSTED, AND DIVIDES HIS SPOILS." 37:01 WE ARE THE SPOILS OF THE DEVIL. HE HAS HELD US CAPTIVE. 37:04 THE DEVIL IS THAT STRONG MAN, BUT JESUS SAID, 'I HAVE COME 37:08 BECAUSE I AM STRONGER THAN HE AND I AM GOING TO TAKE WHAT WAS 37:12 HIS.' ALRIGHT, IS IT EASIER TO BE RICH THAN POOR? 37:16 NOW, DON'T MISUNDERSTAND THIS. THIS IS NOT REALLY A STATEMENT 37:18 ON PROSPERITY, BUT I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU AN ILLUSTRATION. 37:22 SOME PEOPLE THINK IF YOU CAN CHOOSE BETWEEN BEING RICH AND 37:26 BEING POOR, YOU THINK, 'OH MAN, I'D MUCH RATHER HAVE MONEY.' I 37:29 THINK MOST OF US WOULD SAY THAT. BUT IS THAT WHERE 37:32 HAPPINESS COMES FROM? NOTICE: MARK 10:27 - 37:36 MARK 10:20 THROUGH 27. THIS RICH YOUNG RULER 37:39 COMES TO JESUS. HE FALLS DOWN ON HIS KNEES, HE SAYS, 'LORD, WHAT 37:43 MUST I DO TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE?' AND JESUS SAID, 'WHY 37:46 DO YOU CALL ME GOOD? THERE IS NO ONE GOOD 37:48 BUT ONE AND THAT'S GOD. BUT IF YOU WOULD ENTER INTO 37:50 LIFE, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS.' HE SAYS, 'WHICH ONES?' 37:52 AND JESUS BEGINS TO RECITE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS THAT APPLY, 37:55 BETWEEN MAN'S RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS FELLOW MAN. 37:58 SO, ''TEACHER, I'VE KEPT THESE FROM MY YOUTH.' AND JESUS, 38:02 LOOKING AT HIM, LOVED HIM, AND HE SAID, ONE THING YOU LACK; GO 38:07 YOUR WAY, 'SELL WHATEVER YOU HAVE AND GIVE IT TO THE POOR. 38:10 YOU WILL HAVE TREASURE IN HEAVEN. 38:12 YOU WANT TREASURE, YOU'LL HAVE IT. 38:13 YOU'LL HAVE TREASURE THAT THIEVES CAN'T STEAL. 38:15 YOU'LL HAVE TREASURE THAT'LL LAST FOREVER. 38:17 UNLOAD. TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW 38:20 ME.'' HE WAS INVITING HIM TO BE AN APOSTLE - LIKE PETER AND 38:22 JAMES AND JOHN FORSOOK THEIR NETS AND FOLLOWED HIM. 38:26 MATTHEW FORSOOK HIS CASH REGISTER AND FOLLOWED JESUS. 38:30 HE SAYS TO THIS YOUNG MAN WHO HE LOVED, 'YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF 38:34 POTENTIAL, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LIQUIDATE IF YOU'RE 38:37 GOING TO FOLLOW ME BECAUSE YOUR RICHES ARE GOING TO BE A 38:39 DISTRACTION. "BUT HE WAS SAD AT THIS WORD, 38:46 AND WENT AWAY SORROWFUL, FOR HE HAD GREAT POSSESSIONS." 38:50 NOW HERE'S THE QUESTION: WHEN HE WENT AWAY, DID HE STILL HAVE 38:54 GREAT POSSESSIONS? BUT WAS HE HAPPY? 38:58 HE WAS SAD. HE WAS SORROWFUL. A MAN'S LIFE DOES NOT CONSIST 39:03 IN THE ABUNDANCE OF THINGS HE POSSESSES. 39:05 SEE, ONE REASON IT'S HARD FOR US TO BE SAVED - OR IT SEEMS LIKE 39:10 IT - IS BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO SAVE THE WRONG THING. 39:14 WE'RE THINKING OUR TREASURES ARE DOWN HERE. 39:16 WE'RE NOT CALCULATING THE TREASURE THAT LASTS FOREVER. 39:20 JESUS LOOKED AROUND AND HE SAID TO THE DISCIPLES, "HOW HARD IT 39:23 IS" - NOTICE WHO'S HAVING A HARD TIME. 39:25 IT'S THE RICH! "'HOW HARD IT IS FOR THOSE WHO 39:28 HAVE RICHES TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD!' 39:30 AND THE DISCIPLES WERE ASTONISHED AT HIS WORDS. 39:33 BUT JESUS ANSWERED AGAIN AND SAID TO THEM AGAIN - 39:35 JUST IN CAST YOU MISUNDERSTAND - "'CHILDREN, HOW 39:37 HARD IT IS FOR THOSE WHO TRUST IN RICHES TO ENTER THE KINGDOM 39:41 OF GOD! IT IS EASIER'" - NOTICE THE 39:43 WORDS 'HARD' AND 'EASIER' - "'IT IS EASIER FOR A CAMEL TO GO 39:47 THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE THAN FOR A RICH MAN TO ENTER THE 39:50 KINGDOM OF GOD.' AND THE WERE GREATLY ASTONISHED, 39:53 SAYING...'WHO THEN CAN BE SAVED?'" - AND HE SAID, 'WELL, 39:56 WITH MAN IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, BUT WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE 40:00 POSSIBLE.' NOW RICHES ARE NOT A CURSE IN AND OF THEMSELVES. 40:05 PROVERBS HAS SOME - BOTH SIDES OF THE EQUATION HERE. 40:09 IT SAYS IN PROVERBS 10:22, "THE BLESSING OF THE LORD MAKES ONE 40:12 RICH AND HE ADDS NO SORROW WITH IT." 40:15 IN THE BLESSING OF GOD YOU CAN HAVE RICHES AS ABRAHAM, ISAAC, 40:17 AND JACOB AND JOB AND YOU CAN BE BLESSED. 40:23 PROVERBS 11:28, "HE WHO TRUSTS IN RICHES WILL FALL," - A LOT OF 40:29 US TRUST IF WE GET THEM. PROVERBS 13:7, "THERE IS ONE 40:33 WHO MAKES HIMSELF RICH, YET HAS NOTHING; AND ONE WHO MAKES 40:36 HIMSELF POOR, YET HAS GREAT RICHES." 40:39 THIS RICH YOUNG RULER, IF HE HAD MADE HIMSELF POOR FOR CHRIST, HE 40:42 WOULD HAVE HAD GREAT RICHES. BUT INSTEAD, HE HELD ONTO HIS 40:44 EARTHLY RICHES AND HE MADE HIMSELF POOR AND HE WAS SAD. 40:49 AND THEN SOLOMON SAYS IN ECCLESIASTES 5, 'THE ABUNDANCE 40:52 OF THE RICH WILL NOT PERMIT HIM TO SLEEP.' SO HERE YOU'VE GOT A 40:56 MAN WHO'S SAD AND HE CAN'T SLEEP. WHY? 40:58 BECAUSE HE'S WORRIED ABOUT HIS STUFF. 41:00 IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING, YOU CAN SLEEP LIKE A BABY BECAUSE 41:02 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A THIEF BREAKING IN. 41:05 THERE'S NOTHING TO STEAL. WE USED TO SING A SONG WHEN I 41:10 WAS A HIPPIE - 'FREEDOM'S JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR 41:13 NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE'. THAT KRIS KRISTOFFERSON 41:19 TOLD THE TRUTH THERE. YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH - AND I'VE 41:22 BEEN THERE BEFORE - YOU DON'T WORRY ABOUT 'WILL 41:24 THEY STEAL MY STUFF?' BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. 41:27 THERE'S A PEACE THERE. SO WHO HAS PEACE? 41:30 ISAIAH 48:22, "'THERE IS NO PEACE,' SAYS THE LORD, 'FOR THE 41:36 WICKED.'" I SAW A BUMPER STICKER ONE TIME AND IT SAID, 'N-O GOD 41:45 N-O PEACE' - 'NO GOD NO PEACE'. AND THEN, UNDERNEATH IT, IT 41:49 SAID, 'K-N-O-W GOD K-N-O-W PEACE'. 41:56 IF YOU HAVE NO GOD YOU HAVE NO PEACE, BUT IF YOU KNOW YOU WILL 42:00 KNOW OR EXPERIENCE PEACE. THERE IS NO PEACE TO THE WICKED. 42:06 ISAIAH 57:18, "'I HAVE SEEN HIS WAY, AND WILL HEAL HIM; I WILL 42:11 ALSO LEAD HIM, AND RESTORE COMFORTS TO HIM AND TO HIS 42:14 MOURNERS. I CREATE THE FRUIT OF THE LIPS: 42:16 PEACE, PEACE TO HIM WHO IS FAR OFF AND TO HIM WHO IS NEAR,' 42:19 SAYS THE LORD, 'AND I WILL HEAL HIM.' BUT THE WICKED ARE LIKE 42:23 THE TROUBLED SEA, WHEN IT CANNOT REST, WHOSE WATERS 42:26 CAST UP MIRE AND DIRT. 'THERE IS NO PEACE,' SAYS MY 42:28 GOD, 'FOR THE WICKED.'" SO YOU GOT IT AT LEAST TWICE THERE. 42:32 YOU REMEMBER WHEN PAUL WAS RUNNING FROM GOD? 42:35 HE'S FIGHTING CHRISTIANS - HE'S FIGHTING HIS CONSCIENCE, REALLY. 42:37 FINALLY JESUS APPEARS TO HIM - YOU REMEMBER WHAT JESUS SAID TO 42:40 PAUL? HE SAID, 'I'M JESUS WHO YOU'RE PERSECUTING. 42:44 IS IT HARD FOR YOU TO KICK AGAINST THE GOADS?' 42:48 YOU KNOW, YOU PROBABLY DON'T SEE IT VERY MUCH; IT'S MORE COMMON 42:51 IN OTHER COUNTRIES THAT WHEN THEY'RE - POOR PEOPLE ARE KIND 42:55 OF MOVING THEIR OXEN, THEIR CATTLE ALONG, THEY'LL HAVE A 42:57 SHARP PROD - IT MIGHT HAVE ONE OR TWO PRONGS ON THE END OF IT 43:00 AND - NOW THEY USE ELECTRIC HOT SHOTS TO MOVE THE COWS. 43:03 THEY JUMP PRETTY GOOD WHEN TOUCH THEM. 43:07 BUT THEY HAD THESE POKING STICKS AND SOMETIMES, THE HORSE OR THE 43:10 COW OR WHATEVER IT WAS WOULD KICK AGAINST THE PROD AND THEY 43:13 WOULD JUST CUT THEMSELVES BECAUSE IT WAS SHARP. 43:16 AND IF THEY WOULD JUST GO THE WAY THAT THE OWNER WAS DIRECTING 43:19 THEM, IT WOULD BE EASY, BUT THEY'RE KICKING AGAINST THE 43:22 GOADS. I THINK IT SAYS IN THE KING 43:24 JAMES, 'KICKING AGAINST THE PRICKS'. 43:25 AND THIS IS WHAT PAUL WAS DOING AS HE WAS FIGHTING GOD AND JESUS 43:31 SAID, 'HOW'S IT GOING PAUL?' HE WAS MISERABLE. 43:35 HE SAID, 'ISN'T IT HARD?' - JESUS SAID, 'ISN'T IT HARD 43:38 FIGHTING YOUR CONSCIENCE AND FIGHTING THE LORD AND 43:42 SERVING THE DEVIL?' AND FINALLY PAUL SURRENDERED AND 43:45 WHEN HE FELL IN LOVE WITH JESUS, THE WORLD WAS NEVER THE SAME. 43:50 HE SAID, 'WOE UNTO ME IF I PREACH NOT CHRIST.' 43:54 THERE'S NO PEACE FOR THE WICKED. NOW THERE ARE BATTLES IN LIFE 43:57 AND SOMETIMES WE STRUGGLE. NOW LOOK AT THE TERMINOLOGY THAT 44:03 IS USED - EPHESIANS 6:12, "FOR WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST 44:08 FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, 44:12 AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS AGE, AGAINST 44:14 SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES." 44:17 THERE ARE TITANIC BATTLES WITH THE DEVIL THAT YOU'RE GOING TO 44:20 FIGHT. THE BIBLE SAYS WE NEED TO PUT ON ARMOR. 44:24 WHEN DO YOU PUT ON ARMOR? BECAUSE THERE'S A WAR. 44:26 1 CORINTHIANS 9:26, "THEREFORE I RUN THUS: NOT WITH UNCERTAINTY. 44:31 THUS I FIGHT: NOT AS ONE WHO BEATS THE AIR. 44:33 BUT I DISCIPLINE MY BODY AND BRING IT INTO SUBJECTION, LEST, 44:37 WHEN I HAVE PREACHED TO OTHERS, I MYSELF SHOULD BECOME 44:39 DISQUALIFIED." - OR BE A CASTAWAY. 44:41 PAUL SAID THERE ARE STRUGGLES. THERE'S EFFORT INVOLVED, 44:43 THERE'S NO QUESTION. HERE'S SOME OF THE WORDS THAT 44:46 ARE USED: WE WAR, WRESTLE, FIGHT, RUN, STRIVE, 44:51 PRESS ON, LABOR. THERE ARE THOSE WHO SAY, YOU 44:55 KNOW, THEY PREACH A CHRISTIANITY WHERE THERE'S NO EFFORT INVOLVED 44:57 - THEY'RE LYING TO PEOPLE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? 45:00 IT'S TOUGH TO BE A REAL CHRISTIAN. 45:03 IT'S A LOT TOUGHER TO BE LOST. AND SOMETIMES IT IS SO HARD TO 45:09 HOLD ON, WE FEEL LIKE IN OUR OWN STRENGTH WE JUST CAN'T DO IT. 45:14 I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG, MY FATHER TAUGHT ME TO 45:17 WATER SKI AND - RIGHT OUT OF OUR BACK DOOR. 45:24 MY DAD HAD A HOME ON THE BAY - BISCAYNE BAY - WE HAD A SKI BOAT 45:27 AND HE TOOK ME OUT. I WAS LIKE EIGHT YEARS OLD AND I REMEMBER 45:29 HE'D TAKE US SKIING EARLY IN THE MORNING - THE WATER WAS LIKE 45:31 GLASS. BEFORE WE WENT TO SCHOOL HE'D WAKE US UP. 45:34 I HATED IT. HE'D WAKE US UP - IT WAS EXTRA 45:36 EARLY - COME ON, WE'RE GONNA GO SKIING!' 45:38 AND HE'D TAKE US OUT - THE WATER WAS ALL GLASSY. 45:40 IT WAS BEFORE HE WENT TO WORK - BEFORE WE WENT TO SCHOOL - AND I 45:44 REMEMBER HE WAS TRYING TO TEACH ME TO SKI AND - AND I'D SEE MY 45:47 BROTHERS GET UP. THEY WERE ALL OLDER AND THEY'D 45:49 SKI - TWO SKIS - AND MY FATHER PUT ME IN THE WATER AND HE PUT 45:54 THE LIFE BELT ON ME - IT WAS JUST A BELT BACK THEN. 45:57 THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE WHOLE VEST THING. 45:59 HE SAID, 'PUT YOUR KNEES UP. AIM YOUR SKI TIPS UP. 46:02 PUT THE ROPE IN.' AND HE'D SAY, 'NOW HANG ON.' HE THOUGHT THE 46:05 ROOK'S GOING TO POP OUT OF MY HANDS WHEN HE TRIES TO PULL ME 46:08 UP. HE SAYS, 'DON'T LET GO. HANG ON.' THAT WAS THE LAST 46:11 THING HE SAID, 'HANG ON.' SO AS SOON AS I STARTED GOING UP, MY 46:15 SKIS PARTED LIKE THAT AND I WENT FORWARD. BUT I HUNG ON. 46:25 AND I GOT - I CAN HOLD MY BREATH PRETTY WELL. 46:28 AND MY FATHER HAD GUNNED THE BOAT AND HE TOLD MY BROTHER TO 46:30 WATCH ME. NOW, MY BROTHER'S A SPOTTER. 46:32 MY BROTHER DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO MY FATHER ABOUT DOUG'S DOWN. 46:35 HE THOUGHT THIS WOULD INTERESTING. 46:37 SO HE'S JUST WATCHING AND I'M HOLDING ON. 46:39 MY DAD IS GOING LIKE YOU WOULD GO WHEN YOU'RE PULLING A SKIER 46:43 AND I GUESS I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD GRIP BECAUSE I HELD ON AND IT 46:46 WAS GOING FASTER AND FASTER AND ALL THESE BUBBLES AND ROARS 46:48 GOING BY ME AND WATER'S GOING IN MY EARS AND UP MY NOSE AND 46:52 AROUND BEHIND MY EYEBALLS. AND I'M TRYING TO HANG ON. 46:57 I'M DOING - I WAS LIKE A TORPEDO. 47:00 I'M GOING UNDERNEATH THE WATER AND UP ABOVE THE WATER AND 47:03 FINALLY, WHEN I REALIZED MY BATHING SUIT WAS AROUND MY KNEES 47:05 (LAUGHTER) I LET GO OF THE ROPE. I COULDN'T HOLD ON ANYMORE, 47:09 MY KNUCKLES WERE SO SORE. AND - BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE 47:16 LORD IS TELLING US TO HOLD ON, IT'S DIFFERENT THAN YOU 47:18 HOLDING ON WITH YOUR STRENGTH. HE IS HOLDING ONTO YOU. 47:25 YOU CAN READ ABOUT THIS HERE. CAN WE TRUST JESUS? 47:28 JOHN 6:37, "ALL THAT THE FATHER GIVES ME WILL COME TO ME, AND 47:34 THE ONE WHO COMES TO ME I WILL BY NO MEANS CAST OUT." 47:39 JOHN 6:39, "THIS IS THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHO SENT ME, THAT OF 47:43 ALL HE HAS GIVEN ME I SHOULD LOSE NOTHING," - HE'LL HANG ONTO 47:45 YOU - "BUT SHOULD RAISE IT UP AT THE LAST DAY." 47:49 PHILIPPIANS 1:6, "BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS VERY THING, 47:52 THAT HE WHO HAS BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL COMPLETE IT 47:56 [WILL PERFORM IT] UNTIL THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST." 47:59 HEBREWS 12:2, "LOOKING UNTO JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER" 48:03 - NOTICE THE WORDS OF COMPLETION THERE. 48:05 HE WILL COMPLETE IT. HE'S "THE AUTHOR AND THE 48:08 FINISHER OF OUR FAITH, WHO FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM 48:12 ENDURED THE CROSS," - WOULD YOU LET GO OF SOMETHING YOU PAID SO 48:15 MUCH - YOU GAVE YOUR LIFE TO SAVE? 48:17 GOD IS GOING TO DO EVERYTHING HE CAN DO TO HANG ONTO YOU. 48:20 HE'S ON YOUR SIDE, IF YOU'RE WILLING TO BE WILLING. 48:25 AND IF YOU'VE JUST COME TO THE LORD - AND IF YOU FALL, YOU TELL 48:27 HIM. SAY, 'LORD, I'VE JUST GIVEN YOU MY LIFE. 48:29 DO WHATEVER YOU'VE GOT TO DO TO CHANGE ME.' HE WILL WORK IN YOUR 48:33 LIFE. HE WORKS OUT YOUR SALVATION. 48:36 IS IT EASIER TO GO UP OR DOWN? THERE ARE CHRISTIAN BATTLES. 48:42 YOU KNOW, WHEN - WE JUST CAME BACK FROM SOUTH AFRICA WITH THE 48:47 ROSSES AND HAD A GREAT TIME. KAREN AND I AND PASTOR ROSS 48:50 AND RUTH AND PASTOR ROSS WAS PREACHING IN ANOTHER 48:53 CHURCH THIS MORNING. I THINK I SEE RUTH IS STILL 48:55 HERE AND SOME OF THE KIDS. WE WENT UP TOGETHER TO TABLE 48:58 MOUNTAIN, WHICH IS SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET ABOVE CAPETOWN - 49:00 ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITIES BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT THERE. 49:03 YOU CAN LOOK OFF FROM THAT BLUFF AND YOU CAN SEE THE ATLANTIC 49:06 OCEAN AND THE INDIAN OCEAN AND JUST SOME SPECTACULAR VISTAS OF 49:10 THE CITY AND THE PORT. AND SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET UP - 49:13 WE FOUND A PERFECT DAY - IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND WE WENT UP 49:17 THERE AND YOU TAKE A CABLE CAR UP BECAUSE IT'S SO HIGH. 49:20 SO WE RODE UP IN THE CABLE CAR AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAME OVER 49:25 HIM, BUT PASTOR ROSS, YOU KNOW, HE WAS BORN IN CAPETOWN, AND AS 49:28 WE'RE HIKING UP ON THIS BIG MESA, MILES LONG AND BEAUTIFUL 49:31 VIEWS AND HE SAID, 'YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS A KID I USED TO HIKE 49:35 DOWN THIS GORGE HERE CALLED SKELETON GORGE.' HE SAID, 49:38 'SHALL WE HIKE DOWN?' WELL, RIGHT AWAY THAT 49:40 NAME DIDN'T SOUND GOOD. (LAUGHTER) AND SO THERE WAS A 49:47 LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT 'SHALL WE GO?' 49:49 AND I COULD TELL, PASTOR ROSS, HE'S A GO-GETTER, HE'S GOING, 49:51 'YEAH, SURE, WE CAN MAKE IT DOWN.' AND WE'RE GOING, 'YOU 49:55 KNOW, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS.' AND I LOOKED FROM THE TOP AND I 50:01 USED TO LIVE IN HILLS LIKE THIS AND THAT WAS A LONG, STEEP, 50:04 RUGGED CLIMB AND WE STILL, I DON'T THINK, HAD FULLY RECOVERED 50:09 FROM JET LAG AND SO FINALLY, WHEN THE DUST SETTLED, JËAN 50:13 SAYS, 'I REALLY WANT TO GO.' AND I SAYS, 'I'M NOT LETTING YOU GO 50:15 BY YOURSELF. I'LL GO.' SO THE GIRLS SAID, 50:17 'LOOK, WE PAID FOR OUR TRAM RIDE BACK DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. 50:19 WE'RE TAKING THE TRAM. AND SO I TOOK OFF FOLLOWING 50:23 PASTOR ROSS AND THEN I REALIZED I HAD SANDALS ON AND I THOUGHT, 50:33 'THIS MAY NOT BE A GOOD IDEA.' AND AS WE'RE STARTING DOWN, IT 50:39 STARTS - THIS IS ACTUALLY A PICTURE THEY TOOK OF THE 50:41 TWO OF US GOING DOWN. KAREN, I THINK, TOOK THIS SHOT. 50:43 THEN IT TURNS INTO A 50-DEGREE 3-MILE TRAIL. 50:49 50-DEGREE OF FROM ROCK TO ROCK TO - GOING DOWN. 50:52 AND, AS WE'RE GOING DOWN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE DOING ALL THIS? 50:55 EXCEPT WE WEREN'T GOING DOWN ONE SET, WE'RE GOING - 50:58 JUST BIG JUMPS. WELL, WHEN YOU'RE 59-YEARS-OLD 51:04 YOU DON'T HAVE AS MUCH LUBRICATION AND - AS I HAD 51:08 WHEN I LIVED IN THE CAVE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT, 'OH, THIS'LL 51:10 BE A BREEZE.' AND I TOOK OFF - RUNNING DOWN HILL. 51:13 THEN I FELT - 'OH, THAT'S SORE.' MATTER OF FACT, IT'S SORE FROM 51:15 DOING THAT JUST NOW. AND IT'S THREE MILES OF ALMOST 51:22 VERTICAL UPHILL AND AS WE WERE GOING DOWN - WE HAD ONLY GONE 51:26 ABOUT TEN OR FIFTEEN MINUTES - WE RAN INTO A YOUNG COUPLE FROM 51:28 GERMANY GOING UP AND THEY SAID, 'ARE YOU GOING DOWN?' 51:33 AND WE SAID, 'YEAH.' THEY SAID, 'IT'S A LOT HARDER GOING DOWN 51:36 THAN GOING UP.' AND WE SAID, 'HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE?' 51:42 'OH, HOUR AND A HALF.' AND JËAN SAID, 'WE DON'T WANT THE GIRLS 51:48 TO BEAT US TO THE BOTTOM.' WE KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO, YOU 51:54 KNOW, THEY WERE GOING TO SEE A FEW MORE SIGHTS UP THERE AND 51:56 TAKE SOME PICTURES SO THEY WEREN'T RUNNING TO THE TRAM TO 51:58 GO DOWN. BUT HE SAID, 'YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T 51:59 LET THEM BEAT US.' AND SO JËAN TOOK OFF AND I THOUGHT, 52:03 'I USED TO LIVE IN THESE KIND OF MOUNTAINS. 52:05 I CAN'T LET HIM BEAT ME.' (LAUGHTER) AND SO HE AND I ARE 52:08 KIND OF DOING A MAN THING, RACING EACH OTHER DOWN THE HILL. 52:12 WELL, AFTER ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR I SAID, 'WELL, AM I THE ONLY -' 52:17 - I DIDN'T WANT TO - YOU KNOW, YOU NEVER WANT TO ADMIT, WHEN 52:19 YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING TOUGH WITH ANOTHER GUY, THAT YOU'RE 52:21 STARTING TO FEEL IT. YOU'RE WAITING FOR 52:22 HIM TO ADMIT IT FIRST. I SAID, 'OH, SO I'M STARTING TO 52:26 FEEL IT IN MY LEGS.' HE SAYS, 'OH YEAH, ME TOO. 52:28 MAN,' HE SAID, 'MY LEGS ARE STARTING TO FEEL LIKE JELL-O.' 52:31 AND THEN WE SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND WE MADE IT DOWN IN AN 52:35 HOUR, WHERE IT NORMALLY TAKES AND HOUR AND A HALF, BUT WE GOT 52:39 TO THE BOTTOM AND WE STARTED WALKING ON THE ROAD - WE DID, 52:43 ACTUALLY, BEAT THE GIRLS DOWN. THEY WERE DOING SOME 52:46 SHOPPING AT THE GIFT STORE. AND WE STARTED WALKING ON THE 52:51 ROAD AND WE'RE LIKE THIS WALKING ON THE ROAD. 52:54 (LAUGHTER) AND FOR THE NEXT WEEK IN SOUTH AFRICA, WE COULDN'T - 52:59 WE'D GET UP OFF THE PLATFORM TO PREACH WE'D GO, 'OH UGH!' 53:03 (LAUGHTER) IF WE HAD BEEN GOING UPHILL IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH 53:07 EASIER. IN THE BIBLE IT TALKS ABOUT TWO 53:11 DISCIPLES THE AFTERNOON AFTER THE RESURRECTION. 53:16 THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE JESUS HAD RISEN AND THEY WERE WALKING FROM 53:20 JERUSALEM DOWN TO EMMAUS - THE WORD 'EMMAUS' MEANS 'HOT WATER' 53:25 - AND JESUS DREW NEAR AND HE TALKED TO THEM. 53:27 AND HE SAID, 'WHAT MANNER OF COMMUNICATION IS THIS THAT YOU 53:30 HAVE ONE WITH ANOTHER AS YOU WALK AND ARE SAD.' THEY'RE SAD. 53:35 IT SAYS THEY DIDN'T KNOW HIM AND THEY WERE SAD. 53:39 WELL, HE OPENED THE SCRIPTURES TO THEM ALONG THE WAY AND BEGAN 53:41 TO SHOW THEM THAT JESUS WAS SUPPOSED TO SUFFER, THAT THE 53:44 MESSIAH WAS SUPPOSED TO GO THROUGH ALL HE WENT THROUGH AND 53:46 THEIR HEARTS WERE JUST THRILLED BY WHAT HE WAS SAYING. 53:49 THEY INVITED HIM IN AND SAID, 'WHY DON'T YOU HAVE A BLESSING. 53:52 HAVE A MEAL WITH US.' AND JESUS PRAYS OVER THE FOOD AND AFTER HE 53:55 SAYS THE PRAYER, IT'S LIKE THE SCALES HAD FALLEN FROM THEIR 53:58 EYES. SUDDENLY THEY RECOGNIZE IT'S 54:00 JESUS AND THEY GO, 'JESUS!' AND HE DISAPPEARED. 54:04 NOW THEY KNOW HE'S ALIVE. THE SUN HAS GONE DOWN 54:08 - YOU KNOW THE STORY? THEY INVITED HIM IN - THEY SAID, 54:09 'IT'S ALMOST DARK.' THEY'VE GONE SEVEN MILES DOWNHILL. 54:15 BUT THEY'VE GOT FRIENDS UP IN JERUSALEM THAT THINK JESUS IS 54:18 DEAD, THAT ARE DISCOURAGED, THEY'RE SCARED - THEY GATHERED 54:21 FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS. AND THEY SAID, 'HEY MAN, WE'VE 54:23 GOT GOOD NEWS.' IT DOESN'T EVEN SAY THEY ATE THEIR SANDWICH. 54:27 LIKE THE WOMAN AT THE WELL, WHEN SHE MET JESUS SHE LEFT HER 54:29 WATER POT. THESE GUYS TURN AROUND THAT SAME 54:31 HOUR IN THE DARK AND THEY START UP A HILL IN THE DARK. 54:36 NOW THEY CAN'T SEE JESUS BUT HE'S STILL WITH THEM. 54:40 AND THEY GO AND THEY TELL THEIR FRIENDS IN THE UPPER ROOM HE'S 54:42 ALIVE. NOW HERE'S A QUESTION: 54:45 WHERE WERE THEY HAPPIER? GOING DOWNHILL IN THE DAYTIME 54:50 WHEN THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO JESUS WAS? 54:53 OR WHEN JESUS REVEALED HIMSELF AND THEY KNEW HE WAS ALIVE AND 54:56 THEY'RE GOING UPHILL TO TELL OTHERS, IN THE DARK? 55:00 THEY WERE HAPPIER GOING UPHILL IN THE DARK KNOWING JESUS WAS 55:04 ALIVE, BECAUSE WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR HEART MAKES ALL THE 55:07 DIFFERENCE ON HOW EASY OR HARD SOMETHING IS. 55:09 IT'S HARD TO SERVE SOMEONE YOU HATE. 55:11 IT IS EASY TO SERVE SOMEONE YOU LOVE. 55:14 IT'S HARD TO SERVE SOMEONE THAT'S DEAD. 55:17 IT'S EASY TO SERVE SOMEONE THAT'S ALIVE. 55:20 YOU KNOW, A LOT OF RELIGIONS ARE SERVING A DEAD GOD AND WE SERVE 55:23 A LIVING GOD. SO IS IT EASIER TO BE SAVED OR TO BE LOST? 55:28 WELL, FRIENDS, I THINK IF YOU TRUST IN JESUS IT'S EASIER. 55:34 HE'S GOT GOOD NEWS FOR US. LET ME READ A STATEMENT TO YOU. 55:37 THIS IS FROM THE BOOKTHOUGHTS FROM THE MOUNT OF BLESSING- AND 55:40 THEN WE'LL CLOSE. "YET DO NOT THEREFORE CONCLUDE 55:45 THAT THE UPWARD PATH IS THE HARD AND THE DOWNWARD 55:48 ROAD IS THE EASY WAY. ALL ALONG THE ROAD THAT LEADS 55:51 TO DEATH THERE ARE PAINS AND PENALTIES. 55:54 THERE ARE SORROWS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS. 55:56 THERE ARE WARNINGS NOT TO GO ON. GOD'S LOVE HAS MADE IT HARD FOR 56:00 THE HEEDLESS AND THE HEADSTRONG TO DESTROY THEMSELVES. 56:03 IF WE TAKE CHRIST FOR OUR GUIDE, HE WILL LEAD US TO SAFETY. 56:07 THE VERIEST SINNER NEED NOT MISS HIS WAY. 56:10 NOT ONE TREMBLING SEEKER NEED FAIL OF WALKING IN PURE AND HOLY 56:13 LIGHT. THOUGH THE PATH IS NARROW, 56:16 SO HOLY THAT SIN CANNOT BE TOLERATED THEREIN, YET ACCESS 56:21 HAS BEEN SECURED FOR ALL. NOT ONE DOUBTING, TREMBLING SOUL 56:25 NEED SAY, 'GOD DOESN'T CARE FOR ME.' WITH CHRIST AS OUR GUIDE, 56:29 WE WILL NOT FAIL REACHING THE DESIRED HAVEN." YOU HEAR THAT? 56:33 WITH CHRIST AS OUR GUIDE WE WILL NOT FAIL OF REACHING THE DESIRED 56:37 HAVEN. "CHRIST HIMSELF HAS TRODDEN THE 56:39 ROUGH WAY BEFORE US AND HAS SMOOTHED THE PATH FOR OUR FEET." 56:44 IT IS EASIER TO FOLLOW JESUS TOWARDS THE KINGDOM THAN TO 56:48 FOLLOW THE DEVIL TOWARDS DESTRUCTION. 56:51 THE PROBLEM IS MOST PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE AND THEY FOLLOW THE 56:53 CROWD. 2 TIMOTHY 1:12, "FOR THIS IS THE 56:57 REASON I SUFFER THESE THINGS: NEVERTHELESS; I AM NOT ASHAMED, 57:01 FOR I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED AND AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE 57:06 TO KEEP WHAT I HAVE COMMITTED TO HIM UNTIL THAT DAY." 57:10 DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IF YOU COMMIT YOU LIFE TO JESUS HE IS 57:13 ABLE TO SAVE YOU? WOULD HE GIVE ALL THAT HE GAVE 57:17 FOR YOU TO BE SAVED IF IT WASN'T POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE SAVED? 57:20 OF COURSE IT IS, FRIENDS. DON'T LET THE DEVIL MAKE YOU 57:23 THINK THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A HARD LIFE. 57:25 SERVING HIM IS THE HARD LIFE. SERVING JESUS - HE SAYS, 'MY 57:28 BURDEN IS EASY - MY YOKE IS EASY, MY BURDEN IS LIGHT.' 57:32 DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? 57:34 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 57:37 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE 57:39 TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY 57:43 AT 'AFTV.ORG'. AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY 57:49 VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL 57:53 FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR 57:57 COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. |
Revised 2017-10-05