Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021616A
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00:01 >>I LOVE THE QUOTE: "THE GREATEST WANT OF THE WORLD IS
00:03 THE WANT OF MEN ... MEN WHO WILL STAND FOR THE RIGHT THOUGH THE 00:06 HEAVENS FALL." YET STUDIES ARE SHOWING, FOR 00:09 SEVERAL YEARS NOW, THE SECULAR MEDIA AND CULTURE HAVE SOUGHT 00:13 TO PORTRAY MEN AS THE FAMILY IDIOTS. 00:16 SADLY, RESPECT FOR THE ROLE OF FATHERS AND HUSBANDS HAS REACHED 00:21 AN ALL-TIME LOW. SO NOW, AS THE DISPIRITED MEN 00:24 ABANDON THEIR ROLES OF GODLY LEADERSHIP, IT'S NOT SURPRISING 00:28 THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING A MORAL FREE-FALL IN OUR COUNTRY. 00:31 THAT'S WHY, STARTING SEPTEMBER 30TH I'LL BE PRESENTING A NEW 00:35 PROGRAM CALLED MIGHTY MEN OF GOD . 00:38 USING BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES, THIS ENCOURAGING FOUR-PART SERIES 00:41 WILL ADDRESS HOW TO BE A LOVING FATHER, FAITHFUL HUSBAND, AND 00:45 ALL-AROUND MAN OF GOD IN THE FAMILY CHURCH AND NATION. 00:49 PLEASE PLAN NOW TO JOIN ME FOR THIS LIVE EVENT AND LEARN FROM 00:52 THE WORD HOW TO LIVE COURAGEOUSLY FOR THE KING. 01:00 (MUSIC) 01:15 >>YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE MAKES A PARTICULAR TRUTH VERY 01:19 CLEAR, AND IT IS THIS: THAT EVERYTHING WE DO IN OUR LIVES WE 01:25 WILL SOMEDAY STAND BEFORE GOD AND GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF. 01:29 AND WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THIS LIFE IS REALLY THE STAGING 01:33 GROUND - IT'S THE PLATFORM FOR ETERNITY AND HOW WE WILL SPEND 01:37 ETERNITY - EITHER ETERNAL LIFE OR ETERNAL DEATH - AND THERE'LL 01:41 BE AN EVALUATION AT THE END OF THIS LIFE THAT MAKES THOSE 01:45 DETERMINATIONS. THAT'S AN AWESOME THOUGHT. 01:50 YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WE'RE ALL HERE - MOST OF US ARE AWARE THAT IT'S 01:54 FOR A LIMITED OR TEMPORARY PERIOD OF TIME - BUT DURING THIS 01:58 TIME WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND 02:04 TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT DAY THAT WILL COME. 02:08 WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT DAY WILL COME, BUT THAT DAY THAT WILL 02:11 COME WHERE OUR LIVES WILL BE EVALUATED, HOW THEY WILL BE 02:15 EVALUATED, AND WHAT THE ETERNAL REWARD WILL BE. 02:18 THAT, TO ME, IS A VERY IMPORTANT AND AWESOME TRUTH THAT I THINK 02:24 EVERYBODY SHOULD BE AWARE OF. YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS A YOUNG 02:27 MAN, TWO DIFFERENT TIMES I WENT TO MILITARY SCHOOL AND, YOU'VE 02:34 HEARD ME SAY THIS BEFORE, BUT FIVE YEARS OLD I WAS IN A SCHOOL 02:39 CALLED BLACK FOX MILITARY ACADEMY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 02:43 AND THEN, AGAIN, I WENT TO NEW YORK MILITARY ACADEMY WHEN I 02:46 MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY - 11, 12, 13 - AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT 02:51 HELPS ME OR HURTS ME TO TELL YOU THAT I WAS THERE AND SO 02:53 WAS DONALD TRUMP. BUT HE WAS OLDER THAN ME. 02:57 I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHEN HE WAS GRADUATING. 03:00 BUT IN MILITARY SCHOOL WE HAD DAILY INSPECTIONS OF THE ROOM - 03:06 YOUR ROOM HAD TO BE IN ORDER. EVERYTHING WAS CONSTANTLY BEING 03:10 CHECKED. YOUR CLOTHES HAD TO BE FOLDED RIGHT. 03:13 YOUR CLOSET - EVERYTHING NEEDED TO BE RIGHT. 03:15 THE BOOKS NEEDED TO BE STACKED CORRECTLY AND - BUT THEN THEY 03:20 WOULD HAVE A WEEKLY INSPECTION - BUT AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THE 03:25 SUPREME INSPECTION WAS WHAT THEY CALLED GOVERNMENT INSPECTION. 03:31 AND BECAUSE IT WAS A MILITARY SCHOOL AND OUR TEACHERS WERE 03:34 ACTUALLY OFFICERS, WE HAD MILITARY LEADERS - I REMEMBER 03:40 ONE YEAR WE HAD GENERAL WILLIAM WESTMORELAND CAME AND HE WAS 03:45 PART OF THE, YOU KNOW, U.S. MILITARY LEADERSHIP AND HE 03:50 CAME TO ALL OF OUR ROOMS AND INSPECTED US. AND THEY CHECKED 03:54 YOUR SHOES. THEY CHECKED YOUR GIG LINE - THAT IT WAS STRAIGHT 03:56 - AND YOUR BELT BUCKLE HAD TO BE SHINED WITH BRASSO - AND I STILL 04:00 USE BRASSO TODAY AND I STILL SHINE MY SHOES TODAY - AND JUST 04:04 EVERYTHING - YOUR WINDOWS - YOU KNOW YOU CAN GET ALL OF THE 04:06 STREAKS OUT OF THE WINDOWS WITH NEWSPAPER. 04:09 BUT THIS INSPECTION TOOK A LONG TIME BECAUSE HE WENT AND 04:12 INSPECTED EVERY ROOM AND THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF CADETS IN NEW 04:16 YORK MILITARY ACADEMY - WE CALLED IT NYMA - NEW YORK 04:19 MILITARY ACADEMY - AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ORDER HE WOULD GO TO 04:24 INSPECT THE ROOMS AND I WAS, YOU KNOW, YOU GET 11 OR 04:27 12-YEAR-OLDS, THEY'RE STANDING AT ATTENTION WAITING FOR THIS 04:29 INSPECTION AND HOURS GO BY AND THEY'D GET BORED. 04:34 AND THEY'D START GOOFING OFF - THEY'D PEEK OUT THE HALL AND 04:36 THEY'D START GIGGLING. THEY'D START TALKING: 04:38 'DO YOU SEE ANYBODY YET?' AND WE'RE ALL STANDING THERE IN 04:39 OUR UNIFORMS AND WAITING FOR THE INSPECTION OFFICIALS TO COME 04:44 THROUGH AND - I REMEMBER ONE YEAR THEY - SOME OF THE KIDS GOT 04:48 REALLY BORED WAITING FOR THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTION. 04:51 IT SEEMED LIKE IT LITERALLY TOOK HOURS. YOU STAND THERE AT 04:54 ATTENTION, YOU WAIT, YOU'RE LOOKING UP THE HALL AND WE WAXED 04:58 THE FLOORS. WE USED TO BUFF AND WAX OUR FLOORS. 05:02 WE USED TO PUT DOWN THIS - WE CALLED IT BUTCHER'S WAX - AND 05:04 THEN WE TOOK THIS MACHINE - THIS BIG BUFFING MACHINE - IT WOULD 05:06 GO BACK AND FORTH AND SOME OF THE KIDS WOULD RIDE THE MACHINE 05:10 - THEY'D SIT ON IT AND HANG ON WHILE ANOTHER ONE WOULD DO IT 05:12 AND YOU COULD GET THAT THING GOING PRETTY QUICK. 05:14 YOU GO DOWN IT GOES THIS WAY. YOU LIFT UP IT GOES THIS WAY. 05:16 ANY OF YOU EVER USE ONE OF THOSE BUFFING MACHINES BEFORE? 05:19 YEAH, SO WE GOT THE FLOORS REALLY SHINY AND - BUT WE KNEW 05:25 THAT WHEN YOU TOOK OFF YOUR SHOES AND YOU RAN UP THAT FLOOR 05:28 - THE LINOLEUM THERE IN THE HALL - WITHOUT YOUR SHOES ON, IT WAS 05:31 LIKE AN ICE RINK AND YOU COULD JUST SKATE. 05:35 AND WE USED TO HAVE FUN RUNNING UP THE HALL AND THEN 05:36 SLIDING - AND HAVE A SLIDING CONTEST. 05:39 AND I REMEMBER ONE YEAR, SOME OF THE KIDS JUST GOT SO BORED - 05:42 SOME OF THE YOUNGER KIDS - WAITING, THEY BEGAN TO SLIDE 05:45 AROUND THEIR ROOM AND WHEN THE ROOM WAS TOO SMALL, THEY DECIDED 05:48 TO SLIDE UP AND DOWN THE HALL AND I - I REMEMBER THAT SOME OF 05:54 THE KIDS ON OUR FLOOR - IT WASN'T ME - NOT THIS TIME - SOME 05:59 OF THE KIDS ON OUR FLOOR WERE RUNNING UP THE HALL AND THEN 06:03 SLIDING AND SEEING HOW FAR THEY COULD SLIDE - AND THEY WERE 06:05 GIGGLING. RIGHT AT THE MOMENT WHEN WILLIAM 06:08 WESTMORELAND, WITH THE SCHOOL COMMANDANT AND THE PRINCIPAL 06:12 AND EVERYBODY, STEPPED ONTO THE FLOOR, SOME KIDS 06:15 WENT SLIDING BY. (LAUGHTER) THEY WERE SUPPOSED 06:18 TO BE STANDING AT ATTENTION IN THEIR ROOM. 06:20 THEIR SHOES WERE OFF AND THEIR CLOTHES WERE UNTUCKED AND I 06:24 THOUGHT, 'BOY, ARE THEY GOING TO GET IT!' AND THEY DID. 06:28 AND NOT ONLY DID THE INSPECTION AFFECT YOU - WHATEVER YOUR GRADE 06:34 WAS - YOUR PASSING FOR YOUR ROOM, IS THE DIFFERENT QUADRANTS 06:39 OF THE SCHOOL AND CLASSES SORT OF WERE IN COMPETITION WITH EACH 06:43 OTHER - WE WERE IN DIFFERENT BUILDINGS. WE WERE IN BINGLEY 06:45 HALL - AND EVERYBODY SUFFERED IF YOU CUT UP. 06:51 SO HOW YOU DO IN THE JUDGMENT USUALLY IS ALSO GOING TO BE 06:54 CONNECTED WITH HOW DID YOU INFLUENCE OTHERS AROUND YOU? 06:59 BUT LET ME GET RIGHT INTO HERE. THERE'S A LOT OF SCRIPTURE THAT 07:02 TALKS ABOUT THIS SUBJECT AND I'LL TRY AND TAKE IT THROUGH A 07:05 LOGICAL WAY. FIRST OF ALL, THE BIBLE'S CLEAR - THERE IS A 07:08 JUDGMENT. HEBREWS 9:27, "AND AS IT IS APPOINTED FOR MEN TO DIE 07:13 ONCE, BUT AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT." WE HAVE A SUMMONS TO 07:18 A COURT. THERE'S GOING TO BE A TRIBUNAL. YOU KNOW, EVERY NOW 07:21 AND THEN I GET CALLED TO JURY DUTY AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO 07:27 JURY DUTY BECAUSE I DIDN'T START GETTING CALLED UNTIL I SETTLED 07:31 DOWN, I HAD AN ADDRESS, AND I BECAME A PASTOR. 07:33 YOU DON'T GET A CALL TO JURY DUTY IF YOU LIVE IN A CAVE. 07:36 BUT ONCE I SETTLED DOWN, I GOT AN ADDRESS - I GOT CALLED. 07:38 BUT WHEN YOU'RE A PASTOR AND YOU'RE INVOLVED IN, YOU KNOW, 07:43 PEOPLE - THERE'S MARRIAGES AND FUNERALS AND IMPORTANT THINGS - 07:47 I'VE ALWAYS SAID, YOU KNOW, 'IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME.' AND 07:49 THEY ALWAYS GAVE ME A PASS. I'VE NEVER BEEN TO JURY DUTY. 07:51 BUT YOU DON'T GET A PASS FOR THIS JUDGMENT. 07:55 YOU CAN'T JUST PAY A FINE AND GO ON AND IGNORE. 07:58 YOU MUST APPEAR. WE MUST ALL APPEAR, THE BIBLE SAYS. 08:02 YOU LOOK, FOR INSTANCE, IN ECCLESIASTES 11, "REJOICE, O 08:06 YOUNG MAN, IN YOUR YOUTH, AND LET YOUR HEART CHEER YOU IN THE 08:09 DAYS OF YOUR YOUTH; WALK IN THE WAYS OF YOUR HEART, AND IN THE 08:12 SIGHT OF YOUR EYES; BUT KNOW THAT FOR ALL THESE GOD WILL 08:17 BRING YOU INTO JUDGMENT." EVERYTHING WE DO, WHAT WE THINK, 08:21 WHAT WE SAY, HOW WE SPEND OUR TIME AND OUR MEANS, WHAT WE 08:24 WEAR, HOW WE EAT - A MAN'LL GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF THEMSELVES TO GOD. 08:29 AND IT CAN MAKE US NERVOUS WHEN WE THINK ABOUT IT. IT DOES ME. 08:35 WE'LL BRING SOME GOOD NEWS BEFORE IT'S OVER, BUT I THINK 08:36 FIRST, TO RIGHTLY UNDERSTAND - SOMEONE ONCE SAID, 'IF PEOPLE DO 08:42 NOT UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF THE JUDGMENT THEY'LL NEVER COME 08:44 TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF GRACE. 08:47 IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF THE JUDGMENT, GRACE 08:50 WILL MEAN NOTHING TO YOU. FIRST YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND 08:53 WHAT YOU'RE FACING. THAT OUGHT TO MAKE US ALL 08:56 TREMBLE A LITTLE BIT - AND THAT'S NOT A BAD THING. 08:59 THAT MAKES YOU REALLY EMBRACE GRACE AND APPRECIATE IT. 09:04 ACTS 24:25 AS PAUL WAS PREACHING BEFORE FELIX, HIS JUDGE, "NOW AS 09:11 HE REASONED ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS, SELF-CONTROL, AND THE JUDGMENT 09:15 TO COME, FELIX WAS AFRAID AND ANSWERED, 'GO AWAY FOR NOW; WHEN 09:19 I HAVE A CONVENIENT TIME I WILL CALL FOR YOU.'" NOT EVERYBODY 09:22 WANTS TO HEAR THE MESSAGE ABOUT JUDGMENT, BUT IT IS A MESSAGE 09:25 THAT IS TO BE GIVEN IN THE LAST DAYS. 09:28 YOU LOOK - DANIEL ALLUDED TO THIS IN HIS PRAYER. 09:31 IF YOU GO TO REVELATION CHAPTER 14 - YOU KNOW, THE THREE ANGELS' 09:35 MESSAGES THAT GO TO THE WORLD JUST BEFORE JESUS RETURNS? 09:38 IF YOU LOOK IN REVELATION 14:14 IT SAYS, "THEN I LOOKED, AND 09:42 BEHOLD, A WHITE CLOUD, AND ON THE CLOUD SAT ONE LIKE THE SON 09:45 OF MAN, HAVING ON HIS HEAD A GOLDEN CROWN, AND IN HIS HAND A 09:48 SHARP SICKLE." THIS IS THE COMING OF THE LORD, RIGHT? 09:50 JESUS COMING IN THE CLOUDS. WHAT HAPPENS? 09:53 WHAT MESSAGE GOES TO THE WORLD BEFORE CHRIST COMES? 09:56 YOU BACK UP A LITTLE BIT IT SAYS IN VERSE 6 - REVELATION 14:6 - 10:00 "THEN I SAW ANOTHER ANGEL FLYING IN THE MIDST OF HEAVEN, HAVING 10:04 THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL" - THIS GOOD NEWS - "TO PREACH TO THOSE 10:08 WHO DWELL ON THE EARTH - TO EVERY NATION, TRIBE, TONGUE, AND 10:11 PEOPLE - SAYING" - NOW THIS IS PART OF THAT GOOD NEWS MESSAGE - 10:15 "...'FEAR GOD AND GIVE GLORY TO HIM, FOR THE HOUR OF HIS 10:20 JUDGMENT HAS COME; AND WORSHIP HIM WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH, 10:25 THE SEA AND SPRINGS OF WATER.'" IT TELLS US THAT THERE WAS AN 10:29 HOUR OF JUDGMENT. WE JUST READ IN HEBREWS, IT 10:32 SAID HE APPOINTED A TIME. NOW THERE ARE SOME THINGS 10:37 THAT WE DON'T KNOW. NO MAN KNOWS THE DAY AND THE 10:39 HOUR OF CHRIST'S COMING. BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN KNOW 10:42 SOMETHING ABOUT THE TIMING OF THE JUDGMENT. 10:45 PART OF THE JUDGMENT TAKES PLACE BEFORE THE LORD COMES. 10:51 YOU THINK ABOUT IT JUST FOR A SECOND. 10:54 IF THE BIBLE TELLS US, 'BEHOLD, I COME AND MY REWARD IS WITH ME' 10:58 - IF THE LORD'S REWARD IS WITH HIM TO GIVE TO EVERY MAN WHEN HE 11:01 COMES, SOME ASPECT OF THE JUDGMENT MUST TAKE PLACE BEFORE 11:05 HE COMES TO RENDER A DETERMINATION. 11:08 DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? >>YES. 11:11 >>SO WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN? THE BIBLE SAYS JUDGMENT MUST 11:14 BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD. SO IF IT BEGINS AT US, WHAT WILL 11:18 BE THE END OF THOSE WHO KNOW NOT THE GOSPEL? 11:22 THERE ARE SEVEN PHASES OF CHURCH HISTORY THAT ARE GIVEN IN 11:25 REVELATION FROM THE TIME OF CHRIST'S FIRST COMING TO HIS 11:27 SECOND COMING. THE LAST PHASE OF CHURCH HISTORY 11:31 IS A TIME CALLED LAODICEA. THE WORD 'LAODICEA' ACTUALLY 11:34 MEANS 'JUDGING OF THE PEOPLE'. NOW WE BELIEVE THAT WE ENTERED 11:38 THE LAST PHASE OF THE CHURCH'S HISTORY IN 1844. 11:44 AND A SPECIAL WORK OF CHRIST'S BEGAN IN HEAVEN DURING THAT TIME 11:48 CALLED THE INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT, WHERE THE NAMES OF 11:51 THOSE WHO HAVE PROFESSED TO BELIEVE IN GOD, WHO WANTED THEIR 11:55 NAMES IN THE BOOK OF LIFE, THEIR LIVES ARE BEING EVALUATED BASED 11:59 ON THEIR PROFESSION, AND SOME DAY HE'LL FINISH WITH THE NAMES 12:02 OF THOSE WHO ARE DEAD - OBVIOUSLY YOU START WITH THOSE 12:04 WHO ARE DECEASED AND IT'LL COME TO THE NAME OF THOSE WHO ARE 12:07 LIVING. AND THEN WHEN THAT CONCLUDES, 12:10 PROBATION CLOSES, JUDGMENT CEASES, MICHAEL STANDS UP, AND 12:15 THERE'S A TIME OF TROUBLE SUCH AS THERE NEVER HAS. 12:17 WHEN THAT WILL BE - WHEN THAT PART OF THE JUDGMENT ENDS - 12:20 NOBODY KNOWS. MAYBE I SHOULD PAUSE HERE AND 12:22 SAY THERE ARE REALLY THREE PARTS OF THE JUDGMENT. 12:25 YOU'VE GOT WHAT YOU WOULD CALL THE 'PRE-ADVENT' OR JUDGMENT 12:28 PRIOR TO CHRIST'S COMING. THAT'S THE TIME GOING ON NOW. 12:33 THERE'S A JUDGMENT THAT GOES ON DURING THE ONE THOUSAND YEARS, 12:38 WHICH SAYS THAT THE SAINTS ARE INVOLVED IN A JUDGMENT WITH 12:42 CHRIST. AND THEN THERE'S THE EXECUTIVE 12:44 WHITE-THRONE JUDGMENT THAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE ONE 12:47 THOUSAND YEARS WHEN ALL THE WICKED ARE RESURRECTED AND 12:50 EVERYBODY IS TOGETHER AGAIN. THAT'S THAT TIME YOU READ ABOUT 12:53 WHERE JESUS SAID - MATTHEW 25 - HE WILL SEPARATE THE SHEEP FROM 12:58 THE GOATS AND ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE GATHERED BEFORE HIM. 13:01 THAT'S THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT. 13:04 AND SO, THERE'S THE GOSPEL HERE AND THEN IT SAYS, CONNECTED WITH 13:09 THAT THERE'S A MESSAGE: 'FEAR GOD AND GIVE GLORY TO HIM FOR 13:13 THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT IS COME.' NOW, I DON'T ASK YOU TO 13:17 RAISE YOUR HAND NOW. I DON'T RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO, 13:21 BUT HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO GO TO COURT? 13:25 I'VE GONE BEFORE AS AN ADVOCATE FOR OTHERS AND I'VE GONE BEFORE 13:28 BECAUSE I WAS IN TROUBLE. I COULD PROBABLY TEACH TRAFFIC 13:31 SCHOOL BECAUSE I'VE - I'VE BEEN TO TRAFFIC COURT ONCE OR TWICE 13:37 TO APPEAL MY SENTENCE, AND WHILE YOU'RE SITTING THERE IN COURT 13:42 SOMETIMES, WHATEVER THE REASON, THERE'S OFTEN A LOT OF CASES 13:45 THAT YOU GET TO SIT THROUGH AND LISTEN. 13:47 THE JUDGE HAS USUALLY GOT THIS BIG DOCKET OF CASES THAT HE'S 13:50 DEALING WITH AND IT'S KIND OF FUN TO SEE HOW SOME PEOPLE COME 13:54 TO COURT. IT'S AMAZING, WHEN I GO TO 13:56 COURT, NO MATTER HOW I MIGHT LOOK DURING THE WEEK, IF I'M 14:00 GOING TO APPEAL TO THE JUDGE FOR MERCY, I CLEAN UP. 14:06 I - I USED TO COMB MY HAIR. I TRY AND DRESS NICE. 14:12 I WRECKED A MERCEDES BENZ ONCE WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER - IT 14:15 WASN'T EVEN MINE - AND I HAD TO GO TO COURT AND I WAS A HIPPIE. 14:21 MY FATHER TOLD ME, 'YOU'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR MERCY,' HE 14:26 SAID, 'YOU NEED TO CUT YOUR HAIR,' HE SAID, 'YOU NEED TO PUT 14:29 ON SOME DECENT CLOTHES AND YOU'RE IN TROUBLE.' MY FATHER 14:33 WAS GETTING FINED BECAUSE I HAD WRECKED SOMEONE ELSE'S CAR 14:36 RUNNING IT INTO ANOTHER CAR AND HE SAID, 'YOU'RE NOT GOING TO 14:41 COURT LOOKING LIKE THAT.' SO IF WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO COURT, 14:45 DOES IT AFFECT OUR BEHAVIOR? IF YOU'RE GOING TO APPEAR BEFORE 14:48 THE KING, AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO ANSWER FOR YOUR LIFE AND IF 14:51 YOU'RE GOING TO HOPE FOR MERCY, WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO FEAR 14:57 GOD AND GIVE GLORY TO HIM? AND SO, BECAUSE WE'RE LIVING IN 15:03 THAT AWESOME TIME BEFORE JESUS COMES, THAT OUGHT TO HAVE SOME 15:08 IMPACT ON OUR LIVES, AMEN? YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT 15:13 JOB THIS WAS ONE THAT FEARED GOD AND HE HATED EVIL. 15:17 SO THERE'S A JUDGMENT THAT ALL WILL FACE. SOME OF YOU ARE OLD 15:21 ENOUGH TO REMEMBER A FAMOUS COMEDIAN NAMED W.C. FIELDS. 15:26 HE ACTUALLY WAS A VERY COORDINATED JUGGLER, AMONG OTHER 15:29 THINGS, BUT HE WASN'T KNOWN FOR HIS GODLINESS - HE DRANK AND 15:31 SMOKE CIGARS AND DID A LOT OF OFF-COLOR STORIES. 15:37 WHEN HE WAS DYING, HE WAS IN A HOSPITAL AND A FRIEND CAME TO 15:41 VISIT HIM IN THE HOSPITAL AND HE WAS READING THE BIBLE. 15:45 MAYBE THE GIDEONS HAD LEFT IT. AND HIS FRIEND WAS SHOCKED AND 15:48 SAID, 'BILL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING READING THE BIBLE?' 15:52 AND IN HIS FAMILIAR DRAWL HE SAID, 'I'M LOOKING FOR 15:56 LOOPHOLES.' BECAUSE HE KNEW HOW HE HAD LIVED HIS LIFE AND HE WAS 16:01 HOPING THAT HE COULD FIND MAYBE THERE WAS SOME WAY OUT BECAUSE 16:06 HE KNEW THAT HE WOULD SOMEDAY HAVE TO GIVE AN ANSWER TO GOD. 16:10 DANIEL WEBSTER SAID ONE TIME, 'MY GREATEST THOUGHT' - THIS IS 16:14 A BRILLIANT MAN - HE SAID THE GREATEST THOUGHT THAT AFFECTED 16:16 HIM WAS HIS ACCOUNTABILITY TO GOD. 16:20 WE ARE ALL ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE THAT HE'S 16:25 GIVEN US - AND WE'LL GIVE AN ACCOUNT. IN 1993 THE PEW 16:29 RESEARCH GROUP DID A POLL AND THEY DETERMINED THAT FOUR OUT OF 16:32 FIVE AMERICANS AGREE THAT WE WILL ALL BE CALLED TO STAND 16:37 BEFORE GOD'S JUDGMENT SOMEDAY TO ANSWER FOR OUR LIVES. SO WHO IS 16:44 GOING TO BE JUDGED? ROMANS 14, VERSE 12 - PAUL SAYS, "SO THEN 16:49 EACH OF US WILL GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF TO GOD." IT'S A FINAL 16:54 EXAM THAT CANNOT BE SKIPPED. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:10, "FOR WE MUST 16:59 ALL APPEAR" - HOW MANY? >>ALL. 17:02 >>"WE MUST ALL APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, THAT 17:06 EACH ONE MAY RECEIVE THE THINGS DONE IN THE BODY, ACCORDING TO 17:10 WHAT HE HAS DONE, WHETHER GOOD OR BAD." 17:12 NOW, YOU NOTICE, DOES IT SAY THAT ONLY THE BAD APPEAR? 17:16 OR DOES HE SAY THE GOOD AND THE BAD? 17:19 WE MUST ALL - SHEEP AND GOATS - ALL APPEAR BEFORE THE LORD IN 17:24 THAT JUDGMENT. WHO IS THE JUDGE? 17:28 PSALM 50, VERSE 6, "AND THE HEAVENS SHALL DECLARE HIS 17:32 RIGHTEOUSNESS: FOR GOD IS JUDGE HIMSELF." 17:36 THAT'S THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF GOD BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE KNOW 17:39 ABOUT GOD, WE KNOW THERE'S GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, AND GOD 17:43 THE SPIRIT. WHICH MEMBER OF THE GODHEAD 17:46 IS INVOLVED IN THIS JUDGMENT? JOHN 5:22 - JESUS SAID, 17:50 "FOR THE FATHER JUDGES NO ONE, BUT HAS COMMITTED ALL JUDGMENT 17:54 TO THE SON." JESUS IS OUR JUDGE. 17:57 NOW, IF JESUS IS YOUR FRIEND, THAT HELPS, DOESN'T IT? 18:00 IF YOU GO TO COURT - YOU KNOW, ONE THING I'VE OBSERVED IS, OVER 18:05 THE YEARS, BEING CONNECTED WITH A FEW COURT CASES, TALKING TO 18:11 SOME DIFFERENT ATTORNEYS, WHEN DIFFERENT ATTORNEYS REALIZE 18:16 THEY'RE GOING TO REPRESENT A CLIENT AND THEY GET A COURT 18:18 DATE, THEY SAY, 'WHO IS THE JUDGE?' 18:21 AND I'D SAY, 'WELL, WILL THAT MATTER? 18:24 I MEAN, AREN'T THEY ALL JUDGING BY THE SAME RULE BOOK?' 18:26 HE SAID, 'OH, IT MATTERS TREMENDOUSLY.' THEY SAID, 'THIS 18:28 JUDGE LEANS THIS WAY; THIS JUDGE IS VERY IMPATIENT. 18:32 THIS JUDGE, HISTORICALLY, IS VERY MERCIFUL FOR THESE CASES. 18:35 THIS JUDGE...' - AND IT'S AMAZING TO ME HOW BIASED THE 18:39 ATTORNEYS KNOW THAT THE JUDGES ARE. 18:42 AND SO, IF YOU'RE A FRIEND OF THE JUDGE YOU THINK, 'WELL, THAT 18:48 WILL HELP ME OUT.' BUT THERE'S STILL THE LAW, AND IF YOU HAVE A 18:53 JUST JUDGE, HE'S GOT TO GO BY THE LAW. 18:56 AND SO GOD HAS THIS CONUNDRUM. JESUS SAYS, 'I'M YOUR BROTHER. 19:00 I'M YOUR FRIEND. I'M YOUR CREATOR. I'M YOUR SAVIOR. 19:05 I LOVE YOU. BUT I'M A KING AND I CANNOT 19:09 GO AGAINST MY OWN LAW.' AND YOU CAN EVEN LOOK IN ANCIENT 19:13 HISTORY AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A NUMBER OF EXAMPLES OF 19:16 KINGS THAT MADE LAWS THEY DID NOT WANT TO KEEP, BUT BECAUSE 19:20 THEY WERE A KING, THEY HAD TO GO BY THEIR WORD. 19:23 AHASUERUS MADE A LAW THAT ALL THE JEWS WOULD BE ATTACKED ON A 19:25 CERTAIN DAY, THEN HE FOUND OUT HIS WIFE WAS A JEW. 19:29 HE COULD NOT REVOKE THAT LAW, HE COULD ONLY MAKE ANOTHER LAW THAT 19:32 GAVE THEM THE RIGHT TO PRE-EMPTIVELY ATTACK THOSE WHO 19:35 WERE THEIR ENEMIES. KING DARIUS MADE A LAW THAT 19:38 EVERYBODY WHO PRAYED TO ANY GOD OR MAN FOR 30 DAYS, EXCEPT HIM, 19:42 WAS GOING TO THE LION'S DEN. THEN HE REALIZED THAT IT 19:44 WAS A TRAP FOR DANIEL. HE DIDN'T WANT TO PUT DANIEL IN 19:47 THE LION'S DEN, BUT A KING'S WORD WAS LAW. 19:50 AND THEN, YOU KNOW, KING HEROD, HE TOLD HIS STEP-DAUGHTER, 'IF 19:53 YOU DANCE FOR ME, I'LL GIVE YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT UP TO HALF THE 19:55 KINGDOM.' THE LAST THING HE EXPECTED WAS THAT THEY WOULD 19:58 WANT TO KILL JOHN THE BAPTIST. HE THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS GOING TO 20:01 ASK FOR A TRIP DOWN TO EGYPT OR SOMETHING. 20:04 BUT HE HAD SPOKEN AND THE KING'S WORD WAS LAW. 20:07 SO OUR GOD HAS SPOKEN FROM A MOUNTAIN AND HE WROTE WITH HIS 20:10 FINGER AND HE HAS A LAW. AND THERE'S A PENALTY 20:14 FOR BREAKING THAT LAW. AND AS MUCH AS HE LOVES US, HE 20:17 CAN'T JUST LET YOU OFF THE HOOK. HE MUST HAVE A JUST WAY OF 20:24 DEALING WITH TRANSGRESSION. THERE IS SUCH A THING AS MERCY 20:30 AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN JUST A MOMENT. 20:32 ACTS 17:31 - STILL TALKING ABOUT WHO THE JUDGE IS - "BECAUSE HE 20:38 [GOD] HAS APPOINTED A DAY ON WHICH HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD IN 20:42 RIGHTEOUSNESS" - HE'S A RIGHTEOUS JUDGE - "BY THE MAN 20:45 WHOM HE HAS ORDAINED. HE HAS GIVEN ASSURANCE OF THIS 20:49 TO ALL BY RAISING HIM FROM THE DEAD." 20:51 SO HE'LL JUDGE THE WORLD BY THE MAN HE ORDAINED AND ROSE FROM 20:54 THE DEAD. SO WHO IS OUR JUDGE? JESUS, RIGHT? 20:59 SO WHAT IS JUDGED IN THIS JUDGMENT? 21:02 ECCLESIASTES 12 - HERE'S THE WISEST MAN - VERSES 13 AND 14 - 21:06 THE LAST VERSES IN ECCLESIASTES - "LET US HEAR THE CONCLUSION OF 21:09 THE WHOLE MATTER: FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS," - THAT'S 21:13 LIKE THE THREE ANGELS' MESSAGE: FEAR GOD AND GIVE GLORY TO HIM - 21:16 "FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS FOR THIS IS MAN'S 21:18 ALL. FOR GOD WILL BRING EVERY WORK 21:22 INTO JUDGMENT, INCLUDING EVERY SECRET THING, WHETHER 21:26 GOOD OR EVIL." EVERY SECRET THING? 21:30 DOES THAT MAKE YOU SQUIRM A LITTLE BIT? 21:33 MATTHEW 12:36, JESUS SAID, "BUT I SAY TO YOU THAT FOR EVERY IDLE 21:37 WORD MEN MAY SPEAK, THEY WILL GIVE ACCOUNT OF IT IN THE DAY OF 21:41 JUDGMENT." DOES JESUS TEACH THERE'S A DAY OF JUDGMENT? 21:44 DOES JESUS TEACH THAT PARTICULAR THINGS ARE NOTED? 21:48 EVERY IDLE WORD THAT YOU SPEAK. "FOR BY YOUR WORDS YOU WILL BE 21:52 JUSTIFIED, AND BY YOUR WORDS YOU WILL BE CONDEMNED." 21:55 WELL THAT'S, AGAIN, IF IT WASN'T FOR GRACE - MAN, I THINK ABOUT 21:59 ALL THE DUMB THINGS I'VE SAID; ALL THE FRIVOLOUS THINGS; ALL - 22:03 MAYBE THE FOOLISH UNKIND THINGS - ALL THE GOSSIP - ANYONE OUT 22:08 THERE? AM I ALONE? COME ON. NO ONE WANTS TO ADMIT 22:13 TO BEING A GOSSIP. MOST OF US ARE THOUGH. 22:19 LUKE 12 - BOY, FACEBOOK IS GOSSIP ON STEROIDS. 22:22 (LAUGHTER) 'I'M JUST CHECKING UP ON MY FRIENDS.' SOME OF THAT IS 22:27 JUST A SANCTIFIED WAY OF TALKING ABOUT GOSSIP. 22:31 JUST SAYING THAT SOME PEOPLE SPEND HOURS ON THAT STUFF, JUST 22:34 FINDING OUT WHAT EVERBODY'S DOING. 22:39 LUKE 12:2 AND 3, "FOR THERE IS NOTHING COVERED THAT WILL NOT BE 22:42 REVEALED," - NOTHING - "NOR HIDDEN THAT WILL NOT BE KNOWN. 22:48 THEREFORE WHATEVER YOU HAVE SPOKEN IN THE DARK WILL BE HEARD 22:51 IN THE LIGHT, AND WHAT YOU HAVE SPOKEN IN THE EAR IN INNER ROOMS 22:54 WILL BE PROCLAIMED ON THE HOUSETOPS." 22:58 AND SO, WOW, WE'RE ALL IN FOR IT. 23:02 IF EVERY IDLE WORD AND EVERY SECRET THING AND EVEN THE THINGS 23:06 THAT WE THINK - LOOK AT LUKE 2:35 "...THAT THE THOUGHTS OF 23:10 MANY HEARTS MAY BE REVEALED." 1 CORINTHIANS 4:5, "THEREFORE 23:16 JUDGE NOTHING BEFORE THE TIME, UNTIL THE LORD COMES, WHO WILL 23:19 BOTH BRING TO LIGHT THE HIDDEN THINGS OF DARKNESS AND" - NOTICE 23:23 - "REVEAL THE COUNSELS OF THE HEARTS." SO GOD IS NOT ONLY IN 23:27 THE JUDGMENT LOOKING AT WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE SAY AND WHAT WE 23:34 THINK, HOW WE GIVE, WHAT WE WEAR, WHY WE WEAR IT - 23:44 THE VANITIES OF THE HEART - I MEAN, JUST EVERYTHING ABOUT THE 23:47 REALITY - IT GETS RIGHT DOWN TO JUST THE VERY RAW BASIC CORE 23:52 ELEMENT OF WHO YOU ARE. AND UNLESS WE'RE CLEANSED AND 23:57 TRANSFORMED BY THE LORD, WE'RE ALL IN TROUBLE. 24:02 NOW FIRST YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW WHAT THE BAD NEWS IS BEFORE YOU 24:05 APPRECIATE THE GOOD NEWS. IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND 24:07 JUDGMENT, YOU'LL NEVER APPRECIATE GRACE. 24:10 SO, IF YOU'RE TREMBLING A LITTLE BIT, LIKE FELIX, GOOD. 24:14 BECAUSE THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT THAT. WE NEED TO BE AWARE THAT 24:17 WE'LL GIVE AN ACCOUNT FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE DONE. 24:22 WHAT'S IN THE JUDGMENT? ALL THESE THINGS. 24:25 YOU CAN READ IN JUDE 14 AND 15, "BEHOLD, THE LORD COMES WITH TEN 24:30 THOUSANDS OF HIS SAINTS, TO EXECUTE JUDGMENT ON ALL, TO 24:34 CONVICT ALL WHO ARE UNGODLY AMONG THEM OF ALL THEIR UNGODLY 24:38 DEEDS WHICH THEY HAVE COMMITTED IN AN UNGODLY WAY, AND OF ALL 24:41 THE HARSH THINGS WHICH UNGODLY SINNERS HAVE SPOKEN AGAINST 24:45 HIM." DEEDS DONE, WORDS SPOKEN, ALL - 24:48 AND IT SAYS - TO CONVICT ALL - BEHOLD, THE LORD COMES. 24:53 WHY DOES IT SAY, 'THEN THEY WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING IN THE 24:57 CLOUDS OF HEAVEN - ALL THE TRIBES OF THE EARTH WILL MOURN.' 25:01 WHY ARE THEY MOURNING? BECAUSE HE'S COMING ON A THRONE. 25:05 HE IS OUR KING, HE IS OUR JUDGE - ALL THINGS ARE NAKED AND OPEN 25:09 TO THE EYES OF HIM. JOHN SAYS HE COULDN'T EVEN LOOK 25:12 INTO HIS EYES - THEY WERE LIKE A BURNING FLAME OF A FIRE. 25:16 NOW, I WON'T GO INTO DETAIL, BUT WHEN I LOOK AT JESUS AND WHEN I 25:22 LOOK AT MY LIFE, I THINK I'M IN TROUBLE - LIKE ISAIAH, WHEN HE 25:27 GOT A LOOK AT THE LORD, YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID? 25:29 'WOE IS ME.' THIS IS A PROPHET THAT WE WOULD ALL WANT TO BE 25:34 ELDER IN OUR CHURCH. BUT WHEN HE SAW GOD IN HIS 25:37 GLORY HE SAID, 'WOE IS ME. I AM UNDONE. 25:40 FOR I AM A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS AND I DWELL IN THE MIDST OF A 25:43 PEOPLE OF UNCLEAN LIPS. FOR MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE 25:46 KING.' AND THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED: WHEN HE CONFESSED HIS 25:52 SIN AND HE REPENTED OF HIS SIN, THE BIBLE SAYS, 'THEN GOD SENT 25:59 AN ANGEL WITH A COAL FROM THE ALTAR AND TOUCHED HIS LIPS. 26:03 HE SAID, 'YOUR INIQUITY IS TAKEN AWAY. YOUR SIN IS PURGED.' 26:07 WELL, THERE'S A GLIMMER OF HOPE THERE, ISN'T THERE? 26:11 WHEN HE ACKNOWLEDGED HIS SIN AND HE REPENTED OF HIS SIN, AND HE 26:15 CONFESSED HIS SIN, THE LORD WANTED TO SAVE ISAIAH BECAUSE HE 26:20 HAD A WORK FOR HIM TO DO, BUT HE HAD TO CLEAN HIM FIRST. 26:22 AND WHEN THE ANGEL TOOK A COAL FROM THE ALTAR AND HE TOUCHED 26:25 HIS LIPS, HE SAID, 'YOUR SIN IS TAKEN AWAY.' RIGHT AWAY, YOUR 26:29 SIN IS PURGED. SO HE COULD STAND IN THE 26:31 PRESENCE OF A HOLY GOD. INDEED, HE WAS COMMISSIONED TO 26:34 WORK AND GIVE A MESSAGE FOR A HOLY GOD. 26:38 BUT UNTIL HE WAS CONVICTED, HE COULD NOT BE CLEANSED OR 26:44 COMMISSIONED. NOW, HOW MANY OF YOU 26:46 WANT TO WORK FOR GOD? DON'T YOU WANT TO USE 26:48 YOUR LIVES TO SERVE JESUS? I HOPE YOU ALL DO. 26:51 HOW MANY OF YOU - IF YOU DON'T WANT TO - HOW MANY OF YOU WANT 26:53 TO WANT TO? HOW MANY OF YOU WANT 26:56 TO WANT TO MORE MAYBE? THAT WOULD BE ALL OF US. 27:01 CONVICTION, CLEANSING, CONVERSION, COMMISSIONING - WE 27:09 ALL NEED TO REALIZE WHAT'S GOING ON AND THAT UNLESS WE ARE 27:13 CLEANSED - UNLESS WE CONFESS TO THE LORD OUR SIN AND WE'RE AWARE 27:17 THAT WE WILL GIVE AN ANSWER TO GOD FOR EVERY IMPURE THOUGHT - 27:21 ONLY THE PURE IN HEART WILL SEE GOD - FOR THE MEAN THINGS WE'VE 27:26 SAID, THE IDLE GOSSIP, THE - IF THERE'S ANY THEFT. 27:36 HAVE WE MURDERED IN OUR HEARTS? 27:39 KIND OF HEART HOMICIDE - YOU CAN HAVE ADULTERY IN THE MIND - I 27:45 MEAN, YOU THINK ABOUT THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW THAT JESUS TALKS AND 27:48 WE ALL STAND IN THE BLAZING LIGHT OF CHRIST'S PURITY - 27:52 WE STAND CONDEMNED BECAUSE HOW MANY HAVE SINNED? 27:55 >>ALL. >>ALL. 27:56 NOW SOME OF US ARE MAYBE WORSE SINNERS THAN OTHERS. 27:59 SOME OF US ARE WORSE SINNERS THAN WE THINK. 28:03 SOME OF US THINK THAT WE'RE BETTER THAN OTHERS, WHICH REALLY 28:06 MAKES IT THE WORST SIN, BECAUSE THAT'S PRIDE. 28:12 THE BIBLE SAYS TWO MEN WENT INTO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY; ONE WAS A 28:16 PUBLICAN - YOU KNOW, THEY WERE THE TAX COLLECTORS THAT HUNG OUT 28:19 WITH THE PEOPLE OF ILL REPUTE - AND THE OTHER WAS A PHARISEE - 28:22 THEY WERE THE RELIGIOUS - ZEALOUS PEOPLE - PAID TITHE - 28:24 AND THE PHARISEE STOOD AND PRAYED THUS WITH HIMSELF, 'LORD, 28:28 I THANK YOU I'M NOT LIKE OTHER MEN.' - HE'S THINKING 28:30 HORIZONTALLY - 'I PAY TITHE OF ALL THAT I HAVE AND I FAST TWICE 28:34 A WEEK AND I'M GLAD I'M NOT LIKE THE GUY IN THE BACK ROW THERE - 28:37 THE PUBLICAN' - AND THEN JESUS GOES ON WITH THE PARABLE AND HE 28:41 SAYS, 'BUT THE PUBLICAN WOULDN'T SO MUCH AS LIFT UP HIS EYES, BUT 28:43 HE SMOTE ON HIS BREAST AND SAID, 'LORD, HAVE MERCY ON ME, A 28:46 SINNER.' HE WAS A SINNER. HE CONFESSED HE WAS A SINNER. 28:52 AND THEN JESUS SAID, 'THAT MAN - THE PUBLICAN - WENT HOME 28:56 FORGIVEN - JUSTIFIED - AND NOT THE PHARISEE, WHO THOUGHT HE WAS 29:00 BETTER.' AND SO ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS SINS IS THE SIN OF 29:05 PRIDE. YOU CAN FIND THAT IN THAT 29:07 BOOK STEPS TO CHRIST AS WELL. SO EVERYTHING IS JUDGED. 29:11 WHAT IS THE STANDARD IN THE JUDGMENT? JOHN 12:48, 29:17 IT SAYS, "HE WHO REJECTS ME, AND DOES NOT RECEIVE MY WORDS, 29:23 HAS THAT WHICH JUDGES HIM - THE WORD THAT I HAVE SPOKEN WILL 29:27 JUDGE HIM ON THE LAST DAY." WELL, THAT WOULD BE THE WORD OF 29:30 GOD WE'RE JUDGED BY, BUT EVEN MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE SUMMARY 29:34 OF IT IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS - THE WORDS THAT GOD SPOKE. 29:38 JAMES 2:12, "SO SPEAK AND SO DO AS THOSE WHO 29:43 WILL BE JUDGED BY THE LAW OF LIBERTY." 29:46 AND HE HAD JUST GOT DONE QUOTING TWO OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 29:49 YOU NOTICE THAT JUDE SAID 'THEIR DEEDS THAT THEY'VE DONE, THE 29:53 WORDS THEY'VE SPOKEN.' JAMES SAYS, 'SO SPEAK AND SO DO.' 29:58 WHY DOES IT MAKE SUCH AN EMPHASIS ON YOUR WORDS? 30:01 JESUS SAID, 'OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE...' - WE JUST READ 30:03 THAT THERE IN MATTHEW 12 - 'OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART 30:06 THE MOUTH SPEAKS.' SO ONE REASON WE'RE JUDGED BY OUR WORDS AND 30:09 OUR DEEDS IS BECAUSE YOUR WORDS REFLECT WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE 30:13 INSIDE. WHAT IS IT THAT ISAIAH CONFESSED? 30:16 'LORD, I'M A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS AND I DWELL IN THE MIDST OF A 30:19 PEOPLE OF UNCLEAN LIPS.' UNCLEAN LIPS MEAN UNCLEAN HEART. 30:23 AND SO, IF GOD'S GOING TO CHANGE YOUR WORDS, HE'S GOT TO CHANGE 30:26 YOUR HEART. BUT THE LAW OF GOD IS THE STANDARD IN THE JUDGMENT. 30:32 NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF - DID YOU EVER HAVE ONE OF THOSE TEACHERS 30:35 THAT SAID, 'YOU'VE GOT A TEST COMING. I'M GOING TO PUT ALL THE 30:38 ANSWERS UP ON THE BOARD FOR YOU: IT'S FOUND BETWEEN THESE PAGES 30:43 OF YOUR BOOK. IF YOU READ THESE PAGES IN YOUR 30:45 BOOK, THAT'S WHAT THE TEST WILL BE ON. 30:48 IF YOU ARE ACQUAINTED WITH THOSE PAGES, YOU WILL GET A GOOD 30:51 GRADE.' HAVEN'T YOU ALL HAD TEACHERS THAT HAVE DONE THAT? 30:54 AND SOME OF THE KIDS THOUGHT, 'YEAH, EVENTUALLY I'LL READ 30:56 THAT.' AND THEN, YOU KIND OF REMEMBER JUST BEFORE BEDTIME AND 30:59 YOU KIND OF SKIM THROUGH IT VERY QUICKLY OR YOU GLANCE THROUGH IT 31:03 IN CLASS AND YOU FORGET TO BRUSH UP ON IT AND THE TEST COMES AND 31:08 YOU PERFORM POORLY - YOU GET A C WHERE YOU COULD HAVE HAD A B OR 31:12 AN A IF YOU HAD JUST ACTUALLY PAID ATTENTION TO WHAT THE 31:15 TEACHER GAVE YOU. FRIENDS, IT'S NOT A MYSTERY. 31:22 WE ARE BEING JUDGED BY THE LAW. WE'RE NOT SAVED BY THE LAW, WE 31:26 ARE SAVED BY GRACE; BUT THE LAW IS A REFLECTION OF 31:31 GOD'S PERFECT WILL. AND SO, OUR LIVES - WHAT IS SIN? 31:36 SIN IS TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW. AND SO, HOW DOES GOD DETERMINE 31:40 WHETHER YOU'VE SINNED? BY THE LAW. 31:43 SO WE NEED TO BE AWARE THIS IS WHAT GOD WANTS. 31:46 PROBLEM IS, WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE LAW, LIKE A MIRROR, AND WE SEE 31:49 THE SIN IN OUR LIVES, WHAT DO YOU DO THEN? 31:53 YOU HAVE TO GO TO JESUS FOR CLEANSING - THE SAME THING 31:55 ISAIAH DID. SO GOD'S LAW IS THE STANDARD. 31:59 YOU KNOW, THERE ARE TWO MILLION LAWS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND 32:05 IF YOU COULD LEARN THEM AT A RATE OF TWO A DAY, YOU COULD BE 32:09 QUALIFIED TO ACT AS A LAW-ABIDING CITIZEN IN ABOUT 32:13 6,000 YEARS. SOMEONE ONCE SAID, 'THE MORE 32:17 LAWLESS A SOCIETY, THE MORE LAWS THEY REQUIRE.' AND WHERE IS THE 32:28 INFORMATION - OR WHAT ARE WE JUDGED OUT OF? THE DEEDS THAT 32:33 ARE DONE. YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT GOD NOT ONLY HAS A 32:38 BOOK OF LIFE, HE'S GOT A BOOK OF DEEDS. I WAS READING AN AMAZING 32:42 FACT THIS WEEK ABOUT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 32:48 AND THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, ACCORDING TO THE GUINNESS BOOK 32:52 OF WORLD RECORDS, IS THE LARGEST LIBRARY IN THE WORLD. 32:56 IT CONTAINS MORE THAN 151.8 MILLION ITEMS. 33:03 FIRST BUILT IN 1800, IT IS NOW HOUSED IN THREE SEPARATE 33:06 BUILDINGS IN WASHINGTON D.C., AND CONTAINS - CATCH THIS - 838 33:11 MILES OF BOOKSHELVES THAT HOLD 34 MILLION BOOKS. 33:15 IN ADDITION TO THE BOOKS, THIS MEGA-LIBRARY HOUSES 3.3 MILLION 33:19 RECORDINGS, 13.4 MILLION PHOTOGRAPHS, 5.4 MILLION MAPS, 33:24 6.5 MILLION PIECES OF SHEET MUSIC, 66.6 MILLION MANUSCRIPTS, 33:31 AND THE INVENTORY GROWS BY ABOUT 10,000 NEW ITEMS EVERY WORKING 33:36 DAY. IT'S ALL BEEN DIGITIZED. EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE IN 33:43 YOUR LIFE - YOU EVER HEARD A PERSON SAY, 'I WAS ABOUT TO DIE. 33:47 I WAS, YOU KNOW, SAW THE TRUCK COMING TOWARDS ME AND SUDDENLY 33:50 MY WHOLE LIFE FLASHED BEFORE ME.' 33:53 EVER HEARD SOMEONE SAY THAT? 33:54 I'VE ACTUALLY MEET PEOPLE - I KNOW ONE BROTHER THAT HE WOKE UP 34:00 ONE NIGHT, HE JUST WAS IN A SWEAT AND HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT 34:02 CAME OVER HIM, BUT HE SAID, 'SUDDENLY, THE HOLY SPIRIT 34:05 CAME OVER HIM AND HE SAID GOD REVEALED HIS WHOLE LIFE TO HIM 34:09 AND HE SAW HIMSELF IN A WAY HE HAD NEVER SEEN. 34:12 HE SAW HIMSELF WITH, LIKE, THROUGH THE EYES OF GOD - HE SAW 34:15 THE SELFISHNESS - HE SAW WHAT HE HAD BEEN DOING TO OTHERS AND THE 34:18 DISHONESTY AND HE SAID, 'IT'S LIKE THE WHOLE THING PASSED 34:20 BEFORE ME AND I THOUGHT, 'AM I DYING? 34:21 WHY IS GOD SHOWING ME THIS?' 34:23 AND HE WAS SWEATING AND HE'S PRAYING - HE SHOWED HIM, HE 34:26 SAYS, HOW HE WAS TREATING HIS WIFE. 34:29 AND HE SAID, 'DOUG, I WANT TO TELL YOU, I AM NEVER GOING TO 34:32 SAY AN UNKIND THING TO MY WIFE AGAIN. 34:34 SHE CAN'T GET ME TO SAY ANYTHING UNKIND TO HER AGAIN' HE SAYS, 34:38 'BECAUSE I SAW MYSELF THROUGH GOD'S EYES AND IT SCARED ME.' 34:43 NOW MAYBE WE OUGHT TO PRAY FOR AN EXPERIENCE LIKE THAT. 34:48 HE SAID IT CHANGED HIM - WHOLE LIFE PASSED BEFORE HIM. 34:51 YOU KNOW, IN THE JUDGMENT, I DON'T THINK EVERYBODY'S GOING TO 34:54 COME STAND BEFORE THE LORD ONE BY ONE AND HAVE HIM, YOU KNOW, 34:57 ALL THESE BOOKS ARE OPEN AND HE'LL SAY, 'GUILTY, INNOCENT, 34:59 GUILTY, INNOCENT'. 35:00 IF GOD COULD SAVE A THOUSAND PEOPLE AT ONE TIME ON THE DAY OF 35:03 PENTECOST OR 3,000, THEN HE CAN JUDGE THOUSANDS AT ONE TIME. 35:09 BUT PEOPLE'S LIVES WILL PASS BEFORE THEM AND THAT'S PORTRAYED 35:12 THERE IN THAT GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT. 35:14 DANIEL 7, "THE JUDGMENT WAS SET AND THE BOOKS WERE OPENED." 35:19 MALACHI 3:16, "THEN THEY THAT FEARED THE LORD SPAKE OFTEN ONE 35:24 TO ANOTHER: AND THE LORD HEARKENED, AND HEARD IT, AND A 35:26 BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE WAS WRITTEN BEFORE HIM FOR THEM THAT FEARED 35:30 THE LORD, AND THAT THOUGHT UPON HIS NAME." 35:32 BOOKS - REVELATION 20 - WE JUST READ THIS: "AND I SAW THE DEAD, 35:37 SMALL AND GREAT, STAND BEFORE GOD; AND THE BOOKS WERE OPENED: 35:41 AND ANOTHER BOOK WAS OPENED, WHICH IS THE BOOK OF LIFE: AND 35:44 THE DEAD WERE JUDGED OUT OF THOSE THINGS WHICH WERE WRITTEN 35:47 IN THE BOOKS, ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS." 35:49 - PLURAL - SO YOU'VE GOT THE BOOK OF LIFE, WE'LL TALK ABOUT 35:51 IN A MOMENT; YOU'VE GOT THESE OTHER BOOKS - BOOK OF 35:53 REMEMBRANCE, BOOK OF RECORDS - NOW, DOES GOD HAVE PAPER BOOKS 35:58 THAT ARE BOUND WITH LEATHER IN HEAVEN? 36:02 PROBABLY NOT. SOME OF US - REMEMBER CASSETTE TAPE? 36:10 AND THEN FOR AWHILE PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT 8-TRACK TAPES - 36:14 ANYONE REMEMBER THE 8-TRACK? AND THEY SORT OF HAD A SHORT 36:17 SHELF LIFE AND THEY WENT AWAY - AND CASSETTE TAPES CAME BACK 36:20 BECAUSE THE CASSETTE TAPE PLAYERS GOT BETTER. 36:23 AND THEN CAME THE CDS, DVDS - NOW IT'S KIND OF ALL DIGITAL - 36:29 FIBER OPTIC. SOME OF YOU REMEMBER 36:31 CUNEIFORM CLAY TABLETS? (LAUGHTER) JUST CHECKING. 36:36 BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW - WE'VE GOT LOTS OF DIFFERENT 36:38 WAYS, IN THIS WORLD, WE RECORD THINGS. 36:40 SO THE REASON THAT GOD SAYS 'BOOKS' IS IT'S JUST A WORD THAT 36:44 HELPS US UNDERSTAND THERE'S A RECORD. 36:47 BUT I HAVE A FEELING THAT WHEN THOSE BOOKS ARE OPENED IT'S 36:49 GOING TO SORT OF BE PLAYING THREE-DIMENSIONAL WHERE IT'S 36:53 GOING TO BE RELIVED, ALMOST LIKE A PROPHET'S VISION, WHERE HE 36:56 SEES THESE THINGS. WE'RE NOT GOING TO JUST BE 36:59 READING IT OUT OF A BOOK. SO GOD'S GOT A RECORD 37:02 OF ALL THESE THINGS. AND THEN THERE'S ALSO, NOT ONLY 37:05 THE BOOK OF RECORDS, THERE'S A BOOK OF LIFE. 37:09 AND THE QUESTION IS: IS YOUR NAME WRITTEN THERE? 37:12 REVELATION 21:27, "AND THERE SHALL IN NO WISE ENTER INTO IT 37:17 ANY THING THAT DEFILETH," - SINNERS MUST BE CLEANSED FROM 37:21 THEIR SIN - "NEITHER WHATSOEVER WORKETH ABOMINATION, OR MAKETH A 37:24 LIE: BUT THEY WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN THE LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE." 37:28 NOTICE, HE CONTRASTS THE DISOBEDIENCE AND SIN WITH THOSE 37:32 WHO ARE WRITTEN IN THE LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE. 37:35 LUKE 10:20 - JESUS SAID TO THE DISCIPLES, "NEVERTHELESS DO NOT 37:39 REJOICE IN THIS, THAT THE SPIRITS ARE SUBJECT TO YOU," - 37:42 THEY CAME BACK FROM PREACHING AND THEY CAST OUT DEVILS AND 37:44 THEY WERE EXCITED - JESUS SAYS DON'T REJOICE ABOUT THAT - "BUT 37:46 RATHER REJOICE BECAUSE YOUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN.'" 37:50 DID HE SAY YOUR NAMES WILL BE OR THEY ARE? 37:53 HE TOLD THE DISCIPLES 'YOUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN.' 37:56 WOULDN'T THAT MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD TO KNOW RIGHT NOW YOUR NAME IS 38:00 WRITTEN THERE? PHILIPPIANS 4:3 - PAUL SAID, 38:05 "AND I URGE YOU ALSO, TRUE COMPANION, HELP THESE WOMEN WHO 38:08 LABORED WITH ME IN THE GOSPEL, WITH CLEMENT ALSO, AND THE REST 38:12 OF MY FELLOW WORKERS, WHOSE NAMES ARE IN THE BOOK OF LIFE." 38:17 NOT 'WILL BE'. I'D FEEL A LOT BETTER GOING TO 38:22 JUDGMENT KNOWING MY NAME IS ENTERED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE. 38:26 EXODUS - MOSES IS TALKING TO THE LORD - HE'S PLEADING AND 38:30 INTERCEDING FOR THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WHO JUST DID THIS WHOLE 38:32 TERRIBLE DEBACLE WITH THE GOLDEN CALF AND MOSES PRAYS AND HE 38:36 SAYS, 'YET NOW, LORD, IF YOU WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN - BUT IF 38:39 NOT, I PRAY BLOT MY NAME OUT OF YOUR BOOK THAT YOU'VE WRITTEN.' 38:44 MOSES KNEW HIS NAME WAS IN GOD'S BOOK. 38:48 HE SAID, 'TAKE MY NAME OUT - ERASE MY NAME - PUT THEIR NAMES 38:50 IN - CAN I BE THEIR SUBSTITUTE? OF COURSE, ONE MAN COULD NOT DO 38:54 IT - ONLY THE SON OF GOD COULD DO IT. 38:57 SO GOD HAS A BOOK. IS YOUR NAME IN THE BOOK? 39:03 HOW DO YOU GET YOUR NAME IN THE BOOK? 39:06 YOU ASK HIM. IF WE COME TO JESUS AND DO WHAT 39:09 ISAIAH DID, AND WE REPENT OF OUR SIN, WE REALIZE WE'RE IN 39:13 TROUBLE, BUT GOD IS EXTENDING GRACE. 39:16 HE'S SAYING, 'I'VE WORKED THINGS OUT WHERE SOMEONE HAS TO PAY FOR 39:21 WHAT YOU DID. YOU'VE BROKEN THE LAW 39:23 AND IT MUST BE PUNISHED. BUT I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, I'M 39:27 GOING TO BE YOUR SUBSTITUTE. I WILL TAKE THE PENALTY YOU 39:30 NORMALLY WOULD GET IN THE JUDGMENT, FOR YOUR SINS.' 39:34 HOW MANY OF YOUR SINS? ALL OF YOUR SINS. 39:39 'YOU ASK ME AND TELL ME YOU ACCEPT THIS TRANSACTION, I WILL 39:44 TAKE YOUR PLACE. BUT I'M ASKING YOU, THEN, YOU 39:46 MUST GIVE ME - I'M GIVING YOU EVERYTHING, YOU MUST 39:48 GIVE ME EVERYTHING.' THAT'S RIGHT. WHOEVER DOESN'T FORSAKE 39:52 ALL CANNOT BE HIS DISCIPLE. HE SAID, 'I WILL DIE FOR YOU. 39:56 I'LL TAKE ALL OF YOUR PUNISHMENT. 39:58 YOU ACCEPT THAT, BELIEVE IT, AND THEN LIVE FOR ME. 40:03 YOU SHOW THE WORLD WHAT I'M LIKE. 40:06 YOU DO MY WILL IN YOUR LIFE.' AND YOUR NAME - WHEN YOU AGREE 40:10 TO DO THAT AND SURRENDER YOUR LIFE TO JESUS, HE PUTS YOUR NAME 40:13 IN THE BOOK OF LIFE. NOW, DURING THE JUDGMENT THAT 40:16 TAKES PLACE BEFORE THE LORD COMES BACK, THE REALITY OF THAT 40:20 PROFESSION WILL BE INVESTIGATED. BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO SAY, 40:24 'LORD, LORD' AND THEN NOT DO WHAT HE SAYS. 40:28 IT'LL BE THOSE WHO REALLY ARE WILLING TO DO HIS WILL. 40:30 ONCE A NAME IS ENTERED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE, CAN IT BE REMOVED? 40:35 WHAT DO YOU THINK? THERE ARE SOME ENTIRE 40:37 DENOMINATIONS THAT THINK 'NO'. THAT'S NOT WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS. 40:41 PSALMS 69:28, "LET THEM BE BLOTTED OUT OF THE BOOK OF THE 40:45 LIVING, AND NOT BE WRITTEN WITH THE RIGHTEOUS." 40:48 PRETTY CLEAR DAVID'S TALKING ABOUT THE BOOK OF LIFE THERE. 40:51 IF YOU DOUBT THAT, LISTEN TO JESUS - REVELATION 3:5, "HE WHO 40:54 OVERCOMES SHALL BE CLOTHED IN WHITE GARMENTS, AND I WILL NOT 40:57 BLOT OUT HIS NAME FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE; BUT I WILL CONFESS HIS 41:01 NAME BEFORE MY FATHER AND BEFORE HIS ANGELS." 41:04 AND JESUS SAID IF WE ARE ASHAMED OF HIM IN THIS EVIL AND 41:08 ADULTEROUS GENERATION, HE WILL BE ASHAMED OF US; BUT IF WE 41:11 CONFESS HIM AND HIS NAME, IN THIS EVIL AND ADULTEROUS 41:14 GENERATION, HE WILL CONFESS OUR NAME BEFORE THE FATHER AND THE 41:19 ANGELS IN HEAVEN. CAN YOU THINK OF A TIME IN THE 41:21 BIBLE WHERE THAT HAPPENED? DO YOU REMEMBER 41:24 THE STORY OF JOB? JOB WAS STANDING UP FOR GOD IN 41:27 THE WORLD AND THE DEVIL CAME AND THERE'S OTHER SONS OF GOD AROUND 41:32 GOD AND THE DEVIL IS SAYING, 'I'VE COME FROM THE EARTH. 41:36 THIS IS MY DOMAIN.' AND GOD SAYS, 'NOT ALL OF IT. 41:38 IT'S NOT ALL YOUR DOMAIN. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED 41:40 MY SERVANT JOB?' HERE'S GOD, IN HEAVEN, NAMING 41:43 SOMEONE ON EARTH, BEFORE GOD AND THE ANGELS, WHO LIVES FOR HIM. 41:47 WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO LIVE THE KIND OF LIFE WHERE THE LORD 41:49 WOULD BRAG ABOUT YOU TO THE ANGELS? 41:51 >>AMEN. >>LIKE JOB? 41:52 IS THERE A REASON THAT IF JOB COULD DO IT, WE CAN'T DO IT? 41:56 OR IS THAT SAME GRACE AVAILABLE? SO FOR WHOSE BENEFIT 42:01 IS THE JUDGMENT? DOES GOD ALREADY 42:04 KNOW EVERYTHING? SO WHY IS THERE A JUDGMENT? 42:09 BECAUSE, YOU SEE, THE ANGELS SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE ON EARTH. 42:13 DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? >>YES. 42:16 >>THERE'S NOTHING HIDDEN. THERE'S ANGELS THAT ARE 42:18 RECORDING EVERYTHING. AND GOD IS TELLING THE ANGELS, 42:22 'SEE THESE CREATURES DOWN THERE? I KNOW SATAN AND HIS ANGELS WERE 42:25 CAST OUT AND I KNOW THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE DEVIL, 42:29 BUT WE'RE GOING TO FORGIVE THEM AND LET THEM BACK IN.' AND SOME 42:31 OF THE ANGELS ARE GOING, 'OH LORD, YOU THINK 42:33 THAT'S A GOOD IDEA? WE SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING DOWN 42:35 THERE.' AND THE LORD SAYS, 'LOOK, I'M GOING TO CHANGE THEM. 42:38 I'M GOING TO SEND MY SPIRIT. I'M GOING TO CLEANSE THEM. 42:40 I'M GOING TO TRANSFORM THEM. I AM GOING TO FIT THEM, THROUGH 42:43 THE GOSPEL, TO LIVE WITH YOU.' SO PART OF THIS IS TO ILLUSTRATE 42:47 THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED BY FAITH. 42:50 DANIEL 7:9 AND 10, "I WATCHED TILL THRONES WERE PUT IN PLACE, 42:55 AND THE ANCIENT OF DAYS WAS SEATED; HIS GARMENT WAS WHITE AS 42:58 SNOW, AND THE HAIR OF HIS HEAD WAS LIKE PURE WOOL. 43:00 HIS THRONE WAS A FIERY FLAME, ITS WHEELS A BURNING FIRE; A 43:05 FIERY STREAM ISSUED AND CAME FORTH FROM BEFORE HIM; A 43:08 THOUSAND THOUSANDS MINISTERED TO HIM;" - THESE WERE ANGELS - 43:12 TEN THOUSAND TIMES TEN THOUSAND STOOD BEFORE HIM." GO TO VERSE 43:16 13, "I WAS WATCHING IN THE NIGHT VISIONS, AND BEHOLD, ONE LIKE 43:20 THE SON OF MAN," - WHO WAS THAT? JESUS - "COMING WITH 43:23 THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN! HE CAME TO THE ANCIENT OF DAYS," 43:26 - THE FATHER - "AND THEY BROUGHT HIM NEAR BEFORE HIM." 43:29 AND THE JUDGMENT WAS SET AND THE BOOKS WERE OPENED...HERE'S A 43:31 PICTURE OF A HEAVENLY JUDGMENT - TEN THOUSAND TIMES TEN THOUSAND 43:35 THAT MINISTERED TO THE LORD. THESE ARE HIS MINISTERING 43:38 SPIRITS - ANGELS - AND THEY'RE LOOKING INTO WHAT'S HAPPENING 43:42 HERE BECAUSE THE WHOLE UNIVERSE IS INTERESTED IN THIS 43:45 PLAN OF SALVATION. REVELATION 15:4, "WHO SHALL NOT 43:52 FEAR THEE, O LORD, AND GLORIFY THY NAME? 43:55 FOR THOU ONLY ART HOLY: FOR ALL NATIONS SHALL COME AND WORSHIP 43:59 BEFORE THEE; FOR THY JUDGMENTS ARE MADE MANIFEST." 44:03 SO ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS 44:05 JUDGMENT IS IT'S BEING MANIFEST - IT'S BEING REVEALED - GOD 44:10 ALREADY KNOWS. SO, WE'RE SAVED BY 44:14 FAITH, DO WE AGREE? SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH 44:19 - BUT WHAT ARE WE JUDGED BY? OUR WORKS. IT'S NOT ME, THAT'S 44:26 WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS. JESUS SAID, MATTHEW 16:27, "FOR 44:31 THE SON OF MAN WILL COME IN THE GLORY OF HIS FATHER WITH THE 44:34 ANGELS AND HE'LL REWARD EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS. 44:39 ROMANS 2:5 AND 6, "BUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR HARDNESS 44:42 AND YOUR IMPENITENT HEART YOU ARE TREASURING UP FOR YOURSELF 44:45 WRATH IN THE DAY OF WRATH AND REVELATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS 44:49 JUDGMENT OF GOD, WHO 'WILL RENDER TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO 44:52 HIS DEEDS'." AND, YOU KNOW, DEEDS AND WORKS - SAME WORD. 44:56 REVELATION 20, "AND THE DEAD WERE JUDGED ACCORDING TO THEIR 44:59 WORKS, BY THE THINGS WHICH WERE WRITTEN IN THE BOOKS...AND THEY 45:01 WERE JUDGED, EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS." 45:04 SO DOESN'T THAT SOUND LIKE A CONFLICT? WE'RE SAVED BY FAITH 45:08 AND GRACE; JUDGED BY OUR WORKS. YOUR WORKS ILLUSTRATE WHETHER 45:14 OR NOT YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED BY GRACE. 45:18 IF YOU HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN AND IF YOU HAVE ACCEPTED, BY FAITH, 45:23 THE GRACE OF GOD - GRACE ISN'T JUST A COVER UP, GRACE IS A 45:27 TRANSFORMING POWER THAT GIVES YOU A NEW HEART AND YOU BECOME A 45:31 NEW CREATURE AND YOU ACT DIFFERENTLY. 45:34 AND SO, WHEN THE LORD LOOKS AT HOW THEY'VE LIVED AFTER THEY'VE 45:37 COME TO HIM, IT DEMONSTRATES IF THEY'RE DIFFERENT CREATURES. 45:43 AND WHERE DOES THAT JUDGMENT BEGIN? 45:46 1 PETER 4:17, "FOR THE TIME HAS COME FOR JUDGMENT TO BEGIN AT 45:50 THE HOUSE OF GOD." EZEKIEL 9 TALKS ABOUT THIS 45:54 JUDGMENT THAT BEGINS AT THE TEMPLE. 45:56 GOD, IN HIS MERCY, IS GOING TO BEGIN THE JUDGMENT WITH THOSE 45:59 WHO KNOW, INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE ONES WHO DON'T KNOW. 46:03 THOSE WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER - HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER IN THE 46:06 STORY WHEN JESUS WAS IN THE TEMPLE AND HE BEGAN TO WRITE ON 46:09 THE DUST OF THE TEMPLE FLOOR WHEN THOSE - THEY WERE ACCUSING 46:11 THAT WOMAN - SOME BELIEVE IT WAS MARY MAGDALENE - THAT WOMAN 46:14 CAUGHT IN ADULTERY AND JESUS IS WRITING AND HE STANDS UP AND 46:17 SAYS, 'HE THAT IS WITHOUT SIN AMONG YOU CAST THE FIRST STONE. 46:21 THIS IS LIKE A SCENE OF A JUDGMENT IN THE HOUSE OF GOD. 46:23 AND HE STOOPS DOWN AND HE CONTINUES WRITING. AND THEY 46:26 LOOKED AT WHAT HE WROTE AND, EVIDENTLY, HE WAS WRITING 46:29 THEIR SINS OR THE LAWS THEY'D BEEN BREAKING BECAUSE ONE BY 46:32 ONE, BEGINNING AT THE ELDEST, EVEN UNTO THE LEAST THEY WENT 46:36 OUT CONVICTED. YOU KNOW, IT SAYS IN EZEKIEL, 46:39 'BEGIN WITH THE ANCIENT MEN IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.' 46:42 BEGINNING AT THOSE - YOU WOULD WANT TO SAY, 'I'M GOING TO START 46:44 WITH THE ONES WHO'VE HAD THE LONGEST OPPORTUNITY' - 46:46 THE OLDEST - 'AND THEN MAKE MY WAY TO THE YOUNGEST' - 46:49 AND GIVE EVERYONE AN OPPORTUNITY. 46:53 SO, YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO JUDGMENT. 46:56 ARE YOU GOING TO BE YOUR OWN DEFENSE ATTORNEY OR DO YOU HAVE 46:59 A DEFENSE ATTORNEY? WHO IS OUR ADVOCATE IN THE JUDGMENT? 47:05 1 JOHN 2:1, "MY LITTLE CHILDREN, THESE THINGS I WRITE TO YOU, SO 47:09 THAT YOU MAY NOT SIN. AND IF ANYONE SINS, WE HAVE AN 47:12 ADVOCATE" - HE'S OUR PARACLETE," - HE'S OUR DEFENSE ATTORNEY WITH 47:17 THE FATHER - "JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS. 47:20 WHEN IS HE BEGINNING HIS DEFENSE ATTORNEY WORK? 47:24 ONCE WE DIE AND STAND BEFORE THAT WHITE THRONE? 47:27 OR IS THAT HAPPENING NOW? DOES HE LIVE NOW TO MAKE 47:31 INTERCESSION FOR US? >>YES. 47:33 >>DO WE PLEAD WITH HIM NOW TO TRANSFORM US AND FORGIVE US? 47:37 HEBREWS 7:25, "...HE IS ALSO ABLE TO SAVE TO THE UTTERMOST 47:42 THOSE WHO COME TO GOD THROUGH HIM, SINCE HE ALWAYS LIVES TO 47:46 MAKE INTERCESSION FOR THEM." 47:47 CHRIST HAS NOT ENTERED - AND THIS IS HEBREWS 9:24, "FOR 47:51 CHRIST HAS NOT ENTERED THE HOLY PLACES MADE WITH HANDS, WHICH 47:54 ARE COPIES OF THE TRUE, BUT INTO HEAVEN ITSELF, NOW TO APPEAR IN 47:58 THE PRESENCE OF GOD FOR US;" - NOW, PRESENCE OF GOD, FOR US - 48:05 SO RIGHT NOW WHAT IS HE DOING? RIGHT NOW HE'S IN THE 48:09 PRESENCE OF GOD FOR US. NOW WE COME BOLDLY BEFORE THE 48:13 THRONE THROUGH JESUS WHO IS OUR INTERCESSOR. 48:16 THAT'S A - THAT'S AN AWESOME THOUGHT THAT THESE THINGS ARE 48:19 TRANSPIRING NOW BEFORE US. SO THIS IS ACTUALLY GOOD NEWS 48:24 ABOUT THE JUDGMENT THAT WE CAN HAVE MERCY AND WE 48:27 CAN HAVE FORGIVENESS. HOW? 48:31 IF THE LORD - IF YOU'VE ACCEPTED HIS SACRIFICE IN YOUR PLACE, 48:34 THEN ALL OF THE PUNISHMENT - ALL OF THE WRATH OF GOD THAT SHOULD 48:37 FALL UPON YOU IN THE JUDGMENT - EVERYTHING YOU'VE SAID/DONE IN 48:42 YOUR LIFE, ALL THE DEEDS THAT WERE BAD, HE SUFFERED FOR THOSE. 48:46 AND, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO PAUSE RIGHT HERE AND JUST REMIND YOU 48:48 IT ALSO SAID IN HEBREWS, 'HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE IF WE NEGLECT SO 48:53 GREAT A SALVATION?' WILL WE CONTINUE TO CRUCIFY 48:56 THE SON OF GOD AFRESH? IF WE KNOW THAT THERE'S NOTHING 49:00 BAD THAT YOU CAN DO THAT WILL NOT RECEIVE PUNISHMENT, THE 49:04 QUESTION IS: WILL YOU BE PUNISHED FOR IT OR IS 49:07 HE PUNISHED FOR IT? WOULDN'T THAT BE A 49:10 DETERRENT TO DISOBEDIENCE? DID YOU GET WHAT I'M SAYING? 49:15 IF YOU KNEW EVERY BAD THING THAT YOU DID IS GOING TO GET A 49:18 PUNISHMENT - EITHER YOU GET PUNISHED OR YOUR SAVIOR GETS 49:21 PUNISHED - YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE KINGS - I HEARD THE KINGS, YEARS 49:24 AGO, THEY'D HAVE A CROWN PRINCE AND PRINCES, THEY WERE CHILDREN 49:29 LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, SOMETIMES THEY'D MISBEHAVE AND THEY'D NEED 49:32 TO BE PUNISHED. BUT YOU CAN'T STRIKE THE PRINCE 49:35 BECAUSE HE'S ROYALTY SO THEY HAD A WHIPPING BOY WHO WAS USUALLY 49:40 A PLAY-FRIEND OF THE PRINCE. AND SO WHENEVER THE PRINCE 49:43 DISOBEYED AND HE DESERVED PUNISHMENT, THEY WOULD TAKE HIS 49:46 FRIEND AND BEAT AND SPANK HIS FRIEND IN FRONT OF THE PRINCE. 49:52 AND THAT MADE THE PRINCE WANT TO BE GOOD BECAUSE HE SAW HIS 49:54 FRIEND GET BEAT UP FOR HIS BAD BEHAVIOR. 49:57 I KNOW, IT SOUNDS CRAZY. BUT IT'S KIND OF - WHAT'S HAPPENING 50:01 IS WE KNOW THAT OUR DEEDS - JESUS SUFFERS FOR THOSE THINGS. 50:06 AND YOU WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE A - WHAT YOU CALL A DETERRENT 50:10 - THE HEART HAS TO BE THE BEST REASON TO OBEY, RIGHT? 50:14 LOVE FOR GOD - WELL, IF YOU'VE ACCEPTED CHRIST YOU DON'T NEED 50:18 TO BE AFRAID OF THE JUDGMENT BECAUSE HE TOOK, IN HIS BODY, 50:23 THE PENALTY FOR ALL THE SINS OF THE WORLD. YEARS AGO, 50:27 I HEARD A STORY THAT THESE PILGRIMS - TRAVELERS WERE GOING 50:33 ACROSS THE PRAIRIES - THEY'D LEFT THE MISSOURI RIVER THEN GOT 50:35 INTO THE GREAT PLAINS AND THEY WERE SLOWLY MAKING THEIR WAY 50:38 ACROSS THESE ENDLESS FIELDS OF DRY GRASS AND - COMING FROM THE 50:43 EAST COAST, THEY'D NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT, BUT IT JUST 50:46 WENT ON FOR MILE AFTER ENDLESS MILE. MAKING SLOW PROGRESS 50:50 BECAUSE THEY HAD OXEN PULLING THEIR WAGONS AND THEN THEY SAW 50:54 SOMETHING THAT JUST SENT REAL FEAR INTO THEIR HEARTS: COMING 50:57 FROM THE WEST TOWARDS THEM, THE WIND WAS BLOWING SMOKE - THEY 51:02 COULD SEE THERE WAS A PRAIRIE FIRE. 51:04 THE GRASS WAS FIVE FEET HIGH AND THEY KNEW THEY COULDN'T OUTRUN 51:08 IT AND THEY ALL BEGAN TO PANIC AND THINK, 'WHAT WILL WE DO?' 51:12 AND ONE, WHO UNDERSTOOD THE CIRCUMSTANCES, HE WENT BEHIND 51:16 THEM, WHERE THEY HAD JUST COME FROM AND HE LIT A FIRE THAT THE 51:21 WIND WAS CARRYING AWAY FROM THEM BACK TOWARDS THE MISSOURI. 51:24 NOW THEY'RE SURROUNDED - THEY'VE GOT A FIRE COMING TOWARDS THEM 51:27 AND THEY'VE GOT A FIRE GOING AWAY FROM THEM AND HE SAID, 51:30 'DON'T WORRY, JUST WAIT A LITTLE BIT. 51:32 WHEN THE EMBERS OF THIS GRASS DIE DOWN, WE WILL MOVE ONTO THE 51:36 BLACKENED GROUND THAT IS BURNED AND WE'LL BE SAFE.' AND THEY DID 51:42 THIS AND THEY HAD, YOU KNOW, DUST AND SOOT AND - ALL OVER 51:44 THEIR FEET, BUT THEN THEY SAW THE OTHER FIRE COMING FROM THE 51:47 WEST TOWARDS THEM AND A LITTLE GIRL CRIED OUT AND SAID, 'WE'RE 51:49 GOING TO BE BURNED.' HE SAYS, 'WE CAN'T BE BURNED' - HE SAID - 51:52 'WE'RE STANDING WHERE IT'S ALREADY BEEN BURNED.' AND IF WE 51:57 ARE STANDING AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS - IF WE'VE ACCEPTED JESUS 52:02 - IF OUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE THEN, YES, 52:05 THERE'S A JUDGMENT BUT HE STANDS IN OUR PLACE IN THAT JUDGMENT 52:09 AND HE PLEADS HIS BLOOD AND HE OFFERS US HIS FORGIVENESS, 52:14 ISN'T THAT - THAT'S GOOD NEWS. 52:16 TO REALLY UNDERSTAND GRACE AND THE GOSPEL, YOU MUST UNDERSTAND 52:20 JUDGMENT BECAUSE IT HELPS US KNOW WHAT HE'S TAKING - HOW MUCH 52:25 HE MUST LOVE US AND WHAT HE'S TAKEN IN OUR PLACE. 52:27 I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, FRIENDS, BUT I WANT TO ACCEPT THE 52:31 SACRIFICE - I WANT MY NAME WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE AND 52:33 I WANT TO KEEP IT THERE, BY HIS GRACE. 52:35 IS THAT YOUR DESIRE? >>YES. 52:37 >>I WANT TO COME BEFORE THE LORD DAILY - IF WE SIN - WE MAY STILL 52:40 SIN - WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE - JOHN SAYS 'DON'T BE DISCOURAGED' - HE 52:43 WILL DEAL WITH THAT. KEEP A SHORT ACCOUNT WITH THE LORD. 52:46 AS SOON AS YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, RECOGNIZE IT, CONFESS YOUR SIN, 52:49 AND THEN HE PROMISES TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. 52:55 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 52:58 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE 53:01 TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY 53:05 AT 'AFTV.ORG'. AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY 53:10 VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL 53:14 FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR 53:19 COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 53:26 >>I LOVE THE QUOTE: "THE GREATEST WANT OF THE WORLD IS 53:28 THE WANT OF MEN ... MEN WHO WILL STAND FOR THE RIGHT THOUGH THE 53:32 HEAVENS FALL." YET STUDIES ARE SHOWING, FOR 53:35 SEVERAL YEARS NOW, THE SECULAR MEDIA AND CULTURE HAVE SOUGHT 53:38 TO PORTRAY MEN AS THE FAMILY IDIOTS. 53:41 SADLY, RESPECT FOR THE ROLE OF FATHERS AND HUSBANDS HAS REACHED 53:46 AN ALL-TIME LOW. SO NOW, AS THE DISPIRITED MEN 53:50 ABANDON THEIR ROLES OF GODLY LEADERSHIP, IT'S NOT SURPRISING 53:53 THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING A MORAL FREE-FALL IN OUR COUNTRY. 53:57 THAT'S WHY, STARTING SEPTEMBER 30TH I'LL BE PRESENTING A NEW 54:00 PROGRAM CALLED MIGHTY MEN OF GOD . 54:03 USING BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES, THIS ENCOURAGING FOUR-PART SERIES 54:07 WILL ADDRESS HOW TO BE A LOVING FATHER, FAITHFUL HUSBAND, AND 54:10 ALL-AROUND MAN OF GOD IN THE FAMILY CHURCH AND NATION. 54:14 PLEASE PLAN NOW TO JOIN ME FOR THIS LIVE EVENT AND LEARN FROM 54:17 THE WORD HOW TO LIVE COURAGEOUSLY FOR THE KING. 54:26 (MUSIC) 54:36 >>AMONG THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE TROPICS, FOR 54:38 THOUSANDS OF YEARS, THE COCONUT HAS BEEN A VIRTUAL TREE OF LIFE. 54:42 THE PEOPLE USE IT FOR FOOD, FOR CLOTHING, FOR WATER, FOR TOOLS, 54:47 FOR SOAP - IT DOES JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING. 54:50 THE COCONUT HAS ALSO SAVED A LOT OF LIVES. 54:54 DURING WORLD WAR II, PILOTS THAT WERE SHOT DOWN OR SAILORS THAT 54:57 WERE STRANDED ON PACIFIC ISLANDS, THEY LIVED FOR MANY 55:00 MONTHS ON NOTHING OTHER THAN THE COCONUT TREES THAT WERE ON THEIR 55:03 ISLANDS. YESSIR, THE COCONUT IS A TREE OF LIFE. 55:08 ONE OF THE AMAZING THINGS ABOUT THE COCONUT IS THEY'RE DESIGNED 55:11 SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO FLOAT ACROSS OCEANS. 55:14 COCONUTS CAN GO THOUSANDS OF MILES AFTER MANY MONTHS, BE 55:17 WASHED UP ON SOME DESERTED SANDY BEACH, THEN THEY TAKE ROOT, 55:23 SPROUT, COME TO LIFE, AND THEY'LL DEVELOP A WHOLE NEW 55:26 ECOSYSTEM, HOLDING ISLANDS IN PLACE THROUGH A HURRICANE. 55:30 WHEN THE ANCIENT POLYNESIAN TRAVELERS CROSSING OCEANS SAW AN 55:33 ISLAND WITH COCONUT TREES, THEY KNEW THERE WAS HOPE. 55:36 IT'S AMAZING HOW, IN VIRTUALLY NO TIME AT ALL, THOSE LIVING ON 55:40 PACIFIC ISLANDS KNOW HOW TO MAKE BASKETS AND ALL KINDS OF TOOLS 55:43 FROM THE LEAVES OF THE COCONUT TREE. 55:48 THE COCONUTS EVEN SERVE DIFFERENT PURPOSES AT DIFFERENT 55:51 TIMES IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT. THE YOUNGER, GREEN COCONUTS, 55:54 THEY'RE FULL OF WATER AND THAT'LL KEEP YOU ALIVE. MMMM. 55:58 YOU CAN EVEN MAKE YOUR UTENSILS FROM THE COCONUT. 56:01 MY SPOON IS PART OF THE GREEN SHELL AND HERE, THIS IS A 56:06 COCONUT JELLY - MAKES GOOD FOR BREAKFAST. 56:12 THE MORE MATURE COCONUTS, THAT'S WHERE YOU GET THE MEAT - BUT YOU 56:15 WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT BAD AND THE WAY THAT YOU 56:16 TEST THIS IS YOU CAN HEAR THE WATER INSIDE. HERE, BRING THAT 56:19 MIC OVER HERE. CAN YOU HEAR IT? (SLOSHING SOUND) THAT'S A GOOD 56:23 ONE. HOW ABOUT WE TAKE A BITE? NOW THAT MAKES A MEAL THAT WILL 56:26 REALLY FILL YOU UP AND IT CLEANS YOUR TEETH AT THE SAME TIME. 56:33 THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, JESUS USES A NUMBER OF METAPHORS TO REMIND 56:36 US THAT EVERYTHING WE NEED TO SURVIVE COMES FROM HIM. 56:39 HE SAYS THAT HE'S THE LIVING WATER. 56:41 JESUS TELLS US THAT HE IS THE BREAD OF LIFE. 56:43 HIS ROBE COVERS US WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS. 56:46 HE IS OUR GOOD SHEPHERD THAT PROTECTS US. 56:49 JESUS IS THE LIVING VINE THROUGH WHICH WE GET OUR LIFE AND OUR 56:52 NOURISHMENT. YOU MIGHT SAY JESUS IS LIKE THE 56:55 COCONUT TREE - A TREE OF LIFE. YOU KNOW, THE FIRST FEW VERSES 56:59 IN THE BIBLE TELL THAT GOD PROVIDED A TREE OF LIFE FOR MAN 57:02 SO THAT HE COULD LIVE FOREVER. BUT, BECAUSE OF SIN, MAN WAS 57:06 SEPARATED FROM THAT TREE AND FROM THE GARDEN. 57:08 BUT THROUGH TRUSTING IN JESUS AND TRUSTING IN HIS SACRIFICE ON 57:11 THE CROSS, WE ONCE AGAIN WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE TREE OF LIFE 57:15 AND HAVE ETERNAL LIFE WITH HIM IN THE KINGDOM. 57:18 BUT THIS IS ALL MADE POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE TRUST IN JESUS, 57:20 WHO IS THE REAL TREE OF LIFE. 57:22 JESUS SAID, 'UNLESS YOU EAT MY FLESH AND DRINK MY BLOOD, YOU 57:25 HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU.' BUT WHEN WE ACCEPT CHRIST AS OUR 57:28 SACRIFICE, AND WE ALLOW HIM TO CLEANSE US AND FILL US WITH HIS 57:31 SPIRIT, WE BECOME NEW CREATURES AND WE CAN BE WITH HIM IN 57:34 SHARING THE GIFT OF EVERLASTING LIFE WITH OTHERS. 57:37 MATTER OF FACT, WE COULD DO THAT RIGHT NOW BY TOSSING A COCONUT 57:40 OUT AND PRAYING THAT IT LANDS ON A DESERTED BEACH. 57:49 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-09-01