I'm glad, you
could join us today.
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We're looking forward to
opening God's word again,
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to discover more about
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the ten greatest
promises in the Bible.
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It may surprise you to
find out what they are,
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but before we study,
let's have a word of prayer.
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Father in heaven, we are
so grateful that You love us.
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So grateful
that You have planned
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a feast of Your
word for us today.
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And we ask that through Jesus,
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our understanding of You
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and of Your plan of salvation
will be greatly increased.
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Please use me,
Lord, as an instrument
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of the gospel in
Jesus' name. Amen.
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I think that I
forgot to introduce myself
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and in case, you
haven't met me before.
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I'm Dale Leamon and I'm
from Battle Creek, Michigan,
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where I have the
privilege of pastoring
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the Tabernacle Church there.
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Well, God has struggled
to make Himself known to us,
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the truth is the problem.
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Because Satan has started
so many bad rumors about God
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that people are very confused
about what He's really like.
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It all started, of
course, with a lie.
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Satan came down to this planet,
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invaded the Garden of Eden,
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stood by the forbidden tree,
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captured Eve's attention
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and told her
something totally untrue.
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Now most of us are
aware of the lie when he said,
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"You will not really die."
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But that was only
one small part of the lie
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he was telling there.
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The big lie that he told was
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that God is not
treating you fairly.
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If you were just
eat from this tree
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you'd be like God,
knowing good and evil.
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You see there are so much more.
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God doesn't want
you to have everything.
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God doesn't want you
to eat from all the trees.
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God is holding back some
great privileges from you,
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because He wants
to be superior to you.
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A total miscast
of God's personality
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and of His character.
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God is love and as love
He would never do anything,
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but what was in the very
best interest of His creatures.
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He didn't make people,
in order to keep them down,
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or subject them,
or boss them around,
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or otherwise abuse them.
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He made people in
order to give them joy.
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Well, we all
hate lies, don't we?
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We've all heard a lot of
them and they always harm.
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But Jesus said, the
Satan was the father of lies
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and that his power and
authority are based on a lie.
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In the same way,
God's power and authority
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are based on the truth.
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See the truth is
something that just stands,
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it's that way,
because that's the way it is.
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The truth is so
closely attached to laws,
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because truth and good
laws are always totally related.
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Good laws always
come out of real truths.
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You see, God's government
has been called unfair
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and that's why so many people
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don't trust His commandments.
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They think that maybe
God's made commandments
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just to keep people
from having a good time.
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Especially, it
seems like young people
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think that, doesn't it?
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They're afraid that
God is just making rules
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to keep them from
enjoying all their potential.
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Why would God say, "Don't lie."
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Telling a lie now and then
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can get a person
through many a scrap.
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Why would God say,
"Don't commit adultery."
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After all there's so
much fruit in the garden,
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shouldn't we taste at all?
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No, God knows what
makes people happy.
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And as we look
at His commandments,
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we might be very misinformed,
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we might
misjudge God's character,
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thinking that He just
wants us to be held back.
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We need to know the truth,
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we need to have
our understanding
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of God's character, completely
changed from what it--
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from what we kind of
inherited from our birth.
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And through Satan's
thousands of years of deception.
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Let me share
with you some truths
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about God that are absolute.
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Number one, God is good.
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But that's quite all
encompassing, isn't it?
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Because if He's really good,
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then He could never do
anything that wasn't good.
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Bear that in mind, next
time you start blaming God
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for the bad weather,
or the terrible trial
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that you're going through.
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Number two, God loves us.
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Love, remember
it's divine love too,
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it's a kind of love
which is totally unselfish,
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which means that God's
love makes Him think of me
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before He even
thinks of Himself.
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Number three, He is our friend.
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In other words, He seeks a
special relationship with us,
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He cares about us
as if we were unique
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in all the
universe, maybe we are.
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God is our
friend in the sense that
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He wants to spend
personal quality time with us.
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And in the sense
that He's always happy
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to see us and hear from us,
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when we try to
make contact with Him.
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Number four, God
has arranged everything
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in our lives for our best good.
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It's especially true if
we commit our lives to Him.
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In other words, we may
think our lives are cursed
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and we're going through
so many trials and problems.
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But God has prearranged
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for your maximum
opportunity for salvation,
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the events of your life.
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Number five, God
keeps back from us
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nothing that
would be good for us.
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That's right, you
say, well, my health,
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I should have better health.
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God gives us what is
best for us in the long run
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and it may not
seem so right now.
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I should have more money,
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I'd be much better
off with more money.
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No, God gives us what's
best for us in the long run.
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Now, of course, we can influence
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the outcome of
some of those things,
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but God will certainly
intervene to do what's best.
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Number six, He will
always work to make us happy,
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that one is
really important to me.
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God wants me to be happy.
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You see, what's life
worth if you're not happy.
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You could have riches,
you could have many friends,
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you could have many things,
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if you're not
happy, what's life worth.
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God is interested in our
happiness, not only that,
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He's committed to our happiness.
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Not only that,
He's always working
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to make sure that we are happy.
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And once we know that
then we have to ask ourselves,
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well, why is it we have been
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afraid of the Ten Commandments.
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If these six
promises about God are true,
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then surely His Ten Commandments
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are also part of
how He makes us happy,
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how He provides
for our well being,
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how He showers His love on us,
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how He shows us His friendship?
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His Ten Commandments must be
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part of that whole program.
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Well, they are.
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The Ten Commandments
are really ten promises.
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Not to be read so much,
don't do this, don't do that.
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That's the way people read it
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who don't know the
love and grace of God.
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But to be read instead,
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since I've set
you free from sin,
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you no longer
will do this or that,
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you will have a new life.
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I like something else
about the Ten Commandments too.
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They not only show us
what we're going to be like
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as we're completed in Christ,
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but they also show
us what God is like.
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In other words,
the Ten Commandments
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are a transcript
of His character.
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They show us how He lives
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and what we can
count on from Him,
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now don't you like that?
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As you read the Ten Commandments
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with God in mind, knowing that
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He is always faithful
to His own commandments,
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even though we aren't always.
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We find several
beautiful things.
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One, God wants our company,
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He wants a whole day
out of every week with us,
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and He has already
set aside that time
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and will be with us in a
special way on that time.
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That time is time that He takes
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and gives even more attention
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and more of His
fellowship to us,
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that's seventh
day of every week.
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That's one of the
commandments, isn't it?
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So that's God's character,
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He loves to have
that day of joy with us.
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Here's another one,
He will give us rest.
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Yes, that's
right, He offers us rest,
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He says, "Come unto
me, all ye that labor
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and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest,"
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it's right there in
the Fourth Commandment.
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God is a God of rest,
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He doesn't believe
in being a workaholic,
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He believes in taking some time
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and enjoying life
with his creatures
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and so he's going to give us
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that enjoyment
together with himself.
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We also see since he has
a commandment stating that
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murder is wrong
that he will not kill us.
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Well, you say, wait a minute,
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didn't he say he
would take our lives?
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No, folks, God loves us.
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In the very, very end,
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when we've made our decision
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and we're locked
into the misery of sin,
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then he may mercifully
take back the life he gave,
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but he says, we
should not murdering.
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God like quite, doesn't
whim sickly take people lives.
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It's Satan who does that.
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And Satan's had a good time
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over the years blaming
God for all the atrocities
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he's brought
upon the human race.
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But God is not a murderer.
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Also since He
tells us not to steal,
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we know that God
Himself will not steal from us,
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He will protect our property.
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He's very interested in our
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being able to maintain
ownership of the things
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that we've worked hard to have.
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And should he allow us
to lose them we know again,
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it would only be,
because in someway
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that trial was
for our eternal good.
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God also will
protect our relationships.
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We already saw that God
Himself is not an adulterer.
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He is a faithful one,
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Jesus is the
bridegroom of the church
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and He has committed
himself eternally to us.
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We are the joy of His
life and He will not let us go
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or trade us in for another.
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Well, these Ten
Commandments then
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really give us an idea
of God's commitment to us,
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the way He will
treat us as well as
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what He promises
to do in our hearts
00:11:22.86\00:11:25.44
to make us like Himself.
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Now the commandment
that we're especially
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focusing on today is
the Ninth Commandment
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which has to do
with telling the truth.
00:11:35.32\00:11:38.43
We'll look at that
specifically in a minute.
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But I want you to see
how important truth is.
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Let's look at
several scriptures together,
00:11:42.93\00:11:44.97
John the 8th
Chapter and verse 32.
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Jesus here speaking, it says.
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"You shall know the truth,
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and the truth
shall make you free."
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That's Jesus own commandment,
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"The truth will make you free."
00:11:59.09\00:12:01.93
Oh, how important truth is,
00:12:01.94\00:12:03.66
you can't possibly
be free without truth.
00:12:03.67\00:12:05.52
Satan enslaved this whole planet
00:12:05.53\00:12:07.13
by initially telling lies.
00:12:07.14\00:12:09.04
And only the
truth will deliver us
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from the slavery of
sin and selfishness.
00:12:11.68\00:12:14.88
John 14, and verse
6, let's read that one,
00:12:14.89\00:12:20.48
Jesus said to
him, "I am the way,
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the truth, and the life.
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No one comes to
Father except through Me."
00:12:26.31\00:12:31.88
So, Jesus Himself is
"the truth," I like that.
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He is the truth,
00:12:35.51\00:12:36.50
He is the truth
about God's character.
00:12:36.51\00:12:38.60
Jesus is the truth
about how our people
00:12:38.61\00:12:40.85
are gonna be like
when they're redeemed.
00:12:40.86\00:12:42.56
Jesus is the truth
about the way to heaven.
00:12:42.57\00:12:48.09
Jesus Himself is the truth.
00:12:48.10\00:12:51.63
John 16, and verse
13, "However, when He,
00:12:51.64\00:12:58.44
the Spirit of truth has come,
00:12:58.45\00:13:00.73
He will guide
you into all truth,
00:13:00.74\00:13:03.19
for He will not
speak on His own authority,
00:13:03.20\00:13:05.95
but whatever He
hears he will speak,
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and He will tell
you things to come."
00:13:07.99\00:13:11.10
This of course shows us that
00:13:11.11\00:13:12.81
Jesus being the truth
sends us a Spirit of truth.
00:13:12.82\00:13:16.69
The Holy Spirit, of
course, is the Spirit of truth,
00:13:16.70\00:13:19.45
He can't tell
anything but the truth
00:13:19.46\00:13:21.44
and He will
always tell the truth.
00:13:21.45\00:13:22.95
And every time you
pray for the Holy Spirit,
00:13:22.96\00:13:24.87
He will reveal the truth to you.
00:13:24.88\00:13:26.63
And if you insist upon
clinging to falsehood and lies,
00:13:26.64\00:13:29.66
then the Holy Spirit will
not be the one speaking to you
00:13:29.67\00:13:32.87
and maybe some other spirit.
00:13:32.88\00:13:34.56
So we need to really
commit ourselves to the truth
00:13:34.57\00:13:37.35
and be anxious
to know the truth.
00:13:37.36\00:13:39.80
And so many of us are trying
to make up our own theology,
00:13:39.81\00:13:42.62
but we need to have truth.
00:13:42.63\00:13:45.16
John 17, and verse 17, we read,
00:13:45.17\00:13:49.78
"Sanctify them by Your
truth. Your word is truth."
00:13:49.79\00:13:55.04
And so here we see that,
00:13:55.05\00:13:58.24
the way that we're
transformed, sanctified,
00:13:58.25\00:14:02.78
is by exposure to the
truth that is so true.
00:14:02.79\00:14:06.59
Because as we see God
00:14:06.60\00:14:09.04
as He really is, as He truly is.
00:14:09.05\00:14:13.78
We cannot help but be changed,
00:14:13.79\00:14:15.61
we fall in love with Him.
00:14:15.62\00:14:17.12
We see that He is
absolutely reliable,
00:14:17.13\00:14:20.32
and He's on our
side, and He is our friend,
00:14:20.33\00:14:21.99
and all the things we've
been saying about Him are true,
00:14:22.00\00:14:24.96
and we just have to love Him.
00:14:24.97\00:14:28.12
Well, not only did
Jesus make such statements
00:14:28.13\00:14:31.12
but the Apostle James
00:14:31.13\00:14:33.13
in James Chapter 1,
verse 18, speaks of truth.
00:14:33.14\00:14:38.75
"Of His own will He brought
us forth by the word of truth,
00:14:38.76\00:14:43.57
that we might be a kind of
first fruits of His creatures."
00:14:43.58\00:14:48.40
So we are
actually born by the truth,
00:14:48.41\00:14:52.25
we're brought forth
by the word of truth.
00:14:52.26\00:14:54.67
The Bible becomes
our midwife as it were,
00:14:54.68\00:14:58.27
to bring us forth, we
are born of the spirit
00:14:58.28\00:15:01.44
because we accept the truth.
00:15:01.45\00:15:05.28
Some people think that
truth is whatever you believe.
00:15:05.29\00:15:10.36
If I believe in it,
it must be my truth,
00:15:10.37\00:15:12.80
that's impossible,
folks, there's only one truth.
00:15:12.81\00:15:14.95
If you have two opposing ideas,
00:15:14.96\00:15:16.39
they can't both be true,
00:15:16.40\00:15:17.49
one is true and
the other is a lie.
00:15:17.50\00:15:19.55
And that's what so alarming
about Christian Church today.
00:15:19.56\00:15:22.89
Because there
are so many different
00:15:22.90\00:15:24.16
apposing things
all taught as truth.
00:15:24.17\00:15:27.06
Does the Bible
teach apposing things?
00:15:27.07\00:15:30.11
No, it really doesn't.
00:15:30.12\00:15:31.54
We need to let it be
it's own interpreter,
00:15:31.55\00:15:33.23
we need to let-- we need to read
00:15:33.24\00:15:35.33
enough scriptures on any topic
00:15:35.34\00:15:37.45
to make sure we have
the Bible's own definition.
00:15:37.46\00:15:41.77
Because we maybe
believing falsehoods
00:15:41.78\00:15:45.44
and there is no possibility
that believing falsehoods
00:15:45.45\00:15:48.58
will guide us
safely into God's Kingdom.
00:15:48.59\00:15:51.50
Don't you hate it when
someone lies about you?
00:15:51.51\00:15:54.53
I hardly know of
anything more annoying
00:15:54.54\00:15:56.65
and of course,
that may not be true
00:15:56.66\00:15:58.02
if they're telling
a good lie about you.
00:15:58.03\00:16:00.66
But, but in fact, even
that's not so healthy, is it?
00:16:00.67\00:16:04.37
But especially when somebody
tells a bad lie about you,
00:16:04.38\00:16:07.44
they tell something
that isn't true at all.
00:16:07.45\00:16:09.59
You've all experienced it,
00:16:09.60\00:16:10.89
it just makes you really upset.
00:16:10.90\00:16:12.60
I've had quite a
few lies told about me.
00:16:12.61\00:16:14.91
I suppose any
pastor would, it's amazing,
00:16:14.92\00:16:17.01
the stories that come along.
00:16:17.02\00:16:19.65
Oh, I've heard things like
00:16:19.66\00:16:21.03
I was supposed to have
had an earlier marriage
00:16:21.04\00:16:23.11
or I had some children
before--unbelievable stuff,
00:16:23.12\00:16:26.14
not a shred of truth to it.
00:16:26.15\00:16:28.99
These things come along
00:16:29.00\00:16:30.07
and it's just like
the devil is trying
00:16:30.08\00:16:31.71
to spread little
things to discredit you,
00:16:31.72\00:16:33.62
you know what I mean?
00:16:33.63\00:16:34.96
I have had a, well, I won't
began to tell you the things,
00:16:34.97\00:16:38.76
'cause I don't want
to start any rumors.
00:16:38.77\00:16:40.06
Well, I've had
people say things about me
00:16:40.07\00:16:41.88
that I just
could hardly live with,
00:16:41.89\00:16:44.02
and I've gotten
so upset about it,
00:16:44.03\00:16:46.05
and I have just wanted to
go and chew those people out.
00:16:46.06\00:16:49.07
And sometimes you don't even
know who started this story,
00:16:49.08\00:16:51.41
you don't know who to
go to, and I've thought,
00:16:51.42\00:16:53.34
well, maybe I should
pose some public disclaimers,
00:16:53.35\00:16:55.51
but, no, that doesn't work.
00:16:55.52\00:16:58.16
You know, if you're
gonna be on God's side
00:16:58.17\00:17:00.66
and Satan's gonna aim
his weapons at you, isn't he?
00:17:00.67\00:17:03.39
And one of his most
powerful weapons is a lie
00:17:03.40\00:17:07.48
and he'll do it every time.
00:17:07.49\00:17:09.71
Well, God knows what it is to be
00:17:09.72\00:17:10.97
lied about also, oh does he.
00:17:10.98\00:17:15.03
You know, Satan's
spread such terrible things
00:17:15.04\00:17:17.57
about God's character,
00:17:17.58\00:17:18.68
even in heaven that
he persuaded--I mean,
00:17:18.69\00:17:23.31
I still have a hard
time fathoming this,
00:17:23.32\00:17:25.21
but Satan persuaded one third
of the angels to follow him.
00:17:25.22\00:17:32.93
He told them
that God was a tyrant,
00:17:32.94\00:17:35.64
that God was
keeping back from them,
00:17:35.65\00:17:38.83
some of their potential,
that he was enslaving them.
00:17:38.84\00:17:41.92
That, that he,
that they would have
00:17:41.93\00:17:44.13
much more
enjoyment of their existence
00:17:44.14\00:17:45.91
if they would be with him.
00:17:45.92\00:17:47.72
And that here the philosophy was
00:17:47.73\00:17:50.12
really the winning philosophy,
00:17:50.13\00:17:51.66
that God's idea of everybody
serving everybody else,
00:17:51.67\00:17:54.53
no one looking after his own,
00:17:54.54\00:17:56.29
was really an old way
and he was going to introduce
00:17:56.30\00:17:58.58
a new way that
would be so better
00:17:58.59\00:18:00.69
and a third of the
angels followed him.
00:18:00.70\00:18:02.53
They're such
intelligent creatures,
00:18:02.54\00:18:04.03
it is astonishing that they
could be taken in by that lie.
00:18:04.04\00:18:06.55
No wonder we human
beings believe lies so readily.
00:18:06.56\00:18:10.21
So God knows what
it is to be lied about.
00:18:10.22\00:18:13.30
And He lost an entire planet
00:18:13.31\00:18:17.22
because of lies
about His character.
00:18:17.23\00:18:20.33
And so He wants
us to know the truth.
00:18:24.18\00:18:26.46
And especially, and I
think this is so reasonable.
00:18:26.47\00:18:29.24
God wants us to know
the truth about Himself
00:18:29.25\00:18:33.74
and that is why He sent Jesus.
00:18:33.75\00:18:38.42
You know, the lies
that people believe,
00:18:38.43\00:18:40.77
Christians believe
have cost God so much.
00:18:40.78\00:18:45.01
Many people are communing
with spirits of devils,
00:18:45.02\00:18:49.49
because they are spiritualists
00:18:49.50\00:18:50.82
and they think they're
communing with the dead.
00:18:50.83\00:18:53.38
All because they believed a lie
00:18:53.39\00:18:56.60
instead of believing
the Bible when it says,
00:18:56.61\00:18:58.24
"The dead know nothing."
00:18:58.25\00:18:59.47
Many people are
missing the sweet communion
00:19:01.48\00:19:04.16
of the Sabbath day,
because they believe the lie
00:19:04.17\00:19:07.98
that the Sabbath
has been done away with,
00:19:07.99\00:19:10.82
when the Bible
says no such thing.
00:19:10.83\00:19:13.63
And all the
apostles and Jesus Himself
00:19:13.64\00:19:16.33
certainly
rejoiced in the Sabbath.
00:19:16.34\00:19:19.94
So much is being lost by lies,
00:19:19.95\00:19:22.23
how about the
millions of Christians
00:19:22.24\00:19:25.76
who believe that they can
be saved by their own works,
00:19:25.77\00:19:30.39
by acts of charity,
00:19:30.40\00:19:32.02
by providing
money to the church,
00:19:32.03\00:19:34.38
by doing a certain
number of penances.
00:19:34.39\00:19:38.12
Oh, how tragic, how
many will fail to enter
00:19:38.13\00:19:40.84
into the Kingdom of heaven,
00:19:40.85\00:19:42.00
just because they
believe a false theology,
00:19:42.01\00:19:44.58
just because they have
been taken in by a lie.
00:19:44.59\00:19:48.61
No wonder then, this issue
is so vital that God put it
00:19:48.62\00:19:52.23
into His Ten Commandments.
00:19:52.24\00:19:54.69
Exodus Chapter 20 and verse 16,
00:19:54.70\00:19:59.77
let's read that,
"You shall not bear
00:19:59.78\00:20:02.97
false witness
against your neighbor."
00:20:02.98\00:20:07.77
Now this commandment
seems to address particularly
00:20:07.78\00:20:12.06
the wrong that we might do.
00:20:12.07\00:20:13.92
You see, the Ten Commandments
00:20:13.93\00:20:14.92
all involved in relationships,
00:20:14.93\00:20:16.27
relationships with God,
relationship with parents,
00:20:16.28\00:20:18.07
relationship with wife,
relationship with neighbors.
00:20:18.08\00:20:20.86
And so it puts
this don't lie principle
00:20:20.87\00:20:25.18
into the relationship context.
00:20:25.19\00:20:28.44
And says, "Don't say bad
things about your neighbor,
00:20:28.45\00:20:32.52
don't say
things that aren't true
00:20:32.53\00:20:33.70
in particular
about your neighbor."
00:20:33.71\00:20:37.56
This will be true
in a court setting,
00:20:37.57\00:20:39.18
then it would be
true in any time.
00:20:39.19\00:20:40.87
And certainly precludes
most negative story telling
00:20:40.88\00:20:44.69
because how often
do we know for sure
00:20:44.70\00:20:47.17
that what we're saying is
truth in every specific point.
00:20:47.18\00:20:50.91
Can we be absolutely sure
00:20:50.92\00:20:52.11
we're not least
putting the wrong twist on it
00:20:52.12\00:20:53.91
by our experience
of vocal inflection?
00:20:53.92\00:20:56.71
Dare we say
anything about another person
00:20:56.72\00:20:58.78
that is not good news,
00:20:58.79\00:21:01.85
hardly can we be so sure
00:21:01.86\00:21:04.50
that we're not
lying about our neighbor.
00:21:04.51\00:21:06.99
And if we're lying
about our neighbor,
00:21:07.00\00:21:08.61
we are breaking
the Ninth Commandment.
00:21:08.62\00:21:11.84
But we've been looking at
00:21:11.85\00:21:12.84
all the commandments
as promises, haven't we?
00:21:12.85\00:21:15.33
And this one also is a promise.
00:21:15.34\00:21:17.24
What a beautiful promise
that we will not ever again
00:21:17.25\00:21:24.98
say anything
about another person
00:21:24.99\00:21:27.48
that is not
completely accurate and true.
00:21:27.49\00:21:30.27
I can hardly even imagine it,
00:21:30.28\00:21:31.81
I can hardly wait
for it to be true,
00:21:31.82\00:21:33.65
it's going to really
workout best in heaven
00:21:33.66\00:21:35.74
when the only
thing that could be
00:21:35.75\00:21:37.12
said about us is good things
00:21:37.13\00:21:38.20
because we are good
all the way through.
00:21:38.21\00:21:41.22
But even now we need to get
00:21:41.23\00:21:44.04
in the habit of not
telling lies about our neighbor,
00:21:44.05\00:21:47.96
not telling
lies to our neighbor,
00:21:47.97\00:21:51.05
not even being willing
to embrace any untruth,
00:21:51.06\00:21:56.29
because as we see in the Bible,
00:21:56.30\00:21:58.69
untruth is very, very costly.
00:21:58.70\00:22:02.62
Well, Jesus has
fulfilled this for us,
00:22:02.63\00:22:04.44
it just like He's fulfilled
all the other commandments,
00:22:04.45\00:22:06.33
he's fulfilled this one.
00:22:06.34\00:22:07.57
Remember we just read
that Jesus is the truth
00:22:07.58\00:22:10.26
and the great promise
that He's made found in
00:22:10.27\00:22:12.76
Ephesians Chapter 4 shows that
00:22:12.77\00:22:15.41
as the church gets
ready for translation
00:22:15.42\00:22:18.38
Jesus is going to
make it a more and more
00:22:18.39\00:22:21.25
truth filled organization.
00:22:21.26\00:22:23.14
Ephesians 4, 14 through 16,
00:22:23.15\00:22:27.23
"That we should no
longer be children,
00:22:27.24\00:22:30.51
tossed to and
fro and carried about
00:22:30.52\00:22:32.86
with every wind of doctrine,
by the trickery of men,
00:22:32.87\00:22:36.14
and the cunning craftiness
of deceitful plotting,
00:22:36.15\00:22:39.88
but speaking the
truth in love may grow up
00:22:39.89\00:22:44.26
in all things into him
who is the head--Christ.
00:22:44.27\00:22:50.96
From whom the whole body,
00:22:50.97\00:22:53.16
joined and knit together
by what every joins applies
00:22:53.17\00:22:55.60
according to the effective
00:22:55.61\00:22:56.60
working by which
every part does it share,
00:22:56.61\00:22:59.18
causes growth of the body
00:22:59.19\00:23:00.71
for the edifying
of itself in love."
00:23:00.72\00:23:05.14
So what the Lord is
planning to do for us
00:23:05.15\00:23:07.90
as we continue to
move toward the kingdom
00:23:07.91\00:23:11.02
is to weed out all the
lies and all the untruth.
00:23:11.03\00:23:14.61
Jesus said, "He would separate
00:23:14.62\00:23:15.92
the whole human
race into two camps,
00:23:15.93\00:23:18.03
sheep and goats."
00:23:18.04\00:23:20.62
And of course,
the goats are those
00:23:20.63\00:23:22.41
who have rejected His truth
00:23:22.42\00:23:23.71
but the sheep are
those who love the truth.
00:23:23.72\00:23:26.44
Don't you want
to be a truth lover?
00:23:26.45\00:23:28.84
You know, the Apostle
Paul in Second Thessalonians,
00:23:28.85\00:23:31.53
the Second Chapter,
identifies specifically
00:23:31.54\00:23:33.55
those who fall pray to
the deception of the beast.
00:23:33.56\00:23:37.50
And he says, "That
those individuals are deceived
00:23:37.51\00:23:41.74
because they do
not love the truth."
00:23:41.75\00:23:47.93
What an indictment?
00:23:47.94\00:23:50.05
In fact, it turns out that
they love lies and that is why
00:23:50.06\00:23:53.36
they are susceptible
to Satan's deception.
00:23:53.37\00:23:56.38
They love the lie that
we are really our own God.
00:23:56.39\00:23:59.63
They love the lie that
you can break the commandments
00:23:59.64\00:24:02.25
and still have eternal life.
00:24:02.26\00:24:03.89
They love the lie
that we are all independent
00:24:03.90\00:24:09.93
and can be self
centered and selfish
00:24:09.94\00:24:13.24
and that there can
be still be happiness
00:24:13.25\00:24:14.92
and joy in that kind of life.
00:24:14.93\00:24:17.31
What a huge lie that is?
00:24:17.32\00:24:18.97
There is no
happiness in selfishness.
00:24:18.98\00:24:22.43
And so Jesus is
looking for truth lovers
00:24:22.44\00:24:25.12
and He has
already committed Himself
00:24:25.13\00:24:27.53
by keeping the
Ninth Commandment Himself
00:24:27.54\00:24:30.24
by always telling the truth.
00:24:30.25\00:24:32.28
He has committed
Himself to giving us
00:24:32.29\00:24:36.53
a love for truth in our hearts.
00:24:36.54\00:24:38.77
I ask Him for
that regularly, do you?
00:24:38.78\00:24:41.12
Because I really,
really want to be sure that
00:24:41.13\00:24:43.43
I'm not deceiving
myself on anything,
00:24:43.44\00:24:45.54
I don't care how
much the truth hurts,
00:24:45.55\00:24:46.89
you've heard that
how much the truth hurts,
00:24:46.90\00:24:48.17
I don't care how much
it hurts I want the truth.
00:24:48.18\00:24:50.43
Tell me truth,
doctor, if I'm sick,
00:24:50.44\00:24:52.56
tell me the truth so we
can start working on healing.
00:24:52.57\00:24:55.58
And so it is with Jesus,
00:24:55.59\00:24:56.83
tell me the truth
of my moral condition,
00:24:56.84\00:24:58.75
because if I know the
truth I can come to You
00:24:58.76\00:25:01.28
and You have that
remedy for every moral ailment,
00:25:01.29\00:25:05.35
tell me the truth.
00:25:05.36\00:25:07.63
I want to be a truth
lover and I know you do too.
00:25:07.64\00:25:12.01
Well, Jesus won the victory
by bringing us the truth.
00:25:12.02\00:25:16.44
Basically Jesus
whole ministry was saying,
00:25:16.45\00:25:18.49
you've got it all wrong,
00:25:18.50\00:25:19.77
God is your friend not a tyrant.
00:25:19.78\00:25:22.11
He will do
everything, anything for you.
00:25:22.12\00:25:24.94
He lives, God
lives to make you happy.
00:25:24.95\00:25:29.86
You don't have to run
away from Him to be happy.
00:25:29.87\00:25:32.64
You never can be
happy, until you come to Him.
00:25:32.65\00:25:36.26
Remember the Jesus
professed so many of His remarks
00:25:36.27\00:25:39.82
with these two
words, truly, truly.
00:25:39.83\00:25:46.09
And in John Chapter 18,
00:25:46.10\00:25:49.89
we have this beautiful story
00:25:49.90\00:25:54.45
of some of Jesus final
moments before His crucifixion.
00:25:54.46\00:25:59.68
When He was
taken in before Pilate
00:25:59.69\00:26:03.06
and He was about to
be condemned to death.
00:26:03.07\00:26:07.54
And He had a very interesting
interview with Pilate.
00:26:07.55\00:26:09.35
Let's read it
in verse 37 and 38.
00:26:09.36\00:26:12.85
"Pilate therefore said to
him, 'Are you a king then?'
00:26:12.86\00:26:16.92
And Jesus answered, 'You
say rightly that I am a king.
00:26:16.93\00:26:21.06
For this cause I was born,
00:26:21.07\00:26:22.93
and for this cause I
have come into the world."
00:26:22.94\00:26:25.89
Now why did Jesus come
into the world here it is.
00:26:25.90\00:26:28.47
"That I should bear
witness to the truth.
00:26:28.48\00:26:32.29
Everyone who is of
the truth hears My voice.
00:26:32.30\00:26:36.84
But Pilate said to
him, 'What is truth?'"
00:26:36.85\00:26:42.74
I can almost tear him,
00:26:42.75\00:26:44.29
with the irony dripping
from his voice, what is truth?
00:26:44.30\00:26:51.15
Well friends, Jesus
is the truth Himself,
00:26:51.16\00:26:55.89
Jesus Himself is the truth.
00:26:55.90\00:26:59.80
And He is the truth
about God our Heavenly Father.
00:26:59.81\00:27:05.04
And He is the truth about
00:27:05.05\00:27:06.56
what you and I
can be and will be
00:27:06.57\00:27:10.56
as we hang on to
Him and let Him lead us
00:27:10.57\00:27:13.14
all the way to victory.
00:27:13.15\00:27:15.42
Jesus is the
truth in every doctrine.
00:27:15.43\00:27:20.36
Because we cannot
have life without Jesus,
00:27:20.37\00:27:23.34
we have no natural immortality.
00:27:23.35\00:27:24.96
Jesus is the
Lord of the Sabbath,
00:27:24.97\00:27:27.25
He is the great truth.
00:27:27.26\00:27:28.65
Jesus is the High Priest
of our heavenly sanctuary.
00:27:28.66\00:27:32.52
Jesus is the
center of everything
00:27:32.53\00:27:34.91
that calls itself
truth if it really is truth.
00:27:34.92\00:27:38.90
Jesus is the truth.
00:27:38.91\00:27:40.93
And I wonder today
00:27:40.94\00:27:42.53
if you really want
to be a truth lover.
00:27:42.54\00:27:45.39
Only truth lovers
can hope to be safe
00:27:45.40\00:27:48.67
through the coming
storm, others will be deceived.
00:27:48.68\00:27:52.79
If you want to
join me in saying,
00:27:52.80\00:27:54.41
yes, I want to be a truth lover,
00:27:54.42\00:27:57.22
let's ask Jesus to give us
00:27:57.23\00:27:58.74
His victory in
the Ninth Commandment.
00:27:58.75\00:28:00.68