A Pearl diver named Rambhau
lived on the coast of India.
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His profession, his
life work was to go out
00:00:34.87\00:00:38.66
off the coast of
India and dive for pearls.
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And he was good at it, too.
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He could hold
his breath so long.
00:00:43.26\00:00:44.82
He could dive so deep,
00:00:44.85\00:00:46.22
and he knew just what
kind of oyster to look for
00:00:46.25\00:00:50.18
that would give the best pearls.
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Now the goal of
every pearl diver
00:00:51.61\00:00:53.85
is to find the perfect pearl.
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Well, Rambhau had a son
and as the son grew older
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he was taught by his
father to dive for pearls.
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As he got older he got
better and better and better.
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And after a while Rambhau's
son was the best pearl diver
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in the coast--on that
part of the coast of India.
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He could hold
his breath so long.
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He had the deepest dive.
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And he was trained by his father
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to find the best oysters that
would produce the best pearls.
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You see, as
Rambhau's father used to say,
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there's a big
difference between the pearls
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with defects in
them and they lack
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a lot of luster and brilliance
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but the perfect
pearls don't have any defects
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in them at all and
they shine with a luster
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that completely outshines
all the inferior pearls.
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Well, few years went by
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and Rambhau's son
became better and better.
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And he would keep on
looking for the perfect pearl.
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And one day he
was diving very deep,
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had been down a very long time.
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And he looked down at
the ocean floor below him
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and he saw just
the kind of oyster
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that he was looking for.
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He knew that
inside that oyster shell
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had to be the best
pearl that he'd ever seen.
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The problem was
he'd already been down
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so long that he was
almost ready to pass out.
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And yet, there
was the perfect pearl
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just within reach and
so with a kick of his feet
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he nosed down further
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and grabbed for
that oyster shell.
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Unfortunately Rambhau's
son had been down too long.
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As he reached the
oyster that he just knew
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had to have the
perfect pearl in it,
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he passed out and he drowned
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before he could
ever reach the surface.
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His father was so
grieved by the death of his son
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that he would never even
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talk about his son
for years afterward.
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Matthew 13, talks about
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the pearl of great price.
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"Again, the kingdom of heaven
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is like a merchant
looking for fine pearls.
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When he found
one of great value,
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he went away and sold everything
he had and bought it."
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People will pay anything.
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They will sacrifice anything.
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Even risk their own lives
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in order to get
the perfect pearl.
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And that's why Jesus could use
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the pearl to
represent the gospel,
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the good news of His kingdom.
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Unfortunately
there are more than
00:03:50.54\00:03:54.82
one version of the gospel.
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In previous sessions together
we have talked about the gospel
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and how there have been
00:04:03.60\00:04:05.19
different false
teachers in the past
00:04:05.22\00:04:07.16
that have taught a
perverted version of the gospel.
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Let's review those.
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The false gospel
includes things like this,
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"You are
uncertain about being saved.
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You deal with this
insecurity by working harder
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in order to be worth saving."
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The true gospel on
the other hand means that
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"As a believer in Christ you are
assured that you have salvation.
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You do not need to work
hard to be worth saving."
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The false gospel says that
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"Personal behavior is
controlled from the outside,
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motivated by law,
rewards and punishments."
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The true gospel says, that
00:04:45.12\00:04:46.49
"Behavior is
controlled from the inside
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and motivated by love."
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The false gospel says that
00:04:51.12\00:04:52.49
"You have to make
personal sacrifices
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in order to win God's favor."
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The true gospel says,
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"God's love wins
your love and loyalty
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therefore you
would sacrifice anything
00:05:03.30\00:05:05.20
that came between
you and the true Gospel."
00:05:05.23\00:05:08.60
The false gospel says,
00:05:08.63\00:05:10.00
"Salvation is based on
the kind of person you are."
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The true gospel says,
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"Salvation is based on
the kind of person God is."
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The true gospel is so valuable
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and so
necessary that it requires
00:05:23.64\00:05:25.82
that we give up all other
00:05:25.85\00:05:27.82
perverted
versions of the gospel.
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You can't have a
modified true gospel.
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If it's modified
it's not true any longer.
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It has to be perfect,
just like the perfect pearl
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that Rambhau and
his were looking for.
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It has to be without defect
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and it has to have
the greatest brilliance.
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The true gospel can not be
perverted by any human ideas.
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It is God's and God's alone.
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It has to be authentic.
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It can't be manufactured
or cultured by human beings.
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It can only come
through faith in Christ.
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As the parable suggests
once we know about this pearl,
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and once we know where it is,
00:06:08.01\00:06:10.81
all other things can and will
be given up in order to get it.
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Not because God is requiring
some strenuous pilgrimage
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but because out of love that
is one from the heart of God,
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we want what He has to give.
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Like the Indian pearl diver
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we know that the gospel is
worth risking everything for.
00:06:27.77\00:06:32.26
As the martyrs down
through history have witnessed,
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even death
itself is not too high
00:06:36.02\00:06:37.75
a price to pay
for the true gospel.
00:06:37.78\00:06:42.66
Jesus had several
different groups of people
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who followed
Him in His ministry.
00:06:46.15\00:06:49.78
The first group is what I
would call the crowd followers.
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Now these were
the people who just--
00:06:55.25\00:06:58.19
they saw the crowds
of people following Jesus
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and it seemed like a
great thing to do, was popular,
00:07:01.14\00:07:04.39
Jesus was fun to listen to
and they just joined right in.
00:07:04.42\00:07:08.17
It was a popular thing.
00:07:08.20\00:07:10.09
Jesus was a great person
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and they liked
being in His presence.
00:07:12.42\00:07:15.67
But maybe they
didn't fully catch on
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to all the implications
of what Jesus was saying.
00:07:19.68\00:07:22.89
And Jesus would tell
these kinds of people,
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things like, make sure you count
the cost before you get in.
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Be doers not just
hearers. Things like that.
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The second group of
people, who followed Jesus,
00:07:34.89\00:07:38.14
were those who opposed Him.
00:07:38.17\00:07:39.97
And they usually followed Him
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because they were trying to
catch Him in saying something
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that they could
accuse Him for later.
00:07:44.34\00:07:47.54
These were the people
who defended the old ways.
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These were the people
who defended the landmarks
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that had been given to them.
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These were the people who
00:07:56.19\00:07:58.45
depended on the law
for their salvation.
00:07:58.48\00:08:03.04
Jesus would tell those
kinds of people things like,
00:08:03.07\00:08:06.34
you can't put new
wine in old wine skins.
00:08:06.37\00:08:10.22
In other words, the ideas
inherent in the true gospel
00:08:10.25\00:08:14.57
cannot be held in the old wine
skins of your old traditions.
00:08:14.60\00:08:20.77
He would say things
like, to the rich young ruler,
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give away all your
riches, all your advantages,
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and give it to people
who haven't earned anything
00:08:29.25\00:08:31.99
and then come and follow me.
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There was a
third group of people.
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And these were the people--
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maybe they weren't the smartest,
00:08:41.14\00:08:42.76
maybe they weren't the
most brilliant all the time,
00:08:42.79\00:08:44.56
although some of them
like Nicodemus were very sharp.
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These were the
people that recognized
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that Jesus had
something that they needed.
00:08:51.36\00:08:55.14
Jesus was giving something
away that was so valuable.
00:08:55.17\00:08:59.04
It was like the pearl.
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It was like the
treasure in the field
00:09:02.90\00:09:06.35
and they would do
anything to get it.
00:09:06.38\00:09:10.57
This group of people is
illustrated one time by a story
00:09:10.60\00:09:14.80
that is told in the
Second Chapter of Mark.
00:09:14.83\00:09:18.44
Four friends of a paralyzed man
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heard that Jesus was in town
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and they thought
what a wonderful thing
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it would be to take
their paralyzed friend,
00:09:28.26\00:09:30.86
and I don't know if
he was a quadriplegic
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or paraplegic or exactly
what, but he was paralyzed
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and couldn't get
around by himself.
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And they thought what a
wonderful thing it would be
00:09:39.90\00:09:42.04
to take their friend to Jesus.
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You see they recognized
that Jesus had something
00:09:43.64\00:09:45.96
so wonderful that
crippled people could be healed.
00:09:45.99\00:09:50.57
Sinners could be forgiven.
00:09:50.60\00:09:52.84
And so they wanted their
friend to get in on this.
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Well, they picked him up--
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the four of them
carried him over to the house
00:10:01.55\00:10:04.32
where Jesus was
speaking to people.
00:10:04.35\00:10:07.39
But unfortunately
the crowd of people
00:10:07.42\00:10:09.40
all around the
house was so thick
00:10:09.43\00:10:11.42
and so big that they couldn't
just carry him in the door.
00:10:11.45\00:10:16.43
But like the
pearl diver they knew
00:10:19.07\00:10:21.95
that Jesus had something
that was worth fighting for.
00:10:21.98\00:10:24.51
They knew that Jesus could
give something that was worth--
00:10:24.54\00:10:29.78
trying something
even a little bit unusual.
00:10:29.81\00:10:32.95
And so they carried their
paralyzed friend up the stairs
00:10:32.98\00:10:37.85
and up onto the
roof of the house
00:10:37.88\00:10:39.63
and many of the houses
in those days were built
00:10:39.66\00:10:42.35
so that you could climb
the stairs up onto the roof.
00:10:42.38\00:10:47.34
But of course what were
they're going to do then?
00:10:47.37\00:10:49.32
They couldn't
just throw him down.
00:10:49.35\00:10:53.66
Well, what happened
next made biblical history
00:10:53.69\00:10:57.76
because as Jesus was
talking to the people
00:10:57.79\00:11:00.44
suddenly there was a
skylight in the sealing
00:11:00.47\00:11:04.69
and they looked up and
there were these four friends
00:11:04.72\00:11:07.53
digging through the roof.
00:11:07.56\00:11:09.58
And when they had a hole
that was big enough in the roof,
00:11:09.61\00:11:12.57
here came this paralyzed friend
in a blanket with ropes on it,
00:11:12.60\00:11:16.99
they let the poor fellow down
00:11:17.02\00:11:18.57
and clear all the
way down to the floor
00:11:18.60\00:11:20.49
and he landed
right in front of Jesus.
00:11:20.52\00:11:24.98
Jesus looked at
that paralyzed man
00:11:25.01\00:11:27.51
and He realized what
he and his four friends
00:11:27.54\00:11:30.36
would have gone
through just to get there.
00:11:30.39\00:11:32.80
And He realized
what an exercise of faith
00:11:32.83\00:11:36.01
this was for them to realize
00:11:36.04\00:11:37.81
that He had
something so valuable
00:11:37.84\00:11:39.65
that they would
risk social disapproval
00:11:39.68\00:11:43.28
and even danger to
the structure of the house
00:11:43.31\00:11:48.81
to get their friend
right there in front of Him.
00:11:48.84\00:11:54.71
Jesus realized what
many of the Pharisees
00:11:54.74\00:11:57.95
and his opposition in
the house were thinking.
00:11:57.98\00:12:01.51
And He was about to heal the man
00:12:01.54\00:12:04.79
and He realized
what would happen.
00:12:04.82\00:12:08.34
And so He decided to make
a lesson out of this moment.
00:12:08.37\00:12:15.31
It was a teachable moment.
00:12:15.34\00:12:17.48
And so He said,
which is harder to do?
00:12:17.51\00:12:21.55
Forgive someone's sins
00:12:21.58\00:12:24.72
or said rise up-- or
say rise up and walk.
00:12:24.75\00:12:28.64
Well, this
confused the opposition
00:12:28.67\00:12:30.50
because both were equally hard
00:12:30.53\00:12:33.95
and of course only
God could forgive sins
00:12:33.98\00:12:37.35
but then only God
could heal a person too.
00:12:37.38\00:12:40.68
And so while their little minds
00:12:40.71\00:12:42.09
were stewing over
that question Jesus said,
00:12:42.12\00:12:45.30
to show that the
son of man has power
00:12:45.33\00:12:48.13
and authority to forgive sins,
00:12:48.16\00:12:50.80
"Take up your bed and walk."
00:12:50.83\00:12:54.36
The paralyzed man got
up under his own power
00:12:54.39\00:12:57.54
and left the house
knowing not only that his legs
00:12:57.57\00:13:00.79
and all of his limbs were whole
00:13:00.82\00:13:03.76
but knowing that
his soul was whole, too.
00:13:03.79\00:13:06.57
He had been the recipient
of the pearl of great price.
00:13:06.60\00:13:09.53
He had been the
recipient of the gospel.
00:13:09.56\00:13:12.80
And he and his friends had
done everything in their power
00:13:12.83\00:13:15.92
to find it and to
grab a hold of it.
00:13:15.95\00:13:20.27
Unfortunately not everyone
desires the true gospel.
00:13:20.30\00:13:25.58
The Book of
Galatians was written by Paul
00:13:25.61\00:13:29.49
in the face of
an enormous crisis.
00:13:29.52\00:13:34.11
It was a crisis over the gospel.
00:13:34.14\00:13:37.59
He had taught the
Galatians the true gospel,
00:13:37.62\00:13:39.61
the gospel that by
grace through faith
00:13:39.64\00:13:45.15
God's people would be justified,
00:13:45.18\00:13:47.69
that they would
receive salvation
00:13:47.72\00:13:49.62
not by the works that they did
00:13:49.65\00:13:51.35
but because of
understanding of the true gospel
00:13:51.38\00:13:54.26
they knew that God had
already saved their sins
00:13:54.29\00:13:57.55
because of the sacrifice
Jesus made on the cross,
00:13:57.58\00:14:00.16
they would know that.
00:14:00.19\00:14:02.47
But the false gospel was
to take a mixture of grace
00:14:02.50\00:14:07.00
and forgiveness
along with works.
00:14:07.03\00:14:10.96
And so it was a false gospel.
It was a modified gospel.
00:14:10.99\00:14:13.97
It was a gospel
of faith plus works.
00:14:14.00\00:14:18.02
And so in order to
counteract that crisis
00:14:18.05\00:14:21.81
Paul wrote the
Book of Galatians.
00:14:21.84\00:14:26.18
In Galatians 3:1-6,
He becomes very direct.
00:14:26.21\00:14:31.50
He says, "You foolish
Galatians Who has bewitched you?
00:14:31.53\00:14:35.96
Before your very eyes
00:14:35.99\00:14:37.63
Jesus Christ was
clearly portrayed as crucified.
00:14:37.66\00:14:41.14
I would like to learn
just one thing from you.
00:14:41.17\00:14:43.59
Did you receive the
spirit by observing the law,
00:14:43.62\00:14:46.90
or by believing what you heard?
00:14:46.93\00:14:49.02
Are you so foolish?
00:14:49.05\00:14:51.18
After beginning with the spirit,
00:14:51.21\00:14:53.02
are you now trying to attain
your goal by human effort?
00:14:53.05\00:14:57.33
Have you suffered
so much for nothing,
00:14:57.36\00:14:59.67
if it really was for nothing?
00:14:59.70\00:15:01.89
Does God give you His spirit
and work miracles among you
00:15:01.92\00:15:05.25
because you observe the law,
00:15:05.28\00:15:06.92
or because you
believe what you heard?
00:15:06.95\00:15:09.85
Consider
Abraham, 'He believed God,
00:15:09.88\00:15:12.49
and it was credited to
him as righteousness."'
00:15:12.52\00:15:15.71
The true gospel has always
been misunderstood and opposed.
00:15:19.00\00:15:25.52
And see our
human nature many times
00:15:25.55\00:15:28.63
does not want to accept a gift.
00:15:28.66\00:15:31.49
It just sounds
too good to be true.
00:15:31.52\00:15:33.75
And this is
especially true for those of us
00:15:33.78\00:15:35.87
who perhaps have been in
the church all of our lives
00:15:35.90\00:15:38.40
and have become
leaders in the church.
00:15:38.43\00:15:40.11
Why preaching a
gospel that is so easy
00:15:40.14\00:15:45.48
just doesn't sound right.
00:15:45.51\00:15:47.30
Where is the law?
00:15:47.33\00:15:48.70
And so when we feel
like we're not emphasizing
00:15:48.73\00:15:52.23
duty and accountability enough.
00:15:52.26\00:15:55.12
We start mixing and modifying
the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:15:55.15\00:16:01.22
In the days of Martin Luther
00:16:01.25\00:16:03.93
there was another
crisis over the true gospel.
00:16:03.96\00:16:08.31
Martin Luther as he
looked at the traditions
00:16:08.34\00:16:11.27
that had been built up in
the church that he belongs too.
00:16:11.30\00:16:15.54
He realized that the gospel of
Jesus Christ had been perverted.
00:16:15.57\00:16:19.52
This came home one day as
he was reading the scriptures.
00:16:19.55\00:16:24.85
And he came to the place
00:16:24.88\00:16:27.02
where Paul said that
just shall live by faith.
00:16:27.05\00:16:32.04
And Luther talked to
himself if that's really true
00:16:32.07\00:16:35.06
then why am I
doing all these pennace?
00:16:35.09\00:16:37.01
Why am I encouraged by
indulgences of all things?
00:16:37.04\00:16:42.35
And so he started
preaching the true gospel.
00:16:42.38\00:16:46.37
Well, the Roman Church
at that time fought back.
00:16:46.40\00:16:53.05
And it all came to
that great confrontation
00:16:53.08\00:16:57.44
in the Diet of Worms
where Luther stands there
00:16:57.47\00:17:02.32
in the midst of the
assembly being accused of heresy
00:17:02.35\00:17:06.03
and finally simply
saying, I can do no other.
00:17:06.06\00:17:10.32
Well, in the years following,
00:17:13.84\00:17:19.31
the Roman Church decided
00:17:19.34\00:17:20.71
that maybe it was time
to reform a little bit.
00:17:20.74\00:17:24.07
And so what became known as
00:17:24.10\00:17:25.98
the counter reformation took
place within the Roman Church.
00:17:26.01\00:17:30.73
And in the mid 1500's they had
00:17:30.76\00:17:33.96
what was called
the Council of Trent.
00:17:33.99\00:17:37.74
And the Council of
Trent basically defined
00:17:37.77\00:17:41.19
what the Roman Church's
understanding of justification
00:17:41.22\00:17:47.98
and a number of other things
00:17:48.01\00:17:49.38
having to do with the
protestant reformation.
00:17:49.41\00:17:52.97
What was Rome's answer
00:17:53.00\00:17:55.89
to the gospel being preached
by the protestant reformation?
00:17:55.92\00:17:59.48
Rome's answer was to
mix the gospel again.
00:17:59.51\00:18:04.22
Basically, Rome said
that you have to have faith
00:18:04.25\00:18:07.12
plus works in
order to be justified.
00:18:07.15\00:18:11.24
Now, who among us has
not wonder at a times,
00:18:11.27\00:18:14.46
am I good
enough to go to heaven?
00:18:14.49\00:18:16.09
Am I good enough to
be in God's kingdom?
00:18:16.12\00:18:19.96
It's our human nature
to ask questions like this.
00:18:19.99\00:18:24.15
The answer always has to be no.
00:18:24.18\00:18:26.58
we know that-- just intuitively,
00:18:26.61\00:18:29.42
we know that
we're not good enough
00:18:29.45\00:18:32.68
but the solution we
often use is to try harder,
00:18:32.71\00:18:36.14
to obey more laws,
00:18:36.17\00:18:37.65
be stricter on ourselves
in order to feel worthy.
00:18:37.68\00:18:41.64
But the only
solution, the only gospel,
00:18:41.67\00:18:45.72
is that Jesus'
worth is our worth.
00:18:45.75\00:18:49.66
If we accept Jesus, we
accept His worth as our own.
00:18:49.69\00:18:54.34
One of the arguments
that the Church of Rome had
00:18:54.37\00:18:56.29
against the protestant reformers
00:18:56.32\00:18:58.08
was that they made
salvation too easy.
00:18:58.11\00:19:01.89
The pope and his theologian said
00:19:01.92\00:19:03.65
that a combination of keeping
the law, faith and penance
00:19:03.68\00:19:07.53
when you did something wrong
was necessary for justification.
00:19:07.56\00:19:11.36
They held out little confidence
that a person could know
00:19:11.39\00:19:15.23
whether or not they were saved.
00:19:15.26\00:19:17.47
In spite of
texts like 1 John 5:13,
00:19:17.50\00:19:20.27
"I write to you so
that you that believe
00:19:20.30\00:19:22.60
in the name of Jesus Christ
00:19:22.63\00:19:24.48
that you may know that
you have eternal life."
00:19:24.51\00:19:27.98
The Bible never says
that you have to be in doubt
00:19:28.01\00:19:30.40
over your salvation.
00:19:30.43\00:19:31.80
That's because our
salvation is in God's hands,
00:19:31.83\00:19:34.47
in Christ's hands, not ours.
00:19:34.50\00:19:36.80
And of course
that doesn't eliminate
00:19:36.83\00:19:38.44
the possibility of
choosing something else later.
00:19:38.47\00:19:42.56
God never forces the will.
00:19:42.59\00:19:44.62
Predestination is
a biblical concept
00:19:44.65\00:19:47.14
but it was never meant
to be perverted to mean
00:19:47.17\00:19:49.37
that once you are saved you
can never choose anything else.
00:19:49.40\00:19:53.03
You can loose your
salvation if you choose to.
00:19:53.06\00:19:57.31
But God is not interested in
our attempts to earn salvation.
00:19:57.34\00:20:02.58
He is
interested in convincing us
00:20:02.61\00:20:05.49
that we have salvation already.
00:20:05.52\00:20:09.02
That is the
pearl of the Kingdom.
00:20:09.05\00:20:13.17
And once we realize
the value of that pearl
00:20:13.20\00:20:16.32
we will do anything to get it.
00:20:16.35\00:20:20.12
For those who oppose
Jesus, they don't care.
00:20:20.15\00:20:23.27
For those who are
just following Jesus
00:20:23.30\00:20:25.43
out of the whole popular
moment type of the thing,
00:20:25.46\00:20:29.06
they don't get it.
00:20:29.09\00:20:30.46
They don't understand
how valuable it really is.
00:20:30.49\00:20:32.43
But for those
who really understand
00:20:32.46\00:20:34.49
the value of that pearl,
we will do anything to get it.
00:20:34.52\00:20:40.05
The knowledge of
what that pearl is
00:20:40.08\00:20:43.70
will change your
life more completely
00:20:43.73\00:20:46.86
than any intensified
effort to keep the law ever.
00:20:46.89\00:20:53.55
David Morse, was an
American missionary to India.
00:20:53.58\00:21:00.44
He moved to the coast of India
and as providence would have it,
00:21:00.47\00:21:06.48
he became friends with a
pearl diver named Rambhau.
00:21:06.51\00:21:13.39
Many an evening he
spent with Rambhau.
00:21:13.42\00:21:16.55
They became fast friends.
00:21:16.58\00:21:18.95
And they used to
visit long into the evening.
00:21:18.98\00:21:23.00
And they would
talk about Jesus Christ.
00:21:23.03\00:21:26.26
And Rambhau became a
friend of Jesus Christ.
00:21:26.29\00:21:29.44
He believed in Jesus Christ.
00:21:29.47\00:21:34.96
But when it came to accept
Jesus Christ as his savior
00:21:34.99\00:21:39.00
it was like the
missionary hit a brick wall.
00:21:39.03\00:21:42.56
You see, Rambhau
believed in Jesus as a person,
00:21:42.59\00:21:48.85
as a good person,
as a wonderful teacher
00:21:48.88\00:21:52.12
but he had a hard time
even grasping the concept
00:21:52.15\00:21:56.30
that this Jesus, this Christ,
00:21:56.33\00:21:58.37
wanted to give him
salvation as a free gift.
00:21:58.40\00:22:02.43
Rambhau had the same
problem that many of us have.
00:22:02.46\00:22:04.75
We believe in Jesus.
00:22:04.78\00:22:06.15
We've read the
stories in the Bible.
00:22:06.18\00:22:07.74
We know what a
wonderful person He is.
00:22:07.77\00:22:10.87
But when it come to accepting
salvation as a free gift,
00:22:10.90\00:22:14.60
well, that just sounds a
little too good to be true.
00:22:14.63\00:22:18.56
And so as David Morse
and Rambhau would talk
00:22:18.59\00:22:22.69
late into the
night, Rambhau would say,
00:22:22.72\00:22:27.44
"You know, your Christian way
to heaven is too easy for me.
00:22:27.47\00:22:31.46
I cannot accept it.
00:22:31.49\00:22:33.09
If ever I should find admittance
to heaven in that manner,
00:22:33.12\00:22:37.53
why, I would feel
like a pauper there,
00:22:37.56\00:22:40.60
like a beggar who has
been let in out of pity.
00:22:40.63\00:22:44.43
I may be proud,"
said the old pearl diver.
00:22:44.46\00:22:47.69
"But I want to deserve, I
want to earn my place in Heaven
00:22:47.72\00:22:52.68
and I am going to work for it."
00:22:52.71\00:22:55.24
Nothing the missionary could say
seemed to make any difference.
00:22:55.27\00:22:59.72
Well, their friendship
went on and time passed.
00:22:59.75\00:23:04.61
One day, Rambhau showed
up at the missionary's door.
00:23:04.64\00:23:10.02
"Why, come on in,"
said the missionary.
00:23:10.05\00:23:11.86
"No," said Rambhau.
00:23:11.89\00:23:13.26
"Please follow me,
come to my house tonight."
00:23:13.29\00:23:16.91
And so he followed him.
00:23:16.94\00:23:20.32
Ushered him into
the house and sat down
00:23:20.35\00:23:23.64
and Rambhau looked at
the missionary and said,
00:23:23.67\00:23:27.74
"Sahib, in a week's time,
00:23:27.77\00:23:32.08
I start working for
my place in Heaven."
00:23:32.11\00:23:35.69
The missionary looked somewhat
quizzical and Rambhau continued.
00:23:35.72\00:23:39.12
He said, "I am
leaving for Delhi,
00:23:39.15\00:23:41.95
and I am going
there on my knees."
00:23:41.98\00:23:47.03
"Oh, Rambhau, you're
crazy. It's 900 miles to Delhi.
00:23:47.06\00:23:53.02
And the skin will
break on your knees,
00:23:53.05\00:23:55.48
you'll get an infection,
00:23:55.51\00:23:56.88
you'll get blood
poisoning or leprosy
00:23:56.91\00:23:58.47
before you even get to Bombay."
00:23:58.50\00:24:01.10
"No," said the pearl
diver. "I must go to Delhi.
00:24:01.13\00:24:05.15
And the
immortals will reward me.
00:24:05.18\00:24:08.65
The suffering will be sweet
00:24:08.68\00:24:11.07
for it will
purchase Heaven for me."
00:24:11.10\00:24:14.64
"Rambhau, my friend, you
can't," said the missionary.
00:24:14.67\00:24:18.88
"How can I bear
to let you do this
00:24:18.91\00:24:21.83
when Jesus Christ
has suffered and died
00:24:21.86\00:24:24.22
and purchased your
salvation already?"
00:24:24.25\00:24:27.58
But the old man
could not be moved.
00:24:27.61\00:24:31.63
"You are my dearest friend
on the Earth," Rambhau said.
00:24:31.66\00:24:35.73
"Through all these years you've
stood by me and now," he said,
00:24:35.76\00:24:39.92
"I want to give you something."
00:24:39.95\00:24:42.55
And he disappeared for a moment
00:24:42.58\00:24:43.95
and he came back with a
strongbox with a lock on it.
00:24:43.98\00:24:50.70
And before he opened it
he said to the missionary,
00:24:50.73\00:24:55.37
"I once had a son."
00:24:55.40\00:24:57.09
"Rambhau, I didn't know that.
You never spoke about your son."
00:24:57.12\00:25:00.77
"Yes, I had a son.
He was a pearl diver.
00:25:00.80\00:25:04.47
He was the best pearl diver.
00:25:04.50\00:25:05.95
He could hold
the longest breath.
00:25:05.98\00:25:07.47
He had the deepest dive.
He could find the best pearls.
00:25:07.50\00:25:11.73
But he died trying to
dive for the best pearl."
00:25:11.76\00:25:16.88
Rambhau took the lock
and opened it with a key,
00:25:19.21\00:25:23.55
unlatched the
strongbox, threw the lid back.
00:25:23.58\00:25:29.18
He reached inside and
drew out a small package
00:25:29.21\00:25:31.61
wrapped in a
cloth. He unwrapped it.
00:25:31.64\00:25:37.64
"Sahib," he said
to the missionary.
00:25:37.67\00:25:40.78
My son found the perfect pearl
00:25:40.81\00:25:46.17
but in getting
it, it took his life.
00:25:46.20\00:25:48.99
And now he said, as he
lifted the cloth off of the most
00:25:49.02\00:25:54.25
brilliant pearl the
missionary had ever seen.
00:25:54.28\00:25:56.85
He said, "I want
to give it to you.
00:25:56.88\00:26:00.29
I'm going on my
journey, I may never return.
00:26:00.32\00:26:02.60
I want to give it to
you." "No, I can't do that."
00:26:02.63\00:26:05.55
And suddenly the missionary
realized what was happening.
00:26:05.58\00:26:09.81
And he realized that
here was a teachable moment.
00:26:09.84\00:26:13.63
And so he said,
"Oh, I'll buy it.
00:26:13.66\00:26:16.77
I can't take it from you
as a gift but I'll buy it."
00:26:16.80\00:26:20.24
And he said, "I tell you what,
I'll give you $10,000 for it."
00:26:20.27\00:26:25.05
Rambhau said, "Oh,
no, I can't do that.
00:26:25.08\00:26:27.42
This is worth more than--"
00:26:27.45\00:26:30.00
"Oh, I'll give
you $15,000 for it.
00:26:30.03\00:26:31.83
And if that's not
enough I'll work hard
00:26:31.86\00:26:33.85
the rest of my life to try
to earn enough to pay for it."
00:26:33.88\00:26:36.86
"Oh, no," said the pearl diver,
00:26:36.89\00:26:38.83
"I can't let you do that.
00:26:38.86\00:26:40.23
This cost the life of
my son. It's priceless."
00:26:40.26\00:26:46.17
And the
missionary said, "My friend,
00:26:46.20\00:26:50.38
what I've been saying
to you is the same thing
00:26:50.41\00:26:53.70
you have been saying to Christ.
00:26:53.73\00:26:58.02
It was the price
of God's only son
00:26:58.05\00:27:03.05
that purchased your
salvation, that is a free gift.
00:27:03.08\00:27:07.02
You can't earn it.
00:27:07.05\00:27:08.42
It's worth far more
than anyone could ever earn
00:27:08.45\00:27:11.44
in several lifetimes, a
100 lifetimes and more."
00:27:11.47\00:27:19.44
The old pearl diver
was quite for a moment
00:27:19.47\00:27:23.58
and suddenly he nodded.
00:27:23.61\00:27:26.20
The truth came home.
00:27:26.23\00:27:30.85
The pearl of infinite price
00:27:30.88\00:27:35.15
had cost the life
of the son of God.
00:27:35.18\00:27:39.82
There was no way, not even
going 900 miles on your knees
00:27:39.85\00:27:44.19
that can purchase that.
00:27:44.22\00:27:47.05
He bowed his head
and did the only thing
00:27:47.08\00:27:49.97
that any of us can ever do
00:27:50.00\00:27:52.17
in the face of such a
great price and sacrifice.
00:27:52.20\00:27:55.67
He accepted
salvation as a free gift.
00:27:55.70\00:27:58.89