I welcome you to our program today. 00:00:29.45\00:00:32.01 My name is Dennis Uffindell, 00:00:32.04\00:00:34.04 and I'm looking forward to the opportunity 00:00:34.07\00:00:35.84 of sharing God's word with you. 00:00:35.87\00:00:38.73 You know, we human beings have a problem, we like to sin. 00:00:38.76\00:00:44.71 We don't like to admit that but that is the truth. 00:00:44.74\00:00:47.97 But the truth goes even further than that, 00:00:48.00\00:00:50.45 we can't help sinning 00:00:50.48\00:00:53.36 and so that puts quite a heavy pressure 00:00:53.39\00:00:55.85 on people who want to do what is right. 00:00:55.88\00:00:58.95 Now unfortunately Christians even-- 00:00:58.98\00:01:02.82 sincere Christians have often not diagnosed 00:01:02.85\00:01:06.55 what the real problem is that we face. 00:01:06.58\00:01:10.27 And so they don't really understand 00:01:10.30\00:01:12.25 what the gospel is all about. 00:01:12.28\00:01:14.74 You see our problem is not that we like to sin. 00:01:14.77\00:01:19.33 I want to focus on what our real problem is. 00:01:19.36\00:01:24.14 I don't know whether you've noticed it, 00:01:24.17\00:01:25.69 but in the Bible there are many, many symbols of Jesus. 00:01:25.72\00:01:29.42 To me it's fascinating that everyone of them 00:01:29.45\00:01:32.98 is something that is important to us 00:01:33.01\00:01:35.27 in this life in the ordinary sense of the word. 00:01:35.30\00:01:38.60 For instance, we like security. 00:01:38.63\00:01:43.67 And the Bible says that Christ is our rock. 00:01:43.70\00:01:46.12 Now rock represents security 00:01:46.15\00:01:50.35 and we're all floundering if we don't have security. 00:01:50.38\00:01:54.83 Christ says, "I'm that." 00:01:54.86\00:01:58.25 Water is absolutely vital to us. 00:01:58.28\00:02:01.04 I'm glad that they provided me some water here. 00:02:01.07\00:02:04.13 We need water constantly. 00:02:04.16\00:02:05.92 We can't live without it for very long. 00:02:05.95\00:02:08.82 The simple fact is that without Jesus Christ 00:02:08.85\00:02:15.08 we can't live spiritually. 00:02:15.11\00:02:18.22 And so He illustrates Himself as the water of life. 00:02:18.25\00:02:23.60 And then He also speaks of Himself 00:02:23.63\00:02:25.69 as the bread of life. 00:02:25.72\00:02:28.60 And we know that while we much prefer to eat more, 00:02:28.63\00:02:31.03 much more than simply bread, 00:02:31.06\00:02:32.96 at the same time if I've got bread and water, 00:02:32.99\00:02:36.38 I can survive for a long time. 00:02:36.41\00:02:39.20 Jesus meets our fundamental needs. 00:02:39.23\00:02:43.05 We also need light, and Jesus said, 00:02:43.08\00:02:46.26 "I'm the light of the world." so He is my light and yours. 00:02:46.29\00:02:52.14 He also says, "That all power is given on to Him." 00:02:52.17\00:02:58.08 And I'm weak but He is strong, 00:02:58.11\00:03:01.20 so I can draw my power from Him. 00:03:01.23\00:03:05.43 I don't know about you, 00:03:05.46\00:03:06.90 but I often find myself very foolish. 00:03:06.93\00:03:11.21 But Jesus is not, He says, "He has all wisdom." 00:03:11.24\00:03:15.41 And so I can draw my wisdom from Him. 00:03:15.44\00:03:18.75 And one thing if we're honest with ourselves that we all know 00:03:18.78\00:03:22.16 and that is that we are unrighteous. 00:03:22.19\00:03:26.79 And the Bible says, "The Lord is our righteousness." 00:03:26.82\00:03:32.58 I also have inclined not to know the way, 00:03:32.61\00:03:35.78 we only have to look it all the different religions 00:03:35.81\00:03:37.93 and ideas that human beings have believed 00:03:37.96\00:03:40.71 and followed to know that 00:03:40.74\00:03:43.28 all those divergent ways cannot possibly be right. 00:03:43.31\00:03:47.45 It can't be, but Jesus said, "I'm the way." 00:03:47.48\00:03:52.46 So He is our answer to that. 00:03:52.49\00:03:55.14 Also the Bible says, 00:03:55.17\00:03:56.73 "That the wage of sin is death." 00:03:56.76\00:03:59.86 I don't about you, but I don't want to die. 00:03:59.89\00:04:02.79 What happened? 00:04:02.82\00:04:04.46 Jesus sacrificed His life so that I don't have to die, 00:04:04.49\00:04:07.96 so He is my answer to that problem too. 00:04:07.99\00:04:11.86 And one of the most beautiful of all, 00:04:11.89\00:04:14.55 Jesus is said to be the life. 00:04:14.58\00:04:19.11 He is my life, so Jesus is everything to me 00:04:19.14\00:04:24.55 and that's why He calls Himself, 00:04:24.58\00:04:26.66 "The I'm impart." 00:04:26.69\00:04:29.37 Because He is everything to us. 00:04:29.40\00:04:33.00 Which brings us to a very important fact 00:04:33.03\00:04:37.33 that I hope we will never ever forget 00:04:37.36\00:04:39.71 and that is this, God has no answer 00:04:39.74\00:04:43.10 to the sin problem, but Himself. 00:04:43.13\00:04:47.07 We can imagine all kinds of other answers, 00:04:47.10\00:04:50.07 but He said, "I'm the only answer." 00:04:50.10\00:04:53.21 Not doctrines, not even churches, 00:04:53.24\00:04:56.56 not good deeds, just Him. 00:04:56.59\00:05:00.52 Now of course there are many things 00:05:00.55\00:05:02.46 that help us along the Christian way, 00:05:02.49\00:05:05.21 and I'm not knocking those and churches, 00:05:05.24\00:05:07.51 and doctrines, and those things all help. 00:05:07.54\00:05:11.30 But unless they point us to Jesus Christ, 00:05:11.33\00:05:15.68 then in fact we will not have the answer to our problems. 00:05:15.71\00:05:20.23 You see our real problem is separation from Him. 00:05:20.26\00:05:24.13 And if you look back to when sin started 00:05:24.16\00:05:25.86 in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, 00:05:25.89\00:05:28.29 what happened? 00:05:28.32\00:05:30.42 Eve chose to believe Satan instead of God. 00:05:30.45\00:05:36.24 And having made that choice, 00:05:36.27\00:05:38.10 she was separated from God 00:05:38.13\00:05:40.14 and Adam choosing to go with her was separated too. 00:05:40.17\00:05:42.95 So when God came to talk with them 00:05:42.98\00:05:44.77 in the garden at the cool of the day, 00:05:44.80\00:05:48.10 as He'd customarily done. 00:05:48.13\00:05:50.14 What did they do? They ran away. 00:05:50.17\00:05:52.55 They were acknowledging 00:05:52.58\00:05:54.06 the very fact of this separation. 00:05:54.09\00:05:58.03 The only solution to our problem 00:05:58.06\00:06:02.67 is reunion with Him, not all the other things 00:06:02.70\00:06:06.66 that we so often focus upon. 00:06:06.69\00:06:08.95 And that's what's wrong with legalism. 00:06:08.98\00:06:11.09 You've doubtless heard the term legalism. 00:06:11.12\00:06:13.59 And it means trying to earn your way 00:06:13.62\00:06:15.89 by doing what is right. 00:06:15.92\00:06:17.88 And also many religious people, sincere people try to do that. 00:06:17.91\00:06:23.12 The problem with that is, that He is concerned 00:06:23.15\00:06:25.94 with the symptoms rather than the disease. 00:06:25.97\00:06:30.51 Sin is the symptom of our separation from God. 00:06:30.54\00:06:35.37 The answer to the problem is reunion with Him, 00:06:35.40\00:06:39.05 not trying to do things that are right. 00:06:39.08\00:06:41.46 Because inevitably when we try to do that 00:06:41.49\00:06:44.43 without Him, we will fail. 00:06:44.46\00:06:48.23 And the Apostle Paul said, in these wonderful words, 00:06:48.26\00:06:51.79 "Christ liveth in me, 00:06:51.82\00:06:53.96 and the life that I now live in the flesh 00:06:53.99\00:06:56.40 I live by the faith of the Son of God, 00:06:56.43\00:06:59.13 who loved me, and gave himself for me." 00:06:59.16\00:07:03.04 So this man who hated Christians 00:07:03.07\00:07:06.30 and who is opposed to the cause of God 00:07:06.33\00:07:09.38 was transformed by the fact that he opened his heart 00:07:09.41\00:07:13.34 for Jesus Christ to come and live in him 00:07:13.37\00:07:16.82 and express Himself in him. 00:07:16.85\00:07:20.58 Then the question can be asked. Then why am I so weak. 00:07:20.61\00:07:23.97 Because I want to live the Christian life. 00:07:24.00\00:07:28.68 God knew that this would be a problem 00:07:28.71\00:07:31.61 and He of course has an answer to it, 00:07:31.64\00:07:33.91 that we might be victorious, 00:07:33.94\00:07:36.02 and the answer is what we call the incarnation. 00:07:36.05\00:07:40.10 What has happened? 00:07:40.13\00:07:41.58 The Son of God takes on a human nature 00:07:41.61\00:07:45.80 and so as one combined person God and man, 00:07:45.83\00:07:50.06 He comes down to earth to illustrate 00:07:50.09\00:07:54.01 and to be the answer to our sin problem? 00:07:54.04\00:07:57.18 That's why when He came to earth, 00:07:57.21\00:07:58.88 He was called Immanuel that is God with us. 00:07:58.91\00:08:03.49 Not God looking down on us and frowning at us, 00:08:03.52\00:08:07.62 and saying, "Why do you do this 00:08:07.65\00:08:10.14 and I'm disgusted with you for that." 00:08:10.17\00:08:12.45 But God saying, "I'm coming to you as a sinner, 00:08:12.48\00:08:16.96 to unite you with Myself 00:08:16.99\00:08:20.52 that you may cease being a lost sinner. 00:08:20.55\00:08:24.81 Isn't that wonderful? 00:08:24.84\00:08:26.22 That's the kind of God that we are dealing with. 00:08:26.25\00:08:29.36 And it was also to demonstrate the invincibility of truth. 00:08:29.39\00:08:34.16 You say, how does that happen? Well, how did Jesus come? 00:08:34.19\00:08:38.98 You see, He could have come as a mighty angel, 00:08:39.01\00:08:41.68 with all the intelligence and power that an angel has 00:08:41.71\00:08:45.10 and scattered the powers of darkness. 00:08:45.13\00:08:48.20 He didn't do that 00:08:48.23\00:08:49.54 because I don't have that option. 00:08:49.57\00:08:51.96 How did He come? 00:08:51.99\00:08:54.09 As a man, well, not even as a man, 00:08:54.12\00:08:57.02 He came as a tiny babe. 00:08:57.05\00:09:00.75 Can you imagine anything weaker 00:09:00.78\00:09:03.16 and more helpless than a new born baby? 00:09:03.19\00:09:07.65 By coming in that form, you know what Jesus was saying, 00:09:07.68\00:09:12.31 "I want to show you just how weak evil is. 00:09:12.34\00:09:17.68 That I could come into the fortress of Satan 00:09:17.71\00:09:20.15 which is this wicked little world 00:09:20.18\00:09:22.26 in the weakest possible form and I could triumph, 00:09:22.29\00:09:25.93 demonstrate the weakness of sin, 00:09:25.96\00:09:28.78 and the power of truth. 00:09:28.81\00:09:30.31 Now that gives me courage, it doesn't give you? 00:09:30.34\00:09:32.71 Tremendous courage because I know 00:09:32.74\00:09:35.68 that if I hang on to truth, 00:09:35.71\00:09:37.25 and Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. 00:09:37.28\00:09:42.18 And He has promised to keep holding me, 00:09:42.21\00:09:44.98 then I cannot fail. 00:09:45.01\00:09:48.36 Hell at its strongest is not enough 00:09:48.39\00:09:52.56 for truth at his weakest. 00:09:52.59\00:09:56.64 That to me is one of the most beautiful things in the Bible. 00:09:56.67\00:10:02.32 In Romans 8:37 the Apostle Paul says, this, 00:10:02.35\00:10:06.96 he says, 00:10:06.99\00:10:11.44 "In all these things we are more than conquerors 00:10:11.47\00:10:14.95 through Him that loved us." 00:10:14.98\00:10:16.87 Not by the strength we develop, 00:10:16.90\00:10:19.18 but by the strength that He represents 00:10:19.21\00:10:21.45 when He come into our lives. 00:10:21.48\00:10:24.89 And Jesus demonstrated as a real man 00:10:24.92\00:10:28.26 with a real human nature, 00:10:28.29\00:10:30.93 and He said, "I and my father are one." 00:10:30.96\00:10:34.45 That was the key to His victory over Satan, 00:10:34.48\00:10:36.56 every time from a little child, until He died upon the cross, 00:10:36.59\00:10:42.70 He and His father are one. 00:10:42.73\00:10:46.72 And the answer for His life 00:10:46.75\00:10:48.99 is the answer for your life and for mine. 00:10:49.02\00:10:54.26 In the wonderful book The Desire of Ages, 00:10:54.29\00:10:56.95 one of my favorites it says this, very simply, 00:10:56.98\00:11:01.23 "We may overcome as He overcame." 00:11:01.26\00:11:04.73 And that sums up 00:11:04.76\00:11:05.82 what the Bible has to say on it. 00:11:05.85\00:11:08.21 We have to follow His steps, and then we can overcome. 00:11:08.24\00:11:12.55 The one great difference between Jesus Christ 00:11:12.58\00:11:16.46 and us or the two is 00:11:16.49\00:11:18.92 one that He was in His own person the God man, 00:11:18.95\00:11:23.07 the other thing is that He never sinned. 00:11:23.10\00:11:27.04 And that was because He was always 00:11:27.07\00:11:28.52 united with His father. 00:11:28.55\00:11:31.41 But He was victorious in the same nature 00:11:31.44\00:11:34.45 that you and I have. 00:11:34.48\00:11:35.93 So remember this and never forget it, 00:11:35.96\00:11:38.15 God has no answer to your sin problem 00:11:38.18\00:11:41.25 or mine or anyone else's, but Himself. 00:11:41.28\00:11:46.12 He wants to come and live in you and me. 00:11:46.15\00:11:51.06 And that is why He came to demonstrate 00:11:51.09\00:11:53.91 what that union can accomplish not only in His son, 00:11:53.94\00:11:58.32 but also in you and in me. 00:11:58.35\00:12:03.19 Now I've discovered that Satan has a tactic. 00:12:03.22\00:12:08.03 Have you noticed that 00:12:08.06\00:12:09.09 those who are weak are inclined to shout, 00:12:09.12\00:12:12.93 to try and make it look as though they're strong? 00:12:12.96\00:12:15.92 I never forget a little case where this happened. 00:12:15.95\00:12:18.71 My brother and I, my younger brother 00:12:18.74\00:12:20.22 and I were on vacation together 00:12:20.25\00:12:21.65 and we decided to go horse riding. 00:12:21.68\00:12:23.85 Now it just so happens that I had done 00:12:23.88\00:12:26.11 quite a bit of riding at one stage in my life 00:12:26.14\00:12:28.24 but he had virtually never got on a horse's back before, 00:12:28.27\00:12:31.86 and so he was nervous 00:12:31.89\00:12:33.36 and when they brought the horses out, 00:12:33.39\00:12:36.55 he wanted me to have the lively horse 00:12:36.58\00:12:38.23 and he had placid horse. 00:12:38.26\00:12:39.82 Well, anyway we had a good ride out in the countryside, 00:12:39.85\00:12:42.37 but to get back to the stables we had to go through the town. 00:12:42.40\00:12:46.18 It's only a small town 00:12:46.21\00:12:47.24 but there was a lot of hustle and bustle, 00:12:47.27\00:12:49.27 at summer time and with the traffic 00:12:49.30\00:12:52.30 my horse started to prance a bit 00:12:52.33\00:12:54.15 and he became afraid. 00:12:54.18\00:12:55.85 Why? 00:12:55.88\00:12:56.91 Because he was afraid that my horse would bolt 00:12:56.94\00:12:58.64 and if it did then his would bolt 00:12:58.67\00:13:00.55 and he wouldn't know what to do. 00:13:00.58\00:13:02.03 Even though I was holding mine in tight. 00:13:02.06\00:13:04.01 So what did he do, he started to bark orders to me. 00:13:04.04\00:13:06.55 Now he didn't know what to do 00:13:06.58\00:13:08.55 but he sounded good with all this loud voice 00:13:08.58\00:13:11.09 and apparent confidence. 00:13:11.12\00:13:12.98 And the devil does exactly the same thing 00:13:13.01\00:13:15.89 and tries to get away with it. 00:13:15.92\00:13:17.49 But don't believe Satan, believe God. 00:13:17.52\00:13:22.46 The truth is that Satan knows that God is all powerful 00:13:22.49\00:13:26.62 and that he is comparatively weak. 00:13:26.65\00:13:29.18 But he wants to deceive us and he often gets away with it. 00:13:29.21\00:13:35.91 Now I come to the assured faith 00:13:35.94\00:13:37.34 because relationships are based on faith, aren't they? 00:13:37.37\00:13:40.70 If my relationship with my wife is to be worth anything, 00:13:40.73\00:13:45.30 I must trust her and trust her fully. 00:13:45.33\00:13:49.41 And that's why in the Bible talking about 00:13:49.44\00:13:52.04 Abraham's faith, it says simply this, 00:13:52.07\00:13:55.70 "Abraham being fully persuaded that, 00:13:55.73\00:13:58.77 what God had promised, he was able also to perform." 00:13:58.80\00:14:03.36 Notice that half enough, half and half wondering 00:14:03.39\00:14:06.76 whether God would be able to or not. 00:14:06.79\00:14:09.61 But fully persuaded 00:14:09.64\00:14:11.77 that God was able to keep His promise, I like that. 00:14:11.80\00:14:16.15 Now remember too that the very message of the gospels 00:14:16.18\00:14:19.72 underlines this important truth. 00:14:19.75\00:14:22.90 You know, two blind men came to Jesus. 00:14:22.93\00:14:26.18 What do you suppose they wanted? 00:14:26.21\00:14:27.87 They wanted their sight restored, 00:14:27.90\00:14:29.77 but that kind of thing does not happen, does it? 00:14:29.80\00:14:31.80 Somebody just seeing touching people's eyes 00:14:31.83\00:14:34.38 and they healed and so because he knew that 00:14:34.41\00:14:38.36 their faith was a little weak He said to them, 00:14:38.39\00:14:41.88 "Be it on to you according to your faith." 00:14:41.91\00:14:47.45 They put themselves by faith in the hands of the Lord, 00:14:47.48\00:14:51.77 and their sight was restored. 00:14:51.80\00:14:55.39 And so He says to you, 00:14:55.42\00:14:57.72 "Be it on to you according to your faith. 00:14:57.75\00:15:01.53 If you'll trust me fully, 00:15:01.56\00:15:03.92 there is no limit to what I can do for you." 00:15:03.95\00:15:07.68 Do you know, we have a beautiful little story 00:15:07.71\00:15:09.67 in the New Testament that illustrates this. 00:15:09.70\00:15:14.86 When Mary was told that 00:15:14.89\00:15:17.99 she was to be the mother of our Lord, 00:15:18.02\00:15:22.75 even though she was a virgin and she just simply said, 00:15:22.78\00:15:29.28 "Be it on to me according to your word." 00:15:29.31\00:15:31.70 Isn't that lovely? 00:15:31.73\00:15:32.80 This'd never happened before, 00:15:32.83\00:15:34.40 it was going to put her in a very vulnerable position 00:15:34.43\00:15:36.78 because people would be talking about her. 00:15:36.81\00:15:42.00 But she simply trusted God. 00:15:42.03\00:15:44.40 And God was able to do wonderful things 00:15:44.43\00:15:47.60 because of that trust. 00:15:47.63\00:15:50.14 And he could do that too. 00:15:50.17\00:15:53.18 Remember a wonderful truth that the sisters of Lazarus said, 00:15:53.21\00:15:59.18 you know he had died. 00:15:59.21\00:16:00.80 Jesus was away, they wanted Him to come 00:16:00.83\00:16:03.16 before he died but Jesus delayed 00:16:03.19\00:16:06.41 because He wanted to illustrate a very important thing. 00:16:06.44\00:16:09.74 And when finally He came 00:16:09.77\00:16:11.54 and Lazarus was dead and buried, 00:16:11.57\00:16:14.32 Martha said to Him and Mary a little later, 00:16:14.35\00:16:17.35 Lord if you'd been here, by brother would not have died. 00:16:17.38\00:16:21.49 Tremendous and wonderful truth there. 00:16:21.52\00:16:24.07 It is impossible to die spiritually or physically 00:16:24.10\00:16:28.12 when we are fully united with the Lord 00:16:28.15\00:16:30.94 unless the Lords sees as he did in Lazarus's case. 00:16:30.97\00:16:34.88 That is better for him to die. 00:16:34.91\00:16:38.01 And so the heart of the problem is this, 00:16:38.04\00:16:41.64 Jesus presence in your life and mine 00:16:41.67\00:16:45.65 is the only answer to our needs. 00:16:45.68\00:16:49.53 We worry about our sinful acts, He worries about our state. 00:16:49.56\00:16:54.91 Our sinful act are the things we do 00:16:54.94\00:16:58.22 that of course are displeasing to Him 00:16:58.25\00:17:00.42 and that hurt other people. 00:17:00.45\00:17:02.69 But what He is most concern about 00:17:02.72\00:17:05.11 is our separation from Him, which causes the problem. 00:17:05.14\00:17:09.24 You know, if you went to a doctor 00:17:09.27\00:17:11.35 and he had diagnosed you wrongly, 00:17:11.38\00:17:15.58 would you be very happy? 00:17:15.61\00:17:17.03 No, you'd be very vulnerable. 00:17:17.06\00:17:19.61 And so unless our problem is diagnosed properly, 00:17:19.64\00:17:23.53 we're not going to have the cure. 00:17:23.56\00:17:26.85 And our problem is not that we do wrong things. 00:17:26.88\00:17:30.33 Our problem is that we're separated 00:17:30.36\00:17:32.51 from the one who alone can keep us 00:17:32.54\00:17:35.18 from doing wrong things. 00:17:35.21\00:17:38.80 Which brings me to something else. 00:17:38.83\00:17:40.87 If you ask what is the greatest sin? 00:17:40.90\00:17:45.10 I wonder what you'd say. 00:17:45.13\00:17:48.17 I would say that it's the opposite 00:17:48.20\00:17:50.47 of what Jesus said was the, "One essential." 00:17:50.50\00:17:54.23 And what He said simply was this, 00:17:54.26\00:17:55.90 "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God 00:17:55.93\00:17:58.00 with all thy heart, with all thy soul, 00:17:58.03\00:18:00.36 and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself." 00:18:00.39\00:18:04.38 Love for God is the great thing, 00:18:04.41\00:18:07.55 that is the unifying factor, 00:18:07.58\00:18:10.39 that makes all the difference between my being a sinner 00:18:10.42\00:18:13.97 and my being a Christian. 00:18:14.00\00:18:16.60 Now let me put it another way. 00:18:16.63\00:18:20.15 Jesus in the Book of Revelation wrote some letters 00:18:20.18\00:18:23.25 to the churches through different periods of time 00:18:23.28\00:18:25.84 in the history of the world. 00:18:25.87\00:18:27.80 The interesting thing is that to the last one, 00:18:27.83\00:18:30.97 the Church of Laodicea which is the church today, 00:18:31.00\00:18:36.11 after pointing out what a terrible state 00:18:36.14\00:18:39.04 that they were in. 00:18:39.07\00:18:40.79 He then makes clear what the problem was 00:18:40.82\00:18:43.63 because He says, "Behold I stand at the door and knock." 00:18:43.66\00:18:48.88 Where was Jesus then? 00:18:48.91\00:18:51.15 He wouldn't be knocking 00:18:51.18\00:18:52.25 if He wasn't on the outside, right? 00:18:52.28\00:18:56.19 So we are poor, and miserable, and blind, 00:18:56.22\00:18:58.28 and naked as it says in that letter, 00:18:58.31\00:19:01.52 which means we don't have the righteousness of Christ, 00:19:01.55\00:19:03.70 we can't even see spiritually clearly. 00:19:03.73\00:19:07.04 We're devoid of all that is good. 00:19:07.07\00:19:10.67 And yet He still, He says His church 00:19:10.70\00:19:13.36 and He said the answer is, "Let me in." 00:19:13.39\00:19:17.79 That's the thing. 00:19:17.82\00:19:19.55 Now that can pose its own problems. 00:19:19.58\00:19:22.28 But let me assure you, 00:19:22.31\00:19:23.70 it's the only answer to your heart longing 00:19:23.73\00:19:27.05 and the only answer to your need. 00:19:27.08\00:19:30.19 The Apostle Paul put it this way 00:19:30.22\00:19:31.69 in the Ephesians Chapter 3 he said, the goal is 00:19:31.72\00:19:36.42 "That Christ may dwell in your heart by faith, 00:19:36.45\00:19:40.68 that you might be filled with all the fullness of God." 00:19:40.71\00:19:44.14 Isn't that wonderful that He is willing to do that 00:19:44.17\00:19:46.53 in people like you and me? 00:19:46.56\00:19:48.92 I think it's thrilling. 00:19:48.95\00:19:50.72 And in another place, 00:19:50.75\00:19:53.83 Apostle Paul gave this wonderful assurance 00:19:53.86\00:19:56.04 in Romans 8 he says, "For I am persuaded, 00:19:56.07\00:20:00.76 that nothing that is shall be able to separate us 00:20:00.79\00:20:05.54 from the Jesus Christ, our Lord, from the love of God, 00:20:05.57\00:20:09.23 which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 00:20:09.26\00:20:11.99 Nothing can, no one can impose that upon us. 00:20:12.02\00:20:16.23 Not the devil or anybody else. 00:20:16.26\00:20:19.89 His presence the Bible tells us is fullness of joy, 00:20:19.92\00:20:24.05 its security, and He will keep us, 00:20:24.08\00:20:27.48 no one He said will be able to snatch you out of My hand. 00:20:27.51\00:20:30.67 If that's way you choose to be. 00:20:30.70\00:20:34.53 That's the wonderful thing. 00:20:34.56\00:20:36.49 So then the whole purpose of Christian living 00:20:36.52\00:20:38.92 is to establish the closest possible union 00:20:38.95\00:20:42.55 between ourselves and Jesus. 00:20:42.58\00:20:45.83 Isn't that beautiful? 00:20:45.86\00:20:47.47 The great high creative God, 00:20:47.50\00:20:49.51 who made everything who has everything, 00:20:49.54\00:20:52.92 longs most of all for the one thing 00:20:52.95\00:20:55.46 He doesn't have often times in this world 00:20:55.49\00:20:58.18 and that is a love relationship with human beings. 00:20:58.21\00:21:03.54 He wants it with you. 00:21:03.57\00:21:06.05 This is victory and this is joy. 00:21:06.08\00:21:11.25 In Colossians 2:9, 10 it says, 00:21:11.28\00:21:13.69 "For in Him dwelleth all the fullness 00:21:13.72\00:21:17.03 of the Godhead bodily. 00:21:17.06\00:21:19.20 And ye are complete in him." 00:21:19.23\00:21:23.44 So not because you are an important person 00:21:23.47\00:21:26.58 in the church, not because you can say, 00:21:26.61\00:21:29.27 I've stop doing all those things 00:21:29.30\00:21:30.71 an I do all these good things. 00:21:30.74\00:21:34.01 No, but because we have found 00:21:34.04\00:21:37.18 that the only answer to our need 00:21:37.21\00:21:41.18 is this union with Jesus Christ. 00:21:41.21\00:21:43.55 That we'll have to talk to Him, We'll have to listen 00:21:43.58\00:21:45.91 to what He has to say in the Bible 00:21:45.94\00:21:49.29 because we love Him 00:21:49.32\00:21:52.73 and have allowed Him to unite us with Himself. 00:21:52.76\00:21:57.33 So never forget, no matter what the devil 00:21:57.36\00:22:00.74 or anybody else says, never forget, 00:22:00.77\00:22:03.89 God has given us no answer to the sin problem but Himself. 00:22:03.92\00:22:10.38 Isn't that beautiful? 00:22:10.41\00:22:12.35 That's the greatest gift He could possibly give 00:22:12.38\00:22:15.23 not just the Christ on the cross 2,000 years ago, 00:22:15.26\00:22:19.64 though that was an important step 00:22:19.67\00:22:21.16 to make Him that possible. 00:22:21.19\00:22:23.29 But He has given Himself in person to you and to me. 00:22:23.32\00:22:31.12 And he wants day by day, to walk with us. 00:22:31.15\00:22:36.60 That's why in Jesus' last great prayer 00:22:36.63\00:22:41.47 before He went to the cross. 00:22:41.50\00:22:44.56 He was praying for His disciples 00:22:44.59\00:22:46.54 and not just for His disciples but for the believers 00:22:46.57\00:22:49.49 all the way down through to the end of time 00:22:49.52\00:22:51.60 and that includes me and it includes you. 00:22:51.63\00:22:55.21 And He said, "His great prayer was 00:22:55.24\00:22:58.07 that they should be one as He is one with the Father." 00:22:58.10\00:23:04.39 Isn't that amazing? That He should be one. 00:23:04.42\00:23:10.28 That we should be one with Him, just as He was with the Father. 00:23:10.31\00:23:13.50 I can't imagine how that could even be possible, can you? 00:23:13.53\00:23:17.10 After all their union was perfect, 00:23:17.13\00:23:21.28 but He is capable of creating a perfect union with you 00:23:21.31\00:23:26.10 and with me if that is our choice. 00:23:26.13\00:23:30.27 Now the Apostle Paul knew 00:23:30.30\00:23:31.64 what it was to have struggles in the Christian life. 00:23:31.67\00:23:35.01 And doubtless he tried the wrong answer sometimes 00:23:35.04\00:23:37.96 but I find some beautiful words 00:23:37.99\00:23:40.64 in Romans Chapter 7 on the last two verses. 00:23:40.67\00:23:43.96 He says, "O wretched man that I'm." 00:23:43.99\00:23:46.64 Why does he say that? 00:23:46.67\00:23:47.93 Because he had found 00:23:47.96\00:23:49.11 that while he was wanting to do what's right, 00:23:49.14\00:23:50.94 he found himself doing sometimes what was wrong, 00:23:50.97\00:23:53.97 and he became discourage sometimes 00:23:54.00\00:23:56.29 and he said, "Who shall deliver me 00:23:56.32\00:23:59.00 from the body of this death?" 00:23:59.03\00:24:02.06 Now notice his answer, 00:24:02.09\00:24:03.86 "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." 00:24:03.89\00:24:08.76 So the answer for that greatest of the apostles 00:24:08.79\00:24:13.53 was the presence of Jesus Christ in his life. 00:24:13.56\00:24:18.27 It's the answer for your struggles in your life, 00:24:18.30\00:24:23.48 because Jesus never fails. 00:24:23.51\00:24:26.40 Where He is there is victory. 00:24:26.43\00:24:30.47 Bible says this is the victory that 00:24:30.50\00:24:32.27 overcometh the world even our faith, 00:24:32.30\00:24:34.82 what is our faith? 00:24:34.85\00:24:35.99 Our faith is our faith union with Jesus 00:24:36.02\00:24:40.12 that makes it possible for Him to do 00:24:40.15\00:24:42.13 all that He wants to do in your life and in mine. 00:24:42.16\00:24:47.97 So then he says "So then with the mind 00:24:48.00\00:24:50.05 I myself serve the law of God, 00:24:50.08\00:24:52.53 but with the flesh the law of sin." 00:24:52.56\00:24:56.26 Now, when I'm united with Him, I no longer do that, 00:24:56.29\00:25:03.25 because He expresses Himself in my life and in yours, 00:25:03.28\00:25:10.24 if we will let Him. 00:25:10.27\00:25:13.38 It's been my joy as a minister 00:25:13.41\00:25:15.45 to be able to share this wonderful Savior, 00:25:15.48\00:25:17.97 Jesus Christ with people on an individual 00:25:18.00\00:25:21.00 and personal basis many times. 00:25:21.03\00:25:24.08 And I've seen people whose lives were sad 00:25:24.11\00:25:28.63 and miserable and worthless according to them. 00:25:28.66\00:25:35.19 And see their lives be turned to joy instead, 00:25:35.22\00:25:39.06 because they found what it was to have Jesus. 00:25:39.09\00:25:45.52 There is a beautiful little song 00:25:45.55\00:25:46.79 which is also a poem that I would like 00:25:46.82\00:25:49.26 to share with you in this regard. 00:25:49.29\00:25:52.02 It's entitled Then Jesus Came. 00:25:52.05\00:25:55.88 One sat alone beside the highway begging 00:25:55.91\00:26:00.59 His eyes were blind, the light he could not see 00:26:00.62\00:26:05.44 He clutched his rags, and shivered in the shadows 00:26:05.47\00:26:09.56 Then Jesus came and bade the darkness flee 00:26:09.59\00:26:15.18 From home and friends the evil spirits drove him 00:26:15.21\00:26:19.01 Among the tombs he dwelt in misery 00:26:19.04\00:26:21.99 He cut himself and evil powers possessed him 00:26:22.02\00:26:26.73 Then Jesus came and set the captive free 00:26:26.76\00:26:32.57 "Unclean! unclean!" the leper cried in anguish 00:26:32.60\00:26:36.80 The deaf, the dumb, in helplessness stood near 00:26:36.83\00:26:40.97 The fever raged, disease had gripped its victim 00:26:41.00\00:26:46.04 Then Jesus came and dwelt, Himself, within 00:26:46.07\00:26:52.80 When Jesus comes, the tempters power is broken 00:26:52.83\00:26:58.07 When Jesus comes, the tears are wiped away 00:26:58.10\00:27:03.11 He takes the gloom and fills the life with glory 00:27:03.14\00:27:09.16 For all is changed 00:27:09.19\00:27:12.11 When Jesus comes to stay 00:27:12.14\00:27:17.63 If my friend, you have invited Jesus Christ into your heart. 00:27:17.66\00:27:23.39 Now, remember He intends-- 00:27:23.42\00:27:26.89 He wants to be a permanent resident there. 00:27:26.92\00:27:31.81 There may be times when you do foolish things 00:27:31.84\00:27:34.15 and you pull away for little bit. 00:27:34.18\00:27:35.72 Turn your eyes back to Jesus. 00:27:35.75\00:27:38.22 He is more than willing to accept you 00:27:38.25\00:27:40.94 and He alone can see you through. 00:27:40.97\00:27:45.42 Because Christian living centrally 00:27:45.45\00:27:51.18 is one thing living with Jesus Christ 00:27:51.21\00:27:55.35 in control of our hearts and minds. 00:27:55.38\00:27:58.42 Amen. 00:27:58.45\00:27:59.79