Hello, welcome to Faith Chapel.
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I'm Pastor Rick
Remmers from Chicago, Illinois
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and today our message is entitle
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"The Most Important Climb."
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Businessman, Harvey
Mackay wrote a newspaper column
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in which he talked about
the importance of leaders
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being willing to
do any kind of work
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that needs to be done.
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And as an example he cited
the experience of Pillsbury
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of the Pillsbury milling family.
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He wrote "The tips of three
of his fingers were missing,
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the unmistakable mark of
a journeyman grain miller."
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I'll be at a somewhat
less than dexterous one.
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"Philip Pillsbury had
an international reputation
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as a connoisseur of
fine foods and wines,
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but to the troops,
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his reputation as a man
willing to do a hard, dirty job
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was the one that mattered
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and you can be sure
everyone was aware of it."
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We need to follow
good examples in our life.
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In fact in 1 Peter 2:21
we're given this instruction
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"For to this you were called,
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because Christ
also suffered for us,
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leaving us an example,
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that you should
follow His steps."
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Jesus gives us an example
that we can follow faithfully
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because He lived a sinless life
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and His actions
give us a great example.
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Today, I would like
for us to take a look
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at the steps that
Jesus took at Mount Cavalry
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and take some
lessons not so much
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from the theology of salvation
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although we'll
touch on that as well.
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But some practical living clues
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that we get from
Jesus experience,
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the Mount
Cavalry or Mount Golgotha
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as its described in the gospels
has a couple of places today
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that are
claimed to be that site.
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It's believed to have that name
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because it had the
appearance like a skull,
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Origen one of the
early church fathers thought
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that Adam's
skull was buried there,
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Jerome thought that the skulls
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of executed
criminals were lying around.
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The two prominent
sites today in Jerusalem
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that people
believe may have been
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the Cavalry of Jesus experience.
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One is located at the
church of the holy sepulcher,
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cathedral has been
placed over this small hill
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and it marks the
traditional site.
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More recently,
about 100 years ago
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The Garden Tomb
has come to be believed
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by some to have been the
place of Jesus death and burial.
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It's the only place
that a hand carved tomb
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from Jesus day
has been discovered
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and it does fit the
description in many ways.
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But before we go to the lessons
I'd like to take a few minutes
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to read a moving
passage from Matthew 27:31-50
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give us the
account of what happened
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as Jesus took these steps.
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"And when they had mocked Him,
they took the robe off of Him,
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put His own clothes on Him,
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and led Him
away to be crucified.
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Now as they came out,
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they found a man of
Cyrene, Simon by name.
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Him they
compelled to bear His cross.
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And when they had come
to a place called Golgotha,
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that is to say,
Place of a Skull,
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they gave Him sour wine
mingled with gall to drink.
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But when He had tasted
it, He would not drink.
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Then they crucified Him,
and divided His garments,
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casting lots, that
it might be fulfilled
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which was spoken by the prophet.
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'They divided My
garments among them,
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and for My
clothing they cast lots.'
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Sitting down, they
kept watch over Him there.
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And they put up over His head
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the accusation
written against Him.
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This is Jesus
the king of the Jews.
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Then two robbers
were crucified with Him,
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one on the right
and another on the left.
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And those who
passed by blasphemed Him,
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wagging their heads and saying,
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'You who destroy the temple
and build it in three days,
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save Yourself! If
You are the Son of God,
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come down from the cross.'
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Likewise the chief priests also,
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mocking with the
scribes and elders, said,
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'He saved others,
Himself He cannot save.
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If He is the King of Israel,
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let Him now come
down from the cross,
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and we will believe Him.
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He trusted in God,
let Him deliver Him now
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if He will have Him
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for He said, "I
am the Son of God."'
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Even the robbers who
were crucified with Him
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reviled Him with the same thing.
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Now from the sixth
hour until the ninth hour
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there was
darkness over all the land.
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And about the ninth
hour Jesus cried out
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with a loud voice, saying,
'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?'
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That is, 'My God, My God,
why have You forsaken Me?'
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Some of those who stood there,
when they heard that, said,
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'This Man is
calling for Elijah.'
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Immediately one of
them ran and took a sponge,
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filled it with sour
wine and put it on a reed,
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and offered it to Him to drink.
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The rest said, 'Let Him alone,
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let us see if Elijah
will come to save Him.'
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And Jesus cried out
again with a loud voice,
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and yielded up His spirit."
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You have this moving
accounts of Jesus experience
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there on Mount Cavalry
the steps that he took.
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Let's take a look at
some of the life lessons
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that we find illustrated here.
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First, seemingly small mountains
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can be the most
difficult to climb.
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This hill was much
smaller than the temple mount
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where the Mount of
Olives to the east of Jerusalem
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and yet Jesus was
so low to climb it
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He prayed repeatedly to
be able to walk away from it
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that He would not have to
go through this experience
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but He knew as difficult
it was going to be that
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He needed to prepare by prayer.
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And so He went and
spent the night before
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until His rest in
the Garden of Gethsemane.
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He wasn't fooled
by the small size.
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He knew the significance,
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he knew the importance
of what was to take place.
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He knew that for all
of His life in ministry
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all of His
teachings and healings
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this was the purpose
for which He had come
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in order to provide
salvation for you and for me.
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And so He surrendered
His will to God the Father
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and prayed that the
Father's will would be done.
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Sometimes the small mountains
maybe the most difficult
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and we need to make sure
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that we don't judge other people
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by the apparent
size of the mountains
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that they're climbing.
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Sometimes we
look at other people
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and think the
trials and difficulties
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that they are facing
are nothing in comparison
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to what I have.
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And yet sometimes
what on the outside
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seems to be a small mountain
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can in fact in
someone's life be truly
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a great challenge for
them to climb, surmount.
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Some of our most
life altering decisions
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may not have seen the
very important to pivotal
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at the time that we made them
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but in retrospect we
can see the importance
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and how they charted
a course for our life.
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The school that
we chose to attend,
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the neighborhood that we live
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and the friends
that we spend time with,
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the job that we take,
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the person that
we chose to marry,
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we need to surrender
each one of these decisions
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to Jesus and seek His wisdom.
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A second lesson that we learn
from Jesus experience is that
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there is a cross to be carried.
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Now, this is, this is, a lesson
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that we'd like to avoid
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who of us wants
to carry a cross?
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Who of us wants to
bear such a burden?
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Some of us that, that
cross maybe poor health,
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some illness that we just
never seem to be healed off,
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for some it
maybe little finances
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and no matter what they do,
no matter how hard they work,
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no mater how much
they try and plan ahead,
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they never seem to have enough.
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Perhaps, it's a
frustrating person
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that is in our life, a boss,
who is very difficult to please
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or perhaps even a
spouse that we live with
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and yet brings
great frustration to us.
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But Jesus lived a life
of conviction not of ease.
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And He calls us to do the same
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and if we follow in His steps
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they will be times when
there is a cross to carry
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but Jesus has
promised us to be with us
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and He says "My burden is
easy and He will be with us."
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The third lesson is
that sometimes help is needed
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in order to carry
the cross or the burden.
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Simon of Cyrene was
enlisted to help carry the cross
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and what at first it seems
to be such an undesirable task
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proved in his life
to be a great blessing.
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Tradition tells us
that later on Simon
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became a
believer of Jesus Christ
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and he was aware
of His, His teachings
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and this brought
him closer to Jesus.
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But Jesus truly
needed real help.
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He could not do it on His own.
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And there are
times in our experience
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when we need the
help of other people
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and we can't afford
to be so independent
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that we're
unwilling to allow God
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to bring other
people into our lives
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to be an encouragement
and strength to us.
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A fourth lesson
that we find here
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is that Jesus cared for
others despite His pain.
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We actually find in two
of the parallel accounts
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of Jesus
experience on Mount Cavalry.
00:10:22.90\00:10:26.10
Luke 23:27, 28
gives us an illustration.
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"And a great multitude
of the people followed Him,
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and women who also
mourned and lamented Him.
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But Jesus,
turning to them, said,
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'Daughters of
Jerusalem, do not weep for Me,
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but weep for yourselves
and for your children.'"
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Jesus cared for other people."
00:10:46.90\00:10:49.44
Even with all of the
pain and suffering that
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He was
experiencing He looked at them
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and He recognized
that they didn't understand
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the difficult
days that were ahead.
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And so He warned them
and He encouraged them.
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We find also in the
Gospel of John 19:26, 27.
00:11:04.97\00:11:12.01
"When Jesus
therefore saw His mother,
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and the disciple
whom He loved standing by,
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He said to His mother,
'Woman, behold your son!'
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Then He said to the
disciple, 'Behold your mother!'
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And from that hour that disciple
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took her to his own home."
00:11:29.40\00:11:32.13
As Jesus was there on the cross
00:11:32.16\00:11:34.53
He had a concern for His mother.
00:11:34.56\00:11:36.99
He wanted her to be cared
for and so we ask that John,
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the beloved disciple
would care for His mother
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when He was gone
and He was no longer
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able to provide for her.
00:11:45.81\00:11:48.13
Jesus cared for
others despite His pain.
00:11:48.16\00:11:52.61
And despite the
pain of our lives
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Jesus is able to work
through us to be a blessing
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and a ministry to other people.
00:11:59.25\00:12:01.85
Whatever, our limitations are...
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each one of us has
skills and abilities,
00:12:04.84\00:12:07.52
talents, spiritual
gifts that God has given to us
00:12:07.55\00:12:11.91
in order to be a
blessing to other people.
00:12:11.94\00:12:14.85
We all have the talent of time
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we can all take advantage
of the privilege of prayer
00:12:16.89\00:12:19.71
interceding for other people.
00:12:19.74\00:12:21.40
And there are many other gifts
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that the New Testament describes
00:12:22.65\00:12:24.40
that we can use to minister
to the needs of other people.
00:12:24.43\00:12:30.08
The fifth lesson
that we find here
00:12:30.11\00:12:32.47
in this gospel account is
that Jesus needed a clear mind.
00:12:32.50\00:12:38.49
There were plenty of
excuses for Jesus to take
00:12:38.52\00:12:42.18
if He wanted to drink the wine
00:12:42.21\00:12:43.76
that was offered to Him
in order to deaden the pain
00:12:43.79\00:12:46.73
and this was about
the only act of mercy
00:12:46.76\00:12:49.37
that was offered to Him
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during this terrible
experience there on Cavalry.
00:12:51.04\00:12:54.91
He was dying anyway,
what difference would it make
00:12:54.94\00:12:58.15
if as He went in
the last few moments
00:12:58.18\00:13:00.88
of His life His mind
was a little clouded?
00:13:00.91\00:13:03.67
There was the extreme
pain of the physical agony
00:13:03.70\00:13:06.40
that He was going through.
00:13:06.43\00:13:08.09
He wasn't getting ready
to preach any great sermon
00:13:08.12\00:13:10.52
like the Sermon on the Mount.
00:13:10.55\00:13:12.41
He wasn't going to be teaching
and giving them message.
00:13:12.44\00:13:16.58
He certainly wasn't going
to be healing other people
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as He hung there on the cross.
00:13:19.05\00:13:21.13
Who would blame Him
00:13:21.16\00:13:22.41
if He took a little bit of
the wine that they offered.
00:13:22.44\00:13:26.12
But even in these
dire circumstances
00:13:26.15\00:13:29.47
Jesus was unwilling
to have His mind clouded.
00:13:29.50\00:13:32.96
He knew that He needed
to be able to remain clear
00:13:32.99\00:13:35.70
in His
communication with His father.
00:13:35.73\00:13:37.93
And so He
refused to take anything
00:13:37.96\00:13:40.42
that would cloud His
mind in His judgment.
00:13:40.45\00:13:45.82
How could we have any
better excuse than Jesus?
00:13:45.85\00:13:49.95
Yet, He did not take the wine
00:13:49.98\00:13:51.52
and He leaves us an
example to live our lives
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in such a way that we
always have clarity of thought
00:13:54.57\00:13:58.54
that the Holy Spirit is
always able to speak to our mind
00:13:58.57\00:14:01.31
to give us
promptings to lead us in the way
00:14:01.34\00:14:04.53
that God would have us go.
00:14:04.56\00:14:06.34
Jesus needed a clear mind
00:14:06.37\00:14:08.54
to the very end
and we do as well.
00:14:08.57\00:14:13.46
The sixth lesson,
00:14:13.49\00:14:15.54
perhaps one of the
most difficult for us
00:14:15.57\00:14:19.12
is that we must forgive.
00:14:19.15\00:14:23.70
Jesus says he was experiencing
00:14:23.73\00:14:27.02
the crucifixion and
the nailing to the cross.
00:14:27.05\00:14:30.34
Jesus wanted to save even those
00:14:30.37\00:14:32.86
who were in the
process of crucifying Him.
00:14:32.89\00:14:37.58
He recognized that
they didn't really realized
00:14:37.61\00:14:40.10
what was happening.
00:14:40.13\00:14:41.21
They knew
physically what they were doing
00:14:41.24\00:14:42.74
in crucifying His body
but they didn't recognize
00:14:42.77\00:14:46.33
who He was and the significance
00:14:46.36\00:14:47.77
of this event
that was taking place.
00:14:47.80\00:14:51.21
And so Jesus prays a prayer
00:14:51.24\00:14:53.29
asking that the
Father would forgive them.
00:14:53.32\00:14:57.94
And He leaves us an example
00:14:57.97\00:14:59.74
that we be willing to
forgive other people as well.
00:14:59.77\00:15:03.85
And there are many good reasons
00:15:03.88\00:15:05.42
to forgive for our
own physical health.
00:15:05.45\00:15:07.60
So that the
frustration and anxiety
00:15:07.63\00:15:11.09
of holding a grudge
against someone else
00:15:11.12\00:15:13.76
doesn't vesture inside of
us for our emotional health
00:15:13.79\00:15:16.86
so that we can be
free from the bondage
00:15:16.89\00:15:19.32
that comes from the anger that
exist when we are unforgiving
00:15:19.35\00:15:24.49
and certainly for
our spiritual health.
00:15:24.52\00:15:26.80
And the Lord's Prayer that
Jesus had taught His disciples
00:15:26.83\00:15:31.00
it includes the
"forgive us our debts
00:15:31.03\00:15:34.13
as we forgive our debtors."
00:15:34.16\00:15:37.36
In the same way
that God has forgiven us
00:15:37.39\00:15:40.47
we are to forgive other people.
00:15:40.50\00:15:42.90
Our harden heart on our part
00:15:42.93\00:15:44.38
becomes a barrier in
our relationship with God.
00:15:44.41\00:15:47.97
And so He calls
for us to forgive.
00:15:48.00\00:15:51.96
Now often,
times there are people
00:15:51.99\00:15:53.69
who have hurt us deeply,
00:15:53.72\00:15:55.43
there're people who have
done things to us intentionally
00:15:55.46\00:15:59.54
and they have no
sorrow for what they've done.
00:15:59.57\00:16:02.19
They've never
come and apologized,
00:16:02.22\00:16:03.87
they've never
asked for forgiveness.
00:16:03.90\00:16:06.18
Do we need to
forgive those people as well?
00:16:06.21\00:16:08.92
Yes, we do.
00:16:08.95\00:16:10.28
Again, not so much
because of their experience
00:16:10.31\00:16:14.01
but for our experience,
in our walk with the Lord
00:16:14.04\00:16:17.00
we need to have a forgiving
spirit towards other people
00:16:17.03\00:16:20.86
and that comes
as a gift from God
00:16:20.89\00:16:24.21
if someone has hurt you
00:16:24.24\00:16:28.09
and you want to
experience forgiveness
00:16:28.12\00:16:30.64
but you wonder
how you can ever come
00:16:30.67\00:16:32.67
to that point of peace.
00:16:32.70\00:16:34.34
I encourage you to pray
00:16:34.37\00:16:35.72
that Jesus would
give you that victory.
00:16:35.75\00:16:38.18
That He would
be able to give you
00:16:38.21\00:16:39.66
a spirit of
forgiveness like He had
00:16:39.69\00:16:42.53
as He experienced Mount Cavalry.
00:16:42.56\00:16:45.91
That spirit can
come and it can free you
00:16:45.94\00:16:48.71
from the pain
and from the grudges
00:16:48.74\00:16:51.60
and from the
isolation that comes
00:16:51.63\00:16:54.35
from our hardened
heart, unwilling to forgive.
00:16:54.38\00:16:57.56
The seventh lesson that we find
00:16:57.59\00:16:59.49
here in Jesus experience
00:16:59.52\00:17:02.15
is that there are
sacrifices to be made.
00:17:02.18\00:17:08.08
Here it speaks of Jesus
robe being taken from Him
00:17:08.11\00:17:12.26
and they're casting lots
00:17:12.29\00:17:14.16
in order to
decide who will get it.
00:17:14.19\00:17:16.74
Jesus also experiences
sacrifice of His power
00:17:16.77\00:17:20.55
when He left His
throne in heaven.
00:17:20.58\00:17:23.37
He left the adoration in
the presence of the angels
00:17:23.40\00:17:27.09
and the face to face
communication with His Father.
00:17:27.12\00:17:30.88
He left all of
the glory of heaven
00:17:30.91\00:17:32.47
in order to be
born on this earth.
00:17:32.50\00:17:35.04
Born as a baby, growing up
with difficulties of childhood,
00:17:35.07\00:17:39.04
working with His
father in the carpenter shop,
00:17:39.07\00:17:41.84
experience
prejudice and resentment
00:17:41.87\00:17:45.28
by those who were
around Him and there're times
00:17:45.31\00:17:48.87
when we are called
to sacrifice as well.
00:17:48.90\00:17:53.06
We're never called to
sacrifice as much as Jesus did.
00:17:53.09\00:17:56.83
We certainly don't
have His experience
00:17:56.86\00:17:59.02
but in smaller
ways there are times
00:17:59.05\00:18:01.58
when we are called to sacrifice.
00:18:01.61\00:18:03.45
Perhaps, it's financially,
00:18:03.48\00:18:04.93
perhaps its sacrificing our time
00:18:04.96\00:18:07.18
and giving to other
people in a specific way.
00:18:07.21\00:18:10.21
Perhaps, it's sacrificing
some of the other things
00:18:10.24\00:18:13.30
that this life offers
00:18:13.33\00:18:15.20
but it's always an
investment as well.
00:18:15.23\00:18:18.48
Jesus sacrificed
all of these things
00:18:18.51\00:18:21.50
in order to make the provision
00:18:21.53\00:18:23.26
for us to receive eternal life.
00:18:23.29\00:18:25.39
Jesus wants us to
be in heaven with Him.
00:18:25.42\00:18:28.71
He went through
all of the experience
00:18:28.74\00:18:30.45
of living on this earth
and dying on Mount Cavalry
00:18:30.48\00:18:33.97
in order for us to be able
00:18:34.00\00:18:35.42
to experience an
eternity with Him.
00:18:35.45\00:18:38.51
He experienced that
sacrifice for our benefit.
00:18:38.54\00:18:42.18
And as we
sacrifice there're benefits
00:18:42.21\00:18:45.04
that come to other
people and to ourselves as well.
00:18:45.07\00:18:50.46
And eighth, lesson
from Jesus experience
00:18:50.49\00:18:53.81
is that there will
always be mockers and critics.
00:18:53.84\00:18:59.00
Now this is something
that it's easy to forgive
00:18:59.03\00:19:01.19
we'd rather not acknowledge that
00:19:01.22\00:19:03.31
but there as Jesus
is hanging on the cross
00:19:03.34\00:19:06.32
the thieves on either
side of Him are mocking Him
00:19:06.35\00:19:08.95
until one finally as
Jesus to remember him
00:19:08.98\00:19:12.00
when He comes into His kingdom.
00:19:12.03\00:19:13.87
There are the priests
00:19:13.90\00:19:14.95
who are
challenging His authority
00:19:14.98\00:19:16.88
and questioning the things
00:19:16.91\00:19:18.32
that He has
said and taunting Him
00:19:18.35\00:19:20.07
now that He is
hanging on the cross.
00:19:20.10\00:19:22.16
There is the crowd the rabble
00:19:22.19\00:19:25.22
that are casting all
kinds of abuse on Jesus
00:19:25.25\00:19:29.85
as He is there defenseless
00:19:29.88\00:19:32.32
and certainly
there're the soldiers
00:19:32.35\00:19:34.97
who are callously involved
00:19:35.00\00:19:36.97
in doing their job of crucifying
00:19:37.00\00:19:39.25
what they believe
is another criminal.
00:19:39.28\00:19:42.14
And then there is the
desertion by His disciples
00:19:42.17\00:19:45.73
not outright
criticism but unwilling to walk
00:19:45.76\00:19:49.27
through this
experience with Jesus.
00:19:49.30\00:19:52.46
In the Desire of Ages page 751
00:19:52.49\00:19:54.85
we read "Many were
ready to call Him Lord
00:19:54.88\00:19:58.08
when He wrought miracles,
00:19:58.11\00:19:59.56
and after He had
risen from the grave
00:19:59.59\00:20:02.18
but none acknowledged Him
as He hung dying upon the cross
00:20:02.21\00:20:05.68
save the penitent thief
00:20:05.71\00:20:07.26
who was saved at
the eleventh hour."
00:20:07.29\00:20:10.90
Jesus had already said
earlier in His ministry,
00:20:10.93\00:20:14.09
"Blessed are you
when you're persecuted."
00:20:14.12\00:20:18.17
And there are times
when there are mockers
00:20:18.20\00:20:20.32
and critics and
persecutors who come to us.
00:20:20.35\00:20:23.94
And we can't
expect to move forward
00:20:23.97\00:20:26.19
in the kingdom of God
to advance the work of God
00:20:26.22\00:20:30.71
on this earth
without meeting resistance
00:20:30.74\00:20:33.39
from Satan and
the forces of evil.
00:20:33.42\00:20:35.56
There is going to
be a counterattack.
00:20:35.59\00:20:37.89
And so whenever we step forward
whenever we do the work of God
00:20:37.92\00:20:41.37
there're going to be mockers
and there're going to critics.
00:20:41.40\00:20:44.63
But we can't be
dissuaded by them,
00:20:44.66\00:20:46.52
we can't allow
them to distract us,
00:20:46.55\00:20:48.79
we can't be surprised.
00:20:48.82\00:20:51.10
Sometimes people seem
amazed that there are critics
00:20:51.13\00:20:55.15
in the church
outside of the church
00:20:55.18\00:20:58.10
that people are unwilling
to believe what they believe.
00:20:58.13\00:21:01.67
We should never
be unduly discouraged
00:21:01.70\00:21:04.83
when other people fall away,
00:21:04.86\00:21:06.81
people perhaps that
we've confidence in.
00:21:06.84\00:21:09.37
Remember we keep our
eyes fixed upon Jesus Christ
00:21:09.40\00:21:13.19
and so if there are other people
00:21:13.22\00:21:14.81
who have once believed
00:21:14.84\00:21:16.59
but then become
mockers and critics.
00:21:16.62\00:21:19.73
We do not take our
eyes off of Jesus Christ.
00:21:19.76\00:21:22.47
We continue to have confidence
00:21:22.50\00:21:24.47
that what Jesus
has started in us
00:21:24.50\00:21:26.72
He will bring to completion.
00:21:26.75\00:21:30.21
As you go through your
daily walk with the Lord
00:21:30.24\00:21:33.50
make sure you keep
your eyes fixed upon Him.
00:21:33.53\00:21:36.30
Don't become discouraged
00:21:36.33\00:21:38.02
when things don't
go well around you.
00:21:38.05\00:21:41.06
There will be
mockers and critics
00:21:41.09\00:21:42.81
to the very end of the age.
00:21:42.84\00:21:45.80
They existed when Jesus
was right there in front of Him
00:21:45.83\00:21:48.37
and in fact a
few chapters further
00:21:48.40\00:21:50.91
the very closing verses
of the gospel of Matthew
00:21:50.94\00:21:54.40
it says that "Even as Jesus
was ready to ascend to heaven
00:21:54.43\00:21:58.16
there were those among
His followers who doubted."
00:21:58.19\00:22:02.06
They had gone seen
the experience of Jesus.
00:22:02.09\00:22:04.38
He had died on the cross,
He'd been buried in the tomb,
00:22:04.41\00:22:07.28
He had been
resurrected to new life,
00:22:07.31\00:22:09.80
He'd performed more
miracles among them,
00:22:09.83\00:22:12.36
He was there
visibly in front of them.
00:22:12.39\00:22:14.32
They could touch Him,
they could see the nail scars.
00:22:14.35\00:22:17.70
He was ready to
ascend to heaven.
00:22:17.73\00:22:20.64
The culmination
of His life's work
00:22:20.67\00:22:23.07
and yet there were still
some in the very presence
00:22:23.10\00:22:26.02
physical presence of Jesus
00:22:26.05\00:22:27.91
who choose, who chose to doubt.
00:22:27.94\00:22:31.27
There'll be doubters
among us to the very end
00:22:31.30\00:22:34.84
but don't become discouraged,
don't become distracted,
00:22:34.87\00:22:38.76
keep strong in your
faith in the confidence
00:22:38.79\00:22:41.89
that God has given to us
and in the promises of His word
00:22:41.92\00:22:45.45
what He has said
He will do He will do.
00:22:45.48\00:22:50.27
The ninth lesson
that we find here
00:22:50.30\00:22:52.60
is that we need
that when we stand true
00:22:52.63\00:22:56.18
the word will get out.
00:22:56.21\00:22:58.69
Pilate had a sign placed over
Jesus head on top of the cross
00:22:58.72\00:23:03.04
that this was the king
of Jews in three languages
00:23:03.07\00:23:07.16
so that any one coming
in for the Passover feast
00:23:07.19\00:23:10.18
wherever they were coming from,
whatever language they spoke
00:23:10.21\00:23:12.64
they would be able to understand
00:23:12.67\00:23:14.65
why Jesus was being crucified.
00:23:14.68\00:23:17.33
When we stand for
truth the word will get out,
00:23:17.36\00:23:21.31
people may not
appreciate what we stand for
00:23:21.34\00:23:24.73
but they will
recognize that we stand for God
00:23:24.76\00:23:29.37
and they'll note our
conviction in our courage.
00:23:29.40\00:23:33.71
The tenth and final
lesson that we'll look at here
00:23:33.74\00:23:36.38
is that it is truly the
darkest before the dawn.
00:23:36.41\00:23:40.50
As Jesus was there on the cross
00:23:40.53\00:23:43.62
the clouds came in
the sun was shut out,
00:23:43.65\00:23:47.34
the veil of the temple
was torn from top to bottom,
00:23:47.37\00:23:50.43
the ground shook,
it was a dark time
00:23:50.46\00:23:54.76
for Jesus in His life
in the earth's history.
00:23:54.79\00:23:58.35
But the next
thing Jesus would know
00:23:58.38\00:24:00.31
after He cried
out in a loud voice
00:24:00.34\00:24:02.14
and said it was finished
00:24:02.17\00:24:03.90
after He died there on the cross
00:24:03.93\00:24:05.42
the next thing
that Jesus would know
00:24:05.45\00:24:08.26
after the sleep of
dead was the brilliance
00:24:08.29\00:24:11.26
of the angel coming
at His resurrection.
00:24:11.29\00:24:14.97
The resurrection power,
00:24:15.00\00:24:16.17
the power over the
grave as Jesus came forth
00:24:16.20\00:24:19.90
it is the
darkest before the dawn.
00:24:19.93\00:24:23.00
And so when you're experiencing
dark times in your life
00:24:23.03\00:24:26.52
recognize that
God continues to work.
00:24:26.55\00:24:29.29
He'll bring
light and encouragement
00:24:29.32\00:24:31.86
and strength to you.
00:24:31.89\00:24:34.14
Salvation, our salvation was
accomplished on Mount Cavalry
00:24:34.17\00:24:38.92
because Jesus took those steps,
00:24:38.95\00:24:41.32
because He leaves
His example for us
00:24:41.35\00:24:44.85
we are able to experience
the fullness of God's love
00:24:44.88\00:24:48.58
in the salvation
that He has promised.
00:24:48.61\00:24:50.77
Jesus served as our substitute.
00:24:50.80\00:24:54.21
It was our sins that caused
His death there on the cross.
00:24:54.24\00:24:59.41
That's the reason why He went
00:24:59.44\00:25:01.84
and died on the
cross and somehow sometimes
00:25:01.87\00:25:05.86
we think that we
can do things on our own
00:25:05.89\00:25:08.94
that it's our own goodness
00:25:08.97\00:25:11.27
and we failed to
recognize that the only way
00:25:11.30\00:25:14.22
that we can receive
salvation is to accept
00:25:14.25\00:25:16.76
what Jesus
Christ has done for us.
00:25:16.79\00:25:18.84
And that He is our substitute
00:25:18.87\00:25:20.60
and there is
nothing that we can offer.
00:25:20.63\00:25:23.34
The Scripture
says our righteousness
00:25:23.37\00:25:25.10
is as filthy rags.
00:25:25.13\00:25:26.94
It just doesn't
amount to anything good.
00:25:26.97\00:25:30.62
In 1994 the
Associated Press reported
00:25:30.65\00:25:35.12
a event in New Delhi, India.
00:25:35.15\00:25:37.14
The Indian farmers
there were protesting
00:25:37.17\00:25:40.21
a move by India's parliament
to bring in three million tons
00:25:40.24\00:25:44.93
of Dutch dung to be
used as farm fertilizers.
00:25:44.96\00:25:48.37
And these farmers were saying
00:25:48.40\00:25:51.00
there was no
shortage of cows in India
00:25:51.03\00:25:53.14
and that the Indian cows
00:25:53.17\00:25:56.29
did not have their
dung tainted by pesticides.
00:25:56.32\00:25:59.49
So in protest these
farmers brought six oxcarts
00:25:59.52\00:26:02.97
full of this fresh dung
before the parliament steps.
00:26:03.00\00:26:07.26
Presumably they got
the legislators attention
00:26:07.29\00:26:10.71
but it represents how so often
00:26:10.74\00:26:12.43
we're wanting to take
some feeble thing in our life
00:26:12.46\00:26:17.44
and we think its something great
00:26:17.47\00:26:18.83
and we want to give it to God,
00:26:18.86\00:26:22.22
failing to recognize
that the best that we have
00:26:22.25\00:26:26.08
is not good enough
to give us eternal life,
00:26:26.11\00:26:29.22
that we come
seeking the leading of God
00:26:29.25\00:26:32.32
and we must have the salvation
00:26:32.35\00:26:34.74
that Jesus brought on the Cross.
00:26:34.77\00:26:37.20
We receive forgiveness from Him.
00:26:37.23\00:26:40.11
The Desire of
Ages Page 745 says,
00:26:40.14\00:26:42.37
"Upon all rests the guilt
of crucifying the Son of God.
00:26:42.40\00:26:45.52
To all,
forgiveness is freely offered."
00:26:45.55\00:26:48.95
He brings healing, salvation
and eternal life to us.
00:26:48.98\00:26:53.48
The Readers
Digest contained a story
00:26:53.51\00:26:56.45
about Aunt Ruby and Uncle Arnie.
00:26:56.48\00:26:59.15
They've tried for
some years to have a child
00:26:59.18\00:27:01.91
and were unable to
and so they adopted a son
00:27:01.94\00:27:05.49
and a short time
later sure enough Aunt Ruby
00:27:05.52\00:27:08.77
was pregnant and
gave birth to another boy.
00:27:08.80\00:27:12.32
Well, the boys grew
00:27:12.35\00:27:13.41
and when they were
eight and nine years old
00:27:13.44\00:27:16.12
the boys were
playing together in the yard
00:27:16.15\00:27:18.04
and family were
visiting Aunt Ruby
00:27:18.07\00:27:20.08
and a neighbor came by and said
00:27:20.11\00:27:21.69
"Aunt Ruby, which boy is yours?"
00:27:21.72\00:27:25.29
And Aunt Ruby said
"Well, they both are."
00:27:25.32\00:27:28.06
And the neighbor said "Well, no.
00:27:28.09\00:27:30.77
I mean which one is adopted?"
00:27:30.80\00:27:33.45
And Aunt Ruby said
"I don't remember."
00:27:33.48\00:27:38.56
God has said, "He will not
remember our sins anymore."
00:27:38.59\00:27:43.35
He will cast men to
the depths of the sea
00:27:43.38\00:27:45.87
because of what
Jesus did on Mount Cavalry
00:27:45.90\00:27:48.38
our lives are washed clean
00:27:48.41\00:27:50.45
and we can experience
the assurance of eternal life
00:27:50.48\00:27:54.25
through the
power of Jesus Christ.
00:27:54.28\00:27:56.55