Welcome to Faith Chapel. My name is Pastor 00:00:31.75\00:00:35.30 Rowland C. Nwosu, the pastor of the All Nations 00:00:35.33\00:00:38.33 African Seventh-day Adventist Church in 00:00:38.36\00:00:40.36 San Bernardino, California, and the President 00:00:40.39\00:00:42.88 of the Adventist Our International Ministries 00:00:42.91\00:00:45.86 in Loma Linda, California. Let us pray. 00:00:45.89\00:00:49.73 Father, we thank you today for your love 00:00:51.03\00:00:54.14 and for your blessings. Be with us as we study 00:00:54.17\00:00:58.63 your word, as we listen, speak to our hearts 00:00:58.66\00:01:03.43 and our minds, interpret what is read 00:01:03.46\00:01:07.68 and what is heard. And let your spirit 00:01:07.71\00:01:11.09 refresh us. In your name we pray, amen. 00:01:12.19\00:01:15.40 Seven ways to live as a Christian in this society, 00:01:18.15\00:01:22.87 in this age and generation that is filled 00:01:22.90\00:01:26.65 with criminality and crimes, bigotry, adultery, 00:01:26.68\00:01:32.28 and idolatry, favoritisms, and fundamentalisms and 00:01:32.31\00:01:36.66 terrorisms, hospitalities and festivities, 00:01:36.69\00:01:40.47 immoralities, and inequalities, how can the 00:01:40.50\00:01:44.95 Christian live? Apostle Paul describes our 00:01:44.98\00:01:48.89 generation in Second Timothy chapter 3 00:01:48.92\00:01:52.01 verses 1 through 5. Second Timothy 00:01:52.04\00:01:55.05 chapter 3 verses 1 through 5 and I read: 00:01:55.08\00:01:59.25 But know this, that in the last days perilous 00:01:59.28\00:02:05.19 times will come: For men will be lovers of the 00:02:05.22\00:02:09.76 themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, 00:02:09.79\00:02:14.36 blasphemers, disobedient to parents, 00:02:14.39\00:02:17.05 unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, 00:02:17.08\00:02:23.15 slanderers, without self-control, brutal, 00:02:23.18\00:02:27.58 despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, 00:02:27.61\00:02:30.75 haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers 00:02:30.78\00:02:34.69 of God, having a form of godliness but denying 00:02:34.72\00:02:38.34 its power, And from such people turn away! 00:02:38.37\00:02:44.44 In a nationwide, nationwide poll by the Barna Group, 00:02:46.49\00:02:51.31 they found out that out of every five adults 00:02:51.34\00:02:56.45 in the United States consider themselves to be 00:02:56.48\00:02:59.60 Christian, 72 percent said they had personal 00:02:59.63\00:03:04.13 communication or personal commitment to Jesus, 00:03:04.16\00:03:08.28 that was and still is important to them 00:03:09.34\00:03:11.63 they said. Now out of that 29 percent attended 00:03:11.66\00:03:16.52 church, church service and prayed to God and read 00:03:16.55\00:03:19.96 from the Bible during the past week. 00:03:19.99\00:03:22.68 Now, 16 percent of the entire people who 00:03:23.58\00:03:28.37 responded 16 percent of this said that the highest 00:03:28.40\00:03:32.07 priority in their life was their faith. In fact the 00:03:32.10\00:03:37.97 conclusion of the Barna Research Group was that 00:03:38.00\00:03:41.25 according to the research and I quote 00:03:41.28\00:03:45.02 "For most American's, being a Christian is about 00:03:46.34\00:03:49.93 an image than action." Wow, it's an about image 00:03:49.96\00:03:58.14 than a action, that is to say that there is a 00:03:58.17\00:04:03.52 form of godliness rather than the power 00:04:03.55\00:04:06.35 of Christianity, rather than the power of the 00:04:06.38\00:04:09.46 relationship, that is spoken about. 00:04:09.49\00:04:12.41 How can we live as Christians in such a 00:04:12.44\00:04:15.50 world today? Speaking about the day of 00:04:15.53\00:04:21.77 destruction, the day of the Lord, the day when 00:04:21.80\00:04:24.96 Jesus will come and when all will be subjected 00:04:25.64\00:04:29.49 to the judgment of God. In Second Peter 00:04:29.52\00:04:32.79 chapter 3 verses 11 through 13, 00:04:32.82\00:04:35.42 Apostle Peter speaks about that day and he warns 00:04:35.45\00:04:40.16 Christians about that day he says: Therefore, 00:04:40.19\00:04:43.76 since all these things will be dissolved, 00:04:43.79\00:04:47.09 what manner of persons ought you to be in holy 00:04:47.12\00:04:50.41 conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening 00:04:50.44\00:04:55.75 the coming of the day of God, because of which 00:04:55.78\00:04:58.95 the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, 00:04:58.98\00:05:02.87 and the elements will melt with fervent heat. 00:05:02.90\00:05:05.72 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, 00:05:07.61\00:05:10.00 look for new heavens and a new earth in which 00:05:10.03\00:05:13.76 righteousness dwells. God's children all these 00:05:13.79\00:05:20.77 things will be burned up and it will be surprise, 00:05:20.80\00:05:24.89 it will be a surprise. Our possessions 00:05:24.92\00:05:28.15 we've accumulated for years, the jobs we 00:05:28.18\00:05:31.96 have kept, that have kept us from worshiping 00:05:31.99\00:05:36.05 God and serving God the way he wants us to serve. 00:05:36.08\00:05:39.48 The cash we've accumulated, 00:05:39.51\00:05:41.81 and hidden will be burned up. 00:05:41.84\00:05:45.57 All the things that have prevented us from serving 00:05:45.60\00:05:49.28 God will be burned up. Now Apostle Paul, 00:05:49.31\00:05:51.96 Apostle Peter ask in view of all these things, 00:05:51.99\00:05:55.86 what manner of persons ought we be. 00:05:55.89\00:06:00.30 And in Second Peter chapter 3 verses 14 00:06:02.71\00:06:06.64 through 17 he suggest seven ways that we as 00:06:06.67\00:06:12.22 Christians must live. In verse 14 Apostle Peter 00:06:12.25\00:06:16.84 says: Therefore, beloved, looking forward to 00:06:16.87\00:06:23.44 these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, 00:06:23.47\00:06:30.04 without spot and blameless. Point number one, 00:06:30.07\00:06:37.91 principle number one as Christians; 00:06:38.50\00:06:40.61 if we must live the way God wants us to live. 00:06:40.64\00:06:44.19 We need to live as people who are looking 00:06:45.04\00:06:49.12 forward to the Day of Judgment. 00:06:49.15\00:06:51.73 You see when we look forward to something; 00:06:51.76\00:06:53.86 we tend to prepare for it because anticipation 00:06:53.89\00:06:57.11 precedes preparation. The day of the Lord 00:06:57.14\00:07:00.12 is degrades and blessed hope of all Christians 00:07:00.15\00:07:04.73 because on that day this body will be changed 00:07:04.76\00:07:09.14 and will take on the new body that Jesus had 00:07:09.17\00:07:12.55 made it to be. On that day we will be saved 00:07:12.58\00:07:17.32 and all the problems we have on this earth will be 00:07:17.35\00:07:20.50 abandoned, will be over. There will be no more pain, 00:07:20.53\00:07:23.72 no more tears, no more sorrows, 00:07:23.75\00:07:26.56 no more sickness, no more diseases, 00:07:26.59\00:07:29.00 no more cancers and those of us who have lost 00:07:29.03\00:07:32.10 our beloved brothers and sisters and mothers 00:07:32.13\00:07:37.11 and fathers if they were faithful we will see them 00:07:37.14\00:07:41.07 again now we will live with them eternally, 00:07:41.10\00:07:43.29 that is why that day is a blessed day. 00:07:43.32\00:07:46.77 So, looking forward to that great day is something 00:07:47.37\00:07:51.66 that is so precious for every Christian. 00:07:51.69\00:07:54.53 Let us live in anticipation, let us live like people 00:07:55.54\00:08:00.71 looking forward, you see when we look forward 00:08:00.74\00:08:03.32 to the future. When we look forward to the 00:08:03.35\00:08:06.08 coming of the Lord, we won't look back 00:08:06.11\00:08:08.14 to the things that have happened, 00:08:08.17\00:08:10.00 to the mistakes we have made in the past, 00:08:10.03\00:08:11.74 to the sins that we had committed in the past, 00:08:11.77\00:08:16.33 for the troubles we've had and we will also look 00:08:16.36\00:08:19.53 forward. We wouldn't look back to people who 00:08:19.56\00:08:22.87 have hurt us and who have offended us, 00:08:22.90\00:08:25.07 because we're moving forward we forgive them, 00:08:25.42\00:08:28.28 we know that we have hurt our Lord. 00:08:28.31\00:08:32.70 We know that our God has so even forgiven us 00:08:32.73\00:08:35.95 more than we need to forgive those who have 00:08:35.98\00:08:39.55 offended us. We live in anticipation. 00:08:39.58\00:08:41.63 We live looking forward. We ought to live a holy live. 00:08:41.66\00:08:48.26 Apostle Peter says as we look forward to the 00:08:48.29\00:08:51.27 Day of Judgment, the Day of the Lord. 00:08:51.30\00:08:54.30 Point number two is that we need to live as one 00:08:55.57\00:08:58.55 diligent to be found by Him in peace, 00:08:58.58\00:09:02.14 without spot and blameless. 00:09:02.17\00:09:05.38 In the verse that we read Second Peter 00:09:06.70\00:09:09.22 chapter 3 verse 14, we were also remind that, 00:09:09.25\00:09:13.94 as we look forward to be diligent to be found 00:09:13.97\00:09:19.39 by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 00:09:19.42\00:09:23.13 diligent to be found by Him in peace. 00:09:23.16\00:09:27.86 Does this mean salvation by works? Certainly not; 00:09:29.04\00:09:32.22 no one can make himself holy. Only God can make 00:09:33.38\00:09:37.74 someone holy. God's presence in anything and 00:09:37.77\00:09:41.45 in anyone makes someone or anything holy. 00:09:41.48\00:09:45.46 His presence in our lives makes us holy, 00:09:45.49\00:09:49.27 because he is present in our lives, our choices and 00:09:49.88\00:09:54.45 our decisions become decisions that are made 00:09:54.48\00:09:58.11 according to his will. So, the idea is for Christians 00:09:58.14\00:10:03.21 to be found holy, when Jesus makes his 00:10:03.24\00:10:08.10 second coming, his surprise entry into our lives. 00:10:09.77\00:10:13.00 He says, we ought to make to be diligent to be 00:10:13.03\00:10:17.27 found in Him in peace, to be found by Him when 00:10:17.30\00:10:21.55 he comes, because he is going to be coming 00:10:21.58\00:10:24.56 as a thief in the night, as a surprise to us, 00:10:24.59\00:10:28.51 when he comes in surprise as a surprise may he 00:10:28.54\00:10:32.14 find us blameless, may he find us tuned our hearts 00:10:32.17\00:10:38.49 and our lives in a way that is in harmony with his 00:10:38.52\00:10:42.77 requirements for us. We must live by setting 00:10:42.80\00:10:45.54 our goals and priorities based on the kingdom 00:10:45.57\00:10:48.72 requirements. When we live as one diligent 00:10:48.75\00:10:51.75 to be found by Him in peace, without spot or 00:10:51.78\00:10:54.87 wrinkle, we shall not be deceived by false teachers 00:10:54.90\00:10:59.02 because we are studying the word. 00:10:59.05\00:11:01.37 We will not be surprised because we are in tune 00:11:01.92\00:11:07.58 with him. When we live as one diligent and to be 00:11:07.61\00:11:13.34 found by Him in peace, without spot or wrinkle, 00:11:13.37\00:11:16.84 shall we then be deceived by what false teachers 00:11:16.87\00:11:21.64 teach now, shall we then when they say to us 00:11:21.67\00:11:24.65 that he's in the inner room, shall we be deceived, 00:11:24.68\00:11:27.24 no, because he we have heard his word, 00:11:27.27\00:11:31.01 we have studied his word, we have prepared. 00:11:31.04\00:11:33.60 When people come to us and say behold 00:11:33.63\00:11:35.93 he's in the desert shall we be deceived, no. 00:11:35.96\00:11:39.31 And of course we will be watching being careful, 00:11:39.88\00:11:44.04 knowing that the day of the Lord will come and 00:11:44.95\00:11:48.64 not find us, not faithful. Point number three 00:11:48.67\00:11:54.12 that Peter suggests to us is that we live our lives 00:11:54.81\00:11:58.06 bearing in mind that God's patience means salvation. 00:11:58.09\00:12:02.25 We need to live our faith and exercise our faith 00:12:02.79\00:12:06.73 and practice our beliefs. We need to bear in mind 00:12:06.76\00:12:11.59 that the God's coming, his longsuffering, 00:12:11.62\00:12:15.39 his patience with us because he's now reacting 00:12:15.42\00:12:19.07 and sending thunder and lightning whenever we 00:12:19.10\00:12:22.95 make mistakes that his longsuffering is his desire 00:12:22.98\00:12:29.12 for us to be saved, is his longsuffering is 00:12:29.15\00:12:32.17 our salvation. In Second Peter chapter verse 9, 00:12:32.20\00:12:36.12 we're told we read that: The Lord is not slack 00:12:36.15\00:12:41.23 concerning His promise, as some count slackness, 00:12:41.26\00:12:46.14 but is longsuffering toward us, not willing 00:12:46.87\00:12:49.59 that any should perish but that all should 00:12:49.96\00:12:53.93 come to repentance. Point number four, 00:12:53.96\00:12:59.13 Apostle Peter encourages Christians to be on 00:13:00.99\00:13:04.36 guard against false teachers and false 00:13:04.39\00:13:06.84 teachings that lead us stray. Peter warns 00:13:06.87\00:13:09.42 the early Christians against miscoding and 00:13:09.45\00:13:12.41 misinterpreting Apostle Paul's writings. 00:13:12.44\00:13:15.63 According to Peter in Second Peter chapter 3 00:13:16.15\00:13:19.48 verses 16 and 17 Peter, Peter, Peter warns that 00:13:19.51\00:13:23.96 we Christians in reading or listening to Apostle Paul 00:13:23.99\00:13:29.06 that we understand him, he says. 00:13:29.09\00:13:33.14 In Second Peter 3 verses 16 and 17: as also 00:13:34.32\00:13:37.54 in all his epistles, speaking in them 00:13:38.62\00:13:44.19 of these things, in which are some things hard 00:13:44.22\00:13:49.12 to understand, which untaught and unstable 00:13:49.15\00:13:52.91 people twist to their own destruction, 00:13:52.94\00:13:55.36 as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 00:13:55.39\00:13:58.18 You therefore, beloved, since you know 00:13:59.56\00:14:02.80 this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from 00:14:02.83\00:14:07.30 your own steadfastness, being led away with 00:14:07.33\00:14:10.93 the error of the wicked. Peter warns Christians, 00:14:10.96\00:14:17.59 be careful what you read and what you interpret 00:14:19.38\00:14:22.35 you read Apostle Paul's writings. 00:14:22.38\00:14:24.53 On steadfast men and women, 00:14:27.04\00:14:29.75 people who are not stable in their understanding 00:14:29.78\00:14:34.08 of scripture, misinterpret, misapply the writings 00:14:34.11\00:14:39.41 of Apostle Paul for their own advantages, 00:14:39.44\00:14:42.91 to their advantages to the disadvantage of the 00:14:43.66\00:14:46.12 souls of Christians who listen to them. 00:14:46.15\00:14:49.66 What did Paul teach? Paul taught about the role 00:14:50.26\00:14:53.52 of the law in the life of the Christian. 00:14:53.55\00:14:55.43 Paul taught that the keeping of the law cannot 00:14:56.45\00:14:58.66 save anyone but anyone who is saved keeps the law. 00:14:58.69\00:15:03.32 Paul talked about the fact that circumcision 00:15:04.45\00:15:06.81 cannot save anyone, that circumcision was 00:15:06.84\00:15:10.54 more significant if it was done from the heart 00:15:10.57\00:15:14.78 rather then on the body. Apostle Paul talked 00:15:14.81\00:15:17.78 that the life we live in Christ was more important 00:15:17.81\00:15:23.07 than the form itself, obedience to the law 00:15:23.10\00:15:26.96 cannot save anybody. Apostle Paul talk, 00:15:26.99\00:15:30.17 but when one is saved they keep the law, 00:15:30.20\00:15:33.04 they observe God's requirement because they 00:15:33.07\00:15:36.33 have been saved. Apostle Paul talked about the 00:15:36.36\00:15:39.69 grace of God, being the agency, being in means 00:15:39.72\00:15:46.60 by which we're saved by grace, by the grace 00:15:46.63\00:15:51.15 of God. Saved because God send Jesus Christ 00:15:51.18\00:15:55.72 his son because Jesus died for us, paid our price. 00:15:56.13\00:16:00.55 It is not about what we do that saves us. 00:16:01.82\00:16:04.49 It's not about who we are, but it's about who he is. 00:16:05.05\00:16:08.55 It is about because of the grace that he has 00:16:09.13\00:16:11.70 dispensed, because of his love for us. 00:16:11.73\00:16:14.05 But when we love him, then we will obey him 00:16:15.32\00:16:18.51 because we've been saved then we obey him. 00:16:18.54\00:16:22.88 We don't obey him in order to be saved this was 00:16:22.91\00:16:25.95 what Apostle Paul taught. And people misinterpreted 00:16:25.98\00:16:31.27 and still do today misinterpreting Apostle 00:16:31.30\00:16:34.16 Paul speaking that the law is no longer necessary 00:16:34.19\00:16:38.06 to be kept by Christians, it's no longer, 00:16:38.09\00:16:41.04 it doesn't matter what I do, going to Church 00:16:41.07\00:16:43.68 is not necessary. Obeying God does not pay, 00:16:43.71\00:16:47.17 it does not pay, it does not reward us. 00:16:47.20\00:16:51.10 There is no need to obey God's law. 00:16:51.13\00:16:53.65 But Apostle Paul does not teach that and 00:16:53.68\00:16:56.46 Peter warns us if you want to believe that you are 00:16:56.49\00:17:00.39 doing so, anyone who wants to believe that, 00:17:00.42\00:17:03.61 is doing that to the damnation and destruction 00:17:03.64\00:17:06.64 of their soul. God against the avenues of the soul 00:17:07.26\00:17:16.22 protect those things that affect your soul. 00:17:16.25\00:17:19.39 In First Peter chapter 5 verse 8, 1 Peter chapter 00:17:22.12\00:17:26.97 5 verse 8 Apostle Paul, Apostle Peter warns 00:17:27.62\00:17:31.47 us to be sober, to be diligent; 00:17:31.50\00:17:33.93 because our adversary the devil walks about like 00:17:34.80\00:17:38.06 a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 00:17:38.09\00:17:41.36 All around us, the enemy is all around us, 00:17:42.30\00:17:45.31 seeking who he may devour. Throwing 00:17:46.36\00:17:48.36 all kinds of curved balls against unto us, 00:17:49.82\00:17:53.67 trying to find a way to interrupt and to 00:17:54.77\00:17:59.51 entice us. He does that through our friends, 00:18:00.29\00:18:02.10 he does that through those who work with us. 00:18:02.81\00:18:05.56 He does that through those who even walk 00:18:06.09\00:18:09.82 and talk and eat and fellowship with us. 00:18:09.85\00:18:12.34 My dear brothers watch and be careful. 00:18:14.85\00:18:19.49 Point number 5, Apostle Peter wants us to live 00:18:20.16\00:18:25.42 while growing in grace and in the kingdom of God, 00:18:26.23\00:18:32.63 live while growing grace. Second Peter chapter 3 00:18:33.30\00:18:39.72 verse 18, Second Peter chapter 3 verse 18 00:18:41.60\00:18:42.90 Apostle Peter says: Grow in the grace and 00:18:43.44\00:18:46.79 knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:18:46.82\00:18:51.40 To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. 00:18:51.43\00:18:56.19 If we must live a life here on earth that will be 00:18:58.65\00:19:03.64 pleasing to God and that will lead us in that faith 00:19:03.67\00:19:08.94 relationship with Jesus and we must continue 00:19:08.97\00:19:11.31 to grow in grace, and that relationship, 00:19:11.34\00:19:14.46 that loving relationship with God and in our 00:19:14.49\00:19:16.78 knowledge of Him. And we cannot grow 00:19:16.81\00:19:19.35 without knowing and hearing from God, 00:19:20.32\00:19:24.63 it's like we cannot keep a relationship going 00:19:24.66\00:19:29.14 if you do not hear or hear from somebody 00:19:31.04\00:19:32.01 that you love from to one that you love. 00:19:32.72\00:19:34.68 You call them on the telephone or you write 00:19:35.24\00:19:37.33 letters or you exchange gifts. God has written 00:19:37.36\00:19:41.38 letters to us, his love letters to us, 00:19:41.41\00:19:44.80 the Bible the word of God. Let us grow in the 00:19:45.95\00:19:50.41 knowledge of the word of God to not just 00:19:50.44\00:19:53.95 personally knowing in our head, but to personally 00:19:55.04\00:19:58.23 experience to know God, to read his words, 00:19:58.26\00:20:04.78 to communicate with him in prayer, in meditation. 00:20:04.81\00:20:08.62 Live while growing and by the way growth, 00:20:08.65\00:20:12.60 growth in the spirit is not just reading the Bible 00:20:13.97\00:20:20.98 that is part of it. It's not just praying, 00:20:21.01\00:20:24.03 also that is part of it, but the daily walk 00:20:25.35\00:20:30.17 we have when we fall, we learn from it, 00:20:30.94\00:20:31.91 the experience, the challenges of faith, 00:20:34.78\00:20:38.99 when our faith, when our belief, 00:20:39.02\00:20:41.11 beliefs encounter the daily challenges that we 00:20:41.14\00:20:45.20 face in life today. When we overcome, 00:20:45.23\00:20:48.49 when we are victorious in the name of God 00:20:48.52\00:20:52.35 with the power and the strength that God gives 00:20:53.55\00:20:56.67 us that helps us to grow, is like a baby who 00:20:56.70\00:21:01.29 is learning to walk. They don't just walk straight 00:21:01.32\00:21:04.71 and start running to his first time, 00:21:05.31\00:21:06.72 when they stop they get up, they start to walk, 00:21:06.75\00:21:11.41 they start to walk, they start to walk sometimes 00:21:12.41\00:21:15.34 they flup, they fall down and some of us adults, 00:21:15.37\00:21:18.75 some of us adults we watch the kids fall 00:21:19.31\00:21:21.62 and when they fall we wonder oh! 00:21:21.65\00:21:23.44 He will break his bone or her bone, 00:21:26.04\00:21:28.35 or when they' run, or they're riding their 00:21:28.38\00:21:30.13 bicycles they fall over. But have you notice 00:21:30.16\00:21:33.78 that God protects those little children. 00:21:34.61\00:21:36.38 You try it and fall like that you break your bone, 00:21:37.47\00:21:40.12 but when these kids fall and we will shout 00:21:40.15\00:21:42.77 and wow! These are growing pains, 00:21:42.80\00:21:48.43 they learn that way how to resist the pressures 00:21:49.15\00:21:55.10 and the pressures, the elements of this world, 00:21:55.13\00:21:59.97 the things that this world tend to give us. 00:22:00.59\00:22:02.76 We need to accept our experiences and our 00:22:03.37\00:22:09.03 encounters that challenge our faith and build 00:22:09.06\00:22:13.20 on them and let them be stepping stone rather 00:22:13.23\00:22:15.78 then a crushing stone. Let them be a stepping 00:22:15.81\00:22:18.91 stone, because God has promised that in each 00:22:18.94\00:22:21.23 of those circumstances he will not let anything 00:22:21.26\00:22:23.72 that will overcome us come upon us. 00:22:23.75\00:22:26.53 So, anything that comes to us, God has allowed 00:22:26.56\00:22:30.47 and he has allowed that so we can build up 00:22:30.50\00:22:33.72 on it and grow from it. Number six, 00:22:33.75\00:22:41.45 I want to share with you seven ways to live 00:22:42.91\00:22:46.07 as a Christian. The sixth is to live while denying 00:22:46.10\00:22:50.10 yourself and take up your cross, 00:22:50.13\00:22:54.01 live while denying yourself. 00:22:56.82\00:22:58.55 In Matthew chapter 16 verses I think verse 4, 00:23:00.59\00:23:04.38 verse 24 Jesus said to his disciples, 00:23:04.58\00:23:07.88 it says "If anyone desires to come after Me, 00:23:09.64\00:23:14.09 let him deny himself, and take up his cross, 00:23:15.31\00:23:19.67 and follow Me." If anyone wants to follow Jesus, 00:23:20.46\00:23:27.51 deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow. 00:23:28.78\00:23:34.30 Deny yourself, let me deny myself, 00:23:35.90\00:23:40.57 deny myself means that I count myself as nothing, 00:23:41.33\00:23:44.85 is no longer I that lives, but Christ who lives in me. 00:23:44.88\00:23:48.21 Whatever I do is done by the power that God 00:23:48.75\00:23:53.01 has given me by in the spirit of God. 00:23:53.04\00:23:55.63 I no longer exist, deny myself, 00:23:56.69\00:23:59.14 my accomplishments, my abilities are God given. 00:23:59.17\00:24:03.66 They are gifts from God. Deny myself means 00:24:03.69\00:24:08.10 that I do not take credit for what God has 00:24:08.13\00:24:12.81 accomplished. Deny myself means 00:24:12.84\00:24:16.45 I need to take on, I need to let God and 00:24:16.48\00:24:21.77 let go myself. I need to allow God to use me, 00:24:21.80\00:24:26.86 I need to follow him. Deny myself means 00:24:27.43\00:24:30.38 following him. Jesus says deny yourself now 00:24:30.41\00:24:33.55 take up your cross. Whatever the cross is, 00:24:33.58\00:24:36.45 whatever the situation is, whatever the pains are, 00:24:36.48\00:24:39.79 whatever these issues are, take them all and follow 00:24:39.82\00:24:44.60 Jesus Christ. And then grace by the way is 00:24:45.15\00:24:48.71 free but it's not cheap, genuine grace leads 00:24:48.74\00:24:52.46 to self denial and loving sacrifice. 00:24:52.49\00:24:55.14 You see we deny ourselves by saying no 00:24:56.72\00:25:00.50 to ungodliness and worldly passions, 00:25:00.53\00:25:04.41 Titus chapter 2 verses 11 through 13 00:25:06.33\00:25:09.13 the Bible says: "For the grace of God that brings 00:25:10.80\00:25:14.91 salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, 00:25:14.94\00:25:17.53 denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, 00:25:17.56\00:25:20.33 we should live soberly, righteously, 00:25:20.81\00:25:23.33 and godly in the present age, 00:25:23.36\00:25:24.33 looking for the blessed hope and glorious 00:25:26.42\00:25:30.28 appearing of our great God and Savior 00:25:30.31\00:25:33.32 Jesus Christ. I encourage you to take up 00:25:33.95\00:25:37.11 your cross; take up your cross it's an invitation 00:25:37.94\00:25:41.22 to come as you are. Whatever your cross is, 00:25:41.91\00:25:44.52 the cross of loneliness, the cross of bitterness, 00:25:44.55\00:25:47.43 the cross of hatred, the cross of prejudice, 00:25:47.46\00:25:50.31 the cross of poverty, take up your cross and 00:25:50.34\00:25:54.65 follow Me, Jesus says is invitation come and see: 00:25:54.68\00:25:55.65 O ye that have burdens and have been laden 00:26:00.25\00:26:03.81 with sorrows and pain and hardship and suffering 00:26:03.84\00:26:06.41 and trials and difficulties come, 00:26:06.44\00:26:08.57 I will give you rest Jesus says. 00:26:09.29\00:26:10.69 In Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 and 29 00:26:12.21\00:26:15.42 says here, that we have to just come, 00:26:15.45\00:26:18.23 as we: Come to Me, come to Me Jesus says, 00:26:18.26\00:26:21.05 all you who labor and are heavy laden, 00:26:21.08\00:26:23.62 and I will give you rest. And if you take your 00:26:24.10\00:26:29.71 yoke, take Christ yoke, take the offer that 00:26:29.74\00:26:35.08 Christ has offered and hook it up to you. 00:26:35.11\00:26:37.57 Follow him, then Jesus says I will give you rest, 00:26:39.37\00:26:42.59 I will give you peace, I will give you love. 00:26:42.62\00:26:44.82 You will say, come yoke up with me I will walk 00:26:44.85\00:26:47.75 with you, I will stand with you, 00:26:47.78\00:26:49.47 I will be with you through the trials that you 00:26:49.50\00:26:52.96 go through. And that leads me to my 00:26:52.99\00:26:55.46 seventh point. If we must live as Christians 00:26:55.49\00:26:59.44 in this world, stay in the narrow way, 00:26:59.47\00:27:02.18 stay in the narrow way and refuse to be 00:27:02.21\00:27:04.73 destructed, stay in the narrow way and refuse 00:27:04.76\00:27:07.51 to be destructed. Jesus spoke about those 00:27:07.54\00:27:09.60 two distinct roles in Matthew chapter 3 00:27:09.63\00:27:13.34 verses 13 and 14 the Bible says, that Jesus says, 00:27:13.37\00:27:17.52 enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate 00:27:17.55\00:27:21.51 and broad is the way that leads to destruction, 00:27:21.54\00:27:24.61 and there are many who go in by it. 00:27:24.64\00:27:28.55 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the 00:27:29.10\00:27:31.68 way which leads to life, and there are few 00:27:31.71\00:27:34.04 who find it. My dear friends as you follow 00:27:34.07\00:27:37.54 Jesus on the narrow traffic lane of this life, 00:27:37.57\00:27:40.22 there will be many destructions, 00:27:40.25\00:27:41.95 there will many disturbances, 00:27:41.98\00:27:43.91 refuse to be destructed, there will be many troubles 00:27:43.94\00:27:47.54 and many trials. Hold on to the faith you 00:27:47.57\00:27:51.88 have in Jesus, hold on to Jesus for he 00:27:51.91\00:27:55.14 himself is your strength and your guide. 00:27:55.17\00:27:58.60