Three Angels
Broadcasting Network
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is pleased to bring
you something better,
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a faith inspiring
picture of a loving God
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from the Book of Hebrews.
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Welcome to 3ABN's
Virtual Homecoming Camp Meeting.
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Hello and welcome back to
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3ABN's Virtual Homecoming
Fall Camp Meeting, 2021,
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where the theme
is Something Better.
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And I hope that you've been
blessed by the presentations,
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blessed by the music thus far,
and I hope that you've learned
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that there is something
better in store for you
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and for your life and
God has a purpose for you.
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The speaker of the
hour will be Ryan Day.
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Pastor Ryan Day is a part
of 3ABN's Pastoral Department,
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and I came out here ready
to share his bio with you,
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but I want to share with you
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what I've
observed of Pastor Day.
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Pastor Day's face lights up
when he is sharing the gospel,
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whether it's on camera
or whether it's off camera.
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He wants to lead
people to the kingdom of God,
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and he is passionate
about spreading the gospel.
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He's actually my neighbor too
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and I've spent
some time with him
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while he's
studying with other people,
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and we've studied together
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and it's been
nothing short of amazing.
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And I believe that God is
going to speak through him
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as he delivers the
message Thy Kingdom Come.
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But before he
brings us the spoken Word,
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we will be blessed in
song by Celestine Dickens
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who will be
singing, The Refiner's Fire.
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There burns a fire
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With sacred heat
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White hot with holy flame
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And all who dare
pass through its blaze
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Will not emerge the same
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Some as bronze,
and some as silver
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Some as gold,
then with great skill
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All are hammered
by their sufferings
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On the anvil of His will
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The Refiner's fire
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Has now become my souls desire
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Purged and cleansed and purified
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That the Lord be glorified
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He is consuming my soul
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Refining me, making me whole
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No matter what I may lose
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I choose the Refiner's fire
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I'm learning now to trust
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His touch
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To crave the fire's embrace
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For though my past
with sin was etched
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His mercies did erase
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Each time His
purging cleanses deeper
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I'm not sure that I'll survive
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Yet the strength
in growing weaker
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Keeps my hungry soul alive
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The Refiner's fire
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Has now become my souls desire
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Purged and cleansed and purified
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That the Lord be glorified
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He is consuming my soul
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Refining me
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Making me whole
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No matter what
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I may lose
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I choose the Refiner's fire
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Praise the Lord. Amen.
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Celestine, she sings so well.
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I love her voice.
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That's my sister
from another minister
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and I love her voice.
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Beautiful song, Refiner's Fire.
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I'm Ryan Day, and
it's a blessing to be
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able to present to you at
this time a special message
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that the Lord
has laid on my heart
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for this camp meeting.
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We're talking,
we're going through
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the Book of Hebrews
with our main speaker,
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Pastor James Rafferty,
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and much of my message today,
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parts of my message are coming
also from the Book of Hebrews.
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But today's message is entitled,
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Thy Kingdom Come.
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Of course, you'll
find in just a moment,
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we're pulling these
words from the famous prayer,
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the Lord's Prayer in
which Jesus taught us
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or teaches us how to pray.
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But we're going to focus in
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on some details
from that prayer,
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and we're going to be
talking about something today
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that is most
definitely salvational.
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It is a life or death situation.
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It's something
that we for sure need to
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comprehend during the
times that we are living.
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And so before we go any further,
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I just simply
want to ask the Lord,
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to lead and guide
us through this study,
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to lead me to speak His words.
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And so I'm going
to do that right now.
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If you would, my friends,
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please bow your
heads as we pray.
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Our Father in heaven.
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Lord, You are so marvelous.
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You're so wonderful.
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And, Lord, You are
indeed a Refiner's Fire.
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You are the Refining Fire.
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And we know, Lord, that
You are a Cleansing Fire.
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You want to cleanse us,
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to prepare us
indeed for Your kingdom.
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Father, You know indeed,
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that that's what this
message today is about.
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It's a message of hope,
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a message of salvation,
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a message that we all need
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to comprehend for the times
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that we are living in.
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And I believe, Lord,
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that we are fast approaching
the soon return of Jesus.
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And so, Father, I pray that
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as this message goes
out, may it bless so many,
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may it draw people to the truth,
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may it draw all of us to
Jesus Christ, our Savior.
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And, Father, I ask a
special prayer upon myself
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that I only
speak Your words today.
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May Your will be
communicated, not my own.
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We thank You, Lord,
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and praise You so
much for this opportunity,
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again, to spend time
with You in Your Word.
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Thank You, Lord, for Your
love, Your grace, Your mercy.
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And we ask this
in Jesus' holy name.
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Amen. Amen.
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Amen. Thy Kingdom Come.
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Of course, I want to start
by saying God has a people.
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I don't think anyone's going to
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deny the fact that the
Bible makes it very clear.
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And we see the
record of that people
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all the way from
Genesis to Revelation.
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Yes, the word church
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is most definitely
a New Testament term.
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But I would even submit to you
and suggest very clearly that
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the Bible is
very clear on the fact
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that God has His people,
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His Church is all the
way from the Old Testament,
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even into the New Testament.
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God has His people.
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And, you know,
there's a lot of people today,
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some people that
have communicated
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or have this very flawed idea
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that you know what,
there's no longer a church.
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That God just has a
few scattered people
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all over the world,
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but there's not
an organized church.
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There's not, God does
not have an institution,
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a system of
people that is out there,
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representing Him
and participating
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in the closing work of salvation
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in these closing
moments of earth's history.
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But, my friends, I
want to submit to you that
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the Bible is
flooded with information.
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It's flooded with
text, flooded with passages,
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flooded with beautiful,
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beautiful words throughout
God's Word that reminds us
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constantly that God has
not abandoned His people,
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that He does
indeed have a people.
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In fact, we're
going to read that
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in Romans 11:1-5 at this moment.
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Again, Romans
11:1-5, and while I recognize
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that this passage
that I'm about to read
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most definitely
applies in the literal sense
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to the nation of Israel.
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I believe that the
principles, the message,
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the truth behind these verses,
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most definitely apply
for us today, even for,
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especially, for us today.
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Romans 11:1-5.
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Notice what the Bible says.
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But this is Paul writing,
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he says, "I say then,
has God cast away His people?
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He says, certainly not!
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For I also am an Israelite,
and the seed of Abraham,
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of the tribe of Benjamin.
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God has not cast away His people
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whom He foreknew.
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Or do you not know
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what the
Scripture says of Elijah,
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how he pleads with
God against Israel,
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saying, 'Lord, they
have killed Your prophets
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and torn down Your altars,
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and I alone am left,
and they seek my life'?
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But what does the
divine response say to him?
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He says, 'I have reserved
for Myself seven thousand men
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who have not
bowed the knee to Baal.'
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Even so then, at
this present time
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there is a remnant according
to the election of grace.'"
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I love that, that even though
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it's within the context
of the nation of Israel,
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even though Israel had appeared
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as if it had fallen as a nation,
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and for sure, we
know that God eventually,
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through Paul, would take
the gospel to the Gentiles,
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and that as a nation,
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the nation of Israel
rejected Christ Jesus.
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And therefore God
moved His plan beyond
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that one single nation
that He had chosen to be
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His peculiar people,
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His beacon of light
to the rest of the world,
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He had not
completely abandon them at all.
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In fact, because
He had a remnant,
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even in Israel in
those days, and, my friends,
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I'm here to tell you today,
even today, as we stand here,
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and I go back and read
that verse 5 of Romans 11,
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even so then at
this present time,
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that's when Paul was writing.
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And this was probably
around the mid to late 50s AD,
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first century AD.
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So in the 50s,
maybe 57 to 59 AD,
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somewhere around
there is when this probably
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would have been
written, but nonetheless,
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my friends, in his present time,
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and I'm going to
go as far to say that
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even in our present
time, let us not forget that
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God indeed has a remnant people.
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And you say,
but, Ryan, you know,
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there's a whole lot of talk
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in this passage about Jerusalem.
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It's a talk about
Israelites and the Jews.
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But we have to be reminded that
even in Galatians Chapter 3,
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and notice we
just read from Romans,
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but in Galatians, which
Galatians would have been
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written before
the Book of Romans,
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even in Galatians 3:26 to 29,
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I only read this
just to simply apply
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the truth of the fact
that even though there are Jews
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and there are
non-Jews, in God's eyes,
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if we are in Christ,
then we are spiritual Jews.
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Notice what
Galatians 3:26-29 says.
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It says, "For you
are all sons of God
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through faith in Christ Jesus.
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For as many of you
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as were baptized into
Christ have put on Christ.
00:12:48.70\00:12:53.34
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
00:12:53.37\00:12:54.90
there is neither slave nor free,
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there is
neither male nor female,
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for you are all
one in Christ Jesus.
00:12:58.81\00:13:01.04
And if you are Christ's..."
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Here it is, verse 29,
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"If you are Christ's,
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then you are Abraham's seed,
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and heirs
according to the promise.'"
00:13:08.32\00:13:11.15
Are you in Christ?
00:13:11.19\00:13:12.79
That's the question
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because it doesn't
matter if you are a Jew,
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if you are a non-Jew,
it simply does not matter.
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It doesn't matter if
you are a male or a female.
00:13:18.63\00:13:20.80
It simply does not matter
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if you have a
different color of skin,
00:13:22.20\00:13:24.13
it doesn't matter to God.
00:13:24.17\00:13:25.50
If you are in Christ,
then you are Abraham's seed
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and heirs
according to the promise.
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In fact, 2 Peter,
excuse me, 1 Peter 2:9.
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1 Peter 2:9 also reminds us
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of this beautiful promise
00:13:38.75\00:13:40.08
that not only
does God have a people,
00:13:40.12\00:13:42.12
but they are a special
chosen people for this time
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that we are living in.
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Notice, 1 Peter 2:9, it says,
00:13:47.42\00:13:49.39
"But you are a
chosen generation,
00:13:49.42\00:13:51.66
a royal
priesthood, a holy nation,
00:13:51.69\00:13:55.23
His own special people,
00:13:55.26\00:13:57.67
that you may
proclaim the praises of Him,
00:13:57.70\00:14:00.67
who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light."
00:14:00.70\00:14:04.71
My friends, that's
a beautiful promise
00:14:04.74\00:14:06.07
that we need to be
reminded of every single day,
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every single week.
00:14:08.44\00:14:09.78
That we're not just here by
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some little mealy-nealy little
happenstance or coincidence,
00:14:11.18\00:14:13.75
we are here,
because God has chosen us.
00:14:13.78\00:14:16.72
He has called us.
00:14:16.75\00:14:18.15
You do not find
yourself a believer,
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a member of God's
Church in these last days,
00:14:20.42\00:14:22.46
just for any old reason at all.
00:14:22.49\00:14:24.06
You are Christ, He chose you.
00:14:24.09\00:14:27.10
But this brings
me to my main point,
00:14:27.13\00:14:30.43
that while we
have many promises,
00:14:30.47\00:14:32.53
and many counsels as
to how we can prepare
00:14:32.57\00:14:35.20
to be that people
that God has called us
00:14:35.24\00:14:37.34
to be in these last days.
00:14:37.37\00:14:39.04
There are many texts,
00:14:39.07\00:14:40.41
many passages that we can go to,
00:14:40.44\00:14:42.38
many wonderful
Spirit of Prophecy quotes,
00:14:42.41\00:14:44.58
and we're going
to read a few today,
00:14:44.61\00:14:46.48
but I just want to remind you,
00:14:46.51\00:14:47.85
my friends, that sometimes
00:14:47.88\00:14:49.42
even the most simplistic
and even most famous texts
00:14:49.45\00:14:52.49
that we often quote,
almost as if it's poetry,
00:14:52.52\00:14:55.32
almost as if it's something
00:14:55.36\00:14:56.69
that's kind of secondhand,
00:14:56.73\00:14:58.06
it's inspired,
but it's not something
00:14:58.09\00:14:59.83
that we often go to even
as like the model prayer,
00:14:59.86\00:15:03.63
or the Lord's Prayer.
00:15:03.67\00:15:05.90
I would like to
read that Lord's prayer
00:15:05.93\00:15:07.47
because while
there are many counsels
00:15:07.50\00:15:09.04
and many beautiful
promises in all of God's Word
00:15:09.07\00:15:11.31
that we can glean
from at this moment.
00:15:11.34\00:15:13.48
I believe there are some lessons
00:15:13.51\00:15:15.31
about how we can prepare
for Christ's second coming,
00:15:15.34\00:15:18.41
about who we are as
His special chosen people,
00:15:18.45\00:15:21.78
and what is possible
for us in these last days.
00:15:21.82\00:15:25.22
Remember, the
title of this message
00:15:25.25\00:15:27.06
is Thy Kingdom Come.
00:15:27.09\00:15:29.22
Where do we get those words?
It's from that model prayer.
00:15:29.26\00:15:31.59
We're going to read
it from Matthew 6:9-13.
00:15:31.63\00:15:35.50
Of course, in
another part of Scripture
00:15:35.53\00:15:37.47
it makes it very clear that
00:15:37.50\00:15:38.83
the disciples come
to Him and they say,
00:15:38.87\00:15:40.74
"Lord, teach us how to pray."
00:15:40.77\00:15:42.10
And this is what He says.
00:15:42.14\00:15:44.34
Matthew 6:9-13,
00:15:44.37\00:15:46.68
"In this
manner, therefore, pray:
00:15:46.71\00:15:50.31
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
00:15:50.35\00:15:55.92
Your kingdom come,
00:15:55.95\00:15:57.92
Your will be done on
earth, as it is in heaven.
00:15:57.95\00:16:02.89
Give us this
day our daily bread.
00:16:02.92\00:16:07.23
And forgive us our debts,
00:16:07.26\00:16:10.77
as we forgive our debtors.
00:16:10.80\00:16:14.44
And do not lead
us into temptation,
00:16:14.47\00:16:17.57
but deliver us
from the evil one.
00:16:17.61\00:16:22.21
For Yours is the kingdom
00:16:22.24\00:16:24.68
and the power and
the glory forever.
00:16:24.71\00:16:28.05
Amen."
00:16:28.08\00:16:30.62
I love that beautiful
prayer, all encompassing,
00:16:30.65\00:16:34.02
that if we just
often pray that prayer,
00:16:34.06\00:16:35.82
that model prayer, and
we have to keep in mind,
00:16:35.86\00:16:38.26
my friends, that again,
00:16:38.29\00:16:39.63
them coming to Jesus and saying,
00:16:39.66\00:16:41.00
"Lord, teach us how to pray.
00:16:41.03\00:16:42.96
Lord, teach us
what we ought to say,
00:16:43.00\00:16:45.37
what we ought to
pray when we pray to You."
00:16:45.40\00:16:47.44
When Jesus speaks and tells us
00:16:47.47\00:16:48.90
what we ought to
pray, we ought to listen,
00:16:48.94\00:16:51.21
because He's so most definitely
00:16:51.24\00:16:52.84
going to pray the
most important prayer.
00:16:52.87\00:16:54.94
And I just want to highlight
a few things in this prayer.
00:16:54.98\00:16:57.71
Because again, my friends,
00:16:57.75\00:16:59.41
I don't know if
you believe in prayer
00:16:59.45\00:17:01.12
as much as I believe in prayer,
00:17:01.15\00:17:02.48
but prayer is essential.
00:17:02.52\00:17:04.22
Brother Kenny just brought that
out to us in the previous hour,
00:17:04.25\00:17:07.09
and in the
previous message about
00:17:07.12\00:17:08.79
how important it is to pray.
00:17:08.82\00:17:10.33
Even Pastor
Lomacang brought that out,
00:17:10.36\00:17:12.43
are you a praying people?
00:17:12.46\00:17:14.13
Because when we pray,
00:17:14.16\00:17:15.50
we're opening up,
00:17:15.53\00:17:16.87
we're opening
the doors of heaven,
00:17:16.90\00:17:18.23
we're opening up the
pathways of communication
00:17:18.27\00:17:20.67
between us and God.
00:17:20.70\00:17:22.30
And it's a beautiful
thing to know that God hears us,
00:17:22.34\00:17:25.31
He understands us,
00:17:25.34\00:17:26.78
and He wants to
communicate with us.
00:17:26.81\00:17:30.28
And in this case,
Jesus says to Him,
00:17:30.31\00:17:33.55
Thy Kingdom come, of course,
00:17:33.58\00:17:34.92
I read New King
James Version earlier,
00:17:34.95\00:17:36.58
but I love the wording,
00:17:36.62\00:17:37.95
the Old English wording
in the King James Version,
00:17:37.99\00:17:39.95
Thy Kingdom come,
00:17:39.99\00:17:43.19
Thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven.
00:17:43.22\00:17:49.16
Have we stopped to consider
for a moment what in the world
00:17:49.20\00:17:53.54
Jesus is saying
00:17:53.57\00:17:54.90
when He's teaching
us to pray that prayer?
00:17:54.94\00:17:58.37
Your will be done, God.
00:17:58.41\00:18:00.11
Thy will be done on earth
00:18:00.14\00:18:03.08
as it is in heaven.
00:18:03.11\00:18:07.48
In other words, Christ
is saying when you pray,
00:18:07.52\00:18:11.12
when you ask
for divine guidance,
00:18:11.15\00:18:13.76
when you ask for divine help,
00:18:13.79\00:18:16.22
when you are seeking
to communicate and lay out
00:18:16.26\00:18:19.33
what it is that you desire
00:18:19.36\00:18:20.83
more than anything
from God Your Father,
00:18:20.86\00:18:23.03
you pray and ask Him,
00:18:23.06\00:18:24.40
"Lord, just as it
is in Your Kingdom,
00:18:24.43\00:18:27.70
may it be done right
here in my life on earth."
00:18:27.74\00:18:33.68
But I believe,
I'm convinced that
00:18:33.71\00:18:36.34
many, many Christians enrages
00:18:36.38\00:18:37.71
because of how I talk, I
spend time with many people.
00:18:37.75\00:18:41.78
More and more people
are becoming more and more
00:18:41.82\00:18:45.05
convinced by a lie,
00:18:45.09\00:18:46.65
a lie of the fact
that you know what?
00:18:46.69\00:18:48.52
We certainly cannot
be what God wants us
00:18:48.56\00:18:51.39
to really be
00:18:51.43\00:18:52.76
while we are here on this earth.
00:18:52.79\00:18:54.13
We can't really be heavenly
minded as we will be in heaven.
00:18:54.16\00:18:58.10
We can't really be
of the character of God,
00:18:58.13\00:19:00.94
like we will be in heaven.
00:19:00.97\00:19:02.30
Of course, we're so
subject to this fallen nature,
00:19:02.34\00:19:05.21
and therefore we're going
to be subject to it according
00:19:05.24\00:19:07.34
to many people's twisted gospel,
00:19:07.38\00:19:10.61
then we're going to be
subject to it all the way
00:19:10.65\00:19:12.11
until Jesus
comes unto the point to
00:19:12.15\00:19:14.32
where we're just
going to continue to live,
00:19:14.35\00:19:16.08
live, live in this sin
and be completely enslaved
00:19:16.12\00:19:20.09
to sin all the way
until Jesus comes back.
00:19:20.12\00:19:22.29
But I wonder why
Jesus counsels us,
00:19:22.32\00:19:24.79
Thy Kingdom come,
00:19:24.83\00:19:26.96
Thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven.
00:19:27.00\00:19:31.27
In fact, He goes
on to say in verse 13,
00:19:31.30\00:19:33.30
"And do not lead
us into temptation,
00:19:33.34\00:19:35.50
but deliver us
from the evil one."
00:19:35.54\00:19:40.58
My friends, are we praying that?
00:19:40.61\00:19:42.54
Do we believe that now
on this earth right now
00:19:42.58\00:19:47.15
that God can deliver
us from the evil one?
00:19:47.18\00:19:50.32
That He can deliver us from sin?
00:19:50.35\00:19:54.22
We're talking
about victory over sin.
00:19:54.26\00:19:55.76
I'm just going
to put it out there.
00:19:55.79\00:19:57.86
The question I'm going
to be asking throughout
00:19:57.89\00:19:59.36
this entire presentation
00:19:59.39\00:20:00.90
is what is possible for us.
00:20:00.93\00:20:02.76
If we're going to pray,
if Jesus counsels us to pray,
00:20:02.80\00:20:05.73
Lord, Thy Kingdom come,
00:20:05.77\00:20:07.10
Thy will be done here on
earth as it is in heaven.
00:20:07.14\00:20:10.27
Do we really
believe those words?
00:20:10.31\00:20:12.64
Do we really believe that
00:20:12.67\00:20:14.01
we can have
complete victory over sin
00:20:14.04\00:20:16.64
as Jesus gained victory
over the sin of the world?
00:20:16.68\00:20:22.28
You see, it can
only come through Christ.
00:20:22.32\00:20:25.92
And while there's a lot
00:20:25.95\00:20:27.29
that can be said about
that beautiful model prayer.
00:20:27.32\00:20:29.89
And by the way, I'm
probably going to build
00:20:29.92\00:20:31.96
a big series on
this Thy Kingdom,
00:20:31.99\00:20:34.03
it's going to become
a much larger series.
00:20:34.06\00:20:36.36
I've done a
smaller series on this,
00:20:36.40\00:20:37.83
and this is a
single presentation
00:20:37.87\00:20:39.53
entitled Thy Kingdom Come.
00:20:39.57\00:20:40.90
You're getting a juiced version
of just a couple of elements,
00:20:40.94\00:20:43.97
from what can spring
00:20:44.01\00:20:45.44
from under that
umbrella of you know,
00:20:45.47\00:20:47.44
Thy Kingdom come,
00:20:47.48\00:20:48.81
Thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven.
00:20:48.84\00:20:50.28
There's so much more that
00:20:50.31\00:20:51.68
can be said about
that model prayer,
00:20:51.71\00:20:53.82
and how we can understand
it and manifest it in our life.
00:20:53.85\00:20:57.69
But today, I want
to ask the question,
00:20:57.72\00:20:59.25
Lord, can we indeed
experience the victory
00:20:59.29\00:21:03.99
just as Christ
experienced the victory
00:21:04.03\00:21:06.59
when He was here on this earth?
00:21:06.63\00:21:08.16
Can we have the victory
on this earth as He did,
00:21:08.20\00:21:11.47
and as we will, and
as it is, in heaven?
00:21:11.50\00:21:15.27
Of course, we know that that
can only come through Christ.
00:21:15.30\00:21:18.17
Christ is our ultimate example.
00:21:18.21\00:21:20.44
God sent His son.
00:21:20.48\00:21:22.21
He robed Him in
sinful, fallen human flesh,
00:21:22.24\00:21:27.58
so that He might be
able to sympathize with us
00:21:27.62\00:21:31.29
and understand
exactly what we go through
00:21:31.32\00:21:34.42
in this fallen
sinful human flesh
00:21:34.46\00:21:36.56
here on earth.
00:21:36.59\00:21:39.03
Hebrews 2:14-18,
confirms this very clearly.
00:21:39.06\00:21:44.07
Notice what
Hebrews 2:14-18 says.
00:21:44.10\00:21:47.00
It says, "Inasmuch
then as the children
00:21:47.04\00:21:49.47
have partaken
of flesh and blood,
00:21:49.50\00:21:52.54
He Himself
likewise shared in the same,
00:21:52.57\00:21:56.75
that through death
He might destroy him
00:21:56.78\00:21:59.35
who had the power of
death, that is the devil,
00:21:59.38\00:22:03.15
and release those
who through fear of death
00:22:03.18\00:22:06.22
were all their
lifetime subject to bondage.
00:22:06.25\00:22:10.33
For indeed He does
not give aid to angels,
00:22:10.36\00:22:13.19
but He does give aid
to the seed of Abraham.
00:22:13.23\00:22:17.43
Therefore, in all things
00:22:17.47\00:22:18.80
He had to be made
like His brethren,
00:22:18.83\00:22:21.30
that He might be a merciful
00:22:21.34\00:22:23.51
and faithful High Priest
in things pertaining to God,
00:22:23.54\00:22:27.38
to make propitiation
for the sins of the people.
00:22:27.41\00:22:30.05
For in that He Himself,"
00:22:30.08\00:22:31.98
notice this, "has suffered,
00:22:32.01\00:22:33.98
being tempted,
00:22:34.02\00:22:35.35
He is able to aid
those who are tempted."
00:22:35.38\00:22:38.65
Now I just have to back up here
00:22:38.69\00:22:40.16
because there's a particular
verse from what I just read
00:22:40.19\00:22:42.96
from the New King James Version.
00:22:42.99\00:22:44.66
And while I understand,
00:22:44.69\00:22:46.66
while it was
translated this way,
00:22:46.70\00:22:48.43
in verse 16 of Hebrews 2,
00:22:48.46\00:22:50.77
I like what the
King James Version says,
00:22:50.80\00:22:53.57
because I believe
it really amplifies
00:22:53.60\00:22:55.50
the seriousness of this passage,
00:22:55.54\00:22:57.41
so that we can relate
and have no excuse to know
00:22:57.44\00:23:00.58
that Jesus Christ is
indeed our true minister,
00:23:00.61\00:23:04.95
our true high
priest, our true intercessor.
00:23:04.98\00:23:08.72
King James Version
of Hebrews 2:16, says,
00:23:08.75\00:23:11.85
"For verily, He took not
on Him the nature of angels,
00:23:11.89\00:23:16.46
but He took on Him
the seed of Abraham."
00:23:16.49\00:23:19.46
My friends, what this
passage is reminding us is that
00:23:19.49\00:23:22.23
Jesus Christ understands.
00:23:22.26\00:23:25.03
We cannot show
up on heaven shore,
00:23:25.07\00:23:27.60
we cannot be in
the presence of our God
00:23:27.64\00:23:28.97
on judgment day and say,
00:23:29.00\00:23:30.34
"Oh, Lord, You
don't really understand.
00:23:30.37\00:23:32.94
You weren't really
tempted like I was,
00:23:32.97\00:23:35.41
you don't really know
what it means to be subjected
00:23:35.44\00:23:38.65
and in bondage and
wrapped up in this sinful,
00:23:38.68\00:23:40.98
fallen human flesh."
00:23:41.02\00:23:42.35
Jesus will stand up
00:23:42.38\00:23:43.79
and He will say, "Oh, yes, I do.
00:23:43.82\00:23:46.86
I know it a little too
well, I know it all too well."
00:23:46.89\00:23:49.82
In fact, He
knows it even more than
00:23:49.86\00:23:51.73
what we ever
could possibly know.
00:23:51.76\00:23:54.33
Notice what the Bible
tells us in Hebrews Chapter 4.
00:23:54.36\00:23:57.43
Again, we're in the
Book of Hebrews 4:15-16.
00:23:57.47\00:24:00.90
Again, Hebrews 4:15-16.
00:24:00.94\00:24:03.27
It says, "For we do not have
00:24:03.30\00:24:04.64
a high priest
who cannot sympathize
00:24:04.67\00:24:06.31
with our weakness,"
00:24:06.34\00:24:07.68
I love this,
"but was in all points
00:24:07.71\00:24:11.15
tempted as we
are, yet without sin."
00:24:11.18\00:24:15.95
And in verse 16, "Let
us therefore come boldly
00:24:15.98\00:24:18.85
to the throne of grace,
00:24:18.89\00:24:20.22
that we may obtain mercy
00:24:20.26\00:24:21.69
and find grace to
help in time of need."
00:24:21.72\00:24:25.19
In other words,
Jesus, I can depend on you.
00:24:25.23\00:24:29.16
Jesus, You have proven that
00:24:29.20\00:24:31.97
You have overcome, You
can overcome and, Lord,
00:24:32.00\00:24:35.70
we can be absolute,
absolute to know that
00:24:35.74\00:24:40.14
we can come to You
00:24:40.18\00:24:41.51
and we can place
ourselves at Your feet,
00:24:41.54\00:24:44.05
we can place ourselves
00:24:44.08\00:24:45.41
at the feet of the cross,
00:24:45.45\00:24:47.02
at the foot of the cross,
00:24:47.05\00:24:48.38
at the throne of
grace and know that
00:24:48.42\00:24:49.98
because You have
went through exactly
00:24:50.02\00:24:51.82
what we have went through.
00:24:51.85\00:24:53.59
You understand
what we've went through.
00:24:53.62\00:24:56.02
But yet, Lord, you
did it without sin.
00:24:56.06\00:24:57.99
God, we want that power.
00:24:58.03\00:24:59.96
Remember Thy Kingdom come,
00:25:00.00\00:25:01.33
Thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven?
00:25:01.36\00:25:06.50
Jesus had to be
completely 100 dependent.
00:25:06.53\00:25:09.80
He had to be 100% dependent
00:25:09.84\00:25:11.97
on the will of His
Father, not His own will,
00:25:12.01\00:25:14.48
but the will of
His Father in heaven,
00:25:14.51\00:25:16.95
so that what He
was doing on earth
00:25:16.98\00:25:19.41
would be a reflection
of that of the Heavenly.
00:25:19.45\00:25:23.02
I love what
Desire of Ages, page 49,
00:25:23.05\00:25:25.12
it confirms all of what
we've been talking about.
00:25:25.15\00:25:27.19
It says, "It would have been
00:25:27.22\00:25:28.72
an almost infinite
humiliation for the Son of God
00:25:28.76\00:25:32.43
to take man's nature,
00:25:32.46\00:25:34.36
even when Adam stood
in his innocence in Eden.
00:25:34.40\00:25:37.57
But Jesus accepted humanity
00:25:37.60\00:25:39.17
when the race had been weakened
by four thousand years of sin.
00:25:39.20\00:25:44.67
Like every child of
Adam, He accepted the results
00:25:44.71\00:25:47.74
of the working of the
great law of heredity.
00:25:47.78\00:25:51.05
What these results were is shown
00:25:51.08\00:25:53.98
in the history of
His earthly ancestors.
00:25:54.02\00:25:57.79
He came with such a heredity
00:25:57.82\00:26:00.02
to share our
sorrows and temptations,
00:26:00.06\00:26:03.73
and to give us the example,"
00:26:03.76\00:26:05.93
notice this,
"of a sinless life."
00:26:05.96\00:26:11.00
Wow.
00:26:11.03\00:26:12.57
Now we're
getting a little deeper.
00:26:12.60\00:26:14.57
Not only was Christ our example,
00:26:14.60\00:26:16.67
and we're going to repeat
that in just a few moments,
00:26:16.71\00:26:18.57
we got to keep
coming back to that.
00:26:18.61\00:26:20.01
We got to always be reminded
00:26:20.04\00:26:21.54
that Jesus
Christ is our example.
00:26:21.58\00:26:24.31
But not only was He made like
00:26:24.35\00:26:26.18
unto us to experience everything
00:26:26.21\00:26:29.45
that we experience, to
be tempted in every way that
00:26:29.48\00:26:32.65
we was tempted, yet without sin.
00:26:32.69\00:26:34.69
Notice in the closing moments
00:26:34.72\00:26:36.93
or the closing
remarks of that passage
00:26:36.96\00:26:38.79
that I just read from
Desire of Ages, page 49.
00:26:38.83\00:26:41.43
It said, to give us the
example of a sinless life,
00:26:41.46\00:26:46.33
well, hold on.
00:26:46.37\00:26:49.60
But that's not possible, right?
00:26:49.64\00:26:52.54
You see, when you start to talk
about sinlessness, my goodness,
00:26:52.57\00:26:57.25
everyone gets nervous.
00:26:57.28\00:26:59.61
You're talking about
00:26:59.65\00:27:00.98
the most divisive
topic in all of Christianity.
00:27:01.02\00:27:03.72
When you're talking about
00:27:03.75\00:27:05.09
the nature of
Christ, perfection.
00:27:05.12\00:27:06.99
We're going to talk
about perfection in a moment.
00:27:07.02\00:27:09.06
We're asking the question,
Lord, what is possible for us?
00:27:09.09\00:27:12.66
If you tell us to pray, Lord,
00:27:12.69\00:27:14.40
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
00:27:14.43\00:27:17.63
as it is in heaven.
00:27:17.67\00:27:21.10
And do not lead
us into temptation.
00:27:21.14\00:27:23.00
But notice, what did he say?
00:27:23.04\00:27:25.71
What's the scripture say?
00:27:25.74\00:27:27.84
Beautifully here?
00:27:27.88\00:27:29.28
But deliver us
from the evil one.
00:27:29.31\00:27:32.11
Well, if you're delivering
Your people from the evil,
00:27:32.15\00:27:34.22
when You're
delivering them from sin,
00:27:34.25\00:27:36.25
is it possible for
God's people to be sinless?
00:27:36.28\00:27:41.72
Oh, that's a touchy subject.
00:27:41.76\00:27:44.83
I want to clarify a few
things today, my friends.
00:27:44.86\00:27:47.70
I want to clarify,
00:27:47.73\00:27:49.06
when we talk about sinlessness,
we talk about perfection.
00:27:49.10\00:27:51.53
When we talk about
00:27:51.57\00:27:52.90
what is possible for us here
on earth as it is in heaven,
00:27:52.93\00:27:57.37
let's talk about that.
00:27:57.41\00:27:58.94
I know it's a touchy subject.
00:27:58.97\00:28:00.31
I know it's one of those things
00:28:00.34\00:28:01.68
there's so much division
and so many different opinions,
00:28:01.71\00:28:04.78
but at the end of the day,
00:28:04.81\00:28:06.15
we're going to
rely on what the Bible
00:28:06.18\00:28:07.52
and the Spirit of
Prophecy says for us today.
00:28:07.55\00:28:09.58
Of course, it's a
very deep subject.
00:28:09.62\00:28:11.39
In the remaining 30 minutes
00:28:11.42\00:28:12.75
that I have in
this presentation,
00:28:12.79\00:28:14.22
there's no way possible
00:28:14.26\00:28:15.59
that I'm going to be
able to cover every aspect
00:28:15.62\00:28:17.96
of this message in its fullness,
00:28:17.99\00:28:19.86
but certainly give
you enough information
00:28:19.89\00:28:22.30
and give you some
beautiful nuggets of truth
00:28:22.33\00:28:24.33
that will get you to
thinking, maybe leads you
00:28:24.37\00:28:26.74
in a deeper
study of this subject.
00:28:26.77\00:28:29.04
And we want to
clarify a few things
00:28:29.07\00:28:30.97
so that we
certainly make it known that
00:28:31.01\00:28:33.38
we are in no
way form or fashion,
00:28:33.41\00:28:36.04
like Jesus Christ in the sense
00:28:36.08\00:28:38.08
that He was perfect
and divine in every sense.
00:28:38.11\00:28:41.22
And I also want to
make it very clear that
00:28:41.25\00:28:42.98
even though it seems like
we're making it out to be that
00:28:43.02\00:28:45.52
He was only 100% human,
00:28:45.55\00:28:47.99
yes, He was indeed 100% human.
00:28:48.02\00:28:50.63
He took 100% of
the human fallen nature
00:28:50.66\00:28:53.90
when He was here on this earth.
00:28:53.93\00:28:55.26
But, my
friends, make no mistake,
00:28:55.30\00:28:56.63
and I want to yell this
loud and clear to the world,
00:28:56.67\00:28:58.70
He was absolutely 100% divine.
00:28:58.73\00:29:02.67
He was the divine Son of God.
00:29:02.70\00:29:04.17
In fact, not only was
00:29:04.21\00:29:05.54
He tempted in all
ways that we were,
00:29:05.57\00:29:08.01
but He was tempted in a way that
00:29:08.04\00:29:09.44
you and I can't
even begin to imagine,
00:29:09.48\00:29:11.58
because He was tempted,
00:29:11.61\00:29:13.21
because He had
access just simply by word.
00:29:13.25\00:29:16.65
It was there as He spoke
this world into existence,
00:29:16.69\00:29:20.06
even wrapped and robed in
sinful fallen human flesh.
00:29:20.09\00:29:23.19
Jesus Christ could
have spoken the Word.
00:29:23.22\00:29:25.96
He had access,
00:29:25.99\00:29:27.46
full access to His
divine unfallen nature,
00:29:27.50\00:29:31.70
in the sense that
00:29:31.73\00:29:33.07
He could have
easily just spoke the Word
00:29:33.10\00:29:34.94
and those stones could have
00:29:34.97\00:29:36.71
turned into bread right
there in Matthew Chapter 24
00:29:36.74\00:29:39.77
when He was in the wilderness,
being tempted by the devil.
00:29:39.81\00:29:42.31
You and I can't speak to
stones and they turn into bread.
00:29:42.34\00:29:45.11
Jesus was tempted in all points
00:29:45.15\00:29:46.75
the way that we are,
00:29:46.78\00:29:48.22
but yet He was
tempted even more than you
00:29:48.25\00:29:50.52
and I can't even
begin to imagine.
00:29:50.55\00:29:52.19
He was tempted
to use His own will,
00:29:52.22\00:29:56.39
to depend on His own will,
00:29:56.42\00:29:58.73
His own divine power,
00:29:58.76\00:30:00.50
something that you and I
can't even begin to fathom.
00:30:00.53\00:30:05.37
Thy Kingdom come, Jesus says,
00:30:05.40\00:30:08.60
Thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven.
00:30:08.64\00:30:13.01
What is possible for us?
00:30:13.04\00:30:15.88
Desire of Ages, page 24,
00:30:15.91\00:30:17.65
I want you to hear this
very, very quick, very simple,
00:30:17.68\00:30:21.02
swift but very profound.
00:30:21.05\00:30:23.32
It says here in
Desire of Ages, page 24,
00:30:23.35\00:30:25.22
it says, "He
exercised in His own behalf,
00:30:25.25\00:30:29.12
no power that is not freely
00:30:29.16\00:30:33.46
offered to us."
00:30:33.50\00:30:38.67
My friends, please grasp this.
00:30:38.70\00:30:41.57
I have people all the time
00:30:41.60\00:30:43.17
I get into
conversations with about the...
00:30:43.20\00:30:46.57
Just the fundamentalness
of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:30:46.61\00:30:52.05
When we're
talking about what is sin,
00:30:52.08\00:30:55.48
what nature did Christ come in?
00:30:55.52\00:30:57.82
When we start talking about
00:30:57.85\00:30:59.19
the details of the
gospel justification by faith,
00:30:59.22\00:31:01.56
sanctification, and then,
00:31:01.59\00:31:03.43
of course,
eventually glorification,
00:31:03.46\00:31:05.16
and all those other
big words that we use,
00:31:05.19\00:31:07.26
that describes the different
00:31:07.30\00:31:08.66
aspects of the
gospel experience.
00:31:08.70\00:31:10.30
My friends, do we realize,
00:31:10.33\00:31:12.37
I talk to people all the time,
00:31:12.40\00:31:14.24
who tried to communicate to me,
00:31:14.27\00:31:15.74
oh, you know, there's
no way that we could have
00:31:15.77\00:31:18.24
the same power that Christ had.
00:31:18.27\00:31:19.61
Christ came with a
little bit different equipment.
00:31:19.64\00:31:22.68
He had access to a little
bit different stuff that we did.
00:31:22.71\00:31:26.01
He certainly did
in the sense that
00:31:26.05\00:31:27.55
He could have
depended on His own will.
00:31:27.58\00:31:29.28
But that was a
part of the situation,
00:31:29.32\00:31:31.69
my friends, that
He could not have.
00:31:31.72\00:31:33.36
If He was going to
gain the victory over sin,
00:31:33.39\00:31:36.16
He had to deny Himself
00:31:36.19\00:31:39.23
and His divine power,
00:31:39.26\00:31:42.66
just as we must
learn to deny self
00:31:42.70\00:31:46.07
and depend on His
divine power in our life.
00:31:46.10\00:31:51.07
Desire of Ages, page 24,
right there, I just read it.
00:31:51.11\00:31:53.41
He exercised in His own behalf,
00:31:53.44\00:31:55.81
no power that is not
freely offered to us.
00:31:55.84\00:31:58.85
What that tells us, my friends,
00:31:58.88\00:32:00.32
is that every
single ounce of power
00:32:00.35\00:32:02.78
that Christ had
access to that helped Him
00:32:02.82\00:32:05.42
overcome the sin of the world,
00:32:05.45\00:32:07.16
so that He lived a
life of sinlessness,
00:32:07.19\00:32:10.09
or He matured in the
stature in the fullness
00:32:10.13\00:32:13.66
of His character to the
point that He never sinned.
00:32:13.70\00:32:16.23
That same power
that Jesus Christ had,
00:32:16.26\00:32:18.20
we're told, is we
have access to it.
00:32:18.23\00:32:21.54
There's no excuses.
00:32:21.57\00:32:23.97
Jesus has provided it for us.
00:32:24.01\00:32:28.14
Selected Messages, book one,
00:32:28.18\00:32:30.35
page 409, notice what this says,
00:32:30.38\00:32:32.15
beautiful message.
00:32:32.18\00:32:33.52
Again, Selected
Messages, book 1, page 409,
00:32:33.55\00:32:36.58
"Christ laid hold
on the throne of God,
00:32:36.62\00:32:39.29
and there is not a man or woman
00:32:39.32\00:32:42.12
who may not have access
00:32:42.16\00:32:44.23
to the same help
through faith in God.
00:32:44.26\00:32:48.36
Man may become a
partaker of the divine nature."
00:32:48.40\00:32:53.60
Are we understanding this?
00:32:53.64\00:32:56.50
So when someone
comes to me and says,
00:32:56.54\00:32:57.87
"Oh, Ryan, you know,
I'm going to continue to
00:32:57.91\00:32:59.27
sin, sin, sin,
sin, sin, sin, sin, sin,
00:32:59.31\00:33:01.51
all the way until
Jesus comes back."
00:33:01.54\00:33:03.65
Of course, what I'm describing,
00:33:03.68\00:33:05.21
when a person says those things
or they're of that mentality,
00:33:05.25\00:33:08.55
what they're saying is that
00:33:08.58\00:33:10.02
they don't really
gain true victory over sin,
00:33:10.05\00:33:12.25
that they're still slaves
00:33:12.29\00:33:15.09
to that habitual
sin in their life.
00:33:15.12\00:33:18.29
They're slaves to
it, it becomes their god,
00:33:18.33\00:33:21.56
it becomes their master,
00:33:21.60\00:33:23.33
because they
depend more on themselves
00:33:23.37\00:33:25.73
more than they
depend on the power of God
00:33:25.77\00:33:28.04
that He has
given them access to.
00:33:28.07\00:33:32.04
There are so
many different texts.
00:33:32.07\00:33:33.58
In fact, I'm
about to read through
00:33:33.61\00:33:35.78
these very quickly.
00:33:35.81\00:33:37.15
I'm going to read
through these texts.
00:33:37.18\00:33:38.51
It's going to seem like
00:33:38.55\00:33:39.88
we're just reading
one text after another,
00:33:39.91\00:33:41.25
but there's a point.
00:33:41.28\00:33:42.62
I'm going to go
through it rapid fire,
00:33:42.65\00:33:43.99
and it's about perfection.
00:33:44.02\00:33:45.35
All of these, all of these texts
00:33:45.39\00:33:46.72
are mentioning in
some way form or fashion,
00:33:46.76\00:33:48.52
perfection, or
what it means to be
00:33:48.56\00:33:50.33
perfected in God,
00:33:50.36\00:33:51.69
and then we're going to
clarify what that means.
00:33:51.73\00:33:53.73
Okay? Romans 12:1-2, here we go.
00:33:53.76\00:33:56.90
"And do not be
conformed to this world,"
00:33:56.93\00:33:59.03
Paul says, "but be transformed
00:33:59.07\00:34:01.00
by the renewing of
your mind that you may prove
00:34:01.04\00:34:03.00
what is that good
and acceptable and,"
00:34:03.04\00:34:05.41
there it is,
"perfect will of God."
00:34:05.44\00:34:08.18
You'll notice almost all,
00:34:08.21\00:34:09.71
every single one of these texts
00:34:09.74\00:34:11.08
are coming from Paul's writings,
00:34:11.11\00:34:12.45
who wrote the
majority of the New Testament.
00:34:12.48\00:34:14.08
Right?
00:34:14.12\00:34:15.45
His writings are comprised
00:34:15.48\00:34:16.82
or the New
Testament is comprised
00:34:16.85\00:34:18.19
from the vast
majority of Paul's writings.
00:34:18.22\00:34:19.89
Paul believed in
something known as perfection.
00:34:19.92\00:34:22.99
But what did he mean?
00:34:23.02\00:34:24.36
What does it mean
00:34:24.39\00:34:25.73
when we say it's possible for us
00:34:25.76\00:34:27.10
to be perfect?
00:34:27.13\00:34:28.46
We're going to clarify that.
00:34:28.50\00:34:29.83
Let's continue to read the text.
00:34:29.86\00:34:31.20
1 Corinthians 1:10.
00:34:31.23\00:34:32.57
I'm going to read
through these quickly,
00:34:32.60\00:34:33.94
so you may just want
to jot down the references
00:34:33.97\00:34:35.30
and go back and read them.
00:34:35.34\00:34:36.67
1 Corinthians 1:10, it says,
00:34:36.71\00:34:38.04
"Now I plead with you, brethren,
00:34:38.07\00:34:39.61
by the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:34:39.64\00:34:41.38
that you all
speak the same thing,
00:34:41.41\00:34:43.18
and that there be
no divisions among you,
00:34:43.21\00:34:44.98
but that you be," there it is,
00:34:45.01\00:34:46.82
"perfectly joined
together in the same mind
00:34:46.85\00:34:50.65
and in the same judgment."
00:34:50.69\00:34:52.75
That was beautiful.
00:34:52.79\00:34:54.12
Now we go on to
2 Corinthians 7:1.
00:34:54.16\00:34:57.43
2 Corinthians 7:1,
00:34:57.46\00:34:59.19
"Therefore
having these promises,
00:34:59.23\00:35:00.86
beloved, let us
cleanse ourselves
00:35:00.90\00:35:03.10
from all filthiness
of the flesh and spirit,"
00:35:03.13\00:35:05.53
notice the next
word, "perfecting holiness
00:35:05.57\00:35:09.30
in the fear of God."
00:35:09.34\00:35:11.07
Paul believes
something about perfection.
00:35:11.11\00:35:13.41
He uses it over and over
00:35:13.44\00:35:14.94
and over and
over in his writings,
00:35:14.98\00:35:17.01
perfecting
holiness in the fear of God.
00:35:17.05\00:35:20.05
Oh, I love this next one.
00:35:20.08\00:35:21.42
This is probably
one of the key ones.
00:35:21.45\00:35:22.78
You definitely gonna
want to write this one down.
00:35:22.82\00:35:24.15
Ephesians 4:13. Ephesians 4:13.
00:35:24.19\00:35:28.62
This is what it says,
00:35:28.66\00:35:29.99
"Till we all come to
the unity of the faith,
00:35:30.03\00:35:33.90
and of the
knowledge of the Son of God."
00:35:33.93\00:35:37.17
and there is this,
"to a perfect man."
00:35:37.20\00:35:41.64
There it is, to a
perfect man to the measure.
00:35:41.67\00:35:46.31
And then it describes
00:35:46.34\00:35:47.68
what this
perfect man looks like,
00:35:47.71\00:35:49.14
to the measure
00:35:49.18\00:35:50.51
of the stature of
the fullness of Christ.
00:35:50.55\00:35:54.22
Do we fully
understand what that means,
00:35:54.25\00:35:56.55
to the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ?
00:35:56.58\00:36:00.92
What does that mean to
00:36:00.96\00:36:02.39
become a perfect man to
measure up in the stature,
00:36:02.42\00:36:05.63
in the fullness of Christ?
00:36:05.66\00:36:07.13
We're going to talk
about that in a moment.
00:36:07.16\00:36:08.50
Keep with us, Colossians 1:28.
00:36:08.53\00:36:11.87
Colossians 1:28
says, "Him we preach,
00:36:11.90\00:36:14.50
warning every man
00:36:14.54\00:36:15.87
and teaching
every man in all wisdom,
00:36:15.90\00:36:18.07
that we may present every man,"
00:36:18.11\00:36:21.14
there it is again,
"perfect in Christ."
00:36:21.18\00:36:24.48
Notice how the
perfection only comes in Christ.
00:36:24.51\00:36:29.22
Don't think for a moment
00:36:29.25\00:36:30.59
as I'm reading
through these texts,
00:36:30.62\00:36:31.95
oh, Ryan's up there
preaching perfection.
00:36:31.99\00:36:33.32
He thinks that we all can
be perfect in and of ourselves.
00:36:33.36\00:36:35.32
No, no, no, no, no, no.
00:36:35.36\00:36:37.49
There's not a person alive today
00:36:37.53\00:36:40.10
that I believe is
absolutely perfect.
00:36:40.13\00:36:42.23
We're going to talk
about that in a moment.
00:36:42.26\00:36:43.70
We're not perfect
in and of ourselves.
00:36:43.73\00:36:45.27
We can't obtain
perfection in and of ourselves.
00:36:45.30\00:36:48.37
But notice, as it
says, from Colossians 1:28,
00:36:48.40\00:36:50.64
that every man be
perfect in Christ Jesus.
00:36:50.67\00:36:54.28
That's the key. Beautiful.
00:36:54.31\00:36:56.28
Colossians 4:12.
00:36:56.31\00:36:58.48
Colossians 4:12, says
Epaphras, one who is among you,
00:36:58.51\00:37:04.29
a bondservant of Christ,
00:37:04.32\00:37:05.99
greets you always
laboring fervently
00:37:06.02\00:37:08.29
for you in
prayers that you may,"
00:37:08.32\00:37:10.83
hear it is, "stand perfect
00:37:10.86\00:37:13.29
and complete in
all the will of God."
00:37:13.33\00:37:16.56
There it is again
we see it coming up
00:37:16.60\00:37:17.93
over and over and over and over,
00:37:17.97\00:37:19.63
stand perfect and
complete in all the will of God.
00:37:19.67\00:37:23.24
1 Thessalonians 3:10,
00:37:23.27\00:37:25.64
"Night and day
praying exceedingly
00:37:25.67\00:37:28.38
that we may see your face and,"
00:37:28.41\00:37:30.75
notice, "perfect what is lacking
00:37:30.78\00:37:33.85
in your faith."
00:37:33.88\00:37:35.22
Is it possible
to have perfection
00:37:35.25\00:37:37.92
in our faith?
00:37:37.95\00:37:39.29
Well, not in and of ourselves,
but it can happen in Christ.
00:37:39.32\00:37:42.02
We'll explain it in a moment.
00:37:42.06\00:37:43.73
Hebrews Chapter 6,
we're going back to,
00:37:43.76\00:37:45.39
in fact, the last three texts
00:37:45.43\00:37:46.76
I'm going to read
pertaining to perfection
00:37:46.80\00:37:48.23
comes from the Book of Hebrews.
00:37:48.26\00:37:49.83
Hebrews 6:1, it says,
00:37:49.86\00:37:52.27
"Therefore,
leaving the discussion
00:37:52.30\00:37:53.77
of the elementary
principles of Christ,
00:37:53.80\00:37:55.80
let us go on to,"
00:37:55.84\00:37:57.71
there it is again, "perfection,
00:37:57.74\00:38:00.58
not laying again the
foundation of repentance
00:38:00.61\00:38:03.01
from dead works
and faith toward God."
00:38:03.04\00:38:05.81
Let us, notice, let
us go on to perfection.
00:38:05.85\00:38:09.38
But wait a second,
Ryan, we can't be perfect.
00:38:09.42\00:38:11.89
I can hear someone screaming
into the television, screaming
00:38:11.92\00:38:14.99
into their computer screen,
00:38:15.02\00:38:16.36
screaming into their
iPhone or their smartphone,
00:38:16.39\00:38:18.69
their Android, whatever
you're watching this on.
00:38:18.73\00:38:20.43
Ryan, it's impossible.
00:38:20.46\00:38:21.90
There's no way
that we can be perfect.
00:38:21.93\00:38:23.77
There's no way that
00:38:23.80\00:38:25.13
we can reach
perfection in Christ Jesus.
00:38:25.17\00:38:27.47
Then, my friends,
if you believe that,
00:38:27.50\00:38:29.64
then you are not in harmony
with what the Bible teaches.
00:38:29.67\00:38:32.07
Hebrews 10:14, "For
by one offering He has,"
00:38:32.11\00:38:35.78
there it is
again, "perfected forever
00:38:35.81\00:38:37.71
those who are being sanctified."
00:38:37.75\00:38:40.38
And lastly, Hebrews 12:23,
00:38:40.42\00:38:43.32
"To the general assembly
and church of the firstborn
00:38:43.35\00:38:46.99
who are registered in heaven,"
00:38:47.02\00:38:48.72
okay, here it is, "to
God, the Judge of all,
00:38:48.76\00:38:52.09
to the spirits, and
just men made perfect."
00:38:52.13\00:38:57.33
There it is, the
just men made perfect.
00:38:57.37\00:39:01.37
So let's just go ahead
00:39:01.40\00:39:02.74
and address the
elephant in the room.
00:39:02.77\00:39:04.11
When we're
talking about perfection,
00:39:04.14\00:39:05.87
what in the world are
we really talking about?
00:39:05.91\00:39:08.81
Let me just put it
out there plain and clear.
00:39:08.84\00:39:10.88
There's only one absolute,
00:39:10.91\00:39:14.25
perfect individual.
00:39:14.28\00:39:18.62
When we're talking
about one form of perfection,
00:39:18.65\00:39:20.66
we're talking about
absolute perfection.
00:39:20.69\00:39:23.69
And there is none of us created
00:39:23.73\00:39:25.73
beings that can
reach absolute perfection.
00:39:25.76\00:39:29.50
Only God is absolutely perfect.
00:39:29.53\00:39:33.20
He is all loving,
He is all knowing,
00:39:33.23\00:39:36.67
He is all powerful.
00:39:36.71\00:39:38.67
And we in our
finite human knowledge
00:39:38.71\00:39:41.14
and our finite human abilities,
00:39:41.18\00:39:42.78
we cannot ever be
absolutely perfect
00:39:42.81\00:39:45.78
in any way form or fashion.
00:39:45.81\00:39:47.45
Only God can obtain
absolute perfection.
00:39:47.48\00:39:50.72
So if you come to me and say,
00:39:50.75\00:39:52.09
"Ryan, do you
claim to be perfect?
00:39:52.12\00:39:53.72
Do you think
you're a perfect man?"
00:39:53.76\00:39:55.09
Okay.
00:39:55.12\00:39:56.46
It's only the right
response that a person
00:39:56.49\00:39:58.23
who's led by the Holy Spirit
00:39:58.26\00:39:59.59
should sound alarm
aloud and say absolutely not.
00:39:59.63\00:40:02.80
I'm far from it.
00:40:02.83\00:40:04.17
I'm no way perfect in
any way form or fashion.
00:40:04.20\00:40:07.10
But here it is, I'm striving
for perfection in Jesus Christ.
00:40:07.14\00:40:11.57
You see when we're
talking about perfection,
00:40:14.94\00:40:17.55
being made perfect,
being made perfect in Christ,
00:40:17.58\00:40:22.42
measuring up to the fullness
00:40:22.45\00:40:23.82
and the stature of Jesus Christ,
00:40:23.85\00:40:26.05
we're talking about
character perfection.
00:40:26.09\00:40:30.16
See, we all have
physical imperfections.
00:40:30.19\00:40:34.30
We certainly don't have...
00:40:34.33\00:40:35.66
We're not all
knowing, all powerful,
00:40:35.70\00:40:37.03
all loving like God, right?
00:40:37.07\00:40:38.40
We can't be
fully perfect like Him.
00:40:38.43\00:40:41.54
We have emotional imperfections,
00:40:41.57\00:40:44.07
mental imperfections.
00:40:44.11\00:40:45.44
There's so many
different forms of imperfections
00:40:45.47\00:40:48.14
we can talk about when
it comes to our humanity.
00:40:48.18\00:40:52.71
But the one thing God is
striving for in His people,
00:40:52.75\00:40:55.72
again, Thy Kingdom come,
00:40:55.75\00:40:58.32
Thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven.
00:40:58.35\00:41:01.96
Lord, what are
You asking me to pray?
00:41:01.99\00:41:03.83
He says, I want you
to be heavenly minded.
00:41:03.86\00:41:08.33
I want your
character to be transformed
00:41:08.36\00:41:10.80
and made like unto
heaven here on earth.
00:41:10.83\00:41:14.40
Now, if Jesus the Son of
God was able to complete it,
00:41:14.44\00:41:18.17
because He depended
upon the will of His Father,
00:41:18.21\00:41:20.68
and not His own will,
00:41:20.71\00:41:22.04
the power of
heaven to work through Him
00:41:22.08\00:41:24.61
to will and to do
00:41:24.65\00:41:25.98
and to overcome
the sin of the world,
00:41:26.01\00:41:27.35
that same power, as
we have already read,
00:41:27.38\00:41:29.22
is given to us,
it's made access to us.
00:41:29.25\00:41:33.49
We're talking about
character surrender.
00:41:33.52\00:41:36.93
Character surrender
brings about in a process,
00:41:36.96\00:41:41.36
character perfection.
00:41:41.40\00:41:43.97
I'm going to
read something to you
00:41:44.00\00:41:45.33
that's quite interesting.
00:41:45.37\00:41:46.80
You can't avoid these texts,
you can't avoid these quotes,
00:41:46.84\00:41:49.64
because they're powerful,
and there's truth in them.
00:41:49.67\00:41:52.57
The Upward Look, page 303.
00:41:52.61\00:41:55.18
Listen to this, the Upward Look,
00:41:55.21\00:41:57.05
page 303, "Christ took humanity
00:41:57.08\00:42:02.05
and bore the
hatred of the world,
00:42:02.08\00:42:04.95
that He might show men and women
00:42:04.99\00:42:08.42
that they could live
00:42:08.46\00:42:10.83
without sin."
00:42:10.86\00:42:15.00
Does that come from Ryan Day?
00:42:15.03\00:42:17.13
No, that comes from the prophet.
00:42:17.17\00:42:20.24
That comes from the
inspired Spirit of God.
00:42:20.27\00:42:23.87
He took on humanity
00:42:23.91\00:42:25.67
and bore the hatred of the world
00:42:25.71\00:42:27.04
that He might show men and women
00:42:27.08\00:42:28.41
that they could
live without sin.
00:42:28.44\00:42:30.75
But how?
00:42:30.78\00:42:32.11
That's what the majority
of Christians are saying,
00:42:32.15\00:42:33.78
it just doesn't seem possible.
00:42:33.82\00:42:35.88
How?
00:42:35.92\00:42:37.45
How can we ever
claim to be sinless?
00:42:37.49\00:42:40.86
I don't think we're
ever going to claim,
00:42:40.89\00:42:42.22
in fact, I'm going
to read a quote to you
00:42:42.26\00:42:43.59
in just a moment
00:42:43.63\00:42:44.96
where you'll never
claim to be sinless.
00:42:44.99\00:42:46.33
The more you gain
yourself, in other words,
00:42:46.36\00:42:50.10
He increases and you increase,
00:42:50.13\00:42:51.47
you gain in
maturity in Christ Jesus.
00:42:51.50\00:42:54.00
You're going to see
more and more and more
00:42:54.04\00:42:55.37
of your defects,
00:42:55.40\00:42:56.74
you're never going to
feel appropriate for heaven.
00:42:56.77\00:42:58.81
You're never going to feel
like you're worthy for heaven.
00:42:58.84\00:43:01.28
Because the more you become
00:43:01.31\00:43:03.21
completely wrapped
up in Jesus Christ,
00:43:03.24\00:43:05.41
the worse you
feel about who you are.
00:43:05.45\00:43:07.88
You see His righteousness,
you see your filthy rags,
00:43:07.92\00:43:11.35
and you say,
"Lord, I'm not worthy."
00:43:11.39\00:43:13.46
But in God's eyes,
00:43:13.49\00:43:14.96
you certainly can be
perfect in character.
00:43:14.99\00:43:19.23
You see, when we talk
about living without sin,
00:43:19.26\00:43:21.20
we're talking about not that
00:43:21.23\00:43:22.56
we have not ever sinned,
00:43:22.60\00:43:23.93
because the Bible we
have to be reminded that,
00:43:23.97\00:43:25.70
1 John Chapter 1
makes it very clear that
00:43:25.73\00:43:27.94
he who says he
has no sin is a liar.
00:43:27.97\00:43:30.91
And now if I, if
you ever meet a person
00:43:30.94\00:43:32.44
and he says, you
know, "Hey, I'm sinless.
00:43:32.47\00:43:33.81
I haven't sinned in three years.
00:43:33.84\00:43:35.18
I'm perfect."
00:43:35.21\00:43:36.54
Hey, run in the
opposite direction,
00:43:36.58\00:43:37.91
because that person
is full of the devil.
00:43:37.95\00:43:39.61
I'm just telling you.
00:43:39.65\00:43:40.98
No one's going to say that
00:43:41.02\00:43:42.35
they're perfect and
that they're sinless.
00:43:42.38\00:43:43.72
Because the truth
is, we have all sinned,
00:43:43.75\00:43:45.09
we've come short
of the glory of God.
00:43:45.12\00:43:46.76
But let me read you this
beautiful, beautiful quote
00:43:46.79\00:43:49.49
from Education,
page 105 and 106.
00:43:49.52\00:43:52.93
So Education, page 105 and 106.
00:43:52.96\00:43:55.20
This is powerful,
because it describes to us
00:43:55.23\00:43:57.60
what this character
perfection looks like.
00:43:57.63\00:43:59.73
How do we gain
perfect characters in Christ
00:43:59.77\00:44:03.10
so that we live
without sin in His eyes, again,
00:44:03.14\00:44:06.07
not in our own, but in His eyes?
00:44:06.11\00:44:08.18
Here it is,
Education, page 105 and 106.
00:44:08.21\00:44:11.48
It says, "The
germination of the seed
00:44:11.51\00:44:14.65
represents the
beginning of spiritual life.
00:44:14.68\00:44:18.15
And the development of the plant
00:44:18.19\00:44:19.52
is a figure in the
development of character.
00:44:19.55\00:44:23.49
There can be no
life without growth.
00:44:23.53\00:44:26.49
The plant must
either grow or die.
00:44:26.53\00:44:30.80
As its growth is
silent and imperceptible."
00:44:30.83\00:44:35.20
Did you hear that?
00:44:35.24\00:44:36.57
"As its growth is
silent and imperceptible,
00:44:36.60\00:44:41.01
but continuous,
00:44:41.04\00:44:43.65
so is the growth of character.
00:44:43.68\00:44:47.75
At every stage of development,
our life may be perfect."
00:44:47.78\00:44:51.85
Did you hear that?
00:44:51.89\00:44:53.22
"At every stage of development,
our life may be perfect,
00:44:53.25\00:44:58.33
yet if God's
purpose for us is fulfilled,
00:44:58.36\00:45:01.93
there will be
constant advancement."
00:45:01.96\00:45:04.77
You see, you go take a seed.
00:45:04.80\00:45:06.23
I'm going to
use an example here,
00:45:06.27\00:45:08.90
and I'm going to
say, an apple seed.
00:45:08.94\00:45:10.77
I don't know, you want
to plant an apple seed,
00:45:10.81\00:45:12.84
and you want to
grow an apple tree,
00:45:12.87\00:45:14.54
you don't go out there
and throw that into the ground
00:45:14.58\00:45:16.98
and walk out the next day
00:45:17.01\00:45:18.35
and just expect it to
be a big old apple tree
00:45:18.38\00:45:20.18
that's gonna sprung up
out of the ground, right?
00:45:20.22\00:45:22.28
See, many people
see the relationship
00:45:22.32\00:45:23.75
just like that.
00:45:23.79\00:45:25.12
They see it as
something that's instantaneous,
00:45:25.15\00:45:27.52
that sanctification,
that glorification,
00:45:27.56\00:45:30.16
that everything
about the gospel experience
00:45:30.19\00:45:32.29
in perfecting of
the saints' character
00:45:32.33\00:45:34.93
is instantaneous.
00:45:34.96\00:45:36.43
You just set go from,
00:45:36.46\00:45:37.83
from sinfulness to sinlessness
all in one big giant leap.
00:45:37.87\00:45:42.17
Mrs. White says no,
that's not how it works.
00:45:42.20\00:45:44.34
And she likens it into a plant.
00:45:44.37\00:45:46.84
That you plant the seed,
and then it springs forth.
00:45:46.88\00:45:50.65
And in every
stage of development,
00:45:50.68\00:45:52.95
you can walk up
00:45:52.98\00:45:54.32
into the half
point stage and say,
00:45:54.35\00:45:56.28
"Oh, it's about halfway there."
00:45:56.32\00:45:57.92
But is it there
yet? No, it's not.
00:45:57.95\00:46:00.26
But is it
perfect in every state?
00:46:00.29\00:46:03.02
In God's eyes it
is because even though
00:46:03.06\00:46:05.76
it may not be
ultimately mature yet,
00:46:05.79\00:46:09.30
even though it may
not be producing the fruit
00:46:09.33\00:46:11.70
that it needs to
be producing just yet,
00:46:11.73\00:46:14.00
it's growing, it's advancing.
00:46:14.04\00:46:16.47
And as it's growing,
00:46:16.50\00:46:17.84
and it's
advancing in God's eyes,
00:46:17.87\00:46:19.74
as it's advancing forward,
00:46:19.77\00:46:21.51
it's perfect in every stage
00:46:21.54\00:46:23.88
of the growing
development of that seed.
00:46:23.91\00:46:26.31
My friends, the same thing
00:46:26.35\00:46:27.68
for the
character of a Christian.
00:46:27.72\00:46:29.65
We are perfect in the measure,
00:46:29.68\00:46:31.65
and in the fullness
of the stature of Christ,
00:46:31.69\00:46:34.12
we become a perfect
man in every growing stage.
00:46:34.16\00:46:37.69
We don't want to move backward,
00:46:37.73\00:46:39.33
we don't want to
return to the vomit,
00:46:39.36\00:46:41.03
we don't want to live
and continuously be a slave
00:46:41.06\00:46:44.47
to our habitual sin in life.
00:46:44.50\00:46:46.57
We want Christ to give
us victory, day by day.
00:46:46.60\00:46:50.01
In fact, notice what
Acts of the Apostles,
00:46:50.04\00:46:52.11
page 483 says.
00:46:52.14\00:46:56.11
It says, "He who would build up
a strong symmetrical character,
00:46:56.14\00:47:01.45
he who would be a
well-balanced Christian,
00:47:01.48\00:47:04.29
must give all and
do all for Christ,
00:47:04.32\00:47:08.49
for the Redeemer
00:47:08.52\00:47:09.86
will not accept
divided service."
00:47:09.89\00:47:12.09
And then notice these words,
00:47:12.13\00:47:13.46
"Daily, he must learn the
meaning of self-surrender."
00:47:13.50\00:47:17.57
Self-surrender,
that's what it is,
00:47:17.60\00:47:19.27
character surrender.
00:47:19.30\00:47:20.94
He must study the Word of God,
00:47:20.97\00:47:22.70
learning its meaning
and obeying its precepts,
00:47:22.74\00:47:25.54
thus, he may reach
00:47:25.57\00:47:27.41
the standard of
Christian excellence.
00:47:27.44\00:47:31.21
And how do we do that?
Is it one big giant leap?
00:47:31.25\00:47:33.78
Is it one big moment that
it just happens overnight?
00:47:33.82\00:47:36.35
No, she says, day by day,
00:47:36.38\00:47:39.75
God works with him,
perfecting the character
00:47:39.79\00:47:43.56
that is to stand in
the time of final test.
00:47:43.59\00:47:47.03
And day by day the
believer is working out
00:47:47.06\00:47:50.23
before men and angels, a
sublime experiment showing
00:47:50.27\00:47:54.77
what the gospel can do
for fallen human beings.
00:47:54.80\00:47:58.71
Man, this gets me excited.
00:47:58.74\00:48:01.48
I don't have to
wake up tomorrow and go,
00:48:01.51\00:48:03.18
"Oh, I'm so depressed."
00:48:03.21\00:48:04.61
Because Lord, even though
I can look back and see that
00:48:04.65\00:48:07.98
I'm not where I used to be.
00:48:08.02\00:48:09.38
Praise God, I look
forward and I get depressed
00:48:09.42\00:48:11.95
because I'm not
where I need to be.
00:48:11.99\00:48:13.79
God says it's okay.
00:48:13.82\00:48:15.22
All I want you to do
is surrender to me daily.
00:48:15.26\00:48:18.19
Just surrender
your will to Me daily.
00:48:18.23\00:48:20.30
That's all I want you
to do is just walk with Me.
00:48:20.33\00:48:22.43
It's not one big giant leap.
00:48:22.46\00:48:24.53
That was the point He was making
00:48:24.57\00:48:25.90
in the latter verses of Luke 5,
00:48:25.93\00:48:27.40
when He was telling
the parable of the new wine
00:48:27.44\00:48:29.67
and the old wine,
and the old wineskins
00:48:29.70\00:48:31.44
and the new wineskins.
00:48:31.47\00:48:32.81
He eventually
goes on to say that
00:48:32.84\00:48:34.68
no one having drunk
old wine immediately
00:48:34.71\00:48:38.51
desires the new for He
says the old is better.
00:48:38.55\00:48:41.95
You see, when
you read that text,
00:48:41.98\00:48:43.32
what does that
text provides hope,
00:48:43.35\00:48:45.35
because it doesn't say there
00:48:45.39\00:48:46.72
that he will never
learn to like the new wine.
00:48:46.76\00:48:48.72
He will never have
that new wine experience.
00:48:48.76\00:48:50.43
No, no, no.
00:48:50.46\00:48:51.79
It says that,
even though he likes
00:48:51.83\00:48:53.36
the old wine,
00:48:53.40\00:48:54.73
he won't
immediately desire the new.
00:48:54.76\00:48:56.87
That means, guess what? It
doesn't immediately happen.
00:48:56.90\00:49:00.00
It involves a
process. It takes time.
00:49:00.04\00:49:04.14
When we're talking
about character perfection,
00:49:04.17\00:49:06.41
perfection, sinlessness.
00:49:06.44\00:49:08.44
My friends, now again,
00:49:08.48\00:49:09.81
no one's going to
claim to be sinless.
00:49:09.84\00:49:11.18
But at the end of the day,
00:49:11.21\00:49:12.55
my friends, we
need to be walking
00:49:12.58\00:49:13.92
in a day by day
relationship with Christ.
00:49:13.95\00:49:16.12
It can only happen
through Christ Jesus.
00:49:16.15\00:49:19.65
That's why Paul writes
in Galatians 2:20, he says,
00:49:19.69\00:49:23.76
"I have been
crucified with Christ.
00:49:23.79\00:49:26.43
It is no longer I who
live but Christ lives in me.
00:49:26.46\00:49:30.40
And the life which I
now live in the flesh,
00:49:30.43\00:49:32.53
I live by faith
in the Son of God
00:49:32.57\00:49:35.00
who loved me and
gave Himself for me.
00:49:35.04\00:49:39.01
It's no longer I that
lives, but Christ lives in me."
00:49:39.04\00:49:42.24
Do we believe in the
power of God to overcome sin?
00:49:42.28\00:49:45.31
Sometimes I believe
we often believe more
00:49:45.35\00:49:48.08
in the power of God,
00:49:48.12\00:49:49.45
excuse me, the
power of the devil
00:49:49.48\00:49:50.82
to cause us to
sin than we believe
00:49:50.85\00:49:52.45
in the power of God
to help us overcome sin.
00:49:52.49\00:49:54.62
When I hear Christians say,
00:49:54.66\00:49:55.99
"Oh, we're going
to continue to sin
00:49:56.02\00:49:57.36
all the way to
the Second Coming."
00:49:57.39\00:49:58.73
You know what?
00:49:58.76\00:50:00.10
There may be some truth to that.
00:50:00.13\00:50:01.46
I think often we may stumble,
as the Bible says in Proverbs,
00:50:01.50\00:50:03.43
it says the righteous
man may fall seven times,
00:50:03.47\00:50:05.53
but the difference
between the righteous
00:50:05.57\00:50:07.07
and the unrighteous
is that the unrighteous
00:50:07.10\00:50:09.14
stays down and
falls into destruction,
00:50:09.17\00:50:11.11
but the righteous
man though he may fall,
00:50:11.14\00:50:14.28
just as that beautiful text says
00:50:14.31\00:50:16.88
that my beautiful children,
00:50:16.91\00:50:18.91
I encourage you, I
counsel you not to sin,
00:50:18.95\00:50:21.02
but if you sin,
00:50:21.05\00:50:23.22
you have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ.
00:50:23.25\00:50:25.89
A righteous man
may fall seven times
00:50:25.92\00:50:27.79
but he gets back up, my friends.
00:50:27.82\00:50:30.29
It's a daily walk.
00:50:30.33\00:50:31.79
Philippians 4:13,
00:50:31.83\00:50:33.50
I can do some
things through Christ
00:50:33.53\00:50:35.63
who gives me strength?
00:50:35.66\00:50:37.00
Is that what the text says?
00:50:37.03\00:50:38.37
I can only overcome a few sins
00:50:38.40\00:50:40.67
in Jesus Christ
who gives me strength.
00:50:40.70\00:50:42.14
No, no, no, the text says,
00:50:42.17\00:50:43.64
"I can do all
things through Christ."
00:50:43.67\00:50:46.44
That's the key, through Christ,
not my own power, but His.
00:50:46.47\00:50:50.11
Through Christ
who gives me strength.
00:50:50.15\00:50:52.01
Jude 24, beautiful
promise, Jude verse 24.
00:50:52.05\00:50:56.15
It says, "Now to Him Christ,
00:50:56.18\00:50:58.65
to Him who is able to
keep you from stumbling,
00:50:58.69\00:51:01.96
Him who is able to
keep you from falling,
00:51:01.99\00:51:04.59
it says, and to
present you faultless
00:51:04.63\00:51:07.26
before the presence of His glory
00:51:07.30\00:51:08.86
with exceeding joy."
00:51:08.90\00:51:10.23
Who's going to present you?
Christ is going to present you.
00:51:10.27\00:51:13.23
How is He going to present you?
00:51:13.27\00:51:14.70
He's going to
present you faultless.
00:51:14.74\00:51:16.40
Don't come to me
with that idea and say,
00:51:16.44\00:51:18.67
"Oh, we're not going to be
00:51:18.71\00:51:20.04
able to overcome
sin in this life.
00:51:20.08\00:51:21.44
We're going to continue to
live, live, live, live, live
00:51:21.48\00:51:23.35
in sin, sin, sin
until Jesus comes."
00:51:23.38\00:51:24.91
No, no, no.
00:51:24.95\00:51:26.28
While I believe it's a journey,
00:51:26.31\00:51:27.65
while I believe
there's a possibility that
00:51:27.68\00:51:29.02
from time to time we
may stumble and fall,
00:51:29.05\00:51:31.15
Christ wants to give
us complete victory now.
00:51:31.19\00:51:34.22
He wants to provide
us complete victory now.
00:51:34.26\00:51:36.73
But how does that happen?
00:51:36.76\00:51:38.19
It's not a one big giant
leap into a perfect life.
00:51:38.23\00:51:41.63
It happens by a day
by day relationship.
00:51:41.66\00:51:43.80
That's why Paul
writes, day by day,
00:51:43.83\00:51:45.97
from faith to
faith, from glory to glory,
00:51:46.00\00:51:49.20
that means it's not immediate.
00:51:49.24\00:51:51.77
It involves a
process and it takes time.
00:51:51.81\00:51:55.18
2 Peter 2:9 says,
"Then the Lord knows
00:51:55.21\00:51:57.41
how to deliver the
godly out of temptations."
00:51:57.45\00:52:01.12
Have you allowed God
00:52:01.15\00:52:02.48
to deliver you
out of temptations?
00:52:02.52\00:52:05.45
The devil wants
you to believe that
00:52:05.49\00:52:07.02
there's fault with the lawgiver.
00:52:07.06\00:52:09.29
He wants you to believe that
00:52:09.32\00:52:10.66
if sin is
transgression of the law,
00:52:10.69\00:52:12.03
oh, you can't keep that law.
00:52:12.06\00:52:13.70
It's impossible.
00:52:13.73\00:52:15.06
Therefore, they must be
fought with the law giver.
00:52:15.10\00:52:17.47
Get out of here
with that nonsense,
00:52:17.50\00:52:20.97
because there is no
fault with our law giver.
00:52:21.00\00:52:23.84
The only problem is with self
00:52:23.87\00:52:26.24
and the lies that we
allow the devil to tell us.
00:52:26.27\00:52:31.01
You see, we can't
overcome sin on our own.
00:52:31.05\00:52:34.85
We can't keep the
law perfect on our own.
00:52:34.88\00:52:38.69
But by the power of
the indwelling Christ,
00:52:38.72\00:52:41.12
we certainly can.
00:52:41.16\00:52:43.53
My friends, I
want to read to you
00:52:43.56\00:52:44.89
here some final statements.
00:52:44.93\00:52:48.46
This is powerful,
because these final statements
00:52:48.50\00:52:51.17
really amplify the point
that I was getting here today.
00:52:51.20\00:52:56.40
It says here in
Maranatha, page 240.
00:52:56.44\00:52:59.37
Maranatha page 240, it says,
"Now is the time to prepare.
00:52:59.41\00:53:04.91
The seal of God will never
be placed upon the forehead
00:53:04.95\00:53:07.15
of an impure man or woman.
00:53:07.18\00:53:09.35
It will never be placed upon
the forehead of the ambitious,
00:53:09.38\00:53:11.89
world-loving man or woman.
00:53:11.92\00:53:13.89
It will never be
placed upon the forehead
00:53:13.92\00:53:15.46
of the men and
women of false tongues
00:53:15.49\00:53:17.23
or deceitful hearts.
00:53:17.26\00:53:19.06
All who receive the seal must be
00:53:19.09\00:53:21.96
without spot before God."
00:53:22.00\00:53:26.40
Christ's Object
Lessons, page 69, says,
00:53:26.43\00:53:29.24
"Christ is waiting
with longing desire
00:53:29.27\00:53:32.04
for the manifestation
of Himself in His church.
00:53:32.07\00:53:34.68
When the character of
Christ shall be perfectly,"
00:53:34.71\00:53:37.05
there it is again,
00:53:37.08\00:53:38.41
"perfectly
reproduced in His people,
00:53:38.45\00:53:39.88
then He will come to
claim them as His own."
00:53:39.91\00:53:42.82
But let me end with this.
00:53:42.85\00:53:44.19
I want to end
with this last one.
00:53:44.22\00:53:45.55
We don't have a
slide for this one,
00:53:45.59\00:53:46.92
but I want you to listen
very clearly to these words.
00:53:46.96\00:53:48.66
You see, I talk a
lot about perfection.
00:53:48.69\00:53:50.99
Thy Kingdom come, Lord,
00:53:51.03\00:53:52.36
Thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven.
00:53:52.39\00:53:55.13
Lord, save us from the evil one.
00:53:55.16\00:53:56.87
Don't lead us into temptation,
00:53:56.90\00:53:58.23
but deliver us
from the evil one.
00:53:58.27\00:53:59.70
How does that come about?
00:53:59.73\00:54:01.94
It comes about
by the power of God,
00:54:01.97\00:54:03.41
my friends, a
surrendering of our will to Him
00:54:03.44\00:54:06.74
on a daily basis.
00:54:06.78\00:54:08.78
It's a process. It takes time.
00:54:08.81\00:54:11.81
It doesn't happen immediate.
00:54:11.85\00:54:15.68
But it's interesting
that in the Sanctified Life,
00:54:15.72\00:54:17.99
page seven,
this is what it says,
00:54:18.02\00:54:19.75
listen very carefully.
00:54:19.79\00:54:22.02
It says, "Those
who are really seeking
00:54:22.06\00:54:24.73
to perfect Christian character
00:54:24.76\00:54:26.86
will never indulge the
thought that they are sinless."
00:54:26.90\00:54:31.47
Oh, I love that.
00:54:31.50\00:54:33.17
"Their lives may
be irreproachable.
00:54:33.20\00:54:36.67
They may be living
representatives of the truth
00:54:36.71\00:54:39.51
which they have accepted.
00:54:39.54\00:54:41.84
But the more they discipline
00:54:41.88\00:54:43.55
their minds to dwell up on
the character of Christ..."
00:54:43.58\00:54:46.18
Do you see that?
00:54:46.21\00:54:47.55
Who are we
beholding? Who are we?
00:54:47.58\00:54:49.22
Who are we, our
minds are dwelling upon?
00:54:49.25\00:54:51.99
It's Christ character.
00:54:52.02\00:54:53.89
It says, "And the nearer
00:54:53.92\00:54:55.62
they approach to
His divine image,
00:54:55.66\00:54:59.46
the more clearly
will they discern
00:54:59.49\00:55:02.06
its spotless
perfection, and the more deeply
00:55:02.10\00:55:06.70
will they feel
their own defects."
00:55:06.74\00:55:10.27
What does that tell us?
00:55:10.31\00:55:12.07
You see, when you're
truly walking in Christ Jesus,
00:55:12.11\00:55:15.71
I do believe that God will have
a final generation of people
00:55:15.74\00:55:19.05
who will stand proudly,
00:55:19.08\00:55:20.92
who will stand
firm in a godly sense,
00:55:20.95\00:55:23.45
proudly in a spiritual
loving Christlike sense,
00:55:23.49\00:55:27.26
who will stand firm,
who will stand confident
00:55:27.29\00:55:30.29
at the appearing of
Jesus in a sinless state.
00:55:30.33\00:55:34.56
I believe that.
00:55:34.60\00:55:36.10
But don't think for one moment
according to this passage here
00:55:36.13\00:55:39.20
that those individuals
will be standing there thinking,
00:55:39.23\00:55:41.14
"Oh, look at me world,
how perfect and sinless I am.
00:55:41.17\00:55:45.71
Look at me as your example."
00:55:45.74\00:55:47.41
A good Christian
who does no more sin,
00:55:47.44\00:55:50.18
we will never be so
arrogant to have those thought.
00:55:50.21\00:55:52.75
In fact, it says here that
the closer you come to Christ,
00:55:52.78\00:55:55.95
and the more you behold
His righteous character,
00:55:55.98\00:55:58.35
the more you will
see your own defects.
00:55:58.39\00:56:01.12
That means
there's still going to be
00:56:01.16\00:56:02.49
defects probably in us
all the way till Jesus comes,
00:56:02.52\00:56:04.99
but we will be
perfect in God's eyes,
00:56:05.03\00:56:07.26
because we are advancing
and maturing in Christ Jesus
00:56:07.30\00:56:10.97
day by day.
00:56:11.00\00:56:12.43
Not absolute perfection,
but character perfection
00:56:12.47\00:56:16.57
that is only possible
by Jesus Christ, our Lord.
00:56:16.60\00:56:21.84
Thy Kingdom come,
00:56:21.88\00:56:24.61
Thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven.
00:56:24.65\00:56:31.02
My friends, Jesus wants to do
a work in your life right now,
00:56:31.05\00:56:36.32
and make you just
like that heavenly version,
00:56:36.36\00:56:39.83
that you're going
to be like one day
00:56:39.86\00:56:41.20
when you walk
through heaven's gates,
00:56:41.23\00:56:43.13
walk on to heaven shore,
00:56:43.16\00:56:44.90
and dwell in the
presence of the Almighty.
00:56:44.93\00:56:47.54
Do you believe it?
00:56:47.57\00:56:49.07
Do you believe
this is possible for us?
00:56:49.10\00:56:51.34
Remember, all
things are possible
00:56:51.37\00:56:53.34
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:56:53.38\00:56:55.88
He does indeed sit as a
refiner and purifier of silver.
00:56:55.91\00:56:59.28
And He wants to
purify us for these times,
00:56:59.31\00:57:02.58
to prepare us to stand
00:57:02.62\00:57:04.05
before the world to be
representatives of Christ,
00:57:04.09\00:57:07.59
and to stand before the
world, as they look at us,
00:57:07.62\00:57:11.16
they see the reflection of Jesus
00:57:11.19\00:57:13.43
just as a silversmith
would look into that silver
00:57:13.46\00:57:16.73
and see his
image, his reflection.
00:57:16.77\00:57:19.50
My friends, we have
access to that power.
00:57:19.53\00:57:21.64
All you got to do is
call out to Jesus now
00:57:21.67\00:57:24.04
and ask Him to
come into your heart.
00:57:24.07\00:57:26.21
I hope you do that today.
00:57:26.24\00:57:28.91
God bless you, my
friends. We'll see you soon.
00:57:28.94\00:57:31.08