And this is the record
00:00:11.31\00:00:13.27
that God hath
given to us eternal life
00:00:13.31\00:00:16.54
and this life is in His Son.
00:00:16.58\00:00:20.38
Welcome to 3ABN
Australia Homecoming.
00:00:20.42\00:00:23.89
Thank you for joining us
00:00:30.86\00:00:32.46
for this nearly halfway
00:00:32.49\00:00:35.46
of the 3ABN
Australia Homecoming, 2020.
00:00:35.50\00:00:40.00
And today we will
be looking at Chapter 6
00:00:40.04\00:00:43.74
of the book, Steps to Christ,
00:00:43.77\00:00:46.61
a beautiful book to help
you in preparing for eternity.
00:00:46.64\00:00:51.95
And I want to thank those of you
00:00:51.98\00:00:53.72
who are here as our audience,
we really appreciate you.
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It's wonderful to
have you with us today.
00:00:56.85\00:00:59.69
Our speaker for this hour
is Pastor Justin Torossian.
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And he's going to be
speaking on Chapter 6
00:01:06.39\00:01:09.40
"Faith and Acceptance."
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And I'm looking
forward to hearing
00:01:12.77\00:01:14.67
what he is going to say
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because, excuse me,
I've got an itchy nose.
00:01:16.54\00:01:19.27
The lady who wrote the
book that we're looking at
00:01:19.31\00:01:22.98
is his, was his great,
great, great grandmother.
00:01:23.01\00:01:26.58
So this book is
very important to him.
00:01:26.61\00:01:30.29
But we're just going to review
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what Pastor Abel
Iorgulescu preached on.
00:01:32.19\00:01:36.02
On Chapter 5 consecration,
his summary is one,
00:01:36.06\00:01:40.96
"What is the greatest
battle that was ever fought?
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Consecrating your heart to God.
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Why?
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Because we are sinners
with a tendency to rebel,
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to run away from God."
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Number two,
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"According to Joel 3:14
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multitudes are in
the valley of decision,
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choosing to surrender
to God or to reject Him."
00:02:04.49\00:02:08.69
Three,
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"But even when we
choose to turn away from God,
00:02:10.09\00:02:12.23
He doesn't give up
on us, but pursues us."
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Four,
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"We cannot change our hearts,
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but we can allow God
to do the transformation."
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Five,
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"Many people are in the
valley of decision today,
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and God is
inviting us to come to Him
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just as we are,
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with our broken lives,
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with our sin polluted hearts
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and surrender
completely to Him."
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And number six,
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"When we do this, we
will experience the peace,
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joy and assurance of
salvation in Jesus Christ."
00:02:43.56\00:02:48.36
That's a wonderful chapter
that he did on consecration.
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Read the book and
find out for yourselves,
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Steps to Christ.
00:02:54.40\00:02:55.80
And our music is by Diane
Hope, a very special girl,
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dear to my heart.
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And she's going to be
singing a song called,
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"Everywhere I go."
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Thank you, Diane.
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This is my journey
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like Israel of old
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I travel through the wilderness
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So far away from home
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Though dangers surround me
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Though the night is long
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The Lord is my
light My beacon and guide
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My strength and my song
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And I will be strong
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I will walk unafraid
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With the Lord as my companion
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Every step along the way
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Then come what may I'll live
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with courage in my heart
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Because I know He is with me
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everywhere I go
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This is my journey
00:05:07.24\00:05:10.67
Like Israel of old
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I need not wander lost Nor seek
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to find my way alone
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His presence before me
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Is all that I require
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The Lord is my
light My beacon and guide
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My pillar of fire
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And I will be strong
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I will walk unafraid
00:05:51.61\00:05:56.79
With the Lord as my companion
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Every step along the way
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Then come what may I'll live
00:06:06.03\00:06:09.00
with courage in my heart
00:06:09.03\00:06:12.77
Because I know He is with me
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everywhere I go
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This is my journey
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And nothing will I fear
00:06:33.09\00:06:38.83
The Lord my God
Will safely pilot me
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And keep my pathway sure
00:06:44.57\00:06:48.04
My Help and my guardian
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To the journey's end
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The Lord is my
light My beacon and guide
00:06:57.58\00:07:02.05
My Savior and Friend
00:07:02.08\00:07:06.52
And I will be strong
00:07:06.55\00:07:11.03
I will walk unafraid
00:07:11.06\00:07:16.16
With the Lord as my companion
00:07:16.20\00:07:21.00
Every step along the way
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Then come what may I'll live
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with courage in my heart
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Because I know
00:07:31.48\00:07:36.45
He is the Lord
of heaven and earth
00:07:36.48\00:07:41.09
He is the perfect light of truth
00:07:41.12\00:07:45.76
And He is with me
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everywhere I go
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Amen.
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Praise the Lord
that He is with us
00:08:10.59\00:08:12.35
everywhere that we go.
00:08:12.39\00:08:13.72
Amen?
00:08:13.76\00:08:15.09
What a beautiful song.
00:08:15.12\00:08:16.46
Thank you so
much for that, Diane.
00:08:16.49\00:08:17.83
It has been a wonderful
time at 3ABN camp meeting,
00:08:17.86\00:08:21.63
or rather 3ABN
Homecoming thus far, hasn't it?
00:08:21.66\00:08:24.93
And praise the
Lord and we pray that
00:08:24.97\00:08:28.10
even in the midst of COVID,
00:08:28.14\00:08:29.47
as you have
joined us here today,
00:08:29.50\00:08:31.47
that you'll be
uplifted, enriched and blessed.
00:08:31.51\00:08:34.94
And that you'll find yourself
walking more closely to Christ
00:08:34.98\00:08:39.38
than ever before.
00:08:39.41\00:08:41.15
Just as we prepare
to get into the message,
00:08:41.18\00:08:44.22
I just want to say that,
00:08:44.25\00:08:45.59
you know, it's
really a privilege
00:08:45.62\00:08:46.96
to preach the Word of God.
00:08:46.99\00:08:48.96
And I wanted to mention that
00:08:48.99\00:08:51.59
the Bible calls the Word of God,
00:08:51.63\00:08:54.43
yeah, the Bible calls
itself the Word of God,
00:08:54.46\00:08:56.60
a double-edged
sword in Hebrews 4:12.
00:08:56.63\00:08:59.40
It says that the Word of
God is living and powerful,
00:08:59.43\00:09:02.70
sharper than a two-edged sword.
00:09:02.74\00:09:04.64
And I believe
that one of the reasons
00:09:04.67\00:09:06.01
that it's called
a double-edged sword
00:09:06.04\00:09:07.51
or compared to a
double-edged sword
00:09:07.54\00:09:08.94
is because it cuts not
only the hearers of the Word,
00:09:08.98\00:09:12.55
but also the one
who delivers the Word.
00:09:12.58\00:09:14.92
And every sermon
really is a sermon to self
00:09:14.95\00:09:18.19
and one that God
has preached to you,
00:09:18.22\00:09:20.79
as you prepared it
to share with others.
00:09:20.82\00:09:25.26
This is a beautiful little book.
00:09:25.29\00:09:27.53
Every year I reread this
book from cover to cover,
00:09:27.56\00:09:30.30
just a page a day as
a part of your devotions
00:09:30.33\00:09:33.00
and you'll get through it
in less than half of the year.
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And every year that I reread it,
00:09:35.94\00:09:37.64
I'm drawn closer to Christ.
00:09:37.67\00:09:40.78
And I see new things
in it that stand out to me
00:09:40.81\00:09:43.18
that I didn't
notice the year before.
00:09:43.21\00:09:45.45
And that is because it's so full
00:09:45.48\00:09:47.02
of beautiful Bible principles
00:09:47.05\00:09:48.72
that are timeless
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and become more relevant
00:09:50.12\00:09:51.45
as our lives go on
00:09:51.49\00:09:52.82
and the days of
our lives passed by.
00:09:52.85\00:09:56.12
As your conscience
has been made alive
00:09:56.16\00:09:58.93
by the Holy Spirit,
00:09:58.96\00:10:00.50
you have seen
something of the evil of sin
00:10:00.53\00:10:04.17
of its power,
00:10:04.20\00:10:05.53
its guilt, and you
look upon it with hatred.
00:10:05.57\00:10:08.90
You feel that
sin has separated you
00:10:08.94\00:10:11.27
from your God,
00:10:11.31\00:10:12.64
and that you're in
bondage to the power of evil.
00:10:12.67\00:10:16.04
The more you struggle
to escape like quicksand,
00:10:16.08\00:10:18.78
the more you
realize your helplessness.
00:10:18.81\00:10:21.12
Your motives are
impure, your heart is unclean.
00:10:21.15\00:10:25.49
You see that your
life has been filled
00:10:25.52\00:10:26.99
with selfishness and sin.
00:10:27.02\00:10:29.52
You longed to be cleansed,
to be forgiven, to be set free.
00:10:29.56\00:10:34.66
What can you do to attain this?
00:10:34.70\00:10:37.43
It's peace that you need.
00:10:37.47\00:10:39.83
It's heaven's forgiveness
and peace and love in the soul.
00:10:39.87\00:10:43.67
Money cannot buy it.
00:10:43.71\00:10:45.21
Intellect cannot acquire
it, skill cannot attain it.
00:10:45.24\00:10:49.38
You can never hope by
your own efforts to gain it.
00:10:49.41\00:10:53.95
But God offers it
to you as a free gift
00:10:53.98\00:10:58.75
without money and without price.
00:10:58.79\00:11:01.72
It is yours,
00:11:01.76\00:11:03.46
if you will, but
reach out your hands
00:11:03.49\00:11:05.79
and grasp it.
00:11:05.83\00:11:07.60
Father in heaven as we dive
into Your Word together today,
00:11:07.63\00:11:11.63
as we spend this time studying,
00:11:11.67\00:11:13.77
we pray that You will
bless us with a clearer picture
00:11:13.80\00:11:17.41
of Your great gift of salvation.
00:11:17.44\00:11:20.01
And the assurance,
the blessed assurance
00:11:20.04\00:11:22.78
that You want to grant
to each and every one of us.
00:11:22.81\00:11:26.15
May Christ be lifted up, Lord,
that all will be drawn to Him.
00:11:26.18\00:11:29.98
We ask in His
precious name, amen.
00:11:30.02\00:11:33.42
There, I was driving
down Highway 99 in California,
00:11:33.46\00:11:37.69
Central Valley.
00:11:37.73\00:11:39.06
And I was
listening to a radio station
00:11:39.09\00:11:41.76
called family Christian radio.
00:11:41.80\00:11:43.47
It was a radio
station with beautiful music,
00:11:43.50\00:11:46.70
but very bad theology.
00:11:46.74\00:11:49.10
And the reason that I say that
00:11:49.14\00:11:50.94
is because the founder of
that radio station and ministry
00:11:50.97\00:11:54.08
predicted at least
four different times
00:11:54.11\00:11:56.64
the date that
Christ would return.
00:11:56.68\00:11:59.41
And, of course, each time
00:11:59.45\00:12:00.92
Jesus didn't
return at that time,
00:12:00.95\00:12:02.35
and he, oh, well,
I misunderstood this,
00:12:02.38\00:12:04.22
and then he'd set another date.
00:12:04.25\00:12:06.39
In addition to that,
00:12:06.42\00:12:07.92
the leaders of this ministry
00:12:07.96\00:12:09.29
actually believe
something that is often called,
00:12:09.32\00:12:13.26
"Once saved, always saved."
00:12:13.29\00:12:15.63
It's this idea that
once you accept Christ,
00:12:15.66\00:12:20.14
at one point in your life,
00:12:20.17\00:12:21.50
you are saved no matter
what you do after that point.
00:12:21.54\00:12:24.31
And as I was
listening to this radio station,
00:12:24.34\00:12:26.74
I wasn't
particularly paying attention
00:12:26.78\00:12:28.54
because it was between songs,
00:12:28.58\00:12:30.08
and I was listening
to it for the music.
00:12:30.11\00:12:32.21
But there came a voice
00:12:32.25\00:12:34.32
that kind of
caught my attention.
00:12:34.35\00:12:37.69
The radio commentator said,
00:12:37.72\00:12:39.72
"So if you would
like your free copy of,
00:12:39.75\00:12:42.39
I hope God saves me, call 1800,
00:12:42.42\00:12:45.73
" da-da-da."
00:12:45.76\00:12:47.10
And I thought,
00:12:47.13\00:12:48.46
"Did I just hear that right?
00:12:48.50\00:12:49.83
I hope God saves me?"
00:12:49.86\00:12:51.93
Friends, do we have to
just hope that God saves us?
00:12:51.97\00:12:55.40
Or can we have true
peace and confident assurance
00:12:55.44\00:12:59.27
that we are in a saving
relationship with Christ,
00:12:59.31\00:13:02.11
and that if He were
to come back right now,
00:13:02.14\00:13:04.25
we would be able to go
home to heaven with Him.
00:13:04.28\00:13:07.25
This is the question
00:13:07.28\00:13:08.82
that we will be answering
in our message together.
00:13:08.85\00:13:12.45
And, friends, we're going to see
00:13:12.49\00:13:13.82
what the Bible has
to say about assurance,
00:13:13.86\00:13:16.56
what the Bible truly
teaches about assurance,
00:13:16.59\00:13:19.06
and praise God that
it's more than just something
00:13:19.09\00:13:21.93
that we can hope for.
00:13:21.96\00:13:23.30
It's something that
we can have confidence of
00:13:23.33\00:13:25.33
not because we're
confident in ourselves,
00:13:25.37\00:13:27.70
but because we're
confident in Jesus Christ,
00:13:27.74\00:13:30.27
our Lord, and our
soon coming Savior.
00:13:30.31\00:13:33.48
Now, there are extremes
00:13:33.51\00:13:35.94
when it comes to the path
and the road of salvation.
00:13:35.98\00:13:39.71
There are extremes to
the left and to the right,
00:13:39.75\00:13:42.42
there are ditches
00:13:42.45\00:13:43.79
that the devil would
like to get us caught into.
00:13:43.82\00:13:45.85
And there are
many different ditches
00:13:45.89\00:13:47.39
that the devil would have us,
00:13:47.42\00:13:48.76
you know, to be
distracted and stuck in,
00:13:48.79\00:13:50.66
rather than on
our heavenward way.
00:13:50.69\00:13:53.40
But there are
really two major ones
00:13:53.43\00:13:55.63
when it comes to
the topic of salvation.
00:13:55.66\00:13:58.27
And the first
is, as I mentioned,
00:13:58.30\00:14:00.07
this idea that
once we accept Jesus
00:14:00.10\00:14:02.87
by the expression of our mouth,
00:14:02.90\00:14:05.07
and if we mean
it with our heart,
00:14:05.11\00:14:06.74
once we accept Him
as our personal Savior,
00:14:06.78\00:14:09.48
then no matter what we do,
00:14:09.51\00:14:10.95
after that small point of faith,
00:14:10.98\00:14:13.38
no matter what our life entails,
00:14:13.42\00:14:15.18
we cannot turn our back
on God, we will be saved.
00:14:15.22\00:14:19.39
Once saved, always saved,
00:14:19.42\00:14:21.02
no matter what terrible things
you might do in your life,
00:14:21.06\00:14:24.23
and even if you tried
turning your back on God.
00:14:24.26\00:14:27.30
In the other ditch,
00:14:27.33\00:14:28.66
on the other side of
the road of salvation,
00:14:28.70\00:14:30.23
there is this idea
00:14:30.27\00:14:31.97
that you will
never be ready for heaven
00:14:32.00\00:14:35.90
that no matter what
happens in your life,
00:14:35.94\00:14:38.31
you can't have assurance
because you're just too bad.
00:14:38.34\00:14:41.64
You've messed up too bad,
00:14:41.68\00:14:43.31
you've gone too far
00:14:43.35\00:14:44.68
and you are beyond
God's ability to save you.
00:14:44.71\00:14:47.45
And so these are the two ditches
00:14:47.48\00:14:50.02
in the on the sides I should say
00:14:50.05\00:14:52.85
of the road of
salvation on our heavenward way.
00:14:52.89\00:14:57.29
Now, we can avoid
both of these ditches
00:14:57.33\00:15:00.96
by having faith in Christ
00:15:01.00\00:15:02.86
as He invites us to in His Word,
00:15:02.90\00:15:05.30
and have confident
assurance of our salvation.
00:15:05.33\00:15:09.10
Once again, not
because of confidence in self,
00:15:09.14\00:15:11.57
but because of
confidence in our Savior.
00:15:11.61\00:15:14.54
Now, as this chapter, Chapter
6 of Steps to Christ rolls on,
00:15:14.58\00:15:19.41
we come across the
following quotation.
00:15:19.45\00:15:22.05
And this is really beautiful.
00:15:22.08\00:15:23.79
It says this,
00:15:23.82\00:15:25.15
"From this simple Bible account
of how Jesus healed the sick,
00:15:25.19\00:15:29.46
we may learn something
of how to believe in Him
00:15:29.49\00:15:32.59
for the forgiveness of sins.
00:15:32.63\00:15:34.76
Let us turn to the story
of the paralytic at Bethesda."
00:15:34.80\00:15:40.24
And so, friends,
we're going to do just that,
00:15:40.27\00:15:41.90
we're going to
launch off the diving board
00:15:41.94\00:15:44.07
of Steps to Christ
00:15:44.11\00:15:45.61
into this story
from John Chapter 5.
00:15:45.64\00:15:48.44
And after we've
gathered some gems
00:15:48.48\00:15:50.51
from the pool of Bethesda,
00:15:50.55\00:15:52.35
we're going to come
back to this powerful chapter
00:15:52.38\00:15:54.68
from Steps to Christ
00:15:54.72\00:15:56.15
and to talk a bit more
about assurance of salvation.
00:15:56.18\00:15:59.45
And what the Bible teaches
about this very important
00:15:59.49\00:16:02.89
yet often misunderstood topic.
00:16:02.92\00:16:06.33
John Chapter 5,
00:16:06.36\00:16:08.56
the Bible says there in verse
1 that Jesus was in Jerusalem,
00:16:08.60\00:16:13.74
He just arrived, it says,
00:16:13.77\00:16:15.10
"After this, there
was a feast of the Jews
00:16:15.14\00:16:16.47
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem."
00:16:16.50\00:16:20.01
Verse 2, reading on,
00:16:20.04\00:16:21.58
"Now there is in Jerusalem
by the Sheep Gate a pool,
00:16:21.61\00:16:24.71
which is called
in Hebrew, Bethesda,
00:16:24.75\00:16:27.32
having five porches."
00:16:27.35\00:16:29.18
Interestingly
enough, a little side note,
00:16:29.22\00:16:31.92
for years different people
00:16:31.95\00:16:33.96
that were critics
of the Bible said,
00:16:33.99\00:16:35.32
"Oh, the Bible is not true,
00:16:35.36\00:16:36.69
because we've
never found anything
00:16:36.73\00:16:38.19
that had five
porches in Jerusalem.
00:16:38.23\00:16:40.46
So it must not be true,
the Bible must be wrong."
00:16:40.50\00:16:43.67
But not too long ago,
they unearthed these porches,
00:16:43.70\00:16:47.37
they had seen two
of the five porches.
00:16:47.40\00:16:49.70
But they didn't realize that
00:16:49.74\00:16:51.07
the other five
were actually there,
00:16:51.11\00:16:52.44
they just hadn't dug them up.
00:16:52.47\00:16:53.84
And so archaeology once
again demonstrated the Bible
00:16:53.88\00:16:56.51
as being true.
00:16:56.54\00:16:58.41
Now, back to verse 2, it says,
00:16:58.45\00:17:01.22
"There is in Jerusalem
by the Sheep Gate a pool,"
00:17:01.25\00:17:04.75
some translations,
the King James says
00:17:04.79\00:17:06.82
the sheep market
00:17:06.86\00:17:08.19
that word gate or market
00:17:08.22\00:17:09.56
is actually put
into and supplied,
00:17:09.59\00:17:12.69
because it's not
in the original Greek,
00:17:12.73\00:17:14.93
but it would have been likely
00:17:14.96\00:17:16.30
the place that people
would have brought their sheep
00:17:16.33\00:17:18.53
no doubt through a
gate, an entranceway.
00:17:18.57\00:17:21.10
And probably the place as well
00:17:21.14\00:17:22.87
where the Jewish
leaders would set up their shop
00:17:22.90\00:17:25.81
to tell people, oh, that sheep.
00:17:25.84\00:17:27.74
You're not going to
sacrifice that, are you?
00:17:27.78\00:17:29.61
No, no, no,
that's not good enough,
00:17:29.64\00:17:30.98
buy one of ours and
we'll take that one.
00:17:31.01\00:17:33.82
And then they would
take that good sheep
00:17:33.85\00:17:35.48
from the people
they taken advantage of,
00:17:35.52\00:17:37.52
and then they would
sell it for even more money.
00:17:37.55\00:17:39.65
And so this is the
point that they had come to,
00:17:39.69\00:17:41.99
and it could have
been this location
00:17:42.02\00:17:44.36
where they would
do some of this work.
00:17:44.39\00:17:47.86
But the reason that I'm pausing
to reflect upon this verse
00:17:47.90\00:17:50.47
is because often
when we read the Bible,
00:17:50.50\00:17:53.40
we miss key points,
00:17:53.44\00:17:55.67
because we think as we read,
oh, well, that's interesting,
00:17:55.70\00:17:58.47
but there's no significance
or real deep meaning there.
00:17:58.51\00:18:02.34
But when God
mentioned something in His Word,
00:18:02.38\00:18:04.81
it's significant.
00:18:04.85\00:18:06.31
Yes, some passages have points
00:18:06.35\00:18:07.88
that are less
significant than others.
00:18:07.92\00:18:09.72
But when it says that
this was by the Sheep Gate
00:18:09.75\00:18:13.25
the pool that was
by the sheep gate,
00:18:13.29\00:18:14.82
it was significant.
00:18:14.86\00:18:16.29
Names of places
often have significance
00:18:16.32\00:18:19.56
in line and in
connection with the story.
00:18:19.59\00:18:21.80
For example, in Acts Chapter 9,
00:18:21.83\00:18:23.83
the Bible tells us that Paul,
00:18:23.87\00:18:25.40
he had been
blinded by seeing Jesus
00:18:25.43\00:18:27.07
on the road to Damascus.
00:18:27.10\00:18:28.80
He'd been instructed by
Jesus to go into the city
00:18:28.84\00:18:32.41
and then God spoke
to this prophet Ananias
00:18:32.44\00:18:35.04
and told him,
00:18:35.08\00:18:36.41
"Listen, go into this city,
00:18:36.44\00:18:38.61
and go to a
road called Straight.
00:18:38.65\00:18:41.55
And you will find
that Saul is there,
00:18:41.58\00:18:44.45
and I want you to
lay your hands on him."
00:18:44.49\00:18:47.19
It was no coincidence
00:18:47.22\00:18:48.59
that God of all the places
that Saul could have stayed,
00:18:48.62\00:18:51.79
Saul who became
Paul, by the way,
00:18:51.83\00:18:53.36
the greatest
missionary of the New Testament.
00:18:53.40\00:18:56.77
It's no coincidence
00:18:56.80\00:18:58.13
that of all the
places he could have gone,
00:18:58.17\00:18:59.87
this street was called Straight.
00:18:59.90\00:19:02.20
It was that
street called Straight
00:19:02.24\00:19:03.91
where God was straightening
out Paul's theology.
00:19:03.94\00:19:07.71
He was straightening out
Paul's misunderstandings.
00:19:07.74\00:19:10.15
And for two days,
the Bible tells us
00:19:10.18\00:19:12.08
He didn't eat or drink.
00:19:12.11\00:19:13.68
He actually was so
just agonizing in his soul
00:19:13.72\00:19:16.28
because he'd been
persecuting the people of God.
00:19:16.32\00:19:19.25
And he thought
that he was serving God
00:19:19.29\00:19:21.39
by persecuting them.
00:19:21.42\00:19:22.96
He didn't realize that he
was wrong this entire time.
00:19:22.99\00:19:25.69
And the Holy Spirit was working
on his heart and his mind,
00:19:25.73\00:19:29.26
bringing back the
pictures of Stephen
00:19:29.30\00:19:32.93
losing his life
00:19:32.97\00:19:34.30
looking up into heaven
00:19:34.34\00:19:35.67
and seeing the heavens open
and seeing a vision of Jesus.
00:19:35.70\00:19:38.97
God was bringing these
pictures back to Saul's mind
00:19:39.01\00:19:41.21
and he was setting him on
the straight and narrow way.
00:19:41.24\00:19:45.11
Friends, there
was no coincidence.
00:19:45.15\00:19:46.48
And there's no coincidence that
00:19:46.51\00:19:47.85
this was at a place
called the Sheep Gate
00:19:47.88\00:19:50.09
and that, under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
00:19:50.12\00:19:52.85
John penned this
detail into the Gospel of John
00:19:52.89\00:19:56.39
as we read in John 5:2.
00:19:56.42\00:19:58.49
The significance, well,
00:19:58.53\00:20:01.10
the Bible says in
just a few chapters,
00:20:01.13\00:20:02.93
Jesus Himself in John 10 says,
00:20:02.96\00:20:05.33
"I am the good shepherd.
00:20:05.37\00:20:07.50
And he also says, I am
the door of the sheep."
00:20:07.54\00:20:11.44
Jesus was going to this place,
00:20:11.47\00:20:13.51
and there was going to be a man
00:20:13.54\00:20:14.98
who would hear His voice
00:20:15.01\00:20:16.54
and recognize that
it was Him calling.
00:20:16.58\00:20:19.15
He was one of
Christ's faithful sheep.
00:20:19.18\00:20:21.02
He just hadn't met Jesus yet.
00:20:21.05\00:20:23.02
And so the
story is being set up,
00:20:23.05\00:20:25.35
that there were many sheep
00:20:25.39\00:20:26.86
and this man was one of
God's faithful followers.
00:20:26.89\00:20:29.62
He just had not yet
met Jesus, the Messiah.
00:20:29.66\00:20:32.76
Verse 3,
00:20:32.79\00:20:34.13
"In these lay a great
multitude of sick people,
00:20:34.16\00:20:36.40
by this pool of Bethesda,
00:20:36.43\00:20:38.20
the blind, the
lame, the paralyzed,
00:20:38.23\00:20:40.30
waiting for the
moving of the water."
00:20:40.34\00:20:43.17
Verse 4,
00:20:43.20\00:20:44.54
"For an angel went down at
a certain time into the pool
00:20:44.57\00:20:46.47
and stirred up the water,
00:20:46.51\00:20:47.94
and then whoever
stepped in first,
00:20:47.98\00:20:50.15
after the stirring of the water,
00:20:50.18\00:20:51.75
was made well of
whatever disease he had."
00:20:51.78\00:20:55.35
Now, this was a
superstition of the day.
00:20:55.38\00:20:58.15
This was not the reality.
00:20:58.19\00:20:59.52
God doesn't work in this way.
00:20:59.55\00:21:01.06
He doesn't work in a way
that some people would be healed
00:21:01.09\00:21:04.59
if they were the
strongest and the fastest,
00:21:04.63\00:21:06.43
survival of the
fittest in a sense.
00:21:06.46\00:21:08.90
And other people
were trampled to death,
00:21:08.93\00:21:10.73
as people were
trying to rush to the pool.
00:21:10.77\00:21:12.43
That's not the way God works.
00:21:12.47\00:21:13.97
This was a
superstitious belief in the day
00:21:14.00\00:21:16.74
that people would be healed
00:21:16.77\00:21:18.77
if they were the first
one to get into the water
00:21:18.81\00:21:21.38
after it was moving,
00:21:21.41\00:21:22.94
and there was the
movement of the water.
00:21:22.98\00:21:26.88
Verse 5,
00:21:26.92\00:21:28.25
and by the way, in verse 4,
00:21:28.28\00:21:29.62
we just read that the
people had put their faith,
00:21:29.65\00:21:32.52
their confidence, their
assurance in this water.
00:21:32.55\00:21:36.19
That was where their hope
was in the moving of this water.
00:21:36.22\00:21:40.00
Verse 5,
00:21:40.03\00:21:41.36
"Now a certain man was there
who had an infirmity 38 years."
00:21:41.40\00:21:46.17
You know, 38
years is a long time.
00:21:46.20\00:21:49.70
I'm 34 years old.
00:21:49.74\00:21:51.51
And, you know, I know 38
is longer than I've lived,
00:21:51.54\00:21:56.11
obviously, and some of
you listening today may think,
00:21:56.14\00:21:59.21
well, you know,
00:21:59.25\00:22:00.58
I'm 85 so 38 years
is not all that long
00:22:00.62\00:22:03.99
compared to my life span.
00:22:04.02\00:22:05.35
But listen, even if
you're 100 years old,
00:22:05.39\00:22:07.36
38 years is still more
than one-third of your lifetime.
00:22:07.39\00:22:11.09
That's a long time.
00:22:11.13\00:22:12.49
And it's likely that this
man was one of the worst cases
00:22:12.53\00:22:15.60
around the pool of Bethesda.
00:22:15.63\00:22:17.77
Here, he was sick,
crippled for 38 years.
00:22:17.80\00:22:21.97
Verse 6,
00:22:22.00\00:22:23.34
"When Jesus saw him lying there,
00:22:23.37\00:22:24.97
He knew that he already
had been in that condition
00:22:25.01\00:22:27.21
for a long time,
00:22:27.24\00:22:28.78
and He said to him,
00:22:28.81\00:22:30.25
"Do you want to be made well?"
00:22:30.28\00:22:33.25
What do you think this
man's first thought was?
00:22:33.28\00:22:35.92
Of course, I
want to be made well.
00:22:35.95\00:22:37.49
Why do you think I'm here?
00:22:37.52\00:22:38.85
The whole reason
00:22:38.89\00:22:40.22
that I'm
camping out in this spot
00:22:40.26\00:22:41.59
is because I
want to be made well.
00:22:41.62\00:22:42.96
This was a question
00:22:42.99\00:22:44.46
that Jesus already
knew the answer to.
00:22:44.49\00:22:47.26
Why do you think
00:22:47.30\00:22:48.63
He asked this man this question?
00:22:48.66\00:22:50.93
He already knew,
00:22:50.97\00:22:52.30
of course, he wanted to be well.
00:22:52.33\00:22:53.67
But this man's expression
00:22:53.70\00:22:56.30
that he wanted to be made well.
00:22:56.34\00:22:58.21
This man's speaking out
and crying out for help,
00:22:58.24\00:23:01.41
is what Jesus wanted to
hear so that He could answer
00:23:01.44\00:23:04.31
and work a
miracle in healing him.
00:23:04.35\00:23:07.52
Verse 7,
00:23:07.55\00:23:08.88
"The sick man answered Him,
00:23:08.92\00:23:10.25
"Sir, I have no man
to put me into the pool
00:23:10.29\00:23:12.35
when the water is stirred up,
00:23:12.39\00:23:14.42
but while I am coming,
another steps down before me."
00:23:14.46\00:23:18.49
You know, this man's
answer speaks volumes.
00:23:18.53\00:23:21.63
What did he mention?
00:23:21.66\00:23:23.13
He said, "Sir, I have no
men to put me into the" what?
00:23:23.16\00:23:27.57
"Pool when the
water is stirred."
00:23:27.60\00:23:29.77
This man was
focusing on his problems,
00:23:29.80\00:23:31.91
and he was focusing on people
00:23:31.94\00:23:33.94
and the things of this
world that seemed to promise
00:23:33.98\00:23:37.15
healing and success.
00:23:37.18\00:23:39.28
He had his hope in this water,
00:23:39.31\00:23:41.92
but his hope was
in the wrong water.
00:23:41.95\00:23:44.35
A few chapters
later, in John Chapter 7,
00:23:44.39\00:23:46.22
Jesus says this in
verse 37, at this feast,
00:23:46.25\00:23:48.82
this great feast, He
said, "On the last day,"
00:23:48.86\00:23:51.46
it says,
00:23:51.49\00:23:52.83
"He cried out, saying,
00:23:52.86\00:23:54.20
'If anyone thirsts, let
him come to Me and drink.
00:23:54.23\00:23:57.67
He who believes in Me."
00:23:57.70\00:23:59.10
As the scriptures
has said, have said,
00:23:59.13\00:24:01.30
"Out of His heart
00:24:01.34\00:24:02.67
will flow rivers
of living water."
00:24:02.70\00:24:06.04
It goes on verse 39,
00:24:06.07\00:24:07.41
"But this He spoke
concerning the spirits
00:24:07.44\00:24:09.68
whom those believing
in Him would receive."
00:24:09.71\00:24:13.15
Jesus said very
clearly, He said,
00:24:13.18\00:24:15.65
"Let anyone who thirst
00:24:15.68\00:24:17.29
the things of this
world have left you dehydrated
00:24:17.32\00:24:19.52
and empty, come to Me,
00:24:19.55\00:24:21.26
and I will give you the water
00:24:21.29\00:24:22.62
that leads to everlasting life."
00:24:22.66\00:24:24.99
Jesus is saying in this verse,
00:24:25.03\00:24:26.93
a few chapters after our story,
00:24:26.96\00:24:28.56
that He is the
true source of water.
00:24:28.60\00:24:31.40
He's the true
source of living water
00:24:31.43\00:24:33.80
that can bring health
and healing and blessing.
00:24:33.84\00:24:36.60
Think about it.
00:24:36.64\00:24:37.97
Where did the
Israelites get their water from
00:24:38.01\00:24:40.08
in the Old Testament
00:24:40.11\00:24:41.44
when they were
wandering through the wilderness
00:24:41.48\00:24:43.75
for those 40 years?
00:24:43.78\00:24:45.11
Where they get their water?
00:24:45.15\00:24:46.51
Feel free to answer.
00:24:46.55\00:24:49.08
That's right.
00:24:49.12\00:24:50.45
They got their
water from the rock.
00:24:50.49\00:24:52.59
Now, 1 Corinthians 10:4 tells us
00:24:52.62\00:24:54.89
that rock was Christ.
00:24:54.92\00:24:57.36
That rock pointed
forward to Christ,
00:24:57.39\00:24:59.59
and that was Christ.
00:24:59.63\00:25:00.96
Christ is the
rock of our salvation.
00:25:01.00\00:25:03.26
So, friends, Jesus is
the only source of the water
00:25:03.30\00:25:07.44
that can bring healing
00:25:07.47\00:25:09.10
and that can bring
eternal life into our lives.
00:25:09.14\00:25:12.31
And that water
is the Holy Spirit.
00:25:12.34\00:25:15.84
But due to superstition,
00:25:15.88\00:25:18.05
this man and so many others
00:25:18.08\00:25:19.61
had put their
faith in the wrong place,
00:25:19.65\00:25:22.28
they were looking for the moving
00:25:22.32\00:25:24.45
of the wrong water,
00:25:24.49\00:25:26.55
because the source of
living water was moving
00:25:26.59\00:25:30.13
in their midst, you follow?
00:25:30.16\00:25:32.03
Jesus was moving in their midst.
00:25:32.06\00:25:34.03
And friends, Jesus can be moving
00:25:34.06\00:25:36.36
and blessing all around us.
00:25:36.40\00:25:38.93
And we can be missing it.
00:25:38.97\00:25:40.54
If we are not in
tune with His Spirit,
00:25:40.57\00:25:42.50
if we are not
surrendered to Him,
00:25:42.54\00:25:44.37
we can miss it when He is moving
00:25:44.41\00:25:46.51
all around us.
00:25:46.54\00:25:47.88
Friends, if we
are focusing our time,
00:25:47.91\00:25:50.41
our energy, our money
00:25:50.45\00:25:52.25
on the do it yourself
solutions of this world,
00:25:52.28\00:25:55.05
they will leave us
nothing but empty and hopeless.
00:25:55.08\00:25:59.22
But Christ is the one
who can provide the waters
00:25:59.25\00:26:02.82
that satisfy our souls.
00:26:02.86\00:26:04.79
He is the one that can
provide the waters of life.
00:26:04.83\00:26:08.46
Verse 8,
00:26:08.50\00:26:09.83
"Jesus said to him,
00:26:09.86\00:26:11.20
'Arise, take up
your bed and walk."
00:26:11.23\00:26:14.24
You know, Jesus could
have healed him instantly,
00:26:14.27\00:26:16.64
don't you think?
00:26:16.67\00:26:18.04
Christ could have
instantly healed this man.
00:26:18.07\00:26:19.61
Why didn't He?
00:26:19.64\00:26:21.04
Why did He
choose to tell the man,
00:26:21.08\00:26:23.58
"Arise, take up
your bed and walk?"
00:26:23.61\00:26:26.48
Very interesting that
Jesus decides to do this.
00:26:26.51\00:26:29.65
And why would He
give him a command
00:26:29.68\00:26:31.55
that was physically impossible?
00:26:31.59\00:26:34.72
I want to suggest to you today
00:26:34.76\00:26:36.09
that Jesus did
this very intentionally.
00:26:36.12\00:26:38.49
Jesus did this,
00:26:38.53\00:26:40.16
so that the man would
recognize very clearly
00:26:40.20\00:26:43.26
that this was a
complete miracle of God.
00:26:43.30\00:26:46.80
Secondly, the other reason was
00:26:46.84\00:26:48.30
because Jesus gave
this man an opportunity
00:26:48.34\00:26:50.87
to express his faith in
Him by obeying His word,
00:26:50.91\00:26:55.18
through obedience to Him
00:26:55.21\00:26:56.88
and to try to do
through trying to do
00:26:56.91\00:26:59.25
what He commanded.
00:26:59.28\00:27:00.98
Now, this man
could have been like,
00:27:01.02\00:27:03.02
listen, Jesus,
well, He didn't know
00:27:03.05\00:27:04.42
who was Jesus at the time,
00:27:04.45\00:27:05.82
as we'll see
later on in the story.
00:27:05.85\00:27:08.22
But this man could
have said to the Lord,
00:27:08.26\00:27:13.53
"What do you mean?
00:27:13.56\00:27:14.96
How do you expect me to get up
00:27:15.00\00:27:16.33
and rise and
take my mat and walk?
00:27:16.36\00:27:18.03
If I could do that, I
wouldn't be lying here.
00:27:18.07\00:27:20.64
Listen, you can just heal me,
00:27:20.67\00:27:22.94
and then I'll get up
and then I will walk."
00:27:22.97\00:27:25.71
But this man didn't do that.
00:27:25.74\00:27:27.28
This man went to get up
00:27:27.31\00:27:29.24
with the little
energy that he had
00:27:29.28\00:27:31.45
with whatever he
could do, he did do.
00:27:31.48\00:27:34.35
And as he did this,
00:27:34.38\00:27:36.48
as he responded
to the compassion
00:27:36.52\00:27:39.45
in Jesus eyes,
00:27:39.49\00:27:41.02
and the authority in His voice,
00:27:41.06\00:27:43.73
as this man tried,
00:27:43.76\00:27:45.69
as he did, his limbs
started to feel again
00:27:45.73\00:27:50.37
as he hadn't felt them in years.
00:27:50.40\00:27:52.63
And instantly, the Bible says,
00:27:52.67\00:27:54.70
this man stood up,
00:27:54.74\00:27:57.07
and he picked up his
mat, and he began to walk.
00:27:57.11\00:28:00.31
He stepped out in faith,
00:28:00.34\00:28:02.04
so to speak, he
stepped up in faith.
00:28:02.08\00:28:04.58
And this man when
he tried to get up
00:28:04.61\00:28:06.45
as an expression of
his faith in Christ,
00:28:06.48\00:28:09.28
as he moved in faith,
00:28:09.32\00:28:11.39
God moved with a miracle.
00:28:11.42\00:28:13.79
And, friends,
when we move in faith,
00:28:13.82\00:28:16.16
God will move with miracles.
00:28:16.19\00:28:17.83
Amen?
00:28:17.86\00:28:19.19
This is how God operates.
00:28:19.23\00:28:20.60
But He doesn't leave us
completely out of the equation.
00:28:20.63\00:28:24.17
He allows us
00:28:24.20\00:28:25.53
and He leaves us the opportunity
00:28:25.57\00:28:27.67
to respond to Him as
an expression of faith,
00:28:27.70\00:28:30.91
and to step out and do
00:28:30.94\00:28:32.87
what He has said, for us to do.
00:28:32.91\00:28:34.84
Friends, our
faith can enable God
00:28:34.88\00:28:37.48
to do the impossible.
00:28:37.51\00:28:39.68
And we serve a God
00:28:39.71\00:28:41.05
who is in the business
of doing the impossible,
00:28:41.08\00:28:43.99
nothing is impossible for Him.
00:28:44.02\00:28:46.42
Verse 9,
immediately He was made well,
00:28:46.45\00:28:48.62
he took up his
bed and he walked.
00:28:48.66\00:28:51.69
This, the Bible
says there in verse 9,
00:28:51.73\00:28:55.16
this is one of the seven times,
00:28:55.20\00:28:58.70
one of the
seven healing miracles
00:28:58.73\00:29:00.27
that Jesus worked on a Sabbath.
00:29:00.30\00:29:02.80
The gospels record seven times
00:29:02.84\00:29:04.81
where Jesus
worked healing miracles
00:29:04.84\00:29:06.74
on the Sabbath.
00:29:06.78\00:29:08.11
And this was one of the seven.
00:29:08.14\00:29:10.15
Just reading quickly
through the rest of the story,
00:29:10.18\00:29:11.88
verses 10 to 13.
00:29:11.91\00:29:13.31
"The Jews therefore
said to him who was cured,
00:29:13.35\00:29:15.58
'It is the Sabbath,
00:29:15.62\00:29:16.95
it is not lawful for
you to carry your bed.'"
00:29:16.99\00:29:19.35
That is according
to their own rules.
00:29:19.39\00:29:21.02
There's nowhere in
God's Word that says,
00:29:21.06\00:29:22.66
"Don't carry your
bed on the Sabbath."
00:29:22.69\00:29:24.36
Verse 11,
00:29:24.39\00:29:25.73
"He answered them,
'He who made me well said,
00:29:25.76\00:29:27.76
'Take up your bed and walk.'
00:29:27.80\00:29:29.46
They asked him,
00:29:29.50\00:29:30.83
'Who is the man who said to you,
00:29:30.87\00:29:32.23
'Take up your bed and walk'?' "
00:29:32.27\00:29:33.80
In other words,
00:29:33.84\00:29:35.17
who dare
contradict our authority?
00:29:35.20\00:29:37.54
Who is this who would be so bold
00:29:37.57\00:29:39.57
as to do such a thing?
00:29:39.61\00:29:42.34
Verse 13,
00:29:42.38\00:29:43.71
"But the one who was
healed did not know who it was,
00:29:43.75\00:29:46.68
for Jesus had withdrawn,
00:29:46.72\00:29:48.62
a multitude
being in that place."
00:29:48.65\00:29:51.69
Friends, this
man did not know yet
00:29:51.72\00:29:54.16
who Jesus was,
00:29:54.19\00:29:55.59
but he had had an
experience with Him.
00:29:55.62\00:29:57.93
He had had a
personal miraculous experience
00:29:57.96\00:30:01.56
with Christ.
00:30:01.60\00:30:02.93
He had been healed by Him,
00:30:02.96\00:30:04.40
because he had
followed His command
00:30:04.43\00:30:06.13
and stepped out in faith.
00:30:06.17\00:30:07.74
And now he was healed.
00:30:07.77\00:30:09.90
And, friends, the
reason we're going through
00:30:09.94\00:30:11.27
this story together,
00:30:11.31\00:30:12.64
the reason we're examining it is
00:30:12.67\00:30:14.34
not just, is not just
because it's an amazing story
00:30:14.38\00:30:17.25
about physical healing
and a physical miracle,
00:30:17.28\00:30:19.95
but rather because it
has lessons for us today
00:30:19.98\00:30:22.85
about salvation.
00:30:22.88\00:30:24.62
The same way that
God worked for this man
00:30:24.65\00:30:26.59
in healing his
physical ailments,
00:30:26.62\00:30:28.69
He works for us today
when it comes to our salvation.
00:30:28.72\00:30:33.13
God wants to heal us
00:30:33.16\00:30:34.53
from the deadly sickness of sin.
00:30:34.56\00:30:37.77
He purifies us
00:30:37.80\00:30:39.13
from our
filthiness of character.
00:30:39.17\00:30:40.60
He accredits everything
in Jesus perfect life to us.
00:30:40.64\00:30:44.44
And as He does this,
00:30:44.47\00:30:46.01
we're
transformed, we're justified,
00:30:46.04\00:30:48.58
and it's just as
if I'd never sinned,
00:30:48.61\00:30:51.31
that's an easy way to
remember the word justified,
00:30:51.35\00:30:52.78
what it means?
00:30:52.81\00:30:54.15
It's just as if
I'd never sinned.
00:30:54.18\00:30:56.62
And, friends,
00:30:56.65\00:30:57.99
this is never
something that God does
00:30:58.02\00:31:00.09
automatically against our will.
00:31:00.12\00:31:02.99
Rather, He offers this
00:31:03.02\00:31:05.59
as a free gift
of salvation to us
00:31:05.63\00:31:07.86
if we accept Him
into our hearts by faith.
00:31:07.90\00:31:11.43
And this is
something that we do daily
00:31:11.47\00:31:14.44
after we've done
it for the first time.
00:31:14.47\00:31:16.74
Now back to the
topic of assurance
00:31:16.77\00:31:18.51
and the assurance of salvation.
00:31:18.54\00:31:20.54
And we're going
to get to some gems
00:31:20.58\00:31:22.14
from this little book.
00:31:22.18\00:31:23.51
This is one of the
best books ever written.
00:31:23.55\00:31:26.31
Outside of the Bible,
00:31:26.35\00:31:27.68
it is one of the very best
00:31:27.72\00:31:29.25
and it's the reason for that
is because it's full of Bible,
00:31:29.28\00:31:31.72
not only Bible
principles, but Bible verses,
00:31:31.75\00:31:33.99
you can't find a single
page without Bible references,
00:31:34.02\00:31:37.49
Bible quotes, and Bible verses
00:31:37.53\00:31:39.53
and helping bring
those verses to clarity
00:31:39.56\00:31:43.26
when it comes to the
journey that we have with Jesus
00:31:43.30\00:31:46.23
and the journey
of our salvation.
00:31:46.27\00:31:49.47
Now remember, how many ditches,
00:31:49.50\00:31:50.97
how many main ditches are
there on the road of salvation?
00:31:51.01\00:31:54.68
How many? Two.
00:31:54.71\00:31:56.04
Two, that's right.
00:31:56.08\00:31:57.41
We've got on one side
00:31:57.45\00:31:58.78
this idea of once
saved, always saved.
00:31:58.81\00:32:01.25
On the other side,
we've got this idea
00:32:01.28\00:32:02.72
that we'll never be ready
00:32:02.75\00:32:04.09
and we can't ever know
with any kind of confidence
00:32:04.12\00:32:06.86
that we are in a
saving relationship
00:32:06.89\00:32:08.59
with Jesus,
00:32:08.62\00:32:09.96
and we will be
saved when He returns.
00:32:09.99\00:32:12.33
Now, once saved,
always saved, this idea.
00:32:12.36\00:32:15.90
The Bible is full
of examples of people
00:32:15.93\00:32:18.33
who sadly were walking with God,
00:32:18.37\00:32:21.00
and then turned
their back on Him
00:32:21.04\00:32:23.44
and ended up being lost.
00:32:23.47\00:32:25.31
And just before we
look at just a few,
00:32:25.34\00:32:28.21
Hebrews 3:12,
00:32:28.24\00:32:29.88
in this chapter,
00:32:29.91\00:32:31.25
the Apostle Paul
pens these words.
00:32:31.28\00:32:32.81
He says,
00:32:32.85\00:32:34.18
"Beware brethren,
00:32:34.22\00:32:35.55
lest there be in any of
you an evil heart of unbelief,
00:32:35.58\00:32:38.72
in departing
from the living God."
00:32:38.75\00:32:42.06
So Paul warns saying,
00:32:42.09\00:32:43.43
"We can't depart
from the living God."
00:32:43.46\00:32:46.26
We see this in a
number of illustrations
00:32:46.29\00:32:48.26
and examples of
people in the Old Testament,
00:32:48.30\00:32:49.86
the New Testament,
00:32:49.90\00:32:51.27
one from the Old
Testament is King Saul.
00:32:51.30\00:32:53.60
Was King Saul in
God's favor, yes or no?
00:32:53.64\00:32:56.44
Yes, he was.
00:32:56.47\00:32:57.81
Did he end up
turning his back on God
00:32:57.84\00:32:59.61
and being lost?
00:32:59.64\00:33:00.98
Yes or no?
00:33:01.01\00:33:02.34
Sadly, yes, he did.
00:33:02.38\00:33:03.71
How about Judas?
00:33:03.75\00:33:05.08
Judas was
literally walking with Jesus,
00:33:05.11\00:33:07.45
he was journeying with Jesus,
he was one of the disciples.
00:33:07.48\00:33:10.39
But sadly, because of his greed,
00:33:10.42\00:33:12.49
he sold Jesus and betrayed Him,
00:33:12.52\00:33:14.92
and then ended his own life.
00:33:14.96\00:33:17.39
Judas is
another example of this.
00:33:17.43\00:33:19.56
So what do
Christians who believe
00:33:19.59\00:33:21.63
in once saved always saved
00:33:21.66\00:33:23.33
believe about these
examples from the Bible?
00:33:23.37\00:33:26.23
You know what they say?
00:33:26.27\00:33:27.60
They say,
00:33:27.64\00:33:28.97
"Oh, well,
00:33:29.00\00:33:30.34
these people were
never really saved
00:33:30.37\00:33:32.37
in the first place."
00:33:32.41\00:33:35.38
They were never really
saved in the first place.
00:33:35.41\00:33:36.91
It was all just it
looked like they were saved,
00:33:36.95\00:33:38.71
but they were not.
00:33:38.75\00:33:40.08
And, friends, you can see why
00:33:40.12\00:33:41.45
this idea of once
saved always saved.
00:33:41.48\00:33:44.19
It sounds good
00:33:44.22\00:33:45.55
and it sounds like
it provides assurance.
00:33:45.59\00:33:47.66
But it never offers
assurance to people,
00:33:47.69\00:33:50.93
that they are safe.
00:33:50.96\00:33:52.29
Because think about it,
00:33:52.33\00:33:53.66
you could get to
the end of your life.
00:33:53.70\00:33:55.03
And you could think,
00:33:55.06\00:33:56.40
man, I could get to
the last days of my life
00:33:56.43\00:33:58.17
and turn my back on God.
00:33:58.20\00:33:59.53
And it means my
current experience
00:33:59.57\00:34:00.90
with Him is fake.
00:34:00.94\00:34:02.60
But rather than this, friend,
00:34:02.64\00:34:04.21
the Bible teaches that
we can be walking with God,
00:34:04.24\00:34:07.14
but it's a walk in progress.
00:34:07.18\00:34:09.31
Amen?
00:34:09.34\00:34:10.68
It's a walk in progress,
we walk with Him every day,
00:34:10.71\00:34:13.48
we journey with Him,
we continue to choose Him,
00:34:13.52\00:34:16.05
and we enter into
a saving relationship
00:34:16.08\00:34:18.05
with Him.
00:34:18.09\00:34:19.42
And we, by His
grace, and with His help,
00:34:19.45\00:34:21.92
never turn back to
the ways of the world.
00:34:21.96\00:34:26.06
Now, on the other side of this,
00:34:26.09\00:34:28.80
as mentioned,
00:34:28.83\00:34:30.17
is the teaching
00:34:30.20\00:34:31.77
that we'll never
be ready for heaven.
00:34:31.80\00:34:34.37
Now the question comes,
00:34:34.40\00:34:35.74
does the Bible
actually teach that
00:34:35.77\00:34:37.11
we can have
assurance of our salvation?
00:34:37.14\00:34:39.34
That's a really
important question.
00:34:39.37\00:34:41.24
We'll just look at
a few verses together,
00:34:41.28\00:34:42.61
two primarily.
00:34:42.64\00:34:44.11
Luke 10:20,
00:34:44.15\00:34:45.88
Jesus had just
sent out the disciples,
00:34:45.91\00:34:48.28
and they came back
00:34:48.32\00:34:49.78
and they had
experienced miracles.
00:34:49.82\00:34:51.32
The demons were
subjected to them
00:34:51.35\00:34:52.69
in Jesus name,
00:34:52.72\00:34:54.06
and they were healing the sick.
00:34:54.09\00:34:55.42
And as they came
back, Jesus says this.
00:34:55.46\00:34:59.19
He says in Luke 10:20,
00:34:59.23\00:35:00.56
"Nevertheless, do
not rejoice in this,
00:35:00.60\00:35:03.37
that the spirits
are subject to you,
00:35:03.40\00:35:05.33
but rather rejoice
00:35:05.37\00:35:06.74
because your names
are written in heaven."
00:35:06.77\00:35:11.71
Question,
00:35:11.74\00:35:13.14
could the disciples
rejoice if they weren't sure
00:35:13.17\00:35:16.61
if their names
were written in heaven,
00:35:16.64\00:35:17.98
yes or no?
00:35:18.01\00:35:19.75
No,
00:35:19.78\00:35:21.12
but Jesus told them
00:35:21.15\00:35:22.48
your names are
written in heaven.
00:35:22.52\00:35:24.69
Similarly, 1 John 5:13,
00:35:24.72\00:35:27.26
"These things I
have written to you
00:35:27.29\00:35:28.82
who believe in the
name of the Son of God,
00:35:28.86\00:35:31.26
that you may know
that you have eternal life,
00:35:31.29\00:35:34.63
and that you may
continue to believe
00:35:34.66\00:35:36.63
in the name of the Son of God."
00:35:36.67\00:35:38.97
John doesn't say,
I've written these things,
00:35:39.00\00:35:40.84
so that you can think or
hope that you have eternal life,
00:35:40.87\00:35:44.44
he says, so that you may
know that you have eternal life.
00:35:44.47\00:35:47.74
Friends, the Bible teaches that,
00:35:47.78\00:35:49.48
that there is an
assurance of peace
00:35:49.51\00:35:51.88
that comes through a confidence,
00:35:51.91\00:35:54.35
not in ourselves,
00:35:54.38\00:35:55.82
but because of our Savior,
00:35:55.85\00:35:57.55
who we are connected to.
00:35:57.59\00:35:58.92
Does that make sense?
00:35:58.95\00:36:00.29
This is a beautiful
teaching of the Bible.
00:36:00.32\00:36:02.69
And we can't have
peace and true assurance
00:36:02.72\00:36:06.96
until and unless
we understand this.
00:36:07.00\00:36:10.43
Now, friends, once again,
00:36:10.47\00:36:14.04
this is not because of
our confidence in self,
00:36:14.07\00:36:16.81
but because of our
confidence in Christ.
00:36:16.84\00:36:19.87
And, you know, if Satan
doesn't have us in one ditch,
00:36:19.91\00:36:21.91
he'll try
getting us in the other.
00:36:21.94\00:36:24.21
And dare I say
00:36:24.25\00:36:26.21
that more people
00:36:26.25\00:36:27.58
in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:36:27.62\00:36:29.08
are in this ditch
rather than that one,
00:36:29.12\00:36:32.19
rather than the
once saved, always saved,
00:36:32.22\00:36:33.76
we tend to be in
the ditch of man,
00:36:33.79\00:36:36.32
I'll never make it to heaven.
00:36:36.36\00:36:38.53
I can never know and
have peace and assurance.
00:36:38.56\00:36:42.26
And don't get me wrong,
00:36:42.30\00:36:43.63
there is a thing
called false assurance
00:36:43.67\00:36:45.00
where we feel like we're okay,
00:36:45.03\00:36:46.53
but we're
actually living in sin.
00:36:46.57\00:36:48.54
And that's a
very dangerous thing.
00:36:48.57\00:36:50.37
But the opposite
extreme once again,
00:36:50.41\00:36:52.17
is that we can never
have peace and assurance
00:36:52.21\00:36:55.04
and be sure that
00:36:55.08\00:36:56.98
we are in a saving
relationship with Jesus
00:36:57.01\00:36:59.48
that will lead to
our eternal salvation
00:36:59.51\00:37:02.28
if we continue
journeying with Him.
00:37:02.32\00:37:05.62
The devil points to us
00:37:05.65\00:37:07.42
and he says, you
know, you're too messed up.
00:37:07.46\00:37:10.23
Your life is too much of a mess,
00:37:10.26\00:37:11.89
you're not good
enough to be there,
00:37:11.93\00:37:13.70
you're not good
enough to make it into heaven
00:37:13.73\00:37:15.56
and, friends, you
know, that's true.
00:37:15.60\00:37:17.67
You and I are not good
enough to make it into heaven,
00:37:17.70\00:37:21.77
because of our righteousness.
00:37:21.80\00:37:23.84
But praise God that
Christ is good enough.
00:37:23.87\00:37:26.78
And Christ accredits
everything in His account to us
00:37:26.81\00:37:30.45
when we accept
Him into our hearts,
00:37:30.48\00:37:32.65
and into our lives by faith.
00:37:32.68\00:37:35.08
When we have
confessed and forsaken our sins,
00:37:35.12\00:37:38.69
we can close our
ear to the enemy,
00:37:38.72\00:37:41.56
when he throws
these accusations at us,
00:37:41.59\00:37:44.49
and we can turn our
eyes to the promises of God.
00:37:44.53\00:37:48.40
Isaiah 41:9-10.
00:37:48.43\00:37:50.60
God says,
00:37:50.63\00:37:51.97
"You are My servant,
00:37:52.00\00:37:53.34
I have chosen you and
have not cast you away.
00:37:53.37\00:37:55.77
Fear not, for I'm with you,
00:37:55.80\00:37:57.64
be not dismayed,
for I am your God.
00:37:57.67\00:38:00.11
I will help you, yes,
I will strengthen you,
00:38:00.14\00:38:02.81
I will uphold you with
My righteous right hand."
00:38:02.84\00:38:06.72
Friend, beautiful promises,
00:38:06.75\00:38:08.65
that there are
in the Word of God
00:38:08.68\00:38:10.02
and they are for you.
00:38:10.05\00:38:11.39
Jeremiah 31:3,
00:38:11.42\00:38:12.75
"The Lord has
appeared of old to me saying,
00:38:12.79\00:38:14.62
'Yes, I have loved you
with an everlasting love.
00:38:14.66\00:38:17.99
Therefore, with loving kindness,
00:38:18.03\00:38:19.93
I have drawn you."
00:38:19.96\00:38:21.80
Philippians 1:6,
00:38:21.83\00:38:23.16
"Being confident
of this very thing
00:38:23.20\00:38:24.60
that he who has
begun a good work in you
00:38:24.63\00:38:27.04
will be faithful to complete it
until the day of Jesus Christ."
00:38:27.07\00:38:32.11
Now there must be
at least one person
00:38:32.14\00:38:34.44
listening right now
00:38:34.48\00:38:35.88
who thinks, you know,
those promises are nice,
00:38:35.91\00:38:37.91
but they don't apply to me.
00:38:37.95\00:38:39.85
I'm too messed up.
00:38:39.88\00:38:41.45
I've gone beyond
the reach of God's help,
00:38:41.48\00:38:44.05
the reach of God's salvation.
00:38:44.09\00:38:45.85
Friends, listen to this,
00:38:45.89\00:38:47.22
Steps to Christ, page 52 and 53.
00:38:47.26\00:38:50.36
"Put away the suspicion
00:38:50.39\00:38:52.06
that God's promises
are not meant for you.
00:38:52.09\00:38:54.76
They are for every
repentant transgressor.
00:38:54.80\00:38:58.07
Strength and grace
00:38:58.10\00:38:59.43
have been
provided through Christ
00:38:59.47\00:39:00.97
to be brought by
ministering angels
00:39:01.00\00:39:02.67
to every believing soul.
00:39:02.70\00:39:04.47
None are so sinful,"
00:39:04.51\00:39:05.84
how many?
00:39:05.87\00:39:07.28
"None are so sinful
00:39:07.31\00:39:08.94
that they cannot
find strength, purity
00:39:08.98\00:39:11.41
and righteousness in
Jesus, who died for them.
00:39:11.45\00:39:14.12
He is waiting to
strip them of their garments
00:39:14.15\00:39:16.45
stained and polluted with sin,
00:39:16.48\00:39:18.05
and to put upon them
00:39:18.09\00:39:19.42
the white robes
of righteousness,
00:39:19.45\00:39:21.32
He bids them live and not die."
00:39:21.36\00:39:24.43
Friends, these are
beautiful promises.
00:39:24.46\00:39:26.96
And this is saying basically,
00:39:27.00\00:39:28.33
every one of
those Bible promises
00:39:28.36\00:39:30.17
is for you.
00:39:30.20\00:39:31.53
If you have
repented of your sins,
00:39:31.57\00:39:33.40
every promise
from the Word of God
00:39:33.44\00:39:36.34
is a promise for you.
00:39:36.37\00:39:37.74
You can take it to the bank,
00:39:37.77\00:39:39.27
and know that you can
cash in on that promise
00:39:39.31\00:39:42.04
because it comes
from a God who cannot lie.
00:39:42.08\00:39:44.81
And He has made
this promise to you.
00:39:44.85\00:39:48.12
The Bible has this principle.
00:39:48.15\00:39:51.75
And I like to call
it the divine paradox.
00:39:51.79\00:39:54.52
And the divine paradox,
00:39:54.56\00:39:55.89
it's this principle that
00:39:55.92\00:39:57.26
the closer we come to Jesus,
00:39:57.29\00:39:59.43
the more we
recognize our own imperfections
00:39:59.46\00:40:02.70
and weaknesses,
00:40:02.73\00:40:04.07
our character flaws.
00:40:04.10\00:40:05.43
It's kind of like when,
00:40:05.47\00:40:06.94
you know, Charisa
would come visit me
00:40:06.97\00:40:08.44
while we were dating.
00:40:08.47\00:40:09.80
Inevitably, the day
before I'd go to pick her up
00:40:09.84\00:40:12.07
at the airport,
00:40:12.11\00:40:14.44
I'd be in my kitchen and think,
00:40:14.48\00:40:16.14
I hadn't seen that spot.
00:40:16.18\00:40:17.91
And I get down and
start to clean it off,
00:40:17.95\00:40:19.98
and then I'd see
another one and be like,
00:40:20.02\00:40:21.45
oh, there's
another one over there.
00:40:21.48\00:40:24.05
And then walking
through my house,
00:40:24.09\00:40:26.15
I had kind of been oblivious
to that stack of papers there,
00:40:26.19\00:40:28.92
you know, I should
tidy these things up.
00:40:28.96\00:40:30.83
When someone
with a higher standard
00:40:30.86\00:40:32.93
of cleanliness
00:40:32.96\00:40:34.30
is coming into your
home and your personal space,
00:40:34.33\00:40:37.10
all of a sudden,
00:40:37.13\00:40:38.47
you start seeing
all the imperfections
00:40:38.50\00:40:40.10
and the messiness of your home.
00:40:40.14\00:40:43.61
And it's the same with Jesus
00:40:43.64\00:40:44.97
when it comes to our characters.
00:40:45.01\00:40:46.81
When we draw closer to Christ,
the closer we come to Him,
00:40:46.84\00:40:50.75
and see His perfect character,
00:40:50.78\00:40:52.75
the more we see
our own imperfections,
00:40:52.78\00:40:55.48
our own weaknesses,
our character flaws,
00:40:55.52\00:40:57.85
and our faults.
00:40:57.89\00:40:59.22
And this is the
divine paradox, as it were.
00:40:59.25\00:41:02.82
But this is a healthy thing,
00:41:02.86\00:41:05.06
because we should recognize
00:41:05.09\00:41:06.59
our imperfections
and our weaknesses,
00:41:06.63\00:41:08.20
the more that we
see Christ's perfection
00:41:08.23\00:41:10.67
and His holiness.
00:41:10.70\00:41:12.03
However,
00:41:12.07\00:41:13.40
the devil will
inevitably try discouraging us
00:41:13.44\00:41:16.27
by trying to get
us to focus our eyes
00:41:16.30\00:41:18.37
and leave our eyes on ourselves,
00:41:18.41\00:41:20.64
rather than focusing our
eyes on Christ, our Savior.
00:41:20.68\00:41:25.68
Moving to
another beautiful quote,
00:41:25.71\00:41:27.98
"Do not be misled
by Satan's devices.
00:41:28.02\00:41:30.75
Many who are
really conscientious,
00:41:30.79\00:41:33.39
who desire to live for God,
00:41:33.42\00:41:35.46
he too often leads to dwell
00:41:35.49\00:41:37.29
on their own
faults and weaknesses,
00:41:37.33\00:41:39.23
and thus by
separating them from Christ
00:41:39.26\00:41:41.30
he hopes to gain the victory.
00:41:41.33\00:41:42.96
We should not
make self the center
00:41:43.00\00:41:44.73
and indulge anxiety and fear
00:41:44.77\00:41:47.34
as to whether we shall be saved.
00:41:47.37\00:41:49.20
All this turns the soul away
from the source of strength.
00:41:49.24\00:41:53.17
Commit the keeping
of your soul to God
00:41:53.21\00:41:55.94
and trust in Him...
00:41:55.98\00:41:57.61
He is able to keep that
00:41:57.65\00:41:59.78
which you have
committed to Him."
00:41:59.81\00:42:02.52
Friends, in the beautiful
words of Martin Luther,
00:42:02.55\00:42:04.82
when I look at myself, I
don't see how I can be saved.
00:42:04.85\00:42:08.26
But when I look at Jesus, I
don't see how I can be lost.
00:42:08.29\00:42:12.16
This is the key.
00:42:12.19\00:42:13.70
We must focus our eyes
and turn our eyes upon Jesus
00:42:13.73\00:42:18.13
to look full in
His wonderful face.
00:42:18.17\00:42:20.50
And as we see more
of our imperfections,
00:42:20.54\00:42:22.80
we surrender them to Him.
00:42:22.84\00:42:24.37
He lives out His life
in us, He transforms us,
00:42:24.41\00:42:27.88
He removes those things
00:42:27.91\00:42:29.24
that are keeping us
from a closer walk with Him.
00:42:29.28\00:42:32.15
And He uses us
00:42:32.18\00:42:34.22
in a sense to
reflect His character
00:42:34.25\00:42:36.15
to a dying world.
00:42:36.18\00:42:39.19
You know, another trap
that the devil sets for us
00:42:39.22\00:42:44.36
when we are on
our heavenward way.
00:42:44.39\00:42:47.73
Another trap that he sets for us
00:42:47.76\00:42:49.10
is bringing up past sins.
00:42:49.13\00:42:51.83
You know, I
realized some time ago
00:42:51.87\00:42:53.54
that this was some
number of years back now.
00:42:53.57\00:42:56.84
But I realized that
I was confessing sins
00:42:56.87\00:43:00.54
that I had
already confessed to God
00:43:00.58\00:43:03.14
and forsaken.
00:43:03.18\00:43:04.51
They were a thing of the past.
00:43:04.55\00:43:05.88
But for some reason, I
continue to confess this sin.
00:43:05.91\00:43:08.28
And one day,
00:43:08.32\00:43:09.65
it was as if God
spoke to me and said,
00:43:09.68\00:43:11.25
"Justin, I already
forgave you for that.
00:43:11.29\00:43:13.92
What are you talking about?
00:43:13.96\00:43:15.86
I've already
forgiven you for that.
00:43:15.89\00:43:17.63
I'm not going back to it.
00:43:17.66\00:43:18.99
Why are you
digging into your memory
00:43:19.03\00:43:20.86
and doing that?
00:43:20.90\00:43:22.23
It's gone."
00:43:22.26\00:43:23.60
I heard the story of a boy
00:43:23.63\00:43:25.67
who was learning to
drive at the age of 16.
00:43:25.70\00:43:28.07
In America, you
can get your license,
00:43:28.10\00:43:29.60
your permit at 15 and a half,
00:43:29.64\00:43:31.07
and he was learning to drive,
00:43:31.11\00:43:32.44
and him and his dad were driving
00:43:32.47\00:43:33.81
as his dad was teaching him.
00:43:33.84\00:43:35.18
And as they pulled
out of the driveway,
00:43:35.21\00:43:36.85
the neighbor's cat
00:43:36.88\00:43:38.21
ran straight in
front of the car.
00:43:38.25\00:43:40.02
They ran over the poor cat
and killed the neighbor's cat.
00:43:40.05\00:43:43.72
In tears, he picked up the cat
00:43:43.75\00:43:45.65
and they went together
to the neighbor's door,
00:43:45.69\00:43:47.66
they rang the doorbell.
00:43:47.69\00:43:49.09
And with broken hearts,
00:43:49.12\00:43:50.46
they told them the story
00:43:50.49\00:43:51.83
of how they had
accidentally killed their cat.
00:43:51.86\00:43:54.23
And they said,
00:43:54.26\00:43:55.60
"Oh, listen, look, we
know it was an accident.
00:43:55.63\00:43:57.03
These types of things
happen, we forgive you."
00:43:57.07\00:43:59.73
They said, "Okay, thank
you. Thank you so much."
00:43:59.77\00:44:01.80
And he and his father went home.
00:44:01.84\00:44:03.97
The family took the
cat in the back that day,
00:44:04.01\00:44:05.91
they buried the cat,
00:44:05.94\00:44:07.28
had a little
funeral service for it
00:44:07.31\00:44:09.71
and then the next evening
00:44:09.74\00:44:11.45
there was a knock on their door,
00:44:11.48\00:44:12.88
just as the sun
was starting to set.
00:44:12.91\00:44:15.18
And they opened the door.
00:44:15.22\00:44:18.15
And here was this boy
00:44:18.19\00:44:21.09
with the cat covered in
dirt dug up out of the ground.
00:44:21.12\00:44:24.23
And he was saying,
00:44:24.26\00:44:25.59
"Oh, look, I'm so sorry.
00:44:25.63\00:44:26.96
I'm so sorry for
killing your cat."
00:44:27.00\00:44:28.86
And they said,
00:44:28.90\00:44:30.87
"It's okay.
00:44:30.90\00:44:32.70
Yeah, look, we forgive
you. It's fine. It's fine."
00:44:32.73\00:44:34.90
And they took the
cat they buried it again.
00:44:34.94\00:44:36.91
And boy went home
00:44:36.94\00:44:39.17
and conscious
clean went to sleep.
00:44:39.21\00:44:41.68
But the next day,
guess what happens?
00:44:41.71\00:44:44.75
Knock at the door again.
00:44:44.78\00:44:46.11
And the boy was there
with that dirty buried cat.
00:44:46.15\00:44:50.39
And this time the neighbor said,
00:44:50.42\00:44:51.75
"Leave it
buried. Leave it alone.
00:44:51.79\00:44:55.06
We've forgiven you.
00:44:55.09\00:44:56.42
We've moved on,
leave the thing buried."
00:44:56.46\00:44:58.23
And, friends, the Bible tells us
00:44:58.26\00:44:59.93
in Micah 7:19,
00:44:59.96\00:45:01.66
that God buries our sins
00:45:01.70\00:45:03.03
in the deepest end of the ocean.
00:45:03.06\00:45:05.03
We shouldn't go
fishing for them. Amen?
00:45:05.07\00:45:07.20
When we've confessed
and forsaken those sins,
00:45:07.24\00:45:09.40
we can trust that they are gone.
00:45:09.44\00:45:12.21
And when the devil
knocks at the door of our hearts
00:45:12.24\00:45:14.71
to tempt or discourage us
00:45:14.74\00:45:16.14
and point us back to those sins,
00:45:16.18\00:45:17.65
don't answer the door,
send Jesus to the door.
00:45:17.68\00:45:20.82
And when Satan sees
Jesus coming at to the door,
00:45:20.85\00:45:23.89
"Oh, I've got the wrong house,"
00:45:23.92\00:45:25.89
and he'll be out of there.
00:45:25.92\00:45:27.26
He'll flee at the
presence of Jesus Christ.
00:45:27.29\00:45:30.43
Friends, remember,
00:45:30.46\00:45:31.79
it doesn't matter
if you feel forgiven.
00:45:31.83\00:45:34.23
It doesn't matter
if you feel saved.
00:45:34.26\00:45:36.80
It takes faith, not feeling.
00:45:36.83\00:45:39.33
Don't wait until you
feel you have been made whole.
00:45:39.37\00:45:42.87
Like that crippled man
00:45:42.90\00:45:44.24
who was healed saying,
00:45:44.27\00:45:45.64
I believe it.
00:45:45.67\00:45:47.01
It is so not because I feel it,
00:45:47.04\00:45:49.48
but because God has promised.
00:45:49.51\00:45:52.15
Friends, remember that,
that's a line worth memorizing,
00:45:52.18\00:45:54.45
by the way, and
it's out of here.
00:45:54.48\00:45:56.38
I believe it is so
not because I feel it,
00:45:56.42\00:45:59.69
but because God has promised.
00:45:59.72\00:46:01.92
It was through faith
that this man stood up,
00:46:01.96\00:46:05.39
not because he
felt like he could,
00:46:05.43\00:46:07.30
but through faith in
the one who had told him.
00:46:07.33\00:46:10.03
Friends, when we
receive Christ by faith,
00:46:10.07\00:46:12.63
we can then
believe and accept that
00:46:12.67\00:46:14.84
our salvation is a reality
00:46:14.87\00:46:17.37
that we can have assurance of.
00:46:17.41\00:46:19.94
You know, it's an
eternal life assurance policy.
00:46:19.97\00:46:23.85
Forget insurance,
we've got God's assurance.
00:46:23.88\00:46:26.82
Amen?
00:46:26.85\00:46:28.18
And that is a beautiful promise.
00:46:28.22\00:46:30.69
A final quote
from Steps to Christ
00:46:30.72\00:46:32.92
as we wrap up.
00:46:32.95\00:46:34.29
Page 64 of this beautiful book,
00:46:37.49\00:46:40.46
"There are those
00:46:40.50\00:46:41.83
who have known the
pardoning love of Christ,
00:46:41.86\00:46:43.87
and who really desire
to be children of God,
00:46:43.90\00:46:46.87
yet they realize that
their character is imperfect,
00:46:46.90\00:46:49.44
their life faulty,
00:46:49.47\00:46:50.84
and they are ready to doubt
00:46:50.87\00:46:52.27
whether their
hearts have been renewed
00:46:52.31\00:46:53.64
by the Holy Spirit.
00:46:53.68\00:46:55.01
To such I would say, Do
not draw back in despair.
00:46:55.04\00:46:58.98
We shall often have to bow down
and weep at the feet of Jesus,
00:46:59.01\00:47:02.98
because of our
shortcomings and mistakes,
00:47:03.02\00:47:05.25
but we are not
to be discouraged.
00:47:05.29\00:47:07.36
Even if we are
overcome by the enemy,
00:47:07.39\00:47:09.99
we are not cast off,
00:47:10.03\00:47:11.59
not forsaken
and rejected of God.
00:47:11.63\00:47:13.90
No, Christ is at
the right hand of God,
00:47:13.93\00:47:16.97
who also makes
intercession for us.
00:47:17.00\00:47:19.63
And if you will, but
yield yourself to Him,
00:47:19.67\00:47:22.57
He that hath
begun a good work in you
00:47:22.60\00:47:25.44
will carry it forward to
the day of Jesus Christ."
00:47:25.47\00:47:29.91
Friends, this is
a beautiful promise.
00:47:29.94\00:47:32.41
Yes, you may trip, you
may stumble, you may fall.
00:47:32.45\00:47:35.12
But the Bible
says in Proverbs 27,
00:47:35.15\00:47:37.09
it's not that the righteous
man never trips and falls
00:47:37.12\00:47:40.59
and the wicked falls.
00:47:40.62\00:47:41.96
No, it's that the
righteous gets up again.
00:47:41.99\00:47:44.59
They take the hand of Jesus,
00:47:44.63\00:47:46.56
get back up and keep
on our heavenward way.
00:47:46.59\00:47:50.33
Friends, if we commit
00:47:50.37\00:47:51.70
the keeping of our lives to God,
00:47:51.73\00:47:54.07
we can have this beautiful,
beautiful gift of assurance.
00:47:54.10\00:48:00.68
And this is something
00:48:00.71\00:48:02.78
that we can be
eternally grateful to him for.
00:48:02.81\00:48:07.32
You know, there was a time
00:48:07.35\00:48:09.75
where Martin Luther
a young Catholic monk.
00:48:09.78\00:48:14.69
And by the way,
00:48:14.72\00:48:16.06
the Protestant Reformation
was predominantly led
00:48:16.09\00:48:18.56
by former Catholic
teachers and monks and priests
00:48:18.59\00:48:22.36
because they were the ones
who had access to the Bible
00:48:22.40\00:48:25.40
in the Dark Ages.
00:48:25.43\00:48:27.30
Martin Luther had
given his life to the Lord
00:48:27.34\00:48:30.91
in serving Him.
00:48:30.94\00:48:32.47
One day he was climbing
00:48:32.51\00:48:34.44
the supposedly a
staircase from Pilate
00:48:34.48\00:48:37.71
that had miraculously
been transferred to Rome.
00:48:37.75\00:48:40.55
That was the story at least,
00:48:40.58\00:48:42.22
he was climbing it on his
knees as a form of penance,
00:48:42.25\00:48:45.62
in order to receive a
level of forgiveness of sin.
00:48:45.65\00:48:50.03
And as Martin
Luther was climbing
00:48:50.06\00:48:51.56
this long
staircase on his knees,
00:48:51.59\00:48:54.56
the verse
thundered into his mind,
00:48:54.60\00:48:57.20
the just shall live
by faith from Habakkuk 2.
00:48:57.23\00:49:01.40
The righteous,
the just shall live,
00:49:01.44\00:49:04.21
not by working
out their salvation,
00:49:04.24\00:49:06.37
but by faith.
00:49:06.41\00:49:07.81
This was the
beginning of a change
00:49:07.84\00:49:10.41
in Martin Luther's life.
00:49:10.45\00:49:12.18
He reached out and it was him
00:49:12.21\00:49:14.85
who God used in the
Protestant Reformation,
00:49:14.88\00:49:17.82
to highlight the
beautiful truth, again,
00:49:17.85\00:49:21.09
of salvation by
grace through faith,
00:49:21.12\00:49:23.93
not by works, but
by grace through faith.
00:49:23.96\00:49:27.60
One night, Martin
Luther had a dream.
00:49:27.63\00:49:30.40
And this dream felt so
real, it was as if he was there.
00:49:30.43\00:49:33.94
He saw the devil
there, Satan was there
00:49:33.97\00:49:36.64
and he had his hand,
00:49:36.67\00:49:38.57
his arm up on the
top of this scroll.
00:49:38.61\00:49:41.74
And there was this long
scroll with fine details
00:49:41.78\00:49:44.98
of Martin Luther's
sins listed on them.
00:49:45.01\00:49:48.02
And the devil said,
00:49:48.05\00:49:49.38
"Martin Luther,
are these your sins?"
00:49:49.42\00:49:52.62
And he said, "Yes."
00:49:52.65\00:49:54.32
But he saw that
00:49:54.36\00:49:55.69
there was something
behind the devil's arm.
00:49:55.72\00:49:58.49
This light that was emanating
00:49:58.53\00:49:59.89
from the top of
the scroll and he said,
00:49:59.93\00:50:01.26
"Yes, but move your hand."
00:50:01.30\00:50:03.13
The devil said,
00:50:03.16\00:50:04.50
"No. Martin Luther,
aren't these your sins?"
00:50:04.53\00:50:08.90
And he said, "Yes,
but move your hand."
00:50:08.94\00:50:11.47
And Satan said,
00:50:11.51\00:50:12.84
"No. Aren't these
your sins, Martin Luther?"
00:50:12.87\00:50:16.18
And he said,
00:50:16.21\00:50:17.55
"Yes, but in the name
of Jesus move your hand."
00:50:17.58\00:50:20.65
And the devil at the
name of Jesus fled away.
00:50:20.68\00:50:23.52
And Martin Luther saw
emblazoned in words of light
00:50:23.55\00:50:26.35
across the top of that scroll.
00:50:26.39\00:50:28.72
The blood of Jesus Christ
00:50:28.76\00:50:30.29
cleanses Martin
Luther from all of his sins.
00:50:30.33\00:50:34.56
Friends, the
blood of Jesus Christ
00:50:34.60\00:50:37.07
cleanses us from all our sins.
00:50:37.10\00:50:40.04
If we have
surrendered everything we have
00:50:40.07\00:50:42.54
and everything we are to Him,
00:50:42.57\00:50:45.17
we can have the calm
and blessed assurance
00:50:45.21\00:50:48.61
that we are in a
saving relationship with Him.
00:50:48.64\00:50:51.41
And that, no matter what happens
00:50:51.45\00:50:54.22
if we hold on to
His hand in this life,
00:50:54.25\00:50:56.89
He will walk us
through until His second coming
00:50:56.92\00:50:59.55
when He physically comes back
00:50:59.59\00:51:01.32
to take us in
the clouds of heaven,
00:51:01.36\00:51:03.36
to a place of eternal life,
00:51:03.39\00:51:06.76
and recreating
the earth even a place
00:51:06.80\00:51:08.83
where we can dwell
00:51:08.86\00:51:10.20
throughout the
ceaseless ages of eternity.
00:51:10.23\00:51:13.97
Friends, praise God,
00:51:14.00\00:51:15.77
that it doesn't
matter how we might feel.
00:51:15.80\00:51:19.81
It matters if we
have faith in God's Word.
00:51:19.84\00:51:23.11
Amen?
00:51:23.14\00:51:24.48
Feelings are
something that God has given us.
00:51:24.51\00:51:26.55
But feelings can come and go.
00:51:26.58\00:51:28.55
God gave us our emotions.
00:51:28.58\00:51:30.12
And with this gift of faith,
00:51:30.15\00:51:32.69
this gift of our assurance
00:51:32.72\00:51:34.82
can come feelings of
joy and peace and they will.
00:51:34.86\00:51:38.23
But feelings
again, they come and go.
00:51:38.26\00:51:40.60
And in the times
that we don't feel saved,
00:51:40.63\00:51:42.53
in the times that
we don't feel forgiven,
00:51:42.56\00:51:44.13
we can know that we are
because God has said so.
00:51:44.17\00:51:48.20
And what a blessed promise
and blessed assurance this is.
00:51:48.24\00:51:53.17
Friend, today for those here
00:51:53.21\00:51:55.94
and those who are
watching from home,
00:51:55.98\00:51:58.35
or wherever you might be.
00:51:58.38\00:52:00.28
If you have fear
about your salvation,
00:52:00.32\00:52:04.55
you fall most likely
into one of two groups.
00:52:04.59\00:52:07.92
First, if you're
in the first group,
00:52:07.96\00:52:10.53
and you have fear
about your salvation,
00:52:10.56\00:52:13.46
that's a healthy fear,
00:52:13.50\00:52:15.06
because maybe you
have not surrendered
00:52:15.10\00:52:17.57
everything in
your life to the Lord.
00:52:17.60\00:52:19.60
Maybe you've not
yet accepted Jesus
00:52:19.63\00:52:21.47
as your personal Savior.
00:52:21.50\00:52:23.67
And if that's you,
00:52:23.71\00:52:25.04
then there's reason to fear
00:52:25.07\00:52:26.64
because outside of Christ,
there is no hope of salvation.
00:52:26.68\00:52:30.71
We are not good enough,
00:52:30.75\00:52:32.08
no matter how
perfect we attempt to be,
00:52:32.11\00:52:35.78
we cannot make it.
00:52:35.82\00:52:37.65
And, friend, if
that's you today,
00:52:37.69\00:52:40.02
either you've not accepted
00:52:40.06\00:52:41.62
Christ as your personal Savior,
00:52:41.66\00:52:43.09
and you want to do
so for the first time.
00:52:43.12\00:52:45.79
Or if there are
things in your life,
00:52:45.83\00:52:48.06
that you've not
yet surrendered to God,
00:52:48.10\00:52:49.66
and you want to do so.
00:52:49.70\00:52:51.27
I want to invite
you to do that just now.
00:52:51.30\00:52:54.30
And if that's you,
as a physical token,
00:52:54.34\00:52:56.10
I want to invite you
to raise your hand to say,
00:52:56.14\00:52:57.77
"Lord, I want
there to be nothing
00:52:57.81\00:52:59.84
between you and I.
00:52:59.87\00:53:01.38
Lord, I'm accepting
You fully into my life.
00:53:01.41\00:53:03.55
I'm giving you these sins
00:53:03.58\00:53:05.38
and the hang ups and
get rid of them, Lord,
00:53:05.41\00:53:07.85
that there be nothing
between my soul and my Savior.
00:53:07.88\00:53:11.22
Praise the Lord.
00:53:11.25\00:53:13.49
If that's not you,
00:53:13.52\00:53:15.22
but you still have fear
in regards to your salvation,
00:53:15.26\00:53:19.46
it may be because
00:53:19.49\00:53:21.86
you're going based
upon your feelings.
00:53:21.90\00:53:24.57
And maybe because
00:53:24.60\00:53:26.17
as you've given
your life to Christ,
00:53:26.20\00:53:29.37
your eyes are on
you, instead of on Him.
00:53:29.40\00:53:33.21
You don't have peace,
you don't have full assurance
00:53:33.24\00:53:36.54
that you're in a saving
relationship with Him that
00:53:36.58\00:53:38.61
that eternal life
is a reality for you,
00:53:38.65\00:53:42.12
because your eyes are on you.
00:53:42.15\00:53:43.59
You see the high
and holy standard
00:53:43.62\00:53:45.52
of Jesus' perfection
00:53:45.55\00:53:47.06
and you recognize
your own imperfections,
00:53:47.09\00:53:49.52
and you're scared
00:53:49.56\00:53:51.13
because your eyes are
on you instead of on Him.
00:53:51.16\00:53:54.56
Friend, Christ
speaks to you today.
00:53:54.60\00:53:56.16
He says,
00:53:56.20\00:53:57.53
"I have loved you
with an everlasting love.
00:53:57.57\00:53:59.50
Therefore with loving kindness,
00:53:59.53\00:54:01.34
I have drawn you."
00:54:01.37\00:54:02.70
If that's you, my
friend, you want to say,
00:54:02.74\00:54:04.97
Lord, I trust You
fully with my salvation.
00:54:05.01\00:54:08.28
I wanna invite
to raise your hand,
00:54:08.31\00:54:09.64
wherever are you.
00:54:09.68\00:54:11.01
Amen. Amen.
00:54:11.05\00:54:12.38
Raise your hands to say,
00:54:12.41\00:54:13.75
"Lord, we trust You."
00:54:13.78\00:54:15.12