And this is the record
00:00:11.34\00:00:13.27
that God hath
given to us eternal life
00:00:13.31\00:00:16.61
and this life is in His Son.
00:00:16.64\00:00:20.28
Welcome to 3ABN
Australia Homecoming.
00:00:20.32\00:00:23.99
Welcome to 3ABN
Australia Homecoming, 2020,
00:00:30.76\00:00:34.96
and we're in
Morisset in New South Wales.
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And it's really good to
have you folk joining us.
00:00:37.83\00:00:41.00
I'm sure you're
enjoying this program.
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It's a series,
Preparing for the Eternity.
00:00:43.14\00:00:47.14
You know, we're going through
00:00:47.18\00:00:48.51
the book Steps to
Christ, and our last speaker
00:00:48.54\00:00:51.31
was Justin Torossian
and he covered Chapter 6,
00:00:51.35\00:00:54.48
Faith and Acceptance.
00:00:54.52\00:00:56.45
There are six points
that he brought out in summary
00:00:56.48\00:00:58.49
that I'd like to remind you of.
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Number one, were
you to die tonight,
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would you be saved?
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Are you sure of your answer?
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Number two, the Bible says that
00:01:07.86\00:01:10.10
assurance of our
salvation is a necessity!
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Number three, there are two main
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ditches on the
road of salvation.
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The devil is happy for
us to be in either of them.
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Number four, if you
think you're not good enough
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to be saved you're right!
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But Christ is good enough.
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Number five, God
is doing everything
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He can to save every
person on planet earth.
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And number six,
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if you don't feel
saved and forgiven,
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forget your
feelings, trust God's promises!
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You know, our
musical item will be
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presented by
Rosemary and all the years
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that we've been married
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and we've been working together,
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Rosemary has dedicated
her voice, a gift from God
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for blessing others in song.
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And straight after her,
we will have Peter Watts.
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Pastor Peter Watts is a
very interesting fellow.
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His occupation, his
full-time occupation
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was being a barman
serving others in the bar,
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but you know what?
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He's come to
discover that serving Jesus
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and becoming His disciple
is his favorite occupation
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and not only his occupation,
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but his dream to help others
to be prepared for eternity.
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And Peter will be speaking
straight after Rosemary,
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and I'm sure you're
going to be very much blessed.
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So we look forward
to what he has to say.
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Thank you, Rosemary.
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A wonderful Savior
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Is Jesus my Lord
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A wonderful Savior to me
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He hideth my soul
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In the cleft of the rock
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Where rivers of pleasure
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I see
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He hideth my soul
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In the cleft of the rock
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That shadows a dry
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Thirsty land
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He hideth my life
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In the depths of His love
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And covers me
there with His hand
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And covers me
there with His hand
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A wonderful Savior
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Is Jesus my Lord
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He taketh my burden away
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He holdeth me up
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And I shall not be moved
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He giveth me strength as my day
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When clothed in His brightness
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Transported I rise
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To meet Him in clouds of the sky
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His perfect salvation
00:05:05.97\00:05:09.90
His wonderful love
00:05:09.94\00:05:13.38
I'll shout with
the millions on high
00:05:13.41\00:05:18.48
He hideth my soul
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In the cleft of the rock
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That shadows a dry
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Thirsty land
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He hideth my life in
the depths of His love
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And covers me there
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With His hand
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And covers me there
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With His hand
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And covers me there
00:06:03.02\00:06:07.20
With His hand
00:06:07.23\00:06:10.43
Hello everyone, it is
great to be with you all
00:06:30.69\00:06:33.89
for the 3ABN Homecoming, 2020,
00:06:33.92\00:06:36.86
Preparing for Eternity.
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Rosemary, that
was a beautiful song.
00:06:38.89\00:06:40.46
Thank you for
that beautiful song.
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I'm talking to you today
about the test of discipleship.
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What does it mean to
be a disciple of Jesus?
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How do you know if
you are a disciple?
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How do you know if somebody
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who's claiming to
be a disciple of Jesus
00:06:56.64\00:06:59.31
actually is a disciple of Jesus?
00:06:59.35\00:07:02.38
But what is a disciple anyway?
00:07:02.42\00:07:04.72
You know, Jesus, 2000
years ago called people to Him
00:07:04.75\00:07:10.09
and He said, "Follow Me."
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And the disciples
were followers of Jesus.
00:07:13.26\00:07:15.60
That's one of the
things about a disciple.
00:07:15.63\00:07:18.10
The other thing is that
00:07:18.13\00:07:20.47
I kind of think of them
having a sign around their neck
00:07:20.50\00:07:23.87
with a big L on it.
00:07:23.91\00:07:25.64
A learner, a
disciple is a learner.
00:07:25.67\00:07:28.58
Someone who is
learning from the master
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and Jesus is the master
00:07:31.35\00:07:32.75
and there's no one
better to learn from.
00:07:32.78\00:07:35.18
And so a disciple
was a follower of Jesus
00:07:35.22\00:07:38.02
and someone who
learned from Jesus.
00:07:38.05\00:07:41.59
So what is the
test of discipleship?
00:07:41.62\00:07:43.69
We're gonna talk about
that in our message today.
00:07:43.73\00:07:47.90
And really a part of, a
big part of this message is
00:07:47.93\00:07:52.23
what is the relationship
between faith and good works?
00:07:52.27\00:07:58.24
What is the relationship
00:07:58.27\00:07:59.84
between the grace of
God and the law of God?
00:07:59.87\00:08:05.41
How did those two interact?
00:08:05.45\00:08:07.92
What is the way
00:08:07.95\00:08:09.72
in which those two
things come together
00:08:09.75\00:08:11.75
and we're going to
take a look at that.
00:08:11.79\00:08:13.52
And within Christianity,
00:08:13.56\00:08:16.73
that topic has been grappled
with for the last 2000 years.
00:08:16.76\00:08:20.93
As you know, we
are saved by grace
00:08:20.96\00:08:24.20
so then what place of the law,
00:08:24.23\00:08:27.57
are we expected to
keep the law of God.
00:08:27.60\00:08:29.57
And if so, how
does that contribute
00:08:29.60\00:08:31.81
or does it
contribute to our salvation?
00:08:31.84\00:08:35.44
How do those
things come together
00:08:35.48\00:08:37.68
and what indeed is
the test of discipleship?
00:08:37.71\00:08:40.52
I'm gonna start with a story,
00:08:40.55\00:08:43.82
a true story of a
British woman who few years ago,
00:08:43.85\00:08:47.72
she decided she
wanted to leave England
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and go to Thailand
on a working holiday.
00:08:52.29\00:08:55.73
And she went to
Thailand on a working holiday
00:08:55.76\00:08:57.83
and she was
there two, three years.
00:08:57.87\00:09:01.47
Ultimately she
had only planned to go
00:09:01.50\00:09:04.74
for three months,
but she loved it so much
00:09:04.77\00:09:06.71
she decided to stay and
she was teaching English
00:09:06.74\00:09:08.98
and then she'd go down
to this beautiful island
00:09:09.01\00:09:13.01
in the Southeast of
Thailand called Ko Samui.
00:09:13.05\00:09:17.35
I've been there myself,
it's a beautiful island.
00:09:17.39\00:09:19.35
She thought this was paradise.
00:09:19.39\00:09:22.09
Anyway time went
by, she met somebody
00:09:22.12\00:09:26.46
who also was from England,
00:09:26.49\00:09:27.96
who said, "I'd like
you to do something for me.
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I'll pay you a thousand pounds,
00:09:30.80\00:09:33.80
if you'll take a
parcel to Tokyo for me."
00:09:33.84\00:09:38.21
And she thought about that,
00:09:38.24\00:09:39.57
I wonder what's in
the parcel, you know?
00:09:39.61\00:09:41.38
And so in other words,
00:09:41.41\00:09:42.94
he was going to ask her
to carry drugs in her pack
00:09:42.98\00:09:46.68
and to go to a trip to Tokyo,
to earn a thousand pounds.
00:09:46.72\00:09:50.39
And she thought, well,
you know, it's not that big.
00:09:50.42\00:09:54.02
You know, I
guess, should I do it?
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Maybe it's not the best
idea, anyway, she did it.
00:09:55.76\00:09:57.93
And she got caught.
00:09:57.96\00:09:59.39
And at Bangkok airport,
00:09:59.43\00:10:01.70
she was discovered
with 89 grams of heroin
00:10:01.73\00:10:03.83
on her parcel and
she couldn't believe it.
00:10:03.87\00:10:08.14
And she was eventually sentenced
00:10:08.17\00:10:10.91
and they were
gonna sentence though
00:10:10.94\00:10:12.47
they have the death penalty
00:10:12.51\00:10:14.88
for drug smuggling in
Thailand, and she thought that
00:10:14.91\00:10:17.91
she was going to
face the death penalty,
00:10:17.95\00:10:19.28
eventually they commuted
the sentence to 25 years.
00:10:19.31\00:10:23.15
After serving seven years
00:10:23.18\00:10:26.49
and being a model
prisoner regretting
00:10:26.52\00:10:31.09
what she had done,
00:10:31.13\00:10:32.66
the king of Thailand
gave her a royal pardon.
00:10:32.69\00:10:37.67
A royal pardon
after just seven years
00:10:37.70\00:10:39.43
and she was able to go
home back to her parents,
00:10:39.47\00:10:43.07
much rejoicing.
00:10:43.10\00:10:44.71
Here's the question.
00:10:44.74\00:10:47.18
Now that she has a
royal pardon from the king,
00:10:47.21\00:10:51.25
is she free to smuggle drugs?
00:10:51.28\00:10:54.78
That might seem like
00:10:54.82\00:10:56.15
an obvious
answer to that question.
00:10:56.18\00:10:58.79
Of course not.
00:10:58.82\00:11:00.16
That's not why she
received the royal pardon,
00:11:00.19\00:11:04.36
but in a sense,
that's the question many ask
00:11:04.39\00:11:07.96
in regards to the way in
which grace and law interact
00:11:08.00\00:11:13.44
in the gospel, in
the plan of salvation.
00:11:13.47\00:11:16.84
Wants you to turn to your Bibles
00:11:16.87\00:11:18.21
if you have them,
00:11:18.24\00:11:19.57
I'd encourage you to be
following along in your Bible.
00:11:19.61\00:11:21.88
We're gonna
look at a Bible verse
00:11:21.91\00:11:23.35
in 2 Corinthians 5:17.
00:11:23.38\00:11:26.85
And in 2 Corinthians
5:17, we read these words,
00:11:26.88\00:11:29.58
Paul is writing to
the Church of Corinth.
00:11:29.62\00:11:31.29
He says, "Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ,
00:11:31.32\00:11:35.99
he is a new creation,
old things have passed away,
00:11:36.02\00:11:40.43
behold, all
things have become new."
00:11:40.46\00:11:43.50
There is some transformation
00:11:43.53\00:11:46.57
that occurs when a
person becomes a Christian.
00:11:46.60\00:11:50.97
When a person is in Christ,
00:11:51.01\00:11:52.97
when they come out of the world,
00:11:53.01\00:11:55.04
in fact, John
puts it like this is,
00:11:55.08\00:11:56.85
he says, John writes
about the words of Jesus,
00:11:56.88\00:12:00.05
where Jesus says,
00:12:00.08\00:12:02.48
"They've passed
from death to life
00:12:02.52\00:12:06.62
when they have accepted Christ."
00:12:06.65\00:12:08.66
And so there is
this transformation,
00:12:08.69\00:12:11.79
anybody being in Christ,
00:12:11.83\00:12:13.16
they're a new creation,
old things have passed away.
00:12:13.19\00:12:14.76
All things have
become new, a new creation.
00:12:14.80\00:12:19.23
I don't know if
you ever saw that
00:12:19.27\00:12:20.77
television show
called Extreme Makeover.
00:12:20.80\00:12:24.54
People will go on to that
show and they would be made up.
00:12:24.57\00:12:28.94
They'd have their hair cut,
00:12:28.98\00:12:30.31
they'd put on different clothes,
00:12:30.35\00:12:31.68
they might go
through a fitness regime,
00:12:31.71\00:12:33.82
they might have
some plastic surgery
00:12:33.85\00:12:36.89
to make them look
different on the outside.
00:12:36.92\00:12:42.72
Well, what God is doing,
00:12:42.76\00:12:44.43
there is an extreme
makeover that takes place,
00:12:44.46\00:12:47.50
but it's an extreme makeover
that takes place on the inside
00:12:47.53\00:12:50.97
that is then
seen on the outside.
00:12:51.00\00:12:54.54
You see, you can
do all sorts of things
00:12:54.57\00:12:56.24
on the outside to
defer your appearance,
00:12:56.27\00:12:58.37
make you look different,
00:12:58.41\00:13:01.71
but who are you on the inside?
00:13:01.74\00:13:04.25
What difference
has taken place there?
00:13:04.28\00:13:08.65
You know the Bible talks,
00:13:08.68\00:13:12.35
Jesus talked
about the Holy Spirit
00:13:12.39\00:13:14.29
and its role and
that it was like the wind.
00:13:14.32\00:13:18.66
And, you know,
00:13:18.69\00:13:20.33
we know that the
wind can change things.
00:13:20.36\00:13:24.50
The United States of
America has just experienced
00:13:24.53\00:13:26.84
its second
largest hurricane season.
00:13:26.87\00:13:30.94
In fact they ran out
of letters in the alphabet
00:13:30.97\00:13:33.88
to call the different hurricanes
00:13:33.91\00:13:35.54
and tropical storms.
00:13:35.58\00:13:37.35
You know, they call
them different names.
00:13:37.38\00:13:38.71
I think one was called
Hurricane Laura, this season.
00:13:38.75\00:13:42.15
Well, they ran
out of English letters
00:13:42.18\00:13:44.05
and so they've gone
to the Greek alphabet
00:13:44.09\00:13:45.65
and they've so far,
they've had alpha beta.
00:13:45.69\00:13:47.82
What is it?
00:13:47.86\00:13:49.19
Alpha, Beta,
Gamma, Delta so far.
00:13:49.22\00:13:51.43
And then the hurricane season
doesn't finish until November,
00:13:51.46\00:13:54.60
but you see, you
cannot see the wind,
00:13:54.63\00:13:57.23
but you can see the
effects of that wind.
00:13:57.27\00:13:59.83
And, of course, with
hurricanes it's destructive.
00:13:59.87\00:14:03.17
But remarkably,
when Jesus talked about
00:14:03.20\00:14:06.31
the Holy Spirit and
the wind of the Holy Spirit
00:14:06.34\00:14:09.44
that changes the life,
00:14:09.48\00:14:10.81
we see the effects of
it, but they're positive.
00:14:10.85\00:14:12.91
They're actually creative.
00:14:12.95\00:14:15.18
The winds of a
hurricane are destructive,
00:14:15.22\00:14:16.65
but the winds
00:14:16.69\00:14:18.02
of the Holy Spirit are creative.
00:14:18.05\00:14:20.02
There's a passage from
Steps to Christ, page 57.
00:14:20.06\00:14:24.79
It says "Like the
wind, which is invisible,
00:14:24.83\00:14:28.33
yet the effects of which
are plainly seen and felt,
00:14:28.36\00:14:31.97
is the Spirit of God in its work
00:14:32.00\00:14:34.14
upon the human heart.
00:14:34.17\00:14:35.80
That regenerating power,
which no human eye can see,
00:14:35.84\00:14:40.24
begets a new life in the soul,
00:14:40.28\00:14:42.44
it creates a new
being in the image of God.
00:14:42.48\00:14:47.98
While the work of
the Spirit is silent,
00:14:48.02\00:14:51.02
the imperceptible
effects are manifest.
00:14:51.05\00:14:54.19
If the heart has been
renewed by the Spirit of God,
00:14:54.22\00:14:56.99
the life will bear
witness to the fact."
00:14:57.03\00:15:02.96
In the plan of salvation,
of course, we need a Savior
00:15:03.00\00:15:06.94
because we've all sinned
00:15:06.97\00:15:08.30
and fallen short
of the glory of God.
00:15:08.34\00:15:11.01
And we
understand that Jesus came
00:15:11.04\00:15:13.81
and He went to the cross
to pay the price for our sins.
00:15:13.84\00:15:16.58
We understand that
about why Jesus came.
00:15:16.61\00:15:21.28
But the question is,
00:15:21.32\00:15:23.52
how do we as
Christians respond to that,
00:15:23.55\00:15:26.39
when we have accepted
00:15:26.42\00:15:28.72
the salvation
freely given by God.
00:15:28.76\00:15:30.63
When the Holy
Spirit enters life,
00:15:30.66\00:15:34.63
how do we respond?
00:15:34.66\00:15:36.26
What should we look for?
00:15:36.30\00:15:39.57
I was watching a video on
creationism talking about,
00:15:39.60\00:15:44.81
I used to be an evolutionist.
00:15:44.84\00:15:46.17
I used to be an atheist
00:15:46.21\00:15:47.54
and an
evolutionist, hard to imagine,
00:15:47.58\00:15:51.45
but I was, and I
really believe that
00:15:51.48\00:15:54.48
that's the way we all
arrived here on this planet.
00:15:54.52\00:15:59.35
And, of course, we do
believe in change over time.
00:15:59.39\00:16:01.39
We believe in adaptation
00:16:01.42\00:16:02.76
and God has built
an incredible variety
00:16:02.79\00:16:05.76
and adaptation within creatures,
00:16:05.79\00:16:08.43
but I marvel at the design
that we see in the natural world
00:16:08.46\00:16:13.37
in so many different places,
00:16:13.40\00:16:14.80
and I was watching a
video called metamorphosis,
00:16:14.84\00:16:17.11
which is about butterflies
00:16:17.14\00:16:19.64
and we're in the
spring here in Australia.
00:16:19.67\00:16:21.74
And so, you know, you see a few,
00:16:21.78\00:16:23.58
I saw a butterfly today
00:16:23.61\00:16:24.95
fluttering
around the garden hedge
00:16:24.98\00:16:27.42
and it was great to
see, but it was talking about
00:16:27.45\00:16:30.05
the incredible
design of first the egg,
00:16:30.09\00:16:34.22
and then the caterpillar,
00:16:34.26\00:16:36.02
and then the chrysalis,
and then the butterfly,
00:16:36.06\00:16:41.63
and then the egg,
and then the caterpillar,
00:16:41.66\00:16:43.87
and then the chrysalis,
and then the butterfly,
00:16:43.90\00:16:45.83
the cycle, the life cycle.
00:16:45.87\00:16:48.34
And the amazing transformation
00:16:48.37\00:16:50.04
that takes place
from this caterpillar
00:16:50.07\00:16:51.51
that turns into a
beautiful butterfly
00:16:51.54\00:16:54.68
that's able to fly,
00:16:54.71\00:16:56.04
and in a sense that's God's plan
00:16:56.08\00:16:58.25
for all of us.
00:16:58.28\00:16:59.61
We might feel like
caterpillar sometimes,
00:16:59.65\00:17:02.42
but God wants to
transform us into butterflies.
00:17:02.45\00:17:05.65
And that's what happens
00:17:05.69\00:17:07.52
when the Holy Spirit
takes hold in the life.
00:17:07.56\00:17:11.23
So the first point I
would make in regards to
00:17:11.26\00:17:14.13
the test of
discipleship is that disciples
00:17:14.16\00:17:17.17
are new creations in Christ.
00:17:17.20\00:17:20.24
We are new creations.
00:17:20.27\00:17:21.60
It's not simply same old,
same old, you accept Christ
00:17:21.64\00:17:24.44
and you just
live the same old life
00:17:24.47\00:17:25.81
that you've always lived.
00:17:25.84\00:17:27.61
There is a transformation
00:17:27.64\00:17:28.98
that takes place
that is born of God.
00:17:29.01\00:17:31.01
It is created
through the Holy Spirit
00:17:31.05\00:17:34.45
working in the life.
00:17:34.48\00:17:37.99
Second point I wanna make is
00:17:38.02\00:17:39.42
that disciples
love to dwell on Christ,
00:17:39.45\00:17:44.79
upon His will and upon His Word.
00:17:44.83\00:17:49.53
That is what they like
to spend time talking about
00:17:49.56\00:17:54.04
and enthusing about.
00:17:54.07\00:17:55.40
You know, everybody has
a passion for something.
00:17:55.44\00:18:00.64
Everybody has a hobby, right?
00:18:00.68\00:18:02.94
Some are very
passionate about sport.
00:18:02.98\00:18:04.45
I was very
passionate about sport.
00:18:04.48\00:18:06.68
I used to be a
season ticket holder
00:18:06.72\00:18:08.55
for a football club in the UK.
00:18:08.58\00:18:11.35
I lived there for 26 years.
00:18:11.39\00:18:13.46
And there, I know
00:18:13.49\00:18:17.16
the devotion of football fans.
00:18:17.19\00:18:20.96
I know the
passion of football fans
00:18:21.00\00:18:22.56
that, you know,
00:18:22.60\00:18:24.20
I remember when
I was a teenager,
00:18:24.23\00:18:26.10
I would go and I would
wait for the gates to open.
00:18:26.13\00:18:30.74
And I would go in there,
00:18:30.77\00:18:32.11
I pay my money, well,
I'd already paid my money
00:18:32.14\00:18:33.78
because I was a
season ticket holder
00:18:33.81\00:18:35.14
you put the ticket in.
00:18:35.18\00:18:38.15
And you would stand there
00:18:38.18\00:18:39.51
and you'd read the program
before the teams came out
00:18:39.55\00:18:43.42
and you'd sing all the songs
00:18:43.45\00:18:44.79
and you didn't
need any prompting
00:18:44.82\00:18:47.56
as to the words of the song.
00:18:47.59\00:18:48.92
Everybody seemed to
know the words of the songs.
00:18:48.96\00:18:52.16
And I played every Saturday.
00:18:52.19\00:18:54.66
So that's where I would be.
00:18:54.70\00:18:56.77
I remember one time they got
00:18:56.80\00:18:58.13
to the quarterfinal
of a cup competition,
00:18:58.17\00:18:59.83
and I queued along with
others outside the ground,
00:18:59.87\00:19:03.27
slept outside overnight,
00:19:03.30\00:19:05.24
waiting for the
ticket office to open,
00:19:05.27\00:19:06.61
to get a ticket,
to go to a ground,
00:19:06.64\00:19:08.48
that's devotion, friends.
00:19:08.51\00:19:11.11
And I know lots of
people who do that.
00:19:11.15\00:19:13.82
But what is our
passion as Christians?
00:19:13.85\00:19:17.15
Are we passionate about Jesus,
00:19:17.19\00:19:20.36
like some people are
passionate about football?
00:19:20.39\00:19:23.32
Are we passionate about Jesus,
like some people are passionate
00:19:23.36\00:19:26.53
about music or movies or
whatever your hobby or...
00:19:26.56\00:19:32.07
Are we as
passionate about Christ?
00:19:32.10\00:19:34.24
What is your passion?
00:19:34.27\00:19:38.37
You know, a lot
of the conversation,
00:19:38.41\00:19:42.08
I guess, about grace and law.
00:19:42.11\00:19:47.48
You know, we talk
a lot about whether,
00:19:47.52\00:19:51.49
whether a
person can obey, right?
00:19:51.52\00:19:56.09
And we'll get into
this a little bit more
00:19:56.12\00:19:57.46
as we go through,
00:19:57.49\00:19:58.83
but my question would be
00:19:58.86\00:20:01.66
is do you want to,
00:20:01.70\00:20:04.73
as a Christian, as a
follower of Jesus Christ,
00:20:04.77\00:20:06.84
as a disciple,
00:20:06.87\00:20:08.27
born again
through the Holy Spirit,
00:20:08.30\00:20:10.11
do you want to do God's will?
00:20:10.14\00:20:13.64
That to me seems to be
really at the heart of it,
00:20:13.68\00:20:17.85
because God has the power,
00:20:17.88\00:20:21.28
we have the choice,
00:20:21.32\00:20:24.45
but do we want to do His will?
00:20:24.49\00:20:29.76
Who has the heart?
00:20:29.79\00:20:31.13
Who do we love to talk about?
00:20:31.16\00:20:32.99
In Steps to Christ, page
58, we see this quote here.
00:20:33.03\00:20:36.26
It says, "Who has the heart?
00:20:36.30\00:20:38.73
With whom are our thoughts?
00:20:38.77\00:20:41.67
Of whom do we love to converse?"
00:20:41.70\00:20:43.84
Think about it. Think about it.
00:20:43.87\00:20:46.34
You know, sometimes when you're,
00:20:46.37\00:20:48.84
maybe you're on
public transport,
00:20:48.88\00:20:50.21
you're on a train
or a bus or whatever,
00:20:50.25\00:20:51.78
and somebody's got
their football shirt on.
00:20:51.81\00:20:53.72
They don't even have to tell you
00:20:53.75\00:20:55.22
who they support,
00:20:55.25\00:20:56.95
but they're very happy to do so.
00:20:56.99\00:20:58.75
Right?
00:20:58.79\00:21:00.12
Even though they
don't have to tell you
00:21:00.16\00:21:02.39
because it's
written all over them,
00:21:02.42\00:21:04.99
they're very happy to talk
to you about their passion.
00:21:05.03\00:21:09.93
Are we as happy
to talk about Jesus?
00:21:09.96\00:21:12.03
"Who has the heart?
00:21:12.07\00:21:13.40
With whom are our thoughts?
00:21:13.44\00:21:14.77
Of whom do we love to converse?
00:21:14.80\00:21:16.34
Who has our warmest affections
and our best energies?
00:21:16.37\00:21:19.74
If we are Christ's,
our thoughts are with Him,
00:21:19.77\00:21:22.88
our sweetest
thoughts are of Him."
00:21:22.91\00:21:26.85
And I think that is true.
00:21:26.88\00:21:29.28
And, of course,
00:21:29.32\00:21:30.65
all of this is in
response to the grace
00:21:30.69\00:21:33.42
that God has poured out upon us.
00:21:33.46\00:21:37.53
I've heard this
illustration about grace before,
00:21:37.56\00:21:40.86
and I'm gonna use it here
00:21:40.90\00:21:42.23
'cause it
actually happened to me.
00:21:42.26\00:21:44.13
This is a true story.
00:21:44.17\00:21:45.87
I used to work in
the restaurant industry.
00:21:45.90\00:21:49.04
John mentioned earlier,
00:21:49.07\00:21:50.41
I used to be a
cocktail bartender.
00:21:50.44\00:21:52.07
That's what I did for
a living for four years.
00:21:52.11\00:21:54.84
I was working in this restaurant
00:21:54.88\00:21:57.45
in the middle of
Birmingham, England.
00:21:57.48\00:21:59.98
And we would knock off work
00:22:00.02\00:22:01.35
at about 1:30, 2
o'clock in the morning.
00:22:01.38\00:22:04.59
And my friend and I
would go to the car park,
00:22:04.62\00:22:08.92
get in the car and
we would drive home.
00:22:08.96\00:22:10.63
It was about a half hour drive.
00:22:10.66\00:22:13.40
And I remember driving home
00:22:13.43\00:22:14.76
and there's not
a lot on the road
00:22:14.80\00:22:16.13
at two in the morning, you know?
00:22:16.16\00:22:17.73
So drove and there's a red light
00:22:17.77\00:22:19.10
and we're pulling
up at the red light.
00:22:19.13\00:22:20.47
Well, I'm in my,
00:22:20.50\00:22:21.84
I had a sports car, convertible,
00:22:21.87\00:22:23.71
classic British sports car
00:22:23.74\00:22:26.07
sitting there at the lights.
00:22:26.11\00:22:27.78
And my friend
pulls up besides me,
00:22:27.81\00:22:29.71
and he's got the
equivalent of a Ford Festiva.
00:22:29.74\00:22:31.95
It was a Ford Fiesta in England.
00:22:31.98\00:22:34.62
And he's looking at me
and he is revving his engine
00:22:34.65\00:22:36.65
and I'm just
laughing at him, right?
00:22:36.69\00:22:38.89
Because he's in this
little Ford Festiva car.
00:22:38.92\00:22:42.39
And so the lights changed green
and I just take off, right?
00:22:42.42\00:22:47.43
I take off around the roundabout
00:22:47.46\00:22:48.83
and I'm going up the hill
00:22:48.86\00:22:50.90
and he's in my rear view mirror.
00:22:50.93\00:22:53.54
And he only has one headlight.
00:22:53.57\00:22:55.10
One of his headlights
is out and I'm sort of,
00:22:55.14\00:22:59.27
he's leaving into
the distance, you know?
00:22:59.31\00:23:02.11
And then I look in my mirror
00:23:02.14\00:23:03.48
and I noticed
he's gaining on me.
00:23:03.51\00:23:05.45
And I noticed he's
got two headlights now.
00:23:05.48\00:23:08.85
And not only does
he have two headlights,
00:23:08.88\00:23:10.42
he has red and
blue ones as well.
00:23:10.45\00:23:14.82
And I notice that
00:23:14.86\00:23:16.93
I'm being
pursued by a police car.
00:23:16.96\00:23:19.36
And I pull over
and the police officer
00:23:19.39\00:23:21.13
2 o'clock in the morning,
00:23:21.16\00:23:22.50
he says, "Could you
get out of the car please?
00:23:22.53\00:23:24.80
Get out of the car."
00:23:24.83\00:23:27.07
And he said, "You were
doing 85 in a 50 zone,"
00:23:27.10\00:23:31.97
and that's in miles
an hour, not kilometers.
00:23:32.01\00:23:35.91
And he does a breathalyzer test.
00:23:35.94\00:23:41.82
When I worked at the restaurant,
00:23:41.85\00:23:43.18
you couldn't drink
and work at the same time
00:23:43.22\00:23:45.42
'cause you're
juggling bottles and things
00:23:45.45\00:23:46.79
and you'd drop things.
00:23:46.82\00:23:48.29
So, you know,
you couldn't drink.
00:23:48.32\00:23:49.66
And so I hadn't been drinking.
00:23:49.69\00:23:51.79
So there was no problem there.
00:23:51.83\00:23:53.50
And he just said you
know, present your insurance
00:23:53.53\00:23:56.90
and stuff at the police station,
00:23:56.93\00:23:59.27
I'll let you off,
but you better slow down,
00:23:59.30\00:24:01.87
you're gonna kill somebody,
you're gonna kill yourself.
00:24:01.90\00:24:05.21
And he walked away, and
I could hardly believe it.
00:24:05.24\00:24:09.48
I guess this police officer
00:24:09.51\00:24:10.85
was about 50 odd,
something like that.
00:24:10.88\00:24:12.98
He was an
experienced police officer,
00:24:13.01\00:24:16.08
and I could not believe it.
00:24:16.12\00:24:18.99
And you've probably
heard this illustration before.
00:24:19.02\00:24:20.82
You know, when you get back
in the car, you just take off.
00:24:20.86\00:24:25.39
Now you're cautious
about how you drive after that,
00:24:25.43\00:24:31.30
because I almost complained
that I didn't get a ticket
00:24:31.33\00:24:33.40
because I thought you surely
you'd get a ticket, right?
00:24:33.44\00:24:35.94
I thought I was done, but
he didn't give me a ticket.
00:24:35.97\00:24:39.57
He gave me grace,
00:24:39.61\00:24:42.41
which I didn't
deserve, but I drove away
00:24:42.44\00:24:48.02
from that
conversation very carefully.
00:24:48.05\00:24:51.69
You see, I was
grateful for the grace that
00:24:51.72\00:24:56.42
he had provided.
00:24:56.46\00:24:58.29
I was not taking
that for granted.
00:24:58.33\00:25:00.36
I wasn't gonna say, well,
I'm gonna drive as I please.
00:25:00.40\00:25:03.83
Not at all.
00:25:03.87\00:25:05.30
I was grateful that he
had dealt leniently with me.
00:25:05.33\00:25:11.21
Third point, I wanna make today
00:25:11.24\00:25:12.74
in terms of the
test of discipleship.
00:25:12.77\00:25:16.34
Disciples exhibit
the fruit of the Spirit.
00:25:16.38\00:25:21.95
We've already talked about
00:25:21.98\00:25:23.42
the work of the
Holy Spirit on the heart
00:25:23.45\00:25:25.15
and how the Holy
Spirit can create a new person
00:25:25.19\00:25:28.76
in the image of
God within each of us.
00:25:28.79\00:25:32.13
And if the Holy
Spirit is in your life,
00:25:32.16\00:25:34.06
then you are going to
exhibit the fruit of the Spirit
00:25:34.10\00:25:37.37
because fruit comes
from fruit trees, right?
00:25:37.40\00:25:42.54
The idea here is that if
you have the spirit in you,
00:25:42.57\00:25:45.47
you will exhibit
the fruit of the Spirit.
00:25:45.51\00:25:48.61
And, of course, the
fruit of Spirit is talked
00:25:48.64\00:25:50.61
about in Galatians 5 there,
love, joy, peace and so forth.
00:25:50.65\00:25:54.88
All of those things,
00:25:54.92\00:25:56.25
as Christians we
should have them.
00:25:56.28\00:25:57.62
Sometimes we have conversations
00:25:57.65\00:25:58.99
about the gift of the Spirit
versus the fruit of the Spirit.
00:25:59.02\00:26:02.79
And you won't have all
the gifts of the Spirit.
00:26:02.82\00:26:04.96
You'll have the ones
that God wants you to have,
00:26:04.99\00:26:08.46
but in terms of the
fruit of the Spirit,
00:26:08.50\00:26:10.57
as Christians we should be
00:26:10.60\00:26:12.13
exhibiting the
fruit of the Spirit.
00:26:12.17\00:26:14.37
And that's how we know that
00:26:14.40\00:26:18.44
there is reformation.
00:26:18.47\00:26:21.94
Now it's interesting
in terms of illustrations,
00:26:21.98\00:26:24.85
the Bible uses
lots of illustrations.
00:26:24.88\00:26:27.85
And one that's used
00:26:27.88\00:26:29.22
in the Book of Jeremiah
is the potter and the clay,
00:26:29.25\00:26:32.52
and how you
couldn't mold the clay
00:26:32.55\00:26:35.79
into whatever shape
you want into a vessel,
00:26:35.82\00:26:38.89
but then you might drop it.
00:26:38.93\00:26:41.80
And while it's still
soft, can mold it again, right?
00:26:41.83\00:26:44.47
You can just start
over and you can remold it,
00:26:44.50\00:26:50.31
until it's fired,
00:26:50.34\00:26:52.47
and then it's a
permanent fixture.
00:26:52.51\00:26:54.58
You know, some
of the archeological
00:26:54.61\00:26:56.98
sites of the Bible,
00:26:57.01\00:27:00.05
some of the cities of the Bible,
00:27:00.08\00:27:03.22
when they were destroyed,
00:27:03.25\00:27:04.75
the invading armies would
burn the city down afterwards.
00:27:04.79\00:27:10.46
And sometimes those
cities would have libraries
00:27:10.49\00:27:12.26
and they had clay tablets with,
00:27:12.29\00:27:15.16
you know, quote
cuneiform script,
00:27:15.20\00:27:16.53
and other things in them.
00:27:16.56\00:27:18.07
And because of the fire
that destroyed the city,
00:27:18.10\00:27:20.54
those clay
tablets would be baked
00:27:20.57\00:27:23.71
and it would preserve
00:27:23.74\00:27:25.07
the messages on
those clay tablets.
00:27:25.11\00:27:27.38
And we're grateful for that
00:27:27.41\00:27:29.01
because it tells us
things about the ancient past,
00:27:29.04\00:27:32.88
but likewise, God can mold us
00:27:32.91\00:27:38.22
until the fire
00:27:38.25\00:27:39.82
and then we're fixed.
00:27:39.85\00:27:42.26
God can mold us
and He can change us.
00:27:42.29\00:27:44.99
There must be reformation.
00:27:45.03\00:27:46.90
There is a another piece
from Steps to Christ, page 59.
00:27:46.93\00:27:50.80
It says, "There is no
evidence of genuine repentance
00:27:50.83\00:27:54.34
unless it works reformation."
00:27:54.37\00:27:56.57
That's reformation.
00:27:56.60\00:27:58.01
We are reformed in
the image of Christ.
00:27:58.04\00:28:01.21
There is no evidence
of genuine repentance,
00:28:01.24\00:28:04.45
unless it works reformation.
00:28:04.48\00:28:08.18
You can be sorry,
00:28:08.22\00:28:10.02
but sometimes we
can just be sorry,
00:28:10.05\00:28:11.49
we got caught rather
than sorry for the sins
00:28:11.52\00:28:14.76
that have sent Jesus
00:28:14.79\00:28:16.99
to the cross to die for us.
00:28:17.03\00:28:21.93
I wanna read a passage
now, I didn't put on the slides,
00:28:21.96\00:28:25.63
but I wanna share it with you.
00:28:25.67\00:28:27.24
And Jesus sums it up
00:28:27.27\00:28:29.40
so beautifully in
the Sermon on the Mount.
00:28:29.44\00:28:32.84
Just an incredible masterpiece
where Jesus is speaking,
00:28:32.87\00:28:38.78
and He's talking about
what it means to follow God.
00:28:38.81\00:28:42.95
What that looks like.
00:28:42.98\00:28:44.99
And here in Matthew 7:12-23,
00:28:45.02\00:28:51.96
notice what it says here.
00:28:51.99\00:28:53.60
He says, well, 13-23.
00:28:53.63\00:28:57.13
Verse 13, "Enter
by the narrow gate,
00:28:57.17\00:28:59.37
He says, for wide is the gate
00:28:59.40\00:29:01.37
and broad is the way
that leads to destruction.
00:29:01.40\00:29:03.54
And there are
many who go in by it.
00:29:03.57\00:29:05.77
Because narrow is the
gate and difficult is the way
00:29:05.81\00:29:09.01
which leads to life and
there are few who find it."
00:29:09.04\00:29:14.15
He goes on, he says,
"Beware of false prophets
00:29:14.18\00:29:16.69
who come to you
in sheep's clothing,
00:29:16.72\00:29:18.32
but inwardly are
ravenous wolves."
00:29:18.35\00:29:19.99
Here Jesus is
saying, there are some people
00:29:20.02\00:29:22.89
who appear to be
legitimate believers in God,
00:29:22.92\00:29:27.46
who may even be
claiming to be prophets of God.
00:29:27.50\00:29:31.33
They're in sheep's clothing,
00:29:31.37\00:29:33.54
but inwardly
they're ravenous wolves.
00:29:33.57\00:29:35.10
Verse 16, "You will
know them by their fruits."
00:29:35.14\00:29:38.37
That's the point
that I wanna pick up.
00:29:38.41\00:29:40.28
And he's going to
repeat that in a moment.
00:29:40.31\00:29:42.84
"You will know
them by their fruits.
00:29:42.88\00:29:44.21
Do men gather
grapes from thorn bushes
00:29:44.25\00:29:46.41
or figs from thistles,
00:29:46.45\00:29:48.18
even so every good
tree bears good fruit,
00:29:48.22\00:29:51.12
but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
00:29:51.15\00:29:55.86
A good tree
cannot bear bad fruit
00:29:55.89\00:29:57.69
nor can a bad
tree bear good fruit.
00:29:57.73\00:30:00.40
Every tree that does
not bear fruit is cut down
00:30:00.43\00:30:04.10
and thrown into the fire.
00:30:04.13\00:30:06.13
Therefore by their
fruits, you will know them."
00:30:06.17\00:30:10.24
And in a way that line alone
00:30:10.27\00:30:13.11
is probably the
answer to the question
00:30:13.14\00:30:16.68
of what is the
test of discipleship.
00:30:16.71\00:30:20.52
By their fruits
you will know them.
00:30:20.55\00:30:24.12
We'll come a
little bit further in,
00:30:24.15\00:30:26.86
in a moment.
00:30:26.89\00:30:29.26
The fourth point to make
00:30:29.29\00:30:30.93
in this topic of the
test of discipleship is that
00:30:30.96\00:30:35.00
obedience is the fruit of faith.
00:30:35.03\00:30:37.77
It's not manufactured
simply from a human choice.
00:30:37.80\00:30:43.77
It is the fruit of faith.
00:30:43.81\00:30:45.31
We've already talked about
00:30:45.34\00:30:47.01
that in our previous point.
00:30:47.04\00:30:51.98
And there is a couple of
things we wanna talk about here.
00:30:52.01\00:30:56.55
One person sometime,
00:30:56.58\00:30:57.92
what was said to me
one time, they said,
00:30:57.95\00:30:59.65
"The challenge
for the natural person
00:30:59.69\00:31:02.96
is to become spiritual."
00:31:02.99\00:31:04.73
And so, you know, when
we're out in the world,
00:31:04.76\00:31:06.80
when we haven't
encountered Christ,
00:31:06.83\00:31:08.50
that's the natural man, right?
00:31:08.53\00:31:10.27
That's the natural person.
00:31:10.30\00:31:11.83
The challenge for
the natural person
00:31:11.87\00:31:13.44
is to become spiritual.
00:31:13.47\00:31:15.60
But the challenge
for the spiritual person
00:31:15.64\00:31:18.57
is to become natural.
00:31:18.61\00:31:21.34
In other words,
00:31:21.38\00:31:23.08
the good that God
desires to bring out of us,
00:31:23.11\00:31:27.02
that the God
places in our hearts,
00:31:27.05\00:31:28.95
He wants to be a
natural outpouring
00:31:28.98\00:31:32.32
of who we are.
00:31:32.35\00:31:34.06
We want to do God's will
00:31:34.09\00:31:35.72
because it's also our will
00:31:35.76\00:31:38.19
and not because we just have to.
00:31:38.23\00:31:39.89
The spiritual to become natural.
00:31:44.43\00:31:47.30
Well, there's a
passage in Steps to Christ,
00:31:47.34\00:31:50.11
we haven't put
on the screen yet,
00:31:50.14\00:31:51.64
but we're gonna
read it in a moment,
00:31:51.67\00:31:53.27
but it talks
about in this chapter
00:31:53.31\00:31:56.18
that there are two errors
in which we can fall down on.
00:31:56.21\00:32:00.58
And it talks about
these two areas as number one,
00:32:00.62\00:32:04.75
the idea that we
can save ourselves
00:32:04.79\00:32:06.89
through our good works.
00:32:06.92\00:32:08.46
That's error number one, right?
00:32:08.49\00:32:10.53
That somehow,
if I'm good enough,
00:32:10.56\00:32:13.23
if I work hard enough,
00:32:13.26\00:32:14.80
if I'm determined
enough that somehow
00:32:14.83\00:32:18.33
I can save myself
by my own good works,
00:32:18.37\00:32:21.60
that is an error.
00:32:21.64\00:32:24.24
And then the second one,
00:32:24.27\00:32:26.31
similarly, is an
error of our works
00:32:26.34\00:32:30.51
have nothing to do
with our salvation then.
00:32:30.55\00:32:33.25
Right?
00:32:33.28\00:32:34.62
Because if I can't be saved,
00:32:34.65\00:32:36.89
if there's nothing I
can do to save myself,
00:32:36.92\00:32:42.62
then isn't the
logical conclusion
00:32:42.66\00:32:44.13
that works have nothing
to do with my salvation.
00:32:44.16\00:32:47.86
But both of those
two things are in error.
00:32:47.90\00:32:51.40
And I think we can work it out
00:32:51.43\00:32:53.37
as we read scripture and
as we read inspired texts.
00:32:53.40\00:32:58.11
I want to read from
Steps to Christ, page 59 here.
00:32:58.14\00:33:02.14
Notice what Ellen
White writes about this.
00:33:02.18\00:33:04.61
She says, "There are two errors
00:33:04.65\00:33:06.05
against which
the children of God,
00:33:06.08\00:33:08.35
particularly those who have
00:33:08.38\00:33:09.88
just come to trust in His grace,
00:33:09.92\00:33:12.09
especially need to guard.
00:33:12.12\00:33:14.42
The first, already dwelt upon,
00:33:14.46\00:33:17.23
is that of looking
to their own works,
00:33:17.26\00:33:19.83
trusting to
anything they can do,
00:33:19.86\00:33:22.30
to bring themselves
into harmony with God."
00:33:22.33\00:33:24.50
That's one of those errors.
00:33:24.53\00:33:26.20
"He who is trying to become holy
00:33:26.23\00:33:28.70
by his own works
in keeping the law,
00:33:28.74\00:33:31.77
is in attempting
an impossibility."
00:33:31.81\00:33:35.04
Want that to
settle in for a moment.
00:33:35.08\00:33:36.98
It's attempting
an impossibility,
00:33:37.01\00:33:38.75
it's like riding a
bicycle to the moon.
00:33:38.78\00:33:42.28
Okay.
00:33:42.32\00:33:43.65
You're just
gonna keep going round
00:33:43.69\00:33:45.02
and round and round.
00:33:45.05\00:33:46.39
You're not
gonna get there. Okay?
00:33:46.42\00:33:49.16
Because that's not
00:33:49.19\00:33:50.53
where God wants our focus to be.
00:33:50.56\00:33:53.90
Okay?
00:33:53.93\00:33:55.26
"He who is trying to
become holy by his own works
00:33:55.30\00:33:57.33
in keeping the law is attempting
00:33:57.37\00:33:58.93
an impossibility.
00:33:58.97\00:34:00.30
All that man can do
without Christ is polluted
00:34:00.34\00:34:03.81
with selfishness and sin.
00:34:03.84\00:34:05.31
It is the grace of
Christ alone through faith
00:34:05.34\00:34:08.98
that can make us holy."
00:34:09.01\00:34:11.18
That's an important
point for us to understand.
00:34:11.21\00:34:16.42
Think of it like this.
00:34:16.45\00:34:17.95
Anybody been skydiving?
00:34:17.99\00:34:21.49
Look, I got to tell you,
00:34:21.52\00:34:22.86
that's not one of the things
that I'd be lining up to do.
00:34:22.89\00:34:24.89
I know there are
people who enjoy skydiving.
00:34:24.93\00:34:29.33
They enjoy the adrenaline rush,
00:34:29.36\00:34:33.84
but stepping out of a
perfectly good airplane
00:34:33.87\00:34:35.94
is not my idea of fun.
00:34:35.97\00:34:37.97
And so I'm never
gonna be a skydiver, right?
00:34:38.01\00:34:40.14
But last year
they set a new record
00:34:40.18\00:34:45.05
for Australian skydivers.
00:34:45.08\00:34:47.65
There was 130 people
together got out of plane.
00:34:47.68\00:34:52.59
They linked hands,
00:34:52.62\00:34:54.36
they're formation
falling through the air.
00:34:54.39\00:34:57.26
And I guess that
they have to hold on
00:34:57.29\00:34:58.63
for a certain number of seconds
for it to be a valid record.
00:34:58.66\00:35:02.56
But 130 Australians,
the world record is 164,
00:35:02.60\00:35:06.70
all falling through the air,
all hanging on to each other.
00:35:06.74\00:35:09.27
I want you to just
imagine that for a moment,
00:35:09.30\00:35:12.34
because that's like humanity
00:35:12.37\00:35:16.21
falling through space.
00:35:16.24\00:35:18.51
Imagine that when you're born,
instead of entering this world,
00:35:18.55\00:35:22.92
you fall out of
the plane and your life
00:35:22.95\00:35:26.86
consists of that time
00:35:26.89\00:35:28.46
between the plane and the earth
00:35:28.49\00:35:33.60
and you're falling.
00:35:33.63\00:35:35.63
The Bible talks about
00:35:35.66\00:35:37.00
our conditioners
as that of the fall.
00:35:37.03\00:35:38.97
We talk about
the fall, don't we,
00:35:39.00\00:35:41.04
when we talk about
the Garden of Eden.
00:35:41.07\00:35:42.84
Anyway, imagine you are there,
you're falling through the air.
00:35:42.87\00:35:47.71
And Jesus decides
to come out after you.
00:35:47.74\00:35:51.85
Only Jesus has a parachute on
00:35:51.88\00:35:54.85
and He's
falling through the air.
00:35:54.88\00:35:56.22
He hasn't pulled the cord
and He comes alongside you.
00:35:56.25\00:35:59.75
And He's saying,
"Would you like parachute?"
00:35:59.79\00:36:05.43
And you say,
"No, I'm fine, thanks.
00:36:05.46\00:36:09.46
I'm enjoying the trip."
00:36:09.50\00:36:13.23
Or maybe we're
not as polite as that.
00:36:13.27\00:36:17.41
And we tell Jesus where to go,
00:36:17.44\00:36:21.34
but eventually
Jesus moves around
00:36:21.38\00:36:22.84
and He says to someone,
"Would you like parachute?"
00:36:22.88\00:36:27.15
And that person says,
00:36:27.18\00:36:30.39
"Yeah, I think so."
00:36:30.42\00:36:34.82
And then Jesus
takes off His parachute
00:36:34.86\00:36:39.26
and gives it to
you and you put it on
00:36:39.29\00:36:44.40
and you pull the cord
00:36:44.43\00:36:45.77
and you float down to home
00:36:45.80\00:36:50.84
and Jesus falls to His death.
00:36:50.87\00:36:54.51
In a sense, that's the gospel.
00:36:54.54\00:36:57.31
Jesus trades His life for ours.
00:36:57.35\00:37:01.35
He gives us the
opportunity to be saved.
00:37:01.38\00:37:05.22
And that's why we can say
there's nothing of ourselves
00:37:05.25\00:37:09.92
that saves ourselves.
00:37:09.96\00:37:12.36
We're completely
reliant on Jesus.
00:37:12.39\00:37:15.86
The second error we
mentioned it before,
00:37:15.90\00:37:18.83
our works have nothing
to do with our salvation.
00:37:18.87\00:37:21.30
I have another quote here
00:37:21.34\00:37:22.67
from page 59 of Steps to Christ.
00:37:22.70\00:37:25.41
It says, "The opposite
00:37:25.44\00:37:26.78
and no less dangerous
error is that belief in Christ
00:37:26.81\00:37:29.74
releases men from
keeping the law of God,
00:37:29.78\00:37:32.78
that since by faith alone
00:37:32.81\00:37:34.42
we become partakers
of the grace of Christ,
00:37:34.45\00:37:36.75
our works have nothing to do
00:37:36.79\00:37:39.19
with our redemption."
00:37:39.22\00:37:43.46
And, of course,
00:37:43.49\00:37:45.56
I think
sometimes our relationship
00:37:45.59\00:37:50.20
to the law of God
or our relationship
00:37:50.23\00:37:51.80
to obedience is sort of based on
00:37:51.83\00:37:54.10
a very legalistic kind of thing.
00:37:54.14\00:37:55.90
Here's the law,
you've got to obey it,
00:37:55.94\00:37:57.81
you better step up.
00:37:57.84\00:38:00.81
Whereas if we really
examine the law of God
00:38:00.84\00:38:02.94
and I'm thinking particularly
of the Ten Commandments,
00:38:02.98\00:38:06.88
you examine those laws carefully
00:38:06.92\00:38:08.75
and they exist to
protect all of the important
00:38:08.78\00:38:12.95
relationships in life.
00:38:12.99\00:38:16.22
They exist to protect
our relationship with God.
00:38:16.26\00:38:20.70
They exist to
protect our relationship
00:38:20.73\00:38:23.13
with our parents.
00:38:23.16\00:38:25.80
They exist to
protect the relationship
00:38:25.83\00:38:28.77
with our spouse.
00:38:28.80\00:38:30.71
They exist to
protect the relationship
00:38:30.74\00:38:33.01
with our children,
with our neighbors.
00:38:33.04\00:38:37.75
And so, God is
simply wanting to try
00:38:37.78\00:38:40.65
and help us to understand
that His way is the best way.
00:38:40.68\00:38:44.39
Jesus says, "I am the
way, the truth and the life."
00:38:44.42\00:38:47.66
God wants us to
follow in the way of life
00:38:47.69\00:38:51.43
and obedience to God's commands
is actually good for us.
00:38:51.46\00:38:55.60
It's good for me.
00:38:55.63\00:38:56.97
It's certainly good
00:38:57.00\00:38:58.33
for those who
have to live next to me
00:38:58.37\00:39:00.44
or those who have to
live in the same house as me.
00:39:00.47\00:39:04.37
It's good for them.
00:39:04.41\00:39:05.74
And so God wants
for us to understand
00:39:05.77\00:39:11.08
why He wants us to keep the law.
00:39:11.11\00:39:13.55
It's not a blind obedience.
00:39:13.58\00:39:16.02
It is something
that is good for us
00:39:16.05\00:39:17.99
and for our
society, for our community.
00:39:18.02\00:39:21.22
Picture it like this,
00:39:21.26\00:39:22.59
imagine you got a
letter in the mail,
00:39:22.62\00:39:25.23
don't get too many
of those these days,
00:39:25.26\00:39:26.59
unless they're bills I suppose.
00:39:26.63\00:39:29.46
Imagine you get a
letter in the mail
00:39:29.50\00:39:31.17
and you have just been
gifted two tickets to paradise.
00:39:31.20\00:39:37.14
You decided you wanna go,
00:39:37.17\00:39:38.51
you're gonna go
paradise free ticket.
00:39:38.54\00:39:40.71
And maybe the
flight's going to Tahiti.
00:39:40.74\00:39:42.51
This is hard to imagine in
this current climate, right?
00:39:42.54\00:39:44.71
'Cause nobody's going anywhere,
00:39:44.75\00:39:47.52
but I've been to Tahiti
and it's pretty, pretty.
00:39:47.55\00:39:50.52
It's a beautiful place.
00:39:50.55\00:39:51.89
So you're on, you
know, you've got your ticket.
00:39:51.92\00:39:53.49
You head to the airport
00:39:53.52\00:39:55.92
and imagine the ticket
00:39:55.96\00:40:00.50
is like justification.
00:40:00.53\00:40:02.76
That's your ticket to paradise.
00:40:02.80\00:40:04.37
You didn't pay for it.
00:40:04.40\00:40:05.73
You didn't earn it.
00:40:05.77\00:40:07.10
You didn't do anything for
it, it just came in the mail.
00:40:07.14\00:40:10.41
Free ticket to paradise.
00:40:10.44\00:40:13.44
But you're so
overjoyed that you decide
00:40:13.48\00:40:18.51
to hang out at the
bar at the airport there
00:40:18.55\00:40:22.68
and you get blind drunk
celebrating the fact that
00:40:22.72\00:40:26.35
you got your free ticket,
00:40:26.39\00:40:28.82
but by the time you
get to the check-in,
00:40:28.86\00:40:34.06
you're in no fit state to fly.
00:40:34.10\00:40:37.57
Do you think
they're gonna let you on?
00:40:37.60\00:40:40.04
I've seen it happen.
00:40:40.07\00:40:41.40
I actually went on
a flight from Cyprus,
00:40:41.44\00:40:43.00
from Birmingham to Cyprus.
00:40:43.04\00:40:45.11
I had a little, an opportunity
to live and work in Cyprus
00:40:45.14\00:40:48.41
for a short time.
00:40:48.44\00:40:49.94
And there was a
whole group of people going
00:40:49.98\00:40:51.61
and there was a
girl there on our team
00:40:51.65\00:40:55.72
who got so drunk,
00:40:55.75\00:40:57.09
that they wouldn't
let her on the plane.
00:40:57.12\00:40:58.45
She was deemed unfit to travel.
00:40:58.49\00:41:01.99
You know, if you're
sick, if you're unwell
00:41:02.02\00:41:06.96
and you become
critically unwell,
00:41:07.00\00:41:08.83
they won't let
you get on the plane
00:41:08.86\00:41:10.20
and take the flight.
00:41:10.23\00:41:13.77
So in a sense,
you've got justification.
00:41:13.80\00:41:16.47
That's your free ticket.
00:41:16.50\00:41:19.34
And then through
the indwelling spirit,
00:41:19.37\00:41:21.54
you're fit to fly and
you get to go to paradise.
00:41:21.58\00:41:25.95
Does that make sense?
00:41:25.98\00:41:27.32
I hope it does.
00:41:27.35\00:41:29.68
You see when we talk
about the test of discipleship,
00:41:29.72\00:41:34.06
there's a statement
here in Steps to Christ, 61
00:41:34.09\00:41:37.56
that says, "Here
is the true test."
00:41:37.59\00:41:40.96
I guess this is
the crux of the matter
00:41:41.00\00:41:43.80
in terms of
this particular topic
00:41:43.83\00:41:45.27
of the test of discipleship.
00:41:45.30\00:41:46.63
What is the
test of discipleship?
00:41:46.67\00:41:48.50
Here is the true test.
00:41:48.54\00:41:50.44
"If we abide in Christ,
00:41:50.47\00:41:52.64
if the love of God dwells in us,
00:41:52.67\00:41:55.28
our feelings, our
thoughts, our purposes,
00:41:55.31\00:41:58.58
our actions will be in harmony
00:41:58.61\00:42:00.88
with the will
of God as expressed
00:42:00.92\00:42:03.32
in the precepts
of His holy law."
00:42:03.35\00:42:06.86
That's an
interesting statement, isn't it?
00:42:06.89\00:42:09.89
And I guess what I
was saying earlier is
00:42:09.92\00:42:13.16
what I would repeat now is
do we want to do God's will?
00:42:13.19\00:42:18.23
God will provide the power.
00:42:18.27\00:42:20.94
You don't have
that, neither do I,
00:42:20.97\00:42:24.81
but through the
indwelling Holy Spirit,
00:42:24.84\00:42:27.98
God can empower us
to walk in His ways
00:42:28.01\00:42:32.51
and do His will.
00:42:32.55\00:42:34.65
There's two verses of
scripture I particularly enjoy.
00:42:34.68\00:42:38.72
You know, one is in, what is it,
00:42:38.75\00:42:40.46
John 15, I think verse 4,
00:42:40.49\00:42:42.99
where it says, "Without
Me, you can do nothing."
00:42:43.02\00:42:46.33
Right?
00:42:46.36\00:42:48.63
And then Philippians 4: 13,
00:42:48.66\00:42:51.13
"I can do all
things through Christ
00:42:51.17\00:42:53.20
who strengthens me."
00:42:53.23\00:42:54.57
Either those things
are true or they're not.
00:42:54.60\00:42:55.94
You know, we all want to imitate
00:43:00.28\00:43:02.04
somebody, don't we?
00:43:02.08\00:43:04.35
You look at them.
00:43:04.38\00:43:05.71
We as human beings,
00:43:05.75\00:43:07.65
we are almost innately
00:43:07.68\00:43:12.92
gifted to imitate.
00:43:12.95\00:43:15.39
You know, children
imitate their parents.
00:43:15.42\00:43:18.53
They might not think it,
00:43:18.56\00:43:22.46
but children do
imitate their parents.
00:43:22.50\00:43:23.90
Then they imitate others that
00:43:23.93\00:43:25.37
they see around them or
they imitate their heroes.
00:43:25.40\00:43:27.20
We want to imitate
somebody or something.
00:43:27.24\00:43:29.77
You ever seen a Elvis convention
00:43:29.80\00:43:33.78
where everybody's
dressed up like Elvis,
00:43:33.81\00:43:36.44
'cause that's their hero, right?
00:43:36.48\00:43:37.81
They wanna look like him,
they wanna dress like him,
00:43:37.85\00:43:40.85
they wanna sing like him,
00:43:40.88\00:43:43.28
they wanna do
everything like him.
00:43:43.32\00:43:48.42
For Christians,
Jesus is our Lord,
00:43:48.46\00:43:53.66
He's our King, He's our
Savior, He's our best friend.
00:43:53.70\00:43:57.43
And He's the one
that we aspire to.
00:43:57.47\00:43:59.10
The Bible says,
"Let this mind be in you,
00:43:59.13\00:44:00.84
which was also in Christ Jesus."
00:44:00.87\00:44:02.87
Not just about
what you look like
00:44:02.90\00:44:05.44
on the outside,
00:44:05.47\00:44:07.98
it's about what you're
thinking on the inside.
00:44:08.01\00:44:13.05
God wants us to imitate Jesus.
00:44:13.08\00:44:17.59
You know, Paul said imitate
me even as I imitate Christ.
00:44:17.62\00:44:21.42
Now, in a way it's
kind of mind blowing to me
00:44:24.93\00:44:29.86
how much God has done for us.
00:44:29.90\00:44:31.27
'Cause we talk about the
fact that He's paid the price.
00:44:31.30\00:44:34.14
So if you think about it,
00:44:34.17\00:44:35.50
the Bible tells us that all our
00:44:35.54\00:44:36.87
righteousness is as filthy rags.
00:44:36.91\00:44:38.64
Okay? So that's
our righteousness.
00:44:38.67\00:44:41.54
That's not our bad
deeds. That's all our best bits.
00:44:41.58\00:44:45.61
All our
righteousness is as filthy rags.
00:44:45.65\00:44:48.88
So what Jesus
does is He cleanses us,
00:44:48.92\00:44:51.15
He takes away our filthy rags
00:44:51.19\00:44:55.29
and He takes them to the cross
00:44:55.32\00:44:56.66
and dies on the cross for us.
00:44:56.69\00:44:59.13
All of our sins.
00:44:59.16\00:45:01.46
Then He clothes us
with His righteousness.
00:45:01.50\00:45:06.13
The Bible talks about
a robe of righteousness.
00:45:06.17\00:45:08.37
Jesus clothes us with His robe.
00:45:08.40\00:45:10.81
You might wanna think
about that as the parachute.
00:45:10.84\00:45:14.84
He clothes us with
His robe of righteousness.
00:45:14.88\00:45:16.61
We are given by
Jesus a perfect record.
00:45:16.64\00:45:20.75
We're given Christ's record.
00:45:20.78\00:45:23.39
It just blows my
mind to think about that.
00:45:23.42\00:45:25.75
He takes away our sins.
00:45:25.79\00:45:27.49
He then clothes us
with the record of Jesus.
00:45:27.52\00:45:30.13
So that God looking down
00:45:30.16\00:45:31.53
from heaven
says, there's my son,
00:45:31.56\00:45:35.06
because we're
clothed with Christ.
00:45:35.10\00:45:37.83
And then not only that,
00:45:37.87\00:45:39.53
but He gives us the Holy Spirit,
00:45:39.57\00:45:41.74
He empowers us
00:45:41.77\00:45:43.10
from within to walk in His ways.
00:45:43.14\00:45:46.34
God has done everything
00:45:46.37\00:45:48.74
He needs to do
in order to save us.
00:45:48.78\00:45:52.38
He's paid the
price for our sins,
00:45:52.41\00:45:53.95
He's clothed us
with His perfect record.
00:45:53.98\00:45:56.05
And He empowers us
with the Holy Spirit.
00:45:56.08\00:45:59.55
And that's the wonderful
thing that we can contemplate.
00:45:59.59\00:46:03.53
Steps to Christ, page 62,
00:46:03.56\00:46:04.93
it says, "The
condition of eternal life
00:46:04.96\00:46:07.13
is now just what
it has always been,
00:46:07.16\00:46:10.27
just what it was in paradise
00:46:10.30\00:46:11.80
before the fall
of our first parents,
00:46:11.83\00:46:13.97
perfect obedience
to the law of God,
00:46:14.00\00:46:17.37
perfect righteousness."
00:46:17.41\00:46:19.17
I have to pause there.
00:46:19.21\00:46:22.54
You read those words
00:46:22.58\00:46:23.91
and you could be
terrified, right?
00:46:23.95\00:46:28.88
Because the
condition of eternal life
00:46:28.92\00:46:33.12
is perfect
obedience to the Lord of God.
00:46:33.15\00:46:35.22
Perfect righteousness.
00:46:35.26\00:46:36.59
Well, hello, I don't have that.
00:46:36.62\00:46:40.13
In and of myself,
00:46:40.16\00:46:42.26
but when God
puts Jesus coat on me,
00:46:42.30\00:46:46.30
I have it.
00:46:46.33\00:46:49.20
You see what I'm saying?
00:46:49.24\00:46:50.57
That's why God can look
down and say, there's My Son.
00:46:50.61\00:46:53.58
He's not weighing my acts.
00:46:53.61\00:46:57.75
He's saying he's clothed
with Christ's righteousness.
00:46:57.78\00:47:02.28
And that you breathe
a heavy sigh of relief.
00:47:02.32\00:47:06.79
You know, when we
talk about a lot of people
00:47:06.82\00:47:09.09
are afraid of perfection
or the word perfection,
00:47:09.12\00:47:12.99
but I see it more as of
a promise than a threat.
00:47:13.03\00:47:18.03
God is going to work out
00:47:18.07\00:47:20.94
His perfect holiness in me.
00:47:20.97\00:47:24.41
I just have to
let Him do it, right?
00:47:24.44\00:47:25.97
I have to
cooperate, I have to say,
00:47:26.01\00:47:27.34
"Lord, I want you
to be in my life."
00:47:27.38\00:47:30.75
And the focus is on Jesus.
00:47:30.78\00:47:32.98
The focus is not on me.
00:47:33.01\00:47:34.42
The focus is not in the mirror.
00:47:34.45\00:47:37.35
Mirrors can be helpful, right?
00:47:37.39\00:47:40.52
We need them from time to time
to check out where we are at,
00:47:40.56\00:47:46.33
but you're not gonna get
saved by looking in the mirror.
00:47:46.36\00:47:51.10
We're gonna have to
keep our eyes upon Jesus.
00:47:51.13\00:47:53.90
And then He can work
out His will within us.
00:47:53.94\00:47:58.11
And I think that's fantastic.
00:47:58.14\00:48:00.84
Christ's character and all
that I'll need to do the rest,
00:48:00.88\00:48:02.74
read the rest of the quote here.
00:48:02.78\00:48:06.21
"The condition of eternal life
00:48:06.25\00:48:07.58
is now just what
it has always been,
00:48:07.62\00:48:08.95
just what it was in paradise
00:48:08.98\00:48:10.45
before the fall
of our first parents,
00:48:10.49\00:48:12.05
perfect obedience
to the law of God,
00:48:12.09\00:48:13.86
perfect righteousness.
00:48:13.89\00:48:15.22
If eternal life were granted
on any condition short of this,
00:48:15.26\00:48:19.06
then the happiness
of the whole universe
00:48:19.09\00:48:21.53
would be imperiled.
00:48:21.56\00:48:23.77
The way would be open for sin,
00:48:23.80\00:48:25.50
with all its
train of woe and misery,
00:48:25.53\00:48:27.97
to be immortalized."
00:48:28.00\00:48:29.34
If there were no
change in the life,
00:48:29.37\00:48:30.97
if I just say I'm a Christian,
I'm gonna claim salvation.
00:48:31.01\00:48:34.68
And I'm just
unchanged in heart and mind.
00:48:34.71\00:48:40.02
Then I end up going
to heaven and behaving
00:48:40.05\00:48:41.65
just the same way
as I did down here.
00:48:41.68\00:48:44.75
And heaven
would soon become hell
00:48:44.79\00:48:47.62
because essentially
00:48:47.66\00:48:49.16
why would God leave anybody out?
00:48:49.19\00:48:52.23
Just take everybody to heaven.
00:48:52.26\00:48:53.66
And heaven just becomes
like it is on earth right now.
00:48:53.70\00:48:58.80
That's a problem.
00:48:58.83\00:49:01.67
"Christ's character
stands in place of our character
00:49:01.70\00:49:04.34
and you are accepted
00:49:04.37\00:49:06.07
before God just as
if you had not sinned."
00:49:06.11\00:49:09.54
That to me is absolutely
jump for joy, good news.
00:49:09.58\00:49:14.12
That I can stand before
God, as though I'd never sinned,
00:49:14.15\00:49:19.32
not because of what I've done,
00:49:19.35\00:49:20.69
but because of
what Christ is doing,
00:49:20.72\00:49:22.59
has done and is doing in me.
00:49:22.62\00:49:24.76
I want to read Galatians 2:20.
00:49:30.87\00:49:32.60
I think we have
that on the screen too.
00:49:32.63\00:49:35.77
And it says,
00:49:35.80\00:49:37.14
"I have been
crucified with Christ,
00:49:37.17\00:49:39.54
it is no longer I who
live, but Christ lives in me,
00:49:39.57\00:49:43.14
and the life which I
now live in the flesh
00:49:43.18\00:49:45.88
I live by faith
in the Son of God,
00:49:45.91\00:49:47.55
who loved me and
gave Himself for me."
00:49:47.58\00:49:51.39
And it's always that way around.
00:49:51.42\00:49:53.42
Jesus loved me and
gave Himself for me.
00:49:53.46\00:49:57.23
It's because He loved me
that He gave Himself for me.
00:49:57.26\00:50:01.66
And He has made
that ultimate sacrifice.
00:50:01.70\00:50:04.57
You might be
thinking at this point,
00:50:07.57\00:50:08.90
but what if I fail?
00:50:08.94\00:50:11.41
You ever failed?
Of course, you have.
00:50:11.44\00:50:14.74
I don't need you to answer that.
00:50:14.78\00:50:16.11
I can answer for you.
What happens if we fail?
00:50:16.14\00:50:19.41
I don't know if you saw,
00:50:26.59\00:50:27.92
I saw a trailer for a film
00:50:27.96\00:50:30.49
called Man on Wire.
00:50:30.53\00:50:34.53
A man by the name of
Philippe Petit, 1974,
00:50:34.56\00:50:37.57
he walked a tight rope
00:50:37.60\00:50:39.03
between the twin
towers of New York City.
00:50:39.07\00:50:42.04
I don't know if you've
seen the pictures or whatever.
00:50:42.07\00:50:44.17
Incredible.
00:50:44.21\00:50:46.47
He did it without a safety net.
00:50:46.51\00:50:50.15
Don't do this at home, right?
00:50:50.18\00:50:52.48
It's not recommended,
00:50:52.51\00:50:53.85
but I mean it's
phenomenal pictures
00:50:53.88\00:50:55.92
to see this man
walking on a wire,
00:50:55.95\00:50:58.42
a tight rope
between the twin towers
00:50:58.45\00:51:00.22
of the World Trade
Center back in 1974.
00:51:00.26\00:51:03.22
And he survived.
00:51:03.26\00:51:05.49
He didn't fall,
00:51:05.53\00:51:08.73
but he did that
without a safety net.
00:51:08.76\00:51:11.97
And if he had fell, that was it.
00:51:12.00\00:51:15.67
I mean, there's
no hope of surviving
00:51:15.70\00:51:17.87
a fall of 110 stories,
00:51:17.91\00:51:21.44
but what about you and I?
00:51:21.48\00:51:24.01
The Bible provides
a safety net for us
00:51:24.05\00:51:28.35
and I'm so glad it does.
00:51:28.38\00:51:29.72
I wanna read
Steps to Christ, 63.
00:51:29.75\00:51:32.82
We're going to just
read this passage here.
00:51:32.85\00:51:35.79
It says, "There are those
00:51:35.82\00:51:37.23
who have known the
pardoning love of Christ
00:51:37.26\00:51:39.59
and who really desire
to be children of God,
00:51:39.63\00:51:42.36
yet they realize that
their character is imperfect,
00:51:42.40\00:51:46.03
their life faulty,
00:51:46.07\00:51:47.40
and they are ready to doubt
00:51:47.44\00:51:49.30
whether their
hearts have been renewed
00:51:49.34\00:51:50.94
by the Holy Spirit.
00:51:50.97\00:51:52.87
To such I would say, do
not draw back in despair.
00:51:52.91\00:51:57.31
We shall often have to bow down
and weep at the feet of Jesus
00:51:57.35\00:52:00.25
because of our
shortcomings and mistakes,
00:52:00.28\00:52:02.55
but we are not
to be discouraged.
00:52:02.58\00:52:05.42
Even if we are
overcome by the enemy,
00:52:05.45\00:52:07.82
we are not cast off,
00:52:07.86\00:52:09.26
not forsaken
and rejected of God.
00:52:09.29\00:52:12.79
No, Christ is at
the right hand of God
00:52:12.83\00:52:15.26
who also makes
intercession for us."
00:52:15.30\00:52:17.50
I love that little
passage in this chapter
00:52:17.53\00:52:20.80
on the test of discipleship,
00:52:20.84\00:52:22.74
because while
it's telling us that
00:52:22.77\00:52:24.64
we are incapable of
saving ourselves, in Jesus,
00:52:24.67\00:52:27.24
it is the one who's
paid for our salvation.
00:52:27.28\00:52:29.48
While telling us
that when the Holy Spirit
00:52:29.51\00:52:31.31
comes into the life,
the life will be changed.
00:52:31.35\00:52:35.28
If you slip and
fall, God does not say,
00:52:35.32\00:52:37.69
that's it for you.
00:52:37.72\00:52:40.59
God is a loving heavenly Father.
00:52:40.62\00:52:44.23
And He has made a
way of escape for us.
00:52:44.26\00:52:49.86
In Romans 8:1, He tells us that
00:52:49.90\00:52:53.54
"There is now no condemnation
00:52:53.57\00:52:55.20
to those who
are in Christ Jesus,
00:52:55.24\00:52:56.57
who do not walk
according to the flesh,
00:52:56.60\00:52:58.77
but according to the Spirit."
00:52:58.81\00:53:00.14
But there is no condemnation
when you are in Christ.
00:53:00.18\00:53:03.14
And in 1 John 2:1,
00:53:03.18\00:53:06.78
I'm gonna read that
from the scriptures here.
00:53:06.82\00:53:08.58
It tells us that God
does not want for us to sin.
00:53:13.56\00:53:18.23
But if we do sin,
there is a way of escape.
00:53:18.26\00:53:21.66
I want you to
notice what it says here,
00:53:21.70\00:53:23.03
just reading this.
00:53:23.06\00:53:24.83
1 John 2:1, "My little children,
00:53:24.87\00:53:27.44
these things I write to
you, so that you may not sin.
00:53:27.47\00:53:31.37
And if anyone sins,
00:53:31.41\00:53:33.21
we have an
Advocate with the Father,
00:53:33.24\00:53:35.54
Jesus Christ the righteous."
00:53:35.58\00:53:39.15
It's not God's
intention that we should sin.
00:53:39.18\00:53:41.35
But if we do sin,
00:53:41.38\00:53:42.98
we have an
Advocate with the Father,
00:53:43.02\00:53:44.35
Jesus Christ the righteous,
there is a safety net.
00:53:44.39\00:53:47.69
And finally, I
think about John 14:15,
00:53:47.72\00:53:51.16
where Jesus says,
00:53:51.19\00:53:52.53
"If you love Me,
keep My commandments."
00:53:52.56\00:53:56.00
As a disciple of Jesus
our motivation must be love.
00:53:56.03\00:54:00.04
Jesus loved us and we obey Him
because we love Him in return.
00:54:00.07\00:54:05.94
We want to do His will.
00:54:05.97\00:54:07.38
He says, "If you love
Me, keep My commandments."
00:54:07.41\00:54:10.81
Let us pray together
as disciples of Christ.
00:54:10.85\00:54:14.92
Dear Lord and Heavenly Father,
00:54:14.95\00:54:16.28
please bless us as we seek
00:54:16.32\00:54:18.02
by Your grace to
walk in Your ways.
00:54:18.05\00:54:21.26
May we seek to do Your will.
00:54:21.29\00:54:23.32
We know that we are weak,
00:54:23.36\00:54:24.69
but we need Your strength
through the Holy Spirit.
00:54:24.73\00:54:27.46
May You be with
each person here today.
00:54:27.50\00:54:30.47
May You be with all those
00:54:30.50\00:54:31.83
who are listening and watching,
00:54:31.87\00:54:33.20
and may You help
us to understand that
00:54:33.23\00:54:36.34
You are the one
00:54:36.37\00:54:38.17
who paid the
price for our salvation.
00:54:38.21\00:54:40.08
You are the one
who imparts to us
00:54:40.11\00:54:43.31
Your robe of righteousness.
00:54:43.35\00:54:44.78
And You are the one who gives us
00:54:44.81\00:54:47.52
the Holy Spirit to empower us
00:54:47.55\00:54:49.28
that we may walk in Your ways.
00:54:49.32\00:54:51.35
May we follow Jesus
all the way home to heaven
00:54:51.39\00:54:54.72
is our prayer in Jesus' name.
00:54:54.76\00:54:56.99
Amen.
00:54:57.03\00:54:58.63