Hello friends, grab
your Bible and a friend
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and sit back as we explore God's
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word together on this
edition of House Calls.
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It's great to
have you here with us
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again on another
edition of House Calls
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my name is
Pastor John Stanton and
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I am C.A. Murray
and it's great again
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to be able to open up the word
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of the God to
study its pages and to be
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encouraged by
that drawing closer
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to our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ
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which we need to
do in this difficult
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times. And Pastor
Murray it's great to
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have you here in the studio with
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us yet again.
I'm happy to be here,
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I apologize for cutting you off,
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but I like
bumping you over to the
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host chair and
sitting in a fill in seat,
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I don't get a
chance to study the word
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of God with you
enough and I always
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enjoy it when it's necessary,
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praise the Lord and thank you
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and me too it's
always a blessing
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to have you
here. And we just got
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off the heels of a program that
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I think was desperately needed
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where we needed
to be encouraged,
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oh! Yes, during
very difficult financial
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times and economic times,
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a couple with all the disasters
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and the things we see going on
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around us here as
well, but it's a time
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that we need to really have some
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encouragement and I believe that
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program was an encouragement
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to hopefully
many of our viewers as
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it was to me as
well. Yeah, yeah,
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as we were
talking just a little bit,
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certainly well
you're a pastor you can
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see the effects of
the economic downturn.
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We're in a bit of slide now but
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these are the
times as we mentioned
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before test our metal and test
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our resolve in Jesus Christ.
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If you are a
person who puts a lot
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of faith in your
stocks, your bonds,
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securities then
your faith has been
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thoroughly shaken, but if your
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faith is in Jesus
Christ has not moved,
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Christ has not
changed, he is the
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same yesterday,
today and forever.
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So, your faith is
as solid as it ever
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was and it really
is a question of where
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is your hope,
where is your trust,
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where are you
putting your resources
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dare I say, in
earth or in heaven and
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I say if you're
banking in heaven then
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you're fine
because everything is
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secure and there is
no run on the bank. Amen.
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You know and the
peace that we talked
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about having you know with Jesus
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is as we're yoked with him,
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as we're together with him. Yes,
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and so what I
thought we could do on
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this program is take
a look at seven steps
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that we can take to
draw closer to Jesus
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to have a closer
relationship with Jesus.
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Yeah, and so
that's what we would
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like to talk a bit on
our program here today
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but before we do
that we always go
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into our question
and answer period,
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although before
that we always go
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to the Lord in
prayer. So, Pastor Murray
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would you lead us there first.
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Be happy to do
so. Gracious Father,
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again we thank you
for this opportunity
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to talk about our
best friend Christ Jesus.
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We thank you
for the promise that
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when the name of
Jesus is lifted up,
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when Christ is
lifted he will draw all men,
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all women, all boys,
all girls unto himself
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that he is the great healer,
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the great
sustainer, the great provider
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and so we rest in
you, we trust you Lord
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and we ask you now
to bless our setting
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here as we open
the word of God and
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see what your
will is for our lives.
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We thank you dear Father in
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Jesus name. Amen. Amen.
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Well, it's time
for our, your questions
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hopefully our descent answers,
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we try to do the best of course
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you can't go wrong when you say
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the word of God and look there
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for answers, but
we want to encourage
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you to continue to sending your
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programs to House Calls and the
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email address is @3abn.org
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so that housecalls@3abn.org
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feel free to send in
your questions there,
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very important and they've been
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very good. So, we appreciate you
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doing that. If
you like to send them
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in by regular
mail, you can feel free
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to do that as well. But we have
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some good
questions here today and
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Pastor Murray, maybe you got one
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and you get
started off with. Well,
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we've got a
question from Mark and
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Mark is writing from Minnesota,
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White Bear, White
Bear Lake, Minnesota.
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It's kind of a long
question, so I'm gonna
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try to digest it just
a little bit pastor John.
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He evidently or at
some time ago in his life,
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he had shot a
crow and he shot it
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an air riffle
didn't kill it. It was
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wounded, he had wounded it and
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of course he had
to then end its life
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because he had wounded it.
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He's very, very
said and I think I'm
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listening to this
that this has left a sort
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of everlasting
impression. Now, he is
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an adult, he has
two feral cats either,
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you know cats are
kind of just hanging
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around a little
bit. He says through the
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indifference and
ignorance of mankind
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they have to be
destroyed, I guess
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they got to be
put down or euthanized
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as we say. And he
is really, really sad
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about that, yet
he says the spirit
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assured me I am not a killer,
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I don't like animals to suffer,
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trapping animals seems wrong.
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God loves all his creatures,
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I guess he just
wants some help and
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comfort because he
doesn't like to see
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anybody suffer
yeah including animals.
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And I understand that I was not
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a big animal person, but through
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the insistence of my wife we now
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have three cats.
Three black cats,
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gorgeous long, silky black and
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one of them just died just a
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couple of weeks
ago, of course they're
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Spanish, so we,
one of the cats has
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an African name that I gave it,
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one has a
Spanish name and one has
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a American name because of our
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grandson named,
so we have Ohora,
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the African name, we have Coco
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which is a Spanish cat and.
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No, I'm sorry
Pepe is the Spanish cat
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and we have Coco which is the
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English cat. And we found Ohora
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dead and these
animals have a way
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of working their
way kind of into your
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soul a little bit
more, it was not my
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intention to get
so chummy with these
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cats, but I feed
them they sit on my
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lap and the whole
deal. And so, I know
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what it's like when you lose,
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sometime ago Shelley Quinn who
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works here at
3ABN you know her well,
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lost one of her
dogs and it really,
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really upset her having that dog
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maybe 16 years,
it really upset her,
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and another couple Stevens might
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have lost their
dog a number of years
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and their dog
had to be euthanized,
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he had
arthritis, he was in great
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pain and it was
unfair and cruel to
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the dog, to have a dog just,
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he couldn't walk,
he couldn't function
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and they had to just you know
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end its life. So
I can understand,
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I can understand
that, having said so,
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Christ did not
die to save animals,
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he died to save human beings.
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I think when we,
when we fall in love
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with Jesus a
certain kindness come
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into our lives
pastor for all creatures
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you know. So you don't want to
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unnecessarily hurt
creatures I'm not a
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hunter you know. I just don't,
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that's just not me
but by the same token
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there are some
science that's done on
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laboratory
animals that could not be,
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we could not be helped as human
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unless these kinds of
experiments were done.
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So it's tough
place to kind of be,
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this fellow says
I'm a vegetarian,
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well praise the Lord
he don't eat meat so,
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meat so he doesn't he's
not responsible for that,
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but Christ died
to save, died to save
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you and me and
luckily, I say luckily,
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thank God one
day there is coming
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when the lion will
lay down with the lamb,
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there will be no
more hunting of animals,
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there will be no
more destruction,
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there will be no
more death at all.
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And I think perhaps
it would be comforting
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for us to focus on that day.
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Because as long
as we are in this
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temple we are on
this earth there is
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gonna be death,
there is gonna be killing,
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there is gonna be
cruelty to animals and
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man to man, humans to humans,
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which is a bad
thing. God does indeed love
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all of his
creatures but he sent his son
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to die for us and
for that we can be
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grateful and
thankful. Yeah, and the
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issue really here
with this man is that,
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you know you not
killing a soul that
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Jesus died for when
the animals put down,
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precisely and in
many respects your,
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it's an act of
mercy for these animals
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that are really
suffering and having a
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difficult time
and so well he may not
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feel like he can
do that, he can bring
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himself to do that
there are some who,
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who understand this and maybe
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have a little
more resistance to,
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resilience when
it comes to putting
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an animal down and they can,
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they may not
like you and enjoy it,
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but they understand the merciful
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aspect of that,
better than maybe
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he would. So,
there are those who
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can help to do that as we know
00:08:28.81\00:08:30.05
many of us who
have just you know
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we had to put a
young dog, not a young
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dog but an older dog down when
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I was young. And he was, he was
00:08:37.25\00:08:40.46
with us for 17, 18
years, and you know
00:08:40.49\00:08:43.24
your animal
grows on you that way.
00:08:43.27\00:08:44.93
Oh! Sure, and anyway so we took
00:08:44.96\00:08:47.32
the animal, the
dog to the vet and
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he just give him a shot and he
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just fell a
sleep. There was no pain,
00:08:51.90\00:08:53.22
no suffering
going on, it's probably
00:08:53.25\00:08:54.98
the most humane way to do that
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and probably in this case that's
00:08:55.99\00:08:57.74
similar to what
we'll hear. Yeah,
00:08:57.77\00:09:00.00
you can take heart and that it's
00:09:00.48\00:09:01.45
not cruel, I have
a question here from
00:09:01.46\00:09:05.21
Debbie and it says here she was
00:09:05.24\00:09:08.99
reading Pastor
Lomacang's article
00:09:09.02\00:09:11.38
in 3ABN, and
world called to Hell
00:09:11.41\00:09:13.80
and back and in
that article it says
00:09:13.83\00:09:17.42
that there is quote about from
00:09:17.45\00:09:20.13
Revelation 29 and 10 that:
00:09:20.16\00:09:22.43
The fire devoured
them, and they will
00:09:22.46\00:09:24.90
be tormented or
will be tormented
00:09:24.93\00:09:26.39
day and night forever and ever.
00:09:26.42\00:09:27.71
And she says she
always had a problem
00:09:27.74\00:09:29.96
with that try to
connect that with
00:09:29.99\00:09:31.60
other scriptures
that says that you
00:09:31.63\00:09:34.13
know your soul
doesn't live forever
00:09:34.16\00:09:36.18
and how could you go on existing
00:09:36.21\00:09:38.17
forever if in fact this you know
00:09:38.20\00:09:41.35
it's not true. And so anyway,
00:09:41.38\00:09:45.25
so she's saying here, help me
00:09:45.28\00:09:47.27
understand this,
help me to reconcile this,
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how do we get
to a point where we
00:09:48.98\00:09:51.05
can on one hand the
scriptures which says
00:09:51.08\00:09:53.53
that the fire will burn them up,
00:09:53.56\00:09:56.06
neither lead them,
neither root or branch,
00:09:56.09\00:09:58.28
and at the same
time it says that
00:09:58.31\00:10:00.38
they'll be
tormented day and night
00:10:00.41\00:10:01.55
forever and ever.
And so let's, let's
00:10:01.58\00:10:04.70
take a look at
that text here just
00:10:04.73\00:10:05.99
briefly Revelation 20 verse 9
00:10:06.02\00:10:08.81
and 10 and then
lets talk about it.
00:10:08.84\00:10:10.84
I won't spend a
lot of time on that
00:10:10.87\00:10:14.06
because there
are many, many texts
00:10:14.09\00:10:17.62
involved we can
do a whole study,
00:10:17.65\00:10:19.12
a whole program
and you've done shows
00:10:19.15\00:10:20.12
on this before with Pastor John,
00:10:20.13\00:10:21.41
so you've touched
on this in the past.
00:10:21.44\00:10:24.27
But Revelation 20
verse 9 and 10 says:
00:10:25.01\00:10:27.17
They went up on
the breadth of the
00:10:27.20\00:10:28.47
earth and
surrounded the camp of the
00:10:28.50\00:10:29.63
saints and the beloved city.
00:10:29.66\00:10:31.53
And this is the,
the wicked who are
00:10:31.56\00:10:33.79
about to attach the
city now and it says:
00:10:33.82\00:10:36.37
Fire came down
from God out of heaven
00:10:36.40\00:10:39.35
and devoured them. And it says:
00:10:39.38\00:10:41.57
The devil, who deceived them,
00:10:41.60\00:10:42.73
was cast into
the lake of fire and
00:10:42.76\00:10:44.38
brimstone where the beast and
00:10:44.41\00:10:45.95
the false prophet
are. And they will be
00:10:45.98\00:10:47.40
tormented day and
night forever and ever.
00:10:47.43\00:10:50.33
One of the things
about the language,
00:10:51.31\00:10:54.71
Greek language
where they're Aramaic
00:10:54.74\00:10:57.68
as well as when you
go back, even Hebrew,
00:10:57.71\00:10:59.68
the language has
a lot of personality
00:11:01.36\00:11:04.99
to it. Yes, okay
and it's much more
00:11:05.02\00:11:07.72
than the words
we use in English,
00:11:07.75\00:11:09.30
a word descriptive
of something and it just
00:11:09.33\00:11:11.49
really breathe
life into it, you know
00:11:11.52\00:11:13.73
Spanish and
obviously when you're
00:11:13.76\00:11:15.63
talking about
things in Spanish and
00:11:15.66\00:11:17.81
using words in
Spanish, it's female,
00:11:17.84\00:11:19.61
it's male. It's got
some identity more then,
00:11:19.64\00:11:22.16
yes, just being
a word and it goes
00:11:22.19\00:11:25.31
a long way back when that these
00:11:25.34\00:11:28.18
languages really had a strong
00:11:28.21\00:11:30.37
personality and in this context
00:11:30.40\00:11:33.55
you're talking about a people
00:11:33.58\00:11:34.86
who are going to be
thrown into the fire,
00:11:34.89\00:11:36.89
this lake of
fire. Who are mortal,
00:11:36.92\00:11:40.40
they're not
immortal because First
00:11:40.43\00:11:42.75
Corinthians 15 tells
us at the end of that:
00:11:42.78\00:11:44.52
Those that receive immortality,
00:11:44.55\00:11:46.24
right are those
who are in Christ whom
00:11:46.27\00:11:49.23
he has comeback to
raise them from the
00:11:49.26\00:11:50.80
dead also those
who are alive and
00:11:50.83\00:11:52.17
remain here
waiting for him First
00:11:52.20\00:11:53.43
Thessalonians 4:
That they all receive
00:11:53.46\00:11:55.87
immortality, yes,
but the wicked do not,
00:11:55.90\00:11:59.95
the wicked are on
the earth, they have,
00:11:59.98\00:12:03.45
they have died
because the brightness
00:12:03.48\00:12:06.07
of Christ coming. They've been
00:12:06.10\00:12:07.44
therefore a thousand years,
00:12:07.47\00:12:08.56
they've been
resurrected, they're
00:12:08.59\00:12:09.56
still mortal
beings but they've been
00:12:09.57\00:12:11.15
resurrected for
that last judgment hour.
00:12:11.18\00:12:13.04
Yes, and so we
picked that up here
00:12:13.07\00:12:15.17
and so when the
terminology is used
00:12:15.20\00:12:17.52
that they will be burned by this
00:12:17.55\00:12:19.76
fire day and
night, forever and ever.
00:12:19.79\00:12:22.50
Those words are
pertaining to their
00:12:23.33\00:12:25.75
mortal state, so the forever and
00:12:25.78\00:12:28.57
ever as long as
they live. So, when we
00:12:28.60\00:12:34.10
look at this
judgment obviously we know
00:12:34.13\00:12:35.74
scripture tells
us that some sins are
00:12:35.77\00:12:38.32
more heinous than
others. God will not
00:12:38.35\00:12:41.19
punish and burn I
believe for a longest
00:12:41.22\00:12:45.90
in the period of
time, someone who
00:12:45.93\00:12:47.60
really hasn't done a
lot of harm to others
00:12:47.63\00:12:49.24
on this earth
whether they may have steal,
00:12:49.27\00:12:51.49
they may have
lied, they may have done
00:12:51.52\00:12:52.70
some things, they
don't want Christ,
00:12:52.73\00:12:54.21
they don't wanna
live forever in Heaven
00:12:54.24\00:12:55.45
with him, but
their life really isn't
00:12:55.48\00:12:58.22
a life of a
murderer or someone who
00:12:58.25\00:13:00.95
has really done
harm to many of those
00:13:00.98\00:13:02.99
who during the time
they've lived and so
00:13:03.02\00:13:05.19
God will not just
keep them alive to cause
00:13:05.22\00:13:07.58
them to burn and
suffer for a long
00:13:07.61\00:13:08.74
period of time.
But there maybe some
00:13:08.77\00:13:10.07
that we could think
of in history of time,
00:13:10.10\00:13:12.15
yes deserve a form punishment
00:13:12.18\00:13:14.77
that is painful,
that is vengeance
00:13:14.80\00:13:18.22
that God takes
out upon them for the
00:13:18.25\00:13:20.64
acts and the works
that they have done.
00:13:20.67\00:13:22.43
And in that case I
think we're finding
00:13:22.46\00:13:24.50
here in this
text telling us that
00:13:24.53\00:13:26.89
there are some who will burn in
00:13:26.92\00:13:28.32
that fire for a
period of time until
00:13:28.35\00:13:30.91
God sees fit to
let the immortality
00:13:30.94\00:13:32.87
how that fire consume them and
00:13:32.90\00:13:35.81
burned them up which, you go to
00:13:35.84\00:13:37.38
Malachi which chapter is that?
00:13:37.41\00:13:39.72
Malachi 3 where it talks about
00:13:39.75\00:13:41.29
that it will burn,
the fire will bring
00:13:41.32\00:13:42.36
them up, leave them neither root
00:13:42.39\00:13:43.81
nor branch. Right, they be gone,
00:13:43.84\00:13:45.17
it actually is
the same, correct.
00:13:45.20\00:13:46.52
And so to
reconcile these two which
00:13:46.55\00:13:48.79
you have just to
know is that he's
00:13:48.82\00:13:50.23
speaking of mortal beings yes.
00:13:50.26\00:13:52.08
Mortal beings who do not have
00:13:52.11\00:13:53.54
immortality they
can't be alive forever,
00:13:53.57\00:13:56.54
if you don't define it that way
00:13:56.57\00:13:58.64
here's the other
confusing part too,
00:13:58.67\00:13:59.93
if you don't
define it that way pastor.
00:13:59.96\00:14:01.92
You're actually saying that God
00:14:01.95\00:14:04.46
is a tormentor or torturer,
00:14:04.49\00:14:08.10
that he is one
who is like unto those
00:14:08.13\00:14:12.47
who we see
today. Who might capture
00:14:12.50\00:14:15.50
somebody in a warfare, in some
00:14:15.53\00:14:17.19
kind of a war or
something and keep
00:14:17.22\00:14:18.44
them alive to
torture them to get
00:14:18.47\00:14:19.81
stuff out of them and we view
00:14:19.84\00:14:22.12
that very, very immorally yes.
00:14:22.15\00:14:25.90
We would be
calling God a murderer,
00:14:27.07\00:14:28.66
a torturer and God is not that,
00:14:28.69\00:14:30.31
so it's not
pertaining. We're not
00:14:30.34\00:14:32.82
speaking of God in that context,
00:14:32.85\00:14:34.40
we're talking about a God who is
00:14:34.43\00:14:35.94
allowing vengeance to occur.
00:14:35.97\00:14:36.98
People are
receiving their just rewards,
00:14:37.01\00:14:39.53
yes and then
they will die, right.
00:14:39.56\00:14:41.44
And perish forever and not to be
00:14:41.47\00:14:43.08
around anymore,
very true and two
00:14:43.11\00:14:44.09
things you
don't wanna do John as
00:14:44.12\00:14:45.32
you well know you don't wanna
00:14:45.35\00:14:46.35
develop
doctrinal premises from the
00:14:46.38\00:14:48.52
book of Revelation
alone, it is a book that
00:14:48.55\00:14:50.81
uses types and
symbols and pictures
00:14:50.84\00:14:54.23
and imagery. So,
if you see something
00:14:54.26\00:14:56.64
that is somewhat
puzzling in Revelation,
00:14:56.67\00:14:59.17
you need to check out that same
00:14:59.20\00:15:01.01
doctrine in several other places
00:15:01.04\00:15:03.03
to try to get a
true picture, right,
00:15:03.06\00:15:06.11
of what
Revelation is saying because
00:15:06.14\00:15:08.18
in Revelation,
particularly in this
00:15:08.21\00:15:09.44
instance states a
fact that they will
00:15:09.47\00:15:12.12
devoured and then
it sort of oh what's
00:15:12.15\00:15:15.84
the word I can use,
it sort of elaborates
00:15:15.87\00:15:17.60
on that using the
imagery again in the
00:15:17.63\00:15:21.35
next verse but your doctrinal
00:15:21.38\00:15:23.18
premises say
that, fire came down
00:15:23.21\00:15:25.00
from heaven and devoured them.
00:15:25.03\00:15:26.63
Now that statement is boisterous
00:15:26.66\00:15:28.32
in several other
places in the word
00:15:28.35\00:15:30.22
of God where as the
next statement is not.
00:15:30.25\00:15:31.74
So take the one that has the
00:15:31.77\00:15:33.69
substantial Biblical
backing in other places
00:15:33.72\00:15:36.94
as opposed to
the flaw we stated,
00:15:36.97\00:15:39.17
which is kind of an elaboration
00:15:39.20\00:15:40.51
on the fact
that's stated in that
00:15:40.54\00:15:42.59
first place. I
mentioned too even the
00:15:42.62\00:15:45.71
book of Jude
here you go, Jude 7:
00:15:45.74\00:15:48.47
Sodom and
Gomorrah were destroyed
00:15:48.50\00:15:50.31
with eternal
fire is the fire still
00:15:50.34\00:15:52.99
burning now? No, but the effects
00:15:53.02\00:15:54.57
of it were
eternal, that's right and
00:15:54.60\00:15:57.11
that is backed up
several other places
00:15:57.14\00:15:59.11
in the word of
God so we're looking
00:15:59.14\00:16:00.23
at the weight of
biblical evidence,
00:16:00.26\00:16:01.74
the weight of
biblical evidence is on
00:16:01.77\00:16:03.93
destruction that
God will leave them
00:16:03.96\00:16:05.41
neither root not
branch as we alluded to,
00:16:05.44\00:16:07.75
that they will
destroyed not burning
00:16:07.78\00:16:09.50
forever which
really is a bad picture
00:16:09.53\00:16:11.58
of the loving God that we serve,
00:16:11.61\00:16:13.50
yeah it doesn't,
it's not in harmony
00:16:13.53\00:16:16.00
with the loving aspect of God,
00:16:16.03\00:16:17.48
precisely, rest
of scripture, yeah.
00:16:17.51\00:16:19.31
And also I think
this text is talking
00:16:19.34\00:16:21.66
about tormenting
them, it's really what
00:16:21.69\00:16:23.32
it's saying is
they will suffer a
00:16:23.35\00:16:25.22
judgment of God.
I mean this is the
00:16:26.87\00:16:28.47
executive judgment of God,
00:16:28.50\00:16:30.06
they will
experience some kind of pain
00:16:30.09\00:16:31.84
and torture,
but don't take that,
00:16:31.87\00:16:35.27
that it's gonna exist forever.
00:16:35.30\00:16:36.57
Because that's
not in harmony with
00:16:36.60\00:16:38.54
the character of
God, the effect will
00:16:38.57\00:16:40.22
be eternal, not the extent.
00:16:40.25\00:16:42.36
Once it's done, it will never
00:16:43.71\00:16:45.08
comeback again,
that makes it eternally
00:16:45.11\00:16:46.47
gone but it won't take eternity
00:16:46.50\00:16:48.31
for it to go.
Amen, yes, Amen. So,
00:16:48.34\00:16:51.96
what else do we have as far as a
00:16:51.99\00:16:53.54
question there for today.
00:16:53.57\00:16:54.54
We have a question
coming from Jamaica,
00:16:54.55\00:16:58.01
Jamaica West Indies it concerns
00:16:58.99\00:17:01.41
chapter 14 the book of Romans
00:17:01.44\00:17:03.10
and the writer wants to know
00:17:03.13\00:17:06.20
I think his name
is Frances, Frances
00:17:06.23\00:17:08.52
wants to know is
this chapter saying
00:17:08.55\00:17:12.17
that the Sabbath is no longer
00:17:12.20\00:17:13.59
important and that any meat
00:17:13.62\00:17:16.88
can be eating, so
eaten rather saying
00:17:16.91\00:17:19.44
that God has already stated that
00:17:19.47\00:17:20.85
some are for consumption while
00:17:20.88\00:17:22.48
others for cleaning up others.
00:17:22.51\00:17:23.99
So basically she
wants to know is this
00:17:24.02\00:17:27.47
sort of pulling
the pigs off from
00:17:27.50\00:17:28.85
under the Sabbath
and opening it up,
00:17:28.88\00:17:30.93
opening it up
for us to eat all the
00:17:30.96\00:17:33.63
meats or any kind of
meat that we want to?
00:17:33.66\00:17:35.88
Interesting,
yeah. Well, let's go to
00:17:35.91\00:17:37.22
Romans 14 then and see what
00:17:37.25\00:17:39.40
we find here, in
fact as I get there,
00:17:39.43\00:17:42.15
I'm looking at the title and you
00:17:42.18\00:17:45.74
know Bibles
sometimes had titles sections,
00:17:45.77\00:17:47.76
mine says principles
of Christian liberty,
00:17:47.79\00:17:50.08
the next one
after that, the rest of
00:17:50.11\00:17:52.94
actually Romans 15
gets into practices
00:17:52.97\00:17:55.47
of Christian
liberty so we're gonna
00:17:55.50\00:17:57.11
see some
principles here or maybe
00:17:57.14\00:17:58.47
we can just read
through this okay
00:17:58.50\00:17:59.90
and kind of take
a look at what this
00:17:59.93\00:18:01.43
is actually
telling us and so we can
00:18:01.46\00:18:04.19
start with verse
1 I'll read a few
00:18:04.22\00:18:05.96
verses and then maybe you can
00:18:05.99\00:18:07.03
read a few, it says in verse 1:
00:18:07.06\00:18:09.00
Receive one who
is weak in the faith,
00:18:09.03\00:18:11.39
but not to dispute
over doubtful things.
00:18:11.42\00:18:14.60
So, immediately
right there, right,
00:18:14.63\00:18:17.18
Paul is talking
about disputing over things
00:18:17.21\00:18:19.65
that really are issues that are
00:18:19.68\00:18:23.30
not doctrinal issues, right.
00:18:23.33\00:18:24.81
They are just kind of
these doubtful things,
00:18:24.84\00:18:26.20
things that are
in doubt, you know
00:18:26.23\00:18:28.77
I would say that more simple way
00:18:28.80\00:18:29.96
of explain that is
why, why should Christians
00:18:29.99\00:18:32.86
fight over the
date that Jesus is
00:18:32.89\00:18:34.87
coming back? Yes,
yeah, does it mater,
00:18:34.90\00:18:37.20
no, no just be
prepared, I mean Jesus
00:18:37.23\00:18:39.63
is coming soon, precisely.
00:18:39.66\00:18:40.63
But we shouldn't fight over
00:18:40.64\00:18:41.63
and all the
things that are gonna
00:18:41.66\00:18:42.86
surround it on
that either you know
00:18:42.89\00:18:44.00
surrounded. Now,
this is really important
00:18:44.03\00:18:45.12
John, doubtful
things because it's
00:18:45.15\00:18:46.55
sets one of the
contacts that this
00:18:46.58\00:18:48.61
whole thing falls
into, because there
00:18:48.64\00:18:50.41
are a couple
things that people assume
00:18:50.44\00:18:52.22
that are not under
doubt, they are not
00:18:52.25\00:18:54.45
doubtful, never have been,
00:18:54.48\00:18:55.89
never will be, so
it's sets a context right
00:18:55.92\00:18:57.87
you know lot off the bat, right
00:18:57.90\00:18:59.06
there yes. So,
we're not talking about
00:18:59.09\00:19:00.98
things that are,
that are not in dispute,
00:19:01.01\00:19:03.20
yes. Okay, we're
talking about things
00:19:03.23\00:19:04.57
that they're fighting over here,
00:19:04.60\00:19:06.06
let's go a
little further. Verse 2:
00:19:06.09\00:19:09.38
For one believes
he may eat all things,
00:19:09.41\00:19:11.68
but he who is weak
eats only vegetables.
00:19:11.71\00:19:14.92
Let not him who eats despise him
00:19:14.95\00:19:17.87
who does not
eat, and let not him
00:19:17.90\00:19:19.89
who does not eat
judge him who eats;
00:19:19.92\00:19:22.34
for God has
received him. But I mean
00:19:22.37\00:19:26.71
clearly right
there you begin to think
00:19:26.74\00:19:27.98
of or try to
apply this, give it some
00:19:28.01\00:19:31.03
context of what
they're talking about.
00:19:31.06\00:19:32.34
And eating and not eating to me
00:19:32.37\00:19:36.88
that smells
fasting, yeah I mean I'm
00:19:36.91\00:19:39.66
hearing fasting,
people are fighting about
00:19:39.69\00:19:41.45
how you should fast here?
00:19:41.48\00:19:43.23
Which some people still do today
00:19:43.26\00:19:45.21
by the way you know
well you know drink,
00:19:45.24\00:19:47.06
I only drink water yeah.
00:19:47.09\00:19:48.25
Or some people well I eat fruit,
00:19:48.28\00:19:50.50
it's a fruit
fast or I don't know
00:19:50.53\00:19:52.04
whatever they, they determine
00:19:52.07\00:19:53.25
but this is going on back then.
00:19:53.28\00:19:54.40
The reason we run into problems
00:19:56.12\00:19:58.17
with this Pastor
John is because people
00:19:58.20\00:20:01.04
read this and make
a lot of assumptions.
00:20:01.07\00:20:02.91
They're assuming
and you'll see further
00:20:02.94\00:20:05.53
on with some assumptions are
00:20:05.56\00:20:06.96
made we're thinking he must be
00:20:06.99\00:20:08.73
talking about
this. When the Bible
00:20:08.76\00:20:10.57
doesn't state that he's talking
00:20:10.60\00:20:12.23
about that,
that's right and to make
00:20:12.26\00:20:13.42
those assumptions kind of gets
00:20:13.45\00:20:14.46
you into some
theological hard water
00:20:14.49\00:20:15.81
because you can
built some premises
00:20:15.84\00:20:17.04
on this text that are really on
00:20:17.07\00:20:19.65
shaky ground. That's right,
00:20:19.68\00:20:20.85
well why don't you
read on here, okay,
00:20:20.88\00:20:22.22
we're at 4. I'm in verse 4:
00:20:22.25\00:20:23.68
Who are you to
judge another's servant?
00:20:24.60\00:20:26.54
To his own master
he stands or falls.
00:20:27.35\00:20:30.90
Indeed, he will
be made to stand,
00:20:30.93\00:20:33.60
for God is able
to make him stand.
00:20:33.63\00:20:35.92
One person esteems one day above
00:20:35.95\00:20:38.78
another; another esteems every
00:20:38.81\00:20:40.76
day alike. Let
each be fully convinced
00:20:40.79\00:20:43.49
in his own mind. He who observes
00:20:43.52\00:20:46.60
the day,
observes it to the Lord;
00:20:46.63\00:20:48.06
and he who does
not observe the day,
00:20:48.09\00:20:50.00
to the Lord he
does not observe it.
00:20:50.03\00:20:52.13
He who eats, eats to
the Lord, for he gives
00:20:52.16\00:20:55.73
God thanks; and
he who does not eat
00:20:55.76\00:20:58.78
to the Lord he does not eat,
00:20:58.81\00:21:01.29
and gives God
thanks. Okay, yeah now
00:21:01.32\00:21:05.44
what is being said,
you know it's clearly
00:21:05.47\00:21:10.96
fasting just
doesn't involve eating,
00:21:10.99\00:21:13.68
it involved back
then what day you
00:21:13.71\00:21:16.38
fasted on.
Right, yeah, yeah and so
00:21:16.41\00:21:20.29
that's what we're
getting into here and
00:21:20.32\00:21:21.96
notice one thing
is completely absent.
00:21:21.99\00:21:24.25
Let's just state
this first of all yeah,
00:21:24.28\00:21:25.81
the Sabbath is completely absent
00:21:25.84\00:21:27.66
from this text. I'm
glad you beat me there,
00:21:27.69\00:21:29.38
because what I
was alluding to when
00:21:29.41\00:21:32.87
we talked about doubtful things.
00:21:32.90\00:21:34.08
The Sabbath is not under
00:21:34.11\00:21:35.59
discussion here,
yeah the Sabbath was
00:21:35.62\00:21:37.15
not doubtful. This
is a Pauline letter.
00:21:37.18\00:21:40.06
So we're not
dealing with the Sabbath,
00:21:40.09\00:21:41.52
people assume
when it says a day.
00:21:41.55\00:21:43.75
They're talking
about the Sabbath,
00:21:43.78\00:21:45.41
but this is not because people
00:21:45.44\00:21:46.87
today do
dispute, precisely Sabbath
00:21:46.90\00:21:48.77
issue. Yeah, but
Paul is not disputing it,
00:21:48.80\00:21:50.64
Paul's not,
because it's not under
00:21:50.67\00:21:51.64
disputation here.
So, to read Sabbath
00:21:51.65\00:21:54.00
into that is to read something
00:21:54.03\00:21:55.26
into the text
which is not there,
00:21:55.29\00:21:56.85
not talking about the Sabbath.
00:21:56.88\00:21:58.35
He's talking about the day you
00:21:58.38\00:21:59.91
choose to fast
or the day I choose
00:21:59.94\00:22:01.59
to fast, remember
the issue is eating
00:22:01.62\00:22:03.38
or not eating.
Again an assumption
00:22:03.41\00:22:06.00
is made while
we're talking about meat.
00:22:06.03\00:22:07.33
No, that's not
stated here it's about
00:22:07.36\00:22:09.92
eating or not eating, so we make
00:22:09.95\00:22:12.63
a mistake when we read things
00:22:12.66\00:22:13.94
into this text and kind me gets
00:22:13.97\00:22:15.18
us into
theological trouble and when
00:22:15.21\00:22:17.02
we do that. You
know I may say as a
00:22:17.05\00:22:18.70
pastor that you
know to congregation
00:22:18.73\00:22:21.14
some Sabbath, that next week
00:22:21.17\00:22:23.82
we're gonna have a couple days
00:22:23.85\00:22:25.55
of fasting.
Because we really need
00:22:25.58\00:22:27.22
to draw close
to the Lord we have
00:22:27.25\00:22:28.52
these issues
that we're facing as a
00:22:28.55\00:22:29.61
church and I invite you to enter
00:22:29.64\00:22:32.48
into a fasting
time, a fasting period
00:22:32.51\00:22:34.47
for a couple days
with me next week.
00:22:34.50\00:22:35.68
And we get to
those days and some
00:22:36.85\00:22:38.87
choose to fast
and some don't choose
00:22:38.90\00:22:41.48
to fast right and
then after that there
00:22:41.51\00:22:44.42
is all this
discussion, this argument
00:22:44.45\00:22:45.96
about how so
and so didn't eat or
00:22:45.99\00:22:48.61
didn't fast on
that day. Yeah and then
00:22:48.64\00:22:50.53
there's arguments
about well this person
00:22:50.56\00:22:52.21
fasted but you
know what they actually
00:22:52.24\00:22:53.64
ate vegetables
and things or fruit
00:22:53.67\00:22:56.40
while their fast
was going on that
00:22:56.43\00:22:58.07
really wasn't a
fast. Yeah, then you
00:22:58.10\00:22:59.61
have this big discussion about
00:22:59.64\00:23:00.66
you know did they
do it right or not.
00:23:00.69\00:23:02.10
That's what's going on here,
00:23:02.13\00:23:03.90
it's going on here right.
00:23:03.93\00:23:05.22
That is to bring
it to a common you
00:23:05.25\00:23:06.64
know day kind of
a scenario, so this
00:23:06.67\00:23:09.44
very you know it
is so easy to get
00:23:09.47\00:23:11.95
this confused
with a discussion over
00:23:11.98\00:23:14.68
what day you chose to worship
00:23:14.71\00:23:16.84
or honor as the
day of that is sacred
00:23:16.87\00:23:19.84
and holy, the Sabbath day. Yeah,
00:23:19.87\00:23:21.16
and when it's
clearing talking here
00:23:21.19\00:23:23.25
about that, yes this has nothing
00:23:23.28\00:23:24.34
to do with the day
you choose to worship,
00:23:24.37\00:23:25.73
it's all about
the day you choose
00:23:25.76\00:23:27.59
to fast and if you're gonna fast
00:23:27.62\00:23:29.59
on a Tuesday you've respect for
00:23:29.62\00:23:30.75
that day, then
I'm not to hold you
00:23:30.78\00:23:34.10
in contempt for
the day you've chosen
00:23:34.13\00:23:36.81
to fast, it's an
eat non-eat question,
00:23:36.84\00:23:39.21
not a meat non-meat question,
00:23:39.24\00:23:41.08
nor is it a Sabbath
non-Sabbath question.
00:23:41.11\00:23:43.13
There you go yeah and if you
00:23:43.16\00:23:44.24
go a little further too you read
00:23:44.27\00:23:45.94
down here it
talks about in verse 13:
00:23:45.97\00:23:52.56
Therefore let us
not judge one another
00:23:52.59\00:23:54.62
anymore, but
rather resolve this,
00:23:54.65\00:23:56.18
not to put a
stumbling block or a
00:23:56.21\00:23:58.26
cause to fall in
our brother's way.
00:23:58.29\00:24:00.06
You remember
these aren't just one
00:24:01.07\00:24:02.78
principle, these are principles,
00:24:02.81\00:24:04.40
he's covering here and he seems
00:24:04.43\00:24:06.41
to shift gears because from
00:24:06.44\00:24:08.72
transitioning
from 13 to 14 it says
00:24:08.75\00:24:10.73
there in 14: I
know and I'm convinced
00:24:10.76\00:24:12.44
by the Lord Jesus that there is
00:24:12.47\00:24:13.75
nothing unclean of itself;
00:24:13.78\00:24:15.27
but to him who
considers anything
00:24:16.11\00:24:17.33
to be unclean, to
him it is unclean.
00:24:17.36\00:24:19.51
And it's talk about
food all of the sudden,
00:24:19.54\00:24:22.01
now this is, gets
into the not eating
00:24:22.04\00:24:23.55
or eating its the
types of food, right.
00:24:23.58\00:24:25.41
So he shifts
gears a little bit here.
00:24:25.44\00:24:27.45
And you almost
start to think and
00:24:27.48\00:24:31.41
here's where you can read into
00:24:31.44\00:24:32.41
it too again, that
okay now he's making
00:24:32.42\00:24:34.35
everything fair
game for food. Yeah,
00:24:34.38\00:24:37.32
but again that's
not in doubt back then,
00:24:37.35\00:24:39.93
right, they had a
clear understanding
00:24:39.96\00:24:42.13
of what was clean and what was
00:24:42.16\00:24:43.29
not clean, that
had been given them
00:24:43.32\00:24:45.36
way back after
creation and after
00:24:45.39\00:24:48.04
the fall of
course with Noah where
00:24:48.07\00:24:50.13
he's separate the clean from the
00:24:50.16\00:24:51.28
unclean there so.
This isn't a debate
00:24:51.31\00:24:53.55
about what you can eat as far as
00:24:53.58\00:24:55.65
clean and unclean, the clean and
00:24:55.68\00:24:57.87
unclean is not
defined as to what you're
00:24:57.90\00:25:00.02
reading its how that
meat has been prepared.
00:25:00.05\00:25:03.05
And if you have
any questions about the
00:25:04.43\00:25:06.35
validity of what I
just said, just look up
00:25:06.38\00:25:09.71
First Corinthians chapter 8 and
00:25:09.74\00:25:11.68
chapter 10, because Paul starts
00:25:11.71\00:25:15.32
with the same
words, they shouldn't
00:25:15.35\00:25:16.74
judge each other
and don't to put a
00:25:16.77\00:25:18.70
stumbling block in
front of their brother
00:25:18.73\00:25:20.68
and then he goes on to find what
00:25:20.71\00:25:22.58
that's about and
that is about food
00:25:22.61\00:25:24.60
offered to idols,
to idols right, right.
00:25:24.63\00:25:26.98
Not about the food
you're talking about,
00:25:27.01\00:25:31.01
the actual food
itself. Whether it would
00:25:31.04\00:25:32.59
be swine or
whether it would be a clean
00:25:32.62\00:25:35.45
food like beef
or something, yeah.
00:25:35.48\00:25:36.64
If you look at Paul's history.
00:25:36.67\00:25:37.90
Paul was by his own admission,
00:25:37.93\00:25:40.52
Pharisee of a
Pharisee. Sabbath was not
00:25:40.55\00:25:43.04
an issue for
Paul, unclean and clean
00:25:43.07\00:25:45.29
meat is not an issue for Paul.
00:25:45.32\00:25:46.57
The only issue there in that day
00:25:46.60\00:25:49.00
was you know
you had these idols,
00:25:49.03\00:25:50.87
you have this
statue, you had people
00:25:50.90\00:25:53.60
offering meat to that statue
00:25:53.63\00:25:55.07
which is there
for a day or two then
00:25:55.10\00:25:56.40
they taken it back
out and sell it and
00:25:56.43\00:25:57.96
then people would say well we're
00:25:57.99\00:25:59.32
not gonna eat
that, it was offered
00:25:59.35\00:26:00.32
to that statue. But the question
00:26:00.33\00:26:02.85
is that statue
is not a live thing,
00:26:02.88\00:26:04.77
it's nothing,
it's nothing, we don't
00:26:04.80\00:26:06.92
even believe in
that statue so the
00:26:06.95\00:26:08.21
fact that that
steak sat in front
00:26:08.24\00:26:09.77
of that statue
for two days means
00:26:09.80\00:26:11.44
nothing to that
state because the
00:26:11.47\00:26:12.77
statue is just
that, it's a statue yeah.
00:26:12.80\00:26:14.37
It's like putting
the steak in front of a
00:26:14.40\00:26:17.39
door post, it means
nothing. So why would
00:26:17.42\00:26:19.50
you have anything
bad against that steak
00:26:19.53\00:26:23.25
because the
statue means nothing,
00:26:23.28\00:26:24.81
so really to
reject that meat actually
00:26:24.84\00:26:27.62
gives that statue more
worth than it is, right,
00:26:27.65\00:26:30.10
and right. It's
not worth anything,
00:26:30.13\00:26:31.10
so you buy it at
a cut rate price and
00:26:31.11\00:26:33.48
there was some
who said we shouldn't
00:26:33.51\00:26:35.11
touch that meat at
all 'cause it's offered
00:26:35.14\00:26:36.35
to that idol,
others said it makes no
00:26:36.38\00:26:38.61
difference I'm
gonna eat anyway and
00:26:38.64\00:26:40.04
he was saying do
not let this become
00:26:40.07\00:26:41.70
an error of
condemnation, step away
00:26:41.73\00:26:43.84
from that because
that shouldn't divide
00:26:43.87\00:26:46.18
us as Christians
as people of God,
00:26:46.21\00:26:47.92
so let's not let
that become an issue
00:26:47.95\00:26:49.35
that was the
only issue not whether
00:26:49.38\00:26:51.26
Sabbath should
be kept or unclean
00:26:51.29\00:26:53.80
meat should be eaten. Yeah, yeah
00:26:53.83\00:26:55.50
and when you get down to it,
00:26:55.53\00:26:56.56
if someone considers something
00:26:56.59\00:26:58.31
to be unclean because of an idol
00:26:58.34\00:27:00.59
and they've
worshiped idols all their lives
00:27:00.62\00:27:02.50
and is an issue
for them Paul's not
00:27:02.53\00:27:04.04
even saying go ahead you're at
00:27:04.07\00:27:05.05
liberality to eat
he's saying it was
00:27:05.08\00:27:06.39
gonna be stumbling
block to them right.
00:27:06.42\00:27:08.06
Don't force them
to eat that food,
00:27:08.09\00:27:09.96
precisely right,
don't argue and then
00:27:09.99\00:27:12.94
those who are
eating it, for those who
00:27:12.97\00:27:14.53
don't think they should eat it,
00:27:14.56\00:27:15.72
don't accuse them
of doing something
00:27:15.75\00:27:17.39
wrong either because
they're at liberality
00:27:17.42\00:27:18.75
to eat whatever
because that's not
00:27:18.78\00:27:20.07
an idol to them, it's nothing
00:27:20.10\00:27:21.07
yeah, yeah, yeah. And so when
00:27:21.08\00:27:22.33
he's saying
here, you know to him
00:27:22.36\00:27:24.00
who's considering
something clean or
00:27:24.03\00:27:25.85
unclean that's
the issue, there maybe
00:27:25.88\00:27:28.25
a history of
someone who has worshiped
00:27:28.28\00:27:30.54
idols and then
to others idols are
00:27:30.57\00:27:32.28
nothing and so
that's really the issue,
00:27:32.31\00:27:33.64
not can we eat
swine or pig or can
00:27:33.67\00:27:38.28
you know should
we just be sticking
00:27:38.31\00:27:39.73
with you know the
clean meats beef and
00:27:39.76\00:27:41.34
chicken and so forth and so on,
00:27:41.37\00:27:42.79
precisely yeah.
And we have a parallel
00:27:42.82\00:27:44.57
today I mean one of that touchy
00:27:44.60\00:27:45.84
issues even the short is music
00:27:45.87\00:27:47.91
when I was
listening to two people talk
00:27:47.94\00:27:50.39
about some music
the other day and
00:27:50.42\00:27:51.44
one was listening
to a song and we're
00:27:51.47\00:27:53.75
being blessed
by it and the other
00:27:53.78\00:27:55.31
person said that
song reminds me of
00:27:55.34\00:27:57.50
something I used
to do and every time
00:27:57.53\00:28:01.06
I hear that song
it takes me back to
00:28:01.09\00:28:02.37
an activity I
used to engage in that
00:28:02.40\00:28:03.83
which I no longer engage in as a
00:28:03.86\00:28:05.17
Christian, I
cannot do that anymore,
00:28:05.20\00:28:06.54
well the other person
didn't, initial person
00:28:06.57\00:28:09.46
didn't have that
baggage so they had,
00:28:09.49\00:28:11.77
they had no
connection between that
00:28:11.80\00:28:13.09
song and that other activity.
00:28:13.12\00:28:14.56
So they were blessed by it were
00:28:14.59\00:28:16.10
as person be connected that song
00:28:16.13\00:28:18.23
to a certain
activity and we used
00:28:18.26\00:28:20.35
to smoke dope to
that song so you know
00:28:20.38\00:28:22.07
to a song that
sounded like that.
00:28:22.10\00:28:23.27
So, they decided
I'll listen to it without
00:28:23.30\00:28:26.63
you know maybe
headphone it doesn't
00:28:26.66\00:28:28.95
hear you because
it takes you a place
00:28:28.98\00:28:30.12
you don't wanna
go but I never smoke
00:28:30.15\00:28:31.65
dope so I don't
have that connection
00:28:31.68\00:28:33.08
with that kind
of song and that's
00:28:33.11\00:28:34.15
kind of what's
being said, don't judge
00:28:34.18\00:28:35.93
each other,
some people are weak,
00:28:35.96\00:28:37.30
certain things
take them to a place
00:28:37.33\00:28:38.76
they don't wanna
go. So, let's not
00:28:38.79\00:28:40.44
do anything that
will enter somebody
00:28:40.47\00:28:42.39
else's Christian experience.
00:28:42.42\00:28:43.59
And those are great principles
00:28:43.62\00:28:45.07
that Paul needed to share with
00:28:45.10\00:28:46.56
the Church,
precisely. When you got
00:28:46.59\00:28:47.90
a church that's got two cultures
00:28:47.93\00:28:49.43
merging will have
it's core arguments
00:28:49.46\00:28:52.47
and debates and fights over
00:28:52.50\00:28:54.28
what's proper
and what's not proper
00:28:54.31\00:28:55.84
and that's, we find that from
00:28:55.87\00:28:57.46
Romans through the
rest of Paul's letters,
00:28:57.49\00:29:00.44
he's trying to keep them from
00:29:00.47\00:29:02.40
fighting over
things that they shouldn't
00:29:02.43\00:29:04.03
be finding about
and it tends to be
00:29:04.06\00:29:05.57
over traditional
stuff. Traditions,
00:29:05.60\00:29:07.85
but they're not
fighting over the
00:29:07.88\00:29:09.61
things that are
not in doubt yeah,
00:29:09.64\00:29:11.03
clear
doctrines. Doctrines of the
00:29:11.06\00:29:13.55
fourth
commandment, the Seventh-Day
00:29:13.58\00:29:14.99
is the Sabbath, everybody knows
00:29:15.02\00:29:16.19
that right. I
always say that the
00:29:16.22\00:29:18.24
reason why you
know this isn't here
00:29:18.27\00:29:19.81
is 'cause if you look at Acts.
00:29:19.84\00:29:21.64
The Acts of the
church what they did,
00:29:21.67\00:29:23.41
Acts has two
words, two days spoken
00:29:24.69\00:29:27.42
of in them, one's
called the Sabbath,
00:29:27.45\00:29:29.07
the other's
called the first day.
00:29:29.10\00:29:30.25
That's all you
need to know, precisely,
00:29:30.28\00:29:32.01
the first day is
not the Sabbath, because
00:29:32.04\00:29:33.33
it's not called
the Sabbath, right.
00:29:33.36\00:29:34.47
Which means that's
the most simplest way.
00:29:34.50\00:29:37.64
We argue about,
yeah, well the first
00:29:37.67\00:29:39.81
day must have been a Sabbath
00:29:39.84\00:29:40.95
gathering so
now. Why are we even
00:29:40.98\00:29:43.93
getting there
because the Sabbath is
00:29:43.96\00:29:45.91
spoken of there,
always called Sabbath,
00:29:45.94\00:29:47.63
yes and it's
called Sabbath this is the
00:29:47.66\00:29:49.28
Seventh-Day, the other
is called the first day
00:29:49.31\00:29:51.33
who cares if there is a meeting,
00:29:51.36\00:29:52.33
it's called the first
day, right, anyway so.
00:29:52.34\00:29:54.94
Sorry that just
a, well we're not
00:29:56.17\00:29:59.17
gonna jump on that soap box and
00:29:59.20\00:30:00.61
you know it's just,
it's the preacher in you.
00:30:00.64\00:30:03.19
Alright, well you know
what we have a fun program
00:30:03.22\00:30:06.35
here to talk about
because it's a program
00:30:06.38\00:30:08.05
that I hope will
draw all of us closer
00:30:08.08\00:30:10.39
to our Lord and
savior Jesus Christ
00:30:10.42\00:30:12.89
and in the tough
times that we're living in
00:30:12.92\00:30:14.87
Pastor Murray we all
need a closer relationship
00:30:14.90\00:30:17.73
with Jesus oh we
do. And you know I
00:30:17.76\00:30:20.34
spend sometime as I
was preparing for a message
00:30:20.37\00:30:23.38
on this subject I spend
sometime on the Internet,
00:30:23.41\00:30:25.93
I spend sometime in some books
00:30:25.96\00:30:27.20
and I did some research
on relationships at large.
00:30:27.23\00:30:31.55
Just you know how we
improve relationships
00:30:31.58\00:30:33.95
with our family,
with our friends,
00:30:33.98\00:30:35.07
with our spouse
and other things.
00:30:35.10\00:30:36.07
And I found
essentially seven basic ways
00:30:36.08\00:30:40.87
in which relationships improve,
00:30:40.90\00:30:42.86
that they draw
people closer together
00:30:42.89\00:30:45.47
and this can be
varying kinds of relationships.
00:30:45.50\00:30:48.06
But I believe that there
is a spiritual application
00:30:48.09\00:30:50.23
in those principles,
building relationships
00:30:50.26\00:30:54.51
that we can learn from
when it comes to Jesus Christ
00:30:54.54\00:30:57.61
and having a closer
relationship with him yeah.
00:30:57.64\00:30:59.89
And so what we're
gonna talk about in
00:30:59.92\00:31:01.42
in these seven steps
to a closer relationships
00:31:01.45\00:31:03.80
with Jesus are
things that we can do that,
00:31:03.83\00:31:07.39
that we can do in
our every day life
00:31:07.42\00:31:09.50
with our
relationships around us.
00:31:09.53\00:31:11.38
But that we can also
apply to our relationship
00:31:11.41\00:31:13.94
with Jesus to build
a strong relationship
00:31:13.97\00:31:16.51
you know Pastor
Murray I think one of that
00:31:16.66\00:31:19.15
the big issues that
we have a difficult times
00:31:19.18\00:31:22.50
that we face and
the anxiety we get not
00:31:22.53\00:31:26.15
having that peace is
because our relationship
00:31:26.18\00:31:28.93
with Jesus tends
to be up and down.
00:31:28.96\00:31:32.10
We've all had
these strong times,
00:31:33.17\00:31:35.94
we can't be moved we're
in our faith and sometimes
00:31:35.97\00:31:38.93
we're in the middle of
trouble when that happens.
00:31:38.96\00:31:41.61
But we have these strong times
00:31:42.35\00:31:43.54
and all of a sudden,
it's like something hits us
00:31:43.57\00:31:46.85
or maybe we get
really busy and I'm a pastor
00:31:46.88\00:31:49.58
you know I'm
studying the Bible everyday
00:31:49.61\00:31:50.84
anyway so I don't
need my personal devotions,
00:31:50.87\00:31:52.54
I write out and do
my stuff I've got to do
00:31:52.76\00:31:54.22
I mean you're at
3ABN sure you have people
00:31:54.25\00:31:56.86
experiencing that here.
00:31:56.89\00:31:57.86
Well, I work
for God everyday so,
00:31:57.87\00:31:59.16
yeah, yeah the personal
times sometime isn't there
00:31:59.19\00:32:01.69
and all of a sudden we find
ourselves feeling little dry
00:32:01.72\00:32:05.12
and you know and we
start praying you know Lord
00:32:05.15\00:32:08.90
where's that fire
that you had lit in me
00:32:08.93\00:32:10.78
at one time at one
time so I just pray today
00:32:10.81\00:32:14.06
that as we talk
about some of these,
00:32:14.09\00:32:15.29
taking these steps
to draw closer to Jesus
00:32:15.32\00:32:18.23
and have that
stronger relationship.
00:32:18.26\00:32:19.73
That you be able
to apply some of these
00:32:19.76\00:32:21.80
and get that strength
yes, yes and defeat off
00:32:21.83\00:32:24.75
that abiding in Christ
and that time with Christ
00:32:24.78\00:32:26.38
that we all need to
spend to build the relationship
00:32:26.41\00:32:30.16
that we all want.
00:32:30.19\00:32:31.16
You know it's a matter
of building and maintaining,
00:32:31.17\00:32:33.47
I don't know if it's tougher
to get clean or to stay clean.
00:32:33.50\00:32:36.68
And anyone who's
had a young child
00:32:36.71\00:32:38.45
who they cleaned up and
told them don't go near this,
00:32:38.48\00:32:41.29
where I said to my
grandson just the other day,
00:32:41.32\00:32:43.48
cleaned him up
we're gonna take him
00:32:43.51\00:32:45.12
some place and turn you back
00:32:45.15\00:32:46.71
and he's into the
jelly you know so we got him
00:32:46.74\00:32:49.01
clean but he
couldn't stay clean.
00:32:49.04\00:32:50.56
And as Christian it's, it's,
it's, it's work to establish
00:32:51.59\00:32:55.47
a relationship but then
it's equal work to maintain
00:32:55.50\00:32:58.57
the relationship and
that's the same way in marriages
00:32:58.60\00:33:00.14
you know you'
establish relationship
00:33:00.17\00:33:01.63
then you've got to
maintain the relationship.
00:33:01.66\00:33:03.22
And so it's two sides of the
same coin really and so this,
00:33:03.25\00:33:06.13
this is building it
and also maintaining it,
00:33:06.16\00:33:08.60
yeah you know. And
the brand of Christianity
00:33:08.63\00:33:11.11
we see today often it
focuses so much on the,
00:33:11.14\00:33:15.04
first of all
having the relationship,
00:33:15.07\00:33:18.89
just getting in
the relationship.
00:33:18.92\00:33:19.96
But we don't see a lot
of emphasis on maintaining
00:33:19.99\00:33:22.12
the relationship yeah.
00:33:22.15\00:33:23.80
And we've almost
taken that whole aspect out
00:33:23.83\00:33:28.36
that important, very important
sanctification aspect out.
00:33:28.39\00:33:31.23
Yes, because we say
well once you're saved,
00:33:31.26\00:33:32.86
you're always saved
it's not a big deal.
00:33:32.89\00:33:34.31
So you know once I've got Jesus,
00:33:34.34\00:33:35.67
I've always got Jesus.
00:33:35.70\00:33:36.67
Yeah, and then there's
no work at the relationship,
00:33:36.68\00:33:39.76
what if I told Rochelle
the day after we were married
00:33:39.79\00:33:42.68
hey you know is Grey
getting married to you,
00:33:42.71\00:33:44.57
if you need me call
my home and my parents
00:33:44.60\00:33:48.23
will find out where I
am and you know if I'm
00:33:48.26\00:33:50.77
busy or something.
00:33:50.80\00:33:51.77
You know I'll
make an appointment
00:33:51.78\00:33:53.06
I'll come down and
we'll see each other
00:33:53.09\00:33:54.17
and I mean is
that a relationship
00:33:54.23\00:33:56.53
I mean is that
working at a relationship
00:33:56.56\00:33:57.95
I think that
wouldn't last very long
00:33:57.98\00:34:00.00
yeah that's how
we started I probably
00:34:00.03\00:34:01.34
shouldn't do this, but
I heard this really cute
00:34:01.37\00:34:02.80
story years ago a
pastor told me this wife
00:34:02.83\00:34:05.56
took her husband
to divorce court.
00:34:05.59\00:34:07.25
And the judge said why
are you getting a divorce,
00:34:07.28\00:34:09.71
well she said well my
husband hadn't told me
00:34:09.74\00:34:11.84
he love me for
twenty five years,
00:34:11.87\00:34:13.27
you know we
married twenty five years
00:34:13.74\00:34:15.11
he had never said
it, and the husband said
00:34:15.14\00:34:16.48
well I told her,
00:34:16.51\00:34:17.59
I loved her forever
when we got married.
00:34:17.62\00:34:20.26
And I figured that
she gonna understand
00:34:20.29\00:34:22.70
that if I change my mind,
00:34:22.73\00:34:23.70
I'll let her know you
know so she was supposed
00:34:23.71\00:34:26.16
to go off that first statement
00:34:26.19\00:34:27.24
and life doesn' work like that
00:34:27.27\00:34:28.69
in on earth, or in Heaven.
00:34:28.72\00:34:30.12
You know you've
got to maintained
00:34:30.15\00:34:31.58
and you've got to
keep affirming that
00:34:31.61\00:34:33.43
you're in love with Christ.
00:34:33.46\00:34:34.48
So these statements
will get you to Christ
00:34:34.51\00:34:37.24
well then you've
got to stay with him,
00:34:37.27\00:34:39.37
you've got to abide,
you see that same thing
00:34:39.40\00:34:40.84
from John 5 you've
got to abide in him very,
00:34:40.87\00:34:42.84
very much so. So,
let's take a look at some,
00:34:42.87\00:34:45.45
some principles and
we have some scriptures
00:34:45.48\00:34:46.50
here as well by no
means they're meant
00:34:46.53\00:34:48.89
to be exhaust, you
know exhausting the word
00:34:48.92\00:34:50.97
and in applying to
each step that we talk
00:34:51.00\00:34:53.73
about here but I
have just one text here
00:34:53.76\00:34:55.98
identified underneath each step
00:34:56.01\00:34:57.94
and we'll talk about
this as we get along,
00:34:57.97\00:34:59.56
so seven steps to a
closer relationship with Jesus.
00:34:59.59\00:35:02.69
Step one, know what you want,
00:35:02.72\00:35:05.38
know what you want
out of the relationship
00:35:05.41\00:35:08.28
you know this is
key it's something
00:35:08.82\00:35:10.38
I think we also often
don't spend a lot of time with,
00:35:10.41\00:35:12.44
but see as I was getting
ready for a revival series
00:35:12.47\00:35:17.54
here recently for my church.
00:35:17.57\00:35:18.75
I felt very
impressed about something that
00:35:18.78\00:35:21.38
I'd never done before
and usually don't start off
00:35:21.41\00:35:24.11
a revival series this
way but God impressed me
00:35:24.14\00:35:28.30
talk about heaven,
now I don't I've never had
00:35:28.33\00:35:33.14
a revival series where we
spend the first night talking
00:35:33.17\00:35:35.81
about heaven yeah.
00:35:35.84\00:35:36.81
But the first day we
spend as a church going
00:35:36.82\00:35:39.82
through our trip to heaven,
00:35:39.85\00:35:42.26
seeing our
family and our friends,
00:35:42.29\00:35:44.47
meeting them again.
00:35:44.50\00:35:45.47
Wow, what we do
on the way to heaven
00:35:45.48\00:35:47.47
when we get to heaven,
00:35:47.50\00:35:48.47
what we see the time we
spend with Jesus or angels,
00:35:48.48\00:35:51.59
the house. We spend
time looking at our house,
00:35:51.62\00:35:53.98
yeah the city that we lived in,
00:35:54.01\00:35:55.90
we walked through the city,
00:35:55.93\00:35:56.90
we spend time coming
back to the new earth.
00:35:56.91\00:36:00.13
Living eternally in
our new earth building
00:36:00.16\00:36:03.19
our own house, yes, and yes.
00:36:03.22\00:36:04.19
And just I mean everybody
was so inspired by that,
00:36:04.20\00:36:08.39
I think what I was
trying to establish in that day,
00:36:08.42\00:36:12.21
on that day was we need
to know what we want yes.
00:36:12.24\00:36:16.49
We want to be in
heaven yes, yes we wanna live
00:36:16.52\00:36:19.37
with Jesus forever, we
wanna experience the joys
00:36:19.40\00:36:21.86
of living forever so
that what we see around us
00:36:21.89\00:36:25.12
here on this earth
just mean nothing compared
00:36:25.15\00:36:28.20
to where we're going and
00:36:28.30\00:36:29.27
what we're gonna get, yeah.
00:36:29.28\00:36:30.25
Now, that's a different but
it's a very valid prospective
00:36:30.26\00:36:33.35
to look at the
ultimate goal first
00:36:33.38\00:36:35.68
where do we want to go then okay
00:36:35.71\00:36:38.86
what are we
prepared to do to get
00:36:38.89\00:36:41.48
where we want to go.
00:36:41.51\00:36:42.48
Now that
actually is very inspired,
00:36:42.49\00:36:45.62
because it looks
at what do you want,
00:36:45.65\00:36:47.41
do you want a
relationship with Christ?
00:36:47.44\00:36:48.74
Do you want to be
with Christ forever?
00:36:48.77\00:36:50.24
This is what the
ultimate goal is.
00:36:50.27\00:36:52.97
Now what do we're
gonna do to make sure
00:36:53.00\00:36:55.32
that happens? Yeah, sure,
00:36:55.35\00:36:56.77
the text I had down
here on that is Isaiah 1:18:
00:36:56.80\00:37:00.32
Come now and let
us reason together
00:37:00.35\00:37:03.29
and you know the
text I spring boarded off
00:37:03.86\00:37:06.33
of for this whole thing
is you know I have not seen,
00:37:06.36\00:37:09.29
nor have you heard,
yes what God has prepared
00:37:09.32\00:37:13.21
for those who love him
and so as we come together
00:37:13.24\00:37:17.22
and reason with God I think
part of what he's offering us
00:37:17.25\00:37:19.44
what he's trying to tell us
is he said you just don't know
00:37:19.47\00:37:22.78
the plans and the
things that I have for you,
00:37:22.81\00:37:25.08
yeah and here
let's talk about this
00:37:25.11\00:37:26.79
because the things
that you want in your life
00:37:26.82\00:37:28.45
they don't only mean
anything I mean I love you,
00:37:28.48\00:37:30.92
I created you, I want
you here with me in heaven
00:37:30.95\00:37:33.30
come on let's talk about
how we can get you there.
00:37:33.33\00:37:36.66
And through that
experience I think
00:37:36.82\00:37:38.96
we can begin to
know what we want out of
00:37:38.99\00:37:41.22
this relationship and
know also that the God
00:37:41.25\00:37:44.85
that we serve and
the Jesus who we now
00:37:44.88\00:37:47.48
are beginning to know
is someone who can give us
00:37:47.51\00:37:50.29
everything that we
could ever dream of,
00:37:50.32\00:37:52.00
yeah praise God. It's wonderful
00:37:52.03\00:37:53.87
you know you say
okay Lord you're gonna,
00:37:53.90\00:37:55.70
you give me
heaven, no more death,
00:37:55.73\00:37:57.82
no more sorrow, no more pain,
00:37:57.85\00:37:59.38
no more tax
collectors, no more doctors,
00:37:59.87\00:38:01.86
no more nurses,
sounds pretty good.
00:38:01.89\00:38:05.15
How we're gonna get that? Yeah,
00:38:05.18\00:38:07.27
you know oh okay
I admit I want that,
00:38:07.30\00:38:09.58
it's much better
then what I have now.
00:38:09.89\00:38:12.14
I ache, I'm
getting old, I got taxes,
00:38:12.17\00:38:14.18
I can't pay my bills,
my car's falling apart,
00:38:14.21\00:38:16.80
my body's falling apart,
my life is falling apart,
00:38:16.83\00:38:18.59
my job is falling apart,
my finance is falling apart.
00:38:18.62\00:38:21.05
I don't want this, I want
that how we're gonna get that?
00:38:21.08\00:38:23.97
And God says okay
here is how you do,
00:38:24.00\00:38:25.84
here is where we start.
00:38:25.87\00:38:26.84
I think why it's one of
the reasons well let's talk
00:38:26.87\00:38:28.87
to young people
here for a just a minute.
00:38:28.90\00:38:30.22
When I was young I
thought I was invincible,
00:38:30.25\00:38:32.23
oh yeah I mean I
had everything I wanted,
00:38:32.26\00:38:35.31
I was young I didn't
have the aches and pains,
00:38:35.34\00:38:37.64
I had girlfriends,
I had sports you know
00:38:37.67\00:38:41.10
heaven to me wasn't
as attractive back then.
00:38:41.13\00:38:45.26
But as you get
older, sounds pretty,
00:38:45.29\00:38:48.38
pretty good, it looks
real, real good right about now.
00:38:48.41\00:38:51.99
And I'm sure we look
even better as we get closer,
00:38:52.02\00:38:54.61
but you know I think
what I'm saying by that is.
00:38:54.64\00:38:58.03
You know look at
the experience of those
00:38:58.06\00:39:01.44
who have come through,
yes you know the younger ages
00:39:01.47\00:39:04.18
and they understand
now how important heaven is
00:39:04.21\00:39:06.85
and how good it looks
and know that you're not
00:39:06.88\00:39:09.13
gonna live forever on this
earth yeah as it's giving to
00:39:09.16\00:39:13.34
you or it has the
devil paints the picture
00:39:13.37\00:39:14.99
for you right now.
00:39:15.02\00:39:15.99
And so I want to
encourage you know young people
00:39:16.33\00:39:17.80
out there just start
here, know what you want,
00:39:17.83\00:39:21.40
do you really want just
your 30, 40, 50, 60 more
00:39:21.43\00:39:25.32
years that you have in
this earth or do you want
00:39:25.35\00:39:27.55
eternally to live
with Jesus and live
00:39:27.58\00:39:30.82
a life forever and
we're talking about billions,
00:39:30.85\00:39:33.69
billions, billions,
billions of years forever
00:39:33.72\00:39:36.26
I mean there is no
end, right, right, that's
00:39:36.29\00:39:38.26
what we're looking for.
00:39:38.29\00:39:39.35
You got to make this
sacrifice, I mean in college
00:39:39.38\00:39:41.23
they would tell us
you know you may not like
00:39:41.26\00:39:43.22
being a manner,
like to study the word,
00:39:43.25\00:39:44.81
but if you wanna get the point B
00:39:44.84\00:39:46.34
you've got to start here with A.
00:39:46.37\00:39:48.19
If you want heaven
there are some things
00:39:48.22\00:39:50.64
that you have to
do and what's good
00:39:50.67\00:39:53.02
about it as you don't
have to do them alone.
00:39:53.05\00:39:54.94
The same God who
holds out the reward
00:39:55.47\00:39:58.57
also assist you
and getting that reward
00:39:58.60\00:40:01.52
so you've got how to get there
00:40:01.55\00:40:03.90
and you've got
help in getting there.
00:40:03.93\00:40:06.67
So, that it's not
impossible in fact he makes it
00:40:06.70\00:40:10.48
very, very
possible through the death
00:40:10.51\00:40:11.84
of his son, yeah Amen.
00:40:11.87\00:40:13.71
Very, very good, let's
take a look at step number 2,
00:40:13.74\00:40:16.98
honesty and
transparency in any relationship
00:40:17.58\00:40:21.60
we've got to be
honest and transparent
00:40:21.63\00:40:23.92
with the person we're
having relationship it
00:40:23.95\00:40:25.90
goes that way with God,
you can't hide from God.
00:40:25.93\00:40:30.47
Very true you know and that's,
00:40:31.82\00:40:33.58
I guess that's stating
a fact okay we can't hide
00:40:33.61\00:40:36.24
from God, we know that
officially but how often
00:40:36.27\00:40:39.43
do we do that and
how we live our lives
00:40:39.46\00:40:42.25
in that we hide our sin.
00:40:42.28\00:40:43.57
You know we hide
who we really are,
00:40:43.60\00:40:45.46
you know we don't wanna come out
00:40:45.49\00:40:47.12
and be open and honest with God
00:40:47.15\00:40:48.69
and in the way
even though we know that
00:40:48.72\00:40:50.45
God intuitively, we
know that God knows us
00:40:50.48\00:40:52.98
better than we know ourselves.
00:40:53.01\00:40:54.93
We're not honest
with him at times,
00:40:54.96\00:40:58.07
and there is a text
from Psalm 32 verse 5
00:40:58.10\00:41:02.93
is that where
you're heading to now?
00:41:02.96\00:41:04.37
Actually I was
heading to somewhere else,
00:41:04.40\00:41:06.38
to another text
but I can jump back.
00:41:06.41\00:41:08.97
Well, let me read
this one and then you keep
00:41:09.00\00:41:10.30
going where you're
headed okay, Psalm 32:5:
00:41:10.33\00:41:12.60
I acknowledged my sin to You,
00:41:12.63\00:41:14.53
and my iniquity
I have not hidden.
00:41:14.56\00:41:17.75
I said I will confess my
transgressions to the Lord,
00:41:17.78\00:41:21.11
And You forgave
the iniquity of my sin.
00:41:21.14\00:41:23.77
And so here we
find the Psalm is open,
00:41:24.51\00:41:27.70
honest, transparent with God,
00:41:27.73\00:41:29.69
he recognizes, he's sinful,
00:41:29.72\00:41:31.58
he's got things that
he cannot hide from him
00:41:31.61\00:41:33.76
and he says basically I'm yours,
00:41:33.79\00:41:36.28
I'm gonna be honest with you,
00:41:36.31\00:41:37.30
I'm messed up, I need help,
00:41:37.33\00:41:39.01
please do
something, not only forgive me
00:41:39.04\00:41:41.55
but I'm ready to
take the next step
00:41:41.58\00:41:43.62
with you however you see fit.
00:41:43.65\00:41:45.27
It's powerful, this
idea of transparency and
00:41:45.30\00:41:48.79
I was wondering
when you put that down,
00:41:48.93\00:41:50.18
I saw it here,
exactly what you had in mind.
00:41:50.21\00:41:52.61
But it is at First John
1:9 If we confess our sins,
00:41:52.64\00:41:55.79
you cannot hide them
from God see might as well
00:41:55.82\00:41:58.64
open your hand and let
him see what you're holding
00:41:58.67\00:42:00.47
you know be very transparent
and so doing you free
00:42:00.50\00:42:05.17
yourself you
know. You open yourself
00:42:05.20\00:42:07.13
and say Lord I
know I'm a sinner,
00:42:07.16\00:42:08.54
I can't do this
without you I see
00:42:08.57\00:42:10.96
what you want from me,
but I can't even approach
00:42:10.99\00:42:13.53
that without your
help, without your presence,
00:42:13.56\00:42:15.50
without your
power, this is what I'm.
00:42:15.53\00:42:17.46
I'm not righteous, I'm
not holy, I'm not good,
00:42:17.49\00:42:20.26
but I want to be
what you want me to be.
00:42:20.29\00:42:23.09
Yeah, and if you start
there then you're precisely
00:42:23.12\00:42:25.48
where God wants
you, that's the starting
00:42:25.51\00:42:26.82
point that God
wants you to be at,
00:42:26.85\00:42:28.05
well you say I'm
nothing, you're everything
00:42:28.08\00:42:30.53
I become something
when I take my nothingness
00:42:30.56\00:42:32.84
and give it to your
there I say everything there
00:42:32.87\00:42:35.74
is a chance if I can
coin that term when I unite,
00:42:35.77\00:42:38.09
when I lack with what you have
00:42:38.12\00:42:39.87
then I become
sufficient Amen, yeah.
00:42:39.90\00:42:42.12
You know the other,
the other true is that
00:42:42.15\00:42:43.93
you know often we can have
our relationship with Jesus
00:42:43.96\00:42:46.44
and maybe have been
living according to what his,
00:42:46.47\00:42:49.65
according to what the
Bible tells us how to live
00:42:49.68\00:42:52.74
for a long, long time
maybe throughout our life
00:42:52.77\00:42:55.14
we've been a good person.
00:42:55.17\00:42:56.66
But we can
almost get in this thing
00:42:56.91\00:42:58.97
where is not how
bad we've been but
00:42:59.02\00:43:01.91
maybe we think
we're so good yeah.
00:43:01.94\00:43:04.24
And then at the
same time on that side
00:43:05.04\00:43:07.09
we're not
honest with God either,
00:43:07.12\00:43:08.45
yeah, because you know
if you say you've no sin
00:43:08.48\00:43:11.74
you're a lair. So,
you know you can get to
00:43:11.77\00:43:16.39
that part of it
too where you know
00:43:16.42\00:43:18.16
you're not being honest
and transparent with God
00:43:18.19\00:43:19.70
thinking that
you're all holy yeah
00:43:19.73\00:43:21.53
and you doing just fine yeah,
00:43:21.56\00:43:22.70
but if God were
to really look at you
00:43:22.73\00:43:25.14
without the
righteousness with Christ
00:43:25.17\00:43:26.44
you're in badshape.
00:43:26.47\00:43:27.94
You know, that's a
very important point
00:43:27.97\00:43:30.05
because it is so easy
for us deceive ourselves
00:43:30.08\00:43:32.27
if we look around
us we will always find
00:43:33.08\00:43:35.61
ways that we're
superior to those around us,
00:43:35.64\00:43:38.92
you know, you
know you put on your,
00:43:38.95\00:43:41.74
brush your teeth come
here, put on your suit,
00:43:41.77\00:43:43.88
you dress, you go to
church on Sabbath morning
00:43:43.91\00:43:45.94
or whatever the
other day and you say
00:43:45.97\00:43:48.25
you know what?
I'm not so bad, yeah.
00:43:48.28\00:43:50.73
I haven't killed
anybody, I don't drink,
00:43:50.76\00:43:52.05
I don't smoke, and
I'm not Adolf Hitler.
00:43:52.08\00:43:53.69
You know, I'm not so
bad and you can deceive
00:43:53.72\00:43:57.70
yourself into thinking
that it is your righteousness
00:43:57.73\00:44:00.58
that commends you to God
00:44:00.61\00:44:02.12
and it does not the
only thing that commends
00:44:02.15\00:44:03.96
you to God is
your unrighteousness.
00:44:03.99\00:44:05.88
Yeah, in fact that you're so bad
00:44:05.91\00:44:08.03
and even when you say I'm not
00:44:08.06\00:44:09.66
so bad that's filthy
rags you are that bad,
00:44:09.69\00:44:12.25
yeah and the
starting point is saying Lord
00:44:12.28\00:44:14.46
I am undone and I need
you and I cannot help to,
00:44:14.49\00:44:18.22
hope to serve you
unless I have your spirit
00:44:18.25\00:44:20.44
and your power.
You know sometimes
00:44:20.47\00:44:22.15
I catch a
glimpse even as a pastor
00:44:22.18\00:44:24.05
and you probably
have done this too,
00:44:24.08\00:44:25.81
you catch a glimpse
of what you could be
00:44:25.84\00:44:27.56
without Christ, it's
almost like God lets you
00:44:27.59\00:44:30.98
every once in while see
a little bit of what you're
00:44:31.01\00:44:32.71
capable of without
him. And so sometimes
00:44:32.74\00:44:36.00
I find where
does that come from,
00:44:36.03\00:44:38.60
you know well,
it maybe its anger
00:44:38.63\00:44:40.81
you know it just gets
angry at the situation
00:44:40.84\00:44:42.27
I start you know
talking about you know
00:44:42.30\00:44:44.73
man I just, this guy
is just driving me crazy,
00:44:44.76\00:44:47.73
I can't stand with
him which just leave
00:44:47.76\00:44:49.40
and Rochelle will
say you know you need
00:44:49.43\00:44:52.41
to pray for him
and I, I catch myself
00:44:52.44\00:44:54.80
right there I say you
know why am I thinking
00:44:54.83\00:44:56.40
that way you know I
shouldn't be capable of that,
00:44:56.43\00:44:59.47
aren't I righteous now, yeah.
00:44:59.50\00:45:00.86
But at any moment in
time yeah without Christ
00:45:00.89\00:45:04.11
we're in bad shape.
Just the other day coming
00:45:04.14\00:45:06.92
in from a long trip, coming
in from Evansville airport,
00:45:06.95\00:45:09.03
someone cut me off
under the parking lot
00:45:09.06\00:45:11.11
and missed me by a
foot and never saw me,
00:45:11.14\00:45:14.70
just drove by and I
caught myself what a,
00:45:14.73\00:45:18.62
and you know you don't
even finish the sentence
00:45:20.61\00:45:22.72
because the Lord
you know catches you.
00:45:22.75\00:45:24.40
But for the grace
of God and you know
00:45:24.43\00:45:28.52
you do get this
glimpse, I think the Lord allows
00:45:28.55\00:45:30.91
those kinds of
things to happen so that
00:45:30.94\00:45:32.17
you remember just
to stay in an attitude
00:45:32.20\00:45:35.46
of prayer but also
that the need of Christ
00:45:35.49\00:45:38.99
is moment by
moment it is constant
00:45:39.02\00:45:41.56
because at any
second when you figure
00:45:41.59\00:45:43.28
I've got it made,
I've got it done then
00:45:43.31\00:45:45.77
Satan will come
along and show you that
00:45:45.80\00:45:47.79
you're undone
and you don't have it
00:45:47.82\00:45:49.33
made and that you
really, really need Jesus,
00:45:49.36\00:45:51.52
yeah, yeah.
That's very, very true,
00:45:51.55\00:45:54.93
the third step
here in the seven steps
00:45:54.96\00:45:57.25
is acceptance, is acceptance.
00:45:57.28\00:45:59.77
I have here
Matthew 11:28: Come to Me,
00:45:59.80\00:46:02.95
all ye who labor
and are heavy laden,
00:46:02.98\00:46:04.37
and I will give you rest.
00:46:04.57\00:46:05.54
Oh yes, Jesus makes
no restrictions here,
00:46:05.55\00:46:07.47
he says also where
you mention this text
00:46:07.50\00:46:09.38
I think in a
earlier program that he will
00:46:09.41\00:46:11.31
in no ways cast
anyone else who comes to him,
00:46:11.34\00:46:13.45
yes, yes. So, the objective
here isn't that although
00:46:13.48\00:46:17.53
we acknowledge our
sin, the objective isn't
00:46:17.56\00:46:19.62
to clean our sin
up ourselves it is to,
00:46:19.65\00:46:23.41
to allow God to
accept us for who we are.
00:46:23.44\00:46:27.37
But also to
accept who we are, yes,
00:46:27.40\00:46:30.71
I accept myself as
sinner but I also accept
00:46:30.74\00:46:33.43
that Jesus doesn't
wanna leave me there
00:46:33.46\00:46:35.54
as a sinner the way
that I am and so acceptance
00:46:35.57\00:46:38.48
is a big part of moving
forward in our relationship.
00:46:38.51\00:46:42.35
Very, very true the Bible
is a great balancing book,
00:46:42.38\00:46:45.22
it doesn't allow you to
think too low of yourself
00:46:45.25\00:46:48.86
because you're been purchased by
00:46:48.89\00:46:50.30
the blood of Christ.
00:46:50.33\00:46:51.30
But it also
doesn't allow you to think
00:46:51.31\00:46:53.16
too high of yourself
because then you will think
00:46:53.19\00:46:55.66
that the victory
is yours and not his.
00:46:55.69\00:46:57.80
Yeah, so it balances
you, you know it keeps
00:46:57.83\00:47:00.19
you in balance and
without knowing that Jesus
00:47:00.22\00:47:02.42
accepts us, if
we stop at number 2
00:47:02.45\00:47:05.83
and then we get to 3
and we end we don't know
00:47:05.86\00:47:08.05
that he accepts us we
can't go any further yeah, yeah.
00:47:08.08\00:47:10.50
So, acceptance isn't
just myself accepting for me
00:47:10.53\00:47:13.52
who I am but its
Jesus accepting me
00:47:13.55\00:47:15.12
for who I was yes.
00:47:15.15\00:47:16.70
Knowing that he
can transform me too
00:47:16.73\00:47:18.75
so know this you know
to draw closer to Christ
00:47:18.78\00:47:21.71
you've got to know
that he does accept you
00:47:21.74\00:47:23.83
as you are right now.
00:47:23.86\00:47:24.83
And then of course
moves you along that,
00:47:26.16\00:47:27.72
it keeps your
courage up to know that
00:47:27.75\00:47:30.04
you haven't gone too far,
you haven't done too much,
00:47:30.07\00:47:32.85
you're not too dirty,
you're not too disgusting,
00:47:32.88\00:47:35.14
too foul for
Christ to reach down,
00:47:35.17\00:47:37.05
you haven't gone so
far that his hand cannot
00:47:37.08\00:47:38.70
reach down and draw you back,
00:47:38.73\00:47:41.10
and that's a
comforting thing to know that
00:47:41.13\00:47:42.63
when you come he's
right there with open arms.
00:47:42.66\00:47:44.72
Amen, yeah talk
about number 4 here,
00:47:44.75\00:47:47.54
why don't you go
ahead, communications.
00:47:47.57\00:47:49.12
Communication rather,
to pray without ceasing,
00:47:49.15\00:47:53.90
it's a loaded
one, but communication
00:47:53.93\00:47:59.56
is so important yeah. Oh it is,
00:47:59.59\00:48:01.29
it is two way to talk
to him and then to listen
00:48:01.32\00:48:04.61
to him and then to
follow what, where he leads.
00:48:04.64\00:48:07.25
You know, you have to
communicate with Rochelle,
00:48:07.28\00:48:10.43
I have to
communicate with Irma my wife.
00:48:10.46\00:48:13.64
And I say, you
have to, you want to,
00:48:13.67\00:48:16.03
part of loving relationship,
part of maintaining
00:48:16.06\00:48:18.32
the relationship is
communication to talk through
00:48:18.35\00:48:21.03
the differences.
It really harkens back
00:48:21.06\00:48:23.25
to a very first text,
come let us reason together,
00:48:23.28\00:48:25.50
God is saying this I'm
asking of you is, is reasonable,
00:48:25.53\00:48:29.41
it's our reasonable service.
00:48:29.44\00:48:31.12
You know, Romans 12:01,
we are living sacrifices,
00:48:31.15\00:48:35.92
wholly accept what's
a reasonable service,
00:48:35.95\00:48:38.51
it is not unreasonable
for God to say to you
00:48:38.54\00:48:41.13
I made you, I
created you, you are mine,
00:48:41.16\00:48:44.26
I've purchased you.
Here is how I want you to
00:48:44.29\00:48:46.55
function and if
you function this way
00:48:46.58\00:48:48.36
I have a reward for
you and the reward is the
00:48:48.39\00:48:51.58
inevitable consequence
of living the life that
00:48:51.61\00:48:54.40
I've asked you to
live, if you live this way
00:48:54.43\00:48:56.09
this is what's gonna
happen and I've died to make
00:48:56.12\00:48:58.65
sure that it
happens. So if you follow me
00:48:58.68\00:49:00.95
I will lead you safely
home. And if you think about
00:49:00.98\00:49:03.60
this four steps communication,
00:49:03.63\00:49:05.12
I would venture to say that
anybody that has has friends.
00:49:05.15\00:49:09.55
The closest friends
are the ones that they
00:49:09.58\00:49:12.39
communicate with the
most; right it makes sense
00:49:12.42\00:49:15.36
oh yes so if we wanna
make Jesus our best friend.
00:49:15.39\00:49:18.37
One that we depend
upon, we need to pray
00:49:18.40\00:49:21.49
and communicate
with him at all times,
00:49:21.52\00:49:23.39
it's something
that happens constantly
00:49:23.42\00:49:26.23
and when it says
prayer without ceasing,
00:49:26.26\00:49:27.67
we're not talking
about getting on your knees
00:49:27.70\00:49:28.85
all day in prayer.
As we know that some
00:49:28.88\00:49:31.19
have interpreted that
to mean that in the past.
00:49:31.22\00:49:33.56
But it's a, it's an
open line of communication
00:49:33.59\00:49:37.72
with God throughout
our day, that no matter
00:49:37.75\00:49:39.91
what comes our way
we're always immediately
00:49:39.94\00:49:42.41
our mind is going to
you know the fact that Jesus
00:49:42.44\00:49:45.83
is very near. And
we can talk with him
00:49:45.86\00:49:47.28
about what's
going on in our life,
00:49:47.31\00:49:48.75
yeah, yeah, I think
you point is well taken
00:49:48.78\00:49:51.18
the best friends
are ones that we,
00:49:51.21\00:49:52.59
I've a very good
friend I grew up with him,
00:49:52.62\00:49:53.97
his name is
Holbrooke, he lives in Ohio.
00:49:54.00\00:49:55.94
I don't get to see
him much and we talking
00:49:55.97\00:49:57.53
through email, you
know we communicate
00:49:57.56\00:49:58.87
but we're not in
each others company
00:49:58.90\00:50:00.83
and I miss that and I
know there are things,
00:50:00.86\00:50:03.03
his kids are
growing up, going to school,
00:50:03.06\00:50:04.37
I'm missing that kind of thing,
00:50:04.40\00:50:05.47
I got some
friends back in New York
00:50:05.50\00:50:07.21
that I miss and we communicate
00:50:07.24\00:50:09.33
but it's not like
being in each others
00:50:09.36\00:50:11.06
company all the
time. And that's the way
00:50:11.09\00:50:13.51
it is with Jesus you
can't, you can't be with
00:50:13.54\00:50:15.92
Christ from afar,
Christ works better up-close
00:50:15.95\00:50:19.40
you know he wants to be close.
00:50:19.43\00:50:20.44
I was saying
something to somebody other day
00:50:20.47\00:50:21.94
when you're on route
57 you don't want to get
00:50:21.97\00:50:24.74
too closer to the car
in front of you that's
00:50:24.81\00:50:26.35
a dangerous, but
with Jesus you want to
00:50:26.38\00:50:28.43
bumper to bumper you
know you want to get right
00:50:28.46\00:50:30.61
upon him so that when
he turns left you go left,
00:50:30.64\00:50:32.08
when he goes right you go right,
00:50:32.11\00:50:33.34
you wanna be as
close as you possibly can
00:50:33.37\00:50:35.38
and that's the
safest way to be with Christ
00:50:35.41\00:50:37.30
yeah, yeah.
Communication is so essential
00:50:37.33\00:50:39.80
in fact if you look at
those, the different armor
00:50:39.83\00:50:41.73
you know people at six
there is actually a seventh.
00:50:41.76\00:50:44.27
At the end it
says and praying yes,
00:50:44.30\00:50:47.94
so you know if
you're out in a battle field
00:50:47.97\00:50:51.08
and there wasn't someone
with a radio communicating
00:50:51.11\00:50:53.13
with the
commander as to where to go
00:50:53.16\00:50:54.31
and you have their
contact, doesn't matter
00:50:54.34\00:50:56.25
what armor you have,
you're sunk, oh yeah.
00:50:56.28\00:50:58.59
You've got to communicate yeah.
00:50:58.62\00:50:59.91
Number 5, trust
then you moves to trust.
00:51:00.33\00:51:02.73
Notice we're getting
closer and more intimate
00:51:02.76\00:51:06.19
with every step in our
relationship with Jesus
00:51:06.22\00:51:08.51
it says in John
6:29 that Jesus answered
00:51:08.54\00:51:12.07
and said to them,
This is the work of God,
00:51:12.10\00:51:14.04
that you believe
in him, whom he sent,
00:51:14.07\00:51:16.63
he's not talking about
that you acknowledge him
00:51:16.66\00:51:18.79
as God or the fact
that he exists but that
00:51:18.82\00:51:22.99
you put your trust in him.
00:51:23.02\00:51:24.71
Now this is
something that we know,
00:51:25.49\00:51:28.85
we hear it all the
time, we got to have faith,
00:51:28.88\00:51:31.73
we know this. But how many times
00:51:31.76\00:51:34.01
when we're tested by something,
00:51:34.04\00:51:35.92
when we've trail,
when we've a struggle
00:51:35.95\00:51:37.78
that we forgot
to go to God first,
00:51:37.81\00:51:40.04
that we try to work things out
00:51:40.07\00:51:41.77
and figured things
out ourselves to change
00:51:41.80\00:51:44.14
the circumstances of
the trouble we're in.
00:51:44.17\00:51:46.19
And we're not
trusting God to work it out
00:51:46.22\00:51:50.45
and I'm think
00:51:50.93\00:51:52.77
that's probably very
applicable here to know
00:51:52.80\00:51:54.42
I have confidence that all
things work together for good.
00:51:54.45\00:51:57.26
Precisely, precisely,
when we think about trust,
00:51:57.29\00:52:00.23
John we're thinking
about putting your weight
00:52:00.26\00:52:02.73
on someone you
know leaning on someone.
00:52:02.76\00:52:04.70
God says put your weight on me,
00:52:04.73\00:52:06.81
trust me it's not
enough to just say they trust
00:52:06.84\00:52:10.68
me but lean on me,
put your weight on me.
00:52:10.71\00:52:12.31
We came in today and
we sat in these chairs,
00:52:12.34\00:52:14.60
we assumed that
they would hold us,
00:52:14.63\00:52:16.90
that we wouldn't
end up on the floor,
00:52:16.93\00:52:18.36
we trusted the
chairs to hold us.
00:52:18.39\00:52:20.10
Well, it's same with
Jesus, put your weight on him,
00:52:20.13\00:52:23.00
rest in him,
relax in him and assume
00:52:23.03\00:52:25.96
know that he will
hold you, he's able to keep
00:52:25.99\00:52:29.07
that which you commit to him.
00:52:29.10\00:52:30.16
Even though
struggles, even though the wind
00:52:30.19\00:52:31.98
we're talking about
the storms blowing around,
00:52:32.01\00:52:33.48
oh yes, put your
trust in him and you know
00:52:33.51\00:52:36.06
God operates his
blessings, his miracles,
00:52:36.09\00:52:39.37
the things that he does for us.
00:52:39.40\00:52:40.70
Operate in the
environment of faith,
00:52:40.73\00:52:42.96
very much so, so when
you take away the trust,
00:52:42.99\00:52:45.53
when you take away your faith.
00:52:45.56\00:52:46.70
You don't put
your faith in Christ;
00:52:46.73\00:52:48.26
there's no room
for him to operate.
00:52:48.29\00:52:50.98
Yeah, you defraud him
of a chance to bless you,
00:52:51.01\00:52:53.60
yeah because you're not
stepping out in faith with him
00:52:53.63\00:52:55.88
yeah like several times
healing is another thing,
00:52:55.91\00:52:58.32
he says according to your faith.
00:52:58.35\00:52:59.61
You know so according to
how you exercise your faith
00:52:59.64\00:53:02.87
these blessings
and these things comes.
00:53:02.90\00:53:04.48
So trust is something very
important as the next step,
00:53:04.51\00:53:07.27
the fifth step in
having a closer relationship
00:53:07.30\00:53:10.26
with Jesus. Now,
number 6, we have two more,
00:53:10.29\00:53:12.38
number 6 time, time. Oh!
Yes, spending time with Jesus,
00:53:12.41\00:53:16.95
now I'm not talking
about communication here,
00:53:16.98\00:53:18.36
communication is
different than time.
00:53:18.39\00:53:19.65
Communication is
talking with him about you know
00:53:19.68\00:53:22.18
your needs and
hearing his voice and
00:53:22.21\00:53:23.88
communicating with
you. But spending time
00:53:23.91\00:53:26.32
with him is just
practicing his presence,
00:53:26.35\00:53:28.38
knowing that he's
here and just abiding
00:53:28.41\00:53:32.90
in his presence and
that's the text I used,
00:53:32.93\00:53:34.72
do you have that
one there John 15:4:
00:53:34.75\00:53:36.55
"Abide in Me, and I in
you. As the branch cannot bear
00:53:36.58\00:53:39.75
fruit of itself
unless it abides in the vine,
00:53:39.78\00:53:42.61
neither can you
unless you abide in Me."
00:53:42.64\00:53:46.40
Powerful and very
simple, very linear,
00:53:46.88\00:53:47.85
we're gonna have to
spend time together,
00:53:49.24\00:53:51.76
we're going to have to
be in each others company,
00:53:51.79\00:53:54.38
we're going to
have to communicate,
00:53:54.41\00:53:56.36
we will have to
talk to you each other,
00:53:56.39\00:53:57.61
we will have
listen to each other,
00:53:57.64\00:53:59.25
we will have act on
those things which come out
00:53:59.28\00:54:02.16
of the dialogue
and when we do that
00:54:02.19\00:54:04.36
we put in quality
time and we're drawn
00:54:04.39\00:54:06.77
closer together.
Know I can know you unless
00:54:06.80\00:54:08.92
I listen to you and
speak to you I can't
00:54:08.95\00:54:12.11
know you through
osmosis, I cannot know you
00:54:12.14\00:54:14.29
through just
looking at you though
00:54:14.32\00:54:17.22
I can know
something about you, right,
00:54:17.25\00:54:18.68
to know you I'm
gonna have to talk to you
00:54:18.71\00:54:21.22
and you will have to talk to me,
00:54:21.25\00:54:22.30
we're gonna have to
put in the hours necessary
00:54:22.33\00:54:24.92
to understand each other.
Cannot do it any other way.
00:54:24.95\00:54:27.49
You really can't,
the other aspect too
00:54:27.52\00:54:29.57
I think about
sometimes as we often
00:54:29.60\00:54:31.59
separate our secular
from our spiritual time.
00:54:31.62\00:54:34.26
You know we have
this thing on your mind,
00:54:34.29\00:54:36.65
we can't, we
compartmentalize or the Sabbath
00:54:36.68\00:54:38.79
is over or this
time our worship is over
00:54:38.82\00:54:40.83
and so now let's
move with the secular.
00:54:40.86\00:54:42.57
But God doesn't want
us to say bye, right.
00:54:42.60\00:54:45.51
He wants us to
say okay now Lord,
00:54:45.54\00:54:46.86
Jesus come with me into
the next thing that I do
00:54:46.89\00:54:48.82
and that's the time all
day that we spend, yeah,
00:54:48.85\00:54:51.80
yeah with God. No byes with God,
00:54:51.83\00:54:53.80
you're in his
presence all the time
00:54:53.83\00:54:55.58
and even when you're
doing secular activities
00:54:55.61\00:54:57.44
there is a God
presence with you,
00:54:57.47\00:54:59.72
you're aware of it,
you're communicating with him,
00:54:59.75\00:55:01.81
you're asking for
strength and receiving strength
00:55:01.84\00:55:03.60
from him, so probably
keep us from doing a lot
00:55:03.63\00:55:05.14
of things that we shouldn't
do, precisely, exactly.
00:55:05.17\00:55:07.48
And the last one step
number 7, love in action,
00:55:07.51\00:55:10.79
another way of
saying this is service.
00:55:10.82\00:55:12.23
Okay, so love
in our relationship
00:55:12.26\00:55:15.49
as we've got closer to
him and we've been spending
00:55:15.52\00:55:17.81
doing these things to have
a more intimate relationship
00:55:17.84\00:55:20.38
with Jesus, we get to
this point where we've to
00:55:20.41\00:55:22.99
put something out now.
We've to return the love,
00:55:23.02\00:55:25.76
we've to show our
gratitude and express our love
00:55:25.79\00:55:28.21
for Jesus. And the
Bible says, if you love me,
00:55:28.24\00:55:31.21
keep my commandments,
there is a the response
00:55:31.24\00:55:33.77
to love is the doing
and so when I say love
00:55:33.80\00:55:37.21
in action here's the
seventh step I'm saying
00:55:37.24\00:55:39.37
you know our service is
the way that we draw closer
00:55:39.40\00:55:42.00
to Jesus because
we build a dependence
00:55:42.03\00:55:44.98
in everything we do
on that relationship.
00:55:45.01\00:55:47.30
And of course the
action comes as and only
00:55:47.33\00:55:50.38
as we have
fallen in love with him,
00:55:50.41\00:55:52.39
any other kind of
service, kind a defrauds him,
00:55:52.42\00:55:55.30
you don't wanna
serve the Lord with
00:55:55.33\00:55:57.30
your fist clenched
or because you feel
00:55:57.33\00:56:00.41
you're forced to, it
must be a service that is,
00:56:00.44\00:56:02.73
is motivated by a loving
relationship with the Lord.
00:56:02.76\00:56:06.13
And you know a lot of
times we get ourselves
00:56:06.16\00:56:08.37
in trouble anyway,
by serving the Lord
00:56:08.40\00:56:11.56
or trying to serve
him without spending time
00:56:11.59\00:56:13.44
in these other six steps.
00:56:13.47\00:56:14.92
You know we don't
spend the time with the Lord,
00:56:14.95\00:56:17.32
we don't time also
involves in this word
00:56:17.35\00:56:19.52
by the way we
didn't mention that,
00:56:19.55\00:56:20.61
but we don't talk to
the Lord as we should
00:56:20.64\00:56:22.55
and pray and we don't
realize that we need to be
00:56:22.58\00:56:25.33
open and transparent
and then all of a sudden
00:56:25.36\00:56:27.57
you know we except
that we can just go out
00:56:27.60\00:56:28.79
and serve being empty, yeah.
00:56:28.82\00:56:30.38
And we need the
other steps before we can
00:56:30.41\00:56:33.47
serve him, but at the
same time we need service
00:56:33.50\00:56:36.75
to cap off the other things
to get closer to Jesus, yeah,
00:56:36.78\00:56:38.92
yeah. Trying to
do it any other way,
00:56:38.95\00:56:41.47
makes you a
miserable person and certainly
00:56:41.50\00:56:43.79
a miserable Christian.
If you trying to serve
00:56:43.82\00:56:46.13
the Lord without
talking with him,
00:56:46.16\00:56:47.31
without receiving Holy
Spirit, without communicating
00:56:47.34\00:56:49.61
with him, without trusting him,
00:56:49.64\00:56:50.70
you're doing it
because you're afraid
00:56:50.73\00:56:52.97
or because
you're feeling forced to
00:56:53.00\00:56:54.72
or some other reason
that falls short of a
00:56:54.75\00:56:57.35
loving
relationship, it makes you
00:56:57.38\00:56:58.62
really a miserable
person, makes it work
00:56:58.65\00:57:01.07
and legalism and
not righteousness
00:57:01.10\00:57:03.91
and makes really
heaven an impossible thing.
00:57:03.94\00:57:08.24
You just cannot do it
without the spirit of God
00:57:08.27\00:57:10.99
in your life, that's right yeah.
00:57:11.02\00:57:12.44
You know friends,
God's word says in John 17:3:
00:57:12.90\00:57:16.64
That this is eternal
life: that they may know you,
00:57:16.67\00:57:19.88
the only true
God, and Jesus Christ,
00:57:19.91\00:57:22.28
whom you have sent.
Our objected to hear
00:57:22.31\00:57:24.49
today in giving
you these seven steps
00:57:24.52\00:57:26.11
of a closer
relationship with Jesus
00:57:26.14\00:57:28.19
is to know him
better. May God bless you
00:57:28.22\00:57:30.44
as you put that into
practice in your life today.
00:57:30.47\00:57:32.81