Hello, friends, grab
your Bible and a friend
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and sit back as
we explore God's word
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together on this
edition of "House Calls."
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Welcome, to another
House Calls program.
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We're in the saddle today.
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We're ready to ride off in
the sunset of the word of God
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and I have got
my cohort with me.
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I have got my compadre.
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I have got my
friend in the word.
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Good to have you here, John.
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It's good to be here, John.
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I'll tell you we roll like that.
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We're both Johns and
which in the Bible sense
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mean the one whom He loves.
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The Lord loves
us and we know that
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and we love you too.
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And so thank you, for
tuning into this program.
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Thank you, for taking the
time to hit the record button
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and to ask the Lord
to speak to our hearts,
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through our
hearts, to your hearts.
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And so take the time with
us, get your friends together,
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invite your family if
you're joining us from a church.
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We appreciate you're doing that.
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If you're sharing
this with someone,
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welcome to very
important program
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where we go to the word of God
before we go to anything else.
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But, we'll be
covering questions today
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and comments that
have been sent to us
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and we'll covering a continue
topic on the subject of Baptism.
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A lot of people don't
know what Baptism really is
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although, many
have been baptized.
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But what actually
happens when a person gives
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his or her life to
the Lord through baptism?
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However, before we
answer anything or go anywhere
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or do anything in
concerning the word of God
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we like to get
power from one high
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and that happens through prayer.
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John, pray for
us. Let's do that.
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Father, You
have been so good us.
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And we just, we love
spending this time with You.
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We pray that Your word
would come alive today.
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That You'd send Your spirit
to not only speak to our hearts
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but those that are listening
or viewing this program
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as we study Your word especially
the subject of baptism.
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And then we cover
a few questions too.
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Lord, we just pray
for You to empower us
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give us insights and speak to us
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that we may understand Your plan
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and Your love
for us more clearly.
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In Jesus name, amen. Amen.
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Now those of you who
have sent in questions before,
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you know exactly what to do.
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But there are those of you
who are tuning into the program
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and then the Lord may be have
impressed you to ask a question
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here is the information that you
need to get that question to us.
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We have an email,
housecalls@3abn.org.
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That's housecalls@3abn.org
Org mean organization.
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So we're very
organized, we hope we are.
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And when we get those questions
we filter through them.
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John gives me questions.
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He is like the, he
is like the computer guy
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and I'm the snail mail guy.
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I had a snail mail here today.
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It's in here somewhere,
it's so slow I can't find it.
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But we do have your questions
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and I always like John to
lead out on the questions.
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So what do you
have for us today, John?
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I mean what has this person
asked you that requires urgency?
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Well, let's see, he asked,
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she actually asked a
very good question, Trish.
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And she says
that, "To John and John
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I have trouble with
Luke 14:26." Luke 14:26.
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"We're told to
love even our enemy.
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Is there more than one meaning
in Greek to the word hate.
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I'm still new in the truth but
this verse is hard to grasp."
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And so let's take
a look at Luke 14:26.
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Okay. Luke 14:26.
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I'm gonna read 27
as well. All right.
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"If anyone comes to me and does
not hate his father and mother,
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wife and children,
brothers and sisters--
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yes, and his own life
also he cannot be my disciple.
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And whosoever does
not bear his cross,
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and come after me,
cannot be my disciple."
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Now this word, the word hate
there some have struggled with.
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It's a verse that is
used in the King James
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and New King James translations.
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The question that
Trish asked here is,
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is there more than
one meaning in the Greek.
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And yes, I think we need to do
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is convey the intent
of Christ words here.
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The word hate of
course is not exactly,
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it doesn't exactly
mean today what God,
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what Jesus was
intending to convey
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in this message here to
His disciples back then.
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And anyway the word
hate in the Greek is miseo.
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Which is means to hate,
that's one, but also to detest.
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Well, that doesn't
quite fit there either.
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But another translation here
is when you love something less
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is the another
meaning of this world.
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To love less not just to detest
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or to hate in the
sense of the word today.
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So if we add or modify that word
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or put that, that
definition in here
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it says, if anyone comes to me
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and does not love less than me
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his father and
mother, wife and children,
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brothers and sisters then
you cannot be my disciple.
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That fits and that's what really
what Jesus is saying here.
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He doesn't want
you to hate them.
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In other words, cut
them off don't talk to them.
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That's just not
even in Christ definition
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or in His language anyway.
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He would never
ask us to do that.
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In fact he says in
his word to care for love,
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always honor and
respect your parents.
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So He is not
saying go against that.
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But He is saying, if
you don't love me more
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then you love others that
brought you into this world,
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that hold you in this world,
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that you have
relationships within this world
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then you cannot be my disciples.
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And so John, I really
see Jesus basically saying.
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"Love me more than anyone else
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and in that respect
you are my disciples."
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Matter of fact, to
amplify that there has been,
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this is coming on the
heels of a number of statements
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made by people who were
invited to follow the Lord.
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One said, I have some
land, I need to go check it out.
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And other guy
said, I bought a cow
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I need to go check that out.
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And other one
says, I have a wife,
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this is funny, I
have a wife I can't come.
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You know, he said in other words
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I loved to follow You
but it's not working out
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the way that you'd
like it to work out.
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And but Jesus talked
that the price of discipleship
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and this is why when
you look at the story here
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that's talked
about here in Luke.
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What verse was it again, John?
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It's 26 and 27 and the rest
of the passage actually explains
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what Jesus is saying a
little more too but go ahead.
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And what it in
essence is being said here
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is you got to count the
cost of following the Lord.
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A lot of people put
everything before the Lord.
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That is well, I'll be
there as soon as I'm--
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as soon as I'm finished this
I will be glad to follow you.
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Whenever this is
over I'll be there.
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The Lord is saying,
wait a minute, wait a minute.
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When you think of who I'm
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compared to what
you're putting before me
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you got to hate those things.
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When the Bible puts
the word hate there.
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It puts in the
context of when the Lord says,
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"love the Lord your
God with all your heart,
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all your mind, all your
soul, and all your strength."
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Your love should be
first and foremost to God
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and nothing or no one
should come before him.
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That's why the words
here in contrast love and hate
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only then can you
really understand.
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Let me use an example on
the contemporary setting.
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Our mother says to her son,
didn't you hear me calling you?
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But I was at my friends.
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And she would say, wait a
minute let me get this right.
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Your friends are
now before your mother.
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But mom, we were--
a mother would say,
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did you or did you just
hear what you just said?
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You put your
friends in front of me.
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I'm calling you
and your friends get
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preferential treatment over me.
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Well, earthly parents
would have that kind of recoil
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when a child says that
about an earthly connection
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that's not a blood connection.
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How does the Lord
recoil when He says,
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wait a minute I created you.
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I have given you eternal life.
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Everything that you
could ever hope for.
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I'm the one
providing that for you.
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And I'm asking you to follow me.
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I want you to be part of
a mission that will succeed.
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I want you to turn
the world upside down
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by the works that I
will do through your life.
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I'm calling you to abundance.
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And I will say
follow me and you'll say,
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wait a minute, got to
check with my dad and mom first.
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So He is using word
there hate as john said
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he doesn't want us
to become unloving.
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Because, if you look
at the food of the spirit,
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love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
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gentleness, meekness, patience
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those are all the indicators of
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whether or not
Christ is our lives.
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But, He is saying to us
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don't you dare put
anyone ahead of me.
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That's what is in
essence being said there.
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Now He doesn't what
us to be hateful people.
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Matter of fact I like the way
that He says in Matthew 15:50.
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Matthew 12:50.
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"For whoever does the
will of my Father in heaven
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is my brother and
sister and mother."
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Because people
always put brothers,
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sisters,
mothers ahead of Christ.
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He said, you want to
know who my family is,
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those who do the
will of my father.
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That's really my family. Yeah.
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And that's what He was in
essence communicating there.
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Here another translation,
this is New Living translation.
00:10:02.76\00:10:05.54
It says "if you
want to be my disciples,
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my disciple you must hate
everything else by comparison.
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Your father and
mother, wife and children
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brothers and sisters,
yes, even your own life."
00:10:13.76\00:10:16.49
So, by comparison.
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And, you know, I
think the other thing too is
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sometimes we treat
our acceptance of Jesus
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as an addition to our life
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rather than what we
really need to intend to do
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which is to replace everything
in our life with Him. Right.
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He is an addition
not a replacement.
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And when we come to
Jesus, Jesus is saying
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as Paul is asking
us to say as Paul said,
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"It's not no longer I who live
but Christ who lives in me."
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What I used to
love, what I used to do,
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what I used to hold on to those
have been replaced by Jesus.
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Jesus is who I love,
Jesus is who I hold on to.
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He is the
preeminence in my life.
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The first and foremost
of my love and affection.
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And this is in essence
what he is saying here.
00:10:59.53\00:11:02.06
And hate, yes,
it's a strong word
00:11:02.09\00:11:03.76
but I think Jesus is trying
to get across a strong point
00:11:03.79\00:11:06.86
which is, love me
first and foremost
00:11:06.89\00:11:09.00
and hate everything else.
00:11:09.03\00:11:10.97
But not in the
context would be unloving
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but just in that
I'm first and foremost
00:11:13.13\00:11:15.30
in your love and affections.
00:11:15.33\00:11:17.07
That's why when you
look at the response,
00:11:17.10\00:11:19.09
there is only one
response this always amazes me.
00:11:19.12\00:11:22.55
You know, as pastors we
sometimes make appeals to people
00:11:22.58\00:11:24.89
to give their
hearts and life to Christ.
00:11:24.92\00:11:27.27
We want to kill
you so come forward
00:11:31.48\00:11:32.91
so we could plan your death.
00:11:32.94\00:11:34.29
That's not what were saying.
00:11:34.32\00:11:35.74
We are saying come forth
and accept that could transform,
00:11:35.77\00:11:39.14
change, empower,
strengthen and save you.
00:11:39.17\00:11:42.58
That's what we're asking to do.
00:11:42.61\00:11:44.07
When Jesus
extended that invitation.
00:11:44.10\00:11:46.74
Here is indicative of
what the response should be.
00:11:46.77\00:11:50.33
Matthew 4:20 the Bible says,
00:11:50.36\00:11:52.43
"They immediately left
their nets and followed Him.
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And they
immediately they left their boat
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and their father
and followed Him."
00:11:58.70\00:12:00.68
No questions asked, boom.
00:12:00.71\00:12:03.53
When the Lord
grips the persons life
00:12:03.56\00:12:06.65
what else is there to discuss?
00:12:06.68\00:12:09.03
You know, somebody say to you,
00:12:09.06\00:12:13.01
"If you follow me
here's what I promised to do.
00:12:13.04\00:12:15.73
If you respond to my
email I will instantly deposit
00:12:15.76\00:12:19.86
a million dollars
into your account."
00:12:19.89\00:12:21.80
Somebody else, what
is there left to discuss.
00:12:21.83\00:12:24.08
Respond to the email.
Boom, no question asked.
00:12:24.11\00:12:27.13
And so but God is not
giving us transitory things
00:12:27.16\00:12:30.47
or things are
temperamental in earthly sense
00:12:30.50\00:12:33.47
He is giving us eternal life.
00:12:33.50\00:12:35.15
And anything
that comes before him
00:12:35.18\00:12:37.00
removes his God-ship
and lordship of his life.
00:12:37.03\00:12:40.78
Matter of fact
Luke says in this way,
00:12:40.81\00:12:42.38
"Why call me Lord--Lord."
00:12:42.41\00:12:44.58
You see there is a
savior and then there is a Lord.
00:12:44.61\00:12:46.96
The savior is one who saves us
00:12:46.99\00:12:48.50
but the Lord is the one
who is in charge of our lives.
00:12:48.53\00:12:51.17
That's where we get the
phrase landlord come from.
00:12:51.20\00:12:53.63
If we can't make the
Lord the Lord of our lives
00:12:53.66\00:12:55.85
then He is not really in
charge He is just the tenant.
00:12:55.88\00:12:59.70
You see, and that's what
John was saying a moment ago.
00:12:59.73\00:13:02.18
We put God in the mix
rather than making Him
00:13:02.21\00:13:06.85
the only, the first,
the foremost in our lives.
00:13:06.88\00:13:09.62
Yeah. All right.
00:13:09.65\00:13:11.56
Now I'm going go
to Matthew 12 here
00:13:11.59\00:13:14.47
and a person who
asked this question--
00:13:14.50\00:13:17.66
let's go ahead and
turn to Matthew 12.
00:13:17.69\00:13:22.60
That's the verse
that they pointed out,
00:13:22.63\00:13:24.18
Matthew 12:29, okay.
00:13:24.21\00:13:29.32
That's pretty
interesting. Matthew 12:29.
00:13:29.35\00:13:34.48
Okay that's the verse
they asked me to read.
00:13:34.51\00:13:35.88
So I will go
ahead and read this.
00:13:35.91\00:13:37.93
It says, "Or else."
00:13:37.96\00:13:40.40
Well let me go
and read the question.
00:13:40.43\00:13:41.78
Well, with-- start with even 26.
00:13:41.81\00:13:44.07
Well, yeah, read the question
00:13:44.10\00:13:45.25
and then we
probably need to back up
00:13:45.28\00:13:46.57
to give the context to
what is being said here.
00:13:46.60\00:13:48.78
Matthew 12:29 is referenced.
00:13:51.02\00:13:56.19
They are teaching that
the strong man must be bound
00:13:56.22\00:13:59.60
saying that the
strong man is Satan.
00:13:59.63\00:14:02.65
And then he can't plunder
our house or work against us.
00:14:02.68\00:14:06.79
They say that when you
bind that you must also loosen.
00:14:06.82\00:14:11.98
Matthew 16:19 and 18:18.
00:14:12.01\00:14:15.06
"So you need to
bind Satan and his spirit
00:14:15.09\00:14:17.84
or bind the bad thing
00:14:17.87\00:14:20.13
and then loosen the
sign, symptom or condition
00:14:20.16\00:14:25.04
to release the kingdom
of heavens counterpart."
00:14:25.07\00:14:28.79
Now that was, that was response,
00:14:28.82\00:14:31.04
that was a response in reference
to the person that said,
00:14:31.07\00:14:34.16
"She hears so much about
the topic of binding and losing
00:14:34.19\00:14:37.22
what is that actually mean?"
00:14:37.25\00:14:38.55
You know when the Bible says
00:14:38.58\00:14:39.61
if you bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven,
00:14:39.64\00:14:41.93
whatever you lose on
earth shall be lose in heaven.
00:14:41.96\00:14:44.64
That's the question
that is actually being asked.
00:14:44.67\00:14:46.89
And so let me go and
finish the comment here.
00:14:46.92\00:14:49.78
I don't think that Matthew 12:29
00:14:49.81\00:14:51.58
is referring to the strong
man as Satan or demonic powers.
00:14:51.61\00:14:55.90
He isn't the strong man
referred to in that scripture
00:14:55.93\00:14:59.05
actually the
believer who is supposed to be
00:14:59.08\00:15:01.39
stronger than Satan and Satan
is binding up the strong man.
00:15:01.42\00:15:05.67
Let's go ahead and
read the passage here
00:15:05.70\00:15:07.44
and we'll go ahead and start
from verse 25 of Mathew 12.
00:15:07.47\00:15:12.09
"But Jesus knew their
thoughts, and said to them,
00:15:12.12\00:15:15.76
'every kingdom divided against
itself is brought to desolation,
00:15:15.79\00:15:21.48
and every city or house divided
against itself will not stand.
00:15:21.51\00:15:26.01
And if Satan cast out Satan,
he is divided against himself,
00:15:26.04\00:15:30.99
how then will his kingdom stand?
00:15:31.02\00:15:33.69
And if I cast out
devils, by Beelzebub
00:15:33.72\00:15:39.22
by whom do your
sons cast them out?
00:15:39.25\00:15:42.44
Therefore they
shall be your judges.'"
00:15:42.47\00:15:47.41
Now verse 28.
00:15:47.44\00:15:49.79
"But if I cast out
devils by the Spirit of God,
00:15:49.82\00:15:52.91
surely the kingdom of
God is come upon you."
00:15:52.94\00:15:55.98
And here's where the context,
00:15:56.01\00:15:58.23
here is where the story comes
together in its completeness.
00:15:58.26\00:16:01.56
"Or else how can one
enter a strong man's house,
00:16:01.59\00:16:04.87
and plunder his goods unless
he first binds the strong man
00:16:04.90\00:16:09.23
and then he will
plunder his house.
00:16:09.26\00:16:12.12
He who is not
with me is against me,
00:16:12.15\00:16:13.78
he who does not gather
with me scatters abroad."
00:16:13.81\00:16:16.71
Well, in fact,
here one of the reasons
00:16:16.74\00:16:19.26
why this text is talking
about Satan seeking to bind us
00:16:19.29\00:16:22.69
is because what the
Lord is making very clear is
00:16:22.72\00:16:26.11
no one could do anything to you.
00:16:26.14\00:16:28.17
Satan could not
have his way with you
00:16:28.20\00:16:29.69
unless he finds way to bind you.
00:16:29.72\00:16:31.70
That's why peter
when he talked about Satan
00:16:31.73\00:16:33.51
in the context of 1 Peter 5:8.
00:16:33.54\00:16:36.49
He said, "Be sober, be vigilant,
00:16:36.52\00:16:38.08
because your
adversary to devil walks about
00:16:38.11\00:16:40.03
like a roaring lion
seeking whom he made devour."
00:16:40.06\00:16:44.26
That is the binding.
00:16:44.29\00:16:45.32
Satan is seeking to bind
us that he may have his way.
00:16:45.35\00:16:48.35
Jesus also
responded in another way
00:16:48.38\00:16:50.39
speaking about
house being broken into.
00:16:50.42\00:16:52.67
He says, if we knew what time of
the night the thief would come
00:16:52.70\00:16:57.10
we will not allow our
houses to be broken into.
00:16:57.13\00:17:00.09
So in response to the binding
00:17:00.12\00:17:01.45
and losing in
this particular passage
00:17:01.48\00:17:03.46
the one that's been
bound is the Christian.
00:17:03.49\00:17:07.49
The one that is
doing the binding is Satan.
00:17:07.52\00:17:10.55
This is not the binding,
losing as you said was making--
00:17:10.58\00:17:16.67
was being refer to in your
Sunday school lesson study.
00:17:16.70\00:17:20.67
This binding here
is, Christ is warning us
00:17:20.70\00:17:23.40
Satan is seeking to bind you
00:17:23.43\00:17:26.57
and only when
he's able to bind you
00:17:26.60\00:17:28.43
is he able to
have his way with you.
00:17:28.46\00:17:30.29
What do you
think about that, John?
00:17:30.32\00:17:31.79
Well, I think that yeah, Satan
is the one doing the binding.
00:17:31.82\00:17:34.71
I see a little bit of another
realm of possibility here too.
00:17:34.74\00:17:38.08
Because,
initially the question here
00:17:38.11\00:17:40.19
is the
challenge of the Pharisees
00:17:40.22\00:17:41.93
he says, this man is casting
out demons by Beelzebub, right?
00:17:41.96\00:17:45.38
That's why they
accused Jesus of doing.
00:17:45.41\00:17:47.58
And so what he is
saying to the Pharisees is that
00:17:47.61\00:17:51.18
Satan is using
you to bind my hand
00:17:51.21\00:17:54.54
to gain success for
the work in the kingdom.
00:17:54.57\00:17:57.95
So the house here could
very well be the Jews themselves
00:17:57.98\00:18:04.33
and the Pharisees
are working against Jesus
00:18:04.36\00:18:07.26
binding Him from
doing what He is trying--
00:18:07.29\00:18:09.21
He want to do by accusing Him of
casting on demons by Beelzebub.
00:18:09.24\00:18:14.65
So they're actually
casting him in the bad light
00:18:14.68\00:18:16.94
so that He is not able to do
the work that He is sent to do.
00:18:16.97\00:18:20.43
So in that respect Satan is
using the Pharisees to bind Him
00:18:20.46\00:18:24.07
from what he is trying to
do in His own house. Right.
00:18:24.10\00:18:27.00
Which is the house of
the Jews. That's right.
00:18:27.03\00:18:28.82
And so--so yeah, Satan
is doing the binding here
00:18:28.85\00:18:31.64
and they're wrong in
their Sabbath school lesson here
00:18:31.67\00:18:33.61
that they're going through.
00:18:33.64\00:18:35.28
But, as you're saying
that also can be applied to us.
00:18:35.31\00:18:38.94
Anybody accusing us or
something unchristian like
00:18:38.97\00:18:42.05
is really binding
us from doing the work
00:18:42.08\00:18:44.28
that God wants us to do.
00:18:44.31\00:18:46.07
And that's Satan motive.
That's what he tries to do.
00:18:46.10\00:18:48.70
He tries to cast out.
He tries to discredit.
00:18:48.73\00:18:50.98
He tries to misrepresent
the character of His people
00:18:51.01\00:18:54.37
so that they can't accomplish
00:18:54.40\00:18:56.26
what God wants
them to accomplish.
00:18:56.29\00:18:58.26
I'm glad you went that
all because a lot of time
00:18:58.29\00:19:00.82
one of the reasons why
people become unfruitful
00:19:00.85\00:19:03.34
in the works of
light is because somebody
00:19:03.37\00:19:06.13
hinders the work that God
can do through their lives.
00:19:06.16\00:19:10.31
And sometimes that could be
simplest through an accusation.
00:19:10.34\00:19:13.83
Somebody could be hindered
00:19:13.86\00:19:15.81
by being accused of something
00:19:15.84\00:19:17.32
that they're not really
guilty of as was the case here
00:19:17.35\00:19:21.32
the religious
leaders accusing Christ.
00:19:21.35\00:19:24.77
And he says "So do you think
I'm casting Satan with Satan."
00:19:24.80\00:19:31.11
Because they did not
honestly acknowledge Christ.
00:19:31.14\00:19:33.74
They did not receive Him.
00:19:33.77\00:19:35.23
They did not
accept His lordship.
00:19:35.26\00:19:37.54
So they're saying, I bet you
Satan is working through him.
00:19:37.57\00:19:41.64
and He says, guys,
think about that for a moment.
00:19:41.67\00:19:44.11
Satan binding Satan,
00:19:44.14\00:19:47.26
that's not
what's happening here.
00:19:47.29\00:19:49.08
And so in John Chapter 1
00:19:49.11\00:19:52.46
when he talked about the
share in abilities he had.
00:19:52.49\00:19:56.42
They were two times in
the gospels that you'll find
00:19:56.45\00:19:59.45
that Jesus, well, actually about
three times I could think of
00:19:59.48\00:20:02.44
where you find
Jesus talked about
00:20:02.47\00:20:03.96
how He was not
able to be effective.
00:20:03.99\00:20:08.35
One of those was when He said,
00:20:08.38\00:20:10.39
"I came to my own and
my own did not receive me."
00:20:10.42\00:20:14.62
He made it very
clear. I wish I could--
00:20:14.65\00:20:18.51
I wish could something here
but my own didn't received me.
00:20:18.54\00:20:21.10
Secondly, He talked about
the unbelief among the people.
00:20:21.13\00:20:27.10
In Nazareth, he
couldn't do very much work there
00:20:27.13\00:20:29.94
because they thought of him as
isn't that the carpenters son.
00:20:29.97\00:20:32.95
They bound him by
placing him in a category
00:20:32.98\00:20:36.16
that disabled him
from effectively working
00:20:36.19\00:20:39.40
in their lives
and in their hearts.
00:20:39.43\00:20:41.39
Then also the very place where
00:20:41.42\00:20:44.03
Jesus had
established for house of prayer.
00:20:44.06\00:20:46.54
He said to the Jews, he said,
00:20:46.57\00:20:48.84
my shall be call a
house of prayer for all people
00:20:48.87\00:20:51.18
but you made it
a den of thieves.
00:20:51.21\00:20:52.95
And then to show how ineffective
00:20:52.98\00:20:54.94
his work had
become among them he says,
00:20:54.97\00:20:56.51
behold, your house
is left to you desolate.
00:20:56.54\00:20:59.76
I really can't do
anything with you anymore.
00:20:59.79\00:21:02.45
Your house is left you desolate.
00:21:02.48\00:21:04.44
And then he refers to
the Pharisees and leaders
00:21:04.47\00:21:07.44
as whitewashed suplicar's.
00:21:07.47\00:21:10.06
Any time we don't
accept Christ in the position
00:21:10.09\00:21:13.33
of the authoritative
role that he alone owns
00:21:13.36\00:21:16.70
then he cannot work
His works in our lives.
00:21:16.73\00:21:19.25
I think also if
Satan being bound
00:21:19.28\00:21:21.52
which is referred to null
in the Book of Revelation.
00:21:21.55\00:21:26.93
But also I think you
said Peter that talks about
00:21:26.96\00:21:28.87
and change of
darkness. That's right.
00:21:28.90\00:21:31.38
And so when Satan is
bound its God not allowing him
00:21:31.41\00:21:38.20
to do what he
wants to accomplish.
00:21:38.23\00:21:40.93
So when Satan is trying to
bind Christ the strong man,
00:21:40.96\00:21:44.52
he is trying to
not let Christ do
00:21:44.55\00:21:46.31
what He is trying to do
with his kingdom. That's right.
00:21:46.34\00:21:48.60
And that in many ways this word
00:21:48.63\00:21:49.81
is also being spoken
up here as we eluded to.
00:21:49.84\00:21:52.23
All right. Okay,
one more question or--
00:21:52.26\00:21:54.34
One more
question here from Pete.
00:21:54.37\00:21:57.30
Thanks for the
wonderful work you do, he says.
00:21:57.33\00:21:59.12
Thank you very much,
Pete, we appreciate that.
00:21:59.15\00:22:01.10
And your support and
prayers we covered those.
00:22:01.13\00:22:04.65
What does John mean when
he says, this is the question,
00:22:04.68\00:22:08.41
"Also there was no more
sea." in Revelation 21:1.
00:22:08.44\00:22:12.60
Does it mean
there will be not sea
00:22:12.63\00:22:14.16
in the new heaven
and the new earth?
00:22:14.19\00:22:17.03
Well, hopefully a
fairly quick answer to this.
00:22:17.06\00:22:19.86
It says in Revelation 21:1.
00:22:19.89\00:22:22.18
"Now I saw a new
heaven and a new earth
00:22:22.21\00:22:25.59
for the first heaven and
the first earth had passed away
00:22:25.62\00:22:28.58
also there was no more sea."
00:22:28.61\00:22:31.73
Now couple of
things are going on here.
00:22:31.76\00:22:33.56
Number one, we're called
00:22:33.59\00:22:35.14
when we look at any
scripture or passage
00:22:35.17\00:22:37.80
is to put ourself in the place
of the author as well. Okay.
00:22:37.83\00:22:41.37
So John, where is John sitting?
00:22:41.40\00:22:44.19
Where is John at this
point? On the island of Patmos.
00:22:44.22\00:22:46.14
And he is-- he
can't go anywhere, why?
00:22:46.17\00:22:50.43
He is a prisoner.
Prisoner by what is around him.
00:22:50.46\00:22:53.70
He is on the island.
He is on island, water.
00:22:53.73\00:22:55.34
Water
everywhere. Ocean everywhere.
00:22:55.37\00:22:58.23
He can't go
anywhere because of this sea
00:22:58.26\00:23:00.48
in fact he stares
at it almost every day.
00:23:00.51\00:23:03.21
That's right.
00:23:03.24\00:23:04.60
Do you think John is
tired of sea? I would.
00:23:04.63\00:23:08.29
I think he is tired of the
ocean probably about this time.
00:23:08.32\00:23:11.29
Sea, yes.
00:23:11.32\00:23:13.97
So in one respect
and not the only respect
00:23:14.00\00:23:18.11
he is saying here,
there will no more sea.
00:23:18.14\00:23:23.28
It's a relief to
him. That's right.
00:23:23.31\00:23:25.10
Which is probably
one of the reasons
00:23:25.13\00:23:26.21
why he is commenting on it.
00:23:26.24\00:23:27.49
There was no more sea.
00:23:27.52\00:23:29.09
The sea that I have been
bound to this island with
00:23:29.12\00:23:32.70
will be gone in the
new heaven and new earth.
00:23:32.73\00:23:36.09
We know also that in
the flood during Noah's time
00:23:36.12\00:23:42.05
that it rained and flooded
the entire earth with water.
00:23:42.08\00:23:46.40
Those waters represented or
became the sea. That's right.
00:23:46.43\00:23:51.40
And so there was sea in places
where there was not sea before.
00:23:51.43\00:23:55.74
And to this day what we were
seeing in this world is the sea,
00:23:55.77\00:23:58.61
is the world that
has much more water
00:23:58.64\00:24:00.77
than it did before in the seas.
00:24:00.80\00:24:04.59
And I think one of the
reasons why God did this
00:24:04.62\00:24:06.68
and this is of
course just my opinion
00:24:06.71\00:24:09.23
and not
necessarily supported by,
00:24:09.26\00:24:11.41
by a specific scripture itself
00:24:11.44\00:24:13.72
is that God is
separating man from Himself.
00:24:13.75\00:24:18.66
It's a world full of sin.
00:24:18.69\00:24:21.56
The antediluvian world,
the world prior to the flood
00:24:21.59\00:24:25.28
was this constant sharing of
ideas and the spreading of sin
00:24:25.31\00:24:28.66
and the rapid spreading sin
00:24:28.69\00:24:30.28
because there
weren't the barriers
00:24:30.31\00:24:31.99
created by the oceans. Right.
00:24:32.02\00:24:34.04
And so in many
ways the Lord was,
00:24:34.07\00:24:35.88
the Lord through the flood
00:24:35.91\00:24:37.41
was setting up
barriers between mankind.
00:24:37.44\00:24:40.26
Right. That's a very powerful.
00:24:40.29\00:24:41.57
Not allowing sin to
escalate and to multiply
00:24:41.60\00:24:46.40
as it did during
the antediluvian world.
00:24:46.43\00:24:49.30
And in the new
heaven and the new earth
00:24:49.33\00:24:51.01
where there is no sin
00:24:51.04\00:24:52.43
there is no need
to have that barrier.
00:24:52.46\00:24:54.46
It will be back to the
way God originally intended it
00:24:54.49\00:24:56.50
which would be bodies of water
00:24:56.53\00:24:58.17
but not as much
ocean as we see today.
00:24:58.20\00:25:01.69
You know, can
you imagine how high
00:25:01.72\00:25:03.62
and I'm just using
this contemporary analogy
00:25:03.65\00:25:07.16
or this present analogy
00:25:07.19\00:25:08.73
can you imagine how
high Mount Everest will be
00:25:08.76\00:25:12.11
if there will be no more sea?
00:25:12.14\00:25:14.40
You think of the
Mariana Trench 30,000 feet down.
00:25:14.43\00:25:17.85
Mount Everest 29,000 feet above.
00:25:17.88\00:25:19.70
That's 59,000 feet straight up.
00:25:19.73\00:25:22.65
If there will be no more sea.
00:25:22.68\00:25:26.02
You know, John, I like
the way you packaged that
00:25:26.05\00:25:29.35
because truly
the seas, the oceans,
00:25:29.38\00:25:32.03
the massive bodies of water
that separates one continent
00:25:32.06\00:25:34.93
one landmass from another
has been produced by the flood.
00:25:34.96\00:25:39.37
Now they were four
rivers named in Genesis.
00:25:39.40\00:25:42.49
So its not saying there
won't be anybodies of water.
00:25:42.52\00:25:45.21
But God never
intended for the world
00:25:45.24\00:25:47.06
to be covered by a flood
00:25:47.09\00:25:48.97
as had happened
in the days of Noah.
00:25:49.00\00:25:51.42
And so what we see now a
days the water is subsided
00:25:51.45\00:25:54.56
but we have a
lot of manmade lakes
00:25:54.59\00:25:56.52
out here in southern Illinois.
00:25:56.55\00:25:57.99
We have one of the larger
ones, close to us is Rend Lake.
00:25:58.02\00:26:00.88
And when they tell me
that was a manmade lake
00:26:00.91\00:26:02.88
I looked at that and I think,
00:26:02.91\00:26:04.85
how do they get
all this water in here?
00:26:04.88\00:26:08.09
Where did all
this water come from
00:26:08.12\00:26:09.79
because the Rend
Lake is a huge lake.
00:26:09.82\00:26:12.69
I mean really,
really a lot of shoreline.
00:26:12.72\00:26:17.99
But it was a manmade lake.
And then I think of the world.
00:26:18.02\00:26:22.14
If the flood caused by sin
00:26:22.17\00:26:25.26
many of us don't think
of the waters that we see
00:26:25.29\00:26:28.02
the massive bodies
of water that we see.
00:26:28.05\00:26:29.89
We don't think
of them as a result
00:26:29.92\00:26:31.56
of all the water
that deluges the earth.
00:26:31.59\00:26:35.13
All the water that
brought destruction.
00:26:35.16\00:26:37.80
So when you look at the
word sea here in the Bible
00:26:37.83\00:26:40.94
the word sea is seen
quite differently to modern man
00:26:40.97\00:26:43.98
than it is to the
antediluvian world
00:26:44.01\00:26:46.07
because they didn't
have any sea. That's right.
00:26:46.10\00:26:48.17
They didn't--that's why Noah
building boat was such a scene
00:26:48.20\00:26:52.79
what's he gonna do with that.
00:26:52.82\00:26:54.05
And a boat is so big
where he gonna put that thing.
00:26:54.08\00:26:56.65
What is that for? Yeah.
00:26:56.68\00:26:58.80
What's you're
going to do with that?
00:26:58.83\00:27:01.07
He is gonna sail, he is gonna
float when the waters come.
00:27:01.10\00:27:07.00
He has really lost it.
This guy is really in trouble.
00:27:07.03\00:27:10.73
What made building
that ark so unusual
00:27:10.76\00:27:13.63
is the oceans
where created for it.
00:27:13.66\00:27:17.41
The ark was in act of faith
because there were no oceans,
00:27:17.44\00:27:20.00
there were no seas on
which that was to float.
00:27:20.03\00:27:23.05
And when you read the
account it was built far away
00:27:23.08\00:27:26.34
from anybody of
water, on dry land.
00:27:26.37\00:27:28.72
And the whole
idea, and let me just
00:27:28.75\00:27:30.65
also add something,
this is a component.
00:27:30.68\00:27:33.21
The name Methuselah,
you know what it means?
00:27:33.24\00:27:36.35
When he dies the waters come.
00:27:36.38\00:27:40.40
So Methuselah, as
long as he was alive
00:27:40.43\00:27:43.92
they knew that waters
wont' gonna come here.
00:27:43.95\00:27:45.93
But when Methuselah
died can you imagine,
00:27:45.96\00:27:47.94
"How is
Methuselah?" "He died today."
00:27:47.97\00:27:51.40
"Methuselah died," and
his name actually meant
00:27:51.43\00:27:53.87
when he dies the water comes.
00:27:53.90\00:27:56.32
So the year that
Methuselah died the floods came.
00:27:56.35\00:27:59.40
And so the building of this
ark John is seeing this ocean
00:27:59.43\00:28:03.41
that was really in
fact to him a prison.
00:28:03.44\00:28:06.55
It was his prison
gates, it's all around him
00:28:06.58\00:28:09.17
because he's on an island.
00:28:09.20\00:28:10.55
Which is what sin
does to us as well.
00:28:10.58\00:28:12.81
And sin separates.
And waters separated.
00:28:12.84\00:28:17.11
So somebody may say, "Well, hey,
00:28:17.14\00:28:20.72
I like the ocean,
believes me, believe me."
00:28:20.75\00:28:24.73
My brother's a fisherman
down in the Virgin Islands
00:28:24.76\00:28:26.60
believe me
heaven and the new earth
00:28:26.63\00:28:29.40
is not going to be a
place of discontent for anybody
00:28:29.43\00:28:32.30
who gives his or
her life to Christ.
00:28:32.33\00:28:33.82
That's right. He
knows exactly what.
00:28:33.85\00:28:35.76
And they were
waters named in Genesis.
00:28:35.79\00:28:37.62
So that the world
is not going to be
00:28:37.65\00:28:38.99
absent from any bodies of water
00:28:39.02\00:28:41.00
but we will have more land mass.
00:28:41.03\00:28:43.94
I know that then
we're gonna have oceans
00:28:43.97\00:28:46.25
that presently divide our world.
00:28:46.28\00:28:49.04
Well, thank you for
your questions and comments.
00:28:49.07\00:28:52.21
You know, John,
sometimes we go down avenues
00:28:52.24\00:28:54.38
that are rally require
sometime to develop our answers.
00:28:54.41\00:28:58.31
But thank you for coming
up with some challenging ones
00:28:58.34\00:29:03.23
of binding and seas and--
00:29:03.26\00:29:05.88
Yeah. Very good questions.
00:29:05.91\00:29:07.81
You don't sit down
and thing those up.
00:29:07.84\00:29:10.59
I think that sometimes
people play, stump the pastor.
00:29:10.62\00:29:14.76
And you get
pretty close some times
00:29:14.79\00:29:17.51
but thank you so much
00:29:17.54\00:29:18.57
for participating
in the Bible questions.
00:29:18.60\00:29:20.38
If you have any more
questions you want to sent to us
00:29:20.41\00:29:23.02
you can send those to
the following email address,
00:29:23.05\00:29:25.40
housecalls@3abn.org,
that's housecalls@3abn.org.
00:29:25.43\00:29:31.37
And we thank you so
much for your participation
00:29:31.40\00:29:34.45
and the capacity
that you have undertaken.
00:29:34.48\00:29:38.40
Well, John, let's dive
back into the topic of baptism.
00:29:38.43\00:29:42.00
We're gonna winding
this topic upon this program
00:29:42.03\00:29:45.22
but we ended the last
program in the Book of Romans
00:29:45.25\00:29:48.11
then we went to
the Book of Galatians
00:29:48.14\00:29:50.54
and we talked about how
we're completely and capable
00:29:50.57\00:29:54.56
until we give our lives
to Christ we are personally,
00:29:54.59\00:29:57.63
completely
incapable of doing anything
00:29:57.66\00:30:01.80
worthy of the
righteousness of Christ.
00:30:01.83\00:30:04.86
Because, we're
doing it in our own effort
00:30:04.89\00:30:07.48
rather than
allowing God to work in us
00:30:07.51\00:30:09.98
both to will and do
of His good pleasure.
00:30:10.01\00:30:12.53
Yeah, and I think
baptism is a symbol
00:30:12.56\00:30:16.30
of dying to self-dependence
and a differing to Christ
00:30:16.33\00:30:22.01
and his grace
doing the work in us.
00:30:22.04\00:30:24.94
That's right.
That's really what it is.
00:30:24.97\00:30:26.74
It's saying, "I'm
no longer going to
00:30:26.77\00:30:28.57
depend upon
myself to live my life.
00:30:28.60\00:30:31.02
I'm going to set my aside.
I'm going depend upon Jesus.
00:30:31.05\00:30:34.22
He's gonna takeover.
00:30:34.25\00:30:35.35
He's gonna help me live a
life the way He wants me to."
00:30:35.38\00:30:37.91
I was reading a
devotional last night
00:30:37.94\00:30:39.60
before my wife
and I went to bed.
00:30:39.63\00:30:41.28
It was so beautiful
where in the devotional,
00:30:41.31\00:30:44.40
it was from the
book called Lift Him Up,
00:30:44.43\00:30:46.70
one of the Ellen
White's devotionals.
00:30:46.73\00:30:48.94
And it says one
day Satan is going--
00:30:48.97\00:30:50.51
well, not one day but
even now Satan stands back
00:30:50.54\00:30:52.54
and looks at the transformation
that's taking place in our lives
00:30:52.57\00:30:55.97
and he wonders
how did God do that?
00:30:56.00\00:30:59.12
How did He take that?
00:30:59.15\00:31:00.51
How did he take Apostle
Paul a murderer, a criminal
00:31:00.54\00:31:05.71
and enemy of the
church, turn him around
00:31:05.74\00:31:08.13
and make him such a bulwark
for the New Testament church
00:31:08.16\00:31:11.56
to make him such a champion,
a soldier of the cross.
00:31:11.59\00:31:14.29
How did He do that?
00:31:14.32\00:31:16.32
How did Paul become a person
00:31:16.35\00:31:18.24
beyond the temptations
beyond the influence,
00:31:18.27\00:31:21.12
beyond any of the
subtle suggestions
00:31:21.15\00:31:24.00
or outright
suggestions of the enemy?
00:31:24.03\00:31:26.19
How did he ever get to be
such a powerful strong man?
00:31:26.22\00:31:29.49
The devil stands back and
wonders how did God do that?
00:31:29.52\00:31:33.00
Well, for it is
God who works in us
00:31:33.03\00:31:36.06
both to will and to
do of His good pleasure.
00:31:36.09\00:31:40.62
Now the other thing
we have to point out
00:31:40.65\00:31:43.17
is the component of baptism.
00:31:43.20\00:31:46.10
What do you have
first? Do you have--
00:31:46.13\00:31:47.22
Well that's what I
was going to talk about
00:31:47.25\00:31:48.28
as we been saying baptism
but what is the word mean
00:31:48.31\00:31:51.02
and what does it mean
to be baptized? All right.
00:31:51.05\00:31:53.17
And I thought we would go
to Acts 8:38 for that. Okay.
00:31:53.20\00:31:56.85
We can see an example we also--
00:31:56.88\00:31:59.73
In fact may be you could do
the Jesus baptism. All right.
00:31:59.76\00:32:02.72
I want you go there
and I will go to Acts 8:38.
00:32:02.75\00:32:05.99
Okay, I will go to Matthew.
00:32:06.02\00:32:07.05
And we'll start with,
we'll start with Jesus.
00:32:07.08\00:32:10.49
I think we always should
and let's see His example
00:32:10.52\00:32:13.37
of what baptism not only means
but what it looks like and--
00:32:13.40\00:32:17.78
Okay, here it is.
00:32:17.81\00:32:18.84
What passage are you
going to? I'm in Matthew 3.
00:32:18.87\00:32:21.88
Matthew 3:13.
00:32:24.94\00:32:29.31
"Then Jesus came
from Galilee to John
00:32:29.34\00:32:32.90
at the Jordan to be baptized."
00:32:32.93\00:32:35.98
And by the way
I want to put this
00:32:36.01\00:32:37.29
in the context of John
1:29 where he says "Behold!
00:32:37.32\00:32:41.78
The Lamb of God which taketh
away the sin of the world!"
00:32:41.81\00:32:44.28
He Introduces the Jesus
in this context in that way.
00:32:44.31\00:32:47.51
And John it says, "When
Jesus came from Galilee to John
00:32:47.54\00:32:53.08
at the Jordan to
be baptized by him.
00:32:53.11\00:32:56.17
And John tried to
prevent Him, saying,
00:32:56.20\00:33:00.81
'I need to be baptized by
You, and are You coming to me?'"
00:33:00.84\00:33:07.07
It is a disarming
thing, I think, John,
00:33:07.10\00:33:09.08
I probably would have
responded to the very same way.
00:33:09.11\00:33:12.71
And you're Christ, right? Yeah.
00:33:12.74\00:33:15.06
Could we kind of
switch roles here
00:33:15.09\00:33:17.86
because I need to
be baptized by you.
00:33:17.89\00:33:21.20
But Jesus says in verse 15,
00:33:21.23\00:33:24.86
"Permit it to be so
now, for thus it is fitting
00:33:24.89\00:33:28.20
or necessary for us to
fulfill all righteousness.
00:33:28.23\00:33:33.59
Then he allowed Him."
00:33:33.62\00:33:36.27
Then Jesus, "When
He had been baptized,
00:33:36.30\00:33:39.78
came up
immediately from the water."
00:33:39.81\00:33:42.74
Some translations says
straight way, out of the water.
00:33:42.77\00:33:47.25
It says, immediately
He came up from the water
00:33:47.28\00:33:50.20
and behold, the
heavens were open to Him
00:33:50.23\00:33:53.04
and He saw the Spirit of
God descending like a dove
00:33:53.07\00:33:56.80
and alighting upon him."
00:33:56.83\00:33:58.45
And suddenly the Bible says,
00:33:58.48\00:34:00.45
"A voice came
from heaven saying,
00:34:00.48\00:34:02.22
'This is my beloved son
in whom I'm well pleased.'"
00:34:02.25\00:34:07.32
So the baptism talked
about here is Jesus was,
00:34:07.35\00:34:11.12
Jesus was
lowered into the Jordan
00:34:11.15\00:34:13.60
and then He came
up out of the Jordan.
00:34:13.63\00:34:17.08
That's the illustration
that we're getting here
00:34:17.11\00:34:18.99
from the baptism of
Jesus by John the Baptist.
00:34:19.02\00:34:23.59
And Jesus went all way under.
00:34:23.62\00:34:25.72
That's right. The water.
00:34:25.75\00:34:28.80
The word baptism,
baptism to immerse, right?
00:34:28.83\00:34:33.98
Exactly, baptizo.
00:34:34.01\00:34:35.38
Yes, to immerse
completely underneath
00:34:35.41\00:34:38.12
and of course we see
lots of different examples.
00:34:38.15\00:34:41.19
It depends upon
what church you go into.
00:34:41.22\00:34:43.57
Some don't baptize that way.
00:34:43.60\00:34:48.40
They don't put the baptism
00:34:48.43\00:34:52.09
or candidate under
the water entirely,
00:34:52.12\00:34:53.87
what they do instead
sprinkle them with water.
00:34:53.90\00:34:56.32
But the word baptism
doesn't even lend to that.
00:34:56.35\00:34:59.47
It's almost a
contradiction in terms
00:34:59.50\00:35:02.09
when you say I baptize
you and you're sprinkling
00:35:02.12\00:35:04.04
because that's not
immersing anybody in water.
00:35:04.07\00:35:08.50
And Jesus I think gave
the example here in that
00:35:08.53\00:35:12.10
He went down into
the water completely
00:35:12.13\00:35:15.46
and then came up from the water.
00:35:15.49\00:35:17.71
And if He is our
example in other things
00:35:17.74\00:35:19.94
shouldn't He be our example
in what true baptism looks like.
00:35:19.97\00:35:23.42
I believe so.
00:35:23.45\00:35:25.12
You know, John, what's amazing
00:35:25.15\00:35:27.76
in Christianity now
a days is people have--
00:35:27.79\00:35:31.17
we're living in the age
of duplicity or multiplicity
00:35:31.20\00:35:36.74
if I could use that
phrase or that word.
00:35:36.77\00:35:38.86
But where people
are designing methods
00:35:38.89\00:35:43.13
already established by Christ.
00:35:43.16\00:35:45.75
People are preferring,
well, I know what the Bible says
00:35:45.78\00:35:48.50
but I prefer this method.
00:35:48.53\00:35:52.26
There is a pamphlet
that Amazing Facts does
00:35:52.29\00:35:54.62
on the topic of baptism.
00:35:54.65\00:35:56.87
There are so many
methods of baptism.
00:35:56.90\00:35:59.30
There are rose petal baptism.
00:35:59.33\00:36:00.82
There is a
confession baptism by the mouth,
00:36:00.85\00:36:03.09
if you confess to
the Lord with your mouth
00:36:03.12\00:36:04.72
and believe in your heart
00:36:04.75\00:36:05.78
you shall be saved
and you will be saved.
00:36:05.81\00:36:07.52
No watering away, no water.
00:36:07.55\00:36:11.26
Then there is this sprinkling,
00:36:11.29\00:36:12.91
then there is the dry cleaning
method somebody refer to it as.
00:36:12.94\00:36:15.77
Just say you want to saved
and that's all that is necessary
00:36:15.80\00:36:18.51
for your life to be
changed or transformed.
00:36:18.54\00:36:21.41
But here the
Lord made a very clear
00:36:21.44\00:36:23.90
and you'll notice that not
only was this method established
00:36:23.93\00:36:26.93
and followed in
the baptism of John
00:36:26.96\00:36:29.71
or the baptism
by John the Baptist
00:36:29.74\00:36:32.36
but also the
Disciples of Christ.
00:36:32.39\00:36:34.77
Because in Acts Chapter 8,
00:36:34.80\00:36:36.13
did you read verse 36
of Acts Chapter 8 already?
00:36:36.16\00:36:38.81
That's where I was heading.
Go ahead read that for us.
00:36:38.84\00:36:41.63
Well, go there. Yeah.
00:36:41.66\00:36:42.71
This is we'll start with
verse 37 of Acts 8. Okay.
00:36:42.74\00:36:47.04
This is Philip and his baptism
of the eunuch that he met.
00:36:47.07\00:36:51.34
"Then Philip
said, 'If you believe
00:36:51.37\00:36:52.69
with all your heart, you may.'
00:36:52.72\00:36:56.49
And he answered if you believe
00:36:56.52\00:36:58.38
with all your heart
you may be baptized."
00:36:58.41\00:36:59.78
That's what he is saying.
00:36:59.81\00:37:00.84
"And he answered and said,
'I believe that Jesus Christ
00:37:00.87\00:37:03.66
is the Son of God." Okay.
00:37:03.69\00:37:05.72
"So he commanded the
chariot to stand still.
00:37:05.75\00:37:08.52
And both Philip and the
eunuch went down into the water,
00:37:08.55\00:37:11.66
and he baptized him." Okay.
00:37:11.69\00:37:14.09
But look at verse
37. Well, at verse 36.
00:37:14.12\00:37:19.44
"Now as they went down the
road, they came to some water.
00:37:19.47\00:37:22.33
And the eunuch
said, 'See, here is water.
00:37:22.36\00:37:24.72
What hinders me from
being baptized?'" Right.
00:37:24.75\00:37:27.52
He could have easily--
in the methods nowadays
00:37:27.55\00:37:30.77
he could have said,
you don't need to stop
00:37:30.80\00:37:33.87
and just accept the Lord
Jesus Christ and that's it.
00:37:33.90\00:37:36.96
But the commission Jesus
gave was very significant here
00:37:36.99\00:37:39.77
and this is what we
have to keep in mind
00:37:39.80\00:37:41.33
one of the things
that we can't apologize for
00:37:41.36\00:37:43.22
is the parameter that
the Bible establishes.
00:37:43.25\00:37:45.07
And I think
that's very important.
00:37:45.10\00:37:47.05
You know, the Lord is the Lord
00:37:47.08\00:37:48.27
and if He says do it
this way then do it this way.
00:37:48.30\00:37:50.85
That's one of the things
00:37:50.88\00:37:51.91
that Christianity is
missing out on nowadays.
00:37:51.94\00:37:54.20
We have so many methods,
00:37:54.23\00:37:55.43
we seek to convenience
man and inconvenience God.
00:37:55.46\00:38:00.07
I think Billy
Graham said while he says,
00:38:00.10\00:38:02.33
"In modern
society we're so careful
00:38:02.36\00:38:04.64
about no offending
anybody but God." Yeah.
00:38:04.67\00:38:08.74
And God is saying
baptism, He left an example.
00:38:08.77\00:38:12.22
And when you look at
the examples of Jesus
00:38:12.25\00:38:14.20
and you simply follow
the examples of Jesus.
00:38:14.23\00:38:16.28
You will never get to the place
00:38:16.31\00:38:17.37
where you are
missing out on anything.
00:38:17.40\00:38:19.50
If Jesus went
down into the water
00:38:19.53\00:38:22.30
to leave us an
example of what baptism is.
00:38:22.33\00:38:24.33
That's what we should
do. What do you think?
00:38:24.36\00:38:25.83
Yeah, I completely agree.
00:38:25.86\00:38:27.37
This is an example
here of a follower of Christ
00:38:27.40\00:38:31.52
following Christ
example of going down
00:38:31.55\00:38:33.68
into the water
and being baptized.
00:38:33.71\00:38:34.97
I like that. There is no doubt.
00:38:35.00\00:38:36.30
Okay. And also--
00:38:36.33\00:38:40.44
But one thing before
you go to something else,
00:38:40.47\00:38:42.05
one of the things I
think we mentioned earlier
00:38:42.08\00:38:44.38
in the first part
of this program is that
00:38:44.41\00:38:47.13
when you get
baptized it doesn't mean
00:38:47.16\00:38:49.71
that of the sudden your
life is going to be easy.
00:38:49.74\00:38:53.09
Okay, and Jesus set
that example as well
00:38:53.12\00:38:56.50
because for Matthew 3 we
find a transition to Matthew 4.
00:38:56.53\00:39:01.75
Okay. That's right.
00:39:01.78\00:39:03.90
And it says "When he
came out of the water
00:39:03.93\00:39:07.08
the voice came
from heaven saying,
00:39:07.11\00:39:09.01
'This is my beloved
son in whom I'm pleased.'"
00:39:09.04\00:39:11.49
And then notice the
very next verse 4:1.
00:39:11.52\00:39:14.57
"Then Jesus was led up by
the Spirit into the wilderness
00:39:14.60\00:39:17.52
to be tempted by the devil."
00:39:17.55\00:39:18.87
Okay, I like to,
I like to go back
00:39:18.90\00:39:20.23
and just emphasize
something very quickly.
00:39:20.26\00:39:23.38
In whom I'm well please
then. Yes, there you go.
00:39:23.41\00:39:27.66
That's the transition there.
00:39:27.69\00:39:29.60
Then, you should
see what happened next.
00:39:29.63\00:39:32.03
Then, then and
that's the transition--
00:39:32.06\00:39:35.65
Other books actually, others,
I can't remember who it was.
00:39:35.68\00:39:39.46
Mark or is it John
said immediately. Right.
00:39:39.49\00:39:43.53
He went, He was
led by the spirit.
00:39:43.56\00:39:45.36
So then is very appropriate,
it happened right away.
00:39:45.39\00:39:48.62
And so when you see
this whole transition
00:39:48.65\00:39:50.88
what people need to be mindful
00:39:50.91\00:39:52.10
and I do this with all
our baptizmo candidates.
00:39:52.13\00:39:54.36
All the people that
I baptize I often said,
00:39:54.39\00:39:56.75
"okay, now that you just
been baptized be careful."
00:39:56.78\00:40:00.61
Because the devil says, okay,
00:40:00.64\00:40:01.81
now you're no
longer in the stands
00:40:01.84\00:40:03.72
I have used that
analogy for many, many years.
00:40:03.75\00:40:05.60
I used the
football game analogy.
00:40:05.63\00:40:07.39
There people
sitting on the stands
00:40:07.42\00:40:09.10
cheering on the football
team, they don't get hit.
00:40:09.13\00:40:11.48
They don't have to worry about
00:40:11.51\00:40:12.54
anybody pinning
them to the ground.
00:40:12.57\00:40:14.32
There legs being
cut off from under them,
00:40:14.35\00:40:16.61
they're being knocked down.
00:40:16.64\00:40:17.67
But the moment you
get out of the stands
00:40:17.70\00:40:19.17
and get on the field and
you're on the team of Christ.
00:40:19.20\00:40:23.18
There is another
team determined to defeat
00:40:23.21\00:40:25.14
everything about you and
it starts with temptation.
00:40:25.17\00:40:28.37
So here is the
point I want to make
00:40:28.40\00:40:29.95
so that you don't be operating
in this unrealistic realm.
00:40:29.98\00:40:35.72
You're battles
really begin after baptism.
00:40:35.75\00:40:40.15
That's right.
That's when they start.
00:40:40.18\00:40:41.68
Look at the
battles that Jesus faced.
00:40:41.71\00:40:44.68
Not only did He
face these battles
00:40:44.71\00:40:46.98
because they were predetermined
00:40:47.01\00:40:48.45
that He will face
the devil in the same way
00:40:48.48\00:40:51.39
that we daily have
to face this enemy.
00:40:51.42\00:40:54.72
He has to face
him on the same ground
00:40:54.75\00:40:56.11
that we face him on everyday.
00:40:56.14\00:40:58.08
I've actually had
someone mentioned to me
00:40:58.11\00:41:00.82
after baptism a
few months afterward.
00:41:00.85\00:41:02.58
Had I know and it was
going to be this difficult
00:41:02.61\00:41:05.39
I'm not sure that I
would have been baptized.
00:41:05.42\00:41:08.39
It was so discouraged about
the sin that they were facing
00:41:08.42\00:41:11.52
and their inability
to overcome that sin
00:41:11.55\00:41:13.81
and the battle they were having
00:41:13.84\00:41:16.14
that they just,
they weren't sure
00:41:16.17\00:41:18.40
that it did
truly counted the cost.
00:41:18.43\00:41:21.10
And so we talked about that
00:41:21.13\00:41:22.82
and I let him to be able
to continue to trust the Lord
00:41:22.85\00:41:26.42
and the Lord didn't
just start His faith
00:41:26.45\00:41:28.83
He would finish
His faith as well.
00:41:28.86\00:41:30.70
And don't be discouraged
00:41:30.73\00:41:33.16
if you have been
baptized and you had struggles.
00:41:33.19\00:41:35.72
That is exactly what
Jesus went through himself.
00:41:35.75\00:41:39.96
Lot of people I know young
man that joined the military,
00:41:39.99\00:41:43.76
when he joined the military
he did it for this reason,
00:41:43.79\00:41:46.55
he says, you know, I
want to get a college degree,
00:41:46.58\00:41:49.65
I also want to be
able to own a house one day
00:41:49.68\00:41:51.54
and through my veteran benefits
I will be able to get a house,
00:41:51.57\00:41:55.30
and when I'm done,
00:41:55.33\00:41:56.51
I will go back to school
and get a college degree.
00:41:56.54\00:41:59.26
He has his goals lined up.
00:41:59.29\00:42:02.79
But when he got in the military,
00:42:02.82\00:42:04.57
he said, man, there's
got to be an easy way.
00:42:04.60\00:42:06.79
There's got to be a--
this is my second tour in Iraq.
00:42:06.82\00:42:10.04
There's got to be a different
way then getting a house.
00:42:10.07\00:42:14.57
There's got to be a
better and less arduous way
00:42:14.60\00:42:18.40
to get a house and
get a college degree.
00:42:18.43\00:42:20.69
A lot of times people enter this
world called the Christian walk
00:42:20.72\00:42:24.94
and think of it as,
hey, my troubles are over.
00:42:24.97\00:42:28.02
No, no, no, your
troubles have just started.
00:42:28.05\00:42:31.10
You have to keep in
mind that the devil is upset
00:42:31.13\00:42:33.22
and he is against you and
he will do whatever he can
00:42:33.25\00:42:35.94
to discourage you,
to try to get to go back
00:42:35.97\00:42:38.54
and turn your back on the faith.
00:42:38.57\00:42:40.43
That's right. That's right.
00:42:40.46\00:42:41.91
One other aspects of baptism
00:42:41.94\00:42:43.81
I think that is
very important to realize
00:42:43.84\00:42:46.34
is how the word of God
00:42:46.37\00:42:49.52
is connected in with
the decision for baptism.
00:42:49.55\00:42:52.47
It is when we receive the word,
00:42:52.50\00:42:55.07
when we convicted by the word
that we decide to be baptized.
00:42:55.10\00:42:59.19
And it doesn't, it
shouldn't surprise us, John,
00:42:59.22\00:43:01.72
over the
comment you made earlier
00:43:01.75\00:43:02.86
that some are being
baptized different ways
00:43:02.89\00:43:05.58
because they're
not following the word.
00:43:05.61\00:43:08.20
And so the issue, the symptom
00:43:08.23\00:43:11.67
is that they're not
been baptized right.
00:43:11.70\00:43:14.41
But the real problem that's
at the heart of this issue is
00:43:14.44\00:43:18.06
the receiving of the word
00:43:18.09\00:43:19.38
and if you look
at, at Acts 2:40-41.
00:43:19.41\00:43:26.43
It says, "And
with many other words
00:43:26.46\00:43:28.08
he testified and exhorted them,
00:43:28.11\00:43:29.78
saying, 'Be saved from
this perverse generation.'
00:43:29.81\00:43:32.29
Then those who gladly
received His word were baptized,
00:43:32.32\00:43:37.37
and that day about
three thousand souls
00:43:37.40\00:43:39.36
were added to them."
00:43:39.39\00:43:40.72
So the receiving of the
word of God for what it is.
00:43:40.75\00:43:44.46
God speaking to us is
necessary for baptism.
00:43:44.49\00:43:48.01
And that isn't just
receiving the word as in
00:43:48.04\00:43:50.52
okay, well I believe
it's the word of God.
00:43:50.55\00:43:52.46
It's following, it's receiving
and obeying its precepts.
00:43:52.49\00:43:56.83
And that is a
very important piece
00:43:56.86\00:43:59.56
of our decision to be baptized
00:43:59.59\00:44:02.01
and following the Christ
with everything we have got.
00:44:02.04\00:44:04.15
A lot of people thinks though
that when you get baptized
00:44:04.18\00:44:06.57
that you get
baptized and stay home.
00:44:06.60\00:44:09.02
And be in church, you
know, and amongst yourselves.
00:44:09.05\00:44:11.77
Or a lot of people say,
"well I want to accept Jesus."
00:44:11.80\00:44:16.15
This is been categorical
challenge to many pastors.
00:44:16.18\00:44:19.76
I want to get my life to Jesus
00:44:19.79\00:44:21.40
but I don't want
to join your church.
00:44:21.43\00:44:24.01
I don't want to be
member of your church.
00:44:24.04\00:44:25.42
I just want to be
a follower of Christ.
00:44:25.45\00:44:30.07
But that completely goes
against what the Bible teaches.
00:44:30.10\00:44:34.87
Let me give you a
couple of examples, Acts 2:47.
00:44:34.90\00:44:39.48
When you go to Acts Chapter 2--
00:44:39.51\00:44:41.44
Yeah, you just
continue reading on
00:44:41.47\00:44:42.61
and we'll see what happens here.
00:44:42.64\00:44:43.88
Good, read verse 47.
00:44:43.91\00:44:46.47
Matter of fact verse 46 and 47.
00:44:46.50\00:44:48.47
Yeah, as we read on a few
verses from where we just where.
00:44:48.50\00:44:51.49
"So continuing daily
with one accord in the temple,
00:44:51.52\00:44:54.40
and breaking bread
from house to house,
00:44:54.43\00:44:56.16
they ate their food with
gladness and simplicity of heart
00:44:56.19\00:44:59.00
praising God and having
favor with all the people.
00:44:59.03\00:45:02.93
And notice "The Lord
added to the church daily
00:45:02.96\00:45:06.27
those who were
being saved." Right.
00:45:06.30\00:45:08.53
They were added to church, they
were not dispersed in the land.
00:45:08.56\00:45:12.98
Say okay, now that we
baptized you, see you later.
00:45:13.01\00:45:16.13
No, there's a body of believers
00:45:16.16\00:45:18.34
in the same way
the football team,
00:45:18.37\00:45:19.58
the baseball team,
the basketball team,
00:45:19.61\00:45:20.79
the corporate
office, the corporate team,
00:45:20.82\00:45:22.37
the worship team, all
these things are teamed.
00:45:22.40\00:45:25.55
The devil wants to fragment.
00:45:25.58\00:45:27.38
But the reason why joining
a church is so significant
00:45:27.41\00:45:29.85
is because the prayer
that Jesus prayed in John 17.
00:45:29.88\00:45:32.61
"Father I pray
that there may be one.
00:45:32.64\00:45:35.21
As you and I are one."
00:45:35.24\00:45:36.81
This unity Ephesians 4,
00:45:36.84\00:45:39.05
"Till they all come to
the unity of the faith,
00:45:39.08\00:45:41.92
to the knowledge
of the son of God.
00:45:41.95\00:45:43.96
One Lord, one
faith, one baptism,
00:45:43.99\00:45:46.76
one God, one father of all."
00:45:46.79\00:45:49.07
But then there's
another component.
00:45:49.10\00:45:50.74
1 Corinthians 13,
00:45:50.77\00:45:53.36
this is Chapter
12, sorry and verse 13.
00:45:53.39\00:45:56.81
1 Corinthians 12:13.
00:45:56.84\00:45:59.25
This is a concept
that's taught in scripture
00:45:59.28\00:46:02.58
rather than the concept
00:46:02.61\00:46:03.71
this is the truth
that's taught in scripture
00:46:03.74\00:46:05.70
that's not often
talked about very, very much.
00:46:05.73\00:46:08.83
1 Corinthians 12:12.
00:46:08.86\00:46:11.37
It says, the Bible
says, "For as the body is one
00:46:11.40\00:46:16.24
and has many members,
00:46:16.27\00:46:19.70
but all the members of
that one body, being many,
00:46:19.73\00:46:23.59
are one body,
so also is Christ."
00:46:23.62\00:46:27.12
And then verse 13.
00:46:27.15\00:46:28.42
"For by one Spirit we
were all baptized into--"
00:46:28.45\00:46:32.63
how many? "One body.
00:46:32.66\00:46:35.50
"Whether Jews or
Greeks, whether slaves or free
00:46:35.53\00:46:38.70
and have all been made
to drink into one Spirit.
00:46:38.73\00:46:43.74
For in fact the body is
not one member but many."
00:46:43.77\00:46:48.52
So when you think about the body
00:46:48.55\00:46:49.96
we have all been
given the privilege
00:46:49.99\00:46:51.64
to be part to this
body but we're many members.
00:46:51.67\00:46:55.13
And that's the thing
that people often say.
00:46:55.16\00:46:56.52
You know, they would say,
00:46:56.55\00:46:57.59
"if I don't join your church
I don't have any problems."
00:46:57.62\00:47:00.37
You know the
friends, the reality of it is
00:47:00.40\00:47:01.55
is the only perfect
church is an empty church.
00:47:01.58\00:47:03.47
There is no
problem with the building
00:47:03.50\00:47:04.86
it's the people on the side.
00:47:04.89\00:47:06.56
You see, somebody often said
00:47:06.59\00:47:07.79
the church is the
hospital for sinners.
00:47:07.82\00:47:10.08
Well, I often
sometimes refer to it
00:47:10.11\00:47:11.78
is an asylum for crazy people.
00:47:11.81\00:47:15.07
Because you will be
faced with challenges
00:47:15.10\00:47:17.74
but that's where
the Lord wants to be.
00:47:17.77\00:47:19.58
And how will you grow unless
you're placed in the position
00:47:19.61\00:47:23.74
where you must grow
against the challenges.
00:47:23.77\00:47:27.15
You must grow in
the face of the things
00:47:27.18\00:47:29.49
that test your Christianity.
00:47:29.52\00:47:31.72
Someone said,
trials are God's workmen
00:47:31.75\00:47:35.51
that grow us
spiritually. That's right.
00:47:35.54\00:47:37.54
The challenges of life.
That's the way God grows us.
00:47:37.57\00:47:40.33
You know, John, when I
joined a new church as a pastor.
00:47:40.36\00:47:47.04
It was on the hills--
about a year before that
00:47:47.07\00:47:50.11
they had an evangelistic series
00:47:50.14\00:47:51.58
and they baptized
quite a few actually.
00:47:51.61\00:47:53.17
I think they
baptized around 35. Wow.
00:47:53.20\00:47:56.08
Which was a large number
for the size of this church.
00:47:56.11\00:47:59.25
And one of the
things that I heard
00:47:59.28\00:48:01.53
after coming in from
couple of the elders there
00:48:01.56\00:48:05.47
was that after the baptism
and several of the members
00:48:05.50\00:48:13.47
or the new members
of church weren't there.
00:48:13.50\00:48:15.72
They didn't come to church.
00:48:15.75\00:48:17.94
And they wondered what
in the world is going on
00:48:17.97\00:48:20.43
so they went out to
meet each one of them
00:48:20.46\00:48:22.55
to make sure they followed up
00:48:22.58\00:48:23.62
and begin to nurture
them as well in faith.
00:48:23.65\00:48:26.59
And these individuals
had, some of them had no idea.
00:48:26.62\00:48:30.85
That they became a part
00:48:30.88\00:48:31.92
of the
Seventh-day Adventist church.
00:48:31.95\00:48:34.10
They didn't know that. Wow.
00:48:34.13\00:48:37.13
So even the baptism occurred.
00:48:37.16\00:48:39.26
Apparently,
something within that,
00:48:39.29\00:48:41.89
there was a disconnect somewhere
00:48:41.92\00:48:43.66
where didn't really
conceive and realized
00:48:43.69\00:48:45.99
they became part of Christ
body the church. That's right.
00:48:46.02\00:48:50.37
And we need to be very clear
that we're spelling that out.
00:48:50.40\00:48:53.01
As pastors letting people know
00:48:53.04\00:48:55.07
listen, when
you're being baptized
00:48:55.10\00:48:56.21
you're being baptized as
a member of God's church.
00:48:56.24\00:48:58.57
You're connected now
00:48:58.60\00:48:59.79
with your brothers
and sisters in Christ.
00:48:59.82\00:49:02.42
And you know,
just like any family
00:49:02.45\00:49:06.28
we often fight
more within our families
00:49:06.31\00:49:07.94
than we do with
our friends, right.
00:49:07.97\00:49:09.67
So as the church
which is your family
00:49:09.70\00:49:11.95
and there's gonna be arguments,
there's gonna be fights,
00:49:11.98\00:49:13.57
there's gonna be challenges.
00:49:13.60\00:49:15.56
But yet God has called us
to be one and to work together
00:49:15.59\00:49:17.92
and to love each other
00:49:17.95\00:49:19.00
and have
compassion upon each other.
00:49:19.03\00:49:21.98
You know, may be in the
last few minutes here, John,
00:49:22.01\00:49:23.99
there is a few
questions that are out there
00:49:24.02\00:49:26.92
that linger from in
regard to baptism. Okay.
00:49:26.95\00:49:30.36
One of them I know
00:49:30.39\00:49:31.59
and may be I will throw
this question out to you
00:49:31.62\00:49:33.28
and you can you know, take
us on a role to answering its.
00:49:33.31\00:49:38.01
If you weren't actually baptized
is it then, does it means
00:49:38.04\00:49:43.38
that you
absolutely are not saved?
00:49:43.41\00:49:46.88
In other words,
if you are baptized
00:49:46.91\00:49:49.12
are you saying
that I cannot be saved?
00:49:49.15\00:49:51.53
Well, how do we
respond to that question?
00:49:51.56\00:49:53.24
Well, you know, the whole
point of the baptism of Christ
00:49:53.27\00:49:56.16
was significant
to, to making provision
00:49:56.19\00:49:59.22
for those who
could not be baptized.
00:49:59.25\00:50:01.65
It didn't make
sense to John at the time
00:50:01.68\00:50:03.74
but when Jesus repeated
these words and in Matthew 3.
00:50:03.77\00:50:08.11
"Permitted to be so now
for thus it is necessary
00:50:08.14\00:50:11.41
for thus it is fitting for us
to fulfill all righteousness."
00:50:11.44\00:50:18.31
Christ is our righteousness.
00:50:18.34\00:50:19.74
Jeremiah says "Christ
the Lord our righteousness."
00:50:19.77\00:50:24.36
All full cap letters.
00:50:24.39\00:50:25.99
Well they're not instances where
everybody has the opportunity
00:50:26.02\00:50:31.10
or the way with all to
make it into the baptizmo pool.
00:50:31.13\00:50:34.83
But there are some individuals
that do have that opportunity
00:50:34.86\00:50:38.78
and can say, well, I
never had that opportunity.
00:50:38.81\00:50:41.45
We've instances where people
00:50:41.48\00:50:43.91
have accepted the
Lord on their death beds
00:50:43.94\00:50:46.71
and that's why this whole thing
about imparted righteousness,
00:50:46.74\00:50:50.59
imputed righteousness.
00:50:50.62\00:50:52.45
The merits of Christ are
now applied to your account.
00:50:52.48\00:50:56.27
Your sins are forgiven,
they're applied to your account.
00:50:56.30\00:50:59.67
And the righteousness
that brings salvation
00:50:59.70\00:51:03.81
is now recognized in your life.
00:51:03.84\00:51:05.98
Now there're
instances in the Bible
00:51:06.01\00:51:07.43
one of the classic instances
is the thief on the cross.
00:51:07.46\00:51:11.24
But not everybody is
in the same position.
00:51:11.27\00:51:13.07
Not everybody has his or
her hand nailed to the cross
00:51:13.10\00:51:16.17
and say, "Well I
can't come down so I guess,
00:51:16.20\00:51:18.54
I guess it's too late for me."
00:51:18.57\00:51:20.43
He confessed the
Lord Jesus with his mouth.
00:51:20.46\00:51:22.76
He believed in his heart.
00:51:22.79\00:51:24.41
And as the Bible
says, "If you confess
00:51:24.44\00:51:26.36
the Lord Jesus with your mouth
and believe in your heart."
00:51:26.39\00:51:28.84
You know I heard this
very, very moving story,
00:51:28.87\00:51:30.93
somebody was
telling me, I can't tell,
00:51:30.96\00:51:32.60
I can't tell you the
contemporary setting.
00:51:32.63\00:51:35.49
I mean I won't tell
you the setting on the air
00:51:35.52\00:51:37.57
because it could endanger those
00:51:37.60\00:51:40.17
who are the part
of the this community.
00:51:40.20\00:51:42.50
But, in the particular
country around the world
00:51:42.53\00:51:44.59
where baptism of
Christianity is prohibited.
00:51:44.62\00:51:48.46
One of the
Christians that were there
00:51:48.49\00:51:50.40
an evangelist was there.
00:51:50.43\00:51:51.96
And he was approached
by gentlemen that was--
00:51:51.99\00:51:54.60
And I'm going to be
vague in my description.
00:51:54.63\00:51:56.55
He was approached by gentlemen
that in his religious community
00:51:56.58\00:52:00.43
was known to be of
such strong position
00:52:00.46\00:52:05.86
that he had the authority
00:52:05.89\00:52:07.52
to persecute and
to kill a Christian.
00:52:07.55\00:52:09.93
Because it was
frankly against the law
00:52:09.96\00:52:12.30
for Christians to
proselytize convert
00:52:12.33\00:52:16.08
and to baptize was the ultimate.
00:52:16.11\00:52:19.14
The ultimate act of betrayal.
00:52:19.17\00:52:20.92
So this person walked up to
this Christian or evangelist
00:52:20.95\00:52:24.53
and said come, come
with me I want to show you--
00:52:24.56\00:52:27.89
I want you to go
with me somewhere.
00:52:27.92\00:52:29.20
So he took him to this
building very large building.
00:52:29.23\00:52:31.82
And he discloses his identity
00:52:31.85\00:52:34.24
and the Christian who
told me the story said,
00:52:34.27\00:52:35.82
I knew right then
and there I was dead.
00:52:35.85\00:52:39.11
Because, this
person in that society
00:52:39.14\00:52:40.75
had the right to carry
out that kind of execution
00:52:40.78\00:52:43.02
or carry me
before the authorities
00:52:43.05\00:52:45.03
and surely my end
result would have been
00:52:45.06\00:52:46.85
not to in prison but death.
00:52:46.88\00:52:48.96
Because I did the
cardinal thing that they--
00:52:48.99\00:52:51.84
that you cannot
do in that society.
00:52:51.87\00:52:54.27
So he said I knew I was dead.
00:52:54.30\00:52:56.25
So he said immediately I
began to speak a little fast
00:52:56.28\00:52:59.63
because I knew I
don't have much time.
00:52:59.66\00:53:01.98
And then the guy stopped him
00:53:02.01\00:53:03.10
in the midst of the conversation
and he says, come with me.
00:53:03.13\00:53:05.78
And he took him even further
deeper into this building
00:53:05.81\00:53:08.34
into a room where
they were 20 other men.
00:53:08.37\00:53:11.76
And they identified what
religion they were a part of.
00:53:11.79\00:53:14.83
And he says, they said,
we want you to baptize us.
00:53:14.86\00:53:20.34
We can't let this
be known publicly.
00:53:20.37\00:53:22.93
They had the
baptizmo pool already set.
00:53:22.96\00:53:26.23
And all 20 of these
men that where identified
00:53:26.26\00:53:28.74
and there culture to be
members of a different sect
00:53:28.77\00:53:32.16
a different religion said we--
00:53:32.19\00:53:34.10
and he said, but I
must study with you.
00:53:34.13\00:53:36.29
And they said, oh, no, oh no.
00:53:36.32\00:53:38.79
You don't have to
study with us, we are ready.
00:53:38.82\00:53:40.55
The man in white has
visited us for months
00:53:40.58\00:53:43.54
and we have studied, we know.
00:53:43.57\00:53:45.52
And the pastor for two
days he stayed with them
00:53:45.55\00:53:49.44
and reviewed and to his surprise
they understood everything
00:53:49.47\00:53:54.92
about the
Seventh-day Adventist message
00:53:54.95\00:53:57.86
and they went forth baptizing
21 men in that country.
00:53:57.89\00:54:01.70
Now I can't
tell you where it is.
00:54:01.73\00:54:03.13
I'm doing that vaguely.
00:54:03.16\00:54:04.31
But this was a true story.
00:54:04.34\00:54:06.11
I know of the individual to
whom this actually had occurred.
00:54:06.14\00:54:10.07
And they said but now
what they are hearing is
00:54:10.10\00:54:13.01
as they go around
different parts of the world
00:54:13.04\00:54:14.82
in cultures where it's
against the law to do this.
00:54:14.85\00:54:18.87
People are
saying the man in white,
00:54:18.90\00:54:21.35
or the men in white taught us.
00:54:21.38\00:54:24.03
Who were those? Angels.
00:54:24.06\00:54:26.33
Just like the bibles
says in the Book of Acts.
00:54:26.36\00:54:28.12
Two men stood by
in white appearel
00:54:28.15\00:54:30.10
and said to the disciples,
00:54:30.13\00:54:31.16
while stand ye
gazing into heaven.
00:54:31.19\00:54:32.92
So the angels of God
are getting people ready
00:54:32.95\00:54:34.99
in all cultures
and all societies.
00:54:35.02\00:54:36.81
And what we are seeing here
00:54:36.84\00:54:38.71
according to the topic
is they're being baptized.
00:54:38.74\00:54:42.21
But if you're part of a culture
where it is so prohibited
00:54:42.24\00:54:44.93
that your life maybe on the
line the righteousness of Christ
00:54:44.96\00:54:49.26
has been imparted to you
and will be acceptable by Him.
00:54:49.29\00:54:52.33
Even His-- through His baptism.
00:54:52.36\00:54:54.20
Through his-- that's what
00:54:54.23\00:54:55.40
His baptism
provides the righteousness.
00:54:55.43\00:54:57.65
So if someone is kind of
making excuse not be baptized.
00:54:57.68\00:55:01.02
That's this is not
giving them license to just say
00:55:01.05\00:55:03.95
they are not gonna be baptized
00:55:03.98\00:55:05.01
but there is any
opportunity at all
00:55:05.04\00:55:07.11
follow the command of Christ,
00:55:07.14\00:55:08.75
follow the
command of the disciples.
00:55:08.78\00:55:10.00
The word of God it
says, believe and be baptized.
00:55:10.03\00:55:13.67
But if you just cannot do
that under any circumstances.
00:55:13.70\00:55:16.78
You're in bad
and you've got cancer
00:55:16.81\00:55:20.20
and you cannot be
moved out into baptism tank.
00:55:20.23\00:55:23.50
Trust the Lord is
your baptism as well
00:55:23.53\00:55:27.01
As your righteousness and
that's an important thing.
00:55:27.04\00:55:30.49
Because these
subjects come up all the time.
00:55:30.52\00:55:32.64
You know, these technicalities
that people want talk about
00:55:32.67\00:55:35.15
and I think we
cover that pretty well.
00:55:35.18\00:55:38.21
There was a young man
00:55:38.24\00:55:39.27
and Mark Finley
talks about this young man
00:55:39.30\00:55:41.79
one of the
eastern block nations.
00:55:41.82\00:55:43.60
His body had wasted away
from whatever the disease
00:55:43.63\00:55:46.66
that was eating him up
00:55:46.69\00:55:48.89
and he had been
almost flesh and bones
00:55:48.92\00:55:52.79
from just this terrible disease.
00:55:52.82\00:55:55.70
And when Pastor Mark
Finley went to visit him
00:55:55.73\00:55:57.77
he went to visit him his home.
00:55:57.80\00:55:59.45
And this young man
said, I wanted to be baptized.
00:55:59.48\00:56:02.49
He said, but you
can't we cannot--
00:56:02.52\00:56:07.24
I mean, this is
physically impossible
00:56:07.27\00:56:08.33
for us to get you from to--
00:56:08.36\00:56:09.81
I mean, you just had the point.
00:56:09.84\00:56:10.87
You're on your death bed.
00:56:10.90\00:56:12.69
And this young man insisted
00:56:12.72\00:56:14.32
through the
weakness of his breath
00:56:14.35\00:56:15.62
he said, please
baptize me. Baptize me.
00:56:15.65\00:56:18.29
I want to be
baptized. Please baptize me.
00:56:18.32\00:56:20.95
How do you say no to dying man?
00:56:20.98\00:56:23.05
You know what they did.
00:56:23.08\00:56:24.15
They filled the tub--they
filled bath tub in his house.
00:56:24.18\00:56:27.15
And Pastor Mark
Finley has this story,
00:56:27.18\00:56:28.94
he picked this young
man up very easy to carry,
00:56:28.97\00:56:31.15
because he had
been so emaciated.
00:56:31.18\00:56:33.08
And baptize him,
Mark knelled down,
00:56:33.11\00:56:35.72
lowered him down into the tub
00:56:35.75\00:56:37.39
and baptized him into his home.
00:56:37.42\00:56:39.44
The day later
that young man died.
00:56:39.47\00:56:42.01
His greatest desire.
00:56:42.04\00:56:43.10
So if a man at that point in
his life wants to be baptized
00:56:43.13\00:56:46.16
and makes every provision for
his heart to be given to Christ.
00:56:46.19\00:56:48.61
We should not--
00:56:48.64\00:56:49.67
And it sounds like it
was his greatest joy as well.
00:56:49.70\00:56:52.01
He wanted to do that.
00:56:52.04\00:56:53.07
The other thing too I'm
just gonna mention really quick
00:56:53.10\00:56:54.47
because we are closing is
00:56:54.50\00:56:56.04
baptism isn't
something that just--
00:56:56.07\00:56:58.33
that needs to happen
all the time. That's right
00:56:58.36\00:57:00.25
There is an ordinance
that Christ instituted
00:57:00.28\00:57:02.90
which is the
ordinance of humility,
00:57:02.93\00:57:04.48
the foot washing
service which is meant to recall
00:57:04.51\00:57:07.41
our minds back
to the original oath
00:57:07.44\00:57:08.93
we gave to Him through baptism.
00:57:08.96\00:57:10.86
And so when we come to the
Lord and wash each other feet,
00:57:10.89\00:57:13.73
we are--well, basically
giving out that oath again.
00:57:13.76\00:57:18.33
Saying, I commit myself,
recommit my self to Jesus.
00:57:18.36\00:57:21.10
So what a beautiful picture too.
00:57:21.13\00:57:22.36
That's right so
friends, praise the Lord that,
00:57:22.39\00:57:24.09
we are all
desiring to follow Christ.
00:57:24.12\00:57:25.95
If you make that
decision to follow Christ
00:57:25.98\00:57:27.87
you will discover in eternity
00:57:27.90\00:57:29.61
it's the best
decision you have ever made.
00:57:29.64\00:57:31.85
Decide to make
that decision today.
00:57:31.88\00:57:34.01
God bless you.
00:57:34.04\00:57:35.43