Hello, my name is Frank Fournier 00:00:01.06\00:00:03.14 and I want to welcome you to Heaven's point of View. 00:00:03.17\00:00:07.67 We're studying the Parable of the Prodigal Son, 00:00:07.70\00:00:09.57 I'm grateful you're here. 00:00:09.60\00:00:10.88 I would like to invite you to get your Bible 00:00:10.91\00:00:12.49 come and join us; we're having a good time. 00:00:12.52\00:00:15.24 Welcome back. 00:00:44.53\00:00:45.77 We're studying the Parable of the Prodigal Son. 00:00:45.80\00:00:47.78 I would like to invite you to turn with me to Luke 15. 00:00:47.81\00:00:51.82 We're going to be looking at verse 21 now in Luke 15. 00:00:51.85\00:00:58.41 "And the son said to his father," 00:00:58.44\00:01:00.00 this is after he comes home. 00:01:00.03\00:01:02.00 He says to his father, "I have sinned against heaven, 00:01:02.03\00:01:05.75 and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called your son." 00:01:05.78\00:01:12.10 So what's he doing here? Why he is confessing? 00:01:12.13\00:01:15.32 If you remember in our last study, 00:01:15.35\00:01:17.19 I said that there were three steps to salvation 00:01:17.22\00:01:19.66 in so far as the Prodigal son is concerned 00:01:19.69\00:01:21.71 the three C's to salvation. 00:01:21.74\00:01:23.73 Come to your senses, 00:01:23.76\00:01:25.15 come to your God and confess your sins. 00:01:25.18\00:01:28.14 Now friends, is God being reasonable here? 00:01:28.17\00:01:30.83 Is he asking too much? 00:01:30.86\00:01:32.61 Oh no, no there isn't anyone that cannot do this supposing 00:01:32.64\00:01:36.79 that they are paralyzed from the neck down 00:01:36.82\00:01:39.64 because all the action happens in the deep recesses 00:01:39.67\00:01:42.89 of your own personal heart. 00:01:42.92\00:01:44.82 God is not asking us to do penance, 00:01:44.85\00:01:47.19 he is not asking us to make a pilgrimage, 00:01:47.22\00:01:49.49 not to roam or to make, 00:01:49.52\00:01:51.31 he is not asking us to pay money, 00:01:51.34\00:01:52.94 he is not asking us to work hard. 00:01:52.97\00:01:55.72 Have you done it? 00:01:55.75\00:01:56.86 Oh, friends, I hope that you have done it. 00:01:56.89\00:02:00.12 And if you've done it, if you come to your senses, 00:02:00.15\00:02:02.60 come to your God and confessed your sins, 00:02:02.63\00:02:04.63 what do you know? 00:02:04.66\00:02:05.95 Well, look at verse 22, 00:02:05.98\00:02:07.67 we're in Luke Chapter 15 and verse 22. 00:02:07.70\00:02:11.21 "But the father said to his servants," 00:02:11.24\00:02:13.12 which I think represents the angels. 00:02:13.15\00:02:15.35 "The father says to his servants, 00:02:15.38\00:02:18.26 bring forth the best robe and put it on him." 00:02:18.29\00:02:21.82 Now what does the best robe represent? 00:02:21.85\00:02:24.11 Why friends it represents 00:02:24.14\00:02:25.82 the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 00:02:25.85\00:02:28.98 The Prodigal son disrobed when he was confessing his sins, 00:02:29.01\00:02:32.59 he was taking off his filthy garments. 00:02:32.62\00:02:34.89 He was giving them to Jesus 00:02:34.92\00:02:36.72 and Jesus would go to the cross with his sins 00:02:36.75\00:02:39.63 and return and in return he gives him 00:02:39.66\00:02:43.05 his own righteousness, 00:02:43.08\00:02:44.42 the robe of Christ's righteousness. 00:02:44.45\00:02:46.05 What a plan that is, 00:02:46.08\00:02:47.52 what a blessing that is to all of us. 00:02:47.55\00:02:50.58 Now if I have you turn with me to 1 John 9. 00:02:50.61\00:02:54.64 We're looking at this, this concept of forgiveness now 00:02:54.67\00:03:00.05 and I'm sure you all understand this, 00:03:00.08\00:03:04.31 what I'm going to read. 00:03:04.34\00:03:05.65 1 John and this is Chapter 1 verse 9 00:03:05.68\00:03:09.53 I think I made a mistake while ago in saying 00:03:09.56\00:03:11.44 1 John Chapter 9 but no, it's 1 John 1:9. 00:03:11.47\00:03:16.75 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful in just 00:03:16.78\00:03:20.70 to forgive us ours sins, 00:03:20.73\00:03:22.63 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 00:03:22.66\00:03:26.75 What a promise that is. 00:03:26.78\00:03:28.81 It's just so simple, 00:03:28.84\00:03:30.19 always not always easy to confess our sins. 00:03:30.22\00:03:32.87 I've had struggled sometimes 00:03:32.90\00:03:34.36 when I've done something against someone else 00:03:34.39\00:03:36.83 and I've had to go over there and humble my heart 00:03:36.86\00:03:39.08 and confess what I had done wrong. 00:03:39.11\00:03:41.07 That's not so easy. 00:03:41.10\00:03:43.80 But in the big scheme of things, 00:03:43.83\00:03:45.99 when you think of eternity 00:03:46.02\00:03:47.52 if this is all that God is asking for, 00:03:47.55\00:03:49.63 then don't you think we ought to do it. 00:03:49.66\00:03:52.47 Do you remember Martin Luther? 00:03:52.50\00:03:54.29 Did you know that Martin Luther was obsessed with salvation? 00:03:54.32\00:03:58.28 Oh, yes he was. 00:03:58.31\00:04:00.02 When Martin Luther was just a little boy, 00:04:00.05\00:04:02.88 he wanted to be saved 00:04:02.91\00:04:04.89 but his theology being just a little boy 00:04:04.92\00:04:07.82 and growing up in the Catholic Church, 00:04:07.85\00:04:09.59 I would say his theology was very logical 00:04:09.62\00:04:12.71 and he was a logical thinker and so his idea was, 00:04:12.74\00:04:17.02 that if sin is the problem 00:04:17.05\00:04:18.90 then all I have to do is get rid of sin 00:04:18.93\00:04:21.11 and I will have salvation. 00:04:21.14\00:04:22.86 Well, if you are of age at all, 00:04:22.89\00:04:24.27 you know how impossible that is, 00:04:24.30\00:04:26.38 it's true that sin is the problem 00:04:26.41\00:04:28.52 but trying to keep from sinning 00:04:28.55\00:04:31.11 when you have a sinful nature is one difficult chore. 00:04:31.14\00:04:34.61 And so Martin Luther tried and tried and tried 00:04:34.64\00:04:37.36 to quit sinning in order that he might be saved 00:04:37.39\00:04:40.32 but he could never do it, he just couldn't do it. 00:04:40.35\00:04:43.59 Well, he grew up to be a teenager 00:04:43.62\00:04:45.35 and as a teenager his father recognized 00:04:45.38\00:04:47.45 how intelligent this young man was. 00:04:47.48\00:04:49.35 He sent him to a university 00:04:49.38\00:04:50.99 so that he could become a lawyer. 00:04:51.02\00:04:53.06 Martin Luther had the ability, 00:04:53.09\00:04:54.64 he had the intelligence to be a lawyer. 00:04:54.67\00:04:57.46 But he had this obsession he still wanted to be saved. 00:04:57.49\00:05:01.43 One day he decided that he had solved the problem, 00:05:01.46\00:05:03.93 he knew what to do, so he threw a party, 00:05:03.96\00:05:06.47 he drew all his friends to this party, 00:05:06.50\00:05:08.41 gave away all his gifts and after the party 00:05:08.44\00:05:10.87 he made his way to the nearest monastery 00:05:10.90\00:05:13.38 and there he said to the people 00:05:13.41\00:05:15.07 while after he knocked on the door, 00:05:15.10\00:05:16.67 my name is Martin Luther and I'm here to become a Monk. 00:05:16.70\00:05:20.37 He thought he had solved the sin problem 00:05:20.40\00:05:22.61 because he felt these men in there, 00:05:22.64\00:05:24.67 these monks in those monasteries in there, 00:05:24.70\00:05:27.99 all they did was pray all day long 00:05:28.02\00:05:29.79 and if they prayed all day long then surely they would not sin. 00:05:29.82\00:05:34.72 But let me tell you something, 00:05:34.75\00:05:36.34 sin is not a matter of circumstance. 00:05:36.37\00:05:38.25 Sin is a matter of nature 00:05:38.28\00:05:40.32 and Martin Luther was born with a carnal nature 00:05:40.35\00:05:42.76 and even in a monastery he found himself sinning, 00:05:42.79\00:05:46.39 how frustrating that was. 00:05:46.42\00:05:48.12 So he began a regiment of flagellation, 00:05:48.15\00:05:51.44 he began fasting. 00:05:51.47\00:05:52.91 He entered upon a discipline-- 00:05:52.94\00:05:54.99 a religious discipline which would've killed anyone. 00:05:55.02\00:05:57.45 And well, that's almost what happened, 00:05:57.48\00:05:59.43 Martin Luther became very, very sick in his early twenties 00:05:59.46\00:06:02.74 as the matter of fact he was on his sick bed. 00:06:02.77\00:06:06.17 Now an older monk heard-- 00:06:06.20\00:06:07.51 was going on with Martin Luther 00:06:07.54\00:06:09.15 came from another monastery 00:06:09.18\00:06:10.59 just for the purpose of helping this young man. 00:06:10.62\00:06:13.71 He found Martin Luther in his little cell on a cot 00:06:13.74\00:06:16.99 and he went to visit him there and helped before his bed 00:06:17.02\00:06:19.31 or beside his bed and he said to Martin Luther, 00:06:19.34\00:06:22.33 would you recite the Lord's creed after me? 00:06:22.36\00:06:25.90 Martin Luther said, sure why not. 00:06:25.93\00:06:28.14 And so the older priest began to recite the Lords creed 00:06:28.17\00:06:31.65 and after he would say a phrase Martin Luther would repeat it, 00:06:31.68\00:06:35.00 he would say in other phrase, 00:06:35.03\00:06:36.14 Martin Luther would repeat it 00:06:36.17\00:06:37.65 until he came to the place where he said, 00:06:37.68\00:06:40.18 I believe in the forgiveness of my sins. 00:06:40.21\00:06:43.86 Martin Luther said, I believe in the forgiveness. 00:06:43.89\00:06:46.27 No, no, no, no I believe in the forgiveness of my sins. 00:06:46.30\00:06:50.19 Martin Luther said, I believe in the for, No. 00:06:50.22\00:06:52.85 I believe in the forgiveness of my sins 00:06:52.88\00:06:55.66 and he repeated it over and over 00:06:55.69\00:06:57.65 again with more and more emphasis. 00:06:57.68\00:06:59.55 I believe in the forgiveness of my sins 00:06:59.58\00:07:02.25 until the light went on in Martin Luther heads 00:07:02.28\00:07:05.32 now wait a minute, 00:07:05.35\00:07:06.74 if Jesus Christ went to the cross 00:07:06.77\00:07:08.51 with all the sins of the world 00:07:08.54\00:07:09.71 with all of my sins paid the full penalty 00:07:09.74\00:07:12.24 what in the world, should I not believe, 00:07:12.27\00:07:14.41 is it not my right, is it not even my duty 00:07:14.44\00:07:16.94 to believe on the forgiveness of my sins. 00:07:16.97\00:07:22.08 Do you know that that is true religion. 00:07:22.11\00:07:24.13 I can read it to you from the pen of Ellen White. 00:07:24.16\00:07:26.61 In 1888 materials this is what am reading 00:07:26.64\00:07:29.19 from page 4-- excuse me 948 00:07:29.22\00:07:32.24 it says "True religion, the only religion of the Bible 00:07:32.27\00:07:37.72 is believing in the forgiveness of sins, 00:07:37.75\00:07:40.64 the righteousness of Christ and the blood of the land." 00:07:40.67\00:07:45.24 Is that true? Is that what true religion is? 00:07:45.27\00:07:49.44 Well friends, it is true. 00:07:49.47\00:07:51.94 And it's that simple 00:07:51.97\00:07:53.38 and this is all that God is asking for. 00:07:53.41\00:07:55.76 God has through his son gone to the cross 00:07:55.79\00:07:58.91 and paid the full penalty. 00:07:58.94\00:08:00.38 And he asks us to come to our senses 00:08:00.41\00:08:02.18 about our relationship to Him. 00:08:02.21\00:08:03.82 He asks us to come to Him, 00:08:03.85\00:08:05.27 who alone can help us and he says 00:08:05.30\00:08:07.39 there confess your sins, 00:08:07.42\00:08:09.09 this robe, put away your filthy rags. 00:08:09.12\00:08:11.18 I will give you my robe of righteousness. 00:08:11.21\00:08:14.67 You will find your way into the kingdom of heaven 00:08:14.70\00:08:16.71 with my righteousness not your own. 00:08:16.74\00:08:19.70 And so this is what Martin Luther found 00:08:19.73\00:08:21.89 and you know that Martin Luther began a reformation 00:08:21.92\00:08:24.75 that turned the world upside down 00:08:24.78\00:08:26.53 and defeated one of the greatest churches 00:08:26.56\00:08:29.56 that this world has ever seen. 00:08:29.59\00:08:31.11 It's amazing but that's what it is. 00:08:31.14\00:08:33.10 Now there may be someone who would like to say but, 00:08:33.13\00:08:35.59 you don't know how sinful I'm. 00:08:35.62\00:08:37.61 Well friends, I don't have time today 00:08:37.64\00:08:39.34 but I could point you back to a king, 00:08:39.37\00:08:41.44 king David who at one point 00:08:41.47\00:08:44.01 decide by looking over his balcony 00:08:44.04\00:08:46.55 and seeing a lady there are taking a bath, 00:08:46.58\00:08:49.86 by the way her name was Beth Sheba, 00:08:49.89\00:08:51.97 I don't know how that happens. 00:08:52.00\00:08:53.17 In any case it did he had this lady come up, 00:08:53.20\00:08:56.71 I don't know what it says, 00:08:56.74\00:08:58.02 but finally a month or so later he received the letter saying, 00:08:58.05\00:09:01.14 I am pregnant and king David said 00:09:01.17\00:09:04.88 oh, bummer yeah and you know what he did, 00:09:04.91\00:09:08.90 he had her husband come 00:09:08.93\00:09:10.83 and finally he had her husband killed. 00:09:10.86\00:09:14.58 Yeah, how bad is that. 00:09:14.61\00:09:16.60 What kind of confession did king David give? 00:09:16.63\00:09:20.62 Do you know? 00:09:20.65\00:09:21.68 I would like to have you see this, 00:09:21.71\00:09:23.24 this is second Samuel Chapter 12, 00:09:23.27\00:09:25.64 go with me to 2 Samuel Chapter 12. 00:09:25.67\00:09:29.03 I want you to look at David's confession 00:09:29.06\00:09:32.78 in 2 Samuel Chapter 12. 00:09:32.81\00:09:37.34 By the way he had sent a prophet to help David, he really did. 00:09:37.37\00:09:42.01 The Prophet tell-- told the little parable 00:09:42.04\00:09:44.02 and David found himself with the back against the wall. 00:09:44.05\00:09:46.39 I wanted you to hear just the words 00:09:46.42\00:09:48.11 as they come from God. 00:09:48.14\00:09:49.36 This is verse 7 and verse 8. 00:09:49.39\00:09:53.44 "And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man." 00:09:53.47\00:09:57.05 Watch what God says now. 00:09:57.08\00:09:58.83 "Thus salth the Lord God of Israel, 00:09:58.86\00:10:00.83 I anointed thee king over Israel, 00:10:00.86\00:10:02.77 and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul, 00:10:02.80\00:10:05.01 I gave you your master's house 00:10:05.04\00:10:07.55 and you master's wives into your bosom, 00:10:07.58\00:10:09.44 I gave you the house of Israel in Judah 00:10:09.47\00:10:11.79 and if that had been too little, 00:10:11.82\00:10:14.56 I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things." 00:10:14.59\00:10:18.39 And this is what God is saying to the whole world. 00:10:18.42\00:10:20.63 Listen what do you want? 00:10:20.66\00:10:22.28 I will give it to you with my son 00:10:22.31\00:10:24.01 I shall freely give you all things, what do you want? 00:10:24.04\00:10:26.82 Only don't sin. 00:10:26.85\00:10:28.92 Don't go hurt another people, don't go dishonoring my name, 00:10:28.95\00:10:32.45 don't go disgracing yourself. 00:10:32.48\00:10:34.37 I can be a blessing to you, what do you want, 00:10:34.40\00:10:37.04 I will give it to you and I tell you what, 00:10:37.07\00:10:39.69 who had been given more than king David? 00:10:39.72\00:10:41.83 You know he came out of the, he was a hurt boy, 00:10:41.86\00:10:45.48 he was hurting sheep all his life 00:10:45.51\00:10:48.19 and now he was king and he had all of these things 00:10:48.22\00:10:51.07 and how much God had blessed him. 00:10:51.10\00:10:53.30 Now I want you to notice his confession. 00:10:53.33\00:10:55.27 We're looking at verse 13 now, 00:10:55.30\00:10:57.46 we're in 2 Samuel Chapter 12. 00:10:57.49\00:11:00.57 "And David said to Nathan, 00:11:00.60\00:11:02.14 I have sinned against the Lord." 00:11:02.17\00:11:03.82 Well, by the way that was his confession. 00:11:03.85\00:11:05.90 Six words "I have sinned against the Lord." 00:11:05.93\00:11:09.17 And do you know what Nathan said, 00:11:09.20\00:11:10.37 do you know what God said through Nathan? 00:11:10.40\00:11:13.90 "Unto David, the Lord also has put away your sins, 00:11:13.93\00:11:17.24 you will not die." 00:11:17.27\00:11:19.93 Isn't that amazing? 00:11:19.96\00:11:22.70 Yeah, six words that was his confession. 00:11:22.73\00:11:26.44 It's amazing, and God said you will not now die now. 00:11:26.47\00:11:30.30 Friends, it's not as if he didn't, 00:11:30.33\00:11:32.00 there were no consequences, let me tell you 00:11:32.03\00:11:34.31 because when Nathan gave a little parable to David, 00:11:34.34\00:11:38.05 David said that man in the parable, 00:11:38.08\00:11:40.52 he shall pay for fault. 00:11:40.55\00:11:42.44 And God said, that's good, that's good. 00:11:42.47\00:11:45.00 You know, you're pronouncing a sentence against yourself 00:11:45.03\00:11:48.06 and do you know the kind David lost four sons 00:11:48.09\00:11:50.71 because of the sin that he had committed. 00:11:50.74\00:11:52.53 So it was not without consequences, 00:11:52.56\00:11:55.54 but he was forgiven. 00:11:55.57\00:11:58.24 If we confess our sins, 00:11:58.27\00:11:59.97 He is faithful in just to forgive us our sins 00:12:00.00\00:12:02.77 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 00:12:02.80\00:12:06.67 What a blessing this business of confession is. 00:12:06.70\00:12:09.47 Now I would like to have you turn with me 00:12:09.50\00:12:11.81 to John Chapter 8, turn with me to John Chapter 8. 00:12:11.84\00:12:17.61 We're going to find a real blessing here, 00:12:17.64\00:12:19.24 there's a story in the book of John Chapter 8 00:12:19.27\00:12:22.37 as a matter of fact there is a huge surprise in it 00:12:22.40\00:12:24.65 and even though even as I share with you 00:12:24.68\00:12:27.17 what I'm going to share, you might wonder at my theology. 00:12:27.20\00:12:31.19 Well, hold your tomatoes 00:12:31.22\00:12:33.02 because I hope to redeem myself before the thing is over. 00:12:33.05\00:12:36.71 So at the beginning it might sound a little weird 00:12:36.74\00:12:39.90 my theology that is, but by the time it's over, 00:12:39.93\00:12:43.48 I believe with all my heart, 00:12:43.51\00:12:44.58 I will have redeemed myself, okay. 00:12:44.61\00:12:48.25 In John Chapter 8, a group of Pharisees, 00:12:48.28\00:12:51.52 by the way this is a group of pastors. 00:12:51.55\00:12:54.19 They get together and they decide 00:12:54.22\00:12:55.58 they want to trap Jesus. 00:12:55.61\00:12:57.43 In order to trap Jesus, 00:12:57.46\00:12:59.03 they have to choose one among themselves 00:12:59.06\00:13:01.90 to commit adultery with a harlot. 00:13:01.93\00:13:03.77 Isn't that wonderful a group of pastors getting together 00:13:03.80\00:13:06.82 and choosing one to commit adultery? 00:13:06.85\00:13:08.84 Well, I don't know I hope our pastors today, 00:13:08.87\00:13:11.60 don't do such things 00:13:11.63\00:13:12.94 but somehow it didn't seem to be wrong to them at that time. 00:13:12.97\00:13:16.56 So they actually caught the man and the harlot in the very act. 00:13:16.59\00:13:21.90 If you look at verse 4, we are in John Chapter 8 00:13:21.93\00:13:24.60 we're looking at verse 4. 00:13:24.63\00:13:27.04 "They say unto him Master, 00:13:27.07\00:13:28.73 this woman was taken in adultery in the very act." 00:13:28.76\00:13:31.78 They had dragged this woman over to Jesus 00:13:31.81\00:13:34.88 and then they put her before Jesus 00:13:34.91\00:13:36.90 and they said to Jesus the Bible says, 00:13:36.93\00:13:38.96 that if a woman is caught in adultery 00:13:38.99\00:13:40.65 she should be stoned, what do you say? 00:13:40.68\00:13:42.75 And then they said, this woman, 00:13:42.78\00:13:44.42 she was caught in the very act of adultery, 00:13:44.45\00:13:47.03 what could He say. 00:13:47.06\00:13:50.77 Well, you know what He said, 00:13:50.80\00:13:52.66 do you remember what He said? 00:13:52.69\00:13:54.29 Do you know that they could not have trapped Him, 00:13:54.32\00:13:56.68 He could have gotten out of it on the technicality. 00:13:56.71\00:13:58.95 He could have said where is her husband? 00:13:58.98\00:14:01.44 Doesn't the Bible say that the husband is supposed 00:14:01.47\00:14:03.47 to bring his wife before the judge? 00:14:03.50\00:14:05.90 And where is the other man, 00:14:05.93\00:14:07.54 the one who committed adultery with her? 00:14:07.57\00:14:09.32 Doesn't the Bible say, 00:14:09.35\00:14:10.38 that the both should be brought to the judge? 00:14:10.41\00:14:12.47 And so by those technicalities He might of, 00:14:12.50\00:14:14.61 He might have gotten out of it. 00:14:14.64\00:14:15.98 How about friends, he didn't use the technicality, 00:14:16.01\00:14:18.77 you remember what He said? 00:14:18.80\00:14:20.35 He bent over and He began to write in the dust, 00:14:20.38\00:14:22.82 whether it was on marble floors 00:14:22.85\00:14:24.65 or whether it was in dust I don't know, 00:14:24.68\00:14:26.59 but He was writing in the dust, 00:14:26.62\00:14:27.72 then He stood up and He says, 00:14:27.75\00:14:29.34 those of you who have never commuted sin, 00:14:29.37\00:14:31.81 I want you to catch the first stone. 00:14:31.84\00:14:34.56 Well, what was He writing the dust? 00:14:34.59\00:14:36.64 Well, it's very easy to determine 00:14:36.67\00:14:38.25 what He was writing in the dust, 00:14:38.28\00:14:39.71 He was writing their sins because as we follow the test, 00:14:39.74\00:14:42.97 you find out that they left one after another 00:14:43.00\00:14:46.64 starting with the eldest the next eldest the next eldest 00:14:46.67\00:14:49.19 all the way down the line. 00:14:49.22\00:14:50.35 He knew their ages and He knew their sins 00:14:50.38\00:14:53.24 and that's what He was writing in the dust 00:14:53.27\00:14:54.89 and they became embarrassed by what they were reading 00:14:54.92\00:14:58.77 and so now we come to the part of the story 00:14:58.80\00:15:02.05 that I want to share with you. 00:15:02.08\00:15:05.00 You see the woman was still standing there 00:15:05.03\00:15:06.93 and here's what Jesus said to her, verse 10. 00:15:06.96\00:15:10.88 "When Jesus had lifted up Himself 00:15:10.91\00:15:12.61 and saw none but the woman, 00:15:12.64\00:15:14.40 He said to her, woman, where are your accusers? 00:15:14.43\00:15:17.06 Has no man condemned you? 00:15:17.09\00:15:19.18 She said, no man Lord. 00:15:19.21\00:15:20.59 And Jesus said to her, 00:15:20.62\00:15:22.06 neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more." 00:15:22.09\00:15:25.86 Now listen I have a problem here, 00:15:25.89\00:15:28.33 it's a theological problem. 00:15:28.36\00:15:30.00 How could Jesus say neither do I condemn thee, 00:15:30.03\00:15:32.68 the lady was caught in adultery, 00:15:32.71\00:15:34.30 in adultery wasn't she guilty? 00:15:34.33\00:15:37.15 Did she come there confessing her sins and repenting? 00:15:37.18\00:15:39.83 Well, you know there is no record of it in the text. 00:15:39.86\00:15:43.22 It may be that she had something in her heart 00:15:43.25\00:15:45.32 more than we understand. 00:15:45.35\00:15:46.76 But as far as we know this woman was dragged over there 00:15:46.79\00:15:49.61 and the only thing she expected was to be executed maybe. 00:15:49.64\00:15:53.49 And Jesus says to her, neither do I condemn thee. 00:15:53.52\00:15:58.67 How could he do that? 00:15:58.70\00:16:00.50 I mean how could he say that? 00:16:00.53\00:16:01.96 Do you know what the antonym of condemnation is? 00:16:01.99\00:16:05.67 Do you know that the antonym 00:16:05.70\00:16:06.73 of condemnation is, justification. 00:16:06.76\00:16:08.93 So that when Jesus was saying to this woman, 00:16:08.96\00:16:11.21 neither do I condemn thee, that was negative, 00:16:11.24\00:16:14.26 he was saying this in the negative. 00:16:14.29\00:16:15.73 Neither do I condemn thee, 00:16:15.76\00:16:17.77 do you know if he had said that in the positive, 00:16:17.80\00:16:19.68 he would have said I too justify you 00:16:19.71\00:16:23.80 because the opposite of condemnation is justification. 00:16:23.83\00:16:27.41 Actually, Jesus was giving her the gift of justification 00:16:27.44\00:16:32.30 and this woman had not come confessing 00:16:32.33\00:16:35.07 had not come repenting 00:16:35.10\00:16:37.30 and how are we supposed to relate to that. 00:16:37.33\00:16:40.86 How do you relate to that? 00:16:40.89\00:16:42.62 Well, I would like to help you with this little thing. 00:16:42.65\00:16:46.77 Let me ask you a question, 00:16:46.80\00:16:49.10 did that woman ask to born in this world? 00:16:49.13\00:16:52.53 What do you think? 00:16:52.56\00:16:53.59 If you had a choice between being born here in this world 00:16:53.62\00:16:56.88 and being born on the perfect world somewhere else, 00:16:56.91\00:16:59.01 which one would you choose? 00:16:59.04\00:17:00.30 But the problem is of course, we have no choice 00:17:00.33\00:17:02.59 this woman didn't asked to be born in this world. 00:17:02.62\00:17:05.55 So God, could God condemn her for being born here? 00:17:05.58\00:17:09.06 Why no, it's not her fault, no. 00:17:09.09\00:17:13.56 Did this woman ask to be born with the sinful nature? 00:17:13.59\00:17:17.70 If you had the choice 00:17:17.73\00:17:18.77 between a perfect nature and a sinful nature, 00:17:18.80\00:17:21.18 wouldn't you choose the perfect nature, 00:17:21.21\00:17:23.53 save yourself a whole pile of problems, 00:17:23.56\00:17:25.98 while sure but the woman didn't ask 00:17:26.01\00:17:28.22 to be born with the sinful nature. 00:17:28.25\00:17:30.02 So could God condemn her for having a sinful nature? 00:17:30.05\00:17:34.54 Why no, it wasn't her fault. But here is the punch. 00:17:34.57\00:17:40.40 What do people with sinful natures do? 00:17:40.43\00:17:43.51 Oh, they sin, is that right? 00:17:43.54\00:17:48.05 Well then can God condemn people for sinning? 00:17:48.08\00:17:50.89 Can I help you to see here 00:17:50.92\00:17:53.01 that God cannot condemn people for sinning? 00:17:53.04\00:17:56.17 That God doesn't condemn people for sinning. 00:17:56.20\00:17:59.42 Isn't that a weird theology? 00:17:59.45\00:18:01.38 How can I get away with something like that? 00:18:01.41\00:18:04.29 Well, like I said don't throw tomatoes 00:18:04.32\00:18:06.30 yet, I want you to see something 00:18:06.33\00:18:08.09 and I hope that you will understand. 00:18:08.12\00:18:11.50 Do you know that I've been to Madagascar 00:18:11.53\00:18:13.51 at least four times? 00:18:13.54\00:18:14.75 I want to tell you a story 00:18:14.78\00:18:15.92 that came out of from Madagascar. 00:18:15.95\00:18:17.49 Now I wasn't there when this story was taken place. 00:18:17.52\00:18:21.95 My business partner Kim Busso was there in Madagascar. 00:18:21.98\00:18:25.26 He had a group of Europeans with him. 00:18:25.29\00:18:27.38 And we have a project in Madagascar 00:18:27.41\00:18:29.81 and it's about an hour from the city of Tamatave. 00:18:29.84\00:18:33.40 So they had made their way to the city of Tamatave, 00:18:33.43\00:18:35.54 they were at the fruit vegetable market, 00:18:35.57\00:18:37.45 this is an outdoor market, it's mostly composed I think. 00:18:37.48\00:18:40.50 But anyways here they were in this vegetable market 00:18:40.53\00:18:44.91 they were buying fruit's and vegetables 00:18:44.94\00:18:46.64 and as they were doing this two little girls 00:18:46.67\00:18:48.70 were following them around with her hand out 00:18:48.73\00:18:51.01 they were begging of course, they were making as sad a face 00:18:51.04\00:18:54.83 as they could they were rubbing their bellies 00:18:54.86\00:18:57.03 trying to help them to see how hungry they were. 00:18:57.06\00:18:59.35 It didn't matter too much 00:18:59.38\00:19:00.49 that they were much fatter than we are. 00:19:00.52\00:19:02.08 Just the same, they were trying to show 00:19:02.11\00:19:04.01 that they were hungry. 00:19:04.04\00:19:05.07 And I know what Kim would do, 00:19:05.10\00:19:06.83 he would buy them each a hand of bananas 00:19:06.86\00:19:08.58 and he would give it to them. 00:19:08.61\00:19:09.83 They would go and stash their new found budy here 00:19:09.86\00:19:14.02 and then they would come back 00:19:14.05\00:19:15.32 and continue to follow these men around begging 00:19:15.35\00:19:17.98 for whatever it is that they might give. 00:19:18.01\00:19:20.62 Well, it just so happened that noon came around 00:19:20.65\00:19:23.22 and that noon the men decided that it was time to have lunch 00:19:23.25\00:19:26.76 but they went looking for a restaurant. 00:19:26.79\00:19:28.67 Do you know that in Madagascar at least in those days, 00:19:28.70\00:19:31.03 that's not so many years ago, 00:19:31.06\00:19:32.88 all the restaurants are closed that noon so that, 00:19:32.91\00:19:36.73 the workers in the restaurant can have lunch. 00:19:36.76\00:19:39.05 It's not exactly capitalism, is it? 00:19:39.08\00:19:42.62 But that's how it is there 00:19:42.65\00:19:43.98 and so they couldn't find a place to go for lunch. 00:19:44.01\00:19:47.47 Eventually a young man shows up 00:19:47.50\00:19:49.64 who drives a rickshaw and he says to the man, 00:19:49.67\00:19:52.98 listen I have been watching you 00:19:53.01\00:19:54.45 and I know that you're looking for a restaurant, 00:19:54.48\00:19:56.54 I know one restaurant here in Tamatave 00:19:56.57\00:19:59.01 that is open through lunch and I can bring you there. 00:19:59.04\00:20:02.07 And so they got other rickshaws to come 00:20:02.10\00:20:04.13 and to call the men to this restaurant 00:20:04.16\00:20:06.57 and they ate for one dollar all you can eat, 00:20:06.60\00:20:08.75 don't go in the kitchen everything will be fine. 00:20:08.78\00:20:10.74 You eat for one dollar, all you can eat. 00:20:10.77\00:20:12.69 And as they are going out the door, 00:20:12.72\00:20:15.10 there is a man standing there and the man says to them, 00:20:15.13\00:20:18.17 now that you satisfied your hunger, 00:20:18.20\00:20:20.70 wouldn't you like to satisfy your lusts? 00:20:20.73\00:20:23.98 Now there is no doubt in my mind 00:20:24.01\00:20:25.86 that these men looked at him 00:20:25.89\00:20:27.85 and dismissed him out of hand like, out of our lives. 00:20:27.88\00:20:30.09 We don't need anything like this, you're out of here. 00:20:30.12\00:20:32.36 Oh, no, no he says 00:20:32.39\00:20:33.42 you don't understand, you don't understand, 00:20:33.45\00:20:35.13 these girls are young they are clean. 00:20:35.16\00:20:37.00 Eight, nine years old, seven years old, 00:20:37.03\00:20:39.28 what do you want? We've got it for you. 00:20:39.31\00:20:41.20 Now there is no doubt, that he was dismissed 00:20:41.23\00:20:44.34 with end of a boot probably at this point. 00:20:44.37\00:20:47.41 Now to her to hear Kim tell the story 00:20:47.44\00:20:50.63 after they had return to the institution 00:20:50.66\00:20:52.55 that we have there. 00:20:52.58\00:20:53.80 He says that when he went to sleep at night 00:20:53.83\00:20:56.20 when he went to bed at night, every time he closed his eyes, 00:20:56.23\00:21:00.13 all that he could see was that two little girls begging. 00:21:00.16\00:21:06.57 Question for you, is it their fault 00:21:06.60\00:21:09.80 that they were born on the Island of Madagascar. 00:21:09.83\00:21:12.49 Would you condemn them for that, 00:21:12.52\00:21:13.88 why no, I mean we're born, 00:21:13.91\00:21:15.62 where we're born it's not our fault. 00:21:15.65\00:21:17.35 Was it there fault that they were born 00:21:17.38\00:21:18.75 in the city of Tamatave wouldn't it have been better 00:21:18.78\00:21:21.42 if they had been born in the country. 00:21:21.45\00:21:23.04 Well, perhaps, perhaps not. Who knows? 00:21:23.07\00:21:25.97 If they get dragged into a prostitution ring 00:21:26.00\00:21:28.86 at the age of seven and eight and nine years old, 00:21:28.89\00:21:31.79 would you condemned them, 00:21:31.82\00:21:33.14 if you would catch them in the very act? 00:21:33.17\00:21:36.18 Why no? 00:21:36.21\00:21:37.60 No little girl at that age wants to be involved 00:21:37.63\00:21:40.44 in anything as gross as this. 00:21:40.47\00:21:42.39 There is no doubt in my mind, 00:21:42.42\00:21:44.08 if we would catch them in the very act 00:21:44.11\00:21:45.89 there's not one of us that would condemn them for being caught. 00:21:45.92\00:21:50.93 Well, friends listen, 00:21:50.96\00:21:54.07 are we not born in the world of sin? 00:21:54.10\00:21:57.10 Are we not born with sinful natures? 00:21:57.13\00:22:00.31 Do you think it's our fault 00:22:00.34\00:22:01.55 that we are in this situation that we are in. 00:22:01.58\00:22:03.74 Oh, we have choices to make 00:22:03.77\00:22:05.30 and we make the wrong choices 00:22:05.33\00:22:06.69 and we can suffer for it and all of that. 00:22:06.72\00:22:09.98 No, friends that is not the condemnation of God. 00:22:10.01\00:22:16.93 And it doesn't receive the condemnation of God. 00:22:16.96\00:22:20.46 Can I show you 00:22:20.49\00:22:22.09 where the condemnation really is? 00:22:22.12\00:22:24.61 If you'll turn with me 00:22:24.64\00:22:25.67 and I want you to turn with me in your Bibles, 00:22:25.70\00:22:27.65 you need to see what the Bible says. 00:22:27.68\00:22:30.34 Go to John chapter 3, John chapter 3. 00:22:30.37\00:22:34.56 This is the chapter where Jesus says, 00:22:34.59\00:22:37.92 God so love the world that he gave his only begotten son. 00:22:37.95\00:22:41.86 Now I want to look at verse 17, 00:22:41.89\00:22:46.30 verse 17 in John chapter 3. 00:22:46.33\00:22:49.79 "For God sent not his Son into the world" 00:22:53.54\00:22:57.24 to condemn the world, why not? 00:22:57.27\00:23:00.16 Well, friends it isn't our fault 00:23:00.19\00:23:03.09 that we're in the mess we are in. 00:23:03.12\00:23:04.84 "God sent not his Son into the world 00:23:04.87\00:23:08.22 to condemn the world, 00:23:08.25\00:23:09.60 but that the world through him might be saved." 00:23:09.63\00:23:13.36 Now watch, look at verse 19 now 00:23:13.39\00:23:17.48 and this is the condemnation. 00:23:17.51\00:23:20.39 Jesus is about to put his finger on the problem. 00:23:20.42\00:23:24.21 "This is the condemnation 00:23:24.24\00:23:25.88 that light is come into the world 00:23:25.91\00:23:27.99 and men loved darkness rather than light 00:23:28.02\00:23:31.08 because their deeds were evil." 00:23:31.11\00:23:33.85 If an individual was sick, 00:23:33.88\00:23:35.98 would you condemn that individual for being sick? 00:23:36.01\00:23:39.53 Why no, we don't condemn people for being sick, 00:23:39.56\00:23:41.95 we don't know what went on, why there are sick? 00:23:41.98\00:23:45.96 But supposing that individual refuses to take the medicine, 00:23:45.99\00:23:50.14 then whose faults is it? 00:23:50.17\00:23:52.11 Then we know, then it's his fault. 00:23:52.14\00:23:54.05 This is the condemnation you have a remedy for him 00:23:54.08\00:23:57.18 and he will not take the remedy. 00:23:57.21\00:24:02.76 Do you know that we are sin sick? 00:24:02.79\00:24:06.54 Do you that God has a remedy for the sin problem? 00:24:06.57\00:24:09.85 Do you know that God so loved the world, 00:24:09.88\00:24:11.91 he gave his son the light of the world. 00:24:11.94\00:24:14.53 What does it says here? This is the condemnation. 00:24:14.56\00:24:18.22 That God sent the remedy to this world. 00:24:18.25\00:24:21.33 But men prefer to be sick rather than to be healthy. 00:24:21.36\00:24:25.87 God sent Jesus, what do you do with Jesus? 00:24:25.90\00:24:30.09 God sent the word of God, 00:24:30.12\00:24:31.86 how do you relate to the word of God? 00:24:31.89\00:24:34.68 Do you see it? Can you understand it? 00:24:34.71\00:24:37.13 this is the condemnation 00:24:37.16\00:24:39.17 when God sends us the word from angels 00:24:39.20\00:24:42.51 or however he sends it then he says 00:24:42.54\00:24:44.19 this is the way that I want to walk in this world 00:24:44.22\00:24:46.86 and we say no way, we want to walk our way, 00:24:46.89\00:24:49.80 we want to do what we want to do. 00:24:49.83\00:24:51.57 Who is Jesus anyway? 00:24:51.60\00:24:52.98 We don't believe in organized religion, 00:24:53.01\00:24:54.72 we don't believe in whatever whatever. 00:24:54.75\00:24:56.82 Friends this is the condemnation 00:24:56.85\00:25:01.04 that God sent light into this world 00:25:01.07\00:25:03.74 and men prefer darkness rather than light. 00:25:03.77\00:25:07.73 Now I have another question for you. 00:25:07.76\00:25:10.56 How do you relate to people who do bad things? 00:25:10.59\00:25:14.36 How do you relate to people who do bad things to you? 00:25:14.39\00:25:18.10 Do you relate as Jesus did? 00:25:18.13\00:25:20.56 I have a quotation here, this is gospel workers 373. 00:25:20.59\00:25:25.54 The lord wants his people to follow other methods 00:25:25.57\00:25:28.00 than that of condemning wrong, 00:25:28.03\00:25:30.48 even though the condemnation is just. 00:25:30.51\00:25:33.34 Now why would you do that? 00:25:33.37\00:25:35.90 We can see people doing wrong things and God says no, 00:25:35.93\00:25:40.26 if you want to win them? 00:25:40.29\00:25:42.51 Do approach these people with something 00:25:42.54\00:25:45.15 other than condemnation 00:25:45.18\00:25:46.83 because condemnation does not work. 00:25:46.86\00:25:50.79 Can you see it? 00:25:50.82\00:25:52.14 Condemnation does not work. 00:25:52.17\00:25:54.58 Another quotation, this is volume 5 00:25:54.61\00:25:57.58 of the Testimonies 345 paragraph 2. 00:25:57.61\00:26:00.79 We are not to condemn others, 00:26:00.82\00:26:03.32 this is not our work 00:26:03.35\00:26:05.67 but we should love one and another 00:26:05.70\00:26:07.71 and pray for one another. 00:26:07.74\00:26:10.13 There you are, that's our work, 00:26:10.16\00:26:12.14 we are in the business of reconciling people to God 00:26:12.17\00:26:16.32 and it doesn't work if you use condemnation. 00:26:16.35\00:26:19.85