Hello, my name
is Frank Fournier.
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I am here to welcome you
to Heaven's Point of View.
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We're still studying the
Parable of the Prodigal Son
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and you're invited to
stay with us, hope you enjoy.
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I like to invite
you to turn with me
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to Luke Chapter 15.
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We finished
studying the younger son
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in the Parable
of the Prodigal Son.
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This young man was
without God in the world
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but praise God he found his way
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through Jesus
Christ, through salvation.
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Now we're going to turn our
attention to the elder brother.
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But he's without God too.
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The problem with him is
that he is in the church
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and he doesn't know
that he is without God.
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And do you know that
if there is a problem
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with you and I this
would be the problem
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we might be in the
church putting our salvation,
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putting our hearts and
our hopes to a salvation
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that doesn't exist
because we don't understand
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that it's not enough
to belong to a church,
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it's not enough to be religious.
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We're going to--
we're in Luke Chapter 15
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we're gonna start
with verse 25 today.
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Luke 15:25.
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"Now his elder
son was in the field,"
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now take note
this as a Christian,
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he's not out in the
bars, he's not dancing,
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drinking and
fornicating with harlots,
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this man is in the
field, in the mission field.
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If you please he's
working for his father,
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the father in the
parable represents God.
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He's in the churches
employ and not only that
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but the parable tells us
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that he keeps all
the Commandments of God
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and yet something
is drastically wrong
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with this young
man's Christian experience.
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Verse 25, "Now his
elder son was in the field,
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and as he came and
drew nigh to the house"
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now remember in all the
parables of Jesus Christ
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the house always
represents the church.
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And so here we are,
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the elder
brother is in the field,
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he's coming out of the field
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and he comes by
the church as it were
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and he heard music and dancing
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and this caught him
by surprise apparently
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because he called
one of the servants
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and asked what
these things meant.
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Now this is a
mystery in my mind,
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if there's one
place in the world
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where a man should be happy.
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If there's one
place in the world
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where we should
hear music and rejoicing
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and where there
should be dancing
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whether it is figurative or
not, it should be in the church.
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There's misery
all over the world
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but if there's one place
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where there should be
joy it's in the church.
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And yet when this
young man comes by the church
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he's surprised to hear
that there's music there,
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he's surprised to hear
that there is rejoicing there.
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Isn't that amazing?
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Verse 27, "And he said to
him" that is to the servant.
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No, the servant said to him,
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the elder brother
"Thy brother is come,
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and thy father hath
killed the fatted calf,
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because he has
received him safe and sound.
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And the elder
brother was angry."
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Now that's hard to understand.
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You would think
that the elder brother--
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the elder brother
would have been happy
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but he wasn't.
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So now we need
to try to understand
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what's going on in
this young man's head?
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We need to get
into his own shoes
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and see if can understand this.
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You see his younger
brother hasn't done any work
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around the
place for a long time.
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He's been happy to
go out there to party
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and to drink
booze and to take drugs
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and to have sex
and to play games
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and to sin pretty
well all together.
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Now he's got the
goal to come home
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with his hand out looking
for or begging for a handout.
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And worse than that his
father receives him like
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he's a celebrity
and on top of that
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the father applies the merits
of the fatted calf to him.
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He's done no
pennants. He's done no work.
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He spent no time on probation
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while the elder
brother has never left home,
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he's always obey,
he's always worked
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and he's denied
himself the pleasure of sin.
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And you get the
idea that perhaps
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he would have enjoyed a
little bit of sin now and then
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but he wouldn't allow himself
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because he was
legalistic about this thing.
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He stayed with the church
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and he did all that
hoping to be recognized.
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He did all that
hoping to be seen of men.
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He did all that hoping to
receive the robe, the ring,
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the shoes and the feast
and he received none of this
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and it precipitated
him into a spiritual crisis
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because he just couldn't
grasp what was going on.
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He just didn't understand
what he was going through
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and he was
confused and frustrated.
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He didn't release
that his kind of religion
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did not save him.
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I would like to have you turn
with me to Romans Chapter 9.
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We're going to Romans Chapter 9.
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The Apostle Paul here in
Romans Chapter 9 speaks to us
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of then older brother
and a younger brother.
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Actually he's
speaking to us about
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the Jews in the days of Paul
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and the Gentiles in
the days of Paul also
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and we're looking at verse 30.
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Look at verse 30 with
me in Romans Chapter 9.
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"What shall we say then?
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That the Gentiles,"
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that's the
younger brother in my mind
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"which followed not
after righteousness"
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Did you grasp that?
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They followed not
after righteousness.
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My Bible in Psalms 119:172 says,
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"All thy
commandments are righteousness."
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So in other words
here we find the Gentiles
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not attempting to keep
the commandments of God
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and yet the
verse goes on to say,
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"They have
attained to righteousness."
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They did manage to
do the right thing.
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They did manage to
keep the Commandments of God
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"even the righteousness
which is by faith."
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Isn't that amazing?
How does that happen?
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And look at the next verse,
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verse 31 "But
Israel," which I equate
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to the elder
brother in this context.
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"But Israel, which followed
after the law of righteousness."
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These people as you know--
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the Jewish people in those
days would multiply commandments
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in an attempt to
guard from breaking
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the Ten Commandments, you see.
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They were hard on the
track of keeping the law.
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"But Israel, which followed
after the law of righteousness"
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notice here "they
attained not to it,
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to the law of righteousness."
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And then the next verse,
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ask the
question why, "Wherefore?
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Because they
sought it not by faith,
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but as it were by
the works of the law."
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But I appreciate
is next few words--
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We're going on to
Romans Chapter 10.
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But you know that
in the original Bible
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there's no chapter division,
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this is the same discourse here.
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And I want you to notice
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how this is
explained by the Apostle Paul.
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Turn with me to
Romans Chapter 10,
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we're looking at verses 1-4.
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"Brethren, my heart's
desire and prayer for God,
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to God for Israel is,
that they might be saved."
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Talking about the Jews.
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"But I bear them record
that they have a zeal for God"
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they are really religious,
they know their Bibles
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"but not
according to knowledge."
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There's something
they don't understand.
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"And they being ignorant."
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Can you imagine
that these people
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would have been ignorant?
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But they were ignorant.
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They had
misinterpreted the scriptures.
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"For they being
ignorant of God's righteousness"
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that is the gift of
God's righteousness.
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They went about
and trying to establish
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their own
righteousness have not submitted
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themselves unto
the righteousness
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that is the gift of
God's righteousness for Christ,
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which is the gift
of God by the way.
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"God so loved the
world He gave His Son."
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For Christ is the end.
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The fulfillment of
the law for righteousness
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to everyone that believes."
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Amazing, it's a
fantastic theology.
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It's beautiful
and we can see here
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that all we have to do
is receive the gift of God,
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the gift of His righteousness
and like the Gentiles
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we may attain to righteousness.
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We can do the right
thing by the power of God,
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the power of His grace.
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Now as you know
the broken law makes
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two claims upon a human being.
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And the first claim
that it makes is that
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we live a
perfect life from the day
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we're born till the day we die.
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And if we fail of
living a perfect life
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from the day we're
born till the day we die
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than the law demands
that we die, of course.
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That we die not
just a normal death
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but as the Bible
speaks of the second death
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that we die an eternal death.
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Now obviously we failed already.
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All have sinned and come
short of the glory of God,
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we can't live that perfect life
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therefore we are facing
the sentence of eternal death
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and who wants to pay that?
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Can you imagine how lost we are?
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If we saw in reality our
spiritual condition today,
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we would understand
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that we're
hopelessly, helplessly lost.
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There's nothing
that we can do about it.
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We are done
expect for one thing,
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"God so loved the world
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that He gave His
only begotten Son."
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And do you know
that, that Son Jesus Christ
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has met the claims of
the law on both accounts?
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Jesus lived a
perfect life from the day
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He was born
till the day He died.
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He was tempted in every
respect just like we are,
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yet He never
sinned, perfect life.
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And not only that, at
the end of a perfect life
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He didn't have to die
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but He chose to be
sacrificed on our behalf,
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He took our death
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and paid the
penalty that we deserved.
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After this He was resurrected,
He ascended to heaven
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and He came to
His Father in heaven
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after He had paid the price.
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In one hand He
presented to His father,
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His perfect life in this
world out of the other hand
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He presented to His Father
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a perfect sacrifice
for the sins of the world
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and His Father
said it is enough,
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give to the human
race the gift of salvation.
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And so that's what
Jesus Christ has done.
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He's given to us
the gift of salvation
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and by this we're saved.
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We cannot be
saved by anything else.
00:10:57.82\00:11:00.99
The elder
brother, the Jews of old,
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some Christians today
and all the other religions
00:11:04.82\00:11:07.50
think that
religion and good behavior
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and hard work and
a reformed lifestyle
00:11:10.43\00:11:13.35
will make a way for
them to the Kingdom of heaven
00:11:13.38\00:11:16.35
but, friends, it won't.
00:11:16.38\00:11:18.28
Consequently the
Jews lost their place
00:11:18.31\00:11:20.66
as God's chosen people.
00:11:20.69\00:11:22.43
And the elder
brother did not experienced
00:11:22.46\00:11:25.38
the gift of the
robe and the ring
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and the shoes and the feast
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and unless you and I understand
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the gospel as it is,
as I've just explained it
00:11:32.40\00:11:35.64
then you and I are
preparing ourselves
00:11:35.67\00:11:38.99
for one of the worst surprise
that we could ever experience.
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We don't want this at all.
00:11:42.66\00:11:44.79
I'll have you turn
with me to Luke Chapter 17.
00:11:44.82\00:11:49.08
We're going to
Luke Chapter 17 now,
00:11:49.11\00:11:54.95
Jesus in Luke Chapter 17,
00:11:54.98\00:11:58.21
in some respect it appears to be
00:11:58.24\00:11:59.99
out of context,
out of character.
00:12:00.02\00:12:03.43
We're in Luke Chapter
17, it's a little parable.
00:12:03.46\00:12:06.10
I want you to
see that in verse 7.
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We're going to
go to from verse 7
00:12:08.28\00:12:09.97
to verse 9 in Luke 17.
00:12:10.00\00:12:13.22
"But which of you,
having a servant plowing
00:12:13.25\00:12:15.90
or feeding cattle,
will say unto him by and by,
00:12:15.93\00:12:18.92
when he is come from the field,
00:12:18.95\00:12:20.23
Go and sit down to eat?
00:12:20.26\00:12:22.19
And will you not rather say,
00:12:22.22\00:12:24.00
make ready where with I may sup,
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and gird yourself and serve me,
00:12:26.54\00:12:28.25
till I have eaten and drunken
00:12:28.28\00:12:30.01
and afterward thou
shalt eat and drink?"
00:12:30.04\00:12:32.09
And this is why I say that
00:12:32.12\00:12:33.59
this is kind of out
of character for Christ
00:12:33.62\00:12:36.00
because Jesus came to this
world to be the servant of all.
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He's the greatest
servant that ever lived
00:12:40.49\00:12:42.39
and yet in this
parable He's saying, hey,
00:12:42.42\00:12:44.44
how many people do you know
00:12:44.47\00:12:45.95
that go around hiring
people in order to serve them?
00:12:45.98\00:12:49.20
Well, we don't hire
people to serve them.
00:12:49.23\00:12:51.25
We have a job
that needs to be done.
00:12:51.28\00:12:53.00
We hire them so that
they can do the job, okay.
00:12:53.03\00:12:56.71
Well, Jesus has a
point in all of this.
00:12:56.74\00:12:58.61
He's trying to
teach something, verse 9.
00:12:58.64\00:13:01.48
"Do you thank that
servant because he has done
00:13:01.51\00:13:04.64
that which you have commanded?"
00:13:04.67\00:13:06.31
Then He says, no
way. Look at verse 10.
00:13:06.34\00:13:10.75
"So likewise you, when you
shall have done all those things
00:13:10.78\00:13:15.85
which are commanded you."
00:13:15.88\00:13:17.16
Look you, when you have kept
all the commandments of God,
00:13:17.19\00:13:22.25
I want you to stay,
00:13:22.28\00:13:23.43
we are yet
unprofitable servants,
00:13:23.46\00:13:25.70
we have only done what
that which is our duty to do."
00:13:25.73\00:13:29.09
Can you see it?
00:13:29.12\00:13:30.60
We can keep all the
Commandments of God.
00:13:30.63\00:13:32.62
There is grace for it
and I'd like to encourage you
00:13:32.65\00:13:35.08
to keep the commandments of God.
00:13:35.11\00:13:36.66
But, friends,
after you and I have done
00:13:36.69\00:13:39.15
with the keeping
of the commandments,
00:13:39.18\00:13:40.59
after we've done our
best and we're good citizens,
00:13:40.62\00:13:43.86
do you know that
it doesn't work for us
00:13:43.89\00:13:47.56
to get into the
Kingdom of Heaven
00:13:47.59\00:13:49.03
and does not get
us any favor with God,
00:13:49.06\00:13:51.37
we've just done our duty.
00:13:51.40\00:13:53.57
Friends, the
reason for that of course
00:13:53.60\00:13:55.30
is that we're already sinners,
00:13:55.33\00:13:58.61
we've already
broken the law, haven't we?
00:13:58.64\00:14:01.62
What would you think of a man
00:14:01.65\00:14:04.53
who is accused of murder
showing up before the judge?
00:14:04.56\00:14:08.06
And he says to the
judge, now listen judge,
00:14:08.09\00:14:10.20
I want to promise you,
00:14:10.23\00:14:11.61
I will never kill
another man in my life again.
00:14:11.64\00:14:14.80
What would the judge say?
00:14:14.83\00:14:16.63
Oh, the judge will say,
00:14:16.66\00:14:17.69
you're not on trial for
the men you haven't killed.
00:14:17.72\00:14:20.30
You're on trial for the
one you've already killed.
00:14:20.33\00:14:22.28
You've already fallen.
00:14:22.31\00:14:23.59
You've already
sinned, you've already done it
00:14:23.62\00:14:25.77
and this is why you're on trial.
00:14:25.80\00:14:27.27
But, friends, you and I
00:14:27.30\00:14:28.45
are on trial for
the very same thing.
00:14:28.48\00:14:30.54
We can't promise God
we will never sin again,
00:14:30.57\00:14:33.23
even if we did never sin
again it would be too late
00:14:33.26\00:14:37.36
because we already had sinned,
00:14:37.39\00:14:39.15
we're already lost.
00:14:39.18\00:14:40.39
The only way to
the Kingdom of Heaven
00:14:40.42\00:14:43.01
is through the righteousness
of Jesus Christ as a gift to us,
00:14:43.04\00:14:46.93
that's the only way.
00:14:46.96\00:14:48.25
I hope you understand
that because that is the truth.
00:14:48.28\00:14:52.03
Now someone will say, well,
00:14:52.06\00:14:53.36
isn't there a verse
in the Bible that says
00:14:53.39\00:14:55.12
we have to work hard to be good?
00:14:55.15\00:14:57.30
Turn with me to Luke Chapter 13
00:14:57.33\00:14:59.64
because that's what
it seems to say there.
00:14:59.67\00:15:02.56
But I would like to dispel
this notion because it isn't so.
00:15:02.59\00:15:06.28
Oh, it doesn't mean we
don't have to work hard,
00:15:06.31\00:15:09.26
but it's not to be perfect
because it just doesn't work.
00:15:09.29\00:15:13.37
Go with me to Luke Chapter
13, we're looking at verse 24.
00:15:13.40\00:15:18.49
"Strive as in agony."
00:15:21.49\00:15:23.69
By the way I added
the words as an agony
00:15:23.72\00:15:25.82
because that's what in
the margin of my Bible.
00:15:25.85\00:15:28.24
It starts with the
word strive to enter in
00:15:28.27\00:15:30.81
but it's actually saying,
00:15:30.84\00:15:32.17
"Strive as in agony to
enter in at the straight gate,
00:15:32.20\00:15:36.13
for many, I say unto you,
00:15:36.16\00:15:37.29
will seek to enter in
and shall not be able."
00:15:37.32\00:15:40.74
Now doesn't it sound like
00:15:40.77\00:15:41.94
it's really hard to get
into the Kingdom of Heaven?
00:15:41.97\00:15:44.40
It says, here it's so
hard as a matter of fact
00:15:44.43\00:15:46.49
you have to strive as
an agony to get in there.
00:15:46.52\00:15:50.14
But, friends, did you
ever take into consideration
00:15:50.17\00:15:53.63
what it is actually saying here?
00:15:53.66\00:15:55.76
Strive as an agony to enter
in through the straight gate.
00:15:55.79\00:15:59.12
What does the gate represent?
00:15:59.15\00:16:01.00
Can I have you turn
in your Bibles to Luke--
00:16:01.03\00:16:03.31
excuse me to John Chapter 10?
00:16:03.34\00:16:05.61
We're going to
John Chapter 10 here,
00:16:05.64\00:16:08.32
in our Bibles John Chapter 10
00:16:08.35\00:16:12.53
and we're going to look
at verse 1 and also verse 9.
00:16:12.56\00:16:16.20
Look at John 10:1, 9.
00:16:16.23\00:16:20.93
"Verily, verily, I say unto you,
00:16:20.96\00:16:23.08
He that enters not by the door"
00:16:23.11\00:16:25.05
by the way that's the gate
00:16:25.08\00:16:26.69
"He that enters not by
the gate into the sheepfold,
00:16:26.72\00:16:29.84
but climbs up some other way,
00:16:29.87\00:16:30.96
the same is a
thief and a robber."
00:16:30.99\00:16:32.73
Look at verse
9. "I am the door."
00:16:32.76\00:16:37.53
Jesus is saying, "I am the gate,
00:16:37.56\00:16:40.72
by me if any man
enter in, he shall be saved,
00:16:40.75\00:16:44.35
and shall go in and
out, and find pasture."
00:16:44.38\00:16:48.06
Listen, friends, the
verse we read in Luke Chapter 13
00:16:48.09\00:16:51.54
is not saying
that we need to place
00:16:51.57\00:16:53.24
our efforts in being good.
00:16:53.27\00:16:54.98
It's not saying that
we need to put our efforts
00:16:55.01\00:16:57.16
in keeping the commandments
00:16:57.19\00:16:58.25
or trying to
protect Christian character.
00:16:58.28\00:17:00.38
Listen, I wouldn't
want to discourage you
00:17:00.41\00:17:01.99
from trying to
protect Christian character.
00:17:02.02\00:17:04.10
This is what we want to do.
00:17:04.13\00:17:05.88
We want to reflect Jesus Christ
to the best of our ability,
00:17:05.91\00:17:09.33
this is what we want to do,
00:17:09.36\00:17:10.74
but we don't
enter heaven that way.
00:17:10.77\00:17:12.93
We only can enter heaven
through the straight gate.
00:17:12.96\00:17:15.98
And so the efforts we put
in is in guarding ourselves
00:17:16.01\00:17:19.74
against thinking that
we can do it ourselves.
00:17:19.77\00:17:23.44
It's in guarding
ourselves against thinking
00:17:23.47\00:17:25.50
that there's any other
way into the Kingdom of Heaven
00:17:25.53\00:17:27.94
but through the
gate, through the door,
00:17:27.97\00:17:31.38
Jesus says, I am the door.
00:17:31.41\00:17:36.65
Turn with me to
Matthew Chapter 19.
00:17:36.68\00:17:40.47
We're going to
Matthew Chapter 19.
00:17:40.50\00:17:42.54
We're going back to the
story of the rich young ruler.
00:17:42.57\00:17:45.97
As a matter of fact
in our very first study
00:17:46.00\00:17:48.47
we started with
rich young ruler.
00:17:48.50\00:17:51.08
He had this
question, what must I do
00:17:51.11\00:17:52.63
to inherit eternal life?
00:17:52.66\00:17:54.47
Jesus said, why
do you call Me good?
00:17:54.50\00:17:56.55
Because he had
asked him good master.
00:17:56.58\00:17:59.17
There is none good but
one and we established by this
00:17:59.20\00:18:02.66
that there is the very
foundation of salvation.
00:18:02.69\00:18:05.21
And we need to
know that we're lost
00:18:05.24\00:18:07.19
and we need help
to get to the Kingdom.
00:18:07.22\00:18:09.43
Well, Jesus finally
eventually tells the young man--
00:18:09.46\00:18:12.34
He answers his
question in verse 21
00:18:12.37\00:18:14.74
and He gives fives
verbs in that verse.
00:18:14.77\00:18:18.45
He says, go, sell,
give, come and follow.
00:18:18.48\00:18:22.53
And apparently
the rich young ruler
00:18:22.56\00:18:23.97
didn't like that recipe
00:18:24.00\00:18:25.67
and so he turned
his back on Jesus
00:18:25.70\00:18:28.03
and he walked away sorrowful.
00:18:28.06\00:18:29.92
Well, do you know
that, that left Jesus
00:18:29.95\00:18:31.60
with a huge
problem with His disciples?
00:18:31.63\00:18:33.72
Because the Jews in those days
00:18:33.75\00:18:35.70
believed that if
a man was wealthy
00:18:35.73\00:18:39.27
because he was saved
and God was favoring him.
00:18:39.30\00:18:41.94
And so here a
young man shows up,
00:18:41.97\00:18:44.70
he's good looking, he's young,
00:18:44.73\00:18:47.30
he's got
education, he's wealthy,
00:18:47.33\00:18:49.26
he's a ruler and he
wants to be a disciple.
00:18:49.29\00:18:51.86
I mean, they look at this guy
and they say, what an addition
00:18:51.89\00:18:55.32
to our little
band of disciples here.
00:18:55.35\00:18:57.44
He would make a
wonderful edition
00:18:57.47\00:18:59.76
and Jesus sends him
down the road sorrowful
00:18:59.79\00:19:03.29
and they just
can't understand it
00:19:03.32\00:19:05.29
and so Jesus has
to deal with this.
00:19:05.32\00:19:07.63
Okay, so we're
looking in Matthew Chapter 19,
00:19:07.66\00:19:10.57
we're looking
at verse 23 and 24.
00:19:10.60\00:19:15.37
"Then said Jesus
to His disciples,
00:19:15.40\00:19:17.81
Verily I say unto you,
that a rich man shall hardly"
00:19:17.84\00:19:20.83
that is with great difficulty
00:19:20.86\00:19:22.57
"enter into the
kingdom of heaven"
00:19:22.60\00:19:24.50
and I'm sure that the disciples
are scratching their heads.
00:19:24.53\00:19:26.99
What do you mean?
He's already there.
00:19:27.02\00:19:28.19
He's got the favor
of God, he's wealthy
00:19:28.22\00:19:30.36
and Jesus is trying
to teach them something.
00:19:30.39\00:19:32.70
No, no, it's the opposite.
00:19:32.73\00:19:34.20
It's really hard
if you're wealthy
00:19:34.23\00:19:36.05
to get into the
kingdom of heaven.
00:19:36.08\00:19:38.03
And so Jesus tells them a story
00:19:38.06\00:19:40.86
or uses a parable
or an object lesson.
00:19:40.89\00:19:43.91
Verse 24, "Again I say to
you it's easier for a camel
00:19:43.94\00:19:47.75
to enter into the eye,
through the eye of a needle,
00:19:47.78\00:19:50.09
than for a rich man to
enter into the kingdom of God."
00:19:50.12\00:19:53.16
Traditionally we think
that this eye of a needle here
00:19:53.19\00:19:57.23
is a little door on the wall
00:19:57.26\00:19:59.05
of that surrounds
the city of Jerusalem.
00:19:59.08\00:20:01.81
In the days of Jesus
there was a wall around the city
00:20:01.84\00:20:04.64
and there was a main gate
00:20:04.67\00:20:06.34
and if people didn't
get through the main gate
00:20:06.37\00:20:08.10
before the doors
were shut in the evening
00:20:08.13\00:20:10.79
than if a man came late
he had to find another wall
00:20:10.82\00:20:14.10
where there was a little door
00:20:14.13\00:20:15.56
and that door was
called the "eye of a needle."
00:20:15.59\00:20:17.92
Well, if you had a
camel all loaded up
00:20:17.95\00:20:19.84
you would have
to unload the camel
00:20:19.87\00:20:21.71
and then the camel
would have to get on his knees
00:20:21.74\00:20:23.81
and he would have to scrunch
his way through that little door
00:20:23.84\00:20:26.95
if he was going
to get into the city.
00:20:26.98\00:20:28.93
And a lot of
evangelists was used
00:20:28.96\00:20:30.56
that as an example of
what it means to be saved,
00:20:30.59\00:20:33.87
but friends, using that as
an example ruins the gospel.
00:20:33.90\00:20:37.61
That isn't true.
00:20:37.64\00:20:38.67
You can't be saved even if
you work as hard as a camel.
00:20:38.70\00:20:42.98
Just doesn't
work, just doesn't work.
00:20:43.01\00:20:45.13
When Jesus was speaking about
00:20:45.16\00:20:46.51
going through
the eye of a needle,
00:20:46.54\00:20:47.81
putting a camel through it,
00:20:47.84\00:20:49.25
He was speaking about
the eye of a sewing needle.
00:20:49.28\00:20:51.74
Now tell me how
hard is it to put a camel
00:20:51.77\00:20:54.98
through the eye
of a sewing needle?
00:20:55.01\00:20:57.03
Why? It's impossible, isn't it?
00:20:57.06\00:21:00.17
As a matter of fact, for
me it's probably impossible
00:21:00.20\00:21:02.30
to put one hair of the
camel through a sewing needle.
00:21:02.33\00:21:05.23
So you can see
how impossible it is.
00:21:05.26\00:21:07.15
And, friends, that's exactly
what Jesus is trying to say.
00:21:07.18\00:21:10.30
Look at verses 25 and 26.
00:21:10.33\00:21:14.73
"When his disciples heard it,
they were exceedingly amazed,"
00:21:14.76\00:21:18.34
and it's like "Who
then can be saved?"
00:21:18.37\00:21:21.64
It appeared to them
like nobody could be saved.
00:21:21.67\00:21:23.64
If rich people can't be
saved than nobody can be saved
00:21:23.67\00:21:26.95
because we thought that
they were favorite by God
00:21:26.98\00:21:30.37
that's why they were rich
and they just were blown away.
00:21:30.40\00:21:34.41
And Jesus had them
just where He wanted them.
00:21:34.44\00:21:37.47
Verse 26, "And Jesus
beheld them and said to them,
00:21:37.50\00:21:42.02
With men" this is what?
00:21:42.05\00:21:45.03
"Impossible."
00:21:45.06\00:21:46.49
Do you know
that it is impossible
00:21:46.52\00:21:48.66
with men to be saved?
00:21:48.69\00:21:50.68
But look at the
rest of the verse.
00:21:50.71\00:21:52.39
It says, "But with God
all things are possible."
00:21:52.42\00:21:57.10
In other words, God can save us.
00:21:57.13\00:21:59.92
We can not save ourselves,
00:21:59.95\00:22:01.70
trying to save
ourselves is impossible.
00:22:01.73\00:22:06.13
Can you see it?
00:22:06.16\00:22:08.16
Now it's not as if
we have nothing to do.
00:22:08.19\00:22:11.60
I would like to have you
turn with me to Mark Chapter 9.
00:22:11.63\00:22:15.63
We're going to go
to Mark Chapter 9,
00:22:15.66\00:22:17.31
that's the book
just next to Matthew
00:22:17.34\00:22:19.47
and we're gonna look at
verse 23 in Mark Chapter 9.
00:22:19.50\00:22:25.02
Beautiful verse
00:22:25.05\00:22:26.08
and it kind of as
a just the right text
00:22:26.11\00:22:30.15
following the
one we've just read.
00:22:30.18\00:22:31.57
We're in Mark Chapter 9
and we're reading verse 23
00:22:31.60\00:22:35.38
"Jesus said to
him, if you can believe,
00:22:35.41\00:22:39.65
all things are
possible to them that believe."
00:22:39.68\00:22:43.22
Do you see it?
00:22:43.25\00:22:44.42
With God all
things are possible.
00:22:44.45\00:22:47.59
All things are
impossible with men
00:22:47.62\00:22:49.37
as far as
salvation is concerned.
00:22:49.40\00:22:52.24
But all things are
possible to them that believe.
00:22:52.27\00:22:56.88
Do you have faith?
00:22:56.91\00:22:58.92
Can you believe
that God can save you?
00:22:58.95\00:23:01.39
Can you put yourself in
God's hands and say, hey,
00:23:01.42\00:23:03.99
I can't save myself,
I've tried it doesn't work.
00:23:04.02\00:23:06.92
I can't even straighten
up my life in anyways.
00:23:06.95\00:23:10.11
Lord, help me.
00:23:10.14\00:23:11.51
Do you think He can do it? Why?
00:23:11.54\00:23:13.60
With God all
things are possible.
00:23:13.63\00:23:18.58
Now the question remains,
00:23:18.61\00:23:19.81
why is it hard for a
rich man to be saved?
00:23:19.84\00:23:22.80
Do you know that Jesus
also gave an answer to that.
00:23:22.83\00:23:25.85
We're going to go
to chapter 10 in Mark.
00:23:25.88\00:23:28.24
That's just one chapter over.
00:23:28.27\00:23:30.13
We're going to
chapter 10 of Mark
00:23:30.16\00:23:32.03
and I want you
to look at verse 24.
00:23:32.06\00:23:34.40
This is the very same story.
00:23:34.43\00:23:36.59
It's the rich young
ruler, it's just in Mark words.
00:23:36.62\00:23:39.48
And we're looking at verse 24
00:23:39.51\00:23:41.44
and Jesus or Mark here
explains it to the point
00:23:41.47\00:23:45.55
where we can not
fail of understanding.
00:23:45.58\00:23:48.40
"The disciples were
astonished at his words"
00:23:48.43\00:23:51.16
because of course
he was saying that
00:23:51.19\00:23:53.39
this is rich man
couldn't make his way
00:23:53.42\00:23:55.89
into the kingdom of
heaven with his riches.
00:23:55.92\00:23:58.41
"The disciples were
astonished at His words.
00:23:58.44\00:24:01.34
But Jesus answered
again, and said to them,
00:24:01.37\00:24:04.34
Children, how hard, how
difficult is it for them
00:24:04.37\00:24:08.47
that trust in riches to
enter into the kingdom of God."
00:24:08.50\00:24:12.45
What's wrong with riches?
00:24:12.48\00:24:14.15
Well, the problem with wealth
00:24:14.18\00:24:16.36
is that we have a tendency
to put our trust right there
00:24:16.39\00:24:19.81
and that's what was wrong
with the rich young ruler.
00:24:19.84\00:24:22.46
It's not that
Jesus didn't love him--
00:24:22.49\00:24:24.20
as a matter of
fact the Bible says,
00:24:24.23\00:24:25.63
Jesus loved him and
was very sad to see him go.
00:24:25.66\00:24:29.59
But do you see
it? Do you see it?
00:24:29.62\00:24:33.06
We tend to put
our trust in riches.
00:24:33.09\00:24:38.04
Do you know that you're wealthy?
00:24:38.07\00:24:40.53
Oh, you may not be wealthy
00:24:40.56\00:24:41.91
with a lot of
money in your pocket
00:24:41.94\00:24:43.41
or a lot of
money in your account,
00:24:43.44\00:24:45.44
but do you know that
you're wealthy just the same?
00:24:45.47\00:24:48.37
You may be wealthy in education.
00:24:48.40\00:24:50.77
You maybe wealthy in good looks,
you maybe very intelligent,
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you maybe, hey,
who knows what else
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but for sure god
has given you a talent,
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God has given you many
gifts and you are wealthy.
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And do you know
that the tendency
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is to put your trust in
that which God has given you
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instead of
putting your trust in God
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who Has given the
gift, that's the way it is.
00:25:08.43\00:25:12.27