You and I know that the Bible predicts 00:00:33.87\00:00:36.02 that there is gonna be a worldwide crisis 00:00:36.05\00:00:38.26 just before the coming of Jesus 00:00:38.29\00:00:41.42 and tonight we are concerned about the issue of 00:00:41.45\00:00:44.35 how can we survive that final crisis? 00:00:44.38\00:00:48.40 And let me say from the very beginning 00:00:48.43\00:00:50.76 that the Bible makes it absolutely clear 00:00:50.79\00:00:53.99 that there is only one possible way 00:00:54.02\00:00:55.79 that we are going to survive 00:00:55.82\00:00:57.19 and that is through a personal living relationship with Jesus. 00:00:57.22\00:01:03.35 Amen. 00:01:03.38\00:01:04.87 Nobody is gonna get through on their own. 00:01:04.90\00:01:08.00 Nobody is gonna get through apart from Jesus. 00:01:08.03\00:01:11.01 We are going to get through 00:01:11.04\00:01:13.20 because of the personal relationship 00:01:13.23\00:01:15.23 we've established by faith in Jesus Christ. 00:01:15.26\00:01:18.65 Indeed unless we've the right connections 00:01:18.68\00:01:21.81 we will not survive. 00:01:21.84\00:01:24.36 And so I'm gonna focus in on the relationship 00:01:24.39\00:01:26.94 that is so vital to everyone of us 00:01:26.97\00:01:29.27 and I know we've been talking about it 00:01:29.30\00:01:30.77 all through this series. 00:01:30.80\00:01:32.60 But as very specifically tonight 00:01:32.63\00:01:35.01 I'm gonna get into some specific issues 00:01:35.04\00:01:37.36 about that relationship that are so important to us. 00:01:37.39\00:01:40.44 And I want to begin with the series of questions 00:01:40.47\00:01:43.47 that will help us to get really focused 00:01:43.50\00:01:45.38 on the issue that is at hand. 00:01:45.41\00:01:47.95 The first question I want to share with you is, 00:01:47.98\00:01:50.89 on what basis, on what basis does God accept us? 00:01:50.92\00:01:56.50 Now think about that. 00:01:56.53\00:01:58.91 Number two, how good does a person need to be, 00:01:58.94\00:02:02.19 before God will accept him or her? 00:02:02.22\00:02:05.27 How good do you have to be 00:02:05.30\00:02:07.74 before God will accept you? 00:02:07.77\00:02:10.03 And number three, can anyone become 00:02:10.06\00:02:12.87 good enough for God to accept? 00:02:12.90\00:02:15.18 Which is an important question, don't you agree? 00:02:15.21\00:02:19.62 You know, our salvation is directly dependent up on 00:02:19.65\00:02:23.08 how we answer those questions. 00:02:23.11\00:02:26.35 And I'm so grateful tonight again to know that the Bible 00:02:26.38\00:02:29.74 gives us some very specific answers to those questions. 00:02:29.77\00:02:34.42 Now, our study tonight 00:02:34.45\00:02:36.66 is broken down into two major parts 00:02:36.69\00:02:40.18 and the first part of what we are gonna be studying is 00:02:40.21\00:02:42.47 what I call the bad news. 00:02:42.50\00:02:45.65 The bad news, which will be followed by the good news. 00:02:45.68\00:02:50.90 Now we will get to the good news, 00:02:50.93\00:02:52.71 I don't want you to get discouraged 00:02:52.74\00:02:54.62 as we're going through the bad news. 00:02:54.65\00:02:56.95 But we have to understand and appreciate the bad news 00:02:56.98\00:02:59.65 to be able to really, fully appreciate the good news. 00:02:59.68\00:03:03.78 That makes some sense, doesn't it? 00:03:03.81\00:03:06.30 And the bad news, we must understand, 00:03:06.33\00:03:08.65 we must really understand something about the human heart. 00:03:08.68\00:03:10.93 We must understand something about ourselves. 00:03:10.96\00:03:14.00 It's the ugly truth again what sin has done to us, 00:03:14.03\00:03:18.82 that what the knowledge of evil has done to us. 00:03:18.85\00:03:22.41 I begin 00:03:22.44\00:03:25.58 where the Bible tells us 00:03:25.61\00:03:26.88 "But we are all like an unclean thing, 00:03:26.91\00:03:29.51 and all our righteousness are like" what? 00:03:29.54\00:03:33.66 "A filthy rag." 00:03:33.69\00:03:34.72 Now there's a word that is a mouthful, isn't it? 00:03:34.75\00:03:38.21 Righteousness is, its talking about basically comes down 00:03:38.24\00:03:43.01 to you know, how good really are we 00:03:43.04\00:03:45.47 and the saying our goodness or righteousness 00:03:45.50\00:03:48.98 is as filthy rags and that is a truth 00:03:49.01\00:03:53.99 that is based upon the fact that we have been tainted, 00:03:54.02\00:03:57.58 we have been deeply affected by sin. 00:03:57.61\00:04:02.26 And it goes so deep that I don't know 00:04:02.29\00:04:04.77 that any of us can fully appreciate 00:04:04.80\00:04:07.43 how this has affected us. 00:04:07.46\00:04:09.34 This is the way we have always been, 00:04:09.37\00:04:11.96 you know, its down into the roots of our thinking, 00:04:11.99\00:04:14.87 our motivations. 00:04:14.90\00:04:16.15 It just plays out and sometimes 00:04:16.18\00:04:18.15 in very subtle ways in our life 00:04:18.18\00:04:20.72 this thing of sin, doesn't it. 00:04:20.75\00:04:22.52 It does. 00:04:22.55\00:04:24.00 I take you to Romans 3 the New Testament page 120. 00:04:24.03\00:04:28.99 Romans 3 and we'll be looking at verse 10 00:04:29.02\00:04:31.98 and then we'll drop down to verse 20. 00:04:32.01\00:04:34.81 And Paul speaks about this issue very clearly here in this letter 00:04:34.84\00:04:38.15 written to the Romans again its Romans 3:10. 00:04:38.18\00:04:43.76 He is quoting from the Old Testament when he says, 00:04:43.79\00:04:46.37 "As it is written, 'There is none righteous, not even one.'" 00:04:46.40\00:04:52.26 Boy, that's pretty universal, isn't it? 00:04:52.29\00:04:55.54 None that are righteous. 00:04:55.57\00:04:58.85 Now I don't know about your parents but in my-- 00:04:58.88\00:05:02.59 when I was growing up my father was, 00:05:02.62\00:05:06.58 again my father wasn't a Christian, 00:05:06.61\00:05:09.37 he was a lovely man, he loved his kids we loved him, 00:05:09.40\00:05:12.99 he was a very loving affectionate. 00:05:13.02\00:05:14.89 I never heard the words I love you from the lips of 00:05:14.92\00:05:17.43 my parents until I was well into my adult years. 00:05:17.46\00:05:22.14 That's just not the way that generation 00:05:22.17\00:05:24.57 express their affection but I knew that they loved me 00:05:24.60\00:05:26.87 because they were very affectionate. 00:05:26.90\00:05:28.83 My dad expected even into my adult years 00:05:28.86\00:05:31.83 that when I was home when I retired for the night 00:05:31.86\00:05:35.46 that if he was still up 00:05:35.49\00:05:37.06 I would go over and I would lean over 00:05:37.09\00:05:39.43 and I will give him a kiss on the cheek 00:05:39.46\00:05:42.47 and I did that right up into my 40's. 00:05:42.50\00:05:44.70 It just was something I had always done 00:05:44.73\00:05:46.82 even as a child and I still did it as an adult. 00:05:46.85\00:05:50.86 And even though he was not really a spiritual man 00:05:50.89\00:05:55.39 he had that deep affection and I would add to it 00:05:55.42\00:06:00.39 that he was indeed the preacher in the household. 00:06:00.42\00:06:05.11 My dad loved to preach. 00:06:05.14\00:06:07.26 He didn't preach un-theology his big thing was safety. 00:06:07.29\00:06:12.62 He just had, you know, 00:06:12.65\00:06:13.87 he had been a Washington State patrolman 00:06:13.90\00:06:15.72 so he saw the worse of what could possibly happen, 00:06:15.75\00:06:18.20 you know, and so he had all of these sayings, 00:06:18.23\00:06:20.73 you know, I'm trying to remember some of them 00:06:20.76\00:06:23.34 because there's one, there's several of them 00:06:23.37\00:06:24.94 that had just stuck with me. 00:06:24.97\00:06:27.10 He would talk about risky behavior 00:06:27.13\00:06:29.73 and when he would talk about risky behavior 00:06:29.76\00:06:32.64 he would tell me Jim, it only has to go wrong once, 00:06:32.67\00:06:39.31 only once. 00:06:39.34\00:06:42.05 Another one of his sayings that I remember his saying 00:06:42.08\00:06:44.72 often you know Jim, 00:06:44.75\00:06:46.41 there is always an exception to the rule. 00:06:46.44\00:06:50.63 And you know what I found in light that, that is often true. 00:06:50.66\00:06:54.08 And certainly its true about this particular statement 00:06:54.11\00:06:56.81 there is an exception, but there is only one 00:06:56.84\00:07:00.50 and who would that exception be? Jesus. 00:07:00.53\00:07:04.39 He is the only exception, He is the only one 00:07:04.42\00:07:06.93 that ever walked upon this planet 00:07:06.96\00:07:08.97 that was free of sin not even by a thought 00:07:09.00\00:07:14.14 did Jesus ever sin. 00:07:14.17\00:07:17.20 None of us can say, you know, that's me, 00:07:17.23\00:07:21.18 because that is not us. 00:07:21.21\00:07:22.97 Verse 23 where Paul says 00:07:23.00\00:07:24.97 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." 00:07:25.00\00:07:29.85 All others have sinned. 00:07:29.88\00:07:32.42 Even the Pope has sinned by the way 00:07:32.45\00:07:34.94 I don't know if that startles anybody. 00:07:34.97\00:07:37.47 We are all sinners, we are all lost. 00:07:37.50\00:07:41.13 And then we need to tie into a Roman 6:23 where it says 00:07:41.16\00:07:44.39 "For the wage of sin is death." 00:07:44.42\00:07:47.11 My friend, God is not being arbitrary about it 00:07:47.14\00:07:49.68 as we've already know that on number of occasions 00:07:49.71\00:07:51.89 in the end there is going to be no place for sin 00:07:51.92\00:07:55.96 and I say Thank you, Jesus. 00:07:55.99\00:07:59.68 The horrible mess that we've had to live with 00:07:59.71\00:08:02.47 and the problems of difficulties that sin 00:08:02.50\00:08:04.70 had brought into our lives, 00:08:04.73\00:08:06.30 I don't know about you, I'm fed up of it. 00:08:06.33\00:08:09.54 And I, when it's done 00:08:09.57\00:08:11.11 I want it to be done, I want it to be over. 00:08:11.14\00:08:15.02 And will preach us a sad chapter of the history of the universe 00:08:15.05\00:08:21.22 when it's over. 00:08:21.25\00:08:23.05 That's why the wages of sin is death 00:08:23.08\00:08:25.28 in the final analysis it will be destroyed. 00:08:25.31\00:08:28.40 But again, we have this you know, 00:08:28.43\00:08:30.62 I'm talking about the bad news 00:08:30.65\00:08:31.78 but I keep slipping into you'll find into the good news. 00:08:31.81\00:08:35.55 But this is a tribute to the depths of God's love 00:08:35.58\00:08:40.03 that He has paid the ultimate prize 00:08:40.06\00:08:43.83 so that we might be redeemed. 00:08:43.86\00:08:46.35 My friend, He doesn't want one of us here to die. 00:08:46.38\00:08:49.45 He does not want one individual in this community 00:08:49.48\00:08:53.21 or the state or in this world to perish. 00:08:53.24\00:08:59.53 But we have a choice. 00:08:59.56\00:09:02.48 We have a choice, right? 00:09:02.51\00:09:03.88 And choices do carry consequences. 00:09:03.91\00:09:06.78 And so the wages of sin is death. 00:09:06.81\00:09:08.95 Because the wages of sin is death 00:09:08.98\00:09:10.37 and all of us have sinned 00:09:10.40\00:09:11.69 therefore we are all deserving of death 00:09:11.72\00:09:13.41 because the Bible says that is the outcome of sin. 00:09:13.44\00:09:18.87 And then I take you to Jeremiah 13:23 on the screen. 00:09:18.90\00:09:22.65 We had asked the question 00:09:22.68\00:09:23.91 "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? 00:09:23.94\00:09:28.92 Then you also can do good who are accustomed to do evil." 00:09:28.95\00:09:32.32 Now what is this really talking about, do you know? 00:09:32.35\00:09:34.88 An Ethiopian-- by the way, lets settle it. 00:09:34.91\00:09:37.63 What kind of skin does an Ethiopian have? 00:09:37.66\00:09:40.36 Light, dark, medium what do you think? 00:09:40.39\00:09:43.30 Have you ever met an Ethiopian? 00:09:43.33\00:09:46.31 Very dark skin. 00:09:46.34\00:09:47.56 I've been in Ethiopia. 00:09:47.59\00:09:49.92 Very dark skin people and it talks about here, 00:09:49.95\00:09:55.42 God is talking about leopards. 00:09:55.45\00:09:58.01 Well, you know leopards, leopards have spots. 00:09:58.04\00:10:01.58 So what's the point, what's the point here? 00:10:01.61\00:10:05.03 Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? 00:10:05.06\00:10:08.28 Can a leopard change its spots? 00:10:08.31\00:10:12.31 My friend, there is a deep spiritual lesson 00:10:12.34\00:10:13.87 that is in all of this. 00:10:13.90\00:10:15.83 No, an Ethiopian cannot change the color of his skin 00:10:15.86\00:10:19.19 or her skin because an Ethiopian by nature has dark skin 00:10:19.22\00:10:25.86 and so it is with the leopard. 00:10:25.89\00:10:27.69 A leopard cannot change his spots because by nature 00:10:27.72\00:10:30.70 a leopard has spots and the spiritual lesson is this, 00:10:30.73\00:10:35.16 nor can we who have been tainted and deeply affected 00:10:35.19\00:10:38.26 by evil change our hearts. 00:10:38.29\00:10:42.35 We cannot change what we are by nature 00:10:42.38\00:10:45.66 and by nature we are fallen, by nature we are sinners, right. 00:10:45.69\00:10:51.99 I know, I told you this is gonna be the bad news of it. 00:10:52.02\00:10:55.28 Okay. And that is fundamental. 00:10:55.31\00:10:58.27 We got to get that clearly into out thinking we, you, me, 00:10:58.30\00:11:03.53 we cannot change what we are by nature. 00:11:03.56\00:11:07.54 Education's not gonna do it, culture is not gonna do it, 00:11:07.57\00:11:10.05 none of those things are gonna do it 00:11:10.08\00:11:12.18 is what the Bible tells us. 00:11:12.21\00:11:13.37 Now return to Matthew 5, the New Testament page 3. 00:11:13.40\00:11:16.96 Page 3, Matthew 5:20, actually chapter's 5-7 00:11:16.99\00:11:22.09 is a record of what we call the Sermon on the Mount 00:11:22.12\00:11:25.39 where Jesus is laying down the principles of His kingdom 00:11:25.42\00:11:29.54 and this all took place up there by the Sea of Galilee. 00:11:29.57\00:11:32.11 You remember the setting by the thousands 00:11:32.14\00:11:34.65 they have come to Jesus, 00:11:34.68\00:11:36.06 they have been spending a long day with Jesus 00:11:36.09\00:11:38.97 the time had just really sped by. 00:11:39.00\00:11:41.17 They just love the teachings of Jesus 00:11:41.20\00:11:43.22 but Jesus said something that to the average person 00:11:43.25\00:11:46.54 I can well imagine on that day that just must have, 00:11:46.57\00:11:49.31 absolutely just astounded them 00:11:49.34\00:11:52.67 because Jesus said here Matthew 5:20, 00:11:52.70\00:11:55.49 He said "For I say to you that unless your righteousness 00:11:55.52\00:12:00.53 surpasses that of the Scribes and the Pharisees 00:12:00.56\00:12:04.01 you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." 00:12:04.04\00:12:09.62 Now again, just consider, 00:12:09.65\00:12:11.69 you know, again what the average individual 00:12:11.72\00:12:13.26 must have been thinking. 00:12:13.29\00:12:14.47 They knew something about the Scribes and the Pharisees. 00:12:14.50\00:12:16.89 They knew lot about Scribes and the Pharisees. 00:12:16.92\00:12:19.33 They were quiet in the religiosity, 00:12:19.36\00:12:24.40 I mean, they were very demonstrative 00:12:24.43\00:12:27.42 at least of the claims that they made. 00:12:27.45\00:12:29.13 I mean, they were rigid more or less, 00:12:29.16\00:12:31.90 they were meticulous in the pursuit of purity 00:12:31.93\00:12:36.04 and that's what must have, 00:12:36.07\00:12:37.44 we would say in the modern vernacular 00:12:37.47\00:12:39.58 that must have blown them away 00:12:39.61\00:12:43.17 that Jesus would say of the Scribes in the Pharisees, 00:12:43.20\00:12:46.86 you know, your righteousness must exceed that of these 00:12:46.89\00:12:51.99 well, self righteousness man 00:12:52.02\00:12:54.26 that's what it really comes down to. 00:12:54.29\00:12:57.90 That must have just absolutely astounded them 00:12:57.93\00:13:00.07 that Jesus would say it. 00:13:00.10\00:13:01.86 And my friend, it is actually well, 00:13:01.89\00:13:04.36 it is true because Jesus said it was true, right. 00:13:04.39\00:13:07.43 All righteousness must exceed far exceed 00:13:07.46\00:13:10.11 that of the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees. 00:13:10.14\00:13:13.54 What God requires on this is not 99.9% perfection 00:13:13.57\00:13:20.35 He requires of us absolute perfection. 00:13:20.38\00:13:27.03 Anybody again discouraged at this point? 00:13:27.06\00:13:29.04 Just hang on, just hang on. The standard is high. 00:13:29.07\00:13:35.70 And, my friend, let me tell you the plan of salvation 00:13:35.73\00:13:39.44 does not encompass the lowering of the standard. 00:13:39.47\00:13:44.74 This would be against the very character of God 00:13:44.77\00:13:47.74 and what He stands for to lower the standard for our salvation. 00:13:47.77\00:13:52.85 I knew it would be at affect when I and you sinned God say 00:13:52.88\00:13:56.01 its all right, I know you didn't really-- 00:13:56.04\00:13:57.91 you didn't really mean to do this, 00:13:57.94\00:14:00.78 let's just forget it I forgive you. 00:14:00.81\00:14:03.41 No, no sin is much more serious than that. 00:14:03.44\00:14:06.46 It was so serious God could not do that 00:14:06.49\00:14:08.87 and be consistent with, with His principles 00:14:08.90\00:14:11.61 what He stood for and who He was in all of it. 00:14:11.64\00:14:16.39 This was of such a nature that required 00:14:16.42\00:14:18.47 the death of Jesus Christ to deal with this matter of sin. 00:14:18.50\00:14:22.35 It is never God saying, its all right, just forget it, 00:14:22.38\00:14:25.03 just, just you know. 00:14:25.06\00:14:27.02 God never lowers the standard in seeking to save us. 00:14:27.05\00:14:33.52 Now just hang in there, 00:14:33.55\00:14:34.72 I know that can be some kind of discouraging 00:14:34.75\00:14:37.53 to know that the standard is so high the problem. 00:14:37.56\00:14:40.35 The difficulty of that is we've already know that, 00:14:40.38\00:14:43.49 we are sinners we've been corrupted by evil 00:14:43.52\00:14:45.76 all of us have sinned 00:14:45.84\00:14:48.44 and we cannot possibly measure up to these requirements of God. 00:14:48.47\00:14:53.77 We've fallen short, haven't we? We have failed. 00:14:53.80\00:14:59.78 And, my friend, salvation does not encompass us pulling 00:14:59.81\00:15:03.69 ourselves up by the boot straps trying just hard enough 00:15:03.72\00:15:06.99 and if we try hard enough we will attain to the goal. 00:15:07.02\00:15:12.74 That is absolutely goal is at actually. 00:15:12.77\00:15:15.65 It's self made religion. 00:15:15.68\00:15:19.38 It's like reminds me of and I think I share this with you 00:15:19.41\00:15:22.18 once before in my last series down Thousand Oak, California 00:15:22.21\00:15:25.74 had a Muslim woman, 35 years of age coming 00:15:25.77\00:15:28.32 she was trying straight work this all out you know, 00:15:28.35\00:15:32.11 she want a meaning in her life, she was looking for it. 00:15:32.14\00:15:35.32 And she didn't know where to find it. 00:15:35.35\00:15:36.50 She was studying on the internet 00:15:36.53\00:15:38.21 through all of this world religions, 00:15:38.24\00:15:40.31 you may remember I shared this with you 00:15:40.34\00:15:42.13 and I told to Mona, I said Mona, you will spend a whole lifetime 00:15:42.16\00:15:47.14 and you still wont be able to study them all out. 00:15:47.17\00:15:50.33 And I said the one major difference between Christianity 00:15:50.36\00:15:54.86 and all other religions is that of a Savior. 00:15:54.89\00:16:01.14 And you have to decide whether and you know she understood sin 00:16:01.17\00:16:06.25 she did understand sin and the question I said Mona, 00:16:06.28\00:16:09.82 is do you need a Savior to help you deal with your sins? 00:16:09.85\00:16:16.21 And, my friend, that's the crucial issue. 00:16:16.24\00:16:19.27 All other religions are about self improvement. 00:16:19.30\00:16:24.21 Just follow the system, just follow the program 00:16:24.24\00:16:29.34 and you'll come out on the other side. 00:16:29.37\00:16:32.20 Well, that is not the way the Christianity works 00:16:32.23\00:16:35.68 but someone just thinking does creep in 00:16:35.71\00:16:37.84 because there we often think there just has to be something 00:16:37.87\00:16:40.83 that we do something we must do. 00:16:40.86\00:16:43.15 Look at Romans 9 the New Testament page 125, 00:16:43.18\00:16:47.63 Romans 9:31, 32. 00:16:47.66\00:16:50.94 This was the fundamental problem among God's people 00:16:50.97\00:16:55.07 when Jesus walked on the earth. 00:16:55.10\00:16:57.79 That is among His people the Jews 00:16:57.82\00:17:00.33 and Paul addresses that issue here on Romans 9 00:17:00.36\00:17:03.15 and beginning with verse 31. 00:17:03.18\00:17:06.57 Where He says 00:17:06.60\00:17:07.78 "But Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness" 00:17:07.81\00:17:13.20 they pursued it, they believed in it, 00:17:13.23\00:17:16.06 they taught it, so they persuaded 00:17:16.09\00:17:19.61 but it says sadly "did not arrive at that law." 00:17:19.64\00:17:22.88 In other words they did not, 00:17:22.91\00:17:24.40 they were not successful in fulfilling that 00:17:24.43\00:17:27.58 which was required of them. 00:17:27.61\00:17:29.81 And then the questions asked verse 32, "Why," 00:17:29.84\00:17:32.47 why would that be? 00:17:32.50\00:17:34.49 They believed in the law, 00:17:34.52\00:17:35.95 as I said already they taught it, 00:17:35.98\00:17:38.44 they had all of these rules about 00:17:38.47\00:17:40.31 how you were to keep the law. 00:17:40.34\00:17:42.46 All the rules were multiplied. 00:17:42.49\00:17:46.64 Well, here comes the answer, 00:17:46.67\00:17:47.70 "Because they did not pursue it by faith 00:17:47.73\00:17:50.99 but as though it were by works." 00:17:51.02\00:17:54.34 Now look at this carefully, 00:17:54.37\00:17:56.20 was Paul faulting them for pursuing a law? 00:17:56.23\00:17:59.57 Was that the fundamental problem? 00:17:59.60\00:18:02.52 No, that was not the problem. 00:18:02.55\00:18:04.65 The problem was in how they were seeking fulfill the law. 00:18:04.68\00:18:08.34 And how were they seeking to fulfill it? 00:18:08.37\00:18:11.54 Through their own works 00:18:11.57\00:18:13.04 that is through their own efforts. 00:18:13.07\00:18:17.49 And, my friend, we can fall into that deadly type of thinking 00:18:17.52\00:18:23.81 that somehow we must make ourselves good enough. 00:18:23.84\00:18:28.54 If I'm just obedient then God will smile upon me 00:18:28.57\00:18:33.24 and you know, the doors of salvation 00:18:33.27\00:18:36.11 will be opened to me and eternal life will be mine. 00:18:36.14\00:18:40.49 My friend, eternal life will not be granted to one of us 00:18:40.52\00:18:44.87 who have depended upon ourselves in anyway 00:18:44.90\00:18:48.68 when it comes to the matter of salvation. 00:18:48.71\00:18:51.79 I tell you, you are not the savior, 00:18:51.82\00:18:53.94 I'm not the savior He is the Savior from sin. 00:18:53.97\00:18:59.27 Think that over, we got to be sure we got this down. 00:18:59.30\00:19:02.93 So, how are we to seek to fulfill 00:19:02.96\00:19:05.75 the righteous demands of the law? 00:19:05.78\00:19:07.08 What's the answer? No word. 00:19:07.11\00:19:09.65 Would I pursue it by faith and no more talking about faith, 00:19:09.68\00:19:12.73 we are talking about relationship 00:19:12.76\00:19:15.02 for faith does not stand alone faith is always connected 00:19:15.05\00:19:19.56 to our commitment in Jesus Christ, isn't it. 00:19:19.59\00:19:24.80 It's our commitment to Jesus 00:19:24.83\00:19:27.22 and so it's out of our faith experience 00:19:27.25\00:19:30.38 out of our relationship to Jesus that the law is fulfilled. 00:19:30.41\00:19:34.48 I'm gonna get more specific about it 00:19:34.51\00:19:36.33 and I'm getting, I know I'm slipping into good news, 00:19:36.36\00:19:38.89 I guess there is no way to talk about the bad news 00:19:38.92\00:19:41.30 without getting a little bit of good news 00:19:41.33\00:19:42.88 in to the whole process 00:19:42.91\00:19:44.70 but the Scribe and the Pharisees are Jesus, 00:19:44.73\00:19:47.93 you know if Jesus had any frustration 00:19:47.96\00:19:55.00 it was with these self made, 00:19:55.03\00:19:58.21 self righteous individuals. 00:19:58.24\00:20:03.47 It was coming to the end of this ministry 00:20:03.50\00:20:04.89 as we come to Matthew 23:27 on the screen. 00:20:04.92\00:20:08.52 Coming to end of this ministry 00:20:08.55\00:20:09.83 after three and half years and steadily they had been 00:20:09.86\00:20:14.54 hardening their hearts against Jesus. 00:20:14.57\00:20:18.65 They put themselves on a course 00:20:18.68\00:20:19.87 where they were not going to believe. 00:20:19.90\00:20:22.11 They didn't a feel a need, 00:20:22.14\00:20:23.51 now notice they did not feel a need of Him. 00:20:23.54\00:20:26.52 They saw Him as a threat, 00:20:26.55\00:20:29.59 a threat that needed to be eliminated. 00:20:29.62\00:20:33.54 And He knew what was going on. 00:20:33.57\00:20:36.93 He is-- Jesus loved them right? 00:20:36.96\00:20:40.01 Be clear on this Jesus does love the Pharisee, the legalist. 00:20:40.04\00:20:46.10 But He knows that you know, 00:20:46.13\00:20:49.08 something fundamental has to change in their thinking 00:20:49.11\00:20:52.90 and so Jesus coming to the end of His ministry here 00:20:52.93\00:20:56.04 and He is seeking someway to get the point across. 00:20:56.07\00:21:00.68 This may sound harsh but Jesus was trying to, 00:21:00.71\00:21:04.00 trying to get them to really listen. 00:21:04.03\00:21:06.52 To really see themselves for what they really were. 00:21:06.55\00:21:09.49 They were so pretentious about this, 00:21:09.52\00:21:11.27 they had sold themselves a bill of goods, 00:21:11.30\00:21:13.80 they were self deceived, 00:21:13.83\00:21:16.05 they thought they were righteous. 00:21:16.08\00:21:17.69 But Jesus said to them in verse 27 of Matthew 23 00:21:17.72\00:21:21.01 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" 00:21:21.04\00:21:24.38 Can you imagine how they must've felt 00:21:24.41\00:21:26.30 hearing Jesus say that. 00:21:26.33\00:21:27.89 I can imagine the adrenaline 00:21:27.92\00:21:29.94 and that the anger welling up within them. 00:21:29.97\00:21:33.92 The self righteous men that Jesus would presume 00:21:33.95\00:21:37.95 and publicly to do so to call them a hypocrite. 00:21:37.98\00:21:41.63 He goes on to say, "For you are like whitewashed tombs 00:21:46.23\00:21:49.30 which on the outside appear beautiful, 00:21:49.33\00:21:51.44 but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 00:21:51.47\00:21:55.56 Even so you too outwardly appear, 00:21:55.59\00:21:59.89 appear righteous to men 00:21:59.92\00:22:01.24 but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy" 00:22:01.27\00:22:05.26 and notice the word "lawlessness." 00:22:05.29\00:22:09.71 In spite of all their pretentiousness 00:22:09.74\00:22:14.96 Jesus was trying to get them 00:22:14.99\00:22:16.49 to really see themselves for what they really were. 00:22:16.52\00:22:20.76 And my friend, that is essential to our spiritual welfare, 00:22:20.79\00:22:26.67 for us to really see ourselves for what we really are. 00:22:26.70\00:22:32.56 This is part of what the spirit-- 00:22:32.59\00:22:34.20 and this is the painful part of it. 00:22:34.23\00:22:37.25 The Spirit of God is working on our hearts 00:22:37.28\00:22:40.21 and God wants to get this whole ugly thing out in the open. 00:22:40.24\00:22:44.41 We can't hide it, it's not good for us to hide it. 00:22:44.44\00:22:49.49 We've got to get it out in the open. 00:22:49.52\00:22:52.19 Acknowledge and to understand 00:22:52.22\00:22:54.11 something of the nature of the problem 00:22:54.14\00:22:57.52 which reminds me and Gayle probably will relate to this 00:22:57.55\00:23:01.55 because remember Gayle and I, 00:23:01.58\00:23:03.58 Gayle was pastoring a district up in North Central Washington 00:23:03.61\00:23:07.75 and I took over that district, they moved out of that house, 00:23:07.78\00:23:10.77 that parsonage and we could do whatever was we were moving in. 00:23:10.80\00:23:15.42 We are talking about that house up there 00:23:15.45\00:23:18.11 and after two years of being there 00:23:18.14\00:23:21.42 I had Dick Renfrew come in to do 00:23:21.45\00:23:23.88 a series of meetings in Tonasket. 00:23:23.91\00:23:26.65 I don't know if you know the Okanogan country up there, 00:23:26.68\00:23:30.16 Dick and Rose we had a great time together 00:23:30.19\00:23:32.63 and we had a number people quiet a number of people 00:23:32.66\00:23:35.24 that were coming 00:23:35.27\00:23:36.91 and I remember that Alvin Doyle remember Doyle's. 00:23:36.94\00:23:41.90 Alvin and his wife were coming. 00:23:41.93\00:23:44.03 Now Alvin had been in orchid business 00:23:44.06\00:23:46.19 but now is in retirement and they had sold off place 00:23:46.22\00:23:51.35 and so they had this beautiful home 00:23:51.38\00:23:53.00 that they built in Auroville, about 1500 in population. 00:23:53.03\00:24:00.38 Alvin and his wife had been coming. 00:24:00.41\00:24:01.73 Alvin's wife was a Christian, 00:24:01.76\00:24:03.43 Alvin had never professed to be a Christian. 00:24:03.46\00:24:05.56 He just was really one of the nicest guys 00:24:05.59\00:24:07.45 you could ever expect to meet, really a nice kind gentleman. 00:24:07.48\00:24:13.81 And he had been coming as I said with his wife 00:24:13.84\00:24:15.90 and so once on the afternoon 00:24:15.93\00:24:17.23 Dick and I stopped by to visit with the Doyle's 00:24:17.26\00:24:19.67 and they graciously invited us into their front room 00:24:19.70\00:24:23.30 and we sat down we just had 00:24:23.33\00:24:24.59 some really pleasant conversation together 00:24:24.62\00:24:26.95 but we were talking to-- 00:24:26.98\00:24:28.08 began to talk a little bit about spiritual things 00:24:28.11\00:24:30.06 and some of the things we had been studying in the meetings 00:24:30.09\00:24:33.20 and I will never forget what Alvin said is 00:24:33.23\00:24:35.71 we were talking about our relationship to Jesus 00:24:35.74\00:24:38.22 the pine salvation and that commitment, 00:24:38.25\00:24:41.38 you know, to Jesus as our Savior. 00:24:41.41\00:24:44.13 Alvin said to Dick and to me, 00:24:44.16\00:24:47.09 he said that he felt that he was 00:24:47.12\00:24:48.50 as good as any Christian he'd ever met. 00:24:48.53\00:24:52.43 Now think about this for a minute. 00:24:52.46\00:24:54.76 You know, actually from a human standpoint 00:24:54.79\00:24:56.72 he probably was correct. Probably was correct. 00:24:56.75\00:25:02.53 And then he went on to say that he was a good man 00:25:02.56\00:25:06.05 and surely God would accept him. 00:25:06.08\00:25:10.32 Now he wasn't going through all the religiosity 00:25:10.35\00:25:13.22 of the scribes and the Pharisees 00:25:13.25\00:25:14.76 and all the pretentiousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, 00:25:14.79\00:25:18.39 but notice really what he was saying. 00:25:18.42\00:25:21.33 He was saying that he really didn't need 00:25:21.36\00:25:24.33 a personal relationship with Jesus Christ 00:25:24.36\00:25:27.40 because he felt that he was good enough 00:25:27.43\00:25:31.59 and that is a fatal deception. 00:25:31.62\00:25:34.33 I find that, you know, it's a temptation for many of us. 00:25:34.36\00:25:38.40 You know, I'm not a drunkard, 00:25:38.43\00:25:39.74 I've never behaved drug addict, 00:25:39.77\00:25:41.06 I haven't been living in immoral life, 00:25:41.09\00:25:43.63 you know, I'm a responsible person, 00:25:43.66\00:25:45.43 I provide for my family you know, I'm a good citizen, 00:25:45.46\00:25:50.35 I haven't done anything particularly bad. 00:25:50.38\00:25:52.81 Oh yeah, I lied once when I was a kid 00:25:52.84\00:25:54.76 or something like that 00:25:54.79\00:25:55.83 you know, people think that way. 00:25:55.86\00:25:59.70 I'm not like the guy in skid row, 00:25:59.73\00:26:01.99 the drunk, the drunkard, you know the drunk. 00:26:02.02\00:26:05.63 I'm not that and there is no sense of need. 00:26:05.66\00:26:10.93 But my friend, bless his heart 00:26:10.96\00:26:15.97 Alvin was depended up on how good he was 00:26:16.00\00:26:21.03 and what have we read from the Bible is that gonna cut it ever. 00:26:21.06\00:26:25.84 No, it's not gonna cut it. 00:26:25.87\00:26:28.90 It's not going to save us, 00:26:28.93\00:26:30.14 it's not going to get us through. 00:26:30.17\00:26:32.58 And so what's the answer to all of this? 00:26:32.61\00:26:37.30 What is the answer? 00:26:37.33\00:26:38.64 Well, I think you have some idea 00:26:38.67\00:26:40.38 where I'm going with all of this. 00:26:40.41\00:26:42.75 But its very clear the Pharisees 00:26:42.78\00:26:44.71 as we can be we're concerned 00:26:44.74\00:26:46.56 about the exterior things of life, 00:26:46.59\00:26:48.71 the outward things of life. 00:26:48.74\00:26:50.54 Remember, Jesus said it 00:26:50.57\00:26:51.92 of them they appeared to be righteous. 00:26:51.95\00:26:58.80 But you see God reads the heart. 00:26:58.83\00:27:02.35 God sees us for what we really are. 00:27:02.38\00:27:04.65 We could be self deceived 00:27:04.68\00:27:05.72 but God sees us for what we really are. 00:27:05.75\00:27:09.71 There is no hiding from it 00:27:09.74\00:27:11.90 but I just remind you as God the searcher of our hearts, 00:27:11.93\00:27:17.18 we must be reminded 00:27:17.21\00:27:19.04 that He is a God of love 00:27:19.07\00:27:25.84 who's not seeking to condemn us 00:27:25.87\00:27:29.86 and to destroy us. 00:27:29.89\00:27:31.63 He is seeking to help us, to save us. 00:27:31.66\00:27:35.33 Look at Matthew 15:19 the New Testament page 13. 00:27:35.36\00:27:39.50 Jesus again spoke of this whole matter 00:27:39.53\00:27:41.28 and He is really getting into the heart of the whole problem. 00:27:41.31\00:27:44.66 Now we have to come to turns with Matthew 15:19. 00:27:44.69\00:27:51.33 And he makes a very, very vital point, 00:27:51.36\00:27:54.13 a very vital statement right here. 00:27:54.16\00:27:56.67 He said, "For out of the heart," out of the heart 00:27:56.70\00:27:59.13 "come evil thoughts murders, adulteries, fornications, 00:27:59.16\00:28:02.92 thefts, false witness, slanders," 00:28:02.95\00:28:05.60 and the list could go on and on. 00:28:05.63\00:28:07.96 My friend, it is a heart problem 00:28:07.99\00:28:09.65 and you know we are not talking about this organ 00:28:09.68\00:28:11.62 that beats and provides blood for the body. 00:28:11.65\00:28:14.05 We are talking about the core of what we are, 00:28:14.08\00:28:16.14 what we are at the very core of our being. 00:28:16.17\00:28:20.63 Again, we have been corrupted by evil. 00:28:20.66\00:28:23.30 And it's out of the heart that all of this follows 00:28:23.33\00:28:26.22 and my friend, you cannot deal with exterior things of the life 00:28:26.25\00:28:30.20 to deal with the problem 00:28:30.23\00:28:31.53 they are just symptomatic of the problem. 00:28:31.56\00:28:35.55 They are symptomatic of a heart problem, 00:28:35.58\00:28:37.74 we need a heart transplant that's what we need. 00:28:37.77\00:28:43.16 And only God can do that as in divine position by the way. 00:28:43.19\00:28:47.09 There needs to be change of the heart 00:28:47.12\00:28:49.57 that's what it is, it's fundamental. 00:28:49.60\00:28:51.96 Absolutely that's why in Proverbs 23: 26 00:28:51.99\00:28:54.80 the Lord says, "Give Me your heart, My son." 00:28:54.83\00:28:58.36 And I'm going to tell you this is something 00:28:58.39\00:29:00.48 some of us struggle with this to gear myself, 00:29:00.51\00:29:03.35 to yield myself fully and completely to Jesus 00:29:03.38\00:29:06.47 unreservedly and particularly again those of us 00:29:06.50\00:29:11.54 who are strong willed. 00:29:11.57\00:29:14.86 You know, at some point 00:29:14.89\00:29:15.92 we have to wave the white flag 00:29:15.95\00:29:17.55 and say, I surrender. I surrender. 00:29:17.58\00:29:24.51 And we have to understand that 00:29:24.54\00:29:26.38 only He is the one that can resolve it. 00:29:26.41\00:29:28.07 Romans 3, the New Testament page 121, 121, Romans 3:28. 00:29:28.10\00:29:35.20 Romans 3, oh, yes we're gonna be in and out of Romans. 00:29:35.23\00:29:37.98 We've already been in and out of Romans for Paul deals 00:29:38.01\00:29:41.26 with these fundamental issues 00:29:41.29\00:29:42.93 and he makes this really vital statement 00:29:42.96\00:29:44.87 when he says, "For we maintain that a man is justified." 00:29:44.90\00:29:48.99 Justified means to be accepted, 00:29:49.02\00:29:51.14 acceptance is the essence of salvation. 00:29:51.17\00:29:56.38 "For we maintain that a man is justified, 00:29:56.41\00:29:58.04 he is saved, she is saved by faith." 00:29:58.07\00:30:01.97 Getting back to the relationship 00:30:02.00\00:30:03.82 "apart from works of the law." 00:30:03.85\00:30:07.87 My friend, we are not saved, 00:30:07.90\00:30:10.06 we are not justified we are not accepted 00:30:10.09\00:30:13.39 because we made ourselves good enough 00:30:13.42\00:30:16.06 because guess what, we can never ourselves 00:30:16.09\00:30:18.44 good enough to be saved, right. 00:30:18.47\00:30:25.08 We cannot make ourselves good enough. 00:30:25.11\00:30:27.54 So we are saved by faith apart from the words 00:30:27.57\00:30:31.15 of the law again is what the Bible clearly says. 00:30:31.18\00:30:34.11 So its not, it's by faith 00:30:34.14\00:30:37.99 that we come, not by our works. 00:30:38.02\00:30:40.76 It is our utter helplessness, 00:30:40.79\00:30:43.94 it is in the nakedness of our soul 00:30:43.97\00:30:46.36 that we come to Him and yet there are those 00:30:46.39\00:30:49.50 who believe that somehow they must change their lives 00:30:49.53\00:30:52.27 when they think about coming to Jesus 00:30:52.30\00:30:53.81 they must change their lives, 00:30:53.84\00:30:54.88 they must stop their bad habits and start doing good, 00:30:54.91\00:30:57.80 establishing good habits before they can come to Jesus. 00:30:57.83\00:31:01.17 My friend, listen to me that is a deception 00:31:01.20\00:31:03.78 it is one of Satan's lies. 00:31:03.81\00:31:08.66 We do not seek the change ourselves 00:31:08.69\00:31:11.17 to make it somehow good enough, 00:31:11.20\00:31:12.38 at least on some minimal level so that we can come to Jesus. 00:31:12.41\00:31:18.50 It's backwards if we could fix the problem before we came 00:31:18.53\00:31:23.16 we wouldn't have to come in the first place, right. 00:31:23.19\00:31:27.33 We wouldn't have to come in the first place. 00:31:27.36\00:31:29.51 No, we come just as we are. 00:31:29.54\00:31:31.30 And my friend, that is the beauty of the plan 00:31:31.33\00:31:33.17 of salvation that is also absolutely free 00:31:33.20\00:31:37.06 to know that God knows me better then I know myself, 00:31:37.09\00:31:39.64 my life is open to Him and yet He loves me 00:31:39.67\00:31:42.69 and He longs for me and He invites me 00:31:42.72\00:31:44.77 to come just as I am. 00:31:44.80\00:31:45.83 Yes, me with my temper, me with all of the problems 00:31:45.86\00:31:48.66 and all of the issues that I have with my life. 00:31:48.69\00:31:53.42 I can come us as I am 00:31:53.45\00:31:55.05 and I know that He will receive me, 00:31:55.08\00:31:57.82 I know that because He loves me 00:31:57.85\00:32:01.49 and then it puts aside when we really grab a whole 00:32:01.52\00:32:04.49 of this personally it puts aside all of the game play 00:32:04.52\00:32:09.09 that we can get into as professing Christians. 00:32:09.12\00:32:13.24 It gets us away from wearing the mask that we could do 00:32:13.27\00:32:17.40 you know, that we are so good at wearing in church, 00:32:17.43\00:32:21.44 going through the appearance 00:32:21.47\00:32:24.22 when at heart there may be issues 00:32:24.25\00:32:26.11 that are just burning within us, 00:32:26.14\00:32:28.27 conflicts within, conflicts without. 00:32:28.30\00:32:32.30 And my friend, I tell you again its free, 00:32:32.33\00:32:35.22 I've been there 00:32:35.25\00:32:37.13 it's just freeing to be able to come to Jesus 00:32:37.16\00:32:39.32 and to know that He loves me, 00:32:39.35\00:32:41.01 He loves me sinner than I am. 00:32:41.04\00:32:44.36 And again comes just as I am 00:32:44.39\00:32:46.35 and He will accept me and He will forgive me 00:32:46.38\00:32:49.89 and He doesn't say, change your life 00:32:49.92\00:32:51.66 and then you come. 00:32:51.69\00:32:52.72 He doesn't say change your life and then I'll forgive you, 00:32:52.75\00:32:54.96 no come as you are that was one of the songs 00:32:54.99\00:32:57.78 that was being sung at the very beginning if you remember. 00:32:57.81\00:33:02.79 Yes, its all-- it's wonderful 00:33:02.82\00:33:04.65 to know that there is a God that loves us so fully like that. 00:33:04.68\00:33:08.60 All right just can't get out, keep from the good news can I? 00:33:08.63\00:33:13.65 Ephesians 2:8, 9 says, 00:33:13.68\00:33:15.81 "For by grace you have been saved through faith 00:33:15.84\00:33:18.68 and that not of yourselves," 00:33:18.71\00:33:20.49 it is never of us it's always at Him. 00:33:20.52\00:33:24.25 If it was about us then you know 00:33:24.28\00:33:25.69 we are on the wrong track you know that. 00:33:25.72\00:33:28.56 We are on the wrong track. 00:33:28.59\00:33:30.24 "It is the gift of God." Oh, no, it can't be that simple. 00:33:30.27\00:33:35.80 It's a gift. Really it's a gift, yes it is. 00:33:35.83\00:33:42.28 "Not as a result of works" which means again it's not 00:33:42.31\00:33:48.93 because we have made ourselves worthy enough, good enough. 00:33:48.96\00:33:56.63 My friend, we got to get this out of thinking. 00:33:56.66\00:34:00.32 We are never worthy. 00:34:00.35\00:34:05.09 If you feel that God can only accept you 00:34:05.12\00:34:09.75 when you are worthy my friend, 00:34:09.78\00:34:12.43 you'll never get there and it remains so. 00:34:12.46\00:34:19.09 I don't care if you've been in the way for 40 years 00:34:19.12\00:34:22.98 you are not gonna be saved 00:34:23.01\00:34:24.45 because you ever come to the point that you are worthy. 00:34:24.48\00:34:27.99 Never, never, ever. 00:34:28.02\00:34:31.31 My friend, the point is there is only one 00:34:31.34\00:34:33.32 that is worthy and that's Jesus. 00:34:33.35\00:34:35.90 I've got to-- you know, 00:34:35.93\00:34:38.19 get that connection tonight very clearly. 00:34:38.22\00:34:40.33 Look at Romans 5:8 the New Testament page 122, 00:34:40.36\00:34:44.49 122 Romans 5:8 where it says, 00:34:44.52\00:34:47.24 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us," 00:34:47.27\00:34:49.79 His own personal love, His own commitment to us 00:34:49.82\00:34:52.53 "in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 00:34:52.56\00:34:55.58 There it is clearly indicated that God loves us as sinners. 00:34:55.61\00:35:01.01 And since it is a sinners that Christ died for 00:35:01.04\00:35:03.59 and that God loves us 00:35:03.62\00:35:04.92 it is as sinners that we must come to Him, right. 00:35:04.95\00:35:08.42 It is as sinner that we come to Him. 00:35:08.45\00:35:11.51 That's how it works. 00:35:11.54\00:35:12.57 And Luke 15 the New Testament page 60. 00:35:12.60\00:35:16.68 Luke 15 and looking at verses 1 and 2. 00:35:16.71\00:35:19.80 Here again we see the scribes 00:35:19.83\00:35:21.13 and the Pharisees struggling with this. 00:35:21.16\00:35:23.90 I mean again they were self made man 00:35:23.93\00:35:26.01 they were self righteous, 00:35:26.04\00:35:28.03 you know, they thought they had attained it. 00:35:28.06\00:35:31.54 What deception. 00:35:31.57\00:35:33.41 And my friend, that deception must not be ours. 00:35:33.44\00:35:36.13 Here it is Luke 15 began with verse 1, 00:35:36.16\00:35:38.37 "Now all the tax collectors 00:35:38.40\00:35:39.84 and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him." 00:35:39.87\00:35:42.67 That was just something about Jesus the way 00:35:42.70\00:35:44.31 that He talked that these sinners, 00:35:44.34\00:35:47.10 tax collectors are they were kind of the outcast 00:35:47.13\00:35:49.73 they represent the hatred Romans 00:35:49.76\00:35:52.33 there was something about Jesus 00:35:52.36\00:35:53.82 that made them feel comfortable coming near Him. 00:35:53.85\00:35:57.59 They were coming right up close to Him. 00:35:57.62\00:35:59.82 They wanted to be right there in the front seats. 00:35:59.85\00:36:02.24 They didn't want to miss one word 00:36:02.27\00:36:04.82 that was coming from the lips of Jesus, 00:36:04.85\00:36:06.57 they were listening intently. 00:36:06.60\00:36:08.63 There was just something about the way that He spoke. 00:36:08.66\00:36:11.13 Then we-- here they come verse 2, 00:36:11.16\00:36:13.27 "Both the Pharisees and the scribes 00:36:13.30\00:36:15.03 began to grumble, saying, 00:36:15.06\00:36:16.42 'This man receives sinners and eats with them.'" 00:36:16.45\00:36:19.91 How can He do that? 00:36:19.94\00:36:22.28 Doesn't He know what kind of people 00:36:22.31\00:36:24.20 He is associating with? 00:36:24.23\00:36:27.39 Let me tell you this 00:36:27.42\00:36:28.45 and go on in the church shame on us. 00:36:28.48\00:36:32.01 If it goes on in the church and it does. 00:36:32.04\00:36:34.85 That's what in the series of meetings 00:36:34.88\00:36:36.13 that was years ago 00:36:36.16\00:36:37.32 and I had two young women who were coming. 00:36:37.35\00:36:39.98 They were known to the church, 00:36:40.01\00:36:41.35 they had been raised as Christians in that church, 00:36:41.38\00:36:44.21 had departed from God 00:36:44.24\00:36:46.09 but there was something that had drawn them 00:36:46.12\00:36:47.84 into the meetings and they were coming 00:36:47.87\00:36:50.37 and they were coming 00:36:50.40\00:36:51.92 and two to three weeks in the meetings 00:36:51.95\00:36:53.41 that was a board meeting. 00:36:53.44\00:36:55.45 I wasn't invited but there was some discussions 00:36:55.48\00:36:57.60 about these two young women that were attending the meetings 00:36:57.63\00:37:00.79 and the decision was taken by the board 00:37:00.82\00:37:02.78 and it was communicated to me that under no circumstances 00:37:02.81\00:37:07.33 were those two young ladies to ever be re-baptized. 00:37:07.36\00:37:11.99 I turned on the phone and I called up 00:37:12.02\00:37:16.03 my superior Ben Liebelt 00:37:16.06\00:37:20.46 and I said Ben, in all my years of ministry 00:37:20.49\00:37:23.51 I never had anybody tell me 00:37:23.54\00:37:25.05 who I can lead to Christ and who I could not. 00:37:25.08\00:37:27.81 I just could not believe it. 00:37:27.84\00:37:29.42 I thought to myself, don't they see any potential 00:37:29.45\00:37:31.84 what God could do in their lives 00:37:31.87\00:37:34.67 that they will take that kind of position. 00:37:34.70\00:37:38.19 And so being independent guy that I was I just kept working, 00:37:38.22\00:37:42.11 I kept preaching, I kept visiting, 00:37:42.14\00:37:44.57 I kept encouraging, 00:37:44.60\00:37:45.94 I guess I already said that didn't I 00:37:45.97\00:37:47.88 and one of them made a recommitment to Jesus Christ. 00:37:47.91\00:37:51.05 How could she be denied, you tell me. 00:37:51.08\00:37:54.99 Now the other didn't make that decision 00:37:55.02\00:37:58.37 but shame on the church 00:37:58.40\00:38:02.39 that would be so self righteous 00:38:02.42\00:38:05.60 that they'll take that position of Pharisee, 00:38:05.63\00:38:08.15 how dare he associate 00:38:08.18\00:38:11.39 with this lower class of people. 00:38:11.42\00:38:14.17 May that never be said of us 00:38:14.20\00:38:16.12 who have been saved by such marvelous grace 00:38:16.15\00:38:18.51 from our own sins. 00:38:18.54\00:38:21.55 Aren't we not to have some compassion 00:38:21.58\00:38:24.64 because we are in the same predicament 00:38:24.67\00:38:27.25 as every other sinner? 00:38:27.28\00:38:30.07 Should we not have compassion? 00:38:30.10\00:38:32.35 You know, I tell you sometimes we as professing Christians 00:38:32.38\00:38:36.16 actually can have so we can have hard, cold hearts. 00:38:36.19\00:38:42.84 I have to tell something, something's missing. 00:38:42.87\00:38:45.09 I'll tell you what it is in every case. 00:38:45.12\00:38:47.32 It's the love of Jesus that's missing 00:38:47.35\00:38:49.65 because when you have the love of Jesus in your heart 00:38:49.68\00:38:52.28 you cannot judge people that way. 00:38:52.31\00:38:55.79 You can't treat people that way. 00:38:55.82\00:38:58.22 Can you? No, I don't believe so. 00:38:58.25\00:39:03.92 You know, it's like the words of that all gospels song 00:39:03.95\00:39:07.35 "Just as I am, without one plea, 00:39:07.38\00:39:09.72 but that thy blood was shed for me, 00:39:09.75\00:39:12.24 and that thou bidd'st me come to thee, 00:39:12.27\00:39:13.67 Oh God. Lamb of God. 00:39:13.70\00:39:15.78 I come, I come." 00:39:15.81\00:39:20.65 Matthew 9, the New Testament page 7. 00:39:20.68\00:39:23.74 Matthew 9:10- 13. 00:39:23.77\00:39:25.76 I've got to keep moving here. 00:39:25.79\00:39:27.68 I'm dwelling too much on-- but these essential things 00:39:27.71\00:39:31.02 I just want to be sure that 00:39:31.05\00:39:32.40 they're really clear in our thinking. 00:39:32.43\00:39:34.51 It could be make such a tremendous difference 00:39:34.54\00:39:36.97 in our spiritual welfare 00:39:37.00\00:39:38.74 and in the joy that is ours in Jesus 00:39:38.77\00:39:41.25 when we realize it's not of us it is always of Him. 00:39:41.28\00:39:45.58 And here we have them again, Matthew 9:10. 00:39:45.61\00:39:49.01 It says "Then it happened that 00:39:49.04\00:39:50.32 as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, 00:39:50.35\00:39:54.15 behold, many tax collectors and sinners came 00:39:54.18\00:39:57.03 and were dining with Jesus and His disciples." 00:39:57.06\00:39:59.24 Jesus had just called Matthew 00:39:59.27\00:40:00.69 a tax collector to be one of his closes disciples. 00:40:00.72\00:40:03.77 Matthew had invited 00:40:03.80\00:40:05.59 all of his tax collecting friends 00:40:05.62\00:40:08.40 and there were sinners among them, 00:40:08.43\00:40:09.99 they were all sinners weren't they? 00:40:10.02\00:40:12.25 And he invited Jesus to come to meet, 00:40:12.28\00:40:15.15 you know, with them. 00:40:15.18\00:40:16.44 You know, so he was already a missionary. 00:40:16.47\00:40:18.36 Wasn't He? Matthew was. 00:40:18.39\00:40:19.98 He's already showing the good news. 00:40:20.01\00:40:21.73 Verse 11, "When the Pharisee saw this," 00:40:21.76\00:40:24.03 they were always close on hand with Jesus somehow, 00:40:24.06\00:40:27.28 "they said to His disciples, 'Why is your teacher eating 00:40:27.31\00:40:30.10 with the tax collectors and sinners?'" 00:40:30.13\00:40:32.58 They just couldn't get this. 00:40:32.61\00:40:34.29 "But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those 00:40:34.32\00:40:36.91 who are healthy who need a physician, 00:40:36.94\00:40:39.12 but those who are sick. 00:40:39.15\00:40:41.17 But go and learn what this means 00:40:41.20\00:40:44.14 'I desire'" and what is the next word 00:40:44.17\00:40:47.71 "'I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,' 00:40:47.74\00:40:51.92 for I did not come to call the righteous, 00:40:51.95\00:40:54.68 but sinners." 00:40:54.71\00:40:57.26 And my friend, I'm one of those sinners 00:40:57.29\00:40:59.62 and Jesus came for me 00:40:59.65\00:41:03.06 and Jesus called me at some point in my life 00:41:03.09\00:41:06.96 and He still calls me. 00:41:06.99\00:41:09.17 And Jesus has come to many of you 00:41:09.20\00:41:12.36 and He has called you, as a sinner. 00:41:12.39\00:41:15.76 Praise His holy name. 00:41:15.79\00:41:19.52 What a wonderful thing. He took the first steps. 00:41:19.55\00:41:23.22 We are never the ones who take first steps 00:41:23.25\00:41:25.20 God is always the one that is reaching out 00:41:25.23\00:41:27.88 taking the first steps. 00:41:27.91\00:41:30.75 And my friend, there is a position, 00:41:30.78\00:41:32.87 there is a Balm in Gilead 00:41:32.90\00:41:34.78 as it says in the Old Testament 00:41:34.81\00:41:35.97 for the sin sick soul and my friend, 00:41:36.00\00:41:38.57 that balm is the love and the grace of Jesus Christ. 00:41:38.60\00:41:42.48 It is that. 00:41:42.51\00:41:43.72 Tell you a story about Elizabeth Barrack that illustrates this. 00:41:43.75\00:41:46.23 Elizabeth Barrack went through 00:41:46.26\00:41:47.47 some tragic experiences as a young, 00:41:47.50\00:41:49.64 as a little girl actually. 00:41:49.67\00:41:52.07 She had lost her mother in death, 00:41:52.10\00:41:55.34 her mother died 00:41:55.37\00:41:57.00 and as a very small girl she'd fallen off her horse 00:41:57.03\00:42:00.18 and had been left crippled. 00:42:00.21\00:42:02.60 And she writes about how her father had become embittered 00:42:02.63\00:42:05.16 because of the losses in his life 00:42:05.19\00:42:07.07 and she writes how often he would leave her 00:42:07.10\00:42:11.89 through the long hours of the day, 00:42:11.92\00:42:13.87 alone in her seclusion of her bedroom, 00:42:13.90\00:42:17.95 but she learned in those lonely hours 00:42:17.98\00:42:20.83 that she could write. 00:42:20.86\00:42:23.18 She wrote poetry and eventually through her poetry 00:42:23.21\00:42:26.10 she became acquainted 00:42:26.13\00:42:28.15 with the American poet Robert Browning 00:42:28.18\00:42:31.46 and that correspondence developed 00:42:31.49\00:42:33.61 all pre email of course. 00:42:33.64\00:42:35.57 Correspondence began to develop 00:42:35.60\00:42:37.03 between the two of them 00:42:37.06\00:42:38.09 and a relationship blossomed in time. 00:42:38.12\00:42:41.89 Love, they fell in love, 00:42:41.92\00:42:45.97 but Robert had a problem and so did Elizabeth 00:42:46.00\00:42:48.71 because her father was dead set against the relationship. 00:42:48.74\00:42:53.47 This is another generation. 00:42:53.50\00:42:55.66 You know, remember it used to be you go to mom 00:42:55.69\00:42:58.96 and dad to ask if you could be married to that man. 00:42:58.99\00:43:03.99 That's the kind of culture that was going on 00:43:04.02\00:43:06.85 then anyway, dad was dead set against it. 00:43:06.88\00:43:09.07 They had to marry in secret. 00:43:09.10\00:43:11.75 And secretly Robert had to come 00:43:11.78\00:43:14.36 and he had to move her out of that house. 00:43:14.39\00:43:16.85 They took a ship, made their way to Italy. 00:43:16.88\00:43:21.44 And within a year of being married, 00:43:21.47\00:43:23.89 Elizabeth who had been this ill 00:43:23.92\00:43:25.45 with through most of her childhood 00:43:25.48\00:43:28.24 began to take her first steps 00:43:28.27\00:43:31.66 as Robert was encouraging and helping. 00:43:31.69\00:43:35.94 And she came to the point, she even climbed a mountain. 00:43:35.97\00:43:41.36 Tell me what made the difference? 00:43:41.39\00:43:44.25 Love. Love always makes a difference. 00:43:44.28\00:43:46.93 You see we are crippled by nature 00:43:46.96\00:43:49.66 and its the love of God that'll make the difference 00:43:49.69\00:43:54.08 and does make the difference in our lives, right. 00:43:54.11\00:43:57.91 And then 2 Corinthians 5:21, 00:43:57.94\00:44:02.30 this is really the point I'm working for. 00:44:02.33\00:44:03.72 Remember, remember Jesus said, 00:44:03.75\00:44:05.11 it all righteousness must exceed far exceed 00:44:05.14\00:44:07.10 that of the scribes and the Pharisees 00:44:07.13\00:44:08.83 and this is how it all works. 00:44:08.86\00:44:11.03 Second Corinthians-- are you awake out there? 00:44:11.06\00:44:13.15 Don't you fall asleep at this point. 00:44:13.18\00:44:14.97 This is the punch line that we've been working towards. 00:44:15.00\00:44:17.99 Here in 2 Corinthians 5:21speaking of God, 00:44:18.02\00:44:20.96 "He," god "made Him" Jesus "who knew no sin." 00:44:20.99\00:44:26.64 The innocent one. "To be sin on our behalf." 00:44:26.67\00:44:32.34 Now usually we think of Jesus burying our sins 00:44:32.37\00:44:35.05 but it says here that Jesus identity with us 00:44:35.08\00:44:39.05 as a sin bearer on the Cross of Calvary 00:44:39.08\00:44:41.01 is so complete that He became sin itself. 00:44:41.04\00:44:47.00 Notice it says, on our behalf or for us, 00:44:47.03\00:44:51.88 that's the substitution that's taking place. 00:44:51.91\00:44:55.43 And He experiences the separation 00:44:55.46\00:44:57.59 and abandonment because of sin. 00:44:57.62\00:45:00.48 And He experience the death 00:45:00.51\00:45:02.34 that is the wages of sin on the Cross of Calvary for us 00:45:02.37\00:45:06.62 "on our behalf, so that we might become 00:45:06.65\00:45:10.95 the righteousness of God," how? 00:45:10.98\00:45:15.60 "In Him," in Jesus. 00:45:15.63\00:45:17.07 And my friend, that's how it works. 00:45:17.10\00:45:19.25 That's why I said that-- as we got-- 00:45:19.28\00:45:21.28 we got started in this, our righteousness must exceed, 00:45:21.31\00:45:24.32 far exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees 00:45:24.35\00:45:26.26 and 99.9% is not gonna do, 00:45:26.29\00:45:28.75 it is absolute 100% perfection 00:45:28.78\00:45:34.72 which is an impossibility for us of ourselves 00:45:34.75\00:45:37.90 but when we accept Jesus who is absolutely, 00:45:37.93\00:45:42.41 fully and completely perfect 00:45:42.44\00:45:47.27 we receive perfection, don't we. 00:45:47.30\00:45:54.01 Receiving Jesus and the life of Jesus we receive 00:45:54.04\00:45:57.41 the perfect life of Jesus and that starts substitution, 00:45:57.44\00:46:02.82 He takes our sins by faith, 00:46:02.85\00:46:04.96 we embrace Him as our Savior. 00:46:04.99\00:46:06.88 We embrace His perfect life and God looks upon us 00:46:06.91\00:46:12.14 as if we were perfect through Jesus. 00:46:12.17\00:46:15.39 That's how it works. That's how it works. 00:46:15.42\00:46:19.43 That's an interesting phrase. That is how it works. 00:46:19.46\00:46:23.81 And the only way that it works. 00:46:23.84\00:46:25.44 So, it's never you know, try harder, 00:46:25.47\00:46:27.44 try be a little bit better, try to improve here, 00:46:27.47\00:46:29.77 try to improve this over here in your life. 00:46:29.80\00:46:32.00 Of course we want, you know, 00:46:32.03\00:46:33.46 if we were happy about our lives of sin 00:46:33.49\00:46:35.68 we wouldn't be motivated to come to Jesus, 00:46:35.71\00:46:37.34 it's not that we want to remain there, 00:46:37.37\00:46:40.11 but we know that it's not by trying to change it 00:46:40.14\00:46:43.08 which we cannot do that we get to the end point 00:46:43.11\00:46:46.70 which is our salvation. 00:46:46.73\00:46:48.59 It's not by our changing, it's by allowing Jesus 00:46:48.62\00:46:54.25 as we give ourselves to Him to take control of our lives 00:46:54.28\00:46:58.04 and for Him to work it out in us 00:46:58.07\00:47:01.44 and it's that process by which we become like Him. 00:47:01.47\00:47:05.32 I know I'm throwing a lot at you, but you can handle it. 00:47:05.35\00:47:10.10 Got to get this right. 00:47:10.13\00:47:14.35 You can understand this I know this, 00:47:14.38\00:47:16.64 you can understand this intellectually 00:47:16.67\00:47:18.56 and yet consciously or sub more, 00:47:18.59\00:47:21.16 more often subconsciously yet be relying on something 00:47:21.19\00:47:25.56 that we must do. 00:47:25.59\00:47:29.30 It's important to get it our understanding right, 00:47:29.33\00:47:33.22 because it can reach down into your subconscious. 00:47:33.25\00:47:35.74 So we are never relying upon us, 00:47:35.77\00:47:38.55 we're not relying upon us, who are we relying on, 00:47:38.58\00:47:43.09 we don't rely upon us we rely upon Jesus. 00:47:43.12\00:47:47.17 That's the point that we are getting at. 00:47:47.20\00:47:49.66 So, are you following me? 00:47:49.69\00:47:50.82 Are you with me at this point? 00:47:50.85\00:47:52.63 Second Corinthians 5:21 it is a marvelous thing, 00:47:52.66\00:47:55.67 it takes the burden of the law from us 00:47:55.70\00:47:59.34 and Jesus has assured us that He is gonna take care of it all. 00:47:59.37\00:48:02.71 Romans 5:17 the New Testament page 122, 00:48:02.74\00:48:06.57 122 Revelation-- Romans 5:17. 00:48:06.60\00:48:10.03 I've been in Revelation too much in recent nights. 00:48:10.06\00:48:14.80 Romans 5:17. 00:48:14.83\00:48:18.90 Notice again, how many times have we been into Romans? 00:48:18.93\00:48:23.86 It's really one of-- it's probably my favorite book. 00:48:23.89\00:48:27.17 It's actually in a ladder and we miss little but, 00:48:27.20\00:48:29.51 anyway here it is Romans 5:17, it says, 00:48:29.54\00:48:32.06 "For if by the transgression of the one, 00:48:32.09\00:48:34.83 death reigned through the one," 00:48:34.86\00:48:37.03 talking about Adam as the head of the race 00:48:37.06\00:48:39.54 "much more those who receive the abundance of grace" 00:48:39.57\00:48:42.91 receive the abundance of grace 00:48:42.94\00:48:44.72 "and of the gift of righteousness 00:48:44.75\00:48:48.42 will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." 00:48:48.45\00:48:51.29 That which God requires of us 00:48:51.32\00:48:53.90 again that absolute perfection, that absolute, you know, 00:48:53.93\00:48:56.80 100% purity and righteousness 00:48:56.83\00:48:59.35 that which God requires of us, 00:48:59.38\00:49:02.77 He gives to us as a gift in His son 00:49:02.80\00:49:07.54 and when we receive Jesus Christ by faith 00:49:07.57\00:49:10.13 we are embracing that absolute perfect life, right. 00:49:10.16\00:49:16.84 That's how it works. 00:49:16.87\00:49:17.90 We call this theologically righteousness by faith 00:49:17.93\00:49:22.47 and the opposite is legalism righteousness by my works. 00:49:22.50\00:49:29.70 Don't go there because it never works 00:49:29.73\00:49:32.67 and those who do go there find themselves 00:49:32.70\00:49:35.47 soon or later they realize how frustrating that experience 00:49:35.50\00:49:38.45 really is when you are trying to measure up 00:49:38.48\00:49:42.31 and that's part of what we give up. 00:49:42.34\00:49:44.73 And then Romans 3 the New Testament page 121. 00:49:44.76\00:49:49.25 Romans 3:21, 22. 00:49:49.28\00:49:52.91 Oh, we might as well read the whole book, right. 00:49:52.94\00:49:57.17 Because it does, it deals with these issues. 00:49:57.20\00:49:59.72 Right on through particularly chapter eight 00:49:59.75\00:50:02.41 and sometimes just read from Romans one through chapter eight 00:50:02.44\00:50:05.81 it just really puts a lot of things together. 00:50:05.84\00:50:07.88 Romans 3:21, 22 where it says, 00:50:07.91\00:50:11.74 "But now apart from the Law 00:50:11.77\00:50:14.51 the righteousness of God has been manifested, 00:50:14.54\00:50:17.65 being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets." 00:50:17.68\00:50:20.77 And that manifestation of the righteousness of God 00:50:20.80\00:50:23.44 apart from the Law is the manifestation 00:50:23.47\00:50:25.68 of the righteousness in the person of Jesus 00:50:25.71\00:50:29.30 and He lived out that perfect life 00:50:29.33\00:50:31.01 upon this planet, down on our level. 00:50:31.04\00:50:33.89 It's been manifested in the living example of Jesus. 00:50:33.92\00:50:38.68 It says verse 22, "Even the righteousness of God 00:50:38.71\00:50:43.45 through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believed." 00:50:43.48\00:50:49.70 Okay. 00:50:49.73\00:50:51.61 So, the law bears testimony 00:50:51.64\00:50:55.68 to this righteousness, it is codified. 00:50:55.71\00:50:59.58 But again the point here 00:50:59.61\00:51:00.88 is it has been manifested in the person of Jesus. 00:51:00.91\00:51:06.07 He is the embodiment of the righteousness, 00:51:06.10\00:51:12.23 that is required of us and then that comes to us as a gift. 00:51:12.26\00:51:16.93 And so we attain true righteousness 00:51:16.96\00:51:19.09 by accepting Jesus who is again 00:51:19.12\00:51:21.19 the manifestation of God's righteousness in human flesh. 00:51:21.22\00:51:24.40 Our standing with God is not dependent 00:51:24.43\00:51:27.13 or based on how good we are but on how good He is. 00:51:27.16\00:51:32.69 And that would be something 00:51:32.72\00:51:34.26 we're really getting again into our thinking. 00:51:34.29\00:51:37.69 Philippians 3, there was a Pharisees 00:51:37.72\00:51:39.92 who did get any bold witness of it. 00:51:39.95\00:51:41.72 The New Testament page 155, Philippians 3:4. 00:51:41.75\00:51:46.42 You know, he had been there, 00:51:50.35\00:51:51.50 he had been in this self made, self righteousness 00:51:51.53\00:51:55.45 that was so typical of the scribes and the Pharisees 00:51:55.48\00:51:58.14 and telling the Damascus rode in that blinding light, 00:51:58.17\00:52:01.41 He saw one that was beyond words 00:52:01.44\00:52:06.07 afterward transformed his life. 00:52:06.10\00:52:09.05 And here it is beginning with verse 4, 00:52:09.08\00:52:10.71 "Although I myself" 00:52:10.74\00:52:12.47 Paul says, "might have confidence even in the flesh. 00:52:12.50\00:52:15.40 If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, 00:52:15.43\00:52:18.45 I far more," and notice what he is talking about 00:52:18.48\00:52:21.73 when he talks about putting confidence in the flesh. 00:52:21.76\00:52:23.80 He's talking actually about some very religious things 00:52:23.83\00:52:26.12 as you look at verse 5, "Circumcised the eight day." 00:52:26.15\00:52:29.58 That was a sign of the communal relationship. 00:52:29.61\00:52:32.51 That's what that circumcision was. 00:52:32.54\00:52:35.21 "Of the nation of Israel," 00:52:35.24\00:52:36.59 man, he has the right spiritual pedigree, 00:52:36.62\00:52:39.99 "of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, 00:52:40.02\00:52:42.75 as to the Law, a Pharisee." 00:52:42.78\00:52:44.81 He had made it. 00:52:44.84\00:52:46.73 So he thought. 00:52:46.76\00:52:50.84 Verse 6 "As to zeal, a persecutor of the church, 00:52:50.87\00:52:53.49 as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless." 00:52:53.52\00:52:57.30 So He thought but, notice that word contrast. 00:52:57.33\00:53:02.24 "But whatever things were gain to me, 00:53:02.27\00:53:05.54 those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ." 00:53:05.57\00:53:09.02 And when he saw Jesus he began to gain a total new perspective 00:53:09.05\00:53:14.24 as well happened in as it does happen to us. 00:53:14.27\00:53:18.24 We began to see things as it really are. 00:53:18.27\00:53:25.21 "More than that," verse 8, 00:53:25.24\00:53:26.88 "I count all things to be loss in view 00:53:26.91\00:53:28.89 of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, 00:53:28.92\00:53:33.56 for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, 00:53:33.59\00:53:36.40 and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ." 00:53:36.43\00:53:40.72 Everything just seems in comparison to be rubbish. 00:53:40.75\00:53:44.32 And it was. 00:53:44.35\00:53:46.63 Those games that scribes and Pharisees were playing 00:53:46.66\00:53:49.00 my friend, they were just a bunch of rubbish. 00:53:49.03\00:53:51.90 It wasn't really, when we come down to it, 00:53:51.93\00:53:54.05 it was really nonsense. 00:53:54.08\00:53:56.99 And not of one of them would be in the kingdom 00:53:57.02\00:53:58.72 unless they went through the experience of this Pharisee 00:53:58.75\00:54:02.22 and not one of us will be there in the kingdom 00:54:02.25\00:54:05.27 unless we have a similar experience 00:54:05.30\00:54:07.55 as Paul found in Jesus Christ 00:54:07.58\00:54:09.99 and the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus. 00:54:10.02\00:54:17.67 Verse 9 "And may be found in Him, 00:54:17.70\00:54:19.08 not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law," 00:54:19.11\00:54:22.55 that is from keeping the commandments 00:54:22.58\00:54:24.41 "but that which is through faith in Christ, 00:54:24.44\00:54:26.46 the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith." 00:54:26.49\00:54:31.23 There it says it. 00:54:31.26\00:54:33.18 I now we've been talking about the Ten Commandments 00:54:33.21\00:54:35.23 in this series of, haven't we. 00:54:35.26\00:54:37.87 We talked about the fourth commandment the Sabbath 00:54:37.90\00:54:39.89 but my friend, there is a reason why 00:54:39.92\00:54:42.10 in the midst of all of the subjects we've been looking at 00:54:42.13\00:54:45.01 but I come in this one and in part it is to say, 00:54:45.04\00:54:48.16 yes, the commandments are important. 00:54:48.19\00:54:49.58 We have transgressed the law, that's why we are sinners, 00:54:49.61\00:54:52.36 that's why Jesus had to come and die for us. 00:54:52.39\00:54:56.20 But I also want to make it clear biblically 00:54:56.23\00:54:58.64 we do not establish our standing with God 00:54:58.67\00:55:02.06 through keeping the commandments. 00:55:02.09\00:55:04.59 Remember, I spoke about this keeping the commandments 00:55:04.62\00:55:07.86 is never the means of our salvation, 00:55:07.89\00:55:10.99 it's the evidence of a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. 00:55:11.02\00:55:15.77 Keeping the commandments it says, it's always the evidence. 00:55:15.80\00:55:19.75 Because I tell you only the one 00:55:19.78\00:55:21.09 that knows Jesus can keep His commands. 00:55:21.12\00:55:23.81 So, it's not that we don't believe in the commandments 00:55:23.84\00:55:26.61 and that we don't believe in keeping them 00:55:26.64\00:55:28.61 we just know that if us it is impossible, 00:55:28.64\00:55:31.00 so never go beyond that. 00:55:31.03\00:55:32.75 That's impossible, forget it. 00:55:32.78\00:55:35.17 Yeah, it's impossible but in the relationship 00:55:35.20\00:55:39.56 Jesus, remember Philippians 2:13, 00:55:39.59\00:55:42.31 it is God who is at work in you, both to real 00:55:42.34\00:55:46.25 and to do according to His good pleasure. 00:55:46.28\00:55:50.53 And remember we are talking about the deeds, 00:55:50.56\00:55:52.39 well just by our deeds the deeds reveal who possess the heart 00:55:52.42\00:55:58.16 and the obedience follows. 00:55:58.19\00:56:01.50 It is the fruitage of the relationship, it's that. 00:56:01.53\00:56:09.11 That's why 1 John 2:3, 00:56:09.14\00:56:12.04 it's one of my favorite passages in this regard where it says, 00:56:12.07\00:56:15.30 "By this we know that we have come to know Him, 00:56:15.33\00:56:17.87 if we keep His commandments." 00:56:17.90\00:56:20.38 And again it's the evidence that we come to know Jesus, 00:56:20.41\00:56:23.38 it's not the means of our salvation. 00:56:23.41\00:56:26.12 There is an old Indian Chief, I'm Indian but destroyed. 00:56:26.15\00:56:28.26 There is a old Indian Chief that constantly was talking about 00:56:28.29\00:56:32.14 how much he loved Jesus, how much Jesus meant to him. 00:56:32.17\00:56:35.56 And finally somebody asked him, 00:56:35.59\00:56:37.24 you know, why you always talking about Jesus? 00:56:37.27\00:56:40.98 And at that he stood down and gathered up some sticks 00:56:41.01\00:56:44.49 and some little bit of grass 00:56:44.52\00:56:46.83 and he made a little circle out of it 00:56:46.86\00:56:48.82 and he found a little caterpillar near by 00:56:48.85\00:56:51.50 and he put it into the middle of that 00:56:51.53\00:56:54.00 you know, that round 00:56:54.03\00:56:56.00 you know, with all of the sticks and grass stuff 00:56:56.03\00:56:58.42 and he lit it on fire. 00:56:58.45\00:57:01.53 And that little caterpillar as that fire began to grow, 00:57:01.56\00:57:05.70 that caterpillar was trying to find the way out. 00:57:05.73\00:57:08.10 He went from one side to the other looking desperately 00:57:08.13\00:57:11.38 for a way out as the fire was increasing. 00:57:11.41\00:57:15.83 And finally in desperation that would found itself 00:57:15.86\00:57:18.88 in the middle of this that little caterpillar 00:57:18.91\00:57:22.55 just reached up as high as it could, the heat, 00:57:22.58\00:57:26.09 it was feeling the intensity of the heat. 00:57:26.12\00:57:29.10 And at that point that Indian Chief reached out 00:57:29.13\00:57:33.32 and brought that caterpillar out of the fire 00:57:33.35\00:57:35.98 and he said, that's what Jesus did for me. 00:57:36.01\00:57:41.87 That's why I talk about Jesus all the time. 00:57:41.90\00:57:45.20 And my friend, that is what Jesus has done for you 00:57:45.23\00:57:49.66 and that's what Jesus has done for me. 00:57:49.69\00:57:54.68 He is the center point of all truth, isn't He. 00:57:54.71\00:57:57.57