Hello, and welcome to a
very special 3ABN Nightlight.
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I'm C.A. Murray, here at
the Night Light anchor desk
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and as I said, this is indeed
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a very special
program and presentation.
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It is not often
that we are privileged
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to have the North
American division President
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to be with us at 3ABN to travel
as it were out to the cornfields
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of Southern Illinois,
but he has done precisely
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that and so this night we
get to talk with Dan Jackson,
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our North American
division President.
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And also to hear him speak,
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so we are doubly
blessed to have him with us.
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And we'll talk to
you a little bit more
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about that as we move through
the evening's activities.
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There may be questions
that you would like to pose
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to the North
American division president.
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We'll give you a number in just
a little bit to call or email
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your questions and
we'll try to get to them.
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There is a lot to discuss
as we spend our night together.
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Issues of the church.
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It was in July of
2010 that Elder Jackson
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was made North
American division president
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voted to that office.
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He has been
quite busy ever since,
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so we're gonna talk
about some of those things,
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some of the challenges
that are facing the church
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in these days in
which we find ourselves.
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And then also, as
Jim Gilley our president
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joins me and Elder
Jackson in our second half,
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we want to pray
about a number of things.
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Just 400 miles east of
here, the next state over
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in Missouri of course,
we have all heard about
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what happened at Joplin.
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I wanna talk about
that just a little bit.
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Pray about that.
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From Elder Jackson's perspective
find out a little bit about
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what the church
is doing in Joplin.
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See how our
members were affected.
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So there's a lot to talk about,
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a lot we want to do
this very night, but first,
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we want to travel just about
a quarter mile down the road
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to the 3ABN worship
center where Elder Gilley,
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Jim Gilley our
president is waiting.
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John Lomacang is
waiting and of course,
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Elder Dan Jackson to give
us the message for the evening.
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Then we'll return
here for the second hour.
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We'll talk just a little bit
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and kick around
some of these ideas
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that I spoke to you
of just a moment ago.
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So just now we're
gonna travel down the road
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just about a quarter mile
to the 3ABN worship center
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elder Jim Gilley
is waiting there.
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Thank you, C.A.,
and I'd like to welcome
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all of you that are seeing
this program by television
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or listening by radio,
but also those that are here
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in the auditorium tonight.
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We're so happy
that each one of you
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could come and tonight
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we're gonna be very
blessed as we listen
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to our North American division
president Elder Dan Jackson
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as he brings us the word of
life through the word of God
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and through the spoken word.
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We believe that
that's exactly what the Lord
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would have had us
to do and Pentecost.
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You remember the first thing
that happened was the sermon
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that took place right
after the Holy Spirit fell.
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Then Peter spoke and he
spoke one of the most beautiful
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sermons in the history
of the Christian church.
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It was a launching time
and ever since that time,
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we have felt that when man
was given a message from God
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and he spoke that
message, that the Holy Spirit
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spoke through him and
that he was reaching out
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to the hearts of the people.
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And so we welcome Elder Jackson,
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he's president of North America
as we've mentioned before.
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Prior to that, he
had been president
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of the church in Canada,
had been conference president,
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a missionary serving overseas.
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He and his
wonderful wife together
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and so they have given their
life completely to the Lord
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in service and we
praise the Lord for that.
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Before he comes, I'm
going to ask John Lomacang,
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our Pastor here and
our ambassador of the world
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from 3ABN to come and to sing
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one of my favorite
hymns "He Hideth My Soul."
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A wonderful Savior
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is Jesus my Lord
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A wonderful Savior
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To me He hideth
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my soul in the cleft of the rock
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Where rivers of pleasure
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I see He hideth
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my soul in the cleft of the rock
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That shadows a dry, thirsty land
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He hideth my life in
the depths of His love
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Then covers me
there with His hand
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And covers me
there with His hand
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A wonderful
Savior is Jesus my Lord
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He taketh my burdens away
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Then He holdeth me up,
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and I shall not be moved
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He giveth me strength as the day
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With numberless blessings
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each moment He crowns
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Then he fills with
His fullness divine
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Now I sing in my rapture,
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oh, glory to God
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For such a redeemer as mine
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He hideth my soul in
the cleft of the rock
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That shadows the
dry, thirsty land
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Then He hideth my life
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in the depths of His love
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And covers me
there with His hand
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And covers me
there with His hand
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And covers me
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there with His hand
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Good evening. Good evening.
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To everyone who is
watching us this evening
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and for those who are here,
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it's wonderful to
be here this evening.
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I so much appreciate
what was just sung to us.
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What a wonderful
Savior that we serve.
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What a great God who
has great interest in us
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every day that we live.
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And you know the
thing that excites me
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is that so many times we
might find it easy to give up on
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who we are or what we do,
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but God says to
each of us personally,
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"I know the
thoughts I have for you.
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I know the thoughts."
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And Paul tells us
that he who has begun
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a good work in you
will also complete it
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until the coming
of the Son of man.
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And we want to praise
God for that this evening.
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I want to talk to
you about a subject
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this evening that stirs my soul.
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As a matter of fact,
as I was going through
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my notes this
evening, I said to my wife,
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you know, I could
preach this message
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every single day and
never get tired of it.
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I believe like you do
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as Seventh Day
Adventist Christians
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that Jesus is coming soon. Amen.
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And before He comes,
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we know that some
amazing things will take place.
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We hold on to
certain passages of scripture
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that are greatly
significant to us.
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Revelation 14:6 and 7,
00:10:00.83\00:10:04.03
"Behold, I saw another angel"
00:10:04.06\00:10:06.88
or "I saw an angel" rather,
"flying in the midst of heaven,
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having the everlasting
gospel to give to them
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who dwell on the
earth, to every nation,
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kindred, tongue, and people.
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Saying with a loud voice,
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'Fear God, and
give glory to Him,
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for the hour of
his judgment has come,
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and worship him who made heaven,
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and earth, the
sea,'" and all of the rest.
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Now we praise
God for that passage.
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It brings us into a context.
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And I believe that prior
to the return of Jesus Christ,
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there will be a
greater emphasis.
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We will see an
intensification of the emphasis
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on the great news of
our Savior Jesus Christ.
00:10:45.51\00:10:49.24
We live in a world
that is in need of hope,
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that is in need of courage,
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and when I think
about Revelation 14:6 and 7,
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I think of God
expending all of his effort
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presenting the
gospel to a world in need.
00:11:03.39\00:11:06.49
One other passage that
attracts me this evening
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and that is
important is that statement
00:11:09.41\00:11:11.66
found in John
12:32, Jesus' words,
00:11:11.69\00:11:15.94
"But I, when I am lifted
up will draw all men to me."
00:11:15.98\00:11:21.71
Now we know that in the work
of the gospel of Jesus Christ
00:11:21.74\00:11:26.22
that the center, the substance,
00:11:26.25\00:11:29.15
the core of our message
is what God has accomplished
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on our behalf
through his son Jesus Christ.
00:11:33.54\00:11:38.35
I want to tell
you that I believe
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that every single person
who calls himself a Christian,
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before the time when Jesus will
come will be drawn in closer
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to this message of Jesus
and His grace and His mercy.
00:11:50.80\00:11:54.85
I want to use as the core
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of what we will
talk about tonight,
00:11:57.56\00:12:00.22
my favorite
passage in the scripture.
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When I first discovered
this, I read it and I reread it,
00:12:03.08\00:12:07.29
I looked at it, and I said,
00:12:07.32\00:12:10.40
"This is the most
amazing thing I've ever read."
00:12:10.43\00:12:12.57
It's that text found
in 2 Corinthians 5:21.
00:12:12.60\00:12:17.91
And it reads simply like this,
00:12:17.94\00:12:20.12
"God made him who knew
no sin to be sin for us
00:12:20.15\00:12:25.73
that we might be made
00:12:25.76\00:12:27.46
the
righteousness of God in him."
00:12:27.49\00:12:30.57
It's a great text.
00:12:30.60\00:12:32.58
"God made him who knew
no sin to be sin for us
00:12:32.61\00:12:38.47
that we might be made
00:12:38.50\00:12:39.87
the
righteousness of God in him."
00:12:39.90\00:12:43.20
You know, when you look at
the experience of human beings,
00:12:43.23\00:12:45.75
you discover that most of us
live a good share of our lives
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with a certain
level of discontent.
00:12:50.42\00:12:53.58
We would prefer to live
with other circumstances
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in other places with other jobs.
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We wish we had, we wish we were,
00:12:59.31\00:13:01.80
we wish we could,
00:13:01.83\00:13:03.20
and of course we know
that's a waste of time, right?
00:13:03.23\00:13:06.18
You know, the other
man's grass is always greener.
00:13:06.21\00:13:08.49
The sun shines
brighter on the other shore.
00:13:08.52\00:13:12.69
Those are the kinds of things,
00:13:12.72\00:13:14.58
but we sometimes as human
beings waste a lot of time
00:13:14.61\00:13:17.24
and yet in reality, in
practice, they often take place.
00:13:17.27\00:13:21.87
When I was a
little kid going to school
00:13:21.90\00:13:24.19
with my little brown
paper bag and my peanut butter
00:13:24.22\00:13:27.44
and jam sandwich,
when I would get to school
00:13:27.47\00:13:30.32
and I would look at
the other kids' sandwiches,
00:13:30.35\00:13:32.60
I was sure that
their mother had better
00:13:32.63\00:13:35.24
peanut butter than my mother.
00:13:35.27\00:13:37.14
And so we would often exchange
sandwiches and, of course,
00:13:37.17\00:13:40.60
the reality, some truth
that really mother's sandwiches
00:13:40.63\00:13:44.21
were better in the first place.
00:13:44.24\00:13:46.17
But we wonder what it
would be like to change places
00:13:46.20\00:13:49.88
with someone who we
meet or someone that we know.
00:13:49.91\00:13:53.85
But I want to
tell you this story.
00:13:53.88\00:13:55.25
Recently, a young
woman in a country
00:13:55.28\00:13:59.88
that I won't name this evening
00:13:59.91\00:14:01.48
was speaking
with a former friend.
00:14:01.51\00:14:04.29
As she was sitting
inside of her vehicle
00:14:04.32\00:14:06.30
and the young man was
sitting outside of the vehicle
00:14:06.33\00:14:10.26
or standing
outside of the vehicle
00:14:10.29\00:14:12.79
and all of a sudden,
from apparently nowhere,
00:14:12.82\00:14:15.70
six other men came
and chased him away
00:14:15.73\00:14:18.69
and gang raped that girl.
00:14:18.72\00:14:21.49
What a horrible
thing to take place.
00:14:21.52\00:14:23.94
But what was even more horrible
00:14:23.97\00:14:26.05
was what happened
after, because this woman
00:14:26.08\00:14:28.96
was taken before a judge.
00:14:28.99\00:14:32.02
She was found guilty of
being alone with a young man,
00:14:32.05\00:14:35.61
sentenced to 6 months
in prison with 60 lashes.
00:14:35.64\00:14:41.48
After the horrific
incident that took place,
00:14:41.51\00:14:44.12
she was judged in that way.
00:14:44.15\00:14:48.07
She appealed.
00:14:48.10\00:14:49.76
She went back and said,
00:14:49.79\00:14:51.22
"A travesty has
occurred against me and my life.
00:14:51.25\00:14:53.79
I have been ruined."
00:14:53.82\00:14:55.24
And the judge considered
it and kept the 6 months,
00:14:55.27\00:14:58.29
but he changed the
lashes from 60 to 200 lashes.
00:14:58.32\00:15:02.94
Now I want to
ask you this evening,
00:15:02.97\00:15:05.46
when you contemplate that story,
00:15:05.49\00:15:07.59
would you want to take
00:15:07.62\00:15:08.99
or would you want to
take that girl's place?
00:15:09.02\00:15:11.84
Would you want to exchange
places with that situation?
00:15:11.87\00:15:16.96
You know, really, friends,
the things that we wish,
00:15:16.99\00:15:20.95
the things that we dream always
bring better things to us.
00:15:20.98\00:15:26.54
But here in this one
passage of scripture,
00:15:26.57\00:15:30.31
we see an
exchange of such an amazing
00:15:30.34\00:15:34.04
magnitude that it
boggles the imagination,
00:15:34.07\00:15:37.92
it is higher than the
highest human thought can reach,
00:15:37.95\00:15:41.19
because what we find
in 2 Corinthians 5:21
00:15:41.22\00:15:45.13
is a picture of
God stooping low,
00:15:45.16\00:15:48.00
entering into the
human circumstance,
00:15:48.03\00:15:50.58
that is your
circumstance and mine,
00:15:50.61\00:15:52.84
and exchanging all that he
is for all that we are not.
00:15:52.87\00:15:57.66
"God made him who knew
no sin to be sin for us,
00:15:57.69\00:16:02.15
that we might be made
00:16:02.18\00:16:03.55
the
righteousness of God in him."
00:16:03.58\00:16:06.99
This passage begins with
that fascinating statement.
00:16:07.02\00:16:10.63
For God made
him who knew no sin.
00:16:10.66\00:16:14.66
I want to look at
that for a few moments
00:16:14.69\00:16:16.27
with you this evening. I
want to ask you a question.
00:16:16.30\00:16:20.43
Have you ever
thought of what it would be
00:16:20.46\00:16:21.83
like to be
absolutely, spotlessly sinless?
00:16:21.86\00:16:27.32
Without one sin
ever from birth to death?
00:16:27.35\00:16:31.45
Absolutely, spotlessly clean.
00:16:31.48\00:16:34.13
You know, it's a
difficult question, isn't it?
00:16:34.16\00:16:36.19
Because in
reality, on this planet,
00:16:36.22\00:16:38.92
we don't have any
good examples of that.
00:16:38.95\00:16:42.38
I know that
there are some people
00:16:42.41\00:16:43.99
who will tell you in
their actions and in their words
00:16:44.02\00:16:46.92
that they're
perfect, but the minute
00:16:46.95\00:16:48.53
they begin to
make that assertion,
00:16:48.56\00:16:50.02
you know that
they're not perfect, right?
00:16:50.05\00:16:54.43
A newborn child is
probably the closest thing
00:16:54.46\00:16:57.84
that we can ever come
to in terms of perfection.
00:16:57.87\00:17:01.71
I've, you know, I
held all of my children
00:17:01.74\00:17:05.08
in my arms at that
time that they were born.
00:17:05.11\00:17:08.79
And the first one, it was
so interesting and special,
00:17:08.82\00:17:13.08
you know, the nurse
came, it was after the birth,
00:17:13.11\00:17:15.68
you know, they
wouldn't let the father
00:17:15.71\00:17:17.14
be in the birthing room
at the time of the delivery,
00:17:17.17\00:17:20.01
but after the
delivery, they invited me
00:17:20.04\00:17:22.61
in and there was a
very British nurse there.
00:17:22.64\00:17:25.21
And, you know, I looked
at that baby and it's always,
00:17:25.24\00:17:30.53
you know, it's not very nice
to look at the newborn babies
00:17:30.56\00:17:33.58
just after
they've been delivered.
00:17:33.61\00:17:36.01
I kind of thought she
looked like a salamander.
00:17:36.04\00:17:39.54
And the nurse brought
her to me and she said,
00:17:39.57\00:17:43.81
"Well, touch her, she's yours."
00:17:43.84\00:17:47.12
And I took this
finger, the index finger,
00:17:47.15\00:17:49.32
put it at the bottom
of her heel and said,
00:17:49.35\00:17:50.72
"I think that's enough for now."
00:17:50.75\00:17:53.13
But, you know, a
few moments later,
00:17:53.16\00:17:54.62
a few hours later as
after they had cleaned her up
00:17:54.65\00:17:58.30
and they brought
her into the room
00:17:58.33\00:18:00.26
and I held my first born
child in my arm, in my arms.
00:18:00.29\00:18:04.24
I was so grateful to God
00:18:04.27\00:18:06.29
and grateful to my
wife Donna for the delivery.
00:18:06.32\00:18:10.26
I was enamored and,
you know, the older I get,
00:18:10.29\00:18:12.35
the more I am
enamored with little babies.
00:18:12.38\00:18:14.94
I just get soft in the head,
I held my little granddaughter
00:18:14.97\00:18:17.90
a little while ago in my
arms and you look at them,
00:18:17.93\00:18:22.06
and they are like the
essence of perfection.
00:18:22.09\00:18:26.90
But it doesn't
take very long, does it?
00:18:26.93\00:18:30.61
And you begin to see
the changes that take place.
00:18:30.64\00:18:33.40
You begin to see the
emergence of human nature,
00:18:33.43\00:18:38.53
because even as little babies
00:18:38.56\00:18:41.34
wrapped in blankets in
cribs looking innocent,
00:18:41.37\00:18:45.03
they know how to
get their own way.
00:18:45.06\00:18:48.56
At 2 o'clock in the morning,
00:18:48.59\00:18:49.96
they will get you up just
about as fast as whoopee, right?
00:18:49.99\00:18:53.10
I mean, they just get you up.
00:18:53.13\00:18:55.17
And they know as they
grow how to manipulate.
00:18:55.20\00:18:58.26
We see the
emergence of human nature.
00:18:58.29\00:19:01.73
You know, my wife and
I discovered this one day
00:19:01.76\00:19:05.70
as we now had two children
00:19:05.73\00:19:08.15
and, you know, you
look at your children.
00:19:08.18\00:19:10.43
They're very different from
one another and our oldest girl,
00:19:10.46\00:19:15.32
precious child,
wonderful appetite.
00:19:15.35\00:19:19.56
She could eats
when she would eat,
00:19:19.59\00:19:22.15
she did it with gusto.
00:19:22.18\00:19:24.37
And she would eat everything
that was put before her,
00:19:24.40\00:19:27.71
but the second
child was a nibbler.
00:19:27.74\00:19:31.06
And one day we had gone shopping
00:19:31.09\00:19:33.45
and after the shopping
episode, you know, for a man,
00:19:33.48\00:19:36.86
it's always kind of a chore.
00:19:36.89\00:19:38.26
I mean, maybe some men like,
00:19:38.29\00:19:39.66
but for me, shopping
is always kind of a chore.
00:19:39.69\00:19:42.02
And it was worse
when the kids were young,
00:19:42.05\00:19:44.48
because if they misbehave,
you were trying to find
00:19:44.51\00:19:47.17
the Welch's grape juice
and, you know, keep them
00:19:47.20\00:19:49.79
calmed down at the same time,
00:19:49.82\00:19:51.33
but they were great
that day, the two children.
00:19:51.36\00:19:54.14
They were great and
so as we left the store,
00:19:54.17\00:19:56.95
we bought them each a big cookie
00:19:56.98\00:20:00.18
and then we watched and listened
as the following happened.
00:20:00.21\00:20:04.64
The eldest girl took her
cookie and she munched it.
00:20:04.67\00:20:07.74
Like a vacuum
cleaner, it was gone.
00:20:07.77\00:20:10.61
The younger daughter
sat and nibbled on hers
00:20:10.64\00:20:13.57
and then we heard the
emergence of human nature.
00:20:13.60\00:20:16.54
For the oldest one
said to her younger sister,
00:20:16.57\00:20:19.43
"Lara, do you know what love is?
00:20:19.46\00:20:25.81
Love is sharing your cookie
00:20:25.84\00:20:29.21
and you would not
even give me one bite."
00:20:29.24\00:20:33.42
The emergence of human nature,
00:20:33.45\00:20:37.14
but this was not
the case with Jesus.
00:20:37.17\00:20:40.81
When you read the
statements in the gospel
00:20:40.84\00:20:43.13
and we're familiar with
the statement of Luke 2:52
00:20:43.16\00:20:46.78
and Jesus grew in
wisdom, and in stature,
00:20:46.81\00:20:49.65
and in favor with God and man,
00:20:49.68\00:20:52.04
when you consider His miracles,
00:20:52.07\00:20:54.21
when you consider the compassion
00:20:54.24\00:20:55.83
with which Jesus
reached out to touch,
00:20:55.86\00:20:59.06
bruised and broken human beings,
00:20:59.09\00:21:01.42
you begin to see the magnitude
of Dr. Luke's statement.
00:21:01.45\00:21:05.90
Everything that Jesus
did as He walked on earth
00:21:05.93\00:21:09.18
was designed to
bless other people.
00:21:09.21\00:21:12.45
And then in His final
hour, as Jesus could see
00:21:12.48\00:21:18.36
the tremendously
ominous clouds of evil pressure
00:21:18.39\00:21:22.49
coming against him as he looked
at the destiny of human beings
00:21:22.52\00:21:26.51
that is your destiny and mine.
00:21:26.54\00:21:29.01
Jesus looked out at
those ominous clouds
00:21:29.04\00:21:32.32
and at those forces and
He said to His disciples,
00:21:32.35\00:21:35.82
"The Prince of this world comes
and He finds nothing in me."
00:21:35.85\00:21:41.58
Well, the
temptations were very real.
00:21:41.61\00:21:45.05
The things that
were thrown at Jesus
00:21:45.08\00:21:47.00
didn't come in
little bits and pieces.
00:21:47.03\00:21:49.65
The devil threw one thing
after the next at Jesus Christ.
00:21:49.68\00:21:53.81
He could have caved
in, He could have sinned.
00:21:53.84\00:21:56.62
The fact is He did
not. He was pure and noble.
00:21:56.65\00:22:00.65
There was no springboard in Him,
00:22:00.68\00:22:03.79
which would give
rise to rebellion.
00:22:03.82\00:22:07.98
And following His
death, the recollection
00:22:08.01\00:22:11.94
of His followers as they
contemplated who Jesus had been.
00:22:11.97\00:22:16.93
I always love
the way John puts it.
00:22:16.96\00:22:20.03
He who we have
seen with our own eyes,
00:22:20.06\00:22:22.36
who we have
touched with our own hands,
00:22:22.39\00:22:24.74
this is the one we testify to.
00:22:24.77\00:22:27.11
And Jesus, as He was
thought about by His friends,
00:22:27.14\00:22:34.17
you know, they always said
wonderful things about Him.
00:22:34.20\00:22:36.61
I think of Peter
and his statement
00:22:36.64\00:22:38.94
recorded in 1 Peter 2:22
and 23. We read these words.
00:22:38.97\00:22:44.25
"He committed no sin and no
deceit was found in his mouth.
00:22:44.28\00:22:48.24
When they hurled their insults
at Him, He did not retaliate.
00:22:48.27\00:22:52.45
When He suffered,
He made no threats.
00:22:52.48\00:22:54.94
Instead He entrusted Himself
to him who judges justly."
00:22:54.97\00:23:00.75
And it was this
Jesus, this holy,
00:23:00.78\00:23:05.04
harmless Son of
God and Son of Man
00:23:05.07\00:23:08.24
who becomes the
center of the great exchange,
00:23:08.27\00:23:12.07
for God made Him who
knew no sin to be sin for us.
00:23:12.10\00:23:18.30
It boggles our imagination.
00:23:18.33\00:23:20.97
You know, it's a very
powerful statement when you say,
00:23:21.00\00:23:24.29
when you read these words,
00:23:24.32\00:23:25.69
for God made him
to be sin for us.
00:23:25.72\00:23:28.13
It's a powerful
statement in light of the fact
00:23:28.16\00:23:31.46
that men and women like us
have no power within ourselves
00:23:31.49\00:23:36.75
to pull ourselves
up by the bootstraps
00:23:36.78\00:23:39.70
and change ourselves
into righteous people.
00:23:39.73\00:23:43.92
The Bible clearly
states that the sinful mind,
00:23:43.95\00:23:46.97
the natural
person is hostile to God,
00:23:47.00\00:23:51.24
does not submit to God's law nor
indeed can, that's Romans 8:7.
00:23:51.27\00:23:57.45
And then Ellen
White, as she comments
00:23:57.48\00:23:59.24
on this whole
transaction of faith
00:23:59.27\00:24:01.92
makes this statement in
Steps to Christ page 18,
00:24:01.95\00:24:05.84
"It is impossible
for us, of ourselves,
00:24:05.87\00:24:08.59
to escape from the pit of
sin into which we are sunken.
00:24:08.62\00:24:12.55
Our hearts are evil
and we cannot change them.
00:24:12.58\00:24:17.15
And there are no
exclusions in that.
00:24:17.18\00:24:20.24
There's no one who was
born who can change their heart,
00:24:20.27\00:24:23.57
who can change
their status before God.
00:24:23.60\00:24:26.47
Our hearts are evil
and we cannot change them,
00:24:26.50\00:24:29.36
education, culture,
the exercise of the will,
00:24:29.39\00:24:33.03
human effort, all
have their proper sphere,
00:24:33.06\00:24:35.71
but here they are powerless."
00:24:35.74\00:24:39.16
So without the
action of God to step in
00:24:39.19\00:24:42.26
and resolve the human problem
that is your problem and mine,
00:24:42.29\00:24:46.77
we would be without hope.
00:24:46.80\00:24:49.68
However, when we
begin to take a closer look
00:24:49.71\00:24:52.57
at God's actions on
your behalf and mine,
00:24:52.60\00:24:56.55
they don't fit
into common human logic.
00:24:56.58\00:25:01.35
Now that is into the
way that we commonly think
00:25:01.38\00:25:05.07
and I want to illustrate this
00:25:05.10\00:25:06.99
with two stories,
two scenarios tonight.
00:25:07.02\00:25:09.45
One that seems logical
and measured in proportion
00:25:09.48\00:25:13.48
to the situation and the other
00:25:13.51\00:25:15.48
that is off the
scale of human reason.
00:25:15.51\00:25:19.15
Let me begin with this story.
00:25:19.18\00:25:21.57
It is August 31, 1985.
00:25:21.60\00:25:26.63
The city is Los Angeles,
and something that I don't think
00:25:26.66\00:25:30.97
was seen before or has been seen
since was seen in those streets.
00:25:31.00\00:25:37.16
A young man had
been out of the city,
00:25:37.19\00:25:40.60
but he arrived
back into the city
00:25:40.63\00:25:42.23
to see pictures of
himself everywhere he went.
00:25:42.26\00:25:46.71
He had been identified
00:25:46.74\00:25:48.11
by the Los Angeles
police as the night stalker.
00:25:48.14\00:25:52.05
Richard Ramirez, a
Satan-worshipping murderer.
00:25:52.08\00:25:58.29
He had raped,
mutilated, and murdered 13 women
00:25:58.32\00:26:05.61
and had done
damage to 43 others.
00:26:05.64\00:26:08.62
And the police were
urgent in their search for him
00:26:08.65\00:26:12.43
and they had finally identified
that Richard Ramirez was the man
00:26:12.46\00:26:15.89
and so they had
put up these posters.
00:26:15.92\00:26:18.00
He had been in Arizona,
00:26:18.03\00:26:19.40
but he came
back into Los Angeles
00:26:19.43\00:26:21.56
to see this and he
became very frightened.
00:26:21.59\00:26:23.84
He saw a car that he thought
he would get in and steal
00:26:26.26\00:26:30.09
and drive out of Los Angeles.
00:26:30.12\00:26:33.55
But when he went to get
into the car he discovered
00:26:33.58\00:26:35.46
that as he tried to turn
the ignition it wouldn't start.
00:26:35.49\00:26:38.18
You know, it was a muscle car.
00:26:38.21\00:26:40.11
You know what a muscle car is?
00:26:40.14\00:26:41.51
I mean, it was souped up,
00:26:41.54\00:26:42.92
this had a huge engine
in it and was ready to roll.
00:26:42.95\00:26:46.44
The one thing he
didn't bargain on was the fact
00:26:46.47\00:26:49.46
that the man who owned
the car was underneath the car
00:26:49.49\00:26:52.77
at that very
moment working on the car.
00:26:52.80\00:26:56.32
There's never a very smart thing
to try to steal a muscle car,
00:26:56.35\00:27:00.31
especially when the muscle
man is under the muscle car.
00:27:00.34\00:27:04.90
But Richard Ramirez got in
and he turned that ignition
00:27:04.93\00:27:07.49
and it wouldn't
start and he kept trying.
00:27:07.52\00:27:09.46
By that time,
the man, the owner,
00:27:09.49\00:27:11.67
got out from under the
car and grabbed him and said,
00:27:11.70\00:27:13.82
"What are you
doing with my car?"
00:27:13.85\00:27:15.41
Ramirez tried to break--or
did break away for a moment,
00:27:15.44\00:27:19.25
but the man saw that
face and connected it
00:27:19.28\00:27:23.33
with the posters that
he had been seeing all day
00:27:23.36\00:27:25.74
and he screamed at
the top of his lungs,
00:27:25.77\00:27:29.32
"The night
stalker, the night stalker!"
00:27:29.35\00:27:32.72
And people started to
come out of their homes
00:27:32.75\00:27:34.90
as they heard on that
summer evening that the cry
00:27:34.93\00:27:38.75
"The night stalker"
and a crowd began to form
00:27:38.78\00:27:42.21
and before long, 500 people
were chasing Richard Ramirez
00:27:42.24\00:27:47.51
through the
streets of Los Angeles
00:27:47.54\00:27:50.32
and they found--they caught him
and they had him on the ground
00:27:50.35\00:27:53.52
and they would
have beat him to death
00:27:53.55\00:27:56.35
were it not for the intervention
00:27:56.38\00:27:57.75
of the Los Angeles police
department who apprehended him.
00:27:57.78\00:28:02.25
Now, you know, as we
think about that story,
00:28:02.28\00:28:04.04
it's not difficult
for us to have our sense
00:28:04.07\00:28:07.37
of decency outraged and
infuriated by the events
00:28:07.40\00:28:11.20
that occur in our
world from day to day.
00:28:11.23\00:28:14.23
And when we think of this story,
00:28:14.26\00:28:15.86
when we think of
the horrific nature
00:28:15.89\00:28:18.20
of what this man had done,
00:28:18.23\00:28:20.92
we might even add from
our carnal perspective,
00:28:20.95\00:28:24.75
it's too bad
that the police came.
00:28:24.78\00:28:28.58
He was getting what he deserved,
00:28:28.61\00:28:32.48
because we look at things
00:28:32.51\00:28:34.58
as human beings in
a very measured way.
00:28:34.61\00:28:38.77
If you do this to me,
I will do that to you.
00:28:38.80\00:28:41.40
If you love me, I will love you.
00:28:41.43\00:28:43.55
If you insult me,
I will insult you.
00:28:43.58\00:28:46.03
So when we think of
stories like Richard Ramirez,
00:28:46.06\00:28:48.89
we think, well, he
got everything he deserved
00:28:48.92\00:28:51.01
and he should've had more.
00:28:51.04\00:28:52.41
But here is another scene,
00:28:55.00\00:28:58.74
a story where things
get twisted and bizarre.
00:28:58.77\00:29:03.92
You know, last evening
I was in Joplin, Missouri,
00:29:03.95\00:29:08.59
and my heart just ached
for the people of that city
00:29:08.62\00:29:11.45
as I drove through the streets
00:29:11.48\00:29:13.63
and I went to have a
little time of prayer
00:29:13.66\00:29:17.18
with Seventh-day
Adventists living in that city.
00:29:17.21\00:29:19.29
My heart was aching for them.
00:29:19.32\00:29:21.88
You know, I had the privilege
of being able to go overseas
00:29:21.91\00:29:25.54
to Sri Lanka and
right after the tsunami
00:29:25.57\00:29:29.99
and I'm not sure that you
should call that a privilege,
00:29:30.02\00:29:32.38
but I went
overseas and saw the damage
00:29:32.41\00:29:35.40
a 25 foot wall of
water coming onto land.
00:29:35.43\00:29:40.80
No continental
shelf in Sri Lanka
00:29:40.83\00:29:43.87
and just washing everything out.
00:29:43.90\00:29:47.45
People, buildings, 27,000 people
00:29:47.48\00:29:50.37
lost their life in
the area that we went.
00:29:50.40\00:29:53.88
I went to New Orleans
at the time of Katrina
00:29:53.91\00:29:57.96
and saw the mounds of
garbage through the streets.
00:29:57.99\00:30:02.39
But I wanna tell you I
don't think I've ever seen
00:30:02.42\00:30:03.96
anything like I saw last
night in Joplin, Missouri.
00:30:03.99\00:30:07.50
I think it's a miracle
that only 121 died there.
00:30:07.53\00:30:13.84
They're still
looking for 700 people.
00:30:13.87\00:30:17.24
But I want to tell
you that what I saw there,
00:30:17.27\00:30:20.55
large apartment buildings
where the tornado had come in
00:30:20.58\00:30:25.51
and just demolished the brick
and the mortar and the sticks.
00:30:25.54\00:30:30.43
And above it all was
hanging these girders.
00:30:30.46\00:30:34.50
Looked like somebody had
twisted them like a paperclip.
00:30:34.53\00:30:39.01
Here is a scene where
things get twisted and bizarre,
00:30:39.04\00:30:45.58
where a crowd fails
to recognize the obvious.
00:30:45.61\00:30:48.91
It is the enraged
mob that surrounds
00:30:48.94\00:30:51.38
the courtroom of pilot,
the procurator of Judea.
00:30:51.41\00:30:56.08
And when we
contemplate this story,
00:30:56.11\00:30:58.14
we begin to see something so big
00:30:58.17\00:31:00.75
in terms of its
eternal impact. It's huge.
00:31:00.78\00:31:05.70
Here is a crowd
inflamed by demons in human form
00:31:05.73\00:31:10.28
crying out for
blood in their rage.
00:31:10.31\00:31:13.52
And here's the
picture that they saw,
00:31:13.55\00:31:15.59
the compromising
pilot always standing out
00:31:15.62\00:31:20.09
in contradistinction
to that which is good.
00:31:20.12\00:31:22.49
Pilot always calculating, always
contemplating his advancement
00:31:22.52\00:31:27.32
and upward mobility, his
ascension into greatness.
00:31:27.35\00:31:31.74
And he stands there
and next to him is Jesus,
00:31:31.77\00:31:35.09
who said,
"Except the corn of wheat
00:31:35.12\00:31:37.44
falls into the ground
and dies, it abides alone.
00:31:37.47\00:31:40.72
But if it dies, it
brings forth much fruit."
00:31:40.75\00:31:44.79
You know, in the
gospel of Jesus Christ,
00:31:44.82\00:31:47.80
in true Christianity,
there is no such thing
00:31:47.83\00:31:51.56
as ascending into greatness.
00:31:51.59\00:31:54.12
We do not ascend into
greatness in Christianity.
00:31:54.15\00:31:57.71
But rather, we
descend into greatness
00:31:57.74\00:32:00.18
as we are planted in
the soil of human need.
00:32:00.21\00:32:03.68
And that's what Jesus' life
was all about to demonstrate
00:32:03.71\00:32:07.34
what self-sacrificing
love is all about.
00:32:07.37\00:32:10.34
The principle of
self-sacrificing love,
00:32:10.37\00:32:12.78
we know is the foundation
00:32:12.81\00:32:14.39
of all of God's
activities in the universe.
00:32:14.42\00:32:19.29
And there they
are standing together,
00:32:19.32\00:32:22.05
the grasping pilot, the Jesus
00:32:22.08\00:32:26.02
who was willing to
give it all for God.
00:32:26.05\00:32:30.37
And then pilot found what
he believed to be a way out.
00:32:30.40\00:32:34.95
He will release a
prisoner to the crowd
00:32:34.98\00:32:37.63
in a mock
honoring of Jewish custom.
00:32:37.66\00:32:40.52
And the contrasting
of the moment becomes
00:32:40.55\00:32:42.73
more intense as Barabbas
is brought onto the scene.
00:32:42.76\00:32:45.99
Barabbas, two words in one name.
00:32:46.02\00:32:48.93
Bar, a son. Abba, of his father.
00:32:48.96\00:32:53.06
A son of his father, the devil.
00:32:53.09\00:32:55.94
He stands there with--
hurling seditious insults
00:32:55.97\00:32:59.95
at the crowd,
cursing and swearing.
00:32:59.98\00:33:02.15
And Jesus stands
next to him as a lamb
00:33:02.18\00:33:06.90
before the slaughter
without anything to say.
00:33:06.93\00:33:11.36
I want you to think
it through carefully now.
00:33:11.39\00:33:14.32
And you
contemplate what is transpiring
00:33:14.35\00:33:16.68
in the courtroom of pilot.
00:33:16.71\00:33:18.63
You see, the call on
this day or the crowd
00:33:18.66\00:33:22.06
rather on this day call
for the binding of the innocent
00:33:22.09\00:33:26.21
and the release of the guilty.
00:33:26.24\00:33:29.41
They released Bin Laden
and they crucified Jesus.
00:33:29.44\00:33:34.80
And what is so
shocking, so perversely shocking
00:33:34.83\00:33:38.29
when you carefully
analyze this process
00:33:38.32\00:33:41.45
and fully grasp the eternal
results of the trial of Jesus
00:33:41.48\00:33:46.77
is that here at
the point of Jesus
00:33:46.80\00:33:49.77
being condemned
to death on a cross,
00:33:49.80\00:33:52.15
you are directly
exposed to the mind of God.
00:33:52.18\00:33:56.43
To the way that God thinks.
00:33:56.46\00:33:59.01
It's painful to
think these thoughts,
00:33:59.04\00:34:01.09
because it damages our ego.
00:34:01.12\00:34:02.88
It flies in the
face of human logic,
00:34:02.91\00:34:06.07
somehow in our own minds,
00:34:06.10\00:34:07.90
we think we must be
able to deserve this
00:34:07.93\00:34:10.36
that this is so much beyond
what a human being could do.
00:34:10.39\00:34:15.31
It boils down to
this in a courtroom
00:34:15.34\00:34:17.37
in ancient
Jerusalem, either Jesus is bound
00:34:17.40\00:34:21.51
and Barabbas is
released, either Jesus is bound
00:34:21.54\00:34:25.86
and you are released or we
are without hope, eternally.
00:34:25.89\00:34:33.10
I want to you to
listen again to the scripture,
00:34:33.13\00:34:34.90
Galatians 3:13,
"Christ redeemed us
00:34:34.93\00:34:39.00
from the curse of the law
00:34:39.03\00:34:41.21
by becoming a curse
for us, for it is written,
00:34:41.24\00:34:44.26
cursed is everyone
who is hung on a tree."
00:34:44.29\00:34:48.50
And 1 Peter 2:21,
"He himself bore our sins
00:34:48.53\00:34:54.04
in his body on the tree,
so that we might die to sin
00:34:54.07\00:34:57.47
and live for
righteousness, by his wounds
00:34:57.50\00:35:01.04
you and I have been healed."
00:35:01.07\00:35:03.47
In 2 Corinthians
5:11, a beautiful passage,
00:35:03.50\00:35:07.22
"For Christ's love compels
us, because we are convinced
00:35:07.25\00:35:11.60
that one died for all,
and therefore all died."
00:35:11.63\00:35:17.32
I want you to
listen to some statements
00:35:17.35\00:35:18.93
from the greatest
biography of Jesus written
00:35:18.96\00:35:23.16
that we find
outside of the scripture
00:35:23.19\00:35:24.80
from a book
called "Desire of Ages",
00:35:24.83\00:35:26.96
"God suffered His
wrath against transgression
00:35:26.99\00:35:30.04
to fall on His beloved son.
00:35:30.07\00:35:32.44
Jesus was to be
crucified for the sins of men."
00:35:32.47\00:35:38.15
And then from that same
book, a most powerful statement,
00:35:38.18\00:35:43.45
"He who stilled the angry waves
00:35:43.48\00:35:45.54
and walked the
foam-capped billows,
00:35:45.57\00:35:47.87
who made devils
tremble and disease flee,
00:35:47.90\00:35:50.62
who opened blind
eyes and called forth
00:35:50.65\00:35:52.90
the dead to life offers Himself
on the cross as a sacrifice,
00:35:52.93\00:35:57.37
and this from love to you."
00:35:57.40\00:36:00.45
And it concludes, it climaxes
with this huge statement.
00:36:00.48\00:36:05.25
He, the sin bearer, endures
the wrath of divine justice
00:36:05.28\00:36:11.37
and for your sake and
my sake becomes sin itself.
00:36:11.40\00:36:18.86
I want to tell you, folks,
00:36:18.89\00:36:20.26
that is higher than the
highest human thought can reach.
00:36:20.29\00:36:23.44
Just exactly what does
God see as He views the cross?
00:36:23.47\00:36:29.33
Does He now see the
pure and the sinless Jesus?
00:36:29.36\00:36:32.84
Does He see the one who
spoke worlds into existence
00:36:32.87\00:36:35.89
through His mighty power?
00:36:35.92\00:36:37.30
And the painful answer
that you and I must give
00:36:37.33\00:36:40.20
as we observe the
trial and the condemnation
00:36:40.23\00:36:42.82
and the crucifixio of Jesus is,
00:36:42.85\00:36:44.96
"No, that's not what He
sees. A thousand times no."
00:36:44.99\00:36:49.50
The scripture informs
us that God does see Jesus
00:36:49.53\00:36:52.72
at the time of the crucifixion.
00:36:52.75\00:36:54.12
And the Bible does
say that God was in Christ
00:36:54.15\00:36:57.43
reconciling the world
to Himself. It is true.
00:36:57.46\00:37:03.47
But in this horrific
sight, on this horrible day,
00:37:03.50\00:37:08.05
God sees Jesus
now as the embodiment
00:37:08.08\00:37:11.05
of your sins and mine.
00:37:11.08\00:37:13.51
He Himself, Peter says,
00:37:13.54\00:37:16.78
"Bore my sin in
His body on the tree."
00:37:16.81\00:37:22.07
Isaiah as he contemplated
the work of the Messiah
00:37:22.10\00:37:24.86
in Isaiah 53:6
says, "We all, like sheep,
00:37:24.89\00:37:28.62
have gone astray, each of us
00:37:28.65\00:37:30.53
has turned to his own way,
00:37:30.56\00:37:32.57
and the Lord has laid on
him the iniquity of us all."
00:37:32.60\00:37:38.02
God sees yours, your
sins and He sees mine.
00:37:38.05\00:37:41.96
And it was this that caused
Him to turn away from His son,
00:37:41.99\00:37:45.33
this that caused
Jesus to call out,
00:37:45.36\00:37:48.16
to cry out in His anguish,
00:37:48.19\00:37:49.78
"My God, my God, why
have You forsaken me?"
00:37:49.81\00:37:54.92
and contemplate this text.
00:37:54.95\00:38:00.71
It's an amazing text.
00:38:00.74\00:38:02.11
It says, "Yet it was
the Lord's will to crush him
00:38:02.14\00:38:05.79
and to cause him to suffer,
00:38:05.82\00:38:07.98
and though the Lord makes
his life a guilt offering,
00:38:08.01\00:38:10.77
he will see his
offspring and prolong his days,
00:38:10.80\00:38:13.58
and the will of the Lord
will prosper in his hand."
00:38:13.61\00:38:18.14
God made him who knew
no sin to be sin for us.
00:38:18.17\00:38:25.91
You know, I will
tell you frankly, friends,
00:38:25.94\00:38:28.68
that we all get
agitated and stirred up
00:38:28.71\00:38:30.95
when things are great around us.
00:38:30.98\00:38:34.33
You know, men--not
all men enjoy sports.
00:38:34.36\00:38:39.27
But I think most men
enjoy some kind of sports.
00:38:39.30\00:38:43.43
And when things
happen that we like
00:38:43.46\00:38:46.11
to high five each other,
00:38:46.14\00:38:47.86
to shout for joy is a
pretty natural expression.
00:38:47.89\00:38:53.16
And I want to tell you
what we're talking about
00:38:53.19\00:38:55.11
here this evening is to
be the core of the message
00:38:55.14\00:38:59.11
that is taken to the
world in the days final
00:38:59.14\00:39:02.52
or in the days
immediately preceding
00:39:02.55\00:39:04.79
the coming of Jesus Christ.
00:39:04.82\00:39:06.28
We do not have our characters
to offer to the world.
00:39:06.31\00:39:11.16
There is nothing that we can
do that will impress the world
00:39:11.19\00:39:14.75
about the greatness
of God to the extent
00:39:14.78\00:39:17.97
of what we're
talking about right now.
00:39:18.00\00:39:20.99
And this is to be
our call to the world
00:39:21.02\00:39:24.23
that there is a God
who loves you so much
00:39:24.26\00:39:27.93
that He was not
content to remain aloof
00:39:27.96\00:39:30.96
in the sanctity of heaven.
00:39:30.99\00:39:32.98
But He sent His own
son and He brought Him
00:39:33.01\00:39:35.58
into the position of being
the core of the great exchange
00:39:35.61\00:39:38.97
for God made Him who knew no sin
00:39:39.00\00:39:41.43
to be sin for you and for me.
00:39:41.46\00:39:44.33
I can tell that to my neighbors.
00:39:44.36\00:39:46.08
You do not have
to carry the burden,
00:39:46.11\00:39:48.64
the guilt of the things
that are destroying you.
00:39:48.67\00:39:52.98
But I want to tell you tonight
00:39:53.01\00:39:54.59
that I praise God that
Paul didn't stop there,
00:39:54.62\00:39:58.53
because he
concludes this statement
00:39:58.56\00:40:00.19
by saying for God made him
who knew no sin to be sin for us
00:40:00.22\00:40:04.34
that we might be made the
righteousness of God in Him.
00:40:04.37\00:40:08.09
And we want to
praise His name for that.
00:40:08.12\00:40:10.49
Praise God that in the process
00:40:10.52\00:40:13.42
or that the
process of the exchange
00:40:13.45\00:40:15.54
did not stop in a
tomb. Jesus lives.
00:40:15.57\00:40:20.68
The victory of God over evil
00:40:20.71\00:40:22.28
doesn't stop in the
death of Jesus Christ.
00:40:22.31\00:40:24.28
And there's a reason for this.
00:40:24.31\00:40:26.44
When God starts something,
He always finishes it.
00:40:26.47\00:40:31.03
He doesn't stop.
00:40:31.06\00:40:32.59
And that extends
hope to you and me.
00:40:32.62\00:40:34.76
You know, we may get
pretty discouraged at times,
00:40:34.79\00:40:37.46
but God does
not get discouraged.
00:40:37.49\00:40:40.23
You know, the reality is this,
00:40:40.26\00:40:43.09
that in the
resurrection of His son,
00:40:43.12\00:40:45.70
Jesus forever
obliterated the hold
00:40:45.73\00:40:48.79
that the devil
has over humankind,
00:40:48.82\00:40:51.48
both in the physical
and in the spiritual realms.
00:40:51.51\00:40:54.55
Yes, the devil is
winning victories today,
00:40:54.58\00:40:58.76
but he will not win the war.
00:40:58.79\00:41:00.86
That has already been
decided at Calvary, amen.
00:41:00.89\00:41:04.55
If time lasts long enough
00:41:04.58\00:41:05.97
and this is a
rather morbid thought,
00:41:06.00\00:41:07.97
but if time lasts long enough,
00:41:08.00\00:41:09.80
all of us,
everyone who is watching,
00:41:09.83\00:41:11.72
everyone is here
in the auditorium,
00:41:11.75\00:41:13.58
all of us are gonna die.
00:41:13.61\00:41:17.60
But the great news
of the Christian gospel
00:41:17.63\00:41:20.21
is that we will
not stay that way
00:41:20.24\00:41:23.49
because Jesus has
conquered death, amen.
00:41:23.52\00:41:26.55
You know, interestingly enough,
00:41:28.95\00:41:31.93
you can never get a
group of people together,
00:41:31.96\00:41:33.68
I believe, in a
room of this size
00:41:33.71\00:41:37.10
where somebody
hasn't got a problem
00:41:37.13\00:41:39.93
that is weighing them down.
00:41:39.96\00:41:42.18
You know, there are many people
00:41:42.21\00:41:44.35
who live their lives in silence,
who live their lives in pain,
00:41:44.38\00:41:47.72
believing that that one thing,
00:41:47.75\00:41:49.41
that one
practice, that one habit,
00:41:49.44\00:41:51.34
that one sin that they
cannot seem to get away
00:41:51.37\00:41:55.18
from will ultimately
destroy their faith in God
00:41:55.21\00:41:58.40
and eliminate them
from the privilege of being
00:41:58.43\00:42:00.84
saved eternally in
the kingdom of God.
00:42:00.87\00:42:03.52
I want to tell
you something tonight.
00:42:03.55\00:42:06.06
You do not have to
give up in despair.
00:42:06.09\00:42:08.99
You do not have to lose hope
00:42:09.02\00:42:12.09
because Jesus has conquered sin.
00:42:12.12\00:42:14.77
Jesus has conquered that
very sin that you struggle with,
00:42:14.80\00:42:18.34
that very sin that
is dragging you down.
00:42:18.37\00:42:21.01
Jesus conquered that sin.
00:42:21.04\00:42:23.47
And your role and my
role is to connect with Jesus
00:42:23.50\00:42:27.16
so that He can give us
that which He wants to give us.
00:42:27.19\00:42:31.23
Jesus has conquered sin.
00:42:31.26\00:42:33.00
You know, back to that passage
in "Steps to Christ" page 18,
00:42:33.03\00:42:37.07
"There must be a
power working from within,
00:42:37.10\00:42:40.92
a new life from above,
00:42:40.95\00:42:43.08
before men can be
changed from sin to holiness."
00:42:43.11\00:42:48.29
There's only four words
that follow in the next sentence
00:42:48.32\00:42:51.73
and they are like
this, "That power is Christ."
00:42:51.76\00:42:56.52
Amen. That power is Christ.
00:42:56.55\00:43:00.53
Righteousness is not
achieved by behaviorism.
00:43:00.56\00:43:05.65
Righteousness is
achieved by submission
00:43:05.68\00:43:09.25
to our Lord Jesus Christ
00:43:09.28\00:43:11.21
and by giving permission
to the Holy Spirit to work
00:43:11.24\00:43:14.37
His way in our lives
00:43:14.40\00:43:16.40
so that we can grow
up into Jesus Christ.
00:43:16.43\00:43:19.37
There must be a
power from above.
00:43:19.40\00:43:22.98
That power is
Christ. His grace alone
00:43:23.01\00:43:26.93
can quicken the
lifeless faculties of the soul
00:43:26.96\00:43:29.55
and attract it to
God and to holiness.
00:43:29.58\00:43:34.05
You know, we
observe the great exchange
00:43:34.08\00:43:36.48
and we hold our breath
00:43:36.51\00:43:38.00
as we watch Jesus
enter into the showdown.
00:43:38.03\00:43:41.30
A showdown, an
eternal showdown with sin
00:43:41.33\00:43:44.19
and eternal death,
your death and mine.
00:43:44.22\00:43:46.81
We see and we cannot help
but celebrate because He wins.
00:43:46.84\00:43:52.54
And just as we follow Him
00:43:52.57\00:43:53.94
through the valley
of the shadow of death.
00:43:53.97\00:43:56.33
And we watch Him die for us.
00:43:56.36\00:43:58.16
So He invites us to
observe Him in His resurrection
00:43:58.19\00:44:02.24
and what happened as a
result of His resurrection.
00:44:02.27\00:44:05.66
He invites us to not
only follow Him in death,
00:44:05.69\00:44:09.27
but also to follow Him in
life to see how powerful He is.
00:44:09.30\00:44:15.97
You know, I
don't know about you,
00:44:16.00\00:44:17.37
but from time to time,
00:44:17.40\00:44:19.90
I watch the strong man
competition on television.
00:44:19.93\00:44:25.88
And I think that's
one of those things
00:44:25.91\00:44:27.47
I was talking
about in the beginning.
00:44:27.50\00:44:28.90
You know, you wish
you could be that way.
00:44:28.93\00:44:31.17
I actually convinced my
wife to watch 20 minutes
00:44:31.20\00:44:33.80
of it not so long ago.
00:44:33.83\00:44:35.51
I don't watch it
on a regular basis.
00:44:35.54\00:44:37.09
I don't have much
time to watch television.
00:44:37.12\00:44:39.40
But there was a man,
00:44:39.43\00:44:42.51
we were watching
375 pounds in each arm,
00:44:42.54\00:44:45.94
picked it up and they're racing
and they're running along.
00:44:45.97\00:44:49.91
And I'm thinking,
"Wow, that's pretty good."
00:44:49.94\00:44:51.45
But then I saw them attach a
man with a harness to a 737 Jet
00:44:51.48\00:44:59.27
and he pulled that jet.
00:44:59.30\00:45:02.30
And I'm thinking, you
know, pass the cheese, please.
00:45:02.33\00:45:06.08
I'm feeling pretty
tiny at that point.
00:45:06.11\00:45:09.21
I want you to
listen to the Apostle Paul.
00:45:09.24\00:45:13.65
He proclaims the exceeding
00:45:13.68\00:45:15.78
greatness of His
power toward us who believe.
00:45:15.81\00:45:19.86
According to the
working of His mighty power
00:45:19.89\00:45:22.44
which He worked in Christ
00:45:22.47\00:45:23.84
when He raised Him from the dead
00:45:23.87\00:45:25.84
and seated Him at His right
hand in the heavenly places.
00:45:25.87\00:45:30.47
This is a glorious thought,
00:45:30.50\00:45:32.40
because what Paul is
saying here is that the power
00:45:32.43\00:45:35.54
that God used to raise Jesus
from the dead is the same power
00:45:35.57\00:45:41.80
that is available
to you and to me today
00:45:41.83\00:45:44.78
that God is willing to pour out.
00:45:44.81\00:45:47.03
You know, it's that which
called John to utter the words,
00:45:47.06\00:45:50.85
"Behold, what manner of love
00:45:50.88\00:45:52.82
the Father has be stored upon us
00:45:52.85\00:45:54.84
that we might be called the
sons and the daughters of God."
00:45:54.87\00:45:58.85
The exceeding power,
00:45:58.88\00:46:01.06
the greatness of
His power toward us.
00:46:01.09\00:46:04.52
You wanna talk about
strong men and strong women
00:46:04.55\00:46:07.58
or strong whatever,
00:46:07.61\00:46:08.98
there is nothing that can
beat the power of God, amen.
00:46:09.01\00:46:14.48
You know, the apostle
John, as he looked at things
00:46:14.51\00:46:17.75
right at the very end
in Revelation 7:13 and 14
00:46:17.78\00:46:23.20
wrote these words,
00:46:23.23\00:46:24.60
"Then one of
the elders asked me,
00:46:24.63\00:46:26.16
'These in white
robes, who are they,
00:46:26.19\00:46:28.79
and where did they come from?'"
00:46:28.82\00:46:31.21
And John responded by
saying, "Sir, you know."
00:46:31.24\00:46:33.99
And he said,
00:46:34.02\00:46:35.39
"These are they who have
come out of great tribulation,
00:46:35.42\00:46:38.91
they have washed their robes
00:46:38.94\00:46:40.80
and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb."
00:46:40.83\00:46:45.06
The songwriter William Cowper
00:46:45.09\00:46:46.56
used these words
to describe this.
00:46:46.59\00:46:49.32
There is a
fountain filled with blood
00:46:49.35\00:46:52.06
Drawn from Emmanuel's veins.
00:46:52.09\00:46:54.48
And sinners
plunged beneath that flood
00:46:54.51\00:46:56.94
Lose all their guilty stains.
00:46:56.97\00:46:58.89
The dying thief rejoiced to see
00:46:58.92\00:47:01.81
That fountain in his day,
00:47:01.84\00:47:03.44
And there may I,
though vile as he,
00:47:03.47\00:47:05.82
Washed all my sins away.
00:47:05.85\00:47:07.84
Thou dying Lamb,
Thy precious blood
00:47:07.87\00:47:11.23
Shall never lose its power
00:47:11.26\00:47:13.21
Till all the
ransomedchurch of God
00:47:13.24\00:47:17.07
Are saved, to sin no more.
00:47:17.10\00:47:19.77
I want to ask you
some questions tonight
00:47:19.80\00:47:22.32
as we move toward the
conclusion and they're simple.
00:47:22.35\00:47:26.36
Where do we find the way into
the mind and the heart of God?
00:47:26.39\00:47:32.23
In Jesus.
00:47:32.26\00:47:35.21
Where do we find
happiness in 2011?
00:47:35.24\00:47:39.12
In Jesus.
00:47:39.15\00:47:41.36
Where do we find the way
to move beyond our guilt,
00:47:41.39\00:47:45.48
our suffering, and
our pains spiritually?
00:47:45.51\00:47:48.22
In Jesus.
00:47:48.25\00:47:49.82
"For God made Him who
knew no sin to be sin for us
00:47:49.85\00:47:55.78
that we might be made the
righteousness of God in Him."
00:47:55.81\00:48:02.18
People ask me all the time.
00:48:02.21\00:48:04.06
They say, "Aren't you
overwhelmed by your job?"
00:48:04.09\00:48:06.78
And I tell them
every time, "Yes, I am.
00:48:06.81\00:48:09.49
But I want to
tell you something.
00:48:09.52\00:48:11.37
I'm with Him."
Amen. I'm with Him.
00:48:11.40\00:48:14.97
Sounds glib,
but it is the truth.
00:48:15.00\00:48:18.75
I heard this
story many years ago
00:48:18.78\00:48:20.35
and I've repeated it
many times in many places
00:48:20.38\00:48:22.73
because it struck me
00:48:22.76\00:48:24.13
so hard when I
heard it the first time.
00:48:24.16\00:48:26.66
A man is driving
along a freeway one day
00:48:26.69\00:48:28.88
and as he drives along,
00:48:28.91\00:48:30.48
he sees that car
right behind him with a,
00:48:30.51\00:48:32.38
you know, with
the cherry on the top.
00:48:32.41\00:48:34.18
Of course, now
they're big long tubes
00:48:34.21\00:48:35.65
and I noticed by
the way as I pulled up
00:48:35.68\00:48:38.16
to 3ABN
headquarters that Jim Gilley
00:48:38.19\00:48:41.50
is now driving a police car.
00:48:41.53\00:48:43.20
But he saw that
light and he pulled over.
00:48:47.23\00:48:53.23
And the policeman came
and gave wrote him a citation.
00:48:53.26\00:48:56.58
And he thought,
"Fine, I will just pay it."
00:48:56.61\00:48:59.60
When he got home
and 2 or 3 days later,
00:48:59.63\00:49:02.49
he received a notice
from the court saying,
00:49:02.52\00:49:04.86
"You are called to the
court on such and such a day
00:49:04.89\00:49:08.34
in order to defend your
right to drive in the state."
00:49:08.37\00:49:13.10
And he was shocked.
00:49:13.13\00:49:14.57
But then he
realized that that occasion
00:49:14.60\00:49:16.64
hadn't been the first occasion,
00:49:16.67\00:49:18.57
for there had
been many occasions.
00:49:18.60\00:49:21.06
When he had had that experience
with that little flashing light.
00:49:21.09\00:49:26.47
And so he went before the judge.
00:49:26.50\00:49:27.87
And after the judge
made some prefatory remarks,
00:49:27.90\00:49:31.48
he said, "I am--
because of your driving record,
00:49:31.51\00:49:34.63
I am going to suspend
00:49:34.66\00:49:36.03
your driver's
license for one month."
00:49:36.06\00:49:38.92
You know, that has all
kinds of repercussions,
00:49:38.95\00:49:42.44
but the biggest one for him
00:49:42.47\00:49:43.84
was that he wouldn't
be able to drive to work.
00:49:43.87\00:49:45.47
And so he appealed
to the judge and said,
00:49:45.50\00:49:48.64
"Your honor,
with all due respect,
00:49:48.67\00:49:50.04
I am asking the judge
reconsider this sentence
00:49:50.07\00:49:52.37
because I rely upon
my vehicle for my income.
00:49:52.40\00:49:58.07
My wife works in
another place and needs her car.
00:49:58.10\00:50:01.18
And would the judge
kindly consider another way,
00:50:01.21\00:50:06.04
another way to
exact punishment on me?"
00:50:06.07\00:50:10.08
The judge recessed the
court for a few moments
00:50:10.11\00:50:12.07
and then he came back.
00:50:12.10\00:50:13.47
And when he came
back, he said, "I do.
00:50:13.50\00:50:14.87
I have another-- I
have another way for you
00:50:14.90\00:50:17.11
to remind yourself of
what you've been doing
00:50:17.14\00:50:19.93
in the practice that
you've been practicing
00:50:19.96\00:50:22.79
and you better stop.
00:50:22.82\00:50:24.42
I'm going to ask you
to clean up the highway,
00:50:24.45\00:50:27.88
the ditches, and the
median of the highway
00:50:27.91\00:50:30.60
for one mile stretch."
00:50:30.63\00:50:32.24
That one mile
stretch led right up
00:50:32.27\00:50:34.06
to where that
person went to work.
00:50:34.09\00:50:37.35
A freeway.
00:50:37.38\00:50:39.91
The man
accepted that punishment.
00:50:39.94\00:50:42.48
He went home with
every determination
00:50:42.51\00:50:44.28
that he would clean up
that one mile section of highway
00:50:44.31\00:50:47.52
that he would go and
pick up the cigarette boxes
00:50:47.55\00:50:49.90
and the McDonald cartons
00:50:49.93\00:50:51.64
and the whatever else
that people through out
00:50:51.67\00:50:53.32
their window as they drive by.
00:50:53.35\00:50:55.97
But, you know, the
more he thought about it,
00:50:56.00\00:50:57.37
the more he was pained
by that, because he thought,
00:50:57.40\00:51:00.00
I'll do this and my friends,
00:51:00.03\00:51:01.72
my colleagues will drive by
00:51:01.75\00:51:03.30
and they'll see me
picking up this stuff.
00:51:03.33\00:51:05.40
And then everybody will
know what I've been doing.
00:51:05.43\00:51:10.15
So he procrastinated until
there were about 2 weeks left.
00:51:10.18\00:51:14.28
And then soon
there was one week left.
00:51:14.31\00:51:16.87
And he went back to the judge.
00:51:16.90\00:51:19.48
He said,
"Judge, I've been having
00:51:19.51\00:51:21.23
a little problem
actually doing this job.
00:51:21.26\00:51:23.26
Could you give me an
extension of 2 weeks?
00:51:23.29\00:51:25.60
I promise you, I'll
have it done by then."
00:51:25.63\00:51:27.94
The judge was kind.
00:51:27.97\00:51:29.34
He gave him an
additional two weeks
00:51:29.37\00:51:31.86
and the man then
began to procrastinate
00:51:31.89\00:51:33.60
again until there was finally
00:51:33.63\00:51:35.00
only one day
left in the sentence.
00:51:35.03\00:51:37.26
One day left
for him to clean up.
00:51:37.29\00:51:39.85
He got in his
car and he went out
00:51:39.88\00:51:41.41
and bought
himself some big green
00:51:41.44\00:51:43.48
industrial garbage bags
and headed out to the freeway.
00:51:43.51\00:51:47.01
But when he got
there, he was shocked to see
00:51:47.04\00:51:49.73
that the freeway had
already been cleaned.
00:51:49.76\00:51:52.57
He said to
himself as he drove home
00:51:52.60\00:51:54.65
with a very heavy heart,
00:51:54.68\00:51:56.05
"I'm gonna lose
my driver's license.
00:51:56.08\00:51:57.62
I'm gonna look like
an idiot and a fool.
00:51:57.65\00:52:00.82
And I don't know how
I'm going to get to work."
00:52:00.85\00:52:04.71
Drove home.
00:52:04.74\00:52:06.51
He tells the story
00:52:06.54\00:52:07.91
of how he drove
up into the driveway
00:52:07.94\00:52:11.07
and he pushed the remove control
00:52:11.10\00:52:13.26
on the garage door.
00:52:13.29\00:52:14.66
And he watched as
it edged its way up.
00:52:14.69\00:52:18.14
And he sat there
behind the wheel,
00:52:18.17\00:52:20.60
he looked directly into the
back of his wife's station wagon
00:52:20.63\00:52:25.00
and it was filled with
big, green, Glad garbage bags.
00:52:25.03\00:52:31.19
His wife had gone to the
freeway and cleaned it for him.
00:52:31.22\00:52:37.61
He said, "I sat
there and I wept.
00:52:37.64\00:52:42.10
I cried." He said,
00:52:42.13\00:52:44.60
"It was a
watershed moment in my life
00:52:44.63\00:52:46.52
because as I sat there
looking at my wife's car,
00:52:46.55\00:52:49.56
I said that is precisely
what God has done for me."
00:52:49.59\00:52:54.88
Jesus took the garbage
from your life and from mine.
00:52:54.91\00:52:58.95
So that you and I
could not only be free
00:52:58.98\00:53:00.98
and happy on this in this
world as we live our lives,
00:53:01.01\00:53:05.67
but so that we could be
free to enjoy eternal life,
00:53:05.70\00:53:10.46
for God made Him who
knew no sin to be sin for us
00:53:10.49\00:53:16.56
that we might be made the
righteousness of God in Him.
00:53:16.59\00:53:20.15
Friends, we have a
message to tell the world.
00:53:20.18\00:53:26.41
To every neighbor
and every family member
00:53:26.44\00:53:29.21
and every friend. We
serve a God who loves us.
00:53:29.24\00:53:34.16
And, you know,
before Jesus comes again,
00:53:34.19\00:53:37.67
this message of a great
God will go like a loud cry
00:53:37.70\00:53:43.98
that encircles the
globe with the righteousness
00:53:44.01\00:53:47.37
and the greatness of God.
00:53:47.40\00:53:49.60
I wanna be a part of
proclaiming that message always.
00:53:49.63\00:53:53.25
I am so grateful for
what He has done for me
00:53:53.28\00:53:57.00
and for what He
has done for you.
00:53:57.03\00:53:58.90
I want to praise
Him not only tonight,
00:53:58.93\00:54:01.08
but throughout all the
ceaseless ages of eternity.
00:54:01.11\00:54:05.49
Would you bow your
head with me and pray?
00:54:05.52\00:54:09.89
Our God and our Heavenly Father,
00:54:09.92\00:54:12.56
we want to praise
and honor You tonight
00:54:12.59\00:54:14.70
for the amazing gift of Your
son and our Savior Jesus Christ.
00:54:14.73\00:54:22.54
We thank you so
much that tonight
00:54:22.57\00:54:24.57
as we turn our hearts
to You and our minds to You
00:54:24.60\00:54:27.77
that we can say with
assurance, "Lord, take me.
00:54:27.80\00:54:32.86
I'm Yours. Move into my life.
00:54:32.89\00:54:35.84
Change me. Redirect me.
00:54:35.87\00:54:37.83
Do those things
that You need to do."
00:54:37.86\00:54:40.80
But Heavenly Father,
I just want to thank you
00:54:40.83\00:54:42.90
so much for the gift of
grace through Jesus Christ.
00:54:42.93\00:54:48.05
And Lord,
tonight for every person
00:54:48.08\00:54:49.77
who is listening no
matter where they are,
00:54:49.80\00:54:52.99
no matter how small
or how big the problems
00:54:53.02\00:54:55.26
are that are
ravaging them right now.
00:54:55.29\00:54:58.68
Oh, Heavenly
Father, be with each one.
00:54:58.71\00:55:01.72
Give right now a
touch of Your Holy Spirit
00:55:01.75\00:55:05.25
so that people know
that You stand at their side.
00:55:05.28\00:55:08.57
And again we think of
the citizens of Joplin,
00:55:08.60\00:55:11.31
Missouri, of
Benning, of Oklahoma City,
00:55:11.34\00:55:15.55
those places in
Alabama that have been touched.
00:55:15.58\00:55:18.98
The people who have
been hurt and wounded,
00:55:19.01\00:55:21.74
who have--those family
members have lost their lives,
00:55:21.77\00:55:24.38
oh, Lord, we
hurt for them tonight.
00:55:24.41\00:55:27.56
We want to ask that
Your spirit will be draw
00:55:27.59\00:55:30.62
beside each one,
00:55:30.65\00:55:32.66
so that the healing balm
of Jesus will be a blessing.
00:55:32.69\00:55:38.21
And, Lord, we will give
You the praise and glory
00:55:38.24\00:55:40.60
for all that You
have done and will do.
00:55:40.63\00:55:43.44
And I pray in Your
precious name. Amen.
00:55:43.47\00:55:48.03
And amen. Amen.
00:55:53.95\00:55:55.81
That was a very
moving message, wasn't it?
00:55:55.84\00:55:58.70
It really was. Very
powerfully delivered.
00:55:58.73\00:56:00.78
We've-- I've
heard him two times.
00:56:00.81\00:56:02.29
Yeah. Both times here at 3ABN,
00:56:02.32\00:56:04.44
oddly enough,
interestingly enough.
00:56:04.47\00:56:06.28
And he is a
powerful, insightful preacher.
00:56:06.31\00:56:09.32
He is. And that
was a good message.
00:56:09.35\00:56:10.90
And this is his
second time to come to 3ABN
00:56:10.93\00:56:13.62
since he was elected
00:56:13.65\00:56:15.35
North American
Division President.
00:56:15.38\00:56:17.68
And also we've had a
couple of interviews with him.
00:56:17.71\00:56:20.99
We did one at ASI. Oh, yes.
00:56:21.02\00:56:22.98
And we did one at
general conference.
00:56:23.01\00:56:25.30
And Los Angeles.
00:56:25.33\00:56:26.70
That is correct. So
I'm just looking forward
00:56:26.73\00:56:30.73
to our having a
visit with him tonight.
00:56:30.76\00:56:33.11
And if you have any questions
that you would like to ask
00:56:33.14\00:56:38.10
the President of the
North American Division,
00:56:38.13\00:56:41.84
if you would simply
email those to our--
00:56:41.87\00:56:44.67
live@3abn.org,
live@3abn.org or you can call us
00:56:44.70\00:56:51.99
(618) 627-4651.
00:56:52.02\00:56:55.62
And it is not often,
Jim, that you get to ask
00:56:55.65\00:56:58.33
the division
president a question.
00:56:58.36\00:57:00.33
That's right. And you
can do so this very night.
00:57:00.36\00:57:01.96
We will try to get
to as many as we can.
00:57:01.99\00:57:03.70
There is a lot to discuss
00:57:03.73\00:57:05.10
as he has
mentioned just 400 miles--
00:57:05.13\00:57:07.59
I think I said east before,
00:57:07.62\00:57:08.99
but it's 400 miles west
of here in Joplin, Missouri.
00:57:09.02\00:57:13.05
Really a
terrible-- and you've been
00:57:13.08\00:57:15.18
listening on your radios
or watching on television,
00:57:15.21\00:57:17.51
terrible earthquake.
00:57:17.54\00:57:18.91
Get a little update
that president has been there
00:57:18.94\00:57:21.19
and has some
first hand knowledge
00:57:21.22\00:57:22.85
of what's going on there.
00:57:22.88\00:57:24.25
Then some things
happening in the church,
00:57:24.28\00:57:25.65
things that we are
facing and then wanna give you
00:57:25.68\00:57:27.97
just a little peek of
a very big media summit
00:57:28.00\00:57:31.46
that took place some days ago
00:57:31.49\00:57:34.19
that he may want to give
us a little information on.
00:57:34.22\00:57:36.25
Yeah, so we're
looking forward to that.
00:57:36.28\00:57:37.79
You were at the media summit.
00:57:37.82\00:57:39.73
And I think there's some real
good information from there.
00:57:39.76\00:57:43.60
So we'll be right here
and we'll be right back.
00:57:43.63\00:57:47.62