¤¤
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[ "God of Our Fathers" plays ]
00:00:08.34\00:00:10.24
[ Congregation sings ]
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[ Song ends ]
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[ "Majestic" plays ]
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>> "O, Lord, our
Lord." [ Congregation sings ]
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"O, Lord, our Lord."
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"I will worship."
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Sing it together,
"We will worship."
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[ Tempo slows ]
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[ Song ends ] [
"Majesty" plays ]
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Sing together, "Majesty."
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[ Congregation sings ]
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¤ Jesus who died, now
glorified King of all kings ¤
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Amen, amen. You know,
the past couple weeks,
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if you've been here at PMC or
watching online, Pastor Dwight's
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been covering an amazing,
amazing series talking about the
00:08:30.64\00:08:34.31
Word of God speaking
truth into our hearts.
00:08:34.31\00:08:39.28
And that's what this next time
is. As we come to the Lord in
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prayer, we lift up His
petitions, we claim His
promises, and we come to God,
00:08:43.12\00:08:48.56
asking Him to speak His truth
and His love and His grace into
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our lives. And so today, as we
sing this song, as we come into
prayer, I invite you to ruminate
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on the words, let those words
resonate with you. Sometimes, we
00:09:02.14\00:09:07.04
just sing words, but, today,
hear these words, sing these
words as we ask God to speak to
00:09:07.04\00:09:14.68
us today. [
"Speak, O Lord" plays ]
00:09:14.68\00:09:16.45
[ Congregation sings ]
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"Teach us, Lord."
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[ Song fades out ]
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[ Tempo quickens ]
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[ Song ends ] >>
Amen. >> That was beautiful.
00:16:00.89\00:16:07.03
Thank you very much. Just
what we needed this Sabbath.
00:16:07.03\00:16:13.50
So, without any further ado, I
want to plunge into -- I'm
really excited about our
00:16:13.50\00:16:18.67
teaching today. I hope it
impacts you the way it has
impacted me in going through
00:16:18.67\00:16:23.81
this study. I want to pray with
you. Then we'll roll the video
00:16:23.81\00:16:27.48
trailer. We're off. Dear
Father, Homecoming Sabbath.
00:16:27.48\00:16:32.35
Kind of reminds us of a
homecoming someday for the
00:16:32.35\00:16:40.03
entire human race. So we're glad
to be a part of this homecoming.
The nation is rather...
00:16:40.03\00:16:48.27
in a crazy sort of way right
now. We can't quite figure out
00:16:48.27\00:16:52.41
what's happening in America. May
hope be Your response to our
national collective heart.
00:16:52.41\00:17:03.02
May it be Your response to
our hearts. Bless this moment of
00:17:03.02\00:17:07.12
teaching. Make it clear, please,
in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's roll
00:17:07.12\00:17:11.86
that trailer. [ Cellphone chimes
] [ Mid-tempo music plays ] [
Cellphones chiming ]
00:17:13.26\00:17:21.04
[ Music ends ]
00:17:41.16\00:17:42.56
Was a cool autumn evening about
this time of year, actually, in
the nation's capital,
00:17:45.33\00:17:50.30
Washington D.C. Friend of mine
and I decided to go down to the
00:17:50.30\00:17:54.10
National Cathedral -- majestic
Gothic architecture there in
D.C. -- that evening.
00:17:54.10\00:18:00.28
We were at church headquarters
for meetings during the day.
"Let's just go. Come on."
00:18:00.28\00:18:05.68
Friend of mine, Rob Lloyd.
"Let's just go check it out." We
slipped in to the cathedral,
00:18:05.68\00:18:10.89
trying to find out if there's
a prayer service going on. "Shh!
00:18:10.89\00:18:15.52
They're gathered." And as we sat
in the back pew and listened, we
discovered it's a prayer service
00:18:15.52\00:18:20.96
for those suffering from AIDS.
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We sat there quietly and watched
as one after another came
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forward to the officiants who
were standing at the front --
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some alone, some with family,
some with family and friends, as
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the officiants
prayed... prayed for healing.
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I'm sure every heart was
there for physical feeling.
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But there's so many times
when your heart also longs for
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emotional healing.
00:18:49.22\00:18:50.96
It longs for spiritual healing.
Tell you what, it was... It was
an awesome moment just to
00:18:51.13\00:19:01.77
sit there and watch and pray
with these strangers -- not
unlike, by the way, the moment
00:19:01.77\00:19:09.11
when he is hanging there in
midair, suspended from the
ceiling that has been ripped
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open with a hole large enough
to lower a man through. There he
00:19:16.62\00:19:24.53
is. We are told he is suffering
from the physical effects of a
lifestyle he pursued once upon a
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time -- spindly, immobile
legs, skin taut, fallow, yellow,
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decaying. And as he hangs there
in midair, his friends eagerly
watching from the hole, the one
00:19:49.78\00:19:59.53
over whose head the hole had
been rapidly dug looks down.
This one has a man face, strong
00:19:59.53\00:20:09.80
features, but a tenderness and a
kindness unusual -- dark eyes of
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compassion. He looks down into
the twitching face. If you've
ever seen the face of
00:20:19.61\00:20:28.79
guilt -- and in my kind of work,
I see that face now and then.
The eyes darting, desperate.
00:20:28.79\00:20:40.47
A twitch. The one who looks
down reads the entire story.
00:20:40.47\00:20:47.88
This man doesn't want healing
for his legs. His heart is about
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to die. And in desperation, he's
come through the roof. And Jesus
00:20:55.72\00:21:02.82
speaks. And when Jesus speaks,
he activates a law that has been
operative in the universe as
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long as there has been a Creator
God. We've learned about that
00:21:09.46\00:21:14.14
law in this series -- #RxF4Now.
The law goes like this. Whenever
the Creator speaks a
00:21:14.14\00:21:25.01
word, no matter what word it is
He speaks, the spoken omnipotent
word instantly creates the
00:21:25.01\00:21:35.49
reality that the word describes.
So when He stood in this dark
spot of the Milky Way, and He
00:21:35.49\00:21:43.77
said, "Let there be light,"
in half a nanosecond, there is
00:21:43.77\00:21:51.07
light. Whenever God speaks a
word, that word, whether here or
here, immediately creates the
00:21:51.07\00:22:00.88
reality He speaks. So the same
Creator, now incarnated in human
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flesh, looks down at this
shriveled, desperate, dying
heart. And He speaks the words
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the man has come to hear.
"Son... your sins are forgiven."
00:22:18.40\00:22:26.64
And in that instant, the
omnipotence unleashed with the
word, "Let there be
00:22:29.14\00:22:35.52
forgiveness --" [ Exhales
sharply ] All over the face you
00:22:35.52\00:22:42.82
see it. "Desire of
Ages" captures this moment.
00:22:42.82\00:22:44.73
Oh, lock this
moment in your heart.
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"Could He really
do this for me, too?"
00:22:46.83\00:22:48.90
"The burden --" the
paralytic. "The burden..."
00:22:48.90\00:22:51.90
"In simple faith, he accepted
the words of Jesus as the boon
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of new life. He urged
no further request --"
00:23:05.08\00:23:07.68
He didn't come for the
legs. He came for the heart.
00:23:07.68\00:23:13.19
"He urges no further request,
but he lay in blissful silence,
00:23:13.19\00:23:18.36
too happy for words," staring
into the face that smiles down
00:23:18.36\00:23:23.40
on him. "The light
of heaven --" Oh, I
00:23:23.40\00:23:27.84
love this. "The
light of heaven irradiated
00:23:27.84\00:23:29.90
his countenance, and the people
looked with awe --" "Wow, did
00:23:30.07\00:23:36.41
you see that?"
00:23:36.41\00:23:40.38
Romans 8:1 -- our text. Would
you find it in your Bible,
whatever Bible you brought?
00:23:40.55\00:23:47.12
Didn't bring a Bible, grab the
pew Bible in front of you. You
got your device there.
00:23:47.12\00:23:50.79
Let's go. Romans chapter eight.
What has just happened before
00:23:50.79\00:23:57.37
our eyes? Romans 8:1.
"Therefore --" And I'm in the
00:23:57.37\00:24:01.74
NIV. "Therefore..."
00:24:01.74\00:24:06.34
That amazing? "There is
therefore now no condemnation
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for those who are --" what? Come
on, finish the sentence for me.
00:24:20.06\00:24:23.06
For those who are what?
In Christ Jesus. In Christ.
00:24:23.06\00:24:29.63
That's Paul's favorite -- That
has become Paul's life-mission
00:24:29.63\00:24:33.77
theme. He is the champion of "in
Christ." Over 200 times -- Over
00:24:33.77\00:24:37.77
200 times in his scribbled
epistles, he will use that
phrase or one of its cognates --
00:24:37.77\00:24:43.78
"In Christ, in him, in Christ,
in him, in Christ, in him." Why?
00:24:43.78\00:24:46.75
Because when you're in Christ,
something happens to you, and
you'll never be the same again.
00:24:46.75\00:24:53.09
"There is therefore now no
condemnation to those who are in
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Christ Jesus." Hallelujah. And
by the way, that is precisely
00:24:58.09\00:25:04.17
what the paralytic desperately
needed to know, and he learned
it like that. Because, you see,
00:25:04.17\00:25:10.11
just go backwards into chapter
7, verse 24. The cry, the
00:25:10.11\00:25:14.54
anguished cry of the paralytic,
is captured here in Romans 7:27
-- verse 24, rather.
00:25:14.54\00:25:20.32
Romans 7:24...
00:25:20.32\00:25:22.12
There isn't an Andrews alum that
does not know the truth about
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that line. You may have dodged
it, you may have ducked it, you
may have tried to forget it, you
00:25:38.60\00:25:42.90
may have even self-medicated
yourself so that you will never
think of it again, but that
00:25:42.90\00:25:47.94
truth is born and birthed in
every heart that longs for
something more. "Oh, wretched
00:25:47.94\00:25:55.98
man that I am! Who will deliver
me from this body of death?"
"Oh, wretched woman that I am!
00:25:55.98\00:25:59.35
Who will deliver me from this
body of death?" You can be a
00:25:59.35\00:26:02.52
student at Andrews University.
That's your cry. You can be a
faculty member, you
00:26:02.52\00:26:05.66
can be a preacher at Andrews
University. That's your cry.
00:26:05.66\00:26:08.26
"Wretched man that I am! Who
will deliver me from this body
00:26:08.26\00:26:13.10
of death?" We are all
paralytics, and the bad news is
terrible, which is why you need
00:26:13.10\00:26:19.24
to get the good news, which is
the very next verse. "Wretched
00:26:19.24\00:26:21.84
man that I am! Who will deliver
me from this body of death?"
00:26:21.84\00:26:24.98
Look at verse 25. "But thanks be
to God, who delivers me through
Jesus Christ our Lord!"
00:26:24.98\00:26:29.12
Now verse one
of chapter eight...
00:26:29.12\00:26:31.39
No condemnation in Christ.
No condemnation. You say, "Aw, I
00:26:38.26\00:26:46.00
don't know that that's true."
Well, come on. Think about it.
Why would God condemn someone
00:26:46.00\00:26:50.87
who's in Christ? He would be
condemning Himself. That would
be the craziest thing
00:26:50.87\00:26:54.71
in the universe to do.
"Why would I condemn myself?"
00:26:54.71\00:26:57.51
If you're in
Christ, no condemnation.
00:26:57.68\00:27:00.22
It's illogical for
condemnation to arise.
00:27:00.22\00:27:02.88
It's impossible. If
you're in Christ, no
00:27:02.88\00:27:05.52
condemnation. "Why
would I condemn myself?"
00:27:05.52\00:27:10.26
"There is therefore now no
condemnation to those who are in
00:27:10.26\00:27:12.59
Christ Jesus."
00:27:12.59\00:27:14.00
Turns out Paul is trying to set
us -- he's trying to get our
attention with this "in Christ."
00:27:14.13\00:27:18.20
Over 200 times, he'll use this
phrase. "Come on, get it, get
00:27:18.20\00:27:21.30
it, get it, get it!" In fact,
I'll tell you this -- he has
already set us up for
00:27:21.30\00:27:27.84
chapter eight, verse one in what
he did in chapter five, so just
00:27:27.84\00:27:31.25
turn the page. Just go back to
Romans chapter five. Everybody
knows Romans five, at
00:27:31.25\00:27:34.22
least the first half of it. It's
the second half we ignore. The
first half is just replete
00:27:34.22\00:27:38.39
with this glorious description
of God's love -- the Father's
love, the Son's love for us.
00:27:38.39\00:27:43.26
You remember this, Romans
chapter five? Let's pick it up
00:27:43.26\00:27:45.89
in verse six. "You see, just at
the right time -- just at the
right time, when we were still
00:27:45.89\00:27:51.27
powerless, Christ died for the
ungodly." Oh, Lord. Paul goes
00:27:51.27\00:27:54.64
on... But verse
eight. God the Father...
00:28:03.14\00:28:07.15
[ Claps ]
00:28:12.39\00:28:13.29
You cannot be loved today any
more by the God, the Supreme
Being of this universe,
00:28:15.86\00:28:22.10
than you are already loved.
Nothing you can do to diminish
00:28:22.10\00:28:26.37
that love. Nothing you can do
to increase that love. Nothing.
00:28:26.37\00:28:30.14
So, Paul has, "Father, Son,
Father, Son, come on, come on,
come on, come on, come on," and
00:28:33.01\00:28:37.28
then, all of a sudden, Paul
says, "Hey, yo, I want to talk
00:28:37.28\00:28:40.75
about Adam." "Adam, Paul? Why
would you bring up Adam now?
We're having a great time with
00:28:40.75\00:28:43.82
the Father and the Son." "I'll
show you," he says. Drop down to
00:28:43.82\00:28:46.79
verse 12. Now here we go into
territory nobody ventures in
Romans five. Come on.
00:28:46.79\00:28:51.09
There's something stunning
here. Watch this. Verse 12.
00:28:51.09\00:28:54.56
"Therefore, just as sin entered
the world through the one
00:28:54.73\00:28:57.00
man --" Who is the
father of the human race?
00:28:57.00\00:28:58.83
Help me out. Who is
the father of the human
00:28:58.83\00:29:00.70
race? Be Adam.
00:29:00.70\00:29:04.31
"Therefore, just as sin entered
the world through one man --"
00:29:04.31\00:29:07.31
that would be Adam -- "and death
through sin, and in this way
00:29:07.31\00:29:10.31
death came to all
people, because all sinned..."
00:29:10.31\00:29:14.78
And Paul stops.
00:29:14.78\00:29:16.18
All your new translations just
have a big dash and then white
00:29:16.35\00:29:19.52
space after it. You know why?
Because he never finished the
00:29:19.52\00:29:22.42
sentence. He never finished the
sentence. When we see him in
eternity, "Yo, Paul, that
00:29:22.42\00:29:27.13
sentence in Romans five, what
was up with that? Why didn't you
00:29:27.13\00:29:29.93
finish it?" Hey, haven't you
ever had a -- Come on, alums.
Didn't you have a brilliant
00:29:29.93\00:29:32.57
professor in one of your classes
-- come on, students today.
00:29:32.57\00:29:34.77
A brilliant professor, the man,
the woman, is waxing eloquent.
00:29:34.77\00:29:38.74
All of a sudden -- [Exhales
sharply] she's gone. Where did
she go? We were just talking
00:29:38.74\00:29:42.94
about this, but [Exhales
sharply] now we're here.
00:29:42.94\00:29:48.92
Brilliant mind. Thought of
something else, and he's gone
00:29:48.92\00:29:52.25
the other way. I read John
Brown's commentary two summers
00:29:52.42\00:29:54.66
ago -- the Bible-application
commentary in the Book of Romans
00:29:54.66\00:29:57.19
-- read it through. And
I learned from John that in
00:29:57.19\00:29:58.99
fact the linguists have a
technical word for unfinished
00:29:58.99\00:30:01.36
sentences. It's
called "anacoluthon."
00:30:01.36\00:30:04.27
It means "a sentence that never
ends the way it should." So
that's one of those.
00:30:04.43\00:30:10.27
We just had one of those.
There's no ending to it. But,
boy, oh, boy, the path
00:30:10.27\00:30:13.91
[Exhales sharply] that Paul went
on to -- take a look at this
00:30:13.91\00:30:17.55
path. Because, you see, Paul,
with his brilliant Hebrew mind
-- he's a Jewish scholar -- Paul
00:30:17.55\00:30:24.79
knows that, in Judaism, in
Hebrew thought, you don't have
like we have it in the West, you
00:30:24.79\00:30:30.69
and me -- individual,
individual, individual,
individual, individual,
00:30:30.69\00:30:33.83
individual. We're just a nation
of individuals. We've lost
00:30:33.83\00:30:37.13
connectivity. We've lost
collective and corporate. We're
just individuals now.
00:30:37.13\00:30:40.97
In the Hebrew mind, the many are
one person. The many are one,
00:30:40.97\00:30:48.48
and the many have a
representative head that is the
head of the one. Thousands are
00:30:48.48\00:30:57.39
in that one. And that's what
Paul is now gonna show us. We
00:30:57.39\00:31:04.39
once had a head. We now have a
new head. And he's setting us up
for the "in Christ" thing.
00:31:04.39\00:31:10.10
Watch this. Drop down to verse
15. "But the gift --" Because
00:31:10.10\00:31:14.30
he's talking about the Father,
the Son, the gift -- Calvary,
00:31:14.30\00:31:16.54
Calvary. "The gift is not like
the trespass --" the sin of
Adam. "For if the many died..."
00:31:16.54\00:31:20.91
How much more?
00:31:30.79\00:31:33.62
He's setting us up. Now he's
gonna run them by us -- three
00:31:33.79\00:31:38.49
parallels. Boy, if we had a
chart -- The study guide, by the
way, is in your -- all the
00:31:38.49\00:31:41.93
quotations today, you have them
in your worship bulletin.
There's nothing to fill in.
00:31:41.93\00:31:44.93
But if we had a chart, boy, here
we would go. Three parallels.
00:31:44.93\00:31:48.27
Here they come. Let's pick it up
in verse 17. "For if --" Put
that on the screen, please.
00:31:48.27\00:31:51.97
There we go. "For if, by the
trespass of the one man --" that
00:31:51.97\00:31:55.74
would be Adam -- "death
reigned through that one man..."
00:31:55.74\00:31:58.38
[ Claps ] All right,
let's create a little graph.
00:32:06.09\00:32:08.29
We'll have three lines to
this chart -- call it a chart
00:32:08.46\00:32:11.63
instead. Adam equals what? Death
reigns, yeah. Adam equals death
00:32:11.63\00:32:17.70
reigns. And now over here beside
would be Christ, and what
happens with Christ?
00:32:17.70\00:32:21.67
Life reigns. Okay. Let's
go. This is verse 18 now.
00:32:21.67\00:32:25.91
"Consequently --" Three of these
parallels he's gonna fire by us.
00:32:26.07\00:32:29.08
"Consequently, just as
one trespass resulted in
00:32:29.08\00:32:32.81
condemnation for all people, so
also one righteous act resulted
00:32:32.81\00:32:36.72
in justification and
life for --" how many people?
00:32:36.72\00:32:39.92
For how many
people? For all. All.
00:32:39.92\00:32:42.79
Okay, second line. Come on,
put the chart up real quick --
00:32:42.96\00:32:46.06
second line. Adam equals
condemnation for how many? All.
00:32:46.06\00:32:49.23
Christ equals justification
or pardon and life for how many?
00:32:49.23\00:32:55.50
For all. Paul says, "Are you
getting this?" "How about one
00:32:55.50\00:32:57.77
more, Paul?" He says, "I'll
give you another one." Verse 19.
00:32:57.77\00:33:00.68
"For just as through the
disobedience of the one man --"
00:33:00.84\00:33:03.81
that would be Adam -- "the
many --" By the way, when Paul
00:33:03.81\00:33:06.85
uses "many" and
"all," it's the same thing.
00:33:06.85\00:33:09.22
He's not trying to
deal with numbers here.
00:33:09.22\00:33:10.85
No. Many means all. Verse 19.
00:33:10.85\00:33:14.32
"For just as through the
disobedience of the one man --"
00:33:14.32\00:33:16.86
Adam -- "the many were made
sinners, so also through the
00:33:16.86\00:33:19.36
obedience of the one man the
many will be made righteous."
00:33:19.36\00:33:23.37
Come on, put that third line
up. Adam -- many made sinners.
00:33:23.37\00:33:28.40
Christ -- many made
righteous. What's going on here?
00:33:28.40\00:33:32.21
Paul's actually -- Paul's
borrowing language from the
00:33:32.21\00:33:35.18
greatest Messianic
prophecy in the Old Testament.
00:33:35.18\00:33:37.95
Be Isaiah 53. He's
grabbing the language, and
00:33:37.95\00:33:41.08
he's weaving it in here.
Let's put Isaiah 53 on the
00:33:41.08\00:33:43.82
screen because Isaiah 53 is
about the Messiah, the servant
00:33:43.82\00:33:47.06
of Israel. See,
Israel is one person.
00:33:47.06\00:33:49.29
The servant is the head.
The servant is gonna go through
00:33:49.29\00:33:52.13
what Israel will not have to
go through, because the servant
00:33:52.13\00:33:54.76
goes through.
That's what's happening in
00:33:54.76\00:33:56.63
Isaiah 53. Take a
look at verses 11 and 12.
00:33:56.63\00:33:59.27
"...by his knowledge my
righteous servant will justify
00:33:59.27\00:34:02.90
many. He will
bear their iniquities."
00:34:02.90\00:34:05.47
Verse 12. "For he
bore the sin of many,
00:34:05.47\00:34:07.78
and he made intercession
for the transgressors."
00:34:07.78\00:34:10.28
Somebody's stepping in. "I
will represent all of them."
00:34:10.28\00:34:14.45
"What are you gonna do?
What are you gonna do by
00:34:14.45\00:34:16.65
stepping in?" Go back
to verses five and six.
00:34:16.65\00:34:20.19
"But he --" the servant -- "was
pierced for our transgressions,
00:34:20.19\00:34:24.56
he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that
00:34:24.56\00:34:28.23
brought us peace was on him, and
by his wounds we are healed."
00:34:28.23\00:34:32.27
Keep reading. Verse six.
"All we, like sheep, have gone
00:34:32.27\00:34:35.40
astray, each of us has turned
to our own way; and the Lord has
00:34:35.40\00:34:39.01
laid on him --" the
representative of the entire
00:34:39.01\00:34:41.91
human race -- "the Lord has
laid on him the iniquity of us
00:34:41.91\00:34:47.02
all." You were under Adam.
00:34:47.02\00:34:50.65
What do you get for
being under Adam? Death.
00:34:50.82\00:34:53.56
You now can be under Christ. And
what do you get for being under
00:34:53.56\00:34:57.56
Christ? Life. In Adam,
condemnation. In Christ, pardon
00:34:57.56\00:35:05.23
and life -- for all, by the way.
For all. And I need to ask you
00:35:05.23\00:35:09.00
this question. How much of all
is all? How much of all is all?
00:35:09.00\00:35:15.48
That's pretty much all, isn't
it? That's pretty much all.
00:35:15.48\00:35:20.52
All pardoned. All have life.
00:35:20.52\00:35:26.09
Well, look at verse 18.
You say, "Dwight, you're just
00:35:26.25\00:35:28.12
making this up."
Come on. Verse 18.
00:35:28.12\00:35:29.42
"Consequently, just as
one trespass resulted in
00:35:29.42\00:35:31.69
condemnation for all people, so
also one righteous act resulted
00:35:31.69\00:35:35.43
in justification and
life for all people."
00:35:35.43\00:35:38.63
As many people that are under
Adam and in sin and death, that
00:35:38.63\00:35:42.87
same number of people now
in Christ -- pardoned, life.
00:35:42.87\00:35:51.08
A century ago, a short little
lady named Emma White wrote
three stunning sentences.
00:35:51.25\00:35:56.08
These are all in your
study guide. You take them home.
00:35:56.08\00:35:58.12
Let me run these three sentences
by you. Sentence number one.
00:35:58.12\00:36:00.46
She's commenting on the prayer
-- "Father, forgive them --" as
he's being nailed to
00:36:00.46\00:36:03.26
the cross. "Father, forgive
them, they don't know what
00:36:03.26\00:36:06.53
they're doing." "That prayer
--" So we're putting it on the
00:36:06.70\00:36:08.50
screen now, from "Desire
of Ages." "That prayer..."
00:36:08.50\00:36:10.67
"Upon --" How many?
"Upon all rests the guilt of
00:36:17.41\00:36:20.68
crucifying the Son
of God. To --" How many?
00:36:20.68\00:36:23.31
"To all,
forgiveness is freely offered.
00:36:23.31\00:36:25.51
'Whosoever will' may have peace
with God, and inherit eternal
00:36:25.51\00:36:28.75
life." The entire human race was
00:36:28.75\00:36:31.59
pardoned, forgiven,
justified in Christ.
00:36:31.59\00:36:34.62
Now here comes stunning sentence
number two on the screen.
00:36:34.62\00:36:37.83
Christ "took in His grasp the
world over which Satan claimed
00:36:37.83\00:36:41.83
to preside as his lawful
territory, and by His wonderful
00:36:41.83\00:36:45.67
work in giving His life, Christ
restored the whole race of men
00:36:45.67\00:36:51.24
and women to favor --"
to favor -- "with God."
00:36:51.24\00:36:55.74
The whole race.
Stunning sentence number three.
00:36:55.74\00:37:01.92
I love this one. Watch this...
00:37:01.92\00:37:04.22
Hit the pause
button right there.
00:37:14.20\00:37:15.73
There are some of you here that
sentence is describing right
00:37:15.73\00:37:18.23
now.
00:37:18.23\00:37:19.13
You know, you come to
homecoming, you come to a time
when -- reconnecting with
00:37:19.30\00:37:23.00
your class and old friends, and,
you know, we have this little
sentence on our hard disk that
00:37:23.00\00:37:29.01
we just keep repeating. "Yo, how
are you?" "Fine. Thank you. And
00:37:29.01\00:37:32.81
you?" "Yo, how are you?" "Fine.
Thank you. And you?" "Yo."
00:37:32.81\00:37:35.82
"Fine. Thank you. And you?"
Don't even have to ask. We have
00:37:35.82\00:37:38.95
the answer. "Fine. Thank you.
And you?" And yet, behind that
well-manicured alum face or that
00:37:38.95\00:37:45.13
well-manicured and handsome
student face, something's going
00:37:45.13\00:37:51.23
on. Your life is entangled. Your
stomach is in knots. You are in
00:37:51.23\00:38:00.14
such a bind that nobody can
slice this knot. Did you just
notice what we read?
00:38:00.14\00:38:09.05
Jesus is drawn most to people
like that. Entangled as you are
00:38:09.05\00:38:15.29
in the back row of the balcony,
he's drawn to you. More than
others, he's drawn to
00:38:15.29\00:38:22.76
you -- more than drawn
to them. [ Scoffs ] Wow...
00:38:22.76\00:38:26.57
Here it comes...
00:38:34.21\00:38:35.61
Ladies and gentlemen,
here's the point, please.
00:38:40.85\00:38:43.65
God is not trying to play
hard to get with the human race.
00:38:43.65\00:38:46.99
The door to His heart, the door
to His home is wide open today.
00:38:46.99\00:38:50.99
You can come home
now, no questions asked!
00:38:50.99\00:38:55.80
No questions asked.
"Come to me, and I'll give you
00:38:55.80\00:38:58.40
rest. Just come
to me, and I'll save
00:38:58.40\00:39:02.84
you." [ Scoffs ]
00:39:02.84\00:39:06.78
It's called the Gospel.
All the charges are dropped.
00:39:06.78\00:39:12.48
In fact, listen to this. The
only way -- The only way a human
being can possibly be lost
00:39:12.65\00:39:20.06
is if the human chooses to be
lost. You have to choose to be
00:39:20.06\00:39:26.76
lost because God's...default
position is a wide open heart to
you, a love that will never stop
00:39:26.76\00:39:36.37
loving you -- ever, ever, ever.
That's his default. If you want
to be lost, you have
00:39:36.37\00:39:44.15
to say no to Him. Otherwise...
He says, "Come. Come on.
00:39:44.15\00:39:53.05
Let's go. You and me." Wow.
And, by the way, this is not
00:39:53.05\00:40:00.83
Universalism. You can say no.
He's justified and pardoned and
00:40:00.83\00:40:07.30
forgiven the entire human race.
You can come home right now, no
00:40:07.30\00:40:11.47
questions asked. This is not
Universalism. You have the right
to say, "Nah, I don't want to go
00:40:11.47\00:40:15.31
home." But why anybody would not
want to come is beyond me. You
say, "Aw, yeah, but, Dwight,
00:40:15.31\00:40:22.85
you have no idea how horrible a
sinner I am. My family does not
00:40:22.85\00:40:28.96
know. My spouse does not know.
My friends do not know. I've
been living with this.
00:40:28.96\00:40:38.70
You have no concept." You
are absolutely right, my friend.
00:40:38.70\00:40:43.41
I do not know how horrible it is
in your heart. All I know is the
00:40:43.41\00:40:51.81
darkness that dwells too often
deep in my own soul. "Oh,
wretched man that I am!
00:40:51.81\00:41:01.96
Who will deliver me from this
body of death?" And this much
00:41:01.96\00:41:11.23
else I do know from the studying
and the reading and the praying
that I've done over this
00:41:11.23\00:41:21.18
#RxF4Now. This much I do know.
For every horrible sinner, there
is one wonderful Savior.
00:41:21.18\00:41:36.06
That much I know. No matter how
much sin is in your life and in
00:41:36.06\00:41:44.33
my life, verse 20 in the old
King James is absolutely true.
Put it on the screen please...
00:41:44.33\00:41:49.80
The more sins you have, the more
grace He pours in. The more sins
00:41:56.81\00:42:03.79
you have, the more grace He
pours in. She who does not
confess much does not receive
00:42:03.79\00:42:12.09
much. "Simon, Simon, the woman
has wept over my feet and washed
them, and you didn't kiss me.
00:42:12.09\00:42:18.30
You gave me no oil for my head.
You didn't wash my feet. She who
has been forgiven much
00:42:18.30\00:42:26.37
loves deeply." "Where sin
abounds, grace does much more
00:42:26.37\00:42:33.98
abound." Wow. By the
way, the news is even better.
00:42:33.98\00:42:38.85
Hold on to your pew now 'cause
we're gonna get to the best
00:42:38.85\00:42:41.72
news. It's coming right now,
so hold on. Come on. Hold on.
00:42:41.72\00:42:44.16
Grab that cold wooden pew.
Because in Christ, it gets --
00:42:44.16\00:42:51.47
Come on, come on. Paul is not
through. Go to chapter six.
Watch this. You're not gonna
00:42:51.47\00:42:55.74
believe this. Some of you are
gonna say, "Oh, boy, typical
homiletical hyperbole.
00:42:55.74\00:42:58.17
That's what we get from Dwight,
homiletical hyperbole." Okay.
Check it out for yourself.
00:42:58.17\00:43:01.78
Romans chapter six. Come
on, check it out. Romans 6:3.
00:43:01.78\00:43:06.21
Paul says...
00:43:06.21\00:43:07.62
Scholars believe that that
"baptized into Christ," that
notion from the very beginning
00:43:10.49\00:43:13.96
of the Christian faith, was the
seed for Paul to champion this
phrase over 200 times -- "in
00:43:13.96\00:43:19.66
Christ." He got it
from the baptismal formula.
00:43:19.66\00:43:21.76
You're baptized into Christ
-- "in Christ, in Christ, in
00:43:21.76\00:43:25.13
Christ." Hey, Paul says, "Don't
you know that all of us who were
baptized into Christ were
00:43:25.13\00:43:29.60
baptized into his --" what? His
death was yours. You were so
into him, his death
00:43:29.60\00:43:33.68
became yours. Keep
reading. Verse four.
00:43:33.68\00:43:35.94
"And we were therefore buried
with him --" His burial became
00:43:36.11\00:43:38.91
yours. Keep reading.
00:43:38.91\00:43:40.12
"...buried with him through
baptism into death in order
00:43:40.12\00:43:43.15
that, just as Christ was raised
from the dead through the glory
00:43:43.15\00:43:46.59
of the Father --" Guess
what. We, too, came up with him.
00:43:46.59\00:43:50.19
We came up with him
Resurrection Sunday.
00:43:50.19\00:43:53.29
Verse five...
00:43:53.29\00:43:54.66
[ Claps ] Man!
00:44:01.60\00:44:03.81
You're really in when you're in.
You die with him, you're buried
with him, you rise with him,
00:44:03.97\00:44:09.21
and guess what. You didn't know
this. You ascended with him.
00:44:09.21\00:44:11.78
Did you know that you ascended
with Christ? Come on, you
00:44:11.78\00:44:14.95
ascended with Christ. You're
saying, "Now, this is where
you're pulling my leg,
00:44:14.95\00:44:17.85
Dwight." No, no, no, no, no.
Come on. Paul, Ephesians chapter
00:44:17.85\00:44:22.69
two. You got a Bible, turn to
Ephesians chapter two. Look at
this. Look at this.
00:44:22.69\00:44:26.33
Can you believe this is in your
Bible? Ephesians chapter two.
00:44:26.33\00:44:29.76
We'll pick it up in verse four.
Ephesians 2:4. "But because of
00:44:29.76\00:44:33.94
--" Paul is just so enamored
with the love of God. Everywhere
00:44:33.94\00:44:36.67
you turn, you're running into
God's love with Paul. "But
because of His great love
00:44:36.67\00:44:40.11
for us, God, who is rich in
mercy --" verse five -- "made us
alive together with Christ even
00:44:40.11\00:44:45.65
when we were dead in
transgressions." You remember
00:44:45.65\00:44:49.38
that phrase we read? You're
all tangled up in sin. You don't
00:44:49.38\00:44:52.39
know what to do. Remember that
phrase? Guess what. When you're
in the "all tangled
00:44:52.39\00:44:56.42
up and dead in sin" phase of
your life, God has already begun
moving you into "in Christ."
00:44:56.42\00:45:05.53
He didn't wait for a changed
life to do it. He started while
00:45:05.53\00:45:11.77
you were still dead in
transgressions. Mercy. "And --"
00:45:11.77\00:45:17.25
Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Verse six...
00:45:17.25\00:45:18.88
Guess where you are right now if
you're in Christ? You're already
00:45:26.79\00:45:30.33
in heaven. You are already in
heaven. Do you believe that?
Because when the Creator says,
00:45:30.33\00:45:33.76
"You're already in heaven," if
you say, "Amen," it is. "I just
said amen, Dwight, but
00:45:33.76\00:45:39.07
I'm still having to listen
to you. Why aren't I in heaven?"
00:45:39.07\00:45:44.81
You're there in Christ. Keep
reading. There's one more verse.
00:45:44.81\00:45:52.08
Verse seven. "In
order that in the coming
00:45:52.25\00:45:54.55
ages God might show the
incomparable riches of his
00:45:54.55\00:45:57.42
grace, expressed in His kindness
to us --" there it is again,
00:45:57.42\00:46:01.02
over 200 times --
"in Christ Jesus."
00:46:01.02\00:46:05.06
That is absolutely unbelievable.
We died in him, we're buried
with him, we rose with him, we
00:46:05.23\00:46:12.13
ascended with him, we're sitting
on the throne of the universe in
Christ Jesus, with him.
00:46:12.13\00:46:18.54
Now, think, think. When you're
sitting on the throne with
00:46:18.54\00:46:24.71
Christ, how could God ever lose
you? How could you be lost?
You're already there.
00:46:24.71\00:46:31.25
You're there. You're secure. He
can't lose you... unless you
say, "Get me out of
00:46:31.25\00:46:40.06
here. Get me out of here.
Send me back. Send me back."
00:46:40.06\00:46:43.70
We do not understand how this
"in Christ" theme is absolutely
huge in God's economy of
00:46:48.74\00:46:55.11
salvation. This "in Christ"
phrase, this "in Christ" truth,
00:46:55.11\00:47:01.68
there is no "huger" truth. We
just invented a word. No huger
truth than this one.
00:47:01.68\00:47:09.86
That's why Paul devoted his life
now to preach "in Christ, in
00:47:09.86\00:47:16.23
Christ." And that little old
lady we were talking about a
moment ago, God bless her, got
00:47:16.23\00:47:22.97
it right again when she wrote
these stunning words in a letter
to someone who needed to read
00:47:22.97\00:47:28.04
them, and that someone may be
you today. I'll put them on the
00:47:28.04\00:47:31.88
screen for you. You'll take them
home in that study guide. You
didn't get a study guide,
00:47:31.88\00:47:34.35
ask one of these friendly ushers
who will be sitting up here, and
you can get it from them.
00:47:34.35\00:47:38.42
"The message from God to me for
you --" Here's your message from
00:47:38.42\00:47:45.06
God. "Message from God to me for
you is --" and she's quoting the
red-letter words in John 6:37,
00:47:45.06\00:47:49.16
the words of Jesus -- "'Him that
cometh unto me, I will in no
00:47:49.16\00:47:53.44
wise cast out.'" By the way, in
the Greek -- This is very
interesting. In the Greek --
00:47:53.44\00:47:57.07
look at that line. "I will in no
wise," that's a double negative
00:47:57.07\00:48:00.11
in the Greek. "I will no, not
ever, cast out. You come to
me... in Christ forever."
00:48:00.11\00:48:08.18
Now she goes on.
Watch this, watch this...
00:48:08.18\00:48:10.35
I want to tell you something.
00:48:21.26\00:48:23.16
I promise you this. That little
lady had no clue that there was
00:48:23.33\00:48:28.50
a double negative in John 6:37,
but when she reacts to the
promise, what does she put?
00:48:28.50\00:48:33.54
A double negative in the
English. "You will never, never
00:48:33.54\00:48:37.95
--" in case you missed the first
one. "You will never, never be
00:48:37.95\00:48:44.32
turned away." [ Scoffs ]
00:48:44.32\00:48:45.55
Keep reading 'cause
it gets even better...
00:48:45.72\00:48:47.82
"Cling to that
promise and you are safe."
00:48:56.06\00:48:59.17
Quote the line
again for us, please.
00:48:59.17\00:49:02.04
"'She that cometh to me I
will in no wise cast out.'
00:49:02.04\00:49:05.04
Present this assurance to
Jesus, and you are as safe as
00:49:05.04\00:49:08.54
though --" "already," I'm
adding -- "inside the city of
00:49:08.54\00:49:12.45
God."
00:49:12.45\00:49:14.05
I rest my case. When you're
in Christ, you're on the throne
00:49:14.22\00:49:19.25
now. You're inside the city, do
you understand that? You can't
get lost, unless you
00:49:19.25\00:49:24.63
say, "Let me out of here. Let me
out. I don't like this place."
00:49:24.63\00:49:29.56
You're free to go, by the way.
But why would anybody say, "Let
00:49:29.56\00:49:39.04
me out of here"? Wow. Christ's
promise, Christ's grace is so
strong, so sure, it's as
00:49:39.04\00:49:48.78
if you're already there. "Aw,
Dwight, come on, now. Tell me,
00:49:48.78\00:49:52.02
tell me, tell me. How can I be
in Christ?" Okay. Here's how.
"Yeah, but come on.
00:49:52.02\00:49:57.29
Tell me something."
No, I am. "What is this?"
00:49:57.29\00:50:00.26
This is what you do. You
want to be in Christ, this
00:50:00.43\00:50:03.37
is what you do.
This frail little hand is
00:50:03.37\00:50:07.40
upturned. And you
know what the hand is
00:50:07.40\00:50:09.94
saying for the heart?
"Amen. Amen. I'll take it.
00:50:09.94\00:50:17.48
I'll take it, please."
00:50:17.48\00:50:19.78
That's all you have to do. Take
it. Just put your hand out. Ask
00:50:19.95\00:50:31.16
Him. It's yours. Don't walk
away. Put two hands out if that
helps. Some of you are saying to
00:50:31.16\00:50:41.30
yourself, "I know, I know." This
is what you're saying. "Oh, this
00:50:41.30\00:50:45.87
is so elementary. I am so
farther on in my life than
this." Well, goodie for you.
00:50:45.87\00:50:52.51
[ Laughter ] Sounds to me like
a Pharisee who's praying to God,
00:50:52.51\00:50:58.55
"Oh, God, I thank You I'm not
like that wretch in the back row
00:50:58.55\00:51:01.82
of the balcony. I got my life
together, thank you, Jesus."
00:51:01.82\00:51:09.33
Same little lady. These words on
the screen. "All of us need to
00:51:09.50\00:51:12.90
humble our own individual
hearts, and be converted --" how
00:51:12.90\00:51:16.24
often? What's that
last word? How often?
00:51:16.24\00:51:18.44
Daily. Daily. Daily.
00:51:18.44\00:51:23.45
May have been a long time since
you ever told Jesus, "I'm in
you, and you're in me."
00:51:23.61\00:51:29.08
I know you're a member of some
church somewhere. That's fine.
00:51:29.08\00:51:33.82
Won't get you anywhere. It may
be a long time since you've told
00:51:33.82\00:51:42.46
Jesus, but start today, tomorrow
morning, and the next and the
next. "What do I pray, Dwight?"
00:51:42.46\00:51:48.94
[ Scoffs ] What'd Jesus say in
John 15:5? "Abide in me, and I
00:51:48.94\00:51:55.01
in you." It's life. "You abide
in me, and I in you. You're in
Christ, I'm in you."
00:51:55.01\00:51:59.55
So your prayer every day could
be, "Oh, God, today, right now,
as the day begins, I want to be
00:51:59.55\00:52:04.49
in Christ. Please, Jesus
in me. That's all I'm asking.
00:52:04.49\00:52:09.39
Let me be in him. May he be
in me." Every day, be converted
00:52:09.39\00:52:16.53
daily -- every day in Christ.
You say, "But, Dwight, what in
the world does this have to do
00:52:16.53\00:52:21.27
with the regrets of
Oscar Wilde?" Oscar Wilde.
00:52:21.27\00:52:23.71
Put his picture on the screen
for you -- Irish playwright,
novelist, poet, essayist, one of
00:52:23.71\00:52:31.38
the great luminaries in the
world of the arts in the 19th
00:52:31.38\00:52:35.08
century. His single novel, "The
Picture of Dorian Gray" --
widely acclaimed, brilliant
00:52:35.08\00:52:39.95
mind, academic honors. One
author described him as a
"scintillating writer."
00:52:39.95\00:52:46.26
Oscar Wilde, at the height of
his fame and success, almost by
accident, ended up in court not
00:52:46.26\00:52:53.60
once but twice, and it was the
second time that the secrets of
his life were exposed to the
00:52:53.60\00:53:00.84
public, and he was shamed before
the world. They gave him a
00:53:00.84\00:53:06.45
two-year sentence of hard labor.
And while in prison, he
reflected on his tragic fall and
00:53:06.45\00:53:15.02
described his spiritual journey
in a very long letter that has
00:53:15.02\00:53:21.50
since been titled "De
Profundis." Latin. Wilde was
released from prison
00:53:21.50\00:53:32.94
after his two-year sentence.
He died a year later in Paris,
00:53:32.94\00:53:39.81
destitute. He was 46. But from
that day, "Profundis" -- these
00:53:39.81\00:53:46.65
words of his confession.
On the screen, please...
00:53:46.65\00:53:49.42
"I allowed pleasure to dominate
me, and I ended in horrible
00:54:36.74\00:54:41.54
disgrace."
00:54:41.54\00:54:45.21
The regrets of Oscar Wilde.
What a tragic story. What a sad
00:54:45.38\00:54:57.13
ending to so much promise. [
Sighs ] Because nobody's story
00:54:57.13\00:55:03.50
-- nobody's story has to end
this way. "There is therefore
00:55:03.50\00:55:09.57
now no condemnation to those who
are in Christ Jesus." In fact,
Jesus spoke the very
00:55:09.57\00:55:17.21
words when they threw that woman
taken in adultery in a heap at
00:55:17.21\00:55:21.82
his feet. Jesus said to her,
"Woman... neither do I condemn
you. Now go in peace.
00:55:21.82\00:55:32.49
Leave your life of sin behind."
No condemnation, no regrets when
you are in Christ, which you can
00:55:32.49\00:55:46.04
be right now. Right
now. You say, "Amen..."
00:55:46.04\00:55:54.15
You say, "Amen," inside...
00:55:54.15\00:55:56.15
...you have it.
Believe. Believe.
00:55:58.79\00:56:08.30
Apparently, you can even say to
get a miracle, "Lord, I believe
-- help my unbelief."
00:56:08.30\00:56:13.50
You get the miracle anyway.
"Just the seed of a mustard
plant, that's all I need.
00:56:13.50\00:56:22.18
Just believe me," he says,
and you're in Christ. Amen.
00:56:22.18\00:56:30.65
Oh, God, could the truth be this
simple? Could it be this clear?
00:56:30.65\00:56:37.76
Could the news be this glorious?
Please, my Lord, look into our
00:56:37.76\00:56:48.17
hearts. "Oh, wretched man,
wretched woman that I am!" Look
into our hearts and hear
00:56:48.17\00:56:58.35
the quiet "amen"
that we speak to you now.
00:56:58.35\00:57:05.19
Amen.
00:57:13.29\00:57:14.40
>> I want to take an extra
moment with you to tell you
about something we're really
00:57:17.33\00:57:20.34
excited about. It's called "Hope
Trending: A Crash Course on How
00:57:20.34\00:57:23.84
to Live Without Fear." It's a
9-night series of 60-minute
programs that will be
00:57:23.84\00:57:28.21
live-streamed to the world
October 14 through 22, and we
want to connect with your
00:57:28.21\00:57:33.01
friends -- friends who have yet
to meet God, friends who have
yet to discover how vital
00:57:33.01\00:57:37.22
end-time truths are for this
very generation. That's why I
hope you'll pass on
00:57:37.22\00:57:42.32
to them an invitation. All the
information you need for that
invitation is at our
00:57:42.32\00:57:45.53
website. Let me
give that website to you.
00:57:45.53\00:57:47.76
Check it out for
yourself -- hopetrending.org.
00:57:47.96\00:57:50.90
One word -- hopetrending.org.
And would you please join me in
00:57:50.90\00:57:55.60
praying that this new innovative
strategy will open up fresh
00:57:55.60\00:57:58.77
doors for Jesus across this
nation and literally around the
00:57:58.77\00:58:02.61
world.
00:58:02.61\00:58:03.51
In the meantime, my prayer is
that God will continue to bless
you with His hope, with His
00:58:03.68\00:58:07.82
grace, with His peace until we
meet again right here next time.
00:58:07.82\00:58:13.15
¤¤
00:58:15.26\00:58:17.66