Participants: Dwight K. Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP160305A
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00:08 Welcome, welcome family, welcome guests.
00:13 We also want to shout out to the students 00:15 who have joined us today for music fest. 00:18 But at this moment, I want you to turn to your neighbor 00:20 to your left or to your right and embrace them. 00:22 Give them a handshake, give them a hug 00:24 and tell them I love you. 00:26 Tell them I love you. 00:28 I love you. 00:43 Now that our hearts are warmed with the Holy Spirit, 00:46 please join us for our opening hymns, 00:49 "The Lord is my Light". 01:03 The Lord is my light, then why should I fear? 01:08 By day and by night His presence is near 01:14 He is my salvation from sorrow and sin 01:19 This blessed persuasion the Spirit brings in 01:24 The Lord is my light, my joy, and my song 01:30 By day and by night He leads me along 01:35 The Lord is my light, my joy, and my song 01:40 By day and by night He leads me along 02:07 All hail the power of Jesus' Name 02:12 Let angels prostrate fall 02:16 Bring forth the royal diadem 02:21 And crown Him Lord of all 02:28 Bring forth the royal diadem 02:32 And crown Him Lord of all 02:42 Let every kindred, every tribe 02:47 On this terrestrial ball 02:51 To Him all majesty ascribe 02:56 And crown Him Lord of all 03:04 To Him all majesty ascribe 03:08 And crown Him Lord of all 03:31 Oh, that with yonder scared throng 03:36 We at His feet may fall 03:41 Join in the everlasting song 03:46 And crown Him Lord of all 03:54 Join in the everlasting song 03:59 And crown Him Lord of all 04:12 Amen. 04:33 Let us open up our hearts. 04:35 I stand before You now 04:43 The greatness of your renown 04:49 I have heard of the majesty and wonder of you 04:56 King of Heaven, in humility, I bow 05:04 As Your love, in wave after wave 05:10 Crashes over me 05:14 Crashes over me For You are for us 05:21 You are not against us 05:24 Champion of Heaven 05:27 You made a way for all to enter in 05:35 You make me brave 05:38 You make me brave 05:42 You call me out beyond the shore Into the waves 05:49 You make me brave 05:52 You make me brave 05:56 No fear can hinder now The promises you made 06:03 You make me brave 06:06 You make me brave 06:10 No fear can hinder now The promises you made 06:17 Because Your love, in wave after wave 06:25 Crashes over me 06:29 Crashes over me For You are for us 06:35 You are not against us Champion of Heaven 06:42 You made a way 06:46 Because Your love, in wave after wave 06:53 Crashes over me 06:57 Crashes over me For You are for us 07:03 You are not against us Champion of Heaven 07:10 You made a way 07:13 Champion of Heaven 07:17 You made a way for all to enter in 07:38 As morning dawns and evening fades 07:45 You inspire songs of praise 07:51 That rise from earth to touch Your heart 07:57 And glorify Your Name 08:03 Your Name is a strong and mighty tower 08:10 Your Name is a shelter like no other 08:16 Your Name, let the nations sing it louder 08:22 'Cause nothing has the power to save 08:28 Your Name is a strong and mighty tower 08:34 Your Name is a shelter like no other 08:40 Your Name, let the nations sing it louder 08:46 'Cause nothing has the power to save 08:51 But Your Name 08:58 Your Name 09:54 This is my Father's world 10:02 And to my listening ears 10:09 All nature sings, and round me rings 10:17 The music of the spheres 10:24 This is my Father's world 10:32 I rest me in the thought 10:39 Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas 10:47 His hand the wonders wrought 10:58 This is my Father's world 11:05 The birds their carols raise 11:12 The morning light, the lily white 11:20 Declare their Maker's praise 11:27 This is my Father's world 11:34 He shines in all that's fair 11:41 In the rustling grass I hear Him pass 11:49 He speaks to me everywhere 12:09 This is my Father's world 12:16 O let me ne'er forget 12:24 That though the wrong seems of so strong 12:31 God is the Ruler yet 12:39 This is my Father's world 12:46 Why should my heart be sad? 12:53 The Lord is King 12:57 Let the heavens ring! 13:02 Let the heavens ring! 13:10 God reigns, let the earth 13:17 Be glad! 13:33 The Lord is in this place 13:53 Amen. 14:58 Let's pray. 15:01 Oh God, what this choir just sang set us up. 15:07 You knew it would. 15:13 Dear Father, You also know this 15:18 is the most important message 15:20 some here will ever hear. 15:25 You know who is here to distract us. 15:29 But we know who is here through His Spirit to make sure 15:33 that we get the truth. 15:37 Have Your way, 15:39 I humbly pray 15:41 in Jesus' name, amen. 15:46 Have you ever seen the picture 15:48 of what they're calling the dirtiest man in the world? 15:53 Put it on the screen for you. 15:55 You see him there 80 years of age 15:57 that's Amou Haji, a hermit in South Iran, 16:00 who has gone 60 years without a bath 16:04 and never got married. 16:05 There may be a correlation between the two, 16:08 leading the London Daily News to call him 16:11 the world's most ineligible bachelor. 16:17 But hold on, hold on to that picture in your mind 16:19 because you're about to see. 16:23 Hands down, the dirtiest of all. 16:27 Open your Bible with me please 16:29 to the little Old Testament Book of Zachariah, 16:32 next to the last book in the Old Testament 16:33 just before Malachi which is just before Matthew. 16:36 I need you to see it in your Bible, Zachariah 3, 16:40 Zechariah 3. 16:42 You didn't... 16:45 bring a Bible. 16:47 Grab the pew Bible in front of you, 16:48 it will be page 637, 16:49 while the ushers are coming your way 16:51 because this study guide is a keeper. 16:53 Don't be intimidated by this study guide. 16:55 We fly through it but I want you to have it, 16:57 I want you to study way beyond today. 16:59 What you're about to hear, 17:01 may be the first time you heard it. 17:02 You need to get it. Hang on to the study guide. 17:05 You think, did you get up, get him up here in the choir 17:07 and the orchestra, good. 17:10 All right. So ushers are coming. 17:12 Those are you watching right now live streaming, 17:14 glad to have you, you already at the website, 17:15 get the study guide, most of you are used 17:17 to getting that study guide 17:18 if you're watching now on television. 17:20 Go to our website, it's on the screen for you 17:21 www.newperceptions.tv. 17:26 You're looking for a little series 17:27 that ends right now, 17:28 "Charmed into Righteousness", title of this final teaching, 17:31 "The Most Righteous Lord". 17:34 Click on to that, you'll have the study guide. 17:38 And I believe, it's a keeper. 17:41 So let's go, Zachariah 3. 17:44 I'm in the New International Version. 17:48 We begin in verse 1, "Then he..." 17:50 So Zachariah's envision, "Then he, the angel, 17:54 showed me Joshua the high priest 17:57 standing before the angel of the Lord..." 17:59 Now, angel of the Lord is code language 18:00 in the Old Testament for the pre-incarnate Christ, 18:03 all right, so that's just a hidden clue 18:08 within the story. 18:10 So "He showed me Joshua the high priest 18:12 standing before the angel of the Lord, 18:13 and Satan..." 18:14 Okay, we know him. 18:16 But in the Hebrew it reads "The Satan". 18:18 The article is there, Satan means adversary. 18:21 We've just taken a noun 18:22 and given that made it a proper noun 18:24 but The Satan, "Satan, 18:27 He sees standing at his right side." 18:30 Oh, the side of favor, 18:31 this is where our friend stands, 18:33 always on the right side. 18:34 So now we know we've got an imposter here, 18:36 who is trying to make you feel bad, all right. 18:38 So he's standing at the right side of Joshua 18:40 to accuse him. 18:41 Now verse 2. 18:43 The Lord said to Satan, the Satan, 18:45 the Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! 18:49 The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! 18:52 Is this man not a burning stick snatched from the fire?" 18:56 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes 18:59 as he stood before the angel." 19:03 What's going on here? 19:05 We need a line from Isaiah. 19:07 So grab your study guide now, 19:08 because here's where you gonna have writer's cramp 19:09 by the time you're through but that's okay, Isaiah 64:6. 19:13 Put it on the screen for you. 19:15 "All of us have become like one who is unclean, 19:18 and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..." 19:22 Write in the word filthy. 19:25 "We all shrivel up like a leaf, 19:26 and like the wind our sins sweep us away." 19:29 All of our righteousness, all of our right doing, 19:32 our right behaving, our right believing, 19:35 our right thinking, put it all together, 19:38 it's like filthy rags. 19:39 And the Prophet Isaiah chooses a rather graphic word. 19:42 He says, "It's like a menstrual rag." 19:47 Actual Hebrew, that's the word. 19:50 When I was young, I came to this parish. 19:53 In the first season of preaching, 19:55 I happened to quote this very text. 19:58 I was naive at the time. 20:01 I got a postcard, 20:03 an anonymous postcard the next week from a woman. 20:07 It was written on a typewriter. 20:10 You know what typewriter? Okay. 20:11 It was written on it. 20:13 It was written on a typewriter in all caps 20:15 and it said something like this. 20:19 "May I remind you, 20:21 that the male issue is not so septic either." 20:28 Say I didn't realize how politically correct 20:30 you have to be when you're on a campus. 20:33 But that is precisely the prophet's point. 20:35 Whether it's the male issue of semen 20:37 or the woman's issue of blood, 20:39 you're un-cleaning them and a Levitical code says, 20:41 "It will take a sacrifice to get you clean again. 20:44 Some sacrifice will have to deliver you 20:46 from that un-cleanliness." 20:49 That the old prophet says is what 20:52 all of our righteousness put together amounts to 20:55 filthy, filthy rags. 21:00 We're not any better than Joshua, 21:01 the high priest, let's go. 21:02 Verse 3, read it again, "Now Joshua was dressed 21:05 in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 21:09 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, 21:11 'Take off his filthy clothes.' 21:13 Then he said to Joshua, 'See, I have taken away your sin, 21:17 and I will put fine garments on you.' 21:19 Then I said, "Put a clean turban on his head.' 21:22 So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, 21:26 while the angel of the Lord stood by." 21:28 Approving of what has just transpired. 21:31 Now what's happening? 21:32 Let's go back to the same Isaiah 21:34 who got us in trouble with filthy rags. 21:36 And notice another verse, Isaiah 61:10, jot it down. 21:39 "I delight greatly in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God. 21:44 For he has clothed me 21:46 with the garments of salvation..." 21:48 Write that down. 21:49 "He has clothed me with the garments of salvation 21:51 and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, 21:57 as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, 21:59 and as a bride adorns herself with jewels." 22:01 Joshua the high priest, 22:03 the representative of Jerusalem, 22:04 the representative of Israel, 22:06 the representative of the whole world you and me. 22:08 Joshua, the high priest stands condemned before God 22:10 in filthy rags but the command goes for, 22:13 stop, time out, rip off those rags, 22:16 put on this glorious robe instead. 22:21 What's happening here? 22:23 Ellen White in that little classic Thoughts 22:25 from the Mount of Blessing. 22:26 Put it on the screen for you, fill it in, 22:28 "Whatever may have been your past experience, 22:31 however discouraging your present circumstances, 22:34 if you will come to Jesus just as you are" right now 22:38 in this worship service watching him live streaming, 22:41 "If you will come to Jesus just as you are, weak, 22:44 helpless, and despairing, 22:45 our compassionate Savior will meet you 22:48 a great way off..." 22:50 Now, that's a line pulled right out of 22:51 the Prodigal Son story, "A great way off, 22:53 he will meet you, and he will throw about you 22:56 His arms of love and His robe..." 23:00 Write that in and "His robe of righteousness." 23:03 What is that robe like? 23:05 Keep reading, "He presents us to the Father clothed 23:07 in the white raiment of His own character." 23:11 That's the robe, it's his character. 23:13 He wraps it around us. 23:15 "He pleads before God in our behalf saying: 23:17 I have taken the sinner's place. 23:20 Look not upon this wayward child, 23:22 but look on Me. 23:23 Does Satan plead loudly against our souls, 23:26 accusing of sin, and claiming us as his prey, 23:29 the blood of Christ pleads with greater power. 23:33 Hallelujah." 23:36 It's no wonder, Christ is called 23:37 but He's called in this book. 23:39 Jot them down now. 23:40 Here they come 1 John 2:1 "My little children, 23:44 these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. 23:47 And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, 23:50 Jesus Christ the righteous." 23:53 The righteous, so they call him. 23:55 He's the righteous one. Keep writing. 23:57 Jeremiah 23:6, "Now this is His name." 24:01 This descendant from David. 24:03 "This is his name by which He will be called: 24:06 The Lord Our..." 24:08 All caps in most translations, the Lord our, 24:10 what's that next word? 24:11 "RIGHTEOUSNESS." 24:13 Paul says, "That's what I'm trying to tell you," 24:15 1 Corinthians 1:30. 24:17 "It is because of God that you are in Christ, 24:19 who has become for us wisdom from God." 24:21 What do you mean Paul? 24:23 That is, "He has become our righteousness, 24:27 our holiness and our redemption." 24:32 Ladies and gentlemen, it is inescapably clear 24:34 that for John and Jeremiah and Paul, 24:38 the driving point they make inescapable. 24:44 Is it Christ is our righteousness? 24:48 Write that down. He is our righteousness. 24:52 Whatever righteousness means, we haven't even defined it yet, 24:54 but whatever it means, it's Jesus. 24:56 Whatever it is, it's Jesus. 24:58 So what is this rather archaic word righteousness, righteous? 25:02 What does it mean for us third millennials? 25:04 Come on, nobody uses it in language today. 25:06 So what's it mean? 25:08 Let's turn to one of the renowned 25:10 New Testament scholars 25:11 who happens to teach at a place called St. Andrews University. 25:15 Not to be confused with Andrews University, 25:18 St. Andrews is in Scotland. 25:20 Karen and I walked over that beautiful village campus 25:22 right by the sea. 25:24 His name is N. T. Wright. 25:26 He's written a book, Justification: 25:28 God's Plan and Paul's Vision. 25:30 Now, listen, Wright defines God's righteousness this way. 25:33 Get it down. 25:34 Jot it down in your study guide. 25:36 "God's righteousness 25:37 is an outward looking characteristic of God, 25:40 linked of course to the concern for God's own glory 25:43 but essentially going, as it were, 25:45 in the opposite direction, 25:48 that of God's creative, healing, restorative love." 25:55 Keep reading, "God's concern for God's glory 25:58 is precisely rescued from the appearance of 26:00 divine narcissism because God, not least God in Trinity, 26:05 is always giving out, he's always pouring out, 26:08 lavishing generous love on undeserving people, 26:11 undeserving Israel and an undeserving world. 26:15 That is a sort of God he is, 26:17 and 'God's righteousness' is a way of saying, 'Yes, 26:20 and God will be true to that character." 26:22 That's what God is, you got it there, boy. 26:24 That's it right there what you've described. 26:26 That's God's righteousness. 26:29 In other words, God will be faithful to who he is. 26:32 He'll be a righteous God, 26:33 who loves an undeserving world of sinners like you and me. 26:36 He said, you can count on me undergirding every promise 26:39 I made, I'm staying with you. 26:41 Every promise I made, I have founded on my righteousness, 26:45 you're okay. 26:46 Wright continues, jot it down, 26:49 "God's righteousness is that quality or attribute 26:52 because of which he saves." 26:55 Is who he is, and it's because I am who I am 26:57 that I can save you. 26:58 He saves his people, "His 'acts of righteousness' 27:00 are thus the acts he performs as outworkings 27:03 or demonstrations of his covenant faithfulness." 27:08 It is who, I am who I am. 27:11 Righteousness is who I am. 27:16 But it's a wonderful, it's a wonderful characteristic, 27:19 an attribute to God. 27:20 Oh, by the way though, don't be fooled. 27:23 Don't think there is another side to this 27:25 come on, come on. 27:27 God, what's God going to do with evil? 27:29 Oh, He's going to curse it, watch this. 27:31 Wright keeps going, jot it down. 27:34 "Indeed, it's because God will be true 27:36 to that outward facing generous, creative love." 27:39 Now here comes, it's kind of a down and out but watch this, 27:43 "That he must also curse those ways of life, 27:47 particularly those ways of life within his covenant people, 27:51 which embody and express the opposite 27:53 of his creative love and therefore 27:56 he must curse everything that thwarts and destroys 27:59 the blessing of his world and his people." 28:03 So listen, guys, here's the deal. 28:04 While it's true, there is a soft side 28:07 to divine righteousness. 28:08 Both the Old Testament and the New Testament 28:11 depict a very fiery side to God's righteousness. 28:14 It's called his righteous indignation, 28:17 you heard that? 28:18 His wrath. What's the wrath about? 28:20 It is His, it is His hot passion against sin, 28:23 against evil, against darkness. 28:25 And if I choose to hang on to that sin. 28:30 If I choose to hang on to that darkness, 28:33 if I embrace that evil, what I've done is 28:37 I have essentially erected this massive wall 28:40 between me and my darkness. 28:43 And this God who says, "My righteousness is holy, 28:45 it's pure, it's loving, I'm everything, 28:47 I'm everything you want." 28:49 But this wall, how can I get through? 28:51 What's a good God to do? 28:53 I want to bless her, I want to bless him 28:56 but the wall, they're hanging on, 28:58 Dwight's hanging on to this thing. 29:01 What he has to do? What he has to do? 29:04 He's got to find a way to woo you and me 29:06 away from our self-destruction. 29:10 It eventually kill me. 29:12 If I embrace this, what I'm doing, 29:14 it will eventually kill me. 29:16 John 3:16 come on, you know this, 29:18 "For God so loved the world 29:20 that He gave His one and only Son, 29:23 that whoever believes in Him should not perish 29:24 but have everlasting life." 29:26 Brothers and sisters, come on this, 29:28 this is what's called the good news, 29:29 this is the good news of the gospel. 29:33 It's what we just talked about. 29:34 It's about God 29:37 with His righteousness loving run away 29:40 and rebel children like you and me. 29:43 In fact, it says, God is the one who create 29:44 the entire universe who step forward one day 29:46 and said, I'll be the one. 29:47 I will go. 29:49 Let me infiltrate their world. 29:50 Let me become one with them. 29:52 And so, Christ the Creator, He comes down. 29:55 Jot this down, 1 Timothy 1:15 he came down here 29:58 and "Here is a trustworthy saying 30:00 that deserves full acceptance: 30:03 Christ Jesus came into the world 30:05 to save sinners of whom I am the worst." 30:10 Sow gospel, that's why He came to save us, 30:12 in spite of the wall that we've erected. 30:14 Keep reading. 30:15 Romans 3:25 and 26, 30:18 "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement..." 30:21 There's Calvary for you. 30:22 There's the cross, "Through the shedding of his blood, 30:25 to be received by faith. 30:27 He did this to demonstrate His righteousness." 30:29 Oh-oh, here comes. 30:31 "His righteousness so as to be just..." 30:33 He has to be true to Himself and His law. 30:35 "And yet the one who justifies, 30:37 the one who saves those who have faith in Jesus." 30:42 So how does this righteous God pull it off? 30:43 Jot it down, 2 Corinthians 5:14 and then verse 21. 30:48 "For Christ's love compels us..." 30:51 The persuasive force of divine love. 30:53 "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that 30:57 one died for all, and therefore all died. 31:03 God made him, Christ, 31:04 who had no sin to be sin for us, 31:06 so that in Christ we might become..." 31:09 Here it is, "The righteousness of God." 31:14 You get what's happened in here. 31:16 God has set up this 31:17 massive intergalactic celestial exchange. 31:22 Captured by these well-known words 31:23 in Desire of Ages. 31:26 Desire of Ages on the screen for you, 31:27 "Christ was treated as we deserve, 31:30 that we might be treated as He deserves. 31:33 He was condemned for our sins, 31:38 in which He had no share, 31:43 that we might be justified by His righteousness, 31:46 in which we had no share. 31:49 He suffered the death which was ours, 31:51 that we might receive the life which was His. 31:54 'With His stripes we are healed." 31:57 Isaiah, Isaiah 53. 32:00 So that's a righteousness of God. 32:01 But here's a question that begs to be asked. 32:02 Okay, so I understand it's about God. 32:04 But what does this righteousness 32:06 have to do with me? 32:08 What happens in me with this righteousness? 32:10 Critical question. We've got to answer it. 32:12 Romans 5:19, 32:14 I want you to read it on the screen. 32:16 I want you to find it first in your Bible, 32:17 Romans 5, the great, 32:21 the great pinnacle of salvation and righteousness 32:27 by faith in scripture, Romans 5. 32:31 I want you... 32:33 Let's read the verse 19, 32:35 find it on your tablet or cell, that's fine, Romans 5:19, 32:41 "For just as through the disobedience of the one man 32:44 the many were made sinners, 32:45 so also through the obedience of the one man 32:49 the many will be made righteous." 32:51 Now, what's going on here? 32:52 Jot it down in your study guide please. 32:55 It repeats, "For justice 32:57 through the disobedience of the one man..." 32:58 That would be Adam, okay. 33:01 "The many were made sinners, 33:03 so also through the obedience of the one man..." 33:05 That would be Christ. 33:07 "The many will be made righteous." 33:10 So something starts happening to us, 33:12 that will concern this righteousness as well. 33:15 To illustrate it, N.T Wright says, 33:17 I want to tell you a story. 33:18 It's a fictitious story but it helps. 33:21 Here's a story, put it on the screen. 33:23 "The language of 'righteousness' 33:24 in the Old Testament regularly refused, 33:26 refers rather to the lawcourt, 33:29 or the quasi lawcourt situation." 33:31 So here comes a story, 33:32 "Let's imagine a fictitious scenario 33:34 in ancient Israel. 33:35 Azariah..." Okay, two, two Hebrews. 33:38 "Two men, man named Azariah, man named, Bildad, 33:41 go to the law before Gamaliel, who is acting as a judge. 33:44 Now Azariah is accusing Bildad 33:46 of having stolen one of his sheep." 33:47 This guy stole one of my sheep. To bring justice out of this. 33:50 So, "Gamaliel hears the case 33:54 and he finds in favor of Bildad: he didn't steal. 33:58 The court declares that the accusation is unfounded 34:01 and that Bildad is innocent." 34:03 Now hold on, this is really, 34:05 this is a piece you've got to get, 34:07 "That 'finding in favor,' that declaration, 34:11 is called 'justification'..." 34:13 Now that's a long word but write it down, 34:14 justification. 34:16 That's what the Bible says, 34:18 it's a court term justification. 34:21 Well, what does justification mean? 34:22 Keep reading, "Its result is that 34:24 Bildad is now 'righteous'... 34:26 He's considered righteous. That is 'in the right'. 34:31 Oh, that helps 'in the right'. 34:34 "He is in other words the vindicated defendant." 34:38 And that's what Romans 5 is describing 34:43 has happened to you and me, justification. 34:46 In fact, I want you to see this, this is we, 34:49 we left out verse 18 on purpose, 34:51 go back to verse 18. 34:53 "Consequently, just as one trespass 34:56 resulted in condemnation for all people..." 34:58 That would be Adam sin. 34:59 "So also one righteous act resulted in justification 35:03 and life for all people." 35:04 Thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ. 35:06 Come on, you know this, because of Adam's sin, 35:08 the entire human race is declared fallen. 35:11 And every human being including you and me 35:13 born into this race, tragically, 35:15 we participate in that fallenness. 35:17 Not because of Adam but because of us, 35:20 we go the same path. 35:22 Our only hope is that somewhere in the universe, 35:25 somebody might find a second Adam. 35:28 Another Adam to come down here, 35:30 go over the very ground where we keep falling. 35:33 But now, do it without falling with radical faith in God, 35:39 and a spotless righteousness 35:42 and that, 35:45 that is what Romans 5:18 is declaring. 35:47 Somebody was found, obviously this is the good news. 35:51 Christ, the righteous one has come. 35:53 And in our humanity, and by the way in our humanity, 35:59 holding on to his father for dear life. 36:02 He whooped the devil on his own ground. 36:05 He won, 36:07 burying our sins to His death. 36:11 Should have been our death. 36:13 He dies in our place. 36:16 Jot it down. 36:17 Oh, you've got to get this, Romans 5:18, don't miss this, 36:19 "One righteous act resulted..." 36:21 We just read this. 36:23 "One righteous act resulted in justification 36:26 and life for all people." 36:29 You know what that means? 36:31 Oh, is it, by the way how many people, 36:32 how many people? 36:33 Half the people? Three quarters of people? 36:35 How many of the human race, how many? 36:37 What does this say? 36:38 All the human race has stepped 36:40 into the courtroom of the eternal as it were 36:43 and God has brought that gavel down 36:45 and he's declared, because of that death. 36:48 Because of His death, 36:50 I declare the entire human race acquitted. 36:53 Everybody's pardoned. 36:54 Everybody is forgiven right now 36:58 because of the second Adam, who came in our place. 37:03 Oh... 37:06 Through the death of Jesus, 37:08 God has justified the entire human race. 37:12 Now, that concept comes as a bit of a, 37:14 bit of a surprise to some, but I need you to see, 37:16 it's exactly what you just read. 37:17 And by the way, a little lady, 37:19 an American writer named Ellen White Jones 37:21 right on this bandwagon and she says, 37:22 long before N.T Wright, this is what's happened. 37:25 Look at this, Ministry of Healing, jot it down. 37:26 "With his own blood Jesus has signed 37:29 the emancipation papers of the race." 37:33 Remember 1869, January 1, 37:36 Abraham Lincoln signs the emancipation proclamation 37:38 every slave in the United States 37:40 is hereby declared what? 37:42 Free. You are free to go. 37:44 And everybody didn't go, didn't go free, you know why? 37:46 Because they didn't know. 37:48 Somebody has to come and tell you. 37:49 You've been freed. All this time you didn't know. 37:52 I have good news for you. You are free. 37:58 Jesus signed the papers for the entire human race. 38:01 We just got to get to Him fast before He comes. 38:04 In another book of her, she writes. 38:06 She even more graphic here on the screen. 38:08 "Christ took in His grasp 38:11 the world over which Satan claimed to preside 38:14 as his lawful territory, 38:15 and by Jesus' wonderful work in giving His life, 38:18 He restored the whole race of men and women 38:23 to favor with God." 38:24 Can you believe that? 38:26 The entire human race has already been pardoned, 38:30 already been acquitted. 38:32 Your mission and mine is first of all to discover that 38:34 for ourselves that we get set free 38:36 and then find everybody we know. 38:37 "Hey, by the way do you know that you're not bound. 38:39 You are not, you are not a slave any longer. 38:41 Has anybody told you. 38:43 I'm telling you right now, that's the deal." 38:46 What a God? 38:49 Two thousand years ago, are you getting this? 38:52 It was all done 2000 years ago. 38:55 What did Jesus said on the cross as He expired? 38:58 It is continuing? 39:01 Come on, it is almost over? 39:05 What did he say? 39:06 It is finished. 39:08 It was done 2000 years ago. 39:11 Do you know what that means? 39:12 Common, let just soak this in for a moment. 39:14 You don't have to persuade God to love you ever, ever, ever. 39:18 I loved you 2000 years ago. 39:20 You don't have to persuade God 39:21 to forgive you ever, ever, ever. 39:23 He said, "I forgave you 2000 years ago." 39:25 You don't have to persuade God to accept you. 39:27 He said, "I accepted you 2000 years ago, 39:29 it's a done deal." 39:31 The only way it can't be done for you 39:34 is if you refus to have it done for you. 39:38 Let me do it. 39:40 Let me whisper to you the truth. 39:44 And I'll snatch you like that burning stick out of the fire 39:48 and you're mine forever girl, boy. 39:50 You're mine forever. 39:55 And when two young men, 130 years ago 39:58 almost began to preach this very teaching, 40:01 Ellen White was absolutely jubilant. 40:04 Write it down, put her words on the screen. 40:07 "The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious..." 40:12 Circle that, will you? 40:14 "Most precious message to His people 40:19 through Pastors Waggoner and Jones. 40:22 This message was to bring more prominently 40:24 before the world." 40:26 We think that we have this little internal, 40:28 internal teaching that has to get out 40:29 to everybody that thinks like me. 40:31 No, it's the whole planet that needs to hear this. 40:32 Write it down. 40:34 It needed to... it must be brought more prominently 40:36 before the world. 40:37 What? 40:39 "The uplifted Savior, the sacrifice for the sins 40:41 of the whole world. 40:42 It presented justification..." 40:44 Oh, that law court term that we just learned. 40:46 "It presented justification through faith 40:48 in the Surety..." 40:49 That would be Jesus. 40:51 "It invited the people this message to receive 40:52 the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest 40:55 in obedience to all the commandments of God. 40:57 Many had lost sight of Jesus." 41:00 Jot that down. 41:05 "They needed to have their eyes directed to His divine person, 41:08 His merits, His changeless love for the human family." 41:12 I love this, "All power is given into Christ's hands, 41:16 that He may dispense rich gifts unto men and women, 41:19 imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness." 41:22 Do yourself a favor. 41:24 In that quotation, right now circle those words, 41:25 "The priceless gift of His own righteousness," 41:29 that's what He gives to the helpless human agent. 41:31 That would be you and me. 41:33 "This is the message of God commanded 41:34 to be given to the world. 41:36 It is the third angel's message, 41:37 which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, 41:40 and attended with the outpouring of His spirit 41:42 in a large measure." 41:46 Wow. 41:48 Some kind soul, a lady 41:52 on the West Coast, 41:54 unsolicited, I didn't know her, still don't. 41:59 She sent me a book through the mail. 42:01 I found it on the desk when I came to church one day. 42:05 Title of the book, Living by Faith, 42:10 a collection of editorials by E.J. Waggoner, 42:13 the physician turned preacher that with his partner Jones 42:18 brought this most precious message. 42:20 As I read the 49 editorials in that book. 42:23 I came across something I had never seen, 42:25 not from any writer, not from any book. 42:27 A string of verses with a stunning understanding 42:34 they provide of how God's righteousness 42:37 can be operationalized. 42:38 How this, this theory that we're talking about, 42:40 how it can become an operation in your life. 42:42 And I've got to share this with you before I sit down, 42:44 because you've never heard of this before, I promise you. 42:47 Okay. 42:48 You gonna have to jot these verses down. 42:49 Stunning string of verses, here they come, 42:52 Romans 1:16, jot it down. 42:54 Paul says, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, 42:56 because it is the power of God that brings salvation 42:59 to everyone who believes power. 43:02 For in the gospel 43:03 the righteousness of God is revealed." 43:05 So the power of God and His righteousness 43:07 are all bound together. 43:08 All right here's a... 43:10 Here we go now, here comes something, 43:11 Psalm 33, the great Psalm you know it, 43:13 verses 6 and 9, jot it down, 43:16 "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made..." 43:20 The word, did you get that? 43:22 The word, that's what comes out of his mouth, the word. 43:24 "By the word of the Lord where the heavens made..." 43:26 Let there be light, let there be air, 43:27 let there be birds, okay, the word. 43:29 "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, 43:32 their starry host by the, by the breath of his mouth. 43:37 For he spoke, and it came to be, 43:39 he commanded, and it stood firm." 43:42 The power of God unleashed in the gospel 43:44 is unleashed to His word, it's His very breathing. 43:47 When He speaks and breathes the word, 43:49 something immediately happens. 43:52 One more text, now two more. 43:53 John 6, Jesus speaking here, 43:55 the actual divine agent of creation, John 6:63. 43:59 "The words I have spoken to you... 44:02 they are full of Spirit and life." 44:06 My words will infuse life, 44:08 and spirit into you I speak them. 44:11 One more text, 2 Timothy 3:16. 44:14 Oh, this is something. "All scripture..." 44:16 How much of scripture? How much of scripture? 44:18 "All scripture is God-breathed." 44:22 I should let you to savor that thought for a moment? 44:25 "All scripture is God-breathed." 44:27 The N.I.V. renders it, God breathed. 44:33 All scripture, all God's word, God breathed, 44:37 by the breath of his mouth universe is created. 44:41 Everything happens through the word. 44:43 Everything happens with what he breathes and speaks. 44:47 Notice how E.J. Waggoner applies a string of verses. 44:50 Will put it on the screen for you. 44:51 "When the word of God names something, 44:54 then the thing that is named is formed. 44:56 Whatever is described by the word, 44:58 exists in that word. 45:00 And this is a very unique, 45:02 I'd never thought of this before, 45:03 "Thus it is impossible for God to lie, 45:06 for His word makes the thing so." 45:09 So if we all got up, come on, come on. 45:10 We all got up and we went outside 45:12 and God was with us, and He says, 45:13 "Hey, guys, I want you to see the chartreuse colored sky." 45:15 Guess what... guess what color the sky would be? 45:18 Chartreuse because he said it, He's not gonna lie. 45:21 So if it's chartreuse, it's chartreuse. 45:23 What he speaks is. 45:26 So God looks at you and He says, "You know what? 45:28 You are now righteous." 45:30 Guess what? You are now righteous. 45:34 God looks at you, He looks in your heart, 45:35 He looks at what you did last week. 45:37 And you've come to him. He says, "You know what girl? 45:39 You are cleansed and pure. Guess what? 45:42 You are now cleansed and pure, He speaks it, you become it. 45:49 He speaks it, you become it. 45:52 So Jesus looks at this paralytic, 45:54 lower down through the hole in the roof and He says, 45:56 "Son, your sins are forgiven." 45:59 Boom, they're forgiven, 46:00 and a glow spreads across his face why? 46:03 Because when you speak the word, 46:04 when the divine speaks the word, 46:05 what's in the word happens. 46:07 And then Jesus says, "I know 46:09 you don't believe I can do this. 46:10 I know you don't believe I can do this, but watch this. 46:11 Take up your bed and walk." 46:13 And the boy takes up his bed and walk. 46:14 He says, "See, I can do it." 46:15 One word, one word makes 46:18 all the difference in the world. 46:20 His word, His word is what makes a difference. 46:25 And when He speaks it to you, you got it. 46:29 Oh, I suppose you could say, "No, I don't want that word. 46:31 No, don't touch me with that word." 46:33 Well, he won't. 46:35 But if you receive that word just like that, 46:38 what the word represents 46:40 happens as reality in your heart. 46:42 Oh, my "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, 46:46 and their starry host by the breath of his mouth." 46:49 Which means that when the judge of the universe 46:51 convenes his courtroom, and He looks at you, 46:53 and He says, "You are justified. 46:55 You are acquitted, pardoned, all charges drop. 46:58 Guess what? 47:00 You are justified, acquitted, pardoned. 47:01 All charges drop." 47:03 When He says it, it is for the Lord spake 47:08 and it was so. 47:10 Jesus says, "For the words I speak, 47:12 they are spirit and life." 47:16 You don't believe that about Jesus, one more text. 47:18 Hebrews 1:3. 47:19 "The Son is the radiance of God's glory 47:22 and the exact representation..." 47:24 That means the Son and the Father, 47:25 eternal as they are. 47:27 They share that same character. 47:29 Exact representation of his being. 47:30 What does the son do? 47:32 He sustains all things by his powerful word. 47:35 Write that down. 47:36 That's how powerful is righteousness of God. 47:39 Because when you ask him for it, He speaks it. 47:42 You have it. 47:45 Waggoner is absolutely right, "The breath of God, 47:48 which has creative energy in it, 47:50 is that which gives us the precepts 47:51 and promises of the Bible. 47:53 That creative word is the power of the Gospel. 47:56 That word is the power of the Gospel. 47:58 The power of redemption is the power of creation, 48:02 for redemption is creation." 48:05 Come on, if any woman is in Christ, 48:07 if any man is in Christ, he is a new what? 48:10 He is a new creation. Old things have passed away. 48:12 With the word old things have passed away, 48:15 behold, all things become new. 48:16 It's in the word. 48:18 When He speaks the word, and you receive the word. 48:22 You got what he just spoke. 48:27 What He spake and it was done. 48:30 He commanded and it stood fast. 48:32 You know what that means. 48:34 We just got to believe. 48:36 We have to believe His word. 48:41 In that mustard seed of faith, 48:44 what his word has promised, you got it, you got it. 48:48 Now watch where Waggoner, now, now watch, watch this, 48:51 it's very, this is, this is crucial. 48:54 Watch where Waggoner goes with this line of reasoning. 48:56 On the screen again. 48:58 "To declare is to speak, so when God declares 49:01 His righteousness in Christ for the remission of sins." 49:04 We just read that Romans 3:25. 49:05 "Righteousness is spoken into and on you, 49:08 to take the place of your sins, which are taken away. 49:10 And now, here, here comes. 49:11 "It is not simply a passive righteousness 49:14 that is declared on you, 49:16 but the real, active righteousness, 49:19 for the word of the Lord is alive, 49:20 and God's righteousness is real and active." 49:23 Dwight, what in the world did he just say. 49:25 I need you to catch this, 49:26 because what he just said is this. 49:28 Quietly Jones and Waggoner was what God asked them to teach. 49:32 Quietly they have veered away 49:35 from the traditional understanding 49:38 that N. T. Wright represents. 49:40 Because here's what N. T. Wright says, 49:41 what justification is about? 49:43 Change of status, no change inside, 49:45 but a change of status. 49:46 But God raised up two young preachers 49:50 to begin to teach. 49:51 No, no, no, no, that's not what's there. 49:54 That along with the change of status 49:59 is the unleashing of power. 50:03 Now, hold on, hold on. 50:06 Hans LaRondelle, one of my revered professors 50:09 when I was in the seminary here, 50:11 sleeps in Jesus now. 50:13 That man's teaching 50:15 brought a crisis in my own faith, 50:16 and that's how I found Christ as a young adult. 50:19 Hans LaRondelle in his book, 50:22 Christ Our Salvation what God does for us, and in us 50:25 supports this very point. 50:27 Put his words on a screen. 50:28 "However, justification implies 50:31 more than a mere legal transaction. 50:35 The righteousness of Christ is a transforming power." 50:38 Jot that down, transforming. 50:40 It is a principle, according to Desire of Ages now. 50:42 "It is a principle of life that transforms 50:44 the character and controls the conduct." 50:47 Now LaRondelle, goes on. 50:49 "Many have too abstract 50:51 and narrow a view of forgiveness 50:53 and justification. 50:54 This led E.G. White to state: Quoting now Mount of Blessing. 50:58 "God's forgiveness is not merely a judicial act 51:01 by which He sets us free from condemnation. 51:03 It is not only forgiveness for sin, 51:06 but reclaiming from sin. 51:08 It is the outflow of redeeming love 51:10 that transforms the heart." 51:16 This most precious message unleashed 51:20 in the midst of this tiny little faith community 51:22 but to go to the world. 51:23 What is this message, the message that. 51:25 You know what the righteousness of God 51:28 is not only, it is not only a change in your status 51:30 when God justified you. 51:32 It doesn't say, not only does he say, 51:34 "Charges drop, you're acquitted, 51:35 you're forgiven." 51:37 But with the word that he speaks. 51:39 Just as he did with a paralytic. 51:40 He not only spoke the word of forgiveness. 51:42 But the word right behind it is a word be healed, 51:47 be changed. 51:48 Let my righteousness come in. Let me transform you. 51:52 That's what he's saying. 51:54 How did Jesus put it. 51:56 The words that I speak to you 51:57 are full of the Spirit... 52:02 in life. 52:04 With one word, He pardons us. 52:06 And with the next word He empowers us. 52:09 The forgiven and healed paralytic 52:11 just like that man when we receive that gift. 52:17 Both the power and the pardon are bestowed 52:21 in the gift of that righteousness. 52:23 By the way, David in that great prayer of his, 52:25 put it on the screen for you, Psalm 103. 52:27 David is absolutely clear that 52:29 the two go together, watch this. 52:30 Bless the Lord, let's read this out loud together. 52:32 "Bless the Lord, O my soul, 52:35 and forget not all his benefits, 52:37 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases." 52:42 You see the word that speaks of pardon 52:45 is a word that speaks power 52:47 and with the forgiveness comes the healing. 52:50 All happens. 52:51 One God, one gift, 52:55 His righteousness, Christ, our righteousness. 53:00 Oh my, oh my... 53:04 My hope is built on nothing 53:08 less than Jesus' blood 53:13 and righteousness. 53:16 "I dare not trust the sweetest frame, 53:20 But wholly lean on Jesus' name. 53:26 On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand, 53:29 All other ground is sinking sand." 53:32 All other ground, 53:34 all other ground is sinking sand. 53:38 And to that I say, hallelujah and amen. 53:42 What do you say? 53:43 Amen. Amen. 53:45 Pull out your connect card please. 53:47 It's in your worship bulletin. 53:48 Guests from around the Great Lakes States 53:51 delighted that you're here. 53:52 Pull out your connect card. 53:55 We must respond to this. We do this every week. 53:57 Put your name, e-mail address on a front. 54:00 Let's go. Go to the back. 54:01 My next step, I confess, here it is box number one, 54:04 I confess that I am a sinner. 54:06 And I choose daily to receive God's offer 54:09 to exchange my filthy rags 54:11 for Christ's spotless robe of righteousness. 54:16 Do you want that to borrow? I want that every day. 54:19 You guys every day when I wake up, 54:20 that's what I want. 54:22 I want to get the filthy rags from yesterday off of me, 54:24 get them off of me. 54:25 Put that robe back on me, I want that robe. 54:28 Every day, I hope we all can put that check mark there. 54:30 Now, look at box number two. 54:32 I would like to be baptized into Jesus Christ, 54:35 my Savior and my righteousness. 54:37 You may be older than Davey. 54:40 And by the way, was that a beautiful testimony or what? 54:42 Amen. 54:43 Man a little child shall lead them, 54:45 that's what was happening right there. 54:47 I want to share this he said, when I, when I go into Jesus. 54:50 And I'm baptizing him I want to share with the world. 54:52 Did he say, seven billion he's going to reach. 54:56 You go Davey, dream big for God. 54:59 He's sending you to the world, boy. 55:01 He's already got a plan for you. 55:02 Like Davey, you may never been baptized before, 55:04 you maybe older than him, who cares. 55:06 It's time for you to get baptized into Jesus Christ, 55:10 your Savior and your righteousness. 55:12 Nothing will do it like baptism, 55:14 nothing will do it like baptism. 55:15 That's why right after Romans 5, 55:18 Romans 6 is all about baptism. 55:19 Right after Romans 5, Paul says let's talk about, 55:21 let's talk about getting baptized. 55:23 If you have not been baptized, 55:25 would you take this moment right now, 55:26 and put a check mark there. 55:29 We were just praising God 55:30 with how many made the decision last Sabbath, 55:33 to put a check mark for baptism. 55:36 I wonder how many here today. 55:38 You're up here and you're not even a member here, 55:40 you put a check mark there, just turn that card 55:42 in just one second. 55:43 And we'll get to whoever needs to know that information. 55:49 If you have not been baptized 55:51 today's the day to make the decision. 55:54 It's your timetable. Put a check mark there. 55:56 Oh, by the way box number three. 55:58 I will pray for the mission to Cuba. 55:59 You see the dates there, this Friday night 56:01 30 seminarians will be preaching in Santiago, 56:04 the second biggest city in Cuba. 56:05 Pray for us please for ten days, 56:09 as we preach the third angel's message. 56:12 Let's pray. Oh, God. 56:16 Went into little overtime here, but because father this, 56:19 this can't be cut up, this is a standalone truth 56:22 and we needed to hear it. 56:23 Some of us are desperate to know this good news. 56:27 Assure every man, woman, young, adult, 56:29 teenager and child here are watching live streaming, 56:33 or anywhere on the planet through television 56:35 assure all of us that the news really is this good. 56:40 Two thousand years ago, 56:41 You dropped charges on the entire human race. 56:44 We've all been forgiven, we've been acquitted. 56:47 We have been declared free. 56:50 Why would we go on living 56:52 as if we're in bondage when you declared us free? 56:55 And so, Father, we must first experience it 56:58 or it's not good news. 56:59 But once we know it, send us into the world 57:02 to people who need to know this life liberating truth 57:08 in Christ Jesus, 57:10 that's where our hope is built on. 57:12 Yes, in Christ we pray, amen. 57:18 I want to take an extra movement 57:19 and let you know, how grateful I am, 57:20 you joined us today. 57:22 I hear from viewers and listeners like you, 57:24 all across this nation, and literally around the world, 57:27 and I'm thankful, 57:28 because it's through the generosity of the members 57:30 of this congregation and people like you 57:32 that we're able to bring you this program. 57:34 So what we've shared today has touched your heart. 57:36 I'd like to invite you to become 57:37 our financial partner with us. 57:39 Just give us a call, toll free number 877, 57:41 the two words HIS-WILL. 57:43 877-HIS-WILL. 57:45 Or if you'd rather, go to our website 57:47 www.pmchurch.tv. 57:50 Either way, your generosity will bless 57:52 a new generation in cyberspace all over this planet. 57:56 So thank you. 57:57 Thank you very much for your partnership. |
Revised 2017-09-18