¤¤
00:00:00.60\00:00:09.77
>> Let's pray.
Dear heavenly Father,
00:00:09.80\00:00:12.57
here we are, another Sabbath,
and we just want to thank you
00:00:12.57\00:00:15.84
for that.
00:00:15.84\00:00:16.91
Thank you for carrying us
through the week. You know,
we've had assignments
00:00:16.95\00:00:20.58
or many things that have come
our way, but you've protected
00:00:20.58\00:00:23.92
us. You've blessed us and been
with us, so at this time, I just
ask that you be with us
00:00:23.92\00:00:28.92
during our time of worship that
we may get to know you better
00:00:28.92\00:00:33.60
as we sing through the songs and
through the word that we hear.
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:00:33.60\00:00:39.23
Good morning, and
happy Sabbath! Happy Sabbath!
00:00:39.27\00:00:43.74
I would just like to
invite you to stand as we sing
00:00:43.74\00:00:46.31
our first song, "A
Mighty Fortress Is Our God."
00:00:46.31\00:00:50.35
Amen! Amen. You may be seated.
00:04:50.62\00:05:22.92
Our God is a mighty God, and he
is the fortress. He's the mighty
00:05:22.92\00:05:28.02
fortress that we can run to and
that we can hide. You know,
sometimes Satan might
00:05:28.02\00:05:32.06
assail us, but through God's
strength, we have his comfort.
00:05:32.06\00:05:36.67
He is there for us, so join us
as we sing "Before the Throne of
00:05:36.67\00:05:41.60
God Above."
00:05:41.60\00:05:43.14
You know, there's some times
that we step out of God's circle
of influence, and, you know,
00:12:43.59\00:12:49.63
but he still has mercy on
us. He still forgives us, and he
00:12:49.63\00:12:54.44
sometimes says, well, he does
always say, "Come onto me all
who are burdened and heaven
00:12:54.44\00:12:59.77
laden, and I will give you
rest," so if you have a burden
today or you have a praise
00:12:59.77\00:13:04.48
that you'd like to bring to God,
I just invite you to bring them
00:13:04.48\00:13:08.18
forward to the foot of the
Cross. So please stand as we
sing the third verse.
00:13:08.18\00:13:13.12
>> Let's pray. God, it
is your love, love divine,
00:15:23.18\00:15:32.16
that gives us existence.
It is your love that gives us
00:15:32.16\00:15:40.87
persistence, but, oh, God, we
are up against a resistance
unlike anything we have ever
00:15:40.87\00:15:53.72
seen ever. Now, this is very
touchy, Father. Just cut through
00:15:53.72\00:16:00.36
the clutter so that we hear only
your voice, and that includes
me. In Jesus' name, we pray.
00:16:00.36\00:16:06.19
Amen.
00:16:06.19\00:16:07.86
The problem is,
we have a problem
00:16:07.93\00:16:11.33
that some people think isn't
a problem, which is the problem.
00:16:11.33\00:16:15.20
Let me show you
a magazine cover.
00:16:15.20\00:16:17.71
This is the back cover,
okay? I'll put it up here.
00:16:17.71\00:16:20.98
This is the back cover
of a Departures magazine
00:16:20.98\00:16:24.08
published exclusively
for American Express platinum
00:16:24.08\00:16:26.92
card members, and this
came from a friend of mine.
00:16:26.92\00:16:30.05
And those of you in the
orchestra, you can just look up
maybe on the screen.
00:16:30.09\00:16:33.12
You can see it. Now, pull
the camera in. Okay, so it's
00:16:33.12\00:16:36.59
just a back cover ad. You can
see it. It's a chic young woman.
00:16:36.59\00:16:41.00
She's suggestively clad. She has
some binoculars in her hands,
00:16:41.00\00:16:46.27
suggesting that she's looking
away from whatever room she's in
to a high-rise across the way.
00:16:46.27\00:16:52.77
There is a chic-looking
young man as well, well-dressed,
00:16:52.77\00:17:00.05
suave. This is an ad for the
Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas.
Theres no writing on this
00:17:00.05\00:17:07.69
except up in the corner up here.
And what does the writing say?
Can you see it where you are?
00:17:07.69\00:17:12.89
"Just the right amount of
wrong." Amazing, isn't it?
00:17:12.89\00:17:20.74
"Just the right amount of
wrong." You don't have to be
00:17:20.74\00:17:26.11
a rocket scientist to pick up
what's the subplot to this line,
and that is, look it,
00:17:26.11\00:17:31.25
come to Las Vegas. You're
not going to be excessive,
00:17:31.25\00:17:35.75
just the right amount of wrong.
Wow. You know, the thing about
00:17:35.75\00:17:41.62
sugar and sex is that not only
do they both start with the same
00:17:41.62\00:17:47.36
letter, but they are both
addictive, enjoyably, by the
00:17:47.36\00:17:58.74
way, addictive. Just the right
amount of wrong. I wonder how
much that would be.
00:17:58.74\00:18:04.08
Welcome to this
short session entitled...
00:18:04.11\00:18:07.58
We'll put it on
the screen for you.
00:18:07.58\00:18:09.45
The title of this session, "A
Do-It-Yourself Guide to Better
00:18:09.45\00:18:13.69
Sexual Health:
Taming Your Tiger."
00:18:13.69\00:18:18.09
Let's start with the
tiger, and then we'll get
00:18:18.09\00:18:20.13
to the taming.
00:18:20.13\00:18:21.96
There's a website called
Fight the New Drug, and at that
00:18:22.00\00:18:25.90
website, I came across the
stunning statistics about
pornography, and I want to run
00:18:25.90\00:18:32.07
them by you. The opening to the
stats is this paragraph on the
screen, and, by the way,
00:18:32.07\00:18:35.78
don't worry about a study guide
because you have all of this in
00:18:35.78\00:18:38.95
a study guide. You don't even
have to take any notes, but
here's that opening paragraph,
00:18:38.95\00:18:41.82
"It's no secret that porn has
become mainstream entertainment
00:18:41.82\00:18:46.12
in our society. From popular
porn sites putting up billboards
in New York City's Times Square
00:18:46.12\00:18:50.23
to sites like BuzzFeed
normalizing porn with viral
videos, it feels like porn is
00:18:50.23\00:18:55.56
taking over. Porn is plastered
on social media sites like
Instagram, and it's too easy to
00:18:55.56\00:19:01.34
see on Twitter considering
the Twitterverse is home to an
00:19:01.34\00:19:04.61
estimated 10 plus million porn
accounts." Then from the
National Center on Sexual
00:19:04.61\00:19:12.28
Exploitation come these 13
factoids. I'm going to run them
00:19:12.28\00:19:15.78
by you, okay? I put three of
them on the screen because
they're that significant.
00:19:15.78\00:19:18.52
Here they are. Number one,
64 percent of young people ages
00:19:18.52\00:19:21.39
13 to 24, that would be the Gen
Z generation, 64 percent of them
00:19:21.39\00:19:27.13
actively seek out pornography
weekly or more often. Here's
factoid number two.
00:19:27.13\00:19:33.44
A study of 14 to 19-year-olds
found that females... This is
00:19:33.44\00:19:37.17
not just a male addiction.
Females are addicted as well,
00:19:37.17\00:19:40.01
and it's not just a young
addiction. The old are addicted
00:19:40.01\00:19:43.11
as well. Come on. It's an
equal-opportunity addiction. A
study of 14 to 19-year-olds
00:19:43.11\00:19:47.88
found that females who consume
pornographic videos were at a
significantly greater
00:19:47.88\00:19:51.49
likelihood of being victims
of sexual harassment or sexual
00:19:51.49\00:19:55.69
assault. A Swedish study of
18-year-old males found that
frequent consumers of
00:19:55.69\00:20:00.60
pornography were significantly
more likely to have sold and
bought sex than other boys of
00:20:00.60\00:20:08.44
the same age. Factoid number
four: A 2015 meta-analysis of 22
studies from seven countries
00:20:08.44\00:20:12.34
found that internationally, the
consumption of pornography was
significantly associated
00:20:12.34\00:20:16.21
with increases in verbal and
physical aggression among males
00:20:16.21\00:20:22.22
and females alike. Go figure.
Factoid number five: Porn sites
receive more regular traffic
00:20:22.22\00:20:26.89
than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter
combined each month. Here's
00:20:26.89\00:20:32.33
number six. Thirty-five percent
of all Internet downloads are
00:20:32.33\00:20:36.63
porn-related. Here comes number
seven. The teen porn category
has topped porn site searches
00:20:36.63\00:20:40.94
for the last 6 years in a row.
Here's number eight. This is so
significant, I'll pop
00:20:40.94\00:20:48.61
it up on the screen for you. At
least 30 percent of all data
transferred across the Internet
00:20:48.61\00:20:53.28
is porn-related, e-mails,
searches, everything, 30 percent
00:20:53.28\00:20:57.72
of it, 1/3 of it, porn.
Here comes number nine. Recorded
00:20:57.72\00:21:07.23
child sexual exploitation... Let
me hit the pause button right
00:21:07.23\00:21:09.96
there. Record child sexual
exploitation means that the
child is on the other side of
00:21:09.96\00:21:14.94
the camera and the child is
being sexually assaulted on
camera, okay? Recorded child
00:21:14.94\00:21:23.61
sexual exploitation, known
as child porn, is one of the
00:21:23.61\00:21:27.75
fastest-growing online
businesses. Factoid 10: 624,000
plus child porn traders
00:21:27.75\00:21:33.79
have been discovered online
in the US alone. Guess what?
00:21:33.79\00:21:38.36
You're not surprised at this.
Number 11: Porn is a global
estimated $97-billion-a-year
00:21:38.36\00:21:44.43
industry with about 12 billion
of that coming from the USA.
Now, the last two numbers
00:21:44.43\00:21:49.40
are so unbelievable, I'm going
to run them by you. Here comes
00:21:49.40\00:21:53.64
number 12. In 2018 alone, more
than 5,000,517,000 hours of porn
were consumed on the world's
00:21:53.64\00:22:02.65
single-largest porn site, so
there are thousands of other
sites, but just this one site.
00:22:02.65\00:22:10.43
And finally, number 13, the
world's largest free porn site
00:22:10.43\00:22:16.53
also received over
33,500,000,000 site visits
during 2018 alone. Do you know
00:22:16.53\00:22:23.04
what the population of the human
race is? It's 7 billion. Divide
7 billion into 33.5.
00:22:23.04\00:22:28.21
Almost five visits for every
man, woman and child alive on
00:22:28.21\00:22:33.52
this planet today, five visits
each to view porn. How did that
ad go? "Just the right amount
00:22:33.52\00:22:45.06
of wrong."
Thirty-three-point-five billion
visits to the world's largest
00:22:45.06\00:22:50.03
free porn site, is that
just the right amount of wrong?
00:22:50.03\00:22:54.54
Who decides these numbers? Look,
when it comes to sex, seriously,
00:22:54.54\00:23:01.74
how much is the right amount?
You help me out. How much is the
00:23:01.74\00:23:04.91
right amount when it comes to
sex? I think of the young Gen
Z'er. Well, he wasn't a Gen
00:23:04.91\00:23:12.49
Z'er, but he's within the age of
Gen Z'ers, somewhere, I'm
figuring, between 18 and 27
00:23:12.49\00:23:18.43
years of age. He was a slave,
and his master's wife came to
him offering him freedom
00:23:18.43\00:23:22.66
in exchange for just a little
sex. Just the right amount of
00:23:22.66\00:23:28.60
wrong, boy, and you're free.
You know what he did? He fled.
00:23:28.60\00:23:36.91
Joseph fled. I think of a Gen
X'er because that's what he'd be
00:23:36.91\00:23:42.68
if he were alive today. I think
of this Gen X'er who had
everything he wanted.
00:23:42.68\00:23:46.05
He had money. He
had power. He had fame,
00:23:46.05\00:23:48.16
but when he happened to spot a
woman bathing in the nude, and I
00:23:48.16\00:23:51.73
don't think it was on the
Internet either. When he sees
her, he goes into a
00:23:51.73\00:23:58.80
crash-and-burn moral fall that
is still being felt today. You
know the difference between
00:23:58.80\00:24:06.98
those two boys? Joseph fled, but
David fed, and for the rest of
their lives, they were tagged
00:24:06.98\00:24:16.12
with that
difference. Wow. "Just the right
00:24:16.12\00:24:22.19
amount of wrong." Joseph
fled, David fed, and that's how
00:24:22.19\00:24:26.66
pornography becomes the killer
addiction that it is today. You
say, "It hasn't killed me.
00:24:26.66\00:24:30.60
I'm still here." Yeah, you are,
but it's not over until it's
00:24:30.60\00:24:41.31
over. The problem is, we have a
problem that some people don't
think is a problem,
00:24:41.31\00:24:45.41
which is the problem. Most Gen
Z'er porn addicts thought it was
00:24:45.41\00:24:50.75
only a pleasurable form of
entertainment, no kidding. I saw
00:24:50.75\00:24:54.72
this. So this site shows
Twitter, tweets, okay? They fuzz
00:24:54.72\00:25:00.96
out the face. You can tell the
gender. They fuzz out the name,
so there's no identity
00:25:00.96\00:25:04.93
being shared, and I'm listening
to these tweeters extolling
00:25:04.93\00:25:12.81
their love, their love for porn,
and I'm saying, "You can't be
00:25:12.81\00:25:18.48
serious," but then, oh, why are
we surprised? Video games are
00:25:18.48\00:25:21.68
replete with sexually alluring
female characters. Nice to see
one of those pop up
00:25:21.68\00:25:26.35
at about 2 in the morning, and
virtual reality means that you
can do it without doing it.
00:25:26.35\00:25:34.20
What a world, only to learn too
late the woeful effects of that
00:25:34.20\00:25:41.74
addiction. A writer named Denny
Burk, boy, did he hit the nail
on the head. I put the words on
00:25:41.74\00:25:45.47
the screen. I hope you...And by
the way, you have all of this in
00:25:45.47\00:25:48.98
the study guide. I'm quoting him
now, "A growing number of young
men are convinced that their
00:25:48.98\00:25:53.65
sexual responses have been
sabotages because their brains
were virtually marinated in porn
00:25:53.65\00:25:59.52
when they were adolescents.
Their generation has consumed
explicit content in quantities
00:25:59.52\00:26:04.99
and varieties never before
possible on devices designation
to deliver content swiftly
00:26:04.99\00:26:09.96
and privately all at an age when
their brains were more plastic,
00:26:09.96\00:26:13.54
more prone to permanent change
than in later life." You know
what nobody is talking
00:26:13.54\00:26:18.21
about around here? Everybody
talks about what Gen Z and
00:26:18.21\00:26:23.35
mental health, but nobody is
talking about the linkage
between pornography usage and
00:26:23.35\00:26:28.78
mental health. And guess what?
There's a linkage. You go to the
00:26:28.78\00:26:34.66
website sometime
endsexualexploitation.org.
You'll see it above these quotes
00:26:34.66\00:26:39.09
coming now. Speaking of children
and adolescents because that's
what we're dealing with now,
00:26:39.09\00:26:42.20
it's down to the kids. One
study, 9 years old, addiction.
00:26:42.20\00:26:46.84
Okay, on the screen. A study of
sexually reactive children and
00:26:46.84\00:26:49.94
adolescents... They have a
psychological term for them,
SRCA. A study of these found
00:26:49.94\00:26:55.31
that those who had used
pornography compared to those
who did not use pornography
00:26:55.31\00:26:59.45
were more likely to engage in a
prominent pattern of lying, a
persistent pattern of theft
00:26:59.45\00:27:04.92
and stealing. They were more
likely to be truant, which means
00:27:04.92\00:27:09.06
skip school. They were
more likely to frequently con or
00:27:09.06\00:27:12.03
manipulate others. They were
more likely to engage in arson,
fire setting behaviors, and then
00:27:12.03\00:27:15.36
you see the dot, dot, dot.
That's called an ellipses. You
know why it's there?
00:27:15.36\00:27:18.63
Because the sexual behavior is
so deviant that I said, "I'm not
00:27:18.63\00:27:22.94
even putting that on the screen
for us." Children and
adolescents, even our children.
00:27:22.94\00:27:31.48
You know what? I don't suppose
this is rocket science to jump
00:27:31.48\00:27:34.62
to the conclusion that there is
somebody in this universe
seeking to destroy the human
00:27:34.62\00:27:38.32
race one child, one boy, one
girl, one teen, one young adult,
00:27:38.32\00:27:44.49
one adult, one aging adult, one
man, one woman at a time, one at
a time, and we sit here
00:27:44.49\00:27:54.07
as if nothing is happening. This
is entertainment, buddy. This is
how I get my kicks.
00:27:54.07\00:27:59.14
Are you serious?
00:27:59.14\00:28:00.74
And by the way, mom and dad, I'm
sorry just to tell you. You may
00:28:04.21\00:28:14.16
have the fastest Internet speed
in your neighborhood, but do you
00:28:14.16\00:28:18.79
have any idea what your children
are using it for? Parents are
waking up today and saying, "My
00:28:18.79\00:28:25.07
Lord. I never
knew." Too late! Gotcha!
00:28:25.07\00:28:33.58
Speaking of mental health,
loneliness is endemic with this
00:28:33.58\00:28:36.78
generation. Guess why? On the
screen, the results of a study
00:28:36.78\00:28:39.41
revealed that the association
between loneliness and viewing
00:28:39.41\00:28:42.08
pornography was positive and
significant. In other words,
when loneliness goes up,
00:28:42.08\00:28:45.95
pornography goes up. When
pornography goes down,
loneliness goes down. They're
00:28:45.95\00:28:50.59
positive correlated. Survey data
of 1,247 participants seeking
help for pornography use
00:28:53.93\00:28:58.77
revealed that those who viewed
pornography were more likely to
experience loneliness,
00:28:58.77\00:29:02.24
and that those who were
experiencing loneliness were
more likely to view pornography.
00:29:02.24\00:29:05.67
Does that sound like a vicious
trap to you? Either way you go,
00:29:05.67\00:29:15.98
he wins. Oh, by the way, a 2014
study, the brain scans of 64
00:29:15.98\00:29:21.12
pornography users found that
increased pornography use is
linked to decreased brain matter
00:29:21.12\00:29:25.46
in the areas of the brain
associated with motivation and
00:29:25.46\00:29:29.20
decision-making and contributed
to impaired impulse control and
00:29:29.20\00:29:32.60
desensitization to sexual
reward. Here's the brain on
pornography, just "Chkk. Chkk.
00:29:32.60\00:29:40.94
Chkk. Chkk." Gone. Gone. I
thought this was entertainment.
00:29:40.94\00:29:47.38
It's just an innocent
video game, please. It's just a
00:29:47.38\00:29:51.99
download. I'll get rid of it.
It's no wonder researchers in
observing college students,
00:29:51.99\00:29:59.06
792 of them in this study, found
that higher pornography use is
00:29:59.06\00:30:03.43
associated with less self-worth
and more depressive symptoms,
which is the very heart
00:30:03.43\00:30:08.07
of mental health.
Wow. Here's one more.
00:30:08.07\00:30:13.04
A 2015 study from Cambridge
University found that compulsive
sexual behavior is characterized
00:30:13.04\00:30:17.48
for the need for more extreme
content over time in order to
achieve the same level
00:30:17.48\00:30:23.25
of arousal. Please put the
sentence on the screen for us.
00:30:23.25\00:30:27.09
Mental health is
under bombardment thanks to
00:30:27.09\00:30:33.40
pornography. My Lord. Let
me repeat what I just stated.
00:30:33.40\00:30:39.17
Somebody is seeking to destroy
the human race one child at a
00:30:39.17\00:30:43.97
time, and I am absolutely
convinced. I tell you the truth.
I am convinced that this
00:30:43.97\00:30:49.11
has become, pornography, his
numero uno weapon to take the
00:30:49.11\00:30:56.85
human race down, and that's why
this little pastor can't ignore
sex. I got an anonymous note
00:31:02.42\00:31:06.33
turned in this last week on
a Contact Card, and that's the
00:31:06.33\00:31:08.90
nice thing about Connect
Cards. You can send the notes in
00:31:08.90\00:31:11.07
anonymously, and I still get
them, and this note said,
referring to the fact
00:31:11.07\00:31:18.21
that we were having today's
sermon on sexual health, this
00:31:18.21\00:31:21.08
note said, "I'll tell you what,
this makes inviting new people
to church awkward and
00:31:21.08\00:31:26.75
impossible, not even a little
bit," meaning, "Oh, this is very
awkward, and I can never bring
00:31:26.75\00:31:31.42
my friends to church
now." Okay. I hate to tell you,
00:31:31.42\00:31:36.29
but your friends are immersed to
this culture. The last line of
00:31:36.29\00:31:43.77
this, "Why the obsession with
sex in the pulpit this season?"
Obsession with sex?
00:31:43.77\00:31:51.24
Do you guys ever think
about sex? Don't move your head.
00:31:51.24\00:31:53.61
The cameras are
here. Don't move your head.
00:31:53.61\00:31:57.21
Oh, boy. Oh, guys, come
on. I'm just a little pastor,
00:32:00.55\00:32:07.49
but I cannot stand by and watch
an entire generation taken out.
00:32:07.49\00:32:12.49
>> Amen. >> I just can't. I just
cant, so I speak about sex, and
00:32:12.49\00:32:17.03
guess what? So did Jesus. You
open your Bible to Luke, chapter
00:32:17.03\00:32:20.80
5. All the people that were
there for this moment that, when
they witness this moment,
00:32:20.80\00:32:24.11
they would never be the same
again the rest of their lives,
and they remembered it until
00:32:24.11\00:32:27.08
their final breath on Earth.
I promise you. Luke, chapter 5.
00:32:27.08\00:32:31.15
I'm in the New International
Version. Drop down to verse 17.
00:32:31.15\00:32:35.38
One day, Jesus was teaching, and
Pharisees and teachers of the
law were sitting there.
00:32:35.38\00:32:40.86
They had come from every village
of Galilee and from all over
Judea and Jerusalem,
00:32:40.86\00:32:45.93
and the power of the Lord was
with Jesus to heal the sick.
Isn't that beautiful?
00:32:45.93\00:32:50.77
The power of the Lord was with
Jesus to heal the sick. There
are some of you here
00:32:50.77\00:32:54.54
today, and I say this with a
heart that cares for you. There
are some of you today
00:32:54.54\00:33:02.64
who are sexually sick.
You know it. You know it,
00:33:02.64\00:33:08.78
but I have good news for you.
Come on. Don't bail out now.
00:33:08.78\00:33:14.32
The power of the Lord is with
Jesus to heal the sick. >> Amen.
00:33:14.32\00:33:22.83
>> You came the right day,
buddy, girl, elder sir. You came
00:33:22.83\00:33:31.34
the right day. There's good news
for you. You're about to see it
happen in front of your eyes.
00:33:31.34\00:33:35.31
This is
unbelievable. Come on. Let's go.
00:33:35.31\00:33:37.85
Verse 18. So some men
came carrying a paralyzed man.
00:33:37.85\00:33:41.48
Now, the gospel of John says he
has four buddies, and they're
each taking a corner
00:33:41.48\00:33:46.12
of this mat, so this mature is
going to dip him down, and they
have their shriveled
00:33:46.12\00:33:50.46
friend who now is paralyzed, and
when you're paralyzed and your
muscles aren't being
00:33:50.46\00:33:54.03
activated, you shrivel. So this
friend is shriveled, and they
00:33:54.03\00:33:58.30
come. Some men came carrying a
paralyzed man on a mature and
tried to take him into the
00:33:58.30\00:34:01.94
house to lay him before Jesus.
Now, hit the pause button right
00:34:01.94\00:34:05.64
there. Do you know why this man
is paralyzed? A powerful book
00:34:05.64\00:34:08.61
called "Desire of Ages" just
draws the veil aside. Let me
just run a few lines
00:34:08.61\00:34:12.25
about this man on the screen for
you. This paralytic had lost all
00:34:12.25\00:34:16.28
hope of recovery. His disease
was the result of a life of sin.
00:34:16.28\00:34:20.32
Whatever this sin is, it
has caused his disease. Keep
00:34:20.32\00:34:24.86
reading. His hope fell when he
remembered how the disease had
been brought upon him.
00:34:24.86\00:34:29.00
He knows whatever he was doing,
that's what has caused this
physical debilitation.
00:34:29.00\00:34:35.64
Keep reading. "Yet, it was not
physical restoration he desired
00:34:35.64\00:34:39.14
so much as relief from the
burden of sin." Now, what do we
00:34:39.14\00:34:44.88
know? What we know is that
specific actions this man had
taken in his past, this young
00:34:44.88\00:34:49.38
man, had resulted in this
disease. Number two, we also
know that he knows that his past
00:34:49.38\00:34:54.92
actions were sinful. Hence, this
consuming guilt... The power of
00:34:54.92\00:34:59.86
an addiction is the guilt it
creates. That's what kills you.
It's the guilt, this consuming
00:34:59.86\00:35:05.73
guilt that he has long borne.
This man has an STD, a
sin-transmitted disease,
00:35:05.73\00:35:13.81
that we can pretty clearly
conclude it was a
sexually-transmitted disease.
00:35:13.81\00:35:19.31
Repeat behavior, repeat
behavior. He wasn't robbing
00:35:19.31\00:35:24.62
banks. Something he did took him
down. He was desperate to be
healed. Some of you would give
00:35:24.62\00:35:31.59
anything in the world for your
addiction to be broken right
00:35:31.59\00:35:34.73
now. Well, right
now is the right time.
00:35:34.73\00:35:36.23
You watch what Jesus
is going to do for you.
00:35:36.23\00:35:40.17
You've tried to set
yourself free for months.
00:35:40.17\00:35:42.74
You vowed you would never return
to your habit and you would
00:35:42.74\00:35:44.81
never return to your addiction,
but as the research has shown,
00:35:44.81\00:35:47.11
your addiction is like a dark
warlord that hovers over you,
00:35:47.11\00:35:49.98
clamoring for more debase,
more deadly porn for the sake
00:35:49.98\00:35:52.45
of greater sexual high,
and if you are as helpless
00:35:52.45\00:35:56.79
and as hopeless as
this paralytic, good news.
00:35:56.79\00:36:02.09
By the way, for him,
if Jesus doesn't work,
00:36:02.09\00:36:06.09
it's over. He knows it.
00:36:06.09\00:36:09.03
Verse 19: So when they could not
find a way to do this, to get
00:36:13.97\00:36:19.14
this man to Jesus, because of
the crowd... Mark says the house
00:36:19.14\00:36:22.71
is absolutely like a can of
sardines. It's just packed to
00:36:22.71\00:36:26.21
gills inside, and it's also
spilling into the outer yard, so
there's no... "Excuse me.
00:36:26.21\00:36:30.69
Excuse me. Excuse me. Hey, we
need to see Jesus. Excuse me!"
00:36:30.69\00:36:34.06
Nobody is listening! They're all
galvanized, focused on the young
00:36:34.06\00:36:39.26
teacher healer inside, and
"Desire of Ages" tells us it was
the paralytic's idea.
00:36:39.26\00:36:45.37
He said, "Hey, guys, the roof.
The roof." They were flat homes
00:36:45.37\00:36:52.34
back then, and you could get
to the top of... Because in the
00:36:52.34\00:36:54.41
summer, you need the cool
breezes, so they go up to the
00:36:54.41\00:36:58.81
roof. Yeah, and there are tiles
on the roof. The tiles are made
of dried mud filled with fats
00:36:58.81\00:37:03.45
and sticks and stuff like that,
so they say, "Okay, guys. Let's
00:37:03.45\00:37:07.19
go. One, two, three. Come on!"
They put him down, and they
begin to rip those tiles out.
00:37:07.19\00:37:12.33
I would like to have been inside
that space when a hand comes
00:37:12.33\00:37:16.50
down, and the whole place goes,
"Bah!" and Jesus...There's no
attention now for him.
00:37:16.50\00:37:21.10
Everybody is looking up as that
hole gets bigger and, "What is
00:37:21.10\00:37:25.04
going on here? Are you watching
this?" Bigger, bigger. Then, a
00:37:25.04\00:37:29.64
beam of sunlight blinding
everybody, and then the dust
that comes when you break dry
00:37:29.64\00:37:35.82
mud over your eyes, and
everybody's rapid eye movement
now, and then there's a shadow
00:37:35.82\00:37:41.72
in that sunlight, and something
is coming down. What is coming
00:37:41.72\00:37:48.16
down is not on an electric
winch. It's four guys with their
buddy. It's shaped like a V.
00:37:48.16\00:37:53.17
He's caught in that
crack, and it comes down...
00:37:53.17\00:37:58.34
...right in front of Jesus,
and this desperate man turns his
00:38:03.14\00:38:14.66
head, and he's looking straight
into the eyes of this stranger.
There's something warm
00:38:14.66\00:38:23.00
in those eyes. There is
something deeply compassionate
00:38:23.00\00:38:27.47
and gentle and strong, and as he
looks into those eyes, it's
almost as if the eyes
00:38:27.47\00:38:34.08
are saying, "I know why you're
here. I know why you're here,
00:38:34.08\00:38:40.38
and you came to the right
place." They lower him. That's
00:38:40.38\00:38:47.36
what happens here in verse 19.
They went up on the roof and
lowered him on his mature
00:38:47.36\00:38:49.72
through the tiles into the
middle of the crowd, right in
00:38:49.72\00:38:52.29
front of Jesus, and when Jesus
first -- oh, I love this. When
Jesus saw their faith,
00:38:52.29\00:38:55.80
he said, "Friend, your
sins are forgiven." Wow!
00:38:55.80\00:39:04.44
Friend, your sexual sins,
your sexual past... Do you know
00:39:04.44\00:39:08.14
that you are now forgiven? Oh,
come on, Jesus. You need to at
00:39:08.14\00:39:10.88
least grill the guy. Find out
what was it that he was doing.
00:39:10.88\00:39:14.62
What was he doing to cause
this? You don't just say you're
00:39:14.62\00:39:18.85
forgiven! Ask him questions.
That's what the Pharisees did.
They've already written this guy
00:39:18.85\00:39:21.56
off as a wretch. "There's
no room for you in the church!"
00:39:21.56\00:39:25.99
but in Jesus' church, there's
plenty of room for you. >> Amen.
00:39:25.99\00:39:29.36
>> Amen. >> Plenty of room
for you. Friend, your sins are
00:39:29.36\00:39:38.71
forgiven. Not a word about his
past. What is there about Jesus
00:39:38.71\00:39:41.98
with sexual sin? I mean, isn't
he incredible? He's teaching one
early morning in the temple,
00:39:41.98\00:39:46.18
and the board of elders comes
and dumps a woman at his feet,
and they announce, with a loud
00:39:46.18\00:39:50.45
voice so the whole crowd hears,
"By the way, we just caught this
woman in bed with a man
00:39:50.45\00:39:53.79
who is not her husband." "Nah,
nah, nah!" "What do you say?"
00:39:53.79\00:39:59.59
Not a word. Hey girl, what were
you thinking of when you were
00:39:59.59\00:40:04.03
doing this? Did you understand
the consequences? Not a word!
00:40:04.03\00:40:07.47
Do you know what he says? I'll
put it on the screen because
he's saying these same
00:40:07.47\00:40:10.17
words to the paralytic, "Neither
do I condemn you. Now, go and
00:40:10.17\00:40:14.08
leave your life of sin behind."
That's what he says. You came to
00:40:14.08\00:40:18.25
the right place, buddy. You
came to the right place, friend.
00:40:18.25\00:40:23.92
Your sins are forgiven. They're
gone. I would have loved to have
00:40:23.92\00:40:30.73
seen the paralytic's face when
that dawned on him. He didn't
00:40:30.73\00:40:36.00
come for healing. He only came
for forgiveness. He was willing
to die, but he needed to know
00:40:36.00\00:40:41.00
that their God of the universe
loves him and would forgive him,
00:40:41.00\00:40:46.44
and he got it. Friend, your sins
are forgiven. Oh, "Desire of
Ages" captures this moment, on
00:40:46.44\00:40:51.75
the screen. In simple faith, the
paralytic accepted the words of
Jesus that fell like music on
00:40:51.75\00:40:58.22
his ear, as it says in the
previous sentence. He accepted
00:40:58.22\00:41:00.99
the word as the boon, as the
assurance, as the promise of new
life. I just gave it to you.
00:41:00.99\00:41:05.76
You have new life. Keep reading.
He urged no further request,
00:41:05.76\00:41:09.96
but he lay in blissful silence,
looking into that face that just
00:41:09.96\00:41:20.81
forgave him, too happy for
words. The light of heaven
irradiated his countenance,
00:41:20.81\00:41:24.95
and the people looked with
awe upon the scene. Guess what,
00:41:24.95\00:41:30.22
ladies and gentlemen? Before our
very eyes, right now, a sexual
00:41:30.22\00:41:36.12
sinner got healed, and we were
watching it. That's how simple
it is. You don't have to go
00:41:36.12\00:41:41.50
somewhere. You don't have to
meet somebody. You don't have to
do something. You need healing?
00:41:41.50\00:41:46.63
You tell me. I read your
heart. I read your heart.
00:41:46.63\00:41:49.94
Tell me in your heart
you want healing. I read it.
00:41:49.94\00:41:53.17
Friend, you're forgiven. My, my.
Is there a sexual sinner here
00:41:53.17\00:42:02.55
who needs to hear that voice? Is
there an addicted sinner here
who needs to hear that voice?
00:42:02.55\00:42:09.22
Oh, yes, we do. We need to hear
that. Last line is outrageous.
00:42:09.22\00:42:15.43
Oh, wondrous love of Christ,
stooping to heal the guilty and
the afflicted, divinity
00:42:15.43\00:42:21.04
sorrowing over and soothing the
ills of suffering humanity! Oh,
00:42:21.04\00:42:26.47
marvelous power thus displayed
to the children of men and
women! Who can doubt
00:42:26.47\00:42:30.65
the message of salvation? Who
can slight the mercies of a
compassionate Redeemer?
00:42:30.65\00:42:37.49
What do you need to bring to
Jesus today? I got great news.
00:42:37.49\00:42:41.09
You don't have to bring a thing
to him. You just bring to him
00:42:41.09\00:42:43.89
your desperate need. That's
all he needs. He needs to know
00:42:43.89\00:42:48.20
that you need him. That's all he
asks. There's no quid pro quo.
00:42:48.20\00:42:56.94
Against you, you only... Oh,
God, have I sinned. That's
David, heartbroken after
00:42:56.94\00:43:02.44
he crashed and burned. Purge
me with discipline. I'll be
00:43:02.44\00:43:06.55
cleaned. Wash me, and I will be
whiter than snow. Create a clean
00:43:06.55\00:43:11.32
heart in me, oh, God, and renew
a right spirit within me. That's
00:43:11.32\00:43:15.26
David. Even after you fed, you
can pray, and that prayer brings
the salvation of the king
00:43:15.26\00:43:22.63
of kings to your doorstep.
Wow. Is that good news or what?
00:43:22.63\00:43:30.87
Huh? No, I'm
serious. Is it good news?
00:43:30.87\00:43:35.21
Yeah. Take out your
Connect Card, please.
00:43:35.21\00:43:40.18
It's right there, attached.
Pastor Ben just talked about it
00:43:40.18\00:43:42.72
a moment ago. It's right
here. The front of the card, the
00:43:42.72\00:43:46.35
guests, we're always glad to
have you. You put in as much
information you'd like on the
00:43:46.35\00:43:48.79
front, but go to the back of the
card. My next step today is...
Three little boxes.
00:43:48.79\00:43:53.93
Three little boxes. Box number
one, I joyfully accept the
cleansing forgiveness
00:43:53.93\00:43:57.70
Jesus offers for all sexual
sin and sinners. Yeah, me too.
00:43:57.70\00:44:03.44
I'll put a check mark there.
You and me, we'll do that. All
00:44:03.44\00:44:06.98
right. Box number two, I would
like a DIY, do-it-yourself,
00:44:06.98\00:44:09.94
guide to overcoming pornographic
addiction. Put a check mark
00:44:09.94\00:44:13.92
there if you would like that.
Now, I have good news for you.
As soon as you put the check
00:44:13.92\00:44:16.89
mark there, I want you to look
right above the perforated line.
00:44:16.89\00:44:19.79
It's right here. Nobody
is going to mail it to you.
00:44:19.79\00:44:22.29
Nobody is going to ask your
name. Nobody is going to call
00:44:22.29\00:44:24.56
you up. You're going to have
it right here. You see it right
00:44:24.56\00:44:26.63
there? Let's fill it in. Then,
you take it home. You now have a
00:44:26.63\00:44:30.27
DIY guide to how to overcome
pornographic addiction. There
are five steps, maybe six.
00:44:30.27\00:44:36.30
We'll see. Five
steps for sure. Here we go.
00:44:36.30\00:44:39.27
Step number one, jot it down,
please. Admit your problem.
00:44:39.27\00:44:42.21
Just write the word in, problem.
That's it. Admit your problem.
00:44:42.21\00:44:45.25
Listen, until you face it
yourself... What did Paul say in
00:44:45.25\00:44:47.95
Roman 7? Oh, what I want to do,
I don't do. What I don't want to
00:44:47.95\00:44:51.02
do, I just keep doing. I have
a problem! Oh, wretched man who
00:44:51.02\00:44:53.82
will deliver me from this body
of death. You have a problem.
00:44:53.82\00:44:56.52
Just admit it.
It's okay. Be honest.
00:44:56.52\00:44:59.83
Healing for porn addicts will
never come without the admission
00:44:59.83\00:45:07.87
of the problem. So number one,
admit it to yourself. Number
two, admit it to God.
00:45:07.87\00:45:10.21
Say, "God, I can't do it. I've
tried a thousand times. I can't
00:45:10.21\00:45:15.31
do it." That's step number one.
Step number two, confess your
00:45:15.31\00:45:18.71
sin. Oh, this one is good.
Confess your sin. First of all,
00:45:18.71\00:45:21.28
confess your sin to Jesus. Oh,
I love these words. Please put
00:45:21.28\00:45:23.85
them up. First John, chapter
one, verses seven and nine, "And
the blood of Jesus, his son
00:45:23.85\00:45:28.96
purifies us from all sin." Do
you know what? When Jesus died
00:45:28.96\00:45:32.89
on Calvary, he earned the right
to wipe clean every sin ever
committed by the human race
00:45:32.89\00:45:38.13
in the history of the world, and
your little sins and my little
00:45:38.13\00:45:42.07
sins were included in that,
wiped clean. Put that back up,
please. "And the blood of Jesus,
00:45:42.07\00:45:48.04
his Son, purifies us from all
sin." Now, go on to verse nine,
00:45:48.04\00:45:50.58
"If we confess our sins"...
Let's read this out loud
00:45:50.58\00:45:54.62
together. "If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins
00:45:54.62\00:46:01.02
and purify us from all
unrighteousness." All
unrighteousness, yeah.
00:46:01.02\00:46:11.50
Isn't that something? Confess
it to Jesus. Oh, this next one
00:46:11.50\00:46:15.94
is a little more awkward, but
the research is in when it comes
to pornographic addiction.
00:46:15.94\00:46:20.48
You've got to tell somebody. You
cannot keep it secret. You are
00:46:20.48\00:46:25.91
dying because you're keeping it
secret. You have to talk to
somebody. Not unusual.
00:46:25.91\00:46:30.79
James, chapter five, look at
this. James, chapter five, verse
00:46:30.79\00:46:33.66
16, "Therefore, confess your
sins to each other and pray for
00:46:33.66\00:46:36.39
each other so that you may be
healed. The prayer of a
righteous person is powerful and
00:46:36.39\00:46:40.36
effective." Tell somebody. It's
got to be somebody you trust, of
00:46:40.36\00:46:44.07
course it is. It could be a
roommate. It could be an
associate on the job.
00:46:44.07\00:46:48.50
It can be somebody. It could be
a pastor. It could be a teacher.
00:46:48.50\00:46:52.14
It could be somebody. It can be
your RA. It can be somebody you
00:46:52.14\00:46:56.31
trust who believes and
understands confidentiality, but
you have to go on record
00:46:56.31\00:47:02.15
acknowledging it because you
won't change otherwise. You've
00:47:02.15\00:47:05.92
played this game too long.
Confess your sins to Jesus.
Confess them to somebody else.
00:47:05.92\00:47:10.79
Okay. Oh, and by the way, you
see the double asterisk right
00:47:10.79\00:47:15.20
there? Drop down, and you'll see
Adventist Recovery Ministries
"The Journey to Wholeness."
00:47:15.20\00:47:20.14
We have going on almost every
night of the week help groups,
00:47:20.14\00:47:25.37
12-step groups, sexual addiction
groups all over this little
village and campus.
00:47:25.37\00:47:33.25
If you're interested in having a
group that will love you because
everybody is struggling
00:47:33.25\00:47:38.39
in the group, and you can be
accepted. You see a phone number
00:47:38.39\00:47:43.29
there? It's at the Lake Union
Conference office. You just call
00:47:43.29\00:47:46.59
that number. There will be
a friendly secretary who will
00:47:46.59\00:47:49.36
answer that phone, and they will
probably put you in touch with
Harlene Smith. She's director of
00:47:49.36\00:47:54.57
Adventist Recovery Ministries.
Come on. Go to counseling and
00:47:54.57\00:47:59.01
testing. Go to somebody. Confess
to somebody and get the help you
00:47:59.01\00:48:03.41
seek. Okay. There are five steps
for sure. Here comes step number
00:48:03.41\00:48:06.92
three, surrender your will
and your body. That's easy.
00:48:06.92\00:48:09.18
Surrender your will
and your body. What?
00:48:09.18\00:48:11.15
Don't you know? Paul says, "You
don't know that you body is the
00:48:11.15\00:48:13.92
temple of the Holy Spirit?" You
were bought with a price.
Therefore, honor God
00:48:13.92\00:48:17.26
in your body. The body
belongs to God. So, God,
00:48:17.26\00:48:20.23
I'm giving you back my body. Oh,
God, I also want to give you my
00:48:20.23\00:48:24.07
will. "Choose you this day whom
you will serve," Joshua says.
00:48:24.07\00:48:27.24
You got to choose. "But my will
has been so screwed up. God, I
give my will to you.
00:48:27.24\00:48:30.94
Receive this as my choice to
receive your help." That's all
00:48:30.94\00:48:36.54
it takes. All right. Step number
four, worship your savior.
00:48:36.54\00:48:38.88
You've got to begin worshipping
Jesus. This same Jesus who calls
00:48:38.88\00:48:41.98
you friend would love to connect
with you every day. There are a
00:48:41.98\00:48:45.52
couple verses to tell you
about praying three times a day.
00:48:45.52\00:48:48.72
There's a verse about going
through the word. Number five,
consecrate your life.
00:48:48.72\00:48:52.43
Consecrate your life. Jesus
says, "If anyone wants to come
00:48:52.43\00:48:56.03
after me, let her deny herself.
Let him deny himself. Take up
00:48:56.03\00:48:58.43
the Cross. Come on follow me,
boy. Come on, girl. Follow me.
00:48:58.43\00:49:01.44
Stay with me now. I have
something for you. I'm leading
you now. Obey me. Follow me."
00:49:01.44\00:49:08.14
Now, those are the five steps,
but there's one more step I'm
feeling like we need to include.
00:49:08.14\00:49:13.21
Number six, maybe, turn
in your device. Oh, Dwight,
00:49:13.21\00:49:19.59
you can't be serious. Well, I'm
telling you what. You know what
00:49:19.59\00:49:24.66
Jesus said in the Sermon on the
Mount? This was really gutsy.
This was a radical teaching.
00:49:24.66\00:49:28.23
In Matthew, chapter five, he
says, "Listen, if your eye is
bothering you, if you got
00:49:28.23\00:49:31.33
a problem with the eye, pluck it
out, your right eye." He says,
00:49:31.33\00:49:34.54
"By the way, if you're having a
problem with your right hand,
cut it off." Now, he's not
00:49:34.54\00:49:38.34
talking about self-mutilation.
He's just saying, "You got to
take radical action.
00:49:38.34\00:49:41.81
You got to cut some stuff out."
Now, there's an app you can get
for iOS called xBlock.
00:49:41.81\00:49:49.78
Yeah. Some of you know
Xbox by heart. I heard that
00:49:49.78\00:49:55.69
little twitter going on. Okay,
xBlock, xBlock. Twenty-nine
00:49:55.69\00:50:00.03
ninety-nine! I know nothing
about it except you now have an
app that will monitor your iOS.
00:50:00.03\00:50:07.24
There's probably something
equivalent in Android. That way,
nothing pornographic
00:50:07.24\00:50:13.04
is allowed in because of that
app. You're taking your phone
00:50:13.04\00:50:16.11
into control. That's what you're
doing. If you could give your
00:50:16.11\00:50:20.88
phone to somebody, if you could
just buy a little phone that
doesn't have any ability
00:50:20.88\00:50:24.69
to bring in Internet, you say,
"Dwight, that's just
impossible," so here's
00:50:24.69\00:50:31.43
what we're going to do. I didn't
do this before, but I want to do
00:50:31.43\00:50:35.86
it right now. In the moment we
have now, if you have a phone
that you need to have God bless,
00:50:35.86\00:50:47.74
God touch it, God seal it, God
protect it, I'm going to invite
00:50:47.74\00:50:57.19
you to come up out of your pew
where you're sitting right now
and come to this front.
00:50:57.19\00:50:59.49
I want you to put your phone
right here on a stair, and I
want to have a prayer
00:50:59.49\00:51:03.63
with you. I'm serious. If
you have a phone that you'd
00:51:03.63\00:51:07.40
like to dedicate fully to God
from this day forth, nobody is
00:51:07.40\00:51:12.17
going to take that phone away
from you. It's going to be right
here. If you're in the orchestra
00:51:12.17\00:51:16.57
behind me, if you're sitting in
the front, in the balcony,
you're watching online
00:51:16.57\00:51:20.38
and you can't do this, you just
take your phone out and you put
00:51:20.38\00:51:24.78
it down, and you say, "Jesus,
I'm giving this to you. I need
00:51:24.78\00:51:33.09
you to seal it and protect me.
Amen." This physical action will
tell your heart that you're
00:51:33.09\00:51:44.30
serious about what your feet and
hands are about to do. So I'm
going to invite you
00:51:44.30\00:51:47.90
right now. Come on.
We're not going to sing a song.
00:51:47.90\00:51:49.90
We're not going to sing some
altar call. This is not, but if
00:51:49.90\00:51:52.94
you have a phone and you want to
put that phone before God and
say, "God, I give this to you,"
00:51:52.94\00:52:00.08
then come forward. Just come
forward. If you're in the back
00:52:00.08\00:52:06.99
end of the balcony where a
lot of our teens sit, come on.
00:52:06.99\00:52:11.39
Bring that phone down. Bring
that phone down. Stay here
because I don't want
00:52:11.39\00:52:15.80
to have to figure out who these
belong to. Stay right there.
00:52:15.80\00:52:20.00
Keep your eye on it. There's no
little hole that's going to open
00:52:20.00\00:52:22.87
up and just suck all those in,
but just do this. Just do this
00:52:22.87\00:52:26.64
for yourself. Put it right
there. Yeah, bless you, and
you're not doing this for me.
00:52:26.64\00:52:31.85
You're not joining the church
by doing this. You're telling
00:52:31.85\00:52:35.65
Jesus, "I need you to own this
thing. I need you to control
00:52:35.65\00:52:38.92
this thing. I need you to do
what I can't do on my own.
Please, just do it, Jesus."
00:52:38.92\00:52:44.03
Jesus is saying, "You go, girl.
You go, boy, Yeah, I can do
00:52:44.03\00:52:50.83
that. Yeah, I can handle this."
00:52:50.83\00:52:52.97
That's beautiful.
Yeah. There's nothing wrong
00:53:01.04\00:53:08.62
with the technology, folks. God
invented it. It's what the enemy
00:53:08.62\00:53:17.33
has done in co-opting the
technology. That's what he's
done. He's co-opted it, and he
00:53:17.33\00:53:20.73
says, "This is mine now, and
I'll use it for me," but you're
00:53:20.73\00:53:24.60
saying, "No, it's not yours,
Satan. This is mine, and I've
00:53:24.60\00:53:29.27
given it to Jesus, and he is
putting his blessing on this,
and anything in here, he's going
00:53:29.27\00:53:33.74
to give me the
courage to cut loose."
00:53:33.74\00:53:35.71
Anything in here,
Jesus will take it.
00:53:35.74\00:53:39.08
Is there anybody else?
00:53:39.08\00:53:43.92
There's no magic. This is giving
you a chance to say something to
00:53:43.95\00:53:50.23
your mind that you've wanted to
say but haven't been able to
say. And how about everybody
00:53:50.23\00:53:58.43
else sitting in this space right
now? Would you like to say with
these who have come forward,
00:53:58.43\00:54:03.77
"You know what? I want to
consecrate my laptop. I want to
00:54:03.77\00:54:08.98
consecrate my TV. I want to
consecrate my phone. I want to
consecrate my mind and my body
00:54:08.98\00:54:14.02
to the Lord, Jesus, who
bought me with his blood."
00:54:14.02\00:54:15.52
If you stand up, you're
saying, "I'm consecrating
00:54:15.55\00:54:18.22
all that to you, Jesus.
I'm giving it all to you.
00:54:18.22\00:54:20.79
You bought me. You
own me, and I am yours,
00:54:20.79\00:54:23.69
King Jesus, and one
day, I'm going to see you
00:54:23.69\00:54:25.89
face-to-face, and I'm going to
00:54:25.89\00:54:28.53
bow at your feet and
say, 'You set me free.
00:54:28.53\00:54:31.67
You set me free,' and I'll never
go back to that taskmaster.
00:54:31.70\00:54:36.81
That dark warlord, I will never
go back by your grace." Amen.
00:54:36.81\00:54:41.54
Let's pray. Oh, God. Oh, God.
00:54:41.54\00:54:45.51
Here they are. Here
we are. We're all here.
00:54:45.51\00:54:50.09
We got phones in our hip
pocket right now, but we're here
00:54:50.09\00:54:57.36
because we saw Jesus heal a man
who was helpless and hopeless,
and some of us are helpless and
00:54:57.36\00:55:04.37
hopeless right now, dear
God. Please heal me. Heal me.
00:55:04.37\00:55:10.17
Call me friend. Tell me you love
me. Tell me you'll never leave
00:55:10.17\00:55:17.65
me after all I've done. Tell me
you're washing it away. You're
turning it as white
00:55:17.65\00:55:25.19
as snow. It's no longer
there between you and me.
00:55:25.19\00:55:30.63
Tell me, Jesus, that when
you say, "Friend, your sins are
00:55:30.63\00:55:35.13
forgiven," you mean forgiven,
gone. Oh, Jesus. I don't want to
00:55:35.13\00:55:42.84
go back. These six steps, Jesus,
give me the courage to follow
them. This isn't going to happen
00:55:42.84\00:55:47.51
overnight. This is
going to be a full-on battle,
00:55:47.51\00:55:52.45
but, Jesus, you have defeated
the enemy, and we may defeat
00:55:52.45\00:55:58.39
that same dragon by the blood of
the lamb, and so I choose to
join these soldiers
00:55:58.39\00:56:05.66
who have determined that, by the
grace of God, the blood of
Prince Emmanuel's banner,
00:56:05.66\00:56:12.53
we will stand, wholly devoted
to him, and so we all stand.
00:56:12.53\00:56:20.48
Seal this moment. Keep our
hearts happy. Keep a song in our
00:56:20.48\00:56:27.22
souls. We have every reason to
go home with a spring in our
step, but tomorrow morning,
00:56:27.22\00:56:31.62
Father, Father, Father, tomorrow
morning, please, this daily
00:56:31.62\00:56:35.12
prayer, this daily worship. We
pick a gospel, but just one
story a day of Jesus,
00:56:35.12\00:56:41.83
we've got to have it tomorrow
morning, Father, please, and one
00:56:41.83\00:56:48.84
day, we'll all be together
again, and we'll see the Jesus,
00:56:48.84\00:56:55.14
strong eyes, gentle,
compassionate, manly and Godly.
We'll see his eyes,
00:56:55.14\00:57:02.55
and he'll say, "Well done. Hey,
boy, girl, well done. I am so
00:57:02.55\00:57:11.26
proud of you. Welcome
home. I'm so glad you're here."
00:57:11.26\00:57:15.40
I want to take an
extra moment to thank you
00:57:17.30\00:57:19.23
for joining us in worship today.
It's by the continued support
00:57:19.23\00:57:21.47
from viewers like you that we're
able to bring you this program.
00:57:21.47\00:57:24.44
Today, I want to invite you,
though, to share with us how
00:57:24.44\00:57:26.81
this ministry has blessed you.
I get inspiring notes, e-mails
00:57:26.81\00:57:30.58
from viewers literally all over
the world telling me, "Look,
00:57:30.58\00:57:33.01
Dwight, God has been blessing me
this way. He's been doing this."
00:57:33.01\00:57:35.88
I would love to
hear from you as well.
00:57:35.88\00:57:37.55
Just visit our website.
You know it, newperceptions.tv,
00:57:37.55\00:57:41.72
and click on the contact
link at the top of the page.
00:57:41.72\00:57:44.36
Send me a note. Let
me know what God has been
00:57:44.36\00:57:46.26
doing right now in your life.
00:57:46.26\00:57:48.83
Once again, thank you for being
with us today. I hope you'll
00:57:48.86\00:57:52.60
join us right here next time,
and until then, may the God of
grace journey with you every
00:57:52.60\00:57:57.84
step of the way.
00:57:57.84\00:57:58.91
¤¤ ¤¤
00:58:00.31\00:58:19.26
¤¤
00:58:19.26\00:58:28.64