I'm looking forward to
tonight's presentation.
00:01:00.08\00:01:01.87
Let's begin with
the word of prayer.
00:01:01.90\00:01:06.70
Father in heaven, we
come before You this evening,
00:01:06.73\00:01:08.53
already You've administered
to us through the preliminaries.
00:01:08.56\00:01:12.60
Father, as we have
listened to the testimonies,
00:01:12.63\00:01:15.08
as we've pondered
the seminars and the ones
00:01:15.11\00:01:17.18
that we are
planning on attending
00:01:17.21\00:01:18.50
or better yet the one
You want us to attend.
00:01:18.53\00:01:22.07
As we've heard the testimony
of those that are working
00:01:22.10\00:01:24.31
with the open
door in the upcoming
00:01:24.34\00:01:25.69
evangelistic meeting and
Father even as we've seen
00:01:25.72\00:01:27.75
this humble trailer,
You've administered to us.
00:01:27.78\00:01:30.98
You've shown us tonight
that You are a real God,
00:01:31.01\00:01:33.63
that is alive in a real
active powerful dynamic way.
00:01:33.66\00:01:38.93
And so, Father,
we are asking tonight
00:01:38.96\00:01:40.54
that You will do
something marvelous
00:01:40.57\00:01:42.36
and something supernatural.
00:01:42.39\00:01:44.86
We are asking that
as we open this book,
00:01:44.89\00:01:46.80
this ancient book,
this important book,
00:01:46.83\00:01:50.51
that You will perform
a supernatural spiritual
00:01:50.54\00:01:53.35
transaction and that
You will send Your spirit
00:01:53.38\00:01:56.24
not just into this
room in a general sense
00:01:56.27\00:01:58.51
but that You will send
Your spirit in the hearts.
00:01:58.54\00:02:02.76
And that Your spirit
will take this message
00:02:02.79\00:02:04.84
and tailor-make
it to the exact needs
00:02:04.87\00:02:07.93
of every person in attendance.
00:02:07.96\00:02:11.38
Father, tonight give us
a rich experience with You.
00:02:11.41\00:02:16.10
We want to know you.
00:02:16.13\00:02:18.09
We want to see You
and we want to see Jesus.
00:02:18.12\00:02:23.13
So as we open this
book, this special book,
00:02:23.16\00:02:25.62
this important
book, this inspired book.
00:02:25.65\00:02:29.35
We are asking that
You will open our hearts
00:02:29.38\00:02:33.29
in the wonderful mighty
powerful glorious name of Jesus,
00:02:33.32\00:02:36.89
let all of God's
living saints say, amen.
00:02:36.92\00:02:44.30
Did you bring your
Bibles this evening?
00:02:44.33\00:02:47.03
You will be needing them.
00:02:47.06\00:02:48.81
I have the
privilege of pastoring
00:02:48.84\00:02:50.83
the Troy
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:02:50.86\00:02:53.01
Now I am the associate pastor,
00:02:53.04\00:02:54.54
I used to be the senior pastor.
00:02:54.57\00:02:56.83
And I stepped down
as the senior pastor
00:02:56.86\00:02:58.90
January of last
year and the person
00:02:58.93\00:03:01.18
who is my senior pastor is
my best friend in the world
00:03:01.21\00:03:04.86
other than my wife,
his name is Nathan Renner.
00:03:04.89\00:03:07.77
Now he also happens to
be the very first person
00:03:07.80\00:03:11.12
I ever went to the
Lord, Jesus Christ.
00:03:11.15\00:03:13.32
Amen. Can you say, amen?
00:03:13.35\00:03:14.99
Amen. Can you imagine,
00:03:15.02\00:03:16.14
winning one of your friends to
the Lord and then 10 years later
00:03:16.17\00:03:20.05
having them be your
senior pastor, phenomenal.
00:03:20.08\00:03:23.47
And so he knows I'm
here, he gave me the time off,
00:03:23.50\00:03:25.97
he is my boss but
I'm his spiritual father.
00:03:26.00\00:03:31.86
And for a time as we
were both pastoring there,
00:03:31.89\00:03:34.76
we would--we would trade
off the speaking schedule.
00:03:34.79\00:03:37.29
I would preach and
then he would preach
00:03:37.32\00:03:38.88
and I would preach
and then he would preach.
00:03:38.91\00:03:40.51
And one of my favorite
things to do after either
00:03:40.54\00:03:43.08
I had preached or
Nathan had preached
00:03:43.11\00:03:44.34
just to go over to
the fellowship meal hall
00:03:44.37\00:03:47.17
and to sit down and
to visit with the saints
00:03:47.20\00:03:49.04
and to visit with
the visitors and to see
00:03:49.07\00:03:50.90
if people have
been paying attention.
00:03:50.93\00:03:52.96
I like to just ask
questions very honest,
00:03:52.99\00:03:54.85
very
transparent, very forthright
00:03:54.88\00:03:56.75
just to sit down at the
table, everybody is eating
00:03:56.78\00:03:58.66
and so I'm trying to discern
00:03:58.69\00:04:00.80
whether or not
number one, people listen.
00:04:00.83\00:04:03.36
And number two, did they get it?
00:04:03.39\00:04:06.12
And so our last
question is like this,
00:04:06.15\00:04:07.51
I'll say, so you know,
how you're enjoying the food?
00:04:07.54\00:04:09.93
Oh, the food is
wonderful pastor.
00:04:09.96\00:04:11.57
Oh, did you get
some of the kale loaf,
00:04:11.60\00:04:12.87
special kale loaf?
Oh, I love that stuff.
00:04:12.90\00:04:14.58
Good, I can't stand
and I'm glad you like it.
00:04:14.61\00:04:17.97
And so then
eventually it will come up,
00:04:18.00\00:04:19.87
I'll say so what is-- what
do you think of the sermon?
00:04:19.90\00:04:23.08
And immediately,
invariably you can tell
00:04:23.11\00:04:26.57
who paid the
attention and who didn't.
00:04:26.60\00:04:29.26
Now those who
were paying attention,
00:04:29.29\00:04:30.88
those who got it,
they will immediately
00:04:30.91\00:04:32.30
begin to say, well I like
this part, I like this part,
00:04:32.33\00:04:33.98
I really like
that, point that he made
00:04:34.01\00:04:35.69
where he tied those two verses
together etcetera, etcetera.
00:04:35.72\00:04:37.89
But there's
another class of people
00:04:37.92\00:04:39.83
who were not paying attention
00:04:39.86\00:04:42.68
and you can
catch them immediately.
00:04:42.71\00:04:43.97
They will say things
like, oh, I enjoyed the sermon.
00:04:44.00\00:04:48.10
And of course I don't
let them off the hook,
00:04:48.13\00:04:50.07
I will say, oh, really?
00:04:50.10\00:04:51.13
What was your favorite part?
00:04:51.16\00:04:54.69
And some people
will admit it--you know,
00:04:54.72\00:04:56.56
they know they are
caught, they will say,
00:04:56.59\00:04:57.73
you know, really
the kids were crazy
00:04:57.76\00:04:59.14
or I didn't get
much sleep last night.
00:04:59.17\00:05:00.52
I didn't--I didn't
really paid that much attention
00:05:00.55\00:05:02.56
but others, you know
they were like trying,
00:05:02.59\00:05:05.67
you know, sort
of weasel their way,
00:05:05.70\00:05:07.10
they'll say well, you
know, I liked the middle part
00:05:07.13\00:05:09.78
was really my favorite part.
00:05:09.81\00:05:13.61
You know, as if I'm gonna
let them get away over that.
00:05:13.64\00:05:15.50
I'm chasing them down, right.
00:05:15.53\00:05:17.16
I can see--I can see
they are running scared.
00:05:17.19\00:05:19.26
I'll says, "Oh
really, what was your
00:05:19.29\00:05:20.38
favorite part
about the middle part?"
00:05:20.41\00:05:25.03
And some of them I
tell you Lord have mercy,
00:05:25.06\00:05:27.89
some of them
will say things like,
00:05:27.92\00:05:28.97
you know, I really like
that point he made about God.
00:05:29.00\00:05:36.14
It is like come on
give it up, you're caught,
00:05:36.17\00:05:38.17
you didn't pay attention.
00:05:38.20\00:05:39.95
Now as a
professional communicator,
00:05:39.98\00:05:42.15
one of the things that I think
of when I'm writing a sermon
00:05:42.18\00:05:45.92
as I'm building into a sermon
its own unique architecture
00:05:45.95\00:05:48.89
is not just, is it biblical,
00:05:48.92\00:05:51.02
not just is it theologically
sound but is it rememberable.
00:05:51.05\00:05:56.98
Is it what everyone?
00:05:57.01\00:05:58.58
Rememberable, because I
have this radical hypothesis,
00:05:58.61\00:06:01.89
this radical
thesis that I'm working on
00:06:01.92\00:06:03.65
it and it goes
something like this.
00:06:03.68\00:06:05.24
You cannot apply a sermon
to your daily practical life
00:06:05.27\00:06:09.54
that you don't remember.
00:06:09.57\00:06:11.98
What do you think about that?
00:06:12.01\00:06:13.04
Is that reasonably scientific?
00:06:13.07\00:06:15.07
In another words if--
if I preach the sermon
00:06:15.10\00:06:16.93
say on Sabbath and
then I happened to see you
00:06:16.96\00:06:19.84
in the produce section
of the local supermarket.
00:06:19.87\00:06:22.25
And I just happen to ask you in
the course of the conversation.
00:06:22.28\00:06:25.00
What you thought of
the sermon on Sabbath?
00:06:25.03\00:06:27.78
And today it's
Wednesday and you can't remember
00:06:27.81\00:06:29.71
what the sermon is about.
00:06:29.74\00:06:30.77
I am of the mind
that if you can't remember
00:06:30.80\00:06:33.33
the sermon on
Wednesday, you're not applying
00:06:33.36\00:06:35.69
the sermon on Wednesday.
00:06:35.72\00:06:38.15
Are we all on the
same page, yes or no?
00:06:38.18\00:06:39.76
So--so one of the things
that we want to try and do,
00:06:39.79\00:06:41.93
is not just preach
biblical sermons absolutely,
00:06:41.96\00:06:44.35
theologically
sound sermons absolutely
00:06:44.38\00:06:46.11
but also sermons
that are rememberable.
00:06:46.14\00:06:49.46
They're what everyone?
00:06:49.49\00:06:50.72
Rememberable, so you
will remember this sermon
00:06:50.75\00:06:53.94
for the rest of your
life I guarantee you.
00:06:53.97\00:06:57.06
Even if you have
heard, a 1000 sermons,
00:06:57.09\00:06:59.79
you will remember
tonight's sermon because
00:06:59.82\00:07:02.10
it has the one word title
00:07:02.13\00:07:04.48
and that one word
only has two letters,
00:07:04.51\00:07:06.74
it's this-- it's
the word, do, DO.
00:07:06.77\00:07:11.67
Let's all say that together.
00:07:11.70\00:07:13.65
Do, so if I saw you on
a Wednesday in the market
00:07:13.68\00:07:17.88
and I said, what do
you think of the sermons?
00:07:17.91\00:07:19.49
Oh, I enjoyed
that sermon, pastor.
00:07:19.52\00:07:21.18
And what was it about?
00:07:21.21\00:07:22.36
You could literally
say, do and you'd be right.
00:07:22.39\00:07:28.99
Open your Bibles
with me to Luke 3:10.
00:07:29.02\00:07:32.35
What we're going to do
is we're going to begin
00:07:32.38\00:07:33.78
by looking at
three biblical vignettes
00:07:33.81\00:07:37.74
that are very, very similar
in one significant respect.
00:07:37.77\00:07:42.48
We're in Luke 3.
00:07:42.51\00:07:43.83
What chapter everyone?
00:07:43.86\00:07:45.30
Luke 3. John the
Baptist is preaching.
00:07:45.33\00:07:49.11
We'll pick it up
in verse 4, Luke 3:4.
00:07:49.14\00:07:53.72
As it is written in the
book of the words of Isaiah
00:07:53.75\00:07:55.82
the prophet saying,
"The voice of one crying
00:07:55.85\00:07:57.66
in the wilderness,
'Prepare the way of the Lord,
00:07:57.69\00:07:59.27
make his paths straight.
00:07:59.30\00:08:00.53
Every valley shall be
filled and every mountain
00:08:00.56\00:08:02.44
and hill brought
low, the crooked places
00:08:02.47\00:08:04.42
shall be made straight,
and the rough ways smooth.
00:08:04.45\00:08:07.07
And all flesh shall
see the salvation of God."
00:08:07.10\00:08:09.27
Verse 7, "Then he
said to the multitude,
00:08:09.30\00:08:11.45
John is speaking, that
came out to be baptized
00:08:11.48\00:08:13.26
by him brood of
vipers! Who warned you to flee
00:08:13.29\00:08:16.24
from the wrath to come.
00:08:16.27\00:08:17.84
Therefore bear
fruits worthy of repentance,
00:08:17.87\00:08:20.12
and do not begin
to say to yourselves,
00:08:20.15\00:08:22.49
We have Abraham as our father.'
00:08:22.52\00:08:24.03
For I say to you that
God is able to raise up
00:08:24.06\00:08:26.05
children to Abraham
from these very stones.
00:08:26.08\00:08:28.52
And even now the ax is
laid to the root of the trees.
00:08:28.55\00:08:32.08
Therefore every tree
which does not bear good fruit
00:08:32.11\00:08:35.23
is cut down and is
thrown into the fire."
00:08:35.26\00:08:39.51
John the Baptist is
preaching with power,
00:08:39.54\00:08:42.11
he's preaching with conviction,
00:08:42.14\00:08:43.68
he's preaching with
the sense of certainty.
00:08:43.71\00:08:45.94
And as the
multitudes were going out
00:08:45.97\00:08:48.63
to see this strangely clad
man standing up to his way,
00:08:48.66\00:08:52.20
he is in the muddy
waters of the River Jordan.
00:08:52.23\00:08:53.95
The crowds were going out.
00:08:53.98\00:08:55.35
Some of the
religious leaders of the day
00:08:55.38\00:08:57.98
were interested
in John's influence
00:08:58.01\00:09:00.33
and they wanted to go out to
also see what all of the fuss
00:09:00.36\00:09:02.62
was about and
perhaps even to capitalize
00:09:02.65\00:09:05.36
on some of his popularity.
00:09:05.39\00:09:07.37
And so apparently
on-- on one occasion
00:09:07.40\00:09:09.41
there is John
and he's preaching,
00:09:09.44\00:09:10.87
he says don't--don't
begin to say to yourselves,
00:09:10.90\00:09:12.94
we have Abraham as our
father and he's preaching away.
00:09:12.97\00:09:15.71
And there are
people there Pharisees,
00:09:15.74\00:09:17.67
religious leaders,
scribes and others standing
00:09:17.70\00:09:19.43
on the bank of the River Jordan.
00:09:19.46\00:09:20.78
And John must have
directed his attention
00:09:20.81\00:09:23.17
to these when he
said, brood of vipers,
00:09:23.20\00:09:25.59
who told you to come here?
00:09:25.62\00:09:29.04
I can imagine them saying,
00:09:29.07\00:09:33.14
did he just called
us a herd of snakes.
00:09:33.17\00:09:37.79
Don't even begin to
say-- don't even think
00:09:37.82\00:09:40.32
about saying within yourselves
00:09:40.35\00:09:41.93
that we have
Abraham as our father.
00:09:41.96\00:09:43.50
Surely, he's not talking to us.
00:09:43.53\00:09:44.97
If God wanted to, He
could raise up children
00:09:45.00\00:09:47.82
unto Abraham from
these very stones.
00:09:47.85\00:09:51.06
And even now he says the ax
is laid to the root of the tree,
00:09:51.09\00:09:54.22
every tree that
does not bear good fruit
00:09:54.25\00:09:56.26
is thrown into the fire.
00:09:56.29\00:09:59.27
Have you ever heard
one of those sermons,
00:09:59.30\00:10:00.87
that you felt was
preached just for you?
00:10:00.90\00:10:06.74
Say amen if that's true.
00:10:06.77\00:10:08.11
Amen. You're
thinking to yourself,
00:10:08.14\00:10:09.83
I cannot believe the pastor
is airing my dirty laundry
00:10:09.86\00:10:12.65
in front of all
these people...right.
00:10:12.68\00:10:15.48
The pastor is preaching
and-- and all of the sudden
00:10:15.51\00:10:18.23
you have the sense this--
this resolute sense that God
00:10:18.26\00:10:22.21
is speaking right to you
and that the pastor has written
00:10:22.24\00:10:24.54
the whole sermon just for you.
00:10:24.57\00:10:27.98
Beloved, that's not the pastor.
00:10:28.01\00:10:31.27
That's the Holy Spirit, amen.
00:10:31.30\00:10:33.19
That's one of the great things
00:10:33.22\00:10:35.20
about the
foolishness of preaching.
00:10:35.23\00:10:36.40
I mean there is no way
even the most gifted orator,
00:10:36.43\00:10:40.01
even the most gifted speaker
00:10:40.04\00:10:41.83
could not tailor-make a message
00:10:41.86\00:10:43.33
that would meet the
needs and idiosyncrasies
00:10:43.36\00:10:45.92
of every single
person in this room.
00:10:45.95\00:10:47.69
So there-- there is
a supernatural element
00:10:47.72\00:10:50.16
to the preaching
of God's holy word.
00:10:50.19\00:10:51.60
Can you say, amen? Amen.
00:10:51.63\00:10:52.68
We have to
remember this by the way.
00:10:52.71\00:10:54.30
Preaching is not entertainment.
00:10:54.33\00:10:58.72
In fact I like to tell
people never get to the place
00:10:58.75\00:11:00.93
where you enjoy
listening to a sermon.
00:11:00.96\00:11:04.31
If it is
something that you enjoy
00:11:04.34\00:11:06.72
in the entertainment sense,
this is not a good situation.
00:11:06.75\00:11:10.13
You should listen to
a sermon saying this.
00:11:10.16\00:11:12.38
Not I hope the
preacher does a good job.
00:11:12.41\00:11:13.83
Now oh, I really like this guy.
00:11:13.86\00:11:15.39
He's one of my
favorite preacher.
00:11:15.42\00:11:16.55
You should be
thinking God speak, amen.
00:11:16.58\00:11:21.16
Amen. Speak to me
00:11:21.19\00:11:22.78
in your own inimitable way.
00:11:22.81\00:11:24.80
So that I know you are speaking,
00:11:24.83\00:11:26.90
so you've had one of
those experiences, I've had it.
00:11:26.93\00:11:28.98
When God is speaking
right to you and you know it.
00:11:29.01\00:11:34.88
Some element of your
life, you suddenly find
00:11:34.91\00:11:39.75
to be is out of
harmony with God's revealed
00:11:39.78\00:11:43.00
will and the preacher through
the foolishness of preaching
00:11:43.03\00:11:45.97
is able to put his
finger, better yet the finger
00:11:46.00\00:11:48.91
of the Holy Spirit right
on that area of your life
00:11:48.94\00:11:51.42
and you think to
yourself, I need to make reform,
00:11:51.45\00:11:54.47
I need to make change,
00:11:54.50\00:11:56.12
I'm not living
right in every area.
00:11:56.15\00:11:57.76
I need to
straighten up in some aspect.
00:11:57.79\00:12:00.81
Are you hearing what
I'm saying, say amen?
00:12:00.84\00:12:02.81
Okay, now
that's the Holy Spirit.
00:12:02.84\00:12:04.53
So there's no point in
getting mad at the preacher
00:12:04.56\00:12:06.53
someone else say, amen. Amen.
00:12:06.56\00:12:08.32
Okay, so here we go.
00:12:08.35\00:12:10.79
Right I got to cover my tracks.
00:12:10.82\00:12:14.04
So the Spirit of God
is speaking and clearly
00:12:14.07\00:12:15.76
that's what's happening here on
the banks of the River Jordan,
00:12:15.79\00:12:17.60
I mean, the Spirit of God
is speaking right through John,
00:12:17.63\00:12:20.63
John is speaking
right to the point,
00:12:20.66\00:12:22.27
right to the issue
he was a fearless man.
00:12:22.30\00:12:24.96
He said don't begin
to say to yourselves
00:12:24.99\00:12:26.64
and he goes to the whole thing.
00:12:26.67\00:12:27.70
The ax is laid to
the root of the tree
00:12:27.73\00:12:29.28
and those people
know at that moment
00:12:29.31\00:12:31.55
with crystal clarity
God is speaking to them.
00:12:31.58\00:12:36.56
Their life is out of harmony
with God's revealed will.
00:12:36.59\00:12:43.59
Now more often than not,
I'm going to hazard a guess,
00:12:43.62\00:12:49.50
that when you have
the experience of hearing
00:12:49.53\00:12:51.18
one of those sermons
that you feel like was written
00:12:51.21\00:12:53.27
and composed just
for you, your response
00:12:53.30\00:12:57.21
go something like this.
00:12:57.24\00:12:59.04
You say to yourself
that preacher is right,
00:12:59.07\00:13:01.95
that pastor is right,
better yet the Bible is right
00:13:01.98\00:13:04.95
and I'm going to
do something about it.
00:13:04.98\00:13:09.06
I'm going to what, everyone?
00:13:09.09\00:13:11.25
Is that sort of what
happens in the mind, yes or no?
00:13:11.28\00:13:13.59
Okay--you know, maybe I really
00:13:13.62\00:13:15.56
shouldn't be doing X
Y Z and you know what?
00:13:15.59\00:13:17.72
I'm gonna do something
about it by the grace of God.
00:13:17.75\00:13:21.08
This--this
response, this reaction
00:13:21.11\00:13:24.38
is something that is
built in a very fiber and fabric
00:13:24.41\00:13:27.03
of us as human beings.
00:13:27.06\00:13:29.55
Now you're
still there in Luke 3.
00:13:29.58\00:13:30.94
Now look at verse 10.
00:13:30.97\00:13:32.00
John is preaching his heart out.
00:13:32.03\00:13:33.21
Look at the
response of the people.
00:13:33.24\00:13:36.28
We're in what verse, everyone?
00:13:36.31\00:13:38.29
Verse 10. So the
people asked him, saying,
00:13:38.32\00:13:42.44
"What shall we do then?"
00:13:42.47\00:13:48.99
That's the immediate response.
00:13:49.02\00:13:51.31
John is preaching,
they're under conviction,
00:13:51.34\00:13:52.99
they realize their
life is out of harmony
00:13:53.02\00:13:54.58
with God's revealed will.
00:13:54.61\00:13:55.81
And their immediate response,
the knee-jerk reaction is,
00:13:55.84\00:13:59.18
what do we do?
00:13:59.21\00:14:02.16
Well, obviously
what they're saying is,
00:14:02.19\00:14:03.53
what do we do in
order to make it right.
00:14:03.56\00:14:06.79
Is that clear
everyone, yes or no?
00:14:06.82\00:14:07.98
What do we do in order
to remedy the situation?
00:14:08.01\00:14:11.00
What do we do to make
this situation right, okay?
00:14:11.03\00:14:16.18
Now open your Bibles to Acts 9
00:14:16.21\00:14:19.16
that's the first scriptural
vignette we go from Luke
00:14:19.19\00:14:21.82
through John to Acts, Acts 9.
00:14:21.85\00:14:25.48
When you get there,
feel free to say, amen.
00:14:25.51\00:14:27.51
Amen. Acts 9.
Now here in Acts 9,
00:14:27.54\00:14:31.61
we find the conversion
of Saul of Tarsus, okay.
00:14:31.64\00:14:35.46
I'm beginning in
verse 1, Acts 9:1.
00:14:35.49\00:14:37.89
"Then Saul, still breathing
00:14:37.92\00:14:39.77
threats and murder against
the disciples of the Lord,
00:14:39.80\00:14:41.70
went to the high priest
and asked letters from him
00:14:41.73\00:14:43.64
to the synagogues of Damascus,
00:14:43.67\00:14:45.30
so that if he found
any who were of the way,
00:14:45.33\00:14:47.72
they were not
yet called Christians
00:14:47.75\00:14:49.09
they were simply
referred to as the way.
00:14:49.12\00:14:51.35
Whether men or
women he might bring them
00:14:51.38\00:14:53.01
bound to Jerusalem is looking
for letters of permission.
00:14:53.04\00:14:55.63
Verse 3."As he
journeyed he came near Damascus,
00:14:55.66\00:14:58.84
and suddenly a light
shone around him from heaven.
00:14:58.87\00:15:01.16
Then he fell to the
ground, and he heard
00:15:01.19\00:15:02.88
a voice saying
to him, "Saul, Saul,
00:15:02.91\00:15:05.01
why are you persecuting Me?"
00:15:05.04\00:15:06.50
And he said,
"Who are You, Lord?"
00:15:06.53\00:15:10.14
Just stop for a moment.
00:15:10.17\00:15:11.85
Get the picture in your mind,
00:15:11.88\00:15:13.14
it's not a
difficult one to grasp.
00:15:13.17\00:15:15.85
Saul is on his way to
Damascus and he has permission
00:15:15.88\00:15:18.51
that if he finds any of these
crazy radical fanatic people
00:15:18.54\00:15:22.60
who are associated
with Jesus of Nazareth,
00:15:22.63\00:15:24.61
he can take them,
men and women buying them
00:15:24.64\00:15:27.31
and bring them back to
Jerusalem and so he's--going,
00:15:27.34\00:15:30.68
and suddenly light,
light shines around him
00:15:30.71\00:15:32.71
and he falls to the ground.
00:15:32.74\00:15:36.20
Now he, he has the sense
00:15:36.23\00:15:38.12
that he is in the
immediate presence of God.
00:15:38.15\00:15:40.40
He doesn't know exactly
who that God is but he knows
00:15:40.43\00:15:43.89
it's divine because he
says, who are you Lord?
00:15:43.92\00:15:48.10
Who are you what, everyone?
00:15:48.13\00:15:49.22
Right, he knows he's
in the presence of God.
00:15:49.25\00:15:53.09
Who are you Lord?
00:15:53.12\00:15:56.87
Now it would be
an understatement
00:15:56.90\00:16:00.02
of significant
proportions to say,
00:16:00.05\00:16:03.01
that Saul of Tarsus
was totally unprepared
00:16:03.04\00:16:06.32
for the answer to that question.
00:16:06.35\00:16:08.67
Are you with me, yes or no?
00:16:08.70\00:16:10.25
See, think of it this way.
00:16:10.28\00:16:11.88
He thinks that if he
finds followers of Jesus
00:16:11.91\00:16:14.97
and he arrests them
and puts them in prison,
00:16:15.00\00:16:17.48
he thinks he's
really doing God a service.
00:16:17.51\00:16:20.08
He thinks that that's
what God would want him to do.
00:16:20.11\00:16:22.74
What he's about
ready to find in a moment
00:16:22.77\00:16:24.70
is that the very people
that he was willing to imprison
00:16:24.73\00:16:26.75
are actually
followers of this God,
00:16:26.78\00:16:29.47
Jesus, totally unprepared.
00:16:29.50\00:16:35.09
Who are you Lord?
00:16:35.12\00:16:37.99
Now here's the
equivalent to this.
00:16:38.02\00:16:40.28
Imagine with me, I'm driving
00:16:40.31\00:16:41.67
on my way here down to Southern.
00:16:41.70\00:16:42.93
I'm driving on I-75
there and suddenly somewhere
00:16:42.96\00:16:47.00
in Kentucky a bright
light shines on the interstate
00:16:47.03\00:16:50.12
and we pull over
the Honda Odyssey
00:16:50.15\00:16:52.19
and I have a sense
that I'm in the immediate
00:16:52.22\00:16:54.14
presence of God and
there is a bright light
00:16:54.17\00:16:55.50
and I can't see
anything and I say,
00:16:55.53\00:16:57.15
"Who are you Lord?
00:16:57.18\00:16:58.94
"Why are you persecuting Me?"
00:16:58.97\00:17:00.60
Who are you?
00:17:00.63\00:17:03.63
And then there's the silence
and the answer comes back,
00:17:03.66\00:17:08.09
I am the pope.
00:17:08.12\00:17:16.07
Okay, would that be
a revolutionary for me?
00:17:16.10\00:17:21.45
Yeah. I'd say, who?
00:17:21.48\00:17:26.19
I'm the-- really?
00:17:26.22\00:17:32.92
Sorry about all those
evangelistic sermons, right?
00:17:32.95\00:17:39.45
Now let me clear you something,
00:17:39.48\00:17:41.49
we know that's not
gonna happen but the point is,
00:17:41.52\00:17:44.35
is that just as radical
00:17:44.38\00:17:47.01
as that would be
was Saul's experience.
00:17:47.04\00:17:52.05
Just as radical,
who are you Lord?
00:17:52.08\00:17:56.21
Look at the
response in your Bible.
00:17:56.24\00:17:58.46
I am Jesus
00:17:58.49\00:18:04.70
whom you are persecuting.
00:18:04.73\00:18:06.34
I guarantee you that
Saul thought to himself
00:18:06.37\00:18:09.16
in that moment,
you've got to be kidding me.
00:18:09.19\00:18:13.66
Who? I am Jesus,
I'm Jesus of Nazareth.
00:18:13.69\00:18:16.72
I'm the one that these people
00:18:16.75\00:18:18.26
that you are
going to throw in prison
00:18:18.29\00:18:19.43
and bind and bound--
bound and bring to Jerusalem,
00:18:19.46\00:18:22.01
I am the Guy, I
am Him, I am Jesus,
00:18:22.04\00:18:26.61
I am God, I'm
real I am your savior.
00:18:26.64\00:18:29.33
Now, Saul suddenly
has the realization
00:18:29.36\00:18:31.77
that what he
thought was the will of God
00:18:31.80\00:18:33.93
was in fact not the
will of God and he realizes
00:18:33.96\00:18:37.04
that his life is
radically out of harmony
00:18:37.07\00:18:40.01
with God's revealed will.
00:18:40.04\00:18:41.18
Are we all clear
on that, yes or no?
00:18:41.21\00:18:42.45
I mean His whole
world has instantaneously
00:18:42.48\00:18:45.80
in one nanosecond
been turned upside down.
00:18:45.83\00:18:50.75
Notice what is his
knee-jerk response?
00:18:50.78\00:18:55.93
What's the first thing he says?
00:18:55.96\00:18:58.41
Let's take a look at it.
00:18:58.44\00:18:59.86
We're there in verse 6,
00:18:59.89\00:19:01.68
So he trembling and astonished,
00:19:01.71\00:19:04.14
that's another way of saying,
00:19:04.17\00:19:05.20
he was beside himself.
00:19:05.23\00:19:06.80
Couldn't believe it.
00:19:06.83\00:19:08.83
So he trembling
and astonished said,
00:19:08.86\00:19:11.24
reading from the
New King James version,
00:19:11.27\00:19:12.74
Lord, what would--
what do you want me to what?
00:19:12.77\00:19:18.58
Do, isn't that interesting?
00:19:18.61\00:19:21.79
That is the very
same thing that the people
00:19:21.82\00:19:24.71
who were standing there on
the banks of the River Jordan,
00:19:24.74\00:19:26.94
when John the Baptist
was preaching his heart out
00:19:26.97\00:19:28.78
and those people
realized that their life
00:19:28.81\00:19:30.14
was radically out of harmony
with God's revealed will.
00:19:30.17\00:19:31.88
Their immediate
visceral knee-jerk reaction was,
00:19:31.91\00:19:34.72
what do we do?
00:19:34.75\00:19:36.51
Hey, so to here with
Saul, so to here with Saul.
00:19:36.54\00:19:40.31
Saul realizes that
his life was radically
00:19:40.34\00:19:42.20
out of harmony
with God's reveled will.
00:19:42.23\00:19:43.35
His whole world just
turns upside down in a moment
00:19:43.38\00:19:45.26
and the first thing he
says is, "What do I do?"
00:19:45.29\00:19:49.92
Well, obviously
what he's saying is,
00:19:49.95\00:19:51.29
what do I do to make it, what?
00:19:51.32\00:19:54.78
Right. Acts 2, third vignette.
00:19:54.81\00:19:59.36
Go with me if you would, Acts 2,
00:19:59.39\00:20:00.71
Peter is preaching,
it's the day of Pentecost.
00:20:00.74\00:20:02.29
It's what day, everyone?
00:20:02.32\00:20:04.22
Day of Pentecost.
00:20:04.25\00:20:05.54
Peter's preaching his heart out
00:20:05.57\00:20:06.97
and he is coming
to the-- to the close
00:20:07.00\00:20:09.99
of this marvelous
well architectured message
00:20:10.02\00:20:14.02
that he's putting
together piece by piece,
00:20:14.05\00:20:16.04
point by point quoting
from the Old Testament,
00:20:16.07\00:20:18.63
quoting from the Psalms
00:20:18.66\00:20:20.20
and he's
bringing it all together.
00:20:20.23\00:20:21.57
And in verse 36 the
word 'therefore' occurs.
00:20:21.60\00:20:25.62
Does everyone
see that, yes or no?
00:20:25.65\00:20:27.14
Verse 36, 'therefore',
now when you see the word,
00:20:27.17\00:20:30.13
'therefore' in the
Bible, ask yourself,
00:20:30.16\00:20:32.44
what's that therefore?
00:20:32.47\00:20:38.64
Right, we need to learn how
to read the Bible intelligently,
00:20:38.67\00:20:41.29
can you say, amen? Amen.
00:20:41.32\00:20:42.86
Hey, you can read five chapters
00:20:42.89\00:20:44.82
but if you don't
understood what you read,
00:20:44.85\00:20:46.09
what good did it do you?
00:20:46.12\00:20:48.43
We need to learn how to
think when we're reading, amen.
00:20:48.46\00:20:50.82
And so, so you
see there in verse 36,
00:20:50.85\00:20:53.25
'therefore', in other
words this is the conclusion,
00:20:53.28\00:20:55.73
that what that
word 'therefore' means.
00:20:55.76\00:20:56.91
Point number 1, point
number 2, point number 3,
00:20:56.94\00:20:58.71
point number 4,
therefore here is my conclusion.
00:20:58.74\00:21:01.32
Peter's been
preaching his heart out,
00:21:01.35\00:21:02.89
preaching his guts out.
00:21:02.92\00:21:03.95
The Holy Spirit
has fallen and he says,
00:21:03.98\00:21:06.12
therefore, let all the house
of Israel know of a certainty
00:21:06.15\00:21:12.16
that this Jesus
whom you crucified
00:21:12.19\00:21:15.61
is both Lord and Messiah.
00:21:15.64\00:21:20.70
You think that was
startling news to the people
00:21:20.73\00:21:23.04
that were listening to
that presentation, yes or no?
00:21:23.07\00:21:24.89
Amen. I mean he could
00:21:24.92\00:21:26.85
not have been bolder.
00:21:26.88\00:21:29.73
Therefore all
the house of Israel
00:21:29.76\00:21:31.05
know that you
killed the Messiah.
00:21:31.08\00:21:33.84
They realized obviously in
that moment as the Holy Spirit
00:21:39.45\00:21:45.03
just pours and
sweeps into their hearts,
00:21:45.06\00:21:48.30
of their lives and
their plan of action
00:21:48.33\00:21:51.21
in crucifying Jesus of Nazareth
00:21:51.24\00:21:52.96
50 days before
that, that decision
00:21:52.99\00:21:55.06
was radically out of harmony
with God's revealed will.
00:21:55.09\00:21:59.51
That they are
personally culpable
00:21:59.54\00:22:01.52
in the death of God's own Son.
00:22:01.55\00:22:05.78
Now what do you--
what do you think?
00:22:05.81\00:22:07.65
Just--just venture a
guess with me if you would?
00:22:07.68\00:22:10.23
Hazard a guess?
What do you think
00:22:10.26\00:22:12.24
their immediate
knee-jerk response is?
00:22:12.27\00:22:15.26
What do you think they're
gonna say? Just take a guess.
00:22:15.29\00:22:17.96
Exactly right.
00:22:17.99\00:22:19.02
Take a look at it
there in verse 37,
00:22:19.05\00:22:20.87
"Now when they
heard this, heard what?
00:22:20.90\00:22:24.20
Heard that they
had killed the Messiah.
00:22:24.23\00:22:26.70
The one that the Jews
had been looking forward
00:22:26.73\00:22:29.01
to it with hopeful expectancy
for more than 1200 years,
00:22:29.04\00:22:32.33
when they heard this.
00:22:32.36\00:22:35.68
They were cut to the heart.
00:22:35.71\00:22:37.35
That's another
way of saying that
00:22:37.38\00:22:38.41
they were absolutely devastated.
00:22:38.44\00:22:42.11
When they heard this,
they were cut to the heart
00:22:42.14\00:22:43.95
and they said to Peter
and the rest of the apostles,
00:22:43.98\00:22:46.70
"Men and brethren,
00:22:46.73\00:22:50.06
what shall we do?"
00:22:50.09\00:22:55.53
Now obviously,
obviously by implication
00:22:55.56\00:22:58.24
what they're saying
is, what should we do
00:22:58.27\00:23:01.16
in order to make
this, what? Right.
00:23:01.19\00:23:06.93
In each of these
three scriptural vignettes,
00:23:06.96\00:23:09.34
John the Baptist is preaching
00:23:09.37\00:23:10.44
there on the banks
of the Jordan River,
00:23:10.47\00:23:12.48
Saul on the road to Damascus
00:23:12.51\00:23:14.18
and here with Peter
on the day of Pentecost.
00:23:14.21\00:23:16.26
In every instance the people
there found out in a moment
00:23:16.29\00:23:19.18
that their lives were radically
00:23:19.21\00:23:20.30
out of harmony with
God's revealed will.
00:23:20.33\00:23:21.54
And an each instance
the response was the same,
00:23:21.57\00:23:23.99
what do we do? What
do we do? What do we do?
00:23:24.02\00:23:27.23
Why would they say that?
00:23:27.26\00:23:30.33
I'll tell you why.
00:23:30.36\00:23:32.05
Because that is
built into the very fiber
00:23:32.08\00:23:34.67
and the very fabric of who
and what you are as a person.
00:23:34.70\00:23:39.02
That when you realize,
your life is out of harmony
00:23:39.05\00:23:42.07
with God's revealed
will, your immediate
00:23:42.10\00:23:44.31
instantaneous knee-jerk response
00:23:44.34\00:23:46.71
is to want to do
something to make it right.
00:23:46.74\00:23:50.89
Are we all together
everyone, yes or no?
00:23:50.92\00:23:53.16
What do we do?
00:23:53.19\00:23:54.47
What do we do? What do we do?
00:23:54.50\00:23:57.94
When we sense that God is
displeased with our lifestyle
00:23:57.97\00:24:00.92
or our actions or our choices,
00:24:00.95\00:24:02.96
we say, "God I want
to do something about it,
00:24:02.99\00:24:05.72
just show me what to do."
00:24:05.75\00:24:09.02
What's our
presentation entitled?
00:24:09.05\00:24:10.69
Do. Do, you're right.
00:24:10.72\00:24:13.80
So then, imagine with me,
00:24:13.83\00:24:17.04
that on this
side of the platform
00:24:17.07\00:24:18.66
we are going to place every
single non-Christian religion.
00:24:18.69\00:24:24.36
Every single
non-Christian religion
00:24:24.39\00:24:26.60
is on this side of
the platform, okay?
00:24:26.63\00:24:28.77
And then over here
is Christianity, okay?
00:24:28.80\00:24:32.06
So over here we have Hinduism,
00:24:32.09\00:24:33.74
we have Buddhism,
the Buddhism is more
00:24:33.77\00:24:35.55
of an atheistic
philosophy but for the purposes
00:24:35.58\00:24:37.33
that we have tonight
will say Buddhism is here
00:24:37.36\00:24:39.35
and Islam is here
and Judaism is here
00:24:39.38\00:24:42.15
and Darwinism is
here and animism is here.
00:24:42.18\00:24:44.40
It's all over here,
all non-Christian religions
00:24:44.43\00:24:46.48
we're just gonna lump over here.
00:24:46.51\00:24:47.95
Now by doing this we
are not saying incidentally
00:24:47.98\00:24:50.55
that they are all the same.
00:24:50.58\00:24:52.65
We, we don't want to
be over generalizing here.
00:24:52.68\00:24:55.44
We don't want to
be stereotypical.
00:24:55.47\00:24:56.98
We realize that there
are radical significant
00:24:57.01\00:24:59.07
and substantive differences
in these various religions
00:24:59.10\00:25:01.81
but I'm gonna
show you tonight is,
00:25:01.84\00:25:03.44
there is a single scarlet thread
00:25:03.47\00:25:05.66
that runs through every
single one of these religions.
00:25:05.69\00:25:09.02
So over here all of
the non-Christian religions
00:25:09.05\00:25:11.50
and over here is what, everyone?
00:25:11.53\00:25:14.03
The Christian faith.
00:25:14.06\00:25:15.55
Okay, this is the
Christian faith over here.
00:25:15.58\00:25:17.06
Now what is it?
00:25:17.09\00:25:18.45
At the most
fundamental elemental core
00:25:18.48\00:25:21.54
that separates that from that.
00:25:21.57\00:25:24.31
What is it?
00:25:28.55\00:25:32.10
Several years ago I saw a video.
00:25:32.13\00:25:34.32
You've probably
seen video similar to it.
00:25:34.35\00:25:37.00
And this was a video
where, where devotees
00:25:37.03\00:25:39.98
of a certain
religion that will remain
00:25:40.01\00:25:41.63
for our purposes tonight unnamed
00:25:41.66\00:25:43.61
were making their way
on a spiritual pilgrimage.
00:25:43.64\00:25:47.17
And they were walking,
00:25:47.20\00:25:48.26
I don't remember
exactly how far it was?
00:25:48.29\00:25:49.57
It was traditional,
00:25:49.60\00:25:51.19
oh, the better
part of several miles.
00:25:51.22\00:25:53.26
And as they were
walking, were just the men.
00:25:53.29\00:25:56.13
And they would take every step,
00:25:56.16\00:25:57.21
they were clothed just
in kind of a loincloth,
00:25:57.24\00:25:59.40
they have no shirt on.
00:25:59.43\00:26:01.75
And every step they would take,
00:26:01.78\00:26:04.09
they had a-- it
could be a leather strip
00:26:04.12\00:26:06.70
or it could be
some sort of a knife
00:26:06.73\00:26:08.84
with on a little bit of a
chain or something like that.
00:26:08.87\00:26:11.82
They would take a
step and they would then
00:26:11.85\00:26:13.26
whip themselves, either around
their legs or over their back.
00:26:13.29\00:26:16.87
Every step, so they take a step
00:26:16.90\00:26:18.73
and whip
themselves on the back hard.
00:26:18.76\00:26:21.31
And take another step and
they whip themselves here,
00:26:21.34\00:26:23.33
take another whip themselves
on the inside of the thighs.
00:26:23.36\00:26:25.76
By the time they
finally arrived at the place
00:26:25.79\00:26:29.10
where they were going
to offer their oblations
00:26:29.13\00:26:31.01
and their devotions they
were bloody frothing masses,
00:26:31.04\00:26:34.96
many of whom had past out
perhaps some have even died
00:26:34.99\00:26:38.31
in this rigorous ceremony
as they were making their way,
00:26:38.34\00:26:41.53
making their
way, making their way.
00:26:41.56\00:26:42.62
Dehydration,
blood loss, etcetera
00:26:42.65\00:26:45.36
and I looked at that thing,
00:26:45.39\00:26:46.42
I thought why are they--why?
00:26:46.45\00:26:49.73
I'll tell you exactly why.
00:26:49.76\00:26:51.83
They are going to do something
that will cause their God
00:26:51.86\00:26:58.31
to look down upon them
with favor and say wow,
00:26:58.34\00:27:01.83
look at their devotion,
look at how they prostrate
00:27:01.86\00:27:06.04
themselves,
look at how they even
00:27:06.07\00:27:07.46
flagellate
themselves in my name.
00:27:07.49\00:27:09.42
I am so happy with them
and with what they're doing.
00:27:09.45\00:27:14.16
And so make it
even easier and shorter
00:27:14.19\00:27:15.95
what they're basically doing is,
00:27:15.98\00:27:17.24
they're saying, I
am going to appease
00:27:17.27\00:27:19.81
God by my actions.
00:27:19.84\00:27:21.55
Look at how austere I am.
00:27:21.58\00:27:22.79
Look at how devoted I am,
00:27:22.82\00:27:24.25
I am going to show and
by the way their devotion
00:27:24.28\00:27:26.74
in many instances is admirable,
00:27:26.77\00:27:28.51
not the object of their
devotion but their devotion,
00:27:28.54\00:27:31.15
if you understand
what I'm saying, say amen.
00:27:31.18\00:27:32.85
No question about that.
00:27:32.88\00:27:34.23
The point is-- is
they're going to do something
00:27:34.26\00:27:36.68
to make their God happy.
00:27:36.71\00:27:40.78
Martin Luther, let's go there.
00:27:40.81\00:27:44.25
Martin Luther would
spend hours upon hours
00:27:44.28\00:27:47.90
scrubbing the floors
of the monastery wall
00:27:47.93\00:27:50.89
scrubbing, scrubbing, why?
00:27:50.92\00:27:52.16
Because they were
dirty, not so much that.
00:27:52.19\00:27:54.16
He was-- he was
trying to do something
00:27:54.19\00:27:56.74
to so humiliate
himself to so condescended,
00:27:56.77\00:27:59.42
God look down and
say, look at that sinner,
00:27:59.45\00:28:01.70
I mean, look at the
way he applies himself.
00:28:01.73\00:28:04.13
He would walk up
stairs on his knees.
00:28:04.16\00:28:06.02
What's he doing?
00:28:06.05\00:28:07.15
He's trying to appease God.
00:28:07.18\00:28:12.83
There is a cardinal
elemental fundamental truth,
00:28:12.86\00:28:16.50
a scarlet thread that separates
00:28:16.53\00:28:18.74
every one of these from this.
00:28:18.77\00:28:25.89
And so you don't have
to take my word for it.
00:28:25.92\00:28:27.55
I'd like to read it to
you from the Desire Of Ages.
00:28:27.58\00:28:31.63
It's an old book, you've
probably never heard of it.
00:28:31.66\00:28:35.95
Desire of Ages, page 35.
00:28:35.98\00:28:37.62
Listen
carefully, very carefully,
00:28:37.65\00:28:41.48
Through
heathenism, Satan had for ages
00:28:41.51\00:28:45.93
turned men away from God."
00:28:45.96\00:28:48.78
So for so good.
00:28:48.81\00:28:50.95
Through heathenism
we can understand this.
00:28:50.98\00:28:52.31
"Through
heathenism, Satan had for ages
00:28:52.34\00:28:53.81
turned the minds of
people away from God
00:28:53.84\00:28:55.74
but he won his greatest triumph
00:28:55.77\00:28:58.54
in perverting
the faith of Israel."
00:28:58.57\00:29:02.61
That's really
where he won the battle
00:29:02.64\00:29:04.23
was when he
perverted the faith of Israel,
00:29:04.26\00:29:06.51
by contemplating and worshiping
their own conceptions.
00:29:06.54\00:29:09.78
The heathen had
lost a knowledge of God
00:29:09.81\00:29:12.05
and had become
more and more corrupt,
00:29:12.08\00:29:13.83
so it was with Israel.
00:29:13.86\00:29:15.53
Now, follow carefully.
00:29:15.56\00:29:16.69
The principle that
man can save himself
00:29:16.72\00:29:20.25
by his own works
lays at the foundation
00:29:20.28\00:29:24.08
of every heathen religion.
00:29:24.11\00:29:28.87
Did you hear that?
00:29:28.90\00:29:30.06
What principle
lays at the foundation
00:29:30.09\00:29:31.71
of every heathen religion?
00:29:31.74\00:29:33.55
The principle that man can
save himself by his own, what?
00:29:33.58\00:29:36.34
Works. Continue on.
00:29:36.37\00:29:38.38
"It had now
become the principle--"
00:29:38.41\00:29:40.18
Are you ready for this?
00:29:40.21\00:29:42.45
"Of the Jewish religion.
00:29:42.48\00:29:45.82
Satan had
implanted this principle."
00:29:45.85\00:29:52.55
My lovely wife is
sitting right over here
00:29:52.58\00:29:54.58
as I told you last
night, I waited a full six weeks
00:29:54.61\00:29:57.76
before I asked her to marry me.
00:29:57.79\00:30:00.78
It was a
decision not to be rushed.
00:30:00.81\00:30:02.40
It was a decision
to be thoughtfully and,
00:30:02.43\00:30:04.21
and meditatively mulled over.
00:30:04.24\00:30:05.98
And so I waited
a full six weeks.
00:30:06.01\00:30:08.47
I was prepared to do
within the first six hours.
00:30:08.50\00:30:10.21
So you can
appreciate my patience
00:30:10.24\00:30:12.26
in my long-suffering.
00:30:12.29\00:30:17.02
Now as you can probably imagine,
00:30:17.05\00:30:19.52
there were a few
things that I didn't
00:30:19.55\00:30:20.81
learned about in those
introductory six weeks.
00:30:20.84\00:30:23.27
I think the A students
are all sitting over here,
00:30:29.29\00:30:30.96
I'm sorry about that.
00:30:30.99\00:30:32.84
I just feel like
they are getting it more.
00:30:32.87\00:30:37.54
One of those things was that she
doesn't like garlic and onions.
00:30:37.57\00:30:42.11
Okay now, I'm not saying
00:30:42.14\00:30:43.74
that would've been
a deal breaker, okay.
00:30:43.77\00:30:46.24
But it--it might have
pushed it back to seven weeks
00:30:46.27\00:30:48.84
I mean it's possible.
00:30:48.87\00:30:51.78
I--I love garlic and onions.
00:30:51.81\00:30:54.81
Anyone here want
to say, amen? Amen.
00:30:54.84\00:30:57.50
And by the way
I've tried it all,
00:30:57.53\00:30:58.61
I'll say, sweetie,
it's so good for you,
00:30:58.64\00:30:59.98
she--she is unconvinced, okay?
00:31:00.01\00:31:01.60
Now if you think
I'm vigorous about this,
00:31:01.63\00:31:04.39
my wife's
mother I think she has,
00:31:04.42\00:31:07.67
you know, my wife
has the two brothers,
00:31:07.70\00:31:09.00
two sisters and I think
that my wife's mother Maria,
00:31:09.03\00:31:12.49
believes that there
is maybe something wrong
00:31:12.52\00:31:14.66
with Violeta
because she's Romanian.
00:31:14.69\00:31:17.02
I mean, she doesn't
like garlic and onion,
00:31:17.05\00:31:19.16
there's something wrong here.
00:31:19.19\00:31:21.09
And so what she
will sometimes do,
00:31:21.12\00:31:23.34
I've seen her doing
on a number of occasions.
00:31:23.37\00:31:25.18
She will prepare a dish,
00:31:25.21\00:31:26.82
she makes the
most marvelous food.
00:31:26.85\00:31:28.45
And she--she'll sneak
away into a clandestine corner
00:31:28.48\00:31:31.85
of the kitchen and she
will begin to chop up garlic
00:31:31.88\00:31:36.38
and or onions or mushrooms,
00:31:36.41\00:31:37.76
I forgot to mention mushrooms.
00:31:37.79\00:31:39.12
But mushrooms would not have
been a deal breaker with me.
00:31:39.15\00:31:41.12
And she'll chop these things
up, I mean, just into almost,
00:31:41.15\00:31:44.03
you know, almost
submicroscopic bits.
00:31:44.06\00:31:47.67
And what she'll do
is she will then implant
00:31:47.70\00:31:51.05
them into the dish, right.
00:31:51.08\00:31:53.58
And she'll serve it and
I tell you my mother-in-law
00:31:53.61\00:31:55.64
is a cutest
thing you've ever seen.
00:31:55.67\00:31:57.65
She--she is about,
she is about that tall.
00:31:57.68\00:32:01.66
She has the
roundest most beautiful face.
00:32:01.69\00:32:04.14
She is just the
picture of innocence
00:32:04.17\00:32:06.01
and cuteness, she says-- Okay,
00:32:06.04\00:32:10.86
so you never think
that she was, you know,
00:32:10.89\00:32:13.37
clever like I'm
gonna trick you know.
00:32:13.40\00:32:14.93
So what she'll do is
she'll take this stuff
00:32:14.96\00:32:16.75
and she'll sneak
it into the dish.
00:32:16.78\00:32:18.58
She sneaks it in.
00:32:18.61\00:32:19.64
Now she thinks she's
chopped it so small that Violeta
00:32:19.67\00:32:21.95
is not gonna notice it and
then at the end of the day,
00:32:21.98\00:32:24.21
she would say,
uh-huh, you liked it.
00:32:24.24\00:32:26.46
There was all kinds of
garlic or whatever in that but
00:32:26.49\00:32:29.08
invariably what
happens is, you know,
00:32:29.11\00:32:31.15
we sit down, we
pray for the food.
00:32:31.18\00:32:32.84
So Violeta will say,
00:32:32.87\00:32:38.72
mom she knows immediately
00:32:38.75\00:32:41.57
it was just amazing, she--
mom did you put garlic in this?
00:32:41.60\00:32:45.54
And she say, she--
she it doesn't work,
00:32:45.57\00:32:52.92
I mean you just can't
do it, I've been there,
00:32:52.95\00:32:54.97
you just can't,
it's like the Pentagon,
00:32:55.00\00:32:57.26
you just can't get
it in there, right?
00:32:57.29\00:32:58.96
It's just top secret.
00:32:58.99\00:33:03.13
Well, listen.
00:33:03.16\00:33:05.38
That is what Satan
did with this principle
00:33:05.41\00:33:08.05
that is the foundation
of all heathen religions.
00:33:08.08\00:33:10.96
You see the principle
that lays the foundation
00:33:10.99\00:33:13.65
of all heathen
religions is the principle
00:33:13.68\00:33:15.21
that man can save
himself by his own what?
00:33:15.24\00:33:17.12
Works. Now notice what she says
00:33:17.15\00:33:19.43
there in that statement.
00:33:19.46\00:33:20.54
She says that-- that
the devil had been using
00:33:20.57\00:33:22.38
one of the most
important tools in his toolbox,
00:33:22.41\00:33:24.31
uh-huh, heathenism to be
turning the minds of people
00:33:24.34\00:33:27.28
away for centuries upon
centuries upon centuries
00:33:27.31\00:33:29.26
but he won his greatest
triumph not through heathenism
00:33:29.29\00:33:32.06
but when he took that principle
00:33:32.09\00:33:33.46
and he implanted it in Israel.
00:33:33.49\00:33:38.81
If anyone should've
known the great truths
00:33:38.84\00:33:40.85
of righteousness by
faith, it was Israel.
00:33:40.88\00:33:43.25
They had the
whole sanctuary service
00:33:43.28\00:33:45.50
that was righteousness by
faith, by faith, by faith,
00:33:45.53\00:33:48.24
in the lamb, in the
lamb, in the priest,
00:33:48.27\00:33:50.00
in the priest, the whole thing
00:33:50.03\00:33:51.66
was righteousness by faith.
00:33:51.69\00:33:52.80
And somehow Satan amazingly,
00:33:52.83\00:33:55.64
supernaturally
implanted this principle,
00:33:55.67\00:33:58.22
so that when Jesus
shows up on the scene,
00:33:58.25\00:34:00.26
the Pharisees believe
that they're going to be saved
00:34:00.29\00:34:03.34
by their rigorous
adherence to the Mosaic Law.
00:34:03.37\00:34:09.57
He had implanted this principle.
00:34:09.60\00:34:12.46
It's the foundation of
all of that and worse yet,
00:34:12.49\00:34:18.47
it caters exactly
to your carnal nature,
00:34:18.50\00:34:24.86
so your carnal
nature and--and frankly
00:34:24.89\00:34:26.81
my nature the moment that
I learn that God is upset,
00:34:26.84\00:34:29.35
the moment that I
learn that God is offended,
00:34:29.38\00:34:30.87
the moment that I learn that
the my life is radically out
00:34:30.90\00:34:32.80
of harmony with
God's revealed will.
00:34:32.83\00:34:34.20
My knee-jerk
response is, what shall I do?
00:34:34.23\00:34:39.19
I'm going to do
something to make God happy.
00:34:39.22\00:34:41.53
I'm gonna do
something to make God love me,
00:34:41.56\00:34:43.51
I'm gonna do something and God
00:34:43.54\00:34:44.83
is gonna look down and say, ooh!
00:34:44.86\00:34:46.43
That's one of my
guys right there.
00:34:46.46\00:34:47.95
Look at David
Asscherick, he is powerful,
00:34:47.98\00:34:49.62
he is awesome, he is what?
00:34:49.65\00:34:54.67
The principle that
man can save himself
00:34:54.70\00:34:57.61
by his own works is the
scarlet thread that runs through
00:34:57.64\00:35:01.35
every single one of this face.
00:35:01.38\00:35:08.24
The Christian
faith is different.
00:35:08.27\00:35:12.31
The core of the Christian faith
00:35:12.34\00:35:18.71
is that you can't do anything.
00:35:18.74\00:35:23.28
You're dust, you're dirty dust.
00:35:23.31\00:35:30.18
What you're gonna do?
00:35:30.21\00:35:31.86
What are you going to do to
appease and infinitely holy,
00:35:31.89\00:35:36.34
infinitely righteous,
infinitely existing God,
00:35:36.37\00:35:39.33
what you're gonna do?
00:35:39.36\00:35:41.70
Give me a break.
00:35:41.73\00:35:43.89
You don't serve a
little statue beloved.
00:35:43.92\00:35:47.74
You serve the
invisible omnipotent,
00:35:47.77\00:35:49.79
omnibenevolent
God of the universe.
00:35:49.82\00:35:51.93
What you are gonna do?
00:35:51.96\00:35:56.32
Well, there is
one thing you can do.
00:35:56.35\00:36:00.01
Open your Bible to John 6.
00:36:00.04\00:36:03.78
John, what chapter, everyone?
00:36:03.81\00:36:06.14
John 6. So Jesus
has an encounter here.
00:36:06.17\00:36:12.11
We'll pick it up in verse 25.
00:36:12.14\00:36:14.49
You know the story
the day before Jesus
00:36:14.52\00:36:15.84
has fed the 5,000
with the loaves and fishes,
00:36:15.87\00:36:17.53
right, remember the
story everyone, yes or no?
00:36:17.56\00:36:20.71
Okay, He fed the 5,000
with the loaves and fishes
00:36:20.74\00:36:22.69
and--and so He must have
made some very good sandwiches
00:36:22.72\00:36:25.43
that day because people
were so enthusiastic about,
00:36:25.46\00:36:28.91
you know, Jesus' sandwiches
that they actually walked
00:36:28.94\00:36:32.35
all the way around
the lake to get some more.
00:36:32.38\00:36:37.57
That's--that's true
story, it's biblical.
00:36:37.60\00:36:39.52
And they pretended like they
just happen to circumstantially,
00:36:39.55\00:36:43.91
serendipitously oh, oh,
oh look, oh, it's Jesus.
00:36:43.94\00:36:50.06
Oh, you know, oh you walk that
way and we walk this way, right.
00:36:50.09\00:36:54.61
So we pick it up
in verse 25 John 6:25.
00:36:54.64\00:36:56.93
"And when they found him
on the other side of the sea,
00:36:56.96\00:36:58.89
they said to him, ''Oh, Rabbi,
00:36:58.92\00:37:01.33
when did you come here?''
00:37:01.36\00:37:06.24
But Jesus knows
what they're up to.
00:37:06.27\00:37:08.59
Verse 26. "Jesus
answered and said to them,
00:37:08.62\00:37:10.51
"Most assuredly, I
say to you, you seek Me,
00:37:10.54\00:37:12.38
not because you saw the signs,
00:37:12.41\00:37:13.78
but because you
ate of the" what?
00:37:13.81\00:37:15.37
"The loaves." And I know
00:37:15.40\00:37:16.70
what you're
looking for, you're hungry.
00:37:16.73\00:37:19.51
You want another sandwich.
00:37:19.54\00:37:21.37
Verse 27, follow
this through, verse 27.
00:37:21.40\00:37:25.91
Notice what Jesus says,
00:37:25.94\00:37:27.36
"Do not labor for
the food which perishes."
00:37:27.39\00:37:29.87
Stop working for
the food that perishes.
00:37:29.90\00:37:34.12
"But for the food which
endures to everlasting, what?
00:37:34.15\00:37:38.10
Life, which the Son of
Man will give you because God
00:37:38.13\00:37:40.69
the father has
set his seal on Him.
00:37:40.72\00:37:43.89
Do these people
instantaneously know
00:37:43.92\00:37:46.60
that Jesus is
onto them, yes or no?
00:37:46.63\00:37:50.44
I mean, they're having
the same experience here that,
00:37:50.47\00:37:52.24
that the people
there on the banks
00:37:52.27\00:37:53.44
of the River
Jordan had, that Saul
00:37:53.47\00:37:55.36
have on the road to
Damascus and that the people
00:37:55.39\00:37:56.85
did on the day of Pentecost,
they're--they're pretending
00:37:56.88\00:37:58.87
like they just, you
know, serendipitously ran
00:37:58.90\00:38:00.69
into Jesus and Jesus says,
00:38:00.72\00:38:01.83
"I know what you're looking
for and don't play games."
00:38:01.86\00:38:06.64
By the way it's
very interesting.
00:38:06.67\00:38:08.07
Many times in the
Bible, you find Jesus
00:38:08.10\00:38:10.24
actually discouraging the
crowds from following Him.
00:38:10.27\00:38:15.15
Jesus would
rather have 12 people
00:38:15.18\00:38:17.21
that were worshiping
Him in spirit and in truth
00:38:17.24\00:38:19.11
than 12,000 that were
worshiping Him in error.
00:38:19.14\00:38:22.78
Jesus is not
about numbers as such,
00:38:22.81\00:38:25.55
He is more about quantity than--
quality rather than quantity.
00:38:25.58\00:38:31.16
Jesus could have had
all the followers He wanted,
00:38:31.19\00:38:33.12
He could have lured them with
some supernatural magic show,
00:38:33.15\00:38:35.76
so they come on the
other side of the lake there
00:38:35.79\00:38:38.37
and they-- oh, Jesus,
oh look--what amazing.
00:38:38.40\00:38:40.67
Hey, do you got
any more of those,
00:38:40.70\00:38:41.76
those sandwiches and Jesus says,
00:38:41.79\00:38:42.99
I know what you're looking for.
00:38:43.02\00:38:44.97
And stop caring and laboring
for the food that perishes.
00:38:45.00\00:38:47.94
What you really need is the food
00:38:47.97\00:38:49.04
that endures to
everlasting life.
00:38:49.07\00:38:50.31
And I'm gonna give it
to you and the people said,
00:38:50.34\00:38:54.14
"Oh, He is onto us."
00:38:54.17\00:38:58.51
He knows the Spirit of God has
pierced their heart and they,
00:38:58.54\00:39:01.15
they know they are standing
in the presence of somebody
00:39:01.18\00:39:03.10
who can read their very
motives, their very thoughts.
00:39:03.13\00:39:09.02
What do you think?
00:39:09.05\00:39:10.45
What do you just
think they might say?
00:39:10.48\00:39:15.30
What do you, what do you
think they just might say?
00:39:15.33\00:39:16.76
Help me out here.
00:39:16.79\00:39:19.41
Yes, you're exactly right.
00:39:19.44\00:39:20.65
You're smart bunch
especially this group over here,
00:39:20.68\00:39:22.60
look at what they say.
00:39:22.63\00:39:24.92
Verse 28, they said to him,
00:39:24.95\00:39:27.02
What shall we--
let's all say it together,
00:39:27.05\00:39:29.53
do that we may
work the works of God.
00:39:29.56\00:39:32.20
In other words,
wow, Jesus we can tell
00:39:32.23\00:39:34.55
that God is happy with you.
00:39:34.58\00:39:35.96
What can we do to
work the works of God?
00:39:35.99\00:39:39.90
We want God to
be pleased with us,
00:39:39.93\00:39:41.98
just like He's pleased with you.
00:39:42.01\00:39:43.10
We want God to
manifest Himself on us
00:39:43.13\00:39:44.74
just like He
manifest Himself on you.
00:39:44.77\00:39:46.27
Jesus, what can we do?
00:39:46.30\00:39:53.02
Are you ready for Jesus' answer?
00:39:53.05\00:39:54.70
What did Jesus say
when they ask that question?
00:40:04.95\00:40:08.22
Jesus, what do we that--
we want to make God happy.
00:40:08.25\00:40:10.61
We realize that
You are on to us.
00:40:10.64\00:40:12.30
We realize that we
were really following You
00:40:12.33\00:40:14.41
because of the sandwiches,
I mean, what can we do?
00:40:14.44\00:40:17.92
What can we do to work
the marvelous works of God?
00:40:17.95\00:40:21.33
Verse 29, are
you ready for this?
00:40:21.36\00:40:23.00
I hope and pray you
are ready, God have mercy.
00:40:23.03\00:40:25.77
Here we go verse 29.
00:40:25.80\00:40:26.95
"Jesus answered
and said to them,
00:40:26.98\00:40:28.60
'This is the work of
God, drum roll please,
00:40:28.63\00:40:32.99
that you believe in
Him whom He hath sent."
00:40:33.02\00:40:40.96
Believe. You want
to make God happy.
00:40:40.99\00:40:45.10
You want to work
the works of God.
00:40:45.13\00:40:46.77
You want to make your
life right with God, believe.
00:40:46.80\00:40:51.67
Well, that sounds just like
00:40:51.70\00:40:52.73
what Jesus said to
Nicodemus, doesn't it?
00:40:52.76\00:40:54.68
Nicodemus. I know you're
having trouble grasping this,
00:40:54.71\00:40:56.86
but please
listen to me carefully.
00:40:56.89\00:40:57.94
For God so loved
the world, Nicodemus,
00:40:57.97\00:41:00.22
that he gave His
only begotten Son,
00:41:00.25\00:41:02.74
Nicodemus, that
whosoever believeth
00:41:02.77\00:41:07.08
in him should not perish
but have everlasting life.
00:41:07.11\00:41:10.48
That sound just
like the Apostle Paul,
00:41:10.51\00:41:12.10
the great preacher of grace.
00:41:12.13\00:41:14.10
He said, "For I am
not ashamed of the gospel,
00:41:14.13\00:41:15.90
for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one, who?
00:41:15.93\00:41:21.49
Believes to the Jew
first, and also to the Greek.
00:41:21.52\00:41:25.76
They said, what do we do,
00:41:25.79\00:41:26.86
we want to work the
works of God, what can we do?
00:41:26.89\00:41:28.96
And Jesus said,
this is the work of God,
00:41:28.99\00:41:30.84
here it is, believe
on Him, whom He has sent.
00:41:30.87\00:41:36.45
Beloved here is
the bottom-line core
00:41:36.48\00:41:39.15
of what separates
all of this from this.
00:41:39.18\00:41:43.31
Over there I'm
going to do something,
00:41:43.34\00:41:46.38
that is going to make God happy.
00:41:46.41\00:41:49.41
I'm going to do
something to appease God.
00:41:49.44\00:41:52.14
I'm going to do
something in order to put
00:41:52.17\00:41:54.70
my life right with God.
00:41:54.73\00:41:56.49
Something I do, is
gonna cause God looked out
00:41:56.52\00:41:59.22
upon me and say, wow,
that David is something,
00:41:59.25\00:42:02.42
he's got his act together,
over here but over here
00:42:02.45\00:42:05.53
the great truth of the
gospel is you can't do anything.
00:42:05.56\00:42:12.87
God had to do it.
00:42:12.90\00:42:14.67
Amen. You are in such a pickle,
00:42:14.70\00:42:18.67
you couldn't even lift
your head off of the pillow.
00:42:18.70\00:42:22.33
You were stuck.
00:42:22.36\00:42:25.50
You can't do
anything to appease God.
00:42:25.53\00:42:28.82
He's infinitely Holy,
He's infinitely awesome,
00:42:28.85\00:42:31.50
He's infinitely
righteous and you're dirty dust.
00:42:31.53\00:42:36.15
So God looked down.
00:42:36.18\00:42:39.17
And God said, "I want
to rescue those people
00:42:39.20\00:42:42.51
who were in the bad way. Amen.
00:42:42.54\00:42:45.28
But I cannot compromise
the principles of my law,
00:42:45.31\00:42:48.43
for is the very foundation
and essence of my character.
00:42:48.46\00:42:54.19
How can I exercise
with justice and mercy?
00:42:54.22\00:42:57.37
And then he looks to Jesus.
00:42:57.40\00:43:00.67
And they have that
council that Ellen White
00:43:00.70\00:43:02.09
talks about in Early
Writings and they discuss.
00:43:02.12\00:43:04.55
There's only one
way and Jesus comes down
00:43:04.58\00:43:09.78
and Jesus lives
His life as a man.
00:43:09.81\00:43:13.02
Beloved, I want you to think
about that for just a moment,
00:43:13.05\00:43:14.73
the infinite
eternal illimitable God
00:43:14.76\00:43:17.68
of the universe became a man.
00:43:17.71\00:43:22.50
Now that in and of
itself is a condensation
00:43:22.53\00:43:25.02
that we will never
understand properly
00:43:25.05\00:43:26.52
not even given eternity.
00:43:26.55\00:43:28.47
But more than
that He became a man
00:43:28.50\00:43:30.99
in the lightness of sinful
flesh and then worst than that,
00:43:31.02\00:43:35.24
He died naked,
bruised, beaten, bloody,
00:43:35.27\00:43:37.87
battered and
bludgeoned on a tree.
00:43:37.90\00:43:44.28
And God looks down.
00:43:44.31\00:43:46.80
And God says,
00:43:46.83\00:43:49.87
"Now I can accept that."
00:43:49.90\00:43:54.94
You believe in
what God has done.
00:43:54.97\00:43:59.96
Amen. The core of
the Christian faith,
00:43:59.99\00:44:02.34
beloved, is that it is not about
00:44:02.37\00:44:04.59
what you do but about your
belief in what God has done.
00:44:04.62\00:44:08.03
Amen. Over here something
00:44:08.06\00:44:10.03
I do the core
and the center is me,
00:44:10.06\00:44:12.92
something I do,
I'm going to recommend
00:44:12.95\00:44:14.58
myself to God, I'm
going to do something
00:44:14.61\00:44:16.51
that God is gonna look
at me. no, no, no, over here
00:44:16.54\00:44:18.98
God looks down
and He sees His Son
00:44:19.01\00:44:21.42
and we put our faith in
His Son and He accepts His Son
00:44:21.45\00:44:25.02
and because we put
our faith in His Son,
00:44:25.05\00:44:26.69
we also are
accepted in the beloved.
00:44:26.72\00:44:29.57
Amen. Not on the
basis of what we do
00:44:29.60\00:44:33.48
but on the basis of
what He has done. Amen.
00:44:33.51\00:44:38.34
Jesus, what do we do?
00:44:38.37\00:44:39.40
We want to work
the works of God too.
00:44:39.43\00:44:41.10
This is the work of God.
00:44:41.13\00:44:43.17
Southern Adventist
University and visitors,
00:44:43.20\00:44:45.34
this is the work of God,
believe on Him whom He has sent.
00:44:45.37\00:44:51.13
Amen. And there's Jesus.
00:44:51.16\00:44:58.17
Hanging naked and
blooded on that tree
00:44:58.20\00:45:01.13
and you look and you
say, that's important,
00:45:01.16\00:45:06.32
that's very important
for solemn, for somber.
00:45:06.35\00:45:11.01
And then at almost the
next breathe, we'll say.
00:45:11.05\00:45:13.47
Now what do I get to do?
00:45:13.50\00:45:17.31
I tell you what you get to do.
00:45:17.34\00:45:19.07
You get to praise God
for what He has done. Amen.
00:45:19.10\00:45:23.53
What are you gonna do?
Now I'm a vegan vegetarian.
00:45:23.56\00:45:28.92
And I make no
apologizes for that.
00:45:28.95\00:45:33.26
But sometimes we
think to ourselves,
00:45:33.29\00:45:35.39
you know what. I
see what God has done.
00:45:35.42\00:45:38.12
And it is marvelous, it
is awesome, it is important.
00:45:38.15\00:45:40.48
But you know what?
00:45:40.51\00:45:42.20
I think I need to spice
the mixture up a little bit.
00:45:42.23\00:45:46.07
I think I need to add in a
little of my own righteousness
00:45:46.10\00:45:49.76
and you know what, I think
I want to become a vegetarian.
00:45:49.79\00:45:52.21
I think then God will
really be happy with me
00:45:52.24\00:45:54.49
and He'll look
down and He'll say,
00:45:54.52\00:45:55.61
there is my son and
there is David, the vegetarian.
00:45:55.64\00:45:57.92
Now beloved, you cannot say,
no one in this room can say,
00:46:04.97\00:46:07.74
oh, he was making
fun of health reform.
00:46:07.77\00:46:09.00
You got to give me a break.
00:46:09.03\00:46:10.06
I was health
reformer before I even knew
00:46:10.09\00:46:11.24
what a health reformer was.
00:46:11.27\00:46:13.19
I was a vegan before I even knew
00:46:13.22\00:46:14.28
what a
Seventh-day Adventist was?
00:46:14.31\00:46:15.76
Listen, I
believe in eating right
00:46:15.79\00:46:18.71
and living right and
being happy and healthy.
00:46:18.74\00:46:20.77
Can someone say, amen. Amen.
00:46:20.80\00:46:22.04
But I don't think for a
moment that my vegetarianism
00:46:22.07\00:46:25.52
recommends me to
a Holy God. Amen.
00:46:25.55\00:46:30.02
We say, I'm
gonna keep the Sabbath.
00:46:30.05\00:46:32.87
Good for you.
00:46:32.90\00:46:34.79
You should keep the Sabbath.
00:46:34.82\00:46:36.98
And I mean keep the Sabbath
in spirit and in truth. Amen.
00:46:37.01\00:46:40.37
Not just go to
church Sabbath morning
00:46:40.40\00:46:42.16
and then go home and take a nap.
00:46:42.19\00:46:44.81
Or worse yet, is he
really gonna say this.
00:46:44.84\00:46:47.96
Go to church and then
go out to a restaurant
00:46:47.99\00:46:50.77
and call that
Sabbath keeping. Amen.
00:46:50.80\00:46:52.53
So, oh, yeah, yeah, we're gonna,
00:46:52.56\00:46:53.69
oh yeah, we'll meet
you at T.G.I. Friday's,
00:46:53.72\00:46:55.59
we'll go keep the
Sabbath at T.G.I. Friday's.
00:46:55.62\00:46:57.93
Listen, let just be
crystal clear about something.
00:46:57.96\00:47:00.61
You're not keeping a Sabbath,
00:47:00.64\00:47:02.27
if you are eating
at T.G.I. Friday's
00:47:02.30\00:47:04.69
on the Sabbath, okay.
00:47:04.72\00:47:06.77
Because there's this
little thing in the commandment
00:47:06.80\00:47:08.77
that says, that you don't
work and your son doesn't work
00:47:08.80\00:47:11.52
and your daughter
doesn't work and nobody
00:47:11.55\00:47:13.88
and the stranger
that is within your gates,
00:47:13.91\00:47:15.84
they don't work either. Amen.
00:47:15.87\00:47:17.77
You know what that
means, the stranger
00:47:17.80\00:47:18.83
that are within your gates.
00:47:18.86\00:47:20.09
It doesn't mean that
if no one's in your gates,
00:47:20.12\00:47:22.24
you can cause all the
people outside to work,
00:47:22.27\00:47:23.67
what it means is... right.
00:47:23.70\00:47:28.85
So the ladies, the
ladies are just thinking,
00:47:28.88\00:47:31.93
I really need my lawn moved,
00:47:31.96\00:47:33.18
so tonight I'll my husband
sleep outside of the gate
00:47:33.21\00:47:36.37
so tomorrow on the
Sabbath, he can mow the lawn.
00:47:36.40\00:47:39.67
Beloved, what it
means is those people
00:47:39.70\00:47:41.26
that you have influence
over it, your spirit influence.
00:47:41.29\00:47:44.49
Why would you cause
other people to work on the day
00:47:44.52\00:47:46.57
that you're
taking his day. Amen.
00:47:46.60\00:47:49.53
And you hear some people say,
00:47:49.56\00:47:50.84
"Oh, but they're
gonna work anyway.
00:47:50.87\00:47:53.33
Oh, well, they
already gonna work."
00:47:53.36\00:47:54.90
I mean, they're already working
and it's so much easier for me.
00:47:54.93\00:47:58.21
Well, let me tell you something.
00:47:58.24\00:47:59.29
Let's follow that to
its logical conclusion.
00:47:59.32\00:48:01.49
Thieves are gonna steal,
00:48:01.52\00:48:02.83
whether or not
you buy stolen goods.
00:48:02.86\00:48:09.75
Yes or no, come on. Yes.
00:48:09.78\00:48:11.31
So you say, well, I
didn't tell him to steal,
00:48:11.34\00:48:14.34
I just purchased
the DVD player for $50.
00:48:14.37\00:48:19.56
Is anybody gonna be
comfortable with that yes or no?
00:48:19.59\00:48:22.31
Beloved, listen to me,
00:48:22.34\00:48:24.27
we should be
keeping God's Holy Sabbath
00:48:24.30\00:48:26.57
not as a legalistic requirement
but out of a love relationship
00:48:26.60\00:48:30.12
for what He has
done, amen. Amen.
00:48:30.15\00:48:32.21
Your Sabbath keeping,
even if it's done correctly,
00:48:32.24\00:48:34.98
even if it's done in spirit
00:48:35.01\00:48:36.12
and in truth does
not recommend you to God,
00:48:36.15\00:48:38.63
it is a love
response to God. Amen.
00:48:38.66\00:48:42.50
All right, so let's
wrap all these up here.
00:48:42.53\00:48:47.46
Do?
00:48:47.49\00:48:51.84
What shall we do?
00:48:51.87\00:48:53.73
What shall we
do? What shall we do?
00:48:53.76\00:48:55.86
Built into the very
fiber and fabric of humanity.
00:48:55.89\00:48:59.32
I'm gonna do something,
God's gonna be happy with me
00:48:59.35\00:49:02.30
and He's gonna look
down, He's gonna think, wow.
00:49:02.33\00:49:03.89
He's really...
00:49:03.92\00:49:05.85
Open your Bibles
to Philippians 3.
00:49:05.88\00:49:07.52
Let's wrap this up.
00:49:07.55\00:49:10.23
Philippians 3.
00:49:10.26\00:49:17.88
You can do something,
00:49:17.91\00:49:20.61
you can believe on
Him whom He has sent.
00:49:20.64\00:49:25.55
Philippians 3.
00:49:25.58\00:49:30.40
Who wrote the
Book of Philippians,
00:49:30.43\00:49:31.55
who was that tell me?
That's Paul, that's right.
00:49:31.58\00:49:35.24
And Paul was concerned.
00:49:35.27\00:49:39.80
Paul was concerned
that there were people
00:49:39.83\00:49:43.06
who were influencing
the church at Philippi
00:49:43.09\00:49:46.57
and they were
saying something like this.
00:49:46.60\00:49:48.01
They were saying,
yes, Jesus is important
00:49:48.04\00:49:49.78
but you also have to do
this and this and this and this.
00:49:49.81\00:49:53.41
So it's Jesus
plus something else
00:49:53.44\00:49:55.29
that equals salvation, okay.
00:49:55.32\00:49:58.08
So we pick it up in
verse 1, Philippians 3:1.
00:49:58.11\00:50:00.95
"Finally, my
brethren, rejoice in the Lord.
00:50:00.98\00:50:03.13
For me to write
the same things to you,
00:50:03.16\00:50:04.43
is not grievous,
but for you it is safe.
00:50:04.46\00:50:06.20
Beware of dogs,
beware of evil workers."
00:50:06.23\00:50:10.19
Look at this,
"Beware of the mutilation."
00:50:10.22\00:50:14.32
That is the pejorative way,
00:50:14.35\00:50:15.97
a sarcastic way of
referring to the Jews.
00:50:16.00\00:50:18.63
He's talking
about circumcision here.
00:50:18.66\00:50:20.12
He says, "Beware of
those who mutilate themselves."
00:50:20.15\00:50:22.84
Now of course God gave
the ordinance of circumcision
00:50:22.87\00:50:24.99
but the problem was is that
00:50:25.02\00:50:26.06
people were now
trusting to circumcision.
00:50:26.09\00:50:29.04
Because remember,
00:50:29.07\00:50:30.10
"The principle that
man can save himself
00:50:30.13\00:50:31.37
by his own works,
lay at the foundation
00:50:31.40\00:50:32.66
of every heathen religion,
00:50:32.69\00:50:34.22
but it would become a principle
of the Jewish religion."
00:50:34.25\00:50:36.91
So they actually started
to trust in this ceremony
00:50:36.94\00:50:40.05
rather than looking
through this ceremony
00:50:40.08\00:50:41.58
and what the ceremony
represented on the other side.
00:50:41.61\00:50:45.61
Beware of the mutilation,
you got to hang in there.
00:50:45.64\00:50:48.94
"For we are the circumcision,
who worship God in Spirit
00:50:48.97\00:50:51.11
and rejoice in Christ Jesus,
00:50:51.14\00:50:52.36
and have how much
confidence in the flesh."
00:50:52.39\00:50:53.86
How much
confidence? "Though I might--"
00:50:53.89\00:50:56.22
Now Paul here
begins to kind of recites,
00:50:56.25\00:50:57.91
took out his chest, you know,
burst his buttons a little bit,
00:50:57.94\00:50:59.78
he begins to recite
his own spiritual resume.
00:50:59.81\00:51:02.12
You're ready, here we go.
00:51:02.15\00:51:03.55
"Though I also might
have confidence in the flesh.
00:51:03.58\00:51:06.04
If anyone else thinks
00:51:06.07\00:51:07.10
he may have confidence
in the flesh, I more so.
00:51:07.13\00:51:09.58
Circumcised the eighth
day, of the stock of Israel,
00:51:09.61\00:51:11.81
of the tribe of Benjamin,
a Hebrew of the Hebrews,
00:51:11.84\00:51:14.80
concerning the law, a Pharisee,
00:51:14.83\00:51:17.70
concerning zeal, I
persecuting the church,
00:51:17.73\00:51:19.50
concerning the righteousness
00:51:19.53\00:51:20.98
which is in the
law, I was blameless."
00:51:21.01\00:51:24.64
Paul here says,
people are coming in
00:51:24.67\00:51:25.90
and they're telling
you, yeah, Christ is good.
00:51:25.93\00:51:27.60
Yeah, Christ is important.
00:51:27.63\00:51:28.76
Yeah, righteousness by faith,
00:51:28.79\00:51:29.82
all of that stuff, but you
got to be circumcised also.
00:51:29.85\00:51:32.65
So it's Jesus plus my works.
00:51:32.68\00:51:36.79
And Paul says, if anybody could
boast about what they've done,
00:51:36.82\00:51:40.06
I could boast more
than any of these people
00:51:40.09\00:51:41.93
that are
harassing you, I could boast
00:51:41.96\00:51:43.70
and then he recites
his spiritual resume.
00:51:43.73\00:51:45.33
Now, pick it up in verse 7,
00:51:45.36\00:51:47.58
"But what
things were gain to me,
00:51:47.61\00:51:50.95
those I counted
loss for Christ."
00:51:50.98\00:51:53.95
What things does he
talking about in context,
00:51:53.98\00:51:55.96
all of that
stuff that he had done
00:51:55.99\00:51:58.06
before he had a saving
relationship with Jesus.
00:51:58.09\00:52:01.56
He says, "But what
things were gain to me,
00:52:01.59\00:52:03.07
those things that
I used to trust it."
00:52:03.10\00:52:04.74
He says, "I
counted them all but lost,
00:52:04.77\00:52:07.24
when I met Jesus on
that Damascus Road."
00:52:07.27\00:52:10.77
Look at there in verse 7,
00:52:10.80\00:52:11.83
"But what
things were gain to me,
00:52:11.86\00:52:12.89
those I counted
loss for Christ."
00:52:12.92\00:52:15.93
Yes doubtless,
I count all things
00:52:15.96\00:52:18.12
but lost for the excellency
00:52:18.15\00:52:20.14
of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus my Lord,
00:52:20.17\00:52:23.05
for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things
00:52:23.08\00:52:25.12
and do count them but dung,
00:52:25.15\00:52:29.07
that I may win
Christ and be found in Him,
00:52:29.10\00:52:31.05
not having my own righteousness
which is of the law,
00:52:31.08\00:52:33.11
but that which is
through the faith of Christ,
00:52:33.14\00:52:34.73
the righteousness
which is of God by faith.
00:52:34.76\00:52:39.71
That I may know Him and
the power of His resurrection,
00:52:39.74\00:52:41.54
and the
fellowship of His sufferings,
00:52:41.57\00:52:42.94
being made
conformed under His death,
00:52:42.97\00:52:45.00
if, by any means, I might attain
00:52:45.03\00:52:46.88
under the
resurrection of the dead.
00:52:46.91\00:52:47.96
Not as though I
have already attain,
00:52:47.99\00:52:49.26
either we are already perfect,
00:52:49.29\00:52:50.60
but I press on if
that I may apprehend
00:52:50.63\00:52:53.53
that for which also I
apprehended of Christ Jesus.
00:52:53.56\00:52:55.82
Brethren, he says, I count
not myself to have apprehended,
00:52:55.85\00:52:57.92
I'm not perfect, but
there's one thing I do.
00:52:57.95\00:52:59.74
I forget those
things that are behind."
00:52:59.77\00:53:01.15
In context what's behind?
00:53:01.18\00:53:02.97
All of his old works
that he used to trust.
00:53:03.00\00:53:04.96
You're, forgetting
those things which are behind
00:53:04.99\00:53:06.63
and reaching forward into
those things that are before.
00:53:06.66\00:53:08.71
I press on toward the mark
00:53:08.74\00:53:10.37
of the price of the high calling
00:53:10.40\00:53:11.86
of God in Jesus Christ. Amen.
00:53:11.89\00:53:16.11
Now let's rewind.
00:53:16.14\00:53:20.15
Let's rewind and go
look at verse there,
00:53:20.18\00:53:22.84
that is so strong so as
to almost be unbelievable.
00:53:22.87\00:53:28.08
Now I'm reading here
from the New King James.
00:53:28.11\00:53:29.97
I recited there
from the King James,
00:53:30.00\00:53:31.59
but let's look at verse 8.
00:53:31.62\00:53:33.02
"Yes indeed, I also
count all things but loss
00:53:33.05\00:53:34.58
for the
excellency of the knowledge
00:53:34.61\00:53:35.64
of Christ Jesus my Lord,
00:53:35.67\00:53:36.70
for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things,
00:53:36.73\00:53:37.95
and do count them as rubbish."
00:53:37.98\00:53:41.32
Any other versions
out there read rubbish.
00:53:41.35\00:53:45.15
Raise your hands if
your Bible says, rubbish.
00:53:45.18\00:53:47.19
Let me tell you that is rubbish.
00:53:47.22\00:53:50.00
Because the word is dung
00:53:50.03\00:53:53.07
and the translators
of the New King James
00:53:53.10\00:53:55.14
did not want to offend
our finer sensibilities.
00:53:55.17\00:53:58.90
And so they
said, you know rubbish.
00:53:58.93\00:54:02.02
That's not what Paul said.
00:54:02.05\00:54:04.10
Paul said, all of that
stuff that I was trusting in,
00:54:04.13\00:54:06.68
before I came
to faith in Christ.
00:54:06.71\00:54:08.22
Before I realize that
it is Jesus death alone
00:54:08.25\00:54:10.92
that can recommend me to God.
00:54:10.95\00:54:12.04
All of that stuff I
was trusting it before,
00:54:12.07\00:54:13.61
he says, it's all dung.
00:54:13.64\00:54:16.46
You know, what dung is?
00:54:16.49\00:54:19.24
Do you have dung in Tennessee?
00:54:19.27\00:54:22.82
I'm from Wyoming.
And we have lots of dung.
00:54:22.85\00:54:26.01
We have more dung
than people in Wyoming.
00:54:26.04\00:54:29.30
There's dung every where.
00:54:29.33\00:54:30.80
Okay, so you know
what dung is, right, okay.
00:54:30.83\00:54:34.28
Dung is dodo, okay.
00:54:34.31\00:54:40.63
So let's put it together then.
00:54:42.74\00:54:43.84
What's Paul saying, you
know what Paul is saying.
00:54:43.87\00:54:45.50
Paul is saying, before
I came to faith in Christ,
00:54:45.53\00:54:48.69
before I realize that the
true ground of my acceptance
00:54:48.72\00:54:50.92
with God is what Jesus has done
00:54:50.95\00:54:52.44
and not what I do,
00:54:52.47\00:54:53.65
that the locus of
the Christian faith
00:54:53.68\00:54:55.78
is not with me, it's with God.
00:54:55.81\00:54:58.11
He said, before I knew that,
I was trusting in all of my do,
00:54:58.14\00:55:01.96
but now I
discovered that my do is dodo.
00:55:01.99\00:55:04.73
You won't forget that one.
00:55:13.97\00:55:15.39
You love him.
00:55:20.79\00:55:22.07
Isaiah says our righteousness's
are as filthy rags.
00:55:26.47\00:55:31.04
Notice with me
that Isaiah does not say
00:55:31.07\00:55:32.67
all righteousness
is as filthy rags.
00:55:32.70\00:55:37.81
He said, our righteousness's
are as filthy rags.
00:55:37.84\00:55:44.53
You do need a righteousness
that will enable you to stand
00:55:44.56\00:55:48.82
in the sight of a Holy
God without a mediator.
00:55:48.85\00:55:51.08
You are going to
need that righteousness.
00:55:51.11\00:55:55.25
I don't trust that
you're filthy rags.
00:55:55.28\00:55:58.07
They won't even get
you out of the gate.
00:55:58.10\00:56:01.54
They won't even get
your head off the pillow.
00:56:01.57\00:56:04.70
You are going to need
an infinite righteousness.
00:56:04.73\00:56:08.67
You are going to need a perfect
holiness and righteousness.
00:56:08.70\00:56:13.46
You think where am I
ever gonna get such a thing?
00:56:13.49\00:56:15.28
You know, where
you're gonna get it?
00:56:15.31\00:56:16.35
You're gonna get it
at the foot of the cross.
00:56:16.38\00:56:21.42
When you say, Jesus,
I lay all of my do here
00:56:21.45\00:56:26.92
and I accept what You have done.
00:56:26.95\00:56:32.38
The heart and soul
of the Christian faith
00:56:32.41\00:56:34.38
beloved is not
primarily about what you do
00:56:34.41\00:56:38.43
but about what God
has done and as you know.
00:56:38.46\00:56:44.41
Is obedience important?
00:56:44.44\00:56:45.55
Absolutely, of course,
00:56:45.58\00:56:46.61
we're gonna talk about
obedience tomorrow morning.
00:56:46.64\00:56:47.92
There's no question
obedience is very important,
00:56:47.95\00:56:50.57
absolutely
important and even essential
00:56:50.60\00:56:52.62
but obedience has to be
put in its right context
00:56:52.65\00:56:55.98
or our do becomes dodo.
00:56:56.01\00:56:58.71
The message of
righteousness by faith
00:57:05.27\00:57:09.84
is the core of the Seventh-day
Adventist message. Amen.
00:57:09.87\00:57:13.94
People were
writing to Ellen White
00:57:13.97\00:57:15.08
and they're saying Ellen White,
the Three Angels' Messages,
00:57:15.11\00:57:19.32
how does righteousness by faith
00:57:19.35\00:57:20.89
factor into the
Three Angels' Messages
00:57:20.92\00:57:22.44
and she wrote back
without equivocation
00:57:22.47\00:57:23.93
and she said
righteousness by faith
00:57:23.96\00:57:27.11
is the Three
Angels' Messages in verity.
00:57:27.14\00:57:32.22
Beloved, the cornerstone of
Adventism is not the Sabbath.
00:57:32.25\00:57:37.15
The Sabbath is
an important part,
00:57:37.18\00:57:38.63
nobody would deny that.
00:57:38.66\00:57:40.26
The core of
Seventh-day Adventism
00:57:40.29\00:57:42.22
is biblical Christianity
00:57:42.25\00:57:43.56
and the core of
biblical Christianity is faith,
00:57:43.59\00:57:46.75
trusting God to
do what God has said
00:57:46.78\00:57:49.78
and trusting and believing
that Jesus died for your sins
00:57:49.81\00:57:53.60
and His death, His burial
00:57:53.63\00:57:55.02
and His resurrection
was the death you deserved
00:57:55.05\00:57:57.37
was the burial that you deserve
00:57:57.40\00:57:58.76
and His resurrection can
become your resurrection.
00:57:58.79\00:58:03.64
It's the righteousness
that you can't acquire
00:58:03.67\00:58:08.23
by believing.
00:58:08.26\00:58:09.69
Many of our young people
and do not tell me for a moment
00:58:12.94\00:58:16.39
that I'm just whistle Dixie.
00:58:16.42\00:58:18.56
I've done too
many weeks of prayers,
00:58:18.59\00:58:20.29
I've sat down
with too many triad,
00:58:20.32\00:58:22.10
academy students and too many
triad Adventist young people,
00:58:22.13\00:58:25.48
who told me in
the plainest language,
00:58:25.51\00:58:27.19
they never understood
00:58:27.22\00:58:28.61
the principle of
righteousness by faith.
00:58:28.64\00:58:31.77
That is a crime.
00:58:31.80\00:58:37.68
If our young people
are gonna leave the church,
00:58:37.71\00:58:39.44
we need to let them. Amen.
00:58:39.47\00:58:43.09
They want to leave the
church, we need to let them,
00:58:43.12\00:58:44.64
God lets them, we need
to honor their commitment
00:58:44.67\00:58:46.87
but let's not let them
leave the church on a pretense.
00:58:46.90\00:58:51.07
They need to
hear the truth. Amen.
00:58:51.10\00:58:54.39
Don't for a
moment let them think
00:58:54.42\00:58:56.10
that they're turning
their back on a church.
00:58:56.13\00:58:57.61
They're not turning
their back on a church,
00:58:57.64\00:58:59.11
they're turning their
back on their Savior. Amen.
00:58:59.14\00:59:04.50
It's not all about
having your name in the books,
00:59:04.53\00:59:06.76
it's not all about being at the
right educational institution.
00:59:06.79\00:59:09.76
It's about trusting Jesus
Christ as your personal Savior.
00:59:09.79\00:59:14.16
That is the core
of what it means to be
00:59:14.19\00:59:15.88
a Seventh-day
Adventist, beloved.
00:59:15.91\00:59:17.24
Are there other
idiosyncratic things
00:59:17.27\00:59:19.18
in the
Seventh-day Adventist faith?
00:59:19.21\00:59:20.24
Yes, there are and
there are all important
00:59:20.27\00:59:22.06
but let's not mistake,
00:59:22.09\00:59:23.62
let's not make
the terrible mistake
00:59:23.65\00:59:24.86
of taking the accouterments
of Seventh-day Adventism
00:59:24.89\00:59:28.27
and making it the core.
00:59:28.30\00:59:30.85
We don't want a
major in the minors
00:59:30.88\00:59:32.22
and minor in the majors.
00:59:32.25\00:59:34.44
We got to keep
Jesus right in the center,
00:59:34.47\00:59:36.92
someone say, amen. Amen.
00:59:36.95\00:59:38.87
Because it's much easier
to walk away from a church
00:59:38.90\00:59:40.74
than to just
walk away from Jesus.
00:59:40.77\00:59:42.35