Happy Sabbath. Happy Sabbath.
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It's good to be
alive, amen. Amen.
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So much better
than the alternative.
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Amen. Amen.
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I am happy to be
alive this morning
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and more than that I am
happy to be alive in Jesus.
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And it is a good
thing to look out
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and see all of
your smiling faces.
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Are you
"gladventists", this morning?
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Amen. Amen.
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I am looking forward to
our presentation this morning.
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I thought it will be well for
us to just spend a few moments
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in review that is
sort of recapitulating
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what we have
learned up to this point.
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In our first presentation we
learned that life is a wager,
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that life is a bet.
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And that you can
evaluate any wager,
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any bet by that
three-tiered formula.
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What is the size of
the price to be gain?
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What is the size
of the risk involved
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and what are your
chances of actually gaining
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the promised price?
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We talked about a
man name Blaise Pascal
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and Pascal said
that only the fool
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would chose to
live the godless life
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because the size of the price
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that is eternal life
is an actual infinite
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and of course as a mathematician
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he was very interested in that.
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The size of the risk
involved is non existent
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because in order to demonstrate
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that there is a risk in
the Christian experience,
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you would have to show
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that the quantity or quality
of the life of the Christian
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is somehow inferior
to the non-believer.
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But I am here to
tell you this morning
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with all of the enthusiasm
and vigor that I can muster
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that my life has
been exponentially better,
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more satisfying, more
substantive and meaningful
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since my conversion to
Christ than it was before.
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Can someone say, amen? Amen.
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And so the size of
the price is infinite,
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the size of the
risk is non existent.
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In fact there's
actually a benefit to be gained
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by entering into
this gospel wager
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and then of course the best
news of all, the third point,
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what are the chances of actually
gaining the promise price.
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And what are the chances? 100%.
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Jesus Himself said,
"For God so love the world
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that He gave His
only begotten Son that--"
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what's the next word?
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"Whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish."
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In other words
everyone qualifies
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if you can but believe.
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And so in our
opening presentation
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we saw that this thing called
Christianity is very credible
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but even more than
credibility it is livable.
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There are many things that have
the appearance of credibility
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but are not livable.
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The great central
truth of the Christian faith
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is not just that it's
intellectually credible
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and that it's
existentially credible
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but that you can
actually live it.
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It make sense, it allows you
to look at the world around you
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and compartmentalize
all of the various streams
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of information
that are coming in.
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I freak-- I frankly
do not know how people
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who are not Christians
can maintain their sanity
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in this world that is
falling apart at the scenes.
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And so in our
opening presentation
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we saw that
Christianity is credible
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and that there is no risk,
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no actual risk involved
in taking Jesus at His word.
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Our second presentation, we
looked at the issue of worth.
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The issue of
what, everyone? Worth.
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And you remember that
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really the central
feature of the idea of worth
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is that worth is subjective.
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It is what,
everyone? Subjective.
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Another way of saying that is,
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the one who is willing to
pay the price for a given object
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is the one who
determines what that is worth.
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A $5,000 sports coat,
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you remember the
analogy is not worth it to me.
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There are many
things that are worth
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various monetary expenditures
but that would not be worth.
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In another words,
what I get in exchange
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is not sufficient enough for me
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to justify
spending that kind of money.
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So what are you worth?
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Well, the answer is
that there was a man
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who was walking through a field,
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Jesus said, the kingdom
of heaven is like the man
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walking through a field
and he finds there a treasure.
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What does he find
everyone? He finds a treasure.
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And when he finds that treasure,
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he's so thrilled
with that treasure,
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so overjoyed with that treasure,
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that he
liquidates all of his assets,
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so he can attain that field
that contains that treasure.
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And we say what does this mean?
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Well, what it means is
that when we find Jesus,
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we give it all up for Jesus.
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When we find the gospel, we
give it all up for the gospel
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and that is in fact
what the parable is teaching
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but it's not all that
the parable is teaching.
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Can someone say, amen? Amen.
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More importantly is not
the treasure that we find
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but the
treasure that Jesus found
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when He found you in
that out of the way field.
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Jesus looks down there
and He sees a treasure,
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He stubs His toes so
to speak on something,
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He knows it's not a
rock, He knows it's not a root
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and He looks down
and He investigates
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to see what that treasure
is and the treasure is you.
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Now He knows that it
will cost Him how much?
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How much will it cost Him?
It will cost Him everything.
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But he purchased it anyway
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which means that
God has established
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your worth and your value.
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Now here's something
very exciting about that.
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Your worth and your value
are established independent
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of how you feel about yourself.
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Did you pick up
on that, yes or no?
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Your worth and your value
are established independent
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of how you feel about yourself.
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You might say, I don't
feel like I am worth xyz,
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fill in the blank but
how you feel about it,
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frankly doesn't matter at all.
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The fact of the matter is
that God paid an infinite price,
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in fact the
ultimate price for you
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and the price paid for you
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determines your
worth in the eyes of God.
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Amen. Amen.
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Now the great thing about
all of this I suppose is that
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when God paid an
infinitely high price for us
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because He is omniscient,
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that is to say
He knows everything,
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He knew what He was getting.
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God did not purchase you
and then looked under the hood
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so to speak and
say, "Uh, I didn't--
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this is not at all what
I thought I was getting."
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He knew. He knew
exactly what you were.
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He knew your failures and
your foibles, your faults,
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your inconsistencies,
your hypocrisies.
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He knew it all and He still paid
an infinitely high price for you
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while you were a sinner.
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Someone say, amen. Amen.
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Now that was our
second presentation.
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You are worth, that is the great
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central truth of
the Christian faith
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that God
condescendingly become a man
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but not just to become
a man but to die as a man
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so that He could redeem
His purchased possession
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and save eternally those
who would exercise faith.
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And that was last
night's presentation.
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What was the title of
last night's presentation,
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very complicated?
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Do. That's right, do.
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And we learned
last night that our do
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if not placed in
its proper context
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becomes what? Dodo.
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The central feature
of the Christian faith
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is not
primarily or predominantly
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about what I do but about
what Jesus did and is doing.
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And we divided, some would say,
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you know, over generalize
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but for the
purposes of our illustration
00:08:09.72\00:08:10.92
last night it worked.
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We divided all
non Christian faiths
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from Christianity and we
asked the central question.
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What is the
single scarlet thread
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that separates this from those
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and the answer is over
here in the final analysis,
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it is something that I do
that recommends me to God.
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It is something that I do
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that causes God to
look upon me with favor,
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so the locus of salvation
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for you theologians
would be centered in me.
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I initiate God's
happiness with me
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but over here the
locus of salvation is in God.
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God is the initiator and we
respond to God's gracious act.
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Amen. Powerful.
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Desire of the Ages, page 25,
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one of my all time
favorite quotations
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from the
writings of Ellen white.
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Christ was treated as we deserve
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that we might be
treated as He deserved.
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He was condemned for our sins
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in which He had no share
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that we might be
justified by His righteousness
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in which we had no share.
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He suffered the
death which was ours
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that we might receive
the life which is His,
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with His stripes we are healed.
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That was last
night's presentation,
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so that basically
brings us up to speed.
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What we want to
address this morning
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is this important
question of how do I do it.
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I believe
presentation number one,
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the Christianity is credible
and there's no risk involved.
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I believe
presentation number two
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that God has placed an
infinite value on my life
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knowing all of my foibles,
fault and inconsistencies.
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I believe
presentation number three
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and that is that the central
truth of the Christian faith
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is what Jesus has done
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and not primarily
about what I have done.
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But in the final
analysis if it doesn't work,
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it might look good on paper
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but if we can't make
it work in our lives,
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we are not going to be able
to institute these great truths
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that we intellectually believe.
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Are we all on the
same page, yes or no?
00:10:00.30\00:10:02.13
So how do we make it work?
00:10:02.16\00:10:03.26
How do I stay fresh with Jesus?
00:10:03.30\00:10:07.27
In fact I had one of the young
people approach me last night
00:10:07.30\00:10:09.44
and he said you
know, Pastor Asscherick,
00:10:09.47\00:10:10.81
I believe what you've said
00:10:10.84\00:10:11.87
and I resonate
with what you have said
00:10:11.91\00:10:13.51
but what I want to know
is how do I keep it real,
00:10:13.54\00:10:15.98
how do I keep it fresh,
not just once every week,
00:10:16.01\00:10:18.61
not just once every two months,
00:10:18.65\00:10:20.15
not just once
every three months.
00:10:20.18\00:10:22.02
I am tired of these
roller coaster rides
00:10:22.05\00:10:24.22
up and down, and up and down.
00:10:24.25\00:10:25.45
I am on fire and
then I am in the lows
00:10:25.49\00:10:26.99
and I am on fire and
then I am in the low.
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How do I keep it real?
Do you want to know that?
00:10:28.29\00:10:33.09
Well, I think I figured it out.
And I've got very good news.
00:10:33.13\00:10:37.47
It's not rocket science.
00:10:37.50\00:10:40.50
Open your Bibles
with me to John 15.
00:10:40.54\00:10:43.47
Our presentation this morning
is almost as easy to remember
00:10:43.51\00:10:47.81
as last night's
presentation, almost.
00:10:47.84\00:10:51.21
Our presentation this morning
is entitled, again one word
00:10:51.25\00:10:54.82
but this time
more letters, "Abide."
00:10:54.85\00:10:58.95
What is it everyone?
00:10:58.99\00:11:00.62
Abide. John 15.
00:11:00.66\00:11:03.43
Let's go there
together, John 15.
00:11:03.46\00:11:06.93
Our presentation
is entitled simply
00:11:06.96\00:11:09.70
yet profoundly, Abide.
00:11:09.73\00:11:13.67
What we are going to do is
00:11:13.70\00:11:14.80
really study through the
first eight verses of John 15
00:11:14.84\00:11:18.74
and we are going to pay
particular attention to verse 3
00:11:18.77\00:11:20.98
but let's just read
through the first eight verses
00:11:21.01\00:11:23.78
to sort of get an airplane
overview of the passage.
00:11:23.81\00:11:26.85
Now this is for many
of us a familiar passage.
00:11:26.88\00:11:29.62
And it's always a
dangerous thing for a preacher
00:11:29.65\00:11:32.19
to preach on a familiar passage
00:11:32.22\00:11:34.49
because people think
they know the passage.
00:11:34.52\00:11:36.89
But be very careful
that you don't ever become
00:11:36.93\00:11:39.09
so familiar with the Bible
00:11:39.13\00:11:40.66
that you think you know
everything about a given passage
00:11:40.70\00:11:42.96
even very familiar
passages like John 3:16.
00:11:43.00\00:11:46.37
There are gems of
truth to be uncovered inside
00:11:46.40\00:11:49.24
of even the most
familiar versus in scripture.
00:11:49.27\00:11:51.04
Can you say, amen? Amen.
00:11:51.07\00:11:52.57
So please do your best to
sort of disabuse your mind
00:11:52.61\00:11:55.38
of what you think you know
about this morning's passage
00:11:55.41\00:11:58.15
and let's take a fresh look
00:11:58.18\00:11:59.65
at this verse of
scripture, these verses.
00:11:59.68\00:12:02.12
John 15, beginning in verse 1,
00:12:02.15\00:12:05.09
Jesus says, "I am the true vine,
00:12:05.12\00:12:08.29
and My Father
is the vinedresser.
00:12:08.32\00:12:11.13
Every branch in Me that does
not bear fruit He takes away
00:12:11.16\00:12:15.10
and every branch that
bears fruit He prunes,
00:12:15.13\00:12:17.67
that it may
bear--" what? "More fruit."
00:12:17.70\00:12:20.97
Verse 3, "You are already clean
00:12:21.00\00:12:22.77
because of the word
which I have spoken to you.
00:12:22.80\00:12:24.44
Abide in Me, and I in you.
00:12:24.47\00:12:26.54
As the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself,
00:12:26.57\00:12:28.48
unless it abides in the vine,
00:12:28.51\00:12:29.88
neither can you,
unless you abide in Me.
00:12:29.91\00:12:32.98
I am the vine,
you are the branches.
00:12:33.01\00:12:35.78
He who abides in
Me, and I in him,
00:12:35.82\00:12:37.49
bears much fruit for without Me
you can do--" what? "Nothing."
00:12:37.52\00:12:41.39
Verse 6, "If anyone
does not abide in Me,
00:12:41.42\00:12:43.73
he is cast out as a
branch and is withered
00:12:43.76\00:12:45.93
and they gather them and
throw them into the fire,
00:12:45.96\00:12:47.86
and they are burned.
00:12:47.86\00:12:49.26
If you abide in Me,
and My words abide in you,
00:12:49.30\00:12:52.07
you will ask what you desire,
and it shall be done for you.
00:12:52.10\00:12:55.17
By this is My
Father is glorified,
00:12:55.20\00:12:57.04
that you bear much fruit
so you will be My disciples."
00:12:57.07\00:13:01.91
Now if you are going to
take this passage of scripture
00:13:01.94\00:13:05.58
and you are going to
distill it down to a single word
00:13:05.61\00:13:08.28
to it's most
fundamental element,
00:13:08.32\00:13:10.05
what would that
word be? Peace of cake.
00:13:10.09\00:13:12.35
What would it be everyone?
Would be the word, abide.
00:13:12.39\00:13:14.66
Jesus uses that
some eight or nine,
00:13:14.69\00:13:16.42
perhaps even 10
times in this passage.
00:13:16.46\00:13:18.36
He says, "Abide, abide,
abide, abide, abide, abide.'
00:13:18.39\00:13:23.43
Now, is anyone here
this morning reading from
00:13:23.47\00:13:25.63
the New International
Version of the Bible?
00:13:25.67\00:13:27.80
Okay. Anyone?
Raise your hands. Okay.
00:13:27.84\00:13:30.54
What does is
your Bible say there?
00:13:30.57\00:13:32.34
It doesn't use the
word abide, does it?
00:13:32.37\00:13:33.81
What does it
say? It says remain.
00:13:33.84\00:13:37.68
You look that word abide up
00:13:37.71\00:13:39.75
and what the word abide means
00:13:39.78\00:13:41.32
is to remain or
better yet, to stay put.
00:13:41.35\00:13:45.85
It means what
everyone? Stay put. Stay there.
00:13:45.89\00:13:51.56
The essence of the
word abide is don't move,
00:13:51.59\00:13:55.36
stay where you are, remain
where you are. Abide in me.
00:13:55.40\00:14:00.30
Jesus says that some
eight or nine or ten times.
00:14:00.34\00:14:02.87
Stay there, stay
there, stay there, stay there.
00:14:02.90\00:14:07.44
Remain where you are, remain
where you are, do not move.
00:14:07.48\00:14:12.15
Now there's an important
00:14:12.18\00:14:15.82
grammatical and
theological point
00:14:15.85\00:14:18.25
to understand
about the word abide
00:14:18.29\00:14:20.42
and it's very simple,
very easily understood.
00:14:20.46\00:14:24.19
You cannot abide
where you're not.
00:14:24.23\00:14:30.87
Amen. Amen.
00:14:30.90\00:14:32.97
Okay, this group is
having little trouble with that.
00:14:33.00\00:14:36.24
Let's try that again.
00:14:36.27\00:14:37.14
Okay, you cannot
abide where you aren't.
00:14:37.17\00:14:40.41
You understand that? Yeah.
00:14:40.44\00:14:42.01
Okay, they got
it. Praise the Lord.
00:14:42.04\00:14:43.48
How are my A
students doing? Okay.
00:14:43.51\00:14:47.25
Okay? Okay.
00:14:47.28\00:14:50.15
Well, these are the
sheep on the right hand
00:14:50.19\00:14:53.86
and these are the
goats on the left.
00:14:53.89\00:14:56.96
Of course from your
perspective you are the sheep
00:14:56.99\00:15:00.30
and they are the goats.
00:15:00.33\00:15:02.03
But we are all
sinners saved by grace.
00:15:02.06\00:15:03.30
Someone say, amen. Amen.
00:15:03.33\00:15:04.97
The A students as
well as the non-A students.
00:15:05.00\00:15:10.44
So the idea of the word
abide is to remain, to stay put.
00:15:10.47\00:15:14.88
So we would say
linguistically soundly,
00:15:14.91\00:15:17.98
grammatically
soundly that you cannot,
00:15:18.01\00:15:20.18
listen very carefully here,
the words are purposely chosen.
00:15:20.22\00:15:22.78
You cannot continue to abide
00:15:22.82\00:15:25.89
where you do not
presently reside.
00:15:25.92\00:15:30.39
Amen. Amen.
00:15:30.43\00:15:31.93
That would be an
exercise in futility,
00:15:31.96\00:15:33.80
its not grammatically
sound, it's not logically sound
00:15:33.83\00:15:35.86
and it's not
theologically sound.
00:15:35.90\00:15:37.60
You cannot continue to stay
00:15:37.63\00:15:39.50
where you are if you
are not there. Right?
00:15:39.53\00:15:44.94
I get lost very easily, right.
00:15:44.97\00:15:48.14
My wife, she has
fantastic navigatorial skills.
00:15:48.18\00:15:52.78
I need to appreciate
that, navigational skills.
00:15:52.81\00:15:55.78
And she's one of these people
00:15:55.82\00:15:56.95
that can go
through a city one time
00:15:56.99\00:15:58.82
and she just has
some sort of awareness
00:15:58.85\00:16:00.92
of where things are.
00:16:00.96\00:16:02.19
First time in the city and she
can find me a Thai restaurant.
00:16:02.22\00:16:05.89
I don't know how she does that.
00:16:05.93\00:16:06.96
She is like...
00:16:07.00\00:16:10.13
She can just get there, okay.
00:16:10.17\00:16:11.67
So she just has tremendous
sense of awareness, right.
00:16:11.70\00:16:15.47
Now you get her in the
woods and she's lost, right.
00:16:15.50\00:16:18.31
She's instantaneously lost.
00:16:18.34\00:16:19.57
Just turning in
circles, you know.
00:16:19.61\00:16:21.64
I don't know what it is.
00:16:21.68\00:16:23.61
But me, I am directionally
challenge, very much so
00:16:23.65\00:16:26.45
and I sometimes drive by the
turn to my own house. No joke.
00:16:26.48\00:16:31.42
Frequently, in
fact just a few days ago
00:16:31.45\00:16:33.46
I was driving from the airport
00:16:33.49\00:16:35.76
and I realize
that I was in familiar,
00:16:35.79\00:16:39.19
I was in territory
rather that looked unfamiliar.
00:16:39.23\00:16:42.20
And I thought well this
doesn't quite look right.
00:16:42.23\00:16:44.43
And I started
looking at the exit signs,
00:16:44.47\00:16:46.27
I have driven 40 miles
past my exit. True story.
00:16:46.30\00:16:53.11
And I was like,
how did I just do that?
00:16:53.14\00:16:56.24
Where was my brain?
00:16:56.28\00:16:58.08
I am very confused about this.
00:16:58.11\00:17:01.65
So I am one of
those people, all right.
00:17:01.68\00:17:03.05
So I go to the big
malls and you know,
00:17:03.08\00:17:06.05
I want to find a place you know,
00:17:06.09\00:17:07.62
I don't know whatever it is,
00:17:07.66\00:17:08.69
a specific place perhaps to eat
00:17:08.72\00:17:10.19
or to buy some
clothes or something
00:17:10.23\00:17:11.43
and they have those, you know,
00:17:11.46\00:17:12.46
those boards with
those big schematic drawings,
00:17:12.49\00:17:14.76
you know, top down
architecture looking drawings
00:17:14.83\00:17:16.90
and there's the red dot
there that says, "You are here."
00:17:16.93\00:17:20.64
You know what I
am talking about.
00:17:20.67\00:17:22.87
You know what I
always think when I see that,
00:17:22.90\00:17:23.81
I think to myself,
I've always been here.
00:17:23.84\00:17:27.08
And this is not new information
00:17:27.11\00:17:28.48
and there's never
been a time in my life
00:17:28.51\00:17:29.64
where I wasn't here.
00:17:29.68\00:17:31.68
So you are here and
you got a kind of you know,
00:17:31.71\00:17:34.22
figure out, okay.
00:17:34.25\00:17:35.62
You sort of put it all together.
00:17:35.65\00:17:38.02
The idea of the word abide
is that you are in a place,
00:17:38.05\00:17:43.59
now stay there.
00:17:43.63\00:17:46.43
You cannot
continue to abide in a place
00:17:46.46\00:17:50.13
that you do not
presently, what? Reside.
00:17:50.17\00:17:52.70
So if I say to
you, this afternoon,
00:17:52.73\00:17:56.37
following this
morning presentation
00:17:56.40\00:17:58.64
I would like to
invite you for a few moments
00:17:58.67\00:18:00.61
to abide here in this gymnasium.
00:18:00.64\00:18:04.75
Is that an option that will
be available to you, yes or no?
00:18:04.78\00:18:06.88
Yes. Absolutely.
00:18:06.92\00:18:07.95
Because you are already here,
00:18:07.98\00:18:09.22
so you can
continue to abide here
00:18:09.25\00:18:11.15
because you are here.
00:18:11.19\00:18:12.52
If however I said,
00:18:12.55\00:18:13.62
immediately following
this morning's presentation,
00:18:13.66\00:18:15.62
I would like to invite you
00:18:15.66\00:18:16.96
to abide with me
in Orlando, Florida.
00:18:16.99\00:18:21.76
Could you abide this afternoon
00:18:21.80\00:18:23.83
immediately
after this presentation
00:18:23.87\00:18:25.30
in Atlanta, Florida, yes or no?
00:18:25.33\00:18:26.57
Correct, Orlando, Florida,
00:18:26.60\00:18:27.67
Atlanta,
Georgia, Orlando, Florida,
00:18:27.70\00:18:29.90
see, you know, I am
directionally challenged.
00:18:29.94\00:18:34.58
Would that be an
option, yes or no?
00:18:34.61\00:18:36.28
No. No.
00:18:36.31\00:18:37.35
you couldn't abide there
because you are not there.
00:18:37.38\00:18:40.58
So Jesus says some
ten times in His passage,
00:18:40.62\00:18:43.05
abide, abide, abide,
abide, abide, abide, abide.
00:18:43.08\00:18:46.45
Stay put, stay there.
00:18:46.49\00:18:49.89
Now let's go
back to the passage.
00:18:49.92\00:18:51.79
And what we are going to
do is we are going to read now
00:18:51.83\00:18:53.70
just through the first
three verses of this scripture.
00:18:53.73\00:18:57.17
Okay, just verses
one, two and three.
00:18:57.20\00:18:59.37
And notice with me what
word is conspicuously absent.
00:18:59.40\00:19:05.81
John 15, beginning in verse 1,
00:19:05.84\00:19:08.84
"I am the true vine, My
Father is the vinedresser.
00:19:08.88\00:19:11.15
Every branch in Me that does
not bear fruit He takes away
00:19:11.18\00:19:13.98
and every branch that
bears fruit He prunes it,
00:19:14.02\00:19:16.15
that it may bear more fruit.
00:19:16.18\00:19:18.25
You are already
clean because of the word
00:19:18.29\00:19:20.69
which I have spoken to you."
00:19:20.72\00:19:24.39
What word is noticeably absent?
00:19:24.43\00:19:26.36
Abide. Yeah, the word, abide.
00:19:26.39\00:19:27.40
But what's the
first word of verse 4?
00:19:27.46\00:19:29.83
Abide. Abide. Okay.
00:19:29.86\00:19:31.40
So, Jesus has to first tell them
00:19:31.43\00:19:34.27
where they are before He
can tell them to stay there.
00:19:34.30\00:19:38.41
Does that make sense, yes or no?
00:19:38.44\00:19:40.04
In other words, Jesus has
to first give them confidence
00:19:40.08\00:19:43.08
in their present
tense position in Christ
00:19:43.11\00:19:46.08
before He can exhort
them to stay in that place.
00:19:46.11\00:19:50.62
The key to understanding
this whole passage is verse 3.
00:19:50.65\00:19:55.62
Jesus says, you
are already clean
00:19:55.66\00:20:00.10
because of the word
which I have spoken to you.
00:20:00.13\00:20:03.80
Jesus is speaking
here to His disciples.
00:20:03.83\00:20:07.44
Now in the English language
we can use the word "You"
00:20:07.47\00:20:12.04
to refer to either a singularity
or a plurality. Okay.
00:20:12.07\00:20:15.68
So I can be
speaking to one person,
00:20:15.71\00:20:17.58
say his name is
Mathew and I can say,
00:20:17.61\00:20:19.18
you know, Mathew, I like to
go out to lunch with you. Okay.
00:20:19.21\00:20:23.22
Does that make sense
grammatically, yes or no? Sure.
00:20:23.25\00:20:26.49
But I can also be
speaking to a larger group,
00:20:26.52\00:20:28.52
say four, five,
six or more people
00:20:28.56\00:20:30.26
and I can say to them, hey,
00:20:30.29\00:20:31.63
why don't you
come over to my house.
00:20:31.66\00:20:34.46
Would they
understand that it's mean
00:20:34.46\00:20:35.76
all of them can
come over to my house?
00:20:35.80\00:20:37.43
Sure they would.
00:20:37.47\00:20:38.40
So in English
language, we have the "You"
00:20:38.43\00:20:40.60
that is both singular and
plural depending on context.
00:20:40.64\00:20:44.14
In the Greek you have a
specific "You" for the singular
00:20:44.17\00:20:47.54
and another
"You" for the plural.
00:20:47.58\00:20:49.58
When Jesus says here,
you are all already clean,
00:20:49.61\00:20:53.85
this is in the-- guess
what? Plural or singular?
00:20:53.88\00:20:56.35
Plural. It's in the plural.
00:20:56.38\00:20:57.52
So Jesus is
speaking to His disciples
00:20:57.55\00:20:59.12
and we would
substitute the word,
00:20:59.15\00:21:01.06
we would insert the word,
00:21:01.09\00:21:02.02
you are all already
clean through the word
00:21:02.06\00:21:06.43
that I have spoken to you.
00:21:06.46\00:21:09.43
Now I want you
to notice with me,
00:21:09.46\00:21:10.80
not just the
plurality of the verse
00:21:10.83\00:21:12.57
but notice that Jesus
uses the word "already."
00:21:12.60\00:21:17.11
What does the
word "already" mean?
00:21:17.14\00:21:20.08
What is that word mean?
00:21:20.11\00:21:22.58
Is that something
that's going to happen,
00:21:22.61\00:21:24.08
is happening or has happened?
00:21:24.11\00:21:26.18
Something that has
happened, that's exactly right.
00:21:26.21\00:21:27.65
So if my wife says to
me, "Sweetie, please pick up
00:21:27.68\00:21:29.72
such and such from
the grocery store."
00:21:29.75\00:21:31.75
If I say, "Sweetie, I've already
been to the grocery store
00:21:31.79\00:21:34.19
and I've got those groceries."
00:21:34.22\00:21:35.52
She knows, I've
been there in the past
00:21:35.56\00:21:37.43
and mission is
accomplished already.
00:21:37.46\00:21:40.53
Jesus says, you are
already, past tense.
00:21:40.56\00:21:44.70
And what's the next word?
What is the word everyone?
00:21:44.73\00:21:48.54
Clean as oppose to dirty.
Clean as oppose to impure.
00:21:48.57\00:21:55.68
You are all already clean,
00:21:55.71\00:21:58.98
and then He says
something very interesting,
00:21:59.01\00:22:01.25
because of the word
that I've spoken to you.
00:22:01.28\00:22:06.49
What word is that?
00:22:06.52\00:22:09.32
I wonder, I wonder
what He's talking about.
00:22:09.36\00:22:11.83
Here Jesus
speaking to His disciples,
00:22:11.86\00:22:14.10
He says, you are
all already clean
00:22:14.13\00:22:16.43
because of the word
that I've spoken to you.
00:22:16.46\00:22:17.93
Well, what word is
He talking about here?
00:22:17.97\00:22:21.54
Well, commentators are
not agreed on this, okay.
00:22:21.57\00:22:25.97
There are
variety of options here
00:22:26.01\00:22:27.88
but I like to share
with you this morning
00:22:27.91\00:22:28.98
what I am absolutely
confident He is referring to.
00:22:29.01\00:22:31.85
It's something that occurred
just probably two hours before.
00:22:31.88\00:22:35.95
Just two hours before He had
used this identical language.
00:22:35.98\00:22:39.89
Now, I say two hours,
it could have been four,
00:22:39.92\00:22:41.42
it could have been one
but just the few hours before
00:22:41.46\00:22:44.13
Jesus had used
this identical language
00:22:44.16\00:22:46.49
of being clean, completely clean
00:22:46.53\00:22:48.50
because of
something He had done.
00:22:48.53\00:22:50.63
Go with me to John 13.
00:22:50.67\00:22:52.27
Keep your finger in John 15,
go back two chapters to John 13.
00:22:52.30\00:22:58.37
Now, I know in your Bible
00:22:58.41\00:23:00.14
that looks like a
great big distance, right.
00:23:00.18\00:23:01.78
John 15, all the way through 14
00:23:01.81\00:23:03.88
and back to 13 but
John 13 is the last supper.
00:23:03.91\00:23:08.38
It's the what
everyone? Last supper.
00:23:08.42\00:23:09.88
So the amount of time
that transpires between John 13
00:23:09.92\00:23:12.85
where Jesus is in the upper room
00:23:12.89\00:23:13.89
and He washes
the disciple's feet
00:23:13.92\00:23:15.26
and the time He
tell His disciples
00:23:15.29\00:23:16.83
abide in Me and I in you.
00:23:16.86\00:23:18.13
The amount of time
that transpired there
00:23:18.16\00:23:19.76
could have been
as little as an hour.
00:23:19.79\00:23:21.76
Okay, it could have
been as much as you know,
00:23:21.80\00:23:23.13
maybe four or five hours
00:23:23.16\00:23:24.20
but we are talking
about a small amount of time.
00:23:24.23\00:23:27.04
So when Jesus says,
you are all already clean
00:23:27.07\00:23:30.04
through the word
that I've spoken to you,
00:23:30.07\00:23:32.04
it would have made sense to them
00:23:32.07\00:23:33.11
because He had just
used that very same language
00:23:33.14\00:23:36.18
an hour or two before.
00:23:36.21\00:23:38.65
John 13, beginning in verse 1.
00:23:38.68\00:23:40.35
Here we go, "Now before
the feast of the Passover,
00:23:40.38\00:23:43.79
when Jesus knew
that His hour had come
00:23:43.82\00:23:45.29
that He should depart
from this world to the Father,
00:23:45.32\00:23:46.96
having loved His own
who were in the world,
00:23:46.99\00:23:48.46
He loved them to the end.
00:23:48.49\00:23:50.13
And supper being ended,
the devil having already
00:23:50.16\00:23:52.03
put it into the
heart of Judas Iscariot,
00:23:52.06\00:23:53.53
Simon's son, to betray Him,
00:23:53.56\00:23:55.40
Jesus, knowing that
the Father had given
00:23:55.43\00:23:56.73
all things into His hands,
00:23:56.77\00:23:57.80
and that He had come from God
00:23:57.83\00:23:59.27
and was going to
God, rose from supper
00:23:59.30\00:24:00.87
and laid aside His garments,
00:24:00.90\00:24:01.94
and took a towel
and girded Himself.
00:24:01.97\00:24:05.11
After that, He
poured water into a basin
00:24:05.14\00:24:06.84
and began to wash
the disciples' feet,
00:24:06.88\00:24:08.51
and to wipe them with the
towel with which He was girded."
00:24:08.54\00:24:14.48
It's impossible for us,
00:24:14.52\00:24:16.22
literally impossible for
us to understand the magnitude
00:24:16.25\00:24:20.02
and frankly the magnanimity
of what is happening here.
00:24:20.06\00:24:23.53
The infinite,
illimitable God of the universe
00:24:23.56\00:24:27.03
is stooping down
to wash the dirty,
00:24:27.03\00:24:29.43
dusty, urine laden, manure
laden feet of His disciples.
00:24:29.46\00:24:36.00
In Jesus' time if
you went to visit someone
00:24:36.04\00:24:39.64
and you enter their house,
00:24:39.67\00:24:40.91
it was not uncommon for
them to have a wash basin
00:24:40.94\00:24:43.58
either just outside or
just inside of the door
00:24:43.61\00:24:45.85
in a same way that you
might have a welcome mat
00:24:45.88\00:24:47.42
just outside or
just inside of the door.
00:24:47.45\00:24:49.68
And so if you came
to this person's house,
00:24:49.72\00:24:52.32
you should wash your feet
00:24:52.35\00:24:53.79
before entering
that was just kind.
00:24:53.82\00:24:55.89
It was just a common courtesy.
00:24:55.92\00:24:57.73
If however this person's house
00:24:57.76\00:24:59.13
that you went to visit was
a person of affluence or means
00:24:59.16\00:25:01.26
and they have servants,
00:25:01.30\00:25:02.50
then frequently the servants
would come and wash your feet.
00:25:02.53\00:25:06.20
Now if there
were say six servants
00:25:06.23\00:25:09.50
and five of them were Jewish
and one of them was a Gentile,
00:25:09.54\00:25:13.24
the responsibility
of washing the feet
00:25:13.27\00:25:15.74
always revolved
upon the Gentile.
00:25:15.78\00:25:18.05
It was considered the
lowliest of the lowly duties.
00:25:18.08\00:25:21.25
And so the idea of washing
feet was not something that was,
00:25:21.28\00:25:25.99
you know, it had a
very negative connotation
00:25:26.02\00:25:28.66
in the days of Jesus.
00:25:28.69\00:25:29.72
And so the
discussion arises there
00:25:29.76\00:25:31.29
as they are preparing
for the Passover meal,
00:25:31.33\00:25:33.06
the last supper, the
feet need to be washed.
00:25:33.09\00:25:34.50
The discussion
arises, who is going to do it?
00:25:34.56\00:25:38.03
Nobody wants to do it.
00:25:38.07\00:25:39.70
I mean, it would
be the equivalent
00:25:39.73\00:25:41.87
in our day of
cleaning the toilets, right.
00:25:41.90\00:25:44.44
Get a bunch of the theology
students together and say,
00:25:44.47\00:25:46.17
you know what, we
got to clean the toilets,
00:25:46.21\00:25:47.58
who's going to do it?
00:25:47.61\00:25:48.64
And they will,
oh, me, me, can I.
00:25:48.68\00:25:50.25
I love the way they plunger,
00:25:50.28\00:25:51.18
I like that little
swish up on to the edge.
00:25:51.21\00:25:53.48
It's just not going to happen.
00:25:53.52\00:25:55.65
You know,
somebody say, "Oh you know,
00:25:55.68\00:25:56.89
I love to clean the latrines
but I got to write a sermon."
00:25:56.92\00:26:00.99
Somebody will say, "I
am working on my Greek."
00:26:01.02\00:26:02.42
You know, it's just everybody's
going to have a reason
00:26:02.46\00:26:03.99
why they can't clean it.
00:26:04.03\00:26:05.06
That's basically
what's happening here.
00:26:05.09\00:26:06.43
Nobody wants to
be the bottom guy.
00:26:06.46\00:26:10.47
And then Jesus does something
00:26:10.50\00:26:12.20
that was almost impossibly
difficult for the disciples
00:26:12.23\00:26:15.70
to understand
culturally and contextually.
00:26:15.74\00:26:18.14
Jesus gets up,
takes the wash basin,
00:26:18.17\00:26:21.01
fills it with water,
girds Himself with the towel
00:26:21.04\00:26:23.45
and starts going around,
again, to wash the dirty, dusty,
00:26:23.48\00:26:26.82
manure laden, remember, manure.
00:26:26.85\00:26:29.18
Today we have the
internal combustion engine,
00:26:29.22\00:26:31.32
we have cars and all of
that but not in those days.
00:26:31.35\00:26:33.32
If you got around you
had a camel or a donkey
00:26:33.36\00:26:36.02
and I've been to the
parades and I know what happens.
00:26:36.06\00:26:40.10
Are you hearing
what I am saying?
00:26:40.13\00:26:42.33
Last night we talked about
dung, do we need to say anymore?
00:26:42.36\00:26:44.63
You know what happens.
00:26:44.67\00:26:45.97
Will you walk on
those same streets, right?
00:26:46.00\00:26:49.50
And so here's
Jesus, the incarnate God,
00:26:49.54\00:26:54.78
that is the in fleshed God
condescending to kneel down
00:26:54.81\00:27:00.72
and wash all of these junk
00:27:00.75\00:27:04.09
off of the feet
of the disciples.
00:27:04.12\00:27:06.52
And the disciples are in
credulous, Peter the most.
00:27:06.55\00:27:10.79
You have got to be kidding me.
00:27:10.83\00:27:15.40
When they
joined the Messiah club
00:27:15.43\00:27:17.23
on the shore of the
Sea of Galilee there,
00:27:17.27\00:27:19.97
this is not what
they signed up for, right.
00:27:20.00\00:27:23.27
Follow me and I will-- and
they are thinking you know,
00:27:23.30\00:27:24.81
we are going to thrash
these obnoxious Romans,
00:27:24.84\00:27:27.28
I want to sit on the right,
maybe you can sit on the left.
00:27:27.31\00:27:29.98
When they joined
the Messiah club,
00:27:30.01\00:27:32.18
they didn't sign up for this.
00:27:32.21\00:27:35.28
And here goes Jesus calmly
00:27:35.32\00:27:37.92
and yet I would
add in a dignified way
00:27:37.95\00:27:41.06
washing the feet
of His disciples.
00:27:41.09\00:27:47.66
You could probably
make a case for the fact
00:27:47.73\00:27:49.80
that if there was a single scene
00:27:49.83\00:27:52.73
that you can just
take a snapshot picture of
00:27:52.77\00:27:55.70
and show to people of
other religious persuasions,
00:27:55.74\00:27:58.64
what is the
essence of Christianity.
00:27:58.67\00:28:00.58
You can make a
case for this scene.
00:28:00.61\00:28:03.61
The infinite,
eternal, illimitable,
00:28:03.65\00:28:05.71
omnipotent God of the universe
serving manure laden sinners.
00:28:05.75\00:28:12.62
So then, He comes to Peter
00:28:12.65\00:28:16.39
and Peter in prototypical
Petering fashion protests.
00:28:16.42\00:28:22.56
Verse 5, "And after He
had poured water into a basin
00:28:22.60\00:28:26.17
and began to wash
the disciples' feet,
00:28:26.20\00:28:27.37
and to wipe them with the
towel with which He was girded.
00:28:27.40\00:28:28.94
Then He came to Simon Peter.
00:28:28.97\00:28:30.07
And Peter said to Him,
"Lord, are You washing my feet?"
00:28:30.11\00:28:32.47
Let me translate, "Lord,
are You kidding me? Really.
00:28:32.51\00:28:39.85
What do You think
You are doing, Jesus?"
00:28:39.88\00:28:44.05
Jesus could have
easily responded,
00:28:44.09\00:28:45.39
"Well I am doing the very thing
that none of you wanted to do."
00:28:45.42\00:28:49.26
Verse 7, "Jesus said,
00:28:49.29\00:28:50.99
'What I am doing now
you do not understand,
00:28:51.03\00:28:53.13
but you will know after this.''
00:28:53.16\00:28:55.53
The washing of
the disciples feet
00:28:55.56\00:28:57.30
is a foreshadowing of the cross.
00:28:57.33\00:29:01.27
The cross event-- see,
Jesus alone can wash the dirt
00:29:01.30\00:29:05.57
and the dust from
in between our toes.
00:29:05.61\00:29:08.61
Jesus alone can
wash away the sin,
00:29:08.64\00:29:11.85
that hardened sin
that gets into the creases
00:29:11.88\00:29:14.42
and crevasses and
cracks of our life.
00:29:14.45\00:29:16.38
Can someone say, amen? Amen.
00:29:16.42\00:29:17.79
And so this is a symbol
here that it is Jesus alone
00:29:17.82\00:29:20.99
who can clean us
and who can wash us.
00:29:21.02\00:29:23.66
And Peter basically says
that, He says, "Okay, Peter,
00:29:23.69\00:29:25.59
I understand that
you don't have a clue
00:29:25.63\00:29:27.23
what I am doing right now.
00:29:27.30\00:29:28.23
But in just a little
while you will get it."
00:29:28.26\00:29:32.73
Well again, in
prototypical Petering fashion,
00:29:32.77\00:29:34.60
he absolutely protests.
00:29:34.64\00:29:35.74
In verse 8, "Peter said to Him,
00:29:35.77\00:29:37.44
'You will never wash my feet!"
00:29:37.47\00:29:42.48
Give me a break.
00:29:42.51\00:29:47.32
Jesus said,
"Alright, If I don't wash you,
00:29:47.35\00:29:51.72
then you have no part with Me."
00:29:51.75\00:29:54.69
And here we go pendulous Peter.
00:29:54.72\00:29:56.29
From this side, right,
all the way over to this side.
00:29:56.32\00:29:59.23
He says, okay, Lord,
sorry, I made a mistake there,
00:29:59.26\00:30:01.83
then why don't you wash my
head maybe a little shampoo
00:30:01.86\00:30:04.97
and my hands as
well, just give me a bath.
00:30:05.00\00:30:09.27
Swinging from this
extreme to that extreme.
00:30:09.30\00:30:11.74
Now watch Jesus' response here.
00:30:11.77\00:30:13.24
Remember the reason
that we came to John 13
00:30:13.27\00:30:15.51
is we're trying to
understand John 15:3
00:30:15.54\00:30:17.91
that's what we're
looking for John 15:3.
00:30:17.95\00:30:19.98
"You are already
clean through the word
00:30:20.02\00:30:22.58
that I've spoken to you.
00:30:22.62\00:30:23.65
We ask a question, what
word is he talking about?
00:30:23.69\00:30:25.49
Well, just a
couple of hours before,
00:30:25.52\00:30:26.62
He had used that
identical language.
00:30:26.65\00:30:29.49
The whole concept of
being washed or being cleaned
00:30:29.52\00:30:33.13
as a symbol of
the forthcoming cross.
00:30:33.16\00:30:35.56
Now look at this right
here, absolutely amazing,
00:30:35.60\00:30:37.97
verse 10, and Jesus said to him,
00:30:38.00\00:30:39.60
"He who is bathed
needs only to wash his feet
00:30:39.63\00:30:43.14
but is completely"
what's the word everyone?
00:30:43.17\00:30:46.51
Clean, now watch this,
"And you are all" what?
00:30:46.54\00:30:51.45
Cleaned.
00:30:51.48\00:30:53.08
And then He adds
but not all of you.
00:30:53.11\00:30:55.48
Now the but, not all of you
part is a reference to, who?
00:30:55.52\00:30:58.22
Judas plainly.
00:30:58.25\00:30:59.42
So do you see the similarity
in language in this passage
00:30:59.45\00:31:02.06
and our passage in
John 15, yes or no?
00:31:02.09\00:31:04.39
Jesus says here, listen,
you are all already clean.
00:31:04.43\00:31:08.10
In fact here He adds,
you are completely clean.
00:31:08.13\00:31:14.24
They were not clean by
virtue of their spotless lives.
00:31:14.27\00:31:18.51
They were not clean by virtue
of their rigorous adherence
00:31:18.54\00:31:21.64
to the Mosaic
Law or any other law.
00:31:21.68\00:31:23.91
They were clean because the
infinite God of the universe
00:31:23.95\00:31:27.02
had cleaned them up Himself.
00:31:27.05\00:31:30.52
And He says here, already
clean, in fact completely clean.
00:31:30.55\00:31:33.92
So it makes perfect sense
that just a couple hours later
00:31:33.96\00:31:36.09
when He says, "You
are all already cleaned
00:31:36.12\00:31:39.19
because of the
word I have spoken you."
00:31:39.23\00:31:40.86
Immediately they would
have thought of that experience
00:31:40.90\00:31:42.90
that just happened
a few moments before.
00:31:42.93\00:31:44.37
A few hours before perhaps
00:31:44.40\00:31:46.27
in the upper room when
Jesus said, wash their feet.
00:31:46.30\00:31:50.27
Are we all in the same
page, everyone, yes or no?
00:31:50.31\00:31:52.07
Yes.
00:31:52.11\00:31:53.14
Powerful.
00:31:53.17\00:31:54.34
Now, Jesus cleans the dirty,
dusty feet of the disciples
00:31:54.38\00:32:00.65
as a symbol, as a what everyone?
00:32:00.68\00:32:03.45
As a symbol of
His condescension,
00:32:03.49\00:32:05.39
in fact not just a
symbol of His condescension
00:32:05.42\00:32:07.09
but as a manifestation
of His condescension.
00:32:07.12\00:32:09.12
But as a symbol of the
forthcoming cleanliness
00:32:09.16\00:32:12.13
that they would
receive only from His blood
00:32:12.16\00:32:14.66
shed on the cross.
00:32:14.73\00:32:17.03
Now with that in
mind go back to John 15.
00:32:17.07\00:32:21.07
Let's go plug this in.
00:32:21.10\00:32:24.44
And as we're
prepared to plug this in,
00:32:24.47\00:32:26.34
some of you I'm afraid are
going to be mildly uncomfortable
00:32:26.37\00:32:30.98
with some of the conclusions
00:32:31.01\00:32:32.35
that we're going
to draw from this.
00:32:32.38\00:32:34.02
But I assure you they
will be biblical conclusions.
00:32:34.05\00:32:38.02
Let us just
think here for a moment
00:32:38.05\00:32:39.65
about the
condition of the disciples
00:32:39.69\00:32:41.79
when Jesus tells them
00:32:41.82\00:32:42.89
that they are all
already completely clean,
00:32:42.92\00:32:46.66
as oppose to dirty and filthy.
00:32:46.70\00:32:49.36
The disciples are
perfect at this point.
00:32:49.40\00:32:54.20
Yes or no?
00:32:54.24\00:32:56.17
Far from it.
00:32:56.20\00:32:58.01
In fact, the reason that
Jesus had to wash their feet
00:32:58.04\00:33:01.41
is that they were busy arguing
00:33:01.44\00:33:02.68
about who is going
to be the greatest.
00:33:02.71\00:33:05.81
Still having issues with pride.
00:33:09.32\00:33:11.69
Still struggling with
sin in their life obviously.
00:33:11.72\00:33:16.96
Did the disciples at this
point understand the concept,
00:33:16.99\00:33:20.90
the theological
concept of the crucifixion?
00:33:20.93\00:33:24.70
Yes or No?
00:33:24.73\00:33:25.80
No, they are totally confused.
00:33:25.83\00:33:26.87
I mean that, that was
right out there in John 13
00:33:26.90\00:33:28.97
I mean, it's just plain as day.
00:33:29.00\00:33:30.17
Jesus says to him,
you do not understand.
00:33:30.21\00:33:32.61
Now but you're
going to understand,
00:33:32.64\00:33:34.11
so the disciples we could say
fairly were theologically inept.
00:33:34.14\00:33:39.08
If they don't
understand the crucifixion,
00:33:39.11\00:33:40.78
it's a guarantee I
mean, its prima facie proof
00:33:40.82\00:33:43.82
that they don't
understand the resurrection.
00:33:43.85\00:33:46.02
Right, if you don't
have the crucifixion part,
00:33:46.05\00:33:47.59
you definitely don't
have the resurrection part.
00:33:47.62\00:33:49.19
And so here we are
with these disciples
00:33:49.22\00:33:51.46
still filled with
the spirit of pride,
00:33:51.49\00:33:53.09
still struggling with
issues in their lives,
00:33:53.13\00:33:55.06
no question about that.
00:33:55.10\00:33:56.20
Who do not understand all
of the nuances of theology,
00:33:56.23\00:33:59.93
the crucifixion, the
resurrection and all.
00:34:00.04\00:34:02.00
No.
00:34:02.04\00:34:03.04
And Jesus has the
temerity to say to these guys,
00:34:03.07\00:34:06.64
you are all
already completely clean.
00:34:06.68\00:34:10.85
Forgive me for
being so bold here
00:34:14.15\00:34:16.08
but the only conclusion
00:34:16.12\00:34:18.32
that I feel that we can safely
come to is this conclusion
00:34:18.35\00:34:21.39
and its going to make
some of you uncomfortable
00:34:21.42\00:34:22.69
for which I don't apologize.
00:34:22.72\00:34:25.96
And that is that
cleanliness in Christ
00:34:25.99\00:34:28.33
must precede
Christian character perfection.
00:34:28.36\00:34:34.60
Did you get that?
00:34:34.64\00:34:35.67
Amen.
00:34:35.70\00:34:36.74
It was kind of a
scary amen there.
00:34:36.77\00:34:38.54
It's kind of a... amen.
00:34:38.57\00:34:40.88
And some people try to
say amen and nothing came out,
00:34:43.48\00:34:45.28
they are like...
00:34:45.31\00:34:48.05
what did he say,
let's say it again.
00:34:48.08\00:34:50.45
Apparently cleanliness in Christ
precedes being a perfect person.
00:34:50.49\00:34:55.82
Amen.
00:34:55.86\00:34:57.33
In fact, my thesis this morning
00:34:57.36\00:34:58.79
and how to make the Christian
faith works goes something like,
00:34:58.83\00:35:00.93
how to make the Christian faith
work, goes something like this.
00:35:00.96\00:35:03.23
You'll never even get to
Christian character perfection,
00:35:03.26\00:35:05.97
if you don't have confidence
00:35:06.00\00:35:07.37
about your
cleanliness in Christ today.
00:35:07.40\00:35:09.40
Amen.
00:35:09.44\00:35:11.77
Now we are back in John 15.
00:35:11.81\00:35:13.84
Let's look at
verses 1 to 3 again
00:35:13.88\00:35:15.48
and it's going to
make by the grace of God,
00:35:15.51\00:35:17.71
perfect sense I
mean, such logical sense,
00:35:17.75\00:35:21.85
I'm fiercely
logical, sometimes to a fault.
00:35:21.88\00:35:25.09
But here we're going to see
how it's just all fits together.
00:35:25.12\00:35:29.56
John 15, beginning in verse 1,
00:35:29.59\00:35:31.03
"I am the true vine, my
Father is the vinedresser.
00:35:31.06\00:35:35.90
Every branch in Me that does
bears no fruit, he takes away,
00:35:35.93\00:35:38.30
and every branch that
bears fruit he prunes,
00:35:38.33\00:35:39.80
that it may bear more fruit.
00:35:39.83\00:35:40.87
You are all already clean
00:35:40.90\00:35:42.84
through the word that
I have spoken to you."
00:35:42.87\00:35:45.14
And then the first word
of verse 4 is "stay there."
00:35:45.17\00:35:50.41
Stay where?
00:35:50.45\00:35:52.21
Stay clean in me.
00:35:52.25\00:35:55.65
Jesus could not
exhort them to stay in Christ
00:35:55.68\00:35:59.85
to abide in Christ
00:35:59.89\00:36:01.36
until He had first made
it crystal clear to them
00:36:01.39\00:36:03.39
that they were
in fact in Christ.
00:36:03.43\00:36:08.16
He can not exhort them to remain
00:36:08.20\00:36:10.70
where they don't know they are.
00:36:10.73\00:36:14.04
And so He says you
are all already cleaned
00:36:14.07\00:36:16.60
not because of
what you have done
00:36:16.64\00:36:18.01
but hallelujah
because of what I have done.
00:36:18.04\00:36:20.84
Now stay in that
faith relationship
00:36:20.88\00:36:23.45
trusting to what
I have done for you.
00:36:23.48\00:36:25.78
Amen.
00:36:25.81\00:36:27.18
And then the rest of the verses
00:36:27.22\00:36:28.32
make such good
sense, stay there.
00:36:28.35\00:36:31.59
Stay there. Stay there.
00:36:31.62\00:36:35.09
Remain there.
00:36:35.12\00:36:36.26
Stay right there, stay,
stay, stay, stay, stay, stay.
00:36:36.29\00:36:41.86
May of you have disobedient dogs
00:36:41.90\00:36:43.90
that you pretend are obedient.
00:36:43.93\00:36:47.94
I have seen this a hundreds
times if I have seen it once
00:36:47.97\00:36:51.21
and that is the person that,
00:36:51.24\00:36:54.11
you know, they
persuaded themselves
00:36:54.14\00:36:55.24
that their dog
is really obedient
00:36:55.28\00:36:56.61
and say, oh, yeah,
it's a good dog, great dog.
00:36:56.64\00:36:59.41
And so the dog, you know, all
of a sudden a squirrel comes.
00:36:59.45\00:37:04.99
Going out to the squirrel.
00:37:05.02\00:37:06.19
Rover, come here.
00:37:06.22\00:37:08.56
No but he obeys.
00:37:08.59\00:37:09.69
Rover, come here.
00:37:09.72\00:37:10.93
And he finally get Rover to
come over and you say, now stay.
00:37:10.96\00:37:13.73
And the dog just
shoots off around the block.
00:37:13.76\00:37:15.63
Get the dog back, now stay.
00:37:15.66\00:37:17.93
The dog go to some or
other place, now stay.
00:37:17.97\00:37:20.70
That is the imagery I
want you to have here.
00:37:20.74\00:37:23.27
The dog wants to run
away, the master is saying stay.
00:37:23.30\00:37:27.41
That's exactly
what Jesus is saying,
00:37:27.44\00:37:28.51
stay there, stay right there.
00:37:28.54\00:37:31.18
Stay put, don't move,
00:37:31.21\00:37:33.42
stay clean in me.
00:37:33.45\00:37:38.69
Beloved you cannot
continue to abide in Christ,
00:37:38.72\00:37:42.96
if you do not have the
present tense confidence
00:37:42.99\00:37:45.76
that you
presently reside in Christ.
00:37:45.79\00:37:49.43
Just try staying somewhere
that you don't know you are.
00:37:49.46\00:37:53.17
But this is the rub,
00:37:56.37\00:37:59.87
many people, many
sincere Christian people
00:37:59.91\00:38:07.35
are trying
desperately to remain in Christ,
00:38:07.38\00:38:12.42
to abide in Christ,
to be a good Christian,
00:38:12.45\00:38:15.66
to live the good Christian life
00:38:15.69\00:38:17.23
without the
present tense confidence
00:38:17.26\00:38:18.89
that they are in Christ.
00:38:18.93\00:38:22.30
How can you remain in Christ
00:38:22.33\00:38:24.23
if you don't believe
that you are in Christ?
00:38:24.27\00:38:28.07
That's Jesus' whole point.
00:38:28.10\00:38:30.01
He says, abide
in me, stay in me,
00:38:30.04\00:38:33.11
stay put, stay
right where you are.
00:38:33.14\00:38:37.61
What about the disciples,
were they perfect, yes or no?
00:38:37.65\00:38:40.48
No.
00:38:40.52\00:38:41.98
But you know, something
interesting about the disciples.
00:38:42.02\00:38:45.69
Disciples would go out
in the course of the day
00:38:45.72\00:38:47.06
and they make a mistake.
00:38:47.09\00:38:48.46
They were very good at
making mistakes, weren't they?
00:38:48.49\00:38:50.83
Yes or no?
00:38:50.86\00:38:52.03
Yeah, almost as
good as some of you.
00:38:52.06\00:38:54.46
They're very good at.
00:38:54.50\00:38:55.50
They make a mistake in the day,
00:38:55.53\00:38:56.63
they would say things like
00:38:56.67\00:38:57.67
oh, Jesus we went to this city
00:38:57.70\00:38:59.70
and they didn't want to receive
you and we got a great idea,
00:38:59.73\00:39:01.70
we want to burn the
place to the ground.
00:39:01.74\00:39:06.14
And Jesus would be like,
00:39:06.17\00:39:07.14
well, let's not think
so outside of the box.
00:39:07.18\00:39:14.22
Let's look at this from a
different perspective writing
00:39:14.25\00:39:16.28
and or another example
00:39:16.32\00:39:17.52
you know, the young people,
00:39:17.55\00:39:18.52
you know, the
children want to rush to Jesus
00:39:18.55\00:39:20.06
who was right
there, get away, get away,
00:39:20.09\00:39:21.52
the master
doesn't have time for this
00:39:21.56\00:39:23.29
and Jesus would
then turn on and say,
00:39:23.32\00:39:24.66
"Suffer the little
ones to come unto me."
00:39:24.69\00:39:26.09
And He would look at
His disciples and say,
00:39:26.13\00:39:27.36
"Except you become one as these,
you are not going to heaven."
00:39:27.40\00:39:32.07
Oops.
00:39:32.10\00:39:33.97
So the disciples were
very good at making mistakes,
00:39:34.00\00:39:35.94
very, very good
at making mistakes
00:39:35.97\00:39:38.11
but you want to know something
interesting about the disciples.
00:39:38.14\00:39:40.08
Every night, do you
know where they were?
00:39:40.11\00:39:45.48
They were in camp with Jesus.
00:39:45.51\00:39:49.08
And every
morning, you know what,
00:39:49.12\00:39:50.95
they would wake
up in Jesus' camp.
00:39:50.99\00:39:54.62
And they would go out
00:39:54.66\00:39:55.72
and I tell you they
have the very best intentions
00:39:55.76\00:39:57.53
that day to not make
one of those mistakes,
00:39:57.56\00:39:59.33
do not say something foolhardy,
00:39:59.36\00:40:00.76
they have the
very best intentions
00:40:00.80\00:40:02.46
but in the unlikely or
if we prefer a likely event
00:40:02.50\00:40:05.53
that they made a mistake,
00:40:05.57\00:40:06.94
that they fall
or fell that they--
00:40:06.97\00:40:09.20
that they said something stupid
00:40:09.24\00:40:10.51
or that they
did the wrong thing.
00:40:10.54\00:40:12.91
I guarantee that
at the end of the day
00:40:12.94\00:40:14.74
you know, where they were?
00:40:14.78\00:40:16.75
They were back around
that campfire with Jesus.
00:40:16.78\00:40:20.72
The next morning they
started that day with Jesus.
00:40:20.75\00:40:24.02
And so you could have
pointed to the various failures,
00:40:24.05\00:40:27.02
the various inconsistencies
00:40:27.06\00:40:28.49
and the various
hypocrisies of their life
00:40:28.52\00:40:30.46
but Jesus wasn't looking at
the occasional deed or misdeed,
00:40:30.49\00:40:34.13
Jesus was looking at the
general tendency of the life
00:40:34.20\00:40:37.30
and the general tendency
of the life for 3 1/2 years
00:40:37.33\00:40:39.50
was to be in camp with Jesus.
00:40:39.53\00:40:43.44
So I am reading from
Steps to Christ, page 57.
00:40:43.47\00:40:45.27
"The character is revealed
00:40:45.31\00:40:46.41
not by occasional good
deeds and occasional misdeeds,
00:40:46.44\00:40:49.04
but by the tendency of
the habitual words and acts."
00:40:49.08\00:40:54.18
The disciples
imperfect though they were,
00:40:56.95\00:41:00.49
always ended the day with Jesus
00:41:00.52\00:41:03.59
and they started
the day with Jesus.
00:41:03.63\00:41:07.50
And God evaluated them
00:41:07.50\00:41:09.76
and told them
that they were clean
00:41:09.80\00:41:11.83
on the basis of the
general tendency of their life.
00:41:11.87\00:41:16.37
They stuck it out with Jesus.
00:41:16.40\00:41:20.91
The Bible says, a just man.
00:41:20.94\00:41:23.58
A what kind of man?
00:41:23.61\00:41:25.58
A just man falls seven times,
00:41:25.61\00:41:30.05
and rises up again.
00:41:30.09\00:41:33.05
The difference between the
just man and the unjust man
00:41:33.09\00:41:36.42
is not that the
just man never falls,
00:41:36.46\00:41:40.10
it's that when he
falls, he gets back up.
00:41:40.13\00:41:42.43
Amen.
00:41:42.46\00:41:44.80
The difference between
00:41:44.83\00:41:45.87
the just woman
and the unjust woman
00:41:45.90\00:41:47.50
is not that the just
woman never makes a mistake
00:41:47.54\00:41:49.67
or never gossips
or never gets upset.
00:41:49.70\00:41:52.07
No, no, no, the
difference is when you fall,
00:41:52.11\00:41:54.28
you choose to get back up.
00:41:54.31\00:41:55.78
The disciples made mistakes many
00:41:58.75\00:42:00.48
and you have made mistakes many
00:42:00.52\00:42:02.25
and the devil
tries to discourage you
00:42:02.28\00:42:04.35
with your mistakes
and with your failures
00:42:04.39\00:42:06.55
and with your faults
and with your foibles.
00:42:06.59\00:42:08.26
But the trick to the--
00:42:08.29\00:42:09.46
the whole trick to the Christian
experience is get back up.
00:42:09.49\00:42:13.03
Amen.
00:42:13.06\00:42:15.26
Stay with Him.
00:42:15.30\00:42:17.77
Get dust yourself off.
00:42:17.80\00:42:19.30
If you have to come to Jesus,
00:42:19.33\00:42:20.87
say Jesus, clean
my feet I need help
00:42:20.90\00:42:23.10
and he's gonna
clean those feet up
00:42:23.14\00:42:24.37
and He's gonna send you back
in to the game, go get him boy.
00:42:24.41\00:42:29.88
Just get back up.
00:42:29.91\00:42:32.98
When you fall if you stay down,
00:42:33.01\00:42:35.45
the devil has gained a victory.
00:42:35.48\00:42:38.02
If you get back
up and go to Jesus,
00:42:38.05\00:42:40.69
the devil can't touch you.
00:42:40.72\00:42:42.16
Jesus says, stay there.
00:42:46.06\00:42:48.06
Stay where?
00:42:48.10\00:42:49.13
Stay in a faith
relationship with me.
00:42:49.16\00:42:50.83
Paul was writing to
the church in Galatian
00:42:50.87\00:42:52.23
and he said, wait a
minute, wait a minute confusion,
00:42:52.27\00:42:54.84
you started this thing by faith,
00:42:54.87\00:42:56.81
are you now made perfect
by the works of the flesh,
00:42:56.84\00:42:59.31
by the works of
the law, no, no, no.
00:42:59.34\00:43:01.11
Listen, salvation is by faith
00:43:01.14\00:43:03.28
from beginning all the
way through to the end.
00:43:03.31\00:43:06.48
Amen.
00:43:06.51\00:43:08.18
You are justified by faith,
you are sanctified by faith
00:43:08.22\00:43:11.25
and you will be
glorified by faith.
00:43:11.29\00:43:15.79
There is no transition
point where it's by faith
00:43:15.82\00:43:18.06
and then it quickly transitions
in to works, no, no, no, no.
00:43:18.09\00:43:21.26
Its by faith, by faith, by faith
00:43:21.30\00:43:23.43
you believe what God has done,
00:43:23.47\00:43:25.43
is doing, you fall down,
00:43:25.47\00:43:27.24
you make a mistake get back up,
00:43:27.27\00:43:29.17
dust yourself off,
and by the grace of God
00:43:29.20\00:43:31.77
those periods of mistake will
become further and further apart
00:43:31.81\00:43:35.94
and your victories will
become more and more grand
00:43:35.98\00:43:38.48
and more numerous in consistent
00:43:38.51\00:43:40.12
and before you know,
what, you'll look in the mirror
00:43:40.15\00:43:42.22
and you won't even
recognize that person.
00:43:42.25\00:43:44.15
Amen.
00:43:44.19\00:43:47.06
Because God is working.
00:43:47.09\00:43:51.09
Abide in me, stay right there.
00:43:51.13\00:43:57.40
There's a question,
people say Pastor Asscherick,
00:43:57.43\00:44:00.40
do you believe
in victory over sin?
00:44:00.44\00:44:02.57
To ask that
question is to answer it.
00:44:06.37\00:44:10.75
If I don't believe
in victory over sin,
00:44:10.78\00:44:13.98
then I must believe
in sin over victory.
00:44:14.02\00:44:18.79
And if the devil
contempt me to sin
00:44:18.82\00:44:21.56
but Jesus can't
keep me from sinning,
00:44:21.59\00:44:23.49
then I'm
serving the wrong being.
00:44:23.53\00:44:28.03
If the devil is strong
enough and powerful enough
00:44:28.06\00:44:30.30
and clever enough to
tempt me and entice me into sin
00:44:30.33\00:44:33.23
but my God is not strong
enough to keep me from sinning,
00:44:33.27\00:44:36.60
then I am in trouble.
00:44:36.64\00:44:40.31
Of course I believe
in victory over sin.
00:44:40.34\00:44:42.21
How can you read both the
Old and the New Testaments
00:44:42.24\00:44:44.75
and not believe that
God's plan for His people
00:44:44.78\00:44:46.92
is not just deliverance
from the penalty of sin
00:44:46.95\00:44:49.68
but also deliverance
00:44:49.72\00:44:50.65
from the very power
of sin in their lives.
00:44:50.69\00:44:53.29
Amen.
00:44:53.32\00:44:56.09
I say with C.D. Brooks, I am
not the man that I want to be
00:44:56.12\00:44:59.29
but I can rejoice that neither
am I the man I used to be.
00:44:59.33\00:45:04.13
There is a transition.
00:45:04.17\00:45:07.37
God begins to work in
you His marvelous work, why?
00:45:07.40\00:45:11.61
Because you are super saint now,
00:45:11.64\00:45:12.87
because you are
on your own now, no.
00:45:12.91\00:45:14.51
Because you are
abiding in Christ by faith,
00:45:14.54\00:45:16.81
you're sticking
it out with Jesus.
00:45:16.85\00:45:18.48
You're reminding
yourself daily, hourly,
00:45:18.51\00:45:20.48
moment by moment if need
be that Jesus washes you,
00:45:20.52\00:45:23.59
Jesus cleanses you.
00:45:23.62\00:45:24.79
It's about what Jesus has
done and everything that you do
00:45:24.82\00:45:28.02
is in response to that
great initial act of God's love.
00:45:28.06\00:45:33.90
Your obedience does
not cause God to love you.
00:45:33.93\00:45:36.87
Your obedience is the sign
that you've accepted the love
00:45:36.90\00:45:39.63
that He has already
demonstrated by dying on a tree.
00:45:39.67\00:45:43.14
Do you believe that
Jesus could keep you
00:45:47.51\00:45:50.51
from sinning for one second?
00:45:50.55\00:45:54.25
Anyone believe that?
00:45:54.28\00:45:56.38
How about two seconds?
00:45:56.42\00:46:00.59
Okay, how about 60 seconds?
00:46:00.62\00:46:06.43
Anybody think that's possible?
00:46:06.46\00:46:08.10
Right.
00:46:08.13\00:46:09.16
I can hold my
breath for 60 seconds.
00:46:09.20\00:46:12.03
Right.
00:46:12.07\00:46:13.10
So technically I can
just say, okay, here we go.
00:46:13.13\00:46:15.77
No sin zone.
00:46:15.80\00:46:19.57
Now think about Jesus,
I'm gonna hold my breath,
00:46:19.61\00:46:21.78
I can't say anything, I can't
move too fast or too quickly.
00:46:21.81\00:46:24.75
So I believe there
for a full 60 seconds
00:46:24.78\00:46:27.52
Jesus could give me the
power to not sin for 60 seconds.
00:46:27.55\00:46:30.79
You believe that's possible?
00:46:30.82\00:46:32.42
Yeah, but you know
where this is going.
00:46:32.45\00:46:35.92
Ooh!
00:46:35.96\00:46:38.63
Oh, that's just
fiercely logical, isn't it?
00:46:38.66\00:46:40.50
So if He can keep me
from sinning for one second,
00:46:40.53\00:46:42.56
then by
definition for two seconds
00:46:42.60\00:46:44.97
because all that a
two is just two ones.
00:46:45.00\00:46:49.07
Right.
00:46:49.10\00:46:50.14
And if He can keep me for two,
00:46:50.17\00:46:51.64
then He can keep me for three
00:46:51.67\00:46:52.84
and if He can keep me for
three, He can keep me for four,
00:46:52.87\00:46:54.21
four for five,
all the way, why not?
00:46:54.24\00:46:59.05
Why not?
00:46:59.08\00:47:00.62
Now here's the good news.
00:47:00.65\00:47:02.82
You are not thinking about that.
00:47:02.85\00:47:05.19
You are thinking about Jesus.
00:47:05.22\00:47:10.33
God is more powerful than Satan.
00:47:10.36\00:47:16.20
God wants to grow you
00:47:16.23\00:47:19.77
into a person that
you may scarcely recognize
00:47:19.80\00:47:23.04
when He's done.
00:47:23.07\00:47:25.74
It can be a little exhausting,
00:47:25.77\00:47:29.08
it can be
sometimes laboriously slow
00:47:29.11\00:47:33.48
but dare I say it,
00:47:33.52\00:47:35.72
that if you will end up in
camp with Jesus every night
00:47:35.75\00:47:41.39
and you will wake up
with Jesus in the morning.
00:47:41.42\00:47:45.86
If you will stay there
00:47:45.89\00:47:48.80
that God is gonna do
something in your life,
00:47:48.83\00:47:51.67
that even you
could scarcely believe.
00:47:51.70\00:47:55.47
Now in closing open
your Bibles to Mathew 5,
00:47:55.50\00:47:57.94
last passage of scripture.
00:47:57.97\00:48:01.21
In speaking of the
subject of Christian growth,
00:48:01.24\00:48:05.28
I personally know of no other
00:48:05.31\00:48:08.85
more simple encouraging
00:48:08.88\00:48:14.92
and profoundly beautiful
passage than the Beatitudes.
00:48:14.96\00:48:18.43
Now I want to show you
00:48:18.46\00:48:19.49
the Beatitudes
by the grace of God
00:48:19.53\00:48:20.90
in a way that may be
you've never seen before.
00:48:20.93\00:48:22.83
We're gonna do it quickly.
00:48:22.86\00:48:25.77
This is Jesus' first
public address, right?
00:48:25.80\00:48:29.47
He is baptized there in
the opening chapters of Mathew
00:48:29.50\00:48:32.84
and this is really the beginning
of Jesus' public ministry.
00:48:32.87\00:48:34.88
This is sort of His, the opening
state of the kingdom address.
00:48:34.91\00:48:41.02
Jesus begins and He
gives us these things
00:48:41.05\00:48:44.19
that we refer to
as the Beatitudes
00:48:44.22\00:48:45.62
but really the Beatitudes
are like a Christian ladder.
00:48:45.65\00:48:49.66
A Christian, what everyone?
00:48:49.69\00:48:50.69
Ladder.
00:48:50.73\00:48:51.76
Moving from A to B
00:48:51.79\00:48:54.73
then from B to C, from C to D
00:48:54.73\00:48:57.07
and right up the ladder,
he gives us a progression.
00:48:57.10\00:48:59.77
A what every one?
00:48:59.80\00:49:00.84
Progression. Progression.
00:49:00.87\00:49:01.87
See sometimes
we study the Bible,
00:49:01.90\00:49:03.20
if we don't study
the Bible carefully,
00:49:03.24\00:49:04.61
we think we're just getting
00:49:04.64\00:49:05.74
these little isolated
anecdotal proverbial statements,
00:49:05.77\00:49:08.41
well, that's nice.
00:49:08.44\00:49:09.61
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
00:49:09.64\00:49:11.11
for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven. That's so nice.
00:49:11.15\00:49:12.58
I think I am going
to cross-stitch that
00:49:12.61\00:49:14.48
and hang in my bathroom wall.
00:49:14.52\00:49:17.95
Hey, good, knock yourself out.
00:49:17.99\00:49:19.79
But there is
something more there.
00:49:19.82\00:49:23.16
The Beatitudes are not just
00:49:23.19\00:49:24.39
these little sound
bites of religious wisdom,
00:49:24.43\00:49:27.20
there is something there.
00:49:27.23\00:49:29.63
I want to show it to
you by the grace of God.
00:49:29.66\00:49:31.03
Here we go, right in
the beginning, Jesus says,
00:49:31.07\00:49:32.67
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
00:49:32.70\00:49:34.07
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven."
00:49:34.10\00:49:36.71
Blessed are the poor in spirit.
00:49:36.74\00:49:38.07
Jesus says, "Blessed are those
00:49:38.11\00:49:39.64
who recognize
their spiritual poverty,
00:49:39.67\00:49:43.51
For theirs is the
kingdom of heaven."
00:49:43.55\00:49:45.68
Now we have three verb tenses
00:49:45.71\00:49:46.75
in the English language
past, present and future.
00:49:46.78\00:49:49.28
And Jesus here employs the
word is, which is present tense.
00:49:49.32\00:49:52.15
He says, "Blessed
are those who recognize,
00:49:52.19\00:49:54.06
happier are those who recognize
their spiritual poverty,
00:49:54.09\00:49:56.36
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven."
00:49:56.39\00:49:59.79
You say, amen. Amen.
00:49:59.83\00:50:01.26
Present tense. So what
would be the next step?
00:50:01.30\00:50:02.90
After we come to the cross,
00:50:02.93\00:50:04.07
after we realize our
spiritual impoverishment.
00:50:04.10\00:50:06.30
After we realize that it is
God's work and not our work.
00:50:06.33\00:50:09.24
We realize that we are
sinners in need of a Savior.
00:50:09.27\00:50:11.27
We come to Jesus and we
realize at the foot of the cross
00:50:11.31\00:50:13.68
that we are
spiritually bankrupt.
00:50:13.71\00:50:18.61
There is no
salvageable material in you.
00:50:18.65\00:50:21.28
So just disabuse your
mind of that ridiculous notion.
00:50:21.32\00:50:24.15
There is no good thing in you.
00:50:24.19\00:50:26.15
When you come to
the foot of the cross,
00:50:26.19\00:50:27.62
God starts with from scratch.
00:50:27.66\00:50:31.69
David said, create in me a what?
00:50:31.73\00:50:34.10
Clean heart, O God.
00:50:34.10\00:50:35.13
And when God
creates, He creates us,
00:50:35.16\00:50:38.00
the theologians
would say Ex nihilo,
00:50:38.03\00:50:39.97
that is out of nothing.
00:50:40.00\00:50:42.04
He doesn't have some raw
material that you dig in there
00:50:42.07\00:50:44.17
and say Oh, yeah I think
00:50:44.21\00:50:45.17
we got a little we can
work with here and that.
00:50:45.21\00:50:47.14
No, He just throw, you go--
00:50:47.18\00:50:51.31
Right, we guys have to
get in and throw that out
00:50:51.35\00:50:52.85
that's we can't
keep any of that.
00:50:52.88\00:50:54.78
He's got to start
from scratch with you
00:50:54.82\00:50:56.38
and so He recognize
your spiritual poverty
00:50:56.42\00:50:58.35
and Jesus says, happy are those
00:50:58.39\00:50:59.62
who recognize
their spiritual poverty
00:50:59.65\00:51:01.22
because theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.
00:51:01.26\00:51:03.69
The thief on the cross.
00:51:03.73\00:51:06.86
He knows he is bankrupt.
00:51:06.90\00:51:10.57
I mean, if ever there
was a time to trust God
00:51:10.60\00:51:12.83
it's when you're
hanging from a tree.
00:51:12.87\00:51:16.87
That would be a good choice.
00:51:16.91\00:51:18.61
Hedge your bets, right?
00:51:18.64\00:51:21.18
So the thief on the cross,
00:51:21.21\00:51:22.11
he doesn't have
time to become a vegan.
00:51:22.14\00:51:25.21
He just has time to put
his trust in this man there
00:51:28.95\00:51:33.02
that's crucified
between him and the other.
00:51:33.05\00:51:36.29
He knows his
spiritual bankruptcy
00:51:36.32\00:51:38.13
and so he trusts Jesus.
00:51:38.16\00:51:40.70
And Jesus says, "Verily,
verily, I say unto you today.
00:51:40.73\00:51:44.27
You are gonna be
with me in paradise."
00:51:44.30\00:51:47.57
Second verse, "Blessed are those
00:51:47.60\00:51:49.34
who mourn for they
shall be comforted."
00:51:49.37\00:51:50.71
When you realize
your spiritual bankruptcy
00:51:50.74\00:51:52.57
you don't throw a party.
00:51:52.61\00:51:54.88
You mourn your
present spiritual condition.
00:51:54.91\00:51:56.78
Can some one say, amen.
00:51:56.81\00:51:57.85
Amen.
00:51:57.88\00:51:58.91
Follow the
sequence, it's very simple.
00:51:58.95\00:52:00.18
You recognize
your spiritual poverty
00:52:00.22\00:52:01.58
and then you mourn
that spiritual condition
00:52:01.62\00:52:03.18
but notice what Jesus says here,
00:52:03.22\00:52:04.42
"Blessed are those who mourn
for they shall be comforted."
00:52:04.45\00:52:07.79
Notice with me that
the verb tense has changed.
00:52:07.82\00:52:11.53
In the first Beatitude,
your's is the kingdom of heaven,
00:52:11.56\00:52:13.90
in the second
Beatitude, you shall be what?
00:52:13.93\00:52:17.10
Comforted.
00:52:17.13\00:52:18.17
What happens after that,
00:52:18.20\00:52:19.30
what happens after we
mourn our spiritual condition?
00:52:19.33\00:52:21.37
"Blessed are the--'' what?
00:52:21.40\00:52:23.24
"Meek, for they
shall inherit the earth."
00:52:23.27\00:52:25.04
When you realize that
you're spiritually bankrupt
00:52:25.07\00:52:26.81
and you're mourning
that spiritual condition.
00:52:26.84\00:52:28.41
This would cause you
not to be proud and hardy
00:52:28.44\00:52:30.75
and high-minded
but to be humble.
00:52:30.78\00:52:33.28
Realizing beloved
that the ground is level
00:52:33.31\00:52:35.55
at the foot of the cross
00:52:35.58\00:52:36.52
and you are no
better and praise the Lord,
00:52:36.55\00:52:38.59
no worst than any other sinner.
00:52:38.62\00:52:41.12
Can someone say, amen. Amen.
00:52:41.16\00:52:42.76
Oh, no matter
what the Pharisee say.
00:52:42.79\00:52:47.40
Jesus says,
"Blessed are the meek"
00:52:47.46\00:52:49.16
and so you see the progression
it's so chronological,
00:52:49.20\00:52:52.03
it's so powerful, you recognize
your spiritual poverty,
00:52:52.07\00:52:54.70
you mourn your
spiritual condition
00:52:54.74\00:52:56.54
and then this
causes you to be meek.
00:52:56.57\00:52:58.04
Blessed are the meek, for
they shall inherit the earth.
00:52:58.07\00:53:01.11
What's next?
00:53:01.14\00:53:02.18
Well, of course verse 6 is next.
00:53:02.21\00:53:04.41
Well, what do you
mean at that point?
00:53:04.45\00:53:06.08
Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for food.
00:53:06.11\00:53:12.05
What you are
hungering and thirsting for
00:53:12.09\00:53:13.92
when you realize
your spiritual bankruptcy,
00:53:13.96\00:53:15.59
you're mourning
your spiritual condition
00:53:15.62\00:53:16.76
and this causes you to be meek.
00:53:16.79\00:53:17.96
What are you hungering for?
00:53:17.99\00:53:20.13
You need righteousness.
00:53:20.16\00:53:22.90
A righteousness that you do
not own that you do not possess,
00:53:22.93\00:53:25.87
your righteousness's
are like filthy rags.
00:53:25.90\00:53:27.64
You need an
external righteousness
00:53:27.67\00:53:29.37
that God gives to
you as a free gift
00:53:29.40\00:53:31.54
and so you hunger and
you thirst for righteousness
00:53:31.57\00:53:33.94
and Jesus says,
"They shall be filled."
00:53:33.98\00:53:37.41
Do you see the
progression everyone, yes or no?
00:53:37.45\00:53:40.62
Verse 7,
"Blessed are the merciful,
00:53:40.65\00:53:42.28
for they shall obtain mercy."
00:53:42.32\00:53:43.52
When you realize that
you are the recipient,
00:53:43.55\00:53:45.89
the undeserved
recipient of God's mercy,
00:53:45.92\00:53:48.26
then you would want
to bestow that mercy
00:53:48.29\00:53:50.23
upon those around you.
00:53:50.26\00:53:52.53
Amen.
00:53:52.56\00:53:54.36
Beloved, coming to
the foot of the cross
00:53:54.40\00:53:56.20
causes you to say,
I am the recipient,
00:53:56.23\00:53:57.80
the undeserved
recipient of God's mercy.
00:53:57.83\00:53:59.77
I now want to be an instrument
00:53:59.80\00:54:01.60
through which God can
shed His mercy upon others.
00:54:01.64\00:54:05.57
And God here begins to
work the transformation
00:54:05.61\00:54:07.64
and it sometimes
refer to as sanctification.
00:54:07.68\00:54:09.68
Sometimes we get all
caught up in this theological
00:54:09.71\00:54:12.21
Norman Geisler, justification,
00:54:12.25\00:54:13.48
sanctification,
blah, blah, blahfication.
00:54:13.52\00:54:16.18
Beloved, it's about
Jesus, stay with Jesus.
00:54:16.22\00:54:20.39
Now I am not in any way
down playing the importance
00:54:20.42\00:54:23.39
and the sophistication
of the study of the Bible
00:54:23.43\00:54:28.00
and of the significance and
the sophistication of theology.
00:54:28.03\00:54:30.53
What I am saying is, don't
loose Jesus in your theology.
00:54:30.57\00:54:36.14
The goal is to find Him there.
00:54:36.17\00:54:37.87
Amen.
00:54:37.91\00:54:40.68
Verse 8, "Blessed
are the pure in heart,
00:54:40.71\00:54:42.24
for they shall see God." Wow.
00:54:42.28\00:54:43.38
You know what happens
00:54:43.41\00:54:44.35
when you start
bestowing mercy upon others.
00:54:44.38\00:54:47.62
God starts to
work a change in you.
00:54:47.65\00:54:50.12
That change comes about
when you stop paying attention
00:54:50.15\00:54:52.95
primarily at your own
needs and your situation
00:54:52.99\00:54:55.12
and you start trying
to find opportunities
00:54:55.16\00:54:56.93
to lavish mercy upon others,
00:54:56.96\00:54:58.59
God begins to
work a change in you,
00:54:58.63\00:55:00.73
He begins to purify
the springs of your heart.
00:55:00.76\00:55:03.13
What are we seeing,
rejoice, ye, pure in heart.
00:55:03.16\00:55:06.87
Well, notice what he says.
00:55:06.90\00:55:08.00
Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall, what?
00:55:08.04\00:55:10.34
See God.
00:55:10.37\00:55:11.37
And so what's happening here is
00:55:11.41\00:55:12.44
you're climbing
the spiritual ladder,
00:55:12.47\00:55:13.74
you recognize
your spiritual poverty,
00:55:13.78\00:55:15.21
you mourn your
spiritual condition.
00:55:15.24\00:55:16.78
This causes you to be
meek to those around you.
00:55:16.81\00:55:18.68
You hunger and
thirst for righteousness.
00:55:18.71\00:55:20.92
You realize that you
are the undeserved recipient
00:55:20.95\00:55:22.48
of God's mercy and so
you are merciful to others
00:55:22.52\00:55:24.62
and then now where we are?
00:55:24.65\00:55:27.59
Where we are?
00:55:27.62\00:55:29.72
Yeah, our heart
is becoming pure.
00:55:29.76\00:55:33.36
We're to the final or to
the second to the last step,
00:55:33.40\00:55:35.53
you are the penultimate step.
00:55:35.56\00:55:36.93
Verse 9,
"Blessed are the-" what?
00:55:36.97\00:55:39.87
"Peacemakers, for they shall
be called the Son's of God."
00:55:39.90\00:55:42.27
Now, peacemakers, what
that means is blessed are those
00:55:42.30\00:55:45.24
who take upon themselves
the personal responsibility
00:55:45.27\00:55:48.14
of being ambassadors for Christ
00:55:48.18\00:55:49.98
and communicating to the
uninformed, uninitiated world
00:55:50.01\00:55:53.88
that God has made peace
with them through Jesus.
00:55:53.92\00:55:57.49
That's how you
became a peacemaker.
00:55:57.52\00:55:58.72
Jesus was the prince of peace
00:55:58.75\00:56:00.39
and He came to make
peace in that sense.
00:56:00.42\00:56:02.66
And so we too when
we give Bible studies,
00:56:02.69\00:56:04.76
when we preach
evangelistic service,
00:56:04.79\00:56:06.19
when we extend the arm
of Jesus to those around us,
00:56:06.23\00:56:09.56
we are becoming peacemakers,
we are becoming like Jesus.
00:56:09.60\00:56:12.60
Can you say, amen? Amen.
00:56:12.63\00:56:14.17
Powerful, you find that
there in 2 Corinthians 5
00:56:14.20\00:56:16.17
where the Apostle Paul
says, we beseech you therefore,
00:56:16.20\00:56:18.91
we beseech you
on behalf of Jesus,
00:56:18.94\00:56:21.81
be reconciled to God
00:56:21.84\00:56:23.08
and so we become peacemakers
00:56:23.11\00:56:24.81
when we don't just keep
our religion to ourselves.
00:56:24.85\00:56:28.15
If your neighbor doesn't
know you are a Christian,
00:56:33.02\00:56:37.29
maybe you're not.
00:56:37.33\00:56:38.39
If your co-workers don't
know that you are a Christian,
00:56:42.36\00:56:45.60
maybe you're not.
00:56:45.63\00:56:48.90
If your employees don't
know that you're a Christian,
00:56:48.94\00:56:53.54
maybe you're not.
00:56:53.58\00:56:55.34
And someone had said,
00:56:55.38\00:56:56.58
if you were accused of being
a Christian in a court of law
00:56:56.61\00:56:58.95
would there be enough
evidence to convict you?
00:56:58.98\00:57:03.79
True religion is not
kept to oneself, amen.
00:57:03.82\00:57:07.66
Every disciple is born
into the kingdom of God
00:57:07.69\00:57:09.86
as a missionary and
so we become peacekeepers
00:57:09.89\00:57:12.36
and notice it says,
you are peacemakers.
00:57:12.39\00:57:13.73
"Blessed are the peacemakers,
00:57:13.76\00:57:14.63
for they shall be
called the sons of God.''
00:57:14.66\00:57:15.66
Of course after Jesus
who was the son of God.
00:57:15.70\00:57:18.00
Now we are at the
top of the ladder,
00:57:18.03\00:57:19.40
everything is up to
this point, okay, get this.
00:57:19.43\00:57:21.30
We are talking
about Christian growth.
00:57:21.34\00:57:22.37
We are talking
about abiding in Christ.
00:57:22.40\00:57:23.67
So what's the first step
at the ladder, say with me.
00:57:23.71\00:57:25.57
You recognize
your spiritual, what?
00:57:25.61\00:57:27.11
Poverty.
00:57:27.14\00:57:28.08
And then you mourn
that spiritual condition.
00:57:28.11\00:57:30.18
This causes you to be meek
00:57:30.21\00:57:31.55
and then you're hunger
and thirst for righteousness.
00:57:31.58\00:57:33.25
You realize that you are
00:57:33.28\00:57:34.32
the undeserved
recipient of God's mercy.
00:57:34.35\00:57:36.08
And so you want to
bestow that mercy upon other.
00:57:36.12\00:57:38.02
So far so good everyone?
00:57:38.05\00:57:39.12
Okay.
00:57:39.15\00:57:40.29
And then you reach out to
others communicating that mercy,
00:57:40.32\00:57:42.36
you become a peacemaker all
the way up the ladder of faith
00:57:42.39\00:57:45.99
you're climbing up
the ladder of faith
00:57:46.03\00:57:48.63
until you reach the top,
00:57:48.66\00:57:50.17
the ultimate apex of
this ladder of faith.
00:57:50.20\00:57:53.30
The final Beatitude,
Jesus says, "Blessed are those
00:57:53.34\00:57:55.74
who are persecuted
for righteousness sake,
00:57:55.77\00:57:57.41
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven."
00:57:57.44\00:58:03.68
It's the same thing.
00:58:03.71\00:58:05.81
The last promise is the
same as the first promise.
00:58:05.85\00:58:09.28
You know what Jesus is saying?
00:58:09.32\00:58:10.99
Wherever you are on the ladder,
00:58:11.02\00:58:14.62
your's is the kingdom of heaven.
00:58:14.66\00:58:15.86
Amen.
00:58:15.89\00:58:18.03
Wherever you are on that ladder,
00:58:18.06\00:58:19.89
your's is the kingdom of heaven.
00:58:19.93\00:58:21.80
Right here, right now,
yours is God's kingdom.
00:58:21.83\00:58:27.50
You might be the
thief on the cross
00:58:27.54\00:58:29.34
at the very
bottom, bottom, bottom,
00:58:29.37\00:58:30.81
but your's is the
kingdom of heaven.
00:58:30.84\00:58:33.01
You might be all
the way up at the top
00:58:33.04\00:58:35.21
being persecuted
for righteousness sake
00:58:35.24\00:58:37.31
because you are so filled
with the spirit of Christ,
00:58:37.35\00:58:39.11
and you get the same reward
00:58:39.15\00:58:41.15
but let me tell you something
00:58:41.18\00:58:42.08
that even my five
year old boy understands.
00:58:42.12\00:58:44.55
Ladders offer climbing.
00:58:44.59\00:58:49.52
It's not the divine lazy boy.
00:58:49.56\00:58:54.23
It's the divine ladder.
00:58:54.30\00:58:57.10
So if you are at the bottom,
00:58:57.13\00:59:00.40
you shouldn't be
content to stay there.
00:59:00.44\00:59:04.24
So you climb but you take
that step in the confidence
00:59:04.27\00:59:08.21
that yours is the
kingdom of heaven.
00:59:08.24\00:59:10.01
You cannot
continue to abide in Christ
00:59:10.05\00:59:14.05
if you don't have
a living confidence
00:59:14.08\00:59:15.42
that you
presently reside in Christ.
00:59:15.45\00:59:17.82
I think I
figured this thing out.
00:59:17.85\00:59:21.06
You stay with Jesus,
you stick it out with Jesus
00:59:21.09\00:59:27.13
and He will take
care of the hard part.
00:59:27.20\00:59:31.07
You hang in there with Jesus
00:59:31.10\00:59:35.37
and He will finish the work
00:59:35.40\00:59:40.74
that He has begun in you.
00:59:40.78\00:59:42.14