You know we're coming to you
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from beautiful
downtown Thompsonville.
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I've noticed, that all of
us who worked in big cities
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used that term.
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Danny really uses that term
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beautiful
downtown Thompsonville.
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But those of us who
have come from New York
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or Jim from
Dallas, who tend to say
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beautiful
downtown Thompsonville.
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Though it kind of
rings funny in our minds,
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we say it anyway
because we're happy to be here.
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I was back in New York
City just a couple of months ago
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and I enjoyed my times there.
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But when it was time
to go, I was ready to go
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and come back to beautiful
downtown Thompsonville.
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Praise the Lord.
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We've adjusted quite
well and quite nicely.
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We want to begin
our meeting with prayer
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and talked to the Lord
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and ask His
blessing upon us this day.
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Father God, we thank You
so very much for Your love,
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Your goodness, Your
grace and Your mercy.
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We thank You for the words
that we have heard preached
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with power and for
the truth in those words.
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And what the word does
to bring life to our lives
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and to turn our hearts
and minds towards Jesus.
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We ask now for Pastor Tucker,
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Your blessing, Your anointing
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so that he can speak the
words of life with power.
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And then we ask that
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You would open up
our hearts and minds
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to be receptors of that word,
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that we can be drawn
closer to Jesus Christ.
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And we thank You
in Jesus' name, amen.
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You know, the directors
here are very specific about,
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about lighting.
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There is talking light
and there is singing light.
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I am now
standing in talking light.
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Now since I'm
getting ready to sing,
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I've got to move
from talking light
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over to singing light.
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This is singing light.
Can you see the difference?
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Sure you can.
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Really is because
the monitors are here
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and I have to listen
to myself when I sing.
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The song I like to do
is in Shady Green Pastures.
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God Leads His
Dear Children Along.
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It is a favorite of mine.
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The words means
so very much to me
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because, in my life and
I'm sure in many of yours,
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you've gone
through ups and downs,
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through mountains and valleys.
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You've had good
times and hard times.
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But the very first text
that I committed to memory
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was Joshua 1:9.
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"Have not I commanded thee?
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Be strong and of a good courage,
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be not afraid,
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neither be thou
dismayed for the Lord thy God
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is with thee
whithersoever thou goest."
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It talks about
good times, bad times
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that we have the
assurance that God is with us
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through all of those times.
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We are never ever alone.
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Amen? And amen.
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Listen to the words.
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In shady, green pastures
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So rich and so sweet
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God leads
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His dear children along
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Where the water's cool flow
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Bathes the weary one's feet
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God leads
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His dear children along
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Some through the water
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Some through the flood
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Some through the fire
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But all through the blood
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Some through great sorrow
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Still God gives a song
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In the night season
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And all the day long
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Sometimes on the mountain
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Where the sun shine so bright
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God leads
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His dear children along
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Sometimes in the valley
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Through the darkest of night
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God leads
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His dear children along
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Some through the water
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Some through the flood
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Some through the fire
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But all through His blood
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Some through great sorrow
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But God gives a song
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In the night season
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And all the day long
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Some through the water
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Some through the flood
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Some through great sorrow
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But all through the blood
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Some through great sorrow
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Still God gives a song
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In the night season
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And all
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The day long
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Now I'm back to talking light.
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We heard from him on yesterday
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and it has been my pleasure
to sort of reacquaint myself
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with our friend,
Pastor Michael Tucker.
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As I said, I had a
chance to preach at his church
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some years ago for an
international weekend,
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and he was
gracious, has been kind
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and turning his
pulpit over to me.
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He pastors the church
of some 1,900 members.
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And I remember when
I got to Ephesus Church
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and I had someone...
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I was talking
with one of the elders
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and I said, boy,
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I have got 2,000
members to teach and direct.
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And he said, well,
you may have 2,000 people
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telling you what to do.
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But he has done a very fine job.
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He's been there 16 years.
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So that bespeaks something,
he's doing something right
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and God is
blessing his ministry.
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He's a nice guy.
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You know, you
like to know people
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who are steeped into
word, who love the Lord,
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but are humble nice guys.
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And I was teasing
with him yesterday,
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but he is indeed a nice guy.
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And someone that I've
come to love and respect.
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He and his wife
Gayle are pastors there.
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They have a pastoral staff.
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He is the speaker/director
for Faith for Today
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which as was said
yesterday is the longest running
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Christian television ministry.
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He follows in a long line
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of great leaders
of that ministry.
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So without further
ado, please hear now
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our pastor, our
friend, Pastor Michael Tucker.
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Thank you, C.A.
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He is a fun man to tease
with. I wanted you to know.
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He's a lot of fun
to, to hangout with.
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Good guy.
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Now, C.A., if I
start to move around
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and I move over
here, do I have to sing
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or can I
continue to preach here?
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Is that all
right? Okay. All right.
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I think they
would like it better
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if I kept with preaching.
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I asked you to pray
for Faith for Today.
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This summer we're going
to shoot another 26 episodes
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of Lifestyle
Magazine and that is a program
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we'd use to reach
secular men and women.
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And we have
changed it up a little bit.
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We shot some last year.
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We're gonna shoot
some more this year.
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And pray that we
will get that right.
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That we will create programs
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that will truly
reach the secular mind
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and bring them to a
knowledge of Jesus Christ.
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That is the
mission of Faith for Today
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is to reach secular people.
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And that's why our
program looks a little different
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than some of the others
because we are appealing
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to a secular mind
that may not respond to me
00:10:01.23\00:10:03.77
standing up here and preaching.
00:10:03.80\00:10:05.53
But a talk show is
less threatening to them
00:10:05.57\00:10:08.10
and they were able to
introduce spiritual themes
00:10:08.14\00:10:10.61
through that show.
00:10:10.64\00:10:11.97
So be praying for
us if you would please,
00:10:12.01\00:10:13.51
that we'll do that right
00:10:13.54\00:10:15.24
and that we'll be
able to reach men and women
00:10:15.28\00:10:16.81
with the gospel of Jesus Christ,
00:10:16.85\00:10:18.21
that's what we want.
00:10:18.25\00:10:19.78
Open your Bible if you would
please to Matthew 22 again.
00:10:19.81\00:10:22.72
We've been studying
something we've called
00:10:22.75\00:10:24.45
the Jesus Creed.
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What does it mean
to live Christianly
00:10:26.19\00:10:29.06
in the world today?
00:10:29.09\00:10:30.66
What does it mean to live
00:10:30.69\00:10:32.16
as a fully devoted
follower of Jesus Christ?
00:10:32.19\00:10:34.93
What does that look
like? What does that feel like?
00:10:34.96\00:10:37.93
What does that
mean in today's context?
00:10:37.97\00:10:41.47
And we have found that
Jesus has a creed or a mantra
00:10:41.50\00:10:44.97
if you will for living.
00:10:45.01\00:10:46.98
He was asked which was
the greatest commandment.
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Which was basically asking,
how do you grow spiritually?
00:10:49.08\00:10:52.61
As far as the
Jewish mind was concerned
00:10:52.65\00:10:54.52
and Jesus answered by giving us
00:10:54.55\00:10:57.55
what we find
here in Matthew 22:37.
00:10:57.59\00:11:01.62
Jesus replied, "Love the Lord
your God with all your heart,
00:11:01.66\00:11:05.16
with all your soul,
with all your mind.'
00:11:05.19\00:11:08.36
This is the first
and greatest commandment.
00:11:08.40\00:11:10.97
And the second is like it,
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'Love your
neighbor as yourself.'
00:11:12.37\00:11:14.40
All the Law and the Prophets
00:11:14.44\00:11:16.07
hang on these two commandments."
00:11:16.10\00:11:19.14
We call this the Jesus
Creed. The Jesus creed is this.
00:11:19.17\00:11:22.41
We love God by following
Jesus and loving others.
00:11:22.44\00:11:27.85
And that is the basis
of Christianity. Is it not?
00:11:27.88\00:11:31.02
It boils down to this.
00:11:31.05\00:11:33.15
You want to live
like Jesus Christ.
00:11:33.19\00:11:34.89
You want to be
like Jesus Christ.
00:11:34.92\00:11:37.03
You understand the Jesus creed.
00:11:37.06\00:11:38.79
We're gonna love God
and we're gonna do that
00:11:38.83\00:11:40.63
by following Jesus and
by loving other people.
00:11:40.66\00:11:45.53
Now I'd like to focus today
on the last half of that first
00:11:45.57\00:11:49.14
and then we'll get back
to the first half of this.
00:11:49.17\00:11:51.11
We're gonna talk about
right now loving people.
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We talked about that
quite a bit yesterday.
00:11:53.68\00:11:55.48
I'd like to add
one more thing to this.
00:11:55.51\00:11:57.15
Yesterday, we talked
about how it's important to love
00:11:57.18\00:11:59.61
not just the people
around you who you like.
00:11:59.65\00:12:02.78
Not just the people
you go to church with.
00:12:02.82\00:12:04.52
Although, sometimes that's
a challenge too, isn't it?
00:12:04.55\00:12:07.46
I heard a big
amen over some place.
00:12:07.49\00:12:10.99
Sometimes that's a
challenge as well, isn't it?
00:12:11.03\00:12:13.70
But also to love
the bum on skid road,
00:12:13.73\00:12:16.97
to love the drug dealer,
00:12:17.00\00:12:18.60
to love those people
the way Jesus loves them.
00:12:18.63\00:12:20.97
That's a challenge.
00:12:21.00\00:12:22.34
But I'm telling
you right now that
00:12:22.37\00:12:23.71
sometimes there's
even bigger challenge
00:12:23.74\00:12:26.47
and that is to love the
new you in Christ Jesus.
00:12:26.51\00:12:33.65
Very often we
think of Christianity
00:12:33.68\00:12:35.68
as hating
ourselves and loving others.
00:12:35.72\00:12:39.82
That's not really a
good translation of this.
00:12:39.85\00:12:42.72
The truth is that
we're to love ourselves
00:12:42.76\00:12:45.23
as Christ loves us.
00:12:45.26\00:12:46.80
We've to see
ourselves as Christ sees us.
00:12:46.83\00:12:49.66
And He says that,
when you come to Him,
00:12:49.70\00:12:51.73
He says you are
then a new creation.
00:12:51.77\00:12:54.10
Did you know that?
00:12:54.14\00:12:55.77
You are a brand new creation,
00:12:55.80\00:12:58.07
a brand new
person in Jesus Christ.
00:12:58.11\00:13:00.64
The old you has been
washed away, it is gone.
00:13:00.68\00:13:03.55
Now, you are a new creature,
00:13:03.58\00:13:05.28
one who more closely
resembles Jesus Christ Himself,
00:13:05.31\00:13:10.72
that's the new you.
00:13:10.75\00:13:13.36
Someone who more
closely resembles
00:13:13.39\00:13:15.49
Jesus Christ Himself.
00:13:15.52\00:13:17.06
And that means, you are
to love that new creation.
00:13:17.09\00:13:20.76
You are to believe
in that new creation.
00:13:20.80\00:13:25.47
Believe that God can
and will use that person.
00:13:25.50\00:13:32.07
Now you think
about that for a moment.
00:13:32.11\00:13:34.38
God can and will use you.
00:13:34.41\00:13:37.18
He has said that He
has given you authority.
00:13:37.21\00:13:40.52
You have authority in
the name of Jesus Christ.
00:13:40.55\00:13:43.92
One of the places you
have authority is over spirits.
00:13:43.95\00:13:47.36
You remember the story of Jesus
00:13:47.39\00:13:49.06
being on the
Mount of Transfiguration
00:13:49.09\00:13:50.69
with Peter, James, and John.
00:13:50.73\00:13:52.69
And the other nine
disciples were down
00:13:52.73\00:13:54.26
at the foot of the mountain.
00:13:54.30\00:13:55.86
And when they came down,
00:13:55.90\00:13:57.37
Jesus noticed
that the other nine
00:13:57.40\00:13:59.10
have been trying to
cast a demon out of a boy,
00:13:59.13\00:14:01.00
but they have been
unsuccessful in doing so.
00:14:01.04\00:14:04.04
And he chided them
for their lack of faith.
00:14:04.07\00:14:07.51
Some commentators look at
that and they say, you know,
00:14:07.54\00:14:09.81
it wasn't their
lack of faith in God
00:14:09.84\00:14:12.01
that prevented
them from doing this.
00:14:12.05\00:14:15.42
It was their lack
of faith in themselves
00:14:15.45\00:14:17.72
being an instrument
that God would and could use.
00:14:17.75\00:14:22.36
Because remember
they had already been
00:14:22.39\00:14:23.73
out on the speaking tour,
00:14:23.76\00:14:25.09
they had already
done some miracles
00:14:25.13\00:14:26.46
but this seemed to
be a real bad case.
00:14:26.49\00:14:29.86
And they just did not
believe that God would use them.
00:14:29.90\00:14:34.44
And so Jesus said, oh,
you have a little faith.
00:14:34.47\00:14:39.57
I think that he was saying,
00:14:39.61\00:14:41.11
you need to
believe in the new you.
00:14:41.14\00:14:43.55
Believe that God will
00:14:43.58\00:14:45.25
and can work
through you, even you.
00:14:45.28\00:14:51.29
From time to
time, people come to me
00:14:51.32\00:14:53.15
and they tell me
about demonic harassment
00:14:53.19\00:14:56.73
in their lives or in their home.
00:14:56.76\00:14:58.56
One family came to
me and they said that
00:14:58.59\00:15:00.60
they were renting a house
that had been owned previously
00:15:00.63\00:15:04.17
by drug dealers who
are also Satan worshipers.
00:15:04.20\00:15:08.04
And when they
had left the house,
00:15:08.07\00:15:10.27
they had left in a hurry
and they left a female dog
00:15:10.31\00:15:12.37
and her puppies
locked up in a bathroom
00:15:12.41\00:15:14.78
and the dog and
the puppies died there.
00:15:14.81\00:15:18.18
And now, as they were living in
this house every now and then,
00:15:18.21\00:15:22.82
they would hear
scratching and growling
00:15:22.85\00:15:24.49
on the bathroom door.
00:15:24.52\00:15:26.52
And of course they would
go there and no one was there.
00:15:26.55\00:15:28.92
They would feel a cold
presence rushing to the room
00:15:28.96\00:15:31.86
and then the cat would
leave the room, would run away.
00:15:31.89\00:15:35.23
The girl who was a teenager
in academy, in high school
00:15:35.26\00:15:39.80
would be asleep
and she would awaken
00:15:39.83\00:15:41.77
with a feeling of a
cold icy hand on her throat.
00:15:41.80\00:15:45.44
Sits straight up
and no one was there.
00:15:45.47\00:15:47.74
And they came to me and said,
00:15:47.78\00:15:49.11
would you come
and help us with this?
00:15:49.14\00:15:50.78
I said I'll be happy
to. You can do it yourself.
00:15:50.81\00:15:53.35
No, pastor, we need your help.
00:15:53.38\00:15:55.05
I said fine.
00:15:55.08\00:15:56.42
So I took one of my elders
00:15:56.45\00:15:57.79
and we prayed in
every room of the house,
00:15:57.82\00:15:59.19
finding the
demons, casting them out
00:15:59.22\00:16:01.02
and claiming that his territory
00:16:01.06\00:16:02.99
for these sons and
daughters of Jesus Christ,
00:16:03.02\00:16:05.99
sons and daughters of God,
00:16:06.03\00:16:07.36
brothers of
Jesus Christ, sisters.
00:16:07.40\00:16:09.26
These people belong to Jesus,
00:16:09.30\00:16:11.10
that means this
territory belongs to them.
00:16:11.13\00:16:13.27
My elder and I did that
in every room of the house.
00:16:13.30\00:16:15.34
We did it outside the house.
00:16:15.37\00:16:16.97
It's been years
ago, they've never had
00:16:17.01\00:16:18.47
any other problems.
00:16:18.51\00:16:19.87
It's not because I have
any great power over demons,
00:16:19.91\00:16:23.14
Jesus Christ has the
authority over all demons.
00:16:23.18\00:16:27.05
He has vested that authority
00:16:27.08\00:16:28.95
graciously in His sons
and daughters, His followers,
00:16:28.98\00:16:32.02
that is you and that is me
00:16:32.05\00:16:33.76
because we believe in the
priesthood of all believers.
00:16:33.79\00:16:36.09
That means you have the
same authority to do that
00:16:36.12\00:16:38.33
as I do.
00:16:38.36\00:16:39.96
You have to
believe in the new you.
00:16:40.00\00:16:42.70
So another one of my members
heard me preach that sermon
00:16:42.73\00:16:45.47
and tell that
particular experience
00:16:45.50\00:16:47.50
and explain it that way,
00:16:47.54\00:16:48.87
that you have
authority to do this.
00:16:48.90\00:16:50.51
She called me up.
00:16:50.54\00:16:51.87
She said, I teach,
00:16:51.91\00:16:53.24
I've just been
assigned to a public school
00:16:53.27\00:16:54.71
and I'm a teacher there.
00:16:54.74\00:16:56.51
And at this public
school it is known that
00:16:56.54\00:16:58.28
the school itself is haunted.
00:16:58.31\00:17:00.32
The elementary children
00:17:00.35\00:17:01.68
will not go to the
bathroom by themselves
00:17:01.72\00:17:03.12
because of the
noises and the experiences
00:17:03.15\00:17:05.25
that they have in the bathroom.
00:17:05.29\00:17:06.79
And so they are
frightened at the school,
00:17:06.82\00:17:08.96
we will hear
noises, we hear rappings,
00:17:08.99\00:17:10.79
we hear all sorts of noise
00:17:10.83\00:17:12.49
and children laughing
where there are no children.
00:17:12.53\00:17:15.73
Everyone knows
this place is haunted.
00:17:15.76\00:17:17.70
What can I do?
00:17:17.73\00:17:19.20
I said, well, I
talked to her about
00:17:19.23\00:17:21.90
going through the
rooms of that building
00:17:21.94\00:17:23.44
and claiming it as
territory for Jesus Christ.
00:17:23.47\00:17:26.64
She said, "Now, are
you sure that I can do this
00:17:26.68\00:17:28.38
and I don't have to have you?"
00:17:28.41\00:17:29.74
I said, sister, believe
me, there is nothing in me
00:17:29.78\00:17:32.85
that is of value
that can make this happen.
00:17:32.88\00:17:34.72
This is Jesus Christ
and He can work through you,
00:17:34.75\00:17:37.02
just assuredly as
He can through me.
00:17:37.05\00:17:39.35
She said, "Would you write
out a sample prayer for me?"
00:17:39.39\00:17:41.66
So I did that and I
send her an email with it.
00:17:41.69\00:17:44.06
She went through
every room of that school
00:17:44.09\00:17:48.23
and prayed that prayer
and cast out the demons.
00:17:48.26\00:17:52.37
So effective was
that, that the children now
00:17:52.40\00:17:54.90
go to the
bathroom by themselves.
00:17:54.94\00:17:57.51
They hear no more noises
00:17:57.54\00:17:59.64
because she
believed in the new her.
00:17:59.67\00:18:02.48
By the way something
else interesting happened.
00:18:02.51\00:18:04.81
Some of the other
teachers came to her and said,
00:18:04.85\00:18:06.75
we understand...
00:18:06.78\00:18:08.12
She had not told
anyone that she had done this.
00:18:08.15\00:18:10.25
We understand you cast
out the demons in this place.
00:18:10.29\00:18:13.09
How did they
know that? Number one.
00:18:13.12\00:18:15.12
They said and the
people you set out
00:18:15.16\00:18:18.19
were actually children.
00:18:18.23\00:18:19.56
These were spirits of children
and they don't understand
00:18:19.59\00:18:21.90
why you were so mean to them.
00:18:21.93\00:18:24.30
Isn't that crazy?
00:18:24.33\00:18:25.70
First of all, how did they know?
00:18:25.73\00:18:27.60
Well, you know I
think we got a guess here
00:18:27.64\00:18:31.47
and these were teachers.
00:18:31.51\00:18:33.44
That's a little frightening.
00:18:33.48\00:18:35.71
But she held her ground.
00:18:35.74\00:18:37.65
You know, she had claimed
that territory for Jesus Christ.
00:18:37.68\00:18:42.15
And she has the authority
00:18:42.18\00:18:44.15
because she is a new
creature in Jesus Christ.
00:18:44.19\00:18:47.29
You ought to
believe in the new you,
00:18:47.32\00:18:51.49
that new person,
00:18:51.53\00:18:52.86
that new
creation in Jesus Christ
00:18:52.89\00:18:55.33
because He will and can
and shall work through you.
00:18:55.36\00:19:02.00
When we follow the
Jesus creed by following Jesus
00:19:02.04\00:19:05.81
and loving others,
00:19:05.84\00:19:07.44
one of the others we love is us.
00:19:07.48\00:19:11.11
We love ourselves as the new us,
00:19:11.15\00:19:13.42
the new creation that is
now following Jesus Christ.
00:19:13.45\00:19:18.12
Now that first part of this,
we love God by following Jesus.
00:19:18.15\00:19:22.06
This is not a casual following.
00:19:22.09\00:19:23.83
He's over here,
I'm close enough.
00:19:23.86\00:19:26.16
You know I've see
him going that way,
00:19:26.19\00:19:27.53
I'll follow in a little
bit, I'm busy right now.
00:19:27.56\00:19:29.70
And then I kind of
meandered that way.
00:19:29.73\00:19:31.07
No, this is a devoted
following of Jesus Christ.
00:19:31.10\00:19:34.60
It is the number one
priority in your life.
00:19:34.64\00:19:36.94
I am a devoted
follower of Jesus Christ.
00:19:36.97\00:19:40.01
It even means that I
will follow Jesus Christ,
00:19:40.04\00:19:44.18
even if following Him
00:19:44.21\00:19:46.05
disagrees with my previous
interpretation of the law.
00:19:46.08\00:19:49.68
Does that make sense to you?
00:19:49.72\00:19:51.32
I grew up at times believing
the law sets certain things
00:19:51.35\00:19:54.06
and yet as I
examined the life of Christ,
00:19:54.09\00:19:55.66
sometimes He leads me in ways
that are little bit different
00:19:55.69\00:19:57.96
than what I grew up believing.
00:19:57.99\00:20:00.40
And I have to reexamine
my understanding of the law.
00:20:00.43\00:20:04.23
We find an example of
this in Matthew Chapter 8.
00:20:04.27\00:20:09.97
Jesus had just
issued a call for disciples.
00:20:10.01\00:20:12.57
He called them to follow Him
and to follow Him all the way.
00:20:12.61\00:20:16.68
Follow Me He said.
00:20:16.71\00:20:18.18
And one disciple
it says came to Him.
00:20:18.21\00:20:21.78
That means one who
wanted to be a disciple
00:20:21.82\00:20:23.95
or one who was
following Him from a distance,
00:20:23.99\00:20:25.72
certainly not one of the twelve.
00:20:25.75\00:20:27.26
And said I would
like to follow You,
00:20:27.29\00:20:28.72
but he had a condition.
00:20:28.76\00:20:30.09
Look at this, Matthew 8:21.
00:20:30.13\00:20:32.79
"Another disciple said to him,
00:20:32.83\00:20:34.66
"Lord, first let me
go and bury my father.
00:20:34.70\00:20:37.97
But Jesus told him, "Follow me,
00:20:38.00\00:20:40.04
and let the dead
bury their own dead."
00:20:40.07\00:20:42.50
Now at first that seems
rather cold, doesn't it?
00:20:42.54\00:20:45.21
It seems cold
until you understand
00:20:45.24\00:20:47.94
the customs of the day.
00:20:47.98\00:20:49.74
And let me explain this to you.
00:20:49.78\00:20:51.41
When a person
died on those days,
00:20:51.45\00:20:52.88
they were usually buried
the same day that they died
00:20:52.91\00:20:56.08
because it's a dry arid land,
00:20:56.12\00:20:58.39
the body would
disintegrate quickly
00:20:58.42\00:21:00.49
and it would be a health hazard.
00:21:00.52\00:21:01.96
So usually the same
day that the person died,
00:21:01.99\00:21:04.16
they would anoint the
body with oils and spices
00:21:04.19\00:21:06.66
and put it in a tomb
00:21:06.70\00:21:08.70
and that would be the first day.
00:21:08.73\00:21:10.13
Then the family would
sit and they would grieve
00:21:10.17\00:21:14.24
and some thing
called Shiva for seven days.
00:21:14.27\00:21:16.54
It was rare that they
would ever come out of the house
00:21:16.57\00:21:18.84
during those seven days.
00:21:18.87\00:21:20.21
Relatives would
bring them food if need be,
00:21:20.24\00:21:22.74
so that they
could stay in the house
00:21:22.78\00:21:24.11
and grieve for seven days.
00:21:24.15\00:21:25.75
Then the morning would continue,
00:21:25.78\00:21:27.42
although they
would reenter into,
00:21:27.45\00:21:28.98
to public life,
00:21:29.02\00:21:30.39
they would
continue for up to one year.
00:21:30.42\00:21:32.75
At the end of the year,
00:21:32.79\00:21:34.32
the bones were then
taken out of the tomb
00:21:34.36\00:21:36.83
where they have
been laid the first place
00:21:36.86\00:21:38.19
and reburied.
00:21:38.23\00:21:40.20
So there were two burials.
00:21:40.23\00:21:42.86
This man spoke
to Jesus obviously
00:21:42.90\00:21:45.67
not before his father
was buried the first time
00:21:45.70\00:21:48.07
because that
happened the same day.
00:21:48.10\00:21:50.11
It was extremely unlikely
00:21:50.14\00:21:52.91
that he talked
to him during Shiva
00:21:52.94\00:21:54.81
because they didn't
come out of the house
00:21:54.84\00:21:56.38
during that time.
00:21:56.41\00:21:57.98
What he was basically saying is,
00:21:58.01\00:22:00.98
at the one year
anniversary of my father's death
00:22:01.02\00:22:03.49
we're going to rebury him.
00:22:03.52\00:22:04.85
Could you wait until then?
00:22:04.89\00:22:06.55
He may be asking
Jesus to wait for him,
00:22:06.59\00:22:09.26
for up to a year
before he followed him.
00:22:09.29\00:22:13.29
Jesus said, it's now or never.
00:22:13.33\00:22:16.67
It's all or nothing.
00:22:16.70\00:22:18.03
Now this man may
have thought, hey, listen,
00:22:18.07\00:22:19.40
I'm following the law.
00:22:19.43\00:22:21.10
The law tells me
to respect my parents.
00:22:21.14\00:22:23.61
The law tells me to
care for them even in death.
00:22:23.64\00:22:26.61
And Jesus said,
you have done enough.
00:22:26.64\00:22:28.61
You want to
follow Me, follow Me.
00:22:28.64\00:22:31.15
Now that's what
Jesus was speaking of
00:22:31.18\00:22:33.05
and that's why that
passage tells us that at times
00:22:33.08\00:22:36.58
we have to reexamine
our previous understanding
00:22:36.62\00:22:39.59
of what the law required
in order to follow Jesus.
00:22:39.62\00:22:42.92
Does that make sense to you now?
00:22:42.96\00:22:45.56
If indeed you're
faced with the situation
00:22:45.59\00:22:47.53
of either following Jesus
00:22:47.56\00:22:49.00
or following your previous
understanding of the law,
00:22:49.03\00:22:52.83
always follow Jesus
and understand this.
00:22:52.87\00:22:55.00
Jesus will
never lead you outside
00:22:55.04\00:22:56.97
the precepts of
the law, will He?
00:22:57.01\00:22:59.11
I mean, He's not gonna do that.
00:22:59.14\00:23:02.54
He's not gonna do that.
00:23:02.58\00:23:03.91
The laws are
expression of his character.
00:23:03.95\00:23:06.51
So you are safe
in following Jesus.
00:23:06.55\00:23:08.42
It may mean that
you need to reexamine
00:23:08.45\00:23:10.52
what you thought the law taught.
00:23:10.55\00:23:13.66
You may need to reexamine that.
00:23:13.69\00:23:16.06
And this may be an
experience of growth for you
00:23:16.09\00:23:18.79
for the rest of your life.
00:23:18.83\00:23:20.46
We have to follow Jesus
00:23:20.50\00:23:22.26
and when it comes
down to a choice between
00:23:22.30\00:23:24.10
following Jesus or following
our understanding of the law,
00:23:24.13\00:23:27.07
we always chose to follow Jesus.
00:23:27.10\00:23:31.84
Always chose to follow Jesus.
00:23:31.87\00:23:33.91
This, in order
for that to happen
00:23:33.94\00:23:36.11
implies a personal relationship
between you and Jesus Christ.
00:23:36.14\00:23:41.55
You have to know
who Jesus Christ is
00:23:41.58\00:23:44.75
in order to follow Him.
00:23:44.79\00:23:47.86
You have to have a
give and take relationship.
00:23:47.89\00:23:52.19
Now there are a lot
of tools for doing that.
00:23:52.23\00:23:54.86
You know meditation is
one, biblical meditation
00:23:54.90\00:23:57.07
by the way predates eastern
meditation by a long shot.
00:23:57.10\00:24:00.47
And basically it should be
a part of our Christian lives.
00:24:00.50\00:24:03.87
And we don't meditate
by making our minds blank.
00:24:03.91\00:24:06.54
We meditate by
filling it with scripture.
00:24:06.57\00:24:09.01
It's a biblical meditation
and it predates the other.
00:24:09.04\00:24:12.28
And basically who was it?
00:24:12.31\00:24:14.58
Was asked, why he meditated?
00:24:14.62\00:24:18.35
And his response was
because I'm a Christian,
00:24:18.39\00:24:21.69
because I'm a Christian.
00:24:21.72\00:24:23.86
I think it was
Bonhoeffer who did that.
00:24:23.89\00:24:26.16
I'm a Christian.
00:24:26.19\00:24:27.53
And basically he
thought that meditation
00:24:27.56\00:24:29.46
and Christianity
went hand in hand.
00:24:29.50\00:24:31.07
This is a means of
knowing Jesus Christ better.
00:24:31.10\00:24:35.10
It's a means of
knowing Him better.
00:24:35.14\00:24:37.27
By the way if you like to know
00:24:37.31\00:24:38.64
a little
something about meditation,
00:24:38.67\00:24:40.01
I have got a book
entitled "Every Good Thing"
00:24:40.04\00:24:41.61
and it talks about
spiritual disciplines,
00:24:41.64\00:24:44.01
tools for knowing Jesus better
and that's one of the things
00:24:44.05\00:24:47.52
that we talk about in that book,
00:24:47.55\00:24:49.02
showing biblical
examples of this.
00:24:49.05\00:24:51.25
So meditation is
one of those tools.
00:24:51.29\00:24:52.89
Another tool
would be Bible study.
00:24:52.92\00:24:54.62
Another tool is prayer.
00:24:54.66\00:24:56.73
Now I don't know about
you but I'm one who has always
00:24:56.76\00:24:59.09
struggled with prayer.
00:24:59.13\00:25:00.73
I'm a doer you know.
00:25:00.76\00:25:03.33
And prayer always growing
up seemed like a waste of time
00:25:03.37\00:25:06.13
because you should not
be out doing the Lord's work
00:25:06.17\00:25:08.64
until someone pointed out
to me that the work of the Lord
00:25:08.67\00:25:14.08
and the work of the
Christian begins with prayer,
00:25:14.11\00:25:17.05
that is your work.
00:25:17.08\00:25:19.51
The work of the
Christian is prayer.
00:25:19.55\00:25:21.42
God dares not blessed
many of you endeavors for Him.
00:25:21.45\00:25:25.05
If you have not first
bathed that endeavor in prayer
00:25:25.09\00:25:27.79
because otherwise
you might think that
00:25:27.82\00:25:29.42
you did it yourself.
00:25:29.46\00:25:32.49
And you maybe
doing the right thing,
00:25:32.53\00:25:34.30
but if you've not
bathed it with prayer,
00:25:34.33\00:25:36.46
He dares not bless you
00:25:36.50\00:25:38.17
because you'll get to
thinking I'm pretty good,
00:25:38.20\00:25:40.00
look at me.
00:25:40.04\00:25:41.37
Look at what I did for Jesus.
00:25:41.40\00:25:43.37
Now he did nothing for Jesus.
00:25:43.41\00:25:45.77
Jesus is the one
who makes things happen
00:25:45.81\00:25:47.74
and you must
bathe it with prayer.
00:25:47.78\00:25:49.28
So prayer has always
been a struggle for me
00:25:49.31\00:25:51.18
and it was for
the disciples as well.
00:25:51.21\00:25:52.75
The disciples
watched Jesus praying.
00:25:52.78\00:25:55.08
He would get up
early in the morning
00:25:55.12\00:25:56.45
and go out and
He prayed for hours.
00:25:56.48\00:25:58.59
And they noticed
that there seemed to be
00:25:58.62\00:26:00.59
a relationship
between his prayer life
00:26:00.62\00:26:03.19
and the power that he had.
00:26:03.22\00:26:05.09
He had a relationship
with the Father through prayer
00:26:05.13\00:26:09.33
and they wanted that.
00:26:09.36\00:26:10.70
And so they asked Him
to teach them how to pray
00:26:10.73\00:26:12.87
and He gave them what we
call now the Lord's prayer.
00:26:12.90\00:26:16.50
But he borrowed a
portion of that prayer
00:26:16.54\00:26:18.87
from a liturgical
prayer of the day,
00:26:18.91\00:26:21.88
that is the Kaddish.
00:26:21.91\00:26:24.21
The Kaddish is a
prayer that goes like this.
00:26:24.25\00:26:27.25
This is magnified and sanctified
00:26:27.28\00:26:29.62
be His great name in the world,
00:26:29.65\00:26:31.85
the world He created
according to His will.
00:26:31.89\00:26:34.56
May He establish His
kingdom during your life
00:26:34.59\00:26:37.29
and during your
days and during the life
00:26:37.33\00:26:39.56
of all the house
of Israel speedily
00:26:39.59\00:26:41.93
and in the near future.
00:26:41.96\00:26:43.30
And say amen.
00:26:43.33\00:26:45.87
Now this is a
prayer of praise to God.
00:26:45.90\00:26:48.54
It really focuses
everything on God.
00:26:48.57\00:26:51.41
And it looks that everything
from his point of view,
00:26:51.44\00:26:53.74
the only request is that
His kingdom be established and
00:26:53.78\00:26:56.75
that it will be
established quickly.
00:26:56.78\00:26:59.31
There is no personal request.
00:26:59.35\00:27:00.75
Everything is from
God's point of view.
00:27:00.78\00:27:02.18
There are times when
that is appropriate prayer.
00:27:02.22\00:27:05.12
There are times when
that's the way to pray.
00:27:05.15\00:27:07.39
It's times when
that's the way to worship
00:27:07.42\00:27:09.52
that everything is
from God's point of view,
00:27:09.56\00:27:11.06
but that's not a
personal relationship.
00:27:11.09\00:27:13.90
A personal
relationship is give and take.
00:27:13.93\00:27:17.23
Now I have a lot
of acquaintances.
00:27:17.27\00:27:20.27
Some of my acquaintances
whenever they are with me,
00:27:20.30\00:27:22.67
it's all about them.
00:27:22.70\00:27:25.24
Sometimes as a pastor they
are telling me their problems
00:27:25.27\00:27:28.28
and I'm praying with them
and giving them counsel and all,
00:27:28.31\00:27:31.21
that's not a friendship.
00:27:31.25\00:27:33.75
I'm not their friend, I'm their
counselor, I'm their pastor.
00:27:33.78\00:27:36.28
That makes sense to you?
00:27:36.32\00:27:38.05
I've got other friends
who it's a give and take.
00:27:38.09\00:27:42.06
Some of it's about
them, some of it's about me,
00:27:42.09\00:27:44.06
we're back and
forth, that's a friendship
00:27:44.09\00:27:45.99
and that's a relationship.
00:27:46.03\00:27:47.93
The other, I'm a counselor.
00:27:47.96\00:27:50.57
Here I'm a friend.
00:27:50.60\00:27:53.44
Therefore, if we are to
develop a relationship with God,
00:27:53.47\00:27:56.20
our prayers have to
have a give and take.
00:27:56.24\00:27:59.17
Jesus understood that
and that's why He gave us
00:27:59.21\00:28:02.48
the Lord's prayer.
00:28:02.51\00:28:03.85
I don't know about you
but when I was growing up
00:28:03.88\00:28:05.75
and they were
talking to me about prayer,
00:28:05.78\00:28:07.95
they said you got too
many requests in your prayer.
00:28:07.98\00:28:10.85
Your prayer needs
to be mainly praise.
00:28:10.89\00:28:13.62
But then I looked at all
the biblical examples of prayer,
00:28:13.66\00:28:16.76
especially those
that came from Jesus
00:28:16.79\00:28:18.36
and they seemed to be nothing
00:28:18.39\00:28:19.73
more than a long
line of requests.
00:28:19.76\00:28:22.43
And if that's my
pattern for prayer,
00:28:22.46\00:28:24.33
then it's all right to
have request in your prayer.
00:28:24.37\00:28:27.34
And that's what we
find with the Lord's prayer.
00:28:27.37\00:28:28.97
It is a series of request.
00:28:29.00\00:28:31.51
Now that request
begins from God's perspective
00:28:31.54\00:28:33.71
but then it turns also to
an individual perspective,
00:28:33.74\00:28:36.44
a personal perspective.
00:28:36.48\00:28:38.28
Let's take a look at
this prayer in Matthew 6:9.
00:28:38.31\00:28:44.35
Because if we
are to follow Jesus,
00:28:44.39\00:28:46.02
we must understand Jesus,
00:28:46.05\00:28:47.39
we must have a
personal relationship with Jesus
00:28:47.42\00:28:49.72
in order to follow Him,
in order to know His mind,
00:28:49.76\00:28:53.33
in order to know His
heart, to know His will, right?
00:28:53.36\00:28:56.70
All right. Look at this prayer.
00:28:56.73\00:28:59.33
"This, then, is
how you should pray.
00:28:59.37\00:29:02.27
"Our Father in
heaven, hallowed be your name,
00:29:02.30\00:29:06.91
your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth
00:29:06.94\00:29:09.51
as it is in heaven."
00:29:09.54\00:29:10.88
So far this is just
00:29:10.91\00:29:12.25
a reminiscent of
the Kaddish, right?
00:29:12.28\00:29:14.45
Now it turns.
00:29:14.48\00:29:16.22
"Give us today our daily bread.
00:29:16.25\00:29:19.12
Forgive us our debts,
00:29:19.15\00:29:20.79
as we also have
forgiven our debtors.
00:29:20.82\00:29:23.66
And lead us not into temptation,
00:29:23.69\00:29:26.09
but deliver us
from the evil one."
00:29:26.13\00:29:27.93
Now in mine translation
the last part of the prayer,
00:29:27.96\00:29:30.10
for thine is the
kingdom of power,
00:29:30.13\00:29:31.47
the glory forever is not
listed because that last,
00:29:31.50\00:29:34.67
the closing to the
prayer is not found
00:29:34.70\00:29:36.34
in the oldest manuscripts.
00:29:36.37\00:29:38.41
It is possible and probably
likely that, that phrase,
00:29:38.44\00:29:42.21
that ending was
added by a scribe
00:29:42.24\00:29:44.51
at some point along the line
00:29:44.55\00:29:45.88
who just felt like it needed
to be rounded out somehow.
00:29:45.91\00:29:48.55
And fortunately it does
not do violence to the prayer,
00:29:48.58\00:29:52.42
so it's all right
to have it in there.
00:29:52.45\00:29:53.79
It's not a big deal.
00:29:53.82\00:29:55.22
But it does not in
the oldest translations,
00:29:55.26\00:29:57.59
the oldest
manuscripts, pardon me,
00:29:57.63\00:29:59.43
and so some of
the newer translations
00:29:59.46\00:30:00.96
have not
included it in the Bible
00:30:01.00\00:30:03.73
that you are reading.
00:30:03.77\00:30:05.10
So that is the prayer
that he has given to us.
00:30:05.13\00:30:07.17
Now notice that there
is the give and the take.
00:30:07.20\00:30:09.84
We start off from
God's perspective,
00:30:09.87\00:30:11.34
but then we go to
the personal perspective.
00:30:11.37\00:30:13.94
Lord, I'd like to eat today.
00:30:13.98\00:30:16.58
Lord, I got these
bills that are coming due
00:30:16.61\00:30:18.28
and I don't know
what I'm gonna do.
00:30:18.31\00:30:20.68
Lord, would You help me
manage my finances better?
00:30:20.72\00:30:23.79
Lord, I want a
retirement income?
00:30:23.82\00:30:26.09
I don't know how?
00:30:26.12\00:30:27.46
You know what the
price of gas these days?
00:30:27.49\00:30:29.62
I'm gonna wear
out my tennis shoes.
00:30:29.66\00:30:33.46
Help me out, Lord.
00:30:33.50\00:30:34.83
That's one of the
request here, isn't it?
00:30:34.86\00:30:36.63
Give us today our daily bread.
00:30:36.67\00:30:38.43
Forgive me my sins, Lord.
00:30:38.47\00:30:40.77
And, Father, there are people
who have sinned against me,
00:30:40.80\00:30:42.44
I need to forgive.
00:30:42.47\00:30:44.57
In fact, I need
to led go the grudges
00:30:44.61\00:30:46.31
I hold against them.
00:30:46.34\00:30:47.68
I've got to get over this, Lord,
00:30:47.71\00:30:49.04
and I can't do it by myself.
00:30:49.08\00:30:50.41
That's a personal request.
00:30:50.45\00:30:51.78
It's looking at my life
00:30:51.81\00:30:53.15
from my point
of view, is it not?
00:30:53.18\00:30:55.38
And so this prayer
that Jesus has given us
00:30:55.42\00:30:57.62
is an
interaction, back and forth.
00:30:57.65\00:31:00.96
My perspective,
God's perspective,
00:31:00.99\00:31:03.02
but notice how
the prayer begins.
00:31:03.06\00:31:04.89
It says our Father,
that's the word Abba.
00:31:04.93\00:31:09.33
Now, that is not something
that the Jews of Jesus' day
00:31:09.36\00:31:12.30
were used to
doing in their prayers.
00:31:12.33\00:31:15.40
A personal address of God
as Father or Abba which may...
00:31:15.44\00:31:21.51
Some translator say
that, that could be translated,
00:31:21.54\00:31:24.45
something as intimate as daddy.
00:31:24.48\00:31:27.58
That was not in
their vocabulary.
00:31:27.62\00:31:29.45
That was not their experience.
00:31:29.48\00:31:31.12
Jesus is here saying
00:31:31.15\00:31:32.49
your
relationship with the Father,
00:31:32.52\00:31:33.86
yes, is to be honored
00:31:33.89\00:31:35.22
and there's to be praised in
awe and respect in reverence,
00:31:35.26\00:31:38.96
but there's another
side to this relationship
00:31:38.99\00:31:41.26
and that is an
intimate personal side.
00:31:41.30\00:31:44.07
He is your Father.
00:31:44.10\00:31:46.87
Jesus referred to God as
His Father and the Pharisees
00:31:46.90\00:31:51.91
and the priest
chided him for it.
00:31:51.94\00:31:55.24
It's too intimate.
00:31:55.28\00:31:56.61
In fact, they thought
the name of God was so holy,
00:31:56.64\00:31:58.35
they wouldn't even say it.
00:31:58.38\00:31:59.71
Yahweh, they took the valves out
00:31:59.75\00:32:01.52
so that no one
would know how to say it
00:32:01.55\00:32:03.45
and they were not
allowed to refer to it
00:32:03.49\00:32:05.29
in spoken word.
00:32:05.32\00:32:07.42
And so the word
Yahweh, we're not exactly sure
00:32:07.46\00:32:11.39
how that should be pronounced,
that's a pretty good guess
00:32:11.43\00:32:14.03
because it was not
pronounced for centuries,
00:32:14.06\00:32:16.13
so no one knows for sure.
00:32:16.16\00:32:18.10
That's how
reverence they, they...
00:32:18.13\00:32:20.80
How high esteemed they
held the name of God here,
00:32:20.84\00:32:23.71
but that had an opposite effect
of distancing them from God
00:32:23.74\00:32:27.94
and taking away any
possibility of relationship.
00:32:27.98\00:32:30.38
How do you have a
relationship with a God
00:32:30.41\00:32:32.05
that is so holy, you
can't even say His name?
00:32:32.08\00:32:35.58
So Jesus said, yes, He is holy
00:32:35.62\00:32:37.62
and He is sacred and He is other
00:32:37.65\00:32:39.22
and you need to
be aware of that,
00:32:39.25\00:32:41.29
but He is also personal.
00:32:41.32\00:32:44.39
And He cares for you.
00:32:44.43\00:32:46.76
And He longs for
intimacy with you.
00:32:46.80\00:32:50.57
Therefore, you can
refer to Him as Father
00:32:50.60\00:32:55.10
because this implies an
intimate personal relationship.
00:32:55.14\00:32:59.31
When I began to realize that,
00:32:59.34\00:33:01.51
it really
changed my prayer life.
00:33:01.54\00:33:04.61
When I had the freedom
not just to make everything
00:33:04.65\00:33:07.52
from God's perspective,
00:33:07.55\00:33:09.15
but to also
include my perspective
00:33:09.18\00:33:11.42
and recognize
that God is interested
00:33:11.45\00:33:13.25
in every detail of my life,
00:33:13.29\00:33:15.02
it changed my
prayer life significantly.
00:33:15.06\00:33:19.53
Now I can talk to Him
any day about anything,
00:33:19.56\00:33:23.03
about anything.
00:33:23.06\00:33:25.03
I can cry before Him.
I can laugh before Him.
00:33:25.07\00:33:27.87
I can tell Him how angry I am.
00:33:27.90\00:33:30.01
You read the Psalms? The
psalmist understood this.
00:33:30.04\00:33:32.57
The psalms are not
just songs, they are prayers
00:33:32.61\00:33:35.74
and they are models of prayer.
00:33:35.78\00:33:37.18
And in fact, if you
don't know how to pray,
00:33:37.21\00:33:38.65
one way to learn
is to pray the Psalms.
00:33:38.68\00:33:41.65
Use them as your pattern.
00:33:41.68\00:33:43.02
Change the personal
pronouns, make it fit you.
00:33:43.05\00:33:45.65
And you will
learn from the Psalms
00:33:45.69\00:33:47.32
how to prayer because
00:33:47.36\00:33:48.69
every human emotion
is listed in the Psalms.
00:33:48.72\00:33:51.73
Some of the ancients used
to pray five psalms a day.
00:33:51.76\00:33:54.53
That really gets tedious
when you're at Psalm 119,
00:33:54.56\00:33:57.20
let me tell you.
00:33:57.23\00:34:00.77
But I have taken one psalm a day
00:34:00.80\00:34:03.27
and I've done that for years,
00:34:03.30\00:34:04.71
where I've to
pray one psalm a day
00:34:04.74\00:34:06.57
as a part of my
regular prayer life.
00:34:06.61\00:34:08.41
I will also take
the Lord's prayer
00:34:08.44\00:34:09.94
and use it as a
pattern for prayer.
00:34:09.98\00:34:11.41
By the way, when
it says in verse 9,
00:34:11.45\00:34:13.85
this then, is
how you should pray.
00:34:13.88\00:34:16.05
A better
translation of that might be
00:34:16.08\00:34:18.15
or when you pray repeat.
00:34:18.19\00:34:21.39
He's actually telling
us that this is a prayer
00:34:21.42\00:34:23.79
that bears repetition.
00:34:23.83\00:34:26.06
That you can use
this over and over again.
00:34:26.09\00:34:28.73
When you don't
know what else to say
00:34:28.76\00:34:30.63
or how else to pray,
you pray this prayer.
00:34:30.67\00:34:33.70
The other thing that
I've used with these prayers,
00:34:33.74\00:34:35.50
I've used it as a
pattern for my prayer life.
00:34:35.54\00:34:38.94
One of the best
times for me to pray is
00:34:38.97\00:34:40.44
when I'm taking a morning walk
00:34:40.48\00:34:42.84
and I will use the Lord's prayer
00:34:42.88\00:34:45.31
on those morning walks.
00:34:45.35\00:34:47.28
And I'll start off with
just the first word, Our.
00:34:47.32\00:34:50.92
And as I think about Our,
I think about my fellowship
00:34:50.95\00:34:54.79
with the body of Christ,
00:34:54.82\00:34:56.96
because He is all of
our Father, is He not?
00:34:56.99\00:34:59.93
We claim Him together.
00:34:59.96\00:35:01.83
But I also think about
my kinship to the world,
00:35:01.86\00:35:04.30
to a world of lost
people who are also His children
00:35:04.33\00:35:07.70
and my responsibility
to my family members.
00:35:07.74\00:35:11.07
Whoever they are,
wherever they maybe,
00:35:11.11\00:35:13.01
whatever country they maybe in,
we're all brothers and sisters
00:35:13.04\00:35:17.15
and we all have
one Father, one Father.
00:35:17.18\00:35:21.58
So that's, that's one of
the things I do with that word.
00:35:21.62\00:35:24.22
I may just stop
at that word and say,
00:35:24.25\00:35:25.59
Lord, give me a
heart for others.
00:35:25.62\00:35:27.86
Help me to love them the
lost, they're difficult to love.
00:35:27.89\00:35:31.76
And then that word Father, Abba,
00:35:31.79\00:35:34.46
that's a word that's difficult
for some people to pray.
00:35:34.50\00:35:37.53
If you grew up with
an angry or absentee
00:35:37.57\00:35:40.77
or abusive Father, that
word may be loaded for you
00:35:40.80\00:35:45.14
and it may be
negatively charged.
00:35:45.17\00:35:47.81
One of the things
I've had people do is
00:35:47.84\00:35:49.44
to imagine the
Father of your dreams,
00:35:49.48\00:35:51.31
the Father you've
always wished you had.
00:35:51.35\00:35:55.28
The Father...
00:35:55.32\00:35:56.65
And when you do this,
use a sanctified imagination.
00:35:56.69\00:36:00.16
I mean, make Him wonderful.
00:36:00.19\00:36:02.86
Make Him wonderful.
00:36:02.89\00:36:04.23
And when you've got
that picture in your mind
00:36:04.26\00:36:05.59
of what that daddy is
that you've always wanted
00:36:05.63\00:36:07.70
but never had, take that picture
00:36:07.73\00:36:09.50
and multiply it by a billion
00:36:09.53\00:36:11.70
and you scratch the
surface of how good God is.
00:36:11.73\00:36:17.17
That's the Father
you're praying too,
00:36:17.21\00:36:18.74
our Father which art in heaven.
00:36:18.77\00:36:22.21
That word heaven...
00:36:22.24\00:36:24.38
There are three
things that are usually
00:36:24.41\00:36:25.75
referred to as heaven.
00:36:25.78\00:36:27.12
The dwelling place of
God, the starry heavens
00:36:27.15\00:36:30.05
and the firmament,
the air we breathe.
00:36:30.09\00:36:32.89
The most frequent
use of the word heaven
00:36:32.92\00:36:36.02
was for the air they breathed.
00:36:36.06\00:36:38.39
So it may be that this
prayer saying our Father
00:36:38.43\00:36:41.86
who is as close to us
as the air we breathe.
00:36:41.90\00:36:45.97
Who is as ever present
to me as is the atmosphere
00:36:46.00\00:36:48.67
in which I live.
00:36:48.70\00:36:51.07
Now that's a
different picture for this.
00:36:51.11\00:36:52.77
Because our
Father who art in heaven,
00:36:52.81\00:36:56.04
a million, billion miles
away, trillion miles away,
00:36:56.08\00:36:59.51
that's different than the Father
00:36:59.55\00:37:01.05
who is just as
close to me as the air
00:37:01.08\00:37:02.68
that rest upon my skin.
00:37:02.72\00:37:05.35
Who is intimately involved
in every detail of my life.
00:37:05.39\00:37:09.19
And so I would take time
00:37:09.22\00:37:10.73
to acknowledge
His presence with me
00:37:10.76\00:37:13.09
and to praise Him for
that presence and to thank Him
00:37:13.13\00:37:15.50
and to thank Him for
His involvement in my life,
00:37:15.53\00:37:17.50
for His caring for
every detail of my life.
00:37:17.53\00:37:20.30
One lady went to her
pastor and said, pastor,
00:37:20.34\00:37:22.44
shall we take all the
things to God in prayer
00:37:22.47\00:37:25.77
or the small things
or just the big things?
00:37:25.81\00:37:28.18
And he said, ma'am,
what thing do you have
00:37:28.21\00:37:30.81
that God would
consider to be big?
00:37:30.85\00:37:32.55
It's all small to Him, isn't it?
00:37:37.62\00:37:40.19
Someone wrote a book
"Don't Sweat the Small Stuff"
00:37:40.22\00:37:42.22
and its subtitled is
"It's All Small Stuff."
00:37:42.26\00:37:45.36
In God's eyes,
00:37:45.39\00:37:46.73
you've never
known a big problem.
00:37:46.76\00:37:49.06
It's all small stuff to Him,
00:37:49.10\00:37:50.57
so take all of
it to Him in prayer.
00:37:50.60\00:37:53.13
Don't try to categorize it.
00:37:53.17\00:37:55.20
Take it all to Him in
prayer because your Father,
00:37:55.24\00:37:58.47
your Daddy, your Abba,
00:37:58.51\00:38:00.84
the one who is as close
to you as the air you breathe
00:38:00.88\00:38:03.28
is concerned with
every detail of your life.
00:38:03.31\00:38:06.85
That's a relationship.
00:38:06.88\00:38:08.22
That's a
relationship of intimacy.
00:38:08.25\00:38:10.35
It's a personal relationship
of caring between you
00:38:10.39\00:38:13.56
and a God who is
intimately and infinitely
00:38:13.59\00:38:18.59
involved in your life,
00:38:18.63\00:38:21.56
that will change
your prayer life.
00:38:21.60\00:38:24.17
And don't be
afraid to use this prayer
00:38:24.20\00:38:25.93
over and over and over again
00:38:25.97\00:38:30.14
because He is involved with you
and He wants to hear from you.
00:38:30.17\00:38:36.04
And the truth is,
if you are like me,
00:38:36.08\00:38:38.01
you don't really
know how to pray.
00:38:38.05\00:38:40.38
You don't know how...
00:38:40.42\00:38:42.22
You know I've
been working at this
00:38:42.25\00:38:43.59
for I don't know how long.
00:38:43.62\00:38:44.95
And I still got to tell
you, I don't know how to pray.
00:38:44.99\00:38:50.73
But my Father does and
He's given me a pattern.
00:38:50.76\00:38:54.26
And so I use the
pattern that Jesus gave me
00:38:54.30\00:38:57.57
and I let it guide my thoughts
and guide my prayer life
00:38:57.60\00:39:01.40
and it keeps me on track.
00:39:01.44\00:39:03.57
And sometimes when I
pray my mind wanders.
00:39:03.61\00:39:05.77
Am I the only one
who has that happen?
00:39:05.81\00:39:08.84
Thank you because
you just blessed me.
00:39:08.88\00:39:12.58
I thought I was the
only one who was ADD
00:39:12.61\00:39:14.85
or whatever it be is, you know.
00:39:14.88\00:39:16.89
That I would start praying
00:39:16.92\00:39:18.35
and then my mind
is on something else,
00:39:18.39\00:39:19.99
you know, the
details of the day.
00:39:20.02\00:39:21.59
Oh, why not bring it back?
00:39:21.62\00:39:24.09
He understands that.
00:39:24.13\00:39:25.53
But you know, using
a pattern for prayer,
00:39:25.56\00:39:28.03
to guide our prayers,
helps keep my mind focused.
00:39:28.06\00:39:32.40
Sometimes I'll
even type my prayers.
00:39:32.43\00:39:34.17
I sit at the computer
00:39:34.20\00:39:36.14
and I'll just
write God a letter.
00:39:36.17\00:39:38.47
Just write Him a
letter and I'll save that.
00:39:38.51\00:39:40.54
Sometimes I'll save
a year's worth of them
00:39:40.58\00:39:42.14
and then I delete them
all and start over again.
00:39:42.18\00:39:44.75
It just helps me keep focus.
00:39:44.78\00:39:46.68
Whatever keeps you focus
00:39:46.72\00:39:48.72
on this relationship
of intimacy between you
00:39:48.75\00:39:51.49
and the God who
loves you is, is usable.
00:39:51.52\00:39:55.79
And God understood
that, that's why He gave you
00:39:55.82\00:39:57.89
a 150 prayers in the Psalms,
00:39:57.93\00:39:59.49
that's why He gave you
the prayer of Jesus and John,
00:39:59.53\00:40:01.63
that's why He gave
you the prayer of Jesus
00:40:01.66\00:40:03.13
here in Matthew,
the Lord's prayer.
00:40:03.16\00:40:05.33
All the prayers of the Bible
00:40:05.37\00:40:06.74
are fit for you to use this way.
00:40:06.77\00:40:09.17
Look at them, examine them
00:40:09.20\00:40:11.31
and use them as a
pattern for your relationship
00:40:11.34\00:40:14.08
with this God who cares for you.
00:40:14.11\00:40:15.74
You see this is the Jesus creed.
00:40:15.78\00:40:17.45
As a Christian we love God
00:40:20.52\00:40:23.18
and, we love God
by following Jesus
00:40:23.22\00:40:27.56
and loving others.
00:40:27.59\00:40:29.79
And you know the longer
I live, the more I realize
00:40:29.82\00:40:34.30
that I've got to
make Christianity
00:40:34.33\00:40:35.73
just real simple
or I'll never get it.
00:40:35.76\00:40:39.90
You know, when I was a
young man, young pastor,
00:40:39.93\00:40:43.57
I used to pray that
someone would ask me
00:40:43.61\00:40:45.01
about the 2,300 days.
00:40:45.04\00:40:48.64
Because I can do that.
00:40:48.68\00:40:51.31
Man, I could explain that.
00:40:51.35\00:40:53.21
I used to pray that someone
would ask me about the Sabbath
00:40:53.25\00:40:55.35
because I can do that,
00:40:55.38\00:40:56.72
that's an Adventist
preacher specialty you know.
00:40:56.75\00:40:59.59
We can do that.
00:40:59.62\00:41:01.52
I used to pray that
someone would ask me
00:41:01.56\00:41:03.02
about the state of the dead.
00:41:03.06\00:41:06.63
But I also pray
that no one would ask me
00:41:06.66\00:41:08.46
how to have a
relationship with Jesus Christ
00:41:08.50\00:41:10.20
because I did not have a clue.
00:41:10.23\00:41:13.20
Did not have a clue.
00:41:13.23\00:41:16.40
It was not until I
met Jesus personally.
00:41:16.44\00:41:19.84
It was not
until I devoted myself
00:41:19.87\00:41:22.38
to finding
relationship with Him,
00:41:22.41\00:41:25.08
that now I invite that question.
00:41:25.11\00:41:28.38
I'm open to that question.
00:41:28.42\00:41:29.75
You bring it on because
what I can share with you is
00:41:29.78\00:41:33.22
how I found
relationship with Him
00:41:33.25\00:41:34.72
and how it has changed my life.
00:41:34.76\00:41:36.99
And whether be the
use of the Lord's prayer
00:41:37.03\00:41:39.39
that Jesus has taught us?
00:41:39.43\00:41:40.90
Or whether it
would be my ability
00:41:40.93\00:41:44.23
by believing in the new creation
00:41:44.27\00:41:46.77
that He has made me,
00:41:46.80\00:41:48.14
to exercise the authority
that He has given to me,
00:41:48.17\00:41:51.27
to even cast out demons.
00:41:51.31\00:41:55.11
I'm happy to share that with you
00:41:55.14\00:41:57.35
because that's a part
of this give and take,
00:41:57.38\00:41:59.91
this relationship that grows
00:41:59.95\00:42:02.35
out of living
daily the Jesus creed.
00:42:02.38\00:42:05.95
I've got to keep it
simple because otherwise
00:42:05.99\00:42:09.26
I'm going to be a
wash in a sea of confusion.
00:42:09.29\00:42:13.36
And every piece
of doctrine then,
00:42:13.40\00:42:15.80
every doctrine that I believe in
00:42:15.83\00:42:18.13
and by the way a
Seventh-day Adventist
00:42:18.17\00:42:19.57
we got a list of
28 that we accept.
00:42:19.60\00:42:22.84
Used to be 27, now
it's 28, so I'm up with 28.
00:42:22.87\00:42:28.38
But every one of those doctrines
00:42:28.41\00:42:29.91
must be seen in light of this
00:42:29.94\00:42:32.41
because this is
the heart of God's law,
00:42:32.45\00:42:34.88
it is the heart
of God's character,
00:42:34.92\00:42:37.45
it is the heart of who we
are as His sons and daughters.
00:42:37.49\00:42:41.32
And when I begin to
look at it that way,
00:42:41.36\00:42:42.92
it begins to make sense.
00:42:42.96\00:42:44.76
And if something
seems too harsh to me,
00:42:44.79\00:42:46.73
it usually means that
I don't understand it.
00:42:46.76\00:42:48.93
I remember as a young pastor,
00:42:48.96\00:42:50.90
I had to go
visit with the family
00:42:50.93\00:42:53.27
because they have
just lost a child to death
00:42:53.30\00:42:55.44
and I was brand new with this,
I had no clue what I was doing.
00:42:55.47\00:42:59.07
Not that I have
any more of a clue now,
00:42:59.11\00:43:00.78
but I surely didn't back then.
00:43:00.81\00:43:03.98
And so before I went to
visit them, I found out that
00:43:04.01\00:43:06.41
they were asking questions about
00:43:06.45\00:43:07.78
why would God let
this happen to our baby?
00:43:07.82\00:43:11.52
So I called up an
older retired pastor,
00:43:11.55\00:43:14.69
one that I knew and I thought
well, this guy can help me.
00:43:14.72\00:43:17.46
And I explained
the situation to him
00:43:17.49\00:43:19.13
and I said, now I've
got to go visit them,
00:43:19.16\00:43:20.53
so what I'm gonna say?
00:43:20.56\00:43:22.33
And there was silence on
the other end of the phone.
00:43:22.36\00:43:25.93
And then finally he
said, you know, Mike,
00:43:25.97\00:43:28.10
I don't know
what you're gonna say.
00:43:28.14\00:43:30.11
But remember
this, whatever you say,
00:43:30.14\00:43:33.68
God's got to look good.
00:43:33.71\00:43:36.54
And I thought,
this man is senile.
00:43:36.58\00:43:41.48
This man is lost...
No wonder he's retired.
00:43:41.52\00:43:43.69
He has lost it long ago.
00:43:43.72\00:43:45.42
What do you mean, God's
got... What does that mean?
00:43:45.45\00:43:48.86
He said just remember
God's got to look good.
00:43:48.89\00:43:51.79
That was the end
of the conversation.
00:43:51.83\00:43:54.16
I did not
understand what he meant.
00:43:54.20\00:43:57.60
I've been in ministry
now for about 33 years.
00:43:57.63\00:44:01.40
I understand now.
00:44:01.44\00:44:02.77
I heard someone say that.
And you're right, brother.
00:44:02.80\00:44:05.34
You know sometimes you
have to live a little life
00:44:05.37\00:44:07.18
before you began to
understand something, don't you?
00:44:07.21\00:44:10.05
Sometimes you have to
have a little heartache
00:44:10.08\00:44:11.95
before you understand.
00:44:11.98\00:44:14.28
And what I
understand now is this.
00:44:14.32\00:44:16.55
Regardless of the question,
00:44:16.58\00:44:18.79
regardless of the
topic I'm studying,
00:44:18.82\00:44:21.32
when I look at that picture,
00:44:21.36\00:44:22.69
if God does not look good to me,
00:44:22.72\00:44:24.29
it means I don't
understand it yet.
00:44:24.33\00:44:30.00
Because when I
truly understand it,
00:44:30.03\00:44:32.40
God is going to be absolutely
positively irresistible.
00:44:32.43\00:44:39.97
Jesus cried and said, I
be lifted up, I will, what?
00:44:40.01\00:44:44.38
Draw all men to me.
00:44:44.41\00:44:46.11
That's because
He is irresistible.
00:44:46.15\00:44:49.88
When you see Him in
His beauty and in His love,
00:44:49.92\00:44:52.75
He is absolutely
positively irresistible,
00:44:52.79\00:44:56.32
that's our Jesus.
00:44:56.36\00:44:58.56
That's the God we follow.
00:44:58.59\00:44:59.93
That's the Jesus
of the Jesus creed.
00:44:59.96\00:45:03.37
He is irresistible.
00:45:03.40\00:45:06.63
I grew up with the very
different God than that.
00:45:06.67\00:45:09.14
I grew up in this church
00:45:09.17\00:45:11.27
and I cannot blame the
men and women who raised me.
00:45:11.31\00:45:14.71
First of all my parents
or the people who taught
00:45:14.74\00:45:16.54
my Sabbath school classes
or even my elementary teachers,
00:45:16.58\00:45:19.21
they were doing the very
best they knew how to do,
00:45:19.25\00:45:21.32
God love them.
00:45:21.35\00:45:23.02
They didn't know
any better either.
00:45:23.05\00:45:26.15
But when I began to
see a different God,
00:45:26.19\00:45:28.19
a different picture of God,
00:45:28.22\00:45:29.56
when I saw Him as He truly is...
00:45:29.59\00:45:31.66
And even now I
don't know that I can say
00:45:31.69\00:45:33.73
I fully see Him that way.
00:45:33.76\00:45:36.16
I have a clearer
picture of who He is.
00:45:36.20\00:45:38.33
I think it's gonna
be the eternity for me.
00:45:38.37\00:45:41.17
But when I began to see that,
00:45:41.20\00:45:43.44
I thought, this
is a God I can love.
00:45:43.47\00:45:47.24
This is a God I've got to know.
00:45:47.28\00:45:50.25
This is a God I long to serve.
00:45:50.28\00:45:56.15
I love God by following
Jesus and loving others.
00:45:56.18\00:46:02.42
Because the truth is,
God is in love with you.
00:46:02.46\00:46:07.30
And I don't care how
bad the past has been.
00:46:07.33\00:46:11.07
I don't care how many
times you have fallen.
00:46:11.10\00:46:13.67
He is in love with you
and He will not let you go.
00:46:13.70\00:46:17.24
No matter how bad the
sin, He will not let you go.
00:46:20.28\00:46:23.88
I think about a
named John Newton,
00:46:23.91\00:46:27.42
a former
captain of a slave ship.
00:46:27.45\00:46:29.58
Now he had quite
a... You read his story.
00:46:29.62\00:46:31.75
He had a tough
childhood himself.
00:46:31.79\00:46:34.82
And one time was even
held as a slave himself
00:46:34.86\00:46:37.69
by the wife of the
captain of the ship
00:46:37.73\00:46:40.93
that he was serving on as a boy,
00:46:40.96\00:46:42.90
was chained in
the yard like a dog.
00:46:42.93\00:46:47.97
He came out of
that abusive situation
00:46:48.00\00:46:50.41
and finally went to see...
00:46:50.44\00:46:51.97
He eventually became
the captain of his own ship,
00:46:52.01\00:46:54.28
but it was a slave ship.
00:46:54.31\00:46:56.95
Now in those days
there were a lot of people
00:46:56.98\00:46:58.71
who were working for
the abolition of slavery,
00:46:58.75\00:47:01.08
especially in
England where Newton grew up
00:47:01.12\00:47:03.82
and where his ship came from.
00:47:03.85\00:47:06.79
And they worked
hard and finally,
00:47:06.82\00:47:09.19
finally they got a
law passed that said
00:47:09.22\00:47:10.83
it was against the law
to transport slaves by sea.
00:47:10.86\00:47:15.70
So it didn't outlaw slavery,
00:47:15.73\00:47:17.37
but it said you
can't transport them.
00:47:17.40\00:47:19.83
But what this
meant was that basically
00:47:19.87\00:47:23.20
if you were the
captain of a slave ship
00:47:23.24\00:47:25.21
and you saw a British
man, a war coming your way,
00:47:25.24\00:47:28.31
you knew that you
were about to be arrested
00:47:28.34\00:47:30.31
or fined or your vessel seized
00:47:30.35\00:47:32.65
and you would take
all the slaves on board
00:47:32.68\00:47:34.28
and throw them overboard.
00:47:34.32\00:47:36.89
Because that way
you would avoid the fine
00:47:36.92\00:47:38.99
and you would
avoid losing your ship
00:47:39.02\00:47:41.69
and maybe even your
license to be captain.
00:47:41.72\00:47:44.53
You would start off
00:47:44.56\00:47:45.89
with a certain
number of slaves on board,
00:47:45.93\00:47:47.26
but the disease was so bad
and the conditions were so bad
00:47:47.30\00:47:50.07
that by the time
you got to the point
00:47:50.10\00:47:51.90
where you're gonna sell
them, half of them were dead.
00:47:51.93\00:47:55.24
And you would have
thrown bodies overboard
00:47:55.27\00:47:57.84
and it would have been a
mess living in that ship.
00:47:57.87\00:48:00.51
That was John Newton.
00:48:00.54\00:48:02.74
That's what he did for a living.
00:48:02.78\00:48:06.05
He was
converted then eventually.
00:48:06.08\00:48:09.28
Became a Christian and
even became a Christian pastor.
00:48:09.32\00:48:13.92
But for years he
struggled with the idea
00:48:13.96\00:48:16.12
that God could
forgive a worm such as I?
00:48:16.16\00:48:21.46
How could God forgive me?
00:48:21.50\00:48:23.93
People who were working
in the abolitionist movement
00:48:23.97\00:48:27.30
begged him to write a story.
00:48:27.34\00:48:29.84
To write the accounts of
his captaining the slave ship.
00:48:29.87\00:48:34.24
To give the names, the
dates, the voyages, the ships
00:48:34.28\00:48:38.95
and he said I cannot, I cannot,
I'm haunted by 20,000 faces.
00:48:38.98\00:48:45.69
And he struggled
with those people
00:48:45.72\00:48:47.26
who had died under his charge,
00:48:47.29\00:48:48.96
the thousands who had
died under his charge.
00:48:48.99\00:48:51.43
And he wondered how
could God ever love or wretch
00:48:51.46\00:48:54.10
such as I?
00:48:54.13\00:48:55.80
How could He forgive me and
yet he preached God's grace,
00:48:55.83\00:48:58.03
but to receive it
himself, loving himself...
00:48:58.07\00:49:01.40
Oh, man,
00:49:01.44\00:49:02.90
it was easy to say that
God's grace is good for you,
00:49:02.94\00:49:05.17
but to look himself
in the mirror and say,
00:49:05.21\00:49:06.81
it is good for me?
00:49:06.84\00:49:08.44
He couldn't do that.
00:49:08.48\00:49:10.21
He just couldn't do it.
00:49:10.25\00:49:11.95
And so he
couldn't write that book.
00:49:11.98\00:49:14.72
Finally towards
the end of his life,
00:49:14.75\00:49:16.69
he was losing his eye sight
00:49:16.72\00:49:19.32
and he finally came to the point
00:49:19.35\00:49:20.69
where he believed that
God really was that good,
00:49:20.72\00:49:24.86
that God really
could forgive him.
00:49:24.89\00:49:29.03
And so he began
to write the book
00:49:29.06\00:49:32.17
and he wrote it and he
included names and dates
00:49:32.20\00:49:36.20
and the names of
ships and the numbers,
00:49:36.24\00:49:39.44
he put it all in a book form.
00:49:39.47\00:49:41.64
And he gave it to Wilberforce
who was the man in parliament,
00:49:41.68\00:49:44.15
who was working for
the abolition of slavery,
00:49:44.18\00:49:46.61
who worked tirelessly for
that in the British parliament.
00:49:46.65\00:49:49.55
He gave it to him.
And he said it's all here.
00:49:49.58\00:49:52.12
It's all here.
00:49:52.15\00:49:53.82
Everything that I can remember,
00:49:53.86\00:49:55.22
all the names, all the
dates, all the slave ships,
00:49:55.26\00:49:57.96
all the people, all the numbers,
00:49:57.99\00:50:00.13
all the ports, all the
voyages, it's all here,
00:50:00.16\00:50:02.73
everything that I
can remember it's here,
00:50:02.76\00:50:05.00
it's here, take it and use it.
00:50:05.03\00:50:09.70
My memory maybe failing he said,
00:50:09.74\00:50:12.47
but I do remember two things.
00:50:12.51\00:50:16.21
I am a great sinner and
Christ is a great Savior.
00:50:16.24\00:50:23.99
Folks, it's true for you today.
00:50:24.02\00:50:28.29
You're a great sinner,
but Jesus is a great Savior
00:50:28.32\00:50:34.43
and He has forgiven you.
00:50:34.46\00:50:36.40
He has redeemed you.
00:50:36.43\00:50:38.47
He's washed your sins
away so thoroughly that
00:50:38.50\00:50:41.54
God cannot even
remember them any longer.
00:50:41.57\00:50:43.44
Praise God.
00:50:43.47\00:50:44.81
He says, I will
remember your sins no more.
00:50:44.84\00:50:47.31
He can't remember.
00:50:47.34\00:50:49.44
He has chosen to,
00:50:49.48\00:50:50.81
to wash them in the
sea of forgetfulness.
00:50:50.85\00:50:53.92
In one place the scripture says,
00:50:53.95\00:50:55.28
He's buried your sins
at the depths of the ocean.
00:50:55.32\00:50:57.02
We know there's
one place for the ocean
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it's seven miles deep,
that seven miles of salt water
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covering your sin
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and God puts a sign
says no fishing allowed.
00:51:01.72\00:51:05.36
He's removed
them as far from you
00:51:05.39\00:51:07.13
as the east is from the west.
00:51:07.16\00:51:09.10
He didn't say the
north from the south
00:51:09.13\00:51:10.57
for a very specific reason.
00:51:10.60\00:51:11.93
You go do north and eventually
you hit the North Pole.
00:51:11.97\00:51:13.77
Which way do you go
from the North Pole?
00:51:13.80\00:51:15.90
Only one way to go
from there and that's south.
00:51:15.94\00:51:18.01
North meet south but
you can travel due east
00:51:18.04\00:51:20.48
throughout all eternity
and you will never meet west
00:51:20.51\00:51:22.84
and you will never
meet your sin again.
00:51:22.88\00:51:25.71
That's how
completely our God forgives you.
00:51:25.75\00:51:28.85
That's how completely and
how thoroughly He loves you.
00:51:28.88\00:51:33.19
That's a God
worthy of your love,
00:51:33.22\00:51:35.16
worthy of your admiration,
worthy of your service,
00:51:35.19\00:51:38.39
worthy of your trust.
00:51:38.43\00:51:40.66
And He calls you into
relationship with Himself.
00:51:40.70\00:51:44.17
He says I want you to
be fully devoted followers
00:51:44.20\00:51:46.57
of Jesus Christ.
00:51:46.60\00:51:48.60
And here's what you
do, I want you to love God.
00:51:48.64\00:51:51.87
By following Me
and loving others.
00:51:51.91\00:51:56.61
It really is that simple.
00:51:56.64\00:51:59.91
Would you pray with me?
00:51:59.95\00:52:01.78
Lord Jesus, today we claim
You as the Lord of our lives.
00:52:01.82\00:52:05.49
We confess our
sins before You Lord,
00:52:05.52\00:52:07.29
and we give glory to
Your name that we're forgiven.
00:52:07.32\00:52:09.59
That our names are written
in the Lamb's Book of Life.
00:52:09.62\00:52:11.89
Praise God.
00:52:11.93\00:52:13.53
Thank you Lord.
00:52:13.56\00:52:16.10
But today, Lord, we
long to be Your followers,
00:52:16.13\00:52:18.17
we want to live Christianly
in this secular sinful world.
00:52:18.20\00:52:22.94
So make us Lord
adherence to the Jesus' creed.
00:52:22.97\00:52:25.77
Let us love God more
deeply everyday and to do so
00:52:25.81\00:52:30.08
by following Jesus
and by loving others.
00:52:30.11\00:52:34.92
And Lord one of
those others is us.
00:52:34.95\00:52:37.95
May we love the new
creation You have made us to be
00:52:37.99\00:52:41.96
and we promise, Lord,
we will give You the glory
00:52:41.99\00:52:44.99
and we will give You the honor.
00:52:45.03\00:52:46.80
And on the day
You claim us as yours
00:52:46.83\00:52:48.60
and we stand on
the sea of glass,
00:52:48.63\00:52:50.63
we will sing
praises to Your name,
00:52:50.67\00:52:52.37
we will cast our
crowns at Your feet
00:52:52.40\00:52:54.10
because You and
You alone are worthy.
00:52:54.14\00:52:57.17
For we prayed in the name of
Jesus our Savior, amen, amen.
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