[Music]
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Happy Sabbath, ASI.
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It's my privilege
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this morning to introduce
our Sabbath School presenter,
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Pastor Tony Moore.
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Tony has had a very
interesting experience,
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beginning with his
conversion in 1972,
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at an unusual place,
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a Rolling Stones rock concert.
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From that experience
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the Lord let him
to Wildwood Sanitarian
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for the medical
missionary training,
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and there he met
Mark and Teenie Finley,
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who were at
Wildwood at that time.
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When Pastor Finley moved
back to Southern New England,
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he invited some of the staff
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and workers from
Wildwood to come,
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and Tony accepted.
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That providence led him
into a lifetime of evangelism.
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It also led him
to meet Helen Cooper
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with whom he's been
married for 33 years, amen.
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Tony is a deep
student of the word of God,
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from working with Mark,
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he raised up a church
in Southern Connecticut,
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in Stamford, Connecticut,
working there for 10 years.
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Raised his family
there, moved to Pittsburgh,
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and led out in evangelism
there to Southern California.
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And then he worked
with "It Is Written,"
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as the North American
Director for evangelism.
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But, Tony has had as passion
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for reaching secular people
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with the message of the Gospel.
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And in 2002, he is, 2004 rather,
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he started a new ministry
called the ''Biblical World."
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The Biblical World is
an innovative ministry,
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looking for ways to
communicate Bible truths
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in a way acceptable
to the secular mind.
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He put together
a series called the
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"Footsteps of Paul,"
tremendous, using archeology
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and video footage
from where Paul traveled,
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a great series.
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Biblical world, by the
way will be a beneficiary
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of this morning's offering.
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He's recently
finished a series called
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"Tracing the
Footsteps of Jesus."
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And Tony is a deep student
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of the word of God, a scholar.
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And I consider it a
privilege to have him
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as a close friend.
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As he takes us through
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the Book of Romans this morning,
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if your heart's moved,
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I encourage you to
give him a hearty amen
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as he opens God's word to us.
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Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world,
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They resound
with God's own heart
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Oh, let the ancient words impart
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Words of Life, words of Hope
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Give us strength, help us cope
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In this world,
where ever we roam
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Ancient words will guide us Home
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Ancient words ever true
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Changing me and changing you,
We have come with open hearts
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Oh, let the ancient words impart
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Holy words of our
Faith Handed down to this age
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Came to us through sacrifice
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Oh heed the
faithful words of Christ
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Martyr's blood stains each page
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They have died for this faith
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Hear them cry through the years
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Oh, heed these
words and hold them dear
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Ancient words ever true
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Changing me and changing you
We have come with open hearts
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Oh, let the ancient words impart
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Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you
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Everyday our hearts renew
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Oh, glance and
change, I still went through
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We have come with open hearts
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Oh, let the ancient words impart
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We have come with open hearts
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Oh, let the ancient words impart
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Amen. Amen. Amen...
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Wasn't that wonderful? Amen.
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You know, it is so true,
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the ancient
words, they're so true
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and powerful and wonderful.
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Well, it's a
privilege to be here with you
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at ASI this morning
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and to be able to share today
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about the Sabbath School lesson.
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I have to tell you,
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I've been living
in the world of Jesus
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for the last five, four years.
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And kind of limiting
myself to reading the Gospel,
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so it was a real relief.
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No, I shouldn't say that.
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It was a real
blessing to read Romans 5.
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Because I haven't
been focusing on Romans
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for a while, I've been focusing
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just on the Gospel stories
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and to comeback
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and to be able to take a
look at this powerful passage.
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I'm really excited
about sharing it with you.
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I want to thank ASI
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for their wonderful
support of the Biblical world
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during the past five years,
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we've been
working on this project,
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"Tracing the
Footsteps of Jesus,"
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it's taken much
longer than I ever dreamed.
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But I can tell
you it's coming out
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much better than I
ever dreamed as well,
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and we're very excited about it.
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We returned from our
first film trip in July of,
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sorry, August of 2008,
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that was three years ago
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and we returned right to the ASI
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in Lexington, Kentucky.
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And since that time,
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I've actually returned
across the Atlantic eight times,
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working on this series.
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So we're very,
very excited about it.
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And the special offering is gone
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on several occasions
to the Biblical world,
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and part of the offering
that will be taking today
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will help us to write lessons
00:12:06.73\00:12:09.14
that will take the "Tracing
the Footsteps of Jesus,"
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from being just a nice,
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informative faith
building television program
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to being a
powerful evangelistic tool
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that you can use to study
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with your neighbors and friends.
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And so we're very grateful
in advance for the offering
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that you're going to give today.
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And thank you for the privilege
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of letting me to
share you this morning
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from the Footsteps of Paul.
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Now some of you told me,
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you didn't recognize me,
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because I didn't have
my trademark blue shirt on.
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Now I have a blue shirt,
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but it's not the one
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you're used to seeing
on the Footsteps of Paul.
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But I have to tell
you that shirt is faded
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much like my hair.
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So I felt it was probably better
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to leave it off this morning.
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But, I want you
to take your Bibles
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and turn with me
to Romans Chapter 5.
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And I want us to
focus upon the memory text.
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Now I don't know if you
memorized the text or not,
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but it does say memory
text there in your lesson guide.
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Did you notice that?
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And so I think
it's important for us
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to put these ancient
words into our minds.
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And before we do that,
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just bow your heads
as we pray together.
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Father in Heaven,
thank you this morning
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for this tremendous privilege
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of being here at ASI in Orlando.
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But thank you for the
extraordinary privilege
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of meditating
upon this priceless
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Chapter of Romans Chapter 5.
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We ask now that You will come,
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and You will bless
us with Your presence,
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with Your spirit.
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That You illuminate
our minds as we study
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and meditate upon this passage,
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and may indeed it
bring to us peace and hope,
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I pray in Jesus name, amen.
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Well, we've our memory text.
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Therefore being justified...
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Well, say it with
me, if you have it.
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"Therefore being
justified by faith,
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we have peace with God
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through our Lord Jesus Christ,
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By whom we have access by faith
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into this grace
wherein we stand,
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and rejoice in the
hope of the glory of God."
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Isn't that incredible.
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Oh, how powerful.
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Now let's break it down.
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He says, "Therefore
being justified by faith,
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we have peace with God."
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Now earlier in the Book of Rome
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and see he's explained
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the basis of this justification.
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And now he kind of refers to it
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and builds back
on, and he tells us
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that the result of
this justification is what?
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Peace with God.
Because remember,
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as we go right
back to the beginning
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as Paul does in this Chapter.
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He talks about that
original sin of Adam,
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it brings a disconnection
between man and God.
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Now God is still
there seeking and searching,
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and looking as we see in
the Garden of Eden, right?
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But what's Adam doing?
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He is running and
hiding as a brokenness.
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But now he says, since
we've been justified by faith,
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we have peace with God
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because that
brokenness has been removed.
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Won't you like to
break that word down,
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justification, been
broken down so nicely,
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just as if I had never sinned.
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And that's the way He counts us.
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And he says in lieu of
that we now have peace with God
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through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Who has given us
through faith access
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into this incredible grace.
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Oh, I love this
passage, we have peace with God.
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The Apostle
Paul had gone through
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the Roman colony
of Pisidia in Antioch.
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It's kind of way out
in the middle of Turkey
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and it's kind of an odd place,
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because it's so far
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from where Paul
normally went on his journeys.
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It's today, probably four hours
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from the closest Bible
site that Paul went to,
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but he goes out to
Pisidia in Antioch,
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that's a Roman colony,
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veterans from the
Roman army are settled there.
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And they have a copy
of the great arch of peace
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from the City of Rome.
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It had been established
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by the Rotonda
of Augustus Caesar.
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And it has the
accolades of the Roman senate
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about Augustus Caesar.
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And it proclaims him
to be the Prince of Peace,
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and the Savior of the world.
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Paul says, this is a misnomer.
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The real Prince of
Peace is not Augustus Caesar.
00:16:21.32\00:16:23.83
Yes, he brought the
peace of the Roman sword
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to much of the ancient world,
00:16:25.61\00:16:27.64
but he could not
bring peace to the heart.
00:16:27.65\00:16:31.37
Only Jesus of Nazareth,
the Messiah could do that.
00:16:31.38\00:16:36.11
And so he says, therefore
being justified by faith,
00:16:36.12\00:16:39.50
we have peace with God
00:16:39.51\00:16:41.38
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
00:16:41.39\00:16:43.64
Paul, however, is a realist.
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Paul is a realist.
00:16:48.87\00:16:51.61
He does not teach that
peace is the absence of trouble.
00:16:51.62\00:16:57.52
That's become a
popular idea, isn't it?
00:16:57.53\00:17:00.14
He says in verse 2,
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"We rejoice in the
hope of the glory of God.
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Not only so, but we also
rejoice in our sufferings,
00:17:04.99\00:17:08.60
because we know that
00:17:08.61\00:17:09.94
suffering produces perseverance.
00:17:09.95\00:17:13.17
And perseverance,
character, and character, hope.
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And hope does
not disappoint us."
00:17:17.00\00:17:20.28
Now there is a
very interesting brand
00:17:20.29\00:17:22.27
of Christianity,
that's very popular today.
00:17:22.28\00:17:25.19
And it fills rooms
much larger than this room
00:17:25.20\00:17:28.03
with people coming to hear it.
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I call it the Gospel of wealth,
00:17:29.68\00:17:32.00
health, and prosperity.
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You know what I'm talking about.
00:17:34.19\00:17:35.66
You turn on the television,
that's what you often see.
00:17:35.67\00:17:38.52
And if you just
sow your seed here,
00:17:38.53\00:17:41.31
God is gonna give you
00:17:41.32\00:17:42.57
a tremendous
reaping of prosperity
00:17:42.58\00:17:46.00
and everything is just
gonna be fine in your life,
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and it's gonna workout great.
00:17:48.51\00:17:51.21
Well, Paul doesn't
quite go along with that,
00:17:51.22\00:17:53.77
that would be
foreign to the Apostle Paul.
00:17:53.78\00:17:57.72
Paul talks about
how that this peace
00:17:57.73\00:18:02.09
is in our hearts. And he says,
00:18:02.10\00:18:04.59
"We rejoice in hope
of the glory of God."
00:18:04.60\00:18:06.68
And we rejoice
also in our sufferings,
00:18:06.69\00:18:08.69
so the things we go through,
00:18:08.70\00:18:10.50
because we know this
will develop perseverance,
00:18:10.51\00:18:12.77
and perseverance
character, and character hope,
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and hope will not disappoint us.
00:18:14.92\00:18:17.01
This brand of Christianity
00:18:20.67\00:18:21.68
would be foreign
to the Apostle Paul.
00:18:21.69\00:18:23.98
He taught us to rejoice
00:18:23.99\00:18:25.06
in our
sufferings and experiences.
00:18:25.07\00:18:26.20
Turn with me to Second
Corinthians Chapter 11.
00:18:26.21\00:18:28.36
Now the Apostle
Paul wrote to this letter
00:18:28.37\00:18:31.94
to the Church of
Rome from Corinth.
00:18:31.95\00:18:34.13
And so now, let's drop
over to Second Corinthians,
00:18:34.14\00:18:37.91
he is living in Corinth, he's
writing this letter to Rome.
00:18:37.92\00:18:41.16
And let's see
00:18:41.17\00:18:42.49
what some of Paul's
experiences in life were?
00:18:42.50\00:18:45.99
Now he has this
peace, and he has this hope,
00:18:46.00\00:18:49.99
is he exempt from
the problems of life.
00:18:50.00\00:18:52.29
Well, not exactly.
00:18:52.30\00:18:54.56
As he will share with us here
00:18:54.57\00:18:56.09
in Second
Corinthians Chapter 11,
00:18:56.10\00:18:59.61
and we want to read
verses 23 through 28.
00:18:59.62\00:19:04.20
If I can see it
without my glasses on.
00:19:04.21\00:19:06.21
I can't, so I'm
gonna read with my glasses,
00:19:11.48\00:19:14.91
that happens to a lot
of us, doesn't it? Okay.
00:19:14.92\00:19:18.24
"Are they servants of Christ?
00:19:20.61\00:19:23.23
I am out of my
mind to talk like this.
00:19:23.24\00:19:25.92
I am more.
00:19:25.93\00:19:27.02
I have worked much harder,
00:19:27.03\00:19:28.57
been in prison more frequently,
00:19:28.58\00:19:30.09
been flogged more severely,
00:19:30.10\00:19:31.85
and been exposed to
death again and again.
00:19:31.86\00:19:35.10
Five times I
received from the Jews
00:19:35.11\00:19:37.52
the forty lashes minus one.
00:19:37.53\00:19:39.89
Three times I
was beaten with rods,
00:19:39.90\00:19:42.12
once I was stoned,
00:19:42.13\00:19:43.62
three times I was shipwrecked,
00:19:43.63\00:19:45.15
I spent a night and
a day in the open sea."
00:19:45.16\00:19:47.53
By the way, this is
before his experience
00:19:47.54\00:19:50.08
of being shipwrecked on
the Island of Malta, right?
00:19:50.09\00:19:52.86
He is writing this
before that happens.
00:19:52.87\00:19:54.76
So he's shipwrecked at
least four times in his life.
00:19:54.77\00:19:57.84
"I was
shipwrecked, I spent a night
00:19:57.85\00:19:59.25
a day and a
night in the open sea.
00:19:59.26\00:20:01.76
I've been
constantly on the move.
00:20:01.77\00:20:03.63
I have been in
danger from rivers,
00:20:03.64\00:20:05.41
in danger from bandits,
00:20:05.42\00:20:06.58
in danger from
my own countrymen,
00:20:06.59\00:20:08.29
in danger from
Gentiles, in danger in the city,
00:20:08.30\00:20:10.76
in danger in the
country, in danger at the sea,
00:20:10.77\00:20:14.51
and in danger
from false brothers.
00:20:14.52\00:20:15.96
I have labored and toiled
00:20:15.97\00:20:17.40
and have often
gone without sleep,
00:20:17.41\00:20:19.23
I have known hunger
00:20:19.24\00:20:20.49
and thirst and have
often gone without food.
00:20:20.50\00:20:22.89
I have been cold and naked.
00:20:22.90\00:20:24.56
And besides everything else,
00:20:24.57\00:20:26.33
I face daily the
pressure of my concern
00:20:26.34\00:20:29.13
for all the churches."
00:20:29.14\00:20:31.43
Now, Paul went through
tremendous difficulties.
00:20:31.44\00:20:36.22
So peace is not
the absence of trouble.
00:20:36.23\00:20:39.27
We may have trouble in our life.
00:20:39.28\00:20:40.86
I want you to know that,
00:20:40.87\00:20:42.08
that trouble is not an
indication of God's favor
00:20:42.09\00:20:44.63
or disfavor,
00:20:44.64\00:20:45.94
because Paul goes
through that trouble,
00:20:45.95\00:20:48.00
and then he's able to
say, we have peace with God
00:20:48.01\00:20:50.06
because he knows
where it's leading,
00:20:50.07\00:20:52.05
that things that we experience,
00:20:52.06\00:20:53.71
and that we pass
through, and we suffer,
00:20:53.72\00:20:55.86
that's okay,
00:20:55.87\00:20:57.00
'cause it's gonna
build perseverance.
00:20:57.01\00:20:58.94
And perseverance is
gonna build character,
00:20:58.95\00:21:00.87
and character is gonna give hope
00:21:00.88\00:21:02.18
and hope does not disappoint.
00:21:02.19\00:21:06.14
Peace is not the
absence of conflict,
00:21:06.15\00:21:08.91
it's from having our hearts
00:21:08.92\00:21:10.41
reconciled to the heart of God.
00:21:10.42\00:21:13.14
We don't have to
be on the run anymore,
00:21:13.15\00:21:15.51
we don't have to be avoiding
the Holy Spirit anymore,
00:21:15.52\00:21:18.55
we have peace with God.
00:21:18.56\00:21:19.88
When the first Adam sinned,
00:21:19.89\00:21:22.85
he had brought a
brokenness to him
00:21:22.86\00:21:24.24
and his descendants,
00:21:24.25\00:21:25.58
but now that
brokenness is removed
00:21:25.59\00:21:28.64
and we're just as
if we had never sinned.
00:21:28.65\00:21:31.57
And so in our inner
being, we have peace with God.
00:21:31.58\00:21:35.45
Paul does not say, however,
00:21:35.46\00:21:38.28
that because we're justified
by faith we have happiness.
00:21:38.29\00:21:43.04
Now God does not
promise you happiness.
00:21:43.05\00:21:46.70
Happiness comes
from the English word,
00:21:46.71\00:21:48.38
Hap, which means chance.
00:21:48.39\00:21:50.77
And sometimes by chance
your circumstances are good
00:21:50.78\00:21:54.45
and sometimes they're bad.
00:21:54.46\00:21:56.79
When Paul was in Philippi,
00:21:56.80\00:21:58.74
he was wrongly accused.
00:21:58.75\00:22:02.26
He was not even able
to exercise his right
00:22:02.27\00:22:04.84
as a Roman citizen and say,
00:22:04.85\00:22:06.08
wait a minute, I
must have a trial.
00:22:06.09\00:22:07.84
And they jumped right ahead
00:22:07.85\00:22:09.55
and they flogged
him, you remember that?
00:22:09.56\00:22:13.69
And so, his rights
have been violated,
00:22:13.70\00:22:16.82
he's beaten and with Silos,
they were put in the stocks,
00:22:16.83\00:22:19.55
in the dungeon
there in Philippi.
00:22:19.56\00:22:21.70
And what's he doing at midnight?
00:22:21.71\00:22:23.98
He is singing.
00:22:23.99\00:22:25.61
I don't know if he was
happy as he was singing,
00:22:25.62\00:22:29.22
because the blood
had dried on his back
00:22:29.23\00:22:31.14
and probably had not
even been cleaned off.
00:22:31.15\00:22:34.02
But he has peace in his heart.
00:22:34.03\00:22:37.87
He has joy in his heart.
00:22:37.88\00:22:41.60
Those are some of the fruits
00:22:41.61\00:22:43.88
of the Holy Spirit in his life.
00:22:43.89\00:22:46.52
And so, as you pass
through the experiences of life,
00:22:46.53\00:22:49.60
don't use him as a barometer
of whether God loves you
00:22:49.61\00:22:52.50
or doesn't love you.
00:22:52.51\00:22:53.92
Know that His love is based
00:22:53.93\00:22:55.10
on these ancient words, right?
00:22:55.11\00:22:57.59
It's beyond what
happens in this mortal life.
00:22:57.60\00:23:01.05
That's what Paul
understood and what Paul taught
00:23:01.06\00:23:02.87
and it's what we
need to remember as well.
00:23:02.88\00:23:05.84
God promises to
get us joy and peace
00:23:05.85\00:23:09.97
and it comes through
being reconciled to God
00:23:09.98\00:23:15.62
by faith through Jesus Christ.
00:23:15.63\00:23:17.04
Next Paul addresses
the basis of this hope.
00:23:17.05\00:23:19.38
Let's go back to
Romans Chapter 5 and verse 6.
00:23:19.39\00:23:23.07
And here's just, oh,
what a fabulous verse.
00:23:23.08\00:23:27.62
"You see, at
just the right time,
00:23:27.63\00:23:30.85
when we were still powerless,
00:23:30.86\00:23:33.53
Christ died for the ungodly.
00:23:33.54\00:23:36.50
Oh, I love that, don't you?
00:23:36.51\00:23:38.67
At just the right time.
00:23:38.68\00:23:42.10
I don't know about you,
00:23:42.11\00:23:43.08
but I've received
tremendous encouragement
00:23:43.09\00:23:45.15
from that passage
through my journey with Jesus.
00:23:45.16\00:23:49.36
It wasn't because I was good,
00:23:49.37\00:23:53.01
it wasn't because of
all the things I had done,
00:23:53.02\00:23:55.42
and all the selfless acts
of charity I had performed.
00:23:55.43\00:23:59.61
He says, while we were what?
00:23:59.62\00:24:02.57
Yet sinners, Christ
died for the ungodly.
00:24:02.58\00:24:07.87
It was while we were yet sinners
00:24:07.88\00:24:09.69
that He died for the ungodly.
00:24:09.70\00:24:11.35
I was born here in
Orlando, in the last millennium,
00:24:14.13\00:24:18.18
the past millennium.
00:24:18.19\00:24:20.09
And I grew up.
00:24:20.10\00:24:23.99
My family of
origin, they really weren't
00:24:24.00\00:24:25.73
religious people,
they're great people,
00:24:25.74\00:24:27.15
but they really
weren't religious people.
00:24:27.16\00:24:28.48
But I had a good
Baptist grandmother on one side
00:24:28.49\00:24:31.83
and a good Adventist grandmother
00:24:31.84\00:24:33.35
on the other side.
00:24:33.36\00:24:34.33
And my Adventist grandmother,
00:24:34.34\00:24:36.30
she was the good grandmother.
00:24:36.31\00:24:37.74
So she convinced me to go
to an Adventist Church School,
00:24:37.75\00:24:40.33
the sixth grade and
part of the seven grade,
00:24:40.34\00:24:42.84
and the eight grade.
00:24:42.85\00:24:43.82
And then when I
was in the tenth,
00:24:43.83\00:24:46.09
when I go into the
tenth grade she said,
00:24:46.10\00:24:47.59
now Tony, if you'll go
to Mount Pisgah Academy.
00:24:47.60\00:24:50.49
She lived in North Carolina.
00:24:50.50\00:24:51.50
If you'll go to
Mount Pisgah Academy,
00:24:51.51\00:24:53.35
and you'll graduate from there,
00:24:53.36\00:24:54.99
I'll buy you a
Harley Davidson motorcycle.
00:24:55.00\00:24:58.12
Wow! That's good, you know.
00:24:58.13\00:25:00.24
And I thought, that's cool.
00:25:00.25\00:25:02.12
So I'm off to
Mount Pisgah Academy,
00:25:02.13\00:25:04.78
and there in the North Carolina.
00:25:04.79\00:25:07.03
And things workout pretty good,
00:25:07.04\00:25:09.09
but I actually fall
into some problems there.
00:25:09.10\00:25:15.13
And the school is very
kind, they're exceedingly kind,
00:25:15.14\00:25:18.78
and we run away and
we end up down in Texas.
00:25:18.79\00:25:21.24
And they come
down and they get us,
00:25:21.25\00:25:23.38
and I can tell you
00:25:23.39\00:25:24.40
interesting stories about that.
00:25:24.41\00:25:25.41
But we want to talk about
Paul this morning instead.
00:25:25.42\00:25:28.50
But ultimately I got to
leave Mount Pisgah Academy
00:25:28.51\00:25:32.72
in the back of a police car.
00:25:32.73\00:25:34.94
Now that's not very good, is it?
00:25:34.95\00:25:37.28
I got busted for marijuana.
00:25:37.29\00:25:39.93
And so I get to leave in
the back of the police car
00:25:39.94\00:25:42.84
and they take me
00:25:42.85\00:25:43.92
and as they
read my rights to me,
00:25:43.93\00:25:45.51
they say, you can't be president
00:25:45.52\00:25:47.17
because this is a felony.
00:25:47.18\00:25:48.42
And you can't do
this and you can't.
00:25:48.43\00:25:50.40
And so, they said,
00:25:50.41\00:25:51.46
anybody you wanna
talk to you? And I said,
00:25:51.47\00:25:52.78
well I'd like to
talk to the Bible teacher,
00:25:52.79\00:25:54.29
Wayne McNutt,
can you send him to?
00:25:54.30\00:25:56.11
Then Pastor
McNutt came and said,
00:25:56.12\00:25:59.13
you know, I can't
do all these things,
00:25:59.14\00:26:00.71
but gotta be a pastor one day.
00:26:00.72\00:26:03.45
Where did that
came from? I don't know.
00:26:03.46\00:26:04.68
But anyway, it
was kind of strange,
00:26:04.69\00:26:07.97
but I said, could I
be a pastor one day.
00:26:07.98\00:26:09.60
And he said, yes, if you give,
00:26:09.61\00:26:11.33
you know, if you
give your heart to Jesus.
00:26:11.34\00:26:12.70
And I said, cool,
I'll remember that maybe.
00:26:12.71\00:26:15.18
And so, I was
kicked out of the school.
00:26:15.19\00:26:18.50
They had given me grades
00:26:18.51\00:26:19.75
and that was my third strike
00:26:19.76\00:26:21.02
and I was kicked out
of Mount Pisgah Academy
00:26:21.03\00:26:22.64
and went home to North Carolina
00:26:22.65\00:26:24.05
and became very
involved in the counter culture.
00:26:24.06\00:26:26.75
As a matter of fact three of us
00:26:26.76\00:26:27.92
began to control
the flow of drugs
00:26:27.93\00:26:29.65
into our small town
00:26:29.66\00:26:30.64
there in
Salisbury, North Carolina.
00:26:30.65\00:26:32.61
And but I was struggling
00:26:32.62\00:26:35.62
because while I was going
to the Adventist Church School,
00:26:35.63\00:26:38.17
in one of those
years, they taught us
00:26:38.18\00:26:39.66
these incredible
prophecies from Daniel.
00:26:39.67\00:26:42.33
And you know, it just
always stuck into my mind
00:26:42.34\00:26:43.98
about Babylon,
Persia, Greece, Rome.
00:26:43.99\00:26:46.28
In Daniel 2 and
Daniel 7, those four beasts,
00:26:46.29\00:26:48.77
how they all kind of came along
00:26:48.78\00:26:50.21
and the Ten Horns and it's just,
00:26:50.22\00:26:51.78
oh! Wow! I
couldn't really shake it
00:26:51.79\00:26:53.90
and that
prophecy of the 2300 days,
00:26:53.91\00:26:56.40
it was just in the
back to my mind always
00:26:56.41\00:26:58.16
and they also taught
about that idea of a judgment
00:26:58.17\00:27:02.29
that one day I'd have to
give answer for what I'm doing.
00:27:02.30\00:27:04.87
And so I thought, well,
the way to solve this is,
00:27:04.88\00:27:08.05
I'll just say
there is not a God,
00:27:08.06\00:27:09.76
and there is not a devil.
00:27:09.77\00:27:11.22
And if there's no
God, there's no devil,
00:27:11.23\00:27:12.46
then there can't
be a judgment someday.
00:27:12.47\00:27:13.87
Therefore, I can
live the way I wanna live
00:27:13.88\00:27:15.26
and I don't have to be
troubled by any of this.
00:27:15.27\00:27:17.79
That makes sense, right?
00:27:17.80\00:27:19.82
So that was the
philosophy I developed.
00:27:19.83\00:27:22.35
Well my cousin who was
there in North Carolina,
00:27:22.36\00:27:25.62
he had made it all
the way through Fletcher.
00:27:25.63\00:27:28.13
So I had a lot
of respect for him.
00:27:28.14\00:27:29.28
And one night we were
taking Psilocybin mushrooms.
00:27:29.29\00:27:35.50
And I thought, if I can just get
00:27:36.65\00:27:38.01
Philip to agree with me,
00:27:38.02\00:27:38.99
that there is no
God, there is no devil
00:27:39.00\00:27:41.38
and I can just,
00:27:41.39\00:27:42.36
you know, get away from
this whole thing of having
00:27:42.37\00:27:44.25
my conscious trouble.
00:27:44.26\00:27:45.23
So I said, Philip,
00:27:45.24\00:27:46.32
I said the Bible is not true,
00:27:46.33\00:27:48.03
I said, God doesn't exist,
00:27:48.04\00:27:50.04
don't you agree with me?
00:27:50.05\00:27:51.38
I'll never it, he looked at me
00:27:51.39\00:27:52.50
and he said,
00:27:52.51\00:27:54.69
Tony, you can't
write off the Bible.
00:27:54.70\00:27:57.37
It's the age old history book,
00:27:57.38\00:27:58.98
there's something
true about the Bible.
00:27:58.99\00:28:01.27
And that just caused my
world to tumble down like this,
00:28:01.28\00:28:03.76
he says, oh no.
00:28:03.77\00:28:05.14
And so, we went from there
00:28:05.15\00:28:07.32
and I attended a lot
of rock and roll concerts
00:28:07.33\00:28:11.48
and my favorite band
were the Rolling Stones.
00:28:11.49\00:28:14.37
And there were
touring in the 1972,
00:28:14.38\00:28:16.27
and they were coming to
Charlotte on July the 6,
00:28:16.28\00:28:18.90
and I'll never forget it.
00:28:18.91\00:28:19.89
We went to the concert
00:28:19.90\00:28:21.47
and I drove a car
load of friends there,
00:28:21.48\00:28:23.53
and Stevie Wonder played
00:28:23.54\00:28:27.76
and there after he
played they move the equipment,
00:28:27.77\00:28:31.84
and there on the stage I
saw two serpents painted.
00:28:31.85\00:28:34.01
Now I have no
idea, I was tripping
00:28:34.02\00:28:36.31
and doing many different things,
00:28:36.32\00:28:37.38
I don't know, but
I saw two serpents.
00:28:37.39\00:28:39.44
When I saw the two
serpents painted on the stage,
00:28:39.45\00:28:41.91
I thought oh, no.
00:28:41.92\00:28:43.67
All I could thing
about was the serpent
00:28:43.68\00:28:46.75
in the Garden of Eden,
and then the stones came out
00:28:46.76\00:28:50.83
and they played and the
third song they played was,
00:28:50.84\00:28:52.89
Sympathy for the Devil,
00:28:52.90\00:28:53.87
was one of my favorite
songs, I knew it by heart,
00:28:53.88\00:28:55.98
but I never
thought about the words.
00:28:55.99\00:28:58.24
I was there in
Pilate's Judgment Hall,
00:28:58.25\00:29:01.20
made real sure
he washed his hands
00:29:01.21\00:29:03.38
and sealed his face.
00:29:03.39\00:29:04.39
Please, I need you.
00:29:04.40\00:29:05.67
Hope you guess my name.
00:29:05.68\00:29:07.38
What's puzzling you
that's the nature of my game
00:29:07.39\00:29:09.44
just call me Lucifer.
00:29:09.45\00:29:11.48
Yes, that's my name.
00:29:11.49\00:29:13.63
Wow! Well, I heard that
00:29:13.64\00:29:16.27
and then I heard
a voice in my mind,
00:29:16.28\00:29:18.36
and the voice
said, yes, I am real.
00:29:18.37\00:29:21.71
You said I didn't exist,
00:29:21.72\00:29:23.90
but I'm real and you
sold your soul to me.
00:29:23.91\00:29:26.17
Well, I have no
doubt about that,
00:29:26.18\00:29:27.25
I sold my soul to Him.
00:29:27.26\00:29:29.30
And then I heard a voice saying,
00:29:29.31\00:29:30.65
you blasphemed God by
saying He did not exist,
00:29:30.66\00:29:33.88
you've committed
the unpardonable sin.
00:29:33.89\00:29:37.60
God will never have
anything to do with you.
00:29:37.61\00:29:39.85
You sold your soul
to me, you are mine.
00:29:39.86\00:29:44.03
And tonight, you'll
have to pay for your sins,
00:29:44.04\00:29:49.10
you'll have to die tonight.
00:29:49.11\00:29:52.01
Wow! Well, that kind of
took the joy out of the concert.
00:29:52.02\00:29:57.28
And I sat back and
thought I was gonna die,
00:29:57.29\00:30:01.87
you know, and I thought
00:30:01.88\00:30:03.50
I was gonna have
to atone for my sins.
00:30:03.51\00:30:04.48
Now it's interesting
and I would not ever cast
00:30:04.49\00:30:06.82
any blame toward the schools.
00:30:06.83\00:30:09.36
I don't know what the
schools are teaching about this.
00:30:09.37\00:30:11.59
And I know that a lot of debates
00:30:11.60\00:30:12.88
about what a
school... I have no clue
00:30:12.89\00:30:15.41
because I was a selfish person
00:30:15.42\00:30:16.87
doing my own deal.
00:30:16.88\00:30:18.68
And so I really don't know,
00:30:18.69\00:30:19.74
what they were
teaching, but all this,
00:30:19.75\00:30:21.04
but I didn't
understand the Gospel at all.
00:30:21.05\00:30:23.11
I thought it was the only
sinner in the whole world.
00:30:23.12\00:30:27.01
The only sinne
in the whole world.
00:30:27.02\00:30:29.00
And I thought I have
to die for what I've done,
00:30:29.01\00:30:30.65
I denied God's existence.
00:30:30.66\00:30:32.24
Here it was and
so I settle back,
00:30:32.25\00:30:34.08
and just I thought I would die
00:30:34.09\00:30:35.06
at the end of the concert.
00:30:35.07\00:30:36.45
Well, they all clapped
00:30:36.46\00:30:37.57
for an encore at
the end of the concert,
00:30:37.58\00:30:39.07
and the role
manager came out and said,
00:30:39.08\00:30:42.02
thank you, we're through.
00:30:42.03\00:30:44.44
And you're through, this is it.
00:30:44.45\00:30:46.64
You're gonna have to,
you're gonna have to die now.
00:30:46.65\00:30:49.99
And as the
Colosseum there in Charlotte,
00:30:50.00\00:30:52.11
emptied and people went out,
00:30:52.12\00:30:53.42
my friends who were
riding with me said,
00:30:53.43\00:30:54.89
we have to go.
00:30:54.90\00:30:56.53
And somehow, they got me.
00:30:56.54\00:30:58.54
We went out to the car
and I find it hard to believe
00:30:58.55\00:31:01.70
but I drove back
out to Salisbury,
00:31:01.71\00:31:04.18
about an hour and a half away.
00:31:04.19\00:31:05.31
And we went out to far,
00:31:05.32\00:31:07.10
I mean, all
night long they partied
00:31:07.11\00:31:08.95
and I pondered
what had happened.
00:31:08.96\00:31:11.57
And I thought
about what happened.
00:31:11.58\00:31:12.97
I felt so lost, I was so...
00:31:12.98\00:31:17.50
The next day, I went
to my grandmother's house,
00:31:17.51\00:31:18.95
she was a wonderful
Bible worker in the Salisbury,
00:31:18.96\00:31:21.37
North Carolina Church.
00:31:21.38\00:31:23.14
And I really couldn't verbalize
00:31:23.15\00:31:25.41
very much of what had happened
00:31:25.42\00:31:26.53
because I was, you know,
00:31:26.54\00:31:28.06
the use the term of
the day, spaced out.
00:31:28.07\00:31:30.04
But she had these
literature evangelist versions
00:31:30.05\00:31:34.87
of the conflict
of the ages series.
00:31:34.88\00:31:36.57
Some of you know what
I am talking about there.
00:31:36.58\00:31:37.55
Conflict and there
were those kind of big books
00:31:37.56\00:31:39.93
and I could just go through the,
00:31:39.94\00:31:42.22
couldn't read and I was
way too spaced out to read.
00:31:42.23\00:31:44.08
But I could go through and
I was looking at the pictures
00:31:44.09\00:31:46.80
and I came upon a
picture that gave me
00:31:46.81\00:31:49.15
a little window of hope.
00:31:49.16\00:31:50.58
But again, I just don't
understand the Gospel at all.
00:31:50.59\00:31:53.70
It was a picture
of the Garden of Eden
00:31:53.71\00:31:56.63
and there was Adam and
Eve in the Garden of Eden
00:31:56.64\00:31:58.22
and there was Jesus.
00:31:58.23\00:31:59.20
Some of know the
picture I am talking about.
00:31:59.21\00:32:00.99
And there was Jesus
00:32:01.00\00:32:01.97
and He was stepping
on the serpent's head
00:32:01.98\00:32:05.07
and I got a little
tiny window of hope
00:32:05.08\00:32:08.01
that maybe Jesus was
stronger than serpent.
00:32:08.02\00:32:13.07
Now again it's sad to be
this confused about the Gospel,
00:32:13.08\00:32:17.11
that's where I was.
00:32:17.12\00:32:19.07
And so, I saw that
00:32:19.08\00:32:20.22
and I kind of told grandma
a little about what happened
00:32:20.23\00:32:22.76
and then she gave me a
book, the Desire of Ages.
00:32:22.77\00:32:27.40
And a couple of days later,
00:32:27.41\00:32:29.90
I took my friend home to
Atlanta, where she lived.
00:32:29.91\00:32:33.16
And while I was there I
began reading Desire of Ages.
00:32:33.17\00:32:36.93
I never forget coming
to page 25 and reading,
00:32:36.94\00:32:42.39
Christ was treated as
we deserved to be treated,
00:32:42.40\00:32:45.76
that we might be
treated as He deserved.
00:32:45.77\00:32:49.02
He was condemned for our
sins in which He had no share,
00:32:49.03\00:32:52.24
that we might be justified,
00:32:52.25\00:32:54.03
there's that word,
by his righteousness,
00:32:54.04\00:32:55.92
in which we have no share,
00:32:55.93\00:32:57.32
and by his
stripes we are healed.
00:32:57.33\00:33:00.22
And I said, wow!
00:33:00.23\00:33:02.35
If that's what you're about,
I want to get to know you.
00:33:02.36\00:33:06.48
So I gave my heart to
Jesus there in Atlanta, Georgia.
00:33:06.49\00:33:10.39
And well, I came back,
00:33:10.40\00:33:13.29
I'll just tell you
one more part of story,
00:33:13.30\00:33:14.65
I came back and I still
had a large thrash of drugs.
00:33:14.66\00:33:16.57
And I told my best friend
he was an African-American guy,
00:33:16.58\00:33:19.11
about 20 years older
than I was with a nose ring
00:33:19.12\00:33:21.32
and it was 1972
in North Carolina,
00:33:21.33\00:33:23.67
and as I told Perry about this.
00:33:23.68\00:33:25.81
He said, wow!
That's interesting.
00:33:25.82\00:33:28.02
And I decided to
have one last party
00:33:28.03\00:33:30.57
and I'll never
forget the Stones album,
00:33:30.58\00:33:33.30
Hot Rocks was playing.
00:33:33.31\00:33:34.56
And as they were
playing the music,
00:33:34.57\00:33:36.55
Perry came to me
with this red beady eyes,
00:33:36.56\00:33:38.62
and said, you
can't get away from it,
00:33:38.63\00:33:40.31
can you? It's
got you doesn't it?
00:33:40.32\00:33:42.73
And I said, oh,
Lord, please help me.
00:33:42.74\00:33:44.39
And I went out in my
little car and drove away
00:33:44.40\00:33:46.56
and that was the last
time I ever participated
00:33:46.57\00:33:48.41
in that lifestyle.
00:33:48.42\00:33:50.43
So the Lord really plucked me,
00:33:50.44\00:33:51.47
I wanna just say,
grandmas never stop praying
00:33:51.48\00:33:55.18
for your grandchildren. Amen.
00:33:55.19\00:33:56.67
Grandpas, you have no idea.
00:33:56.68\00:33:58.64
You know, at General Conference
00:33:58.65\00:34:00.30
just a few weeks ago,
00:34:00.31\00:34:01.28
I saw the Vice
Principal of the school.
00:34:01.29\00:34:02.93
Now we have seen each other,
00:34:02.94\00:34:05.12
I think at the
previous General Conference
00:34:05.13\00:34:06.60
and he was rather shocked
00:34:06.61\00:34:08.32
that the Lord had
changed my life that way.
00:34:08.33\00:34:13.17
I actually got disciplined once,
00:34:13.18\00:34:14.44
and got sent to the
girl's deans family,
00:34:14.45\00:34:17.07
the LaTelles there in Tennessee.
00:34:17.08\00:34:18.90
And Margie actually was,
or in the footsteps of Paul,
00:34:18.91\00:34:22.11
and I took the call and
said, well, you know, Margie,
00:34:22.12\00:34:24.89
I recognized
your name, you know.
00:34:24.90\00:34:26.68
She went and told
her board some story
00:34:26.69\00:34:28.64
about this wonderful series.
00:34:28.65\00:34:30.81
And I said, well, Margie,
00:34:30.82\00:34:31.79
I'm actually the guy
that you guys disciplined
00:34:31.80\00:34:34.88
and sent to your parents.
00:34:34.89\00:34:36.19
And that the Lord got a
hold of my life and changed me.
00:34:36.20\00:34:38.44
So grandparents,
parents, kids, praying for you,
00:34:38.45\00:34:42.56
pray for one and another.
00:34:42.57\00:34:43.98
You know, never write
anyone off as a lost cause.
00:34:43.99\00:34:47.44
God's grace is incredible
00:34:47.45\00:34:48.88
and that's what we're
talking about this morning,
00:34:48.89\00:34:50.67
being justified by
grace we have faith,
00:34:50.68\00:34:53.56
we have peace with God
00:34:53.57\00:34:55.18
and what a joy it is
to describe that peace.
00:34:55.19\00:34:58.01
What a wonderful thing.
00:34:58.02\00:34:58.99
I was a sinner, I knew it,
00:34:59.00\00:35:00.22
but I didn't
understand Romans Chapter 5.
00:35:00.23\00:35:03.32
And what a joy it is
to understand that now.
00:35:03.33\00:35:06.32
I want you to take your Bibles
00:35:06.33\00:35:07.30
and let's go on in our passage.
00:35:07.31\00:35:09.98
It wasn't because I
was good or deserving,
00:35:09.99\00:35:11.94
it was because of
God's incredible grace
00:35:11.95\00:35:13.87
that He reached into my heart.
00:35:13.88\00:35:15.39
Romans Chapter 5,
verses 6 through 8.
00:35:15.40\00:35:17.43
"You see, at
just the right time,
00:35:17.44\00:35:19.45
when we were still powerless,
00:35:19.46\00:35:21.91
Christ died for the ungodly.
00:35:21.92\00:35:24.48
Very rarely will anyone
die for a righteous man,
00:35:24.49\00:35:27.77
though for a good man someone
might possibly dare to die.
00:35:27.78\00:35:32.17
But God demonstrates
his own love for us in this,
00:35:32.18\00:35:36.53
While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us."
00:35:36.54\00:35:40.56
Oh my, that has to
be my favorite passages.
00:35:42.57\00:35:48.70
Was Paul referring to
that popular Greek legend
00:35:48.71\00:35:53.93
that so many of his readers
00:35:53.94\00:35:56.05
in Rome would be familiar with.
00:35:56.06\00:35:58.77
It was a story of a Greek King,
00:35:58.78\00:36:00.92
he was a young man Admetus,
00:36:00.93\00:36:04.29
and he fell in love
with a beautiful girl,
00:36:04.30\00:36:07.43
Alcestis, the
daughter of a neighboring King,
00:36:07.44\00:36:11.54
but father wouldn't let him.
00:36:11.55\00:36:12.64
Marry her and so,
the story goes that
00:36:12.65\00:36:15.91
he has this encounter
with Apollo as a young man.
00:36:15.92\00:36:19.67
And he treats him kindly,
00:36:19.68\00:36:21.31
and Apollo promises
to help him in the future
00:36:21.32\00:36:23.83
and so he helps him to
be able to marry Alcestis.
00:36:23.84\00:36:27.25
And at their wedding, he
gives them a special gift.
00:36:27.26\00:36:30.85
And the gift is that if
he should ever fall sick
00:36:30.86\00:36:35.24
that someone who loved
him could die in his place.
00:36:35.25\00:36:40.43
Very popular, you
can Google the story,
00:36:40.44\00:36:42.05
it's a very popular
legend in Paul's day.
00:36:42.06\00:36:45.95
Well, the King and the
Queen lived very happily
00:36:45.96\00:36:48.46
for many years,
00:36:48.47\00:36:49.44
the people in their
kingdom were blessed
00:36:49.45\00:36:51.14
because they were
such a good rulers.
00:36:51.15\00:36:53.34
And one day Admetus grew ill.
00:36:53.35\00:36:58.07
Admetus grew ill and he
began to get sicker and sicker.
00:36:58.08\00:37:01.86
His parents were
older, near the end.
00:37:01.87\00:37:04.44
And so, someone remembered
the gift Apollo had given.
00:37:04.45\00:37:10.98
That if someone who loved
him would die in his place,
00:37:10.99\00:37:13.30
he wouldn't have to die.
00:37:13.31\00:37:15.12
And so they went to
their parents and they said,
00:37:15.13\00:37:16.51
you know, your
son's such a good King
00:37:16.52\00:37:18.04
and he is in a youth.
00:37:18.05\00:37:20.48
And they said,
oh, we love him a lot,
00:37:20.49\00:37:22.68
but not that
much, not that much.
00:37:22.69\00:37:25.27
We only have a few
years left to live.
00:37:25.28\00:37:27.43
So they went to his
brothers and sisters.
00:37:27.44\00:37:29.06
And his brothers and
sisters loved him and,
00:37:29.07\00:37:30.52
you know, they
sat at the royal table
00:37:30.53\00:37:32.18
and they said,
we love him a lot,
00:37:32.19\00:37:35.47
but not that much.
00:37:35.48\00:37:38.43
Many people who owed
their very lives to him
00:37:38.44\00:37:41.32
in the kingdom.
00:37:41.33\00:37:42.41
Oh, we love him a lot,
00:37:45.69\00:37:47.72
but no one could be found
00:37:47.73\00:37:49.63
who be willing
to die in his place.
00:37:49.64\00:37:53.64
Well, his lovely queen heard
00:37:53.65\00:37:55.46
what was happening happening.
00:37:55.47\00:37:57.69
And so, Alcestis
calls upon Apollo, and says,
00:37:57.70\00:38:04.06
he is such a good
man, I'll die for him.
00:38:04.07\00:38:08.48
And so she goes with
according to the story
00:38:08.49\00:38:10.56
and lays in her bed
and her life ebbs away.
00:38:10.57\00:38:13.93
Well immediately he had
the strength returned to him
00:38:13.94\00:38:16.42
and he jumps up and
runs in to tell her.
00:38:16.43\00:38:20.06
And there she is
lifeless upon the couch.
00:38:20.07\00:38:23.72
Paul, very likely is
referencing this story
00:38:23.73\00:38:27.70
that his hearers
are very familiar with.
00:38:27.71\00:38:30.14
Because this is an
incredible flowering of love.
00:38:30.15\00:38:32.53
No one will do it,
00:38:32.54\00:38:33.51
but here the wife would do it.
00:38:33.52\00:38:37.71
And you could imagine
the people are saying,
00:38:37.72\00:38:39.22
wow, that is the
ultimate flowering of love.
00:38:39.23\00:38:43.57
And so Paul
says, for a good man,
00:38:43.58\00:38:45.44
someone might
possibly bear to die,
00:38:45.45\00:38:47.72
but God reveals his love to us
00:38:47.73\00:38:50.11
in this that while
we were still sinners
00:38:50.12\00:38:54.21
Christ died for the ungodly.
00:38:54.22\00:38:56.55
He wasn't because we were good.
00:38:56.56\00:38:58.56
He wasn't because we were kings.
00:38:58.57\00:39:00.73
He wasn't because we were kind.
00:39:00.74\00:39:02.55
While we were yet sinners,
Christ died for the ungodly.
00:39:02.56\00:39:08.15
That's how much he values each
00:39:08.16\00:39:10.06
and every one of us.
00:39:10.07\00:39:11.58
Wow! What an incredible story.
00:39:14.25\00:39:19.35
Paul goes on in
verse 9, and says,
00:39:19.36\00:39:22.72
"Since we have now
been justified by his blood,
00:39:22.73\00:39:25.87
how much more shall we be saved
00:39:25.88\00:39:28.20
from God's wrath through him.
00:39:28.21\00:39:30.69
For if when we
were God's enemies,
00:39:30.70\00:39:32.99
we were reconciled to him
through the death of his Son,
00:39:33.00\00:39:36.12
how much more
having been reconciled,
00:39:36.13\00:39:39.02
shall we be
saved through his life.
00:39:39.03\00:39:41.66
Not only this,
not only is this so,
00:39:41.67\00:39:44.62
but we also rejoice in God
00:39:44.63\00:39:46.41
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:39:46.42\00:39:47.81
through whom we have now
received reconciliation."
00:39:47.82\00:39:52.60
And so he says, if
while you were a sinner
00:39:52.61\00:39:54.55
you're reconciled to God.
00:39:54.56\00:39:57.35
Just think about what it means
00:39:57.36\00:39:58.91
actually you've been reconciled.
00:39:58.92\00:40:01.52
And he goes on to say,
00:40:01.53\00:40:03.35
that "We shall we be saved
from God's wrath through him.
00:40:03.36\00:40:05.62
For if, when we
were God's enemies,
00:40:05.63\00:40:07.79
we were reconciled to him
through the death of his Son,
00:40:07.80\00:40:10.50
how much more,
having been reconciled,
00:40:10.51\00:40:13.99
shall we be saved
through his life."
00:40:14.00\00:40:15.74
Seems like a reference
00:40:15.75\00:40:17.67
to Hebrews Chapter 7
verse 25, doesn't it?
00:40:17.68\00:40:20.66
Where it describes
Jesus as that eternal
00:40:20.67\00:40:23.23
high priest whoever lives
to make intersection for us.
00:40:23.24\00:40:28.86
And so, we should never question
00:40:30.77\00:40:34.80
the depth of God's love for us.
00:40:34.81\00:40:36.32
Sometimes we'll go
through difficult times.
00:40:36.33\00:40:39.24
Sometimes our health will fail.
00:40:39.25\00:40:41.37
Sometimes our
businesses may fail.
00:40:41.38\00:40:43.10
Sometime it just seems like
00:40:43.11\00:40:44.59
God has forgotten all about us,
00:40:44.60\00:40:47.22
but let's
remember the ancient words.
00:40:47.23\00:40:49.63
Let's go back to
those ancient words
00:40:49.64\00:40:51.38
and focus on them.
00:40:51.39\00:40:52.99
While we were yet
sinners, Christ die for us.
00:40:53.00\00:40:55.40
And if he loved us that much,
00:40:55.41\00:40:57.80
just think it hasn't stop
since we've been reconciled,
00:40:57.81\00:41:01.55
He continues to love us.
00:41:01.56\00:41:03.60
He goes on in
verse 12, "Therefore,
00:41:03.61\00:41:05.25
just as sin entered
the world through one man,
00:41:05.26\00:41:07.62
and death through sin,
00:41:07.63\00:41:09.07
and in this way
death came to all men,
00:41:09.08\00:41:11.42
because all sinned --
for before the law was given,
00:41:11.43\00:41:17.72
sin was in the world.
00:41:17.73\00:41:18.70
But sin is not taken into
account when there is no law.
00:41:18.71\00:41:22.15
Nevertheless, death reigned
00:41:22.16\00:41:23.98
from the time of
Adam to the time of Moses,
00:41:23.99\00:41:26.28
even over those who did
not sin by breaking a command,
00:41:26.29\00:41:29.18
as did Adam, who was a pattern
00:41:29.19\00:41:32.05
of the one to come."
00:41:32.06\00:41:33.98
Just as sin entered
the world through one man,
00:41:33.99\00:41:36.05
Adam's gift to
humanity was death,
00:41:36.06\00:41:41.12
not the second
death, but the first death.
00:41:41.13\00:41:42.97
We all die because we're
part of the human fabric,
00:41:42.98\00:41:46.25
we share the DNA.
00:41:46.26\00:41:48.44
The second death
comes because of our choice.
00:41:48.45\00:41:51.44
Because of our choice.
00:41:51.45\00:41:53.72
Death came to all men
because all have sinned.
00:41:53.73\00:41:58.87
There are Jewish sinners
00:41:58.88\00:42:00.14
and there are Gentile sinners.
00:42:00.15\00:42:01.95
They're Baptist sinners
00:42:01.96\00:42:02.93
and there are
Adventists sinners.
00:42:02.94\00:42:05.85
Because how many
have sinned? All.
00:42:05.86\00:42:08.58
We're all in the same boat.
00:42:08.59\00:42:09.91
We're all in
need of God's grace.
00:42:09.92\00:42:12.91
All are sin.
00:42:12.92\00:42:13.89
Well, I wish we have
time to talk about the law.
00:42:13.90\00:42:15.39
And just want to
refer you to this question
00:42:15.40\00:42:19.03
to Romans Chapter 1,
00:42:19.04\00:42:20.42
verses 18 to 20 about how those,
00:42:20.43\00:42:22.60
who don't have the law,
the God's revealed His nature
00:42:22.61\00:42:25.90
and His person to all people.
00:42:25.91\00:42:28.29
Roman's Chapter
2, verses 14 and 15,
00:42:28.30\00:42:30.32
if you don't have the law
00:42:30.33\00:42:31.58
that you're gonna
be judged by the law.
00:42:31.59\00:42:35.00
And then he talks about,
00:42:35.01\00:42:36.65
if you don't have the law
00:42:36.66\00:42:37.89
you'll be judged by the
things within your heart.
00:42:37.90\00:42:39.48
He said, you show the
working of your heart.
00:42:39.49\00:42:41.28
Originally the principles
of the Ten Commandments
00:42:41.29\00:42:43.48
were written to
everyone's heart,
00:42:43.49\00:42:44.55
into Adam and Eve's heart,
00:42:44.56\00:42:46.11
and that's passed onto all of us
00:42:46.12\00:42:47.75
down through the years.
00:42:47.76\00:42:49.21
And so Paul says,
00:42:49.22\00:42:50.51
that those who
don't have the law
00:42:50.52\00:42:52.22
they still show
that they know something
00:42:52.23\00:42:53.96
about the law because
00:42:53.97\00:42:54.94
they have
principles of right and wrong.
00:42:54.95\00:42:56.65
How will they deal with that?
00:42:56.66\00:42:59.38
How will they deal with that?
00:42:59.39\00:43:00.36
Sometimes we struggle
about how will God judge
00:43:00.37\00:43:02.81
those who don't know.
00:43:02.82\00:43:04.34
I'm just gonna refer you
00:43:04.35\00:43:05.32
because we're gonna
kind of coming down,
00:43:05.33\00:43:06.87
we wanna share one of
the major points with you.
00:43:06.88\00:43:08.93
But Second Thessalonians
2 verses 9 through 11,
00:43:08.94\00:43:12.21
talks about how the
God will judge the ungodly.
00:43:12.22\00:43:15.52
But it says, they are lost not
00:43:15.53\00:43:17.78
because they
don't know the truth,
00:43:17.79\00:43:21.23
but because they
don't love the truth.
00:43:21.24\00:43:24.62
And so, you may only
know one percent of truth
00:43:24.63\00:43:26.67
or you may think, you
know, 95 percent of truth.
00:43:26.68\00:43:29.89
How do you relate to that
one percent that you do know?
00:43:29.90\00:43:33.39
That's how we'll be
judged in this deal.
00:43:33.40\00:43:35.87
How do you relate
to that one percent
00:43:35.88\00:43:37.24
that you do know?
00:43:37.25\00:43:39.22
Well, it says,
death came up on all,
00:43:39.23\00:43:40.88
that is the common
denominator that we all face.
00:43:40.89\00:43:44.23
People often ask me,
00:43:44.24\00:43:45.26
what is the most
intriguing special thing
00:43:45.27\00:43:48.87
that happened to you,
00:43:48.88\00:43:49.85
filming the footsteps with Paul?
00:43:49.86\00:43:50.95
They say, you get to go on
all these places and so on,
00:43:50.96\00:43:53.11
what's the most
intriguing thing that happened?
00:43:53.12\00:43:56.93
It was something that happened
00:43:56.94\00:43:57.91
and surprised me.
00:43:57.92\00:43:59.87
As we were going
from place to place,
00:43:59.88\00:44:01.63
I could began to,
00:44:01.64\00:44:02.90
Hosford helped me
trace some interesting dots.
00:44:02.91\00:44:05.99
You see Paul and
Philippi needs Rabbi Philippi.
00:44:06.00\00:44:09.24
So he goes down to Thessaloniki
00:44:09.25\00:44:10.64
and Mollie is there, he
is run out Thessaloniki.
00:44:10.65\00:44:13.34
He goes out to Berea
and while he's there,
00:44:13.35\00:44:14.85
he's ran out of Berea.
00:44:14.86\00:44:16.09
And so he leaves Luke and Silas
00:44:16.10\00:44:17.43
and he takes Timothy
and they go down to Athens,
00:44:17.44\00:44:19.12
and while he is in
Athens, he is preaching
00:44:19.13\00:44:20.54
and neat things are happening.
00:44:20.55\00:44:21.68
But he is
worried about the church
00:44:21.69\00:44:22.87
they planted in Thessaloniki,
00:44:22.88\00:44:24.47
so Paul sends Timothy
back to check on the church
00:44:24.48\00:44:27.04
in Thessaloniki.
00:44:27.05\00:44:28.61
And Paul goes down
to the City of Corinth.
00:44:28.62\00:44:32.45
Timmy comes down to Corinth,
00:44:32.46\00:44:35.59
and he brings a
report from the church
00:44:35.60\00:44:37.22
they've planned in Thessaloniki.
00:44:37.23\00:44:38.43
And he says, Paul
something really bad happened,
00:44:38.44\00:44:40.47
the church is devastated.
00:44:40.48\00:44:42.34
And Paul takes out his pen,
00:44:42.35\00:44:44.81
and he writes the first
peace of the New Testament,
00:44:44.82\00:44:48.02
first thing ever written.
00:44:48.03\00:44:50.20
He says, we don't
want you to be ignorant
00:44:50.21\00:44:52.60
about those who fall asleep
00:44:52.61\00:44:55.23
or to grieve like the
rest of men we have no hope.
00:44:55.24\00:44:58.22
We believe Jesus died
00:44:58.23\00:44:59.71
and came back to life, right?
00:44:59.72\00:45:02.39
First thing, ever written,
00:45:02.40\00:45:03.37
written to a church just as real
00:45:03.38\00:45:05.53
as the church you
attend when someone had died.
00:45:05.54\00:45:09.28
And the people
are wondering will,
00:45:09.29\00:45:10.37
and we see, I love once again.
00:45:10.38\00:45:14.26
And Paul says, I
want you to know,
00:45:14.27\00:45:16.55
that the Lord Himself
shall descend from heaven.
00:45:16.56\00:45:18.63
The shout, the
voice of the Archangel,
00:45:18.64\00:45:20.71
and the trumpet call of God
00:45:20.72\00:45:21.75
and dead in Christ
should be raised first.
00:45:21.76\00:45:24.10
And then which we
were left to be caught up
00:45:24.11\00:45:25.50
with together
with Him in the clouds
00:45:25.51\00:45:27.11
to meet the Lord in the air,
00:45:27.12\00:45:28.42
and so we will ever
be with the Lord forever.
00:45:28.43\00:45:31.24
When I saw that
the depth prompted
00:45:31.25\00:45:33.57
the writing in
the New Testament.
00:45:33.58\00:45:34.86
It raise the
blessed hope of about
00:45:34.87\00:45:36.27
a thousand
points in my thinking,
00:45:36.28\00:45:38.37
you know, wow!
00:45:38.38\00:45:41.29
And then as we
came to the conclusion
00:45:41.30\00:45:43.26
of Paul's journey
in the City of Rome.
00:45:43.27\00:45:46.72
It is little
place outside the Rome
00:45:46.73\00:45:48.00
is called Saint Paul's outside,
00:45:48.01\00:45:49.98
I'm sorry, it's
called the Monastery
00:45:49.99\00:45:51.19
of the Three Fountains.
00:45:51.20\00:45:52.17
They're Saint
Paul outside the wall
00:45:52.18\00:45:53.52
is the great cathedral of Paul.
00:45:53.53\00:45:55.59
It's called the
Monastery the Three Fountains.
00:45:55.60\00:45:58.82
Now Roman, the
tradition there in Rome
00:45:58.83\00:46:01.25
is that Paul was cut,
his head was cut off head
00:46:01.26\00:46:03.94
and head bounced three times.
00:46:03.95\00:46:04.95
And three fountains popped up
00:46:04.96\00:46:06.07
and somebody go
in that little place
00:46:06.08\00:46:07.20
as three fountains and,
00:46:07.21\00:46:08.18
I don't believe that,
00:46:08.19\00:46:09.34
but this is where
they executed citizens
00:46:09.35\00:46:11.91
in the first century.
00:46:11.92\00:46:14.17
So most likely
Paul executed here.
00:46:14.18\00:46:16.41
So I thought about the story,
00:46:20.07\00:46:21.15
I walked down the little lanes
00:46:21.16\00:46:22.46
and it's an episode
19 of the Paul series.
00:46:22.47\00:46:26.27
So, you know, we
followed Paul for 13,000 miles.
00:46:26.28\00:46:29.98
Paul was faithfully
followed everywhere Jesus led.
00:46:29.99\00:46:33.99
And now he leave to this
little spot outside at Rome.
00:46:34.00\00:46:37.06
We don't know his last words,
00:46:37.07\00:46:39.79
but we do know his last letter.
00:46:39.80\00:46:42.18
He said, I have
fought a good fight,
00:46:42.19\00:46:45.60
I have finished my course.
00:46:45.61\00:46:48.52
I know that, "Henceforth
there is laid up for me
00:46:48.53\00:46:50.36
a crown of righteousness,
00:46:50.37\00:46:52.37
which the Lord,
the righteous judge
00:46:52.38\00:46:53.97
shall award to me on that day,
00:46:53.98\00:46:55.18
and not to just to me,
00:46:55.19\00:46:56.27
but to all them also
that love his appearing."
00:46:56.28\00:46:59.23
Can you imagine the first thing,
00:46:59.24\00:47:00.80
Paul wrote is a blessed hope?
00:47:00.81\00:47:02.74
The last thing Paul
wrote is a blessed hope.
00:47:02.75\00:47:05.99
Because in reality
it's the only hope.
00:47:06.00\00:47:10.55
We're all terminal in this deal
00:47:10.56\00:47:11.87
because of Adam sin,
00:47:11.88\00:47:13.81
but because of what Jesus did,
00:47:13.82\00:47:16.25
we had been
justified by faith and Jesus
00:47:16.26\00:47:20.53
and we have what?
00:47:20.54\00:47:22.09
Peace with God.
00:47:22.10\00:47:23.45
So we can rejoice in that hope.
00:47:23.46\00:47:27.05
Let's pray together, Father,
00:47:27.06\00:47:28.32
thank you for these moments that
00:47:28.33\00:47:29.87
we've had to ponder
this incredible passage.
00:47:29.88\00:47:33.47
Now I pray that each of us
00:47:33.48\00:47:34.58
in the quietness of this moment
00:47:34.59\00:47:37.38
when indeed
surrender our hearts to You
00:47:37.39\00:47:39.87
and accept You Jesus
as our Lord and Savior.
00:47:39.88\00:47:43.94
May each one of us
experience the peace
00:47:43.95\00:47:45.97
that comes from being justify,
00:47:45.98\00:47:47.86
just as, if we had
never seen by accepting you
00:47:47.87\00:47:51.14
through faith this
morning in our hearts.
00:47:51.15\00:47:53.79
Grant to us that
peace and assurance
00:47:53.80\00:47:55.74
and they are indeed there
fruit of hope in our lives.
00:47:55.75\00:47:59.34
I pray in Jesus name, amen.
00:47:59.35\00:48:01.67
O Love that wilt not let me go,
00:48:06.90\00:48:15.29
I rest my weary soul in thee,
00:48:15.30\00:48:23.12
I give thee back the life I owe,
00:48:23.13\00:48:31.14
That in thine
ocean depths its flow
00:48:31.15\00:48:36.07
May richer, fuller be.
00:48:36.08\00:48:45.10
O light that
followest all my way,
00:48:45.11\00:48:53.18
I yield my
flickering torch to thee,
00:48:53.19\00:49:01.08
My heart
restores its borrowed ray,
00:49:01.09\00:49:09.19
That in thy
sunshine's blaze its day
00:49:09.20\00:49:14.03
May brighter, fairer be.
00:49:14.04\00:49:23.30
O Joy that
seekest me through pain,
00:49:23.31\00:49:29.98
I cannot close my heart to thee,
00:49:29.99\00:49:36.85
I trace the
rainbow through the rain,
00:49:36.86\00:49:43.37
And feel the
promise is not vain,
00:49:43.38\00:49:48.14
That morn shall tearless be.
00:49:48.15\00:49:54.49
O Love that wilt not let me go,
00:49:54.50\00:50:02.87
I rest my weary soul in thee,
00:50:02.88\00:50:08.52
I give thee back the life I owe,
00:50:08.53\00:50:16.05
That in thine
ocean depths its flow
00:50:16.06\00:50:20.79
May richer, fuller be.
00:50:20.80\00:50:30.13
I give thee back the life I owe,
00:50:30.14\00:50:38.22
That in thine
ocean depths its flow
00:50:38.23\00:50:43.04
May richer, fuller be.
00:50:43.05\00:50:52.87
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen.
00:50:52.88\00:51:32.76