Hello, and welcome
to Pillars of Faith.
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My name is C.A. Murray,
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and it is my
privilege and pleasure
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to welcome you
to another seating,
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another session, as we
go into the Word of God,
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as we examine the
pillars of our faith,
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those things that we
teach, that we believe,
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that make us who we
are and what we are,
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and assure us that we're walking
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in the way of Jesus Christ.
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So we welcome you to
another seating together.
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Our speaker is the past
president of this ministry,
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one who had served the
Lord for so many, many years,
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Pastor Jim Gilley.
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And he has been
preaching powerfully
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from the Word of God.
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We have seen, and heard from him
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an exposition of
our great high priest,
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that is of course, Jesus Christ
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from the Book of Hebrews.
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Then a sermon that
I particularly liked,
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God's Witness Protection
Plan, drawn from Isaiah 43.
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Truly amazing grace, our
last seating and of course,
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tonight we're gonna be
speaking on the Cross of Christ.
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And that itself as a
title is something that I think
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we'll be studying throughout
the ceaseless ages of eternity.
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There could be
sermons and books,
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and sermons and
books, and sermons and books
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written on that
most complex subject,
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yet beautifully simple.
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The Cross of
Christ, what it means,
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what Christ did
for us on that cross,
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and what happened
from some three days later.
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So we're gonna be talking about
the Cross of Christ tonight.
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And I'm quite sure that
God will bless Pastor Gilley
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in this message,
as he has so many,
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many times before.
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Our scripture lesson
for the evening comes to us
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from the Book of 1 Corinthians,
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and that I invite you
to turn to 1 Corinthians
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there in the New
Testament with me if you will.
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1 Corinthians 2.
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And we're going to read
just the first and second verses
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of 1 Corinthians 2, and
then we will pray and...
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then we'll call our speaker.
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1 Corinthians 2:1 and 2.
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The Bible says,
"And I, brethren,
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when I came to
you, did not come with
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excellence of
speech or of wisdom,
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declaring to you
the testimony of God.
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For I determined not to
know anything among you,
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except Jesus
Christ, and him crucified."
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Powerful, powerful words
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that will serve as a
muse for Pastor Jim Gilley,
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as he speaks to us
in just a few moments.
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I ask you now to
bow your heads with me
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in a word of prayer if you will.
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Gracious
Father, how happy we are
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to know that Christ is our Lord,
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our King, and
soon coming Savior.
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We are so happy to know that
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our lives can be
hid in Christ Jesus,
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and that He loves us
with an everlasting love.
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We thank You for
the power of Your word.
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For it is truly a
lamp unto our feet,
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a light into our path.
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Truly it shines in
the darkness as a beacon
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that if we will follow
will lead us all the way home.
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And so now Father, we
ask a very special blessing
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upon Your
manservant, speak to him,
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and then speak through him.
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Touch our hearts,
water our thirsty souls,
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give us the power of the word,
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and then let that word
fill us to overflowing,
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and motivate us, encourage
us to do great things for you,
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and to hold on
until Christ comes again,
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which we know will
be very, very soon.
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We thank you Father for
Jesus, for His sacrifice,
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for in Christ we live,
and move, and have our being.
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We can do nothing without Him,
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yet we can do all
things through Him.
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Bless Jim now, as he
speaks to our hearts,
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and we thank you dear Father
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in Jesus' blessed
name, amen and amen.
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Thank you, brother.
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Thank you, Brother C.A.,
for that beautiful prayer.
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Friends, someone mentioned to me
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once that they were wishing that
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we could record
Brother C.A.'s prayers.
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I think that's a wonderful idea,
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and if you know
anybody at 3ABN with influence,
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you may suggest that to them.
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And perhaps, we can
still get that done.
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I believe that
it's something that
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I would love to have is a
CD of just his normal prayers,
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but he is asking the
Lord to bless the Word.
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Well, the south coast of China,
on a hill overlooking Macao,
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Portuguese settlers once
built a massive cathedral,
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but a typhoon proved stronger
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than the work of man's hands.
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And it destroyed
that great cathedral,
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all except the front wall.
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And down through the
ages, that front wall has stood.
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I read a story
about that front wall,
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it made me want to see it.
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When I went to Macao, I
left the tour that I was on,
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and I took a cab and
went down to that place,
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found that
cathedral, and looked at it
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because I had heard the
story of Sir John Bowring.
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He was
shipwrecked and the harbor,
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a very treacherous
harbor there at Macao.
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He was shipwrecked, he
was holding on to wreckage,
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he thought he was
swimming to shore,
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but he was swimming out to sea.
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And it would have been his
total destruction eventually.
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The fog broke, and he
looked through that fog,
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and just for a
moment, he caught a glimpse
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of that cross, and he turned,
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and he started
swimming towards that cross
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and his life was saved.
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Later on, he wrote that
hymn, that's in our hymn note,
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"In the Cross of Christ I glory,
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towering o'er
the wrecks of time,
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all the light of sacred story
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gathers round its head sublime.
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You know, things come and go,
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but the Cross of
Christ still stands.
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And our text today,
"And I, brethren came to you
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not with excellency
of speech or of wisdom,
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declaring to you
the testimony of God.
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For I determined to
know anything among you
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except Jesus
Christ, and Him crucified."
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Now, when the
Apostle Paul said this,
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he said it to the Corinthians,
he had already been to Athens,
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he'd been to Marseille,
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he had had what
the intellectuals call
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the greatest sermon
that he ever preached.
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The only one problem
with that great sermon
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is there were no converts.
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It was very philosophical.
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They had all
these different images,
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they had an image to
this god and to that god,
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it's just so
they wouldn't miss out
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they had
wondered the unknown god.
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Paul comes along
and he is philosophical,
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and he says, I know
who this unknown god is?
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And he begins to
witness of the God of heaven.
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But you know something,
the philosophy did not sell.
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People were not convicted,
and when he went on to Corinth,
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he said I'm not going to
be philosophical anymore.
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I'm going to preach
Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
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And he did, and there were
multitudes that were converted,
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as he preached
Jesus and Him crucified.
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Now Paul says that to the
Corinthians it was foolish.
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He said from verse 17 and 18,
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"For Christ did
not send me to baptize,
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but to preach the gospel,
not with wisdom of words,
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lest the Cross of
Christ should be of no effect.
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For the message of
the cross is foolishness
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to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved,
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it is the power of God."
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And then with a
flash in his eye,
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he said in verse 23,
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"But we preach Christ crucified,
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to the Jews a stumbling block,
and to the Greeks foolishness."
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Now, the word foolishness
in the Greek is 'moria'.
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We get our word
moronic from it, or insane.
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In other words, it's just
crazy to preach the Cross,
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that's what the Greeks thought,
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and the Jews, it
was a stumbling block,
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because the Cross was
such a horrible thing,
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and to preach that.
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That was a
stumbling block to the Jew,
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and foolishness to the Greek.
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Paul says that God's
foolishness is wiser than man.
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You know there are
people that try to focus us
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away from the Cross today.
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There is a movement among
not only our denomination,
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but all denominations,
00:10:24.92\00:10:26.32
it's called moral
influence theology.
00:10:26.35\00:10:29.29
It's not new.
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It began first about 800 A.D.
00:10:30.69\00:10:34.20
And it will raise its ugly
head about every 150, 200 years,
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and it will have a
following for a while.
00:10:39.80\00:10:42.90
But when you really
study the scripture,
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there is absolutely
nothing to sustain it.
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And you know, the apostle said,
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because the foolishness
of God is wiser than men,
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and the weakness of
God is stronger than men.
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And then he said
in Galatians 6:14,
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"I glory in the
Cross of Christ."
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Now there are many things
Paul could have gloried in.
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When you look into
the ministry of Jesus,
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there are some many things.
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First of all, His preexistence,
Christ never had a beginning.
00:11:17.67\00:11:22.58
When He was born in Bethlehem,
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that was not His birth,
that was His incarnation.
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He has always existed,
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from everlasting to everlasting,
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He has always been.
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And Paul could have said,
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I glory in the preexistence
of Christ, but he didn't.
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He could have gloried in
the virgin birth of Christ,
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Christ was not born,
as I am born and as you.
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He was born of a
virgin, Mary, a teenaged girl,
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she is engaged to be married,
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and an angel comes
to her and tells her,
00:11:58.55\00:12:01.02
you're going to have a baby.
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And she has never known a
man, in the biblical sense.
00:12:02.98\00:12:09.72
And so, Christ
was born of a virgin.
00:12:09.76\00:12:15.76
And then he could have gloried
in the teachings of Christ,
00:12:15.80\00:12:18.63
nobody ever taught like Christ.
00:12:18.67\00:12:21.40
Somebody strikes
you on one cheek,
00:12:21.44\00:12:23.20
turn the other cheek,
00:12:23.24\00:12:25.14
if you had to love your enemies,
00:12:25.17\00:12:28.04
what kind of
foreign policy is that.
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Do you think our country
would exist long in this world
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with that type
of foreign policy?
00:12:35.02\00:12:37.09
Somebody says,
well, we ought to try it.
00:12:37.12\00:12:39.75
Well, maybe we should.
00:12:39.79\00:12:42.09
But you see, Christ was telling
00:12:42.12\00:12:43.96
you and me, how we are to live.
00:12:43.99\00:12:47.86
His teachings,
unbelievable teachings,
00:12:47.90\00:12:51.97
and people would marvel at,
00:12:52.00\00:12:53.54
He taught about the law,
00:12:53.57\00:12:55.97
and He taught
that the law was...
00:12:56.00\00:12:58.27
He expanded it, so
that not only if you were
00:12:58.31\00:13:03.31
just to not kill your neighbor,
00:13:03.35\00:13:07.48
you were not even
to hate your neighbor.
00:13:07.52\00:13:10.72
You're to love your neighbor.
00:13:10.75\00:13:13.05
He expanded the
law in Matthew 5,
00:13:13.09\00:13:15.86
he gave us those
beautiful beatitudes.
00:13:15.89\00:13:19.36
Look at them, the teachings
of Christ are unbelievable.
00:13:19.39\00:13:24.97
I gave the Bible to a young man,
00:13:25.00\00:13:26.74
not too many years ago.
00:13:26.77\00:13:29.84
And I told him, I
just want you to read
00:13:29.87\00:13:32.87
Matthew 5, 6 and 7.
00:13:32.91\00:13:37.51
This is the Sermon on
the Mount and he read it,
00:13:37.55\00:13:42.15
and he gave his life to Jesus,
00:13:42.18\00:13:45.39
because he read what Jesus said.
00:13:45.42\00:13:48.86
No one has ever
taught like Jesus.
00:13:48.89\00:13:53.60
And Paul could have said,
00:13:53.63\00:13:54.96
I glory in the teachings
of Christ, but he didn't.
00:13:55.00\00:14:00.07
He could have gloried
in the miracles of Christ.
00:14:00.10\00:14:03.07
You look at all the different
healings that took place.
00:14:03.10\00:14:06.21
He is walking through Jericho,
00:14:06.24\00:14:08.54
and there is a blind Bartimaeus,
00:14:08.58\00:14:10.41
he is crying out to
him, crying out to him,
00:14:10.45\00:14:13.31
and he heals him right there.
00:14:13.35\00:14:15.98
He sees Zacchaeus, he says
00:14:16.02\00:14:18.05
I want to go home
with you Zacchaeus,
00:14:18.09\00:14:20.26
and he goes home with Zacchaeus,
00:14:20.29\00:14:21.82
and just the result of
Zacchaeus being with him,
00:14:21.86\00:14:25.13
seeing the
healings that happened,
00:14:25.16\00:14:26.96
listening to him, it
changed his whole life.
00:14:27.00\00:14:30.77
You look at the
hymns, he comes to the man,
00:14:30.80\00:14:33.60
who has been there by the pool,
00:14:33.64\00:14:36.20
and he's been
waiting all those years
00:14:36.24\00:14:38.74
and he heals him.
00:14:38.77\00:14:40.84
Look at Peter's mother-in-law,
and how He healed her.
00:14:40.88\00:14:45.95
Look at all of
those, Jairus' daughter
00:14:45.98\00:14:49.88
and how she was healed,
and all the different ones.
00:14:49.92\00:14:54.12
You see, my friend,
00:14:54.16\00:14:55.59
the healing power of
Christ is unbelievable.
00:14:55.62\00:14:59.86
There's never been
anything like it in history.
00:14:59.89\00:15:03.47
And Paul could have said,
00:15:03.50\00:15:05.13
I glory in the healing
00:15:05.17\00:15:08.94
and the miracles of Jesus.
00:15:08.97\00:15:12.27
He could have gloried
in the power of Jesus.
00:15:12.31\00:15:16.44
The Bible tells us that
00:15:16.48\00:15:17.98
this world was
spoken into existence
00:15:18.01\00:15:23.95
by the very
words of Jesus Christ.
00:15:23.99\00:15:27.56
Read John 1,
00:15:27.59\00:15:29.59
you will see how the word
00:15:29.62\00:15:31.96
became flesh and dwelt among us.
00:15:31.99\00:15:35.23
And this powerful
word, Jesus Christ,
00:15:35.26\00:15:39.33
before His
incarnation in this world,
00:15:39.37\00:15:44.81
we see how that His
power was so unbelievable,
00:15:44.84\00:15:49.04
and Paul could have said, I
glory in the power of Christ,
00:15:49.08\00:15:54.52
but he didn't say that.
00:15:54.55\00:15:56.28
He could have said, I glory
in the resurrection of Christ,
00:15:56.32\00:15:59.89
that's why if I have a
Cross, it's an empty Cross,
00:15:59.92\00:16:04.16
Christ is not
still on the Cross.
00:16:04.19\00:16:06.06
Christ is not still in the tomb.
00:16:06.09\00:16:09.26
There are two places in Israel,
00:16:09.30\00:16:12.93
that they know, they feel
one or the other is probably
00:16:12.97\00:16:16.10
the actual place,
where Christ was in the tomb.
00:16:16.14\00:16:20.71
I go to one of them, I
go to Gordon's Calvary,
00:16:20.74\00:16:24.98
and we have our
communion service there,
00:16:25.01\00:16:27.05
it's a garden setting and
I believe with all my heart
00:16:27.08\00:16:30.75
is that's where
Jesus was put in the tomb.
00:16:30.79\00:16:33.66
It fits the description
00:16:33.69\00:16:35.16
better than
anything else in scripture.
00:16:35.19\00:16:37.73
H.M.S. Richards believed that.
00:16:37.76\00:16:39.76
Now I know some
of the archaeologists
00:16:39.79\00:16:42.53
differ with us on
that, but I am going to wait.
00:16:42.56\00:16:46.10
In fact, where He was,
00:16:46.13\00:16:48.24
where He was buried
makes no difference.
00:16:48.27\00:16:50.87
It's the fact that
He was resurrected.
00:16:50.91\00:16:53.98
Came out of that
tomb, He is not in the tomb.
00:16:54.01\00:16:57.81
He is alive, and
Paul could have said,
00:16:57.85\00:17:01.62
I glory in the
resurrection of Christ.
00:17:01.65\00:17:05.29
He could have gloried in
the second coming of Christ,
00:17:05.32\00:17:07.56
this is the great
climatic moment towards
00:17:07.59\00:17:10.83
which all history is moving.
00:17:10.86\00:17:14.03
The clouds will break
open, Christ is going to come,
00:17:14.06\00:17:18.93
and I'm looking
forward to that day.
00:17:18.97\00:17:21.94
And Paul
preaching the second coming
00:17:21.97\00:17:24.94
constantly could have said,
00:17:24.97\00:17:26.41
I glory in the second
coming, but he didn't.
00:17:26.44\00:17:29.71
He said, I glory in
the Cross of Christ.
00:17:29.74\00:17:36.25
Now, why?
00:17:36.28\00:17:38.19
Why did he glory in
the Cross of Christ?
00:17:38.22\00:17:41.36
Because you see,
00:17:41.39\00:17:42.79
Christ did not come
primarily to be born,
00:17:42.82\00:17:46.53
He did not come
primarily to teach,
00:17:46.56\00:17:50.20
He did not come
primarily to do miracles.
00:17:50.23\00:17:55.80
He came primarily
to go to the Cross,
00:17:55.84\00:18:01.78
and to die on that
Cross for you and for me.
00:18:01.81\00:18:07.38
When, Hay wrote
his life of Lincoln,
00:18:07.42\00:18:11.22
he wrote some 5,000 pages.
00:18:11.25\00:18:14.46
And to the events surrounding
00:18:14.49\00:18:18.99
the actual death of Lincoln,
00:18:19.03\00:18:21.30
his
assassination, and his death,
00:18:21.33\00:18:24.43
he did only 25 pages
out of the 5,000 pages.
00:18:24.47\00:18:30.41
When Christ
came, one half of John,
00:18:30.44\00:18:34.71
and one third of the
other gospels are given
00:18:34.74\00:18:37.88
over to the events
surrounding the death
00:18:37.91\00:18:41.08
and
resurrection of Jesus Christ,
00:18:41.12\00:18:43.55
because Christ came primarily
00:18:43.59\00:18:49.42
to die for you and for me.
00:18:49.46\00:18:53.63
And when you look at that crowd,
00:18:53.66\00:18:56.03
you see what's
really wrong with man.
00:18:56.06\00:18:59.60
You see the day
before, or the weeks before,
00:18:59.63\00:19:02.50
a few days before,
00:19:02.54\00:19:04.14
they are shouting hosannas,
00:19:04.17\00:19:07.08
they are throwing
leaves in front of him,
00:19:07.11\00:19:10.01
they are crucifying,
wanting not to crucify Him,
00:19:10.05\00:19:13.75
but to make Him king.
00:19:13.78\00:19:15.85
Then they turned on Him,
00:19:15.88\00:19:18.72
and some of those
same people are shouting,
00:19:18.75\00:19:22.39
crucify Him, and
they are beating Him,
00:19:22.42\00:19:26.70
until He bleeds, they put a
crown of thorns on His head,
00:19:26.73\00:19:33.07
they put a 250 pound
cross on His shoulders,
00:19:33.10\00:19:39.17
and I believe the
angels would gasp,
00:19:39.21\00:19:43.01
that we would treat
our savior that way.
00:19:43.04\00:19:47.32
Our creator,
our God, but they...
00:19:47.35\00:19:53.56
God did not spare Him,
because if had spared Him,
00:19:53.59\00:19:58.03
you and I would be
lost today without any hope.
00:19:58.06\00:20:03.20
But you know, his real suffering
00:20:03.23\00:20:04.57
was not physical, it was mental.
00:20:04.60\00:20:09.34
Every sin,
everything that I've ever done,
00:20:09.37\00:20:13.07
and you've ever done,
that was wrong was picked up
00:20:13.11\00:20:16.81
and the guilt of
that was placed upon Him.
00:20:16.85\00:20:21.32
And we know, that it was
our sins that killed Him.
00:20:21.35\00:20:25.75
Few years ago, they
had a motion picture,
00:20:25.79\00:20:28.19
that was made
here, it was at least
00:20:28.22\00:20:32.33
promoted here in this country.
00:20:32.36\00:20:35.46
And they talked
about who crucified Jesus,
00:20:35.50\00:20:39.20
was it the Romans,
or was it the Jews,
00:20:39.23\00:20:42.17
or who was it?
00:20:42.20\00:20:44.57
But you know, my friend,
00:20:44.61\00:20:46.37
I am the one that
crucified Him and so did you.
00:20:46.41\00:20:49.84
That was our sins that
brought about His death.
00:20:49.88\00:20:54.35
He voluntarily
went to the Cross,
00:20:54.38\00:20:58.22
and died on that
Cross for you and for me.
00:20:58.25\00:21:02.39
Now there are lot of things
00:21:02.42\00:21:03.76
we don't really
understand about the Cross.
00:21:03.79\00:21:06.49
How could one man dying
atone for all of our sins?
00:21:06.53\00:21:12.30
Well, He wasn't
just a man. He was God.
00:21:12.33\00:21:15.17
One hundred percent
God, one hundred percent man,
00:21:15.20\00:21:19.14
do I understand that?
00:21:19.17\00:21:20.71
No, not fully.
00:21:20.74\00:21:22.08
And I don't think anyone does,
because you'd have to be God,
00:21:22.11\00:21:25.31
if you're to understand that.
00:21:25.35\00:21:27.42
It's something that we
cannot fully understand,
00:21:27.45\00:21:30.49
but we trust and we believe,
00:21:30.52\00:21:32.65
because that's
what the Bible tells us.
00:21:32.69\00:21:36.46
We see two things,
when we look at that Cross.
00:21:36.49\00:21:39.79
First of all, it shows me
00:21:39.83\00:21:41.30
the sinful condition of mankind,
00:21:41.33\00:21:45.93
we can't change.
00:21:45.97\00:21:48.00
It shows me also
the awfulness of sin.
00:21:48.04\00:21:51.77
Man cannot change himself.
00:21:51.81\00:21:53.61
Jeremiah 13:23,
00:21:53.64\00:21:55.18
"Can the
Ethiopian change his skin
00:21:55.21\00:21:57.38
or the leopard his spots?
00:21:57.41\00:21:59.18
then may ye also do good,
who are accustomed to do evil.
00:21:59.21\00:22:04.29
So I said, but I'm not so bad,
00:22:04.32\00:22:06.62
I'm just as good
as the next person,
00:22:06.65\00:22:09.22
but the question is,
are we as good as Jesus?
00:22:09.26\00:22:13.19
If we're not as good as
Jesus and none of us are.
00:22:13.23\00:22:17.07
Then we need His
blood to cover our sins.
00:22:17.10\00:22:21.47
We look at that Cross,
and it was not necessarily
00:22:21.50\00:22:24.41
the big sins that
put Jesus on the Cross.
00:22:24.44\00:22:27.81
You know Caiaphas.
00:22:27.84\00:22:29.18
What was his sin?
00:22:29.21\00:22:30.55
His sin was
pride. Religious pride.
00:22:30.58\00:22:34.82
We look at
Pilate. Pilate was afraid.
00:22:34.85\00:22:37.45
He was afraid to stand up,
00:22:37.49\00:22:40.02
where he could
stand up to that crowd,
00:22:40.06\00:22:43.69
he was afraid, fear, sometimes
that's where our problem.
00:22:43.73\00:22:47.46
We're afraid to
stand up to our friends,
00:22:47.50\00:22:49.90
we're afraid to
stand up where we work,
00:22:49.93\00:22:51.97
we're afraid to
stand up for God.
00:22:52.00\00:22:54.04
Wherever we are, fear.
00:22:54.07\00:22:57.94
That was Pilate's sin.
00:22:57.97\00:23:00.21
Herod, immorality, impurity,
00:23:00.24\00:23:03.45
robs you of any
kind of moral compass,
00:23:03.48\00:23:07.62
so that you are not
able to make right decisions.
00:23:07.65\00:23:11.95
And then we look at Judas,
what was his thing, greed.
00:23:11.99\00:23:16.46
I'm gonna get mine.
00:23:16.49\00:23:18.76
I'm gonna get mine.
00:23:18.79\00:23:20.86
What's keeping you
from the Cross today?
00:23:20.90\00:23:24.47
If you have not accepted Jesus,
00:23:24.50\00:23:26.33
if you have not
accepted His Cross,
00:23:26.37\00:23:28.30
what's keeping
you from that Cross?
00:23:28.34\00:23:31.94
You know, there
were lot of people,
00:23:31.97\00:23:33.31
the crowd there, was,
00:23:33.34\00:23:35.44
it says at least
a 100,000 people,
00:23:35.48\00:23:38.45
up to that many,
may have actually
00:23:38.48\00:23:40.82
watched the crucifixion,
00:23:40.85\00:23:42.68
because there were
probably 2 million Jews
00:23:42.72\00:23:45.95
there for the
Passover at that time.
00:23:45.99\00:23:48.92
And the Bible says,
they're sitting down,
00:23:48.96\00:23:52.13
they watched Him there.
00:23:52.16\00:23:54.50
They took their sack
lunches, and they sat down.
00:23:54.53\00:23:57.53
They didn't put
any nails in Jesus,
00:23:57.57\00:24:00.14
they didn't do anything
00:24:00.17\00:24:01.50
to try to help
him, or to hurt Him.
00:24:01.54\00:24:04.64
But it was just, they watched
Him there the Bible says.
00:24:04.67\00:24:09.94
And there are many people
who because of indifference
00:24:09.98\00:24:15.08
do not accept Jesus Christ.
00:24:15.12\00:24:18.25
The second thing that we see is,
00:24:18.29\00:24:21.32
we see God's great
expression of love for man.
00:24:21.36\00:24:26.49
Years ago, I read a story,
00:24:26.53\00:24:29.23
they called the Duke
and Duchess of Windsor.
00:24:29.26\00:24:31.57
He gave up the
throne for this woman,
00:24:31.60\00:24:33.84
and they call it the
greatest love story ever told.
00:24:33.87\00:24:37.61
I disagree 100 percent.
00:24:37.64\00:24:40.91
The Bible says, the
greatest love story ever told
00:24:40.94\00:24:45.05
is the story of
God 's love for you.
00:24:45.08\00:24:50.05
John 3:16 says, ":For
God so loved the world,
00:24:50.09\00:24:53.66
that He gave His
only begotten Son,
00:24:53.69\00:24:58.29
that whosoever believeth in Him,
00:24:58.33\00:25:00.76
should not perish, but
have everlasting life."
00:25:00.80\00:25:03.70
Deuteronomy 23:5 says,
00:25:03.73\00:25:05.60
"The Lord your
God turned the curse
00:25:05.63\00:25:07.44
into a blessing for you,
00:25:07.47\00:25:08.94
because the Lord
your God loves you."
00:25:08.97\00:25:12.61
Psalms 146:8, "The
Lord loves the righteous."
00:25:12.64\00:25:17.25
Isaiah 38:17, "But you
have lovingly delivered my soul
00:25:17.28\00:25:23.32
from the pit of corruption."
00:25:23.35\00:25:25.39
Malachi 1:2, "I have
loved you, says the Lord."
00:25:25.42\00:25:29.72
Ephesians 2:4, "But
God, who is rich in mercy,
00:25:29.76\00:25:34.80
because of His great
love, in which he loved us."
00:25:34.83\00:25:40.44
And then in 1 John 3:1,
00:25:40.47\00:25:43.30
"Behold, what manner the
father has bestowed on us,
00:25:43.34\00:25:46.74
that we should be
called the children of God."
00:25:46.78\00:25:50.25
John 4:8, "He who does not love,
00:25:50.28\00:25:54.28
does not know
God, for God is love."
00:25:54.32\00:26:00.96
God loves you.
00:26:00.99\00:26:02.49
God loves you so much,
00:26:02.52\00:26:04.03
that He gave His
only begotten Son for you.
00:26:04.06\00:26:08.33
And that son went to the Cross.
00:26:08.36\00:26:10.97
Now we get back to discussing
the moral influence theology.
00:26:11.00\00:26:14.60
I've had some great
people in this world
00:26:14.64\00:26:17.37
that have
actually fallen for this.
00:26:17.41\00:26:20.88
And somehow they miss the story
00:26:20.91\00:26:24.15
that begins at the
very beginning of the Bible
00:26:24.18\00:26:27.75
with the offering
in Eden of the lamb
00:26:27.78\00:26:33.46
that was sacrificed.
00:26:33.49\00:26:35.62
Pointing forward to the
Lamb of God to re-sacrifice.
00:26:35.66\00:26:40.40
And they miss it.
00:26:40.43\00:26:42.23
Somehow they miss it.
00:26:42.26\00:26:43.87
I want to read you some text.
00:26:43.90\00:26:45.23
We've got a few
minutes here today.
00:26:45.27\00:26:46.94
I want to read you some text.
00:26:46.97\00:26:48.34
In Exodus 12:13,
00:26:48.37\00:26:51.07
"Now the blood
shall be a sign for you,
00:26:51.11\00:26:53.98
and when I see the
blood, I will pass over you,
00:26:54.01\00:26:57.18
this was the Passover,
00:26:57.21\00:26:58.81
and the plague shall not
be on you to destroy you,
00:26:58.85\00:27:03.25
when I strike
the land of Egypt."
00:27:03.28\00:27:05.92
Exodus 24:8,
00:27:05.95\00:27:08.52
"And Moses took the blood,
and sprinkled it on the people,
00:27:08.56\00:27:12.53
this is the
blood of the covenant
00:27:12.56\00:27:14.13
which the Lord
has made with you,
00:27:14.16\00:27:15.93
according to all his words."
00:27:15.96\00:27:18.67
And then in Matthew 26:27, 28,
00:27:18.70\00:27:23.20
We hear what Jesus
said, he took the cup,
00:27:23.24\00:27:26.24
and he gave thanks, and
he gave it to them, saying,
00:27:26.27\00:27:29.28
Drink from it all of it,
00:27:29.31\00:27:30.81
for this is my
blood of the new covenant,
00:27:30.85\00:27:34.72
which is shed for many
for the remission of sins.
00:27:34.75\00:27:38.49
This is Jesus talking,
about His dying on the Cross,
00:27:38.52\00:27:43.69
the shedding of blood.
00:27:43.73\00:27:45.49
And when people
come along and say,
00:27:45.53\00:27:47.16
"Oh, you've just misunderstood."
00:27:47.20\00:27:49.16
Oh, my friend,
they have misunderstood.
00:27:49.20\00:27:51.77
They're not reading the Word,
00:27:51.80\00:27:53.54
and they aren't
reading what God says.
00:27:53.57\00:27:56.37
And then it says in
Romans 3, "For all have sinned,
00:27:56.40\00:28:00.28
and fall short
of the glory of God,
00:28:00.31\00:28:03.04
being justified freely by
His grace to the redemption,
00:28:03.08\00:28:07.05
that is in Christ
Jesus, whom God set forth
00:28:07.08\00:28:10.52
as a propitiation by
His blood through faith.
00:28:10.55\00:28:16.39
Romans 5:8, 9,
00:28:16.42\00:28:18.73
"For God demonstrates His
own love toward us, in that,
00:28:18.76\00:28:21.90
while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.
00:28:21.93\00:28:24.97
Much more then, having now,
being justified by his blood,
00:28:25.00\00:28:29.00
we shall be saved
from wrath through him."
00:28:29.04\00:28:32.11
Ephesians 1:7, "In him, we have
redemption through his blood."
00:28:32.14\00:28:38.25
And I could go on and on.
00:28:38.28\00:28:40.25
There are so many,
I'll read you a few more,
00:28:40.28\00:28:42.45
but I just want you to know
00:28:42.48\00:28:44.39
that from Genesis to Revelation,
00:28:44.42\00:28:47.59
the story of the Cross
00:28:47.62\00:28:49.96
and the blood of
Jesus is prevalent
00:28:49.99\00:28:52.56
all the way through.
00:28:52.59\00:28:54.36
And it is so clear, and
how people can miss that.
00:28:54.40\00:28:58.03
I have a hard
time understanding.
00:28:58.07\00:29:00.74
Ephesians 2:13,
00:29:00.77\00:29:02.54
"But now in Christ Jesus
you who once were far off,
00:29:02.57\00:29:06.17
but you have been brought
near by the blood of Christ."
00:29:06.21\00:29:10.18
Colossians 1:19, 20, "For it
pleased the Father that in him
00:29:10.21\00:29:14.55
all the fullness should dwell.
00:29:14.58\00:29:16.58
And by him, to reconcile
all things to himself, by him,
00:29:16.62\00:29:21.06
whether things on
earth, or things in heaven,
00:29:21.09\00:29:24.13
having made peace
through the blood of his Cross."
00:29:24.16\00:29:28.46
And then it says
in Hebrews 9:11, 12,
00:29:28.50\00:29:33.07
"But Christ came as high priest
to the good things to come,
00:29:33.10\00:29:37.57
with a greater and
more perfect tabernacle,
00:29:37.61\00:29:40.11
not made with hands,
that is not of this creation,
00:29:40.14\00:29:44.18
not with the blood
of goats and calves,
00:29:44.21\00:29:47.62
but with his own blood
00:29:47.65\00:29:50.35
He entered the most
holy place, once and for all,
00:29:50.39\00:29:54.26
having obtained
eternal redemption."
00:29:54.29\00:29:58.76
Hebrews 9:22,
00:29:58.79\00:30:00.13
"And according to the law
almost all things are purified
00:30:00.16\00:30:03.16
with blood and
without the shedding of blood,
00:30:03.20\00:30:05.87
there is no remission."
00:30:05.90\00:30:08.77
1 Peter 1:18, 19,
00:30:08.80\00:30:11.94
I hope you are
writing these down.
00:30:11.97\00:30:14.21
"Knowing that
you were not redeemed
00:30:14.24\00:30:16.75
with corruptible
things like silver or gold,
00:30:16.78\00:30:20.52
from your aimless conduct
00:30:20.55\00:30:22.28
received by
tradition from your fathers,
00:30:22.32\00:30:24.69
but with the
precious blood of Christ,
00:30:24.72\00:30:27.06
as of a lamb without blemish."
00:30:27.09\00:30:30.36
And then 1 John 1:7,
00:30:30.39\00:30:33.40
"But if we walk in the
light, as he is in the light,
00:30:33.43\00:30:36.33
we have
fellowship with one another
00:30:36.36\00:30:38.10
and the blood of
Jesus Christ, His son,
00:30:38.13\00:30:41.77
cleanses us from all sins."
00:30:41.80\00:30:43.74
I've got about four
more, I want to read.
00:30:43.77\00:30:46.24
And Revelation 1:5,
00:30:46.27\00:30:48.18
"To him who
loved us, and washed us
00:30:48.21\00:30:50.71
from our sins in his own blood."
00:30:50.75\00:30:55.25
Revelation 5:9, "And
they sang a new song, saying,
00:30:55.28\00:30:59.19
'You are worthy
to open the scroll,
00:30:59.22\00:31:01.59
and to open the
seals, for you were slain,
00:31:01.62\00:31:04.83
and have redeemed us
to God, by your blood."
00:31:04.86\00:31:09.26
' Speaking again of
our Lord and Savior.
00:31:09.30\00:31:12.47
Revelation 7:14,
"These are the ones,
00:31:12.50\00:31:16.17
who have come out
of great tribulation,
00:31:16.20\00:31:18.74
washed their
robes, and made them white
00:31:18.77\00:31:21.61
in the blood of the
lamb, who is Jesus Christ."
00:31:21.64\00:31:26.55
Revelation 12:11,
"And they overcame him
00:31:26.58\00:31:29.62
by the blood of the lamb,
00:31:29.65\00:31:31.25
and by the word
of their testimony,
00:31:31.29\00:31:33.49
and they did not love
their lives, unto death."
00:31:33.52\00:31:37.66
Now, my friend,
if there anything
00:31:37.69\00:31:39.26
could be clearer than that,
00:31:39.29\00:31:41.13
I don't know what it would be.
00:31:41.16\00:31:43.93
I really don't.
00:31:43.97\00:31:45.43
I think that
there is no question
00:31:45.47\00:31:48.14
that Jesus came
to die on the Cross
00:31:48.17\00:31:52.41
for you and for me.
00:31:52.44\00:31:55.41
He did not come just to
live and to show us how to live.
00:31:55.44\00:31:59.58
In fact, if you look at
the moral influence theology,
00:31:59.61\00:32:03.12
it is the most
legalistic thing ever.
00:32:03.15\00:32:08.26
There are many a times,
00:32:08.29\00:32:09.62
these people,
they hate legalism.
00:32:09.66\00:32:12.03
But they'll say to you that
00:32:12.06\00:32:13.86
Christ came to
show you how to live.
00:32:13.90\00:32:18.07
Not, He didn't come
to die on the Cross.
00:32:18.10\00:32:21.34
Then they go into
this question about well,
00:32:21.37\00:32:25.24
who was He paying the
price to and so forth?
00:32:25.27\00:32:28.08
You know, there are
lot of things like this
00:32:28.11\00:32:29.74
we don't really
truly understand.
00:32:29.78\00:32:31.75
We believe we do,
we have an explanation,
00:32:31.78\00:32:34.98
but we'll have to wait,
it takes a maturity to wait
00:32:35.02\00:32:38.69
until we have the
opportunity to ask God.
00:32:38.72\00:32:42.02
During that millennium,
we'll have time to ask
00:32:42.06\00:32:44.16
all the
questions we want to ask,
00:32:44.19\00:32:46.33
about the plan of salvation,
00:32:46.36\00:32:48.50
about how it worked, how
it has worked in our lives,
00:32:48.53\00:32:52.57
and for each one who are saved.
00:32:52.60\00:32:55.67
And that would
be a glorious day.
00:32:55.70\00:32:59.21
But, my friend,
you have to ignore
00:32:59.24\00:33:03.08
so much scripture to not believe
00:33:03.11\00:33:06.88
in the
sacrificial blood of Jesus.
00:33:06.92\00:33:11.45
You know, the amazing
thing, I used to have a friend
00:33:11.49\00:33:14.49
who was very active
in casting out demons.
00:33:14.52\00:33:19.49
And he told me, I don't
run around looking for demons
00:33:19.53\00:33:23.73
to cast out, sometimes,
00:33:23.77\00:33:25.90
we run into them
whether we want to or not.
00:33:25.93\00:33:28.90
But I remember what he told me.
00:33:28.94\00:33:31.97
He said, if you are
ever confronted with it,
00:33:32.01\00:33:35.18
you talk about Jesus,
and the blood of Jesus.
00:33:35.21\00:33:39.11
Because he said the
demons cannot stand to hear
00:33:39.15\00:33:43.45
about the blood of Jesus.
00:33:43.49\00:33:46.89
You know, I
thought that's interesting.
00:33:46.92\00:33:49.29
They're some
people who cannot...
00:33:49.32\00:33:52.59
cannot stand to hear
about the blood of Jesus,
00:33:52.63\00:33:56.70
about His shedding of the blood.
00:33:56.73\00:33:59.53
Perhaps, it is because of
the influence of the devil
00:33:59.57\00:34:04.67
in their lives, I
don't know, that they can't.
00:34:04.71\00:34:08.61
I do know that if
you are confronted
00:34:08.64\00:34:11.91
with the situation of demons,
00:34:11.95\00:34:14.68
and we've seen them
particularly overseas.
00:34:14.72\00:34:17.52
I remember one time,
00:34:17.55\00:34:18.89
when we were down
in Odessa, in Ukraine.
00:34:18.92\00:34:22.32
And there was a
man and lady came,
00:34:22.36\00:34:25.03
and they brought along
a lady, who had a demon.
00:34:25.06\00:34:30.47
Now this demon spoke
through her just like a man.
00:34:30.50\00:34:35.70
And it was a very
frightening situation,
00:34:35.74\00:34:39.27
because they have
been casting the demons,
00:34:39.31\00:34:42.34
and this person had
lot of demons in them.
00:34:42.38\00:34:44.88
They've been casting them out,
00:34:44.91\00:34:46.98
and they got down
to that last demon.
00:34:47.02\00:34:50.22
And this was the
scary part for me,
00:34:50.25\00:34:52.32
because the
demon told the people,
00:34:52.35\00:34:55.49
and they didn't, I
guess if they knew,
00:34:55.52\00:34:57.73
I was in Odessa, they
never told me they did.
00:34:57.76\00:35:03.16
The demon said to
them, take me to Odessa,
00:35:03.20\00:35:06.10
I want Gilley to cast
me into the Black Sea.
00:35:06.13\00:35:10.51
Well, I don't know why,
but they did exactly that.
00:35:10.54\00:35:14.48
They got on the train,
and brought this lady there.
00:35:14.51\00:35:18.75
She was demonic, she
was controlled by demons,
00:35:18.78\00:35:22.15
at least this one.
00:35:22.18\00:35:24.49
And this last demon,
I don't talk to demons,
00:35:24.52\00:35:28.12
I don't carry on any
kind of conversation at all.
00:35:28.16\00:35:32.83
But I simply
pledged the blood of Jesus,
00:35:32.86\00:35:36.33
and placed my hand
upon that lady's head,
00:35:36.36\00:35:40.00
actually with
anointing oil, anointed her.
00:35:40.04\00:35:43.00
My translators were really
nervous and upset, I was too.
00:35:43.04\00:35:48.41
And this is not
something you look to,
00:35:48.44\00:35:50.25
or want to do,
or be involved with.
00:35:50.28\00:35:52.38
But when I
mentioned the blood of Jesus,
00:35:52.41\00:35:56.55
that demon left,
and left that person,
00:35:56.58\00:36:01.16
and I suppose was
cast into the Black Sea.
00:36:01.19\00:36:04.79
That's what the
demon had requested,
00:36:04.83\00:36:07.53
and the person had come.
00:36:07.56\00:36:09.96
That person was free
from the oppression of demons,
00:36:10.00\00:36:13.80
not by me, but by
the blood of Jesus.
00:36:13.84\00:36:18.21
By Jesus, who
turned and gave His blood.
00:36:18.24\00:36:23.31
You know, the Bible
says, the foolishness,
00:36:23.35\00:36:26.18
he says with God has chosen
00:36:26.21\00:36:28.08
the foolish things of
the world to shame the wise.
00:36:28.12\00:36:32.92
The foolish has shamed the wise.
00:36:32.95\00:36:36.02
And God has chosen the
weak things of the world,
00:36:36.06\00:36:39.69
to put to shame the
things which are mighty.
00:36:39.73\00:36:43.13
This is 1 Corinthians 1:27,
00:36:43.16\00:36:49.30
"And the weak
things to put to shame
00:36:49.34\00:36:52.07
that which are mighty."
00:36:52.11\00:36:53.44
Verse 28, "And the
base things of the world
00:36:53.48\00:36:56.48
and the things
which are despised,
00:36:56.51\00:36:59.05
God has chosen and
the things which are not
00:36:59.08\00:37:02.88
to bring to nothing
the things that are."
00:37:02.92\00:37:07.56
You see, in verse 26, it says,
00:37:07.59\00:37:10.46
"For you see your
calling, brethren,
00:37:10.49\00:37:12.63
that not many wise
according to the flesh,
00:37:12.66\00:37:16.36
not many mighty, not
many noble are called,
00:37:16.40\00:37:21.67
but God has called the
foolish things of the world.
00:37:21.70\00:37:26.57
There was a lady in London,
by the name of Lady Hunnington,
00:37:26.61\00:37:33.21
and she was of noble
birth, there were no nobility
00:37:33.25\00:37:38.75
that it made a
public profession of Christ.
00:37:38.79\00:37:41.62
There was an evangelist
there by the name of Hill.
00:37:41.66\00:37:44.39
He was holding a meeting,
00:37:44.43\00:37:46.53
and this lady
came to the meeting.
00:37:46.56\00:37:48.96
She gave her life to
Jesus, and she said later on,
00:37:49.00\00:37:53.54
I was saved by one
letter and they said what?
00:37:53.57\00:37:58.74
It says that there
are not many noble,
00:37:58.77\00:38:04.15
not many.
00:38:04.18\00:38:06.25
She said that if there
hadn't been that 'm' there,
00:38:06.28\00:38:09.28
it would have been not 'any.'
00:38:09.32\00:38:11.52
And she says, I would not have
been among those who except,
00:38:11.55\00:38:16.76
is saved by one letter,
00:38:16.79\00:38:21.30
the Cross of Jesus Christ.
00:38:21.33\00:38:25.13
The Cross that is the
only way to come to Him
00:38:25.17\00:38:31.91
and to give your life to him.
00:38:31.94\00:38:34.58
Now I had some people that said,
00:38:34.61\00:38:35.98
well, you know
there are some statements
00:38:36.01\00:38:37.81
in the Spirit of
Prophecy that seem to indicate,
00:38:37.85\00:38:41.18
that the
crucifixion was not necessary.
00:38:41.22\00:38:45.19
I never found any of those.
00:38:45.22\00:38:47.36
But I want to read you
some that speak otherwise.
00:38:47.39\00:38:51.93
This comes from the book of Acts
00:38:51.96\00:38:53.93
of the Apostles, page 474,
00:38:53.96\00:38:57.90
"Christ crucified for sin,
Christ risen from the dead,
00:38:57.93\00:39:03.34
Christ ascended on high,
was the science of salvation
00:39:03.37\00:39:08.41
that they, mean the disciples,
were to learn and to teach."
00:39:08.44\00:39:14.78
And then, she
speaks about every sermon,
00:39:14.82\00:39:18.19
Testimonies Volume 4, page 394.
00:39:18.22\00:39:21.09
"No discourse
should ever be delivered
00:39:21.12\00:39:24.49
without presenting
Christ, and Him crucified,
00:39:24.53\00:39:29.46
as the
foundation of the gospel."
00:39:29.50\00:39:34.64
Christ and Him crucified,
00:39:34.67\00:39:37.57
the foundation of the gospel.
00:39:37.61\00:39:41.91
We will...
00:39:41.94\00:39:43.28
There is another
statement here found
00:39:43.31\00:39:45.08
in Testimonies to
Ministers, page 424.
00:39:45.11\00:39:48.62
It says, "There is a
great work to be done,
00:39:48.65\00:39:51.65
the world will not be converted
by the gift of tongues,
00:39:51.69\00:39:55.89
nor by the working of miracles,
00:39:55.92\00:39:58.06
but by preaching
Christ, crucified."
00:39:58.09\00:40:02.66
This is how the
world is to be converted.
00:40:02.70\00:40:06.60
And we need to
be preaching Christ,
00:40:06.63\00:40:08.40
more than ever before.
00:40:08.44\00:40:10.37
In every message,
00:40:10.41\00:40:11.74
He should be at the very center.
00:40:11.77\00:40:14.58
Now reading one more
here, and this is also from
00:40:14.61\00:40:18.88
Testimonies to
Ministers, page 331,
00:40:18.91\00:40:21.98
"Where the people
assemble to worship God
00:40:22.02\00:40:25.55
let not a word be spoken
that shall divert the mind
00:40:25.59\00:40:29.32
from the great central interest,
00:40:29.36\00:40:31.89
Jesus Christ,
and him crucified."
00:40:31.93\00:40:36.56
The third angel's message
is to be our burden of warning,
00:40:36.60\00:40:41.20
the side issues are
not for us to meddle with.
00:40:41.24\00:40:45.61
This is why at 3ABN,
00:40:45.64\00:40:48.34
we preach Jesus
Christ, and Him crucified.
00:40:48.38\00:40:51.81
It is the Three
Angels' Message in verity,
00:40:51.85\00:40:57.42
as we have been
told in the book,
00:40:57.45\00:40:59.82
Christ Our Righteousness.
00:40:59.85\00:41:01.66
I'm reading again
from Volume 4, page 375,
00:41:01.69\00:41:06.03
the mighty argument of the Cross
00:41:06.06\00:41:08.16
will convict of sin,
00:41:08.20\00:41:10.37
the divine love
of God for sinners,
00:41:10.40\00:41:12.83
expressed in
the gift of His son,
00:41:12.87\00:41:15.34
to suffer shame and death,
00:41:15.37\00:41:17.81
that they might be
ennobled and endowed
00:41:17.84\00:41:20.11
with everlasting life,
is the study of a lifetime.
00:41:20.14\00:41:24.21
I ask you to study
endured the Cross of Christ.
00:41:24.25\00:41:29.68
If all the proud
and vain glorious,
00:41:29.72\00:41:33.05
whose hearts are
panting for the applause of men,
00:41:33.09\00:41:37.89
and for distinction
above their fellows,
00:41:37.93\00:41:41.60
could rightly estimate the value
00:41:41.63\00:41:43.40
of the highest earthly glory,
00:41:43.43\00:41:45.17
in contrast with the
value of the son of God
00:41:45.20\00:41:48.94
rejected, despised, spat upon
00:41:48.97\00:41:53.24
by the very ones
whom he came to redeem.
00:41:53.27\00:41:57.21
How insignificant,
would appear all the honor
00:41:57.25\00:42:01.72
that finite man can bestow."
00:42:01.75\00:42:03.89
Testimonies Volume 4, page
375, and then the same Volume,
00:42:03.92\00:42:10.53
Testimonies, page 399 to 400,
00:42:10.56\00:42:13.90
"Christ crucified,
00:42:13.93\00:42:15.86
Christ is seated in the heavens,
00:42:15.90\00:42:18.13
Christ coming again, she
is so soften and gladdened,
00:42:18.17\00:42:23.04
and fill the mind of
the minister of the gospel,
00:42:23.07\00:42:26.57
that he will
present those truths
00:42:26.61\00:42:29.08
to the people in
love and deep earnestness.
00:42:29.11\00:42:33.48
The minister will
then be lost sight of,
00:42:33.52\00:42:36.32
and Jesus magnified.
00:42:36.35\00:42:40.82
You see, that is the message
00:42:40.86\00:42:43.56
that we are to
give to the world.
00:42:43.59\00:42:47.36
Jesus Christ, and Him crucified,
00:42:47.40\00:42:52.40
Jesus Christ.
00:42:52.43\00:42:53.97
You see, whenever we
actually take communion,
00:42:54.00\00:42:58.94
we're looking at the
breaking of the bread,
00:42:58.97\00:43:02.68
the body being broken,
and then the blood of Christ,
00:43:02.71\00:43:07.15
we're seeing that
all of this is happening
00:43:07.18\00:43:10.82
as a result of his
dying on the Cross.
00:43:10.85\00:43:17.06
And I tell you, my friend,
00:43:17.09\00:43:19.39
if there is ever a
time we need to understand,
00:43:19.43\00:43:23.33
what the Cross
means to each one of us,
00:43:23.37\00:43:27.80
it is the day in
which we are living.
00:43:27.84\00:43:30.37
The times that we are looking
at today are unbelievable.
00:43:30.41\00:43:34.51
There are so many things
happening around the world
00:43:34.54\00:43:37.65
that are going to be a
great test to each one of us.
00:43:37.68\00:43:43.59
And the only way,
is to hold on to Jesus,
00:43:43.62\00:43:48.19
to trust in the Cross,
00:43:48.22\00:43:50.86
to rely upon Him
for life eternal.
00:43:50.89\00:43:55.90
That, my friend,
00:43:55.93\00:43:57.93
is the only way
we can come to Him.
00:43:57.97\00:44:03.81
When you look at
the life of Christ,
00:44:03.84\00:44:05.51
and how he'd loved individuals,
00:44:05.54\00:44:08.44
you look at how he reached
out to people like Zacchaeus.
00:44:08.48\00:44:13.25
We look at
Zacchaeus for instance,
00:44:13.28\00:44:15.28
he is there climbing
up in the sycamore tree,
00:44:15.32\00:44:18.29
it's a child story.
00:44:18.32\00:44:19.72
We love to tell that story.
00:44:19.75\00:44:22.22
But here is Zacchaeus,
knowing that he's not worthy,
00:44:22.26\00:44:28.86
and Jesus says to him,
I'm gonna go to your house.
00:44:28.90\00:44:33.27
I'm going to your
house, and when He goes,
00:44:33.30\00:44:37.51
Zacchaeus, is so
moved, so changed
00:44:37.54\00:44:41.71
because when we come in touch
with Jesus, we are changed.
00:44:41.74\00:44:46.31
Jesus was soon
to go to the Cross.
00:44:46.35\00:44:49.58
He was soon to die for Zacchaeus
00:44:49.62\00:44:51.92
and for each one of us.
00:44:51.95\00:44:54.12
But he reached out,
and he touched that life,
00:44:54.16\00:44:57.19
you look at that same Jericho,
00:44:57.23\00:44:59.66
blind
Bartimaeus, blind Bartimaeus,
00:44:59.69\00:45:03.03
crying out, crying out to Jesus,
00:45:03.06\00:45:08.50
and Jesus heals him,
00:45:08.54\00:45:11.51
restores his sight.
00:45:11.54\00:45:15.64
We look at all of these
miracles that took place,
00:45:15.68\00:45:19.61
and we see in these
the love of our Lord
00:45:19.65\00:45:25.49
for each one of us.
00:45:25.52\00:45:27.66
And then we see
him go to the Cross.
00:45:27.69\00:45:32.36
When you look at
that week and you see
00:45:32.39\00:45:34.66
it starts off with Palm Sunday
00:45:34.70\00:45:37.03
and they're all
ready to make him king,
00:45:37.07\00:45:40.84
but then as the week progresses,
00:45:40.87\00:45:43.57
as he angers the high
priest by chasing the money,
00:45:43.61\00:45:49.61
changes the way and
condemning what they are doing.
00:45:49.64\00:45:53.58
He makes enemies
by standing for that
00:45:53.62\00:45:56.58
which is right and
true, and pure and good,
00:45:56.62\00:46:01.62
and what happens?
00:46:01.66\00:46:03.86
They take him to the Cross.
00:46:03.89\00:46:06.56
We look at him
there on that Cross,
00:46:06.59\00:46:09.90
he could have come down,
he didn't have to stay there.
00:46:09.93\00:46:13.94
As the people chose to put
him there instead of Barabbas.
00:46:13.97\00:46:19.87
Barabbas, a
criminal, an absolute want,
00:46:19.91\00:46:24.95
horrible person, a
murderer and everything else,
00:46:24.98\00:46:27.68
and they said, turn him loose.
00:46:27.72\00:46:30.52
Turn him loose, crucify Jesus,
00:46:30.55\00:46:35.02
and they put the
Son of God on the Cross.
00:46:35.06\00:46:41.36
You know, you wonder,
00:46:41.40\00:46:44.07
as we look at
the impact of that,
00:46:44.10\00:46:47.40
those that were there,
they were ready to leave him,
00:46:47.44\00:46:51.77
the disciples,
they were all upset,
00:46:51.81\00:46:55.94
they didn't know what to do.
00:46:55.98\00:46:58.05
You remember that
Peter finally said,
00:46:58.08\00:47:00.52
after the resurrection,
he was still confused,
00:47:00.55\00:47:03.39
he said, I'm going fishing,
00:47:03.42\00:47:05.65
went back up there
to the Sea of Galilee,
00:47:05.69\00:47:09.52
back to his home
turf, back near the city
00:47:09.56\00:47:13.23
that Jesus called His
own, which was Capernaum.
00:47:13.26\00:47:16.53
After Jesus left Nazareth,
he looked at Capernaum,
00:47:16.56\00:47:20.14
to be his own
place, and He taught there
00:47:20.17\00:47:22.90
in the synagogue,
00:47:22.94\00:47:24.44
and this is where
He called the fishermen
00:47:24.47\00:47:26.21
that became His disciples.
00:47:26.24\00:47:29.58
And now, He goes back to them,
00:47:29.61\00:47:32.41
and He says,
00:47:32.45\00:47:35.38
"Have you got anything to eat?
00:47:35.42\00:47:36.89
Did you catch any fish tonight?"
00:47:36.92\00:47:39.79
And they said, oh, no
Lord, they didn't say, no, Lord,
00:47:39.82\00:47:43.19
because they didn't
know who it was at the time,
00:47:43.22\00:47:45.16
but they said, "No, we
didn't catch anything."
00:47:45.19\00:47:48.53
He said, "Cast your
net on the other side,"
00:47:48.56\00:47:52.40
and then the fish began to come.
00:47:52.43\00:47:55.70
It began to be very prevalent,
00:47:55.74\00:48:01.04
and Peter says,
"It is the Lord."
00:48:01.08\00:48:04.51
And then he talks to Peter,
00:48:04.55\00:48:07.22
and he says,
"Bring some of the fish
00:48:07.25\00:48:09.68
which you have just
caught,' and they did it.
00:48:09.72\00:48:13.29
Peter had caught a 153 fish,
00:48:13.32\00:48:18.49
they counted them, 153.
00:48:18.53\00:48:23.40
You see, this was a
big test at that time.
00:48:23.43\00:48:27.74
Were they going to go
forward with the message,
00:48:27.77\00:48:31.44
the message of the Cross,
00:48:31.47\00:48:33.78
or were they going
to go back to fishing.
00:48:33.81\00:48:36.31
It was such a
critical, critical time.
00:48:36.34\00:48:40.35
And Jesus said to Peter,
00:48:40.38\00:48:43.89
"Do you love me
more than these?"
00:48:43.92\00:48:49.99
And he was talking
about the 153 fish.
00:48:50.03\00:48:53.73
Peter said, what do you
mean, talking about the fish?
00:48:53.76\00:48:57.57
He was talking about,
00:48:57.60\00:48:59.50
"Are you gonna give up
fishing and preach the Cross?
00:48:59.53\00:49:04.47
Are you gonna give up
00:49:04.51\00:49:06.31
this lucrative
business that you have?'
00:49:06.34\00:49:08.34
Because it was, it was very
lucrative for these fellows.
00:49:08.38\00:49:12.48
He said, "You're going to give
this up and preach the message
00:49:12.51\00:49:18.19
that I have called
you to be fishers of men.
00:49:18.22\00:49:23.09
Are you going to
present the Cross?"
00:49:23.12\00:49:26.73
And they did.
00:49:26.76\00:49:28.53
They presented the
Cross, they accepted Him.
00:49:28.56\00:49:32.90
They went to the mountain
there overlooking Jerusalem,
00:49:32.93\00:49:39.51
the Mount of Olives,
00:49:39.54\00:49:41.08
they saw him ascended to heaven,
00:49:41.11\00:49:44.08
and then these men
00:49:44.11\00:49:47.02
started preaching on Pentecost.
00:49:47.05\00:49:51.29
You saw Peter,
preaching the Cross,
00:49:51.32\00:49:55.22
preaching what
had happened to Jesus,
00:49:55.26\00:49:58.59
telling the people,
they had crucified him,
00:49:58.63\00:50:01.16
and 3,000 of them that day
00:50:01.20\00:50:03.87
accepted the message, 3,000.
00:50:03.90\00:50:08.74
And then we look at these men,
00:50:08.77\00:50:11.64
they gave their whole lives
00:50:11.67\00:50:16.08
because they had
see Jesus give His life.
00:50:16.11\00:50:20.52
We'll look at James,
00:50:20.55\00:50:21.88
James was the first of
the twelve to be martyred.
00:50:21.92\00:50:27.29
We look at John,
John lived a long life,
00:50:27.32\00:50:32.33
he wrote the Gospel of
John, the Book of Revelation,
00:50:32.36\00:50:36.73
first, second, and third John,
00:50:36.77\00:50:39.50
and he had a long life.
00:50:39.53\00:50:42.90
It was not an easy
life, but it was long.
00:50:42.94\00:50:47.24
We look at Peter, Peter
was crucified upside down.
00:50:47.28\00:50:53.92
Upside down, he said "I'm not
worthy to be crucified the way
00:50:53.95\00:50:57.49
Jesus was crucified.
00:50:57.52\00:50:59.52
And so they
crucified him upside down.
00:50:59.55\00:51:03.26
And then we look at Andrew.
00:51:03.29\00:51:05.66
Andrew, who had
given his life to Jesus.
00:51:05.69\00:51:10.87
Andrew was not a preacher,
you remember it was Andrew
00:51:10.90\00:51:13.37
that found the boy
with the five loaves,
00:51:13.40\00:51:16.77
because Andrew was
quietly going around
00:51:16.81\00:51:19.41
visiting with
people one at a time.
00:51:19.44\00:51:21.08
It was Andrew that
found Jesus in the first place
00:51:21.11\00:51:23.88
and brought Peter to him.
00:51:23.91\00:51:25.81
Andrew was not a
preacher to speak of.
00:51:25.85\00:51:30.69
But there are many
traditions concerning Andrew
00:51:30.72\00:51:34.46
but all of them
come down to His death.
00:51:34.49\00:51:39.39
There are
several different places
00:51:39.43\00:51:40.76
where they say, "He died."
00:51:40.80\00:51:43.26
When I was in
Ukraine, they had a,
00:51:43.30\00:51:46.87
had a monument to him there
00:51:46.90\00:51:49.40
and they said that he
brought the gospel there.
00:51:49.44\00:51:52.81
They said, these
stories were told that,
00:51:52.84\00:51:55.74
he brought the governor
of the province of the area,
00:51:55.78\00:51:59.01
his wife to Jesus.
00:51:59.05\00:52:00.75
It angered the governor,
00:52:00.78\00:52:03.99
and he
proclaimed death for Andrew.
00:52:04.02\00:52:08.52
When they got
ready to crucify him,
00:52:08.56\00:52:11.09
he said "I'm not
worthy to be crucified
00:52:11.13\00:52:13.60
the way Jesus was crucified."
00:52:13.63\00:52:17.13
He said, "I'm not worthy
to be crucified upside down
00:52:17.17\00:52:19.80
like my brother was crucified."
00:52:19.83\00:52:22.67
But put me on an 'X',
00:52:22.70\00:52:24.91
now the sign of the 'X'
was the sign of the cross
00:52:24.94\00:52:30.25
of the Christos, of the fish,
and this was one of the signs
00:52:30.28\00:52:35.78
that the people at the
time of a New Testament,
00:52:35.82\00:52:41.82
they were
already using this sign
00:52:41.86\00:52:44.63
as a symbol of Christianity.
00:52:44.66\00:52:48.13
And so they put him on an X.
00:52:48.16\00:52:51.67
Now the death of
the cross were sometimes
00:52:51.70\00:52:54.54
speedy and
sometimes took a while,
00:52:54.57\00:52:57.97
a man could live up to
two weeks on the cross,
00:52:58.01\00:53:02.28
and the tradition is that
Andrew lived on that cross,
00:53:02.31\00:53:08.52
and preached,
and as he preached,
00:53:08.55\00:53:12.52
people came and Andrew
had finally mounted a pulpit.
00:53:12.55\00:53:19.49
And he was
preaching Jesus Christ,
00:53:19.53\00:53:23.37
and Him crucified.
00:53:23.40\00:53:25.63
You see, those man who
had witnessed that crucifixion
00:53:25.67\00:53:28.67
were willing to
give their lives,
00:53:28.70\00:53:30.97
they knew that Jesus had
come forth from the tomb.
00:53:31.01\00:53:34.84
They knew that this was true,
that this was not just some
00:53:34.88\00:53:38.88
fable that was made
up, they knew it's so much
00:53:38.91\00:53:42.35
that they would give
their own life for it,
00:53:42.38\00:53:46.55
and as the result, thousands
00:53:46.59\00:53:51.26
and thousands of people came
00:53:51.29\00:53:55.36
to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:53:55.40\00:53:58.90
We said of these men,
00:53:58.93\00:54:01.14
that they turned
the world upside down.
00:54:01.17\00:54:04.84
Read a story in a little
pamphlet by Dr. James Kennedy.
00:54:04.87\00:54:11.11
And Dr. Kennedy told the story
00:54:11.15\00:54:14.38
supposedly happened
along the Mississippi River.
00:54:14.42\00:54:18.35
There was a train
track that went across
00:54:18.39\00:54:20.76
and there was a young
man who had a child, son,
00:54:20.79\00:54:25.03
that was about eight years old
00:54:25.06\00:54:27.13
and he was in charge
of raising the drawbridge
00:54:27.16\00:54:31.33
that would allow
the ships to go by,
00:54:31.37\00:54:33.44
the boats to go by
and then lower it again
00:54:33.47\00:54:36.57
for the train
when it would come.
00:54:36.60\00:54:39.87
One day, of his
own, the boy's birthday,
00:54:39.91\00:54:42.94
he allowed his
son to go with him,
00:54:42.98\00:54:45.98
the son went along and
he began to play outside
00:54:46.01\00:54:51.32
and he went down on the edge
down on one of the platforms
00:54:51.35\00:54:56.32
but somehow he got trapped
00:54:56.36\00:54:58.76
in the gear of
that great bridge.
00:54:58.79\00:55:04.77
His father knew that
he had to extract him,
00:55:04.80\00:55:08.50
but he also knew that
00:55:08.54\00:55:09.94
he didn't have
enough time to extract him
00:55:09.97\00:55:13.54
because he can
hear the train coming.
00:55:13.58\00:55:17.58
The train was
coming, the 4 o'clock train,
00:55:17.61\00:55:21.92
with all those hundreds
and hundreds of people on it,
00:55:21.95\00:55:26.09
passenger train.
00:55:26.12\00:55:28.89
He had a choice, do I go down
00:55:28.92\00:55:32.96
and rescue my son and
have all of these people lost,
00:55:32.99\00:55:39.77
or do I have to
sacrifice my son?
00:55:39.80\00:55:43.57
So that these
people can be allowed
00:55:43.61\00:55:48.44
to cross this bridge safely.
00:55:48.48\00:55:51.81
And then he made that
decision horrible as it was.
00:55:51.85\00:55:55.95
He pushed that lever,
00:55:55.98\00:55:58.95
ground his son and
workings of that bridge
00:55:58.99\00:56:04.39
and down the bridge
came and here comes the train
00:56:04.43\00:56:10.10
running right
by, people on theirs
00:56:10.13\00:56:13.50
talking and eating
and having a good time,
00:56:13.54\00:56:18.91
tears falling down his
cheeks, I want you realize,
00:56:18.94\00:56:24.58
I just gave my son for you.
00:56:24.61\00:56:29.72
I don't know if
that's a true story or not,
00:56:29.75\00:56:31.89
I read it in his booklet.
00:56:31.92\00:56:34.96
I tried to verify,
I've not been able to,
00:56:34.99\00:56:38.66
but I do know this,
00:56:38.69\00:56:41.26
that God gave His Son,
00:56:41.30\00:56:43.87
Jesus, for each one of us.
00:56:43.90\00:56:48.57
He gave His Son on the cross,
00:56:48.60\00:56:52.57
the shed blood of
Jesus covers each one of us.
00:56:52.61\00:56:58.58
Father in Heaven, I
thank You for Jesus,
00:56:58.61\00:57:01.72
I thank You for the cross,
00:57:01.75\00:57:03.69
I thank you Lord that
00:57:03.72\00:57:05.62
You have given us
life eternal through Him.
00:57:05.65\00:57:10.43
I pray, that you will help us
00:57:10.46\00:57:13.93
not ever to turn away from Jesus
00:57:13.96\00:57:18.63
and help us to be covered
by the blood of Jesus Christ,
00:57:18.67\00:57:24.77
for we ask it in His
wonderful and powerful
00:57:24.81\00:57:27.84
and loving name, amen.
00:57:27.88\00:57:30.48