Good evening.
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Good evening, welcome to
each and every one of you
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who are watching
this broadcast over
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Three Angel's
Broadcasting Network.
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We're glad that each and
every one of you have joined us
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here in Phoenix, Arizona.
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My name is Jim Hakes.
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I pastor the Paradise Valley
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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right here in the sunny
valley of Phoenix, Arizona.
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And we invite you
to come on in with us
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as Three Angel's Broadcasting
has come here to Phoenix
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to share, Pathways to Life.
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And I've been blessed as each
presentation has taken place.
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I expect that each of you
will be blessed again today
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as this event happens.
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3ABN is here with
Pastor Lomacang and friends.
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Tonight Tim Parton will
be leading out in our music.
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And then Pastor
Lomacang will be speaking to us,
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and I expect we will
each one receive a blessing.
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Before Tim opens up
with the Word in music,
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I invite you to pray with me.
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And then Tim will be
presenting to us the song,
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I've Been Changed.
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And Pastor Lomacang
will be talking about,
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The Agent of Change.
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Will you pray with me?
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Dear God, thank You
for this wonderful gospel.
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And it is our prayer
that You will share music
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through Tim
tonight, that You will share
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the message from the
Word through Pastor Lomacang.
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It is our prayer that
each of us be blessed.
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And we thank You, for we've
asked it in the name of Jesus.
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Amen.
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I'm going to
testify a little tonight.
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Well I've been to the
river and I've been baptized;
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I've been washed in
the blood of the Lamb.
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I've been changed from
the creature that once I was;
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And redeemed is now my name.
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I've been
changed, I am newborn now;
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All my life has been rearranged.
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What a difference it
made when the Lord came
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and stayed in my heart.
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Oh yes, I've been changed.
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Though my sins were as
scarlet, they're white as snow;
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I was bound,
but today I am free.
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I was lost out in the
darkness, but now I am found;
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And I was blind, but now I see.
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So I've been
changed, I am newborn now;
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All of my life
has been rearranged.
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Oh what a difference
it made when the Lord came
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and stayed in my heart.
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Oh yes, I've been changed.
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When at last in His
presence I stand above,
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He will wipe all
the tears from my eyes.
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And I'll thank Him for
giving a wretch like me
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a lasting hope beyond the sky.
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I've been
changed, I am newborn now;
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All of my life
has been rearranged.
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Oh what a difference
it made when the Lord came
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and stayed in my heart.
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Oh yes, I've been changed.
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Oh what a difference
it made when the Lord came
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and stayed in my heart.
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Oh yes, I've been changed.
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I am changed.
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And I'm going to keep
the change, oh, in my heart.
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Oh yes, I've been changed.
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Amen. Go ahead and say amen.
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We ought to be
excited about being changed.
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- Can you say
amen again? ~ Amen.
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Thank you, Tim, for
warming up the piano
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and warming up our hearts.
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Thank you so much for
coming out another night.
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- Have you been blessed? ~ Amen.
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We're going to ask for the Lord
to continue guiding tonight.
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We're talking
about, The Agent of Change.
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- What's the
topic tonight? ~ Change.
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The Agent of Change.
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None of us wants to
be who we use to be.
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We all want to be new.
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As Tim sang so heartily,
we all want to be changed.
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Before we go into
the Bible tonight,
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let's open with
a word of prayer.
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Loving Father in
heaven, we thank You, Lord,
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for the
privilege and opportunity
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that you lend to us
in opening Your Word.
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We invite Your presence to
come and to speak to our hearts
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in such a way that
wherever we may be,
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if it is where You do
not desire for us to be,
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Lord, come in and change us.
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We ask in Jesus' name, amen.
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Tonight, come
with me on a journey
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with the Doctor of doctors,
the Psychologist of psychology,
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the Architect of
extreme makeovers.
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His name is Jesus.
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And tonight I
begin by saying to you,
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they ain't nothing He can't do.
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- Amen, somebody. ~ Amen.
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I know that, not
only scripturally,
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but I know that factually.
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As we walk through the
Bible tonight, you are going to
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walk with me through the
science of transformation.
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The science of becoming a saint
and not remaining a sinner.
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We're going to walk
through tonight and discover
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what is means to be converted.
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How do we become all
that God intends for us to be?
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How do we become
delivered from who we use to be.
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The Lord does not want us just
to be intellectual Christians,
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He wants us to be
spiritual saints born again
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by the blood of the Lamb.
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And tonight we're
going to walk in the Bible
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through John chapter 4.
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If you have your Bibles,
you can turn there with me.
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If not, it is going
to be on the screen.
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One of the most transforming
stories in the Bible
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brings us face to face with the
familiar places in our lives.
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You know, by default
many of us tend to go back
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to that same place, to
go back to that same habit,
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go back to that same thought,
go back to that same practice.
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Even though intellectually we
may have a clear understanding
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of a doctrinal
position in the Bible,
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there is something that
happens in the human life
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it's almost like
a repeated behavior.
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Matter of fact, it is not
almost like a repeated behavior,
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it is a repeated behavior.
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It is an action...
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It is a thought
that becomes an action,
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an action that becomes a habit,
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a habit that
becomes a character,
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a character that
becomes a destiny.
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And I know in my own
life that until I completely
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surrendered myself to Jesus...
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And by the way, let me
make this point very clear.
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Surrendering your life to Jesus
may be, in the larger sense,
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giving your heart to
Christ through baptism
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and following Him as
your Lord and Savior.
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But every morning we wake up
we've got surrender our lives
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to Jesus another day.
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And I'll tell you why, as
we open the Bible tonight.
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Jesus takes us to one of
the unknown cities in the Bible.
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A city named Sychar.
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And this, when you study this
story we're going to cover here
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in John chapter 4, you'll
discover one the reasons why
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Jesus takes us to a
relatively unknown city.
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And I discovered that this
is the only place in the entire
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Bible where the
city Sychar is named.
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Jesus takes us to
an unfamiliar city
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to confront our familiar places.
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And He takes us to a place that
walks us through one of the most
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interesting
conversations that Jesus has.
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Jesus having a conversation
with a woman at the well.
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Now whether you know it or
not, a woman in Bible prophecy
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represents the church.
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And tonight we're going to see
ourselves in a very clear way
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in the story of
Jesus having a conversation
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with the woman at the well.
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And then we're going to
discover the science of being
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delivered from
our unfamiliar places
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and being transformed
to become like Christ.
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Let's dive into
the story tonight.
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John 4:3-4, the Bible
says, speaking of Jesus
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on His journey,
the Bible says...
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You know, when I read that,
when I read that, I discovered
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the difference between who
we were and who we have become
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is that Jesus needed to
go through our neighborhood.
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You'll catch that tomorrow.
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He didn't need to go through,
because there was nothing
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in Samaria that He
needed, but there was someone
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in Samaria that needed Jesus.
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There was nothing in Samaria
He needed, but there was someone
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in Samaria that needed Jesus.
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I am so glad that the
journey's that Jesus takes
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are not for
things, but for people.
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And there is no one
that is unimportant to Jesus.
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So when you read in the
Bible, when the Bible says
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Jesus needed to go through
Samaria, the point of the
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matter is, if you want
your life to be transformed,
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let Jesus go through your life,
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let Him go
through your marriage,
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let Him go
through your neighborhood,
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let Him go through
your relationships.
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When He goes through it,
He unwraps it and He puts it
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back together, making it better
than it has ever been before.
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I know that; I use to be a disc
jockey until Jesus went through.
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And everything that
binds us will bind us
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until Jesus
decides to go through.
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Look at the next verse, verse 6.
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He meets a woman.
And the Bible says...
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In other words,
it was high noon.
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And when the Bible adds the
narrative about Jacob's well,
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I had to look into the
Bible to understand the story.
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You know, there are
certain passages in the Bible,
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and I've discovered
that everything you find
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in a particular scripture
is put there for a reason.
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And I said, why would
he mention Jacob's well
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when Jacob died 1694 years
before this story unfolded?
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Why would he even
mention Jacob's well?
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Because Jesus was
about to confront a woman
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who had more faith in
her lineage than in Christ.
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He had to confront the
identifying marks in her life.
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And let me unpack
this a little slowly,
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and then I'll preach like a
New Yorker in a few minutes.
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He had to unpack her identity;
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what kept her linked to
every practice in her life.
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And the security that she had
was, this was a well that was
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connected to her family
from generation to generation,
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to generation, to generation.
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So Jesus is meeting
her at a familiar place.
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The place that identifies
her with her family line
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as far back as 1694 years.
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And when you look at
your life, in many cases
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who you are is often identified
by what has been passed down
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from generation to generation,
to generation, to generation.
00:14:02.37\00:14:06.88
And we often say, "You're
just like your grandfather.
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You've got a
temper just like him."
00:14:09.98\00:14:11.41
"You look just
like your brother,
00:14:12.11\00:14:13.92
but he died
before you were born."
00:14:13.95\00:14:15.68
"You know, you sing just
like your great grandmother.
00:14:17.02\00:14:20.49
But that was
before you were born."
00:14:20.72\00:14:23.19
There are certain
things in our lives
00:14:23.59\00:14:25.03
that identifies with our past.
00:14:25.06\00:14:27.30
Some people say, "Your
temper, oh, if you only knew
00:14:27.40\00:14:29.86
your grandfather, your
temper would be just like his."
00:14:29.90\00:14:32.83
And so Jesus identifies
something that's going to be
00:14:33.34\00:14:36.81
very significant to this woman
00:14:36.84\00:14:38.77
when He begins to
meet her at the place
00:14:40.81\00:14:42.94
that is
connected to her lineage.
00:14:43.28\00:14:46.11
Now before we meet the woman,
00:14:46.15\00:14:48.55
and we'll meet
her in just a moment,
00:14:48.85\00:14:50.55
before we meet her, I need
to make a very important point.
00:14:50.69\00:14:53.66
Lineage has a lot
to do with our identity
00:14:53.89\00:14:58.06
until we meet Jesus.
00:14:58.73\00:15:00.36
Because when we meet
Jesus, something happens.
00:15:03.97\00:15:06.74
When we meet
Jesus and invite Him in,
00:15:07.30\00:15:10.07
something
magnificent takes place.
00:15:10.11\00:15:13.68
Notice what the Bible says.
00:15:13.71\00:15:15.04
Here's how the Bible
says it. 2 Corinthians 5:17
00:15:15.08\00:15:19.18
Matter of fact, read it with me.
00:15:19.21\00:15:20.55
Are you ready? Here we go.
00:15:20.58\00:15:21.92
No matter what your
background, your race,
00:15:24.52\00:15:27.02
your financial status.
00:15:27.06\00:15:28.49
That word, "passed
away," is a phrase meaning,
00:15:40.34\00:15:42.80
old things have died.
00:15:42.84\00:15:45.07
And I know, as I've met
people from time to time,
00:15:45.74\00:15:49.04
there are certain
things in people's lives
00:15:49.24\00:15:51.58
that if they
just let them die...
00:15:51.91\00:15:54.68
...they would begin to
experience the abundant life
00:15:56.75\00:15:58.79
that Jesus came to give to them.
00:15:58.82\00:16:00.16
If they would just let
certain things pass away.
00:16:00.19\00:16:03.53
Anybody know what
I'm talking about?
00:16:04.83\00:16:06.23
There are some
people that identify...
00:16:06.73\00:16:08.43
You see them coming,
and know to yourself,
00:16:08.46\00:16:10.20
"Here they go with
that same old story again."
00:16:10.23\00:16:12.47
"How you doing?"
00:16:13.47\00:16:14.80
And they tell you
their entire life story.
00:16:14.84\00:16:16.94
They begin from the
time they were seventeen,
00:16:16.97\00:16:18.44
and they're probably fifty-one.
00:16:18.47\00:16:20.11
And you say, "I
heard... I know the story.
00:16:20.48\00:16:22.84
I understand."
00:16:22.88\00:16:24.21
Like the man that
was laying at the pool,
00:16:24.35\00:16:26.51
and he said, "I've been
here for a long period of time."
00:16:26.55\00:16:29.65
Like the woman had been
bleeding for many, many years.
00:16:29.68\00:16:32.05
We so often are
identified by our war stories
00:16:32.09\00:16:36.56
and the scars of our past.
00:16:36.59\00:16:38.76
But if we meet Jesus
and let the past pass away,
00:16:38.93\00:16:42.86
we will understand what
it means to be new in Christ.
00:16:43.03\00:16:45.23
What do you say tonight?
00:16:45.27\00:16:46.60
The point is, to be
new means a whole lot more
00:16:47.34\00:16:51.41
than just saying
we are Christians.
00:16:51.81\00:16:53.88
Let's allow this to be unpacked.
00:16:53.91\00:16:56.04
One of the points I'm
going to bring out is that
00:16:56.24\00:16:58.91
often times we are identified
by our doctrinal position.
00:16:58.95\00:17:02.58
But the older I get, I'm
discovering that my mental,
00:17:02.62\00:17:06.22
emotional, and spiritual
position is more of a reality
00:17:06.25\00:17:10.39
than just my doctrinal position.
00:17:10.43\00:17:12.43
In other words,
what I think, how I live,
00:17:12.69\00:17:16.36
and the practices in my
life identify me more with the
00:17:17.70\00:17:21.30
reality of who I am than
just what I believe doctrinally.
00:17:21.34\00:17:25.97
Because there are some
people who have solid doctrines
00:17:26.21\00:17:28.54
but they don't behave,
they don't live in harmony
00:17:28.58\00:17:31.58
with their doctrines.
00:17:31.61\00:17:33.38
They don't live in harmony
with their belief systems.
00:17:33.42\00:17:36.05
Let me show you how
the Bible illustrates this.
00:17:36.08\00:17:38.32
Look at this.
00:17:39.19\00:17:40.52
Proverbs 23:7
00:17:40.56\00:17:41.89
Very short
passage, but powerful.
00:17:41.92\00:17:43.56
In other words, we may
not be what we think we are,
00:17:48.36\00:17:53.60
but we are what we think.
00:17:53.64\00:17:55.74
Did you get that?
00:17:59.31\00:18:00.64
We may not be
what we think we are,
00:18:01.11\00:18:03.08
but we are what we think.
00:18:03.11\00:18:05.31
So now as I laid the
foundation for the story,
00:18:05.48\00:18:08.28
Jesus is about to meet
a woman who thinks she is
00:18:08.32\00:18:14.49
what she thinks she is,
but Jesus knows that she's
00:18:14.52\00:18:17.43
not what she thinks she is.
00:18:17.46\00:18:19.39
Don't ask me to say that again.
00:18:20.40\00:18:21.96
He knows who she is.
00:18:24.73\00:18:26.33
So about noon, high noon,
He sends His disciples away
00:18:26.37\00:18:32.11
because they have issues
with people of other races
00:18:32.37\00:18:36.14
and they are not
past their prejudices yet.
00:18:36.18\00:18:38.28
Read the story.
00:18:38.31\00:18:39.65
That's the main
reason He sent them away.
00:18:39.68\00:18:42.08
Because the Jews and the
Samaritans just do not converse.
00:18:42.12\00:18:46.55
So He had to send them away.
00:18:47.09\00:18:48.56
He said, "Go get
something to eat.
00:18:48.59\00:18:50.09
And when you're
done, come back."
00:18:50.13\00:18:51.76
He had to do that to clear
the stage so that He could have
00:18:51.96\00:18:55.46
a converting experience with
a person who needed to meet Him.
00:18:55.50\00:18:59.03
The Bible continues.
00:18:59.43\00:19:00.84
John 4:7
00:19:01.04\00:19:02.37
I love this passage.
00:19:10.61\00:19:12.11
Sorry for smiling.
00:19:15.45\00:19:17.09
But Jesus is the water of life.
00:19:17.12\00:19:19.55
Come on now, somebody.
00:19:20.26\00:19:21.59
Jesus could think
water, and every water jug
00:19:22.02\00:19:27.03
within 100 miles will show
up into the presence of Jesus.
00:19:27.06\00:19:31.37
The water of... If
she had only known...
00:19:31.80\00:19:34.84
Excuse me, I'm way ahead of you.
00:19:34.87\00:19:36.64
But if she had only known
who was asking her for a drink.
00:19:36.67\00:19:40.08
Jesus says, "Give Me a drink.
00:19:40.78\00:19:43.01
I'm thirsty. Give
Me something to drink."
00:19:43.81\00:19:45.98
And she looks at
Christ, not understanding
00:19:46.01\00:19:48.38
that she's about
to have an encounter
00:19:49.72\00:19:52.19
with the Creator of
everything seen and unseen.
00:19:52.22\00:19:57.13
Verse 9.
00:20:00.50\00:20:01.83
The Jews have no
dealings with the Samaritans.
00:20:18.95\00:20:22.48
She was able to identify Jesus.
00:20:22.58\00:20:24.19
And we were just
recently in the Middle East.
00:20:24.22\00:20:26.05
You can tell the difference
by the way people dress
00:20:26.42\00:20:28.92
how they are identified.
00:20:29.02\00:20:30.36
When we were in
Jordan we could see that
00:20:30.39\00:20:32.43
the Jordanians dress
differently from the Jews.
00:20:32.46\00:20:35.66
They have a certain identifying
kind of garb they wear.
00:20:35.70\00:20:39.53
And just being there
for the days that we were,
00:20:39.57\00:20:41.50
we were able to
see the difference.
00:20:41.54\00:20:43.20
But when she said this to
Jesus, I like the way that Jesus
00:20:43.34\00:20:46.64
responded back to her.
00:20:46.68\00:20:48.01
Notice what He
said. Notice what He said.
00:20:48.04\00:20:51.18
"If you had only known."
00:21:15.44\00:21:18.44
That's something that...
00:21:20.01\00:21:21.41
Jesus is on vacation
from hanging galaxies.
00:21:27.65\00:21:31.39
He took a short break
between creating other worlds
00:21:33.09\00:21:36.59
to come down and
have a conversation
00:21:36.79\00:21:39.43
with a woman at a well.
00:21:39.46\00:21:41.03
In a short span of three
and a half years of ministry...
00:21:42.90\00:21:45.73
This Creator of
heaven and earth,
00:21:45.83\00:21:48.60
this nuclear plant hidden
in the garb of human flesh,
00:21:50.74\00:21:55.34
Jesus, this line of the tribe
of Judah dressed in the garb
00:21:58.15\00:22:03.92
of a helpless lamb,
00:22:03.95\00:22:05.75
there's enough power in
Jesus to annihilate the woman,
00:22:07.22\00:22:12.06
and He's standing in
her presence with His power
00:22:12.09\00:22:16.90
turned way down so
that He can turn the power
00:22:16.93\00:22:19.87
way up in her life.
00:22:19.90\00:22:21.34
I'm talking about Jesus.
00:22:22.80\00:22:24.54
I'm not talking
about a president,
00:22:25.41\00:22:26.98
I'm not talking
about a wealthy man.
00:22:27.01\00:22:28.64
I'm talking about a Man who
has no beginning and no end,
00:22:28.78\00:22:32.85
and He's standing
in front of the woman,
00:22:32.88\00:22:34.92
and He's saying to her,
"If you only knew who I was."
00:22:34.95\00:22:38.92
Jesus became
the undercover boss.
00:22:39.65\00:22:42.69
Have you seen that before?
00:22:46.23\00:22:47.56
Doesn't it tickle you?
00:22:48.03\00:22:49.40
The moment I saw that,
I said, "That's Jesus."
00:22:49.63\00:22:52.33
He hides Himself in
the garb of humanity.
00:22:53.50\00:22:59.04
He comes way down so
that one day we can go way up.
00:22:59.07\00:23:03.51
He left the untarnished palaces
of illimitable space and time
00:23:07.25\00:23:13.56
to have a
conversation with one woman.
00:23:13.59\00:23:16.93
Ladies, you ought to say amen.
00:23:16.96\00:23:18.69
I mean, this
story blows me away.
00:23:22.26\00:23:23.83
You know, she did not know
in whose presence she stood.
00:23:23.87\00:23:26.74
So I've got to go back to
Jeremiah to help you understand
00:23:26.77\00:23:29.84
in whose presence she stood.
00:23:29.87\00:23:31.57
Jeremiah says to the woman,
"If you only read Jeremiah,
00:23:31.61\00:23:34.54
you would have known who He is."
00:23:34.58\00:23:35.98
Jeremiah says
the Lord declared...
00:23:36.01\00:23:37.88
And the answer is what? No.
00:23:44.85\00:23:47.22
You know it in your own life
00:23:48.06\00:23:49.72
that there's
nothing too hard for God.
00:23:50.63\00:23:52.13
I know it in my own life.
00:23:52.16\00:23:53.70
Have you been to the places in
your life where you didn't think
00:23:53.73\00:23:56.77
that you can change?
00:23:56.80\00:23:58.13
But now you look back
on where you use to be
00:23:58.17\00:24:00.77
only to realize that the reason
why you're no longer there is
00:24:00.87\00:24:04.54
you met the Agent of change.
00:24:04.57\00:24:07.31
Tonight I'm not talking about
any of the 28 fundamentals.
00:24:08.34\00:24:13.98
I am talking about the most
fundamental fundamental of all.
00:24:14.12\00:24:17.39
And that is meeting Jesus.
00:24:17.42\00:24:19.15
Because, you know,
until you meet Jesus,
00:24:20.79\00:24:22.62
you can have all
your ducks in a row,
00:24:22.72\00:24:24.96
but you can be so unchanged that
your doctrinal and intellectual
00:24:25.49\00:24:30.53
beliefs have no ability to
transform and change your life.
00:24:30.57\00:24:35.44
And what we need
more than anything else
00:24:35.64\00:24:37.57
is not just clear understandings
of scriptural teachings,
00:24:37.77\00:24:40.74
we need to know why we
always end up where we end up
00:24:40.78\00:24:44.88
and how to break the
cycle of going back to where
00:24:44.91\00:24:48.82
we use to be; the
familiar places in our lives.
00:24:48.85\00:24:52.59
You see, Jesus met the
woman where she always was.
00:24:53.05\00:24:55.89
Jesus met a woman at
the place that she showed up
00:24:55.92\00:24:58.46
every day, and He
knew the time of day.
00:24:58.49\00:25:01.16
He says, "It's five to noon.
She'll be here in five minutes."
00:25:01.20\00:25:04.50
Did you get that? It's noon.
00:25:06.43\00:25:07.97
If He went there at five o'clock
He would not have met her.
00:25:08.17\00:25:10.67
Isn't that amazing?
00:25:11.37\00:25:12.71
That before time began
Jesus put in His calendar,
00:25:13.24\00:25:18.31
"Woman at the well.
00:25:18.68\00:25:20.32
2700 years from now at noon."
00:25:21.02\00:25:24.49
That's how I think. Help me out.
00:25:26.92\00:25:28.56
"2700 years from now at
noon, outside of Sychar,
00:25:29.59\00:25:35.30
got an appointment."
00:25:35.60\00:25:36.93
He wakes up that
morning, checks His Rolodex,
00:25:36.97\00:25:39.47
sorry, opens up
His iPad, and says,
00:25:39.50\00:25:41.60
"I've got an appointment today
with the woman at the well."
00:25:41.64\00:25:43.71
Come on, somebody, say amen.
00:25:43.74\00:25:45.11
I mean, because the Bible
says, "I am God and there is
00:25:45.94\00:25:51.71
none like Me; declaring
the end from the beginning,
00:25:51.75\00:25:56.42
and from ancient times
things that are not yet done."
00:25:56.45\00:26:00.46
So I don't believe
that this was an appointment
00:26:00.49\00:26:02.42
that Jesus made that day.
00:26:02.46\00:26:04.39
I believe this was
an appointment made...
00:26:04.43\00:26:07.33
...a long time ago.
00:26:11.17\00:26:12.93
And He shows up, so that
by the way He changes her life
00:26:14.14\00:26:18.37
He shows us that He
can change our lives.
00:26:19.17\00:26:22.34
He came to give her
something that she never had.
00:26:22.44\00:26:24.65
Which means, the Lord
doesn't need us, we need Him.
00:26:24.68\00:26:27.62
Every blessing that
we can ever experience
00:26:27.65\00:26:30.69
is because we simply
throw ourselves on God.
00:26:30.72\00:26:34.69
And you know,
when we give our all,
00:26:34.72\00:26:36.52
we get more than
our all back in return.
00:26:36.73\00:26:39.66
Didn't He promise that?
00:26:39.69\00:26:41.03
Notice what He says in His Word.
00:26:41.23\00:26:42.80
Notice how He
says this in His Word.
00:26:42.83\00:26:44.33
"Give, and it will be..." What?
00:26:44.37\00:26:45.70
In other words, what
this scripture is saying,
00:26:58.11\00:27:00.55
we use this often for finances,
but the Bible is saying,
00:27:00.58\00:27:03.49
if there's any portion
of you that you hold back,
00:27:04.25\00:27:07.06
then you'll never get all
that the Lord has for you.
00:27:08.02\00:27:11.43
But if you give
everything of yourself,
00:27:11.46\00:27:14.00
He'll give you that
back, and then some.
00:27:14.03\00:27:17.07
Good measure, pressed down,
00:27:17.93\00:27:19.63
shaken together,
and running over.
00:27:19.67\00:27:21.40
And I'm getting to the
place in life, my gray hair is
00:27:21.44\00:27:24.14
teaching me one thing, if I'm
going to give my life to God,
00:27:24.17\00:27:27.18
I've got to give all of it.
00:27:27.21\00:27:29.08
For there to be any changes,
00:27:30.51\00:27:31.85
I've got to
give every bit of it.
00:27:31.88\00:27:33.48
Now let's go back to the story.
00:27:36.25\00:27:37.85
Because you're
excited to go there.
00:27:38.25\00:27:39.59
Look at the very next verse.
00:27:39.62\00:27:40.96
She still
doesn't know who He is.
00:27:52.17\00:27:54.00
And then Jesus responds back.
00:27:58.57\00:28:01.28
You know what's amazing to me?
00:28:01.31\00:28:03.01
If it were us, we would
have said at the very beginning,
00:28:03.04\00:28:06.21
"I'm God."
00:28:06.25\00:28:07.58
I mean, come on, help me out.
00:28:08.78\00:28:10.12
We couldn't handle
that kind of power.
00:28:11.22\00:28:13.42
We would have said, "I'm God.
00:28:14.16\00:28:15.49
You don't need
water, you need Me."
00:28:15.52\00:28:17.23
But Jesus is just
milking this for all He has.
00:28:17.53\00:28:22.30
And every time I read this
story, I want to say to Him,
00:28:22.33\00:28:25.20
"Just tell her who You
are, and she'll surrender."
00:28:25.23\00:28:30.81
You know, if He
came out and said to her,
00:28:31.07\00:28:32.54
"Woman, do you realize that
the very well on which you stand
00:28:32.74\00:28:35.64
belongs to the
earth that I made?"
00:28:35.68\00:28:37.71
He doesn't do that.
00:28:39.31\00:28:40.65
He's just drawing her heart out,
00:28:40.68\00:28:43.18
after a longing
that's way inside of her.
00:28:44.09\00:28:46.76
He's pulling it out.
00:28:46.79\00:28:48.19
And He said to her,
notice what He said in verse 12.
00:28:48.22\00:28:51.43
And then Jesus
responds back to her.
00:29:08.11\00:29:10.35
Now as the woman is
inventorying her life,
00:29:32.37\00:29:35.74
Jesus is unfolding
before her something that will
00:29:35.77\00:29:39.87
take away the
thirst in her life.
00:29:39.91\00:29:42.31
And so I want to pause at this
particular point in the sermon
00:29:42.34\00:29:45.48
and ask the question, which
Jesus is really asking her is,
00:29:45.51\00:29:49.25
how thirsty are you?
00:29:49.28\00:29:52.02
Now think about
that for a moment.
00:29:52.89\00:29:54.42
Until you are
thirsty for righteousness,
00:29:54.92\00:29:57.99
you'll never have
that thirst quenched.
00:29:58.03\00:30:01.76
Didn't the Bible say,
"Whoever hungers and thirsts
00:30:01.80\00:30:05.30
after
righteousness will be filled."
00:30:05.33\00:30:07.44
Now some of us
want to be righteous,
00:30:07.54\00:30:09.47
but are we
thirsty for righteousness?
00:30:09.50\00:30:12.04
The difference between
wanting to be righteous
00:30:12.61\00:30:14.21
and being thirsty for
righteousness means this:
00:30:14.24\00:30:17.51
Until your thirst is quenched,
you're not satisfied with
00:30:17.55\00:30:21.45
any other substitutes.
00:30:21.48\00:30:23.15
Simply put, until your
life is where you are completely
00:30:26.55\00:30:31.93
free from the things
that bind you to your past,
00:30:31.96\00:30:36.00
until you are at the
place where everything that
00:30:36.10\00:30:38.00
held you at that
familiar place is gone,
00:30:38.03\00:30:41.37
until all those things are
gone, you're not yet satisfied.
00:30:42.97\00:30:46.37
And I know what
I'm talking about.
00:30:47.08\00:30:48.58
Because the Lord delivers
us, but sometimes He has to
00:30:49.28\00:30:52.61
deliver us in phases, because
not that He can't deliver us
00:30:52.65\00:30:56.18
all at once, but sometimes
we hold onto things in our life
00:30:56.22\00:30:59.89
and we are
reluctant to let them go.
00:30:59.99\00:31:02.16
And then when we
finally let them go
00:31:02.19\00:31:03.93
and we experience
what God always had for us,
00:31:03.96\00:31:05.86
you know what we say?
00:31:05.89\00:31:07.23
"I should have let
that thing go years ago."
00:31:07.26\00:31:08.86
Am I right?
00:31:09.76\00:31:11.10
But we hold onto it somehow.
00:31:12.27\00:31:14.10
And the woman is
doing the very same thing.
00:31:14.14\00:31:15.64
She's at the well, a
place of familiar occurrences.
00:31:15.67\00:31:18.77
She's got her waterpot.
00:31:18.97\00:31:20.48
She's looking at Christ,
and He says, "If you only knew
00:31:20.51\00:31:22.81
who I am, I could transform
your life tremendously."
00:31:22.84\00:31:26.28
She doesn't know yet who He is.
00:31:26.31\00:31:27.98
So He presses the
issue. He presses the issue.
00:31:28.18\00:31:31.05
Look at the very next verse.
00:31:31.15\00:31:33.56
Verse 15.
00:31:34.12\00:31:35.46
So in other words, she got
to the place where she's saying,
00:31:41.86\00:31:44.23
"I am thirsty, but if
you give me this water
00:31:44.27\00:31:46.74
I'll never thirst again."
00:31:46.77\00:31:48.50
So the door is now opening.
00:31:48.60\00:31:50.24
The door is now opening.
00:31:50.41\00:31:51.77
Now Jesus is going
to do something that
00:31:51.81\00:31:53.91
we don't think He
should have done here,
00:31:54.21\00:31:55.98
as I think about the story.
00:31:56.01\00:31:57.48
Jesus could have simply
said, "Okay, here's the water.
00:31:57.51\00:32:00.48
You'll never thirst again."
00:32:00.52\00:32:01.85
But now He goes from the
surface issues in her life
00:32:01.88\00:32:05.62
to the hidden
issues in her life.
00:32:05.99\00:32:08.36
Watch how He does it.
00:32:10.39\00:32:11.73
"Jesus said to her..."
00:32:15.66\00:32:17.10
Now why did He have
to ask that question?
00:32:21.27\00:32:23.47
I could hear her saying,
"Wasn't this about water?
00:32:28.58\00:32:32.18
What does my husband
have to do with anything?"
00:32:33.88\00:32:35.82
He goes from
the surface issue...
00:32:36.15\00:32:37.69
Now let me just
really get clear with you.
00:32:37.72\00:32:39.25
A lot of us like to talk
about the surface issues,
00:32:39.29\00:32:43.02
but when the
issues start getting deep,
00:32:43.39\00:32:46.33
where the real challenges lie,
00:32:47.63\00:32:50.23
it becomes
completely uncomfortable.
00:32:50.33\00:32:52.53
But I love the fact that
the way that Jesus does this,
00:32:52.57\00:32:55.90
He doesn't let her back
out of the conversation.
00:32:55.94\00:32:59.17
Notice how He handles this.
00:32:59.21\00:33:01.34
And He goes on to say to her,
00:33:08.48\00:33:10.09
"...in that, you
have spoken truthfully."
00:33:10.82\00:33:12.35
"You've well said
you have no husband."
00:33:12.39\00:33:14.29
"You've well said
that you have no husband."
00:33:14.92\00:33:16.42
I'm going to go back because
you just saw the scripture.
00:33:16.46\00:33:18.33
He said, "You have no husband."
00:33:18.36\00:33:19.69
Matter of fact, you
know the rest of the story,
00:33:19.76\00:33:21.56
He said to her,
"You've had five husbands,
00:33:22.53\00:33:25.17
and the one that
you're with now is not yours."
00:33:25.27\00:33:27.94
In other words, "You keep
going from one place to the next
00:33:30.24\00:33:33.88
trying to find satisfaction."
00:33:33.91\00:33:36.28
But He brought up a
point that is so significant.
00:33:37.05\00:33:39.41
He says, "Go call your husband."
00:33:39.45\00:33:43.15
Now, this is
where the sermon begins.
00:33:43.42\00:33:46.39
All that was foundation.
00:33:46.42\00:33:48.02
This is where the sermon begins.
00:33:48.06\00:33:49.69
Tonight we're going
to talk about husbands.
00:33:49.72\00:33:51.66
Husbands, don't get nervous.
00:33:52.53\00:33:53.90
You're going to see
we're not talking about
00:33:56.00\00:33:57.33
husbands married to
wives, we're going to talk about
00:33:57.37\00:34:00.37
the controlling center of
your life that Jesus calls
00:34:01.70\00:34:05.67
the husband of our relationship.
00:34:05.71\00:34:08.51
Look at this.
00:34:09.74\00:34:11.08
Look at this.
00:34:11.48\00:34:12.81
Romans 7:1
00:34:13.21\00:34:14.82
I'm going to introduce
you tonight to the law.
00:34:30.13\00:34:33.07
To the law.
00:34:33.67\00:34:35.00
To the law called, the husband.
00:34:35.67\00:34:38.47
To the law called, the husband.
00:34:39.31\00:34:42.04
Look at Romans chapter 7. Go
in your Bibles there with me.
00:34:42.08\00:34:44.78
Romans chapter 7.
00:34:44.81\00:34:46.21
Matter of fact, I'm going to
give it to you in just a moment.
00:34:46.72\00:34:48.52
Don't go there.
00:34:48.55\00:34:49.88
I'm going to show
you first Genesis 3:16,
00:34:50.75\00:34:53.19
give you the principle, and then
we're going to go to Romans 7:2.
00:34:53.22\00:34:56.52
Look at Genesis 3:16.
00:34:56.56\00:34:58.39
This is vitally important
because Jesus asked the woman
00:34:58.43\00:35:01.20
about her husband.
00:35:01.23\00:35:03.57
Let's see what the Bible says
about the husband in Genesis.
00:35:04.07\00:35:06.94
Genesis 3:16
00:35:07.24\00:35:08.74
So when Jesus asked
the woman for her husband,
00:35:15.71\00:35:19.81
He was in essence
saying, "There's somebody else
00:35:19.85\00:35:22.38
ruling your life, and I want
to break his hold on your life
00:35:22.42\00:35:27.32
so that I can have
a hold on your life."
00:35:27.72\00:35:30.39
And the husband that
she's married to is the barrier
00:35:32.59\00:35:38.17
between her
relationship with her past
00:35:38.20\00:35:42.20
and her
relationship with her future.
00:35:42.24\00:35:45.41
Let's look at that.
00:35:45.44\00:35:46.78
Let's look at that
very carefully here.
00:35:46.81\00:35:48.31
Romans 7:2
00:35:48.34\00:35:50.35
I showed you the law of
her husband very carefully here
00:36:07.06\00:36:09.96
in Genesis 3:16.
00:36:10.00\00:36:12.00
What's the law of her husband?
00:36:12.03\00:36:13.50
"Her desire will be for
him, and he will..." Do what?
00:36:14.34\00:36:16.87
"...rule over her."
00:36:17.07\00:36:18.54
Tonight, allow me
to introduce you to...
00:36:18.57\00:36:21.34
And then I'm going to prove
my thesis in just a moment here.
00:36:21.38\00:36:23.65
The law of her husband is the
nature that we were born with.
00:36:23.95\00:36:29.92
The sin nature.
The corrupt nature.
00:36:30.35\00:36:33.02
The control center of our will.
00:36:33.05\00:36:35.62
The architect of our desires.
00:36:35.66\00:36:37.76
The orchestrator of our failure.
00:36:37.79\00:36:39.63
The power that keeps us
bound to the same old behaviors.
00:36:39.66\00:36:44.57
The engineer that keeps
our future locked to our past.
00:36:44.83\00:36:49.17
The law that Jesus
is referring to here
00:36:49.20\00:36:53.27
is that old nature that
every one of us was born with.
00:36:53.48\00:36:58.71
And the Bible says again, the
woman who has a husband is what?
00:36:58.75\00:37:02.88
Now get that.
00:37:03.82\00:37:05.15
She's bound to the
law as long as he what?
00:37:05.19\00:37:08.72
As long as he lives.
00:37:09.49\00:37:10.83
In other words, until our
old nature is put to death...
00:37:10.86\00:37:14.83
We're talking about
the agent of change.
00:37:14.86\00:37:16.87
Until who we were born as
is no longer in control of us,
00:37:16.90\00:37:22.34
then somebody else is now
free to be in control of us.
00:37:22.90\00:37:27.24
As long as we are
bound to that nature that
00:37:27.41\00:37:29.81
we received from Adam, we
will never be able to produce
00:37:29.84\00:37:34.32
children, or seeds, or
practices, or lifestyle
00:37:34.35\00:37:38.45
that is connected to
the Christ who wants to be
00:37:38.49\00:37:40.82
the new husband in our lives.
00:37:40.86\00:37:43.09
Let's look at
that very carefully.
00:37:43.59\00:37:45.19
What happens if she's
bound by the law to her husband?
00:37:45.23\00:37:48.76
Notice, her desire will be for
him, and he will rule over her.
00:37:48.80\00:37:51.77
There's a particular principle,
the law of her husband.
00:37:51.80\00:37:54.54
Notice what that
law is all about.
00:37:54.57\00:37:56.34
Matthew chapter 7,
let's look at this.
00:37:56.37\00:37:58.77
So what kind of fruit
does a good tree bear?
00:38:04.38\00:38:07.18
Okay, let's keep going.
00:38:07.92\00:38:09.25
Look at this law.
00:38:12.32\00:38:13.66
So in other words,
if you break this down,
00:38:20.13\00:38:22.00
being bound to that law means...
00:38:22.86\00:38:25.87
Let's make it practical.
00:38:26.23\00:38:27.64
If I want to do right and I'm
married to an old sinful nature,
00:38:27.67\00:38:32.34
can I do right?
00:38:32.37\00:38:33.71
So if I want to live like
Jesus, but I'm married to Adam's
00:38:35.61\00:38:39.58
nature, can I live like Jesus?
00:38:39.61\00:38:42.68
If I want to be free to
do what is right and good,
00:38:43.75\00:38:47.29
but I'm married to a
nature that is in control of me
00:38:47.32\00:38:50.19
that I cannot
produce anything good with,
00:38:50.23\00:38:52.53
can I ever become like Jesus?
00:38:52.56\00:38:54.76
Look at the principle.
00:38:55.40\00:38:56.73
"A good tree
cannot bear bad fruit,
00:38:56.77\00:38:58.77
nor can a bad
tree bear..." What?
00:38:58.80\00:39:00.77
And the reason why the Bible
talks bad fruit and good fruit
00:39:01.94\00:39:04.84
is, there are only
two types of individuals.
00:39:04.87\00:39:07.98
How many types did I say?
00:39:08.48\00:39:09.81
Only two.
00:39:10.01\00:39:11.35
Those who are
bearing good fruit,
00:39:11.38\00:39:12.71
and those who are
bearing what? Bad fruit.
00:39:12.98\00:39:15.42
But tonight
you're going to discover
00:39:15.45\00:39:16.79
something very important.
00:39:16.82\00:39:18.15
Bad fruit don't show
up because we decide...
00:39:21.46\00:39:24.89
Sorry, good fruit don't
show up because we decide
00:39:25.09\00:39:28.40
that good fruit
are going to show up.
00:39:28.43\00:39:30.07
The only way that
good fruit can show up
00:39:31.17\00:39:34.30
is if the tree is good.
00:39:34.34\00:39:37.17
Did you get that?
00:39:38.07\00:39:39.41
Will you find apples on
an orange tree, yes or no?
00:39:40.24\00:39:43.01
Will you find oranges on
an apple tree, yes or no?
00:39:43.51\00:39:46.15
Boy, that's kind
of a weak yes or no.
00:39:46.82\00:39:48.25
- Yes or no? ~ No.
00:39:48.28\00:39:49.92
So what has to happen to
find apples on an apple tree?
00:39:50.29\00:39:53.32
I gave you the answer.
00:39:55.89\00:39:57.23
It has to be an
apple tree, right?
00:39:57.99\00:39:59.63
What has to happen for
there to be righteous living
00:40:00.30\00:40:03.60
in a person's life?
00:40:03.63\00:40:04.97
We have to be
connected to what kind of tree?
00:40:05.00\00:40:07.34
A righteous tree.
00:40:07.87\00:40:09.20
So we cannot make
these changes intellectually.
00:40:09.24\00:40:12.17
Jeremiah makes it very clear.
00:40:12.21\00:40:13.61
Look at Jeremiah 13:23.
00:40:13.64\00:40:16.04
"Can the Ethiopian
change his skin," yes or no?
00:40:16.24\00:40:20.05
Wow, it's going to get a little
deeper here in just a moment.
00:40:33.06\00:40:35.56
You see, this message
about agent of change,
00:40:37.57\00:40:39.67
if I were to grade any of the
messages I've covered so far,
00:40:39.70\00:40:42.47
this message is the
pivotal message between
00:40:42.87\00:40:45.84
all that we want to be and
all that we still might be.
00:40:46.68\00:40:53.28
We may be living a life that has
repeated practices and habits
00:40:56.08\00:40:59.55
that are coming
up over and over,
00:40:59.59\00:41:01.79
and we're desiring
for those things to be
00:41:02.09\00:41:04.03
changed in our lives.
00:41:04.06\00:41:05.66
And we get to the point
where we grit our teeth,
00:41:05.86\00:41:09.43
we say, "Okay, today
I'm not going to do it.
00:41:09.46\00:41:11.33
I'm not going to do
it. I'm not going to do it.
00:41:11.37\00:41:13.03
I'm not going to do it."
00:41:13.07\00:41:14.40
And then we try in
our own human ability
00:41:14.44\00:41:17.27
to try to hold
out as long as we can.
00:41:17.41\00:41:19.84
And then
eventually it shows up again.
00:41:19.87\00:41:21.81
You know why?
00:41:21.84\00:41:23.18
Because the nature of the
tree has not yet been changed.
00:41:23.21\00:41:26.08
Follow me very carefully.
00:41:26.72\00:41:28.18
So can the
Ethiopian change his skin?
00:41:28.62\00:41:30.65
Absolutely not.
00:41:30.69\00:41:32.25
Look at this.
00:41:32.29\00:41:33.62
When you wake up in the morning,
00:41:33.66\00:41:34.99
look at the two
choices you have.
00:41:35.12\00:41:36.86
Romans 6:16
00:41:36.89\00:41:39.06
Romans 6:16
00:41:39.49\00:41:41.56
This comes down to choice.
00:41:41.60\00:41:43.70
You see, before
baptism, before a person is free
00:41:43.73\00:41:47.17
to say, "I want to
give my life to Christ,"
00:41:47.50\00:41:49.44
we've got to make a choice.
00:41:49.47\00:41:50.81
And notice how
powerful, notice how powerful
00:41:50.84\00:41:53.81
the nature of sin is.
00:41:53.84\00:41:55.61
But also notice how powerful
the nature of righteousness is.
00:41:55.71\00:42:00.55
Look at this text.
00:42:00.58\00:42:01.92
I have been studying a
little more than a year now,
00:42:01.98\00:42:04.49
and I've discovered in the Bible
that there are three particular
00:42:05.35\00:42:08.32
verses in
Scripture that have given me
00:42:08.36\00:42:10.86
what I might refer to
as the answers to life's
00:42:11.09\00:42:14.33
most important questions.
00:42:14.36\00:42:16.03
And the question is
this, one of the most important
00:42:16.06\00:42:18.50
questions is this:
00:42:18.53\00:42:19.87
How can I live so that
Jesus can be seen in my life?
00:42:19.90\00:42:24.91
How many of you want that?
00:42:25.91\00:42:27.24
Everyone of us want
to live so that Jesus
00:42:27.88\00:42:30.15
can be seen in our lives.
00:42:30.18\00:42:31.85
So how does that happen?
00:42:32.45\00:42:33.95
Let's look at this text.
00:42:34.28\00:42:35.68
Romans 6:16
00:42:36.38\00:42:38.09
It starts by this:
by presenting ourselves.
00:42:50.60\00:42:54.40
Now I use to think...
00:42:54.44\00:42:55.97
And let me just
put this into context.
00:42:56.40\00:42:58.11
You know, some people may
say, "Well, I'm not a Christian,
00:42:58.64\00:43:00.88
but I'm doing my own thing."
00:43:01.18\00:43:02.81
Have you heard
that phrase before?
00:43:03.14\00:43:04.48
"I'm doing..." You
know, no we're not.
00:43:04.68\00:43:06.31
No one does his
or her own thing.
00:43:06.35\00:43:10.92
We are either doing God's
thing, living righteously,
00:43:10.95\00:43:15.02
or we're doing Satan's
thing, living unrighteously.
00:43:15.06\00:43:18.89
Because there's no
third category in this text.
00:43:18.93\00:43:21.53
Either we have made a
decision to present ourselves
00:43:22.13\00:43:26.10
to the slave of disobedience
or we've made the decision
00:43:26.84\00:43:30.94
to present ourselves
to the slave of obedience.
00:43:31.17\00:43:34.54
Now the Bible uses the word,
slave, for a particular reason.
00:43:34.64\00:43:37.55
It's a hard word.
00:43:37.58\00:43:38.91
The word, slave, is not the
kind of word we like to use.
00:43:38.95\00:43:40.85
Amen, somebody.
00:43:40.88\00:43:42.22
But the word, slave, is
intended to let you know
00:43:42.58\00:43:45.35
that the moment
you make that decision,
00:43:45.39\00:43:47.56
follow carefully, the
moment you make that decision,
00:43:47.76\00:43:49.76
it is no longer
you who is in control.
00:43:49.96\00:43:52.59
Have you ever done something
that you said later on,
00:43:52.93\00:43:57.57
"I never thought I'd do that."
00:44:00.50\00:44:01.97
No amens necessary on that one.
00:44:04.81\00:44:07.08
I want you to think.
00:44:07.71\00:44:09.04
I think we've all been
at the place where we've
00:44:10.31\00:44:12.31
done something, we've said,
00:44:12.35\00:44:13.68
"I never
thought I could do that.
00:44:13.72\00:44:15.05
I never thought I would...
00:44:15.58\00:44:16.92
I never thought I
could actually do that."
00:44:16.95\00:44:19.22
You know why it happened?
00:44:19.65\00:44:21.19
Because when we
present ourselves,
00:44:21.22\00:44:23.29
when we present ourselves
as a slave to disobedience,
00:44:23.32\00:44:27.36
slaves never tell
the master what to do.
00:44:27.66\00:44:30.83
The master always
tells the slave what to do.
00:44:30.87\00:44:34.44
This is a very important topic.
00:44:35.20\00:44:36.64
So the master, who is Satan,
the moment you submit yourself
00:44:36.87\00:44:40.24
to him...handcuffed.
00:44:40.28\00:44:42.41
And he decides
what you're going to do.
00:44:42.44\00:44:45.31
The moment you
submit yourself to Christ,
00:44:45.45\00:44:48.12
He decides what
you're going to do.
00:44:48.78\00:44:50.92
And let me tell you something.
00:44:50.95\00:44:52.29
When the Lord decides
what you're going to do,
00:44:52.32\00:44:54.06
here's the difference:
00:44:54.09\00:44:55.42
When you submit to Satan, you
will do things you never thought
00:44:55.46\00:44:57.89
you would ever do.
00:44:57.93\00:44:59.39
But when you
submit yourself to Christ,
00:44:59.83\00:45:01.76
you will be able to do things
you never thought you could do.
00:45:01.80\00:45:04.20
That's why some people, years
later, they come into the church
00:45:07.10\00:45:09.30
and say, "Isn't that the guy who
use to be in prison for robbery?
00:45:09.34\00:45:12.94
How is he the head
treasurer of the church?
00:45:13.21\00:45:15.24
They trust him with money?"
00:45:17.38\00:45:19.01
I mean, think about it.
Let's put this together.
00:45:19.41\00:45:21.35
How many of you would
trust the apostle Paul,
00:45:21.48\00:45:24.59
who use to be Saul,
persecutor of Christians?
00:45:24.62\00:45:28.16
How many of you would
have him preach at your church
00:45:29.49\00:45:32.09
a week after his conversion?
00:45:32.13\00:45:33.93
"Who's preaching
in Antioch?" "Paul."
00:45:34.96\00:45:37.27
"Haven't heard of him before."
00:45:37.47\00:45:38.80
"He used to be named
Saul. He said he was converted.
00:45:38.83\00:45:41.17
He's doing an
evangelistic series."
00:45:41.20\00:45:42.70
"I ain't going."
00:45:42.80\00:45:44.41
But now years later,
thousands of years later,
00:45:46.21\00:45:49.88
we say, "The
apostle Paul, a man of God."
00:45:49.91\00:45:53.01
But how many of you would have
come to his evangelistic series
00:45:53.05\00:45:56.05
the week after he got converted?
00:45:56.08\00:45:57.95
Really, honestly?
00:45:57.99\00:45:59.32
And then when the
chapter of 2 Chronicles ended
00:46:00.36\00:46:04.43
and 1 Chronicles began,
the Lord said to Solomon,
00:46:04.46\00:46:08.86
"If you would walk in the
ways of your father David,
00:46:09.16\00:46:13.54
and keep all My commandments
as your father David did..."
00:46:13.57\00:46:18.04
You're saying, "Is He talking
about the same David I know?
00:46:18.24\00:46:20.91
The guy that had an
adulterous affair with a woman,
00:46:22.14\00:46:27.55
and then had her husband killed?
00:46:27.92\00:46:29.25
Is He saying that
Solomon should walk in the
00:46:29.28\00:46:31.72
commandments like he did?"
00:46:31.75\00:46:33.79
Let me tell you
something, brothers and sisters.
00:46:34.32\00:46:35.99
When the Lord
comes into your life,
00:46:36.02\00:46:39.19
your past is not just
forgiven, it is washed away.
00:46:39.73\00:46:44.07
Amen?
00:46:44.97\00:46:46.30
So the Lord looks at you,
we use this word, justified.
00:46:46.40\00:46:48.70
But sometimes we don't
understand what it means.
00:46:48.74\00:46:51.01
Justified simply means,
and as you've said this before,
00:46:51.04\00:46:53.61
it really does mean the
Lord looks at a redeemed sinner
00:46:53.64\00:46:57.85
just as if he had never sinned.
00:46:57.88\00:47:01.88
And the reason why this
topic is important is because
00:47:03.12\00:47:04.92
so many people have been
Christians for a long time,
00:47:04.95\00:47:09.32
and one of the most
painful questions I've heard
00:47:09.36\00:47:11.73
Christians say is,
way up in their years,
00:47:11.76\00:47:14.56
"You know, I'm not sure
if I'm going to be saved."
00:47:14.60\00:47:16.87
I've heard many...
00:47:17.57\00:47:18.90
I've heard many
Adventists say that.
00:47:18.93\00:47:20.50
"I'm not sure if
I'm going to be saved."
00:47:21.17\00:47:24.47
How long you
been... How... Sorry.
00:47:25.74\00:47:27.51
Okay, here's the point.
00:47:28.44\00:47:30.01
You may have been
Adventist for many years,
00:47:30.05\00:47:31.98
but you may not have been
a Christian for many years.
00:47:32.01\00:47:34.12
Because being an
Adventist and being a Christian
00:47:34.82\00:47:36.65
is not the same thing.
00:47:36.69\00:47:38.02
And Adventist is somebody
who accepts all the doctrines.
00:47:38.72\00:47:41.69
But an Adventist Christian
is somebody who has been
00:47:42.22\00:47:44.16
transformed by
the grace of Christ.
00:47:44.19\00:47:46.56
- Amen, someone. ~ Amen.
00:47:46.59\00:47:48.20
A Christian in any walk
of life is a person who is
00:47:48.63\00:47:51.00
first
transformed, then informed.
00:47:51.03\00:47:54.74
But so many of us are informed.
00:47:55.67\00:47:57.47
So many of us,
as Pastor C.A. says,
00:47:57.61\00:47:59.47
so many of us are
convicted by the message
00:47:59.51\00:48:03.04
but not
converted by the message.
00:48:03.31\00:48:05.75
So we have more convicts
in our church than converts.
00:48:06.21\00:48:09.02
Don't want that.
00:48:12.75\00:48:14.09
So what's the answer?
Let's look at the Bible.
00:48:14.26\00:48:16.16
And by the way, when I say this,
00:48:16.26\00:48:17.73
the moment you submit to
someone, you'll discover that
00:48:17.76\00:48:20.30
you are no longer in charge.
00:48:20.33\00:48:21.93
I've got the evidence
here. Look at John 1:29.
00:48:21.96\00:48:24.57
The beauty of the message
is when John saw Jesus coming,
00:48:24.60\00:48:27.10
he made a particular statement
that is true about all of us.
00:48:27.14\00:48:29.67
Only Jesus can take
away the sin of the world.
00:48:30.11\00:48:32.77
And the sin of the
world is the broken nature
00:48:32.81\00:48:34.91
that every one
of us is born with.
00:48:34.94\00:48:36.88
"Behold, the Lamb of
God that..." Does what?
00:48:36.98\00:48:39.01
"...taketh away the..." What?
00:48:39.05\00:48:40.38
"...sin of the world." Yes.
00:48:40.42\00:48:42.22
But look at Romans.
00:48:42.62\00:48:43.95
When you submit to a
nature that you cannot control,
00:48:44.09\00:48:46.99
Paul himself going
through this experience
00:48:47.02\00:48:49.52
admitted these words...
00:48:49.56\00:48:50.89
He says, once he
submitted to the wrong nature,
00:48:50.93\00:48:53.43
notice what he said...
00:48:53.46\00:48:54.80
So you wonder,
"Why do I go back home?
00:49:04.31\00:49:06.47
After I leave a meeting..."
00:49:06.51\00:49:07.84
"Why do I leave
the church and say,
00:49:07.88\00:49:09.74
'I'm not going to smoke tonight.
I'm not going to smoke tonight.'
00:49:09.78\00:49:13.21
I didn't mean on doing that."
00:49:19.02\00:49:20.42
You know why?
00:49:22.92\00:49:24.26
Because the power
that was controlling you
00:49:24.83\00:49:26.80
have not yet been broken.
00:49:26.83\00:49:28.60
And the power that controls
you will make you do things
00:49:29.60\00:49:32.87
until the power that controls
you has been put to death
00:49:32.90\00:49:37.47
and another power is in charge.
00:49:37.67\00:49:40.38
Let's go on.
We've got to see this.
00:49:41.24\00:49:43.55
That's what Paul meant
when he said in Romans 6:6-7...
00:49:43.81\00:49:46.45
"Knowing this..."
00:49:46.78\00:49:48.12
Speaking about the
transformation from being
00:49:48.15\00:49:50.29
in bondage to being made free.
00:49:50.32\00:49:53.05
What body of sin?
00:50:02.23\00:50:03.57
This nature that Adam
gave to every one of us
00:50:03.60\00:50:05.80
is what's in control of us.
00:50:05.83\00:50:07.34
And until this
nature is put to death,
00:50:07.37\00:50:09.30
we have no freedom to
do anything but what the
00:50:09.50\00:50:12.87
sin nature wants us to do.
00:50:12.91\00:50:14.71
"...that the body of sin
might be done away with..."
00:50:15.08\00:50:17.15
And look at the wording.
00:50:17.18\00:50:18.51
Not sins, but sin.
00:50:28.36\00:50:32.49
The nature of sin.
00:50:32.53\00:50:34.86
That means the control
center has been torn down
00:50:35.26\00:50:39.43
and a new control
center has been put in place.
00:50:40.10\00:50:43.44
That means Satan no longer
has you handcuffed to him,
00:50:43.47\00:50:47.64
we are now handcuffed to Christ.
00:50:47.68\00:50:50.41
But let's continue going on.
00:50:51.95\00:50:53.58
Let's continue going on.
00:50:53.85\00:50:55.45
Romans 7:4
00:50:55.48\00:50:56.95
This is one of
the most misunderstood
00:51:03.99\00:51:05.89
scriptures in the Bible.
00:51:05.93\00:51:07.26
People think when it says,
"You become dead to the law,"
00:51:07.30\00:51:09.23
they think you become
dead to the commandments.
00:51:09.26\00:51:11.30
No.
00:51:11.33\00:51:12.67
That means you
become dead to the law
00:51:12.70\00:51:14.20
that's been controlling you.
00:51:14.24\00:51:15.57
How many of you
have heard of gravity?
00:51:15.67\00:51:18.37
You know what gravity is?
00:51:21.64\00:51:22.98
Gravity is in control.
00:51:25.41\00:51:27.02
What goes up must come down.
00:51:27.05\00:51:29.52
But when the law
that controls the nature
00:51:30.09\00:51:34.42
has been broken, you've been
freed from that controlling law.
00:51:34.46\00:51:38.26
Notice what it
goes on to say further.
00:51:38.29\00:51:40.16
I've got to move a
little quicker tonight.
00:51:55.01\00:51:56.81
I've got to move
a little quicker.
00:51:56.85\00:51:58.18
Here's how beautiful that is.
Here's how beautiful that is.
00:51:58.21\00:52:01.25
Here is where the
transformation comes in.
00:52:01.28\00:52:03.82
When Jesus comes in, and
that old sin nature has been
00:52:03.85\00:52:07.59
put down, the sin that was in
control is no longer in control.
00:52:07.62\00:52:12.63
Who is in control now?
00:52:12.83\00:52:14.90
The apostle Paul declares...
00:52:15.33\00:52:16.93
If you're crucified, you
have your nature put to death.
00:52:19.40\00:52:23.54
And notice what he says.
00:52:23.71\00:52:25.04
When the woman
submitted herself to Jesus...
00:52:43.22\00:52:46.63
I want you to get this.
00:52:46.66\00:52:48.00
I have two more scriptures.
00:52:48.03\00:52:49.36
Tim make your way to the piano.
00:52:49.40\00:52:51.43
I have two more scriptures
that are vitally important.
00:52:51.47\00:52:53.84
I've got to share them with you.
00:52:53.94\00:52:55.27
When the woman finally
submitted herself to Jesus,
00:52:55.30\00:52:58.74
notice what happened.
00:52:58.77\00:53:00.24
The very thing that she
identified with every day,
00:53:00.48\00:53:03.28
notice what happened.
00:53:03.31\00:53:04.65
Look at the verse.
00:53:04.68\00:53:06.01
The woman left her waterpot.
00:53:07.52\00:53:13.42
The very thing that
she had with her every day,
00:53:13.46\00:53:16.19
every day, every day, every
day, when she submitted herself
00:53:16.22\00:53:20.63
to Christ, she was
finally able to put it down.
00:53:20.66\00:53:24.90
Not unusual.
00:53:32.37\00:53:33.71
They knew her to talk to men.
00:53:33.74\00:53:35.14
But this time her
life was different.
00:53:35.18\00:53:37.25
And you'll discover that
the city was converted because
00:53:46.99\00:53:49.76
she found Christ and left the
very thing of her past identity,
00:53:49.79\00:53:55.03
let go of the
husbands of her past identity,
00:53:55.13\00:53:58.50
and had a new Man in her life.
00:53:58.53\00:54:00.37
Amen, somebody.
00:54:00.40\00:54:01.74
What made the difference?
What made the difference?
00:54:01.97\00:54:04.24
Joshua 24:15, very quickly.
Let's read this together.
00:54:04.27\00:54:07.38
What made the
difference? Choice.
00:54:07.58\00:54:09.71
Tomorrow night
we're going into part two,
00:54:22.59\00:54:25.03
Getting Connected.
00:54:25.06\00:54:26.39
Tonight we've covered
what it means to break the hold
00:54:26.43\00:54:30.13
on the nature
that we were born with.
00:54:30.17\00:54:32.37
It's done by
making one simple choice.
00:54:32.40\00:54:35.40
The question is
tonight, who will you choose?
00:54:35.90\00:54:39.11
Whoever you choose is
the one that will determine
00:54:39.14\00:54:43.08
how you live.
00:54:43.11\00:54:45.11
Tim.
00:54:45.21\00:54:46.55
Lord, I give You my heart,
00:54:52.75\00:54:55.52
I give You my soul.
00:54:56.56\00:55:00.00
I live for You alone.
00:55:01.03\00:55:05.67
Every breath that I take,
00:55:05.77\00:55:08.87
every moment I'm awake,
00:55:09.47\00:55:13.27
Lord, have Your way in me.
00:55:14.24\00:55:18.85
Lord, I give You my heart,
00:55:18.88\00:55:22.08
I give You my soul.
00:55:22.75\00:55:26.62
I live for You alone.
00:55:27.22\00:55:31.79
Every breath that I take,
00:55:31.89\00:55:34.93
every moment I'm awake,
00:55:35.56\00:55:39.47
Lord, have Your way in me.
00:55:40.44\00:55:45.97
I want us to sing that
song one time with Tim.
00:55:46.14\00:55:48.21
Can we do that
once? Can we do that?
00:55:48.24\00:55:49.58
That's what I
want you to do tonight.
00:55:49.61\00:55:50.95
Give the Lord your
heart and your soul.
00:55:50.98\00:55:54.88
That's the only way
that the past can be put down
00:55:54.92\00:55:59.09
and the new life
in Christ can come in.
00:55:59.79\00:56:02.46
Can we sing that
one time together?
00:56:02.49\00:56:03.96
Lord, I give You my heart,
00:56:04.79\00:56:08.50
I give You my soul.
00:56:08.53\00:56:11.33
I live for You alone.
00:56:13.07\00:56:17.67
Every breath that I take,
00:56:17.71\00:56:20.11
every moment I'm awake,
00:56:21.14\00:56:23.78
Lord, have Your way in me.
00:56:25.71\00:56:29.98
Lord, I give You my heart,
00:56:30.09\00:56:33.59
I give You my soul.
00:56:33.79\00:56:36.86
I live for You alone.
00:56:38.16\00:56:42.53
Every breath that I take,
00:56:42.56\00:56:45.90
every moment I'm awake,
00:56:45.93\00:56:50.07
Lord, have Your way in me.
00:56:50.54\00:56:55.58
Tonight I'm going to
ask you to do something.
00:56:55.61\00:56:57.48
If there's somebody here tonight
that wants to give the Lord
00:56:57.81\00:57:00.52
their will, their way,
their heart, their soul,
00:57:00.88\00:57:04.05
just stand with me tonight.
00:57:04.09\00:57:05.59
Just stand with me.
00:57:05.69\00:57:07.02
This is the
choice I'm talking about.
00:57:09.02\00:57:10.43
Choosing,
choosing moment by moment,
00:57:10.46\00:57:13.23
day by day, hour by hour.
00:57:13.26\00:57:15.83
Loving Father in heaven,
the choice between our failure
00:57:16.30\00:57:20.50
and our success is choosing You.
00:57:20.54\00:57:23.17
The choice between
the habits that bind us
00:57:23.51\00:57:26.27
and the Lord
that frees us is You.
00:57:26.74\00:57:29.51
Precious Father,
tonight we make that decision
00:57:29.84\00:57:32.98
to give You our hearts
and to give You our souls,
00:57:33.25\00:57:37.52
that You'll come in and make
a transitional change in us.
00:57:38.55\00:57:42.32
Sever us from the
habits of our past,
00:57:42.76\00:57:45.43
sever us from the
practices of our past,
00:57:46.13\00:57:48.83
the things that have kept
us going back over and over
00:57:50.03\00:57:52.53
to the very
same familiar places.
00:57:52.57\00:57:55.00
Lord, tonight may we choose You,
00:57:55.47\00:57:57.74
that You'll be our Deliverer,
00:57:58.57\00:58:00.34
the Husband of our future,
00:58:00.61\00:58:02.48
the One that produces fruits
of righteousness through us,
00:58:02.94\00:58:06.68
the One that brings the light of
life and joy and freedom to us.
00:58:07.22\00:58:11.52
Help us to choose
every moment of every day
00:58:11.89\00:58:16.19
the God who has come to free us.
00:58:17.76\00:58:20.13
Father, tonight this is
the freedom that we want
00:58:20.53\00:58:24.27
that is only found in our
Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.
00:58:24.93\00:58:31.17
We ask for this, Father.
00:58:31.21\00:58:32.71
Please come in,
by Your Holy Spirit,
00:58:32.91\00:58:35.64
and set us free.
00:58:36.64\00:58:38.05
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:58:38.25\00:58:41.42