I want to ask you a question.
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And I just want you
to answer it inside.
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Search your own heart
and see where you stand.
00:00:28.95\00:00:34.21
Have you come to
the place in your life
00:00:39.12\00:00:44.26
where if you
were to die right now,
00:00:44.29\00:00:50.18
you would know
without any hesitation,
00:00:50.21\00:00:52.76
without any doubt,
00:00:52.79\00:00:53.92
you would know that
you'd have eternal life?
00:00:53.95\00:00:58.26
Don't answer out loud,
just answer to yourself.
00:00:58.29\00:01:03.59
Have you come to the
place where you would know
00:01:03.62\00:01:06.48
without a doubt or hesitation
00:01:06.51\00:01:09.03
whatsoever, if you
would die right now,
00:01:09.06\00:01:11.85
you would have eternal life or,
00:01:11.88\00:01:16.05
or you are not sure,
00:01:16.08\00:01:18.39
or perhaps some
of you may feel like
00:01:18.42\00:01:21.68
I know I wouldn't
have eternal life.
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Well, I've got
good news for you,
00:01:25.83\00:01:28.17
the Bible says, "I
write these things to you
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who believe in the
name of the Son of God
00:01:31.69\00:01:33.36
so that you may know
that you have eternal life."
00:01:33.39\00:01:36.52
1 John 5:13.
00:01:36.55\00:01:38.69
God wants you to know,
He wants you to be sure.
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He doesn't want you to doubt,
He doesn't want you to wonder.
00:01:43.84\00:01:47.23
God wants you to know
00:01:47.26\00:01:49.15
that if something would
happen to you right now,
00:01:49.18\00:01:51.26
this instance you
would have eternal life.
00:01:51.29\00:01:53.52
The problem is
there are a lot of forces
00:01:53.55\00:01:55.98
that work in this old world
00:01:56.01\00:01:57.59
that want to take that
assurance away from you.
00:01:57.62\00:02:01.64
They want you to doubt,
00:02:01.67\00:02:03.21
they want you to
think you are not worthy,
00:02:03.24\00:02:05.22
that you are not good enough.
00:02:05.25\00:02:06.61
There are forces in
the work in this world
00:02:06.64\00:02:09.08
that are trying to prevent
you from knowing the lamb.
00:02:09.11\00:02:12.46
Open your Bibles
to Revelation 13.
00:02:12.49\00:02:15.45
In the 13th
Chapter of Revelation
00:02:15.48\00:02:17.98
you can identify them.
00:02:18.01\00:02:20.49
Actually let's
start in Chapter 12:17
00:02:20.52\00:02:23.22
as it kind of review of
what we've studied so far,
00:02:23.25\00:02:26.28
"Then the dragon
was angry at the woman,
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and he went off to make war
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against the rest
of her offspring,
00:02:32.42\00:02:35.94
those who obey
God's commandments
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and hold to the
testimony of Jesus."
00:02:38.42\00:02:40.88
Two points of attack
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that the dragon launches
against God's people, the rest.
00:02:43.24\00:02:47.84
The King James says the remnant.
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It means the last of
God's people on this earth.
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This is it, this
is the last battle
00:02:52.79\00:02:55.79
that will unfold on this earth.
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What are the two
points of attack?
00:02:57.61\00:03:00.29
They obey the
commandments of God
00:03:00.32\00:03:03.70
and cling to the
testimony of Jesus Christ.
00:03:03.73\00:03:08.33
The law and the
gospel, the law and the cross,
00:03:08.36\00:03:12.75
Jesus and His law,
00:03:12.78\00:03:14.78
the two points of
attack in the last days.
00:03:14.81\00:03:17.98
We'll understand a
lot more about that
00:03:18.01\00:03:20.75
but watch how this
battle, how this war unfolds.
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The next verse Chapter 13:1,
00:03:24.93\00:03:27.18
"The dragon,"
that's the devil, remember.
00:03:27.21\00:03:29.75
"The dragon stood
on the shore of the sea
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and saw a beast
coming up out of the water.
00:03:34.20\00:03:37.95
He had ten horns, seven heads,
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ten crowns on his horns,
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on each head a
blasphemous name."
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The dragon sees this
beast rise up out of the water.
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Watch what he does,
at the end of verse 2,
00:03:47.31\00:03:50.68
"The dragon gave
the beast his power,
00:03:50.71\00:03:54.19
his throne and great authority."
00:03:54.22\00:03:58.67
So it's the dragon who gives
his authority to the beast.
00:03:58.70\00:04:05.24
Now watch, verse 4,
"Men worshiped the dragon,"
00:04:05.27\00:04:10.35
that's the devil.
00:04:10.38\00:04:12.19
Well, who would
worship the devil?
00:04:12.22\00:04:14.43
Oh, there are few devil
worshippers around but not many.
00:04:14.46\00:04:18.12
Who would really
worship the devil?
00:04:18.15\00:04:20.17
Watch this, "Men
worshiped the dragon
00:04:20.20\00:04:24.66
because he had given
authority to the beast,
00:04:24.69\00:04:29.02
and they also
worshiped the beast."
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You see that's his plan.
00:04:32.50\00:04:33.87
The dragon, that's the devil
gives his authority to the beast
00:04:33.90\00:04:38.38
and the whole
world worships the beast
00:04:38.41\00:04:41.16
but in fact they are
worshipping the dragon,
00:04:41.19\00:04:44.49
that's the devil
00:04:44.52\00:04:45.55
because he gave his
authority to the beast.
00:04:45.58\00:04:49.94
That's his plan.
00:04:49.97\00:04:51.31
Why would they
ever worship the beast?
00:04:55.31\00:04:57.83
We can sit here in
this comfortable auditorium,
00:04:57.86\00:05:00.84
it's like not me.
00:05:00.87\00:05:02.27
I would never worship the beast.
00:05:02.30\00:05:05.72
Well, how does it happen?
00:05:05.75\00:05:07.40
Verse 11, "I saw another
beast come up out of the earth."
00:05:07.43\00:05:10.94
First one came out of the water,
00:05:10.97\00:05:12.84
this one comes out of the earth.
00:05:12.87\00:05:14.83
Remember the Book of
Revelation is symbolic,
00:05:14.86\00:05:17.62
these beasts
are not real animals
00:05:17.65\00:05:19.85
running around on the earth,
00:05:19.88\00:05:21.31
they are symbolic.
00:05:21.34\00:05:22.84
"So the beast comps
up out of the earth,
00:05:22.87\00:05:25.16
that's the false
prophet, look at him,
00:05:25.19\00:05:27.47
he has two horns like the lamb.
00:05:27.50\00:05:33.27
He looks like the lamb.
00:05:37.44\00:05:44.53
But he speaks like the dragon."
00:05:44.56\00:05:50.28
He looks like the lamb.
00:05:50.31\00:05:53.30
"And he
exercised all the authority
00:05:53.33\00:05:55.04
of the first
beast on his behalf,
00:05:55.07\00:05:57.16
and made the earth
and its inhabitants
00:05:57.19\00:05:59.45
worship the first beast."
00:05:59.48\00:06:01.08
So this false prophet,
00:06:01.11\00:06:02.97
a beast who looks like the lamb
00:06:03.00\00:06:05.51
forces the earth to
worship the first beast
00:06:05.54\00:06:08.25
who comes out of the water
00:06:08.28\00:06:11.03
and get's his
authority from the dragon.
00:06:11.06\00:06:13.02
Now how does he do it?
00:06:13.05\00:06:15.58
First, he looks like a
lamb but secondly, verse 13,
00:06:15.61\00:06:23.49
"He performed great
and miraculous signs."
00:06:23.52\00:06:27.15
And verse 14, "Because of
the signs or the miracles,
00:06:27.18\00:06:30.82
he was given power to do
on behalf of the first beast,
00:06:30.85\00:06:34.50
he deceived the
inhabitants of the earth
00:06:34.53\00:06:37.22
and ordered them to erect an
image in honor of the beast."
00:06:37.25\00:06:39.98
So the false
prophet does miracles,
00:06:40.01\00:06:43.60
he looks like a lamb.
00:06:43.63\00:06:44.96
He appears as
though he is a man of God.
00:06:44.99\00:06:47.80
He appears as though he is
a follower of Jesus Christ.
00:06:47.83\00:06:50.87
He does miracles.
00:06:50.90\00:06:52.30
And by the
power of the miracles,
00:06:52.33\00:06:54.32
he gains the
confidence of the people
00:06:54.35\00:06:56.80
and somehow deceives them
into worshipping the beast
00:06:56.83\00:07:01.50
but they think they
are worshipping the lamb.
00:07:01.53\00:07:09.01
And that's the
devil's master plan.
00:07:09.04\00:07:13.47
They think they are
worshipping the lamb.
00:07:13.50\00:07:17.12
In verse 8, he tells us
00:07:17.15\00:07:18.81
all of the
inhabitants of the earth
00:07:18.84\00:07:21.50
will worship the beast.
00:07:21.53\00:07:28.58
"All whose names
have not been written
00:07:28.61\00:07:30.33
in the book of life
belonging to the lamb."
00:07:30.36\00:07:34.75
Folks, we need to have our names
written in that book, amen.
00:07:34.78\00:07:41.54
We need to have our
names written in that book
00:07:41.57\00:07:45.73
because everyone else
will worship the beast
00:07:45.76\00:07:49.38
thinking they are
following the lamb.
00:07:49.41\00:07:53.40
Jesus said the same
thing in Matthew, Matthew 7.
00:07:53.43\00:07:59.57
Matthew 7:15,
"Watch out," Jesus said,
00:07:59.60\00:08:03.32
"Watch out for false prophets.
00:08:03.35\00:08:05.27
They come to you
in sheep's clothing,
00:08:05.30\00:08:08.47
but inwardly they
are ferocious wolves."
00:08:08.50\00:08:13.63
False prophet, there he is.
00:08:13.66\00:08:16.51
He comes in sheep's cloth,
oh, he looks like a man of God,
00:08:16.54\00:08:20.95
looks like a lamb, a
Christian, a powerful preacher
00:08:20.98\00:08:26.44
but inwardly he
is a ferocious beast.
00:08:26.47\00:08:32.51
It's the same thing
John saw in Revelation
00:08:32.54\00:08:36.71
but watch what Jesus said
00:08:36.74\00:08:37.98
and this ought to
get our antennas up
00:08:38.01\00:08:43.23
and grab our attention.
00:08:43.26\00:08:46.75
Verse 21, "Not everyone
who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
00:08:46.78\00:08:53.47
will enter the
kingdom of heaven."
00:08:53.50\00:08:57.99
Not everyone,
00:08:58.02\00:09:00.40
"but only he who
does the will of my Father
00:09:00.43\00:09:02.62
who is in heaven."
00:09:02.65\00:09:04.56
Verse 22, "Many," how many?
00:09:04.59\00:09:08.87
"Many will say
to me on that day,
00:09:08.90\00:09:12.18
'Lord, Lord, did we
not prophesy in your name,
00:09:12.21\00:09:16.73
and drive out demons
00:09:16.76\00:09:18.66
and perform many
miracles in Your name?
00:09:18.69\00:09:22.19
And then I will
tell them plainly,
00:09:26.94\00:09:30.80
'I never knew you,
00:09:30.83\00:09:35.78
away from me, you evildoer.'"
00:09:35.81\00:09:39.73
Not everyone who says,
00:09:45.30\00:09:46.86
'Lord, Lord' will
enter the kingdom.
00:09:46.89\00:09:51.57
Many people who do
miracles in the name of God,
00:09:51.60\00:09:56.41
many who drive out
demons in the name of God.
00:09:56.44\00:10:02.72
Many who can pray for
healing in the name of God.
00:10:02.75\00:10:06.16
And Jesus said,
"I never knew you."
00:10:06.19\00:10:12.58
What kind of a person is this?
00:10:12.61\00:10:16.78
Is this is a murderer, raper,
00:10:16.81\00:10:20.69
not raper, rapist.
00:10:20.72\00:10:24.82
You know what I meant.
00:10:24.85\00:10:27.02
Terrorist, mean,
vile, vicious abuser.
00:10:27.05\00:10:35.02
These are the holiest
looking people you can find.
00:10:35.05\00:10:39.59
They go around
praying all the time.
00:10:39.62\00:10:42.37
They do miracles
in the name of God.
00:10:42.40\00:10:44.61
They talk about
the Lord all the time
00:10:44.64\00:10:48.76
and yet Jesus
said I never knew you.
00:10:48.79\00:10:54.57
In fact if any of
those people were here
00:10:54.60\00:10:57.07
and I ask the question,
00:10:57.10\00:10:58.66
how many of you
know without a doubt
00:10:58.69\00:11:01.07
that you've come to a
place in your spiritual life,
00:11:01.10\00:11:02.71
if you were to die right now,
00:11:02.74\00:11:03.79
you know you
would have eternal life.
00:11:03.82\00:11:05.56
They would be the first
ones to raise their hands,
00:11:05.59\00:11:07.65
wouldn't they?
00:11:07.68\00:11:11.00
Sure, they would.
00:11:11.03\00:11:13.45
So now I am going to
ask you a hard question,
00:11:13.48\00:11:16.50
I ask you to
search your own heart
00:11:20.43\00:11:23.75
and answer that question.
00:11:23.78\00:11:26.45
Do you know without a doubt
that you have eternal life?
00:11:26.48\00:11:30.93
And some of you said,
yes to yourselves, I do.
00:11:30.96\00:11:37.30
I want to ask you.
00:11:37.33\00:11:39.50
How do you know that
you are not one of them
00:11:39.53\00:11:46.59
who think they have eternal life
00:11:46.62\00:11:49.62
but in the end they hear,
away from me you evildoer?
00:11:49.65\00:11:55.26
How do you know you
are not one of them?
00:11:55.29\00:11:59.27
Don't tell me it's
because my spirit bears witness,
00:11:59.30\00:12:01.82
that's exactly
what they would say.
00:12:01.85\00:12:05.82
So how do you know
that you don't think
00:12:05.85\00:12:09.17
you have eternal life
only to find out at the end,
00:12:09.20\00:12:12.19
they hear the
words, I never knew you.
00:12:12.22\00:12:17.07
Is that a fair question?
00:12:17.10\00:12:20.18
It's a hard question but it's
one we better ask ourselves.
00:12:20.21\00:12:26.42
What was the
problem with these people?
00:12:26.45\00:12:29.38
I kind of read over it
quickly, let's look at it again,
00:12:29.41\00:12:33.41
"Not everyone who says to me,
00:12:33.44\00:12:34.76
'Lord, Lord,' will enter kingdom
00:12:34.79\00:12:36.59
only he who does the will
of my Father who is in heaven."
00:12:36.62\00:12:42.76
You see, God is not
interested in just lip service.
00:12:42.79\00:12:46.31
He is not interested in
a bunch of people who are--
00:12:46.34\00:12:48.04
oh, praise the Lord, hallelujah,
00:12:48.07\00:12:49.42
I got saved on the beach
of California 25 years ago,
00:12:49.45\00:12:52.73
while they are living
the same old sinful life,
00:12:52.76\00:12:57.81
only he who does
the will of my father.
00:12:57.84\00:13:01.95
Remember the two
points of attack,
00:13:01.98\00:13:03.30
the commands of God and
the cross of Jesus Christ.
00:13:03.33\00:13:07.52
Only he who obeys
the will of my father.
00:13:07.55\00:13:10.56
In fact if you
look at that last verse
00:13:10.59\00:13:12.77
and of you could
read it in Greek,
00:13:12.80\00:13:14.39
"I never knew you,
away from me, you evildoer."
00:13:14.42\00:13:17.90
The word evildoers
is anomia in Greek,
00:13:17.93\00:13:21.10
it means, you lawless one,
00:13:21.13\00:13:23.32
you who lives without the law.
00:13:23.35\00:13:25.74
So how do we know?
00:13:29.44\00:13:30.89
The only way you can know
00:13:30.92\00:13:32.35
that you are among God's people
00:13:32.38\00:13:36.73
is that you do the
will of the father.
00:13:36.76\00:13:41.76
That raises an
interesting question.
00:13:41.79\00:13:45.53
How much of the
father's will do I have to do
00:13:45.56\00:13:48.73
before I know that
I've done enough to be sure
00:13:48.76\00:13:50.80
that I have eternal life?
00:13:50.83\00:13:53.45
How good do I have to be?
00:13:53.48\00:13:55.80
James tells us,
little Book of James 2:10,
00:13:55.83\00:13:59.41
"Whoever keeps the whole law
00:13:59.44\00:14:01.46
and yet stumbles
at just one point
00:14:01.49\00:14:04.09
is guilty of breaking all of it.
00:14:04.12\00:14:07.28
Because he who said,
'Do not commit adultery,'
00:14:07.31\00:14:09.94
also said, 'Do not murder.'
If you do not commit adultery
00:14:09.97\00:14:12.99
but do commit murder, you
have become a lawbreaker."
00:14:13.02\00:14:17.14
So God demands
perfect obedience to the law.
00:14:17.17\00:14:20.67
Remember, the law
is that big circle.
00:14:20.70\00:14:22.57
He says, "This is
the way I made you,
00:14:22.60\00:14:23.77
I made you
according to these principles.
00:14:23.80\00:14:25.70
If you live within the circle
00:14:25.73\00:14:27.15
or these principles
you are going to live,
00:14:27.18\00:14:28.76
if you step out of
bounds you're going to die."
00:14:28.79\00:14:30.87
And that's why if we break one,
00:14:30.90\00:14:32.83
it's the same as
breaking them all
00:14:32.86\00:14:34.36
because when we
step out of bounds,
00:14:34.39\00:14:36.44
we break, we get hurt,
00:14:36.47\00:14:38.29
we suffer and bad
things happen to other people.
00:14:38.32\00:14:42.66
So God wants perfect obedience.
00:14:42.69\00:14:45.09
He goes on to say
in that same passage,
00:14:45.12\00:14:47.48
"Speak and act as those
00:14:47.51\00:14:49.01
who are going to be judged
by the law that gives freedom."
00:14:49.04\00:14:53.17
Freedom only comes so they agree
00:14:53.20\00:14:54.47
that we find ourselves in
harmony with the law of God.
00:14:54.50\00:14:59.29
And God is not going to
allow people into His kingdom
00:14:59.32\00:15:05.83
that don't trust Him enough
00:15:05.86\00:15:07.23
to want to be
obedient to His law.
00:15:07.26\00:15:09.98
He's not going to let this thing
rise up again in the future.
00:15:10.01\00:15:15.14
So God wants people
who trust Him enough
00:15:15.17\00:15:17.83
to live their lives
within that circle perfectly.
00:15:17.86\00:15:22.25
You say, "Ooh,
pastor, that's bad news."
00:15:22.28\00:15:25.15
It is bad news because the
Bible tells us in 1 John 3:4
00:15:25.18\00:15:30.09
that sin is
transgression of the law.
00:15:30.12\00:15:33.54
Sin is stepping
outside of the circle.
00:15:33.57\00:15:36.31
Deciding to live the life
00:15:36.34\00:15:37.45
the way you want to
live instead of trusting God
00:15:37.48\00:15:41.02
to provide joy and
peace and happiness
00:15:41.05\00:15:42.86
the way He made us, that's sin.
00:15:42.89\00:15:47.00
Sin is transgression
of the law and heathen,
00:15:47.03\00:15:49.21
it gets even worse.
00:15:49.24\00:15:52.23
In Romans 6:26 the Bible says,
00:15:52.26\00:15:57.07
"The wages of sin is death."
00:15:57.10\00:16:01.32
Sin is transgression of the law,
00:16:01.35\00:16:02.62
sin is breaking the law
and the wages of sin is death,
00:16:02.65\00:16:04.73
that's' bad news
and it gets even worse.
00:16:04.76\00:16:06.95
We say, "Pastor, I
don't want to hear bad news,
00:16:06.98\00:16:08.50
I want to hear good news."
00:16:08.53\00:16:09.56
Well, you can't
understand good news
00:16:09.59\00:16:10.79
unless you hear
the bad news first.
00:16:10.82\00:16:14.27
Good news isn't good
news without bad news.
00:16:14.30\00:16:18.98
Sin is transgression of the law
and the wages of sin is death,
00:16:19.01\00:16:24.17
and God demands perfect
obedience to the law, bad news.
00:16:24.20\00:16:29.21
But the worst news, I am sorry,
00:16:29.24\00:16:30.64
comes in Romans 3:23,
the worst of the bad news,
00:16:30.67\00:16:35.19
"All have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God."
00:16:35.22\00:16:40.85
That doesn't leave us
with much hope, does it?
00:16:40.88\00:16:44.58
All have sinned and come
short of the glory of God,
00:16:44.61\00:16:46.53
the wages of sin is death.
00:16:46.56\00:16:47.95
We all deserve to die
and no amount of doing good
00:16:47.98\00:16:52.10
and obeying laws or
anything else like that
00:16:52.13\00:16:54.64
is ever going to save us
00:16:54.67\00:16:55.81
because we have sin and
the wages of sin is death.
00:16:55.84\00:17:00.44
Now comes the good
news, are you ready for it?
00:17:00.47\00:17:05.37
Now comes the
good news, verse 20,
00:17:05.40\00:17:07.79
"But now a
righteousness from God
00:17:07.82\00:17:10.90
apart from the law
has been made known."
00:17:10.93\00:17:14.85
So what is this righteousness
of God apart from the law?
00:17:14.88\00:17:19.64
The righteousness of God,
00:17:19.67\00:17:20.91
righteousness is a kind
of technical religious word
00:17:20.94\00:17:22.99
but it's really
simple, it means right doing.
00:17:23.02\00:17:27.91
Well, what is right
doing? What is right?
00:17:27.94\00:17:31.98
Paul said in Roman
7, the law is right.
00:17:32.01\00:17:36.42
So righteousness is right doing,
00:17:36.45\00:17:38.09
right doing is
becoming obedient to the law.
00:17:38.12\00:17:44.24
Now a
righteousness apart from the law
00:17:44.27\00:17:46.50
has been made known.
00:17:46.53\00:17:47.65
Here is the good news, verse 22,
00:17:47.68\00:17:49.63
"This
righteousness, right doing,
00:17:49.66\00:17:52.01
this obedience to
the law comes from God,
00:17:52.04\00:17:58.13
through faith in Jesus
Christ to all who believe."
00:17:58.16\00:18:02.96
You see, God can only allow
00:18:02.99\00:18:05.42
those who are
perfectly righteous,
00:18:05.45\00:18:08.13
perfectly obedient to Him.
00:18:08.16\00:18:10.17
Those are the only ones
00:18:10.20\00:18:11.38
He can trust to
enter His kingdom.
00:18:11.41\00:18:13.76
We can't do that,
we've already all sinned
00:18:13.79\00:18:16.98
but He sent His
son, Jesus who was God
00:18:17.01\00:18:21.08
and became a human being like us
00:18:21.11\00:18:24.18
and He perfectly obeyed the
law and He ascended to heaven.
00:18:24.21\00:18:30.33
And now He wants to
give you as a free gift
00:18:30.36\00:18:33.85
the perfect life that He lived.
00:18:33.88\00:18:36.20
And that's the righteousness,
the obedience that saves us.
00:18:39.58\00:18:45.30
Now the devil is not
very happy about that.
00:18:45.33\00:18:49.01
He says, "God,
you can't do that.
00:18:49.04\00:18:53.32
You can't do that
because they are all sinners.
00:18:53.35\00:18:55.00
How can you just give them
the perfect life Jesus lived?"
00:18:55.03\00:18:58.43
And God says, "Devil,
you don't understand."
00:18:58.46\00:19:02.81
Listen, this is a verse
00:19:02.84\00:19:04.98
that's not often
understood by many,
00:19:05.01\00:19:07.64
verse 25, "God presented him,
00:19:07.67\00:19:10.19
that's Jesus as a
sacrifice of atonement,
00:19:10.22\00:19:12.75
through faith in his blood."
00:19:12.78\00:19:14.93
Why did He sacrificed Jesus?
Why did Jesus have to die?
00:19:14.96\00:19:19.34
He did this in order to
demonstrate His justice.
00:19:19.37\00:19:24.19
He did it in order to show
that He is doing the right thing
00:19:24.22\00:19:28.14
when He saves you to
whom He gave the free life,
00:19:28.17\00:19:31.41
perfect life of
Jesus freely as a gift.
00:19:31.44\00:19:34.93
You see, when Adam
and Eve ate the tree,
00:19:34.96\00:19:36.96
remember God said, if you
eat the fruit from that tree,
00:19:36.99\00:19:39.32
you are going to die.
00:19:39.35\00:19:42.85
They ate it, God
didn't want them to die,
00:19:42.88\00:19:47.41
He loved them.
00:19:47.44\00:19:49.24
But how could He
allow them to live
00:19:49.27\00:19:53.58
and number one,
still be saying the truth
00:19:53.61\00:19:55.85
when He said, if
you eat it you will die,
00:19:55.88\00:19:57.83
that was His dilemma.
00:19:57.86\00:19:59.87
How could He allow them to
live outside of the bounds,
00:19:59.90\00:20:03.86
the circle that provides peace
and joy and happiness for us?
00:20:03.89\00:20:09.24
You see that was God's dilemma.
00:20:09.27\00:20:13.11
Well, the solution, the
answer to the question is
00:20:13.14\00:20:15.50
Jesus came and died in our place
00:20:15.53\00:20:22.99
so that God can be fair
00:20:23.02\00:20:25.46
and just when He saves us
00:20:25.49\00:20:27.85
by giving us the
perfect life of Jesus Christ.
00:20:27.88\00:20:31.90
He did this to
demonstrate His justice.
00:20:31.93\00:20:34.90
Jesus died so
God could demonstrate
00:20:34.93\00:20:37.38
His justice at the present time
00:20:37.41\00:20:39.36
and be just or fair
00:20:39.39\00:20:41.69
in the one who saves
those who have faith in Jesus.
00:20:41.72\00:20:45.52
And the devil
says, "Oh wait a minute.
00:20:45.55\00:20:46.92
That still doesn't wash with me
00:20:46.95\00:20:50.44
because they sinned, not Jesus.
00:20:50.47\00:20:54.50
Colon sinned, not Jesus.
00:20:54.53\00:20:57.53
Colon deserves to die.
00:20:57.56\00:20:58.83
Jesus just can't
go die in his place."
00:20:58.86\00:21:02.66
And God says to the devil,
00:21:02.69\00:21:04.65
"You still
don't get it, do you?"
00:21:04.68\00:21:07.68
Let me help you understand.
00:21:07.71\00:21:09.92
2 Corinthians 5, I believe,
00:21:09.95\00:21:13.82
maybe the most
important verse in the Bible.
00:21:13.85\00:21:16.88
You should circle it,
underline it, memorize it.
00:21:16.91\00:21:19.60
2 Corinthians 5:21,
00:21:19.63\00:21:25.59
"God made Him,
that's Jesus Christ,
00:21:25.62\00:21:28.24
God made him who had
no sin to be sin for us,
00:21:28.27\00:21:33.48
so that in Him we might become
the righteousness of God."
00:21:33.51\00:21:38.62
What a verse.
00:21:38.65\00:21:40.52
God made Him who had
no sin to be sin for us
00:21:40.55\00:21:43.33
so that in Him we can
become the righteousness of God,
00:21:43.36\00:21:47.15
perfectly obedient to God.
00:21:47.18\00:21:50.67
Let me ask you a question,
00:21:50.70\00:21:52.32
I want you to raise
your hands and answer.
00:21:52.35\00:21:57.25
How many have you
believe that Jesus was sin?
00:21:57.28\00:22:02.67
Was Jesus sin?
00:22:05.87\00:22:08.55
And I see about
half a dozen hands go up.
00:22:08.58\00:22:13.19
Does Jesus ever sin?
00:22:13.22\00:22:17.56
Let me read this verse again.
00:22:17.59\00:22:20.37
"God made Him
00:22:20.40\00:22:22.77
who had no sin
00:22:22.80\00:22:25.29
to be sin for us."
00:22:25.32\00:22:31.51
Now God made Him to be sin,
00:22:31.54\00:22:35.53
was He sin?
00:22:35.56\00:22:37.24
Is the Bible true?
00:22:40.85\00:22:43.95
God made him to
be sin, was He sin?
00:22:43.98\00:22:49.91
Why is it so hard to
believe what the Bible says?
00:22:49.94\00:22:52.90
I will tell you why
some of you are struggling.
00:22:52.93\00:22:55.16
You think that I am
saying that Jesus sinned.
00:22:55.19\00:22:59.73
No, God made Him who had no sin.
00:22:59.76\00:23:04.88
He never sinned, not in action,
00:23:04.91\00:23:08.99
not in word,
not even in thought.
00:23:09.02\00:23:12.04
Jesus never sinned
00:23:12.07\00:23:14.14
but by a miracle God
made Him to be sin for us.
00:23:14.17\00:23:20.02
What does that mean?
00:23:20.05\00:23:22.20
It means, like Peter said,
00:23:22.23\00:23:25.18
he bore our sins in His body.
00:23:25.21\00:23:30.18
God took the guilt for every sin
00:23:30.21\00:23:33.54
that you and I and the
whole world has ever done,
00:23:33.57\00:23:36.90
He took all of that guilt
and put it in the body of Jesus,
00:23:36.93\00:23:41.64
so that Jesus became sin.
00:23:41.67\00:23:45.59
Jesus became
guilty for your sins
00:23:45.62\00:23:49.45
even though He never sinned.
00:23:49.48\00:23:53.90
But it was just the
same as though He did
00:23:53.93\00:23:56.98
because God by a miracle
00:23:57.01\00:23:59.09
which I believe is the
greatest miracle of all
00:23:59.12\00:24:02.05
takes the guilt for our
sins and made Jesus guilty.
00:24:02.08\00:24:05.55
If you tell a lie,
Jesus becomes a liar.
00:24:05.58\00:24:09.40
If you want to be a druggie,
00:24:09.43\00:24:11.36
Jesus is the one
sticking the needle in His arm
00:24:11.39\00:24:14.02
even though He never did
it, He become guilty of it.
00:24:14.05\00:24:16.82
If you insist on
destroying your body
00:24:19.86\00:24:22.26
with alcohol and tobacco,
00:24:22.29\00:24:24.01
you are forcing
Jesus to take a drink,
00:24:24.04\00:24:26.26
you are forcing Jesus to
light up and take a puff.
00:24:26.29\00:24:29.26
He never did it, you did it.
00:24:29.29\00:24:34.51
But you're
making Him become guilty
00:24:34.54\00:24:36.12
just as though He did.
00:24:36.15\00:24:37.63
And folks, that's why
Jesus dies on the cross.
00:24:41.20\00:24:45.34
Not because of the
nails in His hands,
00:24:45.37\00:24:49.63
not because of the
crown of thorns on His head
00:24:49.66\00:24:54.61
but because He bore in His body
00:24:54.64\00:24:57.24
the guilt for your sins.
00:24:57.27\00:25:02.46
The abusers, the wife
beaters, the cheating wives,
00:25:02.49\00:25:08.66
the liars, the murderers,
00:25:08.69\00:25:12.00
Jesus felt it all
as though He did it.
00:25:12.03\00:25:17.65
He felt the sickness,
the dirty feeling of sin,
00:25:17.68\00:25:23.66
the shame and it
crushed His life.
00:25:23.69\00:25:30.82
He was made to be sin for you.
00:25:30.85\00:25:34.10
In fact He so identified
with you that in verse 14,
00:25:34.13\00:25:39.32
"One died for all
therefore all died."
00:25:39.35\00:25:45.72
Jesus became so
much one with your sin
00:25:45.75\00:25:49.65
that when He died on the cross,
00:25:49.68\00:25:51.44
you died with Him and
that's how God can say,
00:25:51.47\00:25:56.81
"If you eat the
fruit you will die."
00:25:56.84\00:25:59.18
That's how God can say,
"The wages of sin is death."
00:25:59.21\00:26:03.55
And then save those
who choose to love Him
00:26:03.58\00:26:07.81
because Jesus
became guilty for your sins
00:26:07.84\00:26:11.02
so much that He
died, you died with Him.
00:26:11.05\00:26:15.19
And now in Jesus you
become a new creation.
00:26:15.22\00:26:18.74
The old man is dead.
00:26:18.77\00:26:23.00
And now I am a new
creation in Jesus Christ.
00:26:23.03\00:26:26.36
Well, how do I
know He did that for me,
00:26:26.39\00:26:29.33
people ask me.
00:26:29.36\00:26:31.24
Not everybody is
going to be saved.
00:26:31.27\00:26:32.86
In fact most people are
going to worship the beast.
00:26:32.89\00:26:35.31
How do I know
He did that for me?
00:26:35.34\00:26:39.67
1 John 5:11,
00:26:39.70\00:26:43.19
"God has given us eternal life,
and this life is in the Son.
00:26:43.22\00:26:48.18
He who has the Son has
life and he who does not have
00:26:48.21\00:26:51.36
the Son of God
does not have life."
00:26:51.39\00:26:53.36
How can you know if you
have eternal life or not?
00:26:53.39\00:26:55.76
It's simple, do you have Jesus?
00:26:55.79\00:26:59.47
If you have Jesus
then you have eternal life.
00:26:59.50\00:27:04.85
If you don't have Jesus,
then you don' have eternal life.
00:27:04.88\00:27:08.56
I don't care how
many good things you do,
00:27:08.59\00:27:10.13
I don't know how many
good deeds you worked,
00:27:10.16\00:27:12.44
if you don't have Jesus,
you don't have eternal life.
00:27:12.47\00:27:15.70
So the next
question obviously is
00:27:15.73\00:27:18.99
how do you get
Jesus? How do you get Jesus?
00:27:19.02\00:27:23.19
Look at the next verse,
"I write these things to you
00:27:23.22\00:27:25.21
who believe in the
name of the Son of God
00:27:25.24\00:27:27.00
so that you may know
that you have eternal life."
00:27:27.03\00:27:30.48
He wants you to
know-- how can we know?
00:27:30.51\00:27:32.78
Look verse 14,
"This is the confidence
00:27:32.81\00:27:35.89
that we have in approaching God.
00:27:35.92\00:27:38.11
If we ask Him for anything
00:27:38.14\00:27:40.12
according to His
will, He hears us."
00:27:40.15\00:27:42.91
And we know that we
have what we have asked.
00:27:42.94\00:27:45.13
So how can we be
sure, what is our assurance,
00:27:45.16\00:27:48.31
what is our confidence?
Our confidence is this.
00:27:48.34\00:27:51.04
If we ask Jesus for anything
00:27:51.07\00:27:54.29
according to His will, He
is going to give it to you.
00:27:54.32\00:27:57.83
Is it His will to save you? Yes.
00:27:57.86\00:28:00.72
That's why He died on the cross.
00:28:00.75\00:28:03.33
So if you say, "Jesus, I want
you to come in to my heart."
00:28:03.36\00:28:06.37
Will He come? Yes.
00:28:06.40\00:28:08.17
How do you know?
Because He said so.
00:28:08.20\00:28:12.32
You know, the most
profound little song
00:28:12.35\00:28:14.27
that I've ever heard.
00:28:14.30\00:28:16.94
"Jesus loves me,
00:28:16.97\00:28:19.54
this I know for
the Bible tells me so."
00:28:19.57\00:28:25.82
One lady told me,
"Pastor, I know I am saved."
00:28:28.84\00:28:30.95
I said, "Tell
me, how do you know?"
00:28:30.98\00:28:32.56
Because when I got saved,
00:28:32.59\00:28:33.73
I felt
electricity go up in my back.
00:28:33.76\00:28:38.11
I said, "What verse is that?"
00:28:38.14\00:28:42.40
Show me that verse,
00:28:42.43\00:28:43.46
I didn't feel any
electricity on my back.
00:28:43.49\00:28:47.90
I know I am saved
because Jesus said,
00:28:47.93\00:28:50.59
if you ask me and I
promise you, I'll come
00:28:50.62\00:28:54.37
and He doesn't lie.
00:28:54.40\00:28:56.31
Revelation 3:20, He says,
00:28:56.34\00:28:58.31
"I stand at the door and knock
00:28:58.34\00:29:00.51
and if any man hears my voice
00:29:00.54\00:29:02.10
and opens the
door I might come in?
00:29:02.13\00:29:04.61
No, I will come in."
00:29:04.64\00:29:08.11
If you confess your sins,
00:29:08.14\00:29:09.60
if you ask
Jesus into your heart,
00:29:09.63\00:29:11.47
He will forgive
you, He will come in
00:29:11.50\00:29:13.85
and He who has the son has life
00:29:13.88\00:29:16.46
and you can be sure of that.
00:29:16.49\00:29:18.19
You can be sure.
00:29:21.61\00:29:22.89
Now asking Jesus,
you have to understand,
00:29:22.92\00:29:25.58
we've already said it's
more than just saying the words
00:29:25.61\00:29:29.76
because not
everyone who says Lord,
00:29:29.79\00:29:31.58
Lord is going to enter.
00:29:31.61\00:29:33.66
So it's not just saying
Jesus come into my heart.
00:29:33.69\00:29:36.95
When you ask
Jesus into your heart,
00:29:36.98\00:29:38.45
you have to ask
Him in as your Savior
00:29:38.48\00:29:41.87
and as your Lord and Master.
00:29:41.90\00:29:47.55
And what does the
Lord do? He rules.
00:29:47.58\00:29:51.09
Asking Jesus into
your heart is saying,
00:29:51.12\00:29:53.39
"Jesus, I want to
pray like You did.
00:29:53.42\00:29:59.61
Father, not my will,
let Your will be done."
00:29:59.64\00:30:04.23
Asking Jesus in your heart
00:30:04.26\00:30:05.62
is asking not
to be your co-pilot
00:30:05.65\00:30:07.81
but your pilot.
00:30:07.84\00:30:08.97
It's saying, "God, I messed up
00:30:15.12\00:30:18.35
and every time I
try, I don't do very good.
00:30:18.38\00:30:21.55
Now I am putting
it into Your hands."
00:30:21.58\00:30:23.11
And He will change you.
00:30:27.70\00:30:29.65
He will give you a new heart.
00:30:29.68\00:30:32.37
He gives you the
perfect obedience of Jesus
00:30:32.40\00:30:34.61
and credits it to
your checking account.
00:30:34.64\00:30:39.64
And He changes your heart
00:30:39.67\00:30:40.86
and creates within you a
desire to be obedient to Him,
00:30:40.89\00:30:44.78
to want to live
according to the way He made us.
00:30:44.81\00:30:48.92
To seek that peace and happiness
00:30:48.95\00:30:50.93
that He wants to give us.
00:30:50.96\00:30:53.28
We trust Him with that.
00:30:53.31\00:30:55.61
That's what asking
Jesus into your heart means.
00:30:55.64\00:30:58.80
No, you are not
going to be perfect
00:30:58.83\00:31:00.11
as soon as you accept Jesus.
00:31:00.14\00:31:03.54
But you're going
to have eternal life
00:31:03.57\00:31:05.23
and in God's eyes
you will be perfect
00:31:05.26\00:31:07.40
because His
righteousness becomes yours.
00:31:07.43\00:31:11.04
First time Jesus
went into a temple,
00:31:11.07\00:31:14.74
they were selling
animals, cheating the people.
00:31:14.77\00:31:19.93
Now Jesus didn't step outside
00:31:19.96\00:31:21.94
and said, "Wow, you get
out of there before I come in."
00:31:21.97\00:31:26.20
He didn't do
that. What did He do?
00:31:26.23\00:31:31.10
He went in with
a whip in His hand.
00:31:31.13\00:31:37.88
And He turned over those tables
00:31:37.91\00:31:41.05
and chased out the cows
and chased out the goats
00:31:41.08\00:31:45.88
and the pigeons
and the money changers.
00:31:45.91\00:31:49.83
You are the temple of God.
00:31:54.64\00:32:00.30
And when you say
Jesus come in to my life,
00:32:00.33\00:32:04.33
all you're doing is
saying, Jesus here is the whip,
00:32:04.36\00:32:09.53
come on in, clean it up.
00:32:09.56\00:32:13.27
And He starts
chasing out those cows,
00:32:13.30\00:32:16.79
chasing out those sheep.
00:32:16.82\00:32:19.70
Get them out of there.
00:32:19.73\00:32:21.51
Turns over the
tables, cleanse your life up.
00:32:21.54\00:32:27.37
I bet you some of those goats
00:32:27.40\00:32:29.17
and cows went
around the back door
00:32:29.20\00:32:31.45
and came in again.
00:32:31.48\00:32:34.85
Sometimes they do
that for us, don't they?
00:32:34.88\00:32:38.94
Lord, help me never do it
again and, oh, Lord, I did it.
00:32:38.97\00:32:42.61
Forgive me, help me again.
00:32:42.64\00:32:46.48
And He keeps chasing them out
00:32:46.51\00:32:47.96
over and over and over again
00:32:47.99\00:32:49.38
as many times it
takes to keep him out.
00:32:49.41\00:32:53.33
And He will chase him out
00:32:53.36\00:32:54.66
as long as you let
Him have that whip,
00:32:54.69\00:32:58.21
but you have to say,
00:32:58.24\00:32:59.50
"Jesus, you see
that cow over there,
00:32:59.53\00:33:02.69
the black one
with the white spots,
00:33:02.72\00:33:06.80
that's my favorite cow.
00:33:06.83\00:33:09.33
Leave him, let be
there, don't chase him out."
00:33:09.36\00:33:14.19
What you're saying is
give me back the whip,
00:33:14.22\00:33:17.92
I am Lord here,
don't trust you anymore.
00:33:17.95\00:33:23.08
As long as you
let Him have the whip,
00:33:23.11\00:33:24.57
He is cleaning your life up,
00:33:24.60\00:33:25.92
no matter how
many times you stumble,
00:33:25.95\00:33:27.76
no matter how many times
00:33:27.79\00:33:28.82
those animals
come in the back door,
00:33:28.85\00:33:30.36
Jesus is there and He
who has the Son has life.
00:33:30.39\00:33:35.66
And He will give you
power, you will be victorious.
00:33:35.69\00:33:38.33
I know, He changes your heart
00:33:38.36\00:33:40.42
because I haven't always
been a Christian, 12 year--
00:33:40.45\00:33:43.39
I was 12 years
old, not 12 years ago.
00:33:43.42\00:33:49.46
I was 12 years old
00:33:49.49\00:33:50.52
and I went to a religious
meeting something like this.
00:33:50.55\00:33:54.94
Now this is back in the days
of hellfire brimstone preachers
00:33:54.97\00:33:57.92
and I am telling you
00:33:57.95\00:33:59.04
this preacher knew
how to make it hot.
00:33:59.07\00:34:02.10
He preached the hottest
hell you could ever imagine
00:34:02.13\00:34:04.74
and right at the
end of the ceremony,
00:34:04.77\00:34:06.31
it just seems that
he pick me up by my ears
00:34:06.34\00:34:08.37
and dropped me in the fire.
00:34:08.40\00:34:11.51
Who want's to get saved?
00:34:11.54\00:34:13.15
Oh, I bounced out of my seat,
00:34:13.18\00:34:15.91
I didn't want to
burn in that fire,
00:34:15.94\00:34:19.47
so I got baptized, I got saved.
00:34:19.50\00:34:23.26
But you know when
you serve God out of fear
00:34:23.29\00:34:27.37
of the hell's fire,
00:34:27.40\00:34:29.74
pretty soon those
flames start cooling down.
00:34:29.77\00:34:33.90
That's what happened to me.
00:34:33.93\00:34:36.65
I went to a
Christian high school.
00:34:36.68\00:34:40.53
I even went to a
Christian college
00:34:40.56\00:34:44.16
and there on the campus
of that Christian college,
00:34:44.19\00:34:47.88
I began to drift away
from my Lord Jesus Christ
00:34:47.91\00:34:53.63
and I can remember
exactly what happened.
00:34:53.66\00:34:56.97
One day I was in my dorm room,
00:34:57.00\00:35:01.81
some friends
came in and they said,
00:35:01.84\00:35:03.31
Jac, we are going
downtown to do something,
00:35:03.34\00:35:05.88
I knew was wrong.
00:35:05.91\00:35:08.83
Now I am not going
to tell you what it was,
00:35:08.86\00:35:10.34
doesn't even matter.
00:35:10.37\00:35:12.14
What matter is that when
you know that something is wrong
00:35:12.17\00:35:17.32
and you chose to do it anyway,
00:35:17.35\00:35:20.28
it works back on
you and starts to dampen
00:35:20.31\00:35:25.75
that spiritual
walk that you have
00:35:25.78\00:35:30.12
and makes it
easier to do it again.
00:35:30.15\00:35:33.02
You know what I
am talking about.
00:35:33.05\00:35:34.70
We've all been there.
00:35:34.73\00:35:37.98
And so I began
doing more and more things
00:35:38.01\00:35:41.25
that were not a part
of God's plan for me.
00:35:41.28\00:35:45.28
And by the time I graduated
from that Christian college,
00:35:45.31\00:35:50.64
I didn't even
believe in God anymore.
00:35:50.67\00:35:54.52
I thought that religion,
00:35:54.55\00:35:57.34
Jesus, God were crutches
00:35:57.37\00:36:00.30
for weak people
to get through life
00:36:00.33\00:36:03.49
and I am not a weak person,
00:36:03.52\00:36:05.16
I am a man, I can
make it on my own.
00:36:05.19\00:36:07.32
God, go help somebody else.
00:36:07.35\00:36:11.76
I didn't even care.
00:36:11.79\00:36:16.49
In order to show
what a real man I was,
00:36:16.52\00:36:20.34
I joined United
State's Air Force,
00:36:20.37\00:36:23.84
didn't stop to
think that there were also
00:36:23.87\00:36:25.63
women in the Air Force.
00:36:25.66\00:36:28.76
It didn't prove
anything. Oh, but I am the man.
00:36:28.79\00:36:35.10
I went to flight school,
assigned to B52 bomb crew,
00:36:35.13\00:36:40.96
60 second bomb wing.
00:36:40.99\00:36:43.79
Barksdale Air
Force Base, Louisiana.
00:36:43.82\00:36:49.08
I was Captain in the Air Force
00:36:49.11\00:36:50.67
with a 105 combat
missions in Vietnam.
00:36:50.70\00:36:57.41
I was the man and I
could do it all on my own.
00:36:57.44\00:37:01.47
I didn't need God,
00:37:01.50\00:37:04.68
except that I can
remember sometimes
00:37:04.71\00:37:07.83
especially the first time
we flew into North Vietnam.
00:37:07.86\00:37:12.96
You see, when we
first went over there,
00:37:12.99\00:37:14.68
they gave us all
the easy missions
00:37:14.71\00:37:16.38
around Saigon in the south.
00:37:16.41\00:37:18.19
There was no threat down there.
00:37:18.22\00:37:21.65
But finally, after
we had some experience
00:37:21.68\00:37:24.49
went in for target study
and there it was North Vietnam,
00:37:24.52\00:37:30.10
an area defended with
anti-aircraft artillery
00:37:30.13\00:37:33.77
but we were too high for that
00:37:33.80\00:37:36.53
but there was
surface to air missiles
00:37:36.56\00:37:39.46
and there were MIG
bases not too far away.
00:37:39.49\00:37:42.19
So we did a pre flight
climb on the air plane,
00:37:46.74\00:37:51.58
headed for
Vietnam, North Vietnam.
00:37:51.61\00:37:57.18
The closer we got
to that target area,
00:37:57.21\00:38:01.60
the more I began to realize
00:38:01.63\00:38:04.99
that there were
people on the ground
00:38:05.02\00:38:07.51
that wanted to
knock us out of the air.
00:38:07.54\00:38:11.94
And the closer we
got to that target area,
00:38:11.97\00:38:15.54
the more I began to realize
we might not be going home
00:38:15.57\00:38:20.53
and I got scared.
00:38:25.29\00:38:27.43
Oh, I may be the man all
right but this man was scared.
00:38:27.46\00:38:34.67
Sweat dripping off
of me like buckets full.
00:38:34.70\00:38:40.90
In fact I got so
scared, do you know what I did?
00:38:40.93\00:38:46.56
Sure you do.
00:38:46.59\00:38:49.74
I prayed.
00:38:49.77\00:38:52.82
And to God, if you
get me out of this mess,
00:38:52.85\00:38:55.48
I promise I will
be good from now on.
00:38:55.51\00:39:00.32
Did you ever make a
little deal with God like that?
00:39:00.35\00:39:02.32
Now praise the Lord, he
got me out of that mess.
00:39:05.73\00:39:09.88
We landed back at the
air base after we debriefed.
00:39:09.91\00:39:15.20
I was back at the
officers club again,
00:39:15.23\00:39:19.46
drinking, living it up.
00:39:19.49\00:39:21.62
Forgot all about the little deal
00:39:21.65\00:39:24.05
that I made with God,
after all I am the man.
00:39:24.08\00:39:27.74
I don't need God.
00:39:27.77\00:39:31.00
After five years I decided,
00:39:31.03\00:39:34.03
if am really going to
make my mark on the world,
00:39:34.06\00:39:37.54
I need to make plenty of money.
00:39:37.57\00:39:40.18
It was a sin, sure I wasn't
00:39:40.21\00:39:41.52
going to get
rich in the military
00:39:41.55\00:39:44.35
so I resigned my commission
00:39:44.38\00:39:48.46
and decided the best way to get
00:39:48.49\00:39:49.81
rich fast is to
be a stockbroker.
00:39:49.84\00:39:52.95
I got interested in stocks
00:39:52.98\00:39:54.49
and played around
with it a little bit.
00:39:54.52\00:39:57.72
So I took all the training,
I became a stockbroker.
00:39:57.75\00:40:02.41
I was a broker for Paine,
Webber, Jackson and Curtis,
00:40:02.44\00:40:05.93
one of the largest firms
on Wall Street at that time.
00:40:05.96\00:40:11.23
And I set a goal
to be a millionaire
00:40:11.26\00:40:12.96
by the time I was 35,
and will be unto anyone
00:40:12.99\00:40:16.99
who dare to get in my way
00:40:17.02\00:40:20.15
because the only
thing that mattered to me
00:40:20.18\00:40:23.36
was making money and I
was going to make a lot.
00:40:23.39\00:40:30.92
It wasn't long till I
discover that the business world
00:40:30.95\00:40:35.12
is just as vicious if
not more than fighting a war.
00:40:35.15\00:40:41.80
Making money was the
only thing that mattered
00:40:41.83\00:40:46.30
and don't you dare get in my way
00:40:46.33\00:40:50.76
because I am going to get there.
00:40:50.79\00:40:52.28
And I remember
some of the people
00:41:00.38\00:41:03.44
that I did business with
00:41:03.47\00:41:04.72
because
business was good for me.
00:41:04.75\00:41:06.93
I was considered
one of the bright stars
00:41:06.96\00:41:09.44
on the horizon in my firm.
00:41:09.47\00:41:13.08
I remember at
first $3,000 payday,
00:41:13.11\00:41:19.89
two weeks later another one.
00:41:19.92\00:41:21.31
Now that doesn't sound
like a lot of money today
00:41:21.34\00:41:23.77
but back then
that was plenty money
00:41:23.80\00:41:26.47
and it was just the beginning.
00:41:26.50\00:41:29.23
There was a lot
more where that came from
00:41:29.26\00:41:31.93
and I was on my way,
00:41:31.96\00:41:34.84
millionaire by
the time I was 35,
00:41:34.87\00:41:36.99
I never made it.
00:41:37.02\00:41:38.29
Still I haven't
made it but I will,
00:41:38.32\00:41:41.98
because my millions are waiting
for me up there, amen. Amen.
00:41:42.01\00:41:45.64
Oh, I remember walking
down the streets of New Orleans,
00:41:49.43\00:41:52.74
big roll of bills in my pocket,
00:41:52.77\00:41:55.18
making sure the
100s were on top,
00:41:55.21\00:41:57.56
oh so everybody could
see, oh, what a man, wow.
00:41:57.59\00:42:03.06
I remember
walking down the sidewalks
00:42:03.09\00:42:05.06
looking at the big
buildings, the cars, the people.
00:42:05.09\00:42:08.31
New Orleans, this is my city.
00:42:08.34\00:42:10.54
I got you in the
palms of my hands.
00:42:10.57\00:42:12.94
Watch out New Orleans,
00:42:12.97\00:42:14.26
Jac Colon is
here and it felt good.
00:42:14.29\00:42:16.73
Some of my friends, clients,
had already made it all.
00:42:21.09\00:42:26.08
They had millions of
dollars in the banks.
00:42:26.11\00:42:29.58
Made their fortunes in oil,
00:42:29.61\00:42:32.41
real estate, businesses.
00:42:32.44\00:42:37.48
They had big beautiful homes,
00:42:37.51\00:42:40.05
yachts, condos in Aspen,
00:42:40.08\00:42:43.80
on the Riviera with jet setters.
00:42:43.83\00:42:46.88
They could go
wherever they wanted to go
00:42:46.91\00:42:48.44
anytime they wanted
to-- they had everything.
00:42:48.47\00:42:50.63
Beautiful families,
beautiful wives they had it all.
00:42:50.66\00:42:55.00
And I was going to get it
soon even more than I thought
00:42:55.03\00:43:01.52
because I began to notice
00:43:01.55\00:43:04.29
that they were not happy people.
00:43:04.32\00:43:09.17
No, I am not saying that
all rich people aren't happy
00:43:09.20\00:43:12.54
but I am telling
you this group was not
00:43:12.57\00:43:16.29
a group of happy people.
00:43:16.32\00:43:19.26
There was something
missing in their lives.
00:43:19.29\00:43:22.73
They put away a
fifth of scotch in a day
00:43:22.76\00:43:24.58
without even thinking about it.
00:43:24.61\00:43:27.98
And they used my
nice beautiful apartment
00:43:28.01\00:43:33.55
so they can
cheat on their wives.
00:43:33.58\00:43:35.47
They weren't happy.
00:43:35.50\00:43:38.35
And I was beginning to
discover for myself what it was.
00:43:38.38\00:43:44.31
I learned quickly
that in order to be
00:43:44.34\00:43:46.08
successful in
the business world,
00:43:46.11\00:43:47.44
you have to look successful.
00:43:47.47\00:43:48.85
You got to buy
successful looking suits.
00:43:48.88\00:43:53.57
You got to drive
successful looking car.
00:43:53.60\00:43:57.10
I couldn't afford a
Cadillac or a Continental,
00:43:57.13\00:43:59.27
so I got me a little
yellow Datsun 240z car.
00:43:59.30\00:44:03.29
That's successful
looking enough for a starter.
00:44:03.32\00:44:06.49
You have to live in a
successful looking place.
00:44:06.52\00:44:10.99
You have to associate
with successful people
00:44:11.02\00:44:13.81
and I learned quickly
00:44:13.84\00:44:14.87
that in order to associate
with successful people,
00:44:14.90\00:44:16.87
you have to spend
successful amounts of money.
00:44:16.90\00:44:22.04
So I found myself
spending more and more
00:44:22.07\00:44:24.72
in order to make more,
00:44:24.75\00:44:26.00
so that I could spend
more in order to make more.
00:44:26.03\00:44:31.31
I was caught in
this vicious circle.
00:44:31.34\00:44:34.00
The pressure began to
build and I would work
00:44:39.23\00:44:42.19
harder and harder
and longer and longer,
00:44:42.22\00:44:46.87
stress got to be too
much, turn to drink a lot.
00:44:46.90\00:44:51.71
We passed volumes
around like M&M's.
00:44:51.74\00:44:56.43
And they stop
working, turn to alcohol.
00:44:56.46\00:45:01.06
I can remember
stopping on my way home
00:45:01.09\00:45:03.69
at night in the
lounges and the clubs
00:45:03.72\00:45:06.07
and standing in the dance floor
with the strobe lights going,
00:45:06.10\00:45:09.78
the heavy beat of the music,
00:45:09.81\00:45:11.45
can of beer in my hand thinking,
00:45:11.48\00:45:13.42
wow, I am on top of the world
00:45:13.45\00:45:15.89
and then I go home
00:45:15.92\00:45:17.01
and I felt as low
as you could ever get
00:45:17.04\00:45:21.03
because there was an
empty feeling inside.
00:45:21.06\00:45:25.52
That's the devil's big lie.
00:45:25.55\00:45:27.25
Young people here tonight,
00:45:27.28\00:45:28.52
you are not going to
find happiness like that,
00:45:28.55\00:45:31.50
maybe for a moment but it ends
00:45:31.53\00:45:33.58
and then you are down
lower than you were before.
00:45:33.61\00:45:38.89
And it just kept
getting worse and worse and...
00:45:38.92\00:45:41.25
I turned more to alcohol,
experimenting with drugs.
00:45:44.77\00:45:49.98
And I believe
something else at that time,
00:45:50.01\00:45:51.98
I used to believe a real man
00:45:52.01\00:45:54.06
never lets people
know what's inside.
00:45:54.09\00:45:56.41
Did you ever heard that lie?
00:45:56.44\00:45:59.50
They had to keep it all in.
00:45:59.53\00:46:02.31
My life is a mess on the
inside and I can't tell anybody.
00:46:02.34\00:46:05.84
I started staying
away from my friends even
00:46:05.87\00:46:08.21
because I was
afraid I might slip,
00:46:08.24\00:46:09.83
give him a glimpse of
that awful struggle going on.
00:46:09.86\00:46:12.26
I even stayed
away from my family
00:46:12.29\00:46:14.28
because they thought, oh,
everything is just great, man.
00:46:14.31\00:46:17.15
He is riding the
crust of the wave.
00:46:17.18\00:46:20.52
Have you ever been
alone? I was alone.
00:46:20.55\00:46:26.24
I turned my back on my friends,
00:46:26.27\00:46:28.40
I turned my back on my family.
00:46:28.43\00:46:30.96
I turned my back on my God.
00:46:30.99\00:46:34.01
I was alone and I
just wanted to die.
00:46:34.04\00:46:40.96
And that's when
God began to work.
00:46:40.99\00:46:43.92
I am convinced
sometimes He let us get--
00:46:43.95\00:46:45.81
let us get beat down so low
00:46:45.84\00:46:48.29
because He knows that's the
only way we will ever look up.
00:46:48.32\00:46:50.74
You know, it was lunch time,
didn't even feel like eating,
00:46:54.35\00:46:58.34
walking down the
sidewalk, New Orleans.
00:46:58.37\00:47:01.47
Cars going by, I didn't
have that buzz inside anymore
00:47:01.50\00:47:04.96
and I saw a sign on the wall,
00:47:08.88\00:47:11.96
of a window of a
travel agency said,
00:47:11.99\00:47:17.07
Tahiti is calling you.
00:47:17.10\00:47:22.64
And I thought, Tahiti.
00:47:22.67\00:47:26.53
I have been working too hard.
00:47:26.56\00:47:28.85
I just need a break.
00:47:28.88\00:47:31.26
I used to love to
go to the Caribbean,
00:47:31.29\00:47:32.84
I am a scuba diver and
the Caribbean is just tops
00:47:32.87\00:47:36.26
but Tahiti sounded wow, great.
00:47:36.29\00:47:39.71
So I will go to Tahiti.
00:47:39.74\00:47:42.48
See, God was
beginning to work in my life
00:47:42.51\00:47:44.86
because he had to stop,
00:47:44.89\00:47:46.00
He wanted me to make on the way.
00:47:46.03\00:47:49.72
I got somebody to
cover all my accounts
00:47:49.75\00:47:52.73
and I got on that big jet
going to Club Med, Tahiti.
00:47:52.76\00:47:58.23
Oh, it doesn't get
better than that, does it?
00:47:58.26\00:48:01.80
Wild club, party, lot of fun.
00:48:01.83\00:48:07.12
I stopped in Los Angeles
00:48:07.15\00:48:08.35
and spend two nights
with some friends of mine,
00:48:08.38\00:48:10.57
from that Christian
college so many years ago.
00:48:10.60\00:48:14.21
And while I was there,
went to bed that night,
00:48:14.24\00:48:19.64
reach out to bookshelves
00:48:19.67\00:48:20.73
to get a book to
read, I love reading.
00:48:20.76\00:48:23.32
And there was that
book, The Planet in Rebellion.
00:48:23.35\00:48:28.06
Look like a
science fiction book to me.
00:48:28.09\00:48:31.71
So I took it off the
shelves, George Vandeman,
00:48:31.74\00:48:35.54
turned out that
was a religious book.
00:48:35.57\00:48:37.61
He is an
evangelist, passed away now.
00:48:37.64\00:48:41.79
I started reading and
I got interested in it.
00:48:41.82\00:48:45.45
So the next morning I said,
00:48:45.48\00:48:47.26
"Hey, can I take
this with me to Tahiti?"
00:48:47.29\00:48:49.97
Yeah, they were surprised,
I wanted a book like that
00:48:50.00\00:48:51.90
but they said sure, take it.
00:48:51.93\00:48:54.16
So I got on a big jet for Tahiti
00:48:54.19\00:48:56.21
with The Planet in
Rebellion in my briefcase.
00:48:56.24\00:49:00.68
We landed in Papeete,
00:49:00.71\00:49:02.10
got a little boat to
the island of Moorea.
00:49:02.13\00:49:04.63
We were greeted by the beautiful
Tahitian dancing girls.
00:49:04.66\00:49:07.93
They gave us some
refreshment to drink,
00:49:07.96\00:49:10.14
put a crown of
flowers on our heads.
00:49:10.17\00:49:12.08
Oh, man, I felt good already.
00:49:12.11\00:49:14.83
First day there I went swimming,
00:49:14.86\00:49:17.30
scuba diving, water
skiing, played tennis,
00:49:17.33\00:49:21.25
enjoyed the big
buffet, lunch they had for us
00:49:21.28\00:49:25.48
and dance band late that night.
00:49:25.51\00:49:27.92
making my way back to my bed,
00:49:27.95\00:49:29.84
I thought wow, that's all
I needed just to live hard,
00:49:29.87\00:49:32.53
play hard and I will be
ready to go back to work.
00:49:32.56\00:49:35.55
Well, God had a different idea
00:49:35.58\00:49:36.95
because I woke up in
the middle of the night
00:49:36.98\00:49:38.98
with a headache you
would never believe.
00:49:39.01\00:49:42.01
It wasn't what you think it is.
00:49:42.04\00:49:45.22
I had got an ear infection
00:49:45.25\00:49:48.41
in both of my ears and it hurt.
00:49:48.44\00:49:53.68
Hurt to lay down, hurt to
stand up, hurt to do anything.
00:49:53.71\00:49:56.55
I got up, walked
up and down the beach
00:49:56.58\00:49:58.54
until the infirmary
opened early that morning,
00:49:58.57\00:50:00.66
I went into the infirmary.
00:50:00.69\00:50:02.09
Doctor took a look in there
and he said something in French,
00:50:02.12\00:50:05.16
I don't know what it was
00:50:05.19\00:50:06.22
but the nurse said
you got ear infections.
00:50:09.89\00:50:14.41
You need to stay
out of the water.
00:50:14.44\00:50:17.38
I said, "What?" No scuba diving?
00:50:17.41\00:50:23.00
No scuba diving for sure.
00:50:23.03\00:50:25.73
Water skiing, just my
ankles were going to get wet.
00:50:25.76\00:50:28.58
No water skiing,
you might fall down.
00:50:28.61\00:50:30.90
I don't fall
down. No water skiing.
00:50:30.93\00:50:35.04
No swimming. I
will go play tennis.
00:50:35.07\00:50:38.92
Every step just sheer agony.
00:50:38.95\00:50:43.08
There was nothing
for me to do in Tahiti.
00:50:43.11\00:50:47.57
So I went to my bed
and I open my briefcase
00:50:47.60\00:50:50.09
and took out The
Planet in Rebellion
00:50:50.12\00:50:53.82
and I began to read.
00:50:53.85\00:50:57.26
And I read about Jesus
in the Garden of Gethsemane
00:50:57.29\00:51:03.58
and God made Him to
be guilty for my sins.
00:51:03.61\00:51:07.56
And it just seem so real to me
00:51:11.21\00:51:14.65
that I can see Jesus
laying on that cold ground
00:51:14.68\00:51:18.95
crying out, father, not my
will, let your will be done.
00:51:18.98\00:51:26.57
And I realize He was
doing that for me, Jac Colon.
00:51:26.60\00:51:33.78
And for the
first time in my life
00:51:33.81\00:51:36.28
I began to understand
what real love was all about.
00:51:36.31\00:51:43.93
And for the
first time in my life
00:51:43.96\00:51:46.76
I realized that
Jesus Christ was a real man
00:51:46.79\00:51:54.76
and Jac Colon was just a phony.
00:51:54.79\00:51:58.54
And then I read
the next part, Calvary.
00:52:02.87\00:52:08.74
How He was tried
like a common criminal,
00:52:08.77\00:52:13.01
beat, spit on,
dressed in a purple robe,
00:52:13.04\00:52:16.70
stick in His hand,
00:52:16.73\00:52:18.46
marked as the king of the Jews.
00:52:18.49\00:52:21.21
He had to carry
that cross up the hill
00:52:21.24\00:52:23.80
so he couldn't go anymore
00:52:23.83\00:52:25.06
and somebody had
to take it for Him.
00:52:25.09\00:52:28.74
It was so real,
00:52:28.77\00:52:31.21
it seems like I was
right there watching
00:52:31.24\00:52:34.13
as they stretch His arms
out on those rough boards.
00:52:34.16\00:52:40.93
And I can see the Roman soldiers
00:52:40.96\00:52:42.40
just pick up the
big nails, heavy hammer
00:52:42.43\00:52:46.04
and drive them
through His hands,
00:52:46.07\00:52:50.15
same hands that He reached out
00:52:50.18\00:52:51.84
and healed, touched, loved
00:52:51.87\00:52:58.89
and now they are nailing them
00:52:58.92\00:53:02.73
to the old rugged
cross because of me.
00:53:02.76\00:53:08.73
It was so real, it's
like I was right there.
00:53:08.76\00:53:13.36
And I could almost see them
00:53:13.39\00:53:15.66
as they picked up that cross
00:53:15.69\00:53:18.05
dropped it in the
hole prepared for Him.
00:53:18.08\00:53:20.37
What a sickening thought.
00:53:20.40\00:53:23.20
His body racking in pain,
00:53:23.23\00:53:27.12
hanging on the cross like
that old serpent on the pole.
00:53:27.15\00:53:33.76
So real.
00:53:33.79\00:53:36.34
I felt like I was
standing right there.
00:53:36.37\00:53:41.44
It seems like His
eyes locked on mine.
00:53:41.47\00:53:47.05
And He said,
"Father, forgive him
00:53:47.08\00:53:54.06
because he doesn't
even know what he is doing."
00:53:54.09\00:54:00.25
And that was all I could take.
00:54:00.28\00:54:01.55
So I slipped to my knees
00:54:06.75\00:54:09.06
beside my bed in
Club Med at Tahiti.
00:54:09.09\00:54:13.37
And I said, "God,
I give up. I give up.
00:54:13.40\00:54:20.27
If anyone is
going to do anything
00:54:20.30\00:54:21.76
with this miserable life,
00:54:21.79\00:54:23.36
it's gonna have to
be You because I can't."
00:54:23.39\00:54:28.26
At that moment it
felt like a heavyweight
00:54:28.29\00:54:30.43
was lifted off of my shoulders
00:54:30.46\00:54:33.66
and I became a new person
00:54:33.69\00:54:38.65
in Club Med at Tahiti.
00:54:38.68\00:54:43.20
And God told His
angel, go and write the name,
00:54:43.23\00:54:46.01
Jac Colon in the
Lamb's Book of Life.
00:54:46.04\00:54:48.90
As far as I know, I am
the only person on this planet
00:54:54.45\00:54:57.19
that ever got
saved at the Club Med.
00:54:57.22\00:55:01.44
You can't get too
far away from God.
00:55:01.47\00:55:05.36
He will find you.
He will come after you.
00:55:05.39\00:55:11.79
I went back to the States
00:55:11.82\00:55:13.18
and I didn't even
want to go back to work.
00:55:13.21\00:55:17.36
I said, give me another week,
00:55:17.39\00:55:18.63
I stayed home, read my
Bible all the way through
00:55:18.66\00:55:22.98
and then I
decided, I don't want to be
00:55:23.01\00:55:25.04
a stockbroker anymore.
00:55:25.07\00:55:26.19
Nothing wrong with
being a stockbroker,
00:55:26.22\00:55:27.85
don't misunderstand me.
00:55:27.88\00:55:29.00
I just didn't
want to do it anymore
00:55:29.03\00:55:31.41
but I didn't
know what else to do.
00:55:31.44\00:55:33.16
It wasn't much of a demand
00:55:33.19\00:55:34.38
for dropping
bombs in civilian life.
00:55:34.41\00:55:36.62
So I prayed, I said, "God,
00:55:41.79\00:55:42.91
whatever you want
me to do let me know.
00:55:42.94\00:55:45.14
You open the door,
I walk through it."
00:55:45.17\00:55:46.79
Never pray that prayer,
00:55:46.82\00:55:48.48
unless you really mean it
00:55:51.92\00:55:54.25
because just the few days later,
00:55:54.28\00:55:55.83
I went to church
and the evangelist
00:55:55.86\00:55:58.11
spoke in our church,
talking about evangelism
00:55:58.14\00:56:01.39
and I just knew that's
what God wanted me to do.
00:56:01.42\00:56:03.87
I went up to him,
afterwards I told him my story
00:56:03.90\00:56:06.33
and he said to
me, he says, "Jac,
00:56:06.36\00:56:08.41
I'm going to be teaching a class
00:56:08.44\00:56:10.31
for Bible college down in Texas.
00:56:10.34\00:56:12.82
I'm going to be teaching
a class in Oklahoma City.
00:56:12.85\00:56:15.66
They are coming up there
and I am going to show them
00:56:15.69\00:56:17.03
how to do
evangelism. Why don't you come?"
00:56:17.06\00:56:19.37
I said, "I will be there."
00:56:19.40\00:56:20.43
So I can't pay you much,
just a $100 for six weeks,
00:56:20.46\00:56:24.07
didn't matter
anymore, I didn't care.
00:56:24.10\00:56:26.49
So I quit my job at Paine
Webber and packed everything
00:56:26.52\00:56:28.84
I can get into
that yellow Datsun 240z,
00:56:28.87\00:56:31.71
left New Orleans,
bound for Oklahoma City,
00:56:31.74\00:56:34.09
filled with peace
and joy and happiness
00:56:34.12\00:56:36.43
and knowing that
it's just me and God.
00:56:36.46\00:56:39.58
And God blessed my work there.
00:56:39.61\00:56:42.50
And as a result I
helped many people find Jesus
00:56:42.53\00:56:47.10
and I got the
attention of a few people.
00:56:47.13\00:56:50.40
And by the time I finish that,
00:56:50.43\00:56:51.59
I had an
invitation to be a pastor
00:56:51.62\00:56:53.30
of a little church
in Claremore, Oklahoma.
00:56:53.33\00:56:57.08
Four weeks, less than six
weeks, after I was baptized,
00:56:57.11\00:57:02.78
I was a pastor
of a little church.
00:57:02.81\00:57:06.61
I didn't know what I was doing
00:57:06.64\00:57:07.79
but I knew Him and
He knew what to do.
00:57:07.82\00:57:12.97
That's not the only
thing that happened to me there
00:57:13.00\00:57:15.64
because the last
weekend of that prophecy seminar
00:57:15.67\00:57:19.78
I met the evangelist's daughter.
00:57:19.81\00:57:22.13
We fell in love,
got married a year later
00:57:33.57\00:57:39.12
and we believe
with all of our hearts
00:57:39.15\00:57:40.69
that God brought us together
00:57:40.72\00:57:43.90
just to be able to
tell people like you,
00:57:43.93\00:57:47.36
here and around the globe
00:57:47.39\00:57:49.54
watching on television
00:57:49.57\00:57:52.95
about Jesus Christ. Amen.
00:57:52.98\00:57:55.67
And how He made something
beautiful out of my life.
00:57:55.70\00:58:00.42
He wants to make something
beautiful out of your life too,
00:58:00.45\00:58:04.75
if you just let Him.
00:58:04.78\00:58:06.23