The escalation of global
terrorism, crime, immorality
00:00:09.34\00:00:12.75
and natural disasters,
seems to indicate our world
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is spiraling towards its
ultimate hour with destiny.
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Who, if anyone, will
survive Earth's final events?
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Discover what Bible prophecy
reveals about the rapture,
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the mark of the
beast, and Armageddon.
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Though shrouded in
mystery for centuries,
00:00:26.80\00:00:28.73
the book of Revelation
can be understood today.
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Peer into the future,
and see what wonderful things
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God has planned for His people.
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And now, Pastor Brian
McMahon presents the powerful
00:00:38.32\00:00:41.36
Bible seminar
"Revelation Speaks Hope".
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It is our desire, it is our goal
in these meetings to instruct
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and edify the body of Christ
in such a way as to prepare us
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for His soon coming,
would you agree with that?
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Amen.
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How do a people that are waiting
for Jesus' soon coming live?
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This is what we're
going to talk about tonight,
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and in 2 Corinthians 5:20, these
are the words which we read,
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it says: [text on screen]
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"in Christ's stead" -
that means in Christ's place,
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[continues to read]
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So here we're told
that we are ambassadors,
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now what exactly
is an ambassador?
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Well, an ambassador is
an individual who lives in
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a foreign country, and
there in that foreign country
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that person desires to
hold to the laws and regulations
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of the land from
which they come from.
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They desire to represent
their native land in the very,
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very best way possible.
You might call an ambassador
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an extremely
important individual.
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An ambassador in the
political realm always tries
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to do his very, very
best. Here we're told that we
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are ambassadors in
the spiritual realm.
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We live in a
foreign world, don't we?
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As the Christian song goes:
"This world is not my home,"
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"I'm just passing
through." In other words,
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I'm hoping for a better
world than what this world
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presently provides. But
in the mean time while we
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are here, we're placed in an
extremely important position,
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we are ambassadors for
Jesus, we are in Christ's place
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to represent 2 those who do not
know Jesus, the heavenly realm.
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So we have to take it seriously.
The problem with some is
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they'll come and they'll say
"Well, I know the Bible says"
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"such and so, but why do I have
to do it, why can't I to this,"
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"and why can't I do
that? Will this little thing"
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"keep me out of
heaven?" And I say to myself
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"Is that the way Christ's
ambassadors are to live?"
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"Is that the way Christ's
ambassadors are to talk?"
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When people say
"why can't I do this?"
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and "why can't I do that?", the
problem is not the little thing
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they're complaining about,
the problem is the heart is not
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in love with Jesus, because
when the heart is in love
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with Jesus you don't complain
with what Jesus asks us to do.
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When husbands and wives are
really in love with each other
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they want to please each other,
when you're really in a close
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relationship. Now
turn with me to another
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marvelous verse in
Ecclesiastes 12:13.
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He said in Ecclesiastes
12:13: [text on screen]
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Now let's go to one in
the New Testament together,
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let's go to 1 John 3:22,
it says: [text on screen]
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Again, that's what an
ambassador would want to do:
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hold to the law the
laws of the land of heaven.
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It goes on, it goes
further than that, it says:
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[text on screen]
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So John shows us that
being an ambassador for Jesus
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goes beyond just the basic
laws of the land, an ambassador
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wants to go above and
beyond the call of duty,
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and that's what the
Christian would want to do
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for his Lord, we want
to go beyond those things
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that are just required of us
per se, and even go into those
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things that are
pleasing in God's sight.
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Friends, do you love the
Lord tonight to want to do
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what's pleasing in His sight,
if so give me a big "amen"
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out there. [Audience] Amen.
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I appreciate hearing that, and
really along with that we would
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want to not do those
things that are not pleasing
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in His sight. Do the
things that are pleasing
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in His sight, and refrain
from those things that are
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not pleasing in His
sight. Love has to be the motive
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behind all that we do.
Hebrews 12:1 is our text.
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The Bible says: [text on about]
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"compassed about" -
that means surrounded about,
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[continues to read]
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In the physical realm if people
want to climb high mountains
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they don't take
along unnecessary things.
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If they're going to climb these
high mountains like Mt. Everest
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and such mountains,
they're going to take along
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just the necessities, just the
essential things, and anything
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that's not
essential they're going to say
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"No, that's going to hinder me,
that's going to hold me back"
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"from really achieving my
goal." Once again, it's true
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in the physical realm, it's also
true in the spiritual realm.
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God would be pleased if we laid
aside the weights in our life
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that would hold us back from
really living the life of faith
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because God wants us to be
free to live as a Christian
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should live. Turn
with me to 1 John 5:4,
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it says this: [text on screen]
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So when we have true faith,
Christian faith, Biblical faith,
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that faith is such that
it accomplishes in our life
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a victory over the
things of the world.
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The things of the world are the
things that appeal to the carnal
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nature, the things that appeal
to what you were before you
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were converted
by the Holy Spirit.
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It's kind of a general statement
though "overcoming the world",
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what exactly does that mean?
Well, John gets more specific
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if you go back to
chapter 2. 1 John, same book
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of the Bible, but go back to
chapter 2:15: [text on screen]
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You see, it is this
desire to live like the world,
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act like the world, speak like
the world, dress like the world
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that makes Christianity look so
weak in the sight of the world,
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because someone might have
a friend who goes to church
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and professes to be a Christian,
and that person who has a friend
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will say: "Why
should I be a Christian?"
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"My friend who professes
to be a Christian, he dresses"
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"the same as me, talks the
same as me, goes to the same"
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"place as me, attends the
same party, smokes the same"
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"cigarettes, drinks the
same alcohol, watches the same"
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"TV shows, goes to
the same movies, he says"
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"he's a Christian, I
don't, what's the difference?"
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And you know what, he's right;
there ought to be a difference
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between one who professes
to serve Jesus and one who
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does not. It's
the desire on behalf
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of so many people to want to
hold on to Jesus with one hand
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and hold on to the things of
the world with the other hand,
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and have them both, and
yet, Jesus Himself said it's not
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possible, He says "you
are either for Me, or you are"
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"against Me." You
can't have the love
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of the Father and the things
of this world, that passage
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told us, we want to
have God and God alone.
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You can find, if you're wanting,
a church that will approve
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of just about any kind
of lifestyle out there.
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If a person wants to drink
alcohol, you'll find a church
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that says "that's okay",
if a person wants to smoke,
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someone'll say "that's okay".
Friends, we should be very
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accepting as we have
people come, but God's church
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is a church of standards,
it represents something,
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it's a high and holy calling,
and it is not our desire
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as Christians to bring the
Bible down to our lifestyle.
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Friends, the Bible is
high and holy and we should
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leave it there. It
is up to us to surrender
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our life to the work of the
Holy Spirit so that He can then
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lift us up to the
true standards of heaven.
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In other words, it is the
insincere person that wants
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to change the Bible to fit his
lifestyle, the sincere person
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says "no, change
me, Lord... change me."
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We're going to 1 Peter
2:9, it says in 1 Peter 2:9:
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[text on screen]
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When it says "peculiar"
it doesn't mean "queer",
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it doesn't mean "weird",
it doesn't mean "strange",
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but if you're going to be
peculiar it means you will be
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acting differently than
the one who doesn't profess
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to serve Jesus. It
goes on, and it says:
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[text on screen]
00:09:14.78\00:09:17.26
Isn't it a wonderful
thing to come out of darkness?
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The Bible says "Thy word is
light", so when you come out
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of darkness and you
read the light of God's word,
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that means you read the light
of God's will for our life,
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and we want to surrender to
it, and that's coming out of
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darkness so we can show
forth the praises of God who has
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done this for us,
that's our desire.
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So we're going to
talk about some of the ways
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we can do that, what are some
of the ways we can show forth
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the praises of the One who
brought us out of darkness?
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Let's talk about the senses.
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If the Devil wants to get
into your life, he tries to do
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that primarily through the
5 senses; the things that we
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taste, and touch, and
see, and feel and so on,
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and of all those 5 senses 2
of them primarily are really
00:10:02.62\00:10:05.85
used by the Devil, and
that is the things we look at
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and the things we listen
to. What about the things
00:10:08.74\00:10:11.26
we listen to, do you
think it really matters?
00:10:11.29\00:10:14.06
Go with me to Mark 4 and
here it says, speaking of Jesus:
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[text on screen]
00:10:19.94\00:10:22.62
It makes a
difference what we listen to.
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In Isaiah 33:15, we looked
at this our last night together,
00:10:30.20\00:10:34.04
and it's speaking of
the righteous, it says:
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[text on screen]
00:10:36.97\00:10:38.99
So in other words, the Christian
is going to stop his ears,
00:10:39.96\00:10:42.95
hold back from listening
to things that are detrimental
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to our faith, that are really
not appropriate for Christian
00:10:45.80\00:10:49.61
listening. We're
going to talk about
00:10:49.64\00:10:52.29
some music here because
music is always a controversial
00:10:52.32\00:10:55.11
subject talked about by
many, and I know that as soon
00:10:55.14\00:10:58.46
as someone says
music they right away think
00:10:58.49\00:11:01.08
"Oh, he's going to
bash rock 'n' roll".
00:11:01.11\00:11:03.69
Well, yes, I think rock 'n' roll
is probably one of those things
00:11:03.72\00:11:06.67
that heaven wouldn't approve of,
and of course, "rock 'n' roll"
00:11:06.70\00:11:09.45
itself is a term that's sexually
explicit, but what about music?
00:11:09.48\00:11:13.10
Can we so listen to the wrong
kinds of music that will be
00:11:13.13\00:11:16.57
a weight in our life, because
remember, we're talking about
00:11:16.60\00:11:19.76
things that are
detrimental to our experience,
00:11:19.79\00:11:22.69
we're wanting to run the
race, as Paul talks about it.
00:11:22.72\00:11:25.99
We are in a battle of
all battles as Christians,
00:11:26.02\00:11:28.71
and we want to make sure we win
the race, but if we have weights
00:11:28.74\00:11:32.60
that are holding us down,
wrong kinds of things perhaps
00:11:32.63\00:11:36.23
filling our mind, we're
not going to run that race
00:11:36.26\00:11:38.77
very well, and we
may not finish at all.
00:11:38.80\00:11:41.80
You see, if a cereal company
can sell us a certain brand
00:11:41.83\00:11:46.31
of cereal by playing the
same 30 second commercial over
00:11:46.34\00:11:49.03
and over and over again,
how much can the Devil put into
00:11:49.06\00:11:53.99
our head if we play the wrong
kind of song, 4 minutes worth,
00:11:54.02\00:11:58.15
over and over and over again?
00:11:58.18\00:12:01.45
Sometimes people say "Oh
well, I just love the melody",
00:12:01.77\00:12:07.70
but the lyrics are really
bad. It's true, music is a very
00:12:07.73\00:12:11.34
powerful medium.
You can get caught up
00:12:11.37\00:12:14.26
with a certain kind of melody
because it's a beautiful melody,
00:12:14.29\00:12:17.21
and you can start singing
that song, and all of a sudden
00:12:17.24\00:12:19.86
you're singing things that
you really don't even believe,
00:12:19.89\00:12:22.79
you can start singing
things that you know you don't
00:12:22.82\00:12:25.54
even understand, or
you know are not Christian,
00:12:25.57\00:12:28.39
yet the melody carries you along
because it's very powerful.
00:12:28.42\00:12:31.13
I don't care if it's rap,
or reggae, or blues, or funk,
00:12:31.16\00:12:33.95
or pop, or whatever it
is, it matters what we put
00:12:33.98\00:12:36.79
into our minds, and I'm talking
about more than rock 'n' roll
00:12:36.82\00:12:41.17
tonight; you talk about
certain kinds of country music,
00:12:41.20\00:12:43.49
that's really
big today, isn't it?
00:12:43.52\00:12:47.53
When I say country music I'm
not talking about [Marty] Robin
00:12:47.56\00:12:50.67
singing "Home, home on the
range" stuff, I'm not talking
00:12:50.70\00:12:53.70
about that. But
if you listen to some
00:12:53.73\00:12:56.31
of this country music that's
played, isn't it depressing?
00:12:56.34\00:13:01.56
Country music can really
be depressing because it's all
00:13:02.07\00:13:05.32
about what the guy's
problem is: he lost his wife,
00:13:05.35\00:13:10.33
he lost his job, he lost
his house, he lost his dog,
00:13:10.36\00:13:14.82
he's always loosing
something in his life.
00:13:14.85\00:13:18.04
Back in the 1970's,
when I listened to a lot of
00:13:18.07\00:13:20.78
rock 'n' roll music in my
life, not something I'm very
00:13:20.81\00:13:23.82
proud about, but they had
a certain method of taking
00:13:23.85\00:13:28.06
records, yes,
records... [Audience laughs]
00:13:28.09\00:13:32.85
...and you could take them
and put the needle down and spin
00:13:32.88\00:13:35.70
it backwards with your
finger. Some of you are saying
00:13:35.73\00:13:38.92
"why would you
ever want to do that?"
00:13:38.95\00:13:41.79
Well they called it
"backward masking" when certain
00:13:41.82\00:13:44.57
sounds would come out of the
record by spinning it backwards,
00:13:44.60\00:13:47.48
and they never were very
righteous sounds, they were
00:13:47.51\00:13:50.35
always sounds that seemed
to glorify the Devil, or give
00:13:50.38\00:13:53.15
praise to him, and so on.
So certain people would learn
00:13:53.18\00:13:56.01
what records had this
backward masking available on it
00:13:56.04\00:13:58.84
and they would do that, but
now they don't have to backward
00:13:58.87\00:14:01.70
mark anything, they just sing
it forward, they just say it.
00:14:01.73\00:14:04.68
If they want to run with the
Devil, they'll say "I'm running"
00:14:04.71\00:14:07.65
"with the Devil." I
went into a record store
00:14:07.68\00:14:10.20
and actually saw a record
that on the backside of it
00:14:10.23\00:14:12.87
it had a contract where a person
could sign away their soul
00:14:12.90\00:14:15.90
to the Devil. I wanted to buy it
00:14:15.93\00:14:18.32
just to show people that
this really was out there,
00:14:18.35\00:14:20.82
but I didn't want to
put money towards the record
00:14:20.85\00:14:23.65
and the record company,
so I didn't do it, but yes,
00:14:23.68\00:14:26.57
it was there, I actually
saw it. I see on the covers
00:14:26.60\00:14:29.24
of some of these CDs and
other types and forms of music,
00:14:29.27\00:14:32.05
I see more Satanic
symbolism than probably anywhere
00:14:32.08\00:14:34.89
other than a Satanic
book store. Someone will say
00:14:34.92\00:14:37.84
"Oh, you know, I
don't listen to the covers,"
00:14:37.87\00:14:40.64
"I just listen to the music."
Friends, it matters what we
00:14:40.67\00:14:43.57
look at as well
as what we listen to.
00:14:43.60\00:14:46.26
Today when people listen to
country music, people always
00:14:46.29\00:14:48.93
say "you mean to tell me
I'm going to go to hellfire"
00:14:48.96\00:14:51.72
"for listening
to country music?"
00:14:51.75\00:14:54.39
Friends, I'm not saying that
tonight, but I will tell you
00:14:54.42\00:14:57.14
that if you're listening
to music that is filled with
00:14:57.17\00:14:59.82
lying, and cheating,
and stealing, and rebellion,
00:14:59.85\00:15:02.29
and adultery, you can be lost
for that because the Bible says
00:15:02.32\00:15:04.92
"As a man thinketh
in his heart, so is he."
00:15:04.95\00:15:07.45
Again, this is going back
some years, but I had a record
00:15:07.48\00:15:10.13
collection from about here
to the wall there, and it was
00:15:10.16\00:15:12.98
just filled with some of
the most expensive records
00:15:13.01\00:15:15.79
because I'd go up and
buy the rare things, the ones
00:15:15.82\00:15:18.63
that are hard to find, and
then when I became a Christian
00:15:18.66\00:15:21.26
and realized that those kind
of things are not the principles
00:15:21.29\00:15:23.86
by which I wanted to live,
I had to make a hard decision:
00:15:23.89\00:15:26.48
what am I going to
do with all of this?
00:15:26.51\00:15:28.98
Well, I knew I'd spent the
money, but if I listened to it
00:15:29.01\00:15:31.73
and ruined my
mind, that's even worse.
00:15:31.76\00:15:34.26
So I got rid of it,
sometimes you have to make those
00:15:34.29\00:15:37.00
kind of hard decisions.
If you have a certain mix
00:15:37.03\00:15:39.95
of music, you keep the best
and you get rid of the other,
00:15:39.98\00:15:42.74
get rid of the rest, and
you go out and you get some good
00:15:42.77\00:15:45.70
music because if you
really are a lover of music
00:15:45.73\00:15:48.42
you want to replace that which
you got rid of, otherwise you're
00:15:48.45\00:15:51.47
going to go back to the other;
so go out and get some good
00:15:51.50\00:15:54.09
music and listen to that, and
then you'll find that the Spirit
00:15:54.12\00:15:56.80
of heaven will come and visit
you because you're not filling
00:15:56.83\00:15:59.51
your mind with all
kinds of things like that.
00:15:59.54\00:16:02.12
Sometimes we get on our young
people for all sorts of things,
00:16:02.15\00:16:04.92
but we listen to, as adults,
music that's bad as well.
00:16:04.95\00:16:07.58
Here's another question
that goes along with music,
00:16:07.61\00:16:10.34
and that is the question
of dancing, is dancing really
00:16:10.37\00:16:12.93
right for the
Christian? So whenever you deal
00:16:12.96\00:16:15.65
with an issue such as dancing,
you want to ask yourself:
00:16:15.68\00:16:18.62
is Jesus going to
participate in this?
00:16:18.65\00:16:21.06
Is this something that
Jesus would approve of?
00:16:21.09\00:16:23.58
There'll be people that say
"Oh, but didn't David dance"
00:16:23.61\00:16:26.14
"before the Lord in the
Bible, and therefore dancing"
00:16:26.17\00:16:28.81
"is approved of?"
Listen friends, we have to be
00:16:28.84\00:16:31.59
honest with what the Scripture
says, the kind of leaping
00:16:31.62\00:16:34.11
of joy that David did because
of the Ark of the Covenant
00:16:34.14\00:16:36.71
being brought towards Jerusalem,
that kind of leaping of joy
00:16:36.74\00:16:39.48
bared no resemblance to
what goes down at the Saturday
00:16:39.51\00:16:42.12
night
discotheque. [Audience laughs]
00:16:42.15\00:16:44.47
Let's not pretend that it
does. When you look at what goes
00:16:44.50\00:16:47.22
along with dancing,
often that's the real problem
00:16:47.25\00:16:49.98
because it's very dark, and
there's all kinds of poor music
00:16:50.01\00:16:52.74
being played there, alcohol
is flowing, and there is a lot
00:16:52.77\00:16:55.32
of sexual things taking
place that would not be normally
00:16:55.35\00:16:57.93
proper to take under
the influence of dancing,
00:16:57.96\00:17:00.59
under the influence of alcohol,
and then there'll be people
00:17:00.62\00:17:03.41
who come up and they'll
say "Oh, but Pastor, listen,"
00:17:03.44\00:17:06.99
"I go there, but I just
do it for the exercise."
00:17:07.02\00:17:09.57
Again, if they made all
the men dance with the men,
00:17:09.60\00:17:12.26
and all the women dance with
the women, how long would they
00:17:12.29\00:17:15.21
do it "just for the
exercise"? [Audience laughs]
00:17:15.24\00:17:17.93
Maybe a few would, but by
and large, that would be it.
00:17:17.96\00:17:20.52
There's other ways
to get good exercise.
00:17:20.55\00:17:24.57
Look what it says in
Isaiah 33:15, we go back
00:17:24.97\00:17:29.69
to that verse where we
were. It says: [text on screen]
00:17:29.72\00:17:34.73
So the principles of heaven
go beyond the things that we
00:17:36.60\00:17:39.30
listen to, but it even goes
into the things that we look at.
00:17:39.33\00:17:42.45
In Proverbs 23:26 the
Bible says: [text on screen]
00:17:42.48\00:17:47.09
When we give God our
heart, what will follow?
00:17:47.84\00:17:50.39
It says: [continues to read]
00:17:50.42\00:17:53.03
So we want to
observe the ways of God.
00:17:55.95\00:17:59.12
Turn with me in your Bibles
to Psalm 101:2: [text on screen]
00:17:59.15\00:18:04.71
Then David goes on to
answer himself and he says:
00:18:11.47\00:18:14.38
[text on screen]
00:18:14.41\00:18:16.40
When we walk within our
house with a perfect heart,
00:18:18.81\00:18:21.63
the Lord will draw
close to us, won't He?
00:18:21.66\00:18:26.63
If you go out to
church, all dressed up nice,
00:18:26.66\00:18:29.96
it can be easy to put
on for an hour or two,
00:18:29.99\00:18:33.90
even though you may not
feel like it inside, you can act
00:18:33.93\00:18:36.75
like a Christian for a
while, but when you're out
00:18:36.78\00:18:39.34
on the street, or at the
job, that can be a different
00:18:39.37\00:18:42.08
matter all together.
You can't imagine how many
00:18:42.11\00:18:44.82
people come and tell me
they were offended at so-and-so
00:18:44.85\00:18:47.58
who came to church and looked
real good, but out in the job
00:18:47.61\00:18:50.15
they screamed, and
yelled, and ranted, and raved,
00:18:50.18\00:18:52.75
and people said "I don't want
to become a Christian if that's"
00:18:52.78\00:18:55.55
"the way they are", it's
a lot harder when it's out
00:18:55.58\00:18:58.41
in the street. But
how is it when we're
00:18:58.44\00:19:00.77
at our house, as
David prays here?
00:19:00.80\00:19:03.52
How is it when we're in
our home, how is it when we're
00:19:03.55\00:19:06.29
in our home alone?
Then we have the real test,
00:19:06.32\00:19:08.95
do we still walk within
our house with a perfect heart?
00:19:08.98\00:19:11.66
Then in verse 3 David
says: [text on screen]
00:19:11.69\00:19:15.51
Does that have
relevance to our day?
00:19:15.54\00:19:18.62
You're getting
kind of quiet there.
00:19:18.65\00:19:21.28
Does that have
relevance to our day?
00:19:21.31\00:19:24.09
- [Audience] Yes. - Amen, sure.
00:19:24.12\00:19:26.33
He says "I will set no
wicked thing before mine eyes."
00:19:26.36\00:19:28.94
"I hate the work of them
that turn aside, it shall"
00:19:28.97\00:19:31.72
"not cleave to me."
There's a lot of things
00:19:31.75\00:19:34.60
going on on TV that are
wicked, and you don't need me
00:19:34.63\00:19:37.26
to tell you that. I'm
not even going to talk
00:19:37.29\00:19:39.77
about movies tonight, because
I think that a discerning person
00:19:39.80\00:19:42.63
could easily see that
there are desperately few things
00:19:42.66\00:19:45.77
that are put out of Hollywood
that a Christian would want
00:19:45.80\00:19:48.22
to look at, just very very
little that is any good at all,
00:19:48.25\00:19:52.70
that would really edify
you, but when it comes to TV
00:19:52.73\00:19:55.14
a lot of people sit down and
they watch all kinds of things,
00:19:55.17\00:19:58.23
and they watch these
things on TV and they think
00:19:58.26\00:20:00.72
"Well, it's okay
because it's in my home."
00:20:00.75\00:20:03.47
Let me share with you a couple
surveys that have been done
00:20:03.50\00:20:07.04
on TV watching, if I could.
00:20:07.07\00:20:10.16
It says: [text on screen]
00:20:10.79\00:20:13.18
Okay, so 40,000
murders during that time,
00:20:26.06\00:20:29.22
absolutely unbelievable.
It goes on, and he says:
00:20:29.25\00:20:33.76
[text on screen]
00:20:33.79\00:20:37.84
They wrote that in
1984. [text on screen]
00:20:58.80\00:21:02.62
So he's identifying through
20 years of survey that yes,
00:21:19.47\00:21:23.38
TV truly does have an
effect on the way people live,
00:21:23.41\00:21:26.61
"As a man thinks in
his heart, so is he."
00:21:26.64\00:21:29.33
They have found as they
have studied prime time TV,
00:21:29.36\00:21:31.86
prime time TV is that time
from 7-10 o'clock at night,
00:21:31.89\00:21:35.98
and they've studied the
channels, ABC, CBS, NBC,
00:21:36.01\00:21:39.10
the so called "nice channels",
and they have looked at those
00:21:39.13\00:21:42.00
channels and found out
that every single hour they have
00:21:42.03\00:21:45.82
10 or more instances
of profanity, of violence,
00:21:45.85\00:21:50.77
of sexuality outside of the God
ordained marriage relationship,
00:21:50.80\00:21:55.36
let me ask you this question,
I want to hear on this,
00:21:55.39\00:21:57.73
can you watch violence to
the glory of God, yes or no?
00:21:57.76\00:22:00.95
No, you can't. Can
you watch profanity
00:22:00.98\00:22:03.68
to the glory of God, yes
or no? Can you watch adultery
00:22:03.71\00:22:06.47
to the glory of
God, yes or no? No.
00:22:06.50\00:22:09.15
Here's the
question: Can you watch then,
00:22:09.18\00:22:12.04
prime time TV to
the glory of God? No.
00:22:12.07\00:22:14.69
But that's what it all is,
that's what prime time TV is.
00:22:14.72\00:22:17.70
People are watching it, and
watching it and they're just
00:22:17.73\00:22:20.51
filling up, and then they go
out into the street and people
00:22:20.54\00:22:22.77
start acting out these things
because it doesn't bother them
00:22:22.80\00:22:25.91
because of the fact that they're
so immune to it because they've
00:22:25.94\00:22:28.92
been watching it
all of these years.
00:22:28.95\00:22:31.76
John told us in 1 John
2:15 "Love not the world,"
00:22:31.79\00:22:37.60
"neither the things
that are in the world."
00:22:37.63\00:22:40.35
Some years back they
were trying to find out
00:22:40.38\00:22:43.29
what would be the appropriate
labeling to put on TV
00:22:43.32\00:22:46.03
for certain programs,
"should we make it R rated"
00:22:46.06\00:22:49.95
"for Restrictive, or PG-13",
and they were trying to come up
00:22:49.98\00:22:52.85
with all kinds of rating
systems in order to label it
00:22:52.88\00:22:55.70
for what it was, and then
this one cartoonist came up
00:22:55.73\00:22:58.31
and he said "Well, as it
turns out, one ratings category"
00:22:58.34\00:23:01.34
"covers it all: G for
Garbage". [Audience laughs]
00:23:01.37\00:23:04.91
I thought that was pretty
good. Friends, I'm not saying
00:23:04.94\00:23:07.48
that I don't ever watch
TV, I watch the History Channel
00:23:07.51\00:23:11.09
because I enjoy that, and
there's some of the other things
00:23:11.12\00:23:15.40
that are on there
like Discovery Channel,
00:23:15.43\00:23:18.40
after you get by the evolution
slant to it, you can maybe
00:23:18.43\00:23:21.34
enjoy some things on
Animal Planet, but basically
00:23:21.37\00:23:25.44
even those channels, the
commercials are getting so bad.
00:23:25.47\00:23:30.51
My father raised me to be
kind of a newsaholic, and we had
00:23:31.85\00:23:35.17
more than 1 newspaper, and
we had more than 1 news magazine
00:23:35.20\00:23:37.81
coming in, so I was
always reading the news
00:23:37.84\00:23:40.70
and trying to find out
what was going on with the news,
00:23:40.73\00:23:43.35
but it just seems like things
are getting so bad you can
00:23:43.38\00:23:46.28
hardly watch the news
today, it's just so graphic,
00:23:46.31\00:23:48.90
almost
pornographic in some cases.
00:23:48.93\00:23:51.53
So we're looking at principles
tonight, and it even goes
00:23:51.56\00:23:54.19
beyond TV, it can even
go into the kinds of reading
00:23:54.22\00:23:56.94
that we have. People
are filling them self up
00:23:56.97\00:23:59.80
with romance novels
and fiction type material.
00:23:59.83\00:24:03.90
What happens is they get
so filled with the fictitious
00:24:03.93\00:24:08.49
that the real has
no impact anymore.
00:24:08.52\00:24:12.55
They start going off into
dreamland through all of these
00:24:12.58\00:24:15.29
kinds of fictitious novels,
and then all of sudden you want
00:24:15.32\00:24:20.34
to tell them what the plan
of salvation, and they don't
00:24:20.37\00:24:23.04
seem to have an appetite for it,
they don't seem to have a mind
00:24:23.07\00:24:25.77
that can grasp it because of the
fact that their mind has really
00:24:25.80\00:24:28.64
become mush from all of this
terrible reading that they've
00:24:28.67\00:24:31.45
been doing.
There's a good, safe rule
00:24:31.48\00:24:33.96
that we can follow.
Let's look at it together,
00:24:33.99\00:24:36.58
Philippians 4:8 says
this: [text on screen]
00:24:36.61\00:24:40.56
"whatsoever things are
lovely," [text on screen]
00:24:47.67\00:24:52.00
That's a pretty good
principle right there, isn't it?
00:24:55.57\00:24:58.43
Absolutely friends. If
you follow that guideline,
00:24:58.46\00:25:01.30
you're always going to
be blessed, you're going to
00:25:01.33\00:25:04.04
truly put it by the test
of what would Jesus want?
00:25:04.07\00:25:06.91
What would Jesus want me to do?
00:25:06.94\00:25:09.65
This next area that
we're going to study tonight,
00:25:09.68\00:25:13.39
we're going to go into a
different realm of what we've
00:25:13.42\00:25:16.34
been covering so far.
We're going to talk about
00:25:16.37\00:25:19.26
what John says,
"the pride of life".
00:25:19.29\00:25:21.86
Speaking of pride, I want
you to notice how the Bible
00:25:21.89\00:25:24.82
contrasts 2 beings, the
first one being Lucifer;
00:25:24.85\00:25:27.66
in Isaiah 14:13,14
Lucifer said: [text on screen]
00:25:27.69\00:25:32.74
Lucifer was filled with pride,
that was the root of his being,
00:25:39.68\00:25:44.70
filled with pride about
himself. Contrast that to
00:25:44.73\00:25:47.57
the lovely Jesus, and
Jesus talked about Himself,
00:25:47.60\00:25:50.73
and He said in Matthew 11:
"Come unto Me all ye that labor"
00:25:50.76\00:25:54.70
"and are heavy laden
and I will give you rest."
00:25:54.73\00:25:57.46
He said: [text on screen]
00:25:57.49\00:25:59.95
Can you see the difference
in the character of Jesus?
00:26:03.67\00:26:06.17
He was the Lord of
heaven, He had everything,
00:26:06.20\00:26:09.65
and He came and He said "I
am meek and lowly in heart".
00:26:09.68\00:26:13.89
We want to be more like Jesus,
but the Devil wants to put
00:26:13.92\00:26:17.27
pride into our hearts. In
this next area that we cover
00:26:17.30\00:26:21.39
we're going to talk
about how we can try to fight
00:26:21.42\00:26:23.47
against that, the Devil
is always looking for ways
00:26:23.50\00:26:27.00
to put it in us, we have to be
looking for ways to get it out
00:26:27.03\00:26:30.98
of us, amen? To
get it out of our life.
00:26:31.01\00:26:34.14
Sometimes it's so subtle
we don't even recognize it,
00:26:34.17\00:26:36.88
sometimes it's so subtle
we don't even realize how
00:26:36.91\00:26:39.34
the Devil's doing it.
We're going to talk about
00:26:39.37\00:26:42.13
in this next area how we dress.
I know it's a sensitive area
00:26:42.16\00:26:45.38
when it comes to dress because
we're all affected by it,
00:26:45.41\00:26:47.97
so I'm going to ask this of you:
if what we cover in the next
00:26:48.00\00:26:50.79
area affects you where
you're at, I want you to be
00:26:50.82\00:26:53.74
perfectly comfortable in
studying here with us tonight.
00:26:53.77\00:26:57.60
As we started out tonight,
remember, some learn things
00:26:57.63\00:27:00.55
one night, other
learn things another night.
00:27:00.58\00:27:03.14
Tonight you might
learn something about the way
00:27:03.17\00:27:05.87
we dress as Christians, but
if so, just know that all of us
00:27:05.90\00:27:08.56
are covered by the grace
of God and none are any better
00:27:08.59\00:27:11.63
than anyone else,
we're all sinners at the feet
00:27:11.66\00:27:14.69
of Jesus, thanking Him
for His wonderful love for us.
00:27:14.72\00:27:17.79
Okay, so having said that,
turn to the book of Genesis,
00:27:17.82\00:27:21.48
the book of
beginnings. We're going to talk
00:27:21.51\00:27:23.84
about ornamentation tonight,
and what the Bible has to say
00:27:23.87\00:27:27.21
about ornamentation.
Remember if you were here
00:27:27.24\00:27:30.04
earlier in the seminar, we
got some questions in from some
00:27:30.07\00:27:32.75
of you asking about
jewellery and the Christian,
00:27:32.78\00:27:35.52
and how the Bible looks at
it; well I'm going to share
00:27:35.55\00:27:38.09
with you in this next little
while about what the Bible
00:27:38.12\00:27:40.78
has to say about it.
00:27:40.81\00:27:42.88
This affects not just the
ladies, it affects the men
00:27:42.91\00:27:45.76
just as much, and as
you're turning to Genesis 35,
00:27:45.79\00:27:49.89
I'd like you to remember that
we're talking about weights,
00:27:49.92\00:27:55.27
how weights in our life
can hold us back from doing
00:27:55.30\00:27:58.57
the will of God, sometimes
we don't even realize they're
00:27:58.60\00:28:01.60
weights, we might not
even realize that poor music
00:28:01.63\00:28:04.28
is a weight in our life
that can so fill our mind
00:28:04.31\00:28:07.10
that we can't
sense the Holy Spirit.
00:28:07.13\00:28:09.67
Sometimes we don't realize
that TV, poor viewing habits,
00:28:09.70\00:28:12.47
can be a terrific weights
in our life, sometimes we don't
00:28:12.50\00:28:15.22
realize that reading the
wrong kind of literature,
00:28:15.25\00:28:19.42
romance novels, and
other kinds of fictitious stuff
00:28:19.45\00:28:21.87
can be a terrible way
of diverting our mind from
00:28:21.90\00:28:24.70
the realities of the gospel,
they're weights in our life,
00:28:24.73\00:28:27.54
it's not that it's necessarily
an incredibly sinful thing
00:28:27.57\00:28:31.31
in and of itself, but it's a
weight that will hold you back
00:28:31.34\00:28:34.64
from living the true life of
faith, so we're going to talk
00:28:34.67\00:28:37.35
tonight about how dress
can be a weight as well.
00:28:37.38\00:28:39.92
Genesis 35:1, it
says: [text on screen]
00:28:39.95\00:28:45.09
When he said he hid
them that means they weren't
00:29:25.85\00:29:28.70
going to go and dig if up
later, he hid them meaning that
00:29:28.73\00:29:31.73
was it, they were
going to remain there.
00:29:31.76\00:29:34.29
So there is something in
this passage that early on
00:29:34.32\00:29:37.14
in the Bible tells us that
God was displeased when they
00:29:37.17\00:29:39.97
draped ornamentation all
over them, it was drawing
00:29:40.00\00:29:42.53
their hearts
away. When God says:
00:29:42.56\00:29:45.27
"You're going to go and you're
going to consecrate yourself"
00:29:45.30\00:29:48.23
"and consecrate your
family, these are some things"
00:29:48.26\00:29:51.24
"that need to be disposed of
because they're strange gods,"
00:29:51.27\00:29:54.05
"there are earrings in the ears,
and they represent the world."
00:29:54.08\00:29:56.86
Remember what we looked at
earlier tonight, 1 John 2:15,
00:29:56.89\00:29:59.58
"love not the world,
neither the things that are in"
00:29:59.61\00:30:02.44
"the world", and people
have for long years recognized
00:30:02.47\00:30:05.21
that ornamentation was something
that was a representation
00:30:05.24\00:30:08.13
of worldly life.
That's one verse, that's just
00:30:08.16\00:30:11.14
one passage, let's go
to another one together.
00:30:11.17\00:30:13.89
Let's go to Exodus, second
book of the Bible, we looked
00:30:13.92\00:30:16.74
at the first book, now
let's go to the second.
00:30:16.77\00:30:19.24
Exodus 33.
00:30:19.27\00:30:21.04
Dear friends, it's not
that God doesn't like jewels,
00:30:21.07\00:30:23.80
God made a lot of
wonderful gems in the earth,
00:30:23.83\00:30:26.84
but God doesn't always like
what they do to us when we put
00:30:26.87\00:30:29.42
them on, because it can have
the ability of drawing the heart
00:30:29.45\00:30:33.65
away from Jesus and
focusing on our self.
00:30:33.68\00:30:37.19
You'll think "look at
me." I'm not judging anyone
00:30:37.22\00:30:39.74
here tonight, and every
time I get into this subject
00:30:39.77\00:30:42.75
I tell you, I almost
wish I could preach it
00:30:42.78\00:30:45.22
with a blindfold on so
that no one would ever think
00:30:45.25\00:30:47.86
that I'm looking at you,
because everything I'm sharing
00:30:47.89\00:30:50.54
with you tonight, believe
me, I had to learn it myself,
00:30:50.57\00:30:53.35
and you know what that means.
00:30:53.38\00:30:56.09
I was not immune
to this kind of thing.
00:30:56.12\00:30:58.84
We go on, Exodus 33:1-6.
It says: [text on screen]
00:30:58.87\00:31:03.58
"And will send an angel before
thee, and I will drive out"
00:31:14.07\00:31:17.45
"the Canaanite, the
Amorite, and the Hittite,"
00:31:17.48\00:31:20.06
[text on screen]
00:31:20.09\00:31:24.27
Why will God not go
up in the midst of them?
00:31:33.73\00:31:36.53
There's obviously a
spiritual problem, isn't there?
00:31:36.56\00:31:39.20
Then he goes on, it
says: [text on screen]
00:31:39.23\00:31:41.86
"stiff necked people" -
that means "a stubborn people",
00:31:41.89\00:31:44.52
[continues to read]
00:31:44.55\00:31:46.93
So God is identifying the
problem, they're stubborn,
00:31:46.96\00:31:49.47
they were rebellious,
and He goes on and it says:
00:31:49.50\00:31:52.13
[text on screen]
00:31:52.16\00:31:54.83
So, early on in Scripture
we can see that God said
00:32:24.73\00:32:29.28
they had a spiritual problem,
they were still rebellious,
00:32:29.31\00:32:32.62
they needed to consecrate
them self before God would go up
00:32:32.65\00:32:35.87
in the midst of them,
and the reaction to that was
00:32:35.90\00:32:38.66
they said "God is not
pleased with our dress."
00:32:38.69\00:32:41.48
Now, there may have been
some other things as well,
00:32:41.51\00:32:44.34
the heart is the issue, but
the dress reflects the heart.
00:32:44.37\00:32:47.00
So the heart is the issue, but
the dress was reflecting that,
00:32:47.03\00:32:49.99
and they changed their
dress, and they took off
00:32:50.02\00:32:52.78
the
ornamentation. Now, people say
00:32:52.81\00:32:54.59
"well that's the Old Testament",
remember now, whether we read
00:32:54.62\00:32:57.87
in the Old Testament or
whether we read in the New,
00:32:57.90\00:33:00.64
the principles of
heaven don't change.
00:33:00.67\00:33:03.11
Sometimes applications
can change in certain ways,
00:33:03.14\00:33:05.89
but the principles don't change,
and God's character doesn't
00:33:05.92\00:33:08.53
change, so let's go to the
New Testament now, and see how
00:33:08.56\00:33:11.18
it's revealed
there to us as well.
00:33:11.21\00:33:14.02
We're going to go to 1 Timothy.
You know how to find 1 Timothy:
00:33:14.05\00:33:16.84
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts,
Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians,
00:33:16.87\00:33:20.33
Galatians, Ephesians,
Philippians, Colossians,
00:33:20.36\00:33:23.28
then the 5 books that start
with "T", 1 and 2 Thessalonians,
00:33:23.31\00:33:26.45
1 and 2 Timothy,
Titus, right through there.
00:33:26.48\00:33:29.26
We're going to 1 Timothy 2:3.
00:33:29.29\00:33:38.62
It says: "For this is good
and acceptable in the sight"
00:33:38.65\00:33:41.42
"of God, our Saviour,", what
is good and acceptable in God's
00:33:41.45\00:33:44.34
sight? Let's keep reading.
00:33:44.37\00:33:46.72
"Who will have all men to
be saved and to come unto"
00:33:46.75\00:33:49.48
"the knowledge of the truth."
So God wants all to know truth
00:33:49.51\00:33:52.33
and that's what
we're looking at tonight.
00:33:52.36\00:33:55.17
Now let's go down.
It's talking about coming
00:33:55.20\00:33:57.73
into the knowledge of truth, and
go ahead for the sake of time
00:33:57.76\00:34:00.57
to verse 7, it says:
"Whereunto I am ordained"
00:34:00.60\00:34:03.00
"a preacher, and an apostle,
I speak the truth in Christ,"
00:34:03.03\00:34:05.95
"and lie not; a teacher of the
Gentiles in faith and verity."
00:34:05.98\00:34:08.70
So Paul is trying to make it
very clear that he's speaking
00:34:08.73\00:34:11.54
truth to them, he's
mentioning it more than once.
00:34:11.57\00:34:14.27
Verse 8: "I will therefore
that men pray everywhere,"
00:34:14.30\00:34:17.25
"lifting up holy hands,
without wrath and doubting."
00:34:17.28\00:34:19.86
Now verse 9, it
says: [text on screen]
00:34:19.89\00:34:23.44
We're going to stop right there.
00:34:31.78\00:34:34.47
This is an interesting passage.
When it says "broided hair"
00:34:34.50\00:34:39.02
by the way ladies, we
don't really understand that
00:34:39.05\00:34:41.18
to mean braided hair, most
of the time when people look
00:34:41.21\00:34:43.75
at this passage and try to
analyze it, they think it might
00:34:43.78\00:34:46.38
have been referring to a
practice they had of weaving
00:34:46.41\00:34:48.87
jewels through the hair, and
that would be more what broided
00:34:48.90\00:34:51.33
hair means, rather than braided
hair because a woman's hair
00:34:51.36\00:34:54.10
is her glory, it's a wonderful
thing, but we see that God
00:34:54.13\00:34:57.78
is not pleased when adornment
becomes the focus in the issue.
00:34:57.81\00:35:04.83
Scripture tells us in
Matthew 4: "Man shall not live"
00:35:04.86\00:35:09.07
"by bread alone, but by
every word that proceedeth"
00:35:09.10\00:35:13.12
"from the mouth of
God." Does this passage come
00:35:13.15\00:35:16.81
from the inspired
mouth of God as well?
00:35:16.84\00:35:20.72
This passage in 1 Timothy,
is it inspired of the Lord?
00:35:20.75\00:35:25.09
That's pretty quiet, how
about a little louder "amen"?
00:35:25.12\00:35:29.78
- [Audience] Amen.
- Okay, that's better.
00:35:29.81\00:35:31.89
So, should we live by that too?
I want to hear an equally loud
00:35:31.92\00:35:35.86
"amen" to that
one." [Audience] Amen.
00:35:35.89\00:35:38.51
Okay, that's good, now I
know you're still with me.
00:35:38.54\00:35:40.91
So we should live by
this too. As we look at this,
00:35:40.94\00:35:44.34
Paul tells Timothy,
he's ordained to teach truth,
00:35:44.37\00:35:48.40
he instructs them
not to wear these things.
00:35:48.43\00:35:51.79
What does that word "not" mean?
00:35:51.82\00:35:53.81
When the Lord told Adam
and Eve in the Garden of Eden
00:35:53.84\00:35:56.70
they were not to eat of
the fruit of the tree of
00:35:56.73\00:35:59.24
the knowledge of good and
evil, they were not to eat
00:35:59.27\00:36:02.18
of that fruit, did that mean
they could eat a little bit?
00:36:02.21\00:36:04.43
Did that mean they
could eat sometimes?
00:36:04.46\00:36:07.48
Did that mean they
could eat just a small fruit?
00:36:07.51\00:36:10.16
No, it means nothing.
So someone will say in this
00:36:10.19\00:36:15.27
passage "well Paul
doesn't mention diamonds,"
00:36:15.30\00:36:19.39
"so diamonds must be okay
because he didn't mention"
00:36:19.42\00:36:21.94
"it here." Well
Paul could have said
00:36:21.97\00:36:24.45
"Not with broided hair, or
gold, or diamonds, or pearls",
00:36:24.48\00:36:27.24
but then somebody would
say "Oh, but he didn't mention"
00:36:27.27\00:36:30.02
"emeralds, so I
can wear emeralds."
00:36:30.05\00:36:32.57
No, he could have said
"Not with gold, pearls,"
00:36:32.60\00:36:35.42
"diamonds, emeralds"
and someone would say
00:36:35.45\00:36:38.35
"he didn't say rubies".
The point being this folks:
00:36:38.38\00:36:41.16
Paul doesn't have to
mention every precious stone
00:36:41.19\00:36:43.85
under the sun to
get a point across.
00:36:43.88\00:36:46.42
The point is that we are to
be concerned with the inward
00:36:46.45\00:36:49.34
character and not the outward
dress, not to say you can't
00:36:49.37\00:36:53.00
dress nice, it's not to say
you can't wear quality clothes,
00:36:53.03\00:36:55.79
but that's not to be our
focus, the focus is that we are
00:36:55.82\00:36:58.80
to be concerned with the
character within, and not
00:36:58.83\00:37:02.06
necessarily showing
things from without.
00:37:02.09\00:37:04.84
Do you know that as we
look more and more at our world,
00:37:04.87\00:37:07.53
isn't it true that
people are going to extremes?
00:37:07.56\00:37:10.47
Isn't it true that people
are going to even extremes
00:37:10.50\00:37:12.84
with the piercings of the body?
00:37:12.87\00:37:15.01
You've got tongue piercing,
and if that wasn't bad enough,
00:37:15.04\00:37:17.55
people are starting to
pierce all kinds of things,
00:37:17.58\00:37:20.31
you've got nose piercing,
eye piercing, lip piercing,
00:37:20.34\00:37:23.19
how about head
piercing? It's hard to look at,
00:37:23.22\00:37:26.84
it's amazing
what people get into.
00:37:26.87\00:37:30.30
All parts of our society
are going to the extremes,
00:37:30.33\00:37:34.43
but you know, all it is
is a carrying out of a more
00:37:34.46\00:37:37.80
extreme part of the very
principle of piercing the body,
00:37:37.83\00:37:42.05
which we've accepted in
our society for some time
00:37:42.08\00:37:44.79
as far as the world goes.
Friends, I want you to know
00:37:44.82\00:37:47.46
that Christians of long ago
spoke out against ornamentation
00:37:47.49\00:37:53.19
very loudly and very clearly.
Those of you might be Methodist
00:37:53.22\00:37:58.17
here, or have a Methodist
background, I hope that you'll
00:37:58.20\00:38:00.79
especially appreciate
this, but even if you don't,
00:38:00.82\00:38:03.38
I'll hope you'll pay attention
to what John Wesley had to say,
00:38:03.41\00:38:05.94
he was a great man of
God, fantastic preacher,
00:38:05.97\00:38:08.65
and John Wesley spoke out
about ornamentation this way,
00:38:08.68\00:38:11.50
he said: [text on screen]
00:38:11.53\00:38:13.81
Really what he's doing is
he's looking at this passage
00:38:13.84\00:38:16.57
and basically almost
quoting from it, he says:
00:38:16.60\00:38:19.47
"I do not advise
women", let me pause there,
00:38:19.50\00:38:22.33
today he would say "I do
not advice men and women",
00:38:22.36\00:38:26.10
[text on screen]
00:38:26.13\00:38:28.18
That's what John Wesley used
to teach, but that's what a lot
00:38:44.02\00:38:47.37
of other Christian
teachers also used to teach
00:38:47.40\00:38:49.80
because it was well
known that ornamentation
00:38:49.83\00:38:52.28
was of the world, and
not of the Christian faith.
00:38:52.31\00:38:55.81
Again, we go back to our
text where we began tonight
00:38:55.84\00:38:58.48
in 1 John 2:15,16, it
says: [text on screen]
00:38:58.51\00:39:02.69
We look at the things that
the world says we are to wear,
00:39:04.26\00:39:07.22
we have to be careful, lest by
doing so we're showing an aspect
00:39:07.25\00:39:10.18
of pride that we really
don't want to as Christians.
00:39:10.21\00:39:12.96
I've heard it say,
and I'm sure you have too,
00:39:12.99\00:39:16.45
that Christianity does
not consist of a list of dos
00:39:16.48\00:39:19.03
and don'ts, checking
off "I will do this..."
00:39:19.06\00:39:22.39
"and will do this...
and will do this...",
00:39:22.42\00:39:25.09
"and I won't,
won't, won't..." and so on,
00:39:25.12\00:39:28.02
and judging others because
they're not living the way
00:39:28.05\00:39:31.01
we think they should. Friends,
that's not Christianity,
00:39:31.04\00:39:33.73
Christianity is not trying
to have a checklist religion,
00:39:33.76\00:39:36.74
as I like to say; Christianity
is having a very close
00:39:36.77\00:39:39.65
and abiding
relationship with Jesus,
00:39:39.68\00:39:42.25
and of course, the Holy Spirit.
00:39:42.28\00:39:44.65
But brothers and sisters,
there are things that will
00:39:44.68\00:39:47.48
happen when the gospel
enters our hearts and minds.
00:39:47.51\00:39:50.39
The gospel is an active
gospel, it changes lives.
00:39:50.42\00:39:53.77
Take a look at this next
text in Romans 12:1,2, it says:
00:39:53.80\00:39:58.03
[text on screen]
00:39:58.06\00:40:00.17
When we are transformed
by the renewing of the mind,
00:40:09.13\00:40:12.27
which means the born
again experience, then look
00:40:12.30\00:40:15.00
what comes next, Paul
says: [text on screen]
00:40:15.03\00:40:19.06
Unless you're born again
and have a transformed mind,
00:40:21.90\00:40:25.75
the subject tonight, well I
can guarantee you, you won't
00:40:25.78\00:40:28.69
like it. Unless
you're born again
00:40:28.72\00:40:31.10
by God's Spirit and you really
have a desire to follow Jesus,
00:40:31.13\00:40:33.86
you will not want to do the kind
of things we're talking about,
00:40:33.89\00:40:36.79
because the kind of
things that we're talking about,
00:40:36.82\00:40:39.52
remember our verse
there in Romans earlier?
00:40:39.55\00:40:42.12
They're weights that will hold
us back from running the race
00:40:42.15\00:40:46.57
that God wants us to
run, and we're talking about
00:40:46.60\00:40:49.35
how to be able to live
the true life of faith,
00:40:49.38\00:40:52.94
but the carnal mind wants
those things, and the spiritual
00:40:52.97\00:40:56.36
mind says he doesn't want
those things, so it's a contest
00:40:56.39\00:40:58.80
between the 2, but we're
not going to recognize that
00:40:58.83\00:41:02.02
until we are transformed, so
he says "don't be conformed,"
00:41:02.05\00:41:06.08
"but be ye transformed".
In James 1:27 James says:
00:41:06.11\00:41:11.01
[text on screen]
00:41:11.04\00:41:13.33
Sometimes people say "well,
it's just a little thing",
00:41:20.28\00:41:23.07
friends, little
things lead to big things,
00:41:23.10\00:41:25.56
little spots lead to big
spots. It is true that we are
00:41:25.59\00:41:29.54
saved by grace, and I
like to say this every night
00:41:29.57\00:41:32.42
we're together, yes,
we're saved by grace,
00:41:32.45\00:41:35.31
but you know, for the Christian,
grace places us under greater
00:41:35.34\00:41:38.43
obligation than we were before,
to the servanthood of Jesus.
00:41:38.46\00:41:42.64
When we are saved by grace
we become servants of the most
00:41:42.67\00:41:46.03
high God, and as servants we
will do what the Master asks.
00:41:46.06\00:41:51.86
The 144,000, it says in
Revelation "they follow"
00:41:51.90\00:41:54.64
"the Lamb
whithersoever He goeth."
00:41:54.67\00:41:58.00
Do you want to follow the Lamb
whithersoever He goes tonight?
00:41:58.03\00:42:00.78
Amen, I know you do.
00:42:00.81\00:42:02.55
So baptism means
that we are born again.
00:42:02.58\00:42:10.04
I have 2 children, 2 girls,
and I had the high privilege
00:42:10.07\00:42:15.32
of seeing them born. I
went right into the room
00:42:15.35\00:42:19.02
where they were born,
and as they were being born
00:42:19.05\00:42:23.13
the doctor turned to me
and he said "would you like"
00:42:23.16\00:42:26.36
"to cut the umbilical
cord?" I said "Yeah, I would."
00:42:26.39\00:42:31.10
So he handed me this big
pair of sheers, these big
00:42:31.13\00:42:33.89
pair of snips and I got
the privilege to do that once,
00:42:33.92\00:42:38.35
and twice when my
daughter, Kelly, was born.
00:42:38.38\00:42:41.57
Wow, I'll never forget
that. But it signified to me
00:42:41.60\00:42:45.82
that the birth was not
fully complete until that cord
00:42:45.85\00:42:49.12
was cut. We are now talking,
00:42:49.15\00:42:52.83
as Christians,
about being born again.
00:42:52.86\00:42:57.18
But in that desire to be
born again there is a spiritual
00:42:57.21\00:43:02.79
cord that needs to be
cut, and that cord is the cord
00:43:02.82\00:43:07.51
of temptation and pride that
wants to bind us to the things
00:43:07.54\00:43:10.69
of the world. Satan
will do everything he can
00:43:10.72\00:43:14.29
to try to keep you from cutting
that cord, he will fight it,
00:43:14.32\00:43:18.08
he will fight it hard.
Friends, that cord of pride
00:43:18.11\00:43:23.93
is often one of the last bits
that people want to hang on to
00:43:23.96\00:43:30.06
before they really let go
and they let Jesus take control.
00:43:30.09\00:43:33.60
Tonight I'm urging you
to do that, if for any way,
00:43:33.63\00:43:37.18
in any shape or form
you're saying "But Lord, I will"
00:43:37.21\00:43:40.12
"surrender all, but
I want this to myself."
00:43:40.15\00:43:44.24
Remember, the ambassador
that we are for Christ,
00:43:44.27\00:43:48.27
2 Corinthians 5:20, says we
not only keep His commandments,
00:43:48.30\00:43:51.34
but we do those things
that are pleasing in His sight.
00:43:51.37\00:43:55.51
Do you want to
please Jesus tonight?
00:43:55.54\00:43:58.15
Think on these things
that we're sharing here.
00:43:58.18\00:44:00.87
The Bible tells us that
the way that we dress outwardly
00:44:00.90\00:44:05.14
makes a big difference in
how we represent ourselves
00:44:05.17\00:44:07.32
to the world. In
Revelation 2 women
00:44:07.35\00:44:09.71
are presented.
We've covered this,
00:44:09.74\00:44:12.04
but in Revelation how they're
presented indicates what kind
00:44:12.07\00:44:14.70
of church these 2 women
are. You have one that's dressed
00:44:14.73\00:44:17.39
in purity, in white, she
represents God's true people,
00:44:17.42\00:44:21.80
then you've got another woman
represented in Revelation 17,
00:44:21.83\00:44:24.74
she represents the harlot woman,
she's adorned in a totally
00:44:24.77\00:44:27.85
different way, a very
worldly way we might say.
00:44:27.88\00:44:30.70
So the outward representation
of these 2 women alone,
00:44:30.73\00:44:34.08
one decked in gold and precious
stones representing the fallen
00:44:34.11\00:44:38.14
church, should indicate to
us that God desires the we not
00:44:38.17\00:44:45.22
pattern our self
after that kind of thing.
00:44:45.25\00:44:48.56
I want to tell you a story
that happened back in the days
00:44:48.59\00:44:51.26
of the civil war. Back
in the days of civil war,
00:44:51.29\00:44:54.49
you know the civil war was
between the North and the South,
00:44:54.52\00:44:57.46
and 2 different colors were
used to distinguish the North
00:44:57.49\00:45:00.25
from the South.
The North wore blue
00:45:00.28\00:45:02.63
and the South wore grey.
They had the Mason-Dixon line
00:45:02.66\00:45:05.18
running between the North and
the South, and the Mason-Dixon
00:45:05.21\00:45:07.72
line was that which was to
separate those from the North
00:45:07.75\00:45:10.17
and those from the
South. Here was a man
00:45:10.20\00:45:13.34
that by circumstance,
and I guess coincidence,
00:45:13.37\00:45:17.78
happened to have
his house on the line.
00:45:17.81\00:45:22.19
He had his house right
on the Mason-Dixon line.
00:45:22.22\00:45:25.97
So he thought he'd use
that to his advantage in not
00:45:26.00\00:45:28.80
declaring himself for either
side, he says: "I don't want"
00:45:28.83\00:45:31.80
"to get in trouble with
the North, and I don't want"
00:45:31.83\00:45:34.43
"to get in trouble with
the South, I don't want"
00:45:34.46\00:45:37.24
"to have to take a stand,
so I'm just going to declare"
00:45:37.27\00:45:40.02
"myself in this way: he
more blue top and grey bottom."
00:45:40.05\00:45:42.74
[Audience laughs] He thought:
00:45:42.77\00:45:45.40
"I'll out-fox them
both because my house is on"
00:45:45.43\00:45:48.14
"the border
anyway." I'll tell you what,
00:45:48.17\00:45:50.97
by wearing the 2 colors
he had a divided profession.
00:45:51.00\00:45:54.97
When the armies of the
South came along and saw that
00:45:55.00\00:45:57.79
blue top they said
"this guy can't take a stand",
00:45:57.82\00:46:00.81
they shot him in the blue.
When the the armies of the blue
00:46:00.84\00:46:03.42
came along they said
"this guy can't take a stand",
00:46:03.45\00:46:06.27
they shot him in the grey.
He didn't make out so well.
00:46:06.30\00:46:09.06
[Audience laughs]
You can't send a confused
00:46:09.09\00:46:12.00
signal like that
of your allegiance.
00:46:12.03\00:46:14.74
In the same way, as Christians
it's confusing when we don't
00:46:14.77\00:46:18.11
take a stand all
the way for Jesus.
00:46:18.14\00:46:20.68
We need to take that stand and
show people, not just by dress,
00:46:20.71\00:46:24.51
but by many other ways,
who we really profess to serve.
00:46:24.54\00:46:27.98
When the Christian church
is willing to step out and show
00:46:28.01\00:46:30.03
who we really professed to
serve, people will recognize
00:46:30.06\00:46:34.07
that we are peculiar
people "who should show forth"
00:46:34.10\00:46:37.14
"the praises of Him who
has called us out of darkness"
00:46:37.17\00:46:39.87
"into His marvelous
light," and what is light?
00:46:39.90\00:46:42.79
"Thy Word is light." In
case you feel like you've
00:46:42.82\00:46:45.66
gotten a little bit shot at
tonight, I hope you'll recognize
00:46:45.69\00:46:49.21
we always want to do it in
love, we don't want in anyway
00:46:49.24\00:46:52.13
to do anything, but edify
the body of Jesus, but I want
00:46:52.16\00:46:55.47
you to know that
God has ornaments.
00:46:55.50\00:46:58.34
That's good news for some of
you who want to have ornaments,
00:46:58.37\00:47:01.21
but God has ornaments in
Scripture, and let's take
00:47:01.24\00:47:04.15
a look at what kind they
are. Go with me 1 Peter 3.
00:47:04.18\00:47:10.19
As you're turning there,
I'm not going to read this yet,
00:47:19.15\00:47:23.27
I know that some of you
have asked me this question,
00:47:23.30\00:47:25.87
they've said: "Pastor Bryan,
I noticed that you don't wear"
00:47:25.90\00:47:28.97
"ornamentation, why is
that?" Well, the reason we don't
00:47:29.00\00:47:34.72
is basically the verses
that I've been sharing with you,
00:47:34.75\00:47:37.55
and the one that I'm
about to share with you,
00:47:37.58\00:47:39.66
but I have actually had people
tell me as they came in the door
00:47:39.69\00:47:46.04
opening night of the seminar,
they said: "Pastor Bryan,"
00:47:46.07\00:47:50.35
"if I saw you up there wearing
a whole bunch of ornamentation,"
00:47:50.38\00:47:55.27
"looking like some of those
people on TV who are begging"
00:47:55.30\00:47:58.19
"for money even though they're
wearing all of this stuff,"
00:47:58.22\00:48:00.62
"I would have turned
around and walked out, and not"
00:48:00.65\00:48:03.20
"even attended." It
matters how we represent
00:48:03.23\00:48:05.88
our self. I could
wear it if I want,
00:48:05.91\00:48:08.33
I have a ring, would
you like to see my ring?
00:48:08.36\00:48:12.62
Here's my ring.
Now, my ring is so big
00:48:14.40\00:48:21.55
that I have to have
2 fingers to wear it.
00:48:21.58\00:48:24.14
[Audience laughs] So
if I wanted to wear it
00:48:24.17\00:48:27.12
I could come up here
with ornamentation and I could
00:48:27.15\00:48:30.56
be preaching to you at night,
and as I was preaching to you
00:48:30.59\00:48:33.80
and trying to convince you
to look to the word of God,
00:48:33.83\00:48:37.81
what would you be
looking at? [Audience laughs]
00:48:37.84\00:48:40.75
Yeah, sure. And
what if I got up here
00:48:40.78\00:48:43.43
and said "we're kind of short
on funds", [Audience laughs]
00:48:43.46\00:48:46.52
"and we would really appreciate
you giving a big offering."
00:48:46.55\00:48:49.76
What would you think that
offering might go towards?
00:48:49.79\00:48:52.52
Maybe another one for this hand.
00:48:52.55\00:48:56.03
It matters how we
represent our self.
00:48:56.06\00:48:58.90
I don't want to put that kind
of mixed signal towards people,
00:48:58.93\00:49:02.19
so I don't wear it. By
the way, that got given
00:49:02.22\00:49:06.21
to me, it's worthless.
00:49:06.24\00:49:09.53
But God has ornaments,
let's look at it, 1 Peter 3:3.
00:49:11.85\00:49:26.71
It says in the word
of God: "Whose adorning",
00:49:26.74\00:49:30.10
here's your
adorning, [continues to read]
00:49:30.13\00:49:33.87
Friends, God has ornamentation,
the good news is it's
00:49:50.92\00:49:55.21
the ornaments from
within and not without.
00:49:55.24\00:49:58.03
Now having said that, I want
to be sure to tell you something
00:49:58.06\00:50:00.05
before you go home
tonight. There'll be some people
00:50:00.08\00:50:02.36
that will come to church every
week, and they wouldn't dare
00:50:02.39\00:50:05.44
watch those things on
TV that we talked about,
00:50:05.47\00:50:08.22
and they wouldn't dare to watch
some of those movies that we
00:50:08.25\00:50:11.24
talked about, and they wouldn't
dare look at wrongful books,
00:50:11.27\00:50:13.98
and they wouldn't dare wear
ornaments, and they wouldn't
00:50:14.01\00:50:16.84
listen to rock 'n' roll,
but oh friends, the same people,
00:50:16.87\00:50:19.89
it's possible to come to
church and they can be nasty
00:50:19.92\00:50:23.33
to talk to, they can be
mean spirited, they can hateful,
00:50:23.36\00:50:27.99
they can be prejudiced,
they can be all kinds of those
00:50:28.02\00:50:31.72
sorts of things, and
friends, that sort of thing
00:50:31.75\00:50:34.43
ought not to be in God's church.
00:50:34.46\00:50:37.57
Do you know that when that
kind of stuff walks into church,
00:50:37.60\00:50:40.55
that that is far worse in God's
sight than someone who might
00:50:40.58\00:50:44.80
happen to wear a
piece of ornamentation.
00:50:44.83\00:50:47.15
Do you recognize that?
Because what does God really
00:50:47.18\00:50:49.89
care about? The
heart is what He's really
00:50:49.92\00:50:51.97
is trying to change
anyway. Sometimes people haven't
00:50:52.00\00:50:54.95
learned that the outward
needs to reflect that inwards,
00:50:54.98\00:50:58.19
but what it really is in terms
of importance is the inward,
00:50:58.22\00:51:03.11
so when those kind of
things come in, let's not fool
00:51:03.14\00:51:06.13
our self, God is offended when
those things walk into church,
00:51:06.16\00:51:08.82
it doesn't matter how you dress.
00:51:08.85\00:51:13.07
Let's just understand that
we can fool others at times,
00:51:13.10\00:51:19.48
but we can't fool God.
00:51:19.51\00:51:22.37
I want Jesus to be the
pearl of great price in my life.
00:51:22.40\00:51:28.22
Turn with me to the book of
Titus, we're about to finish
00:51:28.25\00:51:32.55
tonight, I know that there
are some that feel that maybe
00:51:32.58\00:51:38.64
being born into this world,
God didn't really make them
00:51:38.67\00:51:42.09
the way they think they
should be: didn't make them
00:51:42.12\00:51:44.52
beautiful enough, didn't
make them important enough,
00:51:44.55\00:51:47.66
didn't make them something,
so they want to somehow add
00:51:47.69\00:51:51.06
some value into their life
by putting on some ornaments.
00:51:51.09\00:51:54.77
Dear friends, would you please
pay close attention to what
00:51:54.80\00:51:57.45
I'm about to share with you, I
hope you have all along anyway,
00:51:57.48\00:52:01.20
but friends, listen to
me, when God sent Jesus into
00:52:01.23\00:52:05.59
the world to die for the sins of
the world, Jesus would have died
00:52:05.62\00:52:09.94
just for you, do you know
that? If you had been the one
00:52:09.97\00:52:14.03
lone sheep gone astray,
Jesus would have given His life
00:52:14.06\00:52:17.39
for you, are you
valuable? You better believe
00:52:17.42\00:52:21.10
you're valuable, you are
valuable exactly as you are.
00:52:21.13\00:52:25.55
I don't care what colour your
skin is, I don't care how tall
00:52:25.58\00:52:28.30
or how short, I don't care
how much education you have,
00:52:28.33\00:52:30.84
I don't care how much
money you have in the bank,
00:52:30.87\00:52:33.39
I don't care what your job
is, you are of eternal value
00:52:33.42\00:52:37.21
with God. It
doesn't matter if you put on
00:52:37.24\00:52:40.57
every jewel in this world,
you wouldn't be 1 penny more
00:52:40.60\00:52:44.54
valuable than you are already.
00:52:44.57\00:52:46.59
I just want you to know that.
00:52:46.62\00:52:49.18
In Titus 2:11 here's
what we read: [text on screen]
00:52:49.21\00:52:57.17
When the wonderful
grace of God appears to us,
00:53:00.71\00:53:03.42
what does it do?
The very next word
00:53:03.45\00:53:05.89
in verse 12 says
what? "Teaching us",
00:53:05.92\00:53:08.37
does grace
teach us? Yes it does.
00:53:08.40\00:53:11.04
What does it teach us?
Let's read on: [text on screen]
00:53:11.07\00:53:16.10
Friends, if you think
this subject has been tough
00:53:42.08\00:53:45.15
for you tonight, and I
know for some perhaps it is,
00:53:45.18\00:53:47.66
you're learning new information,
it always is when you learn
00:53:47.69\00:53:50.60
new information, and you know
you have to change some things,
00:53:50.63\00:53:53.54
but I want you to think of one
thing when you go home tonight.
00:53:53.57\00:53:56.12
When you leave this place
and you're driving home tonight,
00:53:56.15\00:53:59.14
I want you to think of 1 thing,
I want you to think that Jesus
00:53:59.17\00:54:01.99
gave Himself for you.
Jesus gave Himself for you
00:54:02.02\00:54:04.62
that He might redeem us from
all iniquity, and purify unto
00:54:04.65\00:54:09.09
Himself a peculiar people.
If Jesus gave all of heaven
00:54:09.12\00:54:13.61
for us, couldn't we give
a few things back to Him?
00:54:13.64\00:54:18.80
Couldn't we be willing
to surrender some things
00:54:19.19\00:54:21.82
back to Him? It
might be surrendering
00:54:21.85\00:54:24.75
bad TV habits, might
be surrendering some bad
00:54:24.78\00:54:27.53
music habits, it might
be surrendering even some of
00:54:27.56\00:54:30.46
the things the we
might normally want to wear,
00:54:30.49\00:54:33.26
but when you think
about it, are we really giving
00:54:33.29\00:54:37.21
a big sacrifice
next to what Jesus gave?
00:54:37.24\00:54:41.73
I used to be a
real estate agent...
00:54:41.76\00:54:44.87
...you never could tell,
would you? [Audience laughs]
00:54:44.90\00:54:48.00
I did, that was my career
before I became a minister.
00:54:48.03\00:54:51.24
As a real estate agent you
get used to looking at houses
00:54:51.27\00:54:54.49
because houses
are your commodity.
00:54:54.52\00:54:57.03
So you would drive around
and you would look for houses
00:54:57.06\00:55:00.75
that you thought were going
to go on the market for sale.
00:55:00.78\00:55:04.44
Sometimes you would, because
you especially notice places,
00:55:04.47\00:55:07.19
sometimes you would see a
house that was...the paint
00:55:07.22\00:55:10.84
was flaking, the grass was this
high, the fence was broken down,
00:55:10.87\00:55:14.91
the window was broken,
maybe a junk car or two out in
00:55:14.94\00:55:17.91
the front yard and back
yard. You'd look at this place
00:55:17.94\00:55:20.24
and you'd say "You know,
it's really too bad because"
00:55:20.27\00:55:23.68
"the property itself is
nice, and the house itself"
00:55:23.71\00:55:26.83
"is a good house, but all these
other things are so distracting"
00:55:26.86\00:55:31.28
"from it." Well,
you might procrastinate
00:55:31.31\00:55:33.84
and not necessarily knock
on the door that day, but you'd
00:55:33.87\00:55:36.77
come down that same street
another time and look toward
00:55:36.80\00:55:39.59
what you thought you were going
to see, and all of a sudden
00:55:39.62\00:55:42.42
you looked and then you did
a double take because the house
00:55:42.45\00:55:45.18
has been painted, and the
lawn is cut, and the fences
00:55:45.21\00:55:47.90
and windows mended, the
junk, garbage is hauled away,
00:55:47.93\00:55:51.94
and then you look at that
place and say "Oh, it's such"
00:55:51.97\00:55:54.54
"a beautiful place." You
couldn't see it necessarily
00:55:54.57\00:55:57.74
before, but it sure looks good
now with all those other things
00:55:57.77\00:56:01.47
taken away, and then
the thought hits you:
00:56:01.50\00:56:04.40
"Ahh, a new owner has moved in."
00:56:04.43\00:56:11.10
Many times when we're out
in the world we act in a way,
00:56:14.89\00:56:20.54
and we dress in a way that's
really distracting from the kind
00:56:20.57\00:56:23.24
of person we really
could be. When the Holy Spirit,
00:56:23.27\00:56:27.32
that new owner, moves in,
there can be such a wonderful
00:56:27.35\00:56:31.25
change in the life,
have you found that?
00:56:31.28\00:56:33.75
People who used to be
mean spirited, unloving,
00:56:33.78\00:56:41.06
discourteous, rude, maybe
not even care very much about
00:56:41.09\00:56:46.20
the way they dress at all,
but all of a sudden you look
00:56:46.23\00:56:49.66
at that person again and
the ornamentation is gone,
00:56:49.69\00:56:53.80
the smile is on the face,
a joy and a radiance is there
00:56:53.83\00:56:58.47
that never was
before, the frown is gone;
00:56:58.50\00:57:02.13
and then you look at that person
and you say "Ahh, there's been"
00:57:02.16\00:57:05.29
"a change here, a new
owner has moved in", and that
00:57:05.32\00:57:09.02
new owner is the Holy
Spirit. God wants to work inside
00:57:09.05\00:57:12.66
of our hearts, doesn't
He? If you want spiritual
00:57:12.69\00:57:15.19
discernment, the good news is
God'll work that inside of you,
00:57:15.22\00:57:18.14
God works from the
"inside out" principle.
00:57:18.17\00:57:21.37
You can't put it on,
God works it through you.
00:57:21.40\00:57:24.18
If you need wisdom, God says
"I'll work that through you,"
00:57:24.21\00:57:27.77
"I'll start in you and
I'll work it from inside out."
00:57:27.80\00:57:31.83
That's how God works on
all of these wonderful things.
00:57:31.86\00:57:34.87
Friends, the Lord desires for
you and for me to be a sermon
00:57:34.90\00:57:39.54
in shoes.
00:57:39.57\00:57:41.75