Announcer:
Revelation. The time of the end.
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Mysterious signs.
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Strange happenings.
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Confusing numbers.
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Are we facing a new world
order and the mark of the beast?
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Are we living on a
planet in upheaval?
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Are we on the
verge of Armageddon?
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Revelation, what do all the
signs in this mysterious book
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mean? Discover real answers.
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Revelation Speaks
Peace, with Shawn Boonstra.
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+
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I was in Psalm 15 today and I
came across a text that's going
to fit our subject perfectly
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tonight. Could be coincidence, I
don't know. Listen to this, let
me see here, Psalm 15, "Lord -
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just remember these words when
we get into our key passage from
Revelation tonight - Lord, who
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may abide in Your tabernacle,
who may dwell in Your holy hill
- we're going to see a crowd on
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Mount Zion as we get into
Revelation 14 - he who walks
uprightly and works
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righteousness and speaks the
truth in his heart, he who does
not backbite with his tongue or
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does evil to his neighbor nor
does he take up a reproach
against his friend - there was
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lots to pray through there this
morning, O Lord please let none
of this be true of me that I
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don't backbite - In who's eyes a
vile person is despised but he
honors those who fear the Lord
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who swears to his own hurt and
does not change, who does no put
out his money to usury nor does
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he take a bribe against the
innocent. He who does these
things shall never be moved.
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It's quite a Psalm, after we
study the first portion of
Revelation 14 tonight, I'd
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encourage you to go home and
read Psalm 15, it's really
something and it matches really,
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really well. Tonight's topic is
one of my favourites. We've had
some really, really heavy topics
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lately, and so I'm going to
change tack a little bit, and
what we're going to look at
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absolutely underlies what
Revelation 14 is getting at in
the first few verses, but I'm
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going to relax just a little
bit. We'll have a little bit of
fun with the subject. "The
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ultimate mind game." Let's pray.
Father in heaven, this evening,
we are humbled by the gift that
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You gave us at the cross of
Christ. We can scarcely get our
minds around what it is that You
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gave, Who it is that You gave,
how much of Yourself You've
poured into our redemption. May
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we get a sense of that tonight
as we turn to the pages of
scriptures. How great Your love
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is for us. I'm asking tonight
that You would bless me with a
strong voice this evening. Give
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me the ability to speak, but
also, give me the ability to
think, and to think clearly, and
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to say things that are worthy of
the Name of Jesus, so that when
we are done, we will have spent
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time in His presence, not our
own, and that we'd be changed to
be a little bit more like Him
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because we've spent time in the
Bible. So forgive my sin, make
me fit to speak, fill this room
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with Your angels, I ask, and
bless our understanding, for we
pray it in Jesus' name, amen.
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Tonight, I want to start with
another important principle that
I think that I've touched on in
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a previous meeting, and it has
to do with how many parts of the
Bible are structured. In fact,
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I'm pretty sure that I've
mentioned it. Here in North
America, in the west, when we
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read a book, we expect the
author to kind of write like
this: point A, point B, point C,
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and then his big conclusion or
her big conclusion down at the
end of the book. So we kind of
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build to the big point and we
often stick the big point at the
end. That's why people, when
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they're in a store, they kind of
want to know what a book says
and they don't want to buy it,
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they turn to the back and they
read the last chapter, right?
The big point at the end. But
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much of the Bible is not
structured that way. That is not
the way the Bible writers write.
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If you go to the book of Psalms
and other places, you find a
different kind of structure.
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Sometimes there is a parallel
structure, which we looked at a
little bit in Daniel chapter 9.
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You'll see it a lot in the book
of Psalms. You'll have point 1,
point 2, and then it repeats;
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point 1 again and point 2 with
different language and so on.
That's parallel structure. But
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there's another one called
chiastic structure, and it's
called chiastic structure
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because it looks like the Greek
letter chi. Sometimes you'll
hear the word "kee" come out my
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mouth; that is not how you
pronounce it. It is chi. It's
like the letter X. And here's
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the thought behind it: you'll
find the most important material
right in the middle, like you do
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with the letter X. And so the
writer might make points A, B,
C, and then make the big point,
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the thing he's trying to drive
at, but then he kind of backs
you out of the subject again by
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repeating his earlier points in
reverse order. So it kind of
looks like this: point A, B, C,
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big point in the middle, and
then he goes C, B, A, and he
backs back out of it. You find
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it all over the Bible. And the
book of Revelation is chiastic
in structure. The whole book is,
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and sections of it are chiastic.
It's a fascinating study. What
ends up happening in the book of
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Revelation is that the big
action isn't at the end; what's
at the end is absolutely
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critical. My favourite chapters
are at the very end because
we're home at last and God wipes
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away our tears. I love those
chapters. But the peak of
activity in the book of
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Revelation happens in the
centre, and it's in chapters 12,
13, and 14. So last night, we
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looked at, or started to look
at, Revelation chapter 12, and
we saw the story of how this
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great conflict emerges in this
universe, and we see both sides
of the issue. We see heaven's
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side and the dragon's side. When
we get to chapter 13, you'll see
the dragon's last play, sort of
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what he builds to at the very
end of time. You have a beast
come up out of the sea and a
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beast come up out of the earth.
That's his sort of big play. It
shows his side of the equation.
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Chapter 14 gives God's side of
the equation and what he does in
the last moments of this earth's
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history. So what we're going to
look at tonight, or start
looking at, is Revelation
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chapter 14 because I always
feature God first. Antichrist
gets secondary billing every
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single time. Revelation 14 and
verse 1: "Then I looked, and
behold, a Lamb [who's the lamb
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in the book of Revelation? Jesus
Christ] standing on Mount Zion,
and with Him one hundred and
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forty-four thousand, having His
father's [what?] name written
[where?] on their foreheads." I
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want you to pay attention to
that. There's much made in books
about Bible prophecy today about
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the mark of the beast, and the
mark of the beast goes on the
forehead and on the hand. And
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then they stop discussing it.
But if you read the whole
central section, God also puts
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something on the forehead: His
name ends up on the forehead of
believers. "And I heard a voice
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from heaven, like the voice of
many waters, and like the voice
of loud thunder. And I heard the
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sound of harpists playing their
harps. They sang as it were a
new song before the throne,
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before the four living creates,
and the elders; and no one could
learn that song except the
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hundred and forty-four thousand
who were [what?] redeemed from
the earth. These are the ones
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who were not defiled with women,
for they are virgins." Let me
ask this question: these people
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gathered on the mountain, have
they ever sinned in their lives,
yes or no? Absolutely. They are
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redeemed from the earth. These
are people under the redemptive
blood of Christ. Now because of
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Jesus, they're considered pure.
It actually uses the imagery of
sexual purity to represent these
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people. It doesn't mean they've
never been married and never had
kids; that's not what it's
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getting at. This is symbolic. It
is imagery. Remember, in Bible
prophecy, a woman represents
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what? A church, God's people.
And a pure woman, the bride of
Christ. The Bible often uses
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adultery to describe unfaithful
people. Jeremiah 3, give it a
good read. God begins to
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describe His people as an
unfaithful bride, an unfaithful
woman. These are people who are
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faithful to Jesus Christ. "These
are the ones who follow the Lamb
wherever He goes." Now, this is
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the defining characteristic of
these people. This is what sets
them apart. They follow the Lamb
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and they utterly refuse to
believe the serpent's lies.
These people will do whatever
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God asks. These are the seed,
the children of Abraham. They're
like Abraham in their character.
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They go where God asks them to
go. They do what God asks them
to do. "These are the ones who
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follow the Lamb wherever He
goes. These were redeemed from
among men, being first fruits to
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God and to the Lamb. And in
their mouth was found no deceit,
for they are without fault
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before the throne of God." This
is a very special group of
people that's been redeemed from
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the earth. And the Bible says
the Father's name is written in
their foreheads. Now, what does
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that mean? Does that mean that
they have a tattoo on their
foreheads? Not exactly. Jesus
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said, if you read it carefully,
He prays to His Father in John
17. I love that chapter because
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you get to eavesdrop on a
conversation between the Son and
the Father. I love it. It's the
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real Lord's Prayer. The Lord's
Prayer, the one that we recite,
is a model prayer, but in John
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17, you get to listen to Jesus
pray to His Father. And in that
prayer in John 17 verse 6, He
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said: "Lord, these disciples, I
have manifested Your name to
them." "I showed them your
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name." What does that mean? He
had the secret name of God on a
piece of paper, said, "Guys,
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come over here, I'm going to
show you the name of" - no. No,
He showed them the name, He told
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Philip, "If you have seen Me,
you have seen the Father." What
is somebody's good name? We
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still use that expression today.
If somebody has a good name,
they have a good character.
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Jesus showed them what God is
actually like. Look, Moses asks,
"Can I see Your glory?" Exodus
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33. That is a daring request,
right? "Can I see Your glory?"
Exodus 33. Let me look this up
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here. I want to share this with
you because this is a
foundational concept in the book
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of Revelation. "Lord, I want to
see Your glory." And God says,
in Exodus 33 verse 19, "I will
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make all My goodness pass before
you, and I will proclaim the
name of the Lord before you."
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God says, "I'm going to proclaim
My name to you." Then it happens
in chapter 34. "Now the Lord
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descended in the cloud and stood
with him there and proclaimed
the name of the Lord." "And the
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Lord passed before him and
proclaimed [here it comes, here
comes His name], 'the Lord, the
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Lord God, merciful and gracious,
long-suffering, abounding in
goodness and truth, keeping
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mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity and transgression and
sin.'" It's the character of
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God. When Jesus said, "I
revealed Your name to these
disciples," He's saying, "I
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showed these men what You are
like." The name of God is
written in these people's
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foreheads. They have made a
decision about Who God is. God's
name is written on the forehead
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because that's where you make
your decisions about God. It all
happens behind this brick wall
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here, right up above your eyes.
Listen to what Paul says in
Romans chapter 7: "So then with
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the [what?] with the mind I
myself serve the law of God." We
make our decisions for God with
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our mind. These people on Mount
Zion have made a decision. They
are in with God. His character,
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His name, is written in their
foreheads and in their hearts.
They have made a decision about
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God. They refuse to believe the
devil's lies. And these people
are being recreated in the image
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of Christ. They're becoming more
like Him every day. They believe
God is everything He's ever
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claimed to be. These people are
on the right side of the
conflict. And God sets these
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people aside as His very own.
Revelation 7 is another passage
that describes these one hundred
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and forty-four thousand. It
says: "Hurt not the earth,
neither the sea, nor the trees,
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'til we have sealed the servants
of our God [where?] in their
foreheads." This is a last-day
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group of people whose commitment
to God is utter and complete.
These people see God for Who He
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is. They're allowing God to
write His very character in
their hearts. So the question,
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obviously, is, how do you get in
on it? How do you get to be one
of those people? Because
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honestly, you read a description
like that, and it's kind of hard
to feel qualified, isn't it? I
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don't feel qualified. How do you
get in on it? Well, the Bible
gives a few keys. Number one is
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very obvious: you gotta make a
decision. You have to exercise
your freedom of choice. You have
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to use your mind, your heart, to
reject darkness and embrace
light. You have to choose Jesus.
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The first key is, you gotta make
a decision. The second key is
right in the text: this group of
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people is redeemed. They have to
make things right with God. You
and I have to accept the gift of
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Christ if we're going to be
among those people. And how do
you do that? Well, really quick
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review. First John 1 verse 9:
"If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us
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our sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness." I love it
that it says "all." There is
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nothing that Jesus can't deal
with tonight that you have done.
You've got to come clean. This
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is how God makes you faultless
before His throne. "Okay, Shawn,
I would love to come clean with
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God, I would love to do that,
but you don't understand. I have
gone too far. You don't know the
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things that I've done. God can't
help a guy like me." Yes, He
can. If you even have the
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inclination to come to God, it
means you have not gone over the
boundary. It is not too late.
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The Bible says in Romans 2 verse
4 that the goodness of God leads
us to repentance, which means,
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if you even want God, if you're
worried about a relationship
with God, He's already speaking
00:15:21.12\00:15:26.22
to your heart. He's trying to
pull you over the line. You
wouldn't be interested if God
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wasn't working with you. It's
His gift. Repentance is a gift
from God. If you're worried
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about being right with God, then
I'm not worried about whether or
not you've blown it. You know
00:15:36.03\00:15:40.54
who I worry about, are the
apathetic, the ones who don't
care. But if you're sitting in a
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corner somewhere, do not let the
devil isolate you and tell you
it's beyond hope, because if
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you're interested in God, you're
only interested because God made
you interested. There is hope
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for you. God gives us the gift
of repentance. And then He does
something really amazing: He
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makes us new creatures. He
transforms us. "Therefore, if
any man be in Christ, he is a
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new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things
are become new." What is a
00:16:05.79\00:16:10.60
creature? A creature is
something that's created. The
Bible says in John 1 and Hebrews
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1 and Colossians 1, Jesus is
your Creator. It says it, point
blank. Put your life in the
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hands of the Creator, and He has
all the power in the universe to
put your life back together. He
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will recreate you in His image.
He'll begin to change your
character and write His own name
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in your forehead. "Oh, but
Shawn, you don't understand. I
struggle. I struggle with
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temptation and the old life is
always there." I know. That's
true for all of us. All
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Christians deal with that.
You've gotta understand, you're
not alone. That's what the devil
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wants you to think: you're all
alone in this. Everyone else at
church is doing just great.
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You're not the only one who's
struggling. We all face
temptation. The devil wants to
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remove you from everybody else
and make you think that you're
alone because he wants you to
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give up hope. But believe me,
you are not alone. First
Corinthians 10:13 says, "No
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temptation has taken you except
as common to all men." Anything
you're tempted with, someone
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else is being tempted by it too.
Whatever you're struggling with,
someone else is struggling with
00:17:20.77\00:17:25.17
it too. You are not on your own.
The devil wants you to think
that so you become despondent
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and just give up and walk away.
Listen to me carefully. Coming
to Christ doesn't mean you've
00:17:29.61\00:17:38.09
arrived. It means you're getting
started. Right? As long as we
live on this planet,
00:17:38.19\00:17:45.73
temptation's going to be a part
of the equation. The devil
might've lost the keys to the
00:17:45.83\00:17:51.90
planet, but he's still pitching
fits, still throwing the temper
tantrums, still turning his
00:17:52.10\00:17:55.57
wrath on the believers. "What,
are you saying other people
struggle like me?" Yes, they do.
00:17:55.67\00:18:00.38
How do I know that? Even the
apostle Paul struggled. The
apostle Paul. The great
00:18:00.48\00:18:05.45
missionary. Romans chapter 7, he
says, "Look, the things I want
to do, I don't do those. And the
00:18:05.55\00:18:12.09
things I don't want to do, I do
those." Sound familiar? Here's
what he says: "O, wretched man
00:18:12.19\00:18:19.79
that I am, who will deliver me
from this body of death? I thank
God through Jesus Christ our
00:18:19.89\00:18:25.77
Lord." Paul struggled. It's part
of the Christian experience. But
Paul found hope in Jesus Christ
00:18:25.87\00:18:32.24
and he threw himself on the
mercy of God. And I'm telling
you tonight, you can do the same
00:18:32.34\00:18:36.38
thing. You can throw yourself on
God's mercy. And if you do that,
you'll discover that God can
00:18:36.48\00:18:41.52
actually do something about the
situation you find yourself in.
The key is, don't panic. Don't
00:18:41.62\00:18:47.29
worry. Don't give up; and start
trusting that God knows what
He's doing in your life. And the
00:18:47.39\00:18:53.09
other thing, start paying
attention to the advice that He
gives you in here. There's lots
00:18:53.19\00:18:56.97
of it. Do not ignore what this
Book says. This Book has some
really solid principles that I
00:18:57.07\00:19:03.47
promise you will help you become
more victorious over temptation,
I promise you. If you are
00:19:03.57\00:19:09.11
willing to follow the Lamb
wherever He wants to take you,
then things start getting a
00:19:09.21\00:19:13.31
whole lot easier in time. The
Bible has advice that will
really help. Would you like to
00:19:13.42\00:19:19.29
see it? Two people. I'm
disappointed, in a Bible class.
Would you like to see it? Good,
00:19:19.39\00:19:28.90
because that's all I was going
to talk about tonight. Let's
start talking about the mind,
00:19:29.00\00:19:34.04
'cause that is where God writes
His character. That's where He
changes who you are. Often in
00:19:34.14\00:19:38.27
the Bible, it says the heart,
but it's talking about the
thoughts and intents of the
00:19:38.37\00:19:42.14
heart. It means the mind. It's
where you do your thinking and
your feeling. That's where God
00:19:42.24\00:19:46.21
really changes who you are: in
your mind. This is where you
make your decisions. And your
00:19:46.31\00:19:50.79
brain is an incredible gift from
God that you really need to take
care of. It's like a computer.
00:19:50.89\00:19:57.06
When I first got married, I had
a typewriter. And I got started
in ministry, I had a typewriter.
00:19:57.16\00:20:03.57
And I didn't want anything but a
typewriter, and my wife would
tell me, "Shawn, you really need
00:20:03.67\00:20:07.60
a computer." I don't want a
computer. Computers aren't going
anywhere. That's just
00:20:07.70\00:20:11.61
technology; it's not going
anywhere. I've got a typewriter.
And all my ancestors had
00:20:11.71\00:20:15.38
typewriters, and that is good
enough for me. Type, type, type,
type, type. Type, type, type.
00:20:15.48\00:20:20.85
And make a mistake right at the
end of the page. You remember
that? Just right at the end of
00:20:20.95\00:20:23.65
the page, and you have to rip it
out, crumple it up, throw it on
the floor. My wife would look in
00:20:23.75\00:20:27.22
my study, and crumpled paper all
over the floor. She said, "You
should break down and get one of
00:20:27.32\00:20:31.06
those computers." I said,
"Nobody needs a computer.
They're not going anywhere."
00:20:31.16\00:20:33.53
Turns out, my wife was
absolutely right, and so I
bought a computer. We couldn't
00:20:33.63\00:20:38.27
really afford it, newly wed, and
we got this computer, and I
discovered something marvellous:
00:20:38.37\00:20:42.04
word processing. I can write a
sermon once and print off
thousands of copies for my
00:20:42.14\00:20:46.91
friends. "Hey, I wrote a sermon,
look at this." And it was like,
"Oh, Shawn, you're printing your
00:20:47.01\00:20:51.08
sermons off? Thank you very
much." Oh, it was wonderful. And
I'm typing and I'm typing, and
00:20:51.18\00:20:55.95
the longer I used that computer,
I started to notice something:
the more I used it, the slower
00:20:56.05\00:21:02.59
it got. You know, why did it
slow down? Couple of reasons.
Number one, I loaded all the
00:21:02.69\00:21:10.03
software I could find on that
thing. Everything I could lay my
hands on, back on, you know, the
00:21:10.13\00:21:14.60
little floppies. You remember
when Microsoft Word was
thirty-four floppy disks to
00:21:14.70\00:21:18.77
install? And I was installing
all this software. And after a
while, you just keep installing
00:21:18.87\00:21:23.24
it, and the information in those
programs begin to clash with
each other, and clash with the
00:21:23.35\00:21:27.82
operating system, and when the
information clashes, eventually
the computer crashes and you get
00:21:27.92\00:21:33.92
the blue screen of death. But it
crashes. That's reason number
one why the computer starts
00:21:34.02\00:21:40.96
slowing down. Bad information,
conflicting. There's another
reason, mmhmm. There are all
00:21:41.06\00:21:46.00
these kids out there sitting in
their basements writing software
deliberately designed to ruin my
00:21:46.10\00:21:51.24
new computer. Viruses, malware,
trojan horses. If you're not
careful, that stuff gets in your
00:21:51.34\00:21:58.25
system and it clogs it up. Now,
maybe it's a little bit
simplistic, but the human brain
00:21:58.35\00:22:04.19
kind of runs the same way, kind
of runs the same way. It's the
most amazing computer in the
00:22:04.29\00:22:09.12
universe. It can do twenty
quadrillion calculations every
second. Every single - you know,
00:22:09.22\00:22:15.06
Silicone Valley would love to
develop a machine like that.
Twenty - that's a '2' with
00:22:15.16\00:22:19.07
sixteen zeroes. Your brain, your
God-given, biological brain, is
a wonder. But what if somebody
00:22:19.17\00:22:27.51
tried to get in there and wreck
it? What if there was actually a
virus for the human mind? "Not
00:22:27.61\00:22:32.81
possible, that's silly." No? The
Bible says there's an all-out
war for it. Second Corinthians
00:22:32.91\00:22:37.35
chapter 10: "For though we walk
in the flesh, we do not war
according to the flesh." The
00:22:37.45\00:22:43.29
battlefield is not in the
physical realm. "For the weapons
of our warfare are not carnal
00:22:43.39\00:22:48.26
[physical] but mighty in God for
pulling down strongholds,
casting down arguments [where do
00:22:48.36\00:22:53.80
those take place? In the mind],
every high thing that exalts
itself against the knowledge of
00:22:53.90\00:22:58.77
God [where does the knowledge of
God reside? In the mind],
bringing every thought [where do
00:22:58.87\00:23:03.71
your thoughts reside? In the
mind], bringing every thought
into captivity to the obedience
00:23:03.81\00:23:08.45
of Christ." The greatest battle
in the universe is for your
mind. That's why Armageddon's
00:23:08.55\00:23:15.32
not really about the Middle
East; it's really about your
heart and your mind. Somebody's
00:23:15.42\00:23:20.06
after your heart. Somebody wants
to confuse you with the wine of
Babylon, and that tells me, you
00:23:20.16\00:23:25.07
should be on your guard as to
what you let in. You should be
taking care of your mind. In
00:23:25.17\00:23:29.10
fact, you should install
antivirus software; that's what
you should do. You should.
00:23:29.20\00:23:33.58
"There's no such thing." Yes,
there is. Philippians 4:
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever
00:23:33.68\00:23:38.81
things are true, whatsoever
things are just [or honest,
rather], whatsoever things are
00:23:38.91\00:23:44.55
just, whatsoever things are
pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of
00:23:44.65\00:23:49.09
good report, if there be any
virtue and if there be any
praise, think on these things."
00:23:49.19\00:23:54.40
How do you protect your mind?
You fill it with those things.
You keep it busy with Godly
00:23:54.50\00:24:02.04
thinking so that you crowd out
the evil. You don't give the
devil one inch of space in that
00:24:02.14\00:24:07.68
computer of yours. If you fill
your mind with conflicting
information, you are going to
00:24:07.78\00:24:13.15
get an unstable system. You
really will. If you allow both
kinds of information in there,
00:24:13.25\00:24:17.75
it's going to become unstable,
just like a computer. How do I
know? James actually says it.
00:24:17.85\00:24:21.76
"A double-minded man is unstable
in all his ways." You have to
make a decision. You can't live
00:24:21.86\00:24:30.60
on both sides of the fence. It's
the Lamb or the dragon. Those
are your alternatives. If you
00:24:30.70\00:24:34.57
try to play on both sides, James
says, you become unstable, just
like a computer. Jesus says
00:24:34.67\00:24:40.51
much the same thing. "No man can
serve two masters: for either he
will hate the one and love the
00:24:40.61\00:24:46.18
other, or else he will hold to
the one and despise the other."
You can't serve two masters. You
00:24:46.28\00:24:51.52
can't allow your brain to be
pulled in both directions. You
can't, anymore than you can date
00:24:51.62\00:24:56.19
two girls at once, guys. You
can't. I know. It's long before
- no, I never - you were my one
00:24:56.29\00:25:06.87
and only when we were dating.
But there was a time. I couldn't
believe my luck. Two girls said
00:25:06.97\00:25:15.04
yes to a date at the same time,
but it landed on the same night.
Ugh. I didn't have a car. I was
00:25:15.14\00:25:21.92
so poor, I had to pick them up
in a taxi. I picked the first
one up, we went out for dinner.
00:25:22.02\00:25:25.85
Mac and cheese and hot dogs.
Fancy stuff, you know. Got back
in the taxi, took her back,
00:25:25.95\00:25:32.49
dropped her off at her house,
and the cab driver said,
"Probably should take you home
00:25:32.59\00:25:36.23
now." I said, "No, no, no, I got
another date. We gotta get
going. I got one at 8:00. Let's
00:25:36.33\00:25:40.27
go get her." And he stopped and
he said, "Listen, buddy, let an
older guy give you some counsel:
00:25:40.37\00:25:44.37
this is going to blow up in your
face. This is not" - "No, I know
what I'm doing," 'cause you're
00:25:44.47\00:25:49.14
18, you know exactly what you're
doing, right? "I know what I'm
doing." He says, "Alright."
00:25:49.24\00:25:53.68
Picked up the next girl, out for
dinner. On a student budget,
that's four dinners, mac and
00:25:53.78\00:25:57.35
cheese and hot dogs. And I
dropped her off after dinner,
again in a taxi, and I made an
00:25:57.45\00:26:05.09
incredible discovery: taxi
driver's absolutely right.
Neither one of them ever talked
00:26:05.19\00:26:09.60
to me again. First one wondered
why she was home by seven; the
other one wondered why the cab
00:26:09.70\00:26:16.27
driver is laughing and winking
in the mirror the whole way to
the - you can't do it. Can't
00:26:16.37\00:26:26.65
serve two masters; it's not
possible. You have to be
single-minded. Folks, you are
00:26:26.75\00:26:30.52
either with the Lamb or the
dragon. You have to make up your
mind. Can't serve both. So how
00:26:30.62\00:26:36.69
do you become single-minded?
Here are the principles. Number
one, through faith. Through
00:26:36.79\00:26:41.60
faith. That's what the Bible
says. "For whatever is born of
God overcomes the world. And
00:26:41.70\00:26:47.54
this is the victory that has
overcome the world." Our faith.
God is saying, "Trust Me.
00:26:47.64\00:26:52.94
Exercise some faith. Start
trusting that I actually know
what I'm talking about. Do what
00:26:53.04\00:27:00.18
I say. Take a risk. Do what I
say." You have to be like
Abraham, do what God asks, even
00:27:00.28\00:27:06.05
on the days when you don't feel
like it or it doesn't seem to
make sense; you just do what He
00:27:06.15\00:27:09.89
asks. You live by faith. You
see, your faith doesn't grow
unless you actually use it.
00:27:09.99\00:27:15.06
Christianity is not just a bunch
of facts you put in your brain.
You have to live it.
00:27:15.16\00:27:20.44
Christianity is one of those
things that you only know by
actually doing it. It's like
00:27:20.54\00:27:25.57
skydiving. I can do all the math
in the world. "Alright, took a
physics class, it says that, you
00:27:25.67\00:27:30.68
know, I weigh [mumble], and the
parachute is X big, and the wind
is just like this, and
00:27:30.78\00:27:34.15
mathematically, I know that that
parachute's going to stop me
from careening into the earth."
00:27:34.25\00:27:42.22
I know it mathematically, but do
I really know it? There's only
one way you know it: you gotta
00:27:42.32\00:27:45.79
put on the parachute and jump.
And there's only one way you
will ever know if this Word is
00:27:45.89\00:27:50.97
true: you've gotta put on the
parachute and jump. You've gotta
trust that God knows what He's
00:27:51.07\00:27:54.94
doing and start living like it's
real. If the Bible says do it,
do it. Fill your mind with the
00:27:55.04\00:28:01.61
Word of God. The book of Romans
says faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God. You
00:28:01.71\00:28:07.48
gotta live your faith. You
become single-minded that way,
because you will see, it's real.
00:28:07.58\00:28:12.29
Principle number two is really
obvious. It's not rocket
science. You want to be
00:28:12.39\00:28:17.39
single-minded, quit putting
garbage in your brain. Garbage
in, garbage out. And that is
00:28:17.49\00:28:22.90
actually a Biblical principle.
Listen to what Jesus says in
Matthew chapter 12: "A good man
00:28:23.00\00:28:28.00
out of the good treasure of his
heart brings forth good things."
Put good stuff in, good stuff
00:28:28.10\00:28:32.67
comes out. "An evil man out of
the evil treasure brings forth
evil things." Put garbage in,
00:28:32.77\00:28:37.91
garbage comes out. What you feed
your mind is exactly what comes
back out of you. Sewage into the
00:28:38.01\00:28:44.79
mind, sewage comes out. I want
you to think about it like this:
your brain is like a filing
00:28:44.89\00:28:49.76
cabinet. All day long, you see
things, you hear things, and
your brain grabs it all, and it
00:28:49.86\00:28:55.66
sticks it in the filing cabinet
back here. And then suddenly you
face a moral crisis, a decision
00:28:55.76\00:29:01.70
that you have to make. "What's
the right thing to do in a
situation like this?" And your
00:29:01.80\00:29:05.54
brain, without you even thinking
about it, runs to the filing
cabinet, goes through the files
00:29:05.64\00:29:09.91
saying, "What do we do in a
situation like this?" It's
subconscious. It's on autopilot.
00:29:10.01\00:29:15.32
So you're faced with sexual
temptation, and your brain runs,
"What do we do in a situation
00:29:15.42\00:29:19.42
like this?" And all it can find
is eighteen thousand episodes of
Days of Our Lives. What are you
00:29:19.52\00:29:28.70
going to do? You're going to
cave in. You're faced with a
tense situation. You're getting
00:29:28.80\00:29:33.13
mad at somebody. Brain goes
running in there, "What do you
do in a situation like that?" It
00:29:33.23\00:29:36.97
finds Jean-Claude Van Damme who
punches somebody in the face
11,236 times. What are you going
00:29:37.07\00:29:42.88
to do? It's actually how it
works. It's actually how it
works. But you can put a stop to
00:29:42.98\00:29:49.35
it. You can change what's in the
filing cabinet. You absolutely
can. First John 2 verse 15: "Do
00:29:49.45\00:29:54.79
not love the world or the things
in the world. [There it is. You
can't have both.] If anyone
00:29:54.89\00:30:00.26
loves the world, the love of the
Father is not in him." It's one
or the other. Don't be
00:30:00.36\00:30:05.47
double-minded. There's only room
up here for one kind of file,
one set of files. And now I want
00:30:05.57\00:30:11.34
you to pay attention because God
is about to give us three areas
of temptation, three kinds of
00:30:11.44\00:30:15.64
files the devil is desperate to
put in your mind. Here it comes
"For all that is in the world -
00:30:15.74\00:30:21.78
the lust of the flesh, the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of
life - is not of the Father, but
00:30:21.88\00:30:31.59
is of the world." "And the world
is passing away, and the lust of
it; but he who does the will of
00:30:31.69\00:30:38.07
God abides forever." You know
what it's saying? Start living
now like you're already in the
00:30:38.17\00:30:47.04
kingdom. The Bible says you're
already a citizen. Paul said,
"I'm a citizen of the kingdom of
00:30:47.14\00:30:52.75
heaven." You've already got your
passport. Start living like
you're there. Three kinds of
00:30:52.85\00:30:57.05
files the devil tries to put
into your brain. I want to look
at them, because if they have
00:30:57.15\00:31:01.49
ever applied to any generation,
they really apply to the 21st
century. They really apply to
00:31:01.59\00:31:06.16
us. He mentions the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes, and
the pride of life. That's the
00:31:06.26\00:31:13.50
devil's filing system. That's
the stuff he's trying to put
into your head. And the only way
00:31:13.60\00:31:17.94
he can get it in there is if you
let him. You have to grant him
access. He cannot force his way
00:31:18.04\00:31:24.61
into - only God has direct
access to the human mind. First
Kings 8:39: "You, O Lord, alone
00:31:24.71\00:31:30.25
know the hearts of men." Only
God has direct access, and He
never forces Himself on anybody.
00:31:30.35\00:31:36.93
The devil would love to force
his way in, but he doesn't have
direct access. You have to give
00:31:37.03\00:31:41.63
it to him. There's an old book -
many of you will have heard of
John Bunyan. And if you've not
00:31:41.73\00:31:46.33
read John Bunyan, especially
young people, Go back and read
it. It will show you that our
00:31:46.43\00:31:50.91
ancestors really did read the
whole Book and they knew it
inside and out. He wrote a book
00:31:51.01\00:31:54.84
called Pilgrim's Progress, and
many of you will now say, "Oh
yeah, Pilgrim's Progress, I
00:31:54.94\00:31:58.68
remember that." Beautiful
analogy. I mean, it's so good.
You know, it's tempting to think
00:31:58.78\00:32:03.72
it's inspired. It is so good, it
is so Biblical. Every page is
Biblical. And he describes the
00:32:03.82\00:32:08.92
journey of the Christian through
life from coming to Christ until
they make it to the kingdom.
00:32:09.02\00:32:14.50
It's beautiful. Everyone knows
Pilgrim's Progress. He wrote
another book, though, that
00:32:14.60\00:32:18.63
doesn't get nearly the
advertising. It's called The
Holy War. Beautiful book. Go get
00:32:18.73\00:32:23.41
a copy if you can find one. It's
probably free on the Kindle or
something nowadays. The Holy War
00:32:23.51\00:32:27.61
by John Bunyan. And in it, he
describes - 'cause these people
were conversing in what we're
00:32:27.71\00:32:32.95
talking about - he describes the
war that's going on for your
mind. He understood why the
00:32:33.05\00:32:38.99
Bible says God's last-day people
have the Father's name written
in their foreheads. And what he
00:32:39.09\00:32:43.43
does is compare your brain to a
city that's under attack by the
devil. It's an analogy. Now, the
00:32:43.53\00:32:48.76
language is really, really old,
but I'm going to read it to you
anyway 'cause it's so good.
00:32:48.86\00:32:53.57
"The walls of the town [I love
the way they write. They use way
too many words, right? They
00:32:53.67\00:32:58.67
obviously didn't have Twitter
because you'd never fit this in
140 characters] the walls of the
00:32:58.77\00:33:04.18
town were well built, yea, so
fast and firm they were knit and
compact together, that, had it
00:33:04.28\00:33:10.42
not been for the townsmen
themselves, they could not have
been shaken or broken forever."
00:33:10.52\00:33:15.02
I love reading that stuff. When
you're out doing whatever you do
on Saturday night, I'm sitting
00:33:15.12\00:33:18.63
reading Bunyan because it's just
- that's beautiful language,
amen? All the English majors
00:33:18.73\00:33:23.33
said "Amen" and everyone else
said, "That is too wordy." You
know what he's saying? He's
00:33:23.43\00:33:27.77
saying that the city, the brain
is a town, a city, and it's so
well-built that you can't break
00:33:27.87\00:33:34.91
in, unless the townspeople let
you in, right? That's what he
says. And he continues. He
00:33:35.01\00:33:39.35
repeats himself: "For here lay
the excellent wisdom of him that
builded Mansoul [that's you,
00:33:39.45\00:33:44.49
your brain, your heart], the
walls could never be broken down
or hurt by the most might
00:33:44.59\00:33:49.56
adverse potentate, unless the
townsmen gave consent thereto."
He just said it again. You can't
00:33:49.66\00:33:54.56
break in unless somebody lets
you in. "This famous town of
Mansoul had five gates, in at
00:33:54.66\00:33:59.73
which to come, and out at which
to go; and these were made
likewise answerable to the
00:33:59.83\00:34:04.74
walls, to with, impregnable." In
other words, it has five gates,
and you can't get through those
00:34:04.84\00:34:09.01
either, can't break them down,
unless somebody on the inside
opens them. "And such as could
00:34:09.04\00:34:13.21
never be opened or forced but by
the will and leave of those
within. The names of the gates
00:34:13.25\00:34:18.32
were these: Ear-gate, Eye-gate,
Mouth-gate, Nose-gate, and
Feel-gate." No Watergate, no -
00:34:18.35\00:34:26.03
you know, just the five senses.
That's - and he hits it right on
the head. The devil cannot smash
00:34:26.06\00:34:31.90
his way into your mind; he has
to get permission. And if he
shows up trying to force his way
00:34:32.00\00:34:37.54
in, you're not going to let him
in. So what does he use? He's
only got two tools: violence and
00:34:37.64\00:34:40.64
deception. He'll talk you into
opening the gates. Right?
Tonight, I thought what we would
00:34:40.74\00:34:46.95
do for a few minutes is wander
around the city of your brain
and check the gates and see how
00:34:47.05\00:34:52.19
well locked they are. That sound
like a good activity? Some
people are not so sure. "The
00:34:52.29\00:34:57.53
preacher's about to meddle."
Yes, I am, absolutely. There's
too much at stake, folks. Jesus
00:34:57.63\00:35:04.80
is coming. You wrestle with
temptation, pay attention.
Here's the Bible's advice:
00:35:04.90\00:35:09.57
"Apply your heart to instruction
[let's take a look at the
ear-gate], apply your heart to
00:35:09.67\00:35:15.54
instruction, and your ears to
words of knowledge." What does
God say use your ears for?
00:35:15.64\00:35:22.15
Knowledge. Apply your heart to
instruction. It's to get wisdom.
It's to fill your mind with God.
00:35:22.25\00:35:27.99
He says it in another place,
Proverbs 22: "Incline your ear
and hear the words of the wise,
00:35:28.09\00:35:34.66
and apply your heart to My
knowledge." God says the ears
are a gate to the heart, is what
00:35:34.76\00:35:40.94
He says. This is a method of
putting files in your filing
cabinet. So here's what I want
00:35:41.04\00:35:45.44
to ask tonight - and it's kind
of an intelligent question, I
hope - how much of what's going
00:35:45.54\00:35:51.98
in our ears in modern culture
might be considered wisdom?
"Preacher, you're really going
00:35:52.08\00:35:57.89
to meddle, aren't you?" Yeah, I
am. Because we live in a really
noisy world. The sound is never
00:35:57.99\00:36:08.43
turned off, and I don't think
it's by accident. And your ears
are picking up information,
00:36:08.53\00:36:12.77
whether you're paying attention
or not, all day long. Every so
often, I go down to the car and
00:36:12.87\00:36:18.67
I turn on the radio. And I bring
a pad of paper and hit the scan
button. And I write down the
00:36:18.77\00:36:25.18
lyrics of what's on the radio
right now. Lately, I've had to
go and check Spotify and Pandora
00:36:25.28\00:36:32.12
too. I'm going to show you
what's on the top charts right
now, what everybody's listening
00:36:32.22\00:36:38.53
to. And we're going to ask one
question: how much of this is
wisdom? Song number one, by
00:36:38.63\00:36:47.04
Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk." "Oh,
preacher, you're going to
meddle, aren't you? You're going
00:36:47.14\00:36:51.47
to ruin everything." Yup, I am.
Here it comes: "Got kiss
myself." It needs the word "to"
00:36:51.57\00:36:56.01
in there. He would - you gotta
put the word "to" in there. "Got
[to] kiss myself, I'm so
00:36:56.11\00:36:59.71
pretty." "I'm too hot, hot, [and
I can't print it on the
screen]." You know, I used to
00:36:59.81\00:37:05.59
put these up twenty years ago
and I didn't have to censor
them. I do now. "Gotta kiss
00:37:05.69\00:37:10.03
myself, I'm so pretty. I'm too
hot, call the police and a
fireman. I'm too hot. Make a
00:37:10.13\00:37:14.73
dragon wanna retire, man, I'm
too hot. Say my name, you know
who I am." Actually, I do know
00:37:14.83\00:37:20.07
who you are. I know someone else
who fell in love with himself,
and it cost the universe
00:37:20.17\00:37:27.31
everything. Let's just be
honest. I mean, there's no tunes
there. It's fun to listen to. I
00:37:27.41\00:37:32.51
get it. I get it. Fun to listen
to, but does that sound like
Godly wisdom, yes or no? No.
00:37:32.61\00:37:39.15
Song number two, Taylor Swift.
She's the good girl, right? She
is kind of a good girl, and for
00:37:39.25\00:37:43.76
the most part, that's absolutely
true. But even here, I couldn't
believe it. "Nice to meet you,
00:37:43.86\00:37:47.66
where you been? I could show you
incredible things, magic,
madness, heaven's sin." Really?
00:37:47.76\00:37:56.17
I don't want those kinds of
incredible things. They hurt. It
continues. "Saw you there and I
00:37:56.27\00:38:01.94
thought [and then she takes the
Lord's name in vain. I didn't
want to print that.] Look at
00:38:02.04\00:38:06.38
that face. You look like my next
mistake [because of course, you
have to cave in, right? You got
00:38:06.48\00:38:10.19
no choice]. Love's a game, wanna
play?" No, I don't. Love's not a
game. Love's the greatest gift
00:38:10.29\00:38:17.96
that God ever gave us. And one
of the big reasons we have so
much heartbreak in our world and
00:38:18.06\00:38:21.86
ruined homes and teenage
pregnancy is because we're
treating it like a game. It's
00:38:21.96\00:38:27.10
not a game. "Got a long list of
ex-lovers. They tell you I'm
insane, 'cause you know I love
00:38:27.20\00:38:31.47
the players, and you love the
game." Ah, what dad wouldn't be
delighted to have his daughter
00:38:31.57\00:38:37.05
singing that song on the radio?
That's not wisdom. Not for a
daughter of the Most High God.
00:38:37.15\00:38:44.25
We shouldn't be singing that.
Number three was a bunch of
noise. I couldn't make it out.
00:38:44.35\00:38:48.42
And I'm an old metal-head.
Before I came to Jesus, I was
AC/DC and Kiss. I can usually
00:38:48.52\00:38:55.83
figure it out. I can't figure
this one out. And my Bible says
God is not the author of
00:38:55.93\00:39:00.24
confusion, amen? Alright. Number
four, a little song called "Take
00:39:00.34\00:39:04.84
me to Church." Got my hopes up
for about two seconds. "My
church offers no absolutes. She
00:39:04.94\00:39:09.54
tells me, 'Worship in the
bedroom.' The only heaven
[religion is sex? That comes
00:39:09.64\00:39:14.55
straight from Babylon] the only
heaven I'll be sent to is when
I'm alone with you. [This
00:39:14.65\00:39:19.05
delightful morality tale
continues.] If I'm a pagan of
the good times, my lover's the
00:39:19.15\00:39:24.09
sunlight. To keep the Goddess on
my side, she demands a
sacrifice." It's on the top of
00:39:24.19\00:39:30.83
the charts right now. Top of the
charts. Saturday night in
heaven. The angels are thinking,
00:39:30.93\00:39:38.07
"What are we going to do? What
are we going to do? It's
Saturday night." And Gabriel
00:39:38.17\00:39:40.91
says, "Let's have karaoke night
here in heaven." And so they
clear out the square there in
00:39:41.01\00:39:46.25
heaven, and we all show up and
they turn on the karaoke machine
and the angels sing to "Keep the
00:39:46.35\00:39:50.92
goddess on my side, she" - do
you see it, yes or no? No. So
why are you feeding it to your
00:39:51.02\00:39:56.86
brain now? Number five, by
Usher. I feel for Usher, because
he's right on the cusp of a
00:39:56.96\00:40:02.26
decision for Christ. "Shawty, I
don't mind if you dance on a
pole." Top of the charts. "That
00:40:02.36\00:40:09.70
don't make you a ho. Shawty, I
don't mind when you work 'til
three if you're leaving with me.
00:40:09.80\00:40:13.07
Go make that money, money,
money." It's what we're
listening to. The sad thing is,
00:40:13.17\00:40:18.48
Usher's raised in church, sang
in the baptist choir at age six.
Number six, song by Nicki Minaj,
00:40:18.58\00:40:24.25
can't put it on the screen.
Number seven - no, I mean, my
curly hair went straight when I
00:40:24.35\00:40:31.09
heard that one. I changed it
fast. Ariana Grande, delightful
song called "Bang Bang" and she
00:40:31.19\00:40:36.03
doesn't mean playing cowboys and
Indians. "She got a body like an
hourglass, but I can give it to
00:40:36.13\00:40:41.04
you all the time. She got a
booty like a Cadillac. I can
send you into overdrive."
00:40:41.14\00:40:45.57
Starting to get the point? I
don't think we need to put much
more up. It doesn't stop. "Oh,
00:40:45.67\00:40:54.05
come on, Shawn, you're one of
those hysterical preachers. You
see a demon behind every bush."
00:40:54.15\00:40:57.65
No, I don't. I don't. "You don't
know anything about music,
preacher." Actually, I do.
00:40:57.75\00:41:06.76
Studied at the Toronto
Conservatory for nine years. I
do know. I'm not hysterical
00:41:06.86\00:41:13.20
about it; I'm just encouraging
you to pay attention to what
you're putting in the filing
00:41:13.30\00:41:16.47
cabinet, please. Devil's trying
to get you to put it in there.
He's trying to get you to open
00:41:16.57\00:41:21.51
the gate. He wants to put some
files in there so you make the
wrong decision when the chips
00:41:21.61\00:41:24.55
are down. What are you putting
in your filing cabinet? I mean,
you say it doesn't affect you.
00:41:24.65\00:41:29.72
"It doesn't affect me; it's just
a song." Then you tell me where
all the dark thoughts are coming
00:41:29.82\00:41:33.59
from. Tell me where they're
coming from. The idea is the
temptation. "Come on, it doesn't
00:41:33.69\00:41:38.79
affect me; it's just lyrics.
Doesn't change how I think." You
don't think so? It's not what
00:41:38.89\00:41:43.26
noted psychiatrist Ira Altshuler
thinks. "Music, which does not
depend on the master brain to
00:41:43.37\00:41:48.90
gain entrance into the organism,
can still arouse a person by way
of the thalamus - the relay
00:41:49.00\00:41:54.01
station of all emotions,
sensations, and feelings. Once a
stimulus has been able to reach
00:41:54.11\00:41:58.95
the thalamus, the master brain
is automatically invaded." What
does it mean? It means, put it
00:41:59.05\00:42:03.39
to music, and it goes straight
into the filing cabinet, and you
don't even have time to think it
00:42:03.49\00:42:06.92
through. It just goes in there.
And it has a big flag on it so
it's easy to access. Ask
00:42:07.02\00:42:11.86
yourself this: why do most ad
executives put all their best
jingles to music? Why? 'Cause
00:42:11.96\00:42:16.97
they know what we won't admit:
it plants it in the filing
cabinet and makes it easy to
00:42:17.07\00:42:22.27
get. I mean, let's try it out.
"Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh."
That's decades old. How did you
00:42:22.37\00:42:29.61
find that so fast? Huh? "At
McDonald's, you deserve a?"
That's thirty years old. You got
00:42:29.71\00:42:39.22
it instantly. "Every kiss begins
with?" Okay, yeah, I sang that
while I was vacuuming the house,
00:42:39.32\00:42:46.16
singing, and my kids said, "Dad,
you know, ugly begins with you,
right?" How do you get it so
00:42:46.26\00:42:52.60
fast? Music puts a big flag on
it, and that's the first file
you grab. It does. There's a
00:42:52.70\00:42:58.54
reason. All the dictators in the
twentieth century built their
causes with pageantry and music.
00:42:58.64\00:43:03.71
They did it. "What are you
saying, don't listen to music?"
No, of course not. Listen to
00:43:03.81\00:43:07.72
music; it's a gift from God.
Just beware of what you're
putting in the filing cabinet.
00:43:07.82\00:43:11.62
"Doesn't affect me." Yes, it
does. It does. Jimi Hendrix once
said something interesting after
00:43:11.72\00:43:17.83
watching his followers. "Music,"
he said, "is a spiritual thing
of its own." He was marvelling
00:43:17.93\00:43:22.73
how he could control the
audience. "You can hypnotize
people with music, and when you
00:43:22.83\00:43:26.37
get them at their weakest point,
you can preach into their
subconscious whatever you want
00:43:26.47\00:43:29.77
to say." He's absolutely right.
It's just Christians that won't
admit it. The devil knows it. I
00:43:29.87\00:43:37.41
think he knows this subject very
well. Remember, when we looked
at him, he had timbrels and
00:43:37.51\00:43:42.42
pipes. He was the musical angel.
He knows the subject. You want
to see something creepy? It
00:43:42.52\00:43:47.62
might be a coincidence, but it's
kind of creepy. You want to see
it? Only one person now. "What's
00:43:47.72\00:43:53.03
he going to show us?" Barry
Manilow, we used to make fun of
him, called him "Barry
00:43:53.13\00:43:56.93
Banana-loaf" all the time when
we were kids. But he sang one
song. Could be a coincidence,
00:43:57.03\00:44:01.94
just a little freaky, though.
"I've been alive forever, and I
wrote the first song. I got the
00:44:02.04\00:44:06.24
words and the melodies together,
I am the music and I wrote the
songs. My home lies deep within
00:44:06.34\00:44:11.98
you, I've got my own place in
your soul. Now, when I look out
through your eyes, I'm young
00:44:12.08\00:44:16.35
again, even though I'm very old.
I write the songs that make the
whole world sing." Might be a
00:44:16.45\00:44:24.13
coincidence, but it's creepy.
That's the ear-gate. Is yours
locked? Let's look at the
00:44:24.23\00:44:32.97
eye-gate. Now everybody's
getting real quiet. "He's going
to wreck something for me."
00:44:33.07\00:44:38.67
Hollywood. Does it appeal to
your higher or your lower
nature? Let's just be honest,
00:44:38.77\00:44:45.68
come on now. Which one is it?
Right? What sells the movie in
the trailer? It's the sex and
00:44:45.78\00:44:50.65
the violence. That's what they
put in. They put that part in
the trailer 'cause they want you
00:44:50.75\00:44:54.09
to come and look. That's what
people are waiting for. Can we
just be honest about it? We
00:44:54.19\00:44:57.39
don't have time not to be
honest, as Christians. There was
a day we didn't participate in
00:44:57.49\00:45:01.13
the industry. But now we watch
exactly the same stuff as
everybody else and we don't
00:45:01.23\00:45:05.67
think anything of it. It's
becoming a problem. "What are
you saying, Shawn? Throw out my
00:45:05.77\00:45:09.67
TV?" No, no, if you're going to
throw your TV out, tell me where
you threw it, because I could
00:45:09.77\00:45:12.87
use a nice TV. But that's not
the point. Use some common
sense. What are you putting in
00:45:12.97\00:45:20.92
your mind? We're paying a price
for the stuff we're sticking in
the filing cabinet. We're
00:45:21.02\00:45:24.55
slipping, and I can prove it. I
can. Some atheists went to a
Christian convention a while
00:45:24.65\00:45:29.36
back. A bunch of Christians got
together and the atheists went
to the hotel, paid off the desk
00:45:29.46\00:45:32.93
staff so they could see what
everybody ordered in their room.
Eighty percent of the Christians
00:45:33.03\00:45:37.33
ordered X-rated movies in their
room. Eighty percent. That's
sad. What are you putting in
00:45:37.43\00:45:43.57
front of your eyes on your
laptop, on your smart phone?
Something's changed in the
00:45:43.67\00:45:49.81
Christian community. In 2014,
Barna discovered seventy-seven
percent of Christian men under
00:45:49.91\00:45:54.58
the age of 49 are watching porn
once a month. What are you
putting in the filing cabinet?
00:45:54.68\00:45:59.82
Why are our Christian marriages
failing just like everybody
else's at the same rate now?
00:45:59.92\00:46:04.46
Why? Why do we cheat on our
spouses just like everybody
else? Barna found out last year,
00:46:04.56\00:46:08.60
one-third of Christian men have
had an extramarital affair.
One-third. Watching the same
00:46:08.70\00:46:14.50
movies, the same shows. It's not
the whole cause, but you gotta
wonder what it's contributing.
00:46:14.60\00:46:18.34
We wonder why we have the same
problems as everybody else. What
are you putting in your filing
00:46:18.44\00:46:24.25
cabinet? Listen to the Bible's
advice. "I will behave wisely in
a perfect way. Oh, when will
00:46:24.35\00:46:29.65
You come to me? I will walk
within my house with a perfect
heart. I will set nothing wicked
00:46:29.75\00:46:35.19
before my eyes; I hate the work
of those who fall away; it shall
not cling to me." Notice what it
00:46:35.29\00:46:42.13
says, "clings to you." Hard to
get it back out of the cabinet.
What would happen if we applied
00:46:42.23\00:46:47.87
the filter of no wicked thing to
our eyes? You'd get control of
your mind back, that's what
00:46:47.97\00:46:52.94
would happen. What are you
feeding your brain? Here's the
truth. You and I, by the time
00:46:53.04\00:46:59.65
we're 18, saw 16,000 murders.
Desperate Housewives, we found
out, was the most popular show
00:46:59.75\00:47:03.89
with kids nine to twelve in the
year 2005, University of Kansas.
Fifty-four percent of our kids
00:47:03.99\00:47:09.62
have a TV in their bedrooms.
Close the door, because of
course, if you're eight, we
00:47:09.72\00:47:13.06
trust you to make a decision
about what you're watching. Kids
who watch sex on TV are twice as
00:47:13.16\00:47:17.50
likely, statistically, to
engage. "It doesn't affect me."
Yes, it does. Our standards are
00:47:17.60\00:47:25.47
dropping. "It doesn't affect
me." Ask Janet Leigh if it
affects you. Remember Janet
00:47:25.57\00:47:29.94
Leigh? You don't want to admit
you know who she is now, after
all that, but in Psycho.
00:47:30.05\00:47:34.18
Remember Psycho? Shower scene? I
saw it. I wasn't a believer. You
don't want to admit you saw it.
00:47:34.28\00:47:40.62
But the minute I did that, some
of you saw the scene in your
brain. Came back instantly.
00:47:40.72\00:47:45.43
Blood swirling down the drain.
Here's what's fascinating: she
was never able to take a shower
00:47:45.53\00:47:51.53
again. Right? She had a bath
after that with a baseball bat
by the tub, and she was on that
00:47:51.63\00:47:57.61
side of the camera, that side of
the camera. What did it do to
us? I'll tell you what it did to
00:47:57.71\00:48:01.44
us: the University of Michigan
has discovered that one horror
movie will affect your sleep
00:48:01.54\00:48:06.72
patterns twenty years later.
Twenty years. How many of you
know who Ben Carson is? I was
00:48:06.82\00:48:12.15
talking to him, oh, about
fifteen, twenty years ago. It
was sort of before he was making
00:48:12.25\00:48:15.66
news. Famous neurosurgeon. He
said, "This is really
fascinating." He was talking to
00:48:15.76\00:48:21.30
a group of us, and he said, "I
can lock somebody in a room like
this [like we're here now], I
00:48:21.40\00:48:26.27
can open their eyes for one
second, close them again, lead
them out. Ten years from now,
00:48:26.37\00:48:29.77
I'll have them on the table.
I'll be probing their brain, and
suddenly, if I touch the right
00:48:29.87\00:48:33.14
spot, they'll see the whole
room, down to what you're
wearing and what's on the clock
00:48:33.24\00:48:36.95
at the back of the room." In
other words, everything you ever
see goes in there forever. And
00:48:37.05\00:48:42.82
in a moral crisis, your brain
goes scrambling for information
without even trying. It just
00:48:42.92\00:48:47.79
grabs what's available. It's
always running, always running.
You ever notice how sometimes
00:48:47.89\00:48:54.73
you're working on a problem, and
then you put it aside, and two
hours later, the answer comes?
00:48:54.83\00:48:58.43
It's because your subconscious
is still in the filing cabinet,
still working on it. It never
00:48:58.53\00:49:03.54
stops. It's always accessing
those files, even when you're
not paying attention. You go to
00:49:03.64\00:49:08.14
bed at night, you ever notice,
you start dreaming, and you
dream about what happened today,
00:49:08.24\00:49:12.05
but then weird things happen.
Suddenly you're back in the
third grade in your dream, along
00:49:12.15\00:49:15.82
with what happened today. Do you
know why? Your brain's taking
all the memories from today and
00:49:15.92\00:49:20.06
looking for a place in the
filing cabinet to stick them.
It's always working. And if you
00:49:20.16\00:49:25.83
have the wrong information,
you're going to do the wrong
thing. I mean, just quite aside
00:49:25.93\00:49:31.40
from that, most of us don't even
live real lives anymore.
Twenty-two hours a week, we're
00:49:31.50\00:49:35.27
in front of that thing. We let
other people play sports, we sit
and watch it, and we don't go
00:49:35.37\00:49:40.31
outside and do anything. Our
friends and relationships are
all - even a TV show called
00:49:40.41\00:49:44.51
Friends instead of actually
going out and having some. We're
wasting huge quantities of our
00:49:44.61\00:49:51.09
lives watching actors pretend to
have a life. What sense does
that make? It's destroying us.
00:49:51.19\00:49:58.19
People tell me, "But I wish I
had the time you had to study
the Bible." I promise you do. I
00:49:58.29\00:50:02.10
promise you do. I've got a
challenge for you. Take a few
things. Take your TV remote and
00:50:02.20\00:50:07.60
your smart phone and your tablet
and your laptop and your Bible.
Put them all on the coffee table
00:50:07.70\00:50:12.77
for three weeks. See which one
you reach for the most.
Honestly, we're squandering this
00:50:12.87\00:50:20.22
beautiful gift God gave us
called life. The lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes, and
00:50:20.32\00:50:28.06
the pride of life. There's the
big one. What is pride? It's
putting yourself at the centre
00:50:28.16\00:50:33.76
of the universe. It was the very
first of all sins. Lucifer said,
"I will ascend into heaven, I
00:50:33.86\00:50:40.64
will exalt my throne above the
stars of God; I will sit also on
the mount of the congregation,
00:50:40.74\00:50:45.31
on the farthest sides of the
north. I will ascend above the
heights of the clouds," I, I, I,
00:50:45.41\00:50:50.75
I. Ezekiel actually says that
Lucifer was corrupted because he
was gorgeous. "Your heart was
00:50:50.85\00:50:57.59
lifted up because of your
beauty; you corrupted your
wisdom for the sake of your
00:50:57.69\00:51:02.49
splendour." And here we are,
living in a world that puts all
the emphasis on the outside. All
00:51:02.59\00:51:10.40
of it. All on physical beauty.
We worship youth when the Bible
says grey hair is worth
00:51:10.50\00:51:16.94
something. Girls starve
themselves to look like a
picture of a girl that doesn't
00:51:17.04\00:51:22.21
actually exist; it was made in
Photoshop. Boys taking steroids,
damaging their bodies so they
00:51:22.31\00:51:28.72
can look like the guy in the
magazine too. Everybody in
California going out and getting
00:51:28.82\00:51:33.42
plastic surgery, denying the
inevitable. Get all the plastic
surgery you want; your face is
00:51:33.52\00:51:39.23
still going to slide off your
skull one day. Still going to
happen. We're spending millions
00:51:39.33\00:51:47.67
of dollars - as people starve,
by the way - millions of dollars
on designer stuff and designer
00:51:47.77\00:51:53.44
clothes and designer cars and we
decorate our bodies with
expensive things, but I'm
00:51:53.54\00:51:58.45
telling you what God's looking
at: He's looking at the inside.
He's looking at the heart and
00:51:58.55\00:52:03.92
mind. God judges the heart, not
your appearance. That's it.
Listen to God's advice. First
00:52:04.02\00:52:10.59
Peter 3: "Do not let your
adorning be external - the
braiding of hair or the
00:52:10.69\00:52:14.46
putting-on of gold jewellery, or
the clothing you wear - but let
your adorning be the hidden
00:52:14.56\00:52:19.20
person of the heart with the
imperishable beauty of a gentle
and quiet spirit, which is in
00:52:19.30\00:52:23.64
God's sight very precious." Now,
some of our Mennonite and Amish
brethren - I go visit the Amish.
00:52:23.74\00:52:31.58
I kind of envy their lifestyle
some. I do. They've taken this
passage to heart. They don't
00:52:31.68\00:52:37.22
even put the stuff on ever. They
take it seriously. And you know
something? They kind of have a
00:52:37.32\00:52:42.42
point. They kind of have a
point. Why not let Jesus be the
most attractive thing about you?
00:52:42.52\00:52:50.00
Why not let Jesus be it? The
Bible's rule is simplicity. It's
letting Jesus show through you.
00:52:50.10\00:52:55.20
It's letting Jesus be more
visible than you. Put a filter
on your mind. Close the gates.
00:52:55.30\00:53:05.31
Here's the Bible's advice. In
the last days: "Teaching us
that, denying ungodliness and
00:53:05.41\00:53:11.95
worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly
in the present age, looking for
00:53:12.05\00:53:17.36
the blessed hope and glorious
appearing of our Great God and
Saviour Jesus Christ, Who gave
00:53:17.46\00:53:22.86
Himself for us, that He might
redeem us from every lawless
deed and purify for Himself His
00:53:22.96\00:53:29.37
own special people, zealous for
good works." "But I don't want
to be different." No? I do. If
00:53:29.47\00:53:42.62
it means that I'm practicing for
the kingdom of heaven, I do. Let
me ask you: You've taken the
00:53:42.72\00:53:48.79
reins of your own life for
years. I've done it. Still
struggle with it. Everybody
00:53:48.89\00:53:54.23
does. How does it go when you
run it your way? How's it going
There's a man in church, he's
00:53:54.36\00:54:02.34
playing the organ, he's
practicing in an empty church,
and it's going horribly. Making
00:54:02.44\00:54:06.27
mistakes. And as he's
practicing, to his horror, the
back of the church opens and a
00:54:06.37\00:54:11.31
man comes and sits down and sits
there and listens. That's making
00:54:11.41\00:54:15.08
it worse. Now he's
self-conscious and he's making
more mistakes. Ergh. Man's
00:54:15.18\00:54:23.83
sitting in the pew, in a break,
says, "That's quite a piece
you're playing. You're
00:54:23.93\00:54:27.03
struggling with it." "It's very
complicated." "Maybe I could
help you with it." "You don't
00:54:27.13\00:54:34.04
understand. This is really
complex." "This is a piece
written by Felix Mendelssohn.
00:54:34.14\00:54:40.71
You don't get it." "Alright."
Man keeps making more mistakes.
He's getting more frustrated.
00:54:40.81\00:54:44.38
And then after a bit, as happens
to most men, he starts to feel
bad. "Ooh, I was kind of rude to
00:54:44.48\00:54:50.69
him." He stops. He says, "I'm
sorry I was so rude. I just -
I'm struggling with this. My
00:54:50.79\00:54:54.62
name is Steven. What's your
name?" He said, "I'm Felix
Mendelssohn. I wrote that
00:54:54.72\00:55:06.13
piece." So here you are.
Struggling with your life, doing
it your own way, and the whole
00:55:06.23\00:55:12.11
time, God's knocking on the
door, saying, "But I made you.
Why don't you let Me teach you
00:55:12.21\00:55:21.78
how to live? It just goes a
whole lot better. And you can
end up on the mountain with the
00:55:21.88\00:55:32.83
Lamb with My name written on
your forehead." It is the Lamb
or the dragon. You gotta make up
00:55:32.93\00:55:46.78
your mind. If you'd like to
stand on Mount Zion one day, why
don't you stand right now and
00:55:46.88\00:56:00.59
have prayer with me? Father in
heaven, what a marvel Your Word
is. There's not a detail about
00:56:00.69\00:56:11.60
life that You've left out.
Tonight, we want to turn our
hearts and minds over to You. We
00:56:11.70\00:56:19.97
want to be new creatures. We
want Your character written in
our hearts. Give us the wisdom
00:56:20.08\00:56:27.32
to see where the enemy attacks
and to follow Jesus. Father,
we're thankful for the gift of
00:56:27.42\00:56:33.59
the cross and the fact that
we'll be on our way home very
soon. Come quickly, Lord Jesus,
00:56:33.69\00:56:41.10
for we pray it in
His wonderful name, amen.
00:56:41.20\00:56:43.63