A great controversy
rages between good and evil
00:00:01.36\00:00:03.67
and humanity is
caught in the crossfire.
00:00:03.87\00:00:05.87
Satan has crafted his most
cunning end-time deceptions
00:00:06.07\00:00:09.07
but his plans
are doomed to fail.
00:00:09.27\00:00:11.37
Get ready to
anchor your minds in truth
00:00:11.57\00:00:13.78
as the Bible exposed his lies
00:00:13.98\00:00:16.08
and prepares us for
our soon-coming Savior.
00:00:16.28\00:00:18.75
And now live from the
Campus Hill Church of SDA's
00:00:19.15\00:00:22.55
in Loma Linda, California,
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we bring you
this presentation of:
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Good afternoon and
welcome to Winter Camp Meeting
00:00:31.29\00:00:33.83
here from the Campus
Hill Church in Loma Linda, CA.
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Happy Sabbath! Happy Sabbath!
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What an incredible
day we've had so far!
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And we're in for
another treat this afternoon.
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We're so glad that you have
tuned in at home and you are
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watching us for our Winter
Camp Meeting here as well.
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Our speaker of the hour this
afternoon is Pastor Ryan Day.
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He joined the 3ABN
family almost two years ago.
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And we are so blessed because
he's a student of the Word
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of God. He's a man of prayer,
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and he has an incredible sing-
ing voice. But this afternoon
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we're going to hear
him open up the Word of God
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and share with us.
The title of his message
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is Grace Plus.
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Before he comes and ministers
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Tim Parton is at the piano
and will be doing an amazing
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song: Wonderful Peace.
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After Tim plays and sings
the next voice you will hear
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is that of Pastor Ryan Day.
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Far away in the depths
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of my spirit tonight
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rolls a melody
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sweeter than psalm;
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In celestial-like strains
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it unceasingly flows
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o'er my soul
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like an infinite calm.
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Peace! peace!
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wonderful peace,
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coming down from the Father
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above,
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Sweep over my spirit
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forever, I pray,
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in fathomless
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billows of love.
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I am resting tonight
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in this wonderful peace,
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I'm resting sweetly
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in Jesus' control,
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For I'm safe
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from all danger
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by night and by day...
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and His glory
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is flooding my soul.
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So I sing: Peace! peace!
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wonderful peace,
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coming down
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from the Father above,
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Sweep over my spirit
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forever,
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I pray,
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in fathomless
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billows
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of love.
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Amen!
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Mr. Parton never ceases to
amaze. Phenomenal musician,
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Amen? Amen! My
brother from another mother!
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Well... you awake?
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Are you sure? Not going
to be falling asleep on me
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after eatin' that fine dinner?
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All right. If I see
you out there sleepin'
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I'm going to make everyone
stand up and I don't know...
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do jumping jacks or the
hokey pokey or something.
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We can't be falling
asleep in God's house
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'cause we have a very
very important message
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to talk about this evening.
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The title of the
message is Grace Plus.
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Interesting title.
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You know, I have to
give a shout out right now.
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I don't know if she's
watching. She may be watching
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but I actually was not
originally supposed to deliver
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this message. The person
who was originally supposed to
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deliver this message
was Ms. Shelley Quinn.
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And God bless her
heart... she has been
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through it in
the past few months.
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My heart breaks that
she can't be here with us
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because I know that she
was so much looking forward
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to being here to
deliver this message.
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And I'm a little
semi-nervous because I know that
00:06:01.36\00:06:04.06
this is just right down her
alley, this type of message.
00:06:04.26\00:06:07.13
She's the champion of
communicating God's grace.
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And to be able to be
given the opportunity
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to stand in her place
and preach this message
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is a huge honor. And
when you say your prayers
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please lift up a
prayer for Ms. Shelley Quinn.
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She's had a very
serious back surgery
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recently and of course
has another one coming up.
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But Shelley, if
you're watching: we love you!
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We know you're
back home recovering,
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and thank you so
much for your ministry.
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Before we go any
further, though, I want to say
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a prayer. Isn't that important?
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Amen! Absolutely. Let's
go to the Lord in prayer.
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Father in heaven,
Lord, we thank you so much
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for the fact that we
are alive and well and here
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to listen to Your Word.
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To be able to wake up another
day and breathe another fresh
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breath of life because we
know You sustain our life, Lord.
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You are a God of grace indeed.
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You are a God of love
and mercy and compassion.
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And we want to uplift
You today as we have in song
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and in message
throughout this Camp Meeting.
00:07:06.45\00:07:07.96
But Lord, now we ask that
You give us as You have been
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give us the spiritual eyesight
and the spiritual hearing
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and the spiritual mind of Christ
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to be able to understand,
to comprehend, and to rightly
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divide Your Word
of truth at this hour.
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I thank you, Lord, again
for this wonderful opportunity
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and I ask that You just help me
just disappear from this message
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that Jesus Christ can appear
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and that the Holy Spirit
will speak to each and every one
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of our hearts and
minds. That's our prayer
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in Jesus' name, Amen. Amen!
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Grace Plus!
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Man! Grace plus what?
00:07:41.99\00:07:45.59
It was a sunny day
in northeast Arkansas.
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I was a junior in high school
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and I was in a math
class. I'll never forget it.
00:07:56.40\00:08:00.61
I was in math class
00:08:01.01\00:08:02.61
and class was particularly
boring up to this point
00:08:02.81\00:08:07.35
as you could
imagine math class to be.
00:08:07.55\00:08:09.48
And interestingly enough
00:08:10.62\00:08:13.39
all of a sudden on kind of
the back side of the building
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that we were in we
heard this very loud boom!
00:08:18.69\00:08:23.26
Now previous to this
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the caretaker of the grounds
had been mowing the grass.
00:08:27.20\00:08:32.67
We thought as students
00:08:33.64\00:08:35.51
that the
caretaker of the grounds
00:08:35.91\00:08:38.21
had somehow forgotten
how to drive that mower
00:08:38.61\00:08:41.68
and we thought she
just plowed the mower
00:08:41.88\00:08:44.15
into the side of the building.
00:08:44.35\00:08:45.69
And so we began to
stand up and walk towards
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the window, some of
the students in the class.
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And as we began to
pull back the shades
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and look outside there
was nothing to be seen.
00:08:55.36\00:08:57.33
And then at that very moment
00:08:57.97\00:09:00.14
there was a loud roar and
a who-who-who-who-who-who.
00:09:00.34\00:09:06.24
The ground began to shake.
00:09:07.41\00:09:08.88
Whoo-ee! Now for
you people in California
00:09:09.91\00:09:12.11
that ain't nothing, right?
00:09:12.31\00:09:13.65
You're like: "Yeah,
whatever... earthquake. "
00:09:15.48\00:09:17.89
"Yeah, right. "
00:09:18.09\00:09:19.42
In northeast
Arkansas that's a big deal.
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Listen, it was a big
earthquake. I mean, it shook!
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4.5! Whoo!
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We were shaking... we were
shaking; we were trembling.
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We had never
experienced this before.
00:09:38.21\00:09:39.77
Actually, where I grew
up in northeast Arkansas
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we live on a very active
fault line. It's just not maybe
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as active as the West Coast.
00:09:46.31\00:09:47.65
But it's actually a notorious
fault line: the New Madrid
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fault line. And
this particular day 4.5
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we felt it; it terrified
us. But what was interesting:
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I'll never forget
the teacher's reaction.
00:09:57.13\00:09:59.43
Now you would expect - of
all people in the classroom -
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the one person to be
able to hold their composure
00:10:02.60\00:10:04.93
should have been
the teacher, right?
00:10:05.13\00:10:07.90
As soon as that
ground began to shake
00:10:08.10\00:10:09.94
she said: "Oh my goodness!
Oh my goodness! What do we do?
00:10:10.14\00:10:13.21
What do we do? What do we DO? "
00:10:13.41\00:10:15.38
I got up from my chair
00:10:19.31\00:10:21.42
and I walked over
beside the front door there
00:10:21.92\00:10:24.59
where there was stuck
to the side of the wall
00:10:24.79\00:10:28.06
Emergency Drills...
which we had done many times.
00:10:28.26\00:10:33.40
I said: "I think we're
supposed to get under our desks
00:10:34.06\00:10:36.97
and take cover. "
00:10:37.37\00:10:38.70
She said: "That
sounds like a good idea. "
00:10:38.80\00:10:40.84
The teacher didn't know!
00:10:43.00\00:10:44.67
And it hit me in that
very moment: "Like OK,
00:10:45.57\00:10:48.01
what else? " You know, right?
If there's another type of
00:10:48.21\00:10:50.48
disaster or something happened
we've gotta fend for ourselves
00:10:50.68\00:10:52.85
because the teacher don't
even know what to do. " Right?
00:10:53.05\00:10:54.92
But you know, my
friend, I tell you that story
00:10:55.32\00:10:57.55
because the Bible
tells us of a time of trouble
00:10:57.75\00:11:01.39
that is coming
in the near future.
00:11:01.59\00:11:02.99
And even in the writings
and inspiration of Mrs. White
00:11:03.19\00:11:05.43
we are told that
a time of shaking
00:11:05.63\00:11:08.76
will come upon the church
00:11:08.96\00:11:10.57
and that this
shaking will be caused by
00:11:11.23\00:11:15.77
the straight truth and the
preaching of the straight truth
00:11:16.07\00:11:19.67
of God's Word.
00:11:19.87\00:11:21.31
Now I'm just lettin' you know
00:11:21.71\00:11:23.21
today you're going to
hear some straight preaching.
00:11:23.41\00:11:25.75
All right now, you may
not like some of the things
00:11:26.51\00:11:28.58
I have to say. I
prayed in advance.
00:11:28.78\00:11:30.72
I have to believe in
faith that the Holy Spirit
00:11:30.92\00:11:33.46
is speaking today.
We're going to go directly
00:11:33.66\00:11:35.26
to the Word of God and
we're going to talk about
00:11:35.46\00:11:37.56
one of the most
foundational significant topics
00:11:37.76\00:11:40.90
in Christianity. We're going
to go to the very heart and soul
00:11:41.10\00:11:43.80
of the gospel and
we're going to ask ourselves
00:11:44.00\00:11:45.43
a simple
question: how are we saved?
00:11:45.63\00:11:48.10
Are we saved by grace alone?
00:11:50.04\00:11:52.71
Or are we saved by
grace plus something else?
00:11:53.58\00:11:57.95
That's the
question we're asking.
00:11:58.35\00:12:00.52
Come with me to Luke chapter 3.
We're going to go to our Bibles.
00:12:01.45\00:12:04.59
Luke chapter 3.
00:12:04.99\00:12:06.92
This is going to set
us up very nicely because
00:12:07.12\00:12:09.79
this particular text is
talking about John the Baptist.
00:12:10.19\00:12:14.03
John the Baptist was a
very interesting gentleman.
00:12:14.23\00:12:16.80
We find that John the
Baptist is out in the middle
00:12:17.67\00:12:22.24
of the wilderness, and
he is... He's been getting
00:12:22.44\00:12:26.21
the attention of everyone
around the community, right?
00:12:26.41\00:12:29.14
I mean, word has spread
00:12:29.34\00:12:31.25
that there's this weird
crazy-dressed lookin' fella
00:12:31.45\00:12:35.78
out in the wilderness, you
know, preaching the gospel.
00:12:35.98\00:12:38.99
Preaching the straight truth,
and he's stirring up the masses.
00:12:39.19\00:12:41.66
We're going to be starting
in verse 4 Luke chapter 3.
00:12:41.86\00:12:44.39
Verse 4 and we're going to
read through verse 10. Notice
00:12:44.79\00:12:47.06
what the Bible says. Luke chap-
ter 3 beginning with verse 4.
00:12:47.26\00:12:50.17
"As it is written in the book of
the words of Isaiah the prophet
00:12:50.50\00:12:53.07
saying: 'the voice of
one crying in the wilderness
00:12:53.27\00:12:56.37
prepare the way of the Lord.
00:12:56.57\00:12:57.91
Make His path straight.
every valley shall be filled
00:12:57.94\00:13:01.04
and every mountain
and hill brought low.
00:13:01.24\00:13:03.35
The crooked places
shall be made straight
00:13:03.55\00:13:05.91
and the rough ways smooth.
00:13:06.11\00:13:08.18
And all flesh shall see
the salvation of God. ' "
00:13:08.38\00:13:12.85
John the Baptist was that
individual who was to show up
00:13:13.99\00:13:16.62
and make that path straight. He
was to preach a straight truth
00:13:16.83\00:13:20.06
testimony message to
the people to prepare them
00:13:20.26\00:13:22.96
for the soon arrival of
the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
00:13:23.16\00:13:25.73
But this brother was a little
bit more than just a straight
00:13:26.23\00:13:29.07
teacher, right?
He REALLY preached!
00:13:29.27\00:13:31.81
Notice the next
verse here... verse 7:
00:13:32.01\00:13:34.64
"Then he said to the multi-
tude... " So there's a multitude
00:13:35.04\00:13:37.81
of people gathered. He's preach-
ing and notice what he says:
00:13:38.01\00:13:41.25
"He said to the multitude
that came out to be baptized
00:13:41.45\00:13:43.85
unto him: 'Brood of vipers!
00:13:44.05\00:13:46.89
Who warned you to flee
from the wrath to come? '
00:13:47.29\00:13:50.33
Therefore bear fruits
worthy of repentance and do not
00:13:50.73\00:13:53.80
begin to say to yourselves:
'We have Abraham as our father '
00:13:54.00\00:13:57.40
for I say to you that God
is able to raise up children
00:13:57.60\00:14:00.00
to Abraham from
these very stones. " Amen?
00:14:00.20\00:14:03.64
"And even now the ax is
laid to the root of the tree.
00:14:04.57\00:14:07.14
Therefore, every tree
which does not bear good fruit
00:14:07.34\00:14:10.21
is cut down and
thrown into the fire. "
00:14:10.41\00:14:13.98
Now if I were to
come out here today
00:14:14.38\00:14:16.42
and the very
words out of my mouth
00:14:16.82\00:14:19.29
would have been:
"What's up, brood of vipers? "
00:14:19.49\00:14:22.02
You know, that's... We don't
preach like that today, right?
00:14:27.53\00:14:30.40
I'm not saying there's
not some people that do.
00:14:31.37\00:14:34.14
You know, there's some people
that... they say some stuff,
00:14:34.34\00:14:37.27
right? Gets them in trouble.
00:14:37.47\00:14:39.34
But John was a straight preacher
00:14:40.24\00:14:42.18
and he's preaching the straight
testimony of God's Word.
00:14:42.38\00:14:46.11
He knows, by the
power of the Holy Spirit
00:14:46.31\00:14:48.55
dwelling in him,
he knows for sure
00:14:48.75\00:14:51.75
that these people who are
coming need to hear the gospel
00:14:51.95\00:14:55.22
because Jesus Christ
the Messiah is on His way.
00:14:55.42\00:14:58.59
And he's preaching the truth;
he's preaching repentance,
00:14:58.99\00:15:01.93
he's preaching confession.
00:15:02.13\00:15:03.60
And these people
are hearing the message
00:15:03.80\00:15:06.50
and they're cut to the heart.
00:15:06.90\00:15:09.10
They recognize that what
he's preaching to them is truth
00:15:09.30\00:15:12.64
and that their lives are
not in harmony with that truth.
00:15:12.84\00:15:16.18
So notice verse 10: "So
the people asked him saying:
00:15:16.38\00:15:21.95
'What shall we do? ' "
00:15:22.35\00:15:28.16
"What shall we do? "
00:15:29.92\00:15:33.43
Kind of like the
teacher in my illustration.
00:15:34.60\00:15:36.80
"What do we do? What
do we do? What do we do? "
00:15:37.20\00:15:40.70
You see, it's not necessarily
a fundamental bad thing
00:15:41.80\00:15:46.61
to respond when the
Holy Spirit is convicting us
00:15:47.74\00:15:50.88
with the question
of: "What shall we do? "
00:15:51.08\00:15:53.38
But we must put it
in its proper context
00:15:53.78\00:15:56.15
and ask ourselves:
"How does this 'do' concept,
00:15:56.35\00:15:59.55
doing, how does it fit
within the context of the gospel
00:15:59.75\00:16:03.86
and the plan of salvation? "
00:16:04.06\00:16:06.39
"What shall we do
then? " Acts chapter 9...
00:16:06.59\00:16:09.93
Go with me to Acts chapter 9. By
the way, get your Bibles ready.
00:16:10.13\00:16:11.90
We're going to flip to a few
scriptures relatively quickly.
00:16:12.10\00:16:14.44
Acts chapter
9... we're going to be
00:16:14.64\00:16:15.97
looking at verses 3 through 6.
00:16:16.04\00:16:18.01
This is the chapter that
contains Paul's conversion.
00:16:19.07\00:16:23.88
Paul had been
persecuting Christians. In fact,
00:16:25.01\00:16:27.42
you can read in Acts
chapter 7 Stephen is stoned.
00:16:27.62\00:16:29.98
Acts chapter 8 is a record of
Paul there going into different
00:16:30.39\00:16:34.46
places, arresting Christians,
persecuting Christians.
00:16:34.66\00:16:37.86
Now we come to Acts chapter 9.
00:16:38.06\00:16:41.20
Paul is on his way to Damascus
00:16:41.40\00:16:43.70
to arrest more Christians.
00:16:44.83\00:16:46.63
Notice what the Bible says,
00:16:46.84\00:16:48.17
Acts chapter 9
beginning with verse 3
00:16:48.27\00:16:50.47
and going on to verse 6.
00:16:50.67\00:16:52.07
It says: "As he journeyed
he came near to Damascus
00:16:52.74\00:16:54.88
and suddenly a light
shone around him from heaven.
00:16:55.08\00:16:57.18
Then he fell to the ground
and heard a voice saying to him:
00:16:57.38\00:16:59.38
'Saul, Saul... why are
you persecuting Me? ' "
00:16:59.58\00:17:03.25
"And he said, " verse
5: "Who are you, Lord? "
00:17:05.22\00:17:08.26
"Then the Lord said: 'I am
Jesus whom you are persecuting.
00:17:08.66\00:17:12.93
It is hard for you to
kick against the goads. '
00:17:13.13\00:17:16.16
So he trembling and
astonished said... "
00:17:16.77\00:17:21.67
What did Paul say?
00:17:23.00\00:17:24.94
Can you imagine in that
very moment what Paul was
00:17:27.78\00:17:31.85
going through?
00:17:32.05\00:17:33.38
Can you imagine
in that very moment
00:17:34.68\00:17:36.55
he had been
convinced. His mind was made up
00:17:36.75\00:17:40.16
in that very moment
and previous to that
00:17:40.36\00:17:42.02
that these Christians who follow
Jesus, who believe that Jesus
00:17:42.22\00:17:45.79
Christ is the Messiah, he
was convinced that they were
00:17:45.99\00:17:49.10
the enemies of God and that
Jesus was some false teacher.
00:17:49.30\00:17:51.77
That He was some false
prophet. And to hear those words
00:17:51.97\00:17:54.47
lay upon his ears...
"It is ME! It's Jesus...
00:17:54.67\00:17:58.81
the One you are persecuting. "
00:17:59.01\00:18:00.68
His whole world was turned
upside down in that moment.
00:18:00.88\00:18:03.45
But you know by his response
00:18:04.38\00:18:06.88
that there was not
a question in his mind
00:18:07.08\00:18:09.78
of what he was
experiencing in that very moment
00:18:09.98\00:18:12.19
and what he heard
come upon his ears.
00:18:12.39\00:18:14.46
There was not a
question in his mind
00:18:14.66\00:18:16.06
that he knew indeed
that Jesus was indeed Lord
00:18:16.26\00:18:18.93
because he said: "Yes, Lord! "
00:18:19.13\00:18:20.90
Right? As he was trembling.
00:18:21.30\00:18:25.20
But his question as he
was trembling and astonished
00:18:25.60\00:18:30.24
he said: "Lord, what
00:18:30.44\00:18:32.31
do You want me to do? "
00:18:32.51\00:18:37.31
You see, there is a
natural inclination about us.
00:18:37.81\00:18:40.92
There's a natural response
00:18:41.12\00:18:42.75
that when we find ourselves
in a very tough tribulation
00:18:42.95\00:18:46.32
time period, in a
very tough situation,
00:18:46.52\00:18:48.86
in a very tough, trying
time or moment in our life
00:18:49.06\00:18:51.49
or in fact, we might
even find ourselves in which
00:18:51.69\00:18:54.13
our lives are not in
harmony with the Word of God
00:18:54.33\00:18:56.36
we might find ourself
asking in response to that:
00:18:56.56\00:18:59.20
"What in the world
am I supposed to do? "
00:18:59.40\00:19:02.64
This record is found
over and over and over
00:19:03.54\00:19:06.34
throughout the Scripture.
I want to read one more:
00:19:06.54\00:19:07.98
Acts chapter 2. Go
with me to Acts chapter 2.
00:19:08.18\00:19:10.65
What do we find happening
in the 2nd chapter of Acts?
00:19:10.85\00:19:13.65
Acts chapter 2... this
is the Day of Pentecost:
00:19:20.06\00:19:23.63
exactly 50 days after
Jesus Christ had been crucified
00:19:23.83\00:19:27.63
or resurrected. So
notice this right here:
00:19:27.83\00:19:30.07
Acts chapter 2 and we're
going to actually be reading
00:19:30.47\00:19:33.54
verses 34 to 37. Now notice:
they'd received the Holy Spirit.
00:19:33.94\00:19:38.81
Peter is full of the Holy Spirit
and Peter begins to preach
00:19:39.01\00:19:42.34
a powerful life-changing sermon.
00:19:42.54\00:19:44.78
These brothers and
sisters are gathered around.
00:19:44.98\00:19:46.88
They're listening to Peter
as he's full of the Holy Spirit
00:19:47.08\00:19:49.38
preaching to them the gospel.
00:19:49.58\00:19:51.19
And he begins to
preach it to them straight.
00:19:51.39\00:19:53.39
He begins to give them the
straight truth of God's Word.
00:19:53.59\00:19:56.22
And here we go, verse
34. Notice what it says:
00:19:56.42\00:19:59.03
"For David did not
ascend into the heavens
00:19:59.23\00:20:01.10
but he said to himself:
'The Lord said to my Lord
00:20:01.30\00:20:05.17
sit at My right hand till I make
Your enemies Your footstool. ' "
00:20:05.37\00:20:08.04
Verse 36... this
is key... notice:
00:20:08.24\00:20:10.27
"Therefore let all the
house of Israel know assuredly
00:20:10.67\00:20:14.94
that God has made this Jesus
00:20:15.34\00:20:19.35
whom you crucified
00:20:19.55\00:20:21.62
both Lord and Christ. "
00:20:21.82\00:20:24.65
Y'all didn't hear that.
Let me read that one more time:
00:20:28.36\00:20:30.23
He said: "Therefore
let all the house of Israel
00:20:30.83\00:20:33.70
know assuredly that
God has made this Jesus
00:20:33.90\00:20:35.76
whom you crucified
both Lord and Christ. "
00:20:35.96\00:20:40.80
OK. Now... their response -
00:20:41.00\00:20:43.81
a quite interesting one -
00:20:44.01\00:20:45.84
because basically essentially
what Peter has just delivered
00:20:46.24\00:20:49.34
to them is he told
them: "Remember that Jesus
00:20:49.54\00:20:52.55
that you killed
about 50 days ago? "
00:20:52.75\00:20:54.92
"Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. "
00:20:55.12\00:20:56.95
"Yeah, remember that
Messiah that Moses spoke about
00:20:57.15\00:21:00.46
in the books, in the law? "
00:21:00.66\00:21:04.19
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. "
"Remember that Messiah that
00:21:04.39\00:21:06.19
Isaiah spoke about?
Remember the Messiah that
00:21:06.39\00:21:08.53
Malachi spoke about? Remember
the Messiah that all of the
00:21:08.73\00:21:10.97
prophets spoke about that was
to come and to save the people
00:21:11.17\00:21:13.64
from their sins
and to deliver them? "
00:21:13.84\00:21:15.50
"Oh, yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah. We know that. "
00:21:15.70\00:21:17.14
"You MURDERED HIM 50 days ago! "
00:21:17.34\00:21:19.44
"While you were crying out
'Crucify Him! Crucify Him! '
00:21:22.44\00:21:25.31
you were hanging your Messiah
00:21:25.51\00:21:28.12
on a tree. "
00:21:31.45\00:21:33.09
What was the response?
00:21:35.66\00:21:37.26
Verse 37:
00:21:37.76\00:21:39.46
"Now when they heard this
they were cut to the heart
00:21:41.90\00:21:43.93
and said to Peter and
the rest of the apostles
00:21:44.13\00:21:47.57
'Men and brethren,
00:21:47.97\00:21:50.37
what shall we do? ' "
00:21:50.57\00:21:55.74
"What shall we do? "
00:21:56.95\00:21:58.28
"What do we do about it? "
00:21:58.31\00:21:59.65
Is that a bad question?
00:21:59.78\00:22:01.12
It's not on the surface
necessarily a bad question
00:22:01.48\00:22:06.02
because the truth of
the matter is, my friends,
00:22:06.22\00:22:08.56
the essential nature of us all
00:22:08.76\00:22:10.33
in the very essential
nature of inquiring about what
00:22:10.53\00:22:14.30
we must do... there's
almost an essential connection
00:22:14.46\00:22:17.27
in which we actually
desire to please the people
00:22:17.47\00:22:20.54
and to show a sense of
connectivity and committedness
00:22:20.74\00:22:24.24
to that person or that
thing in which we feel like
00:22:24.44\00:22:27.34
we are now disconnected from.
00:22:27.54\00:22:29.08
In this case, they
thought: "Hey! We know God! "
00:22:29.68\00:22:33.15
"We're of the elite...
we're the Hebrew of Hebrews. "
00:22:33.35\00:22:35.55
"We are Israelites. We're here
at the Feast of Pentecost. "
00:22:35.75\00:22:39.09
"We're worshipping the Lord. "
00:22:39.29\00:22:40.62
And they just
heard the message that:
00:22:40.66\00:22:41.99
"You crucified your Messiah. "
00:22:42.02\00:22:44.23
So their natural response:
"Hey! What do we do now? "
00:22:44.43\00:22:48.06
"Now what do we do? "
00:22:48.26\00:22:50.37
There's nothing wrong
with asking the question:
00:22:50.57\00:22:52.93
"What must I do? " but
we also need to make sure
00:22:53.13\00:22:56.20
and put it in its proper context
00:22:56.40\00:22:58.17
that we do not allow
that very concept of doing
00:22:58.37\00:23:01.38
to become the very
gospel in which we are saved by.
00:23:01.58\00:23:05.48
Because sometimes we can ask
the question: "What must I do? "
00:23:07.42\00:23:10.52
and we turn that "do" aspect
into something that saves us.
00:23:10.72\00:23:14.42
I love my wife.
00:23:16.79\00:23:18.19
How many husbands
do we have in here?
00:23:20.50\00:23:22.40
Do you love your
wife? Amen, right?
00:23:23.60\00:23:26.47
But you don't love your
wife as much as I love mine.
00:23:26.67\00:23:28.47
I love my wife. In fact, I
will do ANYTHING for my wife.
00:23:29.80\00:23:35.08
Because while I know that
my relationship with my wife
00:23:36.44\00:23:40.68
is not solely founded
upon something that I do
00:23:40.88\00:23:44.59
it is a way in which I
show her that I love her.
00:23:45.72\00:23:50.03
You know, I can walk around
my house all day long and say:
00:23:50.43\00:23:52.96
"I love you, mm; I love
you, mm; I love you, mmm! "
00:23:53.16\00:23:57.37
"Well would you do
the dishes? " "No! "
00:23:57.57\00:23:59.63
And I hate doin' dishes!
00:24:01.80\00:24:03.34
I really do!
00:24:03.54\00:24:04.87
In fact, in my home I do
the cooking; my wife does
00:24:04.97\00:24:07.24
the dishes. She
likes doin' dishes.
00:24:07.44\00:24:09.91
I can't stand doin' dishes.
00:24:10.11\00:24:11.48
I hate that nasty
like... You know, you just...
00:24:11.88\00:24:14.68
I just feel like I've got
some kind of like bacteria
00:24:14.88\00:24:17.35
and like nasty little
critters crawling up in between
00:24:17.55\00:24:20.29
my fingers and up in my
fingernails. And I just...
00:24:20.49\00:24:23.02
I just don't like doin' dishes.
00:24:23.22\00:24:24.89
Now, when my wife
needs me to do dishes
00:24:25.09\00:24:27.30
she comes and says: "Hey,
do you mind doing the dishes? "
00:24:27.50\00:24:29.40
You know what I say to her?
"Anything I can do for you. "
00:24:29.60\00:24:33.94
"What can I do for you? "
00:24:34.14\00:24:35.84
Now I love my wife so much
00:24:39.81\00:24:41.68
that there's times
that I will ask her
00:24:42.81\00:24:44.95
"What is it that
I can do for you? "
00:24:45.15\00:24:47.28
"What can I do? "
00:24:48.45\00:24:49.78
One day she got
cunning and she said:
00:24:50.59\00:24:54.26
"I want a cat. "
00:24:55.39\00:24:56.73
"What must I do? "
00:25:00.43\00:25:02.06
That's the essential question.
I will do anything for my...
00:25:03.26\00:25:05.87
"Baby, what do you
want? I'll do it. "
00:25:06.07\00:25:07.90
"Lord, what do You
want me to do? " Right?
00:25:08.10\00:25:10.54
"Lord, I want to open my...
" "If my life's not in harmony
00:25:10.74\00:25:13.81
with Your will,
what must I do? "
00:25:14.01\00:25:17.28
I want to take you now to
a final text: John chapter 6.
00:25:17.68\00:25:20.38
It's this concept
of what shall we do.
00:25:20.88\00:25:23.79
Looking at what must we do
and how does this "do" factor
00:25:23.99\00:25:27.52
fit into grace, and
then we're going to take it
00:25:27.72\00:25:29.82
into a different direction with
the remaining time that we have.
00:25:30.03\00:25:32.26
John chapter 6. Jesus is about
to really, really help us to see
00:25:32.46\00:25:36.36
this in a much clearer light.
00:25:36.56\00:25:38.23
So Jesus has just performed
one of His mighty miracles.
00:25:41.34\00:25:46.68
Five thousand people... or
5,000 men the Bible says...
00:25:48.08\00:25:52.71
that had been following Jesus.
00:25:53.78\00:25:55.52
Jesus performs one of the
greatest miracles. I mean,
00:25:56.38\00:25:59.12
it's probably the largest
record fish fry in history.
00:25:59.32\00:26:03.16
You guys didn't get that.
That's a southern thing I guess.
00:26:04.09\00:26:07.96
Fish fry. In the south
we do a lot of fish fry's.
00:26:08.36\00:26:10.93
They don't do that over here?
00:26:12.10\00:26:13.50
Not in California? All right.
00:26:13.90\00:26:16.47
I'll be sure not to
use that one next time.
00:26:16.67\00:26:18.84
John chapter 6, we're
going to start in verse 26.
00:26:20.78\00:26:23.14
Jesus has just performed this
miracle. He's gotten in a boat.
00:26:23.35\00:26:25.78
Now He's on the other
side of the Sea of Galilee
00:26:25.98\00:26:28.08
and guess who he runs into?
00:26:28.28\00:26:30.09
Some of those people who were
there when He broke the fish
00:26:31.05\00:26:34.69
and the bread. Now
He's on the other side.
00:26:34.89\00:26:36.76
He runs into these people.
Of course it's like: "Hey!
00:26:36.96\00:26:39.43
You know, there's Jesus!
Let's go catch up with Jesus.
00:26:39.63\00:26:41.76
Because He performed those
miracles - He fed us the food -
00:26:41.96\00:26:44.67
maybe He could do something
else and feed us again. " Right?
00:26:44.87\00:26:47.67
"Maybe He can
perform some more miracles. "
00:26:47.87\00:26:49.87
Notice John chapter 6
verse 26. It says: "Jesus
00:26:50.07\00:26:52.47
answered and said:
'Most assuredly I say to you
00:26:52.67\00:26:54.68
you seek Me not
because you saw the signs
00:26:54.88\00:26:56.85
but because you ate of
the loaves and were filled.
00:26:57.05\00:26:58.98
Do not labor for
the food which perishes
00:26:59.18\00:27:01.05
but for the food which
endures to everlasting life
00:27:01.25\00:27:03.39
which the Son of Man will
give you because God the Father
00:27:03.59\00:27:06.19
has set His seal on Him. ' "
00:27:06.39\00:27:09.26
So in a sense, in a
very nice, compassionate way,
00:27:10.26\00:27:12.79
Jesus is... He's correcting them
and saying: "No, no, no, no.
00:27:12.99\00:27:15.06
You didn't come
for the right reason;
00:27:15.26\00:27:16.67
you didn't come
with the right spirit.
00:27:16.87\00:27:18.20
Here's what you
need to do. " Right?
00:27:18.60\00:27:20.40
But then notice what
they say to him... verse 28:
00:27:20.60\00:27:23.20
"What shall we? " Do.
Ah, that was a little weak.
00:27:23.61\00:27:28.18
"What shall we? DO? " All right,
you guys can't sleep on me.
00:27:28.58\00:27:31.65
And then of course they
add: "that we may work the works
00:27:33.05\00:27:35.92
of God. "
00:27:36.12\00:27:38.79
"What do we do? "
00:27:39.19\00:27:40.89
Now what's
fascinating is Jesus' response.
00:27:41.29\00:27:44.29
Verse 29: "Jesus
answered and said to them:
00:27:46.63\00:27:50.20
'This is the
work of God: that you
00:27:50.40\00:27:55.10
perfectly obey and
keep all the commandments
00:27:55.30\00:27:59.27
that you may be
perfect at all times. ' "
00:27:59.47\00:28:03.35
Is that what your version says?
00:28:06.31\00:28:07.65
No. What does your version say?
00:28:07.72\00:28:09.38
Hmm. "What shall we do, Lord? "
00:28:11.35\00:28:16.22
He said: "This is the work
of God: that you may believe
00:28:18.89\00:28:22.03
in Him who sent Me. " Right?
00:28:22.23\00:28:25.47
And then notice the
response they give Him.
00:28:26.50\00:28:29.74
Verse 30: "Therefore he said to
Him: 'What sign will you perform
00:28:29.94\00:28:33.11
then that we may see
it and believe you? ' "
00:28:33.31\00:28:36.11
"What works will you do? "
00:28:36.51\00:28:38.45
Right? Now essentially
00:28:38.85\00:28:43.25
they were asking a question
that was a good question
00:28:43.45\00:28:46.05
because we're about to
find out that salvation...
00:28:46.25\00:28:48.69
You may not know this.
There may be some who came here
00:28:48.89\00:28:50.66
today that say: "Ryan, I
never really saw it that way. "
00:28:50.86\00:28:53.40
"I never really understood
the gospel in that way. "
00:28:53.60\00:28:55.76
Because there are a lot of
people, my friends, that are
00:28:55.96\00:28:57.83
deceived on this topic.
00:28:58.03\00:28:59.93
We're talking about
the great controversy:
00:29:01.10\00:29:03.41
end-time deceptions. One
of the greatest deceptions
00:29:03.61\00:29:05.87
floating around in
our church today and in
00:29:06.07\00:29:07.94
the churches
all across the world
00:29:08.14\00:29:10.58
are people that have
this belief - this concept -
00:29:10.98\00:29:13.88
that it takes grace + something
else to get them to heaven.
00:29:14.28\00:29:19.05
In fact, I know that
there may be some in this room
00:29:20.09\00:29:22.02
'cause when I asked
that question earlier
00:29:22.22\00:29:23.63
some of you may not
have understood the question.
00:29:23.83\00:29:25.46
But if you did understand the
question, some of you responded
00:29:25.66\00:29:27.86
grace plus. Whoo!
00:29:28.06\00:29:31.23
What does the Bible teach?
00:29:32.33\00:29:33.87
How shall we be saved?
00:29:34.80\00:29:38.81
I want to read this interest-
ing quote from Desire of Ages
00:29:41.24\00:29:44.58
page 35.
00:29:44.98\00:29:46.45
Desire of Ages page 35.
00:29:47.62\00:29:49.92
"Through heathenism Satan
has for ages turned men away
00:29:50.95\00:29:55.82
from God. But he
won his great triumph
00:29:56.02\00:30:01.50
in perverting
the faith of Israel.
00:30:01.70\00:30:04.67
By contemplating and
worshiping their own conceptions
00:30:05.77\00:30:09.00
the heathen had
lost a knowledge of God
00:30:09.20\00:30:11.87
and become more and more
corrupt. " Did you catch that?
00:30:12.07\00:30:15.04
Notice what it goes on to say:
00:30:15.88\00:30:17.21
"So it was with
Israel. " Same thing!
00:30:17.25\00:30:20.25
Just like the heathen,
Israel reached the point
00:30:20.45\00:30:22.92
in their lives, the point
in their experience with God,
00:30:23.12\00:30:26.02
that they took upon the
concept that they needed to work
00:30:26.22\00:30:29.46
their way to salvation. Notice
what it continues on to say:
00:30:29.66\00:30:33.09
"The principle that man can
save himself by his own works
00:30:33.29\00:30:37.10
lay at the foundation
of every heathen religion.
00:30:37.30\00:30:41.87
It had now become the prin-
ciple of the Jewish religion.
00:30:42.27\00:30:45.77
Satan had
implanted this principle.
00:30:45.97\00:30:50.01
Wherever it is held, men
have no barrier against sin. "
00:30:50.31\00:30:55.58
Did you catch that?
00:30:55.78\00:30:57.12
You have no barrier
against sin when you create
00:30:57.15\00:31:01.79
this mentality
and take upon yourself
00:31:01.99\00:31:04.13
the ideology - the philosophy -
00:31:04.33\00:31:06.43
that in order
for you to be saved
00:31:06.63\00:31:08.43
it takes grace
plus something else.
00:31:08.63\00:31:12.40
Something that you can
do to help get yourself
00:31:13.40\00:31:17.34
or gain yourself
closer to God's favor.
00:31:17.54\00:31:20.34
Now I'm telling you, my friends:
00:31:21.24\00:31:22.68
I struggled with this
concept for a long time
00:31:22.88\00:31:26.82
because I grew up in a cult
00:31:27.22\00:31:29.38
that taught that in
order to have salvation
00:31:29.58\00:31:32.75
you must work your way.
You must show and prove to God
00:31:32.95\00:31:36.56
that you are
worthy of His grace...
00:31:36.96\00:31:38.93
that you are
worthy of salvation.
00:31:39.33\00:31:40.83
I haven't always been a
Seventh-day Adventist Christian.
00:31:41.33\00:31:43.57
And so when I really
began to study my Bible
00:31:45.30\00:31:47.34
I struggled with
this for a long time.
00:31:47.54\00:31:49.37
"Lord, what? How do we
make sense of this grace
00:31:49.57\00:31:53.24
and works conversation? "
00:31:53.44\00:31:55.71
Where does it fit
in? Are works important?
00:31:55.91\00:31:58.78
Works ARE important.
00:32:00.38\00:32:01.95
But if you place works on
the wrong side of the equation
00:32:02.15\00:32:07.26
you might take upon
yourself a mentality,
00:32:07.46\00:32:10.99
a very scary
deceptive mentality,
00:32:11.19\00:32:13.63
that in her words she
says: "Whatever is held in this
00:32:13.83\00:32:16.90
particular state men
have no barrier against sin. "
00:32:17.10\00:32:20.60
In other words, you
can never overcome sin
00:32:21.00\00:32:24.04
because YOU can't overcome sin.
00:32:24.24\00:32:27.34
You don't have the
power in and of your own self.
00:32:28.34\00:32:31.51
You can't muster up the courage;
you can't muster up the faith.
00:32:31.71\00:32:34.65
You can't muster up
enough strength to get you
00:32:35.05\00:32:37.85
out of this sin problem.
00:32:38.05\00:32:39.89
And see: we throw these
concepts around. We talk about
00:32:40.09\00:32:43.53
them in conversation
and we'll say stuff like:
00:32:43.73\00:32:46.03
"You know, Jesus
saves. Believe in Him. "
00:32:46.23\00:32:48.03
I put a Facebook
post a few days ago
00:32:48.23\00:32:50.33
just asking people
just a simple question:
00:32:50.53\00:32:53.10
"What does it take to be
saved? What does it take for
00:32:53.30\00:32:57.57
a person to gain
salvation in Jesus Christ
00:32:57.77\00:33:00.68
or to be saved and
to make it to heaven? "
00:33:00.88\00:33:02.21
So I got hundreds of responses.
00:33:02.28\00:33:04.25
It was more or less a survey.
00:33:04.45\00:33:05.98
I just wanted to
see what people thought.
00:33:06.18\00:33:07.52
Now many people gave what I
believe to be a very accurate
00:33:07.55\00:33:10.22
Biblical answer, but I
was still fascinated by
00:33:10.42\00:33:13.32
how many people their
very first response was:
00:33:13.52\00:33:16.46
"Keep the commandments;
keep the commandments;
00:33:16.66\00:33:17.99
keep the commandments;
keep the commandments... "
00:33:18.06\00:33:19.86
All the way down:
commandment keeping!
00:33:20.06\00:33:22.13
Is it important to
keep the commandments?
00:33:24.10\00:33:26.00
Yes it is!
00:33:26.40\00:33:27.74
Does it save you?
00:33:28.20\00:33:29.64
No!
00:33:29.84\00:33:31.24
Where does
faith, grace, and works
00:33:32.34\00:33:36.95
fit into this
equation of salvation?
00:33:37.15\00:33:41.05
I hate onions.
00:33:42.92\00:33:44.72
I can't stand onions.
00:33:46.35\00:33:48.02
I am convinced that
there will for sure be avocado
00:33:50.49\00:33:54.13
hanging on the Tree
of Life. I know that.
00:33:54.33\00:33:56.06
AMEN!
00:33:56.26\00:33:57.60
There will be no
onions in heaven.
00:33:57.90\00:33:59.67
Now you think I?
Hey... I'm not playing!
00:34:01.07\00:34:03.10
I have Biblical proof there
will be no onions in heaven.
00:34:03.30\00:34:06.81
OK... two
points here real quick:
00:34:09.31\00:34:11.91
number one: when God created
Adam and Eve in the beginning
00:34:12.31\00:34:15.78
they were
basically "fruitarians. "
00:34:16.18\00:34:17.75
You know,
vegetables came after sin.
00:34:17.95\00:34:20.02
OK... God's going to
re-create the heavens.
00:34:20.22\00:34:22.16
He's going to return it
back to the same way, right?
00:34:22.36\00:34:23.96
All right now, if you
don't believe that one, point #2
00:34:26.16\00:34:28.33
should get you. The Bible
says that when we go to heaven
00:34:28.53\00:34:30.67
and we're with Jesus Christ
there will be no more crying
00:34:30.87\00:34:32.73
and no more tears.
00:34:32.93\00:34:34.27
I hate onions! Now understand
00:34:37.24\00:34:39.27
I like cooked onions. Now
when I cook, I cook with onions.
00:34:41.11\00:34:45.15
But I cook them little buggers
until they are translucent
00:34:45.35\00:34:48.38
and soft. And there's something
about when you cook with onion
00:34:48.58\00:34:52.19
it just adds flavor. When
you put it into the food it just
00:34:52.39\00:34:54.62
enhances the
flavor of the food, right?
00:34:54.82\00:34:57.09
I love that! With onion,
put some garlic in there, too.
00:34:57.29\00:35:00.70
With some mushrooms!
Yeah... Oh, all right.
00:35:00.90\00:35:03.57
We're not here
to talk about food;
00:35:03.77\00:35:05.10
we're here to talk about grace.
00:35:05.13\00:35:06.47
All right... hold on.
But here's the thing, though.
00:35:06.50\00:35:08.87
For me onions in their
raw state are just nasty.
00:35:09.27\00:35:14.01
I don't know what it
is. Like I've seen people...
00:35:14.41\00:35:16.58
My wife can eat an
onion like an apple.
00:35:16.78\00:35:18.41
She's like the onion queen.
00:35:18.61\00:35:19.95
And every time we go to
like Subway or somewhere
00:35:20.15\00:35:21.82
she piles on the onions.
And she knows I hate onions
00:35:22.02\00:35:24.12
and she'll come and
get right in my face and go
00:35:24.32\00:35:26.05
"I love you! "
00:35:26.25\00:35:27.59
Whoo!
00:35:28.29\00:35:29.62
And to me, if I could apply...
00:35:32.09\00:35:35.60
I don't know. To me,
like, if I could imagine the way
00:35:35.80\00:35:40.37
that garbage truck juice tastes
it would taste like onions.
00:35:40.57\00:35:44.21
I just... I don't like onions!
00:35:44.71\00:35:46.91
But, you know... I'll tell
you how bad I don't like onions.
00:35:47.31\00:35:50.05
When I was going to
AFCOE, the Amazing Facts Center
00:35:50.25\00:35:51.88
of Evangelism up in
Roseville, California,
00:35:52.08\00:35:53.68
this was a few years ago,
one of our favorite places
00:35:53.88\00:35:55.98
was Don Quixote. It
was a burrito place.
00:35:56.18\00:35:58.72
Man, they make... Has
anybody been to Don Quixote's?
00:35:58.92\00:36:00.92
They have a Don
Quixote's around here?
00:36:01.12\00:36:02.46
No? These burritos are
like the size of newborn babies.
00:36:02.52\00:36:06.93
That's how big they are.
00:36:07.13\00:36:08.46
And so I'm in the
line at Don Quixote's
00:36:09.53\00:36:11.80
and they begin
to make my burrito.
00:36:12.00\00:36:14.64
And it's kind of like Subway,
you know. They put the rice
00:36:14.84\00:36:17.27
and then they put the
beans. And they slide it down
00:36:17.47\00:36:18.87
and they put... they
start adding all the veggies
00:36:19.07\00:36:20.61
and all the sauces
and everything you want.
00:36:20.81\00:36:22.14
This particular
day I went in there
00:36:22.31\00:36:24.38
I tell these
people: "No onions! "
00:36:24.58\00:36:26.85
And this lady makin' my burrito
00:36:27.05\00:36:28.58
she gets to the
tomatoes and the lettuce
00:36:28.78\00:36:30.95
and she's puttin' all that and
then she slaps a big ole spoon
00:36:31.15\00:36:33.46
of onions on there.
00:36:33.66\00:36:34.99
Now you've gotta
understand I HATE raw onions.
00:36:36.52\00:36:39.53
I taste them I gag.
00:36:39.73\00:36:41.73
And on this particular day
00:36:43.00\00:36:45.03
she tried to pull them all
off but I just knew there was
00:36:45.23\00:36:47.40
going to be a
little tiny piece in there.
00:36:47.60\00:36:49.14
And sure
enough. I bit into it...
00:36:49.34\00:36:50.87
Oh! I had to throw
the whole burrito away.
00:36:52.67\00:36:55.64
I know, that's
wasteful. I hate it.
00:36:57.25\00:36:58.71
I had to repent after
that, but I wasn't about to eat
00:36:58.91\00:37:00.55
that onion-infested burrito.
00:37:00.75\00:37:02.48
The point of this
illu... There's a point to the
00:37:02.88\00:37:04.49
illustration I promise
you. Just hang with me here.
00:37:04.69\00:37:06.59
My mother knew growing
up I didn't like onions
00:37:06.99\00:37:09.62
but she loved to
cook with onions.
00:37:09.82\00:37:11.19
And sometimes she
did a fantastic job
00:37:11.39\00:37:13.40
making sure that the onions
were cooked all the way through
00:37:13.60\00:37:16.36
so that I didn't feel
that - squish sound - you know.
00:37:16.56\00:37:19.60
There's just
something about that, right?
00:37:20.00\00:37:21.37
And so... But sometimes
she didn't do such a good job.
00:37:21.57\00:37:24.01
She thought just by
chopping them up real fine
00:37:24.21\00:37:26.11
and puttin' them into the
food and not telling me about it
00:37:26.31\00:37:28.11
that I wouldn't realize.
00:37:28.31\00:37:29.64
But see, she didn't
realize that God had made me
00:37:29.84\00:37:31.88
with this inner onion
radar. I just know it's there.
00:37:32.08\00:37:34.85
And so I would
literally sit at the table
00:37:35.52\00:37:37.42
and my mom... she'd try to hide,
slip those onions in there.
00:37:37.62\00:37:40.32
And I would taste the food
and I would get that crunch
00:37:40.72\00:37:43.16
and automatically my gag
reflexes would start going off.
00:37:43.36\00:37:46.76
I tell that because
essentially that's exactly
00:37:47.16\00:37:50.00
what has happened.
Satan did this with Israel.
00:37:50.20\00:37:53.27
He slipped it... he snuck in
00:37:53.47\00:37:56.57
this concept, this thought,
that man can save himself
00:37:56.77\00:37:59.94
by his own works.
00:38:00.14\00:38:01.48
And my friends, if
you think for a moment
00:38:01.51\00:38:03.35
that the devil can sneak that in
to God's chosen people in Israel
00:38:03.55\00:38:07.55
and that concept,
that blasphemous thinking,
00:38:07.75\00:38:11.65
is not going to be snuck
into God's church, God's own
00:38:11.85\00:38:14.42
church in the last days,
you've got another think coming.
00:38:14.62\00:38:16.62
I meet people all the time
00:38:17.36\00:38:18.99
and I ask them a simple
question: "How is one saved?
00:38:19.19\00:38:22.53
In just a few paragraphs,
few words, few sentences
00:38:23.20\00:38:25.63
tell me how one must be saved. "
00:38:25.83\00:38:27.17
I am baffled at how
many what you would consider
00:38:27.34\00:38:30.24
mature Christians start
naming off all of the things
00:38:30.44\00:38:35.61
that a person must
do to gain salvation.
00:38:35.81\00:38:39.21
Now you may be sitting here
today in compete disagreement
00:38:40.02\00:38:42.95
with what I'm
saying but guess what?
00:38:43.15\00:38:44.62
If you study your Bible
responsibly, you will find out
00:38:44.82\00:38:48.12
that the Bible teaches us
that in order for us to be saved
00:38:48.52\00:38:51.63
and I know what Mrs. White
teaches. We really don't know
00:38:51.83\00:38:53.90
that we're saved until
Jesus comes back, right?
00:38:54.10\00:38:55.96
You know, I used to be
among those people who would
00:38:56.36\00:38:58.03
walk around saying:
"I'm saved. " You know?
00:38:58.23\00:38:59.83
And if you have that
assurance of salvation,
00:39:00.04\00:39:01.97
you have that
confidence, praise the Lord.
00:39:02.17\00:39:03.64
But Mrs. White says you
must not be goin' around
00:39:03.84\00:39:05.71
saying that you are saved.
00:39:05.91\00:39:07.24
We can have that assurance,
we can have that confidence
00:39:07.28\00:39:09.14
but we will not know
that we are FOR SURE saved
00:39:09.34\00:39:11.81
until Jesus returns. Amen?
00:39:12.01\00:39:13.62
How can I know that I am in a
saving relationship with Jesus
00:39:13.82\00:39:17.22
and that my name will be written
upon the Lamb's Book of Life?
00:39:17.42\00:39:20.39
Ephesians chapter 2. Go with
me there: Ephesians chapter 2.
00:39:21.19\00:39:23.89
Somebody pray for that clock.
That clock's goin' too fast!
00:39:24.09\00:39:26.76
Ephesians chapter 2.
00:39:27.16\00:39:28.66
We're gettin' somewhere...
we're gettin' somewhere.
00:39:31.00\00:39:33.23
Ephesians chapter 2. Now
this is that famous passage
00:39:33.44\00:39:36.91
of Scripture that we often quote
00:39:37.11\00:39:39.17
when we're talking
about how one is saved.
00:39:39.67\00:39:42.11
Now this is actually...
This is a very truthful passage
00:39:42.31\00:39:46.25
in Scripture. Ephesians
chapter 2, and what verses
00:39:46.45\00:39:50.82
do you think I'm gonna go to?
00:39:51.02\00:39:52.35
Notice how you immediately
went to 8? Most of us read
00:39:53.36\00:39:56.26
verses 8 and 9, right?
00:39:56.46\00:39:58.09
And those are very
key important scriptures.
00:39:58.29\00:40:00.60
But you'll notice that verse
8 starts with: "For by... "
00:40:00.80\00:40:03.63
Right? "For by grace... "
00:40:04.53\00:40:05.90
You know, that's a response
to something that he said before
00:40:06.10\00:40:08.04
that. I'm going
to start at verse 4
00:40:08.24\00:40:09.57
and then read
down to those verses.
00:40:09.70\00:40:11.21
Notice verse 4: "But
God, who is rich in mercy,
00:40:11.41\00:40:14.68
because of His great love
with which He loved us... "
00:40:15.08\00:40:20.68
Amen?
00:40:20.88\00:40:22.22
"even when we
were dead in trespasses
00:40:22.25\00:40:25.42
made us alive
together with Christ.
00:40:25.62\00:40:27.92
By grace you have been?
" Saved! Whoo, I like that!
00:40:28.12\00:40:32.93
Here we go, verse 6:
"and raised us up together
00:40:33.13\00:40:35.53
and made us sit together in the
heavenly places in Christ Jesus
00:40:35.73\00:40:39.37
that in the ages to come
He might show the exceeding
00:40:39.57\00:40:42.67
riches of His? "
Grace! There it is again!
00:40:42.87\00:40:45.47
"His grace in His kindness
towards us in Christ Jesus. "
00:40:45.67\00:40:49.24
Now here comes the
famous verses 8 and 9.
00:40:49.44\00:40:51.68
"For by grace you have
been saved through? " Faith.
00:40:51.88\00:40:56.69
So notice: you received
the unmerited favor of God.
00:40:56.89\00:41:00.82
You received the
divine grace of God.
00:41:01.02\00:41:02.59
You were saved by
that grace through what?
00:41:02.79\00:41:05.46
It's your faith, right?
00:41:06.06\00:41:07.60
It's your faith that
brings about the grace
00:41:08.00\00:41:10.60
that saves you, right?
Let's continue reading:
00:41:10.80\00:41:13.10
"that not of yourselves... "
00:41:14.00\00:41:18.44
You can't save you.
00:41:18.94\00:41:20.88
"But... but there's just
something that I want to do
00:41:21.28\00:41:25.08
that I know is going to
make God like me more. "
00:41:25.28\00:41:28.28
Right? Some of us have this
mentality. We don't even realize
00:41:28.68\00:41:32.05
that we have it.
'Well, I've gotta do this
00:41:32.25\00:41:34.52
because God will love me more. "
00:41:34.72\00:41:36.06
"I've gotta do
this because, well...
00:41:36.09\00:41:38.49
that's the only way I
can be saved. " Right?
00:41:38.69\00:41:40.23
Now let's
continue. It says in verse...
00:41:40.63\00:41:43.03
Excuse me. We're continuing
in verse 8 into verse 9 here.
00:41:43.23\00:41:46.94
"You have been saved through
faith and not of yourselves. "
00:41:47.14\00:41:49.04
It is the gift of what?
"It is the gift of God... "
00:41:49.24\00:41:52.61
Here it is...
verse 9: "not of works! "
00:41:52.81\00:41:56.18
So does works save you?
00:41:56.38\00:41:58.45
No! What are we saved by?
00:41:58.65\00:42:00.72
Grace! GRACE ALONE! Amen!
00:42:01.02\00:42:04.45
You are saved, you are justified
00:42:05.45\00:42:09.92
by grace alone.
00:42:10.13\00:42:12.96
Not of works. "OK,
" you say: "But Ryan,
00:42:13.16\00:42:15.90
works are important.
" Works ARE important.
00:42:16.10\00:42:18.07
We're going to put it in its
proper context in just a moment.
00:42:18.27\00:42:20.00
But I just want to
establish for a moment
00:42:20.40\00:42:21.84
you are saved by
grace alone, right?
00:42:22.04\00:42:25.47
Notice continuing,
verse 9: "Not of works lest
00:42:25.67\00:42:27.81
anyone should boast. " If
the Lord had made His plan
00:42:28.01\00:42:31.08
of salvation that you had
to work, you had to do all this
00:42:31.28\00:42:34.98
stuff in order to please Him,
00:42:35.18\00:42:37.05
we would be some
prideful boasting people, right?
00:42:37.25\00:42:40.76
You know, we would be
doing anything and everything.
00:42:41.72\00:42:43.76
Our focus would not be in
the right place. Pride would be
00:42:43.96\00:42:48.36
the key sin in our life
because we think that there's
00:42:48.56\00:42:51.20
something we can do
to gain us closer to God.
00:42:51.40\00:42:54.57
But most people when
they read verses 8 and 9
00:42:54.77\00:42:57.01
in Ephesians chapter
2 they forget verse 10.
00:42:57.21\00:42:59.41
And this is where we're going
to try to start making sense
00:42:59.81\00:43:01.94
of how does this faith,
grace, and works equation...
00:43:02.14\00:43:05.55
how does this fit into
the equation of salvation.
00:43:05.75\00:43:07.95
How do we? Where do we
put it in its proper context?
00:43:08.15\00:43:10.25
Notice verse 10, 'cause
verse 10 is the response
00:43:10.45\00:43:12.62
to what he said
in verses 8 and 9.
00:43:13.02\00:43:15.22
"For we are His workmanship
00:43:15.86\00:43:18.06
created in Christ
Jesus for... " What?
00:43:18.26\00:43:21.40
"for good works. " So are
we saved by our good works?
00:43:21.60\00:43:25.27
No! We're saved by
grace through faith
00:43:25.47\00:43:28.54
but we are saved by grace
through faith so that we might
00:43:28.74\00:43:31.57
do some good?
Works! Whoo! I like that!
00:43:31.77\00:43:34.71
I like it! Let's continue on.
00:43:35.11\00:43:36.88
"For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus
00:43:37.28\00:43:39.91
for good works which
God prepared beforehand
00:43:40.12\00:43:42.12
that we should walk in them. "
00:43:42.32\00:43:44.75
Don't be like the guy
who was studying his Bible
00:43:44.95\00:43:47.82
and he was really really really
confused on how this whole
00:43:48.02\00:43:50.89
grace/works thing
really worked out because,
00:43:51.09\00:43:53.46
you know, he was really
struggling in his faith.
00:43:53.66\00:43:55.73
So much that it bothered
him so much he laid down his
00:43:55.93\00:43:58.30
head in his bed one
night. He finally received his
00:43:58.50\00:44:01.00
answer through a dream.
00:44:01.20\00:44:02.84
He's in this dream and
he finds himself in this
00:44:04.74\00:44:07.48
beautiful bright place.
And he eventually finds himself
00:44:07.68\00:44:11.11
at heaven's gates.
00:44:11.31\00:44:12.85
OK... what did I say this was?
00:44:13.25\00:44:15.18
I said this was a dream. I
just want to make that clear.
00:44:15.58\00:44:18.02
OK? And guess who's waiting for
him at the gates in his dream?
00:44:18.22\00:44:21.32
Peter. And he
says: "Where am I at? "
00:44:22.26\00:44:25.33
"Well, you're in heaven.
" Right? This is a dream.
00:44:25.73\00:44:28.26
He says: "Oh! So I
made it to heaven? "
00:44:29.03\00:44:31.53
And he said:
"Well... not quite. "
00:44:31.73\00:44:34.00
He said: "You see,
you've gotta have 100 points
00:44:34.97\00:44:39.01
to get into heaven. "
00:44:39.21\00:44:40.54
"A hundred points? What
are you talking about? "
00:44:41.24\00:44:43.41
"Yeah, you've
gotta have 100 points. "
00:44:43.61\00:44:44.98
"Oh, OK. Well... how
do I get these 100? "
00:44:45.18\00:44:48.48
"Well, just tell us about
your relationship with the Lord.
00:44:48.68\00:44:51.52
You know, tell us about your
life. When you get 100 points
00:44:51.72\00:44:54.12
we'll let you
through. " "Oh, OK. "
00:44:54.32\00:44:55.99
"Well hey... I've got it! I
was married to the same woman
00:44:56.19\00:44:59.19
for over 50
years. The same woman! "
00:44:59.39\00:45:01.26
"All right... that's
good. That's worth 3 points. "
00:45:01.66\00:45:04.27
"Three points? " He
starts gettin' upset.
00:45:06.20\00:45:09.70
And again, this is a
what? Dream. This is a dream.
00:45:09.90\00:45:12.37
All right. Just
gotta make that clear.
00:45:12.57\00:45:13.91
"Three points? What? OK.
Oh, I started a soup kitchen
00:45:13.94\00:45:18.48
at my church and we fed
the homeless and the veterans
00:45:18.68\00:45:21.62
and all the
people in the community
00:45:21.82\00:45:23.18
so that we could do
the good deeds for the poor
00:45:23.39\00:45:25.32
and the needy. I started
that and I helped out in that. "
00:45:25.52\00:45:27.72
"All right, that's good;
that's worth two points. "
00:45:28.12\00:45:29.92
"Two points? "
"OK, I attended church;
00:45:30.89\00:45:36.26
I returned
tithe; I was a deacon;
00:45:36.46\00:45:38.63
and I was always
supportive in the community. "
00:45:38.83\00:45:41.80
"Surely that's gotta be account-
ed for a lot there, right? "
00:45:42.00\00:45:45.11
"That's worth a good point. "
00:45:45.51\00:45:48.71
"A point? " He says: "Man! "
00:45:49.11\00:45:51.68
He says: "That's
almost impossible for me.
00:45:51.88\00:45:55.48
It's only going to
be by the grace of God
00:45:55.68\00:45:57.15
that I get in
there! " And he goes:
00:45:57.35\00:45:58.69
"Bring! You got it!
That's worth 100 points.
00:45:58.72\00:46:00.89
Come on in. "
00:46:01.09\00:46:02.42
We live in a world where
peoples' natural response
00:46:16.81\00:46:21.94
they say: "What can I do? "
00:46:22.34\00:46:25.25
"What must I do? "
00:46:25.65\00:46:27.22
And I saw a
sermon many years ago
00:46:28.88\00:46:32.85
and never forgot it.
00:46:33.05\00:46:34.99
But I remember this minister
made a difference between
00:46:35.19\00:46:39.59
the heathen
religions and Christianity.
00:46:39.79\00:46:42.60
You know what the major
difference is between the
00:46:43.53\00:46:45.00
heathen
religions and Christianity?
00:46:45.20\00:46:46.87
Because the heathen religions
of the world... we're talking
00:46:48.40\00:46:50.81
about you know
non-Christian religions...
00:46:51.01\00:46:52.77
Over here you have to
do... you have to do something
00:46:53.17\00:46:56.41
to gain favor with God.
00:46:57.35\00:46:58.81
That's why you've got these...
You know, I've seen these
00:46:59.21\00:47:00.95
programs on like
National Geographic
00:47:01.15\00:47:02.95
where you've got these
guys walking and they're like
00:47:03.15\00:47:04.69
beating
themselves. Have you seen this?
00:47:04.89\00:47:06.86
A bloody mess beating
themselves because somehow
00:47:07.82\00:47:10.56
in their mind they're
saying: "Yeah, with every whip
00:47:10.76\00:47:12.73
smack God loves me more. "
00:47:12.93\00:47:14.33
"Smack... He loves
me even more now. "
00:47:14.53\00:47:16.03
Smack. And they think that be-
cause they're putting themselves
00:47:16.23\00:47:20.14
through this pain and sacrifice
00:47:20.34\00:47:22.87
that somehow some
way God loves them more.
00:47:23.07\00:47:25.24
Like God's looking down
- some sick, sadistic God -
00:47:25.44\00:47:28.28
saying: "Yeah,
yeah... you're almost there.
00:47:28.48\00:47:30.21
Keep going. " You
know, you've got these guys
00:47:30.41\00:47:32.08
that walk across the hot
coals because they're trying to
00:47:32.28\00:47:35.05
appease the gods, right?
00:47:35.25\00:47:36.58
And it's like that's daft.
00:47:36.79\00:47:39.12
But when you get
over into Christianity
00:47:39.72\00:47:42.12
you know what
separates the Christian God
00:47:42.32\00:47:44.16
from this over here?
00:47:44.36\00:47:45.69
Is that over here
you have to do something
00:47:49.23\00:47:53.87
to make God happy
00:47:54.37\00:47:56.60
and to gain salvation
and favor with the Lord.
00:47:56.81\00:47:58.61
But over here God
00:47:59.11\00:48:02.51
did what you
couldn't do - Amen! -
00:48:03.01\00:48:06.01
to save you by His
grace up on a cross.
00:48:06.21\00:48:08.52
I mean, when you
really think about the cross
00:48:08.72\00:48:11.22
and you see Jesus
hanging upon a cross
00:48:11.62\00:48:14.96
and you just
picture that in your mind.
00:48:15.16\00:48:16.79
You're looking...
you're at the foot of the cross
00:48:16.99\00:48:18.33
and your staring at
your Savior on a cross
00:48:18.49\00:48:20.70
you look at that and
what is your response?
00:48:20.90\00:48:23.37
"Man! Wow! My sins did that? "
00:48:23.57\00:48:27.57
"I crucified my Savior? "
00:48:28.17\00:48:30.57
"He had to die for
something that I did
00:48:31.07\00:48:33.14
and He never did
anything wrong? "
00:48:33.34\00:48:34.88
"Man! Whoa!
That's deep, right? "
00:48:36.31\00:48:40.45
And then we ask the
question: "Now what can I do? "
00:48:43.15\00:48:46.89
"Ryan, I'm going to
be a Sabbath keeper. "
00:48:51.66\00:48:55.70
You SHOULD keep the Sabbath!
00:49:04.01\00:49:05.71
You SHOULD keep the
commandments of the Lord.
00:49:07.14\00:49:09.04
But what does the Bible
say on how we gain salvation?
00:49:10.08\00:49:13.15
How we are saved?
00:49:13.35\00:49:14.68
By Sabbath keeping? No!
00:49:14.78\00:49:19.35
You see, because of what
Christ has already done for you
00:49:20.79\00:49:25.69
in sharing and saving
you by His divine grace
00:49:25.89\00:49:30.10
the natural
response should be: "Lord!
00:49:30.50\00:49:33.64
I want to be a Sabbath keeper. "
00:49:33.84\00:49:35.57
But you don't keep the Sabbath
00:49:36.07\00:49:37.87
because you think
it's going to save you.
00:49:38.07\00:49:39.87
That's not Biblical.
00:49:40.08\00:49:41.41
"Well but Ryan,
hold on. But surely
00:49:41.54\00:49:44.15
becoming a vegetarian surely
saves me in some aspect? "
00:49:44.35\00:49:49.42
Right? And let me tell
you something, my friend:
00:49:49.62\00:49:51.82
you should be. It just
makes scientific sense.
00:49:52.02\00:49:54.42
Take all the other
stuff out of the way,
00:49:54.62\00:49:57.29
all of the religious
information that we have
00:49:57.49\00:50:00.36
and the beautiful information
that we have on the health
00:50:00.56\00:50:02.96
message: you should be a
vegetarian. It just makes sense!
00:50:03.16\00:50:06.20
But at the end of the day,
my friends, does vegetarianism
00:50:07.10\00:50:09.57
save you? But
there's a lot of people
00:50:09.77\00:50:11.51
even within the Adventist church
00:50:11.71\00:50:13.64
that have this mentality
00:50:13.84\00:50:15.71
that: "My goodness... if
they don't choose broccoli,
00:50:15.91\00:50:18.51
you know, over some
other type of whatever
00:50:18.71\00:50:21.95
that somehow God
doesn't love them enough. "
00:50:22.35\00:50:24.62
Or that somehow
that's going to gain...
00:50:24.82\00:50:26.52
No, broccoli's great; all
of those things are great.
00:50:26.72\00:50:29.19
You should want to do those
things because God has saved you
00:50:29.39\00:50:32.36
not because you think
it's going to save you. Amen!
00:50:32.56\00:50:35.20
And we treat our relationship
with God as if, you know,
00:50:35.40\00:50:37.80
when we make the mistake
or we make the bad choice...
00:50:38.00\00:50:40.24
But let me tell you something:
I'm not cutting that down
00:50:40.44\00:50:41.77
at all... we ALL
make bad choices.
00:50:41.80\00:50:43.34
And we should not shove
that or sweep that under a rug
00:50:43.54\00:50:47.01
as if our bad choice is
just like some blah thing.
00:50:47.21\00:50:49.68
Like: "Oh... oops!
" Sin is not an oops.
00:50:49.88\00:50:52.51
But we live in a world
today even within Adventism
00:50:53.68\00:50:56.45
and there's this great
divide. You've got people
00:50:56.65\00:50:59.69
at opposite
ends of the spectrum.
00:50:59.89\00:51:01.22
You've got in one area a
group of people that says:
00:51:01.42\00:51:03.69
"Well, you've gotta do
this and you've gotta do that. "
00:51:03.89\00:51:05.49
"You've gotta do this or other-
wise you're not a Christian. "
00:51:05.69\00:51:07.73
And then you've got a group
of people over here that's like:
00:51:08.36\00:51:10.30
"Oh well... I'm saved
by grace through faith.
00:51:10.50\00:51:13.03
There's nothing
else that I need to do
00:51:13.23\00:51:15.64
because I'm saved" and then con-
tinue to live in a life of sin!
00:51:15.84\00:51:18.77
We have to get the
proper balance, my friends.
00:51:19.97\00:51:23.61
I watched a series years ago
00:51:25.21\00:51:27.15
that transformed my thinking
on how to have a personal
00:51:27.35\00:51:30.95
relationship with
Jesus. It was a series entitled
00:51:31.15\00:51:34.32
All About Jesus
Revival Seminar by Lee Venden
00:51:34.52\00:51:36.83
I think it was.
00:51:37.03\00:51:38.36
And I love the model
that he has in that, OK?
00:51:38.39\00:51:40.50
Beautiful! Catch this:
00:51:40.70\00:51:42.03
It's not about what you do...
00:51:42.26\00:51:44.43
See, right there I
just lost some of you.
00:51:44.93\00:51:46.80
Because when you say that...
when you say: "It's not about
00:51:48.00\00:51:50.47
what you do" "How
can you say that? "
00:51:50.67\00:51:52.27
It's not about what you do
00:51:55.64\00:51:57.45
it's who you KNOW.
00:51:57.65\00:52:00.12
And who you know
changes what you do! Amen!
00:52:00.88\00:52:06.15
I'm going to say
that one more time:
00:52:07.36\00:52:08.69
It's not about what
you do it's who you KNOW.
00:52:08.72\00:52:12.03
And who you know
changes what you do!
00:52:12.43\00:52:15.36
So in closing I
want to read this text.
00:52:17.03\00:52:18.53
Paul in Philippians
chapter 3 verses 1 through 8.
00:52:18.73\00:52:21.27
It's powerful here!
00:52:21.47\00:52:22.80
I'm not going to read
all these texts, but Paul
00:52:22.94\00:52:24.87
is basically...
he's laying it all out.
00:52:25.07\00:52:28.31
He's talking about how he
used to be the Pharisee of
00:52:28.51\00:52:31.98
Pharisees, the Jew of all Jews.
00:52:32.18\00:52:34.05
In fact, notice
Philippians chapter 3.
00:52:34.25\00:52:35.98
I'm going to read
verses 5... 5 onward.
00:52:36.18\00:52:38.55
"Circumcised the eighth
day; of the stock of Israel;
00:52:38.75\00:52:41.29
of the tribe of
Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews;
00:52:41.49\00:52:43.66
concerning of the law; a
Pharisee concerning zeal;
00:52:43.86\00:52:46.43
persecuting the church;
concerning the righteousness
00:52:46.63\00:52:49.40
which is in the
law; blameless. "
00:52:49.60\00:52:51.03
He's saying: "Look,
I've done all these things. "
00:52:51.23\00:52:52.80
"I kept the law perfectly;
I've done all of this stuff
00:52:53.00\00:52:55.70
perfectly. " But notice
then what he says in verse 7:
00:52:55.90\00:52:58.81
"But what things were gain to me
00:52:59.31\00:53:01.78
these I have counted
loss for Christ. " Why?
00:53:01.98\00:53:06.15
Because before it was
what I can do to gain favor
00:53:06.35\00:53:09.58
but now notice what he says:
00:53:09.78\00:53:11.12
"Yet indeed I also
count all things loss
00:53:11.15\00:53:13.42
for the excellence of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus
00:53:13.62\00:53:15.36
my Lord for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things
00:53:15.56\00:53:18.06
and count them as? "
You see, you have the word
00:53:18.26\00:53:22.66
rubbish there but I
prefer the King James version.
00:53:22.86\00:53:24.80
"Dung. "
00:53:25.70\00:53:27.07
"Dung! "
00:53:29.77\00:53:31.11
You know what dung is?
00:53:32.37\00:53:33.71
Poo-poo!
00:53:34.18\00:53:36.01
My friends,
understand this in closing here.
00:53:37.71\00:53:40.05
I have just a few seconds here.
00:53:40.25\00:53:42.02
Paul says that all those works,
all those things that he'd
00:53:42.52\00:53:46.35
done... he was
the best a doin' them.
00:53:46.55\00:53:48.62
But we have to put
this in its proper context.
00:53:49.12\00:53:52.36
We are saved by grace
through faith alone...
00:53:52.76\00:53:56.00
not of works. He
says: "I count my works
00:53:56.20\00:53:58.40
as doo-doo. "
00:53:58.60\00:54:00.74
The lowest of... Not
even dirt! LOWER than dirt!
00:54:01.14\00:54:03.61
When we put that in its
proper context, my friends,
00:54:04.01\00:54:06.68
God can work
miracles in our life.
00:54:07.08\00:54:09.84
He wants to
save us by His grace.
00:54:10.05\00:54:11.55
How many want to be saved
by His grace this evening?
00:54:11.75\00:54:13.88
Praise the Lord! Why
don't you stand with me
00:54:14.08\00:54:15.42
as we close in a word of
prayer, have a word of prayer.
00:54:15.55\00:54:17.85