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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021742A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS. WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY 00:36 HOUR COMING TO YOU HERE FROM THE GRANITE BAY SEVENTH-DAY 00:39 ADVENTIST CHURCH IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. 00:42 I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR ONLINE MEMBERS AND ALSO THOSE JOINING 00:44 US ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD - PART OF OUR SABBATH 00:47 SCHOOL STUDY HOUR - ALSO TO THE MEMBERS AND THE VISITORS RIGHT 00:51 HERE IN GRANITE BAY, WELCOME. WE'RE GLAD YOU ARE HERE 00:54 TO STUDY GOD'S WORD. NOW, A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE STARTED 00:57 A NEW LESSON QUARTERLY ENTITLED SALVATION BY FAITH: 01:01 THE BOOK OF ROMANS. TODAY WE'RE ON LESSON #3 OF OUR 01:04 STUDY OF THIS VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECT. 01:07 IT'S ACTUALLY ENTITLED - TODAY'S LESSON IS ENTITLED THE HUMAN 01:10 CONDITION - SO WE'LL BE GETTING INTO THAT HERE IN JUST A FEW 01:13 MOMENTS AND STUDYING WHAT THE BOOK OF ROMANS HAS TO SAY ABOUT 01:16 THE HUMAN CONDITION. BEFORE WE DO, THOUGH, FOR THOSE 01:19 WHO ARE JOINING US ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE DO 01:21 HAVE A FREE OFFER. IT'S A BOOK ENTITLED HIDDEN EYES 01:24 AND CLOSED EARS - THIS IS OUR FREE OFFER FOR TODAY. 01:28 SO, IF YOU'RE IN NORTH AMERICA AND YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE OUR 01:30 BOOK, JUST GIVE US A CALL. OUR RESOURCE PHONE NUMBER IS 01:33 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #726. 01:40 WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THIS TO ANYBODY HERE IN NORTH AMERICA. 01:43 IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE OF NORTH AMERICAN YOU ALSO CAN READ THE 01:46 BOOK. JUST GO TO THE AMAZING FACTS 01:47 WEBSITE - JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . YOU CAN READ THE BOOK RIGHT 01:51 THERE AND YOU CAN ALSO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF TODAY'S LESSON. 01:54 IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE, YOU CAN STUDY ALONG WITH US. 01:57 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY, WE ALWAYS LIKE TO BEGIN 01:59 BY LIFTING OUR VOICES IN SONG. I'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR SONG 02:02 LEADERS TO COME JOIN ME ON STAGE AND WE'LL BE SINGING TOGETHER 02:06 AND THEN WE'LL HAVE PRAYER AND GET TO OUR STUDY. 02:08 (PIANO MUSIC) >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. 02:11 WE ARE EXCITED THAT YOU'RE JOINING WITH US AND IT'S TIME TO 02:15 SING YOUR FAVORITE SONGS AND OURS. 02:18 SO OUR FIRST ONE TODAY IS #100 - GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS - AND 02:24 WE'RE GOING - THERE'S ONLY THREE STANZAS, SO WE'RE GOING TO SING 02:26 ALL THREE OF THEM. JOIN WITH US - #100. (PIANO MUSIC) 06:20 >>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SINGING ALONG WITH US. AT THIS TIME, 06:23 PASTOR ROSS IS GOING TO HAVE OUR OPENING PRAYER. 06:33 >>LET'S BOW OUR HEADS FOR PRAYER. DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, 06:36 WHAT A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO COME BEFORE YOU ON THIS 06:38 BEAUTIFUL SABBATH MORNING, AND OPEN UP YOUR WORD - AND STUDY 06:41 THIS VERY IMPORTANT BOOK - THE BOOK OF ROMANS. 06:44 AND, LORD, AS THE BIBLE REVEALS TO US OUR NEED OF A SAVIOR, I 06:48 PRAY THAT WE WOULD REACH UP IN FAITH AND RECEIVE EVERYTHING 06:51 THAT HEAVEN WISHES TO GIVE. WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE GIFT 06:55 THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED THROUGH CHRIST - THROUGH HIS SACRIFICE 06:58 ON OUR BEHALF, THAT WE CAN BE FORGIVEN, WE CAN BE CLEANSED, WE 07:01 CAN BE ADOPTED INTO YOUR FAMILY. SO, THIS MORNING, LORD, AS WE 07:05 TALK ABOUT THIS VERY IMPORTANT THEME AND OUR RECOGNITION OF OUR 07:08 NEED OF YOUR GRACE, WE DO ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME AND 07:11 GUIDE OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS. LEAD US. LORD, INTO A CLEAR 07:15 UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR LOVE AND YOUR GOODNESS TO EACH OF US, 07:18 FOR WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. OUR LESSON THIS MORNING IS 07:23 GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR MARSHALL MCKENZIE, OUR 07:26 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR AT AMAZING FACTS. HE HAS TAUGHT SABBATH 07:29 SCHOOL SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. MARSHALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 07:40 >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. WOW, BIG TOPIC THAT WE'RE GOING 07:45 TO COVER IN THIS LESSON - THE HUMAN CONDITION. YOU KNOW, IN 07:50 OUR WORLD TODAY, MOST PEOPLE LIKE TO, AT SOME POINT, TALK 07:55 ABOUT THEMSELVES. I'M SURE, AT SOME POINT, WE'VE SHARED OUR 08:00 PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH OTHERS THAT WE'VE COME IN CONTACT WITH, 08:04 BUT THE ONE THING THAT WE OFTEN DON'T REALLY LIKE TO TALK ABOUT 08:07 IS OUR HUMAN CONDITION. MUCH OF OUR WORLD REALLY WANTS TO AVOID 08:13 THIS SUBJECT, AND WE DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO AVOID THIS 08:18 SUBJECT. BUT WHEN YOU STUDY SCRIPTURE, FROM GENESIS TO 08:21 REVELATION, AND HERE, SPECIFICALLY, IN THE BOOK OF 08:24 ROMANS, PAUL STARTS TO KIND OF HELP US UNDERSTAND OUR HUMAN 08:29 CONDITION, AND THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT. 08:34 IF WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND SALVATION, AND WE WANT TO HAVE 08:38 THE SALVATION THAT CHRIST OFFERS BY FAITH ALONE, WE NEED TO 08:43 BEGIN, REALLY, WITH OUR HUMAN CONDITION. 08:49 AND SO, THIS MORNING WE'RE GOING TO BE STUDYING LESSON #3 - THE 08:53 HUMAN CONDITION - AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT SOME 08:55 BIBLE PASSAGES THAT RELATE TO OUR HUMAN CONDITION, AS GOD 09:00 HELPS US TO RIGHTLY UNDERSTAND IT. 09:04 I'VE FOUND, AS I'VE STUDIED THROUGH THIS LESSON, I'VE FOUND 09:07 IT TO BE, NOT ONLY APPROPRIATE FOR THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE, 09:11 BUT I'VE ALSO FOUND IT TO BE CHALLENGING AND ENCOURAGING, 09:16 ALL AT THE SAME TIME. THIS BIBLICAL TRUTH ABOUT OUR 09:22 HUMAN CONDITION HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND OUR GREATEST NEED. 09:29 NOW WE, LIVING LIFE, FIND THAT WE NEED CERTAIN THINGS ON A 09:33 DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, BUT THE GREATEST NEED THAT WE HAVE 09:38 REALLY CAN ONLY BE UNDERSTOOD WHEN WE BEGIN FROM THE BASIS OF 09:43 OUR HUMAN CONDITION. AND SO, PAUL, IN THE BOOK OF 09:47 ROMANS, BRINGS THIS TO OUR ATTENTION WHEN HE SAYS, IN 09:51 ROMANS CHAPTER 3, VERSE 12 - HE SAYS, "THERE IS NONE WHO DOES 09:56 GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." NOW THAT'S AN INTERESTING AND 10:03 INSPIRED STATEMENT BY THE APOSTLE, PAUL. THERE IS HOW 10:06 MANY? HOW MANY THAT DOES GOOD? HE SAYS NONE. 10:11 NOW, I'VE HEARD IT IN MY YEARS OF CANVASSING - YOU KNOW, TAKING 10:14 CHRISTIAN BOOKS FROM DOOR TO DOOR - OVER THE THOUSANDS OF 10:17 DOORS THAT I'VE GONE TO, OFTENTIMES YOU GET TO THE DOOR 10:22 AND THEY OPEN THE DOOR AND THEY'RE KIND OF LIKE, 'WHAT ARE 10:24 YOU DOING HERE?' AND YOU SHARE A BIBLICAL BOOK 10:29 WITH THEM AND MANY TIMES I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, 'I DON'T NEED 10:33 THAT, I'M A GOOD PERSON.' AND THAT'S THEIR BASIS, WHICH IS 10:38 INTERESTING, FOR REJECTING BIBLICAL TRUTH. 10:43 AND YET, PAUL, IN THE BOOK OF ROMANS, HELPS US GRASP THIS 10:47 UNDERSTANDING - "THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN 10:52 ONE." I'VE WALKED AWAY FROM THOSE 10:55 DOORS MANY TIMES WONDERING, 'LORD, HOW DID WE 10:59 GET TO THIS POINT?' - WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF 11:04 DENY BIBLICAL TRUTH BECAUSE, WE FEEL IN SOME SORT OF 11:08 WAY, WE'RE ABOVE IT. WE'RE GOOD ENOUGH. 11:13 WE DON'T NEED TO BE ANY BETTER, WE'RE GOOD ENOUGH. 11:15 'I'M A GOOD PERSON.' AND THE LESSON BROUGHT FORTH A POINT, 11:20 THAT REALLY KIND OF ANSWERED, IN SOME WAYS, MY WONDERING, 11:24 THINKING ABOUT THOSE SITUATIONS. AND IT TALKED ABOUT COMPARING 11:30 OURSELVES AMONG OURSELVES IS EASY. WE DO THAT ALL THE TIME. 11:37 WE TEND TO LOOK AT SOMEBODY ELSE AND WE COMPARE OURSELVES WITH 11:41 THAT OTHER PERSON AND, IN DOING THAT VERY THING, WE TEND TO KIND 11:45 OF PUT OURSELVES ABOVE THE OTHER PERSON. 11:49 SO, OVER TIME, WE START TO THINK OF OURSELVES, WHAT? 11:54 BETTER THAN WE OUGHT TO THINK OF OURSELVES. 11:59 YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING, THERE WAS A STATEMENT IN THE 12:01 LESSON, IT SAID, "AFTER ALL, WE CAN ALWAYS FIND SOMEONE WORSE 12:05 THAN OURSELVES TO COMPARE OURSELVES WITH." 12:09 THAT TRUE? IF YOU LOOK LONG ENOUGH, IF 12:12 YOU LOOK HARD ENOUGH, I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO FIND SOMEONE 12:16 WORSE THAN YOURSELF. AND, IN THAT PROCESS, YOU'RE 12:21 GOING TO MAKE YOURSELF BETTER THAN YOU REALLY ARE. 12:27 AND SO, I BELIEVE THAT GOD CONSISTENTLY BRINGS US BACK TO 12:29 THIS POINT OF OUR HUMAN CONDITION. NOW, IT'S 12:34 INTERESTING, TURN WITH ME TO ROMANS CHAPTER 12 FOR A MINUTE. 12:38 I'M KIND OF GOING BACK IN ROMANS HERE - ROMANS CHAPTER 12 - WE'RE 12:43 GOING TO KIND OF HANG AROUND ROMANS 1, 2, AND 3, BUT NOTICE 12:49 WHAT THE APOSTLE PAUL HAS TO SAY - ROMANS CHAPTER 12 AND VERSE 3 12:58 - HE SAYS, "FOR I SAY, THROUGH THE GRACE GIVEN UNTO ME," - NOW 13:02 THIS IS INTERESTING, PAUL IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO CAME FACE TO FACE 13:07 WITH WHO? JESUS CHRIST, HIMSELF. AND PAUL, IN COMING FACE TO FACE 13:14 WITH JESUS CHRIST, HIMSELF, UNDERSTOOD HIS WHAT? HIS TRUE 13:20 HUMAN CONDITION. HE WAS ON HIS WAY - REMEMBER? - TO DAMASCUS 13:26 AND HE WAS GOING TO PERSECUTE THE CHRISTIANS AND HE COMES FACE 13:32 TO FACE WITH GOD, HIMSELF, AND HE REALIZES HIS HUMAN CONDITION. 13:37 SO PAUL BEGINS - AN INDIVIDUAL, WHO UNDERSTOOD HIS HUMAN 13:41 CONDITION - SAYS, "THROUGH THE GRACE GIVEN UNTO ME, TO EVERY 13:46 MAN THAT IS AMONG YOU, NOT TO THINK OF HIMSELF MORE HIGHLY 13:52 THAN HE OUGHT TO THINK; BUT TO THINK SOBERLY, ACCORDING AS GOD 13:57 HATH DEALT TO EVERY MAN THE MEASURE OF FAITH." 14:01 PAUL SAYS - PAUL HAD RECEIVED THE GRACE THAT GOD WAS OFFERING 14:06 AND HE RECEIVED IT WHEN HE SAW WHO HE REALLY WAS. 14:11 AND SO, HE TURNS, THEN, TO THE CHRISTIANS IN ROMANS, HE SAYS, 14:15 'LISTEN, YOU OUGHT NOT TO THINK OF YOURSELF MORE HIGHLY THAN YOU 14:19 OUGHT' - BECAUSE YOU LOSE YOUR HUMAN CONDITION. 14:24 YOU LOSE THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHO WE REALLY ARE WITHOUT GOD. 14:29 YOU KNOW, PAUL SAID, IN ROMANS CHAPTER 7, HE SAYS, "O WRETCHED 14:33 MAN THAT I AM!" ROMANS CHAPTER 7, VERSE 24, "WHO 14:38 SHALL DELIVER ME FROM THE BODY OF THIS DEATH?" 14:42 PAUL, AGAIN, IS EXPRESSING HIS HUMAN CONDITION. 14:47 ISN'T IT ANY WONDER THAT PAUL TALKS ABOUT GRACE SO OFTEN? 14:52 BECAUSE PAUL UNDERSTOOD HIS HUMAN CONDITION. 14:56 SO, TO RECEIVE THE SALVATION THAT GOD WANTS TO OFFER US BY 15:00 FAITH, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND OUR WHAT? 15:03 OUR TRUE HUMAN CONDITION - OUR TRUE HUMAN CONDITION. 15:10 BUILDING ON THIS, MONDAY'S LESSON - I'M GOING TO SKIP 15:15 SUNDAY FOR A SECOND, BUT I WILL COME BACK TO IT. 15:18 MONDAY'S LESSON POINTS THIS OUT AND THERE'S A POINT THAT'S MADE 15:25 IN MONDAY'S LESSON CONTRASTING US WITH GOD. 15:29 IN OTHER WORDS, WE CAN LOOK AMONG OURSELVES AND WE CAN THINK 15:32 OF OURSELVES BETTER THAN WE ARE, BUT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY TAKE A 15:36 LOOK AT YOURSELF IN THE CONTEXT OF WHO GOD IS, ALL OF A SUDDEN 15:42 THE PICTURE CHANGES AND YOU FIND YOURSELF ABOUT, OH, THAT BIG, IN 15:49 LIGHT OF HOW BIG GOD REALLY IS, AND IT'S BROUGHT OUT. 15:55 AND THE APOSTLE PAUL AND OTHERS IN SCRIPTURE BEAR THIS FACT OUT. 16:02 NOTICE, WITH ME, ISAIAH - I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO GO BACK TO THE 16:05 OLD TESTAMENT FOR A SECOND, NOTICE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE 16:07 PROPHET ISAIAH WHEN HE COMES INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD, 16:12 HIMSELF. OKAY? ISAIAH CHAPTER 6 - AND I'LL JUST 16:18 READ TO YOU VERSES 1 THROUGH 5 - ISAIAH CHAPTER 6, 16:24 VERSES 1 THROUGH 5 - NOTICE WHAT ISAIAH SAYS, "IN THE YEAR THAT 16:29 KING UZZIAH DIED I SAW ALSO THE LORD SITTING UPON A THRONE, HIGH 16:34 AND LIFTED UP," - WHO DOES HE SEE? HE SEES THE LORD, OKAY? 16:39 HE'S IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. HE SAYS, "AND THE TRAIN OF 16:44 HIS ROBE FILLED THE TEMPLE. ABOVE IT STOOD THE SERAPHIMS: 16:50 EACH ONE HAD SIX WINGS; WITH TWO HE COVERED HIS FACE, WITH TWO HE 16:55 COVERED HIS FEET, AND WITH TWO HE FLEW. 16:57 AND ONE CRIED TO ANOTHER AND SAID: 'HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE 17:02 LORD OF HOSTS; THE WHOLE EARTH IS FULL OF HIS GLORY!' 17:07 AND THE POSTS OF THE DOOR WERE SHAKEN BY THE VOICE OF HIM WHO 17:10 CRIED OUT, AND THE HOUSE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE. 17:14 SO I SAID, 'WOE IS ME, FOR I AM UNDONE!'" - NOTICE HIS 17:18 TESTIMONY, NOW - "WOE IS ME, FOR I AM UNDONE! BECAUSE I AM A MAN 17:24 OF UNCLEAN LIPS, AND I DWELL IN THE MIDST OF A PEOPLE OF UNCLEAN 17:30 LIPS; FOR MY EYES HAVE SEEN" - WHOM? - 'I'VE SEEN THE KING.' 17:35 AND WHEN HE CAME FACE TO FACE WITH THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD 17:40 OF LORDS, WHEN HE CAME FACE TO FACE WITH GOD HIMSELF, IN HIS 17:44 HOLY TEMPLE, HE SAW HIS WHAT? HIS HUMAN CONDITION. 17:51 AND HE EXPRESSES HIS HUMAN CONDITION AND, BELIEVE ME, IN 17:55 THE PRESENCE OF GOD, THIS IS OUR CONDITION. 17:59 ALL OF US CAN RELATE HERE, WITH THE PROPHET ISAIAH - AND WE NEED 18:02 TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS. "WOE IS ME! FOR I AM UNDONE, BECAUSE I AM A 18:09 MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS AND I DWELL IN THE MIDST OF A PEOPLE OF 18:14 UNCLEAN LIPS;" - ISAIAH REALIZES WHO HE IS, AND HE REALIZES 18:21 THE CONDITION OF WHAT? EVERYBODY THAT SURROUNDS HIM. 18:27 "FOR" - HE SAYS - "MY EYES HAVE SEEN THE KING, THE LORD OF 18:30 HOSTS." AND THIS IS IMPORTANT. THIS IS A VALUABLE LESSON FOR 18:37 ISAIAH BECAUSE JUST AFTER THIS REVEALING OF HIS HUMAN 18:42 CONDITION, GOD SAYS TO ISAIAH, 'WHO WILL GO FOR US?' 18:47 'WHO WILL I SEND?' AND ISAIAH SAYS, 'LORD, SEND 18:51 ME.' JUST BECAUSE ISAIAH SAW HIS HUMAN CONDITION DIDN'T MEAN 18:57 THAT GOD COULDN'T USE HIM BUT, BECAUSE HE SAW HIS HUMAN 19:02 CONDITION, THAT MEANT GOD COULD USE HIM. 19:08 BECAUSE WHO WAS GOING TO GET THE GLORY IN THAT SITUATION? 19:13 SEE, BEFORE, WE SEE OUR HUMAN CONDITION, WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO 19:16 GET THE GLORY - WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING TO BOAST 19:21 ABOUT. BUT WHEN WE KEEP OUR CONDITION 19:26 IN MIND, THERE'S ONLY ONE THING WE CAN BOAST ABOUT - THERE'S 19:31 ONLY ONE GOD THAT WE CAN BOAST ABOUT. 19:38 AND SO, WHEN WE SEE THIS IN ISAIAH - NOTICE, WITH ME, JOB 19:40 CHAPTER 42 - HERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THIS IN JOB CHAPTER 19:44 42 - JOB CHAPTER 42 - AND LEADING UP TO JOB'S TESTIMONY, 19:53 THERE'S AN INTERESTING SITUATION THAT TAKES PLACE. 19:58 YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES WE ALL DESIRE TO ASK GOD QUESTIONS. 20:03 'GOD, WHY THIS?' 'GOD, WHY THAT?' 20:05 AND WE GO ON AND WE QUESTION AND WE QUESTION AND WE QUESTION. 20:08 IN THIS SITUATION, IN THE BOOK OF JOB, FROM JOB 38 TO 42, GUESS 20:15 WHO'S ASKING THE QUESTIONS? THE SCRIPT HAS BEEN SWITCHED 20:23 AND NOW GOD IS ASKING JOB THE QUESTIONS. 20:28 HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF GOD APPROACHED YOU AND SAID, 'LET ME 20:30 ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS.' WE'D ALL BE LIKE, 'UH, THAT'S A 20:37 LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WE THOUGHT OF IT BEFORE.' I DON'T KNOW, 20:41 REALLY, IF I WANT GOD TO ASK ME SOME QUESTIONS. 20:46 BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU STUDY SCRIPTURE, GOD IS ALWAYS ASKING 20:48 QUESTIONS. JESUS ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS 20:52 TO MAKE US REFLECT - TO THINK ABOUT WHO WE ARE IN 20:56 LIGHT OF WHO GOD IS. AND THIS IS WHAT GOD DOES WITH 21:00 JOB AND HE TALKS ABOUT CREATION - ALL THE THINGS 21:04 THAT HE HAD CREATED. NOW JOB HAS NO ANSWER, LIKE 21:08 'WERE YOU THERE WHEN I DID THIS?' 21:11 'NO, I WASN'T.' AND HE KEPT ASKING HIM THESE QUESTIONS. 21:16 AND WHEN YOU READ THIS, YOU GET SMALLER - IF YOU PUT YOURSELF IN 21:20 JOB'S SHOES, YOU START TO THINK OF YOURSELF LESS AND LESS AND 21:25 LESS - OKAY? THAT'S VERY GOOD, OKAY? 21:31 NOTICE, WITH ME, JOB 42 - SO WHEN YOU GET TO THE END OF THIS, 21:34 NOTICE JOB'S CONFESSION OR HIS TESTIMONY, JUST LIKE THAT OF 21:38 ISAIAH'S. IT SAYS, "THEN JOB ANSWERED THE 21:40 LORD AND SAID: 'I KNOW THAT YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING," - WHAT ARE 21:46 - WHAT WOULD OUR LIVES BE LIKE IF WE LIVED THAT WAY? 21:48 'LORD, I KNOW THAT YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING. 21:52 NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH YOU.' HE SAYS, "AND THAT NO PURPOSE OF 21:59 YOURS CAN BE WITHHELD FROM YOU. YOU ASKED, 'WHO IS THIS 22:05 WHO HIDES COUNSEL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE?' 22:08 THEREFORE I HAVE UTTERED WHAT I DID NOT UNDERSTAND, THINGS TOO 22:14 WONDERFUL FOR ME, WHICH I DID NOT KNOW. 22:19 LISTEN, PLEASE, AND LET ME SPEAK; YOU SAID, 'I WILL 22:22 QUESTION YOU, AND YOU SHALL ANSWER ME.' I HAVE HEARD OF YOU 22:26 BY THE HEARING OF THE EAR, BUT NOW MY EYE SEES YOU. 22:31 THEREFORE I ABHOR" - WHAT? - "MYSELF, AND REPENT 22:36 IN DUST AND ASHES." THE SCRIPT HAS BEEN FLIPPED AND 22:44 NOW JOB SEES GOD FOR WHO HE REALLY IS. 22:49 JOB NEEDED TO BE REMINDED, IN THIS SITUATION, OF WHO GOD IS. 22:55 BUT, TO BE REMINDED OF WHO GOD IS, JOB, ULTIMATELY, HAD TO COME 22:59 TO THE PLACE, AGAIN, OF SEEING WHAT? HIS HUMAN CONDITION. HIS 23:08 HUMAN CONDITION WITHOUT GOD. THIS IS HIS TESTIMONY. 23:11 HE SAYS, "THEREFORE I ABHOR MYSELF, AND REPENT IN DUST AND 23:16 ASHES." WHAT WOULD THE WORLD BE LIKE 23:20 IF WE ACKNOWLEDGED OUR HUMAN CONDITION? 23:25 RATHER THAN RUN FROM IT, RATHER THAN AVOID IT, RATHER THAN TRY 23:29 TO PASS IT OFF ON SOMEBODY ELSE, WHAT WOULD THE DIFFERENCE BE IF 23:35 WE ALL ACKNOWLEDGE OUR TRUE HUMAN CONDITION? 23:40 NOW, IN JUST A MINUTE I HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS GOING TO READ A 23:42 VERSE FOR US FROM THE LESSON, BUT BEFORE I DO, I WANT TO GIVE 23:45 YOU ONE OTHER EXAMPLE IN SCRIPTURE - PSALMS 51, VERSES 3 23:50 THROUGH 5 - I'M JUST GOING TO - I TYPED IT OUT SO THAT I COULD 23:52 READ IT TO YOU, BUT IT'S ABOUT DAVID. 23:55 AS DAVID COMES FACE TO FACE WITH GOD, THROUGH THE PROPHET NATHAN, 24:01 ABOUT HIS SLEEPING WITH BATHSHEBA AND DAVID, AGAIN, IS 24:07 REMINDED OF HIS HUMAN CONDITION. AND, FRIENDS, WE ARE ALL IN THE 24:12 SAME BOAT AS JOB, AS ISAIAH, AS DAVID - AND THE LIST CAN GO ON - 24:19 EVEN AS PAUL - WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT. 24:24 IT SAYS - DAVID WRITES, "FOR I ACKNOWLEDGE MY TRANSGRESSIONS" - 24:28 VERSES 3 THROUGH 5 OF PSALMS 51 - "I ACKNOWLEDGE MY 24:33 TRANSGRESSIONS AND MY SIN IS ALWAYS BEFORE ME." 24:37 HIS SIN IS WHAT? ALWAYS BEFORE HIM. ISN'T THIS THE CASE, THE 24:43 CLOSER WE DRAW TO GOD, THE MORE WE SEE OUR SINFULNESS AND, YET, 24:48 THE MORE WE SEE HOW GREAT OUR SAVIOR IS IN THAT PROCESS. 24:52 HE SAYS, "MY SINS ARE ALWAYS BEFORE ME, AGAINST YOU, YOU ONLY 24:56 HAVE I SINNED AND DONE THIS EVIL IN YOUR SIGHT, THAT YOU MAY BE 25:00 FOUND JUST WHEN YOU SPEAK AND BLAMELESS WHEN YOU JUDGE. 25:05 BEHOLD, I WAS BROUGHT FORTH IN INIQUITY AND IN SIN MY MOTHER 25:09 CONCEIVED ME." SPEAKING OF THIS SIN, WHICH 25:16 TRULY IS OUR CONDITION. WE'RE ALL - WITHOUT GOD, WE'RE IN SIN 25:24 AND WE FACE ITS WEAKNESSES ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. 25:29 AND MONDAY'S LESSON - THERE'S A VERSE AND I'VE ASKED SOMEONE TO 25:32 READ ROMANS CHAPTER 3, VERSE 23, AND PAUL, IN ROMANS, STARTS TO 25:39 BRING THIS OUT - ROMANS 3, VERSE 23. 25:43 >>"FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD," 25:48 >>HOW MANY HAVE SINNED? ALL HAVE SINNED. 25:53 THERE IS NO ONE THAT IS EXCLUDED FROM THIS PASSAGE. 25:59 THERE IS NO HUMAN THAT IS EXCLUDED FROM THIS CONDITION. 26:06 BY THE WAY, WE'VE ALL, AT SOME POINT OR ANOTHER, CHOSEN TO 26:11 FOLLOW SIN, RATHER THAN A SAVIOR. 26:16 AND THE BIBLE CONTINUALLY BRINGS THIS OUT. 26:20 IN ROMANS CHAPTER 3, VERSE 10 - NOTICE, WITH ME, ROMANS CHAPTER 26:23 3 - PAUL, SPEAKING OF OUR HUMAN CONDITION - ROMANS CHAPTER 3, 26:30 VERSE 10 - ROMANS CHAPTER 3, VERSE 10 - HE SAYS, "AS IT IS 26:43 WRITTEN: 'THERE IS NONE" - WHAT? - "RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE;" - HE 26:52 SAYS THERE'S NOT ONE GOOD AND THERE IS NOT ONE RIGHTEOUS. 26:58 WHAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS? SIN. 27:04 WHAT IS SIN, AS IT IS DEFINED IN SCRIPTURE? 27:07 SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF GOD'S MORAL LAW. 27:12 WHEN WE BREAK GOD'S LAW, THAT IS SIN. 27:17 BUT THE OPPOSITE OF SIN IS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 27:22 RIGHTEOUSNESS IS THE KEEPING, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, THE VERY LAW 27:28 OF GOD. PSALMS 119:172 - AND, IN JUST A 27:32 MINUTE, I'LL HAVE SOMEONE ELSE READ ANOTHER VERSE FOR US, BUT 27:36 JUST BEFORE THAT, NOTICE PSALMS 119, VERSE 172 SAYS, "MY TONGUE 27:43 SHALL SPEAK OF YOUR WORD, FOR ALL YOUR COMMANDMENTS 27:49 ARE RIGHTEOUSNESS." I LOVE THAT PASSAGE FROM 27:54 THE PSALMIST - "ALL YOUR COMMANDMENTS ARE RIGHTEOUSNESS." 28:00 BUT PAUL SAYS, 'ALL HAVE' - WHAT? 'SINNED AND COME SHORT OF 28:06 THE GLORY OF GOD.' YOU KNOW, JESUS, WHEN HE WALKED ON THE 28:09 EARTH, HE SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, 'YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS MUST EXCEED 28:16 THAT OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES.' IN 28:21 OTHER WORDS, WHAT THE PHARISEES THOUGHT THEY WERE DOING WAS 28:24 RIGHTEOUS WHEN, IN REALITY, IT WAS SIN. 28:32 YOU KNOW, ISAIAH SAID THERE WOULD COME A TIME WHEN PEOPLE 28:35 WOULD CALL GOOD EVIL AND EVIL GOOD. 28:38 FRIENDS, WE'RE LIVING IN THAT TIME. 28:42 THE MESSAGE OUT THERE IS SO MIXED UP. 28:46 PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR A CLEAR ANSWER. 28:51 A CLARION CALL FOR TRUTH - AND HERE IT IS. 28:56 WE ALL ARE IN NEED OF A SAVIOR BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE SINNED AND 29:03 NO ONE IS BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE. 29:08 WE ALL HAVE THIS HUMAN CONDITION - THIS HUMAN CONDITION. 29:16 WE'VE ALL COMMITTED SIN. 29:19 WE'VE ALL BROKEN THE LAW OF GOD, AND YET, GOD STILL LONGS FOR US 29:27 TO LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY AND GODLY. BUT WE DO THAT IN CHRIST JESUS. 29:33 BUT, TO DO THAT, WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR HUMAN CONDITION. 29:38 HERE'S ANOTHER VERSE I'VE ASKED SOMEONE TO READ. 29:39 IT'S JEREMIAH CHAPTER 17, VERSE 9. NOTICE HOW JEREMIAH, LOOKING 29:44 AT THE HUMAN CONDITION, DESCRIBES IT. 29:48 >>JEREMIAH 17:9, "THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, AND 29:54 DESPERATELY WICKED; WHO CAN KNOW IT?" 29:59 >>HOW MANY OF YOU LIKE THAT FACT? 30:03 BUT IT'S A FACT, WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, OUR HEARTS ARE 30:11 DESPERATELY WICKED AND WE CAN'T EVEN KNOW THEM. 30:18 THIS IS OUR CONDITION. WE'RE IN NEED, ARE WE NOT? 30:23 WE'RE ALL IN GREAT NEED. SO, HAVE THINGS CHANGED? 30:30 WHEN WE LOOK AT THE HUMAN CONDITION, HAVE THINGS CHANGED? 30:34 TUESDAY'S LESSON TALKS ABOUT PROGRESS. 30:37 HAVE WE - FROM THE FIRST CENTURY TO THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY - 30:42 HAVE WE EVOLVED TO BE BETTER? RIGHT? 30:47 I WANT TO READ, ACTUALLY, FROM THE LESSON - RIGHT FROM THE TOP, 30:50 HERE, IN TUESDAY'S LESSON. IT SAYS, "AT THE TURN OF THE 30:54 TWENTIETH CENTURY PEOPLE LIVED WITH THE IDEA THAT 30:57 HUMANITY WAS IMPROVING." ARE WE IMPROVING? 31:03 "THAT MORALITY WOULD INCREASE AND THAT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 31:08 WOULD HELP USHER IN A UTOPIA." WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT THERE. 31:15 "HUMAN BEINGS, IT WAS BELIEVED, WERE ESSENTIALLY ON THE PATH 31:19 TOWARDS PERFECTION. THROUGH THE RIGHT KIND OF 31:23 EDUCATION AND MORAL TRAINING, IT WAS THOUGHT THAT HUMANS COULD 31:28 GREATLY IMPROVE THEMSELVES AND THEIR SOCIETIES." 31:33 AND YET, WE FIGHT OVER SO MANY THINGS AND THE DIVISIONS JUST 31:38 CONTINUE TO GROW. IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE ROMAN 31:40 EMPIRE, HOW, OVER TIME, IT DESTROYED ITSELF 31:44 FROM THE INSIDE OUT. FRIENDS, LEFT TO OUR HUMAN 31:49 CONDITION, THAT'S WHAT WE WILL ULTIMATELY DO TO EACH OTHER. 31:54 LEFT TO OUR HUMAN CONDITION, WE'LL DESTROY OURSELVES. 32:01 IT GOES ON: "ALL OF THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO START HAPPENING EN 32:07 MASSE AS WE ENTERED INTO THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF THE TWENTIETH 32:11 CENTURY. NOW WE'RE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY. 32:14 HAS IT CHANGED FROM THE FIRST CENTURY UNTIL NOW? 32:18 HAVE WE PROGRESSED? VERY INTERESTING. NO WE HAVEN'T. 32:23 MATTER OF FACT, THE TWENTIETH CENTURY IS RECORDED AS THE MOST 32:28 VIOLENT AND BARBARIC IN ALL OF HISTORY. 32:33 AND IT'S NOT GETTING ANY BETTER. NOTICE, WITH ME, ROMANS CHAPTER 32:38 1 - I WANT TO READ A FEW VERSES TO YOU. 32:40 PAUL, DESCRIBING THE SITUATION IN THE FIRST CENTURY, AND YOU 32:47 TELL ME IF WE'VE IMPROVED ON THIS, OKAY? 32:52 ROMANS CHAPTER 1 - I'LL JUST START WITH VERSE 25 - OR 22 - 32:58 AND THEN I'LL READ 25 THROUGH 32, OKAY? 33:00 ROMANS CHAPTER 1 - NOTICE, PAUL SAYS, CONCERNING - OKAY - VERSE 33:06 24 - I'LL JUMP BACK ONE - "THEREFORE GOD ALSO GAVE THEM UP 33:10 TO UNCLEANNESS, IN THE LUSTS OF THEIR HEARTS, TO DISHONOR THEIR 33:14 BODIES AMONG THEMSELVES, WHO EXCHANGED THE TRUTH OF GOD FOR 33:18 THE LIE, AND WORSHIPED AND SERVED THE CREATURE RATHER THAN 33:22 THE CREATOR, WHO IS BLESSED FOREVER. AMEN." 33:26 AND NOTICE, HE GOES ON, "FOR THIS REASON GOD GAVE THEM UP TO 33:29 VILE PASSIONS. FOR EVEN THEIR WOMEN EXCHANGED 33:32 THE NATURAL USE FOR WHAT IS AGAINST NATURE. 33:36 LIKEWISE ALSO THE MEN, LEAVING THE NATURAL USE OF THE WOMAN, 33:39 BURNED IN THEIR LUST FOR ONE ANOTHER, MEN WITH MEN COMMITTING 33:43 WHAT IS SHAMEFUL, AND RECEIVING IN THEMSELVES THE PENALTY OF 33:46 THEIR ERROR WHICH WAS DUE. AND EVEN AS THEY DID NOT LIKE TO 33:51 RETAIN GOD IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE," - NOT A GOOD CHOICE, IS IT? 33:57 WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS PICTURE - TO NOT RETAIN GOD IN THEIR 34:01 KNOWLEDGE - "GOD GAVE THEM OVER TO A DEBASED MIND, TO DO THOSE 34:07 THINGS WHICH ARE NOT FITTING; BEING FILLED WITH ALL 34:11 UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, SEXUAL IMMORALITY, WICKEDNESS, 34:13 COVETOUSNESS, MALICIOUSNESS; FULLY OF ENVY, MURDER, STRIFE, 34:17 DECEIT, EVIL-MINDEDNESS; THEY ARE WHISPERERS, BACKBITERS, 34:22 HATER OF GOD, VIOLENT, PROUD, BOASTERS, INVENTORS OF EVIL 34:28 THINGS, DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS, UNDISCERNING, UNTRUSTWORTHY, 34:33 UNLOVING, UNFORGIVING, UNMERCIFUL; WHO, KNOWING THE 34:39 RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT OF GOD, THAT THOSE WHO PRACTICE SUCH THINGS 34:42 ARE DESERVING OF DEATH, NOT ONLY DO THE SAME BUT ALSO APPROVE OF 34:46 THOSE WHO" - WHAT? - "WHO PRACTICE THEM." 34:49 LOOKING AT THIS PICTURE AS PAUL WRITES IN THE FIRST CENTURY, IS 34:54 IT ANY DIFFERENT IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY? 34:58 NO, IN MANY CASES IT JUST KEEPS GETTING WORSE AND WORSE AND 35:03 WORSE. LEFT TO OUR HUMAN CONDITION 35:06 WE'LL DESTROY OURSELVES. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME. 35:11 AND SATAN WOULD LOVE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. 35:15 SATAN WOULD LOVE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. 35:18 AND, NOTICE, VERSE 32 - AT THE VERY END, PAUL SAYS - RIGHT HERE 35:22 HE SAYS, 'LISTEN' - HE SAYS, "NOT ONLY DO THE SAME, BUT ALSO 35:26 APPROVE OF THOSE WHO PRACTICE THEM." 35:29 IN OTHER WORDS, NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE PEOPLE PRACTICING THESE 35:31 THINGS ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT YOU HAVE PEOPLE WALKING AROUND - 35:35 WHAT? APPROVING OF IT. 'LET'S JUST BE TOLERANT 35:40 OF ALL THINGS,' - RIGHT? BUT THIS IS TO HELP 35:46 US UNDERSTAND WHAT? OUR NEED. 35:50 THIS HELPS US UNDERSTAND WE NEED A SAVIOR. 35:57 WE NEED SOMEONE BIGGER THAN OURSELVES TO HELP US WITH 36:01 OURSELVES BECAUSE WE'RE ABOUT THIS BIG AND WE'RE NOT REALLY 36:05 CAPABLE OF DOING ANYTHING GOOD OR ANYTHING RIGHTEOUS - AT ALL. 36:12 AND, TO THINK ANY DIFFERENTLY, IS A DECEPTION. 36:17 TO THINK OF YOURSELF GREATER THAN YOU OUGHT, YOU'RE DECEIVING 36:21 YOURSELF. AND THE SALVATION THAT CHRIST 36:25 OFFERS TO US WILL JUST PASS US BY. 36:29 HOW MANY OF YOU WANT TO BE SAVED FROM YOURSELF? 36:33 (LAUGHTER) RIGHT? FROM YOURSELF - 36:38 THAT'S WHAT JESUS OFFERS. HE OFFERS SALVATION FROM 36:42 YOURSELF SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE DESTROYED AND YOU DON'T 36:48 HAVE TO DESTROY YOURSELF, BUT THAT YOU CAN HAVE ETERNAL LIFE 36:54 AND LIVE WITH YOUR CREATOR FOREVER. 37:00 THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND OUR HUMAN CONDITION. 37:03 IN WEDNESDAY'S LESSON, PAUL STARTS TALKING ABOUT THE JEWS 37:07 AND THE GENTILES. YOU KNOW, THE JEWS ALWAYS 37:12 THOUGHT THEY WERE WHAT? BETTER THAN THE GENTILES, RIGHT? 37:15 THEY HAD A HIGH AND LOFTY VIEW OF THEMSELVES. 37:20 SO THEY MISSED THEIR HUMAN CONDITION. 37:23 ISN'T IT ANY WONDER THEY MISSED THE SAVIOR WHEN HE CAME? 37:28 IT SAYS, 'HE CAME UNTO HIS OWN, BUT HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT.' 37:34 IF YOU HAVE SUCH A HIGH VIEW OF YOURSELF, YOU'RE GOING TO MISS 37:36 THE SAVIOR WHEN HE COMES TO YOU. BUT, IF YOU SEE YOURSELF AS YOU 37:41 TRULY ARE, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE SAVIOR - YOU'RE DESIRING THE 37:48 SAVIOR - YOU WANT THE SAVIOR BECAUSE YOU'RE AT 37:52 THE END OF YOUR ROPE. AND, BY THE WAY, WHEN YOU'VE HIT 37:56 ROCK BOTTOM, THERE'S NO OTHER PLACE TO LOOK THAN UP. 38:03 THERE'S NO OTHER PLACE. YOU KNOW, GOD WANTED 38:07 NEBUCHADNEZZAR TO SEE THE SAVIOR SO HE GAVE HIM A DREAM. 38:11 AND IN THAT DREAM HE DESTROYED HIS WORLD VIEW AND 38:15 NEBUCHADNEZZAR WAS LEFT WITH NOTHING TO CLING TO. 38:21 AND THEN GOD SENT HIS PROPHET TO GIVE HIM A MESSAGE AND HE WAS 38:25 READY. WE, TOO, CAN BE READY. THE JEWS AND THE GENTILES - THE 38:31 JEWS THOUGHT THEMSELVES TO BE GREATER THAN THE GENTILES. 38:34 SO, IN ROMANS CHAPTER 1, AS WE JUST READ, WHAT GOD ULTIMATELY 38:38 DOES IS HE SAYS, 'OKAY, THIS IS - HERE'S THE GENTILES - HERE'S 38:43 THE PAGANS - HERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE LOST SIGHT OF GOD A LONG 38:47 TIME AGO AND THEY HAVE FALLEN INTO DEGRADING PRACTICES.' AND 38:53 THEN, IN ROMANS CHAPTER 2, WHAT PAUL BEGINS TO DO IS HE STARTS 38:58 TO SPEAK ABOUT THE IMPARTIALITY OF GOD AND THEN HE STARTS 39:02 DESCRIBING THE JEWISH CONDITION. BY THE WAY, IN REALITY, 39:10 THEY'RE NO DIFFERENT. THEY'RE NO DIFFERENT. 39:14 AND THE JEWS NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND THIS. 39:17 AND, IN ROMANS CHAPTER 3, PAUL SPEAKS ABOUT THE WHOLE WORLD 39:22 BEING GUILTY BEFORE GOD. NOTICE, WITH ME, ROMANS CHAPTER 39:25 3, VERSE 19 - ROMANS CHAPTER 3, VERSE 19 - HE SAYS, "NOW WE KNOW 39:36 THAT WHATEVER THE LAW SAYS, IT SAYS TO THOSE WHO ARE UNDER THE 39:40 LAW," - UNDER THE CONDEMNATION OF THE LAW - THE LAW OF GOD - 39:46 "THAT EVERY MOUTH MAY BE" - WHAT? - "STOPPED, AND ALL THE 39:51 WORLD MAY BECOME" - WHAT? - "GUILTY BEFORE GOD." 39:58 GUILTY - GOD WANTS TO ACKNOWLEDGE - PAUL'S SAYING, 40:01 'LISTEN, ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR GUILT - ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR TRUE 40:06 CONDITION - DON'T RUN FROM IT, DON'T THROW IT AWAY - WHETHER 40:09 YOU ARE JEW OR GENTILE, REALIZE YOU'RE ALL AT THE SAME PLACE. 40:16 THERE IS NOT ONE GROUP HIGHER THAN ANOTHER GROUP. 40:19 THERE IS NOT ONE GROUP MORE SUPERIOR THAN ANOTHER GROUP. 40:22 WE ALL HAVE THIS CONDITION. WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME FOOTING. 40:28 WE'RE ALL AT THE SAME PLACE. WE'RE ALL STARTING 40:32 FROM THE SAME PLACE. TO PAUL, UNDERSTANDING OUR 40:36 HUMAN CONDITION CAME FIRST. THE JEW AND GENTILE 40:41 WERE STANDING TOGETHER. WHETHER THEY KNEW IT OR NOT, 40:45 THEY WERE TRULY TOGETHER IN THEIR HUMAN CONDITION. 40:53 JEREMIAH SAYS IT BEST - AND I'VE ASKED SOMEONE ELSE TO READ 40:56 ANOTHER VERSE, HERE, IN JUST A MINUTE. 40:57 BEFORE THAT, I'M GOING TO READ TO YOU JEREMIAH 13, VERSE 23. 41:02 JEREMIAH SAYS - IN RELATIONSHIP TO THIS CONDITION - HE SAYS, 41:07 "CAN THE ETHIOPIAN CHANGE HIS SKIN OR THE LEOPARD ITS SPOTS? 41:14 THEN MAY YOU ALSO DO GOOD WHO ARE ACCUSTOMED TO DO EVIL." 41:19 CAN YOU DO GOOD IF YOU'RE ACCUSTOMED TO DOING EVIL? 41:23 CAN YOU CHANGE YOUR SKIN COLOR? CAN A LEOPARD CHANGE HIS SPOTS? 41:28 THINK ABOUT IT. WE CAN'T. 41:30 THE JEW COULDN'T AND THE GENTILE COULDN'T. 41:33 THE JEW COULDN'T. THE GREEK COULDN'T DO IT. 41:37 AND SO, THIS IS WHERE, NOW, PAUL STARTS TO SPEAK ABOUT THE HOPE 41:42 THAT THERE IS IN CHRIST JESUS - WHERE THE CHANGE REALLY COMES. 41:49 I'VE ASKED SOMEONE TO READ ROMANS CHAPTER 5, VERSE 6 - 41:54 ROMANS CHAPTER 5, VERSE 6. >>"FOR WHEN WE WERE STILL 42:00 WITHOUT STRENGTH, IN DUE TIME CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY." 42:05 >>ISN'T THAT INCREDIBLE? WHEN WE WERE WITHOUT WHAT? 42:11 WHEN WE WERE WITHOUT STRENGTH. IN OUR HUMAN CONDITION - WHEN WE 42:15 SEE OURSELVES AS WE REALLY ARE, WE SEE WE HAVE NO STRENGTH. 42:22 THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO. I CAN MAKE A CHOICE, BUT ONLY 42:28 BECAUSE JESUS GAVE ME THAT ABILITY. 42:32 BUT REALLY, THERE'S NOTHING FOR ME TO DO. 42:34 AND SO, IT SAYS, 'CHRIST DIED FOR WHO? 42:39 THE UNGODLY. THINK ABOUT IT. IF YOU DON'T SEE YOURSELF AS 42:43 UNGODLY, AS WE BEGIN, THEN HOW IS IT THAT WE'RE GOING TO EVER 42:50 ACCEPT THE DEATH THAT CHRIST DIED FOR US? 42:54 IT SAYS HE DIED FOR THE UNGODLY. IF I DON'T SEE MYSELF, AT SOME 42:59 POINT, AS UNGODLY, HOW CAN I TRULY ACCEPT THE SACRIFICE THAT 43:04 CHRIST HAS GIVEN ON MY BEHALF - HIS WORK ON MY BEHALF? 43:11 BY THE WAY, PAUL SAYS, IN CORINTHIANS, HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, 43:14 THAT CHRIST'S STRENGTH - HE SAYS, 'MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT 43:18 FOR YOU, FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.' AND THEN 43:23 PAUL GOES ON, SAYING, 'BECAUSE OF THIS, I WILL GLADLY BOAST IN 43:27 MY INFIRMITIES, THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST MAY REST UPON ME.' 43:32 WHEN WE SEE OUR HUMAN CONDITION, WE SEE OUR NEED FOR THE POWER OF 43:37 CHRIST. AND THE GOSPEL CHANGES 43:42 EVERYTHING - THE GOSPEL CHANGES EVERYTHING. 43:48 NOTICE, WITH ME, ROMANS CHAPTER 5, VERSE 20. 43:57 WE JUST GOT DONE TALKING ABOUT HOW ALL ARE UNDER THE LAW. 44:00 LATER, NOTICE WHAT PAUL WRITES - HE SAYS, "MOREOVER, THE LAW 44:04 ENTERED THAT THE OFFENSE MIGHT" - WHAT? - "ABOUND." 44:08 SO WE HAVE THE MORAL LAW AND IT ENTERS AND WE SEE OUR HUMAN 44:12 CONDITION AND THE LAW DRIVES US MORE AND MORE TO SEE OUR HUMAN 44:16 CONDITION WITHOUT A SAVIOR. SO THE OFFENSE MIGHT ABOUND, 44:22 "BUT WHERE SIN ABOUNDED," - HE SAYS - "GRACE ABOUNDED MUCH 44:27 MORE," - JUST - JUST THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE. 44:32 IF I LIVE MY LIFE UNDERSTANDING WHO I REALLY AM WITHOUT GOD - 44:37 CONSISTENTLY - WHERE SIN ABOUNDS, HE SAYS, GRACE DOES 44:43 MUCH MORE ABOUND. I'M GOING TO LOOK UP TO THE 44:45 SAVIOR AND I'M GOING TO SEE THAT HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR ME 44:50 AT EVERY SINGLE TURN IN MY LIFE, BECAUSE I REALIZE 44:56 MY HUMAN CONDITION. I CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT HIM. 45:03 YOU KNOW, THIS FACT WAS BROUGHT TO ME IN MY - ESPECIALLY IN MY 45:06 SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW? 45:08 AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, I DIDN'T HAVE A VERY GOOD GRADE 45:10 POINT AVERAGE - 1.6 - I DIDN'T THINK I WAS GOING TO FINISH HIGH 45:15 SCHOOL. I THOUGHT, 'LORD, THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE.' AND YET, YOU 45:21 KNOW SOMETHING? I REALIZED MY CONDITION AND I'M NOT THE 45:24 GREATEST STUDENT IN THE WORLD. I'M JUST NOT THAT 45:25 ACADEMIC TYPE, REALLY. I ENJOY READING NOW - THE LORD'S 45:29 GIVEN THAT TO ME, BUT THE THING WAS IS THAT I SAW MY CONDITION 45:34 AND I SAW MY NEED AND IT WAS AMAZING. 45:37 AS I SAW GOD'S GRACE AND HIS ABILITY TO WORK IN MY LIFE, I 45:40 THOUGHT, 'LORD, YOU'RE GOING TO GET ME THROUGH THIS. 45:44 I SEE MY INSUFFICIENCIES, BUT I SEE YOUR GRACE. 45:49 I SEE YOUR POWER. PAUL TALKS ABOUT THIS - ROMANS 45:51 CHAPTER 1, VERSES 16 AND 17 - ROMANS CHAPTER 1, VERSES 16 AND 45:57 17 - I LOVE THE WORDS OF PAUL, HERE. 46:00 HE SAYS, 'FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST FOR IT 46:04 IS THE POWER OF GOD TO SALVATION. 46:07 FRIENDS, WHEN WE SEE OUR HUMAN CONDITION AND WE TURN TO GOD AND 46:12 WE LOOK TO THE GOSPEL AND HIS GOOD NEWS AND HIS POWER TO WORK 46:16 IN OUR LIVES, WE WON'T BE ASHAMED EITHER. 46:22 I WON'T BE ASHAMED TO SHARE IT WITH ANYBODY I COME IN CONTACT 46:25 WITH BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT I AM WITHOUT IT - BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT 46:35 I AM TRULY WITHOUT IT. AND SO, PAUL UNDERSTOOD 46:40 WHAT HE WAS WITHOUT IT. HE WAS A MURDERER WITHOUT IT. 46:46 HE WAS A LIAR WITHOUT IT. HE WAS A THIEF WITHOUT IT. 46:55 BUT HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS WITH IT - AND WHAT IT COULD DO IN THE 47:00 LIVES OF THOSE THAT HE WOULD COME IN CONTACT WITH. 47:05 HE SAID, 'I'M NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST - THE GOOD NEWS 47:08 OF GOD'S SALVATION - THE FACT THAT GOD WAS WILLING TO SEND HIS 47:12 ONLY BEGOTTEN SON INTO THIS WORLD TO LIVE THE LIFE - A TRUE 47:17 LIFE OF OBEDIENCE TO THE FATHER IN ALL HIS COMMANDMENTS. 47:21 AND THEN HE TAKES UPON HIMSELF OUR SIN AND HE DIES OUR DEATH SO 47:27 THAT WE MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY - SO THAT WE 47:30 MAY HAVE THE POWER TO CHOOSE THAT WHICH IS PROPER TO GOD. 47:38 AND JOHN SAYS, 'AS TO AS MANY AS HAVE RECEIVED HIM' - IN JOHN 47:41 CHAPTER 1 - 'TO AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM, TO THEM GAVE HE 47:45 POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD.' THAT WORD 'POWER' OR 47:50 'RIGHT' IS ACTUALLY THE ABILITY TO CHOOSE THAT WHICH IS PROPER 47:56 TO GOD. HOW MANY OF YOU WANT THAT ABILITY? KNOWING YOUR HUMAN 48:00 CONDITION - HOW MANY OF YOU REALLY DESIRE THAT - THAT 48:05 ABILITY TO CHOOSE, AT EACH STEP, THAT WHICH IS PROPER TO GOD? 48:11 IN YOUR STRUGGLES, IN YOUR CHALLENGES, IN YOUR TIGHT 48:16 SITUATIONS, HOW MANY OF YOU WANT THE ABILITY TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE 48:19 CHOOSING THAT WHICH IS PROPER TO GOD? 48:23 THAT'S WHAT CHRIST GIVES TO US - CONSISTENTLY. 48:27 AND SO PAUL SAYS, 'I'M NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, 48:30 FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION. 48:34 FOR EVERYONE' - NOTICE - 'EVERYONE' - REMEMBER, OUR HUMAN 48:37 CONDITION PUTS US ALL ON WHAT? THE SAME GROUND. 48:42 SO, THEREFORE, THE SALVATION AND THE GOSPEL IS GIVEN TO EVERYONE. 48:48 WE'RE ALL AT THE SAME PLACE. NOW, WE NEED TO SEE OURSELVES AT 48:51 THE SAME PLACE, BUT IN REALITY, WE ALL ARE THERE. 48:57 HE SAYS, 'FOR EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES - FOR THE JEW FIRST AND 49:01 ALSO FOR THE GREEK - FOR IN IT' - FOR IN THE GOSPEL, HE SAYS - 49:06 'THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IS REVEALED.' HOW MANY OF YOU 49:10 DESIRE TO HAVE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD SHINING FORTH FROM YOUR 49:14 LIFE? THAT SHOULD BE OUR GREATEST DESIRE. 49:19 THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IS REVEALED FROM FAITH TO FAITH. 49:25 AS IT IS WRITTEN, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH. 49:32 WE CAN'T TRULY LIVE BY FAITH UNLESS WE SEE OUR TRUE HUMAN 49:38 CONDITION. TO RECEIVE HIM - THE LESSON 49:44 TALKS ABOUT THIS IN THURSDAY - TO RECEIVE HIM IS TO REPENT. 49:50 TO REPENT IS TO CONFESS ONE'S TRUE CONDITION AND DIRECTION, 49:57 KNOWING THAT ANOTHER DIRECTION IN LIFE MUST BE TAKEN. 50:02 IN OTHER WORDS, WE COME TO THAT PLACE, UNDERSTANDING OUR HUMAN 50:05 CONDITION, UNDERSTANDING THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING, AND WE 50:08 REACH OUT TO THE GOODNESS OF GOD AND WE TURN FROM THAT WAY. 50:14 AND, BY FAITH, AS WE REACH UP TO THE SAVIOR, HE GIVES US THE 50:17 ABILITY AND THE POWER TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS SO THAT WE 50:21 CAN TURN AND WALK ANOTHER DIRECTION - THE DIRECTION, BY 50:25 THE WAY, THAT IS HEAVEN-WARD, NOT EARTH-WARD. 50:33 BY FAITH THIS IS TO BE DONE. 50:35 THOSE WHO COME TO HIM MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS AND THAT HE'S 50:39 A REWARDER OF THOSE WHO DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM. 50:44 I WANT TO GO BACK TO ONE PASSAGE IN ROMANS CHAPTER 1 - I WANT YOU 50:48 TO NOTICE THIS FOR JUST A MINUTE. 50:51 THIS REALLY STRUCK ME LAST NIGHT AS I WAS GOING BACK THROUGH THIS 50:55 - THIS ONE VERSE - VERSE 25 - AND I THOUGHT, 'THIS IS AN 51:02 INCREDIBLE VERSE' - AND I READ IT SEVERAL TIMES. 51:07 THINK ABOUT IT, JUST FOR A MINUTE. 51:10 IT SAYS, 'WHO EXCHANGED THE TRUTH OF GOD FOR THE LIE, AND 51:15 WHO WORSHIPED AND SERVED THE CREATURE RATHER THAN THE CREATOR 51:21 WHO WAS BLESSED FOREVER.' NOW LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION: WHO 51:24 IN THIS PASSAGE IS BLESSED FOREVER? THE CREATOR. 51:32 GOD, PAUL IS SAYING, IS BLESSED FOREVER. 51:37 WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO SERVE THE CREATURE WHEN YOU COULD BE 51:42 BLESSED FOREVER? THINK ABOUT IT. BECAUSE IF WE SERVE GOD AND 51:49 NOT MAN, THIS IS WHERE ALL THE BLESSINGS COME FROM, BECAUSE 51:55 GOD, HIMSELF, PAUL SAYS, IS BLESSED FOREVER. 51:59 AND THEN HE SAYS, 'AMEN.' IN OTHER WORDS, 'SO BE IT.' SO WHEN 52:07 WE SEE OUR HUMAN CONDITION, WHICH REALLY IS TRUSTING THE 52:12 CREATION - OURSELVES AND OTHERS MORE THAN THE CREATOR. 52:17 BUT WHEN WE SEE OUR HUMAN CONDITION AND WE REACH OUT TO 52:19 THE CREATOR, GOD SAYS THERE ARE BLESSINGS THAT COME WITH THAT - 52:23 TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF BLESSING. WHY? 52:28 BECAUSE THE CREATOR IS BLESSED FOREVER. 52:33 WOULDN'T WE WANT TO BE BLESSED FOREVER? 52:36 WE NEED TO SEE OURSELVES FOR WHO WE REALLY ARE WITHOUT A SAVIOR. 52:41 AND, IN THAT CONDITION, WE NEED TO REACH UP AND OUT TO THE 52:44 SAVIOR AND, BY THE WAY, HE'S WALKING RIGHT NEXT TO US. 52:48 THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS WALKING WITH US ON A DAILY BASIS - 52:54 DESIRING FOR US, EACH, TO REACH OUT. 52:59 AND SO, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, MAY WE REACH OUT. 53:03 IN CLOSING, THERE'S ONE OTHER PASSAGE - MAY WE HAVE THIS 53:06 MINDSET - LUKE CHAPTER 18, VERSE 13 SAYS, "...'GOD, BE MERCIFUL 53:11 TO ME A SINNER!'" IF WE COULD LIVE OUR LIVES 53:19 WITH THAT PRAYER ON OUR LIPS - WITH THAT PRAYER IN OUR HEARTS, 53:24 HOW DIFFERENT LIFE WOULD BE, BECAUSE IN THAT PRAYER, THAT 53:30 SINNER RECEIVES SALVATION. HE RECEIVED THE GRACE OF GOD AND 53:35 HE WAS ENABLED BY THAT GRACE TO DO GREAT THINGS FOR GOD. 53:41 OUR HUMAN CONDITION, DON'T JUST LET IT PASS YOU BY, BUT 53:46 ACKNOWLEDGE IT - UNDERSTAND IT - BUT THEN UNDERSTAND THAT WHERE 53:51 SIN ABOUNDS, GRACE DOES MUCH MORE ABOUND. 53:58 LET'S PRAY TOGETHER AS WE CLOSE THIS LESSON. 54:02 FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR MANY BLESSINGS, 54:08 LORD, BECAUSE YOU ARE BLESSED FOREVER. 54:13 AND, LORD, WE'RE SINFUL - WE'RE SINNERS, LORD, IN GREAT NEED OF 54:19 A SAVIOR. OUR HEARTS ARE DESPERATELY 54:22 WICKED ABOVE ALL THINGS AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW THE DEPTHS OF 54:27 THAT WICKEDNESS IN OUR HEARTS BUT, LORD, WE ASK THAT YOU 54:30 CLEANSE THEM - YOU CLEAN THEM - SO THAT WE, TRULY, BY FAITH 54:37 CAN EXEMPLIFY IN OUR LIVES THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 54:42 WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR MANY BLESSINGS. 54:45 WE THANK YOU FOR THIS STUDY IN ROMANS AND THIS TIME WE CAN 54:49 STUDY YOUR WORD TOGETHER. IN JESUS' PRECIOUS AND 54:53 HOLY NAME WE PRAY, AMEN. I'D LIKE TO REMIND THOSE THAT 54:58 ARE VIEWING OF OUR FREE OFFER. OUR FREE OFFER - ONLY SENT TO 55:03 NORTH AMERICA - YOU CAN GO ONLINE OUTSIDE OF NORTH 55:06 AMERICA AND YOU CAN GO TO THE AMAZINGFACTS.ORG WEBSITE TO 55:09 RECEIVE THIS BUT, WITHIN NORTH AMERICA, IT'S OFFER #726. 55:13 ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS CALL 1-866-788-3966 TO RECEIVE THIS 55:19 FREE OFFER - HIDDEN EYES AND CLOSED EARS . MAY GOD BLESS YOU. 55:25 >>FIVE HUNDRED YEARS AGO, GOD USED MARTIN LUTHER TO INSPIRE A 55:29 GREAT REFORMATION; HOWEVER, IN THE CENTURIES THAT FOLLOWED, THE 55:33 CHURCH HAS SLIPPED OFF THE BEDROCK OF TRUTH INTO THE VALLEY 55:36 OF LUKEWARM WORLDLINESS. THAT'S WHY, THIS FALL, I'LL BE 55:40 PRESENTING A BRAND-NEW NINE-PART SERIES CALLED 55:43 FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH . PLEASE PLAN, NOW, TO JOIN ME IN 55:47 PERSON, ONLINE, OR ON TELEVISION AND BE SURE TO INVITE 55:50 OTHERS TO JOIN YOU AS WELL. THE REFORMATION CONTINUES. (MUSIC) 56:06 >>HI FRIENDS, YOU KNOW, THE MODERN FLAGS THAT WE SEE 56:09 FLYING FROM THE TOP OF CAPITAL BUILDINGS, OR OUT IN FRONT OF 56:12 PATRIOTIC HOMES, REALLY STEM BACK FROM THE TIMES OF BATTLES 56:16 BEING FOUGHT BETWEEN WARRING NATIONS. 56:19 THESE BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED AND INTRICATELY COLORED BANNERS WERE 56:22 FLOWN HIGH ABOVE THE BATTLEFIELDS SO THE WARRING 56:24 FORCES WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY, AMID THE CHAOS AND THE SMOKE AND 56:27 THE FOG OF WAR, WHERE THEIR FORCES WERE RALLIED AND WHERE 56:31 THEY WERE FIGHTING THE BATTLE. AND, IF YOU COULD CAPTURE YOUR 56:33 ENEMY'S FLAG, IT WAS CONSIDERED THE HIGHEST HONOR. 56:37 I WONDER IF THAT'S WHERE WE GOT THE GAME 'CAPTURE THE FLAG'. 56:40 WITH THE CHANGES IN WAR, NOW THESE FLAGS ALSO REPRESENT A 56:44 LITTLE MORE OF A DEMARCATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF DIFFERENT 56:47 NATIONALITIES. TODAY, THE FLAGS THAT REPRESENT 56:50 THE DIFFERENT NATIONS OF THE WORLD ARE VERY COLORFUL AND 56:52 DIVERSE AND ALL OF THE COLORS AND THE SHAPES HAVE 56:55 A SPECIFIC MEANING. THEY'RE EASY TO DISTINGUISH AND 56:58 RECOGNIZE FROM ONE ANOTHER. PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST 57:00 INTERESTING FLAGS IN THE WORLD IS THE FLAG OF THE PHILIPPINES. 57:04 THIS IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT IS FLOWN DIFFERENTLY IN TIMES OF 57:07 PEACE THAN IT IS IN TIMES OF WAR. 57:10 DURING TIMES OF PEACE, THE FILIPINO FLAG, THAT'S COMPOSED 57:13 OF RED, WHITE, BLUE, AND YELLOW, IS FLOWN WITH THE BLUE SIDE UP. 57:17 BUT, IN TIMES OF WAR, THEY FLIP IT AROUND AND THE RED SIDE IS UP 57:21 BECAUSE THERE THEY'RE WILLING TO MAKE SACRIFICES OF THEIR BLOOD 57:24 TO DEFEND THE FREEDOM OF THEIR COUNTRY. IN THE SAME WAY THAT AN 57:28 EMBASSY THAT IS SITUATED IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY FLIES THEIR FLAG 57:32 WHILE STILL SURROUNDED BY ANOTHER NATION, CHRISTIANS ARE 57:35 SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE FLAG OF GOD'S LOVE FLYING IN THIS FALLEN 57:39 WORLD. YOU CAN READ IN THE BOOK SONG OF SOLOMON CHAPTER 2, VERSE 57:42 4, "HIS BANNER OVER ME IS LOVE." LOVE IS THE FLAG THAT IDENTIFIES 57:47 CHRISTIANS AS A UNIQUE KINGDOM EVEN HERE IN THE WORLD. 57:51 SO, FRIEND, THE BIG QUESTION IS: HOW ARE YOU FLYING YOUR FLAG? 57:55 (MUSIC) 58:02 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES, VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM 58:07 OR CALL 1-800-538-7275. 58:12 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2017-10-10