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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021745A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS, AND WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL 00:36 STUDY HOUR COMING TO YOU HERE FROM THE GRANITE BAY SEVENTH-DAY 00:39 ADVENTIST CHURCH NEAR SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. 00:42 I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR ONLINE MEMBERS AND THOSE WHO ARE 00:44 WATCHING ON THE VARIOUS TELEVISION NETWORKS ACROSS THE 00:47 COUNTRY AND, LITERALLY, AROUND THE WORLD. 00:50 THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN TO STUDY THE LESSON WITH US TODAY. 00:53 I'D ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME OUR MEMBERS AND OUR VISITORS RIGHT 00:56 HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH - ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU WEEK 00:58 AFTER WEEK, COMING TO CHURCH EARLY TO STUDY THE LESSON 01:01 TOGETHER. WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THROUGH THE 01:03 BOOK OF ROMANS AND TODAY WE FIND OURSELVES ON LESSON #6 AND IT'S 01:07 ENTITLED ADAM AND JESUS - LESSON #6. 01:11 IF YOU DON'T HAVE A COPY OF TODAY'S LESSON, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD 01:14 A COPY AT THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE - JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG 01:20 - AND YOU CAN STUDY ALONG WITH US. 01:21 THAT'S LESSON #6 TODAY ENTITLED ADAM AND JESUS. 01:25 WE ALSO HAVE A FREE OFFER FOR THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING IN NORTH 01:28 AMERICA. IF YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE THIS 01:30 BOOK ENTITLED CHRIST'S HUMAN NATURE - THE PHONE NUMBER TO 01:34 CALL IS 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #703. 01:41 WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND IT TO ANYBODY IN NORTH AMERICA. 01:44 IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE OF NORTH AMERICA, YOU CAN STILL READ THE 01:47 FREE OFFER. JUST GO TO THE AMAZING FACTS 01:49 WEBSITE - IT'S AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . YOU CAN READ IT FOR FREE ONLINE. 01:54 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR LESSON, WE ALWAYS LIKE TO BEGIN 01:57 OUR SABBATH SCHOOL TIME BY LIFTING OUR VOICES IN SONG. 02:00 I'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR SONG LEADERS TO COME LEAD US IN OUR 02:02 MUSIC THIS MORNING. (PIANO MUSIC) 02:06 >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. WE ARE GOING TO SING ABOUT HOW 02:10 JOYFUL IT IS TO LIVE IN THE SHADOW OF THE LORD. 02:14 AND SO, TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH HYMN #12 - JOYFUL, 02:19 JOYFUL WE ADORE THEE . WE'RE GOING TO SING ALL THREE 02:23 VERSES AND LET'S SING LOUD. PULL OUT YOUR HYMNALS AT HOME 02:27 AND LET'S SING TOGETHER. (PIANO MUSIC) 04:19 >>YOU KNOW, AS WE WERE SINGING THAT VERY LAST VERSE AT THE VERY 04:22 END, IT SAYS "TEACH US HOW TO LOVE EACH OTHER" - 04:25 WE DO NEED THAT. WE NEED JESUS' LOVE IN OUR 04:28 HEARTS TO LOVE OUR FELLOW MAN AROUND US AND TO HELP US TO 04:31 HELP THEM TO THE KINGDOM. HE IS COMING SOON - PRAISE THE 04:35 LORD, HIS GLORY SHOW - HYMN #25 - WE'RE GOING TO SING ALL THREE 04:40 VERSES OF THIS HYMN AND PART OF THIS HYMN IS ALLELUIA, 04:47 ALLELUIA - AND THAT HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF MY FAVORITE LITTLE 04:49 THINGS IN ANY HYMN SO, THANK YOU, DEBBIE, FOR 04:53 PICKING THIS ONE. ALLELUIA, PRAISE THE LORD. (PIANO MUSIC) 06:59 >>AT THIS TIME PASTOR ROSS WILL LEAD US IN OPENING PRAYER. 07:02 (PIANO MUSIC) 07:09 >>LET'S BOW OUR HEADS FOR A WORD OF PRAYER. 07:11 DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WHAT A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO GATHER 07:13 IN YOUR PRESENCE ON THIS SABBATH TO OPEN UP YOUR WORD AND STUDY 07:16 THIS VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE THAT WE FIND IN THE BOOK OF ROMANS. 07:19 HOW - THAT JESUS IS THE SECOND ADAM AND THAT HE HAS COME TO 07:23 RESTORE ALL THINGS THAT THE FIRST ADAM LOST. 07:27 SO WE PRAY YOUR SPECIAL BLESSING ON OUR TIME TOGETHER. 07:29 BE WITH OUR TEACHER. IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 07:32 WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE PASTOR SHAWN BRUMMOND, OUR FAMILY LIFE 07:36 PASTOR HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH, LEAD OUT IN OUR LESSON. 07:40 AND HE AND HIS FAMILY ARE FAIRLY NEW TO THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH. 07:43 WHAT, HAS IT BEEN ABOUT TWO MONTHS NOW - ALMOST TWO AND A 07:45 HALF MONTHS? THEY'RE IMPORTS FROM OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE NORTH 07:49 - THEY'RE FROM CANADA - AND WE'RE JUST DELIGHTED THAT 07:51 THEY'RE HERE. YOU'RE PROBABLY HAPPY TO BE IN 07:53 CALIFORNIA THIS TIME OF YEAR, RIGHT? WHERE IT'S NOT TOO COLD - 07:56 AT LEAST NOT AS COLD AS SOME PARTS OF CANADA. 07:59 WELCOME, AND WE'LL TURN THE TIME OVER TO YOU. 08:08 >>WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION, PASTOR JËAN. 08:11 IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO BE ABLE TO GET TOGETHER WITH MY NEW CHURCH 08:14 FAMILY HERE IN GRANITE BAY. TODAY WE'RE LOOKING AT LESSON #6 08:19 AND, IN LESSON #6, WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD STUFF TO BE ABLE TO LOOK 08:22 AT. AND ONE OF MY PRAYERS, IN 08:24 ANTICIPATING OUR CLASS HERE, TODAY, IS THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH 08:27 TIME. AND SO WE'LL SEE HOW THAT GOES. 08:31 BUT, AS WE OPEN OUR LESSON STUDIES AND OUR QUARTERLIES TO 08:34 LESSON #6 - PAGE 46 - WE SEE HERE THAT THE TITLE IS ENTITLED 08:38 ADAM AND JESUS AND, AS PASTOR JËAN POINTED OUT, WE'RE LOOKING 08:43 AT JESUS AS THE SECOND ADAM. NOW, SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE 08:47 STUDIED THIS PARTICULAR SUBJECT WITH HAVE NEVER HEARD THAT, AND 08:49 THEY SAY, 'I'VE NEVER HEARD OF JESUS BEING A SECOND ADAM. 08:52 WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?' WELL, TODAY WE'RE GOING TO FIND 08:54 OUT AS WE LOOK AT THIS VERY IMPORTANT CHAPTER. 08:57 AND SO, OUR MAIN PASSAGE FOR TODAY IS THE FIFTH CHAPTER OF 09:01 THE BOOK OF ROMANS. I SEE SOME OF YOU SAYING, 09:04 'OKAY, GOOD.' AT LEAST MOST OF US, IF 09:07 NOT ALL OF US, KNOW WHAT BOOK WE'RE IN AND NOW WE KNOW WHAT 09:09 CHAPTER THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE STUDYING HERE AS WELL. 09:12 YOU KNOW, AS I WAS STUDYING - AS I WAS LOOKING AT THE LESSON 09:14 STUDY, I WAS NOTICING THE ARTWORK AT THE VERY TOP, JUST 09:17 UNDER THE TITLE, ON PAGE 46 AND, AS I WAS LOOKING AT THAT, IT 09:21 REALLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION AND I THOUGHT, 'WOW, THAT IS JUST A 09:24 REALLY DEEP SUMMARY OF THE - THE REALLY - THE WHOLE BIBLE STORY. 09:31 AND, AS I LOOKED AT IT FURTHER, I REALIZED, YOU KNOW WHAT? 09:33 THAT'S A GREAT SUMMARY IN REGARDS TO WHAT WE COULD CALL - 09:36 IF WE WERE TO BOIL DOWN ALL OF THE BIBLE MESSAGE - THE ENTIRE 09:40 BIBLE STORY - IN IT'S GENERAL SENSE, IT'S REALLY THE STORY OF 09:45 TWO MEN AND TWO TREES. TWO MEN AND TWO TREES - AND 09:51 THAT'S WHAT WE FIND IN THE ARTWORK, DON'T WE? 09:54 WHO WAS THE FIRST MAN? >>ADAM. 09:56 >>OKAY, ALL OF US WOULD AGREE THAT THE FIRST MAN IS ADAM. 09:59 THE FIRST MAN THAT WAS CREATED - THAT WALKED AND LIVED ON THE 10:01 EARTH - IS ADAM, HIMSELF. SO HE IS THE REPRESENTATIVE AND 10:04 THE FATHER OF HUMANITY AS HE BEGAN THE HUMAN RACE. 10:08 AND THEN WE HAVE THE FIRST TREE. NOW, THE FIRST TREE IS NOT 10:11 ALL THAT POSITIVE, IS IT? THE FIRST TREE IS THE TREE OF 10:15 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, I HEAR SOME OF YOU SAYING, OKAY? 10:20 SO WE HAVE THE FIRST TREE, WHICH IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND 10:22 EVIL. DID GOD SAY TO ADAM AND TO HIS WIFE EVE TO STAY AWAY FROM 10:26 THE TREE? >>YES. 10:27 >>ALRIGHT, HE SAID, 'DO NOT EAT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF 10:29 GOOD AND EVIL BECAUSE I'VE ONLY GIVEN YOU GOOD.' AND SO, WHEN 10:32 ADAM AND EVE GOT UP IN THE MORNING, THAT'S ALL THEY KNEW 10:34 WAS GOOD. THEY KNEW LIFE. THEY KNEW LOVE. 10:36 THEY KNEW HARMONY. THEY LIVED IN PERFECT HARMONY. 10:40 ALL THEY KNEW IN THEIR HEARTS AND IN THEIR MINDS AND IN THEIR 10:42 WORDS AND IN THEIR THOUGHTS WAS GOOD. 10:45 AND SO, GOD SAID, 'LISTEN, IF YOU EAT OF THIS PARTICULAR TREE, 10:48 IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO TRUST AND OBEY ME, THEN LO AND BEHOLD, YOU 10:53 WILL FIND THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME VERY SERIOUS 10:55 CONSEQUENCES. AND THE ULTIMATE WORSE 10:57 CONSEQUENCE WILL BE THAT OF' - >>DEATH. 10:59 >>'DEATH. YOU WILL SURELY DIE.' AND THEN WE COME TO THE SECOND 11:03 MAN OF THE BIBLE STORY - THE STORY OF TWO MEN AND TWO 11:08 TREES - AND THAT IS NONE OTHER THAN? 11:09 >>JESUS. >>JESUS. AND SO, HERE WE HAVE 11:13 JESUS AS THE SECOND MAN. NOW HE'S INSTRUMENTAL BECAUSE 11:16 HE CAME TO UNDO EVERYTHING THAT ADAM AND THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE 11:19 OF GOOD AND EVIL HAD MESSED THINGS UP WITH. 11:21 AND WE'RE GOING TO STUDY THAT IN THE BOOK OF ROMANS AS IT KIND OF 11:24 SUMMARIZES THE BIBLE STORY FOR US THERE. 11:27 THE SECOND TREE IS THE TREE THAT JESUS DIED ON. NOW SOME OF YOU 11:32 MAY SAY, 'WELL, WAIT A MINUTE. THAT'S A CROSS, IT'S NOT A 11:34 TREE.' WELL, YOU KNOW, I HAVE BIBLE - BIBLE VERIFICATION ON 11:37 THAT. IF YOU LOOK AT THE WRITINGS OF PETER IN 1 AND 2 11:40 PETER, PETER, AT LEAST ONCE, AND MAYBE EVEN MORE THAN 11:43 ONCE, HAD REFERRED TO THE CROSS THAT JESUS DIED ON AS A TREE. 11:48 AND, SIMPLY PUT, THE CROSS WAS MADE OUT OF A - OUT OF A TREE. 11:53 IN FACT, IT WAS JUST TWO CRUDE PIECES OF LUMBER THAT THE ROMANS 11:57 WOULD TAKE FROM A TREE - A TRUNK OR A THICK BRANCH - AND JUST 12:01 NAILED TWO OF THOSE PIECES TOGETHER TO MAKE A CROSS. 12:04 AND SO JESUS DIED ON THE SECOND TREE. 12:07 AND SO, I THOUGHT, WHAT A PROFOUND SUMMARY OF THE BIBLE - 12:11 OF THE BIBLE STORY - TWO MEN AND TWO TREES. 12:17 WELL, BEFORE WE LOOK AT ADAM AND JESUS BEING THE SECOND ADAM, WE 12:20 WANT TO LOOK AT SOME POWERFUL VERSES THAT WE FIND AT THE VERY 12:22 BEGINNING OF ROMANS, AND SO LET'S GO TO THE BOOK OF ROMANS 12:25 CHAPTER 5, HERE TODAY, ROMANS CHAPTER 5, AND WE'RE GOING TO 12:32 START BY READING THE FIRST COUPLE OF VERSES - ROMANS 12:34 CHAPTER 5 - AND WE'LL START BY LOOKING AT VERSES 1 THROUGH 2. 12:41 ROMANS CHAPTER 5, VERSE 1 SAYS, "THEREFORE, HAVING BEEN 12:44 JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD 12:50 JESUS CHRIST, THROUGH WHOM ALSO WE HAVE ACCESS BY FAITH INTO 12:54 THIS GRACE IN WHICH WE STAND, AND REJOICE IN HOPE OF THE GLORY 12:58 OF GOD." NOW THOSE ARE TWO POWERFUL VERSES, ARE THEY NOT? 13:03 ALRIGHT, THESE ARE VERY, VERY POWERFUL VERSES. 13:05 NOW, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED AS PASTOR DOUG WAS 13:09 LEADING OUT IN OUR STUDY OF ROMANS CHAPTER 4 IN LESSON STUDY 13:12 #5, AND I THINK THERE'S SOME VERY REAL WISDOM IN WHAT HE DID 13:17 AND I FEEL COMPELLED TO DO THE SAME THING AS WE START BY 13:21 LOOKING AT THESE TWO VERY IMPORTANT VERSES. 13:24 YOU KNOW, SADLY, BECAUSE, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE SIN IN THIS 13:26 WORLD BECAUSE ADAM AND EVE HAD EATEN FROM THE TREE OF THE 13:29 KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL AND THAT OPENED THE FLOODGATES, NOT 13:32 ONLY TO MAKING OUR NATURE CHANGE AND US NOW HAVING KNOWLEDGE AND 13:37 EVEN A BENT TOWARDS EVIL AND TOWARDS SIN, BUT IT ALSO OPENED 13:40 UP THE FLOODGATES FOR THE DEVIL - FOR SATAN - AND FOR HIS ARMY 13:44 OF FALLEN ANGELS OR, AS THE BIBLE ALSO CALLS THEM, DEMONS. 13:48 THAT ALSO GAVE THEM ACCESS, NOW, TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE ENTIRE 13:52 PLANET. BEFORE THAT, THEY ONLY HAD ACCESS TO THE TREE OF THE 13:55 KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. AND SO, FROM THAT POINT ON, WE 14:00 HAVE ENTERED INTO A VERY REAL SPIRITUAL WARFARE, HAVE WE NOT? 14:04 AND THE BIBLE OPENS THAT UP FOR US IN THE VERY FIRST TWO 14:08 CHAPTERS - GENESIS CHAPTER 2, GOD SAYS, 14:10 'LISTEN, THERE'S AN ENEMY AND THERE IS A WARFARE THAT BEGAN IN 14:15 HEAVEN AND HAS COME DOWN TO THE EARTH AND DO NOT EAT 14:17 OF THAT TREE, OKAY? YOU SHALL SURELY DIE.' AND THEN, 14:21 OF COURSE, CHAPTER 3 TALKS ABOUT THE SERPENT REPRESENTING THAT 14:25 SERPENT OF OLD, SATAN - AND THE DEVIL. AND SO, BECAUSE OF THAT 14:32 VERY SAD REALITY, WE HAVE AN ENEMY THAT'S VERY REAL - THAT'S 14:35 VERY TRUE - AND HE'S AN ENEMY OF ALL THAT IS GOOD. 14:38 HE'S AN ENEMY OF ALL THAT IS TRUE. 14:40 HE'S AN ENEMY OF ALL THAT IS RIGHTEOUS. 14:43 AND, BECAUSE SATAN IS VERY HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND HE'S ALSO 14:46 A VERY ACTIVE FORCE IN DISTORTING GOD'S REVEALED TRUTH, 14:50 IT'S VERY RARE - IN FACT, I DON'T THINK IT EVER EXISTS THAT 14:53 WHEREVER PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO STUDY THE WORD OF GOD, THE DEVIL 14:57 AND HIS DEMONS BECOME VERY, VERY ACTIVE AND ARE DOING EVERYTHING 15:00 THEY CAN TO COUNTERACT THE POWERFUL TRUTHS OF THE BIBLE AND 15:05 THEY TRY TO DISTORT IT AND TAKE IT OUT OF CONTEXT AND MISUSE IT 15:08 AND SO ON, AND MAKE IT SAY SOMETHING THAT IT IS NOT SAYING. 15:13 AND SO, TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO START BY LOOKING AT THESE TWO 15:15 POWERFUL VERSES BY EXAMINING AND TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT 15:18 IT IS NOT SAYING. AND, AGAIN, BECAUSE PASTOR DOUG 15:23 AND MANY OF US WERE TOGETHER LAST WEEK IN OUR STUDY, DID SUCH 15:26 A GREAT JOB OF ANSWERING THAT QUESTION IN CONCERN TO ROMANS 15:29 CHAPTER 4, I ONLY NEED TO - JUST TO TOUCH ON IT BRIEFLY HERE 15:34 TODAY AND REVIEW ONE OF THE PLACES THAT HE BROUGHT US AND 15:37 WE'LL LOOK AT ONE ADDITIONAL ONE, AS WELL, HERE TODAY. 15:41 NOW, LAST WEEK, WE PEEKED AHEAD A LITTLE BIT, DIDN'T WE? 15:43 DO YOU REMEMBER THAT? WE PEEKED AHEAD TO ROMANS 15:45 CHAPTER 6 AND WE READ VERSES 1 AND 2. 15:49 AND SO, HERE WE HAVE A BIBLICAL EXAMPLE OF WHAT PASTOR DOUG DID 15:53 LAST WEEK AND WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW, AND THAT IS - 15:56 SOMETIMES IT'S IMPORTANT, NOT ONLY TO KNOW WHAT A PASSAGE IS 15:59 SAYING, BUT ALSO TO KNOW WHAT A PASSAGE IS NOT SAYING. 16:04 AND SO, HERE WE HAVE PAUL DOING THAT EXACT THING. 16:08 AND HE DOES IT A NUMBER OF TIMES THROUGHOUT THIS BOOK CALLED 16:10 ROMANS. AND SO HE SAYS, "WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN? 16:13 SHALL WE CONTINUE IN SIN THAT GRACE MAY ABOUND?" 16:16 - AND THEN VERSE 2 HE GIVES THE ANSWER. 16:18 WHAT'S THE ANSWER? >>CERTAINLY NOT! 16:19 >>"CERTAINLY NOT!" - HE TELLS US, DOESN'T HE? 16:21 WHAT'S SYNONYMOUS WITH 'CERTAINLY'? 16:23 >>ABSOLUTELY. >>ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S WHAT I WAS 16:25 THINKING OF. YES, 'ABSOLUTELY NOT!' 16:28 WHAT ABOUT 'DEFINITELY NOT!' OKAY, SO VERY, VERY CLEARLY PAUL 16:33 IS WANTING AND NEEDING TO BE ABLE TO AVOID ANY 16:36 MISUNDERSTANDINGS OR DISTORTIONS OF OUR UNDERSTANDING 16:40 OF THE WORD OF GOD. AND SO IT SAYS, "CERTAINLY NOT! 16:42 HOW SHALL WE WHO DIED TO SIN LIVE ANY LONGER IN IT?" 16:46 - HE'S SAYING, 'LISTEN, IT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE, 16:48 YOU KNOW, BECAUSE TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN MEANS TO DIE TO 16:51 YOURSELF AND DIE TO - >>SINS. 16:53 >>DIE TO SIN. AND SO, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO GET UP AND SAY, 16:56 'OH BOY, I BETTER GO AHEAD AND SIN A LITTLE MORE SO THAT GRACE 16:58 CAN ABOUND THAT MUCH MORE.' WELL, NO. WELL, LET'S LOOK AT 17:03 ONE OTHER PASSAGE - MATTHEW CHAPTER - NOW KEEP YOUR THUMB IN 17:06 ROMANS 5 BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO STAY FOR MOST OF 17:09 OUR STUDY HERE TODAY, BUT LET'S GO TO MATTHEW CHAPTER 7 AND 17:13 VERSE 21 - MATTHEW CHAPTER 7 AND VERSE 21. I WANT TO INVITE YOU 17:21 TO COME TO THE BOOK OF MATTHEW NOW, CHAPTER 7 AND VERSE 21. 17:25 NOW, I HAVE TO WARN YOU AHEAD OF TIME, EVEN AS WE LOOK AT THIS, 17:28 YOU KNOW, I SHARE THIS DURING DIFFERENT PROPHECY SEMINARS AND 17:31 SUCH, AND I WILL BE SURPRISED IF DAVID STEWARD DOESN'T SHARE THAT 17:37 HERE, LOCALLY, WITH OUR OWN PROPHECY SEMINAR THAT HE'S 17:40 SHARING, NIGHT BY NIGHT, THROUGHOUT THE FOUR NIGHTS OF 17:42 THE WEEKEND AND FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, AND MONDAY. 17:48 MATTHEW CHAPTER 7 AND VERSE 21 - WE FIND, HERE, A VERY SAD 17:54 PROPHECY. IT'S A FUTURE PREDICTION THAT 17:56 JESUS SAYS IS GOING TO TAKE PLACE. 17:58 IT'S ONE THAT I WISH DIDN'T EXIST. 18:00 I CAN CERTAINLY SPEAK FOR OUR LORD AND TELL YOU THAT I KNOW, 18:05 FOR CERTAIN, HE WISHES IT DIDN'T EXIST, BUT JESUS KNOWS 18:10 THE BEGINNING FROM THE END, DOESN'T HE? 18:12 AND JESUS KNOWS THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME SAD ENDINGS 18:15 WHEN JESUS COMES BACK AGAIN, NOT ONLY FOR THOSE OUTSIDE THE 18:19 CHURCH, BUT ALSO FOR SOME OF US INSIDE THE CHURCH, JESUS SAYS IN 18:24 THIS PROPHECY AS WELL. SO LET'S READ IT. 18:26 IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. JESUS IS GIVING IT TO US, NOT TO 18:28 BE A DOWNER, BUT TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT US FROM THE DECEPTIONS 18:32 OF THE DEVIL - TO PROTECT US FROM DIFFERENT LIES THAT 18:36 HE TRIES TO GIVE US. SO LET'S READ VERSE 21. 18:38 IT SAYS, "NOT EVERYONE WHO SAYS TO ME, 'LORD, LORD,' SHALL ENTER 18:41 THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, BUT HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER 18:46 IN HEAVEN." - VERSE 22 - HE GOES ON - HE 18:49 SAYS, "MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY," - BY THE WAY, IS MANY 18:53 A SMALL GROUP OR A LARGE GROUP? >>LARGE. 18:56 >>IT'S A LARGE GROUP, ISN'T IT? YEAH. 18:59 "MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY, 'LORD, LORD, HAVE WE NOT 19:02 PROPHESIED IN YOUR NAME, CAST OUT DEMONS IN YOUR NAME, AND 19:06 DONE MANY WONDERS IN YOUR NAME?' AND THEN I WILL DECLARE TO THEM, 19:11 'I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE'" - WHAT? 19:15 >>INIQUITY. >>'YOU WHO PRACTICE INIQUITY' OR 19:17 YOU WHO PRACTICE "LAWLESSNESS!" INIQUITY AND LAWLESSNESS 19:21 IS TO BREAK GOD'S LAW. AND SO, HERE, VERY SADLY, JESUS 19:25 IS PREDICTING - HE SAYS, 'YOU KNOW WHAT? 19:27 ONE OF THE SADDEST REALITIES IN CONCERN TO THE SECOND COMING OF 19:30 JESUS IS THAT SOME WHO ARE ACTIVE CHURCH-GOING, RELIGIOUS 19:34 CHRISTIANS THAT USE THE NAME OF JESUS - 'LORD, LORD' - 19:38 WILL FIND THEMSELVES OUTSIDE OF SALVATION. 19:42 JESUS SAYS, 'LISTEN, YOU HAVE BOUGHT INTO A LIE THAT REALLY 19:46 HAS - HAS DISQUALIFIED YOU FOR HEAVEN, AND THAT IS THE LIE THAT 19:52 YOU CAN WILLFULLY BREAK GOD'S LAW AND STILL GO TO HEAVEN. 19:57 AND THE BIBLE TEACHES THE EXACT OPPOSITE, DOESN'T IT? 19:59 OKAY, HOW CAN YOU WHO DIE TO SIN LIVE ANY LONGER IN IT? 20:05 AND SO THIS BRINGS OUT A VERY VITAL POINT THAT I THINK THAT WE 20:07 NEED TO TALK ABOUT ON A REGULAR BASIS, BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY 20:12 REAL AND VERY COMMON LIE THAT IS PROPAGATED UNDER THE BANNER OF 20:17 RELIGION AND HAS BEEN PROPAGATED FOR A LONG, LONG TIME. 20:21 GOD LOVES EVERY ONE OF US UNCONDITIONALLY. 20:24 DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT? >>AMEN. 20:26 >>OKAY, GOD LOVES EVERY SINGLE PERSON EQUALLY. 20:30 HE IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE. 20:33 IN OTHER WORDS, HE LOVES ME, OKAY? 20:36 AND HE LOVES YOU JUST AS MUCH AS HE LOVES THE PERSON DOWN THE 20:39 STREET RIGHT NOW, THAT IS INJECTING DRUGS INTO HIS SYSTEM 20:43 AND IS INVOLVED IN ALL KINDS OF THIEVERY AND - AND WICKEDNESS 20:47 AND IS USING GOD'S NAME A HUNDRED TIMES A DAY AND DRAGGING 20:51 GOD'S REPUTATION AND HIS NAME THROUGH THE MUD. 20:55 GOD LOVES THAT PERSON AS MUCH AS HE LOVES YOU. 20:58 GOD'S LOVE FOR EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING IS UNCONDITIONAL, 21:03 AND I HOPE THAT IF YOU NEVER UNDERSTOOD THAT TODAY, THAT YOU 21:06 MIGHT BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND THAT IMPORTANT TRUTH, TODAY. 21:09 NOW, THAT BEING SAID, THE DEVIL COMES ALONG AND HE - HE KIND OF 21:14 - HE DOES THIS SO MASTERFULLY - HE COMES ALONG AND HE TWISTS 21:17 THAT AND HE SAYS, 'NOT ONLY DOES GOD LOVE YOU UNCONDITIONALLY, 21:21 BUT HE ACCEPTS YOU UNCONDITIONALLY,' OKAY? 21:25 AND I'VE HEARD THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. 21:28 AND THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE. GOD LOVES US ALL 21:30 UNCONDITIONALLY. HIS LOVE KNOWS NO BIAS. 21:34 BUT ACCEPTANCE IS SALVATION, OKAY? 21:39 ACCEPTANCE MEANS THAT HE BRINGS YOU INTO HIS ETERNAL FAMILY FOR 21:43 ALL OF ETERNITY AND GOD DOES NOT ACCEPT US UNCONDITIONALLY. 21:49 THERE IS A VERY REAL CONDITION AND WE READ IT IN THE FIRST 21:51 VERSE OF ROMANS CHAPTER 5 AND VERSE 1. 21:55 SO LET'S RETURN BACK TO THAT - ROMANS CHAPTER 5 AND VERSE 1, IT 21:57 SAYS, "THEREFORE, HAVING BEEN JUSTIFIED BY" - WHAT? 21:59 >>FAITH. >>"BY FAITH," - THERE'S 22:02 THE CONDITION, ISN'T IT. ALRIGHT, SO GOD SAYS, 'LISTEN, I 22:05 LOVE YOU WITH AN UNENDING LOVE AND I WILL DO EVERYTHING, EVEN 22:10 WHEN YOU'RE USING MY NAME IN VAIN AND TURNING YOUR BACK ON 22:14 ME, I WILL STILL SHINE MY SUN UPON YOU.' 22:17 DIDN'T JESUS SAY THAT? 'I WILL STILL RAIN MY RAIN UPON 22:21 YOU.' WE JUST GOT RAIN THE OTHER DAY, WASN'T THAT NICE? 22:24 YOU KNOW, SO JESUS RAINS HIS RAIN AND HE SHINES HIS SUN UPON 22:30 THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE UNRIGHTEOUS. WHY? 22:31 BECAUSE HE LOVES ALL PEOPLE, DOESN'T HE? 22:34 AND HE'S TRYING TO DRAW US, WITH THAT LOVE, INTO A SAVING FAITH 22:38 THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MEET THAT CONDITION THAT WE CAN 22:40 ACCEPT THE FREE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE IN JESUS CHRIST. 22:45 AND SO, THEREFORE, WE HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED BY FAITH - THEREFORE, 22:49 WE HAVE MET THAT CONDITION. NOW, THE CONDITION OF FAITH IS 22:55 SOMETHING THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND. 22:57 AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT, JUST BRIEFLY, RIGHT NOW, AND IF WE 22:59 HAVE TIME AT THE END, BY SOME MIRACLE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO TALK 23:01 ABOUT THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. 23:03 BUT A TRUE SAVING FAITH IS ONE THAT SURRENDERS TO GOD. 23:07 A TRUE SAVING FAITH IS ONE THAT BEGINS WITH A FULL TRUST IN GOD 23:11 THAT TRUSTS HIM AND SURRENDERS ENOUGH TO OBEY HIM IN ALL 23:15 THINGS. THAT FAITH IS ONE THAT IS A 23:19 NATURAL AND REASONABLE CONDITION TO RECEIVING THE GREATEST 23:23 GIFT OF ALL TIME, WHICH IS JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 23:29 AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER IN 23:31 OUR LESSON STUDY. ALRIGHT, SO NOW THAT WE LOOKED 23:35 AT IT AND MADE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR ON WHAT VERSES 1 AND 2 ARE 23:39 NOT SAYING TO US, WE COME BACK TO THE MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION 23:44 AND THAT IS, WHAT IS GOD SAYING TO US IN THE FIRST TWO 23:48 VERSES OF ROMANS CHAPTER 5? WELL, WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS 23:53 PARTICULAR VERSE, AND THE REASON THAT I HAVE IT HIGHLIGHTED 23:56 WITH MY FAVORITE COLOR IN THIS PARTICULAR STUDY BIBLE OF MINE 24:00 IS BECAUSE IT IS A CONCLUSION AND A SUMMARY OF WHAT PAUL HAS 24:04 BEEN WORKING - AND GOD WITH HIM - HAS BEEN WORKING SO HARD TO 24:07 MAKE HIS CASE. YOU SEE, REALLY, THE FIRST FOUR 24:10 CHAPTERS OF ROMANS IS BUILDING UP TO THE PUNCH LINE WHICH IS 24:13 VERSES 1 AND 2 OF ROMANS CHAPTER 5. 24:16 AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I WAS SO EXCITED WHEN I WAS 24:18 INVITED TO BE ABLE TO TEACH ON THIS PARTICULAR LESSON STUDY, 24:21 BECAUSE THESE ARE TWO OF MY FAVORITE VERSES IN ALL OF THE 24:23 BIBLE, LET ALONE THE BOOK OF ROMANS. 24:26 "THEREFORE, HAVING BEEN JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE 24:29 PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST," - 'THEREFORE' IS 24:35 A KEY WORD THERE, ISN'T IT? THEREFORE, IN OTHER WORDS, IS 24:38 POINTING TO WHAT IS BEING SPOKEN OF BEFOREHAND. 24:41 IN THIS CASE, I BELIEVE, ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF 24:43 ROMANS. "THEREFORE," - BECAUSE OF THE 24:46 CASE THAT I'VE BEEN MAKING, WE HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED BY FAITH AND 24:50 THEREFORE WE HAVE PEACE WITH WHO? 24:53 WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD. ROMANS CHAPTER 4, WE FIND THAT 24:58 THREE TIMES THE WORD 'IMPUTED' IS USED. 25:01 CHRIST'S IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS IS GIVEN TO US IN PLACE OF OUR 25:06 UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, THAT WE MIGHT HAVE HOPE IN SALVATION THROUGH 25:09 CHRIST. AND SO THE WORD 'IMPUTED' - THAT 25:12 WHICH IS CREDITED TO US - IS USED THREE TIMES. 25:17 SO THAT'S THE ONLY CHAPTER THAT USES THE WORD 'IMPUTED', BY THE 25:19 WAY. I WANT TO READ PAGE 47, IF YOU 25:23 HAVE YOUR QUARTERLY STUDIES THERE, I JUST WANT TO QUOTE JUST 25:25 ONE OR TWO SENTENCES THERE ON SUNDAY'S LESSON STUDY. 25:29 IT'S THE FIRST PARAGRAPH - LAST SENTENCE - THE FIRST PARAGRAPH, 25:33 LAST SENTENCE. IT SAYS, "THE PERFECT LIFE THAT 25:35 JESUS LIVED ON THIS EARTH, HIS PERFECT LAW KEEPING HAS 25:40 BEEN CREDITED TO US". - THAT'S ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING 25:43 'IMPUTED' - "AT THE SAME TIME ALL OF OUR SINS HAVE 25:47 BEEN LAID ON JESUS. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT, FRIENDS? 25:52 JESUS DIED FOR THE ENTIRE GUILT AND SIN FOR ALL THE WORLD, 25:55 INCLUDING OUR GUILT THAT IS REPRESENTED BY OUR PRESENCE HERE 26:00 TODAY. NOW, THE INTERESTING THING IS 26:04 THAT WHEN I STARTED TO STUDY ROMANS CHAPTER 5 IN DEPTH, LIKE 26:07 I NEVER HAVE BEFORE, IN GETTING READY FOR OUR LESSON STUDY 26:09 TODAY, I DISCOVERED THAT GOD SWITCHES GEARS AND HE MOVES FROM 26:12 THE WORD 'IMPUTED' TO THAT OF GIFT. DID YOU PICK THAT UP? 26:16 NOW THE WORD 'GIFT' IS SO IMPORTANT TO GOD THAT HE REPEATS 26:19 IT SIX DIFFERENT TIMES IN THIS ONE CHAPTER ALONE - SIX TIMES 26:23 GOD USES THE WORD 'GIFT'. AND, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THREE OF 26:26 THOSE TIMES - LET ME MAKE SURE I GET ALL THREE FINGERS UP - THREE 26:32 OF THOSE TIMES WE FIND THAT HE USES THE WORD 'FREE', OKAY? 26:38 SO HE USES 'GIFT' SIX TIMES AND THREE OF THOSE TIMES HE USES THE 26:41 WORD 'FREE'. NOW, IS A GIFT EVER NOT FREE? 26:45 >>YEAH. >>DON'T SAY IT TOO FAST. 26:51 BY DEFINITION, CAN A GIFT EVER NOT BE FREE? 26:55 NO, BY DEFINITION, A GIFT ALWAYS HAS TO BE FREE, OTHERWISE IT'S 26:59 NOT A GIFT, IS IT? IT MIGHT BE A DEAL, IF YOU PAY 27:03 JUST A LITTLE BIT FOR IT, BUT IT'S ALL - IT'S 27:05 NOT A GIFT, IS IT? OKAY? BUT GOD WANTS US TO - IT'S 27:08 ALMOST LIKE GOD IS WANTING US TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT, 27:11 'LISTEN, JUST IN CASE YOU FORGET WHAT 'GIFT' IS DEFINED AS, I'M 27:14 GOING TO PUT THE WORD 'FREE' IN FRONT OF IT JUST THREE TIMES. 27:17 AND SO, WE HAVE SOME VERY POWERFUL GOOD NEWS THAT GOD HAS 27:19 A GIFT - GOD HAS A PRESENT THAT HE EARNED AT A VERY GREAT PRICE 27:24 ON A CROSS - ON A TREE ON A HILL CALLED CALVARY. 27:30 WELL, THE SECOND HALF OF VERSE 1 IN ROMANS CHAPTER 5 TELLS US THE 27:33 RESULTS OF THIS POWERFUL GOSPEL TRUTH IN YOUR LIFE AND MINE - IN 27:36 OUR HEARTS - HE SAYS, "THEREFORE, HAVING BEEN 27:39 JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD 27:44 JESUS CHRIST," - DO YOU HAVE THAT PEACE, FRIENDS? 27:48 HAVE YOU FOUND THAT PEACE THAT IS FOUND IN JUSTIFICATION BY 27:51 FAITH BECAUSE WHAT JESUS HAS DONE IN YOUR PLACE - BECAUSE HE 27:55 HAS CREDITED HIS PERFECT LIFE IN PLACE OF YOUR IMPERFECT LIFE? 28:01 THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US THIS BEAUTIFUL GIFT THAT WE MIGHT 28:04 HAVE PEACE WITH A HOLY GOD? NOW, YOU'VE HEARD MORE THAN 28:09 ONCE DURING OUR SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONS AND DURING WORSHIP 28:11 SERVICE AND SUCH THAT THIS MONTH IS NOT A SMALL MONTH BECAUSE IT 28:14 IS THE 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REFORMATION. 28:18 500 YEARS AGO, TO THIS MONTH, IS THE DATE IN WHICH THAT ROMAN 28:23 CATHOLIC PRIEST, BY THE NAME OF MARTIN LUTHER, HAD NAILED HIS 95 28:27 THESES AGAINST THE SALE OF INDULGENCES WITHIN HIS CHURCH, 28:33 AND THAT BEGAN WHAT WE NOW CALL THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION. 28:36 AND MARTIN LUTHER, BY FAR, IS ONE OF MY HEROES. 28:39 YOU KNOW, BEFORE KNOWING THE TRUTH THAT WE'VE BEEN STUDYING 28:42 SO FAR IN THE FIRST FOUR, AND NOW THE FIFTH BOOK OF ROMANS, 28:45 MARTIN LUTHER FACED SOME VERY PAINFUL YEARS. 28:48 ALL THE YEARS THAT HE WAS A MONK AND THEN, LATER, WHEN HE WAS 28:50 ORDAINED AS A PRIEST, ALL THROUGH THOSE YEARS HE HAD SOME 28:54 VERY PAINFUL YEARS. WHY? 28:57 BECAUSE HE WAS TRYING TO FIND PEACE WITH A PERFECTLY HOLY GOD 29:01 AND IT WASN'T WORKING OUT VERY WELL. 29:05 NOW, WHEN ONE STUDIES THIS STORY, AND I HAVE AT DIFFERENT 29:08 TIMES - IN COLLEGE AND THEN IN THE YEARS SINCE - IT BECOMES 29:11 VERY OBVIOUS THAT MARTIN LUTHER WAS A VERY HONEST MAN. 29:14 AND, NOT ONLY WAS HE HONEST WITH OTHERS, BUT HE WAS ALSO VERY 29:17 HONEST WITH GOD AND HE WAS HONEST WITH HIMSELF. 29:20 AND SO, EVERY TIME HE TRIED TO APPROACH THIS PERFECTLY HOLY 29:25 GOD, HIS RESPONSE WAS REPEATEDLY THE SAME, OF WHAT PETER 29:29 RESPONDED WHEN HE WAS IN THE BOAT ONE DAY WITH JESUS. 29:32 SOME OF YOU ARE NODDING - YOU REMEMBER THE STORY. 29:33 LUKE CHAPTER 5 AND VERSE 8 - IN LUKE CHAPTER 5 AND VERSE 8 WE 29:37 FIND THERE THAT JESUS HAD JUST, BEFORE THAT VERSE, HAD PERFORMED 29:41 A VERY POWERFUL FISHING MIRACLE. AND JESUS, I MEAN, PETER, BEING 29:45 A LONG-TIME FISHERMAN - A VETERAN FISHERMAN - HE KNEW THAT 29:50 THERE'S NO WAY THAT WHAT JUST HAPPENED COULD HAPPEN WITHOUT 29:53 JESUS DOING SOME KIND OF VERY POWERFUL, DIVINE MIRACLE. 29:58 AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HE HAD THIS REVELATION IN HIS HEART LIKE HE 30:03 HAD NEVER HAD UNTIL THAT TIME. HE KNEW JESUS WAS A VERY 30:06 POWERFUL RABBI - VERY EFFECTIVE TEACHER - AND HE KNEW THAT HE 30:11 WAS A VERY GOOD CARPENTER, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN HE REALIZED HE 30:15 WAS SITTING IN THE VERY SAME BOAT AS GOD HIMSELF. 30:20 AND PETER KNEW HOW HOLY GOD WAS. AND SUDDENLY, HE SAYS, AS HE 30:25 FALLS ON HIS KNEES BEFORE JESUS, HE SAYS, 'DEPART FROM ME 30:28 FOR I AM A' - >>SINNER. 30:29 >>'A SINFUL MAN, O LORD.' AND THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, MARTIN 30:35 LUTHER - POOR MARTIN LUTHER, HE WENT THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE FOR 30:37 YEARS - 'DEPART FROM ME FOR I AM A SINFUL MAN.' MARTIN LUTHER WAS 30:43 VERY HONEST. MARTIN LUTHER WAS NOT IN 30:44 THE BUSINESS OF PRETENDING. HE WAS NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF 30:47 PRETENDING EVERYTHING WAS OKAY BETWEEN HIMSELF AND A HOLY GOD. 30:52 NOW, MARTIN LUTHER WAS MORE RIGHTEOUS THAN MOST, TO BE SURE. 30:55 WHEN YOU READ HIS LIFE, BEFORE HE EVEN DISCOVERED THE GREAT 30:57 TRUTH OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH, HIS FAITH WAS VERY SINCERE. 31:01 HIS MOTIVATIONS WERE PURE. HE HAD ALREADY COMMITTED 31:04 TO THE LAW OF GOD. HE HAD NO PROBLEM WITH THE LAW 31:06 OF GOD, UNLIKE SOME OF US, AS PROTESTANTS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE 31:08 STILL FIGHTING THE LAW AS HARD AS WE CAN. 31:11 BUT NOT MARTIN LUTHER, HE ACCEPTED THE LAW. HE WAS OKAY 31:14 WITH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. HE WAS OKAY WITH ALL THE 31:17 REVEALED WILL OF GOD IN HIS LIFE. 31:19 THAT WASN'T THE PROBLEM - THAT WASN'T THE PROBLEM AT ALL. 31:24 THE PROBLEM WAS THAT MARTIN LUTHER WAS HONEST WITH HIMSELF. 31:27 AND WHEN MARTIN LUTHER LOOKED AS HIMSELF AND THEN HE LOOKED AT 31:30 THE HOLY JESUS, HE SAW SOME VERY REAL SHORTCOMINGS IN HIS 31:34 CHARACTER THAT STILL EXISTED. HE UNDERSTOOD THAT HIS THOUGHT 31:38 LIFE WAS STILL NOT EXACTLY WHERE IT SHOULD BE. 31:42 SOMETIMES THE WORDS THAT HE SAID WEREN'T EXACTLY THAT 31:45 CHRIST-LIKE. SOMETIMES HIS ACTIONS 31:47 WERE OUT OF PLACE. NOW, SADLY, AT THE TIME, THE 31:52 REASON THAT HE WENT THROUGH THIS PAIN FOR SO LONG WAS, WELL, THE 31:56 ONLY THING THAT HIS CHURCH HAD TO OFFER HIM WAS HIS OWN WORKS. 31:59 AND SO THEY JUST GOT HIM WORKING REALLY HARD - AND HE WORKED 32:02 HARDER THAN ANY OTHER MONK, PROBABLY - MAYBE IN HISTORY. 32:05 HE USED TO FLOG HIMSELF AND HE WOULD FLOG HIMSELF UNTIL HE 32:08 WOULD PASS OUT ON THE FLOOR IN HIS MONASTERY. 32:13 AND THE POOR MONK MASTER - OR WHAT THEY CALLED THE LEADER OF 32:16 THE MONKS IN THAT PARTICULAR - THEY WOULD FIND MARTIN - HE 32:18 WOULD FIND MARTIN LUTHER THERE, YOU KNOW, ALL BRUISED AND 32:21 BLEEDING AND PASSED OUT, TRYING AS HARD AS HE POSSIBLY COULD 32:25 WORK TO DO EVERYTHING THE CHURCH TOLD HIM, ALL TO THE -NTH 32:29 DEGREE, TO BE ABLE TO FIND THAT PEACE BEFORE A HOLY GOD. 32:33 NOW, AGAIN, MARTIN LUTHER WAS VERY HONEST. 32:36 MARTIN LUTHER WAS HONEST AND THAT HONESTY TOLD HIM THINGS 32:40 WEREN'T GOING VERY WELL. THAT WHICH HIS CHURCH TAUGHT HIM 32:43 AND LED HIM WAS NOT DOING VERY WELL. 32:47 AND SO, AGAIN, HIS FAITH AND HIS MOTIVATION WAS SINCERE, BUT WHAT 32:50 HE DESPERATELY NEEDED WAS THAT WHICH HIS CHURCH HAD ALREADY 32:53 REPLACED, LONG AGO, WITH SOMETHING ELSE. 32:56 IT HAD LONG AGO BURIED THIS TRUTH AND IT REPLACED IT WITH A 33:00 SYSTEM OF WORKS. AND SO, HERE WE FIND THAT MARTIN 33:04 LUTHER FINDS WHAT HE DESPERATELY NEEDS AND THAT IS THE GREAT 33:07 TRUTH OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 33:10 AND THEN, WHEN HE CAME TO VERSES LIKE ROMANS CHAPTER 5 AND VERSES 33:13 1 AND 2, HE REALIZED, 'THAT'S ME! 33:15 I HAVE FOUND THE PEACE THAT COMES WITH THE GIFT OF 33:18 JUSTIFICATION - WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE IN MY PLACE.' I WANT TO ASK 33:26 A QUESTION, AND I'M HESITANT TO ASK IF YOU SHOULD - YOU KNOW, 33:28 I'M GOING TO GO LIKE THIS AND SAY, 'HOW MANY PEOPLE FIND - 33:30 BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE ARRIVED AT PERFECT HOLINESS? 33:35 ALRIGHT, NOW I'M JUST PUTTING MY HAND UP AS AN EXAMPLE, NOT 33:38 BECAUSE I COUNT MYSELF AS SOMEBODY THAT HAS ARRIVED. 33:41 I STAND WITH THE APOSTLE PAUL; I HAVE NOT YET APPREHENDED - I 33:43 HAVE NOT YET ARRIVED. THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY? 33:48 I'M GLAD NOBODY PUT THEIR HAND UP AND THAT YOU'RE AS HONEST 33:50 WITH YOURSELF AS I AM AND AS MARTIN LUTHER IS, AND WAS, WITH 33:53 HIMSELF. YOU SEE, THE LARGEST CHALLENGE 33:56 THAT WE ALL FACE, IS THE CHALLENGE OF BEING IN THE FACE 34:01 OF A PERFECTLY HOLY GOD IN OUR OWN UNHOLINESS. 34:08 AND THE ONLY SOLUTION THAT THE BIBLE GIVES TO US IS FOUND IN 34:11 THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST - IS FOUND IN THE GOSPEL OF JESUS 34:16 CHRIST. WHEN WE COME TO A TRUE SAVING 34:19 FAITH IN CHRIST, WHICH ALWAYS INCLUDES A COMPLETE AND FULL 34:23 REPENTANCE OF ALL KNOWN SIN - WHEN WE MEET THAT CONDITION, 34:27 GOD MAKES SWEEPING AND DRAMATIC CHANGES IN OUR LIFESTYLE - 34:31 HE CLEANS UP OUR LANGUAGE - OUR FOUL LANGUAGE. 34:35 HE GIVES US VICTORY OVER VARIOUS ADDICTIONS. 34:38 HE HELPS US TO BE ABLE TO SHED MANY BAD BEHAVIORS IN GENERAL. 34:42 HE HELPS US TO EXPERIENCE WHAT JESUS HAD TAUGHT NICODEMUS IN 34:45 THE NIGHT. ONE DAY, LONG BEFORE MARTIN 34:48 LUTHER CAME ALONG, BEFORE YOU AND I CAME ALONG, THAT YOU MUST 34:51 BE BORN AGAIN TO BE ABLE TO NOT ONLY SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD, 34:56 BUT ALSO TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 34:59 WHEN YOU ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN, FOR WHATEVER YEARS THAT LEAD UP 35:01 TO THE TIME WHEN YOU MAKE THAT DECISION FOR CHRIST, AND YOU 35:04 OPEN YOUR HEART TO HIM AND YOU SURRENDER ALL TO HIM, AND YOU 35:09 CONFESS ALL YOUR KNOWN SINS AND YOU REPENT FROM ALL YOUR KNOWN 35:13 SINS, THEN JESUS FLOODS IN WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HE DOES 35:16 SOMETHING MAGICAL - HE DOES SOMETHING SUPERNATURAL - 35:19 THAT ONLY HE CAN DO. HE BEGINS TO CHANGE US FROM THE 35:21 INSIDE OUT, AND HE BEGINS TO MAKE THESE SWEEPING CHANGES AND 35:25 THE MORE SINFUL WE WERE AND THE MORE WRAPPED UP IN THE WORLD 35:29 THAT WE WERE, THE MORE DRAMATIC THAT EXCHANGE IS. 35:32 NOW THAT'S NOT TO BE ABLE TO DOWNPLAY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN 35:35 FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE BEEN RAISED IN THE FAITH. 35:37 YOU KNOW, SO OFTEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT AND THOSE WHO ARE RAISED IN 35:40 THE FAITH SOMETIMES ARE TEMPTED AND THE DEVIL COMES ALONG AND 35:42 SAYS, 'YEAH, THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED.' 35:44 NO, FRIENDS, YOU ARE MORE FORTUNATE THAT I AM. 35:47 I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO BE ABLE TO REPLAY THOSE FIRST TWENTY 35:51 YEARS OF MY LIFE WHEN I DIDN'T HAVE CHRIST. 35:54 ANYTHING TO GET RID OF ALL THOSE MEMORIES OF THE DIFFERENT SINFUL 35:58 AND SHAMEFUL THINGS THAT I WAS WRAPPED UP IN. 36:02 THE GREATEST ADVANTAGE THAT YOU HAVE, IF YOU WERE BORN IN A 36:04 CHRISTIAN HOME, IS TO HAVE GODLY PARENTS THAT RAISED YOU IN THE 36:07 FAITH AND THE HOPE OF JESUS CHRIST. 36:14 SO WE BECOME MARKEDLY DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHEN WE HAVE CHRIST IN 36:16 OUR LIFE, WHEN COMPARED TO OUR LIFE BEFORE CHRIST. 36:19 BUT DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE ARRIVE AT PERFECT HOLINESS 36:22 DURING THOSE FIRST DRAMATIC WEEKS OR MONTHS AND THEN REMAIN 36:25 THAT WAY 24/7 FOR THE REST OF OUR LIFE UNTIL JESUS COMES? 36:30 IN OTHER WORDS, DO WE ARRIVE AT PERFECT HOLINESS AND THERE'S NO 36:32 MORE GROWTH YET TO BECOME? WELL, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO 36:36 CONFESS THAT I LOVE GOD WITH ALL MY HEART, MY SOUL, 36:38 AND MY STRENGTH. AND I ALSO HAVE TO CONFESS THAT 36:41 I LOVE HIS LAW AND I DELIGHT IN HIS LAW NIGHT AND DAY, BUT I'M 36:46 THE FIRST TO SAY THAT I WISH THAT WAS TRUE. 36:49 HOW I WISH GOD WAS ALREADY FINISHED WITH ME - HOW I WISH 36:52 I'D NEVER STUMBLED EVER AGAIN - HOW I WISH I ALWAYS TALKED 36:56 LOVINGLY TO MY WIFE EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY - AND TO MY 37:00 CHILDREN. I WISH THAT WAS TRUE, BUT 37:04 GOD IS STILL WORKING ON ME. GOD IS STILL WORKING ON ME. 37:07 YOU KNOW, BAPTISM IS RIGHTLY COMPARED TO A BIRTH AND IT'S 37:11 SPOKEN ABOUT THAT WAY MANY TIMES. 37:14 WHY? BECAUSE IT IS THAT. WHEN WE ARE FRESH OUT OF THE 37:17 WATER, WE'RE BABIES IN THE FAITH. 37:19 YOU SEE, BAPTISM IS THE MARK OF A BIRTH IN YOUR WALK WITH 37:22 CHRIST, IT'S NOT THE MARK OF A GRADUATION, OKAY? 37:27 THE GRADUATION COMES AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW IN HIM. 37:30 NOW, WHEN WE REACH THAT PERFECT REFLECTION OF CHRIST, I'M NOT 37:32 SURE. AND I'M NOT HERE TO BE ABLE TO 37:34 DEBATE THAT BETWEEN YOU AND ME. BUT ONE THING I DO KNOW IS THE 37:37 BIBLE TALKS A LOT ABOUT GROWING IN THE GRACE OF JESUS CHRIST. 37:42 THAT'S THE GROWTH PROCESS AND IT'S THE WORK OF A LIFETIME, AS 37:45 ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS HAD WRITTEN IN SOME OF HER WORKS. 37:49 THE SECOND KEY TO THE GOSPEL - THE SECOND HALF OF THE GOSPEL - 37:52 IS CALLED, NOT JUSTIFICATION, BUT SANCTIFICATION. 37:56 ALRIGHT? THAT'S THE SECOND HALF OF THE 37:58 GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST - THOSE SWEEPING CHANGES THAT COME 38:02 IN AS THE HOLY SPIRIT STARTS TO DO THAT ROOTING OUT OF SIN IN 38:05 OUR LIFE AND IN OUR THOUGHTS AND IN OUR MOTIVATIONS AND CHANGES 38:08 THOSE WITH THAT OF WHAT IS GOOD AND RIGHTEOUS AND PURE AND HOLY. 38:13 AND WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT IS THAT, STARTING NEXT WEEK, WE'RE 38:16 GOING TO DIVE INTO ROMANS CHAPTER 6 AND ROMANS CHAPTER 6, 38:19 7, AND 8 ARE THE THREE CHAPTERS THAT GOD DEVOTES SIMPLY TO THAT 38:23 SECOND HALF OF THE GOSPEL - SANCTIFICATION IN JESUS CHRIST - 38:28 SANCTIFICATION ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT. 38:33 YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING, KNOWING THAT A CHRISTIAN WOULD 38:35 BE GROWING INTO CHRIST'S HOLINESS OVER THE YEARS AFTER 38:38 THEY GIVE THEIR HEARTS TO JESUS, JESUS COUNSELED SOMETHING VERY 38:41 IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US WHEN HE COUNSELED US ON OUR PRAYER LIFE. 38:46 EVERYBODY KNOWS THE LORD'S PRAYER, RIGHT? 38:49 'OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME' - THE LORD 38:52 JESUS SAID - 'THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT 38:56 IS IN HEAVEN. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY 38:59 BREAD AND FORGIVE US OUR' - >>TRESPASSES. 39:04 >>SINS - OUR TRESPASSES - OUR DEBTS - EVEN 'AS WE FORGIVE 39:07 THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US. YOU SEE, JESUS LOOKED INTO THE 39:12 FUTURE, AFTER YOU ACCEPTED JESUS IN YOUR HEART, AND HE KNEW THAT 39:15 THERE WERE TIMES THAT, NOT ONLY WOULD YOU HAVE TO CONFESS TO 39:17 YOUR WIFE OR TO YOUR HUSBAND, TO YOUR CHILDREN, TO YOUR NEIGHBOR, 39:21 BUT YOU WOULD ALSO HAVE TO CONFESS THAT BEFORE THE FATHER. 39:27 JESUS KNEW THAT WHEN YOU COME INTO CHRIST, THERE IS A GROWTH 39:30 EXPERIENCE THAT YOU BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE. 39:35 I APPRECIATE SOMETHING, AND I WAS VERY ENCOURAGED - IT WAS 39:38 JUST OVER THE LAST FEW RECENT MONTHS, WHEN OUR LEAD PASTOR, 39:41 DOUG BATCHELOR, HAD CONFIRMED TO THIS CHURCH WHEN HE SAID, 'YOU 39:45 UNDERSTAND, 'THAT I'M STILL IN PROGRESS.'' - OKAY? 39:50 'I'M STILL IN PROGRESS.' WHAT WAS HE SAYING? 39:55 WELL, HE WAS SAYING THAT 'GOD IS STILL WORKING ON ME' - 39:59 GOD IS STILL WORKING ON ME. NOW THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THAT 40:02 I'D LIKE TO BRING OUT HERE. EVEN THOSE LIKE PASTOR DOUG AND 40:05 MYSELF AND THE OTHER PASTORS HERE, WE ALL NEED GOD TO 40:09 CONTINUE TO ROOT OUT THAT SELFISHNESS - THOSE REMNANT 40:13 PIECES OF SELFISHNESS THAT STILL COME AND TRY TO SURFACE. 40:16 OR PERHAPS WE'RE BECOMING SELF-AWARE OF WE CONTINUED TO 40:19 GROW. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS 40:21 ABOUT JESUS IS HE SAYS, 'MANY THINGS I HAVE TO SAY TO YOU BUT 40:23 NOW YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO BEAR.' NOW SOME OF THOSE WERE 40:26 CONCERNING PROPHECIES OF THE FUTURE AND SO ON BUT, YOU KNOW, 40:29 I THINK THAT PRINCIPLE ALSO APPLIES TO US AS WE CONTINUE TO 40:33 GROW AND, AS I HAVE GROWN AS A CHRISTIAN OVER THE YEARS, ONE OF 40:36 THE THINGS I'VE DISCOVERED IS THAT GOD IS VERY GENTLE 40:38 AND CAREFUL IN EXPOSING MY SHORTCOMINGS. 40:43 HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT PEOPLE NOTICE YOUR SHORTCOMINGS 40:45 A LOT CLEARER THAN YOU DO? THAT'S THE TRUTH, ISN'T IT? 40:51 NOW, NOT ONLY DO OTHER PEOPLE NOTICE YOUR SHORTCOMINGS BETTER 40:54 THAN YOU DO, BUT GOD EVEN NOTICES THEM MORE THAN THOSE WHO 40:57 ARE WATCHING YOU. AND GOD, SLOWLY, STEP BY STEP, 41:01 REVEALS SOME OF THOSE THINGS AND HE SAYS, 'SHAWN, THERE'S 41:04 SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON.' 41:09 SHAWN, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON. 41:12 2 PETER CHAPTER 3 - LEAVE YOUR THUMB, AGAIN, IN ROMANS CHAPTER 41:15 5 - LET'S GO TO 2 PETER CHAPTER 3 AND VERSE 18 - 2 PETER CHAPTER 41:20 3 AND WE'RE GOING TO READ THE VERY LAST VERSE. 41:28 IT'S THE LAST VERSE OF PETER'S BOOK AND, NOT ONLY IS IT THE 41:31 LAST VERSE OF PETER'S BOOK, BUT IT'S THE VERY LAST WORDS THAT 41:33 HE'S INSPIRED TO LEAVE WITH THE CHURCH WITH YOU AND ME. 41:36 AND SO, WE'RE GOING TO THE SECOND BOOK OF PETER - 2 LETTER 41:39 OF PETER - CHAPTER 3 AND VERSE 18 - IT SAYS, "BUT GROW IN THE 41:44 GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. 41:49 TO HIM BE THE GLORY BOTH NOW AND FOREVER. AMEN." 41:51 CAN YOU SAY 'AMEN', FRIENDS? >>AMEN. 41:52 >>AND SO PETER, OF ALL PEOPLE, KNEW WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO GROW IN 41:55 THE GRACE OF GOD. HAD PETER ARRIVED AT PERFECT 41:57 HOLINESS WHEN HE WAS BAPTIZED? HAD PETER ARRIVED AT A FAULTLESS 42:03 LIFE AFTER HE HAD RECONCILED HIMSELF TO GOD AFTER CHRIST'S 42:06 RESURRECTION - THAT BEAUTIFUL SCENE WHERE CHRIST COMMISSIONED 42:09 HIM AS ONE OF THE SHEPHERDS OF THE SHEEP OF HIS CHURCH? 42:13 WAS HE LEADING A FAULTLESS LIFE AFTER THAT? 42:15 >>NO. >>NO. 42:17 PAUL HAD TO CALL HIM ON IT ONE DAY. 42:19 HE SAID, 'HEY, PETER, YOU'RE BEING A HYPOCRITE TODAY.' AND 42:22 PETER'S LOOKING BACK AND FORTH, JUST LIKE 'A HYPOCRITE?' 42:25 'YES, YOU'RE BEING A HYPOCRITE TODAY. 42:27 YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO SHED THAT HYPOCRISY OUT OF YOUR LIFE.' AND 42:31 SO, PETER KNEW WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO GROW IN THE GRACE OF GOD. 42:37 AND SO, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE OVERALL EVIDENCE IN THE LIGHT OF 42:39 THE GIFT OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH THAT WE BRING, AS WE BRING 42:43 OUR SINCERE FAITH BEFORE HIM, HE SURELY CHANGES US FROM THE 42:46 INSIDE OUT IN A VERY POWERFUL WAY, AND HE CONTINUES TO DO THAT 42:49 MORE AND MORE AS THE DAYS AND THE MONTHS AND THE YEARS GO BY. 42:53 IN OTHER WORDS, THE GREAT TRUTH OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH GIVES 42:57 US TIME TO BE ABLE TO GROW INTO THE GREAT HOLINESS THAT GOD HAS 43:00 CALLED US TO GROW. AS PAUL HAS SAID, 'I FORGET 43:03 THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND AND I REACH FORWARD TO THOSE 43:05 THINGS WHICH ARE AHEAD IN THE UPWARD CALLING AND THE HIGH 43:09 CALLING OF JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD.' 43:11 >>YES. >>WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO LOOK IN 43:13 THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND CONTINUE TO GROW. 43:15 IN FACT, WE FIND IT IN THE VERY SAME PASSAGE - ROMANS CHAPTER 5, 43:18 VERSES 3 THROUGH 5. WE FIND, HERE, SOME TALK 43:22 ABOUT THAT GROWTH EXPERIENCE. IN VERSE 3 - LET'S PICK IT UP 43:24 AGAIN IN ROMANS CHAPTER 5 - IT SAYS, "AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT 43:26 WE ALSO GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS, KNOWING THAT TRIBULATION 43:30 PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE; AND PERSEVERANCE," - WHAT? 43:33 >>CHARACTER. >>"CHARACTER; AND 43:35 CHARACTER, HOPE. NOW HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT, 43:38 BECAUSE THE LOVE OF GOD HAS BEEN POURED OUT IN OUR HEARTS BY THE 43:41 HOLY SPIRIT WHO WAS GIVEN TO US." 43:43 AND THERE'S THAT KEY FACTOR THAT COMES WITH SINCERE FAITH - THE 43:47 HOLY SPIRIT - THE POWER OF CHRIST'S PRESENCE IN THE HEART 43:49 TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE US FROM THE INSIDE OUT - TO WRITE HIS LAW 43:52 UPON OUR HEART. NOT SO THAT WE CAN GO OUT AND 43:55 WILFULLY SIN OR CHOOSE OR JUSTIFY SIN IN OUR LIFE. 43:58 NO, OF COURSE NOT. NOT BY ANY MEANS. 44:01 IN FACT, AS PAUL HAD SAID SEVERAL TIMES IN ROMANS, 44:03 'CERTAINLY NOT!' DOES IT NOT SAY IN ACTS CHAPTER 44:06 5 AND VERSE 32 THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ONLY GIVE 44:08 TO THOSE WHO OBEY HIM? OKAY? SO THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ONLY GIVEN 44:14 TO THOSE WHO GIVE THEIR WILLING OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST. 44:20 BUT WE HAVE THAT GROWTH EXPERIENCE. 44:21 HE'S TALKING ABOUT TRIBULATIONS THAT GOD BRINGS IN TO US THROUGH 44:24 THE YEARS OF OUR GROWTH EXPERIENCE AS CHRISTIANS, THAT 44:27 HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO BUILD A BETTER CHARACTER SO THAT WE 44:31 COULD BE MORE HOLY EVEN AS JESUS IS HOLY - BE MORE LOVING AND 44:35 TRUTHFUL EVEN AS GOD IS LOVING AND TRUTHFUL. 44:39 WELL, LET'S MOVE ON NOW. LET'S MOVE ON TO VERSES 6 44:43 THROUGH 11 - VERSES 6 THROUGH 11. 44:45 NOW, THESE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE VERSES AS WELL. 44:47 THIS IS A POWERFUL CHAPTER, ISN'T IT? 44:50 CHAPTER - VERSE 6 IT SAYS, "FOR WHEN WE WERE STILL WITHOUT 44:52 STRENGTH, IN DUE TIME CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY. 44:56 FOR SCARCELY FOR A RIGHTEOUS MAN WILL ONE DIE; YET PERHAPS 44:59 FOR A GOOD MAN SOMEONE WOULD EVEN DARE TO DIE. 45:03 BUT GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS OWN LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT WHILE WE 45:05 WERE STILL SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US. 45:10 NOW THAT CAN'T GET MORE POWERFUL THAN THAT, CAN IT? 45:13 WOW, I LOVE THOSE VERSES. 45:15 HERE WE HAVE PAUL TALKING ABOUT THE INS AND OUTS OF 45:17 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH AND THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST - THE 45:20 SACRIFICE OF JESUS ON THE CROSS, BEARING THE SINS OF THE WORLD. 45:23 AND AS HE'S COMING HE'S OVERWHELMED WITH THE LOVE OF 45:25 CHRIST THAT IS POURED OUT UPON HIMSELF AND UPON MANKIND - UPON 45:29 PETER - I MEAN, PAUL, WHO COUNTED HIMSELF THE CHIEF OF 45:32 SINNERS AND AS HE'S DEMONSTRATING - AS HE'S 45:34 RUMINATING AND AS HE'S MEDITATING ON THESE TRUTHS AND 45:37 HE'S INSPIRED BY THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY AND WRITING THE 45:40 SCRIPTURES, WE FIND HERE THAT PAUL SAYS, 'SCARCELY FOR A 45:43 RIGHTEOUS MAN WILL SOMEONE DIE.' MAYBE FOR A GOOD MAN SOMEONE 45:46 MIGHT EVEN DARE TO DIE - AND THAT HAS HAPPENED AT TIMES, 45:48 HASN'T IT? WE HAVE SOME VERY RIGHTEOUS 45:51 CAUSES IN WHICH PEOPLE HAVE RISKED THEIR LIVES AND EVEN LOST 45:54 THEIR LIVES FOR THAT CAUSE AND FOR THE LEADER OF THAT CAUSE. 45:57 SOME OF THE KEY FIGURES THAT I CAN THINK OF IS GANDHI OR MARTIN 46:03 LUTHER KING, IN HISTORY. AND PEOPLE HAVE RISKED OR 46:05 EVEN LOST THEIR LIVES FOR THESE RIGHTEOUS CAUSES. 46:10 NOW THAT'S HUMAN LOVE. AND SO, HERE'S PAUL AND HE SAYS, 46:14 'HUMAN LOVE, THERE'S THE BAR RIGHT THERE. THERE'S THE 46:16 STANDARD.' HE SAID, 'YOU THINK THAT'S GOOD? 46:19 NOW LET'S LOOK AT GOD'S LOVE.' 46:21 HE SAYS, 'NOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT GOD'S LOVE. 46:23 GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS LOVE IN THAT WHILE WE WERE STILL 46:27 SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US.' IN OTHER WORDS, NOT WHEN WE WERE 46:30 ALREADY DEVOTED TO HIM AND SURRENDERED TO HIM AND LIVING 46:32 FOR HIM AND PRAYING BEFORE HIM - NO, WHILE WE WERE STILL TURNING 46:35 OUR BACK ON HIM, WHILE WE WERE MOCKING HIM AND SPITTING ON HIM 46:38 AND BEATING HIM AND DRIVING HIM TO A CROSS WITH NAILS, WHILE WE 46:45 WERE ENGAGING IN ALL KINDS OF WICKEDNESS, WHEN WE CALLED GOD 46:47 AN ENEMY AND WE COUNTED OURSELVES HIS ENEMY, THAT'S WHEN 46:50 CHRIST DIED FOR - HAVE YOU EVER DIED FOR SOMEONE THAT HATES YOU? 46:55 HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED DYING FOR SOMEONE THAT HATES YOU AND 46:58 HAS DONE ALL KINDS OF HORRIBLE THINGS TO YOU - SPIT ON YOU, 47:00 BEAT YOU, AND DID HORRIBLE THINGS TO YOUR CHILDREN. 47:05 AND NOW, THE ONLY WAY THAT PERSON'S GOING TO SURVIVE IS IF 47:08 YOU GIVE YOUR LIFE IN THEIR PLACE. 47:11 WHO'S GOING TO LINE UP? I DON'T SEE A LOT OF HANDS. 47:16 THAT'S THE LOVE OF CHRIST, IS IT NOT? 47:19 THAT'S WHAT THE BIBLE IS TELLING US HERE, IS THAT THE LOVE OF 47:22 CHRIST IS UP IN THE STRATOS - HUMAN LOVE GOES TO ABOUT HERE, 47:26 GOD'S LOVE - WE CAN'T EVEN CONTAIN IT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT 47:29 TALL ENOUGH. I'D HAVE TO BE TALLER THAN THE ATMOSPHERE. 47:32 HE'S WAY UP IN THE STRATOSPHERE SOMEWHERE, WHEN IT COMES TO THE 47:35 BAR OF GOD'S LOVE, AND THAT'S THE BAR THAT GOD CALLS US TO. 47:41 IN VERSE 10 HE SAYS - WELL, VERSE 9, LET'S READ ON, IT SAYS, 47:45 "MUCH MORE THEN, HAVING NOW BEEN JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, 47:48 WE SHALL BE SAVED FROM WRATH THROUGH HIM. 47:50 FOR IF WHEN WE WERE ENEMIES" - SO NOW HE GOES SYNONYMOUS WITH 47:53 SINNERS IN VERSE 8, YOU KNOW HE CALLS US ENEMIES - "FOR...WHEN 47:56 WE WERE ENEMIES WE WERE RECONCILED" - TO GOD. 48:02 NOT WHEN WE WERE ATTRACTIVE, BUT WHEN WE WERE HIS ENEMIES DID 48:07 JESUS DIE FOR US - "...WE WERE RECONCILED TO GOD THROUGH THE 48:09 DEATH OF HIS SON, MUCH MORE, HAVING BEEN RECONCILED, WE 48:12 SHALL BE SAVED BY HIS LIFE." IN OTHER WORDS, CHRIST DID 48:15 EVERYTHING HE NEEDED TO DO ON HIS PART. 48:17 HE'S SAYING, 'LISTEN, YOU CAN SWEAR ON MY NAME, YOU CAN ABUSE 48:19 ME, YOU CAN SPIT ON ME, YOU CAN MOCK ME, YOU CAN DO ALL KINDS OF 48:23 WICKEDNESS AND I'M STILL GOING TO RECONCILE YOU TO MY FATHER. 48:26 I'M STILL GOING TO DIE ON THAT CROSS AND BEAR ALL OF THAT 48:28 HORRIBLE SIN AND MUCH OF IT, WHICH IS BEING THROWN AT ME. 48:35 AND THEN I'M GOING TO OFFER YOU A GIFT. 48:38 AND IF YOU RECEIVE THAT GIFT, ACCORDING TO THE CONDITION OF A 48:41 FULL SURRENDERED HEART, AND YOU GIVE ME YOUR FULL OBEDIENCE AND 48:46 TRUST, I WILL SAVE YOU FOR ALL OF ETERNITY.' YOU SEE, JESUS DID 48:54 EVERYTHING HE NEEDED TO DO ON HIS PART AND HE'S JUST WAITING 48:57 FOR US TO DO OUR PART TO BE ABLE TO GIVE OUR FULL SURRENDER TO 49:01 HIM. AND THEN, AS PAUL SAID EVERY DAY 49:03 AFTER THAT, 'I DIE DAILY' HE WROTE IN ONE OF HIS LETTERS. 49:08 CHRIST HAS BEEN CALLING YOU TO DIE FOR CHRIST - TO GIVE YOUR 49:13 LIFE FOR HIM, EVEN AS HE HAS ALREADY GIVEN HIS LIFE FOR YOU. 49:17 'HE WHO FOLLOWS AFTER ME' - JESUS SAYS - 'MUST PICK UP HIS 49:19 CROSS DAILY AND FOLLOW AFTER ME.' YOU MUST DIE TO YOURSELF 49:23 AND LIVE FOR JESUS, AND THEN YOU'RE SAVED FOR ALL OF 49:27 ETERNITY. WELL, WE'VE ONLY GOT A FEW 49:30 MINUTES LEFT AND WE HAVE THAT LAST POWERFUL CHAPTER - THE LAST 49:33 HALF OF THE POWERFUL CHAPTER - ROMANS CHAPTER 5 - AND THAT 49:36 IS THE CHAPTER OF TWO ADAMS. NOW, OF COURSE, WE DON'T HAVE 49:39 NEARLY ENOUGH TIME TO READ THROUGH IT ALL, BUT GUESS WHAT? 49:42 THERE'S SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING I DISCOVERED ABOUT 49:44 THE LAST HALF IS THAT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF REPETITION AND, 49:47 APPARENTLY, THIS TRUTH IS SO IMPORTANT THAT JESUS MADE SURE 49:50 THAT HE REPEATED IT SIX DIFFERENT TIMES - WELL, FIVE 49:53 DIFFERENT TIMES, I SHOULD SAY - 15, 16, 17, 18, AND 19, JESUS 49:57 REPEATS THE SAME THING THROUGH HIS PROPHET PAUL. 50:01 HE REPEATS THE SAME THING FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES. 50:05 AND WE FIND THAT FROM VERSES 15 THROUGH 19, BUT LET'S READ VERSE 50:08 12 AS THE INTRODUCTION FIRST - VERSE 12, IT SAYS, "THEREFORE, 50:11 JUST AS THROUGH ONE MAN SIN ENTERED THE WORLD," - WHO'S THAT 50:14 ONE MAN? THAT'S ADAM - ATE FROM THAT 50:16 FIRST TREE - THE ADAM - THE TREE OF GOOD AND EVIL - "THEREFORE, 50:20 JUST AS THROUGH ONE MAN SIN ENTERED THE WORLD, AND DEATH 50:23 THROUGH SIN, AND THUS DEATH SPREAD TO ALL MEN, BECAUSE" 50:26 - HOW MANY HAVE SINNED? >>ALL. 50:28 >>ALL HAVE SINNED - "BECAUSE ALL HAVE SINNED." 50:32 AND SO HERE WE HAVE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE FIRST ADAM 50:34 OF TWO ADAMS. NOW LET'S JUST CONFIRM THAT 50:36 JESUS IS THE SECOND ADAM AND THEN WE'LL READ VERSES 15 AND 50:39 19 - LET'S GO QUICKLY TO 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 15 - IT'S 50:43 THE VERY NEXT BOOK, SO JUST GO ONE BOOK AHEAD TO ROMANS - OR 50:46 FROM ROMANS - AND GO TO CHAPTER 15, QUICKLY AND 50:49 WE'LL READ VERSE 45. 1 CORINTHIANS 15 AND VERSE 45. 50:56 IN VERSE 45 IT SAYS, "AND SO IT IS WRITTEN, 'THE FIRST MAN 50:59 (ADAM) BECAME A LIVING BEING.' THE LAST ADAM BECAME A 51:03 LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT." IN VERSE 47 - WE DON'T HAVE 51:06 TIME, BUT IT BASICALLY SAYS THE SAME THING. 51:08 AND SO, WE HAVE THE FIRST MAN AND THE SECOND MAN IN THE GREAT 51:10 BIBLE STORY. THE FIRST ONE MESSED THINGS UP 51:12 FOR US; THE SECOND ONE CAME AND CLEANED UP THE MESS. 51:14 DO YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? AND THAT'S WHAT ROMANS CHAPTER 51:17 5, THE LAST HALF, IS REALLY TELLING US. 51:19 AND SO, JESUS CAME TO BE - TO DO THE JOB THAT ADAM SHOULD HAVE 51:23 DONE. ADAM SHOULD HAVE LIVED A 51:25 PERFECTLY OBEDIENT SURRENDERED LIFE FOR ALL OF ETERNITY. 51:28 AMEN? BUT DID HE DO THAT? NO. 51:31 SO JESUS CAME AND HE SAID, 'I'LL BE YOUR SUBSTITUTE AND I'LL BE 51:35 THE ADAM THAT ADAM SHOULD HAVE BEEN.' AND SO, HE REPEATS THE 51:41 SAME THING, IN DIFFERENT WAYS, FIVE TIMES IN 15 TO 19. 51:44 LET'S READ VERSE 15. IT SAYS, "BUT THE FREE GIFT 51:46 IS NOT LIKE THE OFFENSE. FOR IF BY THE ONE MAN'S OFFENSE 51:49 MANY DIED, MUCH MORE THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE GIFT BY THE GRACE 51:53 OF THE ONE MAN, JESUS CHRIST, ABOUNDED TO MANY." 51:57 AND THEN, AGAIN, IT REPEATS ITSELF IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND 52:00 WE'LL PICK IT UP FOR THE LAST ONE IN 19, IT SAYS, "FOR AS BY 52:02 ONE MAN'S DISOBEDIENCE MANY WERE MADE SINNERS, SO ALSO BY ONE 52:08 MAN'S OBEDIENCE MANY WILL BE MADE RIGHTEOUS." 52:13 AND SO HERE WE HAVE THIS GREAT AND POWERFUL TRUTH THAT 52:15 SUMMARIZES AND BOILS THE ENTIRE BIBLE STORY DOWN TO TWO MEN AND, 52:21 IN EXTENSION OF THAT, TWO TREES. 52:25 POWERFUL, POWERFUL, TRUTH THAT IS REPEATED. 52:28 IN FACT, IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT IT'S REPEATED OVER AND OVER AND 52:30 OVER AGAIN - SIX TIMES, BY THE WAY, IT'S REPEATED THAT ADAM'S 52:36 ORIGINAL SIN BROUGHT TO ALL OF US SIN, JUDGMENT, AND, IN 52:43 EXTENSION OF JUDGMENT, CONDEMNATION, AND, IN EXTENSION 52:47 OF CONDEMNATION, DEATH. I CAN PICTURE ADAM STANDING UP 52:53 BEFORE US HERE RIGHT NOW AND SAYING, 'HOW DO 52:55 YOU LIKE ME NOW?' IT'S NOT EXACTLY THE BEST 53:00 LEGACY TO LEAVE BEHIND, IS IT? YOU KNOW, SOME OF US HAVE 53:03 SOME VERY RIGHTEOUS AND NOBLE GRANDFATHERS THAT ARE A GREAT 53:07 EXAMPLE TO US, BUT ADAM IS NOT ONE OF THOSE 53:10 GRANDFATHERS, IS HE? NOW, I DO HAVE TO DEFEND ADAM, 53:14 ON THE OTHER HAND, BECAUSE HE ALSO DOES LEAVE US THE LEGACY, 53:17 NOW THAT WE ARE IN THE SAME BOAT AS HIM, IN THE FACT THAT - THAT 53:20 ADAM SHOWED THE LEGACY - LEFT THE LEGACY THAT EVEN THOUGH WE 53:23 BLEW IT, WE CAN COME TO GOD WITH FULL REPENTANCE. 53:27 AND THE BIBLE EVIDENCE SHOWS US AND TELLS US THAT, INDEED, ADAM 53:30 DID REPENT AND HE DID RECONCILE HIMSELF BEFORE GOD AND ACCEPTED 53:35 AND SACRIFICED, FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE, THE ANIMALS THAT 53:37 POINTED FORWARD TO THE SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, WHO WOULD ONE DAY 53:40 DIE FOR ADAM'S SINS. THAT ADAM, TOO, MIGHT HAVE HOPE 53:45 FOR ETERNAL LIFE, EVEN AS GOD HAD ORIGINALLY GIVEN IT TO HIM. 53:50 WELL, HOW DO I WRAP THINGS UP? 53:52 BECAUSE I'VE GOT A LOT MORE TO SAY THAN I HAVE TIME FOR. 53:54 AS I LOOK AT THE CLOCK, I REALIZE THAT THERE'S NO WAY I'M 53:57 GOING TO BE ABLE TO COVER ALL THE GOOD THINGS THAT THIS 53:59 PARTICULAR CHAPTER BRINGS OUT, BUT WE CERTAINLY WANT TO BE ABLE 54:05 TO KNOW THAT GOD IS SOMETHING - SOMEBODY THAT HAS DIED FOR US, 54:13 HAS GIVEN US A VERY POWERFUL GIFT AND THAT HE WANTS US TO BE 54:17 ABLE TO LIVE WITHIN THAT GIFT AND TO BE ABLE TO KNOW THAT 54:20 PEACE THAT COMES FROM A SINCERE FAITH AND SURRENDER TO JESUS 54:24 CHRIST. JESUS IS THE SECOND ADAM THAT 54:26 LIVED THAT SINLESS LIFE THAT ADAM SHOULD HAVE LIVED. 54:29 HE DIED A DEATH THAT WE DESERVE AND, THEREFORE, HE IS NOW ADAM'S 54:32 SUBSTITUTE AND HE'S ALSO OUR SUBSTITUTE. 54:36 WHEN WE COME TO GOD THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST, WE BECOME 54:39 PERFECT IN GOD'S EYES. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT, FRIENDS? 54:41 WHEN JESUS LOOKS AT YOU IT'S AS IF YOU HAD NEVER SINNED. 54:45 AS IF YOU HAD NEVER SINNED. NOW, WHEN GOD LOOKS AT YOU, 54:49 HE SEES YOU THROUGH JESUS. WHEN WE COME TO GOD IN FAITH, WE 54:54 LEAVE THE DOOMED FAMILY OF ADAM AND WE ENTER INTO THE ETERNAL 54:57 VICTORIOUS FAMILY OF JESUS CHRIST. 54:59 IS THAT GOOD NEWS, FRIENDS? >>AMEN. 55:01 >>IT'S THE BEST NEWS THAT WE CAN FIND IN ALL OF THE SCRIPTURE. 55:03 MAY WE CONTINUE TO GIVE HIM TRUE, SINCERE REPENTANCE AND 55:07 FAITH, CONTINUE TO DIE DAILY AND ASK FOR HIS HOLY SPIRIT. 55:10 FRIENDS, WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR STUDYING WITH US HERE, 55:14 TODAY, AND IT'S JUST BEEN SO ENCOURAGING FOR MYSELF AND, I 55:19 TRUST, IT HAS BEEN FOR YOU AS WELL. 55:22 NOW, WE HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT WE OFFERED AT THE BEGINNING OF 55:24 THE STUDY, IN CASE YOU MISSED THAT, AND YOU TURNED IN AFTER WE 55:27 STARTED OUR STUDY HERE, TODAY, WE JUST WANT TO OFFER YOU A 55:30 FREE OFFER. YOU CAN CALL THE NUMBER 55:32 1-866-788-3966 - THAT'S 1-866-788-3966 - AND 55:41 ASK FOR OFFER #703. IF YOU'RE IN NORTH AMERICA OR 55:44 ANY OF AMERICA'S TERRITORIES, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO 55:47 SEND THAT TO YOU. IF YOU'RE NOT IN NORTH AMERICA 55:49 OR IN AMERICAN TERRITORY, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THAT AND READ IT 55:53 FOR YOURSELF, DIGITALLY, FROM AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . 55:56 THANK YOU FOR STUDYING WITH US AND GOD BLESS YOU. 55:58 WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. (MUSIC) 56:11 >>HELLO FRIENDS, WE'RE HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES 56:13 OVERLOOKING THE TAAL VOLCANO AND LAKE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST 56:18 INTERESTING PIECES OF GEOGRAPHY IN THE WHOLE WORLD. 56:21 FOR ONE THING, THIS GREAT CALDARA WAS ONCE THE BIGGEST 56:24 VOLCANO IN THE WORLD, AND NOW IT HOLDS A LAKE THAT HOLDS ANOTHER 56:29 VOLCANO THAT HAS ANOTHER LITTLE LAKE IN IT THAT HAS ANOTHER 56:33 LITTLE ISLAND IN IT. THIS VOLCANO HAS ERUPTED SIX 56:36 TIMES, IN A MAJOR WAY, SINCE THE 1500S AND, EVEN IN 1911, THERE 56:42 WAS AN ERUPTION WHERE OVER 1300 PEOPLE DIED - KILLED BY THE 56:46 SMOKE AND THE ASH THAT COVERED THE COMMUNITY. 56:49 THERE WERE TSUNAMIS THAT CAME FROM THE LAKE AND DESTROYED THE 56:52 VILLAGES THAT SURROUNDED THE BORDERS OF THE LAKE. 56:55 IN FACT, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST CAREFULLY MONITORED SEISMIC 56:58 PLACES IN THE PHILIPPINES. THIS VOLCANO IS BEING WATCHED 57:01 ALL THE TIME AND THEY'VE NOTICED, AS OF 2006, THAT 57:05 IT APPEARS THAT THE WATER TEMPERATURES ARE GOING UP. 57:08 THERE'S INCREASED SEISMIC ACTIVITY. 57:11 IN OTHER WORDS, THEY KNOW THAT THIS VOLCANO IS A TICKING 57:14 TIMEBOMB PREPARED TO BLOW. 57:17 AND IT'S VERY INTERESTING, BECAUSE THIS PLACE IS A PLACE OF 57:19 GREAT SEISMIC ACTIVITY, BUT IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT 57:22 VULCANOLOGISTS KNOW THIS IS GOING TO BLOW AGAIN SOMEDAY, 57:25 IT IS A POPULAR TOURIST DESTINATION. 57:27 THEY'RE FIGHTING FOR THE REAL ESTATE, THEY'RE BUILDING LIKE 57:30 MAD, AND SIT ON THE EDGE OF DISASTER. 57:33 IT MAKES US THINK ABOUT HOW GOD HAS GIVEN US SO MANY WARNINGS IN 57:36 HIS WORD THAT THE WORLD IS GOING TO END, THAT JESUS IS GOING TO 57:40 COME, THAT THE HEAVENS WILL DISSOLVE WITH A GREAT NOISE AND 57:43 THE ELEMENTS WILL MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT, SEEING THEN THAT 57:46 ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE DISSOLVED, WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE 57:49 SHOULD WE BE IN ALL HOLY CONVERSATION AND GODLINESS. 57:53 FRIENDS, ARE YOU BECOMING DISTRACTED WITH THE TRANQUIL 57:55 VIEWS OF THE WORLD OR ARE YOU PREPARING FOR THE NEXT WORLD? 57:59 ARE YOU GETTING READY FOR THE BIG BANG? 58:02 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2017-11-06