As you're well aware,
00:00:01.86\00:00:03.20
we're living in
unprecedented times.
00:00:03.23\00:00:05.40
Join us now for
Today special program.
00:00:05.43\00:00:08.10
I want to spend my life
00:00:12.34\00:00:18.21
Mending broken people
00:00:18.25\00:00:23.49
I want to spend my life
00:00:23.52\00:00:29.32
Removing pain
00:00:29.36\00:00:34.30
Lord, let my words
00:00:34.33\00:00:39.80
Heal a heart that hurts
00:00:39.83\00:00:44.44
I want to spend my life
00:00:44.47\00:00:50.38
Mending broken people
00:00:50.41\00:00:55.75
I want to spend my life
00:00:55.78\00:01:00.96
Mending broken people
00:01:00.99\00:01:03.76
Hello, friends,
00:01:14.97\00:01:16.30
and welcome to
another edition of 3ABN Today.
00:01:16.34\00:01:19.61
My name is Ryan Day
and it's a privilege
00:01:19.64\00:01:21.71
and an honor for
you to be with us.
00:01:21.74\00:01:23.85
We're always happy to have you
00:01:23.88\00:01:25.21
wherever you are
around the world.
00:01:25.25\00:01:26.75
We thank you for tuning in,
00:01:26.78\00:01:28.25
because the Three
Angels Broadcasting Network
00:01:28.28\00:01:30.32
would not exist if it
weren't for your love,
00:01:30.35\00:01:32.42
and continual
prayers and support.
00:01:32.45\00:01:34.16
So thank you so
much for all that you do
00:01:34.19\00:01:36.36
for this powerful ministry.
00:01:36.39\00:01:37.76
Again, like I said,
this is a 3ABN Today program.
00:01:37.79\00:01:40.90
This is kind of one
of our flagship programs
00:01:40.93\00:01:42.90
in which we get to
take on many different types
00:01:42.93\00:01:45.90
of programming within
this particular program.
00:01:45.93\00:01:49.34
I keep saying that a
lot but you know what?
00:01:49.37\00:01:50.71
It is a program of
multiple types of programs.
00:01:50.74\00:01:53.51
We have 3ABN
Today Cooking programs.
00:01:53.54\00:01:56.18
We have 3ABN, the
newest 3ABN Today,
00:01:56.21\00:01:59.01
Bible Question
and Answer program
00:01:59.05\00:02:00.85
that airs every Monday.
00:02:00.88\00:02:02.22
We also have bring in
people and do interviews
00:02:02.25\00:02:04.29
where we talk about
outreach and mission and,
00:02:04.32\00:02:07.06
and ways that you can connect
00:02:07.09\00:02:08.59
and become involved in
the mission of the church
00:02:08.62\00:02:10.76
and the commission
gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:02:10.79\00:02:13.23
Also we have 3ABN
Today Music programs
00:02:13.26\00:02:15.76
and are one of my favorites
00:02:15.80\00:02:17.80
is the 3ABN Family Worship Time,
00:02:17.83\00:02:20.44
which happens on Friday evenings
00:02:20.47\00:02:22.44
as the Sabbath is entering in.
00:02:22.47\00:02:24.21
And, but today we're
having a 3ABN Bible topic, okay?
00:02:24.24\00:02:28.58
This is 3ABN Today Bible topic,
00:02:28.61\00:02:31.15
we're gonna be taking
on a special Bible topic
00:02:31.18\00:02:34.02
in which myself
00:02:34.05\00:02:35.38
and my good guest here today,
which is not a stranger to me.
00:02:35.42\00:02:38.65
We're gonna be breaking down
00:02:38.69\00:02:40.19
for you and
going a little deeper
00:02:40.22\00:02:41.56
into scripture to discuss
00:02:41.59\00:02:43.32
a very important
biblical topic that is,
00:02:43.36\00:02:46.33
I believe, very
applicable and important for us
00:02:46.36\00:02:48.73
to comprehend and
understand for these last days.
00:02:48.76\00:02:51.73
So before we go any further,
00:02:51.77\00:02:53.23
I want to
introduce my guest here.
00:02:53.27\00:02:54.80
And as I said, he's not
really a stranger to me because
00:02:54.84\00:02:57.41
it happens to be my
little brother Dakota Day
00:02:57.44\00:03:00.08
and, of course,
he's not little anymore.
00:03:00.11\00:03:02.14
But, Dakota, it's a
blessing to have you.
00:03:02.18\00:03:03.81
It's a blessing to be here.
00:03:03.85\00:03:05.18
Thank you for
inviting me, brother.
00:03:05.21\00:03:06.55
Amen.
00:03:06.58\00:03:07.92
And, Dakota, you are
a full time evangelist
00:03:07.95\00:03:10.02
for Amazing Facts ministry.
00:03:10.05\00:03:12.35
And you're also the personal,
00:03:12.39\00:03:15.82
was it personal ministries...
00:03:15.86\00:03:17.36
Evangelism.
00:03:17.39\00:03:18.73
Personal evangelism teacher
00:03:18.76\00:03:20.50
at the Amazing Facts
Center of Evangelism,
00:03:20.53\00:03:22.66
which is an evangelist...
00:03:22.70\00:03:24.03
Tell us a little bit
about the evangelism school?
00:03:24.07\00:03:25.40
Yeah.
00:03:25.43\00:03:26.77
So the evangelism school that
we do is called AFCOE, right?
00:03:26.80\00:03:29.07
And so it's the Amazing
Fact Center of Evangelism,
00:03:29.10\00:03:31.07
where we train and
equip people from all ages,
00:03:31.11\00:03:33.91
from all walks of life,
00:03:33.94\00:03:35.28
how to be a
winsome witness for Jesus.
00:03:35.31\00:03:37.38
And so if anybody
would like to come,
00:03:37.41\00:03:39.48
we would certainly love to
have you guys in our program.
00:03:39.51\00:03:41.02
Amen.
00:03:41.05\00:03:42.38
And I understand
you guys do that every,
00:03:42.42\00:03:43.75
in the fall of every year.
00:03:43.79\00:03:45.39
At least you try to do
that. And it's a blessing.
00:03:45.42\00:03:47.29
I know I went
through AFCOE many years ago.
00:03:47.32\00:03:49.79
Dakota went through
AFCOE along with me,
00:03:49.82\00:03:51.56
and it was such a blessing and,
00:03:51.59\00:03:52.93
and now Dakota gets to
participate in that work.
00:03:52.96\00:03:54.90
That's right. And
so, it's a blessing.
00:03:54.93\00:03:56.53
And you're a full time
evangelist with Amazing Facts.
00:03:56.56\00:03:58.67
You travel and do
evangelistic series year round.
00:03:58.70\00:04:01.44
So if you need an evangelist
and are interested in holding
00:04:01.47\00:04:03.64
an evangelistic
series, Dakota's your man,
00:04:03.67\00:04:06.01
I can personally vouch for him.
00:04:06.04\00:04:07.88
But, Dakota, we've
come to talk about a very,
00:04:07.91\00:04:10.11
very important
Bible topic today.
00:04:10.15\00:04:11.98
Today we're
gonna be talking about
00:04:12.01\00:04:13.72
what it means to be
a balanced Christian
00:04:13.75\00:04:15.58
and the title of our
topic is Balanced Christianity.
00:04:15.62\00:04:20.56
Balanced Christianity.
00:04:20.59\00:04:22.29
We certainly don't
want to find ourselves
00:04:22.32\00:04:24.53
in one extreme or
the other as many people
00:04:24.56\00:04:27.40
often do in their walk in
their experience with Jesus.
00:04:27.43\00:04:30.47
We want to be balanced
00:04:30.50\00:04:31.97
gospel
Christians of Jesus Christ,
00:04:32.00\00:04:34.74
followers of Jesus.
00:04:34.77\00:04:36.10
And before we get
right into our topic, Dakota,
00:04:36.14\00:04:37.94
I'm gonna ask you to pray
for us as we begin our study.
00:04:37.97\00:04:39.77
All right, let's pray.
00:04:39.81\00:04:41.18
Our Father in heaven,
00:04:41.21\00:04:42.54
we are so
thankful for Your love.
00:04:42.58\00:04:43.95
We pray that Your Holy
Spirit would lead and guide us
00:04:43.98\00:04:46.25
into all truth now
as we study Your Word.
00:04:46.28\00:04:48.42
Help us, Lord, have
eyes to see and ears to hear,
00:04:48.45\00:04:50.89
Lord, and a
heart to receive, Lord,
00:04:50.92\00:04:53.29
and apply to our
lives with everything
00:04:53.32\00:04:55.79
that You've given us.
00:04:55.82\00:04:57.16
And as we dive
into this now, Lord,
00:04:57.19\00:04:58.76
we pray that this
message in this study will bless
00:04:58.79\00:05:01.23
someone's life and help them
to really know You personally.
00:05:01.26\00:05:04.07
We pray in Jesus' name.
00:05:04.10\00:05:05.43
Amen.
00:05:05.47\00:05:06.80
Amen. Amen.
00:05:06.84\00:05:08.17
Thank you so much.
00:05:08.20\00:05:09.54
I'd like to go ahead
and try to set this up,
00:05:09.57\00:05:10.91
so it makes sense
as to the approach
00:05:10.94\00:05:12.27
that we're taking in this.
00:05:12.31\00:05:13.64
There's gonna be
three major sections
00:05:13.68\00:05:15.01
that we're gonna be
looking at in our study today.
00:05:15.04\00:05:17.15
We're gonna be looking at
what it means to be again,
00:05:17.18\00:05:19.81
a balanced Christian.
00:05:19.85\00:05:21.48
What is, what does it mean to be
00:05:21.52\00:05:22.85
involved in
balanced Christianity?
00:05:22.88\00:05:25.25
And, you know,
00:05:25.29\00:05:26.62
we live in a world
where it seems like
00:05:26.65\00:05:27.99
there's so much division,
00:05:28.02\00:05:29.59
and, you know, again, it's,
00:05:29.62\00:05:31.39
you know, North,
South, East West,
00:05:31.43\00:05:33.43
you know, left and right,
you're gonna hear those terms,
00:05:33.46\00:05:36.13
maybe a few times a
day, the left and the right,
00:05:36.16\00:05:38.33
you might, hey, you
know, Republican, Democrat,
00:05:38.37\00:05:40.94
we're not talking
about politics today,
00:05:40.97\00:05:42.57
I'm just making an illustration.
00:05:42.60\00:05:44.01
Again, the left, the
right, Republican, Democrat,
00:05:44.04\00:05:46.47
you have conservative, liberal.
00:05:46.51\00:05:48.71
You know, it just seems like
00:05:48.74\00:05:50.08
that's the
world that we live in.
00:05:50.11\00:05:51.45
And this is not
something that's new, it's been,
00:05:51.48\00:05:53.38
it existed for some time,
00:05:53.42\00:05:54.75
it goes all the way
back to the Garden of Eden,
00:05:54.78\00:05:56.72
where Jesus is
having the conversation
00:05:56.75\00:05:58.42
with the serpent, and
He tells him, you know,
00:05:58.45\00:06:00.46
I'm gonna put enmity
between your seed and her seed,
00:06:00.49\00:06:03.22
the woman seed,
you have, you know,
00:06:03.26\00:06:04.93
the true seed
and the wicked seed
00:06:04.96\00:06:06.43
and in this same
kind of divisional aspect
00:06:06.46\00:06:10.70
of the experience of God.
00:06:10.73\00:06:13.87
The experience
of this gospel plan
00:06:13.90\00:06:16.44
of salvation seems
to always experience,
00:06:16.47\00:06:18.84
not because God
wants it to be this way.
00:06:18.87\00:06:21.14
But there
happens to be division,
00:06:21.18\00:06:23.04
there's no unity.
00:06:23.08\00:06:24.41
And we want to make sure
that we don't find ourselves
00:06:24.45\00:06:26.72
in one extreme or the
other, as many people often do.
00:06:26.75\00:06:30.59
But, we want to make sure
00:06:30.62\00:06:31.95
that we are balanced Christians,
00:06:31.99\00:06:33.52
that we are experiencing
a balanced relationship
00:06:33.56\00:06:35.96
with Jesus, I was doing
a little bit of research.
00:06:35.99\00:06:38.56
And it's
interesting that if you do
00:06:38.59\00:06:40.40
some research in history,
00:06:40.43\00:06:41.96
and find out where this
00:06:42.00\00:06:43.33
whole
conversation of left and right,
00:06:43.37\00:06:45.37
you know, conservative
and liberal, you know,
00:06:45.40\00:06:47.74
many people
categorize themselves
00:06:47.77\00:06:49.54
or others under
those categories.
00:06:49.57\00:06:51.71
And you're gonna hear
us talk about that today.
00:06:51.74\00:06:53.31
Just because even within
the context of Christianity,
00:06:53.34\00:06:57.35
not all but most
people are categorized
00:06:57.38\00:07:00.55
in one of those two categories.
00:07:00.58\00:07:02.18
"That person has
some very liberal views,"
00:07:02.22\00:07:04.35
you might hear someone say,
00:07:04.39\00:07:05.72
"Or that person
is very conservative
00:07:05.75\00:07:07.79
or ultra conservative,"
00:07:07.82\00:07:09.22
in their views
almost to the point
00:07:09.26\00:07:10.66
of being dogmatic or
legalistic, or pharisaical.
00:07:10.69\00:07:13.93
We're gonna be
talking about today
00:07:13.96\00:07:15.43
of how we can make
sure we don't find ourselves
00:07:15.46\00:07:18.03
in one or two of
these opposite extremes,
00:07:18.07\00:07:20.74
but that we find a balance,
00:07:20.77\00:07:22.37
the balanced
Christ, like approach.
00:07:22.40\00:07:25.24
All this thing, this whole idea
of left and right conservative
00:07:25.27\00:07:28.81
and liberal goes
all the way back,
00:07:28.84\00:07:30.75
it's interesting, to the
French Revolution in 1789.
00:07:30.78\00:07:34.38
Of course, the
French Revolution lasted
00:07:34.42\00:07:36.08
for about 10
years from 1789 to 1799.
00:07:36.12\00:07:40.49
But this concept of, you know,
people who have these ultra,
00:07:40.52\00:07:44.49
you know, extreme liberal views
and ultra conservative views.
00:07:44.53\00:07:47.60
And you know,
it's it kind of started
00:07:47.63\00:07:49.30
the divisional political divides
00:07:49.33\00:07:51.33
that we even see
today in government.
00:07:51.37\00:07:53.30
And make no mistake about it,
00:07:53.34\00:07:54.87
my friends, it's
definitely in the church.
00:07:54.90\00:07:57.04
And we're gonna not be
talking about politics today.
00:07:57.07\00:07:59.67
We're not here to
talk about politics.
00:07:59.71\00:08:01.18
We're here to talk
about how we can make sure
00:08:01.21\00:08:04.05
that within God's Church,
within the body of Christ,
00:08:04.08\00:08:06.78
that we are finding ourselves
00:08:06.82\00:08:08.58
in a balanced
approach to Christianity.
00:08:08.62\00:08:11.29
Dakota, I want to take
us to Matthew Chapter 12.
00:08:11.32\00:08:14.46
And we're gonna
read verses 22-26
00:08:14.49\00:08:17.33
and also verse 30.
00:08:17.36\00:08:18.69
Jesus is, He's been
approached by these Pharisees,
00:08:18.73\00:08:21.70
Jesus often had a
run in with these,
00:08:21.73\00:08:23.67
what we might call
these ultra conservative,
00:08:23.70\00:08:25.83
extra legalist Pharisees.
00:08:25.87\00:08:28.67
And, of course,
they're challenging Him,
00:08:28.70\00:08:30.44
because He's
just healed someone.
00:08:30.47\00:08:32.24
And take us to Matthew 12:22-26,
00:08:32.27\00:08:35.94
and also verse 30.
00:08:35.98\00:08:37.65
And read that for us now.
Notice the words of Jesus.
00:08:37.68\00:08:40.38
All right, Matthew Chapter 12,
beginning in verse 22, it says,
00:08:40.42\00:08:43.45
"Then one was brought to
Him who was demon-possessed,
00:08:43.49\00:08:46.05
blind and mute.
00:08:46.09\00:08:47.66
And He healed him,
00:08:47.69\00:08:49.02
so that the blind and
mute man both spoke and saw.
00:08:49.06\00:08:52.23
And all the
multitudes were amazed and said,
00:08:52.26\00:08:54.23
'Could this be
the Son of David?'
00:08:54.26\00:08:56.36
Now when the
Pharisees heard it they said,
00:08:56.40\00:08:58.13
'This fellow does not cast
out demons except by Beelzebub,
00:08:58.17\00:09:01.50
the ruler of the demons.'
00:09:01.54\00:09:03.17
But Jesus knew their thoughts,
00:09:03.20\00:09:04.94
and said to them:
00:09:04.97\00:09:06.31
'Every kingdom divided against
00:09:06.34\00:09:07.81
itself is brought to desolation,
00:09:07.84\00:09:10.31
and every city or house divided
against itself will not stand.
00:09:10.35\00:09:14.62
If Satan casts out Satan,
he is divided against himself.
00:09:14.65\00:09:18.59
Now then will his kingdom stand?
00:09:18.62\00:09:20.46
Or how then will
his kingdom stand?
00:09:20.49\00:09:22.39
He who is not
with Me is against Me,
00:09:22.42\00:09:24.99
and he who does not gather
with Me scatters abroad.'''
00:09:25.03\00:09:27.86
Of course, that's verse 30.
00:09:27.90\00:09:29.23
Mm-hmm. Absolutely.
00:09:29.26\00:09:30.60
And we want to make sure
00:09:30.63\00:09:31.97
we are standing
with Jesus Christ,
00:09:32.00\00:09:33.34
but I love what Jesus says here.
00:09:33.37\00:09:34.84
He's making a
clear foundation here
00:09:34.87\00:09:36.81
for what we're talking about.
00:09:36.84\00:09:38.17
And He says, "Look, a
kingdom, a house, a unit,
00:09:38.21\00:09:41.04
a group, an
organization, it doesn't matter,
00:09:41.08\00:09:43.48
if they are
divided against itself,
00:09:43.51\00:09:45.35
if there's division there,
it cannot and will not stand."
00:09:45.38\00:09:49.45
Of course, in
this case, you know,
00:09:49.48\00:09:51.39
He uses Satan as an example.
00:09:51.42\00:09:53.29
And it's
interesting as we're gonna talk
00:09:53.32\00:09:54.96
in just a few
moments and bring it out.
00:09:54.99\00:09:56.69
You know, the devil
is all about division.
00:09:56.73\00:09:58.73
In fact, he's perfectly
fine with working both sides.
00:09:58.76\00:10:02.63
If he can divide and
conquer and cause division,
00:10:02.66\00:10:05.77
he's perfectly fine with instead
00:10:05.80\00:10:07.37
of choosing one
side against the other,
00:10:07.40\00:10:09.20
he'll do all he can to
work out a difference between
00:10:09.24\00:10:12.47
both sides and work
and manipulate both sides.
00:10:12.51\00:10:15.81
In fact, that's why he alludes
to the idea that Satan himself
00:10:15.84\00:10:19.65
would be
divided against himself.
00:10:19.68\00:10:21.78
And that's
exactly the very essence,
00:10:21.82\00:10:24.22
the very concept of Satan's work
00:10:24.25\00:10:25.75
is that he is a
divisional person.
00:10:25.79\00:10:27.92
He wants to cause as
much division as possible,
00:10:27.96\00:10:30.39
because division
brings about confusion.
00:10:30.43\00:10:32.76
If you have
division, you have confusion.
00:10:32.79\00:10:35.73
And we happen to live in
a day and age where everyone
00:10:35.76\00:10:38.57
has their own opinion.
00:10:38.60\00:10:39.93
And everyone has
their own ideology,
00:10:39.97\00:10:41.50
especially within
the Christian Church.
00:10:41.54\00:10:43.51
And, of course, the scripture
that comes to mind as I'm,
00:10:43.54\00:10:45.51
as I'm thinking
about launching us
00:10:45.54\00:10:47.48
into the study at the moment.
00:10:47.51\00:10:48.84
Proverbs 14:12, which says,
00:10:48.88\00:10:51.35
"There is a way which
seems right unto a man,
00:10:51.38\00:10:54.22
but the end thereof
are the ways of death."
00:10:54.25\00:10:57.85
We live in a world
where everyone seems,
00:10:57.89\00:11:00.06
they think they
believe within their hard mind,
00:11:00.09\00:11:02.29
what they believe
and how they think
00:11:02.32\00:11:04.33
and how they see things,
that that's the correct way.
00:11:04.36\00:11:07.30
But yet we also live in a world
00:11:07.33\00:11:08.76
as the Bible brings
out many, many times,
00:11:08.80\00:11:11.07
that deception is
one of the main issues
00:11:11.10\00:11:12.77
in the last
days of Christianity,
00:11:12.80\00:11:14.30
and in the world,
00:11:14.34\00:11:15.67
that the devil is
on a total onslaught
00:11:15.70\00:11:17.41
to try to deceive as
many people as possible.
00:11:17.44\00:11:20.48
And so there is a way
which may seem right to man
00:11:20.51\00:11:24.25
and the end
thereof of those ways
00:11:24.28\00:11:25.78
and those ideologies
within our own heart and mind,
00:11:25.81\00:11:28.62
of course, brings
about destruction.
00:11:28.65\00:11:30.29
It brings about death.
00:11:30.32\00:11:31.65
But we want to make
sure that that we are in,
00:11:31.69\00:11:33.36
we are in Jesus way,
we're in the way of Christ.
00:11:33.39\00:11:35.86
And, Dakota, I know
you're an evangelist,
00:11:35.89\00:11:37.23
you're out there preaching
and you're experiencing
00:11:37.26\00:11:39.36
on the road as you
travel from city to city,
00:11:39.39\00:11:41.46
state to state.
00:11:41.50\00:11:42.83
You know, talk a
little bit about maybe just
00:11:42.86\00:11:44.20
some of your
experiences and how you,
00:11:44.23\00:11:45.57
you meet people
all the time that come
00:11:45.60\00:11:47.77
and they hear what you
have to say and to preach
00:11:47.80\00:11:49.64
and teach from the Word of God.
00:11:49.67\00:11:51.07
But sometimes
ideas don't match up.
00:11:51.11\00:11:53.54
It's a little
strange. That's true.
00:11:53.58\00:11:55.71
And, Ryan, you've
traveled just as much as I have
00:11:55.74\00:11:58.15
in the sense that
you've done meetings,
00:11:58.18\00:11:59.51
and you always run across people
00:11:59.55\00:12:01.15
who have the mindset of, well,
00:12:01.18\00:12:02.88
I know that's
what the Bible says,
00:12:02.92\00:12:04.25
but I feel or I
think or I believe,
00:12:04.29\00:12:08.32
and they want to
go back to the three
00:12:08.36\00:12:09.76
Is making it all
about themselves.
00:12:09.79\00:12:11.39
You know, the middle
letter in the word sin is I.
00:12:11.43\00:12:12.96
Right.
00:12:12.99\00:12:14.33
Middle letter in
the word pride, is I.
00:12:14.36\00:12:15.70
Right.
00:12:15.73\00:12:17.07
If we're starting off sentences
00:12:17.10\00:12:18.43
with, "Well, I," well,
we've already gone wrong.
00:12:18.47\00:12:19.80
Right.
00:12:19.83\00:12:21.17
It's not about what
we think or what I think,
00:12:21.20\00:12:22.87
it's about what does God think.
00:12:22.90\00:12:24.61
And as Christians,
we want to make sure
00:12:24.64\00:12:25.97
that we are
making sure our lives
00:12:26.01\00:12:28.78
are in accordance
with His revealed will.
00:12:28.81\00:12:31.51
And if what we think
is usurping what God says,
00:12:31.55\00:12:36.58
then we're really
not following Christ.
00:12:36.62\00:12:37.99
That's right.
00:12:38.02\00:12:39.35
We need to make
sure we're following Him.
00:12:39.39\00:12:40.72
And so yeah,
there is many people
00:12:40.76\00:12:42.09
I've ran into.
00:12:42.12\00:12:43.46
And they come to my
meetings, and they say,
00:12:43.49\00:12:45.09
"Well, you know,
00:12:45.13\00:12:46.46
I know that what you shared
is in the Bible, but I think."
00:12:46.49\00:12:49.86
Right.
00:12:49.90\00:12:51.23
And, and you know,
00:12:51.27\00:12:52.60
a lot of people
based these off feelings
00:12:52.63\00:12:54.07
and emotions more
than off the Word of God.
00:12:54.10\00:12:56.54
We have to be careful
that we don't do that,
00:12:56.57\00:12:58.54
in our own
personal walk with the Lord,
00:12:58.57\00:13:01.14
not just in a argumentative way,
00:13:01.18\00:13:03.18
but even in our own
walk with God. That's right.
00:13:03.21\00:13:05.11
His Word says something,
as you always say, Ryan,
00:13:05.15\00:13:07.55
we need to adopt two
words in our vocabulary.
00:13:07.58\00:13:09.25
"Yes, Lord." That's right.
00:13:09.28\00:13:10.79
We need to follow
God. That's right.
00:13:10.82\00:13:12.39
And that should be our response.
00:13:12.42\00:13:13.76
"Yes, Lord." And as we're
talking about this division,
00:13:13.79\00:13:16.46
you know, division is
certainly nothing new.
00:13:16.49\00:13:19.26
Since there has been an enemy
and sin has been introduced
00:13:19.29\00:13:22.36
into the Christian world,
into the world in general,
00:13:22.40\00:13:25.80
there's always been division.
00:13:25.83\00:13:27.20
But if you could,
you could always go
00:13:27.24\00:13:28.57
through all the way back
to the beginning of Scripture,
00:13:28.60\00:13:30.54
and trace it through just
to throw out a few examples,
00:13:30.57\00:13:33.31
obviously, right
there as I said earlier,
00:13:33.34\00:13:35.11
you know, the woman
seed, the serpent seed,
00:13:35.14\00:13:37.88
there's a division there.
00:13:37.91\00:13:39.25
God never wanted it to
be that, it wasn't His plan.
00:13:39.28\00:13:41.62
But it just
happened to be that way.
00:13:41.65\00:13:43.12
You have Cain and Abel,
00:13:43.15\00:13:44.79
you're gonna talk
about Cain and Abel,
00:13:44.82\00:13:46.15
in just a few moments.
00:13:46.19\00:13:47.52
You have, you know, you
get to the time of Noah.
00:13:47.56\00:13:51.23
You have the sons of God
and the daughters of men.
00:13:51.26\00:13:54.06
A little bit past that
you have those building,
00:13:54.10\00:13:56.20
the Tower of
Babel, those who weren't.
00:13:56.23\00:13:58.60
You have, you
know, Isaac and Ishmael.
00:13:58.63\00:14:01.74
You have, you
know, Jacob and Esau.
00:14:01.77\00:14:03.64
And, you know,
00:14:03.67\00:14:05.01
there's always seems
to be this, this division,
00:14:05.04\00:14:07.58
also so much that
by the time you get
00:14:07.61\00:14:09.38
to the nation of
Israel, you get to,
00:14:09.41\00:14:11.81
you get to the
point to where even
00:14:11.85\00:14:13.45
the very nation
that God calls, you know,
00:14:13.48\00:14:15.55
to be His special royal nation,
00:14:15.58\00:14:17.95
we find that they reach
a point in their history
00:14:17.99\00:14:20.12
where they become
divided into a one a kingdom
00:14:20.16\00:14:23.02
of the North and the
kingdom of the South.
00:14:23.06\00:14:25.19
The Northern kingdom,
00:14:25.23\00:14:26.56
the 10 tribes of the North
known as Israel, or Ephraim,
00:14:26.59\00:14:29.70
some might call it,
00:14:29.73\00:14:31.07
and then you have the two tribes
00:14:31.10\00:14:32.43
of the South known as Judah.
00:14:32.47\00:14:33.80
But you think that
was ever God's plan?
00:14:33.84\00:14:35.17
It wasn't God's plan.
00:14:35.20\00:14:36.54
Who do you think was
behind that division?
00:14:36.57\00:14:37.94
Well, you know,
there's, there's a,
00:14:37.97\00:14:40.11
there's visionaries.
00:14:40.14\00:14:41.48
Right. And then
there's divisionaries.
00:14:41.51\00:14:42.91
Oh, okay.
00:14:42.94\00:14:44.98
And the devil is a divisionary.
00:14:45.01\00:14:46.75
He's always looking
about how he might tear
00:14:46.78\00:14:48.75
apart what something
good that God had started.
00:14:48.78\00:14:50.99
Right.
00:14:51.02\00:14:52.35
You think of
this country, right?
00:14:52.39\00:14:53.72
Going back to
1776 in its beginnings.
00:14:53.76\00:14:56.02
There was a lot of
good happening there.
00:14:56.06\00:14:58.59
But no sooner than
the good was happening,
00:14:58.63\00:15:00.20
wherever
something good is happening,
00:15:00.23\00:15:01.56
you better believe the
divisionary has a plan.
00:15:01.60\00:15:02.93
There you go.
00:15:02.96\00:15:04.30
And he started create slavery,
00:15:04.33\00:15:06.47
and then this
whole idea of the North
00:15:06.50\00:15:08.07
and the South became involved.
00:15:08.10\00:15:09.44
So what we see in the
Bible that you just mentioned,
00:15:09.47\00:15:11.01
what happened with Israel,
this North and South divide.
00:15:11.04\00:15:13.98
It is not peculiar
among the, you know,
00:15:14.01\00:15:17.51
framework of our people today.
00:15:17.55\00:15:19.35
We are very familiar with that.
00:15:19.38\00:15:21.02
North, South, liberal,
conservative, left, right.
00:15:21.05\00:15:23.69
Sure.
00:15:23.72\00:15:25.05
This is
definitely a dominant mindset
00:15:25.09\00:15:27.56
within our society today.
00:15:27.59\00:15:28.92
Sure.
00:15:28.96\00:15:30.29
And it happens
to be to what seems
00:15:30.33\00:15:31.66
to be two very
powerful driving forces,
00:15:31.69\00:15:33.36
in almost every organization,
every political organization,
00:15:33.40\00:15:37.47
every even within this,
we're gonna talk in a moment,
00:15:37.50\00:15:39.30
even the Church of God,
00:15:39.33\00:15:40.94
and you know,
back to Israel here,
00:15:40.97\00:15:42.50
who is behind that?
00:15:42.54\00:15:43.87
Of course, it's none
other than the devil.
00:15:43.91\00:15:45.24
And what's
interesting about that,
00:15:45.27\00:15:46.61
is that both kingdoms,
00:15:46.64\00:15:47.98
the North and the South,
they end up both falling,
00:15:48.01\00:15:50.01
because the devil
was working both sides
00:15:50.05\00:15:52.08
to manipulate both sides.
00:15:52.11\00:15:53.45
That's right.
00:15:53.48\00:15:54.82
You know, even trace
it further than that,
00:15:54.85\00:15:56.42
even to the days of Jesus,
00:15:56.45\00:15:58.05
even coming out of that 70 years
00:15:58.09\00:15:59.69
of Babylonian captivity.
00:15:59.72\00:16:01.16
You know, they get this idea,
00:16:01.19\00:16:02.66
this ultra
conservative mentality,
00:16:02.69\00:16:04.69
this ultra extreme legalistic
mentality that, you know,
00:16:04.73\00:16:08.33
we're not gonna fall
back into that again.
00:16:08.36\00:16:09.70
So then what happens ultimately,
00:16:09.73\00:16:12.30
is you have two groups
00:16:12.33\00:16:13.67
that are very prominent
and dominant in Christ day,
00:16:13.70\00:16:16.40
you have the
Pharisees and the Sadducees.
00:16:16.44\00:16:19.17
And, of course,
what's interesting, also,
00:16:19.21\00:16:21.48
common among all these
groups that I'm mentioning here,
00:16:21.51\00:16:24.05
is that there's a third
group, and that's the Remnant.
00:16:24.08\00:16:26.41
There's the third group,
00:16:26.45\00:16:27.85
those who don't get caught up
in all of the divisional left,
00:16:27.88\00:16:30.59
right, you know,
conservative, liberalism.
00:16:30.62\00:16:32.39
There's those who are balanced,
those who are in Christ.
00:16:32.42\00:16:34.99
Daniel and his friends,
00:16:35.02\00:16:36.36
they weren't ultra conservative.
00:16:36.39\00:16:37.93
They weren't, you
know, extreme liberal,
00:16:37.96\00:16:39.76
they weren't left or right.
00:16:39.79\00:16:41.13
They weren't, they
weren't finding themselves
00:16:41.16\00:16:42.50
in this divisional battle,
00:16:42.53\00:16:43.87
they were following
the Lord and we saw them
00:16:43.90\00:16:45.67
a part of that
remnant in his day.
00:16:45.70\00:16:47.20
And then what's interesting,
00:16:47.24\00:16:48.57
even all the way
down to the end of time,
00:16:48.60\00:16:49.94
it's prophesied that this
00:16:49.97\00:16:51.31
is still gonna
be very prominent,
00:16:51.34\00:16:52.67
because when you
study Daniel Chapter 11,
00:16:52.71\00:16:54.31
which again, is a whole
another study in and of itself,
00:16:54.34\00:16:56.54
you have the king of the
North and the king of the South.
00:16:56.58\00:17:00.65
And it's
interesting, because obviously,
00:17:00.68\00:17:02.15
those represent we
believe the, you know,
00:17:02.18\00:17:03.79
the papal system,
and this, you know,
00:17:03.82\00:17:06.32
this atheistic
spiritual mentality
00:17:06.35\00:17:08.62
that's
dominating during the time,
00:17:08.66\00:17:10.13
the king of the North
overcomes the king of the South.
00:17:10.16\00:17:12.43
But if again, when you read
about the king of the North,
00:17:12.46\00:17:14.36
there's nothing positive
00:17:14.40\00:17:15.73
to be said about
that King of the North,
00:17:15.76\00:17:17.10
even though he
overcomes the spirit of atheism,
00:17:17.13\00:17:19.93
you will see that the
devil is working both sides.
00:17:19.97\00:17:22.44
He's perfectly fine
to manipulate both sides
00:17:22.47\00:17:25.01
as long as there is division.
00:17:25.04\00:17:26.94
And so what ends up happening
is even in these last days,
00:17:26.98\00:17:30.25
and this is where we're
gonna kind of, you know,
00:17:30.28\00:17:32.28
go into our study and bringing
00:17:32.31\00:17:33.65
this into the church
and how it applies to us,
00:17:33.68\00:17:35.98
is many people today,
00:17:36.02\00:17:37.35
even within God's
Church, have been almost,
00:17:37.39\00:17:40.59
they've almost been subdued
00:17:40.62\00:17:43.26
by this spirit of
the North and the South,
00:17:43.29\00:17:45.73
the spirit of the
left and the right,
00:17:45.76\00:17:47.93
that, are you a part of
this group or that group?
00:17:47.96\00:17:50.27
Are you a part of
this camp of thought,
00:17:50.30\00:17:51.93
or that camp of thought?
00:17:51.97\00:17:53.44
And I'm certainly not
in any way saying that we,
00:17:53.47\00:17:56.00
you know, we can't
hold conservative values
00:17:56.04\00:17:58.27
or anything like that.
00:17:58.31\00:17:59.64
I believe most
people would probably say,
00:17:59.67\00:18:01.18
Ryan Day is a
conservative Christian.
00:18:01.21\00:18:03.71
In my values, I do have
conservative Christian values.
00:18:03.75\00:18:07.28
But I don't categorize myself
00:18:07.32\00:18:09.15
as being
conservative or liberal.
00:18:09.18\00:18:11.39
I want to be a
balanced Christian.
00:18:11.42\00:18:13.36
I want to make sure
that I have a balanced
00:18:13.39\00:18:14.76
approach to Christianity.
00:18:14.79\00:18:16.12
So, Dakota,
let's launch ourselves
00:18:16.16\00:18:17.49
into this study here.
00:18:17.53\00:18:18.86
We've kind of already launched
ourselves into the study.
00:18:18.89\00:18:21.13
But let's set it
up a little more.
00:18:21.16\00:18:22.50
Let's bring
about the body of this.
00:18:22.53\00:18:24.00
And let's talk about
what what's the problem
00:18:24.03\00:18:26.30
with someone who
might take the one,
00:18:26.33\00:18:28.67
maybe what they
might call the far right,
00:18:28.70\00:18:31.34
you know, ultra
conservative pharisaical,
00:18:31.37\00:18:34.61
extreme legalistic mentality,
which many people have this,
00:18:34.64\00:18:38.51
this idea almost of a
works approach to salvation,
00:18:38.55\00:18:41.65
because you got to make sure
00:18:41.68\00:18:43.69
you're doing
everything right to, you know,
00:18:43.72\00:18:45.92
win God's love or to
bring about God's favor.
00:18:45.95\00:18:48.12
Let's talk about
that. Let's do it.
00:18:48.16\00:18:49.56
So I remember growing
up in Christianity, Ryan,
00:18:49.59\00:18:52.76
you and I are
brothers, we grew up together.
00:18:52.79\00:18:54.13
We had very similar experiences.
00:18:54.16\00:18:56.26
And when I first
started learning,
00:18:56.30\00:18:58.07
all of the things
that I didn't know
00:18:58.10\00:18:59.67
in the Bible, right,
00:18:59.70\00:19:01.04
that I wasn't learning
from a lot of the other churches
00:19:01.07\00:19:02.40
that I had attended.
00:19:02.44\00:19:04.04
There was a, there was a, okay,
00:19:04.07\00:19:05.64
so I crawled by the grace
of God out of one ditch, right,
00:19:05.67\00:19:08.58
because there's two
ditches left and right.
00:19:08.61\00:19:10.68
And notice the ditches
on the left and the right.
00:19:10.71\00:19:12.71
Right. Right?
00:19:12.75\00:19:14.08
There's two ditches,
and there's one way, okay.
00:19:14.12\00:19:16.95
And Jesus says in
John 14:6, "I am the way."
00:19:16.99\00:19:20.06
That's right.
There's only one way, right?
00:19:20.09\00:19:21.59
There's not many ways.
00:19:21.62\00:19:23.26
And so in understanding
that I had grew up,
00:19:23.29\00:19:26.83
you and I were
raised in one ditch.
00:19:26.86\00:19:28.73
We were raised in
one specific ditch.
00:19:28.76\00:19:30.83
And when we crawled
out of that ditch of error,
00:19:30.87\00:19:34.97
we were so happy to
be out of that ditch,
00:19:35.00\00:19:37.41
we backed up so far,
00:19:37.44\00:19:38.91
so fast that we fell
into the other ditch.
00:19:38.94\00:19:41.24
At least that's been my...
00:19:41.28\00:19:42.81
I can't speak for you.
00:19:42.84\00:19:44.18
But I think you would
probably agree, though,
00:19:44.21\00:19:45.55
that sometimes we come
out of an idea that, you know,
00:19:45.58\00:19:49.75
we don't have to, you know,
00:19:49.78\00:19:51.15
really obey God
because if we profess
00:19:51.19\00:19:53.22
His name that He loves
us and everything's okay,
00:19:53.25\00:19:56.06
that we backed up
from that ditch so far
00:19:56.09\00:19:58.23
that we fell
into the other ditch
00:19:58.26\00:19:59.73
and works approach to salvation.
00:19:59.76\00:20:01.63
Now we've
learned all these things
00:20:01.66\00:20:03.00
that we need to do
00:20:03.03\00:20:04.37
and get our lives in
line with God's Word.
00:20:04.40\00:20:05.87
But then we make it about us
and our work rather than about
00:20:05.90\00:20:09.14
God's work in us
and focusing on Him.
00:20:09.17\00:20:11.97
And so, yeah, I do
want to talk about that.
00:20:12.01\00:20:13.34
Let's break it down. Yeah.
00:20:13.38\00:20:14.71
So in the Bible, you see
the story between the story
00:20:14.74\00:20:16.71
of the Pharisees
and the publican.
00:20:16.75\00:20:19.81
Let's read that.
It's in Luke Chapter 18.
00:20:19.85\00:20:21.52
Sure.
00:20:21.55\00:20:22.88
And this is a story that really,
00:20:22.92\00:20:24.25
it's very
paramount to understand,
00:20:24.29\00:20:26.69
especially for
every Christian today,
00:20:26.72\00:20:29.02
with this left and right
really becoming, you know,
00:20:29.06\00:20:31.99
liberal versus conservative,
00:20:32.03\00:20:33.36
really becoming
more problematic.
00:20:33.40\00:20:34.76
It's in Luke Chapter 18,
00:20:34.80\00:20:36.13
and I'm gonna
pick it up in verse 9.
00:20:36.16\00:20:37.50
Sure.
00:20:37.53\00:20:38.87
Notice what the
Word of God says.
00:20:38.90\00:20:40.24
It says, "And He
speak this parable
00:20:40.27\00:20:41.60
on unto certain
which trusted," in who?
00:20:41.64\00:20:44.21
"In themselves," the Bible says,
00:20:44.24\00:20:45.91
"that they were
righteous and despised others."
00:20:45.94\00:20:48.81
Okay.
00:20:48.84\00:20:50.18
So he's speaking to those people
00:20:50.21\00:20:51.55
who are trusting in themselves.
00:20:51.58\00:20:52.91
Right.
00:20:52.95\00:20:54.28
And now he's
about to tell the story
00:20:54.32\00:20:55.65
of two guys that go to church.
00:20:55.68\00:20:57.02
Right? Okay. All right.
00:20:57.05\00:20:58.39
So these are two
Christians, right?
00:20:58.42\00:20:59.75
Two professed Christians. Right.
00:20:59.79\00:21:01.12
But he puts them in two camps
that everybody can relate to.
00:21:01.16\00:21:02.69
He says, "Two men went
up into the temple to pray.
00:21:02.72\00:21:04.99
The one a Pharisee
and the other a publican."
00:21:05.03\00:21:08.10
One of these
men were considered,
00:21:08.13\00:21:09.46
you know, holy,
00:21:09.50\00:21:10.83
and the other
men were considered,
00:21:10.87\00:21:12.20
you know, a
beyond, you know, the dirt.
00:21:12.23\00:21:13.57
Yeah, dirt, yeah. Dirt, right?
00:21:13.60\00:21:15.04
And so a Pharisee
and a publican, right?
00:21:15.07\00:21:17.07
You can't get any
more dichotomous than that.
00:21:17.11\00:21:19.04
And verse 11, it says,
00:21:19.07\00:21:20.41
"The Pharisees stood and
prayed thus within himself.
00:21:20.44\00:21:22.61
And notice when he prayed, "God,
00:21:22.64\00:21:24.51
I think thee that I
am not as other men are."
00:21:24.55\00:21:28.12
So notice, he eventually
starts talking about himself.
00:21:28.15\00:21:29.85
Right.
00:21:29.88\00:21:31.22
It's not focused on Jesus,
00:21:31.25\00:21:32.59
not on His love, but on himself.
00:21:32.62\00:21:33.96
He says, "Extortionist
and unjust adulterers and,
00:21:33.99\00:21:36.62
or even as this publican."
00:21:36.66\00:21:38.69
Oh, pointing fingers now.
00:21:38.73\00:21:40.13
It's tax collector, right?
00:21:40.16\00:21:41.50
Imagine this publican
00:21:41.53\00:21:42.86
is sitting next
to him in prayer.
00:21:42.90\00:21:44.57
And this Pharisee comes
in with his head caught high,
00:21:44.60\00:21:47.44
you know, thinking, he's,
he's got it all down path.
00:21:47.47\00:21:49.84
He's been a
Christian his whole life.
00:21:49.87\00:21:51.21
You ever met someone like that?
00:21:51.24\00:21:52.57
Oh, of course. You
try to witness to them.
00:21:52.61\00:21:53.94
And they say,
I've been born again.
00:21:53.98\00:21:55.71
Fourth, fifth generation.
00:21:55.74\00:21:57.08
Yeah. Yeah.
00:21:57.11\00:21:58.45
I don't need you
telling me about Jesus.
00:21:58.48\00:22:00.65
Right. I've been in
the church too long.
00:22:00.68\00:22:02.02
Yeah, yeah.
00:22:02.05\00:22:03.39
I've come too far for
you to tell me, right?
00:22:03.42\00:22:04.82
And so he starts pointing
to this publican, it says here.
00:22:04.85\00:22:09.92
I think he goes on
to talk about he says,
00:22:09.96\00:22:12.46
"Or even as this publican,
I fast twice in the week."
00:22:12.49\00:22:15.23
Right. Again, "What does he do?
00:22:15.26\00:22:16.73
I fast twice in a week.
00:22:16.77\00:22:18.10
And I give all the
tithes of all that I possess."
00:22:18.13\00:22:21.57
And then so while
he's focused on himself
00:22:21.60\00:22:23.61
and talking about his
works, what he's done.
00:22:23.64\00:22:25.67
Right. Notice the
other dichotomy here.
00:22:25.71\00:22:28.74
"The publican, standing far off,
00:22:28.78\00:22:31.21
would not lift up so
much as his eyes under heaven,
00:22:31.25\00:22:34.52
but smoke his breast saying,
00:22:34.55\00:22:36.85
"God be merciful
to me, a sinner."
00:22:36.89\00:22:39.12
Right.
00:22:39.15\00:22:40.49
"And then Jesus
says, I tell you, this man,
00:22:40.52\00:22:42.52
speaking of the publican,
00:22:42.56\00:22:44.06
went down to his house justified
00:22:44.09\00:22:46.26
rather than the other,
00:22:46.29\00:22:48.16
for everyone that
exalted themselves
00:22:48.20\00:22:49.96
shall be abased.
00:22:50.00\00:22:51.33
And he that humbled
himself shall be exalted."
00:22:51.37\00:22:54.57
So you know, Paul
in his conversion.
00:22:54.60\00:22:56.77
I just want to
throw this out there.
00:22:56.81\00:22:58.14
I wasn't planning on
saying this but it came to me.
00:22:58.17\00:23:00.31
Paul in his conversion,
when he started out, he said, "
00:23:00.34\00:23:03.91
I'm up there, I'm the
least of the apostles.
00:23:03.95\00:23:06.78
I'm up there with them.
00:23:06.82\00:23:08.15
I'm just the least
of the apostles." Right.
00:23:08.18\00:23:09.55
And then he came midway through
his ministry, and he says,
00:23:09.58\00:23:12.02
"I'm the least
of all the saints."
00:23:12.05\00:23:13.62
Right.
00:23:13.66\00:23:14.99
So now, he says, "I'm the
least of all God's people."
00:23:15.02\00:23:16.46
Yeah.
00:23:16.49\00:23:17.83
And then he gets to the
very end of his ministry,
00:23:17.86\00:23:19.53
to his writing to Timothy.
00:23:19.56\00:23:21.13
And he says, "I am
the chief of sinners."
00:23:21.16\00:23:23.87
Right.
00:23:23.90\00:23:25.23
So you can't say Paul was
drawing further away from God,
00:23:25.27\00:23:28.34
he was drawn closer to God.
00:23:28.37\00:23:29.94
And just like this publican,
00:23:29.97\00:23:31.84
he saw himself as
the chiefest of sinners,
00:23:31.87\00:23:34.24
not the holier than thou.
00:23:34.28\00:23:35.98
Right.
00:23:36.01\00:23:37.35
And I think this
is very important
00:23:37.38\00:23:38.71
for us to
understand as Christians
00:23:38.75\00:23:40.08
that we don't place
ourselves in a mindset
00:23:40.12\00:23:43.02
is if we're
holier than someone else,
00:23:43.05\00:23:44.39
just because we do
00:23:44.42\00:23:45.75
something else
different than someone.
00:23:45.79\00:23:47.12
Well, because we
believe something.
00:23:47.16\00:23:48.49
Exactly.
00:23:48.52\00:23:49.86
Other oftentimes, you know,
00:23:49.89\00:23:51.23
that seems to be
the mentality is,
00:23:51.26\00:23:52.59
because I believe
these certain, you know,
00:23:52.63\00:23:53.96
theological tenants or I believe
00:23:54.00\00:23:55.33
these certain principles,
and, and I and I uphold them,
00:23:55.36\00:23:57.87
and I keep them and I teach them
00:23:57.90\00:23:59.23
and I preach them that you know,
00:23:59.27\00:24:00.60
these other groups of people
00:24:00.64\00:24:01.97
or these other people
are not right with God,
00:24:02.00\00:24:03.34
and therefore,
00:24:03.37\00:24:04.71
you know, God has put me
here to straighten them out.
00:24:04.74\00:24:06.31
And, you know, often
that mentality comes up
00:24:06.34\00:24:08.94
of kind of an oppressive,
00:24:08.98\00:24:10.31
a spiritual, oppressive
attitude towards others.
00:24:10.35\00:24:11.91
That's right.
00:24:11.95\00:24:13.28
Because you're
here and they're here.
00:24:13.31\00:24:14.75
And that's exactly what
Christ is addressing here,
00:24:14.78\00:24:16.95
He's saying, "No, no, no,
00:24:16.99\00:24:18.32
that's not the
case all the time."
00:24:18.35\00:24:19.69
I remember when we
first came into this truth
00:24:19.72\00:24:22.56
that we know today.
00:24:22.59\00:24:25.03
We became so
focused on what we do,
00:24:25.06\00:24:28.30
and what we don't do.
00:24:28.33\00:24:29.66
Right. The gospel itself.
00:24:29.70\00:24:31.17
The good news was
not about what Jesus did.
00:24:31.20\00:24:33.40
It was about
what do we do? Yeah.
00:24:33.44\00:24:35.34
You know, and we've prided
ourselves in that, you know,
00:24:35.37\00:24:37.67
we've changed our
diets and the way we eat.
00:24:37.71\00:24:40.14
And we prided
ourselves in the fact
00:24:40.18\00:24:42.34
that we know what
day is the Sabbath day.
00:24:42.38\00:24:44.75
We know what day to keep
holy and all of these things.
00:24:44.78\00:24:47.68
And as I look back on that,
I just frown upon myself now.
00:24:47.72\00:24:52.02
And it's not that
those things are bad, right?
00:24:52.05\00:24:53.76
I mean, we still
believe in its true Sabbath day.
00:24:53.79\00:24:56.09
We still believe, you know,
00:24:56.12\00:24:57.46
in upholding the
proper biblical diet,
00:24:57.49\00:24:59.49
but there's a
mentality shift, right?
00:24:59.53\00:25:01.30
That's right.
00:25:01.33\00:25:02.66
The motivation and the
reason for these things
00:25:02.70\00:25:05.10
is not that they earn
us anything or make us
00:25:05.13\00:25:07.70
more holier than someone else.
00:25:07.74\00:25:09.10
Paul never considered himself
holier than someone else,
00:25:09.14\00:25:11.57
because he got beat, you know,
00:25:11.61\00:25:13.84
multiple times for
preaching the gospel,
00:25:13.88\00:25:15.61
or he got stoned
to death, you know,
00:25:15.64\00:25:17.35
or he was shipwrecked
for many days at sea.
00:25:17.38\00:25:19.41
I mean, he never
considered himself
00:25:19.45\00:25:20.92
better than
anybody for those reasons.
00:25:20.95\00:25:23.35
But in our society today,
00:25:23.39\00:25:24.75
it's kind of a natural tendency,
00:25:24.79\00:25:26.62
I think when we
come to know something
00:25:26.65\00:25:28.62
that most people
don't, haven't yet learned.
00:25:28.66\00:25:30.33
Sure.
00:25:30.36\00:25:31.69
We tend to think
we're better than them.
00:25:31.73\00:25:33.19
And we create this
judgmental attitude,
00:25:33.23\00:25:36.03
where we start judging
others and putting ourselves up
00:25:36.06\00:25:37.97
on a pedestal and others
down here like they're lower.
00:25:38.00\00:25:40.40
Right.
00:25:40.44\00:25:41.77
You know, it's
interesting, because this is,
00:25:41.80\00:25:43.14
you know, not anything new.
00:25:43.17\00:25:44.51
This is an age old situation
when it goes all the way back
00:25:44.54\00:25:47.21
to the Garden of Eden.
00:25:47.24\00:25:48.58
You know, just simply
talking about Adam and Eve,
00:25:48.61\00:25:50.95
and Cain and Abel.
00:25:50.98\00:25:52.31
I mean, there's
some examples there,
00:25:52.35\00:25:53.88
where we see the
difference between
00:25:53.92\00:25:55.62
a works approach to salvation.
00:25:55.65\00:25:57.79
Again, this, what one
might consider a far right,
00:25:57.82\00:26:01.12
ultra conservative perspective
versus an extreme liberal,
00:26:01.16\00:26:05.16
you know, relaxed, you
know, anything goes perspective.
00:26:05.19\00:26:07.96
We see that
even in Adam and Eve,
00:26:08.00\00:26:10.40
and Cain and Abel in
the very beginning...
00:26:10.43\00:26:11.83
Talk a little bit
about that for our viewers?
00:26:11.87\00:26:13.64
You know, what's
happening in the garden there
00:26:13.67\00:26:15.20
with Adam and Eve
and their garments?
00:26:15.24\00:26:16.57
And then with Cain and
Abel and their offerings?
00:26:16.60\00:26:18.17
You clearly illustrate this.
00:26:18.21\00:26:19.87
It's very beautiful to,
you know, Cain and Abel...
00:26:19.91\00:26:22.74
I'll talk about
Adam and Eve first.
00:26:22.78\00:26:24.21
Let's do it
chronologically. Sure.
00:26:24.25\00:26:25.58
So Adam and Eve,
00:26:25.61\00:26:26.95
the very first thing the Bible
says that they ever created.
00:26:26.98\00:26:29.38
You read Genesis 3:7,
it says that, "Mankind,
00:26:29.42\00:26:32.82
Adam and Eve have made
00:26:32.85\00:26:34.19
themselves coverings or aprons."
00:26:34.22\00:26:36.06
Right. Right?
00:26:36.09\00:26:37.43
Now, why did they do
that? It's because they sinned.
00:26:37.46\00:26:39.09
And now the result of sin was
that they're naked and ashamed.
00:26:39.13\00:26:42.76
They're guilty, right?
And they feel that shame.
00:26:42.80\00:26:45.70
And so our natural
response is to cover that up,
00:26:45.73\00:26:48.17
to try to fix it ourselves.
00:26:48.20\00:26:50.61
How many times if
you sin and you say,
00:26:50.64\00:26:51.97
"I'm gonna do better this time,
I'm gonna do better, you know."
00:26:52.01\00:26:55.71
Gonna
white-knuckle my way into this.
00:26:55.74\00:26:57.11
And that's the idea of a works
approach to salvation, right?
00:26:57.15\00:26:59.68
I'm gonna do myself,
I'm gonna do this myself,
00:26:59.71\00:27:02.52
and I'm gonna accomplish this.
00:27:02.55\00:27:04.02
And that's just the wrong
concept to think out. Sure.
00:27:04.05\00:27:06.32
And so, they, the
first thing mankind ever made
00:27:06.35\00:27:10.69
was that apron to cover.
00:27:10.73\00:27:12.83
And then get check this out.
00:27:12.86\00:27:14.23
Genesis 3:21, the first
thing God made after creation,
00:27:14.26\00:27:18.10
first thing mankind
ever made after creation
00:27:18.13\00:27:20.47
was that apron
to cover their sins,
00:27:20.50\00:27:22.24
but it can't, yeah.
00:27:22.27\00:27:24.27
The first thing God
ever made after creation
00:27:24.31\00:27:27.24
was a covering for their sins.
00:27:27.28\00:27:28.81
And this was a
lambskin the Bible says,
00:27:28.84\00:27:31.45
"To cover their
nakedness by the lamb's skin."
00:27:31.48\00:27:35.32
Not theirs. Not their work.
00:27:35.35\00:27:37.32
Their work wasn't good enough.
00:27:37.35\00:27:38.69
It wasn't good enough. Right?
00:27:38.72\00:27:40.06
Right. What does Isaiah say?
00:27:40.09\00:27:41.42
"Our righteousness
is as filthy rags."
00:27:41.46\00:27:43.46
Yeah. Right.
00:27:43.49\00:27:44.83
And so Jesus come
and He covered that,
00:27:44.86\00:27:47.23
and He helped them to see
that nothing that you can do
00:27:47.26\00:27:50.90
can ever fix what you've done.
00:27:50.93\00:27:52.37
Right. Right?
00:27:52.40\00:27:53.74
Okay. And I just
want to say this.
00:27:53.77\00:27:55.64
This is a powerful
truth that I've come
00:27:55.67\00:27:57.31
to really love more and more.
00:27:57.34\00:27:58.67
I don't even know who said this.
00:27:58.71\00:28:00.04
This is just a saying
that I've adopted myself
00:28:00.08\00:28:02.94
when I share evangelistically.
00:28:02.98\00:28:05.18
"There's nothing that you can do
00:28:05.21\00:28:06.78
to cause God to love you more.
00:28:06.82\00:28:09.15
And there's nothing you can do
to cause God to love you less.
00:28:09.18\00:28:12.65
God's love is the same."
00:28:12.69\00:28:14.59
That's right. Right?
00:28:14.62\00:28:15.96
When we look at His love,
00:28:15.99\00:28:17.39
that's what is
really going to inspire
00:28:17.43\00:28:19.26
the right concept
and the right motive...
00:28:19.29\00:28:21.56
And the balanced
approach. The balanced approach.
00:28:21.60\00:28:23.13
Absolutely.
00:28:23.16\00:28:24.50
The notion behind it. Exactly.
00:28:24.53\00:28:26.23
I love Philippians 1:6,
it's one of my favorite,
00:28:26.27\00:28:29.37
I'd say it's
probably my favorite verse,
00:28:29.40\00:28:30.91
"I will hold on to that promise,
00:28:30.94\00:28:32.27
you know, that we can be
confident in this very thing
00:28:32.31\00:28:34.54
that He who has
begun a good work in us,
00:28:34.58\00:28:37.11
He will complete it into
the day of Jesus Christ."
00:28:37.15\00:28:39.08
Who completes it?
00:28:39.11\00:28:40.45
He completes it.
He does the work.
00:28:40.48\00:28:41.82
He completes it.
00:28:41.85\00:28:43.18
We just have to simply
surrender our will to Him.
00:28:43.22\00:28:45.42
I just want to
mention one more thing.
00:28:45.45\00:28:46.79
Yeah, go ahead.
Because this is powerful.
00:28:46.82\00:28:48.16
So the rich young
ruler, you remember the story?
00:28:48.19\00:28:50.13
He come to Jesus and he said,
00:28:50.16\00:28:51.49
"What must I do to
inherit eternal life?"
00:28:51.53\00:28:54.13
Right. That was
his question to Jesus.
00:28:54.16\00:28:55.76
And then Jesus
lays it out for him.
00:28:55.80\00:28:57.20
And then he
walks away sorrowful.
00:28:57.23\00:28:58.57
Because what was
his focus on? His works.
00:28:58.60\00:29:00.70
What I need to do
to get eternal life.
00:29:00.74\00:29:03.00
As if eternal life comes by
00:29:03.04\00:29:04.87
our works or by something we do.
00:29:04.91\00:29:07.88
He's a rich young ruler, right?
00:29:07.91\00:29:09.34
He walks away sorrowful
and the disciples are like,
00:29:09.38\00:29:11.28
"Oh, who can be saved then?"
00:29:11.31\00:29:13.75
You know, like, I
mean, if he can't be saved.
00:29:13.78\00:29:15.38
And he's rich, I mean,
00:29:15.42\00:29:16.75
because the
Jews highly esteemed,
00:29:16.79\00:29:18.12
they esteemed the rich
00:29:18.15\00:29:19.49
as high, regard as righteous.
00:29:19.52\00:29:20.86
They're doing something right.
00:29:20.89\00:29:22.22
Yeah, that's why
they're blessed, right?
00:29:22.26\00:29:23.59
And the very next
chapter in Chapter 19,
00:29:23.63\00:29:25.79
Jesus meets this
young man named Zacchaeus.
00:29:25.83\00:29:27.50
Yeah, very next chapter.
00:29:27.53\00:29:28.86
I love that. Right.
00:29:28.90\00:29:30.23
And then, and it says,
"For he was very rich."
00:29:30.27\00:29:32.23
Right. Right?
00:29:32.27\00:29:33.60
There's so much in
that story I can share,
00:29:33.64\00:29:34.97
but I'll just
share the main point
00:29:35.00\00:29:36.34
in connection with this.
00:29:36.37\00:29:37.71
The Bible says and
it's, it's in Luke Chapter 19.
00:29:37.74\00:29:41.68
And notice its verse,
00:29:41.71\00:29:44.61
verse 3, I believe.
00:29:44.65\00:29:47.68
Yeah, verse 3, it says,
"And he sought to see Jesus,
00:29:47.72\00:29:51.35
who He was."
00:29:51.39\00:29:53.36
Notice the two dichotomy here,
00:29:53.39\00:29:55.19
you have the rich young
ruler rich man seeking Jesus,
00:29:55.22\00:29:58.13
what can I do to get heaven.
00:29:58.16\00:30:00.33
That's right.
00:30:00.36\00:30:01.70
Zacchaeus comes
with the right concept.
00:30:01.73\00:30:03.23
And he says,
00:30:03.26\00:30:04.60
"I just want to see
Jesus to see if this guy's
00:30:04.63\00:30:06.67
really who they say He is."
00:30:06.70\00:30:08.14
Right. Okay.
00:30:08.17\00:30:09.50
Wow, that's, that's awesome.
00:30:09.54\00:30:11.21
It's not about what you do.
00:30:11.24\00:30:12.94
It's who you know,
00:30:12.97\00:30:14.31
and who you know
changes what you do.
00:30:14.34\00:30:15.78
That's right. I
love that. I love that.
00:30:15.81\00:30:17.15
I found this powerful quote
that kind of goes along with
00:30:17.18\00:30:19.25
what we're talking about here.
00:30:19.28\00:30:20.68
This comes from
Desire of Ages, page 309.
00:30:20.72\00:30:23.28
It's a lengthy quote,
00:30:23.32\00:30:24.65
but I want you to
listen very carefully
00:30:24.69\00:30:26.02
to this, my friends,
00:30:26.05\00:30:27.39
because there's so much truth
packed into this one quote,
00:30:27.42\00:30:29.59
again, this is
Desire of Ages, page 309.
00:30:29.62\00:30:32.79
Notice what it's
talking about here,
00:30:32.83\00:30:34.16
again, this ultra conservative
pharisaical mentality
00:30:34.20\00:30:37.37
that we're
discussing at the moment,
00:30:37.40\00:30:38.77
and then we're gonna go
00:30:38.80\00:30:40.14
to the other
side in just a moment.
00:30:40.17\00:30:41.50
But listen to this quote.
00:30:41.54\00:30:42.87
It says, "The greatest
deception of the human mind
00:30:42.90\00:30:45.01
in Christ's day
was that a mere ascent
00:30:45.04\00:30:48.34
to the truth
constitutes righteousness.
00:30:48.38\00:30:50.95
In all human experience,
00:30:50.98\00:30:52.65
a theoretical knowledge
of the truth has been proved
00:30:52.68\00:30:55.75
to be insufficient for
the saving of the soul."
00:30:55.78\00:30:58.75
So again, she's
saying, you know,
00:30:58.79\00:31:00.12
she's expressing the
idea that, you know what?
00:31:00.16\00:31:01.79
"Because I believe this,
00:31:01.82\00:31:03.16
and because I
ascribe to certain rules
00:31:03.19\00:31:05.26
and ideas in a
certain organization,
00:31:05.29\00:31:07.20
well, then I must
be saved or I must be
00:31:07.23\00:31:09.06
in good favor with God."
00:31:09.10\00:31:10.43
But she goes on to saying,
00:31:10.47\00:31:11.80
"It does not bring forth
the fruits of righteousness.
00:31:11.83\00:31:14.87
A jealous regard for what
is termed theological truth
00:31:14.90\00:31:18.24
often accompanies a
hatred of genuine truth
00:31:18.27\00:31:21.34
as made manifest in life."
00:31:21.38\00:31:24.45
It says, "The darkest
chapters of history are burdened
00:31:24.48\00:31:27.25
with the record of crimes
00:31:27.28\00:31:28.75
committed by
bigoted religionist.
00:31:28.78\00:31:31.45
The Pharisees claimed
to be children of Abraham,
00:31:31.49\00:31:34.12
and boasted of their possessions
00:31:34.16\00:31:35.89
of the oracles of God.
00:31:35.92\00:31:37.26
Yet these advantages did not
preserve them from selfishness,
00:31:37.29\00:31:42.03
malignity, greed for
gain, and the basest hypocrisy.
00:31:42.06\00:31:47.14
They sought themselves
the greatest religionists
00:31:47.17\00:31:49.30
of the world,
00:31:49.34\00:31:50.67
but their so
called orthodoxy led them
00:31:50.71\00:31:53.41
to crucify the Lord of Glory."
00:31:53.44\00:31:56.75
And then this
last part gets me here.
00:31:56.78\00:31:58.61
She says, "The same
dangers still exists today.
00:31:58.65\00:32:03.39
Many take it for granted
that they are Christians simply
00:32:03.42\00:32:06.02
because they subscribe to
certain theological tenants,
00:32:06.05\00:32:09.09
but they have not brought
the truth into practical life.
00:32:09.12\00:32:13.93
They have not
believed and loved it.
00:32:13.96\00:32:15.80
Therefore, they have not
received the power and grace
00:32:15.83\00:32:18.60
that comes through
sanctification of the truth.
00:32:18.63\00:32:22.20
Men may profess
faith in the truth,
00:32:22.24\00:32:24.64
but it does not make
them sincere, kind, patient,
00:32:24.67\00:32:29.71
forbearing, heavenly minded.
00:32:29.74\00:32:32.35
It is a curse to its possessors.
00:32:32.38\00:32:35.22
And through their influence,
it is a curse to the world."
00:32:35.25\00:32:38.29
Oh, God have mercy. Yes.
00:32:38.32\00:32:40.12
I do not want to
have that mentality.
00:32:40.16\00:32:41.89
You know, this is why
Gandhi said I love your Christ,
00:32:41.92\00:32:44.76
but hate your Christian.
00:32:44.79\00:32:46.16
Oh, wow.
00:32:46.19\00:32:47.53
This is exactly what the author
00:32:47.56\00:32:49.06
here is talking
about Desire of Ages.
00:32:49.10\00:32:50.43
It's so powerful because
we see that so much today.
00:32:50.47\00:32:53.87
You know, the world's wanting
to flush Christianity down
00:32:53.90\00:32:56.20
the toilet because
of this very thing.
00:32:56.24\00:32:57.67
We might speak great thoughts,
00:32:57.71\00:32:59.17
but we don't
live consistent lives.
00:32:59.21\00:33:00.68
Right. Right.
00:33:00.71\00:33:02.04
And, and this is
exactly the point.
00:33:02.08\00:33:03.51
We have to come to know Jesus
not just know the information
00:33:03.55\00:33:07.02
about Jesus, not just.
00:33:07.05\00:33:08.38
We got to come to know Jesus
not just know a lot about Him.
00:33:08.42\00:33:10.02
Right.
00:33:10.05\00:33:11.39
You can know a
lot about somebody
00:33:11.42\00:33:12.75
and not yet really know them.
00:33:12.79\00:33:14.12
Right. Absolutely. Absolutely.
00:33:14.16\00:33:15.49
So let's go to
the other side now.
00:33:15.52\00:33:17.09
Okay.
00:33:17.13\00:33:18.46
Because I know there's
someone watching this says,
00:33:18.49\00:33:19.83
"Man, I love what
these guys are saying, boy,
00:33:19.86\00:33:21.46
they're really putting
00:33:21.50\00:33:22.83
those ultra conservative
Christians in their place."
00:33:22.86\00:33:24.80
You know, "Praise the Lord,
00:33:24.83\00:33:26.53
that we're not saved
by the works of the law.
00:33:26.57\00:33:29.27
We're not saved by what we do.
00:33:29.30\00:33:31.41
But we're saved by the
grace of Jesus Christ."
00:33:31.44\00:33:33.81
And so the idea is,
if works doesn't save us,
00:33:33.84\00:33:37.41
then, you know,
00:33:37.45\00:33:38.78
how does this play
into the conversation
00:33:38.81\00:33:40.15
of what we're talking about?
00:33:40.18\00:33:41.52
So let's flip to the other side,
00:33:41.55\00:33:42.88
because there's people
00:33:42.92\00:33:44.25
from the conservative
standpoint that says,
00:33:44.29\00:33:45.79
"Oh, those
people have, you know,
00:33:45.82\00:33:47.29
extreme liberal views, you know,
00:33:47.32\00:33:48.99
they believe that
they're saved, you know,
00:33:49.02\00:33:50.79
and there's nothing they can do
00:33:50.83\00:33:52.16
that that's gonna
separate them from God."
00:33:52.19\00:33:54.16
That mentality
from the Book of Romans
00:33:54.20\00:33:57.13
that we're gonna talk
about in just a moment.
00:33:57.17\00:33:58.70
But let's talk
about this idea, this.
00:33:58.73\00:34:00.77
I don't want to really dub
it, "Once saved, always saved,"
00:34:00.80\00:34:04.01
even though that
kind of seems to be
00:34:04.04\00:34:05.57
the foundation in
some people's mind.
00:34:05.61\00:34:07.44
But the idea that, "You
know what, no matter what I do,
00:34:07.48\00:34:10.65
I'm still saved
because I profess Jesus,
00:34:10.68\00:34:13.25
and He's my Lord and Savior,
00:34:13.28\00:34:14.65
and I've accepted His sacrifice,
00:34:14.68\00:34:16.35
and therefore, the law
has no place in my life,
00:34:16.38\00:34:18.89
works have no place in my life,
00:34:18.92\00:34:20.92
because I'm a safe Christian."
00:34:20.96\00:34:22.29
Let's talk about
that for a moment.
00:34:22.32\00:34:23.66
I think we need
to understand grace.
00:34:23.69\00:34:25.23
I mean, because we
are saved by grace.
00:34:25.26\00:34:27.20
And let's read the scriptures.
00:34:27.23\00:34:28.56
Ephesians 2:8, and we're gonna
read a couple more verses here.
00:34:28.60\00:34:31.80
Ryan, why don't you
read Ephesians 2:8-10?
00:34:31.83\00:34:34.40
And then let's talk
about it? Absolutely.
00:34:34.44\00:34:35.94
These are the famous
verses that most obviously,
00:34:35.97\00:34:39.04
this is kind of
the capstone verses,
00:34:39.07\00:34:40.61
cornerstone verses.
00:34:40.64\00:34:41.98
When we're talking about being
saved by grace through faith,
00:34:42.01\00:34:44.11
this is what we
get at Ephesians 2,
00:34:44.15\00:34:46.25
and we're gonna read 8-10.
00:34:46.28\00:34:48.68
But most people
only read verses 8-9.
00:34:48.72\00:34:51.45
They don't read verse
10, when they read this.
00:34:51.49\00:34:53.15
But we're gonna
tack on verse 10,
00:34:53.19\00:34:54.62
because it's a complete,
00:34:54.66\00:34:55.99
it's a complete
package deal here.
00:34:56.02\00:34:58.46
So Ephesians 2:8-10.
00:34:58.49\00:35:01.00
And the Bible says,
and this is Paul writing.
00:35:01.03\00:35:02.90
He says, "For by grace you
have been saved through faith,
00:35:02.93\00:35:05.53
and that not of yourselves,
00:35:05.57\00:35:07.50
it is the gift of
God, not of works,
00:35:07.54\00:35:10.67
lest anyone should boast."
00:35:10.71\00:35:12.11
Now that's verses 8-9.
00:35:12.14\00:35:13.48
So many people stop
right there and they say,
00:35:13.51\00:35:14.84
"Praise the Lord.
00:35:14.88\00:35:16.21
I'm saved by
grace through faith,
00:35:16.24\00:35:17.65
not of myself, not of works.
00:35:17.68\00:35:20.32
I'm saved just by grace."
00:35:20.35\00:35:22.18
Grace, grace,
grace, grace, grace, grace,
00:35:22.22\00:35:23.79
as much and they
now manipulate Romans 5.
00:35:23.82\00:35:26.05
In Romans 5:20-21,
00:35:26.09\00:35:28.46
"Just as much
as I sin, you know,
00:35:28.49\00:35:30.83
grace has so much
more bounded over my sin."
00:35:30.86\00:35:32.86
As much as I sin,
00:35:32.89\00:35:34.23
God just keeps
pouring on more grace.
00:35:34.26\00:35:35.76
But then notice verse 10 here,
00:35:35.80\00:35:37.53
because Paul puts it
in his proper perspective
00:35:37.57\00:35:39.73
of how works fit in.
00:35:39.77\00:35:41.17
Uh-huh. Verse 10.
00:35:41.20\00:35:42.54
He says, "For we are His
workmanship," I love this,
00:35:42.57\00:35:47.01
"created in Christ
Jesus for good works."
00:35:47.04\00:35:50.68
That's right.
00:35:50.71\00:35:52.05
"Which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them."
00:35:52.08\00:35:55.55
We should walk in
them. That's right.
00:35:55.58\00:35:56.92
That's right. That's right.
00:35:56.95\00:35:58.29
We got to be
walking what we're talking.
00:35:58.32\00:36:01.82
And so one of the key points
00:36:01.86\00:36:03.79
here I wanted to
bring out from verse 8.
00:36:03.83\00:36:05.19
Ephesians 2:8, it says,
00:36:05.23\00:36:06.86
"For by grace, are
you saved," but notice,
00:36:06.90\00:36:10.03
"through something."
00:36:10.07\00:36:11.40
I love that, yeah. Through what?
00:36:11.43\00:36:12.77
Through faith. Through faith.
00:36:12.80\00:36:14.14
That's right. Through faith.
00:36:14.17\00:36:15.50
So we have to understand
faith's role in salvation.
00:36:15.54\00:36:18.84
And it's that if
you have real faith,
00:36:18.87\00:36:20.21
I've gave the
illustration many times, Ryan.
00:36:20.24\00:36:21.84
We have people these
days that are gunman,
00:36:21.88\00:36:24.11
they walk into
normal places, you know,
00:36:24.15\00:36:25.68
normal places
that we convenient,
00:36:25.71\00:36:27.08
everyday, grocery
stores, or whatever,
00:36:27.12\00:36:28.65
and they just go in
with guns start shooting.
00:36:28.68\00:36:30.42
Let's imagine for a moment,
00:36:30.45\00:36:32.05
we're in a scenario
00:36:32.09\00:36:33.42
we're in a
grocery store shopping,
00:36:33.46\00:36:34.79
and we see a guy
walk in with a gun,
00:36:34.82\00:36:36.16
God forbid, but
we see it happen.
00:36:36.19\00:36:37.53
And we see this
guy take his clip
00:36:37.56\00:36:39.03
and put it in
the gun and you know,
00:36:39.06\00:36:41.96
cog a bullet in the chamber,
00:36:42.00\00:36:43.37
what's everyone in
that buildings reaction
00:36:43.40\00:36:45.37
gonna be if they saw that?
00:36:45.40\00:36:47.20
They believe the gun is loaded.
00:36:47.24\00:36:48.74
And because they
get this "believe."
00:36:48.77\00:36:51.91
It sparks
something. They act like it.
00:36:51.94\00:36:53.78
It sparks a
response. That's right.
00:36:53.81\00:36:55.14
That's right, because
they believe they act like it.
00:36:55.18\00:36:56.51
And so they're
gonna hit the floor,
00:36:56.54\00:36:58.31
they're gonna
scream, they're gonna run.
00:36:58.35\00:36:59.68
I mean, they're
gonna respond. Right.
00:36:59.71\00:37:01.22
So in other words,
if we believe heaven
00:37:01.25\00:37:02.88
is loaded with a real God,
00:37:02.92\00:37:05.59
we should have fruit showing
that we actually believe that.
00:37:05.62\00:37:08.22
That we act like it.
00:37:08.26\00:37:09.62
And I think that's what we have
to understand faith's response
00:37:09.66\00:37:11.79
if you really believe,
there should be a response.
00:37:11.83\00:37:15.13
Amen. Praise the Lord.
00:37:15.16\00:37:16.50
I love Romans 1:5 as well.
00:37:16.53\00:37:18.67
I mean, this is
obviously I believe,
00:37:18.70\00:37:20.70
it's Paul's Manifesto.
00:37:20.74\00:37:22.07
Romans is one of
my favorite books.
00:37:22.10\00:37:23.71
But Romans 1:5.
00:37:23.74\00:37:26.57
Let's read that there.
00:37:26.61\00:37:27.94
In Romans 1:5 says,
00:37:27.98\00:37:29.84
"Through Him,
speaking of Christ,
00:37:29.88\00:37:31.51
through Him, we
have received grace
00:37:31.55\00:37:33.65
and apostleship for obedience."
00:37:33.68\00:37:36.85
That's right.
Okay, so catch that.
00:37:36.89\00:37:39.32
"Through Him, through Christ,
00:37:39.35\00:37:40.72
we have received
grace and apostleship,
00:37:40.76\00:37:44.19
for obedience to the
faith among all nations
00:37:44.23\00:37:48.10
for His name."
00:37:48.13\00:37:49.46
So the natural
response to being saved by
00:37:49.50\00:37:52.57
grace is what?
00:37:52.60\00:37:54.17
Lord, what can I do?
00:37:54.20\00:37:55.54
You know what it should be?
00:37:55.57\00:37:56.91
Yes, Lord. Yeah, that's right.
00:37:56.94\00:37:58.27
Obedience.
00:37:58.31\00:37:59.64
Our response should be,
"Yes, Lord." That's right.
00:37:59.67\00:38:01.01
Jesus said in John 14:15,
00:38:01.04\00:38:02.88
"If you love Me,
keep My commandments."
00:38:02.91\00:38:04.88
We don't keep them
because it saves us.
00:38:04.91\00:38:06.51
We keep them
because we love Him.
00:38:06.55\00:38:08.35
And we love Him because
He saved us by our grace,
00:38:08.38\00:38:10.85
or by His grace.
00:38:10.89\00:38:12.22
And, of course, we are
saved by grace through faith.
00:38:12.25\00:38:14.32
And it's not just any faith.
00:38:14.36\00:38:15.69
This is where I want to bring up
00:38:15.72\00:38:17.06
the third angel's message here,
00:38:17.09\00:38:18.43
Romans chapter,
excuse me, Revelation 14:12,
00:38:18.46\00:38:21.80
"Here is the
patience of the saints,
00:38:21.83\00:38:23.60
here are they that keep
the commandments of God,
00:38:23.63\00:38:26.57
and here it is, and
the faith of Jesus."
00:38:26.60\00:38:30.37
There's a
difference between faith
00:38:30.41\00:38:31.94
in Jesus and the faith of Jesus.
00:38:31.97\00:38:33.58
Of course, we
all want to express
00:38:33.61\00:38:35.18
and have faith in Jesus.
00:38:35.21\00:38:36.68
But we ultimately want to
exercise the faith of Jesus
00:38:36.71\00:38:41.45
and we have the faith of Jesus.
00:38:41.48\00:38:43.69
And the Bible says,
"Through that faith,
00:38:43.72\00:38:46.15
God is gonna
save us by His grace."
00:38:46.19\00:38:48.86
Can a saved person be lost?
00:38:48.89\00:38:50.23
Because there's probably someone
00:38:50.26\00:38:51.59
in home right now
that says, "You know what,
00:38:51.63\00:38:52.96
I've been saved
since 1978, right?
00:38:52.99\00:38:55.96
I remember at that crusade,
I walked down as just as I am,
00:38:56.00\00:38:59.00
was playing in the background.
00:38:59.03\00:39:00.37
And I gave my...
00:39:00.40\00:39:01.74
I said that prayer,
I repeated that prayer.
00:39:01.77\00:39:03.10
And I've been saved since 1984."
00:39:03.14\00:39:05.37
Whatever the year,
00:39:05.41\00:39:06.74
it is that they
got saved, got saved.
00:39:06.78\00:39:08.44
Can I say person be lost?
00:39:08.48\00:39:09.84
Because the idea behind this
from some people's perspectives
00:39:09.88\00:39:12.55
is that once
you're saved, that's it.
00:39:12.58\00:39:14.68
You're always saved.
00:39:14.72\00:39:16.05
You can't be plucked
from the hands of God.
00:39:16.08\00:39:18.35
Talk to us a
little bit about that?
00:39:18.39\00:39:20.06
You know, let's go to Luke.
00:39:20.09\00:39:21.49
Okay. Luke Chapter 8.
00:39:21.52\00:39:23.02
Man, this scripture,
00:39:23.06\00:39:24.39
Jesus is talking
about the Parable
00:39:24.43\00:39:25.96
of the Sower in this passage,
Luke 8, and it's verse 13.
00:39:25.99\00:39:30.53
Notice what He says here,
00:39:30.57\00:39:31.90
He's speaking of
the rocky ground, right?
00:39:31.93\00:39:33.27
Okay. Right.
00:39:33.30\00:39:34.64
And he says here,
00:39:34.67\00:39:36.24
"They on the rock
00:39:36.27\00:39:37.61
are they which when they
hear receive the word with joy."
00:39:37.64\00:39:41.58
This is a response,
they receive it with joy.
00:39:41.61\00:39:44.25
"And these have no root,
00:39:44.28\00:39:46.08
which for a
while," what's that word?
00:39:46.11\00:39:48.82
"Belief." That's right.
00:39:48.85\00:39:50.59
They believe. They believe.
00:39:50.62\00:39:52.02
Now if Jesus said they
believe, then they believe.
00:39:52.05\00:39:55.39
Right. For a while they believe.
00:39:55.42\00:39:58.16
People that say,
"Once saved, always saved."
00:39:58.19\00:39:59.89
They tend to say, but no, no,
00:39:59.93\00:40:01.96
you really wasn't
really saved if you fell away.
00:40:02.00\00:40:04.30
Ok.
00:40:04.33\00:40:05.67
You really didn't
believe if you ever fell away.
00:40:05.70\00:40:07.50
Well, that's not true.
Not according to Jesus.
00:40:07.54\00:40:09.37
He says for a
while they believe,
00:40:09.40\00:40:11.37
and in time of temptation,
they fall away, right?
00:40:11.41\00:40:15.58
I think we see this
with Balaam the Prophet.
00:40:15.61\00:40:16.95
Right.
00:40:16.98\00:40:18.31
I mean, this man was
a prophet of God, right?
00:40:18.35\00:40:19.95
He had the gift of prophecy.
00:40:19.98\00:40:21.35
God was using
him as a mouthpiece
00:40:21.38\00:40:23.25
to speak to His people,
00:40:23.28\00:40:24.62
but Balaam exercised
his own freewill to go away
00:40:24.65\00:40:27.09
from the presence of God
00:40:27.12\00:40:28.46
and to start
falsely prophesying.
00:40:28.49\00:40:30.69
I love, another
example that comes to my mind
00:40:30.73\00:40:32.99
is a couple of the
parables that Jesus told
00:40:33.03\00:40:34.83
to liken it unto
the kingdom of God
00:40:34.86\00:40:36.20
and how it functions,
00:40:36.23\00:40:37.57
thinking of the parable
of the unforgiving servant.
00:40:37.60\00:40:39.70
Remember the
servant comes to the master
00:40:39.73\00:40:41.90
and, of course, the master
in this case would be God.
00:40:41.94\00:40:43.94
And he comes to
the master and says,
00:40:43.97\00:40:45.31
"Oh, you know, I owe you
00:40:45.34\00:40:46.71
all this money and
please Lord forgive me,
00:40:46.74\00:40:48.08
I can't pay it back."
00:40:48.11\00:40:49.44
Well God forgives him.
00:40:49.48\00:40:50.81
Forgives his
debt, wipes it clean
00:40:50.85\00:40:52.18
and says don't worry about it.
00:40:52.21\00:40:53.55
You're forgiven.
00:40:53.58\00:40:54.92
In that moment
was the man justified?
00:40:54.95\00:40:56.28
He was
justified. Was he forgiven?
00:40:56.32\00:40:57.75
He was forgiven.
00:40:57.79\00:40:59.12
Was he in a saving
relationship at that moment?
00:40:59.15\00:41:01.22
He was in good
favor with the master.
00:41:01.26\00:41:03.02
He's in good favor with God.
00:41:03.06\00:41:04.39
But what does
that man go out and do?
00:41:04.43\00:41:05.76
Wait a second, he
saved though, right?
00:41:05.79\00:41:07.13
There's nothing he
can do to bring about,
00:41:07.16\00:41:08.76
but yet he goes out
and he treats another man
00:41:08.80\00:41:11.70
who owes him
money, not with mercy,
00:41:11.73\00:41:14.00
not with grace and of
course, the master, God,
00:41:14.04\00:41:16.97
in this case God
finds out about it,
00:41:17.01\00:41:18.67
and of course this man
ends up losing his soul.
00:41:18.71\00:41:20.78
Again he was in
favor with the Lord,
00:41:20.81\00:41:22.78
but then he end
up losing his soul.
00:41:22.81\00:41:24.41
I also, think of the
Parable of the Talents, right?
00:41:24.45\00:41:26.58
God gives the talents and,
of course, in that situation,
00:41:26.61\00:41:30.49
he was that person was
in favor with the Lord,
00:41:30.52\00:41:32.25
but when he returns,
00:41:32.29\00:41:33.62
he did not used
those talents properly,
00:41:33.66\00:41:35.42
and therefore he was
cast into outer darkness.
00:41:35.46\00:41:37.56
I think even the
Book of Revelation,
00:41:37.59\00:41:39.13
I believe it's Chapter 2 or
3, I believe it's Chapter 3,
00:41:39.16\00:41:42.10
where Jesus talks about
00:41:42.13\00:41:43.47
how your name can be blotted out
00:41:43.50\00:41:44.83
of the Lamb's Book of Life.
00:41:44.87\00:41:46.20
That's right.
00:41:46.23\00:41:47.57
If it can be blotted out,
00:41:47.60\00:41:48.94
that means that
once was in there,
00:41:48.97\00:41:50.31
and if it's blotted out,
00:41:50.34\00:41:51.67
that means it was in there
and it's blotted out, right?
00:41:51.71\00:41:53.04
So I think we
have to understand,
00:41:53.07\00:41:54.41
my friends, that
in this conversation
00:41:54.44\00:41:57.61
of what it means to
be a balanced Christian,
00:41:57.65\00:42:00.22
that's what we're shooting for.
00:42:00.25\00:42:01.58
Yes. Balanced Christianity.
00:42:01.62\00:42:02.95
What does it mean to
be a balanced Christian?
00:42:02.98\00:42:05.39
You know, to be able to
find that happy medium between
00:42:05.42\00:42:08.82
the tension of the two extremes.
00:42:08.86\00:42:10.73
Because we have
one group that says,
00:42:10.76\00:42:12.63
"Oh, this is the right way."
00:42:12.66\00:42:14.03
Yet they're, you know,
00:42:14.06\00:42:15.70
they're legalistic
and they're pharisaical
00:42:15.73\00:42:17.73
and it's a works approach,
always is what they do,
00:42:17.77\00:42:21.24
what they do because
they got to win God's favor.
00:42:21.27\00:42:22.64
That is not the gospel,
00:42:22.67\00:42:24.01
and then you have another
group over here on the far left,
00:42:24.04\00:42:26.71
that says, "Hey you know what?
00:42:26.74\00:42:28.08
I, there's
nothing that I could do
00:42:28.11\00:42:29.81
to pluck me from
the hands of God because
00:42:29.84\00:42:31.35
I'm saved back here
in 19 whatever and...
00:42:31.38\00:42:33.75
Misunderstanding
the grace of God.
00:42:33.78\00:42:35.12
It really is. Absolutely.
00:42:35.15\00:42:36.48
I wanted to read just with that.
00:42:36.52\00:42:38.32
This is probably one
of the most significant
00:42:38.35\00:42:39.92
scriptures to me about
the grace of God, right?
00:42:39.95\00:42:42.39
We're saved by the grace of God.
00:42:42.42\00:42:44.46
So if He, I'm
sorry, it's Titus 2:11-12,
00:42:44.49\00:42:46.90
notice what it says
about the grace of God.
00:42:46.93\00:42:49.20
It's says, "For the grace
of God that bringeth salvation
00:42:49.23\00:42:52.70
hath appeared to all men."
00:42:52.73\00:42:54.47
Right. Right?
00:42:54.50\00:42:55.84
So the choice is there.
00:42:55.87\00:42:57.24
"Teaching us." So hold on.
00:42:57.27\00:42:58.61
What's teaching us?
00:42:58.64\00:42:59.97
You go to the context
00:43:00.01\00:43:01.34
of this
sentence in this passage.
00:43:01.38\00:43:02.71
It's the grace of
God is teaching us.
00:43:02.74\00:43:04.35
So God's grace is
teaching us that as His children
00:43:04.38\00:43:07.48
that denying
ungodliness and worldly lust,
00:43:07.52\00:43:10.32
we should live
soberly, righteously,
00:43:10.35\00:43:12.22
godly in this present world.
00:43:12.25\00:43:13.76
So if you really
understand the grace of God,
00:43:13.79\00:43:15.82
it's going to teach
you to live soberly,
00:43:15.86\00:43:18.29
to deny ungodliness.
00:43:18.33\00:43:20.10
I love that. Yeah.
00:43:20.13\00:43:21.46
And so I think when
we really grasp that.
00:43:21.50\00:43:24.20
That helps us not
to fall into the ditch,
00:43:24.23\00:43:26.23
that God's grace
gives you a license to sin.
00:43:26.27\00:43:28.70
Absolutely.
00:43:28.74\00:43:30.07
In fact, you know,
00:43:30.11\00:43:31.44
it's interesting because Jesus
spoke about this prophetically,
00:43:31.47\00:43:33.71
about a group in
the Book of Revelation
00:43:33.74\00:43:35.34
and many people aren't aware of.
00:43:35.38\00:43:37.25
They're
mentioned a couple of times
00:43:37.28\00:43:38.98
in the Book of Revelation,
00:43:39.01\00:43:40.35
but it's a group
called the Nicolaitans,
00:43:40.38\00:43:41.92
the Nicolaitans.
00:43:41.95\00:43:43.59
And when you do a
little bit of research
00:43:43.62\00:43:44.95
on who the Nicolaitans are,
00:43:44.99\00:43:46.32
God uses some
very strong language,
00:43:46.35\00:43:47.76
"He says their
deeds in which I hate."
00:43:47.79\00:43:50.53
In fact, let me
read this to you.
00:43:50.56\00:43:51.89
This is Revelation 2:6.
00:43:51.93\00:43:53.43
This is God speaking to Ephesus.
00:43:53.46\00:43:55.06
Ephesus had lost
their first love,
00:43:55.10\00:43:57.30
but they were doing
something right in the sense
00:43:57.33\00:43:59.07
that they rejected the
doctrine of the Nicolaitans
00:43:59.10\00:44:01.27
and this is what
God says to Ephesus,
00:44:01.30\00:44:03.30
the Church of Ephesus.
00:44:03.34\00:44:04.67
In Revelation 2:6, He
says, "But this you have,
00:44:04.71\00:44:07.28
that you hate the
deeds of the Nicolaitans,
00:44:07.31\00:44:09.68
which I also hate."
00:44:09.71\00:44:11.05
So he's
commending and he's saying,
00:44:11.08\00:44:12.41
Oh, thank God that
you're not like the Nicolaitans
00:44:12.45\00:44:14.55
and you reject
that false ideology,
00:44:14.58\00:44:16.75
that false doctrine,
00:44:16.79\00:44:18.12
but by the time you get
00:44:18.15\00:44:19.49
to a couple of
church ages later,
00:44:19.52\00:44:20.86
to the Church of Pergamos,
00:44:20.89\00:44:22.22
this is what the Bible dubs
as the "Compromising Church."
00:44:22.26\00:44:24.93
Again, the Compromising Church.
00:44:24.96\00:44:26.83
We don't want compromise.
00:44:26.86\00:44:28.20
We want to make
sure we're walking
00:44:28.23\00:44:29.56
in the ways of the Lord.
00:44:29.60\00:44:30.93
And notice what He says here,
00:44:30.97\00:44:32.30
to the Church of
Pergamos in Revelation 2:12-16.
00:44:32.33\00:44:37.27
It says here, "And to the
angel of the Church of Pergamos,
00:44:37.31\00:44:39.74
right, I have a few things
against you because you have
00:44:39.77\00:44:42.04
there those who hold
the doctrine of Balaam
00:44:42.08\00:44:44.35
who taught Balak to put
a stumbling block before
00:44:44.38\00:44:46.85
the children of
Israel to eat things,
00:44:46.88\00:44:48.75
sacrificed to idols,
00:44:48.78\00:44:50.32
and to commit
sexual immorality."
00:44:50.35\00:44:52.82
And in verse 15,
00:44:52.85\00:44:54.19
"Thus you also
have those who hold up
00:44:54.22\00:44:56.73
the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,
00:44:56.76\00:44:59.06
which thing I hate."
00:44:59.09\00:45:00.80
I mean for the
creator of the universe,
00:45:00.83\00:45:02.63
the God of grace and
mercy to say, "I hate this."
00:45:02.66\00:45:06.13
That's strong language.
00:45:06.17\00:45:07.50
But God's saying, "Look,
we don't want any part of it.
00:45:07.54\00:45:09.57
" And then He says in verse 16,
00:45:09.60\00:45:11.11
"Repent or else I
will come to you quickly,
00:45:11.14\00:45:13.04
and we'll fight against them
with the sword of my mouth."
00:45:13.07\00:45:16.71
Who are these Nicolaitans
and what in the world
00:45:16.75\00:45:18.91
do they believe
in that, you know,
00:45:18.95\00:45:20.28
God was so strongly
to say, I hate this?
00:45:20.32\00:45:23.35
The Nicolaitans,
00:45:23.39\00:45:24.72
and so you know
if you're thinking
00:45:24.75\00:45:26.09
of Hippolytus and Irenaeus,
00:45:26.12\00:45:28.36
these are two famous church
philosophers and theologians.
00:45:28.39\00:45:33.86
They tell us
that the Nicolaitans
00:45:33.90\00:45:35.56
were heretical followers
00:45:35.60\00:45:37.40
of Nicolas and
if they're correct.
00:45:37.43\00:45:39.63
You know, Nicholas was one
00:45:39.67\00:45:41.37
of the seven deacons
mentioned in Acts 6:5,
00:45:41.40\00:45:45.34
and of course Nicolas
would have potentially
00:45:45.37\00:45:47.28
apostatized from the faith.
00:45:47.31\00:45:49.48
So that's where the
Nicolaitans come from,
00:45:49.51\00:45:51.48
from this apostasy brought about
00:45:51.51\00:45:53.25
by one of the
deacons known as Nicolas,
00:45:53.28\00:45:54.95
who apostatized.
00:45:54.98\00:45:56.32
But here's the thing,
here's what they believe,
00:45:56.35\00:45:57.69
get this, "The
Nicolaitans were a group
00:45:57.72\00:46:00.06
who taught a radical dualism,
between the body and the soul."
00:46:00.09\00:46:04.19
Again, two
different things, right?
00:46:04.23\00:46:05.69
Does that sound familiar?
00:46:05.73\00:46:07.06
Spiritualism at its
height. That's right.
00:46:07.10\00:46:08.83
A dualism between
the body and the soul.
00:46:08.86\00:46:10.70
They believe that what
is done within the body
00:46:10.73\00:46:13.74
cannot in any
way defile the soul.
00:46:13.77\00:46:15.97
This is where it's important
to know the truth about
00:46:16.00\00:46:17.87
the state of the dead,
00:46:17.91\00:46:19.24
because we don't
have an immortal soul.
00:46:19.27\00:46:20.61
Our soul is who we are,
you know, body and spirit,
00:46:20.64\00:46:23.71
we are a living soul
when we're alive, right?
00:46:23.75\00:46:25.58
God didn't put a
ghostly apparition.
00:46:25.61\00:46:27.05
No, He didn't
put no ghosts or no,
00:46:27.08\00:46:28.45
you know, no
spiritual translucent,
00:46:28.48\00:46:31.09
you know,
invisible substance in there
00:46:31.12\00:46:33.09
with some intelligence,
you know we are a living soul.
00:46:33.12\00:46:35.32
So here it is.
00:46:35.36\00:46:36.69
They believe that what was done
00:46:36.73\00:46:38.06
in the body cannot in
any way defile the soul,
00:46:38.09\00:46:40.33
therefore they
taught that believers are,
00:46:40.36\00:46:42.66
get this, freed from the law,
and they can do as they please.
00:46:42.70\00:46:47.07
It's dangerous.
00:46:47.10\00:46:49.07
And this is a mentality
among many Christians today
00:46:49.10\00:46:51.57
and I would
even say, my friends,
00:46:51.61\00:46:52.94
even among many Seventh-day
Adventist Christians,
00:46:52.97\00:46:55.14
this idea that again
we're saved by grace,
00:46:55.18\00:46:57.85
we need to just
receive the grace of God
00:46:57.88\00:46:59.45
that there's nothing that can
pluck us from the hands of God.
00:46:59.48\00:47:01.95
You know there's no
man that can pluck you
00:47:01.98\00:47:03.72
from the hands of God.
00:47:03.75\00:47:05.09
And there's nothing that
can separate you, my friends,
00:47:05.12\00:47:06.96
from the love of God.
00:47:06.99\00:47:08.32
But you and your decisions
and your lifestyle can indeed,
00:47:08.36\00:47:11.89
if not kept in
check, if not kept examine,
00:47:11.93\00:47:14.20
if not in the
way of Jesus Christ,
00:47:14.23\00:47:16.23
can indeed make
yourself fall into this,
00:47:16.26\00:47:19.43
into this camp
of the Nicolaitans,
00:47:19.47\00:47:22.60
these extreme liberal, you know,
00:47:22.64\00:47:24.84
just anything ghost mentality.
00:47:24.87\00:47:27.04
We want to make sure,
00:47:27.08\00:47:28.54
the time's ticking away here,
00:47:28.58\00:47:30.68
we want to make sure
00:47:30.71\00:47:32.28
that we are in a balanced state.
00:47:32.31\00:47:34.58
We want to find
ourselves in between.
00:47:34.62\00:47:37.15
And we want to find ourselves
having a balanced approach
00:47:37.19\00:47:39.69
to Christianity in
the way of Jesus Christ.
00:47:39.72\00:47:42.29
And so, Dakota,
00:47:42.32\00:47:43.66
in the closing four or
five minutes we have here,
00:47:43.69\00:47:46.16
let's talk about what it means
to be a balanced Christian.
00:47:46.19\00:47:49.20
How can we make sure
that we're experiencing
00:47:49.23\00:47:51.30
balanced Christianity?
00:47:51.33\00:47:52.80
I think the most important thing
00:47:52.83\00:47:54.27
with experiencing a balanced
Christianity is going to be,
00:47:54.30\00:47:58.11
to understand how to repent.
00:47:58.14\00:48:00.51
You know, Jesus' counsel
to the church or Pergamos,
00:48:00.54\00:48:03.21
the compromising
church, that believe in the,
00:48:03.24\00:48:05.28
you know, what they
taught in Nicolaite, and so on.
00:48:05.31\00:48:08.75
It was the concept
of that, they again,
00:48:08.78\00:48:12.29
they thought to themselves
00:48:12.32\00:48:13.66
that it doesn't
matter what I do.
00:48:13.69\00:48:15.22
And on the other side,
00:48:15.26\00:48:16.76
we've talked about you
have people who believe
00:48:16.79\00:48:18.19
that their salvation
was based on what they do.
00:48:18.23\00:48:20.10
Right.
00:48:20.13\00:48:21.46
And so both of those
concepts Jesus doesn't like.
00:48:21.50\00:48:24.37
He wants us to
understand His work.
00:48:24.40\00:48:25.83
So in order to do that,
00:48:25.87\00:48:27.34
we have to understand
that the beautiful message
00:48:27.37\00:48:29.50
of Romans 2:4.
00:48:29.54\00:48:30.87
Read it for us. I love this.
00:48:30.91\00:48:32.24
Notice what it
says, "Or do you despise
00:48:32.27\00:48:33.78
the riches of His goodness,
00:48:33.81\00:48:36.18
and forbearance,
and longsuffering,
00:48:36.21\00:48:38.15
not knowing that the goodness
00:48:38.18\00:48:40.25
of God leads you to repentance?"
00:48:40.28\00:48:43.22
That's right. That's right.
00:48:43.25\00:48:44.62
And the work repentance
00:48:44.65\00:48:45.99
is just a big
word there for change,
00:48:46.02\00:48:47.36
to lead you to
change, to be different.
00:48:47.39\00:48:49.12
To get off that broad
path that leads to destruction
00:48:49.16\00:48:51.99
to get on the narrow
path which leads into life.
00:48:52.03\00:48:54.30
Forsake the old man.
00:48:54.33\00:48:55.66
The only way we will
have a motivation to do such
00:48:55.70\00:48:58.83
is to behold
the goodness of God.
00:48:58.87\00:49:01.84
That's right. The love of God.
00:49:01.87\00:49:03.94
If the love of God
is not our motivator,
00:49:03.97\00:49:06.94
then everything else will
be filthy rags in the end.
00:49:06.98\00:49:10.01
That's amazing.
00:49:10.05\00:49:11.38
If the love of God is
not why you do what you do.
00:49:11.41\00:49:13.05
That's right.
00:49:13.08\00:49:14.42
Love's got to be the motivation.
00:49:14.45\00:49:15.78
What does Paul say?
00:49:15.82\00:49:17.15
Even though back
then they were lighting up
00:49:17.19\00:49:18.52
those Christians like crazy.
00:49:18.55\00:49:19.89
Right. That's true.
00:49:19.92\00:49:21.26
I mean, they were, they were,
00:49:21.29\00:49:22.62
that's why you get
the idea of Roman candles.
00:49:22.66\00:49:23.99
Oh, yeah. Right? Right.
00:49:24.03\00:49:25.36
If the 4th of July comes around,
00:49:25.39\00:49:26.73
we often times think
of that, Roman candles,
00:49:26.76\00:49:28.10
because but they were
lighting Christians on fire,
00:49:28.13\00:49:29.46
burning them.
00:49:29.50\00:49:30.83
When you think of that,
the only way, Paul said,
00:49:30.87\00:49:34.20
you can truly
be a true Christian
00:49:34.24\00:49:35.80
is to everything be
done in charity and love.
00:49:35.84\00:49:37.91
He says, "If I,
00:49:37.94\00:49:39.34
though I give my body to be burn
00:49:39.37\00:49:41.24
and I have not
love, I have nothing."
00:49:41.28\00:49:42.61
Oh, I love that. That's true.
00:49:42.64\00:49:44.35
It's got to be
motivated by love. Amen.
00:49:44.38\00:49:46.25
I serve God, because I love Him.
00:49:46.28\00:49:48.05
I serve Him because...
00:49:48.08\00:49:49.42
He first, the Bible says that,
00:49:49.45\00:49:50.79
"We love Him
because He first love us."
00:49:50.82\00:49:52.62
That's right.
00:49:52.65\00:49:53.99
It's got to be
foundation in love.
00:49:54.02\00:49:55.36
John 14:5. That's why...
00:49:55.39\00:49:56.73
Yeah, that's right,
John 14:15, "If you love Me,
00:49:56.76\00:49:59.29
you will keep My
commandments not because
00:49:59.33\00:50:00.90
you have to but
because you want to,
00:50:00.93\00:50:03.06
because He loved
you and you love Him."
00:50:03.10\00:50:04.97
I love that.
00:50:05.00\00:50:06.33
I just have to read
this because it's powerful.
00:50:06.37\00:50:08.07
Revelation 3:9.
00:50:08.10\00:50:09.87
This is to the
Church of Philadelphia,
00:50:09.90\00:50:12.11
the second to last church age.
00:50:12.14\00:50:13.61
And it's interesting
that He says these words
00:50:13.64\00:50:15.51
to the Church of Philadelphia.
00:50:15.54\00:50:17.25
He says, "Indeed,
00:50:17.28\00:50:18.61
I'll make those of
the synagogue of Satan,
00:50:18.65\00:50:22.72
who say they are
Jews and are not, but lie.
00:50:22.75\00:50:28.16
Indeed, I will make
them come and worship
00:50:28.19\00:50:30.09
before your feet and to
know, that I have loved you.
00:50:30.13\00:50:33.66
It's interesting that he
says they say they are Jews,
00:50:33.70\00:50:36.43
but they are not.
00:50:36.46\00:50:37.80
My friends, we're living
in a time in which the spirit
00:50:37.83\00:50:40.50
of the North and the South,
00:50:40.54\00:50:42.44
this divisional spirit
is compromising many hearts
00:50:42.47\00:50:46.27
and minds within
even the Christian Church.
00:50:46.31\00:50:48.84
You look at the
political world around us
00:50:48.88\00:50:50.61
and you expect you know
the left and the right and,
00:50:50.65\00:50:53.35
you know,
Republican and Democrats and,
00:50:53.38\00:50:55.72
you know,
conservative and liberals,
00:50:55.75\00:50:57.09
you expect all of
these things in the world.
00:50:57.12\00:50:59.29
But, my friends, when you
get inside the Church of God,
00:50:59.32\00:51:01.86
God's people,
the body of Christ,
00:51:01.89\00:51:03.96
and you see this
mentality starting
00:51:03.99\00:51:05.99
to divide and to conquer.
00:51:06.03\00:51:07.66
We have never been more
divided than we are today.
00:51:07.70\00:51:09.26
That's right.
00:51:09.30\00:51:10.63
But you know
what God has a people.
00:51:10.67\00:51:12.13
God has a remnant people.
00:51:12.17\00:51:13.90
They know they are Jews,
00:51:13.94\00:51:15.60
it's not that
they say they're Jews
00:51:15.64\00:51:17.17
and they're lying because
again there's a large group
00:51:17.21\00:51:18.87
of people that say,
00:51:18.91\00:51:20.24
I'm of Christ
because we're talking about
00:51:20.28\00:51:21.61
spiritual Jews here.
00:51:21.64\00:51:22.98
Remember, if you are
of Christ, Galatians 3:29,
00:51:23.01\00:51:25.28
"If you are Christ,
00:51:25.31\00:51:26.65
then you are seeds of Abraham
00:51:26.68\00:51:28.38
and heirs
according to the promise."
00:51:28.42\00:51:29.85
And so you can bank
on the fact that if you
00:51:29.88\00:51:31.49
are in Jesus
Christ, you are His.
00:51:31.52\00:51:34.36
And so if you're
saying, I am Christ,
00:51:34.39\00:51:36.32
I'm a spiritual Jew.
00:51:36.36\00:51:37.76
And I claim the blood of Jesus
00:51:37.79\00:51:39.19
but yet you really
are not Jesus says,
00:51:39.23\00:51:41.36
you are a liar and I
will bring those people
00:51:41.40\00:51:43.10
to worship
before the true remnant,
00:51:43.13\00:51:45.53
those who really know,
those who really worship,
00:51:45.57\00:51:48.27
and those who serve God with
all their heart, mind and soul.
00:51:48.30\00:51:52.84
My friends, this has
been a powerful study.
00:51:52.87\00:51:54.91
We are coming down
00:51:54.94\00:51:56.28
to the last couple of
minutes of this program.
00:51:56.31\00:51:58.35
We're gonna take a news break
00:51:58.38\00:51:59.75
and we're gonna
come back and finish up.
00:51:59.78\00:52:01.12
Dakota, I'm gonna
have you to read this quote
00:52:01.15\00:52:03.35
in closing from Steps to Christ,
00:52:03.39\00:52:04.85
page 59 as we're
closing here today.
00:52:04.89\00:52:06.76
Powerful quote.
00:52:06.79\00:52:08.12
You're not
gonna want to miss it,
00:52:08.16\00:52:09.49
as we're talking
about Balanced Christianity.
00:52:09.52\00:52:11.69
We'll see you
here in just a moment.
00:52:11.73\00:52:13.06