I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello and welcome
to another edition
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of 3ABN Family Worship.
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We are so blessed to have
you joining us here today.
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I don't know about you guys,
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but Family Worship has become
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probably my favorite
program here at 3ABN.
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I love all the
programs but Family Worship
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just has
something special about it,
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and we're going to have a
wonderful time in the Lord.
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I wanna say happy Sabbath.
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It's good for you to join us.
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Thank you for your love,
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your prayers and
support of 3ABN ministry
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and we have a
very, very special topic
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that we're gonna be
discussing this evening.
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And it's entitled, get
this, you must die to live,
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you must die to live.
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It's a little hardcore,
but there's a lot of truth
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in that particular statement.
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But hey, while
I'm... Wait a minute,
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why don't I just ahead
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and introduce my wonderful guest
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here that are with me.
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I'm gonna start in the
far right side over here,
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we have Mr. Donald Owen.
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It's a blessing
to have you, Brother.
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Yeah likewise. I thank you.
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It's a privilege, I mean
you know to be able to sit down
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as we're talking about family,
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how important is
that we get together
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and share God's
Word as a family.
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But I'm just so blessed
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that you invited
me to come out so.
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Amen, Brother,
it's good to have you.
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He always has some good insight,
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I appreciate you.
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And then we got
Mr. Brian Dickens.
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How are you man? It's
good to have you here.
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I'm doing
wonderful. Praise the Lord.
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And so it's a blessing
to be here as Donald said.
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Every chance to get
to come on Family Worship
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and to be able to
bring the Word of God
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to our viewers and
you know, just to discuss
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God and
everything between ourselves.
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It's just a blessing to be here.
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Amen.
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Praise God and, of course,
the main man with the plan,
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Mr. Tim Parton,
how you're doing, Sir?
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I'm well and I am as much
as I love to hear you sing,
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I love to hear you expound
on the Word, I really do,
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I do enjoy your
insight and you're young
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but you got something
going on in your heart.
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Well, that's
humbling, I appreciate it,
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but I think all of us
have something going on...
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Absolutely, yeah,
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we've something to
bring to the table,
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that's why we're here.
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Exactly.
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We're gonna appreciate
you, Brother, thank you.
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To my left here we have
Mrs. Wendy and Terry Shelton.
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I have to introduce you together
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because you're a unit
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and so you're one in the
Lord and so good friends,
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it's good to have you guys here.
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Thank you, I feel blessed
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and it's a privilege to be here.
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Praise the Lord.
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And Terry, of
course, most people...
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Some people who are
watching may not know,
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you are Danny's nephew.
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Yeah, guilty is charged.
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You were here
many, many years ago
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when 3ABN was just
kind of getting off
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the ground and starting?
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I was...Yeah.
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This building is
familiar yet not familiar to me
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because it's been about 20 years
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since I left
employment here at 3ABN
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so, yeah,
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it's nice to feels like
little bit like coming home.
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And by the way Wendy
and I are first timers here.
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Amen. So yeah.
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Praise the Lord, all right.
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Well, you know what?
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I wanna get into this topic,
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but of course
this is family worship,
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so we're gonna sing a
song, but before we sing a song,
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we're gonna go
ahead and have a prayer
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because I want to invite
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the presence of the Lord
to be with us and, of course,
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it'd be irresponsible of us
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to dive into such
an important topic
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or any biblical topic
without the leadership
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and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
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Amen.
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So let's go ahead
and have a prayer.
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Terry, why don't you
say the prayer for us?
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Heavenly Father, we just
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thank you for this
opportunity to gather together
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and worship You
and to study Your Word.
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Father, we know that there are
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maybe countless
people watching right now.
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We just invite the
presence of Your Spirit both
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where we are here
and where they are
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that Your Spirit will be felt
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and that as we study the subject
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of what it means to die to self
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and that you will enlighten
our hearts and our minds
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Lord with Your Word.
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We thank You for
giving us Your Word
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and the opportunity to learn
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what it has for us in
the days that we live in.
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So now, Lord, we just
commit this time to you.
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Bless us in a very special
way as we feast upon Your Word,
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in Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen. Praise the Lord.
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On choosing a song for
to kinda match this topic,
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no other song came to my
mind but "I Surrender All."
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So we're gonna be
singing that I surrender all,
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that good old fashioned hymn.
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Take it away, Tim.
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All to Jesus I surrender
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All to Him I freely give
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I will ever love and trust Him
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In His presence daily live
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I surrender all
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I surrender all
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All to Thee, my blessed Savior
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I surrender all
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All to Jesus I surrender
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Humbly at His feet I bow
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Worldly pleasures all forsaken
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Take me Jesus, take me now
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I surrender all
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I surrender all
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All to Thee, my blessed Savior
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I surrender all
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All to Jesus I surrender
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Make me Savior wholly Thine
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Let me feel the Holy Spirit
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Truly know that Thou art mine
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I surrender all
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I surrender all
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All to Thee, my blessed Savior
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I surrender all
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All to thee.
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All to Thee, my blessed Savior
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I surrender all
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Amen. Praise the Lord.
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That's one of my favorite hymns.
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Praise the Lord,
I love that song.
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Thank you, Tim,
that was a blessing man.
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I like that line in that says,
"Humbly at his feet I bow."
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Humbly at his feet.
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I know, I know. Beautiful song.
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That song sets the
tone for our message,
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our discussion,
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our Bible study that
we're gonna have entitled,
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"You must die to live."
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And I find it in
the gospel experience
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in the Christian experience.
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I don't know about, you
guys, you can chime in on this.
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You know, there seems to be,
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you know, the
Christian experience
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seems to come in like levels,
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you know God is taking us
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it seems from one
level of Christian
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character
development to the next.
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And as I was
preparing this topic
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and studying for
this particular topic,
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the Lord was just
convicting me personally
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because that's what happens
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when you study the
Word of God, right?
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You know when you
come to the Lord in prayer
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and then you're
really humbling yourself
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to study His Word,
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you know the Holy
Spirit's gonna grip you.
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The Bible says that he will
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lead and guide
you into all truth,
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that he will convict you.
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He will reprove you of
sin and unrighteousness.
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And so, I just
wanna dive deep into this.
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The text that came to my mind
as I was bringing this about
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was Galatians 2:20.
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So I'm gonna read the text
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and I'm gonna kind
of toss it to you guys
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and just kind of expound on
00:09:03.51\00:09:05.41
what this particular text
means to us as Christians.
00:09:05.44\00:09:09.21
So Galatians 2:20,
Paul is writing and he says,
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"I have been
crucified with Christ,
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it is no longer I who
live, but Christ lives in me.
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And the life which I
now live in the flesh,
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I live by faith
in the Son of God,
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who loved me and
gave himself for me."
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Amen.
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So someone who
may pick up the Bible
00:09:34.87\00:09:36.64
for the first
time and read that text
00:09:36.67\00:09:39.27
would probably become a
little disturbed in saying,
00:09:39.31\00:09:41.34
think to themselves.
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Wait a second, how did this guy,
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how was he crucified
with Christ and live, right?
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In a literal sense, you
kind of when your mind thinks
00:09:46.78\00:09:48.88
of this in a
literal sense you think of,
00:09:48.92\00:09:50.52
you see Jesus on a cross,
00:09:50.55\00:09:52.55
you know, breathing His
last few breaths of life.
00:09:52.59\00:09:55.92
But we know that there is
00:09:55.96\00:09:57.46
a deeper
spiritual meaning to this.
00:09:57.49\00:09:59.46
And so that's what I
want to kind of start of with
00:09:59.49\00:10:01.60
what is Paul saying here.
00:10:01.63\00:10:02.96
What does it mean to
being crucified with Christ?
00:10:03.00\00:10:06.60
Well, it brings
me to Romans 6:6,
00:10:06.63\00:10:08.90
it says here if...
00:10:08.94\00:10:10.27
I'm reading from
the Living Bible.
00:10:10.31\00:10:11.64
Right.
00:10:11.67\00:10:13.01
"If our old self is
crucified and died with Him,
00:10:13.04\00:10:16.01
and the body that was
once a slave to sin is dead,
00:10:16.04\00:10:18.91
how can we possibly think
00:10:18.95\00:10:21.08
of putting ourselves back
into that kind of slavery."
00:10:21.12\00:10:24.75
And you know,
00:10:24.79\00:10:26.12
until this becomes
true in our personal life.
00:10:26.15\00:10:32.33
Let's see, you know... Right.
00:10:32.36\00:10:34.43
We're going to
continually suffer
00:10:34.46\00:10:37.53
defeat and failure.
00:10:37.57\00:10:39.80
I was thinking, I
remember hearing a quote
00:10:39.83\00:10:41.90
from German pastor
00:10:41.94\00:10:43.87
and theologian
Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
00:10:43.91\00:10:46.81
He says, he wrote in his
book, "When Christ calls a man,
00:10:46.84\00:10:50.41
he bids him, come and die."
00:10:50.45\00:10:53.55
That's a beautiful
statement, a powerful statement,
00:10:53.58\00:10:56.28
and if you don't even have
that kind of spiritual mindset,
00:10:56.32\00:10:59.92
we might think what in
the world does that mean?
00:10:59.95\00:11:01.42
Right.
00:11:01.46\00:11:02.79
Yeah, something
that I spoke to the guys,
00:11:02.82\00:11:05.16
some people on prayer
lines, stuff I've said to them,
00:11:05.19\00:11:07.40
"You gotta put
yourself on the shelf."
00:11:07.43\00:11:09.36
Oh, that's good.
00:11:09.40\00:11:10.73
You gotta put
yourself on a shelf
00:11:10.77\00:11:12.10
because self is in
the way and the words say
00:11:12.13\00:11:13.54
you know our heart
is deceitfully wicked.
00:11:13.57\00:11:14.90
Who can know it? Oh, yes.
00:11:14.94\00:11:16.27
And so, you know, you gotta
really as it says die to self,
00:11:16.30\00:11:19.07
you gotta let Christ
come in, how do you do that?
00:11:19.11\00:11:21.74
What's that look
like? How do you?
00:11:21.78\00:11:23.11
I think to me really to
what did Jesus come to do?
00:11:23.14\00:11:25.91
He came to not to
be served but to serve.
00:11:25.95\00:11:28.98
Right.
00:11:29.02\00:11:30.35
I think heaven
is serving hardest.
00:11:30.39\00:11:31.72
Absolutely. I
think that's a big...
00:11:31.75\00:11:33.39
To me is a huge key, you
should be of servant mind.
00:11:33.42\00:11:37.33
You know, we all
have our own agenda
00:11:37.36\00:11:40.00
and as we live life,
00:11:40.03\00:11:41.63
there are so
many aspects of life
00:11:41.66\00:11:44.63
that we have to do, our work,
00:11:44.67\00:11:46.07
and our business paying
bills and all of the things.
00:11:46.10\00:11:50.24
When I think of this verse,
00:11:50.27\00:11:54.51
being crucified
with Christ to me
00:11:54.54\00:11:56.68
means allowing Him
to take over our agenda
00:11:56.71\00:12:00.58
even in all the details
00:12:00.62\00:12:02.58
that we still
have to do in life,
00:12:02.62\00:12:04.55
we put Christ first,
00:12:04.59\00:12:06.12
we die to His will, to
His agenda, to His desire.
00:12:06.15\00:12:10.49
And it really
is quite liberating
00:12:10.53\00:12:13.86
when you realize,
00:12:13.90\00:12:15.23
"I don't have to worry anymore
00:12:15.26\00:12:17.30
about how I'm
going to structure things
00:12:17.33\00:12:19.27
because it's all Christ
00:12:19.30\00:12:20.87
and let Him pick
and call the shots."
00:12:20.90\00:12:23.61
Well, it's a lot like Wendy said
00:12:23.64\00:12:25.07
because I also came
across the Romans 6:6
00:12:25.11\00:12:29.48
and just thinking about
00:12:29.51\00:12:31.91
how much that we
get baptized in Christ
00:12:31.95\00:12:35.52
being crucified and
we're also baptized in Christ.
00:12:35.55\00:12:38.05
Right.
00:12:38.09\00:12:39.42
And it washes away those
sins that we are a slave to.
00:12:39.45\00:12:42.42
And the slavery
that I used to be
00:12:42.46\00:12:46.66
just bound by and my past
00:12:46.70\00:12:49.40
was excruciating to look at now.
00:12:49.43\00:12:52.47
You know, the things that I used
00:12:52.50\00:12:54.10
to worship before
putting Christ first.
00:12:54.14\00:12:57.11
But now that you
put Christ first,
00:12:57.14\00:12:59.17
everything else
falls in the place.
00:12:59.21\00:13:00.74
Absolutely.
00:13:00.78\00:13:02.58
That's powerful to
think about because you know,
00:13:02.61\00:13:06.01
that the image
that I get in my mind
00:13:06.05\00:13:07.62
when I read this
text here, Galatians 2:20
00:13:07.65\00:13:11.02
which to me is probably
one of the most foundational
00:13:11.05\00:13:13.12
gospel text in all the Bible.
00:13:13.15\00:13:16.16
I have been
crucified with Christ.
00:13:16.19\00:13:18.99
And again you get that
image of Jesus upon the cross
00:13:19.03\00:13:21.66
and essentially what Christ...
00:13:21.70\00:13:24.00
What Paul is saying here is that
00:13:24.03\00:13:26.33
he has died the
death that Christ has died,
00:13:26.37\00:13:29.77
not in the sense that
00:13:29.80\00:13:31.14
what he has
done is a replacement
00:13:31.17\00:13:32.51
what Christ has done
00:13:32.54\00:13:33.88
because what Christ has done,
00:13:33.91\00:13:35.24
we can't add
anything to it, right?
00:13:35.28\00:13:36.61
I mean His death is final,
00:13:36.64\00:13:37.98
His atoning
sacrifice that He gave,
00:13:38.01\00:13:39.35
we can't even add to that.
00:13:39.38\00:13:41.55
But another text
that came to my mind
00:13:41.58\00:13:42.92
as I was thinking
about, this was Luke 9:23,
00:13:42.95\00:13:46.49
powerful text.
00:13:46.52\00:13:47.86
Notice what the Bible says here,
00:13:47.89\00:13:49.22
Luke 9:23 Jesus is speaking,
00:13:49.26\00:13:51.36
he says right here,
"Then he said to them all:
00:13:51.39\00:13:54.93
'If any desires to
come after me, anyone,
00:13:54.96\00:13:59.43
if anyone
desires to come after me,
00:13:59.47\00:14:01.70
let him, there
it is, deny himself
00:14:01.74\00:14:05.17
and take up his
cross daily and follow me."
00:14:05.21\00:14:10.25
So as I see
this kind of in steps
00:14:10.28\00:14:13.72
where Christ is
essentially saying
00:14:13.75\00:14:15.08
in this text, He's saying, "Hey,
00:14:15.12\00:14:17.15
there's a particular series
of events that must occur,
00:14:17.19\00:14:21.12
in realities that must
occur in this experience
00:14:21.16\00:14:23.43
in order for it to work.
00:14:23.46\00:14:24.79
In order for you to
be able to follow me,
00:14:24.83\00:14:26.43
and it starts with
again denying self.
00:14:26.46\00:14:29.76
And so the question
is what is that mean?
00:14:29.80\00:14:32.93
What does it mean to deny self?
00:14:32.97\00:14:35.30
Again, the title of
this particular subject
00:14:35.34\00:14:37.74
that we're talking
about, "You must die to live."
00:14:37.77\00:14:39.91
What does that mean?
00:14:39.94\00:14:41.28
You know not
literally, we're not literally
00:14:41.31\00:14:42.64
talking about that you
must give up your literal life
00:14:42.68\00:14:44.65
in order to be saved.
00:14:44.68\00:14:46.01
I mean there are some cases
00:14:46.05\00:14:47.38
where that is
reality in some situations,
00:14:47.42\00:14:49.65
especially when
dealing with persecution
00:14:49.68\00:14:51.39
and things like that,
that happen across the world.
00:14:51.42\00:14:53.29
But we're talking about
the spiritual experience
00:14:53.32\00:14:55.89
of the Christian,
00:14:55.92\00:14:57.73
what does it mean
00:14:57.76\00:14:59.13
to deny oneself
or to die to self?
00:14:59.16\00:15:02.26
Let's kind of expound on
that just for a few moments.
00:15:02.30\00:15:04.77
I think your song that
you hit right on the head,
00:15:04.80\00:15:07.44
"I surrender all."
00:15:07.47\00:15:09.27
I couldn't say anymore but...
00:15:09.30\00:15:11.37
I was thinking about
sometimes on prayer line,
00:15:11.41\00:15:13.04
I get people that they
make comments that say,
00:15:13.07\00:15:14.98
you know, I love God.
00:15:15.01\00:15:17.31
But yet, they don't follow Him,
00:15:17.35\00:15:19.31
like how can you
follow someone you don't love?
00:15:19.35\00:15:21.55
You don't know them so
I think that denying self
00:15:21.58\00:15:23.79
is you need to have that
time to communicate with God.
00:15:23.82\00:15:25.85
You need time to
spend time in His Word.
00:15:25.89\00:15:27.92
You need to be in prayer,
00:15:27.96\00:15:30.13
that denying is
like in the morning,
00:15:30.16\00:15:32.46
denying yourself is...
00:15:32.49\00:15:33.86
In the morning what
it says in Matthew 6:33,
00:15:33.90\00:15:35.70
it says, "Seek ye
first the kingdom of God
00:15:35.73\00:15:37.40
and his righteousness,
00:15:37.43\00:15:38.77
and all these
things shall be added."
00:15:38.80\00:15:40.14
Do you do that in the morning,
00:15:40.17\00:15:41.50
do you lay aside your
plans like you're saying to him
00:15:41.54\00:15:43.87
so that he'll make your plans.
00:15:43.91\00:15:45.34
You know he orders your steps,
00:15:45.37\00:15:46.84
he knows what you're gonna
do so he can shift the moves.
00:15:46.88\00:15:49.04
Absolutely.
00:15:49.08\00:15:50.41
I got a powerful verse for
you that reminds me of just
00:15:50.45\00:15:52.41
what you're talking here.
00:15:52.45\00:15:53.82
In Colossians 3:1-3, it says,
00:15:53.85\00:15:56.69
"If you were raised with Christ,
00:15:56.72\00:15:58.79
seek those
things which are above.
00:15:58.82\00:16:02.12
Seek those
things which are above,
00:16:02.16\00:16:03.83
where Christ is sitting
at the right hand of God.
00:16:03.86\00:16:06.53
Set your mind on things above,
00:16:06.56\00:16:09.60
not on things of the earth
00:16:09.63\00:16:11.27
for you died and your life
is hidden with Christ in God."
00:16:11.30\00:16:15.37
So first of all, to deny self,
00:16:15.40\00:16:18.21
to deny our natural
tendencies, how can you do that?
00:16:18.24\00:16:22.34
How can you do that?
00:16:22.38\00:16:23.71
First of all set our minds
on the things that are above.
00:16:23.75\00:16:25.71
Right.
00:16:25.75\00:16:27.08
I like what Jesus said,
00:16:27.12\00:16:28.45
"And I if I be
lifted up from the earth,
00:16:28.48\00:16:29.82
would draw all men unto me."
00:16:29.85\00:16:31.19
You know, behold Jesus,
00:16:31.22\00:16:32.75
keep Him in mind and
folk keep him in mind
00:16:32.79\00:16:34.69
and focus every
part of your life,
00:16:34.72\00:16:36.62
everyday and
that'll go a long way
00:16:36.66\00:16:38.69
towards denying yourself.
00:16:38.73\00:16:40.50
And the only way we can do
that is how what Owen said,
00:16:40.53\00:16:43.67
Donald said is by praying,
00:16:43.70\00:16:46.70
you know,
taking time to seek God
00:16:46.74\00:16:49.14
early in the morning.
00:16:49.17\00:16:50.51
Right, absolutely.
00:16:50.54\00:16:51.87
Without prayer and
study of the scripture,
00:16:51.91\00:16:53.24
we can't do it.
00:16:53.27\00:16:54.61
Absolutely, yeah.
00:16:54.64\00:16:55.98
It's like that first
prayer in the morning,
00:16:56.01\00:16:57.35
when you get out of the bed
00:16:57.38\00:16:58.71
or even before you
get out of the bed,
00:16:58.75\00:17:00.08
before you even put
that first foot on the floor,
00:17:00.12\00:17:01.45
it's like you know,
00:17:01.48\00:17:02.82
calling for the Holy Spirit
00:17:02.85\00:17:04.19
to come inside you and
to help guide your heart
00:17:04.22\00:17:06.19
and your mind
throughout the rest of the day
00:17:06.22\00:17:08.32
because as you know,
00:17:08.36\00:17:10.43
when you think
about denying yourself,
00:17:10.46\00:17:12.49
the Bible even tells us
00:17:12.53\00:17:13.90
and even going back
to Romans again in 7:18,
00:17:13.93\00:17:18.90
it says, you know in that verse
00:17:18.93\00:17:21.20
it's basically
saying since nothing in us
00:17:21.24\00:17:24.11
is good because the verse says,
00:17:24.14\00:17:25.84
"For I know that in me,
00:17:25.87\00:17:27.51
that is in my flesh
nothing good dwells.
00:17:27.54\00:17:32.05
For to will is present with me,
00:17:32.08\00:17:34.62
but how to perform what
is good, I do not find."
00:17:34.65\00:17:37.85
Oh, yeah.
00:17:37.89\00:17:39.22
So you can't find it in yourself
00:17:39.25\00:17:40.59
since we are corruptible.
00:17:40.62\00:17:42.62
Well, if we give to ourselves,
00:17:42.66\00:17:44.83
we will fall off the path
00:17:44.86\00:17:47.00
if we give in to our
own will and carnal desires.
00:17:47.03\00:17:50.97
Right.
00:17:51.00\00:17:52.33
You know, God,
you know, makes sure
00:17:52.37\00:17:54.14
that we stay away
from those carnal desires
00:17:54.17\00:17:56.54
and leads us to the right path.
00:17:56.57\00:17:58.17
Absolutely.
00:17:58.21\00:17:59.77
In that way we deny ourselves
00:17:59.81\00:18:02.41
since nothing is
good found in us.
00:18:02.44\00:18:04.51
You made us think of a story
one of the Bible characters
00:18:04.55\00:18:07.62
Peter, you know, he says,
00:18:07.65\00:18:09.18
"Hey God Jesus
00:18:09.22\00:18:10.55
why don't you
command me to walk on water?"
00:18:10.59\00:18:11.92
Yeah.
00:18:11.95\00:18:13.29
He gets out of the
boat and he starts walking
00:18:13.32\00:18:14.66
and he takes his eyes off Jesus
00:18:14.69\00:18:16.02
and he looks left
and right and he sinks.
00:18:16.06\00:18:18.16
That's right. He
goes "Help, Jesus save!"
00:18:18.19\00:18:21.00
Jesus save me, I mean I
still try to picture that.
00:18:21.03\00:18:23.16
How is a fully grown man,
00:18:23.20\00:18:24.53
of course, it's
Jesus but walk on water,
00:18:24.57\00:18:26.33
grab a fully grown man
00:18:26.37\00:18:27.70
out of water, put him in a boat,
00:18:27.74\00:18:29.07
I mean that's
incredible but just the fact
00:18:29.10\00:18:30.71
that you know here is
kind of bold brash Peter
00:18:30.74\00:18:33.11
you know but then later you see,
00:18:33.14\00:18:34.94
I think it's in John
20:1, where he talks about,
00:18:34.98\00:18:37.31
here Jesus comes
up to him and says,
00:18:37.35\00:18:38.68
"If you love me, if you
love me more than these,
00:18:38.71\00:18:41.08
you know he says
three times feed my sheep...
00:18:41.12\00:18:42.55
That's right.
00:18:42.58\00:18:43.92
So then you see
Peter in Acts, man,
00:18:43.95\00:18:45.49
what a powerhouse he
became 'cause Jesus said,
00:18:45.52\00:18:48.12
you know, Satan is
desired to sift his wheat,
00:18:48.16\00:18:50.63
and I'm praying for
it when you are converted
00:18:50.66\00:18:52.89
and show
strength in your brethren
00:18:52.93\00:18:54.26
so that real heart
surrender that transformation,
00:18:54.30\00:18:57.27
I think that's huge.
00:18:57.30\00:18:59.23
Yeah. That's right.
00:18:59.27\00:19:00.60
It's interesting
you mentioned the...
00:19:00.64\00:19:03.14
You kind of launched us
00:19:03.17\00:19:04.64
into some
biblical examples of...
00:19:04.67\00:19:06.61
I was thinking
as I was preparing
00:19:06.64\00:19:07.98
these Bible characters,
people that come to our mind
00:19:08.01\00:19:11.08
that the Bible gives
an example of someone
00:19:11.11\00:19:12.45
who struggled with denying self.
00:19:12.48\00:19:14.72
And we can relate to
that because we all struggled,
00:19:14.75\00:19:16.79
that it's a part of
the gospel experience.
00:19:16.82\00:19:18.79
It's not easy to deny one self.
00:19:18.82\00:19:21.19
It is a struggle.
00:19:21.22\00:19:22.76
It is something that you've...
00:19:22.79\00:19:24.99
It's fighting your own
pulses that he died daily
00:19:25.03\00:19:27.50
but yet you know, he also
says in the latter part of it,
00:19:27.53\00:19:29.56
I fought the good fight.
00:19:29.60\00:19:31.23
You know, it's a
struggle, it's a fight.
00:19:31.27\00:19:32.60
Jesus said those who persevere
to the end shall be saved
00:19:32.63\00:19:35.84
and I think in Revelation
that he says to each church age,
00:19:35.87\00:19:39.04
you know, to those who overcome.
00:19:39.07\00:19:40.91
So all of these
words are an indication
00:19:40.94\00:19:42.98
that this battle
with self, that's really,
00:19:43.01\00:19:45.88
that's ultimately we
think of the enemy like,
00:19:45.91\00:19:47.75
you know, the
enemy is keeping us
00:19:47.78\00:19:49.22
from the Kingdom of God but,
00:19:49.25\00:19:50.72
you know, who is that
we're really battling?
00:19:50.75\00:19:53.29
Oh, oh, you stepped
on my toes, be careful.
00:19:53.32\00:19:55.39
Absolutely, you know, I
heard a minister say one time,
00:19:55.42\00:19:58.66
there's a thousand
moments in every day
00:19:58.69\00:20:00.50
that I need to be
rescued from what?
00:20:00.53\00:20:03.16
From who? You!
00:20:03.20\00:20:04.60
You need to be rescued from you!
00:20:04.63\00:20:06.07
You know because Satan
doesn't necessarily have
00:20:06.10\00:20:08.60
control over us unless
we give that to him, right?
00:20:08.64\00:20:11.01
So he's going to
access and use us
00:20:11.04\00:20:14.21
to get in
between us and the Lord.
00:20:14.24\00:20:16.38
And so I think of,
00:20:16.41\00:20:17.75
you know, it's
interesting he went to Peter
00:20:17.78\00:20:19.11
because I
thought that's a person
00:20:19.15\00:20:20.48
who came to my mind.
00:20:20.52\00:20:21.85
I think a lot of times
when you think of someone
00:20:21.88\00:20:23.22
who struggled with
the battle of self,
00:20:23.25\00:20:24.92
you know, denying
self, you think of Peter.
00:20:24.95\00:20:28.06
And, you know that
text comes to my mind where,
00:20:28.09\00:20:30.86
you know, him and Jesus
were having a conversation
00:20:30.89\00:20:33.09
and Jesus just
brings the reality,
00:20:33.13\00:20:34.83
just write to him and says,
00:20:34.86\00:20:36.20
you know, Satan
has asked for you
00:20:36.23\00:20:39.17
that he may sift you as wheat.
00:20:39.20\00:20:41.30
That's
terrifying like the fact...
00:20:41.34\00:20:43.57
That's the great
controversy right there.
00:20:43.61\00:20:45.84
The fact that the devil can
communicate with God and says,
00:20:45.87\00:20:49.41
"Hey, give me that person.
00:20:49.44\00:20:50.78
Let me have that
person over there."
00:20:50.81\00:20:52.21
You know, just
like you gave me Job,
00:20:52.25\00:20:53.75
let me have that person.
00:20:53.78\00:20:55.12
Let me have
Donald, let me have Terry.
00:20:55.15\00:20:56.58
And it's interesting
that Jesus never said,
00:20:56.62\00:21:00.26
"No, I told him
no, he can't have you."
00:21:00.29\00:21:04.36
That's
interesting. God prayed for you.
00:21:04.39\00:21:06.63
He said, I prayed for you
00:21:06.66\00:21:08.73
that you will be strengthened
00:21:08.76\00:21:12.97
and that when
you are converted...
00:21:13.00\00:21:15.80
That's the key.
00:21:15.84\00:21:17.17
You know, then go
strengthen the brethren.
00:21:17.21\00:21:18.77
So it's interesting,
you know, thinking of Peter,
00:21:18.81\00:21:21.14
what are some
other Bible examples?
00:21:21.18\00:21:22.58
Are there any other characters
that come to your mind?
00:21:22.61\00:21:24.15
Someone who struggled
with the fight of denying self
00:21:24.18\00:21:28.18
and overcoming self?
00:21:28.22\00:21:29.55
Another one comes
in mind is Joseph.
00:21:29.58\00:21:30.92
Joseph?
00:21:30.95\00:21:32.29
You don't really see it
but he was kind of like a...
00:21:32.32\00:21:34.19
I don't wanna use the word,
00:21:34.22\00:21:35.56
he was just a kinda
hardy, high minded...
00:21:35.59\00:21:37.53
Little pompous.
00:21:37.56\00:21:38.89
Yeah, pompous, I was
gonna use another word,
00:21:38.93\00:21:40.26
and I'm gonna ask you.
00:21:40.30\00:21:41.63
But, anyways you
know the brothers
00:21:41.66\00:21:43.00
like really upset with him.
00:21:43.03\00:21:44.37
He's got this
code of many colors.
00:21:44.40\00:21:45.73
He thought he was all the
stuff and then they take him
00:21:45.77\00:21:47.10
and put him in a
pit of all things
00:21:47.14\00:21:48.47
and then they pull him back out
and they sell him to slavery,
00:21:48.50\00:21:51.64
but he was humble.
00:21:51.67\00:21:53.01
Talk about that man,
00:21:53.04\00:21:54.38
he's put in Potiphar's household
00:21:54.41\00:21:55.74
and the wife's trying to
say "Hey come lay with me."
00:21:55.78\00:21:57.65
He says, "No,
I'm not doing that.
00:21:57.68\00:21:59.15
How can I do this? It's
sinning against my God."
00:21:59.18\00:22:00.62
But you see him put
in prison now unjustly.
00:22:00.65\00:22:03.79
So you're talking
about humbling experience
00:22:03.82\00:22:05.32
of two or three years.
00:22:05.35\00:22:06.86
That was a
battle. Praise the Lord.
00:22:06.89\00:22:08.62
And it's
interesting you mentioned Joseph
00:22:08.66\00:22:10.56
because Joseph,
when we think of Joseph
00:22:10.59\00:22:12.43
we think of he's one of
few characters in the Bible
00:22:12.46\00:22:15.00
that there's not really
much negative said about
00:22:15.03\00:22:17.40
other than the fact that he did
00:22:17.43\00:22:18.77
kind of dealt
with those inner...
00:22:18.80\00:22:20.67
That fight of self, you
know, of exalting himself
00:22:20.70\00:22:23.54
and kind of
being a little arrogant
00:22:23.57\00:22:25.17
and pompous to the
point that his brother said,
00:22:25.21\00:22:26.81
"You know what, we
can't stand this guy."
00:22:26.84\00:22:28.64
But nonetheless
you know what about...
00:22:28.68\00:22:31.05
I was thinking of
someone just came to my mind
00:22:31.08\00:22:34.38
and it just
completely slipped my mind.
00:22:34.42\00:22:36.22
I think of all
the disciples, right?
00:22:36.25\00:22:38.19
Not just Peter but what
about all the disciples?
00:22:38.22\00:22:39.99
Yeah.
00:22:40.02\00:22:41.36
I mean these guys were
in the presence of Christ
00:22:41.39\00:22:43.39
all the time.
00:22:43.43\00:22:45.06
And I think of that last moment,
00:22:45.09\00:22:48.73
this is amazing
'cause this is very humbling
00:22:48.76\00:22:50.47
when you think about it.
00:22:50.50\00:22:51.83
You know, I've often said
to myself kind of in my mind
00:22:51.87\00:22:54.60
and even to some of my
close family members that,
00:22:54.64\00:22:56.71
man, if I could
just have a few moments
00:22:56.74\00:22:58.77
to walk with Jesus,
00:22:58.81\00:23:00.14
you know how much my
faith would beeped up
00:23:00.18\00:23:02.71
then how much,
00:23:02.74\00:23:04.08
you know, sometimes we say like,
00:23:04.11\00:23:05.45
if I could just see
a miracle of the Lord,
00:23:05.48\00:23:06.82
if I could just
have this experience
00:23:06.85\00:23:08.18
like these Bible
characters had the experience.
00:23:08.22\00:23:10.59
We're talking about 12
guys that walked with Jesus
00:23:10.62\00:23:13.52
every single day.
00:23:13.56\00:23:15.32
And up to the very last
moment that they're with Him.
00:23:15.36\00:23:18.53
I think of that
very intimate moment
00:23:18.56\00:23:21.36
that they're in the
upper room with Jesus there
00:23:21.40\00:23:23.87
on pass overnight,
00:23:23.90\00:23:26.84
and they're all in the
presence of the almighty,
00:23:26.87\00:23:29.94
humble God of the universe.
00:23:29.97\00:23:31.64
That step battle of
self, denying of self,
00:23:31.67\00:23:35.01
they struggled with
that even all the way up
00:23:35.04\00:23:36.64
to their last moments because
there they're arguing on,
00:23:36.68\00:23:39.21
who's greater than the
other and who's gonna wash...
00:23:39.25\00:23:40.88
No, you're gonna wash my feet.
00:23:40.92\00:23:42.25
No, I'm not washing your feet,
00:23:42.28\00:23:43.62
you know, and
there's the humble Jesus,
00:23:43.65\00:23:46.35
He girds himself, no
words just bend down and then,
00:23:46.39\00:23:50.03
you could just
imagine the silence
00:23:50.06\00:23:51.56
that went across
that room like what,
00:23:51.59\00:23:53.19
you know, the
King of the universe
00:23:53.23\00:23:55.60
showed them in that moment,
00:23:55.63\00:23:57.10
this is what it
means to deny self.
00:23:57.13\00:23:59.37
It means to humble yourselves,
00:23:59.40\00:24:01.20
it means to make
yourself a servant
00:24:01.24\00:24:03.14
even when self tells
you, you don't want it, right?
00:24:03.17\00:24:06.78
That's powerful to think of,
00:24:06.81\00:24:08.64
you know, just there's
so many different examples
00:24:08.68\00:24:11.08
in Scripture that come
in to my mind of people who,
00:24:11.11\00:24:13.52
you know, even those
who may have not even won
00:24:13.55\00:24:15.92
the battle because you
think of the disciples,
00:24:15.95\00:24:18.19
they were taken
through a process, right?
00:24:18.22\00:24:20.69
And which you're
'cause denying self
00:24:20.72\00:24:22.52
and overcoming sin is a process,
00:24:22.56\00:24:24.93
the growing in
Christ is a process
00:24:24.96\00:24:26.53
but what about those
characters like Saul?
00:24:26.56\00:24:31.00
God called him, he was chosen,
00:24:31.03\00:24:34.10
but he fought that battle
and he didn't win that battle.
00:24:34.14\00:24:38.67
And that shows
the realness of this.
00:24:38.71\00:24:40.44
Yeah, I was gonna say,
00:24:40.48\00:24:41.84
if you wanted to
do a character study
00:24:41.88\00:24:43.48
of how to deny your own life,
00:24:43.51\00:24:47.85
go back and read all those
who didn't deny themselves,
00:24:47.88\00:24:50.25
you know, the
kings that are so pompous
00:24:50.29\00:24:52.35
in their leadership
that had to have their way
00:24:52.39\00:24:55.89
and how God humbled them
00:24:55.92\00:24:58.33
because they
didn't deny themselves.
00:24:58.36\00:24:59.69
Absolutely.
00:24:59.73\00:25:01.06
I think of Jonah,
you know, Jonah was...
00:25:01.10\00:25:02.43
I was just
thinking of Jonah, I was.
00:25:02.46\00:25:03.90
I mean, this is a
prophet of the Lord,
00:25:03.93\00:25:05.53
I mean this is a
guy who speaks for God
00:25:05.57\00:25:08.07
and it's like this guy struggled
00:25:08.10\00:25:10.01
and the Lord
said, "This is My will,
00:25:10.04\00:25:11.57
this is My way, this
is what I want you to do."
00:25:11.61\00:25:13.07
And he's like, "Yeah,
I'm gonna go do this."
00:25:13.11\00:25:14.84
This is my way, you
know, so it's a real struggle,
00:25:14.88\00:25:17.55
it's a real battle.
00:25:17.58\00:25:18.91
Another text
that comes to my mind
00:25:18.95\00:25:20.28
and we can kinda
continue down on this line
00:25:20.32\00:25:21.65
and break this
apart, but John 12:20-26,
00:25:21.68\00:25:26.52
when I read this, you now,
Jesus often speaks in parables,
00:25:26.55\00:25:29.52
He speaks in
symbolical languages,
00:25:29.56\00:25:31.33
uses examples to
communicate a spiritual lesson
00:25:31.36\00:25:34.56
and this is a powerful,
00:25:34.60\00:25:36.43
this is actually coming
right after on the same day
00:25:36.46\00:25:40.84
of the triumphant entry.
00:25:40.87\00:25:42.50
So he's literally one week
out from dying on the cross
00:25:42.54\00:25:46.34
but notice what he
says here, Jesus says...
00:25:46.37\00:25:49.64
Excuse me, Bible says
"Now there were certain Greeks
00:25:49.68\00:25:51.65
among those who came up
to worship at the feast."
00:25:51.68\00:25:55.22
Verse 21, "Then
they came to Philip,
00:25:55.25\00:25:57.62
who was from Bethsaida of
Galilee and ask him saying,
00:25:57.65\00:26:00.66
'Sir, we wish to see Jesus.'"
00:26:00.69\00:26:04.33
I just want to pause there.
00:26:04.36\00:26:06.90
Pause there and take
that moment in for a moment.
00:26:06.93\00:26:08.90
You know, I think that
there's a lesson to learn here
00:26:08.93\00:26:10.70
that in overcoming self,
00:26:10.73\00:26:14.77
we have to wish to see Jesus.
00:26:14.80\00:26:17.24
We have to have that desire,
we have to wish to see Jesus.
00:26:17.27\00:26:19.74
That's the word
right there, desire.
00:26:19.77\00:26:21.18
Desire, absolutely.
00:26:21.21\00:26:22.94
In verse 22,
"Philip came and told Andrew
00:26:22.98\00:26:25.41
and in turn Andrew
and Philip told Jesus."
00:26:25.45\00:26:28.28
And then here's verse 23,
00:26:28.32\00:26:29.65
"But Jesus
answered to them saying,
00:26:29.68\00:26:32.02
'The hour has come that the
Son of Man should be glorified.
00:26:32.05\00:26:35.42
Most assuredly I say to you,
00:26:35.46\00:26:36.79
unless a grain of wheat
falls into the ground and dies,
00:26:36.83\00:26:40.86
it remains alone.
00:26:40.90\00:26:42.56
But if it dies, it
produces much grain."
00:26:42.60\00:26:46.47
That's powerful.
00:26:46.50\00:26:47.84
"He who loves
his life will lose it
00:26:47.87\00:26:50.91
and he who hates his life
00:26:50.94\00:26:53.17
in this world will
keep it for eternal life.
00:26:53.21\00:26:56.75
If anyone serves Me let
him follow Me, and where I am,
00:26:56.78\00:27:00.18
there my servant will be also.
00:27:00.22\00:27:01.88
If anyone serves Me,
him My Father will honor.'"
00:27:01.92\00:27:06.65
Wow.
00:27:06.69\00:27:08.02
You know, I'm amazed at
00:27:08.06\00:27:09.56
how much we do to
try to live longer.
00:27:09.59\00:27:13.46
Yeah.
00:27:13.50\00:27:14.83
We do pushups
and, you know, run...
00:27:14.86\00:27:20.04
You run, you're a
good runner and I don't,
00:27:20.07\00:27:22.24
to me that would kill me
00:27:22.27\00:27:24.17
rather than make me live longer.
00:27:24.21\00:27:25.64
We eat well, we
do all these things,
00:27:25.67\00:27:28.14
and we put lotions on
to make us look younger
00:27:28.18\00:27:30.85
and so it's funny how that goes
00:27:30.88\00:27:33.45
in the flies in
the face of this.
00:27:33.48\00:27:36.62
We are born to die,
we truly are born to die.
00:27:36.65\00:27:40.32
It's a pointed
unto man once you die.
00:27:40.36\00:27:43.46
But in this case,
00:27:43.49\00:27:44.83
I love if we will
use that same concept
00:27:44.86\00:27:48.76
just die to Christ,
00:27:48.80\00:27:51.37
but those that
scripture is so powerful
00:27:51.40\00:27:53.64
what you just read.
00:27:53.67\00:27:55.00
Yeah, absolutely.
00:27:55.04\00:27:56.37
I mean just to repeat verse 24,
"Most assuredly I say to you,
00:27:56.40\00:27:58.47
unless a grain of wheat
falls into the ground and dies,
00:27:58.51\00:28:02.44
it remains alone.
00:28:02.48\00:28:03.81
But if it dies, it
produces much grain."
00:28:03.85\00:28:06.55
And so that,
you know, this even,
00:28:06.58\00:28:08.48
let's take this
kind of step further,
00:28:08.52\00:28:10.12
does this feed into
the importance of mission
00:28:10.15\00:28:15.12
and our work on
winning souls for Christ?
00:28:15.16\00:28:18.63
In other words, can you truly be
00:28:18.66\00:28:20.33
a legitimate soul
winner for the kingdom of God,
00:28:20.36\00:28:22.66
a successful spirit
filled soul winner for the Lord
00:28:22.70\00:28:25.90
and not have died to self?
00:28:25.93\00:28:28.44
I have a little something
that might speak of that
00:28:28.47\00:28:30.34
is some of our
viewers maybe familiar
00:28:30.37\00:28:33.31
with a book
called "Early Writings"
00:28:33.34\00:28:35.21
and I found out this little,
00:28:35.24\00:28:36.88
two little
paragraphs and it says,
00:28:36.91\00:28:38.85
"Many who profess
the name of Christ
00:28:38.88\00:28:40.62
and claim to be
looking for His speedy coming,
00:28:40.65\00:28:43.32
know not what it is to
suffer for Christ's sake.
00:28:43.35\00:28:46.32
Their hearts are
not subdued by grace,
00:28:46.35\00:28:48.52
and they are not dead to self,
00:28:48.56\00:28:50.19
as is often
shown in various ways.
00:28:50.23\00:28:52.69
At the same time
00:28:52.73\00:28:54.06
when they are
talking of having trials.
00:28:54.10\00:28:56.20
But the principal
cause of their trials
00:28:56.23\00:28:58.63
is an unsubdued heart,
00:28:58.67\00:29:01.47
which makes self so sensitive
that it is often crossed.
00:29:01.50\00:29:05.01
If such could realize
00:29:05.04\00:29:06.44
what it is to be a
humble follower of Christ,
00:29:06.47\00:29:09.54
a true Christian,
00:29:09.58\00:29:11.25
they would begin to work
00:29:11.28\00:29:12.61
in good earnest and begin right.
00:29:12.65\00:29:14.45
They would first die to
self, then be instant in prayer,
00:29:14.48\00:29:18.69
and check every
passion of the heart.
00:29:18.72\00:29:21.62
Give up your self-confidence
and self-sufficiency, brethren,
00:29:21.66\00:29:25.29
and follow the meek pattern.
00:29:25.33\00:29:27.46
Ever keep Jesus in your
mind that He is your example
00:29:27.50\00:29:31.23
and you must
tread in His footsteps."
00:29:31.27\00:29:33.50
Wow. It's beautiful.
00:29:33.54\00:29:35.47
Jesus is our example
00:29:35.50\00:29:37.27
and no one has put forth
a pattern of self service
00:29:37.31\00:29:40.68
and self
sacrifice more than Him,
00:29:40.71\00:29:43.31
you know, and let's face it.
00:29:43.35\00:29:45.41
I'm gonna venture to say
00:29:45.45\00:29:46.78
that none of us have been
called to sacrifice our self
00:29:46.82\00:29:49.68
to the decree that He
did and He did it willingly.
00:29:49.72\00:29:54.19
And to set an example,
first of all to save us,
00:29:54.22\00:29:56.69
but to set an example for us.
00:29:56.73\00:29:58.83
And what a pattern
we have to look after.
00:29:58.86\00:30:01.53
Right. Praise the Lord.
00:30:01.56\00:30:03.67
That's powerful
to consider that,
00:30:03.70\00:30:07.34
you know, often
times in this lifetime
00:30:07.37\00:30:08.70
we may find our self saying,
00:30:08.74\00:30:10.77
you know, "Lord
this life isn't fair,
00:30:10.81\00:30:12.27
you know, that's not fair.
00:30:12.31\00:30:13.64
Why me, Lord?"
00:30:13.68\00:30:15.01
If you had that moment in
your life where you're like,
00:30:15.04\00:30:16.44
I'm going through this trial,
going through this tribulation,
00:30:16.48\00:30:19.41
this challenging
moment in my life
00:30:19.45\00:30:21.85
and you find yourself,
00:30:21.88\00:30:23.22
you know, you recently
did a message on prayer
00:30:23.25\00:30:26.29
and the concept if many people
00:30:26.32\00:30:29.12
that's really
crying out to the Lord
00:30:29.16\00:30:31.36
but it seems like their
prayers are hitting the ceiling
00:30:31.39\00:30:32.99
and then it's
like, "Lord, why me?"
00:30:33.03\00:30:35.03
But sometimes as
you just brought out,
00:30:35.06\00:30:36.77
I don't think that we
stopped to really think
00:30:36.80\00:30:38.80
what Jesus had to go through.
00:30:38.83\00:30:42.24
You know, and even to bring,
00:30:42.27\00:30:44.37
you know, Jesus is
the ultimate example
00:30:44.41\00:30:46.21
but sometimes I think
00:30:46.24\00:30:47.58
of what others around
the world have to endeavor,
00:30:47.61\00:30:50.45
you know, there's people
that don't even have homes,
00:30:50.48\00:30:53.28
people they're waiting
to see for moment to moment
00:30:53.31\00:30:57.79
where they're gonna get food
00:30:57.82\00:30:59.15
and you sure start to
consider all of the challenges
00:30:59.19\00:31:01.92
that people around you
have to go through and it's like
00:31:01.96\00:31:03.89
what are my problems,
00:31:03.93\00:31:05.69
you know, and so in this concept
00:31:05.73\00:31:08.70
or this the
question of denying self,
00:31:08.73\00:31:10.67
sacrificing self
for God's mission,
00:31:10.70\00:31:14.00
for God's kingdom
00:31:14.04\00:31:15.37
that Christ can
fill me and change me
00:31:15.40\00:31:17.34
because ultimately
that's the goal, right?
00:31:17.37\00:31:19.47
What is the goal
for denying self?
00:31:19.51\00:31:21.51
The point of denying self
00:31:21.54\00:31:23.28
is to be emptied of
self so that what can happen.
00:31:23.31\00:31:26.01
Right. Christ can fill in.
00:31:26.05\00:31:27.62
Right.
00:31:27.65\00:31:28.98
What did John the Baptist say,
00:31:29.02\00:31:30.35
you know, He must
increase and I must decrease.
00:31:30.39\00:31:34.39
And it brought to me
a clear reality here,
00:31:34.42\00:31:36.32
we can kind of expound
this a little bit more,
00:31:36.36\00:31:38.09
Galatians 5:22 through 25
00:31:38.13\00:31:41.93
and you'll recognize
that this is the listing
00:31:41.96\00:31:44.37
of the fruits of the Spirit.
00:31:44.40\00:31:46.67
And so notice among
this list again, powerful.
00:31:46.70\00:31:50.37
This is about the
fruit of the Spirit is love,
00:31:50.41\00:31:52.94
and I could just
pause there and say
00:31:52.97\00:31:54.31
everything after
this, it comes back to love.
00:31:54.34\00:31:58.88
If you really wanted to
sum up the fruit of the Spirit,
00:31:58.91\00:32:01.78
you could just say, the
fruit of the Spirit is love.
00:32:01.82\00:32:04.72
It's kind of the umbrella
and everything underneath
00:32:04.75\00:32:06.96
falls under this, of course,
00:32:06.99\00:32:08.32
which is joy, peace,
long suffering, kindness,
00:32:08.36\00:32:12.53
goodness, faithfulness,
00:32:12.56\00:32:14.70
gentleness and then notice
this last one, self control.
00:32:14.73\00:32:18.83
But do you notice what
it continues to say though
00:32:18.87\00:32:20.37
'cause lot of
times we stop there,
00:32:20.40\00:32:22.00
but notice what this
scripture continues to say,
00:32:22.04\00:32:24.81
"Against such there is no law."
00:32:24.84\00:32:26.51
And then verse 24,
00:32:26.54\00:32:27.88
"And those who are
Christ have, there it is,
00:32:27.91\00:32:30.68
crucified the flesh with
its passions and desires.
00:32:30.71\00:32:35.72
If we live in the Spirit,
00:32:35.75\00:32:38.22
let us also walk in the Spirit."
00:32:38.25\00:32:40.39
What does that mean?
00:32:40.42\00:32:41.86
Like there may
be someone right now
00:32:41.89\00:32:43.22
watching and saying, "Okay,
00:32:43.26\00:32:44.59
but what does that
mean to live in the Spirit
00:32:44.63\00:32:46.76
to crucify the flesh,
00:32:46.80\00:32:49.40
the passions and the
desires to live in the Spirit
00:32:49.43\00:32:52.20
and to walk in the Spirit?"
00:32:52.23\00:32:54.00
What does that
mean to you, guys?
00:32:54.04\00:32:55.44
I guess I can share a story
that caught my mind was a...
00:32:55.47\00:32:58.67
I'm sure a lot of
people heard the movie hero
00:32:58.71\00:33:00.11
of "Hacksaw
Ridge", Desmond Doss.
00:33:00.14\00:33:03.45
You wanna talk about
incredible story of a man
00:33:03.48\00:33:05.68
who went against
all odds, a small man,
00:33:05.71\00:33:08.42
not very big in
stature, but I mean,
00:33:08.45\00:33:10.09
he had the power
and faith of the God
00:33:10.12\00:33:11.49
and he went up
there on the escarpment
00:33:11.52\00:33:13.46
they call and he
saved how many men,
00:33:13.49\00:33:15.12
and he risked
losing his own life.
00:33:15.16\00:33:18.06
I mean, he was
near, I mean, exhaustion,
00:33:18.09\00:33:20.70
just, I mean for
12 hours straight
00:33:20.73\00:33:22.40
this man kept pulling men out,
00:33:22.43\00:33:24.07
rolling them down,
00:33:24.10\00:33:25.43
and he only weighed they
said 135 pounds of weight.
00:33:25.47\00:33:28.10
He is rolling men,
incredible, I mean.
00:33:28.14\00:33:29.97
That's amazing. And
that's one thing about.
00:33:30.01\00:33:32.11
I mean, he
basically laid down his life
00:33:32.14\00:33:34.68
for these people so
they could have life
00:33:34.71\00:33:36.58
and that to me, it says,
00:33:36.61\00:33:38.31
somebody's really
walking with the Lord.
00:33:38.35\00:33:40.48
I couldn't, I mean, you got
bullets flying all around me,
00:33:40.52\00:33:42.48
I'm like, "No, I'm sorry.
00:33:42.52\00:33:44.39
You have to buy yourself man.
00:33:44.42\00:33:46.89
I'm gone."
00:33:46.92\00:33:48.26
He headed and he kept marching
and pulling those men over.
00:33:48.29\00:33:50.03
I mean, wow, it's...
00:33:50.06\00:33:51.59
You know, that's
a powerful story.
00:33:51.63\00:33:53.06
I have heard that
story of Desmond Doss
00:33:53.09\00:33:55.23
and it's incredible,
00:33:55.26\00:33:56.67
this sacrifice that he made
00:33:56.70\00:33:58.70
and it just goes to
even further prove exactly
00:33:58.73\00:34:00.90
what all we are talking
about that it is possible
00:34:00.94\00:34:03.77
for someone to be
so in tune with Jesus.
00:34:03.81\00:34:05.87
This man was a...
00:34:05.91\00:34:07.24
He was a man of
faith, he was a man of God.
00:34:07.28\00:34:08.68
And as I'm reading
back through this text
00:34:08.71\00:34:10.31
that we just read
in Galatians Chapter 5.
00:34:10.35\00:34:11.95
I just wanna bring something
out here to kinda lead us
00:34:11.98\00:34:14.38
into a different
conversation but there is,
00:34:14.42\00:34:17.59
you know, directly related
to what we are talking about.
00:34:17.62\00:34:20.19
Notice Galatians
5:24 again, so it says,
00:34:20.22\00:34:22.76
"Those who are Christ
have crucified the flesh
00:34:22.79\00:34:27.03
with its passions and desires.
00:34:27.06\00:34:29.83
If we live in the Spirit,
00:34:29.86\00:34:31.20
let us also walk in the Spirit."
00:34:31.23\00:34:33.27
So here's the
thing, as I read that,
00:34:33.30\00:34:36.00
I think I see that
00:34:36.04\00:34:37.37
as a direct
council of the Holy Spirit
00:34:37.41\00:34:39.31
telling me and you
00:34:39.34\00:34:40.78
that there's
something that you can do,
00:34:40.81\00:34:43.68
that there has to be
surrendering aspect here.
00:34:43.71\00:34:45.85
There has to be a surrendering
of your will to His,
00:34:45.88\00:34:49.18
but yet in the Christian
world that we live in today
00:34:49.22\00:34:51.99
and it seems like there's
different forms of the gospel
00:34:52.02\00:34:54.06
that are floating
around and one aspect of this,
00:34:54.09\00:34:57.03
you know, popular
evangelical gospel
00:34:57.06\00:34:59.33
that's floating around says,
00:34:59.36\00:35:01.43
"You know what,
I'm already saved,
00:35:01.46\00:35:03.10
I'm saved by grace alone,
00:35:03.13\00:35:04.67
you know, so
therefore I can't do that,
00:35:04.70\00:35:09.10
I can't crucify self,
I can't sacrifice self.
00:35:09.14\00:35:14.44
Kind of goes back to the
grace versus works conversation,
00:35:14.48\00:35:17.68
the law versus
grace conversation,
00:35:17.71\00:35:19.61
Jesus said, "If you love Me,
keep My commandments," right?
00:35:19.65\00:35:22.48
But yet, there's
Christians that they say,
00:35:22.52\00:35:24.25
you know what, I'm
saved by grace through faith,
00:35:24.29\00:35:26.52
I don't take a work's
approach to salvation,
00:35:26.55\00:35:28.62
I take a grace
approach to salvation
00:35:28.66\00:35:30.23
so I can't keep
the commandments,
00:35:30.26\00:35:31.89
that's impossible.
00:35:31.93\00:35:33.26
So there may be
someone who is listening to us
00:35:33.29\00:35:34.73
talk about this denying factor,
00:35:34.76\00:35:36.60
this important
aspect of denying oneself
00:35:36.63\00:35:39.43
and they're
probably saying, yeah,
00:35:39.47\00:35:40.80
but none of that really matters
00:35:40.84\00:35:42.17
because I don't have
the strength to do that.
00:35:42.20\00:35:44.61
And therefore
Christ understands,
00:35:44.64\00:35:46.74
that's why He
saved me by grace, right?
00:35:46.78\00:35:48.64
So let's talk a
little bit about that.
00:35:48.68\00:35:50.01
How do we make this in
kind of harmonize together
00:35:50.05\00:35:53.31
with what the
scripture is saying?
00:35:53.35\00:35:54.88
I think James would
disagree with that person
00:35:54.92\00:35:57.99
who came forward with that,
00:35:58.02\00:35:59.79
you know, what
you were saying there,
00:35:59.82\00:36:01.79
reminds me of James Chapter 2,
beginning of verse 17, it says,
00:36:01.82\00:36:07.66
"Thus also faith by itself,
if it does not have works,
00:36:07.70\00:36:11.03
is dead.
00:36:11.07\00:36:12.47
But someone will say,
00:36:12.50\00:36:13.84
'You have faith,
and I have works.
00:36:13.87\00:36:16.10
Show me your
faith without works,
00:36:16.14\00:36:17.54
and I will show you
my faith by my works.
00:36:17.57\00:36:20.74
You believe that
there is one God.
00:36:20.78\00:36:22.11
You do well.
00:36:22.14\00:36:23.48
Even the demons
believe and tremble!
00:36:23.51\00:36:24.91
But do you want to
know, O foolish man
00:36:24.95\00:36:27.58
what faith
without works is dead?
00:36:27.62\00:36:30.22
Was not Abraham our
father justified by works
00:36:30.25\00:36:32.49
when he offered
Isaac his son on the altar?
00:36:32.52\00:36:35.12
Do you see that
faith was working together
00:36:35.16\00:36:37.83
with his works, and by
works faith was made perfect?'"
00:36:37.86\00:36:42.66
Right. All right.
00:36:42.70\00:36:44.20
So what he's
saying there to Isaac...
00:36:44.23\00:36:46.60
And we're
familiar with the story,
00:36:46.63\00:36:47.97
you know, Abraham,
00:36:48.00\00:36:49.34
he hears the voice of
God one day and God says,
00:36:49.37\00:36:52.17
"I want you to
go and take your son
00:36:52.21\00:36:53.94
and sacrifice him."
00:36:53.98\00:36:55.38
Now first of all, it's
important to point out,
00:36:55.41\00:36:58.15
he knew the voice of God,
00:36:58.18\00:37:00.02
which means he was already
00:37:00.05\00:37:01.38
in a covenant
relationship with God.
00:37:01.42\00:37:03.69
As when God
comes up with this idea
00:37:03.72\00:37:06.99
that normally any other
person would say, "What?
00:37:07.02\00:37:10.13
We can't believe
you'd ask me that!"
00:37:10.16\00:37:12.19
Abraham already knew
the voice of his Father
00:37:12.23\00:37:14.56
and he knew that
the voice of his Father
00:37:14.60\00:37:16.06
wasn't gonna lead him astray
and so he goes to take his son,
00:37:16.10\00:37:19.53
you now, and James is saying,
00:37:19.57\00:37:22.10
you know, his works
made his faith perfect,
00:37:22.14\00:37:25.77
you know, I like it,
there's a little saying that
00:37:25.81\00:37:28.81
we like to say that
sometimes we don't keep
00:37:28.84\00:37:31.91
the commandments
so that we can saved,
00:37:31.95\00:37:34.38
we keep the commandments
because we are saved.
00:37:34.42\00:37:36.28
Right, that's beautiful.
00:37:36.32\00:37:38.35
So based of 'cause
you just read James
00:37:38.39\00:37:40.79
and I've heard a
lot of people say,
00:37:40.82\00:37:44.06
"Seems like James and Paul
are contradicting themselves."
00:37:44.09\00:37:47.90
So the scripture
I'm referring to,
00:37:47.93\00:37:49.70
the very popular text in
Ephesians 2:8 through 10,
00:37:49.73\00:37:53.50
Paul says in verse 8,
00:37:53.54\00:37:55.84
"For by grace you have
been saved through faith,
00:37:55.87\00:37:58.37
and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God."
00:37:58.41\00:38:01.81
Verse 9, "Not of works,
lest anyone should boast."
00:38:01.84\00:38:05.41
Pause, that's where
usually they paused right there.
00:38:05.45\00:38:08.95
They don't read verse 10,
00:38:08.98\00:38:10.32
but lot of people
read those two verses
00:38:10.35\00:38:12.02
and say based off
a kind of a twisting
00:38:12.05\00:38:14.39
and a misunderstanding
of those two verses,
00:38:14.42\00:38:16.22
they'll say, "See, it's
just grace and grace alone."
00:38:16.26\00:38:19.39
So therefore Ryan
all this denying self,
00:38:19.43\00:38:22.30
you know, crucifying
self and being obedient,
00:38:22.33\00:38:25.50
all of that is a
works approach to salvation
00:38:25.53\00:38:28.04
and I can't do that.
00:38:28.07\00:38:29.40
You want me to
keep the commandments
00:38:29.44\00:38:30.77
but I can't do that,
that's why Jesus died for me
00:38:30.81\00:38:32.87
because He knew
I couldn't, right?
00:38:32.91\00:38:34.51
But then you read verse 10,
00:38:34.54\00:38:36.08
which I believe harmonizes
00:38:36.11\00:38:37.45
with what James is
saying there in Chapter 2.
00:38:37.48\00:38:39.71
He says, "For we
are His workmanship,
00:38:39.75\00:38:42.82
created in Christ
Jesus for good works,
00:38:42.85\00:38:46.65
which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them."
00:38:46.69\00:38:50.69
So while we're not
saved by our works,
00:38:50.73\00:38:52.83
I know we have a lot of
conversation about this.
00:38:52.86\00:38:54.63
I have to give
this story real quick.
00:38:54.66\00:38:56.20
So my brother,
00:38:56.23\00:38:59.20
recently few
months ago came to 3ABN
00:38:59.23\00:39:02.27
and he'd done an
interview with 3ABN and,
00:39:02.30\00:39:04.84
you know, as they do
with all of their guests,
00:39:04.87\00:39:07.18
you know, they'll put,
00:39:07.21\00:39:08.61
you know,
information up there and,
00:39:08.64\00:39:10.61
you know, contact them
00:39:10.65\00:39:12.31
and so ever since that is aired,
00:39:12.35\00:39:14.88
my brother's has
gotten several phone calls,
00:39:14.92\00:39:17.35
and you would think
it would be from people
00:39:17.39\00:39:19.19
who would be encouraging him or,
00:39:19.22\00:39:20.99
you know, but he's
got a few phone calls
00:39:21.02\00:39:22.62
from people who
are rebuking him.
00:39:22.66\00:39:24.99
And it's
interesting that he told me,
00:39:25.03\00:39:27.40
he said, "I got a
phone call the other day,
00:39:27.43\00:39:29.03
a lady called
me up and she said,
00:39:29.06\00:39:30.40
you know, you guys at 3ABN,
you just preach law, law, law."
00:39:30.43\00:39:34.40
And I just have to
say for the record,
00:39:34.44\00:39:37.11
you know, we do
talk a lot about the law.
00:39:37.14\00:39:39.67
And the law is a
vital important part
00:39:39.71\00:39:41.44
of the Christian experience
but just for the record,
00:39:41.48\00:39:43.85
and I wanna make this clear,
as what I believe and I think,
00:39:43.88\00:39:46.61
I can speak on behalf of 3ABN
00:39:46.65\00:39:48.55
and faith to know
that we do not believe
00:39:48.58\00:39:51.25
that you are saved by works.
00:39:51.29\00:39:53.56
We believe what
the gospel teaches
00:39:53.59\00:39:55.26
and that you are saved
by grace through faith.
00:39:55.29\00:39:58.33
That's what this scripture says.
00:39:58.36\00:39:59.79
So we don't believe that
00:39:59.83\00:40:01.16
by the perfect keeping
of the law that's gonna,
00:40:01.20\00:40:03.30
you know, gain you
access to the kingdom of God
00:40:03.33\00:40:06.20
because you kept
the law so perfect.
00:40:06.23\00:40:08.30
But the question
I'm asking in connection
00:40:08.34\00:40:10.31
with this is how do
we make this harmonize
00:40:10.34\00:40:12.51
if I'm not saved by
the works of the law,
00:40:12.54\00:40:16.04
but yet I am to be obedient
00:40:16.08\00:40:18.78
and have those
good works in my life
00:40:18.81\00:40:20.62
because
evidently, verse 10 says,
00:40:20.65\00:40:22.58
"That's what we were
created for in Christ Jesus,
00:40:22.62\00:40:25.05
for good works."
00:40:25.09\00:40:26.42
How do we harmonize that
00:40:26.45\00:40:27.79
and how does that
fit into this concept
00:40:27.82\00:40:30.03
of denying oneself?
00:40:30.06\00:40:32.19
You know, I thought of
this example years ago,
00:40:32.23\00:40:37.43
when Wendy and I started dating,
00:40:37.47\00:40:40.20
and we agreed that we're
gonna get married, all right.
00:40:40.24\00:40:42.77
So one day, we went before
our pastor and we got married.
00:40:42.80\00:40:46.74
At that point, we are
in a marriage covenant
00:40:46.78\00:40:49.18
with each other.
00:40:49.21\00:40:50.55
Now, after that point,
we began to ask ourselves,
00:40:50.58\00:40:54.68
how might I live
and adjust my life
00:40:54.72\00:40:57.35
that will be in pleasing
to her as my wife, right?
00:40:57.39\00:41:01.12
So you know, if
I come home one day
00:41:01.16\00:41:03.53
and she says, "Dear, you know,
can you take out the garbage?"
00:41:03.56\00:41:07.53
I don't think to myself, well,
00:41:07.56\00:41:09.20
I'm gonna score some
good brownie points with her
00:41:09.23\00:41:11.33
or I'm gonna, you
know, or I better take up
00:41:11.37\00:41:14.30
the garbage or
she might divorce me.
00:41:14.34\00:41:16.20
No, I don't
think that way at all.
00:41:16.24\00:41:17.57
I think I love her
00:41:17.61\00:41:19.44
and she has asked
me to do these things
00:41:19.47\00:41:21.41
and I do it because
it'll make her life easier
00:41:21.44\00:41:24.21
and because we are already
00:41:24.25\00:41:26.41
in the marriage
covenant relationship.
00:41:26.45\00:41:28.68
So when we talk
about law keeping,
00:41:28.72\00:41:31.35
we talk about, you know,
00:41:31.39\00:41:32.72
observing the
commandments whatever,
00:41:32.75\00:41:34.09
we don't do it
00:41:34.12\00:41:35.46
as hopes of scoring
brownie points with God.
00:41:35.49\00:41:37.33
Absolutely. We do
it because we love Him.
00:41:37.36\00:41:39.43
That's right.
00:41:39.46\00:41:40.80
And that's why Jesus
said, "If you love Me,"
00:41:40.83\00:41:43.30
you know, some Bible
translations will say
00:41:43.33\00:41:46.10
"If you love Me, you
will keep My commandments."
00:41:46.13\00:41:49.90
So the love comes first.
00:41:49.94\00:41:52.44
The relationship
00:41:52.47\00:41:53.88
and the covenant
relationship comes first
00:41:53.91\00:41:55.84
and then the
obedience comes after
00:41:55.88\00:41:57.81
or should in that case.
00:41:57.85\00:41:59.18
Absolutely. That's nice.
00:41:59.21\00:42:00.72
Now when you're
talking about dying over self,
00:42:00.75\00:42:03.39
I think you're
talking about maybe
00:42:03.42\00:42:04.92
if we all look into
the sanctuary blueprint,
00:42:04.95\00:42:08.32
and how it shows the
importance of dying to yourself.
00:42:08.36\00:42:10.53
Oh, that's a good point.
00:42:10.56\00:42:11.89
You know, as the lamb is placed
upon the altar of sacrifice
00:42:11.93\00:42:14.73
in the opening
scenes of the courtyard
00:42:14.76\00:42:17.07
and Christ also commands us
to place self upon the altar
00:42:17.10\00:42:21.70
before we can
live in His presence.
00:42:21.74\00:42:24.71
Right.
00:42:24.74\00:42:26.07
That's a powerful point
because Psalm 77:13 says,
00:42:26.11\00:42:29.88
"Thy way, O God,
is in the sanctuary."
00:42:29.91\00:42:33.31
And so I love that
you brought that out
00:42:33.35\00:42:35.12
because this sanctuary model
00:42:35.15\00:42:37.22
is God's blueprint of salvation.
00:42:37.25\00:42:39.92
And so what's...
00:42:39.95\00:42:41.29
As you brought out,
00:42:41.32\00:42:42.66
what is the very first thing
we come to in the sanctuary?
00:42:42.69\00:42:45.36
We find ourselves there
at the altar of sacrifice.
00:42:45.39\00:42:47.66
It's almost like the Lord says,
00:42:47.70\00:42:49.03
"Look, I wanna
take you on a journey."
00:42:49.06\00:42:50.77
And that's what the
Christian journey is really,
00:42:50.80\00:42:52.87
it's really a
journey, it's a Christian walk.
00:42:52.90\00:42:54.90
We don't take one big giant leap
00:42:54.94\00:42:57.31
from the altar of sacrifice
00:42:57.34\00:42:58.91
right into the
most holy place, right?
00:42:58.94\00:43:00.78
So it's a
journey, it's a process,
00:43:00.81\00:43:03.24
and I love that God says,
00:43:03.28\00:43:04.61
you know, it's like
He's given us a tour,
00:43:04.65\00:43:06.75
a heavenly tour and
He says, you know what,
00:43:06.78\00:43:08.12
our first stop here is
the altar of sacrifice,
00:43:08.15\00:43:11.22
and this is
where we see the lamb
00:43:11.25\00:43:13.76
that is slain for
the sins of the world.
00:43:13.79\00:43:17.63
Jesus says, I've died for you,
now I want you to die for Me,
00:43:17.66\00:43:23.60
not that our
death can do anything
00:43:23.63\00:43:27.44
or add anything
to what He has done.
00:43:27.47\00:43:30.04
But our dying to self shows
00:43:30.07\00:43:33.04
how committed we are to Him
00:43:33.07\00:43:35.54
in response to what He
has done for us, right?
00:43:35.58\00:43:37.48
Amen.
00:43:37.51\00:43:38.85
That's a powerful
thing to consider.
00:43:38.88\00:43:40.92
Let's consider Romans Chapter 6,
00:43:40.95\00:43:43.05
we mentioned Romans 6
earlier, you brought us there.
00:43:43.08\00:43:45.42
I wanna go back to Romans 6.
00:43:45.45\00:43:47.82
This is probably
one of the single most
00:43:47.86\00:43:50.33
powerful passages in
all of the Scripture.
00:43:50.36\00:43:54.16
I consider Romans as
one of my favorite books
00:43:54.20\00:43:56.36
and I consider probably
the manifesto of Paul's,
00:43:56.40\00:43:59.57
all of Paul's writings.
00:43:59.60\00:44:00.94
If you could...
00:44:00.97\00:44:02.60
I think Paul put all
of his theological mind
00:44:02.64\00:44:04.87
in the Book of Romans.
00:44:04.91\00:44:06.37
And so right here
in the opening verses
00:44:06.41\00:44:08.64
of Romans Chapter 6,
notice what he says here.
00:44:08.68\00:44:11.48
He says, "What
shall we say then?"
00:44:11.51\00:44:13.11
I wanna pause this for a moment
because he's asking a question.
00:44:13.15\00:44:16.69
So if you were to
come to Romans 6:1,
00:44:16.72\00:44:18.99
what shall we say
then, saying then about what?
00:44:19.02\00:44:21.72
He's just come out
of Romans Chapter 5
00:44:21.76\00:44:23.83
which again,
00:44:23.86\00:44:25.19
you know, the Bible is broken up
00:44:25.23\00:44:26.56
into chapters and verses,
00:44:26.59\00:44:27.93
but if you were to read
this book or this epistle,
00:44:27.96\00:44:30.30
this letter to the Romans,
00:44:30.33\00:44:31.67
you would see that
there's a continuance
00:44:31.70\00:44:33.03
from the latter
portions of Romans Chapter 5
00:44:33.07\00:44:35.40
into the first
verses of Romans Chapter 6.
00:44:35.44\00:44:37.61
And so we read in those
latter verses of Romans 5,
00:44:37.64\00:44:40.31
basically Paul has
said, you know what?
00:44:40.34\00:44:44.21
Basically that concept of
grace is because of grace,
00:44:44.25\00:44:49.25
you know what?
00:44:49.28\00:44:50.62
All is taken care of
that even though I have sinned
00:44:50.65\00:44:53.46
and even though I am a sinner,
00:44:53.49\00:44:55.36
grace does so much more abound
00:44:55.39\00:44:57.46
over all of the
sin that I've done.
00:44:57.49\00:44:59.29
So there's a lot of people that
will take those closing verses
00:44:59.33\00:45:01.83
and I was
paraphrasing by the way.
00:45:01.86\00:45:03.53
You can go read, I
haven't memorized Romans,
00:45:03.57\00:45:05.43
those closing
verses but basically,
00:45:05.47\00:45:07.14
lot of people take those
closing verses of Romans 5
00:45:07.17\00:45:09.94
and they say,
"Oh, you know what?
00:45:09.97\00:45:11.77
Every time I sin,
00:45:11.81\00:45:13.14
Jesus just keeps
pouring on a big pile of grace.
00:45:13.17\00:45:15.94
So if I had all
of my future sins,
00:45:15.98\00:45:17.78
and I've actually had
Christians tell me this,
00:45:17.81\00:45:19.31
all my past, present and
future sins are forgiven,
00:45:19.35\00:45:22.28
so therefore all
of the future sins
00:45:22.32\00:45:24.42
that I commit or that I do,
00:45:24.45\00:45:26.99
Jesus just keeps pouring
00:45:27.02\00:45:28.36
more and more and
more grace on there.
00:45:28.39\00:45:29.89
As much as I sin,
00:45:29.92\00:45:31.26
Jesus says here's
more grace and so,
00:45:31.29\00:45:32.69
that's kind of like a misuse
00:45:32.73\00:45:34.36
and abuse of the
loving grace of God.
00:45:34.40\00:45:37.00
And so what is Paul has
a response to those verses
00:45:37.03\00:45:40.54
and it's Romans 6:1-4.
00:45:40.57\00:45:43.04
Notice what he says here.
00:45:43.07\00:45:44.41
He says, "What
shall we say then?"
00:45:44.44\00:45:45.84
'Cause he's
responding to what he just said.
00:45:45.87\00:45:47.98
What do we say
about what I just said?
00:45:48.01\00:45:50.41
He says, "Shall we continue
in sin that grace may abound?"
00:45:50.45\00:45:54.08
What's his response?
00:45:54.12\00:45:55.72
"God forbids. Certainly not!
00:45:55.75\00:45:58.29
He says, how shall we
who, there it is there again,
00:45:58.32\00:46:01.82
die to sin,
00:46:01.86\00:46:03.19
so there's that dying
factor live any longer in it?
00:46:03.22\00:46:08.30
Or do you not
know that as many of us
00:46:08.33\00:46:10.87
as were baptized
into Christ Jesus
00:46:10.90\00:46:13.84
were baptized into His death?
00:46:13.87\00:46:16.00
Therefore we are buried with Him
00:46:16.04\00:46:18.27
through baptism unto death,
00:46:18.31\00:46:20.48
that just as Christ was raised
from the dead," I love this,
00:46:20.51\00:46:23.95
by the glory of the Father,
00:46:23.98\00:46:25.31
even so we also should
walk in newness of life."
00:46:25.35\00:46:29.08
Okay, I'm gonna toss
the ball in your court now.
00:46:29.12\00:46:32.22
What are these verses saying
00:46:32.25\00:46:34.82
in relation to
the beginning stages
00:46:34.86\00:46:37.99
and I guess you can go and say
00:46:38.03\00:46:39.56
the continual stages
of living for the Jesus
00:46:39.59\00:46:41.93
so it kinda starts
00:46:41.96\00:46:43.30
in the beginning
stages and it continues.
00:46:43.33\00:46:45.27
What are these
verses saying here?
00:46:45.30\00:46:46.63
What is Paul
trying to communicate?
00:46:46.67\00:46:49.07
You have a quote
here, I can share.
00:46:49.10\00:46:51.94
It's from 21
Manuscript, page 35.
00:46:51.97\00:46:54.78
It says, "Many people
have never yet been converted,
00:46:54.81\00:46:58.41
therefore they're
old self indulgent habits
00:46:58.45\00:47:00.72
have been brought
with him into the church.
00:47:00.75\00:47:02.95
They were not dead to self
00:47:02.98\00:47:04.79
when they observe
the ordinance of baptism,
00:47:04.82\00:47:07.02
talk about baptism you
read, they were buried alive.
00:47:07.06\00:47:12.29
And they have
remained full of murmuring,
00:47:12.33\00:47:15.13
full of foul
finding, hating the messages
00:47:15.16\00:47:17.83
that come to them
through the Lord's servants.
00:47:17.87\00:47:19.73
Because of the
wickedness of their hearts,
00:47:19.77\00:47:21.34
they are at enmity with
God and their children breathe
00:47:21.37\00:47:24.64
in the same atmosphere."
00:47:24.67\00:47:26.98
And we think
it, expand our mind,
00:47:27.01\00:47:29.24
we think about buried alive.
00:47:29.28\00:47:30.61
That doesn't
sound very pleasant,
00:47:30.65\00:47:32.01
you know, but it's true
00:47:32.05\00:47:33.42
when we believe in
the right of baptism,
00:47:33.45\00:47:37.15
when we go into that,
00:47:37.19\00:47:38.79
we should come up new
internally and externally,
00:47:38.82\00:47:42.82
everything.
00:47:42.86\00:47:44.19
You know, we are
new creatures in Christ.
00:47:44.23\00:47:47.80
And, you know, if we are...
00:47:47.83\00:47:50.67
I think it was Danny
who told the story about
00:47:50.70\00:47:53.44
getting pulled over
by the police officer
00:47:53.47\00:47:55.24
because he was speeding
or something and he says,
00:47:55.27\00:47:57.24
"Now after the police
officer goes easy on him,
00:47:57.27\00:47:59.21
he said, I'm gonna go
easy on you this time,
00:47:59.24\00:48:01.11
you don't tear out of there
00:48:01.14\00:48:02.64
going on a 100
miles an hour, right?
00:48:02.68\00:48:04.91
You're throwing rocks everywhere
00:48:04.95\00:48:06.28
because the police officer
offered you grace that time.
00:48:06.31\00:48:08.58
No, no, you say,
00:48:08.62\00:48:09.95
"While I'm
thankful for the grace,
00:48:09.98\00:48:11.32
now I'm going
to abide by the law
00:48:11.35\00:48:13.36
because the authority
offered me grace before him
00:48:13.39\00:48:17.26
when I was caught."
00:48:17.29\00:48:19.13
Somebody else?
00:48:19.16\00:48:20.50
Yeah, I was just
thinking of Romans 8.
00:48:20.53\00:48:22.96
Came to my mind
started reading here
00:48:23.00\00:48:24.43
so as verse 14 says,
00:48:24.47\00:48:25.80
"For we know that
the law is spiritual,
00:48:25.83\00:48:27.17
but I am carnal, sold under sin.
00:48:27.20\00:48:29.17
For that which I do
I allow not for that,
00:48:29.20\00:48:31.71
a word that I do not,
but what I hate, that I do.
00:48:31.74\00:48:35.51
If then I do which I would not,
00:48:35.54\00:48:37.55
I consent on to
the law that is good.
00:48:37.58\00:48:40.72
Now then it is no
more I that do it,
00:48:40.75\00:48:42.25
but sin that dwells in me,
00:48:42.28\00:48:43.62
so we're talking
about the sin factor.
00:48:43.65\00:48:45.09
This is Romans 7? Romans 7.
00:48:45.12\00:48:47.16
Yeah, Romans 7,
00:48:47.19\00:48:48.52
"Now then it is
no more I that do it,
00:48:48.56\00:48:50.19
but the sin that dwells
in me, for I know that in me,
00:48:50.23\00:48:52.06
that is in my flesh,
dwells no good thing,
00:48:52.09\00:48:54.63
for to will is present with me,
00:48:54.66\00:48:56.00
but how to perform that
which is good I find not.
00:48:56.03\00:48:58.57
For the good that
I would, I do not,
00:48:58.60\00:49:00.54
but the evil which I
would, not that I do.
00:49:00.57\00:49:03.24
Now if I do that I would not,
00:49:03.27\00:49:05.21
it is no more that I that do it,
00:49:05.24\00:49:06.88
but sin that dwells in me.
00:49:06.91\00:49:08.74
That's a lot. Yes, I know it.
00:49:08.78\00:49:10.85
But the fact is
just, here it is,
00:49:10.88\00:49:12.55
you know, here he
says, I'm a wretched man,
00:49:12.58\00:49:14.58
you know, Paul
says I'm a wretched man
00:49:14.62\00:49:15.95
who's unable to save me
from this body of this death.
00:49:15.98\00:49:18.65
I thank God through
Jesus Christ, our Lord,
00:49:18.69\00:49:20.29
and I really like
Romans 8:1, just have to do it,
00:49:20.32\00:49:22.49
"Therefore there's now
no condemnation to them
00:49:22.52\00:49:24.49
which are in Christ Jesus."
00:49:24.53\00:49:25.86
You were talking
about this baptism,
00:49:25.89\00:49:27.23
you know, you're now
baptized in the Christ.
00:49:27.26\00:49:29.26
And so it says, "Who
walk not after the flesh,
00:49:29.30\00:49:31.07
but after the Spirit."
00:49:31.10\00:49:32.43
So we should have a
transformational walking,
00:49:32.47\00:49:34.47
not carnal but after the spirit.
00:49:34.50\00:49:36.10
So when you're baptized,
00:49:36.14\00:49:37.54
and you should be
coming up to want to walk,
00:49:37.57\00:49:39.54
after where Christ
walked after so that's a...
00:49:39.57\00:49:41.51
Haven't we all done that before?
00:49:41.54\00:49:43.18
You say, "I'm never
gonna do that again, right?"
00:49:43.21\00:49:46.05
And later on, you do
that thing and say, "Man!
00:49:46.08\00:49:48.55
I can't believe
I did that again!"
00:49:48.58\00:49:50.25
You know, I like
what Paul says though,
00:49:50.29\00:49:52.79
I can do all things
through Christ, not by myself,
00:49:52.82\00:49:56.96
through Christ
who strengthens me.
00:49:56.99\00:49:58.56
That's the key.
00:49:58.59\00:49:59.93
So it's not impossible
to be obedient to God.
00:49:59.96\00:50:02.36
No.
00:50:02.40\00:50:03.73
It's not
impossible to experience
00:50:03.77\00:50:05.40
this crucifying of self,
00:50:05.43\00:50:07.17
surrendering of
the will to the Lord
00:50:07.20\00:50:08.94
because all things are
possible through Christ Jesus.
00:50:08.97\00:50:11.44
And I think
that's where the focus
00:50:11.47\00:50:12.81
and the emphasis needs to be put
00:50:12.84\00:50:14.28
'cause oftentimes,
we can sit at this table
00:50:14.31\00:50:15.88
or any other
table and talk about
00:50:15.91\00:50:17.25
how we gotta keep
the Ten Commandments,
00:50:17.28\00:50:19.08
Jesus said, "If you love
Me, keep My commandments."
00:50:19.11\00:50:21.08
Commandments,
commandments, commandments,
00:50:21.12\00:50:22.58
and those things are important
00:50:22.62\00:50:23.95
and we believe
00:50:23.99\00:50:25.32
in being obedient
to the Lord's law,
00:50:25.35\00:50:27.39
but if that aspect of
Christ working through us
00:50:27.42\00:50:31.03
is not emphasized,
00:50:31.06\00:50:32.46
then it becomes a self
works approach to salvation.
00:50:32.49\00:50:36.83
And we know that can happen.
00:50:36.87\00:50:38.33
I like what
Terry said a while ago
00:50:38.37\00:50:39.97
about when Abraham followed God,
00:50:40.00\00:50:41.64
it was because he trusted God,
00:50:41.67\00:50:43.87
he knew that God had
his best interest in mind,
00:50:43.91\00:50:46.61
so he was gonna go through it.
00:50:46.64\00:50:47.98
So I think that's
where we need to be
00:50:48.01\00:50:50.05
to trust that God's
agenda is our best plan,
00:50:50.08\00:50:55.68
we can do no better
than to follow that.
00:50:55.72\00:50:59.02
Back to the
Galatians, it says in 5:16,
00:50:59.05\00:51:03.46
in fact before the list
of the fruit of the Spirit,
00:51:03.49\00:51:06.03
it says, "I say walk
and live in the Holy Spirit,
00:51:06.06\00:51:10.90
then you will certainly
not gratify the cravings
00:51:10.93\00:51:13.94
and desires of the flesh."
00:51:13.97\00:51:15.30
So it's living in the Spirit,
it's relying on the Spirit,
00:51:15.34\00:51:19.01
the Spirit came for what reason?
00:51:19.04\00:51:21.11
Jesus says, "I will
send you the helper."
00:51:21.14\00:51:24.25
That is the helper.
00:51:24.28\00:51:25.61
He's there to help us,
so how can we die to self?
00:51:25.65\00:51:29.98
It's impossible
on our own. Right.
00:51:30.02\00:51:31.59
True, it is.
00:51:31.62\00:51:32.95
Even in the
scripture that it says
00:51:32.99\00:51:34.42
the fruit of the Spirit.
00:51:34.46\00:51:35.82
Even self control, there
is a fruit of the Spirit.
00:51:35.86\00:51:38.86
Can you go down here
to the town to the factory
00:51:38.89\00:51:40.63
where they make
those apples? Okay.
00:51:40.66\00:51:42.93
No, you can't
because tree fruit,
00:51:42.96\00:51:45.50
fruit grow on trees.
00:51:45.53\00:51:48.70
It's not made in the factories.
00:51:48.74\00:51:50.21
That's a good point.
00:51:50.24\00:51:51.57
So it's not a self
manufactured thing.
00:51:51.61\00:51:53.34
It is the Spirit fruit.
00:51:53.38\00:51:55.64
Right.
00:51:55.68\00:51:57.01
So, I'm saying as we desire
to know how we can do this,
00:51:57.05\00:52:01.75
we have to cling to the Spirit.
00:52:01.78\00:52:04.19
Even if we do keep
all the commandments,
00:52:04.22\00:52:06.96
it's still not gonna...
We're gonna foul someway so...
00:52:06.99\00:52:12.49
I think I love how
you just took us there
00:52:12.53\00:52:15.16
'cause that's where I was going
00:52:15.20\00:52:16.73
and that is how
can this dying to self
00:52:16.77\00:52:21.00
and again notice dying to
self, is it a one-time thing?
00:52:21.04\00:52:23.44
Is it I wake up,
00:52:23.47\00:52:24.81
I die in this moment
and then that's it, right?
00:52:24.84\00:52:27.04
No, no, it's a daily
moment by moment thing
00:52:27.08\00:52:31.78
and so the question is,
how does that become a reality?
00:52:31.81\00:52:35.98
How can I make sure that I
am in a constant surrendered,
00:52:36.02\00:52:39.19
you know, dying of self state
00:52:39.22\00:52:42.32
and Tim just
opened the box for us
00:52:42.36\00:52:45.23
to talk about and that
is according to the Spirit.
00:52:45.26\00:52:48.00
It only comes by the
Spirit, but the question
00:52:48.03\00:52:50.33
I have in the closing
moments that we have together.
00:52:50.37\00:52:53.17
Man, this time went by fast.
00:52:53.20\00:52:55.20
The question I have is,
00:52:55.24\00:52:57.14
how can I make sure that
I'm walking in the Spirit?
00:52:57.17\00:53:02.24
How can I make sure that
00:53:02.28\00:53:05.65
I'm keeping self in check
00:53:05.68\00:53:08.92
and completely
guided at all times
00:53:08.95\00:53:11.79
by the Spirit of the Lord?
00:53:11.82\00:53:14.09
You know, someone came
up with this little thing,
00:53:14.12\00:53:16.96
I don't know
where it came from WWJD.
00:53:16.99\00:53:19.39
There you go.
00:53:19.43\00:53:20.76
We've heard that
alone a thousand times.
00:53:20.80\00:53:22.66
What would Jesus do and
it sounds simple but it is.
00:53:22.70\00:53:26.13
If we look at every decision
that we're going to make.
00:53:26.17\00:53:29.30
First of all, you
know, there's a prayer
00:53:29.34\00:53:32.61
in the book of Steps to Christ,
00:53:32.64\00:53:34.34
where it says, you know,
when you get up in the morning,
00:53:34.38\00:53:36.44
you say, Lord, "I lay
all my plans at Your feet.
00:53:36.48\00:53:39.38
Use me in Your service
00:53:39.41\00:53:40.85
and my plan's
either to be worked out
00:53:40.88\00:53:44.22
or given up as you see fit."
00:53:44.25\00:53:46.19
So like we said, it has
to begin on a daily basis.
00:53:46.22\00:53:50.33
Lord, what would
you want me to do?
00:53:50.36\00:53:52.39
Even in a little thing
like should I eat this thing
00:53:52.43\00:53:55.56
or should I go to this
place or should I talk to the...
00:53:55.60\00:53:58.53
What would you have me to do?
00:53:58.57\00:54:00.17
And God would direct us,
00:54:00.20\00:54:01.54
and He will guide
us in those steps.
00:54:01.57\00:54:02.90
Absolutely.
00:54:02.94\00:54:04.27
So walking in the Spirit,
00:54:04.31\00:54:07.58
you know, Mrs. White says
00:54:07.61\00:54:08.94
that there's no other passage
in Scripture that communicates
00:54:08.98\00:54:12.95
the plan of salvation more
than a conversation that Jesus
00:54:12.98\00:54:17.09
had with Nicodemus in John 3.
00:54:17.12\00:54:19.59
I have examined and
I've brought this out
00:54:19.62\00:54:21.09
a few times in some
of the previous lessons
00:54:21.12\00:54:23.12
that we've done,
00:54:23.16\00:54:24.49
but I just have
to emphasize this.
00:54:24.53\00:54:25.86
When you read that conversation
that Jesus had with Nicodemus.
00:54:25.89\00:54:30.07
There's only one
thing that Christ emphasizes
00:54:30.10\00:54:33.34
that we can do to hurry the work
00:54:33.37\00:54:34.94
of the Holy Spirit in our life.
00:54:34.97\00:54:36.60
So you read that
entire passage and,
00:54:36.64\00:54:38.74
you know, Nicodemus's mind
is focused on the physical,
00:54:38.77\00:54:42.74
the physical, the
physical and Jesus is like,
00:54:42.78\00:54:44.28
"No, no, no, it's
a spiritual thing."
00:54:44.31\00:54:46.95
But it's interesting
that he says in verse 14,
00:54:46.98\00:54:50.09
"As Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness,
00:54:50.12\00:54:52.42
even so must the Son
of Man be lifted up."
00:54:52.45\00:54:56.83
So all that's in here,
what can I do to make sure
00:54:56.86\00:54:59.59
that the Holy
Spirit is working in me?
00:54:59.63\00:55:03.60
Well, when you go back
to that story in Numbers 21,
00:55:03.63\00:55:06.03
where Moses
lifts that serpent up,
00:55:06.07\00:55:07.90
there's only one way
00:55:07.94\00:55:09.27
that the people were
gonna live, by looking.
00:55:09.30\00:55:13.27
How can I make sure
that the Holy Spirit
00:55:13.31\00:55:15.78
is leading and
guiding me each and every day
00:55:15.81\00:55:17.81
that I remain in
a crucified state?
00:55:17.85\00:55:21.48
There's life in
the look at the savior.
00:55:21.52\00:55:24.79
Life in the look at the savior.
00:55:24.82\00:55:26.59
It says, "Turn
your eyes upon Jesus."
00:55:26.62\00:55:27.96
And we have a
couple of minutes left.
00:55:27.99\00:55:30.13
I just want to
encourage you my friend,
00:55:30.16\00:55:32.03
there's a little book here
that I have read many times,
00:55:32.06\00:55:36.77
has been such an
incredible ministry in my life.
00:55:36.80\00:55:39.30
It's called Steps to Christ.
00:55:39.33\00:55:41.07
Probably the
simplest, most incredible way
00:55:41.10\00:55:43.91
of understanding and coming
to understand what it means
00:55:43.94\00:55:47.81
to have a daily relationship
with Jesus, Steps to Christ.
00:55:47.84\00:55:51.01
But probably, one
of my favorite chapters
00:55:51.05\00:55:52.85
in this
particular little book here
00:55:52.88\00:55:54.22
is a chapter
entitled Consecration.
00:55:54.25\00:55:57.52
I wanna read
something from this.
00:55:57.55\00:55:59.35
She says, "The
warfare against self
00:55:59.39\00:56:01.66
is the greatest
battle that was ever fought.
00:56:01.69\00:56:04.93
The yielding of
self surrendering
00:56:04.96\00:56:07.36
all to the will of
God requires a struggle,
00:56:07.40\00:56:11.10
but the soul must submit to God
00:56:11.13\00:56:13.10
before it can be
renewed in Holiness."
00:56:13.13\00:56:17.21
And then, in the very
last part of this chapter here,
00:56:17.24\00:56:20.21
the closing part,
00:56:20.24\00:56:21.58
I like to read this last
verse or this last paragraph,
00:56:21.61\00:56:24.98
"Through the right
exercise of the will,
00:56:25.01\00:56:28.58
an entire change may
be made in your life.
00:56:28.62\00:56:31.72
By yielding up
your will to Christ,
00:56:31.75\00:56:33.96
you ally yourself with the power
00:56:33.99\00:56:35.82
that is above all
principalities and powers.
00:56:35.86\00:56:39.23
You will have
strength from above
00:56:39.26\00:56:41.00
to hold you steadfast
00:56:41.03\00:56:43.06
and thus through
constant surrender to God,
00:56:43.10\00:56:45.37
you will be able
to live the new life,
00:56:45.40\00:56:48.84
even the life of faith."
00:56:48.87\00:56:51.94
That's powerful.
00:56:51.97\00:56:53.31
Surrendering to God,
00:56:53.34\00:56:54.68
surrendering your
will to Him and saying,
00:56:54.71\00:56:56.04
"Lord, give me the Holy Spirit."
00:56:56.08\00:56:58.31
Amen. Jesus did that, didn't He?
00:56:58.35\00:56:59.68
And He said, "Nevertheless
not My will, but Yours."
00:56:59.71\00:57:03.82
We have come to the end, guys,
00:57:03.85\00:57:05.25
thank you so
much for joining me.
00:57:05.29\00:57:06.62
It's been a blessing.
00:57:06.65\00:57:07.99
We've come to the end of
this awesome family worship.
00:57:08.02\00:57:10.83
We encourage you to
worship with your family and,
00:57:10.86\00:57:13.29
you know what?
00:57:13.33\00:57:14.66
We thank you for
joining us today.
00:57:14.70\00:57:16.23
May God continue to
bless you in your walk
00:57:16.26\00:57:18.60
and in your
journey with the Lord
00:57:18.63\00:57:20.24
and you know, we'll
continue to pray for you,
00:57:20.27\00:57:22.40
continue to pray
for us here at 3ABN.
00:57:22.44\00:57:25.01
And until next
time, we love you all,
00:57:25.04\00:57:27.04
God bless and
have a blessed day.
00:57:27.08\00:57:30.58
Amen.
00:57:30.61\00:57:31.95