Can you believe it?
00:00:02.13\00:00:03.50
Can you build your faith on it?
00:00:04.94\00:00:07.08
The promises of
God's Word are sure.
00:00:08.71\00:00:12.23
They do not fail.
00:00:12.53\00:00:15.03
This book has
stood the test of time.
00:00:17.21\00:00:20.96
Heavenly Father,
00:00:29.97\00:00:31.74
tonight as we look at
the sacrifice that Your Son,
00:00:32.71\00:00:36.07
Jesus Christ,
made in our behalf...
00:00:37.02\00:00:41.27
Lord, help us to understand.
00:00:43.00\00:00:45.76
May our minds be clear.
00:00:46.06\00:00:49.17
May they be open to
the direction and guidance
00:00:50.54\00:00:54.23
of the Holy Spirit.
00:00:54.43\00:00:55.86
We pray, Lord, that we may see
00:00:56.26\00:00:59.40
all that was done
upon the cross of Calvary
00:01:00.81\00:01:05.08
and that we might by
faith reach out and take hold
00:01:05.58\00:01:10.99
of the provisions
and receive the gift
00:01:11.19\00:01:14.47
of life eternal.
00:01:14.77\00:01:17.17
For this we ask in
Christ's name, Amen.
00:01:17.47\00:01:20.77
As Communism
was coming to an end
00:01:29.07\00:01:32.26
I had the opportunity
00:01:32.56\00:01:35.72
to visit a city out
00:01:35.92\00:01:38.99
on the outskirts of Russia
00:01:39.19\00:01:41.03
right almost to China.
00:01:41.33\00:01:43.01
A city by the
name of Vladivostok.
00:01:43.21\00:01:45.60
Now Vladivostok is
the... kind of the naval port
00:01:45.80\00:01:49.72
for the Russian fleet.
00:01:49.92\00:01:51.26
A city of about
2,000,000 people.
00:01:51.56\00:01:53.48
And I had the opportunity
to go in there and spend
00:01:53.78\00:01:56.18
several weeks working to
help establish Christianity
00:01:56.38\00:02:00.01
there in Vladivostok.
00:02:00.21\00:02:02.24
And so while I was there
00:02:02.55\00:02:04.04
I went out and walked
through one of their cemeteries.
00:02:04.35\00:02:07.55
Their cemeteries are a
little bit different than ours
00:02:07.85\00:02:11.98
in the fact that on the
tombstones they have a picture
00:02:12.08\00:02:15.07
of the person who has
died so when you look at it
00:02:15.17\00:02:17.35
you can tell
who has passed away.
00:02:17.55\00:02:19.10
But I noticed that as I
was looking there that the
00:02:19.40\00:02:23.06
tombstones that had been erected
00:02:23.26\00:02:25.40
since the time that
Communism started...
00:02:25.60\00:02:28.36
they were just
very plain tombstones.
00:02:28.51\00:02:31.71
There was no
symbolism of anything on them.
00:02:32.01\00:02:35.13
I got to looking, and the tomb-
stones that had been erected
00:02:35.43\00:02:38.81
before Communism
had come into being
00:02:39.01\00:02:42.28
had symbolism on
them, or did have...
00:02:43.65\00:02:46.51
They had come in and
they had chiseled off
00:02:46.74\00:02:48.66
every cross, every
sign of Christianity at all.
00:02:48.86\00:02:53.96
You see the cross... the
cross is a symbol of hope.
00:02:54.26\00:02:58.82
They didn't want those people
to understand that the cross
00:02:59.03\00:03:03.52
offered to any of them anything
more than Communism would offer.
00:03:03.72\00:03:07.20
And so they tried to
do away with anything
00:03:07.30\00:03:09.74
that represented
Christianity or offered to them
00:03:09.84\00:03:12.99
any hope at all.
00:03:13.20\00:03:14.38
To you and I the cross
is a symbol of salvation.
00:03:14.68\00:03:19.64
It's a symbol of hope.
00:03:19.84\00:03:20.99
It offers to us eternal life.
00:03:21.19\00:03:23.57
It offers to us something
that you and I don't have
00:03:23.77\00:03:26.93
of ourselves.
00:03:27.13\00:03:28.55
The cross... today
we see it on buildings.
00:03:30.20\00:03:35.03
On churches. We see it on books.
00:03:35.33\00:03:38.94
In fact, there is more jewelry
00:03:39.24\00:03:42.46
made in the symbol of a
cross than any other thing
00:03:42.66\00:03:45.64
because people get a cross
and to them it offers to them
00:03:45.94\00:03:50.28
life. It offers to them hope.
00:03:50.48\00:03:52.92
It presents something.
00:03:53.12\00:03:54.64
Offers to them
something that you can't have
00:03:56.16\00:03:59.96
any other way.
00:04:00.06\00:04:03.43
The scripture has
this to say about it.
00:04:03.63\00:04:06.53
I Corinthians 1 verse 18:
00:04:06.83\00:04:10.40
Now to the person who
doesn't know Jesus Christ
00:04:21.07\00:04:23.88
who hasn't accepted
Him, true enough... the cross
00:04:24.18\00:04:27.20
probably is
foolishness to that person.
00:04:27.41\00:04:29.53
But to the individual
that has reached out in faith
00:04:29.83\00:04:33.43
and accepted Christ,
it is the power of God.
00:04:33.63\00:04:37.77
You know we sing that song:
00:04:38.08\00:04:39.92
On a hill far away
stood an old rugged cross...
00:04:40.13\00:04:44.72
You see, the cross
- to you and to me -
00:04:48.81\00:04:52.03
is a sign of hope.
00:04:52.23\00:04:54.42
It's a sign of eternal life.
00:04:54.72\00:04:57.47
It's a sign that God
has done something special
00:04:57.77\00:05:00.47
for you and me. But
that's not the way it was
00:05:00.67\00:05:03.89
in the days of Jesus Christ.
00:05:04.09\00:05:05.72
The cross was a
symbol of torture.
00:05:06.12\00:05:10.44
It was a symbol of shame.
00:05:10.74\00:05:12.77
It was a... it was a symbol of
00:05:13.07\00:05:15.65
someone who had been
convicted of a crime.
00:05:15.95\00:05:20.41
And by the way, the crucifixion
00:05:20.71\00:05:24.77
didn't take place
out on a hill far away.
00:05:25.07\00:05:29.62
The crucifixion took
place right outside Jerusalem
00:05:31.25\00:05:35.63
right beside the street
00:05:35.66\00:05:40.00
so that as the people
walked by they could see
00:05:40.30\00:05:42.88
those men hanging there.
00:05:43.08\00:05:46.39
And it was a
statement that they were guilty.
00:05:46.59\00:05:50.00
That's what it was a statement
of: that they were guilty.
00:05:50.30\00:05:52.83
It was a warning to
anyone else who might think
00:05:53.13\00:05:56.43
of trying to do
what these men had done.
00:05:56.63\00:05:59.81
And so you find the scripture
says that they were convicted
00:06:00.12\00:06:03.80
criminals. They had been tried
00:06:04.00\00:06:05.83
and they had been convicted.
00:06:06.03\00:06:08.50
And so as they
hung there on the cross
00:06:08.80\00:06:11.44
it was a statement of this.
00:06:11.64\00:06:13.48
And thus it reads
here in Mark 15:28:
00:06:13.68\00:06:16.77
He was numbered with the
transgressors, so as people
00:06:24.26\00:06:28.16
walked down the street they
could see them hanging there.
00:06:28.36\00:06:31.28
That's the reason the scripture
00:06:32.83\00:06:34.82
talking about the
death of Jesus Christ
00:06:35.12\00:06:38.28
reads this way:
00:06:38.58\00:06:40.05
Matthew 27:39...
"And those who... " what?
00:06:43.75\00:06:47.29
"passed by... "
They're walking down the street
00:06:47.59\00:06:50.40
They are walking down
the streets. There they hung:
00:07:05.73\00:07:08.92
a statement that they
had been tried, convicted;
00:07:09.12\00:07:11.83
they were guilty. And they
said: "If You're the Son of God,
00:07:12.03\00:07:14.87
come on down off the cross. "
00:07:15.07\00:07:16.67
Even the religious
leaders of the day joined in,
00:07:16.97\00:07:20.96
because it goes on in
the scripture and says:
00:07:21.26\00:07:23.65
If You are what
You claim to be...
00:07:36.18\00:07:38.89
come down off the cross.
00:07:40.45\00:07:42.50
They said: "If You're
what You said You are,
00:07:47.12\00:07:49.43
come down off the cross.
THEN we'll believe You. "
00:07:49.63\00:07:52.85
Tried, convicted. For the crime
00:07:53.15\00:07:58.41
of claiming to be a
king, the Son of God,
00:07:58.71\00:08:04.14
the Messiah, the
Deliverer of Israel,
00:08:04.44\00:08:08.09
they hung Him on a cross.
00:08:08.39\00:08:10.44
Died in shame.
00:08:10.74\00:08:14.22
In fact, in the book of
Hebrews 12th chapter verse 2,
00:08:14.52\00:08:18.74
it says:
00:08:18.94\00:08:19.96
So it says that
He endured the cross,
00:08:34.40\00:08:37.42
despising the shame.
00:08:37.62\00:08:40.46
You understand what
it means when it says
00:08:41.97\00:08:43.89
"He endured the cross? "
00:08:44.09\00:08:45.82
Let me tonight tell
you a little bit about the
00:08:46.12\00:08:49.51
crucifixion of Jesus.
00:08:49.71\00:08:51.44
Maybe you'll
understand a little bit
00:08:51.74\00:08:55.20
of what He went through
00:08:55.41\00:08:57.41
to save you...
00:08:57.71\00:08:59.48
to purchase your salvation.
00:08:59.78\00:09:01.00
You must understand that
Jesus is not like you and I.
00:09:01.30\00:09:05.88
You must understand
that He had the ability
00:09:07.72\00:09:10.77
to see it before it happened.
00:09:10.97\00:09:13.52
He knew every character.
00:09:13.82\00:09:16.95
He knew that Judas
was going to betray Him.
00:09:17.15\00:09:19.49
He knew everyone that
would be there involved in the
00:09:19.79\00:09:23.90
crucifixion.
00:09:24.10\00:09:25.49
He knew all that
before it happened.
00:09:25.79\00:09:27.56
So when He went to the
Garden of Gethsemane, folks,
00:09:27.86\00:09:30.81
He's going there fully conscious
00:09:31.11\00:09:35.09
of what's about to take place.
00:09:35.29\00:09:37.33
He knows what's
about to happen to Him.
00:09:37.63\00:09:42.03
He also knows
that at this time now
00:09:42.33\00:09:46.35
all the sins of mankind
00:09:46.55\00:09:50.42
is being placed on
Him. He knows that.
00:09:50.72\00:09:54.01
The scripture says
that He bore our sins.
00:09:54.31\00:09:59.13
So all the sins of the
world are being poured upon Him.
00:09:59.33\00:10:02.02
He also understands that sin
00:10:02.33\00:10:05.71
is offensive not only
to Him but to His Father.
00:10:06.01\00:10:09.85
Therefore, He knows that as He
bears all the sins of the world
00:10:12.01\00:10:16.25
that those sins are separating
Himself from His Father.
00:10:16.45\00:10:21.30
And that's why He
cries out: "My God, My God,
00:10:21.60\00:10:25.19
why hast Thou forsaken Me? "
00:10:25.29\00:10:26.62
Because He knows
that's what's taking place.
00:10:26.72\00:10:29.40
Therefore when He's there,
00:10:31.27\00:10:33.79
He is under great
psychological stress
00:10:34.09\00:10:38.89
like you and I can't understand
because He sees this all
00:10:39.19\00:10:43.82
vividly before it
takes place. And that is why
00:10:44.02\00:10:48.80
it says that He
sweat drops of blood.
00:10:49.03\00:10:54.01
You see, that is a condition
- a medical condition -
00:10:54.32\00:10:58.40
called hematohidrosis...
00:10:58.50\00:11:01.28
what happens when a
person is under tremendous
00:11:01.68\00:11:05.34
psychological stress.
00:11:05.54\00:11:07.84
Then a chemical is released
00:11:08.14\00:11:11.10
that breaks down some of the
capillaries in the sweat gland
00:11:11.40\00:11:15.27
and it releases into
it small amounts of blood
00:11:15.48\00:11:18.66
and it causes
them to sweat blood.
00:11:18.86\00:11:20.95
But more than
that, hematohidrosis
00:11:22.54\00:11:25.40
it also makes the skin
extremely sensitive and fragile.
00:11:26.41\00:11:32.26
So He sweats drops of blood.
00:11:32.56\00:11:35.86
The mob comes
00:11:37.67\00:11:39.53
and they take Him away
to a mockery of a trial.
00:11:39.83\00:11:45.07
And Pilate, Herod...
trying to hope that some way
00:11:46.40\00:11:50.72
they might appease the crowd
00:11:50.92\00:11:53.11
have Him flogged.
00:11:54.70\00:11:56.42
Do you... have you ever
read about Roman flogging?
00:11:56.73\00:12:01.46
See the art of
Roman flogging, folks,
00:12:02.79\00:12:06.11
is to inflict upon that person
00:12:06.31\00:12:09.84
as much pain as
possible without killing them.
00:12:10.14\00:12:14.70
That's the art of it.
00:12:15.00\00:12:16.65
So, by rights they're supposed
to give them 39 stripes...
00:12:17.05\00:12:22.40
40 stripes save one.
00:12:22.70\00:12:27.14
But that all depends upon the
soldier and how he's feeling.
00:12:27.44\00:12:31.01
The whip that
they're going to use
00:12:32.50\00:12:34.95
is leather thongs.
00:12:35.25\00:12:38.18
In the end of
them are steel balls
00:12:38.38\00:12:43.09
so that as they lay
that whip across the back
00:12:43.39\00:12:47.30
of that individual
00:12:47.50\00:12:48.99
those steel balls
bruise and make contusions.
00:12:49.20\00:12:53.64
And as they hit
time and time again
00:12:53.84\00:12:57.65
they break open the skin.
00:12:57.95\00:13:01.17
In fact, it cuts
because in those thongs,
00:13:01.47\00:13:05.90
those leather thongs,
are little pieces of bone.
00:13:06.10\00:13:09.69
And the art of flogging
is not just to hit the person
00:13:09.99\00:13:13.64
but when you hit them to pull it
00:13:13.85\00:13:16.09
so that those pieces of bones
00:13:16.39\00:13:17.86
cut every welt all the way down.
00:13:18.06\00:13:20.87
They're going to lay
that across their back
00:13:22.25\00:13:25.23
from the back of the neck
all the way down to the back
00:13:25.43\00:13:30.34
across the
buttocks and the lower legs
00:13:30.37\00:13:33.59
until that whole
part is bloody and open.
00:13:33.79\00:13:38.05
I could describe
to you what historians
00:13:38.25\00:13:40.74
and people back then
told about Roman flogging
00:13:40.84\00:13:43.39
and how it would
even lay open the spine.
00:13:43.59\00:13:46.55
When they do this, it
causes a person to go into
00:13:47.84\00:13:53.01
what is called
hypovolemic shock.
00:13:53.21\00:13:55.84
It's a Latin word that
simply means: hypo means low,
00:13:57.38\00:14:01.14
volemic... vo means volume,
00:14:03.20\00:14:05.57
lemic means blood.
00:14:05.77\00:14:07.09
It just means the loss
of a great lot of blood.
00:14:07.40\00:14:10.90
And so as the person is bleeding
and losing all this blood
00:14:11.20\00:14:14.79
it brings about several things
00:14:14.99\00:14:16.69
in their life. One...
00:14:16.79\00:14:17.99
since they are losing so much
00:14:18.19\00:14:21.22
blood, it causes the heart
00:14:21.42\00:14:23.07
to beat faster
trying to take care
00:14:23.27\00:14:26.47
of the situation since
they're losing so much blood.
00:14:26.68\00:14:30.06
Secondly, since
they're losing so much fluids
00:14:31.32\00:14:37.28
their kidneys shut down
00:14:37.59\00:14:39.87
to save the loss of fluids.
00:14:40.07\00:14:44.80
Thirdly, it causes them
to be tremendously thirsty
00:14:45.10\00:14:48.92
and also it causes
their blood pressure to drop
00:14:49.12\00:14:53.21
so drastically that they
become very dizzy and faint.
00:14:53.51\00:14:56.91
Now you can begin to put
together some of the things
00:14:57.21\00:14:59.40
that happened to Jesus.
00:14:59.60\00:15:00.69
Because you remember, as
they laid that cross on Him
00:15:00.99\00:15:04.40
and He's carrying
it out to Golgotha,
00:15:04.60\00:15:07.48
you remember He
staggered and fell.
00:15:07.68\00:15:09.88
Fainted because He's
in hypovolemic shock.
00:15:10.18\00:15:13.10
That's what's happening to Him.
00:15:13.30\00:15:14.72
Also, that's why when
He's hanging there on the cross
00:15:15.02\00:15:18.32
He cries out "I thirst... "
because He's lost so much fluid.
00:15:18.53\00:15:22.59
They're going to
take Him to the cross.
00:15:22.89\00:15:26.63
They laid Him
out on the cross bar
00:15:29.17\00:15:33.59
and they're going to
drive nails through His hands.
00:15:34.71\00:15:40.38
Those nails are going
to pierce a nerve in here
00:15:41.91\00:15:45.68
called the median nerve.
00:15:45.98\00:15:47.57
You know what that's like?
00:15:47.87\00:15:49.54
You ever hit your funny bone?
00:15:49.84\00:15:52.29
OK, that's the ulnar nerve.
00:15:52.59\00:15:55.60
It's like if you took that
nerve with a pair of pliers
00:15:56.81\00:16:01.23
and twisted it.
00:16:01.43\00:16:02.80
That's what it'd be like to
have a nail driven through that.
00:16:03.01\00:16:06.18
And then they're going to
hoist Him up there on the cross
00:16:06.58\00:16:09.58
and then they're going to
drive nails through His feet
00:16:09.78\00:16:12.45
to pin them to the cross.
00:16:12.75\00:16:14.30
And again, piercing the nerve.
00:16:14.60\00:16:17.61
I'm trying to get across
to you when the scripture says
00:16:17.92\00:16:20.31
that He endured the
cross, you get a little idea
00:16:20.51\00:16:23.58
of what He endured
for you and for me.
00:16:23.78\00:16:26.21
This is what He's going through.
00:16:26.51\00:16:27.88
When they put Him on
the cross and they drop Him,
00:16:29.68\00:16:34.57
that stretches His
arms about six inches.
00:16:36.13\00:16:39.77
That means both arms are
going to become dislocated.
00:16:40.07\00:16:43.95
The moment He
falls into that position,
00:16:44.25\00:16:48.25
then all of a sudden
the only way He can breathe
00:16:48.55\00:16:53.95
is inhale.
00:16:54.15\00:16:56.10
To be able to exhale
00:16:56.40\00:16:58.92
He has to push
Himself up with His feet
00:16:59.22\00:17:02.43
to be able to inhale
air... and then He can exhale,
00:17:02.73\00:17:07.62
thus rubbing his
bloody back on the cross.
00:17:07.92\00:17:11.99
Strength giving
away, step by step.
00:17:12.29\00:17:14.95
His heart is
beating much, much faster
00:17:15.15\00:17:18.27
because of the great
amount of blood that He's lost
00:17:18.57\00:17:21.86
and He's going to
die of cardiac arrest.
00:17:22.16\00:17:26.16
That's why it
says this in scripture:
00:17:26.46\00:17:29.11
Why are they going
to break their legs?
00:17:48.03\00:17:50.22
Well see, that's the
way they can breathe.
00:17:50.42\00:17:53.04
Because they're pulled down
there and they can't breathe
00:17:54.28\00:17:56.26
unless they can
push up with their legs.
00:17:56.46\00:17:58.51
And so if they came and
took an iron and broke their leg
00:17:58.81\00:18:01.83
then they couldn't push
up and they would suffocate
00:18:02.03\00:18:04.89
to death. Hasten their death...
00:18:05.09\00:18:08.15
that's what
they're trying to do.
00:18:08.35\00:18:09.47
You see, Jesus didn't die
00:18:24.86\00:18:28.86
from
necessarily the crucifixion.
00:18:29.26\00:18:32.10
He died from cardiac arrest
00:18:32.30\00:18:34.44
that took place. And thus
you find that as He died there
00:18:36.29\00:18:39.58
it says:
00:18:39.68\00:18:40.77
Because his heart had ruptured,
00:18:44.95\00:18:47.77
separated there. And
when it pierced His side
00:18:48.07\00:18:51.16
blood and water came out.
00:18:51.36\00:18:52.99
This is what He
endured, friends.
00:18:53.19\00:18:55.00
This is what the
Son of God endured
00:18:55.30\00:18:58.05
that you might be saved.
00:18:58.25\00:19:01.48
I want to go a step farther,
00:19:04.07\00:19:05.63
because the
scripture doesn't say
00:19:05.83\00:19:07.28
that He just endured the cross.
00:19:07.48\00:19:10.30
It says He
"despised the shame. "
00:19:10.60\00:19:14.42
Now do you understand shame?
00:19:17.30\00:19:19.46
Do you understand
what it means when it says
00:19:19.66\00:19:22.72
"despising the shame? "
00:19:23.02\00:19:24.59
Let me identify
for you what shame is
00:19:24.89\00:19:28.72
because the scripture
gives you some indications.
00:19:28.76\00:19:31.33
In the book of
Revelation it says this:
00:19:31.53\00:19:33.52
You read through the
scripture and any time someone
00:19:48.81\00:19:53.12
revealed their naked body, that
in the scripture was a shame.
00:19:53.43\00:19:59.12
OK? When it says
"despising the shame, "
00:20:00.46\00:20:04.24
this is what happened.
This is what took place.
00:20:04.54\00:20:07.76
They stripped Him naked.
00:20:19.72\00:20:21.89
Hung Him on the cross
00:20:21.99\00:20:25.68
without any clothes.
00:20:25.98\00:20:28.31
Now folks, it's one thing...
00:20:52.50\00:20:56.40
It's one thing to take a man
00:20:56.70\00:21:01.79
and treat him with such shame.
00:21:02.09\00:21:06.08
But let me tell you, it's
something entirely different
00:21:06.38\00:21:10.36
to treat the
Son of God that way.
00:21:10.56\00:21:12.98
And that's what they
did. He endured the cross,
00:21:14.79\00:21:17.71
despising the shame,
00:21:18.01\00:21:22.02
for you and for me.
00:21:22.12\00:21:24.83
Till today, because
He went through all that,
00:21:25.06\00:21:28.08
He suffered that, He
went through all the shame,
00:21:28.28\00:21:31.35
thus the cross offers
a great amount of hope.
00:21:31.55\00:21:37.33
You see, homicide.
00:21:40.97\00:21:46.13
Terrible. Terrible
when somebody goes out and
00:21:47.63\00:21:51.47
kills another human being.
00:21:51.67\00:21:53.48
How horrible.
00:21:53.68\00:21:55.70
But sin is exceedingly sinful
00:21:56.00\00:22:00.12
when its deicide.
00:22:00.32\00:22:02.91
When it kills its God.
00:22:03.21\00:22:06.30
The worst thing that
sin ever did is when it took
00:22:09.10\00:22:11.99
the Savior and
hung Him on a cross...
00:22:12.19\00:22:15.56
the murdered victim of our sins.
00:22:15.76\00:22:18.99
That's what Jesus did.
00:22:19.29\00:22:20.75
Have you thought
about this, folks?
00:22:21.05\00:22:22.90
If Jesus - who
only had imputed sin...
00:22:23.86\00:22:29.32
Do you understand
what I'm saying when I say
00:22:29.52\00:22:30.84
imputed sin? Do
you know what I mean?
00:22:31.04\00:22:32.80
When I say He has imputed sin
00:22:33.63\00:22:35.92
that means He didn't sin.
00:22:36.12\00:22:37.51
That means the sin
was placed upon Him.
00:22:37.71\00:22:40.27
Imputed. It wasn't something
He did; it was placed upon Him.
00:22:40.58\00:22:44.13
When Jesus only had imputed sin
00:22:44.43\00:22:47.27
and He had to suffer like
this for your sins and mine,
00:22:48.36\00:22:54.31
then I want to ask you:
00:22:54.61\00:22:56.15
if Jesus the spotless, the
perfect, the divine Son of God
00:22:56.35\00:23:02.14
had to suffer like that
00:23:02.35\00:23:04.57
for your sins and mine,
00:23:05.94\00:23:08.15
then I wonder how
you and I might suffer
00:23:08.35\00:23:12.14
if we neglect so
great a salvation.
00:23:12.34\00:23:15.49
That He did for each one of us
00:23:15.79\00:23:21.15
here this evening.
00:23:21.36\00:23:22.81
Now, to that person
who doesn't know Christ
00:23:36.48\00:23:39.58
maybe it doesn't mean anything,
00:23:39.68\00:23:40.97
but to you and I it is the what?
00:23:41.17\00:23:45.96
"Power of God. "
00:23:46.26\00:23:48.12
That's what I want to
talk to you about tonight:
00:23:48.42\00:23:50.20
the power of the cross.
00:23:50.40\00:23:52.18
What it can do for you
as an individual tonight.
00:23:52.38\00:23:56.18
That power that it's talking
about there, dear friend,
00:23:56.48\00:23:59.40
that power is divine.
00:23:59.70\00:24:01.76
I'm not talking
about human power...
00:24:01.96\00:24:04.92
I'm talking about divine power
00:24:05.22\00:24:07.32
that can take an individual
- I don't care who he is -
00:24:07.62\00:24:10.17
and can change his heart
00:24:10.47\00:24:11.70
and make him totally
and completely different.
00:24:11.90\00:24:15.27
I'm talking about an individual
00:24:15.57\00:24:19.06
like a fellow that
came to my meetings.
00:24:21.02\00:24:23.50
It's the only body... only
person that I can ever remember
00:24:23.81\00:24:26.72
that I wished wouldn't come.
00:24:26.92\00:24:28.04
This man came every night...
00:24:30.20\00:24:32.63
usually, about half drunk.
00:24:34.78\00:24:38.68
That didn't bother me.
00:24:38.98\00:24:40.20
I usually have somebody in
the audience about half drunk
00:24:40.40\00:24:42.58
every meeting I've ever had.
00:24:42.78\00:24:44.28
So that didn't bother me.
00:24:44.38\00:24:46.34
But he had a great big beard,
00:24:46.64\00:24:49.90
and that didn't bother me
00:24:50.10\00:24:51.76
either. I believe if God put the
00:24:51.86\00:24:53.02
whiskers there, well...
00:24:53.22\00:24:54.27
it's your privilege if
you want to let them grow.
00:24:54.47\00:24:56.17
But he chewed tobacco.
00:24:57.55\00:25:00.07
That didn't bother me
either because I grew up
00:25:00.37\00:25:02.68
with people chewing tobacco...
so that really didn't bother me.
00:25:02.89\00:25:05.26
But he let the tobacco juice run
out of the corners of his mouth
00:25:05.56\00:25:08.61
till it filled that whole
beard full of tobacco juice.
00:25:08.82\00:25:11.22
And he smelled
horrible... THAT bothered me!
00:25:11.52\00:25:14.70
Because, you know, if
he sat down by anybody,
00:25:15.10\00:25:18.27
they got up and moved. And
I really don't blame them...
00:25:18.37\00:25:20.27
I would have too, you know.
00:25:20.30\00:25:22.50
Each night when we got
to the end of the service,
00:25:22.70\00:25:24.34
he'd come up and shake my hand
and all he ever said to me is
00:25:24.55\00:25:26.77
"you stepped on my toes. "
00:25:26.97\00:25:28.76
We got down to the
end of the meetings.
00:25:29.06\00:25:32.15
I gave an invitation for people
to come and give their hearts
00:25:32.45\00:25:35.16
to Christ. First one out
of their seat was that man.
00:25:35.36\00:25:38.43
Come down the aisle. As
he came down the aisle I said
00:25:38.73\00:25:41.13
"Why, Lord? Why this man?
00:25:41.33\00:25:43.66
He'll come down here and
there'll not be another soul
00:25:43.86\00:25:46.12
come down here
because he came. "
00:25:46.32\00:25:48.08
And that's
exactly what happened.
00:25:48.38\00:25:50.45
Mean exactly what happened.
Not another person budged.
00:25:50.75\00:25:53.91
But he was dead serious.
00:25:54.21\00:25:57.57
Dead serious.
00:25:57.87\00:25:59.51
I saw that man give
his heart to the Lord.
00:25:59.81\00:26:01.95
I saw his whole life change.
00:26:03.52\00:26:06.37
I saw him
change from a drunkard.
00:26:07.61\00:26:10.18
I saw him move his wife
and six children out of a hovel
00:26:11.47\00:26:14.54
and into a decent home.
00:26:14.74\00:26:16.08
I watched as I
pastored that church.
00:26:17.95\00:26:20.83
He became the head
deacon of my church.
00:26:21.03\00:26:24.35
I'm talking
about the power of God.
00:26:25.61\00:26:28.44
And I don't care
who you are tonight.
00:26:28.74\00:26:31.09
I don't care what
your situation is.
00:26:31.30\00:26:33.74
I don't care where you've been.
00:26:33.94\00:26:35.41
I don't care
how bad you've been.
00:26:35.61\00:26:37.60
The power of God can change
you because that power is divine
00:26:37.90\00:26:42.29
and it can change your life
00:26:42.59\00:26:44.18
if you and I are just willing
to step out and accept it.
00:26:44.48\00:26:47.70
Listen to what it says:
00:26:47.90\00:26:49.18
It can change a person's life.
00:26:58.93\00:27:00.85
How strong is that power?
00:27:01.15\00:27:02.69
Jesus spent 3-1/2 years
ministering on the earth.
00:27:02.99\00:27:06.49
You can read the stories,
and there was a few people
00:27:06.79\00:27:09.55
and a few disciples
that followed Him...
00:27:09.76\00:27:11.43
but not very many.
00:27:11.63\00:27:13.02
But when He died, when
He hung there on the cross,
00:27:13.32\00:27:16.74
and He paid the price, and
He came forth from the grave,
00:27:16.77\00:27:20.42
you want to see what happened?
00:27:20.62\00:27:22.11
Huh? You want to see what
happened when that took place?
00:27:22.31\00:27:25.35
Listen. This is what happened:
00:27:25.65\00:27:27.07
But listen... Acts... Acts 2:22:
00:27:32.03\00:27:35.56
This is Peter preaching.
He's talking about Jesus Christ.
00:27:48.97\00:27:51.82
This is after the resurrection.
00:27:52.12\00:27:53.56
This is after Jesus
went back to heaven.
00:27:53.76\00:27:55.48
Watch:
00:27:55.69\00:27:56.74
Telling them what happened...
00:28:07.65\00:28:10.42
Peter stood there and he
preached that Jesus Christ
00:28:30.27\00:28:33.01
had died for them; that He
had paid the price for them.
00:28:33.21\00:28:36.06
That He had risen from the
grave and that He was alive.
00:28:36.26\00:28:39.31
And they were cut to
the heart and they said:
00:28:39.51\00:28:40.93
"What must we do? "
00:28:41.13\00:28:42.29
Watch what happens:
00:28:42.49\00:28:44.10
You're talking about
the power of the gospel.
00:29:09.08\00:29:11.31
The power to change
lives... one day, three thousand
00:29:11.51\00:29:15.62
gave their hearts to
the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:29:15.93\00:29:17.97
He can take you
and change your life.
00:29:18.27\00:29:24.15
Make it totally and
completely different.
00:29:24.45\00:29:28.34
This is the area,
folks, where I find
00:29:35.12\00:29:39.24
so many don't understand.
00:29:39.55\00:29:41.30
I didn't understand.
00:29:41.60\00:29:43.82
I didn't
understand for a long time.
00:29:44.12\00:29:46.29
You see, we're so
inclined to do it ourselves.
00:29:47.30\00:29:52.52
And I run onto people who
live miserable Christian lives
00:29:52.82\00:29:57.74
because they've
never understood this.
00:29:58.04\00:29:59.85
Listen carefully:
00:30:00.15\00:30:01.91
Now He told Jeremiah
here in the 18th chapter
00:30:07.76\00:30:10.66
to go down to
the potter's house.
00:30:10.86\00:30:12.11
It was marred
in the hand of who?
00:30:24.29\00:30:26.42
In the hand of the potter.
00:30:26.62\00:30:28.93
Now watch who has the power.
00:30:29.23\00:30:31.98
Who has the power here tonight?
00:30:32.28\00:30:34.98
The potter or the clay?
00:30:35.28\00:30:37.80
Now come on, let's get it
clear. Who has the power...
00:30:38.30\00:30:41.07
the potter or the clay?
00:30:41.37\00:30:43.42
The potter, OK.
00:30:43.72\00:30:45.74
Folks, you and I...
00:30:56.90\00:31:01.36
our only responsibility
00:31:02.32\00:31:05.64
is to be
submissive to the potter.
00:31:06.04\00:31:09.65
Are you following me?
00:31:10.77\00:31:12.32
That's all that God asks
00:31:12.62\00:31:14.87
is that you and I be
submissive to the potter.
00:31:15.18\00:31:18.92
That I let Him do
His work in my life.
00:31:20.96\00:31:24.12
Listen as Paul goes on
about this same subject:
00:31:24.42\00:31:27.22
You and I are
nothing but vessels of clay
00:31:55.11\00:31:58.48
and God is the potter.
00:31:58.68\00:32:00.93
And He can make that vessel
whatever He wants it to be.
00:32:01.23\00:32:04.70
And if you and I will submit,
00:32:05.01\00:32:07.60
if we will be humble,
00:32:08.82\00:32:12.07
if we will not be proud,
00:32:12.38\00:32:15.26
if we will submit to the
working of God in our hearts,
00:32:15.56\00:32:19.77
He will make us into the
vessel that He wants us to be.
00:32:20.07\00:32:23.72
This is what God
wants to do for you.
00:32:24.02\00:32:26.77
Now in the home that I
grew up we had vessels of honor
00:32:48.18\00:32:51.07
and dishonor in
it. Didn't your home?
00:32:51.27\00:32:53.86
Sure. My mother in the
dining room had a china cabinet
00:32:54.17\00:32:58.38
in which she
kept vessels of honor.
00:32:58.68\00:33:00.60
And when we had company
- we had special guests -
00:33:01.53\00:33:05.12
she would go to
the china cabinet
00:33:05.32\00:33:07.10
and would take out
the vessels of honor
00:33:07.30\00:33:09.30
and feed us all on
the vessels of honor.
00:33:09.60\00:33:11.76
But boy when the company left
00:33:12.06\00:33:14.22
all the vessels of honor
went back in the china cabinet
00:33:14.52\00:33:17.22
and we ate out of
dishes in the kitchen cabinet
00:33:17.52\00:33:20.31
of dishonor. You understand
what I'm talking about?
00:33:20.41\00:33:22.88
OK. That's up to the potter.
00:33:23.19\00:33:25.35
He can make
whatever vessel He pleases.
00:33:25.65\00:33:29.09
But the scripture says here
00:33:29.29\00:33:30.98
if you and I will submit,
00:33:31.18\00:33:33.31
if you and I will
turn our lives over to Him,
00:33:33.61\00:33:36.52
if we will be submissive,
00:33:36.82\00:33:38.48
He will make us
a vessel of honor.
00:33:38.68\00:33:42.01
That's what He will do for us.
00:33:42.32\00:33:44.74
That is the power of God.
00:33:44.94\00:33:46.53
That's what God wants
to do for you tonight.
00:33:52.28\00:33:54.92
He wants to make you a vessel
sanctified for His purpose
00:33:55.23\00:33:59.84
to use for His purpose.
00:34:00.04\00:34:02.85
And if you and I will do that,
we will be a vessel of honor.
00:34:03.05\00:34:06.61
But dear friend, let
me tell you something,
00:34:06.81\00:34:08.54
that's God's work... not yours.
00:34:08.75\00:34:11.26
God's work. All you
and I must do is submit.
00:34:12.49\00:34:17.97
J don't know if you ever heard
the story of the Persian prince?
00:34:19.28\00:34:23.54
This Persian prince one
day reached down and picked up
00:34:24.91\00:34:28.98
a piece of clay.
00:34:29.18\00:34:30.36
And as he was just
rolling the clay in his hand
00:34:30.86\00:34:34.01
he smelled it. Had a
marvelous smell to it.
00:34:34.83\00:34:39.84
wonderful. And
he said to the clay:
00:34:40.14\00:34:43.05
"Where did you get
your wonderful fragrance? "
00:34:43.35\00:34:46.80
"Oh, " the clay said,
00:34:47.10\00:34:50.16
"they laid me beside a rose
00:34:50.46\00:34:53.28
and I drank in its fragrance. "
00:34:53.58\00:34:56.32
Friend tonight, I'm
just telling you that if you
00:34:56.62\00:35:00.92
walk with Jesus Christ, you
fellowship with Jesus Christ,
00:35:02.14\00:35:07.05
the Rose of Sharon
will change your life
00:35:07.35\00:35:12.36
and you will put
forth a fragrance
00:35:12.66\00:35:15.62
of the marvelous love of Jesus
Christ that comes no other way.
00:35:15.92\00:35:20.09
God will do that for you.
00:35:20.39\00:35:22.38
What a difference it makes!
00:35:38.60\00:35:41.08
What a difference
it makes in my life.
00:35:41.28\00:35:43.40
II Corinthians 5:21.
Let me tell you right now:
00:35:46.00\00:35:50.62
if you don't have this
text underlined in your Bible,
00:35:50.82\00:35:54.43
if you don't
have it highlighted,
00:35:54.73\00:35:57.39
don't go to sleep
tonight until you do.
00:35:57.69\00:36:00.59
Go home, get your
Bible out and dear friend,
00:36:00.90\00:36:04.23
get you a highlighter
- get you something -
00:36:04.43\00:36:06.96
but mark that text
and don't ever forget it.
00:36:07.16\00:36:10.31
Listen to it:
00:36:10.41\00:36:11.59
Marvelous!
00:36:19.15\00:36:21.54
"Took Him who knew
no sin to be sin for us
00:36:21.84\00:36:26.66
that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him. "
00:36:26.96\00:36:30.39
I have been looking
for someone for years.
00:36:32.25\00:36:35.54
Every place I go I look for
that individual that I can find.
00:36:37.80\00:36:42.25
You see, I have a pen here.
00:36:42.45\00:36:45.03
It's a good pen.
00:36:47.06\00:36:48.62
I use it; it writes
OK. It's a nice pen.
00:36:48.92\00:36:52.25
But I have been
looking for someone,
00:36:52.55\00:36:55.34
I have been hunting for someone,
00:36:55.64\00:36:57.14
who will be willing to trade me
00:36:57.44\00:37:00.34
a Mercedes for my fountain pen.
00:37:00.54\00:37:03.14
I'd be happy to
just trade somebody
00:37:05.23\00:37:09.17
my fountain pen for a Mercedes.
00:37:10.26\00:37:13.17
You say: "Well, yeah, you would.
00:37:13.47\00:37:15.95
That person's
crazy if he does that:
00:37:16.26\00:37:19.39
trade you a Mercedes
for a fountain pen. "
00:37:19.69\00:37:22.01
Well, my friends, listen.
00:37:22.31\00:37:26.17
That's what that text says.
00:37:26.47\00:37:27.91
It says that God
- or Jesus Christ -
00:37:28.22\00:37:31.60
is walking into
this room here tonight...
00:37:31.90\00:37:34.62
walking into this room
and He's saying to you:
00:37:35.43\00:37:38.67
"I'll tell you what, if
you'll give Me your sins,
00:37:38.97\00:37:44.78
I'll give you
My righteousness. "
00:37:45.08\00:37:47.22
That's what that text says.
00:37:47.52\00:37:49.67
Jesus says: "If you'll
just give Me your sins,
00:37:50.83\00:37:53.74
I'll give you
My righteousness. "
00:37:54.04\00:37:56.56
Aren't you willing to do that?
00:37:59.22\00:38:01.02
Aren't you willing to do
that? Am I hearing right?
00:38:01.12\00:38:04.75
That He'll give
me His righteousness
00:38:05.05\00:38:07.91
if I'll just give Him my sins?
00:38:08.31\00:38:11.40
Oh, absolutely, friend.
00:38:11.70\00:38:14.67
Absolutely I'll
give Him my sins.
00:38:14.97\00:38:17.74
I hope that you would.
00:38:18.04\00:38:20.43
The scripture gives a
perfect illustration of this
00:38:20.73\00:38:23.13
as far as I'm concerned.
00:38:23.33\00:38:24.84
Jesus was talking to Nicodemus.
00:38:25.14\00:38:27.84
You remember He said
to Nicodemus, He said:
00:38:28.14\00:38:31.17
"You've got to be born again. "
00:38:31.38\00:38:32.75
And Nicodemus
said: "What do You mean?
00:38:33.05\00:38:35.70
I've got to be born of
my mother a second time? "
00:38:35.90\00:38:38.19
And Jesus said: "No, Nicodemus.
00:38:38.49\00:38:40.86
That which is
born of flesh is flesh,
00:38:41.16\00:38:42.79
and that which is born
of the Spirit is Spirit. "
00:38:42.99\00:38:44.93
And Nicodemus said:
"I don't understand.
00:38:45.23\00:38:48.07
I don't understand
what you're talking about. "
00:38:48.37\00:38:51.30
And Jesus said to
Nicodemus... He said:
00:38:51.60\00:38:55.01
And Nicodemus all
of a sudden remembered
00:39:07.44\00:39:10.35
about the children of Israel
being out in the wilderness.
00:39:10.55\00:39:13.62
And they were out in the
wilderness, and God said to them
00:39:13.92\00:39:17.62
"This is the way you
need to go. That way. "
00:39:18.97\00:39:21.51
And they said:
"Lord, that's pretty rough.
00:39:21.81\00:39:27.45
That's rocky and steep that way.
00:39:27.75\00:39:31.58
And, Lord, we can get to
the land of Canaan this way
00:39:31.88\00:39:35.28
and it's much
flatter... not near as steep. "
00:39:35.58\00:39:40.12
And the Lord said: "No, no.
00:39:40.42\00:39:42.99
You don't want to go that
way you want to go this way. "
00:39:43.29\00:39:46.15
And they said: "Lord, You
haven't forgotten that we've got
00:39:46.35\00:39:50.22
the women and the
children and the cattle.
00:39:50.43\00:39:52.43
And there's mountains here
and the terrain is hard, and
00:39:52.73\00:39:55.92
the path is narrow and
all those things, Lord. "
00:39:56.12\00:39:58.78
And the Lord said: "That's
the way you want to go. "
00:39:58.98\00:40:00.45
And they said: "But, Lord,
it'll take us a little longer
00:40:00.65\00:40:03.37
but it will be so much easier
on the children and on the
00:40:03.57\00:40:06.40
cattle and everything
if we'd go this way. "
00:40:06.60\00:40:08.44
And the Lord said: "You really
don't want to go that way.
00:40:08.54\00:40:11.14
You want to go this way. "
00:40:11.34\00:40:13.14
And they said:
"Lord, that's just too hard;
00:40:13.44\00:40:15.74
we're going to go this
way. " And they went that way.
00:40:15.94\00:40:17.78
And the scripture
says that poisonous snakes
00:40:19.02\00:40:22.66
began to crawl into the
camp and bite the people
00:40:22.96\00:40:26.43
and they began to die.
00:40:26.63\00:40:27.93
And they went running
to Moses and they said:
00:40:29.06\00:40:32.23
"Moses, Moses, do
something for us! "
00:40:32.43\00:40:35.00
And Moses prayed.
00:40:35.30\00:40:37.29
And God said: "Moses,
make a brazen serpent.
00:40:37.59\00:40:43.24
Put it on a pole
00:40:43.54\00:40:47.36
and tell those people that
if they look at that serpent
00:40:47.66\00:40:50.44
they'll live and
they'll not die. "
00:40:50.64\00:40:52.15
Why? Why in the
world would God tell him
00:40:52.45\00:40:57.08
"make a brazen serpent
and put it on a pole? "
00:40:57.38\00:41:00.23
In the Bible, what
does a serpent represent?
00:41:00.43\00:41:02.57
Represents the devil.
00:41:04.25\00:41:05.83
Represents sin.
00:41:06.13\00:41:07.35
So why would He say:
"Make a brazen serpent
00:41:07.65\00:41:10.90
and put it on a pole? "
00:41:11.10\00:41:12.82
Because Jesus
Christ became sin for you.
00:41:13.93\00:41:19.46
That's why. Jesus
Christ became sin for you.
00:41:19.66\00:41:23.94
He said: "I'll take your sins
00:41:24.14\00:41:26.22
and I'll give
you My righteousness.
00:41:26.52\00:41:30.01
I'll do that for you. "
00:41:30.31\00:41:31.47
And so Jesus Christ
was lifted up, crucified,
00:41:40.41\00:41:43.10
hung on a cross that He
might draw you and me to Him.
00:41:43.30\00:41:47.64
But that text goes on in
II Corinthians 5:21 and says:
00:41:47.95\00:41:51.90
That you and I might
become the righteousness of
00:42:02.40\00:42:06.92
God in Him. You see,
that's the righteousness of God.
00:42:07.22\00:42:10.84
I'm talking about
the power of the cross.
00:42:11.15\00:42:13.26
I'm talking about what
can take and change your life.
00:42:13.56\00:42:16.36
Understand, folks,
this righteousness is not
00:42:16.56\00:42:19.76
your righteousness.
This power is not your power.
00:42:19.96\00:42:23.13
It is God's righteousness;
it is God's power...
00:42:23.43\00:42:26.64
and that's what
can change you and me.
00:42:26.94\00:42:29.50
You and I can't
change ourselves.
00:42:29.80\00:42:32.96
II Corinthians 13:4:
00:42:33.26\00:42:36.29
"Crucified in weakness
00:42:46.89\00:42:48.46
but He lives by
the power of God. "
00:42:48.76\00:42:52.12
Now listen carefully:
00:42:52.42\00:42:53.54
You and I can live a
Christian life day by day
00:43:06.40\00:43:10.29
by the power of God.
00:43:10.59\00:43:12.75
So what's He
going to do for you?
00:43:13.05\00:43:15.14
OK?
00:43:24.59\00:43:25.91
Are you trying
to tell me tonight
00:43:35.13\00:43:37.34
that there's not a sin
that God can't take care of?
00:43:38.54\00:43:41.54
Are you trying to tell me
tonight that your situation
00:43:43.51\00:43:46.26
is so bad that
God can't handle it?
00:43:46.46\00:43:48.30
Are you trying to tell me
00:43:50.40\00:43:53.04
that He can't take your
life and make it different?
00:43:54.65\00:43:58.20
He's able...
exceedingly, abundantly
00:44:00.14\00:44:03.59
to do more than you
and I can think or ask.
00:44:03.89\00:44:07.76
Peter's saying
here I Peter 1:5...
00:44:16.36\00:44:19.12
You see, my faith
cannot be in myself.
00:44:24.00\00:44:26.81
It cannot be in what I can do.
00:44:27.11\00:44:28.80
But my faith must be
in God and what He can do.
00:44:29.10\00:44:32.09
And if I put my faith in Him
00:44:32.29\00:44:34.58
He is capable of
doing more than you and I
00:44:34.88\00:44:37.52
can even comprehend.
00:44:37.72\00:44:39.79
Now, this is a text, folks,
00:44:45.22\00:44:48.10
that when I first
read it it took me about
00:44:48.40\00:44:53.07
a year to believe it.
00:44:54.17\00:44:56.96
It just to me is so marvelous
00:44:58.24\00:45:01.38
of what He has
done for you and for me.
00:45:01.68\00:45:04.28
So listen very
carefully to this text...
00:45:04.48\00:45:06.04
a very, very vital one.
00:45:06.24\00:45:07.90
It says:
00:45:08.10\00:45:09.10
Whose disobedience was that?
00:45:15.76\00:45:18.13
Adam's.
00:45:18.43\00:45:20.22
You say: "Well that's not fair.
00:45:23.94\00:45:26.19
Just because Adam sinned, why
should that make me a sinner? "
00:45:27.33\00:45:30.58
Well, let me ask you a question:
00:45:32.03\00:45:33.84
if your grandfather had died
when he was three years old,
00:45:34.24\00:45:38.41
how old would you be tonight?
00:45:38.71\00:45:40.68
Huh?
00:45:42.66\00:45:44.04
You're trying to tell me that
your grandfather had something
00:45:44.25\00:45:46.44
to do with you being here?
00:45:46.65\00:45:47.87
Yes. And I'm trying to tell you
00:45:47.97\00:45:49.80
that Adam had something to
do with you being a sinner.
00:45:50.00\00:45:51.77
See?
00:45:52.08\00:45:53.58
OK. So by one man's sin
00:45:53.88\00:45:56.11
all of us became
sinners. Now listen:
00:45:56.41\00:45:59.06
Now I've got to ask you:
00:46:06.61\00:46:08.03
are you made
righteous by your obedience?
00:46:08.33\00:46:11.11
Or are you made
righteous by His obedience?
00:46:11.41\00:46:14.24
You're made righteous by
His obedience, not yours.
00:46:14.54\00:46:19.50
See? That's the
marvelous thing about it.
00:46:19.70\00:46:21.78
It's His righteousness
00:46:22.51\00:46:25.02
that makes all the
difference in the world.
00:46:25.32\00:46:28.19
Jesus had an experience
when He was here on earth.
00:46:30.50\00:46:33.03
There was a man who had
lived a very, very sinful life.
00:46:34.21\00:46:39.11
In fact, his
life had been so bad
00:46:40.30\00:46:42.71
that it had a
physical effect upon him
00:46:43.02\00:46:45.42
and it caused him
to be in a stretcher,
00:46:45.72\00:46:47.81
he was a
paralytic... he couldn't walk.
00:46:48.01\00:46:49.66
And one day he
heard about Jesus.
00:46:49.96\00:46:54.74
And he talked some of
his friends into taking him
00:46:55.14\00:46:58.16
to see Jesus. And
they put him on a stretcher
00:46:58.47\00:47:00.25
and they took him to Jesus.
00:47:00.45\00:47:01.65
And Jesus was in this house
and He was talking to people
00:47:01.85\00:47:05.12
and the place was packed.
00:47:05.32\00:47:06.87
In fact, there were so
many people in there, there were
00:47:07.07\00:47:09.19
people sitting in the
windows and the doorway
00:47:09.39\00:47:11.67
and you couldn't get in.
00:47:11.87\00:47:12.88
And his friends took
him up on top of the house.
00:47:13.19\00:47:16.97
And they took
the tile off the roof
00:47:17.27\00:47:20.14
and they lowered
this man on a stretcher
00:47:20.44\00:47:23.11
right down in front of Jesus.
00:47:23.31\00:47:27.16
And as this may lay
there in front of Jesus,
00:47:27.46\00:47:32.12
Jesus said this to him:
00:47:32.42\00:47:34.56
Now folks, let me
explain something.
00:47:41.77\00:47:43.11
That's all that
paralytic wanted.
00:47:43.31\00:47:45.32
He didn't want anything else.
00:47:45.62\00:47:47.74
And just to have the assurance
that his sins were forgiven
00:47:48.04\00:47:52.27
and he was freed, he
could have had his friends
00:47:52.30\00:47:55.32
pick him up and
carry him out of that house
00:47:55.52\00:47:57.21
and he would have went
out of that house rejoicing.
00:47:57.41\00:47:59.78
His healing that I'm
going to read to you now
00:48:01.39\00:48:03.84
didn't take place
because that was necessarily
00:48:04.14\00:48:06.85
what he was wanting.
00:48:06.95\00:48:08.27
It took place because there
were some people in the room
00:48:08.47\00:48:10.91
that couldn't believe.
00:48:11.21\00:48:13.01
Watch:
00:48:13.31\00:48:14.40
They said: "How can He tell
this man his sin's forgiven?
00:48:27.67\00:48:32.11
God's the only one
that can forgive sins. "
00:48:32.41\00:48:34.47
The boy just jumped
up off the stretcher...
00:49:08.00\00:49:10.19
headed for the house.
00:49:10.39\00:49:11.70
Now I want to ask you, folks,
00:49:22.06\00:49:23.90
what could the paralytic do?
00:49:24.20\00:49:27.75
Come on. What could he do?
00:49:28.05\00:49:29.85
Nothing! He's
lying in a stretcher.
00:49:30.15\00:49:33.76
He can't do one solitary thing.
00:49:33.96\00:49:36.85
He's paralyzed
from the neck down.
00:49:37.05\00:49:39.31
It's the power of God...
00:49:41.17\00:49:43.86
the power of God that
can change your life tonight.
00:49:44.16\00:49:47.90
The power of God that
can make you different.
00:49:48.20\00:49:50.98
It's not your
power... it's HIS POWER.
00:49:52.06\00:49:54.95
I don't care who you are.
00:49:55.25\00:49:57.20
I don't care where you've been.
00:49:57.60\00:49:59.58
I don't care what you've done.
00:49:59.78\00:50:01.75
God has the power
to change your life
00:50:02.05\00:50:05.91
and make it
totally and completely new.
00:50:06.21\00:50:09.38
I mentioned one text to you
00:50:12.67\00:50:14.59
that you ought to go home
and highlight in your Bible.
00:50:14.89\00:50:18.92
I'm going to give you one more.
00:50:19.23\00:50:20.38
These are two
texts, dear friend,
00:50:20.68\00:50:22.77
if you don't have any
others outlined in your Bible -
00:50:22.97\00:50:25.74
highlighted in your Bible -
00:50:26.04\00:50:27.43
highlight them.
00:50:27.63\00:50:28.81
Colossians 1:28:
00:50:29.12\00:50:33.14
Speaking of Jesus Christ.
00:50:34.97\00:50:36.91
Now listen very carefully:
00:50:40.70\00:50:42.46
Perfect in Christ Jesus.
00:50:51.26\00:50:55.43
Oh, isn't that wonderful?
00:50:55.73\00:50:56.89
Jesus said: "Listen, listen...
00:50:57.19\00:50:59.77
give Me your sins.
00:51:00.07\00:51:01.51
Give Me all your sins.
00:51:01.82\00:51:03.07
I'll give you
My righteousness. "
00:51:03.37\00:51:05.84
And when that happens,
God looks at you and says:
00:51:06.14\00:51:09.14
"Aren't they all perfect?
00:51:09.44\00:51:10.81
Don't they look so nice?
00:51:11.11\00:51:12.72
There's no one
sin in any of them.
00:51:13.02\00:51:14.94
They're all perfect! "
00:51:15.24\00:51:16.72
Because you have the
righteousness of Jesus Christ.
00:51:17.02\00:51:20.78
See? That's what He does
for you, friends. Marvelous!
00:51:21.08\00:51:24.90
He'll do that
for you and for me.
00:51:25.20\00:51:27.92
We have a song that we sing.
00:51:29.21\00:51:30.95
Unfortunately, most of
the time I ever hear it sung
00:51:32.07\00:51:36.73
is at funerals.
00:51:36.93\00:51:38.54
I don't know of any
song in Christendom, folks,
00:51:38.84\00:51:41.62
that to me states the
gospel as clearly as this song.
00:51:41.83\00:51:47.64
And that song is simply called
00:51:47.94\00:51:51.74
Rock of Ages.
00:51:51.94\00:51:53.49
Listen to the words of it:
00:51:53.79\00:51:55.18
See... that's it.
00:52:07.55\00:52:09.15
Like that paralytic,
I can't bring a thing.
00:52:09.45\00:52:12.67
I can't do anything.
00:52:12.97\00:52:14.57
All I can do is cling to
the cross of Jesus Christ.
00:52:14.77\00:52:18.50
As Maddy sang that
song, I'm going to glory...
00:52:28.29\00:52:31.46
I'm going to glory
in the cross of Christ.
00:52:31.76\00:52:33.89
If I'm going to
boast, I'm going to boast
00:52:34.19\00:52:36.18
in the cross of Jesus Christ...
00:52:36.38\00:52:37.96
because I have nothing to
bring, I have nothing to offer.
00:52:38.26\00:52:41.44
Only in Jesus Christ.
00:52:41.74\00:52:45.68
One of my favorite scriptures
00:52:47.08\00:52:49.42
is found in the
book of Revelation.
00:52:49.72\00:52:52.14
It says this:
00:52:54.67\00:52:56.59
I want you to listen to
what the power of God is.
00:52:59.23\00:53:03.73
To Him... I mean, King of Kings.
00:53:23.60\00:53:27.46
The Lord of Lords. The Ruler
over all the kings of the earth.
00:53:27.76\00:53:31.53
That He loved us and
washed us from our sins
00:53:31.83\00:53:36.55
in His own blood.
I'm so glad tonight,
00:53:36.76\00:53:39.02
folks, that that
text isn't turned around.
00:53:39.32\00:53:41.66
I'm glad that it doesn't say
00:53:41.96\00:53:43.32
that He washed us
and then loved us.
00:53:43.62\00:53:46.07
See, God's not saying to you
00:53:47.35\00:53:49.73
"Get yourself all cleaned
up and then I'll accept you. "
00:53:50.03\00:53:52.72
No. He's saying: "I'll
take you just like you are.
00:53:53.02\00:53:56.61
Just like you are:
sinful, undeserving,
00:53:56.91\00:54:02.87
weak, defiled.
00:54:03.17\00:54:05.51
I'll take you
just like you are. "
00:54:05.81\00:54:07.78
He loves us just like we are.
00:54:08.08\00:54:09.73
I'm so glad tonight
that He doesn't love us
00:54:09.93\00:54:12.37
like we love babies.
00:54:12.47\00:54:14.32
You know? You know how
we love babies, don't you?
00:54:15.87\00:54:18.43
Yeah. If the baby has been
washed and powdered and is clean
00:54:18.73\00:54:22.76
anybody will pick
it up and love it.
00:54:22.96\00:54:24.89
But you let it get a
snotty nose and a dirty diaper
00:54:25.19\00:54:27.86
and watch how many
people go the other way.
00:54:28.06\00:54:29.48
See? God doesn't do that.
00:54:29.78\00:54:32.07
God loves us just
exactly like we are.
00:54:32.37\00:54:36.33
And it says that
His blood cleanses us
00:54:36.83\00:54:41.51
from what?
00:54:41.72\00:54:43.94
All sin.
00:54:44.25\00:54:46.46
It didn't say some sins.
00:54:46.76\00:54:49.25
It said tonight that
the blood of Jesus Christ
00:54:49.55\00:54:51.76
will cleanse you, dear friend.
00:54:51.96\00:54:54.02
It will cleanse us from all sin.
00:54:54.22\00:54:57.47
You remember that text
in the Bible that says:
00:54:57.77\00:54:59.51
"Though your sins be as scarlet
00:54:59.71\00:55:01.43
they shall be as white as snow.
00:55:01.73\00:55:05.30
Though they be red like crimson,
they shall be as wool. "
00:55:05.61\00:55:10.80
Now you understand
scarlet and snow, don't you?
00:55:11.20\00:55:15.46
Scarlet's red; snow is white.
00:55:16.58\00:55:19.47
You understand the contrast.
00:55:19.77\00:55:21.36
But what in the world is
He talking about when He says
00:55:21.66\00:55:23.70
crimson and wool?
00:55:23.80\00:55:25.84
Well, crimson's red.
It's a staining agent.
00:55:26.14\00:55:28.89
If you get it in fabric,
you can't hardly get it out.
00:55:29.10\00:55:31.29
OK? But what does
that have to do with wool?
00:55:31.59\00:55:34.91
Well, when I was a boy
00:55:36.18\00:55:38.65
I belonged to
something called the FFA.
00:55:38.95\00:55:44.09
You know what that is?
00:55:44.39\00:55:45.43
Future Farmers of America.
00:55:45.74\00:55:48.73
And one of the requirements
for belonging to the
00:55:49.03\00:55:51.86
Future Farmers of America
00:55:52.06\00:55:53.44
is that you had to have
an animal to show at the
00:55:53.64\00:55:57.04
county fair. So,
with the help of my father
00:55:57.24\00:56:00.98
we purchased a
couple Southdown lambs.
00:56:01.28\00:56:04.93
They're little
sheep; they're not very big.
00:56:05.23\00:56:07.32
OK.
00:56:07.62\00:56:09.36
And I raised
these Southdown lambs
00:56:09.66\00:56:14.34
to show at the county fair.
00:56:14.64\00:56:16.40
Dear friend, let me tell
you there is much, much more
00:56:16.70\00:56:21.79
to what the Bible
has to say when it says
00:56:22.09\00:56:24.21
we're like sheep than
you and I ever believed.
00:56:24.42\00:56:26.82
But nevertheless,
I raised these lambs
00:56:27.22\00:56:30.18
and getting ready
for the county fair.
00:56:30.38\00:56:32.27
And we got down to, oh, about
3-4 weeks before the county fair
00:56:32.47\00:56:36.98
and my agriculture teacher
said "I want you to go home.
00:56:37.18\00:56:40.27
I want you to
get a gunny sack. "
00:56:40.47\00:56:42.22
If you don't know what a
gunny sack is, a gunny sack is a
00:56:42.43\00:56:44.86
feed sack. And he said:
"I want you to cut the corner
00:56:45.06\00:56:47.67
off of it and
split it down on one side
00:56:47.87\00:56:49.66
and I want you to put
it over those sheep's heads
00:56:49.86\00:56:52.05
and let that sack
spread out across their body.
00:56:52.25\00:56:54.75
Which I did. I went
home... I didn't understand why
00:56:54.99\00:56:57.05
this was. But I put
it over on the sheep,
00:56:57.25\00:56:59.92
and they ran around
with those things on them
00:57:00.12\00:57:01.64
all day. And when I
would go out and feed them
00:57:01.85\00:57:03.93
I'd pick up those
sacks and look under there
00:57:04.13\00:57:05.99
and the wool was
getting dirtier every day.
00:57:06.19\00:57:08.48
And I went on; I
couldn't understand
00:57:08.88\00:57:11.65
because we were getting
closer to the fair all the time,
00:57:11.85\00:57:13.88
and now when I picked
that sack up it was black.
00:57:14.08\00:57:17.29
I mean just kind of a
greasy mess under there.
00:57:17.59\00:57:20.95
We got down to about three
or four days before the fair.
00:57:20.98\00:57:25.30
Agriculture teacher
said: "We're going to come out
00:57:25.60\00:57:28.72
to your house and
block your sheep. "
00:57:28.82\00:57:30.55
He came out and
brought his shears out there.
00:57:30.85\00:57:33.80
We caught the sheep;
took those sacks off of them.
00:57:34.00\00:57:37.05
I mean, they
were filthy... dirty.
00:57:37.35\00:57:40.96
And he took those shears
and began to cut about an inch
00:57:41.26\00:57:44.54
or an inch and a
half of that wool off.
00:57:44.74\00:57:46.32
Those sacks, folks, had
pulled all the dirt to the top.
00:57:46.62\00:57:51.68
And when he cut that,
00:57:51.98\00:57:53.66
that's the purest
white you'll ever see.
00:57:53.86\00:57:55.98
"Though your
sins are as crimson,
00:57:56.29\00:58:00.33
they shall be as wool. "
00:58:00.53\00:58:03.84
That's what God is
willing to do for you
00:58:04.14\00:58:06.66
and to do for me.
00:58:06.96\00:58:08.63
That's what
Christ did on the cross.
00:58:08.93\00:58:10.93
That's the power of the cross
to change and to make your life
00:58:14.01\00:58:17.56
different. And tonight
the Lord Jesus Christ is
00:58:17.76\00:58:21.68
willing just to take and
wash your sins white as snow.
00:58:21.99\00:58:26.43
To obtain a copy of this program
00:58:30.84\00:58:32.42
or for more
information, please write to:
00:58:32.62\00:58:34.77