Can you believe it? 00:00:02.26\00:00:03.23 Can you build your faith on it? 00:00:05.24\00:00:06.77 The promises of God's word are sure. 00:00:08.88\00:00:11.98 They do not fail. 00:00:12.38\00:00:14.89 This book has stood the test of time. 00:00:17.40\00:00:20.62 Tonight our subject is entitled Living Water. 00:00:29.94\00:00:33.70 Living Water. The Bible says 00:00:34.12\00:00:37.03 that when you and I come to Christ, 00:00:37.58\00:00:39.75 that we become streams of living water. 00:00:40.74\00:00:45.01 Then out of us flows a river of living water. 00:00:45.27\00:00:50.15 And tonight Michael Harris is going to sing for us 00:00:50.52\00:00:53.63 that beautiful song there is a river. 00:00:53.64\00:00:58.72 There is a River. 00:00:58.73\00:00:59.75 There is a river, and it flows from deep within 00:01:13.95\00:01:32.15 There is a fountain, that frees the soul from sin 00:01:34.41\00:01:52.80 Come to this water; there is a vast supply 00:01:54.93\00:02:12.81 There is a river, that never shall run dry 00:02:15.50\00:02:34.04 One day a thirsty woman, 00:02:35.86\00:02:42.91 She was drawing from a well 00:02:45.25\00:02:53.71 See her life was ruined and wasted 00:02:55.78\00:03:05.10 And her soul was bound for hell 00:03:05.99\00:03:14.09 Oh, but then she met the master 00:03:16.16\00:03:24.93 And he told about her sin 00:03:26.49\00:03:34.30 And he said "if you drink this water, 00:03:37.03\00:03:45.82 You'll never thirst again. 00:03:47.43\00:03:56.55 There is a river, and it flows from deep within 00:03:58.17\00:04:15.71 There is a fountain that frees the soul from sin 00:04:18.59\00:04:36.20 Come to this water; there is a vast supply 00:04:39.32\00:04:57.01 There is a river that never shall run dry. 00:04:59.82\00:05:19.97 Gracious Father, tonight 00:05:37.19\00:05:38.62 we're thankful that the water of life is given to us 00:05:41.14\00:05:46.27 as a river that never will run dry. 00:05:47.96\00:05:50.09 Lord, help us this evening to drink 00:05:52.35\00:05:55.93 and to drink deeply of the water of life. 00:05:57.40\00:06:01.42 Give us ears to hear, hearts that are open, 00:06:03.04\00:06:07.99 minds that are clear, that we may accept your word, 00:06:09.76\00:06:14.01 for this we pray in Christ's name, amen. 00:06:14.90\00:06:18.08 Once a year, Jewish people made their way 00:06:25.96\00:06:29.38 from all over Israel, they're coming up to Jerusalem 00:06:29.39\00:06:34.74 and they are coming to Jerusalem 00:06:35.25\00:06:36.66 for the Feast of the Tabernacles. 00:06:36.73\00:06:39.52 It's also referred to in scripture 00:06:40.04\00:06:42.04 as the Feast of Booths. 00:06:42.05\00:06:44.14 And so from every little village and hamlet, 00:06:44.42\00:06:46.77 all across Israel, little groups are making 00:06:47.21\00:06:50.04 their way towards Jerusalem. 00:06:50.05\00:06:51.48 This is a very festive time, because the climate 00:06:51.49\00:06:54.62 at this time of the year is just about ideal. 00:06:54.66\00:06:57.63 And they're going to come to Jerusalem, 00:06:58.06\00:06:59.89 everybody, everybody is gonna move out of their house. 00:07:00.23\00:07:04.46 And they're going to in the backyard 00:07:05.38\00:07:07.76 or out of the vacant field, 00:07:07.77\00:07:09.24 maybe went up on the top of the house. 00:07:09.25\00:07:11.25 They're gonna build a little Tabernacle 00:07:11.61\00:07:13.65 or a little booth and they are going to move 00:07:13.66\00:07:16.24 into this Tabernacle and they are going to 00:07:16.25\00:07:18.49 live in it for a week. 00:07:18.50\00:07:19.80 It's reminding them of the 40 years 00:07:21.10\00:07:23.11 that their forefathers spent in the wilderness. 00:07:23.15\00:07:25.38 This is a very, very special time 00:07:25.76\00:07:27.87 because they can visit with relatives and friends 00:07:27.88\00:07:30.28 and just have a good time visiting, 00:07:30.63\00:07:32.68 but every morning they make their way up 00:07:32.69\00:07:36.29 the Mountainside to the temple. 00:07:36.30\00:07:38.49 And there in the courtyard of the temple 00:07:39.22\00:07:41.35 but they worship God and they sing songs 00:07:41.36\00:07:43.55 and they spend time there praising the Lord 00:07:43.89\00:07:46.93 and reading the scripture together 00:07:47.11\00:07:48.43 and then during the day, they visit with friends and family. 00:07:48.44\00:07:51.27 But when they come down to the last day of this feast, 00:07:52.52\00:07:56.76 early that morning, they all gather 00:07:56.77\00:07:59.66 there in the courtyard of the temple. 00:07:59.67\00:08:01.38 And a couple of priests take too large jugs 00:08:02.66\00:08:06.45 and set them on their shoulder and then those priests 00:08:06.46\00:08:09.41 begin to march around the courtyard. 00:08:09.42\00:08:12.23 And the other priests begin to fall in behind them 00:08:13.03\00:08:15.96 and then the people begin to march with them 00:08:16.26\00:08:18.19 and they march around the courtyard. 00:08:18.20\00:08:19.84 As they sing Psalms and as they play musical instruments 00:08:20.18\00:08:23.64 and they march around the courtyard. 00:08:23.65\00:08:25.36 And then outside of the temple gate 00:08:25.37\00:08:27.30 down through the streets of Jerusalem, 00:08:27.88\00:08:29.75 outside the gates of the city of Jerusalem 00:08:30.05\00:08:32.51 and down the hillside 00:08:32.52\00:08:34.19 till they come to a brook called Kidron. 00:08:34.25\00:08:37.23 And there those two priests now take those two large jugs 00:08:37.97\00:08:41.18 and they dip them into the brook and fill them with water. 00:08:41.94\00:08:44.70 Place them on their shoulder 00:08:45.36\00:08:46.73 and they begin to make their way back up 00:08:47.08\00:08:48.83 the hillside singing songs 00:08:48.84\00:08:51.20 and repeating scripture together, 00:08:51.21\00:08:53.21 until they've arrived in the courtyard again. 00:08:53.59\00:08:55.87 Now one of those priests takes one of those jugs of water, 00:08:57.48\00:09:01.28 another priest takes a jug of wine 00:09:01.93\00:09:04.21 and they make their way up 00:09:04.88\00:09:06.48 the stairway of the alter of sacrifice. 00:09:06.49\00:09:09.46 And they walk right after the very front of it 00:09:09.98\00:09:12.37 and there in the front of it is a large funnel 00:09:12.68\00:09:15.24 and they begin to pull water and wine into that funnel. 00:09:15.86\00:09:20.31 Just at that moment, while they're pouring the water 00:09:20.93\00:09:24.44 and the wine into that funnel someone out 00:09:24.45\00:09:27.34 in the crowd of people begin to shout. 00:09:27.35\00:09:29.60 And you find his words recorded in the Book of John. 00:09:30.50\00:09:33.29 John the 7th chapter and verse 37 00:09:33.77\00:09:36.20 and it says, On the last day, 00:09:36.21\00:09:38.67 that great day of the feast, 00:09:39.08\00:09:41.29 Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 00:09:41.78\00:09:44.04 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink." 00:09:44.05\00:09:48.32 So you can just imagine, 00:09:48.62\00:09:49.71 here that whole courtyard is just crowded with the people, 00:09:49.72\00:09:52.58 and Jesus is shouting out across that whole crowd, 00:09:52.59\00:09:55.75 if anybody is thirsty let him come unto me and drink. 00:09:55.76\00:10:01.36 Marvelous promise that he gives to you and me, 00:10:01.95\00:10:04.67 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, 00:10:05.07\00:10:09.06 out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 00:10:09.40\00:10:14.42 So it says that out of you 00:10:14.79\00:10:17.73 and me will flow rivers of living water. 00:10:17.74\00:10:21.90 Marvelous promise that God gives to each one of us. 00:10:22.22\00:10:25.35 Jesus and His disciples, they have left Israel. 00:10:26.16\00:10:31.95 They've gone over into Samaria. 00:10:32.25\00:10:34.16 They're approaching a city by the name of Sychar. 00:10:35.05\00:10:38.48 Jesus has sent his disciples into town 00:10:39.72\00:10:41.91 to buy something to eat. And he has gone over 00:10:41.92\00:10:45.65 and had a seat beside Jacob's well. 00:10:45.66\00:10:47.97 A woman of Samaria, from the city of Sychar 00:10:49.59\00:10:52.05 has come to the well to draw water. 00:10:52.51\00:10:54.93 As she approaches the well she sees Jesus sitting there, 00:10:56.38\00:10:59.36 but she doesn't pay any attention to him. 00:10:59.79\00:11:02.12 You see, Jesus is a Jew and she is a Samaritan. 00:11:02.71\00:11:06.69 And the scripture puts it very politely, 00:11:07.37\00:11:09.37 it says that they had no dealings, 00:11:09.38\00:11:11.26 that's what the scripture says. 00:11:11.27\00:11:12.29 Let me tell you how it was. 00:11:13.04\00:11:14.68 Well, if you were a Jew and you were eating 00:11:16.17\00:11:20.01 and a Samaritan walked by, 00:11:20.73\00:11:22.65 and his shadow fell on your foot 00:11:23.17\00:11:25.10 and you turned your plate upside down. 00:11:25.11\00:11:26.63 So she didn't expect Jesus to speak to her. 00:11:27.87\00:11:31.09 But Jesus knew that in the middle east 00:11:32.52\00:11:34.56 there is a request that you cannot refuse. 00:11:34.57\00:11:37.02 Doesn't make any difference how much you dislike the person, 00:11:37.39\00:11:40.64 how much they might be your enemy, 00:11:40.65\00:11:42.55 you cannot refuse a request for a drink of water. 00:11:42.56\00:11:46.10 And so Jesus said to her give me a drink. 00:11:46.95\00:11:49.78 And she couldn't understand and she said, 00:11:51.25\00:11:53.30 how is that you being a Jew would ask me 00:11:53.61\00:11:56.86 a Samaritan for a drink of water? 00:11:56.87\00:11:58.78 And Jesus said, if you knew who was asking, 00:12:00.74\00:12:02.73 you would have asked him and he would have giving you. Listen. 00:12:03.85\00:12:08.15 and Jesus answered and said to her, 00:12:12.45\00:12:14.10 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 00:12:14.45\00:12:18.46 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, 00:12:19.30\00:12:21.45 and HE would have given you living water." 00:12:21.46\00:12:25.10 How he said if you just knew that 00:12:25.48\00:12:26.90 you would have asked of him, 00:12:27.29\00:12:28.66 and he would have given you living water. 00:12:28.90\00:12:31.96 It's a promise, over and over in this book. 00:12:32.79\00:12:35.45 God gives you and I an invitation 00:12:35.87\00:12:38.35 to come and to drink. 00:12:38.36\00:12:40.07 And to drink of the water of life 00:12:40.64\00:12:42.74 and it says that out of us 00:12:43.07\00:12:44.72 will flow rivers of living water. 00:12:44.73\00:12:47.78 Isaiah 51:1, Ho! everyone who thirsts, 00:12:47.79\00:12:52.62 come to the waters; and you who have no money, 00:12:53.00\00:12:58.39 come, buy and buy wine and milk without money 00:12:59.41\00:13:03.42 and without price. So it says come. 00:13:03.43\00:13:05.92 Come to the waters. What's that going to do for you? 00:13:06.39\00:13:09.59 Revelation 22:17, And the Spirit and the bride say, 00:13:10.18\00:13:14.46 "Come!" And let him who hears say, 'Come!" 00:13:15.01\00:13:18.21 And let him who thirsts come. 00:13:18.71\00:13:21.78 Whoever desires let him take of the water of life freely." 00:13:21.79\00:13:26.43 Totally free dear friends; there is no other way tonight 00:13:27.53\00:13:32.97 that you can get it. It's free. 00:13:33.56\00:13:36.82 Do you understand what I mean? 00:13:38.22\00:13:39.22 It's free. You see money can't buy it, 00:13:39.66\00:13:45.34 wisdom can't impart it, impossible. 00:13:47.81\00:13:52.22 Merit will not procure it. 00:13:52.80\00:13:55.87 The only way you can receive it is by, what? 00:13:56.90\00:14:02.97 Do you know? Only way you can get it is by accepting it. 00:14:04.37\00:14:09.13 You can't buy it, you can't work for it. 00:14:10.84\00:14:13.40 It is given to you totally and completely free, 00:14:13.41\00:14:17.99 it's given on the basis of grace. 00:14:18.00\00:14:20.79 And God offers to you and says come, 00:14:21.65\00:14:24.32 come to me and I will give you the water of life. 00:14:24.65\00:14:28.70 And out of you will flow rivers of living water. 00:14:30.08\00:14:34.65 This woman, she couldn't understand this. 00:14:34.66\00:14:36.89 She couldn't understand it 00:14:37.55\00:14:38.77 and she said you don't have a rope? 00:14:38.78\00:14:41.06 You don't have anything to draw with, 00:14:42.72\00:14:44.21 what do you mean? You would give me water of life? 00:14:44.70\00:14:48.51 Jesus answered and said to her, 00:14:50.41\00:14:51.85 whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. 00:14:52.48\00:14:57.01 Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. 00:14:58.08\00:15:02.15 Oh! I find so many people today that are trying to drink 00:15:03.06\00:15:07.47 of the water of this life and find satisfaction. 00:15:07.48\00:15:10.90 Flying on the plane the other day, 00:15:12.85\00:15:14.24 picked up a magazine and was thumbing 00:15:15.60\00:15:17.71 through the magazine. And here was a full page ad 00:15:17.72\00:15:21.14 in the magazine and it said, find happiness, lay linoleum. 00:15:21.34\00:15:27.84 Is that the way you find happiness, lay linoleum? 00:15:31.12\00:15:34.95 We get the idea that satisfaction 00:15:35.83\00:15:39.63 in life can be found in these things. 00:15:39.64\00:15:41.97 I have people say, oh, Brother Cox, 00:15:43.47\00:15:45.20 if I just had a better job, I'd be happy. 00:15:45.87\00:15:48.97 No, you wouldn't. That isn't what produces happiness. 00:15:49.78\00:15:54.03 I have people say well, 00:15:54.98\00:15:55.95 if I just made more money I will be happy, 00:15:57.30\00:15:59.48 no, you wouldn't. That isn't what produces happiness. 00:15:59.94\00:16:03.83 An individual say well, 00:16:04.39\00:16:05.47 if my spouse just love me I would be happy. 00:16:06.13\00:16:09.10 No, you won't. That isn't what makes happiness. 00:16:09.62\00:16:13.11 He that drinks of this water shall thirst again. 00:16:13.12\00:16:18.26 You see that's what happens the waters of this life, 00:16:18.97\00:16:21.73 dear friends, only take place when the showers come. 00:16:21.88\00:16:25.21 When the shower comes, the pond overflows. 00:16:26.42\00:16:29.47 But you let the heat of hard times come 00:16:31.20\00:16:35.80 and that water goes dry. 00:16:36.22\00:16:37.81 It's only the well, only the well 00:16:39.52\00:16:42.69 that has water in winter and summer to say. 00:16:43.08\00:16:47.13 He that drinks of the water 00:16:47.55\00:16:49.00 that I shall give him shall never thirst. 00:16:49.01\00:16:52.53 Listen, Jesus promises and says, 00:16:52.94\00:16:57.42 whoever drinks of the water 00:16:57.85\00:16:59.17 that I shall give him shall never thirst. 00:16:59.35\00:17:01.10 But the water that I shall give him 00:17:01.57\00:17:03.82 will become in him a fountain of water 00:17:04.48\00:17:07.88 springing up into everlasting life." 00:17:07.89\00:17:11.35 Oh, it just says if you come to me the water 00:17:12.00\00:17:15.08 that I will give you will come in you 00:17:15.09\00:17:17.82 and dear friends please understand 00:17:17.83\00:17:20.24 it doesn't say it will be from you, 00:17:20.55\00:17:23.95 it doesn't say, it will be around you, 00:17:24.31\00:17:26.79 it doesn't say it will be about you. 00:17:26.80\00:17:29.26 It says it will be in you, springing unto everlasting life. 00:17:29.27\00:17:36.83 You see when you and I drink water, 00:17:36.84\00:17:38.77 it goes into our system, it goes into our blood, 00:17:40.46\00:17:43.06 it becomes part of our blood, 00:17:43.07\00:17:44.69 it infuses every cell of our body. 00:17:44.70\00:17:48.48 So when I come to Christ 00:17:49.54\00:17:51.20 and I drink of the water of life 00:17:51.21\00:17:53.24 it becomes part of me. 00:17:53.51\00:17:55.38 It infuses every part of our body. 00:17:55.39\00:17:58.31 You see folks, I don't hear music, 00:18:00.11\00:18:06.62 I don't feel music, that's just not part of my being, 00:18:07.99\00:18:14.79 it's just not there. You could give me music lessons 00:18:14.80\00:18:19.73 for ten years and I still wouldn't ever 00:18:19.74\00:18:22.63 feel it or anything, it's just not part of me. 00:18:22.64\00:18:26.01 When I was in school I had to take a class called conducting, 00:18:26.74\00:18:29.69 when I was in college. And I will never forget, 00:18:30.22\00:18:33.34 the teacher had a girl sit down at the Piano 00:18:33.89\00:18:36.94 and she had a play of piece 00:18:36.95\00:18:38.41 and she said when she got through, 00:18:38.42\00:18:39.88 she said tell me what time was that played in. 00:18:39.89\00:18:42.43 I said you got to be crazy, what are you talking about, 00:18:42.44\00:18:45.12 I don't know what time that was played in. 00:18:45.13\00:18:47.40 It's just; it's just not in my being. 00:18:47.61\00:18:50.21 But let me tell you something. 00:18:51.39\00:18:52.53 These people like Donna Cline, Marni Hanes, Adriane Windy, 00:18:53.17\00:18:59.67 Michael Harris, it's part of them. 00:19:00.77\00:19:03.96 They feel it; it's in their inmost being. 00:19:04.56\00:19:08.34 That's what I'm talking about? 00:19:08.81\00:19:10.21 This is what Christ is talking about? 00:19:10.22\00:19:12.41 When you drink of the water of life it becomes part of you. 00:19:12.42\00:19:16.59 It's in your inmost being. 00:19:16.60\00:19:19.37 And dear friends, if it is not, if it is not, 00:19:19.76\00:19:24.09 then it is totally external religion. 00:19:24.44\00:19:27.84 You say, music. I'm sorry, 00:19:29.96\00:19:32.49 will always be external with me. 00:19:32.77\00:19:35.05 Because it's just not in me, 00:19:36.78\00:19:38.50 God didn't give that to me. 00:19:38.51\00:19:40.19 But dear friend, he did give me the water of life. 00:19:40.41\00:19:43.31 And he gives to each one of you the water of life. 00:19:43.85\00:19:46.25 And tonight if it is not that to you tonight 00:19:46.26\00:19:49.90 then your religion is external 00:19:50.17\00:19:52.20 and you're missing the joy that's there. 00:19:52.82\00:19:55.87 You are missing what it's all about. 00:19:55.88\00:19:57.49 When I grow up as a boy, we had a phrase that we said, 00:19:58.17\00:20:03.12 we talked about people putting on 00:20:03.46\00:20:05.14 their Sunday go to meeting hats. 00:20:05.15\00:20:06.94 You know what I'm talking about. 00:20:08.51\00:20:09.71 Put on their Sunday go to meeting hats 00:20:10.13\00:20:12.08 and they go to church. But it's all external, 00:20:12.09\00:20:16.47 because when Sunday was passed well 00:20:17.43\00:20:18.99 then they put on their work hat. 00:20:19.00\00:20:20.40 There was no difference you see, they changed. 00:20:20.89\00:20:24.71 They didn't, it wasn't internal, 00:20:25.10\00:20:27.42 it wasn't part of their being. 00:20:27.43\00:20:29.04 That's what I am talking about tonight. 00:20:29.43\00:20:31.29 And that's what Christ is talking about. 00:20:31.30\00:20:33.31 In the Book of Jeremiah, he talks about this very thing. 00:20:34.69\00:20:39.20 Says here in Jeremiah 2 verse 13, 00:20:40.48\00:20:42.86 For My people have committed, what? 00:20:43.45\00:20:45.51 Two evils. Let's see what those two evils are. 00:20:46.72\00:20:49.24 They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, 00:20:49.64\00:20:53.97 hewn themselves cisterns, 00:20:55.04\00:20:56.57 broken cisterns that can hold no water." 00:20:56.58\00:20:58.84 So he said one thing they have forsaken me 00:20:59.76\00:21:02.98 the fountain of living water. 00:21:03.38\00:21:04.79 And you see I talked to people who go to church, 00:21:05.56\00:21:08.18 who keep people who claim to be Christians 00:21:08.97\00:21:12.01 and they say to me, oh, Brother Cox, 00:21:12.39\00:21:14.76 I'm so busy, I'm so busy, I don't have time to pray. 00:21:15.19\00:21:19.65 Let me tell you something. 00:21:22.20\00:21:23.40 If you're so busy, you don't have time to pray 00:21:24.02\00:21:26.71 you are too busy, okay. 00:21:27.19\00:21:31.83 If you don't have time to pray you're too busy. 00:21:32.46\00:21:36.62 I don't care what you do, I don't care what your work is, 00:21:37.20\00:21:41.27 I don't care if you're a preacher, 00:21:41.89\00:21:43.65 I don't care if you are a elder or a Deacon in church, 00:21:44.14\00:21:48.07 if you don't have time to pray, you're too busy. 00:21:48.31\00:21:52.69 It's absolutely necessary if you are going to 00:21:54.82\00:21:57.35 understand what Jesus Christ will do in your life, 00:21:57.36\00:22:00.86 you must take time to pray. 00:22:00.87\00:22:03.69 I have people say well, Brother Cox, 00:22:04.99\00:22:06.46 I don't have time to read God's word. 00:22:08.09\00:22:10.21 You have time to eat, don't you? 00:22:12.78\00:22:14.25 I don't see any of you starving to death out there? 00:22:15.90\00:22:18.27 You have time to eat, then dear friends, 00:22:20.43\00:22:22.62 you need to take time to eat spiritually. 00:22:22.63\00:22:25.30 You put it in your schedule, 00:22:27.04\00:22:28.24 you see, I'm one of these individuals that 00:22:28.25\00:22:30.90 I cannot do something on a half hazard basis. 00:22:30.91\00:22:35.29 I've got to know exactly what I'm gonna do 00:22:36.15\00:22:39.76 when it comes to God's word, 00:22:39.77\00:22:41.02 I've got to know what I'm going to do tomorrow, 00:22:41.14\00:22:43.15 I've got to know what I'm going to do the next day, 00:22:43.52\00:22:45.72 I've got to know what my devotional life is 00:22:46.10\00:22:48.34 at the end of the year. 00:22:48.36\00:22:49.33 So before next year starts, 00:22:49.52\00:22:51.29 I will plan that whole thing out 00:22:51.30\00:22:53.23 and I will know what exactly what I'm going to read, 00:22:53.24\00:22:55.74 I will know exactly because I'm going to eat, 00:22:56.09\00:22:59.51 I'm going to feast on God's word everyday. 00:22:59.93\00:23:04.15 And if you want to your spiritual experience to grow, 00:23:04.96\00:23:08.31 you got to spend some time in the word of God. 00:23:08.70\00:23:12.09 If you are not praying, if you are not spending time 00:23:12.70\00:23:16.71 in the word of God then, dear friend, 00:23:16.72\00:23:19.23 your religion is external. You understanding me? 00:23:19.24\00:23:24.22 That is external religion, 00:23:24.58\00:23:26.49 and that's what he's talking about here. 00:23:27.13\00:23:29.00 They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water. 00:23:29.60\00:23:34.80 But he goes on, talks about it, 00:23:35.78\00:23:37.91 Jesus makes some comparisons here at Matthew 13:22. 00:23:37.92\00:23:41.68 Now he who receives seed among the thorns 00:23:42.18\00:23:46.43 is he who hears the word, okay, ye person, hears the word. 00:23:46.84\00:23:51.35 And the cares of this world, what is that? 00:23:52.59\00:23:56.49 What's the cares of this world? 00:23:58.01\00:23:59.46 What's the cares of this world are clothing and food. 00:24:00.88\00:24:05.18 That's what cares of this world are. 00:24:05.19\00:24:07.12 Okay, shelter. Those are all cares of this world, 00:24:07.89\00:24:11.06 the cares of this world 00:24:11.39\00:24:13.44 and the deceitfulness of riches choke thee. 00:24:13.69\00:24:18.55 What chokes the word? What chokes the word? 00:24:19.32\00:24:23.82 Cares of this world. Deceitfulness of riches 00:24:24.48\00:24:28.04 that's what chokes the word of God. 00:24:28.05\00:24:30.83 And dear friends, I hope tonight 00:24:33.14\00:24:34.87 that you are not letting those things 00:24:35.53\00:24:37.77 keep you spending time in the word of God. 00:24:37.78\00:24:40.68 I can assure you, I can tell you right now. 00:24:42.48\00:24:45.96 You are much better off, if you spend time with the Lord. 00:24:46.64\00:24:51.13 Much better off. And he becomes what unfruitful. 00:24:52.22\00:24:58.09 So dear friends take time, 00:24:58.56\00:25:01.00 the Bible speaks about these people 00:25:01.01\00:25:02.95 whose their religion is totally external 00:25:02.96\00:25:05.42 and it makes some comparisons of them like in Jude here. 00:25:05.94\00:25:09.05 Jude 1 verse 12 it says, 00:25:09.66\00:25:11.67 They are clouds without water, carried about by every winds, 00:25:11.68\00:25:18.28 late autumns trees without fruit, 00:25:18.61\00:25:20.60 twice dead, pulled up by the roots. 00:25:20.61\00:25:22.67 I don't know here in Chicago do you have, 00:25:24.33\00:25:26.48 do you have clouds without water, 00:25:26.94\00:25:28.69 do you ever have that? 00:25:29.34\00:25:30.31 California, we have clouds without water. 00:25:30.47\00:25:32.52 You know. Get up in the morning, 00:25:33.98\00:25:34.95 here are some great big beautiful clouds 00:25:34.96\00:25:36.76 and sun comes out and they just all kind of 00:25:37.27\00:25:39.12 dry upand disappear. Clouds without water, 00:25:39.13\00:25:42.32 it says that's way you and I are if we are not spending time 00:25:42.99\00:25:46.44 in God's word, if you're not spending time in prayer. 00:25:46.45\00:25:49.06 It says for you shall be as the terebinth tree, 00:25:49.47\00:25:53.66 that's a tree, whose leaf fades, 00:25:53.67\00:25:55.95 and as a garden that has no water." 00:25:55.96\00:26:00.05 You know what a garden is like without water. 00:26:01.14\00:26:03.13 Boy, Oklahoma, what was it, the last of March, 00:26:05.20\00:26:09.17 first of April that we planted the garden. 00:26:09.78\00:26:12.59 Plowed the garden, planted the garden. 00:26:13.77\00:26:15.33 April rains came, the garden begins to come up, 00:26:16.95\00:26:21.05 it's vibrant, it's green, it's growing. 00:26:21.64\00:26:25.39 And usually by, oh, in May sometime 00:26:25.79\00:26:29.29 we are eating some things in the garden. 00:26:29.30\00:26:30.93 It's still is, it rains and it's nice 00:26:31.66\00:26:34.08 and green and we're eating from it. 00:26:34.09\00:26:36.72 End of May, June, the garden is really barring now, all of it. 00:26:38.98\00:26:45.54 But we hit July and you can begin to see around 00:26:46.41\00:26:50.20 the deges of the garden a little bit of brown. 00:26:50.25\00:26:52.46 August comes, there is no rain. 00:26:56.03\00:26:59.54 No rain in August and the whole garden just dries up. 00:27:00.18\00:27:04.51 Is that way your Christian experience is? 00:27:05.76\00:27:08.42 Like a garden without water, dry. 00:27:11.51\00:27:14.36 Dry as the Hills of Gilboa. 00:27:15.13\00:27:17.70 That's what he is talking about. 00:27:20.35\00:27:21.34 That's external religion, that's what I'm talking about. 00:27:21.77\00:27:25.96 It's when I don't spend time with the Lord, 00:27:25.97\00:27:29.10 he says that these people, 00:27:29.52\00:27:31.65 they hewn themselves cisterns, 00:27:32.88\00:27:34.90 broken cisterns that can hold no water, 00:27:35.31\00:27:39.13 broken cisterns that hold no water. 00:27:39.82\00:27:42.55 Jesus talked about these type of people in his day. 00:27:42.82\00:27:45.59 Listen, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, 00:27:46.06\00:27:49.24 and hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs, 00:27:49.25\00:27:54.33 which indeed appear beautiful outwardly. 00:27:54.71\00:27:58.25 If you have ever been to Jerusalem 00:27:59.54\00:28:00.93 you understand what I mean, whitewashed tombs. 00:28:01.06\00:28:04.34 They have tombs there, they whitewash them and all. 00:28:04.35\00:28:06.50 Whitewashed tombs but inside are full of dead men's bones 00:28:06.96\00:28:12.43 and all uncleanness. You see, if you are going to church, 00:28:12.45\00:28:19.03 but you don't have any joy in your heart. 00:28:21.58\00:28:23.52 If you are going to church out of habit, 00:28:25.69\00:28:29.05 if you are going to church just because it's tradition, 00:28:30.93\00:28:35.77 and your relationship with Jesus Christ is totally lacking? 00:28:37.99\00:28:42.78 Then dear friend you are like a whitewashed tomb, 00:28:44.34\00:28:47.32 full of dead men's bones. 00:28:49.16\00:28:51.72 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men. 00:28:52.71\00:28:59.38 But inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 00:29:00.86\00:29:04.98 This is what Jesus is talking about, you see. 00:29:06.27\00:29:08.27 This is why he said that they are cisterns, 00:29:08.28\00:29:11.23 broken cisterns that can hold no water 00:29:11.24\00:29:13.85 cause they don't take anytime to spend 00:29:14.15\00:29:16.65 with the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:29:16.66\00:29:18.30 I talked about one of the Pharisees, 00:29:20.15\00:29:21.77 he told the story about this Pharisee, 00:29:21.78\00:29:23.62 who went down the temple to pray. 00:29:25.26\00:29:26.86 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 00:29:28.32\00:29:31.81 God, I thank you that I am not like other men. 00:29:31.82\00:29:37.27 Extortioners, unjust, adulterers, even as this, 00:29:39.13\00:29:43.51 see over on the side there was a poor tax collector. 00:29:44.77\00:29:48.81 He may not have been poor; 00:29:50.19\00:29:51.16 he may have been a rich tax collector. I don't know. 00:29:51.26\00:29:53.27 But he was over there and this Pharisee said, 00:29:53.97\00:29:56.59 sure glad I am not like him. 00:29:57.02\00:29:59.22 I fast twice every week, 00:30:03.72\00:30:05.91 I give tithes of all that I possess. 00:30:07.65\00:30:10.30 Any of you here tonight think for one moment 00:30:13.42\00:30:18.36 what you give makes you righteous, 00:30:20.54\00:30:23.43 then dear friend, your religion is external. I'm sorry. 00:30:24.62\00:30:28.31 He said I am not glad; I am not like this tax collector. 00:30:33.51\00:30:37.11 But that tax collector says, 00:30:37.77\00:30:39.35 just beat on his chest and said, 00:30:39.36\00:30:42.00 God be merciful to me a sinner. 00:30:42.01\00:30:46.49 And it says that he went down to his home justified. 00:30:47.16\00:30:51.96 You see I will never forget I was speaking 00:30:53.03\00:30:54.95 to a room full of fifth graders 00:30:54.96\00:30:57.57 and I was trying to explain to them the grace of Jesus Christ 00:30:58.70\00:31:03.08 and what the Lord Jesus Christ does for them. 00:31:03.22\00:31:05.21 And how that it was a gift that Jesus gave 00:31:06.12\00:31:08.79 and how they, all they had to do 00:31:08.80\00:31:10.19 is just reach out and accept him, 00:31:10.20\00:31:11.71 and accept Jesus into their heart all that 00:31:11.99\00:31:14.56 he would do for them, 00:31:14.57\00:31:15.54 and this little fifth grade boy raised his hand. 00:31:15.55\00:31:18.81 And he said are you trying to tell me 00:31:19.56\00:31:21.01 that all this stuff my parents have been telling me, 00:31:21.07\00:31:23.16 I've got to do is not true. 00:31:23.17\00:31:24.42 You talk about a loaded question. 00:31:25.73\00:31:27.32 And I said, well I don't know what your parents 00:31:29.43\00:31:31.37 have been telling you, but I'm telling you 00:31:31.38\00:31:33.92 that the only people that are going 00:31:33.98\00:31:35.93 to be saved is those that qualify. 00:31:35.94\00:31:38.82 He got a downcast look on his face and he said to me. 00:31:40.54\00:31:44.30 Okay, what do I have to do qualify. 00:31:44.58\00:31:46.73 And I said, the only people that qualify are sinners. 00:31:48.17\00:31:51.62 And he smiled and he said, I qualify. 00:31:52.30\00:31:54.49 That's what I am trying to tell you tonight, 00:31:56.90\00:31:58.46 dear friend. You see it's the grace of God. 00:31:58.47\00:32:02.14 That must come in into your heart. 00:32:02.58\00:32:04.79 It's the grace of God that must work in your life 00:32:05.42\00:32:07.67 and only as it takes place that way will anything happen. 00:32:07.74\00:32:11.21 The children of Israel couldn't understand this, 00:32:11.22\00:32:13.43 it was external watch. Romans 9:31, 00:32:13.44\00:32:17.15 But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, 00:32:17.70\00:32:20.41 has not attained to the law of righteousness. 00:32:20.42\00:32:23.88 What were they pursuing? 00:32:23.89\00:32:25.27 They were pursuing the law of righteousness 00:32:26.73\00:32:29.20 and as a result what? They wouldn't have find in it. 00:32:29.52\00:32:33.17 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, 00:32:35.02\00:32:39.62 but as it were, by the works of the law. 00:32:39.63\00:32:42.32 They said oh, if I do this, 00:32:42.75\00:32:44.63 this and this I'm going to make it. 00:32:44.64\00:32:46.78 No, you're not. No, you're not. 00:32:46.79\00:32:49.94 Let me tell you right now dear friend, 00:32:51.70\00:32:53.72 if you don't know Jesus Christ, you missed it. 00:32:53.73\00:32:56.97 You can pursue the works of the law, 00:32:58.58\00:33:00.44 all day long but if you don't know Jesus, 00:33:00.85\00:33:05.33 you're not going to make it into the Kingdom of Heaven. 00:33:06.07\00:33:08.43 It's what it takes. 00:33:09.92\00:33:10.89 For they stumble at the stumbling stone. 00:33:12.42\00:33:16.85 Who was the Stumbling Stone? 00:33:16.86\00:33:18.35 Jesus Christ. Let me talk to you just 00:33:19.50\00:33:23.38 a little bit about internal religion. 00:33:23.39\00:33:25.52 We've talked about external. 00:33:26.01\00:33:27.87 Let's talk about internal. What takes place, what happens? 00:33:28.31\00:33:32.46 And being found in him, not having my own righteousness. 00:33:34.87\00:33:41.63 I don't have any folks, I don't have any. 00:33:41.99\00:33:45.55 Bible makes that very clear, 00:33:47.52\00:33:48.89 my righteousness is as filthy rags, 00:33:48.90\00:33:52.31 don't have any. Not having my own righteousness 00:33:52.71\00:33:57.03 which is from the law, 00:33:57.04\00:33:59.44 but that which is through faith, what? Faith in Christ. 00:34:00.79\00:34:08.05 Yes. That's the way it comes, faith in Christ, 00:34:08.06\00:34:10.33 the righteousness which is from God by faith. 00:34:10.67\00:34:14.95 You see I reach out and I claim Jesus Christ 00:34:14.96\00:34:20.02 and his righteousness, then something begins to happen, 00:34:20.03\00:34:25.56 begins to take place. 00:34:26.05\00:34:27.35 Internal religion takes place by faith. 00:34:27.80\00:34:31.89 That's the way you get folks, is by faith. 00:34:32.83\00:34:35.44 Let me tell you something. 00:34:35.58\00:34:36.87 Quit, quit living lives that inefficient, 00:34:37.48\00:34:44.08 quit living weak lives. What do I mean? Faith. 00:34:44.53\00:34:50.30 Faith requires that you have something 00:34:50.70\00:34:52.93 in your hand that's bigger than you can accomplish. 00:34:52.94\00:34:55.27 Move out in faith and do something for God. 00:34:56.04\00:34:59.33 Take him at his word. If his word says 00:35:00.65\00:35:03.29 this is what I want you to do, 00:35:03.52\00:35:05.17 then step out in faith and say, okay Lord, 00:35:05.47\00:35:08.27 I can do that, not of my strength not what I can do 00:35:08.28\00:35:11.54 but what you can do in my life. 00:35:11.55\00:35:14.46 That's faith. If you don't do it that way, 00:35:15.27\00:35:20.35 you are like a garden without water. 00:35:20.36\00:35:21.97 But if you do it by faith, 00:35:23.33\00:35:25.02 this is what internal religion will do for you. 00:35:25.46\00:35:28.29 Instead of being a garden without water, 00:35:32.33\00:35:34.07 it says, The Lord will guide you continually, 00:35:35.96\00:35:38.20 and satisfy your soul in drought. 00:35:38.70\00:35:42.94 You see the well of water has water in drought. 00:35:42.95\00:35:47.18 Okay. Satisfy your soul in drought, 00:35:47.55\00:35:50.83 strengthen your bones, 00:35:51.21\00:35:52.66 you shall be like a watered garden, 00:35:53.11\00:35:56.61 and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 00:35:56.62\00:36:01.49 Never fail, never will. Because that's what the Lord 00:36:02.67\00:36:06.68 does for you and for me. 00:36:06.69\00:36:08.40 Internal religion must be a work of the heart. 00:36:09.24\00:36:14.47 So it has to be, it is not external, 00:36:15.70\00:36:19.31 has to be work of the heart. 00:36:19.32\00:36:21.92 For he is not a Jew, who is one outwardly, 00:36:23.37\00:36:28.41 nor a circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 00:36:28.88\00:36:32.74 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; 00:36:33.53\00:36:37.81 and circumcision is that of the heart. 00:36:37.82\00:36:41.45 That's internal. And so tonight and guess 00:36:42.90\00:36:47.33 what I'm trying to tell you. 00:36:47.40\00:36:48.37 If you've been going to church all these years 00:36:50.68\00:36:52.98 and it's been boring to you. 00:36:54.16\00:36:55.60 And you go to church 00:36:57.63\00:36:58.60 and you kind of have to make yourself go. 00:36:58.61\00:37:00.59 Well, then dear friend the problem is, 00:37:01.40\00:37:03.42 you don't know Jesus, sorry, you don't know Jesus, 00:37:04.25\00:37:09.41 because if you know Jesus, he changes that. 00:37:11.00\00:37:14.16 Jesus Christ is the one that puts joy in your heart. 00:37:15.36\00:37:18.13 He puts a spring in your step, he makes the sky blue, 00:37:18.72\00:37:22.88 makes the birds sing sweeter. 00:37:23.31\00:37:25.16 And then if you don't know him, 00:37:26.07\00:37:27.80 then your religion will never be joyous, 00:37:28.37\00:37:32.07 will never be happy. You go and you come back home 00:37:32.08\00:37:36.35 and it hasn't done anything for you. 00:37:36.36\00:37:38.32 That's all external. 00:37:40.81\00:37:42.86 It has to be a work of the heart. 00:37:44.41\00:37:46.54 In the spirit not in the letter whose praise 00:37:46.55\00:37:51.64 is not from men but from God. 00:37:51.65\00:37:54.69 That's what it is. When I do that, 00:37:55.36\00:37:57.54 all things begin to change, our life begins to change, 00:37:58.95\00:38:02.13 I begin to find a life that I've never known before. 00:38:02.51\00:38:07.90 And so to you tonight I just say, take time. 00:38:09.62\00:38:15.63 Take time to get acquainted with Jesus Christ. 00:38:16.97\00:38:20.46 Don't get so busy, that you can't spend time with him, 00:38:22.00\00:38:26.40 that the righteous requirements of the law 00:38:28.45\00:38:31.11 might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according 00:38:31.61\00:38:37.74 to the flesh but according to the spirit. 00:38:37.75\00:38:40.71 You see if you are keeping God's law because 00:38:41.89\00:38:44.94 you think you have to, that's drudgery. 00:38:44.95\00:38:47.87 That's total drudgery if you're keeping the law of God 00:38:49.84\00:38:52.15 because you think you have to. 00:38:52.16\00:38:53.34 And I talk to people and they say well I keep, 00:38:54.26\00:38:56.10 I keep the commandments. I keep the Ten Commandments; 00:38:56.63\00:39:01.90 well bless your heart you may, 00:39:02.52\00:39:04.24 but you maybe miserable. 00:39:04.65\00:39:06.27 I don't keep the commandments of God; 00:39:09.77\00:39:11.83 I do not keep the commandments of God to be saved. 00:39:12.98\00:39:16.44 I keep them because I am saved, okay. 00:39:19.57\00:39:25.35 Keep them because I am saved. 00:39:25.92\00:39:27.72 That's a total different situation. 00:39:29.29\00:39:31.59 You see God says to each one of you here tonight, 00:39:33.22\00:39:35.65 come to me and I will make you, 00:39:35.66\00:39:39.37 I will make you priest. 00:39:39.92\00:39:42.96 I will make you Kings, 00:39:43.67\00:39:45.48 he promises that he would do that for you that is his work. 00:39:46.07\00:39:49.54 If you come to him, he says he will take his law 00:39:51.16\00:39:53.99 and he will write it on your heart. 00:39:54.37\00:39:57.80 Oh, if he writes it on my heart, then dear friends, 00:39:58.98\00:40:02.12 that's an internal experience and I'm gladly keep his law. 00:40:02.13\00:40:05.70 Gladly keep it. 00:40:07.25\00:40:08.37 Then I will give them one heart, 00:40:10.85\00:40:12.68 and I will put a new spirit within them, 00:40:13.86\00:40:17.93 putting new what? Putting new spirit within you, 00:40:18.57\00:40:21.58 I'm talking about the water of life, 00:40:21.59\00:40:23.12 he puts that new spirit in you. 00:40:23.13\00:40:24.95 And take the stony heart out of their flesh, 00:40:26.35\00:40:28.88 and I'll give them a heart of flesh. 00:40:28.89\00:40:31.57 Dear friend, when Jesus comes into your life 00:40:33.09\00:40:35.22 and does that, what a difference, 00:40:35.23\00:40:38.82 what a difference. It changes you, 00:40:39.28\00:40:42.09 makes you totally different. 00:40:42.10\00:40:44.33 And they may walk in my statues 00:40:45.95\00:40:47.94 and keep my judgments and do them. Why? 00:40:48.83\00:40:52.80 Why are they are gonna walk into statues 00:40:54.40\00:40:56.30 and keep his commandments, his judgments and do them? 00:40:56.31\00:40:58.47 Why, why are they going to do this? 00:40:58.48\00:40:59.68 Because he wrote it on their hearts. 00:41:03.24\00:41:05.04 Came in and he wrote it down in their heart 00:41:06.26\00:41:08.26 and because it's in your heart, you're going to do it, 00:41:09.14\00:41:11.88 that's what the scripture is simply telling you. 00:41:11.89\00:41:14.01 And they shall be my people and I will be their God. 00:41:14.02\00:41:20.44 You better believe, they are his people. 00:41:20.93\00:41:23.35 Keeping the law of God is the fruit; 00:41:24.03\00:41:27.46 it's the fruit of an inward experience. 00:41:28.24\00:41:31.74 Are you with me? It's the fruit of it. 00:41:32.73\00:41:34.92 For this is the covenant that I will make 00:41:36.54\00:41:38.40 with the house of Israel after those days, 00:41:38.41\00:41:40.26 says the Lord, I will put my law in their mind 00:41:40.27\00:41:43.28 and write them on their hearts; 00:41:43.43\00:41:45.42 I will be their God, they shall be my people. 00:41:46.79\00:41:51.21 And so to many of you here who had been watching 00:41:52.43\00:41:56.61 by television or you being coming here to the meeting 00:41:56.62\00:42:00.11 and maybe you've been struggling over 00:42:01.61\00:42:03.17 some of the things you've been hearing. 00:42:03.18\00:42:04.53 Dear friend, let me tell you, 00:42:06.02\00:42:07.13 the answer to that comes in surrendering 00:42:07.91\00:42:10.87 your heart to Jesus Christ. 00:42:10.88\00:42:12.47 That's where the answer comes. 00:42:13.02\00:42:14.52 You see if you try, to face it on your own 00:42:16.15\00:42:20.51 and if you try to reason out all the reasons 00:42:21.14\00:42:25.02 why it won't work, it won't work. 00:42:25.03\00:42:27.40 But if you come in faith and surrender 00:42:28.86\00:42:31.79 your heart to Jesus Christ, 00:42:31.80\00:42:33.53 marvelous will be the results of what He'll do in your life. 00:42:34.33\00:42:38.56 Where he says I delight to do thy, 00:42:39.74\00:42:42.36 delighting thy law of God according to the inward man. 00:42:43.51\00:42:48.81 It says I delight to do; 00:42:49.23\00:42:51.30 I delight to keep the law of God. 00:42:51.78\00:42:54.20 You see when I first became a Christian 00:42:55.57\00:42:57.23 I had a trouble with that, because I had pick up my Bible. 00:42:57.24\00:43:01.16 And I read it. And you know something 00:43:03.03\00:43:04.89 strange about the Bible, it says the same thing 00:43:04.90\00:43:07.84 every time you read it, have you ever noticed that? 00:43:07.85\00:43:10.22 I will read this text and man it just hit me hard, 00:43:11.80\00:43:15.83 I mean just hit me right between the eyes 00:43:15.84\00:43:17.55 and so I would go read some other place you know. 00:43:17.56\00:43:19.82 Read there and then later I would be reading again 00:43:20.29\00:43:23.26 and there was again it said the same thing again. 00:43:23.27\00:43:25.63 You know. And I said, listen Lord, listen, I love you, 00:43:26.02\00:43:31.72 but I don't like some of these things that it says. 00:43:32.14\00:43:34.93 You know, but it wasn't until I understood. 00:43:36.38\00:43:40.11 That it wasn't what I had to do. 00:43:41.70\00:43:43.40 It was, what Jesus did, 00:43:44.23\00:43:45.99 that all of a sudden it began to do something for me. 00:43:46.87\00:43:50.32 All of a sudden I began to understand 00:43:50.80\00:43:52.42 that he was saying, listen, open up your heart, 00:43:52.75\00:43:55.25 accept me by faith, surrender your life to me 00:43:55.79\00:43:59.12 and I'll change you and make you different. 00:43:59.40\00:44:01.82 And the law of God was no longer offensive to me. 00:44:02.70\00:44:06.43 I could say Lord, write in my heart. 00:44:06.84\00:44:09.35 Go ahead, put it there and when I did that, 00:44:10.76\00:44:13.71 changed the whole thing. 00:44:14.26\00:44:15.84 You see if the law of God is to you this way, 00:44:16.41\00:44:19.80 we'll take a look at what is external 00:44:21.27\00:44:23.30 and what's internal. 00:44:24.00\00:44:25.07 If it's written on stone like with me. 00:44:27.65\00:44:30.76 It was written here on these pages 00:44:32.33\00:44:33.72 and I read it and I said I don't like it, 00:44:34.08\00:44:36.57 think that was totally external and it graded, 00:44:37.20\00:44:42.29 it went against what I wanted to do. 00:44:42.30\00:44:44.18 But when I surrendered my heart 00:44:45.31\00:44:48.14 and gave my life to the Lord and surrendered my heart 00:44:49.24\00:44:51.85 and he wrote it on my heart, 00:44:52.19\00:44:53.76 it was no longer offensive, that's internal. 00:44:54.46\00:44:57.83 Are you with me? 00:44:58.25\00:44:59.22 You see if circumcision is strictly external, 00:45:01.31\00:45:07.92 that's all it is. 00:45:08.59\00:45:09.71 That all it is with you, 00:45:10.18\00:45:12.75 but if it circumcision of the heart, that's internal. 00:45:13.05\00:45:16.74 If your religion is legalism, 00:45:19.04\00:45:21.39 do you understand what I mean by legalism? 00:45:23.25\00:45:25.33 And I understand I run on to people 00:45:26.76\00:45:28.69 who don't understand legalism. 00:45:28.72\00:45:30.50 Legalism is when I wanted to do my own thing. 00:45:31.53\00:45:36.42 I want to act like I wanted to do, 00:45:37.96\00:45:39.70 and I wanted to do what, it might be good, 00:45:39.74\00:45:41.62 I might go to church do all that. 00:45:41.65\00:45:43.88 But if it's what I want to do that's legalism. Okay. 00:45:44.08\00:45:49.16 Righteousness by faith is when I simply say hear Lord, 00:45:50.42\00:45:55.38 I don't have one thing in this world 00:45:56.61\00:46:01.08 to recommend myself to you except my great need. 00:46:01.09\00:46:06.50 Come into my heart, take possession of my life, 00:46:07.49\00:46:11.82 I'm yours that's internal religion. 00:46:12.12\00:46:16.12 Our Bible says the letter kills, spirit gives life. 00:46:17.84\00:46:23.78 See I can keep folks listen to me, 00:46:25.16\00:46:28.81 I can keep the Ten Commandments by will power. 00:46:29.21\00:46:35.85 I can do that. I can just you know say, 00:46:36.13\00:46:41.04 I'm not going to do this, and have strong will power. 00:46:41.08\00:46:44.49 I went on to some of these people. 00:46:44.52\00:46:46.39 Man, they have will powers like you, 00:46:46.43\00:46:48.27 I've never seen in my life. 00:46:48.30\00:46:49.98 There's nobody can live with them, you know, and just. 00:46:50.26\00:46:53.79 But I can keep the Ten Commandments by will power. 00:46:54.38\00:46:58.27 Okay. But let me tell you something you cannot, 00:46:58.30\00:47:02.12 you cannot keep the spirit of the law by will power. 00:47:02.16\00:47:07.80 You cannot do that. 00:47:09.83\00:47:11.28 You can keep the letter of the law by will power 00:47:11.76\00:47:14.89 but you can't keep the spirit of the law by will power. 00:47:15.16\00:47:18.03 But if you keep the spirit of the law 00:47:18.06\00:47:20.12 you will keep the letter of the law. 00:47:20.15\00:47:22.18 Come and go together. 00:47:24.04\00:47:27.37 Old covenant works. 00:47:27.40\00:47:30.70 That's the old covenant, new covenant, faith. 00:47:31.28\00:47:35.30 Internal, external. 00:47:36.77\00:47:38.79 Works of man, works of grace, that's the difference. 00:47:39.19\00:47:45.83 You see give me a man, give me a man or a woman, 00:47:46.11\00:47:53.59 who does not base their experience upon the preacher. 00:47:55.44\00:48:02.86 Give me a man or a woman who do not gather inspiration 00:48:05.69\00:48:11.37 from a warm hearted friend or from large meeting. 00:48:12.26\00:48:17.09 But give me a man or a woman, who has a personal relationship 00:48:18.84\00:48:24.92 with Jesus Christ and know Him personally 00:48:24.93\00:48:29.27 and that man and woman will stand if every preacher dies. 00:48:29.87\00:48:34.53 Okay that's what God is looking for. 00:48:35.74\00:48:38.76 He is looking for somebody this willing 00:48:39.12\00:48:42.18 to come to know Him in a close experience. 00:48:42.21\00:48:45.24 If you do that dear friend, 00:48:45.74\00:48:47.39 then you're talking about religion. 00:48:47.40\00:48:50.12 Then you're talking about the water of life 00:48:50.39\00:48:52.51 then you are talking about what Jesus Christ 00:48:52.55\00:48:54.64 will do in your life. 00:48:54.67\00:48:57.15 What will it do to you? 00:49:00.51\00:49:01.80 Let me explain what it do to you. 00:49:02.09\00:49:04.10 This is out of Ezekiel 47th chapter; 00:49:04.14\00:49:06.08 you may have read it, never known what it was talking about. 00:49:06.12\00:49:08.45 Watch what it says. 00:49:08.87\00:49:10.23 "And he brought me back to the door of the temple; 00:49:11.25\00:49:14.23 and there was water, 00:49:14.26\00:49:15.23 flowing from under the threshold of the temple 00:49:15.24\00:49:17.59 towards the east, for the front of the temple faced east; 00:49:17.63\00:49:22.31 the water was flowing from under the right side 00:49:22.34\00:49:24.32 of the temple, south of the altar. 00:49:24.35\00:49:25.86 " Now that text just simply saying that 00:49:26.22\00:49:28.15 Ezekiel got there to the front door of the church, 00:49:28.19\00:49:30.46 and here water was seeping out under the threshold, 00:49:31.72\00:49:35.44 that's what it says. 00:49:35.47\00:49:36.61 The Angel takes Ezekiel for a walk around the church, okay. 00:49:37.14\00:49:43.01 "He brought me out of the way 00:49:44.39\00:49:46.35 out by the way of the north gate, 00:49:46.36\00:49:48.75 and led me around on the outside 00:49:48.78\00:49:51.14 to the outer gate that faces east; 00:49:51.15\00:49:54.55 and there was water running out on the right side. 00:49:54.59\00:49:57.09 And when the man went out to the east 00:49:58.55\00:50:00.74 with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits. 00:50:00.78\00:50:04.73 " So it just simply says he took him for a walk 00:50:04.76\00:50:06.79 around the church one thousand cubits. 00:50:06.82\00:50:09.11 "And he brought me through the waters; 00:50:10.78\00:50:13.59 and the waters came up to my ankles. 00:50:13.62\00:50:16.40 " Now they've gotten back to the front of the church 00:50:16.82\00:50:18.87 and here water was ankle deep like tonight. 00:50:20.20\00:50:24.44 If we would have come here and water was seeping out 00:50:24.58\00:50:27.11 under its front door out there 00:50:27.14\00:50:28.48 we were said that's a catastrophe. 00:50:28.49\00:50:30.19 Well here it is now ice flowing out, 00:50:30.51\00:50:32.96 now it's ankle deep they take another walk around the church. 00:50:33.42\00:50:37.75 "Again he measured one thousand 00:50:39.43\00:50:40.86 and brought me through the waters; 00:50:40.90\00:50:43.26 and the waters came to my knees. 00:50:43.29\00:50:45.23 " You see the waters rising. 00:50:45.26\00:50:47.17 "Again he measured one thousand and brought me 00:50:48.55\00:50:52.11 through the waters they came up to my waist. 00:50:52.15\00:50:55.68 " It's getting deep. 00:50:55.71\00:50:57.31 "Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river, 00:50:57.94\00:51:02.59 I could not cross, for the water was too deep 00:51:02.62\00:51:07.90 water in which one must swim a river 00:51:08.46\00:51:10.79 that could not be crossed. 00:51:10.82\00:51:12.22 " What's he talking about? 00:51:13.23\00:51:14.30 He is talking about you and he is talking about me. 00:51:15.66\00:51:19.30 You see, when you come to Jesus Christ 00:51:20.01\00:51:23.40 and you open up your heart 00:51:24.19\00:51:26.57 and you invite Him into your heart the Bible says, 00:51:27.62\00:51:31.13 you become a spring of living water. 00:51:31.16\00:51:33.51 When Jesus comes in your heart, 00:51:33.89\00:51:36.20 and by the way dear friends when you drink, you drink, okay. 00:51:36.89\00:51:43.00 You got to drink. 00:51:43.93\00:51:45.60 Let me tell you a secret tonight. 00:51:46.35\00:51:48.24 If your cup is only half full, 00:51:48.83\00:51:53.11 you don't have anything to share with anybody. 00:51:53.51\00:51:56.18 But when you drink and you drink 00:51:56.72\00:51:59.04 until your cup runs over then you can't help yourself. 00:51:59.08\00:52:03.38 That's what this text is talking about. 00:52:03.80\00:52:05.49 You come to Jesus Christ and you drink the water swim in, 00:52:05.74\00:52:10.13 lots of water to river flowing 00:52:10.16\00:52:12.38 and out of you will flow streams of living water. 00:52:12.42\00:52:16.89 And when that religion is internal 00:52:16.90\00:52:20.13 and it flows out of you then you are gonna say 00:52:20.90\00:52:24.14 something to that neighbor next door. 00:52:24.17\00:52:26.80 And you're gonna say something to that loved one. 00:52:27.83\00:52:29.96 And you are gonna say something to that person 00:52:30.42\00:52:32.64 about what Jesus means to you. 00:52:32.67\00:52:34.75 And the wonderful experience that you have in Christ Jesus 00:52:35.01\00:52:38.35 and all the joy and happiness that he brings to your heart. 00:52:38.39\00:52:41.70 And as you witness to them, 00:52:41.73\00:52:43.47 you're gonna find other people gonna say, 00:52:43.51\00:52:45.52 man, I'd love to have what that person's got. 00:52:46.15\00:52:49.58 I'd love to have that. 00:52:50.11\00:52:51.83 And you are gonna find men and women 00:52:51.87\00:52:53.42 reaching out to accept Jesus Christ. 00:52:53.43\00:52:55.70 And when they accept Jesus Christ, 00:52:55.74\00:52:57.94 do you know what just happens? The stream just goes. 00:52:57.98\00:53:03.05 You see and then the two of them they bring people to Christ 00:53:03.83\00:53:08.10 in the stream rises again until it's ankle deep 00:53:08.13\00:53:10.91 and then it's knee deep and then it's waist deep, 00:53:10.94\00:53:13.69 and then it's a river. 00:53:13.72\00:53:15.60 That's what God has called 00:53:15.63\00:53:17.44 everyone of you here tonight to do. 00:53:17.48\00:53:19.44 That's what he has asked us to do. 00:53:19.71\00:53:21.73 Become rivers of life. 00:53:22.16\00:53:23.63 "And the Spirit and the bride say, 00:53:23.67\00:53:26.04 'Come!' let him who hears say, 00:53:26.07\00:53:28.79 'Come!', let him who thirsts come. 00:53:28.83\00:53:31.48 Whoever desires let him take of the water of life freely. " 00:53:31.52\00:53:37.12 See tonight. 00:53:37.67\00:53:39.03 God's inviting you to take of the water life. 00:53:39.82\00:53:42.91 Oh dear friend, 00:53:43.86\00:53:45.19 I hope it won't be an external experience with you. 00:53:46.23\00:53:50.27 I hope tonight you'll open up your heart, let Jesus in, 00:53:50.88\00:53:56.16 that you will accept Him like the woman at the well. 00:53:57.18\00:54:03.10 Reach out, accept the water of life. 00:54:03.83\00:54:06.86 Like the woman at the well I was seeking 00:54:09.11\00:54:17.52 For things that could not satisfy; 00:54:17.79\00:54:26.46 And then I heard the Savior speaking: 00:54:26.74\00:54:35.98 "Draw from the well that never shall run dry. 00:54:36.54\00:54:49.09 The first question tonight says, 00:54:50.58\00:54:53.07 I want to accept Christ's gift of the water of life. 00:54:54.10\00:54:57.85 It's a gift friend, it's free. 00:54:57.86\00:55:00.75 You can't buy it. 00:55:01.25\00:55:02.85 All you can do is accept it tonight. 00:55:03.40\00:55:05.78 If you would like to accept Christ's gift, 00:55:06.26\00:55:10.11 the water of life, put a check by number one. 00:55:10.75\00:55:14.97 Second question says, I would like to be baptized. 00:55:15.96\00:55:19.95 Baptism by water as great symbolism folks, 00:55:21.11\00:55:28.17 cause as you open up your heart to him 00:55:29.09\00:55:31.72 and you're baptized means 00:55:31.75\00:55:33.97 all those sins have been washed away. 00:55:34.01\00:55:36.39 If you come out of the baptistry clean, 00:55:37.50\00:55:39.65 nothing to your account. 00:55:39.68\00:55:41.12 God has given you the water of life, 00:55:43.42\00:55:47.07 that you may drink and never thirst again, marvelous. 00:55:48.01\00:55:53.96 Thirdly, I'd like to rededicate my life 00:55:54.60\00:55:58.08 to drinking deeply of the water of life. 00:55:58.12\00:56:01.57 Tonight if there are some of you here 00:56:02.05\00:56:03.70 who have accepted Christ, 00:56:05.36\00:56:07.91 that the cares of this world and a sea full of riches 00:56:09.60\00:56:14.50 have been suffering, chocking, suffocating, the word of God. 00:56:15.01\00:56:21.38 And tonight you would like to say, 00:56:21.64\00:56:23.51 listen, I am gonna rededicate my life, 00:56:23.54\00:56:25.38 I am gonna spend time with the Lord Jesus Christ 00:56:25.98\00:56:28.72 then put a check by number three. 00:56:29.04\00:56:31.53 Put your name, put your address on it, as Maddy sings. 00:56:31.99\00:56:35.75 Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord! 00:56:37.47\00:56:47.31 Come and quench this thirsting of my soul; 00:56:47.35\00:56:58.12 Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more 00:56:58.40\00:57:12.09 Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole! 00:57:12.99\00:57:28.58 Let's bow our heads for a word of prayer. 00:57:29.09\00:57:31.19 Father, we thank you, for your love, 00:57:31.22\00:57:34.76 for the hope that we have in Christ. 00:57:35.91\00:57:37.91 Tonight Lord, we ask that you give to us the living water. 00:57:38.56\00:57:43.73 To obtain a copy of this program or for more information, 00:57:45.62\00:57:48.65 please write to Kenneth Cox Ministries, 00:57:48.68\00:57:52.38 PO Box 1027, Loma Linda, CA, 92354. 00:57:52.42\00:57:56.09 Again, Kenneth Cox Ministries, 00:57:56.12\00:57:57.92 PO Box 1027, Loma Linda, CA, 92354. 00:57:57.93\00:58:02.91 In North America, you can call toll free at 888-747-1844 00:58:02.95\00:58:08.29 or internationally call 909-790-2770. 00:58:08.32\00:58:13.18