Participants: Bil Liversidge
Series Code: VIJ
Program Code: VIJ000002
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00:51 Unto Him who is able
00:58 To keep you from stumbling 01:04 And to present you 01:07 Faultless before the presence 01:12 Of His glory with exceeding joy 01:20 To God our Savior who is only wise 01:27 Be glory 01:29 And majesty 01:36 Dominion and power 01:39 both now and for ever 01:45 Amen 01:48 Amen 01:55 Dominion and power 01:59 Both now and for ever 02:04 Amen 02:09 Amen 02:22 Our loving Father in heaven, 02:26 we are overwhelmed by Your generosity of grace. 02:31 We confess our need, 02:34 we have nothing good in and of ourselves 02:37 to offer to you, Father. 02:39 We come because of our ungodliness 02:43 and our unworthiness is overwhelming us. 02:46 And we need all that You have to offer us 02:49 through the amazing grace 02:51 You placed upon the Lord Jesus Christ. 02:54 Continue to open our eyes tonight, Father, 02:56 make the word alive within us, 02:59 so we can live filled with hope and joy. 03:02 In Jesus precious name, amen. 03:08 So reviewing where we were previously, 03:12 we are looking at the four characteristics 03:14 of human beings in their natural state, 03:18 as the grace of God comes upon them. 03:22 And the two beautiful characteristics, 03:25 not beautiful in a positive sense 03:27 but beautiful because they came through with crystal clarity, 03:31 two characteristics have been merged, 03:34 helpless without strength and powerless 03:38 and the second one which blew us all away, 03:41 God's grace is poured out upon the ungodly. 03:46 And I challenged you all to raise up churches 03:51 that will be attractive and welcoming to sinners 03:55 despite how far or how deeply 03:58 they may have fallen into sin. 04:02 Your church and your community 04:05 should be a place of refuge where sinners can come 04:10 and find the grace of God freely available to them. 04:17 So we are picking up again tonight 04:18 with the third characteristic, 04:22 let's see coming to this group over the back over here please. 04:26 William and his partner there, 04:28 we are coming to you guys for the third characteristic. 04:31 Thank you. 04:32 What verse would you like to take us to? 04:34 Verse 8. 04:35 Thank you very much, read out the verse, would you? 04:38 "The God demonstrate his own love towards us, 04:41 in that while we were still sinners, 04:42 Christ died for us" 04:44 So the big word leaping out at you is? 04:46 Sinners. 04:47 Sinners, thank you very much, sinners. 04:50 Wow. 04:52 Look at these words as they line up, 04:55 helpless, ungodly, sinners. 05:00 Wow. 05:01 And there is a fourth one yet, 05:04 Cano, showed little movement there before so jump in please. 05:07 What verse would you like to take us into? 05:09 It's gonna be verse 10. 05:11 Okay. 05:13 "For if, when we were enemies, 05:15 we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, 05:18 much more, having been reconciled, 05:20 we shall be saved by his life." 05:22 So enemies. 05:23 Enemies, enemies. Wow. 05:31 I hope you never forget these words. 05:38 Just a couple of months ago, 05:42 I was out jogging 6:30 in the morning 05:47 because I live in Palm Springs 05:50 where at 6:30 in the morning 05:52 it can be 90 degrees 05:55 and if you wait another hour it's gonna go over a 100. 05:59 And there's a very beautiful park nearby 06:01 where I live and it has exercise stops 06:03 all the way around it. 06:05 So it's one of my favorite areas to jog 06:07 and to walk and to exercise. 06:10 Anyway I usually going much wider than the park 06:13 and I'd been out for about a mile 06:15 and came back around through the park again 06:19 and I'm jogging through the park 06:20 and it's now nearly seven o'clock in the morning 06:24 and I notice a young man 06:25 sitting on a bench as I'm jogging by. 06:29 And so I just kind of wave like this as I'm jogging by 06:33 and he spoke to me and said, "Could we chat?" 06:39 This happens to me all the time. 06:42 I said once again Gods doing it, 06:44 I'm out for exercise, 06:45 He's got someone sitting here seven o'clock in the morning. 06:49 He has a guy-- young man sitting on a bench 06:52 in the middle of this beautiful park, 06:53 there's a lot of people out exercising 06:55 at that hour of the morning. 06:57 So this guy said, "Could we chat?" 07:01 I said, "Well, why not?" 07:05 So I jogged back to where he was, 07:07 and I sat down on the bench next to him 07:09 and he put out his hand 07:11 and introduced himself as David. 07:14 And I said I'm Bill. 07:17 I said so what would you like to chat about? 07:23 He said, "Well... 07:27 I'm in crises." 07:30 I said, "Okay." 07:31 This is a crises situation. 07:34 People in crises are generally quite receptive, aren't they? 07:39 I said okay, so do you want to talk about it? 07:41 He said, "Well, yes." 07:43 He said, "I picked you out as a Christian." 07:51 I said, "Well, was at the way I was jogging?" 07:54 I know it's a little peculiar. 07:59 He laughed, he said no, something just prompted me 08:03 to believe that you are a Christian. 08:06 I said well, we know 08:07 who does that kind of prompting. 08:09 I said that's God at work in you. 08:12 So obviously, I said I would like to confirm 08:14 what I'm hearing you say 08:16 that this is not an accidental encounter. 08:20 It's seven o'clock in the morning, 08:21 I've been out for an hour already, 08:24 and I'm jogging through the park 08:26 and you ask me to, if I'd like to have a chat. 08:30 This is and encounter designed by God himself. 08:33 Amen. 08:34 And I've had lots of these encounters over. 08:36 The reason I praise God for them. 08:38 They do appear to be in increasing however, 08:41 which is good. 08:43 So I said let's chat. Tell me about yourself. 08:47 And he said I'm frightened to tell you about myself 08:49 because if I do you'll probably get up and want to leave. 08:53 I said well, I've got news for you. 08:55 All we like sheep have gone astray 09:02 I wouldn't like my past to be with nothing 09:04 the sky at the moment, I'll be honest with you. 09:08 So I'm the kind of person that can talk about anything. 09:14 And by the grace of God I'm not judgmental. 09:17 In fact, I may even have something 09:19 to offer you, who knows. 09:22 So please share with me. 09:25 So the whole sad story. 09:29 This guy is not as young 09:30 as I thought he was, he's in his mid 30's. 09:34 I thought he is probably in his mid 20's 09:36 as he's a very youthful looking guy. 09:40 So he unfolded a story from the age of 8 to 14, 09:47 he was seriously sexually abused 09:51 and we've all read the stories of these kind of events. 09:56 And he shared the pain of this experience with me. 10:02 And he said, it affected my sexual orientation. 10:08 I said of course it did. 10:11 He said so for the last 15, 20 years 10:14 I've been practicing homosexual. 10:17 I said, okay. 10:19 He said, the interesting thing is that 10:22 I'm not really all that comfortable. 10:26 He won a huge lawsuit by the way 10:29 against this priest in the church 10:31 that he represented a huge lawsuit 10:34 which is all gone and he is now pennyless, 10:40 homeless and needs to go into drug rehab 10:45 which ones before he has attempted to do 10:48 but did not succeed. 10:50 So I'm computing this whole thing 10:55 and he looked at me with so much pain in his face 11:00 and he said is there anything that can be done 11:03 for somebody as bad as me? 11:09 I said well, interestingly enough 11:11 there's a great deal that can be done 11:13 for somebody just like you 11:15 because God specializes 11:18 in pouring His grace out upon people just like you. 11:23 And because you've not hidden from me your true condition 11:28 I'm now prepare to offer you all that God can offer you 11:33 and I said once apart of time 11:35 I would have offered you celibacy 11:38 which I'm sure is such an attractive option 11:41 to a young man like you, 11:43 but I've got good news for you. 11:46 I have moved into a deeper understanding 11:49 of the grace of God myself. 11:50 He said, I know what you're gonna offer me 11:53 and he said it's exactly what I'm looking for, 11:56 that I didn't realize it was even possible. 11:59 I said, so you are a prophet now. 12:01 You know what I'm gonna say and we had a laugh about this, 12:05 this is a lovely young man. 12:08 He said you are about to offer me 12:10 the privilege of total restoration. 12:16 I said, I was in deed. 12:18 And he said I want you to know that I'm hungry 12:22 to spend the rest of my life as a heterosexual. 12:26 I would like to get married, I would like to have children, 12:29 I would like become a normal functioning young man. 12:35 All of this in a park. 12:38 We knelt down together in the park, 12:40 I put my arm around his shoulder 12:43 and I lifted this young man up to God in prayer. 12:49 He said, when can we get started? 12:52 I said well, the first thing 12:53 you've got to do is got to get into a drug rehab. 12:57 I can't work with you 12:59 if that's something that is unaddressed. 13:02 I said, I can put you in a motel 13:04 for a few days only long enough 13:07 for you to make arrangements 13:09 to get into the drug rehab program the one in riverside 13:13 that I'm recommending takes three months. 13:16 It's residential, they're strict 13:20 but if you are willing to go through the program 13:24 I will be willing to meet you on the day that you get out, 13:27 and we will begin growing you up 13:29 into the fullness of the grace of God 13:31 and all that God wishes you to become. 13:36 So the good news is he finished the drug rehab, 13:39 he's living in what-- 13:40 I think they call it a sober house 13:44 or a transition house. 13:46 He gets drug tested every morning 13:48 if there is even a slightest traced he is kicked out. 13:51 And he's just been asked to be the person 13:53 in charge of this residence. 13:55 He's become so responsible 13:57 and that offers him free rent every month 13:59 which is a great blessing. 14:02 So we've just had a fourth Bible study together. 14:06 Amen. 14:07 I wish I could just play you on the phone here 14:10 some of the messages and voicemails 14:12 that I'm getting from this young man everyday of my life. 14:15 Praise God. Amen. 14:17 He is lifting up his heart on the phone to me. 14:19 I hear the voice oh, Bill, if you can only know 14:23 how grateful I'm to God today, 14:27 for the fact that I'm forgiven. 14:29 I've got in-- I've had in take vows of celibacy. 14:33 He's becoming cleaned up again. 14:35 And every time I see him which is once a week, 14:38 he says to me how soon am I gonna be totally restored? 14:43 I said, it's coming by the grace of God 14:45 as you continue to grow in the knowledge of Jesus, 14:49 you will be totally restored. 14:51 I believe you're gonna be a normal functioning young man 14:55 to the glory of God. 14:56 And I'm just saying wow, wow. 14:59 And if you could have seen this kid 15:01 fall down on his knees and weep like a baby 15:05 when he realized that that's what I was offering him 15:08 through the grace of God. 15:10 I hope you're not limiting Gods grace 15:12 to any sinner, are you? 15:14 There was a time in the first 20 years 15:16 of my ministry that I would have just offered him 15:19 celibacy for the rest of his life. 15:24 I'm now offering sinners total rehabilitation. 15:29 Total restoration... 15:31 the fullness of becoming a new creature in Christ. 15:37 How's your faith this evening? 15:38 Amen. 15:40 And in order to get him there, 15:42 which points do you think I had to help him see? 15:45 All four of them. 15:47 We got our first study together 15:50 and he dug these four points out of Romans 5 15:54 and we are sitting in my living room together 15:56 and God gave me a question 15:57 that I've used once before many years ago 16:00 I used the same question on him as I have used previously. 16:05 I said this is the condition of individuals 16:09 upon who the grace of God is poured out. 16:13 And I said to this young man 16:16 do you qualify to receive the grace of God? 16:23 He said, I qualify in all four areas. 16:28 I said well, there's one more thing 16:30 you need to know about, 16:33 when Jesus was hanging on the cross. 16:37 He was heard to cry out, 16:39 "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" 16:44 I said, why did Jesus feel forsaken? 16:49 The Bible said He had no sin 16:52 but here He is hanging on the cross 16:55 and He feels forsaken. 16:59 I said it's because He changed His name. 17:03 There was another name written on His forehead. 17:06 I'm gonna see if I can spell it out for you, 17:08 D-A-V-I-D. 17:16 He said, that's me. I said, yes and me. 17:20 Jesus changed His name to David 17:25 and when His own Father looked at Him, 17:28 He didn't see Jesus, He saw David. 17:34 And the Bible says that Jesus became sin for us. 17:39 So the God gave me this beautiful Christian 17:41 by this young man. 17:44 If God looked down on His own son 17:46 and saw the name David written on His forehead, 17:49 what must God have seen hanging on the cross 17:55 in the person of Jesus? 17:58 He shook his head. 17:59 I said make it personal now, 18:01 the name David is here what must God have seen? 18:06 He finally blurted it out. 18:09 He said God would have had to have seen... 18:14 a 35 year old practicing homosexual, 18:20 drug addict, the weakest of the weak. 18:24 I said that's exactly what God saw, 18:28 and God said let him die. 18:32 The good news tonight is when Jesus died, 18:38 that was your death 18:41 to sin taking place in Him. 18:47 Amen. Amen. 18:51 I'm gonna repeat that again in case you missed it. 18:54 When Jesus died, 18:58 He had your name and my name upon Him. 19:03 Whatever sin has done to you was placed on Jesus. 19:10 When He died you died to sin. 19:17 I hardly know a dozen people 19:19 that are appreciating this everyday of their lives. 19:22 The atoning death of Jesus 19:25 is one of the most misunderstood 19:27 and under appreciated events in history. 19:32 We are going to start looking now 19:34 at the atoning death of Jesus 19:37 and we're going to the magnificent love 19:41 and generosity of God in permitting His own son, 19:46 who was holy and righteous and without sin 19:51 permitting Him to take upon himself, 19:55 everything that sin had done to you and to me. 20:01 And this young man saw it just like that, 20:05 and he fell down on his knees and I couldn't stop the tears. 20:09 He said, I had no idea that God loved me that much, 20:13 that He would actually replace me on the cross. 20:15 I said that's exactly what He did. 20:18 Jesus felt forsaken not because He had sins of His own 20:23 but because He was been treated as you deserved. 20:29 So that ultimately you might me treated as He deserved. 20:34 The beauty of the cross is the most compelling truth 20:38 that we can ever come to groups with. 20:40 How's your faith today? 20:43 I would like to praise God tonight, 20:45 because finally I'm offering sinners 20:48 the fullness of all that God has done 20:50 for them, in them and through them. 20:53 So we're about to launch now 20:55 into a magnificent passage of scripture. 20:58 Its only two verses, 21:00 but they are the most incredible life changing verses 21:05 that you could ever jump into. 21:07 The same chapter Romans 5, 21:10 but we are now going to focus on verses 9 and 10. 21:22 In theological circles verses 9 is a parallelism. 21:27 Paul uses this technique frequently, 21:32 in verse 9, verse 9. 21:38 We have two statements by Paul again 21:41 to call them an A and a B statement. 21:45 And in verse 10, 21:48 he also has two statements an A and the B statement. 21:53 And when you compare the A statements 21:56 they give you the whole picture 21:58 of what it is that he is presenting, 22:00 and when you compare the B statements 22:02 in the two verses, 22:04 you get a totally different picture 22:06 coming towards a very exciting way 22:09 that Paul has over writing. 22:12 So your assignment tonight, 22:15 is to open your Bibles now to Romans 5: 9, 10 22:20 and I want you to go ahead and fill in for me 22:23 the two statements in verse 9 22:26 and the two statements from verse 10, 22:30 and then we're going to compare them 22:33 and see what great truths 22:35 Paul wants to draw out of this parallelism. 22:39 So go ahead with your partner. 22:41 This is the communal project now. 22:43 Please talk to your partners. 22:46 Don't go into vision don't act independently, 22:49 communicate with one another. 22:55 If you write anything down without sharing 22:58 and we're gonna call you to repentance. 23:20 All right, let's have your attention please. 23:24 Let's get the first statements from verse 9. 23:30 Let's see, who will I-- yes over here, okay. 23:35 Two very philosophical looking people here, 23:39 okay, first of all the A statement from verse 9. 23:43 "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood." 23:48 Okay, so having now been justified 23:52 by His blood and give me the B statement as well now. 23:58 "And then having being reconciled, 24:00 we shall be saved by his life. 24:02 Justified by His blood we shall be saved 24:04 from wrath through Him." 24:06 Okay, now we've got to-- 24:07 thank you, save from wrath through Him. 24:13 Now we have it, thank you very much. 24:16 Okay, excellent. 24:23 Excellent. 24:24 So we've got an A and a B statement in verse 9. 24:28 Let's jump over now to verse 10. 24:32 Verse 10, let's see down the front here verse 10, 24:37 give me the A statement first of all 24:39 from verse 10, thank you. 24:44 "For if, we were enemies, 24:48 we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son." 24:53 Okay, we will reconcile to God through the death of his son. 24:58 Okay, now the B statement. 25:00 "Much more, having been reconciled, 25:02 we shall be saved by His life." 25:05 Saved by His life. 25:08 Excellent work here. Thank you very much. 25:12 Now we are on the verge of a great discovery here 25:16 and unfortunately, we're gonna have to wait 25:18 to the next thrilling episode 25:21 to hear what discoveries are taking place here. 25:25 But Lue Ann and Larson this evening 25:28 has graciously volunteered to lead us in prayer. 25:32 So the microphone will miraculously 25:35 come to you, Lue Ann. 25:36 Here it comes right now. 25:38 Let's bow our heads together please, thank you. 25:41 Heavenly Father, thank You so very much 25:44 for opening Your word to us this evening. 25:46 And Father, we are so grateful 25:49 for what You've offered each one of us 25:51 the fantastic gift of Your Son. 25:55 Creative media ministry is the faith based ministry 25:58 dedicated to the sharing of the good news 26:00 of the Lord Jesus Christ. 26:02 We need your help to take this dynamic message 26:04 to the uttermost parts of the earth. 26:06 If God has touched your heart 26:08 and the Word of God has come to life like never before, 26:11 contributions can be sent to Creative Media Ministry, 26:14 PO Box 9485, Bakersfield, California, 93389 26:20 or you can make your donation online 26:23 by visiting our website 26:25 at www.creativemediaministries .org. 26:30 To order the complete series of Victory in Jesus 26:32 and many other seminars in DVD or CD format, 26:35 contact us at www. creativemediaministries.org. 26:41 You can also call us at 888-744-0443 26:46 that's 888-744-0443 26:51 or write to us at Creative Media Ministry, 26:54 PO Box 9485, Bakersfield, California, 93389. |
Revised 2015-02-05