Participants:
Series Code: HCL
Program Code: HCL150008A
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00:01 Hello, friends, grab your Bible and a friend,
00:02 and sit back as we explore God's word together 00:05 on this edition of House Calls. 00:21 Friends, welcome, welcome to House Calls, 00:23 the most politically non-correct 00:27 Bible program on the planet. 00:29 Isn't that right, John? 00:31 It's not about politics, it's about God's word. 00:35 And if you want it undiluted, 00:37 one that will counter-act the counterfeit, 00:40 keep the dial set right there, lock us in for week to week, 00:44 and you will hear as God word's says it. 00:47 Good to have you here, John. Good to be here. 00:49 It's not July 4, but we have red, white, blue going on here. 00:52 We do, it's a, it's a good thing. 00:54 It's a good thing. 00:55 You know we always have great topics here we cover, 00:57 we are in the middle of a topic about repentance 01:01 and this is part two on it. 01:02 And it's a dynamic topic and you don't want to miss it, 01:05 so get your friends and family members together. 01:07 We're gonna have prayer in a moment. 01:08 And before we go to our Bible question 01:10 and all of that, those things that you sent to us, 01:12 we're gonna ask the Lord to bless in our time together. 01:15 So John... Let's do that. 01:16 Pray for us. 01:17 Dear Father in heaven, we invite your spirit here 01:19 to be with us as we open your word. 01:22 Guide and direct our thoughts in everything we do 01:24 and say may be to your honor and glory, 01:26 and may be to the understanding of those 01:28 that are searching for you. 01:29 In Jesus' name. Amen. 01:31 Amen. 01:33 You know friends, from week to week 01:35 we get Bible question we get the... 01:39 We get the computer ones. 01:40 We get the, sometimes we get the snail mail. 01:42 If you don't have internet 01:46 and you're watching the program, 01:47 you can send your questions to PO box 220, 01:51 West Frankfort, Illinois, 62896. 01:54 Attention House Call. 01:56 By the way, address it on the top to 3ABN, 01:58 bottom attention House Calls. 01:59 We'll be glad to... 02:01 Also if you have any, also if you have Bible question 02:03 you can send those to housecalls@3abn.org. 02:08 That's housecalls@3abn.org, and that's where we download it 02:12 and share with you from God's word 02:15 what the answers are. 02:16 So, John, why don't you dive in head first 02:19 into the Bible question and lets us know 02:21 what we have today for our audience. 02:24 This is a fairly long question, 02:25 so I'm just gonna abbreviate this one. 02:26 Go for it. But Dennis is writing in... 02:28 and he says he appreciates our programming 02:31 and things that are very essential 02:33 for spiritual health and well-being. 02:35 But he has a little bit of a challenge here 02:36 with some of the things that we have said, 02:39 and one of those specifically is in regard to stating, 02:43 what he says a politically correct point. 02:46 That's interestingly fitting 02:48 that you opened our program here with this. 02:50 But he says, "It seems to be 02:54 that as you have expressed on 3ABN 02:56 that God's people reside in virtually every denomination 03:02 that may be little politically correct 03:04 but also can be dangerous to say." 03:07 And he writes some other things too here, 03:08 and I think we need to be very careful 03:10 first of all not to be judging, okay? 03:12 Because God does not ask us to judge, 03:13 but he does ask us to live according to the Word of God. 03:17 And so when we made this statement, 03:19 so this is kind of a clarifying statement. 03:20 When we have said that God has people 03:23 throughout all of Christendom, 03:25 in other words many denominations, 03:28 and even those that are not Christian, 03:29 he has people that he's working on hearts drawing to him, 03:33 that are really talking about 03:34 an extension of a verse that Jesus, 03:38 where Jesus states in John 10:16 03:42 that "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold." 03:47 So here he's talking about, 03:49 you know, he's with his disciples, 03:51 they're not just the 12, it's an extended discipleship. 03:54 It's extended followers and he's saying there are some 03:57 that are not of this fold, that are not of just us here 04:01 that are following me. 04:03 But here's the, here's what where we need to, 04:05 kind of, qualify that statement because he goes on, he says, 04:08 "Them also I must bring and they will hear my voice 04:14 and there will be one flock and one shepherd." 04:18 So when we make this statement 04:19 that God's people are in everywhere, 04:21 we're not saying that God wants to leave them everywhere. 04:24 Jesus wants his people as his world body of believers 04:30 to be one, to be unified 04:32 and that means to be unified within a, 04:36 the Christian faith in its purest form 04:38 according to the Word of God, okay. 04:41 Now I'm the Seventh-day Adventist minister, 04:42 I believe that Seventh-day Adventist Church 04:44 has those truths, which is why 04:46 a part of my message is the Three Angles messages, 04:49 which is also repeated with that other fourth, 04:50 the other angle that comes down in Revelation 18, saying, 04:54 "Come out of for my people." 04:56 So there's a recognition there in that message 04:58 that God's people are still out there 05:01 in many denomination, in many face, 05:04 but the goal of God's people, 05:07 the ones that are given special truths, 05:10 truths that are aligned with God's word. 05:12 Part of that is preaching, and teaching, and calling them 05:16 out of these false systems of religion, 05:18 false systems of error into God's flocks. 05:23 Right. 05:25 And that's when he will have done his work. 05:27 This is God doing his work through his church, 05:28 calling people into one flock, 05:31 having one shepherd and then he will come. 05:34 And also that is really what it, 05:36 the last day events are really all about. 05:38 They're about gathering the flock into one. 05:40 And so the message we have is a unique message. 05:43 It's not a message that doesn't mater where you are. 05:45 God loves you, its okay. 05:47 It's, no, God loves you and he want what's best for you 05:49 but there is a truth that we want you to come in to, 05:52 he's preparing his people who are waiting 05:54 for the second coming to come into 05:56 and that's part of the message that we have, 05:58 that is called the Everlasting Gospel. 06:00 That is right, and in the Everlasting Gospel, 06:02 John, you segue perfectly, the Everlasting Gospel 06:06 is to be preached to every nation, every kindred, 06:10 every tongue, every people. 06:12 Why do that if God doesn't want people from every nation, 06:16 every kindred, every tongue, every people 06:18 to come to the response of this massage? 06:20 And this gospel of the kingdom, Matthew 24:14, 06:23 "Shall be preached in all the world." 06:26 Why would God do that? 06:28 Why would he want us to do that? 06:29 Why would the Lord say to the disciples, 06:32 "Oh, go ye therefore, 06:34 and make disciples of all nations." 06:36 If there were not people in all nations 06:39 that would be eventually a part of this fold. 06:42 Why would he say, "I send you forth 06:44 as lambs among wolves," if they are not, he says, 06:47 "Go into the highways and hedges, 06:49 and compel all men every where." 06:51 The supper is ready. 06:55 See, the whole message of the gospel is to gathering. 06:58 The Bible says, first, the message is in two ways, 07:01 "Come unto me all you..." 07:02 We respond to the call of the Spirit to God. 07:05 That's goal, go make disciples of all nations 07:07 and the Lord sent his disciples all over. 07:12 When the day of Pentecost had come, 07:15 when you read that, the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, 07:19 the response of the preaching of the gospel was, 07:21 "How do we hear these Galileans 07:24 speak in the language from which we were born?" 07:28 And then the question was all these people from Arabia, 07:31 and Phanphelia, and Crete, and all these different nations 07:36 gathered in Jerusalem, they heard the gospel 07:39 and they were told to repent, and then you have Phillip 07:42 who was one of the New Testament Apostles 07:45 who were sent to, to the Ethiopian unit 07:48 to let him understand what Isaiah 53 was all about. 07:52 Then he took the gospel back to Ethiopia 07:54 and historically Ethiopia is the second largest 07:56 and Ethiopia is the second largest country on Earth, 08:00 or the second place on the Earth 08:02 where the Sabbath was honored the longest. 08:04 Why? New Testament impact. 08:06 So the gospel is all about 08:07 people being all over the world. 08:10 And so, when we start getting this exclusive attitude 08:12 that we're the only ones we become pharisaical 08:16 and that was the problem with the Pharisees. 08:18 They thought that 08:19 and that's why they said to Jesus says, 08:21 "Why are you hanging out with publicans, tax collectors, 08:28 sinners, harlots," 08:30 and Jesus says Luke 10:16, 08:37 "The son of man has come to seek 08:39 and to save that which was..." 08:41 Luke 19:10 sorry, 08:43 "The son of man has come to seek 08:45 and to save that which was lost." 08:47 Luke 19:10. 08:48 And so let's look at this, what's the benefit of it. 08:51 Listen to this, Jeremiah 23. 08:54 Jeremiah 23, listen to this, verse 1-3 08:59 "Woe to the shepherds who destroy 09:02 and scatter the sheep of my pasture, 09:06 says the Lord. 09:08 Therefore thus says the Lord, the Lord God of Israel 09:12 against the shepherds who feed my people. 09:16 You have scattered my flock, 09:19 driven them away," that's why he says, 09:21 other sheep I have that are not of this fold. 09:23 "You've scattered my flock, 09:24 driven them away and not attended to them. 09:27 Behold I will attend to you for the evil of your doing, 09:30 says the Lord." 09:32 And then verse 3, 09:34 "I will gather the remnant 09:35 of my flock out of all countries 09:39 where I have driven them 09:40 and bring them back to their folds 09:45 and they shall be fruitful in the trees. 09:48 I will set up shepherds over them who'll feed them. 09:51 They shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, 09:54 nor shall they be lacking says the Lord." 09:57 And so you find when he says, 09:58 "Other sheep that I have that are not of this fold," 10:00 he said they're out there, go get them. 10:01 That's right. That's the gospel message. 10:03 The other thing too is that the devil counteracts 10:05 this Everlasting Gospel going out 10:08 to all people throughout all phase, 10:10 throughout all denominations to bring them into one fold. 10:13 The devil counteracts that by sending his own ministers, 10:17 his own gospel workers, his own preachers 10:20 into the same realm to gather them into his fold. 10:25 That's rights. 10:26 See the devil copies every thing that God does. 10:30 And he know God is calling people into one fold, 10:32 he's calling his people into his one fold. 10:34 He's got a gathering like God has a gathering 10:37 and so, you know, just because 10:39 we're in the Christian church this goes, 10:41 you know, if the opposite just because you're in a church 10:43 that calls itself Christian doesn't mean that 10:44 you're in the right fold. 10:47 So you have to make sure that your group, 10:50 your church is aligned way scripture 10:53 and that's the only way to tell whether or not 10:55 the minister, the preacher, the pastor and the leaders 10:58 are of the ones of the truth, 11:01 sharing the everlasting gospel, or the ones in error 11:03 where the devil has send out to divide and to concurred. 11:07 So anyway don't wan to relate to that too much 11:10 but I think it is important to know both sides of this, 11:13 that God has people every where 11:14 but at the same time he's calling them 11:16 into one fold preparing them for his return. 11:20 When you said that it reminded me 11:21 and I went to 2 Corinthian 11:4, 11:24 "For if he who comes preaches another Jesus 11:30 whom we have not preached, 11:32 or if you receive a different spirit 11:35 which you have not received, or a different gospel 11:39 which you have not accepted you may well put up with it." 11:44 He says, "For I consider that I am not all, 11:47 I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles," 11:52 and then he goes down and warns the Corinthian 11:55 about what will happen 11:57 and he say, speaking about those who have 11:59 a deceptive message, like you said, 12:01 just because it's labeled Christian 12:02 doesn't mean it's the truth. 12:04 Right. 12:05 Here's what he said in 2 Corinthian 11:13, 12:07 "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, 12:12 transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ, 12:15 and no wonder for Satan himself 12:19 also transform himself into an angel of light," 12:22 and verse 15, 12:24 "Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers..." 12:27 you just said... 12:28 His ministers, yeah. 12:30 Ministers, "If his ministers also transform themselves 12:33 into ministers of righteousness 12:36 whose end will be according to their works." 12:40 So there are people that look like 12:42 ministers of righteousness, Satan is the one 12:44 that helps them get that appearance. 12:46 They are transformed, he transforms himself, 12:49 they transform themselves, they look the part 12:52 but they don't preach the message. 12:53 It even says if you go on I'm not sure 12:55 it's that passage right there but it talks about 12:57 how even those in these churches 13:00 where these ministers are preaching 13:01 that they have itching ears. 13:04 They're actually setting up for themselves ministers, 13:06 they want to hear something smooth 13:08 and so when we preach 13:10 something like this program does, 13:11 it's no wonder that we would have those 13:13 that are very opposed to what we share. 13:16 Here is, we're talking about straight truth 13:17 and they do that with several things. 13:19 There's a movement out there that has gotten so large 13:22 and so wide spread throughout denominations 13:24 that it is really making them 13:26 incapable of discerning truth from the error 13:27 and that is this higher criticism of the Word of God 13:31 where everything is allegorical, 13:32 it's a story form, 13:33 it's not really that it happened 13:35 but here's the lesson behind it, 13:36 or my opinion is this. 13:38 We don't read the plain scriptures any more. 13:41 I was just talking to somebody who said, you know, 13:44 you really believe that 13:45 God really created the world in six days? 13:48 You know, how much of Christianity 13:50 has labeled this, you know, they kind of combine, 13:53 or accepted a form of evolution by calling it Theistic, 14:00 see, they labeled it, Theistic evolution. 14:03 The Bible doesn't accept Theistic evolution. 14:05 The Bible says creation in six days 14:07 and on the seventh you rested. 14:08 Right. 14:10 That's what it says, that's what it means. 14:11 It's not a story about something else 14:13 so be careful how your preachers 14:15 are teaching these kinds of thing 14:17 because it makes it very difficult 14:20 to discern right from wrong 14:21 if you take the Bible in that way. 14:23 That's right, theistic evolution 14:24 another terminology that is, 14:26 kind of, like opening a poisoned tap 14:29 to a big vat of clean water. 14:31 Just keeping dripping it, dripping it, 14:33 dripping it, dripping it and after a while it 14:34 just pollutes the entire thing and that's what the devil does. 14:37 He gradually pollutes the truth by these little tiny drops 14:40 and you'll say what's the big deal, 14:42 you still have a ton of clean water. 14:44 All it takes is one drop of poison 14:47 in many gallons of waters to say 14:49 it's all unfit to be swallowed 14:52 and that's what happens in the Bible, 14:53 you know, the one you were referring 14:54 to was in 2 Timothy 4 verse, 14:57 "Preach the word and be ready in season 14:58 for the time will come 15:00 and they will not endure sound doctrines 15:01 but according to their own desires 15:04 they're heart turn to teachers having itching ears 15:06 and they'll turn away from the truth to fables." 15:08 We're living in that time, John that's why... 15:10 Truth to fables, wow. 15:12 From truth to fables so that's why we are doing 15:15 the work of an evangelist. 15:17 That's why we are proclaiming it undiluted. 15:19 That's why I said this in the most politically 15:22 non correct Bible study you're gonna to get. 15:24 We're not tip-toeing to the tulips, 15:26 nor meandering in the maze of mediocrity, 15:28 nor pondering at the pool of popularity, 15:31 nor negotiating at the table of the enemy, okay? 15:35 That's not what we're doing here. 15:36 Anyway I have another question here. 15:37 Yes go. Let's go on. 15:40 Hi, Pastor Lomacang, I would like to know 15:41 what is born again? 15:44 If we don't have a spirit 15:45 and we are only body plus breathe, 15:49 when I was saved at the blank church at age 15, 15:53 I was told that I was born spiritually dead 15:57 and when I received Christ that my spirit was reborn. 16:01 Can you explain more, what is to be born again? 16:05 Thank you, David. 16:06 I appreciate your question, David. 16:08 There are couple of question in there, 16:09 one is presupposing that we have a body 16:12 and we have a spirit, you see. 16:16 That is, that is Neo-Platonism, 16:19 it's a big phrase but look it up. 16:21 Neo-Platonism, the idea that the body, 16:24 the spirit and the soul are separate entities, 16:28 that when you are born again 16:30 that now all of a sudden your spirit has a chance. 16:34 That's, that's not scriptural. 16:36 Let's go to John 3 16:38 and look at this in the proper context. 16:39 And well, some might say, 16:41 "Well, the Bible says body, soul and the spirit." 16:43 Exactly. 16:44 But the key there is the word the way you share that, 16:46 the way you said that. 16:47 These are not separate entities... 16:49 Right, not separate at all. 16:51 These are depended upon each other for life. 16:52 They're parts that make up man kind 16:55 and that's the key. 16:57 And by the way, the body and the soul 16:59 are in fact in concert with each other 17:02 because there's no separate soul 17:05 and there's no separate body. 17:07 The body with the spirit equals the living soul. 17:11 The body plus the spirit of God that was breathed 17:14 into the nostrils of man, Genesis 27:9. 17:19 Genesis 7. 17:21 Genesis 27. 17:27 No, no, Genesis 3:7 17:29 Yeah 2:7 17:31 Genesis 2:7. 2:7. Yes. 17:33 You know, what I was thinking, I was thinking of Job 27:3 17:39 which is, "All the while my breathe is in me 17:40 and the spirit of God is in my nostrils," 17:42 I was getting my Job text merged with my Genesis text. 17:46 But yeah, Genesis 2:7, is the body receiving 17:51 the breathe of God and becoming a living soul. 17:54 Not separating the two. 17:55 Let's go ahead and go to John 3 17:57 and let's look at this whole thing about 17:59 being born again. 18:00 Now John 3:3, 18:06 Jesus speaking to Nicodemus 18:08 the one of the most famous stories in the Bible 18:11 where, you know, for God so loved the world is here. 18:13 "Jesus answered and said to him," 18:15 that's Nicodemus, "most assuredly I say to you, 18:19 unless one is born again, 18:21 he cannot see the Kingdom of God. 18:24 Nicodemus said to him," verse 4, 18:26 "How can a man be born when he is old? 18:28 Can he enter a second time 18:29 into his mother's womb and be born?" 18:32 He knew he couldn't. 18:34 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, 18:37 unless one is born of water and the spirit, 18:42 he cannot enter the Kingdom of God". 18:45 And this in not talking about a separate birth from the body, 18:50 this was talking about the fact that 18:52 being born of the water and of the spirit. 18:55 When you receive Christ something happens 18:58 that you're not able to do prior to that. 19:01 This birth that is talked about, 19:04 and I think that what your Pastor 19:07 may have meant in a... 19:08 I'm not trying to qualify his statement 19:10 but if I were to put this together in the proper sense, 19:14 we are all dead in sin 19:18 until we are born of the spirit. 19:22 We're all dead in sin until we're born of the spirit. 19:25 Go with me to Romans 6 and John, I want you to read 19:27 Romans 6:11-13. 19:31 This is really the process of being born again, 19:35 is we die to who we are 19:40 and we live, and Jesus lives in us to, 19:44 to now develop in us that spirit and that life 19:51 that is connected to Christ. 19:52 John, Romans 6, start with verse 10. 19:59 Okay, for the... 20:00 This is speaking about Jesus, by the way, first of all. 20:02 Yes, "For the death that he died, 20:04 as he died to sin and once for all, 20:07 but the life that he lives, he lives to God". 20:09 That's speaking about Jesus. Now... 20:11 "Likewise you also reckon yourselves 20:13 to be dead indeed to sin 20:16 but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 20:19 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body 20:22 that you should obey its lusts. 20:24 And do not present your members 20:25 as instruments of unrighteousness to sin 20:28 but presents yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, 20:31 and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." 20:34 Exactly and then ending right there 20:37 so what's happening is when you come to Christ 20:40 when you go back further in Romans 6 20:43 what dies is that old man of sin. 20:45 You see, we are born bound to a nature 20:49 that if we stay there will condemn us to eternal death 20:53 so in order to be delivered from death, 20:56 you know, the Bible says in Romans 6:23, 20:58 "The wages of sin is death 20:59 but the gift of God is eternal life 21:01 through Jesus Christ our Lord." 21:03 So we're all bound from birth, we're all set for death. 21:06 That's just where we're headed. 21:08 Jesus interrupts that and says, "You have to be born again, 21:11 you have to be born of the water 21:12 and of the spirit." 21:14 Now what does it mean to be born of the spirit? 21:16 You know, when we are... 21:18 Let me go head and go now to Romans 8. 21:22 Romans 8, what does it mean to be born of the water 21:26 and of that spirit? 21:28 Okay, let's, Romans 8:1, John, start there. 21:32 "There is therefore now no condemnation 21:34 to those who are in Christ Jesus 21:36 who do not walk according to the flesh 21:37 but according to the spirit." 21:39 Okay. 21:40 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus 21:42 has made me free from the law of sin and death. 21:46 For what the law could not do, 21:47 in that it was weak through the flesh, 21:49 God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh 21:52 on account of sin he condemns sin in the flesh 21:55 that the righteous requirement of the law 21:57 might be fulfilled in us, 21:58 who do not walk according to the flesh 22:00 but according to the Spirit." 22:01 Okay so what's, what's happening now 22:03 when it says walking according to the flesh 22:05 that means if we follow our natural tendencies 22:09 as what, as what the Bible says, 22:11 let me go to John 1 and hear it in a moment. 22:12 If we follow our natural tendencies 22:14 we are geared to be wicked. 22:17 The Heart, Jeremiah 17:9. Yes. 22:21 "The heart is deceitful above all things 22:24 and desperately wicked." 22:26 That ain't even slightly wicked it's so desperately wicked, 22:29 you'll not even know what you're gonna say 22:31 until somebody step on your little toe. 22:33 Oliver Henry Wright says, with the word flesh, he says, 22:36 "Take off the 'H' now read it backwards," 22:42 with the word flesh take off the 'H' 22:44 and now read it backwards. 22:46 Self, wow. 22:47 He says, "Every where you put flesh substitute it with self." 22:51 Wow. I love that... That's a good one. 22:53 Else, S-E-L-F. 22:55 Thank you elder Wright. 22:57 He's always right. He does a good job. 22:59 No matter what, he's always Wright, W-R-I-G-H-T. 23:04 But that's, that's what happens so you cannot walk 23:07 according to the spirit unless Jesus is in you. 23:11 You see the spirit comes and 1 Corinthians 6:19 23:15 and 20 says, read that, read that for us, 23:18 why you going... 23:19 I was going somewhere else but where do you want to go? 23:21 1 Corinthians 6, speaking about the spirit of God. 23:25 The spirit of God comes into you, 23:27 you are born of the water, that's the baptism. 23:30 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 20. 23:33 "For do you not know that your body is a temple 23:35 of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, 23:37 whom you have from God and you are not your own 23:40 for you were bought at a price. 23:41 Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit 23:44 which are God's." 23:45 Okay so there you are, the spirit is in you now 23:48 but that spirit's not coming in 23:50 while this body is dedicated to the old way of life. 23:53 So what happens now the Lord comes 23:55 and takes that old nature, spiritually speaking 23:58 and kills it, born of the water, 24:01 drowns it but you come out 24:04 to walk in the newness of life and I'll just go ahead 24:05 and read the process here in Romans 6. 24:07 So this is something, 24:09 and keep in mind, process I died daily. 24:12 This is something that has to happen all the time. 24:14 That's right. This isn't a one time event. 24:16 You know, he's talking to me like Nicodemus about conversion 24:19 and yes that conversion begins at a point in time 24:21 but it continues throughout your life. 24:23 You have to be converted every day. 24:25 That's right. 24:26 And that means letting self go 24:28 which is your own spirit and letting differing, 24:32 yielding to the Spirit of God 24:33 which is the Holy Spirit working in you 24:36 and that is the converted walk and life in Christ. 24:40 I'm glad you said that. 24:42 It's the converted walk rather than conversion everyday. 24:44 It's continuing to submit to the conversion 24:46 because what we are to be, whoa. 24:49 I'm just so excited about 24:50 what I'm about to say right now. 24:52 What we are to be, what we going to be, 24:54 we are becoming. 24:56 Yes. 24:57 1 John, 1 John 3:1 and 2, read that for me John, 25:01 he's turning to all the text that I want him to turn to 25:03 but I have one right here 25:04 that I don't want to turn away from. 25:06 Now he just said, the converted, 25:08 the day by day I died daily, 25:10 you have to die daily, you know why? 25:12 Because this is a process going on. 25:14 Let's took at the construction site. 25:15 Let's go ahead and say I went ahead 25:17 and signed a contract with some builders 25:19 that they're gonna build me a new house 25:21 and they say, "John all we ask of you is sign the contract. 25:25 We'll do the work and when we're done 25:26 you'll be shocked about what we could do." 25:29 But I come back and say, 25:30 "Well, I don't like the color paint, I don't..." 25:31 He said look, "You hired us to do the job. 25:34 We promised what we began, we're gonna finish 25:37 but you got to keep your hands off the job. 25:39 We do this, this is what we do for a living 25:41 but I can't see how it's gonna... 25:42 That's not..." 25:44 "You can't, of course you can't see this. 25:45 You're not a builder." 25:46 So we're trying to interrupt a process 25:48 that Jesus has started through the in-dwelling spirit 25:50 and because we can't see how it's gonna work 25:52 we put our hands in the process 25:53 and he says, "Let me tell you something. 25:56 I'm dealing with an extreme make over here, 25:58 would you please let me tear down all the junk you had, 26:01 empty all those old selves and when I'm done 26:04 you're gonna say when that bus is moved, huh. 26:07 Unbelievable. 26:08 So you can't see what it's gonna be, 26:09 now go ahead John. 26:11 But what you need to know is while you can't see 26:12 what's gonna happen you need to know 26:15 that we are still on this contract, 26:17 we still have an agreement, you are... 26:19 I'm your father, you're my son, 26:20 we are still under this contract 26:22 just let me do my job 26:23 and you'll be shocked when I am done." 26:24 Go ahead and see it, read it. 26:26 "Behold, what manner of love 26:27 the Father hath bestowed upon us, 26:29 that we should be called children of God." 26:30 Exactly. 26:32 "Therefore the world does not know us 26:33 because it did not know him." 26:34 Okay, now the next one. 26:36 "Beloved, now we are the children of God 26:38 and it has not been reviled yet what we shall be." 26:41 Okay stop, don't go yet. 26:42 It has not yet been reviled what we're gonna look like. 26:45 Right. Go ahead. 26:47 "But we know that, when he is reviled, 26:50 we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is." 26:54 Isn't that an amen? Yes. 26:56 So it doesn't yet... 26:57 This whole new birth process of being born again... 27:00 See baptism is just a contract 27:03 and when baptism is taking you off of death row, 27:07 saving you from certain death 27:10 daily it saving you from the power of sin 27:15 that, that one time transaction when you baptize, 27:18 saving you from the penalty of sin. 27:21 You're taken off of death row you're not gonna die anymore 27:23 but the Lord has to every days say 27:25 John you got to die today again, 27:27 you got to die today again, you got to die today again 27:29 because as long as you're willing to die 27:31 you'll be safe from the power of sin 27:34 and if you're safe from the power of sin 27:36 I can keep working inside of you. 27:38 But the moment you let that power of sin 27:40 take over again it's gonna rain in your mortal body. 27:44 So I'm gonna try and put the rap around this. 27:46 Go ahead. 27:48 John 14, in this passage it's about the transitioning 27:53 of Christ in his work, 27:54 in his mission to the disciples. 27:56 That's right. 27:57 He's meeting with him in the upper room 27:58 it's right before his crucifixion 28:00 he's saying the work that I started 28:01 you're gonna finish and then he says in verse 16, 28:07 "I will pray the Father 28:08 and he will give you another helper". 28:10 I like the New King James Version, 28:12 the best of the translation 28:13 because in context Jesus is saying I'm giving 28:16 someone who will help you do this. 28:17 That's right. 28:19 Okay, now just a comforter, right. 28:21 But he's gonna help you. 28:23 He's gonna be the one that enables you to do this 28:26 and it says, "He may abide with you forever, 28:28 the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, 28:30 because it neither sees him nor knows him 28:32 but you know him," listen to this, 28:34 "for he dwells with you, and will be in you." 28:36 That's right. 28:38 Now these are powerful words, listen to this next statement. 28:40 Jesus then brings it back to himself. 28:42 "I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you." 28:45 That's right, I may sense in a while 28:46 that it's gonna be me. 28:48 "I will come to you." 28:49 The holy spirit moving in... That's right. 28:51 Brings Christ into your life. That's right. 28:54 When you hear Christians say I have Christ in me 28:57 it means the Holy Spirit is empowered 29:00 and is motivating in me and helping me 29:02 do everything that God has asked me to do in my life. 29:06 And so I asked the question, John. 29:08 If someone's not converted, 29:10 if they're in only the conviction state 29:12 so there's no conversion, 29:14 there's no Holy Spirit moving in, 29:15 can Christ dwell in you? 29:17 No. No, you can't, it can't be. 29:19 So I like what CA Murray says, he says, 29:21 "We need a lot more converts 29:23 in the church instead of convicts" 29:25 That's a powerful statement. 29:26 I had been coining that, I had been repeating that 29:28 so many of us are convicts, we're convicted to the Sabbath, 29:31 convicted of die, convicted of the state of dead, 29:33 convicted of the 2,300 days, 29:35 convicted of the right teaching of what happens when you die, 29:38 who are not converted. 29:40 Yeah. 29:41 So don't get doctrinal conviction 29:43 mixed with spiritual conversion. 29:45 Last text, Romans 8:10 and this is the death 29:49 that the Pastor may have been talking to you about 29:51 and if Christ is in you the body is dead 29:54 because of sin but the spirit is alive 29:59 because of righteousness. 30:01 This whole body is gonna be traded one day. 30:05 It's mortal flesh 30:07 but because of the spirit of God 30:08 living in your life, 30:09 he's able to hold that body and check. 30:12 So you don't do what you want to do 30:14 and the only way that you could daily 30:16 hold that body and check is Galatians 2:20, 30:19 "I have been crucified with Christ. 30:23 Nevertheless I live, it is no longer I who live 30:27 but Christ who lives in me and the life 30:31 which I now live in the flesh," this moral body, 30:34 "I live by faith in the Son of God 30:36 who loved me and gave himself for me." 30:41 Don't fit it. 30:42 Just allow the construction process 30:44 to continue every day, read the construction plan, 30:47 God's word, familiarize yourself 30:50 with the builder, Jesus, 30:52 he's gonna finish and put a corner stone in there 30:55 and then you'll be just like him when you're done. 30:57 Praise the Lord, praise the Lord for... 30:58 when he's done, we'll be just like him. 31:01 Albright, let's transition, John. 31:02 Any questions you have send those questions 31:04 to this following address 31:09 that's 31:12 We thank you for those questions, 31:14 we've been getting some good questions 31:16 and praise the Lord for those good questions, 31:20 and thank you for your participation, 31:22 we can't do this program without you. 31:24 Now John, let's dive back into our topic. 31:27 We started on repentance and there are so many doors 31:31 there in the topic of Repentance. 31:32 Yeah. 31:34 Let's go ahead and... 31:35 Well, we talked about the need for repentance, 31:36 how that's the key part of saving us from our sins 31:39 and the promise that the Lord will do that if we repent. 31:43 So there's, there is a part that we play 31:46 in the salvation process and that part is to repent. 31:49 That's right. 31:50 But there are things that go with that repentance, 31:52 there are parts of that repentance 31:54 and that's what we're looking at 31:55 in these seven aspects. 31:56 The first one was the examination, 31:58 which is the examination of self, what's in us, 32:01 Lord search my heart 32:02 see if there's any wicked way in me, 32:04 reveal all those things to me, 32:05 and number two was condemnation, 32:07 in other words recognizing that we are condemned, 32:10 we are judged and in fact 32:12 we didn't read one verse that we added to that one too. 32:15 Why don't you read that one? 32:16 you have... 32:17 1 John 3:20 and 21, setting it up, 32:21 this condemnation we wrestle as we talked about that word, 32:24 condemnation, because you know, 32:26 it almost sounds like to be a Christian 32:28 you need to just say, "I'm a bad person, 32:29 I'm a horrible person, I'm a terrible person, 32:31 I just have to flog myself and beat myself 32:33 till I'm gushing with blood 32:35 and the worse I feel, the better I am. 32:37 That's not what we're talking about. 32:38 We're talking about recognizing and accepting your condition. 32:41 You know, if you have a toothache 32:43 and your tooth keeps aching you say, 32:45 "I'm okay, I'm aright, " "Hey you need help?" 32:50 "No, I'll be just fine." 32:52 Before you know it's gonna be abscess 32:53 and then you're gonna need a root canal, 32:54 and maybe if you ignore that, your teeth starting falling. 32:57 Hey, have you seen that recent YouTube thing 33:00 with the Girl with the nail on her head? 33:02 No. 33:04 I have to show it to you later. 33:05 You know, the adage is that the men 33:08 don't listen to their wives, 33:09 they want to fix their wives problem, 33:10 but they're just not good listeners, 33:12 you know, some woman just want to be listened to. 33:14 Well, she's talking to her husband 33:16 and she's got a nail sticking out of her head 33:18 and he's trying to help her remove the nail to reveal that, 33:21 this is why she has headaches, 33:22 this is why she's having a problem 33:24 but she keeps stopping him. 33:26 It's not about the nail and then it goes hard, 33:29 but it's obvious, it's the nail on her head. 33:31 I'll show it to you afterward but... 33:33 And you know what? That's what I like. 33:35 It's so true. It's the nail in my head. 33:37 It is. Nail head. 33:38 That's a thought to think about. 33:40 But I love this verse. 33:41 This verse was really good and I'm glad you added that 33:43 to this piece of... 33:44 Because it really clarifies 33:46 why we stuck with the word condemnation. 33:48 Here it is, 1 John 3:20 and 21, "For if our hearts, 33:54 if our heart condemns us 33:57 God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 34:02 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, 34:06 we have confidence towards God." 34:08 Now I want to, I want to add another text to this. 34:11 Hebrews 10:16, 34:13 "How could your heart condemn you 34:15 unless there's something that the Lord placed there, 34:20 that lets you know your condition." 34:22 Hebrews 10:16, go there. 34:24 "How could your heart condemn you? 34:27 Unless the Lord placed something there, 34:29 to help you..." 34:31 10:16 you said? Hebrews 10:16. 34:32 Okay. 34:35 "This is the covenant that I will make with them 34:37 in the last days in these days, says the Lord, 34:40 I will put my laws in their hearts, 34:42 and in their minds I will write them". 34:43 Amah. 34:45 So how could your heart condemn you 34:46 except when you look in there and you say 34:48 "Lord, why did you do that? 34:50 What is that?" "That's my law, look at it." 34:53 "Do I have to?" "Yes, look at it." 34:56 And you look at it, "Thou shall not steal, 35:00 " look at it "Thou shall not..." 35:02 "Alright, I got the point." 35:05 "If you didn't put that in my heart 35:06 I wouldn't feel bad right now, I know I need you." 35:08 Yeah. 35:09 But if you look at your heart and you said 35:10 "Thou shall not steal." 35:12 "But I don't steal." But thank you, what? 35:13 I looked at the Lord and by your grace 35:15 I don't do those things. 35:16 Oh. I've confidence now. 35:18 This is why we say 35:20 as preachers there are two kinds of guilt's, right? 35:21 Exactly. 35:23 The one kind of guilt is the good kind 35:24 and drives us or causes us to look to Christ, 35:28 the bad kind of guilt is the kind 35:30 that is this constant woes me and... 35:32 Yeah. 35:33 And not really recognizing that Christ righteousness, 35:36 which is the second part of this verse. 35:38 We have confidence for God. 35:40 We need to move beyond that guilt once it does its work 35:43 and so this is what we're saying with condemnation 35:46 guilt's had it's affect, it's done its work, 35:47 we stand conduct, we accept judgment 35:50 and now we move to number three. 35:52 And you know, John, in friends, I know that, you know this. 35:56 When we try to justify our unrighteous activity, 36:02 we ignore what our heart is saying to us, 36:07 we ignore what the spirit is prompting us 36:11 about our own condition, and when people, 36:13 they, you could see it sometimes, 36:14 I don't know why you think I have a problem. 36:16 I don't have a problem, you have a problem, 36:17 what do you mean you have a problem? 36:19 Well, I'm telling you that you're, I said the other day, 36:22 and this will come up in one of my sermons, hiding, 36:25 being willingly ignorant about your condition 36:28 is like hiding garbage in your house. 36:31 You know what, my wife and I, this came to me, 36:33 we went away once and we forgot just in hurry 36:37 to take the garbage out 36:38 and we were not gone for just four days. 36:40 We went to Nash field and came back. 36:41 When we came back, you ever had that? 36:43 You open the front door and you go, "Ooh." 36:45 What was that? 36:47 What is that? 36:48 Oh. I forgot. 36:49 Remember we threw the stuff off from the fridge 36:51 and forgot it in the garbage can. 36:53 The garbage can is like, you know, 36:55 45 feet away from us but it seems that 36:58 it's at the front door waiting for us 36:59 to open and say "Got you." 37:01 That's how sin is, if you try to hide sin, 37:05 it will not only meet you at the door, 37:08 but it'll grab your nostrils and say, 37:10 "I told you stop ignoring me and here I am. 37:13 Now I stink, " 37:14 and that's why you have people with stink attitudes. 37:17 And their behavior stinks, 37:22 because they don't examine themselves 37:25 so they are condemned 37:26 because they try to justify their actions. 37:29 And by the way, as you go to the next point 37:30 of this verse. 37:33 The ones that refuse to be self examined, 37:36 the one that refuse to allow the Lord 37:38 to reveal to them their condition, 37:39 they'll be, they'll be... 37:42 What's the word here? 37:43 They'll fell condemned also, 37:45 but their condemnation is to judgment. 37:47 They'll be the ones running to the rocks in the mountains 37:49 and say hide us from the lamb who sits on the throne, 37:52 Revelation 6 Those are the ones that'll say, 37:55 "Okay, I'm guilty but it's too late then." 37:58 So acknowledge your guilt now and run to the savior 38:01 who is the only one that can remedy your condition 38:04 but if you hide it, your heart is gonna condemn you 38:07 and you'll be self destructing. 38:08 Yeah. 38:10 Albright number three, so we had examination, 38:12 we have condemnation and now number three is contrition. 38:15 Okay. 38:16 Albright contrition, sorrow for sin, 38:20 don't want to continue this way, 38:22 want to move beyond it, don't want that life 38:25 and really this isn't just asking for forgiveness 38:27 from God but apologizing to him. 38:30 And I think sometimes... 38:32 Coming clean with it. 38:33 Yeah, well, but I like the word apologize. 38:35 I think sometimes we don't say to God, "I'm sorry." 38:41 I apologize how I've neglected our relationship, 38:45 or I have not listened to your spirit 38:48 but I got angry anyway. 38:49 I hurt our relationship, 38:51 I apologize, I'm sorry for that. 38:53 I think apologies... 38:55 What is an apology without sorrow? 38:57 It's nothing. 38:58 You know, go tell your brother you're sorry, you hit him. 39:01 Do I have to? Tell him you're sorry. 39:03 "I'm sorry." 39:04 Does that really do anything? No. 39:07 I'm so glad, you mention, because in my counseling 39:10 what I say to people, 39:11 I say apologize to him, apologize to her. 39:16 They begin with apology but sorrow is something 39:18 that is bound by God working on your heart, 39:21 and then you come back later with a humble spirits and say, 39:23 you know, "I am so sorry." 39:26 And they hear that, but if you say "say sorry, 39:29 " "I'm sorry," "I'm sorry too, aright? 39:31 We fine? Good. Now let's get out of here." 39:33 That's not sorrow, that's... 39:34 apology is the legal recognition that, 39:37 I did something wrong. 39:38 That's a legal recognition. Sorrow is Godly produced. 39:41 It's not produced by the instantaneous moment 39:43 that I got caught 39:45 and when people say to the judge, 39:47 "Okay, your honor, I'm sorry. 39:49 Can I go now?" 39:50 What? 39:52 You're doing some time, 39:53 that's not the attitude of a person that's sorrowful. 39:55 You know, that's why they always give the criminal 39:57 a chance to say something to the family. 39:59 Well, and I say this is well, if sorrow is not, 40:02 is not there in your heart, 40:04 and after recognizing, examine yourself, 40:05 and recognizing that you're condemned. 40:08 If sorrow is not there ask God for it, 40:10 ask God to help that sorrow 40:15 drive you further and further into a level of repentance 40:18 that result in forgiveness. 40:20 Right. 40:22 'Cause if you don't have sorrow, 40:23 forgiveness doesn't occur. 40:25 it doesn't because you don't 40:27 even feel bad for your activity, you just... 40:29 "Okay, aright. 40:31 So I'm keeping the sad but what else 40:33 do you want me to do?" 40:34 You need to get rid of that bad behavior. 40:36 Yeah. 40:37 You need to acknowledge that the way you're living 40:39 is not a witness to the Lord being in your life. 40:42 One of the worse advertisements to the world is the Christian 40:45 who professes Christ but don't live that way. 40:47 You know, and so this contrition, 40:50 but read some of these texts I think these texts 40:51 you put here are beautiful. 40:53 Yeah, Psalm 34:18, 40:54 "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart 40:58 and save such as have a contrite spirit." 41:00 That's right. 41:01 The contrite spirit is like, "You're right, I am... 41:05 Lord I confess, I did it." Yeah. 41:10 And that's why this one is the next one. 41:11 Yeah. 41:13 Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. 41:16 A broken and a contrite heart, 41:19 these, Oh God, You will not despise." 41:21 That's right. 41:22 Humble heart, humble, 41:23 when you deal with things in a humble way, 41:27 "Cast me not away from thy presence Oh Lord 41:30 and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. 41:33 Restore to me, the joy of my salvation." 41:36 See David prayed that prayer 'cause he knew that 41:39 and the Lord, you know, the Lord forgave him 41:42 because he had a contrite spirit. 41:45 And when you come before the Lord that way, 41:48 contrition, sorrow for sin not just, "I'm sorrow, 41:52 sorry I got caught." 41:54 Which is what most of it is. 41:55 Yes, sorry I mean I didn't know what came over me. 41:59 That's fake. 42:01 We will pause this there. 42:03 You don't have to read the whole thing, 42:04 but 2 Corinthians. 42:05 Oh yeah. This is really... 42:07 2 Corinthians 7:9 to 11. 42:08 2 Corinthians 7:9 to 11, "Now I rejoice, 42:13 not that you were made sorrow 42:15 but that your sorrows led to repentance." 42:18 Beautiful text. 42:20 "For you were made sorrow in a Godly manner, 42:23 that you might suffer loss from us in nothing, 42:27 " you know people that lose everything 42:29 don't have a Godly sorrow. 42:31 The judge says, "I'm giving you one more chance, 42:34 you could either plea bargain, 42:37 but you got to acknowledge you did this, 42:38 or you could go ahead and go to trial 42:40 but if you lose you're getting 30 years. 42:42 You could try to justify your actions 42:44 which we know you're guilty of. 42:46 But you can plea bargain, I'm sorry..." 42:48 Throw yourself on the mercy of the court. 42:50 You know, always say people that are guilty 42:52 don't need justice they need mercy, 42:54 people that are innocent need justice. 42:57 But it goes on to say, 42:59 "For Godly sorrow produces repentance 43:01 leading to salvation. 43:04 Not to be regretted, 43:06 but the sorrow of the world produces death." 43:09 That's what we just talked about. 43:11 "For observe this very thing 43:13 that you sorrowed in a Godly manner. 43:16 What diligence it produced in you? 43:18 What clearing of yourselves? 43:21 What indignation? 43:22 What fear? What the eminent desire? 43:24 What zeal? 43:26 What vindication?" 43:27 I love how that he expresses all those things 43:29 that come with repentance, it's just great. 43:31 in all things, you proved yourself 43:34 to be clear in this matter, that's beautiful. 43:38 That's like man you went to this trail 43:40 and man you came out, you hung in there, 43:43 you answered the questions, you were honest, you were open. 43:46 Fest up? 43:47 You fest up, 43:48 we're gonna give you second chance 43:50 and that's a, that's a... 43:51 that's a whole text, you don't need to show them that text. 43:53 No. That's a whole text. 43:55 That's what we're talking about the contrition. 43:56 When a person is really honestly sorrow, 43:58 people accept that. 44:00 You know, people care sometimes less 44:02 about your ability and more about your attitude 44:05 about things and that's just beautiful there. 44:07 That's the great one, John. 44:08 That's a Praise the Lord, he lead you to, 44:10 I told you I'm gonna preach this sermon. 44:12 But I'm not gonna tell you where. 44:14 Aright, the next one, 44:16 number four, after contrition, confession. 44:19 Confession, no excuses, 44:22 taking full accountability for your sin, okay? 44:25 Confess it to God, let him know. 44:28 Be specific, okay, 44:30 these are some of the things that we need to do, 44:31 not just generalized I mean... 44:33 Yeah, I'm a sinner. 44:35 It is healthy to go in and say I did this wrong yesterday 44:39 and I confess that. 44:41 Please, forgive me. 44:42 You know, John, as you read these texts. 44:43 That's why when the police are examining you they said, 44:46 "yesterday at 11:45 PM, where were you?" 44:50 Well, you know, I got up in the morning, 44:52 brushed my teeth. 44:53 "Sir, we're not talking about the morning, 44:55 we're not talking about brushing your teeth 44:56 unless you brush your teeth late at night. 44:57 Where were you at 11:45 PM yesterday?" 45:00 "Well, you know I had lunch..." 45:01 "sir, you're avoiding the... 45:03 Where were you at 11:45 PM last night, 45:06 when the crime was committed?" 45:08 "I was home, sleeping." 45:10 "Do you have any proof of that? 45:12 Was anyone there?" "No. I'm single." 45:15 And they thought, "yeah, he's evading us." 45:17 See this is what he's talking about. 45:19 Go ahead, read that text, Psalm 22:5, that's powerful. 45:22 "I acknowledged my sin to you 45:24 and my inequity I have not hidden. 45:26 I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord 45:29 and you forgave the inequity of my sin." 45:33 Why would you? Why couldn't he hide it? 45:35 There's nothing hidden to God, 45:38 you're talking about radar detectives 45:39 and night vision God has it all. 45:43 But you know what, John, 45:44 what I love about this topic is we're walking people 45:47 through the very basic elementary things 45:49 of what Christianity is. 45:51 So often we think Christianity is 45:53 why your denomination teaches 45:54 compared to my denomination teaches. 45:56 The Lord can always bring you to an understanding 45:58 of the truth, but you have to first understand who am I? 46:01 That's right. Who am I? 46:03 What position am I in? 46:05 What difference is this gonna make in my life? 46:07 So if I acknowledge and I'm specific, 46:09 I ask, to I asked him to break the bonds of sin 46:12 that keeps me from and I've discovered, John, 46:14 and I know you've 'cause you've talked about your past 46:16 and you were grown up and you dabbled in drugs 46:19 and in my life I dabbled in a lot of things, 46:22 and just to be general and broad about it, 46:25 but what we asked Lord to do is 46:26 to break the bonds that hold us. 46:28 Yeah. Break the bonds of wickedness. 46:30 Yeah. 46:31 Break down the strong holds, snap the chain, 46:34 disconnect us from the old man of sin and it really works. 46:38 But the other one is really good, James 5:16. 46:40 Yeah. 46:41 "Confess your trespasses to one another 46:43 and pray for one another that you may be healed. 46:46 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man 46:48 avails much." 46:49 I like that and we're not talking about every little sin, 46:53 confess it to each other, these are things 46:55 when you have wronged somebody else. 46:56 Right. 46:58 You need to go confess that to the person you've wronged 46:59 as well as to God. 47:01 That's right. 47:02 Cause God wants to heal a relationship 47:03 not only between him and you 47:05 but between that person and you as well. 47:06 And what's important about this is sometimes 47:08 we dishonor somebody in public 47:12 and we go ask God for forgiveness, 47:14 God says you know what, 47:16 if you have awe between you and your brother, 47:19 you go leave your sacrifice at the alter. 47:21 Go fix that thing and then come back. 47:23 Don't be trying to make any private confession 47:26 of a public embarrassing situation, 47:28 fix that thing and there are some people that probably 47:31 need to apologize for the way that they hurt people publicly. 47:35 I've seen people do that publicly. 47:37 They'll hurt someone publicly and they'll go and say, 47:40 "Well, I asked God to forgive me." 47:41 They just need to get over it. Yeah. 47:42 I don't even know, that's why it says... 47:44 That attitude. It's terrible. 47:46 That attitude is just like it's an unrepentant heart. 47:50 That's why he says confess your trespass 47:53 to one another. 47:55 Why? That you may be healed. 47:58 That relationship can be mended again. 48:01 We won't speak of who of course 48:03 but you and I were involved 48:04 in a reconciliation process years ago. 48:06 Yeah. 48:07 And I remember, coming to the wife of, 48:09 the husband and wife on one side of this thing, 48:12 and this was at church, we pulled her aside. 48:14 And I think you asked her the question, 48:17 "Will you get together 48:18 to help finish up this reconciliation process 48:21 'cause your husband has, will you?" 48:22 She said, "No." Right. 48:25 "Don't you understand that this, 48:27 not only separates you from him and that family, 48:29 but between you and God?" 48:31 "I don't care." Right. 48:32 I mean, she was flippant, 48:34 she just wouldn't even consider it 48:37 and sometimes we get so defiant 48:39 that self is risen up so much 48:41 we can't even find an avenue to repent 48:44 or even have a remote sorrow for sin. 48:46 And that's so dangerous, 48:48 we don't know ourselves as we should. 48:50 We need to get back to the beginning 48:51 and do some self examination when that happens, right? 48:54 And you know what, it's about pride, 48:55 pride could kill you, 48:57 you know there are six things 48:58 that God hates the seventh is pride, pride will kill you. 49:02 It will build your, you would, 49:04 pride will make you build your own gallows 49:07 and make you hang yourself 49:09 and laugh at you while you're climbing up there, 49:10 putting the rope around your neck. 49:12 But if you stop somewhere along the way, 49:14 that pride could be put the pride to death 49:17 so that you could live. 49:18 And this whole thing about self justification, 49:21 self, I put self abdication that's self sacrifice. 49:24 Self, defeat self rather than allow self to defeat you. 49:30 And it's really the whole thing about, 49:33 I've hear people say, "I don't deserve this." 49:38 Let me tell you, you deserve death. 49:40 We all deserve death. 49:42 So we have to understand the community of Christianity 49:45 requires that we handle each other with such care. 49:48 Confess your trespasses to one another 49:50 as far as it is possible with you be at peace. 49:53 In this session, John, 49:55 this session one confession is huge. 49:58 Cause churches have been spilt, families have been spilt, 50:01 our communities have been destroy 50:03 because people say, 50:05 look you got to fix between you and that's fine, 50:08 You got I'm talking to many more. 50:10 I'm going to that church. 50:11 She's gonna that church. I'm moving to this country. 50:14 I know people that move across the world 50:16 just so not to deal with that situation 50:18 but In fact their hearts are still at odds 50:22 with their walk with Christ. 50:23 And the Lord Is saying, 50:24 "Hey, you just need to buy a ticket 50:26 and go back and fix that 50:27 because you isn't going into heaven 50:29 as long as you think that, that situation is on resolve 50:31 and your happy with that and like a resolution." 50:33 that's why verse this one, this next one Is great 50:36 about the whole thing about confession. 50:40 You're talking about the next versus? 50:42 Yeah, I John 1:9,10, "If we confess our sins, 50:45 he Is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 50:49 and he cleanse us all from unrighteousness. 50:52 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar. 50:56 And his word Is not In us." 50:57 And you know what? 50:59 The other thing about... 51:00 That's powerful, that confessing and the Lords, 51:04 the Lord says, "Did you do It?" 51:05 "Yeah." "Okay." 51:06 Confess, I'll forgive you, I'll cleanse you. 51:11 But then you have the flip side of that, 51:13 he who covers his sin will not prosper. 51:16 Proverbs 28:13, "He who covers his sin 51:20 will not prosper but whoever confesses 51:22 and forsakes them will have mercy." 51:25 Some people cover their sins, I will say that, you know, 51:29 when I put this In the bright context, 51:31 you see, being cleansed Is not a default. 51:35 The Lord Is the cleanser 51:37 but being cleansed Is not a default, 51:39 It Is Imparted to us on contingent basis 51:43 If we confess our sins, 51:46 he Is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse. 51:50 You know, working... 51:52 You can't wash your car in a garage, 51:53 you got to take it to a car wash. 51:55 I mean you could wash it in your garage technically, 51:57 but this, the pardoning grace of Christ 52:00 is when you come to him. 52:02 And the forgiveness and cleansing 52:03 are really two parts of this process 52:06 because both are involved in the healing. 52:10 Forgiveness is the, the not holding it against you part, 52:14 cleansing is helping to remove even sometimes the inclination 52:20 that is so strong in someone for that sin. 52:24 So our hearts also need to be cleansed from the attachment 52:27 we have to the sins that easily be set us. 52:29 Right? That's right. 52:30 And so they're cleansing, 52:31 I want the cleansing up my heart 52:33 so I'm not feeling like I keep go, 52:35 wanting to go back to that sin so much 52:37 and we've all fought these battles, 52:38 they're in there with us. 52:39 But he needs to forgive and cleanse us. 52:42 Both are important. That's right. 52:43 It's very powerful, 52:44 that's good and you know 52:46 the whole thing about the confessing part, 52:47 confessing not only to the Lord for what is between you and him 52:51 but to one and another 52:52 and so that relationships can be stronger. 52:54 And anytime we see, anytime we think 52:56 that we are better than the other person, 52:59 it stops blocking the process of, 53:01 and this next step is very important to... 53:04 So the next step number five is submission, okay? 53:08 Submission, and this I put there pursuing God's will. 53:11 It's more to that but when we submit 53:13 what we're really doing is differing. 53:15 We're putting down self or dying to self 53:19 and we're pursuing what God's plan for our life is 53:23 so when during our will to God. 53:25 Now we're all very strong willed. 53:28 Now there is an element of the survival of the fittest, 53:31 right, in us. 53:32 I mean that's an evolutionary term 53:34 but there is an element that wants to survive, 53:36 self wants to be alive and well, 53:38 that's the sin that's in us that's causing that 53:41 but surrendering to God, 53:43 let him take the reigns of your life 53:45 that is what submission is about 53:48 and submission doesn't have a good connotation 53:50 to many people. 53:52 But this submission is really a willing surrender to someone 53:56 who knows us best and loves us the most, 54:00 and that's important 54:02 'cause you can submit to someone like that. 54:03 Right, you can do that. 54:05 You really can and just a quick text. 54:08 "Seek the Lord while he may be found, 54:11 call upon him while he is near, " Isaiah 55:6. 54:14 James 4:8, "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. 54:18 Cleanse your hands, you sinners, 54:20 and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 54:23 And if we and so submission is so widely important because... 54:27 We could spend a ton of time on that 54:28 but we want to move on to number six. 54:30 Yeah. 54:32 Do you want to finish all these? 54:33 We got three minutes. I'm not sure, there's two more. 54:37 You can finish up in one more program. 54:38 We could do that. 54:40 Then we'll do that because there's another element 54:41 I'd like to finish which isn't here. 54:43 Okay. 54:44 And then it would really take us out. 54:46 So I think we could probably finish this part of it 54:49 which is submission by reading this text 54:52 from 1 Peter 5:6-10. 54:53 Go ahead, read that. 54:55 "Therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, 54:58 that He may exalt you in due time, 55:01 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 55:05 Be sober, be vigilant; 55:07 because your adversary the devil walks around 55:09 like a roaring lion seeking who he may devour. 55:13 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, 55:16 knowing that the same sufferings 55:17 are experience by your brotherhood in the world. 55:20 But may the God of all grace, 55:21 who called us to His eternal glory 55:23 by the Christ Jesus, 55:25 after you have suffered a while, 55:26 perfect, establish, strength, and settle you." 55:29 So notice the train of blessings 55:31 that come after humbling ourselves 55:33 before the Lord. 55:34 And that's the description of submission. 55:36 Submission is the act of humbling ourselves. 55:42 Submitting ourselves to God, but then there's another one, 55:45 Ephesians 5:21, "Submitting to one another 55:48 in the fear of God." 55:49 Oh, that's good. I'm gonna put that one down. 55:50 "Submitting to one another in the fear of God, 55:52 " Ephesians 5:21. 55:54 We don't like to submit to one another. 55:57 You know, and then Paul also says 55:59 "Submit to those who are in authority. 56:01 Know those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord 56:05 and admonish them for their work sake. 56:08 See, so when we submit to one another 56:10 in the fear of God, we're saying "God. 56:14 Close your eyes, I ain't saying that I'm not apologizing." 56:17 Now, God used to make... 56:19 "Okay, I hear you Lord, 56:20 " you know, John, I'm really sorry. 56:22 Yeah. 56:23 I understand that you are in authority, 56:26 I'll submit to your leadership. 56:28 And, you know, leadership, 56:29 that was the problem in the Israelites. 56:32 They wouldn't submit to Moses, they wouldn't submit to Aaron. 56:34 You go to every prophet 56:36 that God called to lead the people. 56:37 And then Steven said "Which one of the prophets 56:41 that God has sent to you that you haven't even stoned?" 56:44 Why is it so important to submit? 56:46 1 Peter 5:5, I'll just give this last part 56:50 "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 56:53 Submit yourselves to the elders." 56:56 James 4:7, "Submit to God. 56:58 Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." 57:01 Yeah. 57:04 This year's, I think we have two or three more 57:06 that we'll cover in our next one. 57:08 But this is, like you said, it's very practical. 57:11 This is the basic Christianity 57:13 and this is what we want 57:15 in this to help people understand 57:16 that surrounds this subject of repentance. 57:19 And Ellen White says "All who submit 57:21 to the power of the spirit of God, 57:24 all who submit to God, the spirit will consume sin." 57:28 May the Lord consume the sin in your life 57:31 that you may be all that he desires you to be. 57:33 God bless you. |
Revised 2016-07-21