Participants:
Series Code: AFDB
Program Code: AFDB000179S
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00:03 you by the friends of the Amazing Facts Ministry.
00:07 ♪♪♪ 00:09 Doug Batchelor: One of the more bizarre laws in 00:11 Minnesota forbids any game where participants chase a greased pig 00:16 in order to catch it. 00:18 It's also illegal to throw knives at men wearing striped 00:22 suits in Natoma, Kansas. 00:25 In West Virginia, using your ferret for hunting can land you 00:28 in jail for up to 100 days. 00:31 And you'd better not transport ice cream in your pocket 00:34 in Kentucky. 00:36 It's against the law to gather seaweed at night 00:39 in New Hampshire. 00:41 And in Vermont, a woman needs written permission from her 00:43 husband before she can lawfully wear false teeth. 00:47 Doesn't it seem like humans excel at making things 00:50 unnecessarily complex? 00:52 On the other hand, God's moral code is streamlined, simple, 00:57 and totally practical. 00:59 The Ten Commandments are also a perfect reflection of the loving 01:03 character of God. 01:05 They help us to see sin in our lives and to point us in the 01:08 right direction. 01:09 So, join me today, as we look deeper into this essential law 01:13 of love. 01:18 Doug: You know, I heard an interesting story. 01:21 Pastor Joe Cruz used to share this illustration, that the 01:25 shrimp out there in the ocean, when they molt, as they grow, 01:30 they slough off their old skin. 01:32 They have to swim down to the bottom of the shore, and they 01:37 grab a piece of sand, and with their little hands, they've got 01:40 a crevice in their head with a little pocket in it, and they 01:43 push a piece of sand down in there, and it's called 01:45 a status stone. 01:47 And what happens is when the shrimp are getting beat up in 01:49 the waves and the currents, and they're all swirling around, 01:51 they always know how to swim right side up, because they've 01:54 got this little piece of sand in their head that helps them keep 01:57 their equilibrium, and so that they know which end is up. 02:00 Well, a marine biologist got a bright idea. 02:02 He got an aquarium and filled them up with shrimp, but in the 02:05 bottom of the aquarium there was no sand. 02:08 He put little iron pellets. 02:11 And when it came time for them to molt and to replace their 02:13 status stone, they went down there; not finding any sand, 02:17 they all grabbed a little piece of iron, and they stuck it in 02:19 the crevice with their little claws, and everything was fine. 02:22 But this marine biologist had a sense of humor. 02:24 So, he got a large electromagnet, and he put it 02:27 across the top of the aquarium. 02:29 It was like a bar. 02:32 And he flipped the switch and turned it on; and as soon as he 02:34 did, all the shrimp spun around and began to swim upside down. 02:40 And he would watch that, and he turned it off, and they 02:42 swam normal. 02:43 And he turned it back on, they flipped upside down. 02:44 He thought, "This is amazing." Then he got another idea. 02:48 He said, "I wonder what'll happen if I take a normal shrimp 02:50 that's got the normal rock in his head and drop him in with 02:54 the other shrimp, will he flip upside down to fit in, or will 02:58 he swim appropriately? 03:01 So, he did that. 03:02 He dropped this other shrimp in that was a normal shrimp with a 03:04 piece of sand in his head, with all the other shrimps that had 03:06 rusty iron in their heads, and this one shrimp, he swam right 03:12 side up, and all the other shrimp began to talk about him. 03:17 I don't know if that's true. 03:19 But you can imagine what they were thinking. 03:21 "Who does this guy think he is? Why is he swimming upside down?" 03:23 He was actually the only one that was swimming right side up. 03:27 That's what's happening in our world today. 03:29 We've got people everywhere swimming upside down. 03:31 And since everyone else is swimming upside down, we think 03:33 we're supposed to flip upside down, too. 03:37 Someone once said because a million people believe a dumb 03:39 idea, it's still a dumb idea. 03:43 Moses said, "Do not follow a multitude to do evil." 03:47 And we're being just bombarded by media or the idea that we're 03:52 supposed to sacrifice our principles so that we could fit 03:55 in with the culture today. 03:56 We will not be judged by the culture. 03:58 We're going to be judged by the Word of God. 04:01 Now, the title for our presentation tonight is 04:04 "The Commands of the King." 04:07 You might be thinking, "Pastor Doug, in a prophecy seminar like 04:09 this, why are we talking about the law of God? 04:13 Let me give you three quotes from the book of Revelation, the 04:15 book of prophecy in the Bible, the last book in the Bible. 04:17 Revelation chapter 12, verse 17, "The dragon was wroth with the 04:22 woman, and he went to make war with the remnant of her seed 04:26 that keeps the commandments of God." 04:29 Who does the devil make war with? 04:30 The ones who keep the commandments of God. 04:32 You look in Revelation chapter 14, verse 12, "Here is the 04:36 patience of the saints. 04:38 Here are those who keep the commandments of God 04:41 and have the faith of Jesus." 04:43 Go to the last chapter in the Bible. 04:45 It's real easy to find, last chapter in Revelation, and it 04:48 said, "Blessed are those that keep His commandments, that they 04:51 might have a right to the tree of life and enter in through the 04:55 gates of the city." 04:56 So, here's three times in Revelation it says that the 04:59 people who are going to be successful and survive are the 05:03 ones who are obedient. 05:04 Indeed, when you look at the messages of Jesus to the seven 05:07 churches in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, it says, "to him who 05:09 overcomes," "to him who overcomes," "to him who 05:11 overcomes," seven times. 05:13 God wants His people to be an obedient people. 05:17 Now, I believe--in case there's any question--I don't want you 05:19 to doubt this at all. 05:20 We are saved by grace through faith. 05:23 We are saved by faith. 05:25 But I believe when you are saved by faith, you will obey. 05:29 Obedience is not legalism. 05:32 Some pastors are making it sound today like if you believe in or 05:35 talk about obedience, you are automatically a legalist. 05:38 The Bible does not teach that. 05:40 The Bible teaches that we are to be obedient to God. 05:43 He wants to save us from our sins, right? 05:46 Did Jesus keep the Ten Commandments? 05:49 What is a Christian? 05:50 A Christian is a follower of Christ. 05:52 Isn't that right? 05:54 So, if we do what Jesus did, you're safe. 05:57 What does the Bible say? 05:59 John 15, verse 10, Christ said, "I have kept My Father's 06:02 commandments and abide in His love." 06:06 The Bible says, "Thy word I have hidden in my heart that I might 06:09 not sin against thee." 06:11 How many people have sinned? 06:14 According to the Bible, "All have sinned and fallen short of 06:18 the glory of God." 06:20 Everybody sins. 06:21 So, we're not talking about that there's no hope for anyone 06:24 because we've all broken God's law. 06:27 What is the punishment for living a life of sin? 06:30 "The wages of sin is death." 06:33 It's very serious. 06:34 And when God saves us, he doesn't want us to just cut down 06:38 on our sin because sin is deadly. 06:42 He wants to save us from our sin. 06:44 And the Lord can help you stop the things and the addictions 06:49 that are a problem in your life. 06:51 He can help you stop lying. 06:53 He can help you stop stealing. 06:55 And yet, even the churches say, "Pastor Doug, now you're 06:57 getting legalistic." 06:59 I remember John Lomacang and I were doing an interview, a 07:03 debate on television, channel 42, oh, it must be 30 years ago, 07:07 with some other ministers about the commandments. 07:10 And these ministers said, "We're not under the law. 07:13 Nobody can keep the law." 07:15 And I said, "Are you telling me that nobody can keep 07:17 the Ten Commandments?" 07:18 They said, "No." 07:20 I said, "So, God gave people a law, told them to keep it, and 07:23 then punished them for not keeping it, and He knew they 07:25 could never keep it." 07:28 "So, that's right. 07:29 He needed them to understand that they couldn't do it, and so 07:31 that He was just going to have to forgive them through Jesus." 07:34 I said, "You don't think we can keep any of the commandments?" 07:37 I said, "You married?" 07:40 I said, "How about the seventh commandment?" 07:43 I said, "Do you believe the devil can tempt us to sin?" 07:47 "Yeah." 07:48 Said, "But you don't think Jesus can keep us from sin?" 07:51 So, in my book, Jesus said, "Greater is He that is in you 07:53 than he that is in the world." 07:55 Got all these bumper stickers out that say Christians 07:57 aren't perfect. 07:58 They're just forgiven. 08:00 And while I agree that Christians may not be perfect, 08:01 we are more than just forgiven. 08:03 We should be different. 08:05 God has called us to lives of holiness. 08:07 The penalty for sin is death. 08:09 Jesus came to save us from that by giving us new hearts. 08:12 Some say the Ten Commandments are not binding for 08:14 New Testament Christians. 08:16 What does Jesus say about that? 08:18 "If you would enter into life, keep the commandments." 08:22 Now, is that ambiguous? 08:24 Is that difficult to understand, or is that pretty plain coming 08:27 from the lips of our Savior? 08:30 If you would--and someone came to Him and said, "Lord, what 08:32 must I do to be saved?" 08:34 He says, "Do you know the commandments?" 08:36 And now he could've said, "Well, I've broken them." 08:37 And He would say, "Well, I'll forgive you for the ones you've 08:38 broken, but take up your cross and follow Me." 08:41 I live a new life. Jesus healed people. 08:44 He said, "Go and sin no more lest a worse thing come 08:46 upon you." 08:48 How can that be confused? 08:49 God wants us to stop our disobedience and not just be 08:52 Christians in word but in deed. 08:56 This is the Scriptures, friends. Amen? 08:59 But you don't hear this very often. 09:00 And there's a lot--that's why so many people are going to come to 09:02 Jesus in the last days. 09:03 "Okay, great. Lord, Lord, here I am." 09:06 And He's going to say, "I don't know you." 09:08 "Oh, but I taught in your streets and did many 09:09 wonderful works." 09:11 He says, "Depart from Me, you who are lawless." 09:15 In a translation, that's what it says. 09:17 "You who work iniquity--" 09:20 A lot of people just-- they want Jesus, 09:22 they want the benefits, they want the peace of mind. 09:24 They don't want to surrender their lives and obey. 09:28 "If you would enter into life, keep the commandments." 09:30 Jesus said, "If you love Me," do what? 09:33 "Keep My commandments." 09:35 Heard about this man that he had a drinking problem. 09:39 And he would come home drunk late every night, and his wife 09:42 would get so exasperated. 09:44 Had to be stumbling around the house. 09:45 She'd just lock him out. 09:47 And then he'd stand out there below their two-story house, and 09:50 he'd billow up to the window and say, "Honey, open up." 09:53 And all the neighbors would start waking up. 09:54 "Open up." 09:56 And then he'd always say, "I've got three words for you: 09:58 'I love you, I love you.'" 10:00 And she'd get tired of him bellowing out 10:02 there, and she'd go down, and she's surrender, 10:04 and she'd open the door. 10:05 This happened time and time again until one night she 10:07 couldn't take it anymore. 10:09 She'd locked him out. 10:10 He's out there on the street, waking up 10:12 the whole neighborhood. 10:13 "Three words: 'I love you, I love you.'" 10:15 She opened the door, decided to practice 10:18 some tough love, and she said, "I've got two words for you: 10:19 'Prove it,'" and she locked the door. 10:23 So, it's one thing to say, "I love you, Lord, I love you, 10:24 Lord," and a lot of Christians sing, "I love you, Lord, 10:27 I love you, Lord," but they don't obey Him. 10:30 The best way to show, "Obedience is better than sacrifice," 10:34 the Bible says. 10:35 The highest form of worship is to obey God, to do His will. 10:43 "Blessed are those who do His commandments." 10:45 I shared this with you earlier, Revelation 22:14, last chapter 10:47 in the Bible. 10:49 It is a prophecy subject. We don't understand this. 10:51 None of the mark of the beast and any of that is going to even 10:53 matter if you don't understand God wants a people 10:56 that will obey. 10:57 "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep 11:00 the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." 11:02 Revelation 14:12. 11:05 How is it possible to keep the commandments? 11:08 I mean, we're all weak. 11:09 We all struggle with sin and the devil and temptation every day, 11:13 but He can transform you. 11:15 Romans 8:3-4, Paul said, "God did this by sending His own Son. 11:21 He condemned sin in the flesh," meaning in us, "that the 11:24 righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us." 11:30 I came to the Lord, I had a terrible problem with cursing 11:33 and using God's name in vain, but the Holy Spirit came into my 11:36 mind; and through the power of Christ in me, I was able to get 11:40 the victory over that, and many other things. 11:43 And the Lord can give you the victory. 11:45 He can change you. 11:46 Don't underestimate the power of God. 11:49 "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the 11:51 day of Jesus Christ." 11:53 Philippians 1:6. 11:55 "I can do all things--" How many things? 11:57 "--all things through Christ who strengthens me." 12:02 Now, what is the old covenant; and why did it fail? 12:05 And I want to just illustrate something I think most 12:07 of us know. 12:09 We've got Bibles. 12:10 And in most normal Bibles, you've got your New Testament 12:12 and your Old Testament. 12:14 I just got lucky and grabbed right here, this is the New 12:17 Testament is about one-quarter of your Bible. 12:20 Old Testament--the word "testament" and "covenant" are 12:22 the same thing. 12:24 All of this is inspired. 12:26 People often call this the old covenant and this New Testament 12:28 our new covenant. 12:29 What does that mean? 12:31 What is that distinction all about? 12:33 The Bible tells us in Hebrews that the old covenant was 12:35 replaced by the new covenant, and I believe we are saved by 12:38 the new covenant. 12:42 Do you know how that goes? 12:43 By the way, where do you first find the--where do you find 12:45 the new covenant? 12:48 In the Old Testament. 12:50 In Jeremiah 31:31, it says, "A new covenant I will make with 12:53 the house of Israel after those days." 12:56 So, some people think that people are saved by 12:59 the old covenant. 13:01 Everybody's really saved by the new covenant, even the people in 13:03 the Old Testament. 13:06 I'm going to get to that in a little more detail here. 13:09 "So He declared to you His covenant that He commanded you 13:11 to perform, the Ten Commandments." 13:14 What is the covenant? 13:16 "The Ten Commandments: and He wrote them on 13:18 two tables of stone." 13:20 In the beginning, when the children of Israel heard God 13:22 proclaim His law--first, He proclaimed it. 13:25 If you're going to make a contract with someone, first you 13:26 get a verbal agreement. 13:28 When you both agree verbally, then you write it down. 13:30 Isn't that how you do it? 13:31 No sense--you go to a car dealership, you're going to go 13:34 back and forth haggling with the dealer. 13:36 When you finally agree on a number, then they write it down. 13:38 Then they do the contract. 13:39 They don't keep writing contracts. 13:41 And so, God pronounced His law audibly for the whole nation, 13:45 Ten Commandments. 13:46 The people said, "All the Lord has said, we will do." 13:48 They made a promise: "We will keep the covenant." 13:52 Well, while Moses was getting the written copy, they had a 13:55 wild party, they made a golden calf, they worshiped idols and 13:57 broke all the other commandments. 14:00 And the Bible says in Hebrews 8:8, "Because finding 14:03 fault with them--" 14:05 What was the fault of the old covenant? 14:06 Was it the law or the people? 14:09 They broke the terms of the covenant. 14:12 "Finding fault with them, He said, 'I'll make a new covenant 14:15 with the house of Israel.'" 14:16 By the way, who is the new covenant made with? 14:20 The house of Israel. 14:22 You find nowhere in the Bible it says, "I'll make a new covenant 14:24 with the Gentiles." 14:26 Everybody saved is saved through the covenant that He made with 14:28 the house of Israel. 14:30 That's who He makes the new covenant with. 14:32 But we, as Christians, are grafted into the stock 14:35 of Abraham. 14:36 We become Abraham's seed by faith, so Paul tells us in the 14:40 New Testament. 14:42 Upon what law is the new covenant based? 14:46 Same law. 14:48 Hebrews 8:10, "'For this is the covenant that I will make,' 14:51 says the Lord: 'I will put my law--'" 14:53 Now He's talking about the new covenant. 14:54 "'I'll put my law,'" same law, "'in their mind and write them 14:58 in their hearts.'" 14:59 It's the same law written in a different place. 15:03 See, for the Christian, it's not just the letter of the law; it's 15:06 the spirit of the law. 15:08 Christ, when He began teaching, He said, "It's not just the 15:11 action; it's the attitude." 15:14 It's not just the action of committing adultery. 15:17 Jesus said, "If you're thinking about adultery in your heart, 15:19 you're guilty of the attitude. 15:21 You're breaking the law." 15:22 He wants us to keep it in our lives and in our hearts, but 15:25 you've got to start in the heart, if it's going to be 15:27 kept in the life. 15:29 See what I'm saying? So, you need a new heart. 15:31 You can not only break the law, but it says murder by committing 15:35 homicide, but you can break it, Jesus said, by being angry with 15:38 your brother without a cause. 15:41 Doug: Don't go anywhere, friends. 15:43 We'll be back in just a moment with the rest of today's 15:45 presentation. 15:47 Would you like to have better relationships? 15:49 Silly question, right? 15:51 You desire more joy and fulfillment in your life. 15:54 Are you seeking a closer walk with Jesus? 15:57 And how can you grow spiritually in today's hectic world? 16:00 What if told you that the answer to all of these questions can 16:05 surprisingly be found in the Ten Commandments? 16:08 Amazing Facts would like to share with you Part 1 of our 16:11 12-part series, "Laws of Love and Liberty." 16:15 In this stirring message, we explore the amazing riches that 16:19 can be mined from each and every commandment, revealing that 16:22 God's law is still a treasure trove of wisdom that offers 16:26 incredible proven solutions to the real-world problems 16:29 of everyday life. 16:31 To get your free copy, call the phone number on the screen and 16:33 ask for Offer #808 or visit the web address. 16:38 And after you read this incredible resource, be sure and 16:41 share it with a friend. 16:42 Let's return now to today's presentation and learn some more 16:45 amazing facts from the Word of God. 16:49 Doug: The new covenant is about the law of God in our 16:51 hearts, and then we'll keep it in our lives. 16:54 We'll be keeping the spirit; and once you keep the spirit, 16:56 you will automatically keep the letter. 16:59 Did that make sense? Thank you. 17:01 Doesn't living under grace and faith make keeping 17:04 the law non-essential? 17:06 No, it's actually the opposite. 17:09 Paul says in Romans 6:15, "What then? 17:12 Shall we sin because we're not under the law but under grace? 17:15 Certainly not! God forbid." 17:18 Romans 3:31, "Do we then make void the law through faith? 17:22 Certainly not!" 17:24 And the King James says, "God forbid. 17:26 On the contrary. It's the opposite. 17:28 We establish the law by faith in our lives." 17:32 Jesus said, "It's not the hearers of the law 17:34 that are just." 17:35 Or actually, Paul says this in Romans chapter 3--let me 17:38 see--chapter 2, verse 13. 17:40 "It is not the hearers of the law that are just before God, 17:43 but the doers of the law will be justified." 17:46 That's just so clear. 17:47 Christ said, "Think not that I've come to destroy the law or 17:49 the prophets. 17:50 Do not think this." 17:52 He said, "I did not come to destroy but fulfill." 17:54 And people think fulfill means that He kept it and now we 17:57 don't have to. 17:58 That's absurd. 18:00 The word "fulfill" does not mean take away. 18:02 It means to fill it full; otherwise, Jesus would be 18:05 saying, "Do not think that I came to destroy the law. 18:08 I did not come to destroy the law but to do away with it." 18:11 That wouldn't make any sense, would it? 18:13 Fulfill means to fulfill it in your life. 18:17 He said that the blessing is on those who do and teach it. 18:22 Are people saved by keeping the law? 18:25 No. 18:26 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, not of 18:29 yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, 18:33 lest any man should boast." 18:36 I remember one time when a policeman pulled me over, and I 18:42 actually passed him. 18:44 I was deep in thought, and I don't know what I was thinking. 18:46 I'd just come off a road where you drive 70 miles an hour. 18:48 Now I'm on another highway, and it's 50 miles an hour, and I 18:51 went zinging by a highway patrolman, while he was 18:53 following another car. 18:54 He had left that car, and he got behind me, and he 18:56 pulled me over. 18:57 And he said--you know, you see, I had places to go, people to 18:59 see, things to do. 19:01 I did not want to pull over; but when you see the blue and white 19:03 lights in the back, and you look at your--how many of you 19:06 automatically look at your speedometer when you see 19:08 a highway patrolman? 19:10 How many of you automatically take your foot off 19:11 the accelerator? 19:13 You're going five miles an hour, and you go--it's 19:15 a guilty conscience. 19:18 So, once I broke the law, I am under the law. 19:23 When you break it, you're under the law. 19:25 I did not want to pull over, but I had to pull over. 19:28 He came over to me, and I said, "Officer, can you please 19:31 have mercy? 19:33 I just came off the freeway. It was 70 miles an hour. 19:35 I wasn't paying attention. Please--" 19:36 He said, "You weren't going that fast, but I was 19:38 following someone, and you passed me." 19:41 I said, "I am so sorry." 19:43 Said, "You know, I've got to believe that you just 19:45 weren't thinking." 19:46 I said, "Have mercy." 19:48 I said, "My insurance rates are going to go up. 19:49 My wife's going to find out, and then you know how that goes." 19:51 And I said--he said, "Ah, yeah, okay." 19:54 So, he said, "I'll have mercy." 19:56 And I was so thankful because, you know, you get the feeling 19:58 when you get pulled over, and they walk back, and they check 19:59 your license plate, and they're taking little notes. 20:01 You're going, "Oh, man. 20:03 I've got to go to traffic school again," and all these things. 20:06 And when he came back over, he said, "Okay, I'm giving you 20:10 a warning. 20:12 It won't be on your record. Slow down." 20:15 I said, "Hallelujah." I was so thankful. 20:20 So, I thought, "Praise the Lord, I am no longer under the law. 20:23 I'm now under grace." 20:25 So, before he got back to his car, I revved my engine, and I 20:30 popped it into second, I let out the clutch, and I went peeling 20:32 away, spraying gravel all over his hood because I thought, 20:35 "I am not under the law; now I'm under grace." 20:38 And I went 90 miles an hour. 20:40 Is that what I did? 20:42 Oh, no. 20:43 I put on my blinker, and I looked both ways until there was 20:47 no cars for, you know, three miles in either direction, and 20:51 I crawled out onto the road, and I just putted along. 20:53 I waved to the policeman, goodbye. 20:56 Because he's shown me mercy, I am more careful than 20:59 anybody, right? 21:01 Because now I'm not under the law. 21:02 Now I'm under grace. 21:04 Out of gratitude and love, you obey. 21:07 What motivates a person to obey God's law? 21:10 Answer: "Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." 21:16 When we love God, we will want to obey Him. 21:18 If you're having obedience problems, you're probably 21:20 having love problems. 21:22 You need to spend more time with Jesus in prayer and in the Word, 21:24 and that shapes you. 21:26 It gives you that strength. 21:28 It's through the Holy Spirit in your life, through being 21:31 connected and abiding in Christ. 21:33 "Whoever abides in Him sinneth not." 21:35 Whenever we get into trouble, we cease abiding. 21:37 We usually forget about the Lord and get in trouble. 21:40 "You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, 21:43 with all of your soul, with all of your mind." 21:45 It's through love. 21:47 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments." 21:51 1 John 5, verse 3. 21:53 Do you know how quickly Christianity would spread if 21:55 Christians really started living different, if we were holy, if 22:00 we loved each other, we tried to live out the law of God 22:02 in our lives? 22:05 Are some Old Testament laws no longer binding upon New 22:08 Testament Christians? 22:10 Absolutely. 22:11 The Bible tells us what they are. 22:13 "Having abolished the law of commandments contained 22:15 in ordinances." 22:17 And it's Ephesians 2:15. 22:20 That's the yearly sabbaths, the meat offerings, 22:22 the drink offerings. 22:24 We don't have to sacrifice lambs anymore. 22:26 Circumcision is not required. 22:29 All these things came after sin. 22:31 Now catch this very important point. 22:35 Before the Ten Commandments were given on Mount Sinai, Exodus 20, 22:39 was it still wrong to kill, murder? 22:42 When Cain killed Abel, God said, "Sin lies at your door." 22:47 When Potiphar's wife, this Egyptian commander, when his 22:50 wife was trying to seduce Joseph, Joseph said, "How can I 22:53 do this thing and sin against God?" 22:55 Adultery was a sin, murder was a sin, lying was a sin. 22:58 The Ten Commandments have existed since before creation. 23:02 And so before there was sin, they didn't have 23:04 the ceremonial laws. 23:06 They didn't have circumcision. 23:07 Those things all came after sin. 23:09 But the Ten Commandments are part of God's nature. 23:11 It's always existed. 23:13 What are some of the glorious rewards of keeping God's law? 23:18 Well, there are many, friends. 23:19 For one thing, it says, John 15, verse 11, "These things I've 23:23 spoken to you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy 23:28 might be full." 23:29 People think, "Oh, I've got to keep the law. 23:31 I'll have no joy." 23:32 You know, I used to think that. 23:34 I'd like to be a Christian, but they're not allowed to 23:35 have any fun." 23:37 Because I had such a puny, corrupted idea of what fun was. 23:41 I thought fun was drinking, and smoking, and all these sins. 23:45 And I thought I can't party. 23:47 And God said, "Look, Doug, I'm not going to force you 23:49 to change. 23:50 You think that's fun? Keep having fun." 23:53 This is happening while I'm reading the Bible, you know? 23:56 And I'd got to a party. 23:57 I'd wake up hung over, throwing up, wake up in jail. 24:03 God said, "You having fun, Doug?" 24:06 I'd be smoking a cigarette, and a girl tells me kissing me is 24:09 like kissing an ashtray, and cigarette head falls off, while 24:13 I'm driving, in my lap, nearly wrecked the car, and wasting my 24:17 last five dollars, when I have no food, on cigarettes. 24:20 And God says, "Are you having fun, Doug?" 24:23 And I gradually realized that the things that God wants me 24:26 to do is what really brings the abundant life. 24:29 I have much more fun now than I did serving the devil. 24:33 It's a joy. 24:34 "Happy is he who keeps the law." 24:36 Proverbs 29, verse 18. 24:39 "Great peace have those that love Your law, and nothing will 24:44 cause them to stumble." 24:45 I remember hearing a story about this man that was driving too 24:50 quickly through a suburban neighborhood. 24:52 And he not only went crawling through a stop sign, 24:58 but he was speeding. 25:00 And sure enough, one of the local sheriffs saw him, and he 25:04 got out behind him, and he turned on his lights, and 25:07 eventually the man pulled over. 25:09 And he said, "Oh, man, I was in a hurry. 25:10 This is the last thing I need." 25:12 And so, he's a little agitated, and he sees the policeman 25:14 approaching his car. 25:16 He looks and he said, "I think I know that guy. 25:18 That's Fred. He goes to my church." 25:21 And Fred comes over, and he rolls down his window, and he 25:25 says, "Hi Fred." 25:26 He says, "Hi Bob." 25:28 He says, "Hey, Fred," says, "give me a break. 25:29 You know, I was in a hurry, and I've got places to go." 25:32 And he didn't say anything to him. 25:34 And he went behind his car, and he began to write, and, 25:37 oh, Bob got so mad. 25:39 He said, "You know, I wasn't going that fast." 25:42 And he said, as he's back to writing, he gets madder and 25:45 madder, and he rolls up his window, and he folds his arm. 25:48 His insurance rates are going to go up and, "I thought he was a 25:50 friend, and he could've let me off." 25:51 And he's thinking, "This is going to ruin my day." 25:53 And he's thinking about all these things. 25:55 And the policeman comes back over, and he taps his window, 25:58 and Bob just rolls down his window that much for him to drop 26:01 the ticket through. 26:03 And policeman pulls away. 26:07 And he takes the ticket to see, you know, what 26:09 the court date is. 26:10 And he looks. It's not a ticket. 26:12 It's a note, and the note said, "Bob, I lost my four-year-old 26:18 daughter to someone who was speeding three years ago." 26:23 Said, "I'm struggling to forgive that person. 26:26 Forgiving you today might help me in the healing process. 26:30 Please slow down." 26:33 Ooh, so how do you think he felt? 26:36 Did he speed away? 26:39 I mean, that's so many people in the world. 26:42 We forget how much Jesus has given, how much the Father has 26:46 paid in giving His Son, that we might be forgiven 26:49 for our lawlessness. 26:52 ♪♪♪ 26:55 announcer: Don't forget to request today's 26:57 life-changing free resource. 26:59 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail. 27:01 You can download a digital copy straight to your computer or 27:03 mobile device. 27:05 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, simply text 27:08 the key word on your screen to 40544, or visit the web address 27:13 shown on your screen. 27:15 And be sure to select the digital download option on the 27:17 request page. 27:18 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's Word with 27:21 Amazing Facts, wherever and whenever you want; 27:25 and most important, to share it with others. 27:29 female announcer: Have you ever skipped a meal? 27:30 Not a bad idea if you need to watch your waistline, but 27:33 there's a heavenly food you should never skip: God's Word. 27:36 Yet, how can you dive in daily when you're so busy? 27:39 Amazing Facts has you covered, and it's as easy as signing up 27:42 for our daily devotional and verse of the day, both sent 27:45 directly to your inbox, ready to bless, inspire, and inform you. 27:50 To start receiving the Amazing Facts daily devotional and verse 27:53 of the day, visit amazingfacts.org and click on 27:56 Bible Study in the main menu. 27:58 You'll be glad you did. 28:04 male announcer: Don't forget to request today's free offer. 28:06 It's sure to be a blessing. 28:08 And thank you for your continued support, as we take the gospel 28:11 of Jesus Christ to the world. 28:14 We hope you'll join us next week, as we delve deep into the 28:16 Word of God to explore more amazing facts. 28:24 announcer: This presentation was brought to you by the 28:25 friends of the Amazing Facts Ministry. |
Revised 2022-05-03