Participants: Pr. John Lomacang
Series Code: ASHF
Program Code: ASHF000168A
00:18 Hello friends, welcome to our Wednesday night Bible study
00:21 here at the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:22 We welcome you with a hearty amen. 00:25 And we thank you for taking the time to tune in for 00:27 a Bible study that I believe is going to be thought provoking. 00:32 I'd like to invite you to get your Bibles and pens, 00:34 invite your family and your friends, and stay with us 00:37 for the next 57 minutes, or however long we have. 00:41 It doesn't go beyond 8:00 o'clock, 00:42 if you are in the Central time zone. 00:44 But if you are joining us from around the world, 00:46 thank you so much for tuning in. 00:48 I'd like to get the best use of our time. 00:50 After we have the prayer I'll tell you how to get a 00:52 copy of the lesson. 00:54 We will sing our theme song and we'll dive into our 00:56 topic entitled, The Truth About Our Greatest Need. 01:00 So let's have a word of prayer together. 01:02 Loving Father in heaven, we thank You for the opportunity 01:05 and privilege that You present to us when we open our hearts 01:09 as we open Your Word. 01:12 Send Your Holy Spirit tonight, Lord, to be our Teacher 01:15 and our Guide. 01:16 And may our understand increase. 01:19 But also may our dedication by Your indwelling Spirit increase. 01:23 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 01:28 Lesson number 39, if you'd like to get a copy of that, 01:30 go to this website, the website is... 01:38 Download lesson number 39, Our Greatest Need. 01:43 What is the lesson title tonight? 01:46 Our Greatest Need. 01:49 And it has fourteen questions so far. 01:54 But as you know, I add more questions as the lesson goes on. 01:58 This is, to me, probably one of the most vital topics 02:03 I'm going to be covering, 02:04 because it talks about our greatest need. 02:07 And I'll preface that with a few more statements 02:09 on the other side of the song. 02:11 But right now we're going to sing our theme song which is, 02:13 Victory in Jesus. 02:15 Let's sing that together. 02:25 I heard an old, old story how the Savior came from glory, 02:33 how He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me. 02:40 I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood's atoning. 02:48 Then I repented of my sins and won the victory. 02:55 O victory in Jesus, my Savior forever. 03:03 He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood. 03:10 He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him. 03:18 He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood. 03:26 I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory, 03:33 and I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea, 03:41 about the angels singing and the old redemption story. 03:48 And some sweet day I'll sing up there the song of victory. 03:56 O victory in Jesus, my Savior forever. 04:03 He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood. 04:11 He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him. 04:18 He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood. 04:26 He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood. 04:36 Amen. 04:38 Our Greatest Need. 04:41 The Truth About Our Greatest Need, 04:45 is the study of our topic tonight. 04:47 And I'm sure it's going to be the next broadcast, 04:49 and the next broadcast. 04:51 Because we're covering a large list of very important items. 04:57 Among our greatest needs, we're going to also talk about: 05:00 What is grace? 05:01 What is repentance? 05:03 What is confession? 05:05 How these elements of the Christian walk 05:09 fit into our daily lives, and how important it is 05:14 to understand how they apply to our walk. 05:17 Why do we need grace? 05:18 Why is it important to repent before we are baptized? 05:22 And how many people repent anymore? 05:25 How many people even say, "I have something to repent of." 05:29 How many people look at membership rather than 05:32 a new fellowship with Christ? 05:34 Some people say, "I want to join the church. 05:35 What does your church believe?" 05:37 rather than, "How am I to change?" 05:39 "Who am I to follow?" 05:41 "How is my life going to be different?" 05:42 And so these are really important aspects. 05:44 That's why I entitled it, let's say it together, 05:47 Our Greatest Need. 05:51 Our Greatest Need. 05:54 There you go. Our Greatest Need. 05:57 You don't say, "That was a great dinner." 06:00 "That was a great dinner." 06:02 So we're going to talk about our greatest need. 06:03 Now to dive right into it, 06:05 I'd like to go to our first question. 06:07 Because we have quite a bit to cover. 06:08 And as I lead into it, what I want to ask you, 06:12 or actually lay the foundation for is, 06:15 we live in a world where, when storms hit, when hurricanes hit, 06:22 when fires hit, when floods hit, when we lose the things that 06:28 we have relied on so much; a house, a roof over our head, 06:33 our food, our cars that are often washed away in floods 06:37 or destroyed in earthquakes, or become the victim of tsunamis, 06:43 all these basic things that we spend a lot of money on, 06:47 when you look at the relief effort, people don't say, 06:52 "I need another car." 06:54 They say, "I just want some food. 06:56 I want some water. 06:59 I want some place to lay my head. 07:02 I just need the basic necessities." 07:05 And all of a sudden, the things that they spent a lot of 07:07 money on lose their significance 07:09 when it comes down to the basic things. 07:10 "Just give me some fresh water. 07:12 I need some food. 07:14 It wouldn't hurt to have the air conditioning, 07:16 but I can forgo that if I could just have some 07:18 place to lay my head." 07:19 And so in our world today, which is a world 07:21 wracked by disasters... 07:23 And I'm sure that many of you that are watching the program, 07:25 not to date this program, but many of you that watch 07:29 the program or listen to the program know that our world is 07:31 at any given moment another disaster can break out. 07:35 We are on the verge, in some cases, of nuclear war 07:40 or nuclear exchange. 07:42 And there is no such thing as limited nuclear exchange. 07:46 It's like limited annihilation. 07:48 There is no such thing. 07:50 But we live in a world where the basic needs are often ignored 07:53 until the things that we have leaned on are no longer there. 07:57 So tonight that's why I want to begin with 07:59 one of the most basic needs. 08:01 And the first question is a very thought provoking question, 08:04 which is as follows. 08:06 Question number one. 08:19 Now we know He's willing about a lot of things, 08:21 but what's the only thing He's unwilling about? 08:24 Let us go to 2 Peter 3:9. 08:29 2 Peter 3:9 08:33 Those of you that know your Bible, 08:35 you know where I'm headed. 08:36 But let's let the Bible speak for our topic tonight. 08:40 Since it is our first verse, let's read this one together. 08:43 Here we are. 09:00 Isn't that good news? 09:02 So when you thing about it, if you were to put Jesus 09:05 in our society today, and He's walking past 09:07 people in the grocery store, or people on the train, 09:10 or people in the restaurant, or people just in general, 09:14 just passing them by, and somebody would say, 09:19 "What about him, Lord?" 09:20 "I'm not willing that he should perish." 09:22 "What about her?" 09:23 "I'm not willing that she should perish." 09:25 "What about them?" 09:27 "I'm not willing that they should perish." 09:28 The only ones that Jesus had a difficult time with 09:32 were those that did not have a sense of their own need. 09:36 And He talked about it in a sense, He said, 09:37 "If you were sick, I could do something for you. 09:41 I'm the master Physician, but you don't admit 09:45 that you even have an illness. 09:47 So I can't do anything for you. 09:49 I've come to help those who know they need a physician." 09:52 But what I like about this is, He says, 09:53 "I'm not willing that any should..." What? 09:56 "...that any should perish." 09:58 Thus John 3:16, that, "Whosoever believeth in Him 10:03 should not perish." 10:05 So this whole idea that there are those that 10:08 are predestined to be lost and those predestined to be saved 10:11 is not true about Christ. 10:13 Nobody is born to be lost. 10:15 Everyone is born with an opportunity to be saved. 10:19 And let me reiterate, no one is born to be determined 10:22 to be destroyed. 10:24 We are born in a lost condition. 10:27 But no one is born to be determined to be lost. 10:30 Each one makes a decision for him or herself. 10:34 So let's write this down. 10:35 What is the only thing that Jesus is unwilling about? 10:38 What is it about? 10:40 He's unwilling that any should perish. 10:43 When you go back and look at the Bible statistics, 10:47 you ask yourself, how is it that only eight people 10:49 got saved in Noah's day? 10:51 It wasn't that He was unwilling to save them, 10:53 it's that they were unwilling to receive salvation. 10:57 So for something to be effective, 10:59 you've got to receive it. 11:01 I say to people, and I do this sometimes in the context of 11:06 prayer meeting, inviting people to prayer meeting, 11:08 or sometimes I'd say, "If you're really hungry, 11:12 turn on the television, wait till the commercial comes on. 11:15 If you see a really nice dinner, look at that dinner, 11:18 and see if you get any nourishment." 11:20 You really don't. 11:21 Right? 11:22 You have to receive it. 11:24 It has to be ingested. 11:25 It has to be masticated, you have to chew it. 11:28 You have to ingest. 11:29 You have to chew on the Word of God. 11:31 And so, when it comes to salvation, 11:33 one of the first things we have to keep in mind 11:35 is the Lord can't do anything for anyone 11:38 who doesn't acknowledge his or her condition. 11:41 But He's not willing that they should perish. 11:42 He doesn't give up anybody to be lost. 11:45 They make that their own decision. 11:47 But now here's a passage that is very important. 11:52 Because I've heard people sometimes say, 11:54 "Well you know, there are people that are going to burn in hell 12:01 forever and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever." 12:09 I have to just keep saying it for it to be forever. 12:12 But I'm not going to do that. I only have but so much time. 12:14 They say people are going to burn throughout 12:16 eternity ceaselessly. 12:19 But that's not in the Scriptures. 12:20 Because if that were the case, then this scripture 12:23 that we're going to read in just a moment here 12:24 would not be true about the character of Christ. 12:28 So let's look at the next question. 12:29 Look at the next question. 12:31 The question is, what is God's great appeal to humanity? 12:42 This is an amazing appeal. 12:43 Moses extended this to the Israelites. 12:49 Noah extended this to the antediluvian world. 12:51 And every place where you find salvation and loss 12:54 at the same intersection, 12:57 you find both of these elements there. 12:59 But notice what Jesus extended, or the great appeal to humanity. 13:03 Let's look at this together. 13:05 He says, "For I have..." What? 13:19 Turn and live. 13:21 Which means, some of us are already on the 13:23 road to destruction. 13:25 But as the saying goes, if you're going in the 13:28 wrong direction, God allows what? 13:31 God allows U-turns. 13:33 But now here's the other aspect of it which we're going to 13:35 find out in just a moment. 13:37 It is not, if you're on the road 13:40 or if you're moving in the wrong direction. 13:43 It is, you'll find in the next few verses 13:45 or in the next few questions, 13:47 we were all born moving in the wrong direction. 13:52 So Jesus didn't just come to change our standing, 13:55 He came to change our direction. 13:59 And every time you look in the Bible on the place of 14:01 righteousness, you find the sheep on the right hand, 14:05 the way of salvation is the right hand, 14:07 we have pleasures at His right hand. 14:10 Every time the right hand. 14:11 You'll never see salvation referred to as the left hand. 14:14 The goats are on the left. 14:16 The way of destruction is on the left. 14:18 Strangely enough they have songs that say, 14:20 "To the left, to the left." 14:24 Anyway, you might have caught that. 14:27 So here's the question, what is God's great appeal 14:30 to humanity? 14:31 What is God's great appeal? 14:33 Three words. 14:35 Turn and live. Write that down. 14:36 Turn and live. Turn and live. 14:39 It's kind of like the flashing railroad signs, 14:42 the bridge out signs, the roadblocks. 14:48 Turn and live. 14:50 But there are those who are speeding to their destruction 14:54 because they don't understand their greatest need. 14:57 Thus far we've discovered that He's not willing 14:59 that any should perish. 15:01 But there's an action that each person has to take. 15:02 And what is the action? 15:04 We have to what? Turn and live. 15:07 The Lord doesn't turn anybody's shoulder. 15:09 He invites. 15:11 This is the way, this is the way; walk in it. 15:14 But you've got to make the decision. 15:16 He doesn't put anybody on the conveyor belt to salvation, 15:19 but He offers them a place in the journey of salvation. 15:23 Now, look at the next question. 15:26 The next question. 15:27 Why is the appeal for salvation life, or eternal life, 15:33 I put, "salvation life," so vital? 15:34 Which, in fact, it's not just salvation, but it is a life. 15:37 Okay? 15:43 Why is it so vital? 15:44 Let's go to Romans 3:23. 15:47 Romans 3:23 15:52 So vital. 15:53 Sometimes you think of vital statistics. 15:59 Or the vitality of life. 16:01 Why is the appeal for salvation so vital to all? 16:08 Let's look at this together. 16:10 Romans 3:23 16:11 And I'd like to invite you to read this one with me. 16:14 Are we ready? Let's read it together. 16:24 What I've learned in times of disaster 16:27 is that disaster doesn't care how much your house cost. 16:34 Flood doesn't care how much you paid. 16:36 Water doesn't say, "Oh, that's an expensive car. 16:38 Let's go around it." 16:40 No. 16:41 Everything that is in the path of destruction 16:44 will be destroyed when any kind of calamity comes. 16:50 And in reality here, the calamity that each one of us 16:54 could avoid is in fact, based on this text, it says, 16:57 "For all have done..." What? 16:59 Sinned. 17:00 Every one of us is in a fallen condition. 17:03 We're born into that. That's our lot. 17:05 So why is the appeal for salvation so vital? 17:09 Why? 17:11 All have sinned. 17:12 All have sinned. 17:14 And when you look at that, if you compare that to 17:17 the other verses in the Bible such as 1 Corinthians 15:22, 17:21 the word here, or specifically the definition here, 17:25 "for all have sinned," is not just at the point of 17:29 accountability, but all are in the condition of sin. 17:33 All have inherited what Adam has given to them. 17:37 As in Adam, all die. 17:39 Even so, in Christ all shall be made alive. 17:42 Notice, provision for all on both sides. 17:46 The Lord can save everyone if we respond to His invitation. 17:52 Now, number four is very important because it talks about 17:58 the biblical description of sin. 18:00 Let's look at number four together. 18:03 Number four. 18:09 Let's look at four categories. 18:14 I've decided to look a little deeper into the Bible, 18:17 because a lot of times we go over the same scriptures. 18:20 But I decided, Lord, I know there are thousands 18:23 of scriptures in the Bible. 18:26 Let's look at a new one tonight. 18:29 Isaiah 48:8 18:31 This is an amazing one. 18:33 Maybe you have read it, maybe you have not. 18:35 But let's read this together. 18:37 The first word, "Surely..." 18:59 Wow! 19:01 Wow! 19:03 So this baby comes out into an environment, 19:08 and if you follow this text you look down at the baby and say, 19:13 "You are such a beautiful transgressor." 19:17 We wouldn't say that, would we? 19:18 Oh we say, "He looks so innocent, so cute." 19:23 Miss their feeding time. 19:25 Right? 19:27 Mothers, do you know what I'm talking about? 19:29 Miss the feeding time. 19:31 They look at you like they're saying, 19:32 "You better be glad I'm not bigger than this." 19:35 Right? 19:36 Because I've heard babies cry with a vehement wail. 19:41 They don't cry cute. They wail. 19:45 I was reminded recently on a flight my wife and I were on. 19:48 We were going to Bogota, Columbia. 19:51 And there were two babies in front of us 19:53 and a baby behind us. 19:55 And thus the reason I always carry two pairs of ear plugs 20:00 or headsets. 20:01 Because I will not be digested by the crying of a baby. 20:05 And when they cry on those planes, they really wail out. 20:08 But that's what they do. 20:11 That's their nature. 20:12 And the Bible describes that from the very moment 20:14 that we were born, we were what? 20:17 Transgressors. 20:19 We were transgressors. 20:21 It just took time for us to manifest whatever that sin was. 20:25 But we had the nature immediately. 20:28 And David says it the other way. 20:29 He says, "In sin, my mother did conceive me." 20:32 He didn't say, "My mother was a sinner when she conceived me," 20:34 which in fact was true, but he's in essence saying, 20:36 "The environment to which I was born was an environment of sin." 20:40 I was born this way. 20:43 That's why each one of us must be born again. 20:46 Very important to understand. 20:48 So the answer, 20:50 how does the Bible describe the sin condition? 20:52 What did you put for "A"? 20:54 Transgressor from the womb. 20:56 Wow! 20:59 That would really revolutionize the nursery. 21:06 "Transgressors in this section." 21:09 I don't think the parents would like that. 21:13 But now this is the first one. 21:16 By the way, question number four, to me, 21:18 is the reality check. 21:20 It's the reality check. 21:21 Just when you think that you're just above or below, 21:25 or to the side, or elevated above someone else, 21:28 question four comes into play. 21:30 Now let's look at the other one. 21:31 Ephesians 4:18 21:34 Ephesians 4:18 21:37 Wow, wow, this is just... 21:40 When I was looking these text up, it was just 21:42 another reminder of how important it is to have a 21:45 walking relationship with Jesus. 21:48 Ephesians 4:18, look at what the Bible says. 22:08 That's the natural condition. 22:10 Let's look at that again. 22:12 "Understanding darkened," means you can't understand. 22:14 That's why when people say to me when I'm sharing in the Bible, 22:17 a particular teaching the Bible, they say, 22:21 "I don't see how the Sabbath is important." 22:23 I say, "I understand that." 22:25 Because you can't see. 22:28 Unless you are born again, we cannot see. 22:33 Unless one is born of the water and of the Spirit, 22:35 they cannot see. 22:37 So when people say, "I don't see what's wrong with this," 22:39 or, "I don't see what's wrong with that," 22:40 or, "I don't see what's wrong with going there," 22:42 or wearing this, or eating that, 22:44 or this kind of activity, that is exactly what the Bible says. 22:47 Their understanding is what? 22:49 Darkened. 22:51 And why? 22:52 Being alienated from God. 22:55 Now God is light. Is He not? Amen? 22:58 So if He's light and you're alienated, where are you? 23:02 In the dark. 23:03 You can't see without light. 23:05 We all know that. 23:07 The other thing that results from being alienated from God: 23:12 ignorance. 23:13 Now sometimes people take the word, "ignorance," 23:15 as a bad word. 23:16 Because growing up in New York, people use to say, 23:18 "You're just ignorant." 23:19 And we thought that was a bad word. 23:21 What it just simply means is, you don't understand. 23:23 Meaning, you don't know. 23:24 But in this case, it simply means that their understanding 23:28 is darkened. 23:30 That's why the Bible says the entrance of God's word 23:33 brings light. 23:35 Am I right? 23:38 The entrance of God's word brings light. 23:41 And then it talks about the blindness of their heart. 23:44 How many of you see with your heart? 23:47 Raise your hand. 23:52 I'll do it for you. 23:55 Because we do see with our heart. 23:57 Because what you love, 24:02 what you focus on, what really grabs your affection, 24:07 is where your heart usually is. 24:10 But when your heart is not in it, you're blind. 24:16 Somebody once said, "Love is blind." 24:17 That's not true. 24:19 That's the most misunderstood statement I've ever heard. 24:22 God is love. Amen, somebody? 24:24 If God is love, love can't be blind. 24:26 You see how they put love and blindness together? 24:29 No, the carnal heart is blind. 24:32 The blindness of the heart. 24:34 That's why the Word of God is needed on a day by day basis. 24:37 So far, so far we have transgressor from the womb. 24:41 Now the other thing is, you can summarize it 24:44 in any way you'd like to do that. 24:46 But let's go to the third one. 24:48 Let's go to Jeremiah 17:9. 24:50 Summarize it the way that you feel 24:52 will best fit your understanding. 24:54 The third one. 24:56 This is one you cannot find out with a stethoscope. 25:01 Jeremiah 17:9 25:04 Hmm. 25:09 This is the passage I've always thought of 25:11 to tell people when they say, "Well my neighbor 25:14 has a good heart." 25:17 Well according to this... 25:19 The Bible says, together, "The heart is..." What? 25:31 That means you don't know what to expect. 25:34 When a person is not regenerated, when a person 25:36 hasn't given his or her life to Christ, 25:38 you don't know what's coming next. 25:40 Because the heart is what? Deceitful. 25:42 The word, "deceitful," means, it's like a mouse 25:46 looking for an opening. 25:48 It's like a mouse that's sniffing everything 25:50 making sure this is not a trap. 25:52 It's like a mouse that comes to capitalize. 25:55 You've just cleaned your house up, 25:57 you just put everything away nice in your closet, 26:01 and the mouse comes overnight and 26:02 chews a hole in your cereal box. 26:05 Because if there's a way for that deceitful mouse 26:08 to find his way in, he's going to find his way in. 26:12 And then you can't find him. 26:13 That's why it says, "Who can know it?" 26:14 You can't, you cannot know. 26:16 The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. 26:19 That's why we all need Jesus. 26:20 Can somebody say amen? 26:23 The condition is amazing. 26:24 See, I'm laying the foundation here because 26:26 we have to understand our condition 26:30 before we understand how beautiful the Savior is. 26:32 We've got to understand our true standing 26:37 before we understand whether or not we need to be 26:39 wheeled into surgery, spiritual surgery. 26:42 If we are put on a gurney and we're being wheeled 26:45 into surgery, and the doctor says, "What's your problem?" 26:48 "I have no idea." 26:50 Then you better get off the gurney. 26:53 But if you say, "I've got a bad heart, 26:57 I can't see, I don't understand anything, 27:01 I think I have insomnia," whatever the case may be, 27:05 "I can't sleep," when you understand your condition, 27:08 then you know you need a physician. 27:10 And these are conditions that are being described as 27:12 the spiritual, let me use the word here, 27:18 our spiritual bankruptcy. 27:21 These are the places that we are 27:23 when it comes to the human nature. 27:25 Look at the other one. Look at the other one. 27:28 This is Ephesians 2:1. 27:30 So for "C", you put what? 27:32 Heart problems. Heart problems. 27:35 That's a good one. Heart trouble. 27:37 And "D", here it is. 27:39 Ephesians 2:1 27:51 Now you might think, why put trespasses and sins? 27:56 Understand the two. 27:58 It's very important to understand the difference 27:59 between a trespass and sins. 28:02 Sins were often things that people just 28:06 were gravitatedly drawn to. 28:09 They repeated. 28:11 And the word there, "sins," can be better described 28:13 as a pet sin. 28:16 Trespasses were things that people did, they stumbled into 28:21 or they did it unintentionally. 28:23 And there in the Old Testament, when you study in the book of 28:25 Leviticus and Deuteronomy, look up, "trespass offerings." 28:30 Trespass offerings. 28:32 For the person, and this is a very great example, 28:35 it says, if you are out cutting a tree down 28:38 and the ax slips out of your hand and killed your neighbor, 28:43 unintentionally, you must offer a trespass offering. 28:49 And you must remunerate, or not pay, but give something 28:53 to the family who has been injured. 28:55 And that is something that can be forgiven. 28:59 Right, but the next one is the city of refuge. 29:02 But then if you are out just killing folk with an ax, 29:07 that's not a trespass, that's an intentional act. 29:10 And it's okay if people pursue you to kill you. 29:17 That's where the city of refuge comes in. 29:20 You've got to run. But only for those... 29:23 The city of refuge is not a haven for criminals, 29:27 but it's a place where we meet with the high priest 29:31 if we have a heart of repentance. 29:33 You don't run into the city of refuge and wait till 29:35 people go to sleep and come back out and keep killing folk. 29:38 No, the city of refuge is, you run in to be saved. 29:42 And the high priest waits for you at the door. 29:44 He can't come out, you've got to go in. 29:47 And here's the beauty of it. 29:49 As long as the high priest lives, you are safe. 29:52 So now you see in the Bible, I think it's Hebrews 7:25, 29:55 we'll get there later on, but it says, "He ever lives." 29:58 Amen, somebody? 30:00 So any time you want to run into the city of refuge, 30:02 or into the arms of Christ, He ever lives. 30:06 He's always there. 30:07 You're not going to run and find, "Where is He?" 30:11 He ever lives to make intercession for us. 30:15 So on "D" you'll put, dead in trespasses and sin. 30:22 These are the conditions that we're in. 30:23 So you might meet a person that is very wealthy, 30:25 a person that's good, that has great means, 30:28 or you might meet a person that just has nothing. 30:31 From the person with absolutely nothing to the person with 30:34 appearingly almost everything, each one of those individuals 30:39 without Christ falls into all four of these categories. 30:44 No deception here. 30:47 But let's keep going. 30:49 This lesson is to paint the most horrible picture 30:52 so that the next lesson can paint the most beautiful. 30:55 And we're going to transition somewhere along the way. 30:57 So you're not going to leave here depressed. 31:00 You're going to leave here encouraged. 31:01 Amen? 31:02 Let's go to number five, though. 31:04 We've got to get all the conditions outlined here. 31:06 Very important. 31:08 Okay, question number five. 31:17 What if we put on the most expensive perfume? 31:20 What about the most expensive suit? 31:23 What about if we got a new haircut? 31:26 Nice clothes? 31:28 Beautiful house? 31:29 There's a problem. 31:30 How capable are we? 31:32 Look at what the Bible says in Jeremiah 13:23. 31:35 Jeremiah, those prophets that told it like it is. 31:39 The Bible says... 31:47 The answer? No. But look at this. 31:58 The word, "accustomed," means evil is a trend in your life. 32:02 And the person without Christ is... 32:04 Let's use the analogy here. 32:07 You find some dark analogies in the Scriptures. 32:10 But the word there, "accustomed," is tending toward 32:14 Genesis about the antediluvian where their thoughts 32:17 and intentions were only evil, how? 32:19 Continually. 32:21 And so when you look about it, if you think of a person who 32:24 is a liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, lair, liar, liar, 32:29 thief, thief, thief, thief, thief, 32:30 murderer, murderer, murderer, murderer, 32:31 and they have no resentment, no desire to change, 32:35 no second plan to accept Christ, 32:38 they get to the point where they are calcified in their lives. 32:44 Because they are accustomed. 32:46 Have you ever met somebody who is just almost at the point 32:50 where they just lie naturally? 32:59 We had somebody in our family once that said that, 33:01 "If their lips are moving, they're lying." 33:04 You ever heard that before? 33:06 "So what do you..." "You're lying." 33:09 "So what..." "You're lying." 33:10 "Let me see your homework." 33:12 I remember growing up I knew someone that, 33:16 "Did you get any homework?" "Nope, did it in class today." 33:19 So the teacher and I created a pact. 33:22 Now I'm not going to ask, I'm not going to say 33:25 male or female, I'm not going to ask my family member 33:28 if he or she has homework. 33:31 I'm going to tell you to call me 33:33 and tell me that they have homework. 33:36 It's amazing what the human heart will do. 33:38 And the things that they will do just to get away 33:42 from doing homework. 33:43 Photocopy stuff and photocopy... 33:46 You know, young people are foolish at times. 33:50 So I said to the teacher, "You send home a sheet of paper 33:56 with the specific instructions on it." 33:58 And the paper had lines on it. 34:01 And I'll look at that, and I'll sign it. 34:04 And if they come back tomorrow with my signature, 34:07 then that means I saw it. 34:08 What do you think the first attempt will be? 34:11 Try to sign it. 34:13 Well the teacher figured that one out. 34:17 So the next thing they did was to try to, 34:20 I had a photocopy machine, 34:22 so they put a blank sheet of paper over a piece of paper 34:26 that had lines. 34:28 A paper with no lines over a piece of paper that had lines. 34:32 And they photocopied the paper with no lines 34:34 to cover the paper that had lines. 34:36 And then they gave me the photocopy and said, 34:38 "See, I don't have any homework." 34:40 I said, "I've never seen a piece of paper that 34:42 runs out of lines halfway. 34:47 So why is this the only sheet of paper I've ever seen 34:50 that has lines only halfway down?" 34:54 "I don't know." 34:56 Come to find out, accustomed to doing evil. 35:01 Thank the Lord that person I'm referring to grew up. 35:04 Amen? 35:06 But that's the human heart. Accustomed. 35:08 We get so, we practice evil to the point where 35:13 when a heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, 35:18 and doesn't even sense his or her need of Christ, 35:21 they become, the term that's used often times in the 35:23 criminal world, they become career criminals. 35:27 Or they are career sinners. 35:31 Accustomed to do evil. 35:33 And they can't change. 35:35 This is something that's very important. 35:37 A person cannot change his or her ways. 35:43 Cannot do it. 35:45 I wish I had that quotation in front of me. 35:47 We cannot not, we can't say, "Okay, you know what? 35:52 Today I'm not doing it." 36:02 They could stand there. 36:03 The moment they move from that spot, they're going to do it. 36:07 That's why they say "Never say, 36:09 'I'm not going to eat the doughnut. 36:11 I am not going to eat the doughnut.'" 36:14 You know what happens? 36:16 The doughnut is gone. 36:18 It's a psychological conditioning. 36:20 The very thing you focus on that you're not going to do, 36:24 you do. 36:25 Paul said it. Didn't he say that in Romans? 36:28 "That which I don't want to do, that's what I'm doing. 36:31 And what I want to do, that's not... 36:33 I hate myself. Oh wretched man that I am." 36:37 So don't think that this is willpower. 36:39 This is not a study about willpower. 36:41 This is a study about our need of the power that Jesus offers 36:46 that is not native to us. 36:48 Amen? 36:50 The power outside of ourselves. 36:53 Cannot do it. 36:55 Let's go to the next question. Number six. 36:57 Cannot do it. 36:59 Cannot do it. 37:01 What did I say? 37:02 Cannot do it. 37:04 Just make sure it's clear. 37:06 Okay. Here it is. 37:16 We live in a world with multiplicity. 37:19 Duplicity is just two choices. 37:21 But multiplicity. 37:22 Meaning, we say, "I want to be Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, 37:28 Hindu, Sikh, Mormon, Jehovah's Witness..." 37:33 And the list goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on. 37:35 We think of multiplicity. 37:37 And often times people pick what fits them better. 37:45 So they say, "I want to be in this religion 37:49 or that religion." 37:50 But what I like about this question, it guides us 37:54 and it narrows down our options to just very minimal. 38:01 What options do we have in searching for salvation? 38:04 Look at Acts 4:12. 38:07 What options do we have? 38:08 People say, "What are the options?" 38:10 What options do we have... 38:13 ...in this world where Jesus is being denied? 38:19 Acts 4:12, the Bible says... 38:35 And what is that name? Somebody tell me. 38:38 The name is Jesus. 38:40 "He shall save His people from their sins." 38:43 Matthew 1:21 38:46 Luke 19:10, "He comes to seek and save that which was lost." 38:49 And in the world today, I could see how there's a 38:52 great controversy going on. 38:54 Because the devil makes people think, 38:56 "Oh, you don't really need Jesus." 38:57 So in some religions they make Him a good prophet, 39:00 some they make Him a good teacher, 39:02 Some they say, "Well, it's obvious He was around." 39:04 But then if you think about all the other prophets, 39:06 and teachers, and philosophers that have existed 39:09 in our world today, whether in the area of 39:13 psychology, music, or religion, or whatever the area may be, 39:17 no singular man has impacted the world as Jesus has. 39:22 Amen? 39:23 I mean, the entire dating system of the world 39:25 is based on His existence. 39:28 B.C., which is what? 39:31 Which is, "Before Christ." 39:33 And A.D., "Anno Domini;" "in the year of our Lord." 39:37 So when people say, 39:38 "Well, Jesus is a fictitious character." 39:42 Who would impact the world in such a way... 39:49 ...as a fictitious character? 39:52 He is not a fictitious character. 39:54 Jesus is real. What do you say? 39:58 There's no salvation in any other. 39:59 What options do we have? 40:01 There's only one name. And the name is Jesus. 40:04 Wow! 40:07 Now, we're going to start chiseling away. 40:10 We looked at the negative side of our condition, 40:14 then we now introduce the only one through whom 40:17 we can find salvation. 40:19 Now we're going to find out what He does. 40:23 We're going to find out what He does. 40:25 Because a lot of times we say, "Well I know He's our Savior, 40:27 He's our Lord." 40:29 You know when you think of those terms, Savior and Lord, 40:32 different functions. 40:34 But let's look at question number seven. 40:38 Are you ready for it? 40:39 Here it is, question number seven. 40:55 What glorious benefit do we receive? 40:58 Acts 10:43, you all turn there. 41:01 Okay, I like to hear those Bibles turning. 41:03 Even though the text... 41:04 The text is primarily for those who are not here. 41:08 But we use our Bibles. 41:10 Here it is, Acts 10:43. 41:13 The Bible says... 41:19 Remember, there is no other name. 41:30 Have you heard the term, "remission," before? 41:32 What is it often connected to in our society? 41:35 Cancer. We say what? 41:38 "Your cancer is in remission." 41:39 Wouldn't it be nice to say, "You know what? 41:41 My sin is in remission." 41:44 Right? 41:45 Wouldn't it be nice to go to the Lord and 41:47 the Lord say, "You know, I've checked. 41:49 You are sin free." 41:52 Amen? 41:53 Because to hear the words, "cancer free," is beautiful. 41:56 When we accept Jesus, He comes in and cleans us up. 42:00 Didn't He say that? 42:01 1 John 1:9, here it is. 42:03 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just 42:06 to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from 42:10 all unrighteousness." 42:13 So what does that mean? 42:15 If you're cleansed from all cancer, you are what? 42:18 Cancer free. 42:19 If you're cleansed from all unrighteousness, you are what? 42:24 It's very important to understand that. 42:26 Now some people will say, "Okay, let me see. 42:28 Is that safe to say, that I'm sin free?" 42:31 That means you have been taken off of death row. 42:34 That means your sins are no longer hanging over you 42:36 as the penalty for death. 42:39 That's what that means. 42:41 It doesn't mean sin has been eradicated. 42:43 It simply means the sin that condemned you 42:46 no longer condemns you. 42:48 But now you move into another phase in your walk with Christ. 42:52 This new phase means, "Okay, I've just been 42:55 taken off of death row. 42:56 I'm no longer in prison. 42:57 I'm no longer in chains. 42:59 I'm no longer incarcerated. 43:02 But now I have been made free, 43:03 which mean I have to now walk free." 43:06 That's why James says, "Stand fast in the liberty." 43:10 The word there, "liberty," means, the freedom. 43:12 You've got to live a life of freedom day by day. 43:14 Freedom from the power of sin. 43:16 And you've heard me say that before. 43:17 Salvation is, in fact, in three phases. 43:20 Salvation from the penalty, salvation from the power, 43:23 and salvation from the... What? 43:25 ...presence. 43:27 When is salvation from the presence of sin going to happen? 43:30 Somebody tell me. 43:33 Say it again. 43:34 The second coming. 43:35 When Jesus returns, He is going to eradicate sin. 43:39 Wouldn't it be good to live in an environment without sin? 43:42 Amen? 43:44 That means you won't even sin in thought. 43:46 That means you won't look across the room and say, 43:49 "I wonder what they're thinking." 43:51 Because they won't be thinking evil thoughts. 43:54 Because their character will have been remade 43:56 in the perfect image of Jesus. 43:58 But the decision to do that is now. 44:02 The decision to walk in that process. 44:04 And as you have seen those shows, Extreme Makeover. 44:08 Every day Jesus is molding us one room at a time. 44:13 Right? 44:15 So if you hear the hammering, if you feel the chiseling, 44:18 submit to it. 44:20 Despise not the chastening of the Father. 44:22 Submit to it. 44:24 I said to somebody yesterday, we are gold tried in the fire. 44:29 Now often we focus on the fire. 44:31 But focus on what you are in the sight of God. 44:34 We are what? 44:36 Come on, say it. We are what? 44:38 Come on, say it. We are what? 44:40 Gold. 44:41 Why are we being tried in the fire? 44:43 Because He wants us to be purified. 44:46 So if you ever see a pure bar of gold... 44:50 I've never seen one. 44:52 I've seen, you know, representations of one, 44:55 but I've never seen a pure bar of gold. 44:56 What makes it pure? 44:58 It's been smelted down. Liquefied. 45:01 And all the impurities have been, what's the word there, 45:05 cleansed away. 45:06 Or scraped off the top. 45:08 And then all that's left is the pure spotless gold. 45:14 So we're going through the spotless process now. 45:17 But one day we will be clear. 45:18 And the remission of sin is the process that begins 45:22 the moment you accept Jesus. 45:24 That's what, "repent," means. 45:26 Repent, means to change direction. 45:29 Remission, means your life is going in the opposite direction. 45:32 Instead of piling up sin, sin is being removed. 45:37 It's a difference all together. 45:38 That is number seven. Was that number seven? 45:40 Okay, so when we receive Jesus, 45:42 what glorious benefit do we receive? 45:44 Write down, remission of sins. 45:48 Which is important. 45:49 Which is vitally important. 45:54 It's a hard thing to say, and this is where the 45:57 practice of Christianity comes in, 45:58 it's a hard thing to say that I'm a Christian, 46:03 but I live my life practicing sin. 46:05 It's a hard thing to say that. 46:07 Because if you see a person that's a racing car driver, 46:11 or a person that's a professional basketball player, 46:13 or a person that claims to be in any particular profession 46:16 or a particular practice, you'll say, "Well then, how come... 46:19 I thought you were a basketball player. 46:21 Why do you have on a doctor's uniform?" 46:23 Why do you look differently than you profess to be? 46:27 The difference between those vocations that are earthly 46:32 and the vocation that's heavenly is, you don't have anybody 46:35 trying to prevent you from being a doctor, 46:37 or trying to prevent you from being a basketball player, 46:39 or trying to prevent you from being whatever other 46:42 occupation there is. 46:43 But you've got to daily battle. 46:47 And that daily battle is against what? 46:51 Okay, say it again. 46:53 Self. That's right. 46:54 The devil doesn't even have to tempt some of us. 46:57 The daily battle, the greatest battle we'll ever 47:00 fight is against who? 47:02 It's against self. 47:04 When self is put to death daily... 47:07 How often did Paul say he had to die to self? 47:10 "I die every day." 47:12 Because self is really stored in the flesh. 47:15 I'm setting up the questions here. 47:17 Self is stored in the flesh. 47:20 We have been regenerated in life, 47:23 but until this flesh is replaced, all the practices 47:28 and things that we remember are stored. 47:30 They call it... 47:31 There's another thing that my throat doctor said. 47:35 He said, "Because you had a throat injury, 47:37 try not to do anything new. 47:39 Because muscles have memory. 47:43 Muscles have... 47:45 So if you start doing something different while you're trying to 47:47 heal, your body is going to remember it and think of it 47:49 as a process that now you must continue to practice. 47:54 And then what happens is, when the injury is there 47:56 it builds up what's called, like a fascia muscle. 47:59 They've got to break up all those things that have 48:01 taken you in the wrong direction, 48:03 the remission process, and get you ready 48:06 for the process that the Lord is extending to you. 48:08 So here's the question. 48:10 Here's the question. Number eight. 48:12 Here's the question. 48:13 When we receive Jesus, to what degree are we saved? 48:18 Question number eight. 48:19 When we receive Jesus... 48:24 Let's look at it together. 48:26 Hebrews 7:25 48:27 One of my favorite passages in the Bible. 48:30 And there are a lot of 7:25's in the Bible. 48:32 Like Daniel 7:25, "...think to change times and laws..." 48:35 Those famous scriptures. 48:36 Here's another one, Hebrews 7:25. 48:39 And I've highlighted a couple of words so that you can 48:41 get the answer very quickly. 48:43 When we receive Jesus, to what degree are we saved? 48:47 Now if you're joining us from home, read this along with us. 48:50 We're going to read this one together. 48:51 Are we ready? 48:52 Because this is a powerful scripture. 48:54 Together. 49:12 Who's able? 49:14 Who's able? 49:16 Who's able? He is. 49:18 To do what? 49:20 Save to the uttermost. 49:24 In other words, He can carry the process all the way through. 49:29 He doesn't just stop at, "Hey, your baptized. 49:32 Welcome. See you later." 49:34 No, it's a day by day commitment to Christ. 49:36 And the devil's part is to reintroduce you to the past, 49:40 where Christ's part is to say, "Let's begin the day in prayer. 49:44 Let's begin the day in studies. 49:46 Let's open our Word. 49:48 Let's put our lives in the hand of the Lord. 49:51 Because I'm able to save you today. 49:53 And I'm able to save you tomorrow. 49:56 And I'm able to save you the next day." 49:59 He's able to save to the uttermost. 50:02 If somebody was drowning, they wouldn't want you to 50:04 save them on the first time they go down 50:06 or the second time they go down. 50:07 They want that Peter experience. 50:09 To be saved from drowning. 50:12 Not to be left in the same condition. 50:14 He's able to save to the uttermost. 50:16 And how does He do that? 50:18 Let me help you understand a particular word. 50:19 "Intercession." This word was included there. 50:21 And somebody watching many not know what intercession is. 50:24 Intercession is a role of the high priest. 50:27 You have the Father, you have the Son, 50:31 you have us. 50:33 Jesus is the bridge. 50:36 With His hand He reaches down to us. 50:39 With the other hand He reaches up to the Father. 50:42 This is an illustration. 50:43 So He brings divinity in connection with humanity. 50:49 And He brings humanity in connection with divinity. 50:52 He's the Intercessor. 50:54 But the Intercessor is more than just bringing 50:56 divinity and humanity together. 50:57 The Intercessor is the one who is in the functioning of the 51:01 role of the High Priest. 51:03 The one who has provided the way of our sins being forgiven; 51:09 the remission. 51:10 He's the Lamb. 51:11 The lamb is included in the ceremonial services. 51:14 So when the lamb is killed, when the blood is shed, 51:17 only then can the sprinkling of the blood 51:20 transfer the sin from the sinner to the tabernacle, 51:27 to the temple, and then later cleansed from the temple. 51:31 So this work of the intercessor is 51:33 when we ask for forgiveness. 51:35 If we ask for forgiveness, will we get it? 51:39 Because He is able to save to the uttermost. 51:41 And how often does He do that? 51:43 He always lives to make intercession. 51:46 He's not just living, but He's living to make intercession. 51:49 Can you imagine the job, can you imagine the function, 51:53 how many billions of people throughout the centuries, 51:56 throughout the millennia, have relied on the blood of Jesus? 51:59 Can you imagine the number? 52:01 How many of them is He able to save? 52:04 Every one of them He is able to save to the uttermost. 52:08 Praise God for that. 52:09 Now let's look at number nine. 52:11 Moving right along tonight at a good pace. 52:14 And I want you to see this. 52:16 These were thought out very carefully 52:17 to put them in a particular order. 52:19 So if you put the answer to number seven... 52:21 When we receive Jesus, to what degree are we saved? 52:24 Put this. To the uttermost. 52:28 Whereas we use to say in New York, 52:30 "From the guttermost to the uttermost." 52:32 From the lowest He saves us and brings us into the image 52:37 of His own righteousness. 52:40 Okay, question number nine. 52:42 Question number nine. 52:51 I had to pause when I was putting this one together. 52:54 Just thank the Lord for this promise that He has made, 52:59 for this promise that He has made. 53:01 Because let me just put it this way. 53:02 If a person is delivered, 53:04 if a person is delivered from a situation, 53:08 you might say to them, "Try to stay out of trouble." 53:11 Have you ever heard that before? 53:13 "Try to stay out of trouble." 53:16 "Well if I don't, I'll call you the next time 53:17 I get into trouble." 53:20 This passage takes it to the next level. 53:22 Because the question is, to those who receive Jesus 53:25 what promise has He made? 53:26 2 Timothy 4:18 53:28 Look at that with me. 53:30 2 Timothy 4:18 53:32 He's made a promise, not just to save you to the uttermost. 53:35 Because salvation is not the only thing we need. 53:39 Alright, here it is. 53:41 Here's a new scripture for you. 54:05 See, this is one of those, "amen," scriptures. 54:07 He's not just able to deliver me, but to what? 54:11 Preserve me. 54:13 That's why Jude 24 says, "Now to Him who is able to 54:18 keep us from..." What? 54:19 "...falling, and to present us before the presence 54:22 of His glory with exceeding joy." 54:26 He's not able just to deliver me. 54:28 I don't just want to be delivered, 54:29 I want to be preserved. 54:32 The word, "preserved," means, kept. 54:35 In other words, He builds around you a fortress. 54:38 By the way, for those who don't know, 54:40 the Bible talks about this in the Old Testament, 54:42 as the wall that the Lord built around Israel, 54:45 as a fence He built around Israel. 54:47 And the fence He built around them was His Ten Commandments. 54:50 So it's impossible to say, "I'm saved," and ignore 54:52 the commandments of God. 54:54 The commandments of God are there to continue to guide us 54:56 in our relationship one with another 54:59 and our relationship between us and the Lord. 55:01 The commandments are the fencing that surrounds us. 55:03 But He's not only able to deliver us, 55:06 but He's able to preserve us. 55:08 And He delivers us from every evil work. 55:12 Praise His name for that. 55:14 So did you write that down? 55:16 To those that receive Jesus, what promise has He made? 55:18 Deliver and preserve. Write those two down. 55:21 Deliver, and what else? Preserve. 55:24 And for those of you that like to can foods, 55:27 You know what that preserve means. 55:30 Keep it fresh for a long time. 55:33 Some people need that in their Christian experience. 55:35 Because there's nothing worse than a 55:36 stale Christian experience. 55:39 It's not preserved. 55:40 That day by day walk with Christ will bring us 55:42 to the point of preservation. 55:45 Okay. 55:47 Now, this is a transitioning stage. 55:51 I don't know how far I'll get on this. 55:52 But now that we know... 55:53 Let's look at the two stages so far. 55:56 First we talked about our condition. 55:57 Did we not? Amen? 55:59 Then we talked about who Jesus is and what He does. 56:02 Right? 56:04 Now we're going to go to the next actual phase 56:07 and look at what He had to do, I want you to follow carefully, 56:15 what He had to do to save us. 56:18 Because somebody asked me the question once, 56:21 listen, listen, somebody said, "If Jesus, if His work is 56:24 just to save us, could not He have done that from heaven? 56:29 Did He have to come down here to save us?" 56:31 Couldn't He have just said, "You're saved. 56:35 I ain't coming down there." 56:40 Why did He have to come down here to be our Savior? 56:46 We're going to find this out in the next question. 56:50 Or maybe, or maybe I should hold off till next week. 56:53 Let's give one text at least. 56:56 Here it is. Are you ready? 56:58 Question number ten. 57:05 In the interest of time, I'm going to 57:07 give it to you very quickly. 57:09 Hebrews 10:5 Hebrews 10:5 57:12 Look at it. 57:26 We're going to talk about that body and why it was necessary 57:32 for Jesus to come to this earth to qualify as our Savior. 57:37 Is He God? Yes or no. 57:40 Amen? 57:41 But He had to become our Savior. 57:44 He could not, and this is my exit statement, 57:48 He could not have saved us from a distance. 57:52 He had to come down here to be our Savior. 57:55 Keep studying the Bible. 57:57 And if we've made some sense tonight, praise the Lord. 57:59 But if not, one day we know it will come into a sharper focus. 58:03 God bless you. |
Revised 2018-01-30