Participants: John Lomacang (Host), Dr. Morgan Medlock
Series Code: FDOF
Program Code: FDOF000033A
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00:20 Hello, friends, welcome to Foundation of Our Faith,
00:23 a production of Dare to Dream Network 00:24 here at the 3ABN Worship Center in Southern Illinois. 00:28 I'm your host John Lomacang. 00:30 And I will be introducing our messenger 00:33 as well as our minister of music. 00:36 I'm particularly interested in the person 00:38 God has chosen today, Dr. Morgan M. Medlock. 00:42 Dr. Medlock graduated from Oakwood University in 2007 00:46 with a degree in biology and pre-medicine. 00:49 She later went to Andrews University Theological Seminary 00:53 to complete a Masters of Divinity degree in 2011. 00:57 After would completing also a Doctorate of Medicine degree 01:00 at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in 2013. 01:05 Dr. Medlock is currently completing her residency 01:08 in Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, 01:12 a teaching hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School. 01:16 Dr. Medlock is planning 01:17 to specialize in addiction treatment 01:20 and has made it her goal 01:22 to be used by Christ to help individuals 01:25 break the chains of mental, physical and spiritual bondage. 01:30 But today her message is a powerful one, 01:31 "A Word from Our Sponsor". 01:35 I invite you to stay tuned and pray for the Lord 01:37 to open your mind 01:39 to hear what the Spirit has to say to the church. 01:41 But before she comes, 01:43 we will be ministered to in a song entitled, 01:47 "It's the Way". 01:49 Our minister of music is Jason Bulgin 01:52 who hails from Toronto, Canada. 01:54 He is a singer and a songwriter and he says, 01:58 his aim is to live his life on purpose. 02:02 After he sings the next voice that you will hear 02:05 will be that of Dr. Morgan M. Medlock. 02:13 It's the way that you love me It's the way that you care 02:20 Every time I need you 02:22 It's the way you've been right there 02:25 It's the way when I call you It's the way you're standing by 02:31 It's the way, it's the way 02:39 Even when I go and do things my way 02:43 It's the way you're there to guide me 02:47 When my path it goes to stay 02:51 Even when on my sunshine is gone 02:56 It's the way you like my path 02:59 And you write on my wrongs 03:03 Oh, oh 03:08 It's the way that you love me 03:12 Jesus 03:14 Singing 03:20 It's the way that you love me 03:24 Jesus 03:32 It's the way when I need you 03:36 It's the way you've been right there 03:39 It's the way you bear my burdens 03:42 When I cast all love my cares 03:45 It's the way that you bless me In spite of what I've done 03:51 It's the way, It's the way 03:58 And even when I go And turn away from you 04:03 It's the way your love is faithful 04:07 And your mercy pure and true 04:11 And even I fail you time and time again 04:16 It's the way that you used to love me 04:19 Your love will never ends 04:23 Oh, oh 04:28 It's the way that you love me 04:32 Jesus, 04:35 oh, oh 04:40 It's the way that you love me It's the way that you love me 04:44 Jesus Jesus 04:47 Oh, oh 04:52 It's the way that you love me It's the way that you love me 04:56 Jesus Jesus 04:59 Singing oh, oh 05:04 It's the way that you love me It's the way that you love me 05:08 Jesus Jesus 05:11 You love me, you love me 05:18 You love me, you love me 05:23 I'm unworthy but you love me 05:29 So unworthy but you love me 05:36 Jesus I love you 05:39 'Cause you love me 05:42 I love you 05:45 'Cause you love me 05:48 He loves you, and he loves me 05:54 He loves you, and he loves me 06:01 Yes, Jesus loves me 06:07 He loves me, he loves me 06:13 Yes, Jesus love me 06:19 Yes, Jesus loves me 06:25 Yes, Jesus loves me 06:31 For the Bible tells me so 06:37 He loves you and he loves me 06:44 He loves you and he loves me 06:50 Yes, Jesus loves me 06:56 Yes, Jesus loves me 07:02 Yes, Jesus loves me 07:08 For the Bible tells me so 07:18 What a blessing and a privilege to be loved by Jesus Christ. 07:25 We thank You God for Your everlasting love. 07:30 It is a privilege to be here with you today, 07:33 and I am so much looking forward 07:35 to sharing the Word of God with you. 07:39 I want to invite you to turn with me to the Book of John, 07:44 the Gospel of John 1:1-14. 07:50 The Gospel of John 1:1-14. 07:58 I will read it, 07:59 and you're hearing from the New King James Version. 08:03 The Bible says, "In the beginning was the Word, 08:09 and the Word was with God, 08:12 and the Word was God. 08:15 He was in the beginning with God. 08:18 All things were made through Him, 08:20 and without Him nothing was made that was made. 08:24 In Him was life, 08:26 and the life was the light of men. 08:30 And the light shines in the darkness, 08:32 and the darkness did not comprehend it. 08:36 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 08:40 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, 08:45 that all through him might believe. 08:48 He was not that Light, 08:50 but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 08:53 That was the true Light 08:55 which gives light to every man coming into the world. 09:00 He was in the world, 09:01 and the world was made through Him, 09:05 and the world did not know Him. 09:07 He came to His own, 09:09 and His own did not receive Him. 09:12 But as many as received Him, 09:15 to them He gave the right 09:18 to become children of God, 09:20 to those who believe in His name: 09:23 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, 09:28 nor of the will of man, but of God. 09:31 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, 09:36 and we beheld His glory, 09:38 the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, 09:42 full of grace and truth." 09:46 I'd like to speak today on the subject, 09:48 "A Word from our Sponsor". 09:52 Let us pray. 09:53 Father, 09:55 I pray that Jesus would be lifted up 09:58 and when He is lifted up, 10:00 I pray that all men would be drawn to him, 10:03 in His name we pray, amen. 10:08 A recent study reported 10:11 that despite the advancement of other technologies, 10:15 television remains the most effective advertising tool 10:20 not with standing the popularity 10:22 of online streaming services and social media outlets 10:27 and smartphones, 10:28 television is still the best way 10:31 to reach our entertainment focused society. 10:35 In the former days a television ad was introduced 10:38 with an announcement 10:39 and now, A Word from Our Sponsor, 10:44 this indicated that there would be a break 10:47 from regular television programming 10:49 in order to acknowledge the person 10:52 who was behind the scenes 10:53 and had actually made it all possible. 10:56 The Christian life has at times 10:58 been compared to the scenes of a movie, 11:01 from God's perspective 11:03 He knows the end from the beginning, 11:05 He faints not neither becomes weary, 11:07 but from our limited perspective 11:10 we are vulnerable to uncertainty 11:12 and lapses in faith. 11:14 In the Christian life I have found 11:16 that the enemy tries to shake our faith 11:19 by bombarding us with programming 11:22 which makes it seem 11:23 that we are doomed and hopeless. 11:26 Yes, he bombards us 11:27 with disappointment and loss and grief. 11:31 Too many Christians 11:32 unfortunately have bought into the enemy's infomercials. 11:36 But I came today 11:38 to interrupt the enemy's programming 11:40 and to deliver, 11:42 A Word from Our Sponsor, Jesus Christ. 11:46 In this world where, 11:48 where we are facing unprecedented violence, 11:52 we need a word from our sponsor. 11:55 In this world 11:56 where that is becoming increasingly comfortable 11:59 with, with godlessness, 12:01 we need a word from our sponsor, 12:03 in this world 12:04 where even the children of God are becoming weary. 12:08 We need a word from our sponsor, 12:11 and that word comes today from the gospels. 12:15 You see the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John 12:19 each provide unique portrayals of the life of Jesus, 12:24 each author sets out to emphasize 12:27 one aspect of Jesus' character. 12:29 We should think of each book as a sermon about Jesus 12:33 with a specific message and appeal. 12:36 Matthew emphasizes Jesus' relationship with the law. 12:39 In Matthew Jesus is the fulfillment of the law 12:42 and the long awaited Messiah. 12:45 Mark on the other hand 12:46 emphasizes Jesus' miracle working power. 12:50 He's the kind of savior who keeps company with sinners. 12:54 Luke emphasizes Jesus' humanity 12:57 and John emphasizes Jesus' divinity 13:00 that is who He was before coming to the earth. 13:05 And right away, we noticed a stark contrast 13:08 in how John begins his gospel 13:11 where as Matthew, Mark and Luke begin Jesus story on the earth, 13:15 John begins his story in eternity past. 13:20 John goes behind the scenes 13:22 in a way the other writers do not 13:24 in order to show us 13:25 the character and divinity of Christ. 13:28 You see it is only knowing who Jesus is 13:31 that will give us strength in these last days. 13:34 Matthew, Mark, and Luke 13:36 leave the impression of Jesus' humble origins, 13:39 but John makes us aware of His eternal glory. 13:44 In a rather shocking manner, 13:46 John announced as at the beginning of his book, 13:49 in the beginning the Word already was. 13:54 Now if history could be represented as a book, 13:57 John is saying 13:59 that we could go all the way backward 14:01 to the very first page of history 14:04 and Jesus would be the page before that. 14:08 We could go all the way forward 14:09 as far as we possibly could into the future 14:12 even to the last page of history 14:15 and Jesus would be the page after that. 14:18 Now our translated Bibles 14:20 do not reveal the full richness of the original text, 14:25 because in the original text 14:27 there is nova before the word beginning. 14:31 The Bible literally says, "In beginning was the Word..." 14:36 Not in the beginning, but in beginning was the Word. 14:41 Now, let's take a moment to digest this. 14:45 What is the difference between beginning and the beginning? 14:49 The beginning is what was described in Genesis 1:1 14:54 just describing creation, 14:56 the writer of Genesis states 14:58 that "In the beginning 15:00 God created the heavens and the earth." 15:03 It was a discrete point in time 15:06 when God created the heavens and the earth 15:08 that was the beginning. 15:11 Now according to John, Jesus preceded the beginning. 15:15 It is not even the time that scripture can comprehend, 15:19 it was a time before Genesis 1:1, 15:22 it was before the beginning. 15:23 What John is literally saying is that 15:25 if it were possible to go back before the beginning, 15:30 Jesus was already there. 15:32 In fact, before anything begins, 15:35 Jesus is already there 15:38 and that divine fact 15:41 ought to be celebrated 15:43 that Jesus is before the beginning. 15:46 Apply that to your life 15:48 and thank God for Jesus Christ 15:50 who is there before anything begins. 15:54 Somebody has said that before any trial comes into our life, 15:58 Jesus is already there 16:00 measuring its usefulness and conforming it to His will. 16:05 He will only allow that which works out for good 16:08 into our experience. 16:10 In fact, a thing may be directly from Satan 16:14 but by the time it reaches his children. 16:18 it has already gone through Jesus, 16:20 therefore it is no longer harmful to us 16:23 but helpful to us. 16:25 That's why Paul says, 16:27 that all things work together for good 16:30 to those who love God 16:32 and are called according to his purpose. 16:36 You see Jesus makes things 16:37 that are not workable work out for our good. 16:43 You see human language is limited in describing 16:49 just how awesome it is to serve the eternal God. 16:54 Those who have tried to describe Jesus tell us 16:58 that He is the Alpha and the Omega. 17:01 What that literally means 17:02 is that He covers A to Z 17:04 including the infinite combination 17:06 of letters in between. 17:08 Those who have tried to describe Jesus 17:11 have said that 17:12 "He is the beginning and the end, 17:14 He is the first and the last." 17:17 If He were a book, He would exist 17:19 before the prologue and after the epilogue. 17:23 If He were a movie, He would exist 17:25 before the preview and after the closing credits. 17:28 According to Paul in Colossians 1:17, 17:31 "Jesus is before all things 17:34 and in Him all things consist." 17:38 Friends of mine, 17:39 He has no beginning and He has no end. 17:44 Jesus is the eternal Word. 17:48 Now a word 17:51 is an expression of a person's thought, 17:55 so when the Bible says that Jesus is the Word of God, 18:00 it means that he expresses 18:02 God's ideas and His wisdom. 18:06 The word is the wisdom of God. 18:09 The word is also how God communicates His ideas. 18:14 God speaks through Jesus Christ, 18:17 for the Bible tells us in Hebrews 1:2, 18:20 "In these last days 18:21 God has spoken to us by His Son, 18:25 whom He has appointed the heir of all things, 18:29 through whom He has also made the worlds." 18:34 Jesus is the eternal Word. 18:37 This fact also means that He cannot be exhausted, 18:42 His power never runs out. 18:45 Now I must confess 18:47 that the allure of having something 18:50 that would never run out 18:53 is what led me to sign up 18:55 for unlimited data on my cell phone. 18:58 You see according to my contract, 19:01 I would have unlimited data 19:03 which meant that my internet access 19:06 would never run out. 19:08 Well, I regret to tell you 19:11 that despite the promise of unlimited data, 19:14 I noticed that the more time 19:16 I spent on the internet checking my email and so forth, 19:20 the slower my service became. 19:23 In fact, the more I needed access, 19:26 the less responsive my device was, 19:29 and when I called my carrier, 19:31 I was informed 19:33 that I was promised unlimited data 19:35 but not unlimited speed. 19:37 They explained to me 19:39 that because I was such a high octane user, 19:43 I had exhausted my high speed internet 19:46 and had therefore been downgraded 19:47 to low speed internet. 19:49 Essentially what had promised to be unlimited 19:52 had actually run out, 19:54 because the server could not handle my needs. 19:58 But I'm so glad that Jesus is not like that, 20:02 He never slows down, He never runs out, 20:06 the more you rely on Him, 20:08 the more you discover His unlimited value, 20:11 He cannot be exhausted. 20:14 Jesus is the eternal Word, 20:16 which means that He is not constrained by time. 20:20 Humanity is constrained by time. 20:22 Everything we do centers around time. 20:25 Time governs our activities. 20:27 There is a time and season 20:29 for everything says the scriptures, 20:31 a time to wake, a time to work, 20:33 a time to eat, and a time to sleep. 20:36 We are subject to time, but Jesus is eternal. 20:41 So compared to Jesus everything else 20:45 including your problems is temporary. 20:49 In comparison to God the things we fret about 20:53 are only a small thing 20:56 and according to the Apostle Paul, 20:58 our problems amount to a light and momentary affliction 21:03 because they are temporal 21:06 but our God is eternal. 21:10 So you see that when Jesus says, 21:12 "I am with you." 21:14 He has a perfect understanding 21:17 of what you need to pass through 21:20 in order to be prepared for what lies ahead, 21:24 meaning that if we trust Him, 21:26 He will lead us 21:27 in paths of righteousness for His namesake. 21:30 God delights to order our steps according to His perfect will. 21:35 Too often we forfeit our peace 21:38 when we neglect to surrender 21:39 our plans to God who is eternal, 21:43 for He invites us to just rely on Him and trust His leading, 21:47 and we are told that our latter end 21:49 will be better than our beginning 21:53 because Jesus is the eternal Word. 21:58 According to scripture, He also gets the final word. 22:03 See, Jesus specializes 22:05 in writing sequels to our tragedies. 22:08 When you operate under the banner of Jesus Christ, 22:12 it's never over until He says it's over. 22:15 Jesus actually makes trouble and overachiever, 22:19 for according to scripture 22:21 our light and momentary affliction 22:24 achieves for us an eternal and exceeding weight of glory. 22:30 I was impressed of the impact 22:32 of serving a God with an eternal viewpoint. 22:38 When my friend and I recently visited the site 22:41 of a soldier's memorial, 22:43 never wanting to forget the scene, 22:46 I was attempting to record with my small camera 22:50 but my friend realized 22:52 the difficulty I was having and advised 22:54 that I change my settings to panoramic view. 22:57 I asked, what is panoramic view? 23:00 She said, "That's the view that allows you 23:03 to take in the entire landscape from a single viewpoint." 23:07 She said, "In order to create a panoramic view, 23:11 you have to hold down the capture button 23:13 on one side of the image 23:15 and do not release your hand 23:18 until you arrive to the other side of the image, 23:21 the camera will then combine 23:23 all of the captured images 23:25 into a complete panoramic view." 23:28 Well, friends of mine, 23:30 I came to let you know 23:31 that God has a panoramic view of your life, 23:36 He sees the entire landscape, 23:38 He knows the end from the beginning. 23:41 Some things may seem difficult to understand 23:44 on this side of heaven, 23:46 but just hang on, 23:47 don't release your hand from His hand, 23:50 it will all make sense when you get to the other side. 23:55 When we get over there, 23:57 God will show us 23:59 how He combined everything 24:01 we experienced 24:03 into His perfect will, 24:08 because Jesus is the eternal Word. 24:12 What He speaks in this season 24:15 may not be fulfilled immediately, 24:18 but it may be preparation for a later season. 24:22 Someone made be discouraged 24:24 because the promise from God 24:26 has not seemed to meet its fulfillment, 24:29 but the Bible says that if we wait on the Lord, 24:33 He will bring it to pass. 24:34 With God a day is like a 1000 years 24:37 according to 2 Peter 3:8, 24:40 and a 1000 years are like a day. 24:42 Habakkuk 2:3 says, 24:44 "The vision is yet for the appointed time, 24:47 but in the end it will speak and not lie." 24:52 Jesus is the eternal Word 24:56 and that extends to His attributes, 24:59 His mercy endorsed forever, His love is everlasting, 25:05 His faithfulness extends for all generations. 25:09 His mercies are renewed every morning, 25:12 His love has no limit 25:15 and His faithfulness has no end. 25:17 Where would we be without Jesus? 25:22 Because Jesus is the eternal Word, 25:26 He has absolute 25:29 and ultimate spiritual authority. 25:33 That's why Jesus was often in conflict 25:36 with the religious leaders of His day. 25:39 They constantly questioned His authority. 25:42 If you remember the setting in John 8, John 8, 25:46 when Jesus was jousting with the Pharisees, 25:50 they suggested that their ancestor Abraham 25:53 was greater than Jesus. 25:55 Abraham was a faith hero, yes, he was. 25:58 Yet Jesus made it clear 26:00 that He was superior to Abraham, 26:03 He said this, 26:05 "Before Abraham was born I am." 26:11 Before Abraham was born I am. 26:15 Now technically, Jesus was not yet 40 years old. 26:20 In fact, He was born centuries after Abraham, 26:24 so how could Jesus be after Abraham 26:27 and yet before Abraham. 26:29 The Pharisees got the message clearly 26:32 that Jesus was claiming to be God. 26:35 See only God can say I am, 26:38 and when Jesus said, "I am" 26:41 He was invoking the covenant name for God 26:44 which was widely used in the Old Testament, 26:47 for in Exodus 3:14, 26:49 God introduces Himself to Moses by saying, 26:52 "I am who I am." 26:56 And hidden in that very phrase 26:58 and that very promise is also the message 27:00 that "I will be who I will be." 27:05 And Jesus took that name for Himself, 27:07 He was letting the Pharisees know 27:09 that when you talk about me, 27:12 you're talking about someone 27:14 who is greater than Abraham. 27:16 You see when we start our list of names 27:18 of all that God is holy and mighty, 27:22 that's just the beginning, 27:24 Jesus had to close the book 27:26 when describing Himself and He just says, "I am." 27:31 Someone listening, I want to let you know 27:33 that whatever you need today, Jesus is. 27:39 Jesus Christ is the eternal God, 27:44 He was clear about that fact, 27:46 for He said in John 10:30 "I and my Father are one." 27:53 And then in John 14:9, 27:55 where He is having a conversation 27:57 with Philip and Philip says, 27:58 "Jesus, if you show us the Father, 28:00 it will be enough for us. 28:02 And Jesus replies by saying, 28:04 "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father." 28:09 See Jesus was clear about who He was, 28:12 He emphatically claimed 28:15 to be God. 28:18 And so that's why I cannot tolerate any discussion 28:23 when people suggest that Jesus is not God. 28:27 You may have heard the popular teaching 28:29 that Jesus is merely a good man 28:32 or that He was a moral teacher. 28:36 But the problem I have with this 28:37 is what moral person claims to be God if he is not. 28:43 As one theologian put it, 28:44 "Jesus is either a liar 28:47 or a lunatic or He is Lord." 28:51 Now let's take a minute 28:52 to evaluate these possibilities. 28:55 If Jesus was a liar, 28:57 then He was also a hypocrite 29:00 who violated His own teaching to be moral and honest. 29:06 Furthermore, if He was a liar, 29:09 why would He allow Himself 29:12 to be crucified for a falsehood, 29:15 I cannot figure that out. 29:18 In that case He would also be a fool 29:21 and this seems quite unlikely. 29:23 Let's examine the second possibility, 29:26 was Jesus a lunatic as many people say. 29:31 That doesn't seem at all consistent 29:32 with the Word of God, 29:34 for in the Bible 29:35 is recorded the testimony of those 29:38 who were amazed when they encountered Jesus. 29:42 In fact those who heard Him preach often said, 29:45 "We have never heard the Word of God 29:48 shared in this manner before." 29:51 They acknowledged that Jesus had wisdom 29:54 and authority beyond His years. 29:57 Don't you remember how at the tender age of 12, 30:00 the Bible tells a story about how Jesus was in the synagogue, 30:04 in the temple 30:06 and He completely dumb founded 30:08 the scribes and the religious teachers, 30:10 they could not answer His questions, 30:14 and remember how the officers were sent to arrest Jesus 30:18 and they returned 30:19 to the religious leaders and proclaimed, 30:22 "we've never heard anyone speak the way He does." 30:26 So even His enemies knew that Jesus was not a lunatic, 30:30 they knew that He had wisdom that was sent from God. 30:36 And so if Jesus is not a liar 30:39 and if Jesus is not a lunatic, 30:42 then He must be the Lord, and if the Lord, 30:46 then the question tonight is will you serve Him. 30:52 We owe Him our allegiance because as John explains, 30:57 "Jesus is our creator, 31:00 all things were made through Him 31:02 and without Him 31:04 was not anything made that was made." 31:07 Jesus is the source, everything else is a resource. 31:13 Let that sink in, Jesus is the source, 31:17 everything else is a resource. 31:20 We fret when our resources are depleted, 31:24 but if God is our source, 31:27 then He can create new resources, 31:30 for Colossians 1:16 says, 31:32 "For by Him all things were created 31:36 that are in heaven and that are on the earth, 31:39 things that are visible and things invisible, 31:42 whether thrones or dominions 31:46 or principalities or powers, 31:48 all things according to scripture 31:51 were created through Him and for Him." 31:53 Resources then are never a challenge for the one 31:58 who believes in Jesus Christ." 32:02 You see the Bible teaches that Jesus is so powerful, 32:08 He creates out of nothing, 32:11 no raw materials, 32:14 He speaks and things come into existence. 32:19 Now there are some who are teaching 32:22 that human beings have the power, 32:25 the capacity to speak life, 32:29 to speak things into existence, 32:32 but according to the Bible 32:34 this is a power that belongs to God and God alone. 32:39 See it is Christ who spoke and it was done, 32:43 it is Christ who commanded and it stood fast, 32:47 and that fact continues to blow the minds of scientists 32:51 who challenge 32:52 the creative authority of Christ. 32:57 I'm reminded of the humorous story 33:01 of how God was once approached by a scientist 33:05 who said, "Listen God, 33:07 we've decided we don't need you anymore. 33:10 These days we can clone animals and transplant organs 33:14 and do all sorts of things 33:16 that used to be considered miraculous. 33:19 God replied, "You don't need me. 33:22 How about we put your theory to the test? 33:25 Why don't we have a competition to see 33:27 who can make a human being? 33:29 Let's say a male human being. 33:31 The scientist ultimately agrees 33:33 so God declares that they should do it like 33:36 He did in the good old days when He created Adam. 33:40 Fine says the scientist 33:42 and he bins down to scoop up a handful of dirt. 33:46 But God says not so fast 33:49 shaking His head in disapproval, 33:51 you have to get your own dirt." 33:54 Now, what does this teach us? 33:56 This teaches us 33:57 that Jesus creates out of nothing. 34:01 When He created a man, 34:02 He didn't have anything to work with, 34:04 and when He recreates a man, 34:06 He does it without anything to work with. 34:10 When David in Psalm 51 cried out 34:13 for God to create in him a clean heart 34:15 and to renew a right spirit within him, 34:18 he was acknowledging 34:19 that he had nothing that he could contribute, 34:22 no raw materials in himself 34:24 that he could contribute toward holiness, 34:27 but he was asking Jesus Christ 34:30 to create out of nothing 34:31 a clean heart and a right spirit. 34:35 Ladies and gentlemen, 34:36 Jesus has the power to do just that. 34:41 He created out of nothing, 34:44 and He recreates out of nothing 34:49 because Jesus is the creator, 34:52 He has life in Himself. 34:56 Nobody gave Him life, 34:58 His life was not borrowed or derived, 35:02 He has life in Himself. 35:05 Now the life that Jesus has 35:07 is not natural biological life, 35:11 it is distinct from the natural life of the plant kingdom, 35:15 it is distinct from the biological life 35:18 of the animal kingdom, 35:19 which relies on oxygen molecules 35:22 as fuel for energy metabolism. 35:25 Jesus does not have biological life 35:27 which in the scripture is term bios life, 35:30 know Jesus has eternal life 35:33 which in the scripture is termed Zoe life. 35:37 This life is self originating and self sustaining, 35:41 Jesus has life in Himself 35:44 and because of that 35:45 he is sovereign over His own life, 35:48 meaning that no one can take our Lord's life. 35:51 He lays down His life 35:53 and He is able to pick it up again. 35:55 Aren't you thankful for that? 35:57 Jesus is also sovereign 35:59 over the lives of those who trust in Him. 36:04 Meaning that He gives life to whomever He will. 36:09 He sponsors the life of every believer, 36:12 for the Bible says in John 6:40, 36:15 "This is the will of Him who sent me 36:18 that everyone who sees the Son 36:21 and believes in Him 36:23 may have everlasting life 36:26 and I will raise him up at the last day." 36:30 And then in John 10:10, Jesus says, 36:33 "I have come 36:34 that you may have life in heaven more abundantly." 36:39 Don't you want this life today? 36:42 And yet Jesus according to John is more than the life giver, 36:47 He is also life itself, 36:51 for 1 John 5:11 and 12 say, 36:54 "This is the testimony 36:56 that God has given us eternal life 36:59 and this life is in his Son, 37:03 whoever has the Son has life 37:06 and whoever does not have the Son 37:08 does not have life." 37:11 From the biblical point of view, 37:14 if we only have natural bios life, 37:18 then we are not really living. 37:21 We may inhale and exhale, 37:24 but according to scripture 37:26 without Jesus we are dead. 37:29 But here's the good news, 37:32 that if we have the Son Jesus Christ, 37:35 then we have life and it's the kind of life 37:40 that only gets stronger 37:41 when met with the enemy's fiery arrows. 37:44 It's the kind of life 37:46 that makes the Christian unbreakable, 37:48 for Paul says, 37:49 "We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed. 37:54 We are perplexed but not in despair, 37:57 persecuted but not forsaken, 37:59 struck down but not destroyed, 38:03 always carrying about in the body 38:06 the dying of the Lord Jesus, 38:08 that the life of Jesus 38:10 may be manifested in our body." 38:15 In fact, the Bible teaches 38:17 that the less I live by my natural life, 38:22 the more Christ can supply his Zoe life. 38:27 Galatians 2:20 says, "I, Paul is saying I, 38:31 meaning my natural life has been crucified with Christ, 38:35 it is no longer I who live, 38:37 but Christ lives in me 38:39 and the life which I now live in the flesh, 38:42 I live by faith in the Son of God 38:45 who loved me and gave Himself for me." 38:49 Christ is more than the life giver, 38:52 He is the life. 38:56 And many Christians 38:59 have not yet graduated 39:01 from an understanding of Jesus 39:04 as the life giver to Jesus as life itself. 39:10 See many of us have viewed 39:12 Jesus as the source of blessing. 39:15 We have viewed Jesus as the source of miracles. 39:19 We have viewed Jesus 39:20 as the source of some divine favor, 39:23 as the source of some resource. 39:26 He is the person that we go to in order to receive that 39:29 which will sustain our lives. 39:32 Yet Jesus is more than a life giver, 39:36 He is also the life. 39:39 And so we are challenged today, 39:41 that we should not be focused on what we receive from Christ, 39:46 rather we should receive Him. 39:50 For John says, 39:51 "In Him was life 39:53 and the life was the light of men." 39:58 This is a great theme in John that life is linked to light. 40:04 You see to be in relationship with Christ is to have His life 40:09 which in turn becomes our light. 40:12 Those who have Christ have life 40:15 and walk in His light, 40:17 while those who did not have Christ 40:19 according to the scripture 40:20 do not have life and walk in darkness. 40:24 Darkness refers 40:26 to the spiritual error of this world, 40:29 whereas light refers to spiritual truth 40:32 as it is revealed in Jesus Christ. 40:35 Jesus says, "I am the light of the world 40:39 and whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness." 40:44 Aren't you glad that darkness 40:45 is not what God has prepared for us, 40:48 but He has said, I have given you Jesus Christ 40:51 who will be your light. 40:54 And every other light 40:56 according to John is a lesser light 40:59 but Jesus is the true light. 41:02 John himself, though he was a great man, 41:05 a great prophet, a great preacher, 41:07 he had to proclaim that I am not that light. 41:10 In fact when he was baptizing and preaching beyond the Jordan 41:14 in order to announce the ministry of Jesus Christ, 41:17 there were many who flocked to him and asked, 41:19 "Are you the one that we have been waiting for?" 41:22 But John had to acknowledge, 41:24 "There was one who is coming 41:26 after me who is greater than me, in fact, 41:29 I am not even worthy to loose his sandal, 41:33 Jesus Christ is coming who will baptize you 41:36 with the Holy Spirit and with fire." 41:39 John made it clear that it was not he, 41:42 but it was Jesus who is the true light 41:46 that gives light to every man coming into the world. 41:50 You see it is popular today to believe 41:53 that there are many paths to God. 41:56 Many today believe that Jesus 41:59 is only one of many ways to find God and truth. 42:03 But the Bible teaches us 42:05 that Jesus is the only true light. 42:08 In fact there is no other name given among men 42:12 whereby we can be saved. 42:14 There was no truth outside of Jesus, 42:17 there is nothing of spiritual value outside of Him. 42:22 His light is so strong that John says, 42:25 "It shines in the darkness 42:28 and the darkness cannot overcome it." 42:33 Imagine that, that Jesus' light is the true light 42:38 which cannot be overcome by darkness. 42:42 You see Jesus is like the diamond that a woman found 42:47 and when she went to test this diamond, 42:50 she wanted to be sure that it was authentic. 42:53 So she took it to a special jeweler 42:56 to have it examined for its authenticity. 43:01 She wanted to be sure 43:02 that what she found was not mere glass, 43:05 she wanted to be sure that it was a diamond, 43:08 and lo and behold when it was inspected, 43:11 she was informed that yes, this is the real deal, 43:15 how did he know that? 43:16 He knew that because he said, "Glass can only reflect light." 43:20 So in order to determine what kind of jewel this was, 43:24 I took it into the darkness 43:26 and I found that in the darkness 43:28 this material still gave the light. 43:31 You see glass only reflects light, 43:34 but diamond has light in itself 43:36 and so it was able to, to exude a glow 43:40 even in the midst of a dark atmosphere. 43:43 And so it is with Jesus Christ 43:46 that He does not merely reflect light, 43:48 Jesus is the true diamond and treasure of the universe, 43:51 for He has light in Himself 43:55 and His light shines brightest 43:57 even in the midst of a dark world. 44:01 And we're thankful for that today. 44:04 The Bible says, 44:05 "That this light has been sent into the world, 44:09 for it says that when God sent Jesus Christ into the world, 44:13 the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." 44:18 You see the eternal Word became the incarnate Word. 44:22 When God sent Christ into the world, 44:25 He sent His very best. 44:28 See when it says that He dwelt among us, 44:30 it literally means He tabernacled with us. 44:34 Just like the ancient sanctuary 44:37 that was designated as a dwelling place for God, 44:40 a place where He could live among His people 44:43 were called in Exodus 25 that He told the Israelites, 44:46 "Let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them." 44:51 Well, the Bible teaches 44:53 that Jesus was literally a sanctuary for us. 44:57 He is God in the flesh. 44:59 Jesus is the living temple, 45:02 He is Immanuel, meaning God is with us. 45:07 Isn't that wonderful news that God is with us. 45:11 He's with us on our daily experiences. 45:13 He's with us in our trials. 45:15 He's with us in our tribulations. 45:17 God is with us, 45:19 no matter what we face that will always be true 45:22 that He is Immanuel, God with us. 45:25 The Bible says, 45:27 "That Jesus came and dwelt among us 45:31 in order to show us the Father. 45:35 For no one has seen God at any time, says John, 45:38 but the only begotten Son 45:40 who is in the bosom of the Father, 45:43 He has declared Him.'' 45:45 So the damage of sin 45:47 is that it's separated us 45:49 from the presence and glory of God. 45:52 So Jesus came down from heaven 45:55 in order to show us who God is, 45:58 He is God in the flesh. 46:01 And when we look up on Him, 46:03 we see and we behold the glory of the Father 46:08 full of grace and truth. 46:12 And had Jesus not taken 46:14 the initiative in revealing Himself, 46:18 we would have been lost and without hope. 46:21 I'm so glad today 46:22 that Jesus did not wait for us to seek Him out, 46:26 but He has sought us out, for the Bible says, 46:29 "That we are loved not because we first love Him, 46:33 but because He loved us." 46:36 Jesus took the initiative in revealing Himself. 46:42 You see every sinner is like the man described in John 9, 46:47 who was born blind. 46:48 Can you imagine that? 46:50 John 9 tells us about a man who was born without his sight, 46:55 he had never seen the light of day 46:57 and had Jesus not passed by 47:00 and opened his eyes, 47:02 he would have never known his Savior. 47:07 The fact is we are just like this man, 47:09 for we are born in sin and shapen in iniquity, 47:14 before meeting Christ our minds were darkened, 47:17 we naturally wandered from God, the source of our very life. 47:22 But in His mercy, in His omniscience, 47:25 in His omnipresent, in His everlasting love, 47:29 the Bible says that, 47:31 "God took the initiative 47:33 in seeking us out in His mercy." 47:36 According to 2 Corinthians 4:6, 47:39 "God commanded light to enter our hearts 47:44 that we may see the glory of Jesus Christ." 47:49 Have you seen the glory of His Son? 47:53 Have you experienced the glory of Jesus Christ? 47:57 See when God sent His Son, He sent His best. 48:03 Jesus is who God has given us in times like these. 48:08 Jesus is the word from our sponsor. 48:12 Jesus expresses everything 48:15 that can possibly be known about God. 48:18 In Christ according to Colossians 2:9, 48:21 "All the fullness of God dwells in the body." 48:26 What does that mean? 48:27 It means there is nothing of God's 48:30 which is not in Jesus. 48:35 There is nothing of God's which is not in Jesus Christ. 48:42 Nothing can be added to Jesus. 48:45 When He speaks, nothing more can be said. 48:49 When He acts, nothing more can be done. 48:53 When you have Jesus, you have God's everything. 49:00 You see the Lord's message to us, 49:02 is Jesus himself. 49:05 He is the eternal Word who became the incarnate Word. 49:10 He is the omnipotent creator who lived among His creation. 49:15 He is the owner of life who became obedient unto death. 49:20 He is the true light 49:22 who shines in the darkness 49:25 and the darkness cannot extinguish it. 49:28 Jesus Himself is the good news. 49:33 Jesus Himself is the message from God. 49:37 He is the glory of God. 49:39 He is full of grace and truth. 49:42 If we have Him, 49:44 then we have God's everything. 49:51 And so we live in a world, 49:56 where sin and Satan seem to rule. 50:01 We live in a world 50:03 where the wicked seem to prosper. 50:06 We live in a world 50:08 where we wonder if our lives matter. 50:12 But here's a word from our sponsor, Jesus Christ. 50:17 You see we would do well to remember who sponsors us 50:22 because there are a lot of things 50:23 that happen in this life 50:25 that will cause us to lose our footing. 50:28 We may experience some trial 50:30 and forget that we are sponsored. 50:33 We may witness some tragedy 50:36 and neglect to pause for word from Him. 50:39 But Jesus is not surprise, friends of mine, 50:42 Jesus is not confused, 50:44 Jesus is not caught off guard 50:46 by anything that you are experiencing. 50:50 He is with you, 50:51 He is moving things along according to His perfect will. 50:55 Remember, that the eternal word gets the last word. 51:01 Jesus is the only one 51:02 who can give us hope 51:04 in the midst of a cruel and crooked world. 51:08 He is the foundation of our faith, 51:10 because He has overcome the world. 51:14 And so we have a decision to make. 51:20 The reality is that Jesus came into the world, 51:24 but the world did not know Him. 51:28 He came to His own people 51:31 and they did not receive Him. 51:34 In fact, He came to His own nation 51:38 and unfortunately He was crucified, 51:41 but it was not unfortunate 51:44 for those who received Him with faith. 51:48 For the Bible goes on to say, 51:49 that though He came to the world and was rejected, 51:52 though He came to His own and was not received, 51:56 the Bible says, that as many as received Him, 52:01 thank you God. 52:03 He gave them power 52:05 to become children of God 52:08 even to those who believe on His name. 52:14 Now let me explain 52:15 the difference between believing 52:17 and believing on Jesus name. 52:20 You see to believe 52:22 is an intellectual process of understanding the facts 52:25 about someone 52:27 that's not what John is talking about, 52:29 for he says in another place in the scripture 52:32 that even devils believe and tremble, 52:35 that's not the kind of belief that John is talking about. 52:39 He is talking about 52:41 those who believe on Jesus name, 52:44 those who believe in Christ they have everything, 52:48 pertaining to their salvation 52:51 to believe on Jesus name 52:53 is to believe that He is the eternal Word 52:56 whom God has sent into the world to shine 53:00 His precious light that we may live. 53:05 There is someone listening 53:07 who needs to believe on Jesus name. 53:11 There is a belief 53:12 that is not based on something you've read, 53:14 something you've heard from someone else, 53:16 that's not the kind of belief we're talking about, 53:19 this is a belief that is based on who the Bible says Jesus is. 53:24 We've learned today that Jesus is the eternal Word. 53:28 We've learned that He is the omnipotent creator. 53:33 He is the life and He is the light. 53:36 He is the totality of God's message to any person 53:41 who is wondering how to be saved, 53:45 for the Bible says that, 53:46 "God so loved the world 53:49 that He gave His only begotten Son, 53:54 that whosoever believes in Him should not perish 54:00 but have everlasting life." 54:03 Whosoever believes, 54:05 whosoever believes in His name 54:08 will have everlasting life. 54:11 And so, the whosoever I hope includes you and me. 54:15 The whosoever I hope includes those who are listening 54:19 and today want to make a decision for Jesus Christ, 54:23 for God when He gave His Son, 54:26 He gave us every thing that He could, 54:30 He gave His best. 54:32 The word from our sponsor today 54:35 is Jesus Christ Himself. 54:40 The invitation is to receive Him. 54:43 Not to receive something from Him. 54:46 We are often accustomed to asking Him for things, 54:51 but Jesus is so much greater than that, 54:53 He is not just a giver of blessings, 54:56 He is the blessing. 54:58 He is not just a giver of gifts, 55:01 He is the gift. 55:03 He is not just a doctrine, He is not just a word, 55:08 He is the living word. 55:10 And so tonight, 55:12 the invitation is to receive Him, 55:14 not something from Him but to receive Him, 55:18 His person 55:20 and His finished work on Calvary. 55:23 Thank God, 55:24 that whoever receives Him 55:28 will be granted authority 55:30 to become a child of God. 55:33 I receive Him today, what about you? 55:37 Let us pray. 55:39 Father, thank You 55:41 for sending the Word, Jesus Christ. 55:44 We thank You for this Word from our sponsor. 55:49 We thank You for the eternal and incarnate Word. 55:52 We think you that God you made Jesus Christ a living temple, 55:56 a living vessel among us 55:58 that He may, may be accessible to us, 56:01 that we may know Him, 56:02 that we may receive Him, 56:05 and so God, 56:06 we pray for greater faith to fully grasp Him, 56:10 to fully believe on His name 56:12 that we may be granted the great privilege 56:15 and authority to be children of God. 56:19 We thank You and we receive all of these blessings, 56:23 including the greatest blessing who is Jesus Christ Himself, 56:27 in His name we pray, amen. 56:42 I know that you are blessed by that message, 56:44 "A Word from our Sponsors". 56:47 As you have heard repeated time and time again, 56:51 Jesus is not just a gift giver, but He is the gift. 56:55 He's not just an answer to the challenges of your life, 56:58 He is the answer. 57:00 And we pray as you consider and contemplate 57:03 the difference that can be made in your life 57:07 after receiving Jesus 57:08 that you'll remember the message from Dr. Medlock. 57:12 The seeds of salvation have been planted 57:15 and here at Dare to Dream 57:16 we do believe that not just dreaming 57:19 but living the dream through the person of Christ 57:22 is where we find our hope 57:24 and our courage and our strength. 57:26 God bless you, until we see you again. |
Revised 2017-03-09